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Description
Feliciano swallowed the last bite of pasta in the box and stared at his brother who was lying back on the uncomfortable looking hospital bed. Lovino’s eyes were closed and his breathing heavy but Feliciano knew he wasn’t asleep. Lovino never slept when he visited. Just like how Feliciano never left his brother’s side, neither of them wanted to lose any amount of time with the other.

The two brothers sat in complete silence, well almost complete, save for the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor, the dripping from the IV, and the ticking of the overhead clock.

“Aren’t those the same clothes you wore the last three times you visited me?” Feliciano started and glanced down at the sweatshirt and jeans he wore. Lovino was right, he had worn these last three visits . . . as well as every visit before that, but he couldn’t very well tell Lovino that! He couldn’t say that he had no other clothes to wear, aside from the booty shorts and extra-small shirt he wears while looking for clients, that he was living with prostitutes, or even that he was a prostitute himself! Lovino could never find out where that money that paid the hospital bills came from, or how, recently, it’s been getting much harder to keep up with those bills.

Feliciano laughed, but it sounded strained even to his ears, “really? I hadn’t noticed. I guess I just really like that sweatshirt.” Lovino grunted and Feliciano knew he didn’t believe him. Feliciano opened his mouth to try and change his brother’s mind when the sound of the door opening interrupted him.

Feliciano didn’t have to wonder for very long on who had entered the room due to the sudden scent of churros and tomatoes that filled the room and the subtle speeding of Lovino’s heart monitor. Turning around Feliciano saw bright green eyes, a messy mop of brown curls, and the blinding grin of Lovino’s doctor. Doctor Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. Antonio was the one doctor that allowed Feliciano, with his never consistent “paycheck”, to admit Lovino into the hospital with no questions, and Feliciano would be forever grateful to him for that.

“Hola Feli! How have you been?” Feliciano smiles and nods at the excitable man. Antonio, unperturbed by the small Italians silent answer, gave another smile and an one-armed-hug over his shoulders before turning to Lovino.

“Hello Lovi," Antonio's smile softened as his eyes met Lovino's and his voice took on a completely different tone than when he was speaking to Feliciano, "let’s listen to those lungs.”

Before the stethoscope made contact with Lovino’s exposed back, a pair of arms thrashed out and almost hit Antonio in the gut, “don’t call me Lovi you dumb tomato bast-,” the tirade was cut short by sudden hacking coughs that caused Lovino’s body to curl in on itself. In the back of Feliciano’s mind he noticed that the heart monitor spiked dramatically as he and Antonio both jumped up and held onto Lovino’s shaking shoulders as the coughing fit calmed. Feliciano thought it was over until he saw the drops of red on the starched white bed sheets. Feliciano felt a twinge in his chest and his throat constricted, “fratello please calm down! Yelling only makes it worse!”

Feliciano reprimanded his brother but the words fell on deaf ears. Lovino’s body slumped in exhaustion and the heavy breathing of sleep filled the room. Panic filled amber eyes met with calm green ones.

Without a word Antonio gently laid Lovino down onto the bed and gestured for Feliciano to follow him into the hallway. With a final glance at his brother Feliciano followed Antonio. The empty hallway seemed much more forlorn now, darker.

“Feli,” Feliciano looked up and the green eyes that, before, were bright with happiness were now dark and morose. Those eyes sent a pang of fear through Feliciano, Antonio never looked like that unless something really bad was about to happen. Antonio rubs his eyes roughly before starting again, “Feliciano, you know he’s getting worse.” There was no question in Antonio’s words, just stating a fact.

“The chemotherapy is doing nothing but making him groggy and more irritable than he normally is. We are probably going to have to gradually wean him off of it and let the cancer take its course.”

“No!” Feliciano dug in his sweatshirt pocket and pulled out a fat envelope full of the money that he had gotten from clients, “I have the next installment! Just let him continue with the therapy! Something has to change! God can’t be as horrible as to take my only family from me!”

Antonio’s shoulders slumped as he stared at the envelope. He sighed and with slight hesitation took the money. His wary eyes never left the envelope as it was transferred from Feliciano’s hand to his own as if it would attack. After a few seconds of silence Antonio’s slumped shoulders suddenly straightened and a look of determination filled his eyes, “ok Feliciano, I’ll put the money in for the therapy,” relief flooded Feliciano but that wave was quickly shut off, “but if there’s no change then we’re going to have to consider taking him off chemo.”

Feliciano’s swallow was visible to the Spanish man as he looked at his sleeping brother through the door window.

“Fine, this time if the therapy does nothing we can . . . we can stop giving it to him.”

Antonio looked relieved, and possibly a bit regretful, at Feliciano’s words. He placed a comforting hand on Feliciano’s shoulder before quietly entering Lovino’s room again. Feliciano stood alone in the hallway trying to compose himself, if he walked back into the room he would break down and he didn’t want to do that in front of Lovino, asleep or not. Wiping a stray tear away, Feliciano slaps his cheeks lightly before following after Antonio. After entering the room Feliciano’s eyes went straight to Lovino’s body. The past two years of chemo didn’t look like it was changing his body but to Feliciano, a seasoned hospital visitor, the gradual changes were as clear as day. The little bit of sunlight shining through Lovino’s window enunciated the paleness of his skin and the unhealthy sharpness of his cheekbones. The hospital gown hung off his thin frame and billowed out onto the mattress. And even his hair, though it was a miracle that he was able to keep it in the first place, looked faded, malnourished, and the curl that stuck out the side of his head, so much like Feliciano’s, was limp and almost parallel to the side of his face.

Lovino had been tormented with lung cancer for the last four years, for the first it had gone unnoticed while the brother’s were living on the streets and the last three were spent in the hospital. While the brothers were living on the street Lovino always had a bad cough but he always told Feliciano that it was either allergies or a bad case of the flu and Feliciano believed him. This went on for months until Feliciano came back from collecting money from strangers only to find Lovino collapsed on the ground with blood leaking out the corner of his mouth. He panicked. Feliciano sat next to Lovino’s body for about half an hour trying to wake him up and when that didn’t work picked up his body and ran. Feliciano probably visited five hospitals and they all refused to help since there was no promise of money from the younger Italian. Lovino still hadn’t woken up and Feliciano was about ready to give up. Every doctor he talked to turned him away and he didn’t know what to do.

Feliciano was walking down the sidewalk, Lovino still on his back, cold because he had given his ratty jacket to Lovino when suddenly he bumped into something. Feliciano wasn’t going fast enough to fall over with the impact but he did stumble slightly before a hand on his shoulder steadied him. Looking up Feliciano is met with bright green eyes and a worried expression, “are you ok?” Feliciano nodded quickly and was about to walk around the man when Lovino’s body started to shake violently and heavy, bloody, coughing drenched the back of his shirt. Feliciano quickly tried to place Lovino on the ground to somewhat care for him when his weight was suddenly lifted off of Feliciano’s back and a hand grabbed his wrist before running off with both brothers

~PAGE BREAK~

The man, Antonio, was a doctor of a smaller, lesser known care center, how Feliciano didn’t see this building after walking around for hours still confused him. After dragging Feliciano and Lovino through the doors, grabbing a syringe and some clear liquid, and finally pulling them both into a small room he released Feliciano’s wrist, gently laid Lovino’s convulsing body onto a spare bed, and injected him with some of the clear liquid.

Feliciano was nailed to the ground where Antonio had released his wrist, and stared, wide-eyed, as Lovino’s body slowed its shaking to a small tremble from time to time.

He stared without moving a muscle, watching the steady rise a fall of Lovino's, now steady, chest. He stood and watched as Antonio placed a gentle hand on Lovino's forehead with a sigh of relief. He was silent as his vision blurred more and more until the dam finally broke. Feliciano's sobs were loud and ugly, tears, snot, and saliva poured down his face making individual tracks and leaving small puddles on the ground. Without him realizing it he had fallen to his knees, exhausted and relieved, at the beginning of his deafening sobs.

A sudden hand on his shoulder made Feliciano jump and turn his drenched face towards the man who had quite possibly saved his brother's life.

"While I was dragging you here I don't think I got your name." Feliciano sniffled and wiped his nose on the back of his sleeve, "I-I'm Feli-Feliciano." Feliciano's hiccups caused his voice to stutter as he answered Antonio's question. Antonio's smile softened and he wiped a few tears from Feliciano's cheeks, "well Feli, can I call you Feli?" With a nod from the small brunette Antonio continued, "how about I make you a deal?"

~PAGE BREAK~

"Feli? Feliciano?" Feliciano started and looked over at Antonio who had a confused and expectant look on his face, “sorry, did you ask me something?”

“Yes, I asked that since you didn’t give me a number when Lovi first came here, if you could give me some contact information if his condition changes.” Feliciano’s breath stuttered as Antonio walked behind him to close the door he had left open. Feliciano had no contact information, no phone number, and no email. Selling one’s body on the streets, making meager money, then turning around and using that money to pay for a brother’s ever escalating hospital bills took away the chance to indulge in those things, not that Feliciano regretted what he did for his brother.

“Um Antonio,” Feliciano turned to face the doctor, “can I tell you something?"

"Of course Feli."

"What I want to tell you is secret and. . . and you can't tell Lovi, will you still listen to what I have to say?" Antonio's face stiffened and he was about to open his mouth to say something but then something over Feliciano's head caught his attention, he stared for a few seconds before meeting Feliciano's eyes. "Ok, ok I promise not to tell. What's wrong?"

Feliciano took a deep breath before answering, "I still don't have any contact information."

"That's it? Why don't you want your brother knowing that?"

"Because of the reason why!” Feliciano took a deep breath,” do you know where Diamond and Court avenues are?"

"Of course, but that's where. . ." A look of shock crossed Antonio's face as he finally made the connection in his head.

"Yes, it is where the prostitutes live." Antonio's eyes widen even more, "Feli y-you sell your body?"

Feliciano laughed humorlessly, "apparently I'm not very good at keeping a steady job, and with Lovi's hospital bills coming in so fast I had no other choice. But anyway, even without a phone number, I will still be coming in every two weeks, so I'll still see him and any changes in his health."

Antonio's mouth hung open in shock but he was still able to choke out a question, "are you proud of what you are doing?"
"As long as I am helping Lovino, I don't care what I do.

~PAGE BREAK~

After a few more hours with Lovino and Antonio, Feliciano decided to start heading back. The night was overcast so there was no moonlight to make up for the busted street lights every few feet. Feliciano put his hands in his pockets and fingered the slowly growing hole at the bottom while trying not to make eye contact with other people. It was an old habit he had, after selling his body for two and-a-half years he learned that eye contact meant to the buyer that he was willing for the night.

Walking these streets still frightened Feliciano, at night was when the freaks came out to “play.” Normally it was just drunks, stumbling around and passing out on street corners, but recently there had been prostitutes who had come back to Rome’s apartment bloody, bruised. . . and raped. Male or female, it didn’t matter, they were both targeted. Francis and Alfred had both offered to walk Feliciano to and from the hospital for protection, but there was two things wrong with that. One, neither Francis or Alfred knew where Feliciano went every two weeks and he wanted to keep it that way, and two, having one, possibly two, strange, and often scantily clad, men following him around would have had Lovino start to question things that didn’t need to be questioned.

Feliciano’s thoughts were shattered when the sudden sound of footsteps came from the alleyway next to him. Against his better judgment Feliciano’s feet slowed and he looked into the darkness, “hello?” He stood for a few seconds and listened for more footsteps in the darkness. When there was no other sound Feliciano just shrugged and was about to keep walking when a sudden hand over his mouth yanked him into the alleyway.

Feliciano struggled, he pulled at the hand over his mouth and hit the body behind him, but being scrawny and barely eating didn’t help when in a fight. The body behind him shook with laughter and a breath, smelling heavily of old whisky, washed over him, “you think you can get away little bird?” A heavy hand on Feliciano’s crotch made his panic rise even more, “I’ve been watching you little bird, waving your body around like the white flag of surrender, but never giving me the time of day. Well now I’m going to take my turn, and I’m not going to let anyone else have you.”

“Hey, slow down. You can’t have all of him, I want a piece too.” Feliciano’s wide eyes watched as a new man came forward, a scruffy beard covered his face and sweat poured off of his bald head, “we agreed to share him remember?” The bearded man grabs hold of Feliciano’s sweatshirt and yanked, but the fabric, being so threadbare, tore at the yank leaving Feliciano in a piece of fabric half hanging off his body. The bearded man’s eyes widened and he licked his lips, “looks like our little bird was ready, he doesn’t even have an undershirt on.” The man behind Feliciano moved his hand from his mouth, and just as Feliciano opened his mouth to yell for help it clamped onto his throat constricting his airway, “if you make a sound we will make sure you don’t make it out of this alive little bird, you don’t want that do you?” Feliciano shook his head as much as possible with the hand still around his throat, “good.” The man removed his hand, chuckling at Feliciano’s gasping breaths, and slowly stroked down Feliciano’s chest so that both hands were at his belt buckle. Before Feliciano knew it, his pants had been removed from his body and his face had been pressed into the rough brick of the building closest to him. The bearded man looked Feliciano up and down making him shiver in disgust, “ha! Hey look at this! Little bird already had some today!” Feliciano’s eyes widened when he remembered that he still hadn’t cleaned up after the client from earlier that day. The man who held Feliciano to the wall growled and pushed Feliciano’s face farther into the brick, “so you allow others to touch you but not me? Now I really want to make you mine.” Feliciano heard the sound of a zipper coming undone and he knew what was going to happen. Without his consent a whimper slipped through his parted lips as he tried to hold his tears back, without success. “What did I tell you about making a noise little bird? I thought you wanted to li-”

“Hello?” Feliciano’s eyes widened at the new voice and his eyes swept towards the alley’s opening. He was about to open his mouth to yell for help when the sudden sound of barks and snarls filled the silent alley. The two men behind Feliciano stiffened in fear and the hand holding Feliciano to the wall loosened slightly.

“If there is anyone in there I advise you to come out now or I release Blackie here, and let’s say that she’s not the nicest around strangers.” The snarling continued and the two behind Feliciano finally lost their cool and ran out of the alleyway, pulling their pants up at the same time. With the loss of something holding him up, Feliciano’s knees gave out and he fell to the ground with an “oof.” The barking stopped and footsteps entered the alley, they faltered slightly before picking up again with more haste, “are you ok?” Feliciano looked up and was met with sky blue eyes and blonde hair strictly swept back, the heavy German accent also proved the man was possibly new to the country.

Feliciano didn’t answer and was suddenly pushed over by a wet nose, Feliciano squeaked when he was met with the face of a brown dog, “don’t worry, she’s friendly, I just said that she wasn’t to scare off those other two.” Feliciano stared at the man before he couldn’t hold it in anymore, he cried. The dog, Blackie, tilted her head confused and the blonde German looked around, panicked, before quickly pulling off his blazer and settling it over Feliciano’s shoulders. His hand, hesitating only once, reached down and patted his head. Feliciano’s cries slowed and he wondered if the giant man mistook his head for the dogs, when said giant spoke up, “do you, um, do you want me to take you somewhere?” Feliciano nodded and grabbed onto the man’s sleeve, “please, take me somewhere safe.”

Feliciano sniffed once more for emphasis before his hand slipped from the German’s sleeve and darkness took over.

Description
Feliciano swallowed the last bite of pasta in the box and stared at his brother who was lying back on the uncomfortable looking hospital bed. Lovino’s eyes were closed and his breathing heavy but Feliciano knew he wasn’t asleep. Lovino never slept when he visited. Just like how Feliciano never left his brother’s side, neither of them wanted to lose any amount of time with the other.

The two brothers sat in complete silence, well almost complete, save for the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor, the dripping from the IV, and the ticking of the overhead clock.

“Aren’t those the same clothes you wore the last three times you visited me?” Feliciano started and glanced down at the sweatshirt and jeans he wore. Lovino was right, he had worn these last three visits . . . as well as every visit before that, but he couldn’t very well tell Lovino that! He couldn’t say that he had no other clothes to wear, aside from the booty shorts and extra-small shirt he wears while looking for clients, that he was living with prostitutes, or even that he was a prostitute himself! Lovino could never find out where that money that paid the hospital bills came from, or how, recently, it’s been getting much harder to keep up with those bills.

Feliciano laughed, but it sounded strained even to his ears, “really? I hadn’t noticed. I guess I just really like that sweatshirt.” Lovino grunted and Feliciano knew he didn’t believe him. Feliciano opened his mouth to try and change his brother’s mind when the sound of the door opening interrupted him.

Feliciano didn’t have to wonder for very long on who had entered the room due to the sudden scent of churros and tomatoes that filled the room and the subtle speeding of Lovino’s heart monitor. Turning around Feliciano saw bright green eyes, a messy mop of brown curls, and the blinding grin of Lovino’s doctor. Doctor Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. Antonio was the one doctor that allowed Feliciano, with his never consistent “paycheck”, to admit Lovino into the hospital with no questions, and Feliciano would be forever grateful to him for that.

“Hola Feli! How have you been?” Feliciano smiles and nods at the excitable man. Antonio, unperturbed by the small Italians silent answer, gave another smile and an one-armed-hug over his shoulders before turning to Lovino.

“Hello Lovi," Antonio's smile softened as his eyes met Lovino's and his voice took on a completely different tone than when he was speaking to Feliciano, "let’s listen to those lungs.”

Before the stethoscope made contact with Lovino’s exposed back, a pair of arms thrashed out and almost hit Antonio in the gut, “don’t call me Lovi you dumb tomato bast-,” the tirade was cut short by sudden hacking coughs that caused Lovino’s body to curl in on itself. In the back of Feliciano’s mind he noticed that the heart monitor spiked dramatically as he and Antonio both jumped up and held onto Lovino’s shaking shoulders as the coughing fit calmed. Feliciano thought it was over until he saw the drops of red on the starched white bed sheets. Feliciano felt a twinge in his chest and his throat constricted, “fratello please calm down! Yelling only makes it worse!”

Feliciano reprimanded his brother but the words fell on deaf ears. Lovino’s body slumped in exhaustion and the heavy breathing of sleep filled the room. Panic filled amber eyes met with calm green ones.

Without a word Antonio gently laid Lovino down onto the bed and gestured for Feliciano to follow him into the hallway. With a final glance at his brother Feliciano followed Antonio. The empty hallway seemed much more forlorn now, darker.

“Feli,” Feliciano looked up and the green eyes that, before, were bright with happiness were now dark and morose. Those eyes sent a pang of fear through Feliciano, Antonio never looked like that unless something really bad was about to happen. Antonio rubs his eyes roughly before starting again, “Feliciano, you know he’s getting worse.” There was no question in Antonio’s words, just stating a fact.

“The chemotherapy is doing nothing but making him groggy and more irritable than he normally is. We are probably going to have to gradually wean him off of it and let the cancer take its course.”

“No!” Feliciano dug in his sweatshirt pocket and pulled out a fat envelope full of the money that he had gotten from clients, “I have the next installment! Just let him continue with the therapy! Something has to change! God can’t be as horrible as to take my only family from me!”

Antonio’s shoulders slumped as he stared at the envelope. He sighed and with slight hesitation took the money. His wary eyes never left the envelope as it was transferred from Feliciano’s hand to his own as if it would attack. After a few seconds of silence Antonio’s slumped shoulders suddenly straightened and a look of determination filled his eyes, “ok Feliciano, I’ll put the money in for the therapy,” relief flooded Feliciano but that wave was quickly shut off, “but if there’s no change then we’re going to have to consider taking him off chemo.”

Feliciano’s swallow was visible to the Spanish man as he looked at his sleeping brother through the door window.

“Fine, this time if the therapy does nothing we can . . . we can stop giving it to him.”

Antonio looked relieved, and possibly a bit regretful, at Feliciano’s words. He placed a comforting hand on Feliciano’s shoulder before quietly entering Lovino’s room again. Feliciano stood alone in the hallway trying to compose himself, if he walked back into the room he would break down and he didn’t want to do that in front of Lovino, asleep or not. Wiping a stray tear away, Feliciano slaps his cheeks lightly before following after Antonio. After entering the room Feliciano’s eyes went straight to Lovino’s body. The past two years of chemo didn’t look like it was changing his body but to Feliciano, a seasoned hospital visitor, the gradual changes were as clear as day. The little bit of sunlight shining through Lovino’s window enunciated the paleness of his skin and the unhealthy sharpness of his cheekbones. The hospital gown hung off his thin frame and billowed out onto the mattress. And even his hair, though it was a miracle that he was able to keep it in the first place, looked faded, malnourished, and the curl that stuck out the side of his head, so much like Feliciano’s, was limp and almost parallel to the side of his face.

Lovino had been tormented with lung cancer for the last four years, for the first it had gone unnoticed while the brother’s were living on the streets and the last three were spent in the hospital. While the brothers were living on the street Lovino always had a bad cough but he always told Feliciano that it was either allergies or a bad case of the flu and Feliciano believed him. This went on for months until Feliciano came back from collecting money from strangers only to find Lovino collapsed on the ground with blood leaking out the corner of his mouth. He panicked. Feliciano sat next to Lovino’s body for about half an hour trying to wake him up and when that didn’t work picked up his body and ran. Feliciano probably visited five hospitals and they all refused to help since there was no promise of money from the younger Italian. Lovino still hadn’t woken up and Feliciano was about ready to give up. Every doctor he talked to turned him away and he didn’t know what to do.

Feliciano was walking down the sidewalk, Lovino still on his back, cold because he had given his ratty jacket to Lovino when suddenly he bumped into something. Feliciano wasn’t going fast enough to fall over with the impact but he did stumble slightly before a hand on his shoulder steadied him. Looking up Feliciano is met with bright green eyes and a worried expression, “are you ok?” Feliciano nodded quickly and was about to walk around the man when Lovino’s body started to shake violently and heavy, bloody, coughing drenched the back of his shirt. Feliciano quickly tried to place Lovino on the ground to somewhat care for him when his weight was suddenly lifted off of Feliciano’s back and a hand grabbed his wrist before running off with both brothers

~PAGE BREAK~

The man, Antonio, was a doctor of a smaller, lesser known care center, how Feliciano didn’t see this building after walking around for hours still confused him. After dragging Feliciano and Lovino through the doors, grabbing a syringe and some clear liquid, and finally pulling them both into a small room he released Feliciano’s wrist, gently laid Lovino’s convulsing body onto a spare bed, and injected him with some of the clear liquid.

Feliciano was nailed to the ground where Antonio had released his wrist, and stared, wide-eyed, as Lovino’s body slowed its shaking to a small tremble from time to time.

He stared without moving a muscle, watching the steady rise a fall of Lovino's, now steady, chest. He stood and watched as Antonio placed a gentle hand on Lovino's forehead with a sigh of relief. He was silent as his vision blurred more and more until the dam finally broke. Feliciano's sobs were loud and ugly, tears, snot, and saliva poured down his face making individual tracks and leaving small puddles on the ground. Without him realizing it he had fallen to his knees, exhausted and relieved, at the beginning of his deafening sobs.

A sudden hand on his shoulder made Feliciano jump and turn his drenched face towards the man who had quite possibly saved his brother's life.

"While I was dragging you here I don't think I got your name." Feliciano sniffled and wiped his nose on the back of his sleeve, "I-I'm Feli-Feliciano." Feliciano's hiccups caused his voice to stutter as he answered Antonio's question. Antonio's smile softened and he wiped a few tears from Feliciano's cheeks, "well Feli, can I call you Feli?" With a nod from the small brunette Antonio continued, "how about I make you a deal?"

~PAGE BREAK~

"Feli? Feliciano?" Feliciano started and looked over at Antonio who had a confused and expectant look on his face, “sorry, did you ask me something?”

“Yes, I asked that since you didn’t give me a number when Lovi first came here, if you could give me some contact information if his condition changes.” Feliciano’s breath stuttered as Antonio walked behind him to close the door he had left open. Feliciano had no contact information, no phone number, and no email. Selling one’s body on the streets, making meager money, then turning around and using that money to pay for a brother’s ever escalating hospital bills took away the chance to indulge in those things, not that Feliciano regretted what he did for his brother.

“Um Antonio,” Feliciano turned to face the doctor, “can I tell you something?"

"Of course Feli."

"What I want to tell you is secret and. . . and you can't tell Lovi, will you still listen to what I have to say?" Antonio's face stiffened and he was about to open his mouth to say something but then something over Feliciano's head caught his attention, he stared for a few seconds before meeting Feliciano's eyes. "Ok, ok I promise not to tell. What's wrong?"

Feliciano took a deep breath before answering, "I still don't have any contact information."

"That's it? Why don't you want your brother knowing that?"

"Because of the reason why!” Feliciano took a deep breath,” do you know where Diamond and Court avenues are?"

"Of course, but that's where. . ." A look of shock crossed Antonio's face as he finally made the connection in his head.

"Yes, it is where the prostitutes live." Antonio's eyes widen even more, "Feli y-you sell your body?"

Feliciano laughed humorlessly, "apparently I'm not very good at keeping a steady job, and with Lovi's hospital bills coming in so fast I had no other choice. But anyway, even without a phone number, I will still be coming in every two weeks, so I'll still see him and any changes in his health."

Antonio's mouth hung open in shock but he was still able to choke out a question, "are you proud of what you are doing?"
"As long as I am helping Lovino, I don't care what I do.

~PAGE BREAK~

After a few more hours with Lovino and Antonio, Feliciano decided to start heading back. The night was overcast so there was no moonlight to make up for the busted street lights every few feet. Feliciano put his hands in his pockets and fingered the slowly growing hole at the bottom while trying not to make eye contact with other people. It was an old habit he had, after selling his body for two and-a-half years he learned that eye contact meant to the buyer that he was willing for the night.

Walking these streets still frightened Feliciano, at night was when the freaks came out to “play.” Normally it was just drunks, stumbling around and passing out on street corners, but recently there had been prostitutes who had come back to Rome’s apartment bloody, bruised. . . and raped. Male or female, it didn’t matter, they were both targeted. Francis and Alfred had both offered to walk Feliciano to and from the hospital for protection, but there was two things wrong with that. One, neither Francis or Alfred knew where Feliciano went every two weeks and he wanted to keep it that way, and two, having one, possibly two, strange, and often scantily clad, men following him around would have had Lovino start to question things that didn’t need to be questioned.

Feliciano’s thoughts were shattered when the sudden sound of footsteps came from the alleyway next to him. Against his better judgment Feliciano’s feet slowed and he looked into the darkness, “hello?” He stood for a few seconds and listened for more footsteps in the darkness. When there was no other sound Feliciano just shrugged and was about to keep walking when a sudden hand over his mouth yanked him into the alleyway.

Feliciano struggled, he pulled at the hand over his mouth and hit the body behind him, but being scrawny and barely eating didn’t help when in a fight. The body behind him shook with laughter and a breath, smelling heavily of old whisky, washed over him, “you think you can get away little bird?” A heavy hand on Feliciano’s crotch made his panic rise even more, “I’ve been watching you little bird, waving your body around like the white flag of surrender, but never giving me the time of day. Well now I’m going to take my turn, and I’m not going to let anyone else have you.”

“Hey, slow down. You can’t have all of him, I want a piece too.” Feliciano’s wide eyes watched as a new man came forward, a scruffy beard covered his face and sweat poured off of his bald head, “we agreed to share him remember?” The bearded man grabs hold of Feliciano’s sweatshirt and yanked, but the fabric, being so threadbare, tore at the yank leaving Feliciano in a piece of fabric half hanging off his body. The bearded man’s eyes widened and he licked his lips, “looks like our little bird was ready, he doesn’t even have an undershirt on.” The man behind Feliciano moved his hand from his mouth, and just as Feliciano opened his mouth to yell for help it clamped onto his throat constricting his airway, “if you make a sound we will make sure you don’t make it out of this alive little bird, you don’t want that do you?” Feliciano shook his head as much as possible with the hand still around his throat, “good.” The man removed his hand, chuckling at Feliciano’s gasping breaths, and slowly stroked down Feliciano’s chest so that both hands were at his belt buckle. Before Feliciano knew it, his pants had been removed from his body and his face had been pressed into the rough brick of the building closest to him. The bearded man looked Feliciano up and down making him shiver in disgust, “ha! Hey look at this! Little bird already had some today!” Feliciano’s eyes widened when he remembered that he still hadn’t cleaned up after the client from earlier that day. The man who held Feliciano to the wall growled and pushed Feliciano’s face farther into the brick, “so you allow others to touch you but not me? Now I really want to make you mine.” Feliciano heard the sound of a zipper coming undone and he knew what was going to happen. Without his consent a whimper slipped through his parted lips as he tried to hold his tears back, without success. “What did I tell you about making a noise little bird? I thought you wanted to li-”

“Hello?” Feliciano’s eyes widened at the new voice and his eyes swept towards the alley’s opening. He was about to open his mouth to yell for help when the sudden sound of barks and snarls filled the silent alley. The two men behind Feliciano stiffened in fear and the hand holding Feliciano to the wall loosened slightly.

“If there is anyone in there I advise you to come out now or I release Blackie here, and let’s say that she’s not the nicest around strangers.” The snarling continued and the two behind Feliciano finally lost their cool and ran out of the alleyway, pulling their pants up at the same time. With the loss of something holding him up, Feliciano’s knees gave out and he fell to the ground with an “oof.” The barking stopped and footsteps entered the alley, they faltered slightly before picking up again with more haste, “are you ok?” Feliciano looked up and was met with sky blue eyes and blonde hair strictly swept back, the heavy German accent also proved the man was possibly new to the country.

Feliciano didn’t answer and was suddenly pushed over by a wet nose, Feliciano squeaked when he was met with the face of a brown dog, “don’t worry, she’s friendly, I just said that she wasn’t to scare off those other two.” Feliciano stared at the man before he couldn’t hold it in anymore, he cried. The dog, Blackie, tilted her head confused and the blonde German looked around, panicked, before quickly pulling off his blazer and settling it over Feliciano’s shoulders. His hand, hesitating only once, reached down and patted his head. Feliciano’s cries slowed and he wondered if the giant man mistook his head for the dogs, when said giant spoke up, “do you, um, do you want me to take you somewhere?” Feliciano nodded and grabbed onto the man’s sleeve, “please, take me somewhere safe.”

Feliciano sniffed once more for emphasis before his hand slipped from the German’s sleeve and darkness took over.