The cart had been filled with all sorts of supplies, weapons, medical kits, and miscellaneous camping supplies. In the far back corner, a painting leaned against the edge that no one minded, since it was small and didn't take up much room. Holy Roman Empire tossed another sword carelessly onto the cart. All the packing done for their trip to battle.

"Are you ready to go young master?" Called a man from the front of the cart.

"Yeah I think so." The young country glanced back to the house where he had been living.

Austria's house was nice, by some peoples standards, but the pastel orange color the house was painted had left something to be desired. Holy Rome rubbed the back of his neck, scratching at his blonde curls. He might, kind of, sort of, maybe, just a little, not so much, miss the people there.

Austria's ruckus piano playing waking him up too damn early in the morning, but his melancholic cello music helping him fall asleep at night. Hungary's twitching and accidentally breaking things. He'd have to help her clean up the broken pieces after scolding her. She would whimper just the slightest but still try to smile. She always did wear the four leaf clover he found around her neck.

Every so often Spain would come to the house. He did admire Spain to an extent. He was dark and scary and did not take anyone's shit. Well he tried to. Somehow Austria always managed to get him to dance with him at least for one song when he comes over.

He had worked on his glare to match Spain, not that he'd ever tell anyone that.

But when Spain came over, regrettably, he always brought Southern Italy. God, that boy was a pain. He'd hide behind Spain until he was barked at to go somewhere else. Sometimes he'd help Hungary clean but more often than not he'd run and cling onto his sister to fuss over her outfit.

Ah his sister, the Northern Italy. Now there was someone he was NOT going to miss. That tiny girl filled with pure chaos. Sure maybe he not so much completely had totally not a crush on her when he first met her. She was just cleaning, quietly, nicely and all that.

Then she turned around and stuck her tongue out at him. Well, there went that one. She was mean, and rude, and sadistic. And the knife thing? Why? Why did she carry around a knife? All the time? She slept with the thing like it was her teddy bear.

Holy Rome remembered not so fondly the time he took her knife. He was feeling the grandfatherly rage from beyond the grave. She had started crying. He didn't MEAN for her to cry. He snuck into her room late that night and put it next to her.

The next day he paid for it dearly. Karma was a bitch. She went on a poking spree because she was HAPPY. God that was a weird expression on her face. Smiling. Holy Rome shuddered and shook his head. These crazy people. Holy Rome strode towards his horse, a smaller one, with a black coat. He was about to get on when he heard his name.

"HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE!" He looked back to the house, startled. He didn't expect anyone to come after him. He actually didn't really tell anyone he left. He just kind of up and packed. He blinked at the tiny figure running his way. Northern Italy ran towards him, her face just slightly red, and out of breath.

Oh she looked MAD. Holy Rome gulped and backed away from his horse.

"I-Italy? What are you-?" He fumbled for words. What was she doing here? How did she know he was leaving?

She stopped just a few feet away from him, panting.

And ANGRY.

"What are you doing?" She demanded. Her little hands balled up into fists.

"I'm.. leaving?" He gestured to the cart, he thought that looked kind of obvious.

"Why!?" She yelled at him again.

"I'm going to become a great empire! Duh!" He nervously glanced around. He didn't usually yell at her, because she usually had a knife. Holy Rome didn't see a knife, which almost scared him more. Her little body shook with fury and her face twisted. What's with this confrontation?

"Why do you even care?" Holy Rome asked. Her eyes went wide, shocked.

"Well.. I.." She twisted her hands together, as if in embarrassment. Oh, he had enough.

"You're always mean to me! You're always stabbing me! Half of my scars are from you! You should be happy I'm going! Why do you care if I leave or not?" Holy Rome sputtered out, putting his hands in his curls in exasperation.

"I don't!" Northern Italy yelled at him. She grit her teeth and glared. Holy Rome took a step back.

"Sir? We need to get going soon." Came the man from before. Holy Rome looked at him and snapped.

"Yeah I know gimme a second will ya!?" The man held up his hands in mock surrender before turning

away again. Holy Rome looked at the ground.

"Why are you even here?" He asked her quietly. She went wide eyed, and her posture relaxed. She did not expect that question, almost looking flustered. Holy Rome glared at her. Why is she here?

He had no time to react before he got tackled to the ground. "Ah!" He yelled out a startled noise. Italy sat on his stomach pounding her little fists on his chest.

"Stupid! Idiot! Asshole! Bastard! Jerk!" Every insult punctuated with a hit to his chest, not enough to hurt, but hard enough to get the point across.

"I-Italy?" Holy Rome froze underneath her tiny girl fury. Frozen that is, until her fist connected with the right side of his face.

"Ow! Hey!" He grabbed her wrist. Before he could react her face came close and her lips crashed onto his.

Holy Rome will deny the squeak he made.

Italy sat up scowling, glowering, her breathing slower. Holy Rome took a good look at her face. Besides the outright anger, her eyes were rimmed red, just the slightest. His face was that of pure shock.

Did she..

Did she just.. KISS ME?

And not the kind of cheek kiss she would give her brother or Austria when he begged for one either. A kiss kiss. He blinked, his mouth wide. What's he supposed to do now?

Suddenly her face puffed up. She threw her hands up and yelled. "Argh!" and off she went.

Holy Rome pushed himself onto his elbows and watched her tiny angry figure march up the hill back to

Austria's house. Her tiny hands making a mess of her red hair. Holy Rome gulped. What in the world just happened?

"Sir?" A few of his soldiers came to him. He glanced up at them, shock still on his face.

"Yeah" He said, looking back at Italy on the hill. He stood, eventually, and moved back towards his horse in a daze, swinging himself onto the saddle.

"Holy Rome!"

They had just started to move out when he heard his name called again. He turned his horse to face the house once again. His soldiers moved on around him. Italy stood there, body half turned and one arm extended, her gold knife in her hand pointed right at him.

Her face was less mad, more pouty.

"You better come back, Holy Roman Empire." She threatened him, then she turned away from him and stalked back to the house.

Holy Rome blinked after her retreating form. Back on the road he came to the conclusion that those words would haunt him in his nightmares.

Cover art belongs to scribblemynizzle on tumblr. She's fabulous go check her out. Please. I love her.