Sorry to say guys, but some stuff has come up. From now on, this story can only be updated once every two weeks. Dogs and I just don't have the time to write that we used to what with her looking for a job and me looking for colleges and a job. We'll still do our best though, and we're really sorry about this sudden change, we just can't keep up with the demand anymore.
Happy Monday!
Feliciano had finally made it into the forest. He limped along at a surprisingly fast speed, yipping excitedly.
Ludwig, who had been following Feliciano's scent, heard the noise and ran faster. What was going on with the Italian right now anyway….?
The wolf made his way through the forest, his tail wagging, not knowing about his tracker.
"Feliciano!"
The Italian paused, his ears twitching. He looked around for a moment, then trotted on.
"Get back here right now!"
Again, Feliciano paused. His tail waved back and forth. He turned towards the voice. Familiar familiar... Why familiar...?
"Feliciano!"
Familiar... Going against his better judgment, Feliciano turned and inched his way back down the way he had come.
"Where are you?!"
Hearing the desperation, he began to move faster, breaking into a run despite his wound.
Finally, after all his searching, Ludwig spotted the wolf up ahead coming towards him and raced forward, gently scooping the wolf up. "Why did you run away?!"
Feliciano whined softly, then licked the vampire's face.
Ludwig sighed as he rubbed Feliciano's head, then he turned around and headed back to the shop.
The wolf whimpered and let his ears droop, laying his head on the German's shoulder. He didn't want to go back to the shop, but he no longer felt the need to run through the forest hiding towards the strange place he had been in. He felt displaced and realized he only felt safe and normal in Ludwig's arms.
"You should get some rest. You need it."
Feliciano licked his cheek again, squirming in his arms, wanting them to stop.
Ludwig blinked and looked down at him. "Hm? What is it?"
The wolf whined.
"Er…. I can't really understand you right now….."
Huffing in building irritation, the Italian attempted to jump out of Ludwig's hold.
Ludwig held on. "Nein."
Feliciano pawed at the air towards the ground, whining and struggling.
"Nein. You're going to rest and that is final," Ludwig said in a stern tone.
Feliciano kicked his back legs until Ludwig was forced to let him go. However, he didn't run away like Ludwig had thought he would. Instead, he curled up underneath a pine tree.
Ludwig sighed and dragged a hand down his face.
The wolf grabbed the end of Ludwig's shirt in his teeth, trying to pull the German down.
Ludwig sighed again and sat down next to him.
Happy with this change, Feliciano shifted so his upper half was sprawled across the vampire's lap, letting out a happy growl. His injured leg was stretched out all the way. Luckily it was no longer bleeding, but it was very gross looking, and flies were being attracted by the smell.
"You still need your wound taken care of," The German said as he shooed the flies away.
Feliciano yawned, then nuzzled Ludwig's stomach.
Ludwig sighed and leaned back as he waited for Feliciano to fall asleep.
However, Feliciano did not fall asleep. Instead, he lay, perfect content, on Ludwig's lap, nosing at the vampire's hand until he began to pet him. Once the German did this, he let out a happy growl and snuggled down into his lap.
"Feliciano…. We really need to take care of your leg."
The wolf growled, not wanting to move.
"Please?" Ludwig asked in a almost begging voice. "For me?"
Feliciano was quiet for a moment, then huffed in defeat, pouting that Ludwig had won.
"Now… I'm going to pick you up and carry you inside. Hold still," Ludwig said, then carefully picked up the wolf and headed back towards the shop.
The Italian lay in his arms pouting, only whining once when Ludwig slipped on a spot of mud and jostled his injury.
Ludwig hissed lightly as he steadied himself, then continued walking, now taking care to watch where he was going. "Sorry."
Feliciano growled lowly, nudging the vampire with his head in rebudlement.
Ludwig sighed and continued walking.
Feliciano squirmed, uncomfortable in Ludwig's arms, his shifting weight throwing off Ludwig's balance.
"F-Feliciano… please stop that…"
The wolf whined.
Ludwig ignored the whine as he continued. "We should be there soon. Just hold on."
Feliciano's whine turned into a whimper, lowering his head and flattening his ears.
"Shh… it's alight. It'll be alright."
The wolf whimpered again.
"Nein. I'm not putting you down. I'm going as fast as I can. If I'm not careful, I might drop you."
Feliciano stared at the German, then nipped his arm.
Ludwig winced lightly then glared. "Was?"
Feliciano growled, shifting his injured leg.
"O-Oh…. I see… er… sorry…" Ludwig said awkwardly as he held onto the wolf then glanced up. "I can see the lights from the shop. We're close."
Huffing, Feliciano settled down again, a wolfish pout on his face.
"After I take care of your leg, you should rest. No back talk allowed."
The wolf growled at the order.
Ludwig shot him a stern look back.
Feliciano growled deeper.
Ludwig ignored him as he started trying to open the door to the shop.
The Italian wolf snarled, disliking Ludwig's attitude.
"Stop it, Feliciano."
Feliciano howled, beginning to struggle.
Ludwig growled but held on as gently as he could.
Feliciano struggled for all of thirty seconds before going still, panting.
Ludwig headed back to where he left the first aid kit, then shut the door before setting Feliciano down and getting to work on rebandaging the wound.
Surprisingly, Feliciano didn't try to escape. He simply laid there.
Ludwig quickly but carefully worked on the wound, then petted Feliciano's head when he was done. "There. Now please get some rest."
Whimpering, Feliciano laid his head in Ludwig's lap.
Back with Antonio, the dog cowered back and whimpered as he tried to make himself smaller, then turned around and went to bolt away.
Antonio quickly scooped the animal into his arms. "It is you, it's it, querido?" he said gently, scratching the pup's ears. "Is that where you disappeared to? To go see Arthur?"
Lovino glanced at him, then nodded and started to whimper and tremble as he squeezed his eyes shut.
The Spaniard held him gently, murmuring softly to him.
Soon enough, Lovino turned back to human form, wearing only a shirt as he tried to pull away from Antonio, not meeting his eyes.
"No no, Lovi. Don't go to far," Antonio said gently, holding onto him. "I'll get you back to your pants, no one will be able to see you clearly if I'm holding you."
Lovino looked down and nodded as he let Antonio lead him.
The vampire walked back to were Lovino had transformed. He hid him from view of anyone that might be passing, letting him quickly dress.
After finishing up getting dressed, Lovino headed for the door while still not meeting Antonio's eyes. "I-I'm not… turning back into a wolf. E-Ever…. I'm staying this way…."
"You know Arthur's spells don't last that long. Maybe a day at the best, a couple hours at the least. He won't do this all the time. You know that," he replied softly.
Lovino shook his head no. "I-I looked over the bastard's shoulder as he looked through his damn book… I can SHOW you the damn spell he did… I can make it permanent… A-And either way… I-I DON'T want to be a fucking wolf ever again!" He snapped, now starting to tear up. "I fucking refuse to be a fucking monster anymore!"
"Lovino, you aren't a monster. Never say that again," Antonio said forcefully, grabbing the Italian's wrists. "Look at me, Lovino! You aren't a monster! This spell will not be permanent."
The Italian growled and snarled as he tried to yank himself free. "NO! I'm fucking staying like this! If brow bastard won't fucking do it, then I'll go find some bastard who fucking will! And you can't fucking stop me!"
"YES I CAN!" Fury flashed across Antonio's face. Even in the time he had been a pirate, this much anger had never been present on his face. He grabbed Lovino's shoulders and shook him. "I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU HURT YOURSELF! YOU CAN'T DO SOMETHING SO RECKLESS!"
"NO!" Lovino yelled as he tried to yank himself away, tears now running down his face. "I ALMOST FUCKING MURDERED MY BROTHER! A-AND IF YOU LOVED ME AT ALL THEN YOU WOULD LET ME DO THIS SHIT! D-DO IT OR I'M FUCKING GONE FOR GOOD! A-AND I'LL NEVER FUCKING COME BACK! EVER!"
"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT!? OF COURSE I LOVE YOU! THAT'S WHY I'M NOT LETTING YOU DO SOMETHING THIS STUPID!" Antonio answered, not letting go.
Lovino growled and bared his teeth as he snapped at Antonio's arm as a warning bite.
"Bite me all you want. I'm not letting go," the Spaniard hissed.
"Get the fuck off me! I'm NOT staying a fucking wolf no matter what anyone fucking says! Get that through your fucking head already!"
"No."
"Fuck you," Lovino spat then kicked Antonio hard in the leg.
Antonio gritted his teeth in pain, but true to his word, he did not let go.
"W-Why….? W-Why can't you let me do this?!"
"Because I love you. I'm not going to let you do this to yourself."
"P-Please…" Lovino begged as he sniffled and looked down. "PLEASE let me do this!"
"Lovi..." Antonio gently lifted the Italian's chin. "You can't do this. It's to dangerous."
"N-No…. I-I have to, dammit!" Lovino cried. "Y-You weren't in my damn head then! J-Just let me fucking do this and I'll never ask for anything else ever again!"
"Lovi, you aren't thinking straight. This is not a good idea."
"NO! Leaving me as a fucking wolf is the fucked up idea! Let me stay like this! I'm actually in control for once!"
Antonio sighed. "You know that's not how it works. I know that's not how it works. Everyone knows that won't last, querido. It's unfair and scary, it sucks, I know it does, but doing something like this so recklessly is the worst thing you can do."
Lovino teared up again and clenched his fists. "I-I….. I don't want to be a wolf anymore… I-I don't!"
The vampire pulled him close and began to rub his back. "I know, love, I know. It's hard, I get it. I'm here for you, we all are. You don't have to be afraid."
"I-I…" The Italian sniffled as he buried his face into Antonio's shirt.
"I love you, Lovino. I promise I won't let anything like this happen to you ever again. You don't have to hurt yourself or be afraid any more. I'm here for you, si? You can rely on me," Antonio murmured gently into his ear.
Lovino sniffled again while tightly gripping Antonio's shirt as hard as he could. "I-I'm not… f-fucking hurting myself…. I-I'm keeping people safe!"
"You know it's not that simple, querido. I know it's not that simple. That's just not how this sort of thing works. I'm so sorry you're scared, and you're worried. I understand why, but you're not thinking rationally. Tonight we can't change, you've already done something. But, since it is Feliciano you're worried about hurting... Why don't you let him decide?" the Spaniard asked, the idea coming to him suddenly.
Lovino wiped at his eyes and huffed. "F-Fine, bastard….. he'll say the same fucking think as me…. You know he's still fucked up by this pirate shit…. He's the alpha now."
"If you're sure he'll say the same thing, then maybe it'd be best for you to hear it from him. You can put your fears to rest, and, if Feliciano agrees, I won't try to stop you from making this change permanent." Antonio gently lifted Lovino's chin so he could look into his eyes. "But if Feliciano does say no, if he wants you to come back, then I will do everything I can to help make you happy again."
Lovino blinked, then nodded and pulled away as he looked down, following Antonio back to the shop.
As they got to the door, Ludwig arrived with Feliciano.
"Can I just go lay down, bastard?" Lovino muttered as he glanced at Antonio, trying to get out of seeing his brother.
Hearing his voice, Feliciano's ears twitched and he lifted his ears, then his head. He made a sort of growling barking sound of greeting. "{Brother, you're back! I missed you.}" He sniffed the air, then blinked in confusion. "{You smell strange.}"
Lovino bit his lip as he looked away. "S-Strange….? You're imagining shit…."
"{No. You smell strange.}"
"U-Uh…. H-how….?"
"{Like... not me. Different. Sort of like me, but not the same...}"
"W-Well don't worry about it, dammit…" Lovino muttered as he started inching towards the door. "Just sleep."
Feliciano growled, his eyes glowing gold unknowingly. "{Stop,}" he commanded, not realizing the power he now had.
Lovino froze then cowered back, not looking back at the wolf.
"{Come here. Now.}"
Lovino bit back a whimper as he, while looking down, slowly inched back over to Feliciano.
"{What. Did. You. Do.}"
"N-Nothing…!"
"{What. Did. You. DO?}"
Lovino flinched back with a wince and teared up. "M-Made brow bastard… t-turn me into a damn dog…."
Feliciano howled and lept out of Ludwig's arms at his twin.
Lovino yelped as he darted back and hid himself behind Antonio, trembling and teary-eyed.
The wolf limped around Antonio and grabbed the end of Lovino's shirt with his teeth and yanked his twin down to the ground. Once Lovino was at eye level, he used his uninjured paw to push on his chest until he was forced back into the ground. Then, the Italian wolf climbed up, and laid down on Lovino's chest.
With a small squeak the older twin tried to get away. "G-Get off me, dammit…." He tried to order unconvincing. Was this how Feliciano felt when he himself used his authority as alpha…? Yet another reason not to turn back…
The younger twin looked at him for a moment, then licked his face. "{You smell bad. You should get a bath.}"
"H-Hey! What the hell do you mean by that, dammit?! I'm fucking clean!"
Feliciano licked him again. "{You smell bad,}" he repeated.
"W-What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
"{It means what it means. Shower, then come play with me. I'm bored and Ludwig just wants me to sit around.}"
"What about your damn leg….?" Lovino asked, even though the invite of playing sounded very tempting…
The wolf shrugged. "{I'll be fine. I want to play. Hurry up so we can,}" he requested, getting up and moving off his brother.
Lovino looked away and nodded as he got up and walked out of the room, Antonio following after him.
When the two were gone, Feliciano flinched and collapsed onto the ground, whimpering and whining in pain as he began to shift back into human form.
Jumping into action, Ludwig grabbed a nearby blanket and gently wrapped it around Feliciano and held him as the Italian changed.
A short while later, Feliciano was back to normal, curled up in Ludwig's arms. He groaned softly in pain. "My arm hurts..." he murmured, his voice cracking.
"I'm sorry…" Ludwig said gently as he held onto Feliciano, then started to move him around. "Let me see it."
Nodding, the Italian held out his arm. "C-Can you wrap it now? I'm sorry I didn't wanna work with you before..."
Ludwig shook his head as he grabbed the supplies. "It's not your fault. Just hold still," He said as he got to work on the wound. "Er…. But… if you don't mind my asking… what was all that with your brother…? You seems angry with him."
Feliciano frowned. "He did something dumb. Fratello doesn't usually do dumb stuff, that's my job. He's the smart one," he said, irritation in his tone.
"Er…. What happened….?"
"You'll see tonight," Feliciano said, rolling his eyes.