Flavio trembled where he layed in bed as he heard another smash come from the living room.
Lutz tumbled from somewhere in the house, and as the larger man in the house toppled over the bang of it made Flavio jump.
His older brother was at it again; wasn't he?
He crawled out of the bed, and tiptoed to were he had heard the ruckus.
Flavio stared at his two adoptive parents that were really his older brother and his husband.
Luciano's eyes were dark and cold as his knife pierced across much too soft flesh to be attacked by his sharp, gold knife.
Blood dripped down from Lutz's throat on to the pale gray floor.
"Go back to bed." Luciano's voice was bitter and cold, and Flavio shook as if just that tone of voice implied that Lutz would die.
"Please do." Lutz gurgled out.
Flavio's knees shook as he stepped towards his room to the comforts of it, and upon arriving there he closed his eyes in fear of what Luciano would do to Lutz when he was gone.
Eventually the heavy thuds, and occasional sounds of pain vanished from the room which enabled Flavio to sleep.
The next morning, Luciano had left to go who knows where as Lutz cooked a small German dinner for him and his brother-in-law.
"Thank you." Flavio's eyes flickered to the floor; how could his life be so awful when he was so young?
"It's no problem." Lutz murmured, and Flavio wondered for the umpteenth time why his brother could hurt such a kind and gentle man such as Lutz.
That night something was different when Luciano attacked Lutz; screamed profanities bounced off of the wall which startled the young Flavio that was still too young to understand what was going on.
The four year old trembled in his bed as he heard the much too normal sounds of violence.
His heart jumped to his throat as he the dangerous bang of a gun going off.
"Uncle Lutz?" His small body shook in fear as he left the safe confines of his bedroom to see if his beloved brother-in-law was alive.
His blue eyes widened in surprise as he caught sight of his brother bleeding on the carpet for once with his knife out of his grasp.
"What did you do?" Flavio wondered.
"I'm sorry. I was worried that he'd get you with his knife." Lutz mumbled; the first sign of tears began to drip down Lutz's face, causing Flavio to realize that there must have been some kind of love there held with in the waves of abuse that must have happened before the abuse did.
"It's okay. I love you." It wasn't okay, and that was clear to the two of them in that moment; Luciano didn't use to be this bad that much Flavio could remember as Luciano used to play with him though it was obvious that the older Italian liked to have the upper hand as well as fight more than Flavio's preferred games.
"I love you too." Lutz's voice fell down to a murmur as he pulled the young boy closer to him; Flavio leaned closer to his side.
Things were subject to change after Luciano's death, and change they did.
Lutz raised Flavio single handedly, and the boy eventually grew up; he was more gentle natured, and had developed an interet in fashion.
Flavio was confident, but he avoided love; he did have friends, but he steadfastly refused to get in to a romantic relationship even when the option presented itself.
Lutz seemed sadder somehow, and kind of kept to himself; he said nothing about Luciano, but it was obvious to Flavio that despite everything Lutz still loved the man that had once abused him.
Time seemed to go by much too fast for the two of them, but also much too slow for Lutz who eagerly anticipated the moment that he would be reunited with his love though he knew that they would probably not meet at the Pearly Gates, but at the fiery inferno that was Hell.
