Connor waved back, shooting Wilhelm a quick smile. He crouched by his bed, digging through his bag and looking for something.
Pheasant Brook (O/O with Icarus!)
Wilhelm looked at Connor curiously, but said nothing. He didn’t sit up, only turned his head to see what Connor was doing. Wilhelm’s hands moved from his stomach to his hair, pushing and combing it out of his face.
Connor eventually pulled out a small photo album, and sat down on his bed to page through it.
He drew a blanket over himself, sitting up the smallest amount. Wilhelm rubbed his eyes, glancing out the window.
He kept flipping through the photo album, eyes lingering on images of his mother, or father.
“What’re you looking at?” Wilhelm’s eyes finally landed on Connor, his head tilted curiously. “If you’re alright saying.”
Connor blinked, and looked up. "Hm? Oh. Family pictures." He replied with a smile.
He nodded, sitting up further. Wilhelm’s back rested against his headboard, his knees drawn up close to his chest. “That’s nice.”
(I'm actually about to go offline for today…sorry! I might be on later tho but idk)
He smiled a little. "It's…all I have left." He replied, his smile turning bittersweet as his eyes went back to the album.
(alright, that’s fine! bye!)
“..Sure, right.” Wilhelm nodded again. He felt weird saying anything else- after all, he could sympathize, but trying to empathize with Connor’s situation felt alien and fake.
"Sorry, that was…dark." Connor let out a low laugh. "Ah just…don't want ta forget what they looked like, y'know? An'…if ah'd left it at m' uncle's house and he'd found it…he probably would have taken it."
“No, it’s fine, don’t be sorry.” Wilhelm rubbed his eyes. “I understand. It’s not the same situation at all, but I have a few photos of Heinrich- the brother I told you about. Not that I’m in danger of having the photos taken away, but..” He shrugged, almost regretting opening his mouth at all.
Connor nodded a little. "Yeah. M' uncle…he an' m' father did nae get along, and he isn't happy tha' ah'm goin' ta inherit everything from my father. So." He shrugged his shoulders.
“I see.” Wilhelm nodded the smallest amount. “That’s.. terrible, Connor. I’m sorry, I really am.” His posture became a little more closed off as he drew himself further in and rested his elbows on top of his knees.
Connor shrugged again. "Tha's how life is. Two years an' ah'll be twenty and ah inherit, an' then ah can move back t' Scotland an' ne'er hae ta see him again."
Wilhelm let out a soft sigh. “You’re right, you’re right. In two years hopefully I’ll be back in Germany. Pray the economy stabilizes first.” He laughed, though if one read through the sick humor of it all they would be able to hear a twinge of exhaustion and sadness.
Connor nodded a little bit. "Yeah. Sorry about that, man." he replied, looking over at Wilhelm.
“What? You don’t have to be sorry, you didn’t wreck the damn thing. I only miss the place, is all.” Wilhelm cocked his head, now thoroughly convinced that that was the wrong thing to say at the time. Trying to laugh it off felt fake, though being candid felt whiny. “That’s all.”
He let out a faint laugh. "Well yeah, ah did nae wreck 't, bu' ah know tha' my country did. An'…" he shrugged his shoulders, running a hand through his curls.
“You’re different. I’m not going to hold you accountable for the sins of your home.” Wilhelm shook his head. “That would be stupid.”
He chuckled at that. "Yeah, tha's true." he brushed a finger over the photo album, eyes flicking from it to Wilhelm.
Wilhelm went quiet again. It was hard to tell what he could be thinking just by looking at him, given that Wilhelm looked a little zoned out and spacey.
Connor looked back down at his album, turning the page.
(also I won't be super active tomorrow, it's my brother's bday)
(alright, nbd! enjoy your time!)
His head turned to the window again. Wilhelm, finally snapped back into reality, took up his normal position of standing by the window. Outside, the sun smiled in the sky.
Connor kept looking through the album, biting his lip just a little bit as he did. I miss them.
Wilhelm was suddenly beginning to regret bringing up his brother. Grief that he thought he had gotten over welled up like a pit in his stomach, leaving him with a sinking hole in his gut.
Connor bit his lip, one hand reaching up to hold onto the necklace around his neck. Ma, I miss your stories.
It should’ve been me. God, Heinrich, why didn’t you dodge it like the neighbors? Wilhelm bit the inside of his cheek. His eyes stayed glued to the scenery outside the window.
He closed his eyes for a moment. Why did da have to die? It was just a damned infection.