GerIta, Hetalia Universe. One-shot. Modern day.

Feliciano gazed out the rain-splattered glass, eyes squinted against the frequent flashes of lightning. Tonight he'd be trapped, unable to escape his nightmares in favor of Ludwig's comforting presence. A shaking hand pressed up against the cool windowpane and a prayer slipped past his lips. Outside, the storm was raging, trees bowed before its awesome power. The constant rumbling of thunder rang in the Italian's ears, and rendered them useless as he clung to the window frame. His knees buckled.

"I wish Ludwig were here." He mused, sorrow cramping his voice, "He wouldn't be scared."

"Gottverdammt!" The displeased German slammed a solid hand against his steering wheel. "What was I thinking?"

The obvious answer would've been that he hadn't been thinking at all. It was clear stupidity to be driving in this kind of weather; the rain was coming down with all the strength of a waterfall, and the wind was shoving his car roughly off course. This was suicide.

Even in his beloved automobile, Ludwig was shaken. The windshield wipers couldn't keep up with the torrential moisture, and the lightning was so fervid that it gave him a headache. It didn't surprise him that he was the only one on that stretch of road, considering the circumstances, but it was almost impossible to discern exactly where said roadway was. He could just barely see the lines bordering the highway.

Hesitantly he pushed forward. At this point, he was only a mile or two from Italy's house, and there'd be no point in turning back. A prayer burned at his tongue as he squinted through his water-blurred windshield. Ludwig's usually confident hands trembled on the wheel, slick with nervous perspiration. He fought the car, forcing it to follow the asphalt, not the wind. For a moment, he wished he'd had another drink before coming out in these disastrous conditions. Second thought, no he didn't.

Up ahead, a warmer, softer light flickered into sight. Italy's house, or at least a dim outline of it, loomed into existence. Carefully finding the drive, Ludwig pulled his car in, barely missing a crookedly parked Ferrari. With a sigh of relief, he cut the engine and sat for a moment in his storm-rocked vehicle. Finally, he took a deep breath and forced his door open, almost losing a leg in the process.

Feliciano saw two pinpoints of light appear from the darkness, and in his confusion, he believed them to be fallen stars. As the lights grew bigger, it occurred to him that they were headlights. Someone was coming, but who would dare go out driving in this weather?

"Germania…"

It was terrible outside the protection of his car. Ludwig was first yanked one direction, then shoved violently in the other. His feet struggled to stay planted on the ground as he battled through the storm.

"-aaaa…" A faint, reedy cry was just barely audible about the endless roll of thunder. "Germaniaaaa!"

Ludwig's head snapped up in the direction of the call, but his efforts were rewarded with two eyes full of water. Blinking and cursing, he continued to the door.

Only seven more steps… six, five, four, three, two…

His hand latched onto the door knob with a vice grip that not even a crazed Russian could've broken. Wrenching it open, Ludwig staggered into the Italian's house like a drunk. Pulling the door shut behind him, he could hear the yelling continue. There was a frenzy of footsteps, then-

"Germania!" A sobbing Feliciano buried his face in Ludwig's heaving chest, not caring as the moist chill of the storm ghosted across his skin.

Surprisingly, the blonde clung to his shorter counterpart, though this was almost due to the fact that the tempest had robbed his legs of their strength.

"Oh, why'd you come?" The man was crying, his gentle hands pulling through Ludwig's wayward locks, "You could've died!"

"We can't die of human causes, Italien." Was the reply, swift and sensible. The Italian balked.

"But you could've still gotten hurt."

"Italien…"

"It's okay!" Feliciano chirped, his odd mood swing abilities coming into play, "I'm just glad Germany's here!"

They kissed, a short, breathless affection.

The brunette smacked his lips and studied his partner. "Have you been drinking, ve?"

Normally this sort of question would be met with stony indifference, but now Ludwig blushed faintly, head tilted away. "I had to've been to be driving in this weather."

"You know you're not supposed to drink and drive!" His lover was insisting, a muted fury etched across his face, "You really might've gotten hurt!"

"It was only a little?" This half-hearted attempt to redeem himself failed horribly, and the Italian's small fists pounded against his chest.

"Stupido! What if you'd ended up in a ditch? How do you think I would feel?" As usual, Feliciano was getting himself worked up, tears in his eyes as he considered the possibility. Suddenly feeling extremely guilty, Ludwig offered a shame-faced apology. After a long pause, the shorter nation grinned.

"Don't let it happen again."

They kissed again. Feliciano smiled, taking Ludwig by the hand and leading him into the house. If the storm raged on all night and tomorrow, it was okay – they could wait it out together.

And you can use your imaginations as to how they killed time after that. (They played checkers! *shot*)

Wow, it's been a bit since I've added to this collection, ja?