Hetalia One-Shots

RoChu : Lanterns❄️

In the horizon, bright dots rose into the air joining the patterns of the stars. The air was chilly and the streets dimly lit. Ivan kept his eyes glued to the bizarre floating lights. He walked through the park and ended up in front of a grand lake. On every side of the frozen lake were couples watching the bright lanterns drift into the night sky. A little shack stood on the rear end, its insides glowing a warm yellow light. Ivan was drawn in by the heat and observed from afar.

People went up to the shack and bought a lantern, later on letting it go in the air. The bizarre ritual intrigued the Russian man and he went up to the clerk. He was a small man with long brown hair tied in a ponytail falling over his shoulder. His attire was Asian and the sign on the little shop was written in an oriental language. He smiled brightly, adding to his glowing face.

"Hello sir! Would you like to buy a lantern?" asked the man presenting an unlit lantern. Ivan stared at the different lamps and gazed back to the ones drifting into the night sky.

"May I ask what exactly all these people are doing?" inquired the tall blond. The shop owner nodded and leaned against the counter, arms folded over each other.

"These are wishing lanterns. You write your wish on a paper, tie it to the lantern and let it reach the gods above who will answer to our prayers. Most of the time young couples come here, seeking for good fortune in their relationship. It's a very romantic tradition," explained the brunet, staring at the sky dreamingly. Ivan watched the man's face and smiled seeing how fascinated he was. He himself found the idea very adoring and unique.

"May I purchase one?" asked the blond Russian. The seller nodded and proposed different sorts of paper lanterns. Ivan pointed to a simple, oval one. He carefully took it with the little note and payed the clerk. He walked over to the lake and lit the candle inside. The heat created made the lantern bob, trying to drift away.

Ivan rapidly wrote down his wish and tied it to the bright lamp. The glowing orb was soon floating off with the others. He stared at it admiringly as his breath became more and more visible in the cold night. He hid his hands in his pockets and returned to the brown-haired shop owner.

"Did you make a wish? Did it fly away?" he asked seeing the customer was back. The blond nodded and smiled.

"Yes. It was a very satisfying activity," stated Ivan. The clerk smiled happily.

"I'm glad to here that."

"By the way, would you help me make my wish come true?" requested the Russian pulling his scarf down. The small man tilted his head but nodded. "Would you accept accompanying me to dinner later tonight?"

The Asian man blushed as he inhaled sharply. His eyes darted through the air and his fingers nervously tapped around the wooden counter. Ivan kept a warm smile on his face waiting for a response.

"I, uh..." The brunet calmed his breathing and glanced up with bright red cheeks. "I would be flattered," he murmured, not believing the words coming out of his mouth. Ivan grinned cheerfully, his happy features enhanced with the yellow glow of the lanterns.

"Splendid! I believe you know the restaurant at the end of the street next to this park?" he declared softly. The blushing man nodded and looked to where Ivan was pointing. "I'm Ivan, and I'll be waiting for you there at nine, okay?"

Once again the shop owner nodded timidly. He stuttered with effort, "I-I'm Yao, Wang Yao."

Ivan smiled, "Thank you Yao for allowing my wish to come true." The brunet muttered incoherently under his breath as his face kept the red glow. With a friendly wave, the intriguing Russian man left the bright shack. Yao leaned against his counter and tried to cool his face down. His heart on the other hand wasn't cooperating and kept on beating. Ivan may not have known, but his wish wasn't the only one granted.