This is based on the Voltaire song "Feathery Wings" and I wrote this to incite the feels within you. I don't own the song, nor do I own Hetalia. If I did, RoChu would be canon and Cuba would be a girl, and have a bigger part.
Ivan ran a hand down Yao's cheek, smiling softly. The poor thing looked so pale and frail. Yao had been bedridden for a very long time and Ivan had been at his side since the beginning.
Ivan looked up as Yao's sister, Mei, came in with a bottle of medication. She didn't mind Ivan as she woke Yao up so he could take his pills.
She didn't mind him, because she couldn't see him.
Ivan was an angel. More specifically the Angel of Death. And he had been watching Yao for a very long time. Years. Such a long time that... Ivan had fallen in love with the beautiful, pale, sleeping face. It was for that reason he couldn't bare to take Yao's life.
Because then, he'd never see him again.
At the beginning, when the angels were being given their eternal tasks, Ivan had been late. If only he'd been there, he could have been a prayer for people like Yao. But he had been late. The only job left for him was death.
He'd always hated it. He'd fallen out of heaven, and lost his wings so he couldn't fly back. He always prayed to come home, but he was stuck with the humans who couldn't see him, but feared him. And ever since then, he'd been trying to earn his wings to get back home. He wouldn't receive his until the end of time, though.
He'd witnessed so many people die, and then handed their souls over to Michael the Arch Angel, who would lead them to heaven. If Michael never came, the souls would go to hell. He had grown weary of the sounds of crying. Tired of it all.
He had always hoped he could convince people not to shoot themselves, or could give the lost sailor directions. But unlike other angels, they never heard him.
And now someone whom he'd fallen in love with was his next job. He ran his hand through Yao's hair, wishing Yao could feel him, see him.
As Mei left, Ivan looked back at Yao, who had fallen back asleep. Yao was suffering. Ivan knew that. He knew if he didn't do his job, not only would be he be cast into hell, but Yao would continue suffering. And it was Ivan's duty to end his suffering.
But Ivan would suffer. His heart would break...
It already had.
Ivan held Yao's hand tightly, tears running down his face. He watched as Yao's sleeping form became even paler. As his steady breathing stopped.
The next thing Ivan knew, he was holding Yao. He was still sleeping. But this Yao was healthy looking, with color in his cheeks. He glowed lightly, and Ivan looked back down at the bed to see the paler Yao laying there.
As tears continued to fall, Ivan carried Yao out of the room and out of the house, into the field behind the house.
He could hear Mei crying over Yao's body already.
He lifted Yao's head and kissed his forehead. "Don't leave me here all alone..." He whispered, his voice shaking with sobs. Yao continued to sleep peacefully in his arms.
Not long after, Michael came. Michael gave Ivan a look of pity as he lifted Yao out of his arms.
Yao woke up in Michael's arms, and smiled up at Michael as Michael began to walk away.
"What was your favorite thing about life?" Michael asked. Ivan listened closely from behind.
"The visits from a man when I was sick aru... I never knew his name though..."
Ivan quickly looked up, only to see Michael flying away with Yao.
Ivan continued to cry as he walked away to his next job...
"All I ever wanted was to see you smile. "