Thanks to Tokutske, cAnd13ThEheTaLiaN, SparklyMagix, ann25099, Yaoi-Is-Life-and-Love, luttu, Carina Sicily and an anon for reviewing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
Chapter 43
Antonio couldn't remember ever being in as much trouble as he was in that moment. If he needed a scolding (which he had normally managed to fool his way out of), then it would be either his mother or his father. Never in his life had he been scolded by both of them at the same time!
"Now, what's this I hear about you bullying a boy and almost causing his death?" his father demanded.
"It's… It's not like that," Antonio insisted.
"Don't lie," his mother said. "Your aunt Isabel called me, wondering why Miguel's throat was red. He told her that he would be coming here, and he sounded pretty out of breath when he left. Well?"
Antonio flinched. That… That was actually something he felt bad about. He couldn't believe that he had lost control like that. That he had strangled his cousin. And… He wondered if he would have stopped at that. He would reluctantly admit that he probably deserved Miguel kneeing him in the groin. No matter how much that hurt.
Miguel… Despite how annoying he could be, and how he would often look down on Antonio, he didn't deserve that. Not like Lovino did.
"I also did as Miguel suggested," his mother continued. "I called Mr Vargas. He admitted that Lovino was seeing a therapist now, and that he tried to commit suicide two weeks ago. He also said that they were lucky that Lovino tried that, because he was suffering from a lot of internal bleeding. Enough to kill him, Antonio! Do you even realise that they could press charges against you? What you did was assault. It's illegal. And if he did die, then you would also be a murderer!"
There it was again. That word. Why did everyone always call him that? Lovino… He was the one guilty of… of…
"Tell me something," his father said. "What did that boy ever do to you? What makes you think that he deserved to be treated that way?"
"Because he's rude!" Antonio exclaimed. "And selfish! And arrogant! And…"
"And does that give you the right to try to kill him?" his mother demanded. "Do you have any idea how bad a person has to feel if they think that the only way to escape their pain is death? How lonely they must be? How much they would have to hate themselves? How badly damaged someone has to be to not see the light that's right in front of them? Do you have any idea what you've done to that poor boy?"
"I didn't try to kill him," Antonio muttered.
That… that wasn't quite true. He remembered Lovino's tenth birthday party. The pool. How fun it felt to have him so scared of them. How… nice it felt to have that power over him.
And then, two weeks ago… Lovino was always getting them into trouble. And the thought of how much better their lives would have been without him. It felt nice to put him in his place. If only they hadn't been interrupted by the rain.
"Whether you wanted to or not, you did a horrible thing, Antonio," his father said. "Give me your phone."
"What?" Antonio asked, genuinely off-guard.
"In case it's not clear, you're grounded. No phone, no TV, no going anywhere after school, and no internet unless it's for school. And we'll be monitoring it."
"You… You can't do this to me!"
"Would you rather let the police handle things?" his mother asked. "Because I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation you're in. You almost cost someone his life. And if I remember all of the times you complained about Lovino Vargas… Well, now I know that you weren't the one with the right to complain."
Antonio gritted his teeth, before he handed over his phone. He could see that his parents wouldn't listen to him. Perhaps it was best to just listen to them until he could prove to them that they were wrong.
"You'll also be calling your cousin," his mother said. "Apologise to Miguel for what you did this afternoon."
"How am I supposed to do that?" Antonio asked, glancing to the phone in his father's hand.
"There's a landline," his father said. "And we'll be able to see that it's done."
Antonio paused when he saw something in his parents' eyes that he never saw before. It was a type of coldness, mixed with disappointment and shame. And that was also when he realised that he'd lost their trust and respect.
But… it wasn't his fault. It wasn't…
…
"What exactly happened between you and Antonio?" Miguel's mother asked.
It wasn't the first time she asked him that, and like last time, Miguel just shook his head. He didn't want to talk about it. He could at least understand where Lovino's fear came from.
Miguel looked up when his mother came to sit down on the bed next to him. He put his book down and turned his full attention to her.
"Please, tell me," his mother said. "Why is your throat red?"
Unconsciously, Miguel's hand went up to his throat. It still felt tender. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He had no reason to want to protect Antonio, after all, and he realised that this was mostly because he didn't want to admit that he might have been reckless.
"You… you remember what I said about that new student?" Miguel asked. "The one who was bullied?"
"Oh, right," his mother said. "I've been meaning to ask you about how it's going."
"Well… It's pretty complicated. But… Antonio… he was one of the people who bullied him."
His mother's eyes widened.
"Are… are you sure?" she asked.
"He has no reason to lie," Miguel said. "And he's scared of me. I… I can't imagine how anyone would enjoy that. I… I went to confront Antonio about it, and… He actually asked me who I would rather believe. And then when I told him that I couldn't believe him, he… lost control."
His mother gasped, reaching out to his neck. He flinched at the brush of contact.
"So… Antonio…" she started.
"He strangled me," he said.
His mother hugged him, which he returned. He couldn't help but replay the events of earlier through his mind. It… wasn't how it was supposed to go. He hoped that Antonio would see reason. That Antonio would give up and admit it. He didn't think that Antonio would continue to deny as long as he did. He didn't think that Antonio would attack him.
And… how long was Antonio planning to hold him like that? Was he only trying to scare Miguel? Would he have snapped out of it before Miguel lost consciousness? Or would he have only realised what he'd done after…?
And would he have been horrified, or would he have brushed it aside?
Miguel had never been afraid of his cousin, but… that look in his eyes… There was anger, and there was hatred, but Miguel didn't know if it was directed at Lovino or at him. It… wasn't a pleasant thought.
"What would you like to eat tonight?" his mother asked. "I got out some steak, but if you would prefer something else…"
He shook his head and smiled.
"Obrigado," he said. "I… what about prego?"
She smiled and kissed her son on the head.
"I'll just tell your father to pick up some buns then," she said, before leaving the room.
As he reached up to his neck again, he couldn't help but wonder how many times Lovino had Antonio's hands wrapped around his neck. He had seen faint bruises around the Italian's neck, so… How many times?
…
Ludwig was studying for a test in his room. A knock on his door made him turn his attention to the entrance, where his father was standing with his arms crossed.
"I just received a call from Antonio's father," Wulfric explained. "Tell me, what can you tell me about Gilbert bullying someone?"
Ludwig sighed. He wondered how long it would take for his father to learn about this. Still, he had hoped that his father wouldn't ask him about this.
"Lovino Vargas," Ludwig said. "The guy tried to commit suicide two weeks ago. His brother's in my class. He… He changed, since his brother's suicide attempt. He's not as cheerful as he used to be. He's… quiet lately. And he seems a bit stressed."
"And the boy he bullied?" Wulfric asked.
"He transferred to another school, after spending a week in hospital. And… There are these rumours. That Gilbert and the other two tried to murder him."
"And do you believe that?"
"I… I don't know. I've seen him attack the guy a few times. He seemed to truly hate him."
"And would you call those fights?"
"Nein. A lot of the times, I've seen them pin him down. And they always ganged up on him."
"And if you saw them… Why didn't you stop them?"
Ludwig flinched at his father's tone.
"I… didn't think it was my place," Ludwig admitted.
"So in other words, you saw injustice and didn't stop it," Wulfric said. "I'm very disappointed in you."
Ludwig lowered his gaze. That… sounded harsh.
"Of course, that is nothing compared to how disappointed I am in your brother," Wulfric continued. "For the next week, you'll be alone on dishwashing duty. As for your brother… You are not to help him with any of his punishments. Understand?"
Ludwig nodded his head. He felt it was a bit unfair that he would be punished for doing nothing, but… he realised that it wasn't unreasonable. His father had told him about a story long ago about a girl he saw being assaulted, and he didn't do anything to stop the assailants. The next day, he saw the girl's picture in the newspaper. She had been killed. And he could have stopped it. So… By punishing him for his own inaction… He wondered if his father was reliving that same guilt.
And besides, a week of washing and putting away the dishes didn't sound unreasonable at all.
…
When Francis went down to dinner, he was surprised to see his parents looking so grim. Camille glanced to him, but silently continued to plate her food. Francis frowned, wondering if something had happened, but decided to focus on his food first.
"Francis," his mother said, and he froze when he heard how cold her voice was, "I received a call from Carmen earlier. Something about Lovino Vargas, that boy you're always complaining about."
Francis glanced towards his sister, realising that she was pointedly looking away from him.
"O-oh?" he stammered. "Did he hurt Antonio?"
"On the contrary," his father said. "It would seem that Antonio hurt the boy, and that you were involved as well."
Francis swallowed, and shook his head.
"N-non," he said. "I have no idea what…"
"Don't lie to us," his father snapped. "I also spoke to Mr Vargas. He confirmed that his son tried to kill himself, and that there was a chance that he still would have died because of internal bleeding."
Francis glanced towards his sister again, who was calmly trying to eat her dinner.
"Camille also told us that all of that was true," his mother said. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I… It's not like that," he feebly tried.
"Tell me, are you even sorry at all?" his father asked.
No. Why should he be? Lovino was…
"You're grounded," his mother said. "Four months. And asides from that, I've also gotten a list of chores for you."
She handed him a paper, and he shakily took it. They had a housekeeper, so… Francis never had a need to do chores.
"If you miss even one of those for the next four months, then an additional week will be added," his mother continued. "Evelyn will be supervising you to make sure that it's done."
Francis couldn't believe this. He… He was being forced to work? But…
"Non!" Francis exclaimed. "This is… Lovino lied because he wanted attention! He's always trying to play the victim!"
"Then why did his father send a picture of him lying heavily injured in a hospital bed?" his father asked.
Francis froze. What?
"I asked him to send me a picture of the state he's in," his mother explained, before showing him the phone. "If he was 'lying' and 'playing the victim', then explain the bruises on his face."
Francis was left speechless. He couldn't help but stare at the phone. There was no doubt that it was Lovino, but… Since when was he so pale? And… those bruises… It couldn't have been… And his arms…
Francis actually felt nauseous when he saw this photo. He couldn't see the boy that he despised. He remembered Feliciano's attitude towards him and the others. And he briefly imagined Camille in that position, and it all made sense.
"After school, you are to come straight home," his father continued. "You aren't going anywhere unless it's with your mother or I. Understand?"
Francis mutely nodded, before looking down at his food. He didn't feel hungry anymore. He felt sick to his stomach. It… It couldn't have been what he and his friends had done, could it? But… Lovino was there because he attempted suicide.
But Feliciano's accusations of attempted murder echoed.
…
After dinner, Romulus made his way to his office, intending to do some work. Before that, though, he took out his phone and scrolled to a certain photo.
The photo was taken while they were still waiting for Lovino to wake up that fateful night. It was during a moment when Feliciano and Marcello went out – Marcello to the bathroom, and Feliciano to see if he could get something from the vending machine. At the time, it felt like a compulsion. He himself couldn't understand why he would take that picture. But perhaps, on some subconscious level, he knew.
Every morning and every evening, he would look at the picture. It was his way of reminding himself to not let things return to the way they were before. He didn't think he could live with himself if he drove his son to a hospital bed again. Or worse…
No parent wanted to see their child get injured, and they especially didn't want to see them in the hospital. And Romulus was no different. He didn't want any of his sons to be in the hospital. And it was the second time that Lovino had gone there. The second time when his body had been put through horrible punishment. The first time was an accident, but the second was the cause of people deliberately hurting his son. And both times, Lovino was fighting for his life. Both times, he was lucky to survive.
And Romulus completely ignored the first time. Instead of cherishing his son, he pushed him away. Because he reminded Romulus of what he'd lost. Because Romulus, perhaps subconsciously, wanted to see Lovino as some sort of monster.
He was too foolish to realise that he was the monster.
He'd started noticing it more and more, since he actually started spending time with Lovino. He was a bit awkward, and sarcastic, and calmer than he thought he was. He would admit, thinking back to his image of Lovino two weeks ago, he couldn't see the two boys together. The image he'd had, and the real Lovino.
But still, Lovino seemed uncomfortable when they were alone. He noticed it when driving Lovino to and from Dr Williams. Lovino was quiet, and he mostly looked out of the window. And whenever Romulus would say something, he would tense and look at him nervously. As though expecting him to say something harsh again.
Lovino was still afraid of him.
But still, there was a spark in Lovino's eye now. A spark that hadn't been there before. A spark that Romulus hadn't realised he'd missed. Lovino was happier than he'd been, but he knew that there was still a lot of healing to do.
And he vowed to help his son heal in any way he could.
…
The next morning on the bus, Ludwig did something he hardly ever did: he greeted Marcello Vargas.
The Italian looked startled that he greeted him, but he wasn't afraid of him. That was something else that had changed. Perhaps Marcello's anger at his brother had caused him to gain courage whenever Ludwig was around. And it was understandable that he would be startled. Ludwig and Marcello weren't what one would call 'friends'. They barely qualified as acquaintances.
But still, Ludwig had a responsibility to fulfil.
"How's your brother?" he asked, sitting down in the seat in front of Marcello.
"I'm assuming you're asking about Lovino," Marcello said. "Why, though?"
Ludwig sighed, before he looked towards where his brother was.
"My father found out about what happened," Ludwig said. "I want to say I'm sorry about my brother."
Marcello sighed, shaking his head.
"Just keep him far away from my brother," Marcello said. "Anyway… Lovino's doing better. He managed to find a group of friends in the new school. They're really nice."
Ludwig couldn't help the small smile.
"That's good to hear," he said.
…
"What's with the turtleneck?" Yao asked.
Miguel sighed, before lowering the collar of the shirt to show his friend the bruises. Yao's eyes widened.
"What happened?" he demanded.
"I went to confront my cousin," Miguel said. "There isn't a doubt in my mind that Lovino was telling the truth."
"That… that was pretty reckless."
"I know," Miguel sighed. "At least my cousin is in trouble now. After everything he's done… He doesn't deserve to get away with it anymore."
Yao shook his head.
"Are you going to tell Lovino about this?" he asked.
"No…" Miguel said. "I don't think I should. I have no idea how he'd take it. I don't want to make things worse for him."
For all he knew, him confronting his cousin could have been the worst thing to do in Lovino's eyes.
The reason why none of the BTT's parents demanded that they apologise to Lovino is because they realise that they wouldn't be sincere about it, and they didn't want to risk the chance that they further traumatised Lovino.