Germany didn't know what made him say it. Maybe Italy had just looked too lost. Maybe Italy's red hair next to Germany's green coat had triggered something long buried in his memory. Or maybe Germany was just spouting nonsense. But if it was just nonsense why was there a look of utter agony on Italy's face?
Italy's legs could no longer support him and he fell to his knees as a cry of anguish broke free from him. It had been centuries since those words had been spoken to him. The boy who had said them was long dead, even though his memory haunted Italy every day of his life. "Take it back!" Italy cried, sobs wracking his frame.
Germany opened his mouth to say something but stopped abruptly as he tasted salt from his own tears. He wiped the moisture from his face and stared at his shaking hands. Finally he looked at Italy and responded quietly. "I can't."
Italy doubled over, his torso covering his bent legs. From that position Germany's coat completely covered him. Somewhere in Germany's memory a red haired girl with a curl danced in her green dress, laughing happily. That laughter was instantly drowned out by Italy's cries of pain.
Germany knelt by his friend, sure he'd somehow injured himself with how he was crying and screaming. "Are you alright?" Italy, still shaking with sobs, did not respond. "Italien, look at me." Germany's voice trembled. "Where are you hurt?"
Italy only wrapped his arms around himself in response. In his mind stood a small boy with blue eyes and a black hat that covered his blond hair. "I have to go now, but when this war is over I promise I'll return to you." Over the centuries, those words and the boy who'd said them had plagued Italy. That boy had broken his promise and died. At least that's what Italy kept telling himself in order to forget the agony that shattered promise had left him with. Even after all these years there was one phrase that would reduce him to a crying child. They were words that disturbed otherwise pleasant dreams, but never in his life did he think another person would repeat the words spoken by that boy long ago.
Vaguely Italy could hear Germany shouting at him, but his mind was numb and the words were impossible to understand. Finally Germany wrapped his arms around Italy in an attempt to calm him and repeated the words that had shattered Italy's world.
"I have loved you since the tenth century."