Dino looked at Feliciano with disbelief, “You can’t be serious.”
Italy played with the bedding around him, refusing to meet Dino’s eyes, “But I am.”
“I can’t pretend to understand what you and Chero have gone through, but why would you…?”
“Come back? Come to end things?” Feliciano asked.
He sighed and looked Dino in the eyes and lowered his voice, “I am in love with Chero.”
Dino frowned and crossed his arms. He was not surprised, but it was unnerving to hear all the same.
“Wait, listen. I would never act on my feelings...she loves you. More than you know…”
Italy scratched his cheek absent-mindedly, “I should start over.”
It all started recently. I had been having dreams of this place and what had happened to myself and my friends. This was very common and I had been accustomed to having the dreams of the past. But then something changed. I was not looking at things from my own eyes, but through the eyes of another. My body hurt and I was wounded, lying against a wall. A young woman was next to me.
“Are you alright, Hime?” I asked.
A pained voice replied, “Been better...I’ve had worse wounds...can’t remember any right now…”
I let out a small chuckle, “Still cracking jokes even now…”
“Duh!”
We both paused before I spoke, “Do...Do you think she will find us before we…?”
“Yeah and she’ll be sooo pissed. We’re in huge trouble!” Hime laughed, causing herself to laugh.
“YOU SAID YOU WERE JUST GOING FOR A QUICK LOOK!” a young woman sobbed, “You lied…”
She was beautiful, and crying. My heart was telling me to comfort her...hug her, but I could not move. The body I was in was hurt badly.
“Like you lied about everyone else’s deaths?” I asked.
Everyone else’s death? Who else had died? Who was I? The young lady paled and stared at her feet. Her hands shook and she shook her head.
“Chero…we got the key…” Hime said, holding a bloodied hand out to her.
The gi-no, Chero...she took the key from Hime, “I won’t go without you!”
“Amore…you have to escape…we did this for you…” I found myself saying.
“I can’t! I won’t leave without you! I’m staying here…with you.”
“Mother will give you a beating if you don’t listen…” Hime said.
“Eeesh…She will make it worse if you don’t go…” I winced.
“I’ll run…and then Hime will chase after me…because I misbehaved….” Chero said.
“I’m so tired…I think I will rest….” Hime said, closing her eyes.
“Hime…? Hime….?” Chero asked, shaking her.
She would not move or wake. The poor girl...I wanted to help. To make her smile, but I was so very tired...
“HIME!” she sobbed, hugging her friend.
“Amore…” I said, knowing my time was soon up.
Chero pulled away from Hime and looked at me, her expression grim. My wounds must look worse than they feel.
“I can heal you!” She sobbed kneeling in front of me..
I shook my head and pulled her close with what strength I had left, “You have to live…Promise me…”
“I promise! I promise!”
Chero leaned in and kissed me. I smiled.
“Te…a….mo….”
I could feel my body go limp and my eyes close as my consciousness faded away.
I woke from the dream with a start. I was sweating and my palms were shaking. Who was that girl? Who was I in that dream? I recognized the mansion, but I didn’t know the people. Every night after that I had more and more dreams...and with each dream I learned more about you, Hime, Kiki, Jenny, Mocha, Danni, Dante...and Chero…”
“You got my memories from the past loops…”Dino realized.
Feliciano nodded, “By the time I got the call from Luna asking for all available Hosts and fans to help...I had already fallen in love with Chero…”
Dino sighed and closed his eyes.
“At first I thought my feelings were only yours, but when I met her...She’s smart, strong, kind and…”
“Beautiful...I know. Those are the same reasons I fell in love with her myself…”
Dino stood up, “I won't stand between the connection that you two have...I am glad that Chero will have someone she can talk to about the mansion...But.”
“I know. She will never know how I feel about her.”
