"Romano, It's time for bed! Are you ready for your story?" Spain called out to Romano as the little boy was coming up to his bedroom.
"Si, I am! Just wait for me." Romano got into the bedroom and headed over right to the bed. Spain helped him up onto the bed and into the covers. "So what are you going to read to me tonight, asino?" Romano asked rudely to Spain. Spain, trying to ignore Romano's rude behavior, grabbed the book on the little boy's nightstand.
"Well, it was my favorite story growing up! It still is." Spain showed Romano the cover. "It's called 'Ferdinand the Bull' by Munro Leaf." Romano's reaction was just a look of distaste that slightly hurt Spain's feelings.
"Why should I care about a story of a bull?" Romano asked Spain. But Spain just opened up the book to the first page. "Hey, I'm talking to you- ugh. Never mind, I'll just listen. But that doesn't mean I'll like it." Romano got under Spain's arm so he could see the pictures better. That made Spain feel a little better, but his feelings were still slightly hurt.
"Okay. Here we go. Once upon a time, in my country, there lived a little bull." Romano still looked a little grumpy. But Spain turned the page and continued. "His name was Ferdinand. All the other little bulls he lived with would run and jump and butt their heads together. But not Ferdinand." As Spain turned the page, Romano tugged at his sleeve. "Si, Romano?"
"Why doesn't he just start fighting?! He's a fucking bull for crying out loud!" But Spain just chuckled and rubbed Romano's head, making sure to avoid the curl of course.
"Well, he's a gentle little bull so he doesn't like fighting. Now then, where were we? Ah yes!" Spain then continued reading the book. "He liked to sit just quietly and smell the flowers. He had a favorite spot out in the pasture under a cork tree." As Spain turned the page again, he felt something wiggle under his arm. Looking, Spain slightly grinned as he saw Romano getting a little more comfortable under his arm. Romano looked up at him and gave him a dirty look.
"I'm waiting!" Romano pouted. Laughing quietly, Spain continued with the book.
"It was his favorite tree and he would sit in its shade all day and smell the flowers." Spain turned the page once more and glanced at Romano. For a moment, Spain thought he saw Romano smile. But the little boy's expression turned back into its self again. Sighing, Spain continued. "Sometimes his mother, who was a cow, would worry about him. She was afraid he would be lonesome all by himself."
"One, of course his mother would be a cow! He's a bull! And two, why is she so worried? He's looks okay being by himself." Romano interrupted Spain midway through turning the page. Spain held back a chuckle. And Romano said he probably wouldn't like it! But right now, it didn't look it. Spain then continued the Ferdinand story.
"'Why don't you run and play with the other little bulls and butt your head?' She would say. But Ferdinand would shake his head. 'I like it better here where I can sit just quietly and smell the flowers.'" Spain turned the page once more. When he saw Romano just sitting quietly and listening, he continued on. "His mother saw that he was not lonesome, and because she was an understanding mother, even though she was a cow, she let him sit there and be happy." Romano yawned. Spain was about to ask if he wanted to end the story early, but Romano just shook his head.
"Keep going, churro-bastard. You started the story, so finish it!" With that, Spain gladly continued.
"As the years went by, Ferdinand grew and grew until he was very big and strong. All the other bulls who had grew up with him in the same pasture would fight each other all day. They would butt each other and stick each other with their horns. What they wanted most of all was to be picked to fight in the bull fights in Madrid." Spain stopped for a bit to turn the page. Seeing that Romano still was paying attention, Spain smiled and continued. "But not Ferdinand- he still liked to sit just quietly under the cork tree and smell the flowers." Just as Spain turned the page, Romano once again tugged at his sleeve.
"Si?" Spain asked Romano.
"Um... It's kind of cold... can you bring in more blankets, please? Or better yet sleep in here tonight after the story?" For a moment, this shocked Spain a little. But then he smiled.
"Of course I will. And I have to admit, it is a little chilly tonight. Now, lets continue the story." Spain then brought Romano closer to him so that the little boy could be a little bit warmer and continued on. "One day, five men came in very funny hats to pick the biggest, fastest, roughest bull to fight in the bull fights in Madrid. All the other bulls ran around snorting and butting, leaping and jumping so the men would think that they were very very strong and fierce and pick them." Spain could feel Romano get more and more relaxed at the minute. Stopping, Spain asked Romano a question.
"Would you like me to stop reading tonight so we can go to sleep? We can if you want to. I can just finish tomorrow." But Romano just shook his head.
"Like I said earlier, you started the story, we're finishing it. So keep fucking reading." Spain just smiled at the answer Romano gave him and did as he was told. He continued the story.
"Alright Romano. As you wish. So... Ferdinand knew that they wouldn't pick him and he didn't care. So he went out to his favorite cork tree to sit down. He didn't look where he was sitting and instead of sitting on the nice cool grass in the shade, he sat on a bumblebee." Spain turned the page, glad that he could see that, even though he didn't say it, Romano was starting to like the story. "Well, if you were a bumblebee and a bull sat on you, what would you do? You would sting him. And that is just what this bee did to Ferdinand." Romano looked tired, but before Spain could continue, Romano just shook his head. Spain knew that it meant to go on, and so he did, sighing as he did so.
"Wow! Did it hurt! Ferdinand jumped up with a snort. He ran around puffing and snorting, pawing and butting the ground as if he were crazy. The five men saw him and all shouted with joy. Here was the largest and fiercest bull of all. Just the one for the bull fights and Madrid. So they took him away for the bull fight day in a cart." Turning the page, Spain yawned. He too was getting tired. But he knew if Romano wanted it, then so be it. Even if it took him all night. "What a day it was! Flags were flying, bands were playing. And all the lovely ladies had flowers in their hair." Romano was close to closing his eyes. But Spain had to give him credit for holding on a little longer to stay up so he could finish the story. Holding back a big smile, Spain just started reading again.
"They had a parade into the bull ring. Then came in the Banderilleros with long sharp pins with ribbons on them to stick in the bull and make him mad. Next came the Picadores who rode skinny horses and they had long spears to stick in the bull and make him madder." When Spain looked over at Romano, he couldn't help but admire at the way the little boy was so into the story. Even though Romano was tired, and Spain knew it, he wanted to finish the story. Spain knew that it was probably the most sweetest and cutest thing ever. But he continued on. "Then came the Matador, the proudest of all- he thought he was very handsome, and bowed to the ladies. He had a red cape and a sword and was supposed to stick the bull with last of all. Then came the bull, and you know who that was, don't you?" Then Romano spoke up, his voice tired sounding and worn out.
"Ferdinand." Romano said wearily. Spain nodded proudly to Romano.
"Ferdinand. They called him Ferdinand the Fierce and all the Banderilleros were afraid of him and all the Picadores were afraid of him and the Matador was scared stiff. Ferdinand ran to the middle of the ring and everyone shouted and clapped because they thought he was going to fight fiercely and butt and snort and stick his horns around." Spain turned the page as he heard Romano sigh. Looking, Spain saw that Romano was now so tired, he couldn't even move himself to get off of him. But Spain just took that as an advantage and continued on with the story. "But not Ferdinand. When he got to the middle of the ring, he saw the flowers in all the lovely ladies' hair and he just sat down quietly and smelled." Spain turned the page once more. He saw Romano starting to close his eyes, but Romano was still fighting off the tired feeling. Spain was too so he continued.
"He wouldn't fight and be fierce no matter what they did. He just sat and smelled. And the Banderilleros were mad and the Picadors were madder and the Matador was so mad he cried because he couldn't show off with his cape and sword." Romano then surprised Spain when he spoke up.
"Crybaby." Spain couldn't help but quietly laugh out loud. Romano was a little right. No Matador would be that mad. As soon as Spain stopped laughing, he continued on.
"So they had to take Ferdinand home. And for all I know, he is sitting there still, under his favorite cork tree smelling the flowers quietly." Spain turned his head to Romano as he said the last few words of the story. "He is very happy. The end." Spain finished the story and closed the book. As he put the book on the nightstand, Romano then, Spain saw this time for real, smiled and asked Spain a question.
"W-will you read it again... tomorrow?" Romano asked as Spain got comfortable under the covers and reached over to the lamp to turn it off.
"Of course I will, Romano. Did you like it?... Romano?" Spain looked over to see that Romano had finally given in to his sleepy eyes and was already asleep. Smiling, Spain turned off the lamp and put his arms around the little Italian boy. Before he too could give in to his own sleepy eyes, Spain whispered one last thing to Romano.
"Buenas noches, mi pequeno Ferdinand." Spain whispered. "Good night, my little Ferdinand." Then, after giving Romano a goodnight kiss on the top of his head, Spain then closed his eyes and fell asleep.