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The door closed softly behind Toris as he entered the penthouse suite and gazed around the hardwood floors and minimalist furniture choices. No sign of the resident though. He cleared his throat. "Hello? Mr. Wang?"His face flushed nervously when no answer was given. It felt like he was intruding in the worst way possible. Why had he ever agreed to go meet with the third superpower. He already had experience with two. When Yao had invited him over he had accepted it without a second thought, not wanting to upset him. He was now very much regretting his people pleasing attitude. Perhaps he should just get this over quickly and leave, see what Yao wants, deal with that and then go home. Sucking in a breath and summoning another ounce of courage, he moved with the intention to go seek the man out when his shoe bumped into a pair of fresh new slippers with a note:"Please take off your shoes before entering. You may wear these instead."Toris huffed incredulously. These were obviously meant for him, unless Yao was expecting some other visitor. But the fact he left these out for him and didn't bother to greet him at the door felt dismissive and rude. He slipped the items on after putting away his shoes and marched into the apartment. "Yao?"The living room was about just as pristine and minimalist as the hallway. A glass coffee table sat between a luxurious plush couch and a big flatscreen tv, to the right of the tv was a closed door, likely to a study or bedroom, and there was a corridor through which he could see a wooden dining table with matching chairs with plush seating. From that part of the apartment, the smell of something fragrant cooking wafted towards him, creating quite a distraction. Following his nose led him to the kitchen where he found the man he was looking for.Yao was dressed quite casually for someone meeting another nation which left Toris' stomach to squeeze uncomfortably in his annoyance. He had done his best to show up nicely dressed in dress pants and a white button up. Meanwhile, Yao's usually bound together hair was falling freely down his back. He was wearing a long black silk robe that obstructed other details of his outfit, except for the fluffy panda slippers which made Toris snort from surprise and alert Yao of his presence."Ah, you're here." Yao turned his head towards him with a light smile. "Make yourself at home, I'll be done in a second. It would be rude to have a guest over without having food to offer him.""Oh, no, it's really no problem-" Toris stuttered, suddenly apologetic for the rude thoughts he had upon entering. “I don’t think I’ll be staying long…”“Nonsense, even if you’re only here for a bit, you might as well have lunch. It’s lunchtime isn’t it?” Yao quipped, turning back towards the baos he was steaming. “Make yourself comfortable on the couch. The remote is on the side table next to it. Feel free to use it.”Toris thought about pushing it but decided it wasn’t worth it, the baos did smell great and he was hungry. He mumbled a shy thank you and returned to the living room to make himself comfortable as Yao had told him to.As he sunk into the sofa couches he leaned back and let out a deep breath he didn’t know he had been holding. He stared ahead at the tv and reached for the remote to turn it on for some background noise. He flipped through some news channels before deciding to watch some adult sitcom show he didn’t recognise. US made, Alfred would probably like this show. He frowned for a moment, pushing Alfred out of his mind and tried to focus on the tv. For some reason he was finding it difficult to relax, like he had to be on guard for some reason, his eyes constantly drifted towards the closed door. Why did he have such a bad feeling about that door?--“Sorry for making you wait.”Toris jumped for a moment in his seat before whipping his head towards Yao’s voice again, he must have somehow zoned out. “Oh, it’s no problem really, I’m not busy!” He laughed shakily and then looked away out of embarrassment for being caught off guard.Yao seemed amused at his sudden outburst and chuckled from where he stood in the corridor between the living room and dining room leaning against the wall lightly, a plate of fresh white buns in hand. “I’ve made you some baos. Please help yourself while I get cleaned up and dressed, I didn’t want to get my clothes dirty or smell like food while we talk. But I must have miscalculated the time it takes to cook these.”Toris swallowed and nodded, getting up from the couch and following Yao to the table and sat down. Yao gave him an apologetic squeeze on the shoulder before leaving him alone yet again. Something about this felt almost artificial, there was just no way Yao could have miscalculated Toris’ arrival, he was too punctual and prideful for that. It’s not like he had a lot of experience around China but from the stories he’s heard from Al and Ivan, Yao Wang was not a man who let himself get blindsided a lot. Something had to be up. He had to stay on guard.And yet the smell of the baos was so inviting, it made his stomach grumble with anticipation. They had been made for him and it would be a waste to let them go cold. He took a plate and used some utensils to take a bao. Biting into the soft warm bread was delicious, it was filled with a pork filling, ginger, green onion, and some garlic. It tasted homemade and warmed him right up, putting him at ease. He seemed to recall this feeling being similar to when Alfred used to serve him apple pie with apples from his orchard, though he quickly pushed those thoughts away again, he wasn’t staying at Alfred’s anymore, or at Ivan’s. He was his own nation now. He frowned as he chewed, why were things reminding him of those two anyway? He scanned the area to see if there was anything that reminded him of the two other superpowers but nothing obvious stuck out really. It just seemed like a simple dining room.He stewed on it a bit longer absentmindedly eating as he went, until he heard footsteps approaching again and he turned to welcome Yao back. Yao’s attire was still casual, dress casual sweatpants and a long white shirt, his hair was still loose but he had brushed it down smoothly and pulled it over his right shoulder, obscuring some of his face. He looked quite beautiful this way really.“Thanks for waiting, I see you enjoyed my cooking?” Yao remarked as he sat down across from Toris now and took a bao from the depleted stack. Toris could feel his face flush embarrassedly, he hadn’t noticed he had been eating so much.“They were really good, I like the filling a lot.” Toris mumbled timidly, earning a smile from Yao.“Glad to hear it, it’s my own personal recipe.” He smiled as he took a bite from his own bao and pushed the plate over to Toris, encouraging him to have more. Toris complied, not wanting to be rude.They ate in silence for a while until Yao spoke up again, his voice ever calm. “I’m sorry for calling you over at such a short notice and then making you wait. I’ve just heard so much about you from Ivan and Alfred, I just had to meet you myself.”Toris choked on his bite and coughed violently, he reached for the tissue to cover his mouth. His face flushed embarrassedly as he continued to cough, unable to stop and Yao had to get up and get him a glass of water to help him. “What did they-”“We stay in touch.” Yao chuckled. “I put the kettle on for tea later.”It felt like the ground was sinking beneath his feet the longer he sat in this apartment with the third superpower. What did Yao know? Was he toying with him based on what he’s been told by Alfred and Ivan? He could feel his ears burning as he tried to re-establish eye contact, not wanting to look weak. “What did they tell you..?” He insisted, breathing deeply before drinking more of the water he was given.“Not much,” Yao mused, his right elbow resting against the table so he could lean his head on his palm, his long slender fingers curling. “Just that you were a very sweet and hardworking guy. Alfred says he misses your cooking sometimes. And your coffee. Ivan just generally mentions things he was fond about concerning you, and he misses your presence around his house.”Toris hummed awkwardly at that, trying his best to hide his blushing behind the tissue and his long hair and bangs. His back felt cold and rigid, like he was about to start shaking like he used to. “That was a long time ago.”Yao’s eyes were sharp on him, piercing almost as he examined Toris’ every move, but he said nothing. Which of course, made him feel like he had to say something.“What happened between me and Alfred and Ivan is between me and them and I really don’t think I have to explain or talk about it with you even if you’re seeing them now, presumably. Thanks for the meal but I think I’ll be leaving now.” He rushed out rapidly, his eyes squeezing shut and tried to get up to leave. But before he could get too far a tug on the wrist held him back. A surprisingly strong one, in fact.“Let go of me.” He hissed, refusing to look back.“Toris, I’m sorry, please don’t be mad.” Yao’s voice was gentle and genuinely apologetic in tone, enough for Toris to look back and meet the other’s eyes again. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories if that’s what you thought I was doing.” Yao continued, his grip loosening when he felt Toris relax again. “Please sit? I’d just like to talk. I’d like to get to know you. You’re one of the only ones who know what it’s like to be with both of them.”His head was still screaming to get out of this cursed place right now, that this was some sort of trap and the longer he stayed the more ensnared he’d become. But the grip around his wrist was telling, if he tried moving away Yao held on tighter, if he relaxed and inched closer the other’s grip loosened. The request made by Yao was but a front and suddenly Toris felt cold, so very cold, as a light shiver ran down his spine for real and he could only pray that Yao hadn’t noticed it. This feeling was just too familiar. The feeling of someone way more powerful than you. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t refuse.“Okay…” Toris’ eyes watered slightly as he conceded and Yao gave him a kind smile once again and let go of his wrist, ushering him back into his seat. Though this time Yao did not sit across from him, but rather beside him, getting closer to him as if he was anticipating Toris might bolt again.“Wait here for the tea.” Yao said plainly. “You look cold.”If there was ever a moment to leave it was now, and yet Toris found himself frozen to his seat unable to move an inch, he hated this so much. He had wished he had set something up with Feliks or Eduard or even Raivis. Someone to call him with a fake emergency so he could excuse himself. How could he have been so careless.“You’re crying…”Toris gasped, looking up, a few more tears dripping from his eyes. Yao set the two teacups and his teapot down on the table to tend to the other with concern. “I’m fine, I just- oh god this is so embarrassing I’m really sorry, Yao. I don’t know why I’m overreacting. I’m fine really.”“You don’t have to apologise.” Yao reassured, his voice never rising above a calming comfortable tone as he poured his companion a cup of tea and offered it over for comfort. “I understand how this must look, but I’m not here with an agenda for them, I’m not spying on you for them. I’m just genuinely curious because I feel like we share a similar situation right now. I’m sure you’ve heard.”“I don’t think Al and Ivan fighting over me has any bearing over your situation, to be honest!” Toris exclaimed anxiously, leaning away from Yao slightly. “I was in trouble! I was small and couldn’t manage on my own. Even if Al and Ivan leave you right now you’d be fine! Of course they liked me! I was doing what I could to please them! They know just how big they are and how much power they have, a guy like me would never survive standing up to them.”There was a moment of silence where Yao’s facial expression changed from calm to genuine surprise and Toris thought if he dropped dead right now and dissolved back into the earth like the dirt child he was, that would be grand.But instead he remained woefully intact, and Yao began to laugh, much to Toris’ surprise.“Yao?”“I’m sorry! I don’t mean to be rude.” Yao laughed, leaning back in his seat. “They were right about you. You’re braver than you let on, Toris. That’s a good quality to have.”If Toris didn’t feel like Yao was praising him as one would a child he would feel flattered but instead he just felt, well, upset. “What- what was all that about?! Why are you trying to scare me? What are you gaining from this?” He pressed angrily, bringing a sleeve up to wipe at his tears as he willed himself to stop shaking. The warmth of the tea seemed to help at least a little.“Information, of course. About Alfred and Ivan. About you.” Yao chuckled, his laughter dying down. “They spoke of you so fondly, I could barely believe it like they were somehow still hung up on you. And they made it sound like you enjoyed it in their care.”“Well, it wasn’t… the worst.” Toris mumbled, biting his lip and suddenly feeling shy again after his outburst. “They’re kind people.. Sometimes.”“I know what you mean,” Yao sympathised with a smile, taking a sip of his own cup of tea. “They can be quite kind when they feel like it. Especially Alfred, he’s surprisingly sweet sometimes. And Ivan is quite cuddly.” He paused again, waiting for Toris to continue the conversation.“Yes,” Toris agreed, still fidgeting a little as he tried to think of what Yao wanted him to say. “Alfred, he… he’s kind in a sort of overwhelming way. He used to burst in randomly from time to time exclaiming new projects or something. He liked when I cooked for him, always appreciative of a meal.”Yao’s eyes were gentle on him, encouraging him to speak and despite having been upset a few seconds before, recalling the good memories he had with Alfred wasn’t so bad, he had been focusing on a lot of the bad since he got here but thinking about Alfred’s smile after thanking him for helping him clean up and listen to his story, that smile still managed to give Toris butterflies. “You wouldn’t think it, but there’s a lot more to Al than just his showboating… he’s caring in his own way. Like Ivan.”Yao’s interest piqued. “Like Ivan?”“Yes, well, Ivan’s a bit overbearing too, but in a colder way.”Toris continued, his hands gripping the cup for warmth as he recalled cold winter nights. Though the warmth in his stomach remained. “He means well but like Alfred he kind of brute forces a lot due to his size and power so it comes off as intimidating. But if you get him in the right mood he’s just a really sweet guy who likes sunflowers. I remember trying to acquire some for him back in the day. Even if it was the smallest sunflower you’d ever seen he’d smile and try to care for it as long as possible. I even tried helping him make a garden once.” he began to chuckle softly as he recalled the memory.The older nation looked upon Toris kindly. “Despite everything, you still care about those two. Don’t you?”The question made him flush embarrassedly and he laughed nervously, his head ducking down and his shoulders raising. “I suppose… I still think of them from time to time. They were kind to me, and we just share a lot of history… especially me and Ivan, we’ve known each other since we were kids. I guess it’s easy to focus on the bad but, there were good parts too. I do still care about them.”“I see…” Yao murmured as he reached a hand over to brush some of Toris’ hair behind his ear, Toris’ cheek was pleasantly warm and quickly turning red where Yao’s delicate hand brushed past it. He made sure to make eye contact. “You’re very kind, Toris. Maybe a bit too kind for the likes of us. But it’s appreciated nonetheless. I suppose I do understand why Ivan and Alfred still talk about you to this day. It’s hard to forget someone who shows you kindness and support when you’re vulnerable. I understand that well.”For a moment Toris’ mouth ran dry and he wet his lips, with Yao this close he could smell his cologne, it smelled fresh and somehow recognisable. He had never seen Yao this close before. He was beautiful, pale skin, deep brown eyes that seemed to see right through you, his hair soft as silk flowing down his shoulder. He swallowed thickly.“Um… Yao, if you ever want to talk…”“I appreciate that.” Yao pulled away like nothing happened and picked up the teapot again.--“I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time in the end, but thank you for coming.” Yao thanked Toris as he slipped on his shoes in preparation to leave. He offered him a bag of leftovers and some teacakes he had purchased for this event. “I enjoyed our talk. I hope we can talk again some time.”Toris smiled, feeling a lot more at ease now that they had gotten all the weird tension out of the way and spent most of the time bonding over shared interest with minimal talk about the other two superpowers from then on. “I’d like that Yao, thanks for inviting me. I’ll see you around.”Yao closed the door behind Toris with a sigh as he carded his fingers through his hair and re-entered the living room. Taking a moment to decompress.“Well?”“He’s cute, right?”Yao groaned. Standing in the doorway of his bedroom were the two other superpowers, both leaning on one or the other end of the doorpost. “You two couldn’t give me a minute to myself, could you?”“Ah come on, you should be used to that by now” Alfred laughed as he made his way out of the bedroom and made a beeline to the dining room to see if any leftovers were still left. Yao’s gaze followed him as he huffed. “You two really did a number on him, you know that? When you told me I should invite him over to try him out, I did not expect crying!”“Toris cries easily.” Alfred replied back. “Ivan can vouch for that. Oh, Score. Leftovers.”“I’ll make you more later. Those are cold and stale by now.” Yao shouted after him.“I’m impressed Yao, you got him at ease then nearly lost him and then saved it after all. He seemed very interested by the end.” Ivan complimented with a chuckle, pulling Yao in by the waist possessively. He always did get jealous when others touched his property. “You liked him, yes?”“He has potential. He’s certainly attracted to me. And from how he spoke about the two of you I’m sure he can be persuaded into something more.” Yao said thoughtfully, letting Ivan pull him in and kiss his neck.“Hey! Don’t hog him while I’m eating. That’s an unfair advantage.” Alfred grumbled as he munched away on a stale bun. “I gotta agree though, that was some acting you pulled. You made us both sound really good, I didn’t think that was possible. That whole thing about Ivan and I still missing him to this day? The getups you picked up to make you seem more approachable. Brilliant, man. Toris really is a sweet guy. I’d love to have him back.”“He did offer to come by any time. I’m sure with enough time I can persuade him back into a relationship with all of us, or if not that, a good night.” Yao said thoughtfully, already scheming for the next step in this. He motioned Alfred over and wrinkled his nose after Alfred kissed him, running a sleeve over his mouth. “Argh, at least finish eating before you kiss me. Disgusting.”Alfred laughed cockily. “You love it.”“I’m rather excited!” Ivan chimed cheerfully, pulling Yao closer and away from Alfred. “It’s like a reunion. Like in the good old days.”“Alright, alright, let go.” Yao easily pulled himself out of Ivan’s grip and stretched himself out. “All that pretending got me tense. I’ll leave you two to clean up the kitchen and dining room, I’m going to lie down.”
Alfred’s eyes widened in upset. “What? But-” Before he could get his complaint in, Yao had already closed the door leaving Alfred to frown on his own with Ivan, who came to stand beside him, grabbing the last bun off the plate and eating it in two bites. “Hey!”Ivan smirked down. “He did do all the work today. We should at least do this for him.”Alfred rolled his eyes, his finger running over the empty plate to catch any of the leftover filling which he sucked off his finger obnoxiously. “Fine, but when he wakes up he better make more, Toris’ appetite was way bigger than I remember it to be.”