Author's Note: So I really like Hetalia. I think it's really funny and it is very enjoyable. However, I warn you that this has a very unrealistic portrayal of how the countries are really like. But hey, so is Hetalia.

Keywords:

Gege=older brother in Chinese

Nii-san=older brother in Japanese

That day had passed over a month ago, and yet, Japan could not help but regret not celebrating it. Yes. That day was Chinese New Year. He had never celebrated that holiday ever since he decided to become his own nation, but with every year that day passes, the urge to check on his mentor grew stronger. Suddenly, a phone rings and he is brought out of his thoughts.

"Hello?" Japan says as he answers the phone.

"Japan?" a voice on the other line meekly answers.

"Taiwan? What can I do for you?" Japan asked, surprised that she called. He wondered if China was bullying her again.

"I was wondering if you ever dropped by to see Gege," she asked almost hesitantly. Sensing her hesitance, Japan automatically assumed China was trying to force her to rejoin him.

"Did he do something to you?" Japan asked.

"What?" Taiwan asked in a surprised tone. "Why would you ask something like that? I only asked if you went to see him because this year, I did."

"You went to see China? Why? I thought you hated him," Japan more of stated rather than asked.

"I know we haven't been getting along so well, but I did some soul searching lately. It's our bosses that don't get along. I know Gege can't help what his boss wants. I don't think he wants to be Communist either. It's unfair for me to hate him because my boss told me to, and I shouldn't hate him for something his government does. So, I went to see him," Taiwan explained.

Japan was in all honesty astonished. Taiwan decided that she was a person too, and wanted to be close to their brother even if their bosses do not allow it. Could he possibly do the same?

"You haven't seen him yet, have you?" Taiwan interrupted his thoughts again.

"No, I have not," Japan admitted.

"You know he'll forgive you. His government might despise you, but they have no control over how he is as a person. If I can do it, so can you."

"I'll consider it. Thank you for letting me know of your visit," Japan answered before putting the phone back on the receiver.

"China is a person too," Japan thought of Taiwan's words.

"China, we have a visitor," Hong Kong said.

"We do? Well, invite him in," China replied.

"Um, I think you should invite this person in," Hong Kong replied in an unsure yet monotone voice.

China cocked his head to one side. Who could it be that Hong Kong did not want to talk to the person? If it were a government member, China would not know how to respond without snapping. He had it with his leaders making decisions that made him look bad as a country. As he went to the door, he was surprised to see who was there.

"Japan?" China said unsurely. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry I missed Chinese New Year. I know how important that holiday is to you," Japan quickly and quietly said, without answering China's question.

"Um, I understand that you're busy. Besides, you don't really celebrate it," China replied, still weary of why Japan was at his home. Not wanting to be rude, China finally asked, "Do you want to come in?"

"If that is okay with you," Japan said quietly.

"Of course it is. I invited you in, didn't I?" China said motioning Japan to come in. When Japan walked in, China waited until he walked in front to make sure there was nothing behind his former little brother's back. This action did not go unnoticed by Japan. He knew China was afraid of him.

"You don't have to be afraid. I won't do anything," Japan said, turning around.

"I didn't say you were," China countered.

The atmosphere around them was deathly awkward, to the point Japan felt he needed to ask permission to breathe. China simply stared at Japan, undoubtedly keeping an eye on him.

"Why don't I get you some tea," China finally offered.

"Tea would be lovely. You always bested me in tea," Japan said.

China led Japan to a common room, and offered him a seat. Then, the older nation went to the kitchen to brew tea.

"Why did you let him in?" Hong Kong asked.

"Why not? He's still family," China replied.

"I know, but you seem so suspicious of him."

"He's the younger brother. I've been with him long enough to know of his pride. It's hard for him to apologize, no matter how much he wants to," China sighed.

"Then why don't you just let him know he's forgiven?" Hong Kong asked. He did not know much about China's first brother, other than the fact he betrayed them, and was astonished at how China could still read him.

"I have my pride too," China responded. "Also, I have this doubt in the back of my mind. I am sure he means no harm, but the last incidence, I also thought he meant no harm. And even if he really isn't here to hurt me, I have not forgiven him for that."

"You don't forgive him?" Hong Kong asked, eyes widening before quickly turning back into a bored expression. "But you still think he's family."

"I know this is confusing, but even if I do not forgive him, I love him all the same."

As Hong Kong and China were talking, Japan had an urge to eavesdrop, but decided against it since he might not like what he heard. Instead, he paced around the room, picking out things that changed last time he was there.

Oddly enough, nothing really changed. However, every trace of Japan seemed to have been erased. The calligraphy that Japan wrote as a younger child used to hang proudly on a wall, but now, it was replaced by a painting undoubtedly drawn by China. There used to be toys made by Japan displayed on a shelf. Now, the only thing that did not belong to China that Japan could pick out on that shelf was a tea set that looked like a gift from England. Walking to the table that Japan watched China carve as a child, he picked up a family portrait.

Japan's eyes began to water, tears fighting their way out. In the portrait, Hong Kong was in the middle with China to his left, and England to his right. Taiwan was clutching China's left shoulder while Korea poked his head between England and Hong Kong. Japan was not in the photo at all. That was all the proof he needed. China did not love him anymore.

"Japan, the tea is ready," China said, walking in with a tray of tea. Japan slowly turned to face him with tears streaming down his face and the photograph clutched in his hand.

"Where am I in this portrait?" Japan asked in a shaky voice. "Why did you exclude me?"

Before China had a chance to answer, Japan dropped to his knees and bowed until his head touched the ground.

"Nii-san I am so sorry for everything I have done to you! I'm so sorry for betraying you and hurting you. But you can't treat me like this! I know I was the first to break away, but all I wanted was independence. Children will leave their parents, and siblings will live separately! That's how families work. We all have to grow up someday. And family will hurt each other. But the important thing is they stick together. Why have you casted me out?" Japan wailed, unable to control the bottled up emotions.

At those heartbreaking words, China dropped the tea set, shattering all the cups and the pot. He ran to Japan's side and pulled the younger country in a tight embrace.

"Japan, please calm down," China whispered. He continued to hug and stroke Japan's hair until the wailing turned to soft sobs. "You have hurt me. You hurt me a lot, and I will not forgive you for that. The scar on my back will not go away, and on some nights, it still throbs. But even so, you are still family, and I love you all the same.

"Then why did you erase every trace of me? Why am I not in the family portrait?" Japan asked, still sobbing.

"I did not get rid of every trace of you. The calligraphy you wrote, I still have it. The toys you made, those are still here. I just have them placed in your former room. Come see," China said, leading Japan to where his room was when he still lived with China. As China said, it was all there. Japan had not been forgotten.

"The photograph is Hong Kong's," China answered Japan's unspoken question. "I gave everyone a portrait when they were with me. I included England in the picture because he was a part of Hong Kong's life, and he still visits us. You weren't in the photo because you never responded to my invitation to Chinese New Year this year."

"I'm sorry," Japan said, hanging his head. "I was afraid to see you."

China said nothing in response, and walked to a table, opening a small jewelry box. He pulled out what seemed to be an old picture, held together by tape. Japan gasped.

"That's-"

"This is your family portrait," China said before Japan could even start. "See? This is you when you were very little. You tore it up and threw it at me when you attacked me."

At China's reminder, that memory came back to Japan. He had torn the photograph into many pieces and declared himself independent, no longer China's brother. It was him who broke up the family. Even if China did cast Japan out, he would have every right to.

"I remember now," Japan said, taking the photograph with shaking hands. "You kept it?"

"I didn't want to," China admitted. "I wanted to burn the remains of this photograph, but I just couldn't do it."

Japan brought the torn photo to his chest and tears of relief spilled out. China had not forgotten him. He was not forgiven, and that incident would be a burden he would have to carry on his shoulders for the remainder of his life, but he was still loved. He was still family. That was good enough for him.

Author's note: I am not oblivious to the rising tensions between the nations as of now, but quite frankly, I am getting sick of reading about it. I wrote this fanfic more or less to blow off some steam.

I put England in here cause my OTP of Hetalia is IggyChu, but ChuNi (or NiChu as most call it but I call it ChuNi cause Japan could never top his older brother xD) is my favorite sibling pair.

Also, I put the part in with Taiwan mainly because I do not like how those two countries do not get along because of government differences. I do believe in the "One China" policy (please keep your rude comments to yourself on this one. This is my opinion.). I will not go into detail on why I think this because so many people these days are out to pick a fight.

I also feel that I should stress that what the government does is not the fault of China as a whole. Seriously I dislike it when people speak of China as a bad country because of what their government does. I know I am getting defensive about China, but who would not defend their own country? My family and I talk about how life in China is hard and how we hate the government, but when someone else starts bad mouthing our country, we get defensive. We still love our country.

Okay, rant over. Thanks for reading.