A/N This is for my best friend, Sunni
There goes my hero, watch him as he goes. There goes my hero, he's ordinary.
He was growing up. It killed Spain a little bit inside, seeing his Romano grow up, before his eyes. He was no longer the little boy who headbutted and hit him for little comments. It killed him that he was growing up, that Lovino was almost an adult now. He was more independent. He didn't need Antonio as much as he did before. Not like he did as a child. Even though Lovino would fight to the death saying he didn't need Antonio. Maybe that's true. But one thing Spain knew was that he needed Romano.
He needed the boy who yelled at him, the boy who called him a bastard, a moron, a pervert, and idiot. The boy whose mouth was dirtier than most adults he knew. The boy was so immature and innocent, but at the same time was like an adult. He almost was an adult. And it killed Antonio inside.
Part of him wanted him to stay a child forever. Part of him wanted to hold him, and kiss him, and just keep him his forever.
So when the boy told him he didn't need him, to stop telling him that he loved Lovino, it hurt Antonio. Lovino made him feel like a good person, when inside Spain normally felt like one of the worst people in the world.
He knew he couldn't keep him a child forever, he knew it. But sometimes, he wished he could just feel like the boy needed him like he used to.
That time came for Antonio.
As much as it pained him, it did. He felt useful at times like these. Lovino had woken up in the middle night, or so it seemed. Spain had been walking past his room and heard him crying.
"T-Toni! Help me you bastard!" Lovi had yelled from his room, in his sleep. Spain ran in the room, worried and notice the boy tossing and turning in his bed, crying and gripping at his sheets. "Tonio! Get them away!"
Antonio immediately sat on the bed next to Lovino and held him. "Mi Lovinito~" He whispered in Lovi's ear. "It's alright, mi Amor, I'm here. I'm here."
Lovino started calming a bit, but was still shaking and crying, and it broke Antonio's heart to see. He hated when Lovino got these nightmares, sometimes it would take hours to calm him down.
Antonio started softly singing a Spanish lullaby that always soothed Lovino as he held him tightly and protectively, hoping to get away the demons overtaking his Lovinito.
The boy – no, teen, young man now – in his arms calmed down more to the sound of his guardians voice. Antonio whispered into Lovino's ear "Está bien, mi amor, estoy aquí. Siempre estoy aquí." And held him even tighter than before. He was almost crying himself. He hated seeing the boy like this, so weak, he wasn't even awake. He'd probably hit Antonio if he was, he hated that this was the only time he could probably hold him like this, without the boy getting upset.
Lovino by now had finally stopped crying and shaking, and was clinging to Antonio for dear life, still asleep. It didn't seem his dream had subsided though because he was still whimpering, occasionally mumbling "Toni, help me. Please," in his native tongue. Antonio loosened his grip on him slightly and placed a kiss on the top of the younger mans head. "Te amo, Lovino," he whispered even lighter than his previous whispers.
"Ti amo, Tonio…," the boy, still slightly asleep, whispered back.
Antonio let out a few tears of happiness out. He had only heard the words from the boy a few times, and usually laced with a 'bastard' or 'moron', right after, after Spain had to coax the words out of the boy.
The boy was awake now, but his eyes were still closed, so Antonio didn't notice. "Vi ringrazio per avermi salvato, Toni" Lovino muttered to him, clinging to Antonio, opening his eyes. Spain looked at him, smiling. "Lo sarò sempre ti salverà, perché mi hai salvato."
Lovino suddenly placed a soft, barely there kiss on Antonio's lips. "Buenas noches, Tonio.." Antonio smiled at the use of his language and kissed the boy back. "Buona notte, Lovi." He closed his own eyes as they drifted to sleep, the bad dreams gone for good this time.
Kudos, my hero. Leaving all the best.
You know my hero, the one that's on.
A/N: Translation time!
Antonio's Statements:
Mi Amor – My Love (Spanish)
Está bien, mi amor, estoy aquí. Siempre estoy aquí -Okay, my love, I'm here. I'm always here (Spanish)
Te Amo – I love you (Spanish)
Io sarò sempre ti salverà, perché mi hai salvato - I will always save you, because you saved me. (Italian)
Buona notte – Good Night (Italian)
Lovino's Statements:
Vi ringrazio per avermi salvato – Thank you for saving me (Italian)
Ti Amo – I Love you (Italian)
Buenas noches – Good Night (Spanish)