A/N -I am so sorry it took me so long to update! I have had the worst case of writers block. I can't even tell you how many times I opened up this file and sat infront of it going ok you can do this and came up with nothing. So here it is after a forever wait. I hope you enjoy it and I think there shall be another chapter to come. (Hopefully sooner than the last one) Please enjoy and review!

It took five steps to make it to the curtain that was slightly open allowing the sun to peek through and close it. It took three larger hurried steps to make it back to the door and avoid Antonio's questioning green eyes. It took fifteen jogging steps and one leap over the side of the balcony for Gilbert to get out of the villa and onto the ground below. After that he stopped counting. He just ran.

Ran until his chest burned and his legs gave out dropping him to the ground. Panting he fished out the phone from his pocket and stared at it.

Silence.

No missed calls no missed messages…He had done the right thing. Pressing his speed dial he waited for Ludwig to answer the phone hoping he would be lucky enough to wake him up. "Ja?" A deep voice answered on the other line sounding completely awake. The bastard had probably been up for hours.

"Bruder I need a flight home." Prussia said leaning back on one hand doing his best to sound casual. There was a pause on the other line and the sound of shifting and typing at a computer. "You are in Madrid." A statement more than a question but he answered anyway. "Ya listen I'm gonna need a car to come get me too…" Silence greeted him again and he didn't hear the typing any more either. He could practically see his brother weighing his next words carefully. "Spain will not drive you this time?"

"Nein." He said no more and neither did Ludwig. There was a moment of silence between them before Ludwig sighed and muttered softly in German. Gilbert could almost see him in his mind's eye rubbing at his forehead. "I will send a car, it should not take long."

"Danke." Gilbert replied before flipping his phone closed before Ludwig could summon up the courage to ask him what had happened.

It only took the car fifteen minutes to find him, god bless modern technology, and another - hours to get home. He could remember a time when the trip would have taken months.

Once home, Gilbert retreated to his room before Ludwig had a chance to corner and question him. Not that he was afraid of his younger brother and his questions. All it would take is a few side step answers and some comment that made Ludwig blush and run off and he would be scot-free. No, the impeccably dressed German wasn't his problem at all. It was the flouncing, pouncing idiot of an Italian that followed him everywhere that was the issue.

The bubbling fool would only need to hear mention of Spain to go off and start talking about Southern Italy and it would surely all lead back around to how the other meaner tempered twin had gone to visit the night before. And while Italy might not catch on Ludwig would connect the dots faster than America could wolf down one of his big macs.

No. There was no need for any of that mess.

It was safer just to go to his room and mourn the loss of his pride alone and listen to the silent of his phone to remind him it was the right thing to do.

"Romano…" Spain said softly to the Italian in his kitchen ruthlessly chopping up tomatos. "Romano…" He said again with a little more force.

The only response he got was thin shoulders going tense and the knife slamming harder onto the cutting board

Since Gilbert had left last month things had been strange. Lovino was constantly at Spain's home. Not a bad thing per say, but the Italian wouldn't let Antonio even bring up that night they had all spent together.

Antonio sighed heavily. He had known what Gilbert was thinking when he'd left. He was trying to be a good friend. Trying to do right by the both of them. But the problem was that it didn't work without him.
Spain was too cheerful to deal with Romano's bitterness. Not that Spain couldn't be serious, he could. It just seemed every time he was getting somewhere he would say some light hearted comment and Romano would bottle all back up again. They needed Gilbert to buffer the two of them. They needed Gilbert to laugh with Spain and yell with Romano. They need Gilbert to show Lovino it was ok to submit to touches and show Antonio that touching wasn't always needed.

It didn't work without the Prussian. They caused each other more harm than good without him. The problem was that Spain couldn't seem to get a hold of him and Romano refused to even try.

Spain had been trying the last month to call Prussia. The problem was he didn't have the courage to call the man's cell phone (What if he didn't answer or worse …what if he did). So he'd been calling Ludwig's house phone. The first time he called, about a week after the 'night', and heard Ludwig's businesslike voice on the other line he knew he was in trouble. "Hallo?"

"Oh haha hola amigo. Is Prussia there?" Antonio asked nervously rubbing the back of his head. Romano was out at the store and he had wanted to make the phone call while he was away.

Silence greeted him before Ludwigs voice filled his ear again. "Nein…"

"Oh…well um when he gets back can you tell him I called? I um wanted to talk to him."

"Nein."

"Q-que?" Antonio asked shocked. (What) "Why?"

"I'm going to strongly suggest that you do not call back." Ludwig said. "You have done enough damage don't you think?"

Spain's mouth went dry and he struggled to find the words. "B-but I-"

"Have a good day Spain. I have to go."

With that the line went dead and Antonio slowly lowered the phone from his ear as Romano came walking in holding his groceries and half glaring half frowning at Antonio. "What's the problem Bastard?" He asked walking by and setting his goods on the table.

"Nothing." The Spaniard replied weakly and Romano glanced at him again before turning away. "Good, then get that stupid look off your face." It was then that Spain realized he had a growing hatred for Lovino.

Gilbert had always been his friend. Always.

He could hardly remember a time when the man hadn't been. And now…now it seemed as if he had lost that to gain Romano. Except he hadn't really gained anything at all had he, because he didn't have the skill or patients to deal with Lovino's constant barriers.

Over the months' time that Gilbert had been away Antonio could feel his patients growing thinner and thinner at ever snide or crass comment that the little Italian made. Every time the man flinched away from his touch he could feel himself getting ready to snap.

"Romano." He said again firmly with a biting edge in his voice causing the other to turn and face him a scowl on his face. "What?" He snapped back.

"Get the fuck out of my house."

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