Chapter 6
"And you love me" he said quietly.

"How can I love you? I don't even know you!" said Bella, clearly mortified.

"Don't you remember?"

~Recapping a long-lost memory~

"And you shall take care of the house. You will clean it, and care for it. And if you don't…well, we don't want to find out, si?" said Antonio, demanding and cruel.
"I don't want to, damn it! I didn't come-a here-a to be a personalized-a maid!" said the little brunette Italian.

"Well, it seems like we have a disagreement. Do as I say and your head won't be mounted on the wall." Antonio threatened darkly. The little boy gulped as his hand absent-mindedly clutched his throat.

"Cleaning. Humph, that is-a definitely not-a happening!" Lovino thought to himself. As soon as Antonio exited the room, Lovino made a dash for the back door. "Since-a when did-a he become-a so demanding and annoying?! He wasn't-a like this-a before…he changed-a after the incident-a…after she-a died…"

The young boy stalked out the gates, covered in coats to protect him from the cold and chilly air. He wandered aimlessly, hoping that the fresh wintery air would calm him and clear his mind, until he came upon a shocking realization: he was lost. Now, Lovino wasn't exactly the one to come down and things to through. No, he would prefer to put the blame on someone else…but there was no one around this time. He started out by letting out a string of curses in Italian, then panicking, and then cursing more. Once he realized that there was nothing to be done, he sat down near the roots of one of the trees close to the path, and began to cry silently. "Antonio come and save me, dammit…" was all little Lovino could think. He rested his head on his knees, whiling away the time. He was about to fall asleep due to the cold and the pounding in his head, ready to give up and accept the fact that no one was coming to get him, when a warm hand shook his shoulder.

"Are you lost? Don't cry! I'll help you find your way back! I know everything about this place. Just tell me where you're from, and I'll help you get back!" said a voice sweet as honey, with a heavy Belgian accent. "Here, take my hand," it warmly invited.

"Okay…" Lovino said hesitantly, sniffling, as he accepted the girl's hand. The girl smiled warmly and started to tell Lovino about the life in this little town. Lovino listened intently as the girl rambled on, forgetting about the reason he was upset. They proceeded to walk through the streets, occasionally stopping at a store to browse its wares, but what really caught their eye was the candy store.

"Look, they have pocky! Let's buy it!" exclaimed the little girl enthusiastically. "Here, let me pay!" Bella offered as Lovino pulled out his wallet.

"No, it's-a fine, mi bella…" Lovino meekly refused. "No, I insist," said Bella persuasively. "How did you know my name?" she asked inquisitively. "What, mi?" Lovino said, surprised. "No, Bella!" said the little girl happily. "Oh…It-a fit's you quite-a nicely…" he said, turning pink steadily with every word he said. "Thank you! But, I don't know you're name…" she said, trailing off. "Lovino," he answered abruptly. "Die naam is zo schattig!" she squealed, as she bought the pocky.

They spent the next half an hour chatting amicably, while sharing the pocky. "Hey, Lovi?" said Bella. "Hmm?" acknowledged Lovino, smiling faintly on hearing Bella's nickname for him. "What do you like to eat?" she asked shyly. "Me? I like-a to eat-a tomatoes and-a pasta." He answered, after much thought. "Oh, that's perfect! I know this wonderful place where we can get delicious pasta!" she said, tugging at Lovino's arm and leading him, ignoring his objections.

"Welcome!" said a waiter with lazy eyes and blonde hair, as he heard the chime when the door opened. "What would you, like totally want today?" he questioned, as he seated them both. "How about-a spaghetti?" Lovino suggested quietly. "Sure! Two spaghettis please!" Bella ordered. The waiter bowed, and left to go take care of his order, an idea popping into his mind.

~15 minutes of waiting later~

"Here's like, your order!" he said, bringing a steaming plate of the enticing pasta and placing it on the table.

"But-a we ordered-a two plates!" Lovino said indignantly. "I know broski, but we like, totally ran out of plates." "Oh..." said both the gullible children in unison. They picked up their forks and started to attack the food, for they were starving from all the walking. They chatted amicably, laughing occasionally, usually at something Bella would have said.

"Lovi, tell me something about your life?" the little girl asked, smiling. "Oh…there's-a nothing-a for me to-a talk about." "Lovi there has to be something!" "No." said Lovino, stopping the flow of Bella's persuasion.  Lovi turned to look the other way, while Bella repeated the action in the opposite direction. The mood was awkward. Lovino continued to munch on the food, looking at new customers walking in. Bella was observing the other diners. No words were exchanged. Unnoticed by both of them, a strand of pasta connected them. They seem to snap out of their reveries as they grew closer together. Their faces were centimetres apart, but Lovino gave an involuntary tug at the strand of pasta and closed the gap with his mouth. Both of them blushed a deep hue of red, and their eyes widened at the contact between their lips, but they were too surprised and shocked to break away. Slowly, they closed their eyes as they melted into a sweet and saucy kiss.

Feliks squealed as he saw how well had worked out. "Aww, those broskis, are like, so cute together!" Feliks exclaimed loudly. The whole restaurant heard his remark and turned to face the two children. A collective "Aww" ran through the diners, causing the children to come back to realization and break away. Bella giggled nervously as they both returned to their dish. Conversations did come up, but they gave each other curt responses, making it to awkward to carry on. They finished the spaghetti, paid for the meal, and proceeded to head out the door, a faint pink blush still playing on their face. "Like, come again, broskis!" said, waving happily, as they shut the door.

"R-right, it's time I take you home…" said Bella hesitantly, breaking the silence that seemed to have followed them from the restaurant. "Si." Said Lovino, curt but polite.
Soon, they arrived at the mansion that Lovino had so desperately tried to escape from. "Looks like I'll take your leave now. Bye Lovi!" said Bella sadly as they reached the gate. She turned around to leave, when she heard Lovi speak. "Wa-wait Bella! I just-a wanted to-a say, I had-a lot of fun today, and about that kiss-a in the restaurant, I understand-a if you don't-a want to see me-a ever again…" He was cut off by a light pressure of lips on his right cheek. The spot immediately burned red at where Bella kissed him. "I had fun too, so don't apologize…as for the kussen…it was good…" she said, smiling warmly, blushing herself at her actions. "Well, I'll see you around!" she said, and ran off.

A pair of angry green eyes watched from the owner's bedroom. "So little Romano has a girlfriend now…and to think it's none other than his sister…and I thought he was just playing ausente…pity, the house is still not clean. Now which tool would inflict the most pain, I wonder…"

Needless to say, Romano had a severe thrashing that night. Antonio even levied forbiddance of ever meeting Bella again. Romano had had enough of Antonio's misdirected anger. He vowed to himself that he would see Bella again. After all, he loved her.

~Le tomato powered time skip~

"Lovi!" a young girl's voice pierced the frigid air.

A dark haired boy's ears perked up. He lifted his head, alarmed to hear his name. He panicked, and looked to see the owner's voice. He relaxed on seeing a blonde girl running towards him.

"Lovi!" she yelled excitedly, and launched herself at him, pushing them both to the blanketed ground, giggling. The boy looked taken aback at first, and then reproachful, but soon, he started giggling himself.

"Lovi, do you want to play with me?" Bella proposed, grinning from ear to ear.
"Si!" was Lovi's earnest reply.

She giggled at his enthusiasm. 'Okay, how about we play hide and seek?" He nodded eagerly at her suggestion, his eyes twinkling. Another fit of giggles erupted from the girl.
"Where do we play, mi bella?" asked Lovino excitedly.

"How about the woods behind my house?" she suggested.

Lovino's excited face transitioned in quick progression into an expression of ill-disguised fear. He immediately started muttering things along the lines of "If he finds out…" and "I'll be punished…" The hyper little Bella waved away the feeble excuses. "Come on, don't be such a worry wart!" Lovi angrily said under his breath "I'm not a worry wart…" Bella dramatically rolled her eyes, and tugged him along, their tiny little feet making a trail of footprints on the blanket of snow.

~Le mini time skip~

Lovino and Bella had reached the outskirts of Bella's back yard. The dark woods seem to glare menacingly, with their horrible bark of a face smirking, as though thinking of ways to torture and unlock their screams. Lovi felt chills run down his spine, and a wave of fear come about. However, Bella had nothing but sheer thrill and ecstasy stamped across her glowing face.

"Lovi, do you want to hide first?" Lovi's involuntary shiver at the thought of hiding in the unknown woods gave him away. Bella immediately crossed her arms over her chest and started tapping her foot, the universal stance for an onslaught of reprimanding. "Lovino Vargas, of all people who could be scared of these woods, I never thought it would be you! Now go count, you scaredy-cat!"

Lovino quickly went over to a tree and started counting feverishly, not wanting to experience Bella's full blown wrath. Bella's mood immediately changed to that of ill-hidden excitement. She joyfully skipped into the unknowns of the forest, as though somehow, magically behind the fear inducing trees stood a pathway to Candy land.

"Novanta otto, novanta nove, cento! Pronti o no, sto arrivando!"

~Let's hide with Bella! ~

Bella had ventured deep into the forest to find the ideal hiding spot. By now, fear in equal measure of her former ecstasy had replaced the precedent. The sounds of the hidden creatures and the crunching of twigs under her little feet made her wary and alert, for any kind of danger. She could, however, not shake off the feeling that she was being followed. She broke into a sprint. After about five minutes of running, she had managed to hit a dead end, the barricade being a tall wall of rock, covered with centuries' worth of algae and moss. She was about to turn around when a menacing growl alerted her ears.

~Searching with Romano~

A screamed pierced the frigid air, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. His blood began to curdle as the familiarity of the voice sunk in. It was Bella. Lovino's own feeling of apprehension was erased from his mind as his sense of loyalty kicked in. Without a second's hesitation, Lovino charged into the woods, instantly swallowed by the darkness.

~Back to Bella~

Fear is a strange thing. It has a way for making the body execute the exact opposite for what the predicament calls for. Bella stared into the gleaming red eyes of the big and menacing wolf. The creature looked bigger then a normal wolf and with its teeth bared, seemed twice as ferocious. With hackles raised, it began to stalk towards Bella, its stomach growling as loud as its owner's. Regaining her voice, Bella managed to emit a scream causing many bird to take flight from the nearby trees.

The wolf howled happily. It was evident that it was enjoying the despair of its prey. It started to advance with increasing speed, but still walking, as though savouring the moment's of the child's fear. It had finally reached the moment where it could no longer stand the lack of the feeling of tender flesh in its mouth, and the metallic taste of blood seeping down its throat. It scratched at Bella, taking furious swipes and nipping here and there. Bella couldn't do anything but cry in fear as the wolf continued to maim her. She was ready to accept death as a strangled war cry pierced the air. The wolf stopped its sadistic game to turn its ugly head to face the source, only to be pelted by rocks. The wolf yelped in surprise but immediately resumed its growling, its fury, malice and hunger ill-disguised. A five-year-old boy stood there, unsure of what to do as he ran out of his supply of rocks and the wolf advanced towards him.

"Bella, run dammit, RUN!" Lovino shouted before he took off, the wolf hot on his trail.

Bella's mind seemed to have gained control over her body and her legs carried her from the death trap in astonishing speed. It was now a game of life and death between the chivalrous Lovino and the infuriated wolf. A couple of times, the wolf got close enough to brandish its fangs, and nip at Lovino's heels. The injuries and cold soon began to take a toll on him, but he ignored it. He wasn't going to die like this, no, he had promised Bella to see her again tomorrow, to go to their favourite pasta place…the one where they had shared their first kiss…and he was going to fulfil it, no matter what!

~Where's Bella? ~

Bella managed to get through the woods, earning a few more scratches on her cute face from low hanging branches. Her clothes bore similar signs of struggle and the usual red ribbon that adorned her golden locks was missing. Blood was oozing unhealthily from the wounds, but that did not perturb in the slightest bit. All she could do was just think of Lovino. She sat down, and began to cry, until her senses took over. She would hope, and pray, that they would be able to go to that that pasta restaurant again…She was determined to save him, but she had no idea how. Then it struck her. She would have to go to his house, even though she was forbidden.

~Flying Mint Bunny transported you back to Romano~

A teenage boy was hacking away with an axe at an old willow tree. His shirt was wrapped around his waist, even though the weather called for at least three layers on one's self. His movements were rhythmic, his swings accurate, and beads of perspiration made his well built body shine faintly with the sparse sunlight that had somehow managed to be seen between the dense clouds. He took a step backwards as the tree came down with a resounding crash. The boy smiled in satisfaction at how this tree would keep his mansion warm for another week.

Yelling snapped the youth from his thoughts. He immediately turned to find the source. Another yell pierced the frigid air. The youth sensed that someone was in trouble in the woods. He armed himself with his axe, and ran deeper into it.

~Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? ~

Lovino tripped and came crashing to the ground. On closer inspection, the culprit of his fall was…a trap? No, the rope wasn't made from the usual fibres. It seemed to be made of red satin. Lovino realized that the rope was none other than Bella's hair ornament. Some of the places had a deeper hue from the flecks of blood that were probably from the scratches on Bella's face. He picked it off the ground and clutched it with a tenacious grip, and the determination to escape Death's clutches was coursing through his veins. However fatigue had caught up with him and the wolf had not, so Lovino walked around trying to find a way to escape from the woods.  Throughout his mindless wandering, he had somehow managed to stumble upon a cave. "Ha! That stupid wolf can't get me here!" he thought to himself. As though on cue, a growl was heard somewhere behind him.

Lovino turned around to find that his suspicions were confirmed. The wolf was in the same cave as him! Whatever colour he had gained while he was away fled from his face and fear was evident. His mind only screamed one order, which he was quick to follow: RUN. The wolf gave a howl as it started to chase its escaping prey. Lovino kept running aimlessly, trying to escape the maniacal predator until…

A dead end. He turned around to run away, but the wolf had him cornered. There was no hope left, yet he screamed for that one-in-a-million chance that promised he would see Bella again…

Sounds of something swishing, cutting through the air, wolf yelps and the thudding of something hard against bone rang through the air. The accompanying visuals were that of gleaming green eyes, grey fur and wolf blood spattering the ground. The wolf ran away before it could be wounded fatally, yelping pitifully.

A look of indifference was plastered on the Dutch boy's face, and would be the only thing Lovino ever saw, for he had fainted a second later. The boy picked him bridal style, effortlessly, and carried him out of the forest.

Once out, the teen laid the small boy on the ground. A tiny fist, tenaciously gripping something, caught his eye. He bent down and pried open the vice-like grip on…Bella's red ribbon? It was definitely hers, but something was off about it. It seemed to be a deeper red than usual. Realization caused Tim's eyes to go wide. He had to find his sister immediately.

~BELLA! ~

The little girl stood outside the mansion, the one adorned with colors from Spain. She ran through the gates, and made her way to the towering oak front door, and started to knock frantically. The door opened to reveal a tan boy who looked roughly to be her brother's age. The cold emerald eye's surveyed the girl with disgust, as his well-built arm proceeded to close the door, which proved unsuccessful as the girl began to plead, quickly turning into sobs. It irked the boy, to hear such unearthly banshee-like wails from his front porch. After seeing that the only way to shut her up was to listen to her, he pushed her in roughly, all the while an annoyed grimace shaming his handsome face. He took her inside a room with a roaring fire in the ornate fireplace, and sat her down in one of the plush armchairs that were beautifully placed to decorate the Victorian style living room. He waggled a stern finger at her and said commandingly, "Chica, I want you to stop crying like a gatito that is being drowned, and tell me calmly what happened."

"Okay," the girl hiccupped in response, and started to tell her traumatic tale, with an occasional sob here and there. By the end of the story, Antonio's green eyes were as wide as dinner plates. Yet something seemed to tug at the back of his mind. After all, his family and hers had been feuding for centuries, and they were master tricksters. The cause for the rivalry had long since been traceable, but they kept their hatred alive nonetheless. "She's his sister after all, do I dare trust her? If this is a trick, I swear, they will feel my wrath upon them…Lovi can't be dead…he can't be…he's probably been taken as hostage, knowing that I'll come rescue him…" a cold smile curved on his lips, scaring Bella. "If that is what he wants, then he shall get it, but there will be a sorpresa in store for him…" and with that, he broke into maniacal laughter, making Bella jump, as she was still wary from the experience in the afternoon.

"You, chica, stay here, I'll save him. Let Ludwig tend to your wounds," he commanded, and he walked out of the door, into what seemed like a beginning of a blizzard.

~Back to Tim~

The spiky haired youth was crying, doubled over, as he stared at the blood on the fresh white snow and tattered pieces of what seemed to come from a white frock litter the ground. "No…no…NO!" Screamed the youth in denial, as his mind refused to accept the information that the evidence before him provided with. She, the only last remaining member of his family…dead.

~Doctor Luddy~
The little girl slept on a warm bed, while being tended to by a twelve-year-old blonde German boy. Completing the scene was an albino fourteen-year-old, who was hovering over his brother's shoulder, his nonsensical talks annoying his overly-patient brother beyond normal levels of tolerance, yet the boy continued to nurse the girl, though the occasional urge to yell did stir in him.

~Meanwhile~

Lovino woke up to find himself in….a cell? With a balled fist he rubbed his eyes when he noticed that they were chained to the wall. On further inspection, it was revealed that his legs were chained too. Was he a prisoner? The more pressing question was whose?

"You're my prisoner, you little moordenaar," a Dutch accented voice addressed him, answering his question. The tone that he stated the accusation was cold and heartless. It seemed to make the already freezing cellar drop by a few more degrees. The word "murderer" rang through the stone cell mercilessly, each echo helping the word make a heavier impact on young child's brain. Was Bella…dead?

"Let me guess, Antonio sent you to be friends with my sister, even though she was forbidden to speak to anyone in that damned house, for her own safety. We have been enemies for a long time. I'm sure he sent you here to gain the upper hand, slowly eliminate our line, exactly like how his good-for-nothing father tried…They are a disgrace to the human race…all they care about is glory, and wealth, and human lives don't matter to them! His father killed my parents…and he's stepped into his shoes. Now he killed Bella and torture me with her death. You obeyed him, and carried out his orders. You knew about the wolf didn't you? You took her into the woods, didn't you? It killed her. IS HE HAPPY NOW?! HE KILLED HER!" Tim dropped to his knees, and began to shake his head and weep. "She's dead…she was my only familie…" Lovino could do nothing but stare in horror and disbelief. He couldn't deny the false accusation because his mind was still processing the fact that Bella was dead. Tim took Lovino's silence for acceptance, confirmation for the heinous acts that he had coined on him.

He suddenly stood up, regaining his composure, with a mad glint in his eye, and when he spoke, his voice carried deliberate darkness.
"You will pay for this…PAY!" With that Tim pulled out the axe that had not so long ago defended Lovino from the wolf. It gleamed dully in the dim lit cellar. Lovino trembled in fear, but prepared himself for the blow that would steal his life. At least this way he could be with Bella again…

BOOM.

Dust filled the cellar, obliterating all vision, accompanied by the sound of what Tim and Lovino thought was the roof caving in…there guess was not far off.

As the dust began to clear, a tall youth's figure began to emerge.  It was Antonio, with emerald eyes dancing with rage, and his axe by his side, blocking the attack of Tim's blade. Tim was taken aback at his sudden appearance, but only for a mere second. An insane smile began to tug at his lips, gradually turning into a psychotic cackle, his glassy green eyes shining with maniacal rage. He lunged again, only for his attack to once again be countered by Antonio. "Hah, speak of the devil!" Tim said, while continuing to attack Antonio.

"Fusososososo~" laughed Antonio in his unique manner, except it was cold and dark, and filled with mirth, a laugh most fitting the Grim Reaper than a human being. "If I am the diablo, then what do I call you, mi amigo? Using your sister for your petty needs, how pitiful, how… shameful" spitting the last word with so much venom that Lovino didn't blame Tim for taking a step back. Lovino had never seen Antonio this outraged.
"So, I was right…you are nothing but lowlife, to take advantage of your family…" were Antonio's last words as he began to attack his Dutch opponent.

~SHE ISN'T DEAD! ~

Eyelids fluttered open to reveal bright green orbs. The owner sat upright, her blond hair messy and tousled, framing her sleepy face, adding to her cuteness. She rubbed her eyes and began to stretch. Her curious wandered around the room, to fall upon a young boy, a few years older than her, his hair a lighter shad than hers.

"Wie ben jij??"

"Mich? I am Ludwig. I took care of you."

"Oh…thank you! Why were you taking care of ̶" the young girl's eyes widened as flashes of the memory came back to her, and her head began to throb painfully. The young girl started to cry, from both the pain in her head and the traumatizing experience that would leave her emotionally scarred for life. The young German boy was taken aback at the sudden outburst of tears, but nonetheless rushed over to her comfort her. He went over to her and awkwardly hugged and patted her back. The young girl shakily stood up and walked to the door. Before leaving the room, she turned to give the utterly bewildered German boy a very watery smile, leaving him in a state of deep confusion.

Bella navigated her way through the maze of a mansion and successfully found the oak front door that barricaded the mansion from the harsh cold outside, and threw it open; running into what was now a full blown blizzard, with nothing but the white nightgown that she had been slipped into. Cold wasn't going to be a barrier though. No, she was determined to see Lovino again…

~Let's go back to the cellar~

Lovino watched, speechless, at the violent scene unravelling in front of him. Emerald eyes trying to intimidate the other pair, and the glassy green orbs refused to give in. Their axes clashed loudly. So far, Antonio had dodged every blow that Tim had thrown at him, and had managed to have levied a deep wound over Tim' right eye that looked like in years to com would be a never fading scar. However, it looked like Antonio was running out of energy, a definite advantage for Tim, who seemed to have not lost much of his stamina. With a look of triumph, Tim started hacking away at Antonio, whose attempts at dodging becoming less accurate with every blow directed at him. Soon, Antonio had a tally of his own battle scars to bear, for the Dutch had managed to inflict a deep gash on his upper arm. He looked like he was about to give up. Tim seemed to sense his futile resistance, for he raised the axe high above his head, ready to deliver the final blow. The Spaniard's emerald pools radiated defiance, yet his current state said otherwise…

A sudden girly shriek interrupted the scene, spontaneous with a body falling on Antonio from the hole he had made. Antonio emitted a loud "Oomph!" as a tiny figure landed on him.

"Owie! At least I landed on something soft…" a girl softly exclaimed.

"That "something soft" is me, chica. Now, GET OFF!" yelled Antonio, his pain level doubling with the new addition of a bruise on his back. The girl jumped up, apologizing frantically. She abruptly stopped and looked around, her gaze falling on Lovino, whose jaw seemed to drop to the cellar's floor in disbelief.

"Lo-Lovino…LOVI!" she exclaimed as she went over and hugged him, crying tears of joy.  "He/She isn't dead!" Bella and Lovino thought at the same time, glad to be in each other's arms again. She then turned around to see Tim, shocked. "Grote broer!!" she said, running to hug him. Once the initial shock faded away, Tim returned the hug, weeping, but this time, they were tears of happiness.

"Romano, get up," Antonio ordered, Lovino obeyed willingly. Antonio raised his axe, and with a single hack, freed Lovino from the chains that were binding him. "Francis, let the rope down!" barked Antonio demandingly. A faint "Ohnohnohnohn~" could be heard as a rope was dropped down. Antonio went over to it, and tugged at it to make it sure it was secure. Once it had passed his inspection, he beckoned Lovino to climb the rope, which he quickly did. Antonio stopped to give the siblings one last cold glance and then proceeded to exit the cellar.

~Le time skip to next day~

Lovino held the piece of paper, crying, as he sat in front of the ruins of Tim's mansion. The piece of paper was a letter from Bella, which said:

Dear Lovino,

I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this in person, or couldn't eat lunch with you again in our favourite restaurant, but last night, we got attacked by pirates, who called themselves the "Nordic 5". Timmy fought bravely, but it's kind of hard to win when it's five against one. They said Timmy would make a good pirate and should join their crew, or they would kill him. So Timmy said yes, as long as I could come. I asked Tim to write this letter from me to you.

Please don't forget me. I'll find you someday, I promise, because…Ik hou van je, Lovino Vargas.

Love,

Bella

"Ti amo, ti amo, ti amo…" Lovino chanted to himself quietly, like a mantra. Lovino was about to walk away, when he noticed something. Lovino sadly laughed to himself, tears rolling down his cheeks.

~Back to the present~

Silence filled the cellar. You were silently crying from your hiding place. Your heart was broken, torn to shreds…yet you felt some relief, a sensation close to liberation and happiness while you were hearing this tale. Yes, you loved Romano unconditionally, but so did Bella, and it was evident who Romano truly loved.

During the revelation of the past, Bella's expression changed from horror to an expression of sudden realization, back to horror and then to that of happiness and love.
"I still have that letter…" said Lovi, pulling out a scroll of paper, with a red ribbon wrapped around it, his quiet tone finally breaking the silence.

"Lovi, I finally found you…and my feelings haven't changed since then…I love you, Lovi," and with that she planted a sweet yet passionate kiss on his lips, which he returned whole-heartedly, carefully taking the ribbon of the paper and tying it, immediately adding beauty to Bella's silky locks.

~Where's Spain? ~

Antonio's placed his chin on his hands, as his elbows rested on the walls of the ship. He sighed, as he silently mulled over things…
~Flashback (Sorry Reader chan!)~

Outraged. Betrayed. Disappointed. Upset. Worthless. Alone.
"¿Por qué te fuiste padre? Why?! Was I not bueno enough…" all these thoughts ran through a dark haired teen's head, as he saw his mother being lowered into her grave, tears running down his cheeks. A little boy clutched his hand, also crying, with a sympathetic expression playing on his face.

"Maybe I'm not the reason he left to become a Pirate. No, it's not. It was never me…It was him. It's his entire fault. Now I have to return to damned house…why did he leave?! He left me here, all solo…" with the bitter thoughts running through his head, he tugged his hand out of the little boy's. The five-year-old looked up at him, confused. A bitter seed was planted in his chest.

~Le time skip to the shift into the mansion~

This was where his mother had grown up, where she had met his father and fell in love, where he was born, where he had had memories with him, his father. The memories helped fertilize the seed into a tiny plant. He just wanted the memories to fade away, to disappear…

He always felt angry, and could no longer laugh, which was sad, for he had such a unique laugh. He misdirected his rage at the servants, and his only confident, the little brunette named Lovino Vargas, whom he used to lovingly call Romano or Roma for shot, but now the nickname had become more of a taunting threat, which didn't help Romano's profanity issue.

And every day, it grew…

~ A few months later~

Antonio sat in his study, feverishly reading something, while Romano was busy cleaning up the library. The Spaniard could hear the little Italian swearing loudly, for it was right next to study.

"Sir, SIR!" a worried, urgent voice found itself in the room as the door flew open, revealing a very distraught man, whose appearance suggested that he was fresh of the sea. "Sir! Your father was wounded by another crew, I think they called themselves the "Nordic 5" and now your father is ̶ "

"dead," Antonio said harshly, putting an abrupt end to the sentence. "That useless so-called father of mine managed to get himself killed. Serves him right for leaving me and my mother for a life of piracy…shame that she died soon after he left. He left me his ship…" Antonio let out a bark of mirthless laughter before continuing, "So he was growing sentimental in the end. Don't worry father, I, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, will be the best pirate to ever voyage the sea!"

~A few years at sea~

It had been three years since that faithful day Antonio had vowed to be the best pirate ever. He had managed to plunder and loot many other ships, earning him fame and a reputation on the sea. However, he had estranged most of his crew members, even his best friends Francis and Gilbert. The only person who talked to him was Romano, but it was always something along the lines of "Stupid tomato bastard…" and such.

~until one night~

"I can help you, you know," said an angelic voice.

"You can't help me! Stay away…no one can help me…"

"I can heal the pain…" she said again, in that heavenly voice of hers, and sent a golden white ball of light that was absorbed by Antonio's left side of his chest, where his heart was. "Just help me when I fall…" and with that, the dream ended.

Antonio quickly sat up, his left arm out as though he was trying to grab something. He then put it to his chest as though to feel something. "It's gone…" he said, with a wave of euphoria washing over him, and he let out a laugh, loud, exhilarating and light-hearted. The tree of bitterness was uprooted.

He made his way to the deck, where he let out his cured laugh, no longer tainted by pain and suffering. The entire crew stopped what they were doing to listen. The laugh lifted everyone else's spirits and made them happy for some unknown reason. The only ones who knew were the ones who had been through everything with Antonio.

"Oi, tomato bastard!" said a little brunette Italian boy.

"Si?" Antonio stopped laughing to let a questioning look pass his face.

"It's good to hear that annoying laugh again, you tomato-loving bastard." He said, while not meeting his eyes.

Antonio looked stunned for a second, but then proceeded to pick Romano up and twirl around on the spot, resuming his laughter, while Romano repeatedly yelled "PUT ME DOWN, DAMMIT!"

"Ohnohnohn~"

"Kesesesese~" Two other laughs could be heard, joining the first one in perfect unison. The two sources stepped in front of Antonio with Lovino still in his hands, who had stopped twirling around. They bent down on one knee, and said together, "We are at your service, my captain."

"Mis amigos…" Antonio said, before pulling down Romano and Pulling Gilbert and Francis into a hug, all three of them crying happy tears.

~Back to the present~

"Oh…" was all Antonio could say as he found himself outside his cabin. "It's been four years since that dream, and I still haven't managed to figure it out…" he thought as he stepped in.

~Back to reader-chan~

You stood up as you couldn't take it anymore. You stood up, but the ship gave a sudden lurch, causing you to give a sudden yelp. Romano noticed the sound. He yelled "Ragazza!" but you had run out of the door before he could stop you. You had had enough. It was high time that you got back to your mission. You rushed up to Eric's room, because Antonio felt that after his "slip", the map was safer there. You rushed in, and to your relief, Eric wasn't there. You quickly pulled out the map, and a piece of parchment, along with a quill and a bottle of ink.  With a trembling hand you began to copy the map with accuracy. After you had finished, you stood back to marvel your masterpiece.

"What am I doing?! I can't betray Antonio and everyone like this! But this is Arthur's orders…" you mentally debated with yourself. You decided you could never betray your new friends, no matter how much you were suffering right now. But you needed an outlet…you finally decided that you weren't going to send the map to Arthur. By now the full impact of the heartbreak had hit you. You needed comfort, and so what he was acting cold towards you…at least his bed was comfortable…so you made your way to the captain's chamber.

"Si, chica?" ¿qué pasa? You look so sad!" The Spaniard questioned and commented as he opened the door to reveal you. You pushed past him aside and walked towards the bed, where you lay on your stomach; your face was buried in his sea of pillows, and began to cry.
The Spaniard was taken aback at what had just happened. He stood at the door, shocked and silent with your muffled sobs filling the air. He snapped out of his reverie, and walked towards you. He pulled you closer to his chest as he began to sing quietly in your ear.

Ole Ole Ole Ole Ole Ole Ole Ole

      Vamos, que habrá otros momentos

      Piratas no puede renunciar a!

He smiled his warm smile at you, while you returned it with a watery one of your own. His emerald pools literally emitted comfort and understanding. He began to stroke your hair gently, placing a soft and reassuring kiss on your forehead. You let out another silent sob. He lifted your face, allowing you to sink into his eyes, as he whispered softly into your ear, "Let the boss try his cheering charm on you, si? Fusosososo~" and leaned down to place his lips onto yours. Strangely, the kiss was soft and gentle; you were expecting it to be more demanding, and filled with arrogance. His lips moved in sync with yours, as though they were meant for each other. He broke the kiss gently as he placed your head on his pillows. He watched you fall asleep, your hands still entwined with his. "I found you, mi ángel caído." Was all that he could say.

~Meanwhile~

"Ohnohnohnohnohn~ it took 'er long enough to copy zat map," said Eric, as he saw your work on his table. He sat in the chair next to it and opened the drawer, to reveal a contact case. He slipped them off his eyes and put them in it. He then pulled of his wig. "Ze Tres Bien Moi will now send it! Zat way I won't 'ave to deal with Arthur's cursed letters anymore! Ze last one messed up my awesome 'air! And no one messes with Francis Bonnefoy's 'air! He ranted, to no one in particular. "Pierre~" he cooed, "Come 'ere and give zis map to zat English Pirate."

"Coo~" tweeted the bird, and took off, with the map in its mouth.