"I still say that painting should be on that wall, mamma" The Italian was helping his mother with the new paintings she bought. She had her hair pin up in a messy bun and her light green dress flew after her as she moved around the house. "Why do you say that?" she turned to him holding the painting where she wanted to put it. " 'Cause I think it looks better over there".

A small man, near his 40 years of life, came near them "Maddona" she turned to him "There's someone to see you in the front door" she nodded a thanks putting down the painting making her way to the front door. "Oh! And Lovino?"

"Me…"

"Messere Romanus wants to see you in his office" The young Italian rolled his eyes and sighed "I'll be on my way".

Romanus office was a spacious lounge with a pair of big windows behind his desk. There were bookshelves on the walls with all type of books and old documents, a small desk with a bunch of books, papers and weird objects on it and in front of that one, there was other small desk where dozens of maps and a scheme of the city could be found on it.

The elder Italian was sitting on his great chair right behind his desk waiting for his son. His expression didn't change when he walked in; instead he looked up to his son and passed him a small package and a letter. "Take that secretly to the Germans. None shall know about that package"

The younger Italian stared at the package for a few moments. He noticed that neither the package nor the letter had the sender but he just kept his mouth shut glancing at his father. He knew his father had some secret business, something he kept away from his whole family, or so it seemed.

"I just have one question" the elder man glanced at his son as he spoke "The Germans are in town? I didn't knew that"

"Son, I know you don't like them but, maybe one day you'll understand why all of this. I assure you it's for" he hesitated "our own safety".

Lovino made his way to the palace where the German family was temporarily living. He made it by the rooftops and came down as silent as a cat when he got near the small palace. There was a guard in the gate whom looked like was sleeping and just realized the estranger when he stood right next to him. "Uh! What are you doing here? State your business!"

"Deliver for your master" he handed the package to the guard who stared at it for a bit, looking for something suspicious "I only made it get here so don't ask me what's inside" he said and the guard nodded a yes.

The young Italian turned and was making his way home when a young gentleman, probably same age as him, arrived at the gate followed by a giant dog.

"What's that?" he asked to the guard.

"A deliver for your father"

"Let me have a look" he said picking the package and trying to open it. The guard looked worried and tried to stop him being pushed aside by the German.

"Didn't you hear him?" Lovino interrupted walking towards him and putting his hand on the package pushing it towards the guard "It's for your father"

"Who the hell are you?"

"Lovino Vargas" he paused handing the package to the guard and reaching his hand to the German "And you?"

"Gilbert Beilschmidt" he held the Italian's hand for a polite greeting as Lovino grinned "Pleased to meet me" he said to the German who answered coldly in return "Pleased to meet me too".

"Well I hope we meet some other time again" the irony fully expressed in Lovino's smile "And this is for your father as well" he said handing him a letter and walked away.

Gilbert watched him; when he got out of sight, the young German turned to the guard and asked for the dagger so he could open the letter. The guard hesitated but handed him the dagger. Lovino, on the edge of a nearby rooftop, threw a small knife that he always had with him, witch got the letter and pinned it on the wall, almost cutting the German's fingers. "For your father!" he shout from the rooftop.

At home, he's brother was crossing the yard with a basket. He held it carefully as if it would break. "Ciao frattelino. What's that?"

"Niente" he said stumbling right after it, giving Lovino one second to react and help him not to let the basket fall "Watch out Feli! You clumsy"

Feliciano pouted with the comment. "Don't get mad at me. Now tell me what's this?"

"Don't open it!" The young Italian tried to get the mystery basket back without success. Lovino opened it a little, enough to see a young eagle old enough to learn how to fly. "Where did you get this?" he asked to his younger brother who was going to answer when someone spoke first. "Where did you get what?" It was they're mother, Claudia. "The answer comes after the question" she said as they didn't answered.

Feliciano looked up to his brother that glanced at him. "It's an eagle… it fell… from its nest… can I keep it?" his eyes glittering as he asked. His mother didn't like the idea much and looked inside the basket. The young eagle glanced up at her with big wide eyes, its wings attached to its body making it look like a loaf of bread with eyes. She thought for a bit and then answered "Si I think you can keep it. But who's going to teach her how to fly?"

The young Italian busting with happiness answered with a big bright smile "I will!" He's brother now trying not to laugh, made his way to his father's headquarters.

Feliciano pouted. "Verocchia will fly. Taught by me! He'll see!" Claudia giggled and pet her son's head.

Later that day, when the stars were starting to cover the sky, Lovino was waddling around near the river and heard someone asking for help desperately. He took quick careful steps towards the sound and hid on the surrounding shadows not to be notice.

"Dare to tell me to pay again, you dirty Italian!" It was the German he met earlier with two guards and the giant critter messing with Girolamo, the artisan that used to make Vargas family's clothes. He loved his job and was very talented. Each piece was unique. "You, pick that jacket, seems like I'm taking this too" he said to one of the guards.

"You should be more careful around Italian territory" Lovino stood out from the shadows "Be nice to him and be a good civilized man and pay for the clothing"

"You again"

"Did you miss me?"

"Not really"

"Good. Now please do what I told and be a civilized German" he smirked "Wait, just keep going. I just remembered that Germans aren't civilized at all"

"You bastard" Gilbert's rage was rousing sharply. He unsheathed his sword.

"That is not fair. I don't have a sword. Would you pass me one of you guard's?"

"No"

"Cheater"

Gilbert swung the sword trying to open wounds on Lovino. He ripped his shirt and thought that the Italian was already wounded letting down his guard. Lovino, finding an opportunity, punched Gilbert and twisted his arm to get the sword. Quickly the two guards got ready to fight. They attacked at the same time making Lovino dance within the blow of their swords. He managed to wound one in the arm, making him drop his weapon, and faced the other with the speed and agility of a feline.

Finding his man wounded and unable to continue, Gilbert decided to retreat, cursing the Italian. He ignored those curses and checked his clothes. There was actually a big rip in his chest. My mother is going to kill me. He thought.

Alone in the dark, Lovino climbed up a tower of a church and sat enjoying the view. Rome was indeed a huge wonderful city. The sky was clean covered in stars. The silver light of the full moon reflected in the city gave it a feeling of myth and mistery. He had a wonderful life. A free young Italian teenager, with a happy family and love.

Vera. He thought looking for the house of his love among the thousand houses of Rome. Vera Cortez; a young beautiful Spanish woman with curly brown hair, deep reddish eyes and the bright charming smile most Spaniards carry with them.

He found her house and decided to make a quick visit. On his way, he harvested a rose from someone's favorite bush.

The Cortez house looked empty, perhaps because they were all asleep by that time now. He thrown a small rock at her window. Nothing happened. He climbed up to her window with the rose in his mouth and when reaching it, he called for her. The window was opened few seconds later by the surprised Spaniard. "Gato! What are you doing here?"

"Hanging on the wall because it's fun"

She giggled "So you're here to see me?"

"Si and this is for you" she picked the flower from his mouth kissing him after it. "I want you to come in" she smirked "But you can't take too long"

"I won't" he grinned jumping in. They kissed passionately, her hands on his face slowly reaching his chest and his hands hanging a little lower on her waist.

"What the—What have you been doing?" she asked worried as she found the hole on the shirt. "Fighting again?"

"You know I just can't resist and besides" he pressed a quick kiss on her mouth "It was the German" he smirked and pushed her softly making both fall on the bed.

She sighed and surrender to his kisses.

"Lovi…Lovino!" she hit him with a pillow "Wake up damn it!" He looked at her sleepy. "You should be out of here! My father is probably awake already"

Lovino thought about what he just heard. When he realized what was happening he ran to his clothes and got dressed. "Buenos dias Vera" He heard coming from outside the door. He gave her one last kiss "Scusi for leaving like this"

"Vera" The voice was getting closer. "See you" He jumped out of the window.

"Buenos dias papa"

"Oh! You're awake already" he said and she smiled. Her father looked around and found the flower. "Where did you get that? It wasn't there yesterday" he looked at the bed and realized it was too messy. "You don't usually leave your bed like that Vera…" He walked towards the window that was wide opened and looked outside, doubtful.

Glued to the wall, right next the window, Lovino slowly climbed to the roof. "What are you doing here?" The Italian froze and turned around slowly spreading his hands. "I ask you the same question"

"There's a hole in the roof. You? What are you doing?"

"I'm…checking if the roof…won't fall"

"Messere Cortez!" The old Spaniard looked up spoting Lovino who waved back at his glare with a smile.

"Buon journo"

"Come back here you bastard! Guards!"

Vera sighed at all this, sitting heavily on her bed. "I don't want that filthy!..."

"Don't you finish that, papa!"

"Why do you love him?"

"He's handsome"

"And stupid"

"He loves me"

"He's a womanizer!"

"Get the hell out of here papa…" she snapped.

"Where have you been figlio?" a voice asked as Lovino sneaked in the house. He turned to face the man in the sofa. "So?"

"I was…"

"Doing what you always do when you don't sleep at home" the man snapped.

"Si" he thought for a moment "and that is?"

"Figlio, I know about your womanizer side" Romanus grinned and got up walking towards his son who had an awkward expression up his face.

"I really love her"

"Si, I believe you do. Now…" he put a hand on his son's shoulder and made his way to his office bringing Lovino with him. "I want to ask you a favor"

"Every single day, you ask me a favor" he pointed out, sighing.

"That's because I think you're kind enough and to make sure you are ready to keep up my job when I, eventually, die"

"I already told you, I don't want to—"

"It's other job. One that you must keep top secret even from the ones you love" Romanus sighed opening the door to his office. Lovino stared at him curious now that his father confirmed him that he was, indeed, keeping some secret business away from his family. "Don't look at me like that. One day you'll understand" the elder Italian said with a sad smile on his face. And I think that day isn't too far… He thought.

"Well… what did you wanted to ask me?"

"I want you to get me an impression of the reaction of the Germans to my small present"

"The package?"

"Si" he nodded. "But you're not supposed to get noticed. Go inside if you need and come back, in one piece"

"I will" Lovino answered leaving his father.

The streets were full of movement, and that included some small patrols leaded by Gilbert. They seemed to be looking for someone, and that someone, was him. I think this means the impression isn't very positive. He thought.

He decided to go by the rooftops, as they can't climb it, it would be safer. And reaching the small palace, he had his suspicions confirmed. Three guards on the front gate, troops walking around inside and a tall blond man that looked pissed, shouting at someone because of something. He was too far to understand.

He got near a wall that was part of a tower; from up there he would be near enough to hear.

It was a hard building to climb but he made it. There was no one up there and he got suspicious.

Now focusing on the tall German, he noticed his hair was long and that the color was so soft that it was glowing white in the sunlight.

"Why can't you find them?!" he was shouting.

"I'm sorry sir…"

"I don't want your 'sorry'! I want that assassin! Now!"

"We'll keep looking…"

"You better, now get out of my sight!"

"Sir, if you excuse me" a small, black haired man stood closer to his master. "You should calm down. I already started organizing a ball where we invited whole Rome. Make a kill on that party. The assassin will try to kill the killer and then you can get him"

"That's a very good idea. Tell me more about it" he said and the small man invited him to go inside.

Heading back home, Lovino made his report to his father.

"I knew I should be suspicious about it" he got up and stood staring at the window. "But we're still going"

"Can I ask you what was inside the package?"

"It's kind of a big story, but resumed, I sent a bomb. Not one that would cause much damages but, still a bomb"

"And he talked about an 'assassin'. What's that?"

"The day will come when you'll understand it's meaning, but it's not today" he turned to his son. "Now go do something else, I'm busy"

Lovino did as he was told and made his way out of home. In the rooftop of a high building he spotted his brother.

"What are you doing up here?"

"AH! Don't scare me like that fratello!"

"Scusi" he giggled. He spotted an eagle flying near them. "Don't tell me that is…"

"The eagle I brought home yesterday, si. Her name is Verocchia" Feliciano was smiling proudly. "I told you she would fly"

"Indeed" said the elder Italian sitting next to his brother. "Now tell me, where did you get it?"

"Promise me you won't tell mamma"

"I promise"

"I have been keeping an eye on its nest, so I knew the right time to take it. And that's basically what I did" he said plainly. "Somehow I feel like I shouldn't have done that but I made her get too used to humans somehow, so… it's better to take care of her"

Lovino pet his brother and hugged him. "I understand. As long as she looks happy and healthy, I guess it's ok"