Chapter 1

"Ah, fuck, I'm late!" Lovino slung his bag over his shoulder and ran out the door of the pizza parlor.

Lovino was late for his first class - on the first day of class, no less. He would have been there on time if not for his bottomless pit of a stomach and the pizza parlor boasting "Authentic New York-style pizza" he passed on his walk to class. The smell wafting out of the restaurant was too tempting to resist, so he ducked inside and ordered two slices of white cheese pizza with whole slices of tomato, grinning as the burly Italian man handed him two slices of pizza bigger than his head.

"Grazie."

The burly Italian only grunted and mumbled, "Prego."

Lovino had to give it to them; it was some damn good pizza. Not the best he'd ever had, but pretty damn good for an area that had many "authentic" New York pizza parlors, but few that lived up to it. It wasn't until he was halfway done with the second slice that he saw the wall clock and cursed - class started a minute ago. He stuffed the rest of the pizza into his mouth as he ran out of the restaurant, sprinting down the street towards his class's building, pushing his way through the crowds of students returning from class. He got some angry looks and a few choice words, but he just gave the one honorary finger salute back and scurried on.

He stopped in front of the door to his lecture hall and peeked through the window, regaining his breath as he scouted out the situation. The professor had already begun his lecture, from the way he was flailing his arms, and the front half of class was full except for a few front row seats. Fuck, this would be awkward.

Lovino quietly opened the door and shuffled to the back of the room, eyes darting for an easy seat to grab. There - an end seat next to that Greek kid from his history class last semester. As usual, he was asleep, even on the first day of school. Lovino rolled his eyes and sat down, pulling his laptop from his bookbag. As he turned on his computer, he actually listened to the professor to learn he was going over the syllabus. Lovino looked around and saw identical papers on everyone's desk - he'd passed out hard copies at the beginning of class. Oh well, it was probably posted online, anyway. As he was logging into his computer, though, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Lovino turned to find a man with chocolate brown hair, bronze skin and the prettiest fucking green eyes he had ever seen, bending down from the seat behind him.

Holy hell.

It took Lovino a second to register that he was holding out something. Lovino looked down at it - a copy of the syllabus.

"Here, there were extras."

Lovino wanted to say something, but his brain wasn't having it. He finally was able to mumble a "Thanks," but it didn't sound very earnest.

The brunet smiled. "No problem."

Lovino tried to smile back, but all he could manage through his internal freaking out was a half smirk, half frown that made him look creepy instead of the desired "friendly" look he was going for. The brunet just raised an eyebrow and laughed quietly.

Goddamn it, now hot guy was laughing at him. That was just fucking great. He tried to regain his composure as he turned back to his computer. He pretended to check his email as he snuck glances in the reflection of his screen at the brunet. The bastard never dropped his smile once throughout the lecture, and for some reason that crawled under Lovino's skin and bit at him.

Why's this guy so damn happy? ...Why do I fucking care?

Lovino continued berating himself as he tried to listen to the lecture and not the hot guy behind him, but before he knew it, he was looking at him again. The brunet was doodling in his notebook and apparently very concentrated on the drawing, the tip of his tongue poking from his lips as he drew. Lovino did not find that cute. Nope. Not at all.

God, hot guy probably wasn't even a bad artist. Lovino couldn't even draw stick figures, let alone people. His brother was the artist, he was just… Lovino.

He really didn't pay attention to the professor much, since he was going through the same old first lecture dance - until he got to the explanation of their final - a group project.

"You're going to divide into groups of four to put together a presentation on a psychological disorder of your choice."

Lovino groaned and slumped down in his seat. Fuck. He hated group projects; there was always that awkward moment where no one asked him to be in their group, but then the professor'd spot him sitting all alone and would find a group down a person for him to join, and they'd stare at him, wondering where the hell he came from and who the hell he was. Then there was that chance that all the group members would end up being lazy assholes that were fucking allergic to work or some shit and he'd have to do the whole fucking project himself-

"Since it's an extensive project, I'd like to get you guys paired off now so you can get started early in the semester. Everyone start breaking up into groups of four, please."

Fucking great, he had to do this now.

Lovino looked around the room as people got out of their chairs and gathered together in groups. He just sighed and continued to sit as people got up and started talking. He would just wait until everyone paired up before he would have to raise his hand to show that he hadn't been picked yet because he was a loser - hell, maybe he'd just partner up with Greek, since no one was coming over to drag him from his coma. He gave his sleeping neighbor a sneer, then a soft kick, but he didn't even stir. Lovino snorted and rolled his eyes, "checking his email" again to see hot guy behind him now had two friends hovering - a blond guy with a scruffy beard and what had to be an albino. They were talking amiably when a black girl with pigtails came up the stairs of the lecture hall, stopping at hot guy's row and putting her hand on her hip.

"Hey, can I be in your group?"

The albino kid huffed. "Fat chance, chick. You fucked us over last time, remember?"

She flipped one of her pigtails over her shoulder. "What the hell're you talking about, Gilbert?"

"Last time we worked with you, we ended up doing your part of the project!"

"Hey! You did the same for Antonio, and you're letting him be in your group!"

"Wha- that's different! He's been our friend since, like, we were watching Teletubbies and picking our noses!"

Antonio smiled. "I always really liked Tinky Winky."

The albino kid rolled his eyes. "That's because he was gay. Shut up, Toni."

The girl - Vicky - huffed and crossed her arms.

"Look, it was a bad semester for me! I promise to do my part this time! Francis, you like me, right?"

The blond man just tossed his hair and leaned on top of hot guy's head with a long, overdramatic sigh. Lucky bitch. "I'm sorry, Victoria, but - I think Monique needed someone, if you don't have another group to join."

Victoria looked across the aisle and down a few rows at a girl with a long honey blonde braid talking to two other people. She huffed and pouted at the three boys. "Fine, if you don't want me that much. Go rot in hell." She flicked both pigtails over her shoulders and flounced off.

The albino only shook his head and grinned. "Well, as much fun as it is to be a dick, we still need another group member."

Antonio looked up from his doodle and locked eyes with Lovino in his computer screen reflection, making him jump - shit, he'd been staring again! Lovino snorted and pretended that he didn't notice, but the brunet smiled and tapped him on the shoulder like earlier. Lovino scowled over his shoulder, bringing it up defensively and half hiding behind his hair, but hot guy just beamed.

"Hey! Wanna join us?"

The albino whacked him on the shoulder. "Toni, stop being a moron. You don't even know if he's already got a group."

"Oh!" Antonio shrugged and beamed again at Lovino. "So, do you?"

Lovino scowled, then just frowned and said, "No."

The blond guy smiled and shrugged. "I see no problem with taking in a stray." Lovino made a face at him, making the albino snort, and turned around to sit backwards in his seat.

"Hello, stray," the blond began, "I'm Francis. That one-" he poked the albino's shoulder- "is Gilbert, and this one-" he flicked hot guy's forehead, getting dumped off of his armrest for his troubles - "is Antonio."

Antonio batted him away, then gave Lovino his white teeth grin again. "Hola!" Gilbert just grunted. Lovino scowled at him, but Antonio piped in, "Oh, don't mind Gil! He just broke up with his girlfriend for, like, the third time today." The albino growled and whacked him on the head hard enough to hurt.

"Shut up, Toni! Don't be telling everyone that!"

Antonio apparently was either thick as a brick or deaf as one, since he blabbered on about his friend's personal life. "Yeah, she left him for some Austrian music majo-oof!" Gilbert had skipped the smacking and pushed him hard, making Antonio fall sideways and almost drag Francis down with him. Antonio just laughed and pushed him back in a much softer manner.

Francis just sighed. "Cease, heathens." He turned his attention back to Lovino. "So, stray, what can I call you besides 'stray'? Or should I start calling you 'kitten?"

"Do that and you die." Francis chuckled, and Lovino cursed the intimidation factor he hadn't inherited from his grandfather. "I'm Lovino Vargas."

Gilbert froze, held up a finger. "Wait, did you say Vargas?"

Lovino narrowed his eyes. Does he know about 'the family business'?

"Yeah. Why do you care?"

Gilbert chuckled. "I knew you looked familiar! I've got a Vargas dating my little brother, Ludwig - is he, like, your brother or cousin or something?"

Lovino could feel his blood run cold. Fucking perfect, he's related to that potato bastard. "Yeah, Feli's my little brother."

Gilbert grinned. "Dude, he can date Ludwig as long as he wants! Kid makes the best food, like, oh my God, heaven in my mouth."

Lovino couldn't hold back a frown. "Yeah. I know."

Gilbert looked at him curiously before shrugging it off and changing the topic. "Okay minions, we're supposed to pick a brain problem or whatever to research, but fuck that, it's, like, the first day of class and I don't really want to think yet, so we'll figure it out sometime, I don't care. Antonio, you coming over later?"

Antonio grinned. "Of course!"

Gilbert smirked. "Awesome. It's going to be one awesome party! Everyone is going to be there!"

Lovino felt a little awkward listening to them talk about their social lives, since really he didn't have much of one himself. It was hard for him to make friends besides his brother. People didn't seem to like him very much - probably because he was an asshole, but the whole 'my grandfather's a mob boss' tended to scare most people away pretty quick. Only one of the many reasons he was glad to move away from home for college to a place where people wouldn't know about the "family business" paying his tuition.

Francis grinned. "I've invited several female acquaintances to grace us with their appearance at the party. We should be able to have some fun."

Gilbert fist pumped. "Yes! Thanks, Francis, you rock."

Francis only chuckled. "What is a party without the ladies?"

Antonio looked up at Lovino. "Do you go to any parties?"

Lovino jerked from where he'd been analyzing the pattern in the linoleum of the lecture hall floor and up to stare into green eyes. "Huh?" He coughed and tore his gaze away. "Oh. No."

Antonio pouted. "It's all right. You should go to one when you get a chance! Hey, why don't you come to ours?"

Lovino shook his head ferociously. "N-no, it's okay. I already have plans."

Antonio looked at him curiously before returning to his ever-so-annoying perfect smile. "That's too bad. Maybe next time, then?"

Before Lovino could backpedal fast enough to get the fuck out of that conversation, the professor saved his ass with a call for attention from the front well of the lecture hall, "Okay, I think everyone has found a group! Now get back to your seats, we have to finish going over the calendar." Gilbert huffed as he and Francis said their cursory 'see you later's to Antonio and made their way back to their seats toward the front.

Lovino was quite happy to turn back to sit the right way in his seat; he'd had enough social interaction for today. He just wanted to get back to his laptop and finish "checking his email."

….

After the teacher called the class for the day, Lovino quickly packed his things and stood to get the fuck out of there when he heard, "Slow down! Why are you in such a hurry?"

Lovino looked back to see Antonio smiling at him, backpack over one shoulder. Great, he had to fucking talk to me.

Lovino looked away, "I-I have things to do, that's all."

The brunet giggled. "Well, slow down a bit. You probably don't have to be there in such a hurry."

Lovino just glared at him before mumbling, "Whatever," and making his way out the door. He needed to get far away, quickly, before he felt any more uncomfortable. Things were getting too awkward.

…

Lovino walked into his dorm apartment and dropped his bag by the door. His roommate was sitting at his computer on the far end of the couch, typing away at something. He seemed to always be on the computer - playing video games or chatting with someone when he wasn't out with his boyfriend (Arthur? Merlin? Oh well, something like that). He didn't really hold it against him, since he was an "Interactive Computational Design" major, whatever the fuck that was. Something to do with computers, that's all Lovino knew.

Alfred looked up from his computer and grinned. "What up, Lovi? How's it going?"

Lovino stared at him blankly before falling face-first on the crappy couch. "Eck."

"Aww, the first day of class ain't so bad. You just have to get back into the swing of things."

"Mnnnngh."

"It'll get better, I swear. Oh, I have some extra McDonald's if you want it. There was a 'buy one, get one free' deal on Big Macs today!"

Lovino turned his head to the side so he could speak outside of groaning. "No thank you, I don't want to eat that shit. I have some leftover pasta in the fridge."

Alfred laughed, "Suit yourself. If you change your mind, it's on the counter."

Lovino dragged his feet as he made his way toward the fridge. He pulled out his leftover pasta and puttanesca sauce, pouring it all into a bowl and throwing it into the microwave. As he waited for it to heat up, he looked down at the bag of McDonald's on the counter. He cringed as he looked inside. This stuff looked disgusting and unhealthy…but he swiped the fries anyway. Those things were too damn good to resist, especially after drowning them in ketchup. He opened the fridge and pulled out the bottle of ketchup, squirting a liberal amount on top, before beginning to munch on them as his pasta finished reheating. Al smirked at him when he glanced his way, and he just pulled a face in answer.

Once it was done, he took all of it to the couch and sat down, stealing the remote and turning on their crappy television. He flipped through the channels mindlessly until Alfred let out a strangled noise and yelled, "Wha-bu-back up! The Godfather! I love that movie!"

Lovino chuckled. "Sure, whatever, I'll leave it here."

….

After they finished watching The Godfather, Lovino went to his room and got ready for bed as Alfred continued typing away at his computer. Alfred never seemed to sleep - he was awake on his computer when Lovino went to sleep, and awake on his computer when he left for class in the morning. (One time he woke up to use the bathroom at four in the goddamn morning to find all the lights on in his room and Alfred himself still in his jeans, sprawled across his bed with his laptop open and conked out. Lovino had just shaken his head and turned off his overhead light.)

As he lay down in his bed, though, all he could think about was that fucking hot guy from class. What the hell? Lovino sighed. He knew he had to do one thing this semester: Avoid that guy - Antonio - at all fucking costs.

He was going to drive him crazy if he didn't.

A/N: This was going to be a totally different fic, but Ellarose C. beta'd and turned it into something totally a hundred times better. So much so I decided to make her co-author to give her justice, also because all the Alfred you'll see in this fic is solely written by her.

Please review~ She and I would appreciate it!