DC Headcanon's 6: Sparkle Sparkle!

Relief

West Virginia looked at his cousin sitting down the table from him, feeling his chest clench hard. Kentucky looked exhausted, hair a mess and eyes glassy from lack of sleep. He knew he shouldn't feel any sympathy for the border state, especially because his people didn't get rid of slavery despite being neutral, but Georgia was dead, and Kentucky was left alone with his children.

Kentucky was slowly losing his mind.

The new state sighed and tried to listen to their leader, go on and on about how the war was coming to a close. His eyes kept drifting over to Kentucky who kept catching himself falling asleep, slowly losing his battle to stay awake, wondering how many days his cousin stayed away, how many days he had to put on a happy face for his children, what inner turmoil was going on in his cousin's head.

He felt insanely guilty for what he knew.

The leader called for a break, and as the states got up to chat, West Virginia stood up and slowly made his way towards his cousin.

"Hey Ken." West Virginia greeted. Kentucky grunted in response.

"How....how you holding up?" West Virginia asked as Kentucky took out a cigarette.

"Oh just wonderful." Kentucky muttered, lighting his cigarette and blowing out smoke. "Dee had a meltdown this morning, and Izzy nearly burnt the kitchen down."

"Heh, single parenting huh?" West Virginia teased. Kentucky glared at West Virginia through the smoke and the young state knew when to back off.

"So why are you over here? I know you hate me." Kentucky muttered, sucking in more smoke.

"Ken, we're family, I don't hate you." West Virginia whispeed.

"That's not what you said when I wrote to you when looking for safety." Kentucky pointed out. West Virginia ran a hand down his face.

"Look, the war was hell for all of us..."

"Really? The war was hell? Really West Virginia tell me, how was the war hell for you? Is your husband dead? Are you left with small children? No? Then maybe shut the FUCK UP." Kentucky yelled.

"Your husbands not DEAD Ken!" West Virginia yelled. Kentucky glared at his cousin, his tired eyes wet and shiny.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Kentucky hissed.

"He's alive Ken, he's with the other southern states." West Virginia explained. Kentucky rolled his eyes, putting the cigarette back in his mouth.

"I don't have fucking time for this." Kentucky muttered. West Virginia sighed and looked back at the states, still gathered around each other chatting. He turned back to his cousin, who was sucking back on his cigarette, and grabbed his arm.

"The hell?" Kentucky hissed.

"C'mon, I need to show you something." West Virginia whispered, forcing Kentucky up.

"He's going to start the meeting up again." Kentucky pointed out.

"It won't take that long, c'mon." West Virginia hissed, pulling Kentucky away. Kentucky rolled his eyes and stuck the cigarette back in his mouth, allowing his cousin to drag him out of the meeting room.

The two approached a small farm house in the center of a clearing right near the busy mall where the states were having their meeting. West Virginia approached the building with Kentucky lagging behind, stopping and turning to his cousin.

"Stay here, I have to go talk to them." West Virginia ordered.

"This is a waste of time." Kentucky muttered, smashing his cigarette but allowing his cousin to go off. West Virginia quickly walked over to the front door, which was guarded by two Union soldiers.