This is for the amazing(ly patient) yoru-no-anokoku, who has probably forgotten aaaallllll about it by now. So it'll just be a nice, if very short, surprise. The prompt (randomly selected by use of dictionary) was 'scoff.'

... The Austria and Prussia bit is because I cosplay Austria and this is usually roughly how it goes with my Prussia.

(Also: Hey look I'm not dead. 8D)

As always, notes and translations can be found at the bottom. Enjoy!

***#A Beginner's Guide to South Italy#***

'The key,' Spain had determined, 'was in listening.'

And not just casual listening. His precious Romano was far too loud vulgar for that to be useful. No, you had to really listen and hear between the words.

Of course, learning to duck was also useful.

For example, Romano got more grouchy when he missed his siesta. On the rare occasions this happened, he was tired and irritable, and pouted most adorably... and he always sighed when another person approached him. In this state, it was (relatively) easy to score a cuddly South Italy with the promise of sleep.

However, Romano's expression (cute little tomato cheeks and all~) and attitude were basically the same when he was stressed and irritable - and when Romano was stressed and irritable and someone put one foot wrong, heads tended to roll. The thing to listen for so as to avoid having your head on the floor with the others was Lovino clicking his tongue. That was a bad sign and should always be treated with extreme caution (and tomatoes).

Learning to listen had severely lowered Spain's 'Annual Injuries From Lovi' rate, which he was quite happy about. It had also started to slightly increase his 'Annual Cuddle Time With Lovi' rate, which he was elated about.

It was really too bad no one listened to him when he tried to inform them about the nuances of the noises made by South Italy. So much pain could be been averted if even only France listened.

But no, they all insisted that he was crazy. "After all," Austria had pointed out one morning as he held an icepack to the back of an irritable Prussia's head, "You're still injured with alarming frequency. If you can't do it perfectly after all these centuries, it would probably be wisest for the rest of us to simply duck."

On this particular beautiful evening, Spain ran out of the building where the latest conference on how to solve the global economic crisis. (His plan for giving everyone tomato seedlings, so that they could a- grow their own food and b- experience the joy of tomatoes, was shot down immediately after America's plan for "Free Hamburger Day." Such a pity.)

"Lovi~!" His greeting was all but sung as he caught up to the younger nation and spun him neatly around to envelope him in a Spain Hug(tm) (patent pending). "Did you miss me?"

"You sat right next to me, bastardo." Romano muttered, but to Spain's finely (and very specifically) tuned ears, he was not at all irritated, which was further proven by how he almost relaxed before shoving Spain away with a scoff.

Spain grinned. He knew that scoff, listened for the rare times it was used, and took full advantage of the seventy-eight percent chance of hand-holding it signified.

As they walked back to the hotel all the nations were staying at, Spain grinned and pretended to ignore the quiet stream of insults that had no real venom to them and simply enjoyed holding his Lovi's hand.

(But he made sure to keep an ear out for the small huff that meant he might now have to let Romano's hand go that night.)

***#Translations and Notes#***

Bastardo - Italian - ... I hope this is obvious, guys.

Spain Hugs are not actually trademarked, but they totally should be.