My pen moved seemingly on its own, scribbling signatures on all the papers… let's see, sign here… initial here… wait, don't initial that one… how did this paper get in here? Into the recycle bin it goes…

I suddenly put my pen down, feeling exhausted and drained. There was just so much paperwork. So much to do, so many papers to sign, and then I had to cook dinner for Prussia and myself…

It was just too much. I needed a way to relax. But how would I go about this? I didn't have many relaxing hobbies…

What about Italy? No matter what was happening, he was almost always relaxed and happy. Perhaps he could give me some ideas.

I found Italy lying on a grassy hill, stroking a stray cat. "I… Italy!" I called. "Italy!"

He looked over and smiled. "Oh, Germany! Ciao!"

"Ahm… I was just wondering…"

He tilted his head. The cat darted away, no longer being petted.

"…do you have any particular ways to relax? I'm feeling overwhelmed with work, and…"

He clapped his hands and nodded. "Si, I do! Painting always relaxes me! Have you tried painting, Germany?"

"Well…" I cleared my throat. "…I've never actually tried before…"

"Oh, I can teach you if you want!"

I was about to refuse, about to say that I could do it on my own, but how could I say no to that face? "Ja, that sounds good."

"Okay~! I have some canvases that I use for practicing! Oh, but… they're at my house…" he looked at me beseechingly. "Do you have any canvases at your house, Germany?"

"I might. I'll be back within—" I checked my watch. "—twenty minutes."

"Okay! Ciao!"

I returned to the field with two small easels and canvases, paintbrushes, and simple watercolor paints. Italy was sleeping, and the cat was back, and sleeping next to him.

"Italy…" I gently shook him awake. He sat up and yawned.

"Oh, Germany!" he saw the supplies I carried in my arms. "Here, let's get them set up…"

In just a minute the easels and canvases were set up and we were each holding a paintbrush in one hand, paints in the other.

"So what do you want to paint?"

I hadn't actually thought of this part, so I looked around the hillside for inspiration. The cat had run off again… oh, but over there! A rabbit grazed on some clover not too far away from us. I pointed with my paintbrush. "What about that rabbit?"

Italy looked and it seemed his smile faltered, just for a split second. But he was grinning again in no time (perhaps I imagined it?), and he said "Sure, Germany! So just copy what I do…"

There was no brown in the paints I had brought, so we opted for pink to act as the fur color. In ten minutes our paintings were finished – his was much better than mine, of course. I frowned at my own, an unsatisfactory depiction of the small animal.

"Oh…" I sighed. "Mine's no good…"

Italy glanced over. His smile seemed to waver again. "No, it's good! Which part is the problem… oh, it's the foot."

He gently took my hand and moved it to correct the offending foot. As I watched the paintbrush stroke across the canvas, something wet fell on my hand. I looked down. More drops were coming, and when I looked at Italy, I realized that he was crying.

"Italy!" I said. "What's wrong?"

But Italy just sobbed and shook his head. I set down the paints and brush and held him.

"Italy," I said as gently as I could, "tell me what's wrong. It's okay, you can tell me."

He looked at my face and opened his mouth, but the only things that flowed from him were more tears. He buried his face in my shirt and I embraced him, trying to comfort.

We stayed that way, holding each other, until the sun sank low in the sky.

I hope this pleases both supporters and non-supporters of the HRE/Germany theory :)