doesn't like having too much to think about. It made her head hurt.

knocks on the fence. "Amore?"

glances up. "Hey~ Come in."

sits down on a lawn chair. He feels so..awkward.

swinging idly. "What now?"

doesn't know. "I'm sorry..about before"

shrugs. "It's okay." She smiles at him.

sighs. "It's not"

- "Forget about it." She stops swinging, watching him. "I'm sorry I haven't been spending time with you."

if she really is. "You've been busy" With him.

nods. "A little."

figured. "Well..whenever you get the time..I'm here"

- "Lovino, it isn't like that." She sighs. "You know I always have time for you."

about that. "Him too"

blushes a bit. "Why are you still on about this?"

-"Aren't I right?"

doesn't say anything.

thought so.

- "Am I not allowed to have time for him?"

shrugs. "Sure. I have sibling time with Veneciano. The only difference, is that he isn't trying to steal you from me"

stands up from the swing, feeling very irritated but refusing to show it. "He isn't, Lovino."

doesn't believe that. "Well he's done a good job of convincing me he is. Go ask him about the conversation we had."

stares at him. "What conversation?"

thought that might get her attention. "We had a little chat. The same chat where he basically told me that he would rape you if he wanted"_

_the one where Lovino had shot him half a dozen times, and left him to bleed out in the road.

shakes her head. "He wouldn't ever do that."

scoffs. "You think way..way too highly of him"

- "He's my brother, Lovino. He's all I knew before Spain and... You."

knows, but.. "He doesn't act like your brother"

- "He's always been a bit cold.. That's not an issue."

.."I think you have a very poor memory, amore. 'A bit cold' doesn't mean you in tears"

- "I don't want to have this conversation anymore." She whispers, looking away from him.

-"Then when would you like to have this conversation, Elyse?" He's getting frustrated all over again.

- "Never again."

smiles a little at the repeated conversation. "Which is wishful thinking.."

- "Wishful?"

sighs. "You know we'll end up talking about this again...one way or another"

rubs her temples. "What do you want me to do, Lovino? I can't just ignore him."

that would be wonderful, actually... "You know. I don't recall him ever trying to reach out to you before"

- "Because he's an asshole.."

so thankful she knows that. "Then why the switch?"

- "I don't know, Lovino. He's... just my brother. He needs me."

watches her carefully. "Is he? 'Just' your brother? Elyse, if it's just familial love. Fine. But if there's something more.." He deserved to

_know that much.

- "Gott." She sighs, pressing her fist against her forehead. Another headache. "Lovino."

huffs a little. "Just..tell me there's nothing more." Even if she lied. He just wanted to hear that..

- "There isn't. There can't be nor will there ever be anything."

can practically feel the weight off his chest. "Okay...thank you"

sighs.

looks down. "Ti amo...more than anything, amore."

- "I know, Liebling." She hates herself for putting him through all this, but she was frustrated too. She stands behind the lawn chair and-

-wraps her arms around his neck from behind. "I love you, too."

places his hands over her arms, holding her there. "Grazie..." he murmurs quietly.

herself even more now. "Stop that." She hides her face against his hair.

doesn't want that. "Che?" He reaches a hand up, to stroke her hair.

- "Thanking me."

means it though. "Mi dispiace..."

rolls her eyes a bit and kisses his cheek. "Lovi, stop it. Really."

shuts up. He tugs her around, pulling her into his lap though.

snuggles against his chest. "It's mostly my fault. I want to think he's sincere, and more likely than not, he is... But he's only overly-

-sweet when he's drunk or... high."

doesn't like the sound of that. "You spend time with him when he's drunk and high?"

- "Well when you say it like that it sounds bad. But he's a teddy bear."

doesn't think a drunk, high, over affectionate on his girlfriend person, is who he wants her to be around. "Oh?"

blushes. "Well... Besides the randomness, he is."

furrows his brows "What randomness?"

- "You'll get mad."

....

sighs and hides her face against his neck. "See?"

frowns. "Well if he's just your brother, there shouldn't be anything to get mad over"

- "Your lips say that, but I know you're going to go batty if I tell you."

he should rephrase. "If you two are siblings, then there's nothing unsibling like happening. So why would I be mad?"

nuzzles his throat. "Fine. I wanted to tell you so there wouldn't be any secrets, but I figure it's best to leave it alone."

she just confirmed that something happened. "Tell me."

sighs. She now knows that Nikolaas likes to go behind her back and try and poke at Lovi's nerves with things, so she might as well-

-let him know he's been groping her. =_= "Just him being a bit handsy nothing drastic. And mostly to bug me."

....

holds on to him. "Nothing bad. I just don't want you listening to him if he tells you something different. Like last time." BT

-"What do you mean he got too handsy?"

takes Lovino's hands and brings them up to cup her chest.

....

let's go of his hands. "Also.. if he ever says I slept with him, he likely means I slept next to him."

going to kill him. "Oh?"

nods.

-"You pushed him off when he touched you. Si?"

bites her lip. "I think the first time... my hands were pinned to something. That day's a bit fuzzy. But no, the second time I didn't."

...

- "I-I know, I should have..."

trying to control himself. "Why." Why did she have to do this to him..Dio

sighs. "I just don't want you to hear it from him. And... if it helps, he's... a girl at the moment."

...wait, what? "Cosa?"

- "Yeah. He's a girl at the moment."

.."So when I went by, that was him?"

- "... I guess?"

scowls. "He still shouldn't be touching you!"

- "I know. He was out of it though. Well and sober he wouldn't do anything like that."

huffs "But that doesn't mean he didn't, or that he doesn't want to"

sighs. "I highly doubt he wants to. It's just the alcohol... and that icky stuff he smokes."

doesn't understand her. "He was high, he was drunk, and he was touching you. You didn't leave. Don't you realise he could have done more_

_than that?"

- "I didn't want to leave him like that. And Lovi... Please. I already told you he wouldn't."

doesn't think that counts for anything. "You think he wouldn't. Sober. Drunk and high and half way there is something else. Just.." He _

sighed. He felt a headache coming on, and he felt sick. "Imagine if I did all that shit, and think how you would feel. I have to go..feed_

_Maddy. Feliciano isn't home again. Bye." He headed for the gate. Maybe he would visit Alfred again. Mope on his couch.

sits down on the bench.