Various Hetalia shorts (M)

[SterlingSilver]

Tea, you draw well and write well! This is such a sweet little drabble~

Widdle Germany being all obstinate >w<~ SO CUTE~

Thanks for sharing! ~

[Hachimitsu Tea]

Um, so I wanted to try playing with a new character who hardly gets any fanwork time even though he's so much fun. I guess Himaruya just needs to give him a little more "screen time" and I'm sure his popularity will pick up at least a little. Here's to hoping he appears in the event!

Title: Without the Usual Bariers

Pairing: Molossia+America, brief mention of MolossiaxSeborga

Word count: 1,963

“Heh…Hehhhhkchun! Kt’choo-kt’choo-et’kchi! …Ehp’choo! Ughhhh…” Molossia groaned, dabbing at his nose gingerly with a tissue. “I suppose worki’g out in the garded duri’g hay fever seasod wasd’t the best idea I… I ev… Uhh… it—shoo!”

Molossia caught the last sneeze in his tissue and blew his nose before dropping the used paper into the garbage can. He slumped tiredly in his chair, reaching for another tissue as his nose began to itch and run again, but found the box to be disappointingly empty.

“Chom!” his pointy-eared dog barked, as if it too had noticed its master’s predicament.

Molossia wasn’t focused on the dog, however; he was still sniffling and rubbing his nose frantically, allergic tears gathering in the corners of his squeezed shut eyes as he tried to ward off the next tingling, burning sneeze. His breath hitched, his eyebrows drawing upward toward the center to their utmost.

“Ehh… it—tishee! Eht’kishoo—eht’kishoo—eht’kishoo! Ishhhoooo!”

Molossia’s nostrils were still twitching and itchy when something smooth and slightly flexible nudged his hand. He forced his swollen eyelids apart even as another bout of sneezing continued to build in his sinuses. His dog had brought him a new box of tissues. Molossia tore it open impatiently and ripped one out, clamping it over his nose just in time.

“Hepchiew! Hh’tish-hh’tish-hh’tishoo! Ehkshi!”

The force of his sneezes blew the mangled tissue aside, and he ended up spraying his hand by mistake. Molossia groaned again and snatched another tissue, taking care not to rip this one, wiped off his hand and blew his nose wetly.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Sniffling, Molossia forced himself up out of his chair to see who it was. Such was his misery that it didn’t even occur to him to quickly style his hair or grab his coat or sunglasses to greet his guest as he would have normally. He pulled the door open slowly, and his nostrils flared as a gust of outdoor breeze blew in, carrying the dreaded pollen on it and to his already sensitive nose.

“Kuchun! Hih’shoo—hih’shoo—hih’shoo! …Ehptchi!”

“Wow, bless you!” a horribly familiar booming voice said. “Your allergies’re killin’ you, huh?”

Molossia blinked dazedly in the midday sun that was pouring in through his door, obscuring his guest’s face for a moment. A burning tickle zinged through his nose at the sudden onslaught of bright light, and Molossia sneezed openly without thinking.

“Ep’tshhhh! Hk’ishhhh!”

His breath was still hitching, his nostrils still twitching and running with the need to keep sneezing, his eyes tearing profusely when he found a finger being pressed under his nose, blocking the sneezes in. Molossia snuffled miserably as his guest (whose face he still couldn’t make out through his extremely watery eyes) pushed him gently back into the house, following him so that he could keep his finger under Molossia’s nose. The dog was “chom”ing excitedly at the visitor, dancing around their knees in a bid for affection, but the two of them were a bit busy at the moment.

The teen who had come to visit him shook a tissue from a packet he’d fished from his pocket and carefully dabbed at Molossia’s streaming eyes before removing his finger from under Molossia’s nose so that he could quickly replace it with the tissue. Molossia had a brief moment to register the boy before him as his host nation America before he was pitching forward into the tissue.

“Kerchoo! Hih’ish—hih’ish—hih’tichoo! Huh’ishoo!”

“Jeez, bless you,” America murmured, rubbing the micronation’s back soothingly.

With the burning need to sneeze out of the way for the moment, humiliation over his appearance and conduct was able to seep in. When was the last time Molossia had faced anyone without his sunglasses and jacket? He couldn’t remember, but it had been a long time. And his hair! It was lying sleek and flat against his head instead of being sculpted into its usual cool style. Worst of all was the way he’d opened the door, sneezing those ludicrously soft and girly sneezes right at America without having covered his mouth. Molossia’s cheeks burned a brilliant red as his still tearing eyes darted around in search of his glasses and jacket.

America must have followed his gaze and guessed what he was thinking because he gave him a sympathetic smile. “It’s fine if you wanna wear that stuff or whatever, but it’ll be kinda hard for me to put these eye drops in for you with those sunglasses in the way.”

Molossia’s eyes snapped back to America’s face for a moment in surprise. “E-eye drops? Did you really bri’g me soh…sohhhh… Hk’ish! Itchoo—itchoo—itchoo! Hehkushun!”

“Bless you!” America said again. “Damn, you really got it bad!”

The younger boy hid his face in his hand in embarrassment at the cute little sneezes he had just released, and the fact that America kept blessing him, and… actually nearly everything about this situation was making him uncomfortable. Determined to at least display at least some of his usual tough guy image, he cleared his throat gruffly and said, “Who the hell idvited you id here, ya shit stain? If you aid’t got your passport with you, my super hair’s godda beat the shit outta you.”

America just smiled and rolled his eyes at Molossia’s harsh words. “Yeah, yeah, I get it; you’re a tough guy. Look, would you just sit down already so I can put these eye drops in for you?”

“I’b dot a fuckid’ kid,” Molossia mumbled petulantly as he allowed America to steer him back to his chair. “I cad do it byself.”

“Chin up, bro,” America ordered, ignoring Molossia’s words as he unscrewed the cap on the eye drops.

Molossia did as he was told. America was just poising the bottle over Molossia’s eye when the need to sneeze immediately seized him so suddenly that he didn’t have time push America’s hand out of the way or anything.

“Nd’tchoo!” He filled the air helplessly with allergic spray, causing America to jerk away hurriedly. “Hep’chiew—hep’chiew—Heh’itchoo! Ehptchi!”

“Dude! Warn me the next time you’re gonna do that!” America pleaded, wiping his arm on his jeans. “Bless you, by the way.”

“S-sorry…” Molossia mumbled, his cheeks brilliantly red as he blew his nose. Then he realized that he’d given a straightforward reply instead of a cool one and hurriedly corrected himself. “Dot! If you dod’t wadda be hit you’ll listed to be whed I tell ya I cad do it by fucki’g self!”

“Last time I let you do it yourself, you ended up accidentally poking yourself in the eye and making yourself even more miserable!” America reminded him exasperatedly. “Seriously, if you can’t learn to be more honest with people, you’re gonna have a hard time making friends. Now chin up.”

“Like I wadda fuckid’ hear that frob you,” Molossia grumbled, blinking rapidly as the droplet of medicine entered his eye.

America’s cheeks pinked slightly. “Alright, I know it’s something I gotta work on too. I’m only telling you ‘cause I don’t wanna see you make the same mistakes I do. In spite of how you act, you're a nice kid and I think you could have a lot of friends if you'd just let people get to know the real you.”

Molossia sniffled, reddening as he contemplated America’s words. Oh crap, he needed to sneeze again. He buried his face in his hands to avoid sneezing on America like he had before.

“Ip’tchoo! Ek’shoo—ek’shoo—ek’shoo! Hit’chii!”

He still wasn’t done; his breath was hitching uncontrollably, his nostrils twitching against the allergic burn. America was scrambling for another tissue.

“Hhhep’choo! Aaashoo-aashoo—aashuu! Iptchiew! Hehh… hehh’ish! Ek’chii-ek’chii-ekchii-kerchii!”

America pinched Molossia’s nose shut with a tissue, massaging the burning tickle away with gentle rubbing motions. Molossia wheezed and coughed, trying to catch his breath.

“Holy crap, bless you!” America said, patting him on the back with his free hand. “Have you been like this all day?”

Molossia shrugged weakly, not wanting to admit he’d been so foolish as to go out and work in the garden when he knew he had hay fever.

“Well today’s your lucky day, because the hero has come to rescue you!” America reached into the pocket of his bomber jacket and fished out a bottle of allergy medicine. The relief Molossia felt at the sight of those pills must’ve shown on his face, because America grinned.

“I thought you might be suffering, so I brought you these. Feel free to tell me how awesome I am!”

Molossia opened his mouth to do just that, but caught himself in the nick of time. “Guess you’re dot a total fuckwad,” he mumbled, his face reddening.

America laughed. “Well, I’ll accept that for now, but I expect you to be workin’ on that honesty thing!”

He let go of Molossia’s nose so that he could go get him some water to take the medicine with. Molossia wrinkled his nose, the tissue still balancing on it, trying to hold back the on-coming sneezes.

“Et’chuu!” The tissue blew up into the air and fluttered down onto the floor. He hurried to replace it. “Huh’aashuu—huh’aashuu—huh’aashuuuu! Ikshii!”

“Bless you!” America called from the kitchen over the sound of tap water filling a glass.

“Chom!” barked the dog, who had followed America into the kitchen curiously.

“Puppy says bless you, too!”

“You dod’t… huh’ipchoo! Deed to say it… hih’kshii! Every fuggid’ tibe!” Molossia shouted back in embarrassment.

America was laughing as he returned with the water, and it made Molossia wish he had something to throw at him. Since he had nothing around him to use as a makeshift missile, Molossia opted to sneeze at him instead.

“Ehhh’kchoooooo! Heh’ISH!!”

Despite his best efforts, the sneeze spray failed to reach America, who, much to Molossia’s frustration, simply said “bless you,” again with a shit-eating grin on his face. Molossia flipped him the bird as he snatched the water and medicine from him and gulped them down.

“Well, I think I’ll just tell you one last thing and then I’ll be on my way,” America said, straightening out his bomber jacket.

“What’s that?” Molossia asked peevishly as he blew his nose.

“Just that Sealand and the others are on their way over here to see you right now,” America said easily. “They’ll be arriving any minute, I bet.”

Molossia froze mid-nose-blow, his red, puffy eyes widening in horror. “Wh…whed you say ‘the others’…”

“I mean Wy, Ladonia, Hutt River, and…” America’s smile became mischievous as he looked Molossia straight in the eye. “Oh yeah, I think Seborga’s coming too.”

Molossia’s face reddened steadily until he was almost the color of a ripe strawberry. “S-Seb… WHY THE FUCK DID’T YOU TELL BE THAT RIGHT AWAY?!”

“Slipped my mind,” America said, clearly enjoying this. “Sorry, was that important?”

“’Was… was it fucki’g ipportadt?’” Molossia parroted disbelievingly. “I cad’t have Sebo… uh, those guys seei’g be looki’g like shit!”

“Guess you better hurry and get cleaned up then,” America suggested, crouching down to give the dog a good scratching behind the ears.

Molossia jumped up from his chair and raised around frantically, trying to make the place look presentable by throwing away wadded up tissues, emptying the garbage, and wiping down all the surfaces he had accidentally sprayed with his sneezing, which he continued to do every so often.

“Heh’itchoo! Ip’tchi—Ipt’chi—ip’tchiiew! Heh’ish!” he sneezed into the mirror as he tried to do something about his hair and snarled under his breath at his own carelessness.

“Bless you!” America called peeking back around the front door that he had just let himself out of. “And good luck impressing Sebor—”

That was all the further America got before Molossia threw the empty box of tissues at his head, forcing him to quickly close the door to avoid being hit.

[SterlingSilver]

Yeah, so, I just looked up Molossia to see what he looks like -- https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-19Qa-EOiluI/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAAAA/ILK41TGy2sI/photo.jpg

And he's kind of really freaking sexy *Q*~~ How have I not heard of him before?!

Also,

Despite his best efforts, the sneeze spray failed to reach America, who, much to Molossia’s frustration, simply said “bless you,” again with a shit-eating grin on his face. Molossia flipped him the bird as he snatched the water and medicine from him and gulped them down.

This made me laugh so much xDDD

Ahhh, Tea~ You and your amazingness <3

[CT <3]

Ah, wow, it's great to see a new character explored. And, seriously, I am not usually Prussia's biggest fan, but I absolutely loved the German Bros fic. I'm a huge sucker for offered handkerchiefs .

[Hachimitsu Tea]

And he's kind of really freaking sexy *Q*~~ How have I not heard of him before?!

Perhaps because he's not in the main storyline yet (although his profile is in volume 6 )? So far he's only made one appearance. Check it out and fully appreciate how awesome he is http://www.hetarchive.net/scanlations/nonlinear.php?tamate

[Flufferdust]

Molossia is so great!! I love how you kept his attitude, and I love how you could tell just how much America really cares for him! I'm a little worried to try working with the Micronations, but you did such a fantastic job! I love these so much, they make my day <3

[Maus_17]

whoah! I didn't know this existed! I love it so much! This guy is great! awesome job at doing so nicely with the micros!

[peppercat]

Well... That was beyond unbelievably fantastic...

[Pyrus_Fangmon]

Oh, muy bueno! Molossia was so cute. I love it when tough guys act so high and mighty.

[Hachimitsu Tea]

Title: Cloud Watching

Pairing: DenmarkxNorway

Word count: 1,504

“Look at that one, Norge,” Denmark said excitedly, pointing up at a fat white cloud drifting lazily across the brilliantly blue sky. “It looks like a Viking ship!”

Norway squinted dubiously up at the shape his friend was indicating. He supposed he could kind of see it now that Denmark said that, but it certainly wouldn’t have been the first association he would have made. “Looks like a whale to me,” he said sullenly.

The grass rustled around him as Denmark, who was lying on his back in it, cocked his head, trying to discern a whale from the lumpy shape above him. “Oh… Yeah, I see.”

The older teen was silent for a beat, then laughed quietly, causing Norway’s head, which was resting on Denmark’s stomach to bounce slightly. Norway frowned up at him, a silent demand for an explanation for this disturbance.

“Ain’t it funny how two people can look at the same shape and see two totally different things?” Denmark asked with a sunny smile.

“’M glad,” Norway grumbled. “Last thing I want’s to be on the same wavelength as you.”

This made Denmark laugh again for some unfathomable reason, and the ensuing jostling made Norway wish he’d kept his mouth shut.

“Hold still,” the younger teen demanded tetchily. “You’re gonna give me a sore neck, annoying brother.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Denmark said with a grin.

Norway let out a grumpy huff, but was only a fraction as irritated as he made himself out to be. You’re glad you get to spend time with him, aren’t you? A sly voice in his head suggested before he could silence it. Norway’s cheeks pinked and he clenched his hands into fists, frustrated with himself that he couldn’t truthfully deny this.

“A rabbit,” Norway said shortly, jabbing his finger at the sky and willing the blush to fade from his cheeks.

To his annoyance, this only caused Denmark to laugh and jostle him again.

“What is it now?” Norway growled.

“That’s like the third cloud rabbit you’ve pointed out today,” Denmark observed cheerfully, rubbing a finger under his nose. “You must really like ‘em, huh?”

Norway gritted his teeth. It was true that he loved rabbits, but he wasn’t about to admit it, and besides, he hated it when Denmark made a correct observation about him.

“It’s got nothing to do with what I like,” Norway said contrarily. “I see ‘em because they’re there.”

This time Denmark neither laughed nor replied, but gave a loud sniffle. Norway, thinking it was a snort of laughter, glared up at him only to find his friend’s eyes screwed up tight, rubbing furiously at his nose. The younger man’s head rose slightly as Denmark gave another loud sniffle, his finger drifting away from his nose slowly as his mouth went slack and his brows drew together. Clearly Denmark was on the brink of a sneeze.

Norway only had enough presence of mind to be slightly bothered by the fact that he couldn’t look away, even though it was by no means the first time he’d seen Denmark sneeze. The Dane became a helpless, sneezing mess around ragweed season every year, and yet Norway found his eyes drawn to Denmark’s face like magnets every time he noticed him sniffling and rubbing his nose.

Denmark’s breath hitched uncontrollably, causing Norway’s head to bounce again. Norway, transfixed by the desperate expression on his friend’s face, could hardly muster the will to care this time. Denmark gave a third harsh sniffle and massaged his nose with his thumb and forefinger, giving a frustrated whine when this apparently failed to alleviate the tickle.

“Just do it already,” Norway ordered, his face feeling unnaturally hot.

“I cuh…” Denmark trailed off, his breath hitching and his mouth falling open once more, jaw hanging open in anticipation for a second or two before he snuffled and rubbed at his nose again. “I cuh-can’t…”

“Look into the sun,” Norway suggested.

Denmark forced his eyes open and looked into the sun. His nostrils twitched, and his mouth stretched, and Norway thought he’d manage to sneeze the tickle out at last, but after a moment Denmark gave another whine, signaling that it wasn’t working as he wiped his teary eyes on his sleeve. Realizing that he might have to take matters into his own hands if he wanted Denmark’s itchy nose to produce the result he was hoping for, Norway gave a false sigh of exasperation and plucked a blade of grass.

“Stupid brother,” he grumbled. “Can’t even do this for yourself.”

Licking his lips with what he refused to acknowledge as anticipation, Norway slipped one end of the blade of grass into Denmark’s twitching nostril and swirled it around.

The result was nearly immediate, but not entirely satisfying.

“Heh’kish…” came the uncharacteristically soft, almost distracted sounding sneeze. Norway felt the spray hit his hand, but didn’t pull the grass away. He would coax out one of Denmark’s usual, explosive sneezes; he was determined. “Heh’ish—heh’ish—ha’tish…!”

Denmark’s nose had begun to run down his lip, but he made no attempt to wipe it; Norway could tell his itch hadn’t been satisfied. The Dane twitched his nose, and suddenly Norway could feel his breath hitching much more deeply from his head’s placement on Denmark’s stomach. His eyes rolled back, his itchy, twitchy nostrils flaring wide, his eyebrows drawing slowly together, his mouth stretching exaggeratedly, and for a moment, it wasn’t hard for Norway to imagine Denmark making a similar expression from having a different place on his body teased. A brilliant flush stole over Norway’s cheeks at the thought, and before he remembered to brace himself, Denmark was releasing violently.

“Huhhhhh-ASHOO!!!” he sneezed unrestrainedly into open air. “…Heh’PSHOOOOOEY!!!”

The first sneeze had jostled Norway so vigorously and startled him so much that he’d pulled the blade of grass away reflexively. This left Denmark free to give a satisfied sounding sniffle and wipe his runny nose on the sleeve of his tunic. He said nothing for a moment, a look of dazed pleasure playing unabashedly across his face.

“Phew,” Denmark sighed, his cheeks pink as he flashed Norway a brilliant smile of gratitude. “Thanks a lot, Norge! That was the best sneeze I’ve had in a long time!”

“…Hmm…” Norway grunted noncommittally, sitting up with his back to Denmark so that he wouldn’t notice how red his face was.

The Norwegian heard Denmark sit up behind him, but didn’t look back over his shoulder until Denmark said his name a few seconds later. When Norway turned, he immediately regretted it as he felt a blade of grass slip into his own nostril this time. He had just enough time to see the look of anticipation on Denmark’s face as he tickled Norway’s nose before his eyes were squeezing shut against his will.

“Ihh’tchoo! …’kshoo! ‘Kishoo! …Hih’kishoo!”

Norway quickly covered his runny nose in embarrassment, blushing furiously as he turned his back on Denmark again to wipe it on the corner of his tunic before his friend could witness the mess. He filled his lungs with air to snap at Denmark for daring to do such a thing to him, but he froze when strong arms wrapped around his torso from behind, a head of messy golden hair nuzzled into the crook of his neck, and a soft laugh sounded in his ear.

“…The hell?” Norway croaked angrily, sounding every bit as embarrassed as he felt.

“Just thought I should return the favor,” Denmark said with a goofy grin. “Bless your cute little nose.”

Norway went, if possible, even redder than he had been, and it suddenly occurred to him that Denmark’s face was so close that he could have counted every freckle the sun had brought out across his fair nose and cheeks. There was something undeniably enchanting about Denmark’s kindly ocean-blue eyes from this distance, and the sensation of Denmark’s breath on his flushed skin was doing funny things to Norway’s chest. The tips of their noses were brushing, and Norway’s eyes fluttered closed in spite of himself.

When Denmark kissed him (for Norway refused to consider the possibility that he may have initiated the kiss himself), it was warm and tender, genuine and passionate, and Norway couldn’t even bring himself to care how badly he craved more even before Denmark had pulled away. The Dane hummed happily into Norway’s mouth as Norway teased his lip gently with his teeth. When had Norway grown to want this so badly? He pushed Denmark carefully onto his back, straddling his hips as he deepened the kiss. Such was his preoccupation that Norway didn’t even notice the soft hitching of Denmark’s breath, or the flaring of his nostrils against his skin until it was too late.

“Hh’ESHHT!!!” Denmark sneezed explosively against Norway’s lips.

And suddenly the magic was gone, leaving Norway wiping his mouth furiously on his sleeve as he stomped off in a huff, and Denmark curled up in pain on the ground after having suffered a swift punch to the stomach.

[cakeface33]

Words can't describe how giddy this made me! I forgot the Nordics could create so much magic! Great job!

[Flufferdust]

Welcome back!!! That was so precious! I absolutely adore the way you write them, and your description is flawless!

[Pyrus_Fangmon]

I love these two! <3

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

Awe so perfect this Drabble ;o really love it. Awe poor Denmark.. But yeh he did deserve that punch ..

[SterlingSilver]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~~~

TEA~~! THIS IS SO CUTE <3

Oh my gosh, Denmark's build up~~ and Norway is sooo tsun-tsun <3. You capture them perfectly.

Goodness, the fetishyness~ *fans self* <3

So glad to see another drabble from you! <3

[Maus_17]

OH GOSH. This was so amazing~! I love it so much! X) Gah, I'm going to explode.

[Hachimitsu Tea]

Wow, I'm soooo jetlagged Anyway, this little story takes place in the early days of Lithuania's Outsourcing. I wasn't sure even as I wrote it whether I intended them to be just starting to crush on each other or simply good friends, so read it however you want

Title: Threes

Pairing: America (+/x) Lithuania

Word count: 2,180

America realized that something was strange the moment he opened his eyes that morning, put on his glasses, and saw that the clock on his bedside table read 10:34 AM. That couldn’t be right… Blearily he picked the clock up, shook it and held it to his ear. No, it was still ticking, so he hadn’t forgotten to wind it the previous night. His sleep fogged mind was still confused, though; Lithuania should have been in to wake him promptly at 8:00 for breakfast the way he did every morning. It was no big deal today as it was Saturday and he didn’t have to be at work, but even so it was highly unusual.

Still wondering if there could be something wrong with his clock, America rolled out of bed in his tank top and boxer shorts and padded barefoot over to the dresser where he’d set his pocket watch the previous night. He checked its display as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. 10:35, it read. America looked between his alarm clock and his watch in drowsy confusion and then decided he’d be better suited to puzzle over this mystery once he’d woken himself up with a shower.

***

“Ehp-chiu! Heh-ptchi! Heht-kshii!”

Lithuania followed the sneezes that had woken him with a hoarse groan of misery. He felt as though his sinuses were stuffed with cotton and someone had taken sandpaper to the inside of his throat. The groan caused him to cough harshly, and he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to keep sleeping or to go get himself some water more desperately (or better yet, some krupnikas. He’d give his kidney for some of that warm, throat-soothing spiced honey liqueur from home).

He supposed he ought to see what time it was before he made his choice; it wouldn’t do to oversleep and make Mr. America late for work. Gingerly he cracked open one eye, forcing his blurry, swimming vision to focus on the clock at his bedside, expecting to find that he still had at least fifteen minutes or so before he absolutely had to get up.

10:45… Oh shit!

Lithuania experienced the sensation that one gets when going up the stairs in the dark and finds upon attempting to set foot on the final step that there is one less stair than expected. What if Mr. America didn’t wake up on time on his own? What if he had to leave without breakfast? What if his boss yells at him for being late? What if he fires me and tosses me out? These worries raced through Lithuania’s mind as he stumbled hurriedly out of bed, a familiar stress-induced ache brewing in the pit of his stomach to add to his list of physical woes.

Sniffling and coughing distractedly, Lithuania began to tear through his dresser for something to wear.

“Heh-pshi! Eht-kshi! Fueh-kchi!” he sneezed openly into his sock drawer, wiping his teary eyes impatiently on his shoulder as his fingers closed around a suitable pair of stockings and a handkerchief. Attempting to jerk the stockings on one-handed, he rubbed roughly at his still tickly nose with the handkerchief, the unnecessary force he used in his hurry provoking another series of three sneezes. Lithuania blew his nose with a harsh honk before stuffing the handkerchief hastily into his pocket and snatching a tie from the closet.

Still painfully aware of his dry, sore, swollen throat and his stuffy, drippy nose, Lithuania raced unsteadily toward the kitchen. He needed to make Mr. America’s breakfast right away. No, first he should check whether Mr. America was still home, or even awake yet. Oh, he was going to be in such trouble!

Lithuania attempted to change directions abruptly so that he could head for Mr. America’s room instead of the kitchen, and skidded on his drooping stockings that he hadn’t quite managed to pull all the way on. His panicked, pounding head didn’t even have time to register the loss of balance and brace himself for his bottom’s subsequent impact with the floor before his back collided instead with a warm, sturdy chest.

“Oops, careful there,” a booming, good-natured voice said from behind him. Confident hands steadied him by the shoulders, and Lithuania found himself looking backwards up into his employer’s smiling face. “You alright?”

“Y-yes sir, sorry. Thadk you for catchi’g be,” Lithuania stammered through his congestion, his already hot cheeks flushing even further. “Ub… I-I apologize deeply, I seeb to have overslept. I’ll have your breakfast ready right away!”

“Hey, no sweat,” America said reassuringly, giving Lithuania’s shoulder a kindly pat. “I slept in today too. I mean, what’re Saturdays for, right?”

“Wha…Sa-Satur…”Lithuania trailed off, giving his nose a twitch as he found his eyelids fluttering closed. The tickle gave him only a fraction of a second’s notice, barely enough time to cover his mouth with his cupped hands. “Heh-itchi! Heh-itchuu! Het-tichuu!”

“Bless you!” America said, his eyes widening slightly at the harshness of Lithuania’s ensuing cough.

Lithuania tried to sniffle minutely so as not to disgust his employer, keeping one hand over his running nose as he searched his pocket for his handkerchief. “E-ex…cuse… Nd-kshi! Hhk-kshh! Het-tchh!”

He’d attempted to stifle his next set of sneezes by pinching his nose, but they’d been too strong. Lithuania’s nose was running worse than ever now, and his handkerchief was nowhere to be found. Had he dropped it somewhere? Even with his head spinning as badly as it was, he still had the presence of mind to be embarrassed by his uncontrollable sneezing.

“Bless you again!” America exclaimed, looking distinctly concerned now.

Lithuania had to clear his throat before he could speak and winced as he felt his nose dripping into his palm. “Aheb…Excuse be… Ahh, where did by ha’dkerchief go…?”

“Here, you can borrow mine; I haven’t used it,” America said, taking the cloth from his pocket and handing it to Lithuania. “Hey, um… are you feeling ok? You don’t look so good. You got a cold?”

Lithuania glanced timidly up at America, blowing his nose as softly as possible in the borrowed handkerchief. Admittedly, he was feeling rather under the weather, but he was hesitant to let America know. So far, America had shown himself to be reasonable, hospitable, and completely friendly, so there was no logical reason to expect an adverse reaction from him if Lithuania were to confess his illness.

Even as he told himself this, though, he couldn’t help remembering the last time he’d caught a cold and Russia had found out. Unpleasant flashbacks flooded his mind: Russia smiling frigidly when Lithuania had told him he wasn’t feeling well, saying that it was Lithuania’s own carelessness that had caused him to catch cold and that Russia hoped he didn’t expect to be rewarded for it with a day off, waking up gasping because Russia held Lithuania’s mouth shut during his nap when he was unable to breathe through his congested nose, Russia hiding all his handkerchiefs, Russia trying to launch a sunflower seed into Lithuania’s throat every time he opened his mouth to cough or sneeze, Russia purposefully using all the hot water when Lithuania wanted to take a bath to warm his chill-ridden body…

Lithuania didn’t realize that he’d begun to tremble until America’s steady hand settled comfortingly on his back. He looked up at the taller man in surprise when the American gently pulled him close, letting Lithuania rest his aching head on his chest. The hand that wasn’t on Lithuania’s back came up to feel his forehead.

“You’ve got a heck of a fever,” America noted softly, his sky-blue eyes brimming with concern.

Lithuania bowed his head in shame. “…I’b sorry, sir,” he whispered.

“Why?” America asked, looking genuinely puzzled. “You didn’t do anything wrong. And you don’t have to call me ‘sir,’ either. We’re friends, right? Just America’s fine.”

“Frie’ds…?” Lithuania repeated slowly. “Really…?”

“Aren’t we?” America asked, and the vulnerability in his eyes nearly broke Lithuania’s heart. Lithuania smiled reassuringly through his misery.

“Yes, of course we are,” he croaked. “Thadk you, sir…A-Aberica.”

“No prob,” America said with a sunny grin, looking relieved. He patted Lithuania’s back lightly. “Now, let’s get you back in bed. Don’t want your cold getting worse!”

“Are you sure you dod’t bi’d?” Lithuania asked. “I’b do’t that sick. I cad probably s-stuh… stihhh-ktchoo! Iht-choo! Hweh-ktchoo! …huhhn-kitcht! Het-chpht! Ehh-ptcht!”

Stifling his final triple sneeze into his handkerchief made Lithuania so dizzy that he swayed dangerously, and probably would have fallen if America hadn’t supported him.

“Whoa, steady,” America murmured, holding Lithuania to his chest and rubbing his back. “Bless you. See? You really should be in bed.”

Before Lithuania could even begin to assure his employer (friend) that he was fine, America lifted him bridal-style into his arms. “Up you go.”

The shorter man’s already fever-flushed cheeks reddened a shade more but he allowed America to carry him back to his room without a fuss. America pulled the blankets back one-handed, lowered Lithuania carefully into bed and tugged the covers up to his chin. As soon as his hands were free again, America crossed the room in a few long strides, poured Lithuania a glass of water from the pitcher on top of the dresser and brought it to him along with a few fresh handkerchiefs from the drawer.

“Thadk you, si—Aberica,” Lithuania corrected himself, taking a long, grateful drink.

“Need anything else before I let you sleep?” America asked.

Lithuania was just starting to ponder this offer when his nose began to itch again. He rubbed at it as his breath hitched desperately, his eyes fluttering closed again. Lithuania attempted to hold his breath, tired of sneezing, but could tell from the strength of the tickle that it wasn’t likely to do much good. Before he was aware of what was happening, a soft cloth came up and covered his nose and mouth.

“Don’t hold ‘em in,” America suggested. “It’ll just make your head hurt and your congestion worse.”

Lithuania’s breath hitched again as he twitched his burning nose helplessly. America’s fingers massaged his nose lightly through the handkerchief at the junction where the cartilage and bone met, coaxing the sneezes into fruition.

“Iht-chi! Hih-tchi! Hiht-chieu!” Lithuania paused, coughing, and drew another gasping breath. “Hep-chi! Ehk-shii! Hap-shii!”

“Bless you; let ‘em all out,” America said soothingly, patting his back. “Now blow."

Lithuania blushed but did as he was told. He was grateful for the care with which America wiped his nose as the skin beneath it was starting to feel a little chapped. Once his nose was feeling clearer, Lithuania flopped back onto his pillows, exhausted.

“Excuse be,” he croaked. “Thadk you.”

“You always sneeze in threes like that?” America asked with a sympathetic smile.

“Odly whed I have a cold,” Lithuania yawned.

America stroked Lithuania’s bangs back from his sweaty, feverish forehead and dabbed at the perspiration with the handkerchief before setting it on the bedside table. “Tired, huh? Anything else you need before I let you get some sleep?”

Lithuania hesitated uncertainly. Truth be told, there was something he’d like to request, but he was a little embarrassed. Would it be awkward, one grown man asking something like this of another, especially when that man was his employer? Then again, America had asked him to sleep with him that time when he’d been afraid; surely this wasn’t that different. Besides, America had said that he considered Lithuania a friend, a sentiment which Lithuania returned. It would be ok to ask such a favor of a friend, wouldn’t it?

“Well…” Still Lithuania hesitated, pulling his comforter shyly up to the bridge of his nose. “Th-there is ode thi’g, if it’s do’t too buch trouble…”

“Sure, ask away,” America urged.

“C-could…” Lithuania trailed off, biting his lip in embarrassment. He had to go through with it; he wouldn’t sleep soundly if he didn’t. “I… I’b prode to dightbares whed I have a fever, so… would you… maybe stay with be udtil I fall asleep?”

He’d expected America to at least be surprised by his request, but the other man didn’t so much as bat an eye.

“Sure, of course. Mind if I grab something to read first?"

America said this as if he not only understood perfectly, but empathized. And perhaps, it occurred to Lithuania, that wasn’t such a stretch given America’s fear of ghosts and scary stories.

“Dot at all,” Lithuania said gratefully.

America left for a moment and returned with what appeared to be a novel in his hand, sitting down in a chair in the corner of the room and cracking it open to the bookmarked page.

“Thagks, Aberica,” Lithuania murmured sleepily as his eyes drifted closed. “I really appreciate this.”

“Any time, dude,” America said easily. “What’re friends for?”

The next time America looked up from his book a bit later, it was to see Lithuania fast asleep with a tiny hint of a smile on his lips. America mirrored it before returning to his book, glad to accompany his friend as long as he needed him there.

***

A/N: In case anyone's interested, here's a recipe for krupnikas, the spiced honey liqueur Lithuania was craving. Apparently it's a traditional cold remedy over there: http://allrecipes.co...nian-krupnikas/

[Pyrus_Fangmon]

OMG this was so cute and fluffy! America and Lithuania are always cute together.

[cakeface33]

This was quite adorable! America's such a good friend.

[CT <3]

Oh wow, talk about a comeback! Two fics in the space of two days? They could resurrect the Beatles and it wouldn't be this impressive. I especially liked this latest story. I have such a soft spot for Lithuania and seeing him all afflicted and agitated was a real treat . So much gorgeous handkerchief and nose-blowing action too... I feel like I've stumbled across a hidden pit of gold.

(By the way, is it normal that the flashback with Russia made me crack up? Perhaps I'm just a sadist...)

[SterlingSilver]

*rolls around in happiness* Gwah~ That's so sweet~

Lithuania being so timid and then America being so gentle with him! GAH~

Unpleasant flashbacks flooded his mind: Russia smiling frigidly when Lithuania had told him he wasn’t feeling well, saying that it was Lithuania’s own carelessness that had caused him to catch cold and that Russia hoped he didn’t expect to be rewarded for it with a day off, waking up gasping because Russia held Lithuania’s mouth shut during his nap when he was unable to breathe through his congested nose, Russia hiding all his handkerchiefs, Russia trying to launch a sunflower seed into Lithuania’s throat every time he opened his mouth to cough or sneeze, Russia purposefully using all the hot water when Lithuania wanted to take a bath to warm his chill-ridden body…

Even though this is pretty evil, I still found it highly amusing x'DDD. Poor Lithuania! Though this sounds exactly like Russia, too~

Good show, Tea! *classy clap*

[SpookyScarySkeleton]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwe cute !

I love this <3

[Flufferdust]

So cute!!! I love the way you write America *3* He's such a sweetheart, and you're Lithuania was amazing! And your descriptions are amazing, golly...

[Maus_17]

This was so fluffy and amazing! I loved it so much! it made me feel all fuzzy! America was so nice and oh my gosh there always needs to be more Lithuania.

[Hachimitsu Tea]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome after my long absence! I’m glad to be back to writing fetishy things again I was looking back over some old comments, and I realized that the lovely BlackScatter had requested some Spamano ages ago and I totally ignored it! Very sorry about that! It wasn’t intentional; I’m just a little scatter(lol)brained sometimes ^^; Maybe it can double as a birthday present (happy b-day, btw!)? And so, without further ado…

Title: Stress Management

Pairing: SpainxRomano

Word count: 3,037

Romano doubted that anyone would guess by looking at him, but he was actually a rather high-strung person. It wasn’t that he wanted to be that way; there were just a lot of things that upset, angered, and stressed him out. Not that it was his fault or anything! He was clearly the victim here, what with there being so many rage-inducing people surrounding him. How much easier would his life be if people just minded their own damn business?

In any case, with so many stressors in his life, Romano, like anyone else, had needed to develop methods of releasing that stress. Italy had his cooking and his potato bastard, Spain gardened or stomped grapes to make wine, Netherlands had been known to smoke a pipe or tend his tulips, and Belgium loved her chocolate and bubble baths. But Romano’s chosen technique for stress management wasn’t like those of his acquaintances; his was thoroughly embarrassing and therefore had to be kept absolutely secret.

Romano peeked out from around the little shed where Spain kept his gardening equipment to make absolutely certain that no one was nearby before lifting the dandelion he’d plucked to his nose and taking a deep sniff.

“Uhhh…h-hahhh… HUH’ISHHHH!!”

Wow, that was good. Blinking his slightly watery hazel eyes, Romano stretched his bottom lip downwards, twitching his nose side to side to provoke the tickly itch the pollen had produced.

“Huhhhhhh’ASCHHHHH!!”

Nothing relieved his tension like a good, loud sneeze, especially since it was too embarrassing to let them out in front of others and he usually had to hold them in completely. His cheeks reddened as he recalled the last time he’d made the mistake of thinking he was the only one left in the world meeting room and had allowed himself to release the two sneezes that had happened to creep up on him.

“Hekshii! ……Heh’eshoo!”

“Ha ha, bless you!” a terrifyingly familiar cheerful voice called from the doorway. “What an adorable sneeze!”

Romano felt all the color drain from his face as he whirled around to face the man whose identity he had already guessed. “S-Spain! What the hell are you doing spying on me, you asshole?!”

“Hey now, I wasn’t spyin’,” Spain said with one of his unfairly handsome carefree smiles. “Just wondered where you disappeared to. I was gonna ask if you wanted to come to my place for lunch today and then I heard my little tomato’s adorable sneeze. You need a tissue?”

“N-no! Anyway, that… that wasn’t me just now!” Romano stammered, his face reddening steadily. “It was a squirrel, dammit!”

To Romano’s fury, Spain just laughed as he crossed the room and looped his arms around Romano’s shoulders. “I’d know my sweet Romano’s voice anywhere, silly,” he murmured, leaning in and kissing the tip of Romano’s nose, “even if it has been years since the last time I heard you sneeze… Hey, any chance you might do it again? Just for your ol’ boss?”

Romano couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so mortified. “Like hell! Don’t you dare fuckin’ mention this to anyone! And you owe me double portions at lunch for being such a shithead!”

What had been with Spain that time anyway? It was almost like he’d liked hearing Romano sneeze. The thought made the Italian blush all the way to the roots of his sleek brown hair. He wouldn’t put it past the pervert.

Ever since, he’d taken extra precautions to prevent Spain from catching him at it, but that didn’t erase the humiliation of having been heard back in the meeting room. Having so much pressure on him to abstain from sneezing just made him want to do it even more, which was why he’d slipped out to indulge a little while Spain was occupied with chores in some other part of the house.

“HuhASHOO!!” Romano’s breath hitched helplessly over the yellow flower, causing him to inhale even more pollen. “HihhhPSHIIIEW!! EhKISHHHHHUH!!”

He lowered the flower and sniffled as he dug a tissue from his pocket and blew his pinking nose with a forceful honk, mentally congratulating himself on having managed two rapid sneezes in a row, a feat which was fairly rare for him.

Romano decided he’d better only allow himself a few more. It wouldn’t do to linger out here too long and risk Spain wondering where he’d wandered off to. He didn’t know what he’d do if Spain were to catch him sneezing again, but he suspected he might ignite in humiliation.

Before he could stop himself, he was imagining Spain suddenly emerging from the forest behind the house, cooing in adoration over the expression Romano’s face made when he sneezed. Then Spain might ask Romano if he could induce him next, and though Romano knew he could never allow such a thing in real life, the thought sent a surprisingly pleasant shiver down Romano’s spine.

When his mind produced an image of Spain not laughing at him, but simply giving him a tiny affectionate smile, kissing him and dabbing at his nose with a tissue, a worryingly un-disgusted sensation flared up in Romano’s chest and he forced himself to stop. As if any of that would ever happen, he thought bitterly, bringing the dandelion to his face again and tickling his nose with its fluffy petals. The tingling burn flared up in his sinuses again, and Romano brought his finger under his nose, blocking the sneeze in before it could escape too soon.

The needy sensation grew as Romano snuffled wetly against his finger. “Ehhhhhh…. Hihhhh… Uhh, uhh, uhhhhh…”

It was so intense now that his whole body was tingling. Allergic tears streamed down his cheeks, but he paid them no mind. The tickle in his nose had grown so strong that he was panting; this was going to be a euphoric release. When he could take it no longer, Romano lowered his finger at last.

“HAKSHOOOOUhhhh…!!! …Heh’pish! …Nxxshew!”

Romano stood there for a moment with his eyes closed, enjoying the hazy aftermath of his violent sneeze and the two smaller ones that had followed. The dandelion slipped from his fingers and landed noiselessly in the patch of clover at his feet. He allowed himself to bask for a few seconds in the afterglow of just being allowed to let himself go, before bringing his tissue to his nose a final time.

That was when he heard a creak behind him. It didn’t immediately register what such a noise might signify, not until warm arms encircled his torso, and even warmer lips pressed lingeringly against his cheek.

“Wow, bless my little tomato,” Spain’s soft voice breathed in his ear. “Your nose must’ve really tickled. I bet it felt good to get that out of there, huh?”

Romano felt as if he’d suddenly been plunged into a pool of ice water in spite of the warmth of the lips that were now trailing breathily up the side of his neck.

“Y-you…” Romano croaked, a furious blush rising in his cheeks. “Where were… Wh-when did…?”

“Am I dreaming?” Spain whispered between kisses. “Ever since I heard you sneeze in the meeting room that time, I’ve been hopin’ I’d hear you do it again, and just when I was startin’ to give up hope, I just happen to catch you at it when I was just mindin’ my own business and not expectin’ anything.”

Romano couldn’t believe his rotten luck. When Spain had said he’d had some chores to do, Romano had imagined that he meant cleaning his room or something, but he must have come outside to work on his garden. Romano hadn’t even heard him leave the house.

“You were makin’ yourself sneeze on purpose just now, right? So you must like doin’ it…I wish you wouldn’t hold ‘em in all the time,” Spain said softly, snuggling his face into the crook of Romano’s neck, his curls tickling Romano’s cheek. “You’d make Boss so happy if you’d let me hear ‘em every day.”

“Like hell,” Romano mumbled, puffing out his blushing cheeks in an effort to hold back tears of humiliation. “You’ll fuckin’ laugh. You have any idea how humiliating that is, dammit?”

Spain lifted his head to meet Romano’s eyes, blinking in surprise when he saw the tears in them. An unusually sad expression came over his normally smiling face and he cupped Romano’s cheek tenderly in his labor-calloused hand.

“Oh Romano…” he breathed. “I’m sorry; I never meant to embarrass you. I was just so happy I finally got to hear. C’mon, you don’t gotta be so shy about it. Boss won’t judge you for liking sneezing; it feels good. I like it too.”

Romano sniffled as quietly as he could and surreptitiously wiped his eyes on the opposite shoulder from the one Spain was resting his chin on so that he wouldn’t see. “…Don’t say ‘mbarrassing shit like that so easily. What if someone hears, you bastard?” he grumbled.

Spain grinned. “It’s only embarrassing if you let it be. I know it’s hard to imagine when you enjoy something that seems a little unusual, but everyone sneezes sometimes. You’re probably the only one who even really pays any special attention to it; most other people just ignore it or say ‘bless you’ and forget it ever happened just a few seconds later.”

Romano considered this claim in sullen, awkward silence. He supposed it could be true, but he wasn’t sure he was willing to risk it. But hearing Spain tell him that he didn’t think Romano’s fascination was twisted, that Spain himself actually liked it too and that he didn’t plan to tease him for it made Romano feel as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

He’d never discussed this with anyone before, but he’d pictured on several occasions how the conversation might play out. Romano had never dared allow himself to imagine that this weird quirk of his might be met with acceptance rather than ridicule. Before he could brace himself against it or ward it off, he was feeling a disconcerting rush of gratitude and affection toward Spain. He turned his face shyly towards him, allowing their noses to brush. Romano was too close to see the resulting gentle smile on Spain’s face, but he could hear it in the older man’s voice as Spain caressed his cheek.

“I love you the way you are. I hope you won’t be afraid to tell me what kind of stuff you’re into from now on.”

“…Hmph…” Romano huffed distractedly as their noses touched again.

Spain’s smile widened as he closed the miniscule distance between their lips. Romano accepted his kiss without resistance, and even reciprocated after a brief hesitation.

“Can I ask you a favor now?” Spain asked a moment after they separated, still close enough that his mouth grazed Romano’s as he spoke.

“…What?”

“Can I induce you?”

Romano stiffened, and for a moment Spain worried that maybe he shouldn’t have asked. The seconds of awkward silence dragged by, but though Spain’s sense of foreboding grew with each passing beat of tense quiet, he didn’t withdraw his request. How could he resist asking now that he knew how perfectly their interests dovetailed?

Romano, for his part, was torn. Although he wasn’t sure he was ready to allow this just yet, he couldn’t help feeling another disquieting rush of gratitude towards Spain for the way he had asked permission rather than doing as he pleased merely because he could. After spending his whole life feeling fearful and powerless around his fellow nations, it was extremely liberating to be given a choice. He was so used to simply being bullied or beaten into submission when another nation wanted something from him, and it was a wonderful change to feel in control for once. Would this matter of being given a choice become a regular thing between him and Spain if he accepted?

“…On one condition, you asshat,” Romano mumbled, blushing deeply as he avoided his eyes. “You… you gotta let me do it to you first.”

“Wh—Really?” Spain said in thrilled incredulity. “You’re really gonna let me?!”

“Did you hear what I said?! Only if I can do it to you first!” Romano repeated insistently. “And you better not tell a single damn person about this, you shit!”

“I won’t, I won’t,” Spain promised, smiling brilliantly as he hugged and nuzzled Romano. “Wow… I can’t believe this is really happening! You’ve made Boss so happy!”

“C-calm down, dammit,” Romano grumbled. “You’re weirding me out.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Spain replied, still grinning. “Phew… Ok, go ahead then. I’m ready!”

Romano licked his lips nervously. “What should I do?”

He’d seen Spain sneeze when he’d accidentally dropped and broke the pepper shaker while cooking once, and he was pretty sure that certain kinds of cologne would also do the trick, but secretly he hoped to find out more things that irritated Spain’s nose.

“Hmm…” Spain pondered this. “There are some kinds of scented candles that bother me, and a few colognes that’ll set me off, but I think the easiest way would probably be to roll up a tissue and tickle the inside of my nose.”

Romano gave no verbal response to this, but blushingly fished his packet of tissues out of his pocket, pulled one out, and twisted the corner into a long, pointy rope shape. He hesitated, unable to believe that he was really about to do this. It made him feel so awkward that he almost couldn’t make himself go through with it, but the intimacy and trust involved in this action was so tantalizing that he couldn’t resist. There was also the fact that he secretly found Spain’s sneezes to be quite attractive, and the thought of being allowed to provoke them was exhilarating.

With a deep breath, Romano reached out and slipped the tip of the tissue rope into Spain’s nostril. Spain sniffled, one eye squeezing shut against the itch. His lips pressed together into a fine line as the agitation grew, his eyebrows drawing up and in towards each other, quickly rising until they disappeared behind his dark, wavy bangs. Romano had to suppress a little shiver of excitement when Spain let out a tiny, high-pitched hum of desperation. The release came suddenly and without any audible build-up, startling Romano so badly that he jumped, forcing the tip of the tissue even further up Spain’s nasal passage.

“Huhrishoo! …Huhrishoo! Huhrish! Rish! …Huhrishoooouhhhh….!”

Spain jerked away from the irritant and scrubbed at his nose furiously, his watering eyes squeezing shut again as he let out a final, forceful “Huhrushhh!! Huhpshhuhh!” into his fist. With a sigh of relief, Spain sniffled and rubbed a single finger under his nose to rid himself of the last traces of the tickle. After a moment, his green eyes flitted up to meet Romano’s hazel ones, and the Italian noticed a hint of red rising in Spain’s cheeks.

“Eh heh,” Spain laughed sheepishly. “How was that?”

The fact that normally shameless Spain was blushing set Romano off as well, only more brilliantly. “Wh-what the hell. You just got done giving me that shitty lecture about how this wasn’t embarrassing! Quit turning red, dammit!”

“I can’t help it!” Spain insisted. “I wanna look cool in front of my little tomato, but my sneezy face is so ridiculous…”

“Yeah, well…” Romano trailed off, looking determinedly at his feet as he puffed out his blushing cheeks in a pout. Spain examined him curiously, wondering how Romano might have replied if he weren’t so self-conscious when he noticed that certain curl of Romano’s hair had taken on a distinctly heart-shaped form. His smile became wide and silly and thoroughly lovestruck as he leaned in and kissed Romano’s lips.

“My turn,” Spain hummed, kissing Romano again.

“…Just get it over with, you assclown,” Romano grumbled.

The Spaniard crouched down and picked up the dandelion that Romano had dropped earlier, smiling fondly down at it before bringing it to Romano’s nose. Romano took a cautious sniff and coughed as the burning allergic tingle flared up in his sinuses.

“Just let it out nice and natural,” Spain urged, rubbing Romano’s back. “I like your normal, softer ones better than your loud, forced ones.”

“Gihhh… give me… another s-sniff…” Romano choked as his eyes watered again.

Spain brought the dandelion back to Romano’s nose and Romano took a deep breath this time. His already sensitive nose practically erupted with wet, tickly sneezes. He brought his hands up hurriedly, intending to cover his mouth but Spain grabbed his wrists, forcing him to sneeze openly between them,

“Hehepsh! Haa-ashhh! Ehh…Ehpitchoo! …hyehhhekishhhh! Tichoo! Hapchi!”

Romano was still hitching like crazy when Spain finally took pity on him and put a stop to the fit by dropping the dandelion, pinching Romano’s nostrils closed and gently massaging the irritation away. The Italian coughed and shook another tissue impatiently from his packet. Spain snatched it from him and used it to rub Romano’s nose and allow him to blow. Romano obeyed blushingly, wincing at the congested gurgle he produced.

“God bless my little Romano!” Spain cooed, tugging him close and kissing the top of his head. “You’ve got the cutest sneezy face Boss has ever seen!”

“Fuehhhkshun!” Romano sneezed one last time against Spain’s chest and gave a self-conscious sniffle. “Shut up…You’d better not fuckin’ tell anyone about this, dammit.”

Spain smiled brightly and rubbed the Italian’s back soothingly. “Don’t worry, bombón; it’s our little secret. I promise.”

Romano huffed in a manner that almost seemed dubious, but his true feelings were revealed to Spain in the heart shape of his curl and the way his lips timidly “happened” to brush Spain’s neck.