Chapter I: Good morning, me

That morning scared the wits out of me. I thought it would be a normal beginning, another normal day of work and more work. But when I saw Italy shivering and crying in his sleep, I couldn't help but feel so worried that I immediately jumped out of bed.

I went out and hurriedly got a glass of tap water then returned to my room, and I saw him turn. I placed the glass lightly on the bedside table and sat beside him. He'd started sweating and whimpering, like a helpless puppy out in the rain.

"Italy," I called to him. "Italy…"

He slowly opened his eyes, which were wet and red from all the crying he must have done throughout the night, and looked up to me. I've never seen him look so weak and distressed.

"Germany..?" he muttered.

"You were crying in your sleep, I got worried," I told him, wiping the tears that kept on streaming down his face. "Was it a nightmare?"

At that moment, he suddenly put his arms around me, tighter than he would always do every single day, and sobbed on my chest. I felt my undershirt getting soaked, and I felt his body tremble on mine.

Normally, I'd get annoyed and start yelling at him and then some, but—

"Don't go…" he said, almost pleading to me. "Please, don't go…"

I looked at him. I was confused with what he just said, but it didn't matter. Italy needed something else other than my boggled mind right now… he needed more from me. I returned his embrace with my big arms around him and held him close. Then I brushed my lips on his forehead. I didn't know what took over me to do that, but what else was I supposed to do?

Then I whispered to him.

"I won't. I'm not going anywhere…"

He seemed to calm down right after. The fingers that dug deep on my back slowly released their grip, and his body relaxed.

And then his head turned to the open window and he looked out to the morning light streaming in the room.

"What time did you wake up?" he asked me weakly, gently nuzzling his head on my tear-soaked chest.

"Just a few minutes before you awoke," I replied, leaning in to reach for the glass of water. "Here, Italy, drink up."

"Oh. Thank you, Germany." He gulped down to the drop and wiped his lips after. Then he noticed my undershirt. "Ah, o-oh my, I'm sorry Germany! I wet your…"

"Don't mind that anymore," I said, sighing, as I stroked the hair covering his face.

He looked at me with those puzzled eyes and smiled. The first this morning.

"I'm sorry to have worried you, Germany… did I say anything in my sleep?"

I shook my head. "You were mumbling and whimpering, though. What was it that you dreamt of?"

He hung his head down for a while and paused. He didn't seem like wanting to talk about it.

"An old friend."

That was the only thing he told me, and he leaned into me again and kept quiet after that.

It must be serious for him to suddenly be so silent. I scratched my head to my nape and cleared my throat.

"Come now, Italy, let's get you cleaned up."

He looked at me and nodded. "Mm. All right."

He sat up and moved the blanket away from his legs and… well, I expected that he wasn't wearing anything. Again.

"D-damn it, Italy! Put something on when you sleep, will you?" I rubbed my temples and stood up. I felt every single muscle and hair on my body tense and stand up.

"Ehe, sorry," he said, grinning at me. "It's more comfortable this way~"

"Comfortable for you, but what about me…" I mumbled. "And this is my bed, my room. So these are my rules you have to follow!"

He smiled and rubbed his head, and I felt a flowery atmosphere starting to emanate from him. Which is probably a good thing.

"Ve~"

There he goes again with the noise he makes… I never really understood him. Much more that I can't tell what he's really thinking now. What did he dream last night?

Curiosity will kill the cat, or so someone said. I probably better not tamper with it for now.

I watched him move to the end of the room where the door to the bathroom was. I started fixing the bed and he'd gone inside when he poked his head from the door.

"Germany~"

"What is it now?"

"You're going to shower, too, right?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you join me now? It'll save water!"

"What?"

"Come on, please?"

"No."

"Aw, but Germany—"

"I said no!"

"Aren't you trying to be practical about things?"

"I am, but not to the extent that I'm sharing the same shower at the same time with another man!"

"But we did this before, right? Remember that time, when you were drinking with—"

"Don't mention that anymore! F-fine, fine! Let me finish the bed first…"

"Yay~ I'll get the water running then~"

"I thought we're trying not to waste water!"

I don't know if I'm living normally with this guy. I don't even know what to call us, and this relationship we're having. I don't know if there is a relationship to begin with!

He's waiting for me in the bathroom. What the heck, I'll do anything… as long as he's happy. Anything for him. Does that make me crazy, then?

So what do you call this? It can't be… no. I don't think it can be. But our actions say otherwise.

I sighed and shoved the pillow back in its place and straightened my shirt. And I better hurry with the shower; I still have a lot of work to do today. Oh boy, work… something that will never go.

He better help with the chores today, and he's got a lot of paperwork, too. I wonder what I'll make for breakfast. Eggs and bacon sound nice, but wurst sounds tempting. Wurst and potatoes…

I heard the shower running. I got my clothes and walked in the bathroom. Italy had begun to wash his hair. I placed the clothes aside and started undressing.

"The water's cold," he said, pulling his hair back to look at me.

"I'd figure. It was pretty cold when I woke up." I joined him in the shower and wet myself.

"Why couldn't you just get a tub so it'd be easier for us~?"

"Do you expect we'd be doing this everyday?"

"That would be a good idea, won't it~?"

I looked at him and sighed. He is so hopeless.

And I couldn't help but find that… cute.

"What do you want for breakfast?"

"Pasta~ want me to cook?"

Oh, wurst…

"…all right."