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"Just kidding. I never had a wife!" Yao laughed, "No one is as pretty as me. Now tell me I'm beautiful!"

X"D Credit for that goes to Alice and Idiotichobo.

If people haven't figured it out, the title of this fic is a shorten version of Elvis Presley's song "Can't Help Falling In Love" where it says:

Wise men say, only fools rush in

But I can't help falling in love with you

I shortened the lyric to "Only Fools Fall". I thought of it on the spot since the title holder was just "Past Love" X'DDD. Yea I suck with titles OTL

Anyway, don't expect too much from this. This was just written on a whim. I did no historical research at all. I just didn't want to write "First Beyond Reason".

"You're wife?" Russia said with unrestrained surprise, "You were married? To a human?"

China shrugged, "I was. You proposed to your Dasha didn't you? Why the fuss?"

"Yes, but I proposed without knowing the difference between our life spans. We're immortals, Yao. You know that better than anyone else."

"I'm old, Ivan, but I started off just like all of you." China stared off into the distance, watching the leaves outside flutter with the wind. "I was once stupid and ignorant. I only learned through experience, through my mistakes."

He sighed with a deprecating smile. "She was my first wife…and my last. The only one I'll ever recognize as my spouse."

Russia knew he said he wouldn't feel jealous, but the finality of China's voice stabbed into his heart like sharpened claws. He felt strangely betrayed.

Luckily, before resentment could seep in, China's next words eased the tightness in his chest. "Maybe I feel that way because she was the only one where we exchanged marriage cups. I haven't tried it with anyone else and don't plan to in the near future."

"What about the treaties we signed? Doesn't that count as a marriage certificate?" Russia asked, hugging China from the back.

Laughing, China reached behind him to pat Russia on the cheek. "Don't be silly. Those are treaties between our bosses and countries. They don't bind you and me as people."

Russia buried his face into China's hair, taking in the flowery scent. "I wish they did."

"Ivan," China chuckled, "treaty or no, I wouldn't be here with you, letting you touch me, if I didn't think of you as a lover."

"Maybe it's because of the sex," Russia mulishly said

China raised an eyebrow at that statement. "If it was for the sex, America might be a better choice for an old man like me. I'm not quite fond of not being able to use my hips for a couple of hours," He paused before deliberately adding, "Vanya."

Russia stiffened at the unexpected use of his pet name. China hardly ever said it, considering it too intimate for his taste. It was a logic Russia never understood. They've slept together, shared each other's bodies- a name wouldn't make much of a difference in their level of intimacy. He would have insisted China call him by the more affection version of his name if the smaller man hadn't put it to a more creative use.

'Vanya'- to China it had become synonymously to the word 'love'. It was his own way of saying his own feelings without having to express them explicitly. Spoken too much, it would lose its true value. For that, Russia forgave him for using it sparingly.

Assured of China's affections for him, he playfully kissed the back of the Chinese's neck. "What makes you think America satisfy your needs if I can't? If you're looking for someone to top, I can guarantee you I'm a much better choice." He took hold of China's hand and allowed it to trail over his torso and over every sinewy skin. "See? No useless flabs of fat. Unlike America, you can have me without having to name a price." Russia sat astride the black-haired man, exuding dominance even as he was suggesting role-reversal. "Sex for cash is a sordid thing, don't you think? All you have to do is ask me nicely, Yao, and I can prettily cry out your name all you want. Wouldn't you like that? "

"Even with the idea of bottoming, you want to compete with America?" China asked amused.

"Old habit. Hard to get rid of." With that, Russia captured China's lips in an open mouth kiss. Twisting, colliding, tongues danced around one another to sample and savor each other's taste. They swallowed their moans of pleasure as their kiss deepened. The taste of the medovukha they drank earlier lingered in their mouths, intoxicating them with its sugary sweetness. But it was the hint of bitterness beneath the honey and spices that drove the two nations into a frenzy. The taste of the other's seed, the white stains left on their stomachs- all telltale signs of what transpired only moments ago.

"No." China broke away with a gasp. While he didn't mind the sex so much, it was the toll it took on his body afterwards that concerned him. Despite Russia saying he was willing to bottom, from the way the larger nation took control of the kiss, it was clear who would really end up receiving. Once was more than China's poor hips could handle.

"No, you don't want to top?" Russia answered undeterred, quite use to China's initial protests, "We can do it the normal way then."

"No. Wait, Ivan- Mmph." His words were cut short as Russia took his mouth in a punishing kiss. China tried to push the Russian away, but when he was determined to have something, it was hard to convince him otherwise.

Crying out in a last desperate attempt, China tore away from Russia's seeking lips, "Q-Qieying! Her name was Qieying!"

Russia paused, letting China shove him off. "Qieying? Who is Qieying?"

"M-my wife," China explained, scurrying off to the other side of the bed.

Russia dragged him back. "What about her?"

"D-didn't you want to hear about her?" China stuttered, overly nervous about the hand hanging low on his waist, "Ties and bonds remember?"

Weighing his options, Russia thought for a moment before slowly nodding his head in agreement. "You're right. I do want to hear about your wife." He embraced the slender man tightly as if afraid China would take flight with his fairy maiden. "She must be exceptional if she is the only one you'll marry in your entire life."

China did not live to be this old by pure luck. While Emperors of the past paid no heed to his advisors, China listened; he read between the lines. It was usually what was left unsaid that was the most important.

He lightly touched the hands wrapped around his hips. "She's dead, Ivan. She died a long, long time ago. There's nothing left to be envious of."

"And yet you still call her your wife," Russia spoke quietly, making a simple observation; his tone was neither condemning nor accusing because China was right. There was no need to be jealous of a mortal. A love between humans and undying entities such as themselves, no matter how beautiful or soul-searing their love was, it could only have one ending, one conclusion.

Tragedy.

The cold night air crept, chilling the room. Seeing China shiver, Russia pulled him closer, whispering intelligible words of comfort as he raised the blanket to cover them. They laid together in quiet stillness, watching the airy moonlight twinkle through the frosted window pane.

China closed his eyes, the steady pace of the hand stroking his head lulling him into contentment.

"There's nothing spectacular about the relationship between Qieying and I," China murmured, snuggling closer to Russia and burying his head deeper into the cocoon of warmth, "She was a servant I picked up off the street. It's a typical story of a deluded Master taking an interest in his pitiful housemaid."

"You're demonizing yourself," Russia admonished, "Most people wouldn't marry their servants and simply take what they want. Why don't you tell me the whole story?" He kissed China's collarbone. "Start from the beginning."

China hesitated to begin, but with encouragement from Russia, he reluctantly told his tale. "Like…you with Dasha…I met Qieying at the market, but unlike you, it wasn't love at first sight."

"I had just found Hong Kong as a child." He turned around in Russia's arms to face him. "You know how stone faced he is. He was even worse as a toddler. In the beginning of raising him, I took him out to the capital often, trying to impress him with fresh snacks and interesting toys. People from all walks of life were gathered in the capital. Sometimes we would stop to admire the performers on the streets selling their talents. Point and take a guess at the gentry inside the palanquin. Beggars were also plentiful in the city, asking for a bit of food or money."

"One day we were walking down the main street when Hong Kong tugged on my sleeve and pointed to a crowd of people. I smiled, carrying him to the front of the crowd. We expected maybe an acrobat or maybe a talented storyteller, but all we found was a girl garbed all in white, weeping next to a corpse." China's sharp eyes met Russia's. "That was Qieying."

"Her father recently passed away due to an illness and because she had no money to afford a proper burial, she was selling herself. She would either be bought as a concubine or as a servant. As pitiful as it was, it was a common scene for poor filial daughters. There were many more just like her and I cannot help them all."

Sighing, China stared at the ceiling. "I was about to suggest to Hong Kong we should leave, but when I saw his eyes brimming with compassion, I knew if I left her, Hong Kong's image of me would shatter….I paid for her father's burial…and so began our days as Master and maid."

"She became Hong Kong's personal maid. In the first few months I barely took notice of her. She was just one of the thousand of servants in my home, but gradually she caught my eye. When I asked Hong Kong how he learned this new saying or song, he would answer Qieying taught him. Sometimes when I came home early, I would look for where Hong Kong was and I would catch a glimpse of Qieying patiently teaching him calligraphy. Whenever I saw them playing word games or singing a folksong together, I would join in as well. After a long day at the palace, being with them- laughing, relaxing- lifted my mood. It was a…nice feeling."

"I asked her one day why she so well educated, especially a young a girl at her age. She told me her father was actually an official. He never had a son, but he didn't take out his frustration on Fate and instead doted on her. He taught her poetry, calligraphy, and appreciation for music. However, her perfect life fell apart when her father ran afoul with a higher official. He was stripped of his title and they had to live as beggars. Her father, unaccustomed to the hard life, soon fell ill and never recovered. Throughout her tale, there was a melancholy air about her, making her seem frail and delicate. I was afraid if I even breathed, she would disappear. But after her tale, she smiled softly at me."

"'I'm glad I met you,' she said before running off back into the inner quarters." China's eyes grew distant, reliving his past. Beneath the blanket, Russia clutched the other nation's hand as if to make sure China was still in the room with him. "It was bold and entirely inappropriate for an unmarried woman to say such things, but it was at the moment I realized the nice feeling I had when the three of us were together. We felt like a family. I reasoned with myself if…if Hong Kong was to have a fulfilling upbringing, he needed a mother figure. He was already half-attached to her so why couldn't I take Qieying as my wife?"

"Does Hong Kong remember any of this?" Russia asked

China laughed, "I don't know, but I don't think so. Even though he has such a serious face, he's actually absent minded sometimes."

"So what happened?"

"I asked and she accepted." China grinned at the memory of Qieying's face when he finally unveiled her during their wedding night. "She was shocked speechless. She knew I held a high a position, but she never expected the Emperor himself to attend our feast. Maybe it was nervousness from being so close to the Son of Heaven or what would happen next since we were alone, she kept babbling nonsense. Her habit of serving me as a maid came back and kept pouring me cups of wine after another. It was adorable to watch her become so flustered. I remember thinking the candle light complimented her complexion perfectly. I finally got her to sit down on the bed next to me. I held her hand as I blew out the candles."

"Hong Kong, Qieying, and I spent our days blissfully. Nothing had changed. Qieying continued to take care of Hong Kong, but now she viewed him as her son. When she saw me come home, her face lit up and I could see her restrain her feelings from flowing through. I understood though. My heart swelled and ached from the depth of her love. With Hong Kong reciting a new poetry Qieying taught him, we shared a glance and smiled….The happiness didn't last."

China paused, thinking of how to continue. He swallowed back the rising suffocation. "There was a plague….People were dying everywhere. There was no cure. The dead started piling up in the streets, in the ditches. At last people had to resort burning the corpses to stop the infection. Black smoke filled the sky, but it didn't stop the raging disease. I told her to go, to take Hong Kong far away to another city, and once this was all over, I would come and fetch them. She refused me. She told me she was failure as a wife if she left me alone. No matter what I pleaded, she helped me take in the patients. I was worried, of course, but after the first few days it began lessening when I saw her handle the patients with tender care and still seem perfectly healthy. How stupid I was….After the first week, I noticed the rash she was trying to hide from me. That was the first sign of infection. After that…she began to deteriorate faster and faster. All I could do was watch her waste away in front of me, helpless to it all. She didn't blame me. She even thanked me for taking a penniless girl such as her as my wife. She thanked me for treating her with utmost kindness. Her last words to me were, 'I'm sorry I couldn't grow old with you.'"

China laughed bitterly. "She never knew I was an immortal. I never told her she never had a chance to see my hair turn white. Perhaps that was cruel of me. I was selfish. I never thought of the consequences when I took her as my wife. I think it the plague was Heaven's punishment for playing with her feelings. It wasn't love. I…don't think I ever really loved her. I wanted to play house." China closed his eyes tight from the onslaught of emotions. "I can't even remember her face, Ivan. I don't remember what she looks like…."

Russia gathered China in his arms, rocking him gently as he shushed him. "I know you loved her. If not, you wouldn't be in such agony." He kissed the top of the smaller man's head. "She was happy, Yao."

"How do you know? You never saw her."

"I can tell she was happy from the way you described her in your story. She sounds like a wonderful person, a wonderful wife. I wished I had met her."

China was quiet, absorbing the Russian's words and letting it wash away his pain. Slowly, he returned Russia's embrace, hugging him tight. "I wish you did too. She would have liked you."

"Humans are such fragile things aren't they?" Russia spoke into ebony hair. "They seem so full of life, but their time on Earth is so very short…."

"It isn't about how long you have, but how you spend it The shorter your life, the more you appreciate what you have."

"Hm, full of wisdom as you usual," Russia chuckled, giving China a peck on the nose. "Then what does it mean about immortals where time is meaningless?"

"They have mood killing conversations after sex," China answered sarcastically.

Laughing, Russia rolled out of bed. "I don't think so. Wouldn't you say after our enlightening conversation, I stole a little bit more of your heart?"

China didn't answer the silly question. Instead he asked Russia where he was going.

"The servants will be here in another 10 minutes. We should take a bath while they change the sheets."

China scowled, scrambling off the bed, "I really hate how your household knows what happens when I spend the night, Ivan."

"Did you want to sleep on the soiled sheets?" Russia questioned.

"It wouldn't be soiled, if somebody actually bothered to use condoms, Mr. XL."

Russia shut the door behind them after China entered the bathroom glaring at him. He shrugged at China's comment, turning on the faucet. "I didn't see you complain before or during the act. No point in bringing it up now."

Steam rose from the bath, quickly filling the room with warm fog. The larger nation settled in first- the water sloshing over the sides- and then beckoned China to join him.

That night, just as they were about to fall into a dreamless sleep, Russia asked one final question.

"Do you think one day, we'll see them again?"

In the pitch black darkness, Russia couldn't see China's face; his voice betrayed none of his thoughts. "Why do you ask me that?"

"Doesn't Buddhism believe in reincarnation? Do you believe in second chances?"

China reached out a hand to caress Russia's cheek. "It would be nice to see them once more. If I ever saw Qieying again, I would like to memorize her face before saying I'm sorry."

Russia placed his hand over China's, kissing the palm. "If I saw Dasha again, I would like to finally confess to her and get a chance to say goodbye."

"It'll never happen you know," China said softly.

"Love makes people do stupid things and wish for the impossible." Russia kissed China on the forehead. "We reconciled didn't we? There is no harm in hoping."

The smaller nation smiled, finding Russia's unfailing confidence somewhat endearing. "Goodnight, Vanya."

"Goodnight, little Yao," Russia held China close, murmuring into his hair. "See you tomorrow."

A/N: This is why I say this fic could have been good, but ended up failing horribly. I give up. I don't know how to end this fic OTL

Anyway I tried to make their individual stories melancholy and sweet at the same time. Not sure if I achieved it.

If you're wondering about the time period…don't. This fic has no actual history. I used whatever time period I consider appropriate for their love story and took great liberty with it. I hope no one expected a real historical figure to be Yao's wife. As much as I would like to use them, noted female figures in China are usually married. And to be fair, if I didn't use a historical figure for Ivan, I won't use one for Yao either.

About Qieying selling herself for her dad's burial…I just got that off Chinese dramas. I don't know if it was an actual practice or if it was commonly used.

Btw, does anyone have a good Gakuen RoChu idea? I kinda need one for my secret project D':

Angst, Fluff, whatever (no tragedy though). I hardly ask for help but seriously, seriously need one for this RoChu Gakuen one. So help a girl out please?