A/N: Thanks for the faves, alerts and reviews :3

Another pale moon shines like high noon. Midnight never felt so cold alone. It's just that you're uneasy when you need me.

.::.

Romano snapped out of his reverie. It was a wonder how inspite of the years that has passed, that image of his broken boss is still vivid in his mind. That side of the Spanish empire that only Romano knows about, not even Belgium or the Netherlands had seen before… It gives the Souther Italian the pride and at the same time, the certainty that he is indeed someone or something special for the Spaniard…

Perhaps the same way as he felt for him.

"Romano."

The Italian looked up from his rucksack, putting the red ribbon out of Spain's sight. The Iberian nation looked confusedly at him for a bit.

"What?" Romano asked severely, eyeing Spain as if he just disturbed the Italian in the most important task such as packing his clothes. The Iberian's expression drastically changed from perplexed to dazed in an instant.

"I… I know this is too much to ask but," he breathed deeply. "Can we sleep together one last time?" he asked delicately.

How ironic.

Ever since the other colonies left, Spain and Romano always found reasons to sleep together at nights until it was no longer questioned. The little Italian will just bring his tomato pillow, quietly sneak to Spain's bedroom and would suit himslef at the space that the elder brunette has provided for him on his bed. Both knew too well that the warmth they shared made sleep all better and nightmares less frequent. Oftentimes, the Iberian would tell bedtime stories to his lackey or sing him a lullaby. The Italian always says otherwise but he really loved those tales and melodies, he might have memorized some as well. Though he might have had forgotten them as of now.

When the smaller nation suddenly had that growth spurt, little by little, the habit was forgotten. They don't know which happened first: Romano deciding to act more grown up or that Spain himslef finding the situation awkward. All Romano knows is that there were many nights when he cursed himslef by being so proud to return to Spain's warmth but he also remembers how the Iberian utterly refused to sleep together any longer.

"You're a big boy now," Spain said, his eyes looking at Romano tenderly. The lad was now only a head shorter than the elder nation. "We're not supposed to share the bed anymore."

And that was that. The once warm nights reduced into cold beds and in Romano's case, insomnia. It was so stupid. He used to be this alone before, why does it seems so hard to return to this way now? But eventually, his mind will get tired of the senseless thinkings, his eyes will droop in fatigue and his body will succumb to a restless sleep. It was late, yes, sometimes he would still be awake until way past midnights but slowly, he felt himself coping into sleeping alone again.

So why is Spain standing silly in his doorway, clutching a tomato pillow similar to Romano's, begging for a place on the Italian's bed for the night?

Did he not know how many years it took for the younger nation to finally be able to get rid of the loneliness of being alone on his bed? Those tossings and turnings without the Spaniard to keep him warm and fight off his nightmares?

And if ever, Romano would gain the habit back, how many years of sleepless nights will it take him to get rid of it again? Especially when tomorrow, he for sure will be leaving the Spaniard behind?

The Italian glared at the tan nation, but his scowl met with Spain's trademark puppy dog eyes.

"Come in," was all Romano managed to say. He sighed over his barely finished packing. He'll just have to wake early tomorrow and shove everything in. He then settled himself on his side of the bed while Spain lie on the other side.

"Buonanotte."

"B-Buenos noches."

It wasn't like the way they sleep before at all. No snuggling, no contact, nothing. It's hardly any different from having the bed alone for himself. No bedtime tales and lullabies… Not even goodbyes.

What was Spain's real motive anyway?

What was Romano expecting anyway?

Ten o'clock is way too early for Romano to achieve sleep. No matter how hard he tries, dreamland just won't accept him already, dammit. And it didn't help that there is a Spanaird beside him, the very person he'll be abandoning in a few hours time. Now that he thinks about it, how is he supposed to act the next morning? Wake up before Spain and just leave without a word? It sounds so rude. That man raised him for centuries after all. But then, isn't saying farewells even more painful for both of them? Now option number one sounds better. But Spain just had to sleep on the other side of his bed, making it nearly impossible to sneak out with him noticing.

"Uhm… you awake Romano?"

The Italian's train of thought instantly left him.

"Erm… I can't sleep…" Spain continued. Well at least Romano wasn't alone in his misery tonight. "Actually, I haven't been able to sleep this early for a long time now."

The Italian shifted to face the Spaniard but all he saw was the elder man's backside.

"It was funny… really. Before you came, before the others left, I always had the bed for myself. But when we suddenly stopped sleeping together, I can't seem to go back the way I was before."

His voice was plain and he seems to be talking more to himslef than to Romano, the Italian noticed.

"It's just… I'm an idiot. We are nations, eventually, we'll have to part. But I… I let myslef rely on you more than I should have. When you… When you started growing into a man, I know, time is quickly running out for us. I distanced myself from you, so that when the time of parting comes, it won't hurt as much. So many nights, decades that I told myslef that it's for the best…

"I'm such an idiot."

Spain's voice trembled, his words got choken, his breathing became shallow.

"It doesn't stop the pain… And then… there's the added regret of not being able to h-hold you while I – while I still c-can."

Suddenly, Spain felt an arm wrap around his belly. Romano's breath seemed so close, gently touching the Iberian's nape. He finally broke into sobs.

"There's still some time," it surprised the Italian how his voice sounded even when all this emotions inside him seems to be welling uncotrollably.

The Spaniard turned around and embrace Romano as well.

"Te quiero… te quiero… mi Romanito," the Iberian wept.

So it wasn't just Romano who had trouble sleeping. It wasn't just Romano who missed the warmth they had always shared. It wasn't just Romano wished to be back the way they were before.

After realizing how the two of them just so blindly let the decades pass getting hurt by trying not to get hurt Romano found it really funny. Of course, he was still sad, but upon knowing that after all this time, he wasn't alone in the suffering, he felt that the whole situation was laughable. Because he realized that perhaps, it wasn't just him who felt something special for the Spnaiard. So he was happy.

The day is gone, and I'm the only light that you see. You need someone, I know all you needed was me.

Spain was Romano's sun. Romano was Spain's sunshine.

It was Spain that took him, raised him, cared for him despite being a useless colony. It was Romano who stood by Spain's side when everyone else left.

But then he realized how everything will still end the next morning. Tomorrow, he will leave Spain behind, despite knowing how it would hurt the Spaniard the most. He might not have known before, he might have guessed it right… but right now that he was fully aware, he now knows it too well how important he really is to the Spaniard. But still he would leave him.

Romano wrapped his arms tighter around Spain.

Romano won't be the one who was left anymore. He will become another someone who has left Spain. No, he wouldn't be any better than Belgium or the Netherlands.

We are nations, eventually, we'll have to part.

He should have known how those warm nights meant all the love that Spain has and could give him.

If he had known, will this parting still be inevitable?

Will this pain in his heart be avoided?

They are nations, eventually, they'll have to part.

Spain had known. And he was hurt.

Why does everything hurt?