[Secret Santa] The Book of Love
Title: The Book of Love
Author: shibbyone
Recipient: angstlich
Rating: PG
Warnings: Fluff and some minor angst, oh and human names.
Summary: Japan was used to spending Christmas alone. Greece didn't want to this year.
Notes: the prompt was something about cuddling and sweetness. I made it kinda angsty though, to reflect on recent economic events in the Eurozone. Yep.
~*~
Kiku never had very high expectations for certain holidays, Christmas being one of them. It wasn’t for any real reason other than he had spent more Christmases than he could remember by himself, sitting with Pochi and Tama in the chilly winter air and enjoying some peace. Sometimes he was forcibly dragged off to America to spend the holiday with Alfred and others, but more often than not his pets were his only company. This year especially he wasn’t expecting much, since Alfred was saving his money and just spending the holiday with Arthur. (Considering the size of his Halloween party, Kiku wasn’t surprised in the least.)
What he didn’t expect was the rapping at the door on December 24th. Kiku had just turned the light off in his kitchen and was about to curl under the kotatsu with some hot tea when Pochi yipped and ran to the door expectantly. And then-
“Who could that be?” Kiku wondered to himself. He stepped over where Tama had lain on the floor and walked up behind Pochi, who was sitting in front of the door, staring up at Kiku as he approached. Another rap, louder this time. Kiku’s house was up on a hill, rather large and off-putting at night; it was very, very rare that someone would come knocking at this hour.
“Kiku?” a voice called through the door. Kiku’s heart leapt into his throat and he clutched the door.
“...Heracles?” Kiku responded. He unlocked the door and at the sound of the click Heracles thrust the door open, bundled in a jacket with a bag hanging across his body. Kiku blinked in surprise, staring at Heracles.
“Hi,” Heracles said softly, setting his hand on the doorframe. His face was paler than usual and he seemed to be struggling to remain upright. His eyelids fell over his brilliant eyes and Kiku had to restrain himself from reaching out to the Greek nation.
“H-hello, Heracles,” Kiku responded, and he stepped back, allowing Heracles to cross the threshold. As he did, Heracles stumbled over his feet and pitched forward-right into Kiku’s waiting arms. He’d seen the weak look flicker across Heracles’s eyes, one he knew too well, and he knew what had been coming next.
“Heracles,” Kiku said gently, “you shouldn’t travel such far distances in your state.” Heracles threw his arm around Kiku’s shoulders and simply grunted, laying his head on Kiku’s shoulder. Kiku flushed but didn’t try to stop the contact; he’d grown accustomed to it, finally.
Kiku struggled under Heracles’s weight but together Heracles was brought to a standing position, and Kiku walked them into the next room, helping Heracles to sit beside the kotatsu in the center of the room. Kiku took his bag and deposited it into the corner, returning to Heracles’s side and sitting beside him on the cushion.
Pochi had followed the two of them into the other room and was sitting at Heracles’s other side, waiting for a response from the nation. Heracles gave Pochi a weak smile and patted his head.
“Hello, Pochi,” he said, and Pochi yipped happily. Tama remained sprawled in the hallway, ignoring everyone.
“I thought you weren’t travelling for the holidays,” Kiku asked. Heracles lay back on his palms and stretched his feet until his toes poked beneath the kotatsu’s comforter. His head lolled a bit but he seemed to have more strength while sitting down.
“You suggested in August I come for Christmas,” Heracles said softly. Kiku perked his eyebrows in surprise. “I’ve been thinking about it since then. I didn’t think I was coming, and you never mentioned it, but... I just wanted to see something different during such a happy time of year,” Heracles said finally. Kiku nodded. “So I left.”
“Just... got up and left?” Kiku asked. Heracles closed his eyes and leaned to his side, his arm grazing Kiku’s. (Kiku was rather proud of the fact that he didn’t flinch and in fact welcomed the warmth of Heracles’s skin against his.)
“Yeah.”
“Do your officials know? Did you just get up and leave without informing your government?” Kiku wondered. Heracles’s lips twitched.
“...what government?” he said finally. Kiku pinched his lips shut and watched as Heracles rotated his shoulder.
“Hurts,” he murmured. Kiku looked around the empty room and then settled back on Heracles, who looked about ready to drift off at any moment. Or collapse.
“And you did this despite how you felt physically?” Kiku asked. Heracles nodded.
“I feel better when I’m around you,” Heracles said in a soft voice. That earned Kiku a dark flush and he stood, pushing the kotatsu closer to their cushion.
“Here, get under,” Kiku said, and he lifted the comforter so Heracles could slide underneath. Heracles reclined back onto the cushion, under the table up to his waist, looking at Kiku expectantly as Kiku sipped gingerly from his tea.
It was a strange, old routine. Since the economic collapse in Greece the previous summer, Heracles hadn’t been in the best health. And Kiku, being the hospitable friend that he was, helped in any way he could. It pained him to see someone he cared so much about so weak and fragile constantly, and thus his normally very private house was open to Heracles whenever he mustered the strength to come. The friend in Kiku wanted to make sure Heracles was doing well.
But the lover in Kiku wanted to pamper and fluff Heracles as much as he possibly could. It took all of Kiku’s self-restraint not to force Heracles out of meetings and tuck him into a bed when he seemed on the verge of collapse, regardless of how important it was for Heracles to be in the meeting. In one particularly heavy meeting, Kiku was on the verge of a shouting match with Ludwig until Tino had stepped in and forced them into silence. No one had ever seen Kiku get so worked up over something before; even Heracles was shocked.
After the meeting, Kiku had helped Heracles to his room and once Heracles was asleep, Kiku sat up all night, trying to figure out when he had fallen head over heels in love.
He never came to an answer.
“Come lay with me,” Heracles suggested from his makeshift bed. Kiku said nothing in response and drank his tea.
I can’t believe you’d risk your health with a fifteen hour flight, Kiku thought to himself. He glanced at Heracles, who had closed his eyes and thrown one arm on his forehead. Just to see me...
“Are you alright, Heracles?” Kiku asked. Heracles gave a small smile in response.
“Yes... but you should still come lay with me,” Heracles pestered. “Please, Kiku. I came here because I was sick of staring at what’s left of Athens.” That comment gave Kiku a pang of guilt. He lowered the cup and stood, walking to the side of the kotatsu Heracles was tucked under. He knelt down beside the Greek and placed a hand on his forehead.
“You have a fever,” Kiku deduced.
“I always have a fever,” Heracles mumbled. “ ‘S a good thing I can’t die.” Kiku’s eyes widened a fraction but he said nothing, his heart tripling in pace.
Please don’t talk about that, Kiku wanted to say, but even after everything he was embarrassed to admit he was absolutely petrified of Heracles dying. He supposed it wasn’t completely embarrassing but he didn’t like how open and bare it made his emotions. He was still getting used to being madly in love.
“Please, Kiku?” Heracles said, his eyes settling on Kiku’s. Kiku sighed and gave a slight nod, shuffling underneath the comforter and laying down beside Heracles on the cushion. The two of them lay side-by-side, Kiku’s arms folded on his abdomen, Heracles’s above his head. They stared at the ceiling for a moment, Heracles enjoying the added warmth, Kiku enjoying Heracles’s inexplicable scent of cinnamon.
“Did I disrupt your holiday?” Heracles asked. “I admit, making the decision to just fly here was foolish.”
“No, not at all,” Kiku responded. “You’re lucky I wasn’t someplace else.”
“No one is having a party this year,” Heracles said, a twinge of sadness to his voice, “so I knew you’d be here.”
“At least we had the Halloween party,” Kiku said. “That was fun.”
“I guess,” Heracles said. He turned his head to look at Kiku’s profile. “Although I was dragged there.”
“Still,” Kiku said, “I’m glad you came.”
“Me, too.” Silence overtook their conversation, peppered with Pochi’s light snores from the other side of the room. Heracles reached out at one point and strung his fingers through Kiku’s, pulling his hand down from his abdomen to the cushion, their hands interlocked between them. Heracles could feel a slight tremor in Kiku’s hands but then it was gone, replaced by steady confidence.
We’ve had sex and holding hands makes him nervous, Heracles thought in his hazy brain. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand him fully. Heracles turned again to watch Kiku, who seemed to be lost in his thoughts. He was furrowing his brow at the ceiling, tapping his middle finger against his stomach. Heracles couldn’t help but smile at how cute he was when he was contemplative. Heracles opened his mouth to say something when suddenly Kiku sat up, turned on his side, and wrapped his arms around Heracles.
Taken aback by the forward gesture, Heracles awkwardly sat up himself, but Kiku pulled his head into his chest and tucked it beneath his chin, one hand lost in his brunette curls, the other firm on his back. Heracles could feel Kiku blushing but he remained firm in his grip, and gently the two of them lay back down against the cushion, Heracles now firmly tucked into Kiku’s embrace.
“Um, Kiku?”
“...y-yes?”
“...nothing.” Surrounded by Kiku’s warmth, Heracles felt as if he would drift off any moment. He hadn’t realized how cold he felt until his skin was alight with Kiku’s warm body, tucking him into a human blanket. Kiku’s chin was against his forehead, and his hand was idly rubbing over his shoulder blades and down his spine in soothing circles.
Heracles stretched his arm out over Kiku’s side, draping it over Kiku and hugging his waist close. He buried his nose into Kiku’s collar and basked in his scent, like chamomile and sweet smelling flowers. He had to admit, he was far more comfortable than he’d been in a while, and his feverish brain began swimming into sleep.
“Mm... Kiku?”
“Yes, Heracles?” Kiku’s voice was soft.
“I’m really tired.”
“I know. Heracles?”
“Yes?”
“...I love you.” Kiku’s voice had died to a whisper at the admission, and his grip on Heracles’s shoulders tightened.
“I love you too, Kiku.” Silence fell and Heracles knew he’d be drifting off. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the cushion, wiggling his toes against the warmth of the kotatsu and Kiku’s embrace. Kiku relaxed as well.
“Heracles, how long are you staying?”
“Dunno. Only bought one ticket,” Heracles mumbled. Kiku gently scratched at the back of his head.
“You should stay through the new year.” Kiku’s knee nudged Heracles’s, and Heracles wrapped his foot around Kiku’s leg in response, rubbing his toe against Kiku’s ankle.
“I will. I have no place to stay, though.”
“You’ll stay here, of course.”
“All the way through New Years’?”
“Y-yes.”
“Where?”
“...in my room...” Heracles chuckled at how embarrassed Kiku sounded.
“I’d love to, Kiku.” Heracles stifled a yawn against Kiku’s collarbone and hugged him tighter. As much as he wanted to chatter idly with his lover, Heracles hadn’t slept in near twenty hours and was feeling quite drained. It seemed as if the only way he could get peace of mind enough to drift off lately was to completely drain his energy so that his economic and political worries would be drowned by fatigue. His head lolled against Kiku’s shoulder, feeling more at ease than he had in weeks. He was practically asleep before he heard Kiku murmur against his forehead, and then press a rare, gentle kiss to the crown of his head.
“...we’re all going to be alright in the end, Heracles. Merry Christmas.”
~*~
Title comes from the song of the same name by Peter Gabriel, which I was listening to on repeat while writing. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays :)
Author: shibbyone
Recipient: angstlich
Rating: PG
Warnings: Fluff and some minor angst, oh and human names.
Summary: Japan was used to spending Christmas alone. Greece didn't want to this year.
Notes: the prompt was something about cuddling and sweetness. I made it kinda angsty though, to reflect on recent economic events in the Eurozone. Yep.
~*~
Kiku never had very high expectations for certain holidays, Christmas being one of them. It wasn’t for any real reason other than he had spent more Christmases than he could remember by himself, sitting with Pochi and Tama in the chilly winter air and enjoying some peace. Sometimes he was forcibly dragged off to America to spend the holiday with Alfred and others, but more often than not his pets were his only company. This year especially he wasn’t expecting much, since Alfred was saving his money and just spending the holiday with Arthur. (Considering the size of his Halloween party, Kiku wasn’t surprised in the least.)
What he didn’t expect was the rapping at the door on December 24th. Kiku had just turned the light off in his kitchen and was about to curl under the kotatsu with some hot tea when Pochi yipped and ran to the door expectantly. And then-
“Who could that be?” Kiku wondered to himself. He stepped over where Tama had lain on the floor and walked up behind Pochi, who was sitting in front of the door, staring up at Kiku as he approached. Another rap, louder this time. Kiku’s house was up on a hill, rather large and off-putting at night; it was very, very rare that someone would come knocking at this hour.
“Kiku?” a voice called through the door. Kiku’s heart leapt into his throat and he clutched the door.
“...Heracles?” Kiku responded. He unlocked the door and at the sound of the click Heracles thrust the door open, bundled in a jacket with a bag hanging across his body. Kiku blinked in surprise, staring at Heracles.
“Hi,” Heracles said softly, setting his hand on the doorframe. His face was paler than usual and he seemed to be struggling to remain upright. His eyelids fell over his brilliant eyes and Kiku had to restrain himself from reaching out to the Greek nation.
“H-hello, Heracles,” Kiku responded, and he stepped back, allowing Heracles to cross the threshold. As he did, Heracles stumbled over his feet and pitched forward-right into Kiku’s waiting arms. He’d seen the weak look flicker across Heracles’s eyes, one he knew too well, and he knew what had been coming next.
“Heracles,” Kiku said gently, “you shouldn’t travel such far distances in your state.” Heracles threw his arm around Kiku’s shoulders and simply grunted, laying his head on Kiku’s shoulder. Kiku flushed but didn’t try to stop the contact; he’d grown accustomed to it, finally.
Kiku struggled under Heracles’s weight but together Heracles was brought to a standing position, and Kiku walked them into the next room, helping Heracles to sit beside the kotatsu in the center of the room. Kiku took his bag and deposited it into the corner, returning to Heracles’s side and sitting beside him on the cushion.
Pochi had followed the two of them into the other room and was sitting at Heracles’s other side, waiting for a response from the nation. Heracles gave Pochi a weak smile and patted his head.
“Hello, Pochi,” he said, and Pochi yipped happily. Tama remained sprawled in the hallway, ignoring everyone.
“I thought you weren’t travelling for the holidays,” Kiku asked. Heracles lay back on his palms and stretched his feet until his toes poked beneath the kotatsu’s comforter. His head lolled a bit but he seemed to have more strength while sitting down.
“You suggested in August I come for Christmas,” Heracles said softly. Kiku perked his eyebrows in surprise. “I’ve been thinking about it since then. I didn’t think I was coming, and you never mentioned it, but... I just wanted to see something different during such a happy time of year,” Heracles said finally. Kiku nodded. “So I left.”
“Just... got up and left?” Kiku asked. Heracles closed his eyes and leaned to his side, his arm grazing Kiku’s. (Kiku was rather proud of the fact that he didn’t flinch and in fact welcomed the warmth of Heracles’s skin against his.)
“Yeah.”
“Do your officials know? Did you just get up and leave without informing your government?” Kiku wondered. Heracles’s lips twitched.
“...what government?” he said finally. Kiku pinched his lips shut and watched as Heracles rotated his shoulder.
“Hurts,” he murmured. Kiku looked around the empty room and then settled back on Heracles, who looked about ready to drift off at any moment. Or collapse.
“And you did this despite how you felt physically?” Kiku asked. Heracles nodded.
“I feel better when I’m around you,” Heracles said in a soft voice. That earned Kiku a dark flush and he stood, pushing the kotatsu closer to their cushion.
“Here, get under,” Kiku said, and he lifted the comforter so Heracles could slide underneath. Heracles reclined back onto the cushion, under the table up to his waist, looking at Kiku expectantly as Kiku sipped gingerly from his tea.
It was a strange, old routine. Since the economic collapse in Greece the previous summer, Heracles hadn’t been in the best health. And Kiku, being the hospitable friend that he was, helped in any way he could. It pained him to see someone he cared so much about so weak and fragile constantly, and thus his normally very private house was open to Heracles whenever he mustered the strength to come. The friend in Kiku wanted to make sure Heracles was doing well.
But the lover in Kiku wanted to pamper and fluff Heracles as much as he possibly could. It took all of Kiku’s self-restraint not to force Heracles out of meetings and tuck him into a bed when he seemed on the verge of collapse, regardless of how important it was for Heracles to be in the meeting. In one particularly heavy meeting, Kiku was on the verge of a shouting match with Ludwig until Tino had stepped in and forced them into silence. No one had ever seen Kiku get so worked up over something before; even Heracles was shocked.
After the meeting, Kiku had helped Heracles to his room and once Heracles was asleep, Kiku sat up all night, trying to figure out when he had fallen head over heels in love.
He never came to an answer.
“Come lay with me,” Heracles suggested from his makeshift bed. Kiku said nothing in response and drank his tea.
I can’t believe you’d risk your health with a fifteen hour flight, Kiku thought to himself. He glanced at Heracles, who had closed his eyes and thrown one arm on his forehead. Just to see me...
“Are you alright, Heracles?” Kiku asked. Heracles gave a small smile in response.
“Yes... but you should still come lay with me,” Heracles pestered. “Please, Kiku. I came here because I was sick of staring at what’s left of Athens.” That comment gave Kiku a pang of guilt. He lowered the cup and stood, walking to the side of the kotatsu Heracles was tucked under. He knelt down beside the Greek and placed a hand on his forehead.
“You have a fever,” Kiku deduced.
“I always have a fever,” Heracles mumbled. “ ‘S a good thing I can’t die.” Kiku’s eyes widened a fraction but he said nothing, his heart tripling in pace.
Please don’t talk about that, Kiku wanted to say, but even after everything he was embarrassed to admit he was absolutely petrified of Heracles dying. He supposed it wasn’t completely embarrassing but he didn’t like how open and bare it made his emotions. He was still getting used to being madly in love.
“Please, Kiku?” Heracles said, his eyes settling on Kiku’s. Kiku sighed and gave a slight nod, shuffling underneath the comforter and laying down beside Heracles on the cushion. The two of them lay side-by-side, Kiku’s arms folded on his abdomen, Heracles’s above his head. They stared at the ceiling for a moment, Heracles enjoying the added warmth, Kiku enjoying Heracles’s inexplicable scent of cinnamon.
“Did I disrupt your holiday?” Heracles asked. “I admit, making the decision to just fly here was foolish.”
“No, not at all,” Kiku responded. “You’re lucky I wasn’t someplace else.”
“No one is having a party this year,” Heracles said, a twinge of sadness to his voice, “so I knew you’d be here.”
“At least we had the Halloween party,” Kiku said. “That was fun.”
“I guess,” Heracles said. He turned his head to look at Kiku’s profile. “Although I was dragged there.”
“Still,” Kiku said, “I’m glad you came.”
“Me, too.” Silence overtook their conversation, peppered with Pochi’s light snores from the other side of the room. Heracles reached out at one point and strung his fingers through Kiku’s, pulling his hand down from his abdomen to the cushion, their hands interlocked between them. Heracles could feel a slight tremor in Kiku’s hands but then it was gone, replaced by steady confidence.
We’ve had sex and holding hands makes him nervous, Heracles thought in his hazy brain. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand him fully. Heracles turned again to watch Kiku, who seemed to be lost in his thoughts. He was furrowing his brow at the ceiling, tapping his middle finger against his stomach. Heracles couldn’t help but smile at how cute he was when he was contemplative. Heracles opened his mouth to say something when suddenly Kiku sat up, turned on his side, and wrapped his arms around Heracles.
Taken aback by the forward gesture, Heracles awkwardly sat up himself, but Kiku pulled his head into his chest and tucked it beneath his chin, one hand lost in his brunette curls, the other firm on his back. Heracles could feel Kiku blushing but he remained firm in his grip, and gently the two of them lay back down against the cushion, Heracles now firmly tucked into Kiku’s embrace.
“Um, Kiku?”
“...y-yes?”
“...nothing.” Surrounded by Kiku’s warmth, Heracles felt as if he would drift off any moment. He hadn’t realized how cold he felt until his skin was alight with Kiku’s warm body, tucking him into a human blanket. Kiku’s chin was against his forehead, and his hand was idly rubbing over his shoulder blades and down his spine in soothing circles.
Heracles stretched his arm out over Kiku’s side, draping it over Kiku and hugging his waist close. He buried his nose into Kiku’s collar and basked in his scent, like chamomile and sweet smelling flowers. He had to admit, he was far more comfortable than he’d been in a while, and his feverish brain began swimming into sleep.
“Mm... Kiku?”
“Yes, Heracles?” Kiku’s voice was soft.
“I’m really tired.”
“I know. Heracles?”
“Yes?”
“...I love you.” Kiku’s voice had died to a whisper at the admission, and his grip on Heracles’s shoulders tightened.
“I love you too, Kiku.” Silence fell and Heracles knew he’d be drifting off. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the cushion, wiggling his toes against the warmth of the kotatsu and Kiku’s embrace. Kiku relaxed as well.
“Heracles, how long are you staying?”
“Dunno. Only bought one ticket,” Heracles mumbled. Kiku gently scratched at the back of his head.
“You should stay through the new year.” Kiku’s knee nudged Heracles’s, and Heracles wrapped his foot around Kiku’s leg in response, rubbing his toe against Kiku’s ankle.
“I will. I have no place to stay, though.”
“You’ll stay here, of course.”
“All the way through New Years’?”
“Y-yes.”
“Where?”
“...in my room...” Heracles chuckled at how embarrassed Kiku sounded.
“I’d love to, Kiku.” Heracles stifled a yawn against Kiku’s collarbone and hugged him tighter. As much as he wanted to chatter idly with his lover, Heracles hadn’t slept in near twenty hours and was feeling quite drained. It seemed as if the only way he could get peace of mind enough to drift off lately was to completely drain his energy so that his economic and political worries would be drowned by fatigue. His head lolled against Kiku’s shoulder, feeling more at ease than he had in weeks. He was practically asleep before he heard Kiku murmur against his forehead, and then press a rare, gentle kiss to the crown of his head.
“...we’re all going to be alright in the end, Heracles. Merry Christmas.”
~*~
Title comes from the song of the same name by Peter Gabriel, which I was listening to on repeat while writing. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays :)