Disclaimer: I don't own it, I just ship it

Warning: AU, strong language, boy x boy pairings, violence (more so bullying in the beginning), and because this was inspired by the manga Iris Zero, there may be some minor spoilers for it.

Sorry, for the incredibly long wait! Even though updates will be slow, I'm focusing on this fic in particular and plan on finishing it one of these days. There's more info on that on my profile, if you need it.

Apparently, the ice cream truck from the last chapter is a thing and I just didn't know it. I took the idea from a co-worker of mine whose mother told him the ice cream truck played music when it was sold out because she was worried about him getting chunky. I should really get a tumblr account one of these days…XD

oOo

Out of the darkness, Kiku was taken away in an instant. Arthur's fingers found his phone in a flash, but with the oncoming storm, had no reception. The others also checked theirs, but the interference was enough to prevent them from calling for help. They could only take a little comfort in the fact that Arthur didn't see any butterflies on them or a flock of the black-winged omens on Kiku when he was taken. That meant they weren't marked for death anytime soon.

"We've still got to go help him!" Alfred insisted.

"For once, I agree with you," his cousin nodded. "We might be able to save him before it's too late!"

"I-I don't think I can move…" trembled Feliciano. Seeing his friend snatched away so suddenly had done a number on him. The younger Vargas was huddled under his sleeping bag, practically glued to the spot.

"We can't just run out there blindly," Lovino rubbed his brother's back. "Staying here's not a good option, but leaving without a plan is just as bad."

The four looked at Ludwig. His vote would settle the tie. He tried to ignore the lump in his throat.

"I also think we need a plan…" he began, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "Kiku is smart, he'll be okay for awhile, no matter what situation is thrust upon him. Instead of arguing about what to do, we need to figure out the best way to save him and then act on it."

"Bloody hell, first Kiku's taken away, now you're agreeing with Lovino…this must be the end of the world…" Arthur rolled his eyes.

"But we don't know what that thing was that took him!" Feliciano felt his heart race at the thought of chasing the shadowy beast. "We can't fight something like that!"

"You won't have to," Ludwig assured him. "Alfred, is there anything you packed that can help us? Some kind of tool or weapon?"

"Well, monsters and crap weren't on the campsite brochure, so I don't exactly have guns or anything," he tried to lighten the atmosphere. "But I have a couple of pocket knives and the tools we used earlier to set up the tent."

"That's better than nothing," Ludwig nodded. "Please gather them. The rest of us will think of a strategy for dealing with…whatever took Kiku."

"It was a monster…!" Feliciano continued to shake, feeling a dampness around his eyes.

"There's no such things as monsters…" his brother comforted him. "…Except for Grandma Gianna, because that woman defines beastly.

This managed to get a small smile out of Feli, but he still wasn't in any condition to contribute to the brainstorming session. Arthur and Ludwig headed that discussion up while Lovino alternated between calming his brother down and contributing to the conversation where he could. The three were having a difficult time deciding on a plan because they had no idea what they were dealing with. By the time Alfred had gathered all the necessary materials, it had started to rain. The boys decided to arm themselves and go now before they would be unable to track Kiku's footprints in the mud from earlier. As soon as their reception cleared up, they would call for help.

Slowly and cautiously, the five boys exited the tent. Each was wearing a brightly colored rain poncho (Alfred knew the situation was serious when Lovino didn't even complain about them) with a flashlight in one hand and some kind of weapon in the other. Alfred, Ludwig, and Arthur kept a pocket knife clenched firmly in their grip while the Vargas brothers each had a hammer. They found their friend's partially washed away prints in the ground, having no idea what to make of the larger prints next to his.

"Whatever it is walks on two legs and weighs more than Kiku, but that's about all I can tell…" Lovino squinted at the tracks in the limited light of his flashlight. "It's too washed away to see much else."

"We couldn't even compare it to our footprints because of all this rain…Dammit…" Alfred frowned. Even though his footprints were about as deep as the mysterious creature, the rain could have easily altered things. The culprit was probably around his weight, but most likely heavier if it was able to drag Kiku away so easily.

"We should keep moving," the Vice-President encouraged them. The rain wasn't letting up anytime soon, so time was of the essence. Slowly, the group complied and they continued on their way into the woods.

oOo

The boys did their best to follow the tracks, surprised when they seemed to stick to the main path for the most part. Even if their friend appeared to have been dragged for the most part, his footprints continued to show signs of struggle. This brought the campers some relief until the creature and Kiku's prints seemed to veer off to the left, away from the safety of the main path. Reluctantly, the guys decided to follow, their friend's safety outweighing the fear slowly rising inside them.

Feliciano clung tightly to Lovino's rain poncho as they braved the dark wilderness. He had tucked his hammer through his belt in case he had to use it, but prayed he wouldn't have to. With everyone else here, surely they'd find Kiku in no time. He had it all worked out in his head. Lovino would find a clue to lead them to Kiku. Arthur would confirm he was in no fatal danger. Ludwig and Alfred would beat up the monster, while he freed Kiku and they all escaped safely.

But as time slipped by, Feliciano was losing hope in his storybook ending. Lovino was completely on edge, trying to use his hypervigilance to find any scrap of a clue and keep his friends safe at the same time. He didn't like their odds and wore it all over his face. Alfred tried to keep him and the others motivated, but was losing his optimism ever so slightly with each step he took. Arthur shifted the blame to his cousin, accusing him of being stupid enough to bring them out here. Feliciano didn't know the Englishman as well, but knew him enough to realize he didn't mean any of that and was just really worried about Kiku. Ludwig was walking beside him the entire time. He didn't say much, but just his presence made Feliciano feel better. Was he doing that for him?

"What's that?" Ludwig pointed to a large boulder nearby.

"A rock?" replied Feliciano.

"We should investigate it," the blond urged the group. "It looks suspicious."

"You're out of your damned mind if you think a stupid rock—hey!" Lovino had been in the process of shaking rainwater off the hood of his poncho, when his brother started yanking him off to the rocky area.

"If Ludwig thinks it's important, it must be important!" the amber-eyed boy proclaimed. The German had given him the second wind he needed to feel confident again.

The others followed quickly without tripping over any smaller rocks or tree roots. In their current area, many of the trees were long since barren of leaves, so they had to be more cautious of the leaves and puddles hiding things below them. They gathered under the large boulder, staring blankly.

"It's a big rock," Arthur crossed his arms. "I can't wait to tell my friends. They don't have a rock this big."

Ludwig calmly walked over to the rock in question. He didn't want to lose his credibility by losing his patience and lashing out at the Treasurer. It was a good thing all those Student Council meetings were giving him practice. He carefully brought his hand up to the section that caught his eye.

"Look here," Ludwig got their attention. "Claw marks going upwards."

Feliciano gasped, nearly losing his grip on his brother (who had walked over for a better look). The two marks were huge and extended well above his head. What kind of creature could do that to solid rock? Even Arthur looked concerned, despite his earlier remark.

"I don't know, but it's either strong or heavy," Lovino shrugged. "It's got nothing to do with Kiku, though."

"How do you know?"

"Because the deepest part of the 'claw marks' is at the top, so whatever made them was headed downwards," the Commissioner explained. "Since there's no sign of footprints here, this happened well before Kiku was taken."

"A-Are you sure?" his brother asked.

Lovino gave him a look.

Up ahead, Alfred noticed something in the trees. Since most of the larger animals were unable to climb trees in this region, hope soared in him that it was Kiku. Maybe he had snuck away or outsmarted the thing that took him? Kiku would definitely be able to scale a tree like that to be safe.

"Guys, I think that's him up ahead!" Alfred exclaimed. "Look!"

A partial flash of lightning outlined the shape in the tree. It was definitely out of place, but didn't seem quite human. The shadowy object had some kind of twisted horns or spines protruding from its body that made the group shudder a little.

"I don't know…" Ludwig hesitated. He didn't like the idea of getting close to yet another mysterious creature. One was enough, thanks.

"It has to be!" Alfred insisted. By this point, the logical part of his brain knew better, but the larger, more desperate part of him wanted it to be his friend, who had climbed to safety.

"I think we should keep walking," Arthur glanced at the unmoving shadow in the tree. He gripped the small pocket knife tighter. "That would be best."

"But what if it's Kiku?!" his cousin refused to leave without an investigation. "And what if he needs our help?!"

"Then check it out from here, bastard," Lovino's eyes never left the potential threat. "Ask your Iris if that thing qualifies to be Kiku Honda."

"Right! Good thinking!" Alfred smiled at his boyfriend before looking back at the tree. He squinted, as if failing an eyesight chart.

"W-What is it?" Feliciano asked.

"I…I'm not able to see anything…"

Lightning flashed and a freshly cut deer's head stared back at them, its lifeless eyes reflecting the light. That was the final straw for Feliciano. He collapsed to the sopping wet ground and refused to move, no matter what his brother told or threatened him with.

"You take Feli and give me the knife," Lovino held out an impatient hand towards Ludwig.

"But how am I supposed to stand guard if—" the blond started to argue.

"I'm Italian," he angrily reminded him. "Give. Me. The. Knife."

"Just do it," Arthur added, recalling their previous adventures with the Red Skull Gang. When push came to shove, Lovino was more than capable of handling himself.

Ludwig gave in, handing the knife over and hoisting the younger Italian to his feet. He then began to half-guide, half-drag Feli along with them. The amber eyed boy whimpered and shook under his friend's grasp, but trudged on.

oOo

Arthur scowled as he almost had his shoe pulled off by the mud and muck beneath him for the third time. He briefly wondered if they had somehow stumbled upon a patch of quicksand. The situation was growing dire.

"It figures that none of us have a useful Iris for the situation…" he complained. "We can't see a single thing…!"

"Oh, no…What a nightmare," Lovino replied sarcastically. "You guys can't get through your daily lives without the damned things, can you?"

"Having someone like Professor Zwingli or Francis along would make things easier," Ludwig agreed with the Briton. "It's not reliance, it's fact."

"Keep telling yourself that, potato bastard."

Feliciano felt himself shiver. He didn't know if it was from the situation or the cold, but if Ludwig doubted their chances of finding Kiku without a good Iris, they were surely in danger. His grip on Lovino's poncho tightened and he could see his knuckles turning white around Ludwig's hand. He couldn't even remember taking it…

"But, hey, it's not like all of our Irises are useless," Alfred smiled, turning towards Feliciano. "Yours is still important!"

"Ve?"

"Tell me what it does again."

"Bastardo, you know what it—" Lovino was cut off by his boyfriend gently poking his ribs. "Hey!"

"It…It lets me see the name of the person you care about most above your head."

"And what's mine say?" the blond pointed to himself, proudly. He already had a good idea what it said, after all.

"Lovino Vargas," Feliciano confirmed his hunch with a smile.

"I suppose that makes sense," he grinned back. "Saw that one coming, though."

"Did you?" Feli asked, ignoring his brother glaring at him. "How did you know?"

"I would have to say I knew for sure it was true love when I realized Lovino gave me that same feeling I get at restaurants when I see food coming…"

"Congrats, git," Arthur patted the second tsundere's shoulder jokingly. "That's the highest honor that glutton can give someone."

"What's Lovino's say?" Alfred tossed an arm over the brunet's shoulder, tactfully getting rid of Arthur in the process.

"What the hell do you think?" the tsundere spat back.

"It says my name," Feliciano laughed.

"What?" both Alfred and Lovino replied simultaneously.

Feliciano chuckled again at their identical expressions of disbelief.

"Sorry, but sometimes the person you care about the most is a family member or a close friend," he bit his lip to stop his laughter. "Since fratello's always taken care of me, it probably hasn't switched over yet."

"Oh, I see," Alfred scratched his chin. "So, it doesn't work because I'm always taking care of Lovi…"

"The hell you do."

"I do lots of nice things for you!" the American grinned.

"Like burn our cooking assignments?"

"Like give you back massages and when no one's looking—"

"One more word and I'll shove this hammer down your throat!" Lovino's face was scarlet. He took out the hammer he'd been armed with to make good on his threat, if needed.

"Is that a euphemism for something?" Arthur arched an eyebrow with a smirk.

Before his Italian went ballistic, Alfred cut in.

"And I don't think we need your Iris to tell us that Artie is completely gaga over Francis."

"You take that back!"

"You're dating."

"You're a wanker!"

"Um, well, it's Francis's name now, but it switched from a girl's name a few years ago, if I remember right."

"A girl's name?" Alfred raised his eyebrows. "Maybe your Iris is broken."

"Keep talking and your arm will be the next thing to break," Arthur snapped.

"I think it was Alice or Alicia or something like that…" the younger Vargas boy trailed off. "She had your same last name, though."

"Mum…"

"Aww, so Artie's just a big Mama's Boy~!" his cousin gushed obnoxiously.

"L-Like I said, it's very normal to have the name of a family member you're close to, like a mother or a brother," Feli tried to stop the arguing. "Kind of like how Gilbert always had Ludwig's name above his head before he started dating Matthew."

Ludwig felt a sudden, inexplicable twinge of jealousy towards the Canadian. He truly didn't care who his bruder was dating, but for some reason he felt like he had been replaced. Shaking his head, Ludwig tried to squash the notion. How childish. He wasn't used to feeling like a little brother compared to his immature, trouble-making older brother.

"And what's Ludwig's say?" Alfred grinned, regaining his composure.

Feliciano blushed and looked away bashfully. Ludwig realized the situation he was in and shoved Alfred towards the front of the group before the Italian got a chance to spill the beans.

"We don't have time for these kinds of games," the German said, cheeks slightly red. "We need to keep pressing forward to find Kiku."

"Aww, you're no fun," Alfred fake-whined.

It wasn't until Feliciano's deathgrip on his poncho lessened that Lovino realized Alfred was playing dumb to help take Feli's mind off the danger they were all in. He covered up a chuckle with a cough. Only someone as random as Alfred could still throw him for a loop sometimes.

oOo

None of the Student Council members were familiar with the area, so they relied on the campsite signs and information boards to get around. They had lost Kiku's trail in the woods and were now looking for any sign of life among the oak trees and rocky path. During the day, the campers could appreciate the colorful leaves falling to the ground like an autumn rain of reds and yellows, however the dark gave them a different perspective. The brightly-colored leaves lost their appeal in the dim light. Instead, they became a safety hazard. Each of the boys had slipped on the slick, leafy path at least once and were starting to lose both their patience and feeling in their fingertips.

"Oi, git," Arthur alerted his cousin in that sweet, compassionate way he had. "We should seek shelter and regroup before we freeze to death out here!"

"That's what I've been trying to find for the last 20 minutes," Alfred glanced back at the frowning boy. He played it off as annoyance, to cover up his worry. Even with the rain reduced to misting around them all, the temperature had dropped enough that his teeth were chattering. If they didn't find shelter soon, they'd be more likely to find hypothermia than Kiku. "Just hang in there and we'll be at the main building soon."

"Maybe someone else should lead?" Arthur also tried to sound braver than he felt. Luckily, he ran his family business, dealt with the brothers from hell on a daily basis, and dated Francis 'I'm so sophisticated' Bonnefoy…condescending came easy to him.

"I've been following the signs perfectly!" Alfred shot back. "Ask Ludwig! He's been double-checking them with me."

"It's true, I've—wait," Ludwig shined his flashlight on the nearest wooden sign. "Why does this say to head east to the Main Lodge? I could've sworn the last map told us to go west…"

"Great, you morons have been leading us in a giant circle," snorted Arthur.

Feliciano let out a barely audible whimper.

"Is somebody screwing with us?" Lovino growled, marching towards the sign to investigate it further.

"Lovi, wait!" the President exclaimed. "It's dangerous to leave the group like tha—ah!"

The others startled as the blond suddenly vanished from sight, swallowed up by the earth, itself. In a flash, the remaining council members surrounded the freshly dug pit. The hole wasn't very deep, but Alfred hadn't gotten back on his feet yet.

"A-Are you alright, bastard?!" Lovino shouted to him.

"Yeah, I'm good, Lovi!" he waved his flashlight, looking up. "Sweet of you to worry about me like that."

"I wasn't worried about you at all, dammit!" the Italian felt his face redden. "You can rot down there for all I care!"

To (unconvincingly) prove his point, he stomped away, leaving Ludwig and Arthur to help pull their President out.

"You could at least lend a hand," Arthur complained, nearly slipping on the mud and joining his cousin in the pit. "He's your bloody boyfriend!"

"And he's your bloody family!" Lovino snapped back in a mocking British accent. Was this Arthur's first day or something? He didn't take orders. Hell, the Italian barely took suggestions. Kneeling beside the sign pointing out various lodgings and hiking paths, the brunet aimed his flashlight at the section pointing out the main lodge. The scent of the wood matched the small cedar boxes his mother had given Feliciano and himself to store tiny keepsakes in. Feliciano kept ridiculous things like old wristbands from amusement parks, blurry family pictures (that the pasta freak took himself), and the first pencil Ludwig had ever lent him. Lovino kept his box around for aromatherapy more than anything. "I'm busy, here."

"Find any-fing?" Alfred asked, holding his flashlight in his mouth to free up his hands to grab Ludwig and Arthur.

"This sign doesn't belong with the others," he narrowed his green eyes.

"What do you mean?" questioned Ludwig, although he was more focused on the task at hand – not falling into the six foot deep hole in front of him. Quite the challenge, seeing as how Alfred thought he could run up the wall and ended up nearly pulling both rescuers in with him when he slipped.

"We're in a forest filled with oak trees, potato bastard. Why would—"

"A-Ah…!" Feliciano squeaked.

"Feliciano?" Ludwig looked over at the terror-stricken teenager.

"Why would what, Lovi?" Alfred asked, finally clearing the top of the pit. "Lovi?"

He trained his eyes on the patch of darkness in front of him. The area Lovino had been standing seconds ago was now empty.

"Did your flashlight go out, dude?" Alfred shined his around the sign. "…Lovino?"

"Fratello!" Feliciano shrieked, tears now running down his cheeks. "It took him! Fratello! FRATELLO!"

Ludwig rushed over to hold his friend down, before Feli bolted in fear. He had just watched his own brother disappear into the darkness, after all. Alfred tried to keep his voice steady, as he walked over to the sign. However, the shakiness in his flashlight beam gave his true feelings away.

"Okay, Lovi. You got me," he forced a laugh. "You really had me going there! For a second, I thought you were…gone."

His flashlight found Lovino's footprints in the mud.

They weren't alone.

"L-Lovino…?"

oOo

It had taken them ten minutes to calm Feliciano down enough to move on and twice that to find Alfred again. Upon discovering Lovino's broken flashlight on the ground, Alfred tossed all care to the wind and sprinted after him. He barely managed to keep a steady beam of light on the ground to follow his boyfriend's footprints. The tracks that appeared next to Lovino's were considerably larger and had some form of claws protruding from the front. Alfred realized instantly that whatever had Kiku just took Lovino away from him too. Only this time it was worse. This time there were two sets of the creature's footprints.

His Iris was useless without Lovino present to scan. How was he supposed to know where Lovi was taken? How was he supposed to know he was unhurt? How was he supposed to know he was still alive? That train of thought kicked his adrenaline into high gear and sent him racing off further into the forest. He wasn't about to let anything bad happen to Lovino, monster or not.

He ran himself ragged until his friends found him pacing back and forth beside a river, having lost the trail.

"Alfred!" the German called him over. His cousin was faster.

Arthur wasted no time in storming over and slapping the taller blond upside his pretty little head. Alfred stumbled back a step before regaining his footing. The desperate look had left his eyes. Instead, he wore a look of confusion. Bringing a hand up to his injured cheek, he looked at Arthur speechlessly.

"If you ever take off like that again, I'll deck you!" Arthur clenched his fist.

"Don't freaking tell me that after you already hit me!" Alfred shouted back.

"Oh, good," the Brit smirked. "Here I thought I'd beaten you senseless. Looks like I knocked some sense into you, instead."

"Shut up, Lovino's—"

"Both of you be quiet!" Ludwig roared over both blonds voices.

They looked at him in surprise, as if they'd forgotten he was there.

The Vice President realized he would need to be the leader with Alfred flying off the handle, Feliciano freaking out, and Arthur hiding his fear by taking it out on the others. Why oh, why did the creatures take Kiku? Level-headed, cool, calm, and collected Kiku would have been ideal to have in this situation. Ludwig sighed. Even Lovino would be an asset when it came to keeping Alfred's head on straight (to an extent) and figuring out what in the world was going on here.

"Fratello…Kiku…" the younger Vargas mumbled, eyes welling with tears.

"We will save them. They're both too smart to get themselves taken away for very long!" Alfred's optimism was returning. "And Arthur said he didn't see any black butterflies on any of us, so they must be alright!"

"We just need to think…" Ludwig said in a calmer voice, addressing Feliciano. "What would your brother do, if he were in your shoes?"

"Kick at the dirt and swear profusely?" Arthur cracked a grin, earning a glare from the other blonds.

"The footprints…" Feliciano spoke up.

"What about them?" Ludwig asked.

"We should follow them."

"We can't," Arthur reminded him, gesturing to the river. "We lost them in the drink."

"No, not through the river…" Alfred was catching on. "We can follow them back! They'll take us back to the campsite!"

The others agreed and began retracing the strange, clawed footprints backwards. They made it back to the sign where Lovino had vanished in no time. From there, the boys noticed how the footprints circled around the clearing, as if the beasts were waiting for one of them to stray. The pit wasn't a trap, it was a distraction. Just what exactly were these creatures?

No sooner had they made it to the outskirts of the main lodge that tragedy struck again. The four boys had been on high alert, when Arthur suddenly collapsed. He didn't gradually slow his pace or give any verbal warning. His legs simply gave out on him. Alfred nearly tripped on his cousin and wasn't happy about it.

"Watch it, Arthur!" he complained. When he didn't get a snarky comment in return, he knew something wasn't right. "What's wrong? Hey! Arthur!"

Despite shaking him, intentionally slaughtering the English language, and good old fashioned shouting in his face, Arthur refused to stir.

"W-What's wrong with him?" Feliciano stammered.

"He won't wake up," Alfred furrowed his brows.

"It might be hypothermia," frowned Ludwig. "We've been exposed to the cold for several hours now."

"He doesn't feel cold or have a weak pulse!" Alfred pointed out. "The weather sucks, but Arthur's used to shitty weather. He grew up in London!"

"Then he may have passed out from sheer exhaustion," Ludwig noted. The group had been walking around for several hours now. He wouldn't be surprised if the sun started rising soon. "We should take shelter in the main building."

"Yeah," nodded Alfred, hoisting his cousin up to drag him inside. "We can call for help there too."

In his hurry to get them to safety, Alfred completely missed the dart previously lodged in Arthur's arm fall to the ground empty.

oOo

Immediately upon entering, Alfred and Ludwig gave the place a once over. The tracks around the front of the building must have been from circling the area for prey, as it had been in the clearing. Nothing inside seemed disturbed, so the boys began barricading the door.

Feliciano plopped down on the dusty couch next to Arthur. For all the terror of the situation, the bushy-browed boy was snoring almost comically. Had his fratello been there, he would have made some witty comment about it. The Italian tried to take some reassurance from that. He just needed to keep his mind busy and off of worst-case scenarios. Once Arthur came to, they could come up with a plan to rescue Lovino and Kiku.

"I'm going to get some water to wake Arthur up," he stood up.

"Be careful and take your flashlight with you," Ludwig grunted, moving a large cabinet in front of some windows with Alfred's help. There had been no sign of struggle or animals inside, so Feliciano was in no immediate danger.

The brunet found an empty bucket in a nearby storage closet he could transport the water in. Feliciano wasn't sure if the facility had a kitchen or not, but he knew there was a bathroom from a previous trip here with his brother. The short hallway to the men's room was dark, but with his flashlight he was fine.

"Ve…Hopefully the lightbulb didn't burn out in here too…" he groped the wall for the light switch.

Unable to find it, Feli settled on using his flashlight. He propped it up against the sink like a tiny lantern. Humming a tune to keep his mind as busy as his hands, the Italian crammed the bucket under the faucet and turned on the water…only, it wasn't water.

"W-Wha…?" Feliciano's eyes were as wide as saucers. Everything the water touched was tinged with red. It was as if the water itself turned to blood.

The brunet frantically shut the faucet off. Some of the liquid touched his hands, causing him to recoil and race back down the hall, shouting for the others. With the situation keeping them on edge, both blonds made it over to Feliciano before he even got out of the hallway. Neither was able to make sense of his fearful ramblings about water changing into blood, so they decided to take a peek into the restrooms themselves.

Feliciano ducked behind the two as the door creaked open. Instinctively, he seized Ludwig's hand and squeezed tight. Alfred had better luck than his friend at finding the light switch, but as light flooded the room, he wished he didn't. Everything from the walls, doorway, and stalls were covered in blood splatters. On the floor were a few bloody handprints, as if there was a fight and someone was dragged off. Above them rested a broken window leading outside and clinging to those shards of glass was a large piece of Kiku's distinctive shirt, torn to shreds.

Before anyone could start screaming, a noise echoed from outside the bathroom. It sounded shrill and almost metallic…like the noise they heard around the campfire. More glass shattered from that same direction and something crashed to the ground. They quickly moved out of the compromised bathroom and back to the main lobby, where Arthur was helplessly lying on the couch.

"Grab something to defend yourselves and keep towards the middle of the room!" Alfred directed them, standing nearby his unconscious cousin.

The screeches and breaking glass picked up again suddenly. Even the heavy cabinet began shaking as one of the creatures clawed at it from the darkness. Whatever was out there would soon be joining them inside. At the height of the terrifying situation, Ludwig pulled Feliciano close. If they were going to be attacked, he would do everything in his power to keep the Italian safe.

"L-Ludwig…I'm scared…"

Ludwig didn't even think about his response, the words just came tumbling out as his grip on Feliciano's shoulder tightened.

"I swear I'll protect you, no matter what…I…I love you."

"Wh-What?" the brunet wasn't sure he heard him right.

"I will keep you safe, Feliciano," Ludwig said with more conviction. "Because I love you more than anyone in the entire world."

"I-I love you too!" Feliciano felt tears prick out of the corners of his eyes. Ludwig's words gave him some strength and he leaned forward, kissing the blond gently.

"Guys, that's great and I'm really happy for you and all…" Alfred's eyes darted from window to window, trying to predict which would shatter first. "…But might I redirect your attention to the bloodthirsty monster trying to kill us?!"

Ludwig and Feliciano didn't move from their spot.

"Guys? Guys!" Alfred tried to get their attention. "Giant monster outside! Trying to eat us! Focus, already!"

Suddenly the screeching and wailing stopped. Claws ceased their banging on the windows and the world outside the visitor's cabin fell silent.

"What the hell…?" Alfred took a sharp breath.

Then the doorbell rang.

"What the hell?!" the American repeated.

"Should…Should we answer it?" Feliciano inquired.

"Are you crazy?! Those things are still out there!" exclaimed Alfred.

"Perhaps, but are they able to ring a doorbell of all things?" Ludwig questioned, still holding Feli close.

"There's no flipping way I'm answering that!"

As if responding to Alfred's outburst, the door was promptly kicked in. A steady stream of applause was heard as the cabin was filled with some very unexpected guests.

"What the actual fuck…?" Alfred sank into a nearby chair, the adrenaline quickly leaving him.

"I see Lovino's been a marvelous influence on you," Elizabeta grinned before turning her attention to the remaining (conscious) boys. "And congratulations are in order for you two!"

"I'm very happy for you both," Kiku, clad in a slightly tattered shirt, smiled at his friends. "I'm pleased you finally were able to confess your true feelings to one another."

"Fucking took you long enough!" Gilbert laughed, pulling off the last few pieces of his monster suit with Matthew's help.

"Wait, Mattie?" Alfred blinked. "Where's Lovino?!"

"Safe and sound," the muffled second monster said (in a decidedly Spanish accent), as he escorted a very annoyed Italian in. "He was never in any danger or I'd know~!"

"Shut up, stronzo."

"Oui," the third monster agreed, rubbing his jaw. "But you could have warned me that I was in danger!"

"But I did warn you not to grab his sides, because he's very ticklish there, and—"

"Shut up, stronzo!" Lovino decked the Spaniard in the back of his masked head.

"Owww! Lovi, that hurt!"

But the tsundere didn't hear the rest of his cousin's laments. In a flash, he was scooped up by Alfred, who was more than happy his boyfriend was alive and well.

"If you don't stop spinning me, I'm going to puke on you," Lovino threatened.

"Don't care," Alfred just squeezed him tighter, resting his chin on the Commissioner's shoulder. "I thought I'd lost you for a second there."

"As if I could get that lucky," Lovino rolled his eyes, trying to brush off his boyfriend's concern.

"You know you love me," the American winked.

"I hate you the least."

"I'll take it."

On the other side of the room, the newly-confessed couple tried to take everything in. For the first time in his life, Ludwig had actually gone through a greater spectrum of emotions that Feliciano. While Feli stood there stunned, Ludwig went from shocked, to relieved, to confused, to mortified. Gilbert would treasure each hilarious expression for the rest of his life.

"You six were behind this entire thing?!" he roared.

The others backed down slightly, however Elizabeta wasn't fazed and matched his ferocity.

"We wouldn't have had to if you had been more cooperative and told Feli how you really felt ages before this!" she got up in his face. "Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to get the two of you together?! Well?! One year, 29 days, 11 hours, and 46 minutes!"

This successfully defused Ludwig, who reverted to his confused state. Sometimes, there was just no arguing with crazy.

"How did you do all this…?" Feliciano asked, still holding onto his distracted German.

"The opportunity fell onto my lap," Kiku chuckled. "I intercepted an email sent to Alfred on the shared Student Council account that thanked him for giving up our hotel rooms and wished him well on the camping trip. From there, it was child's play to determine the place and time Alfred would spring his camping surprise on us."

"Naturally, you guys had SHIP's full support," the Hungarian grinned, playing it off as more of a joke to cover up the fact it was a top-secret SHIP mission to get Ludwig and Feliciano together. "And these dorks were more than happy to help, especially Gilbert."

"I gotta look out for my little brother, don't I? Kesesese!" the albino jerked a thumb towards Matthew. "But Birdie here gets points for creativity! The deer head and the faucet blood were all his ideas! Pretty cool, right?"

The Gerita task force decided against revealing how Matthew also put his sharpshooting skills to good use by being the one who tranq'd Arthur, for fear of the tsundere exploding at his cousin. The Brit in question was finally coming around in Francis's arms.

"I bloody hate you all…" he grumbled, the effects of the tranquilizer dart making his head foggy. Arthur had gotten the gist of the situation and wasn't sunshine and rainbows over it. "Couldn't you gits have handled this like normal human beings?"

"Even sub-human would have been an improvement over this idiotic little horror show," the Commissioner nodded.

"But Lovi, why didn't you just escape?" Alfred asked. He knew it would take more than a pair of weirdos in Chewbacca suits to keep his boyfriend from getting away.

"Because Elizabeta threatened to strip me and take photos…"

"That would do it."

Lovino wasn't afraid to take on gangs of oversized apes on steroids, but drew the line with the Hungarian. It wasn't that he thought he couldn't hit a girl; it was just that he was afraid of hitting the devil.

As dawn set in, all of the Student Council members decided they'd had enough camping trips for awhile. Kiku made some calls from the main lodge's landline and informed them that their ride home was on its way. As the others washed up, he provided a warm change of clothes for each person that was free of mud, leaves, and small twigs. It didn't do much for the debris in their hair or the dirt etched into their skin, but nothing save a long shower could help them with that. As much as they hated looking like a group of outlaws on the run, they'd have to wait until they were back to civilization and hot water. Kiku still did his best to make amends.

"And I plan on treating you all to breakfast to make up for the 'horror show,'" he smiled.

"Sweet, I'm starving!" Gilbert cheered.

"You can eat later," Elizabeta shoved a mop into his hand. "After you clean up the bathroom you so elegantly re-decorated in red paint."

Under Elizabeta's watchful eye, the grumbling trio removed their large 'monster' costumes and got to work on restoring the campgrounds to their original state before the park ranger returned and lost his mind. Being the nice guy he was, Matthew also stayed behind to help.

Within twenty minutes the ride for the horror movie survivors pulled up, sparkling clean in stark contrast to the campers who looked as though they hiked to hell and back. Still, the driver was a professional and didn't even bat an eyelash at their appearance. Instead, he held the door open for them and explained some of the van's features – individual heating systems for each passenger, an entertainment system stocked with newly released movies, and the magic box that made the vehicle a WiFi hotspot. In the end none of that mattered. The main thing was it had wheels and was ready to take the guys to whatever restaurant was open for breakfast. All of the boys agreed food would be nice, but several were still moody, carrying that with them to the diner they entered.

"Would you boys like a table?" the waiter asked, inwardly wincing at their disheveled appearance.

"No, we came here to eat on the damned floor," Lovino snarled back.

"Hehe…a table sounds great," Feliciano guided his brother away from the shocked waiter.

"And we'll take coffee right away," Alfred added, knowingly. "Lots and lots of coffee."

oOo

The car ride home was long, but Kiku had made sure he booked them a driver, so everyone could sleep on the way back. Arthur had been texting Francis and dealing with work-related business simultaneously. It was a small miracle he was such a good multi-tasker or he might have accidentally emailed his secretary that she was an ugly frog with a tiny wanker. He succumbed to sleep after reading a few more budget reports. The second tsundere was the second person to check into Hotel Sleepytime after such a long weekend. Lovino fell asleep against Alfred's shoulder, causing the blond to rest his head on Lovi's. Alfred dozed off not long after. Kiku took a picture of that for Mei and then pretended to be asleep to give the other two occupants privacy.

"U-Um, how long did you feel this way?" Feliciano asked his now-boyfriend with rosy cheeks.

"I didn't completely understand it until recently…" Ludwig began. "But I realize now that I've probably always felt this way about you."

"Wait, why didn't you say anything, then?" the brunet furrowed his brow.

"I…I couldn't," the German struggled to find the right words. "Not after all the pain I've caused you."

"What pain?"

"I was the one who ruined your life and Lovino's. I was the one who revealed he was an Iris Zero on that playground all those years ago."

Feli only stared at him.

"I apologize for telling you now. I had planned on doing it much earlier…especially before confessing to you, but certain…situations prevented that."

"Ludwig…"

"I suppose the guilt following me around ever since was the biggest hurdle, but…" he trailed off. Ludwig had been ready to be slapped or yelled at, so when Feliciano gently took his hand, he was caught off-guard.

"It's true that your choice cost me a lot of pain back then, but you were only a child. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Especially when you think about all the happiness you brought me over the years…" tears brimmed in his amber eyes.

"Happiness?" the blond nearly choked on the word.

"I confessed to you because I feel the same way, silly!" Feliciano laughed. "I love you and nothing you did in the past can ever change that."

They both smiled as Feliciano rested his head against Ludwig's chest. Although it was faint, something unreadable flickered behind the Italian's eyes. It was true that everything Ludwig had done in the past could be forgiven in the present day…but only because Feliciano had taken matters into his own hands back then. The brunet softly sighed.

But he doesn't need to know that…none of them do…

oOo

A/N – Another long chapter, another desperate hope it doesn't take this long to update again. Next time we'll be back to having zany adventures in World Academy.

-Rajikka

Translations

Fratello – Brother (It.)

Bastardo – Bastard (It.)

Tsundere – A type of character seen in anime or manga known for appearing cold or hostile, but having a hidden sweet side. "Tsun Tsun" is the aloof or irritable side, while "Dere Dere" is the lovey dovey side. (Jp.)

Stronzo – Bastard or Asshole (It.)

Oui – Yes (Fr.)