kiramaru7 | Cross-posted from hetachallenge

Title: The Trouble with Vows…
Author: kira
Claim: Germany, Italy
Character(s): Germany, Italy
Table/Prompt: Romance/ Prompt #8: Vow
Word Count: 547
Rating: G
Summary: Germany makes a vow that upsets Italy because of the painful memories it dredges up…
Author’s Note: Thanks to my beta, Jen, for looking this over. I also like to think that HRE, who’s vaguely alluded too here, grows up to become Germany

“I promise I’ll always look after you, Italy…” Germany said shyly as he held out his pinky. “I swear it!”

Italy smiled sadly. “I know…” He sighed softly.

“But?” Germany prompted. He dropped his hand.

“Ve… Germany?”

“What?”

“You remember that boy I told you about? The one I said I loved when I was little.”

“Yeah. And?”

“Well… he said that to me too,” Italy said as his eyes welled up with tears. “And then he went off to war and never came back.”

“I know.” Germany clasped his little buddy on the shoulder. “But we survived two wars together and everyone’s boss wants peace now.”

Italy nodded. “But there are still some crazy bosses out there, Germany.”

“I know, but everyone is working hard to keep the fighting to a minimum. America said he’s bringing his troops home.”

“But there’s still fighting in the Middle East,” Italy countered, his fears for his friend’s safety making him obstinately belabor the point.

Germany sighed. “Cooler heads will eventually prevail, Italy. Besides, nothing is ever permanent. Look at Russia, for awhile he was calling himself the Soviet Union and now he’s back to being just Russia.”

“I know and I know Nonno Roma came and went… but, but… look at China! He’s older than dirt!”

Germany could not help chuckling over that. “That’s certainly true.”

“Yeah…” Italy sighed softly as he still felt miserable and was deathly afraid he would lose Germany to some stupid conflict that turned into an all out war. He had come very close at the end of WWII to losing him because of their bosses’ stupidity and fears, and the thought of never seeing him again or hearing him bark orders at him, or something as simple as going out for gelato with him, was always in the back of his mind. He looked away, unable to bear looking at him.

“Italy…?”

“What?” Italy glanced up at him.

“I honestly can’t see myself or my boss ordering me to go to war in the foreseeable future. I really can’t.” Germany gripped his little buddy’s shoulders.

Italy burst into tears. He clung to Germany while he cried himself out. “I can’t help it…” he hiccupped.

Germany blushed. Putting his arms around the smaller country, he simply held him. He had his own set of worries about his little buddy, so he completely understood; still, he could not help the rising panic he felt over what to do, due to his inexperience with relationships. So he simply said the first thing that popped into his head, “You want to go get some gelato?” which mercifully did the trick.

Italy looked up at him and smiled. Wiping away his tears, he said, “Yeah!”

His lips twitching upwards in a brief smile, Germany stepped back from him and said, “Let’s go.”

“Okay!” Grabbing his friend’s hand, Italy pulled him along in the direction of his favorite gelato stand. His fears may not have been totally forgotten, but there was something about Germany’s expression that reminded him of that boy again and the vow he had made when he looked back over his shoulder at him as he rode off to battle.

“I promise one day I’ll be back…”

Italy smiled, thinking maybe he did return after all…