It sure has been a long time since I've worked on this story… I kept meaning to but I never found the time to dedicate to it. Something along the lines of two five years… Oops. Anyway, the long-awaited Final Chapter is here.

...

Lovino stalked through the streets, a man on a mission. He knew his brother was out somewhere in this part of town, but he hadn't answered any of his calls or messages, so he was forced to hunt him down on foot. He mentally cursed his fratello for the chain of stupid decisions that led to his stupid search to yell at him for said stupid decisions.

What kind of idiot would tempt fate by going behind the potato bastard's back? He knew his brother's relationship with Germany had been on and off for a while now, but Feliciano had told nobody, much less Ludwig, that he had been seeing someone new. While it was technically within Feli's right to do so, Lovino feared that, as a possessive man, Ludwig would not see it as such, and could overreact toward Feli. Imagining his possible fate, Lovi shook his head and urged himself to move faster, search harder. Where could that idiot be?

At this thought, he heard a strange echo from several blocks away. It didn't sound like a normal city noise; it wasn't an engine, nor a voice. Maybe a roaring animal? What the hell kind of city animal roars? Growling himself, Lovino turned and started in the direction from which the sound seemed to have come.

Whether he had anything to do with the noise itself or not, Feliciano would surely be nearby, what with that curiosity/idiocy of his.

...

"So to clarify: you thought I was dating you as a- as a ploy? For country stuff?"

Feliciano nodded, although he added, "I only worried for a minute, though. I realized pretty quickly that our meeting had been coincidental, so you couldn't have been out to get me, ve. But by that time I was already so far away..."

They quieted for a minute, glad to be together again after that brief, yet stressful, separation. Matthew pet Kumajirou absently, and Feliciano sighed. They were broken out of their thoughts by what sounded like dark muttering a short distance away:

"...stupid brother stupid boyfriend stupid fucking city..."

Feliciano bolted upright, a strange look on his face.

"Lovi? Is that you? What are you doing out here, ve?"

The muttering stopped, and then-

"Chigi!"

...

Matthew remembered, very suddenly, that Italy was represented by two halves.

He stood in the shadow of the alley, uncertain, as in front of him the two brothers spoke rapidly in Italian. He caught very little, aside from several swears similar to ones in his French vocabulary. After a moment, however, he found himself picking up parts of the conversation:

"...mistake...told him...dangerous..." "...Ludwig...change...love..."

At this, Matthew gasped quietly. Love? He knew he felt it, but they hadn't yet discussed that degree of things. Did Feli love him back?

Then again, who was this Ludwig?

He didn't even notice that the new Italian was staring at him in surprise, having been alerted to his presence at his gasp, until said Italian asked in English,

"So you're the new guy, yeah?"

Matthew blinked, disoriented, until he was able to reply quietly in the affirmative.

"Do you know what kind of merda you have gotten my brother into?"

"I- I, eh, I didn't-"

"Lovi, you haven't even met Matthew yet, don't be so rude!" Feliciano interjected, glaring at his brother. "He's sweet and polite and funny and nice and never mean to me and he treats me like a person! You don't get to judge him for my choices, Lovino. Judge him for how he is with me. Go on."

Matthew steeled himself for Lovino's response, and heard nothing but a long sigh. He opened his eyes to see a hand outstretched in his direction, which he cautiously shook.

Lovino shook his head, avoiding eye contact as they shook hands, but as Matthew went to pull away, he reached out, grabbing his extended arm and leaning in to address him quietly.

"Look, I don't trust you, but Feli seems happy and that's all I want for him. His last boyfriend- I don't- you need to talk to Feli about him. I'm worried he could put Feli in danger. You protect him, capisce? Or I'll-" Lovino was pulled back suddenly by Feliciano's hand on his shoulder.

"He gets it, Lovi. We'll come visit sometime, okay? You're grumpy. Go home. Get some sleep."

Lovino straightened, nodded, and turned to leave with a scowl on his face.

"Hey, I-" Matthew swallowed, "I'll look after him, okay? I care about your brother very much, and I, I don't want anything to happen to him, any more than you do."

Lovino paused, nodded again, and left the alleyway in the direction he had come.

...

Once they could no longer hear Lovino's footsteps, Matthew turned to Feliciano.

"Tell me what I need to know. About this Ludwig. Please?" Feliciano nodded, a melancholy look on his face.

"We'd been together for centuries, you know how it is, but for the last few decades we ended up dating more on-and-off. Ludwig was annoyed by me, and I felt increasingly belittled and, and... well, when I met you, I didn't feel any of those negative emotions anymore. Ludwig and I had been in an off phase when you and I ran into each other, and because I had you, I didn't have to run back to him this time. These past few weeks, ve... I haven't felt so cared for since, well..." Feliciano sighed.

"Lovi wanted me to tell you this, and he was right that I should. I just hadn't wanted to think about it too much. He worries that Ludwig still thinks we are in some kind of relationship, and will overreact when I tell him that he and I are no longer together, in any way. Ludwig is passionate, ve, but he holds himself on too tight a leash to react in front of me, I think. Either way, I need to tell him soon, and now you know that that is something I have to do. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Forgive me?"

Matthew mulled this all over in silence. Then, he stepped forward, and pulled Feli into a tight embrace. "Of course I forgive you," he whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry you had to worry about this all on your own, but we can handle it together now, eh?" He pulled back, smiling, before leaning in to kiss Feliciano on the nose.

Then he heard the click of a gun being cocked.

...

"Do not move," said the German accent behind the handgun, "Feliciano, what is this?"

"We broke up, Ludwig. I found someone else," said Feli, shakily but gently.

"You. Stranger. Step away from my boyfriend," Ludwig ordered, gesturing with his gun when Matthew hesitated. Worried, Matthew stepped back, his hands still resting on Feli's arms.

"We aren't boyfriends anymore, Ludwig. You got frustrated with me and told me we weren't dating anymore, along with several other mean things."

Ludwig shook his head once, hard, and took a step forward. He set his jaw before growling out, "It was supposed to be temporary. To teach you a lesson. You need to come back," he shook his head again, "you need to come home now."

He stepped forward again and reached out his hand. "It's time for you to come back, Feliciano."

Feliciano recoiled, looking at the offered hand with a mixture of pity and discomfort. "No. I told you, I have someone else now." He raised his chin and gave Ludwig a measured look. "Leave."

A shot rang out.

Having seen the split-second processing of Ludwig's mind, Matthew dove in front of his beloved, attempting to shield him, instinctually protecting him. Matthew and Feliciano fell to the ground.

...

There is blood everywhere. Feliciano is on the ground next to Matthew, who is not moving. Why isn't he moving? Where is the blood from? What's happening? Feliciano notes no injuries to himself, and, reaching over to stir Matt, finds much more blood than he expected, and it's still pouring out, and why is there so much? Matt's breathing, at least, isn't he? Feliciano checks, and sees his chest moving, but there's an awful sound that he's starting to register, a labored sucking, bubbling, wheezing sound, and that's not what breathing is supposed to sound like. Matt. Matthew. Matthew, please, amore, per favore, Matteo, MATTEO!

And strong hands pull him away, strong arms pick him up, and all his twisting and shouting and clawing isn't enough to keep him where he belongs, at the side of his beloved. He sees a white blur move to Matteo's side, and hears a growling voice in his ear, and it isn't until he is carried around the corner that he loses all senses, and faints dead away, both he and his love now lost to the world.

...

Epilogue

Lovino, having heard the gunshot, sprints several blocks back to find a form lying prone on the ground, his brother and Gilbert's nowhere to be found. Months of searching turns up nothing, and with a heavy heart both men take up the helms of their respective countries.

There are rumors of a giant, grimy, talking dog in the downtown district, but the rumors remain forever unconfirmed.

Matthew doesn't make it to a hospital.

...

Hi everyone.

This was the ending I had originally planned for this story, so I just wanted to finish it once and for all. I have ideas and material for a sequel that could exist, but it would be somewhat of an optional sequel/alternate ending. Sorry this was kind of dark, but it was just such a good dramatic concept that I couldn't not write it.

This was written originally for a good friend of mine as a request. J, if you read this, please try to get back in contact with me. I miss you and I hope you're doing okay.

Anyways, everyone have a good life, as I have no idea if/when I will ever post on here again.