Main pairing is Spamano, but there will be mention of some side pairings.

Each chapter will be titled with a different wine grape variety. Most of them will be Italian and Spanish, but if the focus of the chapter shifts to Francis, it will be French.

Enjoy :)

Wine comes in at the mouth

And love comes in at the eye;

That's all we shall know for truth

Before we grow old and die.

I lift the glass to my mouth,

I look at you, and I sigh.

– W.B. Yeats

Spring

Chapter One

Garnacha – a Spanish red wine grape variety. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored, and soft on the palate with relatively high alcoholic content.

~/~

"So mon ami, how is your job going? Anything new to report?" Francis glanced mischievously at Antonio over his red wine.

Antonio chuckled lightly and said, "I don't think so amigo. I just tend to the plants. I don't know anything about how they make wine."

"Ah, well then you must get closer. Romance your way in," Francis winked and Antonio laughed carelessly. "Didn't they send two young girls to run the vineyard now? And they're related to the founder. I say, if they're pretty, go for it mon cher. They have enough money to set you up for life!"

"Haha, I don't need to be rich. And I like being close to the earth, so I think this job suits me," Antonio smiled and looked out the window at Francis's expansive vineyard. It seemed endless.

"I must agree that you were always the most likely of us to be in a tree…or somewhere digging in the mud."

"I don't mind the mess. And I like the outdoors, so what can I say?" Antonio grinned and savored the feeling of the sun heating his skin through the glass.

"Yes, you're lucky that you've found a job that supports you for that insane passion of yours. And you have me to thank, so don't forget that mon cher," Francis swirled his glass once before tipping it back and finishing the wine.

"Si, I suppose so. And the vineyard you sent me is tan hermosa Francis! It's not as large as yours, but it's so incredibly perfect. I could live there forever," Antonio sighed, and silently wished that he hadn't left his job to pay his friend an afternoon visit.

But Francis seemed so lonely on the phone, he thought. Antonio had just wanted to cheer him up for a bit. But now, ay! How he wished he were back!

"Ah, I envy you Toni. You have such simple pleasures," Francis shook his head and his gold hair glinted in the California sunlight. Then his eyes shined in remembrance and he asked, "Ah, you never said anything about the girls? What are they like?"

"Oh, actually they're boys. And I've only met one of them. His name is Feli," Antonio said and chuckled slightly at the memory of him. "He's very sweet and funny, but I don't think he knows much about business. Feli said his brother does most of the that along with marketing and sales, and he helps out with the wine production."

"They're boys?" Francis's eyes widened in genuine surprise. He knew the new managers were young and Italian, and somewhere through the grape vine he had heard that they were girls. "Merde, I really need to leave this place sometime. I can't keep trusting my Greek farmer for gossip. He's too careless."

Antonio smiled awkwardly, and ran his fingers through his curly, brown hair. He didn't really know much about Francis's farmers or the town either. He left his vineyard more rarely than Francis left his, so he didn't know what to say.

"But I guess, boy or girl it's really all the same. What's the brother's name?" Francis asked as he wandered over to his large, silver fridge in search of another snack.

"Um," Antonio held the syllable for a few seconds, trying desperately to recall what Feli had babbled to him about. "Oh, I guess I don't know what it is, haha. Feli always refers to him as fratello, so I'm not sure." He shrugged and looked back out the window wistfully.

"You don't know? Haven't you seen him?"

"Nope. It's just been Feli, the other gardeners, and me for the past two months. He says his brother's away on business at their grandfather's vineyard in Verona. The main one I think. I don't know when he's coming back."

"Ah, then wait until both of them are here, pick one and then use him as your way into their secret formula," Francis plotted playfully, and walked back to the table with a fresh bowl of red grapes.

"I already told you, I don't know anything about wine," he laughed and picked at one of the grapes. "I'd be a terrible spy for you. I'd probably mess everything up. Especially if it's in Italian."

"Hm, quite true. And I don't want you ruining another batch of my wines like that other time," Francis raised his eyebrow at Antonio and frowned.

"I thought adding a tomato would be fun! I didn't know it would make it taste bad! Tomatoes never make anything taste bad!" He raised his hands and blushed slightly in embarrassment. He still owed Francis quite a bit of money for ruining that batch of wine.

But Francis only smiled casually in return, and said, "It's fine mon cher. Gilbert thought it was rather funny and started putting potatoes in after you, so it's not entirely your fault. If anything it might be mine for suggesting we drink wine before I show you how I make it." Francis sighed and Antonio scratched the back of his neck with a nervous laugh.

"Ay, lo siento Francis. I really am. But I'm making money now with my new job, so I should be able to pay you back soon!"

"Don't worry about it. At least now you have a job. Once it seems like you're on the path to stable employment, then we can talk about settling debts. At least you're trying…unlike Gilbert," Francis rolled his eyes and ate a grape.

"Isn't he helping his brother pay for school? Maybe he can't afford to pay you back right now!" Antonio suggested and glanced at the large kitchen clock impatiently.

It's already past four in the afternoon, and he had so many things to do before the sun set. And it's a forty-five minute bike ride back to the Tesoro plantation where he worked, so he needed to get moving fast if he wanted to help Berwald and Kiku set up the new growth.

"That's what he says, but I know the truth. I know he's finding another way to spend it. I just don't know what it is," Francis cupped his chin in his palm and stared pensively at the table.

"Ah, well maybe if you talk to him or – or if you visit his liquor store you can find out the truth!" Antonio suggested with a smile and hoped desperately that Francis would latch onto the idea with newfound passion and race out the door. It was always hard for Antonio to refuse his friends' company.

"Perhaps I will," was all Francis replied, and then he looked up. "You know Toni, if you need to go, all you need to do is say so. Don't make me be the cause of your unemployment."

Antonio breathed a sigh of relief and immediately backed his chair out across the wooden floor with a loud screech.

Francis winced slightly at the noise, but Antonio didn't notice and said happily, "Gracias, gracias Francis! Lo siento mucho, but it's just that there's so much to do these days and it takes so long to get back on my bike!"

Antonio skipped across the kitchen and snatched his sunglasses and keys from the counter. Francis followed him casually with a branch of grapes and held the front door open for Antonio to race out. As he always did.

"It's no problem mon cher. At least you stopped by for a little while. Sometimes I feel as though I'm a princess locked away in a tower all the way out here. I miss the company of the city." Francis leaned against the door dramatically and watched Antonio parade down the driveway to his bike rather enviously.

Antonio never seemed lonely somehow.

"Haha, really? I like how quiet it is out here. It feels so much more romantic and intimate," Antonio laughed and looked out at Francis' vineyard.

He took a deep breath and smiled. California always reminded him so much of España. He loved everything about it: the mountains, the vineyards, the fields the sun…it was impossible for Antonio to go back to the city after living here.

"Well, as always it seems as though you and I have very different views on romance Toni. Personally, I find it hard to find amour when I'm tucked away in the middle of no where," Francis frowned thoughtfully, and ate some of his grapes.

Antonio lifted his kickstand up and steadied himself against the ground.

"You just need to find amor in nature Francis! Then you'll never be lonely!" Antonio yelled happily and started peddling down the gravel driveway.

"Grapes may be nice to look at, but they're not going to keep your bed warm at night! Remember that, mon cher!" Francis shouted back, but Antonio just waved at him and laughed again.

As Antonio took one last glance at Francis sighing at the doorway, he thought maybe if Francis knew what it was like to help a plant grow, then he would understand. There's nothing like the feeling of helping and nurturing something else to make it feel strong and beautiful.

When he reached the steepest hill out of Francis's plantation, Antonio picked up the pace, and after he reached the top, he let the bike coast down the hill and out into the winding road that led to the vineyard he worked at – Tesoro.

Feli explained to him that they're actually based in Verona, but the founder, who is also Feli's grandfather, started a little vineyard in Napa Valley too, among other places. It's not as big as Francis's vineyard, or some of the other plantations nearby, but Antonio thought it was by far the cutest, and with the happiest plants he'd seen yet.

When Francis called him up and said there was an opening for a farmer in Napa Valley, Antonio ran out of the little restaurant where he worked as a waiter, and never looked back at San Francisco. And once he stepped foot on the Tesoro vineyard, he knew he'd found his dream job.

It was better than he'd ever imagined because not only was he able to work the land for the living, but Feli also put him and the other two farmers in the employee cottage next to the vineyard. Even with the company, it was still larger than the apartment Antonio was living in earlier, so he was very happy.

But the best part about living in that cute house was that as soon as the sun rose, Antonio only had to step outside, and he was in the best place on Earth. He loved waking up early and walking up and down the aisles and singing to each of the vines good morning.

And at dusk, he would take another walk before the light ran out and sing to each of them good night. Francis and Gilbert often told him how silly it was, and Antonio knew it might seem that way, but he liked to think that it made the plants happier.

After a long while, the familiar iron sign appeared around the corner and Antonio smiled excitedly. He was almost home now.

One he passed the sign, he knew it as only about ten minutes until he was back at the main house, and from there he could coast down the little dirt road to the vineyard and the gardener's house.

When he biked by the main house he glanced up at the grand wood and stone cabin and admired how elegant it looked. He had always wondered what it looked inside, but whenever Feli offered him in, Antonio had always been too dirty or too busy to accept. So all he could do was imagine what was inside the magnificent, three story building.

However, right now there was something different. Usually at this time, it was just Feli's room, the kitchen, the living room, and Tino's room (the housekeeper's room) lit at this time. But for some reason, one of the rooms to the very far left – the one with the little balcony that overlooks the vineyard, and the strong, unruly vine that wrapped around the iron railings – is lit tonight too.

Sometimes Feli had friends come over, so Antonio thought maybe another one came by. But they usually slept in the guest room on the right side nearer to Feli's and Tino's.

Antonio paused to stare at the house and wondered what was all alone on the left side. But he didn't stay for too long before he remembered what was waiting for him to do, and he continued biking away.

He noticed that the vine near that room was becoming a bit too wild. He'd have to trim that at some point.

~/~

"Toni," Berwald said and dropped his clippers to look at him.

Antonio parked his bike against the gardeners' house and skipped over; sliding on the gloves he kept in his back pocket as he did so.

"Hola amigo! Sorry I'm so late! Francis ended up wanting to talk for a lot longer than I expected," Antonio laughed, and didn't mind how Berwald's face never seemed to budge its serious stare. "Did you have any trouble?"

"Not much," Berwald muttered and plucked some of the leaves blocking the young grapes.

"Ah, that's good! Do you want me to start mowing?" Antonio started moving towards the shed.

"Kiku's 'n it."

"Oh," Antonio paused and looked at Berwald. Maybe he didn't need to rush back. "Um, well I guess I'll tie some of the new growths then."

"S'nds good," Berwald said and didn't notice Antonio skipping down the row of vines.

Antonio made it to the very end and turned around. Then slowly and meticulously, he inspected each vine and checked to see if there were any new growths sprouting. If he saw any, he would take one of the wire ties he kept in the pouch tied to his belt, and fix it to the fence. If he saw any leaves blocking the sun from the young grapes, he plucked them too, and then moved on. It wasn't a particularly exciting job, but it was necessary, and it needed to be done very, very often.

Once he was halfway down, he passed Berwald, but Berwald didn't say anything and kept moving past him with his clippers.

The rest of the afternoon went on like that, as it did most days. When Antonio was wandering around one of the later rows, he ran into Kiku – or rather, Kiku drove by on the tractor, dragging the lawnmower behind him. But Antonio was only able to exchange waves and a few words before Kiku was traveling down another aisle.

It was really peaceful at this time. The hum of the lawnmower was one of Antonio's favorite sounds. And now, as the sun was setting hazily near the horizon, the temperature was cool and fresh and the hard work seemed to slip away with the wind.

When the sound of the lawnmower stopped, Antonio knew it was almost time for the irrigation to turn on, so he wandered out of the vineyard and walked back to the house.

"Hola amigos!" Antonio announced, and Kiku and Berwald both stared at him from the wooden picnic table outside of the house.

"Hello Antonio. How was your visit with Francis?" Kiku asked politely and took a sip of his tea.

"It was good!" He replied and sat down on the bench across from them. "Francis seems pretty lonely though. I think he might need to go to town."

"I d'n't like town much," Berwald said and looked at Antonio.

Antonio laughed and replied, "Yeah, I don't really like it much either. I'd much rather be here with you two!"

Kiku smiled slightly and Berwald kept staring at him. At first, Antonio was a bit confused at how quiet his new coworkers were. Especially since his two best friends were as outspoken and talkative as him. But after a while, he got used to it, and it didn't seem as strange or awkward. Although Kiku said very little and Berwald said hardly anything at all – and what he did say was sometimes sort of odd – Antonio knew they were nice people. Just slightly bad at communication. That's all.

"Ah, there's Tino," Kiku said softly and both Berwald and Antonio turned towards the road that came down from the main house.

Tino was walking slightly unsteadily down the dirt path, as he tried to balance a full pitcher and a few plastic cups while not slipping.

Berwald silently stood from the table and met Tino halfway, taking the pitcher from his hands without a word and walking back to Antonio and Kiku.

"Oh, th-thank you Berwald!" Tino said with a nervous smile and continued walking with him to the table.

Berwald set the pitcher on the table and sat back down.

"I made some lemonade for you guys! I thought you guys must be pretty tired," Tino smiled nervously and Berwald began pouring everyone cups from the pitcher.

"Gracias Tino! That's so nice of you!" Antonio grinned and immediately gulped down the drink.

His lips puckered slightly at the tang of it, but he didn't have time to ask for sugar before Tino asked, "So, um, how do you guys like it? I've never actually made lemonade before. But since Feli keeps bringing lemons back from his trees, I thought I might as well do something with them."

Once again, Antonio was about to say it needed more sugar, but this time Berwald was the first to speak.

"It's g'd," Berwald muttered without looking at Tino, and finished the glass quickly.

"Really?" Tino's face brightened and he looked at Berwald excitedly. "Oh, that's great! I'll have to share with Feli and his brother then!"

"His brother?" Antonio asked and glanced in the direction of the house curiously.

"Oh yeah, you weren't here, but Feli's brother arrived today!" Tino said, and took the opportunity to sit down. Berwald insisted he sit next to him.

"Really? Will he come out and meet us or something?"

"Mm, I don't think so. As soon as he walked in the house he went straight to his room. I'm sure he's very tired from the flight."

"That's too bad," Antonio sighed and cupped his stubbled chin in his hand. "Feli talks about his brother all the time. I sort of wanted to meet him."

"Oh, I'm sure you will!" Tino said and smiled reassuringly. Then something occurred to him and he added a little less happily, "But, uh, he's not much like Feliciano."

"Que? What's he like then?"

"Well, he's a bit more…intimidating," Tino said carefully and looked back at the main house.

Antonio didn't say anything and just stared at the little balcony overlooking the vineyard and wondered how much more intimidating a brother of Feliciano's could be.

~/~

When the irrigation turned on, Tino said goodbye and turned towards the main house to help out with dinner. Feliciano always cooked dinner, but as the housekeeper Tino insisted he should at least help with that a little.

Kiku went inside the gardener's house to make dinner since it was his turn, and Berwald followed him to find some sugar for the lemonade. So Antonio was left alone on the picnic bench to watch the sun slowly disappear over the horizon. Since sunlight was growing sparse, Antonio decided to take his walk through the vineyard, so he stood up and started ambling down each row.

Softly he started to sing.

Duermete mi niño

Que tengo que hacer

Lavar los pañales

Y hacer de comer

Este niño quiere

Que lo duerma yo

Duermalo su madre

Que ella lo encargo

Antonio kept humming the tune as he finished walking, and stopped briefly to look out at the horizon.

Si. He couldn't imagine himself any happier than he was.

~/~

The next morning Antonio was the first to wake up, like he always was. He didn't bother to shower, and just stumbled to his dresser to wear his usual farming outfit. He buttoned a green shirt, slid on some worn and ripped jeans, and bent down to tuck the ends into his boots.

Antonio spent a quick few minutes washing his face and fixing his curly hair into a reasonable look, then walked out of the little house and into the vineyard.

The sun hadn't started to rise just yet, and there was only the slight hint of light reflecting through the thin clouds. Antonio took a deep breath of air, and with a smile he began walking down each row, singing softly as he went along.

He saw a few vines that needed trimming, so he stopped and removed the clippers he kept in his belt and hummed as he worked.

Then something crackled behind him, and Antonio turned around to see what it was.

He looked at the ground expecting to see a cat or a small animal, but instead he saw a very nice pair of shoes, standing in the other aisle. Antonio's eyes peered through the young leaves, travelling up the young man's body, until he met a pair of flashing gold-brown eyes staring back at him. At the moment the sun had already begun to shy over the horizon, and streams of bright, yellow light were dancing on the sides of the leaves. The light caught in those mysterious molten eyes, and Antonio couldn't remember seeing anything so warm before. Warm as the sun.

When it seemed like the man wasn't going to say anything, Antonio decided to speak up. "Um, hola!" He folded the clippers together and secured them back onto his belt. "My name's Antonio, I work here." He held his hand out through the gap in the vines and waited for the other to grasp it.

The young man looked at the dirty, gloved hand or a moment, and then crossed his arms protectively over his chest. "Lovino."

"Lovino? Is that your name?" Antonio asked and pulled his hand back to his side. He watched the man's slight nod, and grinned. "That's such a pretty name!"

Antonio watched with some fascination how Lovino's straight face quickly flushed in embarrassment, a hot blush blending with his olive skin. "It is not."

Antonio laughed in reply, and deftly ducked under the vines into the aisle where Lovino was standing. He wiped the curls away from his face, smudging dirt onto his forehead, and stood up straight to get a clear look at Lovino. He was slender and tan, and too well dressed to be loitering around in the earth.

"So…are you visiting?" Antonio asked. The sun was shining directly on Lovino's eyes, and they seemed so bright Antonio had to squint.

Lovino pursed his lips, almost in disapproval. "Sort of. But this is my house, so I wouldn't call it visiting."

"Oh," Antonio gasped, and the pieces fell together. "You're Feliciano's brother, aren't you? I guess you do look rather similar, it's funny I didn't notice." There definitely was something familiar in the features, but Lovino came across so much differently than Feliciano. Somewhat intimidating, as Tino said, but also mysteriously compelling. It made Antonio want to get closer.

Lovino's eyes remained unblinking, but his lips spread to a frown. "So Feli hired you?"

"Si, he did." Antonio smiled, and Lovino shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I've been working here for two months now. I was wondering when I'd meet you."

"Yeah, well," Lovino mumbled and scratched the back of his neck. "I travel a lot."

Antonio noticed Lovino kept all parts of himself as close as possible; he was very careful not to get too near Antonio.

"So, why are you up this early?" Lovino asked, breaking the silence. He didn't like how Antonio could stare endlessly at him.

The question shook Antonio from his daze and he brightened. "Oh, I always get up at this time. Just to check on the vines and take a walk. I like doing that."

Lovino pointed his chin at the ground as another blush warmed his skin.

"What are you doing up?" Antonio asked, and hoped Lovino would look at him again.

He didn't, and just continued shuffling the dirt on the ground. "I have jetlag. It's three in the afternoon in Italy."

"Ah," Antonio nodded his head in understanding, though it'd been so long since he travelled, he really couldn't empathize much. "Have you been out here long?"

Lovino's shoulders twitched and he gave Antonio a cursory glance before staring to the side. "Not really. I just wanted to get out before Feli would start dragging me around everywhere. He wants to show me the town since I didn't see it last time."

"Do you not like going to town?"

"I haven't seen it yet, so I wouldn't know," Lovino snapped quickly, his eyebrows cross and his skin glistening.

The sudden outburst caught Antonio by surprise, but somehow he didn't find it rude at all, and he laughed, a bit charmed actually. "You're so funny, Lovi!"

Lovino's eyes widened. "What'd you call me?"

"Lovi. Isn't it cute?" Antonio tilted his head and grinned.

"No."

"No?"

"No," Lovino deadpanned and he pressed his lips together stubbornly. "You just said you thought my name was pretty, why are you trying to fuck it up?"

Antonio's smile twisted in amusement, and he tried not to laugh again. "I just thought it'd be easier to give you a nickname. You can call me Toni if you like."

"Tsk," Lovino scoffed and ran his fingers through his neat, dark hair. "No way. You're lucky if I call you by your actual name."

"What does that mean?"

"That you're a bastard," Lovino said and turned on his heel. He started walking down the aisle back in the direction of the house.

Antonio giggled lightly under his breath and walked briskly to catch up. "Where are you going?"

"What's it to you?" Lovino replied and jumped when Antonio's arm grazed his shoulder. He glared at him and made an obvious show of creating a gap. "It's my vineyard, I can go where I like."

"Really? I thought it was family-owned."

Lovino bristled. "I'm family, aren't I?"

"Oh, si of course. That makes sense," Antonio placated and gave what he hoped was an apologetic, reassuring smile.

It seemed to work, and Lovino's fingers unclenched from his palms. He gave a brief glance in Antonio's direction, startled to find him still staring, and coughed on his breath.

"Are you okay?" Antonio asked, and placed a hand lightly on Lovino's back.

"I'm fine!" Lovino said rapidly, and swatted Antonio's hand away. "Where are you going anyway?"

"I'm following you!~" Antonio announced gleefully, flashing a bright smile. Perhaps he enjoyed Lovino's blush too much, because already he felt a rush of accomplishment when it appeared again.

"Shit – I know that! But why? Don't you have work to do or something?" Lovino gestured with his hands, before twisting them together embarrassedly.

"Well, it's still early. We don't do the usual grooming and inspection until a little later. Berwald doesn't like getting up early," Antonio said with a short laugh. "And before that I like to take a look at Feli's garden."

"Feli's garden?" Lovino repeated skeptically and raised an eyebrow.

Finding himself caught, Antonio's eyes crinkled in a bashful grin. "Alright, maybe it's not entirely his. But he wanted some flowers in front of the house, and I love to garden, so I offered to make one up for him."

Lovino's lips turned up slightly. "Don't you do enough gardening?"

"Enough gardening? Why Lovi, there's no such thing!" Antonio gawked and raised a hand to chest playfully.

When he caught Lovino's quick smile, and the soft glitter to his eyes, Antonio's chest swelled. It gave him a strange sense of happiness. It made his stomach light and skin tingle in excitement.

But in another instant, Lovino bit his lip and fixed his gaze back on the ground. "You're an idiot."

Antonio sighed wistfully. "No, Lovino. I'm just a simple farmer."

"Well now I know you're an idiot." Lovino said and rolled his eyes.

At this point they were far up the road and only a few strides away from Feli's garden. It was young and green, with a few colorful buds tucked away between the leaves. Antonio's face lit up at the sight of it, his eyes attentive to all of the subtle growth and beauty. It made him proud.

Then on instinct, he turned his head to Lovino, desperate to see his reaction.

Lovino's gold eyes danced over the garden, and Antonio thought he could see a pleasant softness smooth his face. He'd hoped that's what he saw anyway.

But Lovino was quick to notice Antonio's searching stare, and quickly jerked his head forward and continued his walk to the house. "Don't get too cocky, bastard. I saw it yesterday."

It pulled slightly on Antonio's heart that Lovino walked away like that, but the biting words soothed him somehow, and he chuckled lightly. "Have fun in town, Lovi. I'll see you later!"

As he held open the large, front door, Lovino looked over his shoulder back at Antonio. His eyes were sharp and intent, as if he was trying to scare Antonio away, but just the thought made Antonio grin back defiantly, another laugh ready on his lips.

Lovino eyes widened, and a blush crept to his ears. "Yeah right!" He yelled and let the door shut solidly behind him.

It might've been rude, and slightly childish, but for some reason Antonio's stomach fluttered madly, and he laughed for no real reason. It took him a few minutes to remember what he was supposed to be doing.

~/~

A few hours later, the sun was high in the sky, everyone had long since arisen, and Lovino stood still by the kitchen window, the little hours of sleep finally edging away at him.

He was waiting for Feli to finish dressing so they could leave into town, and although last night he'd been dreading this, his encounter with Antonio made him want to leave now more than ever.

Lovino spotted the familiar tall, muscular figure talking to Kiku, and at once his eyes darted away from the glass. His fingers touched his warm cheeks, and he creased his eyebrows in worry. He didn't understand why he felt so strange. It was a dizzying, intoxicating feeling to be near Antonio, and for some reason it made him want to hide and never see the charming Spaniard again. Or let Antonio see him again.

Which is why he wanted to hurry out the door now. His heart has been buzzing since he first met those green eyes, and he just wanted to escape.

Finally, after an agonizing ten minutes of alternating periods of staring out the window and ducking away to another corner of the room, Feli's clumsy footsteps echoed down the stairs.

Lovino sighed in relief, and he stomped out of the kitchen.

"Vee~ sorry I'm late fratello! I had trouble deciding what to wear," Feli giggled and straightened his flowery button-down shirt.

Lovino shook his head and through the keys at him. "And that's the best you can do?"

"Oh," Feli gasped as he missed the catch and picked the keys up from the ground. "We're taking my car?"

"I figured my motorcycle might get a bit uncomfortable after the fifth store you shop at."

Feli smiled shyly and followed Lovino downstairs to the garage. Their grandfather had bought them each the vehicle of their choice when they relocated to California to run the small branch of the brand, and while Feli decided on a yellow American T-bird convertible (because he saw them in the movies and they seemed so cute), Lovino opted for a classically Italian, black Ducati motorcycle. It might be his most prized possession.

He ran his hand over the shiny metal before resigning to joining Feli in the bright, happy car. Feli pressed a remote button he kept on the dashboard and the garage door lifted; and it wasn't too soon until the T-bird was flying out the driveway, and onto the main road that led away from the vineyards and towards town.

Lovino exhaled freely on the open road. The strange pinches that tormented his heart this morning seized, and he tried to forget the rough, earthy Spaniard, and the dazzling green eyes that seemed wait on his every word.

"Feli," Lovino closed his eyes in frustration, but tried to keep his voice careless. "Why'd you hire that Spaniard?"

"Oh, you mean Toni? You already met him? That's great! I was wondering how I'd introduce you two," Feli babbled happily. He caught his brother's scowl and blinked in confusion. "Do you not like him?"

Lovino turned towards the window and savored the rushing wind. He wanted it to wipe away all of the electricity, all of the heat. He wanted to be cold.

"Lovi?" Feli glanced at his brother again.

Lovino closed his eyes and focused on the breeze. What did he think of the Antonio?

"He's a bastard."

~/~

*Tesoro mio - a term of endearment that literally means "my treasure" in Italian and Spanish. Calling someone "tesoro" is similar to calling someone "sweetheart" or "darling."

*Tesoro - the Vargas wine brand. Based in Verona, with branches in Piedmont, Sicily, and Napa Valley, California. Their most famous wine is their Valpolicella - a red wine - made from Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and Molinara grapes.

*The poem at the beginning is "A Drinking Song" by William Butler Yeats.

I'm planning on making these updates somewhere along the lines of biweekly. Hopefully that'll work well. Thank you so much for reading! Please review. :)