A/N: Please enjoy this, I know I did. Please review!

Thanks,

S.C.

Romano stared out over the span of the beautiful azure ocean in the Mediterranean Sea. Fingers were tightly wound into his palms, making fists that had lost all their color. His arms were wrapped around his legs as they were pulled closely to his chest. Angry amber eyes watched the waves roll and crash into the rocks off the shore.

"Lovino, are you alright, Señor", came a familiar Spanish voice from behind him.

The Italian felt more than saw the older nation plop down in the sand next to him, offering a concerned look. Lovino merely turned his head away to look off down the distant shore. The more he stayed silent to more angry Romano grew. He knew he'd have to talk at some point in time to get all of his emotions off his chest. Said chest felt tight and it was almost hard for him to breathe as more memories flicked across the edges of his mind.

A certain gleam shone in his furious eyes that would have scared even Russia himself . This, of course, is not a good thing. Even he knew that; but Romano could not bring himself to quell the fury within his broken heart.

Some part of him was afraid to tell Spain anything, for the man might laugh at him. The Spaniard was a ladies' man and to some extent so was Lovino. He had raised the young man and it was expected that he would have rubbed off on the younger man. Spain, albeit a gentleman, was not ashamed of flirting with any woman that crossed his path; neither was Romano.

Lovino loved women. He loved everything about women: their hair, their eyes, their skin, their curves. Everything. And he felt that if he admitted to Spain that the cause of his problems was a woman the Spaniard would laugh at him; but something had give. So, he made up his mind to talk to his care taker.

After another moment or two, Romano turned his head back to Spain. Revealing that within his angry, amber eyes there were unshed tears that threatened to break the dam. Spain's own eyes widened with surprise at the show of odd emotions from the Italian. Never in all the years he had raised Romano had he'd seen the young man so upset. So angry.

He reached a hand over to the Italian, comforting him while saying, "Señor?"

Lovino still kept his eyes on Spain, but still shrugged the hand off his shoulder, muttering a grouchy "don't touch me!" He didn't want to be touched by anyone at the moment; unless it was her.

"Have you ever been in love", he asked quietly. The question had come completely out of the blue in Spain book, but he still answered Lovino nonetheless.

"Sí, amigo mío. I have, but why do you ask this?"

Romano lowered his eyes to glare at the sand beneath them. He chewed on the inside of his cheek slightly and tried to put together what he wanted to say. It would take a lot of explaining to Spain on this subject, so instead of answering the nation's question, he simply asked another.

"Can I tell you a story, Spain?"

Spain cocked his head a bit, wondering why the change in the subject, but he nodded nevertheless. The Italian let out a heavy sigh.

"It was a long time ago. . ."

Within the confines of a bedroom the setting sun shown in through the window near the large bed. Two figures laid closely together, their fingers laced together and eyes connected. The little girl, known as Mehki, smiled at the other and raised a hand up to brush some fallen hair out of her friends face. Mehki was a lot smaller than Romano during this time and her voice had matched her size, being only a little squeaky and childish.

"Lovi", she said sweetly.

"Sì, Mehki?"

Her breath shuddered softly as she fought back the tears in her big green eyes. The sadness shown in her young, innocent features, and it took all Lovino had to not completely yank his little friend into his arms.

"Papa Spain says that I am to live with Mr. America now. He says that Mr. America is his own nation now and that he wants me to live with him."

Romano stared at her softly, for once his voice being tender and as broken as she was. He was losing his best friend, the only person he ever knew that chose him over his little brother Feliciano. Over this fact he felt a little possessive of the little teen. This made Romano very angry at the fact she was being taken from him . . .and Spain.

"I know. I wish I could do something about it, Tesoro! I'd kill the bastard if I could! I just wish I could."

"Papa Spain also said that I am to be called California now. And I'm going to have lots of brothers and sisters. And my last name won't be Carriedo anymore, but Jones. Just like Mr. America."

The Italian could do nothing but sit there and listen to his friend's words, listening carefully, all the while his own heart was breaking deep inside. He gasped when Mehki lunged into his arms and buried her head into his chest. She cried silently, wetting his shirt, but he could care less about that.

"I don't want to go, Lovi! I- I don't want to leave you and Papa Spain."

Romano sighed and rubbed Mehki's back lovingly, "I know, Tesoro. I don't want you to leave me either."

Mehki looked up to Romano, rubbing her tears away slowly. It wasn't until he noticed what he had said that he tensed and stuttered,

"I-I mean, I don't want you to leave Spain and I either."

She nodded and sniffled a bit, trying to calm down. Once this had happened Mehki took a deep breath and rose up out of Romano's arms to look out of her bed room window. This would be the last night she would spend with Romano and this would be the last night that she would watch the dark waves crash against the rocks on the shore again.

"Lovi?"

Romano followed her motions and wrapped his arms around her lovingly, resting his chin on her shoulder. His eyes fell closed as he tried to revel in this moment that he had together with his friend.

"Sì?"

"Promise me something?"

He turned his head to look at her; studying her soft childlike features.

"Promise me, that no matter what happens, you'll never forget me and that we'll always be best friends."

Mehki bit her lips as more tears welled up in her big, green eyes; the gray flecks within them were magnified. She kept staring out her window at the setting sun watching the beautiful colors bounce up and off the water. Romano sighed and nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck. Albeit, little Mehki ignored to the overly affectionate gesture from him and simply chalked it up to him consoling her.

"I promise, Caro il mio."

Spain sat there, looking at Lovino with confused eyes. A look of hurt had crossed his features at the mention of his old ward, Mehki. She was still a sore subject between himself and America to this day. The loss of his beautiful little Mehki took a toll on not only Romano but Spain as well.

"That's a beautiful story, Romano, but why tell me that now; after all the years she has been gone?"

Lovino fiddled with a shell in his hand, reminding him of the shell necklace he had given Mehki a long time ago. He couldn't help but wonder if she still had the damn thing. It must've broken by now.

With a grunt he threw the shell far away from him, remembering why he was so upset at the moment.

"Because, I love her, Spain. I always have", a growl escaped him, followed by a shaded look that covered his bright amber orbs. "But, the other day I saw her."

Spain's eyes widened greatly, "¿En serio?"

"Si. She was with Feli."

"No! My goodness, Romano. She was with your brother?"

Lovino growled yet again and shook his fist at the Spaniard, "Damn you, did you not here me? I said she was with him!"

Spain softened his gaze at the Italian, "Were they . . . doing anything?"

"No", he said softly, thanking God they weren't. "He was just showing her around, being a tour guide."

"Well, Señor, at least they weren't. So, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that she went to him instead of me, and when I spoke to her she looked at me as if she didn't remember me!"

Romano seethed, glaring out at the ocean with only dark thoughts to cloud his mind. When he saw Mehki, all grown up and still as beautiful as ever, his heart was pounding ruthlessly within his chest. No other woman could make him feel that way like she did and when their eyes connected he could've flown.

Yet all this was crushed the moment Mehki offered him a confused look and had introduced herself. He felt his heart fall to the ground, even though she soon remembered him .

With his hands shoved in his pockets Romano approached the two who stood by the Trevi Fountain in Rome. He watched closely as the two giggled together, their arms looped within one another. He never took his eyes off the woman whom wore modern clothes, consisting of skinny jeans and a torn American flag t-shirt. The outfit complemented her figure perfectly; since when had Mehki filled out so gorgeously? Although her chest wasn't anything extravagant like most of the women he chased after, she was still a sight to look at.

"Yo, Feli", Romano called, gaining the attention of both people.

"Ciao, Fratello", Italy waved animatedly, pulling Mehki behind him as he rushed to greet his older brother.

"Don't call me Fratello!" He bit back harshly.

Romano then ignored his brother when they finally approached, his full attention on the young woman before him. Said girl, Mehki offered him a kind smile, one that reached her lazy, green eyes.

"Mehki, it's been a long time, huh", he asked with a blank face, trying to keep up his reputation as a non-caring, hothead.

The girl cutely cocked her head to the side, her blonde and brown hair following her as she did so. She had cut it since he had last saw her, for it was shoulder length now, and slightly curly. What he would give to run his hands through her hair, pulling and tugging to listen to her groan. From what he could tell she still had her little curl towards the back of her head.

Her big green eyes blinked once or twice at him, "Do I know you?"

Who thought that such a simple question could break a heart in two? Romano's face fell from its normal bland façade and into one of hurt. He didn't know what to say; she had put him in such an awkward situation.

"Mehki, it's me, Romano."

He could tell on her face that, it didn't click at all, and that's what hurt him the most. If she didn't remember him then, that means that –

"Lovino?"

His heart gave a leap.

The girl giggle a bit and her grin grew wider, "Wow, Lovi, it's been what? A good hundred years since I last saw you?"

"One hundred and six, actually", Romano stated factually, crossing his arms over one another.

It wasn't until the words were out that he had caught what he said, then proceeded to freak out,

"B-but, it's not like I've been counting or anything like that! I mean that would be crazy! It's something Feli here would do, not me!"

Romano rambled on furiously for a moment or two, trying his hardest not to make a fool of himself, but that didn't work out too well. Though, Mehki didn't really seem to care, in fact, he noticed that she seemed more laid back than he remembered her to be.

"It's chill, Lovino. Oh, and I'm sorry I didn't recognize you; you've grown since I'd last saw you", she said remembering a boy about her height of 4'5 when they were little. Now he was roughly two inches taller than her, and she stood a solid 5'5.

He wouldn't to ask her. He wanted to ask if she remembered their promise. If she still had the necklace he had given her when they were younger. If she dreamt of him as much as he did of her every night lying in bed, struggling to fall asleep.

Spain had taken to lying back on the now wet sand, as the evening tides had come in, drenching the ground. Not that they minded though, for they were use to nights like this laying out, talking to one another. But Spain wasn't used to consoling Romano like this.

Well, consoling isn't a good term, more like being a listener to a good friend and ward. Because he listened carefully, he would add in advice at certain points. Like now, as he listened to Romano finish up his other tale.

"Maybe you should go talk to her, mi amigo. You won't know how she truly feels unless you tell her", Spain said trying to re assure him.

That was the last thing said between the two that night. Romano hadn't even responded to Spain's advice, and this made the nation think that Lovi didn't want to listen anymore.

When in all actuality, he had heard the statement loud and clear; albeit in a different way.

A week later found the kind California traipsing back from a meeting with her care taker Alfred. It hadn't really been a meeting, per se, more like hanging out and playing video games; but for diplomacy's sake they would call it a meeting on the record. Despite the slightly rough past that they had had, the two were nearly inseparable now and were normally always seen together. Both of them loved going to the beach, where they would surf till the sunset and then surf some more.

If there's one thing America really loved about his state, it was her care free attitude and the fact that she was pretty much up for anything. Her kind demeanor might have something to do with it too. . . It made it really hard for him not to play favorites, but according to any and everyone, California, known to him and her siblings as Lita, knew that she was in fact his favorite.

And this was something that pissed a certain Italian off to no end.

He watched as the two laughed loudly, obnoxiously at nothing it particular when they passed. Currently, he had ducked into a shaded alley way and took to leaning against it, amber eye following their movements slowly. His ears had stayed sharp as he strained to listen to their words.

"I had fun tonight, Alfie. You sure know how to give a good time."

"Chigi! She even has a pet name for him", he thought.

Alfred grinned idiotically and rubbed the back of his head shyly, "Ah, it's nothing. Besides, what kind of hero would I be if I didn't treat a lady to a proper night of hanging out?"

Mehki smiled and shoved the nation playfully, "You'd be a crumby one! But my hero nonetheless."

"Wh-what the-? Her h-hero!"

Romano couldn't believe his ears. She was flirting with him! His Mehki was flirting with a man who wasn't him. His best friend forever and the love of his life! This, of course, is something that he would not let pass.

He peaked around the edge of the brick wall, still following their steps with shaded eyes that gleamed with something almost inhuman. The orbs watched as the nation put his arm around the state's waist, pulling her closer gently with a goofy smile on his face.

A growl escaped Romano as he started following distantly away from the two; ducking behind alley ways and trash cans when he needed. He did this for a good five blocks, until he saw that they had come to a stop at a quaint looking town house shoved between two large skyscrapers. It was a two story building that had no front yard or anything, except a single stoop of steps that led up to a small landing before her front door.

He was out of earshot but he could see. And he watched closely, seething as America lent forward to peck his Mehki's cheek and give her a short hug and goodbye. All this happened in a matter of ten seconds, but to Romano, it felt like he stood there for an entire hour, watching the scene play out before him.

Even five minutes after the nation left his state to open up her front door and enter slowly, Romano was still staring at her house with a dark, narrowed glare. He watched as a single light came on in a window on the first floor and silhouette passed in front of it slowly.

Romano stepped forward out of the alley's darkness, revealing a dark, frustrated smirk. His hair which had been scruffier than usual fell in front of his eyes, shading them from anyone's line of sight.

As he walked across the street, Romano kicked a stray can out of his way, shoving his hands in his pockets as he went. He stalked across the road towards his self-claimed lover's home, growling lowly.

Inside the house, Mehki, the state of California stood in the kitchen reaching high for a coffee mug as the coffee pot kicked on next to her. She gritted her teeth in frustration, stretching to try and grab her favorite cup off the top shelf. Lita growled as her fingers barely brushed across the handle of the porcelain cup, she would get that cup no matter what.

Just as she was about to grasp it a loud, steady knock reverberated throughout the house causing Mehki to jumped a bit, bumping her hand against the cup and making it crash to the ground. A sigh came from her lips as her head fell a bit.

"That was my favorite cup too."

The knocking came again, a little harder this time, and she just figured that the person didn't think she heard them.

"I'm coming", she called.

She leapt off the counter, carefully side stepping the porcelain shatters below. Then it came again. The knocking, louder, slower, and harder. Mehki jumped a bit with each blow to the wooden door. Someone wanted in, badly, but this didn't discourage her one bit, for she figured it might be urgent. Still she couldn't help the cold shiver that traced up her spine.

The more steps she took towards her front door, the heavier the air felt on her shoulders and tunnel vision began to sink in. She felt each growing pound on the door rather than heard it. They shook the house and all her valuables in it, causing rattles to ring in her ears.

Mehki didn't know anyone strong enough to shake a house, other than Alfred, but why would he be scaring her like this. This seemed like something out of one of the horror movies he made her watch all the time, albeit she was the state that sanctioned the making of the movies.

"Hello", she called out timidly, "Who's there?"

Her green eyes watched as the door strained on its hinges and the wood groaned from the pounding that was inflicted. The feeling of dread in her grew to immense proportions with each loud, thundering bang!

The sound of splintering reached her ears and a bulge in the door frame appeared near the knob; and with another good thump, the door busted free from its locked position. It swung free and slammed harshly against the wall, still somehow hanging (barely) on its hinges. During this Mehki had let out a squeak, for she was honestly terrified.

A dark figure that stood in the door way slowly placed its previously raised foot on the ground, assumedly from kicking in the door. Next, a tan hand curled around the broken door frame, pulling the person into the dim light of her home.

At first Mehki didn't recognize the person before her, for a dark shadow had covered their features. Still ever after they stepped into what little light there was she had trouble placing their face that was twisted with a furious, shady look. Their hair was brushed into their eyes hiding them from view.

They finally took another step forward, slowly, deftly. And she did what most would do in her position, she stepped back. They did this two more times, until the person was fully in her humble abode, to which they reached back and slammed the door shut. Sure it didn't click shut do to the broken frame, but it lodged between the broken would nonetheless.

"W-who are you?"

With a smirk the person looked up, revealing dark, bland amber eyes. They looked straight into her eyes with smirk void of all sanity. A chuckled crossed with a deep growl shook Mehki to the core.

"You can't tell me you don't remember be still, Mehki", now confirmed to be a young man, he stepped forward looking her dead in the eye.

California gasped softly, but her lips then curled into a small smile. She lifted a hand to rub the back of her head coolly, thinking this had all been a hoax. But boy was she wrong. A lazy giggle left her,

"Gee, Lovino, you scared me. I thought you were a creeper or something like that."

Romano allowed himself to chuckle, albeit darkly, before taking another step forward, "Something like that . . ."

Mehki allowed the young man to step forward, getting closer to the point where she had to look up slightly to see him. She paid no heed to the predator like grin on his face.

"But seriously, Romano, did you have to break my front door", she questioned still rubbing the back of her head good naturedly.

"You wouldn't answer", he grumbled out.

"Dude, do you actually think I'm gonna be in a hurry to answer the door to someone who was trying to break it down. I hadn't known you'd gotten so strong though."

"Lots of things have changed over the years", he said, reaching forward to grasp her hand tightly and yank her closer to him where he placed both hands on her shoulders.

"Romano", she questioned softly, jolting a bit from his sudden movement.

"But you wouldn't know that would you, Mehki", he growled out. "You wouldn't know all that has happened to me would you? The pain I've been through?"

His grip tightened immensely on her clothed skin, making her wince a bit from the pain, "Romano, what are you-"

"Al diavolo tutto! Call me Lovi", he grit his teeth, and lowered his voice to a seethe. "Just like you use to!"

"F-fine", she whimpered. "You're hurting me, Lovi. L-let me go."

Mehki tried to pusher old friend away, slight fear striking deep inside of her at his demeanor that she didn't recognize. Sure, Romano had always been a bit rough, trying to act tough and hotheaded when he was actually just putting up a front; but he never actually acted this way before. Never before had she actually been at the receiving end of Romano's rants, but his wasn't a rant. This was something . . . something else.

The next movement had Mehki moaning in pain, for Romano pinned her roughly to the wall; causing her head to jerk back also. She tried to move her hands up, but found that they were pulled behind her back with one of his own. California struggled to get away and only found that Romano had her fully clamped to the wall by his body.

"Your moans are so beautiful, il mio Amore; even though they are in pain. Then again", he chuckled. "Love and pain are one in the same, aren't they? At least for me it is."

Mehki struggled again, trying to get away, "Lovi, what are you talking about? What is your deal?"

Romano, to make a point, loosened his grip but slammed her back into the wall again, eliciting those same delicious sounds from her. He licked his lips before saying,

"My deal is that you haven't given a single thought to me these past years! Have you?"

When she merely looked up to him with wide green eyes, Romano growled and grabbed the back of her hair to give it a rough tug.

"Have you!"

"Gah! No, Lovi! No I haven't."

The nation groaned and leaned his forehead against hers, staring her right in the eyes, loving the gray flecks with her green orbs,

"I love it when you say my name that way, il mio Amore. But, it hurts that you haven't thought of me."

He wiped a stray tear away that began to trail down her tanned skin, reveling in the innocent and frightened look she gave him. It made him feel powerful and not like some weak nation that he shared with his brother.

"I, however, have never forgotten about you. You don't know how many nights I laid awake thinking of you, only to finally fall asleep and then dream of you the whole time", his one free hand, that didn't have her wrists pinned, left her hair to slowly trail down his love's neck.

A predator like gleam made its way into his eyes, "I can't tell you how many times I imagined running my hands over your body, wondering what your skin would feel like against mine now that you're older. You know all the other women could never fill the void that you left. No matter how gorgeous they were, or how willing they were, they just weren't you."

Despite the roughness that Romano used on her, deep inside her mind Mehki liked it. But it was damn scary how he handled her and if she wasn't frightened out of her wits, she'd consider doing some role-playing with him like this. Although, now, he wasn't role-playing, this was real.

Romano ran his hand straight down, trailing softly between her small breasts and down across her flat stomach. She gasped when his fingers inched under her shirt, touching her bare skin with the pads of his appendages. He shoved his hand roughly up her clothes yanking her closer to his chest with a moan.

"You're so soft, il mio Amore. You may have filled out since you've grown, but your skin is still the same and soft as ever, like a child's. I wonder if the rest of you is the same", he questioned trailing his gaze down to her chest. He licked his lips.

"Roma-", his eyes shot up to give her a glare. "Lovi! W-why are you d-doing this? You really s-scaring me."

"Why", he said, getting an innocent look on his face as he did so. "Isn't it obvious, il mio dolce amore? Ti amo."

Romano grabbed her hair once more and pulled her head close to crash his lips into hers. Their teeth clacked together from the sudden force and they both moaned. One in pleasure and the other in pain. He nipped and tugged at her lips roughly, loving the taste of her cherry chapstick on his tongue. Romano roughly wrapped his hand around the curl like his at the back of her head, giving it a hard tug causing her to break away from his kiss with a pleasured yelp.

Her breath was rapid and it took all she had to focus her eyes on his. Mehki felt dizzy from the mix of pleasure and pain that he had given her. The feeling of his fingers harshly wrapping around and unfurling her curl constantly, made her moan wantonly. The way he was being so rough and possessive brought pleasure in itself.

"You're so sexy like this", she said wiping a small trail of saliva from the edge of her mouth that had been left behind by their kiss. "Seeing you submit to me like this is just so erotic. I bet you never gave that Burger eating bastard, America this before. I bet you've never let him touch you anywhere, am I right?"

Mehki had lost her voice; she could only make unintelligible noises and gestures to get her thoughts across. She shook her head as tears trickled out of her eyes. Her teeth bit at her lips, unable to avoid his gaze.

Finally, she let out a hoarse, "No."

"That's good", he nuzzled her cheek with his own, "Mean's your still pure. Mean's you can still be all mine: soul, mind, and body."

At last he released her wrists, which were bruised and stove up from his grip. Even though she was finally free to move, Mehki found that she couldn't, and she didn't want to, no matter the pain. And when he lifted her up onto his waist by the back of her thighs she was just a limp doll.

"He could never give you what I could. Love you like I do, Mehki."

He looked deep into her eyes, seeing nothing but sadness and compassion in her green orbs. Still he was void of any sanity at the moment and any convincing on her part (if she even tried) wouldn't work at the moment. He was swallowed up by the love in pain that had been simmering in his heart for the past one hundred and six years that she had been gone. He wasn't going to let her go so easily.

"You love me too, don't you Mehki?"

She barely nodded, but that wasn't good enough for him. He slammed her head back against the wall, a wild desperate look in his eyes.

"Say it! I need to hear it from you", he shouted. "Say it!"

Mehki looked away refusing to meet his gaze when he was like this. Hoarsely she whispered,

"I love you too."

She sighed and said again, quieter this time, "I love you too."