#Did I mention I love GerIta

[ask-the-pearloftheorient]

First, i'm interested to know these, ❤️ for 🇲🇾 🇹🇼 🇲🇽 💙 for 🇻🇳 🇧🇳 (or all ❤️ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°))

1/5 - Brunei

[Separated these into individual comics hehe, more incoming soon]

. . . Isn't this supposed to be a friendly date. . . ?

[Tried finding some relations Brunei had with the Philippines but all that shows up is their military partnerships and work stuff, so this is awkward]

[Bonus! GerIta having a shopping date in the bg]

[temtamtom]

I’d love to hear if you have any headcanons around rome and his boys <3

Ouhh,,, I'm so normal about this family bro I swear,,,

I tend to flip-flop between making Rome their father or their grandfather. I usually go with the father route, but I do have AUs and storylines where he's their Nonno :)

(In addition to the point above, a plus-side of Rome being their dad is Romano gets to call him "Babbo". I also like calling him "Babbo Roma")

Romano looks the most like Rome. It's more apparent when you compare him to Rome's younger self when he didn't have as much muscle or stubble. I like to think they have a bust of his head in their shared apartment and, upon first glance, other nations often mistake it for a statue of Romano.

I mentioned this in a previous post but Romano and Rome share the same name. For the sake of simplicity, however, people usually call him Romulus.

Rome is 165 cm, Romano is also 165 cm, Feliciano is 170 cm, and Seborga is 178 cm. Romulus is very impressed with Sebby's height, and always compliments him on it. One of his favorite compliments is telling him he would make a great centurion with the right training (at which point the twins have to cut in and say no their baby brother will NOT be a soldier of any kind, thank you)

Rome is definitely very protective over his boys, which I'm sure is something their partners enjoy dealing with. I have fun imagining what his reaction would be to various partners/ships.

In the case of GerIta/ItaGer, I wouldn't be surprised if Romulus demanded Feliciano break up with Ludwig as soon as he found out he was German (as if Feliciano would listen) kdhfkj

I talked about this headcanon on my main blog (in Italian, though), but I'll bring it up here too. Rome usually spoke to his boys in some form of Latin, but he began learning Italian when Seborga joined the family. The kid was probably around 3-4 years old when Rome first met him and obviously didn't speak a lick of Latin.

Now onto some more serious stuff:

Rome lived past 476 AD. The last time Romano and Feliciano saw him was around 546, when Romulus sent them out of the city at the tail-end of a devastating siege on Rome during the Gothic Wars. They were separated to increase the chance of one child surviving- one heading north and the other heading south to their respective territories. Whether he survived past that is unclear to many nations. Some claim they spotted him in various places throughout Europe, a husk of the man he once was. Others believe he lived in hiding in the Byzantine Empire. No one is certain about what happened to him, and his ghost has a difficult time remembering what happened after the Gothic Wars.

This is deserving of its own more analytical/detailed post, but here are my two cents on what their relationship/dynamic looks like (in my mind). Though Rome loved his boys deeply, and the brothers loved him in return, life was not always peachy. There were certainly a lot of expectations put on their shoulders from a very young age. Rome had spent his entire life building an empire and a legacy, something he wanted to live on through his descendants, namely Romano. The firstborn, the fighter, and the one who commanded attention easily. The one who looked and acted the most like Rome did in his own youth. Under the right guidance, he could be shaped into a leader. However, this meant the boy was often scrutinized heavily by those around him and judged more harshly than his twin. He wasn't respected as his own person and was merely seen as an extension of his father/grandfather. Feliciano, on the other hand, was on the "weaker" and "softer" side. Rome adored him and coddled him, treated him more gently than Romano, but he didn't really respect him, if that makes any sense? So Feliciano felt the need to compete and one-up his brother to prove his own worth, even if it caused the brothers to start fighting (physical altercations were not uncommon). Romulus didn't seem to notice these issues. How could he when he was often away from home? In his eyes, his family was doing just fine. They seemed like two happy kids whenever he was around, and any fight that broke out between the twins was often chalked up to "brothers will be brothers"/"boys will be boys". These familial issues went completely unchecked for most of the boys' lives, and it wasn't until more modern times that they started to reflect on their childhood and its impact. Not all was doom and gloom in their childhoods ofc, but there were certainly quite a few issues. Like I said, this probably needs its own post kjfdgk

[yeoldehetalian]

Insight: Germany's Christmas hug is warm

[I do not normally write fic but for some reason I felt compelled to write a little GerIta fluff. Yes, the title is just a variation of one of Italy's lines from the early comics that I found hilarious.]

Germany awoke slowly. The room was still quite dark – it must be the wee hours of the morning.  As he gradually came back to himself, he wondered what had roused him.  No loud noises could be heard, nor was his brother shaking him awake.  Maybe one of the dogs needs to be let outside?  He rolled over and squinted into the darkness.  Someone is here!  He quickly snapped on his bedside lamp...

“Italy?!”

“Oh, Germany, you woke up.”

Italy appeared to be caught in the middle of taking off his coat.  And, Germany may have been sleep-addled, but he thought something sounded off about Italy’s voice.

“Yes, thanks to you.  What are you doing here, Italy?”

“Well.  Um.  I was lonely.  So I decided to come here and see you, Germany.”  Yes, his voice was definitely off.  It had wavered a bit.  Was he ill?

“You have your brother.  Didn’t you celebrate Christmas Eve together since he’s your family?”

“Well, we did for a bit.  But then he went to Spain’s place.  He won’t let Spain come to our place.  Then I was alone.” 

Italy had finished taking his coat off but stood awkwardly holding it.

Oh, Italy…He’s so friendly and gregarious.  To think of him of all people being alone at Christmas...are those tear streaks on his cheeks?

“Can I stay here, Germany?  I thought since you were asleep I would sleep, too, and then maybe I could stay for Christmas and we could have a fun day!” 

“I can’t speak for the others, but I do not think anyone will mind.”  Indeed, everyone seems to love Italy wherever he goes.  “Yes, I’m sure it will be acceptable.  You can put your coat on the chair there, and come lie down.”

Italy draped his coat over the chair, and then began peeling off his clothes.  Of course, I should have known he would climb in here naked, as usual.  Mercifully, Italy left his underwear on.

“By the way, it is very cold here, Germany.  Even inside.  Doesn’t your heater work?”

“We have had unusually cold weather this week.  And the heat is turned down at night to save energy.”

Germany held up the blankets for Italy, and even scooted over a bit to offer him the warm place where he had been lying.  Italy climbed in, curling on his side facing Germany.  Germany laid right next to him, wrapping an arm around him.

“Germany!”

“Hmm?”

“You never want to cuddle.”

“Well.  You looked cold.  And, you said you were lonely.  So, I suppose…it is like a Christmas gift from me, then.”

“Thank you for the nice present.”  Italy snuggled closer.  His skin was indeed cool to the touch.  Germany extricated his other arm and wrapped it around him as well.  He knew he was blushing, but no one could see, so perhaps it was not worth worrying over, just this once.

 “You can always come here for Christmas if you like, Italy.”

“Thank you, Germany.  Will you give me a present like this next time, too.”

“If you like.  I think I could manage that.”

“Yes, please!  Your Christmas present is so warm and cozy.”

Morning would bring another day full of activity and responsibilities – another large meal to prepare, then hijinks are bound to ensue when Prussia and Austria are in the same vicinity, not to mention the likelihood of Hungary stopping by to add to the chaotic atmosphere – just thinking about it was making him tense up a bit.  But for now, Germany decided to just try to relax and enjoy the moment.  He appreciated that, right now, what he was needed for wasn’t based on his nation’s status, or diplomatic ties to other nations, or even his own immutable “useful” personality traits.  It was simply a friend needing comfort from a friend.  Now that he thought of it, this seemed to be what Italy truly liked him for.  Which was a bit astonishing – surely many others were better at being a “friend” than he was. But for whatever reason, the mysterious Italy had chosen him. 

“Merry Christmas, Germany,” Italy said, barely a whisper as he was drifting off to sleep.

“Good night, Italy.  And happy Christmas.” 

Germany slept.

[koolkat9]

GerEng Week 2022: Day 8

@gereng-week

Prompt: Amnesia/Remembrance || Dream

Pairing: GerEng, but with GerIta in the beginning

Rating: T

Word Count: 2076

Ludwig

Author's Note: My last fic for GerEng week. I've had this idea rolling around in my mind since I started shipping these two almost 3 years ago and I finally got to writing it. Though I feel HRE and Germany are two characters who share a body but are internally different, I wanted to apply the HRE = Germany theory to a ship outside of GerIta,

It had been quite the month for Ludwig. All of it had started with strange dreams. He was younger, smaller, in a familiar house, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Sometimes Rodirech and Erzsebet were there, sometimes it was Gilbert, but most of the time it was a little girl in a green dress who looked scarily similar to Feliciano.

For weeks he tried to ignore them, but they all came to a head when Francis entered his dreams, staring down at him coldly, sword pressed against his chest. That night, he had awoken in a cold sweat.

These weren’t normal dreams Ludwig came to realize. In the end, he confided in Gilbert about them and everything was pieced together. He was the Holy Roman Empire, at least according to Gilbert. Gilbert had theorized this for a while since Ludwig apparently came from Holy Rome’s grave when he was born, but he had no memories of his time as Holy Rome until now, so Gilbert never said anything. It was a lot to process, but it did seem the most logical idea given the way the stories Gilbert shared aligned with the dreams Ludwig had been having. So there was his answer. But that answer still left so many questions. Who was he? What did this mean? So many relationships had been lost, so many memories still laying dormant. He didn’t feel like Holy Rome, but he no longer felt like himself either.

As if things weren’t difficult enough, it didn’t take long before the whole world was aware. There was celebration, and many happy tears, but Ludwig still felt lost.

Time went on, more memories came back in the form of dreams, and he even finally got together with Feliciano. He had always liked Feliciano, but it was unrequited for years as Feliciano waited for his lost love. But Ludwig ended up being that lost love. When he had confessed to the Italian the second time, as Holy Rome, he had never seen his friend happier. For a moment, Ludwig had believed that maybe this whole situation wasn’t so bad.

But that feeling didn’t last. Questions spun around Ludwig’s head, the hollow feeling from before returned, he couldn’t focus as his mind wandered to his past. Not even the affection of Feliciano seemed to put any of his anxieties to rest. If anything, it was making it worse.

He would babble on and on about their childhood, still holes in Ludwig’s memory. And even the ones he had seemed distant. Looking back it was as if watching someone else’s life flash before him. But he refused to admit that. Everyone was so much happier now. Gilbert, Ersebet, Feliciano. He couldn’t rip Holy Roman away from them again.

He found himself spacing out more often after these memories resurfaced. It was the only time he felt any semblance of peace from his loud mind.

It was that spaced-out state Arthur had found him in. “Ludwig,” he said seriously, “I need to talk to you.”

Ludwig was shaken out of his blank daydream. “Arthur?”

“In private.”

Arthur’s eyes were hard. He didn’t look angry, but something was searing hot in his gaze. Ludwig silently obeyed, rising to his feet, and letting Arthur lead him to a small conference room. The Brit pulled out a chair, gesturing for Ludwig to sit. Ludwig complied. Arthur sat beside him.

“Now…” Arthur began, “I’m not going to let you weasel your way out of this mate. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Ludwig replied automatically.

“Bullshit. You’re spacing out, you’re quiet, you barely react to anything anymore…Not to mention how paled and dead-eyed you’ve become. Something is eating at you. I know it is.”

Ludwig was about to go to his next programmed reply, but when he met Arthur’s eyes again, softer now, but full of concern, it was as if a rope had been tossed to him.

His jaw clenched, and he gripped his chair. “I…” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I-I…I don’t know who I am anymore.”

“Oh, Ludwig…”

Ludwig shut his eyes tightly. They burned with unshed tears, but he wouldn't let Arthur see. He'd already said too much.

“Is this about your memories?” Arthur asked.

Ludwig slowly nodded. He flinched when Arthur placed his hand over his.

Arthur let out a long sigh. “Even if you were the Holy Roman Empire, you’re Germany now. That hasn’t changed. You’ll always be Germany. You’ll always be Ludwig. Stubborn, strong, hard-working Ludwig who overworks himself. Who loves dogs, baking, vinyl records, and morning jogs at sunrise. You’re still you with just a little extra tacked on.” He squeezed Ludwig’s hand, guiding him by the chin to look at him. “Your supposed past shouldn’t dictate your future, and don’t let anyone else make you think it should.”

Ludwig let out a shuttered breath, wiping at his eyes, trying to keep his tears at bay. He had felt so heavy, but at Arthur’s words, it was as if some of that weight had been taken from him, the Brit helping him shoulder it.

“Shhhh, it’s alright Lud. It’s going to be alright.”

Then Arthur hugged him, guiding Ludwig’s face into his chest and letting his hands rest loosely around Ludwig’s neck. Ludwig sank into the embrace, too tired and worn to care about the embarrassment that would surely follow. They stayed like that for what felt like a long while to Ludwig.

“The meeting will start soon,” Arthur whispered, pulling away slightly to look down at Ludwig. “Will you be okay? You have a lot to think about. I could cover for–”

Ludwig smiled softly. He hadn’t in months and it felt good. “You’ve done enough.”

“Then postpone it. I’m not letting you go through with that hell after everything. You’re going to break if you keep pushing on like this.”

Ludwig thought for a moment. Arthur was right, he wasn’t going to be productive at this rate. Perhaps pushing it back at least a day would give him some time to properly sort himself out. “Okay,” he agreed.

Days went by and Arthur’s words echoed through Ludwig’s head. Up until now, Ludwig had been living as Holy Roman Empire for the sake of everyone, but in the process, he noticed he was losing himself. As much as he wanted to please everyone, he couldn’t keep going on like this. He couldn’t be Gilbert’s former little brother, he didn’t have feelings for Feliciano anymore, and he couldn’t be who he once was.

Luckily Gilbert was understanding when he finally confessed all his feelings. There were many hugs, a few tears, but Ludwig felt like he had regained a piece of himself by the end. But he wasn’t worried about telling Gilbert–at least compared to Feliciano.

Ludwig didn’t want to break his best friend’s heart. He had loved Feliciano once. First as Holy Rome and then as Ludwig. But that was almost a century ago. Those feelings had long since gone out, only returning for a brief moment when he was confused and the only thing he felt linked his past and present self was Feliciano. So he grabbed onto him. With a clearer mind, he knew he had to break up with Feliciano, for both their sakes. He loved the Italian dearly, but in every way other than romance. They both deserved someone who loved them romantically, for who they were now, and this “romance” between them was not providing that.

“Feliciano,” Ludwig called softly after everyone had left the meeting hall, “I need to talk to you.”

“Oh! Of course Luddy,” Feliciano cheered. “What is it, my love?”

Ludwig took a deep breath. “Feli…I care a lot about you and I love you very much.”

“I love you too.”

“But you don’t love me for me,” Ludwig blurted out.

Feliciano’s face fell. “What?”

“I’m sorry…That was harsh.” He took hold of Feliciano’s hand. “I don’t doubt you love me platonically…but…You love Holy Rome romantically, not me.”

“Ludwig…I don’t understand–”

“I confessed to you back in the 40s and you rejected me back then. But now with my memories, you accepted that confession. I wasn’t Ludwig when I did…I was…”

“Holy Rome…”

“I’m no longer that person Feli. Those memories are distant to me. And my feelings for you…They’ve been gone since the 50s. You deserve someone who can love you as you want and I deserve to have someone who loves me for all of me, not just who I used to be.”

Feliciano looked up at him with glassy eyes. “I should have seen this coming,” Feliciano said with a wet laugh, “I…I-I should have never accepted your confession. I was…He was finally home and I just…I had been waiting for you–him–for so long that I jumped on the chance not thinking you were different now.” The tears were streaming now and they punched Ludwig in the stomach. “I wasn’t thinking that maybe all of this had put you in a confused, vulnerable state, twisting what you really wanted. It’s complicated…Gilbert tried to explain that to me. But whatever this means for you…It’s clear your heart doesn’t belong to me and I’m sorry for feeling entitled to it because of the past.”

Ludwig swallowed hard. “Thank you,'' he whispered.

“Can I hug you?”

“Of course.” Ludwig opened his arms to Feliciano and the Italian rushed into him. He squeezed his friend tightly, relieved that he would still have him in his life.

Their hug was interrupted by the creaking of the door. The two pulled away, looking at each other and then at the door. Arthur stood, knuckles white against the door handle, eyes piercing, though softening as soon as he met Ludwig’s.

“Go to him,” Feliciano urged, a smile returning to his face.

Ludwig gave him a hesitant look before nodding. “Thank you.”

He squeezed Feliciano’s shoulder before heading towards Arthur.

“I broke up with Feli,” Ludwig said bluntly.

Arthur’s eyes went wide. “Uh…Good for you? Um…I-I mean…Is that good or bad?”

“Good I think? I mean…We’re still friends and I feel like a weight has been lifted so…”

The Brit smiled. “Good.”

They stood awkwardly, Ludwig stiff, Arthur bouncing his leg ever so slightly.

“Arthur…" Ludwig spoke up again, gaze falling to his feet. "I-I have something to tell you.” He looked away, cheeks flushing a faint pink.

“Yes?”

“I-I…um…I’ve been thinking a lot since we talked, and…Well we had all that time together following the World Wars despite everything that transpired in them…What I’m trying to say is, I think I’m falling in love with you.”

Arthur froze, his hand gripping onto Ludwigs. “Y-You don’t have to rush into anything Lud. You just went through a break up, you’re still going through a lot. You don’t–”

“I know. But these feelings have been festering long before all this memory shit. And… You were the one to finally bring me out of whatever I was in. Just like you did in the 50s. You make me calm and you make me feel loved. A-And I want to do the same for you."

Arthur's face reddened even more, but a small smile grew. "Who knew you could be such a romantic?"

"I picked up a few things from Feli I guess." Ludwig finally had enough courage to look back at Arthur.

Arthur smirked. “Well then, I’ll have to up my game then. I can’t promise fancy food or wine. But I’d like to take you out to dinner. Tonight if you’re available.”

Ludwig chuckled before realizing what Arthur had just asked him out. “I-I’d love that.”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll swing by your room tonight and pick you up?”

Ludwig could only nod dumbfoundedly.

Arthur grinned and with a wave, he was on his way back to his hotel.

Ludwig’s heart was beating a mile a minute, his palms were sweaty and something fluttered in his stomach. It was nothing like how it had been with Feliciano.

“I never thought about you and Arthur,” Feliciano thought aloud, “But in a way, it's fitting.”

“Yeah…It feels right.”

Feliciano squeezed his arm. “I’m happy as long as you’re happy. All of us are.”

Ludwig nodded. It had been a rough couple of months, but in the end, he knew everything was turning out as it was supposed to. He was Ludwig, representation of Germany, dog dad, baker, leader of meetings (and hopefully Arthur's lover). And that was more than enough.

[blutpop]

If you can’t hang - Sleeping With Sirens 

He/they Italy, WWII, uhh, cheating, Germany has a breakdown, Japan is a supportive friend, GerIta, ItaFra (is that their shipname...), you get the point

Slight NSFW warning, it mentions sex literally once in the second paragraph. :)

Feliciano knew what he was doing was wrong. A lot of things they did were very out of pocket, including being part of the Axis Powers, but everything he did was out of passion - it could even be considered selfish.

They joined the Axis for Ludwig, because he loves him. He destroyed their relationship without his lover’s knowledge because he bribed Francis with sex, just to get him into the Allies; but their reasoning behind this is that if the war goes on like this, Germany will fall completely. It’s already so close.

So really, he’s just trying to protect Ludwig, but at the same time, he’s going to hurt him severely. Thinking through their actions felt more painful than the action itself, and Feliciano knows they are to blame, but maybe if they just explain their intentions…Even if Ludwig gets angry, at least he’ll get the truth out, right?

Feliciano anxiously steps towards Ludwig’s room - Each step feeling heavier as he approaches, until he’s at the door. He knocks on it twice. Immediately, he hears the other man walking over to the door before it's opened; he looks surprised at how fearful Feliciano looks.

“Feliciano? What is it?” Ludwig can tell something was severely wrong by the way the Italian isn’t all over him, or how they didn’t yell “Germany!!” at his door instead of knocking. In fact, it was usually Kiku who knocked.

“I… I need to tell you something, please don’t scream at me, I’ve had enough of it from my own thoughts.” He fiddles with his sleeves, practically dying of anticipation. They know Ludwig is going to yell at them - that’s just how he does things. He never means any harm by it, but it is quite frightening. Even more so in the situation Feliciano has put them both in.

Ludwig steps out of the way to let the other into his room, and closes the door behind them. Feliciano sits on the bed and Ludwig sits on his office chair. “So?” He questions expectantly, observing the Italian’s unusual behaviour.

“I know you might just yell at me anyway, but I did something very bad, so I’d much prefer it if you didn’t, but…” Feliciano straightens his back, trying to gain the courage to say something. “I…I’m leaving the Axis. I, um, bribed France to let me in, because he’s the easiest for me to bribe, but…” They look up for a brief moment to see the German’s baffled expression; he was clearly hurt, but there is no going back now. “I did it… To protect you!”

There is a few moment’s silence, before Ludwig speaks up. “...How is this “protecting” me?” His tone is flat, and his voice is quiet. Now Feliciano is even more terrified; why wasn’t he yelling?

“If- If this war goes on, you’re going to die! The blood will all be on me and Kiku’s hands, and I’ll never forgive myself.” Tears start to drip down the Italian’s face, who hurriedly wipes them away with his sleeve. “You understand… Don’t you?”

Ludwig knows he’s right - he will fall if this all continues. But did he really have to do it like this? “Okay.” He clenches his fists. “Just leave.”

“Wait, no, I’ll take it back! I’ll stay in the Axis!” Feliciano tenses up, and lifts his hands a little in case he needs to defend himself.

“You said what you said, and I know you meant it.” The German’s voice rose in volume. “You’re so fucking selfish.”

“S- Selfish?!” Feliciano matches his volume and his voice cracks, but immediately regrets it when Ludwig slams his fist on the desk.

“You only care about how you’d feel if I died. What about how I feel, knowing you’re a traitor and a cheater?!” Ludwig stands up, and points to the door. “Get out!”

After a moment’s pause, Feliciano nods, hopping off of the bed. They shakily make their way towards the door, “I love you…” He whispers, leaving the room.

“And don’t even bother telling Kiku goodbye.” Ludwig crosses his arms angrily, watching the other leave. Once Feliciano successfully drags his pathetic self outside the house, the German collapses onto his bed. He knows he was right for making the other man leave, but hurting him back was painful.

Out of every possible way Feliciano could have left the Axis, why did he cheat on him with Francis? That Italian is smart, they know how to manipulate a situation whether they’re aware they can do that or not - and it just had to be some form of psychological warfare.

Now Ludwig is sure he and Kiku aren’t going to win, or stay in this war for long, now that Italy has left. In fact, Ludwig still has to tell him Feliciano walked out on them.

He sighs as he arrives at Kiku’s room, knocking on his door three times. After a moment, the Japanese man opens the door.

“Germany, hello.” He bows in greeting, but when he looks up at him, he notices how distressed he looks. “...Did something happen?”

Ludwig is a little surprised Kiku didn’t hear what happened - he was sure he was loud enough. “Italy left.” He averts his blue gaze to the floor.

Kiku’s eyes widen a little - he usually keeps a straight face anyway. “I am sorry. Why did he? Also, come in.” He lets Ludwig into his room.

Once Ludwig finishes explaining, he allows himself to cry in front of the other, who doesn’t really know how to comfort him. But also, how does he know he can trust Kiku, anyway? “I… I’m unsure of how to comfort you, but if it makes you feel any better, I do not plan on leaving.” Kiku looks down at the broken Germany on the floor of his room.

“That’s reassuring,” Ludwig whispers. “But Italy was…” He cuts himself off  with a sob - he can’t be dwelling on that past relationship. That bastard means nothing to him now.

“Maybe when the war is over, you can talk it over more. I do not think his intentions were all bad - they may not even love Francis the way they love you.” Kiku kneels down and pats Ludwig’s back, in an attempt to comfort him.

“I can’t… That idiot is so annoying anyway. I hate them.” He declares through sobs, not even sparing the other a glance. Kiku is a little surprised at his words, although he knows he doesn’t mean it. “You should rest for now. You can stay here if you would like.” The Japanese man offers, but Ludwig just shakes his head and stands up.

“Thank you, Japan. Goodnight.” Ludwig wipes his eyes with his wrist and walks out of the room, returning to his own room. All he can think about now is how much he “despises” Italy, and how he hopes for his downfall.

But truly, everyone can agree that he’s just severely hurt.

[luxaryllis]

Hey! I saw your hetalia and twisted wonderland fanfic and I really liked it! I was wondering if you you maybe do something similar but with Mc as any country of your choosing since I can't really decide? If you don't want to that's fine. Thanks!

Hetalia!N.Italy!Reader with TWST Dorm Leaders

Note: Hello! Awww, thank you so much!! But anon, DO YOU WANT MY BRAIN TO COMBUST?! Once I read the request, I was like, "OMG Who should I do-" I was even going to use the Wheel of Names for it 😭😭. I asked a very very close friend of mine (you know who you are 👀) on who I should do, they said, "DO ITALY!! THAT GUY HAS A LOT OF PERSONALITY!" And other stuff. So I hope you don't mind if I do North Italy/Veneziano/Feliciano for this! Again, please note that this was not meant or intended to offend anyone. And that all mentions of 'Italy' refer to Aph Italy/Feliciano, unless said otherwise, the same with other countries mentioned. Please tell me if you found anything here offensive and I will try to revise it. Also, I will say it again, this was written with a platonic relationship in mind, as it didn't specify whether you wanted it to be romantic or platonic.

You have no idea how much I LOVE the Hetalia!MC with TWST!! But, please. I love the dorm leaders, but feel free to request other people too hahaha 🤣

Anyway, let's get to it!!

Heartslabyul:

Riddle Rosehearts:

🥀 Man, Riddle just can't get a break, huh?

🥀 The magicless student seems so... cowardly...

🥀 They were also really loud... and kept waving a white flag.

🥀 AND HOW THE HECK DO THEY SEE WHEN THEIR EYES ARE CLOSED?!?!?!?

🥀 Also, they're very obnoxious!

🥀 Do they not know that the welcoming ceremony is supposed to be a solemn ceremony?! OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!

🥀 Anyway, Riddle does NOT like this MC.

🥀 HOW AND WHY DID THE DARK MIRROR CHOOSE THIS... THIS BUFFOON?!?!

🥀 As Riddle left the Mirror Chamber, he was beyond annoyed.

🥀 At least that student will be let out of NRC because they're magicless, right?

🥀 Right??

🥀 And when he realizes that the student was let in as a student (after the Dwarf Min incident), with the cat-racoon-tanuki monster?

🥀 And some of his first years have become involved with them?

🥀 Dear Sevens, why him? What has he done? What rule has he broken that he will be punished like this?

🥀 Poor guy.

🥀 One day, Professor Trein asks Riddle to call MC, to ask them about something.

🥀 So Riddle goes to Ramshackle and hears singing.

🥀 He looks to check it out, and finds MC singing a little song while cleaning Ramshackle.

🥀 He thinks that MC seems pretty talented in singing, plus they seem experienced in cleaning.

🥀 So he approaches MC and tells them that Professor Trein wants to talk to them.

🥀 If you're curious on why Trein wanted to talk to them, it was because he wanted to give MC an opportunity to join a competetive program on Animal Languages/Linguistics; because I just see APH!North Italy to be a great animal languages speaker.

🥀 Anyway, afterwards he doesn't really think of MC that much.

🥀 He is quite curious about that song they're songing (it's the 'Draw a Circle and That's the World' or the Marukaite Chikyuu song, this or this).

🥀 So, when he sees the Ramshackle prefect during the Unbirthday party, he doesn't know what to expect.

🥀 He can only hope it won't be bad...

🥀 Yeah... it went bad.

🥀 When Riddle got mad because ofthe Marron Tart/Mont Blanc, and ADeuce + Grim also got angry, MC was just there scared and waving a white flag-

🥀 Now, I have a headcanon that APH Italy is actually pretty good at fighting, I mean, did you hear what Turkey said about Italy as kid? I forgot what episode/season it was, but GerIta was visiting Turkey. Plus, Italy is a country personification, he's lived for CENTURIES.

🥀 But anyway, let's say that MC surprisingly put up a bit of a fight, but was not much of a match compared to Trey and Cater when they had to kick them out of Heartslabyul.

🥀 Riddle was surprised; he expected the cowardly student to be taken down pretty easily, but he seems pretty strong for a magicless person...

🥀 Anyway, when Riddle overblotted, MC was waving their white flag again 🏳

🥀 But MC does do a few hits on Overblot!Riddle when MC sees that their friends (Grim, Ace, Deuce) are getting hurt.

🥀 After Riddle's Overblot has been defeated, MC is crying VERY HARD.

🥀 MC does comfort Riddle by making him some homemade pasta and pizza.

🥀 Riddle LOVES MC's pizza and pasta. He thinks that MC's food is very delicious.

🥀 As they become friends, MC teaches Riddle a lot of things.

🥀 Like singing, dancing, painting, basically the arts.

🥀 MC also teaches Riddle how to be more relaxed, especially with all the rules.

🥀 Riddle also tries to teach MC about how to defend themselves better, and not to be so cowardly.

🥀 Riddle reminds MC of Germany 😭😭

🥀 Whether you want that to be romantic, platonic, fluffy or angsty is up to you-

🥀 No, but Riddle is like the Germany to MC's Italy

🥀 It's so cute-

🥀 When Riddle finds out about MC's past (with HRE, Grandpa Rome, etc), Riddle is VERY concerned 😟.

🥀 To the point that Riddle has a very big suspicion that MC's attitude is due to all the trauma they've gone through.

🥀 Yeah...

🥀 Oh! And MC helps prepare food for Heartslabyul tea parties and are always invited to them.

🥀 But ANYWAY! Riddle and MC's friendship is just very wholesome and sweet ❤

Savanaclaw:

Leona Kingscholar:

🦁 This stupid herbivore is so loud... and annoying... and cowardly...

🦁 Can't this herbivore just shut up...

🦁 Yeah.. Leona also doesn't have a great first impression of MC.

🦁 Also, where the heck did the herbivore get the white flag from-

🦁 Anyway, when he meets MC again in the Botanical Garden, he's even more annoyed, but intrigued by MC.

🦁 He realizes that MC seems a bit.. weird...

🦁 Maybe it's the fact that they can actually know what their surroundings look like, even though their eyes are closed??

🦁 Like, how do they do that? Can you teach me?

🦁 Leona also has this hunch that MC is more than the cowardly person they seem...

🦁 So he watches out for anything that may be suspicious or something of them.

🦁 He's also a bit on guard more when MC is nearby.

🦁 He doesn't know why, but it's just something about them that sets them apart from the other herbivores...

🦁 When MC and some of the Heartslabyul gang visit Savanaclaw, Leona also challenges them to Magift to hopefully find out what MC is hiding.

🦁 MC did... pretty normal? I mean, obviously, they don't have magic Leona 🤦‍♂️

🦁 Anyway, MC slips out that they have this kind of thing back in their world, except without the magic.

🦁 And now Leona's even more intrigued.

🦁 Yeah...

🦁 When he sees MC in Savanclaw (this is right before his overblot)

🦁 He notices that MC is wearing something that looks like something one would wear in the military.

🦁 This further solidifies his hunch that MC isn’t who they seem to be.

🦁 Anyway, same thing happens with Riddle’s overblot

🦁 Except MC is a bit more experienced in fighting this.

🦁 Again, I headcanon that APH Italy is experienced and great at fighting, so I’m incorporating this in everyone else’s parts.

🦁 Anyway, after all the events, timeskip/fast forward to when they are at the infirmary already.

🦁 MC talks to Leona about being king, etc.

🦁 It was the first time Leona has seen MC the most serious (not exactly very serious, but not as comedic as usual).

🦁 MC can’t exactly comfort Leona, but does talk about how there are other ways he can be useful or how he can help his kingdom, that are much better than being king.

🦁 Italy has had a few monarchs before, I believe. So he would have a bit of experience with those.

🦁 So, Leona does learn to... not exactly respect, but a bit similar-

Octavinelle:

Azul Ashengrotto:

🐙 He heard of MC's talent in cooking and cleaning (Italy being a malewife-)

🐙 Anyway, he also thought that MC would bw an easy target.

🐙 They were.

🐙 At least, they WOULD have been.

🐙 If it weren't for a certain Heartslabyul Vice Dorm Leader and Dorm Leader keeping them away from him...

🐙 Like, I only wanna have a chat, promise!

🐙 No, he really just wanted to capitalize on MC's great cooking and cleaning skills-

🐙 Ahem! Anyway!

🐙 When he finally DOES get MC to get into a contract with them, he's practically celebrating in his head.

🐙 While MC is staring at the contract and is all, 'Would Germany want me to do this??'

🐙 Oh! And 'Mmm... pasta~'

🐙 But MC does end up signing the contract because Azul (and the Tweels) pressured them into doing so.

🐙 Now, while MC and the ithers are trying to get the picture, Azul is already counting the amount of money they'd have if MC would work for Monstro Lounge.

🐙 Shady Octoboi from the mafia

🐙 Anyway, he was absolutely SURPRISED that MC figured out a plan to go against him.

🐙 Did MC even do that?

🐙 MC probably heard of something similar that Japan or Germany or even Romano said, and thought of that.

🐙 ...Well sort of! Leona fixed all the rough edges, though, don't worry!

🐙 Anyway to after the overblot sequence, MC does end up volunteering to help out in Monstro Lounge.

🐙 MC makes their very own pasta and pizza.

🐙 The customers LOVED it.

🐙 Azul decided to make it some sort of special event where at the end of the week, MC would help in Monstro Lounge and prepare their special food.

🐙 Why he made it a special event? So the customers wouldn't get tired of it and would want more every time!!

🐙 MONEY!! 🤑💰💸

🐙 He pays MC, don't worry.

🐙 Anyway, MC also helps Azul try to accept his true form.

🐙 MC would also make a painting or art based on Azul's Octomer form, and have Azul sit down as they point out EVERY SINGLE good thing about Azul's octoform.

🐙 Azul can't help but tear up at everything being said to/about him, as well as how good MC's artwork of him is.

🐙 Azul also notices that and makes a mental note to ask MC for their expertise in making posters and promotional content for Monstro Lounge.

🐙 When Azul finds out about MC's past, he's probably crying (on the inside or outside is up to you)

🐙 Who knew MC went through so much!

🐙 TELL HIM!! WHAT HAPPENED TO HRE?!?!?!

🐙 And yeah-

🐙 Azul still does what he can to put your talents to good use (exploit), but he's a lot more caring and appreciative for MC.

Scarabia:

Kalim Al-Asim:

☀️ Oblivious Sunshine + Oblivious Sunshine

☀️ = (Jamil's biggest nightmare and headache) Chaos and Laughs

☀️ This baby boi's sunshine and MC's sunshine makes people either squint, gag, or bring out sunglasses. Maybe all three!

☀️ Kalim absolutely LOVES MC!!

☀️ And MC absolutely LOVES Kalim!!

☀️ Anyway, Kalim likes and appreciates MC's outgoing behaviour.

☀️ It's like a breath of fresh air when you study in a school like NRC.

☀️ Kalim tells MC nearly EVERYTHING!

☀️ And MC tells Kalim nearly EVERYTHING too!!

☀️ It's basically looking at a mirror with them 🤣🤣

☀️ Both of them also get in lots and lots of trouble.

☀️ Riddle is usually the Jamil to MC's Kalim-

☀️ Similar dynamics 🤣🤣

☀️ I'm sorry, I just can't get that idea out of my head-

☀️ Again, Kalim and MC are practically the same person-

☀️ So both of them have a fun time together!

☀️ Also, when MC gets Jamil's approval and trust, MC helps prepare food for Kalim and the rest of Scarabia.

☀️ Everyone loves MC's cooking. Yes, even Jamil.

☀️ All-in-all, another very wholesome and sweet friendship between the two.

☀️ When Kalim finds out about MC's past, he's also very concerned and worried about you.

☀️ MC got separated from their brother?! 😱

☀️ THEIR TWIN, NONETHELESS 😭😭😭😭

☀️ He also cries 😭😭😭

☀️ His tears practically become like his Oasis Maker when he hears about Holy Roman Empire/HRE 😭😭😭

☀️ Again, just sweet and absolutely heart-warming friendship here ❤

Pomefiore:

Vil Schoenheit:

👑 Another one who was quite annoyed about MC's first impression.

👑 Also, has a love-hate relationship with MC's curl.

👑 Like, it's okay and fits MC's aesthetic...

👑 But doesn't MC like, brush it??

👑 Also, how does it go all rigid when MC gets scared?

👑 How strange...

👑 Rook follows MC and rants to Vil about them.

👑 MC has caught Rook once and was surprisingly not all that bothered with his behaviour.

👑 MC even prepared some pasta for Rook and his friends!

👑 Don't worry! It's full of healthy stuff!!

👑 Rook brought it to Pomefiore and Vil inspects it.

👑 When he approves, they dig in and Vil is pleasntly surpised with how good the food is.

👑 He approaches MC and asks for the recipe.

👑 MC says that they don't realky have a recipe and that they've just been making pasta for so long, it's practically muscle memory.

👑 So MC thinks of an odea to teach Vil how to make it.

👑 MC is surprisingly pretty strict when it comes to making pasta.

👑 Anyway, MC teaches Vil how to make the noodles, the sauce, little hacks or techniques, etc.

👑 And Vil thinks that perhaps even this potato has their strengths.

👑 During the Pomefiore Arc, MC also volunteers to teach the first years how to sing and dance.

👑 MC is also a pretty laid back teacher.

👑 MC also dances and sings very well.

👑 MC also has great fashion sense. They clearly know what looks good on them and what don't.

👑 Vil approves 🥳🥳

👑 After his overblot, MC does comfort Vil a bit.

👑 But mostly wishes him luck for the VDC performance, and that they're rooting for him ❤

👑 Vil appreciates that and does his absolute best anyway in his performance.

👑 When NRC lost, MC definitely cried.

👑 But they were still happy that everyone did their best!!

👑 Vil and MC do little dress-up hang-outs where they do a mini fashion show.

👑 MC has also made at least one painting or artwork of Vil and other Pomefiore students.

👑 If Vil ever feels down, MC brings out a painting/artwork of Vil and points out everything good about him, like Azul.

Ignihyde:

Idia Shroud:

(Note: This might be pretty short compared to the others as I don't know much about this character. I might edit this soon when I do know more about the character, though.)

💀 Idia was uhh... not so happy about the new student.

💀 He notices that MC is a definite extrovert

💀 Which automatically puts them in his "avoid in all costs" list.

💀 So he definitely avoids MC like the plague covid.

💀 Ortho definitely has interacted with MC before the Ignihyde Arc, so Ortho would sometimes come home with a bag full of pasta or pizza or other Italian delicacies/food.

💀 Idia enjoys the food, though.

💀 He thinks they are absolutely one of the most delicious things in Twisted Wonderland. Other than sweets, of course.

💀 Also, MC definitely reminds Idia of that one anime/game protagonist character.

💀 Except thing is, it's always those characters who are the strongest-

💀 So he's sus of MC 👀

💀 Like Leona-

💀 Anyway, after Ignihyde's full chapter has been released (and after I've watched it, ofc), I'll see if I can edit this to fit the canon story-

💀 But until then, this is all for Idia, I'm so sorry-

Diasomnia:

Malleus Draconia:

(Note: This might be pretty short compared to the others as I don't know much about this character. I might edit this soon when I do know more about the character, though.)

🐉 MC was definitely scared of Malleus at first.

🐉 Like, he's so tall! And scary! Like Russia-

🐉 But MC does learn more about Malleus and finds that he doesn't mean much harm to MC.

🐉 And MC learns to open up and not be so scared of Malleus anymore.

🐉 Anyway, Malleus senses something... off about MC.

🐉 No matter how whimsical they seem to be, he can't help but sense some sort of aura to them...

🐉 It's like Lilia's aura, except a tad bit different...

🐉 He just can't seem to get rid of the suspicion that the child of man is hiding something.

🐉 But surely they wouldn't hurt him, yes? After all, they are magicless.

🐉 And had they wanted to hurt him, they would have done so before, when he has lowered his guard.

🐉 But no... the child of man didn't want to hurt him at all.

🐉 They even prepared pasta and other delicious food for him.

🐉 Now, MC visits Diasomnia pretty iften to prepare them food.

🐉 To save them from Lilia's cooking.

🐉 This is based on a headcanon I found one time, but Malleus makes a typo one time when texting MC.

🐉 The text was meant to say, 'I'm here'; but it said 'I'm hre'.

🐉 When he came in Ramshackle, he finds MC wailing and crying.

🐉 When he finds out about MC's past, he feels pity, synpathy, and sadness for them.

🐉 He also apologizes for making them remember HRE 🥺🥺

🐉 From then on, he's still very sweet around them, and does his best not to do/say anything that might trigger any trauma.

🐉 Another sweetheart here ❤

They find out that MC is a personification of a country:

Riddle: HOW?!?! He would have NEVER guessed that someone like MC would be a country personification. Nonetheless, Riddle is also quite horrified at the fact that he insulted and fought a country personification. He'd also very much show more respect to MC. He wants to know more about MC's country and this Germany you've been talking about a lot.

Leona: Honestly, same reaction as Riddle, but more nonchalant. He doesn't have much of a reaction. But I guess know he knows what he's been having suspicions for.

Azul: WHAT?!?!? NOOO!!! 😱😱 Poor baby is horrified and traumatized! It takes a while for him to calm down a tad. But once he does, he gets real interested in MC's history and food and arts. Also wants to know a couple of tips on how to sell great products! (This video and this video with England as Azul)

Kalim: Really?! Oh wow!! That's so cool!! 🤩🤩 Baby boy doesn't have much of a negative reaction. He also wants to know about MC's history and the other country personifications.

Vil: Oh is that so? Hmm... interesting. Is pretty calm compared to the others. He does treat MC normally, but with more respect than usual. He wants to know the history of fashion and beauty in MC's world and country.

Idia: Oh great seven... 😱😨😨😱😱 Another horrified and traumatized boy. He treats MC more formally and with more respect. He's also pretty curious about the history of the technology in MC's world.

Malleus: Oh dear, is that so, child of man? Hmm... I see. Malleus now understands MC's strange aura. He doesn't act any differently from before finding out, actually. He asks MC about past decisions of the kings/monarchs of their world to understand more about being a king, as a future king himself. He's also interested in MC's history and their friends in their world.

END!

Hi, I'm sorry this took a bit longer than expected for me to finish this; I hope that's alright with you, anon (whoever you are-). But yes, that's it! Please feel free to send in more requests hehe.

[paperuniverse]

Thanks for tagging me @rose-colored-tea!

1. Why did you choose your url?

It was originally the name I had for a comic I wanted to create and post on here. Didn’t end up doing so though.

2. Any side blogs?

Yes, but one is my gerita ask blog and the other two are for me to host fandom events (aushun week and German bros week). No side blogs that are like solely dedicated to reblogging a certain thing or anything like that.

3. How long have you been on Tumblr?

I joined like January of 2018 but didn’t start using it often until 2019.

4. Do you have a queue tag?

My queue brings all the boys- to hell with your queue. And since I’m mostly on mobile, and mobile doesn’t let you search for tags that have dashes, I have to write it manually like 3/4 times 🙃

5. Why did you start your blog in the first place?

Wanted to see the fandom stuff and post my own art.

6. Why did you choose your icon?

Because I love Nightwing and he looks really cute in this screenshot.

7. Why did you choose your header?

The theme for my mobile is blue and purple so that’s why I have my header and icon as those. I really loved these outfits Hima drew them in and I really like the original trio so I chose them :)

8. What’s your post with the most notes?

Probably this one as I get at least one notification from it a day.

9. How many mutuals do you have?

Uh idk around 25? I have a bad habit of thinking I follow someone but then realize oh wait I actually don’t.

10. How many follows do you have?

Uhh on here it’s around 250 I think.

11. How many people do you follow?

Around 230. I don’t like to follow a lot of blogs.

12. Have you ever made a shitpost?

Yes, I love making dumb little posts.

13. How many times do you use Tumblr a day?

Sweats. Oh you know… I try not to scroll for hours but I often fail.

14. Have you ever had a fight with another blog?

No? If I dislike someone I block, if they’re making piss poor takes on my posts or in my inbox I block. I don’t want to publicly fight some stranger on the internet, going back and forth covering my followers dash. That’s childish. If I think it’s a misunderstanding or the person is genuinely confused then I’ll be polite and try and correct them or myself.

15. How do you feel about need to rb posts?

Hate ‘em. You don’t need to tack on those dumb lines to make people feel bad about themselves for choosing to not click a button. Donating your money and real time to important things is much more effective in making change then reblogging a post on the internet. Not to mention with what’s going on rn people deserve a place to escape, Tumblr might be that place.

If I reblog one it’s cause I skim read it and didn’t notice the guilt tripping, or couldn’t find another post that talked about it. Idc what the post is about I never expect any of you to reblog or else.

16. Do you like tag games?

Yeah. I enjoy being tagged although sometimes I might see the notification and forget cause I got busy. I enjoy the picrew ones with animals most.

17. Do you like ask games?

Yeah sometimes. I don’t really like the super personal ones but I like the writing ones a lot :D

18. Which of your mutuals do you think is Tumblr famous?

I don’t know if any are? BNF yes, but outside of Hetalia idk.

19. Do you have a crush on a mutual?

No, all platonic love here 💙

20. Tags

Tagging @irritatingfly @fireandiceland @r-osematter @crumpled--notes @lotusdumpling @strawberry-deemon @koolkat9 but no pressure!

[thatsamericano]

That Thing That Isn’t Biphobia

Pairings/Characters: America/Romano. America and Japan brotp. Mentions of Belmano and past Prumano. Very brief mentions of Giripan, Gerita, and Lietpol. Human AU.

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Mentions of biphobia and violence (though no actual biphobia or violence). Mentions of ace/arophobia from Alfred’s parents, who don’t appear in the story.

Word Count: 3317

Summary: Alfred thinks he’s biphobic because he gets unreasonably angry and upset whenever he sees his roommate having relationships with men or women. He hates himself for being prejudiced against Savino, but an honest conversation with another friend helps him realize his “biphobia” wasn’t biphobia at all.

Note: Prequel to That Thing Where You Fall In Love With Your Best Friend. Inspired by the reddit story of the “straight” guy who fell in love with his gay roommate and mistook his jealousy for homophobia.

Alfred was supposed to be eating lunch with Kiku today, but after fifteen minutes he had only moved the sushi around the plate with his chopsticks several times. Guilt was gnawing away at his mind, and he couldn’t focus on anything else, even sushi that he knew would be tasty since Kiku had chosen the restaurant this time.

At least he wasn’t nauseous, like he would be when Savino was around his girlfriend.

Emma was perfectly sweet, and Alfred had no reason to dislike her. She was genuinely friendly to him and Tolys, even if her main reason for stopping by the apartment was to spend time with her boyfriend. She and Vinny were affectionate, but they didn’t engage in enough PDA to bother any reasonable person. Yet every time Savino would casually drop his arm around her shoulders and she’d snuggle up to his side, Alfred had to look away to keep his stomach from roiling. Every time he called her some sappy Italian endearment and she giggled and replied to him with something in Flemish, Alfred wanted to drive spikes into his ears just so he’d never have to hear them again. When they kissed in front of him, Alfred felt like screaming or crying, and he didn’t understand why.

The same thing had happened a few months ago when he was hooking up with Gilbert, that albino German dude he’d met because Vinny’s little brother was dating Gilbert’s little brother. Gilbert and Savino didn’t call each other sappy nicknames, because it was just a friends with benefits arrangement, but they did spend a few nights together. One morning, Alfred was in the middle of eating a bowl of Cap’n Crunch when Gilbert emerged from Savino’s room wearing only a pair of boxers. After nearly choking on his cereal, Alfred finished his breakfast as quickly as he could and left the apartment to circle the block five times, which calmed him down enough to refrain from punching some poor guy just for having sex with his roommate. By the time Alfred had returned, Gilbert had left, thank fucking God. But whenever he thought of the things they must have done together or the things Savino had done with Emma, a painful tightness seized Alfred’s chest, and it became extraordinarily difficult to breathe. Even after they had gone back to being just friends, Gilbert liked to visit occasionally, and he liked to tease Savino with comments made him splutter and blush. Every time he saw Savino’s reaction to some comment Gilbert had made, Alfred felt unreasonably angry, and he wanted to wipe that stupid smirk off Gilbert’s face with his fist.

Alfred knew it was wrong. Savino had never judged him for being ace/aro, and Alfred had absolutely no right to judge him for being bi. Savino was an amazing friend and a wonderful roommate, and he deserved all the happiness in the world. He certainly deserved better than living with a biphobic piece of shit like Alfred. What kind of fucked up asshole couldn’t stand to see one of their best friends happy just because the way they were happy was different from what they wanted for themselves?

Alfred hadn’t mentioned a word of how he felt to anyone. He didn’t want to hurt Vinny with this stupid prejudice that came out of nowhere, and he didn’t want everyone in his life to hate him the way he deserved. Savino, of course, wouldn’t want anything to do with Alfred if he knew, and neither would Tolys, who was bi too. All of his friends would be disgusted by the ugly and vicious sentiments Alfred harbored, and he would have to move back in with the shitty parents who thought his asexuality was a silly, immature phase he would grow out of eventually once he really came out of the closet. Even his own twin would want nothing to do with him. Mattie was straight, but unlike Alfred, he was a decent person who would never hate someone for being themselves.

But the sad truth was that he didn’t hate Savino. Vinny didn’t smile that much compared to Alfred, but when he did, it resembled the sun coming through the clouds. When he laughed at Alfred for doing something dumb, Alfred felt giddy, and he wanted to do something even stupider just to hear that beautiful sound again. He was a talented artist and an amazing cook, and Alfred had grown addicted both to Savino’s cappuccinos and to sitting at the counter and chatting with him while he worked. Vinny was like a human space heater, and he always smelled like fancy cologne Alfred wasn’t sophisticated enough to use himself. When they hugged, Alfred never really wanted to let go. The idea of not having Savino in his life was the worst thing Alfred could imagine, so he had to pretend everything was just fine and that nothing had changed.

He was frowning down at his sushi, too heartsick to eat any of it, when Kiku hesitantly spoke up. “Alfred-kun, are you all right? You’ve been unusually quiet, and you haven’t touched your food today.”

Alfred sighed and made eye contact with him. “I’m fine. Just not hungry, I guess.”

Kiku looked worried. “If you aren’t in the mood for sushi, we could go somewhere else. I don’t want you to skip lunch because you were trying to accommodate me.”

Alfred set down his chopsticks, which he hadn’t been using for their intended purpose. “It’s not the sushi, dude. I’ve just been feeling kind of off lately.”

“Off how?”

Alfred hesitated. Kiku was his close friend. In some ways, he understood Alfred better than anyone else because he was asexual too. The only difference was that he was gray-romantic, because he had gotten very close to someone once, and he wasn’t sure if what he’d felt for Herakles years ago was romantic or not.

That meant Kiku might be attracted to guys at least a little. So he would see the way Alfred had reacted to the mere idea of Savino being with a guy as a personal attack, and rightly so. He wouldn’t want to be friends with someone like that, and Alfred couldn’t blame him.

Alfred hunched in on himself and fixed his gaze determinedly on the table top. “You shouldn’t worry about it. It’s a dumb problem, and I need to get over it.”

“But you’re my friend,” Kiku stated plainly. “Of course I’ll worry when you aren’t acting like yourself. I care about you.”

Alfred took a deep breath and blinked his eyes rapidly to stop himself from crying in the middle of a Japanese restaurant, which would unnecessarily embarrass everyone around him. Kiku’s concern only made him feel worse. He didn’t deserve it at all.

“I think I’m a bad person,” Alfred muttered. “I might’ve picked up on some prejudices from my parents, but it’s not like I want to feel this way. And I can’t blame it all on other people. It’s my responsibility to quit being a dick to people for no reason.”

“You’re prejudiced? Against who?” Kiku already sounded annoyed at him, and he hadn’t even heard everything. He’d barely heard anything.

“Bi people, I think. Either that or I just really don’t like Europeans, which isn’t okay either.” Alfred squeezed his eyes shut, dreading Kiku’s reaction.

For a long moment, all Alfred heard was the sound of people at others eating and talking to each other. Finally, Kiku spoke. “Alfred, that doesn’t make any sense.”

“It’s biphobia, dude! Of course it doesn’t make sense.”

“But both your roommates are bi. And European, for that matter.”

Alfred groaned in despair and fisted his hands in his hair. “I know. And if they found out, they’d hate me forever and want nothing more to do with me.” Fuck, if he couldn’t make this go away, he was going to lose two of his best friends. In addition to Kiku, who he’d probably lost already.

“You’ve always seemed so fond of Tolys and Savino.” Weirdly, Kiku didn’t sound pissed off. He sounded like he was trying to reason through a complex math problem. “If you were prejudiced against them, wouldn’t this have come up sooner? You’ve been living with them for years, and you never mentioned having a problem with their orientation before.”

“Because I didn’t have a problem before! I didn’t know I was like this until Vinny started hooking up with that German dude a few months ago. I saw him coming out of Vinny’s bedroom one time, and ever since then I’ve hated Gilbert for no fucking reason.”

“Knowing they’d been together in that way made you uncomfortable?”

Alfred grimaced. “It was more than uncomfortable. More like angry. Really angry. I had to leave the apartment to calm myself down. I still feel like punching something whenever Gil teases him and makes him turn red. And when I think about them doing stuff with each other, my chest feels weird and it’s hard to breathe.”

Alfred dared to glance up at Kiku, who had a carefully neutral expression on his face. “I see. And what about his girlfriend, Emma? She seemed nice when I met her.”

Alfred sighed. “Emma is nice. But it’s a similar deal, only more sappy because they’re an actual couple. I feel queasy when they cuddle on the couch, and I feel so upset when they kiss in front of me, even if it’s not like they’re Frenching for five minutes or whatever. I can’t stand it when I hear them getting all sappy in Italian or Flemish. And I’m just as mad if I think about them having sex, which is why it’s probably biphobia and not homophobia.” Alfred chuckled weakly, disgusted with himself. “Apparently, I’m such a crappy friend I can’t let Savino be happy, even with a girl.” God, Alfred loathed himself.

Kiku’s next question surprised him completely. “How do you feel about Feliks? They’re still with Tolys, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, they are. Feliks is cool. I like hanging out with them. I think I might have accidentally gotten them a little too addicted to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, though.” Alfred smiled fondly at the thought of Tolys’s partner. Feliks was a fun person. Alfred had never had a problem with them.

“Were you ever uncomfortable when they showed affection in front of you?”

Alfred furrowed his brow. “Not that I can think of? But maybe it’s because Feliks and Tolys have been together for a while, so I’m used to it.” They’d been together since before Alfred developed this sudden, unexpected biphobia problem. God, he hoped that he didn’t start hating Feliks too. That would really suck.

Kiku nodded to himself. “I think I’ve figured out what’s going on. And contrary to what you told me, I don’t think you’re biphobic.”

“You don’t?”

“No. I think you’re jealous.”

“But why would I be jealous? Because Vinny goes on dates and hooks up with people, and I’ve never been with anybody? That doesn’t make any sense. I never wanted to be more than friends with somebody.”

Kiku gave him a pitying look. “But I think you do now. I think something must have changed, and now you have feelings for Savino. You were jealous of his most recent partners because you wish you were them.”

For a moment, Alfred was too stunned to say anything. He glanced down at his uneaten sushi. “But I don’t like people that way. I can’t. I never have.” He felt scared because so much of his identity was shifting away underneath him. It hadn’t been easy for Alfred to tell people who he was, especially when he had to explain it to people who wouldn’t inherently understand him the way Kiku did. Not everyone had accepted him. His own parents had made him feel like crap for it. He didn’t want to prove them right, because asexuality and aromanticism weren’t phases.

Every time he told people he was ace/aro, he’d been sure of himself. He’d been more certain of that than anything. But now he didn’t know who he was anymore.

“Alfred, how do you feel about Savino when he isn’t with another person?”

“Just being around him makes me happy. But that could totally be a friendship thing, right? It’s normal to feel happy around your friends. I’m happy around you and Tolys too!” But maybe it wasn’t normal to compare your friend’s smile to the sun or to think that the sound of their laugh was beautiful. Maybe you could enjoy hugging your friends, but something other than friendship was going on if you felt so warm and safe in their arms that you never wanted to let go.

Alfred glanced up into Kiku’s eyes, which were a warm, dark brown, filled with compassion and understanding. He felt calmer looking at his friend’s face, but he didn’t feel enraptured. He didn’t feel mesmerized when he stared into Kiku’s eyes, like he could do nothing but sit across from him and stare at him for hours. He had felt like that with Vinny.

Alfred coughed awkwardly and looked off to the side as he felt heat starting to creep up his neck and over his cheeks. His thoughts were weird, embarrassing, and really confusing.

“How do you feel about the idea of being in a relationship with him?” Kiku asked.

“I hadn’t really thought of it before,” Alfred admitted. “But it doesn’t sound bad.” Not much would change, really. They’d still be close, just in a different way. He’d be the one snuggling up to Vinny instead of Emma, and that would probably feel nice, considering how much Alfred liked hugging him. He’d be the person getting called something like “tesoro,” and the idea of a special nickname made him feel fluttery, just like he felt when Vinny had started calling him “Fredo,” only more intense. And the idea of kissing Savino on the lips instead of just that cheek kissing thing he did with his friends…

Okay, that made Alfred nervous. But not bad nervous, more like “I’m about to go on the biggest rollercoaster at the theme park” nervous. Alfred had always enjoyed the thrill of rollercoasters, the experience of screaming his head off as his heart raced a mile a minute. If kissing could feel like that, then he definitely wanted to kiss Savino. At some point, he might even want to do more than kiss Savino, which wasn’t something he’d ever considered before. The mere fact that he was even thinking about having sex without immediately recoiling said a lot.

Alfred grabbed his drink and quickly slurped up a lot of soda through his straw. He felt like he was about to explode from all the feelings inside him, and the soda helped cool him down a little. He kept a tight grip on the glass afterwards.

“I like him,” he confessed, near tears. “I like Savi so, so much, and I have no idea what this means for me. I don’t understand who I am anymore.”

“You’re the same person you always were, even if you’re discovering something new about yourself. And you’re still my friend. That will never change.”

Alfred released the glass slowly. “Thanks, dude. That means a lot.”

“If you like, I could help you look on the AVEN website sometime. You might not be completely asexual and aromantic, but I’m sure there’s a term out there for what you’re experiencing. It might help you make sense of things.”

“I appreciate that. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really glad I’m not a secretly horrible biphobic asshole, but my head’s kind of a mess right now.”

Kiku chuckled softly. “That’s understandable.”

Alfred finally felt good enough to eat something, so he picked up a piece of sushi with his fingers, since chopsticks were still awkward for him to use, even if he’d eaten with Kiku many times. Fortunately, it wasn’t considered rude to eat sushi with your hands. Alfred chewed his food, and he thought things over. “Vinny has a girlfriend, and he seems really happy with her. Having a crush on him and knowing I have a crush on him is gonna be awkward as hell. Maybe not as awkward as thinking I’m an evil prejudiced monster, but still.”

“I’m sure you’ll manage.”

“I probably shouldn’t tell him that part. But I do want to tell him and Tolys something once I figure all this stuff out. And my brother too. But telling my parents is… God, that’s gonna be a fucking nightmare. They were so shitty to me before, and they’re gonna be really smug and annoying if turns out they were right. I don’t wanna play into stereotypes like that.” Most people who said they were ace/aro didn’t change their minds later, but in his parent’s view, asexuality and aromanticism weren’t real, valid experiences, and any person who said they were asexual or aromantic was lying to themselves and using those labels as a mask for something else. Or maybe they just hadn’t found “the right person.”

Alfred had never intentionally lied about his sexuality, but his parents wouldn’t see it that way. This stupid crush on his roommate was reinforcing stereotypes that hurt people like the really awesome friend who had taken him out to lunch today and helped him realize his feelings, and Alfred felt guilty about that.

Kiku had an uncomfortable look on his face. “It’s not your responsibility to represent all people on the ace and aro spectrums. You have just as much of a right to explore how you feel as anyone else does. I think you should give yourself time to do that and only tell other people about this when you feel ready.”

“Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. Right now, I don’t even know what to tell people.” Alfred picked up another piece of sushi and started to eat it.

“You told me today. That’s a good start.”

Alfred waited to swallow his bite, and then he gave Kiku a toothy, grateful smile. Kiku smiled back at him, and they finished their lunch together in a much more relaxed mood. Alfred didn’t have the dark cloud of guilt hanging over his head anymore, even if realizing he might be in love with one of his roommates gave him a lot of new things to worry about.

After they finished their food, they split the bill based on what they had ordered. Kiku had to take the bus back to work, so they would part ways outside the restaurant.

Alfred was a little surprised when Kiku inched closer with a shy look on his face and threw his arms around him. He wasn’t normally big on the whole physical affection thing.

Alfred returned the hug and laughed a little. “What’s all this about?”

“After our conversation today, I thought you might need it. Take care, Alfred.”

“Yeah, you too. Talk to you soon, bro.”

Kiku pulled away, nodded, and turned around to start walking to the bus stop. Alfred headed in the opposite direction, and he reflected on what had just happened.

Hugging Kiku was nice, but it didn’t make him feel tingly and floaty like hugging Savino did. Alfred appreciated the hug as a friendly gesture, especially since Kiku wasn’t the world’s huggiest person, but it had been easy to let go of Kiku when he wanted to leave. His arms didn’t feel empty, the way they did when Vinny stepped out an embrace, muttering under his breath about Alfred’s clinginess with a scarlet blush on his face.

Alfred didn’t feel the same way towards Savino he did to his other friends, but that was okay. Alfred was confused and a little scared by everything he’d realized today, but he wasn’t a terrible person, and he would figure things out eventually. He would be okay too.

[tema-makes-art-sometimes]

002 | germano?

HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE

002 | send me a ship and I will tell you:

when I started shipping it.

No idea but it was a long ass fuck time ago. Liked it for years but didn’t really start enjoying it until I started writing Romano myself.

my thoughts:

This ship makes me so genuinely happy man. I know GerCanMano is my flag ship but I love Germano just as much and I at least have a few crumbs of content for them instead of the other which has none. Germano just like-- Seeing Romano in a healthy relationship and seeing Germany happy makes me happy.

What makes me happy about them:

I’m not one for slow burns all the time but Germano to me is one of those slow burn romances I really enjoy. Romano is a sassy and salty flirtatious gentleman who keeps measuring himself up to the big broad and awkward-but-gold-at-heart class president who doesn't understand why the guy gets so upset around him and tries his best to remedy the smaller man’s anger.

The two just slowly developing, starting as rivals with Romano wanting the attention from his brother that Germany gets (and possibly the smallest bit of envy about measuring himself up to ger in macho-ness) and Germany just wanting to understand Romano and just like- how he ticks. Them slowly bonding over the simple things, realizing they both love mechanics and gardening and cooking. Romano being impressed at Germany’s baking (bonus points if say Vene has been bringing home baked goods for ages and he thought they were just from a bakery Vene liked but it was just Ger trying to get rid of the food hes stress baking) and Romano getting to show off his cooking skills. Romano feeling a bit of pride when he makes Germany laugh at some shitty joke or snarky comeback, he just hears that little wheeze or chuckle under Germany’s breath and knows he did that.

Romano having a whole I wont say I'm in love crisis when he realizes hes falling for Germany because sure hes cute and all but like what no. My Romano is very flirtatious but emotionally withdrawn he loves to flirt around but he doesn't actually think about long term relations cause he never expects people to care about him that way so falling for Ger throws him for a loop. But he knows he has to make some decision on it because he can’t get Germany out of his mind but the thought of Germany saying no scares him more than anything else ever has and the thought of breaking Germany's heart makes him more angry than he thought he’d ever feel

Meanwhile Germany is a mess because he has no idea what hes doing all he knows is that Romano’s smile makes him melt and every time he thinks of the future he thinks about the two of them passing tools to each other over the hood of a car and kneading foccacia together and hes doing all of the research he can to try and perfectly convey how he feels and it only works when he for once throws out his plan and just speaks from his heart and stops over thinking everything. And its wholesome and personal and cute and Romano starts crying halfway through which freaks Germany out cause he doesn't want to force anything and oh god did i make you uncomfortable but before he can apologize and backpedal Romano just grabs him by the shirt and pulls him down into a smooch and for once in his life Roma doesn't instinctively jump and when someone reaches out to hug him.

What makes me sad about them:

That they get sidelined for other ships and that people cannot have Germany or Romano exist in a narrative without Veneziano having something to do with it.

Things done in fanfic that annoys me:

People assuming Germany and Romano would be abusive with one another because Romano acts snappy and dismissive around him when in reality he does the same exact behavior to literally everyone else; America, Spain etc. But Germany is the one that’s abusive, and not the others. Germany’s never been shown to hate Romano, confused and rolling his eyes at his insults sure but never hatred.

A lot of people take this in the direction that they hate or abuse each other or worse, like Germany would cheat and use both brothers. Which is just not true, let alone Romano is too much of a blunt mother fucker to let it happen. He wouldn’t take that. Being used or measured second to his brother is so common to him you think he would just lay down and let that happen? No. And Germany isn’t the sleep around without a care or being in a relationship with two people because he can’t decide which he likes more type the guys a romance moron he doesn’t know how to date one man let alone commit adultery.

Which sucks because things like the chauffeur strips show that Romano and Germany are on at least amicable if not friendly terms, Romano is just being Romano, he does the same pissy but nice energy that he does to Spain and America to Germany. And there’s so much there that could be played with, of Romano being reassured by Germany that he’s not this evil bad boy in fact his brother can be worse than he is, and Germany would know Vene has been attached to his side for ages he would know Vene at his worse. Romano showing off to Germany, impressing him that yes Romano can in fact work hard when he wants to and feels inclined to. Which would gain him respect from Germany because he’s so used to doing it himself it’s always a pleasant surprise when people help him or don’t leave him to do everything.

But often in fics this is squandered for the whole ‘Germany’s married to Vene but he’s in love with Romano oh no conflict drama’ and they never make him choose. Or worse he has him two time one and then the other which just isn’t even fucking in character. 90% of the fics I’ve found on AO3 have the under current of how does their relationship effect Vene, how does Vene feel about it or how is he involved and it’s so stupid. It’s only ever done with Romano, never to Vene, Romano is always treated like an extra or an asset to Veneziano and its never the other way around. People don’t write Gerita fics and have the whole story about how Romano feels about it.

Germany’s feelings toward Vene can easily be stated in that ‘he’s just my friend’ it’s so simple but instead often its paragraphs on paragraphs of Germany grappling with his feelings for both and I’m just not interested. If I wanted to read about Germany’s feelings toward Italy, I’d read a Gerita fanfiction. Also you can’t tell me that if Vene found out about the two being interested or even one of them being interested in the other he wouldn’t start playing matchmaker he absolutely would. Hell if you want that “conflict” have Vene be jealous he’s petty enough to do that!

I’m willing to take the L on this and admit I just have higher standards, but I just want a fic that has them in a relationship from the start or they build up to it but not have the fic end the moment they get together or have their first date. One that doesn’t focus on a side plot about Vene and Germany’s feelings toward Vene. Where they just get to be wholesome together, piece their feelings apart together, and develop their love for each other together.

TLDR: I’m very salty about Germano getting the short end of the stick and want to see more sweet domestic germano.

Things I look for in fanfic:

For it to exist and for it not to be a vector to talk about Veneziano’s opinions on their relationship. I just want wholesome content of Germany and Romano building a relationship or a life together, AU or Canonverse wise. The cute dates, working on cars together, gardening, baking and cooking-- Germany playing piano or flute while Romano sings. Them dancing together. Romano taking Germany out to tour and sight see. Romano forcing Germany to cuddle with him in front of the fireplace if they go up during winter to his place cause he hates the cold and his block of a boyfriend is very warm.

My happily ever after for them:

I don’t really think about happily ever afters for them cause as nations their lives move on, they can’t really have kids but they can live together, work together, love together and honestly that’s enough for me.

My kinks:

These will be below the cut, because of ns//fw mentions.

(general sex discussion, bd//m discussion, toys and other such ns//fw things.)

Romano is a bottom little pillow princess but despite that he has the most control in the bedroom. Germany doesn’t lack interest but when it comes to instigation it’s fewer and far between, Romano has more of a sex drive than him. Germany’s more into kinks than Romano, but he has trouble being confident enough to do it so Romano is often baiting him into it. He’s a brat who wants to be tamed and Germany doesn’t mind Romano being rough with him and vice versa.

Romano’s more used to rough and tumble, so when Germany is very slow soft and sincere he gets flustered really fast and can fall apart a lot quicker. He also will cry when Germany compliments him too much early in the relationship. They have a lot of safe words at Germany’s request so if either of them get too overwhelmed they have a safe out and will just vibe and cuddle until the other feels better enough to continue.

Romano will give Germany is rope bunny fantasies every once and a while and tie him up, he’s not into much more than handcuffs and collars but Germany enjoys it so he doesn’t mind. He loves when he can convince Germany into roleplay and let Germany get into a more confident ‘character’. His favorite things are bites and blowjobs. Leaving Germany covered in red marks and scratches is his favorite and he loves the rare sight of Germany squirming under him.

Germany loves to body worship Romano, and messages all of the messages. Romano doesn’t like Germany dragging it out but sometimes he can’t help himself cause he just loves how pretty Romano his and he wants to just touch him all over. He loves when Romano plays with his hair (at least in the bedroom), and since Romano is way more vocal than he is he loves coaxing little sounds out of him through different touches and kisses.

[kyokyo866]

I love Dreamtalia so much as I have to ask of how did you and your friend come up with the idea of it as it's amazing and I can't get enough of it as I'm ready for Dreamtalia 2!!!!

It was @insertawesomeusernamehere idea’s first of a dream creature coming to aph italy because they were lonely and the gerita rp that came after it, then i mentioned it to pianodream when they were thinking of a new game idea and it evolved from there!

[sailorgreywolf-german]

An Autumn Walk

This is for @hetalia-writers-monthly

The prompt is Quote: “The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go” - Anonymous

Characters: Germany and Prussia, mentions of Holy Rome

Relationships: Fraternal Germany and Prussia, GerIta

Word Count: 2,000

Autumn had set upon Berlin in earnest, and it was turning the trees of the Tiergarten golden and red. There was a chill in the air, but it was pleasant.

After living here for so long, Prussia was of the opinion that climate of the city was the best at this time of year. The bite of winter was still distant, and the sweltering heat of the summer was gone.

He also loved the way that the autumn leaves colored the city, painting the streets orange and red. It was a last moment of bright color before the city would lapse into the greys of winter.

He was taking a moment to enjoy the turning of the season with his brother. They were taking a walk through the Tiergarten as a rare break from the demands of building an empire. Germany had asked for some time together, and a stroll through the Tiergarten was the most convenient way to have casual privacy.

Prussia had less on his shoulders now that his brother was in charge of the country, so he was glad to take a walk and offer whatever advice Germany wanted. He still had his own responsibilities as the largest state and as the one who had the closest relationship with the dynasty.

He had given Germany his kings, but he still knew the Hohenzollerns best. He was still the best intermediary between Germany and the monarch. As for the chancellor, it was evident to Prussia that Bismarck was still Prussian to his core. So, there was still an important place for Prussia in Berlin.

As a brother, he had the sense that Germany had asked him to go on this walk with something on his mind. It was easy to tell when he had something turning behind his eyes.

He expected the conversation to start at any moment, because he knew that Germany could never keep his thoughts to himself for very long. If he had something on his mind, then it would come out.

Prussia was just waiting for him to say something. As they walked deeper into the park, far enough that the victory column was no longer visible at the periphery of Prussia’s vision, Germany finally started talking.

He started, “I have been talking to Feliciano.”

That was no surprise; Germany seemed like he was becoming fond of Italy. Ever since the war against Austria, Prussia had noticed the way that they had been spending more and more time together. They seemed to think that it was clandestine or subtle, despite rarely finding a truly private place to talk.

Anyone could have easily seen the magnetism between them. If he had wanted to, Prussia could have easily eavesdropped. But he had chosen to allow the young love to take its course. He was happy for them, albeit slightly concerned with how quickly Germany had seemed to attach to the Italian.

Prussia added in his own mind: Oh yes, I’ve noticed that you’ve taken an interest in him. Anyone could see that.

He did not voice it though, because he had some restraint. He could almost feel Fritz’s hand on his shoulder, reminding him that the realization was not an easy one, and it would take time. Realizing feelings for another man could be difficult, especially for a young man who was still learning about himself.

If Fritz was here, he would remind him how long it had taken him to realize he had an attraction to men.

There was no use in pointing it out to Germany or teasing him. It would only make him more self conscious if he did not realize on his own yet.

So, after a long moment of contemplation, he said, “And what have you been talking about?”

He could guess, since he had once been a young man who stole moments with someone else. But he was certain that Germany would not share all of that with him, since he was his brother. Lover’s moments were meant to be private.

He watched the blonde’s face as he waited for an answer. There was a suggestion of an anxious blush. Germany finally answered, “Oh, many things. My life, his life, the future.”

He sounded anxious, and he was always short when he got anxious. But Prussia thought it still sounded very much like a conversation that lovers might have. Germany gathered himself and started talking again, “I think I like him more than I expected I would. He's not strong or bold, but I still like him.”

There was a furious pink blush in his cheeks now, and Prussia felt for a moment like he understood what this conversation might be.  He could already imagine what might be coming next.

Was his brother about to tell him that he had feelings for Italy?

He immediately tried to think of a way to respond so that Germany would feel comfortable talking to him. He had to make sure that his brother did not feel any shame about his feelings.

But, Germany quickly added, “I mean that he is a very good friend.”

Prussia sighed to himself. His brother had not yet come to that realization, or decided to share it with him. He discarded his own prepared speech and looked up at the trees while he was waiting for Germany to get t whatever was on his mind.

He did say, “You know I encourage your diplomatic endeavors, but why are you telling me this?”

There was dappled light filtering in through the trees and it made the whole day feeling charmingly cozy. There was a moment of quiet, which was only punctuated by the crunch of leaves under their feet.

Then, Germany seemed to summon his strength and say, “He was telling me about the Holy Roman Empire. They lived together when Austria ruled him.”

Prussia hid his own surprise, because it had never crossed his mind that Italy had known his younger brother. He hadn’t considered that they lived together before.

It made sense looking back. At the time, Prussia had little to do with the politics of the rest of Europe, and it had escaped his notice.

In all the times that he had watched Germany talking intently to Italy, he had not thought that they may be rekindling a connection. Even if Germany did not remember it, it was entirely possible that he still felt a glimmer of friendship.

Could Italy tell that the man he was talking to was the same one that he had known years ago?

The thought was strangely haunting to Prussia, almost melancholy. How odd it would be to talk to a ghost.

Germany continued to speak, “The way Feli speaks about him makes it sounds like he really misses him. I think they were very good friends.”

Prussia thought, momentarily, that it was amusing that he used the same term as his own romantic feelings. He really must not have any idea what was developing between them.

Then, an old conversation surfaced in his mind. Holy Rome had once told him that he intended to get married to one of Rome’s heirs. It had been a topic Prussia had quickly dismissed once he had severed his relationship with the Catholic empire.

The comment brought it back to mind so clearly, and made a sudden strange sense. Had he meant to marry Italy before his death?

The thought was even more melancholy, because Prussia could easily imagine the grief that Italy had felt when Holy Rome had vanished. He knew the pain of losing a lover.

He glanced at Germany, and could see the likeness of young Holy Rome in his face. He was older now, but he did not look so different. Given the right cloak and hat, it would be easy to see.

How strange and painful that must be for Italy. Did he know that he was talking to half a ghost?

Did he gravitate towards Germany because he could see the resemblance so clearly?

He could not imagine how he would have reacted to a man who looked like his lost love, but who had none of their memories together. Italy must be more conflicted than he was showing.

He wondered if Germany’s own fondness for Italy came from that childhood relationship. The heart may remember what the mind had forgotten.

Germany seemed to be struggling through his thoughts as he said, “When Feli talks about him, I feel almost like almost I knew him.”

He trailed off for a moment, and the methodical crunch of leaves beneath their feet filled the silence.

Prussia thought for a fleeting moment that Germany was about to break through an amnesic barrier. The thought was terrible, because it would bring a cascade of pain and betrayal.

Whatever the feeling of death had been, the pain had been enough for Germany to lock it away in his own mind. There was an experience there that Prussia could not imagine, one that had been terrible enough to forget everything that came before it.

If Germany broke through he would remember that Austria had left him to die on a battlefield, and Prussia feared what the repercussions would be for his psyche. The amnesia was surely a way to protect himself from the knowledge that he was left to die.

Selfishly, he knew that he would also be called to account. If Germany remembered that he was once the Holy Roman Empire, then he would ask why Prussia had never told him. And that was not a conversation Prussia was prepared to have.

He watched with trepidation, wondering if Germany was about to experience the full force of those emotions.

But then Germany shook his head like it was an absurd thought, and Prussia breathed a short sigh of relief.

To reinforce that conclusion, Prussia said, “You did not know him. He died a long time ago.”

He knew it was half a lie, but it was one that would keep Germany from interrogating his own memories.

Germany shook his head one more time and said, “I know that. But, I wanted to ask you if you remembered him. He was our brother, wasn't he?”

He looked like he was trying to put the pieces together in his head. Prussia answered the question, “We had the same father, but I never knew him well. Roderich would know him better than I did. My king was never the Holy Roman emperor, and Holy Rome never lived with me.”

He hoped that would be enough to put the topic to rest and avoid any danger of old memories resurfacing. Germany was chewing the inside of his lower lip, like he was thinking very hard.

Prussia knew that there was more that he could say about the Holy Roman empire, but it would be inappropriate. He had thought Holy Rome was weak and ineffective, and he had spent years training Germany to overcome those qualifies.But, it would be unkind to tell a man about the weak boy he had once been.

Germany pressed him, “Can you tell me what you remember about him?”

Prussia sighed. He had to come up with an answer, and it would have to be one that would satisfy Germany’s curiosity.

He stopped walking, and looked up at Germany solemnly. Hemet the curious blue eyes and said, “Listen to me. Maximilian had too much power for a boy his age, and it killed him.”

He stepped towards his brother and placed his hands on his shoulders. He wanted Germany to listen to every word clearly. He enunciated every word as he said, “That is exactly why I made sure you were ready to become an empire. I was not going to let you fail the way he did. You are the future and I wanted you to be ready. I have lost one brother already, and I will do everything in my power not to lose you.”

The words he dared not say echoed in his mind: I will not be able to bring you back from death a second time.

He omitted the fact that he had spent time planning to fix the deficiencies that had brought Germany so close to destruction before.

He continued, “Now take an example from the season. Let the dead go, and move forward.”

The blonde nodded and replied, “But what about Feli? I want to understand him.”

Prussia drew in one more breath through his nose. He could hear the pangs of love in his brother’s voice, the first love that he neither fully forget nor fully remember.

Prussia answered, “Show him the man that you are, and he’ll love you for it.”

[disaster-fruit]

Requests Guidelines

With my semester finally finished, I decided I can go back to taking requests. However, I will be more selective about which ones I’m gonna take this time, since I only have one month before my next semester starts and I have lot of projects going on that I also need time to dedicate, like my Paraguayan War fic, my Brazil askblog and also a lot of lusofam/African hetalia art I’m working on. Here are some guidelines to what requests I will probably take and which ones I will ignore. These aren’t rules, just suggestions (so feel free to ask for stuff I didn’t mention, the worst that can happen is me ignoring your request):

1.Please try to request ships and characters you know I like and am interested in. I used to get a lot of random stuff and I did them bc I wanted to make everyone happy, but I only have so much time in my hands and I would like to dedicate to things that are fun to me personally.

Characters I like: Eastern Europe, South America (latin hetalia), Lusofam (Portuguese speaking countries), East Asian famly.

Of course there are exceptions to this, especially when it comes to ships (like I care abt Nedport and engport even tho I don’t particularly care about England or the Netherlands, PruIta and SwissAus are some of my favorite ships, and I like HongIce even tho I can barely tell the Nordics apart), so its ok if you request characters I didn’t mention, since I can’t possibly list all characters and ships I will draw.

Wont draw  (most of the time): Het ships. I am allergic to every single one of them. Greece. Germany. The Nordics. Also popular ships I don’t like and will ignore, fyi: usuk, gerita, spamano, sufin, any spain ship.

2. For art memes and challenges I reblog, make sure to request poses/expressions/palettes/prompts that haven’t been requested yet. It defeats the purpose of these things if I’m just drawing 5 different ships in the same pose.

3. Feel free to request tutorials, art tips, and anything like that.

4. Don’t request group pictures. Limit the request to something with 3 characters max. (exception: mercosur bc I love them)

5. No 2p and no nyo characters.

6.  About OCs: you can request anything involving latin hetalia (community ocs with their respective creators) and my ocs/ocs I designed (lusofam). If you want me to draw your ocs, then I ask you to DM me to discuss an art trade, instead of sending a request

I am open to Art Trades and Collabs with other artists, regardless of skill level, so if you’re an artist (or a writer! I’ve traded art for fics before and it’s fun), feel free to DM me! For trades I am more willing to bend some of these “rules” and draw things i normally wouldn’t. 

[codevassie]

5 Awesome APH Fics

[***Let me know if I’ve missed anything on the Content Warnings!]

[**Do Not Ask Authors for Updates!]

[*Leave these authors Comments, please and thank you!]

Burn the White Flag by CoffeeJay

Status: Completed on Ao3

Summary: With Italy gone and the key to their escape nowhere in sight, those left in the mansion struggle to hold onto hope as they search for freedom from the mysterious creatures that hunt them.

Relationships: HRE/Italy, GerIta

CW: Memory Loss, Alcohol, Hallucinations, Blood and Violence, Psychological Trauma, Horror, Existential Angst, Major Character Death (Temporary)

My thoughts: I’d recommend watching/playing HetaOni before reading this one, since it’s a continuation of it and all. So, I don’t read a lot continuations like this, I will say. HetaOni is already such an iconic story that I’m afraid to dilute the experience. We’re not going to get a part two for the game, and I’m fine with that. I’d rather have experienced part one without part two than never have had part one at all. Getting to experience part one was sick as fuck. But I had recently replayed the game and, for once, was looking for something more than my own contemplation over what might have happened (the use of many types of fics). So I found this one, and WOW I was blown away. I could not put it down until I was finished. It was so emotional, and included the threads from the game into a very clever speculation on what the heck might have been the rest of their story. It took all the characters into consideration, and considered the trauma of the mansion. If you love HetaOni, check it out!

Magnet by A Winter Dreamer

Status: Completed on FFN

Summary: For life after life, lovers Alfred F. Jones and Arthur Kirkland have been together. From the royalty of Spades to countries and beyond, crossing universes, Alfred and Arthur have always been together. But a century ago, Alfred made a mistake, and Arthur paid for it. A century ago, their souls diverged for the first time. And now, Arthur must face the demon Alfred has become.

Relationships: USUK

CW: Death, Murder, Blood and Violence, Demons, Imprisonment, Alcohol, Non-consensual Kiss, Torture, Toxic Possessiveness/Jealousy, Homophobia, Suicide, Vomiting Mention, Unhealthy Dynamics, PTSD, Panic Attacks

My thoughts: Y’all are gonna think I’m really fucked up for recommending this one. It’s dark. And their relationship is... a bit... unhealthy for a good part of it. But it’s impossible to put down when you’re reading it and it’s an excellent story. I always love a story that leaves me with question after question because it provides excellent tension and engagement. And there is Character Development, y’all. If there wasn’t, it’d be way more concerning that I like it haha, but the characters learn and grow and I love that stuff. It makes you think about second chances and the extent to which someone deserves one and how that varies with different people. Everything about this is just very interesting and makes you think. And also want to cry. Beautiful story!

Tesoro Mio by Spinyfruit

Status: Completed on FFN

Summary: Antonio's the charming, handsome farmer with an infuriating Spanish accent, and Lovino is the mysterious wine entrepreneur who comes and goes. When Antonio falls in love, he throws society, expectations, and religion to the wayside, but can a strict Catholic like Lovino do the same?

Relationships: Spamano

CW: Internalized Homophobia, Religious and Sexual themes, References of Child Abuse, Claustrophobia 

My thoughts: The master of Spamano: Spinyfruit. This author writes them so well, with such interesting, heart-wrenching stories. Tesoro Mio takes place largely on a vineyard Lovino’s family owns, and where Antonio works. It’s a beautiful slow burn. Like the type of romance that leaves you giggling and your heart big and then angst swoops in and your clutching the phone tight bc shit you can’t handle this why did you think you could handle this- It’s about falling in love and accepting that love. I don’t know how else to explain it other than... it’s beautiful. 

It’s just going to be you and me by ButterFish

Status: Completed on FFN

Summary: Alfred thinks he's going insane; he keeps dreaming about a green-eyed guy, he hears voices and he keeps finding long, white feathers everywhere. Is the angel Arthur that is haunting his dreams real or is he making it all up? 

Relationships: USUK

CW: Suicide and Suicidal Ideation, Bullying, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, Death, Mental Illness, Nightmares, Headaches, Smoking, Hallucinations, Blood and Violence, Guns, Medication Side Effects, Existentialism

My thoughts: I don’t know how to review this one without giving major spoilers. It’s... dark. It’s really difficult to read at times because there is a lot of talk and depiction of death and suicidal ideation. It’s one of my fave fics ever, but it’s super triggering, so Do Not Read It if you’re even a little unsure. It’s super mysterious, leaving you guessing what is going on and what is to come throughout the entire thing. It’s very suspenseful. I’m always on the edge of my seat when I read it, despite knowing what’s going to happen in rereads. It’s just as impactful on a reread as it is during the original. This is one of those fics where you’re screaming the entire way through, and, if you’re not, then you’re in deathly silence. The kind of silence where you feel like the world is going to shatter if you break it. All of Alfred’s thoughts and feelings just feel so real in this fic and it’s captivating. It’s a big time recommendation for me, so, if you think you’re in the right headspace for something dark and stressful, check it out.

Fifty-two by ectodreaming

Status: Completed on FFN

Summary: Lovino, a lowly con-artist, is in love with a police officer. Antonio, a police officer, finds out that he's in love with a con-artist. Will a couple of plane tickets and two-thirds of the Bad Touch Trio help their situation?

Relationships: Spamano

CW: Crime, Alcohol, Smoking

My thoughts: I remember when a friend of mine recommended this fic to me, and it’s been with me for so long that I must recommend it to you! These boys are so sweet on each other, and it’s easy to tell, even when they aren’t in the same room. And that’s crucial to this fic. There is so much longing in this omg. If your heart doesn’t explode by the end then idk what to say. And there’s so many spots in this fic that will make you scream. For various reasons. Like, I’ve reread it a lot and I never stop screaming, even while I know what’s going on. This one’s the shortest on this list, but not necessarily Short. If you want something to occupy your evening, I’d say give this one a go! 

[pillow-ghost-nan]

SPAMANO FANFICTION REC LIST

Because I’m a spamano trash and I think I’ve read way too many fanfictions than I should have.

I will try to keep this list updated. If you know some good story that isn’t here let me know. Also if there’s anything wrong with the sources feel free to message me too

Multichapter:

All of our flaws by lastdreamofmysoul

Antonio is a man whose world revolves around anyone but himself. Lovino is a man with dreams bigger than a job behind a drugstore counter. Antonio is broken; Lovino is incomplete. Will a chance meeting lead them to mending their cracks and finding their missing pieces? Human AU, trigger warning for self-harm. - Ongoing

Credo by Cameron Kennedy

AU, 1502. Fueled by revenge, Lovino Vargas hasn't failed an assassination job yet - but when a new Spanish captain comes to Rome, killing the unorthodox Antonio Carriedo might just be the death of him.

The lemon tree by StarsMadeinHeaven

AU Lovino didn't want to be a slave in that scary mansion. He needed to break free. The fight for independence, however, is a difficult path, and falling in love with the man that destroyed his life doesn't make things any easier.

This fanfiction is just absolutely beautiful. Everything is just 10/10

The Many Personalities of Spain by Writer-Girl-19

England casts a spell to rid himself of Spain. As expected it goes wrong; leaving Romano to deal with the many personalities of Spain. That sounds like a normal day for Romano, right? It would be if the personalities not had their own personifications. - Ongoing

And the Birds Sing No More by Burlesque Romantique

"Don't ever leave me." Lovino said nothing. He allowed the tense heaviness to settle among his shoulders, tighten his lungs, and spread between the space from where he stood to where Antonio was seated lethargically. Antonio's gaze sharpened. Lovino, inclining his head slightly, whispered, "I won't." Spamano, AU

Bottoms Up! by Sunny Day in February

Follow Lovino on his weird and, well, at least quite interesting trip around Europe in order to find out some of the greatest secrets ever about himself, Europe, tomato-shaped alarm clocks and the past of his lovely, but complicated Spanish partner.

This one is just hilarious. It is a bit silly but will definitely make you laugh from the beginning to end.

Softness and Light by betka23

AU. Odrzucany przez bliskich licealista Lovino nieoczekiwanie otrzymuje pomoc od swojego nauczyciela. Choć nie chce się do tego przyznać, coraz bardziej zależy mu na uczuciach Antonia. Spamano, zawiera także lekki FrUK i GerItę.

Translation: Lovino is a high school student rejected by his relatives. All of the sudden he receive help from his teacher, Antonio. Even though he doesn’t want to admit that he cares more and more about Antonio’s feelings. Spamano. FrUK and GerIta mentioned.

So this one is in Polish. If you don’t mind reading with a Google Translate help then I really recommend it. It’s short but it’s an amazing story.

Secret Tunnels from Madrid to Sicily by PrincessSmuttButt

When Antonio Fernández Carriedo begins work as a professor at a prestigious university in Britain, one of his students, a Sicilian boy who goes by the name Romano, immediately catches his eye. He is a clearly gifted writer, who closes himself off in the wake of a dark and painful history. Even wrapped in his darkness, pushing everyone away, Toni finds himself determined to bring out the potential within Romano...They drag each other into a passionate, inevitable affair--doomed, they know, to end in flames.

A very beautiful and mature story. It’s also amazingly written. I cried like little shit at the end.

Tesoro Mio by spinyfruit

Antonio’s the charming, handsome farmer with an infuriating Spanish accent, and Lovino is the mysterious wine entrepreneur who comes and goes. When Antonio falls in love, he throws society, expectations, and religion to the wayside, but can a strict Catholic like Lovino do the same?

We the Dreamers by TheGoliathBeetle

New York City, 1940: Antonio is a recently arrived refugee from Spain, a scarred soldier with firm political convictions. For Lovino, everything is pointless and nothing ever lasts. The two of them live, love and dream desperately, as World War Two threatens to take it all away.

Greasy by evetnt

Summer time 1955, a mechanic equally as hot as the weather had been fixing up Lovino's car for what felt like forever and their fascination with each other grows passed auto-shit and sandwiches even as the pressure from Lovino's over-protective grandfather and greaser/soc gangs rise. -ongoing

Tight Rope by TheFreakZone

Rich, spoiled kid Lovino Vargas hates pirates. Pirate captain Antonio Carriedo hates rich, spoiled kids. None of them ever thought they could feel something different from hatred towards one another. However, Fate seems to have different plans for them, and twists their lives in unexpected ways. -ongoing

Breathless in the Atmosphere by Spinyfruit

Antonio only needed money for marble. He needed to make his art. And a chance encounter on the subway offers him a job as a male escort. It was just for the money. He could stop anytime he wanted to. Really.

The Space Between the Balconies by Spinyfruit

There's a space between the balconies, where glances are stolen, smoke flies, and dreams wander. Lovino draws the blinds, and Antonio opens his windows. They see each other sometimes.

Left me crying like a little baby. This is one of my favourite spamano fanfiction. It’s short but absolutely powerful and touching

Dance with me by StarsMadeinHeaven

AU. Lovino Vargas started taking tango lessons completely by accident. Who would have thought that one day he wouldn't mind those hands roaming over his body? That he would be dancing with his teacher as if there was no one in the room but the two of them? -ongoing

Bésame Mucho   by George deValier

WW2 AU. Lovino Vargas only ever wanted something exciting to happen in his boring, everyday Italian village existence. He never expected war, Resistance, love, passion, treason, or a cheerful, confusing, irritatingly attractive Spanish freedom fighter. -ongoing

Ok, I am very aware that everyone knows about this fanfiction but still I couldn’t resist

Numbered Lithograph by youaremarvelous

AU Spain x Romano. When Lovino starts attending art school with his brother he finds his most important lesson doesn't come from his professors, but from a culinary student at a sister school: sometimes the flaws hold the beauty.

Good Vibrations by The Cilantro Family

Lovino wasn't a fun guy to talk to, he knew this very well. When he signed he was speaking, not putting on a show. Usually his expression represented what he was feeling, rather than what he was saying. But this guy, for some reason, was different. He acted like he wanted to talk to Lovino even though Lovino had nothing interesting to say, and no interesting way to say it.

Oh boy, this fanfiction is one of the best things that happened to me. Absolutely recommend

One shots/ Two shots/ short stories:

Before the Snow Falls by Spinyfruit

Lovino, jersey number nine, right winger. He was ready to pass the ball, ready to set up the win, but Antonio, opposite team, center fielder, was ready too. Someone thought, and someone didn't, and they crashed. Hard. A few months later, Lovino's on crutches, Antonio has scholarships, and they have to deal with the aftermath of what happened. —Spamano, two-shot.

Liar by starshards

Spain cannot resist Romano, even though he hates himself for it.

Fool by faerichylde

Spain really was a fool. Otherwise he wouldn't have wanted Romano so badly. After all, fools always want what they don't have.

Rebels in a Sleeping City by konstellasjon

"I felt like we were in limbo, two blindingly awake rebels in this sleeping city. I didn't know your reasons for being up and about. But, you were, and so was I, grinning at you like it was going out of fashion."

Light by annapotterkiku

Lovino was convinced that he didn't have a soulmate.

25 MPH by writingandchocolatemilk

"Any reason you were driving fifteen miles under the speed limit?"

"Safety?"

Officer Vargas frowned. "Yeah, sure. Willing to take a breathalyzer test?"

"No!" Gilbert stumbled out of the car. "That is a bullshit request! Because if you don't, Antonio—"

"I'll shoot you," Officer Vargas muttered, and Antonio wasn't sure he actually heard that. He doesn't think he was supposed to. "Sorry, do you want to take the test, instead?"

Five Times Romano Unintentionally Made Spain Blush by darkhue

...and one time he did it on purpose.

Conversations on Cups by orphan_account

Lovino is not particularly fond of his job: working in a coffee shop can get infuriating, with the long orders and hard to spell names. But frustration at one customer has melded into friendship, and even that’s beginning to shift.

Leading the Blind by steingasse

Lovino Vargas’s life was simple, tedious, and a functional amount of lonely. Then one day a hung-over stranger broke in and passed out on his couch.

Door to Door by Canadino

Do not open the door. It could be a zombie, an unwanted boyfriend of your brother's, or a persistant salesman by the name Antonio Carriedo.

Chalk Dust by counterheist

Lovino Vargas (grandson, philosophy graduate, teacher, brother, man): 1. Fate: a lifetime. It’s a start.

The Spaniard and Death by Oboeist3

The tale of a young reaper, a heavy soul, and perhaps a bit of love.

whose thing is this anyway by ShippingEverything

In which Lovino and Antonio get their clothes, among other things, mixed up

Lovers by fuckingtomatoes

Antonio loved him. He loved everything about him

Language Barrier by TheFreakZone

Even though he doesn't understand him, Antonio loves talking to Lovino in Spanish. Lovino doesn't say it, but he loves it too.

It’s a story based on a prompt that Antonio thought that Lovino doesn’t know any Spanish so he kept saying many filthy things because he was sure that Lovi did not understand. Oh boy was he wrong Super cute and hot

Non Omnis Moriar by Burlesque Romantique

Antonio knew that once someone is bitten, they're dead after dying. So all he can do is run.

Unrighteous by SnowyWolff

Lovino has been unrighteously charged for crimes he did not commit and has been sent to teach at a remote northern Magical College. There, he meets Antonio, who makes the never-ending cold a little warmer.

Lifeline by antiheroics

AU (human names used); Suicidal Lovino Vargas makes a suicide pact online with equally suicidal Antonio. They meet, they get mistaken for a couple out on a date, they drink a lot of badtasting vodka, and Lovino begins to wonder not so much if he wants to kill himself, but if he wants Antonio to.

32 Thursdays by counterheist

Antonio is a physics student in love. To Lovino’s embarrassment, so is he.

Aroma by Jacquzy  

This is how it happens; how Antonio Fernández Carriedo comes to fall in love with the sweet-scented child seven years his junior.

Progression by Horribibble

When the Vargas Famiglia lost its Don, Lovino was abruptly faced with all of his nightmares. The worst of which wants nothing more than to give him a kiss.

A Trip To The Cinema by lullabyemyuu

Surrounded by the ruins of the ruined cinema, an elderly Lovino both remembers and forgets.

I wouldn't if I were you by starshards

Romano comes to the shocking realisation that people actually think that Spain is attractive.

Cupcake by writingandchocolatemilk

"No, Lovino!" Feliciano pointed, tears evaporating. "It's a dog!"

"What?" Lovino looked around. "That's a fucking bear."

"Lovino," Antonio hissed, "be respectful! No swearing!"

"Shi—sorry. Antonio, look at that dog." Lovino pointed. "Look, it's a bear."

Ludwig leaned closer. "That's a newfoudland."

Lovino scowled at him. "That's a bear."

Disgustingly Sweet by Sunny Day in February

We all have this urge sometimes.

El Despertar by Tyranno's girl

Or 'The Awakening'. This world is filled with many strange things, people, and occurrences. Once must always be careful of who they put their trust into; everyone has a dark secret behind the mask they don in the day.

Spostare by Canadino

She was just one girl, one body in the whole human race, that made him realize he was undeniably, helplessly attracted to Antonio; and she was the one who stole Antonio's heart away. High school AU, onesided Spain/Romano

How It Is by counterheist

This is how it is in the house of the never-setting sun.

on the dimensionality of an n-night stand by counterheist

Antonio is the one night stand who just won’t leave.

Diplomat's Son by writingandchocolatemilk

Lovino is content to let Antonio touch him. Antonio is happy to do this, and he runs his hands up Lovino's sides, relishing at the feeling of skin against skin, at the quick heartbeat he can feel. His head spins and Lovino pulls him into another kiss.

"Oh, Lovino," Antonio murmurs.

"What?" he asks, sharp, but that just makes Antonio's heart melt. "Take off your shirt. I'm not going to be the only one naked."

"Yes, sir." Antonio laughs.

A Sprinkler of Disaster by SnowyWolff

Lovino comes home one day and the surprise that waits for him behind the door is not exactly what he had expected

Baile Con La Bula by Wendigo Heart

Romano thought the bulls were actually rather pathetic, allowing themselves to be slain. It was the matador’s control that really ignited his passion. But he would forever deny a certain matador’s passion; Romano refused to be his bull to slay -The original source was deleted...  That was hell of a good fanfiction

The Art of Flying by The Goliath Beetle

They're both a little bit damaged, a little bit unscathed. Lovino can only truly see the world when Antonio describes it to him. Words can be magical, words can drive the darkness away.

Exasperation by ReinMaker

Lovino reflects on how it came to this, thanks to himself and his mother-in-law.

PWP/Porn with some plot/basically smut

Praise by learninghowtosmut

Tumblr request for praise kink, ft blindfolds and gross sappy adoration

Six Times Romano Failed at Seducing Spain (And One Time He Unintentionally Succeeded) by sapphiire moon  

Spain is sick and tired of Romano constantly flirting in front of him, and so he decides to punish Romano by not having sex with him anymore. Romano does not like this at all, and he's determined to win his way back into Spain's bed (and heart) through seduction. Awkward, awkward seduction.

A Way to Say I Love You by sapphiire moon  

Spain and Romano's first time

With No End in Sight by stardropdream (orphan_account)

It's hot and Antonio is distracted.

For The First Time In A Long Time by Chaosride

Antonio has been hunting like this as long as he's been a vampire. Human's were more ripe during sex, and the bite was pleasurable anyway, as long as he didn't drink too much, but this times a little different. He picked up an Italian in a bar, expecting a quick meal.

Beautiful by   Chaosride  

A tumblr prompt requested Spamano BDSM

Give and Take by mareepysheepy

After hundreds of years in the making, Romano is in what he would grudgingly call a relationship with Spain. At least he thinks he is. He's really not sure. Weren't relationships meant to be about mutual give, and take, after all?

Jesus Christ I think this is the best written smut I’ve ever seen

Spirito Di Punto by starshards

After Romano's driving skills send another car to super-car heaven, his boss decides that it's time for him to have something much more modest. Luckily for Romano, Spain's there to help him learn how to appreciate it.

Like a Virgin by The Cilantro Family

Antonio's never had sex before. Lovino walks him through it.

Great spamano writers:

Basically almost all of their fanfictions and great, I just didn’t want to put them all on the list

Canadino

TheGoliathBeetle

sapphiire moon  (aka best spamano smut writer you can ever find)

StarsMadeinHeaven (former Happymood)

writingandchocolatemilk  (basically tons of amazing spamano one-shots)

userscounterheist

SnowyWolff

[koolkat9]

Next Headcannon (basic I guess :( So from some research I did on a school project Prussia seems more historically likely to have been HRE than Germany… dun dun dun. So I’d argue in favor of Germany not being HRE. But I don’t think that’s the case because I’m pretty sure the show has a scene with Prussia and Holy Rome together somewhere, and then there’s that scene from the comic where Germany passes out and sees a fuzzy picture of Chibitalia, I have to split this again I’m sorry

Yeah there is definitely a connection between Germany and HRE. I've discussed this a bit before, but personally I like the hc that Germany is technically his own person, but was born into HRE's body which would explain why they look so similar and why Germany was much older in appearance when he came into existence.

Also yes, you're right. There is at least one chapter (perhaps more if the segment was divided amongst multiple chapters) where HRE is slowly dying and Prussia is taking care of him. Also, Chibitalia thing you mentioned was suppose to happen at the end of Buon san Valentino strip, but I'm pretty sure that section was scraped in the end (though it's still floating around online).

But anyway! Going back to your headcanon. I'm not really into GerIta anymore, but it once was my OTP for my first three years in the fandom. One of the main reasons I shipped it was because I believed Germany was HRE which brought in one of my favorite tropes of childhood friends to lovers as well as seeing them fall in love for a second time. And although I am not into GerIta anymore, I can't deny that Germany has at least have some feelings for Italy.

But Germany being HRE can also be fun even if you don't ship GerIta. Like...Germany gets some of his memories from his times as HRE and then he must choose between rekindling his romance with Italy or deciding to move on to someone else. It could also work for Italy who may have just gotten over HRE (or at least thinks he has) and then he discovers Germany was once HRE and now he must decide between moving on or trying to rekindle his past love.

[inkstaineddove]

Loneliness and Alcohol

Ships: PruHun, SpaAus, GerIta; blink-and-you-missed-it USUK

Characters: Prussia, Austria, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, America; mentioned Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Romano, and Belarus

Summary: Every year America sends all the nations invitations to his New Year's Eve party and every year Germany, Hungary, and Austria decline. Until 2019, when America finally invites Prussia, and they're all dragged along. It's Roderich's worst nightmare, but Gilbert and Erzsébet have plans to cheer him up.

Berlin, 2019.

Germany entered his home, grumbling and shuffling through the stack of mail in his hands. Trash, trash, bill, trash. He scowled at the sparkles sticking stubbornly to his fingers. “America’s New Year’s Eve party invitations arrived.” He glanced over at Hungary and Austria, sitting at the dining table and gossiping with Prussia. “I don’t know why he continues to send me one. I’ve been declining the damn things since the fifties. Have you two gotten yours?”

“I wouldn’t know, I’ve been here all weekend.” Hungary wrinkled her nose at the thought of attending. “I don’t want the hassle of flying over there. I’ll send him a bottle of champagne to be polite.”

“I received mine before I left this morning.” Austria sniffed, sticking his nose up. “I can only imagine what kind of parties he throws. They’ve got to be houses of debauchery and sin. I loathe going to New York for the U.N. meetings enough as it is. I will not be heading there in my leisure time.”

Prussia nodded vigorously. “Yeah, his stupid little shindig isn’t worth the airfare!”

“Calm down, he sent one for you too this time.” Ludwig slipped the little piece of paper before Gilbert, watching his brother’s expression change.

Eyes wide open, then blinking in disbelief, to a steely determination. This changed everything. “Actually, I’ve heard from Francis that he’s got fountains of beer flowing. Isn’t that amazing?” He took Erzsébet’s hands in his, turning his whole body towards her. “We should go! It would be fun!”

She jerked her hands away from him. “No! I refuse to go on principle! You can’t stand the guy, the only reason you want to is because he bothered to remember you this time!”

“Not true!” He felt everyone’s disbelief boring into his skin. He bowed his head, hoping humility would work in his favor. “I never get invited to anything anymore. This feels special.”

“Aw, cheer up. You still do,” she leaned in and kissed his cheek. A teasing smile inched the corner of her mouth up. “As my plus one.”

This solicited a chuckle from Roderich, who was silenced by Gilbert’s heel digging into his toe. Gilbert sighed dramatically. “I liked it better when it was the other way around.” He tucked a strand of hair behind Erzsébet’s ear. “We could go for an hour and then leave. Dance the night away far away from him. Have a picnic under the stars. Let me have my fun and then the night’s yours.”

What would be the harm in it? And, really, a night with him traipsing through New York could be rather romantic. It would make up for having to deal with everyone else. “An hour, tops, to feel like a hotshot. I don’t want to stay longer.”

Ludwig sat down, coffee in hand, in the empty seat besides Roderich and Erzsébet. “I can recommend you two a hotel close to his home. There’s a few good ones.” He looked up from his drink, meeting Gilbert’s gaze. There was an incomprehensible look in his brother’s eyes. “What? Do I have something on my face?”

“No, wait, actually. Lean over.” He forcibly wiped away a speck of dirt from the other man’s cheek, paternal instinct kicking over. It made Gilbert feel useful and Ludwig completely embarrassed. “I’m just surprised you’re letting me go to one of these things unsupervised. This’ll be fun for me. I’ll be on my best behavior as the representative of Germany there. If his boss is there, I might ask about helping us get back some land to the east. In our best interest, of course.”

“I would consider it a victory if he even knew what Prussia was, Gilbert.” Ludwig could feel the vein in his forehead beginning to throb. He hadn’t considered this unintended consequence. He would have to trust his brother. He could do that. He could manage to trust Gilbert for one night.

Roderich gently tapped his fingers against the table, understanding what Gilbert was trying to do. “Excellent idea! And, while you’re at it, let Feliciano know not to look for Ludwig.” He turned his attention to Germany. “Afterall, he will be so gravely disappointed at your absence. My heart breaks for the poor man.” He clutched his chest for dramatic effect.

Realization dawned on Ludwig. So that’s what they were getting at. “Anything left from the third stooge, Erzsébet? Or is that enough from the peanut gallery?”

She did have something but didn’t want to add fuel to the fire. He was chewing through his cheek enough as it was already. “What was that? I don’t speak German.” She spoke, naturally, in perfect German. This won her groans from Roderich and Gilbert, who had received that joke many times before, and a stare with deadened eyes from Ludwig.

“Fine! I’ll go! Are you both happy?” Ludwig got ready to chew them both out before something clicked. “Wait. Roderich, you can’t stay here. If we’re all gone, who are you going to freeload off?”

“Must you be so rude in your phrasing?” Roderich crossed his arms over his chest. “Have you considered that having all of you not even on the same continent as me might be what I want? I would enjoy a quiet New Years with a glass of champagne while strolling through the city.”

Erzsébet rubbed a hand along his forearm. “It’s ok to say you’ll miss us. You’re the one who wanted to see us all today.”

Ludwig nodded. “And you typically show up here, unannounced.” He chuckled, remembering something. “Once you’ve had a few drinks, you start blathering on about how lonely it is in Vienna and how lovely it was during the war to have everyone living together.”

Roderich opened his mouth to protest. That sort of thing was supposed to be private and never mentioned again! Unfortunately, Gilbert reentered the room, shaking his phone in his hands. “Just got word back from the boys that they’re all going. And you know what that means, Roddy? The only person to make you feel like a man-”

“Fine, you lot win! I’ll go! We’ll all go!” He buried his head in his hands. “That is the last time I confide in either of you two. Blackmailing me like that, how low.” He shook his head.

Gilbert clapped him on the shoulder hard, causing Roderich to wince. “Relax, this really isn’t so bad.”

---

New York.

The four of them sat in complete silence, cramped in the back of a taxi. They had landed only four hours before and found themselves completely jetlagged. Gilbert had his head buried in Erzsébet’s shoulder. They both were propped up against the window. “Why did you drag me to this thing?”

She was too drained to fight back. “Because I’m an idiot.” If she closed her eyes, the continuous stopping and starting of the car felt like being rocked to sleep. There was a certain peace and rhythm to it. Her eyelids began fluttering down, down, down.

“Sir, pull over here please. We can walk the rest of the way.” Ludwig handed the man a twenty, jerking awake the drowsy trio besides him. As the most accustomed to making this flight, he was least affected by it. “Come on, get out. We’re a block away. This will perk you three right up.”

This displeased Roderich greatly. Walking, in these shoes? They were meant for completing an outfit, not for any sort of movement. “Oh, why do we care to be on time. This damn thing will be lasting the whole night.” At Ludwig’s aggrieved look, he rolled his eyes. “Fine, we’ll have it your way.”

“Of course, the one time I’m wearing heels. They’re worthless, you can’t do anything in them but stand around uselessly.” Erzsébet was having her own version of the same problem. She leaned against a wall to take them off. “Now I’ll have to walk barefoot in this grimy place.”

“You won’t. Your knight in shining armor is here to save the day.” Gilbert scooped her up bridal style, grinning from ear-to-ear. “Nothing to fret about now, Liebling.”

She gently caressed his cheek. “Quite the gentleman tonight, huh?” She leaned in against him, laughing against the crook of his neck. “I could get used to traveling around like this. I may have a job for you.”

Hearing their giggling and affectionate words, Roderich couldn’t help rolling his eyes. With all his might, he caught up to Ludwig to put further distance between himself and them. Hearing Gilbert’s low voice singing something indecipherable sent a further wave of nausea through him. “Don’t they make you sick too? It’s disgusting.”

“Hmm? Oh, them.” Ludwig chuckled. He’d been born into that weird triangle, and yet, it never ceased to amuse him. “Please, they’ve been doing that in front of me since I was a child. You get used to it.” A pause. Another chuckle. “Why see them so often if you can’t stand it still? One might think you’re a masochist.” The last word lilted up another octave. He couldn’t help it; he’d inherited his brother’s love of for annoying Roderich.

“Don’t imply things. It’s unbecoming.” Roderich shoved his hands into his coat, partly from the bite of the wind and partly to give him something to do. “Who else would I spend my time with? I have no other friends.”

Ludwig gave him a pitying look. Thankfully, before he could say anything in response, they were before Alfred’s door. Loud music could be heard booming from the other side. He politely rang the doorbell. No answer. He rang it again. “He must not be able to hear. Maybe I should call someone to let us in.”

“For Christ’s sake, Lud, we’re not vampires! Just open the damn door!” Gilbert pushed him aside and shoved the door open. Inside the home laid a different world. Sparkling balloons kissed the ceiling. Strobe lights flashed in the center, creating a dance floor. Glitter clung to the floor and women’s bodies. Some big singer, none of them knew who, stood on stage, performing her biggest hits for the receptive audience. The smell of smoke hung in the air as fireworks went off in the backyard. It was lavish, it was gaudy, it was quintessentially American.

Gilbert’s eyes traveled immediately to the promised fountain of beer. He thirstily filled a cup with some and took a sip, only to spit it back out. “My God, this is revolting! It tastes like piss!” He took out a flask of the good stuff he’d smuggled in from home out of his pocket to take the rancid flavor out of his mouth. His first goal of the night was already ruined. “Where did Ludwig go?”

“He raced off to go find Feliciano. He went…” Roderich’s voice trailed off as he tried remembering where in the sea of people Ludwig had been absorbed. His bearings were completely lost. “It doesn’t really matter, does it?”

Erzsébet sidled up to Gilbert, a devilish smirk on her face. “You know, Alfred’s got plenty of rooms here. What do you say about sneaking away and having a good, long nap?”

He snaked his arms around her waist. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.” They began laughing like school children, enjoying their little conspiracy.

Roderich’s irritation grew further. He began tapping his foot, needing somewhere to put his frustrated energy. “You two don’t need to play so coy. Or, if you must, I would expect you to be more creative than using napping as a euphemism.”

Blank stares met him. “Roddy, we’re literally going to take a nap. We’re both exhausted.” Gilbert began elbowing him in the side. Roderich didn’t trust the glint in his eyes. “If you’re so worried about our sex life, I can fill you in on the details.”

Before Roderich could even respond, Erzsébet was dragging Gilbert away, his guffawing thankfully swallowed by the noise of the crowd. Roderich sighed, relieved to be alone. A new problem arose. Now, what would he do, who would he follow? He looked around the room, hoping for some familiar face. No one. A mass of strangers, swaying along to the music and spilling their drinks. Nothing he wanted to be apart of.

Where were his manners? He’d been graciously invited to another person’s home and he hadn’t even thanked the host yet. Being around all these ruffians had caused him to forget himself. Straightening his suit jacket, he began braving the throngs of people. Along the way, between getting nudged around by delirious dancers, a glass of wine had made its way into his hand. He didn’t mind. Surprisingly, it was of excellent quality. He suspected it must’ve been the Italians’ gracious donation to the festivities.

There in the backyard was the host. Alfred was bumping and grinding away in the center, dirty dancing with an incredibly inebriated Arthur. Francis was yoking them up, benefiting himself from the hordes of beautiful men and women attending. Roderich would rather avoid them, but it would go against the rules of decorum he so stringently followed. Mustering up all his courage, he approached.

“Alfred. Alfred! America!” Finally, America’s attention was caught over the music. “I sincerely want to thank you for the invitation. I wish I had attended one of your parties sooner, but I’m usually quite busy this time of year, what with the holidays.” He was lying through his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to be back in Vienna. This was the kind of nightmare scenario only Gilbert could drag him into.

“Yeah, dude, no probs. You’re totally invited here whenever. Me casa, is your casa.” It appeared that Alfred was long gone as well. “Dude, you should’ve been here hours ago. We’ve been pregaming it since nine this morning.” His laugh, which was always obnoxious, was even more grating. “Tomorrow’s gonna be the most intense hangover in the history of hangovers, right Artie?”

Arthur had lost the ability to speak and was only able to communicate in a series of grunts. Sensing Roderich’s horror, Francis swooped in. “Come, let’s go inside to the bar there.” He began steering them away from the center of the party, tutting his lips. “This is no good, why did you come? Your weak constitution can’t handle these sorts of events. Who dragged you here?” He shook his head, knowing the answer already. “No, don’t tell me. You have to stick up for yourself more.”

“I’ll have you know, perhaps I wanted to come on my own. I’m capable of deciding things for myself, unprompted.” He didn’t have to see Francis’ face to know the reaction to what he said. He sighed. “Who else would I have spent my time with? No one wants to spend New Years alone.” He realized they were still speaking English, instead of switching to French like Francis preferred in one-on-one conversations. Despite not showing it, the other man must’ve been drinking heavily too.

Suddenly, Francis turned around. His index finger traced Roderich’s jawline. “No, you are too beautiful to ever be alone. It’s good you came tonight. Come with me, I can make you forget all your worries for the night.” He allowed Francis to kiss his cheek, his breath stinging of stale booze. “It’s been too long since we’ve been together. Please, honor me with the memory of how you win with love.”

Despite himself, Roderich had to admit it was tempting. If everyone else was going to have their fun tonight – or, so he assumed, he had no plans on asking – then why shouldn’t he? “My apologies, but it seems that memories are all you’ll have tonight. From me, anyways.” It wouldn’t feel right. Not when he was so clearly off his game. Leaving him staring after him, Roderich took a spot at the bar.

Nursing a glass of wine, he considered that this wasn’t so bad. At home, in front of his favorite café, he enjoyed people watching. It was a peaceful way of passing the time, to see all the people rush by and create little stories for where they were going. Normally, it was quite easy to get into it, but he saw too many people he knew. Romano with his arms around two women’s waist. The Netherlands being yelled at over money by an irate woman. Belgium shimmied to the bar and back, laughing with a group of girls she’d befriended. Everyone was here, everyone was having a good time. The only mystery was why wasn’t he.

Before the full wave of self-pity could sweep him, he spotted Germany and Italy chatting on a couch. It was a sign, a sign that he wouldn’t have to spend the rest of the night in the corner. Never in his life had he been so excited to see Feliciano. He even greeted the man with a warm hug, ignoring the frustration rolling off Ludwig in waves.

“Austria! Ludwig was telling me you were here, but I didn’t believe him! How exciting, having the both of you here!” Feliciano was practically vibrating with joy. He was overcome with emotion, but that came as no surprise to his companions. It’s how he always was. “Sit down next to me, I can sit on Ludwig’s lap!”

Roderich complied, ignoring the daggers Ludwig was shooting at him. “Well, it would be rude not to.” He full attention was on Feliciano. “Tell me, how have you been? Did you only recently arrive?” With that, he was off to the races. The Italian could talk a mile a minute, filling up all the space in the room. For once, Roderich didn’t find it annoying. It gave him something to focus on, something to find enjoyment in. And he was having a good time. The kid had grown up to be entertaining in his own way.

The same could not be said for Ludwig. The vein in his forehead was throbbing. Before this, he had been having a nice evening, much to his chagrin. Having his cousin tag along was not something he wanted. He cleared his throat. “Where’s Gilbert and Erzsébet? Did you lose track of them?”

“They ran off as soon as we got here to sleep together.” Roderich realized his mistake. “To nap! Supposedly they’re jet-lagged.” His face felt extremely hot.

“I guess they woke up cause there they are. Gil! Erzsi!” Feliciano jumped up, waving towards them at the bar. They began waving them over. “Let’s all go over to them! I wanna say hi!”

While his date was preoccupied, Ludwig had been furiously shaking his head at them. “No!” This didn’t need to become a family affair. He wouldn’t have it become that. “Actually, France is looking for us. Let’s go find him.” Not waiting for an answer, he dragged away a very startled Feliciano.

Once again abandoned, Roderich slinked back to the bar. As soon as he arrived, he was ensnared by Gilbert’s arm. He could smell scotch on his breathe as he spoke. “What have you been up to, Roddy? You better be out there, mingling with everyone, making me proud.”

His silence was telling. Erzsébet put a hand to her chest, sighing. “Oh, he’s so lonely. Gil, we have to take him in.” Much to Roderich’s dismay, they both were far gone. They couldn’t have been sleeping for long to be this drunk. That, or they kept downing drink after drink in short succession. He wasn’t sure which was more comforting.

His protestations that he wasn’t some stray puppy were drowned out by Gilbert. “Of course, we can! Who else would take care of him? Oh, don’t look so depressed, Roddy.” He leaned over the bar. “Can we get a round of kamikazes?”

Roderich stared down at his little glass. He sniffed at it and scrunched his nose up. What a foul concoction. “I appreciate it, but I don’t see how this will improve my mood.”

“It’ll help you loosen up. You’ve been uptight ever since we were on the plane.” Erzsébet gently elbowed him in the side. “I know this isn’t your thing. Try to have a little fun, Roderich. No one here is going to judge you for it.”

She herself looked so at peace, didn’t he want a little bit of that? Besides, the two of them were staring at him so expectantly. Did it matter this much to them that he felt included and part of their little group? He had thought they only kept him around out of pity, perhaps it was more than that. “You two are a horrible influence on me.” He knocked the shot back, met with rapturous cheering from them.

Another three rounds and Roderich himself was now feeling the effects. His ears were so warm, his feet so tingly. It took all his balance to lean into the bar counter for support. His vision was a little fuzzy, but he still felt aware of everything around him. That awareness was spent on watching them – their arms intertwined, feeding another shot to each other, foreheads pressed together while giggling. “Doesn’t that get tiring?” Maybe it wasn’t for them, but he found it exhausting.

That snapped them out of their fog. Gilbert was grinning like an idiot. “Why would it get tiring? I’ve spent lifetimes waiting for her. I’ve got her now, so completely. You want me to back off for your comfort? Please, I couldn’t if I wanted to.” He had been staring into Erzsébet’s eyes as he spoke. He leaned in, only to find he was kissing air.

Erzsébet had been speaking at the same time as him, giving Roderich difficulty in following along with them both. All her usual inhibitions in speaking on this subject towards her ex were gone. “I had a crush on him growing up and now I get to live out a fairy tale. He’s right, we’re made for each other. And,” a devilish look settled on her face. When Gilbert went in for his kiss, she had pulled Roderich towards her to whisper in his ear. She dished on all the vulgar reasons for their behavior.

“Good God, Erzsi! I don’t want to hear all that!” He gently pushed her away and stole her drink, finishing it in one gulp. He hoped to forget what she had said, but she’d painted too vivid of a picture for him. “Why would you think that appropriate?”

“Wait, what did you say?” Gilbert leaned down so she could repeat it. “You tease.” They locked lips, grabbing at each other’s clothes.

Roderich didn’t know whose tongue he was seeing, but he knew he wanted it gone. He pulled them apart. “Holy shit, enough! Enough! Are you two forgetting that I’m here?”

“You’re right, Roderich, I’m sorry.” She pulled him into a deep kiss. Once satisfied, she let him go with a laugh. “There, now it’s just like old times. Oh, but what were we saying before? Right! I wouldn’t mind if you told me whatever you got up to. It’s been, what? A hundred years since the divorce? What happens in our personal lives now doesn’t matter.”

At the mention of their divorce, Gilbert ordered another round of shots. He shoved one onto Roderich, who certainly didn’t want to be drinking to that. At this point, why did it matter? Why did anything matter? Seeing whatever that mess was in the backyard, hearing in detail about Erzsébet and Gilbert’s sex life, becoming completely wasted. There was no meaning to this night. “Well, if we’re being honest, there’s nothing to say. I haven’t been with anyone in years.” He clinked glasses with his shocked companions. “Cheers to the life of a bachelor.” He enjoyed his drink.

His admission was a surprising one. Hadn’t this been the man who, during his days of empire, was willing to lie down with anyone if it served his purpose? How could this behavior have so suddenly ceased? It was no wonder he was so perpetually grumpy; it was a much deeper problem than Roderich’s baseline snootiness. Gilbert and Erzsébet shared a look of understanding. A moment of clarity provided them with a new purpose for the night.

Erzsébet began straightening his clothes, smoothing out the wrinkles with her hands. Once she felt her work completed , she combed his hair with her fingers, tucking loose strands behind his ears. “Oh, Roderich, you poor thing.”

For his part, Gilbert ran through a list of people he knew in his head. “Francis would be an easy one. But then you run the risk of catching syphilis and that’s no good. You shouldn’t go near strangers, you can’t talk to anyone.” He drummed his fingers against the bar counter. “Natalya’s gorgeous, but no one can handle that.”

This was ridiculous. Roderich didn’t want this. He didn’t want any of this. Why did he allow himself to be strong-armed into this night? “Stop it, I never asked for this. Both of you, you’ve completely lost it.” His head felt woozy and it wasn’t from the drinks. Their pity was dizzying.

If they heard him, they didn’t care. Something else had caught their attention. “Spain!” Damn Prussia’s voice and how it always carried. Spain was snapped to attention and began waving them over. As he was pushed along, Austria decided this was the worst possible outcome of his life. Forced to travel to a country he found the bane of the civilized world, his only company his ex-wife and the man who was quickly becoming his worst enemy again and humiliating himself before his ex-husband. It would almost be comical if it wasn’t reality.

“My life is a tragedy of errors.” Austria sighed wistfully. He suddenly missed the days where he was on top of the world and wouldn’t be made to suffer such indignities. Though, if he allowed himself to be honest, how much they cared was oddly charming if they weren’t so overzealous.

Spain was equally thrown off by the sight before him, but for much different reasons. “Oh, you three are still keeping up with that getting along thing. I would’ve thought all of you would be tired of each other by now.” He rubbed the back of his neck, laughing. “I miss the fighting, it was much more interesting.”

“If it’ll get you in the mood, we can start hitting each other.” Gilbert shrugged, ignoring the horror on Antonio’s face. “Put the lust back in bloodlust, you know.”

Roderich was staring intently at the floor. He thanked the dim lighting for hiding his blush. “Gilbert, I swear to god. If you keep speaking, it’ll be like the old days in more ways than one.” He spoke through gritted teeth, trying to control the outburst that was begging to be let loose.

Gilbert tried to wink, but due to his intoxication it appeared more as a twitch. “I understand completely. New tactic. I’ll help you loosen up instead.” He started vigorously massaging Roderich’s shoulders. “Shit, you’ve got a lot of tension. What’s got you so stressed out?”

To make matters worse, Erzsébet began giving him a pep talk. She was bouncing around on the balls of her feet with her fists in front of her like a prize fighter. “Rod, you’ve got this. You’ve done this before, you can do it again. Give him the full force of your charm! Start smiling, it makes you look pretty!”

Antonio had not moved from his spot. He watched them closely, unable to contain his laughter. For him, this was an amusing little skit. A performance that could be fully enjoyed. Wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, he smiled. “Are they alright? What’s going on here?”

“They think I’m pathetic so they’re trying to be my wingmen.” Roderich shrugged Gilbert off, glaring at him. “They’re so out of it, I don’t think they realize how much more harm than good they could be doing.”

“Oh, who are they trying to set you up with?”

The three stooges ceased their nonsense. Could Antonio really be that oblivious? Was it not painfully obvious? Then they remembered who they were dealing with. Of course he would be like this. Slowly, acting as if they were dealing with a startled animal, Erzsébet and Gilbert backed away. Roderich could still feel their eyes on them, but for the first time didn’t care.

“That part doesn’t really matter.” Despite the shift in the mood, he wasn’t about to admit his hand so early. That would be more embarrassing than everything that had happened previously. No, not while a spark of hope just reignited itself. “What I’m more interested is in you.” His tongue was too loose. “In what’s been going on with you! How’ve you been, why you’re here.” It was a lackluster recovery, but Antonio didn’t seem to pay it mind.

“You’re really only interested in small talk with me? Roddy, I think we know each other better than that.” Antonio gently bumped him with his shoulder. “I’m not the mystery here. You’re out here, partying, drinking the night away. I couldn’t believe it at first. I thought it was your evil twin.”

Roderich swirled his glass of wine in his hand. “I don’t quite believe it myself. But the mark of a good man is in his acceptance and willingness to change, to be open to experience.” He chuckled, a crass joke coming to mind. “And you know me, I’ll try anything once.”

That won him a surprised and appreciative laugh. Roderich forgot how comfortable Antonio was, how easy his presence was. A part of him had missed this, a part of him he had tucked away many years ago. This was the man that started it all for him. There was a nostalgia there, a sense of belonging and home. Was it memories as substitute for any remaining chemistry? Who was to say? Certainly, he didn’t find himself caring at this moment. Hard questions could be answered tomorrow. Let tonight be for spontaneity.  

As they spoke, the physical and emotional distance kept growing smaller. It was only when their arms were brushing against each other that Roderich fully noticed the lack of personal space. He found himself appraising Antonio’s figure, starting from his toes to his calves to his thighs to his…assets to his chest and lingering in his eyes. “I forgot how nicely you cleaned up. You’ve always looked-” Divine? Beautiful? Stunning? Flirting had never been his forte, much to aggrievement of both his spouses. “Resplendent.”

“Oh, don’t make me blush. Wait, here.” Antonio began futzing with Roderich’s tie, chuckling. “Didn’t get someone to tie the knot for you this time? Let me fix it for you.” In a fluid motion, he made the tie a bit tighter than needed. Their eyes remained locked the whole time, a smirk on the corner of Antonio’s lips and a blush darkening Roderich’s face.

Uproarious cheering broke out throughout the home. The ball had dropped. The new year had begun. Without saying a word, Antonio pulled him in. Their lips met and it felt like renewal. Whatever remained of Roderich’s restraint fell away when Antonio tugged at his lip. What brought him back to reality was the overjoyed sounds of Erzsébet and Gilbert, celebrating in their victory.

He rolled his eyes, a thousand different things coming to mind. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish. What could he bark at them? Their actions had been maddening throughout the whole night. And, while he found how they had behaved degrading for all involved, what did it show him? That, in their very strange way, they truly cared about him. That they didn’t view him as the third wheel who continued to tag along out of habit, but as part of their weird little group was. Whatever the result of the rest of the night, he considered this to be more important.

Friendship. It was the only kind of friendship either of them were capable of – messy and complex and interwoven in ways no other parties could ever fully understand. He valued it most of all.

Roderich held up his watch and tapped it. He couldn’t believe himself. “It’s midnight. You two better catch up with the rest of us.” For the first time in his life, he actually laughed as they grabbed for each other and began kissing (he supposed that’s what it was, it was far too animalistic for his tastes) with frantic energy.

Antonio looped his arm through Roderich’s and began steering him towards the door. “Come on, Cinderella. I’ll walk you back to your hotel room.”

“Such a gentleman.” What a way to ring in the new year.