"Two more nights." Dimas said stretching out on the bed (he'd been upgraded to sleeping in the bed with them.)
"And however long it takes Arthur and the others to figure this all out." Lovino said with a sigh. He leaned on Dimas with Antonio already out cold on his other side. "My poor baby." Lovino said patting his head. "Will you two make sure he doesn't sleep forever?" He turned his attention to two guards sitting at the couch. They nodded.
"So." Dimas said "Your brother stopped by to talk to me today."
"And?" Lovino asked lowly "Did you sleep with him again?"
"No. He wanted to talk about some stuff. So it seems your brother believed I was trying to secretly get him to have sex with me." Dimas said.
"You're not?" Lovino asked with a smirk "Oh good I was afraid my baby would be down an uncle."
"Yeah well, your little brother also seems to have a crush on me." Dimas continued. "And look, you're starting to show." He said rubbing Lovino's slightly bulging tummy. "Can't believe there's a life in there..."
"I'd believe he does." Lovino said softly "Marcello is a mushy romantic. Show that boy any sort of affection and he's begging at your heels. Be gentle with him." Lovino giggled and rubbed his stomach as well "My little girl."
"Girl?" Dimas asked.
"I think so. Feels like a girl."
"Have you even touched a girl before?" He asked
"Jerk." Lovino said leaning on him gently.
"You love it." Dimas said and held him closer.
"Dimas..." Lovino whispered. "Are you still in love with me?"
"Not like I was. If that was even really love." Dimas confessed. "I think I was just feeling so alone. And you and Toni were so happy.. And I was envious. Not to mention I did and still do lust after you."
"Lust after me?" Lovino teased. "I'm a married man!"
"Yeah, your husband is a less hot me, so you clearly have a type." Dimas said and laughed.
"Yeah. I do." Lovino said petting Antonio's hair as the king started to dream.
Antonio was a little boy. No older than 5, with a short tail and little ears and wild hair. He ran around his mother's feet looking up at her with love. She smiled brightly at him and brought him close and up on a stool.
"Hold still baby, mama has to give you a hair cut. You're starting to shed!" She said and held up a pair of razor sharp scissors. She hummed softly as she began to snip away at Antonio's hair. "I have such a pretty baby boy~" She sang softly. "With a wild mane. A powerful little baby."
"heh." Antonio giggled.
"Stay still." His mother said and sang some more "A little man who will be king." She cut more, the sound of the scissors loud in Antonio's ears. "A crown he ripped off his dead mommy's head. "
"I-" Antonio said trying to look at his mother.
"Stay still." His mother said pushing his head forward. "My little boy who will be the best king ever. That is until his mommy comes back and rips off his head and wears it as a crown."
"You're scaring me!" Antonio pleaded trying to move away. But his mother held him still. Her hands were no longer rosy, and now skeletal. Antonio looked back at her and gave a scream. This was not his mother.
"STAY STILL." She screamed. She was a skeleton, wearing the robes of an old queen and cobwebs covered her. "Don't make mommy get the apple." She said and grabbed him by the hair.
"Mommy!" Little Antonio screamed. The woman dragged him across the floor by his hair and produced an apple. Antonio struggled but she forced it into his mouth. He choked and she made him take a bite. The piece lodged in his throat. She tossed him to the ground. And for good measure stabbed him at the base of the neck with her scissors.
Blood poured from the wound as Antonio looked up at the woman. Tears flowed from his eyes and blood from his neck. He was dying.
Lovino played with Antonio's hair gently- until pieces started to come off as if they had been cut away. Lovino sat up straight as a bruise formed on Antonio's head. "Shit... Toni?" Lovino said. The guards jumped up. "Toni?" Lovino asked trying to wake him.
"He's not breathing." Dimas said and shook him harder. Blood started to pour from his neck. "Fuck!" Dimas cried.
"Toni!" Lovino shouted. "Go get Arthur!" Lovino shouted. One of the guards ran from the room while the other fetched a bucket of water. "Antonio!" Lovino shouted and slapped him across the face.
"Fuck.."Dimas mumbled trying to shake him away. "We have to do something-"
"I'm trying!" Lovino cried, tears forming at his eyes. And he did the only thing he could think of to save his beloved.
He kissed him.
