Sorry for the long wait everybody! Writing block is a bitch .-.

~~

The water dripped from the moldy holding cell. Although there were iron bars, there was no sky to look at; however, dirt. Francis shuttered after the nightmares that plagued his sleep finally sizzled out, startling him out of his sleep. Groaning, he turned over on his sore side, his hand continuing to pull at his gorgeous locks.

"God damnit," he murmured quietly to himself, he hated how tired he felt. How he couldn't see anything in the pitch darkness. He hated being wherever the hell he was at.

"Go away," he murmured as he felt something soft hit his back. He didn't know exactly what hit his back; a bat? A moldy piece of the ceiling coming down? The rain?

His thoughts were interrupted as a soft voice cooed through the darkness. "I thought you might need some clothes," a soft voice fluttered into the stone-cold room. "It might be more comfortable than being naked, and warm, may I add."

He glanced over his shoulder, noticing a tall, chubby silhouette standing in the doorway; his purple orbs couldn't make out anything of the male who stood at the door and softly murmured, "oh dear, where are my manners?"

The voice flickered on a light, his soft white flesh took in the lantern's glow as his baby blue eyes twinkled as he gave a shy smile, "hopefully the trip down here wasn't too extreme.."

"Describe what's too extreme," Francis muttered, grabbing the clothes are quickly throwing them on. He recognized the soft smell that lingered on the articles of clothing; sunflowers.

"O... Oh, I didn't mean to open some wounds up, if I did—" the male softly scratched his chin as he added, "I am the warden of this place, Ivan. Pronounced Evan."

"Obviously, I just heard you say—"

"Shh, it's okay.." Ivan offered his hand out towards the Frenchman who glanced at it. Was is safe? Could he really trust this individual?

"The world has been hard on you. I've heard a lot. Your girlfriend was a snake. Your best friend went missing. Your parents left you when you're young. You're not alone in this and I want to help you."

"Help me...?"

"Mhm," Ivan shook his head as he softly gripped Francis's wrist. "I can only do that if you allow me to."

"And how can I trust you?" Francis asked as Ivan began to lead the two out of the cell.

"Because, I am the only friend you got right now to help you rehabilitate."

"Rehabilitated?" Francis let out a cocky laugh as he ran a hand through his hair trying to keep up his bold demeanor. In fact, he left his lip quiver a bit as the warden stepped forward, softness in his eyes as he shrugged. "The boss wants you to join his crew of pirates. He sees potential in you."

"Really?" His voice piqued, he jumped so high it felt like his head had bonked the ceiling when he came back down. Ivan glanced towards the side as he pointed to Francis's exposed chest.

"Call me when you're ready."

~•~

"You sure she can help?"

"Mhm, she owes me a favor," Ludwig responded, glancing at the Brit as he took out his card, unlocking the petit, rundown building and held open the door for Arthur.

"Thanks," he breathed as dust filled the air everywhere. There was an old wooden desk that was torn in half with empty slots of mail. Ludwig pointed to the stairs as the two of them began to ascend.

"So, how did you meet your roommate?"

"Used to work at my bar with her boyfriend. When my brother died, they got into an argument and split up. She needed a place, I took her in."

"Oh. I am sorry to hear that."

Ludwig stopped in front of the first room on the left, took out his keys and unlocked the door. The apartment was different then how the grim look of the rest of it looked. The walls were painted a sky blue as the floor seemed like it went through multiple bleachings.

"Elizabeth?" Ludwig called as a female's head poked out of the corner of the room.

"Sorry, be right there! Just cooking some goulash!"

"She enjoys her goulash," he muttered as Elizabeth fired back,

"Not as much as you and your wurst sausage!!"

Arthur gave out an amused scoff as Elizabeth left the kitchen and washed her forearms before scrubbing her hands clean. She was wearing a green dress that clung to her body as her wavy hair wound up covering her face. She huffed her hair out of her face as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Not interested in dating other men, Lud. When Rod is ready, he will sweep me off my feet!"

"I'm not here for that," Arthur interjected, glancing at the girl in front of him, her eyes hardening.

"They said you were dead. Are you a ghost coming back to haunt me?"

"They say that a lot nowadays," Arthur yawned as he muttered, "I always come back."

"Anyways..." Ludwig trailed as he glanced at the two of them, noticing their eyes were locked in battle. "He came here to save his friend."

"You mean the Frenchie? He is long gone. They took him to the warden."

"The warden?" Arthur asked as Elizabeth nodded unenthusiastically. "Yeah. He is in charge of making new minions. Never met the man but he runs a zoo. If your friend is there, it's a lost cause."

"I can't just give up!" Arthur exclaimed, moving towards Elizabeth who placed her hands on her shoulders.

"What does he mean to you?" Elizabeth crossed her arms as her eyes hardened.

"Where'd they take him?"

"What does he mean to you?" She uncrossed her arms as the Britishman's body began to quake.

"Where is he?"

"Answer my question and I will tell you."

"He-" his words died on him. Before all this chaos, he was some annoying pipsqueak that wanted to interfere in his work and save the town, to be a pirate. However...

"It's complicated."

Everything happened so fast that I couldn't tell him... What I wanted to tell him... The thought stuck in his mind as his green eyes plummeted down into the floor, his mind in complete war about how he felt. How he SHOULD feel. He crossed his arms as Elizabeth gave a small nod.

"I know that feeling all to well..." She murmured quietly to herself as she adjusted the curls out of her face. "You know the sewers near Port Jacques?"

"What about it?"

"The entrance is there. Right under the town. You keep my name out of this if you get caught, you hear? I can't get involved or else they will kill me too."

"You have my word," Arthur turned to leave until Ludwig placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You sure you want to do this alone?"

"I've done everything alone before. This is no different. You have been an amazing help and I can't risk you getting hurt."

Ludwig didn't say anything before sighing, "let me grab my stuff."

"I don't need he-"

"Someone else didn't need help and I lost him. I won't loose you, either."

~•~

"Nervous?"

"Kind of..." Admitted Francis.

"Don't worry, people here will love you! You can forget about all the pain, the heartbreak, the assault, everything!" Ivan reassured as he watched Francis's eyes droop, his neutral stance drop as he began to swirl his soup with his silver spoon.

"Is it that easy to let go?"

"Yes. I used to be homeless before being the warden," Ivan broke his bread in two, handing it to Francis. "My sisters often cried. Begging for food. Begging for shelter and one winter. I lost them both."

"I'm so sorry..."

"The pain was necessary for my survival; however, I don't need the pain. I already survived. Let go of your fake friend. He isn't coming. He is dead. Don't worry," Ivan slid his arm around Francis's upper back and gave a grand smile. "I am your best friend now."

Is he really not coming? Francis questioned to himself as he scratched the back of his neck. He had to... Right? Sure, the two had their banter but he felt the more they argued, the more he felt the Brit care about him. Through all of the petty name calling, he felt that it had brought them more close: not apart.

He felt a cold hand on his cheek as the Russian gave a bright and warm smile. "Forget everything you know and step into the light..." Ivan slipped him what looked like red wine; however, it smelled worse than any wine he had ever drank on a lonely night.

"This'll help you," purred Ivan as he took the glass in his fragile hands and lifted the liquid to his lips; taking in the bitterness of the liquid.

"Now. You're cured. Just like me." He felt the pain leaving his body. The memories. The darkness. Everything. He began to feel numb. He flexed his fingers as he glanced at the smiling Russian.

"It'll take awhile for the whole liquid to set in but come with me. Boss wanted to speak with you and frankly, we are late." Ivan took his hand softly as he interlaced their fingers together. Francis tried to unknit, to run away from the warden but he couldn't. He felt trapped. He felt his body WANTED to feel this way. To be close to Ivan; however, he felt his heart sing the same old tune. And he wasn't even going to come for him...

"If you're thinking about your fake friend that used you. I won't ever use you. You're far too precious and pretty for that," purred Ivan as he lead Francis down the bleak gray walls that felt like they went on for eternity.

How did it get this far?? His brain screamed as it finally collected itself on whenever he saw Arthur last. He was... Different. He attempted to put their differences aside and he couldn't help but feel strange to his change. Want to hide away from the change.

They stopped in a hallway as he felt his body spin and his chest met Ivan's. "I'll do something he wasn't able to do," he murmured. His voice never leaving the soft and silvery atmosphere. "Will that help you place a smile on your face..  I hate to see you heartbroken over someone like him... A crook."

"He isn't a crook!" Francis exclaimed as Ivan placed his hand under his chin and placed his mouth against his ear, "he said that to you... Didn't he? He is just as rotten as my boss. Can't trust everything you hear.."

As Ivan pulled away from the male's ear, he touched his nose against the Frenchman's and planted a cold and soft kiss on his quivering lips. "I know abandonment and letting go is hard... But I can be your new boyfriend. I won't ever abandon you." And he tightened his grip on the male's hand. "... Only if you want that..." He murmured softly after.

The two walked in silence as a big gray door finally appeared in the bleakness of the room. Ivan punched a series of numbers as he pushed Francis out the door.

"Thank you, Ivan," the booming voice caused his ears to pop. "I was just on my way to meet the lucky man that will help my smuggling empire." A grin drew itself crookedly from the corners of both his ears.

"Why would... I help you. At all??" He shouted as the warden flinched, giving his side a soft warning touch as the boss shook his head.

"Unfortunately if you don't come willingly. Looks like I have to beat it into you until the elixir kicks in..." A dark laugh escaped the boss's voice as he rubbed his hands mechanically.

"This. Will. Be. Fun."