The Most Important Time of Day (Open)

[LOVINO VARGAS]

Romano waltzed towards the academy’s lounge with confident steps, in way too much of a hurry to even notice all the students he had bumped into on his way. None of their angry shouts or surprised whimpers reached the Italian’s ears either, as his sights were set on something much more important right now. And, as those that have ever witnessed Romano working would now, when he was concentrated on something the whole school could burst into flames and he wouldn’t notice. Well, at least not until the fire would reach the kitchen; then he’d go and kick the fire’s ass. Somehow. Nobody fucked up a kitchen when he was near.

With every other step the teen took, he threw an angry glance towards his watch. It was five minutes past already, damn it. He had just missed one of the most important five minutes of his life, all thanks to their teacher letting them out of class late. Didn’t she understand how important an occasion he missed because of her?!

Romano scoffed and decided to postpone insulting the teacher as he finally arrived into the lounge, ten minutes late but still. Luckily for him, the lounge wasn’t all that crowded right now, most likely because it was only a little past midday and most people were still having classes. In fact, he should have been having classes too.

But how could he, when there was a need to do something far more important urging him to come here, to forget whatever other obligations he had to fulfill?

He couldn’t, simple. So it wasn’t his fault. It was the stupid school staff’s for not understanding a basic human need.

The need for a nap.

Romano threw himself on the nearest couch, stretching his legs and arms and letting out a mighty yawn. He discarded his backbag on the nearby table and took one more glance at his clock. Technically, siesta had started already, so that meant his nap would need to end a little later than usual. He’d probably miss half of another class as well, but oh well. Everyone knew people couldn’t work the whole day without a nap. People were a lot more productive after some sleep during the day, there were researches saying so, even.

Yeah, that’s what he was totally doing this for too; productivity.

Romano let out a laugh at that before turning on his side and grabbing a nearby cushion to snuggle. It didn’t take him long to drift off to sleep, hoping he wouldn’t be disturbed.

[ANA MARÍA CAMPOS HERNÁNDEZ]

Ana María was feeling terrible. Apparently staying outside, laying on the grass with the pouring rain soaking her clothes had not been the brightest idea. She knew she should've find some place dry the minute the first drop fell and then have a nice hot shower, but she had been stubborn to watch the sky as the grey clouds formed a sort of shield. Her first thought had been that the rain couldn't possibly be that bad. Back in her country the rain was warm, even hot, and it didn't last for more than just a few minutes. It was refreshing.
But, oh surprise, this had not been the case. When she had finally found it within herself to go to her dorm and take a shower she was already feeling a bit poorly. Ana María hadn't done much about it until she woke up the next day with no energy and a running nose.

The girl hadn't even bothered to stand up. It was already quite clear that she would save her teachers to trouble of having to send her to the infirmary. She hated having to go see the nurse. Ana María couldn't quite place her absolute distrust and fear of doctors. She simply did not like it when they poked around her trying to find every possible thing that was wrong with her. She felt like a rag doll who needed fixing.
It was the wisest, smartest idea to seek medical attention, but the girl wasn't precisely known for her wit. Perhaps it was totally irresponsible and childish, but she didn't care. It was just a cold. Her body would get past it in no time.
Plus, she got to miss class and the endless, dull lectures.

However, past a certain point in the day, Ana María couldn't stand to lay down on her bed. She needed to move, to get out of those incredibly overwhelming four walls that seemed to be closing in on her. She felt trapped, and thus it was the time for an atmosphere change.
She got dressed, took a blanket and grabbed a book. The mexican wondered where to that did not involve going outside, for she knew that stepping out of the buildings would be a major set back. She figured the lounge would be a good place to relax and try to get some reading done.

Ana María rarely ever read for fun. She lacked the patience needed to sit still for a prolonged period of time. She couldn't understand why people would escape the reality of their own world to submerge into one that did not exist. The only time and place that mattered was where one was at the moment. It was the only thing that counted.
She sat down at a couch and wrapped a blanket around her body. Ana María was sensitive to the cold. Even on a normal day, if it was below 75ºF, she would wear a jacket. But right now, the multiple layers of fabric around her was ridiculous.
She didn't care that she could potentially make someone else sick. It wasn't among her list of concerns. Barely even crossed her mind. She settled comfortably and opened her book. It was Isabel Allende's La Casa de los Espiritus (The House of Spirits). A book she had tried to read for multiple occasions throughout the years, but she always found a reason to get bored or distracted. This time, however, she would get past page 50. Even if she fell asleep along the way.

[LOVINO VARGAS]

Romano couldn’t have been asleep for more than a five minutes or so, when the sound of footsteps and the rustling of fabric brought him awake enough to realize he wasn’t alone anymore. At first, the Italian decided to just ignore it. Whoever it was, they seemed quiet enough not to be a bother, so there was no reason to make the effort of turning around and opening his eyes, not when the prospect of sleep sounded much more beckoning.

And should he have been back home in Italy, he would have obeyed his mind and just dozed back off ‘til the bell rang. But he wasn’t back home. He was in a much more unfamiliar, possibly even hostile environment. There were bullies and there were perverts, and there were people so annoying he would have preferred the company of the previous two to them. There were all sorts of people he didn’t like, that he feared, that he didn’t want to show his sleeping, defenseless form to. He couldn't risk it.

So, groaning to himself out of sheer annoyance of having to bother, Romano let go of the pillow and turned around, eyes still half-closed. The lounge was quiet, empty apart from one pile of blankets sitting on the couch next to his. Romano blinked at the sight, rubbing his eyes to make out the other’s face. If the person just sat there quietly and read, they couldn’t be anyone too bad, but he wanted to make sure. He had to know.

Eyes finally functioning again, Romano took a look at the person once more, and immediately a smile akin more to a grin flashed on his face. Oh. It was a girl. Well in that case, everything was fine; he wouldn’t mind sleeping near girls. In fact, he wouldn’t mind sleeping next to girls, either~

“Hey,” Romano called, cocking his head. He was still too sleepy to realize what the blankets were for, and just thought she liked to be comfy. “What’re you doing? It’s siesta time, you should be napping!"

He paused for a while to make sure she had actually understood he was talking to her and then continued. "Actually, you know what... how about you throw that boring book away and come here?” He chuckled a bit, moving on the couch so there would be more room. “We can nap together ❤”

[ANA MARÍA CAMPOS HERNÁNDEZ]

"Barrabás llegó a la familia por vía marítima, anotó la niña Clara con su delicada caligrafía. Y entonces tenía el hábito de escribir las cosas importantes y más tarde, cuando se quedó muda, escribía también las trivialidades, sin sospechar que cincuenta años después, sus cuadernos me servirían para rescatar las memoria del pasado y para sobrevivir mi propio espanto."*

Ana María sighed. She was barely through the first page when a sudden need to toss the book aside and proceed to go some place fun incited in her being. She looked at the words that barely made much sense to her. This book was fairly easy to read. Isabel Allende was an excellent narrator, and being the book in her native latin american Spanish, there was hardly anything that prevented her from starting and eventually finish it.
Except that she did not enjoy to read. The average Mexican reads over two books a year. It was boring and required too much of her limited attention. The book she was holding had belonged to her mother, who unlike her, loved the joy of reading. The library at her house was mostly made up of her books. Most of them about Mathematics and Astronomy. She wondered what her mother found in them to be so exquisite tempting.

La Casa de los Espíritus was supposed to be a classic of latin american culture. Any well-educated person had read it. That had been the reason she had packed it freshman year. It had been sitting on the shelf ever since. There had to be a more dynamic way of reading a book. Maybe if she found summaries and the sort she could get through it easier.

"Hey. What're you doing? It's siesta time, you should be napping!"

Ana María looked up at the sudden sound of a Spanish word within someone's vocabulary. It was such an annoying habit at times, but it was a sentiment of feeling at home, if only for a second by the sound of a word. When the girl realized there was no one around her, she came to the conclusion that the statement had been directed to her. She turned to look a boy with a nice curl on his left. He had a sort of adorable, innocent face, that seemed even more so when he smiled.
The Mexican did not hesitate to smile back.

"Actually, you know what... how about you throw that boring book away and come here? We can nap together."

Ana María raised an eyebrow, surprised that someone would be so blunt. It didn't bother her, because up to some degree she was just like that. It was weird to see it reflected on someone, but it made her feel comfortable. The girl was about to move when she sneezed. For a moment she had forgotten about her cold and hesitated to move towards the couch the boy mentioned.
"I would love to, pero I don't want to get you sick" She said, her accent coming out even sharper than when she usually spoke. The thought of curling up besides the boy and falling asleep on his shoulder or on top of his stomach did not escape her. It would be nice. Better than nice. Wonderful even.

Ana María stood up, and decided to sit next to him. If he felt bothered by her then she would move. It always came as a surprise to her how many people were afraid by germs. She would roll her eyes.
Pulling her blanket along, she sat the book on the small coffee table that separated the couch from where she had been sitting. Who was she kidding? That book would remain untouched for another six months, until she found it in herself to attempt to read it again.

-----
*Excerpt from The House of Spirits, first page.

[LOVINO VARGAS]

Romano noticed that the girl seemed a tad surprised by his offer, but he didn’t mind at all. In fact, he had sort of anticipated her to be taken aback a bit by his sudden suggestion. He liked the look of surprise on most girls' faces. They were cute, and this one was no exception to the rule.

It was that open display of emotion that Romano really liked about girls too. The way they were open and not afraid to show their feelings, be it surprise, happiness or sorrow. Well, generally, of course, there were naturally more reserved and inverted girls around too. But the majority, at least, didn't need to care about looking cool and stoic or some other stupid shit like the guys did. And so, Romano felt that when around girls, he didn't have to keep up his tough-beanie act that much, either. He could relax, be himself. In that sense, meeting a girl during siesta was perfect.

Romano couldn’t help but smile at the girl in response. Despite her surprise, she’d accept his offer, there was no doubt about it. Now, were she a guy... Romano believed he'd probably be lying on the couch with one eye black bye now for daring suggest napping together. And then some people actually wondered why he preferred the company of ladies.

The boy was brought back from the depths of his wandering thoughts by the girl’s sudden sneeze. Immediately the Italian’s smile faltered, even if just a little bit, and his curl twitched nervously. It almost sounded like she was-

"I would love to, pero I don't want to get you sick"

Romano flinched. Oh shit, so she was sick?! Looking back, it seemed so obvious he couldn’t but feel embarrassed for not having noticed it earlier. A pretty girl like her, wrapped in a blanket and spending her school day in the lounge with a book, alone? Yeah, that should’ve set all sorts of alarms off in the Italian’s head. Damn it, he really should’ve paid attention to the details. He really, really didn’t want to get sick.

He had a good reason for it though; whenever he was having a fever or any similar sickness, his shapeshifting powers went awry and every sneeze could potentially lead into him becoming a fluffy farm animal. And being sick as a sheep was even more horrible than as a human; he always felt like every breath he drew could be his last. Animals couldn’t handle diseases as well as humans, and especially not human diseases. It was a scary thing to be a bedridden animal, and it always made him feel incredibly bitter towards his powers. If whatever gods ‘blessed’ him with shapeshifting had had any sense of compassion, they would have at least let him heal himself with his other power. But no.

The Italian found himself almost snarling aloud at his thoughts. Screw healing others, why couldn’t he cure his own sicknesses and pains? Sidekick or no, he deserved to be healthy as much as everyone else.

It wasn’t long before the boy realized the dilemma he was faced with and forgot all about being frustrated in favor of trying to work the situation out. On the other hand he had already extended an invitation for the girl to join him, so he couldn’t exactly back away now. It wouldn’t be polite, nor a proper way to treat a chick. But he really, really didn’t want to catch whatever she had, even if it wasn’t anything serious. Even a simple flu could be potentially lethal to him. Yes, he was fully aware there were people who thoughts his fear of sickness pathetic, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want to risk it.

Before Romano could decide one way or the other, the girl stood up and effectively decided for him. She set the book she was reading away and sat next to him, bringing her blanket along.

Truth be told, the Italian was a bit concerned. He didn’t want to show his mild discomfort however, and did his best to keep up his smile. It wasn’t this girl’s fault she was sick, there was no need for her to feel like she had done something wrong. Besides, maybe whatever she had wouldn’t… catch so easily? Romano sure hoped so, because he didn’t have the heart to tell her to move, especially when the blanket she had brought seemed positively warm and inviting. So, maybe just manning up and starting a conversation to get his mind occupied with something else’d be enough to soothe his worries?

Couldn't hurt to try.

“Good decision. Sure beats reading!” Romano chuckled at the girl finally, moving slightly aside to give more room for the other to lie down if she wished. He gave a glance at the book she had put away, head slightly tilted before he brought his gaze back at the girl. “What were you reading anyway?”

-------------

(Ffff sorry this took so long. And I actually tried to understand that excerpt with my limited Spanish knowledge. It... didn't go well.)

[ANA MARÍA CAMPOS HERNÁNDEZ]

When she sat down on the couch, she pulled the blanket over her body and looked for a place to lean on. She was tempted to simply "fall asleep" or accidentally land on the boys arms. The way it happens on those cheesy love stories with a Bella Swan for main character. She was tempted, but she did not go through with it. In fact, she waited for the boy to make his moves. Because no one simply invited a girl to sleep next to him, let alone sleep with him, if there wasn't something else going on. Ana María was very curious to see what would happen. She enjoyed some romance once in a while. The girl had a soft spot in her heart of couples and more often then not she would simply throw rose petals on them, if they didn't decide to yell at her to go away of course. If she were to admit, she was also somewhat of a closet perv. Those mighty and sometimes dirty thoughts did not cease to escape her mind.

If she were to be in a relationship, the few times that she had actually wanted to try to ride along with someone, when she wanted something she usually went down to it. Right to business. She was a girl who knew what she wanted. Perhaps all she wanted right now was some fun. Pure innocent fun. The sort of fun that boys go looking for on a saturday night when after being dumped. But that fantasy stopped at it. Despite her boundary issues and not knowing what "personal space" meant, Ana María knew up to what point it was being too forward. She watched with close attention at the italian boy, amused. Amused at his somewhat adorable portrayal. She wasn't quite sure what it was about him, but he had this sort of toughness and bit of cuteness that just made the perfect mix. Adorable was, indeed, the best word.

"Good decision. Sure beats reading!" He said. "What were you reading anyway?"

Was that doubt in his actions? Ana María wasn't sure she was reading him correctly. She rarely ever cared much for trying to figure out those around him or to understand why the acted the way they did. She failed to read the atmosphere because distractions where everywhere, that and her short attention span. The latter not being her fault. But right now, there was something in the way the Italian boy behaved that the Mexican girl wondered if she was making him uncomfortable. Well, there was no backing out now. For him at least. Tsk.

"Ugh, just some boring classic that I've been trying to read for ages." She said when he made a comment about her book. "It's from Isabel Allende, she's from Chile. I do not think you've heard of her. She's a great author and all but I do not like to read. I'm kind of ignorant in that sense." She said. It was true. Ana María barely read a cereal box let alone a book. She couldn't sit still to enjoy it, but she was trying.
She turned her attention towards the boy, wrapping the blanket tighter across her body and placing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"What are you doing here? Now, I know I skip class and all, but you señor don't have that excuse. Don't you have class?" And there she went again, off with the chattering. Ana María rarely acknowledge that sometimes in order to have a conversation, she would have to shut up and let the other person speak. But details.

[LOVINO VARGAS]

Romano wasn’t sure whether or not the girl had noticed his discomfort, but if she had, it didn’t show from her tone or her words when she answered his question. Romano was glad; not only because she took the bait to start a conversation, but also because she didn’t get all nosy and start asking him questions, like whether or not he was alright or stuff. The boy highly doubted he could have cooked up a convincing enough lie on the spot. Lying wasn’t, much to his dismay, one of the few things he was actually good at.

Listening to the girl talk about the book she had been reading and looking at her from closer now, Romano was absolutely certain he had seen her before, multiple times even. And now that he wasn’t so groggy from being waken up anymore, he could almost, just almost piece together a name to go along with her pretty face. It was something foreign, and carried a Spanish tone – which made sense, as she had spoken a tiny bit of Spanish earlier – so…

The Italian tried not to squint as he did his best to search through all the names inside his memory. Ana… something. Maria? María? He was so absorbed in his little attempt to recall, that he didn’t think to comment on her book choice (which was good, in a sense, as Romano really hadn’t heard of the author in question) or the fact that she didn’t like to read – something the two had in common. Romano rarely read either. It made him feel stupid. And bored. But mostly stupid.

It was then that Romano noticed the girl was looking at him. She moved the blanket over herself, fixed her hair and addressed him, forcing the Italian out of his thoughts for now.

"What are you doing here? Now, I know I skip class and all, but you señor don't have that excuse. Don't you have class?"

When Romano heard she was skipping class, he truly hoped it wasn’t just because of the sickness. Usually, everyone he had seen wandering the grounds and the hallways during classes were thugs to some degree, and seemed like a pain to associate with. Most were guys too, so it wasn’t like the Italian even wanted to get to know them; most of the time he just avoided visiting the same places they did out of fear of getting in their way and having to pay for it or something. Due to that, he was always pretty lonely when he was skipping class, even if admitting it made him sort of flustered. So the possibility that there might be a girl sharing this bad habit of his? Amazing. Just the prospect of skipping class with a pretty chick, it made him think of all kinds of wonderful things. The places they could go to and the fun they could have…

The Italian shook his head. No. No, better not get too excited. She probably only did it because she was ill. He shouldn’t get so excited so easily, he only set himself up for disappointment that way. Better just forget all about that and answer. She was probably wondering why he was taking so damn long.

So, looking up at the girl from his lying position, Romano laughed a bit dryly. “Yeah, I’ve got class.”

He grinned a bit now, placing his hands behind his head and shifting on the couch a bit to be more comfortable. “But it’s siesta time, so who cares, right? It’s not like this is the first time I’m skipping anyway.” He cocked his head and shrugged a tad. “And it’s not like it’s even my fault. They shouldn’t make the classes so boring.”

It was then he realized this was a great opportunity to find out whether or not she could be a potential skipping partner or not.

“And I mean…" Romano began, doing his best to not sound too hopeful "you’ve skipped classes before too, right? You don’t seem to be the type to enjoy sitting on your ass, doing nothing all day.”

Behind his head, Romano crossed his fingers and hoped.

[ANA MARÍA CAMPOS HERNÁNDEZ]

Ana María smiled. Her eyes were set on the boy, but her mind began to think about all those times when she had skipped class. The first days she had had the almost too perfect excuse of getting lost somewhere in the island, not knowing where everything was. And getting lost meant having an interesting, unexpected adventure in some part of the woods where people rarely went to alone. Ana María did not mind getting lost alone. Sure she loved company, and friends, but once in a while she needed some time to discover things at her own pace, without anything to back her down. There was nothing more frustrating like having to stop every five minutes to wait for someone who can barely catch their breath.

But as the days went by, she acquired enough knowledge about the place or at least was required to, that she no longer had that excuse in order to get out of trouble. Soon enough, her teachers began to get to know just what type of student she was. While she held a pleasant relationship with them because, let's face it, she's a rather charismatic individual, her grades barely made it above the passing line. Ana María had the ideology that as long as she wasn't failing, all was good in the world.

"But it's siesta time, so who cares, right? It's not like this is the first time I'm skipping anyway. And it's not like it's even my fault. They shouldn't make the classes so boring."

He was right, classes were boring and long, but mostly boring. Once in a while Ana María held the needed enthusiasm to actually endure and hour of class, just to find it slipping away as the teacher began to speak in their oh so nice monotone voice. Ugh. Perhaps the only thing worst than a boring class was a teacher with no joy in teaching. At times, she wondered if the adults slammed their heads against the wall as a result of the "stupidity" of their students. "I've taught this nine times and they still don't get it, dammit!" It would be funny to watch, then Ana María would proceed to say that they shouldn't worry, because they were the future world leaders. Ha! Bang head here.

"And I mean, you've skipped classes before too, right? You don't seem to be the type to enjoy sitting on your ass, doing nothing all day."

Ana María considered that a huge understatement. She did not sit, if she could help it. She was too active, too anxious to move, to talk, to do something other than stare into a blank white board looking at the marker colors that could really not be any less creative. Maybe they should get purple or orange or yellow-let's-screw-our-eyesight, at least that way it would be entertaining trying to make out the words.
"Oh, mi amigo, you have no idea. I practically live outside of the classroom. I do not know, I guess I have always had a passion for the jardines and outdoors. They can't keep me locked up for long. Actually, if I were to be one of those princesas that is always stranded and hidden on a tower, I would've found a way to climb back down before a certain principe came to the rescue."[/color]

Ana María was sure that she had not discovered all the hidden places on this island. She always fantasized about there being hidden passages that lead to mysterious places underground. What lay on the middle of the forest that was so forbidden? The girl had started to mark the places she thought she had been into on the map they had given her during freshman year, and so far there was still more than a quarter of the island left. If she were able to fly it would be easier, then she just look at all from above and choose where to go next, instead of running around in circles for what seemed like forever.

[LOVINO VARGAS]

To say that Romano was nervous waiting for her reply would have been an understatement. He did his best to keep his hands still under the back of his head, and did his best not to let his smile twitch with anticipation and yet, he was sure he couldn't conceal every trace of anxiety he displayed. While he was pretty certain he had nailed her personality with the ‘not-sitting-still-type’, there was always the possibility looks could deceive. Heck, she could be the most diligent bookworm out there for all he knew and if so, she might not take him assuming otherwise all that kindly. Romano had to shift on the couch again as he looked up at the girl’s eyes and waited. She didn’t seem angered, at least, that was always a good sign.

"Oh, mi amigo, you have no idea. I practically live outside of the classroom. I do not know, I guess I have always had a passion for the jardines and outdoors. They can't keep me locked up for long. Actually, if I were to be one of those princesas that is always stranded and hidden on a tower, I would've found a way to climb back down before a certain principe came to the rescue."

Romano didn’t even bother to try and hide the grin her words brought to his face, nor the small sigh of relief he heaved the second he heard the first three words of her reply. The images he had pushed away earlier, the ones involving him and her skipping class and having fun around town, were already returning and filling his mind again. She didn’t outright say she had skipped class before, but her words couldn’t really be interpreted any other way.

It really was too bad she had to be sick right now – otherwise he would’ve grabbed her hand and taken her out to eat somewhere on the spot. Sure beat whatever subject he was supposed to be having right now – honestly, he couldn’t even remember his schedule properly. He had never bothered to memorize it; it wasn’t like he was going to abide by it anyway. If asked for a truthful timetable, his would’ve been filled with nothing but siestas, lunch and a few, occasional classes thrown in here and there to prevent him from getting kicked out of school. Oh, and dates. Lots and lots of dates. And he felt that soon, he could add one date more to his list. All he had to do was ask her, he had a feeling she’d accept it, if not for anything else but fun.

Her sentence also informed him that she wasn’t the damsel-in-distress-type. That was good to know. While Romano didn’t at all mind being a prince to a few princesses in trouble, he knew from experience that trying to help a girl out and being all chivalrous could seriously backfire if the girl wanted to prove she could take care of herself. Even now he could recall a few instances when he had entered a fight to protect a chick, and not only had he got his ass handed to him by the bullies (hey, he never said he was good at helping), the girl had lectured him for it for being a daredevil and not trusting her to be able to handle her own matters or… something. Romano hadn’t quite heard it all, he had been bleeding too profusely. Case in point, he had learnt to never offer his help if it was unwanted.

Romano quickly shook the memory away before his body started to ache again, and focused on replying instead. Looking up with a relieved grin, he gave the girl a nod of approval.

“Thought so!” He announced with a hearty laugh. “You didn’t strike me as the little princess type anyway. So, hey, what do you say-“, there it was, he had already started the question, there was no backing out for him now. “Want to skip class together sometime? I’ll take you out and around town. I promise not to be a boring little prince either. It’ll be an adventure you won’t forget.”

Romano took his hands out from behind his head, again nervous as he waited for her answer. As he moved slightly on his spot though, he all of a sudden realized he was feeling cold. Oh shit, had he already gotten this girl’s cold, or had someone just left open a window somewhere? Either way, the blanket the girl had wrapped around herself started to seem more inviting by the minute. Would she consider it too fast if he asked her to share it? Probably not, she was already sitting pretty close to him as things were, which told him she didn’t mind closeness. And hey, he could always apologize if she did, just… he at least needed to try. He had already pretty much asked her out. It was all or nothing.

“Oh, and hey,” he began again while the girl still considered – or at least, Romano hoped she did and hadn’t already decided to deny him outright, “Could you move a bit closer and gimme some of that blanket? I’m freezing my damn ass off here.”

And with that, he had two replies he had to anxiously wait for.

[ANA MARÍA CAMPOS HERNÁNDEZ]

Hanging on to her last reply, Ana María wondered how her story would be if she was indeed one of those fairy tale princesses. It would greatly depend on the time period it was on. Once upon a time, in a far away land, closer though than the others, lived a princess who did not feel like a princess. She was forced to clean dishes and make her bed every morning. She had to take care of her palace's needs and make sure there was always something decent to eat in the table. With so many chores over such a ridiculously big residence, she had hardly any time to spend in herself doing something fun. So she kept cleaning and washing, sweeping and brushing until one day the gate that lead to the outside world was left open and she took it upon herself to discover.

Or something similar. Ana María really had no creativity to come up with a story that had no basis in her real life anyway. It would probably send the wrong message too. Do the one thing your parents tell you never to do and then find eternal happiness while the latter wondered the kingdom looking for the daughter they have ceased to possess. It would be an epic story though.

The girl turned her attention to the boy as she studied his features while he spoke. He had a really adorable face. Like a baby's. It was a sweetness and toughness that she found interesting. Her hand moved forward for a moment, wanting to brush his hair and find if that hair curl, that was so much like her own, was real. Because if it was, well, it would be nice not to be the only one.

"Thought so! You didn't strike me as the little princess type anyway. So, hey, what do you say-"

Ana María raised her eyebrow as she watched with intent. The way he suddenly paused made her wonder if it was something utterly important. Something he had to think really hard about before saying it. It gave a moment of mystery to the situation, and if it was like a movie, this would be the time when some random but fitting music started playing. Ah, how lovely the world would be if there was a real life soundtrack.

"Want to skip class together sometime? I'll take you out and around town. I promise not to be a boring little prince either. It'll be an adventure you won't forget."

Ana María stood silent for a moment, but not too long to make it seem as the automatic reply of rejection. She was genuinely surprised by his question, and she liked to admit she was prepared for anything. It made her a little bit uncomfortable. Was he asking her out?
It was not like she had never had a date before, she had some when she was younger, but no boy had ever asked. It was mostly blunt directions for her to follow. Like meet me at the movies at eight or come with me for an ice-cream. All so sweetly spoke with that stupid sense of machismo that guys back home seemed to enjoy so much. This was different and it was so unexpected and sweet, and while the girl didn't blush she did hid a small smile.

"Oh my, that would be fantástico! I do love adventures." She said, sighed dreamily. Ana María cuddle further into her blanket and wondered if her expression had resumed to her cool self. She wasn't sure why she was always surprised people actually wanted to spend time with her. It was as though a small part of her was like Oh look! People actually like me. It wasn't something she told others, because she as much as she enjoy the feeling, she rather feel the security of knowing that of course people like her. Maybe it was because back home, she didn't feel very much loved by her father's family, or liked at the very least. She didn't try to please others and that's why they rarely talked to her. Sometimes she wondered if that was a weakness instead of a virtue.

"Oh, and hey, could you move a bit closer and gimme some of that blanket? I'm freezing my damn ass off here."

She had barely heard him when he spoke again. The girl blinked once as she realized what he wanted her to do. She looked down at the blanket, it was her favorite, a shinning ruby color, much like her favorite shade of red. Would she share it? Of course. But it took her a moment to move, for the thoughts that had penetrated her mind had made her close in on her own body as means of protections. She wasn't sure why and it was something that bothered. Not really feeling safe with anyone. Ana María shook the thought away because it was stupid to feel a certain way that did nothing but hurt her.

"Sure."[/color] She moved closer to him, their bodies now completely touching. She tried to get in a position that would not send one of them over the edge of the couch. Though it was a cough big enough for the two of them, they wouldn't fit if she was in an uncomfortable position. "Here, let me fix it for you."[/color] Ana María placed her blanket over the boy so that it would cover him where she guessed was where he was cold. She wrapped it around his legs before placing her head on his chest. She loved this. She loved listening the heart beat of others. It was a type of music she couldn't describe. Precise and clear, but not one was exactly the same as others. "I hope you don't mind. I can move though if you want."[/color] She said, even though she was already on him. "Tell me though, what sort of adventure would we have?"[/color]

[LOVINO VARGAS]

After Romano’s question the girl fell silent, most likely to carefully consider the Italian’s words over. Romano wasn’t sure what to think, or which kind of a reply to anticipate, so he could only fidget nervously as he waited. She couldn’t have been silent for more than a few seconds, yet those were one of the most excruciating few seconds of the boy’s entire life. Trying to study the girl’s expression for some kind of a hint for what was to come, Romano noticed the girl seemed a little… surprised? Now that was unexpected. Judging by her looks, this couldn’t have been the first time a guy had suggested stuff like that to her, no way.

"Oh my, that would be fantástico! I do love adventures." The girl finally answered, and instantly a sort of victorious smirk climbed to decorate the Italian boy’s face. Hell yeah, a date secured! The girl sighed and cuddled into her blanket, seeming to fall back into thought. This time, though, Romano wasn’t nervous about the silence that befell the two. She was probably just fantasizing about their adventures together, much like he had been earlier. Alright, so that was one question answered, one more to go. The trouble was, the second question was the one Romano was more nervous about. He feared the question had come too soon. Maybe she wasn’t comfortable getting quite that close to him yet.

"Sure."

… Or maybe she was! Beaming up at her, Romano gave himself a mental pat on the back. Both of his questions had gotten a positive answer, and very soon his coldness would be remedied. True, he might catch a cold being too close to the girl, but frankly, he didn’t give a shit anymore. He was too happy over the prospect of having a date and a blanket to wrap himself into to escape the breeze from outside. He was never good at dealing with low temperatures. You didn’t get those in the southernmost parts of Italy.

The girl moved with relative difficulty due to the couch only barely being wide enough for two full-grown students to lie next to each other, but Romano was patient and helped to the best of his ability. He flattened himself against the couch’s backrest, trying to take as little space as possible. He didn’t want to have half of the girl’s body dangling from the couch. He wanted her to be comfortable.

“Here, let me fix it for you." The girl offered as she placed the blanket on him, wrapping it around his legs and, much to Romano’s surprise, laying her head on his chest and eliminating the need for him to have made room in the first place. Romano did his best not to flinch or wriggle under her, and hoped to god she wouldn’t look up in the next few minutes or so. He was most likely pretty damn red, and his curl was bouncing up and down out of embarrassment. Stupid little thing.

It wasn’t that he wouldn’t have liked the girl being there, he was just a little taken aback by her boldness. That, and physical touch not initiated by him always made him a little anxious at first. As such, it took Romano a while to steady his heartbeat to something that wouldn’t bother the girl. He breathed and tried to calm himself, reminding himself that this wasn’t the first time a girl was resting against him like this. It… was just the first time in a considerable while. Well, at least he had been right in assuming she wasn’t the type to mind a little closeness.

"I hope you don't mind. I can move though if you want."

“O-of course I don’t mind!” Romano was quick to blurt out. He was telling the truth, he really didn’t mind, he just hoped his voice didn’t sound as embarrassed as he believed it did. He didn’t want her to think of him as a wuss, nor did he want her to move. She was warm, and he was slowly starting to feel really comfortable with her there, so close to him. He felt like a true man having a girl rest against his chest.

"Tell me though, what sort of adventure would we have?"

Romano jolted back to the present as she spoke, suddenly remembering all about the adventure he had promised her. He wasn’t sure how to answer, though. While he did have a few places to visit in mind, and a few exciting short cuts they could take much to the residents’ dismay, he didn’t exactly have a ready plan of action in mind, nor did he have a good enough imagination to come up with something utterly exciting on the spot. Yet, she was waiting for a reply, and what he said next could very well shape her opinion on him more than he could understand. This was it, after all, this was the moment to prove he wasn’t all talk. All he’d need was something. Something to say. Something cool.

He drew in a breath and let out a slightly forced laugh.

“Haha, wouldn’t be any fun if I told you now, would it?” He asked, quite proud of his simple yet effective solution to the problem. He wrapped an arm around the girl’s waist, grinning a tad as he leaned in slightly to add: “But I promise you, it’s going to be something unforgettable. Something that makes you wanna come back for more, over and over again!”

There, his face was saved.

[ANA MARÍA CAMPOS HERNÁNDEZ]

Ana María could hear the boy's heartbeat as she pressed her head against his chest. At first it was as though his emotions were going over the speed limit. His heart banged hard against his chest, as though it would break out at any second. The girl couldn't help but smile, knowing that he wouldn't be able to see her expression. It wasn't in her intention to make him uncomfortable, although she knew that he might be blushing judging by velocity by which his blood was rushing through his body. She liked touching people, having physical contact with them. In a way it was a reminder that there were other people in this world and that she wasn't alone. Ana María could even begin to wonder how utterly lonely it would if she could never touch someone and feel their skin in the tips of her fingers.

His heartbeat started to steady into something more calm and precise. She placed her hand at the side of her head and traced small circles in his chest. She loved this. She enjoyed this gesture in particular like nothing else. It was something slightly more intimate than a hug but still friendly. It wasn't something that was expected from total strangers, but Ana María didn't treat anyone as strangers. She would downright cling to them if she was completely oblivious to the fact that some don't enjoy that.

"O-of course I don't mind!"

Ana María smiled wider again. Of course he wouldn't mind. No boy would mind having a girl rest on him. It was some weird opposite gender thing. The girl could remember all those awful contests that boys made back at her old school. They would make bets on who could get the most girls and then break their hearts as though it was so easy to patch up the pieces and put them back together. If there was something that Ana María utterly hated was the pathological need for men to be superior and dominant. As though a gender gave the divine right to rule over everything.

"Good. Because I am rreally, rreally comforrtable."

Ana María closed her eyes for a moment. She didn't feel as bad as before. It had been a good idea to get some fresh air, or at least get out of the comfort zone of her room. Move around a little. But she was still tired, rather her body was weaker than before, and though she would love to be outside and playing some sports, the mere thought seemed to drain her even further. Oh well. As she held her eyes closed, she waited for him to answer her question. She was really curious as to what he might've planned. Yes, she was well aware that no more than a few minutes have passed but her patience levels were somewhere buried next to her concentration. And so, she couldn't help it. She needed to know.

"Haha, wouldn't be any fun if I told you now, would it? But I promise you, it's going to be something unforgettable. Something that makes you wanna come back for more, over and over again!"

"Come back for more, ¿si? ¡Ja! I can not wait to see what comes up in that cute head of yours."[/color] Ah! Why should he torture her and leave her wanting to know more? Why should he taunt her with promises and wishes that were not to be completed in the moment. If Ana had the energy she would've probably whine in disagreement and see just how much she could get out of him, but she didn't. She would just have to learn to be- be patient. Pfft.

[LOVINO VARGAS]

Much to Romano’s relief and joy, the girl seemed to accept his vague answer without a second thought. That was good, very good, as the Italian wasn’t quite sure what he would’ve done had she pushed him to go into detail on their supposed future adventures. Probably panicked, made up some really stupid – or, alternatively, really outrageous – stuff and either bored her to tears or promised stuff he could never in a million years keep and beat himself up for it later. He was well aware he could not make up anything sufficiently exciting in this little time. He was definitely not the most imaginative one out of his family. Actually, he was probably the only one who wasn’t imaginative at all out of his family, period. Probably why their stupid gramps favored Feliciano too. Ugh. Well, who cared, right? He was the one with a girl against his chest. Screw imagination, this was real and he liked it. She was so warm.

"Come back for more, ¿si? ¡Ja! I can not wait to see what comes up in that cute head of yours."

Although Romano rather detested to be called cute most of the time, he couldn’t help but feel complimented now. Of course, he would have much preferred ‘handsome’ or ‘hot’, but hey; you got to take what you were given. At least it was a girl calling him cute this time – he absolutely couldn’t stand it when elder folk or, god forbid, men did it. It always felt so condescending, like he wasn’t a guy to be taken seriously or hell, like he wasn’t a guy at all. But yeah, this time? This time he didn’t mind. Actually, he felt like he probably wouldn’t mind most things right now; he was just that comfortable there, wasting time he probably should’ve spent studying by loafing around with a bella. Best siesta for a while. And then some said siesta did nothing to make you more refreshed for the rest of the day. Ha!

“Well, you don’t have to wait for long,” Romano replied at last once he realized he hadn't done so yet. “I’m free tomorrow.” He shrugged the best he could in his current position without making the girl uncomfortable. “It’s not like we have anything important then. Just school.”

He yawned, suddenly finding his eyes heavy. Damn, the girl really was warm. He wasn’t sure whether it was because she had a fever – in which case he’d definitely feel bad for enjoying the warmth – or because she was like that naturally, but it did its job at warming him up and making him very drowsy. His eyes started to close and his resting form relax as if preparing for a nap before the Italian’s conscious decision to do so, and it was only after he almost nodded off that Romano realized he had been in the middle of talking.

“Tomorrow...” he mumbled almost half-asleep, stretching and pulling the girl closer to himself. “At nine in the morning. School yard. Prepare to be…” he yawned loudly, not even hearing what the last word out of his mouth before falling sleep was, but he was pretty sure it wasn’t anything coherent.

He didn't give a damn right now though. Not a single one.

---

OOC: So, we've wrapped up the thread? Unless you want to post falling asleep too or something. Let's move onto the adventure on another thread~ BD

[ANA MARÍA CAMPOS HERNÁNDEZ]

Ana María buried her head in further into his chest. She was unbelievably comfortable and his torso was soft in all the right places. Boys often forgot about how difficult it was to lay your head on his stomach if it was all hard and strong. It ended up giving her more of a headache than immediate relief. Right now, however was not the case and thank God for that.

She could feel her entire body relaxing. There would hardly be anything that would make her move at that point. Her eyes began to shut off, but she blinked every now and then to stay awake. She didn't want to fall asleep until he did, that was if he had any intention of it at all. Ana María held her blanket further up, to hold it as she would hold a teddy bear. The end of it began to uncover her toes, and being barefoot, she merely placed them on the calfs of the boy's body. This sofa was extraordinarily comfortable, even if it had seem to be too small for them both. Maybe that was why they were so warm. Their bodies touching in certain ways some of the least experienced would find uncomfortable. Ana María would just shrug. Cuddling, or snuggling, just touching as a whole was great.

It reminded her of that time she saw a movie. It was a rather old movie, and it's title in Spanish was "El Silencio de los Inocentes", or Silence of the Lambs. She could only imagine what solitary confinement must feel like. In that movie, though the villain was accused of cannibalism, it still remained as one of her favorite characters. For his complexity and because she could relate to his ability of using someone's past and fears to taunt them, sometimes into madness. But all that aside, living in a cell with absolutely no human touch whatsoever, it made her wonder if that's how one loses their humanity.

Wouldn't that be terrible?

"Well, you don't have to wait for long," He finally said. "I'm free tomorrow. It's not like we have anything important then. Just school." Yes, tomorrow definitely sounded good. Tomorrow for sure she would feel better and this particular setback would just be a memory. School was really the least of her worries, so if wanted to meet between it or after it, it didn't matter to her. She wondered what they would do though, and that excited her. It was nice to spend time with friends. "Tomorrow... At nine in the morning. School yard. Prepare to be…"
"Si, tomorrow is good."[/color] Her voice finally sounding like a mumble. And then she finally closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off. It was a pleasant thing to be in. This small siesta would certainly be remarkable.