Chapter 1: Alone
Chapter Text
A month had passed, and Arthur had not returned for him.
The chilly winds ripped through the rotting walls of the old fort, the iciness making the young boy beneath a tattered blanket shiver, drawing it tightly around him in a fruitless effort to conserve any warmth. He glanced over to the shelf where several sardine cans were stored, and bottles of water. He was running low on rations, as if his frail, thin body didn't show that enough.
Arthur had promised him that he would return for him before the month was up; the lovely warmth that was August had faded into the chill September, and still he had not come back for Peter. The child still had hope he would come back; after all, he was his brother, why wouldn't he? Soon he'd hear the footsteps on the fort, the loud knocking and a professional English voice telling him to hurry up and open the door, like always!
He'd have more food too-Peter would prefer even his scones to the sardines he had to eat for the last four weeks. Thinking of anything other than slimy fish was making his stomach ache and rumble. It hurt but he couldn't stop thinking about all the delicious food they would share, and talk about each other's days apart, and what a twat England's boss was.
But that could only happen if Arthur returned.
Chapter Text
Peter had awoken to the footsteps outside his door. He bolted up excitedly-England had come back!
He ran to the door and opened it, throwing his arms around the person in front of him. England felt much thinner than usual, but he didn't mind. He had his big brother back!
"ENGLAND!"
"I'm not Arthur." The voice that spoke was slightly higher in pitch, and had a foreign accent which he couldn't quite place.
The blond froze, looking up carefully at the person he was hugging. It was clearly not a European nation, with beautiful dark brown sparkling eyes and long shiny black hair tied back into a sleek ponytail. He could vaguely remember meeting this man before, from when England had taken him to a meeting to meet the Allies. He remembered this man there, but not his name.
"Who..who are you?" Sealand quickly dropped his arms from the other's waist, now feeling shame and embarrassment creep up his neck.
"I'm Yao; you may call me China." The stranger smiled gently at the boy. "England sent me here to tell you that he won't be able to visit for a while, and to give you this." China held out a large shopping bag. "Its fresh food and water. He said you might be running low."
"I am!" Sealand nodded, going back inside the room to fix up a seat for his guest. England had always taught him to be a good host to any guests he might receive. "I'm sorry I don't have any tea to offer you."
China stepped in, crinkling his nose at the stench of rotting wood, seawater, fish and what smelled like weeks-old urine that was coming from a tiny closet that looked as if it functioned as a bathroom.
"Do you get any other visitors, Sealand?" Yao felt as if he knew the answer already; he was sure that nobody would have left Sealand in this dump if they came by and saw just how wretched it was.
The child shook his head, fluffing a worn pillow and placing it on the damp chair.
"I used to get Arthur and sometimes Mr. France. Mr. France visited with him a lot."
China made himself as comfortable as he could on the seat, trying to not visibly cringe as his weight squelched some of the moisture out of it.
"Hm. Nobody else has visited since?"
"Not for ages."
The man went silent at that, looking over Sealand once again. Now that he was getting a good look at him, he could see just how neglected the child was:
The sailor shirt was a dingy gray color that hung on the boy's thin body, the little shorts were just as dirtied, and there he could see numerous bruises on Sealand's legs, some which were yellowed with age, as if they were healing much slower due to malnutrition. Sealand's blond hair looked very oily and dull, and he could see how filthy the child's face was, as if he hadn't taken a bath in weeks. The dirt stood out even more against his pallid, thin face.
It made Yao's stomach twist, thinking of how England could leave the boy all by himself in conditions like this. His mind was made up now.
"You're coming with me then."
"What?" Bright eyes as blue as the sea looked up at him curiously.
"I said you're coming with me. I can't leave you here."
"But Arthur-"
"Arthur won't be able to see you for a while, but you can't stay here alone." China stood up from the chair, offering his hand to the boy. "I'll get you food and a warm bed."
"I'm not supposed to go with strangers." Sealand shook his head, refusing the hand. "I have to wait here for him. He said so!"
"There is a time and a place to wait for people, but you're going to get very sick out here." China sighed. "And I know Arthur well."
"Prove it!"
"He walks around in his unicorn underwear early in the morning and likes talking to thin air."
"......Okay, you passed the test. Where are we going?"
"My home of course!"
Notes:
Sorry it took me so long to update, I was thinking of how to do it plus school started and I only had time to do this because of a wicked toothache
Chapter 3: A Room and a Bath
Chapter Text
China stole another glance at the small boy curled up on the seat opposite him, snuggling into the jacket he had draped around him to keep him warm on the ride back to the hotel. Beside of him was a small suitcase with all the child's belongings that were salvageable from the dank, rotting fort, among them was a teddy bear that was kept remarkably clean despite the filthy conditions and a storybook that England had read to him.
Sealand had been quiet on the ride, having noticed the nation staring at him from time to time and scrunched himself up in a smaller ball. China leant over to gently pet his head, holding back a grimace as he felt how greasy and gritty the dirty blond hair was. First thing first was to give the little guy a proper bath.
The hotel the country had been staying at wasn't an extravagant one, but it was decent. He gave Sealand's hand a reassuring squeeze has he led him back to his room, as Sealand had been hiding behind him once he noticed the receptionist staring at him. It must have been a sight, a starved, grimy child tottering along with a large coat hanging on him.
"Stay here while I run you a bath." China directed Sealand over to the second bed as he went inside his room's adjoined bathroom. Sealand placed the coat on top of the sheets and carefully sat, looking around the room.
The walls were an unpleasant beige color, with two beds decorated with a dark green and red floral blanket that smelled of disinfectant. The window was framed by dark red curtains, and in front of the bed was a oak dresser, with a simple TV on top. China had left it on the news station when he left, and right now it was showing a clip of a traffic accident.
"Peter, your bath is ready!"
He slid off the bed and trotted to the bathroom, coat still wrapped tightly around him. The bathroom was a pale pink color, but smelled very pleasant, and felt warm from the steamy bubble bath. Quietly, he slipped off his clothing and slid into the water, sinking up to his nose in the bubbles, resting his head on the edge of the tub.
"Does it feel alright?" Yao asked him, reaching for the shampoo bottle.
"Mhm." Sealand gave a small nod, pulling his knees up to his chest, watching the bubbles swirl from the movement. "It feels really nice."
Yao smiled and wrung out a washcloth over the child's head, before lathering in a good dollop of strawberry scented shampoo. Sealand sat up, crinkling his face as he reached up.
"Hold still." Yao chuckled. "I'm trying to get you clean."
"But I can wash myself!" Sealand wriggled a little. He felt uncomfortable that someone other than Arthur was giving him a bath; he barely knew the nation, and it was awkward enough he was hovering over him like a mother hen fretting over her chicks.
China sighed and handed Sealand the washcloth. "I'll just do your hair, okay? It needs a good scrubbing."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the bath, Sealand was wrapped in a very fluffy towel and sitting on one of the beds, watching China root through his suitcase to find him something to wear.
"Urgh, this reeks!" He lifted up a dirty gray shirt gingerly, looking over at Peter. "All your clothes are very smelly! You can't wear this." He tossed it into the waste bin before going over to his own suitcase, and pulled out a button-up shirt, tossing it to Sealand.
"Wear that for now, I'll buy you something your size." He checked his pocket for his wallet before grabbing a clean jacket to wear. "You stay in here, okay?"
Sealand nodded, waiting until he left the room before he put on the shirt. The buttons were made of a glossy wood, and felt very nice and smooth against his fingertips. The fabric itself had a very nice smell, like flowers, and felt very light.
After buttoning up to the collar, Peter wriggled under the blankets and grabbed the remote, flipping through the channels to find the cartoons.
Chapter 4: Clothes and a Call
Chapter Text
Yao noticed a big problem the moment he stepped into the clothing store: he had no idea what size clothing Sealand wore.
It was a ten minute walk back to the hotel, but then again, Sealand wasn't properly dressed. Still, China figured he could wing it considering the boy did look rather small, and anything that didn't fit he'd simply return.
He strode into the childrens' section of the store, selecting a few shirts and pants, and after consideration, grabbed some socks, two pairs of shoes and some underwear before heading to the checkout.
After paying for the items, China decided to drive by a fast food place to pick up something to eat. Normally he'd avoid such food, but Sealand looked as if he hadn't had a decent meal in months, and he wasn't sure what exactly to feed him. He didn't know of any food allergies, so this kind of food was his best bet.
After paying for the food, he started on the walk back to the hotel, a large shopping bag of clothing on one arm, and carrying a hot paper bag of burger and chips from Wimpy's. After getting back to the room, Yao struggled a little with the bags before finally being able to open the door.
Sealand had been lying on the bed, buried under the blanket and cuddling into the pillow, looking very relaxed and happy. China felt his heart break a little, seeing the look on the boy's face. How long had it been since Sealand had a proper bed to rest on? He looked so peaceful, gently clenching the bedsheet.
Deciding it would be best to let the child rest, China plopped the food on the nightstand and gave Sealand's hair a friendly ruffle before going back into the hall, pulling out his cell phone. He had made up his mind to call England already on this situation, surely he didn't know how bad things had gotten since his absence.
It was a few rings before Arthur picked up.
"'Ello? Yao?"
"Hi! I wanted to let you know that I took Sealand off the fort; he didn't have any food and the place reeked!"
"You did WHAT NOW?"
China did not expect to hear THAT reaction. Startled, he pulled the phone away from his ear, staring down at it incredulously.
"I took him off the fort. You should see how broken down that place is!"
"You couldn't have just given him his food and went?"
"No! The poor thing looked as if he'd die if I left him there! He's your little brother, you should at least be aware of what's going on over there, let alone leave him in such filthy conditions!"
"He's a part of Fort Roughs, and he should stay there. Its not my fault if he can't keep the place up-to-snuff."
China felt something boil inside his chest, clenching the phone tightly.
"He's a CHILD, Arthur. Aren't you glad he's okay now??"
Click.
It was a few minutes before China stared at the phone again. Had England really gotten miffed over the fact that Peter was off that terrible fort? What had all that been about?
He would have to ask him in person at the next meeting.
Chapter 5: Feeding Time
Chapter Text
When Yao re-entered the hotel room, he found Peter had already ripped through the bag, most of the food within now devoured, with smeared remnants on the child's face and hands. He ate it as if he hadn't had a decent meal in months-and China realized with a sudden pang of sadness, that Sealand really didn't have much to eat on that desolate fort.
The sadness he felt was soon replaced by a seething, burning ball of anger rising in his chest. How could Arthur have left a child to starve? How could he leave him there, all alone for months?
He walked over to the other bed and took a seat, crossing one leg over the other and watched as Sealand scarfed down the box of chicken nuggets, not even bothering to open the sauce packet that came with it.
"Aren't you going to eat that?" China pointed to the sauce packet. Sealand picked it up and turned it over in his hand, reading off what type of sauce it was. He peeled back the lid and stuck his finger in the red sauce, before licking it and making a face, sucking his cheeks in.
"It's a little spicy, and....strong. I don't really like it." He dropped it back in the remains of the bag, grabbing the soda to drink and get rid of the taste in his mouth.
China chortled before laying down on the bed, watching Sealand continue his meal.
After he had finished his meal, Sealand laid back on the blankets, a content look on his face. He snuggled into the pillow, now feeling a little sleepy after such a good meal.
China got up from his own bed and walked over, cleaning up the mess the boy had left behind and brushing the crumbs into the trash bin beside of the bed, before pulling up the bottom of the blankets to cover Sealand.
"Thank you, Mr. China." The blond murmured sleepily, and the older nation smiled, going back to the second bed.
He laid there for a while, phone in hand as he thought about what to do next. He would have to go back home in a week, and he couldn't take Peter with him. What was he going to do?
Getting an idea, China opened his contacts and started to scroll through the names.
Send Sealand to America? Oh no, definitely not, the idiot didn't know how to take care of himself, let alone a child....Canada, he might be able to....Hong Kong was a flat-out no....DEFINITELY not Russia....
Then again, what would he do if anyone he did ask rejected the idea of looking after Sealand? China didn't want to leave him in the hands of someone as incompetent as America, or with Russia, who already had a young teenager in his care, and from what he seen of Latvia, he was outright terrified of the large man.
It seems that he'd have to go through this list very, very carefully.
Chapter 6: Decisions
Chapter Text
Send Sealand to America? Oh no, definitely not, the idiot didn't know how to take care of himself, let alone a child....Canada, he might be able to....Hong Kong was a flat-out no....DEFINITELY not Russia....
China rubbed his temples as he looked down through his list of contacts, marking off each one he felt was unfit to take care of children. He didn't realize how many incompetent nations there were, once he started thinking about their past interactions with younger nations. Obviously he raised the most, so he was more than qualified, and felt quite certain in judging other nations' parenting skills.
England was most certainly off the list, considering he was the one who left Sealand on the fort in the first place.
France was a maybe; Canada seemed to have turned out really well compared to his brother.
Germany? Possible, he was alright with dealing with immature people, and was very orderly. Might be a little rough on the kid, but he'd know not to push him too much.
Clearly he wouldn't go to Austria; he has a TERRIBLE record with looking after children, if the Vargus brothers were anything to go by.
Spain? Well, he was busy at this time of year, very unlikely he'd have time to properly look after Sealand.
Japan? No, he didn't think that Kiku would have the patience.
He kept a notepad with all the nations' names, slowly crossing each one out as he went through a process of elimination. A lot of them were taken off the roster due to not being good with children (i.e Russia) or were just too busy to look after one.
It was frustrating; there was only a handful of nations he could ask now, and if he wasn't able to find a caretaker for the boy, he would have to send him back to that awful, dilapidated hunk of metal.
Yao looked over to where Sealand lay, the blond now curled up in a tight ball under the blankets, a teeny little lump. He reached over to gently touch him, but drew his hand back the moment the teeny lump tensed up.
"Sorry," he apologized, returning to his previous position. He looked back at his screen, then made a new more notes regarding the few he had left on the list. There, he should be able to make a solid decision in the morning.
He kicked off his Oxfords and reached up to turn off the lamp, before rolling over on his side to sleep.
Chapter 7: A/N
Chapter Text
{I'm not sure if its worth updating this story if nobody comments on it. I mean I'll still update it but at a much less frequent pace, since, you know, lack of motivation and lack of fans who will strive me to keep this on a consistent schedule.}
Chapter Text
China had heard something rustling, and then felt his bed creak under someone's weight.
He opened his eyes, squinting to see in the darkness, illuminated only by the lights of the passing cars from the window.
A shadow of a small child's head could be seen, and he felt his heart leap into his throat and his balls retract into his body-until he remembered that he had Sealand with him.
"P-Peter?" China croaked, his throat was extremely dry, partially from not having anything to drink, partly from being scared out of his skin. The shadowy figure gave a nod, and laid down beside of him, a small hand reaching out and taking ahold of his forearm, snuggling close to him; he was tense, as if he had a bad dream, and was still getting over it.
He slowly moved his other hand, gently petting Sealand's soft hair, and the boy wriggled a little, snuggling closer to him, all but pressing into his chest cavity. The man had to admit, it was adorable, but he felt a hollow feeling in his stomach all the same. How long had Sealand gone without human contact? He was clinging to him tighter than a tick in a dog's ear, as if he was scared China would up and leave in the middle of night.
Something he was sure England had done.
A horrible feeling started to weigh down on him when he realized that he too, would be leaving Sealand-in the care of another nation, of course, he wasn't as irresponsible to leave a child on their own- but Sealand didn't know that. He had just gotten the boy to warm up to him, and he wasn't sure how to break the news that he wasn't able to stay with him; he wouldn't just be upset, he'd be downright heartbroken.
China figured that, if no nation was available, he'd simply stow Sealand in his suitcase and take a private flight back home, bribing the people doing inspections, or threaten them, whichever he feels will work best, and try and raise Sealand without his boss finding out about him. Difficult, sure, but he would rather do that than to leave the boy alone again.
Sealand's grip relaxed on his arm, indicating that he had fallen asleep. Yao gives him a sad smile, before reaching to pull the thick blankets up over them, keeping an arm around him to assure him he wouldn't leave just yet.
"Rest well, Peter."
Notes:
Sorry for not updating, I graduated so hooray!
Chapter 9: Bedtime Musings Again
Chapter Text
Yao couldn't sleep well that night. He was mulling over the inevitability of leaving Peter behind. He didn't want to, not with all the poor thing had gone through. Not only that but to think of how this would affect the child! He had no idea what would happen to Peter if he left. There was nobody he could rely on to take care of him, to make sure he didn't suffer like he had been on that disgusting fort.
The nation's stomach clenched when his mind wandered back to England; it wasn't a secret that Arthur was a cruel, cold-hearted man, but towards his own flesh and blood! All for what? What did Sealand do to warrant such treatment? Did Arthur simply not want him? Why would he be so cruel, instead of giving the child up to another nation who wanted a child?
One would have thought that Arthur would have changed his abusive behavior after it had resulted in almost all of his colonies deserting him the moment that they could get on their own two feet; that maybe he would have definitely changed his ways. He changed his other behaviors over the years, hadn't he?
Nobody would have suspected that such a gentlemanly persona hid such evil, that the way he treated children never changed from when he was an empire.
Yao's chest tightened with anger, remembering when he had first seen Hong Kong after England had taken him away. Hong Kong had been a happy, joyful child, but after living with Arthur, he had become despondent and shy. He could only imagine what the man had put him through, and visits were prohibited, so he could only see him whenever he was brought to meetings. Even that stopped when Hong Kong got older.
China angrily wiped at the tears building up in his eyes; men like Arthur ought to be hanged. He turned his head to look at Peter, who was snuggled as close to him as humanly possible. Even now that he had been properly washed, Yao could see the hollowness of the boy's face, the unhealthy tinge of yellow that indicated severe malnutrition.
His eyes traveled down to his upper body, where the pajamas hung so loose that he could see his collarbones straining against his skin, and the numerous sores.
Arthur had not only left Peter to die, but the death would have been a slow and torturous one, with the child still hanging onto the impossible hope that his big brother would return for him, wasting away in a rotting skeleton of a fort.
He made up his mind then and there: Until he was able to find Sealand a home where he knows the child will be well-taken care of, HE will be taking the child home and he'll be kicking England's ass, and nobody, not even his boss, will stop him.
Chapter 10: A Place to Stay
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
By the time 6AM rolled around, Yao was already up. He never could sleep in, not even on his days off because he was so used to something stirring him awake, and in this case, it had been Sealand, who had been wriggling around so much in the blankets it jostled the older man awake.
He sat up slowly and carefully, not wanting to disturb the boy, one hand on the back of the headboard to ease himself up. Sealand was still asleep and had let go of China's arm during the night, though he could again feel a slight soreness from how tight he had been clinging.
Carefully, China climbed over Sealand and off the other side of the bed, and made his way to the bathroom to start his morning routine. He glanced down at the bathtub, grimacing at the amount of dirt and grime that still remained after Sealand's bath the day before. How could that much dirt come off of such a small child?
He grabbed the showerhead and rinsed the tub clean before getting in, grabbing the shampoo bottle before he realized he had used almost all of it on Sealand.
'I can go one day without it, hair doesn't get oily that fast.' China set the bottle down and reaching for the soap bar. As he was washing, he noticed the sizable bruise that Sealand left on his arm, and that brought him back to the sores and bruises he found on Sealand's neck when he was washing his hair. Obviously, with Arthur having not visited in a long time, there was no way he could have left those bruises, but it still lit a fire in China's chest, thinking about how Sealand's health had deteriorated so severely that he bruised so easily.
After getting dressed and brushing his hair back into its usual ponytail, China went back to the bed where Sealand was still asleep, curled around the pillow like a little roly-poly, how adorable! Yao couldn't help but smile and sat on the edge of the bed.
As much as he would love to let Sealand sleep, China still had a plane home to catch. He reached over and lightly shook Sealand, until the boy woke, opening a bleary, soft-blue eye.
"Sorry, Peter, but we need to get ready for the day." China smiled, and Sealand sat up, rubbing at his eyes. "We're going to get breakfast too."
"G-Get ready for wh-what?" The blond couldn't stifle his yawn.
"We're going to be going to my house." Yao walked over to the shopping bags and dug around, before tossing Sealand a shirt and a pair of pants. Sealand took them and waddled into the bathroom, still not quite fully awake; that must have been the best sleep he's had in a while.
As the boy got dressed, Yao busied himself with tidying up their hotel room and double-checking to make sure he had everything packed, including Sealand's stuffed animal. As much as he would like to get rid of the smelly thing, it seemed really important to Sealand.
He looked up as Sealand exited the bathroom, his new clothes were still a little too big on his thin frame, and he hadn't bothered to brush his hair out. He looked more wide-awake, though, and Yao was pleased to see that a little color had returned to the boy's face.
"Come on." He picked up the suitcase and bags and headed for the door. Sealand grabbed his bag and hurried after him, giving a little wave to the receptionist before they went outside the hotel and to a waiting black car on the street.
"How far away is your house, Mr. China?"
"Very far. We need to drive to where the jet is, and then we'll get to it in about, hm, nine hours or so."
"That's a long time," Sealand noted, putting his bag in the trunk of the car, then scrambled into the backseat. China followed after, making sure that Sealand had been buckled in nice and proper.
The ride to the airport was quiet and uneventful. They had stopped someplace to get breakfast, and Sealand had virtually swallowed his pancakes whole and left the sausage and biscuit untouched.
"Aren't you going to eat those?" China queried; he had recalled the day before how Sealand had demolished an entire meal in less than twenty minutes.
"I'm saving it for later." He explained, wiping some of the syrup off of his face.
"Oh, you don't have to do that. We'll get lunch, later on, I promise."
Sealand looked hesitant, but after a few minutes of silently debating with himself, he finished his breakfast, eating it slowly and savoring each bite.
When they finally arrived, China carried the luggage to the private jet, waving away the assistant who tried to help. He never really liked having other people handle his belongings, not since the last time when some very delicate trinkets got broken. He looked over to Sealand, who was staring at the jet in awe.
"We're gonna fly in that?"
China nods as he starts up the stairs. The inside of the jet was nice and comfortable, and Sealand made a beeline for one of the window seats. He had flown before, but that was in a helicopter-this was something else entirely!
China sat down in the seat in front of him and handed a pair of earplugs and some gum.
"For your ears." He explained, "Things get weird at high altitudes."
Sealand accepted the items and sat down, bouncing in his seat. The pilot went to the front of the plane and started the usual announcement, and Yao didn't pay him any mind at all. He already memorized it and popped his earplugs in. Sealand listened with rapt attention, now ceasing his bouncing.
It was a few minutes before the plane was able to take off. Yao had already begun reading his book by then and glanced behind to see Sealand with his hands and face against the glass, watching as they left the ground. It was going to be an exciting ride for him.
Notes:
I am so, so sorry for the late update, but hey, better late than never!
Life has been throwing one curveball after the other and its gotten to where I've barely had time to edit what I had written and to top it all off, my family didn't prepare for this whole virus thing and now we're struggling for food because stores around here are almost entirely out of stock.
I hope you enjoy this chapter regardless, and feedback and suggestions would definitely be nice. I may even add a song playlist for The Sea's Child if anyone is interested.
Chapter 11: Sunrise.
Chapter Text
Hearing the bedroom door creak open, a shiver ran down Peter's spine. He shrank down further underneath the pathetic excuse of a blanket. Even though his back was to the door, he could feel cold eyes boring into him.
"Peter."
The young boy screwed his eyes shut, trying to keep his breathing as even as possible, even though his heart had started to pound. Maybe England would go away this time.
He never went away.
Soft footsteps entered the room, and it felt like Sealand's heart was going to break out of his ribcage, and weight pressing down on the side of his bed. He tried not to flinch when he felt a calloused hand on the back of his head.
"I know you're awake." The man whispered, and Sealand expected him to grip his hair and yank his head back like last time, tensing-but that never came. It started to worry him greatly; something worse was going to happen later if his brother was nice now.
"I'm sorry I hurt you earlier," England continued, letting go of his head, instead choosing to pull back the tattered blanket to get a better look at him. "If you hadn't had been so rotten, I wouldn't have had to do that. You hurt me, Peter. I don't want to have to hurt you."
Bile felt like it was rising in the child's throat; tears were brimming under his eyelids. He shivered when he felt fingertips on his face, pulling his eyelid back to look at him. Through a blurry, watery eye, he saw Arthur's stern, worn face looking down on him.
The man did not say a word, and let go of Sealand's face. Sealand had no idea how long they sat there together.
The loud, ear-splitting commercial on the plane's TV made Sealand jolt upright. He did not realize he had fallen asleep. It took him several minutes to remember where he was; no longer on that dilapidated fort and England was not here. He glanced around until he spotted China, who had gotten himself comfy in his plane seat, a sleeping mask pulled down over his eyes and a neck pillow keeping him cushioned.
Whatever nightmare he had was quickly fading from his waking memory. He could recall that it had been a nightmare of sorts, and that someone familiar was there. It was no use trying to recall them, maybe it was good that he forgot it.
Looking outside, Sealand could see what he could only describe as a painting of sorts; clouds were bathed in rich gold as the sun was rising, remnants of the night fading into a dark blue. Sealand had always seen sunrises from the ocean, and they were beautiful, but above the clouds? There wasn't any way for him to describe, it really. He muted the small TV in front of him and turned to enjoy the sunrise in a way he never experienced before.
Chapter 12: A/N
Summary:
It's nothing bad, I promise!
Chapter Text
I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I'm still working on the Sea's Child though! I've just been trying (and failing) to find a job so I'm stressed about helping support my family ;u; and I have been trying to help out at home as much as I can because both of my guardians are essential workers.
I have been making a playlist for The Sea's Child, to help me with certain scenes, if anyone is interested in it.
Chapter 13: Homeward.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
When the plane landed, Sealand was the first one to scramble out, leaping off the last couple of steps, full of boundless energy; Yao was almost envious, as he was still feeling tired. He was surprised Sealand wasn't feeling any jet lag; of course, he knew it was just because Sealand was excited, and that eventually he'd start feeling the effects of flying long-distance. With a smile and a shake of his head, China grabbed Sealand's luggage in addition to his own, heading carefully down the steps.
The boy stopped short and gawked at the sleek gray car that was waiting for them. It wasn't new by any means, one of China's old favorites that he had put a lot of effort into upkeeping over the years. The chauffer opened the door, and China gently nudged the boy inside, handing the luggage to the chauffer to put in the trunk.
Sealand crawled onto the leather seat, taking in the smell; it smelled strangely pleasant, of leather and something else his nose wasn't able to identify, definitely some sort of oil that was rubbed on the seats to keep them from drying out. He was almost too afraid to move; this looked expensive, he didn't want to ruin it. He slowly scooted over to the side closest to the window, his feet only just touch the floor of the car. It was so immaculate; he remember how Arthur used to line the backseat of his car with plastic so Sealand wouldn't have tracked dirt into it, but this had no plastic; did Mr. China not do that with his car? Could people just sit in it?
"Comfortable, isn't it?" China smiles, taking a seat beside of the boy. He buckled himself in, and helped Sealand with the seatbelt, popping it in with a loud click, tugging on the strap so it fit snugly across his chest, but not too tight as to be immensely uncomfortable; if they needed to make a sudden stop, Sealand didn't need any impromptu flying lessons.
"Very comfy!" Sealand said, resting his head on the back of the seat; he couldn't help but run his hands over the leather upholstery, but shuddered when one of his nails dragged across it, sending an uncomfortable shiver down his spine. He turned his head to look out the window, watching as the car started rolling slowly down the street, past buildings. It astonished him how many people were out and about during this time of day; he could only glimpse a few people, such as a businessman looking harried as he looked to be shouting into his cellphone, while a girl around his age was walking a very large, fluffy dog with her mother, holding onto her hand as they crossed the road in front of them.
The ride to China's house was long, but Sealand didn't mind at all, as he was preoccupied with watching the scenery as the cityscape transitioned to countryside. He had his face pressed against the glass, leaving smudges, his bright blue eyes watching as the trees shot past them; thick, beautiful trees, and even while the sun shone overhead, the inside of them were very dim. How far back did those trees go?
"Enjoying the view I see." China winced inwardly at the smudges. Well, this car was overdue for a deep-clean, and he couldn't blame Sealand; if he was stuck in the middle of the sea for most of his life, he'd be amazed by something as simple as the woods, too. He took the time to go through his phone, checking for any missed messages. A frown flickered across his face when he saw that England had messaged him, but he ignored him, quickly scrolling down to the bottom so he'd have an excuse to answer that man's texts last; he couldn't even think about talking to him right now.
When they finally arrived at China's house, Sealand gawked at the exterior of the building; it was quite old, a place that the nation had lived in for close over ninety years, and refused to 'upgrade' to a modern building, even at his boss' insistence. It had been very well taken care of, with a garden leading up to the front of the house in full bloom, filling the air with sweet, blossomy scents.
China had noticed Sealand gawking. "So, what do you think? Pretty nice, isn't it?" The kid could only nod as he latched onto his arm as they started down the path. Sealand kept wanting to touch the flowers, but hesitated. As pretty as they were, he didn't think Mr. China would like that. He instead settled for staring at each strange new plant as they passed by; he remembered seeing some of them in his books, and others were totally unfamiliar to him. They all smelled amazing, though; he was vaguely reminded of when England used to have tea with him, sometimes the tea would have pretty flowers in it.
"Do you like the flowers?"
"I do, they look pretty! Especially those." Sealand stared at a particularly lovely set of red flowers-spider lilies, which had been a "gift" from Japan some time ago. Despite their meaning, they were still quite lovely and China chose to keep them around. "Sometimes I used to get flowers in my tea. Do you use these for tea too?"
"No, Peter. They're just for show; If you eat any of these, they'll taste bad, or make you very, very sick." China wanted to make clear that nothing in the flower garden was fit for consumption; the last thing he needed was to rush Sealand to the hospital to get his stomach pumped. "I already have tea like that inside if you want any, but please don't try and eat anything here."
"Oh.." The boy looked a little surprised, but he seemed to have understood. When they got to the door, China fumbled with his keys to unlock it, kicking off his shoes and putting them to the side. Sealand copied him, putting them aside of the other pair. He tried to stifle a yawn discreetly, but Yao still noticed.
"If you're tired, you can go lie down in your ro.." the older nation began, but then Yao then realized that he never arranged to have a room cleaned out for Sealand. Dammit.
Notes:
Agghh sorry for lack of updates! As you know, this year had been pretty blegh for everyone, and this chapter was rather short ;u; but I figured people were waiting long enough for it. Let me know what you think of this chapter and what you want to see in a future chapter!
Chapter 14: Cleaning and Dinnertime
Chapter Text
Cleaning out one of the guest rooms wasn't easy. China had been using most of them for storage and other activities, and seeing as he rarely ever used human services to do things around his house-partially out of fear they'd break the things he's had for literal centuries-this was an especially tiresome task, attempting to stack everything to the side where it was out of the way.
Sealand tried helping of course, but after dropping a stone statuette of a hawk dangerously close to China's foot, the man put him on sweeping duty instead, which Sealand did with gusto, happy to be of some sort of help, sweeping the dust and dirt into a pile the size of a small rock-and China made a mental note to clean these rooms more often, or at least hire someone to do it for him.
When dinnertime rolled around, they got most of the room cleaned out, with some of the bigger, heavier items like furniture still untouched. China slumped against the wall, wiping the sweat running down the side of his face, while Sealand looked quite tired, using the broom to prop himself up.
"I think we are done for today, Peter."
"My arms are falling off." The small blond set the broom against the wall, right as his stomach let out an almighty rumble that sounded too large for his small stomach. China glanced over at him, eyebrow raised.
"And hungry, I presume?" Well, now it was time to see what he had in the cabinets; he didn't quite feel like cooking a full meal tonight. He got up and dusted the dirt from his pants, peeling off his blue rubber gloves before exiting the room, with Sealand right on his heels.
There wasn't a lot in the cabinets; just enough to make a small meal with-China made a mental note to go shopping tomorrow, or maybe he could shoot one of the other nations a text asking to pick up groceries for him? Within minutes he already had the meal cooking in the pot, and went to go set the table in the meantime.
Sealand stood awkwardly, watching the dark-haired male do everything. He looked around the kitchen, surprised at just how minimalist it was. Cream walls, pots and pans hanging on their racks, maybe a lovely painting or two, but otherwise it was kept completely clean, it looked unnatural, like it was hardly ever used.
Then again, China IS a busy nation who travels all over the world for meetings, so maybe he rarely had any time to cook for himself? From what the boy could see of the house, it looked very clean, almost a little too clean. He probably didn't spend a lot of time here.
Sealand's thoughts were interrupted when China set his glass of water in front of him. The blond took it, not realizing how thirsty he had been, and gulped down most of his drink in two gulps. After several minutes, the man returned with bowls of steaming soup, before he took his own seat at the table.
Leaning over the bowl, Sealand took a whiff. It smelled different, but delicious! There was a lot of small green things floating around in the soup; he used his spoon to scoop some up, trying to figure out what it was. He's had soup with dumplings in it before, but the green things were completely new to him.
"What's the green stuff?"
"Green onion."
"Onions can be green??"
"It's a type of onion." China explained, getting a spoonful of wonton soup. "They come in many different sizes and flavors. You're probably used to eating red onions, hm?"
"The ones I had were white and burned my mouth and they smell gross. I didn't eat them unless I was really hungry."
"You ate them raw?" China cocked an eyebrow. Then again, given England's cooking record, it was probably for the best that it wasn't cooked. "Don't tell me that you ate them like apples."
Sealand looked genuinely surprised that onions could be cooked. The sheepish look on his face told China that indeed, he DID eat them like that. Aw, gross.
"Hm, well all my onions are cooked to perfection, these green ones won't burn your mouth at all." The man went to eat his portion of the soup.
Sealand went to eating his soup once it had cooled down. They spent a few minutes eating, before the boy noticed something.
"Why do you have so many chairs? You live alone, right?"
"I do. I happen to host family dinners sometimes, like tomorrow." Another reason he needed to do some shopping.
"Who's all coming?" Sealand asked, intrigued. England used to do something like that, not that anyone really came over except for Scotland and sometimes Wales.
"Just a couple of my siblings. I must warn you that things can get a little chaotic with them."
Sealands face brightened; Chaotic meant fun! Maybe Hong Kong would be there too! Sealand remembered him; he was cool in the child's opinion, and they hung out back when England used to bring Sealand to his house.
Knock-knock.
China frowned; he wasn't expecting any visitors. He got up and excused himself, jogging to the door and opening it, being careful to not hit the person on the doorstep.
"Why are you here?"
Chapter 15: The Visitor
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Wow, not even a 'hello, how are you?'" Hong Kong blew a strand of dark hair out of his eyes. "I'm here for dinner, remember?"
"That's not until tomorrow." China glanced at the young man. Hong Kong was wearing a dark green jacket and jogging pants, and carrying a red backpack that looked to be stuffed full; a little too full for a day's visit.
"I know. I came early because I don't want to get up at 2:00 to get here." He ducked underneath China's arm to head inside. China made a grab at him, but missed the dangling strap of the backpack he had been aiming for.
"Now you can't just drop in like that without warning me!" He chided, briskly following him. "I only only have one guest room ready and he's not sleeping on the floor!"
"Him?" That got the younger nation to pause in removing his shoes. "Who's here??" He gazed at the shoe rack; there was a pair of very small shoes he didn't recognize. "Babysitting someone's brat?"
China took a deep breath; before he could explain to Hong Kong what was going on, a blond head peeked out from around the doorway.
"Leon!!!"
"Peter?!"
FWOMP.
Hong Kong felt himself stumble into the wall as Sealand launched himself at him, hugging him so tightly he thought that his ribs cracked. He returned the hug, though not as tight, before pulling away.
"I guess Arthur fi-"
"AHEM." Yao coughed very loudly, cutting him off. "Peter, please go eat your dinner before it gets cold, okay?"
With a nod, Sealand let go of Hong Kong and trotted back to the kitchen, while the young man stared at China with a 'what the hell' expression. China shook his head at him, before motioning for him to follow him to another room where Sealand wouldn't be able to eavesdrop.
When they were in the sitting room, China went to his favorite chair to sit, while Hong Kong sat on the couch beside of him, moving aside some of the decorative pillows.
"Mind telling me what's up?" He set his backpack down on the floor in front of him. "Why is Peter with you? Did Arthur sell him or something?"
"No." China said, a little more curt than he intended. "Arthur had me do a little errand for him a couple of days ago; drop some supplies off at Fort Roughs, and leave. I found that place in such rotten conditions, I couldn't believe anyone was stationed there, let alone living there. When I went inside, I found Peter. He had been stretching what rations he had and he was so filthy that he had sores. I couldn't leave him there, so I took him with me."
The younger male was silent as he listened to his father figure rant about his conversation with England.
"-And then he had the balls to blame Sealand for not maintaining the place!" China angrily crossed his arms over his chest. "He's only a child! How can he look after himself like that?? Was he like that with him when you were living together too??"
Leon looked uncomfortable at the question; on one hand, it was definitely something serious, but wouldn't Sealand have told China if he was comfortable with him knowing? Then again, Sealand only met China a couple of days ago. A part of Leon told him that he should tell what went on, but there was a sick little feeling in his gut. He himself wasn't even sure what really went on; from what he did see, it wasn't anything good.
"England wasn't the nicest to him when we lived together." Interested in his backpack's contents, Hong Kong started to root through it, pulling out a nightshirt and a bottle of juice, unscrewing the safety cover on the lid's straw.
China frowned at that answer. "I know there is more you are not telling me."
"I wasn't there all the time to see what went on." The young male answered honestly.
"Then what did you see?" China pressed. He could tell from the way Hong Kong was attempting to avoid the question that England must have been a lot worse; given how Hong Kong himself had changed drastically from living under England's care..if England was willing to leave Sealand on a dirty, rickety fort, what would he had done to him under his own roof?
"Leon..please." Yao softened his tone. "I know that he must have hurt you too. If you're scared Arthur will find out you told, I promise he won't."
A hard lump found its way into the young nation's throat. He knew that Yao would never tell England anything, but that didn't make it any easier to talk about. He tried to push what England put him through to the back of his mind; he personally didn't think he went through anything that bad to warrant talking to someone about, and England DID start being nicer to him as he got older.
"..Alright, but keep in mind that I may misremember things."
"I understand; you had a lot going on too." China's eyes flickered over to the doorway to make sure Sealand wasn't eavesdropping.
Hong Kong took a long sip from his juice bottle, before settling back on the couch, playing with the wrist strap. "It's just, I feel you should ask Peter this. Even if I saw some of it, I don't want to mess up and be wrong on some of it."
China bit the inside of his cheek. "You're not wrong, but I don't want to upset him."
"Don't you think that is going to upset him regardless if someone else tells you? There's not a lot I can say since I wasn't always there, other stuff could have happened after I left. I didn't even know Arthur put the kid back on that fort until I went to visit a few months ago."
"And you didn't think that something was wrong with that?"
"I didn't know that the fort was in such bad shape. That's his home, you know, I figured that Arthur still kept an eye on him."
"....Alright. If you want dinner, its on the stove." Resisting the urge to sigh deeply, China pushed himself up off his chair. It was clear that he wasn't going to get a straight answer from Hong Kong, though he did make good points-as much as China hated to admit it. It would be a lot better to just ask Sealand without any of the confusion that came with secondhand accounts.
He made his way back to the kitchen, where Sealand was drinking the soup directly from the bowl, a little of it going down his chin. He had gotten a second helping, as noted by the diminished amount of soup left in the pot. He went to grab a bowl for Hong Kong, watching Sealand out of the corner of his eye.
When he was done eating, Sealand carried his bowl to the sink and put it in gently, a little too carefully, and filled it up with water to make it easier to clean.
"You don't have to clean that, Peter." China went to take the sponge out of the boy's hand. Sealand looked up at him in surprise, keeping a vicelike grip on the sponge.
"But I ate out of it?""
"I do appreciate that, but you are a guest in my house, and guests do not do chores."
"I gotta do something for you." The boy insisted. "I can clean the pot!"
"You already helped me with the room, remember?" China tugged a little firmer, getting the sponge this time. "You may go back and finish up if you want."
The tiny blond relented, and trotted out of the kitchen back to the guest room, squeezing past Hong Kong in the hallway.
"Ey, kid. Do you think I could sleep on your floor tonight? I didn't realize that the old man had company."
Sealand paused at the doorway to look at the older boy. "You can still sleep on the bed, silly. "
"I don't like sharing beds with people." Hong Kong gave a small smile, "I kick a lot in my sleep."
"Then I'll sleep on the floor and you can have the bed."
"Seriously, I'm okay with the floor, I like sleeping on it." Hong Kong walked past Sealand and into the bedroom, dropping his bag on the dresser.
"And Leon?" Big blue puppy eyes stared up at him, almost begging.
"Hm?"
"Can you read me story tonight?" Hong Kong used to read him stories sometimes when they lived with England; the older nation thought that he may have outgrown that, but apparently not. Not that Hong Kong minded in the slightest.
"Of course, Pete."
Notes:
Two things!
Artwork I did for the story: https://64.media.tumblr.com/23da95b9c30edda4f765cf1092a33edf/6550a450ce0f9044-75/s640x960/2c96f40ce83f867ac581ca2568c806e3f698d4f3.png
A music Playlist for the story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGO60fZsdbM&list=PLoTAogGXps6uGDagVdTl58aZFyVCKi48M&index=45&ab_channel=145
Chapter 16
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
China took the opportunity to go shopping that evening, trusting Hong Kong to take care of Sealand while he was away. He knew that Hong Kong had enough common sense and responsibility to look after him for half an hour, which should be more than enough time to pick up food for tomorrow evening's reunion, and perhaps several other things. Yao picked up some things that he knew Hong Kong liked, as well as some extra towels; he still hadn't found the ones that had went missing last time, and he had a funny feeling that they had been stolen, but he wasn't about to point fingers just yet.
While on the drive home, Yao contemplated how he was going to handle the dinner tomorrow; he could send a group text letting the others know about Sealand beforehand so it wouldn't put a damper on the family dinner, not that anyone would react negatively, or so he hoped; he raised them better than to be rude or cold to unexpected guests, even if it did mean more work to make sure that everyone had more than enough to eat.
When he pulled up at his house, he fumbled with the grocery bags, sliding three onto each arm, and tottered to the front door. It only came to him that he could have shot Hong Kong a text about helping once he started to kick the doorframe to be let in. After a minute, the door was opened, but instead of Hong Kong, Sealand was looking up at him.
Seeing the grocery bags, Sealand immediately reached out, struggling to take one off of China's arm.
"Leon's in the bathroom." Sealand explained when China opened his mouth to ask. "He burned himself."
"Bu-What?? How??" Was he messing with fireworks again? China puffed his cheeks; did he really have to do bag checks to make sure his house remained intact?? The last time fireworks were used he had to renovate for damages. "Was he playing with fire?"
"He dropped his soup bowl." Sealand proceeded with carrying the heavy bag into the foyer, heading down to the kitchen. He used what seemed to be all of his strength to heave the bag onto a kitchen chair, and China followed, placing the remaining bags on the table. He glanced to where there were still paper towels sopping up the large puddle on the floor, and to his dismay, little pieces of glass, then with a small shrill of panic when he saw little droplets of blood.
"Did he cut himself too?" He bit his lip,; it didn't look like a lot of blood but it still was worrying. Sealand gave a shrug before he grabbed a large frozen pack of meat to put in the freezer. While the boy was putting that away, China decided to chance it. He had to ask about it sometime, and preferably not with someone like Hong Kong there who may influence Peter's answer.
"Why did Arthur put you back on the fort? I heard that you used to live in the house with him and the others."
The meat almost slipped out of Sealand's hand. He shoved it into the freezer, his brows knitting together in thought.
"..I don't know why."
"Are you sure?" China put the drinks in the fridge. He didn't want to ask if Sealand did anything; he didn't want him to think that he was at fault for what happened by implying it was his actions that made England punish him so harshly. "Was he in a bad mood? Was he angry at someone?"
"I said I don't know." Sealand looked away from him. "I don't want to talk about that now."
oh no; China could tell that Sealand was getting upset. He decided to drop it, not wanting to make him clam up and not speak. He instead went to go check on Hong Kong, leaving Sealand to put the groceries away himself.
The bathroom door was open when he got there, and he saw the younger male sitting on the edge of the tub, wrapping up his arm in gauze and medical tape. In the tub, he saw rust-colored droplets, and he must have made a quiet noise of disgust at the sight, as Hong Kong's head whipped up, big brown eyes meeting his.
"Oh, hey."
"How bad is the cut?" Yao's gaze flickered to the tub's rim; bloodied toilet paper and a open bottle of iodine, and a small tube of burn cream.
"Don't need stitches." Was all the young man said. He taped up his arm and stood up, keeping his injured arm close to his chest. "Sorry about your bowl."
"It's alright," China sighed, turning to walk out of the bathroom. "Just clean up your mess, please."
A loud crash from the kitchen and a sharp yelp made both of the men jump; Leon dashed past China, leaving the other still processing the noise.
Brrnnggg. Brrrrrnng.
Dammit, not now. The nation scowled as he shoved his hand into his pocket, turning off the volume as he hurried away from the bathroom. When he got to the kitchen, he saw Hong Kong helping Sealand up; he had slipped and fallen on the mess from earlier, taking a chair down with him. Feeling relieved, China took his phone out to see who had been trying to reach him, and felt his stomach knot when he read who the missed call was from.
Arthur.
Notes:
I wanted to get an update out before Christmas, so sorry if its not as good as the other chapters. Holidays are stressful ;u;
Chapter 17: A/N (No bad news! Good news!)
Chapter Text
Things are going a little topsy-turvy because of belated New Year plans (Happy 2021!) but as part of my resolutions, I have been arranging for a upload schedule; at least once every two weeks at the latest!
I do have a question and I would like for you to answer: Would you rather have shorter chapters, which would mean more updates than once every two weeks? Or would you prefer longer chapters, but have the uploads happen once every two weeks instead?
I know some people prefer longer chapters, and some may prefer short, so its really what the majority audience wants ^^ I really don't have a preference on which one, but I do feel a schedule would help a lot for one of my biggest fanfics.
Chapter 18
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Yao?"
China barely registered Hong Kong's voice as he stared at the name on the screen. He felt as if a poisonous frog was hopping around in his stomach. Why did he call? Was it a mis-dial? Or was it something important? He didn't know if he should call back. Finally, he looked up to see Hong Kong's concerned face, as well as Sealand's.
"You look pale, who called?"
"Nobody important." China stuffs the phone in his shirt pocket. "Are you okay, Peter?"
"I am. I fell into the chair." The child said sheepishly, looking down at the floor.
"I can see that." The older nation grabbed some towels to help clean up the mess. Hong Kong kept giving him a concerned look as they worked to clean up the floor; he'd have to inform him later once Sealand was out of earshot.
Gingerly, China carried the smashed glass to the trash can as the two younger ones conversed. It seemed that Sealand was okay, which was relieving. He'd feel horrible if he got seriously hurt from that; you really couldn't leave children alone for five minutes.
Now that he didn't have to worry about the small blond, Yao kept thinking back to that missed call from Arthur. Should he call him back? Considering he didn't make an effort to make another call, maybe it had been a butt dial. Would it be worth bothering Arthur over? It's not that he cared about what he thought, he didn't feel like getting nagged on.
Figuring that Hong Kong wouldn't let anything happen, China took the opportunity to go to his room, closing the door shut to ensure they couldn't bear anything. Pulling out his phone, he swallowed his nerves and dialed back.
The dial tone kept ringing, before it went to voicemail. Yao breathed a deep sigh of relief before plopping down on his bed. He hung up, no need to leave a message; China didn't think he'd be able to leave a civil one; there was so much he wanted to yell at Arthur for.
Nations weren't always good people. China's done more than his fair share of cruelty, but it was another thing entirely to keep being cruel, in an age where those things were no longer acceptable; everyone knew better, much less to children. Back then, MOST nations treated their child charges with basic decency.
The more China thought about the situation, the worst he felt. He pushed himself off the mattress, stuffing his phone back in his pocket before he rejoined the other two.
The both of them were at the table, Hong Kong had set up his phone on a stand so the two of them could watch a video together. He looked up when he seen China enter, and the older nation gave a small shake of his head; there was nothing to talk about.
The next couple of hours were busy; Hong Kong and Sealand helped China prepare tomorrow's dinner, chatting all the while and before they knew it, the sunset's rays bathed the kitchen in a soothing warm orange.
It was clear that Sealand was getting sleepy; he had been taking more breaks than usual from helping cook and had gotten less chatty as the evening wore on. The next time China had looked over, the boy's head was in his arms.
"Alright, off to bed with you." He nudged Sealand's shoulder. Drowsily, the boy got up and left for the guest room. Hong Kong had put the last dish in the fridge, before looking to the mountain of dishes they had to wash.
"I'm a little slee-"
"You will stay and help, Leon."
Once everything was washed, dried and put away, China felt as if his shoes were weighed down with lead. He went to the guest room to check on Sealand, who was curled up under the soft blankets like a kitten, only the top of his blond head was visible. The older nation left the door open a crack and kept the hall light on for him, before he went to his bedroom.
As soon as Yao's head hit the pillow, he was out like a light, slumbering away into a fog of disjointed dreams.
Notes:
That chapter came out a lot later than I planned to, but that's life for ya.
Chapter 19
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Yao's dreams were fitful; he awoke even more tired than before, his body feeling heavy and his mind foggy.
He trudged into his bathroom to get ready, the hot shower helping him wake up. The house was still quiet by the time he gotten dried and dressed. He padded into the sitting room first, then the kitchen. Neither Leon or Peter were up yet.
Perhaps he should let them sleep. The house wouldn't be quiet in a few hours, so he might as well enjoy the peace while it lasted.
Making himself a cup of tea, Yao took a seat in the sitting room, the warm ceramic in his hands soothing.
The birds were singing outside, light and airy. Sunlight peeked through the closed curtains, lighting up patches the still-dark house with a beautiful golden hue.
If only every morning could start this peaceful, Yao thought, bringing the cup to his lips.
Yao watched as the sunlight patches grew larger the more the sun rose above the horizon. It was mesmerizing; he wished he had his watercolors with him right about now; such scenery invigorated his artistic urges. It had been so long since he last picked up a paintbrush...
A creak from the hallway nearly made him jump out of his skin, slopping a little tea out of the cup. Leon stood in the entrance of the sitting room, already quite awake and fully dressed. Seemed someone was an early riser.
"Peter's asleep." He answered the question before the older man had time to ask. "He couldn't settle down last night." He breezed past Yao to go to the kitchen.
"Don't make a mess in there." Yao called out after him, downing the rest of his drink.
◤──•~❉᯽❉~•──◥◤──•~❉᯽❉~•──◥◤──•~❉᯽❉~•──◥◤──•~❉᯽❉~•──◥◤──•~❉᯽❉~•──◥◤──•~❉᯽❉~•──◥◤──•~❉᯽❉~•──◥◤──•~❉᯽❉~•──◥
A familiar pain in his stomach was what woke him up.
Sealand was no stranger to hunger pangs. Over the weeks...months...he was left alone, he learned to ignore them, and when that didn't work, sipping on water was the best way he could lessen the immense discomfort.
The blankets were heavy and soft, they smelled so clean. The boy didn't want to get up; he hadn't felt this cozy in a while. A few more minutes, and the distracting ache persisted.
Grumbling, Sealand wriggled out of the warm cocoon, giving such a big stretch and yawn that he felt his joints crack. Not painfully, but he hadn't stretched that good in a while.
The bathroom had been recently used, as apparent from the steam that coated the mirror. Sealand stood up on his tiptoes, proceeding to draw a smiley face in the steam. He smiled back at it.
He washed the morning-breath taste out of his mouth, scooping up handfuls of water and gulping it down. It tasted a little funny to him, but it helped with the dryness in his throat. He combed his fingers through his messy hair, trying to make himself look somewhat presentable; he glanced to the brush in the cup on the sink. He supposed Yao wouldn't mind if he used it, but he wasn't sure.
Arthur used to get really mad at him whenever he used his stuff without permission. The boy didn't want to chance making China upset at him.
China was in the sitting room by the time Sealand came out, finishing the last bit of his tea. He smelled something unfamiliar wafting in from the kitchen. The older nation raised a hand in acknowledgement, and Sealand did the same.
"Morning-"
"You sound tired. I heard you didn't sleep too well." He looked at the boy with concern. Before Sealand could answer him, he heard Leon call from the kitchen.
"Breakfast's ready, I'll go get Pe- oh, hey, you're up."
Notes:
It's been a long time, I know.
Trying to get in the habit of updating all my stories again. I hate adult life and wish that I never made it past graduation. Working to not become homeless in the future has killed off nearly all my creative drive, ruined my mental and physical health to where I am constantly getting very sick all the time and I'm tired of coming home exhausted. Eating, sleeping, working and repeating isn't living.
In less depressing news, while I may not be fully into Hetalia anymore, I still have enough love sunk into this fic to continue it. I started it all the way in 2017, so that makes it around seven years old, holy cow. Anyways, no matter how far apart updates will be, they'll keep coming until the story's either finished or I die.
Hope you enjoy this chapter, even if it's shorter than the previous ones.
˚ ༘♡ ⋆。˚ ❀
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Cassandra (Guest) on Chapter 1 Wed 31 Jan 2018 07:04PM UTC
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