Yao stared blankly at the bright red numbers displayed on the Hello Kitty alarm clock sitting atop his bedside table. It was one in the morning and still, he couldn't sleep. He could hear Ivan breathing beside him, could feel his warmth and even fell closer to the other boy when he shifted.

It was keeping him awake.

Frustrated, he turned onto his side and looked instead at Ivan in the little moonlight that spilled through the window. His hair had fallen into his face when he turned toward Yao, and he looked peaceful with his eyes shut and his lips parted to breathe.

Yao sighed. He brushed the light hair from Ivan's face, then lightly brushed his fingers along Ivan's jaw before pulling his hand under his own face. The light touches were enough to wake Ivan; his eyes fluttered open and stared forward until focusing on Yao. Yao's breath caught, and didn't come back until after Ivan murmured, "Jao...?"

"E-er..." Ivan leaned up on one of his forearms with a grunt and peeked at the clock, then fell back into the pillow.

"Is one o'clock, why is Jao-Jao still awake?" Sleep had softened the Russian's voice to the point where it was hardly audible, even in the quiet room.

"I-I just can't sleep, aru."

"Am sorry, Jao... is there being anything I can do?"

"I-I don't know, Ivan," Yao sighed. Ivan shifted closer and wrapped an arm around him.

"Are you cold?" Thankful for the darkness, Yao's face flushed and he partially hid it in the pillow, choosing not to say anything. "Would you turn around little Jao-Jao?"

Yao rolled over again and gasped as two arms pulled him close to a warm body. Ivan sighed and pressed his cheek against the other boy's neck.

"Is better, yes?"

"I-I- aru- I th-think so, aru," Yao squeaked. Every inch of him was pressed against Ivan, and his heart felt like it was going to flit out of his chest.

"Good... Is this okay?"

"I-I don't mind."

The room fell into silence again. Yao basked in it and allowed his pulse to slow. Seemingly out of nowhere, Ivan giggled into Yao's ear.

"Jao is like a teddy bear, yes?" he gushed when Yao craned his neck to give him a questioning look.

"If anyone's a teddy bear it's you, aru," he quietly huffed.

"But teddy bears are held, they are not holding people, silly Jao!"

Yao smiled into the crook of his own elbow. "I take it you aren't going back to sleep, aru?"

"Not until you do!"

"You'll be up for a while then, aru." Yao squirmed into a position that allowed him to face Ivan and still be held tightly by him. He could see Ivan's half lidded, lavender eyes in the faint light. They laid in that position in a comfortable silence, and Ivan rested his chin atop Yao's head. He sighed in contentment.

"Ivan?" Yao began to venture.

"Yes, Jao?"

"Do you love me, aru?"

"I said earlier I love you, didn't I?" Ivan questioned, moving his head to the pillow so he could watch Yao with widened eyes.

"I-I mean, what did you mean by it aru?" The brown eyed boy felt as if in asking the questions he'd caused the walls to shrink in and the room itself to get warmer. He shrunk forward so that his face was hidden from Ivan's view.

The other boy was quiet for a moment.

"Is word that has always been used to describe this feeling, yes? I am being pleased to be near you and enjoy holding you like this," he answered. "That is what it is called, yes?"

Yao bit his lip. What Ivan had described sounded like romantic love, but how could he be sure? "O-okay, aru," he blurted lamely after processing his thoughts.

"Is something wrong, Jao?"

"N-no, aru, just thinking."

Ivan shut his eyes and his head fell in a way that left his forehead pressed to Yao's. Yao stiffened. Ivan was so close that he could feel his warm breath, and their lips were so close- Yao bit his lip. He couldn't think those thoughts. Not when Ivan was so close, trusting him enough to press their noses together- he shuddered. Would it be wrong to brush his lips against Ivan's just once?

"What is Jao thinking?" Ivan murmured.

"N-nothing much," Yao lied. Ivan giggled and opened his eyes to study Yao's face.

"Is something worrying Jao-Jao? Will never get to sleep if you are worrying." Yao's eyes fluttered shut as he felt fingertips brush his cheek, then run through his hair. His breath came in short puffs, though Ivan seemed perfectly content as he hummed and touched his face without a care in the world. "Are you sleepy now?"

"N-no, a-aru." In fact, his heart was racing and he felt terribly flustered; if anything he was feeling quite the opposite of sleepy.

"What is Jao feeling?"

Yao floundered for words, his eyes flicking about as he raked his mind for any semblance of something to say.

"Warm, aru..." Much to his surprise, Ivan pulled Yao closer with a smile.

"Good."

Every inch of Yao's front was pressed against Ivan; he could even feel Ivan's eyelashes flutter against his brow. He felt awful for the thoughts running through his mind, but how could they helped? Especially with Ivan practically straddling one of his legs and gripping him tight by the shoulders. Yao's blood rushed beneath his skin. The large Russian boy shifted and Yao felt his own mouth brush his cheek.

"A-aiyaah, I didn't mean to-"

"Is fine, Jao, why are you being so jittery?"

"I-I don't know, I'm sorry aru."

"No reason for Jao to be sorry. Am I making you uncomfortable?" The arm around Yao's shoulders relaxed and he fell away from Ivan.

"N-no, aru! Don't let go..." Yao internally scolded himself for sounding like a needy child. "I'm sorry," he repeated pathetically.

"Jao is acting strangely... you are sure everything is alright?"

Yao pursed his lips, and spent a few seconds in silence before he did the most reckless, fantastic thing he'd ever done. Hands on Ivan's chest, Yao held himself up over the other boy, then leaned down and pressed his lips to Ivan's.

Ivan's breath hitched in his throat, and for a minute, panic struck him. This was his first kiss, and he didn't know how to handle it. Yao lingered over him for all of five seconds, yet that sparse timeframe was one in which his brain seemed to forget how to function and emotions stirred within him. Shock that Yao had kissed him, fear of how Yao would react to his lack of experience, and another, much warmer feeling, that Yao's slightly chapped lips felt good against his own, that the beautiful boy had even dared to partake in something so intimate as a kiss with him, not Alfred, or any other of those girls that supposedly liked him, but him, Ivan Braginsky, the boy everyone avoided like the plague.

Except for Yao.

Yao, who stood beside him and was beautiful and stubborn and who'd seen him in all of his most vulnerable moments, whose lips and small form felt so good against his own, and now, had taken his first kiss.

As Yao pulled away, Ivan could see how vulnerable and scared he was. Strong, stubborn Yao, looked afraid. And stupid, bumbling Ivan had forgotten how to breathe, and to speak, for that matter.

DAMNIT WHERE DID ALL THE HETALIA FANS GO. NOT COOL GAIZ ;A; just leave an awesome series, I see how it is :C meanies. I REFUSE TO GIVE UP BECAUSE OF OBNOXIOUS, EMBARRASSING FAN GIRLS.

Brief rant aside, what's up with all of the sudden influx of Fem!ChinaxRussia? :s poor Yao, first everyone calls him a girl, then the fans start to take masculinity away altogether :s maybe I'm just weird bout it because I see Yao as a very proud man who is effeminate in looks but not in demeanor :x Russia is the more effeminate one if you ask me xD ((yet he tops? HAHA NO. I LIKE ME SOME CHURO. MMMMM CHUUUUURO))

All stupidity aside, this chapter was a bitch to write. wtf. I didn't want them to seem like girls lol. idk I've been in that situation before and I didn't want them to seem like two girls but as two guys! pff idk. just please forgive me. I wasn't sure if it was bad to have them kiss now, but hopefully it wasn't!

reviews much appreciated! c: I know... cliffhanger... ish. :P