Thanks to Yaoi-Is-Life-and-Love, natalka0895, MonalisaRomano17 and Scarlett83 for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 52

"So, did you boys sleep well?" Isabel asked.

Everyone paused while eating breakfast. They all glanced towards Lovino, who kept his head down, cheeks red. Miguel turned to his mother and smiled.

"Sim," he said. "No problems."

Isabel smiled, before looking over all of the boys.

"Now, my husband and I will be taking you to the mall," she said. "Have you decided who's going with whom?"

Feliciano turned to Lovino and smiled.

"I think I should go with Vino," he said. "I still don't really know everyone here very well."

"That's right," Isabel said. "So, Feliciano, what made you decide to come along?"

"Lovino asked me to. He was nervous."

If possible, Lovino's cheeks turned redder. No one called him out on it. They realised that he was already tense after what happened the previous night. And that he probably expected everyone to ask him about what happened. What his nightmare had been about. But no one wanted to be the one to put Lovino on the spot. Instead, they decided that if Lovino wanted to tell them, then he would tell them in due time.

"Like, I would like to go with Vino too," Feliks said.

"And I think I would like to go with Feliks," Heracles announced.

Everyone turned to Heracles in surprise. They knew that Heracles had gone to speak with Feliks after the latter ran off while they were still settling down, but they had no idea what happened between them that would cause Heracles to want to go with Feliks.

The Pole blushed, before averting his gaze. Lovino arched an eyebrow, but he respected Feliks enough to not pry. Especially since no one had pried upon his own disturbance the previous night.

"That means the other group is Miguel, Yao, Vlad and Gupta," Isabel said. "Easy enough."

Half an hour later, the two groups were in the two cars. Lovino was seated in front, due to his injured wrist and ankle. Isabel was the one driving them, and she had a bright smile on her face as she drove.

"Did you at least have fun?" Isabel asked.

Lovino was startled by the question, but he nodded his head. Isabel beamed happily.

"I'm glad to hear that," she said. "You know, Miguel was so nervous. He said that it was your first sleepover, so he was obsessed with making it fun for you. He was also nervous about setting you off in any way. You know, since Antonio was one of the people that… I suppose that Miguel is still worried about all of it. He feels responsible in some way."

Lovino frowned. Miguel's mother was telling him more than he needed to know, but he couldn't understand why Miguel would feel responsible. They hadn't met until a few weeks ago, and Miguel had no way of knowing that his cousin was tormenting someone in another town.

"She's right," Heracles said. "Miguel was really worried that you might see one of the photos with his cousin and that it might trigger something."

"I knew they're related," Lovino said. "I guess it would have been worse if I didn't know it. And at least I didn't see Antonio himself."

Isabel shot him a sympathetic look.

"He really hurt you, didn't he?" she asked.

Lovino could only nod his head.

…

"Like, I didn't think that it would be so crowded," Feliks said, staring at the line of people already there.

"You'd be surprised how popular literature can actually be," Miguel said, smiling.

It was still ten minutes before the store would open, and before the book launch and signing would commence. There was a line outside, but thankfully not too long yet.

"You need to tell us when you want to sit down, okay?" Feliciano said, directing his words to his brother.

"I'll be fine," Lovino said. "But I'll sit down if I need to."

"Ah, I see my favourite students are already here."

They turned to see Mr Kirkland coming along, along with his wife and who they assumed was his son. Feliks stared at the boy, who decided to hide behind his mother and was looking at them with curious blue eyes. Feliks looked up at the two adults, noting that both of them had green eyes.

"Oh, this is Peter," Mr Kirkland said, motioning to his son. "Peter, where are your manners? You've met Gupta, of course."

Peter's attention drifted to the Egyptian, and he nodded in greeting, before shrinking back farther behind his mother.

"Hi, Mr Kirkland," Lovino greeted. "Nurse Kirkland. Um, this is my brother, Feliciano."

Feliciano shook hands with the two adults, and they fell into line as well.

"Have you been waiting long?" Mr Kirkland asked.

"No, we only got here a little while ago," Miguel replied.

"How's that foot, Lovino?" Nurse Kirkland asked.

"It bothered me yesterday," Lovino said. "But it's better now. I think it was a pinched nerve or something."

"Why don't you sit down? It's going to be a while before the doors open, and we don't want your foot to get worse."

"But…"

"Nurse's orders."

Lovino looked helpless, but he sat down nonetheless. The others tried to hide their amused grins, with some being more successful than others.

They made small talk as they waited for the doors to open. Feliks nudged Lovino, and based on the crowd stirring in front, they realised that the doors were opening. Lovino hissed as he was jostled, and Feliks helped Lovino inside.

Lovino saw two of the store's employees standing on either side of a woman. Lovino recognised the woman from the photos on the back cover of the books. This was Celeste Black, the author they came to see.

"I would like to thank you all for coming," Celeste said. "I feel honoured that you choose to spend your valuable time with me. Please, feel free to take a copy of my latest novel, and I will gladly sign it. Signed copies receive a 25% discount."

And like that, everyone scrambled to get a copy, with a few exceptions. Lovino limped closer, wincing as he was jostled.

He blinked in surprise when a copy was raised in front of him, and he noticed that Vlad was the one holding it, while having another copy in his other hand. Lovino smiled as he accepted the book.

"Grazie," Lovino said.

"No problem," Vlad said, before he gently took Lovino by the arm and led him towards the line that formed in front of a table, where the author was already seated and several of the patrons were already waiting with their books.

The line inched along slowly, and Lovino found it harder and harder to stand still. Vlad turned back to check on him, and he seemed to notice that Lovino was having a hard time. Lovino jumped in surprise when he felt Vlad wrap an arm around him.

"You can lean on me, if you want," Vlad offered.

Lovino gave a small smile.

"Grazie," he muttered.

Vlad gave him a toothy grin, and Lovino found it was a lot easier to wait in line when the weight was lifted from his left foot. He didn't know where the others were, but he supposed that they had fallen into line as well after getting their copies.

He felt a tug on his sleeve, and he turned around to see Feliciano and Feliks standing there.

"The two of us are going to look around," Feliciano said. "Do you think you're going to be okay?"

"Si," Lovino said. "Have fun."

He realised that they weren't really interested in the book signing and didn't want them to be bored because of him. But he was curious about what Feliks and Feliciano would get for themselves at a bookstore.

Eventually, there was only one other person in front of them, and Lovino was anxious for his turn to come. When the person in front of them was finished and walked away, Lovino and Vlad were face-to-face with Celeste Black, who blinked in confusion when she saw the two of them.

"My friend here has a sprained ankle that's been acting up," Vlad said, before he released Lovino and placed his copy of the book on the table.

"I see," Celeste said, smiling. "You're a good friend." She turned to Lovino. "And I'm glad that you came despite the discomfort. Now, what are your names?"

"I'm Vlad, and this is Lovino," Vlad introduced.

"Vlad and… Lovino? Interesting names."

Celeste signed Vlad's book, before handing it back to the Romanian. Lovino gave her his own book, but she hesitated before signing, frowning in confusion. She looked at Lovino as though she was studying some important question.

"You look like you have a story to tell," she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"It's in your eyes. Something happened to you, and you're haunted by it."

Lovino flinched. Was he really that obvious? Celeste smiled.

"Do you know what makes a good author?" she asked. "It's having a story to tell. And some of the best stories are born from pain. Have you ever considered becoming an author?"

"Everyone's been asking me that recently," Lovino said.

"Perhaps it's a sign? Why don't you give it a go?"

Lovino was unsure, but somehow, having a professional author recommend something like this made his heart flutter.

"He's not bad," Vlad said. "I've read some of his short stories. And he loves reading. He's got an amazing collection."

"That's good to hear," Celeste said, before she started to sign Lovino's book. "A love of reading is one of the key ingredients to writing. So, I hope I read your stories soon."

Lovino accepted the book, and they moved aside. They took up too much time from the people behind them already.

"Do you want to go pay, or do you want to look around first?" Vlad asked.

"I guess we can look around a little bit," Lovino said.

Lovino checked the first page of the book, and saw that Celeste had written a message.

Happy reading, and happy writing. Looking forward to seeing you on the bookshelves.

Beneath it was her signature, which only made this more special. Perhaps… he should give this some serious thought.

…

"Do you think Lovino would like this?"

Feliks turned to Feliciano, seeing that he was holding up a book titled Literature Through the Ages. Feliks grinned and nodded.

"Tak," he said. "I think he'll definitely like it."

"I hope so," Feliciano said. "I need to make up for lost time. And I want to treat my brother."

Feliks smiled softly.

"Like, you don't have to feel guilty," Feliks said. "I know that Lovino doesn't blame you or anything."

"But I am guilty!" Feliciano insisted. "I should have been there when he needed me. I should have realised that something was wrong, and I should have helped him. It's because I didn't notice anything that Lovino suffered so much. And it's because I didn't make sure he drank his medicine that he had the nightmare last night."

Feliks frowned, recalling being awoken by Lovino's nightmare.

"Any idea what it could have been about?" he asked.

"I don't know," Feliciano sighed. "And that's what's worrying me. I can't think of what it might have been. In hindsight… There are a lot of times when Lovino got hurt, or something happened. I remember this one time on a camping trip that Lovino got lost and ended up falling down the side of the mountain. He got a lot of bruises and a few broken ribs, but there was also this huge gash on his leg. The teachers weren't happy that he wandered off, but they were pretty worried about him. He didn't want to go camping again after that."

Feliks frowned.

"You say he fell down the side of the mountain?" he asked. "Are… Are you sure that it wasn't… them? I mean, Lovino totally isn't that clumsy."

"I know," Feliciano said in a small voice. "He's smart. He wouldn't just fall down the side of the mountain in broad daylight."

"Yeah, that does sound suspicious. But, like, he won't tell us if we pester him."

"Si, you're right. But in the meantime, I guess we should just show him that we're here for him."

Feliks nodded his head, before shifting his attention to the book that Feliciano was holding, and its brothers on the shelf. Perhaps he should get a copy for himself as well, if only so that he could get more up to speed. He picked up one of the books and read the back of it, trying to see what exactly it was about. Seeing that it might serve as a good source of education, he decided to take it.

Feliciano and Feliks continued to browse as they waited for the others. Eventually they saw Lovino and Vlad and joined the two, and soon they were joined by the others. After determining that they were all finished, they went to go pay. Feliks noticed that Feliciano kept the book meant for Lovino out of sight, and Feliks did the same to his. He felt that it should be his secret project.

"So, we going to get lunch after this?" Heracles asked.

Feliks was surprised to see that it was already such a time, and he eagerly nodded his head.

…

"It's so nice to have you come visit us," Bella said, looking up at her elder brother. "You should really do it more often."

Lars only grunted, and Henri nodded eagerly beside him.

They had gone to the mall in the neighbouring town. It was a lot bigger than the one they had at their own town, if that thing could even be called a mall.

They found their way to the food court, and Bella smiled as she examined the patrons of the various restaurants. They also needed to find a place to eat as well.

She paused when she saw a familiar face. Was that… Feliciano? And upon closer scrutiny, she could see someone else that resembled him.

"Looks like Feliciano and Marcello are here too," Bella said. "Do you want to go greet them, Henri?"

Henri followed his gaze, and he frowned.

"That's… not Marcello," he said. "That's Lovino."

She was startled, and she looked over there again. Upon closer inspection, the person she thought was Marcello had darker hair.

"Are… Are you sure?" she asked.

"Marcello went to that swimming gala," Henri explained. "He told me that Feliciano and Lovino were spending the night with Lovino's friends."

Bella looked back towards the brothers, and she noticed that Feliks was there as well. She knew that Feliks had practically been joined with Lovino at the hip, and when he transferred schools, Feliks followed after him. She wanted to be mad at Lovino for forcing the poor boy to change schools so soon after arriving, but when she looked back at Lovino…

He had a smile on his face, and while it wasn't as bright as Feliciano's, Lovino looked as though he was enjoying himself, and she couldn't remember ever seeing him so… calm before.

"We could go say hello, if you want," Lars said.

"N-no," Bella said weakly. "That's okay."

She knew all of the accusations that Feliciano had hurled towards Antonio and the others, and some of them seemed to be truly outrageous, but she was still wary. What if they were true? And after seeing Lovino like this… It convinced her that he had truly been in pain at his old school. He had been in pain for a long time. And she couldn't believe how stupid she was for not noticing it before. The contrast between how Lovino had been and how he was now… It was as clear as the contrast between night and day.

"Well…" Henri said. "If you don't mind… I would like to greet them."

Bella turned to her younger brother, a look of betrayal on her face. She didn't want to speak to Lovino. She didn't want to face the possibility… that she was wrong about him.

Still, her brothers walked towards the Italian brothers, and she had no choice but to follow them. She couldn't think of a good excuse to escape this encounter.

"Lovino!" Henri called out when they were close enough. "Feliciano!"

The two brothers, along with their friends, turned to face them. Bella could see as the light in Lovino's eyes died when they landed on her. And she remembered that she hurt him too. They used to be friends, and she decided to listen to those three. She didn't even give him a chance to defend himself. She could clearly remember the hurt in his eyes. But she didn't recognise it for what it was back then.

"Hi Henri," Feliciano greeted. "Bella."

She could see that Feliciano was just as wary as Lovino. She remembered Feliciano's reluctance with allowing anyone near Lovino. And she was saddened by the fact that the normally happy Feliciano was looking so worried.

"H-hi," Bella greeted. "Um, it's nice to see you again, Lovino. H-how are you doing?"

Lovino shrugged, and it looked as though he wanted to be anywhere but there. That was when she saw the person sitting near Lovino.

"Antonio?" she asked.

"I'm his cousin," the other teen said. "So, you're Bella? Lovino told us a bit about you. He said that you used to be friends, but then my cousin and his idiotic friends convinced you that Lovino was only your friend because he expects you to go out with him. That he feels entitled to it. And you believed them."

Bella flinched. That was about the gist of things. For a long time, she had been angry at Lovino. She felt humiliated. But after hearing some of the accusations against Antonio and the others, she started to wonder about the whole ordeal.

"I'm… sorry," she said. "I was a fool. I hope you can forgive me."

He looked at her then, and she was shocked to see the tears hidden there. How long had he kept them in? And why didn't she notice them before?

I may not have a Literature Through the Ages, but I do have DK's The Literature Book, which is a good summary of the literary canon.

I wanted to have Bella mistake Lovino for one of his brothers in order to show how much happier he actually is now. If someone who's known Lovino for years could see the contrast… I also wanted to add a bit of history. Lovino did try to make other friends, but the trio sabotaged them in some way. Just like they tried to do with Feliks.

The camping trip that Feliciano is referring to is the same one as the nightmare from the previous chapter.

And before any theories or confusion, the reason why Peter has blue eyes while his parents both have green is simply due to a gene on Alice's side of the family. Imagine that 2PNyoEngland is her sister.

The children of teachers tend to know each other. Believe me. Beginning and end of year functions, meetings, parents' nights… We got to spend a lot of time with each other.