Hey readers~ Thanks for waiting and sorry for the delay (sheepish smile). Here's the newest chapter with Spain and Romano's first date! I couldn't help but notice that the general response of the last chapter was either excitement for the date or delight for the 'subtle' PruCan X3

Special thanks to my reviewers saoirsewolf (XD you're so right!), I-love-Train-Heartnet (your enthusiasm rocks!), Aquanova dragon (keep on fangirling :D), first anonymous guest (have fun with that X3), second anonymous guest, (really? Thank you!) WinterSpirit13 (awww, you're sweet~ thanks), PileOfStinkyPoo (thanks for pointing out that error), TheAwesomeMe128 (yeah, no kidding~), and Sweetblood1918 (I'm happy that you're happy :D)

And I'd just like to say...100 followers! Whoop-whoop~! Thank you so much you guys :D

Anyways, chapter 11 is a go~!

Dang it, why did his stomach twist the way it did?

Spain nervously paced before the door in front of him, chewing his lower lip and unconsciously adjusted his tie every now and then. He was currently standing in front of Romano's house, prepared to knock on his door so that they can proceed to go out on a date, their first date. Only the problem was that he wasn't prepared. He was so nervous that he had somehow developed a slight tremble in his body, currently noticeable by the slight shaking of his hands, and his stomach was flipping like crazy as his heart refused to slow down in its incessant pounding.

Golly, I think I'm actually less nervous in battle!

The brunette tried to get ahold of himself to little avail. After all, how could he calm down when he was about to go on a date with Lovi? Remarkable, beautiful, complicated Lovi~

Spain couldn't help but smile. Asking him out earlier had been tough. He had been so nervous that Romano would take one look at him, guess his thoughts, and flat out say 'no' that he avoided the Italian. It wasn't exactly the most logical move, especially when Romano decided to sit next to Netherlands during the meeting (which completely bothered him to a point where he was tempted to ask Britain to conjure up a curse on him…okay, so maybe he actually did ask Britain…Netherlands was just damn lucky Arthur said no).

As a result, he went to some of his amigos for advice.

"Toni, bro, you should just say that the Awesome Me approves of you two going out. Romano can't possibly say no to that since he'll get my awesome blessings! No one can say no to my awesome blessings! And if for whatever reason that doesn't work, you could always bribe him with tomatoes and maple syrup~"

"Ohonhon~ mon ami, it is simple what you must do: you should take Romano into your arms, swing him around, whisper beautiful, dirty things into his ear that'll make him blush deliciously, and then make passionate love with him throughout the night…and then give me details in the morning~"

"Ve~ don't worry too much, Toni. Just ask my fratello! I know he'll say yes!"

Needless to say, Italy's was the best advice…by far.

While Spain had been working up the courage to ask him, he noticed that Roma was talking to some blonde guy and asked Prussia to please distract him. Prussia had seemed all too pleased with the task and had jumped at the idea…and at that guy. It was somewhat easier approaching Lovi once Prussia scurried off with that blondie, but it took a lot more stumbling on his part to finally get out his questions.

But it was worth it. Not only did Romano say yes, but he confirmed that he didn't hate Spain. What more could the Spaniard ask for?

…Okay, maybe he could ask for some cojones since his can't seem to prompt him to take that next step and ring the doorbell. Honestly, he had been standing and pacing in front of Romano's door for about 20 minutes. That's just sad.

He couldn't help himself though. This was Lovino he was about to take out, not some ordinary, unremarkable individual that didn't have Roma's feisty attitude or his adorable blush or that one unidentifiable thing that just made him oh-so special…

Spain was pulled from his thoughts when the front door suddenly opened to reveal Veneziano. The small Italian was carrying a garbage bag and blinked upon the Spaniard's presence before immediately smiling. "Oh hello, Big Brother Spain! You're here! Good thing too because fratello was getting antsy. He even started painting to help himself relax, even if he says that he's not nervous. But it's obvious he is! But I also think he's excited too!"

Some of the tension in Spain's shoulders was released as Italy's natural demeanor got him to feel more at ease. "Buenas noches, Ita-chan~ I'm, uh, here to pick up Lovi…wait, did you just say that he's nervous?" The fact that Romano was just as jittery as he was made the Spaniard feel flattered and just a bit better about his own nerves.

Also, he couldn't deny that a nervous Romano sounded positively precious.

Italy eagerly bobbed his head. "Sì, he is! But I can tell he's really happy and excited! Ve~ I can't believe you two are finally going out on a date! I've been hoping for this for a really long time! Actually, so have Japan and Big Brother France and Prussia and Belgium and Hungary and America and my mailman and the pretty lady I talked to the other day…and even Germany said that it wouldn't be a bad idea if you two went out which is just basically him saying that it's a great idea!" The bubbly Italian threw his hands up in the air like if he were on a roller coaster and smiled even brighter.

Antonio slowly blinked. Jeez, I had no idea that so many people were rooting for me and Roma. I wonder how long they've actually hoped for this and when they started seeing the two of us as a couple.

The former conquistador was pulled from his thoughts by a familiar voice snapping from within the house. "Oi Feli! What are you doing standing at the doorway?! I thought you were taking out the trash! Toss that crap out before it stinks up the place!" Despite those words were anything but pretty, Spain's heart leapt at Romano's voice.

Said nation stomped over to the doorway and spotted him, his eyes widening. "S-Spain? You're here!" Antonio took a good look at Lovino and smiled. The foul-mouthed Italian was dressed up really nice, wearing a navy-blue shirt, a dark brown jacket, and a pair of black slacks. Yet what completed the ensemble was the splatter of green paint on Romano's blushing face.

"Hola mi Romanito~ Are you ready to go, or do you want to finish your painting first?"

"Painting? How did you-?" Romano's confused expression transformed into annoyance as he scowled at Veneziano. "You told him I was painting?!"

"Yes I did! I told Big Brother Spain that you were so nervous about your date that you started painting! Ve~ if you've finished, maybe you can show him!"

"You know," Spain cut in before Roma could snap, "even if he hadn't told me, I would've been able to figure it out on my own." When Romano raised an eyebrow, the Spaniard pointed to the splash of paint on his cheek. A hand lifted up and brushed over the splatter and a pair of hazel orbs widened with realization.

"Chigi!" Lovino immediately dashed inside to clean it up. A warm chuckle vibrated from Antonio, finding his date's embarrassed fluster to be absolutely endearing.

"So~ where are you going to take my fratello?"

"Hmm? Oh, I was thinking of taking him to this really nice restaurant I saw by the river. I figured that if we're lucky, we'll get a nice view of the moon shining on the water~"

"Awww, that sounds really beautiful! I hope you guys have lots of fun…but not too much fun, okay~"

"…Um, I'm sorry, what?"

"Oh you know, just make sure to keep your hands to yourself. After all, it's your guys' first date and I expect you to treat my brother right, capisce?"

Spain has never seen Italy look so earnest before; though he kept that typical cheerful smile of his, his eyes were swimming with determination and staring pointedly at him, demanding that he be respectful of Romano.

In all honesty, it was rather terrifying.

Spain breathed in relief when Roma returned, paint-free. "Alright, I'm clean. Let's get going." He turned to Italy and said, "Don't wait up." Feli opened his mouth, but Lovi cut him off. "I mean it."

North Italy pouted before acquiescing with a nod. "Alrighty, I won't. You two have fun! And Toni…don't forget what I said! You better bring my fratello back by 11 or I'll hunt you down and make you suffer~!" His promise was accompanied with a smile that was laced with a sense of younger brother protectiveness. While Spain was actually somewhat intimidated, Romano was partially embarrassed and partially annoyed.

"Knock it off, Feli, and go take the garbage out already!" Then he grabbed Spain's hand and began dragging him away. "C'mon jerk, we don't have all night."

The older brunette was released from his steel-clad nerves (who knew Ita-chan had it in him to scare him a bit…) as they walked away from the house. Right, right! They had a date to get to!

Invigorated and excited by the thought, Spain allowed a surge of energy to command him as he switched their positions with him leading Romano along. "Oh you're right, we don't! Just follow me to my car, Lovi, and we'll get going~"

Once the two approached his vehicle, Spain opened the passenger door for Romano, like a gentleman, and waited for him to be seated. The moment he was, Spain eagerly made his way to the driver's side and situated himself. It didn't take him very long to drive them to their destination, and soon they arrived at the restaurant.

Romano seemed impressed as they pulled up and Spain decided to take that as a good sign. Once they parked the car and walked through the entrance, they were greeted by a friendly host. Antonio had made a reservation earlier (with a lot of difficulty since his Italian wasn't fluent and was very botchy) so they were led to a nice table prepared for them. They were seated near a window where they had the perfect view of the glistening river flowing nearby, to Spain's delight. Their table was covered by a rich-colored, velvet royal-purple cloth and on top was a pair of pearl-white plates with an assortment of utensils held together by fancy-looking napkins and a solitary candle placed at the center.

Though it was a rather cliché set-up, Spain couldn't have found it more perfect, especially since Romano looked to be in awe. He would've admired that sight further had he not remembered his manners. The older brunette quickly went over and pulled out a chair, gesturing for Romano to sit down. The Italian looked surprised yet didn't comment as he sat down.

Once Spain got himself situated, the host waved over a waiter and left them with a friendly farewell. The waiter smiled at them, handed them their menus, and said some things in Italian that Antonio, more or less, interpreted as a greeting. Then he asked them what they would like to drink and Spain hesitated. Would it be too forward to order wine for the two of them? After all, it is their first date and all. Yet, what if that's what Lovi was expecting? What if he was expecting them to order wine since they were at such a classy establishment?

Oh dear, and I've been doing so well so far! I picked him up, I picked out a great restaurant, and I even pulled out his chair for him! What do I do now? Do I order wine? Will Lovi think that that's just me trying to get him drunk…but what if I don't get any wine and he thinks that I'm being cheap or uncultured? Oooh what do I do?!

"Un bicchiere d'acqua, per favore." Spain was yanked from his frantic thoughts when Romano spoke and was surprised when he realized that his companion had asked for water. Oh…so I guess no wine then.

Relieved that he didn't have to decide anymore, Spain requested a glass of tomato juice and the waiter left to grab their drinks. Almost immediately the excited flurry of nerves that scuttled within Spain returned and he hoped that Roma wouldn't notice as he picked up his menu.

It didn't appear so as Romano scanned the menu with mild interest. There was comfortable silence between them while they looked over the menu. Spain thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't totally lost among reading the Italian dishes because it definitely would've been embarrassing to ask Lovi for help translating (although hearing his tomate speak Italian was exceptionally beautiful).

Eventually, Spain broke the silence by inquiring, "Do you know what you want, Lovi?"

"I think I'll get some Spaghetti alla carbonara," replied the Italian without removing his eyes from the menu. "That sounds pretty damn good right now."

Spain nodded as the waiter returned with their drinks. He allowed Romano to order first before ordering a dish called the Ciceri e Tria. After the waiter jotted down their orders and left, Antonio's heart fluttered. Alright, this is it. It's time to do some 'date-talk'.

Lovino beat him to the punch by speaking first. "Nice place you picked out, jerk." He gave the restaurant a quick look-around before settling his gaze back onto his date. "I pass by this place all the time and Feli's been begging me to take him, but I haven't had the time. Now I can try it and tell that idiota if it's worth his time."

Ignoring how having that pair of dazzling hazel orbs on him was both wonderful and nerve-wracking, Spain smiled and said, "Oh good, I'm glad you like it so far. I was actually afraid that you might've been here before. I was looking around at some places we could go to, and it sort of dawned on me that it was going to be hard to pick since this is your country and all; I'm sure you've been almost everywhere."

"For the most part, but it's not like I eat out every night or something. Me and my brother like sticking to cooking our own meals. Besides, I rarely find a restaurant that actually doesn't have shitty food."

"Really? Even in your own country?" Maybe this sounded tourist-y, but Spain has always found the cuisines in Roma's country to be exquisitely delectable; he can honestly say that he's never been dissatisfied with a dish whenever he visited his tomate.

Romano snorted. "Some people just don't know how to cook. It's embarrassing since they're not representing the true Italian taste buds." He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Bastards."

Spain couldn't stop the bubbly chuckle that escaped him. "Well good thing you can cook~ It'd be super ironic if you didn't since one of the things that brings all your tourists here is all the yummy food."

Lovino shrugged. "I guess so. I always thought my country was known for our attractions, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and all the paintings and statues and such. Tch, did I ever tell you that I actually met artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo before? They weren't all that great. Da Vinci was overrated—the bastard kept bugging me to model for a painting, pervert—and Michelangelo was a weirdo that smelled like mold all the time. I never saw what the big deal was with them."

"Huh, I never knew you felt that way. I guess I figured that you at least had some respect for them since they're famous artists and all. Well, you learn something new every day, I suppose~ You should've let Leo paint you though. I would've loved seeing you posing in a pretty picture. I'm sure you would've looked muy guapo~"

Lovi blushed that familiar, lovely red of his and immediately took a sip of water as if to cool himself down. Once he put down the glass, he scowled at the Spaniard. "Don't even go there, jerk. There's no way in hell I'm going to sit still so some asshat can paint me. That shit's unnerving."

Antonio tilted his head to the side, confused. Though those remarks sounded like his tomate, they lacked the usual fire and anger that made them unique to Roma's mannerisms. Rather than snapping or shouting indignantly like how he typically would, he answered fairly calmly with a dry tone. If anything, it was rather tame of the feisty Italian. It was…odd.

Deciding to disregard that for the time being, Spain relit his smile. "Well, I think I see your point. Back when my country was all high and mighty, I often had painters come to my place all the time—you remember a few when you were still my colony, right? I think I remember you head-butted one of them because he took the last tomato and had called you an adorable little cherub~"

Romano rolled his eyes. "I remember. That jerk was asking for it."

The former conquistador chuckled. "Anyways, whenever some artist came to paint my portrait, I could never stay still. I get all fidgety after sitting in one place for a while. It used to drive the painters crazy." He chuckled again at the thought.

"That's because you have the attention span of a child and you're about as restless as those crazy friends of yours," the Italian sardonically and oh-so-very dryly remarked.

There it was again. Though his words were as biting as ever, they still lacked the heat and intensity that Spain has grown fond of over the centuries. It was rather disconcerting and he furrowed his brow at the thought.

Romano caught the look and appeared almost startled. "What's with the face, bastard?"

"Hmmm?" Spain immediately switched his contemplative facial expression for his usual bright smile. "What face? This is just my face. I washed and shaved it before going to pick you up. It's all clean and smooth now…do you want to feel it? It's like a baby's toosh~" He leaned his head forward, which got Lovi's eyes to widen and he quickly shook his head, clearly flustered. He loved it when Roma was flustered, it was cute. "No? Okay then." He leaned back. "Now what were we talking about? …Oh right, we're talking about famous artists in our country. You know, I think I see what you mean about da Vinci and Michelangelo. I mean don't get me wrong, I love their work, but I've seen famous people in my country get really popular yet I often don't see why. Like you know that book Don Quixote? Yeah, I don't get what all the fuss was about. I couldn't get into the book and stopped reading after a few pages."

"I'm not even surprised," Romano dryly quipped. "The only books you can understand are picture books."

Okay, this was just wrong! That fiery passion that basically defined Roma wasn't there! This was just terrifying and Spain wasn't afraid to let it show this time. Lovino actually was startled this time as a horrified expression planted itself upon the Spaniard. "What now, bastard?! And don't say it's nothing because I know you're making a face on purpose!"

He figured he might as well come clean or else he'll be too disconcerted to continue this date. "Lovi…" Antonio slowly started off, "are you alright?"

Romano's hazel eyes widened with shock before narrowing in offense. "What the hell is that supposed to mean, jerk?! Of course I'm alright!" The Italian quickly lowered his voice and flushed a light pink when his shout garnered a few stares. Relief briefly splashed onto Spain when Roma's familiar anger and indignation returned.

"Well, no offense Lovi, but you seem a bit…off."

Lovino scowled and lightly snarled, "What are you talking about, bastard? I'm not 'off' or whatever. I'm fine."

Oh this won't do. The passion was subdued again. Antonio tilted his head and slightly furrowed his brow. "I'm not too sure. You don't seem as grumpy as you usually are. You're…less grumpy and you're not expressing your anger as much. You're just…a lot more calm or something. Are you sure everything's alright?"

Romano looked surprised and Spain could've sworn that he observed something in his eyes that said 'oh shit', like if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't be. How curious. "Lovi…if something's bothering you, you know you can tell me, right?"

The Italian flushed yet glared. "Nothing's bothering me, dammit, I said I'm fine!"

"If that's the case, then why are you less angry than usual?"

"I'm not!" Spain slowly blinked a few times. "So…so what if I am, dammit! It doesn't mean anything!" The Spaniard tilted his head a bit further. "It doesn't! It's not like I'm purposely trying not to be my usual pissy self to impress you or whatever! It's not like I'm trying to make this the perfect date by not trying to snap at you! It's not like-" Romano and Spain's eyes widened simultaneously as the former clamped his mouth shut. They both comprehended what he said and had different reactions.

Antonio was initially confused until he fully read into the other's comments and absorbed the expressions dancing across his increasingly blushing face. So Lovi was holding back…for me…so that this could be the perfect date? The realization allowed a flood of warmth to burst within his entire being and he felt as light as a sunset resting on a cloud. His bright, jubilant smile expressed all of this and his olive orbs glowed.

Meanwhile, Lovino was completely and utterly alarmed. His face burned a bright crimson and he spluttered incoherently for a moment, trying to backtrack and make excuses. He didn't have any, of course, yet Antonio didn't say anything and just watched his reaction, enjoying how flustered he was. So cute~

Eventually, Romano gave up and automatically reached for his water, hoping it would cool him down, yet inadvertently knocked it over in his haste and ended up spilling the chilled liquid onto his pants. With a startled cry, he leapt up from his seat. "Son of a bitch!"

Spain instantly sprang to his feet. "Lovi! Are you okay?!"

"I-I'm fine, dammit," Roma said self-consciously as he attempted to dab the water off with his napkin, clearly aware of the stares they were getting. "It's j-just water…"

Barely paying any mind to the curious glances they were receiving, Spain quickly grabbed his own napkin and started making his way around the table. "Here, let me hel-" His words were lost as he smacked right into their waiter, who just happened to be approaching them with their meals, and sent them both sprawling to the ground with loud, startled cries from both.

Spain groaned as he landed on his stomach while the waiter was slammed onto his back, losing his grip on the tray of food. Plates and bowled clattered onto the ground, some breaking and some remaining durable, and created loud, cacophonous noise that attracted the attention of everyone in the restaurant. The food spilled all over the place yet mostly coated the Spaniard and restaurant worker. The sauces stained their clothes and the floor and noodles were splayed on the ground, within hair, sticking onto shirts, or remain stubbornly onto semi-broken plates.

With a lot of groaning involved, Antonio gingerly sat up and rubbed his abs. "Owww…"

Throughout the entire spectacle, Lovino was frozen in place, eyes widened, until he snapped out of it and pushed his chair back. "Holy…Spain?! What the hell, you jerk, watch where you're going?!" He stepped closer and gripped his companion's arm, trying to help him up. "Merda, did you hurt yourself?"

The former conquistador let him and shook his head. "No, I'm alright." He then looked down at the mess with a grimace. "Oh dear, look at this mess." He next turned his attention to the disoriented waiter, his eyes widening ever so slightly. "¡Ay dios mío! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you coming! Are you alright?!"

The waiter grumbled something in Italian as Spain helped him up, rubbing his head and frowning down at his stained clothing. Although the Spaniard didn't quite hear what he said, Romano did and he glared. "Hey, he said he was sorry! There's no need to bitch about your clothes!" He briefly paused, cursed, and then repeated this in Italian so that the waiter could understand. The man surely did and looked surprised before frowning with distaste.

Roma snorted and muttered, "Yeah, that's what I thought." He gazed back at Spain, his eyes holding the conflicting emotions of concern and annoyance. "You sure you're okay, jerk?"

Touched by his consideration, Spain smiled and responded, "I'm sure, Lovi. I'm not hurt, just dirty~"

Lovi nodded and then scowled at his attire. "Damn, your outfit's pretty messy. That shit will be hard to clean out."

Antonio glanced down at his clothing and regarded the saucy stains with a small wince. "Oh well, it could've been worse."

Lovino looked like he was going to say something else, but wasn't given the chance when a man wearing a business suit approached them, not looking too happy. He asked the waiter in Italian what happened and was given a brief rundown of the accident. The man dismissed the worker and then turned to the nations. He was frowning at them with disapproval and firmly stated something that Antonio translated as: "This type of disturbance will not be tolerated at our establishment. We run a high class restaurant for sophisticated individuals. I must ask you to leave at once. However, before you go, you owe us compensation for the broken plates."

Huh…so this guy must be the manager or something. The Spaniard couldn't tell if he was more disappointed or more annoyed, both emotions stemming from the fact that they were being kicked out and how unfair it was. It was an accident, I didn't mean to hurt anyone or cause a scene.

Romano apparently felt the same way, except was on an entirely different wavelength. He angrily snapped at the manager, saying a few choice words that Spain was familiar with. In fact, the Spaniard was actually somewhat relieved to see Lovi return to his usual angry, cussing self and that feeling overshadowed any apprehension he might've had over the feisty nation swearing colorfully at the manager.

And there was the thought that Roma was actually standing up for him as the Italian yelled that Antonio wasn't at fault, that the waiter was being a 'wuss' and that the manager was being an 'inconsiderate, uptight asshole' (Romano actually had used some stronger words, but that was basically the gist of it). Yeah, it was enough to make him blissfully smile at the object of his affections while he cursed out the restaurant executive for his sake.

The manager, however, obviously didn't share his sentiment and promptly had the two of them kicked out, regardless that they didn't pay for the plates. Spain wordlessly drove them away, allowing Lovi to angrily rant about the unfairness of the situation. Once Roma was finished, he seemed somewhat calmer but was still a bit miffed. Spain was actually glad that the Italian had unleashed his anger; he doubted that it was healthy for Lovi to hold it in that entire time.

Eventually, Antonio ended up taking them to another far-less expensive food establishment to clean up his clothes as best as he could and then bought them some take-out. They took their meal and ate in the car, the vehicle parked peacefully in a well-lit lot facing the river. As they filled their stomachs, Lovino grumbled a bit more about the restaurant while Antonio was up for laughing the incident off. They also spoke of light topics until it got late and they had well finished. Spain was reluctant to leave his tomate, but knew that the night had to end sometime.

He drove them back to the Vargas residence and walked Lovi to the door. Romano faced him and fixed him with his usual scowl, though his hazel orbs were swirling with a mixture of numerous emotions that Spain couldn't really distinguish. "Well," the Italian started, "that…could've gone worse. Hell, at least it didn't match up to the worst-case scenario I imagined earlier. But whatever, that restaurant was full of assholes so I wouldn't be surprised if their food was an insult to my country. It was probably a good thing we didn't eat there after all."

Spain lightly chuckled and stuck his hands in his pockets. "You're probably right about all those things. I just don't understand why they kicked us out; I didn't mean to run into the waiter and I would've paid for those plates. There was absolutely no reason for the manager to get so sore at us."

"No, there wasn't," Romano agreed. "Don't think too much about it, jerk. They're the ones who were flipping shit so they're in the wrong here. Hell, they basically started it!"

"Even so, I'm sorry about all this, Lovi. I didn't mean to be so clumsy. I swear this wasn't supposed to go the way it went and I had a much better night in mind. All I wanted was for us to do that whole first date cliché where we have a nice dinner and maybe go for a walk afterwards. I'm sorry I ruined that."

Romano actually looked surprised as Spain said this, but then immediately narrowed his eyes. "Stop apologizing, dammit! It wasn't your fault! So what if you accidentally smacked into the waiter! That bastard should've been watching where he was going and that manager son of a bitch should've been nicer to us! Talk about shitty customer service! They should've been kissing our feet and offering us a free meal rather than getting pissy with us! The whole lot of them are just a bunch of snotty bastards!" He strengthened his glare and tightly folded his arms over his chest.

Spain couldn't help but find the sight endearing and smiled. "Alrighty then, if you say so~"

Lovino rolled his eyes and decided to change the subject. "You know what, forget it, it's not even worth it. Next time we do this, let's just stick to watching some dumb chick-flick or something. We can try that cliché instead."

Spain's eyes lit up. "Next time?"

Romano immediately began to blush and stuttered, "U-Uh, I mean, if there is a next time…b-but I don't care if there isn't. I have my own ways of spending my free time. I…I just don't want things to be weird between us." A pause. "You're weird as it is; I just don't want things to be weirder."

Antonio quickly shook his head. "No, no, not at all, they won't because I, err, want there to be a next time…if that's alright with you." His tone took on a note of hopefulness that reflected within the glow of his eyes.

Lovino opened his mouth and closed it, seeming internally conflicted, before glancing at the ground. "Sure."

That one simple word filled the Spaniard with so much light and joy that he couldn't even begin to describe the sensation. However, he always was the type of person that expressed his feelings with his actions rather than his words. He beamed with delight and pulled the Italian in for a warm hug. "Gracias, Lovi! Thank you for this second chance! I'll be sure to plan something very special for next time! Oooh I'm going to blow your mind~!"

The expression on Romano's face as Spain pulled away was priceless; he looked torn between shocked and blissfully dazed, which was quite a nice look on the Italian. However, he regained himself quickly and muttered, "Calm down, it's not like I gave you the world or anything."

Well, maybe you don't think so, but you sort of did~ "Still, I have every reason to be as happy and excited as I am now~"

This caught the Italian off guard, but he strived to maintain his composure. "W-Whatever, jerk. J-Just don't go overboard."

No promises~ "Alrighty then, I'll try not to."

Roma snorted, still looking very stunned, and folded his arms over his chest. "G-Good…bastard." Spain gently smiled as he stared at his tomate with a mixture of wonder and fondness.

A comfortable silence settled over them like a warm summer breeze until a high-pitched voice called out from behind the front door: "Are you two kissing yet, ve~?! I'm not hearing anything so I assume you are! Smoochie, smoochie~"

This was probably the first time Spain and Romano blushed simultaneously. However, the former managed to lightly chuckle while the latter glared at the door. "Go to bed, goddammit! Or better yet, run off to the macho potato's place and bug him instead!" He paused for a moment. "Never mind, forget I said that! Just go to bed before I kick your ass!"

"Sorry fratello, but I couldn't help myself! You guys can go ahead and start kissing again if you'd like…as long as Tonio keeps his hands off your butt, Romano~ Germany says that that's your no-no square and that no one is allowed to touch you there. If Spain grabs you there, then I'll-"

"FELI! GO TO BED!"

"Alright, alright I'm going! I'm going! Just don't hurt me! I'm your brother!"

"You and I both know that that means jack-shit to me!"

"…" Both nations heard a pair of feet scamper away from the door, something fall to the ground with a startled 'oomph!', and then those feet taking off again.

Romano his eyes and muttered, "Idiota." He slowly returned his gaze up to Spain. "Ignore him and forget that happened. My fratello can be annoying, especially when he wants to be."

Spain chuckled. "I think it's sweet how Ita-chan is protective of you and all. I mean, there's really no reason he should be since I'd like to think I'm a nice guy, but it's sweet nonetheless. Besides, I'm sure you'll return the favor once Feli starts dating Germany~"

As he sunnily smiled at the thought of Italy and Germany (finally) going out, he was blissfully unaware that Romano didn't share the sentiment and looked appalled at the thought. However, the Italian loudly exhaled, bringing Spain back to reality. "For your sake, I'm going to ignore that and pretend you didn't just suggest that my idiot brother and the potato bastard might go out one day."

"For my sake?"

"Yeah for your sake since you're the one covered in pasta sauce. By the way, you might want to go and get that sent to the dry cleaners before the stains set in."

Spain bobbed his head in agreement. "You're right. I'll get that done before I head back to my hotel. There should be a dry cleaners around, right?"

"Sì, it's basically around the corner. They should still be open."

"Great~" Spain suddenly grew nervous and felt his cheeks go pink in bashfulness. "So, um, can I…can I see you tomorrow? It, uh, doesn't have to be our next date; we could always plan that later and just hang out for the time being."

Romano blushed and stuttered nonsensical words for a moment, growing redder as he did and getting Spain to smile. Eventually though, the Italian got ahold of himself and scowled at the ground, his face still glowing and warm. "I've got nothing better to do so, uh, whatever. We could, err, watch that chick flick if you'd like. I've got some here that a sap like you might cry over."

All the nervousness within Spain instantly melted and gave way to happiness. "That sounds utterly perfecto~ We could make popcorn and drink soda and cuddle and everything! It'll be so much fun!" Something clicked for the Spaniard that made a playful grin spring upon his lips. "Wait, you own chick flicks, Roma~?"

That handsome Italian face bloomed a darker shade of crimson and Spain had to hold back a coo. "They're not mine, dammit! They're Feli's, I swear to God!"

Antonio laughed good-naturedly and held up his hands in appeasement. "Alright, alright, I believe you. I wouldn't judge you though if you liked those girly romantic comedies. Some of them are just too cute to pass up! I own a few myself~"

"I'm not even surprised since you've always been weirdly fascinated by cute things." Spain opened his mouth to comment before Romano snapped, "If you say something about me being cute then I swear I will shank you where the sun don't shine!"

The Spaniard blinked. Lovi knows me a little too well sometimes… "Well, I wouldn't want to be shanked in the armpits so I won't say anything." For some reason, Roma put on a deadpan expression. "Anyways, so can we still do something tomorrow?"

Lovi thought it over before releasing a breath of warm air. "Fine, whatever. Be here sometime after 11. I should be awake by then."

A sense of giddiness surged through Antonio and he actually found himself bouncing in place. "Okay! I will! Oooh~ I can't wait, Lovi! I wish it was tomorrow already! We'll have a lot of fun…and I promise I won't run into waiters and make a mess of things." He lightly chuckled, proud that when noticed Roma's expression subtly soften at his joke. There, they can laugh about this not-so perfect first date already~

"Let's hope not," Lovi dryly quipped. "It's bad enough seeing you embarrass yourself once, but twice in just two days is just sad." He paused for a moment, seeming to mull over something in his head, before he uttered after some initial hesitation, "You know, despite that my new pants are wet and you look ridiculous covered in sauce, this date didn't suck."

Spain's breath caught and he blinked a few times, trying to process this. Did Romano just say-? However, he wasn't given the time to properly make sense of this before the Italian flushed and stuttered, "A-Anyways, g-good night, bastard. Now h-hurry up and get your clothes cleaned. I might throw up if I keep looking at that disaster on your shirt and jacket. It's practically a disgrace against all things fashionable."

"Alrighty then. Good night, Lovi~ See you tomorrow." Then Spain hesitated. Was it too soon for him to give his tomate a good night kiss? After all, it was only their first date (albeit, a semi-disastrous one) and he didn't want to go too fast and scare Romano away…or get punched in the face by the Italian who might not take too well to his affection.

He was caught off guard when Romano unexpectedly surged forward to place a pair of warm lips on his cheek, giving it a quick peck, before turning around, darting into his house, and slamming the door behind him. Spain was left standing there on the Italian's doorstep for what felt like forever, his hand raised to his warm, tingling cheek, until a wide, silly, stardust grin lit up his face. He gasped out a light, breathy chuckle before he fully laughed, pumping his fist in the air.

Lovi kissed me~

Sure it was only on the cheek, yet that simple act made Spain feel completely and utterly alive, electrifyingly warm, weightless from pure ecstasy and delirium, and like everything was right in the world. He barely noticed his hammering heart, and even if he did, he wouldn't want it to stop because it was proof that this was real, that this perfectly imperfect night had actually happened.

Love-struck and starry-eyed, Antonio dizzily made his way back to car and sunk into the driver's seat. He then absentmindedly reached under his seat to pull out the painted picture of his tomato garden that Lovino had given him as a child. Taking a long-lasting glance at it, the Spaniard pressed it to his broad chest, right over his fiercely throbbing heart and closed his eyes in bliss.

Lovi, Lovi, Lovi…I can't wait to see you tomorrow.

Little did he know that Romano was pressing his back against the front door, his body slightly sagged into the wood, and was feeling the exact same way. The only real difference was that his own thoughts were jumbled and that he was tightly clutching a familiar small slab of silver, the same one that he had had in his pocket throughout the entire date.

So it begins~ ;)

Alright, one Spamano date down—more to come later. I hope you all enjoyed it and felt an equal amount of amusement and fluff. Thanks for being so wonderful with your patience and encouragement and I'll see you next time! :D

P.S I put in 'subtle' PruCan in the last chapter so I'd like to know if any of you want any hints at other couples. So far, we have only PruCan and GerIta. Does anyone want their favorite Hetalia shippings to be slipped in here? Like how about USUK? Or maybe you'd rather have Ameripan or FrUK? DenNor? SuFin? RoChu? Anything else I haven't mentioned? Let me hear it and I'll see what I can do!

Translations:

Spanish

amigos-friends

cojones-balls

Buenas noches-good evening

Hola mi Romanito-Hello my little Romano

tomate-tomato

muy guapo-very handsome

¡Ay dios mío!-Oh my god!

Gracias-thank you

perfecto-perfect

Italian

fratello-brother

Sì-yes

Chigi!-Fuck!

capisce?-understand/do you get me?

Un bicchiere d'acqua, per favore-a glass of water, please

idiota-idiot

merda-shit

French

mon ami-my friend