A/N: This was originally written for kotoriri over at Livejournal for Valentalia. This was written for last year's Valentine's Day. But seeing as Valentine's is upon us again, I thought I'd share it here as well. Enjoy!

Of Hamburgers and Valentines.

America paced back and forth. "Dammit!" he swore. Things like this really shouldn't be so difficult, he was the hero after all. Yet there he was pacing outside at a complete loss.

"America?"

He turned towards his caller and saw Taiwan staring at him with a questioning look in her eyes.

America flushed. "Taiwan," he replied, nodding his head in acknowledgment.

"Not that I'm not glad to see you and everything but what are you doing standing outside my door?" she asked as she approached the house, which also meant closer to America.

"I, er, I..." he started to say as she put the key into the lock and opened the door. Once she stepped through the entrance she glanced back at America, with a look that clearly said she was searching for a more coherent answer.

"I came by to drop off these hamburgers!" he practically shouted as he shoved the brown paper bag full of fast food towards the small brunette.

Taiwan accepted the bad apprehensively. "Thanks, really. But was there anything else you wanted?"

"Wanted?" America could feel his face heating up again. Shit. I can't do this, he thought. "Well actually, there may be something..."

Taiwan simply stared at America for a few moments before her face split into a grin. "Come on in then. I'll make us some tea. Or perhaps some coffee," she amended when America's face cringed at the word 'tea'.

America grinned as well. "Coffee sounds great."

As Taiwan started to pour the coffee, she glanced at America. He was sitting at the kitchen table looking very preoccupied with a button on his shirt. She smiled. He sure likes to act big but sometimes he's just like a little kid, she mused. As she served the coffee, America muttered a small thanks and then she sat down to face the other nation.

"So what was that other thing you wanted?" she asked.

For a few beats, there was silence. America just stared into his coffee cup, until finally he said, "Today's February 14th".

Taiwan just smiled. "So you came here to tell me what the date is today? I have a calendar for that you know. Actually, you gave it to me, if I recall correctly."

"Well, er, you see, the thing is..." America began, then faltered.

Taiwan placed a reassuring hand on America's. "You can tell me, whatever it is." Maybe sometimes even America needed his own hero.

America looked up and into Taiwan's eyes. They're such an intense blue, she realized. She had never noticed. What she always noticed was his confident smile and his hair and how it always had that one piece sticking up. But she never noticed his eyes before. Now that she saw them, really saw them, she was amazed at how bright they were. They also seemed so... honest.

She had been so busy looking at America's eyes, she missed what he was saying and only managed to apprehend the last bit of his rambling.

"... someone you like."

Crap. She missed nearly all of it and couldn't really discern what was going on with the fragment that she managed to catch. Now it was her turn to blush. "Sorry, I may have missed that." she mumbled, looking down at the table.

She heard America sigh and she cursed internally for the possibility of ruining the moment, but when she looked up at the blond, she saw him smile. Always the hero.

"I hope you're listening because the hero only repeats himself once."

Taiwan nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"So like I said, on this day particularly, in America it's celebrated as Valentine's Day. It's a day you spend with someone you really like."

Taiwan smiled. "So that's why you came over with hamburgers? You know we celebrate it here too but most people just give flowers."

America scoffed. "I'm not most people and besides, hamburgers are so much better!" he protested. "I even made sure I brought eight of them, I know it's a lucky number for you," he added.

Taiwan thought she must have been grinning like a fool at that moment. She never imagined America to be so thoughtful. "Yes, when things come in eight, something good usually follows."

"Really? What kind of something?" America smirked.

Taiwan knew how to take a hint, so she leaned forward and placed her lips on America's. He responded eagerly by wrapping his arms around her in a strong embrace to pull her closer and intensify the kiss.

When they broke apart Taiwan smiled serenely and said, "Something like that."

"Well I may have been hoping for something a little better. After all I did bring over eight hamburgers."

"Is that so?"

And with that, Taiwan found herself being picked up and then carried by America in the direction of her bedroom.

The hamburgers were left forgotten.

America opened his eyes and looked at the clock, it was evening now. They had spent the whole afternoon together. America found Taiwan to be incredibly responsive. With every thrust, touch, and breath, she moved against him, with him, and he couldn't get enough. Their bodies slid together and just fit. Every shift was complementary to one another. America had never been with someone quite like Taiwan. She was strong and beautiful and he enjoyed spending his time with her.

He sighed and turned over in the bed to look at Taiwan's sleeping form. He brushed the stray hair out of her face. He loved how she had that one strand that was always a little out of place. It was similar to his 'Nantucket', but hers was much more alluring and feminine, much like Taiwan herself.

As America brushed the hair away, Taiwan blinked her eyes open. When her eyes settled on America, she smiled and he couldn't help but smile back. He leaned forward to place a soft kiss at the top of her head.

"It's 18:30 now, should we do something about dinner?"

At the mention of dinner, Taiwan leaped of the bed and hurtled out the bedroom door. America, having no idea of what was happening, raced after her, only to see her scrambling towards the kitchen.

"Oh no!" he heard her exclaim.

"Taiwan! What's wrong?" he shouted barreling into the kitchen. He scanned the room looking for some sort of tragedy but all he saw was Taiwan holding a paper bag.

"The hamburgers you brought over! They've gone bad now! What a waste," she cried dejectedly.

"Hey, hey now. No worries." America responded reassuringly, wrapping his arms around the smaller nation. "We can always go out for dinner, after all it's Valentine's Day. It'll be nice and I also happen know some pretty awesome places..."

Taiwan smiled up at America. "That sounds lovely."

Besides, America thought, wasting those hamburgers was definitely worth it.