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Silver Inches	By : ArcadiaEclipse Category: +G to L > Hetalia: Axis Powers Views: 1686 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do now own Hetalia. I make no money from my fanfiction.

Chapter List
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Warnings: Yaoi (ChinaxRussia), angst, language, prostitution, exhibitionism, violence, minor character death and explicit sexual depictions ahead. This fanfic is intended for adult readers only.

~ * ~ Silver Inches ~ * ~

Chapter One

By ArcadiaEclipse

I was starting to wonder whether Ivan could possibly be dying. Loathe though I was to humor the mere possibility of his mortality, lately the larger man had neglected to attend our daily meetings to discuss battle formations and other military policies. I would not be at all surprised if he was perfectly healthy and just disinclined to sit through another six hours of Alfred’s loud mouth running non-stop, but when I visited his bedside last Tuesday the Russian was indeed very pale and listless while his cheeks were slightly sunken in betraying that not all was well with the younger man.

My mind was elsewhere as Alfred continued to drone on and on, waving his arms enthusiastically and commending himself for his most recent scheme to invade Japan and subsequently subdue the Axis threat. Both Arthur and Francis appeared far too frustrated with the American’s self-praise to inform Alfred that Japan was NOT actually located off the southern coast of Florida, and that left only the meek Canadian to try and vocalize the blatant flaw in Alfred’s plan. Shame really that Matthew was soft-spoken and quite easily ignored by his over-zealous neighbor to the south.

“And then BOOM! I drop-kick an A-bomb onto Japan’s northern shores and ta-da! I’m the hero!”

“You do realize,” I finally intervened, “that you would actually be bombing Mexico.”

“Mex-i-what? Oh! You mean those tan little guys with the funny hats and the burritos! Damn, they make good salsa, too. Hey Yao, would you do me a little favor and go get Ivan?”

“The Russian is very ill, Alfred. Is his presence that important?”

“Hells yeah! I can’t make all the big decisions on my own, you know.”

Arguments with him always seemed to cause me more pain than they were worth. In the end, I was left nursing a mild headache and grinding my teeth all the way down the elevator, through the vast hallway and into the neighboring hotel where my comrade spent the majority of his time as of late.

With Ivan, there was never any need to observe common formalities like knocking. Although our friendship had its strained moments, I would be hard-pressed to find an ally more understanding of my simple ways and with a genuine appreciation for my decidedly Communist lifestyle. Common decency dictated that I should leave the majority of my bickering proletariat outside of his private chambers, but I had no qualms about dragging a pair of doctors along with me to his bedside as I regarded him stoically but still firm.

“Your presence is humbly REQUIRED for the meeting today, comrade. Get up and dress or I will have them stick you repeatedly with needles.” I gestured to the silent doctors standing motionless like shadows beside me, but the larger man acknowledged my threat with only a wry smile.

“Your idea of foreplay is truly as exotic as you are, Yao.”

“You…” My cheeks burned. “Shut up and get yourself dressed!”

Although Ivan did sit up with a grimace upon my request, he looked rather paler than usual and seemed uninterested in dressing in anything remotely presentable at the moment. How did I always get stuck with playing nanny to this man? I wasn’t his goddamned keeper, damn it!

“And what is so important today that the others simply cannot proceed without my input?”

“Alfred requests that you cast your vote for hamburgers or roast beef sandwiches at today’s luncheon.”

He stared at me. Truthfully, I found it to be utterly infuriating that the American forced me to leave the meeting for the sole purpose of asking Ivan such a mundane question, but I couldn’t help the small smirk quirking the corner of my lips as the Soviet arched his brow at me.

“Are they not identical?”

“I asked him the same question but he insists that one of them has a gravy component of some sort.”

“…Would you implicate me if I was to kill him violently?”

“My lips are sealed.” I grinned at him but cocked my head to the side as if assessing his current overall state. “You seem hardly healthy enough to commit a violent murder though. If you must insist on skipping the meeting, will you at least permit my doctors to assess your health? I worry about you, comrade.”

My concern was not without reason. Ivan had been deathly pale for weeks now and more often than not I found the younger man in bed utterly exhausted as if he had just finished running a marathon. He regarded me for a moment in silence, gaging my determination to have him medically assessed, but the subsequent nod that followed did wonders to lift a growing weight from my chest that I had no knowledge was even there in the first place.

“Only if you will kindly relay a message to the American idiot for me.”

“Which is?”

“Please inform Alfred that he can go fuck himself, preferably with whichever sandwich is more painful to insert.”

“I will let him know.”

Reassured and refreshed considerably by his humor, I grudgingly returned to the conference room to relay Ivan’s message before the other delegates. He probably didn’t intend that I should actually quote his words when passing along his sentiments to Alfred, but at this point I wasn’t the only man in the room thoroughly annoyed with the obnoxious American. Alfred’s expression of mingled shock and disbelief gave the others a worthwhile laugh at his expense at least.

“He… Ivan wouldn’t say that about me!”

“He would and he did.”

“You’re so totally lying! Ivan’s a really nice guy!”

Looking around the room I could see the others staring at Alfred as if trying to confirm whether the youngest among us could possibly be so dense. Everyone else seemed to understand that the Russian’s plastic smiles and soft speech during our meetings was all just a ruse for the thoroughly troubled, homicidal maniac within. Alfred seemed happy to remain oblivious, and far be it for me to clue him in on Ivan’s true nature. Americamust be a blissfully ignorant place.

Not surprisingly, Alfred vetoed the rest of us with our unanimous votes for soup with salads, and yet again I spent my lunchtime eating cold dumplings that I had brought in a paper sack from home whilst the fat American gorged himself on both burgers and roast beef. It baffled me really. How could a man eat so much food without getting sick? We were human beings, not bears!

“Dude, whoever had the totally awesome idea to get both burgers and roast beef sandwiches is a friggin’ genius. Oh wait…it was me!”

He laughed loudly as the rest of us just shot pained expressions at each other. Lately, I was really starting to wonder whether Japan had the right idea allying himself with the Axis instead. If not for my cursory fondness for Ivan, fleeting though it was at times, I probably would have abandoned the American’s cause months ago.

“Hey, you sure you guys don’t want any? Speak up now or I’m gonna eat it all myself!”

“You’re a glutton and a twit, Alfred.”

There was something to be said for Arthur’s uncanny ability to know exactly what I was thinking and vocalize it before I could even open my mouth to do the same. I had little hope that the meeting might still prove fruitful with the brothers now bickering and gesturing wildly, and no one seemed to notice anyway when I rose from the table and departed their company in search of more worthwhile conversation. Besides, I was more than a little curious whether my physicians had determined the source of Ivan’s mounting sickness.

Upon entering the hotel room and spotting the doctors at his bedside, I was instantly shushed and herded to a far corner of the room to speak in whispers while the pale Russian slept. It was funny to me that they went to such great lengths to make as little noise as possible. I knew, of course, that Ivan slept like a drunken yak and was nearly impossible to rouse any time of day or night, but for now I humored the two of them as they huddled with me, wringing their hands and stroking their long beards as if something perplexed them terribly.

“Well? Do you know what is wrong with him?”

“Mr. Braginski appears to have a heart problem that he has been neglecting. Without the proper medications, his angina and atrial fibrillation is only going to get worse.”

“Did you give him the medicine that he needs?”

“Er…That’s the thing. He refused to take any medicine.”

“He what?”

Both men pressed an index finger to their lips and shot a furtive glance at the sleeping Russian. My voice lowered but the sense of urgency in my speech made the volume of my whispered words scarcely lower than before.

“Why would he refuse medication?”

“We do not know. He smiled and thanked us for our time spent examining him, but he would not take the medicine that we offered to him.”

“And interestingly,” the second chimed in, though his voice was considerably lower as if trying to keep prying ears from listening in now, “it is not a new ailment that plagues his heart. Only his symptoms are new, which means-“

“-Which means Ivan’s an idiot that KNOWS he had a heart problem, but he stopped taking his medicine anyway.”

My realization that the younger man was purposely abstaining from his much-needed medication had me seething all the way to his bedside, though thankfully the pair of doctors escorted themselves out of the room in hopes of avoiding my impending wrath. Ivan was my primary target however, and the Russian seemed momentarily disoriented as I grabbed the pillow out from under his head to smack the sleepy man with it.

“Why the hell did you stop taking your heart medicine?”

“There was no medicine to help me anymore.”

“Of course there is! You were obviously taking it up until a few months ago and you were as healthy as an ox! You have a problem and you need to medicate yourself or you’ll up and DIE on us, comrade! Is that what you want?”

Ivan was silent for a long moment and although my breathless outburst felt justified at the time, I was maybe a little sorry now that I failed to be the least bit tactful in my accusation.

“I didn’t say that no medicine existed, my friend.” He smiled but the expression held a note of sadness that I wasn’t used to seeing from him. “I said there was none. None in Russia at least. We have cut back lately on certain costly consumer goods in hopes of sustaining our economy for the duration of this war.”

“But you’re talking about medicine! That’s not a ‘consumer good’, Ivan.”

“It is a purchased good and I am consuming it, am I not?”

“No, you’re not. Not lately anyway, and that’s the problem.”

His stubbornness rivaled that of the arrogant American, and for a moment I wasn’t really certain which of the two that I found to be more infuriating. Any man, or at least any reasonably sane man, knows that the human body cannot exist on little more than determination and the obstinate will to live. Having more than my fair share of the same, however, I could sympathize with his financial burdens. I knew all too well of the pains from going to bed hungry or the teeth-chattering misery from straining to survive a bitter winter with little more than the threadbare summer work clothes on my back and a cup of hot broth to keep me warm. Still, even in the face of poverty and growing despair, forgoing medicine was absolute lunacy as far as I was concerned and I wasn’t the kind of man that would hold his tongue in the face of ridiculous behavior.

“It you are that hard-pressed for money, comrade, then I am more than willing to give you the medicine that you need. You are my ally and I will not fight beside a weakened man.”

“Although I am humbled by your kindness, I cannot accept your offer.”

“Why the hell not? My medicine is as good as yours!”

He smiled but the expression still held a note of sadness that weighed heavily on my heart as it beat faster now in my chest.

“I cannot accept your charity, Yao. Neither you nor I am a rich man capable of supporting another country’s fiscal burdens. If I should die it will be no man’s fault by my own.”

Angrily, I grit my teeth and moved to sit on his bedside still crossing my arms with a sense of finality as I chided him.

“I am giving you medicine even if I am forced to air drop it onto the roof of your winter home, comrade.”

“I will not take it if you do.”

“Damn it, Ivan! There is no such thing as charity between friends!”

“But there is pity, comrade. I do not want yours.”

“Then just trade something with me for the medicine.” Surely he could hear the total exasperation in my voice at this point. “You must have something, anything to offer me in exchange.”

He shook his head.

“We have nothing but the clothes on our backs and the food in our bellies and lately we find ourselves severely lacking in both of those.”

“You are a strong man when healthy, Ivan, and even poverty does not change that fact. Trade me your body and I will give you the medication that you so need.”

The Russian seemed slightly taken aback by my suggestion, and in retrospect I probably could have phrased my offer more carefully. Come springtime, my fields would need plowing or weeding and if not for this war forcing my farmers to the battlefield I would have more than enough strong, capable young men and women toiling in my rice fields to seed the millions of tiny grains that would feed my people for another year. We were hungry and his strength and stamina could be a benefit to me in the long run.

“That…is an interesting offer. I would not have pictured you to be a proponent of relations between members of the stronger sex.”

Curse my butchered English! I didn’t want to give him the wrong idea, and now Ivan seemed convinced that I wished to bed him of all things.

“I assume,” he continued, though his eyes were curiously averted to stare at the now-fidgeting hands in his lap, “that you intend for me to be the submissive partner in any relations between us.”

It was not a turn of events that I could have anticipated and yet it would by lying to say that I wasn’t at least a little intrigued by the prospect of witnessing Ivan’s submission. What words would he utter, what sounds would he make when pressed beneath another man and spread open for the sake of granting pleasure to another? The Communist in me bellowed that I needed more workers in my rice fields but the man in me was a creature more driven by primal needs and the desire to dominate my fellow soldier, enemy and ally alike.

“If you do not like my terms, then accept my original offer, comrade.”

“I do not accept charity.”

There was never any formal agreement made that Ivan would prostitute himself to me, but as I sat on the bed hovering over his prone form I took the opportunity to slowly lean down and press my lips against his in a trial kiss. He was keen in his initial observation that I was not the type of person to openly promote sexual relations between two men, and yet I found nothing at all unpleasant about the kiss between comrades that we shared amidst the noisy banter from my proletariat now building a new Chinatown just outside his door. They were always a part of me and yet Ivan didn’t seem the least bit deterred as I cupped his cheek and leaned him back onto the bed to deepen our kiss into a slightly more suggestive embrace than just the innocent merger of his mouth and mine.

“If we can hear them surely they will hear us as well,” he cautioned between kisses, but I would not be swayed by such a mundane worry as the likelihood that another might hear us in the throes of intercourse.

“It would not be the first time.” I smirked and placed a playful nip on his collarbone. “They have no qualms about listening in, but truthfully my countrymen much prefer to watch.”

“I would not have labeled you an exhibitionist, comrade.”

“There is much that you do not know about me.”

Ivan’s hands drifted between us to the waistband of his pants, though I stilled his movements with a gentle but firm grip before he could strip. He really did have such striking violet eyes. I found myself rather frequently fighting the urge to lose myself in them for hours at a time. Instead, my hand shifted to take the small cup on his beside table and pour the pills into his hand while shooting him a strict look.

“Heal yourself first, comrade. I will not risk your death in my bed due to a weakened heart when such an injury could be easily prevented.”

Ivan retrieved a glass of water from the table but regarded me suspiciously for a moment.

“We are making a fair trade, Yao. I will not let you change your mind later or try to trick me into taking your medicine for nothing in return.”

“It was never my intention to play you for a fool, Ivan. I simply derive no pleasure in laying claim to a weakened main.” I grinned and brushed my fingers over his throat as Ivan finally acquiesced and swallowed the medicine. “I want you strong but at my mercy when I take you, Russian.”

Although it thrilled me feeling the larger man’s pulse pounding beneath my hand, I left him to recover but not before pressing a long, possessive kiss to his lips in parting. I must be crazy to arrange such a deal with Ivan Braginski of all people, but I was far too curious about witnessing his submission to try and alter our agreement now.

“Winter sessions will end in three days. I would like for you to fly to my homeland and spend some time alone with me.” Slowly I smirked. “I am not the type of lover that simply lays back and accepts gentle pleasures, comrade. Take your medicine daily and ensure you are healthy enough to withstand our sex upon your arrival.”

Neither of us celebrated the Christmas holiday anyway as anything more than a cursory exploration into food and drink, and I figured it might be nice to curl up with a warm Russian in my bed should the evenings grow colder than usual. One could only spend so much time in a hot bath after all before it ceased to be a practical means of keeping warm. Although I was not prone to taking lovers casually like Francis did, there was nothing common about my friendship with Ivan and the thought of spending any length of time together outside of a political setting brought a slight smile to my lips as I kissed him tenderly again.

I left my to-be lover after providing final instructions to my doctors that they should give Ivan exactly three days worth of medication as well as a plane ticket to my homeland on the third day. Although he remained weaker than usual, I smiled to see the Russian had recovered enough in those three days to now walk and even carry his own bag as I met him at Guangzhou Airport. With his yet uncertain health, I figured it would be most prudent to spend our vacation together at my December cottage in the warmer southern reaches of my homeland. Ivan, however, seemed extremely confused upon meeting me just outside the exit.

“It is not winter here?”

His innocent question wrung an uncharacteristic laugh from my lips. It was hard to remember sometimes that winters for Ivan usually meant negative temperatures coupled with fierce snow and winds. My northern borders were considerably colder this time of year, but in the southern city where we walked side-by-side now Ivan seemed bewildered and even shrugged off his heavy coat while looking at me confused.

“Welcome to China, my friend. Our weather is rather temperate in the south this time of year, don’t you think?”

“That would be an understatement. I have not experienced a December without the burden of General Winter’s annual visit in nearly thirty years.”

The cab ride to my home was long but uneventful with both of us perched in the back seat together watching buildings become trees as we departed the city for more rural territory. My winter cottage was nothing special really, but of all my allies Ivan seemed the most likely to understand how the vast splendors enjoyed by kings and queens could so easily devolve into abject poverty and famine. I witnessed no evidence of disappointment or displeasure in his violet eyes as we left the cab and I guided him into the familiar cottage, down the short hallway and into the bed chamber.

Only one bedroll graced the floor, and although Ivan appeared very aware of that fact I could see him glance around as if trying to determine whether this was my room or a guest room. Either way, he had already agreed to become my lover and in my mind that meant sleeping together on a single bedroll, not just the traditional exchange of bodily fluids.

I gestured to an empty drawer and watched as Ivan carefully fold and put his clothes away. No need to live out of a suitcase if it could be avoided, especially when I wanted the Russian to feel completely at ease in my homeland for the next four weeks. There was no guarantee, of course, that Ivan intended to remain in my company for the full duration of our winter break but I could certainly hope that the younger man might find enough fondness for me in the depths of his faulty heart to stay.

If nothing else, the Soviet certainly needed the medicine that only I had no qualms with providing.

“Are you healthy enough to join me for a bath, comrade?”

“I assume,” Ivan’s lips quirked into a knowing smile as he slid the drawer shut, “that your invitation is not simply for me to wash your back.”

My own smirk seemed to confirm his voiced suspicions, but Ivan showed no signs of apprehension and the Russian followed me docilely outside into the moderate winter chill where a warm and bubbling bath awaited us.

~ * ~ To Be Continued ~ * ~
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Silver Inches