Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia: Axis Powers. All rights go to its creator.

Summary: Feliciano has to grapple with his feelings for Arthur and his morals.

Two of A Kind: Chapter 3: Sanctimony

Feliciano watched as Arthur snatched the rats that he'd sucked blood from, from him, and gobbled them up raw.

Snap, snap, crackle, crunch, crunch, crunch.

It was a good thing they were the only ones in the Captain's quarters.

Feliciano hadn't gotten used to seeing Arthur eat bones. It broke the illusion for him, if he could pinpoint what was so off putting about it. He looked so human, and yet he could bite through a man's arm.

Alfred said he heard something when he stepped foot into the room, a voice calling out to him, and ordered the two of them to search the room instead. Alfred was their self appointed captain for now.

Feliciano had stepped past the slumped over captain who was draped in a red jacket and tricorn hat, layered with dust. He opened the Captain's wardrobe and that was where the rats spilled from. Feliciano hadn't drunk from his fellow crewmen while they were drifting out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean because they were severely hydrated. That would have killed them.

He'd drunk animal blood before, it wasn't preferred, but he was too hungry to care.

Feliciano took his gaze off of Arthur to look through the wardrobe to find Arthur a pair of breeches. He pushed past the various blouses and coats of the Captain to find a pair of long black breeches. He handed them to Arthur, who at that moment slurped up the tail of a rat.

"Grazie." Arthur said, taking the breeches and pulling them on.

Teaching Arthur Italian might be something else he could put on his list of things to do for him.

Feliciano searched the wardrobe for more. There was a black form fitting waistcoat he pulled out and suggested Arthur put it on over his blouse.

He stared at the garment, eyebrows furrowed.

Feliciano shook the waistcoat, "Come on, I think you'd look nice in it."

Hesitantly he grabbed it while Feliciano went to the mirror attached to the wardrobe and pulled it out for Arthur to see himself. The mirror was cracked and coated in spider webs Feliciano had to brush away.

Feliciano watched as Arthur twisted and turned while smoothing down the waistcoat to brush off the dust. It was more form fitting than the blouse, and Feliciano mentally applauded himself.

Feliciano managed to find a pair of boots for him too, he hasn't seen Arthur wear shoes since he'd first met him.

Feliciano almost forgot Arthur was a siren again, until Arthur scowled, "I don't need those." He was referring to the boots.

"Of course you do, silly. You have to protect your feet on cobblestone, sand from burning, wood from splinters, any surface really." Arthur turned around to look at him.

Arthur sneered, "I'm not a child, you can't force me to wear them."

Feliciano pouted and rested his chin on the siren's shoulder.

Arthur's eyes widened briefly as he stared back at the mirror before craning his neck to look at Feliciano and back again.

Feliciano brought his arms around to dangle the boots in front of Arthur in the mirror, "But they maaattcch," he whined.

Arthur's expression became even more alarmed as he looked back to meet Feliciano's gaze.

"Alright, you made your argument: you don't want to wear the boots." Feliciano pulled away from him and went over to put them back into the wardrobe.

Once he put them back where he found them, Arthur was still staring at him, "Are you some kind of spirit? No, no that can't be right." Arthur shook his head.

"Huh?"

"The mirror, your image. I can't see you."

"Oh! No, that's just part of being a vampire. I can't be seen in mirrors. I don't know why that is." Feliciano shrugged.

Feliciano's gaze dropped down to his shoes,"I think…I'm starting to forget what I look like." He let out a nervous chuckle.

Feliciano heard the floorboards creak as Arthur approached him, fingertips delicately tilting his chin upward to look into the other's green eyes.

"Your eyes are the colour of…" Arthur grimaced, "...mud and dirt."

Feliciano gave him an uneven grin, "You really have to work on your complements."

Arthur furrowed his eyebrows, let go of him, and walked back to the wardrobe. He closed both doors back shut with a little more force than necessary, the mirror now out of view.

Feliciano went back to the Captain, slumped over his desk. He was decomposed completely, a skeleton in a blood red coat and tricorn hat, adorned with feathers, and golden lapels, although scattered around him were some scrolls. He could see that a few scrolls had maps drawn on them that had circles around a few destinations in the West Indies.

Maybe these maps could be helpful in pinpointing our location.

Another scroll contained text written in Latin, detailing something Feliciano couldn't understand. Old dried blood was splattered on the paper. Feliciano could feel Arthur's gaze on him before he heard Arthur advance across the room toward where the bookshelf was located.

Feliciano pulled out a drawer that was right under the Captain. He had to move him back against the chair. The Captain's bones rattled and his hat fell off of his head. "Sorry," Feliciano whispered to the Captain.

Inside was a book, and upon flipping through the pages, it seemed to be the Captain's diary entries. There seemed to be splatters of blood on the pages.

Arthur approached him then, holding up a book, "Could you read this for me?" There looked to be a mythical serpent of some kind on the front. Maybe it was a dragon. It looked terrifying, but Arthur wanted him to read it and very few times did anyone count on Feliciano to do something that wasn't hard labor.

Feliciano gave him a nod.

The Captain's quarters had a bed that Feliciano went over to and laid back on, scattering dust into the air. He and Arthur coughed briefly before Arthur curled up next to him, head resting against Feliciano's chest as it rose and fell with each breath. Feliciano could feel the siren relaxing against him, as though he found comfort in being close to him, and that thought alone made Feliciano's heart swell.

Feliciano began to read, and Arthur didn't say much of anything. He listened, something he often did when Feliciano talked to him, as though Feliciano spoke only the most important words in the world. He looked so innocent and docile in this moment, not at all like the dragon in this book. Again, Feliciano almost forgot Arthur was a siren, maybe he could afford to forget.

Maybe for a moment Feliciano could pretend he himself was human again.

00000

The crew besides Feliciano himself had gotten desperate. They had patched the sails, and fixed the wheel. Despite this, no one was able to figure out the correct navigation. They had been floating in the vastness of the ocean aimlessly for a few months now.

The food supply (rats) was running low as well as the drinking supply, which was only rum. Feliciano had taken to drinking from their small crew before this desperation set in. Arthur's stomach growled as Feliciano held him tightly in his arms during one night, they were both lying in Arthur's hammock. Arthur writhed and squirmed, restless in his slumber, presumably plagued with nightmares of food just out of reach. This sleeping arrangement was a suggestion from himself and agreed upon by Arthur to avoid any more human eating accidents.

Feliciano was too wracked with nerves to get any sleep, or to even get up to feed. He contemplated throwing the siren overboard, to free him of his suffering. Their journey would end, and Feliciano wouldn't have to worry about him eating anyone in the immediate vicinity, wherever they were. It would be simpler than what they were doing now.

But Arthur also could have left at any time, decided that this adventure was not worth the toll it was taking on him, and given up. Decided that 'no, sirens cannot live amongst humans, cannot be anymore than they are supposed to be, cannot deny their nature,' but no here he was, starving himself willingly. And for that reason Feliciano usually decided against throwing him back into the ocean.

With no other options, Feli decided to pray, he wasn't a human anymore, but he hoped that God would still be able to hear him.

The next morning Mishkat spied from his telescope, in the distance, a merchant ship.

Alfred called everyone to the deck. They had trained in order to defend themselves if they ran into a Navy or privateer ship, it was a fruitless effort but Alfred wanted them to go down fighting.

"Everyone, this is our only chance to survive. Merchant ships aren't usually heavily guarded or weaponized. We might be able to take over and plunder their goods."

"I think that I should plan our attack." Mishkat spoke up then.

"But I'm the Captain."

"Are you a good strategist?"

"That's not my technique, but do not fret. What is there to plan? We brandash our swords, and we threaten them to hand over their supplies. They'll be so shaken in their boots that they do it. Our ship is large, and we can lie about having reinforcements." Alfred smirked, a haughty grin on his lips.

"What if they catch us in our lie?"

"We'll blow them up with our cannons!"

Mishkat sighed, they had cannons, it would take a few of them to load them up, but they did have cannons and cannonballs.

Mishkat volunteered to join Alfred on the merchant ship to help with negotiations. The three of them were to keep watch if there was trouble, or to load the cannons. They then practiced handling their swords, Feliciano hoped he didn't have to use his. Arthur was intrigued by the cutlass, managing to prick his finger on the sharp edge, once, and Feliciano had to hold back from latching his lips onto the bead of blood forming from the cut.

When they finally crossed paths, they threw the boarding plank, and bridge to connect the two ships. Lovino, Feliciano, and Arthur stood by the cannons, aimed at the merchant ship.

"Do you think this is really going to work?" Lovino asked Feli.

"We really don't have any other choice. I hope so."

Lovino crossed his arms, mumbling something unintelligible under his breath, as he glanced away from him.

"What was that?"

Lovino glanced back at him, "I said that this is all your fault, you know. I told you to stay out of trouble but no! You just had to do something foolish! Now we're going to starve to death!"

"Have some trust in Alfred, Lovi."

"I trust Alfred alright, it's you I don't trust! I shouldn't have ever brought you along!"

"Lovi–"

"No, I don't want to hear your excuses. All you do is make my life worse. You only think about yourself, but somehow you're everybody's favorite."

"I-I think about you all the time Lovi! My choices are always to protect you!"

"Oh really? And how did any of this protect me?"

"Well… that decision was to absolve my guilt, I hadn't expected us to get caught, or for you to get involved." Feliciano pushed his two fingers together in a bashful manner.

"Feli just admit that you're a selfish bastard. It'll save us a lot of time." Lovino rolled his eyes, and returned his gaze back to the other ship.

Feliciano pursed his lips, that wasn't true. He was trying to help. He wanted to help Arthur, Lovino, and Mishkat. He wanted to help everyone, no one else was going to die.

"No, I really am looking out for you, Lovi! I'll protect you no matter what, and Arthur too!" Feliciano crossed his arms.

"Um Feli, I think your friend is abandoning the plan. Even he knows it's hopeless."

Feliciano followed Lovino's gaze to where Arthur was making his way across the bridge to the other ship.

"Lovi! Lovi! What should I do?" Feliciano gripped Lovino's shoulders and shook him.

"You're asking me? If he wants to get himself killed, have at it."

"Maybe nothing bad will happen." Feliciano deluded himself for a few more seconds before he decided to make his way to the bridge.

"Where are you going?"

"To stop him!"

"It's pointless now you dunce!"

Feliciano ignored him, he knew Arthur was hungry, and that merchant ship had plenty of deckhands to keep it running. Arthur was going to eat the first person he could get his hands on. Feliciano should have held onto him, but Arthur was noticeably calmer than before. He was silent and compliant, Feli had let his guard down, assuming he could wait just a little longer. Additionally, they weren't even on the ship, no temptation, but apparently Arthur had just been biding his time.

Feliciano slowly made his way across, carefully stepping on the boards of the rickety bridge, as the sight of the water below made his knees quake.

Step. Step. Step. Step.

The water, dark and vast, called him to fall, to sink deep, and be surrounded by its suffocating embrace. Feliciano held out his arms, swinging them as his foot slipped through the gap.

Feliciano managed to grab onto the board just as screams sounded from above.

"Ahhhh!"

He swung his feet, feeling them dangle, he strained to pull himself up. When he was back on top of the bridge, right on his knees, he caught his breath. His heart drummed loud in his ears.

B-bu-bump, B-bu-bump,

B-bu-bump,B-bu-bump.

Then he got up and reached the boat's edge. The merchants were frozen in terror. A few were clutching blood soaked hands. But really all Feliciano could hear was the screaming, the agonizingly long wailing of the unfortunate man who was Arthur's unfortunate victim. Who had not been influenced by a siren's song, but had to witness himself being eaten alive.

Feliciano pushed past stunned bodies too terrified to move, too terrified to look away, as it seemed to them their fellow man had not shown any mercy for his victim's cries. Feliciano finally made it to Arthur, but by then the man was quiet. Feliciano hooked an arm around Arthur's neck and forcefully pulled him off of the pile of wet bloody organs, and bones that used to be a merchant.

Covered in blood, ribbons dripping down his chin and his fingers, soaking into the wooden floor, to them, Arthur was a truly savage human being. Feliciano pushed down the growing desire to lick the blood from Arthur's fingers and off of his lips. The terror filled eyes of the merchant ship crewmen were a good deterrent from acting on these desires, however, later he did lick off whatever such blood had dripped on himself.

"Y-yes, take whatever you want." A merchant who was standing beside Alfred said.

"Pleasure doing business with ya." Alfred tipped his tricorn hat with a grin.

00000

Cannibalism wasn't an unheard of practice, although people preferably cooked their human meat, but the crewmen at sea had no concept of anything else, so they chalked it up to hunger induced hysteria. That Arthur hallucinated the man was something edible, their onboard surgeon had concluded. Although still cautious of him, the incident was mattering less and less, besides Alfred had ordered the crew not to kill him (because he was the only reason they hadn't starved).

Feliciano really couldn't find the right words to say anything to Arthur, he was still feeling unnerved by the entire incident on the merchant ship. So, he had been stargazing alone these past few weeks.

Feliciano was startled one night, he had finished feeding, to the faint sounds of someone weeping. He quietly made his way up to Arthur's hammock, the siren wasn't facing him, so Feliciano peered over him to see his tear stained cheeks. Arthur covered his eyes, "It's time isn't it?" He whispered.

"Why are you crying?" Feliciano didn't expect to see him in a state of distress.

"I made another mistake right after I promised. You're going to drain me!

Feliciano pursed his lips, "No."

Arthur turned to face him, green eyes wide, "You're not?"

Feliciano shook his head. "I have another option. How about I throw you overboard? You can go home, and we can go our separate ways."

Arthur dropped his gaze, "You want nothing to do with me, now."

"Don't say that. Y-you broke your promise. For the safety of everyone else, you have to leave." Feliciano gathered the siren into his arms. It was better to do this now rather than later. He made a mistake of trusting him one too many times.

Lovino was right about Arthur not being a good influence on him. He should have never agreed to this arrangement. Arthur was dangerous, a liability, and a burden.

"Am I a monster?" He murmured into the crook of Feli's neck.

Feliciano did not like how soft he said it, almost as though he were someone innocent and small.

He continued, "I saw their faces. Everyone I've ever eaten, I saw their faces, and they all say I'm a monster."

He eats humans!

He tore a man apart with his bare hands!

He is a monster!

"You ate that man down to his bones, Arthur. He could've been Lovino, o-or Alfred, o-or anyone else I care about." Feliciano kept his gaze out for the night watchman, he wasn't near them now. Inexplicably, Feliciano's eyes started to burn.

"But he wasn't. I would never eat someone you care about."

"I don't believe you." He wouldn't let his tears fall, he wouldn't let Arthur see his weakness, "You're always trying to manipulate me to do what you want." Feliciano shook his head, it was what sirens did, it was in their nature. Feliciano had to be strong for the sake of everyone else on the ship.

Feliciano made it to the right side of the bow, barren and deserted, gazing out into the calm ocean waves.

"I thought you could see beyond that." Arthur said, a quiet anger in his voice. Arthur climbed down from his hold. "You don't have to throw me. I'll go."

Feli made the mistake of looking at his eyes, why were his eyes full of such pain and sorrow? Of such betrayal and trepidation? Feliciano knew that it was reflected in his own gaze.

But as rapidly as it had appeared, it was gone. A stoic look remained in its place. Arthur climbed over the edge. All he had to do was let go. "Goodbye, Feliciano."

A treacherous part of his brain didn't want his siren companion to leave, that it wasn't as absolute as he wanted to believe. His feelings toward Arthur and his actions were complex and muddled, yet incredibly emotional and humane. And wasn't that what he had been seeking?

Feliciano grit his teeth, lunged over the edge and grabbed the siren's arm. And Arthur looked up to meet his gaze, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"What is going on over here?" The Night Watchman, a former merchant, made his way over.

"W-we were being reckless and he slipped."

"Well I'll have to report this to Captain Jones." The Night Watchman helped Feliciano bring Arthur back onto the boat. Then he sent them back to their sleeping quarters.

Once they were inside their sleeping quarters, shared with the rest of the staff, Feliciano whispered, "You get one more chance." Feliciano pushed Arthur's nose; Arthur blinked. "It's my fault for getting us into this situation…being hungry makes you a little insane." Feliciano crossed his eyes.

"Grazie." Arthur gave him a nod.

"Besides, I haven't asked for your hand. I'm still your suitor, si?" Feli grabbed his hand, pressing a kiss onto the inside of the other's wrist, feeling the beat of his pulse there.

Arthur's cheeks were salmon pink, and the siren averted his gaze. Feliciano gave him a grin.

Although Lovino believed that Feliciano's moral high ground was unfounded, Feliciano wasn't ready to accept that.

Arthur needed Feliciano's help, and Feliciano didn't want to stop trying because that was the most humane course of action.

And that helped Feliciano sleep at night.

A/N: This isn't for Hetaween. I just got inspired to write another chapter.

Thank You for reading!

Constructive Criticism Welcome.