Title: After Valentines

Rating: For the whole story: M. For this chapter: K+

Characters: Germany-centric, with a lot of Italy, Austria, Prussia and some others.

Pairings: One sided-Germany/Italy, Others pairings (you will see, haha!)

Warning: This is really something different. GerIta fans will probably hate this.

Italy not being his kind and innocent self all the time. Emo Germany. Voluntary omission of some historical facts. Probably some mature events in next chapters.

Grammar/Spelling mistakes due to English not being my first language. Corrections are welcome.

After Valentines. Chapter 2

A day that has been sweet and bright turned dull as evening fell. Tick layers of haze had crawled slowly over hills, then down across the meadows.

Germany walked at a good pace, slightly ahead of Austria and Hungary, obviously trying to get home as fast as he could, and clearly intending to remain silent all the way there.

Elizaveta looked at Roderick, eyes asking a question in the silent language those who knew each other deeply enough used, instead of words. Austria only shock his head discretely. If Ludwig didn't want to talk, then they had to respect his need for introspection.

At least, for now.

Meanwhile, there was a storm raging in Germany's head. He was walking straight home, like an automate, not caring about anything and anyone around him. He wouldn't have realized if the world ended right then, his inner world was too messy. This was certainly the reason why the haze on his country has turned into a tick fog.

If they didn't hurried up, they would never find their way anymore.

He was overwhelmed by conflictual thoughts and feelings. The human inside of him battling hard against the other part, the nation, that screamed for calm, order and reason. That part of him ordered his heart to shut up, to forget, to get rid of those feelings that were so incredibly out of place.

He had far more important things to worry about. He was in a war, he had a country to run, an Empire to create, peoples to take care of, a boss to answer to.

The nation was almost disgusted, unable to comprehend how this could have happened.

It was scolding him, calling him a fool, mentally slapping him. Germany was enraged.

And moreso, because the other part, the human, didn't want to listen. Confident in his feelings, almost at peace with his thoughts. His heart had strong arguments that couldn't be denied if only by reason itself! But the heart has its reasons that reason itself ignores.

The human in him was acting like a kid. He was right and it was like that! He pouted and ignored the rage of the other part, the nation. He thought that no one could possibly understand him, because they were all fools. The human part tried to comfort him. Full of hope, that part whispered to his conscious that everything would be alright. Ludwig was in love.

Unfortunately, Ludwig and Germany had to cohabit in a single individual who was feeling completely lost- and the fog wasn't responsible for it.

The two parts of himself couldn't help him answer his questions about Italy's feeling. The human part was blinded with love and the nation part was deaf to it. None could be objective enough to give him the answers he needed.

When the trio arrived home, the night was falling. Hungary, not wanting to get home too late, wished her friends good night. Germany went directly to his office, locking the door from the inside and Austria accompanied Elizaveta to the door.

-" Do you think he will be alright?" She asked him, even though she already knew the answer.

Austria sighed. " He'll eventually regain his reason." He said. He did know what was happening, but he couldn't comprehend how someone like Germany could have gotten himself in such a situation. " He has more important matters to take care of, he'll soon realize it!" He finished and gave his girlfriend a chaste kiss on the lips.

Roderick knew what love was; Of course, he loved Elizaveta. But their relations had not always been like that. A first, they were enemies, then their bosses had wanted both the Austrian and Hungarian nations to form an union against other enemies. There was no feelings involved in that union, only a mutual wish to preserve themselves and their peoples. Being nation, this was their first- and only- desire.

They were allowed to think for themselves only when neither their country nor their peoples were at stake.

Now, the Austria-Hungarian Empire was no more, but nothing prevented Roderick and Elizaveta to remain close friends and even lovers: That relation would have no consequences as long as they remained independent nations.

Unlike in a couple of human peoples, marriage was never wanted between nations, unless it came as a direct order from their bosses.

Germany must have been completely out of his mind to ask such a silly thing from Italy!

With that last thought in mind, Austria waved one last time at his friend and closed the door.

He wasn't really hungry himself but supposed that Germany had probably not gotten any food in that restaurant. He went to knock politely at the office's door.

-" Germany? Are you hungry? Do you wish me to prepare some meal?

After a short silence, the door half-opened, reveling a tired-looking German behind it.

-" I have a lot of work pending and I'm not really hungry." The blond said, with a dead voice. Austria only nodded, respecting his need to be alone, though noticing the messed-up look of the other: blond bangs falling like a curtain on his forehead, reddish eyes- Austria refused to believe he had possibly cried- and an overall dull expression.

-" Good night Austria. Turn out the lights when you go to bed." Germany closed the door right away, not letting the other man any chance to start a conversation.

The aristocrat did not insist- had no desire to confront Ludwig today- and decided to go to bed and have a look at the book he had acquired at the book store earlier that day: ' How to comfort a German man who has failed in his romance. For beginners'.

Meanwhile, in Italy,

-" Ve! Germany was right! That restaurant really serves good food!" Veneziano thought on his way back home. The delicious cannelloni meal he just had had cheered him up, making him forget the humiliation caused by Germany's silly behavior for the time being. Italy was smiling when he pushed the front door of his house.

-" Where have you been?" Romano had been waiting for him all evening. Of course, Veneziano had forgotten to tell him that he would go out for dinner that day. The southern part of their country looked angry, but the Northern part knew better than trust his brother's outer impression.

-"Ve! I'm sorry Fratello! I went to the restaurant tonight! It was a really nice place and the food was very good! I really have to take you there one day!"

Romano's expression didn't soften. " You were with that macho potato again, don't you?"

-" At first, yes, but he didn't stay for dinner! I didn't eat all alone though, because the waitress was really cute and she accepted to take her break to eat with me!"

Romano was somewhat relieved, but not entirely satisfied yet.

-" Why did he have to go?" He needed to ask, out of curiosity, and because he knew his brother better than taking him for the idiot Veneziano wanted peoples to believe he was.

Italy's smile faded for a short instant.

-" Germany was acting weird...I think he is sick or something. Mister Austria and miss Hungary came to take him away. I was relieved because Germany has been really scary today!"

-" How scary?" Romano knew that something- the kind of thing he would not like at all- happened.

-" Ve! He gave me this!" Veneziano reached in his pocket and took out the tomato-shaped ring.

Romano's eyes opened wide and he snatched the Jewell out of his brother's hand.

-" The hell, Veneziano! This thing is a mockery of taste! But it looks expensive enough...Though no one will want that!" Then he realized the implications behind the item. " THE BASTARD!" He shouted, obliging his younger brother to cover his ears. " How dared he? I will make him suffer until he'll want to jump out of his skin! I will chop his muscles one by one and drown him in his own disgusting blood, I will..."

Veneziano hugged his brother tightly from behind. " Don't, fratello! Germany is not a bad guy! It was probably an order from his boss. He would have never done that otherwise, he's my friend!"

Italy started crying then and it eased down Romano's anger immediately: he couldn't handle the sight of his baby brother crying. He turned around in the embrace and kissed his brother's forehead.

-" shh Veneziano, don't cry! I'm here, I'm here! I won't let him hurt you!"

-" But * Sniffles* Germany would never hurt me! Veee!" Romano found nothing to reply and just kept hugging his brother until he stopped crying.

Because he liked to see his brother happy and, to help cheering him up, Romano pulled out the Tiramisu he had made and they ate it together. The rest of the evening went on nicely. The two played cards and exchanged some memories. Romano ranted about that bastard Spain, Veneziano talked about his early times living at Austria's house and shared gossips about the aristocrat. they laughed until late hours. Distracted by the comfortable warmth of the present, Romano forgot about Germany. Veneziano was glad for it

Later on, when Romano would be asleep, Italy would rejoin him. He needed some advices, amongst other things.

A.N: I hope you like it so far. I know the story is a bit slow, but I like to keep it that way for now.

Please comment! ( and don't hesitate to criticize (wisely) )

In the next Chapter: 'How to comfort a German who has failed in love' and Italy going to visit that mysterious friend of his.