A/N – I've been toying with this idea for a while now. I've just been too lazy to actually start writing it. XD Oh well, here it is. Very first Hetalia fanfic so I hope you enjoy it! Reviews/feedback is always welcome. ~PastaCurls
Summary – Feliciano and Lovino's parents died in a car crash when they were 2. The twins were taken in by their grandfather and lived happily. When the twins are 11 their grandfather falls ill and passes away, leaving the twins with their only remaining family member - an abusive, alcoholic uncle.
Rating – M
Warnings – Violence, swearing and smut.
Main Pairing – Italy/Romano (BROTHERLY LOVE, NO ITACEST)
Other Pairing(s) – GerIta, Spamano, USUK
3.38am.
'Anytime now' Lovino thinks to himself as he stares at the clock on his bedside table, sighing quietly. He glances over at the bed on the other side of the room, his younger twin, Feliciano, sleeping quietly in it. A surge of guilt and worry floods through Lovino as he watches his little brother sleep, knowing he'll be torn away from his peaceful slumber shortly.
Lovino sighs and checks the clock again. 3.40am.
"Not much longer, Feli.." He whispered, more to himself. "I'll get us out of this hellhole soon. I promise."
Not a minute later the walls of the house shake as the front door is swung open, heavy footsteps banging against the floorboards as the twin's 'guardian' stumbles into the house.
Lovino's grip on his bed sheet tightens and he can't stop himself from flinching as the front door is slammed shut, shaking the house once again. He holds his breath and listens as the man downstairs walks through the house into the kitchen, most likely to get a beer from the fridge. There's a grunt followed by a loud thud and the sound of a glass shattering on the floor.
"Lovino?" a small voice whispers.
The boy in question jumps and turns to see his younger brother now sat up in his bed, his hands clenched around the bed covers. Even in the dimly lit room, Lovino can see his brother's small frame shaking.
"..It's alright, Feliciano." He says softly, willing his voice not to waver. "He might go straight to bed."
Lovino knows it's wrong to get his brother's hopes up, but he can't stand the terrified look on Feliciano's face.
"I hope so.." Feliciano whispers back, subconsciously rubbing his left shoulder, attempting to hide the wince as the skin throbs.
Lovino doesn't miss it. He never does.
Loud footsteps clumping up the stairs has both twins' gazes snapping to their bedroom door, the only things between them and another beating.
"Get under the bed." Lovino says quickly as he climbs off his own, his eyes switching between the door and his brother.
Feliciano's eyes fill with tears as the footsteps get louder, but he ignores his brother's words and stays seated.
The older twin's eyes narrow as he fumes.
"Get under the bed, Feliciano!" he hisses, striding over to the lighter haired boy.
"No, it's not fair for you to take it on your own." Feliciano says, sitting up straight as he tries to be brave for his brother.
He reaches out and takes Lovino's hand, tugging him onto the bed beside him so he can curl into his side. Lovino begins to cry, though he doesn't let it show, he never does, and he pulls his baby brother closer, wrapping an arm around him. He wishes desperately for a way out, a way to keep him and his brother safe.
The footsteps are louder now, signalling the man is walking along the hallway, working his way to their bedroom. There's still the smallest hope that the man could be heading straight to bed and won't bother with the twins tonight.
Lovino and Feliciano hold onto that small ounce of hope as their hearts thump wildly in their chests, their arms wrapped around each other. There's a moment of silence, both brother's holding their breaths as they listen out for their guardian. Sadly, that small ounce of hope is shattered when a gruff voice mutters something quietly and the footsteps start up again, even close and louder now.
Lovino feels his brothers body shake violently as their bedroom door swings open and the man they feared more than anything stumbled inside, a half empty bottle of beer held in one of his hands.
"What the fuck are you two doing?" the deep voice growls and Lovino turns slightly, looking up at their guardian.
"Nothing, Uncle Marcello." He says calmly, not letting his voice shake. Not allowing the older man to know how scared he is.
The dark haired man scoffs and takes a few steps forward, the beer in his bottle sloshing as he swings his arms.
"Fucking right you're doing nothing," he sneers, taking a sip and making a face. "You're both fucking useless the pair of you."
Feliciano flinches at the harsh words and bites his lip. He can feel the tension building in his brother's body as he tries to control his temper. But he knows better than to lash out at their uncle.
They both do.
"Don't know why I even bother letting you stay here, all you do is fuck everything up." he says roughly.
Marcello takes a long drink of his beer, finishing off the bottle. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand before carelessly flinging the bottle in the twin's direction. Feliciano squeaks as the bottle collides with his cheek rather hard before falling to the floor and shattering.
"What the fuck, you little shit! Can't you do anything right?" Marcello yells and storms towards them, grabbing the younger twin by the front of his shirt and yanking him up.
Lovino bolts of the bed, ripping the man's hands off Feliciano before pushing him away quickly.
"That wasn't his fault!" he yells back, angrily. "You threw the bottle."
The uncle's eyes narrow darkly and he quickly has a hand wrapped around Lovino's throat.
"How dare you fucking speak back to me!" he roars before throwing the boy to the glass covered floor.
Lovino cries out and curls in on himself quickly, expecting what comes next. A hard, black, leather boot collides with his stomach, knocking all of the air out of his lungs as he gasps in pain.
"Worthless piece of shit," the man mutters as he delivers a few more hard kicks to the boy's chest, side and back.
"Stop it!" Feliciano cries, desperately trying to pull the man away from his brother's battered body.
He grips his uncle's arm and manages to throw him off balance, causing him to stumble into the wall. Marcello looks to the younger twin once he gains his balance and growls in his throat before launching forward.
Feliciano tries to run but the man quickly grabs his nephew by the hair and pulls him back roughly. He finds the boys arm, twisting it harshly until the boy crumbles to the floor, crying out in pain. The older man merely sneers and backhands him across the face before throwing him to the floor beside his brother.
"Waste of space.." Marcello mutters to himself as he turns to leave, striding towards the door.
"Clean that up." he throws over his shoulder before slamming the bedroom door shut.
Lovino winces as he pushes himself up to sit, his bruised body aching and his arms stinging, splintered with small shards of glass. Feliciano's at his side in seconds, arms wrapped around his neck as he finally lets his tears fall, crying quietly into his brother's shoulder.
The older twin wraps Feliciano up in his arms, cradling the younger boy to his chest as he strokes his hair and kisses his head.
"Shh, it's okay.. Are you alright?" he asks quietly, one hand travelling to his brother's injured arm.
Feliciano winces at the touch but doesn't stop him, nodding silently against his brother's neck.
"Are you?"
Lovino nods too, pulling him closer.
The two stay like that for a while, Lovino gently carding his fingers through Feliciano's hair as his brother calms down, his sobs slowly stopping. It's only when the older twin notices that Feliciano is falling to sleep that he decides to move.
"Come on, let's get cleaned up then head to bed."
The younger of the two nods and stands slowly, rubbing his eyes in a childish manner that has Lovino smiling to himself. Feliciano fetches a damp cloth and some pain killers from the bathroom while Lovino clears up the pieces of broken bottle.
They sit on Feliciano's bed and Lovino gently presses the cloth to his brother's bruised cheek who smiles gratefully. He checks over Feliciano's arm too then tends to his own injuries before tossing the cloth away.
Feliciano hands him a glass of water and two of the painkillers, watching his brother swallow them before climbing into bed.
"Lovi," he says quietly when the older twin starts to stand. "Will you stay with me, please?"
Lovino looks down at his twin and nods silently, climbing into bed beside him. He lets Feliciano cuddle into him before draping the covers back over them.
It doesn't take long for Feliciano to fall asleep, his face nuzzled into his brother's shirt as he snores quietly. Lovino sighs shakily and looks down at his twin, watching him sleep for a moment. He smiles slightly, despite what had happened. It still amazed him how quickly his brother could fall asleep. He presses a kiss to the top of his Feliciano's head, wishing he could sleep as easily.
"Soon," he whispers softly. "I'll get us out of here soon. I promise."