-100 Theme Challenge- Hetalia! {APH various - reader insert}

026: Promise- China x Japan

In days like this, China felt as old as time itself. His ancient empire had gone through so much over the years, yet the wounds and bruises ached like he had gotten them yesterday. That was the part he hated the most: remembering.

He was blessed with an impeccable memory, able to retain details of his past; yet he was also cursed, because he remembered the painful moments the most. In the early morning he had decided to do some cleaning, as he somehow found reassuring the feeling of returning things to their natural place. He had spent barely two hours at it when one of those painful flashbacks invaded his mind; the letter in his hands took him back to the first and most painful farewell he had experienced.

"Ja-Japan! Where do you think you are going, aru?!" He remembered he screamed from the inside.

"Ah, China-sama... I see you've read my letter" said an overly young Japan, his hands gripping a small bag of belongings.

"Yes" he remembered he was falling apart inside, yet he managed to make his voice calmed "I can't let you leave. I promised to take care of you, to teach you to be great".

"And you have China-sama... But I can't live under your wing forever." He said in that unaltered expression he used to wear.

"This is how you pay me? By running away from me?" His tone had let his emotions slip.

"No. I am very thankful for everything you've given me... but I don't like who I'm becoming because of you" he said in a low voice. China remembered that was one of the few times he had seen some emotion in those dark eyes.

"Japan, what do you mean by that? Haven't I been good to you?" said China carefully, almost insulted.

"You have China-sama. But you've made me need you. I don't like this feeling of needing you to be someone" he sighed "My people and I have decided we need to pull away from you, so we can live as a nation. Needing you has made me weak. You taught me to get rid of everything that weakened you, so as a sign of respect for what you've done for me, I'll just walk away peacefully"

"I don't know if I should feel disappointed at you or proud" he remembered the knot on his throat, the pressure in his chest, the pain in his fisted hands.

"Either is fine. Thank you China-sama" he said one last time before walking towards the end of the palace. His face had become stoic again. And somehow, China remembered he seemed taller, stronger and... distant.

Few things had hurt China as much as losing Japan; mostly because he had come to need him to.