Chapter Text
This world is different.
Countries aren’t just lines on a map. Every one has someone who represents them. We live as long as our countries do, carrying their history with us. We remember wars that normal people only know from books, borders that cease to exist anymore, and people whose names have been forgotten.
We’re called nations.
Being a nation isn’t always as nice as it sounds. We have responsibilities. We have governments to answer to. We have people to protect, borders to defend, and sometimes wars we never wanted to fight. We can make friends, but we’re still expected to put our countries first.
I’ve never been particularly good at that.
My name is Feliciano Vargas, I’m known as Italy. I’ve always believed that there’s more to life than fighting. I like good food, good company, beautiful things, and most importantly, being around people I care about. I’ve spent centuries watching nations destroy each other over things that could have been solved by simply talking. Maybe that’s why I’ve always wanted peace so badly.
And then there’s Ludwig Beilschmidt.
Germany.
Ludwig and I couldn’t be more different. He’s serious. I’m carefree. He’s much more organized than I am. He is responsible while I’m… well, not always too responsible.
But somehow, we get along. Somewhat at least.
For a while, being with Ludwig made the weight of being a nation feel almost bearable. I didn’t have to think about borders, politics or wars. I could just be Feliciano.
I thought maybe that could last.
I had finally gotten over my first love, Holy Roman Empire. I was happy, even being reminded of him hadn’t swayed me. I had Ludwig. He made me happy.
But we’re nations. We will never be happy for long. That’s how our world works.
But of course,
I had forgotten that.