Wow, it's been too damn long! Let's just put it this way: 2020 is turning out 10x's better than 2019...by far.

Word of advice: if you're at a job that's soul-sucking, do everything you can to leave and go somewhere better, for the sake of your mental health and general well-being.

Remember: you come first. You can't help anyone if you're unhappy and unmotivated.

Romano has rarely seen Spain's serious side. The older brunette has always been needlessly cheerful, except for the most necessary circumstances. Romano can even recall Spain trying to make light of his battle wounds and the countless wars his country had been a part of.

Those rare moments when Spain was fierce, angry, or protective in some way have always stunned Romano. After all, Spain's cheerful demeanor always had him ignoring or brushing off infuriating situations so getting fierce or angry was limited and quick. Also, he's never really needed to be protective since the people he held dear to him could take care of themselves and didn't necessarily need protecting.

In fact, the only time Romano could really remember Spain being protective was when Turkey had tried to kidnap him as a child. Even now Lovino could still recall the tone of sheer, undying determination in the Spaniard's voice as he demanded that the Ottoman Empire release him.

Though Romano hadn't fully appreciated it at the time, he couldn't deny that he was relieved when Spain had showed up to rescue him, knowing that he would do everything in his power to keep him safe.

He found himself thinking of that while lying under an umbrella on a beach in Naples. He and Spain had decided to take advantage of the unusually hot day in mid-May by going to cool off at the beach. It was Romano's idea, figuring that his boyfriend earned a fun, relaxing day after all the shit his country's been through.

An earthquake had hit his home back in April. Though Antonio had taken it in stride, he worked through the rest of the month and half of May helping his citizens, building homes and other establishments from scratch with his own hands. Since Romano had nothing better to do, he would sometimes go over and watch him work (because like hell he was going to help and make things worse), or yelled at his officials to send some earthquake relief (so what if his country was in a recession).

Today was one of the first free days Spain's had in a while.

The tomato bastard had been overly excited about this date and was quick to throw on some swim trunks, throw off his shirt, and rush over to the snack stand to buy them something refreshing.

Romano had set up some towels and umbrellas in a cozy spot somewhat close to the water. The beach was semi-busy and full of Italians and foreign tourists of all ages. Children ran across the sand and splashed in the water, girls tanned under the Italian sun or played volleyball, boys surfed or played Frisbee, and parents sat on the sand while keeping an eye on their children.

The atmosphere had a relaxing feel to it, and Romano sought to enjoy it for the time being, knowing that his boyfriend would want to go in the water or play a sport at some point.

As he waited for his infuriatingly cheerful Spaniard, he witnessed a mother scolding her child for going too far out into the water. One thought led to another, and soon Lovino was thinking about how Antonio would've handled that situation and how he handled most situations.

The tomato bastard is too damn happy for his own damn good! Hell, I could nearly drown and he'd be making jokes about it as he gives me mouth-to-mouth!

…

…

…Maybe I'll leave the mouth-to-mouth stuff for the lifeguards…as long as it's a pretty girl and not some perverted macho bastard with too much hair and muscles and sun tan lotion!

The feisty Italian eyed the water and its choppy waves with a grimace.

Fuck that! I'm staying on land! Besides, the tea bastard probably tainted the sea with his pirating bullshit!

Huffing, Romano glanced back at his boyfriend and watched the ditzy Spaniard happily chat to the elderly couple waiting in line with him with a softened scowl.

Too damn happy and too damn friendly. Two things that piss me off.

Okay, so granted a lot of things pissed him off, but at least these two things were warranted. No one was allowed to be too happy or too friendly without some sort of drawback.

Russia was too happy, yet behind that sweet face was a heart full of darkness soaked in vodka and snow. America was too happy, but he was too stupid to see past his own inflated ego.

France was too friendly and was a perverted fuckface because of it. Sealand was too friendly, and the little micronation came off as an annoying kiss ass because of it.

Then Romano thought of his brother Veneziano who was both too happy and too friendly. As a result, Feliciano came off as an overly cheerful dumb ass that anyone could easily take advantage of. It's because Feliciano was too happy and too friendly that he was stuck being friends with Germany, Prussia, Japan, France, and practically every annoying or perverted nation they knew.

And yet, others still preferred the oh-so-cute younger Italian brother compared to the foul-mouthed, ill-tempered older Italian brother.

Romano was startled out of his darkening musings when a large, half orange half purple slushy appeared before him. "Here you go, Lovi. I brought you a naranja de uva slushy~"

Lovino followed the tan arm holding out the plastic cup to see the bright grin of his boyfriend. Scowling, Romano snatched the slushy and snapped, "Can't you just say grape-orange slushy, you bastard! You're in my turf now, so you better speak so that I understand you!"

Undeterred, Spain sat next to him and slurped his own slushy. "But you already understood me. You're right—that is a grape-orange slushy. I hope it tastes good. It sure looks good~" Then Spain unexpectedly caught hold of Romano's wrist, gently brought it to him so that the Italian's slushy was before him, and took a sip of it through the provided straw.

Lovino gaped as Antonio licked his lips. "Mmm~ that is good. Very refreshing."

"Did you just take a sip of my slushy before I did, you jerk?!" Romano tugged his wrist away, his face turning red.

Not seeming the least bit apologetic, Spain said, "Lo siento, Roma. Here, you can have a sip of mine." He held out his slushy, which was an icy yellow with a bit of red flavoring covering the top fourth of it. "It's cherry-lemonade. It's got a bit of a tangy after-taste that makes it real tasty~"

"I don't want your goddamned slushy, bastard!"

Spain shrugged and said, "Suit yourself." He took another sip of his slushy. "Go on—have yours. I'm sure you'll like it."

Romano scoffed with disbelief. "We'll see about that, jerk." Ignoring Spain's expectant gaze, he took a sip of his slushy. A burst of sweet, tangy flavor enlightened his taste buds, and the Italian's blush lightened to a soft pink.

Damn it…it's actually not that bad.

"Well, Lovi?" Antonio inquired with a bright grin.

Schooling his expression to one of apathy, like if he didn't enjoy the taste, Romano responded, "Eh, it's not complete shit."

Beaming, Spain pulled Romano in for a side-hug, holding him so that the Italian was leaning against him. "Oh, I'm so glad you like it~ I wasn't sure what flavor to get you, especially since the stand didn't sell tomato-flavored slushies." That…sounds like shit, even if it is tomatoes. "I figured if we can't have that, then we can have flavors native to our countries."

At Lovino's quizzical scowl, Antonio gently pulled away (and no, Romano was not disappointed by the lack of contact…relieved was more like it, the bastard was making him warmer) and pointed to his slushy. "See? Grape because that's what you use in your country to make its delicious wine, and orange because that's one of the most abundant fruit in my country."

Then he gestured to his own slushy. "Cherry because cherry trees grow so beautifully in your country, and lemonade because my country also grows a lot of lemons. Each of our slushies has a bit of you and a bit of me in them." He paused before adding, "Plus, both of the flavors in mine remind me of you anyways; lemonade because you're both sweet and sour, and cherry because it's as red as your handsome face~"

That…was shockingly sweet…if you were into that sort of thing…which Romano wasn't!

Well aware that he was blushing like a tomato (or cherry), Romano took a few sips of his "not complete shit" slushy before mumbling, "You're a cheesy bastard, you know that?"

He stiffened when a hand at his chin turned his head so that he was greeted by a pair of warm lips. It was out of instinct and instinct alone that Romano kissed back (and for no other reason, dammit!).

After a few (blissful) moments, the two pulled away, and Romano blushed at the soft, loving look Spain was wholeheartedly giving him. "As long as I'm your cheesy bastard, mí tesoro."

Him, a treasure? Spain must've been a bigger ditz than he realized if the tomato bastard truly saw him as a treasure.

Silver is very hard to find, but when you do, you learn that it was well worth the search because of how valuable it is. Though to some this piece may not look like much at first glance, if you look at it closer, you discover that it's something truly special. You and this little slab have all that in common, Romano—never forget that.

Lovino's mind suddenly echoed with Antonio's words as he thought of the piece of silver that he had left at home with Silvia (who Spain insisted he brought along; Romano could only hope that Veneziano left the sweet kitten alone…granted if the jerk actually came back from the potato bastard's place…).

Against his will, Romano faintly smiled through his blush.

"Um, excuse me?" Both nations looked up when they were addressed by a soft, Italian voice and saw two beautiful Italian women standing before them. Both were tan-skinned, yet one had short, ebony hair while the other had long, flowy brown hair and freckles. Each had a pair of plastic racquets and a badminton shuttlecock.

"Ciao, ladies," Romano greeted with a faint, roguish smile, easily slipping into his native tongue—relieved…err, happy for the distraction.

They both faintly blushed and giggled. "Ciao," the ebony-haired lady greeted in turn. "Sorry to bother, but we were hoping to ask you both a favor."

"Sí, what is it?" Spain eagerly inquired, able to understand a bit of Italian.

Though it was clear that the women didn't understand Antonio's Spanish, they knew what sí meant and comprehended his questioning tone. "Can you two watch our stuff for us?" the brunette asked as she gestured over to a couple of chairs and a cooler resting on some towels a few feet away. "My friend and I want to play badminton, and you guys are close enough to make sure no one takes our things. Will you watch them for us?"

"Sure, of course we can," Romano stated. "We'll keep the gulls away from your stuff."

The ladies chuckled before the darker haired one offered, "You know, we wouldn't mind a bit of company…if you guys would like to play too." She and her friend simultaneously held up their extra racquets.

"And leave your stuff defenseless?" Lovino lightly grinned. "Grazi, but my boyfriend and I will be more than happy to watch. You ladies have fun."

The women lightly laughed, thanked them, and headed to the nets that weren't very far from their location.

Spain watched them go before turning to Romano with a soft smile. "It's rare that I get to see you acting so nice, Lovi. It's so cute~"

Romano blushed before angrily growling, "Shut up, jerk! I'm not cute!"

"Yes you are. You are the cutest Italian on this beach~" Then Spain's expression became a little less friendly and a little more sultry. "And also the sexiest."

Well…now shit.

Lovino decided to believe that the only reason he was feeling warmer than before was because the Italian sun was burning hotter than usual, not because Spain was giving him that look.

Nope. Not at all…

Spluttering in his fluster got him nowhere, so Romano settled for calling Spain a bastard and sipping some more of his slushy, eyes averted and cheeks tinting.

"Oh Lovi~?"

…Dammit, why did Spain have to use that tone of voice? Now Romano had to look at him.

Reluctantly dragging his eyes to glance at the Spaniard, Romano barely had time to say, "What now, bas-" before he yelped as Spain unexpectedly grabbed him around the waist and deposited him on his lap. Then before he could protest, Spain was kissing him with both vigor and tenderness.

Against his will, Romano melted into the kiss and felt the world dissolve around him as he lost himself in the Spaniard that he eagerly kissed back. Romano used both hands (whether he put down his slushy or Spain set it down for him, he didn't know) to gently frame Spain's face and bring him close.

He felt Antonio smile against his lips as a strong hand wrapped around his waist while the other trailed fingertips down his spine. Lovino distantly felt the world tilt and acknowledged that Antonio had lain on his back, bringing the Italian on top of him so that he was pressed to his stomach.

Under any other circumstances, Romano would have been quick to yank himself away, punch Spain, and yell at the older nation for being a pervert. However, this was one of the rare times when the two were…bold. Usually, Romano was too nervous (err…bad ass) to show affection, so it was often Spain who initiated hand-holding, hugs, and especially kisses. However, the Spaniard was chivalrous and kept these experiences innocent and sweet.

Although, once in a while, hand-holding switched to an arm around the waist, hugs led to wandering hands on his hips, and kisses became heated. Romano hated to admit it, but this wasn't completely Spain's doing. As a macho Italian man with two working eyes and…needs, he was bound to find his Spanish boyfriend attractive at some point.

And from what Romano can tell, the feeling was mutual. Sometimes the dancing light in the Spaniard's eyes shimmered into something dark and passionate, as if someone had dimmed the lights of a ballroom to create an intimate aura, as he looked at Romano. It never failed to send enthralled shivers through the Italian, though he sometimes attributed them to the (nonexistent) chilly winds that just happened to breeze to keep himself from hoping that, yes, Spain was actually checking him out.

It was clear now that Spain was willing to do more than just check him out. Romano couldn't deny the feeling of reciprocated want as Spain pressed him up against him. Being chest-to-chest (shirtless chests, mind you) and wearing nothing but thin trunks registered in Lovino's mind and ignited the heat that began to pool within his stomach, a heat that intensified when Antonio brought his hands to grip the Italian by the hips.

Emitting a light growl that Romano would definitely deny later, he pulled away, smirked at Spain's keening whine, and positioned himself so that he was straddling the Spaniard before diving in for another kiss.

Damn straight. I'm taking control here.

The resulting noise of surprise and approval-laced delight sent another flare of heat straight into Lovino's belly that began to inch lower, prompting him to deepen the kiss and use one hand to curl around the back of his boyfriend's neck and the other to glide down his chest. Antonio responded by sitting up, pressing the Italian closer against him and keeping him there with one hand to his lower back, and using the other hand to card through Lovino's hair.

Eventually, the two pulled away and rested their foreheads against one another's, both breathing heavily.

H-Holy…

Romano was breathless, but if anyone asked him about it, then he'd defensively snap and say that anyone would be if they had just made out with someone they liked under a hot Italian sun.

And damn did Romano want more.

However, he refrained (for the time being) as he and Spain stared at each other. The other nation's eyes were the darkest green he had ever seen, and they were looking into him with such intensity that he felt both thrilled and flustered.

"Lovi…I…I…"

"You what?" Romano asked breathlessly (which, again, was only possible due to generic circumstances).

"I…" Spain seemed to falter, eyes flickered until they suddenly landed on something behind the Italian. His eyes initially widened then narrowed in suspicion.

The intimate mood between them now gone, Romano regained his Italian bad ass attitude (not that it ever left…more like pushed to the side so that Romano could have access to other feelings) and put on his familiar scowl. "The hell's your problem?"

"I don't like the looks of those guys," Spain responded, not looking at Romano.

Frown deepening, Lovino looked behind him to follow Antonio's line of sight.

He soon saw what the Spaniard saw and did not like it.

Out by the badminton nets were the women who spoke to them earlier. Rather than playing, they were talking with a pair of men that were hovering around them. The women seemed uncomfortable by whatever it was the men were saying, but the men seemed comfortable enough to confidently smirk, get into their space, and attempt to put their arms around them.

The brunette was nice enough to gently remove the arm that was around her shoulders, but didn't know what to do when that arm returned around her waist. The woman with shorter hair put a hand against the other man's chest in attempt to shove him away, only for the guy to grab her by that hand and pull her against him.

It was clear that the women didn't want the attention, but the men didn't care about their feelings.

Oh hell no!

Glaring, Romano muttered, "What the hell do those bastards think they're doing? Isn't it obvious those women want them to fuck off?!"

"Some men either don't read the signs or ignore them so long as they get what they want." The dark tone in Spain's voice got Romano to look at him.

He was stunned by how much anger was in the normally happy Spaniard's expression. His body was rigid, as if coiled for a fight, and his characteristic sunny smile was nowhere to be seen. This time his eyes had darkened for an entirely different reason (which would've likely had the same effect on Romano if he wasn't so concerned about the situation) as they glared over at the scene.

"Toni…"

"C'mon Lovi, we need to help."

Romano bit back a yelp as Spain abruptly got up and nearly toppled him over. Without taking his eyes off the incident, Spain pulled Romano up and started marching them to the nets. Romano just had enough time to regain his scowl before they reached their destination.

"C'mon baby, one drink," said the guy holding the struggling dark haired woman. "My buddy and I want to take you gals out."

"We said no," she snapped. "Get your gorilla paws off!"

The guy and his friend laughed when she tried wrenching herself free. "Don't be that way, dollface. You gals are the sexiest things on the beach. It only makes sense that we show you just how sexy you are." The brunette blushed and tried moving away until her suitor dragged her back, his hands beginning to lower from her waist.

And Romano thought France was a pervert; at least the frog-face's advances were tasteful and never went too far.

He and Spain must've been on similar wavelengths (a first) because the two wasted no time in wrenching the men away from the women. Romano went for the guy holding the brunette and jerked away the man's travelling hand before shoving the bastard away. From the corner of his eye, he was surprised to see Spain take a more aggressive approach by not only tearing the creep away from the woman, but giving him a rough shove as well.

The men cursed out of shock as they stumbled away from their prey. The women seemed surprised by the sudden attack, yet were relieved once they got a look at their rescuers.

"Thank you," said the darker haired woman as she and the brunette scooted closer to the nations. "We kept telling these guys to get lost and that we weren't interested, but they wouldn't go." Her friend nodded and nervously looked over at the men.

By then, the bastards had regained themselves and glared at Spain and Romano. Being an Italian bad ass, Romano wasn't the least bit threatened and merely glared back, noticing Spain do the same.

In broken yet comprehensible Italian, Spain growled, "Leave these women alone."

The bolder one of the two scoffed and met Spain's frown, trying to smirk in an attempt to regain control of the situation. "Why don't you mind your own business, pal. My buddy and I weren't doing anything."

"You were bothering these women. They clearly weren't interested in your company."

"Says who?" the other one challenged. "What are you, their boyfriends?"

"It doesn't fucking matter who we are," Romano snapped. "We saw this whole shit storm go down, and it's pretty damn obvious that these ladies didn't need your alpha male shit! No means no, unless you're both too fucking stupid to even know what that means!"

Now normally, Romano would never cuss in front of a lady, but he felt the women would forgive him for this. These douchebags needed a damn good cuss-out.

The first one glowered at the Southern portion of Italy and snarled, "Hey, watch your bitch mouth! We-"

"No, you watch your bitch mouth!" Romano retorted. "Who the hell do you think you are, parading around like you own the goddamn beach?! Damn, you should be lucky that we were the ones to put a stop to this rather than these women who probably were about two seconds away from smashing in those cranberries you call nards!" The women chuckled and made similar noises of agreement.

Before either men could retaliate, Spain immediately stepped forward as if to add a protective barrier between Romano and the women and the aggressive men. "As you gentlemen can see, these women don't want you around, so if you would be so kind as to leave then we would greatly appreciate it."

The words alone might have been polite enough if it weren't for the stormy undertone emphasizing the Spaniard's frown.

The bolder man took a menacing step forward. "You can't tell us what to do. We weren't doing anything-"

"As I said, you were harassing these women. They're not interested in your attention so why don't the two of you leave them alone, clean up your act, and find somewhere else to hang out?"

Romano was a bit surprised by Spain's assertiveness yet also impressed. Finally, my tomato bastard of a boyfriend is showing a bit of a backbone.

"Yeah, I don't think so," stated the bold one with a snort. "We have every right to be here, and we're not going to listen to some asshole and his bitch."

"Besides," the other dickwad defensively said with a sneer, "These girls were asking for a little attention. With the goods they're selling, they were practically begging for someone to come by and check out the merchandise." He and his friend gave the women invasive elevator eyes that made even Romano feel uncomfortable. "We were just giving them what they want."

With a quick growl of outrage, Spain unexpectedly seized them both by their necks and lifted them a few inches off the ground, startling everyone within the vicinity. The men gasped and immediately began struggling but were no match for the former conquistador.

Glaring up at the men, Spain growled, "Never talk that way about a woman and never insult mi novio. You have no right to act like dogs and no right to harass anyone you please."

He dropped the two and didn't seem the least bit sympathetic as they laid sprawled on the ground, gasping for air. Spain gestured to the women and exclaimed, "These women are people and should be treated with respect. They came here to have a good time, not to be harassed by you two. Now leave before I chase you down like hogs before the slaughter."

Romano felt a jolt of fear shoot up his spine, having not seen Spain like this in a long, long time.

The fear was reciprocated tenfold by the men who stared up at Spain with wide, uncertain eyes, likely intimidated by the man's strength and menacing glare. Romano couldn't help but smirk.

Not so tough now, bastards.

With quiet mumbles of apology, the men picked themselves up and hurriedly left the scene. It wasn't until they were out of the sight did anyone relax.

The short-haired woman turned to Spain and Romano and said, "Thank you so much for that. Rebecca and I were playing for a bit when they came by. The moment they started talking about our bathing suits, we just weren't interested." She bitterly snorted. "Looks like they couldn't take no for an answer."

Abandoning his anger, Spain calmed down and stated, "Glad we could help. Are you two alright?"

"We're okay," replied the brunette, Rebecca. "Just…disgusted." Her friend made a noise of agreement.

"I don't blame you," Romano grumbled. "Those guys were perverted jerks."

"The biggest," the dark-haired girl agreed before she stuck her hand out. "I'm Mia and this is Rebecca." The brunette gave a shy wave as Romano then Spain shook Mia's hand.

"I'm Lovino, and this is my boyfriend, Antonio."

Spain regained his usual smile and beamed. "Hello again."

The ladies smiled in return as Mia inquired, "I'm guessing you're from Spain, right?"

"Sí, I am."

"Your Italian is pretty good."

"Oh, really? Thank you! I'm a bit rusty." Spain lightly chuckled and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I was actually kind of afraid that those cerdos wouldn't understand me when I snapped at them."

Romano playfully scoffed as a bemused smile toyed at his lips. "Oh trust me, they would have had no problems understanding you even if you spoke that god-awful German. You probably scared the pee out of them."

Mia busted up laughing while Rebecca softly chuckled.

Spain lightly laughed and pulled Romano close. "You had a hand in intimidating them too, mi amado. You were so brave."

Romano was not blushing because of Spain's compliment; the Italian sun was just hot that day, that's all…

"You were both brave," Rebecca shyly spoke up with a smile. "Is there any way we can thank you?"

Spain brightly smiled and remarked, "How about you join the two of us for slushies, and then we can all enjoy a game of badminton?"

The women immediately agreed, and soon the four were sitting on their towels enjoying slushies and light conversation. Afterwards, they played a series of badminton games, constantly switching off teams. Despite not being one to do well with strangers, Romano enjoyed Mia and Rebecca's company and had been the one to invite the two to dinner.

Several hours later after spending most of their day with Mia and Rebecca and saying their farewells after dinner, Romano and Spain practically collapsed on the former's couch in pleasant exhaustion. Silvia greeted them with a happy mewl as she curled up on top of Romano's legs.

"What a fun day~!" Spain happily exclaimed. "It's always so much fun making new friends!"

"Only if they're as classy, fun, and non-idiotic as Rebecca and Mia," Romano gruffly quipped as he absently pet Silvia.

"They were really nice, weren't they? I had a good time with them! Did you, Lovi?"

"Yeah, I guess so." The sudden thought that hit him made him chuckle. "You know, I think that's the closest thing to a double-date that I'm ever going to get."

"Oh~! If you want to double-date sometime, then we can ask mis amigos if they-"

"We are not asking your perverted friends to double-date with us!" Romano shuddered to think of the poor victims roped into dating the fuckface or the albino bastard.

"But-"

"No buts! That shit will not fly!"

Spain briefly pouted before regaining his smile with a shrug. "Alrighty then, if you say so. Maybe we'll ask Ita-chan and Germany to double-date with us once they start going out."

The only reason that Romano didn't flip shit over that comment was because Silvia was starting to doze off on his lap. He might be a bad ass of epic proportions, but even he wouldn't dare disturb the kitten.

Huffing in annoyance, the Italian decided that he was too tired to argue and changed the subject instead. "Let's just stick to hanging out with Mia and Rebecca. They may not be a couple, but they sure as hell are a lot better than most of the pairs I can think of. Also, they could look past your dumb assness and my cursing, so that's a goddamn plus."

Spain chuckled and leaned his elbow against the back of the couch so that his chin could rest on his fist. "They were so nice. I'd love for the four of us to hang out some more sometime. I'm so glad we met them today. It's just too bad that those guys had to bother them for us to actually become friends with them."

Seeing his boyfriend's face darken at the mention of those men, Romano raised a brow and slowly commented, "Uh, yeah, too bad about that. It's a good thing at least one of their goddamn brain cells was actually working since they had the sense to clear out before we had to do it for them."

"I suppose…" The pensive frown on Spain's face was misplaced and disconcerting.

Careful not to disturb Silvia, Romano turned to his Spanish boyfriend. "What the hell's your deal, jerk? Why're you looking so mopey?! Wipe that look off your stupid face!"

Spain lightly chuckled. "I'm getting mixed signals here, Lovi. You usually tell me to wipe my 'dopey smile' off my face, but now you're telling me to wipe off my mopey look. Which face would you prefer?"

Red in the face, Romano snapped, "Don't change the subject, bastard! I'm not as dim-witted as my brother, so like hell I'm falling for that bullcrap! Now tell me what the hell's bothering you!"

Romano almost regretted Spain's smile falling but knew he needed to get to the bottom of this. As beautiful…err, annoying as Spain's smiles were, Romano definitely preferred them to the Spaniard's frowns.

Spain took a few moments to respond. "It's just…those men earlier…I didn't like how they were harassing Rebecca and Mia."

"Neither did I. They were creepy assholes who seemed to think that no meant yes."

"That's just it though. It just frustrates me when I see people like that. Those guys bothered Mia and Rebecca just because they were wearing bikinis. That wasn't okay. Those ladies have the right to wear what they want without fearing that they would be bothered."

Romano bitterly scoffed. "Yeah, well, that's life for you."

"But it's not fair!" Spain suddenly and quite angrily exclaimed. "No one should feel entitled to another person. No matter who you are or what you do, no one has the right to feel that that they are allowed to do whatever they want to someone else…not even us countries."

Whoa, what the…where's this going…?

"Wha-What the hell do you mean? What does earlier have to with us nations…or entitlement?"

Spain took a few calming breaths before continuing, "The way those men talked about Mia and Rebecca…like if they were objects rather than people…I didn't like it. People who view others like that end up objectifying them and stop seeing them as human beings. We nations…sort of used to do the same thing."

"Whoa, whoa, Spain! What the crappola are you talking about?! We are nothing like those assholes! Not even France is that bad!" And like hell he was ever going to say that again.

Now more morose than frustrated, Spain slumped back into the couch and said, "You're right, none of us will ever harass another person in such a way. What I meant was that we…sort of thought like them. We countries never truly considered one another's feelings whenever we fought or tried to conquer one another.

"Back then, a lot of us would just try to take what land we wanted…just because we wanted more power. It…seemed like a good idea at the time, but none of us ever considered how they felt…if those little countries even wanted to be a part of us. We felt…entitled to just take what we wanted without any regrets. We had wars over who got to keep who just because we felt like it was our right to have other countries."

Spain actually looked pained while talking about this, and Romano was in awe. Memories of Spain coming home and bragging to a younger him about the countries he was ready to take from England and Portugal came to mind and completely contrasted with what Spain was saying now.

Who would've known he actually felt like this…

Romano actually flinched a bit when Spain fixated him with a look akin to agony. "Romano…I hope you never felt like I owned you. Even when you were a colony, you were not an object and it was wrong of me if I ever treated you as such. I may have felt that I was entitled to you, but it wasn't right. I'm sorry."

Silence settled between them for a few moments as Romano looked incredulously at him. As he considered what Spain had said, he realized that the only time he ever felt less than a person was when Spain wanted to trade him for Italy and when he was given to Austria. On both occasions, however, Romano was angrier at the situations rather than being objectified.

Wanting Spain to stop looking so sad, Romano rolled his eyes and scowled. "Shut up, there's no need to apologize. You were just doing what every other dumb ass country was doing at the time. If my brother and I were high and mighty like the rest of you, then I'm sure we would've been doing the same thing."

Some of Spain's frown eased up. "You really think so?"

"I know so! Who the hell wouldn't want power at that time?!" When that frown still wouldn't go away, Romano mumbled, "Besides, I never felt like an object when I was staying with you. Despite all the chores and cheek-pinching, you actually treated me like a person…more like a little kid but, shit, whatever! Same thing!"

That last part snapped Spain out of his funk, and he brightly chuckled. "Well, you couldn't blame me. You were so cute I just had to pinch your cheeks. They were so much fun to play with~"

Romano was quick to smack Spain's hand away when the other tried reaching for his cheeks. "Don't you dare, jerk! It was annoying then and it'll be annoying now! Hands to yourself!"

Spain's tentative smile became playful as he quipped, "Hands to myself? Are you sure~?" Then he abruptly scooped up Romano, mindful of Silvia on him, and deposited the Italian on his lap, wrapping his arms around him.

"What the-?! Sneaky bastard!" Romano grumbled, hiding the fact that he liked…err, didn't mind the new seating.

Spain chuckled and nuzzled his cheek. "You're so cute, Lovi~" The Italian huffed, unconsciously leaning against his boyfriend.

The two remained like this in comfortable silence until Spain mumbled, "Gracias, Roma."

Romano's first reaction was to ask what the hell he was talking about until it dawned on him; Spain was thanking him for the reassurance.

The Italian snorted and rested his head against Spain's curly head. "Prego, idiota. Now quit being a sap. Those guys from earlier may be assholes, but at least we did something about it…and at least we nations aren't ever going to be how we were ever again…"

Spain hummed in agreement. "Never again. Just so you know, Lovi, I will never treat you like how those guys treated those women."

"I know you won't, idiot-"

"I mean it." Spain looked up as he passionately grabbed Romano's hands. "I would never sink so low as to treat you like an item. You are so much more than that, Lovi. You are a beautiful, talented, amazing person, and I intend to treat you as such. Even if you weren't my boyfriend and we broke up right now, then I would still treat you as an equal. It would be a dishonor to treat you as anything less. You may be a gem to me, but I would never hoard you like one."

Then Spain dove forward and captured Romano's lips in a kiss as if to seal his declaration. Though caught off guard, Romano was quick to return the kiss with equal zeal. Once they pulled away, Romano looked into Spain's eyes and saw just how serious the other was. The steel-edged determination in those green orbs spoke loudly of his principles and how strongly he would stand by them.

The look got Romano blushing and his stomach fluttering with admiration.

Oh god, I really care for this bastard, don't I.

Man, I forgot how wholesome Hetalia is~

For those of you still interested, expect a new chapter sometime next month. Thanks for reading!

Translations:

Spanish

naranja de uva- orange and grape

Lo siento- I'm sorry

mí tesoro- my treasure

Sí- yes

mi novio- my boyfriend

cerdos- pigs

mi amado- my beloved

mis amigos- my friends

Gracias- Thank you

Italian

Ciao- Hello

Grazi- Thank you

Prego, idiota- You're welcome, idiot