insane...

returns with some bags of food and goes to the kitchen to put them away. She sees the pizza and immediately feels much hungrier. She quickly puts the groceries away. "That... smells really good." Could it be-

that this odd man actually knew how to make a real pizza?

"Grazie..." He grabs a bottle of wine and starts pouring two glasses.

finishes putting everything away and observes him. Is this really her male counterpart? There had to be some way to prove it, if he was. "...I picked up some gelato for dessert."

glances over at her. "Oh, that sounds good..." He sets the food out on the table and takes a seat. The idea that she was his counterpart hadn't even crossed his mind yet.

sits down at the table and takes some pizza. She stares at him, trying to observe every little thing he does. Slowly she takes a bite of the pizza. "...!! Shit, this is good!"

scoffs a little. "Of course it is, I'm good at making pizza." He nibbles at his own, blushing a little. He really did like the compliment.

quickly eats her slice of pizza and washes it down with a bit of the wine. How similar could they be? "Maybe I should make cannoli sometime."

glances at her. "You know how to make cannoli?"

smiles confidently. "Of course I know how to make cannoli~!" She takes another sip of her wine and speaks almost musically. "Would you like a cannolo instead of gelato~?"

remembers the ruined food from earlier. "...Nah, the gelato sounds fine. Maybe some other day..."

pouts at him, her good mood dissipating. "Fine." She swirls the wine around in her glass. "Didn't want to cook for you anyway." Lying again.

huffs. "Well I cooked for you, maybe I shouldn't have." He was starting to get grumpy again...

stops pouting to watch him huff. It was almost like looking in a mirror. Nah... She shrugs off the feeling. "...for that... grazie." She thanks him sincerely.

caught off guard by that. He watches her for a moment before nodding and looking away. "Was nothing."

shakes her head, "That's the best damn pizza I've had that I didn't make myself." She sighs and gets up to dish up the dessert. "Time for some gelato now."

finishes his glass of wine and watches her. She kind of looked familiar but he couldn't place where he had seen her before..

returns with two bowls of gelato and places one in front of Lovino before taking her seat again. "Buon appetito." She quietly eats her gelato.

nods and takes his bowl. "Grazie..."

observes him again, "...so, if what you said is true, there's a counterpart for every single nation? How can that be?" She scratches her face in thought. "Even Sorella and Spain and everyone?"

takes a bite before answering. "I don't know how it works. They just randomly appear sometimes and sometimes they just disappear. Even with the ones we are used to. I haven't seen Spain bastard in ages..."

frowns, now feeling rather lonely in her predicament. "I see..." She nibbles a bit more at the gelato, then pushes the bowl away. Would she ever see the people she was familiar with?

watches her. "I know that your Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Denmark are here... And I think there's one more but I can't remember her name..." He was never close to his own of those countries but maybe if-

he named them, she'd cheer up a little?

gave him a curious look. "All of them are here?" Maybe it wasn't quite as bad as she thought. "Okay..." She pulls the bowl back towards her and finishes off her gelato.

smiles a little. Well that seemed to work. He didn't want to see her upset, even if she did get on his nerves earlier.

picks up her bowl and puts it in the sink. She turns to him, smirking slightly, "I really am South Italy. Romana."

stares at her. What? Another South Italy? No, she wasn't his counterpart. No way! She was far too annoying. He starts to say something but closes his mouth. She was kind of like him... Though he was obviously-

a better cook. "Hmph, maybe you are, maybe you aren't."

chuckles. "I really am." She stretches and then picks a few more dishes up from the table. "That was a good meal." Turning to the sink, she sets upon the task of washing dishes.

wasn't quite ready to believe her yet... He finishes his gelato. "Yeah, it was..."

sees he finished and grabs his bowl to wash that too. She keeps quiet for the most part, just humming softly as she works. Usually she gets someone else to do this chore, but for now it's a good way to help-

keep her mind off certain things about this situation. She's starting to consider the counterpart thing, but she's not sure she's ready to accept it just yet.

cleans up a few other things while she works. He felt kind of bad that she was doing all the washing even though it wasn't like he wanted to do it for her.

seems to speak to no one in particular. "I'll make the cannoli tomorrow. It should be a good day." Her thoughts wander, she thinks a warm bath will be a good way to end the evening. And what would Lovino be-

doing? She's not really used to sharing the house like this. She gently sets the dishes aside to dry.

didn't know yet... He'd probably go for a walk and then maybe practice his guitar. It was what he did most nights when he was on his own.

finishes with the dishes and dries her hands. "......" Completely awkward now. "Um, do you have any friends?" she blurts out the question without thinking that it may sound a bit insulting.

blinks in surprise and turns red. "Wh-what? Of course I do!" He just hadn't seen any of them lately and was worried about them...

nods at him, "I see. You'll have to introduce them to me sometime." She heads to the living room and seats herself on the sofa.

shrugs. "Maybe, we'll see..." He walks to the back door and start to pull on his shoes.

looks back at him curiously. "Oh, are you going out? Where are you headed??" She could be a bit nosy.

could be as well but wasn't as happy when it was directed at him. "Why does it matter?"

puffs her cheeks a little, "I-it doesn't! I was just curious, dammit!" She turns away and turns on the television.

rolls his eyes. "I'll be back in a bit." He was going on his usual walk but he'd keep it shorter than usual.

nods towards the TV. "All right, all right. Do what you want." At least she'd have the house to herself for a while if he went out.

waits a bit for Lovino to leave and go down the street. Once he's gone she turns off the TV and hurries over to the stereo to put on some Frank Sinatra. Old Blue Eyes was the only good thing to come from-

America as far as she was concerned. (Tomatoes were presented to her from Spain, so she didn't thank America for them.) She soon finds herself swaying to the music.

doesn't walk for long before heading back home. He was a little worried about having a stranger in the house even if that stranger was maybe related to him in some roundabout kind of way...

had found the CD while getting groceries and she was finding it to be a good way to relax and forget about what was troubling her for a while.