Each day passes by slow and meaningless. Each day I go downstairs, paint, and stare out the window watching all of the busy people pass my store as if it's invisible to the world. Each day the money becomes more scarce and I find myself not eating breakfast anymore. Gino refuses to eat before I do so I just pretend.

Each day I think about that night, that night... The most magical night of my life; the night that forever changed my life for the worse. I stare intently at the phone. I can't control myself anymore; I'm too scared to do this anymore. I pick it up and start dialing.

*Ring ring* ... *Ring ri-*

"Che cosa vuoi?!" *What do you want!?*

"Lovi..." I say in a soft, sweet voice, "I'm going under... Can I please stay with you?" There's a pause that feels like eternity.

"Feli, I can't... I'm having issues myself and I can't afford to take care of you... I'm sorry..."

"Well, can you at least take care of Gino? He refuses to eat until I do so he won't cost that much." He sighs, I know I've won.

"Fine, but only because you're my little brother... I'll come over and pick him up." I smile, the first time in weeks.

"Grazie fratello~!" I hang up and start packing up his things.

After some odd minutes Lovi shows up for Gino. He walks through the door and looks around.

"I'm in the living room!" I yell. His head pops around the corner. "I already packed Gino's stuff up. I can't thank you enough ve~! I just can't keep him anymore and I wanna make sure he's taken care of~" He stares at me strangely, questioningly.

"Why are you so happy? You're giving you cat up, you're thinner than normal, you've got circles and that potato bastard hurt and used you! How can you still smile?" I stare at him for a moment then straighten myself out. I turn and face him.

"It's because I don't understand the point in being sad. Being sad doesn't fix anything, it just feels bad. My cat gets a home where he can eat and play and not really have to worry while I don't get a single client..." A sad smile and a few tears appear, "I don't want Gi to suffer like me." A warm embrace quickly makes me break down into tears and begin to lean onto him for support. "I'm sorry, I just can't right now..." Lovi sighs and stands me up straight.

"Look me in the eyes. I can't stand seeing you falling apart like this, I care so much about you but you've got to get a hold of yourself! You are Feliciano Vargas and you will never give up, you hear me? You will stand strong and make a difference and never give up!" I look up at him as he whips the tears away. Time freezes for a moment as I taken in this scene. Lovino has never been this caring towards me, or anyone... He slowly, oh so slowly leans in and gentle kisses my forehead. Time becomes normal again. "Good luck.." He picks up Gis things and departs out of my life.

I stand there, silently thinking of what just happened... My brother has given me a new hope.

Over the next few days I try my best to increase business. I put paintings and sculptures in the window view to get peoples attention and play music so they really have something to notice. I thought it was the perfect plan that couldn't fail! At first I was right, some people had come in and looked around but that quickly ended and once again my shop and I vanished into thin air, out of reality. 10 days later I run completely out of money and am forced to pack up and exit my home. I am now on the streets, not a place in the world. What was once a mighty artist, making the world more beautiful each stoke he made is now a worthless person of forgotten memories. What was a great and mighty empire is now broken and demolished.

I lay on the street side watching the cars and people pass, ignoring me completely. My stomach growls, have nothing to eat. I'm becoming dirty, got nothing to clean myself with. I'm losing all hope, my brother was wrong... I couldn't save myself... I bury my face between my legs, my arms wrapping around. My life was perfect but it was all taken away by a devil with blue eyes.

My head lifts up to an image in front of me, speak of the devil. He stares at me and I stare at him.

"Vat are you doing out here?" He asks me, the nerve of the man.

"I lost my home, my business went under." A constant blank expression stares him in the face, glossy eyes of hopelessness.

"Feliciano... I'm so sorry but I had to do that, I didn't vant to..." A concerning look crosses his face and I for a moment somewhat believed him.

"I lost everything, including my heart... Gino's living with my brother because he couldn't take me so I didn't want my cat to suffer either... Ludwig, if you are sorry for what you did, can you do me a favor?" He looks at me surprised.

"Ja, vat is it you vant?" I look down to the ground. I can't believe what I'm about to say. I lift out my hand with my pinky extended.

"You gotta promise you'll do it. Promise?" He sighs and wraps his much bigger pinky around mine. "Alright... Ludwig..." I take a deep breath in. "I want you to kill me..." I look up at him. His face showed utter shock and disbelief.

"I-I can't do somezing like dat, I'm sorry."

"But you promised! You took everything from me and my life insurance only lasts a few more weeks and if I die then Lovino can get my money and maybe he'll be able to survive! Please, it's my last resort and I can't do it myself... Please Luddy, I can't do anything else!" He stands there, contemplating, thinking.

"Alright then, follow me." I gulp, stand him and follow him to my fate.

"Thank you Luddy..."

"Don't thank me yet..."

We reach a building which I presume is his house, it looks very big nice... We walk in and take off our shoes. All I can think about is how is he going to kill me, will it be painless and fast? Or maybe slow and agonizingly horrible? I kind of want the second thought, just so I can feel alive before I die. "Feliciano..." He quietly whispers. Suddenly my body shakes and my wrists hurt and I can't move my arms. I can feel a hot breath down my neck sending chills down my spine.

"L-Ludwig, what are you doing? I asked you to kill me..." Gentle kisses run down my neck making my head and body swoon.

"I vas so vorried about you. I don't vant to kill you, that doesn't need to happen. I can take care of you, the vay I vanted to." His strong arms wrap around my petit body and I can't help but give into his warm embrace. "I love you, Feliciano." My heart is going to jump out my throat as a surprisingly soft touch is pressed against my lips. No matter how hard I try I can't push him away. My love for him is too strong to surpass the feelings of mistrust and anguish against him. So we stand there against his front door kissing, a moment in time that seems like forever until we are interrupted.

"Hey bruder, did you buy some be-?" Ludwig quickly stiffens up and turns around. My face is burning with feelings and I can see the same goes for Ludwig. "Who's that and why were you two kissing?" Ludwig clears his throat.

"Um, bruder, this is my friend Feliciano. Feliciano, this is mein bruder Gilbert." I poke my head around Luds ecliptic body to see an albino man standing in a door frame across the way. "He's going to be living here from now on." I shyly look at the new person.

"It's nice to meet you..." Gil nods but soon smirks.

"So Lud, is this your new fuck buddy?" My face turns scarlet bringing forth memories of the past.

"Smart ass." He mutters. Gilbert just evilly smirks and walks away. I look up at Ludwig who looks down at me. Thoughts so quickly flash by my mind, almost like I'm seeing it in reality.

"I didn't ask for this... My brother is having issues living too and he has Gino... And I can't love you Ludwig... You ruined my life, broke my heart and left me for dead! You used me!" I can feel the warm dripping down my cheeks. "Please, you promised me... You pinky promised..." Ludwig just stared at me. At this point I couldn't tell what he was thinking, what kind of thoughts too.

"Feliciano, I had to do that. My bruder, Gil, he's really sick and business vasn't doing good. I had to save him so I had to boost business... And I love you so much I can't do that, I can take care of you." I sigh.

"You're so selfish. My brother is probably dying and I want to help him, my twin, and you won't even keep that promise. As long as you're happy who cares, right? So many people lost their jobs and are dying on the streets but as long as you don't care about them it doesn't matter I guess." I spin around and open the door. "Goodbye Ludwig."

"Vere are you going?" He grabs my wrist but I pull away resentfully.

"To finish someone else's promise." I close the door and walk away.