Work Text:
Romano left the room with a sigh, loosening his tie and gripping the papers under his arm, pinning them to his side.
“Such a bore…” he muttered, more to himself. Honestly, working out these things was such a hassle, but if he left his brother to do it, Italy would definitely just fall into chaos. (Even after all these years, he was still an idiot.)
He looked up and froze instantly. Across the room, sitting on a bench and looking out the window, was Spain. He rested one arm on the windowsill, leaning out so that he could feel the breeze wafting through, brushing back dark fringe. He had that same, inane smile he always had, but it almost seemed pensive in the early afternoon’s sunshine.
Romano slammed the door shut behind him and Spain looked away from the window, before the smile split into an ear-to-ear grin. “Romano!”
“Yeah, what?”
“Nothing,” Spain bubbled, and smiled up at Romano as the other country hesitantly wandered over, standing in front of him. “I was waiting for you.”
“… Were you,” Romano muttered, and looked annoyed a moment. He peered out the window and saw an unfamiliar skyline stretch out beyond his eyes, on the other side of the river. He sighed, exasperated, but didn’t protest when Spain lifted a hand and grasped Romano’s suit sleeve, tugging him closer.
“Yep,” he said, cheerfully.
“Stupid,” Romano snapped, and jerked his head away in an attempt to hide his red face.
Spain laughed, eyes smiling more than his mouth. Romano pretended not to hear what Spain was telling him without saying anything. Spain never listened to what Romano was saying without words, so they seemed to function just fine in a state of miscommunication. Stubborn to the very end. And Spain was a dense idiot, anyway.
“I thought that maybe Romano would like it, if he knew someone was waiting for him,” Spain chirped, tilting his head upwards towards the still standing Romano, refusing to move from his seated position. He lifted his hand and pulled on Romano’s tie, adjusting it against his throat. Fingers grazed over the skin of Romano’s neck and Romano had to swallow, felt his Adam’s apple bob and wondered if Spain could feel it, too.
“What a stupid thing to do,” Romano said after a moment spent struggling over words.
Spain laughed again.
Romano sputtered. “You’re really an idiot. Always laughing whenever people insult you.”
Spain shrugged again and finally dropped his hands away from Romano’s tie, brushing his hands over Romano’s shoulders and arms, dusting him off.
“I’m waiting,” he said.
“I know, so you said.”
Spain shook his head and chuckled again. He looked up at him and his green eyes were warm and inviting. “No, I mean that I’m waiting for the day when people will say the words they really want to say, not the ones they’re hiding under.”
Romano’s eyes narrowed and his face turned red as the words sunk in.
“Huh?” he managed to ask, coherently.
Spain’s smile didn’t waver as he regarded the Italian brother with a contemplative look, contrasting against the loopy smile from before.
“The words that aren’t said out loud,” Spain supplied, chipper.
Romano felt that a tomato comment was coming, as his face felt warmer than usual. He looked away with a scoff. Spain captured his tie, hanging across his chest, and tugged, drawing Romano closer. Romano blinked at him, frowned, and then scowled.
“What?”
Spain laughed, smiling up at him with his eyes shut.
Romano breathed out an exasperated sigh. “You really never do make sense.”
And before he could think better of it, he leaned down and kissed Spain softly on the mouth. It was nice, knowing someone was waiting for him.