BigFanOfHeroes

It is twelve minutes past three on a greyish autumn Italian night – grey with long clouds and steel streetlights – and Veneziano is making coffee. He moves like a trapped moth around the kitchen, opening drawers and touching the rows of shadow-gleaming glass jars, and fiddles with the turn of a knife handle. There is cold trapped between his toes, but he moves unaware upon the stone tiles in his loose t-shirt and thin pyjama trousers: mismatching, solid black on his torso and pale blue pinstripes tickling his calves. He turns on a tile's perpendicular edge, up on one toe, arms out and fingers tapping at the air, and sings soft and h

Romano licks his lower lip nervously, attempting to surreptitiously wipe his palm on the side of his trousers as England looks sharply at him from over his sheaf of papers. Perhaps it had been a bad idea simply to grab England's arm now that they are alone after the meeting. Perhaps Romano ought to have asked him out to dinner first: wine, candles, maybe some romantic music. That would have set the atmosphere so much better, and provided a backdrop to what Romano is about to say – and maybe, just maybe, it would have given him some time to calm his nerves. Probably it would have made it worse, though, he acknowledges. But England has lo

As the New Year's Day celebrations wound down, a Spaniard and an Italian sat on the roof of the Spaniard's house, an empty bottle lay on the floor as they discussed their respective countries attributes "It's well documented Roma! Spain is the land of passion after all!" "Yeah well, Italians can persuade anyone to love them" Spain stared at Romano, he'd heard a lot of unexpected facts from him, but this one he felt needed backing up "I somehow doubt that, mi amigo! You're cute, but I've never seen you be exactly…friendly" "S-shut up, bastard! I can be when I want to be" "I have never seen this." "So? I don't see you like that, pe

"Why do we have to have a World meeting right at the start of the year anyway?" Romano glanced around the room, most of Europe and the America's were hung-over, the Asian's were comparatively better off, but that was only because most of them would be celebrating later in the year. The meeting went as could be expected, America had some ridiculous idea which was promptly shot down, France attempted to chat up anyone who glanced his way, Greece fell asleep, so Turkey woke him up by kicking his chair out from under him, and most irritating was the way that his stupid little brother was all over Germany as he tried to establish some sort of or

Romano felt a small smile spread across his face as he shifted in the uncomfortable aeroplane seat. This bet might not be as bad as he'd feared; he actually had a surprising amount in common with the Englishman. Only where to go from here? He frowned, from what he'd heard, or rather overheard, mainly from France, if he came on too strong, he could scare him off. Although admittedly, Romano would have been scared as well if France had ever tried half the things he'd tried on England, luckily Spain had had enough sense to 'dissuade' France from attempting it with him. On the other hand, he didn't want England to think he'd forgotten about it, o

Over the next few weeks, Romano made it a habit to ring England and soon found himself looking forward to the phone conversations with the Brit. Not that he actually liked him or anything! But…there was no reason why he couldn't at least try to enjoy himself a bit while he was doing this right? Which is why he was surprised when England mentioned something unexpected "I have to come to Italy for some diplomatic reasons soon. Do you want to meet up again? I have to admit I enjoyed your conversation last time" Romano gave a start. Seriously, this was too easy! "Umm, yeah sure, that's sounds…good, yeah! " He frowned afterwards thoug

Romano stood there for a few minutes watching the Englishman in the rain before shaking himself. He-he must be a damn good actor right? To be thinking those sorts of thoughts… "Oi, you'll catch a cold if you keep standing there like that, idiot!" England seemed to stop of it, frowning for a minute as if he'd forgotten where he was "Oh…Romano…" "Are all the English complete idiots or are you just 'special'?" Romano frowned, glaring at the man England paused, pushing his wet hair away from his face "...is it that surprising?" "Well I don't know about you, but most people round here know that when it starts raining you go som

Once again, the Bad Touch Trio found themselves slumped against the bar as Spain recounted what had happened in Italy "And then he after he said that, he just pushed me out and closed the door in my face!" The other two sighed "Are you a masochist Toni? I thought you went to call the bet off?" "Mmm, I did, but…" "But what? Or did…" France cut off his berating off the man as his phone interrupted "Don't think I'm done with you, Bonjour?" "France?" "Angleterre?" This got the attention of the other two nations. Prussia mouthed "Was? [What?]" France shrugged "To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure, mon cher?" There was a pau

The phone rang. Romano frowned as he got up to answer it, wondering who it could be, hardly anyone rang him in the middle of the day "Pronto?" "Fratello?" "Who else would it be, idiot?" "Umm well, it could have been…" "Never mind, why are you calling me in the middle of the day, fratello? Are you alright?" Romano tried to ignore the slight fear that had begun to gnaw at him. Veneciano hardly ever rang at this time unless it was urgent. There was silence on the other end of the phone, no voice came but what sounded like fidgeting was heard. "Fratello?" Romano could hear the worry edging into his voice "Are you hurt?" "Ah! N-no I am