Their grandfather had been their only living family- Lovino and Feliciano were never aware of how their parents died; their grandfather never said- so it was a relief for Lovino when Bella and Lars told them they could live with them. Feliciano hadn't said a word at the announcement but his grip on Lovino's hand loosened considerably, which he took to be a good sign.

Bella and Lars didn't live inside the city like most did. Their home was right outside of the city, where the lands were still forests and unburdened by buildings and roads. It didn't take long to reach by car- about fifteen or so minutes if Lovino kept count right. Feliciano had dozed off almost the minute they got inside and leaned heavily on his brother. Lovino himself was watching the scenery pass by in a daze, though there wasn't much but darkness. There were times he thought he saw something moving outside, but it was too dark to see.

"We're here." Bella turned around in her seat and smiled down at the two. "It's too dark to give you the tour, but we'll do it tomorrow bright and early." Lovino nodded and then lifted a hand to wake his brother up when Bella told him not to. "He's had a rough day, you both have. Lars can carry him to his bedroom."

As soon as she said that Lars had opened the door to the backseat and gently lifted Feliciano away. Lovino followed him to the front door as Bella began bringing in their belongings. "Do you want to share a room?" He asked Lovino.

"Sí." Lovino responded.

"Alright then."

Lovino nodded and looked around his surroundings while Lars waited for Bella to bring the keys. He couldn't see much except for the front porch and the faint outline of trees near the back of the house. It reminded him of the stories his grandfather used to read him and Feli about witches and their homes. He imagined a witch living inside the woods, far away enough for no one to notice but close enough to keep a watch on the two boys who had just moved in, rubbing her wrinkled hands together in anticipation for the right moment where she could lure one in and then-

Lovino gulped and made a move to grip the cross around his neck. He looked down in a panic when he realized it wasn't there. Frightened, he told Bella he had lost it. Bella looked contemplative. "Maybe you dropped it in the car? You can go ahead and check, but be quick."

He mumbled a 'thank you' before rushing to the car. It was settled on the side of the dirt road a bit away from the house, pointed in the opposite direction from which they came from. He opened the car door and patted the seats down for any traces of his cross, and breathed a sigh of relief when he found it stuck between a fold. He felt a wave of protection settle over him the minute he put it on and shut the door. He intended to turn towards the house when something caught his eye. Lovino gazed out into the open road and, not even 30 yards away from him, was a shadowed man looking right at him with a wicked grin and glowing red eyes.

Lovino screamed and ran as fast as he could into the house. He told Bella what he saw and Lars quickly grabbed something from a cabinet and headed outside. Bella tried her best to calm him down, which he only did when Lars reentered and said there was no one outside. "No one's this far from the city at this time." Lars patted his shoulder in comfort. "You probably saw a wolf. A pack of them live in the forest and only come out at night. You probably saw one getting ready to hunt."

Lovino quickly accepted Lars' explanation, but he couldn't stop trembling. He ended up sleeping with Lars that night while Bella slept with Feliciano (Lovino had demanded one of them look after his brother, which the siblings obliged far too easily). Between Lars' promise to not fall asleep until Lovino did, and the cup of milk Bella gave him, he was able to fall asleep faster than he'd thought.

He dreamt of his grandfather running away from the red-eyed shadow, grinning the entire time as he easily caught up to him.

It took a few days for the two to get settled in mostly because, though they had their clothes with them, they hardly had any other possessions. Everything they owned was still in their house in the city and both Feliciano and Lovino refused to step back in there. It was up to Lars to pack up all their belongings, which required travelling back and forth between the city and their new home for three days straight. Bella always made sure to have a hot cup of coffee and a slice of cake ready for him.

Once they were able to fit everything into their shared room, Lovino and Feliciano decided to explore their new surroundings. It turned our to be an unsuccessful venture. Many of the rooms were locked, including the basement. Bella explained that most of the rooms were used for storage and that they were a few dangerous objects inside that she'd rather not risk they play with. When Feliciano asked why don't they just place all the dangerous things in the basement, Bella laughed nervously. "We never thought of that. You're a smart one, aren't you Feli?" She ruffled his hair. Feliciano smiled. "Why don't we all go into town and buy some sweets?"

Lars took them into town in the afternoon. The streets were crowded, so Bella took their hands and told them to stay close. Bella tried her best to guide them through, but one particular bulky man bumped into Lovino. He involuntarily let go of Bella's hand and was swept away by the crowd until he felt someone grab his hand and drag him into am emptier part of town. Lovino gaped at the boy he had seen the day of his grandfather's death. "You!"

"Hola!" The boy- Lovino couldn't remember his name- cheerfully greeted him. Lovino snatched his hand back and took a step back. The boy pouted. "You don't have to mean, Lovi."

"It's Lovino, not Lovi, you creep." He never liked it when strangers shortened his name to Lovi.

The boy continued to pout. "That's not my name."

"I don't care." Lovino huffed.

"I just want to be friends…" He muttered dejectedly. "I even saved you from that crowd…"

Lovino turned a dark red. "I was fine! I didn't need your help!"

"You were walking backwards though."

"S-shut up!" Lovino sputtered. "I'll be your friend if you shut about this, okay?"

"Sí!" The boy beamed and took Lovino's hand in his. "My name is Antonio Fernandez Carreido. We're going to be good friends, Lovi!"

"It's Lovino. Lovino Vargas. Stop calling me-hey," Lovino raised an eyebrow when Antonio's eyes widened. "What is it?"

"A-Ah, it's nothing." Antonio let go of Lovino's hand and laughed somewhat nervously. Lovino continued to stare at him. "I have to go. I was supposed to meet my brother a while ago…goodbye Lovino! I'll see you another time!" And with that, Antonio turned on his heels and sprinted back into the direction of the crowd, leaving a bewildered Lovino once again staring after him.

Weeks passed by and Feliciano and Lovino slowly began to adapt to their new surroundings. It had soon become common routine to wake up to the smell of Bella making breakfast, having their lessons until mid-afternoon, and then either help Lars with errands throughout town or play around in the backyard until the sun set. Though Lovino wouldn't outright admit it, he always preferred going into town with Lars to get a chance to talk to his new so-called friend. Feliciano, having met Antonio a few times already as well, claimed he and Lovino were best friends (Lovino would turn red but didn't say anything to deny it).

The best part for Lovino, however, was that Feliciano was finally laughing again. His brother had gone into a bit of a depression since the funeral, but the change in scenery and Bella and Lars' kindness had helped him go back into his cheerful personality. To see his younger brother smiling again was the greatest thing Lovino had ever seen. It was short-lived, however.

In Bella's defense, she had not known what she had said until much later. Feliciano and Lovino were helping Bella put away some groceries when she mentioned that the four of them should visit the ocean before it got too cold. Feliciano had dropped the sack of flour in his hands and, with teary eyes, had run away before Bella realized he had done so. Lovino felt his own eyes water and told an anxious Bella why Feliciano had run away.

"Nonno promised to take us to the ocean on Feli's birthday."

As Lars comforted Bella, Lovino looked around the house for Feliciano. He wasn't in any of the unlocked rooms and he doubted that Feliciano was in the locked ones. After searching the bathrooms and living room, Lovino decided to check the backyard. He opened the back door and noticed that the sun was minutes away from setting. Lovino hesitated, remembering the glowing red eyes he had thought he'd seen. Feliciano wouldn't have gone outside right before dark, would he?

Lovino ran out into the backyard and yelled out his brother's name. There was no answer.

By this time Lovino began to grow worried. The backyard was large and filled with multiple flowers- there were even the ones his grandfather had loved outlining the entire area- but there were no ideal hiding spots. Feliciano wasn't there, which left only one spot that Lovino had yet to check- the small clearing in the woods. It was Feliciano's favorite spot, but they hardly visited because Lars would chide them every time they did, but that didn't matter right now. Lovino took a deep breath and sprinted towards the clearing. Once he broke past the barrier of leaves that posed as an entrance, relief flooded through him as he saw Feliciano leaning against a tree not too far from him. The branches above him were wide enough to let the last rays of sunlight pass through, illuminating Feliciano and his tears. It reminded Lovino of a story he had once heard about an angel that had fallen from heaven and cried until he could no longer feel the pain of losing his wings. He didn't like that image at all.

"Feli?" Lovino sat down next his brother and wrapped an arm around him. "Bella's sorry. She didn't know-"

"I know." Feliciano sniffled, snuggling into his brother's side. "But that's not why I ran away."

"Then why?"

"It's going to sound silly." Lovino looked at him and Feliciano sighed. "Fine, I'll tell you but you can't tell Bella or Lars." Lovino nodded and, after a deep breath, he continued on. "When Bella said the four of us should go to the ocean, it hit me that we're no longer a part of nonno's family. We're still Vargas', I know that, but it doesn't feel like it. We have a new family, and I really like Bella and Lars, but I'm afraid I'm going to end up forgetting about nonno one day. A-and-" Feliciano sniffled and wiped away a tear, "I don't want to forget him, Lovi. I love nonno with all my heart, even if he's not here anymore."

Lovino didn't know what to say, so he only hugged Feliciano tighter and tried his best as if his brother's words had affected him. "Feli, we're always going to be a part of nonno's family. He'll always be ours, and he would want us to be happy and not cry over him forever."

Feliciano held onto his brother tighter and cried onto his brother's shoulder. "I really miss him."

"Me too."

"I wish he'd come back."

"I wish that, too."

"Well, if you guys are really sure about that," an unknown voice said disturbingly close to them, "I can make that happen." Lovino and Feliciano jumped at the unfamiliar voice, the younger instinctively hiding behind the older. Lovino looked all over the area to try to find the voice and almost screamed as he found blood red eyes a few meters away. They were the same eerie color he had seen in the distance. The man's other features were covered up by the darkness the two brothers had failed to notice had descended upon them.

"What's the matter, kids?" The man spoke again. His voice was filled with amusement and laced with something that made Feliciano hide behind his brother further. "Scared?"

"W-who are you?!" Lovino's voice trembled with fear. "And what are you doing here?!"

"Gilbert Beilschmidt, at your service." The man stepped closer to the two boys as he spoke, revealing snow-white hair and a devilish smirk. "And you can say I'm here to grant you a wish."

"A-a wish?" Feliciano peeked from his brother's shoulder. "Are you an angel then?"

The two boys jumped again at the sound of Gilbert's laughter echoing throughout the clearing. "I'm something much better." Gilbert said after he composed himself. "An angel would let your grandfather rot in the ground. I, on the other hand, will not."

Feliciano perked up at his words. "You can bring nonno back?"

A grin. "Yep. He'll be just as he was when he was alive."

"And how are you going to do that?" Lovino eyed the man suspiciously. "Magic?"

"Something like that, yes." Gilbert shrugged. "Though the process isn't that important. All you two have to know is that your precious nonno can come back. For a price, of course."

"A price?" Feliciano frowned. "We don't have money."

"Not that kind of price." Gilbert's grin widened so much Lovino thought his face would split in two. Unfortunately, it didn't. "Here's my offer- I'll bring your grandfather back, just like he used to be before the incident, for a small piece of your souls." Before Lovino or Feliciano could react, a small mirror materialized in Gilbert's hand. He offered it to Lovino, who took it warily. The two boys looked down into the glass, almost instantly entranced by what they saw. They hardly even noticed as Gilbert spoke on. "That mirror reflects what I'd take. It's just a meaningless part of your souls- you'll hardly notice it's gone."

"And then we can see nonno?" Feliciano asked, slightly dazed.

"Yep, I guarantee you will see your grandfather. He'll be back to normal and the three of you can be a family again. And here's the best part- I'll come to collect when you both turn eighteen, so you don't have to be frightened by having that small speck of your soul taken right now. What do you say?" Gilbert extended both his hands out- one to Feliciano and one to Lovino. "Do we have a deal?"

Feliciano eagerly extended his own hand to agree, but Lovino stopped him. "How do we know you're telling the truth?" He asked Gilbert.

Something flickered passed Gilbert's eyes but it was gone as soon as Lovino had blinked. He snapped his fingers and a coffin appeared in the center of the clearing with a cloaked figure sitting on top of it. With one glance from Gilbert, the figure hopped off the coffin and knocked on the wooden surface. A few tense moments passed by until a muffled voice spoke and leaving both brothers breathless.

"Lovi? Feli?"

"Nonno!" Both boys ran towards the coffin and tried lifting the top, but it was far too heavy for them. Gilbert and the cloaked figure watched on in amusement.

"Believe me now?" Gilbert looked smugly down at the Lovino. "Or do you need more convincing?"

Lovino said nothing, still trying to process that his nonno was alive and that this man had done the impossible. They could be a family again, and go back home, have breakfast and dinner together, go to sleep to the sound of nonno's voice-

"We'll do it."

Gilbert grinned. "Give me your hands." Lovino and Feliciano extended one hand each. Gilbert took them in his own hands. Almost immediately they felt a small sting on their chest, right where their heart was. The pain was gone in a matter of seconds. "The contract is complete." Gilbert snapped his fingers again and the coffin lid disappeared. "Hope you boys enjoy seeing your grandfather just as he is…" A hand emerged from the coffin, holding a knife. "As the cold-blooded hunter he really is."

Gilbert disappeared as Bella and Lars ran into the clearing with pistols in their hands. Bella shot for Gilbert but he was already gone. Lars ran forward to where the two brothers stood transfixed as their grandfather emerged from the coffin. "Lovino, Feliciano, get out of here!" He shouted. "That's not your grandfather, that's-!"

"You shouldn't spoil the surprise." The cloaked figure stood in front of him, blocking his way to the boys. "It's no fun that way."

"Get out of the way." Lars pulled out a knife and swung, but the cloaked figure just laughed and dodged easily. Bella took advantage of the situation and ran towards Feliciano and Lovino, but it was too late. Their grandfather had come out of the coffin and was giving them a calculating look. His eyes weren't the warm honey-colored they remembered, but a solid brown with tints of red. He positioned the knife towards them to keep them from coming closer. "Devil's children." He spoke coldly. "I will give you five seconds to disappear before I slay you."

"Nonno," Feliciano took a hesitant step forward. "Why are you-" Bella was barely able to deflect the knife aimed at Feliciano's chest with her own blade. Feliciano stumbled backwards and fell onto the grass, tears falling down his face. Lovino was too stunned to move.

Their grandfather looked at Bella apathetically. "Why are you defending them?"

"Because," Bella swung the blade but was blocked," I made a promise to you, Julius, that I'd take care of them."

"I never said that."

"You did." Bella twisted her blade and nicked Julius's arm. "When you had a soul."

"Then I was soft." Julius growled. "Souls make us weak! It is the only reason why you protect these damnable children!" He looked at Lovino straight on. "I was a fool to love you and your brother. I wasted years loving such worthless children-!" Lovino never heard the rest of what Julius had to say. Lars had escaped the cloaked figure and had stabbed Julius in the chest.

Feliciano watched in horror as he saw his grandfather die for the second time. Something in him seemed to snap. This was his fault. Him and Lovino were beginning to enjoy their new life, and Feliciano had to mess that up by being oversensitive. Had he not run into the clearing, had he not made Lovino follow him, they wouldn't be in this mess. Lovino wouldn't have had to have face their grandfather's cruelty and Feliciano wouldn't be feeling like his world was being undone. He wished he could forget this had all happened, if only he could forget-

"In that case," the cloaked figure appeared next to him, his hood turned down so his face was revealed. Feliciano's eyes widened in surprise as something about the man's face struck him as familiar, "would you like to make a deal with me?"

"Lovino!" Bella dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around the stunned boy. "Are you okay? What did that demon say to you?"

"He…" Lovino felt tears run down his face. "He said he could bring nonno back. That he'd take a small part and he'd bring him back. I knew it sounded to good to be true, but then we heard nonno's voice and-"

"Lovi, calm down." Bella shushed him. "It'll be okay." She opened her mouth to question him about a few more things but Lars interrupted her.

"Where's Feliciano?"

It felt like a bucket of ice cold water had hit Lovino. He searched wildly for his brother but could not find him anywhere. "Feliciano!"

"Shhh, you'll wake him." The man, face hidden once more, whispered. Feliciano was in his arms fast asleep. "He had a hard day, he deserves to sleep don't you think?"

Lars pointed his pistol at him. "Put him down." The man did as he was told and laid Feliciano gently on the grass. Lovino tried to run to him, but Bella held onto his arm tightly. "What did you do to him?"

At this the man grinned. "I gave him what he wanted. The poor boy wanted to forget, so I let him forget. That's all."

"Forget?" Bella eyed him. "Forget all this, you mean?"

"Forget everything." The man clapped his hands in glee. "That includes you, Lovi. He probably doesn't even remember his name. Ah, but if you were to tell him that's a different story but you'd be going against his wishes. I wonder what you'll do…will you protect your brother from everything or will you let him suffer with you? Decisions, decisions."

"That's enough!" Lars shot at him but the man danced around it. "Get out of here!"

The man laughed and disappeared without a fight. Lars walked around and scanned the perimeter for any other demons while Bella checked for injuries on Feliciano. Meanwhile Lovino stood there, staring at his brother's peaceful face, as the man's words ran through his mind. 'Will you protect your brother or let him suffer?'

He had promised his grandfather a long time ago that he would protect Feliciano. He had failed at that, but he would make sure to never do so again. He went over to Feliciano's unconscious form and tried his best to not show the guilt he was feeling. He knew what he had to do.

"Bella," Bella looked up and was caught off guard at the seriousness and pain in Lovino's eyes. They were ones she had seen plenty of times before, but never in a child. She watched as Lovino took a deep breath, rapidly blinking away tears, before speaking again. Though he tried his best, Lovino's voice broke at the end and left him breaking out into a sob. "I don't think Feli can stay with us anymore."

He would protect his younger brother from everything- the demon, the pain, the guilt- no matter what. He'd make sure of it.