A/N: So, this is just a small angsty drabble to help me crawl out of my inactivity shell. It was originally going to be a full-on chapter story, with this as the prologue, but eh… I don't think that's going to happen.
Anyways, feedback is always welcome!
Edit: Thanks to Tsuri-n for the correction! I know that it Gege is Mandarin, and yet it seemed to have slipped my mind while I wrote this. Anyways, I didn't know the Cantonese word for brother, so thanks for telling me!
"Gogo… Gogo…" Silent tears slip down Hong Kong's cheeks as he grasps the long oriental sleeves of his brother's crimson shirt. He trembles in the elder nation's strong, firm arms and whimpers soft desperate cries out to China, his sobs racking his entire small frame.
China's heart cracks a little more each time he feels Hong Kong's teardrops stain his shirt. He embraces the small boy—so young and so fragile—in his arms tightly, knowing that this will be the last contact they'll have in decades—maybe even centuries.
But he's been around for a while. He's the oldest nation around, and so a year feels like a day to China. Though he knows that when his siblings rebel or when they are stripped from him, an year can feel more like a century with either the sense of guilt or loss, or even both, weighing down on him.
The sound of footsteps draw near, and China knows it's time to let go of the boy. Hong Kong seems to sense this too, for his grasp on his brother only tightens, as he buries his face further into the older nation's shoulder, his tears soaking through China's shirt.
As the Briton appears before him, he wears a grim frown whilst gazing coldly back at the two brothers crumpled on the ground, holding onto each other tightly. China can see though, that through his apathetic façade, he holds a smug and triumphant smile. It makes China's nerves tighten and his anger rise to dangerous levels, but he keeps his composure as he learnt to do so from centuries of experience.
China merely gazes coldly back at England, his arms still laced firmly around Hong Kong's small frame. He refuses to break down in front of him. He refuses to let him strip away the last thing he's holding onto for dear life—his pride, which is already worn and battered.
"Hand over the lad," England demands coldly, his hand extending out to Hong Kong.
China swallows and breaks his eyes away from England's cold, emerald ones. He calmly turns to pull his brother back up and looks at him straight in the eye.
Hong Kong's eyes are swollen and red, and his cheeks are tear-stained. He gazes back desperately at China—please don't let him take me away, please, please—which he doesn't think he'll be able to bear to look at any longer, but China knows he has to remain strong, and he knows he cannot cry. He's shed enough tears throughout these tiring battles, and he won't—he can't let England see him weak once more.
His heart clenching, China reaches over and pulls the small boy back into his arms again. Into young Hong Kong's ear, he whispers, "Be strong and make me proud, Didi. I know you will. I promise you, time will go by quickly enough, and we'll be together again soon. Just wait for that day." He finally releases the boy and looks away.
At this, England immediately takes Hong Kong's hand, flashes China a quick smug smile and walks away as he pulls Hong Kong along with him.
Hong Kong whips his head around and stares at China who's fading in the distance. He can see his older brother with his shoulders sagging and his head hanging low in defeat. He looks so weak and so hopeless, it hurts Hong Kong to see him like that.
"Gogo…" Hong Kong whimpers one last time, as the fuzzy outlines of his brother fades completely.
"No," England says suddenly, startling Hong Kong for he didn't know that he was heard. He continues to pull the young boy along and without giving him a second glance, he corrects him, "Brother."
Hong Kong's heart sinks at the foreign word he doesn't understand. He knows though that this is just the beginning, and like his brother said, he'll have to be strong. For his brother. For China. He promised him, after all, that they'd be together again soon, and he will wait for that day even if it takes centuries.