A Very Asian Vacation
Thailand affectionately dubbed his house on his own private island as a 'cottage', however… a cottage was far from it. It was a huge, open-spaced luxurious manor in the middle of an evergreen forestry of blooming palm trees and swaying coconut branches. Made of pale wood, held by pillars, with navy blue windows all across the top floor- it was huge. There was a large pool to the left, illuminated by yellow spotlights and a small bungalow in the midst with a beverage stand. There were large, spacious rooms with an entire walls eradicated and clear, clean windows overlooking the never ending, lapping waves. There was a spa beneath the house and a long pier that jutted from the house to the island's waters, leading to a small dock.
"It's not much, but I hope you'll feel comfortable," Thailand said earnestly.
"I am so buying myself an island," Hong Kong muttered.
"It's alright," shrugged China nonchalantly. "I guess it'll have to do, aru… where's the kitchen?"
Japan pulled his satchel along with his suitcase, following them all inside as Thailand talked about his beloved elephant that was currently sleeping in the master bedroom. Speaking of rooms… he didn't have to share, right?
"Thailand-san, do you mind showing us to our rooms?"
Thailand, who was in the middle of squealing about his elephant, turned and brightened up with his trademark smile.
"Oh! Of course! I'm having some renovations in the West Wing… so since there is six of us altogether, some of you are going to have to share," his smile turned apologetic.
Japan hated how the Thai was looking straight at him as he said that.
"I'm not bunking with Nihon," Hong Kong said blandly.
Likewise, he wanted to snap.
"I have a supervised medical condition," China said factually. "I can't share with anyone."
As if marking his entrance, a door slammed open and a typhoon of energy burst into the hall. Korea finally made his reappearance, beaming manically as he sprinted towards them. Japan ducked from the lunge the Korean aimed at him who then bounced on top of a face-flushed China.
"Aniki! You all finally made it, da-ze!" laughed Korea. "Don't worry Thailand, aniki and I are always together!"
"No we are not, aru!"
"But aniki," Korea innocently pulled away, "you always like it when we cuddle up before-"
"Shut up!"
"So what?! You want me to bunk with Nihon? Fine, I'm bunking with Nihon! Let's see how you'll like it being all by yourself!"
Korea latched himself onto Japan's arm, not noticing the horrified expression on the smaller man's face.
"Korea-san- m-maybe we can make other arrangements-" Japan stuttered.
"See! Japan's all for it- he even wants to decide bed positions from now!" Korea exclaimed, pulling the Japanese closer to him.
Japan's face flamed while Hong Kong sent him a flat, disgusted look.
"I can share with Japan!" Taiwan suddenly burst from the doorway in a flourish of colours. Her hands were thrown up in the air exuberantly as she sprinted across the hall towards them, beaming.
Japan, already feeling his mentality deteriorate, expected China to shout out 'improper!' or ready a long, famous rant on how they were growing up corrupted by inappropriate, western values. However, Hong Kong beat him to it.
"Like hell you are!"
"Why not?" she pouted. "The room's big and there are two beds, I don't mind sharing!"
"You're not bloody sharing with anyone!"
"Who are you to tell me what to do and what not to do? I can do whatever I want!" she put her hands on her hips.
Japan didn't miss the indignant blush on Hong Kong's cheeks, yet he couldn't tell if it was from annoyance or sudden embarrassment. Korea caught his eye, slid them to the Chinese teen, before winking straight at Japan.
"Hong Kong's right, aru," China pushed past the teen. "It's improper for a young woman to share with any man who is not married to her."
"Exactly," Hong Kong scowled.
"That's for Japan to decide," Taiwan glared. "Japan doesn't mind sharing with me- he knows I'm neat and we've always shared before!"
Hong Kong looked thunderstruck.
"You were a child then, aru! Things are different now!"
That mere sentence cast a sudden light of realization upon Taiwan. She froze, her eyes brightening and skimming across the room in a feat of unbelievably quick thinking. She caught Japan's eye and he immediately knew what she was thinking: If he regarded her as a child, he would share a room with her; if he regarded her as an independent woman, he would leave her be and share a room with someone else.
But… Taiwan would always be that young girl who would wait for him by the doorway, wrapping her little hands around his neck when he returned and walking by him under the cherry blossoms. She would always be the little girl he treasured and smiled at… never more than that, no matter how much taller she had become or how feminine, she insisted, her figure was growing to be. However, to take her offer on the room would be disgraceful and rude- yet he didn't want to give her the wrong idea- but at the same time he'd much rather Taiwan than Korea-
Pairs of expectant eyes stared at him, waiting.
"Guess it's just me and you tonight," Korea slung a lazy arm around his shoulders.
Japan could feel every single fibre in his being self-destruct because of the reality of the situation. Korea. He had to spend his nights with Korea. Taiwan beamed at him- and he internally groaned- before flouncing away to her own room. Hong Kong's eyes followed her before his usual, holier-than-thou attitude retained its place.
"Oooooooh, one bed, eh?" Korea cackled, "we're having a lot of fun tonight, aren't we, Nihon?"
"Just keep your door locked, lovebirds," Hong Kong snorted as he walked past them to his own room.
China looked between Japan and Korea before sending the elder a pitying glance. Japan wanted nothing more than to throw himself out of the highest window. Why was it luck loved to kick him around? Why was it luck despised, abhorred and hated him? Why was luck never on his side?
"W-wait, you're not exactly serious about this?"
Japan, panicked, watched the retreating backs of his so-called family until he was left, stranded in the middle of the hallway, with Korea yapping his head off. He had to spend this ridiculous excuse of a holiday sharing with the bane of all insanity?
"I'm topping," Korea threw a hand around his shoulders and winked.
When Korea spoke of 'topping'… he was quite literal.
It was a bunk bed.
"Oh thank god," muttered Japan.
"Oooooh, getting dirty thoughts, eh Nihon!" Korea slapped him on the back, laughing manically.
Japan winced. He hated it when they touched him- absolutely hated it.
"Korea-san," he said tightly. "If you would be so kind as to refrain from touching me-"
"Touching you?" Korea gasped, "we're already that intimate?"
"Korea-san-"
"Hey, Nihon, I know!" Korea exclaimed as he dug for his glasses in one of the drawers. "Since we're bed-mates-"
"Room mates."
"Bed-mates, let's have a heart-to-heart chat!" Korea grabbed the Japanese by the shoulders and steered him towards the bed, ignoring the cringing and the hissing, before throwing him down roughly.
The Korean threw himself- Japan expertly dodged- onto the bed, settling by the corner.
"So," Korea smirked.
Japan felt discomfort settle. "Um-"
"Taiwan didn't look too disappointed when you didn't want to share with her."
Japan immediately stood up. He knew where this conversation was going.
"Of course not, she's a young lady," he began with his rehearsed, speech almost instantly, "and it's very improper for her to be sharing a room with a man she is not married to."
"But you used to share before," he could taste the smugness in Korea's voice. It scorched.
Japan stiffened. He reprimanded himself and forced his muscles to loosen. He wouldn't give anyone any advantage, even if it were the energetic, simpleton of a Korean who observed too much for his own good. He unbuttoned his shirt and pulled out his light kimono to change into for the night. It was quite warm and slightly humid, the air sticky in the creamy, spacious room. He took off his shirt and proceeded to fold it before he felt something poke at a very painful area on his back.
He jolted and, instinctively, threw a sharp punch to the side-
Korea backed away, eyeing the fist that almost smashed against his nose.
There was something different in the Korean's eyes. Something quite changed; a glint that wasn't in those light-hearted, dark orbs mere seconds ago. Before he could say anything, the door slammed open, whipping both their eyes towards it.
Hong Kong strolled in, in mid-sentence, before stopping and staring at them both. He blinked.
"Um… I'll… like, come back later."
Half-naked with his hand outstretched over Korea's shoulder, Japan knew it looked more than compromising. He yanked his kimono from the shelf and made his way towards the door.
"I'm taking a walk."
Though he was well out the door, he could hear Hong Kong's drawling voice. "I thought he was the straight one."
He didn't walk. The night was too humid and too full of nature's pests that he marched straight in the minute he stepped outside. He lingered by the living room before he paced down the kitchen, not really knowing what it is he wanted to do. His back, that tingled enough without Korea poking his nosy fingers against, pricked and stung. He hissed, rubbing slightly at the rawness of his skin, before standing quite helplessly in the middle of a room. Hong Kong probably dragged the Korean in for a video game or was insulting the living daylights out of the Japanese… but he was a welcomed distraction, for once in his problematic existence.
"Japan?"
China stood by the stairway.
"Ah, China-san," Japan quickly bowed. "I'm sorry if I was causing any disturbances-"
"No, aru," China shook his head. "If anyone's causing disturbances it's the two idiots in there," he jerked a head violently the opposite direction.
Japan knew well to whom he was referring to. However, the house was oddly quiet. The dimness of the night cast a blue sheet across the empty halls.
"Do you mind helping me?"
China looked oddly at unease. Japan nodded. He followed the older nation down the corridor- Hong Kong definitely had video games in the room- until they reached the pale wooden door by the end of the hall. The room was slightly smaller than the one Japan was forced to share with Korea, yet airy and less stuffy. China stood in front of him, fidgeting.
"Is something the matter, China-san?"
China gave a defeated sigh.
"I dropped my robe… and I can't pick it up."
Japan lowered his gaze towards the floor. Pooled into a pond of deep red was, indeed, China's silk robe. He felt a pang of… sadness. He quietly picked up the robe and wordlessly stood behind his older brother, undoing the buttons on the back.
China…
He wasn't exactly young. He was an ancient nation and Japan's earliest memories consisted of the older nation guiding him down the rice fields under the warm sun, placing a tender hand on the top of his head and pointing up at the looming clouds. Years- thousands and thousands of years- passed from those days. Days where he couldn't pick himself up when he scraped his knees. Days when he couldn't find his way home when he got carried away in the forests of bamboo. Days when loneliness was such a burden that he had to find his way to his older brother's bed.
He helped China out of his shirt but stopped before slipping on the robe.
His back was battered.
Fading bruises and dying welts were plastered across the smooth skin… and Japan knew each one of them. He knew why the skin was knotted by the shoulder, or why the lower back was slightly tinged purple, or why there were such harsh scratches by the spine or why there were dotted bruises by the hip. He especially knew why there was a long, deep scar running from the right shoulder downwards, glaring up at him in a burning, red rage.
"Japan, aru? Are you alright-"
He pulled the robe over China's shoulders.
"Will that be all?"
"Yes, but-"
"Goodnight."
He couldn't sleep. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't sleep. His back was sore and his neck was strained. His fingers itched to just scrape the irritating skin off and bleed out the pain. He huffed and faced the bed above him, wondering absently if the Korean had fallen asleep.
"Korea-san?"
A slight rustle.
Nothing.
Perfect.
Japan slipped from under the covers and peered up at the bed above him. The Korean was rolled to the side, his face against the wall, in a cocoon of covers. Japan debated poking the man to see if he really was asleep but decided against it in case Korea woke up. He tiptoed towards his suitcase and pushed through a few of his clothes until his hand touched the familiar glass of a familiar bottle.
He'd usually do this under the light, but he didn't want to risk it. Instead, he made his way to the bathroom- that had a nasty habit of roaring the ventilation whenever the lights came on- and set the bottles by the sink. He took off his kimono, allowing it to settle by his hips, and gave his back to the mirror.
Two large, raw, pulsing purple swellings throbbed at his back. One was diagonal to his right shoulder blade, pounding in the middle, and the other was on the left of the small of his back. He saw them every night, his eyes tracing them soundlessly… so much so he could see them clearly behind his eyelids whenever he blinked. Those large, pulsating swellings of suffering, the network of veins that bulged against his skin painfully… and the millions who perished from it.
Like dust.
He was an island nation, quite isolated, and a private man by nature. But it was times like these when he absolutely hated it.
Because he could never really reach them properly.
He sometimes dabbed the wound yet missed few spots, or sometimes he dabbed a bit too hard. It was bad enough he had to crane his neck to make sure he was daubing the wound and not unblemished skin, or strain his arm behind his back…
"Japan?"
The bottle clattered against the floor, spilling brown liquid across the ceramic. Korea beat him to it, picking up the bottle hastily before too much was lost, and set it back against the sink. Japan blinked. He felt a crossing of fear and absolute humiliation.
Was that pity he could see in the Korean's eyes?
Japan bit at his lip.
"Please get out."
"Do you need any help-"
"Get out!"
Korea jumped, blinking owlishly at him, before nodding.
His teeth drew blood. He could taste the bitterness on his tongue. He could feel his anger seething, sizzling within him like scalding oil on a blazing fire, searing at his skin.
"I'm sorry about today," Korea said softly. "I didn't know they were still raw."
Japan wanted, more than anything in the world, to explode at that very moment. It was the perfect opportunity for him to just burst out from all the rattling rage that was kept inside of him- lash at the Korean until there was not a breath left sheltered in his body- and collapse from the sheer exhaustion of it all. But he did nothing of a sort. He remained standing, as he was, staring at the brown liquid that spread across the cold floor, waiting for the door to close.
He was left alone once more, with nothing but the ruin of his back and the loneliness of his reality.