"Mantaku.. of all the days to get sick.."
There she was, curled up on her favourite armchair, wrapped up in a nice fluffy blanket. Today, Sakura was feeling a little bit under the weather, but she still wanted to move around and get things done. Getting shakily to her feet, she staggered across the house, deciding to do some cleaning.
However, she was doing some dusting when she had a sudden dizzy spell, feeling faint as the world around her began to spin. A loud knock at the door stopped her from passing out, but at the price of a headache. Stumbling to the front door, Sakura opened the door and smiled. "Hello," she said in a weak voice.
A bouquet of daisies welcomed Sakura's worn-out face. "G-Good morning Miss Sakura.." smiled Arthur shakily. "May I come in?"
Sakura blushed a bit, but nodded and stepped aside. "Good morning to you, too, Arthur-san," she said in a hoarse voice, smiling.
"You seem to be out shape.." Arthur raised a brow and placed the daisies on the nearby vase. "Did something go wrong with your econmy today?" he asked while touching the forehead of the nation. He observed that she was still trying to clean like any usual hardworking Japanese. "You need some rest." he declared while taking the broom off her hands.
"Eh?" A bit confused, Sakura looked down at her empty hands, then back up at Arthur at the broom. "Ah, Arthur-san, I really appreciate that you wish for my well-being, but there is still a lot to do, and a simple illness can't stand in my way for getting it done.
"Tsk now." hushed the Englishman while folding the sleeves of his sweater. "Show that appreciation then by resting for today.." he explained and swift Sakura off her feet with one of his hands twirling the broom like a baton. He was thankful that Alfred showed him a bit of exercise."Now.." he blushed "Where's your room?".
The Asian's face went a bit redder. It was a bit startling to have her feet off the ground, but at least there wasn't the possibility of passing out and falling over anymore. Sakura pointed to a nearby door, then felt like she was going to fall, so clung back onto him again.
Arthur nodded at the direction and carefully made his way at the exotic looking house. The entire hallway was clean and spotless, not a single statue or shrine misplaced. There were also pictures hung around the walls showing Sakura's travels during the world conference.
"You clean all of this everyday?" he asked with full interest at Sakura's day to day life.
Sakura nodded. "As often as I can, at least. I really want to make a good impression on those who visit." Coughing lightly, she cleared her throat and tried to get her voice back, but it wasn't much use, so she gave up.
"A little bit more now.." encouraged Arthur as he slid open Sakura's room. It was a clean-light green spacious room with a pink mattress rolled at the center. "There, there now.." he gently placed the shaking girl at the mattress and covered her with a warm and fluffy blanket. Arthur held Sakura's cold hands and took her temperature by pulse.
"Would you like something to drink?" he asked. "We need to get your temp back on shape.."
"Yes, please," Sakura croaked, smiling at him. Though she had been friends with him for a while, she had been feeling a bit weird around him lately.
She kept thinking weird things, like how he was really handsome and that he was such a kind, loving gentleman who could easily win her heart. Though she would try and push away such thoughts, they were reoccurring and kept coming back. Snapping out of her thoughts, she moved to get out of bed. "I-I'll get it..."
"Nonsense!" Arthur stood up and smiled back at whatever Sakura was thinking. " Stay right where you are and rest for a bit.." he laughed "You shouldn't stress yourself out just impress others you know when you're perfectly impressable on first sight...".
With his face red as Spain's tomatoes, Arthur excused himself to use the kitchen to make her some Luke-warm Japanese tea.
Sakura blushed and stayed where she was, flattered. Did he really think she was that pretty? She shook her head. It must have been a misunderstanding on her part. Instead of dwelling on it, she thought about what he had said. He was right- perhaps she shouldn't work herself so hard. It only stressed her out. That said, she was a nation, and had no time to be lazy... Sighing, she lay back in bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Oh!" Arthur waved at the figure outside Sakura's room. It was a little boy with three eyes wearing a traditional yuktata. "You're a yokai, aren't you? " he asked.
The black haired yokai was shocked at the foreigner that could see him but simply gave him a nod.
"Would you show me where's the kitchen in this place? Im not use to this kind of home you see."
The little yokai smiled and pointed at the west of the hallway. "I could show you if you want to." he offered "That would be fine as well.." agreed Arthur while scratching his brows.
"Caterpillar like brows!" beamed the yokai. "You're the nation, Nihon-oneechan has a crush on, right?" he asked.
Sakura lay in bed, hearing Arthur talk to himself again. She would never know how he managed to talk to himself in such a manner and not feel like it was strange... Sure, she had talked to imaginary friends at one point, thinking they were real, but she was sure everyone had. Perhaps Arthur was still in that phase...? She couldn't be sure. Feeling overheated, she groaned and rolled over onto her other side, kicking the covers off her so they were lying in a heap at her feet. Being ill sure was a pain... While she was caught up in her despair, she was unaware that one of her biggest secrets had just been revealed to the very man she had been most determined to hide it from.
"Come back here you twat!," yelled the blushing Englishman "Did she say that? Hey I said stop!"
" Didn't you say you wanted to go to the kitchen?" replied the yokai with a face. "Caterpillar like brows is here!" he laughed running like wild and leaving Arthur to catch his breathe.
"Bloody yokai.." he cursed.
Arthur looked at the single picture frame at the edge of the hallway. It was a picture taken when Sakura first opened her country to the Western agethere was the younger Sakura in her most gorgeous looking yokataand that idiot hero with his whale, squeezed in the middle was a cranky Brit who''s brows still hasn't change.
"She likes you that's what I'm gonna say.." said the yokai appearing before Arthur with a traditional tea set at hand.
"Sorry for the wait.." apologized Arthur as he entered the room with a tea set for two. "A bloody yokai had me running a bit you see.."
"I could hear that," she chuckled weakly, propping herself up. So as not to offend him, she played along with what she thought were his delusions. As far as she was aware, yokai were nothing more than Japanese folklore. "Thank you very much, Arthur-san. I'm really sorry for having you work for me like this..."
"Anything for a dear friend, I won't do!" smiled Arthur. "But I could still you will continue working even after I leave at rest,no?" he asked while pouring hers and his with steaming hot rich flavored tea.
Sakura chuckled and took a sip of her tea, smiling brightly as the soothing liquid ran down her throat. "This is gorgeous," she breathed. "So much better than how I make it." She kept taking in small mouthfuls, addicted to the wonderful flavour.
"R-Really?" asked Arthur in complete aw. He took a sip of his own and felt every flavor in the tea as indeed beautiful. "Thank you.." he said "no one has ever complemented my tea before.."
"Why on earth not? It's amazing." Sakura smiled, constantly taking small sips until there was hardly anything left. Nonetheless, she got all she could out of it. The flavour was so splendid, she couldn't get enough of it.
Arthur laughed at the acknowledgment. "I suppose it had to do something with my culinary background.." Sakura giggled a bit and the world seemed to slow down.
Sakura noticed this too. Time almost seemed to stop, and everything was getting slower. She looked at Arthur, blushing a little bit, keeping the warm mug in her cold hands.
"Neh..miss Sakura.." he asked slowly "By any chances..do you..ermmm..well"
"Hm? What is it, Arthur-san?" She tilted her head a little bit. She had a hunch on what he was about to say, but didn't know whether he would.
"Well..do you-"
/MARUKAITE CHIKYUU! MARUKAITE CHIKYUU! LOOK AT THAT, THAT MUST BE EARTH! BOKU HETALIA!/
Arthur couldn't believe it was his bloody phone at a time like this.
Arthur's shouts and the distant, muffled words made Sakura's head spin. She didn't know what was going on, but it seemed urgent, so as soon as he put the phone down, she decided to reassure him. "It's okay. Go, if you need to. I can manage on my own... Mister China trained me well when it came to determination." She chuckled, making sure to speak of her former brother formally. They didn't consider themselves related anymore, not after that huge fight they got themselves engaged in He took out his slender phone a pressed answer.
"Hello?"
[Bonjour mon ammo!] greeted the voice from the other line.
"FROG?!" yelled Arthur in surprise " Why'd ya callin for?" he asked. The phone was filled with statics but the Frenchman started to laugh
[Are you still at Miss Japan's home? How is she? Was this Angleterre a problem?] interrogated the France
"It's not a problem.." She chuckled slightly, blushing a bit more.
"Yeah.." answered Arthur "But she's still sick an-"
[ Just tell her you love her dammit and get back here okay? America's going to get strangled by Russia if you don't get back here!? Bye!]
"N-Nanni.." the Japanese blushed.
"Right..you heard that all.." he said while putting his socks back on and his coat, buttons and all. "S-Sorry about the sudden ex-"
"No-no..It's fine really" stuttered Sakura as she saw how busy the man was but took the liberty to visit her.
"..if it's possible, please pass on the message to Yao-san that this old woman will use whatever skill she has left in her old age against him as soon as she is back to full health." smiled the Japanese while getting up.
"I need something though to make me feel the energy.." she teased.
"Will these help?" With that, he leaned on the Japanese nation and kissed her lips. It was cold but very warm.
"An old woman?" he smiled "You're the most prettiest old woman I'll ever see then miss Sakura.."
"A-Arthur.." Her face bright red, she stared at him, her heart racing. She sat there in shock for a moment before leaning in again and gently kissing his lips."Daisuki dayo..Arthur-san.."
He immediately dashed out of her room and put his shoes on. "Until some other time Miss Sakura!" he waved to the smilling nation with the invisible happy yokai beside her and mouthing the words : You gave her that dizzy spell yourself didn't you? Arthur couldn't help it to smile at the yokai and wink at the blushing Japanese girl.
"Who knows," he greeted good bye
She waved back at him, internally freaking out, but keeping that a secret as she bid him farewell. "Stay safe, Arthur-san," she said softly, pulling herself out of bed. "Thank you for everything... especially the tastiest cup of tea I've ever had."
"You're welcome!" he smiled once more before running to the trains and making a plan on how to save that hero from getting killed by Ivan again.
