[ ADVENT CALENDAR / event / PG / prompts, fanfiction, fanart ]
I thought of this idea while talking to dreams, and decided we're going to do an Advent Calendar event! [So that we have a good motivator to push us to write.] So from now till January 1, we're going to all try to do as many little prizes for each other as possible. Each day will have a different word prompt, and hopefully more than one person does
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Japan has come prepared, though, and deftly brings out cute trinkets for the girl to dress up with, and action figures for the boys. Within minutes, he has won over the hearts of the children, and is wholly welcome in the children’s circle.
China brings out more food than before; no one brings up the ugly past; when Japan leaves three hours later instead of just twenty minutes later, China bids him farewell with a sincere smile on his face.
Japan can’t help but skip to his car in utter joy.
x-------------------------------x
Once again, Japan shows up just when the children are here. China has set out even more food again this time at the table, and the children have already started eating. Yao is preoccupied with keeping Liang Liang and Fang Fang from mischief and the baby from making an utter mess of everything, so Kiku eats quietly with the girl.
She turns to him at one point during the meal, and stares for a few seconds. Kiku offers her a sweet bun, but she declines. Thankfully, she stops staring after that.
x-------------------------------x
When the plates of sweet buns and yams finally run out, China forces the children onto Japan. He might as well make himself useful, if he is going to come over every so often and burden his “older brother” with hospitality. Japan takes the baby and the two boys into the living room. Today, he brought cartoons to show; anime, he calls it.
China stands to clear the dishes, and little Qian, the girl, follows him. “Are you having fun with Mr. Kiku here, Qian?” China asks nicely.
“Yes. Are you?”
“Of course! Go grab those cups for me please.” China replies quickly.
“Who is he?” Qian offers China another question along with the cups.
“My little brother.” China replies. (No, he’s not.)
“Then why did your little brother kiss you the way lovers do on TV last month?” She asks. China wheels around in horror, and stares back at her calm and knowing face.
Slowly, China turns back to the dishes. He couldn’t answer.
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The kids were not there.
“Where is everyone?” Japan asks, when he had finished taking off his shoes without anyone tackling him to the ground.
“They not here. Did not come today.” China says quietly.
“Why?”
“I lied.” China said simply.
“Oh.” Japan takes the hint and walks forward, pulling China into his arms. But suddenly China moves out of the way, with a pained expression on his face.
“Will you ever…really apologize to me?”
“I don’t know. Will you ever love me back?”
“I don’t know.” China answers.
“This treaty really does mean a lot, you know. We could technically say we’ve been married because of it.” Japan continues.
“I know.”
“So?”
“Why does it always have to be me who does something? I am waiting for you to take responsibility for your cruelty, but you don’t, and expecting me to l-love you back no matter what is stupid idea!!” China finally loses it.
It’s silent as Japan ponders how to reply.
“Who would own up to such a thing?” Japan finally says.
“A good man! A real man!” China protests.
“But no nation would ever truly own up to all the shameful things it’s done in its past. And we’re not human at all.” Japan argues quietly, a breeze compared to Yao’s raging dragon roars.
“Then, by your definition, you should never even think of love?! Is that it?!! Then that makes my job easy then! No is no!” China rages. The damage is done.
“So don’t….don’t come visit me again!” China finishes hoarsely, before pushing Japan out the door. Japan stands there for a few moments, and then unlocks the door with his own key to catch China in his arms just before anything else happens.
China cries loudly in his shoulder, laments of heartbreak to the heavens about how unfair life is, and why, Japan, why, why, why, why, why, why?
“Because I wanted to have all of you.” Japan answered.
China sat up then and shook him, tears still streaming out of his eyes. “But didn’t you care that you hurt me?! Aren’t you sorry you hurt me!!” China wails, and then buries his face back in Japan’s embrace.
It clicked then. It was so simple! All China wanted to hear was-
“I’ve always loved you China. I just didn’t know how to express it. Can you forgive me?” Japan chokes out.
China stops crying then, and starts kissing Japan’s cheeks and forehead like a worrisome mother. Japan bursts into laughter and says, “Aren’t you the one who needs comfort?”
In the end, both of them did.
Many hours later, after they had finished comforting each other, Japan silently wondered about the miracle of children, and really, everyone needs reassurance every now and then. Everyone needs reassurance that they are wanted, that they are needed, that they are…loved. Everyone, young and old.
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