I'm sorry to keep you all waiting! I never forgot about this story, it's just that I was thinking about how to develop the plot. Originally, the whole thing was supposed to be a oneshot, but I decided to change that.

Thank you so much to those who haven't given up on this story! And to those who reviewed! Thank you for giving me strength :D
This chapter takes a dramatic leap from the silence of the two chapters before. A lot of things will be introduced in this chapter, along with new characters.
There hasn't been enough written about the Japan Prefectures of Hetalia, and I know that they haven't appeared much at all canon-wise. I really admire them, though, and I decided to give them somewhat of a major role in this story. I hope it all works out well, and that they'll become more noticed in a way :)

Homare-Aizu

Naoto-Okinawa

Enjoy!

Maybe he was skeptical at first, but Kiku released her from the prison called his home.

Mei was careful at first, stopping her foot a few seconds after the other followed. It wasn't until her full form was basking in the winter sun that she glided across the stone pathway, a small arch of her lips beginning to appear.

"Ah, the snow-" His warning reached her too soon as she tripped on an icy patch, smile broken into a gasp as her face met the ground.

Almost.

"Please, be more careful." His hands were wrapped tightly around her waist, her nose barely touching the gray stone. For a moment, her eyes were closed. Opening again, she looked at her savior. Kiku released his hold as soon as her eyes met his, looking at the sakura tree. A faint redness appeared on his cheeks.

"Are you getting cold?" Mei's blew quickly on her cold fingers and lightly touched his cheeks. She grew worried, for he only grew redder, and his eyes began to squint.

"I'm sorry! My hands must feel cold too..."

"No. Your hands...they are just fine."

Just warm.

...

"I"M SORRY!"

"NO, I AM THE ONE TO BLAME!"

And within a few minutes, people passed by wondering what was going on between this 'young couple'.

Or so they called it.

Both kept their distance from the embarrassing moment that occurred about half an hour ago.

Mei didn't know where they were going, or what he was doing, but she trusted him.

On the contrary, he feared that whenever she would turn her head, or even slightly move her hand-that she would take off somewhere else.

And he didn't have a reason not to bring her back.

Mei wasn't even his in the beginning. Even though you did a good deed never meant anything good in return. She didn't have to come back, to repay him. She was free, and could leave whatever behind without a regret.

That was something he just couldn't do.

Because no matter how much he pushed it away, no matter how much he tried to rethink how it all happened-

He knew he shouldn't have left him, much less killed him.

She saw his steady, strong pace across the snow falter.
"Is something wrong?" At the sound of her songbird voice, he began marching forward, trudging a little too hard on the pale white blanket.

"I am sorry. There is nothing to worry-"

"I think there is. The fact that you don't say anything much, means that you're thinking about things most of the time. They can't all be good things, so there is something wrong." She spoke more persistently.

"And because you're always looking at me, even when you do it for a split second, it means something, right? Is it because you're afraid that I'll leave?" His feet slowed once more.

"So it is! I was right! You're afraid of something like that?" This was the most he had heard her speak since they first met. She was quiet, careful, mature. Now, she was outgoing, carefree, childish.

Mei laughed. Rubbing her arms, she hadn't realized how cold it had been. Moving around always made one warmer.

"I will stay with you."

Feet now froze as still as the ice that covered the lakes.

"You have no obligation-"

"I don't need one." He flinched, turning back at the girl with sourness across his lips.

Determination was evident in her eyes. As delicate as she had been, there was something about her that changed. Or, maybe it was in her all along.

He had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to stop her from doing what she wanted.

"I will stay with you." She said again, hands curled into fists. The snow began to fall slowly, accumulating even more in the piles that formed into a field.

"Even if you don't want me to, or beat me, or even try to kill me, I'll always stand with you." The songbird voice became louder, stronger. His mouth opened, but no words left his tongue.

After a long exchange of soulless brown and golden brown, his voice returned.

"You do not know who I am, nor what I do." Mei sighed, crossing her arms and looked at her feet.

"I don't have to know." Kiku made an exasperated noise with his throat, and turned, returning to his walk.

And she followed.

Behold, a great estate stood directly in front of the bewildered girl.

Kiku had hoped that she would change her mind at the very sight of his ancestral home would turn her away.

But she stood there, surprised, but not trembling.

As they entered, the servants made quick bows and mumbles of reverence at their master's return.

"Takahashi Sakura." He gestured towards Mei, who stood behind him, palms atop the other on her waist.

She blinked, uncertain at the new name, and the level of respect the servants showed her. The same bows, the same words of respect were bestowed upon her, a runaway Chinese prisoner.

Kiku could only look at her with hope. If he played his cards right, and if she cooperated-which she proved by word-her life would be of use to his family.

And she wouldn't be thrown back into the snow once more.

In truth, Kiku wasn't only just a normal man living in the outskirts of the capital. He was the true son of the Honda family, who served the country for generations, one way or another. There were plenty of heirs produced by different women, plenty of men who fought through wars.

This war wasn't like the others. It was to prove the true power of the small island nation, and it took many lives to accomplish the task.

Most of Kiku's brothers had left for the war. He didn't know all of them too well, for there were really too many. Only a few he really could remember, because they were the ones held in the highest regard, along with himself.

"You've returned." Homare, one of his few older brothers, said dully. Dressed in the uniform regalia of the high-ranking general, he looked more serious and hard than Kiku remembered. The first of the few years when Homare himself brought him back to his true home, here in Tokyo, he was already a hardened young man of nineteen. Being only sixteen, not everything was still visible in Kiku's eyes, but now he realized how much bravado Homare displayed back then.

Now, he could see none.

"Aniue, it is good to see you are doing well." He bowed. The older man frowned slightly at the girl, whose appalled gaze quickly turned to the wall.

"This is?"
"A servant of mine, during my stay at the edge of the city. Her name is Takahashi Sakura." She bowed, eyes glued to the floor.

"A pleasure to meet you." Her voice was pretty. No, she was pretty. The mere thought of her living with his younger brother as a servant, or so he claimed, brought disdain across Homare's face. Kiku was a good person, he knew. But people always hid one thing or another, and he wouldn't be surprised if Kiku did something that the rest of the family believed to be unimaginable.

Why were the rest of his brothers, sisters, and half-mothers so surprised? It happened in the family all the time, but things like that were always kept away from the eyes of the public.

"NII-CHAN!" A boyish voice erupted the dull silence from the end of the hall.

A flash of black made her blink, opening her eyes again to a young boy standing in front of the two. In one second she understood that this boy would be NOTHING like Kiku or Homare. For one, he was smiling to his ears. Two, he looked as if he couldn't contain his excitement. And three, for the admiring spark in his eyes.

"Naoto. Return to school." Homare's voice had gone from serious to grave as his eyes met his. Kiku looked uncomfortable, shifting his arms and looking at the ceiling.
Naoto was dressed in a black uniform, a bento box in one hand and the other scratching the back of his neck.

"If there's anything I can do for you personally, like wash the floor, or clean the room, I'll do it. Please, just this once? I'll take a beating if it's ok." Homare's eyes flared in silent anger as he raised his hand. Kiku looked at the back of Naoto's head, void of words or emotion. Naoto didn't do so much as flinch.

"Tch. Do what you want. Punishment is the only way you will learn, isn't it?" Gritting his teeth for a split second, Homare pushed his way through and marched down the opposite end of the hall.

"Nii-Chan, I'm so glad you're back! Since you left, everything's so different now. Chichiue doesn't show his face for months, Homare's been meaner than ever, and we've been forced to study more than ever!" He threw up his arms in exasperation, but not before handing the bento box to his older brother's hands.

"Oh, I made that for lunch, but I'm not hungry." Kiku stared at the wrapped bento.

"Remember when I couldn't cook?" Naoto laughed.

"I do." He sighed, bowing to his younger brother.

"I appreciate your kindness, but in all means, education is important. Please return to school." Worry came across the boy's face, as he noticed Mei standing behind his brother.

"Oh! I'm sorry I didn't see you earlier. I'm Honda Naoto, Kiku's little brother." He bowed, and faced her with a warm grin.

"I'm Takahashi Sakura. It's nice to meet you, Naoto." For some reason, she thought of it as odd if she were to call the boy by his last name.

"The more the merrier, right? If I do a good job at showing her around, can I stay?" He stared pleadingly at his brother's eyes. Kiku was obviously exasperated, to the point where it became difficult to hide it. He closed his eyes, and walked forward.

"Ototo, please stay out of trouble, and follow me only." Naoto made a laugh of victory, and took her hand.

"Come on! Homare might have scared you, but not everything in the house is scary!" Mei smiled. The boy really had an admirable charm in him that made others cede to his will, despite the fact that it wasn't always what they were supposed to do.

"Alright." And she took his hand, as they darted through the hall.

Past Kiku.

"Naoto!"

Thank you for reading! Please review!
Good night, everyone :D