Chapter 1: The Pond
"Hurry up and finish, fratello." A young man of approximately 20 said as he walked to his sibling on the other side of the barn. He carried a large box of tomatoes easily as if it were no big deal. He had dark brown hair and light brown-ish eyes, tanned skin and always wore a small smirk on his lips.
"Ve~ I know, I know Lovino." A smaller man turned to face his big brother with a small shrug. "But there's nothing to be done, we have to finish this." He took the crate from his brother with pale hands and with some struggle stacked it up with the other crates. This young man was a few inches smaller than Lovino, lighter skin, red-brown hair and amber eyes, which looked about 18 years.
The two Italians were brother; most people mistook them as cousins or simple friends. There didn't have much in common; Lovino was darker while the other was lighter. They didn't mind it, but Lovino always got the feeling that his brother was always the loved one by everyone—including their family.
"Feliciano!" the older brother called out to the man who was facing away from the crates, "Look out!" he pointed towards the crate on the top hat was tipping over the edge, almost on the verge of falling.
"Don't worry big brother!" Feliciano chuckled moving out of the way and attempted to fix the crate.
"Idiota, stack that crate better the next time. The things are heavy, there could have hurt you!" Lovino rolled his eyes crossing his eyes over his chest.
"Yeah, yeah." Feliciano sighed climbed down. He was about to set his foot on the ground when his long sleeve got caught in a nail making him pull from the reflexes. His hand yanked down the crate with him, he gasped watching the crate fall and his shirt pulling down the heavy crate.
"Idiota!" His brother hurried to his brother's side. Feliciano lay on top of the crate with his hand awkwardly under him. Lovino's heart skipped a beat but he quickly ripped the shirt from the mail and helped him up to his feet. "What's wrong with you?" Lovino scowled looking at his brother then at the undamaged crate, "Got lucky nothing happened to the tomatoes—or you. Right?" He took Feliciano's arm and began to examine it.
"Ve~ I'm sorry big brother!" He lowered his head, "Don't worry. I'm okay~!" He gave his big brother an uneasy smile. Slowly giving into Feliciano's smile he sighed rolling his eyes, his smirk slowly returning to his lips.
"Fine, let's just hurry." Lovino pated the back of his brother's back and returned to carrying the tomatoes crates.
When they were done the two Italia brother walked out of the small humid barn to the light. Outside the air was fresh, light and cool. It was rather a nice day, although the papers and new said there would be a lighting storm coming. It didn't seem so.
"We finished out work~!" the small brunette smiled wiping the sweat form his brow and looking over at the Italian landscape. Fields of agriculture, the sun setting over the low hills of Italy, the sweet smell of freshly cut grass and the scent of baking bread.
"Seems like grandpa Rome is baking…" Lovino said taking in old rag to wipe the sweat away. He his grandfather's nickname like he was a stranger, a person he had just met, and a distant person he didn't know.
"Ve~! We should go! I bet he'll be happy that we finished early! The small brunette laughed and bounced his way down the hill to the not so small wooden house at the edge of the hill. With a small sigh Lovino followed behind Feliciano with hands showed in his pockets and smirk planted on his face.
He didn't like his grandfather. Well, it wasn't like that—it was that he didn't know the man well and didn't know what to say or do around him. It was always awkward around him, either of them didn't know what to say around each other and he always paid more attention to Feliciano. Maybe he was jealous? No. He couldn't be. Lovino shock his head, he didn't need nobody to be happy. He had learned that long ago.
When he opened the front to the house Lovino set his eyes on his grandfather. Medium length brown hair white strikes, brown eyes, light skin and the same face as Feliciano. His small brother had inherited the good lock from him and Lovino had just gotten the eyes and his hair color. Lovino thought that it wasn't fair, but what could he do? He watched his grandfather serve a bowl of tomato soup to Feliciano and hand him freshly backed bread.
"Come on Romano, sit." The old man motioned him to sit across Feliciano. Lovino did what he was told and waited to be served. Romano. That's what his grandfather called him, funny how both of them were nicknamed the same, yet didn't have much in common. He wondered how it happened.
"Grandpa Rome! I got caught in a nail and I fell!" Feliciano laughed, "but not to worry because I'm alright, big brother helped me get up."
Rome looked at Feliciano then at Lovino who rolled his eyes and began eating the soup. The rest of the supper was spent listening to Feliciano talk about his drawings, portraits, and books he sold at the store during the weekends in the city. Unlike Lovino, Feliciano had gotten an education when their grandfather raised him. When the two of them were little their parents dies by the hand of a local gang; Rome took Feliciano away for some ten good years. Feliciano had gotten the education of a good Italian artist. While Lovino was taken to live in Spain with some distant relatives of their parents, Lovino didn't liked hem. Although they cared for him and tried to provide him with everything… they weren't his parents, he felt like he didn't belong with them. Only two years ago they died from a fire caused by a small fight between gangs in their neighborhood. That's how he ended here with Grandpa Rome and Feliciano.
Lovino sighed silently and started into his bowl of sou. He liked it here, he didn't. Yet he felt out of place, like something was missing. He continued eating his soup. When he had just turned 9, his first year with the Spanish couple, he had made a friend. Antonio. That was his name. When he met the Spaniard it was one of the happiest moments of his life, he finally had a friend. Someone to spent those lonely days with. The Spanish teen was 5 years older than him but he acted the same age as Lovino. After they became good friend Lovino began to feel safe and wanted when ever he was around Antonio. But the friendship ended too soon. Antonio disappeared after his house had been burned down. Lovino didn't know if he had died, the fire had burned everything and turned the things to ashes. Lovino assumed he had, and it devastated him. After his death Lovino had turned cold, distant, and cruel to most people.
"Romano, help Feliciano with the dishes." Grandpa Rome said snapping Lovino out of the trance he has.
"S-sí." Lovnino shook his head mentally tying to clear his head and did as he was commanded.
"Were are you going Grandpa Rome?" the smaller brother asked watching his grandfather walk to the door wearing his jacket.
"Just a ride in the fields, check the crops and visit the old pond." The old said and gave a gentle smile at Feliciano.
"Ve~ I want to go!" the Italian jumped on his spot heading to the door.
"No, you stay here and help Romano. I have to do it quickly anyway." Rome called as he exited out the door.
By this time Lovino was all done with the dishes and was already drying them when Feliciano sighed and began to help Lovino. The elder brother didn't see anything wrong with his brother until he noticed the silence that surrounded them. Lovino blanked to look at his brother who was staring out the small window and biting his lip.
"What's wrong with you?" Lovino looked at him and rolled his eyes expecting Feliciano to say nothing and continue to ramble about pasta or art, but to his surprise his brother merely shook his head and sighed rather loudly. "Tell me what the hell is wrong with you. Don't make me wait, spit it out already."
"He's not acting normal." The younger brother bit his lower lip putting down the bowl. "He's usually laughing and talking during dinner but not this time, or the past week. There's something wrong with him."
"Yeah, so?" Lovino a shrug with a shoulder, "maybe he's just getting old." He had noticed this. Rome usually played around, teased Lovino and talked so damn much about his old friend Germania. These past week he's been quiet and a bit distant, Lovino didn't think much bout it, and he was old after all.
"This past week he's been only listing to my stories. He doesn't comment no more like he use to." The younger brunette sighed turning to his brother, "You think he's sick?"
"No…" Lovino shook his head, "Probably not. He's just getting old, Feli. His days are catching up to him." He handed his brother the last bowl to dry.
"S-sí, you are right." Feliciano nodded. His expression softening, but Lovino could tell he was still worried.
"Ehi, don't fret on it." Lovino gave him a small smile and ruffled his brother's hair. "Come on and hurry." Lovino left the room before his brother could answer and left him no choice but to follow.
Feliciano yawned looking down at his sketchbook. He had been practicing drawing people and it wasn't on an easy task, adding that his model—Lovino—wasn't a good model. He kept moving around, talking, and slouching. Feliciano had give up when Lovino had slouched for the 100th time in an hour.
Now, Feliciano sat alone in the room that he shared with his brother putting it away under his head and laying back on the mattress. Remembering how the past two years had changed so much.
After Feliciano was taken away to live with Grandpa Rome he lived a life of luxury and ruches. Grandpa Rome was a wealthy landowner and owned half of the land in South Italy. He was a famous person in all of Italy, and had a few wealthy friends as well. When Feliciano was taken to live with him, h was taken to a "small" Villa in Northern Italy. He lived there with Rome and his friend Germania. Well most of the time they acted like friend. Feliciano loved watching them argue, it was pretty funny, then they would act like rivals and when they though no one was looking the acted like lovers. Feliciano loved their strange relationships. But what he loved the most was spending time with Rome. He didn't care about the delicious pasta, or the things he got, he just liked spending time with his grandfather. There was only one thing missing during his time there, and that was the presence of Lovino.
When he sighed at the villa he was happy yet lonely. He missed his hotheaded big brother. He missed the stupid fights they had, the childish games they would paly. He missed the warmth of Lovino when they slept in the same bed. He missed his brother.
Feliciano's wish he had come true just two years ago. He had heard that the couple that was taking care of Lovino had died and not too long after that Grandpa Rome had decided to move to the country with Lovino as well. He was excited, he really was. 12 years away from his big brother and he was about to live with him once more. When they finally did meet Feliciano ran to his brother barely recognizing him. He cried and laughed and hugged his big brother. Lovino had just stood there, hugging his brother back whispering how much he had missed Feliciano with tears rolling down his cheeks.
Feliciano smiled at the memory. If only Lovino could be like that again. He knew that Lovino was cold by nature—or something like that—he knew Lovino didn't know how to express his feelings to the people he loved. But Feliciano would appreciated it if Lovino tried He still loved his brother, no matter what.
"Ve~ I wonder where he is." Feliciano looked out the window nest to Lovino's bed. The sun was already behind the low hills of the Italian country. The sky was a soft shade of orange and firing red making the clouds look a shade of blue. It almost made Feliciano take out his paintbrush and start painting the Italian country from his window.
The brunette jumped off his bed and walked to the door. I wonder where Lovi and Grandpa Rome are doing. He walked to the porch where he found the brunette sitting on the wooden railing of the porch. Lovino sat here with his back to Feliciano mumbling things to himself in Spanish. Feliciano only caught a few words from him but ignored the words dead, Antonio, and bastard.
"Lovi?" Feliciano placed his hand over his brother's shoulder. Lovnino didn't move at first, his eyes stayed closed for a few seconds more before he opened his eyes and looked at him from the corner of his eyes.
"Que?" Lovino looked at him with an irritated expression. Feliciano gulped, Lovino only used Spanish when he was thinking of his life in Spain, and most of the time wasn't nice memories.
"H-has Grandpa Rome return?" he asked leaning against the wooden post next to Lovino facing his brother. He sighed softly lolling his head to the side so he could see the stables. "He didn't take his horse?"
"No, he left with out him I had to feed him myself. Stupid horse didn't like me doing that. Bastard. Look at him now." Lovino rolled his eyes and Feliciano had a feeling hat he cursed under his breath.
"I wonder if he's at the pond already." Feliciano lolled his head towards his brother once more.
"A storm is coming. He should be back soon." Lovino sighed glancing at him from the corners of his eyes. "Don't worry Feli, he'll be back."
Feliciano nodded biting his lip, he wasn't sure but it worried him. It wasn't only the storm but something inside told him that there was something going on with Grandpa Rome and Feliciano didn't like tit. He has been acting so weird and he couldn't place the feeling inside of him. The pressure in his chest got worse by each passing minute and right now it seemed to get worse.
"Let's go inside, the wind is picking up." Lovino took Feliciano's hand and led him away from the cold wind that kept swiping their hair around their heads.
"Faró il té." Lovino murmured after sitting Feliciano on the chair. The small brunette watch him pour the water in the pot and put it over the stove fire.
"I hope he comes soon." Tapping began to be head all over the house. The slow and soft tapping soon turned to heavy fat and loud raindrops. "It started raining."
"Don't worry." Lovino sighed rolling his eyes, "That bastard is stronger than he looks like. Even if he's old, right?" Lovino sat on the chair next to Feliciano.
Feliciano didn't like it when Lovino called their grandfather like that but he knew how he felt about Rome. He couldn't help it.
A short time passed of Feliciano pacing he kitchen biting his lower lip and nails. The feeling in his stomach would not go away. The uneasy feeling only made him worry even more. Lovino just sat there drinking a cup of tea and staring at Feliciano almost dig a hole into the wood panels from pacing over them.
The door burst opened. Feliciano turned so fast on his heels that his vision went blurry for a moment; his heart sank when he saw his neighbor standing in the door.
"Hey, bastard, why don't you knock?" Lovino stood from his chair walking to the old man. The man wore a pained expression, combined with shock, horror, and sadness. "W-what's wrong?" Lovino took a step back watching the man's twisted face.
Feliciano looked at the man. There was something with his face, something wasn't right. Then it hit him, Grandpa Rome. Feliciano raced to the man gripping his shoulders with eyebrows pushed together and a frown on his face. He shook the man violently as tears ran down his face. No, this couldn't happen. Why?
"What's going on?" Lovino made Feliciano turned to face him. His heart sank.
"Come quickly," the man said taking Feliciano's hand dragging him out the house to the old truck. The drove quietly to where the man was driving them. Lovino kept shaking, his eyes darting from place to place; Feliciano could tell he was worried. But unlike his big brother Feliciano only sat there, tears rolling down his eyes. He knew something was terribly wrong. Something was going on, but the man would not tell them. He only dragged them to his truck and began to drive. It seemed like forever, that only thing Feliciano could do is look out the window while silently crying.
When they arrived to the place Feliciano immediately recognized the place. It was the pond, the pond were Theoderich Eisenberg met Lucius Marcus Varus. Grandpa Rome had told him this story when he lived with him and Germania. Theoderich had been fishing in the old pond when a young and stubborn Lucius stumbled his way drunk. Grandpa Rome had though that Theoderich was a sexy blonde lady sitting by the pond, Germania did have long blonde hair so Feliciano couldn't blame him—it was sunset already anyway. When Lucius finally greeted the blonde he began flirting with him and with much annoyance Germania ignored the drunken brunette.
The flirting soon turned into touching and when Theoderich had enough he finally told Lucius off, but the brunette only increased his "flirting" and began to pin down the blonde, and for some reason Theoderich didn't do anything to stop the Roman from kissing him in the cheek. Germania always interfered in this part of the story when Grandpa Rome told this part. He would say that he had tried his best to stop the Roman but his blushed face gave him away.
After a few minutes of kissing and touching the Roman finally came to some of his senses and pulled away from the crimsoned faced Germanic male under him. He had blinked once, twice, three times when he finally noticed who he had kissed. Feliciano loved the next part of the story. The Germanic male only looked up at the brunette with half opened eyes while the Roman's eyes widen with surprise.
"Y-you are no lady." Grandpa Roma had said with a deep voice, making himself look manly. Feliciano had laughed so hard when he had said that way, even the Germanic man had laughed. "I-I…. I like."
"Feli…" He heard his brother say somewhere in the distance. He looked up from his hands to look at Lovino's face. His heart sank, his head throbbed, his lip trembled, and his whole form shook. "Don't look." But it was too late; he was already getting off the car and running to the lifeless body by the pond. He stopped on his tracks when he saw the crimson splatters stain the bright green grass around Grandpa Rome.
"Feliciano!" Lovino rushed to his side. By the tie had had arrived Feliciano was on his knees next to their grandfather clinching on his chest. Feliciano shook from violent sobs, this couldn't be. His beloved grandfather couldn't die.
"Lovi… He can't die." Feliciano whispered bringing the head of their grandfather to his lap and slowly wiping the blood from his faces. "H-he's cold. We have to get him out of the rain. He'll catch a could, Lovino, please help me." But Lovino just stood there, watching his brother fall apart in front of him. "Please help me, damn it!" Feliciano snapped his eyes moving to his brother.
He should say something, do something—anything—but Lovino could only stand there. Feliciano heard his brother's footstep approach, a hand resting on his shoulder and Lovino's silent sobs.
"The police are in their way…" The man said watching the two brothers. "I'm so sorry, Lovino, Feliciano… I saw them come but I couldn't do anything—they just got off their car shot him and took off." The covered his face with his hands.
The small brunette heard his brother stand and walk to the man. He didn't know how Lovino could be so pulled together, unlike him. He couldn't accept the death of his grandfather. "What do you mean they shot him?" He heard Lovino and the man do something but Feliciano could not look away from his grandfather's sleeping face. "Who shot him?! Tell me damn it!"
"I-I don't know! There were three guys in a car! I was walking back to my house when I saw them arguing with Marcus! I was about to help him but one of the biggest man shot him. H-he had really blonde hair…. I couldn't see right."
Feliciano didn't want to hear no more. He didn't care right now; he only wanted his grandfather back. The man who took care of him since he was a child, the man who showed him how to create art, how to express his feelings, the grandfather he loved.
He could feel the tears run down the puffy cheek and see them fall to his grandfather's forehead. His eyes were closed and his lips were a thin line. It didn't fit him, he wasn't the kind of person to be serious, the stillness didn't suit the Roman man, and the sadness in his face didn't belong to him. Feliciano looked down at his face, so peaceful… sobs erupted from his chest. This wasn't real.
"You can't leave us alone! Grandpa Rome… please. Don't leave us…" The last thing Feliciano remembered was the distorted and teary eyed Lovino before the world turned dark and wrapped him in a cold and wet blanked.