Roman Roulette - Countryhumans America x China

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"UKRAINE!" Someone I knew thundered behind the door. 

I smiled. But I stayed silent. Next to me, San Marino cowered in fear.

"We're dead, Ukraine," she whispered. "we're both gone and goner."

No, only one of us, I'm afraid. 

I felt bad for San Marino. A little wisp of a girl who was innocence personified. Her little blue knees knocked together under her pretty navy skirt and tears started to form under her delicate eyelashes. She wore no makeup besides a dash of pink lipstick that accentuated her youth. 

I set my jaw. "Nobody will hurt you," 

"Oh Ukraine!" she grabbed my shoulders and started to sob. Even though she was taller than me, I patted her awkwardly and hugged her back. It was not her fault that she was stuck as the COO of a huge conglomerate when all she wanted was to go to dance school. Her greedy brother put a stop to that. I didn't like Italia much. He was too frivolous and snappy. 

"UKRAINE!" 

Speaking of snappy. 

"Let's go, San Marino," I beckoned her to follow me. 

"Oh no, oh no, oh, no, no, no!" San Marino started to shake and cry. I truly felt sorry for her now. She was so afraid of her brother's wrath. I took her cold hand. 

"Listen, it'll be fine," I managed to smile at her. "I won't let him hurt you,"

"Promise?" her lip trembled. "you promise?"

"I promise," I nodded, squeezing her hand affectionally. "ready, best friend in the world?" 

She gave me a watery smile and we stepped into the room. 

The first thing that hit me was the smell of smoke. I don't know why I have such a disgust towards the odor, but I do. Maybe it was because my mother slowly dehydrated on smoke, or father died with a cigarette in his mouth, or maybe because so many of my family received burns in a fire, or maybe it was the tranquilizing gas that reminds me of smoke and my failure is what really gets to me. 

Either way, I wrinkled my nose and snarled. 

"Hello Ucraina," Italia has his feet on the table. Again, might I add. Next to me, San Marino whimpered. Rossiya looked at me and winked. I lifted one eyebrow, acknowledging it. He seemed bored. Again, I might add. 

"Oh, and San Marino," Italia said almost as an afterthought.  The smoke hung around his head like a halo, wreathing his head. 

"Hello," I said smoothly. "you...called us?" 

"Yes, I have summoned you both to the office for a reason," Italia licked his lips. I knew it drove San Marino crazy, as her brother would pause and make her wait for the answer. It was wrong to torture her like that.

I broke the silence. "You 'summoned' us yes," I rolled my eyes. "and?" 

Italia said nothing, but regarded me for a moment. It seemed he was calculating what he wanted to do. He then placed his feet on the floor and leaned over to us. San Marino shivered next to me, and stepped behind my back. 

That did nothing to hide her. 

"I summoned you here, personally, for your...idea." he smacked his hand on the table. "I believe it was the idea of your consort, but he told me it was your own. He...'reimagined' it." 

I nodded. Yes, that him. There were too many men in this world. "Indeed. I have come up with this plan. It will not fail. I have faith in my associates." Behind my back, I made every single rude gesture I could at him.

Italia said nothing for the longest stretch of time. I could almost feel San Marino's frantic little heart beating out of control. The tension in the room was almost tangible. Four of us just stood (or sat) for almost an eternity. 

Then he sighed. "This whole business with China has been proving...moderately problematic," he stroked his chin. "that girl with him certainly makes it more annoying."

Quite, I thought. America's face made my blood boil. 

Who did she think she was? A strong woman? A little girl hero? Hah. 

"And I'd like the money fast," Italia looked at his business partner. "we'd like it fast."

"Well, I'm afraid that it's proven to be arduous to get them," I started. "but this new plan will not fail."

"Mm, it had better not," Italia settled back in his red leather chair. "I'll hold you to that."

I mentally sighed and gnashed my teeth on how he was able to win good graces with that infuriating Italian. At least I had Rossiya. 

Not that I saw much of him. 

Not since the fire. 

"And you, San Marino," Italia puffed on his cigar. "are in the same boat with shortie."  

Please refrain from using that utterly stupid nickname for me, I thought.

"Wh-wh-what?" San Marino squeaked. "I didn't do anything!"

"Precisely!" Italy ground his cigar into the ashtray. "you never do anything. You're totally, incomprehensibly, irreparably useless!" He started to stand, and I knew he was going to hurt San Marino. 

He did that before. I saw it.

I needed to stop this. 

I made eye contact with Rossiya, and tried to telepathically tell him to stop this. 

Please, I mouthed. 

He barely nodded and carefully placed his large hand on Italia's shoulder. The Italian jerked back and blinked. Rossiya shook his head. 

Italia glared at me. I glared back. He knew. 

"You don't go threatening her just because your older and stronger," I hissed at him. "stop intimidating her, she's scared, and she's trying her best." I took San Marino's hand, and squeezed it. Nobody get's away with hurting their inferiors and get's away with it. Nobody get's away with threatening women. Nobody get's away with torturing their little sisters.

Italia narrowed his dark eyes. In his gaze, I could see my own face reflected in the depths. 

He didn't like me. He hated me.

Why am I so scared?

But he smiled and placed his feet on the table once more. "Sweet. Very sweet."

I bared my teeth. Trident rested on my hip, and my hand slid over the holster. I wished that I didn't need my job. I could get rid of that disgusting, smooth talking Mafia man anytime I wanted to. 

But where would that leave me? Where would that leave us? 

My hand shook with fine tremour, but my gaze remained steady and dark. 

"Well, that's all I wanted to say," Italia took out a fresh cigar and deftly lit it with a lighter. "you're free to go." he waved to me and San Marino. 

I steered San Marino away, trying to calm her. 

"And San Marino, know, your next wrong step will be catastrophic," he gave her a goading smile. "so don't mess up like you did back there. Just awful." San Marino blinked away the threat of tears. 

"And you better stop treating her as if she were garbage," I hissed back. "and watch me!"

I was already out of the room and going down the hall when I heard the answer. 

It made my skin involuntarily shiver. 

"Oh please, shortie," he laughed. "bring it on...I love to watch you."