The aromatic scent of the tea floated to England's nose, arousing his senses. His hands were folded, his eyes closed, lost in his thoughts. Light filtered through the window of the cafe, casting a glow over his blonde hair, like a halo.
Classical music played in the background of the cafe, melodies entwining with the peaceful sounds outside, the sound of birds chirping, leaves rustling, and the breeze.
"Sorry I'm late." A familiar voice tinted with a Chinese accent carried to England.
"That's quite all right." England opened his eyes, meeting China with his green eyes.
China was wearing a black Mandarin shirt, layered with a red scarf. He sat down with a casual smile.
"Are you wearing a scarf?" England wondered mildly. It was early summer here in England.
"Yes, in China, it's a lot warmer." China explained, picking up the menu, and skimming over it with his golden eyes.
"But you shouldn't need a scarf." England pointed out, eying the weather outside.
"Then Taiwan said it looks good on me." China retorted, unwrapping the red scarf around his neck, and hanging it on a hook.
He was telling the truth. Taiwan had bought the scarf for him when she went shopping earlier that week, and made him wear it for his 'little date', according to her.
'It's not a date! I'm just going to hang out with England after discussing trade between our two countries.' China had protested. Taiwan had just giggled, provoking China to blush even more.
A waitress came by. She smiled, and handed China a menu. "Good morning, I'll be your server today, Mary. I'm just going to give you a minute to decide." She nodded, and left swiftly to the kitchen, giggling for some reason.
England wondered why she was cackling like a madwoman. China knew. The waitress was just like Taiwan, and probably had stacks of boys' love doujinshis hidden in her closet.
"Ah, so, what are you going to order?" England asked, gesturing down at his own Earl Grey tea. He took a delicate sip of the tea.
China sighed, reading the menu. "The Vanilla Oolong Chai looks good, though I like my tea bitter." He frowned slightly, still skimming over the menu.
"Order whatever." England crossed his legs under the table.
"I suppose I'll have the Longjing tea." China decided in a murmur, then looked up with his big, golden eyes of his. He smiled.
The waitress returned, stifling her giggling with a pleasant smile. She looked at China. "Have you decided yet?"
"Yes. I'll have the Longjing tea."
"Excellent choice. Anything else?"
China's eyes searched the menu, then glanced up at England again.
England nodded impassively. He had turned to look outside at the street, the window framed by two trees. China noticed that his cheeks were burning red, so that with his vivid green eyes, his face looked a bit like Christmas.
"Well..." China looked up at the waitress. "I'd... like to try the mixed-berry cake."
"Of course." She grabbed the menu, and hurried away, giggling again.
As soon as she left, China leaned over the table, "D-do you have a fever?"
"I-I might. Peter caught a cold..." England stuttered. He forced himself to look at China, exposing his rosy cheeks.
That doesn't seem to be the case, China thought, wondering about the possibilities. N-no, this is just a casual meeting... Or is it?
They sat in an awkward silence, forcing themselves to stare at each other and pretend like nothing was weird.
The silence was broken, but the awkwardness remained as the waitress came back, handling a teapot and a plate of cake. "Here is the Longjing tea..." she placed down the cup of tea and teapot, and then the cake. "And the cake." She placed down the fork on the plate.
"Thank you." China smiled up at the waitress, and pulled the plate and cup of tea towards him with his slim, pale fingers.
She left quietly, leaving the awkwardness to settle again on the booth of the two nations. The quiet was scraped at with China's fork. China took a hold of the handle of the cup. "This is very nice." he commented on the teacup. He studied its' gold rim, noticing that England's cup wasn't the same. The handle was decorated with swirling gold patterns, and the cup itself was decorated with intricate floral patterns that could only be painted by a master.
"Yes, I believe all these teacups were painted in China." England cited, studying his own teacup. He took a sip of his tea.
China was pleased to hear this, and a little spark of him wanted to wave a banner that shouted out AsianPride. "I like the colour of your teacup." China noted, staring at England's teacup.
England's was a solid forest green, with a silver rim.
It was fascinating to watch the two, talking about teacups with a different interest rather than pursuing world news or the romantic kind.
China took a sip of his tea, and England watched as China's pink lips graced the gold rim of the teacup. It wasn't very pleasant when China spat out the tea as quickly as he could.
"Aiyaa! This isn't Longjing tea... this is a rip-off." The aroma and flavours weren't as complex as China's real national drink. It was easy to tell that it was fake simply by smelling it, and it likely wasn't from Zhejiang.
"Oh, I'm sorry." England wasn't sure what to do now when you had 'fake tea.'
"It's okay, England, I'll just order more tea. It's not that bad at least. They mix it with high grade and low grade, though." China pouted, but he took a sip of his tea. He shrugged, still trying to get used to the taste.
"So... how is Hong Kong?" England had touched on a delicate subject for both of them, when they had really disputed.
"Hong is good. He's prospering - and he's come so far." China confirmed. His little siblings had grown so well, and might be prospering more than him. After all, he was still a third-world country.
"Yeah, well, when you took him back, everybody was wondering if the wife had taken the child." England smirked, followed by China's bright smile.
"That's funny." China chuckled, only for his smile to slip off his face a moment later. "Wait - did you just call me your wife?" He asked, puzzled. China wasn't pleased if so.
"Maaaybe." England responded, responded with a pissed-off expression on China's face.
They sat in silence once again, until the door let in the faint jingle of outside noises.
"Ah, so Yao, what's with the scarf? Did you become one with Russia or something?" He made little quote marks with his fingers. "Da."
"What? No!" China blushed, looking down into his tea, thinking of the implications. He looked horrified, still blushing, though. "Taiwan just made me wear it today." He shrugged, trying to restore the situation to normal. "She made me, or she probably would've put me in a maid outfit or a cheongsam when I get back home." After an awkward moment, China turned scarlet again, the red in his face furious. "Don't ask! It's for her own purposes and that damned scrapbook of hers."
"You.. let your little sister dress you up as a maid?" The heat rushed to England's face again at the thought of China's slight and feminine body in a French maid outfit or a cheongsam, a flirty cut snaking up his leg. He certainly had the curves for it - what was he thinking! This type of thinking was reserved for French perverts! England was a British gentleman!
China looked away, rouging. After a while, he looked back, only for his eyes to widen in surprise. "Are you okay, England? You're starting to have a nosebleed!" He stared at England's nose, which was dribbling a thin stream of blood.
England swore. "Oh, shit." So much for gentleman, but he was still British. He had been lost in his fantasies of China that he hadn't noticed his nosebleed. He grabbed at a napkin, and held it up to his nose.
"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" China asked, gripping England's wrist. "Let me see."
England peeled away the napkin, and grabbed another to replace the bloodied one.
"Do you need some water, Arthur?"
"N-no, I'm fine - " Some blood leaked out from the napkin and coated his hands and dripped over his neck.
England swore again under his breath. He rose from the booth. "'Scuse me, I'm just going to the washroom to clean up." He hurried towards the sign that stated where the mens' washroom was. China followed after him. He ran towards the sink, a black marble, he noted. He tore a few sheets of paper towel, wet them, and hung his head over the sink. He released his nose, only to find that the blood had stopped running.
"Are you okay, Arthur?" China asked, walking behind England. "Hold your head up so I can see."
"Yeah, I'm fine." England coughed, and turned towards China again. He flashed a smile to assure that he was okay. I'm just a bloody pervert. He whipped back around to face the sink, and wet the paper towels. He ran his fingers under the water, letting the blood wash off his hands.
The blood tinted the water pink.
He wrung out the paper towel gently, as not to rip it, and skimmed it over the blood on his neck. He shivered as the remaining water trailed down his chest.
"You're sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, the blood stopped." England turned around, only to find that China was closer than polite and appropriate for another man.
"That was an unexpected nosebleed." China commented, his face unreadable. He was thinking furiously, behind his brown eyes.
"Yeah."
Again, China smiled and said, "You sure you're okay?"
England couldn't control himself, and in a swift movement, he pulled China closer towards him, and his lips crashed against China's exquisitely soft, pink lips.
China made a noise of protest, but England simply held him firmly against his body. England inhaled China's scent of jasmine.
England's lips trailed down China's chin, and stroking the surprisingly strong tendons in his neck with his lips. England yanked away the Mandarin collar that stood between China and his lips. He wanted to devour China then, China's delectable lips a treat. It made his lips tingle.
China moaned as the kiss reached his collarbone. "Ar-arthur. Arth - " With lightning speed, he caught England's wrist, pushing himself away.
"I'm fine." England stared at China, and walked out the door, unsure if this meeting would still be awkward. Or was it over?
China followed after England, catching his wrist again.
It made England turn around with such force in China's hands.
"Don't stop." China pleaded, breathing hard, his face flushed.
"This is a public bathroom. I think highly that they won't keep us in the cafe if we have a massive snog fest here." England stared at the door.
"The waitress would, if we let her film us."
England was puzzled why the innocent waitress would want to film them.
"Fine." China resorted after a long moment, muttering fujoshi under his breath. The feeling throughout his body was exhilarating.
England led China back to the booth, where the awkwardness was restored to its former glory.
"Hey, can I try some of your cake?" England asked, picking up a fork curiously.
China reluctantly shoved the plate towards him. "Sure." He dug into the cake and stuffed another piece into his mouth.
England scraped a small piece off the plate with the silverware and carried it to his mouth delicately. "Mm." He nodded his head in approval. "It's good, isn't it?" He took another piece.
"It is go - nn!" England had shoved a small piece of cake into China's mouth, letting it melt on his tongue.
England laughed at China's surprised face. That's so cute! he thought, as China licked the strawberry cream up. Stay away from the perverted thoughts, England.
"It is good, I guess." China pondered. The taste was more different than when he ate it by himself, and not without England feeding him. It was better... more exciting, as if a whole new layer of taste had been added. A passionate spice.
China reached to pour some more tea, and England's was reaching for a napkin. The two hands brushed, and the sensation was different than just a regular brush of two hands.
China's hands were so soft and warm... China glanced up to meet England's eyes, like glittering jades. China continued to pour the tea, trying to steady his hands. He took a shaking sip of the hot tea again, but a thin trail of tea escaped his lips and ran down his chin.
Before England knew what he was doing, he had leaned over the table, and his tongue had rasped against China's chin, licking up every last drop of the stream of tea.
In the distance, China heard a fangirl squeal, but it didn't belong to the voice of the waitress. It was oddly familiar, something he had heard at home.
England gave a smirk at China, but China had lost interest.
China's focus had shifted to the squeal he'd heard. "Taiwan." He whispered.
"What?" England gave a confused, and somewhat hurt look. Did China still have interests for another nation - oh wait, his sister was Taiwan. That was gross - he liked his sister? He didn't know laws in other countries, but incest wasn't legal in the majority of countries.
"I heard Taiwan." China explained, looking around confused. At that moment, he saw two familiar golden orbs staring at them from over a planter, and then ducking down.
He heard a thrall of hushed giggling, hidden behind the planter.
China had a troubled look on his face, and he slipped out of the booth. "Give me a minute." he walked over to behind the planter, to face Taiwan.
She stared up at him. "Good morning. Ni hao ma?" She murmured, her hands behind her back, presumably hiding a camera.
"Wo hen hao." China smiled down at her, his face unreadable. "Ni hao ma?"
Taiwan looked down at her bubble tea, her face a shameful red. "... I'm in trouble, aren't I?"
"You bet," China growled. "Now let's see the pictures." He made a gesture to hand over the camera.
Taiwan drew the camera from behind her back, and shoved it at China. "Here. I-I just wanted to see how you were doing." She thrust it at him, and grabbed her bubble tea and started slurping it loudly.
China took hold of the camera, switched it on, and flicked through it. He scrutinized it carefully, and took a step back. "You - you went into the bathroom?"
Taiwan slowly nodded, not daring to look at China's rage-filled face. "It - it was beautiful." Her voice was higher than usual with excitement.
At some point, China slowly lowered the camera, stunned. He set it on the table, his mouth agape. "Taiwan..." His voice was tremoring. "Would you like it if I took pictures of you making out with someone else?"
Taiwan shook her head.
"Go home." China made a gesture towards the door, and walked back to England. He stared at Taiwan as she wrapped herself in a thin black sweater. "Sorry about that."
"It... it's fine?" England murmured. The tone in his voice had changed slightly, slightly dejected.
"What's wrong?" China asked, watching England with his dark, glittering eyes.
England frowned. "Nothing."
"Taiwan was just being a crazy stalker." China muttered.
England chuckled. "So you have a sister that stalks you and dresses you up as a maid? That's weirder than Russia's insane sister."
"That sums it up, yes." China smiled, but shuddering at the mention of Russia's sister. Sure, Russia was scary, but his sister was even worse.
"So Taiwan isn't..." England had a tone in his voice that implied what he was going to say next, replied with China pressing himself against the booth.
"Oh, no. Taiwan's just an annoying little sister." China's tawny eyes were wide and frightened by the thought. As if you were cornered by Russia in a dark room and asked to become one with him - he could relate.
England sighed inwardly with relief.
"Are you jealous?" China asked curiously. "I think you are." He confirmed, as England turned away.
"Shut up!" England protested, leaning into China again, and his lips found China's.
"Somebody's jealous!" China sang, laughing.
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
England gulped, not wanting to admit anything. His heart pounded, still remembering the times he stared at China during the World Conferences from the corner of his eye... and even further back in history... Lusting for China passionately, China's hot breath on his neck, a sense of euphoria that may have been due to the effects of China or opium. The burst of triumph he had felt when Hong Kong had taken his first breath of the world. "I'm not jealous..." then murmured, "Wo zhishi ai ni."
China stared at England blankly for a long time. He wondered if he should clean out his ears, pondering if he'd heard correctly. Words he'd wanted to hear for a long time, coming out of England's lips, to him, and truthfully. His mouth had gone bone dry, and it took a long time for him to respond. His voice cracked. "I-I love you." He smiled. "I love you more than that waitress over there is squealing."
AU: Reviews please?
This is my first UKxChina fanfiction, and it's based on something I was looking up on UK-China relations. It said Chinese PM visits London to discuss and negotiate trade, so I imagined that England and China had met up again after that in a tea shop (with a fujoshi waitress).
There's another chapter coming up, but I'm not sure if I'll write anymore than that. It's meant to be a short story, after all, and when I first started to write it, it was meant to be a cute one-shot.
This was inspired deeply by this video. .com/watch?v=vjFTUPbkUK8
Translations:
Ni hao ma? = how are you?
Wo hen hao = I am good.
Wo zhishi ai ni = I just love you.
Fujoshi = Japanese for dirty woman. Used for yaoi fangirls.