Thank you to Gemini Artemis for being my beta and to everyone who reviewed. I feel like I should have thanked you all individually, but I didn't want to spam your inboxes. So I'll just thank you all here for the wonderful feedback. Also thank you to everyone who has put this story in their alerts or favourites or has just been reading this.

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Chapter 11

Prussia wrinkled his nose when he felt a fly land on it. It wasn't enough to get rid of the intruder, so he swatted at it with his hand, not bothering to open his eyes. It was so hot that even that felt too much of a task, and he was all too content with resting on the beach chair that stood in the shadows at Spain's porch.

Spain had invited him over out of the blue, claiming that it was too long since the three of them had actually spent some time together, not just gone out for drinks. It was true, but Prussia suspected the real reason was something else. He hadn't been much in touch with his two friends since he had been turned down at France's house, and Spain and France probably thought he was hurt and avoiding them. Or maybe it was just France. Spain was a little too oblivious to worry about such things.

He had been happy to accept the invitation, though only on the condition that Spain and France wouldn't go all kissy kissy when he was present. Just watching had never been his game, he had told them, and they had agreed with a good-hearted laugh. So far, even France had been able to keep his hands to himself, so Prussia supposed that they were really intent on making everything up to him.

However, he didn't really feel like there was anything to make up for. He didn't mind that Spain and France were together. Watching how they talked and looked at each other was enough to tell him how much in love they were, and while Prussia would have never said such mushy crap out loud, he was glad that his friends were happy.

Still, if Spain and France wanted to pamper him, why say no when he could just lie back and enjoy it?

Prussia opened his eyes and reached for his glass of wine on the table. He brought it to his lips and gagged at the thick taste, spilling some of the drink on his chest as he hurried to put the glass back. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Spain was observing him with half-closed eyes.

"Tastes like crap when it's warm," Prussia said and wiped his mouth.

"You shouldn't leave it in the sun if you don't like it," Spain said.

"Then I'd have to get up and walk to the kitchen every time I want a drink. It's a lose-lose situation," Prussia complained.

He glanced at France, but the man was fast asleep and snoring softly with his hands crossed on his stomach. Hah, maybe his age was getting to him.

"I didn't know you were so lazy," Spain said.

"Not lazy. I just like it comfortable when I'm on holiday."

Spain yawned and closed his eyes as he leaned back on his chair. "Then I guess it's good we aren't going anywhere today. You can snooze out here to your heart's content."

"Yeah, sounds like my kind of fun," Prussia said. As far as he was concerned, it was always a prime time for some sleep, especially when it was this nice and warm. Gilbird definitely agreed with him, having found a comfortable spot in his hair.

He was falling into a happy slumber when he thought he heard Spain call out his name. He felt too drowsy to reply, and he figured Spain would give it up and talk to him later.

"Hey, Prussia!"

No such luck, apparently.

"Hmm?"

"It's coming a little late and out of nowhere, but I guess I should say I'm sorry."

Prussia opened his eyes and turned to his side to look at Spain, surprised by his serious tone.

"Why? Is there something wrong with the wine? Should I be hurrying to the bathroom?" he asked.

Spain chuckled. "No, I just haven't been thinking very much."

"And you're apologizing for that? Don't worry; I'm used to it."

"I know, and I should probably thank you for putting up with me despite that."

Prussia made a face. "Is this going to turn into some mushy bonding moment? If yes, let's just say that we're even because you put up with me being an asshole and leave it at that."

"No, I'm just getting sidetracked. I mean that I and France were asses to you. Sorry."

"Hey, that's ancient history. I didn't even remember that anymore. Besides, I and France had agreed we could do anyone we wanted, so it's not like you were going at it behind my back or anything," Prussia said.

"But we were because it wasn't just a random fling. We should have told you first that we wanted to be serious," Spain insisted.

"I said I'm okay with it. You didn't hurt my feelings, and you don't have to feel guilty. I'm fine. I've had so much action lately that I wouldn't even have time for France right now. It's great that you took him off my hands," Prussia said.

"Knowing you, even half of that isn't true," France muttered sleepily.

"At least the part where I said I don't give a shit is true, so can we stop talking crap? I want to go back to enjoying my vacation."

"Prickly as ever, I see," France said.

"That's the awesome me."

"You should get together with someone who has a really hard shell," Spain said with a chuckle.

"Oh, no, no. That wouldn't work at all," France said.

"Why not?"

"Because if he gets together with someone like that, he's just going to keep being an ass. He needs someone who's soft so that he has to watch what he says, but this rose should also have thorns of his or her own so that Prussia gets a taste of his own medicine every now and then," France explained in an all-knowing tone.

"That's bullshit," Prussia said.

"You know I'm the expert on the matters of the heart, so you should just listen to me on this one."

"I've made it this far just fine, so I don't need your advice," Prussia said.

France shook his head. "You need to know how to make compromises when you're in a relationship, and, well... You aren't actually very good at that."

"Well, then it's great that I'm not planning to get into a relationship," Prussia said a little sourly. This wasn't fun anymore. It was one thing to have his friends apologize to him. It got awkward after a while, but at least it showed that they cared about him, and he could never have enough of that kind of attention. It was an entirely different matter when they started poking at his flaws.

He wondered if Spain and France were talking about this because they wanted to set him up with someone. It was a little uncomfortable when two people in a group of three started dating. Maybe they thought they could fix it by finding him someone.

He quickly went through a list of people they all knew well. It was painfully obvious that Denmark was interested in Norway. Netherlands would flip if he ever touched Belgium and probably the other way around. Adding England to the mix would just make everything even more awkward. Austria and Hungary had each other. As he reached the end of the list, he couldn't come up with a single nation his friends might consider a good match for him.

Damn, that was actually a little pathetic, he realised. Good thing he really wasn't interested in a relationship with anyone.

That night, Prussia was lying wide awake on his bed and staring at the shadowy ceiling. It was too hot for him to sleep; he felt sticky and uncomfortable in the sheets, even when he was only in his underwear. Even the generous amount of wine he had drunk after dinner wasn't helping him take his mind off the heat.

It had been hotter during the day, and he had still been able to sleep on the porch with his clothes on. He wondered what it was about a bed that made it so much more difficult.

He glanced to his side where Gilbird was fast asleep as a ball of fluff. It was tempting to poke at him to get some company in his misery, but he refrained from that. Gilbird was probably the only being in the world he would never tease. He was entirely too cute.

Prussia sighed and tried to organize the pillows better, hoping that it would help him get some sleep. He froze when he thought he heard a sound from outside his room. For a moment, he waited to hear if it would happen again. At first it seemed like he had just imagined it, but then he was sure he heard it once more.

Curious, he tiptoed to his door and pushed it open. He stuck his head into the hallway and listened. There it was again, and this time he knew exactly where it was coming from and what it was.

You dogs, he thought with a grin. France had a separate bedroom for this little vacation of theirs, but it was obvious he had snuck into Spain's room the first chance he got. And they were clearly getting quite busy.

Shaking his head, Prussia retreated into his room and closed the door. He went back to bed and closed his eyes, intent on falling asleep right away. He did his best not to listen to what was going on down the hall, but now that he knew what was taking place, it was as if his ears were straining to hear better on their own.

And Spain and France weren't exactly being quiet.

Fuck it, Prussia thought and buried his face into his pillow. He considered going to bang on their door to tell them to knock it off, but right then there was a moan that revealed that whatever Spain was doing, he was really good at it. It wouldn't be very nice to interrupt them now.

Well, it wasn't like he had been close to getting any sleep in the first place. He'd just grab his clothes and go for a stroll outside until the two were finished. If he stayed in his room and listened any longer, he just might end up jerking off to his friends going at it, and he didn't want to be quite that pathetic.

He tried to make no noise as he left his room and went downstairs. He almost stumbled at the stairs, but he managed to lean on the wall and make it down in one piece. Once outside, he stopped to stand at the porch and drew in a deep breath.

Spain's house was located outside a small village in the countryside. The scent of flowers and grass that Prussia couldn't identify was intoxicating, almost overbearing. He had always preferred the buzz of city life to quaint little places like this, but now he was glad of the smells that took his mind off other things.

He decided to walk to the village and back. His feet made scratching sounds on the path, and in the silence they appeared louder than they were. Prussia listened intently out of habit – being careful had saved him from a lot of pain throughout his history.

After a while, he came to stand by a low stone fence built to the side of the path. He rested his palms against the rough surface. It wasn't his country, but he could feel in his bones that the fence had been there for hundreds of years, maybe even since the times of the Roman Empire.

"Hah, out of the two of us, you're looking sturdier," he said as he hopped to sit on the rocks.

It was a little comforting to know that even if nations died, they always left something behind. Prussia knew he had it good. Even if most people outside Germany didn't speak of him anymore, he would always be present in history books, paintings, sculptures, architecture and music. His brother would look after his legacy. It was more than any nation could ask for, and Prussia knew he should have been grateful.

And he was, but that didn't quite thaw the fear he had felt ever since the reunification. He was tough; he had changed names more than once. But it had to end somewhere, and Prussia very much doubted he would ever be a real nation again. The others knew it as well, which was why he put so much effort into pretending that it didn't bother him. He didn't want their pity.

Strangely enough, he didn't regret letting Romano see some of his doubts. He hadn't really done anything to comfort him, but Prussia felt a little more light-hearted after their weekend together. Romano's word had made him feel less like a loser.

Prussia chuckled deep in his throat as he thought about it. Around a month ago, he hadn't spared a thought to Romano. He was sure the feeling was mutual. Even though their social circles overlapped a lot, they had not crossed paths too often. Now he had to grudgingly admit that Romano wasn't so bad and deserved more respect than he had ever thought.

And hanging out with him was fun. In Spain and France's company he sometimes felt compelled to be the Prussia of the past even though he had embraced the modern world and loved it in every corner of his soul. When he was with Romano, he could act and talk more freely. It landed him some insults, but that didn't bother him. Throwing back some of his own was always fun.

Prussia realised he couldn't bring himself to feel at all sorry about how things hadn't worked out between Spain and Romano. Spain was happy with France. If what Romano had said about his issues was true, he'd be better off dealing with everything alone for a while. Maybe he'd be a bit less of a pain in the ass once he got everything processed.

The fuck am I doing out here, thinking about Spain and Romano, Prussia wondered. Spain's crappy wine was rotting his brain and turning him into a really uncool and boring guy. He could have spent his time out here fantasizing about Belgium or Hungary – or both! - but instead he wondered about some guy who was completely irrelevant to him.

Prussia jumped back to the ground and brushed sand off his trousers. Time to return inside. He knew how long France usually lasted, and by now the two love birds should be done. Maybe now he could get some of the sleep he deserved.

The next morning, Prussia did something he didn't usually do except when he really wanted Germany to buy something for him or had broken something in the house – he woke up before anyone else and started making breakfast. He couldn't do anything fancy like France, but he supposed coffee, bread and some fruit would do the trick.

He was already almost finished with his mug of coffee when France entered the kitchen, fresh from the shower, smelling of cologne and his hair neat and perfect. In comparison, Prussia looked like a troll.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd still be in bed," France said. He came over to put a hand on Prussia's forehead. "Hmm, it doesn't feel like you're sick."

"Where's Spain?"

"Still in bed."

"Hah! Wore him out, did you?"

"Ah, so you heard?"

"Anyone would have heard it. You were making so much noise I had to go out and have a walk."

France rubbed the back of his neck, but he didn't look one bit embarrassed. If anything, he seemed to be proud of his accomplishment and kept smiling smugly as he poured himself some coffee.

That smile died the instant he brought the cup to his lips.

"What is this poison?" he asked and went to pour his coffee into the sink.

"Coffee," Prussia said and took a loud, rebellious slurp out of his mug.

"My stomach and taste buds are much too sophisticated and sensitive for this dreck. I don't even know how you managed to brew that. Spain's coffee beans are of much too high a quality to result in a disaster of this magnitude," France said.

Prussia nodded towards one of the cupboards. "I used the instant coffee I found there."

"Sacrilege," France muttered with a shake of his head.

"By the way, why is the kitchen so full of stuff? It's like Spain is preparing to feed the whole world," Prussia said.

"Oh, that," France said as he popped an orange slice into his mouth. "He's is going to invite all the nations with Mediterranean coastline to his house next week. Didn't you hear?"

"Right, right. Of course I knew that. I just forgot," Prussia said. It looked like he was out of the loop again. It didn't really matter this time, though, since he wasn't invited. He wondered if he'd be invited even to a Germanic party if anyone else but Germany was throwing it. Probably not if that spectacled ass was the host.

He finished his coffee and spread a thick layer of Nutella on his bread, frowning at France's comments about how he ate like a child.

"Blame Spain. He bought this," Prussia said.

"I bought what?" Spain asked as he joined them in the kitchen.

"That disgusting muck people like to eat on their bread," France replied.

"Hey, I like it," Spain said and started making himself a chocolate sandwich. "And you're the one who has a pain au chocolat for breakfast every chance you get, so shut up."

"That's completely different from chocolate on a slice of toast! I wish you'd at least use quality chocolate if you have to do it. Chocolate must be bought in a store specializing in it, not in a super market where everything is mass-produced!"

"Need some more cheese with that quality French whine of yours?" Prussia asked.

"Honestly, that stopped being funny in the War of Austrian Succession," France said.

"Hey, where did you find that mug?" Spain asked all of a sudden when Prussia got up to get more coffee.

"This?" Prussia asked and lifted the thing. "It was right at the back of that cupboard. Real men drink their coffee from big mugs and not little cups like some people."

France snorted and rolled his eyes.

"It's kind of cute. I like the tomato," Prussia said and turned the mug over in his hands. It was all white except for a huge, red tomato that looked like it had just woken up and badly needed some caffeine.

"Yeah, it's Romano's. I got it for him a few years back," Spain said.

"Oh," Prussia said. Now that he thought about it, the tomato almost looked like Romano. "What's it still doing here? Hasn't he cleared out his stuff?"

Spain shrugged. "We figured he could leave some of it in case he wants to drop by. We're still really good friends."

"In other words, you suggested he should leave a few things, and then he snarled that he would never want to visit you, ever, but ended up 'forgetting' some things after all," France said with a good-natured chuckle.

"That's our Romano," Spain admitted happily.

"And you just put up with that?" Prussia asked.

"Well, of course. It's really difficult for Romano to show affection, but he means well," Spain replied.

"It's probably because everyone was always comparing him with his much more agreeable brother, and then those who did express interest in him mostly did it because of Rome's inheritance," France said, rubbing his chin. "Why, I went after him several times myself. His lands were quite desirable back then."

"So, it's not really Romano's fault that he's like that," Spain concluded.

"That's crap," Prussia said. "Don't you think he's just going to continue being miserable if you enable his shitty behaviour like that? Isn't that why he broke up with you in the first place?"

"And how do you know that?" Spain asked in confusion.

"Uh..." Shit, this was dangerous territory. "He kind of told me."

"He told you," Spain repeated.

"Yeah."

"You," France emphasized.

"What torture did you use to get a single word out of him?" Spain asked. His tone had stopped being happy, and that serious look in his eyes suddenly made Prussia think back to the times when Spain had controlled a vast empire.

He raised his palms in what he hoped what a peaceful gesture. "Hey, I didn't do anything to him! He told me on his own!" Well, at least he hadn't got physical with him, but he wasn't about to repeat the harsh truths he had told Romano for as long as Spain had that careful look in his eyes.

"What exactly did he tell you?" Spain asked.

"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone."

"And you intend to keep this promise?" France asked, sounding so surprised that he probably couldn't decide which was a greater miracle, Romano opening up or Prussia honouring someone's wishes.

Prussia shifted uncomfortably on his seat, suddenly reluctant to meet his friends' eyes. "Yeah, I kind of told him something, too, so I had better keep my mouth shut or it won't end well for me," he said.

"You told him something you haven't even told us," Spain stated.

"This is ridiculous. When did you two even have the chance to meet and have this heart to heart talk?" France asked.

"What is this, a cross examination? West and Italy were off on some lame romantic holiday all weekend, so I and Romano decided to hang out because we had nothing better to do. That's all," Prussia said in exasperation. Then he wished he hadn't because the looks on his friends' faces made him wish the ground would swallow him.

France was smiling again, but this time there was a knowing gleam in his eyes. Spain, on the other hand, looked so serious that for a moment Prussia wondered if it was still him.

"I know what you're thinking, and it's all wrong," he said.

"Is it?" France asked. "I can imagine it perfectly. The both of you all alone and ignored by your brothers, finding solace and comfort in each other's embrace and maybe even–"

"Okay, no. I'm way too awesome for pity sex," Prussia said.

"And if you ever used Romano that way, I might have to kill you," Spain added. He turned to shoot a glare at France. "And you as well if you keep giving him ideas like that."

"You can keep your axe in the storage room. I'm not going after Romano," Prussia said. He realised that until this conversation, the thought of having sex with Romano hadn't even crossed his mind. He was fun to hang out with, but Prussia couldn't imagine turning it into his usual short-lived sexual relationships.

"I didn't say you can't go after him. I'm not going to be a crazy ex. I just don't want him to be hurt, so you had better be careful with him," Spain.

"It would never work. Romano isn't like Denmark or Serbia," Prussia pointed out.

"You aren't half as bad as you make yourself out to be either," France said.

Prussia knew that France and Spain were the last people on Earth to believe his exaggerated stories about his sexual adventures. The two of them usually had the tact to just smile and go along with whatever he said, so Prussia didn't like the tone behind France's comment. If they continued with this topic, they might even touch upon why he was always showing off so much in the first place.

"Man, I almost wish you two would just break up. You've turned into such sissies ever since you got together. If you're so desperate to find someone for Romano, try Belgium," he grumbled.

"Oh, no, that wouldn't work," France said with a laugh. "Belgium has her eyes set on someone else."

"Really? Who?" Prussia asked, more than happy to direct the conversation to safer waters.

Romano gave a gentle poke to the tomato he was inspecting. It felt just right, not too hard and not too mushy. He nodded in approval and turned to look at his tomato field with pride. It wasn't that large as it was difficult and expensive to own and maintain a spot for it in Rome, but he couldn't imagine living without farming. Every house he owned had a garden or small fields around it.

"How are they?" Veneziano asked.

"Too good to be wasted at Spain's stupid dinner."

"Aww, don't say that. Spain will be so happy when you bring him some of these."

"Like I care," Romano replied, but he couldn't be bothered to put too much effort into his grumbling. Both he and Veneziano knew that he'd pick the best tomatoes for the dinner and that he wanted them to be praised.

"I was thinking I'd bring some nice cheese. Maybe that lovely butter cheese from South Tyrol. France says he likes that," Veneziano said.

"Then you shouldn't bring it."

"Don't be so negative or you won't have any fun!"

Romano only snorted, but he knew he had to try to tolerate certain people if he wanted to enjoy himself. It irritated him to no end, but France had to be the most important person in Spain's life now. He knew it was selfish to feel jealous, but he couldn't help it.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something," Veneziano said.

"What?"

"Will you promise to let me speak first before you start screaming and yelling and insulting me?"

"If you actually have to start like that, no. You're going to ask something terrible."

"I wanted to invite Germany over in about two month's time –"

"So, go ahead. The hell are you asking my permission for? You never cared about my opinion before."

"– and I was wondering if we could stay at your place in Rome."

Romano stared at his brother's hopeful, smiling face and tried to process what he had just said. He must have heard him wrong. He must have. There was no way even Veneziano was stupid enough to ask him to let the bastard into his house.

But the smile on his brother's face never wavered, so Romano was forced to admit that his brother really had asked that question and that he wasn't joking.

"What the fuck? Why do you want to bring him here? Why can't you stay in Milan or Venice like you always do?" he asked.

"Please don't get angry! I have a reason! I have several! Please, please listen!" Veneziano wailed and grabbed Romano's arm so that he wouldn't have the chance to stomp away in anger.

"I don't care what reasons you have. My home is the one place where I'm safe from him, so he's not coming. Ever."

"Romano, please! Otherwise we have to go into a hotel, and that's just no fun. Hotels are so impersonal, and I can't cook there, and you know that Germans have a bad reputation in hotels because they take pictures of all the imperfections they find and demand their money back! Don't make me go into a hotel with Germany!"

"Ugh, stop that! You're giving me a headache!" Romano snapped and yanked his arm free.

"Then you'll listen to my reasons?"

"...fine, but I'm still not letting Germany into my house."

Veneziano brightened at once. "My first reason is that I want to surprise him. He's actually a huge fan of Grandpa Rome, especially a few decades ago when he really looked up to him and wanted to build an empire just like his, but even today. He's been to Rome a few times but never on just holiday with me, so I thought I'd invite him and show him around."

"That reason isn't good enough. You don't need to be in Rome to look at Grandpa's stuff. You can go anywhere," Romano said.

"Yes, but Rome is much better! Grandpa left all the best things to you. Please share them with me this one time!"

Damn, Romano hated it when Veneziano chose his words so that it felt like he had struck a wedge under his heart. He still hadn't discovered if his brother was clever enough to do it in purpose or if he just blabbered so much that he sometimes hit the jackpot by accident.

He crossed his arms on his chest and turned to look away. "You know you can always do whatever you want with my things –"

"Yay! Thank you!"

"– but that doesn't extend to the bastard! Do you think it's going to be fun to watch you two waltz around my city like a love-struck couple, having only that damn Prussia for company?"

Veneziano blinked in confusion, but his smile returned quickly. "Oh, so you want to invite Prussia, too?"

"What? No, I – Of course he – I mean..." Romano stuttered, feeling his face grow dangerously hot. "Doesn't your invitation automatically include him? He's the bastard's brother."

"I wasn't going to invite him because I didn't want to ask too much of you, but if you want him to come, then it's perfect! The four of us could have so much fun together!"

"I didn't say I want to invite him!" Romano snapped.

"Then you don't want him to come?"

"Of course not. He's annoying."

"Ah, okay," Veneziano said in disappointment. "Then I'll just tell Germany that Prussia has to stay home and look after the dogs again."

Romano thought about the previous time he had seen Prussia and how obviously bitter he had been about how the world was moving on without him. He felt a surge of anger and frustration, but not at the world or even just Germany. No, he suddenly wanted to give Prussia a good smack. If he spent less time wasting his life in his brother's basement and pretending that he was happy about it, maybe he'd have time to actually do something fulfilling.

"No, you can invite him," he said. He'd show that idiot that it was possible to be happy even when you were no longer a nation. He wasn't sure why he wanted to do that, but the idea of Prussia drowning himself in beer and feeling lonely while his bastard of a brother was having fun at Romano's house rubbed him the wrong way.

"Really?" Veneziano asked in surprise. "So, that means I can actually invite Germany, too!"

"Wait, I never said – Ack!"

Romano could never finish what he had been about to say because Veneziano caught him in a hug that nearly sent the two of them stumbling to the ground. They barely avoided this and saved Romano's prized tomatoes from being squished.

"Too late to say no now! Thank you!" Veneziano cooed.

"Get off me!" Romano snapped. As he shoved his brother off him, a thought crossed his mind. "And why are you waiting until two months to invite him?"

"I just want to make sure he actually comes. Germany has so much work all the time. I don't think he'd come right now because we just spent a weekend together. Spain's dinner is coming up, too. I can't spend all my time having fun either because I have work to do as well," Veneziano replied. He paused and let out a thoughtful hum. "And so do you."

"You can lead the country for all I care. Everyone calls you Italy anyway," Romano said.

"Maybe they wouldn't if you did a little more work?" Veneziano suggested. "And I could use the help sometimes."

"You just tricked me into letting those two assholes into my house. You have no right to demand anything from me for at least a decade!"