Disclaimer: you recognise it? Chances are it isn't mine! I'll claim Samoa though, and the plot, just because I can ;)
Special thanks to Mantyke30 and hello this is me speaking for your reviews. This chapter is for you, my friends :)
II
A World Away from Home
Continental Hotel
London, England
"It's beautiful!"
Samoa's childlike proclamation brought a smile to New Zealand's lips as the pair stood in the doorway of their shared hotel suite, the latter's hand on the light switch. The living area was sprawled before them in its white and maroon splendour, the gold furnishings glinting in the evening light. To their left, New Zealand spotted one bedroom with another to their right. If he remembered correctly, there was only one bathroom. He assumed a pensive expression as Samoa abandoned their luggage, running to inspect their ensuite.
"I've never stayed anywhere near as glamourous as this; I'm beginning to enjoy my trip already," came her muffled cry as she disappeared into the nearest room. The chandelier above shivered as she ran, her next few sentences consisting solely of 'ooh' and 'aah'.
"Come on Sam, we've got to get unpacked. While you're here, I'll go on ahead downstairs and see who else has checked in…"
"Don't worry about me, go right on ahead Kiwi!" she cried, dashing through the living area only to trip up on her feet and land face first into the maroon carpet.
"It's so soft," she murmured, New Zealand sighing as he turned to leave the room.
X
One week earlier
Nadi – Fiji
"On your marks, get set, go!" Samoa shouted, throwing her arm into the air as Tahiti, American Samoa and Fiji sped past her, sand flicking into her eyes as she frowned.
"First one to catch a fish and return it to me on shore is the winner," she cried, watching as the three females dove seamlessly into the lazuli ocean with their spears.
"I've got my bet on Fiji, home advantage," New Zealand commented from behind her beneath the large blue umbrella.
"Home advantage or none, we are all daughters of the sea, Kiwi. Lagi won last time, but I have a sneaky suspicion she won't be so fortunate this time around," Samoa replied, moving to take a seat on the male's side on the towel.
She wore a simple red lavalava wrapped around her body, tied behind her neck with her long hair contained in a single plait that draped over one shoulder. Underneath, New Zealand noted the white bikini straps and wondered aloud why she wasn't participating in the competition.
"I'm not a strong fisherman, or woman I suppose; I am the strongest swimmer by far, however," she replied simply before flicking her hazel eyes his way. She noted his plain blue singlet and matching lavalava that she forced him to wear over his speedos.
"You have put sunscreen on, right? I don't want you looking like a tomato!" She giggled at the comment, causing a visible flush to appear on his cheeks as New Zealand nodded.
"Of course I have sunscreen on."
"Well if it makes any difference, Tahiti thinks you're cute with the lavalava on, it brings out the green of your pretty eyes," she complimented with a sly grin that served only to intensify the blush staining his cheeks.
"Samoa, how many times have I told you not to set me up with anyone, especially those already linked with other nations!" New Zealand scolded.
Samoa simply rolled her eyes as she stood, the frangipani flower that she had tucked behind her ear falling to the towel.
"France doesn't count; he doesn't notice Tahiti and therefore he isn't deserving of her; come on Kiwi, she's pretty, a great dancer…"
New Zealand didn't need to be reminded of Tahiti and Cook Island's dance moves that saw them in a simple grass skirt and coconut bra swaying their hips rhythmically. They were both brought back to the present with the sound of a splash as a blonde head broke the water's surface. Tahiti appeared, her brown eyes sparkling as she swam for shore.
"It's a sign," Samoa hinted with a wink before going ahead to meet the winner of their mini competition. A frown flitted across New Zealand's face as Samoa's departure caused her beach bag to topple over, its contents spilling.
Suppressing a sigh, New Zealand moved to collect the objects, packing the coconut oil, sunscreen and drink bottle back into the woven bag. His eyes latched onto two envelopes that were already sealed. As he retrieved the letters, he saw one addressed to France and the other to America
New Zealand watched the quartet mill on the ocean shore, the three fisherwoman glittering in the tropical sun as Samoa declared Tahiti the winner. Although he hadn't seen France in some time, when they did speak or meet, he would never ask about Tahiti or the French Polynesians. From the snippets he caught from Samoa, he knew better than to ask about their relationship.
"Hey Kiwi, you better not be snooping in my sister's bag!"
The threat made him jump as his cheeks bloomed for not the first time that day.
"Uh no, Sam just knocked it over…" A flurry of laughter drowned out his excuse as the group of girls approached him. He did his best to avoid Tahiti's gaze, feeling the brown eyes burn a hole into his forehead.
"Come on guys, stop teasing him," Samoa defended as the group nestled themselves beneath his umbrella.
"I've always wanted to know what it felt like to be sunburnt," Fiji murmured, gaining a shrug from American Samoa.
"You don't want to be sunburnt," New Zealand mumbled. He was beginning to regret not accepting the male Pacific nations' request for him to join their Kava session. As if reading his thoughts, American Samoa shook her head.
"Remember last time you went to a faikava Zee?"
New Zealand nodded soberly, remembering his swollen face and throat before he shuddered.
"Come on guys, photo time!" Tahiti bubbled excitedly as she fumbled about her bag for the camera.
"You guys can take them to your meeting when you go," Fiji added to which the other two females nodded.
"What do you say Kiwi, in for a picture?" Tahiti winked.
New Zealand didn't bother to answer, knowing the question was rhetorical. Shooting him a sympathetic smile, Samoa jumped to her feet.
"Ok, a nice photo to make France jealous," Samoa teased, to which Tahiti growled.
As New Zealand posed, he thought of what it was going to be like to have Samoa along to the world meeting. She truly was a small-nation girl with a big heart, used to the island way of living. Everything was relaxed
Exposure will be good for her.
With that thought, New Zealand flashed a smile in time for their first photo.
X
Continental Hotel
"Apparently New Zealand brought someone from the South Pacific with him, aru," China commented absently as his oriental companion nodded.
The pair's footsteps were almost silent as they walked along the maroon carpet, headed towards the eastern wing of the hotel where the nations were staying for the duration of the week-long conference.
"It might be Tonga," Japan murmured, to which China shrugged.
"I was hoping it might be one of the girls," he sighed, thinking of the bright smiles of the ladies in the Pacific. He had been there several times and knew some of their counterparts quite well. He stroked his chin as he considered the reason for his presence in the South Pacific in the first place.
The sound of a door slamming ahead of them drew their attention to a figure whose back was plastered against the door, her teeth chattering. China's brow furrowed momentarily, her tanned round features registering somewhere in the back of his mind.
"Samoa?" Japan called hesitantly, the female's golden eyes flicking their way as she jumped. Blinking several times, she met his eyes hesitantly before a slow grin graced her lips.
"Japan! China!" she cried happily, barrelling towards them so suddenly that the two of them fell back a step. Grabbing China's hand, she pulled the male down to kiss his cheek softly before moving onto Japan, who by the time she had finished her greeting, was beet red.
"I should've known that I would see at least you two here," she grinned, looking from one male to the other.
China did his best to fight the blush invading his own cheeks as he nodded politely.
"How are the schools going, aru?" he asked, remembering the several schools he personally sought to build in the fledgling nation for some of the villages.
"The schools are great, thanks China; my pork buns are getting better too," she added with a competitive glint in her eye.
China smirked at the challenge as he shrugged.
"And how's the chop suey making?" he asked, remembering their various cooking lessons prompted by her desire not only to befriend him but also to learn how to cook the delicious food for herself.
"Perfect, I learn from the best," she replied with a warm smile, causing another red tinge to creep up China's neck.
"Oh and the ferry going between the islands is awesome, Japan, thanks again for the gift," Samoa added, remembering the large ferry that replaced the severely outdated one several years earlier. Japan merely nodded at her in response as memories of Samoa's openness to displays of affection came swiftly back to the forefront of his mind.
How could I forget?
"You guys are the best, looking after me… speaking of looking after me, do you know how to work this thing? I tried to turn the TV on but instead the room became freezing cold," she spoke, surrendering a remote that controlled anything but the television.
China took it swiftly with a small quirk of his lips.
"It's not a TV remote, Sam, it controls the air conditioning, aru," China informed to a wide eyed Samoa who simply blinked.
"Can you fix it though?" she murmured, pointing to the door of her shared room with New Zealand.
With an enthusiastic nod, China went ahead to the room, leaving Japan and Samoa in the hallway. Japan was painfully aware that his cheeks were still a traitorous red, and was even more aware of the fact that it was now just the two of them alone.
"Are you okay Japan?" She guiltily eyed his features. He was quiet. Had he always been that quiet? Shamefully, Samoa remembered her encounters with Japan were few, and in the short encounters, she finally remembered that he was quite bashful and proper. In other words, the complete opposite to herself. The thought made her burst aloud with laughter, causing the Japanese to jump.
"You know Japan, you really are quite cute being shy and all," she murmured, leaning in to inspect his features closely while Japan simultaneously leant back at the advance, turning a deeper shade of red.
"Sam!"
The pair waiting in the hallway jumped in unison as New Zealand appeared, his brow furrowed at the scene.
"Kiwi I was just telling Japan how cute he was," she greeted brightly. The remark caused New Zealand to pause as he looked from one to the other. Japan was sweating at the comment, as if taken aback by her openness.
"Hi Japan," he greeted, noticing his hot features.
"Hello New Zealand," he greeted politely.
"Samoa, why don't you go on ahead in the room?" New Zealand suggested, the female shrugging as she beamed at Japan.
"See you later, cutey," she giggled with a wave before entering the room.
Left with Japan, New Zealand grimaced apologetically at the male whose features, albeit flushed, were now calm once more, as though pensive.
"Sorry about her, Japan; she probably wouldn't have changed much since you last saw her," he spoke.
Japan nodded curtly, opening his mouth to say something before an almighty crash sounded from the room. Alarmed, New Zealand rushed into their room only to find Samoa tackling what looked to be China to the ground, the older nation laughing as he easily subdued the female in an arm lock.
"Samoa you will never be able to protect yourself at this rate," he teased, the female sighing in his arms as she signalled her defeat.
"I honestly thought I could take you on this time," she whined, releasing herself from his grip and cocking her head from one side to the other.
"You're too obvious, Sam, coming at me from the other side of the room; you're not exactly light on your feet," he replied, Samoa's golden gaze hardening at the comment.
"Not… not in that way! You're a nice size…" his voice trailed off as his face became bright. Samoa's frown was banished at his defence as she laughed aloud.
"China? What are you doing in here?" New Zealand interrupted, drawing a look from the older male.
"Oh hello New Zealand, aru. Sam was just having some trouble with her air conditioning," he replied as he straightened.
New Zealand stifled a sigh as he looked from Samoa to China and taking a mental note of Japan that stood not far behind him. He was beginning to wonder whether it would've been a better idea to bring Cook Islands.
It's going to be a long conference indeed.
The thought was very sobering for New Zealand as Samoa continued play fighting with China.
X
Several Hours Later
"Samoa, are you ready yet?"
New Zealand knocked on the bathroom door for the tenth time as Samoa stared at her steamy reflection, attempting to tame her wild curls into what was meant to be a plait. At that moment it looked more like a dead snake than anything else.
"Um, I might be a little bit longer Kiwi, I think you should go ahead to the dinner, I'll be down shortly," she called. Silence followed for a moment or two before, with a sigh, New Zealand relented.
"Alright I'll go ahead, but only because Australia is waiting for me outside. We'll be dining in the restaurant on the first floor, you can't miss it," New Zealand replied.
"Okay, see you shortly," she responded, straightening her dress in the mirror. She looked at her reflection quizically, from her purple one shoulder dress. The garment was covered with Samoan patterns and ended below her knees rather modestly. Her black blazer covered her shoulders, and her hair which was by then tied into a low bun was dressed with a small red flower arrangement.
"It's as good as you're going to look Samoa - now deep breath, it's time to go to dinner," she murmured to herself, turning to leave the bathroom. Her heart pounded against her chest as her black dress sandals carried her towards the way out of the room.
"I should've just gotten Kiwi to wait for me..."
Her utterance was lost as she stepped into the hallway, ready to proceed along the maroon carpet only to find someone staring from the opposite direction. She walked with a small smile, her golden eyes soft as she locked eyes with a pair she recognised from a time long ago. Her brow fluttered as she passed, the male not making a motion to stop her. Just as she rounded the corner towards the elevator, a shrill voice shouted, "Lagi?"
X
Apia, Samoa
Four Days Earlier
Samoa plonked on her bed, staring at the ceiling of the thatched hut. She didn't want to go to the world meeting, but it looked as though she had no choice. Everyone else had already bailed on her, and there was no point in arguing with any of them. ("Come on Sam, if it's not you, it'll be Cookie and we all know how that will go down," Fiji had argued.) She had to agree at the very least that unfortunately, Cook Islands had no filter at all. By the end of the conference, all the nations would know not only her background story but that of all the other Pacific nations.
Her younger sister padded around the room between Samoa's suitcase and her closet, carrying armfuls of clothes and toiletries. Samoa smiled at the gesture, not remembering the last time her twin sister had done something like this for her.
"Look, Va, whatever you do while you're there at the World Meeting, try your best to avoid America, ok?"
Her younger sister's request caused the elder sister to prop herself up on her elbows and eye her closely.
"Why? I thought he looked after you well and that you two got along," she asked suspiciously.
Lagi sighed as she lowered her hazel eyes to the ground, moving to sit on the edge of her sister's bed.
"He does, Va, it's just... I don't know-"
Samoa studied her face carefully, immediately recognising the hesitation she tried to mask behind her golden eyes. She never broke eye contact, not unless…
"Please do not tell me that you've fallen in love with him," Samoa interrupted sharply, causing a protest to form on her sister's face.
"Of course I don't love him!" Lagi argued, her head snapping up in defence. Her eyes were wide, but the look she saw there further plummeted Samoa's stomach to the floor.
"I can't believe you love him!" Samoa exclaimed, her face horrified.
Lagi's cheeks warmed as she gritted her teeth.
"I am not in love with America..."
"Oh for crying out loud Lagi, the nation is practically your brother-"
Lagi was silent, her shoulders slouching in defeat. Samoa's mind reeled as she shook her head, memories from more than a century earlier resurfaced in her mind. She winced, remembering the battle between England, America and Germany for the twins. What resulted was the pair being forced to split. Something in her heart clenched at the memory.
"I don't love him, Vasa, it's just… just please avoid him at the World Meeting," she begged, her bluff failing as her older sister narrowed her eyes at her.
"Why would I be avoiding him? You're the one that's in love with him!" she demanded more sharply than intended.
Her sister lowered her eyes.
"About that..."
X
Continental Hotel
At the sound of her sister's name, she instantly felt sick. She finally remembered where she'd seen the attractive face.
It's America!
Before she could take off, a warmth wrapped itself around her wrist as she froze, her heart thundering in her chest. She cursed mentally at her sister as she painted a fake smile, turning slowly to face the perpetraitor.
"Hi America," she greeted with a small voice. With a flash of annoyance, she watched as his face paled, before he cleared his throat as though nervous.
"How are you? I… I think we have some talking to do," he murmured, his lips pursing.
"I'm happy to talk, but could you let me go please?" she replied emotionlessly, watching the pale hand drop her wrist like a hot coal. He coughed, his face now tinged with pink as he released a deep breath.
"If you're not busy now, could we talk?"
Samoa had to ignore the million and one ways that cropped up in her mind of how she would deal to her sister severely when she returned home. With a feigned smile, she nodded obligingly.
"Of course."
X
Pagopago, American Samoa
Lagi stared out over the brilliant blue ocean, her golden eyes lingering on the horizon. The salty air whipped her hair back as she pictured her sister in London cleaning up her mess. She couldn't face him in person, not after her love letters that had finally been returned with one simple response.
Come to the World Meeting. We need to sort this out.
The words burned in her mind. She couldn't bring herself to face him. It was all a bit of a mess, the result of crazy hormonal overload – or at least she blamed it on that. But if there was one thing out of this that she was ashamed of, it was her own cowardice.
What have I gotten us into, Vasa?
The thought haunted the younger twin as she kept her eyes on the sea, her sister's namesake.
X
Vocab/Notes
lavalava - Samoan word for a piece of long rectangular material tied around your waist; Cook Island word for this is 'pareu'.
faikava - kava is a traditional Pacific drink with differing purposes throughout the Pacific; in Tongan custom it is usually drunk informally as a gathering between men; there are exceptions to this in Tongan culture but you can find out more about this on Google :)
China & Japan- they presently have a good relationship; as Samoa mentioned, China and Japan have gifted things to the island, however I am of the personal opinion that it's more for our waters than anything else, why else would a super power invest in a third world nation? This is why I've painted Samoa, for the most part, as being naive in some respects.
Author's Note
1. 6 or so months later! Forgive me, I'd forgotten about this story and then I found the half-finished 2nd chapter and was inspired again to complete it.
2. Please do review if you can; any improvements that could be made, do let me know :) Thanks.
3. I'll try to update it a bit sooner this time ;)
Meitaki maata, (Cook Island Maori)
Thank you very much
- QK
