China made a face. This Russia...

"Come here," he said, voice far, far sharper than he thought his throat would allow. His tone of voice was firm, the kind he used with his younger siblings, all of them (Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos included).

He walked towards Russia and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. China stared into those violet eyes.

"You're not so weak as that, Russia. You're strong. Strong. So come over here and let me sort you out." He was finally acting like himself again, China thought. He wasn't sure which one he was referring to.

"And besides, Ludwig means the best, but there are...limits...to rules and laws." China's eyes held the full pain of WWII, deep within their hazel irises. "Even though he helped me...there are limits."

Russia struggled to hear what China was saying. He can see everything fading to black, and all sound was gone. It was almost as if he was in a silent movie, the only colour was the colour of China's clothes.

Damn the vodka. No, he takes it back, he loves the vodka. Damn the fact that he doesn't know when to stop drinking. "Yao...I'm going to..." And all went black.

"Shit!" He nearly yelled before remembering Estonia was in the next room.

"Shit--" and he proceeded to curse in Chinese and Cantonese while supporting Russia on his shoulder. "Shit shit shit shit shit" he muttered. "Why are you..." With a sigh, he heaved Russia over his shoulder (but the man was so big...in many ways--his feet scraped the floor, even standing up). He had to get this man to bed. And himself. His head hurt.

Estonia stopped lecturing as Latvia and Lithuania finished cleaning up the broken glass and spilled vodka. The chant of "shit" and random swears in Chinese told him that China was near.

Judging by what happened earlier, Russia is near. The swearing didn't sound too good. "Raivis, Toris, you too get out of here and go before--" He went down the hall and saw China struggling to carry a limp Russia.

"Second thought..." He walked down to where he was. "Hey, you ok? Did he pass out? Need any help?"

"No, I don't need any bloody fucking help with this lump of an excuse for a human being," China gritted his teeth. "I'm just going to haul his worthless carcass to his room and throw him into his bed and leave him for the wolves. Or whatever they have in Russia. And maybe, maybe, when the big Russian comes to, he'll actually realize he's fucking shitfaced and lie down and fucking sleep..."

He had snapped, he realized. He was saying his thoughts (and keeping thoughts to himself was a fine art in his land), just saying whatever crossed his mind, vodka-soaked. It was probably not the best idea in the world. He didn't care and continued dragging Russia to his room.

Estonia stared at China, taken aback. "A-are you sure? Me and Toris are used to hauling his fat ass around."

He covered his mouth when he realized what he said. "I-I didn't mean...no, I did mean what I said. He's a fat ass, and a worthless drunk at that. I can't wait until we gain our freedom from him. I'd enjoy being away from his vodka breath." Estonia simply responded to China's sudden speech.

Then realizing that China and Russia might actually have something going for them. "Please don't tell him I said that. If I want him to know that, I'd tell him to his face....and probably die doing so..."

"'Course you would," China said. Then laughed softly. "Your secret is safe with me, young Eduard. Go and raid the vodka."

Somehow, he managed to halfway undress Russia and shove him into a halfway comfortable position on the bed.

It was morning. The sun was shining, but he felt so damned tired...when did the blizzard clear up? Oh, it was simply his imagination. China fell asleep on the bedcovers.

---

Russia stirred, he felt dizzy and his head hurt. The sun shining in only made things worse.

He rolled over and buried his face in something warm. He let out a small groan about the sun, a rare thing, since he loves the sun.

He was breathing in a familiar soft scent of vodka and something else. Something he's not used to, but couldn't put his finger on. Damn his head was hurting too much. He wrapped his arms around whatever it was and pulled it close. It was a person. Lithuania? No, it's different.

Damn, he didn't want to open his eyes, it'll only make his head hurt more. Then it dawned oh him. Not only was he suffering the soreness from drinking, but the familiar feel one has after a night of sex. China. Russia smiled. "So you did stay after all." He whispered.

His head pounded with raw alcohol and the biggest hangover he'd had since WWII ended. Russia was hugging his face (smothering him, but he couldn't find enough breath to mention it, and it did feel gloriously wonderful and warm and relaxing to the pounding headache halfway in his head) and China thought he'd said something like, "Glad you're awake as well," or suchlike, but what came out was more of a groan and an unintelligible grunt.

Russia chucked and began childishly petting China's head. "Are the sunflowers blooming yet?"

Russia was drifting back into sleep, and found himself in a field of sunflowers. "So pretty, wish someone was here to see the flowers..." The last part slurred together as he was falling back asleep. He didn't know that China had woken up yet.

"Oof!" and China managed to wriggle his way out of a headlock. He groaned and turned a little and continued sitting by Russia's bed with his torso spread-eagled on the covers near Russia's head...and fell asleep, as well.

---

Russia rolled over and off his bed with a loud thump, followed by a storm of Russian swears. He got up rubbing his head. "Didn't....need....that...ow...I want a hug..." Wincing at the sunlight he walked to the window, shielding his eyes with his arm, he shut the curtains.

It helped, but rays of sunlight still flowed in, but it was enough to ease the pounding of his head.

Russia fell out of bed with a flurry of Russian swears. He didn't seem to notice he'd upseted China from his more or less comfortable position. China swore in his head with as much creativity as he could muster, which wasn't much, at the moment. The light dimmed.

He got up off the floor and looked at Russia, just looked at him. "Ivan...?"

Russia rubbed his eyes and looked down at China and smiled. He spread open his arms and spoke in a cute, but hurt tone. "I fell and hurt my head. Can I have a hug?" He sounded like a little kid trying not to cry asking their mom a kiss on their injury.

How he acts so cute at random times, even Russia doesn't know. It comes second nature, like riding a bike.

China simply looked at Russia. Then, with a sigh, he let himself be pulled into a hug, wondering how Russia could be so cold and so warm and cuddly at the same time. It was a little scary...

Russia hugged China close to him, the other man being so short that his head rested on his chest. Or it was that Russia was just so tall.

He gently pet China's head, ignoring the pounding of his head. "I'm so glad you stayed." He whispered as he placed a kiss on China's head. He nearly laughed, this is the first time that he's ever been so kind to someone and treated them like this, and he likes this.

"Ivan?" The other man made something akin to a grunt, or a moan, China didn't bother to tell. "...nothing..." China muttered, sticking his face back into Russia's chest and wondering how it was so warm when Russia itself was the coldest land he knew.

Russia tightened the hug for a moment and let go. He gently grabbed China's cheeks and lifted his face so that he can stare into his eyes.

"Thank you...." Russia always found dark eyes to be interesting. China's eyes made him think of the center of sunflowers, and the flower itself was...

...made to be nibbled on.

Russia's lips against his hair made him think that he was going insane--Russia never bothered with foreplay, did he?

Lavender eyes--Russia didn't get along well with any of the other nations. He hardly looked like them (except perhaps his sisters, but that was a given). Seeing as how England and France and Germany shared a definitely similar being, despite having different relations, made China wonder as to which continent Russia belonged to. Now that he thought about it, no one else had lavender eyes (except America's brother...what was his name again? Canada) of the depth and clarity of Russia's.

It simply made him cuter (and more edible).

Russia kissed China and then went to go crawl back in bed. He settled for sitting on it first.

"How bad does your head hurt?" He asked in a motherly tone. Strange, Russia never really gets to uses this tone of voice to anyone, usually just Lithuania when he's trying to comfort him after he beat him. It never worked, it just scared him even more so eventually he gave up on it.

"Ugh." China put a hand to his head and winced.

"Feels like someone hates me. Or perhaps they're doing construction work in Xi'an, I wouldn't doubt it..." China wandered over to the bed and sat down, leaning his back against the mattress and hugging his knees.

"This has been strange...is your house known for cursing people?"

Russia thought for a moment, but then thinking hurt his head more. "Not really...though, I did curse Kiku once. Our curses only work after 18 years they are cast...um...." he massaged his head. "But the only curse that continues is the cold here. I control who is cursed, da. Only I can tell the Orthodox Church who to target."

China winced.

"That's funny, then..." he murmured, resting his head in his hands. "Could've sworn I was possessed by something...ah...it's so warm."

He stretched out his hands in front of him, examining the various scratches and cuts and scars they had picked up. "Reminds me of the time we weren't speaking to each other, Ivan, and then the sun came out and you came over to my house looking frozen and then we laughed...just like we did."

Russia chuckled and looked at China's hands. "I remember that...It's so much better talking to you again." Russia gently traced the cuts on China's hands.

"Can I ask you a question, Yao? I know you probably can't remember because of the vodka, but...why were you running away from me?" Russia moved his hand away and stared ahead with his hands resting in his lap.

"Running?" China blinked. "I-" he paused.

"Why was I? Something about moonstones and Mars and..." he frowned. "Sunflowers. And how something reminded me of my youth...when Arthur traded opium for silk." China gave a soft laugh. "I don't quite know, Ivan. Bad memories, perhaps."

Russia who had been holding his breath for some odd reason, let out a large sigh of relief and let himself fall back onto the bed beside China.

Bad idea because the moment his head hit his bed it shot a wave of pain throughout his head.

"Ow~." Russia whined and then chuckled at his own foolishness. "That's good...I thought it was something I said or did...I was really worried that..." He stopped there.

He wasn't sure if he should say it, after all, all the events of last night could have been an alternate world created by vodka where nothing said or happened mattered in this world because it never happened.

"I'd actually like to think of last night like it never happened at all," China continued.

"I wasn't quite me...something Korea said drove me seeking company. I had forgotten what he had said, though. Perhaps it was..." China yawned and looked towards a stray calender on the wall.

"Yesterday was...the 9th...and today is still the 9th, so we must have shared the same dream?" He smiled. "I kind of like the idea of sharing the same dream."

Russia covered his eyes with his arm. "Yeah...sharing dreams is nice..." He rolled over with his back facing China. "...What..." He took a few breaths. "...what do you remember of last night?"

"Moonstones and Mars," China promptly replied. Then broke down giggling. "I remember making chocolate for you, and that's...about it...after that, it's just this blur..."

Russia chuckled as he sat up. "Yeah, I remember that, you spiked it with vodka and I mixed them up, da."

He looked around the room, there were two broken bottles in the corner of the room and the riding crop tossed on the floor, along with dried blood on the floor.

Russia looked at China and saw that his feet had cuts on them, most likely from stepping on broken glass. "I'll get Toris to make us something for our hangovers, da?" Russia laughed as he got up to leave the room.

"Of course." And that was all there needed to be said.