Despite China's old age, despite his aching back, there was nothing he loved more than being able to play with the boys in a roughhousing manner. Oh, the times that Japan had walked into the living room to find China on his stomach with his arms being pinned behind him while one child sat on his back and another on his legs which wriggled beneath their weight. Or the times that he'd walk in to find two children balanced precariously on a single foot of China's making both boys laugh delightedly. How he would swing the now four-year-old Genji into his arms or how he would stop what he was doing to drag the seven-year-old Xiong into his arms for a tight hug as he ruffled his hair delightfully. China wasn't afraid to show his affection with the boys, was all too willing to stop whatever he was doing to hug or squeeze the boys in his arms tightly like he was afraid that they'd disappear at a moments notice. There was many things clear in life to Japan, a man who had seen so much in his long life, that he did believe that China loved their children so wildly that he often wondered if the children were aware of how much love was poured into them. Despite his affection that he poured on the children there was a clear disappointment from the seven-year-old and four-year-old for China was no longer as into the activities and was far more careful going into things of the such than he'd ever been before. They had decided that as soon as they were able to buy the tests and got a positive result that they'd tell the boys just what it was that they were up too. Just what it was that they were trying to accomplish. Japan had never been more tired than he truly was for China was constantly wanting to go,go,go at it with one another in an attempt to create a child that he had to wonder if it was truly worth the trouble.
He loved his husband to death, had vowed to stay with him no matter what, and yet the sex was strangely tiring. Roleplaying spiced it up only so much when he knew he'd be the one topping China instead of the other way around. He would never say it out loud but he was tired of being the dominant partner and he was tired of having to be the one to do most of the work but he kept it in mind that it would be worth it once they got that positive answer. Japan had headed down the corner store for this very reason, leaving the boys in the care of their father, as he marched down the snowy street towards the c orner store and listened to the snow crunching beneath his shoes as he walked down the slick road. His breath billowed out around his face as he forced his thoughts to rest for just a moment as he patted his coat pocket just to make sure that the wallet was snuggly placed there and he found his heart racing quickly against his chest. There was hope pushing those beats, hope that this would possibly be it. He wanted a change in the bedroom and while he enjoyed spicing things up with roleplay he wanted nothing more than to be the one with his face pushed into the mattress as they attempted to be quiet. Japan had adored topping China in the beginning but after trying for two months with little results he couldn't help but wonder if it was China's side or his side that was causing such a stagnant response. Could he be infertile? Or China? He shivered to himself then as he adjusted his scarf around his throat as he paused outside the door of the store before pushing it open.
He breathed a sigh of relief as he waled towards the health isle, grateful that he was alone in buying these, but he felt the cashier's watchful gaze burning into him as he reached for three pregnancy tests then waled to the refrigerators and pulled a quart of orange juice out. He was going to make sure China had more than enough urine for three tests and he was going to make sure that he hydrated himself thoroughly. He walked towards the front with his four items in hand, the boxes rattling against the smooth counter and the jug jiggling as he plopped it down and he was grateful that the cashier wasn't the type to strike up a conversation and rather scanned the items silently. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket pulling the money out and handing it over to the cashier after glancing at the little screens total. He accepted the change then grabbed his shopping bag and walked across the smooth floors with an apology in his mind for he knew that poor worker would have to wipe it up. He stepped back out into the January chill as he began climbing up the hill towards his home with a pep to his step this time that wasn't there on his way down and he coudln't help but wonder how China was going to react to three tests. He'd been sick recently, vomiting first thing in the morning so often that Japan had taken the small trashcan from the bathroom and placed it beside China who often needed it first thing in the morning or late at night. Of course the Chinese man had argued that it was a stomach bug but what bug lasted a week? If that was the case then he had to have the flu not a stomach bug. Japan's breath billowed out around his face once again in a cloud of silver gray, his lashes fluttering down in an attempt to block the bright painful sunlight playing off of the snow.
He couldn't wait for winter to be over. While it had been welcomed and beautiful in the beginning now it was just a pain in the ass and a bothersome thing to deal with; especially with having to dress from foot to toe warmly before leaving the house. From what he heard the World Academy was located in one of the warmer states in America meaning winter didn't touch the state with it's cold clutches and Japan wasn't sure how he felt about it for his boys would grow accustomed to it wouldn't they? Japan hated to think about it and as he marched up the hill towards his home he found that he didn't want to think about next month with his boys missing. He didn't want to think about how quiet the house was going to be with the boys away at school and he didn't want to think about how they'd be the ones to take care of their pets and didn't want to think about how he'd miss seeing those big brown eyes staring up at him or how those golden brown eyes would glow with flashes of intuition. He especially didn't want to think about how much he was going to miss them. Japan paused in front of his front door with a light pant to his breathing as he pressed a hand against his chest where his heart fluttered wildly against his chest with either the exertion of walking up a slight hill or from the excitement of the moment he was unsure. He opened the door shutting it behind him only to find three people waiting for him. Bouncing on their toes, fists bobbing up and down excitedly, there was a single pair of wide brown eyes and two pairs of golden brown staring at him excitedly. Of course they'd be waiting for him to get home!
"You two go and play. Okaasan had something to discuss with Baba in the bedroom so why don't you two draw some pictures to help Baba feel better?" Japan questioned tilting his head and while the four-year-old nodded before rushing off in a blur there was some hesitance from the seven-year-old before him making him smile softly at the boy and he began fidgeting to get his boots off of his feet then stepped forward ruffling his jaw length black hair. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad. I'm going to figure out Baba's sickness so he'll be able to play with you boys again. Draw him something nice and we'll be right back I promise." When Xiong finally nodded, twisting on his feet to rush in the direction his brother had gone in, Japan turned to China as he shrugged out of his coat. "You. Bedroom now."
"Yes, sir -aru!" China got a sparkle of excitement in his golden brown eyes as he turned and, with the excitement of a child Genji's age, ran down the hallway for their bedroom while Japan fished out the wallet from his pocket placing it on the stand before him with the phone and answering machine, hung his coat up then walked in the direction China had just run for. He was too old to be running like a child but he felt excitement curling in his stomach tightly lie a fist reaching inside to scramble together his guts until it was unintelligible just what it was that he was feeling or where it started. He hadn't said it outloud to China but with the vomiting episodes, episodes that came harsher after he'd had something to eat, couple with the fatigue and the quick shift of emotions had him leading to one result and he was sure it would be a positive one. The bag rustled down by his legs as he walked down the hallway passing the living room where the boys were happily drawing did he smile to himself.
His boys were absolutely precious! He walked on past the kitchen which was of course overflowing with dishes and he rushed in snagging a clean cup from the hutch before continuing onwards towards the back of the house where theri lounging room was and where Japan and China's room happened to be. He bit his lip as he stood before the closed bedroom door and he hoped to god that the wrong idea hadn't entered China's head but he had the feeling that the wrong idea definitely had. He'd just have to face the embarrassment and hope that China swallowed it better than he did. He slid his fingers into the groove of the doorhandle taking a deep breath before tugging the door open and slipping into the room keeping his back to it as he stared at the smooth wood of the sliding door for a moment or two before deciding to turn around. China was sprawled out on the bed with a simple nightgown that danced against his shifting knees and his hair was down around his shoulders falling in a dark brown river that made Japan swallow but ultimately look away as his face began growing red. "Y-Yao-san this isn't why I called you to the bedroom."
"Oh it's not -aru?" China asked with a tilt to his head as his handrailed down his thigh towards the edge of his nightgown and began tugging it up slowly to reveal inch by inch the pale skin that Japan so adored making his face burn hotly. The sultry look on China's face faltered when Japan held up the bag holding the tests and orange juice but due to China's ignorance to what was in the bag the Japanese Nation wasn't surprised to see China try and regain his composure which faltered when he pulled the orange juice jug out and walked over to China taking the cup from it's position in the crook of his arm and placed it down pouring a cup of the orange juice. Confused golden brown eyes peered up at him curiously as the glass was plucked up and held out to him. "What is this for? What else is in the bag -aru?"
Japan waited for China to take the glass before he grabbed the bottom of the bag and tilted it upside down allowing the three pregnancy tests to fall out of the bag onto the bed making those confused eyes widen with understanding before fluttering up to Japan."I'd like for you to drink as much orange juice as you possibly can then I want you to take these tests. Of course store bought aren't as reliable as the blood tests at the doctors office but we can always make an appointment for you to go to the doctors and get a blood test done." Japan paused then as he watched China eagerly gulp the orange juice down happily and he then smiled softly. "Your symptoms are somewhat hard to ignore and while I don't put much belief into these store bought tests there are time when they accurate and I figured we'd try the tests again. After all it's been a very long two months of trying for the both of us so how could it not have stuck at some point? So I just want you to try and do the tests."
"Well I think I can do one for right now! You're lucky orange juice both moves quickly for me and that I had to pee already -aru!" China snatched one of the tests off of the bed and winked at Japan as he climbed off the bed allowing his nightgown to fall down to his knees once more as he all but skipped delightedly from the room leaving Japan crouching before the bed with an empty glass before him. He sighed as he heard the bathroom door slam shut and he was left to pluck the glass up off of the bed and put onto the floor as he considered the possibilities of the tests. There were three of them which meant there could be three different results or there could be three of the same results which meant that they could get either three negatives or three positives; it honestly felt like fate was playing with them. For so long have they been trying that Japan honestly wanted to g ive up.
He wanted to call a quits on the whole trying situation but the sight of China coming to bed every night with a determined sparkle to his golden brown eyes was almost too painful to ruin and almost impossible to tell no too but there was only so long that a person could try. How long could the try before getting a positive? How long would they try and constantly throw those negative tests into the trash? Japan just wasn't sure how much longer they could go on like this and while he wanted to give his husband what he wanted the most of all he found that it was far more difficult than either one of them had ever experienced. Maybe he was giving in too soon? Maybe they were losing hope? Japan didn't know but as he pushed the tests to one side of the bed he flopped down on it grunting quietly to himself as he threw his arms above his head and stared up at the ceiling before him curiously. Would he be a fool to pray? His children prayed every night before they went to bed but that was only because they had once caught Japan doing the same and the Japanese Nation had no choice but to explain what it was that he had been doing. Now whenever something exciting or something they wanted popped up he would find them on their knees before their beds praying with all the ferent energy of a small child that was intent on hoping to get what they desired. Japan had been praying more often than usual for just one test, just one, to be positive but clearly his prayers were going unheard for each test they tried was going on negative time and time again. How many more negatives would they get before China decided to give up? How many times would they try only to find they couldn't conceive?
Japan sighed softly to himself as he stared at the roof and before long there was a flurry of activity in the hallway and the door slammed open with a scream attached to the sound and there was China hopping around on his feet as he slammed the door behind him. On his face was a bright smile that sparkled into his golden brown eyes and flushed his cheeks to a rather charming pink but it was the joy that was the most breathtaking joy that he had ever seen in the past three months. "Oh, Kiku, look! Look -aru!" The Chinese man squealed as he thrusted the test towards Japan who cringed initially at the though of touching a stick his husband had just peed on but grabbed the safe side daintily between his fingers and glanced at the little screen. There was two bright pink lines. Two lines. "We're pregnant! Pregnant! We're going to have a baby -aru!"
Japan was wordless as he stared at the test held between his fingers. Positive. "Ho-How is this possible? Months we've been trying and-" Japan's thick throat cut off the words as he stared at the test like it were a life jacket thrown to him when he hadn't even been aware he'd been drowning. It was like a flashlight beaming in the darkness of a room. China was pregnant? He quickly reached for the glass and poured another glass of orange juice for China then held it up to the dancing Nation with a look of determination on his face. "Drink more, I still want you to take these other two but I'll also call the doctor on Monday and we'll set up for a blood test and-" He was cut off by the glass being tugged from his fingers then placed on the floor and China rushing forward throwing his arms around his neck making Japan yelp. "Yao-san! You need to be more careful! If you're pregnant you shouldn't be moving like that!"
"Oh, Kiku! Xièxièxiè xiè! Fēicháng gǎnxiè -aru!" China cried out as the pregnancy test was thrown from Japan's fingers and the Chinese Nation then proceeded to plant little kisses along his cheeks, his nose and his forehead then down along his jawline causing the Japanese Nation's face to flush a deep pred. Then the most brilliantly shining, most breathtaking kiss that had ever been exchanged between the two was planted on Japan's lips causing him to hiss in a breath through his nose as his hands flew up to grip China's upper arms tightly and the Chinese Nation merely pressed his lips against Japan's. It was easy to dive into a kiss but this one had an eager burning desire within in along with a gratefulness that was shared between the two of them that the joy melted right into the kiss.
Japan had always loved kissing the older Nation. He had always loved the moments that lead up to the kiss, the moments of tension that would radiate from one man to the other as they waited to see who would close the distance and thrust them into the kiss. This kiss he was sharing with China was filled with an unbridled joy that made his toes curl tightly and his fingers to grip fiercely at the upper arms of his as his very heart sang with the joy as he clung onto the Nation. There was his joy, China's joy and so much more as their lips moved eagerly against one anothers and it seemed just as the kiss was getting good with it's deepening warmth there was a flurry of knocks at the door. Both men broke from the kiss with sighs as the door slid open revealing Xiong and Genji with pieces of paper held in their hands and Xiong was the first to speak up. "We made you pictures to make you feel better, Baba!"
"Yeah! Just you wait, I drawed you a dragon -aru!" Genji chirruped joyfully with his paper held tight to his chest and his brown eyes then flicked over his parents curiously and his head tilted to the side. "Baba what are you doing to Māmā? Can we join? Are you playing -aru?" Japan used the grip on China's upper arms to push him away rather quickly as he used his blankets to hide the pregnancy test and Genji rushed over with the paper rustling against his shirt and he held it up to China. "Lookit Baba! Look at it -aru! It's super cool and I made sure to use all the blues to make it super pretty! Lookit -aru!"
"Shi, shi, I see! It looks positively amazing! We'll hang it up right on the wall -aru!" China moved away from Japan who was flushed and scowling at the older man who too the picture from Genji and held it to his heart in the similar way that the young boy had held it to his chest and Xiong waved his paper making China smile. "And I can't wait to see your picture too! But first there's something that Baba would like to ask you -aru." Both boys seemed to perk up as their wide eyes stared at China who looked at the scowling face of Japan's but there was forgiveness in those brown eyes of his and so China continued onwards. "How would the two of you feel if you had a younger sibling? A little brother or sister -aru?"
"I would love another baby brother!" Xiong cried as he thrusted his picture out to his father who took it and the boy then bounced on his feet spinning in a circle as his hair flew around his face wildly in response to his movements but he jumped on his toes as he then looked to Japan. "When are you going to have the baby, Okaasan? Is it going to be soon? Or a long time like with Mister Spain? Do you know what it is yet? Oh! But what about school? Me and Jiji are going away to the World Academy next month! What are you going to do when the baby comes? Will we have to miss it?"
Japan sat up fixing his hair from it's mussed appearance and then smiled ath is son as he opened his arms allowing the seven-year-old to slip into them and rest his head on his chest. He then moved his fingers throuhg his locs of hair humming quietly for a moment as he pieced together his words before smiling. "Well Okaasan isn't the one carrying the baby. Baba is doing it for Okaasan so you have to draw lots of pictures for Baba while you're away at school! And when the baby is coming we'll send for you, I promise! We just have to be patient and wait for Baba to grow the baby and I promise I'll tell you whether it's a boy or girl as soon as we know." He then grinned at China who had sat down next to him with their four-year-old son in his arms and their pictures resting on the bed between them. "I wouldn't mind another son."
"It'll be a girl! Just you wait -aru!"
"Mmm Okaasan thinks it'll be a boy!"
"You're humor is poor taste, Kiku -aru." China sniffed making the Japanese cackle as he squeezed Xiong to his chest and rubbed his cheek against his silky black locks of hair happily. He truly was going to miss these moments but as he held his son in his arms and gazed at his youngest son he found that there was indeed excitement for this new baby underneath the thought of saying goodbye to his sons. He knew that no matter how far away they went that they'd come running into his arms for years to come and even when they were grown they'd still come to his arms and he'd have a new baby to raise for the next five or so years before sending them away to the World Academy to get the best education possible and that thought made him smile. His small family would always come together and his boys would love them even when they eventually became old and gray.