Like Magnets [Vietnam]

[Taiwan]

A feeble fire is lit at the edge of my heart
Without my knowing, it spreads into burning passion
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Xiao Mei was never the one to properly express herself or speak her mind; technically being an extension of China (when had her brother been so protective?), her opinions and thoughts were filtered by the government or more often her bosses. She would speak, but it was almost as though her country was back in a different time.
The Republic of China, still under big brother's wing. The Taiwanese girl pushed her sleeves back as she thought about this, freeing them from her qipao's long sleeves. This visit would help, she told herself. It would, in all hopefulness, settle the frantic butterflies in her stomach. The operative word being, 'hopefully'. At the very least, Meimei could say she wasn't completely out of touch with her family. Large as it was, she had the time nowadays.
"...A- aru..." She was just making the sound to comfort herself, wishing she'd worn shorter sleeves. Her friend's home was more tropical than her own -- and yet, Taiwan always kept her qipao, as though afraid to show more skin than was absolutely necessary. Pausing, she hesitated at her Southeastern neighbour's door.
Vietnam.
No, Minh.
The woman was something the island nation aspired to be: strong, confident, assertive, and self-assured, as well as independent. She had always, strangely, attracted Meimei to her. It was sad that they saw each other as rarely as they did, even being neighbours. More and more, however, the Taiwanese saw Minh as more than a role model and family member.
She also had a bit of a crush on the Vietnamese woman. There was something about Minh that drew the other girl in, made her heart flutter in strange ways. Sent chills shooting down her spine. Ack. That long, dark ponytail, that manner of speaking similar to her own and yet so foreign -- Meimei shivered again, thinking about it. She clenched her hands together, feeling those butterflies starting their frantic dance again as she started closer. What if this didn't settle her crush? The young nation didn't dare to think too hard about it, doing her best to quash her panic, to quell the butterflies. (It almost hurt, now...) Pushing her fallen sleeves back again, Mei fixed the Danshui flower in her hair, making sure it pinned the hair from her eyes. She took one last quaking breath, swallowing back her nerves, and ignoring the voice in the back of her head (the one that told her of failure, and nothing else).
This was the moment.
Now or never.
No turning back, Meimei.
The island nation took a breath and knocked on the wood frame of the door. "Minh...? Are you here, aru...?" It was, admittedly, stupid to say that kind of thing aloud; if her friend answered, she was obviously home. Of course. Nerves were just making Meimei fidgety, making her heart pound so she could hear it in her ears.
She hoped something would happen. Privately, she prayed for something good. For Minh to return her feelings.
Oh, how she wished she weren't so fidgety...

______________________________________________________________
I want you to embrace me closely and gauge my limit
Please make me believe this is not a sin

A/N: short, crappy post is short. xP

[Vietnam]

That dream has never come again
There is no chance in our reality
_______________

"Steady breaths...Don't think or analyze...Just let the arm and hand guide the fan." Arms moving gracefully across her body, up and around with her legs following suit. Calm brown eyes never leaving the low glimmer of the gold metal fans being held in her fingers. Moving, swaying, feet falling silently with every step onto the cool wooden floor below with the fans continuing with their beautiful, yet still deadly dance. It had been a long time since she had been able to practice, let alone give herself a chance to meditate while doing so. Meditiate. Breathe. Let her mind wander. Worry.

Worry was always on her mind despite doing her best to show otherwise, mainly over many different things; the continuing problems with Thailand and Cambodia, having to keep a careful eye on the one that nearly the rest of her family so happily called their "Aniki" (though she never understood why they did so), as well as a collection of what could potentially have been senseless concerns. How truly petty it was, so juvenille. Her train of thought was broken when a knock at the door came, following a voice that she hadn't thought she would hear.

Mei.

Minh couldn't stop the faint smile from crossing her lips, eyes falling closed for a second as she allowed herself a small breath. The girl admittably was one of the few that she felt as though she could actually trust fully, despite her long string of losing faith and trust in many. However...Mei was different. She despite everything that had occured over the course of many centuries, she remained the same. Still held that child-like innocence rivaled only by Yong Soo, something that she herself as much as she would never admit openly, admired.

Setting the fans down in the appropriate place and making small adjustments to her Áo Dài to make sure it was straight, she left the room that she had claimed to be as her sanctuary toward the front door. Out of the corner of her eye as she gave just a brief glance out the window, the sight of two butterflies caught her attention. Flying together, their flutters holding each other up to keep them in the air. Shaking her head for a second and brushing the sight out of her mind as nothing more than a mere base of nature, she walked up to the door and pulled it open. Brown eyes looked down into Mei's own, her small smile still present.

"Mei...Do come in ahen. May I ask why you are here?" She asked, her voice quiet yet still firm as she spoke as she stepped aside to let the girl walk inside of her home. While the visit was unexpected...It wasn't unwelcome.

If we touch, I know we can never go back and that's just fine...
You are everything in the world to me
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Notes: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vovinam Vovinam is what she is practicing. It's a Vietnamese martial art style that combines a theory of "hard and soft" and the yin and yang theory to create a style that not only trains the body, but also the mind. It is a style that can be used with weapons or without.

A/N: WHY IS MEIMEI SO CUTE?! >w<

[Taiwan]

I want you to kiss me and repaint my body,
I want to be intoxicated and drowned in your charm
________________________________________

Mei felt a smile spread over her face as the woman came to the door, and immediately she inclined her head in a bow of respect. Straightening, she looked warmly into the darker set of brown eyes. She felt herself nervously rearranging her overlong sleeves once more, so intently was she focused on Minh. Ack, be more subtle, the Taiwanese girl warned herself. She allowed herself a breath, tilting her head cutely to one side. "Thank you, Minh, aru."

Augh, awkwardness was awkward. As she stepped into the Vietnamese woman's house, Meimei caught sight of a pair of butterflies, supporting each other on the wind. What an odd thing, she mused, a small wondering smile curling her lips. Slipping her shoes off at the door, she perked at the other's next words.

"...May I ask why you are here?" The island nation turned to face her friend, still giving off a bright, friendly air. She traced a stray strand of hair behind her ear, nerves making her fiddle with it. Calm down, aru, it's only Minh.

The girl allowed herself to shuffle back to Minh, explaining. "I thought it was time to get out of the house for a while, aru. Things have been getting crazy." Honestly, she just needed fresh air. Why was it, though, that she'd gone straight to Vietnam? Recalling, Mei paused. Minh had always had a reassuring presence. If she wasn't the most maternal person around, she indeed made Taiwan feel safe and protected.

...Wait... what? The girl felt a faint, rose-coloured flush stain her cheeks, already. Stupid, Mei cursed herself inwardly. "B - Baoqian. Zhe zhishì yijing you yiduan..." She heard herself babble out in native Mandarin, not realizing Minh might not understand. Argh, she was just full of awkwardness today, wasn't she? Unconsciously clapping a hand over her mouth at this, the Taiwanese went silent once more. Way to be a total spaz. And in front of someone she liked so very much, too.

Focus, she told herself.
Calm down before you do something stupid. "I hope I'm not disturbing you from anything, aru...?" She tried aloud, forcing the Chinese 'tweak' from her words (coming from an outburst of the language, and a sudden switch.)

___________________________________
With a heart that has easily gone astray,
We will melt away together...

Notes/Translation:
1. "I'm sorry. It's just... been a while."

A/N: I HAVE NO CLUE >w< SHE JUST IS.

[Vietnam]

A soft touch of desire puts my painful heart on fire
Drowning in your warmth and beauty everyone admires
______________________

The woman couldn't help but let the faint curl cross her lips, a hint of a smile forming at the girl's nervous habit being shown so prominently before her. Despite the formalities of being the elder between the two, she truly didn't like being treated as such; only when it involved matters with Mei. She wasn't sure why, though it was something that always felt wrong with being given such treatment by her. It was fairly obvious that she was nervous despite not having any reason to be. Nervous playing with her sleeves, the shaky bow, the faint flicker within the browns of her eyes, then...That little quirk of her head. The shy, innocent little tilt that could make even those with the hardest of hearts stop in their tracks.

Closing the door behind the brunette after she walked inside of the room, her own dark brown eyes remained on her back. Letting out a faint sigh of her own and walking past her to go into one of the main rooms, she turned to look over her shoulder at her answer. She gave a small nod in understanding before turning to walk toward the kitchen. "I can understand why, it has been getting 'crazy,' hasn't it ahen? Though I must ask, if you only needed fresh air...Why did you come here?" She asked, her voice quiet though holding a faint hint of amusement to it.

It had always been that way. Whenever anything got bad...Little Mei would always go to her. Even when the two were young and under the roof of their 'Aniki,' Mei always came running to her. Despite her best effort to try and squash those instincts of the girl running to her, it always ended the same. She rocking and cradling a crying Mei in her arms, giving soft whispers in her ear to tell her that she was there and that everything would be alright. Even with the quiet encouragement for the girl to go and sleep in her own room, regardless they shared the same bed so she would be there in case she had nightmares. Despite everything, she always said that she would be there to chase the monsters and bad thoughts away from an otherwise innocent and pure soul.

Pausing for a moment when the familiar, yet still foreign language filled her ears, she turned back around to face the girl again though this time turning the full turn. "I'm afraid I don't un--..." Cutting herself from her train of thought when the girl put the hand over her mouth, a quiet chuckle escaped from her lips as she shook her head. Still as innocently childish as she always has been. "No, you aren't disturbing me ahen. Just taking my meditation time is all, would you like some tea?" She asked, reaching upward to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

My small and sparkling butterfly flutters under your eyes
Sprinkling your slender fingers with ecstatic sighs
______________________

[Taiwan]

I get nervous with each day that passes by
And I cry with you watching over me
___________________________________

The Taiwanese girl nodded rapidly once again, slowly removing her hand from its position, clapped over her mouth. Her flush still remained, bright red and accusing, as she gave a smile, the expression lighting up her features. "Well, aru..." Mei thought for a moment, contemplating exactly why it was that her simple walk had turned into a visit to her elder neighbour. "Remember when we were small, aru, and living with Gege?"

She brought up with a chuckle, adjusting her sleeves once again. It was a faint memory, but if she thought hard enough, the island nation could recall it clear as the day it happened. "Sort of like that, aru. Except it's just that... you know, it's nice and peaceful down here, and my house has started to get...chaotic, aru." She didn't normally speak that much, which was probably worrying Minh. Ack. (Really, truly, it was Yong Soo's visits that turned her quiet home into a madhouse. Such loudness and breast claiming...)

Mei looked up to her cousin, her dark eyes lit up with happiness at purely being around the other. It was just like the old days -- they always stuck together around the louder Asian cousins, mainly Thailand in Minh's case. She loved how close their family could be, how they could tell each other anything, and above all, the girl loved Mi--

She felt her flush darken at the thought, staining her cheekbones a dark colour equivalent to one of the butterflies she'd spotted earlier. The young nation offered a smile, adjusting a strand of brown hair behind her ear. Her nerves were probably showing more than ever by now, something that made her worried. What would the Vietnamese woman think of her? A weak girl, not nearly as strong, easily swayed by other's opinions. Wasn't that right?

No, the Taiwanese told herself. She would be strong. Taking a few deep breaths, Mei made a note to ask if Minh could teach her how she meditated. How she kept such a level head in the midst of so very much chaos that was southeastern Asia today. "Ye - yes, aru. Tea would be nice, aru." That crimson flush was fading, if only by a little (oh, she hoped she looked less like a traffic light by now). Her heart fluttered, those butterflies coming back in full force now. Ack. Why couldn't she just calm down and spit it the hell out, already?

Sometimes, those three little words were the hardest to say. Weren't they?

__________________________________
"It's going to be okay" is what you said
Did I not see the tears you shed for me?

A/N: fsdhfjsdf I'll have you know, I was trying so hard not to spaz while writing this. <3

[Vietnam]

Bodies intertwining, tangled up like vines
From your lips I taste the sweetest wine
__________

Unable to stop the quiet chuckle from escaping from her lips at the clapped mouth and red face, her head giving a small shake from amusement at her answers. "But of course I remember ahen, when you would always come trembling into my room and beg that I let you stay with me for the night so I could chase away the monsters ahen." Even though it took a few minutes to remember it fully and clearly, she did at the very least remember those days. Those sweet days of innocence, when Mei would drag her out to the gardens and tell her her secrets amidst the blooming flowers and dancing butterflies.

It were those kinds of days that she from time to time still longed for, to return to that time of childish make-believe, when everything was alright.

Blinking from confusion, her head gave a faint tilt to the side. "Chaotic? How so ahen? Are you alright Mei, you're talking much more than usual and you're red ahen..." A hint of worry began to creep into her voice as she stepped forward toward the girl, hands cupping her cheeks and resting her forehead on the girl's in order to check and see if she was struck with a sudden fever.

She couldn't help but worry about Mei, something that hadn't changed over the course of the many centuries. There was something about the girl that had always made her feel like she had to be protected, and she was the only one who ever could. Though, she had an inkling as to why. She was a girl who was so easily swayed, if she didn't have someone watching after her, then she easily could be taken away by some foreign stranger or by some pervert from among their own. Something that she would never allow to happen, she would much rather kill herself than let Mei fall into the hands of someone else who would only take advantage of her naivety and innocence.

Taking a breath herself before letting out a soft sigh, she gave a small nod at her words with a soft smile as her hand reached up to brush the bangs from her face. "Very well then, you can you come with me if you wish or you can wait in the main room."

Sinners, cursed and damned and never to reach out
We are confined but if it makes you mine...
__________

[Taiwan]

Now, if you'd try and hold me tight and tell me everything's alright
Please would you lie to me -- smile and say you'd stay for the night
_________________________

Mei flushed a little at the memory, lowering her gaze and nodding in fond remembrance; a sweet smile lighting her features. She'd always asked Minh to chase away the monsters... And her friend had never failed to. She would even pull the Vietnamese out into the garden, more often than not, just to talk to her and be away from the other, much louder Southeast Asians. Minh was everything she never could be: confident, strong, wicked-smart... The Taiwanese's thoughts were cut short when the other got so very close, resting her forehead on Mei's. The girl's eyes widened considerably, and it was all she could do to not lean up and close the mere inches between them. What was with her? She shook her head slowly, bright-eyed and a bit flustered. "It's nothing, aru. Yong Soo's just loud, aru, and causing all of us trouble as usual."

What an excuse. The girl didn't move under the touch, knowing that she must have had a burning forehead - much like a fever. And she was babbling. Again. As Minh broke away from her, Mei followed, trying to shake off her own stupidity. "Aiyaa... Focus, aru, focus..." She scolded herself, staring firmly down at the floor. She didn't want to wait. It would only rile up her nerves more and make things more difficult for the ineffectual Taiwanese later. Practically flailing (inwardly, of course; fortunately, she didn't physically spasm like she wanted to), the girl settled her forearms on the counter, watching the elder nation.

How was she struggling so much to say these things? Whenever she even tried, the words caught in her throat. Like a butterfly trapped in a web. Mei squirmed a bit, wondering when the right time could possibly be.

But, she knew, it had to be today.

She wouldn't be a red-faced, shy, stuttering girl anymore.

She would tell Minh how she felt, right from the heart.

It had to be easier than it felt. Right?

_______________________
Brush your lips on mine
Ignore the tears that make me blind

A/N: Sorry it took so long. ^^; But finally, here it is!

[Vietnam]

Our lines of sight intersect within this closed world
Although you play dumb, I can almost feel your infatuation
_____________________

Mei's forehead felt warm, her cheeks flushed...She could see the beads of sweat that were trailing down the side of her face. It appeared as though she were running a fever, though she didn't act as though she was actually sick. She would need something to cool her down, couldn't have her overheating in her home. Though, it was the girl's actions that had her baffled. She was shaking like that of a leaf as well as stammering, both actions that were very much unlike her. Possibly something was on her mind, or the sudden onslaught of fever had caused her to become delusional.

That had to be it, that much she was sure.

At the mere mention of the Korean, she let out an audible sigh and gave a shake of her head. Yong Soo. Always an endless source of frustration for the family. Loud, annoying, his voice she swore she could always hear carrying through the air no matter where he was. Always an endless earsore, as well as the irritation from trying to avoid him with the neverending attempts to touch her chest. Though with the excuse Mei had given her, this time it felt more contrived, different; as if she had given such an excuse out of mere habit to hide what was really occuring.

Just letting her body follow along the normal, fluid motions as she found herself inside of the kitchen to follow the necessary preparations to make the tea, brown eyes just stared at the kettle after it was placed on the stove. Something felt different today, not only with Mei, but also with herself.

There was an uneasy knot in her chest, her stomach feeling as though butterflies continued with their fluttering dance. What was going on? It was something that she didn't understand, this sort of uneasiness she had only one other time in her life felt. Though, it was a frame of time that she never wished to repeat, nor think about.

Though if it was, what was she to do about it? Her own wings had already been torn once, only recently had she been able to once again fly. Trusting such a thing to another again was something she wasn't sure if she could allow herself to do so again, given the circumstances of the events.

In particular with such a thing that was forbidden.

Hiding my burning heart, I approach you
Simply feeling my breath will be enough to paralyze you
_____________________

[Taiwan]

-WIP-

Fingers calling to escape, telling me they cannot wait

I follow you, three at a time to keep it in the dark
_____________________________[/center]

______________________
Dancing far away from a stranger
Someone who leads a small parade