Hetalia - Axis Powers Fan Fiction ❯ Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità ❯ Chapter 8 Part 1 ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

This is the very last chapter of Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità. I worked HARD to make sure this would be fit for a finale. I hope you enjoy it! Sorry for the wait! (:

I believe this story is best on this site! Here’s the link:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11886910/1/Gankona-Unnachgiebig-Unità

Please leave plenty of reviews here and there too! ^_^

Disclaimer: I do not own any aspect of Hetalia. It belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. I only own this and every other story I have.

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The breath was knocked completely out of the Italian's lungs as though he had been suddenly thrown into a vacuum as he returned, taking witness to the scene before him. What he saw would haunt him for the rest of his life...

"ICH BRING DICH UM!"

"TEME WO KOROSU!"

Absolute shock and terror froze every fiber in Italy's body as he beheld the horrific events that unfolded right in front of him; large hands wrapped around Japan's neck while smaller hands were around Germany's, both pairs desiring to strangle the life out of the other. Feral snarls escaped frothing mouths as the two growled at each other, resembling the most rabid of animals as each attempted to assert dominance over the other.

"UMKOMMEN!" Releasing one hand, the German morphed it into a fist, punching the Japanese in the throat, knocking him a considerable distance into the ground, a dirt path marking how far the socked had skidded back. Not wasting even a second, the assailant pounced, akin to a bloodthirsty hound rushing to tear its prey apart...

...only to be resisted. "SHEE-NEI!" Despite being a full six inches shorter and having a much smaller frame than the hulking blond, the Asian was no pushover; as the fulvous drew near, the sable swept a leg out, tripping the target before throwing him as he fell, kicking him while he was down. It didn't end there; keeping a piercing black eye out, the raven was able to evade the flashing fingers which had tried to grab his ankle, leaping a safe distance away. He really is stronger than he looks...

"ICH WERDE NICHT ZULASSEN, HABEN SIE ITALIEN!" What the?!

Wait a second! "WATASHI WA TEME GA ITALIA-KUN O MOTTE SASEMASEN!"

"...No way!" Italien? Italia-kun? Was it possible that they were fighting...over Italy? No duh. Just why are they fighting over me?! Just why?! If only he knew...

The poor brunet remained paralyzed with unadulterated fear, hardly able to even breathe as the opponents ran up to each other, colliding with a clash of limbs before going into full-out combat. Fists were flying, loud thuds clearly audible as the pair proceeded to beat each other up. Red, purple, red, purple...those same two colors began to bloom on two shades of skin, bruises blossoming on all sorts of places high and low.

"LIKE I'LL LET YOU WIN!" Dragging the smaller nation up by his collar, the larger slugged him in the face, the hexagonal glasses he wore shattering at the impact. Ouch...

Not everything went according to plan, however. "LIKE I'LL LET YOU?!" Spitting in the German's face, the Japanese fought back, denying the flaxen dominance as he met each kick for a kick, knee for a knee, punch for a punch. Finally able to get himself free, Japan bounded back, narrowly avoiding the right hook swung his way. Not a second to spare, the foes charged once again, the air around them simmering with their intent to defeat the other.

"WHY WOULD ITALY EVEN WANT TO BE WITH YOU?! YOU TWO DON'T EVEN LIVE ON THE SAME CONTINENT!" They were talking about him! Like we don't know that already.

The discussed gasped. "What are they talking about?!" Sadly, his muscles adamantly refused to budge, the poor guy unable to move towards his estranged friends. Even his vocal cords seemed to freeze over, barely able to vibrate. Looks like shouting isn't an option either. Pookie nestling in his hair, mewling adorably at him had no effect; even cats didn't work. Uh oh...

"SO WHAT?! ITALIA-KUN AND I HAVE A LOT IN COMMON! MORE SO THAN YOU DO!" Absolute fury possessed the raven as infernal fires burned in charcoal depths, seething as the adversaries locked arms, wrestling each other. "US LIVING SO FAR APART DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING!"

Immeasurable rage flared in blue orbs as he pushed back, shoving the smaller into the soil. "BULLCRAP! YOU'LL JUST HURT HIM IN THE END YOU COLD AND CALCULATING MACHINE! YOU LACK ANY SORT OF WARMTH! YOU'LL FREEZE ITALY TO DEATH!" Lies, lies...

"SPEAK FOR YOURSELF! YOU'RE FAR TOO TOUGH AND HARSH! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO ALWAYS SCREAMS AT AND LAYS YOUR HANDS ON ITALIA-KUN!" The temperature plunged and soared hundreds of degrees simultaneously as the Asian lunged, the atmosphere far more inhospitable than the most blazing and subzero of deserts.

Gazes remained locked as the battle drew on. Eyes made subtle movements, attempting to predict their opponent's maneuvers. Hair-yank. Punch. Kick. Whale. Slam. Uppercut. Smash. Stomp. Bash. Sock. The one-sided fight with the homophobe was nothing compared to this; let's just say World War III was close to being unleashed, with the Axis against itself. Parts of it to be precise. Gulp.

"YOU NAZI!"

"YOU SOULLESS MONSTER!"

"DOAHO!"

"GRAUSAM!"

"KUUKIATAMA!"

"ZIEGELWAND!"

"OROKANA!"

"ÜBERHEBLICH!"

"NŌSHINDA!"

"BÖSE!"

Insult after insult was thrown, most unable to be understood by either party. However, the unfortunate bystander knew half of them; idiot, air head, brainless, brain-dead...what terrible things to say. The other half must have been just as awful. Chills ran up and down the hapless spectator's spine, his blood freezing over as he witnessed the two reaching behind themselves, the German pulling out a Browning Hi Power while a katana came from the Japanese. The two charged, gun and sword in hand—

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"—only for the Italian to jump in between them as that horrific sight gave him the strength to scream and move, arms out wide. The pair froze in an instant, dropping their weapons as their eyes became saucers. "MIO DIO! NON HO IDEA DI CHE COSA SI STA PARLANDO, MA NON VOGLIO SENTIRE ALTRO DI ESSO!" The normally blithe country's irate scream cut both to the very bone, unimaginable shock rendering them completely immobile. "JUST STOP IT! YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS ALL DAY!" You would think it takes the most antarctic of winds to freeze someone completely. You would think it takes being thrown into the most void of vacuums to make someone completely lose their breath. You would think it took the sharpest of spears to stab through the thickest of armor straight into the heart. It only took one look at the utterly devastated form of their precious beloved, one look at normally limpid brown eyes dead with misery and grief to do all three to those two nations. Simultaneously. And then some.

Neither had ever seen the brunet that angry before. If angry at all. "Italia-kun..." Words just evaded the raven.

"Italien..." Same with the blond. Just what could they say?

The unimaginable then happened; Italy ran off, tears flying in his wake as he bawled loudly.

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"ITALIEN?!"

"ITALIA-KUN?!"

Big mistake. Big mistake. Germany and Japan had made a big mistake. Big time. The green-eyed monsters had blinded the two they had possessed to the consequences of their actions; they didn't even stop to think how their beloved would react to such fighting. They didn't think they would hurt him...or even stopped to think that; foolish decision. And now they have to face the consequences of such a terrible choice.

"Where is he?!" Worry colored the normally stoic nation's voice; his internal Italy radar was not working!

Unfortunately, nor was Germany's. "I don't know!" He clenched his fist. "Why were we so stupid?!"

"We let our jealousy consume us to the point we weren't even thinking our actions through." Japan gritted his teeth. "And Italia-kun had to pay for it!"

Nails dug into palms. "Crap."

"Hey! Would you slow down?!" Well what'd you know, it's that rude chef from earlier. However, upon realizing just who he had been talking to, he froze in place, cowering with fear. "No! Leave me alone!" He whimpered. "Don't kill me!"

The sable sighed, stressed out. "We don't have time for you." He narrowed his eyes. "Do you know where your country went? You know, the one you were rude to earlier?"

"Hey! Be more specific! I'm rude to a lot of people!" The man retorted.

However, he gave a not-so-masculine scream at the death glare shot at him by the German. "He was with us earlier." He huffed. "Do you know...or not?"

"Y-Yeah!" The guy was quivering in his boots. "I saw him with a cat on his head running towards the banks of the Arno that way—" He pointed to the right "—bawling his eyes out!"

The pair bowed. "Arigato."

"Danke." The blond immediately followed.

However, before both actually left... "Man, what a crybaby."

...let's just say that rude chef ended up wetting his pants a second time.

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"G-Go away!"

It was just as what that tactless cook said it was; upon arriving at the destination, the pair found their precious brunet with his head in his knees, sobs wracking his frame. The kitten was at his side, rubbing at his legs in an attempt to cheer him up...all in vain. The scene was utterly heart-wrenching, the usually happy nation so miserable...

Those two words broke two hearts even further. "...Italien."

"...Italia-kun."

Pookie sprang up, hissing wildly as its hackles were raised. The auburn lifted his face up, glancing at the feline. "...Don't." The creature immediately complied, quirking its head to the side as concern was evident in its eyes as his visage was covered once more.

"Italien..."

"Italia-kun..."

One step. Two steps. Three, four, five. The pair slowly inched forward, making their way to their beloved... "I SAID GO AWAY!" ...who just so happened to bolt up at that moment, making to run away once more—

"ITALIEN!"

"ITALIA-KUN!"

—only for his feet to slip up beneath him, the ground rapidly approaching him as he tripped. Falling, falling; Italy shut his eyes tightly, bracing himself for the impact...only for it to never come. "Che cosa?!" He opened them, taking in the sight of two pairs of arms—one lithe and the other bulky—holding him up. In any other circumstance, Italy would have been overjoyed but now...

"Italia-kun! Please don't run from us!" Lithe arms tightened around him, their owner embracing the hazel closer.

The bulky pair did the same. "We need to talk! Hear us out! Please!"

"Hear what out? That you two were fighting over me for some reason I can't figure out?" Dead brown eyes stared into black and blue, tears slipping out as the other two sets became saucers. "Yes, I know; I heard my country name in your respective languages." Bangs hid dead brown eyes. The distressed attempted to shake his captors off only to fail as they held fast, desperately wanting no needing the Italian to stay. Realizing fleeing was futile, the hazel at last ceased to struggle, unable to meet his friends' eyes as he spoke. "Why did you guys fight over me? I'm not even worth it." A harsh snicker tore from his lips, one befitting of the most pessimistic of people. "I can't even pretend to be cheerful right now. This is just too much for me." Those same two sets popped out of their skulls, unable to believe what their ears were hearing. Regardless, the melancholic continued at a barely audible volume. "...I'm stupid, useless, worthless, cowardly, weak, annoying, a crybaby, and a general thorn in the side. Just why would anyone want to fight over a burden like me? Why bother?"

Charcoal depths ignited in a fiery blaze. "DON'T SAY THAT! NONE OF WHAT YOU SAID IS TRUE!"

"But I've always been told that." Shock extinguished those flames. "In my 2484 years of existence, I've been told I'm all of the above over and over again by random people, by my bosses, by other countries...even by my family. Therefore, it must be true." Trembles overtook his frame. "I was the weakest link in the Axis; instead of fighting back, I always either surrendered or fled." He gazed at his companions. "I was a horrible ally who did nothing but drag you both down! I always feared you both would abandon me..." Sobs tore through him. "...and still do."

Sapphire fires lit up in blue orbs. "I WOULD NEVER ABANDON YOU! YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN MY LIFE! IN FACT, I'VE LOVED YOU SINCE THE 900S!" Realization suddenly dawned on the blond. "Oh crap."

"...Holy Rome?!"

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"...Holy Rome?!"

Shock could not even begin to describe what crashed over Italy at that moment. Did he hear right?! Was it a trick of the mind?!

The brunet stared up at the blond, eyes wide. "Holy Rome...is that you Holy Roman Empire?!"

"Holy Rome?" Japan questioned, confused. "...Who's that, Italia-kun?" For some reason, the raven was dreading the answer.

Could he be?! No! "He's my first love." No! NO! A nostalgic smile crossed the brunet's lips. "Holy Rome and I first met while we were both chibis. He always chased after me, saying 'Become one with the Holy Roman Empire! Become one with the Holy Roman Empire!' and I was always like 'NOOO~!' because I didn't want him to end up like Grandpa Rome, who got a lot of scars on his back before dying altogether." Sadness replaced the happiness. Trepidation only increased in the Asian as the auburn continued, the blithe smile returning. "Actually, he started off as one of my bullies and kinda followed me around a lot—" Murderous look "—but I fell for him all the same." Italy giggled. "I taught him how to draw, played with him, spent a lot of time with him..." He gave a content sigh. "...He even let me sleep with him during scary thunderstorms and made me pasta at times!" His expression abruptly darkened. "But that time..." The tears returned. "...It all happened around two centuries ago; Holy Rome was losing control of his territories so he had to go off to war. He wanted me to come with him but I didn't because I didn't want to see him get hurt or worse killed! I begged him to stay but he didn't, saying he had to go." The streams flowed faster. "Before he left, we gave each other parting gifts; I gave him my deck brush and Holy Rome gave me a kiss on the lips." Japan could barely hold back his raging envy at that. BARELY. Now's not the time to be jealous! Now's not the time to be an insensitive jerk! Heart-wrenching sobs left uncontrollably, the crying enough to break even the most stone-hearted of people. "T-That was the last time I saw him; during the Thirty Years' War...France-nii-san told me that Holy Rome is no more, that he fell."

"Italia-kun..." It was impossible not to feel bad for the brunet, even if the subject is about someone who said brunet loves who isn't him.

The explainer swiveled back to Germany. "Are you really Holy Rome?!"

"...Here." The addressed reached into his back, pulling out a brown broom bearing a rectangular head which sported grey bristles.

Italy's eyes widened beyond belief. "This is!" He took the stick, observing it closely. "It's the very same deck brush I gave Holy Rome! There's no mistaking it; I used this very deck brush for hundreds of years!" Tears of utmost joy filled once again limpid chestnut hues. "HOLY ROME!"

"OOF!" The fulvous slammed onto the ground, wrapped in a tight embrace with the hazel inadvertently releasing the raven to do so.

The tears ceased to stop pouring. "AND BEFORE HOLY ROME LEFT, HE TOLD ME HE LOVED ME SINCE THE 900S! IT'S REALLY YOU HOLY ROME! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

"Well..."

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"Who do we have here?"

Corpses and blood. Those two specific things were scattered across the battlefield farther than the eye could see, the beautiful meadow it once was no longer recognizable. A body of a small blond child in a black hat and matching cloak had caught crimson eyes, the albino trudging over to it. He turned the form over, surveying the face.

"Holy Roman Empire?" The man wondered out loud. "So he's been defeated." The arrival tapped his chin. "Napoleon was here earlier, wasn't he?" He tsked. "That's so not awesome." A tiny groan suddenly reached his ears, the guy's eyes widening in shock. "Holy Rome is still alive?!"

The groans became louder and louder as dazed blue eyes forced themselves open, blearily taking in the form of the stranger. "W-Who are you?"

"Why I'm the embodiment of awesomeness!" The larger crossed his arms, standing tall. "Bow down before the awesome me! Kesese!"

The child attempted to comply, trying to pick himself up only to collapse, coughing out blood. "...A-Are you going to finish me off?" Despite the brave face he put on, a single tear escaped as his eyes trailed to the single deck brush beside him. "...Goodbye my love." He was so sure he was going to die. He had so many regrets...

"That wouldn't be awesome of me!" Clouded eyes snapped up in shock, locking in on crimson orbs. "You're pretty much a little kid! I can't let you die!" The senior bent down, placing the progeny on his shoulder with the broom on the other. "You looked at this as though it were some prized possession..." The older shrugged, shaking it off. "But you can't be known as 'Holy Roman Empire' anymore...who knows who would be after you? We must let everyone else believe you're dead."

The younger closed his eyes. "Then who will I be?"

"You'll be my little brother!" The albino patted the blond's head affectionately. "The awesome little brother of the awesome Prussia!"

...

"Ah, how the time flies!"

Holy Rome had stayed with the elder for decades, slowly growing up as he had reached puberty. From child to teen to adult...the guy had been there for it all. During that period, the two had grown especially close, becoming true siblings and family. Oh how the years go by so quickly...

The blond nodded. "It's been 65 years since you found me in 1806."

"Yes! It's good old 1871 now! Kesese!" Prussia cackled.

The flaxen scratched his chin. "I can't remember much though..." During the fulvous's stay with the Prussian, he had been slowly forgetting about his past life; who he was, what he did, his love. Well, being a dissolved nation who was slowly reclaiming land does that to you.

"Don't sweat about it bruder!" The older smirked. "What matters is now, not then!" Of course, said forgetting was a-okay with the platinum; the less he remembers as Holy Rome, the safer he is. He can't let his little brother be in danger, even if said little brother was taller than him now. A thought suddenly flashed into his mind. "Kesese! The awesome me just had an awesome idea!"

The listener quirked a brow. "What would that be Preußen?"

"Your name!" He pointed an index finger up, expression smug. "How does 'Bundesrepublik Deutschland', 'Deutschland' for short sound? Awesome, right? I'm such an awesome genius!"

The younger scratched his chin. "...Not bad."

"Then it's settled!" The man declared. "Your new name is Deutschland, or Germany in English! You've been officially founded in 1871! Congrats awesome little brother of mine!"

...

"What's this?"

Storage cleanup is nice. Especially when one has over one hundred years of items to sort through. Germany sighed; just why was there so much clutter? His eyes happened to glance upon a certain item in a pile of junk. "Why would I have this—" A jolt of electricity coursed through the man as his hands made contact with the handle; all the memories that had been suppressed for over a century, all the memories that had been forgotten for over ten decades flooded back in torrents, the guy buckling onto his knees as an immense pain pounded in his skull, a scream of utmost agony leaving his lips.

"WEST! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" Prussia rushed into the room, appearing beside his sibling's side in an instant. "Just what's going on—" And then crimson orbs caught sight of that certain object in his brother's grasp. "Oh." He sighed. "I knew this day would come."

The younger slowly stood up, the elder offering him support as he did so. "Bruder, just who was I?" Confusion was evident in normally hardened hues. "Wasn't I always Germany? Then why am I seeing such things?!" He held his face in his hands in an uncharacteristic display of anxiety. "...Just who am I?"

"Well West, here's the truth." And then began a lengthy discussion...

...

"No way..."

During that long talk, the two had moved into the kitchen, making themselves more comfortable. That, and Germany had to keep an eye on the spaghetti on the stove and the pizza in the oven for the arrival of a certain someone...

Prussia gave a solemn nod. "And there you have it." Worry flashed through normally proud orbs. Was telling him some sort of mistake?!

"So I was Holy Roman Empire?" It seemed as though the German's entire world had crashed down upon him. Which it did.

Again, another solemn nod. "That's who you were before I found you on that battlefield, dying during the Thirty Years' War. That deck brush was beside you and you looked at it as if it were your most prized possession, so I took it with me." He stared down at clenched fists. "I didn't know what to do with it; I wanted to get rid of it so you would never remember...but then every time I tried, the memory of you gazing at it so longingly would flash through my head and then I wouldn't be able to!" He shook his head. "So I decided to keep it in the attic in hopes you would never find it, and prepared myself for the day you possibly would. And here it is..."

"Why did you keep this from me?!" Fury replaced the confusion in a flash. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?!"

A fury of the same caliber ignited in crimson orbs. "If people found out you were Holy Rome, they might try to go after you to finish you off once and for all!" He exclaimed. The fury died down as his fist unclenched. "I don't want my little brother to get hurt..."

"Bruder..." His fury died down as well. The larger sighed. "But now I know the truth."

Prussia grunted. "You already regained those memories; there would be no more point in hiding it." He stared HARD into blue orbs. "Just be careful, okay West?"

"...I'll try." There was an unusual uncertainty in normally resolute features...

Red eyes just so happened to glance at the clock. "Oh crap! I have to go now!" He made his way towards the door. "I promised I would meet up with Hungary and have an awesome day out!" He pulled on a blue coat. "Something about having to make it up to her for messing with that stupid aristocrat..."

"You made her upset by tormenting Austria?" Germany face-palmed. "Bruder!"

And he was out the door in an instant. "Bye West!" Moments later—

"MEIN GOTT!" Within the deep recesses of his newly rediscovered memories, a familiar face and name kept popping up. A certain 'girl' to be precise. "HE'LL BE HERE ANY MINUTE!" Panicked feet took him towards the entrance, passing the door to the backyard which remained unlatched, forgetting to lock it...

"What should I do? What should I do?!"

One could swear fire was being burned into the hapless tiles of the unfortunate floor as a bulky blond with bright blue eyes paced wildly like a man possessed, restless as he impatiently waited for a certain someone to arrive at his house.

"What am I supposed to do?!" Hair was nearly ripped out of its roots as fistfuls were clutched, harshly yanked in exasperation. "How am I supposed to tell him?!" A certain brunet instantly popped into the man's mind, limpid brown eyes full of light and happiness flashing brilliantly. A bright blush instantly flamed up. "Mein Gott! Pull. Yourself. Together!" Poor brain that was taking those beatings from frustrated fists!

"Ve~Doitsu!" The door flew open, an auburn blur flashing past before colliding straight into the blond, arms wrapped in a vice grip.

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"..."

"Italy?"

"..."

"Italien?!"

"..."

"ITALY?!"

"..."

"ITALIEN?!"

The brunet was absolutely still, more still than a perfect crystal in absolute zero. Even pictures couldn't have made an image as still as the one before the two previously warring nations.

"ITALIEN?!" Germany shook the inanimate country, attempting to get him to move again...all in vain.

A smaller hand placed itself on a frozen shoulder. "Italia-kun?! ITALIA-KUN?!" No response.

"I knew this wouldn't turn out well!" Sincere regret made its way into azure hues. "I knew I shouldn't have told him! Heck, I resolved not to upon seeing the terrible pain in his eyes after I asked 'What ever happened to your first love? Where is he now?', I just couldn't! I couldn't even keep my promise of returning!" Frustrated fists pounded into their possessor's skull. "Just why did I have to blurt that out?!"

Japan's eyes softened. "Yeah—"

"HOLY ROME!" Two sets of eyes became the widest of saucers as the blond found himself on his back once more, the flaxen's cheeks nuzzled. "I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE ALIVE! I THOUGHT YOU WERE KILLED!" The Italian beamed. "And you kept your promise; you're here right now!" He pulled away a small distance, guilt shining through. "...So you're not mad that I'm actually a guy, not a girl?" Bangs hid brown eyes. "...I never wanted to tell you because I thought you would stop loving me. And..." Blush "...I didn't know how to prove myself back then."

A frantic shaking of the head snapped his attention up to its owner. "NEIN!" Mouth dropped. "I don't care if you're a boy or a girl or even a hippo! I still love you!" Red tinted his cheeks. "I'm glad you're a guy though since...I lean towards guys."

"You're bi too?" Brown eyes continued to get wider and wider.

The single nod answered his question. "But I've only ever had my eyes on you...Ich liebe dich."

"That means..." Brown eyes became impossibly wide.

Another nod. "...'I love you' in German."

"So you've been telling me that you love me? Both during that time with England and earlier today?" A third nod.

Volcanoes erupted. "...I didn't want to tell you what 'Ich liebe dich' means since I didn't know how you would react. But now—"

"—SONO COSÌ FELICE!" The blond was knocked even further into the ground—if possible—as the blithe beamed, hugging him impossibly tightly. "GRAZIE! GRAZIE!"

That was it. There was absolutely no chance of Japan winning against Italy's first love, that first love that had left such a lasting impression, the first love he still loved. His itoshii was happy with another. What chance did the Asian have? None, that's what. "Doitsu-san? Or should I call you Shinsei Rōma-san?" A bitter voice spat as tears of utmost misery filled normally stoic black orbs. Japan's heart broke at the heart-warming scene. Just. Utterly. Broke. How could his beloved possibly love him when...someone else had already beat him to the punch, claiming the Italian's heart before he could? He already lost. Lost.

"NIHON! DOUSHITA NIHON?!" The brunet rushed over to the raven as said raven fell onto his hands and knees, wrapping his arms around the Japanese.

The trails only flowed faster. "WHAT'S WRONG?! ALL OF THIS IS WRONG!" Loud sobs accompanied the desolate streams. "I DON'T STAND A CHANCE AT ALL!" The sable's hands moved to harshly grasp onto his face, the hazel having to hold him to prevent him from collapsing.

"Why are you crying?! What are you talking about?!" The auburn attempted to wipe those trails away only for them to increase in size and number at the action.

The onyx wept even harder. "Watashi wa maketa! Maketa! MAKETA!" Dark eyes became blood-red at how hard Japan was crying. Aww...

"You lost what?!" Brown eyes widened. "Don't tell me—"

The sobs became deafening. "WATASHI MO KIMI WO AISHITEIMASU!"

"You also love me?!" Mouth dropped.

A puddle of salty water formed on the ground. "...Hai." Trembles wracked his frame. "Watashi wa itsumo kimi o aishite kimashita." Earthquakes of the highest magnitude must have been tearing through Japan at that moment. "Your bright smile, your limpid eyes, your breathtaking beauty, your kind heart, your endless capacity to forgive, your welcoming hugs, everything about you..." Murky ebon depths stared into caramel. "How could I not fall for you? Fall madly and absolutely in love with you?" That puddle became larger and larger. "You tore down the barriers I had raised around me; your warmth thawed my cold heart. You made me feel like I had a heart." He clutched at his chest. "But now all I feel right here is pain!" He wailed in an uncharacteristic display of agony. "How could you possibly love me when your first love, the one you've loved and still love is right in front of you?! The one you've gotten to know over centuries?!" He sniffled. "...How?"

"But I do!" Nothing could possibly have astonished two nations more ever.

"NANI?!"

"WAS?!"

The raven was shell-shocked to say the least. "W-Watashi no koto aishiteru?!" Hope from the deepest despair was shining through! "You love me?!"

"What the heck are you talking about Italien?!" The blond hissed. "I thought you love me! So you actually love him?!"

Pressure. Pressure! "You don't get it Germania! I love you!" One heart soared, the other dropped. "But I love Giappone too! I love you both!" Two hearts stopped.

"...As in romantically Italien?!" Nod.

Two jaws smashed onto the ground. "So earlier you really meant—"

"'They' as in plural." Another nod. "I never fell in love with a girl, past or present. I never kissed one or even slept in the same bed as one." The brunet glanced at the blond. "I fell for you as Germany, not Holy Rome. I still love Holy Rome, but I love you as you are now, not who you were in the past. Despite seeming all tough and harsh, you're soft...and that makes me really happy." He next glimpsed at Japan, giggling. "He would still be 'Doitsu-san' not 'Shinsei Rōma-san' you know; Germany is Germany, not anyone else...even his past self." He switched back to the tawny. "Right?"

The addressed sighed. "I guess."

"But since you were once Holy Rome, you must actually be 1054 years old, not 144...right?" The caramel pried.

Nod. "...Right."

"I'm still older than you by 1430 years though." Smirk. Glare. Back on topic. "But over the last two hundred years since Holy Rome left my life, I have formed new bonds, one with Germany and the other with...you." He smiled as he returned to Japan. "I also fell for you you know; beneath your cold and calculating exterior, you are truly warm Nihon. You're very kind. You even accepted me even when I told you I was raised as a girl most of my life just earlier."

A large fist clenched. "And you didn't tell me that?! Do you trust him more than me?!"

"No! It's not that!" Hands were held up. "I just didn't want you to think badly about me! And I only told Giappone after he drew me to clarify that the child in the picture was me!"

The fist unclenched. "...Alright." Another anger overtook him, the fist clenching once more. "IF YOU LOVE US, WHY DIDN'T YOU NOTICE OUR FEELINGS EARLIER?!"

"WE MADE THEM PRETTY OBVIOUS!" That same anger overtook the raven as well.

Italy bowed down in the deepest of bows, sinking into the ground. "I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY! I'M SO SORRY FOR EVERYTHING!" Tremors wracked his frame. "...Truth be told, I did see them; I saw how you both looked at me with such affection in your eyes. I always could. It's just that..." Fresh tears slipped from hazel hues as he lifted his head up, facing both. "I DENIED THEM!" He immediately shrunk back into himself at the absolutely incredulous looks shot his way. "...Like I said earlier, I'm stupid, useless, worthless, cowardly, weak, annoying, a crybaby, and a general thorn in the side. I really am. You can't ignore those facts, the facts agreed on by almost everyone." He sobbed. "I'm so insecure. I have been all my life. I denied all the signs I saw and pretended to be oblivious because I thought they were something else, that I might be misreading. I mean, who could love me? Why do you both love me?! Didn't I say you guys are way out of my league?!" He peeked up at the raven. "...I have so many more negative qualities than positive; the reasons you just listed are nothing compared to my faults." The anxious curled into a ball. "How long would it take for you both to wake up and realize just how horrible I am? And if by chance you both actually did love me, how long would it take for both of you to fall out of love with me and stay out for good? For you both to abandon me and never turn back? For me to become nothing but a long-forgotten memory? For me to be all alone?" He rocked himself. "I've always thought those thoughts. Then...and now." Just how much suffering and despair is hidden behind that brilliant smile?

"...What have we done?!" What they just said earlier! How harsh they were!

How they had screamed at their beloved. SCREAMED! "I'm such a dishonorable monster!"

"ES TUT MIR LEID!" Smack!

Bash! "SUMIMASEN!"

Oh fists were flying again. Kicks shot out, knees struck, elbows jabbed, punches cannoned forth...towards their instigators.

"STOP HITTING YOURSELVES!" Take it back; they could beat themselves up after all. Italy immediately shot up, grasping the twain's arms. "PLEASE STOP!" As soon as it seemed as though the two no longer wanted to add more bruises to their already colorful collections, the brunet continued. "You guys didn't know...which was the point. Neither of you needs to apologize." He sighed as he faced the raven, reaching up to take the busted frames hanging loosely, observing the broken pair of glasses before looking at himself. "Even Light Yagami isn't as bad as me; he isn't a wimpy pathetic coward like I am!"

The sable immediately clasped his beloved's shoulders. "No, he was a sociopathic psychopath who murdered all in his way for his delusional wish of becoming God. Don't even compare yourself to him. You are worlds away from him. How could you even think for even one moment of something that horrible?! Do you know how much it destroys me to hear you say such horrible things about yourself?!" Obsidian orbs pierced deeply into hazel hues. "You aren't cowardly nor are you pathetic nor are you wimpy. You simply hate hurting others and would rather surrender than do so. You put the welfare of others—even enemies—above your own. You didn't even want retribution against that rapist and bully, stopping us from doing so." He smiled. "I realized this long ago though, and you even said so yourself earlier; instead of brandishing a sword, you brandish a white flag. You can fight but choose not to."

"I—we—never thought those things about you! Not even for one second!" Germany scoffed. "Almost everyone in the world must be a plain idiot!" He whirled the chestnut to face him. "Your pros far outweigh your cons, and I don't think your cons are really cons!" He tilted his fellow European's chin up. "Didn't I tell you I would never abandon you?! That you're the most important person in my life?!"

The doubtful turned away, unable to meet neither black nor blue. "But after how I was raised..."

"...No way! I remember now!" Germany gasped.

Japan cried out. "What Doitsu-san?!" Why was he dreading what he was about to hear?

"While living with Austria, Italy was abused by him!" Azure orbs widened further and further as recollections kept on returning. "I remember once, as Holy Rome, I saw that Italy wanted to have some pasta but Austria denied it to her—him." He blushed at his blunder. Upon regaining composure, he continued. "Once Austria had gone away, I gave him some pasta and quickly left, seeing what would happen." He clenched his fist. "However, as Italy tried to eat the pasta, Austria returned and picked him up. 'Heavens, what ever should I do with you?! I took my eyes off you for a moment and there you are, stealing food!'." He gritted his teeth. "Austria proceeded to throw Italy into a dark room and say 'Stay here today and reflect upon your actions!' before shutting the door!"

Japan gasped. Not even the worst horror movies could recreate the utter horror which blossomed on his face. "...Sonna. Sonna! SONNA!"

"And not only has Austria locked Italy away, he's also tied him up with a 'Do Not Feed Pasta' sign on his chest, stepped on him when he accidentally broke things while cleaning up, threw him out the window when he tried to sleep with Austria after having nightmares because he forgot to put clothes back on, and so many other horrible forms of abuse—physical and verbal—for hundreds of years and no one could do anything about it, not Hungary or even me!" Realization dawned on him. "No wonder Italy knows how much words can hurt; the verbal abuse must have broken him more than the physical abuse did!" Even the most wrathful of beasts would be unable to emulate the utter rage he felt. "And that all happened while Austria thought Italy is a girl! If Austria had known that he's a guy..."

A fury unlike any other ignited in charcoal depths. "All of the abuse Italia-kun had suffered must have given him anxiety issues! No wonder he thinks we'll abandon him and don't love him; he has terrible anxiety issues!" He faced the discussed. "Am I right, Italia-kun?"

"..."

The utter calm which swept over the sable unsettled the auburn far more than his rage ever could. "Doitsu-san, let's head over to Osutoria-san's house immediately."

"Ja. Let's do it." The icy blue depths terrified the Italian. "Sorry Italien, we're leaving now."

The implications on what the two were about to do were not lost on the brunet. "NOOOOOOOO! DON'T KILL AUSTRIA-NII!"

"Why not?" The Asian's calm voice answered. "After what he did to you..." Temperature plummeting to absolute zero.

And even further below. "To think I even looked up to that monster for even one second." Fist smashing into palm.

"But Hungary-san won't even let you both near!" Please be deterred! Please be deterred!

Vain hope. "I hate to be dishonorable, but I would be more than happy to hold Hangarī-san back with my katana if needed while Doitsu-san does the deed."

"Then it's settled." Two murderous nations marched on, intent to slaughter a stupid aristocrat suffocating—

—only to be held back by a certain someone as he wrapped his arms around their backs, refusing to let go. "NO! DON'T HURT MY DAD!"

"...Dad?" Both turned, confusion evident in black depths. "Why would you consider such a horrible man your father?"

Indignation burned on in sapphire fires. "You two aren't even related."

"I always thought of Austria-nii as my dad!" He went onto his knees, still clutching on. "Although he really scared me—" Two sets of eyes narrowed into slits "—I never saw anything wrong with how he treated me except that it made me scared of everything, but that's my fault! Austria-nii didn't do anything wrong! I never hated nor resented him for what he did!" He stared up at the two with begging brown eyes. "I had to beg Hungary-san throughout my stay in Austria-nii's house to not beat him to death with her frying pan! I know she loves him, and I didn't want to stand in the way of them getting together! They're so happy together! Austria-nii is also a lot nicer to me than he was before! He won't do this again!" Begging brown eyes flooded. Again. "PER FAVORE NON FUORI MIO PADRE!"

Those words struck their hearts dead-on. "Italia-kun..."

"Italien..." Of course, neither could say 'no' to their precious Italian. Ever. "...Fine."

Nod. "Alright."

"Grazie! Grazie!" The blithe was truly grateful that the two had decided not to go through with it.

Or not. "But if he tries anything again..." Murderous auras returning!

"NO! PLEASE DON'T! PROMISE ME!" Back to begging!

Cannot refuse! "...I promise."

"...Yakusoku shimasu." Cannot refuse indeed!

The brunet breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness." So kind. So forgiving. Both had always known that, but to what extent...Italy was just too kind for his own good.

"See Italia-kun?" Japan bent down, cupping the hazel's cheeks. "Don't you see just how wonderful you are? You hold nothing against a man who had abused you for hundreds of years; most would hate or resent that person forever just after one or two." He shook his head. "And you becoming anxious is his fault, not yours." The fond smile returned. "Kimi wa totemo utsukushii desu." Thumbs wiped away at the salty trails. "Nani ga arou tomo watashi wa kimi wo eien ni aishimasu." He leaned closer. "There's so much to love about you you know. Your insecurities are for naught; you are perfect in my eyes. More than perfect in fact..."

Closer to those petal-soft lips—"Ahem."—Moment. Ruined. Glaring at the raven, the blond bent down as well, pulling the Italian closer to him. Only to be pulled back. And forth. And back. And forth.

"GUYS!" The pair immediately ceased their tug-of-war at the sole shout, the sought pouting. "I don't want either of you to fight over me! EVER!"

Blue eyes softened. "It's because you have feelings for both of us, right?"

"...Sì." A single nod was given.

Black eyes bore into brown, pleading. "Please choose one of us! Please choose me!"

"No! Choose me!" The German exclaimed, equally as desperate.

Choose one and hurt the other?! Could Italy do that?! "I don't know guys! You'll have to give me time!" Taking Pookie who had been surprisingly silent, the Italian stood, walking out of the area, the two watching him leave long after he had actually left.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

"What should I do fratello?!"

Of course, Italy could not have possibly been able to make such a momentous decision by himself. Who better to go to for advice than your big brother?

A man who appeared similar to the speaker except having his hair several shades darker, his curl on the right side, and bearing an olive complexion stood beside the blithe, crossing his arms. "What the heck are you trying to ask me Veneziano?!"

"Romano-nii-chan, I'm asking you whom should I choose: Germania or Giappone!" The addressed sighed, showing a rare and uncharacteristic display of frustration.

The elder groaned. "Is this even a question?!" He scoffed, crossing his arms. "Choose the Sushi Shrimp! The Macho Potato shouldn't even be an option!"

"Eh?! Sushi Shrimp?!" Brown eyes widened into saucers. "But fratello, Giappone is only two inches shorter than you!" Realization dawned on him. "Wait..."

The sibling quirked a brow. "'Wait' what stupid little brother?" Oh that was nice.

"Ah ha!" Ignoring—or oblivious to, who knows—the obvious insult, the younger stood right in front of the older, sweeping his hand across their crowns. "Germania is right; I am taller than you!"

Thrown out the door. "GET OUT! GET OUT!"

Well, Romano wasn't the best one to get unbiased advice from anyways.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

"Hey Switzer—"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"AAAAHHHH!" Looks like Italy was shot off of Switzerland's property before he could even try. That...didn't turn out well.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

"Could you please help me out?"

A pretty girl who had chin-length blonde hair—with a blue ribbon in the right—and large emerald orbs and wore a vertical-striped velvet dress which covered her from neck to knee was before the brunet as he walked up to her.

The maiden scratched her chin. "Well I—"

"DIDN'T YOU GET THE MESSAGE THE FIRST TIME?!" BAM! BAM! BAM!

Once again, the poor guy was on the run. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Crap! How could he forget that Liechtenstein is Switzerland's younger sister?!

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

"Oh hon hon hon! What brings you here Ita-chan?"

"It's so nice to see you Ita-chan! Fu so so so so!"

"Kesesesese! Have you come here to see the awesome me Ita-chan?"

A man possessing bright emerald hues and chocolate hair and another with flowing flaxen tresses—a beard on his face—approached the Italian...questionable smiles on their faces. Prussia was there too of course.

"Could I have some advice?" And then Italy told them about his dilemma.

The albino snickered. "You know West is my little brother, right?"

"Oh right! Aww man!" Italy whined. He immediately turned to the other two countries. "Spain-nii, France-nii-san...do you have any idea whom I should choose?"

The French dramatically draped his hand over his eyes. "Love troubles, huh? The woe is me!" A smoldering simper suddenly crossed his face. "My, my, Ita-chan...you want to know what I think?"

"You don't have to choose either and you know why?" The Spaniard smirked.

Both closed in, the Prussian following their lead as he leaned an elbow on the Italian's shoulder. "You can be a part of our group instead!" He cackled. "'Bad Touch Tetrad' has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" He tapped his chin as an abrupt thought came to mind. "Wait, I did promise West I would help him out..." Shrug. "...but who am I to say 'no' if you want me? How could I possibly refuse you?" Slasher smile. A yellow chick popped out from the platinum's hat, peeping. "The awesome Gilbird wants you too!"

"I always wanted both Italy brothers..." A little-too-wide grin crossed the Hispanic's lips.

The fulvous's lips quirked. "You are indeed one of the best fish in the sea..." A spontaneous chill ran down his spine. "Brrr, did someone turn the AC too low?"

"It feels like winter all of a sudden!" Spain shivered. "Let me go check."

Italy took the opportunity allotted to him. And fast. "AAAAHHHH! BYE!" Let's just say he was more than a little creeped out.

Bad Touch? Bad idea.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

"Hey! Long time no see!"

The brunet walked up to a short tawny man with a large forehead and slanted green eyes, both embracing each other.

Italy smiled. "It's nice to see you too Poland!" It then faded. "I need some help." Once again, the story was relayed. Would he be able to receive good, wholesome advice this time? Well, let's find out.

"Japan! Choose Japan!" One could swear foam was frothing out of his mouth. "He hates Russia too!" Guess not.

The asker was taken aback. "Ve?! But I don't hate Russia!" He trembled. "Although he's really scary."

"I do!" The other was taking on the appearance of a rabid animal more and more...

The temperature surged and plummeted simultaneously. "Hello."

"Russia." Poland sneered at the huge nation dressed in a large coat who bore ashen hair and purple eyes, appearing as though he was ready to pounce. "I'm not afraid of you!"

That couldn't be said of everyone however. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Italy was out in an instant. Why did he think it was a good idea to go there?!

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

"Whoa dude! They like you?!"

A blond guy who possessed blue eyes behind rectangular frames and wore a brown bomber jacket jumped up and down, excitement evident. The auburn had just retold the tale once more, waiting for some advice. America was one of the most prominent superpowers in the world, so he could help...right? Right?!

A twinkle sparkled in azure hues. "Tell me more! Spill out all the details!"

"But I already did!" Italy whined. "I told all there is to tell!"

The American scratched his chin. "I have no idea what to tell you man. I didn't even know they looked at you that way." The Italian left shortly afterwards.

What's the point of asking someone even more oblivious than you?!

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

"Eh?! Why are you even here?!"

A man who had messy yellow fringes and large brows above emerald orbs quirked a brow, crossing his arms. Events were relayed. Again.

Italy clasped his hands together. "You know both Japan and Germany pretty well too! Please tell me whom I should choose England!"

"The three of you are idiots." Face-palm. "The choice should be obvious."

Dead end.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

"Thank you for seeing me China."

The brunet bowed, a short man who possessed brown eyes and had long black hair tied in a ponytail and was dressed in oriental robes returning the respectful gesture.

The addressed nodded. "No problem-aru."

"Could you please tell me what I should do?" The story was repeated for god knows how many times, the Chinese nodding at every word.

The Asian scratched his chin. "You do realize Japan is my little brother, right-aru?"

"I know!" The auburn became frantic. "Should I just go then?!"

The shorter shook his head. "No-aru. I won't let familial ties get in the way of giving good objective advice-aru."

"Thank you so much!" Yes! 4000 years of wisdom were about to be passed on!

Here goes... "There are some things only a heart can choose that the mind is blind to-aru. Think too much, and everything will collapse-aru." He turned around. "I have to go now-aru. Let Id lead the way, not Ego-aru."

"WAIT! WHO'S 'ID' AND 'EGO'?!" Too late. "AWW! I don't get it at all!"

That advice was too wise.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

"I-what-what-what-what?!"

Italy had sat himself on a couch, a man who wore rectangular glasses and had wavy chestnut tresses—a mole to the left of his lower lip—and was adorned in a fancy blue coat on the other side with a certain woman sitting right next to him.

Said woman beamed. "So you have two guys vying for you?!" The female was in fangirl heaven. "SQUEEEE!"

"Hungary dear, calm down." Austria spoke as he at last regained his composure, sighing. "To think Germany and Japan are actually fighting over you." He shook his head. "Well, everything makes sense now."

A question floated in brown eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"You have been going around to other countries, trying to get advice, right?" Nod. The bespectacled began. "For the past few days, I heard that some countries were getting...strange letters."

A set of hazel hues popped out of a skull. "Strange letters?!" What did he mean by that?!

"Those guys..." Just why was the maiden shaking her head?!

The explainer huffed as he took out several sheets of paper from his garment, tossing them at the Italian who caught them midair. "Read." The commanded obeyed, mouth dropping wide open as he did so.

"'Ki o tsuketa kata ga ī yo'?!" The reader gasped. "'You better watch out'?! In Japanese?! In Japan's handwriting?!" Confusion became evident. "Why was this sent to fratello?!" He examined the rest. "Why are half of these in German and Germany's handwriting?!"

The elder male rubbed his temples. "Read the rest." He took some of the pages back. "I'll translate the ones in German." And then they continued. "To Romano: 'Sie besser zu stoppen oder sonst'...which means 'You better stop or else' in German."

"No way!" Italy picked up the next one. "To Suisu-san: 'Karuma wa teme o kyatchi shimasu. Jibun de junbi.'...'Karma will catch you. Prepare yourself.'"

Austria rolled his eyes as he read another. "To Switzerland: 'Sie wollen dieses Mal geschossen werden? Gerne.'...'You want to be shot this time? With pleasure.'" What the heck?!

"To Furansu-san: 'Jibun jishin ni te o furenaide kudasai, aruiwa.'...'Keep your hands to yourself, or else.'"

"To France: 'Willst du ein bestimmtes Glied zu verlieren?'...'Want to lose a certain limb?'" How gruesome.

"To Supein-san: 'Watashi no Italia-kun kara hanarete taizai.'...'Stay away from my Italy.'" Blush. Squirm.

"To Spain: 'Nehmen Sie nicht, was mein ist.'...'Do not take what is mine.'" Even more flustered and unsettled.

"To Puroisen-san: 'Teme no Go mētoru ni wakare o tsugemasu.'...'Say goodbye to your five meters.'" The brunet was perplexed. "Huh? What five meters—"

"Moving on." There were just some things best off not knowing. "To—" Flinch "—Prussia: 'Wie konntest du bruder?'...'How could you brother?'" How could he—oh...

"To—" Shiver "—Roshia: 'Teme wo korosu.'...'I'll kill you.'—Huh?!"

"To Russia: 'Ich bring dich um.'...'I'll kill you.'" What the?!

"To Igirisu-san: 'Kisama jishin no tame ni hanasu tsundere.'...'Speak for yourself tsundere.'" Tsundere?! What could Japan have meant by calling England a tsundere?!

"To England: 'Ich werde Ihre Augenbrauen abrasieren und füttern sie zu meinen Hunden.'...'I'll shave your eyebrows and feed them to my dogs.'" ...Okay?

Austria face-palmed. "To think those fools would have the audacity to send such threatening letters. Imagine if someone translated those words for them..." He sighed. "Are these two trying to start a World War III?!" The answer is...probably.

"Good thing I intercepted these before any of the countries actually saw the contents." The woman smirked.

Italy was awestruck. "That's so cool Hungary-san!"

"The question is, why these seven?" All attention snapped back to the bespectacled at those words.

The Italian scratched his chin. "Well...Romano-nii-chan kicked me out of his house, Switzerland shot at me two times, Bad Touch was scaring me..." Shiver "...Russia terrified me by popping out of nowhere...and England called me, Japan, and Germany 'idiots'." He quirked his head to the side. "But how could they have known what went on?! I went alone each time and never told them of my whereabouts either!"

"Uh Ita-chan...there's the answer to your question." And then he saw; black and blue eyes stared back at brown, their owners pressed up to the glass window of the living room as much as possible. The bruises they had inflicted upon each other had long since vanished, but there was still something that was just plain unnerving...

The bespectacled face-palmed. "So those two have been stalking you?" The temperature plummeted as dual glares of utmost hatred fixed on him, wishing him the worst of deaths. Shiver. "Don't tell me they..." The atmosphere bended to the pair's will, changing from scorching to freezing to scorching and so on in no time flat. Huh, so that's what must have happened with Bad Touch and Russia. Okay, maybe Poland had something to do with the latter as well, but still...

"They must have found out about how you treated poor Ita-chan in the past." Green eyes bore into purple. "Be thankful Ita-chan begged for mercy for you; you would have been long gone otherwise..." Triple gulp.

Austria turned to the one he had abused, sincere regret and guilt in lavender orbs. "Italy, I'm so sorry for how I had treated you. You never deserved any of that. I was a terrible country back then...and still am."

"It's fine Austria-nii!" The forgiving bounded towards the wrongdoer, wrapping him in a tight hug. "Although you scared me a lot, I always thought you were a good dad! I still think of you as one! You aren't a terrible country!"

The addressed blushed. "T-Thank you Italy."

"Back to the topic at hand..." Digression ended. "Germany and Japan must be following Ita-chan around because they just can't wait for him to make his decision!" The fangirl squealed, more than thrilled by the latest development.

That sentiment was not shared however. "B-But I'm not ready yet!" Tears poured out. "I still don't know who I'm going to choose!"

"Those guys; they must inadvertently be placing an undue burden on you..." Amethyst hues softened.

Mood changing in an instant! Hungary rocketed toward the door, frying pan coming out as she sped towards the pair who hadn't budged an inch, running towards them. "HEY!" They finally took their eyes off of their beloved as a now furious woman cannoned towards them. "LET THE UKE MAKE HIS DECISION IN PEACE! LEAVE HIM ALONE LOVESICK SEMES!" Uke?! As in receiver?! Since when were they playing baseball?! And seme?! Who's attacking whom?! If only he knew what those words actually meant in boys' love land...

"Oh. My. God." The elder male groaned, shaking his head.

Cookware met katana; metal clashed against metal, one on the offensive while the other was on defense. Guess who played which role? "Hangarī-san, I would appreciate it if you stopped trying to assault me." That's right! The woman was the assailant while the guy was her target, the male attempting to prevent the frying pan from beating the crap out of him.

"Hungary, please let us listen in." The blond joined in on the clash, snatching the handle of the weapon from the lady.

Said lady snarled. "No! Give that back Germany!" Nope. Foam overflowed from her lips. "You both need to be kind, considerate semes to your uke not demanding, pushy ones! Look at what you're doing to Ita-chan!" As if on cue, the mentioned rushed to the three's location, hands clasped together as tears poured from his eyes.

"PLEASE CUT IT OUT! I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY MORE FIGHTING!" Of course, the two could never deny their beloved, obeying his command without a second thought...which a certain someone took advantage of.

BONG! BONG! Swiftly snatching the skillet from the largest while he had let his guard down, the maiden delivered powerful blows to the pair's heads, two bodies dropping onto the ground.

"Are they alright?!" Concern flooded limpid brown eyes; it's not every day you see a 5'3" female utterly decimate a 5'5" and 5'11" male respectively after all.

The woman giggled. "Oh Ita-chan! Don't you worry!" She smiled sweetly. "Just let me drag these troublemaking semes off so they won't be causing you any more problems." Seme?! Just who was attacking whom?! Poor naïve boy. "Go back inside and resume your talk with Austria dear. You don't have much time though before Germany and Japan wake up so go now darling!" Her light tone belied her actions as she tugged two completely still unconscious forms along the ground with no effort at all.

"...Okay." Hopefully, Italy would never face Hungary's wrath any time soon or in the future. Who am I kidding? He would never. The brunet reentered the house, returning to his seat across from his—surprisingly—father figure. "Austria-nii, could you give me some advice? Please?"

The addressed sighed, resting his chin on steepled fingers. "You should choose..."

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

"I have made my decision."

A certain blond and raven sat on the comfy couches of the large living room within a beautiful house reminiscent of its owner in its bright and cheerful aura, said owner walking up to them. The raging headaches induced by a certain woman took several long hours to nurse, the pair barely able to move during that time. Which was why—with the help of a so-called aristocrat and the causer of their torment—Italy moved the two to his house, Austria more than fearful for his well-being despite the poor country he had abused forgiving him; the Italian tended to have a lot more mercy than his fellow Axis members after all. That, and the man did not want furniture to gain additional dents from a certain frying pan. The bruises had finally healed, those long hours having finally passed...

Japan spoke up. "Who do you pick, Italia-kun?" Tumultuous black orbs betrayed otherwise stoic features.

"Me...or him?" Turmoil on a humongous scale swirled through blue depths as well.

An uncharacteristic calm washed over the normally energetic nation as he approached, stopping right before the sofa. "Stand." Shocked at the authoritative tone, both complied immediately, stunned. The brunet folded his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth, his head to the ground. The twain followed each movement with their eyes, growing more and more perplexed. How uncharacteristic indeed. The auburn finally ceased, staring into two pairs of eyes. "As you know, I have been going to many countries over the past few days to seek advice. You would know of course." Gulp. Well they had been stalking him. The speaker continued. "But it was Austria-nii who helped me make up my mind."

"Osutoria-san?!" Ebon orbs widened.

Azure ones did the same. "He did?!" Of course, both had been unconscious during that time courtesy of Hungary.

"Yes." A firm nod. "I know who I'm going to choose now thanks to him." Well, it looks like one of them will love that guy for all eternity...and the other will hate him indefinitely. Usually expressive hues were unreadable. "I have made my choice." One step forward. "I'll kiss who I choose on the lips."

Gulp. Gulp! GULP! Just who would it be?! The choice is not clear-cut; one shared a lot in common with the Italian and the other knew him for centuries, having known each other for a very long time. Just who would win?! Both cursed every second that passed without anything happening, deader than dead on the inside at the suffocating suspense surrounding them. And then Italy pounced.

Two sets of eyes popped out of their skulls as their beloved had brought their heads together, enveloping both pairs of lips in his own.