Title: When In Rome, Do As The Romans Do

Rating: M

Talking: I mean absolutely no offense to girls in the chapter. I am one myself. Please don't take the patriarchal stereotypes seriously. I doubt many girls pick flowers and/or sing lullabies to tired turtles (I certainly have not).

Disclaimer: I do not hold or claim to hold any sort of ownership or rights over the characters in this story; they belong to Hetalia/Hidekaz Himaruya.

Italy Romano - Lovino Vargas

Spain - Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo

Austria - Rodreich Edelstein

Roman Empire - Romulus Vargas

Germania - Gauthier Beilschmidt

When In Rome, Do As The Romans Do: Eleven

Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo's POV

Lovino races after me into the cabin. My face is unusually solemn, lips twisted into a slight frown.

"Antonio!" Lovino demands.

"Hm?" I ask softly, turning. Lovino sighs loudly, then raises his fist. He punches me weakly in the chest-I step back, and it hardly hurts.

"That's for not warning me," Lovino says. Then, eyes glaring dangerously, he pulls me down and places a kiss on my cheek. "That's for being you. Damn you. Next time, give me a goddamn chance to say something, idiota!"

I tilt my head a little, a cautious feeling of hope sprouting in my heart like a seedling. The first thing I ask is, "Did you just call me a girl?"

He considers me. "You're girly enough. You pick flowers and sing Spanish lullabies to turtles."

"That was only one time!" I argue, "And the turtle was tired. I'm not girly!"

"Fine, fine, whatever you say. Anyways, you damn idiot, you're missing the point," Lovino huffs with a roll of his eyes. "Calm down."

"I am calm," I say. My heart is pounding, and it feels like it would burst from my chest at any moment with the amount of excitement I'm feeling.

Actually, that would be pretty gory. I don't want that.

"I know that!" Lovino hisses. I chuckle. He glares and continues in a shaky voice, "W-we can be... Together. I-if you want."

I grin, pushing sickly sweet memories of long walks and piano recitals and gentle smiles to the back of my mind. "Of course, mi amor!"

He frowns, cheeks even redder, like those tomatoes we both love so much, "What's that supposed to mean?"

I ruffle his hair. "Nothing, nothing, Lovi."

The door creaks open, and a familiar head pokes in. He hesitates, "Ah... Bad time?"

I freeze, then turn, my hands dropping to my side. "Hola, Rodreich."

"Hallo, Antonio," he returns. "And you as well, Lovino. I was wishing to discuss something with Antonio..." He pauses meaningfully, glancing at Lovino, and the Italian sighs before brushing roughly past him and out of the room.

"What is it?" I wonder. Rodreich stands there for several seconds, his face a mess of emotions, before he finally says something.

"Your mother," he begins. Another pause. "Why didn't you tell me what was happening?"

"I didn't want to burden you!" I chirp. "Anyway, it was my fault."

"How was it your fault?" he demands, stepping forward. He's a little shorter than I am. His shoes click against the wood-yes, that's just like Rodreich, to wear fancy shoes to a camp like this. (Granted, he probably thought it didn't matter what he was wearing, because I think we had the same idea about this-might as well go out looking good if we can't go out in a blaze of glory.) "I was the one that made you tell her! I was the one who kept going out with you, even when your mother told us to stop!" He pants, out of breath already. I don't reach out to steady him like I might've a few months ago.

"I was the one who knew the consequences," I reply. The smile is one from my face now. "Rodreich, it's not your fault. I think you should be dealing with your own problems now. I have my life under control!" I try for a smile. He doesn't buy it.

"But it was my fault," he says slowly, eyes fixed on his black dress shoes, the ones that click with every step.

"It wasn't," I tell him. "You can go now."

He hesitates, then turns and clicks his way back out the door.

Lovino tumbles through the window. Sitting up, he brushes himself off as I rush to his side.

"You knew him before?" Lovino asks. I grin at him-I can't help it, he's just so cute!

"¡Si!" I agree. I glance at the closed door. "I don't think I know him very well anymore, though... He's changed. Were you listening the whole time?"

"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. And as long as you don't get too friendly," Lovino says with a warning glare. I laugh-"fusososo!"-and help him up.

"You don't need to worry about that," I assure him.

He glares. "Damn you."

"I like you too, Lovi!"

Translations:

Spanish-English

Mi amor-my love

Hola-hello

¡Si!-Yes!

Italian-English

Idiota-idiot

German-English

Hallo-Hello