A/N: Uploading from mobile is hard, especially since I have to check multiple times to see if the copy-n-paste didn't HTML the whole thing. Updates for this story should be every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with possible bonus chapters on Sunday, unless something comes up. In which case I will try to crunch in time to update. ¡Adios!

Lovino drove home, shaking with worry for his brother. The entire neighborhood was dark, his headlights the only source of illumination. He quickly pulled in the driveway to his house, grabbing his keys and jumping out of the car. "Feli?" he called out, running to the front door. Please, please be okay!

Lovino unlocked the door to the house and ran in. "Feliciano? Are you here?" When he didn't get an answer, Lovino ran to the living room, hoping to find his younger brother curled up on the couch. There wasn't a sign of the other Italian in the room. Lovino started to panic, his whole body trembling with terror, when there was a loud shriek from upstairs. Lovino dashed up the steps to find someone slamming against the door to Feliciano's room. "Hey!" Without any common sense, Lovino reached out and yanked the person away.

He wasn't expecting the terrifying face of a man whose eyes were bloodshot, his pupils white, and his mouth dripping with dark blood. Shocked, Lovino stumbled back, falling back down the stairs with a yelp. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut to stop the white lights streaking across his vision. There wasn't much time to rest, however, because Lovino heard a low growl from upstairs. Opening his eyes, he saw the man crouching on the steps, ready to pounce. And he would have pounced Lovino if the Italian hadn't rolled out of the way.

Lovino scrambled up, backing away as the man turned his head towards him, snarling. "Hey, there's no need for this," he said, trying to at least communicate with the thing. "I don't know what you're doing in my house, but you need to leave." The man only snarled again, baring his teeth at Lovino. "Okay...so it looks like you won't cooperate." Lovino tried to inch away from the man, an idea forming in his head.

There was a basement to the house that was inaccessible unless someone were to use the dumbwaiter in the kitchen. If Lovino could lead the man into the dumbwaiter and send him down, there was a zero percent chance of him coming back up. So with that set in his mind, Lovino kept his eyes trained on the crouching, snarling, inhumane thing in front of him as he slowly made his way from the hall to the kitchen. The man followed, his head twitching to the side every few seconds.

Lovino carefully pushed the kitchen door open, not wanting to make any sudden moves for fear of getting jumped. Why, of all things, was this happening?

As Lovino lured the man into the kitchen, Feliciano stayed inside his room. What if Lovino wasn't actually down there? What if he was imagining things, and that monster was still out there? Feliciano stared at the door, his head aching from crying so much.

It was silent outside, until there was a sudden crash, followed by a screech. Feliciano covered his ears to block out the commotion, curling up into a ball on his bed. He wanted it all to stop, he wanted Lovino, he wanted everything to go back to normal!

Downstairs, Lovino was having a rather difficult time trying to get the man into the dumbwaiter. After having tipped over a jar on the counter by mistake, the man had screeched and lunged at Lovino, teeth bared. He almost bit Lovino if the Italian hadn't jumped out the way. Now the two were darting around the kitchen, the man nowhere near the dumbwaiter.

Deciding enough was enough, Lovino risked the chance of stopping to yank the cover of the dumbwaiter up. He then ducked just as the man lunged at him, slamming right into the rectangular space. Lovino closed the cover as the man thrashed and snarled. He reached for the switch on the wall and flicked it up. The rope inside the walls lowered the little elevator rapidly, the pulley groaning at the sudden slack. Lovino held his breath as the dumbwaiter fell further and further down.

He let the breath go when he heard the faint thump of the dumbwaiter hitting the basement floor. The...whatever-that-was couldn't have survived that. Even if he did, there was zero chance of him getting back up. Lovino leaned against the counter in relief, when he remembered about Feliciano. "Feli!" Lovino ran back upstairs, knocking on Feliciano's door. "Feli, are you there? Open up!" The door slowly cracked open as a wide brown eye peeked out.

"Lovino?" Lovino smiled tiredly, his heartbeat slowing now that he knew his brother was okay.

"Hello, Feliciano." The door suddenly swung open and Feliciano threw himself at Lovino.

"Fratello!" he sobbed, clinging to his older brother. Lovino hugged him tightly, afraid to let him go.

"It's okay. I'm here now. You're safe."

"I don't know what's going on anymore!"

"I know, neither do I." Lovino stroked his younger brother's hair in an attempt to calm him down. "Are you okay? Did that guy hurt you?"

"No," mumbled Feliciano. "I ran when he came in through the window. Lovi...what was he?"

"Feli...do you remember those zombie movies you used to watch?" The realization made Feliciano shake.

"No...please...it's a bad dream, it has to be," he stuttered out. "It...it has to be!" Lovino shook his head, feeling Feliciano shake in his arms. "I don't...I don't want to die." He started to cry again, absolutely terrified.

"Hey, you are not going to die, alright?" Lovino tilted Feliciano's head up. "I'll protect you. I promise, nothing will happen to you." Feliciano leaned against Lovino, sniffling. He knew Lovino would keep his promise, but he was still scared to death. All he wanted right now was to go to sleep.

"Thank you, Lovi," he murmured, yawning a bit.

"Lay down, okay? I'll check the house. I'll be right back." Lovino let Feliciano go and left the room. Feliciano made his way to his bed, sitting in the corner as he waited for his brother to come back.

A minute or two had passed before Lovino came back. He closed the bedroom door, locking it with a sigh. "Everything's locked. We're safe for the night." Feliciano waited, looking at Lovino with sad eyes. Lovino noticed and frowned. "Is something wrong?" Feliciano held his arms out as if he were a little child. Lovino smiled and rolled his eyes, kicking off his shoes before crawling into the bed. Feliciano immediately snuggled against Lovino, laying his blanket over them.

"Fratello?" whispered Feliciano.

"Right here, Feli," Lovino said, smiling at their little routine.

"Buonanotte, Lovi."

"Buonanotte, Feli." Lovino held Feliciano close as the other fell asleep. He stayed awake, thoughts overflowing in his head. What would happen in the morning? They couldn't stay here; it was too dangerous. Lovino thought of every possible solution. Maybe...No, it was stupid, and Feliciano wouldn't agree to it. But he didn't have to know. With the decision made, though Lovino knew it would upset his brother to no ends, he fell into a fitful sleep.