AN: So. I know it's been a while since the last update. I just..I had one of my little relapses. It took a while to get to a point to where I could function again. Don't worry, I'm okay. Here's the new chapter.

To those who reviewed:

ThatRandomReview: Yeah, I get it...

Spamano4ever: Understandable. I thought so too. And seeing as he hangs around with Gilbert and Francis? It worked out pretty well, honestly.

Penguin Braginski: You'll understand her soon enough. I promise.

Evelynyamine: Thou shall see soon enough..

Enjoy.

Sometime long after the others had gone to sleep, Antonio finally decided that Lovino and him really needed to talk.
Lovino was watching over his little brother carefully, looking more broken than Antonio could remember seeing him.

"Lovi?"Antonio asked quietly.

Lovino looked over at him, and Antonio gave him a soft smile.

"C'mere."

It seemed Lovino already knew it was coming, because he just nodded and moved to sit next to Antonio in front of the still lit fire. Even with the warmth of the fire, the chill in the house was enough to make Lovino shiver, Antonio noticed. He smiled faintly and pulled Lovino to him before wrapping a blanket around both of them.

Lovino smiled softly and let his head rest against Antonio's shoulder gently. "Thank you."

Antonio sighed. "I don't get why your mom treats you the way she does.."he said softly.

A moment's silence passed between them before Lovino spoke. "Listen, Toni...she really does care for Feli and me. I know it doesn't seem like it..but she does. Like I said before, she knows what I did, she knows what I've gone through. She doesn't like it..that's part of why she reacted so adversely to the boyfriend thing. She doesn't want us to get hurt. But she's right. I don't need to do stuff like that performace. It could still very easily get me killed. Because there are still people out there who absolutely despise me and would use anything they could get to their advantage."
Antonio sighed, kissing Lovino's forehead. "She's not right about you."he said softly.

They fell silent after that, and eventually, Lovino fell asleep.

Antonio smiled and shifted so they could lay down before drifting himself.

The following morning was one of the worst ones yet. The group woke to find Lovino gone. Antonio found the note laying beside him and picked it up, reading through it in silence. He looked up at Feliciano, who was watching him with teary eyes.

"He just needed some time alone. It says he'll be back by tonight."Antonio said.

The day was one of the worst for the group. It drug on without Lovino around. Antonio withdrew from the others as well, spending all his time re-reading the note Lovino left. Matthew finally spoke up when everyone else was outside. "He's not coming back tonight is he?"

Antonio looked up at Matthew and shrugged. "I don't know."

By midnight, Feliciano seemed to realize his brother wouldn't be back that night and finally let himself break down.

Ludwig drew him into a comforting hug.

Still, around three, Lovino came back in, looking emotionally drained.

Feliciano shot himself into his brother's arms. "Where were you!"he asked.

Lovino sighed. "I just needed some time to think, Feli."

Feliciano nodded, but didn't release Lovino for a while.

Things settled after that, and the group fell back into routine. It was different, though. Lovino seemed a bit more distant, lost in thought. Antonio wanted to ask, but didn't. He knew Lovino didn't want to talk. Or else he would have started already.

This is going to be a long night, Antonio thought with a slight frown as he watched his boyfriend.

Here. Now, if you need me, I shall be hiding away from everyone again.