The Pink Dress

Pairing: Lars (Netherlands) x Romano (South Italy)

Author's Note: This is a short little oneshot present to foxyaoi123 as an apology for not being able to pair Lars with Romano in my other story, The Girl Next Door. It just didn't fit in with the plot plan, and I felt really bad because the background story she gave me was really good.

I know they're a slightly strange pairing, but they aren't crack! *Dumbledore voice* If you look deep into the records of history...(naw jk) You'll see that Belgium and the Netherlands used to live in Spain's house with South Italy. I actually did my homework for this one! Kinda-maybe-sorta-not-really. There might be some historical inaccuracy.

History Time! The Habsburg Empire was one of the principal dynasties of central Europe from medieval to modern family established a hereditary monarchy in Austria in 1282 and secured the title of Holy Roman Emperor from 1452. Austrian and Spanish branches were created when Charles divided the territories between his son Philip II and his brother Ferdinand; the Habsburgs ruled Spain 1504–1700, while Habsburg rule in Austria ended with the collapse of Austria–Hungary in 1918. (Teehee, so many innuendoes thanks to Hetalia.)

Number of words: 796

Lars pouted as the carriage bounced in every rut of the road. He and his sister, Bella, were off to live with that stupid ass Antonio. The Netherlands and Belgium, still one country at the time, were struggling against the Spanish Habsburg empire. The powerful southern nation had won the battle for dominance, however, and their stupid, stupid leaders agreed it would be best if the two tweens went to go live with Spain.

His sister Bella shot him a sympathetic look from her seat across from him. She was worried about her older brother, who was still currently looking out the window with a pout on his face, palm propped up against his chin. She wasn't too upset that they were going to live with Antonio—she knew eventually they would be old and strong enough to declare independence. She herself liked to look at the bigger picture; but her brother lived in the now. And all he could focus on was his so-called imprisonment at his mansion in Madrid, which they could see in the near distance.

As they bounced over the cobblestones of the city, Lars kept the pout but stopped looking out the window.

"Bella?" he asked quietly. "Ya think we'll be all alone in his house? Or will he be around a lot?"

Belgium shivered at the thought of being in a huge, cold empty mansion with only her and her brother. Not a pleasant thought.

"No," she said back with as much cheerfulness as she could handle. "I heard he's got a little girl servant. We'll at least have some company."

Lars brightened at the thought of other people, but not as much as he would have if there had been other boys his age to play with.

.oO0Oo.

"Hola, Bella, Lars!" the man waved cheerfully and grinned as the carriage pulled up to his house. The horses whinnied and pawed at the ground as the two siblings disembarked from the vehicle. "I'm your new guaridan, Antonio. I—"

"Yeah, yeah, we know," Lars muttered, and kicked at a stone on the walkway as he trudged up to the house.

Bella sighed and shook her head. They would have to be a bit more polite to the man they would be staying with for who knows how long. "I apologize. He's just...sullen, I guess."

Antonio laughed. "It's okay, chica. My Romano was the same way, I can deal."

The blond and the brunette walked up the pathway after the young boy, chatting in their respective languages, barely managing to get by in them.

.oO0Oo.

"This is the kitchen," Antonio said happily as they walked in.

Lars cast a bored gaze around the room. Already he was forming the plan in his head for his getaway. His sister and he didn't have much; they hadn't really brought anything, so they wouldn't have much to tie them down or hold them back.

The room, like most others in the house, had a lot of deep reds, medium greens, and the same pale brown wood that seemed to be the recurring theme.

A little girl in a pink maid's dress and a headscarf stood on a step stool, straining to reach for a bowl of bright red tomatoes sitting on the much-too-high counter. As they walked in, the Spaniard's volume increased, and the stool wobbled and fell over, the occupant falling to the floor.

"Oi, mi Romanito!" Spain said worriedly as he rushed over, a curious Netherlands and Belgium trailing after him. "If you just want a tomate, you can just ask me to get them down for you!" he reached out a hand as he tried to pick the kid up.

Slapping away the offered hand, the girl—no, the boy, Lars corrected himself—pouted nastily and turned as red as the tomatoes. "Bastardo! I'll get my goddamn tomatoes whenever I damn want to! Che!" as the little boy started to leave, he cast the two other nations an inspecting look.

"Don't let his stupidity fool you," he warned, shaking a little finger in their direction. "He's a stupid asshole who's only good for his tomatoes." Romano stormed out.

Antonio turned around and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Ehehehe..." He laughed. "That could have gone better, I apologize. That was my little Romano, or South Italy. He can be a bit...foulmouthed at times."

Bella accepted the Spainiard's apology while Lars said nothing. The preteen's gaze was stuck in the spot in the doorway where only moments before he had seen a little frilled pink skirt flounce out of the room.

Maybe living here would be more interesting than he thought...he could stand to stay a little longer.