One-Sided (Hanahaki Disease/High School Spamano AU)

1

"Wait!!"

He stops in his tracks, and swerves around to glance back at me.

The sun is setting, and it's the end of yet another school day. Tomorrow, the weekend will come along, and then the week will start all over again.

"Antonio?" my best friend asks. "What're you calling me for? I need to go home..."

"There's something I need to tell you."

I give a small, discreet smile. But in reality, I'm nervous as hell.

My hands are behind my back, so he can't see them shaking. I'm sweating and blushing, though I attempt to maintain my confident appearance.

"I...I have feelings for you, Lovino," I finally say. "I know we're both guys, and that it might seem a bit weird -- considering that we've known each other since we were in kindergarten, but...we're going to graduate soon, and I just wanted to tell you that I love you -- much more than just a friend."

There's an awkward moment of silence. I'm nervous -- practically terrified. Lovino has always been a sarcastic person with a sharp tongue -- he's very judgemental, and it took me a while to finally get to see his genuine sweet side.

He shifts around and opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. His cheeks turn pink, but he looks flustered and somewhat troubled.

"Antonio..." he sighs, biting his lip. "I...I'm really sorry, but..."

I listen intently for his answer. I already know what to expect, but I'm still scared.

"I already have a girlfriend."

Oh.

Well, then, I mean...

"And I'm not really into guys, either," he continues. "I don't love you."

I smile. "It's alright. Thanks for letting me know."

Lovino looks nervous and a little regretful, and he throws his arms around me. "You're my best friend though, okay? I promise, you bastard."

"That's alright, too. You wanna hang out tomorrow?"

"I...I have a date. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah!! See you soon~"

--

A few weeks passed. As expected, the conversations halted for a bit. Every day was awkward. Lovino didn't speak to me about anything for a while, really.

And then he suddenly called me today, at 5:30 PM.

"Hey!!" I say, holding the phone up to my ear. "How are you?"

"Listen, I'm really sorry for not telling you, okay?" he sighs on the other end of the line. "Emma and I have been dating since two weeks ago."

"..." I'm trying to figure out what to say. "Did anyone else know?"

"Francis and Alfred."

"You told them?" I can feel a small lump in my throat.

"Yeah."

I smile. "That's alright. I get why you didn't tell me. You knew I liked you, right?"

"Huh?" His voice is filled with confusion. "No, I had no fucking idea. I was really confused on why you'd like someone like me, dammit."

At his comment, I stop smiling. This is the thing about my best friend. He has very little -- close to no self-esteem. He'd always complain about his looks, his grades...everything.