This fic is going to have a lot of mood swings, with some being like last chapter and others like this one.

The OCC-ness will eventually go away as well, at least I hope, probably sometime in the next two chapters (for Lovino at least). There still may be some, mainly due to the circumstances of the story.

As I said before, and will continue to say:

Everything has a reason.

Well this was a disappointment...

It seemed that Francis' boss wanted a meeting with him the day that he and Gilbert were going to pay their Antoine a little visit to cheer him up and the Parisian couldn't help but to sigh as he got off the phone with his superior. It was still very early into the morning, no later than six, so perhaps he could convince his friend to take the trip with him, if the man was even up. Knowing him, he probably was.

Lithe fingers tapped out the numbers to the platinum blond's cell before the phone was brought up to Francis' ear, silently awaiting a curt greeting in either German or English, maybe even a mixture of both. Such strange things always came from the Frenchman's dear friend, always something new rather than the same thing over and over, but he never complained. It was nice for things to stay interesting.

"Morgen, Franny."

"Morning to you, Gilbert." Francis smiled at the smothered yawn coming in through his speaker and the soft smacking of lips. Apparently he hasn't been up for too long. "What are your plans for today, mon cher?"

Gilbert hummed, apparently scratching at the tiny stubble that probably formed after the lack of shaving for a few days. "Sorry, pal. I've got some work that came up, so I'm going to be stuck here for today."

What a shame... "I can't see Antoine when we planned so I'm about to head over there now."

"Eh? Well, you were always better at that kind of stuff than me anyway. I'll just go later this week."

That was strange... Gilbert would never pass up seeing their dear friend for anything, so whatever he was working on had to really catch his attention; he even passed up important business paperwork that could've gotten him fired in favour of spending an entire day with a flu-infested Spaniard. "Are you sure?"

There was another sigh on the other side of the line, and a few clicks of a keyboard could be heard as well. "This could be big. I can't let it go." He must be hacking into another porn website... that was what happened the last time something was big for the self-proclaimed Prussian. Oh well; 'cheering' Antonio up was easier when Gilbert wasn't there anyway.

"I'll call you later and tell you how it went."

"Keep the details."

A chuckle purred in the Frenchman's throat. "Of course, mon ami. I'll spare your pretty ears the horrific details of big brother's loving caress~" There was a soft curse whispered in German on the other line, followed by a series of clicks and then another swear, this one a bit louder than the last. Francis felt a smug grin stretch across his lips as his amusement in what sounded to be Gilbert's failures grew. "You having some problems, friend?"

"Ja...Damn bastards put up a ton of firewalls on this shit. It's a pain in the ass."

"Am I distracting you?"

"Nein...nein... there is just so much crap that they have here to try to confuse weak minded people."

Shame... It would've been nice to have the other blond to accompany him to their dear friend's tiny home, but the man would surely visit him later. Gilbert always checked up on the man one way or another. "I'll leave you to whatever you're working on, Gil. Have fun with it."

"You know I will. Talk to you later, man." There was a grin spoken with his words and Francis wished him a good farewell back before clicking the conversation off and closing his phone. He sighed before rising out of his plush chair, stretching out the kinks that knotted his muscles over night as he crossed the room with a few strides. Pulling his long strands of blond hair into tail and tying them up, he checked his appearance in the hotel's mirror. Ah~ How beautiful a human could be, so perfect in the eyes of someone who appreciated the perfection of the mortal body. Of course, he knew very well that he wasn't the most gorgeous man in the world, but he wasn't the ugliest either... then again, he saw everyone as beautiful in their own way, some simply having better qualities than others. But right now wasn't the time for admiring himself in a dusty mirror that was due for a good cleaning. His precious Antoine was in desperate need of company and the proper love that he deserved.

Such a kind hearted man shouldn't ever have to face the woes of rejection alone.

So, with a quick slide of his fingers down a jaw bristling with a stubble, Francis made his way out of the cheap room he rented, glad that he decided to dress himself the moment he stepped out of his customary morning shower.

The outside air was crisp after a night of thunderstorms rolling through with enough rain to leave every balcony slick with at least six centimetres of water, but it was still a nice change from the horrid heat that burdened the city for over a week. Pretty girls walked the streets in small groups, each holding huge bags filled with who knows what while others patrons sat in cafes or restaurants, either alone or with another, and men in suits marched in and out of buildings, each concerned with getting to work or going to eat breakfast with another. So lively, the city was this morning. Perhaps he would make Antoine come to the lovely place and have lunch with him. Then they could visit the museums that spotted the area; the curly haired Spaniard did like anything related to animals or history, so that would help elevate his mood without a doubt. Why, this entire city, with all of its monuments and historical value, was practically an amusement park for the man.

Francis let out a smiling sigh, neatly tucking his hands into his pockets as he turned and ambled down to the small shop only a block away that sold some of the best wine in the entire city. Sure, it was still a bit early, the Frenchman knew that luscious wine always made any situation better, especially when it came to romance, both good and bad; if his special way of comforting Antonio didn't work, the Spaniard could always drown away his troubles and cry it out on the blonds shoulder while watching sappy soap operas.

He'd probably stop and buy a few of Antonio's favourite flowers as well, just to make his Spanish speaking friend even happier. He wondered how the man was fairing, although it had only been a day since he last saw him; it was always fairly upsetting to see such a light hearted man as a shattered shell of his normally cheerful self and Francis would do everything in his power to make him better.

Smiling at a group of lovely girls as he passed, throwing them into a giddy fit, Francis thought about his own troubles with the man that he wished would see him as an equal more than an annoyance. They had known each other for a very long time, although most of those years they were nothing than mere acquaintances constantly biting each other's head off. They had come a long way since then, but Arthur ignored Francis' advances as nothing than a ploy to get into his pants. Little did he know that he wanted it to be more than just sex... he wanted to be his and only his, but he couldn't get it through his head. Those enormous eyebrows must've burrowed into his brain and affected his reasoning skills, for he was after the blond American, who was both oblivious to Arthur's feelings and always wrapped up in that lab work of his. It was saddening to see the Briton's carefully hidden expressions of pain whenever Alfred would blow him off in favour of other matters, leaving Francis with a tiny prick in his heart. No matter... He would keep trying in his task of wooing the 'gentleman' and he would succeed in the end.

Four hours later, a large bottle of wine and a bundle of red carnations were tucked under the Frenchman's arm as he walked down the remaining steps of pathway to Antonio's home. It was strange, seeing that the Spaniard's rental had been abandoned by the tiny bridge two miles prior, left unlocked with all of the windows down. While he was absent minded at times, he would never be so careless, especially with something he was borrowing.

Had the rejection bothered him that much? It was possible, with how long Antonio chased after Feli... and if it was so, then a whole bottle of wine and cheesy soap operas wouldn't be enough to calm his depression. Five years of liking a man did crazy things to people, especially if they only realized it a few months before being unwanted.

Hopefully this time, Antonio would've eaten something and got a reasonable amount of rest. The man truly was strange... the lack of food and energy, even for just one day, left him a bit on the crazy side where he could claim outrageous things that only Arthur would believe. While it was slightly amusing to watch him go out of his mind, it greatly concerned his friends since it would only get worse and worse until someone got hurt, just like when he went drinking with Gilbert and Ludwig. But it could easily be fixed by tying him to the bed after feeding him; Antonio would get bored and eventually fall asleep with nothing to do. He really was such a simple person, with literally everything; it was easy to get him to like someone and nearly impossible to make him hate another. Why, even will the horrid past between him and Arthur that nearly cost them each other's lives many times over, Antonio didn't hate him, he just mildly disliked him. Hell, get the Briton drunk and the Spaniard tipsy, they absolutely loved each other. But instead of thinking about Antonio's relationships with other people, Francis needed to focus on the brunet himself and how to make him back into the spirited man that he was.

Especially that he could now see the Spaniard's small home.

Francis always liked his cottage, slightly jealous of how he was able to get such a beautiful house nestled in the middle of the woods. So far away, he was. It had to be so relaxing out here, where nothing could bother him since there wasn't the hustle of the city to annoy the country bumpkin and he could be alone when he wanted. There also was almost never a problem with any dangerous wildlife, so Antonio was fairly safe out here too. Besides, even if something did happen, he always kept his gun on him.

From the front door, everything looked normal from Francis' point of view, save for a small streak of mud, probably from the night before if Antonio went out for something. The door was unlocked as well, meaning the Spaniard was awake and welcoming people into his home. Francis twisted the handle, grinning as the door squealed open, allowing the blond to see into the dark home. As usual, it was spotless and everything was arranged as it had always been, although his lamp was missing from its normal spot on the end table beside the chair that Antonio was currently sitting in, blankly staring down the hallway with a frown set on his lips. Great... he probably hasn't eaten or slept at all. "Antoine~ A monster isn't going to come down the hall you know."

The Spaniard nearly leaped out of his chair, his eyes wild and frightened as they searched for the Frenchman's location before he stood up "Fr-Fran... What are you doing here!" He held up the wine and flowers, although they didn't elect the response that he wanted from the man. Antonio's face melted into one of absolute fear, both hands flying up to grasp his hair. "Oh no... no-no-no-no... you shouldn't be here, oh god you shouldn't be here!" He dashed for Francis, tearing the items from his hands and rushed to place them on the table, nearly causing the wine to fall off of the counter, eyes never leaving the hallway.

It seemed that he lost his mind after all. "Mon ami, when did you sleep last?"

Those emeralds finally spared a glance at Francis before he frantically shook his head as mutters spewed from his lips. "Sleep? Sleep... I don't need sleep... sleep will get me killed."

Oh my... Hopefully his stomach wasn't empty. "How about eating?"

"No. Haven't had time."

Francis' brows arched up in confusion. Since when did the Spaniard pass up food, claiming he didn't have enough time? He always made time for eating. It seemed that it was time for the man to be cheered up before Francis made eat a quality meal, even if he had nothing worth cooking in his fridge. If that was the way it was, then he'd take him out to lunch. "Antoine~" He hummed, slowly taking steps towards the back of the home, watching as Antonio's eyes widened and his mouth opened to speak, only to remain silent. The Frenchman was half way there before the brunet moved.

"D-Don't go back there!" His voice was hushed, as if he was afraid that something would jump out at the two of them.

Francis paused, nearly at the door. "And why is that?"

Antonio's hand clamped over the blond's mouth, nearly throwing him against the wall. "He'll hear you, and wake up!" So low were his words, so low that Francis had to strain his ears to hear them, though when they were properly processed through his brain, another thing caught his attention; Antonio had said that there was another person in his home... but there was a low chance of that being true. When he got like this, he wouldn't let anyone but Gilbert or Francis in.

"Antonio..." The blue-eyed man sighed through the brunet's fingers, prying them away from his mouth. "Love, you need to get some rest." He interlaced Antonio's fingers between his own digits. "Come, let's lie down," with a single pull of his hand, they entered the room, "and then we...Oh~ What's this?"

Francis always admired the Spaniard's love of white sheets, even more when they were gently lying across the tanned flesh of the gorgeous man comfortably curled up and sleeping in Antonio's bed, completely naked, though the cloth covered his waist and all of the interesting bits too. But it didn't matter, with how beautiful the rest of his body was. The foreign brunet obviously took care of himself, even his caramel hair with how soft and shiny it appeared, and the only flaw was the bandage across his right cheek that marred his exquisite beauty. Francis was jealous, dare he say... it wasn't often that he found strange men in Antonio's bed, especially ones that slightly resembled that Italian the brunet craved after for so long. He'd even go so far as to think that the man truly was from that boot-shaped country.

"... He's very lovely, isn't he?" Antonio paled at the Frenchman's words, ripping his hands away from the blond and pushing him behind the doorframe, blocking him from the slumbering man as if he was some kind of heathen. "So, what's his name?"

"Lovino..." Antonio spoke without realizing what he said, immediately wincing and throwing a wild look at the Frenchman. "But don't let him hear you! You'll wake him up!" The green-eyed brunet hissed, "He's not human!"

Oh lord... it was worse than he originally thought. "Antoine..." Francis sighed, trying to push his way back into the room, only to have the Spaniard in front of him once again. "How can such a man not be human? Have you been watching horror movies again?"

"Please believe me!", he begged, glancing over his shoulder at the so called monster, "His back or his gums! Look at them and then you'll believe me!"

He didn't want for his friend to get close, yet he wanted him to look inside his mouth? My, his reasoning skills really have abandoned him. "Love, wouldn't looking at his gums wake him up?"

"His spine then; it isn't normal!"

There wasn't any use trying to prove the man wrong with words... and it really was becoming tiresome.

"Alright, Antoine, but once you see that nothing is wrong, will you please get some rest?"

Brows furrowed over his burning emeralds, matching the hesitant gleam that covered their beauty like a layer of paint before he spoke, taking a step forward and ushering Francis to follow. "Fine, but stay behind me. I don't want you to get hurt." Ah, so protective the Spaniard was for his beloved ones, constantly worrying for their safety in dangerous situations. Francis merely sighed once more, following the man as they made their way to the bed, but before they even passed the closest corner of the end table, the slumbering brunet stirred. Antonio froze, apparently becoming aware of just how close he was to Lovino, barely an arm's reach away as the man stretched his legs and made a content noise in the back of his throat.

His shoulders rolled back, burying his uninjured cheek deeper into Antonio's soft pillow as his lissom fingers pressed closer to his chin. Another satisfied sound vibrated from the man, something akin to a hum reaching the Frenchman's ears.

It was captivating, watching such a lovely man awake from his slumber like a young kitten; eyes fluttering open to reveal stunning olive gems that simply glistened in the sun splayed across his face, each beam of the new day streaming in through the pale curtains. It was insane for Antonio to think that this Lovino was a monster, but there he was, staring like a deer caught in some headlights once the brunet's eyes flicked up to the man. A gleam of what looked to be fondness glimmered in the rustic ring around his pupil despite the harsh glare that was given to the Spaniard, although the positive emotion wasn't very strong nor very apparent to an amateur, but it was definitely there.

Francis never mistook the sprouting of admiration for anything else.

Yet... the look of absolute fear in Antonio's eyes troubled the blond. It was puzzling. Antonio wouldn't fear someone unless they did something absolutely horrible while in his sight, and in all honesty, Francis couldn't picture Lovino doing something like that, even though he never spoke to the man.

Lovino sighed, shifting around until he was sitting up. A shaky step backwards was taken by the Spaniard, earning a displeased snort from the brunet and a deeper frown upon his lips that twitched before slightly weakening. So... it seemed that Lovino didn't want Antonio to be frightened of him, and... Was that a bit of regret or fear drifting behind those lashes? Oh, indeed it was, both actually. Apparently, there has already been something that barred the two from behaving with each other like civil people and Francis made it his goal to evaporate whatever that wall could be. This could easily break Antonio of his crush on Feliciano and let him think of other things for once, including his friends; Francis would only have to show him that Lovino was harmless and that Antonio truly needed rest to see this fact.

Or at least to eat some food, but that would easily be arranged.

Not one word was passed between the two brunets while they continued to stare at each other, well more one glaring as he drew the blankets closer to his chest and the other looking like he was about to jump out the window, but what did it matter? Their silence was beginning to annoy the Frenchman, so he decided to take things into his own hands, starting with a cough muffled behind his hand. The very moment that the noise met Lovino's ears, he jumped up, flicking startled olives to the blond and gathering as much of the sheets as he could to his chest, desperately trying to hide his body. Such a bashful little thing he was, turning a faint pink around his cheeks before a frown stretched itself across his lips and his brows furrowed down enough to cast a shadow over his eyes. Francis approached the bed, ignoring Antonio's shocked glance and how Lovino nearly pushed himself off the side of the mattress with his feet. A hand was offered to the frightened man along with a tender smile. "Hello there."

Fuming eyes flicked down at the Parisian man's fingers, glaring at them like they were dripping with acid and would kill the man if they so much as touched his foot or his leg. Those said parts curled up closer to his torso, trying so desperately to make himself as small as possible while attempting to make himself seem frightening to the Frenchman, only he was failing miserably at it; Lovino looked more like a puffed up kitten than the snarling beast Antonio apparently saw him as. "My name is Francis. It's nice to meet you, Lovino." He tried once more, noticing how the brunet's expression became somewhat blank before his eyes narrowed, shooting a ferocious glare at Antonio, who paled in return.

Francis sighed, leaning back into a proper stand and slipping his hands into his pockets. So this Lovino was a spitfire... This was new for the Spaniard. He usually went after the bubbly ones rather than the ones who would bite his head off. So what educed this change in type? Did Feliciano's rejection affect him this badly? But it seemed that he didn't have much time to fret on such trivial matters; Lovino looked to be three seconds away from leaping across the bed and strangling the Spaniard with his hands, or perhaps with the sheets he held so close to his chest. Either way, unless the blond intervened, Antonio's future would certainly be bleak. Maybe Lovino would like to come with them to get lunch. Ah~ What a genius he was! Lunch was a perfect way to break down emotional barriers and get to know someone, not to mention that Lovino would probably be starving as well. Which brought up yet another issue; what did Lovino like? While Francis could go with the stereotypical thought of pasta, there could be the chance that the man didn't like that type of food.

There would be time to figure that out later. "Say, Lovino~" Francis cooed out, inching closer to Antonio until he was able to slip his arm around the brunet's bulkier appendage. "How would you like to come with Antoine and me for lunch?" The Italian shifted his glower at the blond and then back to Antonio, probably wordlessly demanding an explanation from the Spaniard, who still was shaking like a leaf in caught in a fierce gale. He sighed once more, "Since you seem to be the quiet type, I'll just take Antoine here and go into the living room. Once you and Antonio get dressed, we can be on our way."

The moment the two men left the bedroom, Antonio had a fit, starting with the disbelieving gawk he gave Francis before it morphed into a mix of anger and absolute fear. "What the hell, Francis!" Antonio screeched as he shook the blond by his shoulders before releasing him. His fingers clinched at his frail curls, threatening to rip them out as his back slammed into the wall, which threw a few of his hanging photos off from the perfect balance they once had. Fear, despair and even a bit of anger swirled in his wide emerald eyes, tainting them with emotions that almost never crossed his mind...

Oh my.

He was quite serious when he thought all of those incredibly foolish things about Lovino and there probably wasn't anything right at this moment that could change his mind. "He's going to kill everyone... we're all doomed..."

"Antonio..." Francis groaned out once the Spaniard slid down the wall and landed on the perfect ass that he owned, now clutching his face with those hands that were once in his hair. "Antoine, mon ami, if he truly was this monster you call him, he would've killed me the moment he noticed that I was in the room." Kneeling beside the man, the blond pried Antonio's hands away from his face and held them in his much softer ones as he pressed a soft kiss to his temple. "Now wouldn't that be true?" He whispered while he brushed a few of the curls away from Antonio's eyes. "Wouldn't it?"

Incomprehensible stammers fluttered from Antonio's lips, failing to form any words, even when he shakily rose to his feet, nearly falling back down from the tremors in his legs. "I-I-It's a tr-trick." He finally managed to stutter out as he stepped past Francis, circling around to the kitchen counter and reaching for the bottle of unopened wine, but his friend tore the alcoholic drink from his fingers before he had the chance to uncork it. "It's a-all just a trick!"

Sighing again, Francis forced Antonio down into one of the chairs, holding him down by his shoulders. "Calm down, Antonio. You're overreacting."

Acidic eyes shot up at the Parisian, their ferocity curling up his lips into a snarl and Antonio leaped up, easily overpowering his friend. "Overreacting!" He screeched as he grabbed a fist full of Francis' shirt, pulling him down and nearly choking him in the process. Breath hissed through the blond's mouth, but Antonio didn't let him speak, forcing him to listen to the horrid voice seething through his clinched teeth instead. "You don't know anything about what I lived through yesterday!" Pulling him down further, their foreheads touched and harshly ground against the other. "He attacked me, Francis. He infected me!"

Infected...really? Francis rolled his eyes. What could a human infect him with other than a cold or illness that could probably be treated with the right medication? An idea perhaps, but certainly nothing that Antonio willingly believed to be true. "I see no wounds, Antonio. Lovino has more than you do." The Spaniard grabbed Francis' wrist with an unusually rough grip, forcing the man to splay his fingers onto his belly.

"It's in here! Don't tell me that you don't feel it, Francis!" He bellowed. His eyes were frantic and wild before his voice dropped down to a hiss against the back of his teeth, tickling at the blond's nose. "It hasn't stopped moving... stopped squirming ever since sunrise and it hurts. More than it ever has before."

He only felt the frantic beats of the Spaniard's heart.

So Antonio truly was believing the entire tale of Lovino being some kind of monster hell-bent on making his world has horrible as possible, so much that he mistook what were probably hunger pangs for something else entirely. "Love, you're imagining things." Francis whispered once he pulled his hand away from Antonio's stomach, using his fingers to push the man back into the chair before easing around the counter over to the fridge. "All you need is some rest and some food, and those feelings will stop." Well, what little he did have probably wouldn't be enough to sate him for long, considering he only had a few oranges, some bread and two tomatoes. That wouldn't cover two people for more than a day, especially two grown men.

"I didn't imagine anything! He attacked me last night!"

Oh boy. He really wasn't going to give up, was he? Pulling an orange from the small bowl, Francis returned to the kitchen island and to the Spaniard helplessly staring at him with wide eyes. He began to peel it with his fingers while he spoke to the brunet. "Lovino is the one who looks like he's been attacked." All Antonio had was a small bruise on his neck and on his finger... well fingers, since his nails were considerably darker than the last time Francis saw them.

"He had me pinned on the ground! I had to do something!"

...

He didn't...

"Please, don't tell me you hit him with your lamp."

Antonio glared at Francis after sending a quick glance over his shoulder to check the hallway. "I had to! And then when I tried to get a way, he chased me and attacked me again!"

He couldn't stop his palm from connecting with his face, and a sigh from escaping his lips. Was the man truly serious? "Did you ever stop to think that he may have attacked you because you hit him in the face with a lamp?"

"He would've... attacked..." Antonio's speech slowed down considerably as the thoughts ran their course through his brain, obviously making him question his actions and the consequences they brought. He furiously shook his head, clutching his hair and digging his elbows into the counter. "No! No... he would've done it anyway!"

Francis sighed again, splitting the peeled orange in half and giving one part to his friend while keeping the other for the brunet still getting dressed. "Just hush and eat." Thankfully, the Spaniard did as he commanded, although his eyes locked themselves on the counter and occasionally the orange in his hands. He wasn't in much of a hurry to eat it though, slowly nibbling on the slices like he didn't have much of an appetite.

Antonio did look up long enough to notice Francis' eyes trained on the hallway, waiting for Lovino to walk down it in proper attire, and he scoffed at the Frenchman. "Don't expect him to be out anytime soon."

The blond slid his eyes down to the Spaniard, whose face was contorted into a weak grimacing snarl. "Why's that, mon cher?"

Antonio halted his steady process of eating the fruit to look up at Francis, using his non-sticky fingers to scratch at the stubble growing along his jaw. "I don't think he understands how things work." Francis was beginning to think that Antonio didn't understand how things worked, and was considering tying him to the bed after forcing some muscle relaxers into his system. "He had to figure out how to use soap yesterday."

"Maybe he has amnesia or some kind of head injury and doesn't remember, Antonio. I'm starting think that you're trying to find ways to say that he's not human."

"No I'm NOT!" He screamed, finally losing what little restraint he had, sending his chair flying as he forcibly stood up and lunged across the counter for the Frenchman. "I'm not looking for a da-..." His words were cut off by a sharp gasp escaping his lips, and then a groan filled with more pain than Francis cared to hear. Another whimper fluttered into the air, following the Spaniard as he collapsed onto the floor, curling up and holding onto his stomach with his nails biting into his skin. A horrid choking noise vibrated in his throat, matching just how tightly his eyes and teeth were clinched.

Dropping the orange half on the counter, Francis rushed over to his friend now gasping in pain and tried to turn him over onto his back. Antonio yelped when his fingers brushed over his skin, even going so far as to try to push himself away from the Parisian, only to bump his head into the other chair and sending it toppling over. Wild and frightened, his eyes stared at the blond, remaining unblinking even as tears began to drip down his face.

Tears... down Antonio's face.

Antonio never cries when he is in pain.

This was serious... Whether Lovino was a monster or not, Francis would need his help to carry Antonio out to the car so they could drive him to the hospital. There wasn't one that far from here, once they got out of the wooded area at least, and if they hurried, he wouldn't be in pain for longer than necessary. Fighting Antonio and keeping him under control would be the most challenging part, but once he was in the car and secure, he wouldn't be a hassle and would probably sit in the back, staying quiet just like all of the other times Francis or Gilbert had to force him to go to the hospital. He reached for the Spaniard once again, sighing as the man tried to get away by standing up, only to fall back on the ground and clutch his stomach. Such a pain. Maybe Lovino would have more luck.

Yet, as he opened his mouth to call for the man, a blotch of chocolate entered his peripheral and Antonio's look of fear intensified. He looked over to see Lovino, already dressed in very nice clothing, glaring at Antonio as he kneeled beside the Frenchman. With one tug on Antonio's ankle, Lovino pulled the curly haired man down between the two, flipped him over and held him down to the floor by his shoulders. Still glaring at the Spaniard, the brunet ran his eyes down Antonio's body, stopping once he reached his stomach, only to flicker his scowl back up to his face. He said nothing... nothing at all as he gracefully slipped his fingers under Antonio's, lightly pressing on the man's stomach before leaning forward. A soft gasp breached the Spaniard's lips at the seemingly gentle touch, although Francis wasn't quite sure what spurred it from the man. There was a possibility that his belly had grown extra sensitive in its moment of pain, or Lovino's hands could've simply been cold. Either way, the pain seemed to slowly drain from Antonio's eyes the longer Lovino kept his hand against the man's abdomen, although the fear failed to disappear.

Such a strange man he was, being able to terrify the man yet comfort him at the same time. It definitely was a feat to behold, especially how easily Antonio complied with the man when he pulled him up and forced his back against the half-wall to their left, before standing up for only a moment to grab what remained of Antonio's orange off of the counter. Lovino stared at the fruit for a second, but quickly dug his nail into one of the corners to tear off a slice. Perhaps there was a chance that he forgot how to do most things that people took for granted, yet he seemed to be a very fast learner so Francis wasn't too concerned about his future. At first, Antonio kept his mouth clamped shut when Lovino offered him the orange slice, even going so far as to turn his head, but his noncompliance to the brunet's obvious attempts to help him were only drawing a harsher scowl from the man. Apparently, he wasn't having any of that.

With his free hand, he forced Antonio to look at him, then slipped his thumb between the Spaniard's lips and pried his mouth open, quickly sliding in the orange slice before he could pull away. After clamping the man's mouth shut and watching him chew, Lovino tore off another piece then made Antonio eat it as well, this time with only a bit of hesitance behind the green-eyed brunet's response.

Francis merely watched the two, holding back a chuckle from how it was strangely cute of Lovino too be caring for the Spaniard while looking like he was moments away from ripping off his head. Antonio was insane for thinking the man was out to get him. When the orange half was gone, Lovino stood back up to search for the other half, giving Francis enough time to ask how Antonio was fairing. He only scowled, bringing his hand up so it was resting on his stomach. "It doesn't hurt anymore." Well that was good news, probably made possible by what little food he did eat but he didn't seem too happy about it. If anything, his expression had a layer of confusion under the fear and revulsion that stained his dark skin, which only grew once Lovino kneeled beside him again with the orange half in his hands.

"That half was for you, Lovino." Francis managed to say before he pulled off another slice. Lovino stared at him and then the freed part before he glared, bringing it to his mouth and biting off half. He chewed, as if contemplating whether or not he liked the taste. His expression softened once he swallowed it, apparently liking what he had although still forced Antonio to eat what he did not of that small piece, only to do the same with all of the other slices he tore off. He got half and Antonio got the other. Ah, it truly was a blooming affection that Lovino held for the Spaniard, no matter how much he tried to hide it with glares and soft snorts in response to Antonio's less than civil expressions. No matter, he still had something in his belly now so lunch could wait. Now, they needed to get him into that bed of his and force him to sleep.

Perhaps Lovino would be able to make it easier for the both of them.

"Help me get him into bed." Francis asked the brunet as he leaned forward, taking Antonio's hand into his own and pulling him up. He refused to move with Francis' will, completely unwilling to comply with his friend, although, when Lovino threw the man's arm under his shoulder and forced him to stand up, Antonio was a bit more willing. The blond didn't even need to help drag the man to the back of the house with how firm the brunet's grip was on the man's pajama bottoms and wrist. All was looking to be running smoothly, at least until Antonio's body suddenly shifted to the side, nearly bringing Lovino with him as he became nothing more than dead weight against the brunet's smaller form.

Francis really should've expected this. His system was probably nearly dead by now, so passing out wasn't much of a surprise for the Frenchman. He just needed rest.

When Francis helped Lovino drag Antonio to the only bed in the house, the Spaniard was already snoring and grumbling to himself once his body met his mattress. Lovino simply sat beside him on the edge of the bed, glaring down at him with the same frown he had worn ever since Francis first met him. A shame... it really was. Antonio just couldn't see how much Lovino had already cared for him in his time of need, choosing to only focus on the delusion the lack of food and sleep implanted into his brain instead of what was right in front of him.

They continued to watch the man for around five hours. Lovino never moved an inch at all, even when the Frenchman's phone went off, signalling he had a text from his boss. "Hey, sorry, but I have to attend to some work business. Can you handle him by yourself?" Lovino didn't spare him a glance, but the twitch in his eye informed the blond that he had heard what he said. "Good. Just make sure he gets plenty of rest and food, and he'll be fine. Once he wakes up, I'm sure he'll call for a tow-truck to get his car and then you two could get some groceries."

Once again, Lovino seemingly ignored him in favour of glowering at Antonio.

He felt better than he had all day when his eyes finally pried open. It was already dark, with his clock reading about nine and all of the lights in his house off. Francis must've gone home... but where was Lovino? Antonio glanced around to his sides, unable to see below his shoulders with the current angle of his head, yet, when he sat up a bit, something was holding onto his fingers with a loose grip. Looking down, a patch of chocolate hair caught his eyes, connected to a body that was very close to falling over the edge, even though it was lying on its side. It looked... painful... the way he had his body positioned, but it was evident that he was sound asleep from the deep breaths that filled his lungs and smoothly hissed from his mouth. Lovino wasn't wearing a shirt, probably with the heat finally getting to him, allowing Antonio to see those glowing speckles on his body once more... although...

...they were a pale red now, instead of the blue from the night before.

And their pattern of flickering was a bit different as well. He could only describe it as panicked or even nervous, with how tiny the markings were and how quickly they seemed to fluctuate.

He couldn't be worried about the Spaniard... Nothing that he did today could've been from his heart; it was insane to think so. Lovino was only acting the way he did because he was in front of Francis, even showing off that he could control the parasite inside of Antonio's stomach, most likely as a ploy to get the Frenchman to return home, leaving the two alone once more. Apparently it worked too. Just great. This was perfect... Now Lovino wouldn't have to worry about witnesses if he decided to maul the Spaniard and then eat him. He had to find a way out... but with how close the brunet was to his leg, it would definitely prove to be a challenge.

Moving to the right, Antonio tried to get to the other side of the bed, hissing in annoyance when Lovino tightened his grip on the Spaniard's smallest finger. He swore under his breath as the creature stirred from his slumber, as if he was reading Antonio's movements from his finger alone and propped himself up onto his elbows. Tired, weary olives flicked over to Antonio's position, blinking once and then again before he let out a drained sigh, and pushed himself closer to the Spaniard. Lethargic clicks purred in his throat as those eyes stared into his own emeralds, getting close enough so he easily feel Lovino's warm breaths flutter from his parted lips. One by one, his markings glimmered, slowly morphing into the blue colour of the previous night and swelling in size.

There was no anger in his eyes...

No ferocity that Antonio had already grown used to seeing thrown in his direction.

There was only a subtle relief swirling in his irises, behind the obvious exhaustion that threatened to overpower him, but he forced them to remain open, even as he pushed Antonio back down onto the bed and rested his head upon the Spaniard's shoulder. A few soft clatters reached his ears, matching how carefully Lovino snuggled his protruding spine into the brunet's side. Once again, he felt warmth tenderly curl around his outermost digits and a thumb lightly run across the back of his hand, leaving his flesh tingling in return.

Why was he so... so cuddly all of a sudden? It didn't make any sense to the Spaniard, even when he sifted through the memories he had filed in his brain. Was Lovino just highly affectionate when he was tired? No... It couldn't be that. Lovino was only trying to make him lower his guard, he was absolutely sure of it. Monsters didn't have a drop of affection in their body. More clicks filled the air around the two, followed by a weak sigh and Lovino nuzzling Antonio's shoulder with his cheek before becoming extremely relaxed, as if the day's worries had rush out of his body all at once. Either that or he fell asleep. No matter what happened, there wasn't any possible way Antonio could move without waking the creature, with how much of a light sleeper he was, so he chose to remain still; hoping that any sudden movements wouldn't bring the man-thing's wrath upon him.

Seconds turned to minutes and the only lights in the room were the blaring red of his clock and Lovino's luminescent speckles upon his flesh... leaving Antonio with little to nothing to look at, and he was growing extremely bored already. That, in turn, left him sleepy, but he didn't want to bend to the will of his body. He didn't feel safe next to his hellish creature, no matter how docile he was when he slept or how he apparently "cared" about his health. Antonio even tried to watch the patterns on Lovino's skin flicker and how they grew a tad bit brighter every time he huddled his body a little bit closer to the Spaniard's warmth, buy he quickly grew bored of that too. So now, since his nails suddenly started to itch, he occupied himself with scratching at their edges. At least until he finally fell asleep.

The morning light streamed in through his windows, instantly waking the Spaniard from his slumber. A groan rumbled in his throat, pressing against the slight pressure upon his chest, which he found to be Lovino, who apparently turned over in his sleep. No matter. He seemed out of it for now, so Antonio remained still and merely stared at his ceiling. He'd have to clean it soon, with how many cobwebs were starting to form from the lack of sweeping... ah, but that was too much of a hassle. It could wait 'till later. He yawned after a few more moments of staring at the walls, lazily scratching at his stomach, only to pause once he realized it didn't feel normal. Trying again, he noticed how he didn't feel the normal sensation of nails running across his abdomen but fleshy nubs instead. Frowning, he brought his fingers up to his sight... nearly gagging and screaming at the same time.

All of his nails had fallen off... and only caked blood remained in their place.