"Holy Rome! Holy Rome! Oww! Holy Rome," Italy cried as he saw his friend come from around the corner.
"What is it, Italy?" Holy Rome knit his eyebrows in concern.
"Ve~! I scraped my knee! It hurts," Italy started to cry.
"How did you do that, Italy?" Holy Rome bent down to look at Italy's knee, being careful not to touch the bloodied surface.
"Mister Austria put me to work again. Miss Hungary helped me, but then she left to go tend to Mr. Austria. He said he needed help with his tuning fork. That's when I fell and scraped my knee."
Holy Rome turned beet red at the sexual innuendo. "It-Italy, I'll g-go get some b-bandages," he stammered. With that, Holy Rome swiftly got up and entered Mr. Austria's house.
When he entered the house, Holy Rome heard strange keys being played on what he thought was a piano.
Mister Austria must like having someone to do that with… Italy doesn't know my feelings so it would never happen… Holy Rome stopped abruptly in the hall in front of the bathroom. Did I just say I wanted Italy? he thought as he shook off his feelings for a brief moment. Italy would never want me, right? Holy Rome collected bandages from the cabinet behind the mirror with a furrowed brow after he pulled on a step-stool from its spot next to the porcelain throne. Yes, there is no reason Italy would want me… Holy Rome thought, trying to convince himself that the cute little Italian had no feelings for him — at least the feelings of more than friendship.
Holy Rome had finally ventured back out of the house with Austria and Hungary still banging the piano, when he heard Italy whimpering. "Italy! I'm coming for you, Italy!" Holy Rome started to run as fast as he could, carrying an awkward load of medicines and bandages.
Italy was glad to see Holy Rome, shown by the glitter in the little country's eyes. "I'm so glad you came~! I thought you forgot about me, Holy Rome…" The glow in Italy's eyes was gone as he looked to the ground.
"I will never forget about you Northern Italy, ever," Holy Rome stated while trying to coax the bandage around Italy's knee.
Once it was wound tight, so the bleeding would stop, Holy Rome received a gift for getting Italy back on his feet. "Thank you, Holy Rome." Italy kissed Holy Rome on the cheek, who only grew red at the thank-you.
"Y-you're welcome, It-Italy." Holy Rome stumbled over his words.
The tiny Italian country got use to walking around without bending his knee — it took some time getting used to cleaning with the injury. And every few weeks Holy Rome would come and visit.
"Italy, how's your leg?" Holy Rome asked, not knowing it had healed after he had left the previous time.
"It's fine, Holy Rome. And I was serious about thanking you. I appreciated it. Mister Austria and Miss Hungary were busy tuning his piano and no one else heard me calling for help. Than you came and saved me~! Thank you again, Holy Rome!" A kiss was given, again, as a token of thanks, but this one was on the lips.
"Italy!" A very angry Austrian appeared.
"Yes, sir?" Italy looked innocently at Austria, not knowing the older country had seen the kiss.
"I vant you to head up to mein bedroom und clean it for all you're vorth." He looked from Holy Rome to Italy with a glare as he spoke.
"Bye, Holy Rome~!" Italy waved as he grabbed the bucket and the other cleaning supplies, heading inside the house of his Austrian master.
Hungary, overhearing the words of the Austrian, promenaded over. "Vhat are you doing, kind? Vhy do you stay around?" She knelt next to the tiny blonde.
"Ja, zhere is nozhing special about Italy." Austria gave Holy Rome a skeptical look, but was dismissed by a wave of Hungary's hand.
"Y-you are wr-wrong! Italy is ver-very special to m-me… I just d-don't know h-how to s-say it…" Holy Rome sheepishly looked at the ground after yelling to the back of the Austrian pianist.
"Vell, you could return zhe kiss next time Italy gives you von," Hungary held her frying pan out in an explaining gesture as she spoke quietly.
Holy Rome gasped. "Y-you saw th-that?"
"Ja, but you should get Italy a flover or somezhing before zhat. Just to show you care." She reached down and ruffled Holy Rome's hair before he quickly reached up and fixed it.
The conversation ended when, Holy Rome, listening to Hungary's advice, dashed away to pick a small bouquet of flowers to give to Italy.
When the day came to present them, Holy Rome offered the flowers with a warm smile. "Italy, I got these flowers for you." He looked sheepish as he presented them.
"Thank you, Holy Rome." This must have been a bad day because Italy didn't give a kiss to Holy Rome, who was expecting one.
"What's wrong, Italy?" Holy Rome asked, having a sense of déjà vu. He set the flowers down gently.
"Nothing. I'm just tired of cleaning Mister Austria's house." Italy folded his arms, almost in an act of defiance.
"I can see why. He works you all day, but I think he loves you, Italy, like a mother loves her daughter." Holy Rome, having no knowledge of Italy being a boy, said this in an attempt to act stronger than the usual frail and weak boy he was.
"I guess you could call our relationship that… What's our relationship like, Holy Rome?" Italy turned to Holy Rome, awaiting his answer.
"I-I would call us f-friends, I think." To turn the spotlight off of him, Holy Rome asked Italy, "What w-would you call us?"
Italy thought a moment. "If you wanted, we could be more than friends..." Italy spoke with seriousness in his tone and held out his hand for Holy Rome to take.
In answer, Holy Rome grabbed the hand and began a little-more-than-friendship with Italy.