Italy was uncharacteristically silent as he studied Germany.
"You're such a pretty lady." he said, after a while, and Monika blushed.
"You're very handsome." Monika replied, smiling at her friend.
All of the sudden, Feliciano bounded forwards and cuddled into Monika's chest. He muttered something into Monika's stuffed bra. She pushed him away gently.
"What was that, Feli?"
"You still feel all warm and strong, Germany!" he chirped, cuddling into her again, "I feel safe with you."
As Monika looked down at tiny, cuddly Feliciano, she felt a fluttering feeling in her chest, and she felt blush rising to her cheeks. Feliciano looked up at her.
"Was this why you were so sad?" he asked, and Monika nodded softly. "Why, though? You're such a pretty lady, and you look so much happier and blushy!"
Monika blushed harder at Feli's comment. "I'm just worried what people will say. After all, it will be unexpected, for a lot of people."
Feliciano nodded. "Oh! So you were afraid of what we would say? Come on, Monika, we love you!"
To that, she blushed even more, and Feliciano seemed proud that he made her flustered.
"You should tell Gilbert."
Monika paused, shook her head for a moment, and Feliciano shoved his face in between Monika's fake breasts. For some reason, even though they weren't flesh, she felt embarrassed, and blushed even harder.
"I've never had a friend with boobs that I could cuddle, Germany!" Italy chirped, then paused, "Uh, actually, I have, but they weren't friends really, they were more-"
"Feli," Monika cut him off, not needing to hear the stories of the various women her flirtatious friend had slept with, "Could you bring Gilbert in for me?"
The moment her big brother saw her, he burst into laughter.
"Ludwig, you're crazy! You look so weird! You...you-" he burst into another fit of laughter, unable to contain himself. Monika felt tears starting to form in her eyes again, and Gilbert noticed.
"Are you for serious right now?" Gilbert asked incredulously.
Monika nodded cautiously, trying to gauge what Gilbert would say next. To her surprise, Gilbert drew her into a tight hug, and gently patted her hair extensions.
"Then you're the prettiest little sister ever."
Monika was shocked, to be truthful. Gilbert didn't seem like the supportive type - so far, everyone had been amazing about it. She was definitely worried about Russia. He was a dangerous person when it came to this particular topic, and she was also fearful that Russia would beat her to death and leave her in some sort of alley or street. At least she'd die as herself, or with some semblance of herself. She kissed Gilbert's cheek.
"Are you not surprised?"
"Surprised?" Gilbert asked, bursting into another fit of laughter, "You wore dresses every other day when you were little! And I know you paint your toenails!"
Monika smiled softly. Gilbert grinned.
"Francis and Antonio are going to freak out!" he commented.
Monika's eyes went dinner-plate large. "Why are you going to tell them?"
"They're going to be excited to have another girl nation to hit on. There are so few ladies. Belarus and Liechtenstein are off-bounds anyways, and Hungary is scary! Ukraine's the only one with a good body, but she's an awful crybaby." then Gilbert grinned, "I'm glad I have Roderich, rather than one of the crazy girls."
Monika smiled. "Am I a crazy girl?"
"Nein, you're a perfect little sweetheart."
Monika left her room for dinner. Feliciano (to no surprise) had made pasta, and he was setting the table when she emerged. She almost did run back to her room when she noticed the guests that her brother had invited - Francis and Antonio, as promised, and Roderich.
"Ohonhon," Francis laughed, raising his eyebrows in surprise, "A pretty lady to join us for dinner?"
Antonio gave a small smile to Monika before turning to the empty seat beside him.
"Where did Lovi go?"
Feliciano looked up from the stove, where he was finishing up his homemade pasta sauce. "Um, he wanted to go play with Germany's dogs outside, I think. Lovi loves puppies!"
Monika smiled softly at the thought of the usually-grumpy Italian playing calmly with her dogs. She sat down beside Feliciano's spot, across the table from Antonio. After a couple seconds of sitting, she felt a foot brush against hers. She shot a glare at Francis, who chuckled deviously.
"Nice shoes." he commented, "How did you get so good at walking in high heels so quickly, chèrie?"
"Practice makes perfect." Monika muttered.
Feliciano walked to the back door and yelled for Lovino to come back inside. Monika heard angry grumbling in Italian. Monika glanced to Roderich, who sat at the head of the table. Gilbert sat directly across from him. Roderich was eyeing Monika curiously.
"You know, that eyeshadow colour is atrocious." he commented, "Purple would be better on you."
Monika shot him a glare. "I like this colour. It's my favourite."
"I'm just saying." Roderich said vaguely, raising his hands in surrender.
Lovino came shuffling inside grumpily, shoving past Feliciano in the doorway to sit beside Antonio at the long table. He glanced up to glare at everyone, and his eyes stopped on Monika. Lovino's usually-angry expression dropped off his face in surprise.
"Now what in the hell is this?"
The entire table went dead quiet. Everyone stared at Lovino, either angrily or in shock. Antonio shot an apologetic look at Monika, and she shrugged. Lovino stared at Monika openly, still.
"Is this some sort of dumb joke? Because it's not funny, dumb bastards! What's going on?"
Antonio stood up, grabbed Lovino by the tie, and dragged him off into the kitchen. Monika couldn't hear much of the conversation, but he did hear a few cuss words on each side, as well as Antonio's voice getting more and more angry as conversation progressed.
"So," Monika said, "Where did Matthew and Alfred go?"
"Hockey game tonight." Francis responded, looking up idly from his empty plate, "My Matthew and his hockey, agh, I will never understand. He promised to buy that disgusting McDonald's for Alfred, so he agreed to go as well. My sons are strange, to say the least."
"I agree." Monika replied, with a small smile, "But they both are wonderful people."
"Agh, ma belle, I know. Matthew especially, oui, he has always been nice to people."
"I did wonder about that. Why is he so nice after being pushed around all the time?" Monika asked, not sure if she was overstepping her boundaries by asking such a question. Francis' expression grew somber.
"As a younger child, Matthew, uhm, shall we say 'struggled emotionally'. He just wants people to feel loved and noticed."
Monika nodded, but she felt like she'd crossed some sort of barrier with the question. She decided not to press the matter. Instead, she turned her attention towards Lovino and Antonio, who were re-entering the room to eat. Lovino sat down beside Antonio, and met eyes with Monika.
"Sorry for...you know."
Antonio smacked Lovino's hand, and Lovino sighed.
"I'm sorry for being disrespectful to you when you've been nothing but kind to me since the day I met you."
"See, that's how you treat a lady." he murmured, and then Antonio's right hand, and Lovino's left, disappeared underneath the table. Feliciano sat down beside Monika, and glanced over at his brother.
"Fratello, are you holding hands with Antonio?"
Lovino blushed bright red and raised both of his hands. "Of course not, stupid brother!"
The conversation from that point on was light and happy - Feliciano rambled on incoherently about something or other, and Monika admired her fingernails as she delicately ate her pasta and drank her wine. Feliciano watched as everyone finished their food, and smiled softly before sliding his hand on top of Monika's. He pulled her hand underneath the table and held it, squeezing it gently. Monika felt her cheeks get hot, and Feliciano giggled softly. Monika sighed happily and leaned back in her chair. Lovino shot a glare at Feli, but Monika noticed that his hand had disappeared under the table again.
"So…" Monika said, after a few minutes of pleasant silence, "Antonio, Lovino...what's your relationship?"
Lovino flushed bright red, and Francis did his strange Frenchman laugh. Antonio smiled pleasantly.
"Lovi, I think-"
"No, stupid bastard, there's nothing between us! I've never been with you! Never! Do you hear me, you dumb bastard!" Lovino scraped his chair backwards and stormed away. Antonio laughed merrily, and Francis leaned over to whisper something in his ear. Antonio's face went entirely red, and he leaned away from his slightly creepy friend.
"What did you say, Francis?" Monika asked, blushing as he felt Feliciano rubbing circles on her hand. Francis grinned.
"I asked Antonio whether he was a top, or a bottom," Francis said in a vaguely sensual voice, "I think I got an answer."
Antonio slammed his hands on the table dramatically. "And what is that supposed to mean?"
Francis chuckled quietly, "I'm only saying that tops, they don't get embarrassed about it. Bottoms, they are not so proud."
Antonio shook his head repeatedly, "No, no! I was just surprised by the question!"
"So then, what are you?" Prussia chimed in.
Antonio stood up to leave. "You all need Jesus!" he followed in Lovino's wake.
After both Antonio and Lovino had gone off to God-knows-where in the house, Gilbert stood and moved to Lovino's old spot, closer to Roderich. He poked the prissy Austrian's face.
"Gilbert, what are you-"
Gilbert cut him off with a quick peck on the lips. Roderich looked utterly stunned, and also vaguely disgusted.
"Not in front of other people, Gilbert."
Feliciano butted in with: "But Roderich, it's okay to show how much you love someone in public! Right, Monika?"
Monika realized that Feliciano was pulling her hand up to show how they were holding hands. Gilbert raised his eyebrows. "Oh." he chuckled.
Monika tugged her hand away. "I don't know what you think you saw."
The next few days, for Monika, at least, were paradise. She spent her time inside, and Feliciano came over every day, bringing food for her and watching movies with her. Gilbert and Roderich spent a long time in the basement. One day, maybe three days after Matthew had transformed Monika into her true self, Gilbert and Roderich's activities downstairs became extremely...loud. Feliciano covered his ears and sat on the couch, his knees tucked up to his chest. Monika covered her ears, sighing heavily.
"I really don't want to listen to this right now." she muttered, trying to drown out Roderich's moans from the basement with loud pop music. Feliciano sighed.
"There's really no use, you know. We should go and see a movie!"
Monika froze. She wasn't feminine today - no extensions, no make-up, just a new pink tank top she'd gotten from Alfred, and some hand-me-down sweatpants from Ukraine. She shook her head.
"Please, Germany, it's so...uncomfortable here!"
She nodded in agreement, "Ja, it is, but being outside, with other people, looking the way I do...it doesn't work out well."
Feli shook his head. "We're leaving two hours. Get ready."
Monika couldn't resist the boisterous Italian, after all, and she prepared herself to go. After clipping her hair extensions in perfectly, and attempting to get her make-up perfect, she sighed as she tried to figure out what she was going to wear. She covered her face with her hands, sighing heavily.
"What in the hell do I have to wear? I only have a few things…"
Feliciano bounded into the room, carrying a big bag from a very, very fancy women's store. He plopped the bag down on Monika's bed.
"There you go, Monika, try these on for size!"
Monika opened the bag. Fancy blouses, cashmere sweaters. The Italian had bought her so many expensive things...the most expensive thing Monika had ever bought for him was a giant box of pasta. She felt immediately guilty that her friend was so willing to buy her such expensive things. She thanked him especially for the pants he had for her.
"I got them altered to fit you perfectly!" he chirped, hugging her tightly, "I wanted to show you how much I love you!"
Blushing, Monika got dressed. Of course, she shooed Feliciano out first. She put on a white cashmere sweater over a forest green blouse. She wore black pants and expensive-looking flats. She stared in the mirror, tears in her eyes again. Feliciano bounced into the room and kissed Monika on both cheeks.
"Bella, you look fantastic!" he chirped, and then hugged her tightly, "Time for a movie!"
When Monika got into the driver's seat, she felt uncomfortable. Her nail polish was chipped, and every time she looked in the car's mirror she knew that she wasn't a very convincing woman, what with her masculine body type, her hard jaw, her deep, shouty voice. Feliciano was humming a song in the passenger seat, tapping the beat of the tune on his thighs.
"What is that song you're singing?" Monika asked, reaching for his hand, then stopping herself. Feli glanced over, grabbed her hand, and smiled softly at her.
"Uhm...a love song…" he blushed furiously, "It, um, it made me think of you."
Monika blushed too, and both red-faced individuals stared straight ahead out the window in awkward silence. Feliciano hummed the song again, and Monika blushed.
"Germany?" Feliciano said in an unnaturally serious, shaky voice.
Monika glanced over to look Feliciano in his coppery brown eyes. Feli glanced away, before sighing and looking Monika in the eyes.
"Uhm," he murmured, "Germany, I...uhm…"
"Italy, please, just speak." she responded, tapping her fingernails anxiously on the steering wheel and turning her attention to the road in front of them. She was uncomfortable - her friend was never this serious. He must've done something bad - spray-painted the tanks or something of that caliber.
"Monika, I love you." Feliciano said, his voice cracking halfway through the sentence, and then he blushed furiously. The car screeched as Monika almost crashed it, shocked by the sudden confession. Then she cursed in German, turned to her friend and said: "What?"
Monika pulled over on the side of the road so that she could talk to Feliciano without having to concentrate on another task. The back of his head was facing Monika's seat, and he was staring out the opposite window. Monika reached her hand across the seat to touch Feli's shoulder.
"Italy, are you okay?"
The Italian shook his head, quivering. "No."
"Why not?" Germany responded, sighing heavily and brushing one of her hair extensions out of the way.
"Because you don't love me back."
"Are you sure about that?" Monika asked, reaching her hand up to fondle Feli's cheek, "Are you really?"
"Si, I'm sure. You only love me like a friend."
"Again, Feliciano, how could you know that?"
Feli turned to face Monika - his face was tear-streaked, and Monika felt a pang of guilt in her chest at his unhappiness.
"Because I do." Feli murmured, refusing to meet Monika's eyes.
Before Italy could say anything more, Germany pulled him in for a kiss. Time stopped. Monika's head was thinking a thousand things at once, but time had stopped. She pulled away. Feliciano stared into Monika's eyes in wonder.
"I guess you really do love me!"
Monika nodded, and blushed softly. Feli grinned. Monika turned the keys in the ignition again, and got back on the road. Feliciano hummed the love song from before to himself, until he stopped suddenly and turned to face Monika again.
"So... does this make you my girlfriend?"
Monika didn't almost crash the car this time, but she was tempted to pull over and discuss this without her mind being distracted. She decided against it, because if they wanted to get to the movie before it started, she was going to need to drive fast. She didn't answer right away, and Feliciano slumped dejectedly in his seat.
"Monika, you're so complicated."
"Nein, not really." she responded, with a small smile on her face. "I'm the least complicated person I know. You're complicated - you always confuse me."
"How do I confuse you?" Italy said accusingly, pointing one finger at her.
"You're always kissing me and hugging me, getting into my bed, you're never at your own house, you named half of the dogs I own. Feliciano, you are a highly complicated individual."
Feli sighed. "Kissing and hugging is how you show people that you love them, si? I love you, but you always thought I meant like a friend!"
Monika flushed bright red and focused on the road. "Uhm, about being your girlfriend…"
"Si?" Feliciano responded hesitantly.
"Ja, I would like that." Monika said.
Feliciano made a strange, excited squealing noise. "Yay! Germany, I'm so happy! I have a very pretty girlfriend!"
Monika thought that her face might explode from the amount of blushing she had done in the past week, but she just smiled instead and proceeded to pull into the parking lot of the movie they had chosen to see. Some romantic comedy that she'd been interested in. Feli had dragged his feet and complained, wishing to go see the new spy movie, but Monika had said that she wouldn't even go if they went to see the spy movie.
The moment they walked into the building, Monika wanted to leave. She could feel eyes drawn to her from all over - and she distinctly heard a little girl whisper to her mom: "Why is that boy wearing make-up?". Monika was about to cry, but Feliciano clung onto her hand and led her over to buy tickets. They bought two for the romantic comedy, turned around, and walked smack into a friend of theirs.
"Kiku!" Feliciano shouted, hugging the quiet Japanese man tightly.
Kiku responded by pushing Feliciano away and inspecting Monika.
"Mr. Germany, I'm sorry, you'll have to fill me in."
"Germany is a lady!" Feliciano chirped, "And her name is Monika and she is my girlfriend!"
Kiku smiled, without a trace of confusion. Monika guessed it was because Japan had some pretty weird street fashions, so he'd seen weirder.
"I'm very happy you were able to address your feelings for each other. Mr. England will be very displeased - he lost the bet."
"The bet?" Monika said, a little shocked.
"Yes, Mist- Miss Germany. We were betting on whether or not you and Mr. Italy would confess your obvious feelings for each other. I said someday, he said never." Japan bowed slightly, "I must be going, I have a place to be-"
"Alright, Kiku, see you at training!" Feliciano chirped, hugging the conservative man once more before dragging Germany into the dark movie theatre.
It turned out, the romantic comedy had an extremely sad part. Feliciano sobbed like a tiny baby, and cuddled up to Monika the entire time. She was unaffected; she had, after all, seen much, much worse. She smiled when the lights came back on in the busy theatre, and Feliciano kissed her cheek.
"That was fun." he whispered, "Should we go back to your house and see if Roderich left yet?"
Monika nodded pleasantly.
"I think that would be best."
"And then," Feliciano whispered, in a sensual voice, "We can listen to music and kiss and cuddle and drink wine!" his voice lost its sensual tone, and it was replaced by the loud, flamboyant voice he usually had. Monika smiled.
"Ja, that sounds...extremely nice. I'm looking forward to that."
They got into the car, and Feliciano sung along with the radio. Monika glanced over.
"What is this song?"
"Uhm." Feliciano blushed and changed the station, "Nothing!"
"Was it that damned love song again?" Monika asked.
The Italian nodded softly and reached over to take his new girlfriend's hand. She smiled and, after the drive was over, pulled into the driveway of the house she shared with her ex-nation older brother. They came inside, bracing themselves for any sign of Gilbert and Roderich downstairs. Unfortunately, there was movement and talking downstairs, but it was conversation.
"Bruder!" Monika shouted, her voice carrying loudly through the entire house. She heard Prussia stomping up the stairs, and Austria's more quiet, catlike steps as well.
"Yes?" Gilbert said, tucking in his shirt as he entered the hallway. Roderich was wearing a scarf, even though it was extremely hot outside. Feliciano skipped over and tugged on the scarf.
"Mr. Austria, it's too warm to have a scarf on i-" Feliciano's voice cut off suddenly as he noted the bruises on Austria's neck.
"Ohhh." Italy said in a whisper.
Roderich covered his neck self-consciously, whereas Gilbert just laughed, as usual. Roderich sighed heavily.
"Bruder," Monika muttered, "The floor isn't exactly thick. Next time you do...whatever it is you do down there, please, I beg of you, do it at Austria's house."
This time, Gilbert flushed red. "Oh, so you heard, um-"
"Roderich is a screamer." Feliciano concluded, eliciting a bunch of spluttering from Austria, and chuckling from Gilbert.
"Ja, we'll do it at Austria's next time. I promise." Gilbert said, grinning widely before grabbing his boyfriend's hand and tugging him down the stairs.
Monika sighed happily as she clicked the TV in her room off with the remote. Feliciano had fallen asleep at one in the afternoon, as they were watching a movie, and both of them dozed on and off until dinner. After that, they returned to bed, where they watched some more TV, giggled and kissed. Feliciano had finally shut down for the last time that evening, after complaining about the quality of German cuisine. Monika stroked the Italian's hair, careful to avoid the large curl that stuck out from the side of Feli's head. She knew what it did, and, even though she secretly enjoyed the results, she wanted to let him sleep. He was so peaceful, so perfect. She cuddled deeper underneath the blankets, kissed Feli's forehead, and let herself slip into a deep, carefree sleep.