Fairy Crowns - 1a
anonymous
March 18 2011, 15:42:45 UTC
“Ludwig? Ludwig, are you out there?”
“Brother?” a small voice, answered. Gilbert sighed through his nose, relieved that the little child hadn’t gone far. Gilbert leaned against the doorframe, his broken arm resting gingerly in the sling that Ludwig had hurriedly tied out of a bed sheet.
“Ludwig, what are you doing?” Gilbert called. Ludwig looked up, his blue eyes shining, and Gilbert felt his heart melt. Ludwig smiled as big as his rosy cheeks would allow and spread his arms wide.
“It’s the last warm day of the summer!” he proclaimed. “The buds are going to sleep soon!”
“I see,” Gilbert said, and his lips curved into a smile. Ludwig’s blonde hair was swept back behind his ears (he needed it cut, he started looking a little girly) and he was wearing a simple beige frock with a belt. He wasn’t fond of dressing himself properly , even though the weather was turning cool again. “Be careful, Ludwig.”
Ludwig touched each stalk, each leaf as he passed, his thin fingers stroking the pieces tenderly. Gilbert couldn’t believe the tenderness he showed the waning plants, and he watched as Ludwig stooped over, sifting through the dirt and silt. What flowers had powered through the first frost was standing strong, but their lives were coming to the end.
Gilbert pushed off the door frame, winced, and hobbled down the back stairs. He was still wounded from battle, and even though he would heal, it would take time, and he’d been living under Ludwig’s watchful eye for days. It was relaxing to see Ludwig out among the wildlife he loved so much.
Gilbert settled on the bottom stair, the wood groaning under his weight.
“Ludi, don’t stray,” Gilbert called. He glanced down at the dirt under his feet, and noticed some of the dying daisies. He plucked one from the dirt and fingered the stem until there was a slit right under the bud. He plucked another, and slid the first through the slit and fastened it into place. An old habit he picked up from Elizabeta in his childhood days.
It was kind of girly to do, but it was soothing, and it busied his hands. Even though his right arm was broken, he could still flex his wrists and tie flowers together.
Nimble fingers sliced through nubile stems and he let his fingers go on automatic, and his thoughts drifted lazily down a river of memories.
“Brother?” Gilbert looked up, and Ludwig had wandered over and settled beside his brother, leaning against his leg, an armful of daisies.
“I didn’t want them to die in the frost,” Ludwig explained as he followed Gilbert’s gaze. “So I picked them.”
“I see,” Gilbert said, and he slit another stem with his thumbnail, sliding another daisy through. Ludwig watched intently, and then looked down at his own bouquet. A sweet-smelling breeze picked up and ruffled the petals, and a bird sang in the distance.
The two brothers sat in a comfortable silence, Ludwig leaning against Gilbert’s leg, his little head moving gently as he struggled with his own fairy crown.
Gilbert hummed gently, a battle song the soldiers sang while trapped in war’s embrace, and Ludwig added his own harmony. Gilbert had finished the crown he had been making, tying the ends together as best he could, his fingertips wet from the water inside the flowers, and he stroked Ludwig’s blonde hair and rotated his thumb in small circles on his scalp. He was so small, and so tender, and so beautiful.
Re: Fairy Crowns - 1b
anonymous
March 18 2011, 15:44:33 UTC
Scarlet eyes focused on blonde hair, and Gilbert gingerly lay the fairy crown on Ludwig’s head, the flowers resting on his forehead, the green popping out in contrast to his silver-blonde.
Ludwig’s eyes trailed up, and behind the stark irises and small pupils of Gilbert’s eyes, Ludwig recognized the soft love of a brother.
“Hold still, brother,” Ludwig ordered, and he stood up, climbing up a step so he was just a bit taller than Gilbert sitting, and he settled his clumsy fairy crown on Gilbert’s head. Gilbert shifted just a bit, and allowed Ludwig to fool in his hair, the little fingers dancing across his forehead.
“There,” Ludwig said happily. Gilbert looked up at Ludwig, who was smiling pleasantly at the ring of flowers, his own crown making him look like some impish elf.
Ludwig extended his arms and cupped Gilbert’s head in his arms, laying a chaste kiss to the crown of Gilbert’s head. He could feel Ludwig” press his cheek to the top of his head.
“Ich liebe dich, mein Bruder,” Ludwig whispered. It was rare for the younger to be affectionate, but Gilbert knew that Ludwig would give anything for him, and Gilbert would just as quickly lay down his life for Ludwig.
Re: Fairy Crowns - 1b
anonymous
March 18 2011, 17:37:35 UTC
*is a puddle on the floor* One thing though, "Ich liebe dich" this I believe is used for lovers in German. I think you meant for their relationship to be familiar, so I think you would use something else. Good story though! You made me melt.
Re: Fairy Crowns - 1b
anonymous
March 18 2011, 18:37:48 UTC
I thought it was something like that, but I was having trouble finding anything otherwise. I'll make a note so that if I de-anon I can make it correct. Thank you for the gracious comment! :)
Re: Fairy Crowns - 1b
anonymous
March 18 2011, 19:02:16 UTC
It added an interesting and ominous note to a very sweet story to have Prussia's arm broken - gives the sense that all the nations' power-struggles are still going on, but Germany is, for the moment, sheltered from it. Nice piece of work!
Re: Fairy Crowns - 1b
anonymous
April 17 2011, 14:13:44 UTC
German anon here. :) It's right that we don't use "ich liebe dich" as much as the equivalent is used in english, but it is okay to say it in a family love relationship too. "Ich liebe dich" sounds a lot more intense than saying "ich hab dich lieb" or "Ich mag dich" (I like you), that's why it's used more rarely, but in such a situation it was fitting the atmosphere.
“Brother?” a small voice, answered. Gilbert sighed through his nose, relieved that the little child hadn’t gone far. Gilbert leaned against the doorframe, his broken arm resting gingerly in the sling that Ludwig had hurriedly tied out of a bed sheet.
“Ludwig, what are you doing?” Gilbert called. Ludwig looked up, his blue eyes shining, and Gilbert felt his heart melt. Ludwig smiled as big as his rosy cheeks would allow and spread his arms wide.
“It’s the last warm day of the summer!” he proclaimed. “The buds are going to sleep soon!”
“I see,” Gilbert said, and his lips curved into a smile. Ludwig’s blonde hair was swept back behind his ears (he needed it cut, he started looking a little girly) and he was wearing a simple beige frock with a belt. He wasn’t fond of dressing himself properly , even though the weather was turning cool again. “Be careful, Ludwig.”
Ludwig touched each stalk, each leaf as he passed, his thin fingers stroking the pieces tenderly. Gilbert couldn’t believe the tenderness he showed the waning plants, and he watched as Ludwig stooped over, sifting through the dirt and silt. What flowers had powered through the first frost was standing strong, but their lives were coming to the end.
Gilbert pushed off the door frame, winced, and hobbled down the back stairs. He was still wounded from battle, and even though he would heal, it would take time, and he’d been living under Ludwig’s watchful eye for days. It was relaxing to see Ludwig out among the wildlife he loved so much.
Gilbert settled on the bottom stair, the wood groaning under his weight.
“Ludi, don’t stray,” Gilbert called. He glanced down at the dirt under his feet, and noticed some of the dying daisies. He plucked one from the dirt and fingered the stem until there was a slit right under the bud. He plucked another, and slid the first through the slit and fastened it into place. An old habit he picked up from Elizabeta in his childhood days.
It was kind of girly to do, but it was soothing, and it busied his hands. Even though his right arm was broken, he could still flex his wrists and tie flowers together.
Nimble fingers sliced through nubile stems and he let his fingers go on automatic, and his thoughts drifted lazily down a river of memories.
“Brother?” Gilbert looked up, and Ludwig had wandered over and settled beside his brother, leaning against his leg, an armful of daisies.
“I didn’t want them to die in the frost,” Ludwig explained as he followed Gilbert’s gaze. “So I picked them.”
“I see,” Gilbert said, and he slit another stem with his thumbnail, sliding another daisy through. Ludwig watched intently, and then looked down at his own bouquet. A sweet-smelling breeze picked up and ruffled the petals, and a bird sang in the distance.
The two brothers sat in a comfortable silence, Ludwig leaning against Gilbert’s leg, his little head moving gently as he struggled with his own fairy crown.
Gilbert hummed gently, a battle song the soldiers sang while trapped in war’s embrace, and Ludwig added his own harmony. Gilbert had finished the crown he had been making, tying the ends together as best he could, his fingertips wet from the water inside the flowers, and he stroked Ludwig’s blonde hair and rotated his thumb in small circles on his scalp. He was so small, and so tender, and so beautiful.
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Ludwig’s eyes trailed up, and behind the stark irises and small pupils of Gilbert’s eyes, Ludwig recognized the soft love of a brother.
“Hold still, brother,” Ludwig ordered, and he stood up, climbing up a step so he was just a bit taller than Gilbert sitting, and he settled his clumsy fairy crown on Gilbert’s head. Gilbert shifted just a bit, and allowed Ludwig to fool in his hair, the little fingers dancing across his forehead.
“There,” Ludwig said happily. Gilbert looked up at Ludwig, who was smiling pleasantly at the ring of flowers, his own crown making him look like some impish elf.
Ludwig extended his arms and cupped Gilbert’s head in his arms, laying a chaste kiss to the crown of Gilbert’s head. He could feel Ludwig” press his cheek to the top of his head.
“Ich liebe dich, mein Bruder,” Ludwig whispered. It was rare for the younger to be affectionate, but Gilbert knew that Ludwig would give anything for him, and Gilbert would just as quickly lay down his life for Ludwig.
“Ich weiß, Ludwig,” Gilbert mumbled back. “Ich weiß.”
--
Sorry it's so short! I hope OP likes it!!
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It's right that we don't use "ich liebe dich" as much as the equivalent is used in english, but it is okay to say it in a family love relationship too.
"Ich liebe dich" sounds a lot more intense than saying "ich hab dich lieb" or "Ich mag dich" (I like you), that's why it's used more rarely, but in such a situation it was fitting the atmosphere.
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