Title: Footprints

Rating: T

Pairing: BritainxCanada

Notes: Footprints is by Barenaked Ladies (or BLN)

Summary: Britain has had his heart broken, not willing to be around anyone, until he find that he has no choice.

I followed footprints in the snow,
Never knowing if I was right behind you,
Looking down no one would know,
I wasn't walking hand in hand beside you.

XX

How had he let this happen? How could he have let this happen? Every time he saw the other he felt his heart flutter, never mind that they had been enemies for so long, that they used to fight each other more often than not.

Now he was completely alone, his former lover had run off with someone else. Why was he so surprised? It was him after all. He claimed to want to spread love around, and he wanted to start with him first.

Damn it! He felt the tears begin to fall, he had tried to keep them inside, but just thinking of how obvious it was; Why the hell did I fall for it? Why?

Not only was it obvious, the other never was affectionate to him at world meetings, they continued to argue as they normally did, but it was at night, it was when they shared a bed that he found himself apologising for insulting the other. Of course the other never apologised for what he said, never regretted that the words that came out of his mouth, that talented mouth, hurt him to the core.

XX

For your footprints lead the way,
To a hearth where hearts we made surround you,
You're awash in all its glow,
And I'm still standing in the snow.

XX

He refused to think of the good times they had together, ignored that the only good times appeared to happen in the bedroom.

It was so fucking obvious! He repeated; How could I have been so blind? Me! The country with the best spies in the world! Fooled by that idiot Fr…

He harshly wiped his face with the back of his hand, trying to focus on something else, but his thoughts always returned to him.

He had broken so many things, he burned the pictures of France and his new lover, the two who decided to betray him, although a rational part of his mind kept telling him that the new lover probably didn't know, France wasn't going to tell him any time soon. Although he knew that to be true, since the other was so loud and brash he would have rubbed it in his face that France had moved on to him…

To prove to the rest of the world that Britain was unlovable.

XX

I stood and watched the lights go out,
While the snowflakes settled all around me,
And though it filled my heart with doubt,
Couldn't move and this is where you found me.

XX

He had begun to drink rather early, just starting his second bottle of run when someone knocked on his door.

"Fuck off," He mumbled, but he was a gentleman still, even though his heart had been ripped to shreds and thrown all over the floor. He walked to the door, noticing the familiar outline and cursed under his breath. He still opened the door, but glared at the other; "What do you want?"

The bluish-violet eyes blinked at him in surprise; "Er, Mr Britain, I'm sorry to have come at a bad time…"

Shaking his head Britain gestured for the other to come in; "Sorry, I just thought…"

"I know,"

"What's wrong?"

"I…You see…"

"Canada, please get to the point, I'm having a bad day, or a bad week, or just bad in general, I need to start some drinking to get rid of the pain,"

"It's France!" Canada squeaked and he just looked at him, wondering what he meant, did Canada learn that France was his lover before he went to America? Or did he learn that America and France were now sleeping together?

"What about him?" He asked, sounding tired and worn down, as though his spirit was crushed.

"He… He keeps trying to…" Canada whispered into his ear and Britain flushed with anger.

"What?" He yelled and Canada back away; "He's trying to… But he's…"

Canada shook, having never seen Britain so angry before; "I know, he's slept with America, he… He was with you too, wasn't he?"

The green eyed nation looked away, the fierceness in his temper was dulled; How did he know? Who told him?

"It's sometimes a good thing to be invisible Mr Britain," Canada said softly; "Before the meeting began you and France would…" He blushed; "Make out,"

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"No one saw me at the meetings, not really," Canada explained; "But, I… I don't want France near me and… I know you're hurt but, but I need some help!"

XX

As our footprints disappear,
Snow erasing how I came to be here,
I've got nowhere else to go,
Now you're standing in the snow.

XX

Signing Britain nodded; "All right, what do you purpose?"

"Eh?"

"As you can probably tell, I am slightly," He put emphases on the last word and Canada nodded slowly, understanding; "Heartbroken, I don't have the clear head to help you deal with France,"

"Oh, right," Canada looked outside, noticing that the sun was now out; "I got the feeling that he was… Stalking me,"

"He's France, that's what he does," Britain said bitterly; "Wait…" He looked up to Canada, his eyes clear and bright; "He's following you just now?"

"Oui," He replied, his eyes always returning back to the door, knowing that soon France could very well make his entrance.

"He ripped my heart out Canada," Britain said softly and Canada just looked at him; "America is my former brother, so it's not really incest… But with you…"

"Myself and Alfred, although we are brothers, it's not the same as you and your brothers, the Kirkland clan,"

He smiled; "Maybe not, but what if France believed we were together?"

"Eh?" Canada was lost, not understanding, would that mean an elaborate lie? Would they have to pretend…

"Trust me Canada, I will never make you do anything you didn't wish to do," Britain held his hand out to him, and Canada took it.

Quickly the two went up the stairs, but not before Britain made sure the door was unlocked, so that when France arrived, he would be able to hear what they were up to.

Revenge is a dish best served cold. Britain thought to himself, knowing that it would hurt France, but Canada would be safe and wasn't that the most important part? To look out for his former colony when he came asking for help?

XX

Look for understanding in the snow,
You look just outstanding in the snow,
Standing in the snow.

XX

The had just closed the bedroom door when France knocked on the door, Canada felt like his heart was going to thump its way out of his chest, much like Russia's heart did at certain moments.

"Britain! I know Canada is here!" The French nation called out and Britain clenched his teeth together, the mere sound of his former lover's voice set them on edge.

He looked over to Canada who was pale with worry and nodded. The young nation let out a moan, hoping that it didn't sound too fake.

"Canada?" France called out as he walked up the stairs towards the room.

"Oh Canada…" Britain managed to say breathlessly, making sure the bedroom door was locked, knowing full well that France wasn't strong enough to break the door off its hinges, he never had been strong enough, although he complained bitterly about it, his people just weren't that type.

Hence why he decided to sleep with nations instead, oh for the sake of 'love'. Britain thought as he let out another moan at the same time that Canada cried out his name.

He could have sworn that he heard the nation of 'love' whimper, so he decided to hurt him all the more by crying out, with Canada sounding rather breathless in his moan. The poor nation was terrified that this plan of his might not work out the way they wanted it to and that France would somehow have him.

Over my dead body, I'm not going to let France hurt him too!

They heard thumping down the stairs and the slamming of the door, but neither moved, making sure it wasn't some kind of trick on Frances part. After twenty minutes they opened the door, Britain knew France believe them, he felt a smirk appear on his face, enjoying that France had been hurt in the same way that he had been.

Canada thanked him before he left, and Britain received emails from him more often than before, in fact he found himself looking forward to those emails, but he received an email from Canada that he hadn't been expecting.

They… What…? He reread the email again, not believing his eyes, but no, it was true; America has broken up with France?

He continued to read on; as Canada described the messages that France had been sending him on his email (which he had to block) and answer phone (which he ended up blocking his number). The essence of the emails and messages was that France needed some company that his 'son' could provide.

Thankfully Canada wasn't a fool, France was after one thing from him and he refused to give it.

He was smiling as he cleared his house, dusting away and bringing out the decorations for Christmas, his revenge was complete, and the last part hadn't even been part of his plan.

XX

Now it's almost Christmas Eve,
And I'm surrounded with the sound of laughter,
To give is better than to deceive,
For I received a happy ever after.

XX

Canada came round to his a few days later, just before Christmas Eve, with some presents of his own. The younger nation was blushing, although at first Britain was sure it was due to the cold, but after a while in his warm house he realised that wasn't the case.

"Canada, is something wrong?" He asked but the other nation just shook his head.

"No, no, but I…" He flushed even deeper now; "I just… I…" He took a deep breath; "I was wondering if I could, well…"

Britain smiled, Canada hadn't changed that much since he was a young child; "You can stay here for the holidays, although Sealand is meant to visit at some point as well, so be on your guard,"

"He's still trying to become a nation?"

"Yes," Britain sighed; "Hopefully he'll understand one day that it isn't all fun and games,"

Once Canada had settled and the ordered some dinner, Britain found that he enjoyed the company, not only that but any bitterness that he had for France was gone, although that didn't mean he didn't enjoy rereading the email that Canada had sent him up the break-up.

As for Canada, well he was free from France, the nation that he had once called his 'papa' barely spoke to him, although he continued to flirt with other nations everyone could see that it wasn't to the same standard as it used to be; but Canada wanted to be close to Britain, in more ways than one, they may have deceived France, but a part of him wished it was… Well, real. Perhaps it was wrong of him to think it, but it was true.

Maybe he will get his wish; maybe he would have to wait. After all, Britain's heart took a long time to heal, but hopefully the older nation would see that he was around and wanted to help and to be with him.

As they sat down for dinner, Britain felt a weight being taken away, his mourning for the past relationship with France was finally gone, his heart would take a while to heal, and gain new scars, but in time, maybe he could learn to love someone else once more.

XX

You might have left me in the cold,
A fitting ending for the fool that I was,
But you'd be cuddled up alone,
And I'd still be standing in the snow.