Mercy Rule

Summary: Two rival football teams battle it out to get to the Nationals. But what happens when opposing players become star-crossed lovers? Mainly Spamano, USUSK, GerIta with side pairings.

Rating: T

Pairing(s): SpaMano, USUK, GerIta, PruCan, hints of FrancexEveryone

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.

Note(s): For the record, I have never attended a football/soccer game and only know what I know from playing street soccer, movies and Yahoo! Answers.


What with the rather loud screeching of the alarm clock and the lack of grace his brother displayed in his mad dash to get outside the room, Lovino had been very awake earlier than expected. His demeanor was rather grouchy, considering the mass amount of tossing and turning he had experienced the past night. His mind had refused to let him sleep; filling itself with nothing but haunting memories of an emerald-eyed beast wearing a Cheshire grin and boasting a musical laugh.

"Stupid Antonio," he grumbled. The brunette sat up and rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up. A glance at the clock told him that he had only spent five minutes reflecting.

"If I hurry, I might be able to catch that idiot," he thought aloud. With a mind made up and ready to take action, Lovino hopped out of bed and got dressed. He tossed on a plain black shirt and cargo shorts as he ran a hand through his hair to untangle his brunette locks.

After deeming himself presentable, the boy stealthily opened then slid out the window. The elder Vargas was known to be significantly less graceful than his brother, but somehow managed to plant his feet on the ground without tumbling over onto his face.

With a pat on the back and a clear idea of where to go, Lovino began his search for his little brother.


After only five minutes of light jogging, the brunette managed to spot Feliciano.

Lovino rolled his eyes as he watched his brother. The boy was practically the human embodiment of suspicious behavior, complete with a nervous smile and paranoid glances over his shoulder every other minute. The elder Vargas scoffed as he maneuvered through the stream of bushes outlining the sidewalk. He figured that he wouldn't be spotted in such a place and had to convince himself that following his brother would be worth the constant stabbing of twigs in his ribs and leaves in his face.

Thanks to the obvious determination Feliciano displayed in finding the Wurst Wringer's practice space, Lovino assumed that said location was where the nervous idiot was heading. This theory became disturbingly accurate as the elder Vargas followed his brother in curiosity. He wondered why his brother was visiting the rival team and what his motivation was.

'What if he's a dealer? No, he's too much of a pansy for that. Then again, we're Italian, so you never know...'Lovino took a minute to remember all the years he had spent with Feliciano and ruled this theory out.

'Well, what if he was enlisted to be a spy for our team? Of course Romulus would choose him to do the cool jobs; he's the favorite after all.' Lovino thought back to the painfully suspicious behavior his brother had displayed in his attempt at acting casual. He also ruled this theory out.

'Well, there isn't a pretty girl on the team, so he couldn't be going for that. Wait. Is he going to see the team?' Lovino froze, considering the possibility. It wouldn't be odd for a member of his team to want to see what they were going up against and after he and Arthur had made such a big deal about it, it would only be logical to be a little skeptical.

"That must be it," he mumbled to himself. Though Lovino had little time to think once he realized that his target had disappeared. His eyes darted across the area in search of his brother.

"Damnit, now what?" He thought aloud. He determined the two choices he was to make at that moment; to continue on or go back home.

'It's not like his life is in danger. I could go home if I wanted to', he thought. Unfortunately, the nagging itch of curiosity gnawed at his will, effectively persuading him to continue on. With a sigh of annoyance, Lovino crawled out of the bushes, brushed himself off, and made a beeline for the sidewalk.

"This better be worth it," he grumbled as he walked.


Lovino was becoming increasingly irritated as he decided to take a quick break on a park bench.

It wasn't the sweetly chirping birds or the occasional wailing infant that got to him. Though said distractions were fairly annoying, it was the constant reminder of his singleness that set him off.

Around him walked couple after couple, holding hands and staring into one another's eyes with a sense of admiration twinkling bright. With them came along airy sighs and flirty giggles that could light up an entire city with their positive energy. It made him want to upchuck.

"What's so great about being with someone, anyway? It's not like it'll last," he inquired.

"What makes you say that?"

The boy jumped at the sudden questioning of his inquiry, surprised that a stranger would interject. He looked up to see a small Asian boy leaning against the bench. He sported choppy brownish-black hair and a blank expression as he glanced down at Lovino. The two stared at each other for a few more seconds before the younger boy seemed to have come back to his senses.

"E-excuse me, I didn't mean to impose," he said quickly, bowing slightly to the brunette. The older Vargas merely blinked and brushed it off. The smaller boy hesitated before taking a seat on the bench, bringing along a miniature brown puffball of a dog that chose to sit by the feet of his master. Lovino stared at it in curiosity, trying to determine the breed. The Asian boy cleared his throat before speaking once more.

"Not to be rude, but you didn't answer my question," he noted. Lovino sighed and nodded, recalling what the boy had asked.

"I just don't see the point of relationships," he answered honestly, "They almost never last, anyway. It's only so amazing in the beginning because of the infatuation stage. It all goes downhill from there."

The boy nodded, showing that he understood the Italian's logic.

"That's true for some cases, but you shouldn't be so quick to generalize an emotion." He looked up into the trees, as if deeply thinking about something - or someone.

"Love has it's ways. They may be confusing and even frustrating at times, but the result is always worth it. There is nothing in this world that could ever surpass the power of true love."

Lovino fought the urge to roll his eyes at the cliche way of thinking, but resisted. He knew that it was only because his lack of experience, and possibly his failed past relationship, that was clouding his vision.

"How do you know if the person is worth pursuing, though?" He asked skeptically. The boy smiled and almost seemed to be chuckling to himself.

"There comes a time when you'll be able to tell. It wouldn't be nearly as rewarding without the thrill of the chase," he concluded. The older Vargas sat in silence, reflecting on the words. He absentmindedly checked his cell phone for the time, nearly falling off the bench when he realized his break had lasted almost half an hour.

"Sorry, but I have to go. It was nice talking to you," he said to the boy, holding out a hand. The boy nodded and shook his hand with a soft smile.

"Yes, I best be on my way, also," he commented as he stood up.

"Do not lose hope," he said knowingly to the Italian. Lovino felt a light blush form on his cheeks but nodded nonetheless. He pulled back his hand and made his way down the sidewalk, mind full of speculations.


If the large printed banner titled 'Spaera High School' wasn't enough to figure out where he was, Lovino could determine his location by glancing at the field beside the school of which held a team of colored dots running in the distance. The boy let out a sigh of relief he had been holding for quite a time. He didn't have the best sense of direction and finding his way anywhere farther than two blocks from his house was considered an accomplishment.

Though as soon as he set foot on Spaera property, the sound of a whistle was heard. He heard the distinct bark of orders from the coach and watched the team disappear into the school building, save for a small group of players huddling in a circle. The brunette groaned before heading into the building, sure that his brother was stupid enough to follow the team.

With the help of a few convenient signs, Lovino found his way to the locker room. He entered the room just in time to be caught in the stampede of sweaty boys rumbling through halls to scramble back on the field.

"Ah, Feli~!"

The brunette's head snapped in the direction of the voice. To his surprise, the stampede had dispersed, leaving him and a slender tanned boy in the locker room alone. Said boy ran over to the Italian with a smile on his face. Lovino blinked in confusion and looked around him.

"I thought you had run off with Ludwig, but I guess I was wrong, heh. Hey, where'd your sweatshirt go?"

The brunette blinked again, unsure of what was going on. After mentally going over what the Spaniard had said, he sighed in annoyance and rolled his eyes.

"I'm Lovino, you idiot," he spat. It was Antonio's turn to stare in confusion as his eyes wavered up and down the Italian's body. Once his eyes landed on the boy's hair, he smiled.

"Ah, sorry! You two just look so similar," he apologized. Lovino scoffed and crossed his arms, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

"But I couldn't imagine what you would be doing here, watching the rival team," the Spaniard commented. The Italian sighed to give off the air of annoyance, (though his heart was pounding faster by the second and his hands were trembling with nervousness), and answered slowly.

"I'm only here to keep an eye on my idiot brother, nothing more. It's n-not like I came here to see youor anything." The elder Vargas mentally scolded himself for stuttering in his response, though it seemed to go unnoticed by the taller boy. Said boy just nodded and took a seat on the benches located next to each set of lockers.

Lovino couldn't help but glance over at the other, his eyes tracing every fine curve visible under the loose shirt the Spaniard wore. His eyes lingered on the boy's face, however, and he felt a strange longing in the form of a fluttering in his chest as he spotted the delicate looking lips that were parted ever-so slightly. Antonio looked over at the Italian, a warm smile still present as he patted the space beside him.

As he mentally kicked himself for giving in, the elder Vargas took up the boy's offer and sat beside him. The tanned boy stared over at him, his lazy green eyes taking in every detail of the boy's physical body. With a curious glint in his eye, he held up a hand and met amber eyes.

"May I...?"

Lovino blinked and nodded, unsure of what the Spaniard was talking about. He assumed that there was some strange object in his hair, as the boy reached over and softly pet the other. He rested a hand on the Italian's leg as he leaned over and tugged gently on the gravity-defying curl. The Italian felt a wave of pleasure flow through his body, making him let out a low uncontrollable moan. Antonio blinked, his mouth agape.

The two sat there for a moment; Antonio staring at the Italian as he tried to control his blood flow. As soon as Lovino opened his eyes, he saw the Spaniard's smile widen before he burst out laughing. The smaller brunette blushed more so than before and tried to swat the boy's hand away, but to no avail. In return, Antonio continued to pet the boy's hair, his cheeks tinted pink as he did so. Lovino didn't have the willpower to stop him and took note of the hand on his leg.

'It's sort of...nice,'he thought, sensing the warmth that came from the boy's hand. He let himself enjoy the moment and even let a small, almost faded smile slip onto his lips. Antonio was quick to notice and smiled back in an almost shy manner, his cheeks taking on a more red color. With eyes locked, the two unconsciously leaned towards one another. The Spaniard's hand slid a little higher on the brunette's leg as he began to close the gap between them.

"TONI! GET YOUR ASS OUT HE-...ere..."

The Italian froze as his eyes darted over to see a stunned albino leading a shocked Frenchman into the locker room. A moment passed before the elder Vargas shoved the Spaniard away and quickly stood up to leave. Though as soon as he bolted to the door, a pale arm shot up, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

"The other Vargas?" He asked, a scowl present on his face. Lovino resisted the urge to hide behind Antonio and nodded dumbly.

"Well, it seems we have both brothers here then, oui?"

Amber eyes flickered over to the blond, who wore an almost resentful expression. It was then that Antonio decided to join the trio and pulled the Italian away from his friends. He gripped the boy's shoulder firmly as he smiled over at the two.

"No need to look so displeased," he stated simply. Gilbert rolled his eyes and mumbled something under his breathe as Francis eyed the Spaniard.

"Oi, Vargas," the pale boy barked, "Come 'ere. I wanna talk to you."

Lovino glanced back at Antonio before nodding and heading over to the boy. Francis walked over to the Spaniard, whispering something along the lines of 'you better know what you're doing'. As he reached Gilbert, the Italian became increasingly aware of the height difference between him and the other. The German was towering over him, adding to the air of intimidation set off by his ruby red eyes. Said German led the brunette to the coach's empty office located beside the locker room. He ordered the boy to take a seat as he did so himself.

"Look, I'm just going to be blunt here," he started, "It's obvious you and 'Toni have this thing going on, so I'm going to make a deal with you."

Lovino felt his heart speed up in anticipation.

"I won't tell either of our coaches – and lord knows how pissed they would be if they found out – if you agree to face off against him with your brother."

The Italian blinked, unsure of how to react. A part of him was sure he'd win along side his brother; they had yet to lose a match on the field. However, another part of him was hesitant to go against the boy known as Antonio El Tigre. Anyone that had seen the Spaniard on the field would know not only how powerful he was, but also how fast he was. 'Are we really going to stand a chance against him?'

Lovino frowned, realizing what his other option would lead to. 'If we don't go against him, though...Romulus would be furious.'He sat up and looked over at Gilbert, who was staring back. He took a deep breath before nodding and standing up.

"Deal," he responded. The German grunted in acknowledgment and stuck out a hand. The Italian reluctantly took it into his own hand, shaking it with a firm grip.


It took a total of three minutes to convince Feliciano to play a friendly game of football with Antonio. The first two minutes were spent explaining why Lovino was there, (which was answered with a simple 'You really think I didn't hear your stupid alarm clock go off, you idiot?'), and the last minute was spent determining the rules of the game.

The elder Vargas seemed to be the only one that was even remotely tense during preparation. Gilbert had told the coach that the brothers had come to challenge the team and to give the other teammates a glimpse at how the 'legendary Vargas Twins' played football. He agreed to let Antonio face off against them on the terms that the match be counted as practice for the team. Which meant that Antonio was to choose another player to help him.

Without a second thought, the Spaniard chose Alfred F. Jones to be his partner. The American agreed in an instant and the game was to begin. Lovino walked with his brother to the field, trying to get himself into the right mood to play.

"Fratello, are you okay?"

The elder Vargas turned his attention to Feliciano, who was staring at him with a concerned look.

"You're not usually nervous when when it comes to football," he commented. The auburn-haired boy turned to look at Antonio, who seemed to be making a plan with Alfred. He looked back over at his brother, who was staring at the ground with eyebrows narrowed.

"I'm fine, Feli," he eventually answered. The younger boy sighed but didn't press the issue. He gave his brother one last look of worry before moving to the center of the field. He looked up at the Spaniard across from him. The two exchanged glances at one another; smiles absent on both players. Feliciano eyed the boy with a possessive stare while in return Antonio sent him a predatory glare. In their minds was nothing but the boy who stood roughly two yards away.

Silence passed as the two studied one another, their expressions never faltering. Lovino took a deep breath and moved into a comfortable stance that would allow him to bolt after the ball with ease. Alfred sighed impatiently as he watched the duo in the middle.

The whistle blew, beginning the game. Feliciano took off with the ball, his brother running beside him as he tore down the field. It didn't last long, however, as Antonio found an opening and managed to maneuver through the brothers to get the ball from the younger one. Lovino spun around and chased after the boy.

He felt Feliciano's presence behind him as he slid and kicked the ball away from the Spaniard. The younger Vargas darted over to the ball and started down the field once more. Antonio didn't even flinch as he followed the boy. As soon as he reached the other side of the field, Feliciano kicked the ball effortlessly into the goal. The designated goalie, Francis, didn't stand a chance as the sphere flew through the air like a bullet set on it's target.

Lovino felt a sense of relief accompany his rising confidence. He figured that if Feliciano could score a goal by himself, then there was no way Antonio could beat them.

Half an hour into the game and both sides were tied with a score of 9 to 9. They had decided on a game to ten, which meant that whichever side got the last point would be the winner. The Vargas brothers showed no signs of tiring, though Antonio began to slow down. Despite his great strength and speed, his stamina wasn't his strong point. Alfred, however, continued to be at his best as he began to score goals instead of Antonio doing so.

Feliciano had the ball and was currently running at his full speed to the goal. The Spaniard was hot on his heels, though slowly beginning to totter. It was obvious he was pushing himself, though it didn't seem to concern anyone but Lovino. Said Italian was a few feet away from his brother and ran alongside him, fully knowing that the ball would soon reach him. The younger Vargas glanced over at his brother before taking a deep breath and passing the ball to him. Antonio nearly tripped in his attempt to steal the ball, which momentarily distracted Lovino.

After quickly getting his mind back on track, Lovino dribbled the ball down the field with Alfred closely behind him. Without warning, the Spaniard appeared before him. Their eyes met for a moment, making the Italian's heart skip a beat. He froze in an instant, leaving an opening for either opponent. Feliciano cursed under his breath as he rushed over to cover his brother's mistake, but it was too late. Antonio had gained control of the ball and passed it to Alfred, who sped up as he neared the goal.

Lovino blinked rapidly as he realized what had just happened. He turned to see his brother darting across the field in a sad attempt to stop the duo. His mind told him to help his brother like he was supposed to be doing, but his legs wouldn't move. He looked down to see he was nearly shaking.

Seconds passed before the Italian looked up to see Alfred making the winning goal. He ignored the joyous cheers around him and fell onto his knees, staring at the ground. 'I froze up,'he thought. The elder Vargas hung his head in shame, criticizing himself in his head.

"Fratello."

The boy looked up to see his brother staring at him. He couldn't determine whether he was disappointed or angry, but a distinct look of fear was clear on his face. Feliciano turned his attention to the opposing team, focusing on Antonio as he received high-fives as friendly hugs as a reward. The Italian glared at him.

"He's not that bad," Lovino mumbled. The younger Vargas nearly choked on his surprise.

"Lovi, why are you defending him? He's on the other team. He's our opponent, our nemico," the boy retorted. Lovino's eyebrows furrowed as he looked up at his brother. His words had been laced with a defensive tone, further upsetting his elder brother. The Italian stood up, brushed himself off, and locked eyes with his brother.

"Il vostro nemico, il mio amore."

Feliciano stared in disbelief as he watched his brother walk off. 'This can't be happening,'he thought. His eyes roamed over the field as he tried to find Antonio. The brunette was nowhere to be seen.

"Feliciano? Are you okay?"

The Italian jumped and turned to see Ludwig. His heart fluttered lightly as he nodded.

"F-fine. I'm fine," he answered.


/AN/: I have a feeling that both Feliciano and Lovino were a little OOC at the end, but it was for dramatic effect~!

Translations:

nemico– enemy, nemesis, foe (Italian)

Il vostro nemico, il mio amore – Your enemy, my love. (Italian)

Next chapter: The Wurst Wringers have a celebratory sleepover! Antonio shares his view on the Vargas brothers and Alfred takes an interest in Arthur's backstory.