What's this? Another nyotalia story? Heh. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.
Mamma?
What?
What was my papá like?
Don't call him that.
Why?
Just because.
Mamma?
What?
How come everybody elses papá's live with them?
Just because.
Mamma-
Tsk. Stop asking so many questions for once! Go bother your friends or that pompdoro bastardo.
…Si mamma…
Romana looked at her small daughter playing on the sidewalk four stories below and sighed before getting her uniform ready for her evening class. "Feliciana…" Turning away from the window Romana looked around her bare bedroom that contained only a plain double bed with white sheets, a medium sized walk in closet, and her vanity she inherited from her mother. Slipping on her red headband and matching red heels (the only splashes of color on her otherwise boring double breasted khaki suit) she double checked that everything was turned off grabbed her daughters bright blue bookbag that contained her homework and a pair of pajamas, she pulled the fashionable but sturdy metal condo door shut tightly and walked down to the street.
"Feliciana! Andiamo! Mamma deve andare in classe." (IT: Feliciana! Come on! Mamma has to go to class.)
Feliciana turned away from her best friend Ludwig and his cousin as her mother came up to them. "Mamma, sto dormendo stanotte signor Antonio?" (IT: I am sleeping at mr Antonio's tonight?) When her mother nodded Feliciana smiled brighter than the waning sunlight causing her amber eyes to sparkle even brighter. Giving her best friend Ludwig a large hug, much to his embarrassment, she told his cousin good night and her mother thanked the young brunet for watching her energetic daughter and apologized for any trouble she may have caused him.
"She was no problem Signora Vargas. By the way, it's half past five if you were wondering…"
Cursing lowly so her daughter couldn't hear her, Romana tugged her along swiftly hoping she could catch her bus so she wouldn't be late. She taught a night cooking class at the community college across town and the head of her department was breathing down her neck about punctuality. She didn't bother explaining herself to a woman who didn't know the hardships of raising a child by herself. Especially one like Feliciana. Looking down at hair a couple of shades lighter than her own pulled into a high pony tail that swished happily like the owner she had to smile inwardly.
"Ve~ Mamma rallentare! Il signor Antonio è lì~" (IT: Mamma slow down! Mr Antonio is there) Feliciana pulled away from her mother's grasp and ran across the two way street much to the horror of the occupants on both sides.
"Feliciana!"
The five year old looked back only to see a large truck go barreling past honking at her to her confusion. When it past her mother was sitting on the concert completely ash faced staring at her. She felt herself being scoped up and brought back across the street quickly.
"Roma. Romana! ¿Está bien?" The Spaniard hoisted the small woman up single handedly and set her on a nearby stoop. Turning to one of the kids watching he asked them to go inside and bring some water out. The small boy nodded and went inside the large apartment. Smoothing the mother's hair out Antonio turned to Feliciana and glared at her sternly.
"¿Qué estabas pensando cuando se corrió por la calle así? Usted podría haber sido golpeado por el camión!"(What were you thinking when you ran across the street like that? You could have been hit by that truck!)
Tears welled up in her large doe eyes and rolled down her chubby cheeks in fat rivers. "Mi dispiace…" She stood silently to the side when the same boy came down with a cold bottle of water and handed it to Antonio. Feliciana felt herself being pulled into a hug and felt her mother wet the collar of her uniform with tears. Gingerly she hugged her mother back, not used to moments of affection like this.
"Roma. I'm going to call you into work okay?"
Romana nodded into her daughter's collar and hugged her tighter. It may have taken her hours in bring into the world but it could have only taken a second to take her out of it. "Grazie Antonio. But you don't have too."
Antonio looked at her in surprise before kissing her on the cheek while punching in the numbers for her job.
"I'm doing it because I love you."
Romana tucked her shoulder length mahogany hair behind her ear and fidgeted nervously in front of the same large double doors with the same brass wolf head knocker with the SAME damn scuffs and scratches that's been there as long as she could remember growing up before turning around and heading out the ornate gates before they locked on her. A long drawn out sigh was heard and she froze.
"Così, hai deciso di tornare a casa.." (So, you decided to come home…) A large muscular man leaned against the door way staring at her. Turning around partly, Romana looked at male and let her green eyes dart to the changes that happened over the few years they've been apart. The hints of grey at his temple, small laugh wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, and even his eyes changed to her. The once bright gold orbs that held perpetual happiness throughout her childhood seemed dull and hardened slightly.
"Gli anni sono stati gentili con te papa." (The years have been kind to you dad.)
The hard look in his eyes softened as tears welled up in them. Looking at his only daughter, his only child, standing with one hand on the large wrought iron gate like so many years ago made him dart forward and crush her into a hug. "La mia bella Romana…" Holding her at arm's length he smiled brightly in the same way he always did and tried to lead her into the house.
"Aspetta, papa." (Wait, dad.)
Looking back he stared at his daughter and took a good look at her. Her long khaki skirt clung to now wider hips before flaring out around her legs and a simple white pheasant blouse fluttered over her now there bosom. Her hair was slightly shorter and instead of the normal arrogant look that he had become accustomed with the sixteen years he spent raising her, a more timid one shone in her eyes. For a minute he thought he was staring at her mother. Stepping back he looked at her again but this time saw his daughter again. Nodding at her he watched her curl in on herself slightly and mumble something lowly.
"Di nuovo. Dire che di nuovo." (Again. Say that again)
Looking up at her namesake Romana looked away in shame.
"Sono incinta." (I'm pregnant)
She heard her father huff and look at him in surprise. "È tutto?" (Is that all?)
He grabbed her again and led her back towards the house, calling for a pitcher of cold water to be brought out the back patio. When the elderly maid saw her she almost dropped the tray with the pitcher in surprise before a tanned shot out and steadied it.
"Usted debe ser más …cuida…doso…"(SP:You should be more…care…ful…) Bright green eyes stared at her in shock before running up to her and swinging her into the air. "Mi tomatito! Estás de vuelta! Estás de vuelta!" (SP: My little tomato! You're back! You're back!)
"Antonio. Tenga cuidado con ella. Ella está embarazada." (SP: Be careful with her. She's pregnant.)
A blank look swept over the Spanish teen's face as he stared at the elder man. "Rómulo, ahorano es el momento para bromas. Especialmente los de mal gusto, como que." (SP: Romulus, now is not the time for jokes. Especially ones in bad taste, like that.) Romulus shook his head and lead them to the back porch. Antonio looked between his childhood sweetheart and her father before a chilling smile froze its way onto his face as he smiled at Romana.
"Antonio…mi dispiace."
Antonio continued to smile at her and it grew harder. "¿Fue obligado?" (SP: Was it forced?)
Green eyes filled with fury at question and Romana spat a venomous 'No!' at him. Antonio planted a kiss to both of Romana's cheeks and started for the front of the house after looking out at the sunset. "Ci si vede per la prima colazione. Il suo nome era… Piero le Vespe. Vero?"(IT: I will return for breakfast. His name was Piero le Vespe. Right?)
Romana jumped up and ran after Antonio before he father grabbed her by the waist until the sound of a car starting was heard and faded off.
"Che cosa sta andando al fare?" (What is he going to do?)
"Che non ho più la forza di fare. (What I no longer have the strength to do.)
The next morning headlines had the picture of a burning mansion on the water and that a large portion of the Le Vespe Famiglia had been wiped out in what was thought to be an up and coming rival to the prominent Vargas Famiglia. Romana sat at the breakfast table in shock until a loud bang went off from the front of the house. Romulus and Romana looked toward the doorway and saw a grinning Antonio bleeding from a gash in his head dragging a light skinned male with medium brown curly hair.
"Buenos días a todos!" Planting a loving kiss on Romana's cheek he reached down and grabbed the male up to their face level. "¿Este Piero?" Giving the man a sharp shake he opened his fear filled gold eyes and looked around the kitchen before setting on Romana in shock.
"Romana?"
Romana wasn't aware of herself shaking until a large warm hand was placed on her shoulder and she scooted herself back into her father. For nearly three months she hitched rides, walked, and hustled her way back to her father's private home on Sicily. From Venice to Pisa to Rome to Naples until she finally made her way to Messina where a childhood friend spotted her on the dirt road and gave her a ride all the way to the estate. She felt all her hardships go down the drain. A choked out sob escaped her and she clutched her father's hand much to his surprise.
"Lacrime? Lacrime? Ti darò qualcosa per cui piangere!" (Tears? Tears? I will give you something to cry about!)
A swift crack was heard as Antonio cracked the butt of the gun into Piero's temple and hissed at him in Spanish. Forcing Piero to look at Romana's now composed but tear streaked face. "Be. Nice." Antonio went down on one knee before the two Italians and smiled thinly. "I'm going to say this in English since you have a better grasp of it than Spanish or Italian you sorry American bastard. You are going to die."
Piero began struggling in Antonio's grasp until the sound of another gun cocking was heard and he found himself staring down the barrel of a Beretta 92 semi-automatic. Looking up at Romulus he saw him stroking his daughter's hair, looking at him impassively. "Prestare attenzione." (Pay attention.)
Antonio forced Piero's head to face Romana again and continued. "I want you to meet the child who will never get to know you. This child will never know what you look like or what your voice sounds like. It may be a girl or it maybe a boy. It could even be both. It doesn't matter because you will never meet them and they will never meet you. This child is a Vargas. Not a le Vespe. The line stops with you. Look at the mother. Look at the mother of your child!" Antonio grabbed a handful of hair with his gun hand and forced it back so Piero could look at Romana. "Her face should never be streaked with tears of sadness and I am going to make sure that they never will again."
Standing up he kicked the man over onto his back and planted a booted foot on his chest. Lining the gun up with his head Piero looked between Antonio and Romana who was staring at his soon to be killer in shock.
"Why? Why are you doing this!"
"Because I love her."
"Knock knock Roma~"
Romana looked up from her position on the chaise on her balcony at Antonio. Her hands folded over her rounded stomach, a scowl on her face before turning back to the skyline of the city in the distance. Newly immigrated to America, she wasn't up to socializing with her new neighbors since standing was too much on her ankles now. Looking up at the Hispanic who immigrated with her and stuck through the past six months with her in her father's place (he still had a 'business' to run back in south Italy and claimed to be too old to flying across the globe).
"What do you want bastard? I thought you went home?"
Planting a kiss on her cheek Antonio smiled. "How's mi bebé?" He asked skillfully dodging her question with practiced ease. Scooting in besides her he rubbed her stomach planting a kiss to it too. "She's shifted positions."
"She's a pain in my ass. She's been moving around non-stop all day. She didn't even settle down for siesta."
"Well you are close to your due date. How much longer now?"
"…"
"Roma?"
"It was yesterday but the doctor said that sometimes a pregnancy could go over the date by a couple of days."
Antonio snapped his head up and calmly got up from his position by Romana' side. "Why the hell did you move bastard? She finally stops moving and you had to go and- oh." Looking down they both saw a dark spot spreading over Romana's lap and back at each other. Sighing Antonio stood and made his way into the spacious bedroom.
"Where the hell are you going?"
"To call Francis to tell him I will not be making the poker game tonight. Do you want to go to the hospital now or later?"
Getting up with some difficulties Romana waddled into her bedroom, peeling off her soaked underwear along the way. "I'll wait until the contractions are too much to handle. The hospital's only ten or so minutes away right?"
"You are being very calm about this quierdo." Hanging up the phone before his friends loud squeal could get any louder, Antonio went through Romana's hospital bag once more before placing it by the door. Coming back into the room he saw her shrug on a light green empire dress that fell slightly above her knee. "Why are you changing your clothes?"
"I'm not going to the hospital looking like a mess. Now fix me something to eat dammit." Antonio doesn't bring up his first question again.
It wasn't until dawn that Antonio finally dragged Romana to the hospital, exasperated at how she tried to hide how much stronger the contractions were getting.
Around late morning Feliciana Celestina Vargas was born.
Romana looked over tiredly at Antonio who was walking around the hospital room with the small child. He kept bring his shoulder up to wipe the tears that were running down his cheek and she was pretty sure that they weren't from how hard she was squeezing his hand as she kept her screams in. She heard a small sniffle and sighed. "Stop crying already Antonio. It's just a baby. You have seen plenty of them." Antonio walked back over to Romana and kissed her soundly on her lips.
"Si, but she's mi bebé."
Sitting up Romana took her from Antonio when she started to fuss and brought her to her chest. Squeezing some milk out, she brought Feliciana to her teat and helped her latch on for her first feed. She felt Antonio watching her and stared back.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"No. What? You're just going to keep staring at me at its creepy. You act like you've never see a woman breast feed before."
"I didn't know you could be considered a woman at your age? I thought it took life experience."
"I'm 23 Antonio. I've lived though and seen things most women by age only read about in silly romance novels."
Looking back at the Spaniard he didn't answer he but sat on the side of her bed and pulled her into a hug. "Lo siento Roma."
"Tsk. I've made my mistakes and I can say I won't make them again. Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault."
"I should have been there protecting you."
"Why on earth would you want to do that?"
Antonio smiled at her like it was the most obvious thing in the world with tears in his eyes. And Romana is fussing about him crying all over the baby which will make her sad and that goes against her name entirely.
I want to protect you because I love you
Feliciana is five years old now. Her face still retains most of her baby fat in her face and her mamma cries when she thinks she's asleep. Her papà stopped coming after her mother yelled and hit him, yelling about vespe. She wants to try and ask what does the stinging bugs have to do with her papà but she doesn't know how yet. Her papà never yelled back at her mamma or even raised a hand to her back. He took every hit, slap, and curse that was thrown at him with a sad smile and kissed her mamma on the forehead like he does her before bed or in the bath or before he leaves in the morning.
His green eyes, brighter than her mamma's, flicker towards her and he makes a little shooing motion with his hand that only she can see.
'Back to bed Feli' it says to her.
Crawling back into her bed she hears the front door slam and her mamma sobbing in the foyer. She hears her mutter on the way to her room across the hall about 'those damn vespe' and 'pomodoro bastardo's' again and wonders why she won't just burn the bug candles she uses in the summer if they bother her that much and what does her papà have to do with the bugs.
The next morning the house is silent. Neither one of her parents are cooking breakfast and the shower isn't running so she goes into the kitchen and makes herself a bowl of cereal. Feliciana sets on the floor eating it, sounding out the English words on the box so she can get better at the language so she can talk to her new friend Ludwig who lives two floors above with his dad and brother. She is on her second bowl when her mother shuffles in still in her pajamas and her eyes red and puffy.
"Mamma."
"Che?"
"È il papà di ritorno oggi?"
"Non lo so."
"Perchè no?"
"Perchè non lo so Feliciana."
Feliciana drops the subject and doesn't ask her mother anything else. She makes herself a bologna sandwich when her mother doesn't get up for lunch and makes two for her dinner before giving herself a shower and putting herself to bed.
Her mamma is there making her meals the next day but her papà doesn't come back, she doesn't cry because her mamma cries enough for the both of them. Two months go by like that before her mamma gets a phone call one evening as they were about to go to bed that causes her to rush them both to the hospital. Sitting in her car seat she watches her mamma fly through the cars and pull into the hospital parking lot with a screech. She's unbuckled her in a hurry and barely locks and alarms the car before they're whisked into the air conditioned waiting room. Her mamma is firing questions at the lady sitting at the desk then cursing her so harshly that she starts to cry when she can't answer her questions that it causes her mother to cry and the doctors and guards at trying to figure out how to calm the two women down.
"Romana."
Her mamma looks up at her name and Feliciana see's a tall man with grey temples covered in what looked like thin tomato juice from his shirt to his pants and it sends her mother into another fit of tears as the man pats her head. He gestures towards Feliciana and her mother gives him her name. The man scoops her up and tells her something in English before her mamma repeats it in Italian.
Nonno.
She's heard that she had a nonno that lives in a place across the water called Italia and that he's the ones that sends her small toys and outfits throughout the year even when it's not her birthday. The man- her nonno- kisses her on both cheeks repeatedly and he leads her and her mother to a corner where there are colorful hard chairs.
"What happened papà? Why are you covered in blood?"
"Why are you in your pajamas? Do you honestly wear that scrap of cloth to sleep?"
Her mamma slaps her nonno on the knee and he grows serious. "We were picking out Feliciana's birthday gift when Ricco and his gang comes into Antonio's greenhouse. They opened fire before either one of us knew what was happening. Most of this blood is Antonio's. He jumped in front of me and took the brunt of the barrage."
Her mamma head is in her hands and she's crying silently. Feliciana is set down by her nonno when he goes to comfort her mamma and she immediately wanders off. She walks through countless hallways and doorways before she finds herself in front of two large doors. Pushing them open she sees a mummy laying on a white bed and she wonders why the mummy isn't in a museum in a shiny yellow case like before when her mamma and papà took her there before they started arguing.
Walking towards the mummy she gets close enough to see only most of it is covered in white wrappings with small red flowers on his chest. Familiar tanned skin showed on the unwrapped parts and looking up she sees that her papà is the mummy.
Crawling around to the least bandaged side she climbs up onto the bed, being careful of the wires, and curls against her papà's side letting happy tears roll down her cheeks now that's she's found her papà. She feels the familiar rough fingers run through her wavy hair and she lets the movement sooth her to sleep.
When she is awoken it is by her mamma's sobs before she is lifted up and into her chest. Her mother is babbling in some language she never heard before and she hears her papà tell her mamma to calm down since she's alright.
Her mamma tells him to shut up and act the Swiss cheese he is and Feliciana wants to know what does cheese has to do with anything? She's asks why her papà never came back after the argument, telling him that Feliciana cried for him every day and her daughter tells him that it was mamma crying everyday and that she cried enough for the both of them. Her papà smiles softly at her mamma and he chuckles at her embarrassment.
"Roma, dame un beso…"
"Now? Why?" But her mamma kisses him anyway on the cheek.
"Because I love you"
Mamma
What?
Dove è il papà?
Tsk. Again with this question?
Si. Dove è il papà?
Chigi! Feliciana! Come take your brother!
Feliciana is sixteen. Her mamma is walking around the kitchen with her little brother Lovino on her hip and she sings under her breath. Lovino is five and much too big to be riding around of their mamma's hip like that but she knows that her mamma will only tell her stop and leave her brother alone. Feliciana sits at the counter top texting Ludwig on her phone occasionally smiling when her mamma can't see her. It's been a whole week since she's seen their papà last and while she's used to it Lovino is not.
Lovino questions her mamma all day and she see's that they are too much alike to stay with each other all the time. Lovino plays with the worn rosary around his neck, their papà's rosary, and scowls at something. Seeing the look oh his face her mamma gives an exasperated sigh and plunks her brother in her lap.
"Here. Take your brother. Seems like you're finally living up to your name."
Feliciana plunks her fratello in the seat next to her and kisses his forehead. She kisses his nose and both of his cheek causing his to smile slightly. "Does fratello want to go see if we can find papà?" Lovino nods and Feliciana sets him down and tells him to go put on his sneakers. Her mamma gives her a look and she rolls a tomato over to her daughter who takes it gingerly. "Come with us mamma. Even though we won't find papà, you never spend any time with Lovi."
"No. I do not want to go outside and spend over an hour looking for a man that aggravates me with a son who can't stand me."
"If papà irritated you so much then we wouldn't have Lovi would we?"
The smart remark earns Feliciana a cuff on the ear and her mamma sends her into the hall to make sure her brother is dressed properly. "Dinner will be ready by six so come in by then or I'm eating without you." Feliciana waves her mamma off but Lovino scowls at their mamma and she threatens to give him something to scowl about if they don't get outside while there is still daylight.
Ludwig meets Feliciana in the lobby and kisses her in greeting before taking her hand. Lovino scowls at Ludwig and takes his sorella's free hand. He doesn't like the 'macho potato eating bastard' as his mamma has christened him and makes sure to keep an eye on his sister. By the time they make it halfway down the block he has forgotten his mission and is more interested in the football Ludwig brought down with him. Kicking it back and forth between his sorella and her boyfriend a smile works its way onto his face.
When he over kicks the ball he runs after it blindly before being pulled back by his collar as a truck came barreling by, giving a demonstration of what could have happened by flattening the ball . Lovino looks up at Ludwig in shock before he starts crying and the large blond picks him up gently.
"Ludwig!" Feliciana hugs her quick thinking boyfriend tightly, crying into his chest at the thought of what could have happened. "Thank you. Dio mio, thank you so much."
Ludwig goes red in the face before kissing the top of her hair. "You don't have to thank me Feliciana." He tries to pry Lovino off him but finds the child has him in a death grip. Figuring that he wasn't going to be letting go anytime soon, Ludwig took his still sniffling girlfriend's hand and led them in the direction of their father's greenhouses. When they get there Feliciana's tears have dried but Lovino still won't release his hold on Ludwig.
"Papà! Papà leave your tomatoes and come greet your children!" She hopped the fence with practiced agility leaving her boyfriend and brother to walk though like normal human beings. Antonio's voice carries out from the largest greenhouse and they follow the sound of his voice.
"Papà!"
"Mr. Fernandez."
"Antonio is fine Ludwig~ So serious like your father."
"Papà! Ludwig saved Lovi's life!"
"What? Did he finally find a way to make him stop gorging himself on tomatoes morning, noon, and night?"
"No! Lovi was about to run after the football Ludwig got him after he kicked it too far into the street. He saw the truck before I did and pulled Lovi back in the nick of time!"
Antonio's face seemed to age right in front of his children and Ludwig eased him into a chair. "Lovino…" Lovino clung to Ludwig tighter if possible, not wanting to come down and face the amount of trouble he knew he would be in.
For the longest time Antonio sat his head bowed until Feliciana noticed he was praying. Grabbing a plump tomato off the vine she waited until he finished before asking if he was coming home with them. He looked up at Ludwig holding his son and his daughter in everything but blood leaning against his workstation in a white tank and a khaki skirt that must have been her mamma's at one point in time and briefly thinks about how well it goes with her boyfriend's black muscle tank and work jeans still covered in grime from the construction zone and saw him and her mamma at another place and time. Back when they were young and in Italy.
Managing to pry his son off the obviously flustered blond he smiled at the two of them and told her he'll be home before six. Feliciana and Lovino smiled happily at the fact and Ludwig smiled slightly.
"Ludwig. Watch out for my little Feli now do you hear?" He knew he didn't have to mention Lovino since Ludwig always kept an eye on the mischievous child. Ludwig looked at him in surprise at such a request and nodded like he always did when Antonio asked him to keep an eye on his daughter.
"Of course I will."
"Why does Luddy always feels the need to watch over me. I can take care of myself!"
Ludwig chucked and kissed his girlfriend on her forehead before picking a yawning Lovino up.
"Because I love you."
Mahhh. Cheesy ending was cheesy and I'm going to be late for class but I wanted to finish typing this up before school. Tell me how I'm doing! Reviews make me smile!