Act 13: Lovino Has A Secret

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The door opened just in time for a clap of thunder the roll through the camp. Antonio sat up as Elizabeta stood on the stairs in the entryway, shaking the rain off her yoga mat.

"Oye, Liz, está bien?"

"Hmm?" Elizabeta looked up, taking a second to remember the meaning of those words. "Oh fine. We got rained out. Arthur says the support beams are too rusty to use the trapeze right now."

"Qué pena," said Antonio, laying back on his bed.

"Mind if I practice in here? I have to stay limber."

"Go ahead. I'll just be... trying to study." Antonio furrowed his brow as he resumed trying to absorb the contents of his Spanish to German dictionary.

Elizabeta chuckled and laid out her mat in the middle of their trailer, doing a few regular stretches before turning into a pretzel.

She twisted and bent into absurd poses, and at one point looked up at Antonio. That's when it hit her. She burst out laughing and Antonio looked up in complete bewilderment.

"What's so funny?" he asked, as the force of Elizabeta's laughter caused her to fall to the floor with a flop.

"Ha—ha—s—sorry," Elizabeta cried, between hysterical giggles, "This just has to be the only place where a girl can wear this spandex nightmare and be the last thing anyone notices."

She gestured to her blue and red leotard, but Antonio was still confused.

"Sorry," he said.

"For what?" she asked, sitting cross-legged on her yoga mat.

"That you're not noticed. It must be hard to be surrounded by men and have so few of them interested in you."

Elizabeta smiled.

"Actually, I'm very happy here." She looked up at the ceiling as if remembering fondly. "I never have to worry about how I dress, and I never get harassed by other guys with so many men around. Plus, you are all so cute."

That last part caused Antonio to blush.

"Well, I suppose it would be a lot harder if I didn't have Roddy. Even if he gets a bit jealous. He has a hard time understanding not being attracted to women. But he will be happy to know that you're nothing to worry about."

Antonio chuckled. "I suppose you're lucky then. He and Lovino seem to be the only straight hombres here."

"Luckier than you think. Lovino might not be as straight as he wants everyone to think," said Elizabeta and Antonio sat up a little straighter.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... you know I love taking pictures," said Elizabeta slowly, not wanting to give up the juicy gossip all at once, "So when I found an old photo album in Feli and Lovino's trailer, I just had to give it a peek. Well... you just have to see for yourself."

Antonio frowned. "You are a big tease, chica."

Elizabeta chuckled. "Now you sound like Roderich."

That also made Antonio blush.

Antonio didn't know why he wanted to know so badly. He didn't even know what he expected to find, but he was at the twins' trailer after the rains had cleared up.

"Lovi? Feli?" he called out after opening their door.

He had been just letting himself in lately. Lovino complained at first, but Feliciano said he was welcome at any time.

When no answer came, he went inside. What was it Elizabeta said she found? A photo album? He looked around and found a bookshelf. He scanned the covers, struggling a bit since most were in Italian, but he eventually found a book that looked right. He pulled it out and opened it to a random page.

He made an audible, "aw" sound at the sight of a younger Lovino and Feliciano. Even as a teenager Lovino was adorable. He started flipping back toward the earlier pages and got sidetracked when he found pictures of Feliciano with another boy. He looked like a younger Ludwig, with blond hair and blue eyes, but dressed all in black. He would have to ask about that later.

Antonio continued flipping. Then he froze. He looked close, in case his eyes were tricking him. There, on the page, was a photo of both Italian brothers, maybe 5 years old, in frilly dresses.     

Antonio looked on and found more pictures of the brothers dressed like that

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Antonio looked on and found more pictures of the brothers dressed like that. He checked the dates on the pictures and found that they stopped wearing dresses 14 years ago. That would have made them 8.

The door opened and Antonio shut the book.

"What are you doing, jerk bastard?" said Lovino, coming up the short steps as Antonio tried to slide the book back on the shelf.

Antonio spit out the first thing he could think of. "Uh—I was looking for a cookbook."

He felt a pain in his chest from lying, but, based on the murderous glare that Lovino was giving him, the truth would be a death sentence.

"Well, this is not-a one." Lovino yanked the book from Antonio's hands.

Still holding the album in a steel grip, Lovino pulled out another book and handed it to Antonio.

"G—gracias." Antonio took the cookbook and opened it.

Lovino watched Antonio try to discern the Italian words. "What are you doing?"

"I—um—wanted to cook you something." Again with the lying. If his madre was here...

"You can't read Italian."

Antonio shook his head, not daring to look up from the book. "No."

Lovino rolled his eyes before putting the album back on the shelf and taking the cookbook from Antonio.

"If you had told me I could have gotten started," said Lovino, pulling out pots and pans.

"Ah, lo siento."

Antonio relaxed a bit as Lovino no longer looked homicidal. Although, he did feel terrible for lying. He would have to tell Lovino someday. He would have to call his family and say goodbye first because Lovino would definitely kill him.

"Oy, bastard! I thought you were going to cook."

"Ah, si." Antonio rushed over to help Lovino.

He did have to wonder what those pictures meant. And why Lovino was so concerned with others finding out about it. He would have to wait another day for that, though.    

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