Ahhh ~ I just found out that Taiwan's birthday's actually 1945 and Xiang's birthday's actually in 1997! So Taiwan's older than him! DDDDDDDx And HkTw is just a fan pairing, it might not be official. But I AM DESPERATELY crossing my fingers hoping they would actually be official! Anyway, 5th fic up! ^^ Anyway ~ Wan is Taiwan, Xiang is HongKong, Kiku is Japan, Arthur is England and Yao is China~ Yay Xiang! :3 HKxTW and mild mild TWxJP, oneshot. Aaah, love triangles kill me :x Sorry for the long wait ^^ HongKong is slightly OOC here I think.
"Xiang, there's a new girl here, aru~" Yao said, bursting through the wooden door.
Xiang looked up from his black-coloured nunchucks. He swung it around playfully before he felt Yao poking him.
"What?" Xiang asked.
"Train her, aru~ She's at the main room."
Xiang stared as he tried to process Yao's request in his head. A girl? Training in a martial arts school?
Xiang thought for a moment before saying, "What weapon does she use, and why me?"
"She uses many many knives, all so tiny, aru~ And I asked you to do it because.. well, you're the calmest guy here, aru~" Yao said, scratching his head. "Girls are hot headed!" He complained, showing Xiang a laceration on his arm.
Xiang sighed. He stood up and walked to the main room, where he expected a tomboy-ish girl with unkempt short hair, waiting for him. As he opened the door picturing what the girl would look like, he heard a soft sigh. Looking up, he saw a girl with brown flowing hair, with a flower tucked into it. She had big eyes which matched the colour of her hair. At that moment, he saw a knife getting thrown at him. He dodged it effortlessly.
"S-sorry! I just wanted to vent my anger on something..." The girl apologised, rushing over to Xiang. "Are you okay?"
He nodded. Hot headed? She doesn't seem hot headed at all. What did Yao do to her to make her that angry that she threw a knife at him?
"Where'd that old man go? He said he'd be off to get someone to train me or something.. Are you the one?" She asked, looking at him.
He nodded again before asking, "What's your name?"
"Wan." She said, blushing slightly as she looked down. "Yours?"
"Xiang." He pondered awhile before asking her, "What did Yao do to make you throw one of those knives at him?"
"Yao? That old man's name's Yao? And he still had the cheek to make fun of my name!" She chuckled at Yao's name.
Xiang sighed, Yao's too playful sometimes.
"What weapons do you use?" She twirled a throwing knife in her hand.
Xiang held up his nunchucks.
"What's that?" She stopped twirling the throwing knife.
"Nunchucks."
She stared at the black and white coloured nunchucks dangling in front of her. It was black sticks connected at their ends with a short chain.
"How do you use them? They seem so.. short. Isn't it very short ranged? Which means less protection and stuff."
"Not if you use them properly. Lock and strike, that's all." He said, demonstrating the usage of it on a nearby dummy.
"What's your grade?" She asked, awed by how Xiang controlled the nunchucks so easily.
He tilted his head slightly. Grade? What grade?
"Everyone here has those white uniforms on with those coloured belts. Old man Yao told me black was the highest grade. What's your grade?"
Xiang looked at his dressing. He wore a sleeveless red and black shirt and black plants, and black wristbands. Yao didn't give him any uniform or any 'grade'.
"I don't have a grade."
This answer apparently shocked Wan. "You mean, you didn't apply here?"
Apply? Apply for.. what?
"I mean.. This is a famous martial arts school... If you didn't apply here, how'd you get here?"
Xiang kept quiet for awhile, thinking hard. He can't remember exactly how he got here.
"I-i'm sorry, I think that question was kind of insensitive."
Xiang looked at her, "It's okay." He didn't know why she was apologising, anyway. She must have misunderstood.
"Aiyah! Both of you should go take a walk in the park instead of always sparring, aru!" Yao said as he watched Wan and Xiang jump from place to place.
"Shut up old man." Wan said, as she threw a knife towards Xiang, who blocked it.
It ended when Xiang caught Wan in a lock. Wan flicked a finger at his forehead, and pouted.
"It's unfair Xiang! You haven't taught me that yet!"
"Okay enough, aru~ Both of you should rest!" Yao said, as he pushed both of them out of the door. "Bye bye!"
Wan turned and swiftly threw a knife towards the door, hoping to get Yao, but failing as he already slammed the door close.
Where does she get all those things anyway? Xiang thought, as he scanned her for any pouch or bag that might be holding the knives. I feel like a .. pervert.
"So, what do we do now?" Wan stared at Xiang expectantly.
"Take a walk in the park? That's what Yao wanted us to do." Xiang already started to walk in front of Wan, not waiting for her response.
Wan caught up with Xiang and walked beside him. It has been around five months since they met, and Xiang hardly spoke. There were many questions she intended to ask him, about his background, and how he knew how to use the nunchucks so well, and about what he always thinks about. She has seen him doze off in a corner several times after training sessions, but she knew that he was often awake during the night when everyone was asleep. He would stare into the sky, counting the stars maybe, but.. she really wonders what he thinks about.
She tripped a bit. Well, she thought she did, but she felt her body come into contact with Xiang's. She gasped, shocked. What was he doing? She then realised a boy with raven coloured hair in front of her. He was clad in a white naval uniform. She looked up and found his gentle, dark brown eyes. He smiled slightly. Wan could feel her face starting to burn a bit, who is he?
"Watch where you're going." She heard Xiang mumble into her ear.
"Is this the martial arts school Wang Yao is in charge of?" The man asked, still smiling.
Xiang nodded, letting go of Wan's arm.
"I'm Honda Kiku, and I've come to visit him. May I know where I will be able to find him?" The man asked.
Xiang turned and pointed to a big, black door.
"Thank you." Kiku said, and walked towards the door. He paused midway and turned, "What's your name?"
"Xiang." Xiang said.
After getting a reply, Kiku looked over at Wan, who was still slightly red. "W-Wan."
"Nice to meet both of you."
"Xiang, I've been wondering.." Wan suddenly asked him. The park bench had been where they always rested ever since Yao chased them out to rest three months ago.
"Hm?"
"How'd you get here?"
"I was lost and.. Well, Arthur found me. And he returned me to Yao after a few years passed. I picked up the nunchucks secretly, because Arthur didn't like me playing with firecrackers, so I had to do something else to pass time... And I just found the nunchucks somewhere in Arthur's cupboard. Don't know what it was doing there though. So I started playing with it, and I realised I was quite good at it."
Wan realised it was the first time Xiang said so much at once.
"So Yao didn't teach you how to use them?"
"Nope. He was my punching bag for a moment before he had more dummies." Xiang stared into the blue sky, and it seemed to be getting dark. "Kiku-san coming here was unexpected."
"I wonder what matters he has with that old man..." Wan thought out loud. "What if the old man hurts him or something.."
"You think too much. Yao has told me about a man named Kiku before, and he's depressed.." Xiang looked around and saw several different flowers, and noticed one that looked exactly like the flower in Wan's hair.
"Why is he depressed?"
"Because.. Yao raised Kiku-san, and somehow.. Kiku-san left him."
"Why is Kiku-san back?" Wan asked, but Xiang gave no reply. Kiku had been with them for more than three months now, and Xiang could tell that Wan had a liking for Kiku, which actually made him feel a bit.. jealous?
Turning around, Wan realised that Xiang had walked towards the bushes that were covered with flowers. She ran after him, but someone grabbed her from behind forcefully. She struggled, but the person who grabbed her was way stronger than her, and the person was approximately two times her size. The figure then started tying her hands together. She tried to scream, but it was muffled by a gloved hand.
Xiang picked out the peach-coloured flower and his ears picked up a sound, some kind of muffled shouting, and he turned. When he saw Wan struggling, he stuffed the flower into his pocket and ran after her. He was led to a monochrome coloured mansion. The big, metal gates were black in colour, and when it opened, the big figure forcefully dragged Wan in. Xiang clenched his fist tight, his nails digging into his skin. He squeezed through the gate before it completely closed. The figure then knocked on the white coloured door twice. Once it opened, the figure went in, dragging Wan behind him. Under the light, Xiang saw that the figure was wearing a black mask and a black shirt with blue pants. Xiang followed him in, careful to prevent detection. He hid behind a wall and got ready his nunchucks, which were always kept somewhere in his clothes.
"Boss, I've got the girl." A high-pitched male voice spoke.
Xiang heard a chuckle. "I didn't expect her to look so.. average." Another man clad in black which had a very low and manly voice said.
Average? Wan is more than average! Is that guy blind or something?
"Oh, I see. After removing the tape around her mouth she looks way better." Another chuckle could be heard.
"Get away from me!"
Xiang's eyes widened as he saw the man unbuttoning Wan's shirt. He then heard someone laughing softly behind him before blacking out.
Xiang blinked his eyes several times before the black painted ceiling was focused. He struggled,
What is this?
He couldn't move. He turned his head ninety degrees, and saw that Wan was lying on the white coloured leather couch.
That bastard.
"She put up quite a resistance didn't she... Had us fighting for half an hour, tsk." The low voice said, followed by a chuckle.
How annoying! His hands were tied behind him with a tough rope and he mentally cursed as he attempted to untie it but to no avail.
"Get off me you jerk!"
At the sound of this, Xiang burst towards the man and punched him in the stomach. Hard.
He dropped to the floor, clutching his stomach in pain. "Why you.."
Xiang hoisted Wan up to his back and ran, as fast as his legs could carry him, towards the nearest place he could find to rest.
Setting her down, he undid the knot behind her back. Wan immediately looked at her red wrists and was staring at the angry, red marks on it. Xiang held her wrists in his hand and inspected it. He then set it down immediately.
"What? You mean that's all your going to do?" Wan stared at Xiang.
"What did you expect me to do?" Xiang retorted, already a bit fed up with what the man did to Wan.
Wan felt her cheeks getting warmer, and she looked down. She didn't want Xiang to see her face. Flashbacks of those fairytale like movies seemed to race in her mind, shouldn't Princes kiss their Princesses? Isn't that how it always was? Or at least massage it. Lessen the pain or something..
"I can't do anything about it. I don't want to hurt you further, Wan."
"Hurt? What hurt?" Wan looked up and her eyes met Xiang's chocolate brown ones.
"You know Kiku-san's leaving soon." Xiang turned away, avoiding eye contact.
"I know that, but why would that hurt me?"
"You almost got.. R-r- .." Xiang couldn't say it. "And Kiku-san's leaving." Emotional and physical hurt, isn't it enough? Why did these things have to happen to her, it's not as if she did anything wrong. Sure, she has a bad temper sometimes, but it's just sometimes...
"I didn't get.. You know.. The 'R' word, and even if Kiku-san's leaving, what does that got to do with me?" Wan was puzzled. Really puzzled.
"Stop pretending you're not hurt." Xiang looked into her eyes again, and his.. Wan could see the side of his eyes glistening.
"You idiot, so what if I'm hurt? What else can I do but wait for time to heal it? The idiot who said that time heals all wounds is a liar. Liar liar liar." Wan resisted the urge to just jump into Xiang's arms and cry.
"I mean, if Kiku-san's leaving you should be hurt after, why are you saying that time doesn't heal your wounds? Are you daft?" Xiang asked, it was his turn to be puzzled. Looks like Arthur really had an influence on him.
"There-there- there was that girl.." She seemed to have started sobbing, but now she had her back turned towards Xiang, so he couldn't actually see her face. "She visited Yao four months ago. And she had that ponytail.. And-and she hugged you Xiang, she hugged you!"
Xiang tilted his head. "Oh, you mean Viet? She's just my senior."
"Why would your senior hug you?" Wan turned, revealing a tear-streaked face.
"Seniorly love, I guess. Is there such a word?" Xiang wanted to wipe her tears away, but he had to reserve that for.. Kiku.
"Ugh, forget it. Let's go home." Wan stood up unsteadily at first, and when Xiang wanted to help her, she pushed him away gently.
After a few minutes, they had reached home. Wan was completely ignoring Xiang, although he didn't know why. Just as they walked through the door, Kiku greeted them.
"Welcome back." He smiled. After noticing Wan's bloodshot eyes, he asked, "What's wrong Wan?"
Xiang swore he heard Wan grumble to Kiku about him after he walked past them. Cheer her up for me.
Xiang stared as Wan wrestled the dummy. Close distance combat wasn't what she was good in, so she practised, hoping to improve. And maybe beat that stupid panda idiot.
She cursed inwardly, hitting the dummy so hard it rattled.
This was nothing new to Xiang, Wan had her moodswings, and it was obviously not a good time to ask her why she hadn't talked to him for months.
Wan turned and glared at Xiang. "What are you looking at me for!" Wan stared, half issued a challenge.
He walked towards her, which actually shocked her a bit.
Xiang smiled, he couldn't help it. Wan's talking to me again.
"Go away." She said coldly, walking away.
Xiang didn't listen.
"I said, go away."
Then Xiang said something, asked something actually, that made Wan's heartbeat stop for a moment.
"Why?"
Wan didn't have a reason. Before the day Kiku left, she was almost r- ... and Xiang saved her. He didn't want to hurt her. He insisted she stop pretending to be unharmed. He.. He was the only one who could make her feel so angry, and she hated him for that. She didn't know why, was this because she was jealous of that senior of his? For getting to hug him? For getting to hug the boy she didn't, wait couldn't hug? What was this? Love? Love for Xiang? No, she loved Kiku. Or so she thought. She blinked back her tears, she loved Kiku as a brother.
Xiang pulled her into a hug, she didn't expect it, but she liked the smell of his cologne, was it? Maybe it was just the smell of his perspiration, but she didn't care. It still smelt good to her.
"Fine, I've hugged you. Talk to me now, okay?" Xiang whispered into the girl's ear. His shoulder was getting a bit damp, but he let her cry.
"Idiot." Wan smiled.
I feel like cursing right now DX