Accidents Happen

Part 6

The rest of the school day was oddly quiet. At least by Lovino's standards.

No Feliciano laughing or blathering about some cat he saw.

No Romeo trying to cheer him up. (But of course he wasn't sad or anything)

No Antonio.

Apparently what he had said scared off the poor guy. Oh well, it just meant he didn't have a headache. Right?

Lovino swallowed his guilt and unsuccessfully tried to push it down, forcing his attention back to the story their teacher was reading them.

It was going to be okay, he was going to meet Feli and Romeo after class, go have a great dinner, get moved into his brother's class, forget about Antonio and nothing would change. Right?

It wasn't until later that he realized he was very, very, wrong.

-----

"Lovi!" Feliciano squealed before running and hugging his brother.

Romeo was a bit slower but still gripped his older brothers in a fierce one armed hug.

The bell had finally rung, students of all shapes and sizes milled about or ran to the entrance to meet their parents.

Thankfully Lovino had found a small spot in the grass outside where he could wait for Nonno.

"Okay, that's enough idiota," Lovino sighed in fake exasperation. 

He pointedly tried to hide the smile that threatened to break his false apathy. It was his guilty happiness, his brothers' hugs. Especially when he was feeling overwhelmed and drained at the same time, like today. 

Not that they would ever know that. Still, warmth and love bloomed through his chest chasing away any thoughts of a little-dejected boy who he hadn't seen since the morning.

"It's only been a few hours, it's not like it's been forever," Lovino sighed, hoping his faked grumpiness could chase away the butterflies that had migrated from his stomach to his entire body making him giddy and kinda fuzzy, but uncomfortable at the same time.

The blank looks his brothers gave him were eerie, to say the least.

"What!?" Lovino snapped when they didn't say anything.

Feliciano's face finally shifted from its neutral expression to one of concern.

"Lovi, you're crying."

"I'm not!" He protested trying to shake off the emotions that were bubbling over and wipe away burning tears that definitely weren't there.

His two younger brothers glanced at each other for a second, a silent understanding passing between them.

"Okay Lovino, if you say so," Romeo sighed, his voice still sounding tired and barely above a whisper but full of the same concern his other brother held.

Before he could say more, the youngest sibling found himself wrapped in the gentlest but fiercest hug he had ever received from Lovino.

No more words passed between the triplets for the duration of their wait.

Lovino insisted he holds Romeo and Feliciano's hands until their grandpa arrived. ("It's because you run off too much, idiota.")

-----

When Romulus finally got there, he didn't miss the way the two youngest somehow had mixtures of joy and nervousness on their faces. Or the way Lovino was holding onto them like if he let go they would fly away.