Feliciano held the phone with shaking hands, dialling in Romano's number, holding back tears…
"Ahh come on fratello, please pick up..."
After a few rings, as he was about to give up, the phone clicked and an annoyed voice answered.
"What the hell Feli, I've been calling for hours! Where are you?"
"Y-You have? Sorry, I have no signal here...Where I am doesn't matter. I just need to ask a small favour of you..."
Romano frowned.
"What?"
On the other end Italy sighed, shutting his eyes.
"Do you remember a long time ago, and we made a promise? That if anything happened to the other... then we'd take over the other's duties."
The older brother's eyes widened a little as he remembered the day they'd made that promise…
"I...I do but...Feli what are you..."
"I can't tell you...Because you'd try to come after me"
Romano felt his heart pounding in his chest.
"Feli, what's going on?"
Feliciano looked at the ground, taking a deep breath…
"U-Um, all I can say is our friends are in a lot of trouble. And I'm the only one who can get them out. They don't know it yet... but they will soon…"
"Wha...What? Feli, where are you, I can help you!"
"No! You'd just get hurt! I couldn't let that happen to mio fratello..."
Romano's hands began to shake as he grit his teeth…
"Don't be an Idiot, you say you would want me to get hurt but I don't want you hurt either!"
"You don't understand I have to do this to save everyone else... But if you came here it would get worse!"
Italy's voice cracked and Romano paused, staring at his phone for a moment.
"Italy...your crying...I can tell, you're scared…"
The young man wiped his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Fratello, promise me something. Promise that you'll help everyone when they get out, and you'll take care of my duties."
Romano too felt tears in his eyes and tried to blink them away.
"Don't worry about me...I know you'll be fine"
"Stop it...I won't. They're your duties; you come back here and do them yourself"
Italy's eyes widened as Romano choked on his words, letting those held back tears fall.
"Please..."
"P-Please don't cry Roma! All I did before was mess about, sleep and eat pasta. This way I'm helping everyone...Saving their lives."
"I...I can't help it"
Romano began to sob, begging to his brother down the phone.
"You say you don't want me to be hurt... but... If I lose you I'll have no one I'm scared for you Feli..."
Romano dropped to his knees.
"You have Spain...and your friends"
"I DON'T WANT HIM!"
Feliciano stared at his phone in shock.
"I WANT MY BROTHER HERE, SAFE! You're killing me Feliciano..."
He felt tears roll down his cheeks as he cut across Romano's words.
"I have to stay. It wants me; it won't let anyone go until it has me...It's my fault all this happened…"
Romano felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise, a chill running down his spin.
"It? What is it? Why does it want you?"
"The easiest way to describe it is...a monster. It got so strong...and it wants me cause I was stupid enough to lead everyone here!"
Romano's mouth fell open and he asked the question he already knew the answer too.
"Feli...where are you?"
Italy looked down at his watch, unsure as to whether it was correct of not.
"You won't be able to get here in time...But, do you remember the mansion I heard rumours about?"
"Oh my god!"
A Sob escaped the young man's lips and he pounded his fist against the ground.
"YOU IDIOT! I told you not to go there!"
"S-See, I said that I was stupid!"
He his lower lip quivered as he wiped his tears away again...
"I was always the silly younger brother who wasn't use to anyone. And now I risked the lives of everyone!"
"No you're not...Never, I'm the useless one"
"Y-You aren't! You get work done, you're sensible... I should have listened to you all along"
Romano gritted his teeth.
"S...STOP IT! I don't want you to get hurt either, if you get hurt I get hurt..."
Feliciano cut across his brother, tears running fresh down his cheeks.
"Fratello it's too late for me...It's coming for me and they can't escape unless I do this"
"NO! Feli please...I can't lose you, I love you...You're all I have left..."
He heard a sharp intake from Feliciano's end of the line.
"I love you too Roma! So much! I know that you can learn to rely on others, like I should have...it's either everyone gets killed one by one in this house, or I sacrifice myself for them so they can go..."
A sob escaped his lips, however on the other end of the line, Romano stood, a new determination setting in.
"Stop trying to do everything on your own Damnit! I'm coming to the house and you'd better still be alive when I get there"
"Y-You can't fratello!"
"Why Not?"
"By the time you get there, I'll be...I-I'll be gone..."
"I don't see anyone stopping me, and I always was the fastest of us two"
Romano tried to laugh but the sound stuck in his throat, breaking halfway...
"I'll see you soon Feli"
Romano lowered the phone from his ear, but not before he could hear Feliciano's final words to him. Italy smiled sadly, shutting his eyes.
Goodbye fratello...Ti amo...
"Ti amo...Sempre"
Romano pocketed the phone and began to run, ignoring the tears running down his cheeks as Feliciano dropped his phone, turning back to the house.
"I'm ready, you monster..."