A/N: This is a present for my friend Katherine. She said she didn't really want anything and I have really no artistic skills whatsoever, so I set about on a journey of writing my very first Spamano, Hetalia fan fiction and many other firsts. I hope this turns out well! Please tell me what you think. It's been a good few years since I've been super active on fanfiction.

Lovino woke up that morning with the sense that something terrible was going to happen. At least, that's what he associated the feeling with.

Breakfast was as it normally was; Feliciano chatting in rapid Italian about his boyfriend, Ludwig, and as usual, Lovino was making an attempt at explaining why Feliciano shouldn't waste his time on the brawny bastard. As usual, Feliciano pretended not to hear him.

After breakfast, Lovino washed the dishes while Feliciano went to his room to paint. Sometimes, Lovino wished he could do some of the things that Feliciano was able to do. Sure, Lovino wasn't terrible at things like painting and cooking, but he was never as good as Feliciano.

The only thing he had to himself was singing.

It was the one thing he could pour his heart and soul into. But no one else had ever heard him sing. It was a part of him he didn't want even his brother to see. All his insecurities, all his hidden smiles and laughter, everything that was Lovino and none of which he wanted to reveal to anyone else.

Lovino set the last dish to dry in the sink before glancing up at the clock. With plenty of time to kill, he headed upstairs to Feliciano's room. He wasn't sure what his reason for doing so, but when he arrived at his door, instead of knocking, he slowly opened the door and peered in.

As usual, Feliciano sat on a stool with his back facing the door, his hand gliding smoothly across the canvas. However, it was what was being painted that gave him pause. Or rather who. Far from finished but glaringly obvious, was Lovino.

Except it wasn't.

The other Lovino's face was much too serene and thoughtful as he looked out over the ocean, the lines too…delicate. The other Lovino was too…tranquil to be him.

Lovino shook his head to clear his thoughts, instead glaring at the painting. Maybe that was what Feliciano wanted him to be like. An ideal Lovino.

He must have made some kind of sound, because a moment later Feliciano turned to face the door, paintbrush still in his hand and an expression of surprise rearranging his features.

"Oh, Lovino! Ciao! What brings you up here, ve?"

Obviously caught, Lovino stepped in further, eyes not meeting his younger brother's face. "I j-just thought I'd see what you were doing, that's all! I was bored."

Without his permission, his eyes drifted towards the painting again. Noticing his gaze, Feliciano's face brightened with a smile. "Do you like it?"

Lovino didn't say anything. It's beautiful and I hate it were two things that seemed logical to say, but he was even more frustrated by what he really wanted to say. I can never be like that. What came out instead was, "Is that me?"

"Ve?" Feliciano turned to look back at the painting. "It does look like you, fratello!"

"Che, idiota. If it isn't, then who the hell is it supposed to be?" Without permission, Lovino's face warmed slightly. If Feliciano noticed, he didn't say anything.

"Hmm, well I had a dream last night. This was what I could remember from it. At first the dream felt lonely," Feliciano paused as if recalling the dream, eyes watering as he thought about it. "But then," he smiles softly, not looking at Lovino, "the dream felt peaceful."

Feliciano looked back up at Lovino, eyes still watery but bright smile in place. "T-that's stupid!" Lovino said without thinking. Hurt flashed across Feliciano's face. Lovino moved backward a step, eyes widening as they took in Feliciano's expression and what he'd said.

"It felt lonely," Feliciano's words seemed to mock.

Lovino stumbled out of the room, not daring to look back. Maybe he was overreacting, but he felt vulnerable. He didn't like the word "lonely" associated with a painting that looked like him. He didn't like how close Feliciano had gotten to seeing behind Lovino's walls.

So he ran away.

All the way down the road, vision slightly blurred and heart racing. He ran so far and so fast that when he looked up, he was already a few miles away from the house, the ocean spread out before him.

One glance around the soft sand and the large rocks lining the water and he knew. He used to come to this place with Feliciano and their nonno when they were much younger. As they'd grown older, everyone had forgotten about it. But to Lovino, it was a haven.

It was the place he came to sing.

He sat on a rock large enough to sit comfortably on, feet dangling over the warm water. With emotions swelling up his chest, he opened his mouth and a song poured out.

Quando sono solo
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole,
Si lo so che non c'è luce
in una stanza quando manca il sole,
se non ci sei tu con me, con me.
Su le finestre
mostra a tutti il mio cuore
che hai acceso,
chiudi dentro me
la luce che
hai incontrato per strada.

The song poured out of his mouth and with it, the feeling of vulnerability. The waves crashed against the rock under his feet, and Lovino smiled softly. It kind of matched how he felt. The ocean was pretty to look at, but most people didn't notice the riptide just under the service. Lovino was caught in his own riptide.

Time to say goodbye.
Paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te,
adesso si li vivrò,
Con te partirò
su navi per mari
che, io lo so,
no, no, non esistono più.
It's time to say goodbye…

Quando sei lontana
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole,
e io sì lo so
che sei con me,
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me,
mio sole tu sei qui con me,
con me, con me, con me.

XXXAntonioXXXX

Antonio woke that very same morning with a very different opinion of the day than Lovino. He blinked sleepily, a grin spreading across his face. "Dios mio, it feels like a good day!"

He just knew something amazing was going to happen today.

As usual, he met up with his friends Gilbert and Francis, already plotting the many adventures they'd have before lunch.

But when he did manage to find them, neither one looked happy to see him. "Antonio, mon ami, bonjour."

Antonio's smile faded a bit. "What's wrong?"

"Haven't you heard?" Gilbert's expression was one of misplaced sadness.

"Heard what?"

Francis shook his head, instead looking at Gilbert. "Mein…bruder left."

Antonio looked back and forth between his two friends, trying to see if either would crack and start laughing. You should see your face! The awesome me got you good! But neither one said another word.

"What do you mean he left?"

"I mean, he just left!" Gilbert's eyes glowed fiercely, startling Antonio with their intensity.

"Have you checked human world? I've heard many of our kind have been drawn in-

"Where in the human world do you want me to look?"

"I-I don't know," Antonio looked away from Gilbert, instead glancing at Francis' equally grim expression.

He looked away, his own eyes hardening with resolve. "I'll find him," Antonio said simply, taking off in the direction of the surface, ignoring the calls of his friends.

"You don't even know where to look!"

XXX

Antonio swam just beneath the waves, allowing the current to direct him closer to shore. His heart hammering in his chest and his head still reeling with the news, he almost didn't hear the sound. But when he did, he stopped, glancing upwards through water shining with the afternoon sunlight.

His ears filled with the beautiful sound of someone singing, voice rising above the sound of the crashing waves, wavering only slightly with some unknown emotion. The meaning of the words was foreign to him, but he thought it must be Italian.

Time to say goodbye.
Paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te,
adesso si li vivrò,
Con te partirò
su navi per mari
che, io lo so,
no, no, non esistono più.
It's time to say goodbye…

Quando sei lontana
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole,
e io sì lo so
che sei con me,
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me,
mio sole tu sei qui con me,
con me, con me, con me.

Antonio lifted his head up out of the water to gaze at the source of the sound. What he saw gave him even greater pause. A slender young human sat on a large boulder, his legs dangling over the rock and his gaze fixed on the sky as he sang each word.

Antonio noted with great surprise that the human was also crying. Silent silvery tears that dripped down his face slowly. Antonio's heart clenched painfully. Before he could stop himself, he reached out a hand to touch the soft sun kissed skin.

The human jerked violently, flailing wildly as tried to regain balance. Instead he fell forward into the water. Following his instincts, Antonio dove after him, tail churning the water as he sped down toward the human.

Antonio watched as he fell deeper into the water, transfixed with the peaceful expression on the other's face. There was no sign of the tears now. For a moment, Antonio smiled. And then the human stirred and his eyes opened, widening as they took in Antonio. A stream of bubbles burst from his mouth as his face contorted into one of even greater surprise.

Suddenly something occurred to Antonio. Humans need air! How stupid of me!

He wrapped his arms around the waist of the human, propelling them both toward the surface at an astounding rate. Antonio had always been one of the fastest swimmers. A fact he took much pride in.

XXXLovinoXXX

When Lovino fell forward into the water, he thought that it was surely the end of him. How ironic that this is how I go, he thought to himself, a new kind of melancholy making his heart clench painfully.

His head filled with images of his younger brother. Feliciano would probably blame himself, and then there would be no one left to comfort him but that goddamn bastard!

But as quickly as the thought came, it disappeared just as quickly, instead replaced by a feeling of peace.

Che, I really am dying. How pathetic.

But then he opened his eyes, wanting to get a last of glimpse of something, anything really, before he died. Something to carry with him to the other side or wherever. Being a devout Catholic, Lovino believed in Heaven, but whether or not he'd get there was another question.

At first all he saw was blue in every direction. But then his eyes settled emerald eyes directly above him, gazing into his face with a mixture of curiosity and awe. Those eyes were attached to a face which was attached to a human enough body torso, but where legs should have been…was a fish tail. Surprise knocked the peace right out of Lovino then. He screamed but all that came out was a stream of bubbles.

A moment later, warm arms were wrapping themselves around his torso and he was rocketing toward the surface. When they broke through the water, air rushed into Lovino's lungs. He gasped, greedily taking in as much air as he could around the water pouring out of his mouth.

When he finally did get enough air and regained a sense of where he was, he realized the warm arms were still holding him firmly. "W-What the fuck?" Lovino rasped, struggling to get out of the hold.

"Lo Siento, I didn't mean to startle you," the fish-creature, thing, replied as he gently set Lovino back on the rock.

"Che cazzo, Cosa pensi che stai facendo, bastardo? Che diavolo sei?" Lovino switched into Italian, so angry and startled and more than a little terrified for his life that his English failed him. Though this fishy thing seemed to be Spanish.

*(What the fuck, what do you think you're doing, bastard? What the hell are you?)

The creature/man thing tilted his head curiously, green eyes sparkling with interest. "I don't speak Italian," he replied smoothly in his Spanish accent.

Lovino huffed angrily, trying to calm his heart which seemed to want to break free of his ribcage. He pretended that it was only from fear and not at how close the extremely attractive Spaniard was.

"I said, what the hell are you?"

The Spaniard chuckled quietly. "You're not even going to ask what my name is?"

Despite himself, Lovino was curious. "You have a name?"

The man's face brightened with a huge smile that would make any woman swoon, and despite what he told himself, made Lovino's heart flutter.

"Of course I do!" He said proudly. "My name is Antonio."

Lovino stared into the Spaniard's face, drinking in the details of his face silently. He had the sudden urge to paint this strange creature. But he knew if he did, he'd never get his face quite right; he'd never capture the smile the same way, or the way the dark curling locks fell just so around his face, and he couldn't even fathom ever capturing the depth and luminosity of those gleaming emerald eyes.

The man's face broke into a smile again. "Don't you have a name?"

Lovino shook his head and pushed those thoughts far from his mind. "Like I'd tell you!"

"Aww come on! I told you my name. Por favore?" His expression melted into one that could only be called a puppy face.

"I don't see why it should matter to you," Lovino huffed, crossing his arms and looking away as his face warmed. "And you never answered my question! What the hell are you?"

Antonio laughed, the sound so musical it made Lovino's gaze drift towards his face again. "Is it obvious, mi tomate? I'm a mermaid, well minus the maid part, haha!"

"Che, who are you calling your tomato?"

"You of course! You won't tell me your real name, so I had to make one up. And when you blush you look like a tomato."

"Chigi!"

Antonio tilted his head again, grin widening. "You're so cute!"

"I am not cute you bastard!" Lovino hissed, flailing a little for emphasis and almost falling back in the water had Antonio not caught him once again.

Neither one moved for a moment as Lovino looked up into Antonio's face. He wouldn't go so far as to make a horribly romantic cliqued analogy such as falling into Antonio's endless eyes; that would stupid. And he wasn't romantic like that.

He struggled out of Antonio's grasp, face reddening even more than before. Straightening up and trying in vain to squeeze the water out of his clothes, he opened his mouth to say something and was cut off by a voice.

"Lovino!"

Lovino whipped around to see Feliciano running towards him at full speed, eyes full of tears as he half ran-half stumbled over to his older brother.

"Feli, what-

A sharp sound accompanied a stinging pain on his cheek. He placed a hand on his face, looking at Feliciano with a bewildered expression. Feliciano had slapped him.

"I've been looking everywhere for you!" his body shook slightly. "I couldn't find you and I thought…," he grabbed Lovino in a tight embrace, "I thought something terrible had happened to you like nonno!" he sobbed.

"F-Feli…" Lovino's stomach clenched with guilt. He remembered the day they'd lost their grandfather.

He was late for dinner. He was hardly ever late for dinner because Feliciano always cooked the meals, and everyone loved his cooking. Their nonno would have called if he was going to be late.

As the hour grew later with no news, both brothers had waited patiently for the closest thing either had had to a father to come through the door. First he'd apologize, then he'd watch a movie with them and promise to make dinner the next day complete with an Italian dessert.

When they finally did get news. It wasn't good news.

He'd been walking to his car on his way home when he'd been mugged. They eventually caught the guy that did it, but it didn't change anything. The Vargas brothers were still alone…except for each other.

"I'm sorry, Feli," Lovino said honestly, surprised to find his eyes watery as well. He was a horrible fratello, making Feliciano worry like that.

"Don't ever do that again!"

"I won't, prometto." (I promise)

Lovino cast one last glance at the water and wasn't surprised to see nothing there. He smiled to himself. Of course he had imagined it. But at least he felt better now. Not nearly so lonely. He decided he liked this feeling.

XXXAntonioXXX

So Lovino was his name! What a beautiful name. From what little he did know of Italian though, he thought Lovino translated to something like, I ruin. He frowned. How unfitting, he thought.

And not only was his name a mystery, the greater curiosity was the person who could only be the brother of Lovino. Feliciano, if Antonio recalled correctly. And Feliciano looked a lot like Lovino, but where Lovino was sharp edges, Feliciano was delicate. Not that Antonio preferred the younger brother, but it was interesting.

Where he came from, it was unusual for anyone to have siblings, let alone siblings that looked so similar.

Antonio thought back to the expression on Lovino's face as he looked back at the spot that Antonio had been, it was a look of resignation. Something in his eyes made Antonio believe that Lovino had chalked it all up to his imagination. Antonio was determined to prove otherwise.

XXXXLovinoXXXX (the next day)

Lovino settled back into normal everyday things, but his thoughts kept going back to Antonio. Or so his hallucination had called itself. He had to say, he was rather impressed with himself with coming up with such a vivid illusion.

With the image of the merman still clear as day, he sat down to paint him. He knew it would never be as good as Feliciano's and the painting was for no one's eyes but his own, but he was content with this.

He spent the rest of the morning and well into the late afternoon hours guiding the paintbrush across the canvas, hard lines for most of the body and soft swishy strokes for the tail and face. He used the right color for the chestnut hair and the silky skin, and a used a maroon for the tail.

Lovino smiled at the beaming face on the canvas, a pleasant warmth filling him to the core. And that's when his door creaked open.

"Ve, fratello, there's someone here to see you," Feliciano chirped happily.

Lovino looked up from his painting, smiling slipping off his face when he saw who was standing behind Feliciano. He would recognize those emerald eyes anywhere, especially attached to frustratingly happy smile.

"Hola, Lovi!"

Lovino's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "W-What the hell are you doing here, bastard?"

Feliciano looked back and forth between the two, a smile stretching across his face, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"I'll leave you two alone then, ve."

Feliciano left the room with a final click that echoed in Lovino's numbed mind. "Lovi!" Antonio sing-songed, springing forward and engulfing Lovino in a hug.

XXXAntonioXXX

Antonio couldn't believe his good luck. Not only had he spotted Ludwig that morning when he'd stumbled into the market, he'd also spotted Feliciano with him! Naturally, Antonio was so happy to see both of them he didn't waste a second in marching right up to both of them and introducing himself to Feliciano.

Ludwig blanched as he caught sight of the Spaniard. "A-Antonio?"

"Ludwig!" he clapped a tanned hand on the German's shoulder, giving him a look that spoke volumes. "Your brother is looking for you."

"J-ja, I know," he shifted uncomfortably. "I was going to explain things myself, but things have gotten kind of out of hand," his gaze shifted to the small Italian who's arm was wrapped around his.

"Ve, Luddy, who is this?"

"Lo siento, my name is Antonio! I'm a good friend of Ludwig's brother," Antonio smiled brightly.

Feliciano beamed. "You have a brother?"

"Ja, an older brother. His name is Gilbert."

"Will I be able to meet him sometime?"

"Ja," Ludwig sighed.

Later, Feliciano even invited him over for lunch. And that was how he came to find himself in Lovino's room with said Italian pulled into his chest.

"Get off me, bastard!" Lovino's insult was half hearted at best and he hardly struggled against Antonio. "What the hell are you doing here anyway?"

Antonio finally let go of Lovino, but instead fixed his gaze on him intently, drinking in his appearance. His clothes were smudged with multiple colored paints, his hair carelessly tousled and his hazel eyes blazing.

"Feliciano invited me over. I recognized him from yesterday," he explained.

Lovino's eyes widened slightly. "You were there all along? You just let me think I'd imagined the whole thing?"

Suddenly, Lovino's gaze shifted toward the other side of the room where a canvas was sitting beside the window. He made a move to cover it with a sheet, but Antonio grabbed his wrist lightly, his gaze fixed on the painting.

"L-Lovino," his chest filled with warmth at the sight of the familiar face and the obvious care that was taken at painting it right.

"Che, don't get any ideas! I didn't have anything better to do. Besides," his gaze shifted back to the painting, "it isn't even done that well."

"How can you say that? It's perfect."

Antonio released Lovino's wrist and in favor of running his fingers lightly along the curves and following the colors of his own tail. It had never looked so beautiful. He then peered closely at his own face, surprised at the depth in his own green eyes.

Lovino wouldn't look at him, arms crossed over his chest. "Feliciano could do much better."

Antonio's hand fell away from the canvas, hands clenched at his sides as he fought off the urge to touch Lovino again.

But when he took in Lovino's expression, he pushed any reservations aside and grabbed his slender shoulders. Antonio stared into Lovino's eyes, the hazel drawing him in with an intensifying feeling. He had to convince Lovino of something, and he wasn't sure that it was just that the painting was well done.

Antonio tried to communicate whatever it was that he was trying to get across, straight into the very heart of Lovino.

XXXLovinoXXX

Lovino's eyes widened with bewilderment as Antonio grabbed his shoulders. Warmth spread from his hands down through his shoulders and arms. He didn't like being so closely scrutinized, didn't like someone seeing straight through his walls like they were never there, like Antonio was doing right then.

Lovino looked away. Antonio sighed. "I want to hear you sing again," Antonio said after a long stretch of silence. Lovino's mouth hung open for a moment with surprise before he composed his face into one of disinterest.

He opened his mouth to tell him no but what came out instead was, "What would you like me to sing," he paused, "bastard?" he added, because he didn't feel like himself otherwise.

"Can you sing what you were singing before?"

Without answering, Lovino sat back on the stool, looking away from Antonio as he opened his mouth and let the song flow out.

"Quando sono solo
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole,
Si lo so che non c'è luce
in una stanza quando manca il sole,
se non ci sei tu con me, con me.
Su le finestre
mostra a tutti il mio cuore
che hai acceso,
chiudi dentro me
la luce che
hai incontrato per strada"

His gaze shifted back to Antonio, his heart fluttering again when he saw Antonio's awed expression. He was however, surprised when Antonio's own silky voice joined in.

Time to say goodbye.
Paesi che non ho mai
veduto e vissuto con te,
adesso si li vivrò,
Con te partirò
su navi per mari
che, io lo so,
no, no, non esistono più.
It's time to say goodbye…

Quando sei lontana
sogno all'orizzonte
e mancan le parole,
e io sì lo so
che sei con me,
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me,
mio sole tu sei qui con me,
con me, con me, con me.

Their voices fit together like puzzle pieces. Somehow, Lovino liked showing this piece of himself to Antonio. There was no judgment from him, only acceptance.

Quando sei lontana sogno all'orizzonte

E mancan le parole

E io solo so che sei con me, con me

Tu mia luna tu sei qui con me

Mio sole tu sei qui con me, con me, con me, con me

Con te partiro

Paesi che non ho mai

Veduto e vissuto con te

Adesso so li vivro

Con te partiro

Su na I per mari che, io lo so

No, no, non esistono pia

Con te io li rivivo

Con te paratiro

Su navi per mari che, io lo so

No, no, non esistono pio

Con te io li rivivro

Con te partiro…

Io con te!

Lovino smiled, peace settling over him a second time. Maybe he was dying again. Not that he minded if it meant being with Antonio.