For those of you that don't know, according to the cannon Lovino has Chorea, which is a disease that causes involuntary muscle spasms. It's said that he grew out of it since he was a kid, however Chorea can often be stress based, and high levels of anxiety can trigger a relapse. I'm not a medical expert, but I think I did pretty well with this.

Also I have absolutely no idea how to work China's 'aru' so I hope I didn't mess it up too bad.

By the time Lovino stepped into the shower, a lazy fog was already accumulating on the bathroom mirror. The water swiftly washed over his hair, slicking it down into his eyes, and running in rivers down his body. He adjusted the setting on his showerhead, turning up the water intensity till he was bathed in needles. Each bead of water dashed against his skin and shattered upon impact like it was made of glass.

Shampoo first, to remove the scum and the hair gel he had slept in. Then rinse. Next, conditioner. Lovino moved from one task to another with robotic precision. If he didn't think, if he simply did one thing after another, and focused on those simple, meaningless motions then everything would be fine. He needed to fill his head with nothing. He just needed to think about anything but-

Like a ghost, Lovino felt the tingle on his cheek where Antonio had pressed a kiss.

"Hey." His voice was low, and husky as he leaned down. Lovino could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. His heart began to beat a little faster in his chest. "Call me." Antonio had said.

And for a few seconds the world seemed to slow down as that man pressed his lips against Lovino's cheek. It burned like fire, and Lovino wanted more than anything for it to be over, but as Antonio moved away, he seemed to take the sun with him. Lovino felt cold, though he still burned. Inside there was something he hadn't felt in a very long time. A small, foolish part of him yearned to feel that fire again.

Lovino forced himself back to reality, swearing up and down at his own stupidity. He was stupid for thinking about it and he was stupid for letting it happen and he was stupid for wanting to feel. If there was one thing his family history had taught him, it was the folly of putting emotion above logic.

Antonio was a federal agent. It couldn't have been a coincidence that his arrival in the city coincided with Lovino's recent arrangements. Now was a dangerous time, and he needed to turn his full attention to his work. He couldn't be bothered with a useless bastard that abandoned him ten years ago. The fact that he was still moping about it now was pure idiocy. The more Lovino thought about it, the more he realized just how much a fool he had been. How easily he had been fooled by that bastard's pleasant words and his beautiful eyes, the way he got slight dimples when he smiled. It must have had something to do with the way he rolled his Rs and how he said some of the dumbest, most naïve, most pure and profound shit. Even the simplest things, like a hug, seemed to be so much more.

Lovino felt strong arms surround him and a string of words were murmured. 'I'm sorry'. He said it over and over again. Lovino couldn't breath. He wanted to shout, to scream and cry. You're sorry? Why. Why would you be sorry about something so stupid? Why would you care now, when you never cared before, when you left me all alone and you . . . Why would you care about me?

One of the soap bottles clattered to the floor, and Lovino stared at it in confusion. He had sworn he had been holding it just a second ago. Why the hell. . . A tremor ran through his arm, twisting and jerking it before his eyes. Soon his other arm joined in, spasms rippling through the muscles. He could feel one of his legs twitching, and decided to sink down onto the shower floor before his body made the choice for him. The hot water continued to pound away at his head, but the heat was beginning to make him feel sick. As his arms twitched and convulsed, he thought about how it didn't hurt as badly as it usually did. Maybe that was because he wasn't fighting it like he usually did.

Lovino hadn't had an episode of Chorea in ten years. He tried his best to control his breathing, in and out, and in an out. The last thing he needed was another panic attack. One of his arms twisted, and this time it was painful. Think about the last time Lovi, what did you do?

What did you do Lovi?

Last time . . . Last time had been on the floor of his bathroom, in his grandfather's old house and there had been blood everywhere. Last time, he hasn't been alone. Feli had been there, Feli had taken his hands and held them tight, untill they stopped shaking.

What are you going to do?

I don't know! Leave me alone! I didn't do anything last time, it was-

"Fratello?" Feli. "Are you almost done? Ve. . . We're gunna be late if you don't hurry!" Feli's voice was faint over the roar of the shower, but Lovino was still able to make out the words.

"I'll be out in a bit." Lovino half-heartedly called.

"What?" Feliciano shouted back.

"I SAID I'LL BE RIGHT FUCKING OUT." Lovino shouted.

"Ve. . . Is something wrong Lovi?" Feli called.

"I'm fine, I'll be right out." His arms gave one last painful shudder, and Lovino had to bite down on his tongue to keep from shouting. That one hurt. He breathed in and out. Lovino would get himself under control if it was the last thing he did.

"KIKU!" Feli leapt at the little man from Japan, pleasantly ignoring his obvious discomfort.

"Feli, it's good to see you too . . . although I did see you just two weeks ago." Kiku replied, awkwardly patting Feli on the back. Kiku was not what one would call 'touchy feely.'

"Kiku, is your brother here?" Lovino asked politely. Kiku tried to nod around Feliciano, but it wasn't quite working.

"He's in the back." Kiku said instead. Feli finally released his hold.

"Am I coming too?" Feliciano asked, tilting his head to the side. Lovino shook his head.

"No, this shouldn't take long." He straightened his tie very slightly. Feliciano nodded in understanding.

"Are you going to have enough time for tea?" Kiku asked, looking between the two of them.

"There's always time for tea! Ve~" Feliciano clapped his hands together and Kiku smiled. He stepped back from the door, allowing the brothers access to his place of business.

"Come on then, Feli. I assume you know your way to my brother's office, Mr. Vargas?" Lovino nodded. If one thing could be said about the Eastern Mafia den, it was easy to navigate. There was one great big room in front, for all of the run of the mill opium customers, a few private rooms, the offices for those who dealt in weapons, and of course the tea room.

Lovino made his way through the back hallways, careful to avoid the areas where the opium customers usually wondered. He only saw one or two addicts, which was nice. Guys on opium were assholes. One of them nearly ran him over while he was just walking down the hall.

"Watch where you're going." Lovino snapped. The guy was small, with silver hair and violet eyes. Funny, upon closer inspection his eyes didn't appear to be bloodshot, but he was pale and jittery enough to be high so Lovino just put it down to the drugs.

"Sorry." He mumbled. The guy looked like he would do anything to get away. Lovino could kind of relate. Without another word he pushed past Lovino and headed out. A few seconds later, a young man, thin, though obviously strong, and a little on the short side with flippy brown hair, came striding down the hall. It took a few seconds, but Lovino recognized him as Kaoru. Lovino was more careful to avoid him. According to the potato bastard, Kaoru was now a freelance assassin who specialized in murdering people in their sleep. However Kaoru seemed to have other ideas.

"Did a guy with, like, silver hair and violet eyes pass this way?" He demanded, stopping right in front of Lovino. Lovino only nodded briefly. That was all it took before Kaoru went back down the hallway.

The door to Yao's office was surprisingly shut. To the best of Lovino's office, Yao rarely ever shut his door. It was just too easy for his family to break something if Yao couldn't hear exactly what was going on in the house. For a moment Lovino hesitated by the door, wondering if she should open it. Kiku hadn't said anything about his brother being busy. Just as he was about to reach for the handle the door opened.

"Why hello there little Vargas." The voice was light and friendly.

"Ivan Braginski. It's a pleasure." Lovino replied, clenching his hands into fists. "I wasn't aware you were in town."

"I haven't been in town for very long, though my sister has been here for many weeks. How is your grandfather doing?" Ivan asked, and as friendly as the conversation was, Lovino couldn't help but feel threatened. The Russian towered above him, and despite the calm that rested on the surface; Lovino remembered hearing the horror stories about he Russian mafia leader. This guy took control of one of the largest criminal empires at the age of sixteen. His hands were far from clean.

"He's doing wonderfully." Lovino replied tensely. Ivan nodded, smiling.

"How is he liking being settled outside of town?" Lovino paused. There were a limited number of people inside the Vargas organization that knew that Romulus Vargas had been settled in a nice peaceful home more than eight months back. And there were only two who knew what happened a month after. What are you after Russian?

"It reminds him of being a boy back in Italy." Lovino replied.

"Good. I would think it would be difficult for him to run such a vast organization from such an isolated place, but I bet relaxing had been good for his health." The smile on his face seemed to stretch a little wider; like that thought brought him actual joy. Well maybe the veiled threat brought him actual joy.

"Not all organizations need an immediate source of fear to stay together." While it sounded good, even Lovino was not a fool enough to actually believe that his organization could exist without some sort of fear. Ivan seemed to sense this as well because he smiled, like the idea was funny. Before he could retort, however, Yao's voice came from inside the room.

"Ivan, who are you . . . Oh, Mr. Vargas." Yao looked nervously between the two mafia leaders. While the Eastern mafia was technically an autonomous organization, it was commonly accepted that anyone who worked in this city, worked for the Vargas. "I wasn't aware you were going to be dropping by."

"Do people call you Mr. Vargas now?" Ivan smiled and tilted his head to the side.

"People have always called me Mr. Vargas." Lovino said tersely. He clenched his hands so tightly that his nails began to dig into the soft flesh of his palm.

"Have they?" Lovino hated the way that Ivan's eyes searched him, looking for weakness, prying for answers.

"Didn't you say there was somewhere you had to be, aru?" Yao addressed Ivan, apparently trying to diffuse the tension.

"Of course . . . Well, I'll be seeing you Mr. Vargas." Ivan smiled, before moving down that long dark hallway, like some terrible shadow. Lovino turned to Yao.

"Ivan?" He asked.

"Oh, um . . ." The Chinese man seemed nervous. "He insisted that I not be so formal around him, aru . . . Would you like to come in?"

"Yes." Lovino stepped swiftly into Yao's office and took a seat across from his desk. Yao followed after, sitting behind his desk and waiting for Lovino to begin. "Fringe gangs have been causing trouble downtown, some robberies, muggings. Usually I wouldn't pay them much attention, but according to reports they've been heavily armed." Lovino steepled his fingers.

"How heavily?" Yao's brows furrowed.

"Standard machine guns, a few reports of pyrotechnics, and one supposedly had a smoke grenade." Lovino leaned back in his chair. "Has anything like that passed through here recently?"

"You know we don't deal weapons to petty criminals." Yao replied stiffening.

"I know, I'm not accusing you of arming fringe gangs. I was wondering if any of your secondary dealers have been buying up large quantities or been making strange purchases." Yao relaxed a bit, leaning forward in his chair, his brow furrowing again.

"No . . . There's been nothing out of the ordinary . . . Though now that you mention it, we've had fewer customers than is usual for this time of year." The Chinese man massaged his temples.

"A new dealer?"

"If there is, they won't be around for long." He sneered. "I'll have Mei make rounds to our secondary dealers and see if the corruption starts there, aru. Thank you for this information Mr. Vargas." Yao stood up, extending his hand over the desk.

"My pleasure. No one likes when someone encroaches on their territory." Lovino stood as well, shaking Yao's hand. He locked eyes with Yao, hoping to get his exact meaning across. No one likes when someone encroaches on their territory, especially when that 'someone' is Ivan Braginski.

". . . Of course." Yao nodded briefly.

"I should go round up Feli before he gets himself into trouble." Lovino turned his back on Yao, stepping out of the door. As he walked down the hallway, Kaoru barreled past him and went straight into Yao's office, the Asian's usual placid face contorted into a mask of rage.

"We need to talk." He shouted.

"Aiyaa! What do you think you're doing!" Yao responded. The door slammed shut with a deafening crack. Lovino quickly made his way to the tearoom, wanting to be far away from whatever was about to happen there.

"Feli . . ." He called opening the door to the tearoom. "Hey it's time to . . .What the ever loving fuck." As the door slid open, water rushed over his feet, flowing in a steady stream that came up to mid shin.

"Shut the door!" Kiku shouted, and Lovino did what he was told without question. Once the door was shut behind him, Lovino took stock of the scene. Feliciano was up on one of the tables looking around absolutely mortified and dressed in traditional Japanese robes. Japan was dressed up as well, though the bottom portion, about half way up his shin, was soaked. The water level in the room was rising, slowly, but he could see it rising. Upon closer inspection actually, Lovino realized he was standing shin deep in tea. Here and there little tea bags floated on the surface of the water.

"How the fuck did this happen?" Lovino shouted, trudging through the tea to join his brother on the table. Kiku was running around the room, fretting here and there, but not seeming to really change anything. The water continued to rise. It was now just bellow Kiku's knees.

"Keep your voice down! Yao will hear you." Kiku waved his arms, gesturing for silence.

"I think he's a little preoccupied at the moment." Lovino said dryly, climbing on top of the table and sitting down. He examined his wet feet. Goddamn it these were new fucking shoes. They were fucking expensive.

"By what?" Kiku frowned. He trudged through the tea. It had now risen above Kiku's knees.

"A man with flippy brown hair-"

"Kaoru?"

"I think so. Kaoru ran into Yao's room, shouting about how they needed to talk." Lovino shrugged, realizing that he wasn't going to be able to get out without getting wet again. He fucking hated getting wet.

"What?" The color seemed to drain from Kiku's face. Lovino wasn't entirely sure why Kiku seemed so upset by this news. To the best of his knowledge, Kiku and Yao didn't get along particularly well either. "Oh no. . ."

Suddenly there was a terrible groaning sound then something gave way. Another water began spewing up from somewhere below the water line, a little fountain gushing into the open air. "Kuso!" Japan shouted. Part of the fountain splashed onto the table, and Lovnio scrambled to his feet to avoid the water.

"Where is all of this water coming from?" He demanded. Feli sniffled beside him, tears brimming in his eyes.

"I-I-I . . .Kiku was just making me tea, but I kept hearing this dripping, and the faucet behind the slide away panel into the little kitchen was leaking, so I thought I'd try to fix it, but I just broke the pipe and then I tried to fix that, but I kept breaking stuff, and now there's water, and pipes keeps breaking and. . . and … I'M SO SORRY KIKU!" Feliciano wailed and Lovnio covered his ears. For fuck's sake.

"It's okay Feli, it's okay. Just calm down. You two wait here for a bit. I need to go talk to Kaoru and Yao before-"

"KIIIIIIIKUUUU-AAAAAAAH!" The shout morphed quickly into a screech as the young woman behind the door was met with a blast of water. The water rushed past her, soaking her skirt up to about mid-thigh. "What's going on?" She demanded.

"Some of the pipes broke." Kiku responded, following the flow of the water towards the door.

"Why is it not. . you know. . . clear?" She looked like she was really worried about the answer.

"Don't worry Mei, its just tea." Kiku replied.

"Thank god." She sighed.

"Now what was it you needed." Kiku asked as he made his way past her.

"Kaoru is back, and he and Yao are fighting!" The slight look of panic she had worn earlier was retuning.

"You mean actually fighting?" Kiku paused, a slight look of horror dawning on his face as well. Mei only gave a slight nod. "Then things are worse than I predicted. Mei, go grab Lien, tell her to bring the chains. If you happen to see Im Yong Soo bring him as well, but don't waste your time looking for him." Mei nodded before quickly dashing off down the hallway. Kiku turned back to the Vargas brothers only briefly. "I apologize for this, but you're going to have to show yourselves out." He said before he dashed off.

"Looks like Kiku's family is having trouble too." Feliciano sighed as they drove through the wide city streets on the East end. He had his back to Lovi as he stared out the window.

"We're not having trouble." Lovino insisted. Feliciano sighed again, and Lovino didn't think he'd ever heard his brother sigh no many times in a single night. "What?" Lovino snapped.

"Nothing." Feliciano replied.

"Feli, talk to me." And this time his voice wasn't entirely unkind. However Feliciano didn't respond. "Feli . ."

"I just wish you would talk to me." Feliciano mumbled.

"I'm talking to you right now aren't I?" Lovnio missed the street he was supposed to turn on and swore under his breath.

"That's not what I meant." Feli turned back towards Lovino. "You always keep everything bottled up and you treat me like a child."

"I don't treat you like a child." Lovino turned on the next street so he could hopefully cross over and get back on track.

"Yes you do, you never trust me with any family business and try and keep everything secret from me!" Feli shot back. Lovino nearly rear-ended the man in front of him.

"I don't keep everything secret from you." Lovino lied.

"Yes you do!" It had been a long time since Lovino had seen Feliciano anywhere close to angry, and the look on his brother's face now slightly disturbed him.

"When was the last time I kept a secret from you?" Hopefully if he just kept bluffing, and denying, Feliciano would be content to go back into living in blissful ignorance.

"When you were trapped in your apartment." Lovino turned his face away, looking out the front of the car, and pretending to focus on driving.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stop lying, Lovi, Ludwig was on speakerphone the entire time. I asked him to call you because you wouldn't even try talking to me." Lovino was quiet for a few moments as this information sunk in. He clutched the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. Just stop, Feliciano please. You can't get involved, please. Don't ask me to drag you into the middle of this. "Lovi, please." Now the anger had faded from Feliciano's voice and instead there was desperation. "Don't shut me out, please. I can help, you can trust me . . ."

"You want to know so bad . . ." Lovino said as they pulled up to the front of the hotel. "Ask your piece of shit body guard. If he won't tell you right away, give him this." Lovino fished into his pocket and drew out a business card.

"What is it?" Feliciano asked, taking the card from Lovino. For all intents and purposes it appeared to be any old business card. Specifically it was business card for the Vargas bank, which traditionally funded most of the criminal enterprises on the continental US.

"It's a key." And with that, Lovino exited the car, dropping his keys off with the valet.

Whoo, lot of characters again

Kiku- Japan

Kaoru- Hong Kong

Mei- Tiwan

Lien- Vietnam

Im Yong Soo- South Korea

Mysterious Silver Haired, Violet Eyed Boy- Emil otherwise known as Iceland

Kuso- Japanese for shit or damn it