Oh hello! So I checked the hits on this story and was astonished. I have readers? Yay! Anyways, it is now three in the morning as I write this. This chapter did not want to be written. I am very satisfied with the end result though, and I hope you are too. Just a warning, I'll probably be shoving aside actual history quite a bit. It will be there, just not as much as in other stories. And it will probably just be for the whole Japan/China thing.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please Read and Review!
PS: I probably won't be using a lot of Chinese honorifics, if at all. Sorry, but I just know way too little about the language to do so and not be worried about accuracy. If I do use phrases and they're incorrect, please let me know.
Sighing, Yao took a step back. Kiku was sleeping now, more or less peacefully. Wrapping and cleaning the wounds had been a challenge by itself, and trying not to hurt the small nation anymore simply made the task more difficult. But nevertheless, China still couldn't help but worry. Japan had lost so much blood.
But he's a nation-aru, Yao tried to reassure himself, it won't kill him. He frowned and stepped closer to Kiku, gently sweeping back the sleeping man's dark hair. What happened to him?
He needed to call someone. Perhaps Russia would know something, China decided as he left the room and searched for a phone.
Please answer, he thought to himself once he had located a phone and dialed Ivan's number.
"Yao? Oh, hello!" Russia's carefree voice greeted.
"Ivan, you haven't heard anything from America, have you?"
"America? No, not since the last meeting. Why? Did he-?"
"Japan is here. I think America did something to him-aru." The dark-haired man looked over his shoulder as he waited for Russia to respond.
"Oh." Ivan's tone changed immediately. China didn't know why, but it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "How is Japan?"
"Not good. I found him and…it was awful. I've never seen so much blood from one person-aru."
"Perhaps you should speak to America, da?"
"He'll probably brag about it soon enough-aru," Yao said bitterly, feeling rage bubble up in him again.
A groan sounded from the next room. Yao's ears perked up as he set the phone down in an end table and hurried into the back room. Kiku was beginning to awaken, his eyelids fluttering slightly. China brushed a few stray hairs behind his ears and took a seat next to the bed.
"You're finally awake," he smiled softly after the smaller nation opened his eyes. Japan, surprised, made to sit up but Yao gently pushed him back down. "Don't try to sit up yet-aru. I don't know how well the bandages will hold.
"China-san…" China winced at the smaller nation's cracked voice. He sounded, looked too, as if he had been through hell and back. "H-?"
"I found you, but that's not important-aru," he whispered quickly. "What happened, Japan?" The nation frowned and said nothing, lowering his gaze and refusing to meet that of the older man next to him. "Kiku?" He still said nothing, but Yao realized that he was trembling slightly.
He's probably still in pain, he thought to himself.
"Rest, we'll speak later," he said quietly, cursing himself mentally for forgetting about the meeting with his boss. "I'll be back soon-aru." Standing, he turned to leave the room but stopped to look back at the smaller nation. "Please rest Japan. You really look as if you need it." Japan blinked in response, still not meeting China's eyes.
Yao frowned, but left and closed the door behind him, deciding to straighten himself before meeting with his boss.
When China returned to his house, the sun had begun to set. The full moon had already risen and was slowly continuing its ascent across the sky.
Feeling more paranoid now after the meeting, Yao threw a glance over his shoulder before entering the house, locking the door firmly behind him. Paranoia now being taken over by worry, he hurried into the backroom, brushing back some stray hairs before pulling the door open.
"Japan?" The smaller nation was kneeling on the far corner of the room, wearing the dark clothes Yao had left out for him. Feeling uneasy, he closed the door and hurried to Japan, kneeling by his side.
Japan looked up at China, but looked down again and shut his eyes tightly.
"A-are you feeling any better-aru?" The smaller man nodded and Yao wrapped his arm around Japan's shoulders.
"Hai. Thank you…for…" he sighed and stole a quick glance at the older nation next to him.
"Kiku, I had a meeting my boss. He doesn't know you're here, but he told me what America had told him." Japan winced and lowered his head, almost as if in shame. "I want to hear what happened from you-aru."
For a few seconds, Japan said nothing and China wondered if he was going to say anything at all, but then he spoke in a quiet, trembling voice.
"In six days, I must meet with America-san and perhaps the other allies," he leaned away from Yao, still refusing to raise his head. "He attacked, twice. It was too much. I…I surrendered." Japan spat out the last word, his eyes tightly shut.
"And your wounds-aru?"
"Most were from America-san. One was…" His voice trailed off and he stood suddenly, wincing, and placed a hand on his abdomen. China had turned and was watching the nation with wide eyes.
"Kiku…" He stood and took a step towards Japan, who took a step back.
"Watashi wa totemo hazukashiku omotte imasu." Japan turned away from Yao as he choked out the words in his nation's language.
"You don't need to be ashamed!" China cried as he took another step towards the smaller nation. Japan looked over at the older man and gasped, falling to his knees. Immediately, Yao was at his side, holding him as he shook and…cried. He was crying, China realized, and held him tighter.
"I saw…it all. Everyone that died. I saw everything," he choked out, shuddering when Yao gently squeezed him. "They didn't know what had happened. I didn't either. And during the brief seconds, I was them. It happened so much, I thought I was human.
"Once, then a second time. He threatened to do it again. It was just…just too much. I had to." He squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from China, still trembling. So naïve, Yao thought to himself.
"I just needed to get away, somewhere else. It…I think that's why I came here. It was familiar, perhaps a bad decision, but I hoped it would be different than…" He sighed, turning slightly to look at the man next to him. "I didn't think you would…after…" Yao felt Japan's eyes wander to a scar across the side of his neck, then immediately looked away. "Gomen ne."
A few minutes passed in which neither said anything. Yao was horrified, almost afraid of America. When did he become capable of such power?
"You need rest if you want to be well enough to meet with America in six days-aru," China said, watching the sky darken through the window as he listened to the breathing of the small man next to him. He felt Japan nod, and before either of them could stand, Kikku had wrapped his arms around Yao in a rare display of affection. It left the older man speechless, and the hug was over before he could return it.
"Arigatō," Japan whispered before rising with the help of Yao.
Watashi wa totemo hazukashiku omotte imasu: I am so ashamed.
Gomen ne: I'm sorry.
Arigatō: Thank you