I wrote this fanfic right after watching episode 17 of 'The Beautiful World' since it seemed like England already knew how Spanish horror films were like. I hope you enjoy it! It's been a while since I last wrote a Hetalia fanfic, but it's nice to write one again.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or any of its characters.
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I knocked at the door of the house where the person who had been an enemy for so long lived at. The sun was going down, close to setting and in turn giving rise to night time. I felt a bit of shock at this, since back at my home in London it would have already been dark. However in Spain this was always a different matter. No wonder he always received so many tourists from northern European countries during the summer. I bit my lip, feeling slightly annoyed by the lack of response to me knocking the door. I was already late, and didn't want to go inside even later. Spain had invited a group of countries to his house to "hang out" and watch a movie, to just pass some time. I, of course, had been invited as well; as our relationship had improved drastically in the last couple of decades. This was surprising in a way, but not something that I disliked.
I knocked again, this time more impatiently. I was sure that the other countries would already be there. This time a response from inside the house was heard promptly.
"Si, si. Ahora voy"* I heard Antonio say in Spanish.
A couple of seconds and loud footsteps from inside the house later, the door was opened. Revealing a wide-awake and slightly surprised Spain.
"Arthur, I wasn't expecting you" he said.
"I told you I would come, right?" I said, giving the other country a light smile.
He smiled at my words, with that wide goofy grin that he had. "Yes, you did" He said. "Oh, come inside" He then said as he moved to a side and offered me space to go in, as he suddenly realised that I was still outside.
"I'm sorry I came here late. I suppose all the others are inside already?" I asked as I went inside. I quickly took my coat off and put it in the coat rack.
"Not really. France called saying that a lot of them couldn't make it since they had other things to do" He answered, and then gestured towards his living room. "We can still watch the movies that I had prepared though" he said.
I clenched my teeth. Had the frog left me along like this on purpose? No matter. I'd deal with him later. I started following Spain into his living room, and couldn't help but to pay attention to the sheer amount of decorations that had relevance one way or another to his history. I found myself wondering where some of them came from, while for others I could pinpoint the exact place and year from when they had come from. It was a strange feeling, seeing so much that I knew hanging from the walls.
Once we got to the living room Spain sat at the couch, and showed me two DVD's. "I got these two to watch" he said.
I frowned a bit and read their titles. Both of them were Spanish movies, but I didn't know either of them. "I haven't seen them before" I said.
"Oh, good then" Spain said with a smile. "They are horror films from here" He said. "Which one would you prefer to watch?" He then asked.
I just pointed to a random one between the two that the other country was showing me. Not really caring about which one was seen first. We would watch both of them anyways. Spain smiled at this again and quickly set the DVD in the player and started playing it. Soon, the movie was starting, filling me with a light sense of dread. It had been long since I had last seen a horror film.
"I've never watched a horror film from your house before, Spain. How are they like?" I asked.
"Like everyone else's I suppose. I don't know" he said. "Romano completely hates them, he always avoids watching them" He then added with a laugh.
I briefly wondered what to make of that, but otherwise didn't say anything.
We then started talking about things in a low voice whilst paying attention to the movie, alternating between a friendly and relaxed silence. However, as the movie progressed and things got tenser for its characters the friendly talk ceased completely and was substituted by silence and staring at the screen. Spain smiled with that smile that people who already know what is going to happen in a movie have. I, however, couldn't help but to gulp and clench my fists. Completely submerged in the movie, making me be unaware of my surroundings and of the fact that Spain was sparing me glances here and there to see my reactions.
It wasn't long before I started trying to look away from the screen, to purposely miss what was going on. "No, this isn't scaring you in any way. It's just a film made in Spain's house" I told myself mentally as I gulped, nervous. The next step was asking Spain if I could go and get a drink, but he just replied by saying that he would get some for both of us. I was therefore left alone during the minutes that it took Spain to get some drinks, after which he returned with some tea despite the late hour. He sat back down onto the chair and offered me the mug with my tea. I quickly grabbed it and rank it, despite it being too hot. I needed to drink something. We then returned to being in silence. Until, of course, the moment when I yelped during a moment of tension in the film. It had probably sounded more like a slightly silent scream, if I was honest to myself.
I immediately felt embarrassed by my action, and sank slightly at the spot where I was sitting at. I could feel Spain's eyes on me, but didn't see any mocking smile on his face. I returned to watching the movie as I mentally chastised myself for screaming. I was England, Arthur, there wasn't a need to act like Alfred. Especially when Spain was around. I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice when Spain got closer to me and placed his arm around my shoulders, which almost made me jump where I was sitting at and almost shout again.
"What are you doing?" I asked, not believing what the other country had done. I could feel blood rush to my head.
"It's okay Arthur, you just look a bit spooked" he said.
I opened my mouth as I moved away from him bit by bit, but I was suddenly stopped as I started paying attention to the movie again and almost yelped again. This time, however, I managed to stop myself before actually emitting the sound. It was only a lot of minutes later, once the movie had finished, that I realised that I had ended up leaning against Spain. This only helped worsen the blush that could undoubtedly be seen in my face.
Contact was broken only when Spain got up to take out the DVD. "Should we see the other one?" He asked me.
I only nodded and then proceeded to watch as he placed the other one in the DVD player and then proceeded to retreat back to the place where he had been sitting at before. Again starting contact between us.
The second movie quickly started playing, and before I knew it the sense of dread that I had had before returned. We were again in silence, with both of us paying attention to the movie, although I couldn't help but not how warm Spain's skin seemed in comparison to my own. I only realised when we were halfway through the film that I was tempted to lean in closer to Spain, and that I had unconsciously done so a little bit. It was then when I noted that he had, in fact, fallen asleep.
I immediately stopped paying attention to the movie and looked at him, who looked peaceful and had a completely neutral expression on his face, rather than a smile or one of the frowns that I had seen so often centuries ago. A glint of gold caught my eye, and I spotted the necklace that he usually wore. I moved away to be able to see it better, and quickly started touching the golden cross that was hanging from his neck. I immediately recognised it as that which he had worn at the time that he reconquered his lands from the invaders that had come from Africa, Phillip the Second and Mary the First's marriage, countless of treaties and battles…
I got closer and examined it more carefully. It definitely looked like the age the object had, but it was still in a good state. The gold from which it was made from was completely clean too. It was spotless. I moved away, not wanting to be seen by Spain looking so closely at the object that hanged from his neck. But it was too late.
I looked up to his green eyes, which were looking at mine with an expression of curiosity. The soundtrack of the movie could still be heard faintly in the background, but I wasn't aware of it or the movie. "I…" I started saying, not really knowing what to say.
Spain grabbed my hand, and stopped me from moving further away. "You remember it, don't you?" he asked me.
I frowned. Of course I remembered, and I knew he knew this. "Of course I do" I just said.
He smiled at this, and pulled me closer. "Do you remember that moment then, centuries ago?" he asked with a dreamy expression.
I frowned. "What moment, Antonio? I can recognise almost all of the objects you have here" I just said.
He chuckled. "I know, I know" he said. "I mean 1554."
"Of course I do. I can remember everything" I replied, "even the good things that happened, not only the fighting you know" I said, surprised that he had been referring to that event, when our rulers had married each other.
He suddenly pushed me back, so that my back was against the couch completely and he was above me, pinning me down. "Do you think I don't?" he asked.
"I never implied that. With our history, it's impossible to forget the details. I can recognise half of the things here, as I know you'd also do in my house" I said.
He smiled at this, and maintained his position. I was flustered, not knowing what to make of this. I couldn't help but to look at him. Noticing the old scars that could be seen through the white shirt that he was wearing, as well as the cross that had started all of this, now also quite close to my own neck. I thought back on what I had just said. It was true, and he knew it. We had seen each other at our best and worst moments, and also been the cause of our worst moments on a number of occasions.
"I know, I know" he said.
I suddenly became uncomfortably aware of how close to each other we both were. Too close for comfort. It also took me another moment to realise that this distance between us was also becoming smaller and smaller. I prepared myself to push him away, uncomfortable as I was, but before I knew it his lips were on mine and he was kissing me. I remained still, in shock.
Suddenly his eyes widened, has he realised what he had just done, and he got up and walked away. "I'm sorry, Arthur. I don't know what got over me" he said. "Perhaps we should leave this for another day".
I sat back up and looked at him, feeling divided. I didn't feel too sure about what had just happened, but I didn't want to go either.
"I think we can finish watching the movie" I said.
Spain smiled at this and sat beside me again. We resumed watching the movie then from the moment at which we had stopped paying attention. An hour later, once the movie had finished, I was completely filled with that sense of dread yet again and his arm was again around my shoulders.
"Spain, since it's late could I possibly sleep at your house just for tonight?" I asked, hiding the fact that I had just been traumatised too much by the movie to want to return to my own house at this hour of the night.
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*Yes, yes. I'm coming