Thanks to Zaaze, NekoRyuuKo, Adorable Reader, Skye Phoenix Dove and ScandinavianTrash for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 9

Lovino awoke after yet another round of nightmares. He burst into tears. How long would it haunt him?

When he managed to calm himself enough he climbed out of the bed and went out of the room, entering the one next to it.

Vlad briefly looked up when he saw Lovino enter and he sighed, taking a book and standing up from the armchair. Lovino felt a little guilty as Vlad went to lie down on the bed, and Lovino went to lie down next to him.

"Sleep tight," Vlad said, wrapping an arm around Lovino.

Lovino smiled briefly before he drifted off to sleep.

…

Matthew hummed while he was making breakfast, Feliks nearby, watching him.

"Like, I can never do anything in the kitchen without burning my food," Feliks said. "Not that I don't like burnt food, but if someone comes to visit, like, they don't like my food because it's burnt."

"I can teach you, if you want," Matthew offered.

"Nah. Then it, like, would be expected of me to cook. Like, who among you can cook?"

"Feliciano and I. Lovino too, but… Well, I think it's been a while."

"Like, what do you mean?"

"Well, Lovino's been held captive by vampires," Matthew explained. "I guess that's why he's being more distant than he used to be. He doesn't really talk to us, and he doesn't want to talk about it."

"Oh. Like, oops," Feliks said. "I hope Vlad didn't…"

"What?" Matthew asked, looking at Feliks with panic.

"Like, he was going to ask Vlad about his past, and I like suggested that Vlad's blood can be used to show his memories, and…"

"What?"

"Like, when a vampire bites a human, they inject venom into their bloodstream. The venom is expelled after a few days, but… Like, see, the venom is used to turn humans into vampires. Like, all it takes is for the human to ingest vampire blood."

Matthew's eyes widened, and Feliks left the kitchen, and Matthew had to tend to the pancakes before they burned.

…

Feliks burst into Vlad's room, and the vampire glared at the phoenix. Feliks noticed as Lovino lay beside Vlad, but he had more important things to focus on.

"Like, did you give him some of your blood last night?" Feliks asked.

"Nu," Vlad said. "I was the one that saved him. I know that his body isn't ready for it."

Feliks sighed in relief, slumping against the doorframe. There was silence for about a minute, before Feliks decided to break it.

"Like, you know you could turn him," Feliks said. "Like, he wouldn't be like the others. He'd be like you."

"No," Vlad said. "I won't let that fate befall him. It could… No."

"Like, you need this," Feliks said. "You and I both know what he is…"

"And that's why I won't condemn him to my existence," Vlad said. "Feliks, please don't bring this up again."

"Fine," Feliks said, turning around.

"Wait," Vlad said, and Feliks paused. "What kind of angel is he?"

Feliks turned back and smiled.

"Life," Feliks said, and Vlad's eyes widened at the revelation.

Feliks left the vampire alone to ponder the revelation.

…

Everyone, sans Vlad, was at the breakfast table, looking with disgusted expressions as Alfred shovelled the food down his throat. Jason and Matthew looked absolutely ashamed of their brother.

"So," Gupta said, turning pointedly away from Alfred and looking at Feliks, "what is there to do around here?"

"Like, Vlad would need to teach you how to manage your angel powers," Feliks said. "But he'd, like, need to see you all one by one."

"No way," Alfred said, his mouth stuffed with food. "I'm not going to be left alone, or leave anyone alone, with that vampire."

"Al, don't talk with your mouth full," Matthew sighed.

"When are you going to fucking learn to get along with him?" Lovino asked.

"Like, he's an angel of war," Feliks said. "His kind and Vlad never got along. There's an old rivalry that's been ingrained since before the Fall, but after the Fall it got like totally worse."

"Fall?" Matthew asked.

Feliks's eyes widened, and immediately afterwards they heard Vlad shout 'FELIKS!'. Feliks chuckled nervously.

"Like, looks like Vlad's calling me," Feliks said, moving towards the door. "Bye!"

And Feliks ran, leaving the confused humans behind.

…

Feliks burst into the study where Vlad had been reading, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Vlad glared at him with annoyance.

"How much do you think you almost gave away?" Vlad asked.

"Like, sorry. It totally slipped. Like, it won't happen again."

Vlad continued to glare at him, before he turned back to his book. Feliks sighed.

"Like, what are you reading?" he asked.

"Nephilim Journals," Vlad said. "I need to take a little refresher course in dealing with Nephilim. Particularly those that are angels of war."

"Yeah, that one's going to give you some problems," Feliks said. "Like, is there anyone you would like to begin with?"

"Whoever trusts me enough to volunteer first."

Feliks sighed. He knew that the lack of trust really hurt Vlad. It made him angry at Alfred for the way he was treating his friend. But what made him even angrier was the fact that Vlad accepted it, as though it was something unavoidable. Something to be expected.

"Like, when are you going to tell them?" Feliks asked.

Vlad sighed, running a hand along his face.

"I'll tell Lovino in a few days," Vlad said. "He wants to know more about my past. And then… we'll see."

Feliks sighed, before he turned to leave.

"Like, I hate seeing you like this," Feliks said.

"It's not as though you really see me any other way," Vlad said.

"Like, I know. That's what I hate."

…

Back in the living room, the humans were trying to piece together what Feliks had said.

"So, what's this fall?" Alfred asked.

"There's only one thing I can think of," Marcello said. "It's part of Christian mythology. It's when Lucifer gathered a bunch of angels to rebel against God. And when they lost, they were cast out of heaven. That's usually what's referred to as the Fall."

Lovino remained silent. Something about that seemed familiar, but he couldn't piece together what exactly. It annoyed him slightly.

"Perhaps we should focus on something else?" Gupta suggested. "Such as the fact that we would need individual training?"

"Look, there's no way I'm trusting that thing," Alfred said.

"That 'thing' is named Vlad," Lovino said. "And I'm getting sick of you insulting him the whole time. He has done nothing to earn that from you."

"Why are you so hung up on him? Do you have a crush on him or something?"

"Like hell!" Lovino said, his face a little pink. "In case you fucking forgot, he saved my life. I'm grateful to him. And he's been keeping my nightmares away."

"He's probably just waiting until we all trust him to turn us into his mindless army."

"Ve," Feliciano interrupted, "he promised that he wouldn't hurt us."

Alfred rolled his eyes, before he turned his gaze to Feliciano.

"Feli, are you going to trust a vampire because he promised?" Alfred asked condescendingly.

Feliciano frowned, before he stood. He pulled up his shirt, showing a silver 'x' on his chest.

"Ve, he said that he's not going to hurt us," Feliciano said. "And if he breaks his promise, it'll turn black and I can kill him by saying so."

Alfred looked intrigued, and Feliciano pulled down his shirt.

"Whatever," Lovino scoffed. "I for one trust Vlad completely, so I'm going to go for my training. See you bastards later."

After Lovino left, the others were left in silence.

"Has anyone noticed that he never calls Vlad a 'bastard'?" Alfred asked.

"Well, Vlad did save him," Matthew said. "So I guess it's a subconscious thing."

"If it turns out to be some sort of vampire mind control…"

Everyone merely sighed.

…

While Lovino was on his way to Vlad's location, he ran into Feliks, who looked a little downtrodden. The phoenix smiled when he saw him, and Lovino frowned, something bothering him.

"Like, should have known that you'd totally be the first," Feliks said. "You are going to see Vlad about learning how to be an angel, right?"

"Si," Lovino said, a little annoyed.

"Do you trust him?"

"What the hell kind of question is that?"

"Vlad's suffered a lot in the last few thousand years. Like, the fact that the people who he's supposed to be helping don't trust him really hurts him. So, like, do you trust him?"

Lovino was silent as he pondered what exactly the phoenix was asking. And hadn't he just told his brothers and friends that he trusted Vlad? It had been so easy to say that to people that didn't like Vlad and didn't trust him. But Feliks was his friend. He knew more about Vlad than he did.

"Si," Lovino said. "I trust him."

Feliks smiled, and started to walk away.

"Let him know that," Feliks said. "I'm sure it would give him a reason to smile. Like, I haven't seen a genuine smile from him in so long."

Lovino frowned as Feliks continued to walk away. The Italian sighed, before deciding to continue on his own way.

He found Vlad in a study, reading through a book. Vlad looked up when he entered and he smirked.

"I had a feeling that you would be the first to arrive," Vlad said. "So, shall we begin?"

"What's that you're reading?" Lovino asked.

"A journal I kept from the last time I trained Nephilim. I'm just refreshing my memory."

Lovino frowned, something else bothering him.

"Why did the angels consider our kind a threat?" Lovino asked. "And it can't just be because we have angel powers."

Vlad sighed, looking pained. Lovino waited patiently.

"It was because of the unpredictability," Vlad said. "You see, a mature Nephilim doesn't necessarily become an angel. They could also become a demon."

Lovino's eyes widened, and he took a step back. Vlad looked at him with concern.

"I can't let you teach me," Lovino said, and Vlad's eyes widened. "You know what happened to me. You know that I'm not worthy of being an angel. I… I'll…"

He shook his head and turned to leave, but before he knew it, Vlad had caught up to him, hugging him close. Once again, Lovino could feel the vampire's heartbeat, something that shouldn't be possible at all.

"Listen to me," Vlad said. "You are not becoming a demon. You are worthy of being an angel."

Lovino struggled, and Vlad only hugged him tighter.

"Whether you become an angel or a demon is entirely up to you," Vlad said. "Nothing that anyone else has done to you has an influence, understand? In fact, I think that because of that you'd become one of the stronger angels. Nothing is telling me that you're not fit to become an angel, understand?"

Lovino turned a little so that he was chest-to-chest with Vlad and held unto him. As the vampire was speaking, Lovino started to cry, and as Vlad spoke the last words Lovino sobbed.

Vlad started to rub soothing circles on Lovino's back, trying to think of something to say that would calm him down.

"Feliks told me what kind of angel you would become," Vlad said. "If there was no chance for you, then Feliks wouldn't have been able to see that. He would have told me that you have more potential to be a demon than an angel. Do you want to know what kind of angel you are?"

Lovino shook his head, and Vlad sighed.

"Well, let me give you a few hints," Vlad said. "This is probably the rarest, most special kind of angel. The type of angel that most other angels want to be friends with. An angel so pure, that there has been no success in turning this type of angel into a demon. Only one has ever fallen, and that fall didn't happen on his own. He was pushed and dragged, but he still resisted becoming a demon."

Lovino sniffled.

"Are you a fallen angel?" Lovino asked.

"Why do you ask that?" Vlad asked.

"Because that would explain why you know so much."

There was silence for a moment.

"No," Vlad said. "Fallen angels can still go out in sunlight, and they don't need to ask permission to go into someone's home. And their blood is bronze, not silver."

"Have you ever met one?"

"A few, actually. And each one of them was either depressed or violent. You see, when an angel falls, they're filled with either a great sorrow or a great anger, depending on how or why they fell. Sometimes they can be more dangerous than demons, since their reactions are pretty unpredictable. They're also especially dangerous to Nephilim. There are a few that are harmless, but the majority you should look out for."

Lovino nodded.

"How do you recognise a fallen angel?" Lovino asked.

"It takes a lot of practice. But you'll be able to recognise them eventually. Now, are you feeling better?"

Lovino nodded, and Vlad loosened his hold as Lovino stepped back. Vlad had a small smile on his face, and Lovino remembered what Feliks told him about Vlad not smiling genuinely for a long time. And Lovino could see that this was a smile meant to make him happy, but that didn't reflect Vlad's own happiness.

"Now, let's begin," Vlad said. "The first thing we want to do is summon your wings. Once you have your wings, the rest should come easier."

"And how do I do that?" Lovino asked.

"First, we should start by thinking of a happy memory."

"Dammit, I don't have happy memories!"

"Of course you do. Think back to when I brought you back to your brothers, and you finally returned home after your imprisonment. I know happiness when I see it, and you were definitely happy."

Lovino blushed, but his face remained in a scowl.

He knew that Vlad was right. He had been happy when he was reunited with his brothers. He felt happy when they hugged him. He felt happy when he saw how much they missed him.

He focused on that happiness, and Vlad smiled.

"Now, focus on that happiness, and pretend it's a bird, curling up its wings. Then imagine that bird spreading its wings and flying away."

Lovino did as told, but he still could not feel his wings. He clenched his fist in frustration.

"Okay, let's try something else," Vlad said. "Don't worry. Some techniques don't work for some people. It's natural." Vlad sighed. "Sorry about this. But think about those three vampires."

Lovino couldn't help it. It came unbidden.

"Think about what they did to you," Vlad said. "Focus on your fear."

No problem there.

"Now, I want you to imagine you're flying away, and you don't want them to catch you."

It wasn't hard.

Lovino felt his back itch, but he was more focused on his fear. Vlad smiled.

"Look," Vlad said.

Lovino looked over his shoulder, and he gasped when he saw a powerful wing. Looking over the other shoulder showed him the same thing. They weren't white, or black, or even grey. Instead, they were cream-coloured. Lovino reached out to touch one, stroking the feathers. His wing shrank back slightly at the contact, and he could actually feel the wing.

He turned back to Vlad as the other clapped his hands.

"Well done," Vlad said. "And you thought that you didn't have it in you to become an angel."

"But the wings aren't white," Lovino said. "They may look it, but…"

"No Nephilim's wings are white. In fact, most angels didn't have white wings when they were born. As you continue to grow, the wings will gradually become pure white. This colour also shows that you have more potential to be an angel than a demon. If you were closer to becoming a demon, then these feathers would have been grey."

Lovino looked to one of the wings again, and his heart fluttered when he realised that Vlad was right. He was an angel in the making.

"It sucks that I have to think of them to get my wings," Lovino thought.

"It's because you're still full of fear, sorrow and anger," Vlad said. "The trick of these wings is to summon the emotions you feel the most of, and instead of letting them overwhelm you, you need to make them your own to bend to your will. That is the trick of most of this, actually."

"Do I always need to rely on those emotions?"

"No. You may use them to practice. But in the heat of battle and you need to take to the sky, then instinct will do it for you."

"Great. So, when am I flying?"

Vlad chuckled.

"I'm afraid you need to master summoning them first," Vlad said. "Letting them come at will, and disappear at will. I once trained someone who went flying before she was ready. About three kilometres in the sky her wings disappeared. If I hadn't gone looking for her, then she would have died."

"I… I see. So, I need to wait a while?"

"Da. Focus on summoning them and making them disappear at will."

"And… how do I get them to disappear?"

"Just think about the wings sliding back into your body. You've seen me do it, right?"

Lovino nodded, and he focused on what he had seen Vlad do. He felt a loss of pressure that he didn't even know he had, and his balance was also thrown off a little. He looked over his shoulder, and was a little sad to see that the wings were gone.

"I think that's enough for today," Vlad said. "We don't want to put too much strain on your body. It's used to being human. Give it time to adapt."

Lovino nodded, and he turned to leave, before he thought of a question. He turned back to Vlad.

"What do you feel when you're summoning your wings?" Lovino asked.

Vlad looked thoughtful.

"I mostly operate on instinct," Vlad said. "But in general it was fear. But lately it's changed. Now, it's happiness."

If Alfred seems like a jerk, he's just worried about the others. He'll get better. Eventually.

And Feliks wasn't so worried about Vlad accidentally turning Lovino into a vampire, but more about what the effect on Vlad would be. Which was why he was first panicked, then trying to convince Vlad to go through with it.

Also, Game of Mirrors has been nominated for the Hetalia Awards. If you liked it, then please go vote for it.