A/N: This is a sequel to 'Couldn't leave good enough alone'-a body swap between Germany and Italy. After experiencing what Germany's powerful and strong body is like, Italy begins to pity his own pathetic inabilities. It does work as a stand-alone story anyway so enjoy!
"Are you sure you're OK?" Germany began, a hint of concern in his emotionless voice.
"You've been...quieter than usual recently and-"
"I'm fine." Italy smiled. Germany reciprocated the gesture.
"Fine. I'll be back in a little while. I'm going to be down at the bar if you need me."
"Alright. See you then!" Italy cheered as Germany made his way down the road.
He sighed and closed the front door behind him. He hung forward, his arms dangling and hair flopping over his face. Upon righting himself, Italy dragged himself upstairs and into the bathroom. He flicked on the light. The harsh overhead lamp made Italy's skin appear even pastier and anaemic than usual. He stared at himself in the mirror. Disgusting. Flimsy, small, and weak-everything Germany wasn't. He was brave and tall and strong. He took all his strengths in his stride and brushed them off as if they were nothing. As if they were just a feature any normal person was born with. Italy couldn't believe himself. Was he resenting his own friend? No! He turned away from the mirror, clutching the roots of his hair. Dropping to his knees, the boy found fat tears clinging to his eyes. He really was pathetic. But it didn't seem to matter what he did, he would never be strong or brave. Despite all the years of strict military training, all the advice given to him from both Germany and Rome on how to be a good country, Italy never seemed to understand. He had to be treated like a child-not able to do anything for himself. How stupid was he? All the swirling thoughts eddied like a turbulent river in his mind, himself at the centre, slowly drowning. He sat, sobbing silently on the cold stone tiles, his head hung.
Eventually, he looked up.
"Enough." he spat bitterly. "I'm done here. I'm an embarrassment to Germany. And the other nations too. Perhaps...it's best if I weren't a nation at all." The boy wiped his swollen eyes and struggled to his feet. "That's right." Italy's face began to light up, his tear stricken eyes darting back and forth on the floor. "Grandpa Rome once told me, if a country dies, it becomes human. So if I die, then I'll become human too." A small smile grew on his flushed face. "I won't have to be strong or brave. I can just be...me." He craned his neck to look at the clock above the bathroom door. "Germany will be home soon, so I've got to do something quickly. I don't want him to be here when I die. I don't want to make him upset." Italy moved over to the door and locked it tight. Upon opening the bathroom cabinet, his eyes rested upon a brown bottle of pills. He reached and carefully brought down the heavy glass container. Facing the mirror once more, Italy looked deep into his own eyes as he tipped the whole jar of pills into his palm, a glass of water ready and waiting on the side of the basin. As he swallowed the tablets, one after another, a dark thought struck the boy. He'd never see Germany again. Humans can't see nations. Germany could be walking right beside him and he's never even know it. But it was too late now. The bottle was empty.
"Italy, I'm home." Germany called, closing the front door behind him. Silence. "That's weird." he mused. "Usually he'd run up to me and hug me by now. Italy? Did you hear me? I'm back!" Germany peered inside the living room and then the kitchen. Just as a slight sense of worry began to crawl its way inside his head, he suddenly realised the situation. "Ah! I see it now. He's hiding from me. Well, if he wants me to find him, I'll play his silly game." Germany chuckled and marched upstairs.
After searching through all the obvious hiding spots, both upstairs and downstairs, worry began to return to Germany. He suddenly realised, just as he was about to make his way back downstairs, that the bathroom door was locked. "That's strange. The only way that can be locked is...if someone is inside! Italy, are you in there?" Germany rapped on the door and waited for a response. Nothing. The man got down on all fours and twisted his neck to look under the crack of the door. The shadow of a body on the floor made Germany gasp sharply. He leapt to his feet and banged on the door. "Italy! What's going on in there! Open up-are you OK!" Still there was no reply. Germany hesitated for a moment, biting his lip. "Schizer, something must have happened to him. Idiot." The man turned back towards the door and composed himself for a moment, before ramming himself at full force against it. With a couple of blows the door swung open and Italy's lifeless body, sprawled across the tiles was revealed. The born bottle lay in fragments beside him. "Mein Gott, Italy!" Germany dropped to his knees beside the boy and scooped up his floppy body, his head rolling backwards. "No..." The man looked to the broken pill bottle, tears forming in his eyes. "Italy!" he cried. "Please Italy! Wake up! Wake up!" The young man lay still in Germany's arms. Tears poured down the man's face. "ITALY!"
End of Chapter 1
A/N: Well that was intense! Find out in the next chapter to see whether Italy's plan is a success and whether being human is as desirable as it seemed...