-Antonio-

He sat across from the two unwelcome guests in the main sitting room, anxiously looking between them and the young Italian by his side. Said Italian was normally very vocal about his distaste and/or irritation. But right now, he was sitting silently by his side, face blank. He winced. That normally meant that he was so enraged on the inside that his inner turmoil couldn't manifest itself, rendering him speechless. Once the Italian calmed down, though, all hell broke loose. He glared at the male who was sitting in his house, looking around in contempt.

"Why is it so bloody drafty in here? It is winter you know. Do you have a damn window open?"

Dios mio, did he hate that man.

"No, Arthur. I do not have a window open. My house is just a little older and larger than yours. But you wouldn't know anything about that, right? Seeing as how you live in a magical little cottage in the woods with seven dwarves and your fairy godmother."

Arthur Kirkland, a self-proclaimed magic practitioner, scowled, his frankly ridiculous eyebrows scrunching together.

"Ha ha, you Spanish half-wit. We'll see how much you're laughing when I put a dark curse on you for the next ten years-"

"You sure you haven't already? You just showed up on my doorstep, seems like pretty shitty luck to me-"

"It's not luck-"

"Do I look like I give a flying-"

"OI."

They both snapped their mouths shut at the same time, but didn't break their silent glaring. Lovino felt the dark embers of rage burning in his gut, and he didn't know who he wanted to kill first. He picked up on the violent aura his lover was giving off, and rubbed his forehead.

"Look. Just-what do you want, Kirkland?"

Arthur's glare relaxed into a scowl.

"I need to speak to you about some…issues…that have arisen during your absence as the head of the Carriedo empire."

"It's not an absence, you son of a bitch. I'm not going to get involved anymore."

"Look, I get that you feel survivor's guilt or whatever because of what your family has done, but you can't just let your bloody eggs hatch all over the place. Your father's reached retiring age, and is on the run, your brother is in prison, and your men don't know what the hell they're doing."

"They're not-"

"Not your men, whatever. Look. The underground is in chaos, and my group is stuck trying to clean up the aftermath. At least under your ancestor's control it was organized."

He felt his face contort. Fucking Kirkland.

"Again. Either way, it has become an absolute clusterfuck. And we can't keep a lid on it."

"Serves you right, you backstabbing piece of-"

"It was necessary, you load of-"

"OI!"

He silenced again. Lovino glared daggers at the two across from them. Arthur just glared back, while the girl just stared.

"I don't know who the fuck you are, or why the fuck you're here, but there better be a damn good explanation. I don't care who gives it, but if I don't understand clearly what's going on in two minutes, I'm kicking you ALL the fuck out. Capiche?"

"Figures you would fall for someone so uncouth, Carriedo."

"Insult my Lovi one more time, and I'm going to get up and break your face, neck, and spine, in that order, you crumpet-eating asshole."

He sighed.

"Lovino, this is Arthur Kirkland, asshole extraordinaire-"

"Hey-"

"And my childhood friend, Bella. Who's kind of supposed to be my betrothed."

Bella's face went from blank, to hurt. Lovino raised an eyebrow.

"And they are here because…"

"Because there is a load of trouble you twat. Without the Carriedo empires expansion and control over territories both outside of Spain and within it, other groups have decided to follow in the footsteps of the conquistadors."

He rubbed his forehead.

"One such group is led by Ivan Braginski, and his sisters Natalia and Katsuyasha. He is quite a force to be reckoned with, or so the stories say. He's causing mayhem all across Europe, you understand?"

Antonio groaned. This was it. Lovino was going to run away and never look back. He swore vengeance on that British backstabber even if he died in the process-

"Does that mean Italy, as well?"

All three of them snapped their attention back to Lovino. He sighed and sat up straighter.

"Well? Does it?"

"I mean, yes-but…how, why?"

"I'm from South Italy you English bastard. What else comes from South Italy?"

"…You're connected to the Italian Mafia? YOU?"

Antonio's eyes grew wide. He hadn't known that either. He supposed that explained why he was so blasé about the whole 'I'm a member of a distinguished crime family' thing.

"My Nonno is. I grew up surrounded by shady deals and fucked-up happenings. Sure, I was never a part of it, but I'm still a member of the familia, as far as they're concerned. I've never heard of this Braginski asshole, but if he's raising hell across Europe as we speak, then he's a bad bastard indeed."

He got up, and ducked upstairs to their room. He came back with a trunk, which Antonio remembered him saying 'not to fucking touch, I swear if I see one single fingerprint on this trunk I will cut of your vital regions and feed them to your fucking turtles'. His curiosity was peaked. Lovino unlocked the trunk, and opened it.

Meirda.

It was full of weapons.

They were all organized, and small. Numerous knives, a few guns, ammo, a garrote, etc. There were also maps, manila envelopes, and wads of cash.

"Um, Lovi. I just have to ask. What is all of this stuff?"

"It's my emergency kit. Both Feliciano and I have one. It's in case any of Nonno's enemies got any ideas."

"But-"

"Look. If you're being dragged back into the darkness, there's going to be one thing different. I'm coming with you. You're not soiling me, or whatever shit you're telling yourself. Yes, we are going to talk about the whole 'I'm secretly betrothed' nonsense.

He pointed a knife at the other two.

"You. English asshole. I don't know why my idiot doesn't like you, but if you hurt him in any way, I'll gut you. And you. I still don't know what your role is in this, but if you lay a single finger on my Spaniard, you'll have no fingers. Understood?"

Bella spoke up for the first time.

"How dare you! He's my betrothed! We've had a bond since childhood that you and your…your…fling, couldn't hope to replace-"

"Objection. His childhood was completely and utterly fucked up, so under the authority that I gave myself, as his current, voluntary lover, I am rendering this bullshit betrothal null and void. And yes. I dare. Try me, bitch. Just try me."

Antonio didn't know whether to be scared or aroused, so he just decided on both.

Both was good.