I am tired of writing Rochu fluff. -.- So much fluff. -.- Beginning to think that their relationship is perfect, which it is not. -.-
As we are nearing the end of the imperialist era, there will be a final "showdown." There will be more consecutive chapters about Ivan and Yao, so I wouldn't have to update soo many chapters at once. The countries will meet each other. Europe will meet Asia, when the time comes. xD
Hope you enjoy this. I have browsed through many fanworks in which Ivan goes for a cultural exchange in China. But, I have rarely seen it the other way around. So, this is my two cents in the pot.
Note: Yes, of course Ivan has a magical carriage that can take them from Beijing to St. Petersburg in no time... Kolkolkol...
The sun beamed down upon the pond, donning an astral glow to the clear turquoise waters. It had stopped raining hours ago, and pearls of sparkling dew still rested upon the lotus leaves. Holding his parasol with one hand, Yao extended the fingertips of another to caress a particularly large leaf. Its undulating edges were akin to a frilly dress of a Western woman, and in the centre formed a nice, round bowl. He tipped it, and a stream of water ran down his wrist. He shuddered from the cool touch, and let the liquid flow down elbow.
Yao remembered when the emperor forced his maids to wake up every day before the sun rose to collect the dewdrops for his morning tea. He said that it improved vitality, while Yao could only scoff at his superstition. What a fool— If there was miasma in the air, surely he would be willing to drink that as well?
No matter. Today, Yao decided that his boss was going to be the last person to cross his mind.
Where he was standing now was where Ivan had told Yao to wait for him, and the boy had promised that he was going to take him someplace "special". Of course, Yao had little faith in his words. But, any ordinary walk in the forest with Ivan was much preferred over sitting in front of his work desk.
A dragonfly flittered to and fro, and finally found roost upon the tip of his finger. Yao froze and stared down at the creature, amused.
If he wanted to, he could squash it in a second, and reduce its pretty red coat to dust.
Like this...
"I'm here, Yao." Ivan plucked the parasol from his hands and dropped it to the ground with a plop.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Yao quickly patted off the crumpled insect skeleton from his hands, as Ivan's arms assaulted him. His arms felt stronger than they did the last time, and Yao had a feeling that the next time they met, he may share the same fate as that dragonfly.
"So Ivan," Yao managed to say, despite being the twig pressed against Ivan's body, "You didn't mention in the letter where we're going today..."
Ivan hummed thoughtfully; Yao could hear his thick voice rumbling against his ribcage.
"Hehe..." Ivan chuckled at his mind going blank. He had thought his courting skills were as smooth as glass, when he was back home practicing them with his manservant, Toris.
"Well...?" Yao pressed on. He turned around to face Ivan, who couldn't help but think that his beloved Yao had somehow grown shorter over the years. He was so tall back when Ivan was a child, and now, Ivan could probably scoop him up with one arm, like a doll. How cute!
"Oh, we are going to my house!" Ivan blurted out, though he had meant it to be a surprise.
"Y-your house? Up north?" Yao's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He had heard, from the stories of wayfarers, of the kinds of horrors that haunted the northern lands.
"Of course!" Ivan replied, grinning proudly, "The prettiest person in the world only visits the prettiest place in the world!"
"Ivan, I don't think it is a good idea..."
If Yao had known sooner, he would have brought his hunting gear, some food, and he would be in the right attire!
"Well, I think it is a great idea," Ivan replied, in a frustratingly mild air. He lifted a punching and kicking Yao with one arm, and carried him to the carriage that had been waiting for them. "Yao, you stay inside too often. You need to get out there and see the world, da?"
"Yes, but I..."
Ivan set him down upon the velvet seat gently and gave his forehead a kiss, like a baby in a crib.
"If anyone dares to hurt you, or take you away from me, I'll just snap their neck, like this!" He giggled, and crushed a handful of air with his hand. For some reason, Yao felt lucky that his own neck was not clenched between those those thick, jaw-like fingers.
So, despite Yao's polite reluctance, they set off into the warm winds of spring. As they rode, Yao would try to focus his attention on the passing scenery outside, the mountains, forests, and quiet villages.
It made him feel proud that Ivan had grown big and strong, and even taller than the last time Yao saw him. Yao leaned over and patted a bit of dust, along with a speck of this morning's breakfast, from his handsome army jacket. He reached across his front to straighten Ivan's collar, but not before noticing the numerous golden badges decorating his chest. Yao chuckled at the sight- so much for being scared of war, like what he said last time.
"You know, Yao," Ivan said wistfully after a while, almost to himself, "I find myself thinking about you all the time."
Yao said nothing, but found a resting place for his head against Ivan's shoulder.
Ivan put an arm around him, and shook gently. "Do you think about me?"
"Why, of course, Ivan. I worry about your safety all the time, which is why I write to you so often." He poked his chest playfully, "Don't tell me you've forgotten."
Ivan bit his lip, and set Yao's wrist down upon his lap. He held him tighter, but not so much that his porcelain frame would not shatter. Just tight enough for him to not run away.
Ivan supposed that it would just be easier to capture Yao, lock him up in the attic, and force him to do the things he had always wanted to do with him.
But almost immediately, Ivan inwardly smacked himself for having such terrible, vile thoughts. How dare he would even think of harming Yao?
Stupid, stupid Ivan!
He looked out the window and frowned when he saw that a single ugly snowflake had swirled its way into their otherwise pristine carriage. Ivan sighed. Propping his elbow against the windowsill, he spent the rest of the trip staring at the dreadful Siberian scenery, waiting for Yao to show some concern and ask what was wrong.
"So Yao... Is my house pretty or what?"
"Yes it is, Ivan."
Ivan was rowing a boat down the canal that ran through a city by the name of "St. Petersburg," which Yao couldn't pronounce to save his life. The sky was a light, powdery blue, and no clouds blocked the sun that didn't seem to shine as violently bright here as it did in his home.
The roofs of the buildings were all painted in vivid colours, and lined with intricate carvings of which Yao didn't pretend to understand, but could still appreciate. When they passed by a particularly large building perched upon a hill, Yao saw that Ivan had off his cap. Before the large building was a water fountain, in which stood statues of scantily clad women, who, according to Ivan, were goddesses. Other statues of warriors, cavalry men, and other revolutionaries also stood here and there, and from this, Yao deduced that Ivan definitely was not scared of fighting, as he had been told. In fact, it must be a valuable hobby of his.
The air of the people were generally cheerful, smiling and chatting with each other. The women dressed fancily, with sparkling jewelry and poofy, lacy dresses, while the men wore the iconic European long-tailed coats.
A circle of women giggled amongst each other and flapped their fans flirtatiously, as Ivan rowed by them. They dressed far from his own standards of modesty, but Yao supposed it was only their culture, and knew it was wise to hold his tongue.
"They're staring at us..." Ivan said to Yao worriedly. Blushing, he quickly looked away and buried his nose into his scarf, like how he used to whenever Father put him on the spot.
"Just keep on moving..." Yao grumbled under his breath, fighting the sudden urge to hop over and teach them a lesson, the Chinese way.
"Okay."
Yao couldn't help but wonder if everyone in Ivan's country lived as happily as those women, and bathed in the same luxury. Surely, not everyone was able to afford those diamonds, with which the women did not use sparingly to decorate themselves. Someone must have had to dig them one by one from the ground, until their fingers bled, and Yao had a sneaking suspicion that he may never get to meet the noble person.
What sounded like the bright, metallic ringing of a gong echoed across the expanse.
Yao turned his head, curious. "What was that?"
"Oh, it's the cathedral!"
Yao nodded in acknowledgement. A church, it was, like the temples that he had back home. He supposed that even in the west, they needed sanctuaries where torn spirits may find peace. He snickered.
How he would like to believe that there was life after death. Then, if Yao had a choice, he'd rather be reborn as a tree or something, rather than a country.
Not wanting stubborn Ivan to collapse from exhaustion, Yao gingerly dabbed his sweaty face with his sleeve, and they insisted they took a rest, despite Ivan's protests.
So, they got out of the boat and began walking down on the cobblestone streets of Ivan's capital.
It was warm and sunny, and Yao seemed to be in a content mood. Though, his straight and graceful posture seemed to have waned a bit now, and he looked more natural. Probably it was because Ivan had finally taken Yao outside of his palace, where everyone was just so anal about everything. Ivan remembered when he stayed there as a child, he got scolded for blinking too much or yawning too loudly.
Ivan had to admit, that as much as he loved to visit Yao, he preferred living in his own country. The people up here were a lot easier to deal with. They were so kind to step away from whichever paths Ivan and Yao walked on, especially when Ivan carried his pipe around, which still had spots of blood from last week. That one lady in the bakery even gave Yao a free slice of cake, which must have been that Yao was so charming, and not because Ivan had knocked everything over.
Everyone liked Yao, and Ivan was glad.
"So, Do you like my country?"
"Um..." Yao hesitated for a while, trying to put together the right words for his answer, "Yes, Ivan. Yes I do." He replied, smiling. He rose to his tiptoes and patted Ivan's head, though Yao secretly hoped that Ivan was still small enough to be picked up.
Yao could not help but wonder what secrets laid hidden behind all this opulence, like how it was on his own land. How many people starved to death in the winters? How many wives cried when their husbands were lost in battle?
As beautiful as this place was on the outside, he found it hard to not ask himself these questions. He looked up and smiled at Ivan, who smiled back. Was Ivan hiding anything behind that sweet, sunny smile of his? Yao couldn't help but wonder.
A small hand reached out from a shady corner on the side of the street, and tugged at the hem of Yao's robe.
"Please Miss, spare some change?"
He turned, and saw a little human girl. Though she looked not to be over the age of five, she still seemed much too small for her age. Her golden hair was already falling out of her scalp, before she was even old enough to have grown it to a significant length. The dress she was wearing was throughly drenched of dirt and filth, and didn't seem to keep her warm either.
Giving into the slight nuance in his heart, Yao bent down and reached for his coin pouch. He untied the ribbon and was about to give her some, but soon realized that his own currency was no good here.
"Yao, let's go. I have something else I want to show you!"
"Just a second, Ivan."
He sighed and looked back down at the girl. In the state that she was in now, whether she lived or died tomorrow could be determined easily by anything else happening around her, except for whatever she did with her own feeble hands. It was this kind of contingency that Yao hated most about the world around him, that one could not decide his own fate.
He slowly slid off the golden bangle he wore around his wrist, and placed it in the girl's sunburnt hands.
"It's for you, sweetheart." Yao said. Surely this could feed her for a few more nights.
"Hey grandma!" The girl exclaimed, running back to her grandmother, who was sitting alone against a brick wall, "That pretty lady and her husband gave this to me!"
The old woman was too tired to budge an inch, and instead closed her eyes, which were blind from the start.
So, here's the new review! I hope you enjoyed reading it! Please review, it'll maybe motivate me to update quicker, xD.