A/N: Rereading the source strips, I noticed Antonio (Spain) got molested A LOT. I'll explain Feliciano's "condition" further when I write his installment. In reality, while Italy and Spain are still in the top 10 in the GDP, the ongoing worldwide recession has continued to pummel their infrastructures and their people's psyches. For those used to reading my stories with lots of mature sex and little plot, be assured, they're coming.

Translations listed at the end. Edited 7/14-7/16/10. Thanks Emmeline-Liotte and odusya!

Fandom: Hetalia

Summary: Romano will be protecting Spain's vital regions from now on.

Pairings: S. Italy-Romano/Spain-Antonio, Mentioned Germany-Ludwig/N. Italy-Feliciano, Referred France-Francis/England-Arthur

Warnings: Shonen-Ai, Seme Romano, Possible OOC, Non-Graphic Ref. of Past and Present Sexual Abuse, Cursing

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Changes - S. Italy x Spain

XXX

"Ve, Romano! A hug of good fortune before we part." Feliciano beckoned with arms opened wide.

Romano wrinkled his nose distastefully, but returned his brother's embrace with a semblance of conviction. "Such a baby. You do not need anymore good fortune. These last two years, I've had to hang up on the potato bastard just so we could receive the next whiny phone call."

Feliciano swayed in place with hearts of love surrounding him. "Veeee. My Ludwig feels his people's pain, so he calls on Italia to balm his wounds."

Romano fought hard to keep down the nausea. "More like balm his wurst. What's the big lug going to do when you break down crying from the pain. I don't appreciate being woken up by a screaming potato bastard and having to talk about your fucked-up dick. If it happens again, you two are on your own. Unless the freeloading albino bastard's home, then you three are on your own."

Quicker than Romano could blink, Feliciano yanked his pants off to show a surprise. "Il beato Dio ha risposto alle mie preghiere, fratello maggiore! Io sono salva!"

Unfazed by Feliciano's nudity, Romano, instead, gazed at one of Modern Science's tiny miracles. "Mio dio, fratellino. The lotion worked?"

Feliciano twirled with joy. Various body parts flapping in the wind. "Sì, Romano! I am so happy. Ludwig will be happy. Germany's strength will be mine and Northern Italy's will be his. Ci deve essere uno, come ho sempre sognato!"

Romano watched his brother twirl with a sad smile on his face. "Congratulazioni, fratellino."

In a twinkling, Feliciano wrapped Romano in an unbreakable hug. "So you see? You do not need to worry. Northern Italy shall share in Germany's power and Southern Italy shall share with Spain. Through us, our land and people will survive."

For once, Romano allowed his fear to show. "It's not the same, stupido! Since the recession began, Antonio and I haven't talked at all. I don't even know if he likes me that way. It's just the thought of joining with anyone else makes me want to puke, but I'll do it for our people."

Feliciano slowly backed up, while somehow wearing pants again. "Mi dispiace, Romano. Gilbert started to tell me some stories, but Ludwig stopped him. He said if you wanted to know the whole truth, you would have to ask France."

Romano's eyes dropped as he placed his hands on his hips. "How did I know you would say that?"

XXX

When France opened the door, Romano almost raised his arms to catch him. The Italian's brown eyes rove over the man's exhausted form. So this was what lifelong love and devotion looked like? Another reason for him to run back home. "Mi scusi, Francia. I have some questions to ask. Feliciano told me you could answer them."

Francis waved a hand dismissively, while sitting down. "Mon bien-aimé Anglais repose. I can answer your questions. What will you do with the answers?"

Romano snarled from where he was lounging. "I would never hurt Antonio. I just want to know what I'm getting myself into."

France snorted. "Silly boy. I do not have the words to tell you what you are getting yourself into. I could show you, but Angleterre has only fallen asleep. He would not take well to being disturbed. De toute façon, I will tell you what I know. But remember, Antonio suffered all this for the welfare of his land and his people."

Romano gesticulated with impatience. "Sì! Sì! I know all this."

Slouching down, France rubbed the side of his face. "Do not say I did not try to warn you. Très bien. Do you remember when Spain went to war with Turkey?"

Romano's forehead crinkled with confusion. "Naturalmente."

Francis's hand dropped to his lap. "Did Antonio ever tell you what Turkey did to him?"

Romano paled, remembering the wounds and abrasions Antonio allowed him to see. "No. As far as I know, he's never told anyone."

France picked at a loose thread sticking out of the chair. "Correct. Since he's never spoken of it to I or Gilbert, I am sure he never will. Ah yes! The pirates. Did Spain ever talk about his battles with Angleterre and subsequent capture?"

Romano stared at France's nervous fingers. "No. What did the pirates do to him?"

France's hand closed into a fist. "Angleterre swears on his love for me that he never raped him. Toutefois, Arthur could not keep watch over Antonio all the time. Although it was not his crime, mon amour shall forever be praying forgiveness for the pirates' immoral acts against my best friend."

Hearing fabric tear, Romano looked down, in surprise, to discover his hand had ripped a hole in the sofa. "Dispiace…"

Francis made a lazy motion. "Ne vous en faites pas. What next? Ah, oui! When he was on his deathbed and his country quickly adopted the Euro... Oh, I think we shall need some wine for this."

Romano halted from his patting down of the torn sofa fabric. "Is it really that bad."

Francis answered with a classic Gallic shrug.

Romano rolled his eyes. "Sure, but no cheap shit. Remember, I'm a guest."

XXX

Antonio hummed a merry tune while he went about feeding his adopted sea turtles. "Sí. Sí,. There is enough for all of you."

Placing the bucket down, the sad country sat back in a shaded chair next to the pond. Memories of the morning ran through his brain until he felt like screaming.

Spain needed the monetary support of as many banks as he could get. His virtue meant little in wake of his people's plight.

Perhaps it was because the bank's representative seemed so sleazy or his requests sounded so perverse.

Antonio hugged himself tighter. Maybe it was because the man was not Romano, nor ever would be.

Feeling a small flipper touch his face, Spain opened his eyes and smiled at the one of many turtles who now surrounded him. "Mis bebés siempre me amarán, ¿verdad?"

"I know I should have made turtle soup before I left."

Thanking the Lord above he had buttoned up his shirt, Antonio held the turtle on his shoulder, hoping it would cover the bruise on his neck. "Romano! ¡Qué sorpresa!"

Romano glared at the turtles for touching the person he now considered his. The turtles stood their ground. "I bet it is. I just came from France's house. You never told me what a good storyteller he is."

Spain paled noticeably under his permanent tan. "Francis? Why, yes. He tells good fairytales."

Tilting his head, Romano continued to stare at Antonio's petrified form. "Oh, these were not fairytales. More like horror stories. Antonio, move the turtle."

Spain readjusted the turtle on his shoulder. "¿Qué?"

Romano released a big sigh, placing one hand on his hip. "Antonio, I'm not my brother. Remember? I have no problem in punching an innocent turtle off what is mine."

Spain straightened up with indignation. "¡Espera un momento!"

Releasing a growl, Romano went in for the kill.

Shielding the oblivious turtle with one hand, Antonio quickly placed the animal out of harm's way and held his hands up in surrender. "¡Dios mío, Romano! What has gotten into you?"

Romano squinted at Spain with clenched fists. "Antonio, if you do not answer the next two questions truthfully, there will be a turtle bloodbath. Capisci?"

Keeping his head lowered, Antonio let out a small cry of panic as he gathered all the leaf-chewing 'babies' he could find into his arms. "¡Sí!,¡Sí!. Por favor, tranquilízate, Romano. Me estás asustando!"

Romano stepped forward and gently lifted Antonio's face with his fingers. He marveled at the emerald pools mirroring his angered visage. "Who placed that hickey on your neck and where is he staying?"

Spain knew better than to close his eyes. "Why?"

Romano smiled.

Antonio's body began to quake with fear.

The mafia had taken a greater hold of Romano's psyche with each passing year. The recession speeding the contamination even more. The group's malicious way of thinking and love of blood now hidden by only a light covering of flesh.

Spain grabbed Romano's hands, anchoring them to his face. "No, mi amor. If you wish to ease my pain, this is not the way."

Romano dropped to his knees, encompassing Antonio in a bone-crushing hug. "Am I your love, Antonio? Will you be able to love me after what those bastards did to you?"

Spain practically purred his response. Petting down Romano's back, he licked along the soft hair curl. "Those animals had my body. My heart and soul were always kept safe with you.

"Chigigi." Romano shuddered with ecstasy. "Bene, bene. But you still haven't answered my questions."

"¡Romano, mi amor!" Antonio unleashed a high scream as Romano wrestled out of his arms to grab a defenseless turtle. "¡Eres tan cruel! Do you not see my baby's tears?"

Suddenly curious, Romano twisted his wrist to look at the turtle's face. What do you know? Little bastard really was crying. "Tell me what I need to know and I'll let go."

Standing up, Antonio tore the turtle from Romano's hands, and held its wiggling form to his chest. "Smith from the Earth Bank. The bald representative with the nasally voice at the last G20 meeting. Gilbert said he looked like a melting marshmallow man."

Romano shuddered himself at the memory. His idiot of a brother, Feliciano, wanted to bite the man and see if he really tasted like marshmallows.

In hindsight, Romano should have let him. "Did he fuck you?"

Antonio stared, open-mouthed, at the indecency of the question. "¿Qué?"

Knocking the turtle from Spain's grasp, Romano furiously shook the older country by the arms. "Did that fat pig fuck you?"

Antonio vehemently shook his head. Tears flowing down his cheeks. "No, Romano! I only used my hands. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I laid on the bed and he rutted against me until he was done. Ever since the p-p-pirates, I haven't allowed anyone to take me."

Romano reverently held Spain's face once more. "Austria?"

Spain blushed and coyly looked to the side. "Let us say Roderich was a very loving bride while the marriage lasted."

Most of Romano's blood ran immediately southward. "How about when you were on your deathbed and I was running my ass off to save yours?"

Romano's hands moved down and gripped Antonio's cherished globes tight to emphasize his question.

Spain's eyes darted back. Orbs brimming with confusion. "Lo siento, mi amor. I truly do not remember what happened. When you left, five men from the Earth Banking Fund came to visit. In the middle of the meeting, I passed out. When I awoke, all the men were gone and Francis and Gilbert were there. Come to think of it, I had not seen Gilbert smile like that in a long time."

Romano nodded. If Gilbert took care of them, then for sure those banking bastards were dead. "Do you remember when you proposed to me?"

Tears falling anew, Antonio clutched Romano's shirtfront and hid his face against a strong shoulder. "Sí, Te negaste."

Romano shook Spain's head with his chuckles. "No, I didn't. Think back on what I said. For the record, I am adding a large amount of sex with each meal and the nap."

Antonio wrapped his arms around his man. "Now you know mostly everything. You still wish to be by my side?"

Romano ran his hands underneath Antonio's shirt. Nimble fingers delicately trailing along old whip marks left by ruthless pirates. "All I know is that I do not deserve you, but I will try my best to be the husband you need me to be."

Antonio smiled with immense joy. "Then I am content."

Before the couple returned to the house, Spain pushed Romano a little so he could see into his brown eyes. "I must warn you, mi amor. The men and the touching. Their attempts will not stop. I do not know what they see when they see me, but they always grab first and think later. I have never welcomed their advances, but it is how it is. All I ask is that you do not kill them. For me, Romano. ¿Por favor?."

Placing his hands on Spain's shoulders, Romano looked at his soon-to-be spouse and answered with a completely honest looking face. "I swear on the Holy Bible I will not kill them."

Antonio beamed with satisfaction. "Thank you."

Immediately, Romano's inner Mafioso searched for loopholes around the sacred promise. Well, if push came to shove, he could always ask Gilbert. If anyone knew how to get around religious oaths, it was a Teutonic Knight.

Passing by the rippling pond, Antonio stopped and waited for his Romano to mentally come back to him. "Romano? Be a good padre and apologize to my babies."

Romano arched an incredulous eyebrow at the throng of turtles looking up at him with an expectant air.

Taking the macho way out, the desperate man swung Spain up in his arms and sprinted towards the house. "Tell you what, marry me first and I'll think about it."

XXX

Hear ye! Hear ye! Online translator and added reviewer help!

Il beato Dio ha risposto alle mie preghiere, fratello maggiore! Io sono salva! - The blessed God has answered my prayers, brother! I am saved!

Mio dio, fratellino – My God, little brother

Sì - Yes

Ci deve essere uno, come ho sempre sognato! - We will be one, like I have always dreamed! (Broad interpretation is broad.)

Congratulazioni, fratellino. - Congratulations, little brother

Mi dispiace, Romano. - I am sorry, Romano.

Mi scusi, Francia – Excuse me, France

Mon bien-aimé Anglais repose. - My English beloved rests.

De toute façon – In any event

Très bien. - Very good.

Naturalmente. - Naturally.

Toutefois - However

mon amour – my love

Ne vous en faites pas. - Do not worry about it.

Ah, oui! - Ah, yes!

Sí. Sí. - Yes. Yes.

Mis bebés siempre me amarán, ¿verdad? - My little babies will always love me. Yes?

¡Qué sorpresa! - What a surprise!

¿Qué? - What?

¡Espera un momento! - Wait a minute!

¡Dios mío! - My God!

Capisci? - Understand?

¡Sí!,¡Sí!. Por favor, tranquilízate, Romano. Me estás asustando!- Yes. Please, calm, Romano. You're scaring me!

mi amor – my love

Bene, bene. - Good, good.

¡Eres tan cruel! - So cruel!

Lo siento, mi amor. - Sorry, my love.

Sí, Te negaste. - Yes. You refused.

¿Por favor? - Please?

Padre - father