Chapter XXVIII – T for Taboo

"Who the hell is Agon?!" Lovino roared in fury, his voice covering everyone else's.

Arthur kept his head low, avoiding all eye contacts, ignoring the soft comforting touches and hugs of his siblings around him. Fiona especially was glaring holes at everyone mentioning Agon's name while wrapping her arms around her older brother. She loved her big brother. But as her Alfa status dictates, she cannot stop herself from worrying about him. Through her whole life she had relied on Arthur for everything. When she was in trouble, Arthur would sort things out. When people pestered her, Arthur sorted things out. When she pissed off older and stronger Alfas, Arthur sorted things out. As Alfas themselves, all her other brothers would leave Fiona to fend for herself and to assume her own mistakes. If she gets beaten up because she picked the wrong fight with the wrong people, they would not come to her help unless absolutely necessary.

On the other hand, Arthur is too soft. Like his Omega instincts dictate, Arthur constantly looks out for his younger siblings which probably spoiled Fiona too much and that is also why their parents are now occasionally sending Peter to live with the Kohlers so that he doesn't get too spoiled either. Either way, both Fiona and Peter became admiring of their Omega sibling but also extremely protective. And the Alfa girl's glaring emeralds showed just how serious she was taking this whole issue. She was young but she remembers the state her blonde brother would come home in. She hated herself at the time for being too young to stop Arthur's abuse. If only she had been older and stronger at the time, she would have prevented those scars on Arthur's life.

Patrick upon hearing Agon's name felt a wave of fury and guilt overtake him and walked out of the house. Peter was frowning in confusion. He didn't know Agon, too young to remember. But whatever this guy had done was marking enough to leave his brother terrified. And he would not forgive anyone who harms his big brother. William was the only one of Arthur's siblings that took the news in a relatively calm way … you would think. The bottle of beer he had been holding suddenly broke to pieces in his clenched angry fist. His green eyes were infused in bottled up rage and it took all of his will not to charge out of the house like Patrick did. Bridget and Merwin were both wearing grim faces and Edward (Mr Kirkland) was rushing to hug his Omega son, concern painting his face. Other present family members had grown silent, knowing very little of the situation but understanding that it was a taboo topic. The problem came from Arthur's schoolmates. Starting with the furious older Italian.

"None of your concern. All of you are now required to go home. This is a family matter and you are not welcomed." Alistair declared, gazing down Lovino to silence.

The angry Italian was about to argue but Antonio interrupted him.

"What Lovino means is that we wish to know if that person is a threat to Arthur." The Spaniard was watching everyone's reaction and especially the way Matthias had lost all interest in their previous glaring contest. The Dane was now staring at Arthur with hidden panic in his blue eyes but kept a cold and professional demeanour. Whatever had happened, that name, Agon, was enough to agitate every single monster in this room.

"And as I said, it is none of your business. If Arthur desires so, he will tell you in his own time. Right now, you are all excused from this house." Alistair spoke his words carefully and with a no-reply tone. He glanced towards Matthias and Berwald and instantly, the two Nordics nodded and guided (forcefully dragged) their guests out of the house. Lovino struggled in his grip and Berwald had to carry him out while the others reluctantly let themselves be led out. As Feliciano was the last to leave, he gazed sadly at his blonde best friend but the tall Dane came to block his field of vision. The cold blue eyes narrowed on the Italian and Feliciano nearly jumped back in fright at the aggressiveness in Matthias' glare. Antonio looked back and frowned as he charged to place himself next to Feliciano and face off Mathias in the doorway. The Dane didn't even look at the Spaniard and kept a warning gaze on Feliciano.

"He trusts you." Was all the blonde said before shutting the door to the surprised Mediterraneans. Feliciano was certain that he had heard a ring of jealousy and frustration hidden behind the cold statement of the Dane. Antonio looked back at Feliciano, disgust and anger in his olive eyes but he didn't speak a word and walked back to where Lovino was ranting his anger at Alfred.

Feliciano looked around at the familiar faces that he supposedly considered his … friends. It was recent and he still hardly knew these people despite having been bullied by them throughout many years. And yet, right now, he felt how their rage and frustration piled up was suddenly too much to contain.

He trusts you.

A privilege. Feliciano was well aware of how lucky he was to be granted such a trust. He also knew how undeserving of it he was. And how little he can protect Arthur. He is not suited for him. Not at all. Merwin is right. If Feliciano ever attempted to date his friend, he would need permission … and on this earth, he is the last person to stand a chance at challenging another Alfa, let alone Alistair!

A friendly hand landed on Feliciano's shoulder and the Italian jumped at the contact. He turned to see Francis smiling comfortingly at him. Kiku was with his cousins and attempting to prevent Yao and the other Alfas from tearing each other's throats in their anger. The Frenchman patted his friend's shoulder and motioned him away towards a quieter place for them to speak in private.

"Ve … Francis …" Feliciano felt tears spilling out of his eyes and he couldn't help but burry his face in the blonde's warm embrace. Francis smiled sadly. He knew that if he had asked, he would have been allowed to stay since Francis was almost considered family by Arthur's Clan. But in regards to his friends and especially Feliciano, the French beta knew that he would need to care for them and give them some sort of explanation or they would be assaulting Arthur first thing tomorrow morning. Arthur didn't need any extra stress.

"I know …" The blonde whispered, knowing exactly how the Italian felt. Tears of bitter frustration at your own weakness. He knew exactly how that felt.

"I'll tell you. But it will only be what Arthur himself told me and I am only telling you. Do you understand Feliciano?"

"S-Si!" The Italian sniffed, recovering from his breakdown.

"Let's go somewhere else." Francis glanced towards the Alfas noticing how they all broke apart and walked off back to their respective homes, brooding faces on all of them.

The French Beta and Italian Alfa walked for a while without speaking a word. There was no place in particular that they were heading for so they just talked as they walked.

"Agon was Arthur's first and last boyfriend." Francis explained a bit too suddenly.

Feliciano stared at him as if the Frenchman had announced the death of his pet rabbit. Francis chuckled at the horrified and disappointed face of the brunet.

"Hey now! I said first and last! They broke up last year. They didn't date for long … half a year? Something like that. Arthur was vague on most details so I can only give you a rough picture."

Feliciano nodded, focusing intently on Francis' words.

"Arthur was always bullied when we were young because he was unable to defend himself. Eventually he had to learn to fight back and … well, you met his family. He really was just surrounded by a need to prove your strength and dominance so Arthur developed his own Dominant Pressure similar to an Alfas. It's actually slightly different because Arthur uses his aura to shield himself rather than to submit the opponent. And because it's a shield, he tends to use it excessively and can end up crushing down even the strongest Alfas. So the bullying stopped but he became isolated and was treated like a freak …" Francis sighed on that last part.

Feliciano nodded. He knew exactly what Arthur must have felt like.

"That's about when we met in elementary school. Arthur was really cute but it's a shame that he was trying to act like an Alfa and actually had given up on being an Omega. I tried to teach him a few things … cooking was a massive failure! I'm sure you heard how he poisoned his entire family on Alistair's birthday? But we managed to find him interest in other things like sewing and knitting. When we reached Middle School, Arthur had sort of accepted his Omega nature but had become even more aggressive with his Alfa Shield. He constantly got into fights and frightened his classmates. I was probably his only friend and we weren't in the same class. Except that's when my Dad moved to Canada so I had to leave as well. What happened then is only what Arthur told me or what I guessed."

Feliciano noticed how Francis' voice had grown dark and tired. The Beta was concerned but tried not to show it.

"I heard that Agon was a friend from Patrick at University. When Patrick came to visit his family, he brought Agon along and that's pretty much how they met. I heard that he was strange and unusual for an Alfa but I never got details. The only thing I know is that he was the only Alfa that Arthur was unable to submit under his shield. Agon was also the only Alfa that ever managed to forced Arthur to submit to him as a normal Omega would."

"Ve?! Is that even possible?!"

"I thought the exact same thing but Alistair confirmed this to me. Agon was a powerful and dangerous Alfa. But he was also excessively obsessed with Arthur and sadly, Arthur was really in love with the madman. At first things were alright but I heard that Arthur progressively started to get beaten and abused by Agon." Francis growled the words in anger.

Feliciano turned quiet. His heart was thumping loudly in his chest.

"Patrick didn't believe Arthur when he told him, so he went to Alistair instead. That's why Patrick was disowned and Alistair is now the next Head. I don't know what Agon did but I heard that Arthur would return home heavily injured and would not sleep at night, hunted by nightmares."

Feliciano felt his clenched fist become wet and looking down, he noticed the bandaged wound was now bleeding again as his nails dug through the fabric.

"Alistair defeated Agon in an official duel but the guy still went after Arthur. I think they had to get really serious to get rid of him and I can't imagine anyone still having the stupidity or the guts to come back for more after! Arthur … is terrified of Agon. I don't know what the guy did but Agon is the one person in the world against which Arthur is powerless."

Francis stopped as he noticed that Feliciano was no longer by his side. He turned around and saw the Italian frozen, his body trembling nervously and his face shadowed behind his bangs as he kept his head low, biting his lip till blood spilled. The Frenchman rushed back to him and gently shook his shoulders.

"Feliciano? Are you alright? I know it's a lot to take in but …"

"Kill him …" The Italian muttered in such a quiet whisper that Francis barely heard him.

"What?"

"I'll kill him." Feliciano looked up and his eyes had turned blood red, shocking Francis into a stunned silence.

An odd and powerful aura floated around the Italian. The Pressure Francis suddenly felt made him think of a similar feeling he gets when faced with one of the Kirklands. But this is different. Most of the Kirklands have control over their overwhelming dominance and keep it relatively tuned down so as not to crush anyone too much. But here, Feliciano was unleashing his anger, rage, fury all at once. It was terrifying. Francis couldn't even breathe or move. Those red eyes were magnetising yet frightening. Bloodthirsty and glaring, like the eyes of a killer on a hunt and with a promise to make his prey suffer an eternity of Hell. Even Feliciano's voice was different. Calm and in control, cold as ice despite the brimming emotions shaking his body. He looked like a gun with a finger on the trigger and about to fire a bullet anytime.

No, wishing to fire that bullet.

His phone rang.

Feliciano jumped slightly at the distracting sound and hurriedly checked his phone. He beamed brightly at the name of Arthur and hurriedly answered.

"Arturo! How are you feeling? Do you need me?"

"… Is Francis with you?"

"Ve? Yes, Big brother is …" Feliciano glanced with a confused frown at the Frenchman who was catching his breath and shaking like a terrified child. The widened blue eyes of Francis were occasionally shooting cautious stares at him and Feliciano realised he might have gone Alfa on him.

Merwin's words of warning rang in his mind once more. Maybe he should get some help in learning to control his Alfa. He didn't want to hurt his friends or frighten them.

"Is everything alright?" Arthur's concern over the phone brought the Italian back to his conversation.

"Si! Everything is fine but what about you? Do you need to speak with Francis?"

"… No, just checking … did he tell you?"

"Ve? Tell me … about Agon?"

"…Yeah."

"Si. He did." Feliciano's voice was back to being a serious tone but his eyes were still brown.

Francis allowed himself to relax. It felt that as long as he was talking with Arthur, Feliciano would not revert to that red eyed monster from earlier. But the Beta worried at what he had just witnessed. Was Feliciano really capable of such a powerful and threatening pressure? It almost was like a beast breaking everything in its path. A bloodthirsty demon.

"… Can I ask you a favour?" Arthur asked in a quiet voice as if he was trying to go unheard from his family members arguing in the background.

"Si! Anything!"

"Can you … not tell anyone else? I don't want the others to know about …"

"I absolutely won't!" Feliciano nearly swore like an oath, straightening his back in a military fashion that surprised Francis. Even though Arthur could not see him, the blonde could picture his friend's comical military stand up and chuckled softly, melting Feliciano's heart at the sound of his laughter.

"Thanks … I just don't want this to become a big deal. My brothers will deal with Agon so there's no need for panic or concern."

Feliciano frowned. Even if Arthur said so … he was concerned. Arthur had never seemed so frightened and defenceless before and it scared Feliciano. He wanted to see Arthur strong and proud. Not shivering or fainting in his arms.

"We can still walk back home together on school days if that's alright?" Arthur asked with a lighter mood.

"Si! Of course!"

"Great! Oh, I have to go! Alistair's calling me. We'll talk soon!"

"S-Si! Ciao!"

Feliciano kept listening to the hanging beeping sound of the line. Francis wore a frown at the lack of reaction from his friend.

"Feliciano? Are you alright?"

"… Ve … Francis … how do I cheer Arturo up?"

"What do you …?"

"Arturo just lied to me. He said Alistair was calling him so he hung up but … he was crying." Feliciano's voice broke and he felt himself choke on his own words.

Francis' eyes widened slightly. He had no idea how but Feliciano was able to hear every detail in Arthur's voice, sense his exact mood without even seeing him! The Frenchman smiled softly, glad that Arthur had someone like Feliciano to worry for him.

"Well, I know what would make Arthur really happy!"

"Ve?"

"Ask him out on a date!" Francis grinned maliciously at the blushing red Italian who started to stutter in a panic, wailing his arms around like a windmill.

"But! But! But!"

"Or a gift! Maybe something special …"

"Ve! I already got him a Christmas gift …!" Feliciano blinked as he realised that with all this Agon business, he hadn't given Arthur his gift yet! He face-palmed and internally groaned at his own distraction. Francis seemed to guess his internal struggled and grinned, a plan forging itself in his mind as he was happily taking on the role of Cupid.

"Then how about this: Ask him out on a casual hang out date. Take him to the cinema and then to a restaurants and you can give him your gift at the end of the date!"

Feliciano tried to ignore the fluttery feeling in his stomach and the pounding of his heart. With flaming cheeks, he shyly tried to talk his way out of this but Francis had already his mind set.

"It's perfect! And it will keep Arthur's mind off Agon! Now, the only problem is how to avoid the others from finding out!" Francis tapped his lips with a Cheshire-Cat like smile curling his lips.

This was going to be one interesting date~! He hoped he could convince Kiku to come along with his camera to immortalise this moment! It will also help take their minds off Agon ... if only for a bit.