Teehee more plot unveiling! This thing is getting so hard core~

Chapter Four: El Capitán Corsair Antonio

What triggered this nightmare Antonio didn't know.

He hadn't had any sort of nightmare for years. Hell, he hadn't even dreamt in the longest time. Course, the man never had any sort of real dream. They were always haunting memories.

It wasn't the pain of the calling card on his arm and its further engraving either. He'd experienced such things and worse and gone without something like this.

So why? Why was he reduced to a quivering, sobbing mass atop his pallet on this night? Maybe it was his forcing himself to remember so many things. Making himself recall parts of his past in his considering telling Lovino. He didn't know if that was the cause, and frankly he didn't care. All he knew was that he was chained.

They laughed. That's all they ever did. Hardly did they even speak. Just laugh manically as blood became the only universal truth. It was everywhere. Blood. Hair. The fabric of their clothes. Their screams and final words weren't even heard over the laughter. Those people were reduced to opening and closing their mouths like fish, unable to express their love for their child in their dying, or apologize for bringing them into an experience like this.

They laughed. They always laughed. As his skin was plied open in numerous locations to reveal his veins. He was bled mercilessly. They actually tried to sew rolls of packed prescribed blood onto his muscle then close the skin over it. The horribly macabre and insane was never known to the extent to which these men worked towards their goal of changing him.

Those eyes. They always looked at him. When the last breath left their bodies they fell in an unending stare at him. He could have stopped it.

But he wasn't strong enough. He wasn't anywhere near enough.

That's why they poked and prodded at him, wasn't it? Why they brought him back from death again and again to try and morph him into something better suiting their precious plan.

Because he was never enough.

The skin ripped beneath his nails as the slumbering man clawed at his skin, desperate to get them off of him, to get all of that foreign sanguine liquid off of his body. Tears streamed from his tightly shut lids and met their doom, in some cases, in the silently screaming mouth set into his expression that was a contortion of pure agony and pain. They wouldn't stop. None of it ever stopped. The laughing. The looking. The toying. The blood wouldn't stop.

The whimpers from his captain had woken Lovino quite some time ago. He was frozen with inaction, unsure what he should do. Would Antonio be mad if he tried to comfort him? Would he be so wrapped up in his nightmares he might think Lovino was an enemy? But those possibilities didn't seem so bad compared to the distraught and heartbreaking sobs coming from the floor.

Oh screw it.

Lovino slid off the bed, trying to make as much noise as possible so Antonio couldn't claim he snuck up on him in his sleep. With a shaky sigh, Lovino squat down next to Antonio's pallet and reached out to gently stroke his sweaty forehead as he called, "Antonio? Wake up. You're having nightmares."

In that touch Antonio did wake up, jerkily. An arm shot out to grab the wrist that had touched him, holding it in a tight and strong grip. His eyes flew open, large in the fear that still coursed through him. The man panted heavily as he continued to stare. "L-Lovino?"

"S-sorry!" Lovino winced and tried to pull his hand away to no avail as he rambled. "I heard you and you shouldn't be crying asleep or not because you're stupid and stupid people shouldn't be upset so I thought I should wake you to get you away from your nightmare and comfort you if you wanted, but only because I'm in debt from you comforting me when I had my nightmare and not because I want to snuggle or I like you or anything."

Breathing had calmed in the short given rant, enough for Antonio to laugh pitifully at it. He wasn't having some sort of dream about Lovino. His mind couldn't come up with something so sweet. He was a sick bastard that could only torment himself.

When Antonio realized he had been holding Lovino's arm that light dimmed. He retracted his arm quickly as he sat up, shakes overtaking him as he stared at Lovino's already bruising wrist. "L-Lo siento! Lo siento, lo siento!" He'd hurt him, he'd hurt the one that had been trying to calm him!

"Hey, calm down!" Lovino threw caution out the window as he pulled Antonio into a crushing hug. "I'll be fine. Just don't cry again!"

But how could Antonio not? In that warm embrace he experienced sensations that were so reminiscent of times long gone. Crying more quite tears now, he slowly brought his hands up to grasp the back of Lovino's shirt. His shaking subsided, a little.

"Sh, it's okay." Lovino rubbed his back and remembered what his mother would say to him and his brother. "I'm here now. The nightmares are gone."

Antonio's mind was already in a mad scramble to calm himself. It was pathetic to be doing this. To show Lovino how weak he truly was. It wasn't right for him to do this to the kid.

However, Lovino's voice did a better job than the one in his hand. Within moments Antonio gave another small laugh. "Gracias, Lovino."

Lovino smiled shyly and pulled back to look up at Antonio. "Are you better to go to sleep now?"

Nodding his head, Antonio released Lovino from his hold in his own hug. His actions were hesitant. "Yeah, I'm fine now."

"Want... Me to stay here?"

Sheepishly Antonio gave a hopeful smile as his only reply.

With a small chuckle, Lovino squished onto the pallet, pressed against the captain. "Get to sleep."

Letting out a sigh of relief, of content, Antonio nodded and wrapped an arm round his bed companion for the night. This was out of character for him, incredibly so. He never did this. But right about now he just wanted to sleep. And a part of him, the part that hoped, was allowed the light of day for the first time in years. Maybe Lovino's presence could help him sleep peacefully. He was already doing so good. Antonio was out within moments

Lovino sighed as Antonio grew still and breathed steadily against his hair. What had possessed him to do this? He wasn't a bleeding heart. He was shy about affection. Yet he chose to comfort the crying captain. God he was getting soft. Lovino smiled and nuzzled Antonio as he fell asleep as well.

The day after that was the first attack.

By mid morning the deck of the Time Bandit was a myriad of belligerents. It did not help Spain to constantly be glancing back to make sure Gilbert and Francis were keeping themselves between any of the enemies and the way to Roderich's room where he and Lovino were confined. A few times he just barely saved himself from getting skewered in all of his distraction. But then he noticed Francis occupied with a group of men and Gilbert laughing maniacally as he fought back several enemy pirates down the stairs. The door leading to the hall with Roderich's cabin was wide open.

Antonio cursed and dashed in to find two men against Roderich and Lovino. He knew Roderich could hold his own if the need was presented, but he had not expected to see Lovino's opponent more injured than the kid. It seemed the worst blow Lovino suffered was a scratch across his cheek, while the knife in his hand was dripping with the enemy's blood. Once the shock had subsided Antonio tossed his blade to his other hand, thus opening his dominant one to grab the attacker by his collar and send him crashing into the wall. The second received a stab in the side. As they both fell Antonio panted and again looked to Lovino and Roderich. "Are you two alright?"

Roderich huffed and took his glasses off to clean them. "Francis and Gilbert are getting a dock in their pay. This is the hundredth time they've let men through."

Lovino snorted and wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. "Dumbasses."

Dumbfounded, Antonio didn't move. "So... You sure you're okay?"

The kid grinned and held his knife up. "The albino idiot has been giving me lessons."

"Eheh," Antonio laughed in an anxious sort of relief, shoulders slouching somewhat. "How nice."

"Shouldn't you go defend your ship?" Lovino asked smugly.

"Y-Yeah," Antonio nodded, still shaken. Well wasn't Lovino the little fighter. The man shook his head of the thought before he was back on deck.

As the Time Bandit sailed away from the now just short of abandoned ship – Antonio always preferred to just dump all of the wounded and alive enemies back on their ship to let them fare with half a crew – the captain stepped away from his point at the wheel to wrap an arm round Gilbert's neck in a headlock with a grin. The corner of his mouth twitched in agitation. "Good job watching Rod and Lovi."

"Hey! The brat needed a chance to test his knowledge!" Gilbert laughed with a wink.

"Thanks for telling me about that, by the way."

"Hey, the kid was embarrassed," Gilbert shrugged and snickered. "Did he really beat up a guy twice his size?"

A sigh came from the captain's body as he released his first mate. "Yeah. It was crazy."

"He's a feisty little thing!" Gilbert laughed, straightening up with a big stretch.

"I'll give 'im that..."

"He was bitching about a scar forming on his cheek though," he snickered. "Such a girl."

"Well it would be sad to see that cute face messed at all."

"I think it'll give him some character! It'll give him less of a baby face."

"When he gets back to normal life it won't be all too good for him to have a scar."

"Sure it would! People would respect him for being strong!"

Laughing at that, Antonio simply shook his head. Oh, he knew how people would respond. "Oh yeah, that's definitely how they'd feel."

"They would," Gilbert grumbled.

"Yeah yeah."

"Lovi, can I talk to you a minute?" That night Antonio asked the boy the moment he stepped into their room. He was seated at his desk staring intently at some papers. He didn't look up at him.

Lovino froze and looked to Antonio with wide eyes. Had he done something wrong? "Y-yeah?"

With a heavy sigh Antonio let his gaze rise to the Italian now. Holding his chin in his hand, he appeared tired. He'd been wracking his brain for days and had finally come to a conclusion. "You've been wondering about what Arthur said, haven't you? Why he went looking for you."

"Gilbert and Francis exaggerate!" Lovino exclaimed hurriedly. "I have not been asking them about it nonstop!"

"Heh, oh really?" Smiling, Antonio shook his head. "They haven't said much of anything to me, honest. I'm not doing this because they asked me to or anything."

"Oh..." Lovino blushed and crossed his arms in a pout. "I knew that."

"Of course." Then his captain gestured to a chair, "you may want to sit."

"Okay..." He sat awkwardly and looked around nervously. "So, uh, what about the eyebrowed freak?"

"Well..." Yeah, no matter how much he thought, Antonio still couldn't quite get his words straight. "It's kind of hard to believe, but we pirated actually have our own intricate system of command. It's based on territory. There's a single head captain that controls his various underling ships in an area. For example," he laughed and leaned back in his chair to cross his legs and arms, "I'm the head of the Mediterranean territory. And Arthur, Arthur runs the English, European area. Well, not all of it. There's the Nordics too..."

"Wow really? Who knew pirates could be organized..." Lovino tilted his head and stared at Antonio curiously. "So what does that have to do with bug brows freaking out?"

"Erm..." Fuck this was hard. He'd never had to explain it to anyone. Roderich had experienced it all with him. Francis had known before he came to him. Gilbert got filled in on his own terms. Now Antonio had to bring in someone completely foreign to the system. Like he'd been. "There's more to it than that."

Antonio winced. "Would you say you believe in magic?"

"Magic?" Lovino scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Oh please."

Oh how beautifully sane he was. Spain just smiled bitter sweetly and nodded. "Then please, tell me how you think my burn was affected as it was when he came."

"That's impossible..."

"Part of the reason our system is so complex is the fact that each head has incredibly strong magic skills. Problem is," Antonio then brought one hand up and snapped his fingers, between which a spark was produced that released a tiny wisp of smoke, "I'm about as talented a door nail."

"So then..." Lovino recounted the information he had been told and raised a brow. "How are you a head?"

"That..." Down at his lap Antonio turned his eyes. Hands at the elbows of his crossed arms tightened to the point his knuckles turned whined. "I got it by force."

A smile came upon his face so suddenly it was scary. Antonio was back to watching Lovino as he spoke. "But that's not the point! Arthur sought you out because he sensed that you have the ability to perform magic. Certainly more than I do."

"Wait- what?" He was on his feet and yelling. "That's ridiculous! As if!"

A laugh from a Spaniard then. "Oh my, aren't you upset."

"I'm not upset! The bug brows is an idiot! I do not have any magical talent!"

"I don't like the guy," he shook his head, "but he's no idiot. He's basically a prodigy to us. If he says you have power, then there's no doubting that you do."

"But how." He flopped back on his stool and stared up at Antonio with searching eyes.

"That's like asking why you have brown hair. It could be from your parents, it could be from one of your ancestors long passed. Or it could just be by chance."

"This is ridiculous." Lovino buried his face in his hands and grumbled to himself about the stupidity of the situation. Once that was out, he looked up again and scowled. "What now?"

"Now..." Again, Antonio lost his words. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes before opening them to stare at Lovino intently. "Now I've got to ask you. At least until we find your family, will you help me by acting as the magic user that I need?"

"You need me?" The blush that creeped onto his cheeks was a happy one. Lovino Vargas had never been needed before. No one was ever grateful for having him around. And now this strong, well off pirate captain needed him... "Well I guess."

... What? What? Antonio couldn't respond. His expression fell to reveal one of shock. The man was completely taken aback. "Really?" Hardly had he expected such an answer.

Lovino shrugged and looked away, the pink tint on his cheeks emphasizing the small smile of delight. "Can't promise I'll be any good at it."

"You don't... Care at all? About the danger?"

"How can it be any worse than it is now?"

Antonio winced. "Oh you have no idea."

Lovino looked back at the captain and crossed his arms. "Would bug brows really leave me alone even if I didn't make use of this 'magic' he senses?"

"Well..." Frowning, Antonio averted his gaze downwards. "No."

"So what's the harm in being useful?"

"I guess you're right..." Lord, suddenly a giant weight was taken from Antonio. He'd been so worried about Lovino's reaction. There were still his anxieties, of course, but for now he was too incredibly relieved to mind at this juncture.

The man slouched in his chair and hung his head over the back. Hands came over his eyes as he laughed loudly. This was too wonderful! Finally, finally he had something against those bastards. And it was all thanks to this adorable Italian before him. Antonio brought himself back down to rest his arms on the desk, chin cuddled into them as he gave Lovino a soft, sweet thankful smile. "Gracias, Lovino, gracias. Muchos gracias."

"I said it's no big deal," Lovino mumbled shyly.

"To you. But it is for me, so I'm very grateful."

"Well you're welcome then."

Another laugh. Oh wow he couldn't believe this. Antonio continued to laugh quietly to himself, shaking his head at his luck. "Roderich won't leave me alone now. It'll be a constant case of, 'I told you so,' with his high and mighty face."

"Well he always has that face," Lovino smiled.

"Fine, even worse."

"Mm probably."

"Well man," sighing, Antonio shifted to set his forehead on the cool desktop, "I'm tired after worrying all day."

"Get to sleep then," Lovino said with a small smile, getting to his feet to head to his bed.

Antonio yawned in his sitting up. Then he laughed, standing. "I think I'll do just that."

"Good." He lingered for several moments, as if there was more to say, another action to make, but finally yawned and shook his head, going to the bed sleepily.

"Lovi?"

Lovino flopped onto the mattress and slowly let his gaze fall to Antonio. "Hm?"

"Thank you. I really don't know if I can ever thank you enough," the man gave softly in a smile.

Red filled Lovino's cheeks and he scowled, grumbling darkly, "Shut up. I said it wasn't a big deal already."

"Alright, alright~ Just saying. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask." Laughing lightly, Antonio brought himself onto his pallet then.

The blush only stood to grow dark, making Lovino turn into his pillows as he mumbled, "Could you sleep with me? I sleep better."

'Except that. Anything but that...' "You want some big bad pirate to sleep with you? Wow Lovi."

He buried into the pillows and yelled, "I know it's a stupid request forget I said anything!"

... Antonio sighed. He had said anything. The man didn't say another word as he got up to move over and squeeze his body in behind Lovino.

"Grazie," he mumbled, turning over to hide his face in Antonio's chest.

Staring down at Lovino Antonio bit his lip. Initially he was scared to touch the kid, like he was some sort of especially poisonous insect. He'd been so affectionate before because of the boy's fear, then his own the second time. Now both were awake and perfectly sane. At least he hoped so. He did doubt Lovino. Here Antonio was fighting a few darker desires and Lovino had to increase their contact.

"Yeah." A long sigh came from Antonio as he laid an arm over the Italian. It was going to be a rough night. "Yeah."

And the moment the boy had left it started. Antonio was around Roderich's desk and hugging him with a sniffle. "He's crazy Rod, crazy I tell you!"

"Is he? I was under the impression he was one of the most sane men on this ship," Roderich said. He awkwardly patted Antonio's back in an attempt to comfort him. "What makes him crazy?"

"First, first he says he'll be my magic user like it's nothing. He doesn't even ask about it! Then he asks me to sleep in the bed with him. He's suicidal, I tell you!"

Roderich pushed the idiot away and scoffed. "It's suicidal to trust you? I've made the wrong life decision then."

Having been bending to press his face into Roderich's shoulder in the push Antonio was on the floor. He remained there to whine up at his friend pitifully. "You don't ask me to climb into bed with you after I almost broke your wrist when you woke me from a nightmare!"

"No, but I also never had to wake you from a nightmare. It less crazy for him to ask you to join him than it was for him to sleep with you in the first place."

"Still... I worry about him."

Roderich sighed and rolled his eyes. "Is that any reason to declare him crazy?"

"I would think so!"

Another roll of his eyes deemed the conversation fruitless as Roderich went back to his book.

The training of abilities other than knife wielding began the following day.

The first thing Lovino noticed when he woke was the strange metallic taste he couldn't place. The second was the feeling of his arm getting jostled. When his eyes fluttered open Antonio was there, the man beside his bed smiling at him as he finished wrapping the Italian's arm. "One of your cuts from your practice with Gil opened, but apparently it didn't hurt much 'cause you didn't wake up," the captain explained with a laugh.

"I got cut?" Lovino yawned and rolled onto his back to give Antonio better access to his arm. "I don't remember that."

"Well you were awfully sleepy," Antonio spoke, looking away awkwardly with a pasted smile, "I had to make you stop playing around and put you to bed."

"Oh... Really?" Lovino frowned and sat up. "Why can't I remember this?"

"You were that tired?" Shrugging in his finished work, Antonio straightened only to sit beside Lovino. "But that's good~ With you well rested we can begin on your training in something much better fitting your talents!"

Lovino smirked and crossed his arms. "Oh magical lessons now?"

"Sí sí!" Almost purring as he did so Antonio wrapped his arms around Lovino's shoulders to hug him with a smile. "And so, you don't have to work with Rod today. Instead-" A giant tome was plopped onto Lovino's lap, "you get to memorize chants!"

"What the-" Lovino inspected the tome and scowled. "This is stupid!"

"You wanted to learn~"

"Ugh this looks like too much work."

"You wanna take back your offer?"

"No.." Lovino sighed and inspected the tome. "How do I do this?"

"Memorize five of the basics then come and find me and we'll go from there, alright?"

"I just chant it and stuff happens?"

Again with his innocence. With a laugh Antonio shook his head. "Just memorize those five for now."

"What do each of them do?"

"Low level defense, healing, movement, and attacks."

"Woah..." Lovino smiled a little and pulled his feet up to place the tablet against his legs. "Okay, this is kinda cool."

"Then have fun reading." At that, Antonio was up and out of the room.

Lovino looked down at the writing and scowled. Shit it was a lot! What the hell had he gotten himself into?

"Let's hope he doesn't figure out I drugged his dinner, huh?" At the corner of Roderich's desk Antonio sat, eyes elsewhere in his timid laugh.

"Was it really necessary?" Roderich asked disdainfully.

"I don't want him knowing what my part of the partnership is just yet. But without going through with the ramifications he couldn't start learning," Antonio shrugged, then gasped. "Ramifications! That's a big word! See, I'm already getting smarter~"

Roderich just laughed and shook his head. "Yes, yes. But when are you going to tell him?"

"When I feel like it~"

"Your own undoing," Roderich mumbled.

"That's all I know how to do. Break things."

"Damn." Lovino put the tome forcefully on his table and rested his cheek against it as he played with his food. He had spent all day reading the damn thing. His head hurt. This was so stupid.

"I take that as meaning you're having some problems?" Came a coo followed by its source: a grinning Spanish pirate.

"No!" Lovino sat up and blushed. "It's easy!"

"Oh?" Tilting his head with a blank expecting gaze, Antonio crossed his arms. "Then read me Hlíf."

"I don't know how to pronounce it!" Lovino protested.

"Pronunciation comes after getting the basic structure down."

"It's a weird language..."

"I'll give you that." Leaning back against the wall Antonio shrugged. "It's old. Very old. Called Old Norse. Our system originates from the Slavic area originally. Then it added territories as they expanded to include the English and Western Europe area, then Asia and north Pacific, then the Mediterranean, all the way down to the recent American division."

Lovino stared at him curiously and set his spoon back in his bowl. "Woah there's already an American system made?"

Nodding, Antonio gave a smirk. "Another one of Arthur's toys left him, except this one was strong. When the rest found out that he wanted to be independent and had so much potential they made him the new head before Arthur could argue at all."

"Another?"

Antonio bit his lip. "He... Keeps himself busy with breaking his personal slaves that usually end up dead."

"Ha!" Lovino smirked. "That must have been a real blow to his pride."

"He's been getting a lot of those lately. So he blames me and takes it out thusly," in a sigh.

"Why would he blame you?" He resumed playing with his soup as he spoke. "It's not like you stole them."

"I may have one working for me..."

"Of course you do," Lovino snorted. "Who?"

"I don't divulge anything about my men to the others, that's their right. If he wants you to know he'll say so." The man shrugged again with a shake of his head, then gave Lovino a stern look. "Don't go looking for him either."

"Y-yes sir." Blushing, Lovino turned his attention back to his breakfast.

When he looked up again, Antonio had moved to sit beside him wearing a smile. "So, now show me which words you have an especially hard time with."

He pointed at a few of the lines and muttered the strange words hesitantly. Slowly Antonio began explaining the ways to speak the strange looking runes, aware of how awkward it was at first. As speakers of romantic Latin languages their palettes had shaped to something much different than those that spoke the Germanic languages that had descended from this old Norse. "Gilbert actually has an easy time with all of this because he speaks German," Antonio stated in a laugh in explanation.

"But he's no good at this magic stuff, huh?"

"Absolutely horrible!" Gilbert plopped down across from them with a giant smile. "Magic is stupid anyways. A dying study. Science is where the future is!"

Rolling his eyes, Antonio grinned. "Are you going to start preaching to me about how we revolve around the Sun now?"

"Because we fucking do! West says so!"

Lovino raised his brows curiously. "West?"

Gilbert grinned smugly and chuckled. "The smartest and bestest little brother ever!"

"How's he doing by the way?" Antonio asked offhandedly.

"Dunno, haven't gotten a letter for a while." There was no trace of sadness in Gilbert's grin, just pride for his little brother. "I'm sure he's stunning everyone with his brilliance."

"I feel like messing with him again, maybe we need to visit~" Purring at the prospect, Antonio laughed. "It'd be interesting, an experience for Lovi."

Lovino didn't like the sound of that... "Why?"

"It's seeing new places!"

"Everything is new to me. Now you idiots shut up."

"Listen to the sound of my voice, heed my words and follow my command." Lovino glared at the cup in front of him and grumbled. It wasn't moving dammit! He inspected the words again and replayed Gilbert's advice in his mind. This time. This time he was going to get it. "Listen to the sound of my voice, heed my words and follow my command."

Ever so slowly the cup quivered and started to lift off the table. Lovino gasped and excitedly looked to Antonio, but wasn't able to say anything before the levitating cup shot across the room and hit the captain's head.

"Who the fuck-?" Before Antonio could glare in annoyance at the person that had thrown a cup aimed for his skull he spotted the two men in the room staring at Lovino. Following their gaze, his eyes came to rest upon the boy. He had the book in front of him.

"I'm sorry!" Lovino yelped, jumping to his feet, bright red. "I guess my excitement sent it flying!"

Fear creeped into Lovino's mind in this quick ascent of Antonio across the room, footballs harsh and expression stoic. And in reaching him? The man squealed and hugged the little Italian, spinning him round once. "That's wonderful Lovi!"

Once the initial relief subsided, Lovino growled and squirmed, blushing even more. "Idiot! Put me down! Let go!"

"But you did beautifully! Okay, so it kinda hurt, but it's in the name of learning! I never could do something like that. My stuff falls to the ground within two feet. You're amazing!" Came a hurried speech of mixed Italian and Spanish in the nuzzling.

"I-I- N-n-" Lovino just shut his mouth and fumed in embarrassment silently. Amazing? No he wasn't! Antonio was...

End of Chapter Four

Yeah, italicized speech means Norse xD I can only get words translated, not full phrases

But anyway! So there's what makes Lovi special. That twist I came up with? Supernatural. After I'd already established a territorial system thanks to my Bestie's help

Corsair = Pirates in the Mediterranean