Hot Chocolate

25 Days of Spamano

A/N: not 'technically' Spamano because I don't really like shota and this is Chibimano. Don't care. Still cute.

"Romano~" a voice called down the halls. The pitter-patter of small, chubby feet was absent since the time he returned, and Antonio was beginning to wonder if something had happened to his young charge while he was gone. Belgium had said everything was okay and that her brother had only had to punch France in the face once when he tried to 'nicely take what belonged to him'. Maybe he was feeling in the nice Christmas mood and would give Spain a break with all of his threats on the country and its protectorates. That still didn't keep Antonio himself from worrying about where Lovino was.

"Roma? You in here?" he checked the Italian's room, his playroom, the library, the extra room that Antonio was slowly renovating to make it easier to dance. Maybe Lovino had left to visit his brother. No, if that was the case, he would have told Belgium where he was going, and maybe gotten up enough courage to ask her to come along.

The tired Spaniard, now free of his large, red overcoat and tight boots, found Lovino outside talking and feeding the chickens. He couldn't tell what he was talking about, but from his rapid hand gestures, he was either giving them the rant of their life or complaining about the conditions of the house. Possibly about how much colder Madrid was than Naples, even if it was only a difference of a few degrees.

"Hey Roma~" Toni noted the slight stumble in the Italian's feet as he turned around, whether a product of his reoccurring shakes or just being a small child.

"Bastard! You don't sneak up on someone when they're feeding animals! I could have killed your precious chickens!"

"Roma, I'm inside," Antonio laughed at the puffed cheeks and pout he received in return, moving to open the door wider once Lovino stomped up to the house, "I was surprised you weren't at the door when I got home! You usually are."

"I don't wait on you, jerk, and it definitely wasn't because you were late. I had to feed your damn chickens," Lovino took his time unbuttoning his jacket, threatening to his Antonio if he tried to help. Unlacing his boots enough to get them off was the same, but soon Lovino was sitting anxiously beside his Spanish caretaker, listening to him rattle on about the colonies in America and how they didn't seem to understand what Christmas was all about.

"But you're smart, Roma~" Toni patted the deep-toned aubrunette on the head, careful to avoid the curl Lovino seemed to hate, "I know you know what Christmas is about~"

"Of course I f-" he stopped, reconsidering swearing as he was about to talk about the Church, and if there was one time Spain absolutely did not tolerate swearing it was whenever God or the Church was involved, "-flipping know what Christmas is about. It's when baby Jesus was birthed from his virgin mom, even if I still don't know what that means, and he grew up to be big Jesus who preached about love and making sure we loved God and everything. So Christmas is important because of that."

Antonio laughed, patting Lovino's head again, "Well, that's what I was trying to explain to mis hijos, but they didn't seem to understand. I don't think they get the concept very well."

"Maybe you should take me with you next time, idiota!" Lovino sat up and crossed his arms.

"No way! That place is way too scary for you, Roma! Besides, you'd get sick of the boat months before we even got to the shore," Antonio could just see the Italian playing on the deck and falling into the ocean, or a band of English pirates coming and holding him hostage. Toni picked Lovino up and held him tightly in his arms, burying his face into the others hair, "I can't lose you, Roma! You're the only kid who likes me!"

"Get off! I don't like you, jerk, for one, and two, you wouldn't lose me! I'm way too strong for anyone to hurt me!" His inability to get away from Antonio was argument against that, and soon he felt the anchor beneath him rise and begin walking to the kitchen, "stop carrying me like a child!"

"I have to show you something Romano!" Antonio's voice sounded excited, giving Lovino the same bouncy feel deep in his chest whenever the Spaniard brought him back things from the Americas, "I know you'll really love it! It's something really sweet and it comes from this weird bean that doesn't taste really good, but when you crush it and make it into a drink it's the best thing ever!"

"Better than tomatoes?"

"It's like the best drink ever, okay? And it's something you can have so you don't feel left out when I'm having my drink before bed!" Grape juice no longer seemed to satisfy the Italian once he realized he wasn't actually getting a glass of wine with Antonio. Maybe this would be a good enough substitute, "you can drink it cold, but I think it's best when it's really warm." Toni went about making the drink, having set Lovino down on the counter. The smell of sweet chocolate filled the room, reminding the Spaniard that good things could come from exploring new lands.

Ten minutes later, both Antonio and Lovino were holding their steaming mugs of hot chocolate, sharing a large quilt and watching the chickens peck around at the remnants of Lovino's sporadic feeding, "So, Roma... do you like it?"

For a moment he was quiet, looking at the drink and murmuring things under his breath. When asked to speak up, he blushed, but stuttered out, "I th-think it's fine. Tell whoever gave you this that they might be okay with me for a little bit. But... it could use a little more sugar, and maybe some cinnamon... or cream, like a sweet coffee..." that wasn't coffee of course, but still...

"Next time we make this, I'll have to have you make it, Roma~" Antonio said with a large smile, "you sound like you could make the chocolate taste even better~"

Even if Spain had made hot chocolate famous, Antonio liked Lovino's special mix the best.