Not Always Gone, Chapter 1- by SakugariHana

Pairing: HRExChibitalia/Italy

Anime/Manga: Hetalia: Axis Powers

Time: Shortly after HRE leaves

Italy sighed as he walked through the streets of Venice. He was allowed to live at home now, with Holy Rome gone. Austria dropped by every so often, just to monitor things. Eventually, the young boy came to a bridge. Sitting on the railing, he looked down into the water. Seeing his own sad expression, he sighed. Italy saw his tears drop into the water as a familiar face appeared. Holy Rome's face to be exact. (Really only in his imagination) The young boy was staring up at him with a smile and sorrowful eyes.

"Holy Rome!" he cried, smiling as he reached for the imaginary face in the water. Suddenly, Italy lost his balance and fell in the water. He got to the surface, flailing a minute before half-swimming, half drowning to the stairway by the water. Sitting away from the edge, Italy felt the water dripping from his hair and the tears running down his cheeks as he wrung out his large white hat.

"Mian~"

Italy looked around as he heard the noise, seeing a dark gray kitten at the top of the stairs. It had dark gray ears and two stripes on its head, along with one on each of its paws. After it walked toward him, he saw a large gray spot on the kitten's back and the tip of the animal's tail was also gray.

"Mian!" it cried happily, rubbing against his side despite the boy's wetness. Italy looked down at it, smiling brightly.

"Ciao! How are you kitty?" he asked, petting it happily. Then he saw it had a gray collar with a white cloth attached. "You remind me of-" he began, seeing Holy Rome's face again. Sighing, he patted the cat on the head and walked up the stairs. Walking to his house, he noticed the kitten nervously following him. He smiled, turning to wave at it. Startled, the kitten hid behind a corner.

"Come on kitty! I'll make you pasta!" Italy yelled, the animal peeking out again. Within moments, it had bounded over to him. Smiling as the cat licked his pant leg, he walked home carefully with his new friend in tow.

. . .

Italy and the cat were friends for a while, and he'd had it for many years. Every day it would leave and they would both go about their business. Then at night, they came home, ate dinner, and went to sleep. But almost when Italy was going to become a teenager, the cat he'd known and loved for many years fell sick. It lived for quite a while, almost thirty years, but Italy was sad and worried all the same. Then one day, Italy came home alone. He sighed, walking into his home with his bag and not seeing the couch occupied by his friend. Months went by, and Italy had already lost two of the things in his life that mattered most.