A/N: Exactly one month since the last update XD. That seems to have become the pattern, huh? Hopefully you don't think that's all too long, because I'm going to warn you now and tell you that the next chapter might not be out in a good while. The reason? You guessed it: School. I don't know how much I will have time to write, so yeah. I'll try. Hopefully, the next chapter will be out in the beginning of June. Maybe later. Sorry in advance for any mistakes you might find while reading this chapter.

Romano find himself at loss for words as Antonio's words ring through his ears.

"Lovino? I... I was attacked. I think that someone tried to kill me."

Antonio's voice sounds... Scared, for the first time since Romano met him. The Spaniard's voice is shaking, he sounds unsure, afraid... Vulnerable. It feels wrong on so many different levels and Romano feels incredibly disheartened by it. He feels at loss for words, not knowing what to say. What the hell is he supposed to do? Just what- What- How is he supposed to react to something like the words that the Spaniard just uttered? Romano tentatively seeks the gaze of France, who's still standing in front of him. The Frenchman's face has become full of concern - a bit unexpected Romano thinks but it's not unwelcome (but it's not like he cares!) - at Romano's silence after picking up the phone. The both nations hold their gazes for a moment, but then Romano breaks away and collects himself.

"Antonio?" Romano takes a deep breath, what the hell is he supposed to say, "What happened?" It takes just a little bit too long before Antonio answers, and those few seconds are just enough for the worry to truly begin to grip at the Italian, and the fear festers deep, deep inside Romano's heart. If someone's tried to attack Antonio... It is surely just a coincidence, right? It's not like anybody would truly try to kill Antonio with a solid motive behind it. Right? No, stop it, Romano thinks to himself. Don't jump to conclusions like that. But it's so terribly, terribly easy when he can hear Antonio's pained breathing - oh god, oh god, is he hurt? - and Romano doesn't want to lose something that he's only so recently gained. It's not like he cares for Antonio or anything, though. Tsch, why would he? Once again, his thoughts take him far, far away... Until there is a deep sigh on the other end of the line, and Antonio speaks once again.

"I... I was at my way to that café we were supposed to meet at? Then... Well, there... There was a gunshot. Lovino? I- I'm not sure but I might be hurt and can you please, please come here?"

For fucks sake, yes! If he had actually been beside Antonio in that exact moment, Romano probably would have tried to punch him, or something similar. Antonio, one of the first persons in Romano doesn't know how long to actually smile a genuine smile whilst talking to him, might be hurt, or maybe even worse. To describe Romano's emotions at the sudden prospect of actually losing something that makes him feel so much better in almost every possible way would be hard. It is an indescribable feeling, clawing at the Italians mind, soul and heart. But really, Romano doesn't notice feeling like that himself. He's fully trying to convince himself that he's perfectly fucking fine alone (even if it would be nice to not be).

So it's not like he will protect Antonio because he cares for him or something trivial like that. No, it's more on a principle. Because seriously. He's South Italy. Like hell if he is going to let something waltz in and fucking take Antonio, someone who's giving him full fucking attention. Antonio is his- Calm down, Romano tells himself. Despite how angry and frustrated he is, he can't let that get in the fucking way. So he takes a deep breath and tries - keyword, tries - not to make his voice shake, and to sound calm and collected. He has to. For Antonio's sake. Because despite everything, Romano is clearly the older one with more experience in this situation, and Antonio is a frail, vulnerable and very, very mortal human. So if Antonio goes and get his fucking ass in deep trouble and can't protect himself? Then Romano will help him, if only to yell at him for his incompetence. It's not like he actually cares about Antonio though. He's only doing this for himself. Yeah, right.

"Where are you?" Romano demands to know without bothering to answer Antonio's question because there's no freaking doubt that he will come and help Antonio. It's not a question or anything remotely close to that. It's a demand, coming from an angry, angry Italian.

It doesn't matter that he's a weak one, he's still a personification, a nation. There are little things that a normal human - because that is surely what attacked Antonio - can do that will actually hurt Romano. Even if he's weak, he'll to what he can to help Antonio (but only so he can yell at him for getting him worr- For being so weak). Said Spaniard would doubtlessly do the same thing if their roles had been reversed (though not for his own sake, but probably because how incredibly dense he is). Yes, Romano can practically see it happening. But then imagining Antonio as a nation suddenly brings him all too close to the still painful thoughts about Spain (now that Romano thinks about it, even their voices are similar, if Romano had been able to accurately remembering Spain's voice) and Romano forces himself to stop thinking about that goddamn fucking nation. Antonio. Antonio is the important one right now. Antonio who is right now speaking with him in the phone, perhaps mortally injured at worst. Telling him where he is.

"Ah... Lovi, do you remember... Where I said that I live?" Romano remembers, that day when he had been introduced to the horrible-named turtles at Antonio's workplace and afterwards at the little nice café where Romano found out just how prone to telling strangers exactly everything Antonio could be. "I- I was just on my way to where- where we were s-supposed to meet, when someone- I- I don't know. Can you please come?" The Spaniard's voice sounds taxed, his breathing is laboured. "I'm not far from the house where my apartment is." Romano nods, despite the fact that Antonio can't see him right now. He knows where Antonio lives, and any frustration regarding how the hell he is supposed to find Antonio he won't voice to Antonio. Normally, he would. But Romano is not his brother, he is perfectly capable of reading the atmosphere (albeit a bit reluctantly) and knows that he shouldn't.

"I'm on my damn way. Antonio... Hold on," Romano hangs up, and then looks at the Frenchman beside him who has gone largely unnoticed while Romano talked to Antonio. To him, Romano chooses to voice his concerns finding Antonio.

"Oi, bastard. You used to be friends with Sp- You know your way around Madrid, right?" France looks at him a bit incredulously and - is that worry? - opens his mouth.

"Has something happened?" The French nation asks. Romano doesn't answer, he only grabs the bastard, takes him by surprise, and begins dragging him towards the exit of the building they are currently in.

"Someone has attacked Antonio and I need to fucking find him. You're going to help me. Because seriously, how in the name of fucking hell would I know my way around this fucking town?" Romano asks as he pulls the other nation along, choosing to vent his anger at the bastard in front of him instead of the one that was recently on the phone. It's not like he had the fucking time to do so either. He'll scream at Antonio later.

"Attacked? By whom?" Romano scoffs as France's question, but feels a bit ashamed that he didn't actually ask that. However, he is quick to come to an answer to that question.

"Tsch. Do you think I asked that? I worr-" Romano cuts off himself, "- There's a risk that whoever attacked him will try to do the damn thing again. It's better to fucking get to him." France's eyes widen a bit and it looks like he is on his way to commenting on how Romano actually seems to care, but stops himself last second. Instead...

"I see. That seems quite serious."

"Yeah," Romano admits. "So are you with me or not, bastard?"

"Were there ever any doubts?" France asks as they walk; beside each other now that Romano has let the other nation out of his stone-like grip. Romano allows himself to grin a bit.

"With a bastard like you? Yeah."

Finding Antonio is... Eventful, if it could be described like that. France can't say that meeting this mysterious human that Romano has met is going to be interesting, but then there's also the worry, gnawing deep inside the nation's gut. There's the worry for the wellbeing of Romano's friend - Antonio, was it not? - but there's also... The worry for Romano's wellbeing. The Italian nation has grown up to be quite... Antisocial, and the hardened, cold attitude that the man held during his young years has not decreased. To say that it'd gone the other way would not be wrong. As a result, Romano has become a lonely person, shutting out all the other nations, unable to truly get close to anyone. The disappearance of Spain affected many, but Romano was most likely the one to take it the hardest. France can't say that he isn't happy for Romano's sake, finding a friend after all his time, but France is... Truly worried.

From what Romano's told, this Antonio would be pretty similar to Spain... And they did share the same name, did they not? Thus, France can't help but be a bit worried that Romano latches on to Antonio, hoping desperately for something that he would not find there. ...No. Romano's not like that. He's more reluctant to actually open up to people than England is, and that, is to say, a lot. Logically, France knows that this whole ordeal won't end up like that. But that gut feeling is still there.

And to not forget that other factor, the one having to do with how utterly painful a relationship with a human could potentially end up being. France knows, and it still hurts, it hurts so, so very much and that feeling is not something France would ever want to bring upon anybody else - not even his worst enemy - lest of all Romano, who's already had such a bad luck in life. France doesn't want Romano to suffer, because despite what anybody else might say, he cares for Romano. He might have told the Italian that it doesn't matter if it makes him feel better. But what if Romano enters a relationship with Antonio and something bad happens? Despite what Romano might think himself, France isn't called the nation of love for nothing. He could see the look in Romano's eyes as he told him about his new friend. And France knows that Romano wouldn't go helping someone that had been attacked just out of the kindness of his heart. No, there is something special with this Antonio.

No words can emphasize how much that scares him.

And if Romano's actions or that way his words sounded so damn fond when speaking of Antonio... The look in his eyes as the two nations travel the streets of Madrid is enough for France to conclude that there's at least something. Maybe there's only a friendship between them, maybe it's something more. It doesn't matter, because if something happens- No. He can't think like that just because he cares for Romano. France knows himself that he wouldn't ever want to be isolated from interacting or beings friends with humans at all. No, he would probably die of loneliness before that was to happen. After all... The life of a nation is one of carefully balancing everything, lest it be put on its edge. That can be applied to the relationships with normal humans as well (because despite what they might try to tell themselves, they are not and can never be human). France can't - and has besides that no right - think like that; that simply becoming friends with someone who isn't a nation will always end in disaster; he knows that it doesn't. But his own relationships with humans are terribly limited - while there's a big quantity of them, they rarely become all too deep. And there's a big difference between France and Romano in terms of experience and personality. So... If Romano wants to befriend a human... Then it's not France's place to stop him. But the Italian nation should be aware of the risks. So... Just in case. When France brings it up, Romano just scoffs.

"Tsch. Haven't you already asked about it, and don't you think I already know that? I've already thought about that, bastard. Besides, I don't intend to have my relationship with Antonio go that fucking deep." - But Romano doesn't know what France has seen in his eyes. - "Besides, I've known him, for what? One fucking week? Even I'm not that fucking desperate." Romano's words are harsh, but France doesn't really mind. The rest of the journey towards Antonio's apartment happens quickly - Romano is hurrying up - He doesn't say that he's worried but it's so incredibly easy to see that yes, yes, he's worried - and is in turn yelling at his companion to "Move faster, bastard!". It doesn't really make anything go quicker. But France is still happy to know that Romano is capable of worrying about someone else (even if he doesn't admit it, but France knows).

Throughout the journey to Antonio's apartment, the full extent of Italy Romano's colourful vocabulary is almost discovered - they do manage to find Antonio however, before the full extent is truly known - but France can't help but wonder where the Italian learnt all those words.

He does continue to ponder on it. But then they find Antonio and France stops dead in his tracks, his face probably being drained of all blood. He's just met Antonio Hernandez Carriedo for the first time and suddenly realizes that he's looking at a complete copy of the personification of the Kingdom of Spain.

Just how the hell did something like this happen?

Well, France thinks. It could be worse.