LIKE FINALLY INTERNET HALLELUJAH! So I'm in the country side visiting my mother right now and she has no internet which sucks, so basically I have to go to the local cafe for free wifi [I write the chapters up at home]. Oh but thank you to all my lovely-thoughtful-patient readers that bear with the long periods of no updates what so ever.
pIcKinGBloOdyrOSes: answering your first question, I was born in America [so I'm American] but I was raised in Europe, so I only visit the states once in a while to see family and the like. Also, thank you for that clarification on the weather; I've been to Washington in November and it was pretty chilly, so I just guessed it would be like that in August too :D And: HAPPY BIRTHDAY~!
Anyways, the Netherlands and Liechtenstein make their short cameo in this chapter, so yeah! Enjoy :)
"Are we there yet?" Spain asked, his eyes drooping downwards as lethargy took over the nation's senses once more. Clicking his tongue with irritation, Romano beeped at an obese pedestrian that had stopped in the middle of the road and continued driving forwards.
"For the last time; NO. We aren't there yet, and we won't be there until we've passed the third intersection," he answered, scanning his surroundings in search of street markers. The Italian had convinced his companion to let him drive for that day, arguing that he knew the routes better and that it would make perfect sense for them to alternate roles. Of course, Romano didn't expect Spain to read a map or anything of the sort; no, that was a lost cause. He simply wished to be in the driver's seat instead of the passenger's, that's all.
Whistling a cheery morning tune that annoyed his love to no ends, the Spaniard observed things around him with little interest, although the city of Columbus did have impressive architecture and the like. Romano swerved by another corner before driving past steel gates that marked the entrance to the inn's car park. After gathering their things and checking up with the front desk, a tall man and a petite young lady approached the couple, of whom recognized the strangers right away.
"Netherlands… and Liechtenstein? What are you two doing here?" Romano asked in alarm. Exchanging a brief glance with the small principality next to him, the Dutchman pulled out a letter from his coat and handed it to Spain, not uttering a word. Liechtenstein understood that it would be her doing the talking, so she politely tilted her head in acknowledgment to both men.
"Hello, Misters Spain and South Italy. We've come to give you your next hint, which is in that envelope. Once you figure out an answer, come back to the lobby and we'll take you to the place where you can find your item," the girl stated calmly. Spain smiled in a reassuring way and lightly patted her shoulder, oblivious to the glare that was sent his way from the Netherlands.
"Oh, well then thank you both for coming here~!" Romano observed the two for awhile before he noticed something that made him furrows his eyebrows in confusion.
"Wait, where's your brother?" he asked, and then looked at the tallest country of them all. "And where's Belgium?"
"Originally, big brother was driving us here, but then he became ill so I called Mister Austria to come and take him back to Washington D.C. A-And Miss Belgium stayed behind as well because she's helping with the briefing of different groups," Liechtenstein answered, still speaking on the Dutchman's behalf. He nodded his head in agreement, confirming her words to be true.
"W-Wait, so you and this giant are here together? ALONE?" the Italian asked incredulously, ignoring the dangerous glower that the taller nation was giving him. Spain noticed, and he balled his hands into fists from anger. Don't look at my Lovi like that, bastard. Blushing heavily, the girl shook her head quickly and avoided everyone's gaze.
"W-Well, I mean, there's nothing wrong with it. Once you finish collecting your item, we leave. It's as simple as that." But her words still didn't put Romano's discomfort at ease. With his 'older brother' senses kicking in, he saw that the small principality was far too innocent for words compared to the gruff Dutchman, and them staying together was… It was something that made the Italian man cringe. He could take advantage of her! He might poison the poor girl with his disgusting smoke or some shit! He might influence her to become a druggie like him! That asshole; she's just a kid! Then something in his mind clicked, and he gently took the girls soft hand in his own.
"Don't worry, Signorina Liechtenstein, we'll finish this scavenger hunt shi- I mean stuff quickly so you can go back to your brother and away from him," Romano comforted, adding the last part with a nasty tone directed at the Netherlands. The taller nation, however, didn't seem affected and shooed both men away, bothered by Spain's presence.
Upon entering their room, the Italian sat down in a cream coloured chair and tore the letter open, not bothering to be civilized with his actions. His curious Spanish companion leant onto the seat and looked over his shoulder.
"Lovi, why are you in such a hurry?" he questioned lightly, carefully avoiding an outburst that may have occurred had he not been careful with his words.
"It's because of that Dutch bastard! Who in their right mind would leave a vulnerable child near such a creep?! You heard her; the sooner we leave, the sooner they leave, so that's why I'm hurrying," the Italian nation answered, skimming through America's irrelevant rambling on the letter until he spotted their riddle.
"'I am bushy headed yet I have no hair. I have no eyes but have seen many a year. Moisture cannot penetrate my flaky skin but it's really good at keeping it in. What am I?'" Silence followed after Romano read out loud, both busy wracking their brains thoroughly for some sort of answer [well, Spain tried].
"So… do you have any ideas?" the Spanish man asked as his brain throbbed from the pain of thinking too hard. Ignoring him, Romano continued to search his mind for the answer. It's definitely a plant, judging from what the riddle already said, but do they want a specific answer or just a general one? Spain couldn't help but smile dreamily as he observed the Italian's concentrated expression and he wanted to kiss his love senseless until the two were dizzy, but then wasn't the time and place for such things.
"I guess… I guess we're going to have to go with saying that it's a tree," he mumbled. The Spaniard thought for awhile, going over the possibility of that being the answer, until he nodded his head in agreement and patted the Italian's back.
"I'm sure that's the right choice because you said so! After all, mi tomate is the smarter one of us~!" Spain complimented, making the younger nation blush and pout from embarrassment. Pulling the Spanish man by the arm, Romano brought their faces closer as an invitation for the other to kiss him.
"Stai zitto, bastardo."
Spain just laughed softly and willingly complied with his partner's unspoken wish.
Both men approached the blonde nations, who were motionlessly waiting for their return. Noticing the arrival of the two, Liechtenstein arose from her seat and walked over to them.
"Do you understand the riddle?" she inquired with her high pitched voice. The Netherlands stood tall behind the young lady, his presence not going unnoticed by an irritated Romano. Still, the Italian kept a slightly kinder expression in front of the principality and nodded his head in response.
"Our answer is that's it's a tree," Spain sang cheerily, never doubting the intelligence of his partner for a second. Said partner blushed at his confidence and grunted in agreement. Liechtenstein smiled brightly, meeting eyes with her Dutch companion [of whom felt happy to have such an expression sent his way but just didn't show it].
"That's correct, and I congratulate you for answering with such efficiency. Now if you'll just follow Mister Netherlands and I so that we can lead you to your final goal for this activity," the girl stated briefly. Romano felt a surge of relief overtake his body as he looked forward to their eventual separation [that is to say, the Netherlands and Liechtenstein's].
While driving behind their guides, both Mediterranean nations wondered what the next challenge would be. In Cape Code they received a letter with an official stamp from Norway and Denmark, which allowed them to continue to the next stage of their scavenger hunt course. Despite the great amount of effort that all personifications were putting into the event, everyone knew that their bosses would get the prizes in the end, but that was fine with them; after all, there was always bragging rights to look forward to.
Five minutes later and everyone had arrived at Noblitt Park, a quaint natural area where gatherings and walks were held. Liechtenstein exited the rental car she and the Netherlands were using, walking over to the driver's window of Spain and Romano's Jeep.
"We'll be taking our leave now. The item you're in search of is somewhere around the blue coloured gazebo; all you have to do is a bit of seeking. It was a pleasure seeing you men again."
"Likewise, Signorina Liechtenstein, and thanks for all your help. I hope you have a safe trip," the Italian expressed, meaning every word that he said. She smiled at his thoughtfulness and rushed over to her vehicle, greeting the Netherlands with a light touch on his shoulder.
"We should go now, Lars," the girl whispered while vaguely aware of the piercing stare Romano was giving their car. Noticing the dark expression as well, the Dutchman nodded and proceeded to pulling out of his parking spot.
"'Kay."
Watching them leave the park, a small bit of information he had gathered before occurred to the Spaniard.
"Do you know that she's physically around eighteen years old already?" he asked his companion, of whom made a shocked expression in return.
"What? No way, she has to be thirteen at the most, judging from the kid's size and voice," the Italian argued.
"No, really, Monaco told me so. She said that even though she and Liechtenstein look small, the fact is that they are older than anyone thinks they are. I mean, did you hear the words she was using? They were long and complicated~!" To make his point seem more dramatic, Spain used his arms to indicate the length by motioning them far apart. Stifling a laugh, Romano resisted the urge to knock his partner in the head out of playfulness.
"Just because she uses words you don't understand doesn't mean she's not a kid. And besides, even if that were true she still shouldn't be hanging around pot heads like the Netherlands; that isn't healthy." The Spanish man seated next to the frowning nation giggled and pulled his love into a hug.
"Aww, you're such a kind person, Lovi~!" he cooed. The Italian pushed him off and stepped out of their Jeep, desperately trying to hide the crimson glow that he adorned. As both men neared a baby blue gazebo that was within their sites, Romano took time to observe the ongoing activities around him.
Families that were holding picnics, friends that were partaking in sports, and simple nature walks; all in all, it was a fairly peaceful place. He realized that there would be plenty of time to do things like that during and after their time spent in the United States, which made the corners of his mouth twitch a bit out of anticipation. Spain was right the night before; there was no need to rush things because they were simply happy with being in each other's company for the most part.
After several minutes of shifting through bushes and other plants that surrounded the gazebo, the older nation spotted a striped letter with an official US government seal [much like the one they had received earlier] hidden beneath a root. He dusted the paper and proudly showed it to his love with great enthusiasm, for he was pleased to be the one to present it first. Patting the Spaniard's head roughly, Romano muttered a quiet "good job" and walked back to the Jeep with a heated face. Spain just laughed and ran after the trudging Italian.
"It'll be dinnertime pretty soon," he stated while they were driving out of the park. The younger nation hummed in acknowledgment, not sure of what had been said other than the obvious. This hinted for the Spaniard to continue, in which he did.
"So… I was wondering if you'd like to eat at this nice place I spotted while we were following those guys," Spain optioned nervously, making Romano blush at how uncharacteristic the display was. I-I make him nervous?
"What kind of place?" he asked. Regaining his usual composure, the Spanish nation felt a bit more confident knowing that it wasn't a complete rejection or the like.
"I think it was one of those places that serves seafood only, but I was sure you'd like it, so..," the Spaniard trailed off, unsure of what to say and feeling quite embarrassed by then. Romano had to hide his smile behind his palm as the nation stared outside the window.
"Sure," the Italian said. Spain blinked once, then twice, dazed by the sudden reply and not fully believing what he had heard.
"What?"
"I said 'sure', as in 'sure I'll eat there with you'. Why are you so surprised, bastard?" Romano inquired, although he knew the answer to that. Spain stayed blank faced for a while, and then returned to his usual cheery expression, a little sheepish smile present on his bronze features.
"Well Lovi, as much as I love you and adore you and cherish you, we both know that you can be a bit… difficult at times, whether it's on purpose or just because of your personality [probably both]. And when you just answer so straightforwardly and without hesitation, of course I'm surprised because it seems too easy, I guess," the Spanish nation admitted, relieved when he didn't notice any signs of anger or annoyance on his companion's face. Romano simply shrugged and kept his stoic demeanor ever present.
"I won't complain if it's food," he confessed, not willing to tell the Spaniard what his real reason for being so tame was. But the older man saw right through his façade and proceeded to reaching over and pinching the Italian's cheek.
"Nooo, it's because you love me~!" he sang proudly with a bright voice.
"A-As if! When did I say it like that?!"
"You looove meee~!"
"K-Keep your eyes on the road, idiota!"
"Yoouuu love love love love love meee~!"
"OHMYGODJUSTSHUTUPANDRIVE!"
Seated next in an isolated area of the restaurant, Spain and Romano had already placed their orders and just stared outside the window. Deciding that the romantic ambience was enough, the Spaniard started to playfully list all the reasons why he loved the Italian [with some amount of embarrassment, but his eagerness to appease his love easily overshadowed such hindrances]. Despite his amounts of protests and sarcastic side comments, Romano enjoyed the attention yet felt undeserving at the same time.
"And I love your voice, and cooking, and blush, and body –oops did I say body ignore that hahahah—, and eyes, and personality, and smile, and basically your EVERYTHING~!" he ended with a beaming smile, never once pausing or hesitating with his words.
The Italian nation across from him turned crimson and frowned, not sure of what to reply with; after all, he had just been greatly complimented, and the man wasn't used to that. Looking at him with sparkling eyes, Spain understood that the younger personification felt shy and wanted to take things slowly with him.
"So, if you don't mind me asking, what do you like about me?" he wondered out loud. Romano's eyes widened in alarm and he couldn't find his voice, which was caught in the Italian's throat. What do I like about you?! The better question would be: what is there not to like about you?! You're wonderful, and caring, and special to me, and supportive, and talented, and unique, and adorable, and amazing, and you're my everything!
But of course he couldn't voice his thoughts, for that would be too much for the Southern Italian to bear saying; pouring out his heart wasn't the young man's forte, so to speak.
"I-I-I… Umm… I mean… Y-You… Your… Er…," he stuttered as countless answered buzzed through his head. Noticing the dilemma, Spain nodded in understanding and continued to stay patient with his love. Still ten shades redder than the average tomato, the Italian decided to answer as vaguely as he could, lest he end up 'embarrassing' himself.
"Y-You're you. A-And that's nice… and enough f-for m-me. Actually, you've always been more than that," the younger nation admitted in a low voice, trying hard to ignore the focused stare he was getting from Spain. Said Spanish personification was intrigued by the answer and wished to know as much as possible without sounding too pushy. Being as casual as he could [while trying to contain his curiosity] the Spaniard voiced his thoughts gently and without rushing their dialogue.
"And exactly how long have you felt this way, querido?" he asked breathlessly, driven to the edge of his seat as the mortified expression on Romano's face conveyed sheer horror from the question. It made him wonder what sort of things were going on in the younger man's head.
"Th-That's not really important," the Italian muttered without meeting his companion's eyes.
"I'm sure it is."
"No, I mean… I'd rather not tell," he mumbled. Sighing in defeat, Spain reached over the table and took Romano's hand in his.
"I understand." After that rather awkward ending to their conversation, both nations ate in silence. The older personification of the two started having paranoid notions that could have driven him to the brink of insanity had he pondered on them much longer.
What if Lovi only just started loving me? Granted, I'd still love him all the same, but I just thought that—like me—he's felt this way since a long time ago… Maybe it's simply far too good to be true if that were the case, and besides, I should be happy that he loves me at all! Still, why am I bothered by his refusal to answer? It would make him uncomfortable if he was forced to, and I know this, yet… I don't know what's bothering me, but something is.
While sitting on the balcony of their room at the inn, Romano couldn't help but regret his refusal to answer the Spaniard's question. He was far too nervous and ashamed to admit that he had felt that way about the older nation since their separation. Nonetheless, the Italian decided to swallow his pride and answer his companion with as much courage as he had. Entering their room once more, he found the older man lying face down on their bed while staring off into space.
"Since I left," he mumbled more to himself than to the other nation. Perking his ears a bit, the Spaniard sat up and watched the red faced Italian with curious eyes.
"What?" Spain questioned, noticing that Romano refused to meet his gaze. Taking in a shaky breath, the younger man sat down on the edge of their bed and kept his head down.
"I've liked… loved you since I left," the Italian repeated once more with very little emotion in his voice. "And of course I don't like telling you this, mainly because it's… weird." Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion, Spain scooted closer to him and continued to stare at the flustered personification's face.
"But I don't think it's weird; after all, I-I've been in love with you since the moment you opened yourself up to me," he confessed, feeling shamefaced when it came to voicing his deepest secret. Yes, he had been infatuated with the Italian even before their separation, and although it unnerved the Spaniard, a part of him embraced that fact. Romano widened his eyes and he finally met his love face-to-face, heart beating wildly.
"But that's-"
"An awfully long time, si? Well it wasn't easy centuries earlier, I'll tell you that, but I suppose I can't control who and when I love, now can I?" After a short amount of silence, the younger man boldly let his head rest on the Spaniard's shoulder. Embracing the action, said Spanish man moved closer to the other so that their bodies melted into the touch.
"Yeah, and it wasn't easy for me either. After all, you're quite the old man," Romano mumbled in his partner's clothes, making the older man laugh light heartedly in response.
"And you're quite the 'youngling', aren't you?" he mused thoughtfully, reminiscing on the time when he had first seen his love for the first time in years. "I remember that day when Francis brought you to my house; man, was I surprised! Because now you look so… so..," he tried to express, though was unable to find words that conveyed what he truly thought.
"So different?" the Italian offered.
"Well, yes, there's that, but you also look..," and then he cast his eyes downward where Romano's dimly lit orbs were watching him, anticipating the completion of his sentence. "You look more perfect and amazing than you did all those centuries ago. You look more timeless, and, well, legal to say the least," Spain added, making both of them chuckle a little at his light humour.
"Then I guess I should say 'good for you' or something, huh?" Romano opted playfully.
"No, good for both of us, because now this stupid separation is over and the real fun will begin," the Spaniard stated in a low voice as his eyelids started to fall lower and lower. Noticing this, the Italian pushed the older nation onto his back and rolled the covers over him.
"I guess so," he agreed, and snuggled under the warm blanket with his love's arm wrapped tightly around his torso. Before both men went to sleep, Spain nuzzled his face in Romano's hair and kissed his sweetheart's forehead chastely.
"Don't worry, mi amor, I'll make up for the times I've missed. I'll make up for all those gaps and years that I haven't been around. I'll definitely do it," the older man assured, lethargy taking over his senses. Yawning, Romano just grunted in response and flicked his bed partner's nose lightly, smirking a bit as he did so.
"You already are, tomato bastard."
YES I MADE HIM SAY THE TITLE! I've been trying to fit that phrase somewhere in the story for quite some time :s It's funny how both Spain and Romano talk like two old people thinking back on their young days [then again they're pretty much ancient, huh?].
So yes, I ship the Netherlands and Liechtenstein; U MAD BRO? Seriously, the Dutchman even confirmed that he likes younger girls, so who am I to deny his taste? But despite how much I love writing their cutesy ness, I practically screamed out of frustration because I wanted more Spamano fluff. I WANTED SO MUCH DAMMIT! However, a plot is a plot, and the main storyline should be followed accordingly.
That's okay though, because the drive from their inn to the one in Florida is a little over 14 hours long, meaning that there's plenty of time to spread the love. YESSSS! :)
I'll update as soon as I can ^v^ - give me a few days -