Heya folks, sorry this isn't on time. I started working again! It's busy work, but I'm grateful to have purpose again :)
So, I was looking back to some of my earlier chapters to double-check that I'm maintaining continuity, and I laughed. I forgot that there was a time when I thought this story would be a one-shot.
Then it became a short story that I figured would span no more than 10-15 chapters.
Now look where we are XD
That being said, I'm gearing up to finish. I figure there'll another 4 chapters before I end this story. Thanks for sticking with me so far!
Although there was no way for them to get a singular house together (yet), that didn't stop Romano and Spain from to living together. The agreement was that they would spend a month in one of their homes and then spend another month at the other's and then trade off. They even spent an entire week moving some essentials into the other's home (clothes, toothbrushes, knick knacks, etc.).
They shared a room in each other's homes and decorated it to fit them both. They slept together in the same bed (usually with Silvia cuddling with them), woke up together, did their work, ate their meals together, showered together, and went to bed together.
Whenever one had a meeting with their boss and they were in the other's country, then they'd do a virtual conference. They did their paperwork together (actually, Romano did his paperwork and worked hard to keep Spain on track of his when all the Spaniard wanted to do was cuddle and kiss his tomate).
The weekends were theirs. Romano would either kick Italy out of the house, or he'd drag his boyfriend out on the town when they were in his country; Spain would cook for his Roma or take him out dancing (even if Romano didn't want to admit it, he enjoyed dancing the Tarantella) when they were at his home.
Even with the new level of closeness between them, they still led their own individual lives. Spain still went out with the Bad Touch Trio (not that Romano approved, of course) and ran his café (his little side project, he called it). Romano still bailed Italy out of trouble if Germany was busy and painted new portraits (which Spain decorated their homes with, to Romano's embarrassment).
They shared their favorite hobbies together: they tended to their individual tomato gardens; they shared the responsibilities of cooking their meals, but sometimes cooked together; they tended to Silvia together, ensuring that she was loved and cared for; they even played fútbol together (which would often become really competitive and end up with a make-out session that would move to the bedroom).
Nevertheless, they allowed each other alone time whenever they needed it. Granted, Romano often needed it more than Spain did, but the Spaniard did his best to give his lover the space he needed and would keep himself occupied until his Roma was back in his arms.
They even mastered the art of being together without doing anything together. There were moments when they spent time in the Italian backyard where Spain would go swimming in the pool while Romano sat poolside reading a book. Or Spain would play with Silvia in the living room while Romano painted nearby. Or Romano would take a siesta while Spain played the guitar.
Activities like this ensured that they could enjoy each other's company while also enjoying their independence. It also helped that Spain's and Romano's houses were big enough for the two of them to navigate either with or without each other.
They occasionally hosted get-togethers at one another's place and helped one another when a World Meeting was set in their country. Sometimes Spain would spend time in Paris or Berlin with his amigos while Romano visited Canada in Ottawa, Belgium in Brussels, or Netherlands in Amsterdam.
The latter was possible now that Spain and Netherlands solved their differences. Granted, they weren't friends and still found each other annoying, but they weren't at each other's throats anymore. Spain even joined Romano in his visits now and then, managing to hold a civil conversation with the Dutchman while his Italian was busy painting a portrait of the blonde's greenhouse and tulip garden.
Furthermore, Romano started tolerating the remaining Bad Touch Trio members. Granted, he still thought France was a pervert and Prussia was a douche, but he didn't actively hate them as he did before. He didn't worry as much about them being a bad influence on Spain as he used to, now that he knew that they were rooting for him and Spain.
To his dismay, however, France and Prussia seemed to have taken a liking to him. They invited him out and weren't deterred by how many times he said no. Sometimes they'd even drag him along if they especially felt like being masochists and receive both physical and verbal abuse from the younger nation.
Nevertheless, Romano would admit to no one—not Spain, Italy, or even Silvia—that he actually had fun with the Bad Touch Trio now and then. He enjoyed judging people with France and teasing Germany with Prussia. He could even admit that the two made him laugh now and then, mostly in regards to making fun of the stupider nations—i.e., America, Russia, England (though France was suspiciously less enthusiastic about it), Turkey (Romano secretly appreciated whenever France and Prussia ragged on him, even if they had no beef with the mask-wearing nation), Austria, Portugal, and so on.
Spain was happy to see his tomate get along with his amigos and made it a point to get along with Romano's friends. It was lucky for him that he got along already with Belgium and Italy, but he made it a point to get to know Netherlands and Canada.
Since their association was still new and tentative, Spain only really saw Netherlands at World Meetings or when he went with Romano for a visit. He was fine with that and preferred to limit their interactions to short conversations, cheerful greetings (from him), and sending the Dutchman the occasional fresh-baked batch of churros.
Spain could easily see why Romano liked Canada; he was rapidly growing fond of the quiet blondie. Canada was kind and thoughtful and made some good breakfast food. Other than himself and Romano, Spain trusted the Western nation with their Silvia and the blonde apparently trusted them enough to look after his polar bear, Kumajirou, when the need arose.
All in all, life couldn't be better.
{~/~/~}
When the weather unexpectedly called for snow that December, Romano invited Spain to stay in Rome for the month. As expected, the Spaniard eagerly accepted and joined Italy in squealing with delight and barreling outdoors at the sight of first snowfall.
Romano was definitely not endeared by their childlike whimsy.
"Both of you get your asses in here before you freeze! If either of you think I'm going to take care of you if you catch a cold then you've got another thing coming!"
When Spain, the bastard, responded by initiating a snowball fight, Romano had no choice but to pelt his fidanzato and fratello with snowballs of his own, else his reputation as a bad ass would be tarnished.
And no, he did not have fun—not even a little.
[…]
The three had been decorating the Christmas tree when Italy dropped a bombshell in the midst of his rambling.
"Germany says that his flight's been delayed, but he and Prussia should be here by tonight! That's a very good thing, too, because I was worried that they wouldn't get here in time for Christmas! It would've made me very sad if Germany missed out on getting presents from Santa!"
Romano paused, his hand midair where he was about to place an ornament. "What the hell did you just say?"
Oblivious to the deathly calm in his voice, Italy said, "Germany just texted me to say that his flight's been delayed but that they told him the weather should be better in a few hours so they'll get him and Prussia up in the air once things clear up so they should be here before it gets too dark! Isn't that great?!"
"…YOU INVITED THE POTATO BASTARDS HERE?!"
Whereas Italy yelped and quivered under his intimidating Italian might, Spain continued stringing the Christmas lights as he happily exclaimed, "Oh~! Gilbert and Germany are coming? ¡Excelente! It'll be so nice having them join us for the holidays!"
"Why didn't you run this by me first you jerk?!" Romano demanded.
"I didn't think you'd mind!" Italy exclaimed. "Since you and Prussia are becoming good friends and you gave Germany that fruit basket-"
"That was one time, and I made sure it was mostly soggy honeydew!"
"-I figured you'd like having them over, and I always celebrate Christmas with Germany! He and I haven't missed one since we became friends!"
"Aww, that's so cute," Spain cooed.
"And I invited Japan too! He's going to spend Christmas Eve and day with us!"
Romano and Spain simultaneously cringed.
"Oh, uh, heh." Spain awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "That's, uh, still nice I guess…"
Romano groaned. "If it gets awkward then I swear I'm going to bury myself in the snow."
"Um…it can't be that bad, right?" Spain didn't sound sure, but he sure as hell tried to convince himself. "I mean, it's been months since we, uh…since America's party. Maybe Japan, um…forgot?"
Even Italy couldn't help but look at him in disbelief. Romano was far too used to Spain's idiocy to be fazed anymore.
"The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because you have yet to sign over your country and life savings to me."
"And because you love him too much," Italy chirped.
"That's none of your business, jerk!"
It took a lot of squabbling, but eventually Romano came to conclusion that barring sabotaging Germany and Prussia's plane, nothing would stop them from coming. The best, and likely only, thing he could do was prepare himself with aspirin, fake mustaches, and some good old fashioned Italian wine.
He made sure to grab plenty of each when he, Spain, and Italy stepped out later to pick up groceries.
The three were practically touring all of Rome with how much stuff Italy wanted. Romano, however, was the only one complaining and sulked as his idiot brother and his idiot boyfriend happily chatted, grabbed more and more unnecessary Christmas decorations, and cooed at all the beautiful lighting adorning the country.
When they actually entered a market, Romano had to fight the urge to strangle them both. Yes, it would likely get him on the naughty list permanently and secure his place in Hell, but the two were just so sickening to watch.
Romano scowled as Spain hoisted Italy into a basket and rolled them around the market, the two laughing with glee. Despite the market's chill and December's icy winds, the sting of jealousy kept Romano warm.
Nevertheless, in the spirit of the holidays and in an attempt to not to be an asshole for once, Romano swallowed his bitterness and focused on what needed to be done. It helped that the chunk of silver he kept in his pocket acted as a comforting weight.
Ironically enough, Japan's arrival helped.
Veneziano, of course, was delighted to see his friend and former ally and practically smothered the poor nation in hugs and Italian kisses on the cheek. Since Romano vowed to not be awkward, Spain was the only one uncomfortable.
"U-Um, hola, amigo…uh, Japan. How, um, are you?"
To his credit, if Japan was feeling uncomfortable, he was damn good at not showing it.
"I am well, Spain-san. How are you?"
"U-Um, I'm good…are you still mad at me for kissing you a couple of months back?"
Rather than be annoyed, Romano found himself amused. Even when Spain got over his discomfort and began chatting amiably with Japan, Romano didn't mind and even had a pleasant conversation with him.
He was disappointed when the potato bastards showed up after all.
"The Awesome Prussia has brought beer!"
With the albino douche, Spain, and Italy, the house became vibrant and lively, despite Romano's, Japan's, and Germany's taciturnity.
A combination of Italian, German, and Spanish Christmas music blared throughout the house while the savory smells of delicious, home-cooked foods wafted in the air. They spent their Christmas Eve dancing, eating, and drinking, and their Christmas day doing almost the exact same thing, but with presents and more playing in the snow.
They even got a random visit from Finland. The weirdo was flying through the air in a sleigh and reindeer, dropping off presents from the sky with some help from Sweden of all people.
Romano flipped them both off when his present revealed a pair of slippers made to look like cows.
"Look, Lovi! We match!" Spain held up a pair of slippers that looked like bulls.
Apparently, it was a Christmas for slippers because that's what everyone got: Italy and Japan got kitten slippers, each pair a different color (Romano will never admit that he felt cheated); Prussia got fuzzy yellow slippers meant to look like birds; and Germany got a pair of teddy bear slippers.
Delighted by their gifts, Italy insisted that they all take pictures while wearing their slippers. Romano cursed the fates that Germany was the only one who agreed with him that the idea was dumb and didn't want to do it.
The absolute only reasons Romano reluctantly agreed was to get Feli to stop crying and for Prussia to shut up and stop pestering him about why the idea was awesome.
Not because he felt bad or because Spain was batting his eyes at him.
It took longer than Romano wanted for them to stop taking pictures. Italy literally had them pose all over the house and then all over Rome. It wasn't until Germany shouted that they return home at once before they all got sick that they stopped at all, and it was dinnertime by then.
Romano would've happily grumbled for the rest of the evening had Spain not cheered him up by singing Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas," complete with overdramatic gestures that ended with him lying on the floor with a hand clutching his heart.
The two ended their first Christmas together eating holiday-themed cassata in bed, making love, and snuggling with Silvia before falling asleep in each other's arms, both wearing the slippers Finland had gotten them.
Romano would happily pretend that last part never happened, even if he didn't plan on getting rid of his slippers.
They all ate leftovers for breakfast before they took Japan to the airport.
"Greece-kun has invited me to stay until the New Year," Japan explained. "I have appreciated my time here, and I thank you for your hospitality, Italy- and Romano-kun."
It took Germany a while to pry Italy off of Japan when Feli didn't want to say good-bye.
Japan's plane had just left when Prussia unexpectedly announced that he had a plane to catch as well, pulling out his own suitcase out of nowhere.
"Going to Ottawa for a few weeks. Don't wait up, West!" At Romano's raised brow, Prussia added, "What? Birdie's going need my awesomeness to cheer him up after spending Christmas with Francey-pants, Eyebrows, and fat ass."
On the one hand, Romano saw his point. On the other hand, he still threatened to saw off Prussia's balls if he molested Matteo.
Spain and Italy were disappointed that Prussia was leaving, yet offered cheery farewells and asked that he send Canada their best.
Romano repeated his threat before the albino bastard left.
With six nations down to four, Italy suggested that they enjoy the day by scoping out after-Christmas sales. Spain wholeheartedly agreed and even the potato bastard agreed that now was the time to buy things at sensible prices.
Romano wasn't one for shopping, but he agreed partially because everyone else was going and partially because he wanted to start getting ideas on what to get Spain for their upcoming anniversary.
To his annoyance, he couldn't find anything to his liking despite wading through countless sales. On the other hand, Feli found a great sale on cat supplies and happily bought Silvia a new bed and a bag of Christmas treats.
"I forgot to get your cute little kitty a Christmas gift! I hope she isn't angry that I forgot! I didn't mean to!"
"I'm sure Silvia forgives you," Spain chirped.
It ended up being the only useful thing Veneziano and Spain bought that day. Romano hated that he and the potato bastard ended up sharing chagrined looks as they helped their ditzes unload all the useless crap they had bought.
After they all had a late lunch, Italy offered to babysit Silvia so that Romano and Spain could spend some 'alone time' (he added a wink, the bastard).
Before Romano could yell at and scold his brother for letting the potato bastard corrupt him, Spain had eagerly agreed and Silvia was whisked away.
On the one hand, Romano felt terrible that poor Silvia had to be subjected to Italy's chatter and Germany's German-ness.
On the other hand, he was pleased that he and Spain had a moment to themselves.
They made good use of their time.
The two ended up relaxing near the fireplace, basking in the warmth of the flames and of each other. They were wrapped up in a large quilt that Hungary had knitted for Romano when he was small, cuddling one another and wearing those damned slippers again.
Spain was currently pressing kisses to Romano's face and hair. "Feliz Navidad, mi amorcito."
"Christmas was yesterday," Romano half-heartedly grumbled, letting the warmth lull him into a relaxed daze.
Spain hummed and pressed his nose into Romano's hair. "What should we do for New Year's, Lovi? I think the Nordics are having a party."
"We can go," Romano mumbled. "But we're not doing any kissing games."
Spain's answering chuckle rumbled against him. "We kiss no one but each other. I just want to celebrate."
"And get drunk."
"Sí, just a little."
"Same here. Should we take Silvia this time?"
Spain actually took a moment to think about it. "Only if there's no one to babysit her. What are the odds that Feli, Canada, or Emma will be at that party too?"
"Pretty high…though it's 50/50 whether Lars will go or not. We could check with him."
To Romano's relief, there wasn't a trace of annoyance in Spain's voice as he replied, "That's a good idea. I don't think he's the partying type. He might go for the free food and alcohol, though."
Romano couldn't help chuckling. "Right, huh. Eh, we'll figure it out tomorrow. Don't wanna move yet."
Spain hummed in agreement, and the two settled into a warm, soothing silence.
Romano actually almost dozed off when Spain said, "It was nice of Feli to give us alone time. He's the best brother anyone could ask for."
Romano scoffed. "Try living with him 24/7."
"But Lovi, you don't anymore."
Romano lazily smacked him and let his hand rest against his collarbone. "Details, bastard."
Spain chuckled as he grabbed Romano's hand and pressed his lips to it. "Had enough of living with your brother to last you a lifetime, ¿mi tomate?"
"Duh."
"Want to live with me from now on?"
"…Duh."
Cue a bombardment of kisses that woke Romano up a little.
"Good! Because I'd like to keep you all to myself, Lovi~ No offense to Feli, of course. It's been nice staying with him, too. He's so fun and cute~"
The sting of jealousy returned, but Romano steadfastly ignored it.
The two lapsed into another silence that Spain, once again, broke.
"Don't tell anyone, but sometimes I pretend Ita-chan is my brother."
Romano blinked, surprised by the admission and the unexpected uneasiness in Spain's demeanor. "Why?"
The discomfort increased before Spain released it with a sigh. "This, uh, this isn't going to sound very nice of me, but I like to pretend that Feli's my brother so that I can have a brother who actually likes me…even if it's just for a little while. Most of the time, I don't really think about Portugal, but when I do…well, I prefer to pretend that Italy's my brother instead of him."
After a moment of uncomfortable silence that left Romano squirming and itching for something to say, Spain unexpectedly chuckled. "Heh, but I try not to do that too often anymore because it'd be weird if Ita-chan's my brother and I'm dating you…since you two are brothers and if Ita-chan's my brother then that also makes you my brother-"
"I get the point!" Romano hurriedly cut him off. "And…And I get it, I think." He paused before adding, "Portugal sucks. I think the only brother worse than him is Russia…and England…and America…and France…and Austria if he actually had siblings…"
Spain chuckled and cuddled him closer. "So basically, everyone is a terrible brother but you and Ita-chan~"
"Canada is a good brother to the hamburger bastard, even if he doesn't deserve it," Romano grumbled. "And Netherlands is a good brother to Emma."
Spain happily hummed. "That's true. Both are very good brothers."
Romano hesitated before admitting, "You're a good brother too, you know."
Spain's wistful smile fell. "Uh, I don't know, Lovi. Portugal and I-"
"You're a good brother to Feli," Romano corrected. "You keep an eye on him for me. You're an idiot, but you mean well and you don't intentionally corrupt him. He…He looks up to you."
Romano refused to look at Spain, despite feeling his lover's eyes on him. He was afraid that if he looked then Spain would see the relief in his eyes.
Spain soon turned Romano's head so that he could deliver a deep, loving kiss that the Italian eagerly reciprocated.
When they pulled away, the green in Spain's eyes were bright like the sun peeking through a forest of trees.
"Gracias, mi amor."
Blushing, Romano determinedly pressed his face into Spain's neck. "Yeah, yeah…Buon Natale, il mio idiota."
Spain chuckled. "But Lovi, Christmas was yesterday."
Romano definitely wasn't smiling as he replied, "Details, bastard."
{~/~/~}
The warmth of Christmas exploded with the good cheer that carried on until the New Year. Spain and Romano went to the Nordics' New Year's party, sharing drinks and kisses, before spending a few more days in Rome before boarding a plane to Spain's home.
The snow had mostly melted by then, but some still stubbornly clung to the peaks in Sierra Nevada and the Pyrenees.
Spain, however, being a nation born and raised in the sun preferred to admire the view from his mansion. He figured though if his Lovi wanted to go to the mountains, then he'd happily drive them up there.
Still, he was delightfully surprised when he caught Romano sitting out in the backyard, comfortably stretched out on one of the reclining chaises to soak in the sun, weak as it was.
When he offered to drive them up to his private cottage in Madrid, where it was warmer, Romano readily agreed on the condition that the place had Wi-fi.
"We've still got work to do, idiota."
That they did, and not just their paperwork and meetings.
"When was the last time you were here?" Romano asked dryly as he, Spain, and Silvia surveyed the cottage interior. To Spain's embarrassment, it was very dusty and cobweb-y.
"It's, uh, been a while…"
"No kidd-SILVIA! NO! SPIT THAT OUT!" The cat was so startled that she spit out the large spider she caught.
This led to the two spending a couple of hours cleaning the place. Luckily, having a cottage instead of a mansion meant that there was less space that needed to be cleaned. Spain took it all in good cheer, however, while his Lovi grumbled darkly that morphed into curses whenever he inadvertently knocked something over.
Spain used his cheer-up charm on his novio when the latter began cursing out the washing machine for sputtering on him.
"If you use that stupid cheer-up charm on me again then I'll kick you out!"
"But Lovi, this is my house."
Luckily, a bit of tinkering and the washer/dryer system was fixed, which was good since the bedroom sheets and towels were pretty musty. Roma had mostly calmed by then and managed to get the gas and water heater going.
"Like hell I'm going to be taking cold showers in January!"
By the time the two had finished cleaning, it was late afternoon, which made ordering food easy since it was past the time for lunch and too early for the dinner rush.
Once they placed their order, Spain and Romano took a (hot) shower together and spent the rest of their evening relaxing and eating by the fireplace.
"I'll get us groceries tomorrow," Spain promised. "Should I just get us enough for the week?"
"For starters," Romano replied. "We'll get more when we need it."
Spain initially figured that they would stay for the weekend, but a couple of days ended up becoming a couple of weeks.
The Spaniard hardly used his cottage because it was somewhat isolated. The nearest town was a half an hour's drive and the nearest neighbor wasn't around for miles. Nevertheless, he would go there after wars to recuperate and meditate on his losses or victories. He wouldn't stay long, however, no more than a few days because he had colonies to take care of and a country to run.
Plus, it could get lonely and far too quiet.
With Romano, it was different.
They drove out and explored Madrid together, sometimes taking Silvia with them, before heading back and spending lovely evenings together. Even when they had to be stuck indoors because they had work to do, Romano never failed to fill the silence with his cursing or humming. At some point, he even managed to find a radio in the attic and would play music throughout the day.
The cottage was warm and lively, its small space bursting with love and happiness.
It was the best month of Spain's life.
[…]
Spain loved it when his Roma didn't wear pants. Whenever he did a video conference for a meeting, Romano would take the time to put on a nice shirt and tie to make the top half look professional yet rarely bothered with pants.
Spain could spend forever looking at his Lovi, every part of him, and was enchanted by his beautiful bare legs. When Romano had a video conference on the last Friday morning of January, he watched his tomate grumble through their morning routine and fight with his tie. After he helped his querido with the tie ("I can do it myself, jerk!"), he dreamily watched Lovino lay out on the couch with the laptop on his lap. Then he sat himself on the small table nearby to do some paperwork.
But how could he do paperwork when pure perfection was within sight, within his grasp?
Spain couldn't stop looking over at his Lovi, enchanted by his Italian tongue as it wove political diplomacy. He would get snippy with whoever was on the other end, but he never shouted at them. Though Spain could only pick up bits and pieces of what Romano said, the things he did understand reminded him just how clever his former colony was. He watched how his tomate cleverly took control of the meeting and likely had everyone's attention with his clever words.
He could only hope that no one but him was focused on his lover's clever, beautiful lips.
At least Spain knew for sure that he was the only one who could see Romano's lovely legs. His eyes trained on them for a good majority of that meeting before Spain made his way over to the couch. Even as his Lovi spoke, his clever hazel eyes briefly flickered to him.
Spain merely smiled at him and grabbed his Roma's legs to that he could lift them and take their place on the couch. Romano had thrown him a scowl but otherwise continued with the meeting. For a while, Spain merely sat there while his Lovi worked, but then eventually began massaging his feet.
Romano's eyes had widened and his cheeks had turned red, yet didn't do anything other than flip him off. Spain had chuckled and moved his massaging to his Italian's calves. The blush had darkened and his breathing had hitched a bit. Spain was actually impressed how composed Romano managed to remain throughout the video conference—never missing a beat.
Then he upped the ante by pressing kisses into Romano's legs.
He made sure to do so when his tomate paused to listen to someone else. Once he did, Spain first placed a kiss on the other's knee. Romano nearly squealed but firmly pressed his lips together, his face turning that cute, delectable red of his.
Spain continued his ministrations for several minutes, always making his way up yet always making sure he was off-screen. Romano had held up admirably though his flustered face and barely-contained moans were driving Spain crazy. He was nearly tempted to grab his Lovi's laptop and toss it aside so that he could have full access to his stunning corazón.
However, his patience was thoroughly rewarded when Romano declared the meeting over, slammed the laptop shut, and practically tackled his Spaniard.
[…]
"Pull that shit again, and I'll kill you," said Romano as he and Spain were changing.
Even if his Roma actually meant it, Spain's smile refused to leave. "Okay, mi vida~"
"I mean it," Romano insisted. "I need to be focused when I'm on these calls."
"Okay, mi querido~"
"Besides, you need to do your own damn work! You can't come crawling to me when your boss yells at you for not turning in your shit on time!"
"Okay, mi amor~"
"Are you listening to me, or are you in lovey-dovey land?!"
"Both, mi sol y estrellas~"
Romano snorted, but Spain saw the quick little smile he made. "Cheesy bastard. Alright, break time is over. We still got work to do."
Spain groaned. "Do we have to?"
"Yes," Romano said with a straight face as he tugged Spain back into the living room. To the Spaniard's disappointment, he kept his pants on this time.
But Spain was able to sit next to Lovi while they worked. He grabbed ahold of his Roma's hand and wouldn't relinquish it as he read through some documents. He was delighted when Romano let him and would occasionally squeeze his hand as he continued with his string of virtual meetings.
Spain didn't have any meetings, virtual or in-person, for the week, so he made the best of his time with his Roma.
Between holding his Lovi's hand and stealing a kiss (or two) in-between meetings, Spain managed to finish the paperwork he had right when Romano finished his work for the day.
It was late afternoon, and the sun was still stubbornly clinging to sky like a child fighting his bedtime.
"I'll make dinner," Romano offered. "I scheduled an appointment with the local vet for Silvia. They have an opening in like an hour, so I figure you'll take her while I cook."
"Sounds good to me." Spain found their baby sleeping on a nearby windowsill, carefully picked her up, and cradled her in his arms. "Is Silvia sick?" He hadn't noticed anything off about her, but Lovi was better at noticing things.
In fact, the only thing Roma hadn't noticed was how the painting of Spain's tomato garden was hung up in the cottage. Due to its age, the paper was beginning to yellow and the colors were steadily becoming less vibrant.
Panicked, Spain had the painting touched up by a professional and then put it in a frame where it was to remain forever. On the one hand, Spain was bummed that he didn't get to keep the picture in his pocket or under his pillow anymore; on the other hand, he refused to let anything happen to greatest gift Romano has ever given him.
So, he tended to hang it up in different places. More often than not, he hung the picture in Silvia's room. However, he always took it when they spent their time in Rome. Sometimes he'd stick it under his pillow and other times he'd prop it up near Silvia's bed.
Now that they were spending their time in the cottage, Spain hung the picture up in the sitting room, close to one of the bay windows. Silvia would often hop onto the window seat for her naps, as if she wanted to get closer to it.
And all the while, Romano never noticed.
"Nah, but she needs check-ups too." Silvia was gently roused by Romano stroking her head. "Do you mind picking us up a bottle of wine while you're out?"
"No, not at all. Are we out already?"
"…No, but I'd like you to pick up something different—something we don't usually get."
"Oooh~ Okay! What's the occasion?"
Romano gave him a funny look, which was adorable. "You mean you don't…never mind. Uh…" his face was starting to turn red. "Just want to switch things up," he ended up mumbling.
Spain couldn't resist cooing over his tesoro for his sheer adorableness and Lovi-ness and felt validated when Silvia began purring as he cuddled his tomate.
He soon left for town and found the veterinarian's office easily. Silvia's check-up went well; she was healthy as a horse (except she was a cat…what a funny saying~).
Spain's good cheer was dampened, however, when the vet started talking about getting Silvia spayed (which Spain admittedly had no idea what that meant until it was explained to him…then he just grew uncomfortable).
This then led to a fairly long conversation about Spain wondering if Silvia was too young to be considering such things and what if she wanted children, etc. The vet meant well, but she didn't seem to understand that Spain wasn't ready to make a decision without Lovi's rational input and made him feel dumb for even asking such questions.
He left pouting with Silvia none-the-wiser; she merely licked herself and the Spaniard.
Spain was in better spirits when they went to a nearby market. It was so large and lively and full of so many colors and delightful smells that his discomfort faded away. He and Silvia ended up picking up some fresh bread, fruit, and vegetables before they even got to the wine section.
"Hm…" Spain mused over their options. He eventually picked a red wine with pretty stars on its label. "You cannot wrong with estrellas, ¿right, chiquita?" Silvia purred and guarded their purchases by sitting in the basket with them.
"Great, we did your check-up, got some vino, and a bit more stock for our fridge. Lovi says he's making us dinner tonight, but I think I'll make us breakfast tomorrow. He has a virtual meeting with America and his boss basically all day, so he's going to need his strength for yelling. I'll make us Tortilla Española and have plenty of bread, jam, and coffee on the side. Which reminds me, we're going to need more jam…and some extra nata y leche."
Right after everything was paid for, Spain was ready to load all their groceries into the car when he spotted a bright orange and yellow machine.
Once he realized what it was, Spain smiled widely and looked to Silvia. "Mi pequeña señorita, our Roma has been so wonderful that I think we ought to get him something to go along with the wine. What do you think?"
Spain's smile brightened when Silvia meowed in agreement.
[…]
It was nearing twilight by the time Spain got them home. With Silvia perched on his shoulders, Spain managed to carry all their groceries and open the door.
"Lovi~! We're back~!"
"In the kitchen, Toni!"
Heart skipping with glee, Spain hurried towards his love's voice. When he stepped over the threshold, his mouth went agape.
Their kitchen was glowing—from both the candlelight decorating the room and the setting sun's rays gracing through the window. The table was held two steaming plates of food—Spaghetti alla carbonara and Ciceri e Tria—and the delicious smells filled the room. Their best plates held the food while their best silverware was laid out, ready to honor the meal. Right in the middle of the table was a gorgeous bouquet of red carnations and white lilies mixed together, dancing with one another, in a lovely green vase.
Romano stood at the end of the kitchen, sunlight casting a radiant smile on him. Underneath his apron he wore a dark purple collared shirt, dark blue jeans, and nice leather shoes.
He gave Spain a moment to take it all in before commenting, "Please tell me you got wine in one of those bags."
Spain had almost forgotten about them and likely would've dropped them if Romano hadn't said something.
"Lovi…" the Spaniard slowly walked into the kitchen, eyes drinking in the table and his novio. "You did all this?"
Romano grabbed some of the bags from him and began putting the food away, Spain automatically following suit. Silvia jumped off his shoulders and onto the kitchen counter, rubbing and purring against their Italian when he got close enough.
When Romano found the wine, his hazel eyes lit up in triumph. "Great, you didn't forget. This one looks nice." As he set it on the table and began looking for the corkscrew, Spain watched him in wonder before scooping him up and delivering a long passionate kiss.
His Roma eagerly responded, and the two basked in their connection.
When they broke apart, Spain happily remarked, "This is so nice of you. I love it." He then gave the dishes an appreciative glance. "The food looks familiar~"
Lovi scoffed a chuckle. "With a bit of luck, we can actually eat it this time." Then he briefly paused before muttering, "Happy anniversary, Tonio."
Spain's confusion didn't last long as he counted the days.
"Oi vey," he muttered, gradually becoming devastated. "Oh, mi amor, I am so sorry! I forgot!"
"Yeah, I figured that out," Romano wryly replied, not sounding angry or hurt. "Don't worry about it, idiota."
"How could I not?! How could I forget the second most important day of my life?!"
"Second most?"
"Your birthday is the most importante, and thank goodness I haven't forgotten that yet, but I can't believe that I forgot our anniversary and our first one too! I am a terrible boyfriend, and I don't deserve to eat this beautiful meal you've made for us-"
Romano flicked him in the forehead. Spain yelped and blinked owlishly at his amor.
"Calm down, il mio idiota amore." Spain immediately responded to the surprisingly gentle command. "I'm not mad, and you shouldn't lose your head over it because it's okay." Spain opened his mouth to protest- "Besides, I forgot too."
Spain snapped his mouth closed and glanced confusedly at the lovely dinner Lovi had prepared.
Romano—beautiful, enigmatic Romano—flushed prettily and muttered, "I didn't forget at first. I've been trying to find you a gift for weeks now, but we've been so busy with the holidays and stupid work that it just slipped my damn mind.
"I'll…admit that I forgot today…but I remembered while we were…" he blushed darker and hurriedly gestured towards the bedroom. "I thought that's why you were so handsy earlier and acting all lovey-dovey."
Spain chuckled. "Ah, no, that wasn't the reason. I just love you."
Just when Spain had thought he had seen every shade of red possible on Romano, his amorcito always somehow managed to surprise him. He wasn't even trying to be romantic this time!
Giddy and feeling no more guilt, he christened the new shade of red with a kiss to Romano's cheek. "I love you, Lovi. Happy anniversary. Oh, hey, wait! I can redeem myself after all! I got you a present!"
Spain reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver key. "I noticed this weird little machine while Silvia and I were out earlier. It was bright and orange and yellow and interesting, so we took a look. Turns out it made copies of keys!"
He gently took hold of his confused love's hand and placed the key in his palm. "When I noticed the machine, I realized that you didn't have a spare key to my house in Barcelona! I figure it's time you had your own…plus, I know how much you love your keys so I figured it'd be a nice little surprise!" He looked again at the lovely dinner. "Well, not as nice as yours, but at least I got you something after all, even if I forgot what today was!"
Roma stared at the key in wonder before gruffly chuckling and offering a rare, soft smile that stole Spain's heart all over again. "It's perfect. Gracias, amor."
Spain loved how Spanish sounded coming from his Lovi. He made it sound like Spanish was being crafted before his very ears.
"Sei il Benvenuto, mia amata." Spain hoped that him speaking in Italian had the same effect on Lovi, and was pleased to see Romano's flustered expression.
"Y-Yeah, yeah, now sit down before the food gets cold. Like hell we avoid eating this a third time!"
Spain chuckled and obliged after putting some food in Silvia's bowl.
"Everything go well with the vet?" Romano asked as he attached his new key onto his key ring.
Spain was so busy admiring it that he almost missed the question. "Hm? Oh, uh, it went okay…"
"…What's with that face?"
"…" Spain threw a surreptitious glance at Silvia, found that she was occupied with her dinner, before whispering, "The vet wanted to get her…spayed." Romano paused in pouring wine into his glass. "I know! She's too little! She's still a baby! But that vet made me feel like a stupid jerk for not doing it! But our cute chiquita isn't ready! Besides, what if she wants babies one day?! I don't want to take away that choice from her! That's not right!"
Romano stared at him for a moment before sighing and finished pouring the wine. "Okay one, you're right, Silvia is still too young, in my opinion which is always fucking right. Two, either we're never going to that vet again, or you'll take me next time to straighten her out. You may be an idiot, but your heart is in the right place, and she shouldn't have made you feel bad for your completely legitimate concerns."
"Oh good," Spain said with relief. "I was hoping that I wasn't being silly. Good to have your validation, mi tomate."
"Trust me, I'd let you know if you were being ridiculous. Which leads me to my last point: I can't believe we're talking about getting our cat fixed on our anniversary," Romano grumbled, a hint of a bemused smile on his face. "But I know we'll need to do it at some point. Just not yet."
"Not yet," Spain happily agreed.
"Maybe in another year or so, depending on how she feels."
"Oh sí, that sounds like a good plan! Who knows, maybe our Silvia will meet a nice cat—a Molly or a Tom—and will want to start a familia of her own! Oh Lovi~! Let's get another kitty next year! If Silvia starts acting like a mamá to the little chico, then we'll start introducing her to some bachelors and bachelorettes~!"
When Roma smiled at him, it wasn't patronizing or mocking, but fond and lovely. "I also can't believe we're talking about setting our cat up on a date. She's too little to date anyways."
"Way too little," Spain agreed before turning to Silvia. "You hear that, ¿señorita? No bringing over dates until papá y padre give the okay, okay?"
Silvia continued to drink her milk.
Romano hid a laugh behind his hand. "Shut up and eat your food, bastardo."
Spain happily did so. He even got to finish his Ciceri e Tria this time around!
And it was perfect.
Filler chapter has been filled. Implied sex has been implied. Feelings have been felt.
I haven't had the chance to start writing the next chapter, so we'll see when I'll update. I plan to update by the end of June at the absolute latest. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll be sooner though, like in May. But between work, internships, and a podcast, who knows how much time I'll have.
I'm maintaining my optimism though! See you all when I see you! Take care~!
Translations:
Spanish
tomate- tomato
fútbol- soccer
amigos- friends
¡Excelente!- Excellent!
hola- hello
Feliz Navidad, mi amorcito- Merry Christmas, my little love
Sí- Yes
Gracias, mi amor- Thank you, my love
novio- boyfriend
querido- dear
corazón- heart
mi vida- my life
mi sol y estrellas- my sun and stars
tesoro- treasure
chiquita- little one (female)
vino- wine
nata y leche- cream and milk
Mi pequeña señorita- My little lady
importante- important
amorcito- little love
familia- family
mamá- mom
chico- child
papá y padre- dad and father
Italian
fidanzato- boyfriend
fratello- brother
Buon Natale, il mio idiota- Merry Christmas, my idiot
il mio idiota amore- my idiot love
Sei il Benvenuto, mia amata- You're welcome, my beloved
bastardo- bastard