"Haha, Yao, your hair is so girly!" Alfred Jones cackled as he plowed his way through five Big Macs during a World Meeting.
"Shut up, you burger monster! My hair is plenty manly, aru!" Yao said. Just to make sure, though, he ran a bony hand through his smooth, obsidian ponytail.
Arthur sighed and rubbed his temples in an extremely annoyed fashion. He wondered just how bad he was when he was younger to get such immature colleagues as his fellow Allied countries.
"Alfred, belt up already, but Yao, I do understand where he is coming from. Your hair's so… soft. And it's also really long. You always keep it up in a ponytail like a girl, as well. Maybe if you don't want so much ridicule, you could always just cut it?"
Yao felt something stab his heart. His eyes widened, his face turning a very deep shade of tomato red. He could hear snickers pass throughout the hall, even when he wasn't looking up, afraid of the reactions he would get.
He looked up hopelessly, his eyes darting towards the faces all the Asian countries that he spent so much time with. Yao tried to look for any country that wasn't either disgusted with his feminine hair, or amused and laughing because of Arthur's persnickety reply to his complaints.
Kiku didn't say anything, but it was clear from his eyes that he wanted to do something for the older country that had raised him for so long. Hong Kong wore a frown on his face, and Macau shifted in his chair. Yao was a bit thankful that the others at least felt some sympathy for him, but nonetheless, he gripped onto the wooden table in order to control himself from slapping Arthur.
An uncomfortable silence passed over the large meeting room, every country staring between Yao and Arthur, almost waiting for what was to come.
"You know, Arthur… You're right."
He approached Belarus and swiped the knife out of her hand. Natalia shot an angry glare towards Yao but didn't say anything. She also waited for what he was going to do.
"If all of you are just going to insult my hair, cutting it off will make all of those criticisms go away, right?"
A loud gasp filled the once dead-silent meeting lodge. Arthur basically shoved his chair into the wall and stood up promptly.
"Y-Yao, how dare you be so foolish?! Cutting it won't help anything!"
"Shut it, England. I'm much older than you, and I've had to put up with this for so long. It's about time that it all ends right now, aru."
He had a point there. Arthur stared at his feet and went to go get his now cracked chair from its position in a corner of the room.
"Wait, daze… Aniki, are you sure you're going to do this?"
All heads turned towards Im Yong Soo, the representation of South Korea. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, having never stood in the spotlight of any of the World Meetings before.
"You might regret this in the end. You should at least calm down first, daze."
Yao huffed, and looked to the side. "I will not regret the choices I make, aru. What did I teach you about modesty and subservience to your elders, Korea? Sit down this instant."
He let his eyes close, hearing a loud slam on one of the tables. The loud noise came from Yong Soo's direction, and Yao also heard commotion stirring up once again. His lips tightened into a thin line across his face.
'I'm way too old for this crap… I might as well get it done. The sooner, the better, Yao, the sooner the better. Don't let this little kid get to your brain and mess up your better judgment.'
"Sorry, Yong Soo."
He swiftly sliced his entire ponytail off with Natalia's kitchen knife, ribbon and all, watching his hair fall into pieces onto the floor. A small smile of satisfaction crossed his face.
Yao looked up, and he could see the look of horror on everybody's faces; even mostly oblivious countries like Alfred had eyes the size of dinner plates. Confused as to why everybody seemed so quiet, he spoke up, a smile on his lips.
"Hey, aren't you all happy, aru? Now you can spare your breath in insulting me! You should be happy!"
He realized what he had done. His beautiful hair, that had made his so famous in the past, was gone. Yao's face went snow white. His arms, legs and hands suddenly felt like soggy noodles, wobbling from the sides of his body like puppet limbs. He tried gripping onto the hand that wielded the knife with his other hand, but to no avail. Yao dropped the knife as he hurriedly gathered up his papers, and walked out the door. He shoved all the documents to Germany, who nodded to him, a concerned look on his face.
Yong Soo followed suit, while Ludwig also let him go. He knew that Korea would have to comfort China, and comfort him, so that he would be in better shape next time.
Yao crumpled to the floor at leaving the meeting room. He sank against a wall and buried his face in knees, pulling his legs to his chest.
"Hey, Aniki, daze."
Yong Soo joined him on the floor. He cocked his head in the direction of his previous parental figure, Yao. He really wasn't one for comforting people, because whenever he did something, people always got angry with him. He wasn't used to seeing other people feel bad about what they'd done.
"A-Aniki!" He forced a blinding grin onto his tight face. "Smiles originated in Korea, so smile for me, okay?"
"No way."
This was not going to be an easy task, Yong Soo decided. When Yao was in a funk, he really did go into a funk. Like, the kind of downward spiral that was even worse than mourning for a loved one. He would just sit in his house for days on end, not eating, working, or sleeping.
"O…kay then, daze." He stood up awkwardly and offered a hand to China, who looked up at him with sunken eyes. Yong Soo, at that moment, felt something tear at his soul slightly at seeing him in such an awful condition.
"I'm going to visit Hyung Ki today, so do you want to just go to JFK Airport right now and wait for our flight to Beijing?"
Yao nodded without saying anything, and took his hand. He never realized how tall or strong Yong Soo had gotten through these past years, until now. Yao couldn't tell him that, so he pushed the thought into a vacant corner of his mind. Yong Soo pulled him up with a small grin, and laced his arm gently through his elder's.
"Well, I'm just glad that you haven't gone senile yet."
Yao gasped, and smacked his arm, which earned him a hearty laugh from the younger and taller country. "You be quiet, Yong Soo!"
"No can do. Did any scolding like that work back then?"
"…"
Yong Soo turned his head to look forward again, leading them through countless hallways until they got outside, into the streets of bustling New York City. He chuckled in a low tone.
"Yeah, I didn't think so."
-(Time skip)-
Yong Soo had just woken up from his three-hour nap on the plane. He rubbed his eyes, which were still filled with sleep. He looked around at his surroundings, and cursed quietly to himself.
"Damn, we're still on this plane."
He turned his head towards Yao, who was intently watching an Asian drama on his small TV screen with wide and excited eyes. Yao scrutinized every move of the main girl with critical eyes, even commenting, not aware that Yong Soo was staring at him.
"No, Meili, don't do that! NOO—"
"Umm… Aniki…"
Yong Soo facepalmed as everybody around them began to smile and chuckle at Yao's enthusiasm for the plotline of his beloved drama. He poked Yao gently, and jerked back with a bit of fear as Yao almost broke the seatbelt, he jumped in his seat with so much force.
"AIYAH, Yong Soo, what are you doing?!"
Yong Soo put up both of his hands and backed away as far as he could from Yao. His "Korean Spirit" curl also got the message and hid behind his head.
"Aniki, calm down, daze! People are staring at you because they think you're some crazy Asian drama lunatic!"
"But I'm just getting to the good part, where Meili confronts the other girl because her boyfriend was cheating on her with him!"
"Wait, what? Aniki, I like Asian dramas, but I'm not really interested in humiliating myself in front of all of these people because of my squealing and jumping."
He let out a shrill shriek as he batted his eyelashes, and started dancing around in his seat like a little girl would. "Like, oh my God, I like, totally love this drama! Like, the guy's so totally and really hot, and I want to marry him, and I like, don't like the girl-"
Yong Soo's imitation of Yao was cut off suddenly. The older nation had smacked his bicep, a bright pink blush all over his face and his ears. He bit his lip, and looked away from Yong Soo.
"I get it, aru! I'll stop!"
He yelled quietly. Yao turned his head even further to the side.
"Umm… Xie xie, Yong Soo, aru…"
"Huh, daze?" An oblivious Yong Soo turned towards a red Yao, and placed his head on his shoulder. Yao cried out and jerked up involuntarily, bumping his shoulder rather harshly on Yong Soo's jaw area.
"Damn it, Yao, daze! That really hurt!"
The younger Asian gripped onto his jaw while moving it around to see if it was broken. He sighed in relief, and grinned brightly at Yao.
"Hey, Aniki, you've grown broader! Your shoulders aren't as girl as before, daze!"
"My shoulders were plenty manly before, aru! How dare you imply that they never were!"
"Whatever you say, Aniki, whatever you say."
Yong Soo's face grew more somber, and he looked at Yao with uncharacteristically steely eyes. He gripped onto Yao's arms roughly, and turned him so that he was facing Yong Soo.
"Aniki, answer me honestly. Why did you cut your hair?"
Yao could feel his scalp hair stand on one end at that question, biting his nails to ease the tension that was steadily brewing between them.
"I wanted to seem more of a man than I did before."
Yong Soo sighed. He let go of Yao, and crossed his arms.
"How shallow, Aniki. That was the only reason why you did that, daze?"
Yao's face went from nervous to angry in a matter of mere milliseconds. "It's not fun being made fun of by your allies, Korea, aru. I'm older than all of them, I earn more money than everybody except for America, yet they all seem to believe that picking on my hair is great amusement during World meetings."
Yao fingered his short hair, sighing. "Well, at least I look more like a guy now."
Yong Soo smiled at Yao, and patted his head with his large, rough palm. "I liked your hair, Aniki." He ran a hand through his hard, ink black hair, and his eyes turned up so he could attempt to stare at a few loose strands.
"At least your hair has always seemed 'manly,' aru." Yao wrinkled his nose in slight distaste. He sank back into his chair, and pouted childishly.
Yong Soo laughed, and shook his head. "Nah, I liked your hair, Aniki, daze. It was way softer than mine. It reminded me of silk!"
This compliment sent blood rushing to Yao's face. He balled his hands into fists and alternately hit them against Yong Soo's left arm.
"Idiot, idiot, idiot, aru! You don't just say these things, Yong Soo?"
"But I'm telling the truth! I really did like your hair. I wonder, though…" Yong Soo took a small lock of black hair in between his index finger and thumb, and fingered it gently, almost afraid that if he wasn't careful, it would dissolve somehow.
"It still has the same texture…" Yao felt extremely uncomfortable (and a little happy?) underneath his intense gaze.
Yao shot up in his chair as he felt Yong Soo's hot breath hit the nape of his neck. His own breath hitched in his throat, resisting the urge to blink and breathe. He saw Yong Soo's strong hand from the corner of his vision as said nation took a whiff of Yao's hair - it smelled of vanilla, mint and tea, just like before. A smile crossed Yong Soo's face, as he patted Yao's back.
"Exactly the same as before, Aniki." A layer of pink dusted his cheeks.
'Oh, that was all?' Yao sighed in relief, letting his back slouch against the chair again. His mind felt so confused all of a sudden. What was with Yong Soo and his strange actions? And why did he suddenly just follow him out of the meeting hall like that, earlier that morning?
Yao, though sharp as a katana when it came to economics, could never seem to unravel his complicated feelings towards people, especially Yong Soo. He always seemed to have a soft spot for his dynamic personality, his sunny smile that could light up a stormy sky, his tough, muscular build- Wait, what?
Yao banged his head on the chair in front of him to make sure that his mind was working properly. He couldn't feel this way, he just couldn't!
"Aniki, are you okay?" Yong Soo placed a hand on Yao's upper back, which was slapped away immediately upon contact.
Yong Soo winced at the force that Yao used. "You didn't have to be so mean about it, daze…"
Yao looked behind himself to see Yong Soo's hurt facial expression.
"God, I'm sorry, aru. I was just thinking to myself…" He forced a smile onto his face against his true tumultuous emotions. "I'm fine, aru."
"Alright, if you say so, daze." Yong Soo spaced out momentarily, before he turned to look at Yao.
"Hey, Aniki…" He felt his face grow redder by the second.
"What, Yong Soo?"
"I've always thought you were the most beautiful person ever. Even when I was little."
Yao's mind froze in time, as he slowly turned his head to stare at Yong Soo incredulously. Time stopped for him. He could feel his heart beat harder than a ceremonial drum during the Chinese New Year. His breath grew ragged, as he clutched his chest through his Cheongsam.
Yong Soo himself was nervous as hell. Of all places to be, his mind decided that confessing on a plane was the greatest idea since kimchi fried rice and K-Pop. He opened his mouth to speak again, but no words came out.
"A-A-Aniki… I-it's completely t-t-true… I love your smile when you see something you like…."
A piece of Yao's steel emotional wall, that had always been around his heart, protecting it from harm, broke off in an instant.
"I love the way you protect those around you, even if you don't like them…"
Another. His eyes widened slightly with every word that Yong Soo spoke.
Yong Soo took a deep breath, and breathed out. He could do this. If this confession was what his heart wanted, he would follow it without question. He had only recently discovered his love for Yao, but he knew that it was real. His heart pace quickened whenever he saw his face, and he couldn't find the words to speak when Yao spoke to him first.
"When you're angry, you get so fired up with passion…" He chuckled, as his face grew so red that it would put even the richest of tomatoes to shame.
"Sometimes I wish that passion was out of love… Out of love for me…"
Almost. It was almost completely gone. Yao's eyes were the size of bowling balls at this point. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, just asking to be spilled out.
"Honestly, I'd want to die for you, every day of my life. If it could guarantee your love for me, I'd give up all of my lives for you…"
Yong Soo felt warm tears flow out of his eyes, as he grinned at Yao. "That's the story of my life."
Yao broke. He stared blankly onto his lap, not able to comprehend the flood of emotion that passed over his heart. He felt something inside of him float away; a weight had been lifted off his chest.
'That's what this was… I'm so stupid… I never realized...'
Not able to convey his feelings in any way other than this, he collapsed into sobs. They racked up his entire body, and he hid his face in Yong Soo's hanbok sleeve. He tried to wipe all of his tears, but they came in such strong floods that he gave up completely. He clung onto Yong Soo's strong arm like a child to its blanket, and wept until his eyes were dry.
"A-Aniki… W-what's your answer?" He looked out the window, and massaged the nape of his neck, afraid to hear rejection.
"I'm so sorry…"
He winced, and he could feel the tears smart up. He knew that Yao would never love him back. He probably just thought of him as an annoying younger brother.
"I'm so sorry that I didn't get to confess to you first, aru…"
Now it was Yong Soo's turn to be surprised that day. He lurched his head to the side, to stare at Yao's limp form, worn out by his unstoppable crying.
He let out a small shout of triumph, and caught Yao in a crushing bear hug, wrapping his arms around Yao's thin form, and ran his arms all over him.
Yao felt so blissful in his strong and secure grip that he could do nothing but attempt to hug back. He rubbed Yong Soo's back, wanting to calm him down before they attracted too much attention from the already interested passengers around them on the plane.
"Sh, aru… Take deep breaths, and we can continue this after we land, Yong Soo…"
An ecstatic Yong Soo nodded to Yao with wide and lively eyes. He hadn't felt this happy since Yao found him in the woods so long ago. At that time, he had gotten a brother and a friend. This time, he finally found in that friend, a lover who could give him the world.
"Let's watch Asian dramas to celebrate, daze!" He threw a fist of triumph into the air.
"W-Wait, what, aruuuuuuu?!"
-(Time skip)-
Everybody at the Beijing International Airport stared in wonder at the couple. Yong Soo had carried Yao bridal style off the plane.
The older of the two, the one being carried, clung onto the taller in fear of being dropped. He buried his crimson face into his chest, shifting around in his arms so that his entire body faced Yong Soo. He looked up at the Korean with so much love overflowing through his eyes that Yong Soo still thought it was a dream. He would've pinched himself at that moment, but he was still carrying his lover, and he really didn't want to be yelled at for dropping Yao.
"Ya know, Yao…" Yong Soo looked down at the beautiful man in his arms. Someday, he would make him his "bride." But they'd have to start out slow. If this was going to last, Yong Soo knew that he would have to really commit to Yao, and not rush by without savoring every moment of being together.
"Hmm?"
"Nan neol salanghae, Yao."
Yao certainly didn't know Korean that well, but he understood that perfectly well. He laughed amusedly, still suspended in air, and wrapped his arms around Yong Soo's torso with as much passion as he could muster.
"Wo ye ai ni, Yong Soo."
They shared a knowing smile as they went to get their luggage. Both men knew that this was probably the sweetest chapter of the story of their lives, which would soon be interwoven forever. 3