"Sometimes, you must leave something you love in order to find something even better."

To tell the truth, Ludwig was a little nervous.

Okay, perhaps 'uncomfortable' was a better word. Nevertheless, he was on edge. He wasn't used to…well, people. He was familiar with the other angels, but they were a group that had watched each other's backs for years – they were completely trustworthy. And while he pretty much trusted Feliciano, he wasn't by any means comfortable with him. Or his family.

Ludwig was had no clue why Lovino seemed to hate him so much, but it was apparent in even the quickest glances and actions the Italian sent Ludwig's way. He seemed prone to large fits of rage and had the foulest mouth the blonde had ever come across, and every time Ludwig even cast a glance over to Feliciano, the man would run over and attempt to maim him.

Antonio, on the other hand, was a friendly man, and his habit of saving Ludwig from dealing with Lovino gave him some credit. However, his infatuation with the Italian brothers was almost too much, and Ludwig felt as though the Spaniard was trying to make him part of this crazy family every time they had spoken. Which, thankfully, had not been often.

Ludwig looked up, torn from his thoughts, as Feliciano walked by, humming a song with a jovial smile that graced his lips. The Italian's bandages shown from underneath his light shirt and traveled down his arms, which had been scratched up from his fight. The scratch on his face was uncovered and already healing, though Ludwig figured it'd end up a faint scar. Ludwig had mentioned the other day that it was impressive to be able to hold off an angel for so long, but upon remembering the event, Feliciano had hidden behind Ludwig's frame and stared up in the sky in fear. He hadn't mentioned it since.

Feliciano turned around to see the angel's eyes fixed on him, and ceased his humming. "Ve, Luddy looks so serious! Does Luddy want pasta? I'd love to cook pasta again, though it's already the middle of the day and I'm going to take my siesta soon. Ludwig should try to take siestas sometime too, maybe then he would want to play more! Although Lovino would probably get out his gun and try to shoot you, and that wouldn't be good, because I have to keep telling him not to shoot guests…"

Ludwig paused, trying to decipher what he'd just heard. Sometimes Feliciano just talked so fast, and it was hard to keep up with his train of thought. He tried to reply in order anyway. "My face is fine. No thanks on the pasta. Siestas are a complete waste of time that could be better spent training or reading. I will never want to "play"...And your brother…owns a gun?"

Feliciano nodded cheerfully. "Yup! He almost shot Antonio with it once, but everything ended up okay!"

Ludwig fixed Feliciano with a hard stare before throwing up his hands in the air. "I'm not even going to ask."

Feliciano swayed happily back and forth for a moment before looking behind him to a window. The skies were a sunny, beautiful blue, which Ludwig had been watching idly while thinking. White, puffy clouds floated by on a calm breeze, and an occasional bird flew gracefully by in front of the window. Feliciano's gaze lowered as he turned back to Ludwig, fidgeting with his hands nervously.

"Ve…Ludwig's going to leave again, isn't he?" His voice sounded heavy and forlorn, and something inside Ludwig twisted in empathy.

That didn't change his answer. "Yes. I have to. I can't leave my allies to fight on alone."

Feliciano nodded, as if he'd expected that already. Ludwig stood and put a hand on his shoulder, attempting to be of some comfort. Suddenly, Feliciano fell forward, wrapping his arms around Ludwig's waist, hiding his face in Ludwig's shirt. The angel froze, unsure of what was happening, and Feliciano's voice was muffled, but he understood.

"I don't want Ludwig to leave again. Can't you stay? I'll miss you if you leave. I'll miss you."

Ludwig pulled Feliciano away from him and looked into his long face, seeing the storm of emotions hidden within those brown eyes. "Feliciano, I have to return. I can't stay here, you know that."

Feliciano nodded slowly, eyes trained on the floor. He then raised his head, looking into Ludwig's face with a determined stare. "Can I go with you?"

Ludwig was thrown for a loop. He hadn't expected a question like that, especially after Feliciano's near-death encounter with an angel. "You know you'll be putting yourself in danger, right?"

There was little hesitation. "Yes," he confirmed, his expression sure and serious.

"You'll become a target, and you can't fight."

"I'm a fast runner, so I can get away easily. And I can learn to fight, too," he responded, voice firm and unwavering. "Please, Ludwig, let me come with you?"

Ludwig scratched the back of his head and sighed. "What about your family?" he asked, trying to give Feliciano a reason to stay. It wasn't so much he didn't want the Italian's company, rather, he was worried about him. Feliciano had already been attacked once, after all.

That argument didn't seem to dissuade Feliciano, however. "Lovino will be okay. He has Antonio."

Ludwig shook his head slowly. Feliciano's eyes grew anxious, and he gave Ludwig the most pleading look he could manage. "Ve, Ludwig, please? Per favore?"

Ludwig found he could not deny that face, especially not when his lip began to quiver ever so slightly. With a sigh he relented. "If that's what you really want, I can't stop you. But you have to tell your brother and friend first." Ludwig's jaw tightened. "It wouldn't be fair to them if you left without telling them."

Feliciano nodded, a huge grin lighting up his face. "Grazie! Grazie, Ludwig! I'll tell them, I promise!"

And with that, the Italian was out the door, leaving Ludwig to wonder what he'd just gotten himself into.

…

Feliciano was glad Ludwig wasn't going to leave him here again.

Sure, he would miss Lovino and Antonio. He would probably miss them so much it would hurt. Feliciano was by no means stupid, contrary to popular belief. He knew that what he was planning on doing – joining Ludwig and getting himself into the world of angels – was most likely going to be dangerous. But something inside him was screaming, screaming, that he needed to follow Ludwig, that he needed to know what was real and what wasn't.

Because if he didn't follow Ludwig now, he knew he would not be able to take it later.

When Feliciano walked across the street to Antonio's house (where he would undoubtedly find his brother as well) it was with a strange sort of grim excitement, baring himself both for loneliness and a grand adventure.

He got up to the wooden door and gave it a few light knocks, and stepped back as the door opened to reveal a drowsy-looking Antonio. The Spaniard rubbed his eyes before recognizing his neighbor, a handsome smile lighting up his face when he did.

"Hola, Feli! İBuenos días!"

Feliciano laughed, "Ve, but Antonio, it's already nearly three in the afternoon!"

Antonio had the decency to look sheepish as he scratched the back of his head with an ashamed chuckle. "Ah, is it really? Lovino wouldn't stop complaining about your friend last night; he kept me up for so long. Speaking of which, I think he's still asleep." Antonio glanced behind him, and then turned around again with a start. "Oh, lo siento, Feliciano! Come on in!"

Feliciano followed the Spaniard's advice and walked inside the familiar house. He came to a stop about halfway into the living room, taking in his surroundings. How long would it be until he saw this house again, he wondered. He suddenly grew fidgety as he tried to come up with a good way to break the news to his friend and brother. Antonio seemed to notice his uncertainty, and pat the Italian's back comfortingly.

"Is there anything I can do for you, amigo?"

"Ve…" Feliciano turned to look back at Antonio with a slightly anxious gaze. "…Is there any way you can wake up my fratello?"

Antonio simply grinned and nodded. "Don't worry, Feli. I'll have him down here in a few minutes." As the Spaniard proceeded to walk up the stairs to his bedroom, he called back, "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable while you wait!"

Feliciano watched until Antonio was out of sight before he looked once more around the living room. Ever since his brother and Antonio had begun dating, this house had almost become a true second home to him. In actuality, both Italians usually spent their time over here – it was larger and more stylish, and there were multiple rooms the Spaniard had within that even he himself didn't bother to use. Everything about it was familiar to Feliciano, and leaving it would also mean leaving the people within it. But he reasoned again and again that it was a step he was willing to take. Once more the question of why this whole angel business was so important to him popped into his head, but he pushed it away. He had to trust his heart on this one, and that was all there was to it.

Suddenly, a furious yell echoed from upstairs, followed by the sound of something breaking and a long bout of violent swearing. The next thing Feliciano knew, Antonio tumbled down the stairs and ended up lying face-first at their foot, muttering some complaint or other.

Feliciano ran to Antonio's side worriedly, but was beaten by a grumpier-than-usual Lovino, who nudged Antonio's side with his foot. Lazily, he turned his attention to his brother standing a few feet away, and gave an irritated "Oh, it's you" as his only words of greeting. He then nudged Antonio with his foot again. "Hey tomato jerk, get up and make me breakfast, will ya?"

Antonio mumbled something into the carpet unintelligibly, then rolled over onto his back, giving Lovino an exhausted gaze. "Lovi, what was that for?" he half-whined, almost to himself.

Lovino's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "For waking me up like a freaking dog, you idiot."

"But Lovi likes morning kisses!" Antonio objected animatedly from his place on the floor.

"Not being licked to death. Breakfast. Now."

Antonio sighed, then stood to his feet slowly and turned to Feliciano. "Lovi, I think Feli had something he wanted to say. Can we let him speak before I make breakfast, at least?"

Lovino grumbled something under his breath that Feliciano couldn't quite catch. But then he answered with a, "Fine, whatever," and turned his attention on his brother almost impatiently.

With two pairs of eyes trained on him, Feliciano felt his nerves begin to take over, but he took a deep breath and simply said, "I'm going away for a while."

Lovino and Antonio could do nothing but stare blankly at Feliciano, as if they hadn't heard what he'd just told them. With a nervous laugh, Antonio spoke. "Ah, Feli…did I hear that right? Did you…say you're leaving?"

Feliciano nodded.

"What the hell."

Lovino practically growled at his younger brother. "What the hell, Feliciano? Where did this come from?"

"Well, um, you see-"

"If this is because of that muscly jerk I swear to God –"

"Lovino."

Lovino stopped mid-sentence at the serious tone in Antonio's voice. The Spaniard nodded to Feliciano and wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders. "Lovino, why don't we give Feliciano a chance to explain? He must have a good reason, isn't that right, Feli?"

Feliciano gave him a nervous smile. "Ve…grazie, Antonio…" Feliciano gulped, and somewhere in the back of his mind he prayed that Lovino wouldn't maim him by the end of this. "So…Ludwig is leaving again. And I… I'm following him."

If looks could kill, Lovino would have murdered Feliciano by now and thrown his body in the ditch. The pure look of disapproval on his brother's face made Feliciano shiver involuntarily, and he shrunk back.

"Feliciano. Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?" Lovino stepped closer to Feliciano, and his lips were almost raised in an animalistic snarl. "He's bad news, Feliciano! The last time you came across him you ended up like this-"Lovino jabbed his bandaged chest with his finger "-and now you want to follow him around? What the HELL gives you the notion that this is a good idea?!"

Feliciano tried to look back at Lovino, tried to give him the most determined face he could manage, but had a feeling he failed horribly. "V-Ve…Lovino, this is…"

"Feliciano…" Antonio brought the attention in the room back to himself for a moment, watching the Italians with a worried gaze. "Feliciano, isn't this going a little too far? I agree with Lovino on this one. Ludwig…gets into some dangerous stuff. I don't know what it is he does, but just look at what happened to you. Are you ready for something like this?"

Feliciano looked down at his bandaged arms, holding them out before him below his waist. "I…this is something I have to do. I don't know why yet, but please, please, trust me. This means a lot to me, I…I can't let him go again, not without answers, so…"

Suddenly, Lovino sighed. Feliciano braced himself for another verbal assault, but instead, Lovino took his brother's hands in his own and looked down at the bandages with him. "Feliciano…are you really sure about this?"

Stunned, Feliciano could only barely nod. "Yes."

Lovino waited a few seconds, then grabbed Feliciano and enveloped him in a tight hug. Feliciano couldn't see his brother's face, but he felt him trembling slightly. "L-Lovino…?

The older Italian pushed himself back, holding Feliciano an arm's distance away to get a good look at his face. "Go, Feliciano. Just…take care of yourself, okay? No way in hell am I going to forgive you if you come back to me dead."

Feliciano blinked. He wondered if he was hearing this right. Lovino was telling him that he could actually leave with Ludwig? With his voice stolen from him, he stiffly began to make his way back to the front door, looking back at the two men the entire time.

"And hey, Feliciano."

Feliciano turned his attention once more on the green-eyed Italian.

"Remember, you'll always be my fratellino."

And with a sad smile, Feliciano nodded in affirmation and stepped out the door.

Antonio watched the scene unfold, and even after Feliciano left, Lovino did not move. Slowly, gently, the Spaniard came up behind his lover and wrapped his arms around his waist and rested his chin on his shoulder. Lovino flinched slightly, not because of Antonio's touch, but rather because he hadn't noticed him. Quietly, as if afraid to break the silence, Antonio asked, "Why did you let him leave?"

Lovino's stare remained fixed on the door as he answered. "I just want my little brother to be happy."

And then a tear slid down Lovino's cheek, and then another, and another, until he slumped to the ground as sobs wracked his body. Antonio remained steadfast, Lovino's silent companion.

Per favore (Italian): Please

Grazie (Italian): Thank you

Buenos días (Spanish): Good morning (literally "good day", but is used for morning greetings)

Here's another update, friends! Thanks again for all who read even a little bit of my story, I'll try and get some more chapters up as soon as possible!