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The porch swing creaks as it rocks softly back and forth, and Yao has a slender hand wrapped around one of the swing’s rusty chains. Yao’s dark eyes are shimmering as he gazes at the sunset, vibrant orange fading into pink. Wispy clouds litter the sky like smears of paint. Off in the distance, some of the trees bear the first splashes of red. He sits there reminiscing, wondering how in the world the summer went by so quickly. He’s so lost in thought that he jumps a bit when someone calls his name across the street, ebony eyebrows almost meeting his hairline.
“Hello, Yao!”
He recognizes that voice. He’d recognize it anywhere.
Yao turns sharply in the direction of the voice, long ponytail whipping.
Ivan Braginsky is outside, tending to the sunflowers that grow in front of his house. He waves a gloved hand, letting out a sweet giggle that makes Yao want to melt into a puddle of mush. Ignoring the little flip his tummy gives, Yao smiles and waves back. “Hi, Ivan! How’s it going?”
Ivan brushes some dirt from the gardening spade in his hands. “I’m doing well. Will you be at the World Meeting tomorrow?”
“I will,” Yao nods, swallowing hard. He hopes his face isn’t as red as it feels. “Let’s hope we won’t have a repeat of what happened last time.”
“My goodness,” Ivan chuckles, shaking his head. “I really wonder what made Alfred think that was a good idea.”
“I know, right?” Yao laughs, warmth slowly spreading through his chest. “Who in the world tries to play basketball indoors?”
“A complete idiot, that’s who,” Ivan grins. “I feel so bad for Matthew!”
“Thank God it was only his glasses that broke,” Yao sighs. He recalls how Alfred had sent a basketball flying across the meeting room, the thing nothing but an orange blur as it rushed through the air. It had hit Matthew right in the face, causing the poor man’s glasses to hit the floor and snap in half.
“I’ll be sitting far, far away from Alfred tomorrow,” Ivan says, white teeth flashing as he smiles.
“Me too!” Yao can’t help the laughter that trickles out of him. “I’ll see you there.” And I can’t wait, he thinks to himself. I really can’t wait.
~~~
“So, where’s Matthew?” Arthur asks during lunch at the World Meeting, stirring his tea.
Alfred nearly chokes on his McDonald’s burger, coughing for a few moments before regaining his voice. “He’s at the eye doctor,” he mutters, pinching the straw on his cup of soda. “Getting a new pair of glasses.”
“I figured,” Arthur sighs, dropping another sugar cube in his tea. “That should teach you not to play basketball in the middle of a World Meeting.”
“Well…” Alfred’s brows furrow as he struggles to come up with a response. “At least I’m not British!”
Yao shakes his head, swallowing a bite of noodles.
“Do you mind if I sit here?”
Yao immediately recognizes that soft voice and gorgeous Russian accent. He spins around so quickly that he almost gets whiplash, excitement fluttering in the depths of his stomach. “O-Of course!” He nods, patting the empty seat next to him. “Go right ahead! I don’t mind at all.” He cringes when he realizes how ridiculously eager he sounds, grinding his teeth together.
“Thank you,” Ivan giggles, a sweet, bell-like sound that has Yao swallowing hard, squirming a bit in his seat.
Arthur scoffs when he sees how messy Alfred is, burger crumbs scattered all over his face and shirt. “You’re disgusting. You’ve completely covered yourself, and the table, with crumbs! You eat like a bloody animal.”
“Quit talking trash about my food habits!” Alfred says, a fistful of fries in his hand. “You don’t get to do that. I bet you ate raisin bran with tap water for breakfast this morning. And don’t even get me started on the time I took you to a Mexican restaurant!”
“I have a sensitive stomach!” Arthur exclaims, rubbing his belly. “All the spiciness was too much for me!”
Yao sticks some more noodles in his mouth, chewing in an attempt to stifle his laughter. Underneath the table, something bumps his leg, and he flinches a bit. His gaze falls onto Ivan, who is bent over in his seat, hand swiping over the floor.
“Didn’t mean to startle you, Yao,” Ivan laughs. “I just dropped my napkin.”
Yao stares at the floor, spotting the white square after a few seconds. He reaches down to grab it, and Ivan’s hand lands right on top of it. “I’m sorry!” He squeaks, a jolt of electricity traveling up his arm. Biting his lip, he hurriedly places the napkin in Ivan’s hand.
“Thank you,” Ivan says brightly, setting his napkin in front of him.
“Y-Yeah.” Yao’s voice is barely a whisper. He gazes at his lap, trailing the fingers of his left hand over his right hand.
The hand that Ivan has just touched .
~~~
Yao shivers a bit as he strolls down the sidewalk, the nighttime breeze raising goosebumps on his arms. Though the days are still warm, the nights have cooled off significantly. He rubs his chilly arms, wishing he’d thought to wear a jacket. What happened at the World Meeting today replays in his head, and his lips curl into a smile, that familiar warmth settling in his stomach. Swallowing the urge to giggle, he fingers the hem of his shirt as Ivan’s house draws nearer.
His pace slows a bit, and eventually, he stops walking altogether. Gnawing at the insides of his cheeks, his gaze lingers on the sunflowers that grow in Ivan’s yard. They’re tall, and Yao’s certain that he’d have to stand on his tiptoes to smell them properly. Yao wonders, absently twisting a strand of hair around his finger, what it would be like to kiss Ivan in front of those sunflowers, with Ivan’s arms around his waist, and the two of them covered in sunlight.
“Yao?”
Yao’s heart seems to leap into the back of his throat. His mouth goes dry when he sees Ivan standing in the door, leaning against the doorframe. He’s wearing a simple white hoodie and a pair of sweats, and there’s a smile playing at his lips. Oh God. I must look like a total weirdo right now, standing in front of his house at nine-thirty at night.
Yao coughs into his fist, then smooths down the front of his shirt. “I… Sorry, Ivan. I was just walking, and I got distracted by these sunflowers of yours.”
Ivan raises an eyebrow. “My sunflowers?”
“Yeah,” Yao nods, gulping. “They’re beautiful. And they’re so tall, too. It must have taken a lot of work to get them this way.” He watches, breathless, as Ivan steps out of the house and into the garden. Ivan stands in front of a sunflower, thumbs at a sleek yellow petal, then gives a little wave of his hand.
Yao nearly gasps out loud, blinking a couple times. Did Ivan just wave him over? Or were his eyes just playing tricks on him?
Ivan does it again.
Yao swallows thickly and hurries over, padding through the grass.
“I’m glad you like my sunflowers, Yao,” Ivan says, beaming. “The other nations have always teased me for liking gardening.”
“Don’t listen to them,” Yao tells him. “Do whatever you want. I think your garden is amazing.”
Ivan’s smile never wavers, and his violet eyes are literally sparkling . “Thank you! You’re so sweet.”
Yao’s stomach is a fluttering mess of knots. Ivan Braginsky thinks I’m sweet… A large hand falls onto his shoulder and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up straight.
“Are you alright?” Ivan asks softly. “You seem a bit nervous.”
“I’m not nervous!” Yao says quickly. “I’m just, you know, whenever you’re with me…” He shuts his mouth so quickly that he’s certain Ivan can hear his teeth clicking together. I did NOT just say that. Yao Wang, you are an idiot.
“Hm?” Ivan hums curiously. “What happens when you’re with me?”
“I-I…” Yao stammers, face burning with embarrassment. “It’s nothing. I didn’t mean to say that, it just kind of slipped out…”
“No, you can tell me.” Ivan is chuckling. “I’m here to listen.”
Yao can’t even look Ivan in the eye. “You know, my hands get all shaky and my palms get all sweaty and my stomach…” He digs his nails into his palms, releasing a long, shuddering breath. “I’m just gonna say it. I like you, Ivan. I’m sorry for making this all weird.” He stares at Ivan’s face, struggling to read his expression.
And then, all of a sudden, Ivan’s big arms are wrapping around him, drawing him close, pressing their chests together. Yao gasps, his brown eyes shooting wide open.
“I like you too, Yao,” Ivan laughs, arms tightening around Yao’s slender body. “I’ve liked you for a while now, and I’m so happy you feel the same.”
Their lips meet. Yao gasps. His hands freeze, trembling slightly at his sides, and a tiny squeak of surprise escapes him.
The kiss breaks. Yao’s lips are still tingling. “Wow,” he whispers, not quite sure what else to say. “Wow.”
“You’re adorable,” Ivan grins. “And you’re so special to me. You’re like my sunshine.”
Yao tucks a piece of Ivan’s silver-blond hair behind his ear. “Your… your sunshine?”
“Ah, I’m sorry if that sounded dumb,” Ivan rubs the back of his neck. “You just brighten my day, you know? Like the sun.”
“That’s probably the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” Yao admits. He swoops in to kiss Ivan again, soft and warm and tender.
He’ll be glad to be Ivan’s sunshine.
He’ll stay close and keep him warm, and even when the last of the summer disappears, he’ll keep on shining.