"V-veh... Where am I?" Italy muttered as he woke up. His head throbbed and his wrists and ankles ached... Turning his head, he saw his wrists and ankles were bound to the wall with chains. He was locked in a room, possibly a basement, with bleeding head and possibly shattered ribs. The door swung open.

"Ah, you're awake at last!" A masked figure strode into the room, a whip in one hand and a gun in the other. Italy whimpered.

"P-please, d-don't hurt me!" He squealed, flinching from the man. The masked figure laughed.

"Ah, you poor soul. Don't worry, I won't hurt you... If you give me what I want." He grinned sadistically. Italy was even more scared now.

"Wh-what do you want?" He flinched as the whip was flicked near his face, a crack resounding in his ears.

"Information. Information on your dear friend Ludwig." Italy froze.

"... No." He immediately replied. He would be beaten, whipped and burned at the stake before betraying Ludwig.

The man frowned. "My friend, you do not seem to understand. Either you give me a few little hints, or..." He raised the whip. "You may regret it."

Italy didn't flinch this time.

"It is you who does not understand. I will never. Betray. Ludwig." He drew in a breath. "Even if it costs me my life."

A shrill chuckle made his skin crawl. "Well then... Your life it is."

~*~

After three nights of being beaten, whipped and everything in-between (excluding rape) Italy was exhausted. His now definitely cracked ribs, possibly cracked skull and still bound and chafed arms and ankles didn't let him sleep, hell, barely let him see or feel anything other than pain. But... He still wouldn't betray Germany! He WOULD. Live through this.

The door creaked open. Italy didn't even flinch anymore. The same echoing footsteps came towards him, the same whip-crack ricocheted through his skull. He didn't care anymore.

"Ahh, what a shame. You seem to have lost your fire... What shall I do with you now..." He tilted Italy's chin up with the handle of the whip. Italy bit back a whimper as he painfully breathed in. The man drew back and raised his gun for the final time, then-

BANG!

Italy and his tormentor's heads jerked up to follow the noise that came from outside the door. There was silence for a few seconds, then-

"WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY ITALIA?"

A loud yell came from upstairs, followed by crashes and muffled shouts, as if numerous people were being pummelled into the walls.

"What the... Why the hell is he here?" The tormentor hissed through clenched teeth. He heard a pained chuckle and looked down to see Italy grinning painfully and bloodily.

"This... Is why I... Don't betray Doitsu..." He wheezed. "He'll always... Come find me... And rescue me..." The tormentor snarled in rage and brought up the gun.

"BECAUSE HE LOVES ME!" Italy's head shot up from his chest as he screamed at the man. The scream turned into a laugh, then a cry of pain as a foot slammed into his ribs, turning him into a pained mess on the floor.

"SHUT IT! Why the hell would he-" The masked man froze as he heard the click of a gun behind him.

"You don't understand, do you?" Italy wheezed from the floor. "Love... isn't about money.. Or status... It is something creatures like us cannot begin to understand... And it looks like you never will." The tormentor turned slowly to see Germany, snarling and pointing a gun at his head.

A single gunshot echoed around the ghost-building. All silenced.

The tall German man stumbled out of the building with Italy in his arms. Italy smiled happily up at him through all his pain. He had been right: no matter what happened, Germany was always there for him, to love and support him forever. It had been that way for years and it would stay that way.

Always.