Halves of a Whole: South Italy

Disclaimer: Don't own Hetalia or song.

Summary: Lovino saw himself in the mirror and understood, hating himself for it. While Romano saw through the mirror and tried to make things a little better.

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When Romano was younger, he was a quiet child. Many found this difficult to believe due to his hot headedness and constant cursing, but Romano, when younger, did not speak very often in Antonio's house. During the first years of his life with the Spaniard, he was barely paid attention to seeing as his more kind and lovable younger brother was more interesting than himself. He tried protected his younger brother from any treats he thought the elder male would commit against his fratello, but the idiot never thought badly of anyone and consequently was adored for it.

He wasn't like that.

He couldn't understand the thought process of his brother and didn't want to deal with his boss so he talked more with the servitude and other individuals that lived near the premises. It was like having a double life. He was kinder to the people he didn't know, to humans because he knew that he would never be able to trust other nations, at least the relationships he had with humans would not lead to a war or to a drop in economy. He didn't like them, any of them.

It bothered him to be angry all the time but it truly annoyed him to have to deal with their whims and attitudes, his volatile attitude was due to his inability to do so. He frankly believed that if he didn't care as much as he did about the many things they seemingly did with the sole purpose of annoying him, then he would be much like the Asian nations personality-wise.

He was known as Romano only by those humans whom he met far away from Spain or his brother's influence, away the other nations. He was known as a calm person, much like the sea they told him, smiling softly with an air of mystery, his female friends said. They all agreed he was a pleasant fellow who, despite getting touchy when topics entered an area he didn't want to talk about, was a peaceful guy who preferred to live his life at his own pace and without any tensions. This contrasted greatly with Lovino who lived angry and annoyed, always screaming and with a rock-bottom self-esteem.

He preferred being Romano more than being Lovino, but who would be there to make other countries stay away from his side of Italy. He was worried about foreign or even governmental influence within his sphere of influence, his side of Italy may be Mafia dominated but they worked as family and were a trustworthy source of comfort for him, as difficult as it was to believe. The mafia may kill may people but they were his people as well, he loved his people and even if the world itself was against them then he would without a doubt fight to the death for them. This topic was the main point of the first serious conversation he had had with his younger brother.

It seemed weird to lie to people as he and his brother did, but it was famiglia matters. The two brothers were mysteries hiding behind deceit and many layers of masks ready to reinforce the last in case the unexpected were to occur. The Italies would only reveal their true natures to themselves and even then, they would keep some things secret. That's who they really were. What was Italian stayed in Italy. Sei nato e morto qua. You're born here and you'll die here.

Everything in Italy, stayed in Italy.

These thoughts had plagued him through his childhood, when being a child he was always in the background watching as nations and people whom he had never even talked to bad mouthed him, praising his brother and ignoring his presence almost completely. It hurt when everyone, even your care taker, forgot about you during 60% of the day and smothered you with mirth and good/humor, as if laughing at your every move, for the rest of the 40%.

He rather respected the old country. A conquistador such as him would always be a figure of great importance to those who had not achieved that level of greatness; it simply was the admiration for the task the one that invaded his young body. He wished, almost desperately, that when he grew older he would become great as well. That the chains that held him down, the one's Lovino placed upon him, would be broken and he would be able to show the Romano part of himself without the hatred that invaded his body upon the presence of his counterparts.

His wishes were useless, he wouldn't be able to break from those bonds until his fear, the fear of his people, was placated and subdued and the country could work outside of its underlying management by faceless figures and ever-changing policies. He knew that it would take a while but it was certain that just like in other countries, some day the world as they knew it would break and with it something new will grow in the place of that left behind and he would change as well, growing out of the chains that held him and his brother, he acknowledged this as well, from being open and not so secretive.

Someday, that day would come and, until then, Lovino would stay the same and so would Romano.

And no one would know the truth because in Italy there was no complete truth, only half truths.

All of them.

Nato nelle paese delle mezze vérita.

Dove Fuggi?

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A/N: I had always thought that there was a deeper side to both North and South Italy. This is my in-take of that. I always thought that to gain the attention of the señoritas he would have to somehow be different. I figure that he and Feliciano would also be very friendly and have some good friends amongst the common population, though they wouldn't be too near to them. Seeing as they are immortals but their people aren't.

The Italian I was using comes from a song called 'In Italia' by Fabri Fibra feat Gianna Nannini. The words mean:

Sei nato e morto qua = You're born and will die here.

Nato nelle paese delle mezze vérita = Born in the country of half-truths.

Dove Fuggi? = (can be interpreted as) Where do you run to? / Where do you hide?