Work Text:
Today was that day. After his father's death, Baldwin did not like his birthdays. So far, he managed to avoid relatives and parties that his new sister Diana loved to arrange. Baldwin liked her, she was courageous and rebellious, his father liked such persons, no wonder father adopted her.
Diana did not know about Baldwin’s birthday, and no one from the family had yet told her about it. Baldwin hoped to hide this day from her as long as possible.
Today, as always, this day he was in his villa in Tuscany. He was holding in his hands one of the last presents of his father, old by modern standards, pocket watch. These watches Philippe gave Baldwin after the First World War. In the watch, according to the father, was all that is needed for the modern vampire. In watch, except for clocks it was the date, month, moonday indication and compass. But the essence of the gift was different, and Baldwin understood this much later.
When Philippe handed him this watch, Baldwin was skeptical of the gift. He knew how his father liked watches and what usually happens with his watches. Philippe had a habit of having fun every Christmas, he destroyed antique clocks, father won the clock from King Francis in the cards. Philippe blew up the clock, drowned, added new functions, and then all following year restored clock. In the end, the clock just burned.
When Philippe gave him a watch, Baldwin was waiting for a trick, waiting for explode or release poison, or thorns, or some other dirty trick. Father sometimes gave him poisoned gifts. Philippe liked to watch his sons get hurt. He threw his dagger at them, fought with them to the blood or forced Baldwin to fight Matthew.
But this watch was the most ordinary, in spite of himself the father did nothing wrong with the watch. Philippe gave him a watch here in this house about 100 years ago. World War I recently ended, Matthew wanted to go back to study and this time chose Oxford. Ysabeau seemed to like that Matthew wants to study so much. Over and over again his younger brother started out as a student and complete their education a PhD or professor and started all over again. And quoting a father in mockery “in every ending there is a new beginning”.
Baldwin twirl the watch in his hands and remembered his father, now he would give much to see his father again, to ride side by side, hunt together, fight next to him. He would never admit to anyone, but he was afraid of Philippe, he was afraid to disappoint his father. Now, almost 80 years after the death of Philippe, Baldwin is afraid only of being unworthy of taking place of father. And the watch is ticking, fulfilling its true purpose - to remind that Baldwin as time will be always, even now his father reminds his son whom Baldwin really is.