Count Cain: I love this couple and had a random idea for this. Enjoy and review it.
China: Why Russia? WHY?
Russia: Cuz I rule. -drags China off to do 'things'-
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia, because if I did China would have Russia, and they would do things together in Russia's house ALL THE TIME. ^J^
Special thanks: To my wonderful beta and best friend, CrypticButterfly. ^^ I love you. Can't wait until the next installment huh?
Yao looked at the house he'd lived in for the last four thousand or so years and sighed. The home he loved needed to be renovated badly. The roof leaked, and the floor creaked as you walked. The paint was faded and chipped. The house looked dilapidated and bad.
The slender country sighed in defeat as he talked to a contractor finally. He didn't want to leave, but the contractor was firm in telling him he would have to for at least a month. Leaving the home always hurt to be away that long. Finding a place to stay would be difficult.
"Korea, please let me stay. I don't have anywhere to go-aru," Yao said, pleading his case to the younger country later that same day. He placed his hands together in a beseeching manner that he hoped was appealing to Korea. His brown eyes sought the younger's face, so he could let man see his haunted brown eyes.
Yong sighed. "How long again?" He looked away to watch a child play. "My place isn't really all that big. I could only keep you a few days at the most." He scooped the boy up and Yao could see the same pretty features on the two. "Besides I have my hands full with the little one while Thailand is gone." He kissed his son's forehead and smiled.
"Nevermind. I see that you're busy-aru," Yao said and waved at the little boy. He smiled as he got a wave back. "Well, I should go. Bye Yong." He walked down the driveway, shoulders hunched in thought.
Over the next hour he tried Vietnam (stammered apology), Japan (door slammed in face), and Taiwan (another slammed door). His feet ached in his thin summer shoes, and the brunette sat to rub his them. He hadn't realized that so many didn't like him. This realization made his heart ache in a way he didn't realize could be possible. His hands wiped away the tears that fell down his face.
A tall shadow fell over him making him jump. "Yao? What's wrong?" A large hand covered by a brown glove reached down to help him up. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" A sweet smile greeted him as that hand pulled him up. "Do you need anything?"
Yao looked up into that face and smiled a bit. "Hi, nothing, I'm okay and no. Oh and yes, I need a place to stay-aru." He laughed gently at the confused look on the other country's face. "The contractor fixing up my house said I can't live there for a month." He sighed. "I knew fixing it up was a bad idea..."
"You could stay with me."
Yao looked up. "Ivan, we haven't spoken since... you know. How could we possibly live together? I mean, it'll be a month of awkwardness-aru. I dunno if we can handle that."
Ivan smiled and said in his thickly accented voice, "We can so handle it. I can't just leave you in the cold." He removed his jacket and placed it on those thin shoulders. "Now let's go and get inside before it starts to snow on us." He led the man into his large home and waved a hand. "Make yourself at home."
Yao looked around the cozy room and smiled. The living room was just as he remembered it. He sank down onto the couch and sighed as he snuggled into the tan coat. The ambiance was peaceful in the house, not a sound in the entire place. The silence was nice, compared to his own usual hectic home, where people were always in and out. He could get used to this.
A small cough announced the presence of someone entering the room. "Um, Yao-sir? Can I get you anything? Tea? Water? Vodka?" The voice came from little Toris Laurinatis. He had a look of fear on his face, perhaps remembering the row Yao and Ivan had had so many years before in this precise room. He tried a smile for the older country, but the older country could tell it was a fake.
"No, I'm fine. Actually, no, water would be nice." Yao returned the smile and saw the man visually relax. "Oh, and where did Ivan wonder off to-aru?" He sat up and slid the coat off his thin shoulders. "Not torturing Latvia, I hope."
"No sir, he is preparing dinner," Toris answered softly as he took the jacket to hang up. "I'll bring that water shortly." He left the room shakily, and soon returned with a crystal glass of water.
Yao sat thinking and accepted the water. He knew Ivan hated cooking, so what the hell was going on? He put the thought out of his mind and settled into the couch cushion. He found it so nice to relax that he thought of it a second time. His brown eyes closed, but flicked back open when a spoon touched his full lips.
Ivan stood over him. "Taste this." He watched those sensual lips close around the eating utensil, and his violet eyes took in the look of surprised bliss on Yao's face. "Is it good?" He laughed as the man nodded enthusiastically. "My cooking gotten better, ja?"
"Much, much, MUCH better," Yao laughed looking beautiful as always when he let himself laugh anyway. He looked away with a flush on his pale cheeks. "Place still looks the same-aru." He ran a hand over the worn couch. "Heh, good times on this couch, huh?"
Ivan chuckled, "Several good times on this old couch." He smiled warmly at the man. "Food should be done, come on." He offered a hand to the smaller man and pulled him up into a tight hug. "Nice to have you around again. Let's eat."
That night Yao took a bath, and then went to see Ivan. "Hey, I'm going to bed. Thanks again for letting me stay the night-aru. It was very sweet of you to after... yeah." He thought back on that night they'd had their fight, then shook his head to erase the thoughts as they always made him tear up. He missed Ivan, but had learned to hide it well. He had loved Ivan for many glorious years, afterall.
The taller country smiled at him, "No problem, and you're welcome to stay as long as you need." He pulled Yao down into another hug. "You are the only country I like to get close to." He sighed. "The others find me odd."
Yao giggled softly. "You are, but that makes you who you are-aru." He pecked his cheek, disentangled himself from the man and went to bed. He slept peacefully until a ray of sunshine fell over his face in the morning. He raised a hand to shield his eyes, and then he made his way to the bathroom.
Someone had been clever and had covered the toilet seat with a thin piece of plastic wrap. His urine splattered everywhere, and Yao swore under his breath. "Fuck." This wasn't the first time he's been pranked in this house, and as he cleaned himself up, he thought of ways to retaliate.
Ivan smiled as the now freshly showered Yao walked in. "Hi, you took a shower? Weird for you in the morning." He sat a plate of eggs in front of the man. "Made 'em myself." He watched the country eat and smiled, "How did you sleep?"
"Fine," Yao replied around a mouthful of eggs. His ever watchful eyes stayed on the man as his mouth devoured the food. He finished the plate and pushed it way. "Your cooking really has gotten good-aru." He spied the bottle of vodka sitting on the counter and got a wonderfully brilliant idea. Now to get Ivan out of the house... "Will you go get my suitcase? I don't feel well this morning, Ivan."
Ivan blinked. "Sure, Yao. Do you need anything else while I'm out? Medicine?" He reached out to brush a brown strand of hair from Yao's face. "I'll be back soon. Toris will clean up." He walked out and closed the door.
Yao immediately stood and went and stole one of Ivan's many jackets. "Toris, while I'm gone could you please get all the vodka bottles in the house-aru?" He pointed to the counter. "Put them here, thank you. I'll be back in a bit."
He returned less than an hour later with a case of German lager and a case of vodka. He then switched the labels. Toris helped giggling, finding it was pretty funny actually. They then set all the vodka back in it's usual places, laughing as they did.
Ivan returned home a bit later. "Sorry, I was held up by that crazy Alfred. He talked about this and that forever." He spotted the two flushed faces. "Did I interrupt something? I can leave and find Alfred again." He smiled at Yao. "I'd much rather stay here however, better looking people here ." He poured a glass of 'vodka' for himself and smiled, unsuspecting of the whole prank.
Yao nearly choked as he watched the man take a drink and gag. "Are you okay?" He smiled at him sweetly. He broke and began to laugh. "Payback is a bitch, huh?" He pulled out one of the 'lager' bottles and poured Ivan a glass. "Try this."
Ivan took a drink and smiled. "For the toilet thing?" He sipped the strong liquor and sighed. "The other nations don't understand why I like you so much, Yao. They think I'm crazy. I probably am actually." His hand reached out to brush that unruly piece of hair behind the man's ear again. "Silly, unruly hair. I love it."
Yao took a step back, so he was pressed against a wall. "Yeah? Thank you." He smiled up at him as Toris left the room. "So gonna be a long month, huh?"
Almost a month passed, and the prank war continued. Ivan's turn was upon him, and he sat thinking late one night. He finally came up with a brilliant plan. He went into the man's room and stole his blue cellphone. He silently left the quiet room and went back to his own room.
Once back in his room, he began to change the names in the phone, i.e. Alfred became 'The Hero' and Feliciano became 'The Idiot.' He became 'The Prankster. He finished after a bit and returned the phone and then fell asleep.
The next morning Yao checked his phone for messages and laughed. "Funny." He scrolled through all the changed names, smiling as he got to 'The Prankster.' He then began to change them back as he could tell who was who easily. He finished and went to eat breakfast, knowing that the final prank would happen the next day.
Ivan was quiet the last day they were to spend together, only asking 'pass the...' and 'how did you sleep. Yao watched him confident that the last prank would bring them together. He tied a piece of thin string to one side of his jade comb. The booby trapped comb was then placed outside of Ivan's bedroom door.
The country opened his bedroom door later that day and spotted that comb on the floor. He briefly wondered how the comb got their, but then realized Yao tended to lose things easily. He bent to pick it up and watched it scoot across the carpet. He curiously followed it to Yao's bedroom, and it disappeared under the door. His hand turned the cold, brass doorknob intrigued.
Yao sat on the bed in a thin red robe and smiling at him. "Hello, Ivan. Come in, don't be shy love." He stood and the robe opened a bit. "Oops. We need to talk anyway." He wrapped his arms around the man's waist. "I've decided to stay a bit and give us another chance. Truth is, I never got over you." He stood on tiptoes to kiss him gently. "I love you, Ivan."
"Oh, same here Yao. Every single day you've been gone, I've thought about going to get you back," Ivan's soft voice replied. "I love you too, Yao." He closed the door with his foot and began to pleasure his lover. He was finally happy again.
Yao sold his house to Korea, since the man needed a larger home for his children. Korea was happy to have it. He was happy to live and love Ivan. Their lives were pleasant and quiet, but there with the occasional prank between the two...
