Rec the Thing

Staring at the Sun by VampireNaomi is a rarepair Hetalia fic between Germany and Romano that captured me instantly, at first because Germany being with the other Italy was an interesting concept to me, but then how the story unfolded made me not want it to end because I was having so much fun with it. This story single handedly made me wish there were more fics of this pair exactly like this one because it was just that good. I think the author was especially good at charactization and forming the relationship into something believable and heartwarming. There is no flaws in the execution of the AU and details within the story sells the idea of these two really being humans living in the time period selected. Being in Romano's head was such a treat too, he was amazing from start to finish, I loved him so much! This story is just 10k+ of pure goodness and worth giving a shot if you have any interest in this fandom or these characters, whether you like the couple or not. Trust me, you'll be singing the tune of this rarepair once you're finished reading, it's impossible not to. It was posted this year, but I still think it hasn't fully gotten the attention it deserves in the amount of time it has had, so go give it love if you're interested! 

Here's the summary: It's 1962. The bitter humdrum of Lovino Vargas's life is broken by the arrival of a German tourist who's running away from something. 

I didn't think I was going to have anything to rec since I don't bookmark stories I enjoyed all that often, so I'm glad I can participate this early on in the event with a story I was meaning to rec for awhile. :)