Pairing: Rochu (Ivan x Yao)
Synopsis: On Christmas day, the day of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Ivan is preparing for his departure when Yao comes for one final visit, his first in decades since their split. They reminisce happy and unpleasant memories, burying the hatchet and re-bridging the unique connection between them.
Written as a Christmas present for atds0724's Secret Santa project on Deviant Art.
All characters (C) Axis Powers Hetalia & Hidekaz Himaruya. Characters and story are not representative of actual nations and events.
Chapter 1: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Christmas in 1991 was particularly festive. New republics rejoiced at their new found freedom, while a certain superpower nation revelled in relief at the demise of a pesky thorn in his flesh. In Eastern Europe where many nations had festooned their homes with festive decorations, one particularly large house stuck out like a sore thumb. Not only was it completely unadorned on the outside, its interior looked austere and inhospitable, due to the fact that more than half its furnishings were gone.
In an equally sombre frame of mind was its occupant Ivan Braginski, who knelt in front of his empty, open suitcase, needing to pack, but failing to find the mood to do so. He supposed he should have begun packing his belongings earlier. The end of the Soviet Union was only a matter of time ever since the nations that lived in his house began leaving one by one. With an unplanned trip to a nameless place for an indefinite amount of time, he would have to pack his luggage carefully to ensure self-sufficiency. Yet as the days went by, he continued to clutch at straws, hoping against hope that his boss would persevere. For now, even if he lived alone, he could at least turn to his boss for a human presence.
The doorbell rang, jolting Ivan out of melancholic thoughts. Assuming that his boss had come by for a last visit, he ran to open the door, and was momentarily stunned by the identity of his visitor.
Standing in front of him was his old flame and Chinese neighbour clad in a bulky fur coat, his white cheeks tinted red from cold. Since the day Wang Yao had stormed away from his house after a violent disagreement over ideological differences decades ago, he had never paid him a private visit again. In spite having signed a treaty of friendship several months back, it was carried out by their bosses while they exchanged nasty words in Ivan's office because neither refused to recognize whatever mistakes the other thought he had made. Ivan shuffled his feet disconcertingly as Yao's amber eyes watched him searchingly. Those fiery amber eyes filled with strength and courage that had fascinated him so much made him quell with shame.
"It's freezing cold out here. Aren't you going to let me in aru?" Yao stifled a sneeze.
Ivan hastily stepped aside for Yao to enter. Yao put down his bag and removed his outerwear, looking around the sparsely furnished living room as he did so.
"Take a seat, I'll get you a hot drink," Ivan said, gesturing stiffly to the couch. "You'll have Chinese tea?"
"Do you still keep my tea leaves? I thought you didn't like the taste of Chinese tea," Yao said, slightly surprised as he sat on the couch and placed his coat and bag in a neat pile beside him.
"I don't drink it, but I kept it in case…" Ivan voice faltered as a pink blush crossed his pale face. He turned his back on Yao and headed to the kitchen to prepare his drink. Minutes later, he returned with the beverage and sat it on the coffee table in front of Yao.
"I'll be busy packing my suitcase," Ivan awkwardly pointed to his empty, open suitcase on the ground. Yao nodded his approval. He picked up the porcelain cup and blew gently at it.
"So… the rumours are true then. You really are leaving aru?" Yao asked as he sipped his hot tea gingerly.
"Yes, I am," Ivan replied, his eyes fixed on the empty, open suitcase in front of him.
A few minutes of silence passed as the chinking sound of metal against porcelain echoed around the quiet room. Dissatisfied with the blandness of his tea, Yao took to stirring it in hopes of making the taste diffuse out faster. He took another sip and sighed.
"I don't think I can ever get used to the tea you brew. If you can even call it tea. No wonder you don't like drinking it aru," Yao sat the cup on the coffee table.
"Well, you don't have to, since I may not come back again," Ivan said bitterly.
"Do you not know how long you will be away for?" Yao asked stoically.
"I don't even know where I'm headed for, or whether a new nation is taking my place," Ivan extended his hands in a sign of resignation.
"Maybe you'll have Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece for company," Yao tried to maintain his nonchalance as he stared determinedly at the porcelain tea cup in front of him. The image of the tea cup was beginning to mist over.
"Well, that was most unexpected. I never thought the day would come when I'd end up extinct like those geezers. I suppose they'll rename me Ancient Soviet?" Ivan shrugged his shoulders.
"Actually, it wasn't unexpected at all," Yao interjected. "My boss obviously knew what he was doing when he deviated from your ideology. And I did warn you on several occasions which you refused to listen. Alfred predicted that…"
"Fine! Alfred's always right!" Ivan bellowed as he got to his feet suddenly and turned around to face Yao. "So why don't you join his Capitalist camp and leave me in peace? Or have you come specially to mock me?"
"You heartless jerk!" Yao burst out. The tears that danced in his eyes trickled down his cheeks. "My choices have nothing to do with Alfred at all!" He wiped his tears furiously on the back of his sleeve. Spitefully, he retorted, "Who do you think you are anyway? You're not so important that I'd brave this ridiculous winter and come all the way here just to mock you aru!"
Ivan's mouth twitched in annoyance, but he took a deep breath and refrained from responding to this taunt. Yao's tearful face never failed to tug at his heartstrings. The ancient nation was so resilient and stubborn that he rarely showed his tears unless his grief or hurt was deep. Right from the start, he knew that compassionate Yao who had always treated him with love and kindness in spite of his twisted personality could not possibly have come to jeer at him for being down and out.
"Don't cry, Yao," Ivan said quietly. When Yao continued to snivel into his sleeve, Ivan unwound his scarf and extended it to Yao. Yao hastily took it without a second thought and buried his face in it. Ivan watched on forlornly, a dull ache in his heart.
"Oh no! Your scarf!" Yao cried when he realized that what he thought was an ordinary handkerchief was in fact Ivan's favourite scarf from his older sister.
"It's all right, Yao. You can keep it," Ivan said. "For memory's sake, if you will," he added hesitantly.
"Are you sure?" Yao asked tearfully. "But this scarf means so much to you. I'll just go and wash it and dry it over the fireplace."
Yao stood up from the couch, but Ivan wrenched at his wrist, causing him to fall into his lap. Both of them flinched from the sudden intimacy; it had been ages since they had so much as touched each other's hands. Yao leapt up as though he had sat on a thistle.
"Sorry, Yao," Ivan apologized. "I just don't want to waste my limited time with you... I mean, on such trivials. I'm fine without the scarf, really. I have others da."
Yao nodded his head. "I brought something for you," He sat back down on the couch and reached out for his bag. From inside, he produced a black silk brocade jacket with a large, intricate embroidery patch on the back featuring a majestic phoenix soaring among wispy clouds.
"I don't know where you are going, but I know how afraid you are of the cold, so I got this made for you. It doesn't look warm on the surface, but inside it is several layers of the warmest mink I could find," Yao turned the jacket inside out to display the fluffy fur inside. "It's very light and slender, and best of all, the mink layers are detachable, so if you end up going to a warm place, it will still be practical aru."
"It's amazing da," Ivan marvelled.
"Of course," Yao replied proudly. "I got the best tailors I know to make it. I embroidered it myself though. I know how much you used to like my Chinese shirts, but I would never let you borrow mine or make one for you because you're so tall and broad. I still remember that time I came home to find you wearing my favourite red shirt and eating my lunch without so much as getting my permission to enter my house. I couldn't wear the shirt after that because all the seams broke. I was so mad," Yao smiled at the memory.
Something snapped inside Ivan. Like a tap that was not twisted shut, sorrow, loneliness and hunger for love from the past decades overflowed as the tight knot in his heart came undone. Throwing his arms around a stunned Yao, he sobbed into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry Yao, I'm so sorry. After all these years, you're still so good to me in spite of my meanness to you. I don't know how I can ever make it up to you now," Ivan wept uncontrollably.
Renewed tears surfaced in Yao's eyes as grief and anger overcame him. Placing his arms around Ivan, he cried, "I warned you! I told you that no good would come out of your decisions, but you accused me of discouraging you for want of bettering you. If only you'd listen to me and persuade your boss, you wouldn't be in this state now… and I wouldn't be all alone again. You are a selfish cad aru!"
Ivan gazed regretfully at Yao's tear-soaked face. Stroking his cheek tenderly, he said, "I'm really sorry Yao, I didn't mean to put you down. I wanted to be stronger because it was my duty to look after you. I underestimated your abilities. I didn't realize that my little Yao was no longer the weak nation that I sought to protect."
"You're as paranoid as always," Yao sniffed. "No matter how my leaders and people have changed, my feelings for you will never change. I am always your little Yao."
Pulling Ivan tight against his body, he leaned in to kiss the larger nation. Their initially uncertain tongues entwined, battling to show their affection as they delighted in the familiarity of each others taste. After such a long period of abstinence, it felt like cresting the first curve of a roller-coaster, exhilaration, anticipation and elation all rolled into one moment.
All too soon, Ivan's tongue took possession, his tongue thrusting dominantly into Yao's mouth, delving deeper until he had tasted every nuance of the warm wet cavern, finally sucking on his lover's shyer muscle. He moaned his approval as Yao melted against him, his embrace slackening as he sagged slightly in his arms.
Unable to hold back his desire any longer, Ivan detached himself gently from the succulent lips and pushed Yao down onto the couch so that he was in a supine position. He prostrated himself over his smaller lover, his thigh pressed between Yao's legs, while his restless fingers began undoing the buttons on Yao's shirt.
"You pervert!" Yao gasped, "I can't believe you still have a mind for such things when you could well be headed for hell aru!"
Ivan's fingers slowed down as he locked his eyes with Yao's amber ones. "I just want to leave behind fond memories of us," Ivan said seriously. "I don't want your last memory to be of me shouting at you in my boss's office." A flicker of disappointment crossed his solemn face. "Do you not want me?"
"I'm not fighting back, am I?" Yao said softly, his cheeks a radiant pink.
TO BE CONTINUED...
FREE TALK
Originally, I had no intentions of writing a Christmas fic since Christmas is not significant to the Chinese and Russians celebrate Christmas differently from the traditional ways. But then I wanted to join atds0724 's Secret Santa because I love her Rochu fan arts. And a submission for a Secret Santa should be somewhat Christmassy right? In the end, I wrote a fic that had nothing to do with the spirit of Christmas. *Bricked*
The story is lightly based on the dissolution of the Soviet Union and of the Sino-Soviet split, which you can google to find out about. In my mind, when the USSR disintegrated, I prefer to think that he went off on a trip rather than physically disintegrate. The latter is too cruel. _
This is my first attempt at writing angst. (All my other stories are humour ^^; ). This is also my first time portraying a slightly more forward Yao. Hope it satisfies! If not, critique is welcome!
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