As Yet Untitled, 2.b
anonymous
May 6 2010, 17:12:05 UTC
So, Antonio swallows the weird, hateful sensation that has been growing in the pit of his stomach, puts on his best smile and waves again, this time calling "Romano!" too.
He had sort of expected Romano to scoff and pretend he hadn't seen him - that boy could always hold his grudges, when he thought it was worth it. It didn't happen often, but Antonio remembers at least a summer in which Romano had not spoken to him for two weeks straight.
Then again, they were eight-years-old and after about three days Romano had gotten tired of not communicating and they had invented a special secret gesture language that...
What he didn't expect, however, was that the stranger would notice him, touch Romano on the shoulder (again!) and pull him into a quick, whispered conversation - keeping his mouth really close to Romano's ear, a thing that would have gotten Antonio an headbutt at least.
And when Romano, still blushing, seems not only to listen to what the other had to say, but even to let himself be convinced, Antonio has to sit.
The two change direction and move towards him, until their shadows are resting on the steps, one on each side of Antonio.
"Antonio this is Herakles Herakles this is Antonio" Romano says, without pauses between the words, not looking directly at either of them.
Antonio shields his eyes from the sun to look at his companion from his sitting position, but doesn’t say anything.
"Nice to meet you." Herakles' Italian has an accent Antonio can't place, and his lips are quirked just enough to make it pass as a polite smile. His face is like his body, strong and open, and his eyes are of a deep blue-green color that reminds Antonio of the sea on a windy day - or of rotten algae. No, definitely rotten algae.
He's handsome. This bothers Antonio a little. Romano shouldn't be so shallow in picking his friends.
However, he offers him his most beaming smile, and answers "Oh, so it's you who's been stealing Romano from me in the last two days!"
He tried to sound amused, but he couldn't help the slight annoyed tone that bubbled on the surface all by himself.
Romano is still looking at some interesting spot in the blue sky, while Herakles has his head tilted to the side, with a curious expression - he looks like he catched both the surface attempt at politeness and the anger hidden in that. He glances at Romano, but when he doesn't move, goes back to talking to Antonio.
"Actually, Romano was under the impression that you were avoiding him."
"What? But I've been looking for him all day!"
"I mean that he thought you weren’t willing to see him anymore.”
”But why? What I have I done that could make him think this?” He turns his head to Romano, but he’s still avoiding his eyes. “I never wanted to make you upset!”
”I told you he’s a fucking idiot. Let’s go.” Romano is pulling at Herakles arm sightly.
”No, wait!” Antonio and Herakles say at the same time.
But it’s only the last one who tilts his head towards Romano and whispers to him: ”You have to set things straight, or...” Antonio doesn’t catch the rest, but it must be something convincing, because Romano nods and blushes - it must be really hot, seeing that he’s under the sun and everything.
“Ok, but he won’t get it. Or he’ll pretend that he doesn’t.”
”No, I seriously don’t...”
”Oh, shut the fuck up.” Romano squats down on the step until his eyes are at level with Antonio’s.
As Yet Untitled, 2.c
anonymous
May 6 2010, 17:14:18 UTC
”Why did you disappear?”
”Disappear?”
”You haven’t come back here for three years!”
”My family - they always found something else to do for me. It’s a long trip from Germany to here, you know? And they don’t have a reason anymore to come here, I had to insist to...”
”Whatever. Why didn’t you wrote me all this, then!”
”B-but I never wrote in the past and it has never been a problem...”
Romano raises an eyebrow. “You mean your disappearance hasn’t got anything to do with what I said?”
”Uhu?” Antonio is trying to keep up with the conversation, but it’s hard when he’s looking into Romano’s eyes - have they always had this piercing quality? He’s sure at least the gold reflexes are new.
”What I said the last time we saw each other! Don’t you remember? We were in that clearing in the bushes behind the old tower, it was the sunset...”
“How romantic.” Herakles comments, amused, and Romano ‘umpf’s and blindly waves behind himself with an hand, hitting him on one leg.
Antonio is beginning to think he’s missing something. “I think I’m missing something.”
Romano’s eyes widen in surprise and anger, and he stands up.
”See? He doesn’t get it! Or he pretends he doesn’t, it doesn’t matter.”
Herakles shakes his head. “You two have to talk this over with some calm. Let’s get out of the sun, shall we?”
Antonio doesn’t like to agree with Herakles, since he doesn’t know him at all, but it makes sense.
They walk along some alleys, and Antonio recognizes the way. In fact, they go sitting on a low dry stone wall, under the shadow from the surrounding houses, in a spot where the sea’s breath manages to arrive, over a particularly quiet small road - it’s one of Romano’s secret places, but it was Herakles to guide them to it.
Antonio isn’t sure about what he’s supposed to say or do, so he simply sits, waiting for the others to explain.
But it does not happen. There’s a long, awkward silence before Romano, who always hated long, awkward silences, asks: “Really, you don’t remember?” He doesn’t sound exactly angry, more like he’s close to tears, and Herakles surrounds his shoulders with one arm.
Antonio is extremely bothered by this. How can he clarify with Romano, if that one keeps on intruding? He has half a mind to ask him to leave, but Herakles is doing nothing but stay close to Romano and Antonio really has no reason to accuse him of intermission.
It’s still annoying, thought.
”I do remember that day, but I can’t see what was so special about it.”
”Antonio!” Romano is definitely close to tears, now, and Herakles whispers something in his ear. He’s actually being a bit too clingy, even for a close friend - and how come Romano isn’t shoving him off?
”Really, Romano, I don’t remember saying anything that could make you angry - Herakles, do you have to sit so close?”
”You got a problem with that?”
”What do you mean, you don’t remember... Antonio, you remember what I said to you, right?”
”Well...” Now that he’s concentrating on it, Antonio realizes he remembers that day minutely, from the way the soft pink light of the sunset played on Romano’s hair, to his friend’s whispered, urgent voice, and obviously every single one of his words. Weird. “I remember you telling me that we’ve been friends since you had memory...”
”Yes...”
”And that you cared for me as you care for your family...” Oh, those really were kind words - for the first time, Antonio realizes that maybe he should have kept contact with Romano, considering he was such a good friend.
As Yet Untitled, 2.d + notes
anonymous
May 6 2010, 17:18:26 UTC
”I said something else, didn’t I?”
”Yes, it was weird, I never really understood what you meant...”
Romano snorts. “Oh, really?”
”Perhaps you’ve been too subtle.” Herakles comments, drawing something with his finger on Romano’s neck - he seems to have lost any interest in the conversation, concentrating only on showering Romano with a great deal of inappropriate attention.
That’s just plain impolite, and why is Romano accepting it? Why he’s not yelling at him to back off, instead of simply batting his hands off with one of his usual ‘I’m doing it but I don’t mean it’ gestures?
Antonio can’t help the anger that’s starting to slip in his tone, even if he’s not really sure of how or why.
”Well, I remember you telling me that you always loved me as a friend and that your love had grown with you and... it’s hard to keep up the conversation if you distract Romano, Herakles.”
”Yes, be good for a second, Lè.”
At least, Romano’s reacting. Wait, did he just call Herakles with a nickname? He never used a nickname for Antonio! “I... uh... how exactly did the two of you met, anyway?”
Romano narrows his eyes.
”Yeah, about that day... You told me that...”
Antonio’s eyes widen. He feels like Saint Paul being struck by divine light on the way to Damascus - he has to grab the wall’s irregular stones to avoid falling off.
That day, on the small clearing invaded by the sunset’s pink light, with the old sun-bleached ruins of the tower behind, and the cicadas serenading the world as usual - that day, Romano had said something. Muttered it under his breath, with his eyes fixed to the side - but thinking back on it, it had been pretty clear. Not ti voglio bene like it would have been appropriate for a friend, and not even mi piaci like a child with a crush.
No. He had said ti amo, Antonio.
And when he had kissed him on the lips, it had been no accident.
***
AND IT TOOK ONLY THREE YEARS FOR ANTONIO TO GET IT
Ah, when did my style became so light-hearted? It’s quite the change of pace - I’ve got problems depicting unhappy Spain, I think - it’s just so unnatural.
We’ll go back to our regularly scheduled angst by-the-bucket soon, thought.
My headcanon Greece is quite touchy-feely - I’m probably projecting, since if my boyfriend was Greece I’d like him to touch me lots.
Italian traditional nicknames use the last syllabe of the name, sometimes repeated or with some other sound added. And Lè is the closest to an endearment Romano would allow himself to go.
‘Being struck on Damascus’ way’ is a legitimate Italian idiom meaning basically what it means here.
Ti amo: ‘I love you’, romantic sense (only lovers use it).
Ti voglio bene: lit. ‘I want you well’, ‘I love you’, innocent sense (a mother to a child, a close friend to another).
Mi piaci: ‘I like you’, often used as a declaration by young teenagers.
Anons, remember you still have to help me find a title!
Also, how do you feel about angst, smut and combinations of the two? Like, lots of it? And not only of the Spain/Romano variety? Because I've got sort of an idea about how I want this to go...
Anyway, this is shaping up to be about ten parts, give or take. And they won’t all be quite as fast to come. Ok with you all?
I've been having a pretty crummy day so this kinda made my day~
Angst? Smut? Angsty smut and smutty angst? Bring it on! Take my prompt and do whatever you need to with it, because this is pretty awesome so far. It's perfectly alright if your updates take a while I'm always late with mine too, so take all the time you need.
Re: As Yet Untitled, 2.d + notes
anonymous
May 6 2010, 18:39:26 UTC
Angst/Smut combinations are good, imo. Even though I already feel my heart breaking ALREADY and it's only the second part.
But oh man, i loved the tension between Antonio and Greece in this chapter, and I really enjoy reading your Antonio. Aaand it could just be that I'm a sap for happy endings, but I'm sort of rooting for Antonio and Romano to patch things up and make it work. Then again, that wouldn't really be a happy ending for Greece, now would it?
Either way, I do enjoy me some angst, so bring it on. I'm really curious how this story's going to end, and I can't wait to see where you take it.
Subliminon? I like it.
anonymous
May 6 2010, 19:52:53 UTC
Eh, I bet you could have managed (Dagur Eyjólfsson came to Italy that summer for pasta... what he found was love). Must say that I'm glad the homewrecker/picker-up-of-the-pieces is Greece. And 3 years? After a confession like that? Damn that's slow, Antonio. What would he have had to do for you to get it, throw you down and take off your pants? (subliminalyessubliminalyessubliminalyes)
I like angst. I love smut. Combos = :) and frankly, although I like Spain/Romano best, I'm fine with any variety. threesomethreesomethreesome
Re: As Yet Untitled, 2.d + notes
anonymous
May 7 2010, 05:20:12 UTC
Iiiiiiiii have nothing useful to say. Other than fuck yes Greece hrng. I wonder if they can be convinced to share. Mediterranean sandwich?
hmmmmm a name. well. seeing as it was antonio's sheer thickheadedness that spearheaded the whole thing, how bout some http://thesaurus.com/browse/oblivious
Re: As Yet Untitled, 2.d + notes
anonymous
May 7 2010, 08:17:11 UTC
♥ ♥ ♥
MOAR PLZ.
Oh my gosh, I love this so much. Poor Romano. Antonio, I think you need a good smack over the head.
As for the smut/angst thing, I adore both, so either one is just fine! I'll admit I'm a bit of an angst-whore, though, so. Um. That would be extra nice? And Spain/Romano, or Greece/Romano, or a threesome would all be equally delightful! Yay!
So, Antonio swallows the weird, hateful sensation that has been growing in the pit of his stomach, puts on his best smile and waves again, this time calling "Romano!" too.
He had sort of expected Romano to scoff and pretend he hadn't seen him - that boy could always hold his grudges, when he thought it was worth it. It didn't happen often, but Antonio remembers at least a summer in which Romano had not spoken to him for two weeks straight.
Then again, they were eight-years-old and after about three days Romano had gotten tired of not communicating and they had invented a special secret gesture language that...
What he didn't expect, however, was that the stranger would notice him, touch Romano on the shoulder (again!) and pull him into a quick, whispered conversation - keeping his mouth really close to Romano's ear, a thing that would have gotten Antonio an headbutt at least.
And when Romano, still blushing, seems not only to listen to what the other had to say, but even to let himself be convinced, Antonio has to sit.
The two change direction and move towards him, until their shadows are resting on the steps, one on each side of Antonio.
"Antonio this is Herakles Herakles this is Antonio" Romano says, without pauses between the words, not looking directly at either of them.
Antonio shields his eyes from the sun to look at his companion from his sitting position, but doesn’t say anything.
"Nice to meet you." Herakles' Italian has an accent Antonio can't place, and his lips are quirked just enough to make it pass as a polite smile. His face is like his body, strong and open, and his eyes are of a deep blue-green color that reminds Antonio of the sea on a windy day - or of rotten algae. No, definitely rotten algae.
He's handsome. This bothers Antonio a little. Romano shouldn't be so shallow in picking his friends.
However, he offers him his most beaming smile, and answers "Oh, so it's you who's been stealing Romano from me in the last two days!"
He tried to sound amused, but he couldn't help the slight annoyed tone that bubbled on the surface all by himself.
Romano is still looking at some interesting spot in the blue sky, while Herakles has his head tilted to the side, with a curious expression - he looks like he catched both the surface attempt at politeness and the anger hidden in that. He glances at Romano, but when he doesn't move, goes back to talking to Antonio.
"Actually, Romano was under the impression that you were avoiding him."
"What? But I've been looking for him all day!"
"I mean that he thought you weren’t willing to see him anymore.”
”But why? What I have I done that could make him think this?” He turns his head to Romano, but he’s still avoiding his eyes. “I never wanted to make you upset!”
”I told you he’s a fucking idiot. Let’s go.” Romano is pulling at Herakles arm sightly.
”No, wait!” Antonio and Herakles say at the same time.
But it’s only the last one who tilts his head towards Romano and whispers to him: ”You have to set things straight, or...” Antonio doesn’t catch the rest, but it must be something convincing, because Romano nods and blushes - it must be really hot, seeing that he’s under the sun and everything.
“Ok, but he won’t get it. Or he’ll pretend that he doesn’t.”
”No, I seriously don’t...”
”Oh, shut the fuck up.” Romano squats down on the step until his eyes are at level with Antonio’s.
Reply
”Why did you disappear?”
”Disappear?”
”You haven’t come back here for three years!”
”My family - they always found something else to do for me. It’s a long trip from Germany to here, you know? And they don’t have a reason anymore to come here, I had to insist to...”
”Whatever. Why didn’t you wrote me all this, then!”
”B-but I never wrote in the past and it has never been a problem...”
Romano raises an eyebrow. “You mean your disappearance hasn’t got anything to do with what I said?”
”Uhu?” Antonio is trying to keep up with the conversation, but it’s hard when he’s looking into Romano’s eyes - have they always had this piercing quality? He’s sure at least the gold reflexes are new.
”What I said the last time we saw each other! Don’t you remember? We were in that clearing in the bushes behind the old tower, it was the sunset...”
“How romantic.” Herakles comments, amused, and Romano ‘umpf’s and blindly waves behind himself with an hand, hitting him on one leg.
Antonio is beginning to think he’s missing something. “I think I’m missing something.”
Romano’s eyes widen in surprise and anger, and he stands up.
”See? He doesn’t get it! Or he pretends he doesn’t, it doesn’t matter.”
Herakles shakes his head. “You two have to talk this over with some calm. Let’s get out of the sun, shall we?”
Antonio doesn’t like to agree with Herakles, since he doesn’t know him at all, but it makes sense.
They walk along some alleys, and Antonio recognizes the way. In fact, they go sitting on a low dry stone wall, under the shadow from the surrounding houses, in a spot where the sea’s breath manages to arrive, over a particularly quiet small road - it’s one of Romano’s secret places, but it was Herakles to guide them to it.
Antonio isn’t sure about what he’s supposed to say or do, so he simply sits, waiting for the others to explain.
But it does not happen. There’s a long, awkward silence before Romano, who always hated long, awkward silences, asks: “Really, you don’t remember?” He doesn’t sound exactly angry, more like he’s close to tears, and Herakles surrounds his shoulders with one arm.
Antonio is extremely bothered by this. How can he clarify with Romano, if that one keeps on intruding? He has half a mind to ask him to leave, but Herakles is doing nothing but stay close to Romano and Antonio really has no reason to accuse him of intermission.
It’s still annoying, thought.
”I do remember that day, but I can’t see what was so special about it.”
”Antonio!” Romano is definitely close to tears, now, and Herakles whispers something in his ear. He’s actually being a bit too clingy, even for a close friend - and how come Romano isn’t shoving him off?
”Really, Romano, I don’t remember saying anything that could make you angry - Herakles, do you have to sit so close?”
”You got a problem with that?”
”What do you mean, you don’t remember... Antonio, you remember what I said to you, right?”
”Well...” Now that he’s concentrating on it, Antonio realizes he remembers that day minutely, from the way the soft pink light of the sunset played on Romano’s hair, to his friend’s whispered, urgent voice, and obviously every single one of his words. Weird. “I remember you telling me that we’ve been friends since you had memory...”
”Yes...”
”And that you cared for me as you care for your family...” Oh, those really were kind words - for the first time, Antonio realizes that maybe he should have kept contact with Romano, considering he was such a good friend.
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”I said something else, didn’t I?”
”Yes, it was weird, I never really understood what you meant...”
Romano snorts. “Oh, really?”
”Perhaps you’ve been too subtle.” Herakles comments, drawing something with his finger on Romano’s neck - he seems to have lost any interest in the conversation, concentrating only on showering Romano with a great deal of inappropriate attention.
That’s just plain impolite, and why is Romano accepting it? Why he’s not yelling at him to back off, instead of simply batting his hands off with one of his usual ‘I’m doing it but I don’t mean it’ gestures?
Antonio can’t help the anger that’s starting to slip in his tone, even if he’s not really sure of how or why.
”Well, I remember you telling me that you always loved me as a friend and that your love had grown with you and... it’s hard to keep up the conversation if you distract Romano, Herakles.”
”Yes, be good for a second, Lè.”
At least, Romano’s reacting. Wait, did he just call Herakles with a nickname? He never used a nickname for Antonio! “I... uh... how exactly did the two of you met, anyway?”
Romano narrows his eyes.
”Yeah, about that day... You told me that...”
Antonio’s eyes widen. He feels like Saint Paul being struck by divine light on the way to Damascus - he has to grab the wall’s irregular stones to avoid falling off.
That day, on the small clearing invaded by the sunset’s pink light, with the old sun-bleached ruins of the tower behind, and the cicadas serenading the world as usual - that day, Romano had said something. Muttered it under his breath, with his eyes fixed to the side - but thinking back on it, it had been pretty clear. Not ti voglio bene like it would have been appropriate for a friend, and not even mi piaci like a child with a crush.
No. He had said ti amo, Antonio.
And when he had kissed him on the lips, it had been no accident.
***
AND IT TOOK ONLY THREE YEARS FOR ANTONIO TO GET IT
Ah, when did my style became so light-hearted? It’s quite the change of pace - I’ve got problems depicting unhappy Spain, I think - it’s just so unnatural.
We’ll go back to our regularly scheduled angst by-the-bucket soon, thought.
My headcanon Greece is quite touchy-feely - I’m probably projecting, since if my boyfriend was Greece I’d like him to touch me lots.
Italian traditional nicknames use the last syllabe of the name, sometimes repeated or with some other sound added. And Lè is the closest to an endearment Romano would allow himself to go.
‘Being struck on Damascus’ way’ is a legitimate Italian idiom meaning basically what it means here.
Ti amo: ‘I love you’, romantic sense (only lovers use it).
Ti voglio bene: lit. ‘I want you well’, ‘I love you’, innocent sense (a mother to a child, a close friend to another).
Mi piaci: ‘I like you’, often used as a declaration by young teenagers.
Anons, remember you still have to help me find a title!
Also, how do you feel about angst, smut and combinations of the two? Like, lots of it? And not only of the Spain/Romano variety? Because I've got sort of an idea about how I want this to go...
Anyway, this is shaping up to be about ten parts, give or take. And they won’t all be quite as fast to come. Ok with you all?
Reply
I've been having a pretty crummy day so this kinda made my day~
Angst? Smut? Angsty smut and smutty angst? Bring it on! Take my prompt and do whatever you need to with it, because this is pretty awesome so far. It's perfectly alright if your updates take a while I'm always late with mine too, so take all the time you need.
Reply
But oh man, i loved the tension between Antonio and Greece in this chapter, and I really enjoy reading your Antonio. Aaand it could just be that I'm a sap for happy endings, but I'm sort of rooting for Antonio and Romano to patch things up and make it work. Then again, that wouldn't really be a happy ending for Greece, now would it?
Either way, I do enjoy me some angst, so bring it on. I'm really curious how this story's going to end, and I can't wait to see where you take it.
Reply
I like angst. I love smut. Combos = :) and frankly, although I like Spain/Romano best, I'm fine with any variety. threesomethreesomethreesome
Reply
hmmmmm a name. well. seeing as it was antonio's sheer thickheadedness that spearheaded the whole thing, how bout some http://thesaurus.com/browse/oblivious
Reply
MOAR PLZ.
Oh my gosh, I love this so much. Poor Romano. Antonio, I think you need a good smack over the head.
As for the smut/angst thing, I adore both, so either one is just fine! I'll admit I'm a bit of an angst-whore, though, so. Um. That would be extra nice? And Spain/Romano, or Greece/Romano, or a threesome would all be equally delightful! Yay!
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