Hello dear, dear loyal readers

So, I think an apology would be in order (and not only for the long AN, but I apologize for that, too): it has been months and months since I've last posted anything. Or replied to anything. I promise to get on to responding to all you lovelies when I can. Most of that would be because of writer's block, unfortunately; the rest would be how ridiculously busy life has become, and the fact that I no longer have internet... even more unfortunately. I will get to work on writing more, because I still have a billion ideas running through my head, so. We'll see.

I know "Magneto" (which I'm still excited to see the positive response to; it will always and forever be y pride and joy) was only supposed to be a one-shot; I'm kind of confused as to whether or not I should leave this as a chapter, or post it as a companion piece or whatever. I just thought it would be really fun to see how Veneziano would react to the whole "World Ending In 2012" thing, so. I tried. I'm also, actually, thinking of doing something similar to this, but with "Because It Is From Japan" instead, so. If I get good feedback from this or something, I might. Just, keep in mind that the way I'm writing Vene and Roma in this is how I wrote them in "Magneto", so, no guarantees they'll act 100% IC...

I'm really sorry if this is actually a lot worse than I think; I'll be the first to admit this certainly isn't my best, so. Enjoy, hopefully?

EDIT: So, I had actually meant to add: I've had this idea for... I suppose it would be a " 'cest companion-piece series"? Where "Magneto" and "Because It Is From Japan" are companion pieces, kind of, and I would write one-shots with "sibling countries" paired, i.e. Prussia x Germany, Switzerland x Liechtenstein, Netherlands x Belgium; I've also had ideas for some slight Vietnam x Taiwan, America x Canada, maybe South Korea x Hong Kong. And, of course, any other 'cest pairings you guys recommend, so long as the pairings don't overlap (if I go along with this, there will be no USUK, for example). They wouldn't all be related, per say, but maybe reference each other? For example, the hypothetical Germancest story could reference "Magneto", etc.

And, as I'm sure you all know: I do not own Hetalia: Axis Powers

Four Days 'Til the World's End

Romano watched as Vene's arms flailed and flailed in time with all the words that poured out of his mouth - so fast it was half-gibberish - perpetual frown unwavering on his scowling face, torn between amusement an irritation.

He was leaning toward irritation.

"-think about it, Roma! Our people, our culture, our land," Vene continued, voice higher and whinier with almost every word. When his russet eyes - brilliant, shimmering, and oh-so-familiar - widened to an almost-comical degree - only almost because he was getting very annoying now, and Romano was comfortably set in irritation - Romano grit his teeth, and braced himself.

"The pasta, Roma! All of our pasta will be gone, Roma, all of it!"

If there was anything Romano learned through this experience, it was that Vene wasn't allowed to go anywhere near America without his supervision.

He knew better, he really did, when Vene had announced he and America were going to find the book to teach them how to "read the atmosphere," but it was funny, so Romano decided to humor them, and how much trouble could two idiots really get into?

And now, it was coming back to bite him in the ass.

"Did you really need to do all… this?"

Vene, of course, brightened, as he took the comment as a compliment. As always. "Ve~! America showed me this show," of course he did; it was like that bastard and his people had nothing better to do than sit on their fat asses on the couch eating fast food and watching TV all day, "about these people and-and they make shelters under their homes," of course they did, "and-and America made one under every house he owns! He's been trying to make a law for everyone to make shelters under their houses, peró, ve, it's not going through." The fact that Romano's brow hadn't so much as twitched spoke volumes of how surprised he was at everything Vene told him.

Which was to say not surprised, not surprised at all.

Still, Romano couldn't deny he was just a little impressed. Just barely.

"So you made all of this-" he gestured to the underground… well, fucking huge room would be one way he'd put it: there were a couple couches spread out through the middle, all huge with more than enough room for two; a makeshift kitchen in one far corner, complete with a stove-and-oven, a refrigerator, a ton of cabinets Romano was sure were full of dishes and food and pans and pots and food and silverware and probably still more food; in another far corner was a bathroom Vene showed him bigger than the one in their house hidden behind a widespread curtain of the Italian flag, complete with everything they could ever need in there; a huge wide-screen TV somehow bolted on the wall ; some of their furniture from the house was pushed to the walls, all the paintings that had been in their hallways hung up, but all in all, it was arranged nicely, perfectly, which was no surprise due to Vene's eye for these sorts of things, "-over the weekend?" Romano had gone to visit Spain, again, for the week; Vene had been off with America anyway, still trying to find that nonexistent book (Romano suspected he might have to tell Vene the truth about that, and really soon because he'd clearly and stupidly underestimated the influence America had on Vene), and Vene had called on Friday to let Romano know he'd returned home; Romano, actually, was home several hours earlier than planned, only because he knew better, when, Vene called late that morning and chattered eagerly about a huge surprise, than to expect something that wouldn't probably end in complete disaster, and had rushed home with hardly a word to Spain. Still, for Vene to do all this in two days…

"Well, America helped. A lot. Ve, actually, I just told him where to put everything and he did it…" of course he did. And Vene was still smiling that bright - irritating -smile of his, but Romano noticed the twitching corners of those upturned lips and the knitting of the upturned brows; he was nervous. "D-do you like it, ve?"

Romano carefully evened out his scowl to a polite, neutral expression, took in a deep breath and looked around the room again, slower, more carefully, analyzed everything: the shapes and shades and sizes of each couch; the arrangement of each picture, the frame they were in, where it was hung; the TV was at the perfect height and angle to see from either couch - he took his time, even as Vene fidgeted; Vene wouldn't appreciate anything he had to say otherwise, because he knew Vene actually wanted his honest opinion.

Just as Romano opened his mouth, Vene blurted, "You forgot a room."

Romano turned from where he'd been examining the bathroom and checking the hot water - and, just as in the kitchen, everything seemed to work fine; idiot he might be, America knew his maintenance - and raised a brow to Vene, Vene who fiddled with a curtain he hadn't yet seen - it was behind the stairs to enter the underground… "shelter", he guessed it was called after all - that covered another room, patterned with-

-plates of spaghetti, and tomatoes.

Romano bit the inside of his cheek, but Vene's nervous-turned-bright eyes told him he was grinning anyway.

Romano walked up to Vene - who, of course grabbed his hand and begged with wide, shimmering eyes until Romano entwined their fingers - with a roll of the eyes, of course, because Vene was oh-so-predictably comforted by meaningless gestures, and even his own heart nearly skipped a beat, but still - and together, they walked in-

-their room.

It was just the right size - little and cramped and stuffed with furniture and clothes, as it had always been - with their old, worn bed and familiar, faded-out green sheets, it was an exact replica of their room in the house, right down to the clothes they'd hurriedly stripped out of the afternoon before Romano left to Spain's - an hour and a half late, to Spain's concerned messages, and Older Potato Bastard and The Pervert's knowing and mocking own - except, the window, obviously, but also below where said window should be, -

-the nightstand they'd always had beside their bed, that they'd never used for reasons they themselves were unsure of - well, Romano amended mentally with red-tinted cheeks and ears, save for once, during a certain New Year's, when bursts and flickers of red and green and white lit up that corner of the room, set Vene's features in sharp relief, reflected in Vene's eyes wide and half-lidded in pleasure, just-slightly darker on twin spots of Vene's flushed cheeks, allowed Romano to see a mouth that opened and closed with breathless pants that fell against his face, the hot breaths against his own, as hand gripped his hips and his back pressed against the window-

-Romano blinked, slowly, forced the (admittedly pleasant) memory aside, but still, atop that used-only-once nightstand stood-

-"We have a wedding picture?" he blurted

Vene's smile, wide as always, had a nostalgic, more mellow edge to it somehow; it was probably in the impossible softening of his face.

"Do you like it, ve?"

Romano surrendered to his twitching lips, let Vene see the genuine grin on his face, and thought that, this, Vene's returning smile and shoulders relaxed with relief, and pasta-reminiscent scent and smooth and soft hands and fingers 'tween his own and honest eyes bright with unspoken-but-oh-so-obvious love and affection and the heart-shaped curl, was why he was here-

-this was why he was so stupidly, happily in love.

Veneziano didn't need verbal confirmation: Roma's grin was answer enough. Still he ducked his head, looked up through his lashes.

"Since the world is going to end soon, Roma, ve," He bit his lip, "would you like to make the most of it, ve?"

Veneziano didn't need a verbal confirmation -Roma's lips on his own was answer enough.

His head on Roma's chest, Veneziano let out a slow, satisfied sigh, his hand over the fast-turned-regular, excited-turned-even heartbeat.

"Mmmm," he hummed as Roma bent his right leg over the bed, retrieved his slacks with his toes and dropped it atop them.

Something hard in one of the pockets hit Veneziano on his side, but he only let out a grunt, and his brows knit for hardly a second.

" 'Spiace," Roma muttered as he pulled out his phone, dialed and held it up to his right ear. Veneziano didn't move but flickered his gaze up.

"Signore Monti?"

Roma was talking to their Prime Minister.

"Mm, buona sera."

Roma was talking to their Prime Minister with his serious voice.

I just wa-wanted t-to-nngh,"

Roma looked over and down at him with narrowed eyes, but Veneziano only smiled, left his hand where it was after trailed it down Roma's chest and stomach.

"I just wanted to in-form you," Roma clenched his jaw, "that on a-" a hitched breath, "-account of the world end-ing-"a quick pull-away and glance at the time-a few hours past midnight; close enough, "in four days, Vene and I will be taking a vacation."

As soon as Monti began gibbering in reply, Romano hung up the phone and threw it across the room where it clattered and the battery hopefully popped out so he wouldn't have to hear it. Romano turned his attention to Vene and his excited grin.

The phone, on the floor by the door, rang off and on for the next hour.

It went unheard; Romano's attention was only on Vene, all night.

If you has any questions, comments, concerns, constructive criticism, etc., please review or send a message and I'll get back to you when I can.

Ja Ne =D!