Oh, deary me, haven't written here in a while. Must've been summer when I last published something. But as I'm making good progress with my original story on FP, I thought I'd take a little break, and as I have recently fallen in love with Asia-based family fic as well as the China/Rome bromance, I thought I'd make something of a combination.
Historical notes you my skip if you like: Rome and China traded with each other along the Silk Road. Rome adored the silk the Chinese had, and China... Idk, wanted at least some of the Romans' shit. Japan declared independence from China around the 600s, the Roman Empire dissolved for good maybe a century before, so China was chilling with Rome and raising Japan and Korea at about the same time. Taiwan and Hong Kong were not really colonised for another thousand years, so they're left out.
Rome and China's conversations are not in chronological order, or if they are, it's a happy coincidence.
Japan's family consisted of early risers. China always wanted to stretch and exercise, then eat and do some work. Korea was interested only in eating, Japan in work, although he was young and China brushed him off whenever he decided he wanted to read his boss's documents, saying that they were complicated, he would only be young once, these weren't things for him to worry about. This morning, Korea was being especially dedicated to food, shovelling it into his mouth whilst also trying to tell China about his dreams. After one too many flecks of half-chewed food had spattered China's letters and documents, Korea had been sent on a quest to find the cat. ("I think she was in the garden last, aru.") Japan had hidden a smile; he knew the cat was happily asleep on China's feet underneath the table.
Japan rested his chin against his palm, trying to make sense of the words on China's pages. He knew the most basic characters, but was far from a fluent reader. The boy allowed his eyes to drift, before abruptly stopping on a letter different from the others. A wooden square, coated in what appeared to be wax, with alien letters carved into it.
Japan reached across the table, grabbing the tablet and staring at the letters. They were simple little squiggles, taking only two or three strokes to write. Who had written this? Not China, surely. Even though his brother knew several languages, this was all different. Japan tentatively cleared his throat. "Mr. China?"
"Gege is fine, aru." Big Brother. That's what China wanted to be called, but Japan was happy to be formal, really.
"Whose letters are these?" Japan pushed the odd tablet towards the other country.
China smiled a little, eyes skimming over the symbols. "Another country, aru, from the West. He trades with me."
"Oh." Japan hadn't realised there were quite so many nations. To him, the world had China, Korea, Thailand, India and Mongolia. "How far away is he?" He must be far away, further than Mongolia's empire reached, even!
"Oh, months away, I expect. He comes to us, we don't go his way." China blew on a document, trying to get the ink to dry quickly. "Don't touch this, Didi."
"Could you tell me about him? The country from the West?" Curiosity had rapidly began to take over Japan's mind. It was the letters. They told Japan that this person was very different and very far away.
China sighed, skimming through a letter, discarding it quickly with a kind of snort. "He calls himself the Roman Empire, aru. He owns a lot of land and he's in charge of many people."
"What's he like?" Because if all countries were like, say, Korea, Japan had to be prepared to expect the worst.
"He's very tall, and confident, and loud. He's an explorer. That's why he comes so far." Japan recognised the look on China's face. A sort of exasperated fondness that often came when Korea had responded to yet another of someone's sentences with 'why?'. China shook his head a little. "He'll visit soon, I think. He's written looking for advice from me, you see." China squinted at the script. "I think. His writing makes no sense to me." China's hand rested on Japan's head. "Now, go outside. I have work to do."
"Look tidy, both of you. Today, we have a visitor." China, Japan and Korea were again seated at the breakfast table. China had put away his scrolls and books today, and Japan wondered who the visitor was, if they were so important that China had told the boys they were coming before they came. China's local friends simply visited at random, and left the children well alone. A government official, perhaps? Yes, that sounded right to Japan. He smoothed down his fringe and made plans to escape to the garden as soon as the introductions were over.
The man at the door, however, was definitely not a government official. When he arrived, all Japan could do was stare at his clothes. Hard metal armour, like that of China's soldiers but shinier and golden. Strange leather shoes with straps, and a long red cape. The first thing he did when he stepped in the door was crush China into a hug that literally lifted him off his feet, before setting him down and enthusiastically kissing him on both cheeks. China pretended to look angry, but quickly noticed what Japan hadn't—two minuscule little children lingering behind the big man. He sent both a smile, inviting the three in for tea.
Japan paid close attention to everything regarding the nations. He knew that that was what they were, because they all spoke the special language all nations used to communicate. China quickly fell deep into conversation with this man, mainly regarding the children.
"You didn't tell me you had them, aru."
The stranger drained his teacup in a way that would have gotten Japan or Korea scolded ("Drink slowly, aru! Enjoy it!")
"They were born recently. My grandsons."
China refilled the cups, shooting Japan a sideways glance that Japan knew meant 'Go play, this is adult conversation.' He ignored it.
"You know what they represent?"
Japan looked over at the two little boys. Barely toddlers, one asleep in his chair, a bitter-looking scowl on his face, the other sucking on his fingers, examining Japan as much as Japan was examining him.
Their grandfather—Rome—petted the sleeping one's hair fondly. "I think they're Italia."
China's cup clattered to the table. "Italia? What does this mean for you, aru?" He asked as he rapidly cleared up the spilled tea.
The Roman Empire's smile widened. "Good things, China. I think it means I've outgrown Italia completely. Or that's what Greece says." He rested his chin on his hand, smiling. "She's a very intelligent woman."
"And what does she mean by 'outgrown', aru?"
"She says that perhaps my Empire has expanded so far that I now represent it and all its cultures, rather than simply Italia. So these two are representing it now." The scowling child shifted and swatted at his grandfather's hand. Rome grinned. "They're so cute, aren't they?"
China smiled. "I agree, aru."
Something Japan learned quickly was that there were still more nations west of Mongolia, one's China had never met but Rome gossiped about endlessly. Japan, of course, listened to every bit of it, although he only began to understand it after years of maturing and growing into a young man, well-educated n political matters.
"Egypt's emperors are getting sicker with every generation. The country's in turmoil, no prince is living long enough to become an heir."
"Japan's citizens are becoming rowdy, aru, and I'm not sure my boss can be talked out of taking action."
"Oh, Greece is pregnant."
"Bring her some of these herbs, aru, they might help if she's sick."
"I've conquered Brittania. The weather's terrible and the island is filled with barbarians. Won't be wasting my time on the island beside it."
"Have I told you about my neighbour to the North, aru? A very odd child, and I don't know how to feel about him. I think he could become problematic, aru."
It was harmless gossip, mainly, although Japan occasionally saw darker things, things that quickly got him removed from the room. The time Rome cried stuck out in Japan's mind. He had noticed Rome's battered and bruised body and worn-out face, and quickly made sure China couldn't see him outside the door.
Rome had collapsed onto the table, and China had poured him tea, then allowed the Empire to rest his head on his chest and try not to cry. "What happened, aru?"
"Pompeii." Rome rubbed at his eyes furiously.
"What, aru?"
Rome gulped and took his cup, although his hands shook and he spilled half of it. "M-my port city. By Rome. A volcano erupted, and we all thought it was dormant, but—" He gasped, cutting himself off. "The whole city. Buried under a mountain of rock, and nearly all the citizens dead."
"Surely more have died in your Empire, with all your wars?" China's voice, while questioning, was not unkind.
"It hurts more when it's innocent people spending their last few minutes in pain and terror. I have brave soldiers who prepare to die honourably." He sighed. "Romano saw and felt the whole thing. He was staying there, I was teaching him about trade."
China sighed heavily. "He's alright?"
"He's a nation, he'll recover just fine."
Japan decided to leave them alone.
"I have a son now. With Greece."
"Is he a nation, do you know, aru?"
"I don't, but he's super cute! She's just calling him Heracles until we find out what country he is. I think Hercules works better, though."
"Oh, you would."
"I've conquered Egypt."
And even though Japan knew China was in constant pain due to conflict with he Mongols, he was always happy to talk with his oldest friend, happy to listen to him list his achievements and how he was growing even as he weakened.
Until gradually, the tables began to turn.
"Oh, Japan's growing so quickly, aru! I'm proud."
"Look what we've invented, aru! Isn't it useful?"
"Oh, things are getting better. We have a popular emperor now, aru."
In fact, things got worse for Rome.
"Germania's been attacking more than usual."
"There's been conflict with a new religious group. Call themselves Christians."
"I'm sorry I don't have much to trade this time. There isn't much at home."
Japan barely noticed the visits get less frequent—he wanted to live in his own home and get his own traditions and alphabet and government, without China. Rome was given barely any thought.
It was on the evening Japan was packing his things and thinking of the alphabet one of his citizens—his, not China's—had thought of, that he remembered the wax tablet that had arrived so those centuries ago.
He had left his room and sought China, who was up cleaning the last of the dishes. "Mr. China?" Japan had, in fact, spent many years calling him Gege, but he was independent now. They were equals.
"Yes, Japan?" China looked exhausted, so much older than Japan had ever seen him. He was millennia old, sure, but at the risk of sounding like many a clichéd description of China, only now had he let Japan see it.
"What happened to Mr. Rome?"
"Rome?" China shut his eyes, breathing out slowly. "He's dead. He faded away perhaps a century ago."
"You never told us." Us, of course, meant him and Korea.
"You're young, aru. I know neither of you feel it, but you are compared to me or Rome or Greece."
"Has Greece died too? How did Rome die?"
"Yes, the ancients of Europe are mainly gone, or so I hear. Nothing killed Rome by itself. He had financial problems, we was being attacked by many nations at once, he was getting weak."
Japan was mentally kicking himself. He hadn't even realised nations were mortal too, in a way. Would he die? Would China, too, one day?
China rested his damp, soapy hands on Japan's shoulders. "You'll live a long life if you make the right choices. Treat your people fairly, handle your money wisely." Japan resisted telling China of every abuse of power and financial crisis that he could remember—and it was a lot. "I'm proud of who you've grown into. You'll stay this way, I hope, aru."
Japan nodded, dumbstruck and unsure of how to respond. China allowed himself a small smile.
"Do you miss Mr. Rome?"
"All the time. He was one of my closest friends, aru. But there's no point in thinking so selfishly of the past. Now, go to bed. You will be travelling tomorrow. Oh, but you'll visit? I wouldn't want to be missing you too."
Japan wasn't sure if he had been planning on visiting, he could make a long list of thing about his brother that got on his nerves, but he nodded again, allowed China to hug him tightly, and left to finish packing.
*Egypt's rulers are sick because of genetic defects caused by all that inbreeding, but they didn't know that at the time.
One day, I said, I'd get the hang of endings. Today isn't it.
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