"Wait for me until I return, mi bella," was the last thing he said to you in person. You both exchanged one hug, before he turned around without looking back, to board the airplane.

You watched him go with tears in your eyes. Even then you couldn't say what you've always wanted to say. Two simple, but beautiful words in his lovely language….


Ti amo….


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"____________, come down stairs, I want to talk to you!" Eliza, your best friend called from down stairs. It was now exactly ten years from that day you said goodbye. You were now in college, rooming with Elizaveta, and currently the only single person in your group of friends.

"Okay, just a minute!" you said as you began to shut down your laptop. You plugged it into its charger, quickly surveyed your room, (which was a bit messy) shrugged as you passed it off as neat enough. You then checked yourself in the mirror and also passed yourself off as good enough. You then walked out of your room and went downstairs into the kitchen.

It wasn't that you weren't pretty enough for a boyfriend, it was just that you weren't interested in anyone at your school. But that didn't mean that your friends didn't try to hook you up with various people.

In fact, that was what was exactly happening right now.

"Yes, Eliza?" you asked your friend who was whipping up some breakfast for you two. You began to take out tableware and set up the table in the kitchen.

"So, today I'm going out on a date with Gilbert… and he said he had a pal who didn't have a girl…" she began to tell you.

"Eliza, how many times do I have to tell you?" you didn't even bother to look at her. "I'm not going to go out with anyone."

She sighed as she began to fry the French toast pieces. "_______..." she began to say in an exasperated tone.

"I'm not going to~" you began to sing as you danced around the table.

She then laughed, finally giving up "You know, you miss, are the most faithful person in the entire world…"

You smiled at her and sat down at your place at the table, "Of course I am," you sang once more.

"…for someone who hadn't even told that certain someone that she loved him~" she told you pointedly as she set down a piece of French toast in front of you.

That immediately deflated your pride. "Well, I'm going to tell him that as soon as I come back," you said as you began to ferociously eat the poor piece of bread. You were taking your anger out by ripping it to shreds! (A/N: somewhere, a certain frenchman's screaming)

At that she sighed and then laid her hand gently on top of yours. "Yes, I know that… you'd do anything for that Lovi…" she looked at you with sad eyes.

You appreciated that she felt for you but then at the same time… "Why are you looking at me like that?" you nervously laughed it off.

She laughed a bit as well, and then you both sighed and busied yourselves with finishing up your breakfasts.

As you washed the dishes, you could not help but feel a bit melancholy. What Eliza said was true, you'd do anything for that idiota. Anything. Even if it meant waiting for him ten years without hearing anything from him. He just suddenly left, without a real good explanation.

But he told you to wait for him, and wait for him you did.

Why?

Because there was nobody in the world you loved more than him.

You two were inseparable in high school. He was your next door neighbor, your best friend, and your truest and deepest confidant.

He'd always be there to protect you when other's pick on you and be there to wipe your tears away when you cried.

You were deeply in love with him, and even though you cringed from the cliché-ness of it, you had to say that you loved him from the moment you first laid eyes on him. You loved everything about him. his insecurities, his foul mouth, (although you had managed to clean it a bit) his smile, his eyes, his attitude, the kind side he'd only show you… you loved every single part of him.

And you could inexplicably tell that he felt the same way about you.

Why else would he tell you to wait for him?

You remembered that night he told you he was leaving. You began to cry immediately.

"Idiota ragazza, always crying…" he said in a grumpy voice. He then began to wipe your tears away. you looked up and saw his eyes were tearing up a little bit as well.

"I can't help it… what can I do without you?" you sobbed, but then at the same time you tried to hold back your tears.

He then, to your utmost surprise, pulled you into a rough embrace. He began to fiddle with something around your neck. You tried to wiggle away so you could see, but he held you tightly in his arms, so you couldn't see.

"I'll always be with you… right here…" he pulled away and patted his chest lightly around where his heart would be.

You looked down and to your surprise, saw that he had put a gold heart locket around your neck. You gasped. "Lovi… but this is your mama's old…."

"Idiota," he said once again, as he mussed up your hair. You protested, but secretly enjoyed it. "Look, you made me say a cheesy line… but I'm serious… I'll always be with you."

At that you happily hugged him, and smiled.

He shyly smiled back, "That's much better, idiota… now I'll remeber a prettier face than the one I saw earlier.." he teased as he hugged you back.

You were too happy to complain , you stood there, completely safe in his arms… wishing that that moment would never pass…

….but then ten years had passed. You put away the last dish, feeling a bit misty eyed, but at the same time, a warm glow from that happy memory.

The door bell rang.

"__________, can you get it? I'm getting ready for tonight," you heard Eliza yell from somewhere upstairs.

"Coming~" you ran to the door to open it. When you opened it, you almost fell over.

"…Lovi?" you managed to squeak when you felt your heart fall into the pit of your stomach.
It was a mailman… who was wearing the standard clothes… but he had the same brown eyes, the same brown hair… he was staring at you with the same surprised look you were sure you had on your face.

....

....

....



He then laughed and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Ve~! Mia bella, you-a scared me!"

Your heart then sunk, this time for another reason. It wasn't Lovino… it was his younger brother Felicano. He was a nice enough guy… you met him in college and all, but you preferred not seeing him because he always reminded you of Lovino. Just like he did right now. You tried to laugh it off and not break down into tears in front of him.

He then got out a small envelope and said, "This-a is for you… ve~!"

You took it and stared at it, perplexed. It was a small, plain white envelope, with your name printed on it neatly. You could feel a hard bump on the inside and there was no return address. "Uhm thanks, Feli," you told him and then blushed when you saw he was staring at you intently. "…Errr… Felicicano?"

"W-What?" he shook his head as if he were waking up from a daze. "Oh, yeah, you're welcome… ve~!" then he walked away. You watched him leave. He was acting a tiny bit suspicious, but after he began to walk to your next door neighbor's house without so much a glance back, you shrugged and then closed the door while looking curiously at the envelope once more.

You then walked up to your room. Eliza passed by you and told you that she was heading out and wouldn't be back til late. You nodded, barely hearing her. When you got to your room, you flopped on top of your unmade bed and stared at the handwriting on the envelope. It looked familiar… you opened it, and a key fell out, along with a small piece of paper.

You picked up the paper and opened it up, your heart beating almost painfully within your chest. It read: 'I'm the key to unlocking your heart… bah you made me say another corny line, you idiota…'

You heart did a flip flop in your chest. It had to be Lovi. You picked up the key and examined it closely. It was gold and matched with your locket. You took the aforementioned locket off from around your neck and saw for the first time, that there was  a  small keyhole in the back.

Your heart began to beat wildly as you took the key and… click… it fit perfectly. You turend it a bit, and it opened. When you saw what was inside it, tears began to fall from your eyes, unwillingly.

On one side of the heart was a picture of you, when you were in high school, and on the other side was a picture of him. in the middle it said, "il mio amore…" my love…

"Lovi… lovi.." you sobbed for the first time in years. And then it suddenly clicked. "The post man!" you almost yelled. You looked outside and saw that he was looking up at your window, on a bicycle. When he saw that you saw him, he blushed and then began to pedal away.

"LOVINO!" you screamed, and scrambled down the stairs, and out side your house. You then saw he was still on your street. "Lovi, lovi, why are you running away?" your tears freely were streaming down your face now, as  you watched him pedal away.

He was going away.

Again.

Again.

And you were letting him go away… again…

…No.

Not again. You then began running after him. running faster than you ever have before. "Lovi, I love you!" you yelled as you began to catch up to him, huffing and puffing.

That made him stop and turn around. He gave you an incredulous look.

"You... still love me?" he said, clearly surprised. "…wait… I mean, you love me?"

You walked over to him, held his handsome face in between your hands and kissed him deeply.

He stiffened, clearly surprised at your response. Then he relaxed, and you could feel him smile and he put his hand through your hair and kissed back.

When you stopped, you then stepped back, crossed your arms and pouted. "Idiotidiotidiotidiotidiotidiot.. you are a big, fat idiot!" you yelled at him.

He then frowned back and then began to say, "Well I wasn't sure if you-" you cut him off by placina  finger on his lips.

"Don't say anything…" you tried to be angry but then you broke down and then hugged him. "I'm just so glad that you're here. That I'm not dreaming. I missed you so much!"

"Idiota… ragazza," was all he managed to say gruffly as he pulled back and began to wipe your tears gently.

The familiarity of the gesture made you cry even more. "Ti amo, Lovi…"

"Ti amo, __________," he said as he choked up a bit.

He touched the locket around your neck and then he laid his head on your shoulder.

"Thanks for waiting for a worthless guy like me…" he whispered into your neck.

"Thanks for being a guy worth waiting for…. Even if you did use too many cheesy lines," you giggled and sniffed as you began to laugh instead of cry.

At that, he got back at you by kissing you once more.

And all the lonliness and sadness you both felt for those past ten years melted within an instant as your love was finally allowed to blossom.

…il mio amore…

...per sempre.

Forevermore.

------------------------------extra!--------------------------------

"What? That's the guy who made you wait for ten years?"

"Wait, Eliza, what are you doing with that pan?"

"Augh, Gilbert, take-a care of-a your crazy girlfriend!!!"

"That's so not awesome, Eliza!"

"Come on, Lovi, let's run!"

"Sounds like a good idea… I'll take you out for a first date."

"Lovi… that sounds lovely… but she's right behind you…"

"CHIGI!! Let's get out of this mad house!"

"Fine, but I'm only letting you go this one time! You better be the best boyfriend in the
entire world to my __________!"

"He already is! He's the best boyfriend in the world!"

"Haha now you said something corny!"

"…."

"What, _______"

"I know your weak spot."

"No don't pull it-!"

"CHIGI! You idiota, come back here!"

"Ti amo… Lovi~!"

"Gerrofme…"

"Ti amo~~ tiamotiamotiamotiamotiamotiamotiamotiamotiamotiamotiamotiamo"

"…."

"…."

"I love you too…"

"…."

"Lovi….."

"hmph?"

"I guess I love you, Lovi."

"You idiota!!!"

<3