It was raining again.

Not the thunderous kind of rain with dark, drooping clouds in shades of slate which scorn the sky but the gentle kind, drumming on the windows and pattering on paving stones like a sensitive, curious child. It was so nice that Italy felt like sticking his head out of the darkened window and drinking some of the rain because it just looked so nice and fresh!~ but...Romano had told him not to do that. He gently closed the open window.

Italy hummed happily to himself as he busied himself around his room, a wide smile plastered to his face. Pulling on (after smelling) a red German jacket Germany had brought for him a while ago- But was still nice and fully pressed! thats German precision for you! Germany was so kind to get this for me, I'll have to thank him again tonight! ~- he smiled fondly as he remembered when Germany had given it to him, that rare sweet smile ( the one he does when he doesn't realize he's smiling, not the one when he's trying to smile. Thats a scary!) on his face that reminded him of sunshine. He flushed happily at the memory, a lightness in his stomach that made him feel like he was walking on clouds. Italy looked at himself in his mirror, doing this ridiculous but adorable little dance out of excitement, squeezing his cheeks together.

Tonight will be so much fun!~ With Germany! and Romano! and Big Brother's Spain and France! and Germany's brother Prussia!...wait...speaking of Romano..

"-Italy! godammit are you done yet!? Its been twenty minutes!"

Romano's irritated growls echoed through the house, as he stood directly below Italy's room, having to wait for the Idota for the second time this week because he had been busy fawning over that god damn hideous German jacket that Potato bastard had bought for him. He tapped his watch.

….damn potato Bastard...buying my brother things…who does he even think he is?.. .If he touches him tonight I swear...

"Coming Fratello!~ Just one more second!"

Romano sighed. That meant twenty more minutes. Knowing Italy he would probably feel like now was the perfect time to have a siesta! he diverted his attention to the fact he had actually agreed to do this stupid thing tonight, when he had things that were a hell of a lot more important to do. The things you have to do for brothers, eh?

Romano actually felt shocked when Italy almost barrel-rolled down the staircase seconds later, arriving on time for once, giggling at the foot of the staircase. It was like Italy was already drunk, on happiness. Romano cringed, making a note to himself to keep an extra, extra eye on the sneaky potato bastard tonight . After helping him up and checking the idiot over to see that he hadn't hurt himself, he continued moaning. His arms folded with a scowling face like a puppy trying to be threatening that was practically ™Romano.

"ugh. I still can't believe you're making me do this. Especially with those two stupid potato bastards. Fucking Germans..."

"oh come on Romano, It'll be fun!~ Big Brother Spain and France are coming too~"

Romano jolted up with a start from his new revelation, wanting to claw his now very red face off. Why the hell did Italy always drop such massive bombshells on him out of nowhere!? He could deal with the two potato bastards, granted, but the spaniard….. was an entirely different story.

"what?! T-Tomato Bastard?! Why the hell is he suddenly coming! nobody told me this!"

"But Fratello...I'm telling you now, ve~ And don't you want to see Spain, Romano? He really wants to see you. Big Brother France says he's been missing you~..."

Italy chirped this in innocent yet insinuating voice that made Romano want to strangle him. He blushed involuntarily, and thought of that stupid Spain with his stupid glittery green eyes and stupid fucking grin ( I mean jeez, was the guy ever unhappy?)and-

~"ahaha Lovi! Your face is bright red! You look like a tomato!"~

-and how much he wanted to fucking strangle him! He infuriatedly muttered a string of italian curses under his breath as he kept on hearing this bastardo's ever-optimistic little voice inside his head. All the while Italy hid a little smile which was forming beneath his hand, which grew even more difficult as his brother spluttered on about how so little he cared about Spain missing him. It took a while for Romano to gain his composure.

"Look, can we just get going already?" Romano eventually grumbled " I just want to get this fucking thing over as soon as possible, okay?! I dont even know why you want me there..."

"Romano! please don't be like that~ ...Germany's even paying for everything, and It can be a really fun night if we make it one, ve!~ Its a really really cool restaurant too!~"

The desperation in Italy's tone was now leaking through as Romano continued to sulk. he then had a bright idea, pinging in his mind in what he imagined was a light bulb shape. He patted Romano on the back, swivelling him around, giving him that adorable Italian smile that nobody could refuse. Not even Germany.

"and I want you there because you're my Fratello, silly! It just wouldn't be the same without you, Romano...so please come for me."

God damn that smile was powerful. Refusing it was like stabbing a stray kitten on your doorstep in the eye. With a needle. Romano's eye twitched at the indignity of being beaten.

"Tch. Fine."

"yaaay!~ " Italy immediately threw his arms around the squirming Romano in a hug, braving the onslaught of abuse that Romano immediately fired back. part of him believed that was Romano's own way of hugging him back. Another part of him felt a bit sad about the fact his Fratello never hugged him and instead was calling him a 'Pasta bastard' in a voice as sour as year-old milk. But most of him just really wanted some Pasta.

The two Italy brothers pulled on their coats and scarves to brave the blisteringly cold weather outside, as they headed out to Romano's car to drive to the as Romano had eloquently put it- 'Pretentious-Potato-bastard-Aryan-German-restaurant-thing' nearby Germany's house. The rain was now heavier as the sky was darkening, and since Italy had now lost four of their umbrella's through losing them during training (Germany made them train no matter the weather) and of course that one visit to China's house (he really shouldn't have opened it indoors) him and Romano were huddled together under one umbrella, scurrying for the warm,welcoming inside of the car.

When they finally jumped in, with a bang!, Romano in the drivers seat ( No way in hell was he letting Italy drive, do you think he had a death wish?!) and Italy staring at his reflection in the window from the passenger seat they belted up, Romano revved the engine, and they started along the bustling neon highway illuminated by the frenzy of the night-life.

"If there aren't any tomatoes i'm driving straight home, do you hear me?"

"But Romano, you're forgetting something!..there's always going to be one tomato!~ve"

"What the hell are you talking about?! what is this 'one tomato' crap, eh?"

"Fratello, its You!~"

From the inside of a car, travelling at a fast pace along a motorway, nobody can hear your screams.