Thanks to Praise's Waterfall, , Disappointment Person, Yaoi-Is-Life-and-Love and three anons for reviewing.

Regarding the Vargas family and the nationality question: Romulus and Chiara left Italy before the twins were born, and they keep a few traditions and often speak Italian among themselves, but also English because that's the language needed for the people around them. I also wouldn't say they're in America, exactly. The school system, as I mentioned in an author's note in a prior chapter, is a combination of different things. Since I'm not American, I wouldn't have the first-hand experience to make it authentic, but I also know the majority wouldn't recognise the South African system. To make it simple, imagine them settling in a fictional anglophone country with a large multi-national population. This will also apply to any other real world AUs that I write.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 56

"So, Lovino's pretty sick, huh?" Vlad asked.

Feliks nodded. It was Tuesday, and they usually waited for lunch breaks before they started to discuss news between them (on most days). And Feliks had just explained that Lovino was confined to bedrest for the entire week. Doctor's orders.

Part of the reason why he was given such a long time off was because less than two months ago he had been practically starved. He was still underweight, even though they made sure that he ate at lunchtime (breakfast and dinner were the responsibility of Lovino's family members). Things like that tended to weaken a person's immune system, and it was a miracle that Lovino managed to stay healthy for as long as he did.

"Well, looks like Saturday's plans are cancelled," Yao sighed. "It doesn't feel right, doing something as a group when he can't join us."

"Oh yeah," Feliks said. "Like, Feliciano told me something about this Saturday. Like, one of his friends has a concert for the orchestra he's a part of, and like invited us along too."

"Really?" Miguel asked, to which Feliks nodded eagerly.

"Tak. Feliciano's friends want to meet you."

"That's a bit… unusual," Heracles said, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"What's the deal?" Vlad asked.

Feliks flinched, before averting his eyes.

"Like, they're used to seeing Lovino on his own," he explained. "And…"

"And they want to meet whoever's crazy enough to be Lovino's friends," Gupta said, narrowing his eyes. "Something like that, right?"

Feliks shrugged.

"Like, I guess so," he said.

"On the one hand, it's a bit insulting," Miguel said. "For us and Lovino. They don't think much of Lovino, and they don't think much of us. On the other… I can understand their curiosity. Something that they thought they knew was wrong, and they would probably like to see what else they were wrong about. Also… If they were worried about Lovino, then they might want to check us out. See that we're a good fit, you know?"

"Like, I guess. I saw what happened that week before me and Lovino came here. Like, the three that stuck with Feliciano were the three that didn't hang around him because of his popularity, and they actually defended Lovino a few times. So, like, they're not completely bad."

"They defended Lovino?" Gupta asked. "In what way?"

"Like, after Feliciano asked everyone what Lovino did to all of them, they supported him by pointing out that Lovino was always 'fighting' with the same three people, and that he like tries to stay away from everyone. And, like, one of them especially liked to point out that Lovino is polite to you if you're polite to him. Like, this is also the same friend that helped Lovino to the nurse's office when he passed out in class."

The others were silent for a moment, exchanging glances. Gupta leaned back, crossing his arms.

"At the very least, we might consider them allies," he said. "But we'll still make it clear that we won't tolerate any insults. Especially regarding Lovino."

"Agreed," Heracles said. "But we shouldn't burn any bridges. Since Lovino and Feliciano are twins, they would probably celebrate birthdays together. And if they don't go back to their old ways, then they'll make sure that Lovino is part of the party as well. And we'll be there too. If we can't get along, then we'll only make things more difficult for Lovino."

"You have a point," Yao agreed. "There might be a chance his father would be willing to throw two birthday parties if it turns out we can't get along. And there's another possibility that we might have to interact with them again."

"Well, that all depends on Lovino," Miguel said. "There's no reason for us to go meet them if Lovino's still sick on Saturday. So, it doesn't matter if we can get along with them if Lovino's not there."

Feliks smiled softly, nodding his head in satisfaction. He wished that Lovino could see this as well. He wondered what Lovino would say when Feliks told him about their conversation later that afternoon. He hoped that Lovino realised just how special he was to everyone.

…

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" Lovino asked.

Chiara was lying on the bed with him, and instead of lying near his feet, she'd moved up to lie on his chest. He found her weight to be a comfort. He was just glad that she wasn't too large yet, though she'd definitely grown since he got her.

He figured that she was worried about him as well. She must have sensed that there was something wrong with his body, or she must have noticed that he wasn't acting in his usual way. He wondered if she recognised that the amount of time he spent sleeping meant that he needed to recover.

"Clever girl," he muttered.

He should have been sleeping, but he'd been disturbed by a nightmare. At least it wasn't one of the really bad ones. It was just one of the times when someone he thought was a friend decided that he didn't want to spend time with Lovino. And upon waking up, he remembered that he had six great friends. The most he'd ever had.

He swallowed thickly, before reaching out for the glass of water at his bedside. The water was drained within a few seconds. His throat still felt hot, and he sighed, gently pushing Chiara off of him. He needed to get a new glass of water.

The moment his feet were placed on the floor his phone rang. He reached out to it and saw that his father was calling. He quickly accepted the call.

"How are you feeling?" Romulus asked.

"Tired, hot and thirsty," Lovino said. "I was just about to get a glass of water."

"But you're staying in bed, right?"

"Si."

"Good. There's soup in the kitchen if you get hungry. I'll check in on you again later."

"Alright."

After the call ended, Lovino stood and made his way to the kitchen, carrying the glass of water. When he reached the stairs, he had to make a desperate grab for the railing. Black spots danced in his vision. He focused on his breathing, trying to stop himself from passing out. It wouldn't be in his favour if he did that now. Not when he was alone with no one to help him.

He felt himself tilting forward, and he realised that he failed.

…

Lovino groaned when he woke up, feeling wet heat on his face. He opened his eyes to see Chiara frantically licking his face, and a moment later he realised how much pain he was in.

"Hey girl," he whispered, reaching out to pet her. "What happened?"

He looked around, and he realised that he'd passed out at the top of the stairs and tumbled down them. That would certainly explain why he was in so much pain. And Chiara was worried about him, and tried to make sure that he would wake up.

"Good girl," he praised, before he tried to push himself up.

He whimpered as he realised exactly how much pain his body was in, and he turned his attention to the top of the stairs. At least he didn't accidentally break his neck. That would have been a pretty humiliating way to go.

He no longer had the glass, and he could only imagine what had happened. He sighed in frustration, realising that he would have to inform his father of what had happened. He couldn't go up to get his phone, so he started to slowly edge towards the landline phone. The gallery's number was saved, in case Lovino and the other two ever needed to reach their father there. It was originally before they had phones (they weren't allowed to obtain their own phones until they were twelve), but the gallery's number was still there.

He dialled the number and waited.

…

"Mr Vargas, you have a call," Toris called out.

"Thank you, Toris," Romulus said as the call was put through. He was glad that the Lithuanian was feeling better. Honestly, the man was a blessing. "Vargas speaking."

"Hi Padre," Lovino's voice came from the other side.

"Lovino, what's wrong? Why are you calling the gallery?"

"My phone's upstairs. I passed out. I think the glass I was carrying broke."

"When did that happen? You were fine ten minutes ago."

"I was just getting water. I passed out at the top of the stairs. Woke up at the bottom. Chiara woke me up."

Romulus's eyes widened. If Lovino tumbled down the stairs when he passed out, then he must have gotten hurt.

"Are you okay?" Romulus demanded. "Are you hurt?"

"S-si," Lovino stammered. "I don't think I broke something, but… It wasn't easy to get to the phone."

"Alright, stay there. I'll come help out immediately."

"Sh-shouldn't you be at the gallery? Can you really leave? What about Mr Amin?"

Romulus winced. That was part of their partnership agreement. One of them had to be at the gallery at all times, and if necessary they would have to call the other in to take over their shift, and make up for it at another opportunity.

"You're right," he conceded. "At the very least, do you think it'll be okay if I sent Toris to check on you?"

Lovino was silent for a moment.

"I guess that would be okay," Lovino said. "Does he know where it is?"

"I'll make sure that he'll know where to go," Romulus replied.

As soon as he hung up, he called Toris into his office. The Lithuanian smiled politely, but Romulus could see that he was somewhat nervous.

"Y-yes, Mr Vargas?" Toris said nervously.

"I need you to go to my house," Romulus said. "Lovino passed out and fell down the stairs. He's hurt, and we need to check on him, and if necessary, take him to the hospital. Do you think you could do that?"

Toris appeared surprised, and if not for the serious situation, he would have laughed at the gobsmacked look on his face.

"A-are you sure?" Toris asked.

"I can't leave until Amin arrives," Romulus said. "I'm worried about my son, and I want you to make sure he's alright."

Toris still looked unsure, but he nodded his head. Romulus gave him his house and car keys, reminding him of the address yet again. Toris nodded again and left, and Romulus hoped that everything would go alright.

…

Toris couldn't quite believe what was happening. His boss trusted him enough to go with his car to his house. If he knew that he had been desperate enough to attempt to rob a pharmacy, he probably wouldn't be so eager to trust him. Especially if he heard that that was how he met his son. That Toris aimed a weapon at his son's head.

If Romulus ever discovered any of that, then Toris saw a jailcell in his future.

He was just glad that none of it earned him a criminal record. No convictions meant no record. He knew that he should probably have turned himself in, but nothing was stolen, and no damage was done, so he would only really be guilty of attempted robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon – which he disposed of.

Toris was actually more than happy to receive this much trust. It was more than he thought he deserved. And seven weeks ago, it was something that he never thought he'd be able to get.

And he had Lovino to thank for that.

If it was not for Lovino forcing him to re-evaluate his life, Toris wouldn't have made the decision to take control over it. He would have still been in a pit of despair, drowning in his own self-pity. And knowing that his current task was to help Lovino, he realised that it was a great opportunity to thank the boy responsible for saving his life.

That was worth more than the trust he was given.

He looked around for the address, finally finding the correct house. He pulled into the driveway, locking the door and making his way to the front door. He entered and hesitated. He had no idea which way to go.

"Lovino?" he called out.

"Over here," a weak voice replied.

Toris looked down at the sound of a puppy barking. He smiled and bent down to pet her.

"Hello," he said softly. "Where's your master?"

She turned away and after closing the door behind him he followed the puppy. There was a telephone table and seat in the hallway, and Lovino was sitting on the chair. His back was against the wall and his eyes were closed.

"Lovino!" he called out. "Are you alright?"

Lovino cracked his eyes open and smiled.

"What took you so long?" Lovino joked weakly.

"Sorry for the wait," Toris said. "Your father said you're hurt. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I passed out at the top of the stairs, and woke up at the bottom. Everything hurts, but I don't think anything's broken."

"Okay. Do you mind if I check on your joints? Nothing might be broken, but something might be sprained. Is that alright?"

Lovino nodded, Toris gently started investigating his shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees and ankles. There were a few places where he winced in pain, but it didn't seem as though it was too serious. He also tried to see if Lovino had a concussion, and it seemed as though that was a distinct possibility.

He tried to go through the list of possible symptoms of a concussion, but it was made more difficult by the fact that Lovino was already sick. In the end, Toris felt Lovino's forehead.

"I think you might have a fever," he said. "Would you like some water?"

"That's why I came downstairs in the first place," Lovino replied. "Kitchen's that way."

Lovino pointed in the direction of the kitchen, and Toris quickly went to get a glass of water. He returned soon and gave the glass to Lovino, who drank it greedily. Toris had to return to the kitchen two more times before Lovino was satisfied.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Toris checked Lovino's temperature again, and found that he was still hot. He would need to get something for that.

"Do you have aspirin or something?" Toris asked.

"I'm banned from going anywhere near it," Lovino said. "Plus, my dad hid it away."

"I see…"

Toris recalled how Lovino attempted suicide via overdose. He had a suspicion he knew what he used. In which case, he wouldn't be able to approach it.

"Um…" Lovino suddenly said. "I think he might have left two pills on my bedside table. Just in case I did get a fever."

"Okay," Toris said. "Then I guess it would be better for us to get you to your room, right?"

Lovino nodded, and Toris helped him upstairs. He winced when he saw glass shards at the top of the stairs, and he and Lovino had to be careful that he didn't step in those shards with his bare feet. And they also had the challenge of keeping the puppy away.

The problem was solved when Lovino picked her up and carried her to his room.

"I'll clean that up later," Toris said.

The pills were indeed on the bedside table, and Toris had to fetch water again. After drinking, Lovino settled down on the bed again, the puppy settling on his chest.

"I'll be back," Toris said. "Let me just clear away the glass."

Lovino absently nodded, snuggling into the bedsheets. Toris smiled, before he went to go clear away the broken glass. He made extra sure to get the small shards. Not only was he worried about Lovino's feet, but there was a curious puppy to be mindful of. And he didn't want to know what his boss would say if it turned out one of his sons or his dog got injured because he neglected a small shard of glass.

When he was absolutely sure that all the glass was cleared away he went to check on Lovino again. The boy was fast asleep, his cheeks still flushed. He felt worried about leaving Lovino here alone when he had a fever. He should probably let Romulus know about the situation.

As he moved to leave, he noticed an open notebook on the desk, instinctively knowing that he should probably close the book. He moved to do just that, but then he caught sight of the words on the page. He frowned, realising that it looked like some sort of narrative.

Curiosity gripping him, he started reading the notebook. It seemed as though Lovino had started writing a novel or something. It might have been the raw materials, but it showed promise.

When he reached the last page that Lovino had been working on, he realised his error. He overstepped his boundaries and invaded Lovino's privacy. He closed the book, looking back at Lovino. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Lovino was still asleep, though the puppy was watching him. Judging him.

As silently as he could, he left the room and made his way to the phone, calling the gallery and informing Romulus of the situation. He was given permission to remain with Lovino until he was sure that his fever had fallen. Toris promised to take good care of Lovino, and after hanging up, Toris tried to think of a way in which he could make himself useful.

Twenty minutes later, Toris found that Lovino seemed to feel a bit better. He woke Lovino up and informed him that he would be leaving.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Toris asked.

"Si," Lovino said. "Thank you."

He wanted to tell Lovino that he should continue with the novel he seemed to have started, but he didn't want to admit that he'd invaded his privacy. So instead, he hoped to see the finished work one day.