Chapter 1.

I do not own Hetalia.

The long-haired girl dug at the earth, hair tied back to keep it out of her eyes. Her family's garden had to be kept in check, and that was her job. In no way would Yao ever settle for anything less than excellent. Her oldest brother, Yao, was rather fond of being called teacher, or big brother. Then there was small, strong, and silent Kiku. Li Xiao, surly and close to Yao. There was Im Yong, obsessed with breasts, oddly, and believed wholeheartedly that Kiku had them. Also Neeraj, who was rather Indian-prince-like in aura. There was Mei, her closest companion, maybe after Kasem. All her siblings were different nationalities. It was an... interesting arrangement. But then there was also her. Plain, bland, Vietnamese her.

She surveyed their garden. It was beautiful and lush, circling their house, which was placed carefully on the outskirts of the city, so there wouldn't be much noise, and more space. The garden was peppered with heavy stone lanterns, and boasted cherry trees in bloom, weedless gardens full of thriving plum trees, large vegetables, and colorful flowers, and a large willow tree, under which she would go to clear her head.

A human voice tore through the blissful science. "Lien! Lien, would you come in here, please!" Yao had opened a sliding bamboo-paper door Li Xiao had installed over their porch. He stepped back in, waiting for her inside. Their house was Asian-themed but modern, with its own hot spring, frequently used by Kiku. She sighed and placed her trowel beside the flower bed, peeled off her gloves, and jogged to the house, trying hard not to appear like she'd just been playing in the dirt like a child.

She stepped inside, thankful for the coolness brought by the shade. Yao, and, to her surprise, all her other siblings, sat around the kitchen table with solemn faces, which instantly led her to believe something amazing had happened, or else something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

She took her spot, blushing slightly when she noticed they were all dressed nicely, and she was still in her gardening clothes, a very-casual shirt and shorts. She hadn't bothered with fanciness. She never did.

"Lien," Yao finally spoke, voice heavy with seriousness, his normally upbeat air vanished. Even Im Yong Soo, Mei, and Kasem's typical smiles had been tossed away. Kiku and Li, however, were more somber than they usually were, which was off. This whole situation reeked with oddity. Yao cleared his throat, then spoke again, in the same low, serious tone. "You're growing up. We all are- but there's something rather different, a bit... lacking in a certain department when it comes to your case."

Lien looked down, puzzled. She wasn't even the youngest. Maybe what Yao said was true, after all, she was nineteen, but that was still plenty young. There was still ample time to find a better job, start a relationship, get married... The romance department. That's what she lacked. Lien was famous for her frosty heart, her slight indifference when it came to men.

Lien's blush deepened, and her heart sunk into what felt like her stomach in shame. She knew what the conversation was about now. Li Xiao and Mei had been in a relationship already, and since none of them were really related, this hadn't been strange at all. They'd been thinking of marriage anyway. Kiku was single, but had been eyeing Sarwendah, an Indonesian girl down south. Im Yong Soo had been spending a lot of time with Natalia Arkovsky, a Belarusian girl who shared a similar infatuation with her brother. Yao, of course, was engaged to Ivan, Natalia's said brother. Karem was single, but that didn't matter to anyone. He'd always assured them that marriage wasn't his first priority anyway. Neerja didn't bother with such things, unless it came to that pretty girl from Sri Lanka.

That left her. Only her.

Yao, picking up on her mood, skipped straight to the point. That was a good part about him. Yao didn't waste time. "Lien, you're young. You've finished school. You may not be interested in any young men at the moment, but think about it, okay, aru?" Lien looked up. Aru. Yao's pet name. He was really trying now.

Lien stood up, staring at the table. "Alright, onee-chan," she said finally, using Kiku's name for China, a term used by their family only in times of great emotional value. "I can try." She looked up, her amber eyes staring deep into his brown ones. "But I can't promise anything."

She bowed, more deeply than she usually would, and walked back outside, making sure to close the door behind her. She strode forcefully back to the flower bed, picked up the trowel, and stabbed the dirt with more vigor than necessary. Her face burned. The anger quickly filling her chest was mixed with confusion.

Why was she angry? Not wanting to further punish the dirt, she gently laid down the trowel and walked to the willow tree, slipping through it's dangling leaves to the space inside. It calmed her, seeing the leafy walls move with the breeze. She breathed. Sent oxygen to her brain. Exhaled negative feelings. In, out. In, out.

Thinking freely, she cast the question around in her brain again, hoping for it to bounce onto an answer. Why was she angry? There was no logical reason. It had to be with the ever-annoying human body harbored deep inside. Emotion.

If only she were like Mei. If only she could just... let loose with feelings. Trying hard, she forced a few words out of her unwilling mouth. "I don't want to marry." Hearing them out loud, she knew she didn't want to. She really didn't want to. But, knowing that, she felt guilt rise in her throat, hot and thick.

Her siblings expected it of her. So it would have to be done.

Marriage. The thought raced through her. Being so close with another human, having to care for them, nurture them, love them- bear their children.

She shuddered, chills racing down her back, raising goosebumps. The thought was unimaginable at best. Horrifying at worst. Lien brought her knees to her chest, drawing herself and all her emotional tangents in. She had to keep her mind enclosed. Within herself. She sighed again, expelling negative emotions. She was so deep in thought, so enclosed, she almost missed the slight rustle, indicating someone had pushed through the willow tree's leafy walls to see her.

Almost.

Mei sat down next to he and leaned back against the tree, smiling softly. They stayed like that a few moments, until Mei brought the inevitable conversation in.

"Lien, Yao told me that I should talk to you. About the whole marriage to an unknown-man thing." Mei pushed herself up and crossed her legs, sitting in a Buddha-like position until Lien responded.

"I just don't know, Mei." Lien finally said softly. "Marriage... marriage is huge, I've never had a boyfriend before either." She turned to face Mei, who was poised to answer, her light pink dress, and that odd curly strand of hair she always had were waving in the light breeze. Sunlight seeped slowly through the drooping strands, illuminating Lien's face softly. The warmth and breeze were so comfortable, Lien could have just fallen asleep there had her mind not been so awake and had not Mei responded.

"We- I- just need you to think about it. That's all. Nothing more. If you stay single forever, which I doubt, then may your life be full of happiness and other things that happen to forever-alone people."

When Lien opened her mouth to protest, but Mei cut her off with a slight laugh and a wave of her hand. "I'm just joking, Lien." Mei grinned, but then continued with a small grin. "And as for finding a boyfriend- I think Yao's setting you up."

Lien's head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise and slight anger. "With who?"

Mei shrugged. "Someone from America who trades with his company. I think his name is Alfred."

Yao: China (duh)

Kiku: Japan (you should know this)

Li Xiao: Hong Kong

Neerja: India

Karem: Thailand

Im Yong: South Korea