Ehi, sono io Lovino!

Ciao, idioti. {{roleplay blog for modernhetalia}}

[orgoglio-meridionale]

[TEXT] Hola Lovi~ Long time no talk I hope you are well!

[text] Hey, Tonio. What’s up? I haven’t heard from you for a while. Busy?[/text]

Lovino placed his phone back inside his pocket and continued drinking the coffee he just ordered. He was seated by the window of a cafe he frequently visits, enjoying his day off.

[por-mi-cuenta]

He blinked and looked at him before smiling slyly “oh? You have a crush lovi how cute!” he joked “But doesn’t that mean I’ll have to share you now?” he pulled and pout and hugged the other close teasing him “I don’t want to share Lovi! All mine all mine” he was laughing as he did feeling a little like a father figure as you did

[orgoglio-meridionale]

The Italian's cheeks went red as quick as the Spaniard had put his arms around him. "L-Let me go, you bastard!" He pushed Antonio away, mumbling a few more profanities in his native tongue while denying the man's accusation. "I-I didn't say I have a crush on anyone, okay?" The brunette huffed as he managed to squirm out of the Spaniard's grasp.

[last-rose-petal]

Shall we dance, orgoglio-meridionale?

Maddie hadn’t been entirely sure what to expect when she stepped through the large entryway into where the masquerade ball was being held, but it certainly wasn’t this. Considering her background, she wasn’t new to ballrooms, but this one was gorgeous. To be honest, she wasn’t planning on coming to the event in the first place. Her past experiences with large, fancy parties had been less than stellar. But when she mentioned to Feliciano about not going, he had seemed upset and insisted that she come. Said that she would have fun and how ‘she should get to dress up and dance every now and then with a cute guy and how cute she would look and oh she definitely needed to take pictures for him!’ How could she say no to her best friend?

‘Besides…’ she shyly thought, smoothing a hand against her dress. '…I really don't dress up very often anyway.' The fact that she even took the time to curl her hair was amazing in itself. Although looking around at everyone else she felt the beginning of worry gnaw at her stomach. Everyone here had such fancy dresses with hoops and frills and glitter, large glittering jewelry, and masks that were adorned with feathers and jewels. The only jewelry she had on was a set of dangly earrings and a necklace that delicately rested above her cleavage. They were silver with small gemstones that she had brought with her when she moved. Well, it’s not like she would stay very long anyway. She doubted she would even make it onto the dance floor. Making sure her mask was secure (and silently thanking the fact that she got contacts) she stepped up to a nearby table and received a bright yellow ribbon.

Carefully tying the ribbon into a bow around her wrist, she stepped away from the table and shyly glanced around. Part of her wondered who her partner for the night would be, while another part of her wondered if her partner would even notice her.

[orgoglio-meridionale]

Why did he even decide to attend this stupid masquerade ball anyway? He could just be lounging about right now in his bedroom, eating some home-cooked pasta and having a glass of wine. He should be resting when he doesn't have work to do. But no, for some unknown reason, he was here, clad in a white Armani suit that he had been keeping in his closet for the longest time. It was an expensive suit so he rarely wears it unless he felt that it was worth using somewhere. Lovino adjusted the silver-lined mask attached to his face; the white mask complimenting his olive skin perfectly. His hair was combed more neatly than usual (though he always makes sure that his hair was neat and styled well even on normal occasions) and the fringes on the left side of his hair were tucked behind his ear. Well, no use just standing out here and wasting more of his time than he already did. Lovino straightened his tie and looked down on his perfectly polished shoes, just to check if it were still spotless, before heading inside.

"There's a hell lot of people, damn it..." He muttered under his breath as he entered the hall and was welcomed by the glamorous sight of the venue and the crowd that has gathered in it. Lovino wasn't too fond of crowds like this nor did he enjoy socializing with anyone in events such as this. He headed towards the table near the entrance and was given a bright yellow ribbons. When he asked what it was for, he was told that the person wearing the same color of ribbon would be his date for tonight. "Date...?" The Italian raised an eyebrow at this statement before venturing deeper into the hall. Well whatever, he just hopes he gets a pretty date to make his trip to this shitty ball worthwhile.

Looking around, Lovino's eyes search for his partner, wondering who it might be. Considering that he doesn't know a lot of people, he doubts that he would know who his partner could be. But that was the point of this thing, right, to meet other people? Lovino looked down at the ribbon tied on his wrist and sighed. Maybe it would have been better if they didn't have to go around looking like idiots and were just told who they were paired up with instead. While he was busy complaining in his thoughts, the brunette's eyes caught a glimpse of a ribbon matching his. It was tied around a girl's wrist who was wearing a lovely blue gown and had long, curly blond hair. For a moment, he thought of someone he knew, but he immediately dismissed the thought with the idea that she probably didn't like these kinds of events. Lovino walked towards the girl, a grin tugging on his lips. "Ciao, bella! I see we have the same color of ribbons. I bet we're a match made in heaven." The switch has been turned on.

[last-rose-petal]

Offer still open orgoglio-meridionale?

[last-rose-petal]

Maddie was careful not to turn around so Lovino wouldn’t see her cheeks start to flush. It was to the point where it felt like even her ears were burning. Normally she would reply to the question with something flippant like saying Lovi was getting a big head over it, but for some reason she couldn’t bring herself to say that. It was almost like they were teasing each other…but not? Which was silly because once again, they had only just met. So Maddie was probably just reading way too much into things. Still, she belatedly realized that she needed to respond before things became awkward. “Quite possibly. It’s like you swooped in and swept me off my feet…literally.” She covered up her embarrassment with a quick joke about their first meeting. She didn’t want to make things awkward for Lovi so she tried to keep her answer light, but she couldn’t resist peeking over her shoulder at him to give him a little smile.

Turning around after sliding another tray into the oven, she noticed Lovino acting sheepish after her comment. His actions made her laugh, so when she passed by to grab some more ingredients, she couldn’t resist lightly nudging him with her shoulder in passing. “You’re such a flirt Lovi~. You’re gonna break my poor little heart.” The last part was said with a dramatic sigh, to let him know she was only poking fun. But it was also why she tried to take all their teasing lightly, since she knew how the boy liked to flirt. It didn’t take long to figure that out about him. His little outburst threw her off for a second however, having not expected it. “Aww, you’re going to make me blush, chérie.” Not that she actually expected him to do it…but it would be rather sweet.

Silently enjoying her momentary victory, she didn’t notice what Lovino was doing until it was too late. Maddie wasn’t expecting Lovino to retaliate so quickly and squeaked at the sudden movement. It had been such a long time since Maddie had this much fun while baking that she soon had the giggles and was having a difficult time suppressing them. Realizing she wasn’t close enough to any flour for fuel, she resorted to drastic measures. Still giggling too much to really think, she leaned forward and rubbed noses with Lovino, effectively spreading the flour onto his own nose. “Now we’re even!” She chirped, as she leaned back, still grinning.

[orgoglio-meridionale]

The strange and long pause made him a little worried if he had said anything wrong or if Maddie had noticed the change in his tone. He really hoped that she didn't because, to be honest, Lovino hasn't quite figured out just yet what was wrong with him either. He felt a subtle sigh of relief escape his lips as the girl finally replied to him. Maybe she was just too focused on her work that she couldn't reply right away. Yeah, that was probably it. He shouldn't think too much out of it. His mind wandered back to their first meeting when he had bumped to the poor girl and sent her landing against the cold ground. Now, while that was a thing he regretted, that certain incident led them to becoming friends and being like this now. He's actually glad about it. "Maybe I should have caught you back there, huh?" The Italian laughed. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to next time, though."

Ah, the truth that he cannot deny. Well, he wasn't doing it just for the heck of it. His grandfather had taught him and his brother that ladies should be treated well and carefully. He grew up and took those words to heart, no matter how annoying he thinks his grandfather was. "Break your heart? Why, I would never!" Lovino gasped dramatically in return, trying his best not to crack a grin. But really, he'd have to be completely insane to do such a horrible thing. "I'm a man of my words, bella. No need to fret." He flashed her a smile, one that was vindicated of any mischief and jokes. The Italian couldn't possible bring himself to do anything so terrible to her.

Maddie's sudden retort caught him off guard-- and for a very good reason. He never anticipated that she'd rub her nose against his like that. The was, by far, the closest they've been with each other since they've met. The deepening shade of red on his face grew and Lovino practically froze in his place, his hand still holding onto Maddie's wrist. The gesture was too sudden that his brain refused to work and tell him what to do next and he just stood there looking flustered and shocked.

[happychime]

T-The other day, I sent a request on Himaruya’s blog asking for an interaction between Romano and Prussia and fjkgfdjkghjkdfhgjkdfh LOOK WHAT HE POSTED JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO!!!!!!!  I’m so happyyyyyyyyyyy ;//u//;

I’m not sure if this was exactly in response to my request or not, but either way, I’m still happy and grateful to him and djkghfjkghkldfhgk  Ufufufu, Prussia is saying that it’s an honor for him to be appearing together with Romano~ (though he still refers to him as “Italy’s older brother”). Meanwhile, Romano tells Prussia to quit referring to him as his idiot brother’s older brother. :’D 日丸屋様最高です！すごく嬉しい～

[last-rose-petal]

Offer still open orgoglio-meridionale?

[last-rose-petal]

Her hand froze in mid-air for a split second as Lovi spoke behind her. For some reason her heart had skipped a beat at his last words. 'Don't be ridiculous Maddie.' she chided herself, quickly forcing her hands to return to work. 'It's just some playful teasing. It…It's not like he's being serious or anything.' Not that she wouldn’t mind it if it was true-stop it! She tried to shake the thought process from her mind. They had only just met! Besides, it would do no good to dwell on things that obviously weren’t true. No one would ever actually feel that way for her. Still facing away from him so he couldn’t see her light blush, she continued with their little banter. “Of course. In fact, it really would only be fair. Since you had already stolen my heart and all.” And it was only her imagination if her tone was a little softer than before. Because this was merely jokes. Of course…

Maddie liked how Lovino smiled whenever he talked about becoming a chef. It was obvious that it was has dream and he was excited about it. Just watching made her excited for him. Tuesday was going to be a lot of fun and she could hardly wait for the day to finally come. She wondered what Lovino was like at work…it was decided. Sometime this week Maddie was going to swing by his work and visit for a bit. It might also be fun to meet some of his co-workers. Lovino was so sweet he must get along with everyone! I mean, he was still talking to her, wasn’t he? That’s a lot more than most people! Her lips quirked up at his obvious joke. “Uh-huh. I bet you say that to all the girls, eh?” Teasing him was almost second-nature at this point and she wondered if she should let up a bit  on the poor guy. Nah.

Lovino suddenly appearing with flour startled a squeak out of her, and left her with two flour-smeared cheeks. “Are you sure you can handle a war in my kitchen?” Grinning back, she busied herself with some more baking, waiting for him to lower his guard. Crossing behind him at one point to grab some spices, she snuck closer and reached around to pop more flour on his face while he wasn’t looking. “Got ya!” She giggled, still standing behind him.

[orgoglio-meridionale]

"Did I really?" He asked; no grin this time. He made sure to sound as if he was still teasing her, but it was nonetheless a genuine question. He wondered if it would ever be possible that someone would consider giving their heart to him and if they would let him have theirs as well. Of course, he was well aware that they were just fooling around with words and that he shouldn't put any meaning to it. But for some reason, he just couldn't shake the feeling off-- the feeling of wanting to know if she meant it or not. Lovino let out a quiet sigh, making sure Maddie doesn't hear and leans against the table. He shouldn't think too much, it's not healthy. Besides, if he holds on to these thoughts, he might just make things awkward between them and create a gap. They were just starting to become close friends and he didn't want to ruin that.

An amused chuckle escaped his lips as he scratched the back of his head. It seems like Maddie has caught him on that one. Smiling sheepishly, he looked up at her. "Well... Not really to all the girls... But... Most of them, sometimes." A bright shade of pink dusted his cheeks as he admitted the embarrassing truth to her. Maybe she knew him a lot better than he thought. "But I really won't talk to them when you visit!" He blurted out from his seat. "You'll be my special customer for that day." Lovino grinned, resting his elbows on top of the counter and shifting his weight on them. "Nobody else deserves my attention when my special bella is around, of course." The Italian teased on instinct. This was becoming more and more natural between them. Well, he couldn't really ignore other customers, but he could lay off with the flirting for a while.

When Maddie had gone back to working on the dough, Lovino thought that their flour fight has come to a quick end. He shrugged and pulled out his seat. Before he could even settle down, he felt her hands over his face, smearing flour all over it. So that's how it's going to be, huh? Reaching out to the counter for a handful of flour with his left hand, Lovino used his free hand to grab Maddie by the arm and pulled her towards him, dusting her with more flour. "Don't you mean I got you?" He laughed, tapping the tip of her nose lightly with his flour-covered index finger.

[last-rose-petal]

Offer still open orgoglio-meridionale?

[last-rose-petal]

Maddie nodded to show she understood. She was going to see Lovino’s house! It really was quite exciting and she was going to make sure she left her place extra early…just in case. Watching Lovino as the two continued their goofy…what was it? Banter? Teasing? Flirting? She wasn’t a hundred percent sure to be honest, but it made her laugh, so really what did it matter? (It’s not like it was a big deal. It was just kinda…their thing.) But anyway, she didn’t miss that little spark of mischief in his eyes. So that’s how he was going to play, eh? “As if there was room for anyone else in my heart besides you.” She dramatically sighed, even as she valiantly fought back a smile. It was vaguely true in a way, it wasn’t like Maddie joked around like this with just anybody.

She definitely was going to have to stop by Lovi’s work some day. It was only fair since he’d seen her place of employment now. That and she was rather curious about the restaurant she’d heard so much about.  “Well then, I guess I’ll just look forward to the day I can swing by for some of Chef Lovi’s food. Until then though, I could stop by and sit in your section. I promise I’ll only harass you a little.” Assuming that Lovino didn’t mind seeing her at his work. She didn’t want to be a bother if he was trying to get stuff done. But something told her that maybe he wouldn’t mind too much, right?

Aaaaah, he was laughing at her now, that jerk-face. It wasn’t her fault that she blushed fairly easily. (Because that was what he was laughing about, wasn’t it?) Unfortunately, mentally willing her blush to go away was only causing it to spread to the tips of her ears. Damn it. Wait, she couldn’t ask Lovi to clean up after her! He had already gotten up way earlier than he was used to to walk her to work! “Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask you to do that! It would be too much!” Of course he seemed fairly eager to help out whenever the opportunity would arise, so maybe he didn’t mind too much. “…but if you really wanted to I wouldn’t fight you on it too much.” She’d just try and think of something special to thank him for his help.

Maddie scrunched up her nose a little at the feeling of flour across it. Did he just…? Looking back up at him, she grinned. “Best be careful Lovi~.” The words were almost a playful purr. Behind her back she swiped a little extra flour on her hand. “That could be considered an act of war.” Quickly she wiped her dusty fingers across his cheek. Leaving a large smudge she danced out of reach to grab some more dough to work on.

[orgoglio-meridionale]

She really was improving on this and Lovino would by lying if he didn't feel his heart race a bit faster than usual at her words. He knew all they're doing were nothing but playful teasing, yet he couldn't help but feel unexpectedly happy about the things she was telling him. He wasn't going to let her have all the fun on this, however. Fighting back a wider grin along with the blush that was impending to come, Lovino cleared his throat quietly while Maddie wasn't looking. He just needs to keep his cool. "Then I guess it'll be fine to leave my heart in your care? There isn't any room in there for anyone but you either anyway." He was sounding really cheesy, he knows that, but it wasn't like he was just saying all those for fun. His words weren't as hollow as he tries to make it look like. He doesn't play with people's hearts through words he don't mean-- that's just really low.

Maddie visiting him at work sounded good to him. Besides, he'll be needing a bit more inspiration at work and maybe having her around will put him in a good mood and that might have a good effect on his performance. He's been stressed and exhausted a lot lately and Maddie's company just sort of washes all those away in a snap. She was the first female friend he's ever had and been this close to, so maybe that's why? "I'm going to cook for you next Tuesday, so there's no need to wait 'til I become a chef, actually." He chuckled a little, leaning back on his seat. "But of course, I'd be glad to cook more for you when I do become one!" Ah, being called 'Chef Lovino' had a nice ring to it, and the Italian couldn't hide the pleased smile obviously plastered on his face. "You can come by anytime." He let out a short chuckle. "Don't worry, I won't look at the other female customers when you're there."

The brunette was caught in a moment of surprise when bits of flour danced in front of him and felt most of it on his cheeks. Smothering his hand with more flour from the counter top, Lovino headed towards Maddie's direction, quickly repeating her actions and wiping more of the flour on both her cheeks before fleeing a bit farther from where she was standing. "And so a war it is." He grinned, dusting away the flour from his hands.

[orgoglio-meridionale]

[TEXT] Hola Lovi~ Long time no talk I hope you are well!

[text] Hey, Tonio. What’s up? I haven’t heard from you for a while. Busy?[/text]

Lovino placed his phone back inside his pocket and continued drinking the coffee he just ordered. He was seated by the window of a cafe he frequently visits, enjoying his day off.

[por-mi-cuenta]

"I have seen him in a bad mood you know" He laughed speaking to him as they rounded the corner, he swung himself round on the lamp post humming a little "I would never want to leave you with him in a bad place anyway, that would be unfair on all of you and me to be fair" he laughed "so anything else new with you other then knowing I know your boss" he looked to him.

[orgoglio-meridionale]

"Si, that will be very unfair you bastard so make sure not to annoy him." Lovino huffed. Sometimes he knew how much Antonio's over cheerfulness could annoy someone, especially if that person wasn't as lively as the Spaniard. Being friends with Antonio for so long taught him that. To change the mood of things, he decided to let his companion in on a little secret. "Oh, I met a bella the other day and she was really cute!" He said with a wide grin, remembering the time he met the Canadian girl.

[orgoglio-meridionale]

Happy Halloween Lovi~! Trick or Treat! =3

How about having me for a treat?

[last-rose-petal]

Offer still open orgoglio-meridionale?

[last-rose-petal]

Maddie was getting more and more excited as they continued planning the dinner. Growing up in a wealthy and well-known family meant that most social gatherings she went to were very formal and stuffy occasions that served to boost the family’s social standing. Not to actually enjoy. She had always hated the itchy clothes and stressed atmosphere of these occasions. Mixed in with her inability to stand out resulted in her standing awkwardly by potted plants praying for the event to hurry up and end. So an informal dinner between friends to just chatter and enjoy themselves? It was very hard to contain her excitement. Of course there was no way she was telling Lovi that this was the first time she was having dinner over at someone’s house (that didn’t involve butlers and what-not). She didn’t want Lovi to think she was weird after all. Let’s not highlight just how awkward she could be.

"Don’t worry!" She nodded to reassure him. "I think I’m getting better at maneuvering around the city. Besides, if I do get lost I’ll just ask for directions or give you a call, okay? Even though a map would be really helpful." She added as an afterthought. Maddie was a big girl now, even if this was the first time she was living on her own. She was an independent woman now! Hear her roar! Blushing a little, she still chuckled at Lovi’s words. Back to this, eh? "Why it’s hard to keep my heart still around you, mon bon monsieur.” She smiled back, making it adorably cute with expert ease. She also decided to throw a little French back at the Italian. He wasn’t the only one here who could speak another language. Check and mate.

Lovino seemed…less then enthused about his job. I mean, Maddie got along well enough with her co-workers (when they remembered her name) but she also was by herself for most of her shifts, unless they needed her to cover someone’s shift. Well, serving did seem like it could be a stressful job. Maddie was impressed that Lovi could do something like that. She knew she wouldn’t be able to deal with the public like that. “Maybe you’re boss will let you work in the kitchen eventually? That seems like something you’d rather do.” She tossed a smile over her shoulder as she finished pulling some dough from the mixer. When she turned around he was suddenly there and she squeaked in surprise. He scared the bejeebers out of her, appearing like that and making her jump a bit. “Wha-” She could feel the blush over her nose and she was sure even her freckles were red when he swiped a thumb across her cheek. “O-oh, d-did I get flour on my face again?” Shyly she glanced up. “My bad, I can’t seem to bake without making a mess everywhere.” she joked, grinning.

[orgoglio-meridionale]

It was a relief to hear that she'd be fine on her own, and while he still felt a little worried, he figured that he should listen to what she says. "I'll send you my address through SMS, then." As for the map, he could always give it to her any time this week. After all, he did offer to keep walking her to work when he's not too busy. And remembering his schedule for the week, he has a few days that he could just take things easy. Lovino's grin never wavered as a glint of mischief flashed momentarily in his eyes. "I'd take that as a compliment then, bella. After all, I'd prefer that than have your heart stop for someone else." Their cute little banters were becoming a frequent occurrence between them, isn't it? It was rather pleasing compared to the awkwardness they've experienced earlier. Hopefully, they get past that phase and be able to act naturally towards each other even if the same things happen again. It wasn't like Lovino was hoping for it or anything, absolutely not.

"Well, he did tell me I could help out in the kitchen some time." The Italian recalled. It was still a suggestion until now and Lovino still had a little hope that he'd get to work at the kitchen one day instead of just serving customers all day. "I'm not sure when he'd let me though." Or if he'll ever let him. He wasn't the best employee out there anyway and he doubts that his employer would just put him on kitchen duty if he just asked. Maybe if he worked a little harder? Better? His employer was a good man after all, he'd probably put someone where they'd belong when he sees how well their performance is. He'd just have to put in a little more effort then.

Lovino chuckled at the sight of Maddie blushing again. She really gets flustered so easily and he just can't help but think that it was such an adorable trait of hers. "Then I'll clean up after the mess you make, how about it?" He'd rather help her out than just sit around doing nothing while she worked. "If you get some more flour on your face, I'll just wipe it off for you again." He grinned, playfully swiping a bit of flour on the Canadian's nose and laughing. "Of course, I could also just do that."

[orgoglio-meridionale]

[TEXT] Hola Lovi~ Long time no talk I hope you are well!

[text] Hey, Tonio. What’s up? I haven’t heard from you for a while. Busy?[/text]

Lovino placed his phone back inside his pocket and continued drinking the coffee he just ordered. He was seated by the window of a cafe he frequently visits, enjoying his day off.

[por-mi-cuenta]

"Why not?” he asked looking at him “I’d just be going in to say hello to a friend, I mean me and him used to play football alot together to we have gotten as close as two guys can get without being gay together” he spoke bluntly

[orgoglio-meridionale]

The Italian looked at his companion, a little doubtful. Did Antonio and his employer really get along that well? The thought of Tim having friends was actually something he never really came across with. He should really stop judging people that way, he reminded himself.

Lovino just sighed and decided to give his friend the benefit of the doubt. "Fine, fine. As long as you don't annoy him or anything. It'll be hard for us employees if he's in a bad mood, you know." The brunette gave the Spaniard a pat on the back as they continued walking along the street.

[last-rose-petal]

Offer still open orgoglio-meridionale?

[last-rose-petal]

Pausing for a moment, Maddie checked her mental calender to see if she had anything going on next Tuesday. Nope, that would work out perfectly. “That sounds good to me.” She grinned back at him, distractedly stirring some batter as she talked. To say Maddie was excited would be an understatement. She had been so busy after moving here, that she hadn’t had a lot of time to hang out with others. And she always enjoyed spending time with Lovi, even if they had only just met.They were going to be good friends, Maddie just knew it. Tuesday was definitely going to be a “circle the date on your calender so you don’t forget it” day.

He was already offering to make her dinner, Maddie couldn’t possibly ask him to come get her too. Besides, that would probably just make everything that much harder for him. “If it’s all right with you, I can just stop by there at seven. It would probably be easier. I can even bring us some dessert if you want!” It couldn’t be too hard to find, could it? She couldn’t help but laugh a little when Lovi finished his crepe. “Ah, careful now or you’ll make me blush.” Teasing a bit, she continued with her work, bouncing from one thing to another with ease.

Hearing the sound of dishes being washed, she tossed a heartfelt ‘thanks’ over her shoulder. It was one less thing for her to worry about. Honestly was there anything not great about this guy or what? He even does dishes! A puff of flour caused her to stifle a sneeze, creating a squeak. Well, she probably wouldn’t have so much cleaning to worry about if she was a bit neater, she never could avoid patches of flour and smudges of chocolate on her when she baked. “What’s it like where you work anyway? Work with any interesting people?” The thought popped in her head and now she was curious.

[orgoglio-meridionale]

Then Tuesday night it is, Lovino thought happily to himself, making a mental note-- not that he even needs one considering how excited he was about it right now, there's no possible way he could forget about it at this rate. This was the first one he's actually invited anyone over for dinner and he's never really hosted anything for anyone before. Lovino never really had the best social skills around and a slight feeling of worry was pulling on him as he thought about it more. Would he be able to pull this one off and not make a mess of that night? He didn't want to disappoint Maddie, not after all the talk and teasing that he did. What the fuck are you getting worried for, you idiot? Just suck it up and fucking do something about it. If you really want to impress her that much then go work your ass off and give her the best fucking dinner you could come up with! Stop worrying without even trying, bastard. Lovino mentally scolded himself, reminding him that he's still got days to think of something and prepare. Well as weird as it may be, he felt a little relieved after that.

"You sure?" He asked, concerned. Maddie was old enough to take care of herself, of course, and he didn't want to keep treating her like she was a helpless little kid or anything but he just couldn't stop himself from worrying most of the time. "I'll just give you the complete address to my place and draw you a map so you won't have trouble finding it." It wasn't really hard to find, but it never hurts to take extra measures. Oh, and she'd even bring dessert! Maddie was really a sweet girl, Lovino won't even deny it. A light chuckle escaped his lips as he hovered a little closer, grinning at her. "Oh? Do my words make your heart flutter, mio caro?" He teased back and giving her head a gentle pat before heading back to his seat and keep himself from disturbing her work.

The Italian shrugged, recalling the faces of his co-workers at the restaurant. To be honest, he doesn't really find himself attached to any of them nor does he consider them interesting. "The people there..." He mused, looking up at the ceiling. "...they're okay. I can't really say much about them though. The work we do is alright, I guess. Sometimes it gets really exhausting and stressful, sometimes it's a breeze. It all depends on the time, day and the number of guests coming in." Unable to ignore the blotches of flour and chocolate on her cheeks any longer, Lovino pushed himself up from his seat and stretched his arm towards the Canadian, resting his hand over her cheek and wiping his thumb across it. There, that's much better.

[orgoglio-meridionale]

Lovino Vargas (South Italy)

from: this video (original Nico Nico Douga link here)

vocals: Shoose

[last-rose-petal]

Offer still open orgoglio-meridionale?

[last-rose-petal]

Maddie blushed at Lovi’s reply, but luckily she had her back to him so he couldn’t see her face. Taking a quick second to fight down the blush and smooth out her face, she spared a quick glance over her shoulder and smiled as sweetly as possible. “Why of course. I pride myself on being a good host after all.” Mentally she couldn’t decide if she should laugh maniacally or be utterly embarrassed at their banter. But it was just too amusing poking fun at each other. At least until one of them became too flustered to continue. Maybe she should start keeping score in her head?

He did remember his promise to cook dinner! Maddie hadn’t been sure, and she didn’t want to put him in the awkward situation of saying anything specific. Luckily she was free every afternoon for the most part, so finding a time shouldn’t be too hard. It just depended on his work schedule. “Well, since I’m here in the mornings, my afternoons are open. Plus my days off are Wednesday and Monday, so I don’t have to worry about getting home extremely early the night before so I can wake up for work. What time is best for you?” She wondered what he would make for their dinner. Should she bring something too? Maybe she’d make a small dessert to bring since she would feel bad showing up empty-handed to his house. “I’m really excited to try something you’ve made.” She admitted shyly with a smile.

If anyone asked, she totally hadn’t been holding her breath when Lovi was trying the crepe she’d made for him. Because that would imply that she was worried about what he thought of it. And if this same nosy person started asking about the huge grin that stretched across her face so much that her cheeks started to hurt when Lovi said he liked it…well that was inconsequential. There was even a pleased flush across her face at the Italian’s praise. “Ah, I’m glad you didn’t wake up so early for nothing then.” she beamed, polishing off the last of her own crepe.

Glancing up at the clock, she admitted to herself that it was time to get started. Stretching her arms above her head as she stood up, she grabbed a scrunchie from her bag. With a few practiced twists of her hand, she had her long hair up in a bun so it would be out of her face while she worked. Even though she couldn’t stop a few straggling curls from escaping. “Welp, it’s about time I got started.” She added as she began pulling out various ingredients and checking to see what exactly needed to be made today. Luckily she could still talk while she baked so hopefully Lovi wouldn’t get too bored.

[orgoglio-meridionale]

The grin on Lovino's face never left as he propped his elbow up on the table, letting his chin rest over his palm. "Ah, but bella, wait 'til I host a dinner for you." Though he hasn't actually decided what to make or how to prepare for that event yet, Lovino was going to make sure it'll be something so wonderful that she won't ever forget that night. It was nothing but wishful thinking but hey, nothing's wrong with that, right?

Trying to remember his schedule for the week, he decided that they could have dinner next Tuesday since his day-off would be on Wednesday as well. At least, they both won't have to worry about the time and whatnot. "How does seven sound to you? I have an early shift next Tuesday so I'll be able to go home in the afternoon and prepare for dinner then." His place wasn't too far from her nor from this bakery so she wouldn't really have a hard time finding it. But maybe it'll be better if he just fetched her? "Do you want me to come by your place to fetch you or would you rather go to my place on your own?"

While discussing their next plan together, Lovino had also been busy consuming the crepe on his plate. By the time his attention had gone back to it, the plate was almost empty. Ah, he didn't notice. "Nothing beats getting a lovely breakfast from a bella such as you, of course!" Waking up early was worth it, it definitely was.

As Maddie got up to prepare for work, Lovino decided to help out a bit by collecting their plates and placing them on the sink. "I'll wash these while you work, okay?" Rolling up his sleeves, the Italian turned the faucet on and began lathering the used plates and forks with soap. Living alone and working in a restaurant, simple tasks like this was normal to him. It didn't really take him long before he was done and Lovino placed the washed dishes over at the drying rack before grabbing a towel to dry his hands with. He turned his attention back at the busy Canadian, bits of flour already on her face. He tried to suppress a chuckle and walked back to his seat. Lovino looked up at the clock, he still had enough time to keep her company and before he needs to leave for his own work at the restaurant. 

[orgoglio-meridionale]

[TEXT] Hola Lovi~ Long time no talk I hope you are well!

[text] Hey, Tonio. What’s up? I haven’t heard from you for a while. Busy?[/text]

Lovino placed his phone back inside his pocket and continued drinking the coffee he just ordered. He was seated by the window of a cafe he frequently visits, enjoying his day off.

[por-mi-cuenta]

"si we have known each other a while" he laughed "We teach kids football togther too small world huh?" he petted the others back "Maybe I will have to come to your work after all and say hi!"

[orgoglio-meridionale]

So his employer taught kids how to play football? That was news to him-- not that he actually knew that much about Tim anyway. But at first glance, he didn't look like the type who would be teaching kids at all. And the fact that he and Antonio knew each other was just as surprising. The Italian grimaced as his companion offered to visit his workplace once more. "No." Lovino flatly declined.

[last-rose-petal]

Offer still open orgoglio-meridionale?

[last-rose-petal]

The batter was ready, so she carefully poured it into the pan and began swirling the thin layer around so it coated evenly, but didn’t burn. “I’m glad it’s not just me who feels that way then.” She admitted, taking a moment to flip the crepe with a flick of her wrist. It had taken her months to finally perfect that flip. “It just…feels like it’s a part of who you are, doesn’t it?” Ah, she was started to sound all…philosophical. Probably time to lay off the deep thoughts. Humming along with the radio as she was prone to do, Maddie couldn’t help but sway back and forth with the music as she quickly finished a few crepes. Gently layering on the cream with various fruits (and a last second sprinkle of some spice she thought would work well), she plated a couple for Lovino and brought it over to him. “Here you are! I hope you like them!” She really, really, really hoped he did. “And if you’re still hungry just let me know, okay?” Giving him a quick wink (where had that come from?) she turned back to the pan to make herself some.

So Lovino was just as passionate about cooking as she was baking? She smiled to herself as she poured more batter. “If you don’t mind…I would love to see you cook sometime.” Hopefully that wasn’t too much to ask. “I bet it’s quite the sight to see.” Pausing for a moment, she grinned over her shoulder. Watching people do things they loved, no matter what they were, was always amazing to witness. It was like taking a moment to peer into their soul. That little bit of themselves that not everyone was able to see. The way their love and passion flowed through their body as they moved was like magic. Seeing Lovino doing something that made him so happy, the thought made her smile. Putting the finishing touches on her own crepes (lots of strawberries with a good dose of dark chocolate) Maddie turned the oven off and joined Lovi with her plate.

She had a few minutes to enjoy their meal before she had to start her hard-core baking, since the ovens were still pre-heating anyway. Nibbling away at her food, she glanced over at Lovino. “So I hope the crepes made getting up so early worth it?” She joked.

[orgoglio-meridionale]

The Italian watched with a smile on his lips as Maddie did her thing, looking very pleased at it. His head tilted up and back down, his eyes following as the crepe flew up from the pan and landed back on it. Watching her work with such ease proves how much effort she has put into her passion, and Lovino admired her for that. "Si, I know what you mean." He chuckled, nodding his head in agreement. Not wanting to disturb her moment, Lovino silently watched, still smiling, while Maddie hummed along the radio and finished the crepe. Though he didn't eat a lot of sweet things, the crepe that Maddie was making looked undeniably delicious that he found himself excited to get a taste of it. A wide smile curved up his lips as the plate of wonderfully made crepe was brought in front of him. His cheeks produced a light shade of red as he caught a glimpse of Maddie winking at him and Lovino found himself speechless for a few seconds. Quickly gathering up his composure, the brunette looked back at her with a sly grin. "If I get hungry again, would you feed me then?"

Oh right, he did tell her he'd cook her dinner some time. The question now was, when would be a good time to invite her? He'd have to make sure both of their schedules are clear when he does. "I promised I'd make you dinner, right? Tell me when you're free. You could come over to my place and I'll make you something really nice." He already has a lot of dishes in his mind, but he'll have to pick a few that Maddie might really like. He wants to make her smile with the food he made, just like how she did today with this crepe she made for him. Not wanting to make his food sit on its plate any longer, Lovino grabbed his knife and fork, slicing a part of the crepe, along with the fruits on it, and stuck it in his mouth. His eyes glistened at the heavenly taste that melted in his tongue, the flavors distinct and tickling his taste buds. People would probably tell him he was just exaggerating, but Lovino could say that this has been the best crepe he's ever had in his life.

He looked at Maddie who just took a seat next to him with her own plate of crepe in front of her. He gave her a thumbs up, grinning like an idiot. "Delizioso!" He blurted out in his native tongue, a habit he couldn't get rid of. "It was totally worth it!" Not only did he get to spend time with her today, he also got to taste her magnificent cooking; how can that be not worth anything?

[orgoglio-meridionale]

[TEXT] Hola Lovi~ Long time no talk I hope you are well!

[text] Hey, Tonio. What’s up? I haven’t heard from you for a while. Busy?[/text]

Lovino placed his phone back inside his pocket and continued drinking the coffee he just ordered. He was seated by the window of a cafe he frequently visits, enjoying his day off.

[por-mi-cuenta]

"Tim…" Antonio mused "wait…tall guy, slicked up hair wears a scarf, dutch?" he asked acting out the height of the hair with his hand

[orgoglio-meridionale]

Lovino raised a brow. How the hell did Antonio know him? Besides, there were probably tens of thousands of Tims scattered all over NYC, how could he have possibly guessed it? Talk about a small world. "S-Si... how do you know him?"

[orgoglio-meridionale]

[TEXT] Hola Lovi~ Long time no talk I hope you are well!

[text] Hey, Tonio. What’s up? I haven’t heard from you for a while. Busy?[/text]

Lovino placed his phone back inside his pocket and continued drinking the coffee he just ordered. He was seated by the window of a cafe he frequently visits, enjoying his day off.

[por-mi-cuenta]

"who is your employer?" he asked hanging next to him "Someone nice?" he ended up looking around, this was the first time in a while he felt relaxed. Seemed getting in touch with an old friend was just what he needed

[orgoglio-meridionale]

Nice? Well... He was nice as long as you don't do anything to make him mad, at the very least. Besides, he's kept Lovino around the restaurant despite all his past blunders, so he could say he was a nice guy. "Hm, yeah, you could say that. Oh, and I don't exactly remember his full name, but he's called Tim."