A/n: Tw for strongly hinted abuse, death, and some really awful slurs.
Long before Antonio was born, there was another place stained a bitter steel grey that was, and forever will be, a lonely childhood, which was broken only by the shimmering crimson of spilt blood. Such a childhood, quite obviously, belonged to Antonio's father.
"Alejandro Fernandéz! Get your pathetic ass in here!" a man roared. Alejandro, who was age sixteen at the time, ran in, his reddish brown eyes wide with fear. Oh no, had his father found out about his Italian sweetheart? Alejandro almost blushed at the thought of his boyfriend, who was a sort of pink that was both soft and gentle, but excitable and free. Alejandro would be lying if he were to claim he didn't love the beautiful blond boy. Of course, he had to lie to his father every day.
"I heard you were hanging out with that Flavio again," Alejandro's father said, his voice low and dangerous, "You know what I said about hanging around that faggot!" Alejandro shook, he knew what came next. Crimson.
*
The door slammed open, quite suddenly, and the sweet honey gold kiss was broken. The atmosphere in the room turned quickly from blushing vermilion to an angry, terrified scarlet as the words, "What is going on here?" drip venomously from Alejandro's lips.
Antonio turned to Lovino, mouthing the words 'get out'. Lovino nods and takes off towards the Albino Potato Bastard's house, hoping he would get there in time to get Antonio help. Before it was too late.
Alejandro's very soul, in those dreadful moments, was at last consumed by the burning fire if hatred and fear. There were agonized ruby red screams, cast into the azure day, shouts of anguish cutting through the sky. Alejandro had been taken over by a horrible monster, and that monster would have taken Antonio's life, had Antonio's mother not moved in the way. The sacrifice brought Alejandro back to himself, but it was too late. The police arrived just in time to see the damage.
Maria, mother of Antonio, was dead, shot by her own husband. Before anyone could truly process this, a second shot rang out and Antonio was an orphan.