A Game of Chess

Chapter 27: Advice

People were starting to look their way funnily, the attention of the crowd growing onto them. Alfred quickly slipped an arm beneath the Italian's shoulder, helping him out of the chair. "Okay, I think we should get you back now." He said loudly, helping him limp his way out of the bar. That only resulted in more drunken mumblings from Lovino. However, the positive outcome of this rather than the Italian's newfound attitude also was that he was officially too drunk to drive the car.

A large smile grew on Alfred's face as he pulled the car keys out of Lovino's pocket. It stayed on all while leading the Italian into his carseat, and finally sitting into the driver's seat himself. The smoothness of the car's nice leather chair had never felt more satisfying.

The car rumbled once more as the engine started up. A lone, full moon stood over them as they silently drove onto the road, weaving through the darkness of the night. Lovino sat beside him, slowly sobering up. It was quiet in the car, like a somber feeling setting over them casting a bleak spell. Lovino wasn't the only person who was harboring such emotions.

'I'll have to go back soon.' Alfred conceded to himself. 'And when I do, I'll have to face my own problems.' He let out a small huff of amusement, though it wasn't one particularly filled with joy. It was upsetting, knowing that it wouldn't be long till he had to return. Dim orange street lights passed over the windshield, an irritating fear eating away at him again. He had been so caught up with this trip, he almost forgot that he had a life of his own.

"Hey. American boy." A sharp voice beside him quipped. Alfred shook a bit in his spot, turning to see a somewhat sobered Italian glaring at him with an arm holding his face up from the dashboard. "Why the hell are you-a frowning?" He grumbled.

"Oh." Alfred thought to himself. He didn't even realize that he was making such an ugly expression. Softly, he chuckled a bit, placing a hand behind his neck. "It's uh.. Someone's been bothering me recently, that's all."

"What's-a this? Having trouble American boy?" Lovino smirked.

The American stayed quiet for a second, his eyes glued to the street. Though Lovino was using a mocking tone when he asked that, he wasn't wrong either. "Yeah, I guess you could put it that way."

"What'd they do then?"

He thought to himself for a moment. "Well I guess they betrayed me." He mumbled, pausing again. "And they took something of mine away."

Lovino just stared at him in disbelief. "That's it?"

"Listen, it's just really complicated okay?" Alfred said. Even bringing up the thought of having to battle it out with Ivan was annoying, let alone people knowing how horrible their relationship is though the fight was probably a good indicator for it. And he doubted that the Italian would even try to offer him a solution if he knew that Ivan was the problem. They stopped at a red light, Alfred taking just a little break to press his head against the steering wheel. In all honesty, he was just tired of dealing with it all, constantly plaguing him.

"It's just.. I'm really trying to be civil with them but they're shady as hell." He finally admitted. Lovino stayed surprisingly silent while he was talking. Gently, the American's back hunched over as he let out a sigh. "I don't know anymore, I don't even know why I'm-"

"Why not hit 'em back?" Lovino stated, not an ounce of humor in his voice. The light turned green at this point, but they were the only ones in the street driving this late.

The American let out a short laugh, smiling a bit. "Oh trust me, I'd love to do that." He's had dreams of them alone in a forest cabin, in the middle of a snowstorm where he's just beating the everloving daylights out of him like a punching bag. However, that wasn't real life. "Sadly, I can't." He retaliated.