Chapter Text
Lovino laid sprawled out on his messy twin sized mattress, the heaps of blankets and pillows caving him into a comfortable haven, while his dim light cast a layer of illumination over his walls of crooked posters and shelves of crappy CDs.The scent of his parents cheap gas station cigarettes lingering from the downstairs living room and snaking its way into the confines of his safe space.It felt like the calm before the storm, the impending doom of his parents breaking into another argument over stupid shit like what channel they should watch on tv ghosting into his head.He would do anything to escape this hell hole of a house, heck he would even hang out with his idiotic german neighbor that somehow considered him of all people a friend.
As Lovino tossed in his bed his lanky body dragging the bed sheets with it a rapid knocking erupted on his door and was followed by a familiar ear grating voice.”Yoo Lovi!! You in there!?” Lovino pulled his hands over his ears in an exhausted manner while slugging out of his bed to answer the unwelcomed guest whose banging was causing the flimsy frame of the door to shake. ”A new gas station opened up!! They have frozen yogurt, I was thinking we could try it!!” The harsh German accent badgered Lovino's ear drums and went straight to a sharp ringing pain in his temple.”Oy shut up you jerk bastard!” Lovino barked in reply as he swung the door open in one aggressive motion revealing the punchable albino which lay behind it. He was unsurprisingly already dressed as if he knew Lovino was going to say yes no matter what, he was wearing a tight, black and gray, striped shirt that highlighted his muscular pectorals, (which Lovino embarrassingly envied) while the rest of his muscle was hidden behind a pair of old baggy black jeans and a dark cyan jacket with a messy fur trim.”So you wanna go?” Gilbert queried as his steel black lip piercings accompanied the smooth motions of his plump lips that Lovino couldn't help but stare at.
“Yeah sure, let me get dressed” Lovino groaned as he rubbed his eyes and tried to ignore the slight flush creeping up his neck, before promptly shutting the door between the two, the corny "Do not enter!” sign swinging in response as Gilbert stood there like a puppy kicked out on the street.”You know you don't have to lock me out every time you get dressed, we're both guys you know” He mused in that ear grating voice of his while scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.
“Shut up, you creep” Lovino grumbled while outstretching a long sleeved undershirt over his head .The cotton fabric rubbing against the faded scars he hid along his forearms as he shuffled into the clothing.He than reached into his pigstye of a closet hastily grabbing a pale yellow dress shirt with a tattersall pattern his shaky hands hovering over the buttons as he finnicked to button his shirt.God he really needed to start getting more sleep.
“Yo lovino, hurry up what you doing in there! What are you stroking your shit?!” Lovino shot away from his focus on his shirt jolting at the sudden screeching voice while his face took hold of a warm hue at the perverted comment.”Stop being weird you bastardo!” Lovino reprimanded while he angrily swung the door open once again now with a loosely buttoned shirt swaying with the action.”This place better have froyo or else im kicking your ass” He huffed with a lack of bite in his voice as he shoved a fistfull of money in his pocket.Gilbert watched him pocket the crinkled green pieces of paper in an expression of shock his mouth agape as he turned his head back to Lovino.”Woah are you seriously paying?!” He blurted as he quickly moved his palms to his scalp to further exemplify his astonishment.Lovino gave him a dirty look as he cocked his head “You calling me broke you bastard!!?!!” he snarled as he bit his lip and scrunched his nose like a rabid hound who just got its tail stomped on by an obnoxious mutt, his hazel eyes furrowing into Gilbert's own.”N-no!!” the taller man embarrassingly squealed his scratchy voice cracking in an even more irritable sound.”I mean-” Gilbert coughed into his elbow in an amusing attempt to mend his voice crack “You just always make me pay” he spewed out his wolfish canines being hidden behind a sheepish smile while he rubbed one of his arms anxiously.
“Jesus, what are you, my sugar daddy?” Lovino scoffed, whipping his head away while keeping his eyes on the fumbling German, his typical frown shifting into a smirk.”I finally got my own job so I don't have to rely on your pocket change every time we're out” Lovino swaggered as he raised a foot a few inches above the ground hovering it as he spoke and leaning the rest of his body back into his gloomy room.”So are we going or what” he reckoned while raising a brow and releasing his foot to take a lousy step on the hardwood floors lunging the rest of his body forward in a clumsy attempt to look cool.”Ja Ja lets go!” Gilbert beamed in excitement as he began sprinting down the stairs, his converse loudly thudding against the stairs.”Wait up you stronzo!” Lovino choked as he cautiously stumbled down the stairs being careful not to trip and make a fool of himself.
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“So what job didja get?” Gilbert pestered as he swung the white Mercedes's into the asphalt parking lot the smell of gasoline and diesel filling the air in a familiar musk that reminded him of past hang outs.Living in a small college town in New Jersey resulted in not having much to do besides hanging out in parking lots, and gas stations were the perfect hang out spot.They always had food and drinks to fill their bellies as well as the occasional awning for shelter.So it only made sense that he’d get accompanied to the scent.
”Nothing special, just some lousy sandwich shop.My pops is on pretty good terms with the owner so I didn't have to really try much at the interview” Lovino divulged while flicking open the car mirror to wrestle with the unruly curl that stuck out from his sable brown hair.”You mean you didn't have to worry about being a dick during the interview~” Gilbert taunted with that shit eating grin Lovino despised as he began unbuckling his seat belt."Oh shut up you idota!” Lovino barked as he jabbed Gilbert in the chest with his free elbow while the other hastily unbuckled his own seatbelt."I'm not a dick im just honest” he grumbled while sludging out from the vehicle.”Well then you have a sour way of being honest” retorted Gilbert as he now stood on the already cracked sidewalk that laid before the building.It was a mainly white peace of architecture with a yellow sign upon its upper face with big black letters that said “Gas and Grub” in bold, a flashing neon sign with the words “Froyo-unlimited toppings!” hanging crookedly in the window that opened up to the sight of a tired cashier texting on her phone while she leaned against the counter.
“Whatever” Lovino sighed as he rolled his eyes and caught up to the ghostly man ahead of him.”Now come on I'm hungry” he scoffed as he entered the sliding doors of the convenience station Gilbert hurrying along with him intending to get in front of his company before swinging his face towards Lovino and walking backwards with his arms crossed behind his head in a laid back manner.The dinging of the doorbell being joined by a flooding aroma of warm food and sweets encompassing Gilbert's senses as his figure entered the store.”Man just the smell of this place has my stomach snarling” He announced as he narrowly missed hitting a recently stocked shelf with his elbows.”Stop walking like that, your gonna run into something and than get us in trouble..” Lovino lectured as he stopped at the wall of frozen yogurt flavors tapping a foot in thought.
“Gee you're no fun!” Gilbert spewed while kicking his foot into nothing.Lovino stared at the varied wall of nozzles his eyes lingering at the labels that laid above them while Gilbert began grabbing a size large from where the slushies were.Lovino quickly caught the shady act in the corner of his eye ”What are you doing idota! What makes you think they'd let us buy that let alone think that I'd pay for it!” Lovino shouted while Gilbert brung his head down and whined like a puppy being scolded.”Come on Lovi, ill pay you back!” The albino badgered as he brought his head up and began lousy hoisting his hands up and down while he spoke.”Plus if i get in trouble i can just smart talk em with mein awesome looks”.Lovino looked down at the ground and scoffed, “Whatever just stop calling me that” he grumbled before shifting his view back to the wall of assorted flavours.”What Lovi?” Gilbert innocently questioned while he poured an unnecessary amount of chocolate ice cream into the paper cup, fudgy droplets spewing at the sides of the machine.”Yeah, its…weird” Lovino mumbled while returning his gaze back to the shiny tiled floors, his pitiful reflection looking back at him with a flustered expression."What's so weird about it? It's just a nickname” Gilbert replied while finishing his string of yogurt off with a twirl before walking over to the colorful array of toppings.What's weird about is it how heated my face gets Lovino thought while grabbing his own cup to fill with chocolate froyo.”Its childish”
Lovino lied while carefully corralling the thick twine of soft serve into his cup.”Kesese~ Like you don't call everything else I do childish” chuckled the other man while he loaded his cup with a wide variety of toppings, digging a scoop out of the dessert to make room for more with one of the spoons that was initially meant for grabbing toppings.Of course Gilbert had to be a fatass though and use it to make more space in his candied abomination.
“Mio dio, you're such a scemo” The Italian grumbled while he moved over to the topping bar and promptly gave his acquaintance a harsh shove."Ay! What was that for?!” Gilbert yelped at the smaller man's push.”Your coglione ass is hoarding all the chocolate toppings” Lovino griped while shoveling brownie bites onto his sweet treat before reaching over the now idle German for some chocolate chips.”Oh please there's plenty to go around” Gilbert smirked as he leaned against the bar of sugar, purposely getting in the way of Lovino's hand.”You fucking stronzo get out the way!” Lovino hissed while swiping his hand at the obnoxious prick that laid in his way.”Whatever you say lovi~” Gilbert taunted almost singing the last word as he leaned forward to allow Lovino's restless grasp scoop into the small tray of chocolate.”Stop calling me that you bastardo” Lovino huffed while hiding his reddening face into the shoulder of his currently outstretched arm.
Dio, why did Gil make him act like such a buco.Everytime the segailio giggled that stupid nickname or gazed at him with those stupid piercing eyes his face would begin warming up like a bowl of boiling spaghetti, his insides sure felt like it too.It didn't mean anything though Gilbert was his friend and a man at that.It was probably just his hatred for the man bubbling to the surface.Lovino didn't like men, he wasn't some fag.Gilbert just made him so mad that he got a bit red sometimes.Not like he felt a little pang in his heart when he heard that stupid knocking sound or when he heard Gilberts stupid fucking snort or see his flushed little face.No, none of that gay shit, cause lovino…. Well Lovino wasnt gay.
“Lovino, I think that's enough chocolate…” Gilbert voiced with a slight taste of concern in his tone while he awkwardly stared down at Lovino's now chocolate chip filled bowl.Lovino’s eyes widened at the sight fresh out of thought before quickly readjusting himself before his realization could be caught.”Hmph, I guess this will suffice” He feigned arrograntly while raising his head up high as if had done it all on purpose squinting a worried eye open to properly see the mess he had made while thinking about..things.
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“Two frozen yogurts please!” Gilbert cheered in that ear grating accent that made Lovino wanna chop his ear off like Vincent Van Gogh or some shit.The employee stared down at the fudgey cup of yogurt and the slurpee cup beside it that was filled with a disgusting amount of toppings and syrups that certainly shouldn't go together.Her dead eyed gaze lifted back to the pair in front of her as Gilbert bounced back and forth on his heels in anticipation while the tanned man next to him rose an exhausted hand to his scalp and ran it through his brown locks in a bellowing groan.”I don't get paid enough for this” she sighed in a tired deadpanned voice as she began calculating the price.”That’ll be 6.50” she mumbled while she grabbed the cash from the equally peeved Italian’s hand while handing the two contrasting personalities a pair of plastic spoons wrapped in yet another layer of wasteful plastic.
As the two exited the refreshing air of the gas station and began settling down into an empty parking space an overwhelmingly cold breeze hit their faces, clashing with their skin like the burn one feels from rubbing alcohol onto a fresh open wound.”Yeesh its cold out” Lovino shivered his frail body trembling against the wind.”What kind of smart ass idea was it to eat frozen yogurt in fucking january!” Lovino griped while shuddering further at the icy sensation of the yogurt on his tongue.Dio why did he always go along with Gilbert's stupid ideas.
“Relax, I've been under a lot of stress lately” Gilbert lamented through colorful mouthfuls of chocolate,gummies, and peanuts.Lovino perked up confusedly “Stress?” he repeated cluelessly.Gilbert was the most carefree guy he knew, even more than his stupid step-cousin Antonio who Gilbert would also hang with, and everyone knew how much of a carefree lifestyle the Spanish lead.
“My parents visited recently for the holidays and all that,” Gilbert shrugged while stuffing his face with another abomination of a spoonful.”And they got all bitchy about me not having a smoking hot american chick for a girlfriend yet” Gilbert lolled his head in annoyance while he unfaithfully reiterated his parent’s demands with an irritated scowl on his face.”They kept bugging on about grandkids and how they didn't have me and Lud drag along with Rich’s little scholarship thing into the states for no reason”
Lovino looked away from his cup of froyo and into Gilbert's tired eyes, he looked exhausted just retelling the event.”I just…dont even know how’d i talk to a girl in the first place..” he sighed as he looked down at the rubbled ground below his food .”Sorry that was pretty unawesome of me wasn't it” the paled man laughed awkwardly before hastily rising up from his seat on the cold asphalt.”You know what would fix this?” he questioned rhetorically, now with his usual lively self behind his gaze.”Some booze!” he rejoiced while gesturing his hands with an already drunken haze as he began moving over to the trunk of the car that laid parked beside them.”Don’t worry i wont drive us home drunk or anything i’ll just send Rodd a text” he seemingly complied to the unspoken comment that sat in Lovino’s throat.
“You spend far too much time with Antonio and those friends of his” weakly retorted Lovino as a can of beer was recklessly thrown into his hands.”Ay! You gotta be careful with that shit” he shouted while flicking the tab off of the can in a timely fashion, the sizzling of the carbonation emitting a soft hiss in return. “What if you hit me in the head with that act! Do I look like I wanna be concussed!” He gritted as the German beside him chugged the whole 12 Oz’s of the Stevens can.”Oh relax Lovi it probably wouldn't even hurt that bad” Gilbert rolled his head in reply."Don't be such a pussy…” he clamored on lazily as he popped open another can of beer and sinking back down into his seat upon the cold gravel.
“Oy! Dont call me a pussy you fucking stronzo!!” Lovino raged in reply his ears fuming in response to the sly remark.He hated being reminded of his cowardice, it was one of the few things he shared with his idota of a brother and it couldn't even bother to be a good thing.Atleast Feliciano had the talent to make up for his wimpiness, for Lovino it was just another thing to tack onto how much of a waste of space he was.
“Yeesh sorry-” Gilbert mumbled in reply his shoulders tensing up at the litter of foreign curses that were being spewed his way.""Didn't mean to hit a sore spot” he murmured while lazily twirling his spoon in his frozen yogurt like a child who just got scolded at the dinner table.”You didn't hit a “Sore spot”! I just don't take kindly to bastards like you running their mouths amuck..” Lovino retorted with a puff but his fury began to lose momentum as he spoke the last sentence.
“So Lovi…” Gilbert mewed with a playful tone while leaning his body towards the man beside him.”Yeah, you jerk bastard” Lovino replied with a lack of any true spite in his voice.”Do you think that rumor about Gerad Way being into puke is true?” Lovino furrowed his brows and quickly swung his head towards the idiot next to him.”What the fuck of course not, you fucking creep!” He barked in a sharp toned response.”No cause like think about it”.”I will not think about it!”.”But like doesn't he look like he’d be into that stuff!”.”What! how can someone look like there into that stuff?!?!”.”No like it's in his eyes, and then there's the way he talks and..”
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Gilbert took another drink of his seemingly fifth beer as Lovino gestured towards him for another, sharply catching the one that the taller man tossed into his hand without issue nor a word.The cold condensation of the can rubbing against his finger tips as he nervously asked Gilbert about what had prompted the drinking in the first place.”So..what is it about this girlfriend thing your so worried about?” Lovino mumbled as his words slurred from the alcohol, his gaze lingering on Gilbert's equally alcohol stricken face that was now a flushed hue of pink.Droplets of sweat wept down his sharp features following the contours of his face like they were sculpting a captivating statue.”I mean someone with your looks shouldn't have any problem problem with getting a girl…” Lovino continued, his eyes subsisting on the pale man alongside him, his heart seemingly panging at the thought of Gilbert with a girlfriend.Yet he shook the miniscule dread he felt when the man beside him shifted in preparation to speak.
”It's just...I've never had a…a girlfriend..” He managed to mumble from within his ashamed and drunken state, his tongue lingering on the last word.Gilbert’s eyes took a fixed position onto the alcohol in which he held within his hands, gripping onto it tightly as if for comfort before delicately pursing his lips to speak once again.”Not to mention have..well..sex” He hunched his shoulders as he finished uttering his sentence before turning his body away to hide the embarrassing blush that was peaking through his face at the mere mention of the word.
Lovino’s eyes widened in shock at the words that left Gilbert's mouth.Gilbert Beilschmidt a virgin..?A small part of him felt a weight lift of his chest.If Gilbert being stressed was shocking than this was mindblowing.Gilbert the man who would always make crass jokes and brag about all the girls he's talked too, a virgin, let alone someone who's never even had a girlfriend.It was preposterous though it did seem to make Lovino feel a bit better, at least he had one thing against the German.Sure he had never had a girlfriend either but he's definitely slept with a few girls at some of Antonio’s parties before.
Gilbert rose his head up in response to the silence that was being accompanied by Lovino's thoughts his dishevelled gaze meeting Lovino’s own, his face had grown a deeper shade of pink and his hair clung to his face in a sweaty desperate mess, his eyes were weak and needy and seemed to peer into Lovino saying “Please don't leave me”. He had a look that to most could only be described as pathetic and helpless but to the slurry that was Lovino’s drunken mind it was the most sexy thing on the planet.His plump lips practically crying out to him in a plea for his touch and his puffy eyes seemingly begging for his undivided attention while all Lovino could do was stare with his lip quivering before staggering out a response.
“Have you…ever kissed someone…” He quivered as he leaned his face towards Gilbert's, leaving a small sliver of air between their lips, the taller man's hot breath huffing against his jaw.”I’d like too..”
Lovino hesitantly dragged his drunken lips to the other man’s in a shaky excuse of a kiss that was met with equal nerve.Their trembling mouths pressing together in an awkward alcoholic haze.As the German's jittering lips calmed against his Lovino snaked his jittery fingers up to comb the nape of the paler man.His heated palms casting a burn along the sides of Gilbert's neck causing the other man to lax into the warm touch.Lovino knew this was going to bite him in the ass when sober but he didn't have the time for being rationale, no. All he wanted to do was sink into the deep foreboding sea that was Gilbert. All thought seemingly dissipating when Gilbert brought his contrastingly cool hands up to his scrawny waist before sprawling his fingers out onto the jagged notches of his spine.
As Lovino’s face brushed against the contour of Gilbert’s nose he could smell the faint scent of old spice 3 in 1 wafting into his head.It felt as if every sense was blocked out and replaced by Gilbert, the taste of beer on his lips, the muse of his gentle moans, the occasional sight of his reddened face when Lovino would sneak a peak from between his hooded lids.He didn't mind it in the slightest though, in fact if the rest of his life was replaced by the fool than maybe it truly would've been a bearable existence, being able to amass himself into the other at a moments notice, feel his touch, his embrace, his-suddenly a sharp tone of “Di-de-de-di-de-de-de-di-day-bi-di-do ~” pierced his ears in a grating pitch.Gilbert unclutched one of his chilling hands off from the comfort of Lovino's spine as he outstretched it onto the black gravelly surface were his phone laid.His digits fumbled in an awkward haste before finally breaking the kiss with a small whine to successfully grasp onto the device.
“What is itttt..” he groaned his, face still a deep flush as he lolled his head back in annoyance.”Geez no need to be such a baby” snapped back a recognizable accent in reply, it was Gilbert’s cousin Rodderich.”I just wanted to let you know that i’ll be there soon.Your lucky Elizabeta is kind enough to drop me off at that diabetic hot spot of yours” fussed the older man.
“Ja,ja…we’ll be ready in a moment” Gilbert drowsily replied, his slumped, drunken eyes meeting Lovino’s before jolting open in a combined, awkward moment of realization.“So…you wanna help me put these back in the drunk-i mean trunk” Gilbert lazily muttered with a hint of anxiety sliding behind his voice as it cracked in pitch, as he swayed his arm to gesture at the half empty packaging of beer.
“Uh..yeah..you open the hood.I’ll settle the container in” Lovino replied flimsily as he quickly shifted his view towards the ravaged casing of alcohol.
“Good..” Gilbert muttered back in a nervous callous.
“Yeah, good…” repeated the Italian
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The two teens now sat fastened in the rookie vehicle, the only thing sitting between them and their cumbersome tension being a measly cupholder.The two were forced to sit side by side(Which usually wouldn't be a problem) since Rodderick needed the passenger seat to hold his “Overnight bag” that would always accompany him to Elizabeta’s apartment.
“Honestly, its laughable how often i end up in this situation.You might as well not have a drivers license” Rodderich mused in that flamboyant accent of his, but quickly shot his head back when he received no cocky reply.”What, you drink so much you forgot how to speak?” Taunted the brunette in hopes of a reaction.
“Oh, lay off us wontcha” Gilbert finally answered back, a slight slur still lingering in his voice.The reply seemingly being enough for Rodderick to thankfully turn his attention back to the road.
“What’s with you two? You're acting like a bunch of junior high girls who just buried a body” Voiced the Austrian as he took a sharp turn towards the route to Lovino’s house.
Usually Lovino would bark back about what kind of obscene Austrian idiom the man just used, but right now all he could rouse out was a lousy “Zitto” as he turned his head away from the direction of the piercing red gaze he somehow made contact with.
“Ts nothing..” Gilbert added on acting as a clean, filtered, translator for the Italian besides him.”Nothing…” he reiterated with an almost defeated tone as the white car recklessly swerved into Lovino’s driveway, probably leaving skid marks in its wake.
“Nothing..” the words hung in Lovino’s head as he reached for the door handle, his tiresome body bending out from his seat and stepping foot onto the pavement of his driveway.”Nothing..”
Of course it was nothing he scolded to himself in thought while making his way up the stairs with a depressive slouch, one hand loosely dragging along the guard rails as he etched his way up each step.”He would never want that from me..Heck i would never want that from him” he scoffed quietly to himself as he slammed his crooked door shut before collapsing his messied bed, and sprawling his limbs out to each corner of the mattress.
“Dio Lovino” he sighed to himself as he rose his palms to his eyes before promptly dragging them down his face.”You get shitfaced drunk, and when your best buddy asks for relationship advice you start trying to eat his face out” he groaned in embarrassment, his face growing hot at the fuzzy recollection of the moment before quickly stuffing a pillow over his head to chase away his growing blush from the peering eyes of some invisible audience.
“It was nothing.” He reassured himself the deceit of the phrase all too apparent, as he turned his tired eyes up to gaze at his ceiling.
“Nothing…”