AN: So in order to continue this, I realized that this story had to stop being merely fluff and grow a plot. Mmmmmmm, plot. So I did what I could. If you find yourself having as many issues with it as I do, PM me. We'll rant for hours until everything is sleek and shiny and chrome. Because this is the future, and everything's chrome. It's a little bit longer this time. Hopefully the chapters will just get longer as the story progresses. However, longer chapters means that there will likely be more of a gap between updates. Just to let you know.

Thank you to all the people who chatted on the phone with me for hours so that I could be happy with this chapter. I apologize that writing is such a long, difficult process for me.

Enjoy!

Antonio was never one for waiting around. After all, he is the country of passion. And the passionate don't simply wait around for what they want to come to them; they reach out and take it!

Right?

At least, that's what he tells himself as he ambles up the walkway to France's door, knowing that today his friend will not be the one to answer when he knocks. If he knocks. It's a 30 second walk to the door and already his confidence is wavering. He knows that he will be greeted by fiery amber eyes and a bright sunny smile, and he isn't so sure if he'll be able to keep his composure once he is within a five foot radius of this girl. Spain never goes running for the hills from a pretty face, but this one is different. This pretty face seems to watch his every move with a focused intensity, giggles sweetly when he does or says something stupid, lights up when he says her name.

Most importantly, this pretty face belongs to his best friend's daughter.

How long has it been, exactly, since he first started pining over her? He knows it started around Christmas a few years ago, but exactly how many years ago, he can't be sure. He had already known her for a while, and they had always gotten on just fine, but there was this one moment… All three of them, Francis, Antonio, and Sesel had been outside in the snow. She had called out to him, and he had turned to face a beautiful sight that will forever be engrained in his mind. Snowflakes clung to her hair and eyelashes, her cheeks were bright red, and her smile was wider than he had ever seen. She was laughing already, and she began to taunt him in an almost loving way for the stupid expression on his face. She hit him in the chest with a snowball, and an arrow went through his heart.

He's been spending too much time with Francis.

He figures that maybe it can be called love at first sight, because that was the first moment he had every really opened up his eyes and truly seen her. He thought about her a lot after that day. How she can always make him laugh, make him smile, cheer him up when he is down. Her personality is as sunny as his, and he guesses that was what really did him in.

He only hopes that she might feel the same.

He's been standing on the porch for at least five minutes now. Sesel is wondering why he's here when her father is out, and why he hasn't knocked. More importantly, she's trying to figure out what she's going to do when he finally does knock, and she has to get the door. She's never been alone with him before, and she's terrified of making a fool of herself.

He finally knocks. Sesel braces herself and answers the door. "Bonjour," she says, in as cheery of a tone as she can manage with the butterflies frolicking in her stomach. He smiles down at her. "Hola. Erm… Is Francis here?" She looks up at him, confused. She was sure that he knew that her father would be out today. She definitely remembers him telling Antonio not to stop by. So why is he here? Certainly he didn't come just to see her…

"He's out," she says, more bluntly than she intends to. He doesn't even look disappointed, only a bit troubled. "Oh… may I come in?" She shoots him an odd look. Did she not just tell him that her father is out? Still, he did ask politely. "Sure… I guess. Why?" He looks away momentarily before replying, "I want to talk to you."

…He wants to talk. He wants to talk, to her. She tells herself that it probably means nothing, but she still feels somewhat lightheaded as she lets him into the house and leads him to the living room. Sesel shakily sits down next to him on the couch and they linger in silence for a moment before Sesel works up the courage to speak. "So… what was it you wanted to talk about?" Antonio looks away pensively before speaking. "Well… there's something I want to tell you. And I've wanted to tell you for a while, but I always found reasons not to. And I can still think of about a hundred excuses, but that's all they are. Excuses. And I don't need excuses anymore. I'm supposed to be the country of passion, so I need to stop running. I don't want to lose before I'm even out the gate." He glances down at the floor, and sighing runs a hand through his hair. Then he looks right at her, his green eyes piercing into her own amber ones. "Sesel… I have feelings for you. Maybe I'm not supposed to, but I do, and I honestly don't believe that's in danger of changing any time soon. I suppose I just wanted you to know, and maybe…" Antonio trails off, staring at her with hopeful eyes.

Sesel's head is spinning.

She wants to tell him yes, she feels the same. She wants to tell him that she's had these feelings for so long, she can barely remember when they started, and that every time she looks at him, her heart flutters, and every time he speaks to her, it soars.

She wants to tell him all these things, but she cannot find the words.

She doesn't need them. Someone else speaks for her.

"Antonio… get out of my house."

AN: Oooooh... Somebody's in troooouuuble! *shot*