Pain...

Pain... there was so much pain erupting all over his body. Plates shifted under his flesh, slipping, colliding against something encasing his muscles, snagging the skin that stretched with every push of the nearly scale-like protrusions trying to break free of their bonds. He couldn't keep his body from shivering, from quaking as his heart thundered against his ribs, desperate for freedom from the aches branching throughout his nerves. Black hardness shifted under his flesh, growing clearer to the eye with every moment that fluttered by. Not that long ago, Antonio managed to push his body to one of the walls, although he immediately regretted his decision to move. It seemed that the very moment his back scraped against the dirt packed fortification, everything tumbled downhill. Blinking, Antonio rubbed at his eyes with his palms, yet the horrible clarity failed to become any better; if anything, it worsened, leaving a splitting pain drilling right between eyes that could barely make out anything through the luminescent film swirling over every point he glanced over.

He wanted out of this stuffy, cramped enclosure. He wanted to be free, to feel the wind and rain upon his flesh... to see his mate...

No, that wasn't right. That monster should be far from his mind. He should be finding a way to kill it, to escape from the nightmare that creature snared him in.

But...but... he was so close, and there was still something wrong with him... a bitter-sweet aroma that shouldn't be. It tainted that alluring scent...his mate...mate...there is something wrong...

Sweltering heat coiled up in his brain, pricking and stabbing at inside of his skull in tune with every whisper that fluttered across his senses. A whine, low and gurgling with pain, rumbled in his throat as they grew louder, deafening, leaving ached riddled tear beads in the corners of blackened sclera, but they refused to hush their words. They blotted out his own voice that screeched and wailed, trying everything it could to remain audible behind the wall of noise.

I need to find him...

Find him... protect him...

No... no, h..s a m…ster. I c...n't.

Mate… mate. Must find mate.

No! He's a m…ster. He just w..nts me d…ad!

Yet another wail gurgled from his gullet, smothered only by his palms digging into his lips and stiffened fingers scratching at his flesh; his voice tapered off into pathetic whimpers as a battle waged in his mind, each side desperate to claim the prize of control.

Sounds meshed together into a sea of inaudible filth. Colours and shapes bled into their neighbors, leaving only a muddled mess of grey and black for his eyes to rest upon. His skin tingled, and his skin ached.

Horrible…pain…hurt.

He needed to escape, to rid himself of this blistering pain, but the commands to his muscles fell upon deaf ears more and more with each droplet of rain that pattered against the ground outside this prison.

Compared to the other days that he had to live though, this one was far from the worst. Sure, he had to bare yet another meeting that bored him to death, but at least he was able to spend valuable time with his friends before it was his time to go. And that… well, that date lingering in his mind was drawing closer and closer with every rise and fall of the sun. Bright, chocolate eyes stared up at the American currently babbling on and on about the economy and the American government, but it was far from the obnoxious yells that often echoed throughout the large meeting room. Feliciano played with the pen resting between his fingers, careful to keep the edge from tapping against the table. He sighed, glancing at his ticking watch. Still just two, and there are five more presentations that have to go. At least he didn't feel as if he was about to die. Today's nausea and pain was bearable, thankfully, meaning the other representatives hopefully wouldn't notice anything off with him.

Feliciano leaned back into his seat, his eyes momentarily trained on the blond pointing at a graph intricately detailing how the economies of the world were intertwined, and how they each depended on another. But soon enough, his attention slipped off of Alfred and drifted to the other people sitting at the oval table. Only Arthur seemed to be paying attention so far, and perhaps Ivan, but everyone else seemed bored out of their mind. Well, he supposed that it would only be appropriate. For half of the group, this was nothing more than a review of the meeting set in the early hours of the day, but they still had to stay merely to be a good representative of their country.

Speaking of which... Chocolate eyes glanced over at the empty seat across from his own, a feeling of guilt finding its way into his heart. This was the fifth meeting that Antonio missed in a row. He wasn't answering his phone, nobody saw him in town... it was like he simply disappeared. Francis was the only one who apparently made any contact with him over the past week, and even though he claimed that the bubbly Spaniard was doing okay, Feliciano still felt as if something was out of place. There was just this feeling that he couldn't shake off.

"—And we're hoping that the increase in exports will-"

Feliciano forced his attention back upon the speaking blond; Alfred paced back and forth in his presentation, pausing only to point at the various diagrams upon the board. Finding that he was once again bored, Feliciano leaned forward and propped his chin in his hand, idly staring at anything that would entertain him. Eventually, it would be his turn to speak, and that alone caused anxiety to dig its claws into his heart. He couldn't hide behind a smiling face much longer... people were noticing.

They weren't idiots. It wasn't until recently that they actually began to question his odd ways, but he always managed to pass it off as simply "something Feliciano would do". Yet... he knew that ignorance would die out soon enough. Even now, he could see the glances Alfred shot at him during his speech and the flashes of emerald from the blond with rather large eyebrows; the less than hidden looks from Ivan, from Francis, even the large, and gingerly soft hand upon his leg told him that the burly German next to him obviously noticed something. While it probably wasn't from today, all of that worry surely stemmed from previous days; those days where people would comment on his visual appearance, or claim that he looked like a walking corpse. Well, what could he do? His disease was getting worse with every day that passed, but he still tried to look at the brighter side. These last days of his existence, he was going to make them count and make everyone see how much they mattered to him.

With yet another sigh, he leaned back in his plush chair and tenderly wrapped his arms around his torso. So cold, he thought to himself, lightly shivering despite the amount of clothing he adorned. Couldn't the owners of this building turn up the heat? Perhaps he would ask during the up-coming break, oh, oh but the others seemed to be burning up. Dark spots lined Alfred's underarms, and Miss Elizabeta was using one of her empty folders to fan the heated air away from her face. As such, Feliciano forced his arms to his sides, hoping that no one noticed.

Yet, his hopes were tossed away as Ludwig leaned ever so closer to him. "Are you okay?" He asked in a low voice far too soft for his massive size.

"I'm fine, Luddy~" A smile accompanied his whisper, and he gently laid his hand upon the larger one on his leg. "I'm feeling much better today." Such warm eyes flicked over to the weakly smiling brunet, tenderly gazing down at him as if they truly didn't believe him. "I really am, I promise." His attempt at reassurance didn't faze the concern contorting those strong features, but it didn't matter at this point. He would simply have to live with the tingle in the back of his head constantly whispering that Ludwig would always worry about the smallest things, no matter how much the Italian would tell him otherwise. Far too many times, that once humble man found the sick brunet collapsed on the floor.

Which reminded him… Without drawing much attention to himself, Feliciano slipped a hand into the inner pocket of his coat and lightly prodded at the cylindrical container pressed close to his heart. Five minutes to go… He saw with a quick glance at his watch. Sighing, Feliciano gently pulled the small case from its cloth holder, and held it in his hand as he returned his attention to the ending of Alfred's presentation. Although, a cold pang pierced his heart once blue eyes muffled by a thin layer of glass met his; they remained locked, even as the blond American bowed, and there was something swirling behind those sapphire orbs that Feliciano couldn't place…. Something that simply irked him, but before his mind could pinpoint exactly what it was, everyone stood up, their mouths lively with chatter and relieved sighs. One by one, the representatives filed out of the room, sometimes alone, while others gossiped with a friend. Only one or two remained in the room, yet Feliciano didn't care to see who didn't want a drink or to stretch their legs. His mind was set on heading for the closest restroom, mainly so he could relieve himself of a full bladder and so he could sallow down the pills nestled in his hand in private.

Ludwig silently followed the brunet, allowing his hand to brush against his every now and then, if only to show his support and that he deeply cared for the sickly Italian. Yes, Feliciano appreciated the action, but deep inside, a fear unfurled from the ball he constantly tried to keep it coiled into. The German man, his precious friend… he didn't know the dire truth of what was to come. For so long, he was able to keep the name of the disease he lived with his entire life from the man…the truth of the transplant he had merely fifteen years prior, and now, and he knew that the organ was failing once more.

Luckily, many of the representatives headed straight for the small room holding the refreshments, while the others walked outside for a smoke, leaving the Italian and the German as the only ones going to the one person restroom. So quiet it was in this particular area of the rather large hotel, almost serene for the brunet, whose mood was slipping from somewhat cheerful to depressed.

Once they reached the door, Ludwig pushed it open for him, gently nodding as Feliciano thanked him for the much unneeded action, and even closed the door behind him. He remained outside, undoubtedly standing in wait as Feliciano did his business in the tiny restroom. However, just as his fingers pricked at the lock holding together the container, he froze. Heat welled up in the back of his throat, and pain pricked at his stomach, but he swallowed it down as much as he could. Now was not a good time, not now… not when Ludwig could hear. Sharp tingles spread through his shoulder once it slammed against the wall, trying to escape his mouth as a gasp, but the hand tightly clamped over his lips prevented anything from its entry into the world.

Only after a few minutes did the nausea leave him, but an unsettling queasiness replaced it instead. He sighed, turning to the sink as he twisted the knob for the cold water. It sputtered out of the faucet, splattering here and there over the alabaster porcelain before Feliciano cupped his hands under the stream of frigid liquid, then allowed it to splash back into the sink. A cool chill greeted his skin as he trailed moist fingers over face and through his hair, his eyes staring down at the crystal clear water swirling down into the drain. Weakly humming to himself, Feliciano scratched at the nape of his neck, shoulders hunched and elbow wedged into the edges of the porcelain bowl.

This wasn't a proper way to present himself to his friends, now was it?

Tired, nay, exhausted chocolate orbs gazed back at him through the mirror once he glanced up, although he somewhat wished that he remained ignorant to exactly how bad he truly appeared. Underneath the concealer applied every morning, circles far too dark for a healthy man lined the underside of his lids, puffing out the fragile flesh directly above his delicate cheek bones, leaving him appearing as if someone decided to slam their fist into his face. He brushed back rust coloured tresses tickling at the collar of his shirt and pulled back the white cloth, brows frowning at the splotches of red resting slightly below his hairline. Without needing to look at the irritated skin, he knew that the rash extended well below the flesh drinking in the air around him, low enough to mingle with the bruises peppering his shoulders and perhaps his waist. But as of now, as long as he piled layer upon layer of clothing on his thinning frame, no one, besides his grandfather, would know of the blemishes.

Rolling up his sleeves, Feliciano carefully looked over the purple and brown spots sprinkled along once tanned arms, though a faint sigh fluttered through his nostrils at the sight. Well, at least there weren't any new ones that he would have to explain to his grandfather, save for the red patches formed from the pricks of hypodermic needles, and the most resent IV treatments. Back down, his sleeves went after his lids slid over chocolate eyes, closing for a mere moment.

November…

That was his last month on this planet, or at least that was what the doctors predicted. So many of them practically begged for him to admit himself into a hospital, but he simply refused. There was too much that he had to have done before he kicked the bucket, none of which he would be able to do while dying in a sterilized, white bed surrounded by the stench of cleanliness.

Snorting at the pitiful man staring back at him in the mirror, Feliciano straightened his back and rolled his shoulders, knowing that he would be strong until that fateful day in the near future. He went through worse the first time his liver decayed from the plethora of copper in his system, and this is nothing like when his dear brother went missing. He was alone then… and now, since he had so many people who cared, he would be able to get through this too. A weak smile formed upon chapped lips. Yes… he could get through this little blip in his life, but first, there was something else that he needed to take care of.

Lightly quaking fingers pried the pill case open, and with one shake, all were dispensed into his palm, although not for long. He quickly swallowed them dry, grimacing only as they slid down his throat, but regained his composure shortly after and returned his gaze to the mirror. This wouldn't be hard, now would it? Quickly sliding his case back into his pocket, Feliciano looked over his appearance once more, if only to make sure that every imperfection was tucked away under his clothing or the makeup caked upon his skin. Yep, it seemed everything was as it was supposed to be, so, with a smile upon his face and one last tug on his tie, he turned to the door to leave the-

Beep-beep! Beep-beep!

Feliciano bit back the eep that sprang from his throat. His phone? Didn't he put it on silent before the meeting? Frowning, the brunet fished the somewhat new device from his pants pocket, and wiped off the smears with the corner of his sleeve. Beyond the layer of scratches streaking across the screen, shimmered a message.

From: 101-514-0519

Go home, there is something waiting for you.

June 29 12:53 pm

God damn that fucking bastard. How dare that asshole pretend that he cared merely to have an opportunity to attempt to slit his throat. He should kill the fucker for such treason; disembowel him as he watched, before tearing every single piece of the new carapace growing under his weak human exoskeleton.

Fury blossomed under Lovino's fuming skin, and the screeches tearing through his lips did little to quell the fire nipping at his heart. He struck at another tree; claw marks tattooed into its trunk, just like the brethren surround it, all marred by the overflowing rage that seeped from the brunet's nostrils as ragged snarls. Furrowed brows darkened the black eyes glaring at his mess, his breath heaving and his face stinging from the previous tears that streamed down his cheeks by the bucket full. Dry, they now were, and that allowed the rage burrowed under a thick mask to bare its steely fangs. Lovino bellowed out a broiling scream, once again dragging his nails across an innocent tree as curses rolled through his throat and off his tongue.

He felt a cold splatter upon his shoulder, accented only by the pitter-patter of the cloud's watery children smacking against the leaves high above his head. Thunder rolled in the distance, although the skies were blotched out by the lofty fingers of the trees that reached to the sky, thirsty for the heaven's nectar, and the sky answered their hunger with a mist. Lovino sneered at the grey canvas above him before he took one last swipe at the tree previously enduring his rage.

Everything was going wrong as of late... every fucking thing. Turning on his heel, Lovino snarled under his breath as he followed the trail of deep lacerations in the foliage, occasionally slashing more marks into the tree's he passed. All he wanted was a companion out of that infuriating human, and despite all of the preparations, the bastard still rejected him. Well you know what? He didn't need that fucker anymore. Antonio served his only true purpose in his life, so he could be disposed of and replaced with someone who wasn't a moron who could actually realise how much hell Lovino went through to keep him alive. Another fury seething screech tore past clinched teeth, this time his fingers spreading the annoying human exoskeleton along his shoulders. Fresh relief bloomed along the jagged lines formed by his claws.

Grass and twigs alike gave way to the anger steaming off of his body, and those that strayed in his path either crumbled under his feet or snagged the loose flesh along his calves. He cursed the few branches that clung to his skin and nearly made him fall onto his face. Damn these briars, and damn this rain. It saturated his humanly carapace, leaving what little tactility he had across his body suffocated by that weak, disgusting film, and his mood even darker. Water splattered onto his face after it tumbled from branches high above his head.

Snarling out a sigh, the brunet reached around and tore off what was left of his human exoskeleton along his back, hissing as he had to rip a few sensitive shreds from the muscles his pearly carapace was shielding. He held his hand in front of him and scowled down at the peachy disgrace for protection so easily torn by his nails. Such a waste of space, this was. No wonder humans constantly wore cloth over their bodies. After tossing it aside and scoffing as it flopped against a bush to his right, Lovino took a deep breath, allowing the various rain drenched fragments to swirl in his nostrils as he attempted to pinpoint the scent that drenched the nest. North, judging by the weak current of the wind, and not too far considering the intensity. Dammit, he was going the wrong way. Groaning under his breath, Lovino tracked the pheromone laden breeze, and the corners of his lips twitched every time a low twig of a bush nicked at his legs.

He was going to kill that fucking human, even if it was essentially committing suicide.

The rain's unrelenting pelts strengthened the closer the brunet drew to the nest, complementing the heavens as they cackled at the miserable ire sinking notched talons into his veins. Every now and then, a twinge would attack the base of his spine, digging like a worm into the bone but the sensation failed to breach the raging fog surrounding his mind, and focused on that pathetic bastard locked away in the nest. His nails found themselves slashing away at yet another tree once that inconsiderate bastard's actions flashed behind fuming, obsidian eyes matching the rough breaths that streamed out of flared nostrils. Oh, how his talons itched to be slathered with the fucker's blood, and buried deep in his throat as he felt the same pain that stabbed at Lovino's heart day after fucking day, all of it stemming from the blades of betrayal and the poison that festered within his abdomen.

This was annoying, infuriating. Fuck, those two words alone failed to describe all of the unpleasant thoughts marching along in Lovino's mind, and as he trudged deeper into the heart of the forest, constantly swatting away the pouring rain and tearing away the weak flesh clinging to his true body, their already fuming steps mutated into a rage induced frenzy. Snarls bit at his grating teeth, pain tingled in his clinched fingers, yet he ignored it, focusing solely on the faint flickering of light behind a wall of trees and rain. Only a few more minutes, and he would be in the safety of his cramped nest.

Well this certainly wasn't going as planned. Just about the entire morning, Gilbert sat in his chair, angrily staring at his computer screen as if his anger would make that annoying little box appear once again. A few times he would huff, quickly followed by a furious attempt to find the program that would spawn that tiny thing on his screen, but nothing was ever found, leading the pale blond to huff, and glare at the computer for an extended period of time. It wasn't like he could do anything else right at this moment. All of his useful programs were locked away in his home back in Germany, and they were a little less than legal to own over here in the United States. He didn't have the money to buy them either.

So what to do….

What….

To…

Do…

Sigh.

He wasn't getting anywhere, and dammit, his back and neck were beginning to hurt from sitting in this damn chair for so long. Bellows creaked from the springs in his chair as he rose to his feet, joints popping and muscles throbbing from the lack of use. Everyone was at that meeting, weren't they? That meant there wouldn't be anyone he could talk to, to get this stupid annoyance out of his mind for a few minutes. Ludwig wasn't home, Francis was in that meeting too, and Antonio still wasn't answering his calls, or showing his face around town. A hum rumbled in the back of his throat. Maybe he should just visit that son of a bitch in his backwater home, and force him to spend the day in the city. They could hit the bars, then find comfort in cheap women. Yeah... Francis or little West could join them in their escapades. Well, Ludwig more so they would have someone who wasn't shitfaced to drive them home.

Actually, no. He couldn't do that today, could he? Ludwig asked him to house sit for the next couple of days, so he really couldn't leave until he got back, and that brought him all the way back to square one… Shit.

Groaning in annoyance, he stumbled over to the door and eventually out into the hallway, feet dragging against the chilled floor as much as his shoulder against the wall once he met the stairs. Down them, he went, and into an empty room he came. Boring. Just boring. Itching to find something productive, Gilbert scanned the area with scarlet eyes, but he only found dust and vacant seats on the furniture. He didn't have any games, nor did he own any movies in this short term residence. The neighbours weren't particularly fond of him, and they really didn't have much of a yard to keep groomed. Lovely. He really had nothing he could do, other than sleep or mindlessly text someone in the hopes that they would reply.

Gilbert mindlessly ambled around the living room, brushing his foot against the chair if only to see if he could move it with sheer willpower alone. Alas, he couldn't, but he really didn't care either. His mind was far too busy with being caught up with what he would do when he finally got to see his Spaniard friend once more. A hum vibrated against the back of his teeth. Toni would probably still be a mess, if Feliciano's and Francis' words were true, so it would take a little convincing to get him out of his house. Work weary fingers brushed against the back of the blanket covered couch, as teeth lightly gnawed at a chapped, bottom lip, his eyes aglow with excitement, and perhaps a bit of mischief.

Although, as he was caught up in his daydreams, a small sound tickled his ears; a sound that he dreaded to hear already, this early in the morning, and made it much worse than it had already been. Within seconds, that tiny trickle erupted into a roar, as the heavens released the downpour upon his home. He found himself automatically drawn to the window. Brows furrowed at the sight of the grayscale skies far beyond the pristine glass tickling at his nose, and a short snarl soon curled into the air off of his tongue. Dots here and there darkened the once dry earth outside the comforts of his tiny abode, illuminated past what he desired to see every time lightning snapped her fingers and cackled at his ever souring mood.

By the time Lovino could clearly see tiny slivers of Antonio's front door through the onslaught of rain and trees, there wasn't a trace of human-like flesh on his body, save for his head and the skin stretching from his palms up to the pads of his fingers. He shuddered, trying to wipe away the water from his limbs, yet the chill of the infuriating liquid broke through the insulation of his pearly carapace. He sneezed, and then snivelled through a groan at the slimy sensation of the water slathered over his body as weak tremors racked his muscles, nearly causing him to trip on a root sticking out of the ground. Lovino cursed under his breath. He just wanted a break, a nice long nap even, but deep down, he knew that it would probably never happen, or at least, not in the way that he preferred.

A sigh hissed through his lips, mixing and mingling with the thick aroma saturating the air. It grew heavier and heavier with every squelching step closer to his home, and it nearly smothered him once he reached what used to be the front entrance. Extending an arm, Lovino's finger grazed the outer walls of the building as he followed the surface to the rear of the house, where a thick slab of wood was propped up in front of the nest. It wasn't the best, Lovino knew, but he considered it to be pretty fucking good, considering the amount of time he had to build the damn thing.

Rocks and the overhanging piece of wood along the bottom and top not only blocked some of the rain trying to trickle in under the makeshift barrier, but they kept it in place as well, allowing it to move like one of those "sliding doors" as his previous blond caretaker called them. He gently dragged his nails down the side of the wooden slate, a frown carved into his lips.

Maybe he should've tried to find the blond man after his initial freedom from his clear, cylindrical cage. He seemed to be overjoyed that he could care for the brunet and he gave him his name, well, what became his real name, not thirty or that VL0311- whatever the fuck thatbullshit was that the majority of the white garbed bastards called him. Lovino remembered smelling him in that soft, red floored room, along with the other blond, erm... Ludwig, if he recalled the name correctly, who took him from those sterile white rooms when he was still only a hatchling, but, the scent only a few pair of feet down, it had gained his attention instead. He remembered that there was simply something about the strength-laden smell that drew him to slither up the green-eyed idiot's leg and nestle himself in the conjunction of his sock and the warmth of his flesh.

Well, it was too late to regret his choice now. He had to make the best of who he currently had as a mate, even if the fucker wasn't as willing as he would've liked, especially with how much he resisted the influence of the organism developing in his body. Sighing once more, Lovino moved the rock that prevented the wooden slab from sliding open and gently pushed against the makeshift door, keeping his eye open for any movement in the dissipating darkness. A deep red, gentle to his eyes, flickered in the corner of the nest, indicating where Antonio had apparently curled himself up.

The human- no, he wasn't human anymore, was he? Antonio was the same as Lovino now, save for his role in their union. He had the same developing carapace that would keep them safe and warm in the cold, the same mode of conversing, and the same senses drinking in the pheromones that were surely calling on him to abandon those silly human emotions. Only, as his nose picked up the sharp increase of Lovino's scent, the glowing specks along his cheeks and shoulders shrivelled up and his once jittering breath stilled. An emerald eye locked itself on Lovino's movements, watching him move the door back to its previous resting place. "Thought you weren't come back." Antonio's growl was little more than a pain dowsed whisper accented by his clattering voice and the mandibles poking out from the corners of his lips. They twitched every now and then, effectively drawing out a hiss from the brunet's throat.

Lovino sneered at the mess he had become in his short absence. "I thought you were going to fucking leave." A series of deep clicks rumbled in Antonio's throat in response as he tried to push his body further into the wall, obviously failing as all he managed to do was to stay in exactly the same place. Lovino rolled his eyes and carefully moved to the other side of the nest, huffing once he plopped down, his back thankful for the tiny bit of water that the dirt absorbed. The low drowning roar of rain sufficed as the verbal component of their speech, neither of the two bothering to click out a word, but Lovino truly didn't need words to tell how the fucker was feeling. Antonio's markings alone perfectly indicated his state of mind; anger, and fear, those emotions danced along the flickering crimson specks, far from the radiant blue that Lovino desperately wished to see along his cheeks.

Yet, those carmine flecks grew duller and duller as the minutes passed, matching how Antonio's breath steadily became hoarse. He tried to curl himself into a ball, his fingers twisting themselves in mud flecked tresses, but it was like his body had became stiff and unable to flex more than a few inches. With every jagged exhale, bits of Antonio's skin expanded as if there was something under it that pushed it away from his muscles, drawing a muffled groan from the depths of his lungs and a lurch in his body.

Antonio gnawed at his bottom lip as he stretched out his back and clawed at the dirt, his legs straightening until they were tightly pressed against the wall in which the door was embedded, just as his cheek found itself pushed against the floor. Trickles of breath managed to slither out of their fanged cage, and a few of the rather harsh ones puffed up the dirt below; some of the particles settled in the fragile curls of chocolate, while others clung to his lashes, accenting the dirty, feral gleam sparking across his eyes.

They locked upon the brunet slouched against the wall, a flurry of emotions swirling behind the animalistic glass of gold flaked emerald, but Lovino remained perfectly still, his glare just as fierce as the one he was receiving. Talons reached out to the olive-eyed brunet, surely with the intent of mauling his flesh, but upon a loud, wet snap, those claws found themselves buried in the ground, twisting and tearing the soil. Blood slithered down Antonio's tear littered arm, splattering on the earth, just like the pathetic whimpers that dripped from sealed fangs like the pattering rain on the forest floor, but soon those cries cracked and surged out of his mouth as swallowed yelps. A red blotched cheek met the earth with a light thud, those snaps wetly cackling with every crunch of the brunet's exoskeleton shifting under his human skin, bits and pieces jutting out and stretching his flesh every now and then.

Lovino merely watched from his little spot against the wall. The fucker was getting what he deserved, and he felt nothing from the pain-tinged breaths scraping against the once-human's tongue; only a cold, bitter emptiness that wished for more agony on the bastard.

A groan puffed out of the idiot's mouth as his body arched forward in an attempt to dull the pain that was surely stabbing at his back, and lids clinched over his brilliant emeralds. He hissed and moaned, twitching with every lurch of flesh along his body. Breath lodged itself in his throat once his exoskeleton stretched a chunk of skin away from its brethren, jutting out like a knife pressing at sturdy silk, and then, as that blade sliced through the cloth, Lovino's lungs stilled. A scream, ear-piercing enough to scatter the birds outside the nest, tore through Antonio's throat. It spilled from his tongue like the blood trickling from the tear on his lower back, spotting and darkening the soil with its ruddy hue, and just as his voice tapered off to a whine, it erupted again, louder than before when a second slab of his new flesh tore through the old, settling atop the one before it. Blood dribbled out of the small cut the tip of the new growth created, neatly splitting the flesh and drawing another screech from the brunet. Lovino grimaced at the sight of the torn skin curling up back like a forked tongue bathed scarlet once it was ripped from his muscles, the crimson liquid dripping from the split and dotting the dirt on which Antonio dragged his cheek.

Blank eyes glared down at the wide emeralds pleading for a release, his heart furiously pounding against his ribs despite the utter indifference his mind sought to portray from the sight of scarlet blood slithering off of that glimmering blackness slicing through its weak covering. Stiff, and rigid, his muscles remained, unlike the undulating surface of the brunet's writhing body. There was another snap, followed by a screeching bellow from Antonio's throat.

Crack.

Snap

Squelch

Screams linked together as the plates pushed out faster and faster, erupting all over his body at once instead of one or two at a time, and soon enough, a low whine purred in Lovino's throat. This wasn't as satisfying as he initially hoped... The glee of seeing the fucker having a taste of the pain he caused Lovino was slowly draining away, replaced by a heartfelt dread.

His mind was screaming for him to aid his mate, but he held his quaking muscles against the ground and bit at his lips, silencing his words before they could call out to the screeching fool trying to curl himself deeper into the wall. Chunks of black scratched at the side of their nest, leaving sharp groves with each harsh lurch of an arm or leg, yet Lovino still refused to move to aid his aching mate. It was too dangerous. At this very moment, it wasn't Antonio nor the optimal personality of his mate occupying the rapidly developing shell of their species. No... not right now. Thunder roared outside their shoddy home, drawing out an animalistic jerk from Antonio, his snarling maw snapping over to the door as his wild eyes frantically searched for the source of the resounding boom. And, with the second screech of the heavens, the bastard shot across the tiny burrow, slamming his body against the make-shift door before he screamed once more. Strength seemed to flood out of his muscles with every shuddering breath puffing through cracked lips, and soon enough, he was curled on the ground once more.

Yet, despite the growing aches in his own heart, Lovino refused to move, although now, it was more to protect himself and their unhatched younglings. Dare he say it, but he was afraid of the pure, primal scent wafting from the shivering male, and terrified that Antonio would see him as a threat in his current state of mind. Well, mind? No... there wasn't a mind residing in that shell of a human, at least not a single one that was completely in control. That creature, it was dangerous, a threat, and Lovino wanted to escape from it before it could lay a finger on him. Calculating olives attempted to judge the chances of being able to safely escape, or at least prevent any harm to his abdomen. Low... much lower than he would've liked. Antonio blocked the only exit, and he knew that moving a single inch would draw the bastard's attention over to his position, further lowering his chances to remain unscathed.

Smothered groans fluttered against Lovino's ears, each growing increasingly hard to make out over the droning of the downpour barrelling down on their nest and the squelching snaps of severing flesh. Another bolt of lightning drew a feral reaction from his mate; snarls and the screams of wood echoing out under the drone of the pattering rain. Shoulders quaked, expanding and cracking in tune with the deep gulps of breath that surged swirled against the wooden barrier like the fury of a caged animal, all while talons sunk into the earth, tearing at it as the weight of his arms drew them closer to the earth. Hunched over and nearly in a predatory stance, Antonio slowly shook his head, dragging the top of it against the moist door; apparently not caring that his dust flecked hair was catching on the tiny chunks jutting out here and there.

Lovino, on the other hand, stilled his breath, hoping, praying that they wouldn't attract the mindless, once-human's attention. Frail curls tumbled down mud stained cheeks with every faint movement of Antonio's head against the door, covering the skin with every tumble, baring it with every flinch of his muscles and catch in his harsh gulps before slowly slipping against their neighbours as acid tinged emeralds weakly shifted their attention on random plots of earth before them. Blank... So blank, they were, almost as if there wasn't an intelligent mind in control of that husk of a man; only an animal, driven by the instincts so deeply ingrained into his mind.

There was another harsh twitch that thundered through Antonio's muscles once the sky roared and snapped its bright fingers. A rugged growl tumbled from dried lip as those wild, wide eyes stared aimlessly at whatever they found so interesting, slowly going up, and up... and up...

His growl deepened to a deep, clattering rumble, so low that Lovino barely made it out over the splattering rain outside, despite how loud the snaps of those large mandibles were against blood stained teeth. Dark and feral, those once bright eyes were as they narrowed in recognition of Lovino frozen against the wall.

Danger...

Threat...

Kill...