Special Gifts
"Ve~ just a little more..."
Italy had never realized just how hard it was to balance on a ladder while holding a paintbrush and palette. He was starting to wish that Germany was here. He'd be able to hold the ladder steady for him. Of course, he'd also scold him for using such a rickety ladder in the first place, but Italy was used to being scolded by the stern nation for all sorts of things...
However, that would completely defeat the point of doing this. Since Italy was currently working on a super special Christmas surprise for the other nation, which he had actually managed to keep a secret this year!
Although, for right now, a slight frown was crossing over the nation's lips as he leaned forward. Just a little more turquoise blended up near that corner. It was hard to reach, but just a little more and it'd be...
"Oi, Veneciano! Where are you?"
Italy yelped at the sudden shout, his hand jerking in the process so his brush and palette both flew to the floor, paint immediately spattering everywhere. Not on his painting! He hurriedly leaned backwards as he felt himself losing his balance. He couldn't fall onto the painting; it was Germany's special present!
"Ahh!"
And he was suddenly leaning too far backwards, arms attempting to grab onto anything that wasn't canvas. Too far and now he was falling and...
A loud crash. All of the air forced from his lungs. His back smashed against something hard... And then something heavy was falling against him, smashing against him and...and...
And Italy couldn't move. His entire body screaming in pain and he could hear the sound of feet pounding against the staircase...
Someone was calling for him—he couldn't think who it was. The voice sounded familiar.
"Veneciano! What happened? Veneciano!"
Everything was growing fuzzy; it was harder to see anything now. Although he could see the painting. Still there. It was okay. No paint had fallen onto it. Which was good, because he needed to go to Germany's house and give it to him today...
Which meant that he couldn't take a siesta right now, no matter how sleepy he suddenly was. He'd already decided that he was going to go to Germany's house and make him Christmas pasta and then give him his special Christmas present... So he couldn't fall asleep.
The door slammed open a few feet away. And a pair of wide amber eyes were suddenly staring down at him, looking horrified. He'd never noticed before that Romano's eyes looked almost exactly like his.
Italy forced a smile as his vision slowly began to fade. "Ve~ sorry, Romano... It'll be okay if I just take a little siesta, right?"
And everything went black.
~.~.~
"This was all your fault, potato bastard!"
"Romano, calm—"
"I am not going to calm down! Why hasn't he woken up yet!"
"Lovi, don't get mad at Germany..."
"Shut up! Chigi~! Why won't the doctor-bastards hurry up and find out what's wrong with him!"
"They're doing the best they can, Lovi..."
Italy's first thoughts were hopes that Romano didn't get too mad at anyone and end up getting himself into trouble. Sometimes Romano would get angry and throw things at people or headbutt them or curse at them. And then the people would get mad right back. And it was Christmas, so people shouldn't be angry with each other.
And that was his next thought. It was Christmas. And he needed to hurry and get to Germany's house so he could give him his present!
Why was he lying down then? Had he decided to take a siesta? He remembered that he'd been trying to keep himself from falling asleep, because he didn't have time for a siesta today! Since he needed to go to Germany's house right now to start the Christmas pasta.
So he opened his eyes.
"Veneciano!"
And Italy was startled when he was suddenly hugged by someone. He was used to giving lots of hugs to people, but they didn't usually hug him back like this. And this hug suddenly sent a jolt of pain through his entire body.
He yelped at that, causing the person who had hugged him to jerk backwards... And Italy was startled when he looked up, and saw his brother's almost-identical eyes staring back at him from only a few inches away.
Although not as startled as his brother seemed to be, as his eyes widened comically as the realization of his spontaneous action suddenly hit him.
That shock wasn't helped when Spain, who had been standing across the unfamiliar, overly-white room next to a frowning Germany, squealed and clapped his hands together in delight. "So cute! Lovi was worried about his brother!"
"Chigi!" Romano was immediately across the room again at that... Screeching obscenities at the Spaniard.
Nothing abnormal, so Italy instead turned his attention to the German nation. Who was now staring at him with rather scary blue eyes. Italy had to resist the urge to run and hide or wave a white flag in surrender at that expression. He must be angry that Italy had forgotten to come over for Christmas. "Ve~ Doitsu... Sorry."
A flicker of surprise crossed Germany's face at the apology. "Sorry?"
"Ve~ It's Christmas and I didn't come and make you Christmas pasta or bring you your present." And now Italy looked around the room for the first time since he'd woken up. Where was he anyway? It was all white and there were funny machines and...
Wait.
He'd fallen. Now he remembered. He'd fallen while he was working on the painting—and Romano had said something about doctors. Which meant...
"Ve~ Am I in the hospital?" he hurriedly questioned, glancing around the room worriedly as he sat up.
Romano paused in his attempts to strangle Spain at the exclamation, turning to flash Italy his best 'Are you an idiot?' glare. "Sì, you're in the hospital, stupid fratello. You fell when you were working on your stupid potato bastard painting and hit your head..."
"Ve~!" Italy interrupted before his brother could continue, hurriedly turning back to Germany, who was now staring at him with a rather confused expression. "I'm in the hospital? But I can't be in the hospital on Christmas!"
Germany blinked a few times. And then frowned; now looking even more intimidating. "If you're hurt, then you'll be in the hospital on Christmas. We can always celebrate later..."
"No~!" And now Italy pushed at the sheets covering his legs. "I'm okay! We need to go home and then I can..." He swung his legs to the side.
And immediately regretted it. As a jolt of pain shot up his back and through his head like a sudden bolt of lightning... Making everything darken for a moment and...
"Sit down, stupid fratello!"
"Italy!"
Things were spinning around now. Including Romano and Germany, who were both pushing him back onto the bed... Italy wished that they would stop spinning. It was making him dizzy...
"Italy!"
And the Italian nation's hand shot to his forehead in an automatic salute at that authoritative shout. Shouted in the same scary commander voice that Germany had used when he was attempting to train the other nation during the World Wars.
"Italy." It brought back rather scary memories of those training sessions. "Italy, you are to stay on this bed until I say otherwise. That is an order."
"Ve~ but, Doitsu..."
Germany was now scowling at him. Very scary... "An order, Italy."
"But..." Italy paused suddenly. As he saw another expression pass over Germany's face that took him by surprise. As Germany's eyes didn't look scary. Or angry. He looked more...worried... And a little sad... And scared.
Germany never looked scared—unless you counted the times when Italy had gotten the ends of the grenade mixed up. He had looked rather scared when that happened.
But he didn't usually look scared just because of something like this...
Which was why Italy lay back without another protest. "Okay, Doitsu~"
The worry immediately left Germany's eyes at that, which made Italy smile. "I'll just have to make you Christmas pasta tomorrow, sì?"
And now... Germany flashed him a slight twitch of the lips that could almost pass as a smile. "Ja. That sounds good."
"And for today~!" And now he sat up again, head spinning a little bit, although he managed to ignore it. "We can have a special Christmas party here! You, me, Romano, and big brother Spain!"
"No way."
"That sounds like fun!" Spain and Romano had spoken at the exact moment, Spain beaming with excitement as Romano scowled at everyone—saving a special glare for the Spaniard standing by his side. Which Spain didn't seem to mind at all, as he just reached down and grabbed his hand—earning an intense blush in response. "We should go and get food, Lovi!"
"I just said no, bastard. Let go of me!"
And Spain just ignored him. Running from the room as he dragged a semi-reluctant Romano behind.
Leaving the other two nations alone...
"Ve~ is Doitsu mad?"
One of whom stared at the other with a worried expression, flinching at the confused stare that he received in response. And he hurriedly continued, "I ruined Doitsu's Christmas..."
And then...for the second time that night, Italy was surprised by his friend. As Germany suddenly walked over to the bed and leaned over... Their eyes meeting for a moment. Before Germany took a deep breath and then gently pressed his lips against his forehead.
And then whispered softly, "Italy, you could never ruin my Christmas..."
For a moment, Italy couldn't respond, too startled by the uncharacteristic motion to say a word. But then a smile began to stretch across his own lips, particularly as he stared up at the other nation and watched as a flush immediately streaked across his cheeks.
Doitsu could be so cute...
His smile widened. And then he leaned forward, Germany's blush darkening as he moved closer—and pressed his own lips against the pair that had just brushed against his own skin.
"Ve~ Merry Christmas, Doitsu."
A/N: OH THE FLUFF! IT BURNS!
xD xD Yepperz, so here's another Christmas ficcy for you guys. I'm on break now! HOORAH! After the finals week from hell, during which my computer fritzed on me and deleted TWO final essays that I had been working on... (One of which was almost done, the other of which was barely started, but I would have worked on if I didn't have to rewrite the other one)
*Maims computer*
I'm hoping I still managed to do decently on my finals, considering the fact that I didn't get to study all that much (since I had to rewrite stupid essay grrrr)
Anyway! But it's over now! And now we get a whole almost month before school starts again! You know what that means? Lots of time for writing! :D Slash trying to find a job for the summer . But mostly writing! And Christmas! AND RESIDENT EVIL BEASTING!
Hehehe... xD