9 October 2012 - 9:52 AM

Title: Der erste Stern (The First Star)

Rating: I made this T. Just in case.

Author: Prinz/Yori

THIS CHAPTER IS SUPER-LONG GUYS!


Italy smiled down at Germany, who was redoing his bandages. It didn't hurt like when he had done them himself and he was rather happy about that.

"You're so good at bandaging~" he praised, his arm being wrapped up.

"This is just normal." Germany said it like it was nothing, continuing on with his task of wrapping the cloth, kneeling on the floor, but Italy was happy that his friend was healing him, as it was truly nice of him to do.

"Italy?" Italy opened his eyes and looked down at the other, who stayed looking at his task.

"Well... Thank you. For protecting my house." Italy felt joy bloom in his chest.

"It was nothing," he boasted. As the bandages were secured, he cheered. "Yay! I think this might be the first time you've thanked me!"

He smiled brightly at his friend, wondering if the other was proud of him. "Germany~ Germany~ Was I a good boy? Did I do right?"

Germany was a bit off put by his ally's reaction. Italy was older than him, by many, many centuries, yet he acted like a child still. "Yeah."

"Kiss me! Hug me!" Italy teased.

"Don't get carried away!" Germany turned back to the medicine box, grabbing a bit of iodine. "Give me your other arm."

Italy quieted himself, seeing a familiar expression on the other's face, the same that Holy Rome would make. A shroud to hide all his weaknesses, to keep everyone out.

Even him?

His chest felt heavy, sad even.

"Hey, Germany."

"Yes?" The German turned to the Italian, not seeing his face.

"When did you fall in love for the first time?" Germany's eyebrows furrowed. What a personal question.

"What's with this sudden questioning?" he asked, beginning to unravel the bandages and apply some iodine to the wounds underneath them.

"I want to know more about you." Italy smiled down at his friend, bending at the waist to be closer to the other.

"Hey, hey... Please tell me." Germany looked away.

"I don't really remember the past."

Italy frowned. "That's a pity... Really..."

"Do you remember Italy?" The Italian sat erect, his hands clenching a little bit.

"Me?" he asked. His eyes were a bit wide in surprise. Germany wanted to know more about him, too? His eyelids lowered just a bit, as if to keep some memories from entering his vision.

"I..." He brought back the look in Germany's blue eyes that he had seen not too long ago, only moments ago.

That takes me back... They're the same colour as that boy's... He thought to himself, gently tracing his left index finger on the outer edge of Germany's eye, just the corner of it.

Italy closed his eyes and felt Germany tense underneath his lips as they delivered a kiss to his pale forehead. He held still after pulling away and then fell forward. His muscles were finally giving into the pain in his chest, hidden by smiles and kisses, and he rested his forehead on Germany's shoulder, gritting his teeth just a bit as the stress filled him and began to press against the boundaries that he himself had set up.

"Wha..." Germany stared down at the other in shock.

"I remember..." He opened his eyes in solemn truth. He curled in on himself a bit more tightly, as if trying to ward off the memory of remembering the boy that he'd loved so dearly. His head was against Germany's chest, the black fabric covering the other's strong body and making him wonder if he could be that strong. "I haven't forgotten anything. But I haven't seen him in a long, long time.

He gripped just a bit of Germany's muscle shirt in his left hand, and Germany could see that his ally was trembling softly.

"I'm scared I'll forget."

Germany looked down at him in concern, wanting to comfort but not exactly knowing how. "Italy..."

"Grandpa Rome, that boy, everyone I loved disappeared." Germany consented - well, he didn't really, but he did not oppose - as Italy pulled him just a bit closer by the shoulder, lifting himself up so that they were making eye contact. Golden eyes stared into his blue and he knew that Italy was having a rare moment of wisdom beyond his usual attitude... And sadness.

A brutal, burdensome, loving sadness.

"I get so worried whenever you're away. As soon as you leave, I'm wondering if you'll ever come back." Germany stayed silent, wanting to hear all the other man's worries. "What would I do if you never came back? Eating pizza and wurst together; training together; playing together; sleeping together;

"We wouldn't be able to do those things anymore." Italy smiled a bit at those moments of fun outside of work and war, nostalgic of those days when he was small and those moments were more common. "I'd really hate that."

Italy ran down, the fabric of his dress moving a bit in the wind. "Holy Roman Empire... You're really going..." Tears were dripping from the corners of his eyes.

"You have to come back okay!" He was screaming to the other's back, the blond boy looking straight ahead towards the battlefront where he would go against so many big and powerful nations.

He remembered looking up at the stars.

"You promised..."

"I don't want the people I love to disappear anymore." Italy wrapped his arms around Germany's neck, burying his face in his shoulder. He didn't want this person to leave. Ever! He was a big country now; he could help the other in whatever he needed and he was not weak... No...

"You're my most precious friend, Germany. I don't want you to go away..." His heart was spilling out of his mouth, words coming out so truly.

Germany sighed softly and looked away from the other. He was bandaged to the best of Germany's ability - seeing his older brother come home from battles meant that he had learned how to do this well -, yet even Germany could not heal heartbreak... and loneliness.

"Italy..." He pushed the other away. He could help Italy his own way.

"Wait. A-As if I'd go away!" Italy looked back at him with a confounded expression. "Firstly, you wouldn't even last three seconds without me around!"

Italy pouted a bit. "Eeh!"

"Listen up, Italy!" Again, that look that meant that Italy would listen to anything Germany said crossed the other's face.

"Stop trying to change yourself and acting out of character." His arms crossed in front of his chest, an authoritative air about him. "If you need help, I want you to call me immediately! If something happens, come find me!"

His tone softened ever so slightly. "Seeing you all beat up like this... It's painful."

Italy opened his eyes widely. "Germany..!" His friend was being so truthful... So rare!

The German nation glanced down at the other's body. "I'd rather you call me than have to bandage you later.

"Got it?"

Italy raised his left hand to his forehead in a salute. "Yes, sir!"

Germany stepped towards the bed and began to steer the other's motions, helping him turn so that Italy's back was facing him. "Come on, turn around. Your back's hurt too..."

After a few moments, he was getting aggravated.

"Ow!" Italy was crying out in pain, tears in the corners of his eyes. "It hurts! It hurts! Stop!"

The blond man growled. "Don't make such weird noises!"

"But it hurts when you tie the bandages up..." The whining did not last long as the sharp pain turned into a bearable throbbing, stinging slightly. Italy curled in on himself a bit, his jacket over his partially bandaged torso, and he laughed softly, his ribs aching a bit in protest.

Germany looked down at him questioningly, but he frowned when the Italian began to laugh a bit more.

"What's so funny?" He didn't get his expected response.

"I'm just really happy." Italy fixed his position on the bed, laying on his stomach and his head being supported by his arms. "I got a lot of injuries and I'm really hurting, but I protected your house.

"These wounds are proof of my manliness," he boasted.

"Yes, yes." Germany felt the corner of his mouth twitch upwards in amusement as he redid the bandages that covered Italy's lower back.

"Hey, Germany. If you were in my position, what would you have done?"

He paused his actions. "Pardon?"

Golden eyes questioned him. "Would you call me if you were in trouble?

"Even though I might be useless-

"Would you ask me for help?"

Germany sighed and felt the automatic response fall from his lips. "Ah, yes."

Italy smiled. "Yay!" Those beautiful eyes were hidden again. "That means you need me too."

Germany looked down at him, mouth slightly opened in disbelief. This was the worry that the other held onto so tightly; loneliness and the lack of being needed. According to so many self-help books that Austria and his older brother had given him, humans (and consequently, nations) needed to have a purpose. Germany himself strived to follow orders and to set good examples. Perhaps he once did this out of praise or a desire for acceptance, before he became Germany. Prussia had been raised in a church and lived to glorify God. Austria desired to be strong and had done so in his own way, a cultural treasure trove in the heart of Europe.

Italy had... Done what that gave him purpose? What was he needed for?

"Yay~" Italy cheered. Germany broke himself from his musings.

"All done."

"Thank you, Germany!" Italy sat up, jacket draped over his shoulders.

"... Off you go. It's already late, get home." He had to think about things in private now.

"Eh..." Germany looked up to see Italy shuddering a bit. "I'm hungry, and I'm thirsty. I want to stay at your house."

This guy...

He sighed. "If that's what you want..."

Italy perked up a bit when he saw movement from the corner of his eye. "Look, look!" he chirped, going to the window and touching the glass with his bandaged fingertips. "A falling star! It'll grant your wishes! Ask it for something, Germany!"

Germany closed his eyes, putting away the iodine and other medical supplies. "Only children believe that..."

Italy closed his eyes. "I wish I could eat delicious pasta. I wish I could eat delicious pasta. I wish I could eat delicious gelato.

"And I wish I could pick up girls!" Germany balked a bit at that.

"Um. And then... and then..." Italy's voice softened, sincere and soft and ever so hopeful.

"I wish Germany and I can always be friends. I hope we can always be close."

Germany stayed silent.

"I hope I can be with Germany forever and ever..."

For Italy's sake, may there be magic that worked.

Italy turned to him and smiled.

Holy Roman Empire stood next to him and told him in earnest. "I love you... Italy..."

Italy kept smiling through that distant memory and thought,

I want to tell Germany I love him. As much as that child told me he loved me...

His eyes opened and Germany was standing in front of him again.

"Forget wishing about it, if I'm not around, you'll get in trouble. I wouldn't be able to sleep."

"Really?" Italy laughed. "Then you'll always be my friend?"

"... Yes."

He cheered. "I'll never be lonely again." He grabbed his jacket to pull it closed, enough that he was shielded a bit more from the cool air in Germany's house.

"Thank you, Germany!"

Said nation threaded his fingers through his hair, sighing. "Okay, have something to eat and go straight to bed."

"Wait! Friendship kiss!"

Germany blushed. "What!? What's that..."

Italy chuckled. "Come on, just do it?"

Germany smiled awkwardly. "That's enough with the teasing." He turned away from the other. Italy was so clingy and expressive with even platonic love, it was almost overwhelming.

"I'm going to make some food so rest there for now."

Italy didn't speak as the door opened and closed, leaving him alone in the room...

As silent as the night sky outside.


12 October 2012 - 9:18 PM

9/Oct: I started listening to the Naked Mole Rap while writing. I don't know if I should cry or smile anymore.

12/Oct: I'll type up parts 2, 3, and 4 soon guys. I promise ::determined::