Bibliotheca Mundi

Chapter 11

Germany opens his eyes. It's been a little more than an hour since he fell asleep. Looking around him, he sits up on the bed, scratching the back of his head. The room is empty. The doctor wasn't there, nor Switzerland. "What happened..." The only person with him was Italy, sitting at the desk with his head in his crossed arms, sleeping. Walking up to him, Germany gently shakes his shoulder to wake him up. "Italy !"

Italy straightens up in a quick move, gasping, and smiles widely at the sight of the man in front of him. "Germany !!" he yells in joy, as he jumps to embrace him. "You finally woke up ! I'm so happy ! How do you feel !?"

Now remembering the reason they were here, Germany takes a minute to think. He rewinds every day in his mind, until he reaches the moment everything changed. No matter how hard he tries, he doesn't seem to remember anything. Sure, he knows they came here to erase a memory from a month ago, when he went to fight, however, he is not able to tell what it was about. As of now, that day feels like a regular memory.

"Germany ?" Italy calls him. It's been an entire minute since Germany was looking up at the wall with a blank expression.

Italy's voice made him snap back to reality. "Oh, well... I don't seem to remember anything... horrible ? I guess it worked." he concludes, looking down at the Italian.

Italy couldn't believe how easy it was. In less than an hour, all those memories vanished. All the pain is gone. All the suffering forgotten. And all it took was to erase some lines in a Book. His eyes sparking, Italy grasps on to the front of Germany's shirt and jumps out of happiness, letting out small cries of joy. From now on, Germany is healed. That's all that matters.

"Are you crying ?" Germany asks, a quiet half chuckle escaping his mouth.

Rubbing his cheeks and eyes to wipe away the tears that started pouring out, Italy lets out a sigh as he looks up at his man. He missed seeing that faint smile on his face. "He has no idea what he went through..." he thinks, standing on his tip-toes to reach that smile for a short, gentle kiss. "They're happy tears~"

With a sigh of relief, Germany passes his hand through Italy's hair, lifting his bangs to better see him. "Good." Suddenly, he's reminded by the silence of the room that they're alone. "By the way, where is everyone ?"

"Oh, after everything was done, we just had to wait for you to wake up ! But Switzerland got busy, so he had to leave, and the man said there's nothing more to do, so he left, and told me we can just leave once you're up ! He even gave you some snacks, look !" Italy exclaims, pointing at the desk. There, was a protein bar, with a glass of water. "I've never seen sweets like that before, but he told me you'll need it !"

Picking it up and reading what it is, Germany quietly says, "Of course you didn't..." before putting it in his pocket and taking a quick sip of water. "Let's go."

Once the couple was back at Germany's home, Italy stayed the night in to take the plane back to his country the next morning. He hasn't been feeling this light in weeks, not having to worry anymore about Germany's well being, nor about his surrendering. Now he can finally fully dedicate himself to protect his own territory. Soon enough, he was a few blocks away from home, where Romano was waiting for him. "I can't wait to finally be home, and tell big brother about Germany !" he daydreams with a happy smile on his face. A few minutes later he's standing in front of the door, that he quickly opens before running inside the house, shouting happily. "Romano !! Guess who's home~! Oh, here you-"

His sentence got interrupted by a slap in the face. "YOU !!"

Still processing what just happened, Italy slowly puts a hand over his red cheek. It hurt, badly. His eyes filling up with tears, he got hurt a second time once he recognized Romano's voice.

"Fuck !! Where the heck have you been ?? Look what you've done, traitor !!!"

Unable to talk, Italy stays silent, not daring to look up. Tears were dropping down on the floor. He perfectly knew what he was talking about.

"You took it all, right ?! Answer ! Answer you stupid retard !!"

He stays silent.

"What did you use all our savings for !? Huh ??" Hearing no answer, Romano raises his hand again. "Don't tell me you bastard used it for your fucking pot-"

"Hey hey stop there Romano !" Spain rushed in just in time to hold back Romano's wrist. "Are you in your right mind !?"

"Fuck you !! We're in a war, we're out of money, and you're asking if I am in my right mind ??"

"It's not a reason to fight !"

Not paying attention to him, Romano frees his hand and grasps on to Italy's shoulders, digging his nails in and shaking him. "You fucking asshole !! Dumb ! Stupid !! Answer, you jerk !!"

Spain once again tries to stop the mad Italian by pulling him away, to no avail. His brother's silence keeps driving him crazier, and he reaches for the neck. "ANSWER !!"

"Enough !!" Spain finally succeeds to separate the two, sending Romano upstairs with a hit behind his head. "Go calm down, and don't come back until you're willing to apologize !!"

"Me ? Apologize !? For fucking what ?? He's the one who should apologize, look what he's do-"

"Go or I'll do to you what you've done to him !"

Staring at Spain with a frown for a few silent seconds, breathing heavily, Romano answers in a more quiet voice, "Go fuck yourself." and goes to his room, loudly slamming the door closed.

"You're alright ?"

Everything went so fast. Still standing against the wall, his hands over his neck and his cheeks wet, Italy doesn't move. It takes him some time to process what just happened. He couldn't help but feel hurt but guilty at the same time.

"Italy ?"

He slowly slides down along the wall, hiding his face against his knees that he holds together with his arms. He wishes he could disappear. Go far away. Somewhere where war and money don't exist. Not able to hold his emotions in anymore, he lets them out in loud sobs.

Spain kneels down beside Italy. He understand both brothers' reactions, yet he can't defend only one of them. Both were right, and both were wrong. "Don't worry, I'm here to help. I'm sure Romano didn't mean it..." he whispers, in an attempt to comfort the crying Italian, only making him cry louder and throwing himself on Spain's chest. Not knowing what else to do, Spain hugs him, and lets him cry. Only once both brothers will regain their composure will they be able to discuss about the situation, and he was aware it might take a long time.