Over the next few weeks, Romano made it a habit to ring England and soon found himself looking forward to the phone conversations with the Brit. Not that he actually liked him or anything! But…there was no reason why he couldn't at least try to enjoy himself a bit while he was doing this right? Which is why he was surprised when England mentioned something unexpected
"I have to come to Italy for some diplomatic reasons soon. Do you want to meet up again? I have to admit I enjoyed your conversation last time"
Romano gave a start. Seriously, this was too easy! "Umm, yeah sure, that's sounds…good, yeah! "
He frowned afterwards though, how to do this without getting Veneciano suspicious? Oblivious as his brother usually was, he could be annoyingly astute when it suited him. Ugh well, dancing around the issue would only make his brother more suspicious, best to just be upfront and hope that his brother didn't pick up on it
"Feli, you know the meeting with England soon?"
"Ve? Meeting…?" Veneciano frowned in thought, then turned to some chart on the wall that Romano could have sworn wasn't there before "Ohh, yeah, that meeting" he said, finding something on the chart that looked suspiciously like the potato bastard's handwriting
Romano frowned, "What the fuck is that thing, fratello?"
"Ve, Ludwig gave it me. He said it would stop me forgetting things!"
"But you just forgot the meeting now, idiot!"
"But then I checked the chart and I remembered again, therefore I never forgot!"
Romano sighed, sometimes there was no way to argue against his brother's logic, no matter how stupid it may seem
"What did you want to know about it anyway, ve?"
Crap. Apparently Veneciano wasn't going to be easily distracted today; the potato bastard was rubbing off on him again.
"I'm going too"
"Eh? But you never want to go to those fratello; you always say you have better things to do than sit around in a boring office listening to things you couldn't give a crap about"
"…How can you remember what I say word for word, yet you can't even remember your own schedule, idiot"
"Ve, but Germany remembers my schedule so I need something else to remember!"
"Che! You shouldn't let that potato bastard control your life Feli"
"But you still haven't said why you want to go Romano!"
He stared and growled a little "Do I need a reason to take an interested in the way the country is run? Or do you forget it affects me as well, so it might be nice to actually have an idea in why things have changed without having you go" he breathed finally "Ve~ oh yeah I forgot to mention fratello" Romano mimicked his brother surprisingly well
"Waah, fratello is scary!"
"Calm down idiot! Look I am going, you understand? So don't you dare leave without me!"
"Ve..." Veneciano nodded "I don't want to get you mad fratello, its unusual is all"
"I am allowed to go to these! And besides I know you'll mess it up...remember what happened last time..." Romano remembered having to go get his brother because he had panicked in front of the leader of the other country and began babbling uncontrollably about secrets of the country and there boss. Romano was unimpressed "I don't want your mouth to run off and have us end up in war for no reason!"
"He stared too much fratello, it was too scary!" Veneciano shivered at the memory "But if it worries you so much..."
"You're my brother...so...maybe I do worry...but not a lot I add!" Romano felt himself go red "J-just let me know when we have to leave!" and with that he turned and rushed from the room.
So a few weeks later, Romano was sat in the corner of the meeting room remembering why he never went to these things. Watching some other country's boss and his boss make empty promises to each other was more terminally dull than one of Germany's lectures. He quickly had to hide a smirk though, despite the fact that it was only February, he could see that the British delegation was suffering in the heat.
Eventually the meeting (which had mainly been full of their bosses repeating what everyone already knew) was called to a close for that day. Romano walked over to England as the Brit packed away his notes.
"Are you ready to go then?"
"Ah, yes Romano, you lead the way"
Italy turned his head in surprise as he saw his brother leaving with England. Romano had never even mentioned him to Feli, yet he was acting like England was a close friend. Italy shrugged it off; he could ask Romano about it later, now he could feel the pasta calling him.
England was surprised at how much effort Romano had put into this visit around Rome. They had walked through various piazzas; each one filled with different architectural styles. England was surprised at how knowledgeable Romano was about the different masters whose legacies filled his city. He had always assumed that Italy was the artistic one of the brothers, but the more time he spent with Romano, the more he realised how little about the Italian he actually knew. After a few hours spent in the sun however, England began to feel the heat getting to him.
Romano turned when he realised the Englishman had fallen behind and was surprised to see him loosening his shirt collar, obviously overheating. Fighting to keep his lip from curling, he put on a concerned front "Err, are you alright Arthur?"
If England could have flushed any redder he would have done "Not used to this heat is all!" he laughed "I'll be alright in a moment"
Romano raised his eyebrows in surprise, he knew England's climate was worse than his own, but it was February! He was feeling chilly even in his jacket! "I was going to suggest we sit down somewhere anyway"
England looked up in alarm "No, no, you don't need to put yourself out for me; I'll be fine in minute, seriously"
Romano stared incredulously at the slightly swaying Englishman "Really? Because you look like you're about to pass out"
"Honestly Lovino, I'll cope, it's just the change in temperature, my home is suffering from frost right now after all!"
Merda, this guy was stubborn when he wanted to be! "Look, its siesta anyway, so we may as well take a break, I'm going to even if you won't" And with that Romano pulled the Brit across onto some shaded steps near the edge of the piazza.
England couldn't hide a small sigh of relief as he settled into the shade, Romano hid a small smirk
"What is it they say? The only ones in the midday sun are mad dogs and Englishmen?"
"Oh ha bloody ha. It's just my luck that the only climate I can cope with is a rotten one" England swayed slightly, coming to rest on Romano's shoulder
Romano stiffened in shock at the unexpected contact. He wasn't like Veneciano, whose concept of personal space was like America's concept of salads, that is, non-existent.
"Che cazzo stai facendo?" He jolted back in surprise, but England had already risen himself, embarrassed at his behaviour
"Bugger, sorry Lovi, this heat thing must be worse than I thought" He flushed at the thought of the way he had acted with the Italian, and although he didn't understand what it was Romano had yelled at him, he could guess that it was a shock for him too.
Romano sighed. Calm down, he told himself, it was obviously an accident. You know how stiff England is, the guy would never drape himself on you on purpose, it's obviously just the…heat.
"Dammit, I'm not having you die on me in the middle of the street! I'm taking you back, let's go"
England didn't bother to argue the point this time.
On the second to last day of the talks it rained. Various jokes were made about the British bringing the weather with them, Romano looked to see how England was taking this, only to realise that he wasn't there.
Slipping out of the rooms, he saw England stood out in the middle of the car park, at first Romano's reaction was a snorted remark about how the stupid Brit had finally lost it, the man after all had a sweet smile upon his lips, staring up at the rain as it caressed his skin.
He had left his jacket behind with their bosses, so his once presentable white shirt was soaked through as the streams of water infused into the cotton, this made the shirt of the man cling to the him as the water acted as a solvent gluing it to the dampened skin; slightly see through, Romano felt his eye fixed upon the faint impressions of England's torso underneath, it wasn't anything special upon reflection, England had no abs or had a particularly seductive bodyline and yet, it was perfect, it had a magical flair that enveloped it and in the mist that was now raising from the dampened Italian Streets gave him an air of mystery and of lust.
The man let out a small chuckle and brushed his blond hair with his fingers, he closed his eyes and forcing back the hair on his head allowed the water to run cool down his warmed skin, he then removed his fingers allowing his soaked fringe to fall away from his face opening his eyes again, his emerald eyes seemed full of…what? Melancholy? Longing? He couldn't tell, but somehow the way his eyes shimmered gazing up at the rain…his attention kept being drawn to the near perfection of the composition…he longed to capture it, the way England's glass green eyes contrasted with the drabness of the surroundings, longed to attempt to forever immortalise the range of conflicting emotions reflected in the Brit's unusually calm countenance. An angel was walking through the streets of Rome
Yey, my writers block went away again! Thank you to Samstar1990 for basically rewriting the scene in the rain, I never would have finished if she hadn't bribed me (with FrUK no less, come on, what was I meant to do?) Although the fact that fanfiction won't let me upload this right now isn't helping ¬.¬
Sorry if they seem OOC! Please let me know if you think I have got the characters wrong...I won't apologise for Italy though, I do think he can be quite perceptive when it comes to Romano (I mean, they are brothers!)
I've never been to Rome, so I apologise for anything that I've got wrong I feel I should clarify, England doesn't have proper heatstroke, since even he wouldn't get that in February, but because his 'internal' temperature as it were is so much lower (February is our coldest month), plus he's in a winter business suit and is pushing himself a bit, it has a similar effect on him...it's also a bit based on how my body reacts every single time I go to that part of the world.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed, faved and alerted this, it gives me such a boost to do this!
Translations (all Italian this time, any mistakes, blame Google Translate!)
fratello-brother
merda-sh*t
Che cazzo stai facendo?-What the f*ck are you doing?