Sorry for the long wait, but here's the next chapter. Remember I take asks over on my tumblr to do with this and any of my other stories:)


He slept on and off throughout the rest of the night, feeling simultaneously jittery and exhausted. Antonio had laid his sleeping bag by his side, and he found his presence soothed him some.

In the early hours of the morning, before the sun had risen yet the sky had began to lighten, voices woke him.

It took him a moment to recognize Francis' voice as he talked quietly. He had been on watch for a while, Romano had heard him being awoken by Gilbert hours and hours before, and at first he thought he was waking someone else to take their shift.

"Elizaveta, where have you been? We were worried!" Gilbert's voice was the second he heard, a desperate whisper. He understood this sentence though, unlike whatever Francis had said.

"I got lost." This voice was unfamiliar, and soft. She sounded nervous, but also determined, even to Romano's cloudy mind. "I was looking for Joan, but I lost her somewhere in the forest. I'm just glad she got back safe."

"Joan's dead."

"I counted five bodies…" She had a pretty voice, high and soft yet still strong. Romano wondered for a moment if she was anything like the girls back in his district; soft and fragile yet acted like they weren't. He hopes not. He knew girls could be different, but most didn't want to be.

"It'll be easier if I explained in the morning. Are you injured?"

"I'm fine."

Something in her voice had changed. It made Romano stiffen with suspicion. He felt Antonio move as well, but wasn't sure if he was awake or not. He couldn't risk checking either, if what he thought was about to happen did happen.

He waited for a moment and strained his ears to hear beyond the shuffling, his stomach tight with dread.

Sure enough there came a yell and the sound of a scuffle.

Romano fumbled to his left and grabbed his backpack and quiver, his bow still lodged in his injured hand. He rolled unevenly to his feet and kicked Antonio in the ribs.

"Get up idiot." He urged desperately, looking over towards where the voices had come from. The girl who had thrown knives during the bloodbath was crouched over Gilbert, holding him down as she held a knife up. There was already blood everywhere and the albino wasn't moving. A little ways a way, Bella laid silent, on her front, the silver gleam of a knife glowing in the moonlight.

A blonde man with huge eyebrow had his boot planted firmly on Francis' neck, obviously putting his weight down a fair bit by the slowing struggled and red face.

Romano docked an arrow as quickly as he could and aimed at the man, hoping to hit his chest. He let the arrow fly as a sharp crack was heard due to the stranger's foot going down all the way on the other man's neck.

The arrow hit him in the thigh, Romano's aim being off due to his injured shoulder and numb hand.

Antonio had reacted like Romano expected him to; like a trained warrior. He was on his feet almost instantly and grabbing his own meager possessions before dragging Romano away at a run.

He wished he could fired another arrow, at the strange girl who had already tried to kill him once, but all of his energy was focused on keeping up and not falling despite how unbalanced he felt.

He glanced back to see if anyone was giving chase, and the last thing he saw was the girl from the bloodbath, with her pretty heart shaped face and long hair held back by a flower pin, stabbing Gilbert repeatedly while her ally clutched at his leg. Two canons sounded in the distance.

They ran until Romano's hip ached and shoulder pounded and lungs burned. And then they ran some more.

When they finally stopped, they both leaned against a tree and tried to quiet their breathing.

Romano was about to ask whether they should continue going or make camp there, but never got the chance as Antonio pulled him closer and kissed him, breathless and desperate.

It was sweet and soft and involved clutching hands. Antonio tasted like rain and fire at the same time and it was over so quickly it made his head spin.

"I thought you were dead. Roma- I can't lose you."

He was sure he was blushing up to his ears and down across his neck.

"Don't call me Roma, you bastard." He choked out finally.

Antonio ignored his protests and wrapped him in a hug.

Feliciano was smarter than most people gave him credit for, and he knew as soon as Romano took his place in the games that even if he won, his brother wouldn't be the one returning to them.

Watching the games was hard, and Ludwig even tried to get him not to, but he had to.

He had to watch as Romano took an arrow, as Antonio saved him, as they cauterized his wounds, and he cried the whole time.

It should have been him out there, fighting for his life. But like everything else, Romano guarded him like he was an invalid. Hunting for them, making deals with peacemakers, giving Feliciano more of their portions.

And Feliciano needed it. He wasn't sure he would know how to survive without ridiculous, vulgar Romano Lovino Vargas.

It almost felt as though he was already dead.