Chapter Four

After the meeting had ended so abruptly many of the nations had gone to their separate hotel rooms to recuperate and get ready for the next day's meeting only a few stragglers remained. America was talking to Japan in the back of the living room, England was putting on his coat to leave, Russia was staying behind purposefully, and China was apparently having a mental breakdown of some sort.

All Russia had gathered from England's muttered explanation to Japan was that China had gotten mad, started to cry, and ran down the hall in tears.

That didn't sound too good even to Russia, who was a bit of a sadist himself, and most definitely not mentaly sound. Even so, as America and Japan talked in surprisingly hushed voices behind him Russia took a step down the hallway that China had run down. He felt drawn to the other nation at the moment, although he hadn't really cared personally since before the Sino-Soviet split.

As Russia took another mechanical step he heard America call out behind him.

"Yo commie!"

Russia cringed at the word, disliking the way it sounded and what it meant. It was irritating how some of the other nations still referred to him with the derogatory term even after he had changed his government. A few years ago when he had still been a communist country it had been annoying but now it was just plain hurtful.

"Hey Ivan! I was talking to you!"

At this, Russia finally turned around and smiled sweetly, hands clenching inside his long coat sleeves, "Please do not call me that America, you do not know me well enough anymore."

America just laughed at this and waved his hand back and forth as if to say he didn't care, although Russia thought he picked up on a little bit of insecurity, "Why would I stop doing so? What else would you want to be called?"

Russia muttered under his breath, cursing the American's persistence with as much malice as he could while focusing on other things.

"I would wish that you could stop referring to me as 'commie' since it is an insult, though you don't seem to know~," Russia laughed childishly at the end of his sentence, telling the American that the best choice was to back out of the conversation and/or prepare to be annihilated.

Instead of listening to the obvious body language or to the aura now gathering around the Russian, America just laughed again before speaking again, "What were you even talking to China about today during the meeting? Why did you need to say it then? Can I tell the other countries what you said?"

As Russia stiffened in annoyance Japan took notice and stepped between the two countries, prepared to diffuse the situation, "Alfred, Russia-san, please do not fight, save that for when you are out of my country at least, I do not want to get involved in another world war at the moment," his accent grated heavily on some of the English words but America seemed to get the picture. Japan turned to the Western country after sending a pitying glance towards Russia, "Alfred, you may stay at my house today, I heard you didn't get a hotel room,"

The Asian nation led the American out of the room, keeping up a casual conversation as their bare feet padded over the wooden planks.

Although it was custom to take off their shoes inside in this country Russia had kept on his boots. The more his body was covered the safer he felt, even if it was quite warm here compared to his home.

Russia knew that China had followed the custom, since it was the same at his own house. Many of the other nations also did so out of respect. But for Russia if it was somehow to become the norm in his country he probably wouldn't change his personal ways since he always wanted to feel as comfortable as he could while being all alone in his home.

As he thought about this Russia casually turned and walked down the hallway, heading towards the bathroom where China seemed to have hidden. His boots made empty clunking noises against the hardwood but that was really the only sound, everything else was oddly quiet save for America's voice echoing from the general direction of the bedroom.

But as he got closer to the bathroom he started to hear quiet noises, probably half muffled sobs, in the empty hallway.

Oh god, he hadn't planned this out at all. What if China got mad and succeeded in convincing his government that it was a valid reason to attack his still-ally Russia?

Yet immediately as this thought entered Russia's mind he brushed it aside, well aware from experience that it was very difficult to convince a partially corrupted (or fully corrupted for that matter) government of anything. With that comfort in mind, Russia stepped up to the door, now fully sure that the noises were crying, and listened.

He had heard many types of crying in his time, and could tell that China definitely sounded hurt, by what he had no idea, and also pretty sad about something. A very basic type of crying, but it could easily be something very serious that was powering it.

Without truly thinking about what he was doing Russia turned the knob of the door.

He opened it slowly, making sure that he wouldn't crush the other nation if he was behind the door. Lucky it only hit the wall behind it and didn't hurt anyone directly. At first Russia didn't realize where China was hiding and just stared forward in confusion but he finally saw him after shifting his gaze to the right a bit.

Staring at Russia with wide tiger eyes and a hand over his mouth, struggling to keep in the leftover hiccups from his crying was China, who also happened to be sitting on the ground next to the toilet. There was a short silence of eye-contact that was only interrupted by the Asian personification's involuntary sniffing.

"H-hello China," Russia stuttered as he walked into the room, carefully shutting the door behind him to maximize privacy, unaware of how creepy it looked, "is something wrong?"

For a second it seemed like the older nation was about to yell after the Russian said this, but then he managed to hiss out a slightly broken but still angry statement in Chinese.

"I can't… I don't speak…" Russia started, only to be cut off by China who said something else in the previously spoken language as he tried to stand from his awkward sitting position.

After getting to his feet China looked Russia in the eyes before pausing to take a shaky breath, "I told you that you should leave," His words were heavily accented and stated in English, a language both of them could understand.

Blinking once, Russia tilted his head to the side, "I'm here because I want to know why you are…" he trailed off and gestured to China, "you know,"

"C-crying?" China said with another involuntary hiccup that threw off the threat in his voice enough to be almost comical despite the hint of hysterical fury.

"Da," Russia nodded solemnly before smiling, "that is exactly it."

"I don't need to tell you that aru," China scoffed as he took a step closer to Russia, evidently trying to push past.

"Nyet," Russia insisted, "Are you alright?"

China stopped at this, looking confused as to why the other personification had asked such a question. Russia never seemed to worry about the other nations around him, it was always about himself or at least trying to favor himself. There was never such a thing as a compromise with him and he usually showed it by how he acted.

Russia noticed China's confusion easily and smiled sweetly, genuinely trying to be nice, "Do not worry, I still want to be the one to crush you,"

"I assumed as mu-hu-ch," China muttered, face darkening despite his awkward hiccup, "you never seem to care about others aru…"

He trailed off as he tried to shove past the larger man but struggled a little, their height difference getting in the way of his attempts to push through, "Ai ya! Let me out already!"

After he said this Russia stepped out of the way and let China by, still burning to know what was specifically wrong. He knew that this nation didn't usually just yell at people for no good reason. No, they had been allies far too often in the past for Russia to make that assumption like that anymore. Something had to be seriously wrong.

Part of him wanted to comfort China about whatever was bugging him but the much larger part wanted to exploit it and use it as an excuse to take his land. Possibly he could do both, comfort him to gain his trust but later betray him. It wasn't like he hadn't done that before.

China angrily swung the door open but stumbled a bit while leaving, clearly still embarrassed by Russia's visit. He walked a few steps down the hallway calmly before starting at the sound of Russia's boots on the wood floor and breaking into an awkward run.

In a few seconds he was gone, although Russia could still hear his now slowed footsteps through the paper walls of the Japanese house. He was clearly having a bad day, just like Japan had said. Usually due to politeness and honor and what-not most of the Asian countries, other than Hong Kong and South Korea, were able to stay composed but today didn't seem to be one of those days.

If something was up with him, even if they were still getting over some of the knots in their past, Russia would figure it out. He had to know everything about all of the nations if he wanted to take over the world and it is always easier to start with people you know, or at least to some degree.

On the next meeting date, which happened to be the next day, he would try to sit close to China, but he would not speak to him unless he got a hunch on something. This way he shouldn't be too threatening to the older country.

The next few days Russia carried out his investigation, though nothing of interest, or anything new of interest, was found.