ASP One Shots/Songfics

Homeward

(Brinker's POV)

Sitting on the train, I look out the window and think. 'Finally, the war is over. I can see Leper again'. My boyfriend Leper and I had enlisted at the same time, but we were split into two different divisions. It's been months, and I can't wait to see him again. Once we get together, I'm going to take him for a nice dinner, and then we'll just relax, cuddle, and watch a nature documentary. Knowing him, it'll be about snails. I fidget in my seat, wanting to arrive at the train station. The guy sitting across from me notices.

"Nervous jitters?" he asks.

"No, just excited," I answer.

"Ah, I get it. Got someone waiting for you, don't ya?"

"Yeah. I've missed them. A lot."

"I understand. I've got a wife and a son I haven't seen in over a couple years. I've missed them." He drops the conversation there and starts talking to someone else. I stare out the window once more, fantasizing about what it'll be like when I see Leper.

(Time Skip)

The train pulls into the station, causing me to sit up. I guess I had drifted off at some point, because the last thing I remember was thinking about Leper while watching fields and cities go by. A bunch of guys get up and flood the narrow walkway, and it's a miracle I can even leave my seat. Once I finally get off the train, I scan the sea of people for Leper. I maneuver around multiple soldiers and their families, looking for my boyfriend. My train was the last to arrive, so Leper should be here. I️ feel a tap on my shoulder and I️ whirled around, expecting it to be Leper. Instead, it's a captain with a stack of letters in his hand.

"Are you Brinker Hadley?" he asks me.

"Yes I️ am, sir. Why do you ask?" I️ respond. He silently takes a letter out of his stack and hands it to me. I️ look at the front and see my name scrawled across the front. A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. I️ step out of the large crowds and lean against the wall of the train station. It's there where I️ open the letter. It's there where I️ read the first sentence. It's there where my world falls apart. It's there when the tears begin to cascade down my face. With disbelieving, teary eyes, I️ read the first sentence one more time.

'On Saturday November 4, Elwin Lepellier was pronounced dead from two bullet wounds to the heart.'

Word Count: 429

A/N- Hadlier angst. Wow, I write a lot of angst.