China was annoyed.

Well, irritated would be a better word, but China wasn't paying attention to that. He was paying attention to a small kid named Japan. Except he wasn't small anymore (more of a teenager) and he was only thinking of him. More specifically, he was thinking about his lack of expression.

China had always been annoyed by Japan's blank face, but his economics had been bad recently, and the pressure his boss was putting on him was making him lash out. Besides, was it really that bad to want someone to smile? China didn't think so, but all his attempts to get Japan to smile had failed.

Miserably.

Jokes, pain, festivals, even telling one of those horrid western knock-knock things– nothing seemed to work! He had even simply asked Japan to smile, but what he got in return was more of a grimace than anything. For once, Japan's apologizes hadn't amused him. But then he had thought of it. Something so simple and amazing he had overlooked it.

Tickling.

He was fairly certain Japan was ticklish (he faintly remembered him complaining about the grass tickling his bare feet when he was a child) but he couldn't find a time to actually do it. Japan was reclusive at the best of times, but lately he seemed even more far away than usual.

So here he was, sitting alone in his living room, waddling in his irritation. It was just his luck that Japan had decided to visit him.

"At least he's in the kitchen making tea," China thought, "and more importantly, he's not in here with me." He didn't know what he'd do if he saw Japan's blank face one more time.

But apparently he'd find out, as it was just then Japan walked into the living room; his blank face mocking him as if it had heard his thoughts. He turned away.

"What do you want?" he asked, none to nicely. Japan blinked, recoiling slightly.

"Have I done something to annoy you, China-san?" he asked.

"No," China said, not making any other attempts at conversation. What was he supposed to say?

'Oh, hey! Your lack of expression is really pissing me off, and you never smile, even when I tried really hard, and I was really funny – like, hilarious - so I thought of tickling you, which I'm pretty sure would work, but can't figure out how to do it without seeming weird.'

Yeah, no thank you. No need to make anyone think he was more eccentric than he actually was.

"Is it your economics, if you don't mind me asking? I came to make sure you weren't falling ill," Japan said carefully.

"No, it's not that," China said, before reconsidering. "Well, it sort of is."

"Oh?' Japan inquired quietly. He carefully sat on the couch next to China, face growing even more serious than usual. China simply groaned, blaming himself for Japan's stress.

"China-san! Are you alright? Do you want me to get some ice?" Japan said hurriedly, thinking China was hurt.

"No, I want you to smile, aru," he blurted out. Japan blinked, recoiling.

"You want me to do what?" he asked confusedly.

China simply stayed silent. Why did he always have to blurt things out? No one else had a problem staying silent – especially Japan. Japan could probably go through the end of the world without more than a frown, but he couldn't even keep silent about one thing? How pathe-

A gentle tap to his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts, as well as the chair. He swirled around quickly, accidentally grazing Japan's stomach, who flinched.

"I apologi-"

"What was that?" China asked, taking a step forwards.

"What was what?" Japan asked in return.

"You flinched," he accused.

"I was simply surpris-"

"I don't believe you," China stated, eyes gleaming. Japan opened his mouth, but China was quicker, "I think you're ticklish."

"Th-that's preposterous," Japan stuttered, which China did anything but ignore.

"You're stuttering, Japan," China said, eyes shining in excitement.

Japan opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again in quick recession.

China toke a step forward.

Japan toke a step back.

China raised his eyebrow.

Japan looked around for an escape and toke another step back, only to fall backwards onto the couch behind him. He looked up at China worriedly.

"Ch-china-san, I must ask that you don't-" Japan tried to say, but was cut off as China poked his side, squeaking instead.

"That I don't what?" China asked, pretending to be clueless as he switched from poking to actually tickling the younger's stomach, causing a quiet laugh to fill the room.

"Thahahat," Japan said, bringing his arms down to protect his stomach.

"That? Could you be a little more specific, aru? 'That' could be a lot of things," China said as he started scratching at the place between Japan's sides and stomach, causing his laughter to go up a notch. "It could be tea, family, friends, westerners," he poked Japan's right side, which represented the west side of his country, "anything really."

China began squeezing Japan's sides with both hands, felling the muscle tense as he tried to squirm away. The laughter hitting his ears was like music: light and airy, but still deep and full at the same time. It was hard to describe, but the fact that the usual stoic boy was laughing – loudly even! – made his heart fill with an odd sense of pride.

"I caused that," he thought, his hands slowing by accident, only picking up when Japan tried to talk, breaking him out of his thoughts

"Wohohould you pleahahse AHH," Japan hunched his back as China touched the bottom of his ribs, then howled as he started dancing his fingers around in the spot. He threw his head back, laughter springing sporadically out of his throat.

"STOhohop!" he screeched, but it fell on deaf ears as China kept his fingers in that spot, scratching it with his oddly long fingernails. A small smile lit his face as he saw how freely Japan was laughing, even if it was forced.

Japan finally got enough sense of his surroundings to turn, accidentally pushing his side into the air. He had a second of reprieve before China jumped on it: squeezing them with both hands. A yelp followed by laughter – not quite as loud as before – filled the room.

"Is something wrong?" China said, unable to keep himself from teasing the ticklish man below him. Japan's laughter increased.

"Stohohop!" Japan managed to get out; turning onto his back to give his sides a break.

"But this is the only way to get you to laugh," China said, starting to tickle Japan's upper ribs, which sadly didn't produce the same hysterical laughter that his lower ribs did, but China was pretty sure Japan didn't notice that little fact. He was probably too focused on the ticklish feelings spreading through his body to fell much of anything.

"Whahahat are yohohou talkihihng abohout?"

Or not.

China finally stopped his fingers as he answered, too high off the laughter to quite realize what he was saying.

"You never laugh, aru. Or smile! It's annoying. Am I really that bad?' China asked.

Japan pushed himself up with his elbow until he was able to face China instead of looking up at him.

"China-san, I had no idea you felt that way. I don't not think of you as bad. In fact, I rather enjoy your company when you aren't overreacting. It is simply in my nature to be serious," Japan said as he looked China in the eye, and for the first time China looked back. Really looked. And he was surprised at what he saw.

Japan's eyes seemed worried, as if China wouldn't believe him, but also touched and slightly guilty. China saw the truthfulness, confliction, and his underlying seriousness in his eyes in a way he never would have in his movements.

He had never realized how simple it was to see the other's feelings if you simply knew how to look.

"I still wish you would smile more, but it's nice to know you like my company except-" China froze as he thought over the rest of what Japan had said.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M OVERDRAMATIC?"