It started, as most of their hijinks did, because they were drunk. So drunk in fact, that Spain didn't remember much. Oh, he remembered smashing England's ugly face against the bar table so hard he broke it in two while Prussia and France cheered in the background.
He did not remember England hitting back. But he must have been, because Spain felt like he had been punched by a truck on steroids.
He opened an eye and saw he was lying on the dirty ground in some back alley that he didn't recognize. He grunted and pushed himself up.
"Grreow," came out of his mouth. He blinked and looked down at his hands.
Paws.
Furry paws.
He jumped up, trying to scream but managed only to meow pathetically. He looked at himself, shook his head and even hit himself against the wall in an effort to wake up from that nightmare.
Someone opened a door to the side of the alley and a big burly man came out with a can in one hand.
"Shut up dammit!" he yelled and threw the can at him.
Spain hissed and hid behind a trash can. Everything was getting worse and worse.
"What's that? Is it a cat?" asked a familiar voice, and Spain's heart jumped.
After the big man walked Romano, dressed in casual jeans and a rumpled white shirt, holding his long black coat over his shoulder.
"Yeah. I dunno, there were a bunch of them last night. A white one gave me a good scratch when I took out the trash," said the man, showing a big gash in his forearm to Romano.
Spain looked around the trash can to peer at Romano. He wanted to run up to him and curl up in his arms, but the broom at the hands of the big burly cook gave him pause.
Romano sighed. "Well, sorry for the bother. I'll be leaving now," he said, putting on his coat.
The man nodded. "It was no bother. Too bad I couldn't help you. Still, I swear the bouncers threw those two in here, along with those other two the blonde and the albino. Maybe someone around the entrance saw them leave," he said.
"Maybe. Thanks," said Romano, and walked towards the entrance of the alley.
The man went back inside, and Spain sprinted out straight at Romano, meowing in despair. He climbed up Romano's leg, up to his shoulder to rub his face against his.
"What the fuck?!" yelled Romano, trying to shake him off.
Spain slipped and fell down to the ground face first.
"Oh, my god. Oh, my god no...," muttered Romano, kneeling next to him and pulling him up softly. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean… Good lord, is this cat crazy?"
Spain gave a pained meow, but sighed in relief when he felt Romano's fingers on his fur. Romano pulled him up against his chest, caressing him and scratching at his ears.
"Are you ok?" asked Romano, walking towards the street with Spain in his arms. "I hope that wasn't too bad a hit. Were you the one making all that noise? Why were you yowling? Are you scared?"
Spain rubbed his nose against Romano's shirt, trying to convey who he really was. Couldn't Romano see that it was him? Couldn't Romano feel his presence? He yowled.
"Shhh, stop that," said Romano, hiding him under his coat when an old lady stared at him. "Are you hurt? I should take you to a veterinarian. But I have to find Spain first…"
Spain yowled even louder, rubbing himself against Romano.
"Ok, ok, fine. I'll take you to the vet but for God's sake, shut up!" he said, picking up the pace.
Half an hour later, Romano sat at the waiting room of the first veterinarian he could find, with cat Spain sitting in his lap, and dialing Spain's number over and over.
"I can't believe that jerk. He always does this and then here I am, worrying like an idiot. Well, fuck him," said Romano, putting his phone back on his pocket. "It's not like I even care if he's lying in a ditch somewhere."
Spain gave a soft purr and rubbed his face against Romano's hand.
"…But what if he is lying in a ditch somewhere?" wonderedRomano, taking out his phone again to dial, but the veterinarian arrived.
"Sorry for the delay," she said, and looked at Spain. "Is that him? Oh, how cute."
"Not nearly as cute as you," said Romano, standing up with Spain in his arms and a charming smile in his face.
Spain hissed and tried to wiggle out of Romano's arms.
"Oh, he's scared," said the vet and grabbed him in a way Spain couldn't escape.
"Be careful!" cried Romano, hovering over the vet as she took Spain to the examination room. "I don't know if he's hurt. I think he might have hurt his head. I-I dropped him…"
"He seems ok. What is his name?"
"I don't…I mean, I just found him. He ran up and climbed on me," said Romano, standing nearby while Spain curled and wiggled away from the vet. "It seems like something's hurting him."
Romano reached out to pet Spain's head, and he calmed down immediately.
"Aw, he likes you," said the vet, taking the chance to check Spain completely. "I hope you keep him."
"No, no…I can't. I can't take care of him," said Romano, taking his hand back.
Spain panicked. What if Romano was going to leave him there? What if they put him on a cage in some shelter? He sprinted away from the vet's hands and jumped up to Romano's shoulder, meowing and rubbing against him.
Please don't leave me! It's me! Can't you see that? Can't you see it's me?!
"Stop that, you dumb thing," said Romano, grabbing Spain and holding him against his chest, petting him. "You really want to stay with me so bad? Why would you want that? Idiota…"
The vet giggled. "You two seem made for each other. Why don't you keep him for a few days? And if it really doesn't work, there's a shelter that could take him in," she said, pulling out a syringe.
"Hmmm…you need a bath, but if you behave and stop crying so much," said Romano with a cheeky smile. "You could stay. Maybe. Only because I'm so generous."
"He also needs vaccines," said the vet, full syringe ready in hand. "Hold him for a moment."
Spain yowled, and Romano panicked "I-Is it going to hurt?"
"You're already worrying for him. That's so cute," she said, and before Spain or Romano could react, she applied the vaccine.
Romano cried louder than Spain.
