Chapter 4: You Jump, I Jump

The low deck was not overly crowded but just enough that Antonio and Gilbert were wary of being stepped on. Across the way Francis was flirting with a pretty silver blond boy. Gilbert was eyeing him as well and was about to get up and head over but his brother's hand on his shoulder stopped him. Ludwig shook his head forcefully and mouthed "don't get involved".

"It's a nice ship." Antonio mused, placing his hands behind his head.

"It's a German ship." Ludwig stated with a slightly proud smile.

"I thought it was English." Antonio sat up looking surprised.

"No it was built in Germany. Strong German labor worked on this ship." Ludwig explained.

Antonio whistled and as if in response several dogs came racing by dragging a, rather small, crew member behind them.

"P...please, slow down." He cried, "Heel."

Gilbert snorted.

"Well isn't that just the way. First class dogs come down here to shit."

Antonio grinned and winked.

"Let's us know where we rank in the world."

"As if we could forget." Francis smiled returning to the group with the silver boy on his arm.

"This is Matthew Williams." He introduced the rather nervous boy.

Antonio leapt up and shook the boy's hands.

"Antonio Carreido."

"Uh hello." The boy spoke softly with a slight blush on his face.

"Ludwig Beilschmidt." The strong German shook hands more gently with the frightened boy.

"And I'm the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt." the Prussian grinned throwing an arm around the shocked young man, "You can call me Gil if you want though cutie. Kesesese."

Matthew looked utterly terrified at the close proximate in which he found himself.

"Leave im alone Gil I saw im first." Francis warned, pulling Matthew away.

"That's only cause my Bruder held me back." Gilbert complained.

As the two continued to argue Antonio found himself being blinded by some sparkling light coming from one of the upper decks. He shaded his eyes in an attempt to find the source. But when he found it, instantly his eyes went wide.

Two decks above, a pair of young men stood at the railing. They were probably brothers as they looked so much alike One was pointing out excitedly at some bird sailing through the skies by the ship while the other was trying to push his arm down. The source of the light came from a form of sparkling jewelry the 'younger?' wore about his neck. "Diamond probably", Antonio mused. The boy was rather attractive and if his excitement over a simple bird was anything to go off of, had a cheery disposition. But it was the other boy...the one that had given up on controlling his brother and was now simply glaring out straight ahead...that captured his attention. The boy carried himself in a stance that would suggest cocky arrogance and at first his face seemed to give off the impression of disapproval and disinterest. But as Antonio studied it more closely he caught flashes of uncertainty and maybe even fear and despair beneath the surface.

"Forget it mon ami." Francis chuckled patting Antonio's back and breaking his slightly mesmerized trance, "Even I would ave to grow ze wings of an Angel to get near the likes of them."

"Kesesese. Oh man Toni's cracked in the head." Gilbert grinned putting an arm around his friend's shoulders.

Antonio shook his head.

"I'm all right mi amigos. Just lost control for a minute."

"Well welcome back to reality where my awesome bruder is probably the only one likely to get anywhere close to someone from first class."

Ludwig looked at his bruder shocked.

"What makes you think I could?"

"Cause you're a fucking handsome son of a bitch." Gilbert grinned, "Why even one of the boys up there was looking down at you."

Ludwig stared at his brother in shock.

"He was? How do you know it was me?"

"Cause I'm just that fucking awesome." Gilbert laughed and clapped his brother on the back before he went off down the deck with Francis and Matthew.

Ludwig shook his head muttering something about.

"Why would someone like him be looking at someone like me?"

Antonio smiled a bit and risked turning his eyes back to the upper deck. To his disappointment though, both boys were gone. Still, he continued to gaze at the empty area while his thoughts formed what the boy's hidden expressions had truly shown...someone who was trapped.

~*~Later That Night~*~

The music from the stringed quartet wafted around the dining hall, echoing off the fine mirrors and perfect china. The violinist was none other than Niel Eriksen who it seemed, preferred to engage himself in the creation rather than in the scene itself.

"Vee~ That was the first night that we were joined by Al and Arthur. Elizaveta and Roderich of course didn't like them so much, being 'new money' and all that, but I found them rather fun to talk with. Al especially had many exciting stories to share about growing up in America and I delighted in listening to them. Lovi on the other hand appeared more distant and withdrawn, even more so than usual.

"I saw my life as if I had already lived it. Surrounded by the same narrow minded people with meaningless chatter. A fucking endless barrage of galas and cocktail parties, weddings and christenings, all at the encouragement of my guardians and on the arm of my wife. True I was a man of 18 and the main heir to my grandfather's fine fortune. But truly, how many young men of my standing are given permission to fly completely free without being supervised for 'their own good'?"

"I could tell that he really seemed to be thinking about something intensely but as we were at dinner with our family and new friends, I didn't want to be rude and call attention to it by asking him."

"I felt like I was standing at a great precipice, with no one to pull me back. No one who cared...or even noticed."

~*~*SSH*~*~

He was running. Running as if the very devil himself was chasing him. As if the boards below his feet would collapse underneath him if he did not flee quickly. Down one staircase and up another. He had no idea of where he was going nor did he care. All that mattered was running. Running and not caring one fucking bit about the tears that spilled from his eyes.

At last he reached the point where running was no longer an option. He crashed into the railing at the bow of the ship, clutching the cold metal with sweating palms. He took several gasping breaths before looking over the edge. The pounding foam created by the ships path through the water was like a distant roar. The water churned and seemed to laugh at him with inky black shapes. Darkness. Inviting darkness beneath the water's surface.

Lovino took another deep breath before he climbed up onto the lowest bar of the railing and then hoisted himself farther up with the aid of a large chain. Carefully he swung first one leg and then the other over the railing to bring them to rest on the other side. Finally he turned around to lean out over the vast abyss, clutching to the railing with his palms.

So inviting...so mesmerizing...

"Don't do it." A Spanish accented voice spoke from behind him.

Lovino whirled his head around to find a man, probably only slightly older than himself, coming carefully towards the railing. His bright emerald eyes showed intense worry and he hastily ran a shaky hand through his unkempt chestnut hair. It was the bastard Lovino had caught looking at him from the third class deck.

"Stay back bastard." He gritted his teeth, "Don't come any closer."

Antonio took a couple of steps forward with his hand outstretched.

"Come on, give me your hand and I'll pull you back over."

"No!" Lovino shouted, "Stay where you are."

Antonio took another hesitant step.

"I mean it bastard!" Lovino warned, "I'll let go."

Antonio ran a hand through his hair again watching the young man. He was the same one that Antonio had been so mesmerized by earlier that day. It appeared he really had felt trapped. He sighed walking a little bit a ways from Lovino to another part of the back railing. He leaned his arms on it and turned back to the boy with a smile.

"No you won't."

Lovino looked taken a back and his eyes flashed dangerously.

"What do you mean no I won't? Don't presume to tell me what I fucking will and will not do! You don't know me bastard!"

Antonio raised an eyebrow and grinned a little. For being first class he sure has a third class mouth.

"Well you would have done it already."

Lovino was thrown off guard by that and wracked his brain for a good response.

"You...you're fucking distracting me bastard. Go the hell away."

Antonio shook his head and leaned back against the rail.

"I can't. I'm involved now. You jump and...I'll come in there after ya."

Lovino gaped at him.

"Don't be a fucking idiot...you'd be killed!"

"I grew up in Espana near the water...I'm a good swimmer." Antonio replied, stripping off his tan jacket.

"The fall alone would kill you." Lovino countered.

"Yeah it would hurt. I'm not denying that." Antonio grinned, reaching down to unlace one of his boots, "Frankly I'm more concerned about how cold that water is."

Lovino shivered. He didn't mind water, after all in Italy he had grown up near the water himself. But since he had been forced to move to Austria, cold was something he didn't much care for.

"How cold?" he murmured, trying not to show the other man his anxiety.

"I'd guess freezing." Antonio smiled, "Maybe a couple of degrees over."

He successfully pulled off his one boot and started untying the other.

"You ever been to Russia?"

Lovino blinked at the random question.

"What?"

"Well I went up there with my parents when I was about 12 and my older brother and I decided to try a bit of ice fishing."

"Ice fishing?" Lovino murmured.

"Yeah it's where you..."

"I know what it is." Lovino interrupted angrily, "I was just making sure that's what you said."

"Right right." Antonio smiled putting his palms up in defense, "Well anyways, I fell through some thin ice and I've gotta tell you...water that cold, like down there. It hits you like a thousand machetes stabbing all over your body. You can't breathe. Can't think...least ways not about anything but the pain."

He pulled his other boot off and looked over the edge.

"Which is why I'm not looking forward to going in after you."

He smiled and turned back to the boy.

"Like I said before, I don't have a choice."

Antonio found himself getting lost in the sweet depths of the other's eyes.

"You jump, I jump." He whispered.

Lovino gazed at the man a bit unsettled by his words in a way that was not anger or judgment. There was just something about his voice, and the way in which he used it, that threw the young Italian off balance. And it didn't help that those damned emerald orbs of his seemed to look straight through his outer mask to find the lost and confused boy beneath.

" I guess what I'm kinda hoping for is that you'll come back over the railing and get me off the hook." Antonio smiled coming to stop right behind him.

"You're fucking crazy." Lovino exclaimed.

Antonio laughed lightly.

"That's what everyone tells me but..." he leaned closer to the boy, "With all due respect young sir...I'm not the one hanging over the back of a ship."

Lovino hissed in fury and whirled away.

"Come on...just give me your hand and I'll help you back over."

Antonio held out his hand coaxingly as if trying to tempt a frightened and volatile terrier with a treat.

Lovino stubbornly shook his head and stared determinedly at the water.

"You don't want to do this." Antonio lilted gently.

Lovino closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

No...he didn't. Much as his own life was hell...he couldn't leave Feliciano alone. His younger brother needed him.

With great hesitation he placed his own hand in the Spaniard's and turned his body around.

The slightly older man smiled at him and breathed a sigh of relief wiping a hand across his forehead in a show.

"Well that was scary as hell for awhile. I'm Antonio Carreido by the way."

The young Italian looked at his face calculatingly.

"Lovino Vargas."

"That's Italian right?" Antonio grinned.

Lovino nodded and found himself actually smiling a bit. Strangely enough, he didn't care that he was showing his tear stained face to the strange lower classman.

"Come on." Antonio whispered as he urged the younger man to come back over the railing all the way with a tug on his hand.

Lovino complied and began to lift his foot up...but with the unbalanced weight his other foot seemed to succumb to a slick part of the bar and slipped out from under him. With a scream he was flailing out over the inky churning waves.

Antonio managed to catch his weight and gripped on tightly with both hands but despite the young Italian being lighter than Antonio could normally handle, both of their bodies were slightly more heavy-laden by the chill night wind.

"Mio dio salvami!" Lovino screamed and tried desperately to clutch back at the ship with his other hand.

"Lovi try to relax!" Antonio shouted over the young man's terrified screams.

"How can I fucking relax hanging off a ship?" Lovino shouted, "Oh Mio Dio Feliciano!"

Antonio caught the name but didn't think now was the time to ask.

"I've got you Lovi!" he shouted and tried to pull the Italian up, "I won't let go! But you've got to help me a little! Try and hoist yourself up while I pull!"

Lovino nodded his head rapidly and tried to do as instructed but even as his hand found the bar his moist palm slipped off the spray soaked surface and he was flailing once more.

"Mio Dio! Feliciano!" he screamed again, "Mio Dio SALVAMI!"

By now the sounds of his screaming had attracted the attention of crewmen and several were running as fast as they could towards the back of the ship where someone appeared to be in a great deal of trouble...Though they weren't sure what kind.

"Lovino!" Antonio shouted, locking eyes with the terrified boy, "I've got you. I won't let go. Now pull yourself up!"

Without a nod or any other indication that he had heard, the young Italian gripped for the bar again and with Antonio's help managed to get himself rather far up.

"That's it, keep going Lovi!" Antonio shouted, pulling with all his might, "You can do it!"

Lovino hoisted himself nearly over the railing when he slipped again but this time Antonio caught him with his other arm and wrapped both tightly around the young man to pull him over. The boys weight overthrew him slightly though and they ended up crashing to the deck with him lying on top of the winded and trembling boy just as the crewmen arrived...

"What's all this?"

They took one look at the boy lying in terror underneath the other man whose shoes were lying discarded on the deck nearby. Antonio got off of Lovino and stood hurriedly ready to explain but the front crewman pointed a finger at him and shouted.

"Just stay back you! Don't move!"

Antonio sighed and put his hands in his pockets closing his eyes.

"Fetch the security officer." The crewman instructed one of his fellows before turning his attention back to Antonio with cold hateful eyes.

~*~*SSH*~*~

"Take a bit of brandy son." The crewman coaxed, forcing a small glass into Lovino's hand. The boy was still shaking profusely despite being wrapped in a snug blanket and sitting on a chair that had hurriedly been brought. The crewman had to help hold his hand steady as he tipped the brandy down his sore throat.

Not far away Antonio was having handcuffs roughly slammed on his wrists as Roderich and Elizaveta shouted in fury at him.

"This is completely unacceptable!"

"What made you even think for a second that you could put your filthy hands on our son?"

Antonio didn't meet their eyes instead staring past them to try and catch a glimpse of Lovino. He had to make sure the boy was still fine.

"Look at us you scum!" Roderich barked whirling him around to face them.

"Don'." Lovino groaned trying to get up but failing miserably on his jelly legs, "Um not yur son. An he didn' do anthing wrung." It appeared that he was an incredible lightweight when in shock, one glass of brandy had slurred his thoughts and speech to mush...that or simply the shock was making it impossible to form clear words and sentences.

Roderich and Elizaveta ignored their charge's attempts to speak as they continued to interrogate his assailant.

"What gave you the gall the audacity to...?"

"Stop!"

Two sets of running footsteps from separate directions made the whole party turn. Feliciano arrived before his guardians gasping from the strain of sprinting. Shortly after, Ludwig slowed just short of the group. The party stared at the younger Italian twin with confusion and the other lower classman with suspicion.

"Feliciano what are you...where did you disappear off to?" Elizaveta asked with barely controlled suspicion.

"I...saw..the whole...thing." the boy gasped clutching at his knees and bending over in an attempt to recollect his breath.

The crewman that had given Lovino a brandy poured another glass and appeared beside Feliciano.

"Would you care for a brandy young sir?"

"No...don't drink...not often...at least."

The crewman frowned and headed back over to Lovino drinking the brandy himself as he went. Feliciano straightened at last and faced his guardians.

"That man didn't do anything to Lovi except save him from a terrible death."

Roderich and Elizaveta stared at their younger charge in disbelief.

"He saved him?" Liz shrieked with positive mirth, "Oh Feli dear I think you must be mistaken."

"He's not mistaken I saw the whole thing as well." Ludwig interjected but kept his distance as hostile and unbelieving eyes were turned his way.

Feliciano smiled appreciatively, and a bit surprised, at the German man before turning his attention back to the expectant and skeptical party.

"I was enjoying the sparkling stars on a higher deck when I happened to glance down and see my brother. It was Lovino's fault actually. He was being daring and got up on the top rail...I assume to prove that he was no chicken, because I had called him one earlier."

The two that knew Feli well refused to believe that the boy would ever taunt anyone like that but they allowed him to continue uninterrupted.

"And he slipped. He would have gone over to be lost to the sea but this nice young man saved him."

He gestured towards Antonio and turned his back towards Ludwig as he crossed his fingers behind it. A silent plee for the other man to back him up in his lie.

Ludwig smiled slightly and spoke up once more.

"He's telling the truth. It was lucky that Antonio was out here enjoying the nice sea air or the young gentleman would have been a gonner."

The party looked between the young Italian and the young German before they sighed and called out to Lovino.

"Do you back them up?"

The boy blinked and nodded in his foggy haze.

"And you?" the security guard gripped Antonio's wrists, "Was that the way of it?"

Antonio looked first towards Lovino, then Ludwig, and finally Feliciano's eyes which contained the hidden plee to go with it before he nodded.

"Si that's the extent of it."

Elizaveta and Roderich looked at each other in pure disbelief but decided not to protest as the security officer unlocked the cuffs and stepped away from the relieved Spaniard.

"That makes him a hero then." Lili spoke up softly from where she had been standing in confusion and worry with Bella, "That's a great feet."

She came over and curtsied before Antonio taking his hand.

"Thank you for saving him."

Antonio blinked at her and smiled.

"Of course. How could I have done anything but?"

Bella put on a false smile and came over as well.

"Good for you." She didn't meet Antonio's gaze as she pulled Lili away a bit too forcefully, "So it's all's well and back to our drinks."

Roderich and Elizaveta stared at Antonio coldly one more time before they took Feliciano's arm and headed back over to their other charge. Elizaveta rubbed the blanket around Lovino's shoulders and fussed in a motherly way.

"You must be freezing Lovi darling. Let's get you inside."

They headed after the girls but Lili turned and looked directly into Roderich's eyes, "Perhaps something could be given to the young man." She nodded back towards Antonio who had been joined by Ludwig.

Roderich smiled at Lili and kept his annoyance hidden as he turned to his personal assistant.

"Vash. I think a fifty should cover it."

Lovino gave a huff.

"Tha real wha um worth?"

Roderich looked back at his older charge in slight irritation but Elizaveta quickly came to a conclusion.

"I know just what to do."

She came over to Antonio and gave a supercilious smile.

"Perhaps you would like to join us for dinner tomorrow night. You could regale our party with your heroic tale." She smirked and turned to Ludwig, "And you would be welcome too of course though you did nothing but watch."

Ludwig blanched a bit at her bite but shook his head and bowed politely.

"No ma'am I wouldn't feel right taking reward for something I took no part in."

Elizaveth had to admire the young man's tact and nodded with a polite smile as she turned back to Antonio.

"And your answer?"

Antonio looked past her to Lovino's halting and blanket wrapped form. His heart skipped a beat and warmed immeasurably.

"Si, I'm in."

Elizaveta felt her smile falter a bit but she managed to keep it up long enough to nod, curtsy farewell, and head back to her family.

"This ought to be interesting." She snickered, taking her husband's arm.

Ludwig and Antonio watched them go till only Vash remained, at the railing nearby with a cigarette.

Ludwig turned to Antonio in a slightly worried and hushed voice.

"Idioten. Why did you accept that offer? You're only gonna be looked down on by all of them."

Antonio shrugged.

"I guess I had other things on my mind." Like Lovi...seeing Lovi again.

Ludwig sighed and patted him on the shoulder.

"Just be careful Toni, we don't care to lose you to your own foolish heart."

Antonio laughed.

"Worry about you own heart. The younger one is the boy that kept looking at you earlier today."

Ludwig blinked in surprise but Antonio just grinned and went over to retrieve his shoes. As he slipped his feet into them Vash blew out a smoke ring and gave a soft sigh.

"You'll want to tie those."

Antonio looked at him in surprise as the smaller man tossed his cigarette over the side and turned back to him.

"It's remarkable really. The young man slipped without warning and yet you still managed to remove your boots."

He gave Antonio a meaningful glare before heading off down the deck towards his household's rooms.