I got the idea for this story from something I read about why Italy says Vee~. I thought it was an interesting idea so I came up with this

Enjoy!

Vee~

Italy had started saying Vee~ about a year after he stopped painting. It was also a year after he started keeping his eyes shut although it did not seem to impede him very much. Only one person knew why and no one else asked. Germany found this verbal tic particularly annoying when they were training. Running down the track, he could heard Italy going Vee~ Vee~ Vee~ as he ran. At one point, Germany thought Italy was concentrating on saying Vee~ so much, he was going to run into the wall at the end and he was about to yell out a warning to him when Italy said Vee~ again and turned away from it.

When they walked down the street, Italy said Vee~ at regular intervals, forcing Germany to grit his teeth in irritation. Only at home did Italy stop saying Vee~ but Germany did not hang around too long because the only thing that irritated Germany more than Vee~ was being called Potato Bastard by the tsundere Romano.

Another annoying thing was that when they went out to eat in Venice, it was to the same café or restaurant. Any attempt to suggest anywhere else sent Italy into a despondent mood and when they went elsewhere, Italy would ask Germany to order for him and pretended to like what he ordered.

Right now they were in Italy's favourite café. Italy was reading the menu, running his finger under the words as he read. Germany wondered how Italy could read when he never opened his eyes.

The waiter came to take their order and they ordered coffee and cake. Germany waited for Italy to start saying Vee~ but he just gave his usual chit-chat about cats, white flags and Pastaaaa!

When they left the café, the Vee~s started again. After about the twelfth Vee~, Germany flipped.

"Italy!" he snapped. "Why do you keep saying that? Stop it, right now!" Italy jumped with a frightened cry.

"But Germany ….. ," he began but Germany cut him off.

"But nothing!" he demanded. "Stop making that ridiculous sound, that's an order!" Italy looked scared but stopped saying Vee~ as they walked along.

Italy drifted into the wall they were walking beside several times, banging his shoulder. Germany wondered what was going on? Italy could be clumsy but this was more than normal. Italy took to walking while keeping his hand on the wall. Eventually he ran out of wall and he stopped. Germany did not realise that Italy was not beside him until he was half way down the walkway. Ironically, that was because he was not hearing Vee~ all the time. He looked back to see Italy with a panicked look on his face.

"Come on, Italy!" he ordered. Italy took a deep breath and moved forward but it was slow as if he was taking each step with caution. It took him a while to reach Germany and walked right past him. Germany moved to walk with him.

"What's wrong with you, Italy?"

"Nothing, Germany," he replied. "I'm fine." Germany let it go.

Italy was scared. Germany did not know what he had demanded and it left Italy in a world of dark confusion. He should have told Germany long ago but he was already a burden on Germany. If he knew about his …... problem …..

Only Romano knew. And only Romano knew why Italy said 'Vee~'

He could smell the water. They'll must be near by the canals. He would have to be careful and stay as close to Germany as possible.

"Germany," he said. "Shouldn't we go back now?" There was no answer.

Germany had wandered away from Italy, lured away by the sunshine and the wonderful view of the buildings lining the canals. He would never tell Italy but he loved the Italian landscape, the weather and the general atmosphere of Venice. He did not want to appear soft.

Things had been peaceful since Italy had stopped saying Vee~ but now it was like he was afraid of taking a step. Each step was slow, measured, cautious! Germany wondered why.

"Italy!" he said, turning to realise that Italy was not be his side. "ITALY!"

Italy turned toward the sound of Germany's voice and began to walk toward it. Three steps and, suddenly, Italy stepped out into open air. Italy screamed as he went into free fall and hit cold water, feeling it close over his head.

Germany looked on in shock as Italy turned to him and began to walk toward him. They were on a walkway by the canal but when Germany moved away from Italy, he had turned a corner and Italy was now walking toward the edge as if he did not know it was there.

"ITALY!" he yelled as Italy stepped over the edge and into the water with a scream. Italy sank beneath the surface. Germany waited a moment but when Italy did not resurface, he whipped off his jacket and dove into the water after him.

Italy was surround by darkness and he did not know which way to turn to reach the surface. He had not had time to take much of a breath and had swallowed some of the water when he went in. His lungs were burning and he could not hold his breath any longer. His last thought before he lost consciousness was 'I should have told Germany!'

Germany dove under the water where Italy had gone under. When he did not find him, he tried other directions. When he did not find Italy there, he began to panic. Italy had been under for a while. If he did not find him soon …...

Germany dove again, reaching out with his hands into the dark water. As he moved his hands around, his right hand grazed something that felt like cloth. He reached out again and grabbed hold of a handful of Italy's jacket. He pulled the unconscious Italian into his arms and kicked for the surface. Both their heads broke above the water, Germany gasping for breath but Italy did not respond. Germany swam for the edge of the walkway where people had gathered and pulled them both from the water. Germany went to Italy's side while an ambulance was called. Italy was not breathing and had no pulse so Germany began CPR. He pressed on Italy's chest a number of times before breathing into his mouth.

After a couple of repeats, Italy began to cough and Germany put him in the recovery position while the paramedics came down the walkway with a stretcher. They checked Italy over, loaded him on to the stretcher and carried him to the ambulance, parked in the nearest plaza, Germany following behind.

Germany called Prussia to tell him what happened and to bring him some dry clothes. Then he faced the thing he was dreading. Calling Romano. He used the pay phone at the hospital because if he used his own phone, Romano probably would not answer.

The phone rang three times before it was answered.

"If you've forgotten your phone again," Romano's irritated tones came through the earpiece. "I'm gonna kick your ass from Rome to Madrid, Tomato Bastard!"

"Actually, it's the Potato Bastard," Germany replied and held the phone away from his ear as barrage of foul language came hurtling through it.

"Why the bleeping bleep bleep are you bleeping calling me, you bleeping Potato Sucking bleeping Bastard?"

"Are you finished?" Germany asked. "Italy's in hospital. He fell in the canal and almost drowned."

"How did the idiota fall into the canal?" Romano demanded.

"I don't know," Germany replied. "He seemed a little clumsier than normal but other than that he was fine, once he stopped saying Vee~ ." There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Romano?" Germany said. "Are you still there?"

"Why did he stop saying Vee~?"

"Because I told him to," Germany replied. He could feel the Italian's rage build all the way down the phone.

"YOU BLEEPING DID WHAT!" Romano screeched. "That's it, Potato Bastard! I'm coming to kick your bleeping ass!" The phone clicked off.

Why did Germany feel like he had just made a very bad mistake?

Prussia arrived with dry clothes for Germany and he also brought some for Italy who was still in emergency.

"How did this unawesome thing happen, West?" Prussia was upset. He had a soft spot for Italy and did not want anything to happen to his little Italian friend.

"I don't know," Germany replied as he changed in the toilet cubicle of the hospital rest room. "He just walked off the edge of the walkway into the canal. It was like he didn't realise the edge was there!"

"Surely, he should have seen it?" Prussia asked, surprised.

"Maybe he was daydreaming about something," Germany speculated. "Sometimes I don't know what goes through his head." He came out of the cubicle with his wet clothes in a bag, straightening the trousers and sweater he was now wearing.

"Let's go and see if he's recovered at all," he said and they left the rest room.

Then everything went dark!

Germany woke up on the floor with a nurse tending to his painful jaw, Prussia looking down at him and Romano screaming profanities across the waiting room. He looked toward the direction of the swear words to see Romano lying on his stomach on the floor with Spain sat on his back to hold him there. Wow! The older Italian had a punch on him!

"Get the bleep off me, you bleeping tomato bastard," Romano bellowed, to the shock and/or amusement of the other occupants of the room. "I'm gonna bleeping kill the bleeping Potato Bastard for this! He deserves to bleeping die!" Spain clapped a hand over Romano's hand.

"Romano, remember you're in a hospital," he admonished. "Stop it before you get arrested." Although Spain liked how red Romano was going. He looked like a tomate.

Prussia and the nurse helped Germany as he got up but the nurse insisted on Germany sitting down while she completed her examination. When she was satisfied he was suffering no ill effects from having his lights punched out by an enraged Romano, she left saying she would check on him later.

"All right, Romano," he said as Spain let Romano up and made him sit in a chair rather than go for Germany again. "You want to tell me why you hit me?" Romano snorted.

"Because you're a stupid, bleeping moron," Romano swore. "You spent all that time with my fratello but you know nothing about him. Why did you stop him saying Vee~?"

"He just kept saying it," Germany replied. "It was an annoying verbal tic."

"It's not a verbal tic, you bastard," Romano's temper was getting worked up again. "It's how Italy moves around without running into anything. It's like a sonar echo, kind of like bat sonar. He sends it out and if it bounces back, he knows he's near something. Then he'll know to avoid it or, in the case of the canals, to stay close to it."

"Well, if he didn't walk around with his eyes shut, he wouldn't need to," Germany replied. Romano exploded.

"It wouldn't make any difference, you stupid bastard," he thundered. "ITALY'S BLIND!"

The silence was deafening!

Germany thought back over his association with Italy. Could his fear of battle have been because he could not see the battle? Then he remembered about Italy's favourite café and restaurant. The way Italy would run his finger over the menus. The menus had little dots that stuck out of them.

The dots were Braille!

Germany lowered his head into his hands and groaned.

"Why did he not tell me?"

"If it was you," Romano demanded. "Would you reveal such a weakness? Let everyone know you were at a disadvantage, that you could be easily taken down if anybody knew about it. That's why Italy began using his 'Vee~' echo. So he would look like he could see. Not even our bosses knew. Besides, he already felt a big enough burden to you, the idiota didn't want to add to it."

"That fool!" Germany muttered. Italy should have told him or maybe Romano was right, he should have noticed. Had he done so, things would have been different or maybe that was another reason why Italy hid his disability. He did not want to be treated differently.

But Italy almost paid for it with his life. Even though he would have resurrected, that was still not good.

He would help Italy with his lack of sight.

And Italy would just have to accept it!

"I need to talk to Italy first!"

"No bleeping way, Potato Bastard!" Spain decided to interceded.

"Romano!"

"What!"

"Please!" It would take Spain an hour of hard arguing to get Romano to acquiesce.

Italy was unconscious for several hours and when he woke up, he knew he was in the hospital. The hospital smell of disinfectant was everywhere, phones ringing and being answered with 'Observation Ward' and curtains on rings being pulled back and forth. He could almost taste the sterile air. Since he lost his sight, he relied on his other senses.

And his Vee~ echo.

It had taken him a while to learn. To recognise the difference between the sound bouncing off something and it going off into open air. To gauge the differences in distance to what was around him. It enabled him to know what was around him almost as easily as seeing it. Until Germany told him to stop saying Vee~.

It was like becoming blind all over again!

Italy did not know what made him lose his sight. Economical upheaval, natural disaster, maybe even something physical. The Alpago earthquake happened at the same time he went blind but he was not sure if that was the cause. It had taken him a long time to get over the loss of his sight, losing the ability to paint was the worst.

It was also hard not knowing what Germany looked like. Italy could only tell what Germany was like by his voice (which was scary when Germany was angry). Sometimes he could sense Germany's moods (once again, scary when he was angry). It all reminded him of when he first met Holy Roman Empire. He could tell Germany was around by the smell of wurst and beer, not strong but, since he lost his sight, Italy's other senses had amplified.

Italy had managed to appear sighted to everyone except Romano. His fratello had been with him when Italy went blind and Romano had been covering for him for years. Romano respected Italy's desire to be self-reliant where his sight was concerned and Italy had managed.

Until now!

He should have told Germany about his sight but he did not want Germany to think him a bigger burden than he already did. He knew he had not been the most reliable ally, he ran from battle. There, his other senses failed as the sounds and smells mingled and over-whelmed him. Germany just thought he was a coward but he was simply incapable of fighting. No amount of Vee~s could help him there.

Germany would be demanding an explanation. Italy would have to tell him.

Then Italy could smell wurst and beer.

"You should have told me!" Germany knew! Was he physic?

"I'm sorry, Germany," Italy said, remorsefully. Germany looked at the bed-bound Italian.

"Open your eyes, Italy," he demanded. Italy visibly jumped.

"No!" he begged. "Germany, please!" He did not want Germany to see.

"Italy!" Germany replied, forcefully. "Open. Your. Eyes!"

Italy whimpered and slowly his eyes slid open. Germany gazed into amber-coloured eyes that would have been beautiful if not for the white cataracts visible in Italy's pupils.

So that's why he kept his eyes closed. Germany was upset that his friend had gone through all this for years alone. Germany could not imagine losing his sight, not sure if he would have managed as well as Italy in such circumstances. Germany admired Italy's courage but the Italian nation would have to accept that there would be things he simply could not do.

"How long have you been like this?"

"Since 1873," Italy replied, closing his eyes again. "It was about the time of the Alpago earthquake. I don't know if that's why I went blind or not. All I know is I never recovered my sight."

1873! That meant Italy had been blind for nearly a hundred and forty-two years. It was amazing how he had managed for so long, fooled so many into thinking he could see. The more Germany was learning about Italy, the more he was impressed.

"Romano told me about your 'Vee~' echo," he said. "How did you discover that?"

"I met an old man who studied bats," Italy replied. "He said they were blind and moved around and found their prey with an echo that would bounce back to them when it hit anything. He taught me to how to do the same thing. It took me a long time."

Italy remembered how he spent the first few month walking into walls and then the first time he managed to read his Vee~ and turn away from the wall before colliding with it. He got better at it until he became comfortable enough to manage a small walk without hitting anything or falling over something. As a thank you, Italy made sure that the old man was comfortable for the rest of his life.

"Italy," Germany needed to phrase this carefully. "It's remarkable how self-reliant you've been through all this but there are some things you'll won't be able to do. You know that, don't you?"

"I miss being able to paint," Italy agreed, sadly.

"That's not what I mean," Germany replied, seriously. "Italy, you fell into the canal ….. "

"Because you told me to stop saying Vee~ ….. "

"True," Germany admitted. "But there are still many things that could go wrong. You need help, Italy. You can't managed alone."

"I've managed for over a hundred years," Italy protested. "I'm not being a burden on anyone."

"Nevertheless," Germany insisted. "I'll be with you every mome... "

"NO!" Italy shouted. "I WILL NOT BE LEAD AROUND BY THE HAND. I'M NOT GOING BACK TO THAT!"

"Italy! Calm down," Germany ordered. "I'm just trying to …... "

"I WILL NOT BE A BURDEN!" he cried, turning over and burying his head in his pillow while Romano burst in.

"Leave him alone, Potato Bastard!" he ordered. "If you're going to upset him, get the bleep out!" Germany watched Italy sobbing and then looked at Romano glaring at him. He left the room.

Romano sat on the side of Italy's bed and put his hand on his shoulder.

"He's gone, Fratello," he said, with out-of-character softness. "It's all right now." Italy turned to his brother, tears crawling down his face. Unusually, Romano hugged him.

"He doesn't understand, fratello," Feli sniffed. "I want people to be with me because they want to be, not because they think they have to be."

"I know, Italy," Romano replied, squeezing his fratello tightly. "I know. I'll make him see reason if I have to hit him over the head with it!"

"Nice going, Potato Bastard!" Romano snorted as he came back into the waiting room. "Fratello nearly drowns and what do you do when he wakes up? Upset him!"

"Why do you let him wander around in that condition?" Germany demanded. "You must know it's not safe for Italy down near the canals!"

"He walked down by the canals plenty without mishap!" Romano fumed. "It was you telling him not to use his Vee~ echo that caused this. He'd have been fine if you'd kept your bleeping annoyance of it to yourself."

"Don't you worry about him."

"Si," Romano replied. "But finding that old man was the best thing that ever happened to Italy. Do you know how he felt before! He had to wait for me to take him around. There were no guild-dogs or Braille back then. He depended on me for everything and he hated it. He thought I was with him out of obligation, not because I wanted to be there for him. When he learnt how to use the Vee~ echo, he got his smile back. I wasn't going to take that away from him and I still won't. If you do, Potato Bastard, I'll make you regret it!"

Germany was trying to understand but his first instinct was to help his blind friend but it sounded like Italy did not want that kind of help. What was he to do?

"West," Prussia said, being serious for a change. "If you lost your sight and you found a way to get along without help, wouldn't you take it?"

Germany had to admit he would! Being so helpless would not sit well with him. How must it feel to believe that people felt that they had to be with you to help you get around rather than wanting your company. If he could find a way to get around without anybody's help half as well as Italy had, he would do anything to learn and use it!

How could he expect Italy to do anything less!

Germany nodded.

"You can still look out for him, amigo," Spain pointed out. "You've done that already for a long time. He just doesn't need every little thing done for him. Everything in his home is kept in the same place so he knows where to go. He even manages to cook. People think he's helpless but he's the most capable guy I know."

"How long have you known?"

"A number of decades," Spain admitted. "If it's any consolation, I reacted the same way you did. Romano slapped me round the head and told me not to be so bleeping stupid. It didn't take me long to realise that Italy could cope. Italy doesn't know I know, of course. Romano wouldn't let me tell him."

"So what do I do?" Germany asked.

"Just be his friend," Spain replied. "Look out for him but let him do as much as he can for himself. If he needs help, he'll ask for it!"

"And if I don't succeed?" Germany asked.

"I know the Mafia," Romano replied, darkly.

Italy was released a few days later when the doctors were satisfied that he would suffer no ill-effects from the near-drowning. He expected Romano to pick him up.

"Hello, Italy," said Germany. Italy had not hear Germany's voice since the day they had argued about Italy's blindness.

"Germany!"

"I've come to take you home," Germany told him. Italy's face dropped. Germany was going to act like a guild-dog around him. This was exactly what he did not want.

"Let's go to the car," Germany said. Italy waited for Germany to grab his arm but he felt nothing.

"Are you coming?" Italy would only find his way out of the hospital one way.

"Vee~," he said and he sensed that there were walls either side of him but the space ahead was clear so that was the way to go because Germany's voice came from that direction. But he was waiting for a reprimand from Germany that did not come. He walked forward and said Vee~ again, the sound telling him where everything was and finally he and Germany were walking side by side.

They made it out into the car park and over to Germany's car. Germany allowed Italy to open his own door and climb in.

Italy's smile slowly built back on his face as Germany climbed into the driver's seat. He heard the door shut and Germany put his seat belt on.

"Italy," he said. "I will try not to smother you with help that you might not need. I might not succeed all the time but I will try and hopefully, I'll eventually learn to trust that you won't hurt yourself. Will you be patient with me?"

"Si, Germany," Italy replied, happy that his friend would try to be his friend and not his caretaker.

"There's one thing I want to know, however," Germany told him.

"What's that, Germany?"

"How the hell did you manage to drive a car?"

Well, it would explain Italy's driving! I read something that said Italy's 'Vee~' was not a verbal tic but a kind of echo sonar that he uses to get around with his eyes closed. The existence of bat sonar wasn't really discovered until 1938 so I'm going with the fact that the old man discovered it but no one but Italy ever knew. The Alpago earthquake was a real event in the Alpago Valley in North Italy in 1873 near the City of Belluno.

I used bleep and bleeping for certain swear words because I think it's more hilarious to conceal than reveal but that might be just me!

Btw, to my knowledge, the Vee~ echo doesn't really work. Please don't try it at home!

Hasta la Pasta!

P.S. Due to one or two comments made by ArtemisIsis13 and a guest reviewer, I've researched Human Echolocation and it apparantly does work so what do I know? (blushing at my ignorance). You learn something new every day! Thank you Artemis and guest for pointing it out!