"… You're scared?" Greece mumbled, turning a tomato over in his hand carefully. The two were stuck in the middle of a crowd at some Saturday Market in Seattle; originally they'd gone with America, but then he ran off, claiming that he had someone to meet and that it was very important that he go, right now. Though the elder nations could plainly see he just wanted them to have some alone time (or whatever notion the latest romantic comedy had inspired in him), they accepted the story and went on having the calm, nice time that they'd been trying to have before Alfred left. They both loved the boy dearly, but the fact that he was deathly afraid of quiet was quite disconcerting to the both of them.

So for the past few hours the two half-busied themselves, watching the men throw their catch around at the fish market, looking at handmade goddess jewelry sold by some very nice-looking lesbians; Kiku bought something (for Hungary, to whom he owed some small, obscure debt) that they couldn't figure the exact use of – it was too big to be a bracelet but too small to be a necklace. After buying grilled fish on skewers and some very American-style doughnuts, they decided they might as well pick up some fresh produce with which to make dinner that night. It'd be a sort of farewell gift to Alfred, before the two left for their respective homes.

And thus Greece was inspecting tomatoes for salad when Japan had piped up softly, saying something in (his fast-improving) Greek about his recent inner turmoil. That was no small feat, either. Talking about emotions? And in public? Very close to impossible.

"Y-yes…" Kiku pretended to look over some sunflowers set up in a long clay jar next to the crate of tomatoes. His thoughts floated to Russia for a moment, before fleeing back to the subject at hand. "A-alfred-kun mentioned that… people might not approve of us… you know… going though with this. That they might worry a new… uhum, one of us, might come of it."

Heracles turned, and was pleasantly surprised by the fact that his love's hand had drifted up to his belly, almost protectively. He decided not to mention it, lest Kiku take the hand away. It was such a sweet sort of gesture…

"Well…" He thought for a moment, paying for the tomatoes he had chosen. "I don't doubt… that there will be those who… oppose the decision. But… they can't do anything… not really. It's highly… impossible, really… that the child will be a… new nation… conditions just… aren't right."

Kiku, after checking quickly to make sure nobody had heard Greece use the word 'nation' in context to themselves – nobody seemed to have – just nodded absently, picking a red-stained sunflower and paying for it. The two moved on to a stall full of delicious-looking apples in thoughtful silence.

"Who…" Heracles broke the silence after a while – by then they were standing in front of a vendor, whose table was completely overrun by flowers, of all types, colors, and shapes. They made Japan think of his eldest sister, Vietnam. She absolutely loved flowers – especially poppies (and lotuses).

"Who… do you think… would oppose us… and… be with us…?"

"Ah. I am not really sure. I suppose China-san would not be happy with it, as well as England. You know how cruel he was to those who were unlucky enough to be under his rule and accidentally with child…" he shook his head, sighing for those aforementioned colonies.

"But I do know that Taiwan-chan would not oppose me, in any case. I am not sure about Vietnam-chan…" Kiku then looked like he himself had fallen into a thinking spell, one of those that Greece was so prone to.

"Hmmm…"

"Well, do we even have to worry about it at this time?" Japan looked down at himself for a moment – really, his bump was nothing that couldn't be concealed easily. He'd just have to get used to dark clothes… and, well, the sickness and cravings and soreness could be somewhat ignored. If anything, they could just be blamed on Hay Fever, bouts of sicknesses of the like.

Greece shook his head slowly, a slow smile easing onto his face. He had a poppy pressed in between his thumb and forefinger.

"No, but I… do know that… you've got some certain… women to break the news to…"

"What."

Taiwan looked like the stereotype of shocked- wide eyes, color-drained face, stiff posture.

"Y-you're what? Gods, Kiku! Why didn't you tell me earlier? Three months is such a long time to keep it a secret from me! What if I did something to compromise the baby? Oh, I'm sure that shrimp can't be good for a fetus…" she lifted her long silk sleeve to her mouth, fretting quietly to herself.

Kiku, a notorious failure when it came to women, just sat there, unsure of what to do or say. Why did I tell Heracles-kun to stay home? He wondered desperately to himself. Somehow, no matter what, Greece always knew exactly what to do, or say. Even (especially) when it came to women…

Vietnam and her two sisters, on the other hand, had said nothing. The aforementioned eldest, Vietnam, looked contemplative – Cambodia, the second-eldest, looked kind of disgusted – and Laos, the youngest, looked nothing but excited.

Turning his politely intense attention from Taiwan to the three others, Japan cleared his throat a little and asked what they all thought. He was braced for a bitter welcome.

"That's so great!" Laos cheered instantly. Being young herself, she was more than excited to hear the possibility that there could be someone to play with – someone who wasn't old and philosophical and obsessed with ugly art, like the rest of her siblings (and adopted siblings).

Cambodia stayed quiet, knowing that anything she could say would spark a storm of argument between her and her sisters. Pretty much everything did, nowadays, but ever since she'd started practicing the art of Shutting Her Mouth, things had gotten a little better.

"Well, that's…" Vietnam started to venture, trying so hard to find something supportive to say to him. She was the one everyone went to for that sort of thing, and she couldn't let down her little brother.

"You're very determined to keep the baby, aren't you?" at Kiku's firm and immediate nod, she just sighed softly. "Then nobody can stop you, no matter what we think. In that case, it's… well, I guess it's great for the both of you. Welcome to the start of a horrible, painful adventure."

"How would you know what that's like?" Cambodia sniffed, unable to resist the urge.

Vietnam turned to her younger sister, sudden acid in her dark eyes, a clear message between the two of them - don't test me; I don't tell you a thing in proportion to my life.

"Hey, you sure you're okay…?" Greece asked, looking down from the top of the steps that led up to his house, a large package cradled in his arms. Japan shot him a look – one he was very used to using, now that he'd told Heracles, Alfred, Mingxia, Kim, Pich and Noi. They all started treating him like he was dying, not with child – and only three months, at that.

At least Greece took his hints and gave Japan the space he needed, allowed him freedom without making him embarrass himself. Still, they had heavy boxes to haul up the steps and through the front 'garden'. The boxes were full of books and other such things that Greece had recently taken out of deep storage and felt the need to go through. And just as Heracles needed to go through them, Kiku needed to help, prove that he wasn't just a freeloader; that he was useful for things like carrying boxes and rowing boats, too.

Once they were up the steps, the boxes set near the front door, Greece went in to grab canned tea and crackers for them both. Japan sat down on the whitewashed stone, tipping his face up to the sun. The neighbor's house, though similar in that it was its own walled-in world, was completely different in structure and effectively shielded the sun from direct contact with Kiku's skin - therefore, it didn't have the opportunity burn it until it was a horrible and sore shade of pink.

"Here." Greece murmured, handing Kiku one of the cans and placing the box of crackers between them. He sat down too, and soon the usual comfortable silence settled over them like a blanket. After the crackers were gone and the cans emptied, Greece smiled over at Japan.

"It's hot out here… would you like to… take siesta… inside?"

The other pinked instantly – siesta meant cuddling in the heat inside of Heracles' dark, low-ceilinged bedroom, but…

"I would love to."