Loved by the Island, Smitten by the Boot

Ch 10

"You WHAT?!"

Feliciano was giggling quietly to himself as he looked over his new ring. He still couldn't get over how Arthur managed to get his hands on his Nonno's lost ring, one he made when the Vargas brothers were first created. Something he wore daily until he disappeared. Feliciano had, at one point, hoped to find the ring but he had given that dream up long ago. But now, here it was again! On his ring finger and looking as wonderful as ever. Feli sighed happily to himself, still not having had answered Kiku, Ludwig, and Lovino's combined 'WHAT?!'.

"Vene I swear to GOD I will strangle you to DEATH if you don't answer me in the next thirty FUCKING seconds!" Lovino had a vein popping out of his forehead. This only happened when he was especially angry. But oh, Feli couldn't care less! The ring! The ring! His Nonno's lost ring! And Arthur's beautiful speech...he couldn't say no! With his gaze fixated on the jewelry on his finger, he didn't notice his best friend Kiku shuffle towards him so he could place a tentative yet firm hand on Feli's shoulder.

"Feliciano..." Kiku sighed as he spoke, pulling the Italian's attention towards him. He looked serious and worried. There was an odd expression on his face, a mixture of worry and fear and some forced sternness. "Do you really believe you should marry Arthur-san after a mere few dates and a pretty ring? Don't you...find this odd...?" Odd? Odd how?

"Ve, odd?" He tilted his head and pursed his lips.

"Si dipshit, odd! He's insane and power hungry and did I mention he's THE UNITED FUCKING KINGDOM. Remember what he did!!"

"Pah! Remember what we did? Why do you always have to go attacking Arthur, you make him to be some kind of giant bully when he's no bigger a bully than any other country! And he loves me!"

"But...how do you know?" This time it was Ludwig's turn to speak. He had a grimace on his face and no doubt he had spent his time while silent pondering the situation.

"Because of the ring, silly!" Feli laughed lightly but all that came out of the other three were dejected, frustrated sighs.

"If I may ask, what is the significance behind this ring? What about it makes it so special that you immediately say yes to a marriage proposal?" Kiku was trying his hardest to not break out in frustration. He was genuinely worried for his friend!

"It's a ring that our Nonno used to wear." Lovino began, his arms crossed and eyes trained on the ring. He looked at it with gentle eyes despite the angry expression. He hadn't seen that ring in a very long time. "Actually, it's a ring that that was basically melted onto his finger. He never took it off. Promised it to Feli but..."

"But he disappeared...and I never found it. And when I realized I couldn't ever get it, it felt like I lost him all over again. But...Arturo..." Feliciano cooed that last word, a smile spreading on his face. "Arturo brought it back to me. And he said such beautiful words...I couldn't say no!"

"Yes you COULD have, bastard!"

"This all seems...sehr verdächtig..."

"Mhm. I agree."

"Whaaaat?" Feli looked at Ludwig and Kiku. "Sospettoso come?"

"Sospettoso come? Are you STUPID?" Lovino yells and practically shoves his head through a wall. Ludwig and Kiku turn serious and each place a hand on Feliciano.

"Feliciano-chan...do you think it is possible that perhaps Arthur is...manipulating you?"

"Cosa?"

"I understand that may come as a difficult thing to absorb, but think about it. Your sudden infatuation with him, his suddenly und conveniently having your family's lost heirloom...It all seems a little too coincidental to me."