If It's Love Ch.7

If It's Love

Chapter Seven: Home alone
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Lovino arrives home from school and smells something cooking. It's been a month since Antonio started working at the restaurant now and every night he comes home to practice new foods, most of which are Spanish. He's also been nagging Lovino about how great it is to work there. Lovino isn't stupid, he knows what is coming. On the seventeenth this month he will turn sixteen and Roderich will pursue him for a job at his restaurant even more fiercely. Because when Roderich wants something, he gets it.

Not in a creepy mafia kind of way, but in a bribing kind of way. An example of this was when he wanted Daniel, the Hungarian man, to work for him. Daniel refused because he worked somewhere close to where his crush, the boy Liu from Taiwan, lived. In response Roderich found Liu, offered him a job above minimum wage, and got Daniel easily after that. He also did that with a man named Abel from the Netherlands who refused to join. Except, to get him, he hired this Japanese boy named Kiku.

Raises in salary or hiring a person's love interest are usually how Roderich goes about things, and since Lovino has no interest in anyone romantically he will not be giving in until he is promised above minimum wage. He has already planned it, and he knows Roderich knows his plan as well. It's all about who will bend first at this rate, and Lovino knows it will be Roderich.

"Hey Lovi!" Antonio calls from the kitchen, making Lovino come in. "I've got it down on my own!" He says, holding out a plate of Spanish foods. "So I've got my raise!"

Lovino's eyes light up and a rare look of excitement comes to his face. "No way! How much?"

"A whole extra dollar an hour!" Antonio says and Lovino smiles at him.

"That's great Antonio!" He praises, making Antonio blush and look away shyly.

"Y-yeah…well…I have to take care of you after all."

Lovino ignores Antonio's embarrassment and takes the fork from the plate to have a taste. "Mmm…this is really good. You made enough for dinner, I assume?" He asks and Antonio smiles.

"Of course! Feliciano and Marcello have already eaten, they are now off to Ludwig and Peter's places for the night. Since you guys have tomorrow off." Antonio says, staring at Lovino. "So we're home alone."

"…Uhuh…that's nice." Lovino mumbles awkwardly, taking the plate from Antonio. "You have tomorrow off, don't you?" He asks and Antonio shakes his head.

"Nope! I took work tomorrow so I could have your birthday off!" Antonio says proudly and Lovino sighs. So much for his quiet day alone. Then again, with his brothers, he had no real chance of ever actually being alone.

"I see. So you have Saturday off then." Lovino says and Antonio nods. "Well…that's nice. Say…when is your birthday?" He asks and Antonio smiles at him.

"Why? You wanna celebrate it together~?" Antonio asks and Lovino flips him off. "Ah, calm down~ calm down~! My birthday was a few days before we met, actually. February twelfth. You will have to wait until next time around. Perhaps by then we can go on a date for it!" He says hopefully and Lovino rolls his eyes, heading to the living room.

"Don't count on it." Lovino groans, sitting on the couch.

"Why not?" Antonio asks, sitting down beside him. "I think I'm making good progress! You let me sleep with you-!"

"I have no choice."

"You smile at me."

"Only when you do something useful. I do that to everyone."

"You stalked me." Antonio teases and Lovino goes bright red.

"It wasn't stalking damnit! Stop bringing that up!" He huffs and Antonio grins.

"But you still do it. Why can't I bring it up?"

Lovino sinks into his seat in embarrassment. "I-I do not still do it!"

"So that wasn't you the other day with the false mustache and oversized fedora hat? Strange. I guess I have another cute stalker then." Antonio says and Lovino stares straight ahead at the TV.

"I-I guess so!" He stutters out and Antonio places an arm behind him on the couch.

"You know, I don't mind you watching over me. However, I would like it if you would come in and talk to me when you do. Maybe spend your money at the restaurant I work at rather than the café across the street." Antonio says and Lovino looks up at him.

"I'm not going near Roderich for a while until he offers me what I want." He mumbles and Antonio sighs,

"You two are such shady people around each other. It's like the mafia waiting for some politician to offer them the right deal to keep him safe." Antonio says, making Lovino glare.

"We're not like that! We just know what the other wants, and are waiting to get what we want." Lovino grumbles and the Spaniard laughs a little.

"So sketchy~!" He teases before looking at the annoyed Italian. "However, it's strangely sexy when you do it."

Lovino goes bright red and stands up. "Well, that's my cue to leave."

"Eh? Nooo! Lovi!" Antonio whines, grabbing his wrist and sitting him back down. "I'll behave. Promise." He says and Lovino sighs.

"Fine…"

"Hey Lovi, have you ever…? Um, I mean…have you ever been in love? Is it really so awkward to hear the things I say to you?" Antonio asks awkwardly, surprising Lovino.

"Huh? I...I'm not used to that kind of stuff, and I've never been in love, no. I've never found someone I thought of as sexually attractive." Lovino answers.

Antonio sinks into the seat. "Ugh…really…? Well I guess that doesn't bode well for me…"

"Nope. Sure doesn't." Lovino says, looking over to him.

"Hey…um…is your dad coming on Saturday? Because if so I should probably go to Francis' place or something." Antonio asks and Lovino frowns.

"He can't get time off. Ever. Especially not before the summer…" Lovino mumbles and Antonio places a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Lovi. Is there anything you want specifically for your birthday? I will give you absolutely ANYTHING!" Antonio says and Lovino shrugs.

"No, I'm fine. Don't go out of your way and for the love of god DON'T do anything stupid."

"I'm going to buy you something to show you just how much I love you!" The Spaniard exclaims and Lovino twitches.

"And you're already doing something stupid…lovely…"

"No! No! It WILL be lovely! It really will! You will be so happy! In fact, it might just be great enough to make you fall in love with me!" Antonio rattles on excitedly and Lovino sits there watching his face light up at the thought. He's twenty now, an adult, yet when he gets excited he's still so childish. Lovino sort of wishes Antonio could stay an adult even without him falling in love. While he doesn't love Antonio, he does care about him, and even enjoys his presence. He hates to admit it but he really doesn't want Antonio to leave.

"Is there any way other than the obvious that will keep you here…?" Lovino mumbles, catching Antonio off guard.

"Ah…I won't leave…you will fall in love with me, remember?" Antonio asks, smiling at him. "Then you will never be rid of me!"

"I meant as a friend you conceited bastard!" Lovino huffs and Antonio frowns.

"Well maybe you can find the fairy-"

"Angel." Lovino corrects and Antonio rolls his eyes.

"The ANGEL that granted my wish and make your own." Antonio says before wrapping his arms around his shoulders. "I'm glad you want me here though, no matter what it's as."

"Ugh…stop touching me. Idiot. Besides, how do we get ahold of this angel?" Lovino asks and Antonio shrugs.

"Well…I can try to get him back, or you can cry so he comes? I don't…really know how it works since I'm not really into that kind of stuff." Antonio says and Lovino perks up.

"You might not be, but I know someone who is. We will ask that British waiter at your restaurant, Arthur. He's big into mythical things, I'm sure angels are included." He explains and Antonio smiles at him.

"I'm so happy you want me around so badly, Lovi. Even if it's just as a friend." Antonio says and Lovino blushes.

"W-we need your income, th-that's all!"

"You're so cute when you lie!" Antonio teases and Lovino glares.

"It's not a lie!"

"Oh! There you go again!"

"Argh! I hate you!" Lovino fumes and Antonio laughs.

"You just keep lying! It's adorable!"
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A/N: I apologize for sssoooo many things! First of all, the fillerness of this chapter. Secondly, that it took me so long. I've been caught up in a comic I started making, then I got sick...so yeah. lD Anyways, here it is, and I apologize. For everything.