Chapter Text
When he first announces it, in July -- before Lovino has even started thinking about school, much less about any dances -- Lovino chokes on his water.
"Ex-Excuse me?" He asks through his coughing, because, if his grandfather's calm face is any indicator, he had to have heard that wrong.
"You have to have a date at homecoming this year, Lovino." When Lovino just continues to stare at him incredulously, Romulus runs a hand through his hair, "Look, you're 16 and you've never even gone out on a date. When I was your age-" He starts before all three of the Vargas brothers simultaneously groan, and he shoots them a sharp half-glare each, "When I was your age, I had a different partner every week, sometimes two at a time! I honestly don't care who you go with, only that you have a date, or else you can't go. It's for your own good, Lovino."
Just as Lovino is about to whine and yell about how this shit is not "for his good," that he just won't go to homecoming at all then, Feliciano says, "You know, this year will be the first year that we can all go to homecoming... Lovi, you have to go!"
"Tentar non nuoce!" Marcello chimes in. Lovino scowls because it could hurt Lovino's ego, but Marcello just continues, "Besides, if it comes to it, I could always ask one of my friends to set you up with their older siblings."
Lovino rolls his eyes at the pleading pouts on his brothers' faces, "Fine. I'll find a date to homecoming so we can all go together or what-the-fuck-ever."
And the issue is pushed aside for questions about what seasoning that Feli put in the sauce.
It isn't until the middle of September, when Lovino sees a poster for homecoming on his way to lunch, that he even remembers his promise, especially when the conversation at lunch turns inevitably to homecoming.
"I don't know how I'm going to decide which one to take," Arthur contemplates as he eats his surprisingly good homemade scones. He's been trying to pick which of his on-off boyfriends he's going to bring to homecoming for the last day, and Lovino and Matthew have given up telling him to just take neither, because, well... "And I do have to decide, or they'll just keep trying to one-up each other and ruin the night for everyone."
Like they did last year is left unsaid, but the words' weight is felt as all the boys shiver at the memory.
"I'm hoping that someone asks me," Matthew mumbles, shooting a quick glance at a table three rows to their right. Arthur and Lovino share a look over their friend's head; Matthew has had a crush on Gilbert Beilschmidt ever since freshman year when the Albino ran into the quiet half-Canadian and actually noticed that it was Matthew, not Alfred.
"Nonno said that I had to get a date like two months ago, but the old dumbass'll probably forget about it by the time homecoming rolls around," Lovino says, self-assured; he doesn't want to have a date at homecoming, so he won't. It's not like his grandfather would remember something like that anyway.
"So, I'm assuming that you have a date," Romulus says when he hands Lovino $20 to buy a homecoming ticket. Lovino very nearly freezes up.
"Yeah, of course I do, I'm not an idiot" He says, instead of no, and I don't want one. I'm perfectly fine without someone else. Please let me go anyway.
Romulus nods and ruffles Lovino's hair, apparently satisfied, and goes into his study to read.
"Fra', I love you, but, man," Marcello, who had been watching some trashy soap opera before the exchange, laughs from the couch. Lovino is too busy frantically thinking of people he can ask with two weeks until the dance to chastise him. "You are completely screwed."
"Go to homecoming with me."
The question -- order, really -- comes when Lovino has Matthew and Arthur over to play video games and he realizes that there's only week left, and everyone he's asked so far has said no.
"I already have plans, and I don't have enough arms for three ridiculously needy boys to hang off of," Arthur smirks, flaunting that he has not one but two dates when Lovino can't even manage to wrangle up one.
When they turn to Matthew, he smiles sympathetically at Lovino. "Sorry, I would but... Gilbert asked me yesterday!"
And while Lovino is ecstatic for his friend, he also realizes that shit, getting a date is way harder than the movies make it look.
Three days to go, and Lovino is cornered before first bell.
"'Cello and I have had enough, fratello," Feliciano starts, looking surprisingly serious, "You promised that you'd find a date, but my intel says that you're still alone!"
"It's not like it's from lack of trying, bastard!" Lovino half-whines, half-yells, because fuck if he's going to just sit there and let his little brother lecture him.
Marcello waves his excuse off, "We know, but, well, hai voluto la bicicletta? E ora pedala. You have to step up your game; Feli has Ludwig, I got Chell to say yes, now you just need to stop being so proud and grovel to someone."
It's exceedingly obvious that by someone they mean Francis Bonnefoy, their cousin and the school's resident love guru.
"I don't need that fucker's help. I will get a date."
Marcello and Feliciano give him their best glares (They're so weak that Lovino is almost ashamed to be their brother) before sighing in near-unison.
"You better, Lovi," Felciano says, before they all run to get to classes on time.
"I need your help."
Lovino stands in front of the table of the self-proclaimed "Bad Touch Trio" the before homecoming, head hung in shame.
Hai voluto la bicicletta? E ora pedala, Marcello's words echo in his mind, and Lovino has to, reluctantly, admit that he brought this onto himself by procrastinating and not putting enough effort into getting a date.
"Ah, mon cher Lovino! What assistance do you need from big brother?"
"You're not my fucking big brother, you weird wino," Lovino glares, holding the act for a second before groaning and sitting at the table, looking Francis earnestly in the eye. "Look, I need a date to homecoming and I don't know anyone who isn't going with someone else. I will take literally anyone at this point."
Francis' eyes light up, as if the bastard didn't already know why Lovino was there, "Oh, why didn't you say so! I just so happen to have a completely unattached man right here!"
And Lovino's attention is drawn to the third person in the BTT, some Spanish guy that transferred in last year, Antonio something-or-another, he thinks. He's decent looking, and his eyes are stunning -- a lot like Arthur's only on someone Lovino is actually interested in.
The guy smiles at him and, okay, he's better than decent looking, he's fucking hot, and that smile does weird things to Lovino's stomach. Lovino flushes and looks away sharply. "He'll do. You'll be at my house at 6, Francis has the address, and we're going out for dinner with my brothers, got it?"
Lovino watches Antonio's excited nod out of the corner of his eye (Because damn, he can't even look at that grin head-on, that's how bad it is), and he knows he's probably screwed.
And yet, as he walks away, he can't help but be just a bit excited.