Chapter 3

Welcome to Canada's House

"You can't stay at the hospital anymore, since technically there's nothing really wrong with you." It was the next day. England was at the side of my bed, holding my good hand in his own comfortingly.

My eyes were probably the size of dinner plates. "But- but- but, where will I stay, then? I can't just sleep on the streets!" England stopped me from working myself into hysterics.

"Spraypaint, Spraypaint, don't worry. The other countries and I are discussing who has enough space at there house so you can stay in until we figure out how to get you back home." He kept his voice very steady, his head slowly bobbing up and down to the rhythm of his words.

Just then, France poked his head in the door, "Uh, England. We 'ave got a minor problem..." He looked at me sympathetically, and my heart dropped. My eyes quickly scanned the nearly-empty room until they spotted something. Or should I say, someone.

Canada, who was looking absently at a painting, sat in one of the chairs against the wall, Kumajiro sitting in his arms.

Slowly, I lifted my good arm and pointed to the invisible nation, "What about..." I swallowed, not wanted to finish the sentence for fear it might be rejected, "What about Canada?"

"Canada?" America blinked, "When did you get here?" Canada looked slightly distraught at the fact he hadn't even been noticed by his brother.

"He's been here since yesterday." I answered, earning Canada's and America's attention. I could sense him smile a little bit. "He fell asleep in here last night, too, when you guys left."

"Oh," England straightened up a bit, "Well, then. Canada? Do you have any room in your house for Spraypaint to stay at?" Canada nodded, "Yes. Of course."

"Awesome!" America bounded across the room to high-five his brother, "I totally knew we could count on you, bro!"

"...and this is where you'll be staying." Canada swung the door open to reveal a medium-sized bedroom, furnished with a single twin bed, a writing desk, a door that I assumed led to the bathroom, and a dresser.

The walls were painted as to make it seem as if one was in a winter-y forest. There was even a doe and her fawn painted behind one of the trees.

"Wow..." I breathed, more stunned by the artwork than the room itself. "Did you paint this?" I asked Canada. "No. Not exactly. I drew the original design for is on a piece of paper, and France painted it on the walls."

"This is awesome." I said for probably the tenth time that day. Setting down the small bag Hungary and Liechtenstein had so curiously packed for me, I turned and gave Canada a hug. He stiffened for a moment, then hugged me back somewhat awkwardly.

I pulled away, smiling warmly at him as I held him at arm's length with my hands on his shoulders. "Thank you. For letting me stay here." Canada laughed slightly, pretending to fix his glasses to hide the blush he thought I couldn't see.

"Thank you for noticing me." I hugged him again, then went off to go take a shower and change into my nightclothes, seeing as it was extremely late in the day now.

Later, after I had finished brushing my hair, I wrapped a towel around myself and walked out of the bathroom to get a nightgown.

What I expected was to return and find the bag sitting on the floor where I left it. What I didn't expect was Canada, folding the clothes and organizing them neatly in the dresser.

My breath hitched in my throat, and I spun around, hiding behind the bathroom wall. The last thing I needed right now was for Canada to see me half-naked.

I closed the bathroom door, carefully and silently, then pressed my ear against the wall to listen for the sound of footsteps that indicated Canada had left the room. Suddenly, I remember the floors were carpeted. I wouldn't be able to hear when Canada leave.

Shit. I swore mentally, trying to figure out how to know when Canada had left without him seeing me. I tried looking under the bathroom door, but it wasn't high enough. I tried opening the door just a crack, but it seemed too obvious.

After a couple of minutes, there was a knock at the front door, and I almost cheered. From the other side of the door, I heard Canada say, "Who could that be this late?"

I waited until I heard England's voice saying hello to Canada, and Canada returning the greeting. I bolted, quickly darting from the bathroom to the dresser in the blink of an eye.

Pulling open a drawer, I noticed Canada organized the clothes by dresses, shirts, pants, skirts, and nightclothes, but the sixth remaining drawer was left nearly empty, save for a few socks and tights rolled into little balls.

On the floor, I noticed three more pairs of socks, one of them half rolled into a ball. Even from where I was standing, I could see all of the, ahem, other clothing was still in the bag, completely untouched.

I couldn't help but giggle a bit. He was so cute, being so shy and all. I couldn't but remember how, when watching the show, I always had a massive crush on Canada. And America, Japan, England, and a tiny one on Russia, but it was usually only when he was being stalked by Belarus.

"It was so nice of you to take her in, Canada." I froze, hearing England's voice approaching the door. Pulling a nightgown from the drawer, I re-shut it and pulled the garment over my head.

It was Liechtenstein's, so it was a little lower than knee-length, and was a dark maroon color with a tiny white bow on the collar, and white half-circle buttons on the back, trailing from the neckline down to where just above my hips would be.

Just as soon as I started on the first button, Canada and England appeared at the door. I smiled at them, saying hello to England as well.

"Hello there, Spraypaint. Just checking in to make sure everything's gone well." England said, making my smile brighter.

I was fumbling with button number two as I tried to get it to work. The cast on my arm made it extremely hard for me to do just about anything, and even more so considering I was right-handed.

"Would you... Would you like some help with that?" England offered, motioning to the dress. I blinked, standing still for less then a moment before nodding and walking over to him with a small 'thank you'. I turned around and pulled my waist-length black hair over my shoulder, holding it there so it wouldn't get in the way.

I realized letting England help with the dress was a mistake from the second he even moved his hands to start buttoning it. At that moment, I was glad he couldn't see me, because I was a brighter red than one of Romano's tomatoes.

At one point, England's hand accidentally touched the small of my back. It was quicker than a second, and I'm not even sure he noticed, but I still tensed, biting my tongue so I wouldn't let out a fangirly squeal.

He finished buttoning up the dress faster than I had even gotten the first button done, "There." At England's words, I turned back around and let my hair fall back into place. "Thanks." I said again, for the third time that night.

"So, it seems things are all going splendidly. Seeing as you're dressed in your nightclothes, I'm assuming you're about to go to bed." I think I missed something he said. I was too busy listening to just his accent to really pay attention. "I'll be off now. Good night, Spraypaint."

"Good night to you, too, England. And thanks again for checking up on me." England beamed, "Not a problem at all, dear." Siiiigh. He called me dear...

"Would you like some maple syrup?" Canada's voice caught me off guard. I suddenly realized England was gone, and in his place was a white mug with the Canadian maple leaf on it.

I blinked. "What?" Canada glanced to the side awkwardly, "I always have maple syrup before bed. I was wondering if you might want some, too." I noticed he was actually holding two mugs, one for himself and the other for me.

With yet another thanks, I graciously took the cup. The maple syrup wasn't really that bad. It had been heated up so it was about the thickness of hot chocolate. In fact, it tasted a lot like hot chocolate. Very sweet hot chocolate.

Both Canada and I eventually went off to bed. I noticed Canada's room was directly across from me, which made me smile a bit. For some reason, I felt safer.

Safer from what? A voice in the back of my head asked. And I didn't reply, because I didn't have an answer. At least not one I wanted to admit. But that night I fell asleep slowly, and the last thought that left my mind was safer from home.

Yay for chapter three! I actually have six chapters written, and I'm just waiting to see if I should continue before I post anything else. I'm not sure whether this story will have Spraypaint end up with Canda, or someone else, or wind up going back home. I guess I'll just go where the reviews take me.