A/N: Exalted cries of why are heard from the high mountains as the long absent returns to type something I just had lying around. I miss Hetalia now that I've spent some time away, one a fangirl always as it would seem. Do you guys remember me? I apologize. Also the song is called Inside (This Heart of Mine)by Fats Waller. I love big band music.
..Inside this heart of mine..
With a shaky sigh, I stood against the closed door of my bedroom, clutching the plate with the sandwich on it. I watched Feliciano with curious eyes. It was strange to see him solid and laying sprawled out on my bed, his breath came, steady and even and real. I the blush that had crept onto my cheeks cooled off and was able to get my heart rate under control. His clothes lay in a pile on the floor beside the bed and he seemed to have taken my advice and made himself right at home which was perfectly fine.
He let out a soft groan and with a shiver he curled into a little ball on top of my comforters. I smiled softly and set the sandwich I had made him on the vanity beside my bed. I hesitated him before tucking him in tightly. He was wearing some kind of cologne that smelled absolutely delicious.
I didn't have too much time to be lightheaded and thinking about the Italian in my bed because my phone rang again and interrupted my thoughts. It sounded infinitely louder in the silent room and a struggled to pull it from the pocket of my jeans and answered it without checking who was calling.
"Hello?" I asked quietly.
"Dude are you alright? You sound weird.." The voice of my best friend Sarah came through the line and I relaxed a little bit. "What's going on?"
"No, no I'm fine. It's just been a weird day." I let out a relieved breath. "What are you doing right now?"
"Calling to ask you the same question. I'm off today, want to hang out?"
"Yes, oh but it's.. Well I have.. Something.." My eyes remained on Feliciano's peacefully sleeping face. He was a vision and he was making it hard to focus.
"What do you mean? Are you okay?" Her voice was concerned and I only laughed a little bit.
"Oh it'll be easier if you see it. Just trust me you wouldn't believe it if I told you. On my way okay?"
"If you say so. See you soon."
I hung up the phone and let out another shaky breath then reached out and touched his shoulder, validating again that he was solid and real. "Hey, Feliciano? Want to meet my friend Sarah?"
His honey eyes slipped open with a soft groan and he looked up at me sleepily. "Mmm, it was time for a siesta."
I held out his clothes for him. "It's barely three. Let's go out and you can meet one of my friends okay. Let's get you dressed. You can even finish your nap at my her apartment."
With a yawn and a stretch he sat up and rubbed at his eyes. After a short struggle he pulled on his shirt and then his pants before giving me a sheepish smile. "Can you help with my shoes, I can't exactly tie the laces."
I nodded and knelt in front of his feet. "Of course I can." I slipped the brown dressy shoes he had been wearing on. "You fell asleep really fast. I couldn't have been downstairs for more than a couple minutes." I commented.
"I came here straight from the airport, didn't have time to catch a nap." He sounded ready to fall asleep again.
I stood up and pulled lightly on his hand, which was becoming something that seemed familiar. He stood up and I straightened his shirt out. "Grab a blanket and you can finish napping as soon as we get there okay?"
He gave me a sleepy salute and wrapped my favorite blanket around his shoulders. "Let's sneak now, I promise I'm good that it."
I nodded and turned to peak out the door to my bedroom. It sounded like my mom was still downstairs, I knew my dad wasn't home and neither was my younger sister. So as long as we could avoid my mom we could get Feliciano out of the house and come back once everyone was asleep. I felt a hand take mine tightly and I immediately relaxed, I could get used to the feeling of those artists hands wrapped around mine. I shook the thought away and turned back to him. "Are you ready?"
He nodded. "Si!"
"Okay, don't say a word remember."
I pulled him through the door and too the top of the stairs, where his hand shifted from mine to the back of my flowery shirt so he could make his way down the stairs crouched behind me. "Hey mom? I'm going over to Sarah's, okay?" We crept into the kitchen as the sounds of my mom moving around in the laundry room encouraged me to grab my keys and purse from the counter without her seeing Feliciano. "I'll be back later tonight alright?"
"Okay honey I love you!" My mom's voice echoed from through the living room and down a hallway. With a definite location I slipped into the kitchen and grabbed my purse and car keys from the kitchen counter.
"See you later tonight Mom!" I called as I motioned Feliciano towards the door. He wrapped the knit blanket tighter around his shoulders so it wouldn't drag on the cement as we slipped out the front door. I turned and locked the door quickly and took his arm and lead him out towards the car. "That went better than expected. Come on, I'll get you to my friends couch."
"And I'll stay awake the entire drive just as long as you promise I can sleep as soon as we get there." He climbed into my truck after I opened the door for him.
I rushed around to my side and hopped up as well. "You can even cook if you wanted to. I pinky promise." I held out my finger for him, and after he examined it for a second, he wrapped his slender pinky around mine and held it tightly.
With that we took off. It was only a short drive to my friend's apartment, just out my neighborhood and around a corner just past a grocery store. I turned down a side street in order to park in the court behind the apartment complex, which was always packed with cars, and once we parked I had the opportunity to steal a glance and Feliciano, who was looking out the window of my truck with sleepy eyes.
"You ready to meet Sarah?" I asked as he turned back to me.
"Yes, and to finish my nap also."
With that I slipped out of the car and rushed around to open the door again for him. As he took a careful step out so he didn't trip over the blanket on the way out. His hand immediately found mine through the folds of knit of the blanket that was draped around his shoulders.
I tried to smile as I looked around before leading him across the parking lot towards Sarah's apartment. As we made our way up to the door from around some hedges I stopped suddenly. "No you should, probably stay here for just a second. She's not used to me having cute boys around."
"You think I'm cute?" He asked through a smile.
"Just stay here." My face had turned bright red, but I ignored his comment and left him just out of view as I rushed up and knock on my friend's door.
"Well that was fast dude." My friend appeared from behind the door. She had always been prettier than I me, in my opinion. She had long hair that fell in soft waves and bright blue eyes. That and she was taller than me, where I was just sort of awkwardly short as far as I was concerned. She peeked around expectantly for a bag or a box or something. "So.. What did you bring?"
"Okay don't freak out."
She narrowed her gaze. "What do you mean?"
"Okay, just don't say anything and don't freak out. Promise me." I glanced briefly at Feli who was watching me carefully.
"Okay I promise. What is it?"
I motioned to Feliciano to come forward and when he stopped at my side and took my hand again I looked up at Sarah. "Okay Feli, this is Sarah. Sarah, I'd like you to meet Feliciano."
"It's really nice to meet you." He smiled and held out one of his pale artist's hands for her to take, which she did after examining it carefully. "But also, I'm really sleepy and was wondering if I could borrow your couch for a minute because Delilah promised it was comfortable."
Sarah stepped to the side to allow the sleepy Italian to stumble passed her, toe his shoes off and collapse in a ball onto the couch.
"Wait, seriously?" Sarah managed to say as I too stepped inside. She knelt in front of his face took look at it closer. "One: he's absolutely gorgeous and two: how is that even possible?"
I leaned against the counter top and shrugged. "You're guess is as good as mine dude. I got this weird pop up ad and then I took Ruby out on a walk and then he was there, playing soccer with those obnoxious kids that live on the corner."
Sarah looked up at me. "He was.. What?"
I shook my head. "He's just been at my house all day, and if that ad is connected to him showing up I get to hang out with him for another month or so. He'll come with me to school tomorrow and then he can meet my parents, I don't know what to think. He is adorable though isn't he?"
"You and I both know what brought this spaghetti dumpling to your door." She shook her head as she touched Feliciano's shoulder lightly to prove to herself he was real.
"Oh and what's that."
"Destiny."
"Oh no don't be ridiculous." I rolled my eyes.
"Hey Delilah.." Feliciano groaned in his sleep.
I took a step towards him and he grabbed me and pulled me onto the couch to use as a pillow. "Okay, I'm here don't worry."
"Look, not only has destiny brought you two together, but he likes you on top of that. Don't let him get away."
I sighed and looked down at the sleeping Italian. Sarah had a point. It wasn't every day that you're thrown into an impossible situation with the Prince Charming of your dreams. He did seem to like me, or at least he was doing a pretty good job pretending to. "I'll do my best. He is absolutely perfect."
I was smitten, that was for sure.
