A young boy with blonde hair and a pretty scarf wrapped around his neck stood in the bitter cold. He was alone and he was freezing. The snow was softly piling up, falling slowly from the gray sky. The boy looked up, but saw nothing other than snow. He looked down and again saw only snow. To the sides, it was also snow and lost of more snow. Not a living creature close by.

So he left. He walked away, leaving tiny footprints in the snow. He didn't know where to, he didn't care. He had long since given up the thought of a warm home with loving friends and family. He had siblings, a younger and an older sister, but they weren't really that close to each other.

He felt tears burn behind the eyes as the wind got stronger. But he wouldn't cry. If he did, he would be weak. For someone like him, that was forbidden.

Slowly, he kept walking. He perked up a little as he heard a crunch in the snow behind him, but didn't stop. Suddenly, he felt a soft hand being placed on his shoulder and a voice saying "Little boy, why are you all alone in this cold? Isn't your mother worried about you?" The voice was soft and belonged to a young woman, probably not older than 20. She had beautiful golden locks and rosy cheeks and a warm smile. Her eyes were crystal blue and sparkled like stars. She was dressed in a long brown winter coat and a hat that covered the ears, as well as thick boots that made it easy to wander in snow.

She knelt down beside the boy and looked him in the eyes. When no answer came, she had become a bit worried that the boy might not be able to speak. So she asked him again. "Where do you live? I can help you get home" she offered. The boy only looked at her, a dead expression in his face, and then collapsed into her arms.

***

He must've been dead. He didn't feel the cold anymore, and it didn't hurt. But could he really die? Was it possible for someone like him? Ah, it felt so nice and warm… Was he really dead…? Was that how it felt dying? But it was comfortable…

Slowly, the blonde boy came to and opened his violet eyes. What they met was a pair of beautiful clear blue eyes filled with concern.

"Are you ok?" asked the woman. The boy sat up and looked around, slightly confused. "You're at my house. You can stay until the snowstorm ends." She said it with such a kind voice it made him shudder.

His violet eyes gazed out the window. Outside, the snow was falling more than before and strong winds made it whirl around and dance. He sighed and turned to the fireplace for heat. It felt so good and comforting and it made him drowsy.

"You must have been out there for some time, huh?" the woman asked with her warm smile. "I made some hot cocoa for you" she said before handing the little boy a cup of steaming hot chocolate. He stared at it for a moment, which she seemed to have noticed because she continued. "It's ok, take it. It will make you feel better."

He just couldn't resist when she had that loving smile on her lips and took the mug and drank it quickly.

***

By the time it stopped snowing, it was already dark. The woman had been kind enough to let the small boy stay the night and sleep in her guestroom bed. She had told him her name was Nadezhda – hope. It suited her, the boy thought.

Feeling safe, he quickly drifted away in a deep slumber.

***

After that day, the blonde boy would visit Nadezhda frequently. She did not mind, since she lived alone anyway. She taught him many things and he was always willing to listen. Somehow, they developed a mother-son relationship, but the small boy that never had a family did not mind one bit. He was the happiest he had ever been in… forever.

One day when summer was coming close, she said she had something special to show him. It was a secret that he was not allowed to tell anyone about. He gave his promise and she smiled at him with her angelic smile as she led the blonde boy to an indoor garden in the attic.

The boy did not believe his eyes. Through a window in the roof poured sunshine, bathing the flowers with a golden light. They were the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

"Do you like them?" asked Nadezhda. But the boy was at loss of words and could only manage to nod. He slowly walked closer and reached out a hand to them, before freezing and turning with a pleading look to meet those blue eyes. She smiled as a sign that he could touch them.

"…They look like suns" he said. His fingers carefully brushed against the yellow petals. He could hear the woman giggle.

"That is actually their name" she said. "They're called 'sunflowers', and spread warmth into one's heard, don't you think?"

Amazed by the so-called Sunflowers, he reached out his hands and embraced one of them. He closed his eyes and let a smile spread on his face.

"…Yes. Yes they do."

***

"What do you mean, they died?!" The upset voice of a young boy echoed in the house. "How could they die? They were suns, right? Suns don't die! They shine every day" he yelled. The blonde woman before him let her eyes wander to the floor.

"I'm sorry. If it weren't for this cold weather…" she began but trailed off. How do you explain to a small boy that their favourite thing in the whole world wilted and died?

He clenched his fists. He should've been able to do something. But he was powerless, helpless, and sad. His eyes filled with tears that he immediately wiped away with his arm. He wasn't allowed to cry, after all. He wasn't allowed to show how weak he was. In his frustration, he dashed out of the door and away in the cold weather.

The sun was shining and it was only blowing a little bit, but it was still cold. Despite that, he kept running. Didn't matter where, as long as he got away…

***

When he had gotten far enough, he stopped to catch his breath. He looked around him, but didn't recognise where he was. Was he lost…? He couldn't be, right? ...Right? But there was only snow as far as the eye could see. Snow and trees. This couldn't be happening!

After several hours had passed, he was still lost. He had probably gotten closer, but he had no idea where to go next. Suddenly, he heard his name. He immediately reacted and shouted back, knowing the voice belonged to Nadezhda. It didn't take her long to find him.

"I'm… so glad… that I found you…" she said while trying to catch her breath from running. Just as the boy was about to apologise for his actions, she embraced him.

"I'm sorry!" she said. "I'm sorry, I know how much you loved the sunflowers. But it was impossible for them to live long in this weather. I tried to keep them alive, but it was no use." At this, he broke. He let his tears fall freely as he cried there in her embrace. He hugged her close and they stood like that until he had stopped crying.

***

When they got home, Nadezhda collapsed with high fever. Not knowing what to do, the young boy tried to get her in bed. It was hard, since she was so much bigger and heavier than him, but he somehow managed. He didn't know where the doctor lives, so he couldn't get help. He tried his best to nurse his friend back to health by himself, but he was just a small kid. What could he do?

By the time she woke up it was already morning. She was sweating and panting and was awfully pale. The blonde boy swallowed hard to get the lump in his throat away as she spoke to him.

"I'm sorry. It's not only the sunflowers that will leave you…" she began.

No! Don't do this to me!

"I really wished I would have been able to spend more time with you…"

You can't leave me!

"But it seems my time's over…"

Please!

"Thank you… for everything… Ivan."

She had smiled at him until the very end. That angelic and warming smile he had grown to love so much. She was the first person to smile at him like that. She had died with a smile on her lips. Tears fell down uncontrollably as the little boy held her now lifeless hand. He would be all alone again…

A man with blonde hair, violet eyes and a warm scarf around his neck stood at the cemetery. He gazed down at one specific grave with no flowers. He smiled sadly as he dropped something on the grave.

"Russia-san! Hurry up, or we'll be late for the next world meeting" Estonia called. The man looked up as he heard his name.

"Yes, I'm coming."

He started walking toward his group of friends; Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and his two sisters Belarus and Ukraine. They were all waiting for him. After a few steps, he turned one last time and smiled towards the grave and what was now laying on top of it. "прощание,Nadezhda."

With those as his last words, he walked away from the grave.

A grave with one single sunflower resting on it.

The end.

CHIBI!RUSSIA!

I finally finished it! ; A ; It took hours, it's almost 2am, I'm going to be forced to wake up in 5 hours, but I'm damn happy I took time to make this! It made me want to cry in the end! TTwTT

If you haven't figured who the little boy is by now, you're REALLY slow you know XD
Anyway... I got the idea to this while walking home from school... You see, they have some kind of art exhibition that I always pass. You can buy art there lol. In one of the windows, they used to have a painting of three sunflowers that I really loved. But resently, the painting wasn't there. It was probably sold to someone... -sigh- So while walking past that window and seeing that my beloved painthing that always made me feel warmer inside wasn't there, I somehow came up with this... well at least the part with the sunflowers XD;; Came up with the rest as I went along... xD

I hope you liked it! Please Review!