Chapter Text
Erik was about to go to bed when his phone rang. Only one person could call him this late.
“Hi Wille, what’s up?” He said when the video connected. His little brother, ever since entering Hillerska, often called him. Sometimes to catch up, sometimes because he had trouble sleeping. Erik knew Wilhelm missed him a lot and to be honest, he missed him too. And while he truly believed Hillerska would do him good, he couldn’t help but worry for Wilhelm.
And when he registered Wilhelm’s expression on the screen, he knew his concerns were founded. Something was wrong. “Hey, what’s going on?” he added.
“Is it true?” Wilhelm asked instead of replying. Erik hated the anger and sadness in his brother’s voice.
“What, what is true? What’s going on, Wilhelm?”
“August’s initiation? Is it true? You were there?” Wilhelm started to tear up.
“Well, yes, I was there, I was a third year back then. But what about it? Why—” But Erik couldn’t finish his sentence. Wilhelm had hung up on him.
During the next few days, Erik tried to contact Wille but none of his calls were answered. He called August, to know what was going on with his brother, but August couldn’t tell him much. He told Erik that Wilhelm seemed fine, except that he was hanging out a lot with a non-res.
At least Wilhelm had a friend, but why wouldn’t he talk to him?! And what was all that about August’s initiation? Why did Wilhelm seem upset about it? The initiation was always the same, so Wilhelm must have had the same initiation as him and as August. Right?
But Wilhelm wouldn’t be able to ignore him forever. Christmas was coming soon, and it was already determined that Erik was going to pick him up from Hillerska.
Or so he thought.
After days of silence, he finally got a text back from his brother.
Wilhelm
I already asked mom to send someone to pick me up so don’t bother.
Erik didn’t know what to do. Wilhelm was definitely mad at him for some reason and that never happened before. Sure, they had arguments before, but they always tried to makeup as soon as possible, especially Wilhelm, who absolutely hated conflicts.
So this meant something was wrong. Very wrong.
Wilhelm got back home a day later. Erik was waiting to greet him, and maybe have a talk, but Wilhelm shot him a death glare full or hurt and sadness and went straight to his room, leaving Erik speechless.
At dinner, Wilhelm sat down at the table after greeting their parents who weren’t there when he came back from school. But no words for Erik. Not even a glance.
Erik couldn’t take it anymore.
“So, how was the last days of school, Wille?” Erik tried after taking a bite from his plate. He figured it was best to try to open Wilhelm up a little before confronting him about his avoidance.
“None of your business,” Wille replied, earning a gasp from their mother.
“Wilhelm, that is no way to speak to your brother!” she scolded him.
Erik was shocked. This wasn’t his brother. His little brother always looked up to him, always wanted to spend time with him, was always kind to him. Erik didn’t think Hillerska could change him that much.
“Wille, I don’t know why you’re mad at me, so you have to tell me what’s going on,” Erik said, forcing his tone to be as gentle as possible. But it didn’t work.
“It wouldn’t change anything anyway,” Wille said before standing up and leaving the table.
“Wilhelm, come back here!” Their mother snapped. But Wille was already at the door, leaving the room. “Wilh—”
“I’ll take care of it,” Erik interrupted. Besides, this was between him and his brother.
Wilhelm was long gone when Erik reached the corridor. He tried Wilhelm’s room, but the door was wide open with no sign of his brother in it. There was only another place where he could be.
He made his way to the music room, brushing his hair back. He told his mom he was going to deal with it, but honestly, he had no idea how. It was truly the first time Wilhelm acted like that towards him and it was concerning.
When Erik opened the door, Wilhelm was indeed there, sitting in front of the piano, playing some notes mindlessly. When he noticed Erik, he shot him another glare full of hurt and sorrow. Erik wished he could hug that sadness away and have his little brother back.
“Go away, I don’t want to talk to you,” Wilhelm told him, breaking Erik’s heart a little more.
“Please, Wille, I just want to understand!”
Wilhelm shook his head, a single tear escaping his eyes. “So you really don’t get what you did wrong…” He had said it so quietly, almost to himself.
“What? What did I do?” Erik was so lost. “Is it about the initiation? Didn’t you get one? Maybe I should’ve told you about it and—”
“Oh yeah, I did get one,” Wilhelm interrupted him. “But from what I’ve heard, mine was very different.”
This confused Erik even more. “And what, you’re upset it was different?”
Wilhelm laughed at him sarcastically. “I can’t fucking believe it…”
Erik took a deep breath, feeling frustration get to him. “Wille, please, I just want to understand!”
Wilhelm stared at him. “The gay porn, is it true? Did you really make your first year watch gay porn and beat them up if they got an erection?”
“What? That?” Erik almost wanted to laugh. His brother really could find the most insignificant thing to be upset about. “Come on Wille, that was just a joke! All the guys found that funny!”
“A joke?!” Wilhelm snapped, angrier than Erik ever saw him. “You think this was a joke?!”
“Yes! Isn’t it the point of initiation? To have fun and bond together?”
“Maybe it was a joke for you,” Wilhelm replied darkly. “But it wasn’t a joke for everyone. And it’s not a joke for me.”
“You weren’t even there!” Erik countered. “I don’t understand why you’re so upset about this!”
Then Wilhelm said the last thing he ever thought would come out of his little brother’s mouth.
“Erik, I have a boyfriend.”