This was so absurdly ridiculous... He couldn't believe that they were making him do this! Yet here he was, standing stiffly at the front door of some foreign country, a bouquet of flowers at hand - mostly Kimjongilias, of course, though that was to be expected. North Korea, the most isolated country on the face of the current planet, had been sent by his leaders to go and get some allies. Naturally wary of outsiders, he was legitimately scared of what might happen if the country that he was visiting did not accept him. Regardless, it couldn't be worse than coming home with nothing to show in the name of progress, so he raised a trembling fist and knocked three hard, sharp times on the wooden door.
A tall man with a beige scarf greeted him. "Privjet." He said smiling. "How may I help you?"
He stiffened as the door opened, immediately extending the flowers in hand. "Hey! Let's be allies-..." Didn't he... Look familiar? Frowning, North Korea lowered his hand a bit and scrutinized the tall man, his eyes settling on the iconic scarf hanging from his neck. "... Comrade?"
The man raised and eyebrow. "Comrade? Umm..." He seemed to shift on the spot. "C-Come in."
... This man was very very familiar, he was sure of it. While he would rather stay and question it a bit more, it was rather cold out, so he nodded, took off his military boots, and entered the home post-haste. "Oh! I guess you can have these, uh... Sir." He didn't seem to like it when he called him comrade, which was odd, considering he called anyone who wasn't an enemy by that term. He held the flowers out to the tall man again, frowning.
He smiled again. "Thank you. Would you like some vodka?" He laughed a bit. "You could say that I like vodka."
"Vodka?" He raised an eyebrow. Liquor wasn't exactly common in his country... Well, no /decent/ liquor was. "All right. If you like vodka, then it must be some good stuff. Hey, do I... Have we met before? You seem really familiar, but I can't remember from where... I feel like you're important, though."
"I haven't seen you a lot though." He stuck out a hand. "My name is Ivan. Ivan Braginski."
Ivan Braginski. Definitely familiar. Ivan takes his hand in his own and shakes, unnerved by how much bigger his hand was than the taller man's. He was just... Huge in every way, really. Just as the Korean was small. "My name is... I'm Kyu. Uh, in western languages, my first name is Kyu. Annyeong ha-se-yo, comrade."
"You remind me of China." He disappeared into the kitchen and came back with vodka. "Would you like something to eat?" He asked as he put down the tray that had two shot glasses and a bottle of vodka.
"Oh, China-hyung is my big brother! Do I really remind you of him?" That got a bit of a smile on his face. He loved China very much - had to, as he quite literally kept him from dying with all his food aid - and to be compared to him made North Korea very happy. "I'd love something to eat. I don't have that much food where I'm from... You remind me of someone, too. I can't place it though, it feels like forever ago."
"Is he really? Wow I never knew." He disappeared into the kitchen again.
"He is. I get almost all of my food and supplies from him. He's great." He follows Ivan into the kitchen, glancing around. It really was a big house..! "Dear Leader even goes to see him sometimes."
"Oh by the way, sit anywhere you'd like." He called from the kitchen. "I'm almost done."
"O-Oh, okay." He backed up and out of the room. Apparently, he wasn't supposed to follow him. He took a seat by the coffee table instead, waiting quietly.
He came out again. "This is Pelmeni. It's a national dish of Russia." He put it down. He put a plate next to it. "Take as much as you need."
"Oh, all right. Thanks. I... Don't have anything to repay you with though." He took the food and shoved it into his mouth without really stopping to contemplate the flavour, chewing away. It was always such a rare treat to get food just handed to him without him having to ask for it first.
"Oh, it's alright. Just eat away." He smiled.
He continued to do so, glancing over at the other country on occasion. Was it... Sweden? Norway? Something cold, he could definitely associate this guy with the cold... Oh! "Wait! Russia-ssi, right? Are you Russia?"
He nodded. "Da."
"Oh, it's me, North Korea. You created my country, remember?" He took another bite and swallowed.
He blushed a bit. "Umm, da, da."
He frowned a bit at the blush. "Is something wrong? I haven't offended you, have I?"
"Oh um, niet niet. You haven't." He shuffled a bit as he took a sip from his glass of vodka.
"If you say so, I guess." Shrugging, the Korean shoveled a bit more food down his throat, taking a swig of the vodka that had been given to him with it. "I wouldn't want to offend you, comrade."
He picked up the vodka bottle seeing as Kyu was getting drunk.
"Wait! No, what are you doing?" Frowning, North Korea reached for the bottle, a little redness on his cheeks from the alcohol. "You'd offered it to me and now you're going to take it away? That's incredibly rude, comrade!"
He blushed as Kyu had gotten very close. "You're a bit drunk. If you keep drinking you'll get completely drunk."
"I don't care! Give me some more, I like it! It tastes good." He grabbed at the taller man's coat, attempting to push himself up higher to reach out and grab the bottle out of his hand, yet alas, he was still a bit too short.
He teetered at the back legs of his chair as he slowly gave Kyu the bottle.
Taking the bottle back, he opened it and, flashing the Russian a look, pressed his lips to it and tilted his head back, downing the rest of its contents in one go.
He stared at him, scared a bit. He saw that the Korean was now completely drunk. He blushed when Kyu took a sleeve and wiped his mouth.
"T-Thanks... For the vodka. Comrade..." Teetering a bit, he stumbled a bit, taking a seat in Russia's lap and resting his head against the much larger country's chest. "... I'm a little dizzy... I told you I could handle it though...!"
He blushed a profound red as he fell back, bringing Kyu with him. "Gaah!" He hit his head on the floor.
The communist slipped as they fell, twisting around and landing face-down on top of the Russian, his face buried in his founder's neck. "... You fell." He muttered, slowly moving to sit up.
"I'm so sorry!" He said as he rubbed his head. "I didn't mean to. It just..."
"S'fine. You're just a clutz, I get it... You're... Kind of on my leg though. I can't get up. Mpf, I'm still dizzy..." He rested his head back down on Ivan's chest, exhaling slowly. "You're comfortable..."
Lifting his leg to let the others out he blushed even deeper (if that's possible). "A-Am I?"
"Very..." He slipped his leg free, though he didn't get up. "... I'm dizzy. I'll stay like this instead of get up."
He blushed immensely not knowing what to do next so he put his arms on Kyu's back.
"Oh, that's a lot warmer... Thanks." He cuddled into Ivan, closing his eyes.
He closed his eyes to think. 'What do I do! What do I do! What do I do!'
"... You're too quiet though." Inching a bit higher, he moved his head from Ivan's chest to his neck, letting his black hair tickle the Slav's chin. "I think your scarf is comfier than your coat though."
He looked at him as he petted his head. "It is? This is my favourite scarf."
"It's really nice. It smells, nice, too." He pressed his face against Russia's neck and inhaled. "Like... Fabric softener and some sort of flower."
He started to hyperventilate. What was he going to do now that he was drunk. But he looked kinda cute like this.
North Korea kept the same position, breathing slowly in and out and smelling the scarf. "... Your breath isn't the best though. You smell like a drunk. Your scarf is so nice though..."
"We'll we did drink vodka." He said, his gaze softening.
"... Right." He pushed himself up a little, just enough so that he brushed noses with the older country. "... You always did like to drink that stuff. You came to see me with it when you still occupied me... Remember?"
He blushed and nodded.
"I don't get why you like it so much... It tastes funny..." Frowning, he leaned down a little and pressed his lips against Ivan's, tasting him to remind himself of the flavour of vodka. He wore a small frown once he pulled away. "It tastes pretty bad, actually."
His eyes opened wide. "When you were drinking it you said it tasted good."
"It isn't really the taste so much as me not wanting to offend you. You said it was your favourite after all. Or that you liked it. Or something." He shrugged, kissing him again to taste more of the alcohol.
He blushed. He seemed to enjoy the kiss leaning into it.
Kyu tilted his head a bit to deepen it, slipping an arm around the Russian's neck.
He closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around the Koreans torso.
After a while, he pulled away and rolled over, flopping onto his back next to the Russian. "... Did you know that homosexuality is illegal in my country?"
He blushed feeling guilty. "I-I didn't know."
"Punishable by death." He nodded. "For the accused and everyone in their family, for three generations."
He blushed and sat straight up. His eyes had filled with tears as he could only imagine.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" North Korea glanced over to his former occupier in a drunken stupor, blinking slowly.
He shakily put out the words. "I-I don't want to die! In my country, it's only polite to kiss someone when you meet them. Preferably friends and family."
"Oh, don't worry. You aren't North Korean. A foreigner like you wouldn't die." He shrugged. "Just me."
He pulled the North Korean close. "Well, I don't want you or China to die."
"China-hyung? He wouldn't die! Just... Me and my people. Everything is punishable with death in my country." He curled in on the Russian, sighing slowly. "... I just wish we got enough food... Even just that would make me happier. Or if we could have religion, or telephones, or books from outside the country..."
"Why don't I give you those things. I've got enough to feed three nations." He softly kissed him on the head.
"You can't. We aren't allowed anything, and hoarding more food than my rations give me is punishable by death... Or a visit to a concentration camp, which is worse." He sniffed, cuddling the Russian.
A worried look had spread over his face. Had he done wrong offering him food and vodka? He thought so.
"You look worried now... Don't worry, eating and drinking is fine. I just... Can't horde anything, or take it back with me. The only reason I'm even allowed out of my country right now is to go get new comrades, but you're already my comrade, so... I should probably go get more. I'll be whipped if I come back without anyone new."
He hugged him tight, tears streaming down his face.
"You looks so sad... Calm down. I'm used to it. I have the worst human rights of any country, after all." He hugged him back, getting up slowly. "I really do need to go. You can keep the flowers though."
"Nooo! Don't go!" He screamed reaching out a hand.
"I'm sorry, but I'll be hurt when I go back if I stay. Or would you rather that happen?"
He starred at him sadness gripping his stomach. "I-I'll be your Allie." He got up and brushed himself off. "I'm sure your people would be happy." More tears streamed down his face.
"... You're already my ally, comrade. I'm supposed to go out and get new ones today." Sighing unhappily, North Korea turned around and began walking back over to the door, pulling his boots back on and fixing his military uniform.
He hung his head. "I'm sorry. Come back so that I can give you something."
"I don't know when I can. People aren't normally allowed outside the country." He paused, glancing back at him with a small, sad smile. "... It was really... Nice to see you again though. I... missed you since you'd left all those years ago. I'd thought you'd forgotten all about me after Vietnam."
He ran up to the Korean and hugged him tightly. He turned his head and kissed him.
He kissed him back, though he kept his eyes open. He stood still in the Russian's arms.
He broke the kiss, tears still going down his face. "I'm sorry I wasn't the one you were looking for. You could be China's Allie." He tried to wipe his tears but new ones replaced them.
"I'm already allies with him, too. Just..." He took the Russian's hand and squeezed it tightly, standing on the tips of his toes to place a light kiss on his lips again. He took a step back, staring up at him in silence. "... I need to go now, comrade."
He lifted his head, his purple eyes shone sorrow. He stepped back crying. He didn't want him to leave but he didn't want him to get hurt or killed either.
"... I'll try seeing you again as soon as I can, okay?" He stepped out the doorway, waving a little. "... Bye, comra-... Ivan. It was really nice seeing you again." Turning around, he walked down the steps and put his hands in his pockets, walking away to try finding someone new to be an ally, the taste of vodka still fresh in his mouth.
He closed the door slumping on his couch crying again. The taste of vodka was on his lips, but the warmth of the Koreans hold was vanishing. He felt cold and empty inside. He probably would never see him again. He cried deeper into his hands. "I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He mumbled into his hands as he laid down. A pain in his stomach. He fell asleep with tears streaming down his face and the pain still in his stomach. Bitter-sweet memories swam through his head. The only thing he said before he fell asleep completely was "I love you. I wish I could've helped."