Yao could feel his heart pounding.
It was pounding so hard, he swore he could hear it. It felt as if it was about to break right out of his chest.

He felt sweat, dripping down his forehead, and even though he was surrounded in a never ending path of white freezing snow, his body still felt hot.

He gritted his teeth in pain, and slowly he snow all the snow around him turning red, soaking up all it's white color, easily disappearing.

The sweat that he'd previously felt..

Well… it wasn't sweat, exactly.
He swept his hand over his forehead quickly. It matched the red color...that was soaking up in the snow...

He suddenly felt another shot of pain, and blood started soaking through his clothing.
The snow around him started turning more and more red.
"N..no! Stop it, aru! S..stop.." The small helpless nation cried out, not even sure of who or what he was telling to stop.
He wasn't sure of anything anymore.

He blinked several times. He could see it now… a figure, standing in the snow.. watching.
"I-Ivan..?" He muttered, quietly, hoping it was Ivan, praying that it was.. he would save him, right? Save him from all this…
The figure approached, and before Yao could even manage to blink again, the figure's hand swung, and smacked him across the face, making his cheek sting, and on top of that, causing more blood to slide down his face.

He felt his eyes slowly filling with tears, and he felt his heartbeat slowing, as more blood dripped down, turning the snow even more red.
He looked up and he saw his little brother, staring down at him, his face blank, as usual.

"K-Kiku…?" He asked, under his breath.
"I-I'm sorry, aru.. d-don't leave me like this.."

His brother stared at him for another moment, then slowly turned, and began walking, leaving his foot prints behind, and nothing else.
He didn't even utter a word to him.
He didn't show any sign of regret.

"K-Kiku!?"
No answer.

Yao choked on a sob.
"P-Please don't-! C..come.. back… please…?"
No response. His brother disappeared again, and with one more blink, every single speck of snow around him turned completely red.

…

Yao sprawled upwards, and he found himself waking in a cold sweat, screaming.
Choking on sobs.
Why had that whole thing… seemed so real to him?

The red flashes spun around in his head.
His brother's emotionless expression.
He tried to keep himself from breaking down completely, but eventually one of those sobs broke up, ringing out in the room slightly.

He covered his face, and he trembled.
Just sitting there… in the darkness.. not willing to move. Afraid that he'd stand, and find he was still locked away in one of his nightmares.

How could… Kiku do this to him?
Just turn around and leave him like this? He had trusted him! He'd done everything for him.. and now even in his dreams… he was forsaking him.
Yao choked on yet another sob, not being able to stop himself. Hot tears ran down his cheeks, and he kept his face covered with his hands.

Suddenly, something happened that stunned the small Chinese nation, he found himself, wrapped in an embrace.
It was random, so it had surprised him.

Yao's eyes widened, almost scared.
What was happening..? Who was…?
"Sunflower.. what is being the matter..?"

That voice.
Ivan..?

Yao blinked, managing to get a good look around the room.
In the dark, he could tell it wasn't his house. And then he slowly remembered not managing to get home, after his meeting with the Russian.

His eyes darted around the room, and he slowly figured that he was in Ivan's living room, he'd been sleeping on the couch..
He'd… fallen asleep?

He found himself not even caring at the moment.
Tears were still sliding down his face, and he didn't even care if he looked like a fool, or weakling in front of his ally.

He let the taller nation hug him, his strong arms, almost comforting to him.
His head was laying up against his chest, and he closed his eyes, letting the last bit of tears slide down his face.

Ivan hesitantly pulled Yao onto his lap, still keeping his arms around him, trying to comfort the older nation.
It was just all too much for Yao.
It was all finally dawning on him.
His own brother.. had double crossed him.
This was it… after all they'd been through together, huh?

"S-sorry.." He finally managed to utter a word to the younger nation, that was still continuing to comfort him.

"Nyet.." The taller nation replied, instantly.
"Do not be worrying about it, Little One.."

Usually Ivan's pet names annoyed China, but this whole situation.. it almost made him not care about it.
After taking a few breaths, making sure he wasn't going to tear up again, China tried to speak to the younger nation again.

"H-how did I…?" He trailed off.

"You fell asleep.." He informed.
"Your trip through the snow must have done more of a number on you than you believed, da?" He giggled, childishly.

"I am not minding so much, though.. you do not have to worry about it."

His tone slowly got more serious, as he abandoned his usual childish tone.

"What's wrong, Yao..?"

The Chinese nation went silent, breaking into a shaky sigh.
"I..it was… just a dream… a nightmare…"
He admitted.
He hated seeming childish in front of Ivan. This was stupid, wasn't it?
Waking up in the middle of the night, sobbing..?
Forcing another nation to comfort him.

It was weird.
Yao had always been the one to comfort his siblings, no one had ever comforted him.. it was almost embarrassing.

Ivan shook his head, concerned.

"It was about your brother, da?"

"H-how did you—"

"You called his name earlier." He shrugged.

Yao went silent again, trying to keep himself from tearing up about it again.

"I…I didn't want this to happen… h-he's my little brother…" His voice trembled slightly, and Ivan wrapped his arms around the smaller nation again.

"Shhh… it will be okay, Sunflower~ I'm here.." He soothed, using a voice that you would use on an injured child, trying to coax them.

"Don't be forgetting, Yao, I promised to protect you.. I was meaning it. You do not have to be afraid, anymore."

A/N: Hai guise~! I'm back with yet another update! I'm trying to be better at updating, instead of like.. stalling all the time! So, i managed to stop being lazy, and write out another chapter. Anyway... this was supposed to show Yao's vulnerable side. Show that, like... even though the whole time, Yao's train of thought was about protecting his siblings, or accepting Ivan, and things like this...but this showed that Yao gets vunerable too. He can't always be the comforter. Anyways~ Yeah! I hope this was interesting enough for you guise. Review, please? I leik feedback.. eue Thanks for the follows, and such~ until next time, guise!