A/N: okay, so I know I've been out for almost a year. And although part of it is because of my own procrastination to do anything, part of it is also past family problems. And I know there was summer, but there was a trip I had to get ready for, and rookie camp from our Marching Band. This is just to get me back into the writing spirit. This fic here is based on a little mini from A. S. King's book, Ask the Passengers. I really recommend reading it. Anywho, Hetalia is not mine, nor is the 'plot' for this little one shot.

Did I hear him right? I stared at his back as he cut the tomatoes for the pizza I was planning on making.

"What?"

"Hmm?"

He doesn't look up from the cutting board, just continues chopping.

"Did you really just say what I think you said?"

I look up to him in disbelief. He turns around and hands me the cutting board with the diced tomatoes, his stupid smile on his face. The same stupid smile that always seems to make my face heat up. It was the same stupid smile he used when he asked is he could live with me in my apartment, away from the dorm he shared on campus with his "shitty roomate" of an Englishman.

"I come home from class with that jerk teacher and argue with you on what we should eat, and you go and tell me this now?"

"Yup!" he exclaims, his smile brightening.

"You love me?"

"Uh-huh."

My face turns from a look of surprise to a scowl. "We only met 2 months ago. You can't love me."

"And why not?"

"Because you don't even know the real me!"

"We've lived together for two months Lovi. You make to die for pizza. No matter how much you complain, you actually enjoy your job at the bookstore. You love your brother to pieces, but you hate being compared to him. I've even washed your underwear."

His face now has a hopeful expression. I can feel my face heating up again and I have to look away, so I turn back to the hot sauce pan on the stove.

"That doesn't mean anything..." I continue on.

"But I still love you Lovi."

"But why now?"

"I don't really know. It just kinda came out."

"After two months?"

"After two months."

At this, my head starts to fill with things I want to say to him. Why me? All I ever do is complain, how do you stand it? You can't love me. I don't have a heart, remember? Francis, the so-called expert of love said so. Besides, we're nineteen, and still in college. Seriously Antonio, did you forget to take some meds I don't know about this morning?

I look back to his face, and I focus on his eyes. They weren't there usual green, rather misty with unshed tears. The same way Nonno's eyes looked when I told him I was going to college. Seeing this, I face back towards the stove. I really hated all the sad misty crap.

"Can we save this for later Toni?"

I can practically hear the smile reappear on his face as he says, "Yeah, I need some fresh air. I don't know how you can handle the kitchen all the time with it so hot in hear." I hear him give a small laugh as his foot steps starts to gradually fade, my back still to him.

When I hear the from door close, I slouch, put my hands on the counter next to the stove and give a sigh. Thoughts are still racing though my head, until something big and crazy comes to the surface. "I love you too." Without reason and hesitation, I say it out loud. "I love you too." I repeat it again, as if I no longer have any control on my mouth. I feel a small smile forming on my lips as I stand correctly once again. I go back to the sauce on the stove and start to hum. I feel my face heat up for what feels like the hundredth time today, but I blame it on the hot kitchen.

On one hand, I'm glad Toni isn't here to hear what I had said, but on the other, I wish he was. I'm already starting to miss him.