It was a week after the announcement of Alfred and Arthur's engagement. Everyone had gone home from the United States including Antonio and Roderich. They were texting each other somewhat periodically. At least twenty times a day or more, and were IMing each other slightly more often. Antonio was getting a better idea on why Roderich had said yes in the first place.
They were both pretty lonely. That surprised Antonio at first. He thought that Elizabeta would visit Roderich every day since she didn't live that far away, and they had their own past connections. But, like Antonio, felt his house was empty. It was to the extent he was welcoming Maria whenever she came over, even it was just to taunt him (which wasn't that often). Antonio sympathized with him. He welcomed any company he could get at the moment, and was pretty much stuck to house arrest.
Unless he wanted to take a train ride anywhere but the papers for Antonio just kept on piling up. Most of them were about financial reform of the country that his bosses had tried before. He just signed the papers and hoped for the best. What more could he do? His felt like his bosses without his signature if they really wanted to do it anyway.
When Antonio would just sit on the couch, with his phone, and watch television most of the time. He was a grown country, but he still liked to watch cartoons. He wasn't really into those drama or 'reality' shows that seemed to be all over the place. Crime shows seemed to be the same general plot repeating over and over again with every crime show having the same arc. Cartoons at least seemed to break the mold every now and again.
About a few days of being incredibly bored, Antonio heard a knock at the door. He jumped up from the couch and ran do the door.
"Hey Toni! Wir geht's? Keseses," Maria said hugging her friend and coming in.
"Hey chica! I'm doing okay, just bored out of my mind, you?"
"Awesome, as usual, Keseses. Vashy wanted to talk to you about your debt," She said trying to remain cheerful.
"Oh! That's nice."
"Ja," Maria said looking a bit doubtful. "But he said he wanted me to come! Keseses…and he brought Lili!"
"He should have called! I would have made something for you all."
"How are you and Specs doing?"
"Pretty good, I think. We talk a lot, I guess."
"You guess? Keseses? With Specs things are either a disaster or are Wunderbar. Is he complaining a lot?"
"No. He seems pretty happy," Antonio replied.
"Hello Antonio," Vash said coming to the door and Lili following behind him.
"Hola Vash, Lili," Antonio smiled warmly at the both and closed the door behind them.
"Hallo," Lili said quietly.
"What brings you all here? Do you want something to eat?"
"That would be nice. Don't you think Bruder?"
"Ja that would be nice. Being one of your top trade partners I came to discuss your debts and stagnant economy."
"Si amigo. I signed some paperwork today, would you like to look at it?"
"Ja, does anything seem to be different?"
"Check for yourself. Everything seems to be the same old thing they've been trying amigo."
Vash sat down at Antonio's dining room table and began to read some of the documents. Lili had wandered into Antoni's living room and was watching television, and Maria volunteered to help make lunch. They stuck with something simple and made some soup. Lili came into the kitchen a bit later.
"Hallo Vögelein*! Wanted to help the awesome me make some gazpacho?"
"Nein, Danke Maria. Antonio?" Lili asked.
"Si?" Antonio asked halting for a moment. He looked over to the dining room table and saw Vash shaking his head. He was starting to feel a bit worried.
"You do realize you can hook up your television to your computer and watch things, ja?"
"My computer is a dinosaur. I doubt it." Antonio laughed nervously seeing Vash pinch the bridge of his nose and resting for a moment. "It's so slow I doubt it would be worth hooking it up."
"That shouldn't be a problem. Lili is like the master of all things that run on electricity. Just let her do something Toni. It'll probably make your life easier, keseses," Maria added nodding to herself.
"Well chica, I say go for it then."
Lili nodded, and walked back into his living room.
"Lili is going to pimp out your computer! That's so freaking awesome! Keseses! She does her best work when she's bored too. You're in for a treat."
"Antonio, your bosses are dumbasses," Vash said walking over to where they were. "Pleading for more bail outs isn't going to help your country! Why did you even sign it?"
"I make doubles of everything. Those are copies; I keep the originals in my office."
"Gut." Vash ripped the agreement into tiny bits and dumped them into a trash can.
"So, what's your plan for recovery amigo?"
"I don't necessarily disagree with the bailout part, but they really don't have much of a plan of what to do with the money. Splurging everything into one place isn't going to help your country at all. I recommend putting some of it away—"
"Their banks are bloodletting money at an alarmingly unawesome rate." Maria cut in for her friend.
"—into foreign banks like my own. I know it may seem risky to you, but I really think it would help. Also, you should invest in countries that are doing well right now."
"Si. Gracias amigo. I'll start typing up the proposal as soon as you leave."
"Soup is done!" Maria said loudly enough that Lili would hear her. Lili walked back into the room. She seemed to be somewhat happy, and accomplished.
"Have you made Toni's computer the best most awesomest thing ever? Keseses?"
"Nein, nicht exakt.**" Lili smiled up at Antonio and then looked at Vash and Maria still smiling. "You didn't tell me they were dating." Antonio and Vash blushed and looked at each other.
"It didn't seem that important." Vash still blushed.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you Vögelein. It's not exactly a secret," Maria said. "I thought Elizabeta would have told you too. She's been routing for these two for a while. Kesesese."
"It's fine. Congratulations Antonio. Roderich is very lucky to have you."
"Muchas Gracias Lili…H-how did you find out?"
"Oh, he IMed you when I was hooking your computer up. I said hi, if you don't mind."
"Si, it's not a problem."
Maria had started pouring the soup into bowls and taking them over to the dining room table. Vash was still slightly blushing. The three Germanic countries sat themselves down at the table and began eating lunch. Antonio fast walked to his computer. Sure enough, Roderich had IMed him, asking if he could come over to his house in a few days.
Lili had responded:
Hallo Roderich ~ Lili
He wondered how Lili had come to the conclusion that they were dating from that. Roderich hadn't replied to it yet so he went back to the dining room for lunch. He probably wouldn't think that hard on it.
Maria was filling Lili in on some of the details of Antonio and Roderichs' relationship. Lili nodded here and there.
"I'm surprised he even looks you after the first marriage," Vash commented off handedly. "That monarch of yours really broke his heart."
Maria sighed and nodded slowly. "I have to say it Toni, Roderich was distinctly unawesome after the divorce. Even more than usual."
"Y-You see, I really don't remember back then," Antonio said quietly.
Maria stared at him for a moment, looking incredibly concerned. She looked at Vash, and then back to Antonio.
"Wirklich***?" Maria asked gently. "I thought…when…you don't remember your marriage at all? Still?"
"What do you mean 'still'? I haven't remembered it in a long time."
Vash shot a look at Maria, and she only looked guilty. Lili seemed to be the only one remaining calm in this situation. She cleared her throat.
"Antonio, thank you so much for lunch. I know Vash and Maria feel the same, but we should be going soon. I promise I'll make sure Maria tells you what she needs to, ja?" Lili said gently. "I know you want to find out about this whole mess, but Vash has some very important business. I think it would be easier for Maria AND Francis to explain to you through text rather than now. We're sorry for having to leave so soon." Antonio put on his best carefree face and nodded to her.
"Thank you for coming. It was nice seeing you again, and the advice wasn't that bad either."
All three got up, with vastly different expressions on their faces and showed themselves out. Antonio waved good bye as they drove away in Maria's Mercedes Benz. He doubted that she was keeping something from him; she seemed honestly surprised when he said he didn't remember. It was probably one of those 'long story Toni~! I'll text you about it later! Kesese!' stories anyway.
While it was still on his mind, he figured he should start writing up Vashs' idea for economic reform. The television was still on but it provided some much needed background noise for him. He managed to get a nice rough draft proposal done in about thirty minutes. Antonio was still somewhat surprised he was one of the largest economies in the world considering all the problems he seemed to have. He went back to the couch and noticed one long wire connecting the TV to the computer.
He was curious to be honest. Maria wouldn't just brag to him about someone's skills if they weren't half decent, if not as awesome as she claimed them to be. He started to flip through channels on the TV to see if anything was different. On the computer, there was a small square showing the television show. He smiled and reminded himself to get her something nice as a thank you present.
Antonio stopped and saw his favorite cartoon was on. Again, it made good background noise. He heard the beep of his messenger going off.
Lili, it's nice to hear from you. I didn't know you were at Antonio's house.
She was, but they left a while ago.
Oh. They?
Maria, Vash, and Lili. Vash was checking out some economic proposal from my bosses.
Bosses? I thought you only had one boss…
I consider the ministers my bosses too.
Oh
They talked for a little while longer until Roderich said he was neglecting his piano, to which Antonio understood.
So, I was thinking about coming over by train next week…
Really! That would be amazing! I could help pay for train tickets if you want.
Nein. It's fine. I'll talk to you later then.
Si, adios!
Antonio was ecstatic, but he realized that there was a lot he needed to do before then. Clear out a spare room for him, make sure he had some of Roderichs' favorite foods, and ask Elizabeta what Roderichs' are in the first place. He would probably need to clean up the house a little too, but then again Roderich had left his boxers all over his own house. Well, Maria did warn Antonio that Roderich was 'all about the underwear'. Antonio shrugged it off and resolved to clean his entire house before Roderich. And hopefully, he could find out more about their marriage. He changed the channel of the TV again and the small square had changed with him.
'This could be really useful,' Antonio thought to himself.
Little bird*
No, Not exactly**
Really***
A/N: What could Francis and Maria be hiding from Antonio? Leave ideas/theories in the review section.
