Title : Temperance

Author : Chartreuse Fae

Summary : Temporary emotions often produced an unwanted ending. Pirate England x Imperial Japan

Author's Note : This is the result for hearing too much waltz music.. OTL

I totally realize I just love Pirate England & Imperial Japan too much.. I'm really sorry..

The main idea of the fic is pretty much.. sooo ordinary.. but I just can't shake this off no matter what so yeah boom~ But I do hope it brings a little entertainment lol :)

This was just another passing-by event that happened once in a while. An annual party to honor the countries were held in The World Government Office. Since the beginning of the inauguration of the country, some of people thought they needed to take it easy on each other and having a more relaxed meeting. Most of the nations agreed to this and held a gathering of the countries every once or two year.

For the ones that have strong influence and power, this was the time to boast their country's achievement and attracting other promising country into their ring. For the other, it was an unwritten obligation to come to the party. Who knew, maybe they could found something important or just found a way to have a momentary fun. Human officers and officials were mixed in it and it was getting crowded as the night fell.

For Arthur Kirkland, it was a moment of rest, where he could restored his title as a government officials and not the one with the list of criminal record. Apparently, the truth was well hidden by the kingdom, the fact that he was a pirate in disguise seemed hadn't leaked out yet. As long as the seven seas were not his yet, he had to remain in the shadow.

He did miss a party like this, where he could have a fascinating conversations about new discoveries with scholars, or hearing a tale of wonders from a faraway island, or courting beautiful ladies with perfect smiles. But this time, he was separating himself from the crowd and standing at the corner, watching the scenes went by without him joining. Sailing in the ship with his crew were incomparable with these many people inside the hall. He was completely a stranger for them and vice versa. Maybe that was the reason he was comfortable with his current solitary. Or maybe he realized that the drink had really gotten inside his system and he needed to sober up a little. He did plan to have a little fun with someone, but the wine was so good he kept taking it glasses by glasses. And he wasn't in a hurry.

Then, not a moment later, he spotted a familiar country. The small man with a set of midnight-colored eyes and hair walked towards a certain people sitting on a sofa and seemed to greet each other. He was wearing a ceremonial dark uniform, with transparent purple cape embroidered with chrysanthemum seal and golden pirate carefully laid his eyes on the raven-haired man as he sipped his drink. For a while, they seemed to be talking in quiet murmurs, probably talking about some country affair or something serious. Then a bunch of people with goofy, red faces joined them in a very casual manner, probably the result of having too much alcohol earlier. The dark-eyed man seemed to be bothered, but he remained silent and continue with his impassive expression.

A man offered the black-haired man the booze, but he refused at first. As the other nudged him to take it, he accepted with exasperated sigh. He drank it all with one swallow and before he could refuse, they poured more wine into his empty glass. It repeated again a few times and the man was getting slower at drinking his portion. The crowd laugher harder and harder as the smaller man took their fake courtesy and intoxicated himself with the sweet liquid.

Arthur didn't like it. At all. He didn't know why, but he just hate that.

The pirate instantly threw his half-filled glass at the person responsible for filling the black-haired man's glass straight in the head. The crashing sound shocked the drunken party as well as the small man.

The emerald-eyed man stood in front of them with a smirk on his lips. Good, so they were sober enough to noticed him.

"What a surprise, Japan! I was waiting for you all this time but I found you here. Have you forgotten about me?"

The Asian country furrowed his thin eyebrows, obviously confused with his exclaims. But before he could hear his explanations, his lithe arm was yanked and the pirate literally dragged him on his feet and away from the drunken circle. After they went out of the hall and walked near the entrance of the inner garden, the Briton stopped his movement and letting go the arm he previously held on tightly.

"What are you doing, England-san?" gasped the smaller man, "Those are my guests!"

Arthur snapped at him, "Don't you see they're making fun of you? I'm trying to get you out, and look what you did to your body, poisoning yourself with those drink."

"I didn't ask for your help. Besides, I can hold my liquor just fine. I'm just not used drinking them that fast."

"Why do you want to spend the time with them?"

"I was ordered by my superior, it's not my wish."

Well, damn, of course it wasn't his wish. It was strange if Japan truly wanted to be friendly towards some random drunken human. He should've thought about it first.. well, his mind was a kind of 'flying' right now and he just didn't like what he saw.. so he thought he should do something about it.

"So now you're selling your pride to them?"

"I will do whatever to protect my country. Even if I have to do an incomprehensible things."

Again this oriental country with his pride. The blonde-haired man was having enough dose of that lecture and didn't convinced by such reason. A much more personal things must've included in that believe, just like the way his selfishness was reaping much more for his country than his idealistic. Sometimes life was just that cruel, but eventually they would gain something as a fair price of losing something. Now he felt a 'duty' to reveal more unknown side of Japan (it wasn't that he was thinking clearly, but he was just truly pissed at the small man at the moment).

"Since you aren't able to entertain them, why don't you try to entertain me?"

"Huh?"

"Don't you think entertaining me is also important for your country? It will be a good investment for your country in the future."

"I'm sorry to tell you the hard truth, I never intend to have an alliance with you. Besides, you're not included on my priority list."

"Make one then."

"Foolish request. Or is that you begging me to have a cooperation with me?" the smirk was visible under the dark room even though they were not seeing each other directly. And that lit up the anger of the pirate.

"Shut up, you git! I'll show you what it means to entertain!"

A good bluff wouldn't be effective if wasn't followed with an action. As for the action, the currently intoxicated Great Britain had nothing crossed his mind. He was too busy concentrating on how to get Japan out from the people, now his sanity power had diminished and prayed to the Fairy Godmother to help him. Suddenly, the orchestra were starting to play the waltz. It was a romantic melody but not overly dramatic nor grand. He instantly grasped the black-haired man's hand again and placing his other hand into his small waist.

"Wait, what are you-"

"Just follow me, all right?"

And then, the taller man lead them into whatsoever dance they could possibly did due to their circumstances. It was like a ballroom dance, but not really like one. Long hand swiftly dragged the smaller body and sometimes adding spins into the rhythm. He laid his gaze on his surprised partner from the corner of his eyes as he tried to avoid eye contacts, afraid he wouldn't be able to hide his smirk. Life was so funny at times, while for the other it brought misery. He knew the obsidian-eyed man was angry because he treated him like a woman.

"Are you out of your mind? What do you mean by this?" His demand was futile as the others finally laughed and kept turning him around and around. Their difference in strength was clearly visible, Japan was a fast fighter, but England was better at power. At times like this, it was very useful to mock the oriental country.

Japan was about to bend his knee and knocked him on the stomach, but he felt the taller man began to placed his weight on the other man. Their dance were coming on an abrupt end, when the blonde-haired man lost his conscious and both of them slowly collapsed into the floor, with the dark-haired man in a sitting position to attempt to held on the blacked-out man. Japan was panicked as he frantically put his head on the floor and trying to hear his heartbeat. Thank God it was still there, now what had just happened to the Briton?

Softly, he could heard a light snore. England was sleeping peacefully, after all that he had just done.

The imperial country immediately disappointed and standing up slowly. This reckless thing was something that only the Briton would do. The lightly kicked the side of his body, but not hard enough to hurt him, just making the sleeping man slightly furrowed his thick eyebrows and then back into the land of dream.

The dark-haired man sighed, then softly saying, " If I could take the picture of that face, then it is you who entertain me, foolish pirate."

He decided to left the blonde-haired man there. After all, it was not his fault. But he draped his violet cape on top of him. No, it was not because he cared about the pirate at all, not because he was afraid he could get sick sleeping on the floor, not because of a guilty feeling leaving the pirate alone.

It was only to mock back at him. Which he would, when he realized it was Japan's cape.

Author's Note : I could only say this.. : why the hell I was making another sleeping-themed fanfic again… ( O A O)

Thank you for reading as always! I would love to write more stories about Teikoku Shimaguni again.. but my works.. OTL