Little Feliciano looked out to the dark world. The rain was drizzling over his and Lovino's home, aka an abandoned apartment. In the distance, he heard a series of shouts and gunshots, but the little Italian didn't flinch. He was used to it by now. His older twin, Lovino, was fixing dinner by the lamplight and campfire stove he "found" in the city's park. Checking the food, he pulled two grilled cheese sandwiches off a grill pan that he also "found" in the park.

Blowing on one of the sandwiches, he gave it to Feli.

"What are you staring at? It's time to eat." Feliciano bit his lip as he stared sadly at the grilled cheese—it wasn't burnt as last time, but he was sure it tasted the same, nonetheless.

"Hey, Lovi, do you think there's more to this world than this abandoned apartment? I want to go outside and play and eat food. Not these sandwiches and the canned peas we eat," Feli quickly added. Lovino shrugged, wolfing down his grilled cheese in three bites. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, Lovino sighed,

"I know what you mean, Feli, but we can't go outside. If someone sees us, they'll separate us and we'll never see each other again. You don't want that, do you?" He was pulling the "puppy eyes" trick.

"I guess not," Feli mumbled, biting into his sandwich. The hot melted cheese and crunchy bread slid down his throat nicely, making Feli want to take another bite and another. Licking the crumbs off his lips and hands, he smiled, "Now that's a grilled cheese sandwich."

"I'm learning every day," Lovino yawned, cuddling under a blanket that he "found" drying off on a clothes line. Smiling, Feli's face sunk back to curiosity as he stared out the window, wondering what was out there.

"Hey, Lovi, do you think our lives will change for the better?"

"Just go to sleep, Feli. I have to go 'find' things tomorrow for dinner, and you're helping me." Turning over on his side, Lovino began to snore. Sighing, Feliciano turned off the lamplight before cuddling under the blanket with Lovi. The soft, fluffy texture reminded Feliciano of the clouds he'd seen after a rainbow.

A rainbow: The symbol of happiness, at least that's what his fratello told him. Cupping his hands as if praying, Feliciano fell asleep, dreaming of better days for him and Lovi.

A decade later…

"You're both fired!" yelled the owner, kicking the Italian twins out. "Never come back in here again, you dirty slackers!" Then, he slammed the door.

"Ouch, now what are we going to do now, Lovi?" Feliciano groaned, rubbing his aching behind.

"I'll think of something. I've always have," Lovino hissed, pulling his scarf and server's vest off and throwing them into a trashcan. Now left with only his dress pants and crisp-white shirt, he told Feliciano, "It's probably better if we have different jobs, Feli. I can't concentrate well when I have to babysit you."

"B-But, we promised that we'll work together," Feliciano countered. Lovino sighed, hand covering his eyes.

"I'll take two jobs then. You can clean up the 'house' and have fun every day….Like the life you've always wanted."

"Lovi…" Feliciano begged, but his fratello was already running away. Crestfallen, he returned back home to change and grab his painting supplies. Tying his apron on and putting his beret on his head, Feliciano looked at himself in the mirror, tracing his face with his finger like it was a brush. "It feels like Lovi's pushing me away," he told his reflection. "But, I'll show him what I can do."

And that's how Feliciano found himself at the train station half an hour later. Paying for his ticket—I'm sorry I'm wasting our money, he thought, hoping that Lovino couldn't read his mind from afar—the lively Italian boarded the train. Taking a seat, he looked out the train's windows as it began to move. He was all alone in the compartment.

Getting off the train an hour later, Feliciano found himself in an unfamiliar station. It was quiet and pretty shady looking. Turning on his heels, Feliciano got back onto the train, waiting for the next stop. And it went on like that 'til mid-afternoon. He'd finally found a station that he felt comfortable to get on.

Carrying his stuff out, Feliciano looked around for a place to paint, but he was totally lost. In the end, he asked a German to help him.

"Um, there's a good place on the city bridge. It isn't too far away from here, too. It's one of the most beautiful sights to be during the evening."

"Would you mind taking me there, Signore?" Feliciano chirped, keeping his voice light and polite.

"Ja klar," the German replied, leading Feliciano. When they arrived, Feliciano had to admit that the bridge was indeed a good spot. The way the sun's light reflected off the water was beautiful. The numerous flowers that bloomed down below were like sweet buttons on a brownish green shirt, and on the other side, a few cherry blossoms grew like cotton candy. It was the smell of a good life.

"So, what do you think?" the German asked, grinning at the look on Feli's face.

"It's stunning," Feliciano breathed, setting up his canvas and paints. When everything was set, Feliciano glanced around for something that'd catch his artistic eyes. "Those blooms down there look like they're regularly tended. Does someone own them?" he asked the German, striking a conversation to clear his mind.

"Ja, the Spaniard, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, tends them to like they're his child. You can't tell now, but he's growing tomatoes down there as well."

"My fratello loves tomatoes. Maybe, I can ask Signore Carriedo for some when they're all ripe~" Feliciano said, imagining the bliss on Lovi's face at the sight of so many tomatoes. "Ve~and, who tends the blossoms on the other side?"

"That'd be the Japanese man, Kiku Honda. He's quite a silent fellow, and he likes to stroll on this bridge on a good day like this."

"Oh, I see…" Conversation ended, Feliciano dabbed his brush into blue, but he still didn't know what to paint. He didn't know why, but something felt so wrong here. Was it the light? Was it the temperature? Was his artistic vision dying? Feliciano stood there, battling the mixed feelings that swirled in him.

Then, from the distance, he saw a feather—a shiny one—fall into the water. An idea—a seed—fell into mind. Humming a little tune, he smeared the blue across the canvas and began his work. The German stood patiently behind him, watching as Feliciano changed the empty canvas into a work of art. Shades of blue and black, bits of gray and white, and hints of pink, yellow, and orange was what Feliciano saw when he placed his brush down.

"You have true insight, Sir," commented a polite, quiet voice. Feliciano turned and saw a short, Asian man stand behind him with the German, cup of tea in hand.

"Are you Signore Kiku Honda?" The man nodded. "Hi, I'm Feliciano Vargas. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Arigatō," Kiku answered. Looking at the German, he asked, "Ludwig-san, did you bring Vargas-san here?" Before Ludwig could answer, he grabbed the Feliciano's hand.

"What are you doing? Are you jumping off?!"

Feliciano didn't say anything as he gazed at the sky, watching the birds pass by. The feeling to be up with the breeze was too tempting. Brushing Ludwig's hand off, Feli hopped onto the edge of the bridge—arms stretched out like a bird about to take flight.

"If my arms could turn into wings, I'll surely learn how to fly," he chirped, looking back at Kiku and Ludwig. "Wouldn't it be nice to be up there? No let-downs, no pain, and you're always moving to the winds you want to follow." Then he looked back at the sky. "I wish I could be up there."

"Um…Vargas-san, are you alright?" Kiku asked, tugging Feli's sleeve. "Don't you have a place to go to?" Feliciano turned. How did the Japanese man know? Blushing, he got off the edge and packed his things, leaving the painting for Kiku and Ludwig.

"Will you be coming back?" Ludwig asked, helping Kiku hold the canvas. "You seem to be a nice Italian, even if you're a bit strange."

Curling his hair between his fingers, Feliciano broke into a friendly grin. "Yes."

As he rode the train home, Feliciano was fortunate enough to watch the sun set below the horizon. Holding his brush tightly, he smiled. He was glad he bought the train ticket. He was happy that he made friends. But, most importantly, he found something that would patch the tear in his and Lovi's lives.

A month later, Feliciano finally got his brother to agree, sort of.

"Feli, I have to go to work," Lovino hissed, clawing his way out of the train compartment.

"This is our chance to change our lives, Lovi! Do you really want to stay here? Take a risk, take a chance, and we might make a change," Feliciano squeaked, dragging Lovino back in. If only he saw what I say that day, he thought, stowing his and Lovi's bags under their seats. Lovino had his arms crossed, a permanent frown on his face. His eyes stung with drowsiness from the gentle shakes of the train that he couldn't help but yawn every five minutes.

"Don't worry," Feliciano assured him, coaxing Lovino to sleep on his lap. "The new job you'll have will let you sleep in more."

"Ha, very funny, Feli," Lovino mumbled, resting his head on Feli's shoulder. Ten minutes in, Feliciano poked his brother's hand to make he was really asleep. Whipping the phone that Ludwig and Kiku pitched in to get him a week ago—"No, it was not trouble at all," Kiku reassured him when he was flustering—Feliciano clicked the camera icon, holding the phone up so it could get him and Lovi.

Holding his other hand in a peace-sign, Feliciano whispered, "Pasta~"

Summer

It'd been a few months since the Vargas twins had moved from their abandoned apartment and a lot of stuff had happened since then. Antonio volunteered to house the twins as they saved money for an apartment room to rent—"A good one," Lovino promised Feli. During the time, Antonio and Lovino spent the days in the garden—weeding, watering, talking, or dancing to salsa music. Eventually, the Spaniard hired the feisty Italian, and Feliciano could still remember the big cheesy grin Lovino had during dinner that night.

Lovino no longer had bags under his eyes, and he was no longer grouchy—for the most part. His cooking skills improved dramatically during the months—much to Feli's delight—and they often found themselves making dinner together after a long, long day. But, most importantly, Lovino was smiling more.

And as for Feliciano himself, well, he found work as an artist. Apparently, one of Kiku's cousins saw his painting and wanted to buy it for ten thousand dollars. So that's how young Feliciano earned a fat paycheck every Saturday at the auction gallery. But besides the money making, Feliciano always had time to hang out with Ludwig and Kiku on lazy afternoons. Those were the days where Kiku's photography skills came in handy.

"Let's go down to the lake," Kiku suggested, getting his Canon camera and supplies ready from his closet. "There are many birds down there right now, so it'd be an interesting sight to see."

"What do you think Ludwig? Should we go?" Feli asked, chewing on a pocky stick. The German shrugged as he corrected his students' papers. Stabbing an essay with a red pen, he got up and stretched.

"Ja, we should go. It'll make me feel better before I tackle more of the summer school assignments."

"Yay~" Pulling on light and bright clothes over their shorts and T-shirts—Kiku suggested, more like begged, to wear his old Navy jacket—they took a walk down to the nearby lake, a few bottles of soda and water in hand. When they reached there, Feliciano threw his arms into the sky and took in a deep breath.

"Feel that breeze, guys. It's better than any AC," he sighed.

"Whatever floats your boat," Ludwig rolled his eyes, seeking refuge under a shady pine tree to nap. Kiku, on the other hand, was immediately snapped pictures as Feliciano did a different pose all around the lake. By mid-afternoon, Ludwig was fast asleep and Kiku's camera memory was reaching its breaking point.

"We all have enough memory for one more picture," Kiku told Feliciano—who was swimming and diving in the lake, retrieving shells and scaring birds. "Come back here before the birds fly away!"

"Alright!" Diving back, he thought about the past few months here with his friends and Lovino with Antonio. Shrugging, he hopped back onto the ground and peeled an extra shirt off of himself.

"Hey, Kiku, can I see some of Lovi and Toni's pictures?" he asked, twisting the extra shirt like it was a stress-reliever.

"Hai," Kiku nodded, taking the shirt from Feli. Handing him the camera, Kiku watched as Feliciano's face brighten with a smile with each picture he saw.

"I like this one. It looks really nice," he commented, showing Kiku. It was a picture of the two as they were gathering tomatoes three weeks before. While taking the shot, Antonio wanted to do an artistic pose, so he and Lovino stood slanted from each other as if they were in a dance—hand in hand. It was pretty goofy, but, nonetheless, it was a good pose for the picture. "Hey, Kiku, I have an idea for our last picture." Whispering it in his ear, Kiku's eyes flashed like a mirror.

"I know the perfect spot, Feliciano-kun." Pointing to where Ludwig was napping, he said, "Sit on the branch above him and pretend to fly. You'll see," he winked when Feli gave him a weird look.

"Ve~as you wish, Kiku." Skipping over to the branch, Feliciano sneaked his way up the branch and sat down. Almost immediately, it began to creak and groan, causing Ludwig to wake up.

"Was ist los?" he yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"Hi, Luddy~" Feliciano chirped, bending down to give the German a wave.

"What the heck are you doing up there?!" Ludwig barked, scrambling away from his shady spot.

Flapping his wings, Feli chirped back, "Kiku's taking my picture, duh." Tilting his head to the side, he asked Kiku, "When do I start?"

"Now, Feliciano-kun."

Snap.

"Feliz cumpleaños a ti. Feliz cumpleaños para él. Feliz cumpleaños para los dos. ¡Feliz cumpleaños gemelos Vargas!" Antonio sang as he tied the party balloons around his tomato plants.

Ears pink, Lovino snapped, "S-Stop that, ToniBoy. It's supposed to be a surprise. I don't want the whole dang neighborhood to find out!"

"Oh, lo siento, Lovi~" Antonio grinned, going into his kitchen to get the food and presents. "Do you think Kiku and Ludwig have distracted Feli long enough?" Lovino shook his head as he raked all the fallen flower petals into a trash bag. "So, why do you want this to be a surprise to him?"

"Well, it's sort of a surprise for me too," Lovino began, tossing the trash bag to ToniBoy. "This is our first time celebrating our birthdays like this. We usually celebrate it together alone, but it was never like this. Just living another year or day was a good gift already."

"Oh, you don't know what to give him," ToniBoy chirped, passing presents to Lovi.

"No, it's not that either, salsa-dancer. I just want him to have the best birthday in his life," Lovino sighed; his ears as bright as ToniBoy's tomatoes.

"That's so cute!" ToniBoy squealed running towards Lovino to give him a hug.

"Back off!" Lovino snapped, running away.

That night…

It was dark and getting cold, so the trio jogged back to Kiku's house for a light snack after a very long day. Cracking open a can of lemonade, Feli lounged across Kiku's coach as Ludwig continued grading his students' work.

"That was a lot of fun, right?" Feli asked Ludwig, piling the graded work in a lazy stack.

"Ja, it was," he replied, like a robot. Pouting, Feli rolled onto his side, yawning and stretching.

"I wish every day was like this. What about you, Kiku?" Not even taking his eyes off his camera, Kiku commented,

"Yeah, days should always be like this." Eyes narrowed, Feliciano drained the rest of his lemonade.

"I'm going to go take a short nap~"

ZZZzzz

When he woke up an hour later, all of the lights were off.

"Kiku? Ludwig?" Feliciano called out, rubbing his eyes. It was too early for Kiku to be sleeping, and way too early for Ludwig to call quits for the day. Maybe they're ordering take-out, he thought, scratching his head. I should get going.

Slipping his shoes on, Feliciano made his way to the door—without the lights—and got out, locking Kiku's door, of course. Rubbing his arms, he walked down the stone steps, basking in the scenery. The moon was full and like a diamond in the dark canvas of the sky.

"The moon is made out of cheese, and there's an old guy up there," Lovino told him when they were younger.

"Are there pasta bunnies up there too?" he drooled, stomach growling.

Lovino nodded. "And, there's a tomato river that gives everything flavor."

The cherry blossoms were at their most innocent stage as the petals reflected a bit of moonlight. Plucking a blossom, Feli placed in his hair before going under the bridge. Climbing up the slippery steps to Antonio's house, he saw it was dark there too. Maybe they're all getting take-out, he thought, frowning.

Sighing, he opened the garden gate. Maybe I can make pasta sauce from the tomatoes. Finding a tomato plant, he plucked a fat one off before proceeding to the house. That's when he began to notice things. Why was a table out here? Sniff...Did someone cook out here? And why did he feel liked someone was watching him?

He heard a giggle, more like four, and then a cough. Turning around, someone tackled him to the ground. The lights in the house blasted on as he heard people cheering and clapping. On top of him was Lovi, who was actually crying.

"Buon compleanno, fratellino," Lovino sniffed, hugging Feli tighter than he ever had in his life. Feli looked over his shoulder. Antonio was pouring drinks and passing food. Ludwig had the presents ready, and Kiku was snapping pictures. In front of him was a huge picture of the photo he and Kiku did earlier that afternoon. And he had to admit, it was beautiful.

The angle was just right as the birds flew by when he flapped his arms like he was flying. The breeze rippled through his shirt, giving a wave affect. The leaves that came by, the flowers that were pushed in: This was probably the best photo Kiku had ever taken.

"Grazie," Feliciano sniffed, hugging Lovi back. "Grazie."

As both brothers cut the cake,
as everyone munched down on the food,
as they all looked at the stars afterwards,
while ToniBoy strummed a bit on his guitar,
Feliciano heard the song again.
The song he'd heard long ago when he was little.
Break away…