Disclaimer I don't own Hetalia. I totally own a cat, though.

I really shouldn't be posting this, it's more of a drabble atm than anything else. It'll be a one-shot eventually. I have it mostly planned out, and started it a few months ago when I was reflecting (again) how many times Romano appears with a cat (or cats) in strips featuring him. More than half the time when he shows up, cats are either following him or laying on him or sitting on his head, often with the 'vibration' lines around them to show that they're purring. It's adorable. He also plays with a cat in two of his drama CD scenes, which is also adorable.

Then a couple weeks ago Himaruya went to South Italy and took a bunch of pictures of random cats he saw there (how awesome is it that he goes to Italy and takes pictures of cats?), and when I was looking them over again a wee bit ago it just made me want to finish this one-shot. Romano will interact with cats (and other animals) in most of my stories, but still, this one-shot would be fun to write. Alas, I really want to work on the next chapter of Educating America right now, so this'll have to wait.

This and the goat story, which is another thing altogether.

And the musical, which-

*sigh* Maybe I should quit my job and write full time.

If he'd ever bothered to think about it, South Italy would have considered himself a cat person. He liked cats. Cats were neat and gentle and kept themselves clean. They were graceful. They were beautiful and mysterious and soft, and made pleasing sounds; soft mewls and miaous and chirrs and purred when he stroked them, and although they appeared aloof and distant to the uninitiated, Romano knew that once you'd won a cat over, they were devoted and affectionate creatures.

Cats liked Romano, too. It seemed like everywhere he went, there would be a cat somewhere in the vicinity; winding around his legs, curled up on his lap or shoulder or head, or just playing or relaxing somewhere nearby, enjoying his company.

Romano liked cats, and cats liked Romano.

Romano didn't care much for dogs. It wasn't that he hated them, or anything; they were fine from a distance. He could appreciate them aesthetically, and even enjoyed patting a head or scratching an ear now and then, as long as the animal was quiet and clean and well-behaved. But on the whole, dogs were noisy, messy, ill-behaved and boisterous animals. They were clumsy. They smelled. They knocked over your garbage, rolled in mud and filth, ruined your carpets and chewed your best shoes, fought over nothing and barked and howled like maniacs. Worst of all, they didn't even have the decency to be ashamed of their behaviour. They were proud of it, and acted like you should praise them for doing it. And sure, people always said they were 'friendly' and 'loyal', but as far as Romano could see, dogs would follow anyone who offered them a pat or a treat or a roll in the grass. They were handy to have around if you needed something fetched or a suspicious bastard was lurking around; but on the whole, Romano had no interest in dogs.

Dogs liked Romano, though. They liked to jump on him when they saw him, and slobber on him, and tug on his clothes, and stick their faces in his crotch, and lean on him and steal his food and bark and whine to get his attention. It seemed like no matter how much he struggled or growled or yelled or pushed them away, they kept coming back. It drove Romano nuts.

Romano didn't care much for dogs, but dogs liked Romano.

America was not like a cat.

America, Romano reflected as surveyed the mess of wrappers and crumbs littering the couch, was a lot like a dog.

Sure, he was pretty (America probably would have pouted a bit at that, and said he preferred to be called 'handsome' and 'sexy'. Romano would give him 'sexy', but as young as the bastard was, he was far more pretty than he was handsome. Maybe when he got a bit older. Developed a little more.), and made nice sounds when Romano pet him, and okay, he could be surprisingly gentle sometimes, but that was about as close as he got to catlike behaviour.

AN: I'll probably change parts of this around, but hey. It's a thing for now, to uh...tide you over while I work on the next chapter of EA, and let you know I haven't forgotten you.