One Man's Treasure

This chapter is unedited

Warnings: None

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, or its characters.

A/N: Hey, hey, hey! Look whose attempting a multi-chaptered story? This time, I actually wrote down a plot! *nothing says that I will stick to it, though. ;* While I feel a bit rusty in writing (just a tiny bit), I am as content with this chapter prologue as much as I am willing to allow. So, I hope you do what I hope you always do when you read my stories:
Enjoy.

Prologue-

Lovino Vargas was a sixteen years old Italian, living on the coast of Italy in a small village. The Vargas's house overlooked the whole village, resting on top of a hill near the sea. Everyone in the small village knew the Vargas's, especially Feliciano Vargas, Lovino's little brother. Feliciano was the one who opted to go out to the village every day, as often as he could, to help out and charm the pretty girls that littered the village.

Lovino much rather stay at home, helping over look the garden. Why he wasn't as bubbly as Feliciano, he was nonetheless outgoing. Then again, most people preferred Feliciano who was all sweet and nice, much more than Lovino who spat out insults and seemingly embarrassed way more easily than Feliciano. Lovino frowned, as he sat outside on a bench in the front yard of the Vargas's household, staring out towards sea.

Their grandfather, Romulus Vargas, liked to tell his story to riches often. It all started out the same, and ended the same, to Lovino. Feliciano liked to smile and look at their grandfather in awe when he told the story, as if hearing it for the first time. Lovino found the story boring, and a bit vague.

While Romulus was young, he found a cave, while running away from his dark past. Dark, manly meaning nightly gambling sessions in villages taverns and robbery, and was almost starved to death when he stumbled upon the cave. The cave was filled, with what Feliciano gasped at, with gold and wine, treasures of beautiful jewelry. Of course, it was only a matter of time, before Romulus cashed in his riches and found his place in the world.

Now, their family had settled rather easy in with this small village along the coast of Italy. Lovino found their village nice, boring, but comfortable. Then again, it's all Lovino really known. Maybe when he was a bit older, Lovino would leave and find his own place in the world. Lovino smirked, at the thought of finding his own riches and coming back, having everyone awe at how awesome Lovino was, how worthy he was of their praise.

"Brother? What are you smiling about?" Feliciano appeared out of nowhere. He hugged Lovino, smiling brightly up at his older brother. "Are you remembering a funny joke? Then you should tell me~ it must be funny if it makes you smile, brother! I love it when you smile, and laugh, both are beautiful~" Lovino shoved Feliciano away, scowling.

"Get away, dammit. I wasn't thinking of a joke, I was just…just…" Just what? He couldn't just say, I'm thinking about leaving this place behind, along with you. Feliciano would take that the wrong way and bursts into tears. Not that Lovino cared (much) but Lovino couldn't deal with a teary Feliciano at the moment. "I was just thinking!"

Feliciano tilted his head, a small smile still on his face. "If you say so, brother," He said at last, and laughed, and stood up. Feliciano yanked Lovino up as well, beginning to tug him into the household. Lovino muttered under his breath about Feliciano being bossy, but Feliciano either ignored him or just didn't hear him. "Grandpa told me to come find you for dinner! We're having pasta tonight." When didn't they have pasta for dinner?

"Again? Why can't we eat something else?" Lovino complained. Every night, still the same old meal, their grandfather insisted on keeping traditional. Lovino would cook, if his grandfather wasn't such a controlling person in the kitchen. His grandfather would nag Lovino with cooking until Lovino wanted to rip out his hair.

"Ve~" Feliciano skipped into the dining room, and twirled around to face Lovino, with a huge grin on his face, as he spoke. "Don't you like pasta? I love it! I heard it's really good for you too! It makes you big and strong and happy...Maybe you should eat more?" He giggled, and Lovino glowered. "Er, not? Entirely your choice, brother." Feliciano spun around and ran to his seat, ignoring Lovino's glare.

Lovino huffed, making his way to his side of the table. Sitting down, he rested his elbows on the table and stared at his empty plate in front of him blankly. He should really find a way to convince grandpa to let him start cooking; Lovino knew how to cook perfectly well! But no, their grandfather insisted on cooking the same old meals, probably thinking that Lovino would poison the whole family.

Don't tempt me, old man. Lovino thought bitterly, as Romulus finally entered the dining room from the kitchen, a steaming bowl of pasta clutched in his hands. A huge grin was plastered onto his face. "Ah, my boys!" He cooed fondly, setting the bowl on the table. He took this as his chance to nudge Lovino's elbows off the table with a wooden spoon. "Lovino, that isn't like a gentleman to have their elbows on the table." Lovino rolled his eyes.

"What if I don't want to be a gentleman?" Lovino scowled. "What if I want to be a…something that isn't a gentleman?" Romulus smiled at Lovino, scooping the pasta onto Lovino's bowl. "…" Lovino knew his declaration was lame, and he dealt with it by lowering his head, his face burning.

"Hehe~ Thank you, grandpa." Feliciano giggled, as Lovino finally gotten over his silent embarrassment. Lovino muttered his own thanks, around a mouthful of food. What could Lovino be without manners? Then again, Lovino didn't really mind using them, actually finding anything rude without them. (He wasn't an animal.) But he just didn't like to be told what to do, at least without a fight.

Then again, most of the time, Lovino usually ended up making a fool of himself.

Most of dinner included Feliciano telling about everything he saw that day, ranging from pretty flowers to pretty girls, and then to pretty girls with pretty flowers. Grandpa only grinned, and nodded, agreeing when he had to. Lovino mostly ignored them, brooding in his thoughts. "So, Lovino, what have you been doing today?"

Lovino thought about it. "…Uh, gardening mostly." Lovino muttered, poking the left over pasta on his plate over and over with his silverware. "That's about it." He grimaced internally. How boring is he? Lovino enjoyed himself, but he doubted he sounded very interesting to others. His grandfather nodded, eyes closing.

"Ah, when I was your age, mi Lovino," Lovino groaned. Not again with Romulus's stories. Lovino swore his grandfather had a story for everything. Whether it was about squishing a bug, or how to spend money wisely, not that Romulus followed the latter story that much. Lovino witnessed Romulus's impulsive buying first hand. "I remember being filled with love for gardening. It was such a nice turn out, considering my parents lived on a small farm. But every leaf has its turning, and when it was finally time for me to leave the nest, gardening has never left my heart." Lovino wanted to gag at out dramatic Romulus was sounding. Romulus grinned. "You are a gardener, Lovino! You get it from me! Your mother never was the one to garden, much rather keeping her head up and staying pretty." He winked, and Feliciano giggled. Lovino grunted.

Lovino stood up, pushing his plate away. "Yeah, yeah. Can I be excused now? I want to go to my room." Feliciano frowned over the table at Lovino, tilting his head. His plate was clean, from what Lovino had seen, but he was still sitting patiently at the table. That was strange of Feliciano, considering that moment when his food was gone, so was he.

"But aren't you going to the festival in town tonight?" Festival? Lovino frowned. Ah, yes, the festival held every early summer. Lovino shook his head, not wanting to go out and watch everyone else dance and eat and have fun with friends, being left out of the crowd to stand awkwardly out alone. "But why not?" Feliciano whined.

"I'm really tired." Lovino muttered, glancing at Romulus. Romulus looked thoughtful for a second, before nodding in agreement.

"Si, Lovino." Romulus smiled warmly at Lovino. "Be sure to lock up after Feliciano and I are gone, si? Also, let no one in, unless it's one of our family friends." Like hell Lovino would, Lovino would much rather let them rot outside on the porch. Lovino nodded though, wanting to leave the room as fast as possible. "Ah, I guess that's it…" Lovino nodded eagerly. "Fine, fine. Good night, Lovino."

"Good night, brother!" Feliciano bounded around the table quickly, gathering Lovino into a tight hug. His lips brushed Lovino's cheeks, a grin forming on his lips as Feliciano spoke quickly. "I hope you have wonderful dreams, and I will get you a souvenir from the festival, I promise! Also, I will tell you everything that happens and everything! Especially all the pretty people there! I'm sure there-" Lovino slapped a hand over Feliciano's mouth, cringing. Lovino could feel a headache forming.

"Yeah, yeah, tell me tomorrow!" With that, Lovino let his hand fall from Feliciano's mouth and turned to walk out of the room. Behind him, he could hear Feliciano's excited chatter with Romulus, and Romulus's booming laugh. Lovino sighed, heading towards the stairs.

Lovino ran up the stairs, pausing briefly to look out at sea. While their house was located close to the sea, Lovino was unfortunate enough to have a room facing away from the sea. Lovino thought about going out to sea, it could be fun. Then again, being on a boat made his stomach queasy. Of course Lovino would love going out on sea, and only to turn out to be sea sick.

Something about the sea fascinated Lovino enough to glance out at the sea. Maybe it was because Feliciano and Lovino's father ran out to sea after Lovino was born, their Grandfather remarking on the story with a bitter look of anger. Lovino didn't care, partially due to Romulus being a burden just as a grandfather, why would he want a father who seemed worse? But still, Lovino couldn't help but wonder what was so tempting about the sea to take a father away from his family?

Squinting out at the darkness, Lovino smiled softly. The moon was covered with clouds, the dark clouds that seemed to be fluffed around the sky carelessly in small wisps, were moving fast. Maybe a storm was coming, Lovino mused, as he glanced at the sky, and let his eyes lower to the sea. The sky and the sea seemed to merge together in the distance.

Suddenly, Lovino pressed his face closer to the thick glass. There was something in the distance, obscuring the merging line of the sky and sea. Lovino couldn't make it out, but he knew something was there. Maybe a ship? More than one, Lovino thought, and he pulled back and frowned. This village wasn't a porting village, though there was a lonely harbor on a beach, but that would hardly suffice for more than one ship.

"Idiots." Lovino concluded that the captain was a fool and probably made a wrong turn out on sea. Lovino turned away from the window, and kept on heading upstairs towards his room. Almost tripping on one of the steps, Lovino scowled and just couldn't wait to go to bed.

Slamming the door behind him, his dark room messy and cluttered, Lovino stumbled onto his bed. He was too tired, mentally, to actually get up and light a candle. For some reason, Lovino also didn't want to look at his room in the dim light the candle offered. His room looked even more messy and worse in the dim light than in the dark.

"Lovino! We're leaving!" A muffled shout reached Lovino's ears, and he hummed. "Be sure to lock up, si?" Romulus shouted again, and Lovino strained his ears to hear Feliciano's and Romulus's shuffling down below, before a loud slam told Lovino that they were gone.

Lovino sat up, and shifted the pillow on his bed, before laying his head down. His body felt perfectly fine sprawled out lazily on his bed, his shoes still on. Frowning, realizing this, Lovino sighed loudly in annoyance and worked to kick them off without moving as much as possible.

Again, once he was comfortable, Lovino closed his eyes. Earlier thoughts entered his mind again, and Lovino smirked, as he thought about the praise and wealth he could achieve on his own. He'd be praised for being a part of the Vargas's seemingly lucky family, Feliciano would be proud to say with a huge smile on his face to everyone he met that he was the younger brother of Lovino Vargas, the second most wealthiest man in the whole village.

Of course, cute girls were also welcomed into Lovino's fantasies.

Someday, Lovino mused, as he yawned loudly. Someday, it'll happen. Just wait and see. Lovino grinned, sleepily, as he yawned again. He'll think about this more tomorrow.

Review, Favorite, or whatever you do on stories that you read.

-BMTM