And I Will Hold You Tightly

"My Japan is so strong," the voice cooed with paternal adoration, "My little brother Japan never cries when I have to bandage him all up, not like his brother Korea, hush now, you can go to sleep after this."

Yao had simply been trying to get some sleep when a rap on his door stirred him from his dosing, he sluggishly pulled himself from the warm cavern that was his bed and walked to the door slowly, pulling a dressing gown over his almost bare torso as he did so. He grumpily turned on a light in his passageway before opening the door, a scowl that wouldn't budge prominent on his tired face. Kiku stood there motionlessly, the Chinese man took a while to simply look at him, every time he saw the younger nation he found it remarkable how much he seemed to grow, however, now Kiku looked small and exhausted. His dark eyes were dead and dull, his complexion pasty and his lips seemed to be permanently pressed together in a tight line that was repressing his thoughts, he still bowed his head respectfully though and even attempted to smile but it was all wasted, he just looked…tired.

"Japan?" Yao's brow puckered, "What are you doing here? It's not proper to come knocking so late at night you know, I was just about to go to sleep."

Japan almost flinched under the elder's stare, it was hard not to since that last time they saw each other they didn't exactly part on good terms. Also, being chastised on poor manners took him back to the days when he was a child and was uncomfortable to say the least, he thought the days where China would continue to try and mould him into a 'proper' nation were long gone. He bowed again however,

"My apologies, I just need to talk to you and didn't think it could really wait until morning, I can head back if it's more convenient."

"No, no don't be silly," Yao stepped aside, opening the door a fraction further before putting on a sigh to mask his genuine delight that was itching to show on his face, "I suppose you'd better come in, it's cold out."

The younger Asian nation took a few hesitant steps inside, he couldn't help his eyes wandering, the place hadn't changed much since he lived there with China when he was much younger, oriental paintings and delicate ornaments littered the area and left little space for walking around. He took his shoes off, already knowing that Yao would request him to before entering the living room, and placed them neatly beside the elder's own sandals. The two made their way into the living room, the air was thick with tension and a certain awkwardness that they both tried to pointedly ignore. China ducked out of the room and went to boil a pot of water for tea, perhaps hoping to distract himself from the younger nation inside his living room. Without thinking about it, he shrugged off his dressing gown as the room had suddenly gotten warmer, as if the uneasy atmosphere clogged up the air and made it uncomfortable. His face fell slightly as he walked back in, two small cups perched in each hand, he handed it over to Japan who obviously took it graciously although the gesture was very much sloppily done and informal.

"Why are you here?" China finally said with a retired sigh, "The war's over, there's not much else you can do to me that will really matter. Strictly speaking, you shouldn't even be here Japan."

The younger's eyes seemed occupied, he seemed oblivious to China's words and was for some reason looking straight through him. Yao was just about to interject, to yell at him for his poor manners when Japan finally said,

"China… May I see your back?" Yao blinked confusedly as a blush crept along his cheeks, decorating his porcelain cheeks with a delicate pink.

"Want to admire your work do you?" China retorted acidly, his face was a picture of both anger and sadness with just a tiny trace of embarrassment, the younger placed the teacup he had placed gently between his palms on the table beside him before leaning forward slightly to look China straight in the eyes. Yao bit his tongue behind clenched teeth and he struggled to do anything but glare, it was so out of character for Kiku to be blatant almost ignorant, especially to China, the man he had tried hard to impress for the majority of his upbringing. He shook his head so that his hair also danced, brushing his cheeks slightly as he did so, his hands went out almost unwillingly but hovered just away from the elder's form.

"May I see your back?" he repeated, the elder glared before reluctantly turning, a scowl stubbornly littering his face. An ugly scar was easily seen through the flimsy material of his night vest and stared at Japan as viciously as his caretaker had just been. His fingers went out to stroke the material covering the mark causing his caretaker to take in a sharp breath,

"May I?" there was a reluctant nod and Japan quickly pulled the vest over the elder's head so that the scar stood out with nothing to distract from it, it stood there almost proudly and glared up at him, reminding him that he was the cause of it. Kiku went to touch it but paused,

"May…"

"Stop asking that. Go ahead."

His fingers went out and lightly traced the line, making Yao flinch underneath the coldness of the younger's touch and the softness of his skin. Kiku closed his eyes, hoping that when they opened the ugly mark would miraculously have disappeared but to no avail as when they creaked open the scar was still stubbornly there, taunting him. He let out a sigh and leant his forehead on the other's strong back, making the elder jump slightly.

"This…" he started, his words were composed and calm but it was obvious he was trembling, "This is why I came. I'm sorry, China, although I don't expect you to accept my apology I'm glad that you heard it and I hope you know that I really mean it, I apologise profusely."

Yao stiffened slightly, his eyes pricked with unwanted and silly tears that he quickly tried to blink back, he turned so that he faced the younger. He smiled gently and cupped the younger's face,

"My Japan is so strong," he whispered, his voice cracking slightly, "My little brother Japan never cries even though he trembles so and leans against me like a child, not like his brother China, his brother China cries like a girl."

He let out a shaky laugh before running his hands through the soft cropped black strands of hair that framed Kiku's face, the Japanese man's stoic expression softened slightly as the elder fell and buried his head in the crook of his shoulder. He felt delicate hands, worn out from years of hard work, clutch at his shirt and nails dig into his skin unintentionally. Enormous sobs echoed throughout the lonely house that had once been full to the brink of all of China's younger siblings running around and creating havoc for their caretaker, it shouldn't be like that, Japan knew the man felt isolated and unwanted now and that his part in world war two didn't help at all. He respectively sat there motionlessly and let the older cry it all out and suddenly all of China's defenses, all of his bitterness, everything he prided himself on was shed and he was simply Yao, broken and scarred, all because of Kiku.

"This doesn't change anything," he called out, clutching onto the younger, "I can't forgive you for…for making it like this, I can't forgive Japan for leaving China."

The room was suddenly silent, Japan paused and looked down at the trembling figure that lay pathetically in his arms.

"B-but I forgive Kiku for hurting me, a-and I'm sorry that I, Yao, was so hard on you when you were growing up, on all of you. I-it's all my fault."

"No," the younger murmured stubbornly, "We're just puppets, you should know this by now, you've been here for four thousand years."