Japan x Reader (Affection)

You clenched your fists at the hem of your shirt, biting your lip as you resisted the urge. 'The urge to what?' some might ask. Well, the itch to wrap your arms around Japan's body and squeeze him until he turned blue from his lungs being crushed.

Everything about him was adorable; his blank coal eyes, his cute bowl-like haircut, his rather small statue, his over-the-top politeness, his calm and shy personality, the frantic way he reacted to 'inappropriate' things, and the list goes on. Sadly, hugging was one of the things Japan deemed as 'inappropriate', and to make matters worse for you, you were an affectionate person. There was no denying that you had a crush on the Japanese man, and so in order to try winning his feelings, you tried to give him his personal space, and it was HARD.

You were currently visiting Japan under your boss' orders to strengthen the bond between Japan and (your country). Since the conservative nation has grown rather fond of you, he kindly offered to let you stay in his house and even suggested taking you around his homeland for some sightseeing. You had mixed feelings towards this. The advantages are that you get to take a look at the Japanese culture (which you were fascinated by), it gave you a chance to hang out with your crush AND you get the nice, warm, pleased feeling that the quiet Kiku Honda actually likes you enough as a friend. You couldn't really tell how he felt towards you because he didn't show his emotions very much, and this was a chance to find out. There was only one disadvantage, yet this disadvantage was a major one- spending so much time with him would definitely make you break.

"Ohayō gozaimasu, ___-san," Japan said as you exited the guestroom, bowing as he said so.

Twitch! Even that was cute!

You grinned while greeting him back, and he led you to where breakfast was waiting. As he enthusiastically explained to you the Japanese dishes in front of you, you couldn't help but giggle over how passionate Japan was towards his cuisine, making you long to pinch his cheeks. Not that you did that though.

Although Japan was one of the top masters at hiding their emotions, you could easily read the anticipation and excitement in his eyes as you popped some of the food into your mouth. Your face lit up, exclaiming to him that it was delicious. He let out a sigh of relief, happy that you liked his food.

"Itadakimasu~" he sang before digging in himself.

Twitch! Why was this old man so cute?

*timeskip*

Japan had taken you to so many beautiful attractions, and the more time you got to know Japan (both the country and himself), the more your feelings for him grew.
The two of you were walking together at the streets of Osaka, doing some mindless window-shopping. As you walked past a toyshop, you couldn't help but pause as a lovable plushie caught your eye.

Becoming aware that you were no longer by his side, Japan turned around and walked to where you were. He saw you staring at a rather big mamegoma plushie.

"Do you rike that, ___-san?" he asked. You made a small sound of agreement, your eyes fixated on it. Similar to China, you had a weakness towards cute and huggable things. He chuckled, getting the shopkeeper's attention and pointed at the toy. He passed him some money and placed the seal into your arms. Your (insert colour) eyes widened in surprise.

Clutching the toy close to your heart, you said in his language with a tinge of pink on your cheeks, "Arigatō gozaimasu, Nihon~"

Now it was his turn to blush, only his was much more redder than yours. He felt his heart thump as you said that with such a cute expression, looking away in hopes that you did not see his tomato face. However, you did.

Twitch! Your grip on the toy became tighter, partially wishing it was him you were hugging.

*timeskip*

That night, Japan brought you to the cherry blossom tree near his house, letting you marvel over the scenery. The both of you sat on the grass and leaned against the tree, gazing at the moon. You smiled at his content expression and glanced towards his shoulder. It was so tempting to rest your head against it, but the fear of him shoving you off and refusing to speak to you for invading his personal space was too much.

"Thanks for taking me out today, Kiku. I had a lot of fun," you said sweetly.
"That's good, __-san. I, too enjoyed today," he replied. He liked it when you called him by his human name. Then there was a peaceful silence.

He turned his head slightly to look at you, admiring how gentle your facial features looked in the moonlight. His eyes softened, feeling honoured to have the privilege to be next to such a pretty and kind woman. Having the sense that Japan was watching you, you turned to face him, but as soon as your eyes met, he quickly whipped his head to the other side.

"I'm so sorry! I-I couldn't help myself, you rooked too beautifur," he sputtering about his apologies, the word 'beautiful' said in a quieter and more bashful tone.

Twitch! You turned as red as a tomato at that compliment, which also pushed you to the limit. And the mamegoma toy wasn't there to fulfil your hugging needs.

"Kiku, forgive me for this."
"For wha-" he stopped mid-sentence as you glomped him. You felt him tense up but you didn't seem to care. All you were thinking was how delightfully warm he was, and how his body was slightly but nicely sculpted. You inhaled his sweet scent, having no intentions of letting go. Resting your head on his chest, you could hear how fast his heart was beating.

After a while, Japan finally loosened up. He had to admit; it felt right being in your embrace. Tentatively he wrapped his own arms around your body, making you look up at him with bewilderment. Mustering all his courage, he leaned down and pecked your cheek, saying at the speed of lightning, "___-san, daisuki!"

You didn't know that much Japanese, but at least you knew what that meant. You squealed and hugged him tighter, saying back affectionately, "I like you too!"

That night, Japan gave you his first kiss, under the cherry blossom tree, in the romantic moonlight.