A/N: Alright, so the cats still say meow, but to them, they speak English. Lets just pretend that cats have languages, k? I came up with this during a HUGE writers block for my other story, and I hope you enjoy! There are going to be three parts to this story and it won't be updated regularly: sorry.
PART 1
1802
Via Marsari, Italy
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"'Oh Señor Don Gato was a cat, on a high red roof Don Gato sat. He went there to read a letter, meow, meow, meow, where the reading light was better, meow, meow, meow. T'was a love note for Don Gato,'" Feliciano sang before his cat meowed obnoxiously from the couch. Feli looked up from chopping zucchini.
"Ve~ I'm sorry. I know you don't like that song, but it is just so easily stuck in my head! Can you forgive me, Lovino?" The cat looked up, quirked an eyebrow, and let his tail flick back and forth. Feliciano was a pretty decent singer in Lovino's eyes, but he could not stand that song and he had reminded Feliciano plenty of times not to sing that particular children's song. He really couldn't understand how he put up with that man at all. Eventually, he huffed a meow and curled back up into a comfortable ball once more. Feli beamed and returned to his cutting board. He would probably go out and catch some mice in a moment, after he was fed. Feliciano seemed to always have enough food for Lovino, even if the market prices were ridiculous. Lovino didn't recall what a price was- but he had heard the many complains of man about them and he knew that Feliciano had plenty of prices, for some referred to him as "rich" which obviously meant he had enough to buy enough food for himself and his beloved cat. They were obviously important. Fish was always the most prices, but Lovino could never understand why. He wouldn't call himself picky but the fish always stank worse than the horse dung on the streets. And somehow, Feliciano could actually stomached the filth. Lovino would always leave early to search for mice on those days.
Lovino's white ears flicked up from the sound of dishes clinking. He opened his amber eyes and lifted his head. Feliciano had made pasta with vegetables and it smelled delicious. He lifted himself off the couch and landed with a soft thud. Lovino waltzed over to the counter and sat in front of where Feliciano would soon set his bowl. He announced himself with a loud mew.
"Ah, Lovino. I have made you something very special for your birthday meal! Well, I don't know for sure if today is your birthday, but it is the day I found you! Ve~ I remember you as just a little kitten, so soft and white and fluffy. Haha! Lovino! I still have the scar from when I first pet you! Do you remember that, Lovi?" Feli knelt down in front of his aggravated cat. Lovino's ears tilted back with his head and his silence made Feli pout. Damn those eyes… He finally meowed which made Feliciano beam.
"Oh Lovi! I knew you would remember! And do you remember when we first played guitar together? I think I have that scar too… Oh, and how about the time when we went to the New Year's Festa? I had to pick you up so people would stop stepping on your fluffy tail and then we had to watch the fireworks from the window because you were afraid of all of the noise. Do you remember that, Lovi?" Lovino hissed. He did not want to be reminded of that certain festa.
"Haha! Of course you do!" He gave Lovino a gentle pat of the head before standing up and lifting two plates off of the counter. He felt his mouth start to water at the spicy aroma. The small plate clinked down in front of him to reveal a deliciously colorful plate of stringy yellow noodles.
"Pasta with cream sauce and extra tomatoes! Your favorite!" Lovino's jaw dropped. Had Feliciano really gone this far for his cat? And why? He was cranky and albeit sometimes violent. He could feel a heat on his cheeks. Thank god he was covered in fur. He mewd a soft thank you and waited until Feli sat down to eat up his entire bowl. Of course it wasn't much, but for a cat, it was a meal fit for a king.
He licked his lips and cleaned his plate and sauntered over to where his Feliciano sat. He smiled down at him and scooted his chair out a little so Lovino could hop up on his lap. He did- but only for Feliciano's sake. After a few uncomfortable moments, Lovino fell into a blissful sleep.
...
Crash!
Lovi sprung awake on the bed. What was that? He thought it came from outside. He listened for a moment before creeping towards the window, careful not to wake Feliciano. The window was cracked open and the white curtains swayed with the breeze. He stuck his head out uncertainly and opened his eyes wide to absorb all of the moon's rays. Was it another drunk? Or a robber? Or an- alley cat? It was just a stray digging in the filthy trash.
"Hey!" he seethed, loud enough to be heard but soft enough to not wake Feli, tail flicking and ears drawing back. "Go away. Go! Shoo!" The cat looked up from the garbage heap, emerald eyes sparkling and stinking piece of fish still hanging from his mouth. They kind of looked like the pretty grass fields in the summertime. He met Lovino's gaze and the fish bones fell from his jaws, confusing him greatly. He stood there gaping for a moment and Lovino was once again glad for the fur all over his body. The cat's transfixing gaze captivated Lovino. He started to get even more annoyed with this repulsive feline, and even more so at the strange knot that had formed in his stomach.
"Did you hear me, bastard? Shoo!" He tapped a paw forcefully on the window sill. "How many times do I have to tell you?" The cat stared for another moment before chuckling. Lovino looked taken aback.
"You have to be the most beautiful kitty I have ever seen," the cat called up to him. What had he just said? Beautiful? The knot tightened and sent butterflies flittering about. Wait, no. Male cats were not beautiful. And they were not kitties either.
"Go away." he commanded. The cat's face fell, but Lovino could see the joy in his eyes.
"But I don't even know your name!" he protested, leaping up onto a higher crate closer to the window. Lovino found himself trying to lean towards the box, but caught himself and hissed.
"It's Lovino, you bastard! Now will you-" Why the hell had he given him his name so openly? It couldn't be for that reason, dammit. "Will you get out of here! Go on! Shoo!"
"But we barely got enough time to introduce ourselves, Lovino," the dark cat called up with a dashing smile. The way his name rolled of this gatto's pink tongue made him shiver. The upper half of Lovino's fluffy frame slinked out of the window without him noticing. "You can call me Antonio. Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. It is oh-so lovely to meet you, Lovino." He bowed his head without breaking eye contact. Lovino wondered for a moment if his fur could turn red.
"I don't care, you bastard!" He looked back at Feliciano to make sure that cat did not wake him. "Go-a-WAY!"
"Alright, alright, if you insist, gatito. But I shall return! I will bet my life on it, Lovino!" Oh, so he was Spanish. Repulsive. With a dazzling grin, the brown cat picked up his fish and jumped down into the alley, scampering away happily. Lovino stood stiff. Did that really just happen? After a moment, he yelled after tomcat.
"You better not, bastard! Don't try it, or you'll lose more than that garbage!" He lent back, staring at the moon-lit corner. His fur settled back down on his back and he slunk back in the house and tried to close the window. Damn his size- not being able to shut a simple window. He turned and jumped onto the floor and then onto the bed, settling on Feliciano's warm stomach and quickly drifting off to sleep with one lingering thought on his mind. That damn Spaniard of a cat.
He dreamt of the green fields that rolled behind his house in August that night.
Senõr Don Gato by Tracey Lowe
I don't own Hetalia nor do I own the lyrics to Senõr Don Gato