Cross The Line Again

Chapter Five

   The soft glow of morning light crept through the windows, catching in golden hues on blond hair as England slept soundly. The only noises in the room were of his soft breathing, along with a quiet ticking from a near by clock.

  The rest of the house was peacefully silent for the most part. The only disturbance being quiet foot steps and a soft click from a closed door. Scotland shouldered his bag and took one last look through throughout the house, making sure he left nothing.

   Well, almost nothing. Sitting quaintly on England's coffee table was the teapot Scotland discreetly bought the day before. It glittered dimly in the morning sun, looking perfectly at home on the little table. To be honest, Scotland wouldn't be surprised if England didn't notice it right away. It's no secret that quite a few of the teapots he owns are used as decoration.

Scotland gently brushed two fingers over the teapot with a soft smile before he made his way towards England's room. He slowly turned the knob before nudging the door open, mindful of the creek it occasionally made.

Just as he expected, England was still sleeping. He quietly padded to his side, pulling the blanket up a bit once he made it over. For once, England looked completely at ease, as though he had no worries in the world. A truly rare feeling among countries.

Scotland softly brushed the wayward hair out of England's face before murmuring "I need to leave a bit earlier than planned, try not to get into too much trouble.".

He took one last glance at England before he turned and made his way out, silently closing the door behind him. The younger would undoubtedly call him, ranting and raving once he realizes Scotland left without a proper goodbye. Oh well, it's not like it would be anything new.

The last sound to reverberate throughout the house was the front door shutting and locking.

Emerald eyes slowly blinked open, assaulted by the light shining through open curtains. England groaned as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He laid in bed a few moments longer, waiting for the motivation to leave such a warm, comfortable place. As he laid in his bed, he noticed that the house was unusually silent.

Or at least unusual for when Scotland was visiting. The redhead was often up and about before the sun rose, and he certainly wasn't this silent. Normally he'd be banging pans around in the kitchen long before now.

England slid out of his bed and padded down the hall. As he thought, there was nearly no noise at all. He quietly opened the door to the room Scotland was staying in. It was empty, and oddly neat. The bed was made, pillows neatly arranged, no clothes strewn about.

He left the guest room and made his way to the kitchen. Still no sign of Scotland. Lastly he walked into the living room, nothing. Scotland wasn't in the house. England walked a little quicker than he'd be willing to admit to the front door. He unlocked it and pulled it open, only to see Scotland's car gone.

He left before England woke. The blond bit his lip and looked down, attempting to swallow his disappointment. It wasn't the first time Scotland had done this, but he still could of at least woke England up. Hell, even a note taped to the door or something would of been acceptable.

England shut the door and wandered back into the living room, flopping down on the couch. He sighed and laid an arm over his eyes. He would rather die than say it, but he loved having Scotland stay over. Sure, they fought often, but it was never serious. They usually made up within an hour or two.

Scotland most of the time, when he wasn't being a complete moron, was a comforting presence. He was always willing to just sit next to England and silently listen. He would offer comfort when requested, and occasionally sound advice when needed. Even if it wasn't want England wanted to hear.

He let his arm slip off his face and hand over the edge of the couch. A moment later he noticed something twinkle out of the corner of his eye. When he turned his head he noticed a teapot. The light had turned the ivory color nearly gold, making the green of the clovers stand out beautifully.

   England tried to recall such a teapot in his collection, and why it would just be sitting on the table in front of his couch. The longer he looked the more foreign it seemed. He truly couldn't recall owning such a teapot.

   Suddenly the little store he pulled Scotland into flashed into his mind. Normally Scotland stayed by his side when they were out shopping, however he remembered Scotland staying behind looking at a shelf of teapots. England's mouth dropped open slightly as the realization dawned.

   Scotland had bought this. It was why he told England to just wait by the front, he wanted it to be a surprise. Props to him, England was surprised. It was rare when Scotland actually bought a thoughtful gift, not just something he thought was funny.

   England sat up and slowly reached out for the teapot. It was smooth and cool to the touch as he picked it up. He pulled it closer admiring the subtle designs, the thin outline of gold framing the clovers, the barely noticeable marble effect the ivory gave the pot. It wouldn't of guessed Scotland to have such a keen eye, everyday holds new surprises.

   He felt a smile slowly forming as a warm feeling settled in his chest.

   He didn't take his eyes off the teapot. "I suppose I could let him off the hook, just this once."

   England set the teapot back on the table and got up, he needed to get ready for the day, as well as make a phone call to a certain redhead.