Pure fluff Japan/China sidestory to Second Chance. Written for Hikari Kame, Second Chance's 200th reviewer.

This was written as a companion chapter to chapter 14 of the main story, so you should read that far to know what's going on.

I'll leave it up to the individual reader to decide if this story is 'canon' with the main Second Chance story. It depends on whether you prefer Japan/China as bromance or romance. But seeing as how you're reading this... lol

Disclaimer: Hetalia's not mine.

Kiku cracked into his cookie, removing the slip of paper. "These were an interesting idea."

"Don't look at me." China laughed. "America made them."

"Really?" Kiku looked up at him in surprise. "I didn't know that."

"A lot of westerners don't, I think." China gave another chuckle. "It's funny thinking of you as a westerner, aru. Even if you're still the same you. Maybe now you'll take pictures of all the Asian things that intrigue you?"

"I did have a fairly Japanese upringing, still." Kiku smiled at him. He glanced around at the fancy dragons and Buddha statues that decorated the restaurant, musing on how fond China was off all of his Chinatowns. He claimed to have had a hand in all of their construction, which seemed unlikely—but so did his being China, so anything was possible.

Then he remembered his fortune, and glanced down at it. It gave a brief Chinese lesson—the word was 'friend'—so he flipped it over to the actual fortune. "The one you love is closer than you think."

"That's cute," China said, cracking open his own cookie.

Kiku just nodded. He had never given fortunes much consideration—they were just mass-produced sayings, after all. And then there was Alfred, who always giggled and added 'in bed' to the end, to the point where Kiku found himself doing that unconsciously. "What does yours say?"

"You love Chinese food." China tossed the paper down. "I never get good ones, aru."

"But it's accurate, isn't it?" Kiku said, lips twitching.

"Well, yes. Authentic, or the stuff you call Chinese food."

Kiku nibbled on his cookie, finished his tea, and stood. "Shall we get going?"

"Let's."

They paid for their meal and exited the establishment, into the warm summer night. The city was lit up, and passersby talked animatedly together.

"Have you dreamed of me?" China wondered as they strolled side-by-side down the street.

Kiku hesitated. "I have."

"Nothing good, hm?"

"We fought a lot. Like, in every dream that involved you."

"That we did." China clasped his hands behind his back. "You were a cute child, though, aru. I taught you a lot of things. But even then..."

"We got along in the last war, at least." He hadn't had many visions from that time period, but that much he knew from studying. Many nations that had been enemies in previous wars had come together. "But I suppose that was from necessity."

"It was kind of nice, aru," China admitted. "I almost felt guilty for appreciating a war for bringing us to the same side. Until the casualties started piling up, anyway, nothing was worth that."

"No one has told me about how I died," Kiku said, staring up at the dark cloudy sky. He sensed rain, and dug around in the bag he had brought with him for an umbrella.

"No," China murmured, and didn't elaborate further. Kiku really had a bad feeling about that. Maybe he had been captured, whereas the others had just been swiftly killed. "But I was very upset, aru."

"Here comes the rain," Kiku said as he felt the first splat of water on his cheek. Better to change the subject, he wouldn't bring that particular topic up again. It was hard not to be curious, but if everyone was too traumatized to answer...

"Rain?" China looked up, melancholy expression growing worried. "Should we call a cab?"

"I brought an umbrella. I always keep an umbrella with me." Kiku held it up. It bore a red and white maple leaf pattern.

"I don't have one, aru..."

"Take mine, nii-chan." Kiku shoved it into China's hands. "A little rain doesn't bother me."

"I couldn't..."

"Take it." The water dripping on his head actually felt rather refreshing after the warm summer his home had been experiencing. But it was abruptly cut off when China stepped closer, covering them both with the umbrella.

"It's really starting to come down, aru." China made a face toward the sky, as if he could glare the rain away. "Can't we call a cab?"

"This is nice." Kiku reached a hand toward the umbrella to help steady it over their heads, brushing against China's hand.

"But I'm getting wet even with this thing!"

"You won't melt." But they walked a little faster, even as those around them rushed to reach cars and homes. By the time they returned to the hotel, they were thoroughly soaked, umbrella useless as they ran through the sudden onslaught. China had gotten over his agitation, laughing as he tossed the soggy umbrella into a corner.

"You look like a drowned rat, aru."

"You didn't fare much better." Several strands of long soggy hair had plastered themselves to China's face. Kiku reached over to brush them back. China's eyes widened at the touch, and Kiku quickly withdrew his hand. "Sorry." He felt his cheeks heat for some reason, and tried to think of something interesting to say. "So, do I need to bring anything? For the upcoming meeting?"

"You? No." China's smile returned. "I shouldn't think so." He fetched a pair of fluffy white towels from the bathroom and tossed one to Kiku. Rather than dry off, he watched China, liking the way the droplets of water dripped from his hair and down his neck. He shook his head, musing on what a pervert he was becoming. Weren't they brothers?

"You're supposed to be drying off, aru." China took Kiku's towel and dumped it over his head. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're pretty," Kiku blurted out, and cringed. He never said stupid things like that! It had taken him a month of delicately dancing around the subject to ask out his last partner.

"Oh." China's eyes widened. "Thank you, Kiku."

Kiku mumbled a reply, face growing increasingly warmer. They hadn't known each other long, but he already loved the sibling relationship they had going. He didn't want to screw that up because he was starting to feel... what? The others had felt instant attraction for their former lives' lovers, but he hadn't even liked China. Or maybe there had been more to it? Everything was so complicated.

China cleared his throat. "You're still staring, aru."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's cute!" China smiled at him. "And you're blushing."

"Ah..."

"Just so you know—for future reference, just friendly random advice—we nations don't have the same romantic boundaries humans do. Gender, relation, whatever. And if a relationship doesn't work out, we get over it."

Kiku blinked at him. Was that his way of...?

"Will you stop looking and give me a kiss, aru?"

Oh. Kiku tugged the damp nation close and their lips met. China's tasted like tea and rain water, sweet and soft.

"Hey..." Kiku said when they parted. "Do you think there's something to fortune cookies?"

"I think so." China's smile widened. "I do like Chinese food."