...I am so sorry that this is so late.
But please give many, many thanks to Salty Peanuts! She deserves so much. She's wonderful for helping me with this chapter, and with my writing in general. All RoChu fans MUST read her fics, they are INCREDIBLE!
You can follow me on my tumblr (still Sakura Lisette) where I post art for her fics ^^

Just a sidenote for all the other Hondas just in case:

Daisuke-Osaka
Naoto-Okinawa
Homare-Aizu
Junsa-Mito
Miyako-Owari
Kyoko-Kyoto

Himaruya made official art for them, which you can see on the Hetalia Wiki. Just type 'Feudal Domains and Prefectures of Japan' :)

Disclaimer: Axis Powers: Hetalia does not belong to me.

Steely eyes watched the Taiwanese teen as she hurried to the double doors of his office.

Before her hand could grasp the knob, the door moved on its own.

She darted back.

"Mei."

"...Daisuke-kun." He looked around. The only people in the hall were Homare and Junsa, who averted their gaze and pretended to be preoccupied in some talk about a made up meeting planned later that evening. But the assistant knew well that they were there for...reinforcements, just in case. After all, even with two guns loaded with bullets of the strongest material might not stop Kiku when he was in that state.

Only nights ago had they found him in his apartment, eyes red in uncontrollable rage as he upturned furniture, books, and even the Sony flatscreen television in his bedroom. With only two pills left in the small prescription bottle, he could only hold back so much...and today, the bottle was left empty, but still Kiku showed signs of fatigue and a shaken mind, like when Naoto slightly giggled after he had dropped a folder that stored last year's progress notes, with the poor boy being slugged in the face.

No one had dared to speak to him all morning. But everyone in the building already knew that Mei would be coming, and today was probably the last they would see her here.

If she pushed him too hard, then it would be the last they would see her period.

"I want to see Kiku." Daisuke studied her determined face from the corner of his eye. So, she didn't want to call him Kiku-kun anymore...

The ever-present smile on her face was long gone. Now, light pink lips were pressed in a thin line.

"Well...he's been wanting to see you for a while. It proved difficult to speak normally. Sure, he had done it before to other s who Kiku used for his own agenda, and were exterminated a few moments later. But Mei was different. Maybe it was because she was the only one who stayed long enough for him to engage in actual honest conversations together.

Mei didn't look back as she entered the room, and closed the door behind her.

The two stopped talking and glared at their younger cousin.

"Children don't know their place. That's why they're always with a guardian." Homare stated, crossing his arms. Out of all the others, he was the only one who actually made perfection in his lifestyle. Even the black suit he wore had no wrinkle. And his office was spotless, smelling of sakura blossoms-his favorite room scent. Perhaps this was the reason why he disliked clumsy, childish Mei...

"Kiku knows how to use people well." Junsa yawned.

"So you're implying that females in general are easier to manipulate?" Homare questioned.

"What else?"

"In that case, you're correct..."

"I HEARD THAT." Miyako's angry voice rang from the stairway.

Junsa grinned.

"Always responds."

"Quiet." Homare hissed as he grabbed the gun from his pocket, pointing it towards the hallway.

Junsa in turn pulled out his knife, staring warily at the bare walls.

"Daisuke. The pager-"

"Right." His index finger touched the button, ready to press it at anytime.

A flash of red leaped from the corner. No, it was a person, Daisuke realized. That person held in his hand fireworks that were already sparking. And...he caught a glint of silver in his hand, too.

A pistol.

Homare dodged a bullet by a millisecond as it collided into the wall behind him, bringing his head up to see Junsa's groan of defeat as the younger man's body hit the floor.

"Wha-"

Daisuke winced as his older cousin's blood splattered on the floor from the uppercut.

"I'd like to torture you more, but, I'm totally in a hurry." He bit his tongue. The teen from Hong Kong...

Daisuke turned, making his way to the stairs, rapidly pressing the button on the pager.

Xiang grinned, tossing the last firecracker as it exploded against the Osaka teen's back in a mix of sparks and blood.

"Mei-Chan, I'm so glad you're safe." Kiku wrapped his arms around her small form lovingly.

This couldn't be true. She knew there was enough proof to prove that it was, but his embrace...it didn't feel right anymore, the warmth that it once had was long gone.

"Kiku...there's something I want to talk about." Her hand reached up behind his head, stroking his locks of dark hair. She tried her best to smile coyly.

If I do this, then maybe it can change his mind, right?

He chuckled, taking her hand from his neck.

"My, Mei-Chan, you aren't yourself today. A little...desperate?" The hand that held her head began stroking her long strands of brown hair.

She gulped.

"W-we've been together for so long...so I thought that we should-" In a sudden motion, he leaned forward and roughly took her lips in his.

Squirming in his grasp, Mei forcefully pushed herself away from him, gasping for breath as he grinned darkly.

"I thought this was what you wanted...?"

"But...is it true?" One foot fell behind the other as he backed her into the corner. Mei thought she heard gunshots from the hallway, but she passed it as her mind playing tricks.

She stared deeply into Kiku's eyes.

The usually placid, dull brown had a tint of red.

She gasped as the cold metallic texture pressed against the thin fabric of her sweater.

"Your eyes..." His hand fell upon her cheek. Mei hated it. It was so cold...

"You look so pretty in those clothes, Mei-Chan." The Taiwanese shut her eyes tightly.

"K-Kiku...you love me, r-right? That letter was just a fake, right?" He hushed her, putting a finger to her lips.

"Even that sweater...a birthday present from last year, wasn't it? So beautiful. But, there's something missing..." Mei held her breath as she heard the rustling of clothes. Slowly a smile began to form in her lips. He was just playing with her, wasn't he? He was probably pulling out a present, and the red in his eyes she saw earlier was-

Her train of thought came to a halt as she heard a click.

"You look so much prettier in red."

His grin only grew wider as a gunshot echoed throughout the room.

"It's nice to have you here with us...Xiang." The Cantonese teen only growled in response.

Kiku's knees slowly bent, dropping the gun that contained a single bullet.

A single bullet for Mei.

Xiang had entered the room to witness the sight of his childhood...friend...being cornered by his-so-called employer, who was about to fire. In the nick of time Xiang fired his own gun-having thrown his last firecracker at the now unconscious Daisuke-and hit the Japanese man on the back.

"Xiang..." Mei breathed, hand on her chest as she stared at Kiku, who lay on the ground, grunting in pain as the trail of red ran down his back, forming a small puddle on the floor.

"I knew it. You were the enemy all along...like, I was wondering why there hasn't been any other families after your fortune." Thick eyebrows were crossed as Mei slowly knelt next to Kiku.

"Kiku..." At the sound of her voice, crimson orbs shot her a loathing stare.

"How...could you? You were the prettiest...but in the end, even you...became just like the rest..." Gritting his teeth, his hand curled into a fist as he collided it against her porcelain cheek.

"You-!" Xiang hissed, teeth clenched as he fired once more against his ribs. Kiku choked, blood streaming from his mouth as he fell face forward against the floor.

Xiang's face was grim as he walked over to where Mei stood, a lone tear streaking down her face as her fingers brushed the red mark where he had hit her.

"...I'm sorry." His voice was barely a whisper as she looked at him, her breath shaking.

Yells and footsteps were heard from outside the hall, as the door which Xiang had bolted earlier began to shake.

"Let's get out of here."

"How-" In an instant he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the floor to ceiling windows, landing a fist against the glass. With another kick, a crack formed big enough for two people's jump.

Wait.

Two people...?

"Hang on." His sturdy hand pressed her against his chest (heat came to her cheeks at his sudden act) and leapt out of the room.

Mei hardly had time to scream at the impending doom, which had taken the form of a busy intersection in Shinjuku, closing her eyes tight as she awaited the end, until she felt herself being swung back and forth.

Opening her eyes once more, her gaze locked on to Xiang's hand closed around a thin silver wire.

"I set it up before hand, just in case." The wire was attached to an extended pole that hung horizontally from the building. waving the flag of Japan proudly.

"Up there is a helicopter, thanks to an acquaintance of Yao's." Xiang announced quite proudly, still holding her close to his chest.
"...Thank you." Mei said softly, eyes locked onto his.

The Cantonese teen felt his face grow hot as he nodded, and started the task of pulling them up.

Mei could only smile as her eyes closed, fatigue finally closing in on her as she rested her head against his throat. She could hear his heartbeat, and it was the last she heard before her mind drifted into a much welcomed sleep.

Mei watched the cars pass up and down the streets from the window pane. It was a starlit night, much like the one during her first date with...

The hand on the glass curled into a fist.

"Hello." A cheery voice broke the silence.

"Ah...thank you for what you did-"

"It's no problem. Yao doesn't give her work number to people she doesn't trust. I'm Belle!" The pretty lady had wavy golden hair held back by a red headband, and gave her a sunny smile as she held out her hand.

"...Where's Xiang?" Mei asked hesitantly, taking Belle's hand.

"He said he doesn't want to be interrupted." They were given a new suite in a different hotel, by a separate bank account Belle used. Mei hoped it wasn't her own. She owed her so much...

"By the way, I could tell from the look on your face from earlier..." Mei blinked.

"What do you mean?" The Belgian winked.

"You seemed pretty happy sleeping in his arms."
...

...

"P-please don't tell him!" Her hands shot up to cover her face, which she felt intense heat rushing up to.

Belle could only laugh.

"But I could also tell that he liked it too."

"...Wha-"

"He's in love with you, Mei. It's all clear by the way he held you, and looked at you, and protected you-" Belle stopped herself before droning on. The image of Xiang holding Mei tightly in his arms was vibrant in her mind.

She would have to give Lizzy a scolding about showing her doujinshi later.

Mei stood still, cheeks flushed, eyes glossy, and hands clutching the hem of her skirt. Too many things were rushing through her mind at once. What had happened before at the building, and what Belle had just told her now...

"But you know, you don't have to tell him right away! You should think about it."
"...I know..."

"Good dog." Pochi yelped happily as Xiang poured the bag of treats into a silver basin.

"Thanks...I mean it." He gave the dog one of his rare smiles before patting his head.

He knelt, staring at Pochi who indulged in the bowl of treats.

He had to take Mei somewhere safe. She had told him about that one girl...Kim...who was her best friend but was often busy. Mei would hopefully be safe with her...

"Hey."
"...Hey." She stood at the doorway, avoiding eye contact.

"Thank you for what you did." Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze.

"...I...really like you, Xiang..."

Silence.

Eyes locked onto one another as Xiang's dropped jaw closed once more.

"...So...even if you want me to go away...I won't listen to you." She swallowed.

"Belle told me that you planned to take me to the airport after staying here. She even has a private plane ready to go to New York...but she said you would be staying here." Her voice sounded harsh at the end.

Frowning, she took a step forward.

"Don't even try to do this, because even if you kill me, it won't work." He wondered if she would have done the same for Kiku.
The words wouldn't come to him as he kept staring at her determined face. He should have known better. Mei had always won the trophy for being the most hard-headed.

Sighing, he relaxed is shoulders and crossed his arms.

"So you're really not going to change your mind, aren't you?" She opened her mouth.

"Wha-"

Mei's response was interrupted by warm lips pressing against hers. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she wrapped her arms around him by instinct.

This felt so real, so wonderful, so much warmer than Kiku's touch.

And she loved it.

She loved Xiang.

He quickly broke away as she gasped for breath, face red, eyes dreamy.

"...How was it?"

"N-nothing I've ever felt before...just, incredible..." She breathed, stroking his fringes of dark brown hair.

He only smiled as he took her lips in his once more.

In all his fast-paced, risqué lifestyle, his mind never swam so rapidly.

Not that he didn't like it, though. In fact, he was enjoying every single second of it.

Belle snickered behind the door, returning the cellphone to her blazer pocket.

Elizabeta was in for a surprise tonight.

"Otou-San!" Sakura shrieked, her father's bandaged form leaning against the metal rails of the stairway. Kyoko, Kiku's cousin, had brought Sakura home instead of her two bodyguards because of the situation-a secret for the family only.

"Otou-San, please tell me you're alright." The little girl pleaded in a small voice, kneeling on the wooden floor next to his fallen form.

"Sakura-Chan...is that you?" His voice was strained, but strong. Kyoko's plump lips formed a frown at hearing how much more loving he sounded than usual.

"H-hai..." The girl tried her best to smile, despite how horrifying it was to see her strong father hurt.

"I'm...so glad you're safe, Sakura-Chan..." He whispered, raising a hand to cup her round cheek.

Sakura blinked, and gasped, a small hand brushing through the pockets of her dress.

"Yong-Soo-San gave me tickets to his concert tomorrow...he says they're special tickets so I can see better, in the front row! Natalya-San will be there too, and-" Kiku feigned interest in what she was saying.

He should've known. The longer she would be with people, the more she would gain emotions. Emotions that would allow her to make decisions, on the right and the wrong.

Allow her to say "no" to his orders.

"...You will go to the concert tomorrow, Sakura-Chan. Without a doubt." The child leaped up, pulling his hand along with her.

"Oh, Otou-San! You should come too, I'm sure it will be fun!" Her smile was bright like the sun and her eyes were sparkling like the stars. She was happy.

"...Sakura-Chan."

"Hai?" He propped himself up on his elbows, cringing at the pain against his chest.

"Promise me one thing. Whatever I will say, you will do." Her arms extended, wrapping around his waist as she buried her face in his kimono.
"Of course, Otou-San! I love you."

He smirked.

"Then that means, this won't be very hard for you to do." He bent his head down slowly, smiling as he whispered cool words into her ear.

Wide eyes of joy turned to horror as she looked up.

Red. Red like the monsters in the comic Yong-Soo had picked up at the manga store (before Natalya-San forced him to return it).

"Otou...San...that is-" Kiku's sly smirk fell into a scowl.

"You won't obey your father? Why that's very bad of you, Sakura-Chan." He chided. She couldn't understand...although he looked like he was going to beat her, he spoke as if he was encouraging her to eat vegetables. Like what Yong Soo attempted to do at the cafeteria of the museum with salad. (It didn't work).

"In fact, there's something I want you to remember this by..." His voice grew lower, angrier as his hand reached into the folds of the teal kimono.

She sucked in her breath erratically, tears beginning their fall from the corner of her large eyes as he pulled the item out.

"Whoa! I wonder if they have a replica of this around, da-ze!" Yong Soo's grin was wider than ever as his thumb rubbed against the character's blade on the page.

"What is that, Yong-Soo-San?" Sakura peeped from behind his shoulder.

"It's a sword! What people use in battle in this manga. In some other manga people use it for stuff like magic and rituals-" An ivory hand whipped the book from his grasp.

"It's something that will hurt you, Sakura. Things that will hurt aren't good, which means you must stay away from them. Swords will cut you and make it painful." Natalya's cold gaze fell upon the page, red lips pressed together tightly as she shut the volume and slid it onto the shelf.

Then, she turned to the curious child once more, her stare softer.

"Do you understand, Sakura?"

"Yes...I think I do..." The two were caught staring into each other's eyes until Yong Soo sighed.

"You're so serious, Natalya! Well, I guess every rose has its thorns-" Her hand nearly clawed the side of his face before he dodged it to the side, laughing.

"But yeah. I guess she's right, Sakura. Just don't get into trouble like that...and if you do, we're always here, da-ze!"

Sakura was curled motionless on the floor in a circle of blood. Her short black hair was ruffled, her eyes empty with fear and longing, her round cheeks wet with tears.

Kyoko's shrieks and pleads could be heard down the hall as Kiku's annoyed yells sliced wounds into the child's broken heart. Kyoko sounded as if her talking kept being switched from Kiku to another-probably Miyako, for that was the name she screamed.

Miyako wouldn't come.

Yong Soo wouldn't come.

Natalya wouldn't come.

No one would come.

She gasped, curling into a tighter ball as sobs escaped her bleeding throat, which had been sliced by his sword.

She wanted to scream. To scream for anyone to help her. But she knew better than to do that, because they weren't there. And at the same time, he might come and hurt her again.

She was so flawed. So wrong. She couldn't even obey what her father wanted her to do. What a bad girl she was...why was she even alive? Natalya-San was wrong...

The handkerchief she kept buried in her pocket was soaked with blood.

In another part of Tokyo, the Korean singing idol stretched after a long day, grooves blasting in his headphones. Arms that swung in rapid movements fell to his sides as the song ended.

He blinked as the coffee mug he held felt...lighter.

"Ohh, that was my favorite one, da-ze..." He pouted, kneeling on the floor as he watched the dark brown liquid spill across the wooden floor.

"By the way, you can sit down if you want, Natalya!" The Belorussian woman leaned against the doorway of his suite, scowling as she stared at the ant-sized cars speeding and stopping several stories below from the window.

"You never gave me permit."

"Is that even needed? You're a lady, so you should sit whenever you want, da-ze! Or is it because you still don't trust me?" He grinned, standing with the broken mug in his hands.

Her hands curled into fists as she turned away.

"Subordinates trust each other simply because it's a necessity." Quirking an eyebrow, he dropped the mess into the trash and walked towards her, grinning only wider.

"Oh, that means you're just afraid."

"I don't know what you mean."

"See, your cheeks are turning red. That means you're just afraid to admit it." Natalya's jaw dropped for a moment, long enough for the Korean to notice and laugh.

"I was right! So, I guess it's game over, da-ze! Though I already knew I would win." She stared at him furiously, turning on her heel towards the door.

"Hey! Not yet...there's something more important that I have to tell you."

The Belorussian didn't move, cursing under her breath as she fumbled with the doorknob.

"It's about Sakura. And Honda Corporation." Her pale hand froze.

"If it's about Kiku and his family being the leaders of the Honda Yakuza, I'm well aware of it." His smile fell and he took a step forward.

"Wait, you knew all this time-"

"During the first day, I didn't go out shopping or sightseeing. My brother is Ivan Braginski." His hands fell to his sides, gazing at the floor horrified.

"Ivan is your...so Yao's your sister, but...did you know about him being-"

"Of course. Yao herself doesn't know, and it's safe to keep it at that for now. This organization we are in needs to remain stable with her controlling it and all. And I happened to go across a file containing the weapons being used tomorrow. Weapons that belong to Braginski Corp., of course. Kiku's been planning this for years, from the look of his research. The receptionist isn't trained at all in self-defense. A precaution he was too cocky to take." Rolling her shoulders back, she turned her face towards him.

"And you're also going to be the bait drawing in all the fish tomorrow, aren't you?" He didn't move, only staring back into her cold gaze.

"You trust me, don't you, da-ze? Even though your efforts were really physical at hiding it, I could still tell. You're like one of those people in manga, uh, what were they called-tsun-tsun something. You really care about everything, it's just you're afraid to show it, da-ze. From the looks of it, you like how I'm always trying to get at you, even if you look away or hit me back. I'm actually curious about how much you've been through. None of it looks like a fairytale to me." She found herself staring into the nightlife beyond the window as he spoke.

Her hand fell from the knob as faced him, ice cold eyes unmoving as they searched through the warm brown.

I hope you all enjoyed it. Please review! Have a good night, everyone :)