There will be no set order in how I'm going to set these chapters up…except that the OCs will come last. Charice and whoever I choose to be in it will be the epilogue and the omakes that come with it.

/=+=/

Anri couldn't sleep that night. Ever since that conversation came up, she would find herself with the same images in her head…they would all be of the same person smiling back at her. First, it would be of the child that she first met when he was with Antonio. Then it became the young man that he was now…why wouldn't he leave her mind…?

"Do you think that this is made from vampire skin?"

She turned her head and saw Seyel staring quietly at the ceiling, pointing at it for a few minutes. Anri laughed.

"What, the ceiling? Most likely."

She catapulted from her bed (and her fears) and headed toward the closet that she had. The inside had her traditional khaki outfit (never going to let that one go) as well as a few outside outfits in case she wanted to look "fancy" in front of him…on the off chance that he looks. And speaking of what could be sexy…

"Do you read Twilight?"

"Huh?" She heard Seyel stand up.

"You mentioned sparkly vampires, so I assumed you know of the series." Anri peeked out of her door. Not that I think that some of our guys would be hot vampires.

"I only read the first book. I'm not into vampires." Seyel answered. "Besides, I live in a sunny place. Vampires don't come near me."

"Oh, that's true. Vampires can't stand sunny places…" Unless they like to be their own sparkle rave…which he definitely wouldn't want to be… "Good for you!"

"Yeah, good for me. No vampires to attack me." She didn't sound happy. "Besides, I'm referring to the plot."

"Emotionless girl in love with stalker vampire because he's cute? Please, Edward isn't even that cute!" Not as cute as… "He looks more like a drug addict!"

"That's Bella."

"No, she's just a bad actor." I could act better than her! "Besides, love isn't like that!"

"It isn't?"

No…it's not like that.

"It's gradual…slow moving…"

Agonizing…torturous…

"…almost as if it wasn't even there at all."

Slowly killing you from the inside…

"And then it just gets you, and you're hooked."

It will never let you go.

"Like on drugs, only it's the good kind."

Except the good drugs can kill you too…

/=+=/

She was not surprised that she entered the meeting hall seeing England and France arguing with each other again. She was not surprised when Romania and Hungary were arguing with each other again. She was surprised that the meeting was getting productive. Heck, they were able to get one treaty out of the way before Francis started rubbing Charice's ass…which meant that he went flying out of the window.

"Woooow…" Anri leaned next to Charice. "That is some arm strength!"

"Please! You haven't seen how much I can throw out there!" She laughed. "After being around the Bad Friends Trio for god knows how long, you learn how to defend yourself~!"

"That's nice to hear." Anri stood up. "Then again, I'm not really worried about them."

"That's because they don't pay attention to you." Charice waved her hand. "It must be awesome to be around all these perverts and leave with their sanity intact."

"Yeah, I guess it's awesome to be left alone in a world of nutjobs."

But it would be nice if I get acknowledged as well.

A few people have noticed her every now and then, but for the most part she was just as neglected as Matthew was. Sure, she had her shining moments, but for the most part she's been ignored as well…maybe because of how normal she is?

"Anri."

She turned her head and saw that someone was walking up to her, looking somewhat concerned and startling her all the same. She certainly wasn't expecting Lovino to talk to her at a time like this, not when there's plenty of complaining to do to Ludwig just around now. Nonetheless, the time for him to get out of the way to talk to her…she felt her insides skip a beat and then roll over to die.

"Um…yeah?"

"You're fine, right?" He asked, keeping his face the same as it always was (that strange blank look that scared her just a little). "Because of the crap economy that the burger bastard brought to us?"

"Oh, yeah! I'm fine, really!" Anri stretched out her sleeve. "The World Bank is fine at my home!"

"…are you sure?"

"Yeah, really."

"Ah…you're worried about her, aren't you mi tomate~?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP, TOMATO BASTARD!"

And with that, the moment was snapped. Anri backed up as she saw Lovino and Antonio argue with each other about just how nutjobish the other one is, a common trope in a meeting. After her independence, she found herself falling out of those conversations. What she would give to find a way back into them…just to be next to him again…

/=+=/

It was a while the last time she saw him. He was a little child and had the cutest crush on her. Even to this day, she felt bad for dragging her around. Nowadays, she couldn't help but wonder if this was God's cruel revenge on her for that same moment.

She sat in her hotel room as she started thinking about it for a few minutes, looking out at the view before her. Many of the buildings were there the last time that she visited…a long time ago. Eons, actually. Anri thought it would be romantic to walk hand-in-hand with someone she loved…Lovino, maybe…if he wasn't gay. Elizabeta would be happy.

Why am I thinking of last night? She thought. Not all of them are gay…then what would be left for the rest of us?

After a few minutes, she gave up and decided to go and get some lunch. Anri went to her luggage and pulled it out from the side of the room.

Or rather, she tried to.

Anri blinked as she noticed that she couldn't move her luggage at all. She stared at it for a few seconds before shrugging and trying to do it again, only moving it a single inch.

That's weird…I should be able to move this out of the way…

She kept pulling it as much as she could, feeling her muscles tense in pain. This was stupid, she thought. She didn't pack that much, and she was more than able to pull this in her room the last time. Not only that, but she was able to lift up luggage for Seyel as well! So what was making this so hard?

She heard the door register someone in and open slightly, just for her to turn her head and hear a voice talking to someone else. It was then that her hand slipped and she went staggering backwards, hitting her head on something before hearing someone storm into the room and something ringing a lot.

/=+=/

"…can you leave us alone, Seyel? They need you downstairs anyway."

"…all right."

The ringing stopped as Anri slowly got out of it and found herself lying on her bed, facing upwards and barely seeing the image of Lovino watching someone (possibly Seyel, if her ears were hearing correctly) walk out of the room. She couldn't help but sigh.

I got knocked out for no reason…?

"You're awake?" His voice perked up. "That's good…is anything broken? Nothing hurts?"

"No, of course not. It was just a slip-up on my part." She sat up. "Don't worry."

"Can't I help but be? You passed out with a simple bump to the head. No country gets knocked out from something as benign as that." Lovino leaned forward. "The world really is affecting you, isn't it?"

"…"

"Don't try to lie to me about this. You can't be pushing yourself when you're in danger of being hurt."

"Please, I'm a nation-"

"In a human body." He stated. "You're still stuck with what your body limits you to have. You can't be pushing yourself…"

"Lovino…"

"You're not me. You don't have a clinging bastard watching over your every move, which means that you're more in danger of getting hurt." He stated, his face still blank as ever. "Please? For me?"

That was a statement she never thought she'd hear from him…him, the loud and rude Lovino Vargas. Still, when his mask began to crumble and he started to show just a little glance of fear, she couldn't help but feel her heart strings be plucked at. She smiled and placed a hand on his own.

"I will…I promise you."

/= [10 DAYS LATER] =/

They had begun hanging out a little more since that day, even though Lovino would usually go through more silent spells than usual. This one particular day, they were at the park eating ice cream and people watching for the millionth time. Nations can't help but people watch daily.

"So how are you and Antonio?"

"Doing well." He answered, with a smile on his face. "All he did was brag about his tomatoes."

"Does he do anything else?"

"Not that I would know of…except for cooing over my sorry ass."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"That's because he has better things to do, you know? Rather than watch over me…"

"Well…" She had no idea why she was thinking of this. "If not him, I can watch over you."

"H-huh?"

"O-on the off chance that you need one, of course!"

"I don't need any more babying than I already have, Anri."

"I-I know…it's just that I thought you'd get used to it, that's all."

"It's one of the sad things that is in existence and I can't help but deal with it." Lovino sighed. "It doesn't mean that I need someone."

"Um…sorry."

She looked down and started swinging her legs. The one time she could possibly have with being with him…even on a non-romantic level. Having crushes must really suck. God forbid what the other females would be like. They must be just as sad as she is now.

"…n-not that I'm cursing you out, you know."

"I know you're not." Anri smiled. "You don't curse out women."

"I don't curse out women who aren't assholes…Charice is one of them."

"She's a decent woman, Lovino."

"That's cause you don't know how tight she can squeeze an artery in the body."

"I've been hearing rumors."

Anri couldn't help but laugh at Lovino's terrified look for a few seconds before seeing it fade into a quiet look of resignation and looking back directly at her. It was unnerving…and a little scary, but something she'd sink in forever.

"Then…I guess that means…I really need to be watched over…so that psycho bitch doesn't get to me when I need alone time…"

"Lovino?"

"…Antonio won't be able to do anything, so…" He looked up. "Can you protect me, Anri…?"

The face suddenly turned innocent, making Anri blush and turn away. Suddenly, her phone started to ring, a good break from this…this. She quickly picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Anri…where are you?"

"I'm with Lovino, why?"

"Y-you and Lovino have to come here quick…t-there's been an accident."