Boom. Got it done! It's weird not writing in Microsoft Word. Scares me badly but I must survive until I can get it.

Anyway, enjoy another chapter!


Romano bounced on his toes as he peered from the kitchen into his living room. Germany was flipping through the channels available on TV with an amused look on his face, laughing periodically. It has been three days since Germany had decided to bunk down at Romano's seaside home to keep away from Italy and the raging inferno of anger he was creating at the joint Axis house. He was happy, excited, entirely ecstatic to finally have some time with the softer-then-expected German, away from the scathing eyes of his brother.

His brother always made sure that Germany never got close or connected to him.

"You're frowning again Romano" Germany called toward him as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed Romano's glass of wine. The grabbing of his wine helped Romano break out of his memorial haze.

"Hey, my wine, give it!" Romano demanded, grabbing for the glass now raised over his head.

"Nope," Germany told him, a shit-eating smile on his face, "mine now"

"Come on, please! Give it here now!" Romano yelled jumping up to grab it only to have Germany move and slide around him and the kitchen to play keep-away with the glass. Even on his toes, Romano just couldn't reach it. The closest he got was when Germany was backed up against the fridge and Romano was stretched out on his chest as he willed his fingers to extend out further to get his glass. When his middle finger graced the bottom of the stem of his glass, he finally realized what he was doing, and was blushing face-to-blush face with Germany. Both said nothing for terrifyingly long minute, staring into each others eyes; soft purple and shining amber. Both seemed to shine in subtle flames of attraction, yet they both were confused on what they saw. Romano's heart painfully pounded in his rib cage, making his ears pound with the sound of blood rushing everywhere. Germany couldn't control his, letting it run around like an excited animal

Each could feel the other's heart pounding against their chests like alarms.

"A-ahh...I'm sorry 'bout that, um, Germany. I-I'll just grab another...glass" Romano stumbled for the sentence but got enough out to explain his departure from Germany's chest. As soon as Germany relaxed with his arms at his side, glass of wine set away from him, Romano was fleeing the kitchen with a new wine glass.

Completely devoid of wine.

The only thing suddenly on Romano's mind was 'Fuck, fuckity, fuck fuck, what the hell just happened, holy shit Germany looks cute when he blushes and holy shit his breath smells like chocolate for some reason!'. The rest was a spam-filled place of every scenario that could have happened if he had not moved or had tried anything bold. He still couldn't believe that Germany's breath smelled like chocolate.

"Hey Romano?"

'Oh shit, frickle frackle, Germany's calling me' his mind screamed as he turned to face Germany who still sat against the kitchen counters.

"Don't you fill a wine glass with wine?"

Romano stood silent as he tried to comprehend the question. His eyes trailed to his glass, empty as his thoughts now, and then back up to Germany who held up the wine bottle. A lump formed in Romano's throat, his throat growing dark and depressed as he reevaluated the situation, quickly figuring out that he looked like an idiot.

'I wonder how stupid I look right now?' Romano bitterly thought as he walked up to the kitchen island and set his glass down, and watched Germany pour their wine into it. Germany chuckled softly under his breath, but it was loud enough for Romano to hear.

"What's so funny?" Romano bit out at him. Germany looked him directly in the eyes.

"The fact that you were flustered enough to forget this. It's...rather, um...cute, I guess"

'Did he just...' Romano's thoughts sputtered. Cute? He looked...cute when he stumbled? Was cute even the right word for this situation? He could feel his cheeks burn with a blush, and Germany immediately withdrew and pushed a full wine glass his way.

"Drink up Romano. Maybe if you drink enough, that blush will say on" Germany teased as he grabbed his glass and walked back into the living room, leaving Romano to sort out his feelings now painfully stabbing his thoughts and heart like hypo needles.

'It's pointless flirting', he yelled at his heart, 'he's thinking about a rebound and I'm it. I don't want to be a one night stand, a pointless rebound bed mate'

He left his wine glass on the island that night, and it would not be touched for the rest of the day. He felt like sobbing his heart out. Germany's flirting was nothing but a ruse, a cover up of his real intentions, Romano decided. His romantic feelings were pointless, shameful inkling of a hope never to be achieved.

"Romano, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing, Germany. I just...need a moment outside, okay? I'll be...back"

Romano rushed out just in time before the tears began to fall. And hard these ears fell. His self-administered depression about being a possible rebound stabbed and mutilated him. He stumbled along the side of his house, feeling broken and utterly dead. Germany was just using him, Germany was looking for rebound sex, Germany was just trying to get on his good side until he could strike.

Germany never saw his heart for what he wanted.

He let a heart-wrenching sob out as he stopped stumbling along his walls, sliding down until he was curled up in a tight sphere, sobbing into his knees without remorse. He felt heartbroken.

His hopes were nothing but a false hope to recover from Spain's painful rejection and finally find someone who cares.

"Nobody cares," he sobbed before wiping snot with his arm, "Nobody ever does..."

"Nobody cares about the me behind my mask"

And so Romano sat in the shadows of his willow tree backyard, crying out his depression and sadness to the swaying branches of the old trees. His heart pounded and constricted with the waves of sorrow flowing out of his eyes and mouth, his pain reaching nothing but the blowing wind and the emptiness of his surroundings. He had reached the place to scream out and let no one hear him. He found the deaf place he could yell in and hope no one heard his pleas for help.

He knew no one listened.

"Romano?!"

He curled up tighter. Germany's figured out and he's coming to make fun of him. He scooted back as far as he could, trying to disappear into the side of the building, to ensure his and Germany's safety.

Germany wasn't safe near him.

"Romano!"

He didn't care. No one really cared. He was just a pointless representation of part of a nation.

"Stefano!"

Romano's head snapped full front, ears now scanning for sounds. He hadn't heard his human name spoken in a long time, and his heart snapped back to life. His fears and anxieties took a back seat as surprise took their place. The last person to use his human name was Spain, and he used it to dismiss him and his feelings. Now Germany was yelling it and he was getting close...

The cries for him stopped at the corner hiding him. Romano saw the shadow on the ground before he heard a soft breath carry around the corner. Germany had stopped along the other side of the corner.

"Stefano...what's happening?" Germany asked softly, loud enough for the words carry with the wind, caressing Romano's ears like velvet.

"I..."

"Please be honest Stefano. Why were you crying?"

"I..."

"If you want me to leave, then I'll..."

"NO! No, no please don't leave. Please...s-stay..."

Germany's head poked around the corner, eyes automatically locking with Romano. Romano's eyes still dripped with tears. Germany made no other moves toward him, but Romano did. HE pushed himself off his wall and right against Germany's chest. He didn't hug him; he simply leaned up against his chest like a pillow. Germany's body responded with a faster heart and a quick move of his arms around Romano.

"I just fear that...that you see me, see me like a...reboun-"

"No"

Romano's heart all about stopped on cue.

"Why the hell would you think that? If I had thought of any relationship with you it would never, ever, be just some cheap rebound sex"

Romano's heart appreciated the words, yet shattered once more. He hadn't thought of being in a relationship with him. Germany did not want any sort of thing with him, excluding friendship.

'I wish it to be more, but I'm being selfish and rude. You just went through a breakup, you need to fix yourself before I can even get close to the picture'

"What I would want with you is something honest and not lead by sex and lust. A romantic relationship, a relationship we're we could just lay around all day, watch stupidly hilarious films, and cuddle"

'This is torture. He's killing me. He knows I want that but he's just keeping it out of reach like the asshole he is' Romano's tears came back, but his sobbing was kept quiet.

"I don't want to hurt either of us with my decision. What I want to do is...th-the pure relaxation of a romantic relationship..."

'Here it comes. Another bitter, black denial and death sentence aga-'

"If you would let me, I would like to make that happen. Stefano Vargas, will you go out with me?"

Romano didn't miss a single second. He looked up at Germany, arms and hands moving to cup his face quicker then he could speak. He just held Germany close, reaching up and moving until he was on his toes, and firmly held up against him in a hug with his arms around Germany's neck. Germany's arms followed suit, and finally Romano answered.

"Yes. Oh all that is here, I want to"

His tears turned from bitter to pure joy.