"Stay right here, Romano."

"I know!"

"This exact spot, do not move!"

"Okay!"

"I'll be out in about 2 minutes, don't leave-"

"I'm not going to leave! I'll sit right here and wait for you!" It irked Romano how much Spain didn't trust him. Though he didn't exactly gain his trust in this area, since he always found some way to get distracted and wander away from the spot he was told to wait at. Romano sat outside the wine shop, since he wasn't allowed in for being so young. The dirt was probably making his dress filthy on the back, but he would worry about that when he had to stand up again.

He picked up a twig from the ground and used it to draw in the dirt. He drew a little tomato and smiled at his handiwork. It was pretty good for a dirt drawing. His brother probably couldn't draw something so good in dirt. As he admired his artwork, a shadow loomed over it, and it was standing too still to just be someone passing by in the crowded street. Romano looked up and saw a man. He wasn't old but the wrinkles on his face showed clear aging. He sort of looked dirty.

"Hey there," He said, and it took Romano a moment to realize he was talking to him, even though he was looking right at him.

"What?" Romano replied. Spain would've scolded him and given him another lesson in manners if he had heard that.

The man bent down, and Romano looked down at his drawing, making sure the stupid man's foot didn't rub it or ruin it. "I was wondering if you could help me out?"

Probably not, Romano thought bitterly. He was just a little kid, plus he was leaving soon. He shrugged in response and looked down, protecting his drawing mentally once more.

"See, I lost my dog…have you seen it?"

"How do you lose a dog? It obviously doesn't like you." The man was taken aback by Romano's bluntness. Romano began rubbing dirt off his shoe as if what he said was completely normal. Spain definitely would've gotten him in trouble for that.

"W-Well, it's not mine. It's my sisters. I was babysitting it."

"You just said it was yours." Romano stared at the man and he stared back for a moment, before laughing and scratching the back of his head.

"I guess I did? Either way, I was wondering if you could help me look. He shouldn't be too far."

Romano thought about this. Spain was always complaining about how Romano never did anything helpful around the house. What would he say if he told him he found a mans lost dog? That would make him useful, more useful than his brother. He would've betted his whole crayon collection that Italy had never helped someone find their dog.

"Okay, but we have to be fast, or I'll get in trouble again." Romano said as he stood up and brushed off his dress. Looking down once more at his tomato drawing, a feeling of pride once more welling up in his stomach.

The man was practically beaming, which Romano thought was a little weird, since his dog, or his sisters, whatever, was lost. Romano was about to say something, when the wine shops door opened and he heard that familiar, "Romano?"

Spain stopped for a moment when he saw the man, and Romano saw his eye twitch a little. He'd never really seen that before, he must have been confused. He had told Romano not to talk to strangers, but this was an emergency. Though, the man looked thoroughly rattled and was slowly backing away.

"He needs help finding his dog." Romano explained, pointing to the man and looking at Spain, who looked at the man with a look Romano had only seen him give Prussia when he had split wine on their carpet by accident once.

"Does he." Spain said evenly. The man waved his hands in front of him and started backing away even more.

"No, no. It's okay, I'll…"

Now Spain was giving him a look Romano had only seen once, and it made him feel like he's done something terribly wrong. Though, it wasn't directed at him. It was the look Spain once had when they were all at a very important meeting discussing if Romano should remain with Spain. Obviously he'd won it, but it wasn't a happy memory.

Spain picked up Romano in one of his arms so Romano was sitting on it, but just grabbing Spain's shoulder to hang on. As Spain did this, he'd accidentally stepped on Romano's tomato drawing he didn't know was there.

"HEY! Jerk-Boss! You stepped on my drawing-"

"You can redo it at home." Spain snapped. Snapped. He never snapped at Romano. Romano looked insulted and angry, but just resulted in sulking into Spain's shoulder as he walked quickly through the crowds. Eventually, though, they made it to the back country pathway that lead to their house. The only sound was the wine bottles clattering in the bag with every step, and Romano occasionally sniffling because he might've been coming down with something.

Romano looked at the sky, at some passing birds, before blurting out, "That guy was an idiot." Spain's grip on Romano tightened, but Romano didn't take notice, "first he says he needs help looking for his dog, right? Then he says its his sisters dog when I said that, obviously, it didn't like him if it ran away, right? Idiot… I was going to help him quickly, since I think I would be good at catching dogs, since I can catch the cats that sneak into our tomato patches-"

"I don't think I should take you into town anymore." Spain cut in, sharply. Romano's mouth was still hanging open from his ramble. He closed it and frowned. He had done something wrong.

"But, I didn't move!"

"I…" Spain was a little confused by Romano's reasoning, then remembered what he'd told him, "No, no you did fine with that. That…that might've been the problem, though…" Spain trailed off so Romano barely heard that last part.

"I don't like staying at home when you leave, though!" Romano whined, "It's boring! Not that I like being with you," Spain smiled a little, despite his mood, "but…but I just don't like waiting for you." Romano buried his head into Spain's shoulder, embarrassed.

"I don't know." Spain sighed, he honestly didn't. Romano looked at his face a little longer, he sort of looked rattled, as if something had scared him. "I'll figure something out."

Romano pouted. When Spain said things like that, it usually meant he was going to get his way, which meant Romano was going to be spending time alone in the house during shopping trips.

"I'm sorry I ruined your drawing." Spain grinned, trying to at least lighten up his own mood.

"Jerk." Romano replied, his reply muffled by Spain's shirt. "I'll just draw it again, and better."

"I'm sure you will."