Sinful Nostalgia | Hetalia

5 || The Other Brother Vargas

I walk down the sidewalks, finally able to cool off from that previous fail of a conversation.

I'm so awkward. I always have been, especially since I push everyone away, not gaining any social skills whatsoever. It was so much easier that way. To keep people at a distance. The only person who's seen me cry in my entire lifetime is Julchen, and that was only once. She just made it laughable in the end, though, because she knew that reminding me of my foolish tears would not make me happy. Her goofiness always paid off, in the end.

Feliciano Vargas. A man I'd met three times (in precise numbers), and blush like a maniac around. I can't just let him in, though - I just met him! Yet by coincidence, or maybe by fate, he was moving into the apartment next to mine. Would he end up being a part of my life? Or is he another face that I see more often than the others in the crowds?

Our lives had crossed, and it doesn't seem that they'd be separating anytime soon.

There was a bench I particularly liked, in the public park. As this was a modern, urban city, it was right by the sidewalk with lots of passing pedestrians. I would sit on it every day, and just watch the people go about the city, enjoying the weather. Just... soaking up the sun. So, I did so now, lowering my back against the metal bench. The wind lifts up my severely short hair, and I cast my gaze to the blue skies. It felt so nice out here... A beautiful day.

"Monica! Veh!"

There was the Italian accent I knew so well already. I look up to see Feliciano, running toward the bench, panting slightly. Hair slightly disheveled, eyes bulging from his head. He looked crazy. "I wanted to make sure you were okay," he breathes heavily, sitting beside me on the bench.

He seemed rather... close. Close enough that I could... smell his scent. I don't go around sniffing people, either. But... he smelled... good. He smelled like something that was as bright as the sun. I'm not sure how to explain it.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" I ask him, folding my arms against my chest self-consciously. I was only angry that I couldn't stop my foolish thoughts. Feliciano shrugs. I could see every golden fleck in his eyes while I was this close to him. They were such a warm color.

"Well, you did run away..." he reminds me, nervously wringing his hands together. "I wanted you to meet my brother, but you walked away so quickly that I didn't know what to do, heh!"

"I'm sorry," I mutter sheepishly. "I just... really wanted to take a walk... is all." I lean forward on the bench, resting my hands between my legs and looking at the sidewalk. "I didn't know you had a brother. What's his name?"

"Lovino!"

"That's a nice name."

"Yes, yes it is!"

Why was the conversation flowing so easily? Were we actually becoming... friends? I never really had a friend before, aside from Julchen, which we covered basically, so it was interesting to think that I even had a remote chance of charming someone enough to make them like me. That could be the beauty of actually socializing.

"Feliciano?" I turn towards the young man, daring to look into those warm, kind eyes. He looked so innocent and naive. He probably didn't even realize how much he flustered me. He was annoying beyond compare sometimes, though, and lacked manliness in all areas. I knew that much just from seeing him those mere three times. Even so... he was just so... happy.

"Mhm?" He looks at me, a cat suddenly in his lap. I gawk at the dreadful animal: I hate cats. "Oh oh oh, this is my little cat Veronica, say hi Veronica, hi hi hiiii!" He picks up the cats paw, making her wave. She just mews. I frown.

"I'm more of a dog person." Feliciano stares at me in shock. "You don't like the kitty kitty kitty?" He holds the cat in my face. I frown even more. "No, I do not," I retort curtly. "Now, would you please get that feline out of my face?"

"So so sorry," Feliciano apologizes, retracting the kitten and holding it close, stuffing his face in its gray fur. "Kitty kitty kitty, oh kitty, you are so cute, yes you are, cute little Veronica, so cute cute cute cute cute!"

I repeat: annoying, but happy.

"Um, I better return to my apartment before Julchen does something bad," I mumble, standing up. Feliciano stands up abruptly as well, putting his hands up in the air.

"You can meet Lovino! I know he will like you! Yes yes yes, lets go!" He grabs my hand, and pulls me to the building. I bristle in shock at the sudden contact, but Feliciano just would not let go of my hand. He pulled me all the way to the apartments, ignoring my senseless protesting the whole way.

"Feli- no! Stop! W-what, no- Feliciano Vargas, stop it this instant!" He did not stop. He pulled me further, all the way to our now shared floor. I found Julchen, who looked at us with an amused, sly smirk on her face.

"Oh oh, hmm, yeah, holding hands and running together?" She wiggles her fine eyebrows, getting up in my face and slinging a slender arm around my back. I look around the surroundings, and find who must be Lovino Vargas.

He stood at the frame of the door, leaning against the framework. He wore a simple pair of pants and a button-up shirt, and resembles Feliciano in some ways. For instance, they wore the same hairstyle, and had a wild curl hanging out from their locks. But Lovino also looked a bit different, when it came to how he had more of an olive complexion and darker hair. He also peered at me with a pair of green-brown eyes. A strange color.

"Oh, you must be the German," he spits distastefully, through the same Italian accent as Feliciano. "I have to admit, I thought I would be seeing much more than... this. For my little brother to be yapping about you to me every day, I would expect a bit more."

"Hm," I cross my arms to close him off, already disliking this... man. I didn't need to say anything more, because I knew for a fact that it would fluster the person I was addressing.

"What?! Is that all you're going to say?! You picked a dim-wit girl, Feli! I tell you what! Gah, I hate Germans!"

"Oh, whoa, whoa, slow your boat Curly," Julchen interrupts, peering at Lovino through a crimson glare. "You, sir, are insulting, like, our entire heritage. Hence our hot German accents. I wasn't so psyched about your little brother, but hey! I'm not getting up in his grill, because I'm awesome!"

"Oh you two can shut your German traps!"
"Take that back!"
"Eh."
"Lovino, please don't be this wayyy!"

I sigh, walking away calmly to my apartment. Then, I realize that I forgot Julchen. I return, grabbing her by her tank top and pulling her into our apartment. She was a blazing ball of anger, but I'd managed to get her inside. I slam the door tightly, and lock it too.

Lovino Vargas, it's almost as if there is a war between us. Why is that?