Emptiness.
That's all Romano felt for as long as he could remember. For many years when he was young, some that passed with a blur, some that seemed to last for eternity, he watched his little brother outshine him and be showered with attention and great gifts by no other than his Grandpa Rome. Rome loved Venenziano so much that he even took him away and brought him along with him on his travels. Venenziano had many great talents and blessings. Art. Trade. Architecture. Culinary skills. Beauty. You name it. North Italy was a kind, yet childish boy that loved pasta from the bottom of his heart and spread his good attitude on others like butter on bread. Everyone loved him.
Romano on the other hand was a country with little benefits. While his brother excelled in art and literature, Romano could do very little as a child due to his clumsiness from chorea. He was stuck on the sidelines to watch his brother prosper happily while he was pushed around and beaten up by neighboring countries.
Everyone derided him and insulted him as they assaulted him. Useless child! They would sneer. Why not just die? No one needs you anyway! Those painful words.
At the time, only one person cared for him. His mother, the Byzantine Empire. Despite her ill state, whenever Romano was being bullied by the other countries, she would show up with her gladius and scream "I'M GONNA CARVE YOUR SPINE OUT OF YOUR BODY, DAMN YOU!" and chase them off. Then she would smile at Romano and hold out her hand to take him home and make him something good to eat. She was beautiful and she brought Romano a feeling of comfort and security. She had gorgeous olive skin with dark brown hair and sparkling green eyes. She was a lot like Venenziano though in some ways, her clumsiness was a definite resemblance, but she always had fire in her eyes. Warm and protecting. But the Ottoman Empire was the one to extinguish those flames and Romano was left alone. Without his mother to protect him, the other countries continued to mock him mercilessly.
As years of his childhood flew by, a shield of fiery bitterness formed around his heart and he learned to retaliate. Whenever the countries tried to pick on him, he was delighted when he saw the look on their faces when he hit them hard and cursed at them. It felt good.
But as years continued on, Rome fell, and he and Venenziano were taken under Austria's wing. Well, Venenziano was. Romano stayed with Austria for a little while but he constantly broke things when he cleaned which angered the older country so he was given to Spain.
Romano was used to fighting back against authority for a long time now, so he treated Spain like he did everyone else. But even so, Spain was kind to him. He was exceptionally generous to him, despite the fact Romano constantly treated him to his foul mouth. However, when Turkey tried to kidnap Romano, Spain rescued him and even went so far as to go to war from him. But Spain didn't complain once. He even defied his boss and kept him when she wanted to get rid of him.
Those warm green eyes that looked at him reminded him so much of Byzantine. His cold heart began to melt away and open up to the Spaniard. He blushed in his presence and whenever he got to close, and cursed him out for doing so, even though Spain's actions filled him up with warmth. Spain was his new flames, his new fire. For a while at least.
One day, Romano recalled, he had followed Spain when he was visiting Austria. Romano didn't really remember why, though. He assumed that he ha just wanted to please Spain with his tracking skills or something amongst those lines. But on that fateful day, Romano overheard Spain beg Austria to switch Italy's with him. Hearing the one person that defended him, protected him, want to give him up, cut Romano deeper than any knife could have. He vaguely recalled running home and faintly hearing Spain asking Venenziano if he wanted to marry him.
Romano was back to feeling that hollow emptiness again. The barriers were up again, even after the unification. Venenziano and Romano were now one country. Venenziano talked about the whole thing excitedly with his brother about how everything would be great for them there on out, treating him with kindness and warmth, much like Byzantine and Spain. Romano smiled faintly at his brother kind heart, but he didn't dare get his hopes up. After all, sooner or later Venenziano would realize that Romano was unneeded.
Yes this is what occurs when you randomly start to think about math. Oh how this story is a fail. ESPECIALLY when I decide to make another story when I have three unfinished stories. (Two are almost finished though…) Oh well. I like writing short random stories aside from multiple chapter stories. Even though I was thinking about writing a side story to this about Byzantine and Romano, but oh well. See you all later!
EDIT: I changed ze title cuz I thought it sounded crapalicious! Hope you all don't mind~