"Ita-Chan, what to go to the tomato field with me after breakfast? The weather has been really good and the tomatoes are growing well. I was thinking of making ketchup using them." Spain asked as he stuffed himself with the pasta Italy cooked, not forgetting to praise Italy for cooking such delicious pasta.
"Ve~ Um! I will go with you. Then we can also use the tomatoes to make pizza. Let's have pizza for dinner. We are having pizza for dinner right? Pizza would be good~ Pizza~" Italy started to drool at the thought of it.
Romano shook when he heard Spain asked Veneziano that question. Spain used to ask him every day, not Veneziano. So why didn't Spain ask him this time? Was it because Veneziano was here? Crap, that weird feeling in his heart was back again, even stronger this time.
Clenching his fist, he shot up and ran into his room, slamming the door behind him, leaving the 2 very shocked Spain and Italy. Spain only needed his younger brother.
"Roma! You did not finish your pasta!" Spain called, but did not get a reply. Something was definitely bothering Romano, but what?
Romano lie on his bed, staring at the white celing.
The sun's warm rays shone on him, making it hard to stay asleep. Covering his face with the pillow, he finally drifted into sleep…
"Fratello, aren't you excited? I wonder who will bring me home." The young Veneziano asked in his cute and innocent voice, looking around curiously.
"What is there to be excited about? It is no big deal!" Romano folded his arms in front of his chest and looked away. Still, it would be great if he was chosen by someone nice.
"You look capable. Why don't you come with me and live at my house." Austria came by and after observing the two, asked Veneziano.
Romano looked as Veneziano happily agreed to the deal and laughed. His brother was just lucky and Austria was just unlucky. Why would anyone choose his wimpy brother when he is here?
"Hey Austria! I saw him first!" France charged in and argued.
"No! Italy is mine!" A few countries joined them and started arguing over who should bring Italy home.
Yet, none of them approached Romano, as if he did not exist at all. To a young country, it was very hurtful.
"Hey! I am here too! Why aren't you looking at me? I am much better than him! Hey!" Romano shouted as he waved his arms, trying to get some attention. But the other countries just kept arguing and moved away from him, as if he was air.
"I-I don't care. I-I-I am not sad at all." Romano convinced himself as he tried as hard as he could to stop the tears from dropping down.
"Hey. Are you crying?" Suddenly, a voice asked behind him.
"I- I am not crying you idiot! It is just water!" Romano jerked and quickly wiped his tears dry, then turned around to find Spain looking at him with very kind eyes.
"Ah~ You are so cute! Can I call you Romano? Can I? How about Roma? Yup. I think I will call you Roma from now on." Spain decided immediately.
"O- Oii! Don't you want my younger brother? He Is over there." Romano pointed to Veneziano, surrounded by a crowd of people.
"Hmm? Should I? But you are so much cuter. Here, you can have this." Spain passed Romano a tomato.
Romano stared at the tomato for a moment and after some hesitation and a certain persistent Spain persuading him to eat it, took a small bite. It was hard to describe how tasty it was. But after that try, tomato was Romano's favorite food.
"Good right? So, will you come home with me?" Spain held out his hand.
Romano was about to hold Spain's hand when the atmosphere changed. Spain's smile turned into a frown as he slapped Romano's hand away in disgust.
"Keep on dreaming! Why would anyone want you? Your arts, your culture, your location, they are all nothing compared to your brother! No one needs you, when your brother is enough. " Spain scolded as he snatched the tomato away from Romano and threw it away. He then turned away and joined the crowd to adopt Veneziano.
Suddenly, the floor around him started cracking, forming a big hole, engulfing him into the darkness.
"Help!" Romano sat up, panting.
Looking around, he realized that he was still in his room, his pillow drenched by his sweat. It felt so real, he could almost taste the tomato that Spain gave him for the first time. It may just be a dream. No, a nightmare. But it was based on his memory, and the memory was altered by the present.
Romano looked out of his window, spotting Spain and Veneziano in the tomato field, having a fun time together. No matter how much he tried to deny it, he appreciated Spain. Spain was the only one who chose him over his brother. Spain was the first one to show him love. But it looked like it was all over, just like waking up from a dream. The altered memory would become reality, and Spain would abandon him soon.
"Cheh, like hell I am going to let that happen. I will be the one who abandons him." Romano walked out of the house without Spain or Veneziano noticing. He remembered France saying that he could go to his house anytime, and despite how annoying that was, it was the only choice now.
"Roma~ Come on down! We brought many delicious tomatoes!" Spain dashed into Romano's room, only to find it empty.
"Eh? Ita Chan, did you see Romano?" Spain asked Italy.
"Ve… I don't think so." Italy recalled and shook his head.
"Really? Where could he be?" First Romano was acting weirdly, and now he was missing. Spain had a bad feeling about this.
"Ita Chan, I am sorry. But dinner will have to wait. We have to find Romano." Spain dropped his basket of tomatoes and marched out of the house.
"Oh~ Romano? Did you miss me so much? That is why you came to visit me right?" France look at the guest, rather surprised that Romano, who used to hate him so much, came to visit him.
"Shut up you bastard. I will be staying here for a few days whether you like it or not." Romano replied sulkily and walked into France's house and straight to the kitchen, treating himself to a tomato.
It tasted different somehow.
"Let me guess. You are troubled by something. Right?" France sat on the sofa beside Romano and asked.
"I am not. I am just annoyed." Romano turned away.
"Annoyed by? Is it Spain?"
"Why would I bother about him?" Romano shouted and at the same time, crushed the tomato in his hand.
"All he care about is Veneziano now. He is going to abandon me after all." Romano become softer as he spoke, his curl bent down due to his mood.
"Romano?"
"Why is it that no matter how hard I try, others will still choose my brother over me? Why did Spain choose me when he obviously wanted Veneziano? Is it just to hurt me later?" Romano had started crying and this time, he did not bother holding back his tears.
"So that Spain's inability to read the atmosphere had finally hurt you. That idiot, what did I tell him?" France shook his head in dismay.
"But you know, Spain really do love you. He is just stupid and blur and stubborn and so on. Yeah he may like Italy, but you will always be number one to him. I don't mind if you choose to live with me, but you should at least clear any misunderstanding." France tried calming the crying Romano down.
Just then, France's door was flung opened for the second time and in came an anxious looking Spain.
"Romano! Here you are! Why did you come here without telling me? I was so worried!" Spain charged into France's living room after spotting Romano.
"Are you crying? FRANCE! WHAT DID YOU DO?" Spain jumped into conclusions and lifted France up by the collar, ready to punch him.
"He- Hey! Wait! I did not do this!" France stuttered, desperately trying to explain himself.
"As if I belie-"
"He did not do anything you bastard! You are the reason I am crying! You stupid idiot!" Romano shouted.
"Me?" Spain's grip on France's shirt loosened.
"Yes you! Why are you even here? All you need is Italy! So you can go back and eat pizza with him now!" Romano dashed out of France's house, but where else could he go?
"Roma! Wait-"
"Give it a rest, if he did not want you to catch up, you won't stand a chance at all." France advised.
"I won't know if I don't give it a try." Spain replied and dashed out of the door.
"Shouldn't you at least understand why Romano was angry at you?" France shook his head once again.
Then again, Romano was quite slow too, when was he going to realize that he like Spain so much that he was jealous?
"This should be fun to watch." He finally decided and closed his door.
