4

Second Best

Ch. 1

Romano paused in his grumblings—and sweeping—when there was a knock on the door.

The boy scowled and proceeded to softly spew Italian profanities at his boss. He quieted though and inched closer to the front door to hear his boss. Of course he didn't trust the tomato bastard. "!Hola! ?Como es…"

"A message from Lord Rodrich Eldstine." Romano moved softly closer to the door. Fratello was with the fancy bastard, maybe something happened to his idiot brother!

The Spaniard sighed, "Its Prussia again, isn't it?" The man said nothing but soon there was a sound of ripping paper signifying that he was opening the envelope. "As I thought. We'll be right down. You're dismissed."

Romano scampered to the other side of the room to continue his sweeping. Spain came back though the door wearing his usual smile, "Roma?~ Do you want to go see your brother? I need to…"

"Yes, you idiot, let's go!" he threw down the broom and walked out the door, a laughing Spain behind him.

~X~

"Lovi!~ How are you?~" Romano was greeted at Austria's door by his little brother (who was in a dress identical to his, only in green. Hungary had made them, much to Romano's horror and Spain's delight).

"Feliciano! Come stai?Is the fancy bastard and the albino bastard treating you well?" Romano had a large soft spot in his heart for his brother.

Even if he caused him one of the greatest pains in his life, "Roma! Feli! You're getting along so well!~"

He was cut off with a head pulverizing his abdomen, "You can't call him that, tomato bastard!"

"Why not Roma? Feli doesn't mind, does he?" The younger Italian shook his head vigorously, curl bouncing, then ran forward and was scooped into a hug by Spain.

Romano scowled and crossed his arms but for the most part held his temper in check. For his brother. "Oh, Lovi!" Feli turned around in Spain's arms to look at his brother while the Spaniard continued to coo at him, "There's someone I want you to meet!" He's finally able to hop down out of Spain's arms, much to his disappointment, "He's a good friend, I hope you like him. Follow me!~" the boy took off into the house and Romano 'humph'ed before quickly following him.

~X~

After a half an hour of scouring the house, looking for Feli's mystery friend, Romano stopped his brother while they were in the kitchen down stairs, "I'm not going to go running all over the fancy bastard's house. I'm going outside, come get me if you find him." Feliciano nodded solemnly, determined to find his friend, while Romano went to be alone outside.

There was a hill out behind the house with a small surrounding of trees. As Romano crossed the hill he heard someone yell, "Hey, Italy!" He didn't recognize the voice and no one ever called him Italy, so he ignored it. But then they called again, closer, "Italy!"

Someone probably thought he was his brother again. Bastard. Now he steadfastly ignored the voice and increased his pace. He'd just crested the hill when he heard foot falls behind him. Suddenly someone grabbed his sleeve, "Italy! I've been calling you for a while. Why didn't you…?"

Romano had whipped around and snatched his sleeve out of the guy's grasp. Quickly he took in the idiot's appearance. The boy was about the same size as he, if not a centimeter taller. He was garbed in dark priest's clothes and a ridiculous hat that covered what looked to be blond hair. The boy was too pale to be from his own home but he spoke with the same accent. His eyes were blue and had a hardness around them that showed that the boy's seen battle. Now, though, they were confused and slightly anxious.

The boy flushed darker when the Italian set his withering brown-eyed gaze on him, "Italy? Wha…?"

"I'm Italia Romano, idiot!"

The boy narrowed his eyes in thought and romano crosses his arms. Suddenly, the blue eyes grew wide in recollection, "You're Italy's older brother, aren't you?"

The young Italian scowled, "No, I'm his second uncle, twice removed." He shook his head then stopped as a thought hit him. He snapped his smoldering gaze back to the blonde, "What do you want with mi fratello?"

The boy's flush, which had started to dissolve, returned in full force, "I—ah—was told Italy was looking for me."

Romano narrowed his eyes, "So that means you're…?"

Romano was cut off by the high-pitched voice of his brother, "Holy Rome! I found you!" The Holy Roman Empire turned to see Italy racing out of the trees towards the two, "Lovi, you're here too!~ Are you two friends yet?"

Romano switched his gaze from his brother to the by, "Holy Rome? You're the albino bastard's younger brother?" The younger blonde paused a moment before nodding. Romano scowled again, "Why the hell have you been hanging around mi…?"

"Please! I am nearly a friend of your sister! I would hope that you and I could…"

"Sister?" Romano's eyes flicked to his rather girly brother in his dress. He looked so clueless that you could almost see the question mark over his head. The older Italian grinned, "Of course. I'm glad Italy has more friends," he managed to say the last two words without sounding sour, "But, If you try anything, bastardo, anything, I will make sure my friends find you and set you straight,capito?"

Holy Rome blinded a couple of times before nodding resolutely. Romano's smiled held the promise of his threat.

Suddenly, a cheery voice rang out from behind them in the house, "Feli!~ Roma!~ Where are you?" Feliciano tugged at Holy Rome's hand, pulling the boy with him and Romano grumbled as he too turned and trudged back to the house.

Before he got tugged too far ahead, Holy Rome turned back to Romano and asked, "By the way, why are you wearing a pink dress?" Romano's face heated up as he colourfully cursed out the blonde.

~X~

After meeting with Austria and Spain (where the tomato bastard cooed over them, much to Romano's horror) he and Feli were given the day off and were left to their own devices. Romano, quickly getting bored of the fancy bastard's house, was walking back to the room and noming a tomato (which he took). When he got to the door he paused a moment to listen to the bastards talk. "Mi amigo, having little Roma's fine but I often wish I could have Feli!" Romano stilled, tomato momentarily forgotten and ear straining towards the conversation. Vaguely, he felt a slight sinking in his chest.

"Oh really?" Austria replied, words dipped in sarcasm, "Would have never guessed."

"Si," he completely missed the sarcasm, "Besides, he's so cute!~ I haven't heard him insult me and he's less violent than Romano and he lets me hug him! It's kinda amazing how he and Roma are twins…"

Romano bolted away from the hallway and, to his horror,, he felt the first hot tears trickle down his cheek. That damn tomato bastard! He was just like everyone else! It was always about Feli. Always Feli! He tricked me into liking me! No, I don't like him. Trusting him… the bastard trick me, God damnit! He could have at least told me!

"Fratello?" the soft voice slowed Romano to a stop. He looked around to find Feliciano watching him worriedly. He tried to glare at his brother, tried to hate him, but he couldn't. Feli was just Feli, cute, nice, and naive. "Fratello?" Feli said again, coming closer, "Where are you going? And what did you do to your tomato?"

It was only then that Romano noticed that both his hands were in fists and the remnants of the tomato were now a pulpy mess in his right hand. He flung what was left of the poor fruit on the ground and wiped his sticky red hand on his apron, "Nothing," he replied. He was about to walk away before an idea struck him, "Feli," He managed to looked up to meet his brother's caramel brown eyes, "Give the tomato bastard a hug, alright? The idiot likes you." Romano then turned from his brother and walked calmly to the kitchen. After making sure no one was around, little Romano bolted out the back door into the woods.

~x~X~x~

Gah! Sorry this wasn't posted on a Sunday. Things happened...
Anyway, this is just a small trilogy that I wanted to write. Featuring Chibimano, of course.
Let me know what you think.