Ten pairings, ten time spans, ten types of love.
"Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend." Theophrastus
Second
It takes a split second, the moment when the katana presses against his throat, for Yong Soo to realize that now Japan is a mere enemy and that Korea has been defeated, but that doesn't change the fact that Kiku is crying and apologizing and kissing him with the blade still against Yong Soo's throat.
Minute
Many things can happen in one minute: Arthur delivers Alfred a punch in the gut, Alfred insults Arthur with something ridiculous, the two bicker for a while, and somehow they both end up on the nearest flat surface trying to suffocate each other with their own lips.
Hour
It is the longest fucking hour in Gilbert's life as he awaits the dawn, the day that his nation will be erased from the map, but somehow he feels a lot more reassured with Matthew's hand in his for the whole time—and overwhelmingly rejoiced to greet the morning with a Canadian who has tears running down his overjoyed face.
Day
Antonio begins the day with waking Lovino up, spends it spending time with Lovino, ends it with Lovino in his arms, and Spain's only wish is for this to continue for every day of his life even if it means that he has to feed the entire South Italian population for the rest of history.
Week
Vash doesn't exactly know how this happened, but he has somehow ended up on his bed straddled by Hong Kong, who he has actually been on speaking terms with for only a single week, and the most unsettling fact is that he really doesn't mind this at all, as long as dear Liechtenstein doesn't come in.
Month
When Denmark finally appears on the doorstep after a month's absence, Norway is ready to kick him out and insult him, but the bouquet of roses and the ring and the proposal shuts him up and makes him smile in the Dane's embrace.
Year
Every year has been the same to Ludwig, since each year was workload after workload after workload, but Feliciano has changed it all, and Ludwig is glad to be a nation, glad to have so many years to come that can be spent with Feliciano.
Decade
They have lived together for an entire decade now, but Tino still finds himself unable to look straight at Berwald's face, but the Swedish nation notices how the Finnish nation blushes every time he looks away, so it is alright.
Century
They haven't fought or even quarreled for over a century, which is usually unhealthy for normal relationships (which usually never even last that long), but Toris knows that "normal" doesn't apply to a certain cross-dressing Polish boyfriend and a seemingly masochistic Lithuanian who is head-over-heels in love with said boyfriend; so all Toris can do is sigh and allow Feliks to snuggle into his side.
Millennium
Over the course of the millenniums, Yao has watched other nations—his siblings, his enemies, his friends—and he is happy to watch them all as he leans against Ivan into warmth and security and love that the Russian nation is happy to give him for the millennia to come.
"Time does not change us. It just unfolds us." Max Frisch
/ I really needed this one. My writer's block has triggered my depression and college apps are really disgusting. Ugh.
I'm utterly failing with writing my multichap fics right now, so I decided to vent out with a ten sentences challenge (ridiculous run-on sentences, I'm sorry). My main goal these days is to work on sentence fluency (or more like smooth plot development...my sentences feel choppy to me) and characterization. Criticism and advice are always welcomed.
And even though the above are really nearly OTPs to me, I am still grieving the fact that I didn't get to write Greece/Japan and Russia/Lithuania. And America/South Korea would be fun too. Oh well.
I like these prompt short fics. Any suggestions for more?