Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, Miracle Train ~Oedo-sen e Youkoso~ nor their characters.

This fic contains past pairing Germany x N. Italy, temporary N. Italy x Shiodome, both of which are shounen-ai, as in male x male relationships. If you do not like them, please leave now.

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Oh, you're still here. Also, I don't hate the pairing Germany x N. Italy, in fact it's a fave of mine, but I had to do what I did for this fic to work...oh, and in the case of Hetalia characters, human names are used. In the case of the stations from Miracle Train, the station names are their surnames so those have stuck.

Enjoy, and please leave a review, but please do not flame...

~*~

Shiodome was walking through a street in his area known as Little Italy. The aromas of pizza and pasta filled the air and his nostrils, causing his stomach to growl. "Well, I still have plenty of time, I guess I'll stop for lunch." He looked around for a restaurant that would suit his tastes for the day. He finally found one. Something else had caught his eye. It was a young man with auburn hair. He was eating some spaghetti bolognaise, and appeared to be enjoying it immensely. Shiodome didn't understand why, but he found his feet were carrying him towards the young man.

The auburn-haired male paused mid-bite as he noticed the blond approaching him. He couldn't help but think the teenager was cute. "Bongiorno~!"

The accent was perfect, so that had to mean... "Bongiorno!" Shiodome called back in response. He stepped closer to the auburn-haired male. "Are you Italian?"

He nodded in response. "I'm here to visit my friend Kiku, but I decided to come here for lunch before I go visit him. I felt a little homesick, but this is helping me feel right at home."

"So, the food is to your liking?"

The Italian man nodded in response. "It's very delicious~!"

"Good to know. Oh, I'm sorry, I should introduce myself. My name is Shiodome Iku, and you are?"

"I'm Feliciano Vargas, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Vargas-san."

"Please call me Feliciano."

"Okay, only if you call me Iku."

"Okay!"

"Would you like to be shown around Little Italy? I'm planning on having lunch here myself, and after that, if you would like to, I could show you around."

"That would be great, Iku!"

"Very well, Feliciano-san!"

"Hey hey, sit here with me! We can talk more!"

"Okay, if I won't be a bother..."

"Not at all."

Shiodome pulled out the chair across from Feliciano and sat down, while the Italian male called over a waiter.

~*~

They finished lunch and had paid for their meals, so they left the restaurant and walked down Little Italy. Shiodome pointed out different restaurants and mentioned what their specialties were, so if Feliciano felt like having anything particular, he'd know which restaurant to go to. "Hey, would you like a gelato?"

Feliciano nodded. "That sounds great!"

Shiodome beamed. "Okay, I'll get some. What flavour?"

"Strawberry, please."

"Okay! Be right back!"

Feliciano watched as Shiodome headed to a vendor, then he took his phone out of his pocket. He dialled a number and put it to his ear. "Kiku? ... Feliciano. I'm in Little Italy at the moment. ... Do I? I guess I feel at home here... ... How did...?! Okay, I met someone named Shiodome Iku. He's very nice, and knows a lot about this area. He's getting gelato at this moment. ... I know, but I'll be alright. ... Oh, he's coming back. I'll see you later, Kiku. Ciao!" After hearing a response from his friend, he closed the mobile phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He sighed, somehow this change was going to be harder than he thought.

Shiodome dashed over to his new friend, both hands holding a cone with three scoops of gelato. "Sorry it took me so long, there was a long line."

"Oh, it's alright."

"Are you alright?"

Feliciano nodded. "I'll be okay. Thank you." He accepted the gelato and had a few licks. The taste of home lifted his spirits a little.

Shiodome couldn't help but be concerned, Feliciano was lacking the spirit and energy he had earlier.

~*~

It was time for them to part ways. Shiodome had to return to the terminal and board the Miracle Train, while Feliciano was going to meet with Kiku. They shook hands and said their goodbyes.

Shiodome was still concerned about his new friend, even as he boarded the train.

"Shiodome-kun, where were you? You were due back ages ago!" Tocho Saki scolded the youngest station.

Shiodome bowed and apologised. "Have I missed the passenger?"

"No, they're due to board shortly," Tsukishima Izayoi replied. "Shiodome-kun, did something happen while you were out?"

Shiodome was about to explain about his new friend, but Shasho's voice called over the PA. "I'll explain later..." the youth replied as everyone took their positions. He plastered a smile onto his face, no point in having their passenger wallow in his troubles as well as their own.

~*~

Feliciano sighed as the train pulled into the station. After the doors had opened, he carefully pushed through disembarking passengers until he was on the train. Instead of a large crowd of people making different conversations, the first thing he heard was Welcome aboard the Miracle Train! coming from six males. His eyes widened when he saw one of them. "Iku!"

Shiodome's eyes widened as well when he realised just who the passenger was. "Feliciano-san!"

The rest of the stations were left wondering just what was going on. Not only was their passenger male instead of the usual female, it seemed Shiodome knew him.

~*~

Feliciano had been introduced to the rest of the stations, and heard the explanation about the Miracle Train. He was surprised to know his new friend was really the anthropomorphised form of the Shiodome station. But, it didn't bother him. Why should it? He hadn't let Shiodome know his own truth yet...sometimes it was better for others not to know who he really was. He noticed the one named Shinjuku Rintaro was keeping his distance, but again, he didn't let it bother him.

"So, what's been troubling you, Feliciano-san? You can share it with us here, it stays completely confidential, and we promise we will do our best to help," Shiodome stated as he sat beside his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't tell you the real reason why I was here to visit my friend Kiku..." Feliciano started to tell as tears filled his eyes. "Ludwig...he broke up with me...he said he was tired of always having to rescue me and was tired of me having daily siestas and..." He buried his face in his hands and sobbed as he continued. "When Kiku found out, he invited me to stay with him, knowing it wouldn't be a good idea to stay at home. I'm not threatened, but if my older brother Romano found out, he would want to kill Ludwig. I know I'm not the bravest or smartest person, but I thought Ludwig loved me..."

Shiodome frowned in concern.

"I thought...eating Italian food would help me feel better...but then after talking with Kiku and eating a gelato...something I used to do with Ludwig...it started to upset me..." He looked up at Shiodome. "It's not your fault, Iku, so please don't think that...it's just that Ludwig and I have been in love with each other since we were children, so why did he break up with me over so many of my faults?" He hung his head. "What will it do to Italian-German relations if the nations are no longer unified?"

"Nation? Wait...are you...?" Ryogoku Itsumi started to ask.

"I am. I'm North Italy, my brother is South Italy, Ludwig is Germany and Kiku is Japan. It's not something we can really reveal to everybody..." He turned to Shiodome and sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you..."

"It's alright, I didn't tell you I'm a station either."

"Now that Ludwig and I are no longer together..." He started to cry again. "He didn't even like me always crying like I am now...he was tired of me being less than a man should be."

"Even men cry, it doesn't make them any less," Roppongi stated as he knelt in front of Feliciano. He handed him a handkerchief. "If you cry too much, you might make yourself sick, but it's the same with not crying enough."

"Aside from your brother, do you have other family you can talk with about this?" Tocho asked the Italian.

"I would tell Big Brother Francis, but he'd probably pick a fight with Ludwig, and then run away at the last minute. Some say he's worse than me when it comes to fighting. I can't tell Roderich, he helped raise Ludwig too."

"If that's the case, maybe you should let him know what has happened," Tsukishima suggested. "Your boyfriend left you for very foolish reasons, maybe Roderich-san would be able to talk some sense into him."

"I could try...and if he won't help me, then maybe Elizaveta, she's Roderich's ex-wife, she also helped look after Ludwig and I when we were kids."

"As for your friend Kiku-san..."

"He was quick to offer for me to stay with him until everything cooled down in Europe. But, my leaders might need me to come back if something were to go wrong."

"The duty of a nation is important, but you should remember that when feeling out-of-sorts, it's hard to complete your task correctly. When it comes to making decisions while heartbroken, it could be disastrous. I advise that you stay with Kiku-san, but while there, let your brother and Roderich-san know what's happening, and ask your brother to hold down the fort while you try to calm yourself," Tocho suggested.

"Hey, Feliciano-san, you could really do with a change of scenary right now. I only showed you Little Italy, but there is much more for you to see. Tocho-san, can I take Feliciano-san on an outing for a while?" Shiodome asked the older station.

Tocho nodded and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Very well, Shiodome-kun. Be careful out there."

~*~

The stations watched as Shiodome and Feliciano disembarked the train and waited until the doors had shut. "I hope Shiodome realises that now is way too soon for Feliciano to be dating someone," Shinjuku commented. He knew the teenager had been smitten.

"It all depends on how Feliciano-san feels about it," Tsukishima replied. He'd noticed that while Feliciano's heart was aching over the break-up, his eyes had lit up a couple of times, once was when he had boarded and saw the station he never thought he would see again, the second was when Shiodome had suggested the outing.

~*~

"I like your friends, they're very nice."

"They are! I'm sorry about Shinjuku-san though, he's more fond of helping out female passengers."

"It's alright."

Shiodome knew Feliciano wanted to say something, so he waited until the nation had said what he felt he had to.

"I wonder...was I really in love with Ludwig? I mean, I know I always held admiration for him because he's so strong and never afraid of anything. I was happy when he told me he loved me...and I'm crushed that he broke up with me...but was it really love for him?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I shouldn't be able to feel love so soon, should I?"

"Who do you feel love for?"

Feliciano took Shiodome's hand in his own as his response.

"Fe...Feliciano-san...but, it's too soon..."

"I know, that's why I want to know if I really did love Ludwig..."

Shiodome looked around and spotted an area they could go where nobody would see them. Holding Feliciano's hand, he pulled the nation with him until they reached that area.

"Why are we here?"

"Um...I must admit I've taken a liking to you...and I mean a real liking. When I saw you, my heart was pounding so hard in my chest, I thought I must be ill. When you acknowledged me, my heart leapt. I...I think I may have fallen in love with you, but I want to know if what we're feeling is real and nothing else."

"How will we do that?"

Shiodome responded by stepping closer and bringing his lips to Feliciano's.

The Italian quickly responded and started to kiss back.

~*~

The two of them returned to the terminal hand in hand. Feliciano's mobile phone started to ring, it was the tone to let him know Kiku was calling him. "I'm sorry, but I have to get this."

Shiodome nodded and let go of Feliciano's hand so he could speak with Kiku.

"Kiku? ...I'm alright...I'm still in Shiodome at the moment (Good thing neither of them realised the double-meaning to those words)...No, I'm about to enter the station (Or those ones)...I don't know when I will be there, I'll be on the train for a while...Oh, it's the Miracle Train...You've heard of it?!...Oh, right, it is running in your home...It's because I have troubles...I know, but Iku has been helping me...I don't think I've ever felt so happy in my life...What?...So then...Oh, okay then...Okay, Kiku. Ciao." He hung up and turned to Shiodome. "Is it true you can't go anywhere outside of the Oedo line?"

Shiodome nodded. "It's true..."

"But, I'm a nation and yet I can visit everywhere else..."

"I've always wanted to go to Italy, but I'm stuck here...it's hard being a station at times."

"Then...we can't be together..." Feliciano hung his head and sighed. "But...I still don't regret what we did, nor having feelings for you."

"Why?"

"You helped me see that even though Ludwig breaking up with me is painful, I can still find someone out there who will love me for me."

"I'm certain you will. One day, someone will tell you in a fond voice that they love you."

"Thank you, Iku. I'm sad we can't be together...but, I'd like for us to still be friends."

"I'd like that too! Even though the Miracle Train is usually for women, anytime you find yourself in trouble, you can come to any station along the Oedo line, and you will find yourself aboard the Miracle Train. No doubt a day will come when we will see each other again. Plus, because you're a nation and I'm a station, we can see each other even when we shroud our presences, so even if we run into each other in Little Italy...we will see each other again." He held up his left arm, his pinky finger extended. "Promise."

Learning this way of making a promise from Kiku helped Feliciano understand what he was to do, so he linked his own pinky finger with Shiodome's. "Promise!"

~*~

The doors on the train opened and in stepped Feliciano and Shiodome. "You're looking much happier now, Feliciano-san," Roppongi pointed out.

"Thanks to Iku, I know one day I will find someone else. In the meantime, I'm going to focus on my friendships and my family, without them I would be alone, right, Iku?"

Shiodome nodded. "And remember, you and I are friends for life."

"I'll never forget that. Thank you for today, Iku." In traditional Italian style, Feliciano bent forward and kissed both of Shiodome's cheeks as a sign of gratitude. It was also his way of saying goodbye, knowing his time of disembarkment was near.

~*~

"Ciao, everyone! Thank you!" Feliciano waved to the stations as the doors opened. He saw Kiku standing on the platform and pointed him out to his new friends. "That's Kiku!" Running off the train, Feliciano jogged over to Kiku, as if to pull him onto the train in order to meet his new friends, but when he looked back, he only saw numerous passengers. "Huh? What happened?"

"After your problem has been solved and you leave the Miracle Train, a time diagram is restarted so it's as if you were just on a normal train the whole time," Kiku explained.

"But, you never met my new friends..."

"That's where you are wrong, my friend."

"Huh?"

Kiku pointed over to the wall at the far end of the platform. "I can see them waiting over there. They have some time off until a new passenger boards. And, I'm certain they know I want to thank them myself."

~*~

The six stations waited until Feliciano and his friend, someone they all recognised instantly yet hadn't realised at first this was the special friend Feliciano was talking about. How could they know? They weren't aware he was a nation until he told them...

Kiku approached all of the stations and bowed to them. "I thank you for helping my friend today. Ever since everything with Ludwig-san, he had lost his smile. But, thanks to you..." he turned to Shiodome, "...especially you, Shiodome-kun, he's almost the same Feliciano-kun I met during the days of World War II. Thank you."

"Nihon-san, with you as a friend to him, Feliciano-san will someday be the same as he was all those years ago," Tsukishima replied.

"Please address me by my human name."

"Very well, Kiku-san."

~*~

Feliciano walked beside Kiku, a smile on his face. Tsukishima's words to Kiku replayed in his mind, and he had to agree. He was fortunate to have such a great friend in Kiku. And, he was fortunate he also found himself in a friendship with Shiodome Iku.

Shiodome smiled and hummed to himself as he sat on a seat and swung his legs back and forth. He knew that one day, everything would be alright for Feliciano, but until then, he had the support of his friends. And, even though he may not be there physically, his heart was always connected with the Italian's, and he'd be offering as much support as he could give.

Again, thank you for reading, and please leave a review, but no flames, please.