AN: Here. New chapter.

So..some people asked about something I had written on my hand today..which was terrible since it's on my right hand and I'm right handed. Liebe ist lauter als Hass. Love is louder than Hate. Anyone know of the Love Is Louder organization? Yeah..that's what that's for. I'm doing something every so often like this. On another note..Wednsday, I doubt I'll get much in on an update, if I do an update. Drama club meeting after school..about Friday. The Day of Silence. We're putting something special together. More details will be given if you want to message me about it.

To those who reviewed:

ThatRandomReview: Oh, they already know. What do you think happened? When something like that happens, it's posted on every news station for the next three days at the least. So they know. Which is why Lovi's so scared, not only for his life, but his friends' and brother's lives.

Enjoy.

Feliciano once again woke up the following morning to the sound of someone playing a song. This time, though, it was a much more sorrowful song.

He looked over to see Lovino sitting against a wall under a window, dressed for work with the pale light falling over him from outside as he played guitar.

But that was okay. What really hurt was the lyrics that Lovino was singing quietly. They echoed in the quiet as everyone woke up.

"...sound the bugle now..play it just for me...as the seasons change, remember how I used to be. Now I can't go on..I can't even start..I've got nothing left, just an empty heart. I'm a soldier wounded so I must give up the fight..there's nothing more for me..lead me away...or leave me lying here."

Antonio's eyes softened as he sat up and listened to his boyfriend. It wasn't normal for him to play something like this.

"Sound the bugle now, tell them I don't care..there's not a road I know that leads to anywhere. Without a light I fear that I will stumble in the dark, lay right now, decide not to go on..."

Feliciano hated the pain in his brother's voice. Lovino stopped playing and set the guitar aside, his eyes never leaving his hands.

"Lovi..?"Feliciano asked, his own eyes filled with tears.

Lovino looked up at his brother before he gave a fake smile. "Good morning,"he said. But his voice sounded dead. He was hurting.

"What's going on?"

Lovino shook his head. "Nothing, Feli."he responded. Lie. "I gotta go. Talk to you guys later."he added, getting up and grabbing his coat before he disappeared.

As soon as Lovino left, Feliciano's shoulders sank. He allowed a few tears to fall as he stared at the front door, willing his brother to walk back in.

But he didn't.

He was the only one who knew what that tone had meant with Lovino. It meant giving up. Or something close to it. He was giving up his fight.

_S&S_-

"Lovino, tomorrow's Christmas eve. Pep up and stop being such a downer!"

Lovino looked over at the girl who'd spoken. Elizabeta. A coworker. Someone he knew from school last year. She'd graduated the previous year.

"Liz..."Lovino started. They were both currently in the kitchen, Lovino working on an Italian meal, Elizabeta trying to help where she could. Right now, that came in the form of cheering the Italian up.

"Don't 'Liz' me, Lovino. I know, I know, you hate Christmas. Whatever. Be happy. For Feli. For Toni. Ever think that they're worried about you?"

Lovino didn't answer until he finished the last of what he was doing. "I know."he said. His voice sounded miserable. "And they're endangering themselves by doing so."

Elizabeta examined Lovino's bruised up face for a moment. That's why Lovino was doing kitchen work instead of waiting tables. He didn't want the questions. "They do it because they love you."

"And I love them."Lovino responded. "Which is why I'm leaving. I can't have them putting themselves in danger because of me."

Dead silence fell. Everyone in hearing distance had stopped to look at Lovino. They'd grown used to the Italian being around, cracking crude and inappropriate jokes and smiling at the customers with ease, discussing anything and everything. And now..

"Leaving?"

Elizabeta looked down before she shook her head. "Lovino Romano Vargas, you listen to me."she bit out, looking back up at the Italian. "Feliciano needs you here. You're the only damn family the boy has left! And Toni..he'd be heart broken if you left now!"

"Better heart broken than dead,"Lovino snapped. "And at the rate things are going? That's where it's headed."

Elizabeta huffed, shaking her head. "Fine. Leave. Just know you're a selfish bastard for doing so."she said. "You think just because you go away that they'll be safe? No. They'll be even bigger targets. To everyone."

"Then I guess that what I was always told is right. The only thing I can do right is run away. Because I'm hurting them by staying, I'l hurt them if I leave. What the fuck am I supposed to do, Liz? Tell me."Lovino said, finally turning to look Elizabeta full in the eye. "Am I supposed to stick around and let Feli and Toni torture themselves by watching me fall to pieces? I'm just some big screw up as it is, why not finalize it?"
After he said that, his shift ended and he immediately left.

When Lovino came in and slammed the door behind him, throwing his coat on the rack before he went to get changed, Antonio knew something was wrong. He'd never done this before. Antonio caught Lovino's hand as he passed.

Lovino looked at Antonio for a moment before he went to pull his hand away.

Antonio tightened his grip. "Hey, what's wrong?"he asked.

"Toni, don't."Lovino said. "Just don't."

This time, Lovino did pull his hand away and he disappeared to get changed.

As soon as Lovino came back, Antonio looked at him. "What's going on?"he asked.

"Nothing. Just a long day at work,"

'Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Lovi,'Antonio thought. But he said nothing of the sort. "Wanna talk about it?"he asked.

Lovino sighed. "No."he said. "I just want to forget it ever happened."

Antonio nodded and let the topic drop.

Feliciano spoke. "Lovi..tomorrow's Christmas eve. Are we going to continue our traditions?"

Lovino met his brother's eyes for a moment before he gave a faint smile and nodded. "Yeah. Sure."

"Yeah. Sure. I'll do it."Lovino's voice wavered a bit with his nerves. But he'd do anything to keep Feliciano safe. Anything. Including this.

His nonno gave him a sad look before he left. He should have known to never let Lovino figure things out. He should have known.

Lovino heard a cold laugh from behind him. He kept his panic hidden perfectly in front of these people.

The snow drifting down outside had fascinated Lovino before he came into this place. Now..now it seemed uninviting. Because it was cold. Like these people.

"Alright, lesson one." someone said beside him, dead in his personal space. "No noise. You scream, you pay for it. You say something without permission, you pay for it. Got it?"

Lovino went to respond verbally before he caught on and gave a curt nod.

He could handle this.

Then the bastard had to go and tug at that stupid fucking curl. Lovino bit back his normal exclamation, biting down on his lip to keep it in. He frowned when he tasted blood.

The next hour was torture. It was Christmas. Why were these people torturing him like this? Normally, people were kinder during Christmas. These people were just sadistic. Lovino hadn't managed to follow his lesson through for that hour. He cried out in pain once and he had paid dearly for it. The resulting blow from a cane to the back of his left knee hurt like a bitch and he only barely swallowed the yelp of pain from that.

"Lovi!"

Feliciano's panicked voice called him back to the present.

Lovino blinked at his brother.

Feliciano relaxed. "You have to stop that!"he said. "You're letting them win."

Lovino sighed. "I know. I can't help it."he mumbled, rubbing at the back of his left knee as a phantom pain lit up there from the memory. "I'm working on it, I swear."

Antonio spoke softly. "How's this...the bad memories..how about we find a way to give you good memories to replace them. Like Christmas. I get the feeling you don't like it due to something that happened to you."

Lovino nodded.

"So let us help you forget about that by getting you to enjoy a Christmas. Once."Antonio said.

Lovino hesitated before he agreed. "Okay."he mumbled.

This was going to be interesting...

Here ya go. I feel so mean now..