Work Text:
Romano struggled hard not to fall asleep during the meeting. Couldn't have Feliciano gone by himself? He's the one doing most for their country anyways. Altough, if he did, Romano would've still followed. He wants to know what's going on and believes that even if less active, he still is Italy, and is important.
This meeting was supposed to disguss some new ideas for changing the economy, but it seems to be going nowhere.
On his right is Feliciano, managing to listen to America carefully while blabbering and annoying Germany at the same time. Romano still doesn't know why his brother likes that country so much. He kept talking about new recipes he found, no one but Romano, and maybe France, understanding what he was on about.
On his left he could hear America going on and on about being the hero. It's baffling how he never gets tired of it.
With everything being so loud it was hard to focus and Romano quickly got tired of just trying. He wanted to listen to America, just in case Feliciano misses something. Still, his words kept getting mixed up, the two conversations overlapping each other.
At least with his younger brother elbowing him by accident with his too sudden arm movements he kept waking up seconds after he doses off.
"So I was thinking, if me and Canada wanted to work together, we could be the biggest chips producers in all of history! Then I could sell it all to the poor countries and be the hero!" America ranted, startling everyone.
The meeting room fell quiet, even Feliciano, much to Germany's relief, shut his mouth and glanced around the table.
"Um… Canada?" someone asked what everybody's been wondering.
"Yeah! My bro! You agree with me, right Matt?" America pointed on the left, not touched by anybody's reaction. Romano looked at the indicated direction carefully, finally notcing Canada.
He hadn't realised the guy was present at all. Now he wondered why and how he had forgotten of him. It seemed like all the countries, except maybe France and Russia but they were hard to read, were thinking the same.
At first sight the country looked an awful lot like America, but only a few seconds more and he seems like a completely different person, easy to distinguish. He'd probably spend more time observing him, suddenly interested in his features, but everybody else was still here too.
Canada held onto his bear tighter, seemingly chatting with him. He awkwardly smiled at the others, getting the same reaction from them in response.
"O-oh, Canada! Of course you were here! Sorry for that" England was the only country who dared to speak up, getting a slight nod from the guy.
Right after that everyone moved on, some stayed more uncomfortable than the others, but to Romano it looked like they all once again forgot about Canada's existence. He deadpanned, leaning further into his chair. The odd situation left him to wonder, how many times has this happened already? Has he also been forgetting the guy the moment the focus shifted away from him?
He tried remembering every detail about Canada he could. America's brother, mainly quiet. Romano could only go as far as this, a few historical facts and two other interactions he had with the guy. All basically the same as this one.
It was almost sad. Romano doesn't enjoy other countries' presence, but he talked with each of them at least once. Yet Canada seemed to be nothing more but a shadow, flying over his head each time he sees him.
Romano observed the guy from across the table. He didn't look sad, discouraged, or however a normal person would after this. No, he was smiling. Looking down at the table with a proud expression. Why? Being forgotten by others is utterly embarrassing. Romano knows that feeling far too well. So what, was this guy some kind of masochist? He didn't look like one, but considering he was America's brother, it wouldn't be too surprising. Though maybe he shouldn't be judging him just yet.
The meeting ended with no person acknowledging Canada again.
Because of America's endless yap about everything but what was important, they're forced to continue the meeting next week, this time not letting him voice too many of his opinions.
Canada hadn't escaped Romano's mind for even a second during said week.
He noticed a lot of similar stuff between him and himself. Or rather, one he was sure of that wouldn't leave the back of his mind. He thought of their brothers, much more reconognisable and extroverted. How him and Canada stayed in their shadows, rarely to never getting approached.
Romano wasn't a very approachable person on his own, but that was besides the point. That's why he thought that maybe, just maybe, Canada was someone he could relate to. He would be equal to. Not being seen as the 'worse' brother.
With that hope, that one little chance, he decided to approach the country.
Feliciano noticed his brother walking away from his usual seat, smiled and gave him a thumbs up. That slightly threw Romano off, but he didn't make much of it.
"S'cuse me?" he started, startling the Canadian. "Can I sit here?" Romano tried looking as casual as possible, hands in his pockets and a nonchalant expression. Lots of time passed since the last time he tried at being polite.
Canada stared at him, his mouth slightly opened. He's actually been asked a question? Usually people just sat next to him without doing anything further, not even reconognising there's anyone beside them. No, there's no way South Italy of all people would speak to him. Maybe he'd believe it if it was France or by a chance England, but Italy? He must've confused him for America. Once Alfred shows up he's either going to move or stay quiet, making sure not to make eye contact. This has happened before. Matthew should just play along.
He nodded with a feeble smile and watched Romano's shoulders relax as he sat down, or rather fell down onto the chair considering how harsh it was.
That made it look as if the guy really cared about sitting next to Alfred. It made Canada feel a bit guilty, made him want to speak up and explain, but now that Romano looked comfortable, he ended up shutting his mouth up.
South Italy was one of the most interesting countries, especially personality wise. To be honest, Matthew looked up to him.
Even with such a brother as Feliciano, so outgoing, loud and positive, Romano still managed to make a name for himself. He was so much different, so confident, assertive. Sometimes when Canada watched him interact with the others, he wished he could be like that too. Because of that, having him mistake Matthew for his brother, he couldn't help but feel a little sad. He'd love to talk to Romano sometime, but that's plainly impossible.
The doors busted open as Alfred made his way into the meeting room, accompanied by a visibly irritated Arthur. It was always a relief seeing them like that. Even if they weren't good, it reminded Canada of the old times.
He was snapped away from his thoughts as he remembered that by now, Romano should've realised he was mistaken. Matthew shot a glance at him, wondering what type of reaction he'd have.
It's pretty embarrassing, but he liked observing people. After all, after being left out of every occurring conversation, he didn't have much left. All the other countries always react, even if only slightly, differently from each other. Canada grew to be noticing the small dissimilarities, and to start adoring them.
To his surprise, Alfred's presence didn't seem to strike any attention in Romano. It was weird even for him.
South Italy has some of the funniest reactions when it comes to various stuff. Canada likes looking at the Italian brothers specifically. Sometimes they seem like opposites, yet they usually tend to handle what's thrown at them the same way. He also can't lie, but seeing how angry Romano gets at some of the things the other countries say, or the faces he makes whenever his brother interacts with Germany always brightens up his day. It's just so funny.
He expected something like a slight surprise, quickly covered by either annoyance or brooding. Yet he got nothing. Romano did notice America, he was staring at him, but didn't move, his body or expression didn't shift. It was almost concerning.
Maybe he's staring at Alfred so intensely, trying to figure out why there's two of them? That's silly, but it has happened to Canada before. He should clear the confusion and tell him who he is. That's the right thing to do.
"Hey, that's actually America. I'm not him" he confirmed, pointing at his brother, both happy with himself for being honest and dissapointed he once again was forced to go through this.
Instead of a normal response, Romano glared at him with slight confusion. There it goes, the South Italy everyone knew. Canada didn't know what to expect next, getting yelled or scoffed at. He didn't get either. "Yeah I know. You're Canada. It's kinda obvious"
This time it was Matthew's turn to stare at the other. He knows? Like actually? How? Since when? He awed, simply surprised. Romano kept looking at him too, the long eye contact not uncomfortable, but definetly making the both of them feel weird.
"I would rather jump off this very building than sit down next to that American bastard" the country added, first to look away from the other's face, a bit uptight. Canada couldn't help but giggle a bit. It was the first time anyone besides England insulted America, hinting at Matthew being better. The way Romano did it was comical on itself too.
He never knew the day someone notices him would come. That alone is amazing, and adding talking to him to the fact? It felt like paradise. Canada was overwhelmed with so many positive emotions he didn't know what to say, ending up just smiling cheerfully at Kumajiro.
After the meeting began and the emotions calmed down, he started doubting the situation. It was great, but why? Why would Romano notice him and especially want to sit down next to him? Does he want something? He can't think of anything Italy would need from Canada. Besides, Feliciano is usually the one taking care of that stuff, isn't he? Romano isn't going behind his brother's back, he wouldn't talk to Canada in front of everyone if he were.
He once again shot a glance at the Italian, this time without anything energetic, rather nervous and unsure. It took a while for Romano to notice that, but not as long as some others, Alfred, usually took.
The eye contact began once again, this time making both men nervous, wondering about the other's intentions.
Romano's head was filled with different, overlapping thoughts and doubts. Did Canada want to be left alone after all? Maybe he was mistaken, and they're not even barely similar. Maybe he should've went back to ignoring him. But the guy didn't seem angry, more scared than anything. Why would he be scared? Obviously Romano knows what type of person he appears to be, aggressive, rude, that's exactly what he's going for. But he never once considered that would affect his social life badly. It never has before. At least not enough for him to care.
At first, he wanted to yell at Canada, maybe throw in a few insults, but he stopped himself from that. Instead, he asked as politely as he could: "What?"
Maybe not as polite as he thought it'd be.
Matthew jumped a bit, but calmed down as quickly. "Um, it's just. I'm wondering why you'd want to sit with me, I mean, Italy is present too. Don't you always sit together?"
Romano took a glimpse at his brother before looking back right into Canada's eyes.
"What, you think I can only want to spend time with him?" he debated, his voice much more aggressive than his face.
Does that mean he wants to spend time with Canada instead? That's absurd. What's with the sudden switch up? Neither of the Italian brothers ever noticed him before. He must need something.
"Hey uh, if you want a favor or anything, you can just ask. I don't mind" Matthew explained, playing with his fingers out of nervousness.
"And where did that come from? My country is as great as it could be, I don't need anything!" he persisted, his position shifting from crossed arms to hands in pockets.
"I- Yeah, I know, Italy's great, I just" before the abashed Canada could finish, America stood up and started screaming about the freedom of speech. Almost everybody either rolled their eyes or shook their heads. He expected a similar reaction from Romano. The guy usually glares at Alfred when he makes a scene, or goes as far as commenting it to the people around him, which usually goes unnoticed by them. It never seemed to bother him, which is another reason Matthew looked up to him so much. This time though, his focus didn't shift. He kept looking at Canada.
That was what threw Matthew off instead. So, he didn't continue the growing argument, resorting to ignoring the other country, as rude as that is. This was pointless, the only thing he managed to do was angry the only country that distinguished him from Alfred without any help of others.
They didn't share a word till the end of the meeting, Matthew trying to stay calm and Romano cursing himself quietly in his language a few times.
Of course, Canada stayed as the last one in the room. Everyone left already, busy with their countries' politics. He should leave aswell, but again, he really likes observing the others. He likes looking at their faces, eavesdropping what they thought of the meeting.
It used not to be like that. His country is as important and busy as any other. But lately, he grew tired of the whole thing, thankful the politics aren't as complicated as some others. He found he does have more time than them, and as disappointing as that is, he got used to the fact.
He should be happy he has more free time. He's proud his country isn't as problematic and time consuming, but sometimes it makes him feel lesser than the others. It's just another factor that adds to how boring he is.
Obviously he wouldn't want to invade anybody's privacy, so even if a certain conversation interests him, he doesn't follow after the person. That would be creepy. That's how he always ended up leaving as the last one.
He turned off the lights, locked the doors, hid the keys in their designated place, and made his way out of the building.
The sun was covered by lots of grey clouds. The world overally seemed to have bad weather today, but Italy appeared to be most affected by it. Canada could only guess it's going to rain soon. The wind was strong and cold, thankfully he brought his coat along. Kumajiro complained, but Matthew was too tired by the day to care.
"Hey" he suddenly heard from behind. Upon turning to that direction he saw Romano, leaning on the building's walls with crossed arms. He also was dressed warmly, a stylish black coat paired with not fitting it orange scarf.
Did Canada get himself in trouble? Italy doesn't seem like the kind of country to declare war or start conflicts with anyone for no further reason, but could he really be sure? You have to be careful with the other countries, a single argument could end terribly. He gulped when he saw Romano walking towards him.
"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have acted the way I did, but I really have to get home now, it's a long way from Europe and the planes don't fly that often!" Canada stressed, slightly moving away. For the first time in his life, he hoped he'd get mistaken for America.
Romano stopped, once again wearing the jumbled expression he had during most of the meeting.
"What? Wait" he grabbed his head as if it were hurting. "Heck are you apologising for?"
"I, uh" Matthew didn't know either. Now that he looks at him, Romano doesn't seem angered. Now both of them are just confused.
"Okay, listen" South Italy continued, glaring at the ground like it killed his grandpa. "I'm the one who should be saying sorry. I yelled at you for no reason, so uh, yeah. Sorry" he spat out more quietly than Matthew has ever heard him talk. A confession like that seemed oddly out of character for him.
He didn't know how to react. So again, he stared at Romano with eyes wide open. Something tells him this will happen lots of times in the future.
"You taking the apology or not?" Romano bursted out, back to his old self, slightly blushing of anger and embarrassment. Canada smiled in response, happy there is no conflict. That simple reaction stopped the Italian from further yelling. "So um, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to get waffles? There's a good booth not far away from here"
"You wanna… Hang out? With me?" Canada pointed at himself, nearly dropping Kumajiro during the motion and getting kicked by him as a reasonable response. He almost asked if Italy knows he's not America again, but the country made that pretty clear by now.
Romano nodded carefully, back to looking at the ground, uncertain. He even bit his cheek.
"Sure" Matthew agreed, him now a bit embarrassed aswell. He hasn't been asked that for such a long time now! Okay, maybe a few times by Alfred, but that's literally his brother. And the reason he usually isn't asked to hang out by the others. Nevermind that.
As they walked beside each other in silence, Canada's mind was too occupied to notice what was around him. He still has no idea what Romano would want from him. Not any favor, that he established, but for what other reason would he be willing to spend so much time with him? Did he suddenly notice another person in the room and felt bad? That'd make Matthew look pretty pathetic.
It's not like he minded the company though. He missed spending time with other people, and if he were to choose, Romano would be one of the first picks to go somewhere with.
While Canada's mind was occupied with other stuff, the other country took his sweet time observing him. He looked much different than his brother, to the point where he wondered how he could've missed him so many times. His face was slightly softer, the features making him appear more welcoming. His hair curled in a completely divergent way. They were fluffier, also seemingly softer. If he could, he'd touch them just to make sure, but that's plainly weird. The way Canada dressed was awfully different aswell, and much to Romano's judgment, better.
"Here ya go" the Italian pointed at the waffle booth almost in front of them. Matthew looked around, only now noticing how far away they've gone. Is this what Europeans count as 'close'? Or maybe it's because of the amount of buildings all between them. Italy is easy to get lost in.
He looked at the menu, written all in italian. Awkward.
"Want me to read it for you?" Romano suggested, noticing his own mistake. Canada nodded, feebly blushing because of the short discomfort. Romano ignored the way his stomach twisted at the sight.
South Italy had no idea how much Matthew loved maple syrup. The moment he read it on the menu, the country practically jumped from excitement and started praising Italy as a whole. It was great listening to how amazing his country is, since it was true, but he found it kind of endearing that a syrup was what spiked that reaction.
From that moment on, Canada didn't want to shut up for a second, making Romano notice even more diversity between him and his brother. It was that the way this guy spoke was interesting, calming, bearable, while the other had an annoying voice, annoying wording and all on itself just talked too much.
He's sure that if Matthew was speaking up more during the meetings, it'd be lot easier to pay attention.
Spending time with Canada was better than Romano imagined. He thought he'd find an acquaintance, instead by now he wanted nothing more but to keep spending more and more time with him. For the probably first time, Romano really wanted a friend in somebody. It's humiliating.
For that mere moment he even understood Feliciano. If his brother felt like that with Germany, who was annoying, dumb, awful and ate potatoes so it made him ten times worse than Canada, who definetly ate less of them, then he could try tolerating the guy just for Feliciano's sake.
Everything was going fine. Until it started raining.
Both countries ran into the nearest hideaway as quickly as possible. Canada didn't even notice the rain until Romano didn't yell it right into his face. He couldn't ignore how cool it was that the guy was so invested in talking that he didn't notice getting increasingly more wet from the water pouring all around them.
Canada, on the other hand, was struggling hard not to laugh when Romano kept cursing in italian. It was fairly cute. He didn't notice how much he was staring at South Italy until they didn't catch eye contact.
Romano glared and Matthew, but right after his face softened, making the Canadian witness him so calm for the first time. He usually keeps his angry demeanor around people, he himself didn't even realise he wasn't keeping it at this very moment.
"Want to go to my place? Dry off and wait through the rain. I doubt you could get to the station in one piece" Romano suggested, his voice so calm and soothing it was almost surprising. He seemed done, let down. Canada felt a bit bad. It's not like he doesn't like rain, the day isn't ruined at all, yet Italy seemed to see it that way.
So he gave a reassuring smile and instead of nodding like he does with others, he agreed normally. "I'd love to. It'd rather not get a cold on my way back"
It was much harder to settle down in Romano's house than Canada expected. Honestly, this guy seems to be surprising him on every step. It was really fun. Though this time, he wondered how the Italian lived in such conditions.
The house looked, more or less, abandoned. On the very first glance you notice the spider webs in the corners, the unwashed dishes, dust. His room was even worse. Piles of clothing making the chair look like a couch, stuff thrown around everywhere. It was as if South Italy was never taught how to clean.
But of course, Canada was a guest, so he didn't put much of his attention on it and tried ignoring it. It's not like it was an issue, just an observation. At least there was no food leftovers like you'd find in America's mansion.
The Italian brothers both seem to be really fixated on different kinds of foods, so that was to be expected.
Matthew always loved listening in to the brothers talking about different recipes or restaurants during the meeting's breaks. He always was interested in cooking and baking, the latter one becoming his side hobby after the first try, and he can't deny he learned a lot from the Italians.
He liked listening to their chatter, sometimes imagining himself joining in and being part of it. It's a bit stupid now that he thinks about it. Altough, after this whole day, he can't help but hope that will come true. That Romano won't forget about his existence the next morning, that they'll keep hanging out.
He doubts that will happen. Everyone forgets him, he understands why. America is so reconognisable compared to his brother. But he will keep holding onto that hope. Spending time with Romano is a lot more entertaining than he'd imagined.
For an example, right now South Italy was complaining about Feliciano and Ludwig's relationship and how often they hung out. Apparently today the two decided to go to Germany and stay there for a few weeks. Romano just couldn't understand why his brother would go to such a place.
"I think Germany's a very pretty place! Altough, I've only been there for meetings. I'd love to see it some other time. But, maybe it's more of a friendly visit?" Matthew thought out loud. He was now sitting on the ground right beside Romano, both laying on his bed's edges.
Even though the place was messy, it helped create a nice atmosphere. Most importantly, it didn't stink. Instead, the room smelled a lot like Romano himself, now that Canada thinks about it. Usually the smell of spices made his nose sting, but shockingly not in this case. The room smelled of basil, rosemary, parsley and a few other he couldn't reconognise. It was a surprisingly soothing smell combination.
He usually doesn't pay attention to how people smell out of all things, but this made him wonder if this is what he'd feel if he got close to Romano, outside his house.
"Friendly? And what's so friend-like in Germany, hah?" South Italy responded, adding a few italian curse words Matthew couldn't understand before continuing. "He's so annoying and rude! I would never. He's so overrated and stuff, just taking Feliciano's attention that he doesn't deserve!"
"I mean, maybe, but they're still friends, right?" Canada laughed under his breath. The way Romano just kept getting angrier and angrier was almost charming.
"Well they shouldn't be" Romano muttered, pouting.
A comfortable silence fell for a few minutes before Matthew got the courage to try and keep the memory of himself alive for longer.
"Maybe you should visit Canada sometime?" he asked, taking Romano aback. "As in, to see what visiting a friend is like…? I uhm, visited Cuba the other day and I think I can understand your brother's perspective, so I just thought…"
"Alright. Whatever gets me away from that Germany bastard" the Italian cut him off, once again ignoring the weird way in which his stomach twisted. He'd love to visit another country, he's never been invited anywhere as a quote on quote 'friend'. The sheer suggestion made him feel so happy, so weak. Feliciano would handle this much better. Heck, he'd be inviting himself.
Canada's happiness grew as the nervousness blew away. He can show someone his country! Like actually! South Italy is interested in his country, not America, not any other, but his! He felt proud, thankful, ecstatic. Surely Romano wouldn't forget about a visit somewhere, would he?
They kept talking until they got tried. Even when they got tired, they didn't want to sleep. Neither of them believed the other would keep wanting to be friends after today, so neither of them wanted the day to end.
But, after the third time Matthew yawned in the matter of two minutes, Romano accepted that both of them probably need some sleep. Dissapointed, he sighed and decided to stare and the Canadian's face as the words he spoke muffled slowly, until he didn't fall asleep.
Matthew's latest hockey game description was interrupted by a sudden weight on his arm. Upon checking, he found out South Italy just might've fallen asleep. He wondered if it's because of the hour, or if the way he talked was boring enough to put him to sleep. With the other's head laying on his shoulder, Canada didn't know wheter he should move or not.
He found himself enjoying this position.
That was, until he started shivering. Matthew was used to the cold, liking winter more than summer, but he figured it might not be the case for Romano. He nervously looked around the trashed room, suddenly thankful with how many stuff was out of its place. It had a certain charm to itself.
As careful as he could, Matthew moved Romano's head away and stood up to get him the pizza blanket that was slightly visible under the pile of clothes on his chair. It seemed clean and fluffy enough to make him warm. He turned off the light and made his way back to the Italian.
He scanned his face, still noticing the features even in the dark. People saying him and Feliciano look familiar were basically telling myths. He could stare at Romano's face for hours analysing the differences.
The initial plan was to cover the man with the blanket and find another spot to lay down on, but now, Matthew didn't really like the idea. So instead, he sat back down to where he was, pulling the blanket over both of them and trying his best to fall asleep.
Their shoulders touched, Canada thankful that's all there was to the inconvenience. He wouldn't want to invade anybody's space. After a long, boring attempt at sleep he glanced at Romano, wondering how the man managed to do it so quickly in a sitting position.
South Italy's face was calm, calmer than he thought it could be. It was nice to look at, his features now more apparent. At a point, Canada got so close he almost confirmed his theory about how the man smells like. Embarrassed, he tried not to pay attention to it, but once it got its way into his mind, it didn't want to leave. He could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest, figured it's because of the shameful position.
Even in such a place, such a situation, Canada felt right. At home. Usually he'd be uncomfortable or something of sorts, but here he felt oddly safe, relaxed.
He tried napping once again, this time it was even more difficult than the previous attempt. It's because the moment he closed his eyes, the images of the day appeared. Or rather, the images of Romano from today. When he laughed at a kid falling off a bike, whenever he got flustered, how invested he was in Canada's blabber, how funny it was that they seemed to be so scared of each other just this morning and most importantly - how he saw Matthew for who he was. Not America, not the guy that looked like America, but himself. All that made him feel secure, free, and what's worse of it, dizzy.
At least said dizziness really helped him dose off and finally get some rest.
"Italy, are you sure this is a good idea?" Ludwig doubted, shivering from the cold of both the air and the rain. He wasn't prepared for this type of weather at all. Italy, on the other hand, seemed to be doing just fine, as energetic as ever.
"Oh come on, Germany, Romano would love to have us! Besides, his house is closer than mine, and we're already here, aren't we?" Feliciano responded, forcing his way into his brother's house instead of knocking like a proper person should.
At least that's just his brother, so the behavior should be excused. Germany didn't have any other choice but to enter the house aswell, sick of the cold and the long walk to South Italy's place.
Who would've thought the rain would be so bad they'd close the train station? Apparently it's even worse on Germany's side, as much as he heard from the conductor. It's not like he didn't like South Italy as a country, but Romano was pretty problematic. Germany doubts he would be happy to see him, especially in the middle of the night.
Feliciano though, didn't seem to think of it that way at all. He quickly ran to Romano's room, taking off only his shoes and not even making an attempt at drying himself first. Germany sighed, mentally getting ready to take care of a sick Italy.
The Italian opened the door to his brother's room, ready to yell something and wake him up, before noticing his brother wasn't on the bed as he should be.
Instead, he was on the ground, under the blanket he promised to wash about two months ago. And right beside was. Who was that? Right, America's brother, Canada.
Feliciano grinned proudly. He knew something was going on with Lovino, it was too obvious, but he wasn't sure until seeing this.
Romano's head was resting on Canada's shoulder, Canada's head on his. Their arms basically hugging each other, both so close in the dark they almost looked like one weird entity. Both under one blanket. Canada's glasses fell a bit, staying on his face by pure luck, while Romano's mouth was slightly opened, making it look a lot funnier than it usually would be.
There also was a bear on Lovino's bead? Italy brushed it off quickly, not finding it weird even a single bit.
He closed the door slowly, but didn't make any further effort to be quiet, instead screaming at Germany about the whole thing almost immediately.