Note: Before someone complains, for this AU, they have the appareance of young people. She seems to be 15/16 and he is like around 18.
Taiwan took the lead as the Netherlands struggled to keep up, yawning and feeling sick. The previous afternoon, he had come back from a business trip and he had no time to rest. Now they were on their way to look for that blue little bird that she took care. However, as they were moving forward, he wasn't worried about his exhaustion, but his regret about what happened that afternoon.
Back on the island, Taiwan received him willingly and of her own free will, but he was tired and had a headache. So when she told him a lot of things at the same time and reproach him his delay, he didn't have any tact to reply.
"You know very well that I have better things to do than wasting my time here with you" he said with such boredom, looking at her as if she were an insignificant being.
The girl was silent, looked away and bit her lip to keep from cry.
"You'd better not have returned" she murmured, leaving him alone.
That night, Taiwan went to sleep early, without talking to him. Those words hurt. They hurt even more than the first time they heard them, but in those years none of them cared, it was enough to ignore each other. Now it was different, things between them had changed. The Netherlands got a lump in his throat, remembering her disappointed face and how her smile disappeared, but he wasn't ready to face her, he knew she wouldn't listen.
The next morning, Taiwan was shocked, realizing that the bird had flown away and was no longer returning despite having a wounded leg. The Netherlands offered to help her find it. Taiwan hesitated for a moment, but ended up accepting without giving it much thought, she wanted to show him that she didn't care what he did either.
As soon as they got going, she decided to go ahead so as not to have to see him and perhaps lead him down the worst paths, deliberately, hoping that he would fall. He observed her, in silence. Part of his fatigue was also because of how much he had been wondering why he had acted that way and how he should apologize, but he felt his words wouldn't be enough.
They spent the whole morning searching and going through every possible place, without success. They walked in silence for a while, until they arrived to a point very inside the woods. Then they decided to rest. Taiwan seemed frustrated, but resigned, as if she already knew she wouldn't see that bird again. The Netherlands wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know what to say.
"I'm hungry, I think I'll eat near the river, besides, I need to wash my hands" she said, taking her portion of food.
"Wait, it's dangerous for you to go alone"
"I can do it without help. Besides you are very slow, you would be a burden" she replied quietly, without seeing him.
He didn't stop her and let her go, while he hid from the sun at the shade of a tree, feeling even more miserable. To be honest, he hadn't stop thinking about her since the very first moment he had to go; obviously those words were a lie. For some time now, he started developing feelings for her, it was something he wasn't expecting and he couldn't avoid it. Taiwan had the appearance of a teenage girl, small and delicate; she had long chestnut hair, tanned skin, and beautiful brown eyes, and in spite of her impetuous and defiant nature, she completely captivated him.
What they had felt different from his relationship with other nations. She was the only one who had been able to get close, as she was not afraid of him and could look him in the eye. If only he could be honest and tell her all what his heart kept, he thought, while he observed the necklace he got for her in that trip. He sighed and put the gift in his pocket. He laid there and closed his eyes, enjoying the fresh breeze and the relaxing sounds of the woods, recalling the smile on her pretty face and finally he fell asleep.
Taiwan didn't go far; she wanted to hide from him. After having spent much of the morning as if nothing, she felt even more hurt, realizing he didn't care at all. Then when it was time to take a break, she couldn't help and started crying, and that's why she couldn't see him in the eye. She hated to feel like that. She had so many mixed feelings about him at the time that it was difficult for her to say for sure what she really felt. Now with what he had told her it was clear that it was not mutual.
After venting enough, Taiwan decided to return. She was about to tell him that it was time to go back home, but she found him completely asleep, exhausted from the journey, work and that walk to the woods. At that moment she thought of playing a practical joke on him. She took some insects and decided to put them on his face. He smiled at the thought of how much it would make him pay for all that grief. Everything was going well, she was ready to making him suffer, but when she got closer to him and saw him, she didn't feel like bothering him anymore.
She knelt down next to him and observed him carefully, analyzing every detail of him. She suppressed a smile, thinking that in spite of his hundreds of years, he still looked and behaved like a young boy. She noticed he was thinner and baggy-eyed, and she worried because maybe he endured hungry. She moved away a leaf he had on his hair and she caressed it softly, even though his hair was in a spiky style it was still soft. Its clear color caught her attention when it was illuminated by the sun. The scar on his forehead gave him an intimidating air, but the expression he had in his sleep was serene. His skin was more tanned than when she met him and it looked burnt by the sun, and his hands were rough for all that hard work.
Then she realized that she didn't hate him one bit, not even if she tried to convince herself otherwise. And when she saw his lips, an idea crossed her mind that terrified her, but she knew that if she didn't dare maybe she wouldn't have any other chance. She approached him slowly, as if a force were attracting her and she swallowed saliva without believing what she was about to do. She held her breath and finally kissed him. It wasn't a passionate kiss, she only touched his lips with hers, hoping to confess even if he didn't notice it.
However, he wasn't asleep. At first he slept a few minutes, but when he heard her approaching, he didn't want to move, he guessed she was planning something and whatever it was, he was willing to put up with it as long as she got her revenge. But that didn't happen, she stayed there next to him and he had to pretend he was sleeping to no scare her, and then it happened what he never imagined. At that moment, time stopped, he could only feel the warm and soft contact of those sweet lips and the smell of the grass mixed with her scent. Then he opened his eyes and grabbed her by the wrists so that she would not run, while she tried to get away with all her strength.
"No! Let me go! You're hurting me, idiot" she screamed.
"Then why you did that?" he asked in the softest tone he could.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I don't know why I did it…" she sobbed, scared, repentant for the first time of her impulses.
The Netherlands looked at her and then pulled her to himself by wrapping his arms around her. Taiwan tried to get away, hitting his chest with her fists, but when she realized he wasn't trying to hurt her but to embrace her, she slowly calmed down. It was such a clumsy hug, typical of someone who was not used to receiving affection and much less giving it. She could hear his heart beating fast and sense his restlessness. They were like this for a moment that felt eternal. Not even he could explain that reaction to himself, he simply wanted to do it, and he wanted to have her close to him even for an instant.
"Forgive me for what I told you yesterday… actually I missed you so much, from the very moment I left. You were in my thoughts day and night… and I didn't know how to tell you…" he whispered.
Taiwan was silent. She wasn't able to move yet, but suddenly she started sobbing again while he let his heart talking, telling her about his desperation for understand that yearning to be by her side. And like her, he was crying too.
Several seconds later, he let go of her slowly, hoping she'd run away, but she didn't. Instead, she stood there, kneeling in front of him, looking at him. Then she cupped his face with her hands, wiped his tears away, got closer to him and kissed him again. He kissed her back with confidence, but still with that clumsy tenderness disguised of shyness. There wasn't passion in that kiss, only sincere love. When it was over, the two of them hugged again.
No matter how long it took them to meet again, the memory of that afternoon remained forever in their memories.