[fic] The Bad Friends Badass Carwash
“Welcome to the Bad Friends Bad Ass car wash!! Get your cars washed here!! We’re holding a special right now!! Pull up in the next twenty minutes and have your car blessed by my awesome!! Welcome to the Bad Friends Bad Ass car wash!!”
Lovino scowled as he ran a sponge over the metallic surface of the van. Gilbert was really staring to piss him off. The freak had been screaming for over an hour! Couldn’t he just stand there and hold a sign?! And to top it all off the idiot of all idiots kept insisting on working on whatever car he was working on. Stupid Antonio. Stupid Antonio and his freaking tomato print swimsuit. Where did you even find something like that?! ‘Tomatoes ‘R’ Us and Please Get a Life’? He didn’t even want to be here in the first place.
Angrily he dumped a bucket of water over the side, using the hose to get off any last suds. Of course he just had to be failing chem. And of course the only way to get his grade up was to earn extra credit at a school car wash. And of course the only other people working there were Gilbert, Antonio and Francis+Girl.
“Hey, watch it kid!!”
“What? Oh, sorry!” Hurriedly Lovino turned off the hose, stopping the water from spraying the driver. The man frowned, the large cigar hanging from his lips wobbling in disapproval.
“Alright, sir! You’re all set!” Like a gymnast Marie-Louise hopped off the roof of the van, smiling and taking the man’s money. As he drove away Lovino shook his head.
“Why are you here again?”
She smiled at him, dropping her own sponge into some soapy water and bending down to tie her hair back, “Because I like getting extra credit.”
“Right,” his eyes drifted to Francis who was currently discussing the pros and cons of stripping to get more people to pull in with Gilbert, “Just tell your boyfriend to keep his hands to himself.”
Marie laughed and grabbed the hose, hurrying over to another car, “I will!”
Lovino sighed as yet another filthy car pulled up. While the owner got out and headed into the convenience store of the gas station they had occupied he snagged his sponge and started scrubbing, scowling at all the grime and dirt that came off in just one swipe. God this was disgusting. At least he was alone this-
“Hey Lovi!”
Shit.
Two seconds later Antonio came around the side of the car, goofy smile on his face and a bright green bucket in his hand. Lovino glared at him. Antonio smiled.
“Can I work on this car with you?”
“Hell no. And stop calling me that.”
Antonio set his bucket down anyway, hurrying to get started, “I think this stuff is fun, don’t you?”
“Fun?! Are you insane?” He thought about it, “Don’t answer that question. The only reason that we’re here is because we need extra credit in chem.”
“Oh… I didn’t come for extra credit.”
He snorted, “Then you’re an idiot. If you don’t need the points then what the hell are you doing here?”
“Well…”
Lovino looked at him, an eyebrow raised. The Spanish student was looking at him too, eyes soft and smiling gently as a sponge dripped soapy water onto his foot. If he didn’t know better it was almost as if Antonio was… Oh, hell no! That wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be possible! And just because Antonio was still smiling at him and staring at him and shit did he just take a step forward?! Lovino took a step back, subconsciously trying to protect himself from the idiocy that might follow.
“Lovino? Would you go-”
“I have to go bastard!!”
With that he ran off, over to a small mini that had just pulled in and thus justified him not needing any help whatsoever. His face heated up and he could almost picture the confused look on Antonio’s face. Sure they had known each other for years of being in the same class and sure, Antonio was nicer to him then most and maybe, maybe, Antonio was kind of attractive if someone liked wavy chocolate hair and deep green eyes like pools and-
He stopped mid scrub, eyes going wide in his head before cursing himself out, drawing the attention of a very concerned looking driver. What was he even thinking?! Why?! Either way it definitely that bastard Spanish jackass’ fault! Stupid Antonio, making him think even for a second that he might have feelings for… Shit. Shit shit shit and more shit. Lovino whipped his head around with the intent of sending a glare that could melt steel right at Antonio’s back.
And somehow his eyes managed to fall on Antonio’s tomato-clad ass.
Lovino could practically feel his whole body going bright red as he jammed his sponge at the car, fully intent on taking his anger out on every single piece of grim and dirt on the car as if it had personally offended him. With increasing fervor he worked, willing his face to cool down and willing Antonio to drop off the face of the planet.
Of course while that was going on, two-thirds of the Bad Friends Trio were watching with only the best intentions and plotting operation ‘Tomato Love’.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Thankfully for Lovino, the day was almost over. And somehow he had managed to avoid Antonio, ducking behind a car or slipping into the bathroom whenever he was close. Giving Antonio no chance to ask whatever he was going to ask. There was a chance he might have been trying to ask something completely different from what Lovino thought he was asking (after all, why would he ask him that question), but it was better to be safe then sorry.
The last car of the day had them all working together. Prussia had indeed taken off his shirt to attract more customers and hadn’t put it back on despite the fact that it hadn’t actually worked, causing Marie to take pictures for Eliza the next day. Francis kept flicking water at her, and laughter drifted around them as they cleaned. Lovino was scowling. All of his vigilance during the day and where did it leave him? Stuck smack dab next to the stupid tomato bastard himself. Obviously there was some higher power at work here that hated him.
“So, Lovino,” Antonio started, completely oblivious to his bad mood, “Did you have any fun at all today?”
“No.”
“Not even a little?”
“No! Now quit talking to me and work, dumbass!”
Antonio’s face fell and he went back to scrubbing the car, his hand moving in small, dejected circles. Lovino felt a twinge of guilt but didn’t let it bother him. As long as Antonio didn’t ask him anything. Not that he was expecting it dammit! But either way Antonio would see something shiny and be back to his old self in a matter of minutes.
“Kesesesese!! SURPRISE!”
Seconds later a wall of water came crashing over Lovino’s head, soaking through his clothes, his shoes and his hair. Gilbert was standing behind him, holding a bucket over his head in triumph.
“Got you, prissy Italian!”
Lovino wiped the water out of his eyes, seething, “You stupid potato-brained chick-molesting asshole!”
“Lovi! Are you alri-!” Antonio rushed forward to help Lovino dry off but tripped over Francis’ strategically placed foot, sending them both toppling to the ground. On the way he knocked over yet another bucket, drenching himself and Lovino once again in water. Lovino spluttered, trying to orient himself and get the water out of his eyes.
“Bastard! Get off of me!”
Like the stupid idiot he was, Antonio didn’t move, “I’m so sorry! Are you alright? I didn’t mean to, honest. I just kinda tripped.”
“I don’t care just get off!”
Yet still Antonio didn’t move, “Uh, um… Lovino? I uh… I think you’re really handsome.”
“You…” Lovino stopped moving, eyes going big, “You what?!”
“Um uh….” Antonio’s head whipped around, “Francis I don’t think its working!”
The Frenchman laughed, “Keep going it will!”
“Okay… lets see…” Antonio bit his lip as if he were thinking hard about something. Lovino had half a mind to knee him in the gut and get off the ground but the other half of his mind wasn’t cooperating.
“Well Lovi, I’ve kind of liked you for a while. And I wasn’t going to say anything because I didn’t want you to hate me but then Gilbert stole my pants in the locker room and wouldn’t give them back until I agreed to say something so here I am,” he finished sheepishly.
And Lovino just stared at him, probably with the most idiotic look the world had ever seen. His mind wasn’t working; the two halves had started fighting and he didn’t even register Gilbert’s snickers or the click of Marie’s camera. All his eyes saw were Antonio’s idiotic face with the lopsided smile, his hair dripping water and shining in the sunlight. God, why wasn’t his mind working.
“So, I was kind of wondering…” Antonio rubbed at the back of his head, “Would you go out with me? Lovi?”
Time stopped, “Yes.”
The idiot gaped at him, mouth hanging open, “What?”
Holy shit why did I just say that?! His mind was screaming, No I won’t, get away from me! But apparently his mouth had some different ideas as blood rushed to his cheeks, “I said yes, bastard. And I’m not going to say it again just because you can’t get it through your thick dumbass skull!”
The car wash was silent. And then, “Oh, Lovi!”
Gilbert doubled over laughing and Francis merely grinned, an arm around Marie’s shoulders, as Lovino was thoroughly glomped by Antonio. Said Italian struggled wildly, throwing punches and kicking whenever he could to get the taller student off of him. Which was not as easy as it sounded.
“Goddamn bastard! Stop that!”
“But Lovi!” Antonio nuzzled him, which seemed to cause tiny butterflies to alight in Lovino’s stomach, “I’m so happy!”
“Um…. Excuse me?”
They all looked back at the seemingly forgotten car. The driver looked kind of nervous while the passenger looked a little pissed, “Aren’t you supposed to be washing the car?”
“Yeah!” the passenger called, “The Freedom Mobile isn’t going to wash itself! It would be totally cool if it could do that though…”
“Relax, relax!” Gilbert said, “We’re almost done and when we are, your car will have been blessed by my awesome!”
As the passenger and Gilbert quibbled about who was more epic and Francis and Marie finished up, apologizing to the driver for ignoring him, Antonio stood, helping Lovino up as well.
“Really, Lovi. I’m so so so happy!”
Lovino rung out his shirt a little at the edges, “Yeah I get the picture idiot. I’m going home, I’ll see you at school.”
“Wait! Lovi, hang on a second!” turning as Antonio grabbed his arm, his whole body seemed to stop working when Antonio’s lips met his own. The kiss was soft and sweet, gentle and kind, and he could practically feel his mind turning into some kind of a warm mush that he loathed and somehow loved at the same time. They split apart, Lovino’s face like a brilliant red tomato and Antonio smiling yet again.
“Good bye Lovi. I’ll see you tomorrow Lovi. I love you Lovi. I’ll pick you up at eight on Friday Lovi.”
Half-heartily Lovino shoved Antonio’s shoulder away from him, taking a step back, “Yeah whatever. See you later,” And with that Lovino ran across the parking lot, mind fluttering like a million birds and leaving behind the happiest student in the world.