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The train was rather packed with a lot of civilians boarding, surprisingly, on Christmas Eve too. Timothy, always the charming and interactive brother between the Von Krugers, has been busying himself with the other passengers, getting to learn all of their names when he happens to bump into someone familiar.
A white-haired, tied neatly, wearing those glasses he'd never forget. Timothy's smile grew widely, he was rather too fond of this person.
“How do you do, Silas?” Timothy spoke up, sweetly, “It must be fate that we happen to board the same voyage, isn't it?”
Silas nervously smiled as he stuttered his response, “I- I’m rather quite fine…,” The professor seems to have ignored his other question, though that was fine. Timothy was teasing him after all.
Timothy chuckled, tilting his head to the side, giving a smaller and softer smile. “That’s wonderful to hear. It has been quite some time, hasn't it? Ah, a Merry Christmas to you, Silas.”
“To y- you as well, Von Kruger…” Silas showed teeth in his awkward smile this time. Timothy thought it was adorable, he fell into a state of awe for a moment.
The atmosphere between them settled in a bit of silence as passengers passed by in between them. Timothy had placed his palms inside his pockets as he awaited a mother and a child to finally walk through them.
Timothy finally gets to see the other’s face once more, stepping close to him this time so no one else could go between the two. Silas tried to step back a bit away from him before he realised what was behind him was a table, and the train was ever so cramped. Timothy had to fight back a laugh at that attempt.
“Would you happen to have gotten your room key and number, Silas?” The Von Kruger asked.
Silas had reached into his pocket to read the envelope that was given to him along with his key, “A- ah y- yes… I have. I- I’ll be r- residing in room four.”
At that, Timothy’s big smile returned once more, “Well, it appears we'll be bunking up together, Silas,” he says with a hum.
Silas froze and frowned for a moment upon Timothy’s response. Timothy thought it was hilarious.
“A- ah…” seemingly snapping out of it, his lips nervously quivering into a knowing smile, “H- how lovely…!”
To Timothy, it acts like he's hiding that he didn't want to bunk with him, considering their history together. How hilarious, he thinks, the professor happens to be studying history as well if he recalls correctly.
Timothy moved his hand off his pocket and reached to hold Silas’s palm, “Should we go to our shared accommodations, Mr Silas?”
“C- Certainly!” Silas nervously chuckled, “L- lead the way, Mr Kruger…” he mutters out, before he stares at Timothy’s hand that was extended to him. The professor chooses to ignore that and look away, much to Timothy’s disappointment.
Timothy just shrugs it off and moves his arm away, as he begins to escort Silas to their room. He looks up at the signs in each room. ‘Room five, Room three, Room nine.’ Why was this so unorganised?
Finally, the two arrived at their room. He waits for Silas to get close to him as he gestures to the door of their compartment. “After you.” He grins at the white-haired man as he pulls his own key to unlock the door.
“H- how kind of you,” Silas mumbles out, before he slowly opens the door. To both of their surprises, they were accompanied by another person.
“Ah…” Timothy smiles before he enters the room, “Hello there, and who may you be?” he can hear Silas behind him closing the door and shutting it.
“My name is Edith Winifred King.” She replies, she appeared to have worries in her mind, but she seemed friendly nonetheless. Timothy thinks, “And you two?”
“My name is Timothy Von Kruger. Accompanied here with me is Mr Silas A.P. Saparata. It appears the three of us will be bunking together.” Timothy says, rather approachable and kind. He's delighted to meet other people after all.
Edith frowns at that, fidgeting a bit, “We can't all be in the same room, there are only two beds,” she says as she turns around to look at the bunk beds behind her.
Ah, Timothy understands her worries now. That really is a problem. How did they even assign the passengers' cabins? Timothy should be with his family as well, yet here he was.
“Whatever shall we do?” Silas says rather dramatically, which got Timothy’s attention as a fit of soft laughter followed soon, with the Von Kruger laughing after him.
Edith groans softly and puts her hands on her face, covering it, “Acrimony… I’m not sharing with either of you.”
“It’s alright, I- I can back out… I’m s- sure there's” he pauses for a while, “e- extra seats for me to rest outside…” Silas turns around, about to unlock the door, only stopping his tracks when Timothy places a hand on his shoulder, rather carefully.
“No, Silas. We're good friends, are we not?” Timothy says in a teasing tone, quivering his lips up into a smirk. Silas, on the other hand, slowly turns his head around to look back at Timothy.
Suddenly, memories of their childhood flashed through Timothy’s mind. They were all happy and wonderful memories he's cherished.
“Y- yeah…” He stutters, smiling nervously as usual ever since he spotted Timothy. “Yeah, o- of course…”
Timothy couldn't help but giggle a bit more than usual at Silas’ response, which, in his eyes, was adorable.
“It’ll be just like old times, won't it, Silas?” Timothy moves his hand away from Silas’s shoulder. “Plus, it's the holidays. It'll be rather upsetting to spend it with yourself only, would it not? As well as it being cold outside…”
Silas looks at Timothy, frowning a bit, before sighing. “Yes… of c- course… Wouldn't want to b- be alone…”
Timothy smiled before he could feel Edith’s gaze upon the two of them as she cleared her throat, “I’ll be taking the top bunk then, gentlemen.” Edith says, having made up her mind.
Timothy turns his head and nods at the other person as Edith makes her way to climb on top of her claimed bed.
“It appears we'll be sharing more than just a room, hm, Silas?” Timothy grins rather mischievously, and he swears he could see Silas gulping nervously. “Hm? You seem rather nervous, Silas. Is there something on your mind?”
“A- ah…” Silas nervously begins, “It’s just this train… it’s making me quite lightheaded…” me mumbles out, as he looks back to the bed.
Edith chuckled from above, “I couldn't agree with you more. I'm more accustomed to flights. Have you ever flown, sir?” she asked in interest.
Timothy lets the two converse as he moves toward his shared bed with Silas, sitting on the edge of it. He couldn't help but stare at Silas from there.
“I- I haven't, no… it took me my whole savings just to book this voyage, after all… I don't think I'd be able to afford flights…” Silas responded, smiling genuinely at Edith, “It’d be nice, however…”
Timothy hums from his seat before calling for Silas, “Silas, my friend. If you're feeling lightheaded, won't you rest then? You can lie down first.” he pats the mattress beside him, as if waiting for Silas to come join him. “The bed is warm and comfortable.”
Silas stares at him as he quietly mumbles something to himself that Timothy doesn't catch. The other looks away from Timothy before he responds. “R- right…”
The professor walked closer to Timothy and sat next to him, the Von Kruger could see him shaking a bit. Timothy extends his hand to ease Silas by patting his back. “Won’t you relax, friend? You are rather stiff.”
Silas remains silent, not answering Timothy at all, before he moves a bit further away and slowly lies down in the bed, facing away from Timothy.
“G- Good night, Timothy.” He manages to say at least before he rests almost immediately after getting into their shared bed. A pity really, Timothy wanted to chat with him more, but if the other truly was lightheaded, he wouldn't want to bother him and would want the other to be well rested.
“Merry Christmas, Silas. Sleep well, friend.” Timothy blurts out softly and lifts his head to look up at Edith’s bed, “Merry Christmas, Edith!” he softly yells out. and he could barely hear Edith’s soft response back to greet him.
Timothy, despite not being too tired yet, lies down on the bed beside Silas, his back against Silas’s to avoid any awkward tension. Oh, but Timothy wanted nothing more than to see the other's face while sleeping. He knows it'll be too awkward either way.
So despite that, he decides to close his eyes and fall asleep like that, despite his own wants. This was already enough, oh, how happy that he found Silas once more after all these years.
—
Morning quickly arrived, and Timothy woke up in an empty bed. Silas was the first one up, it appears.
Timothy got up and walked outside his shared cabin. Apparently, Edith got up before him as well.
The Von Kruger made his way to a room where he spotted his brother and niece sitting at a table. When he was noticed by the two, they both smiled at him.
“Brother.”
“Uncle Timothy!” They both called in unison.
“Ah, Jan and Abigail. Good Morning to both of you.” Timothy hums with a smile, moving closer to them and extending his hand to ruffle Abigail’s hair.
“Merry Christmas, Uncle Timothy! Did you sleep well?” Abigail asked in interest.
Timothy nodded, “Merry Christmas… and I have. It's rather a shame that we split up rooms, isn't it?” he says with a sigh.
“It really is, brother. I ought to complain after we get off. Our tickets cost me a dime and a half, and yet the service is dreadful.” Jan mutters out with a frown, obviously rather upset and mad at the arrangements of their travels, “It’s Abigail’s first trip out of the country as well and yet our travelling isn't up to standards… Truly, I’m sorry, Abigail.”
“It’s quite all right, Father.” Abigail softly smiled, “It’s not your fault at all.”
Timothy tilts his head, “And whom were you bunked with?”
“I was bunked with five other people in a rather cramped space…” Abigail sighs.
Jan chuckled in unamused, “Couldn't even bother to have my daughter in the same cabin. How about you, Timothy?”
“Ah, I shared a room with two other people… With two beds only.” Timothy says, yet he didn't seem too upset, “It’d be a pain since I shared my bed, but the person I shared with is no stranger to me!”
Jan’s brows lifted in amusement. “Oh? And whom may that be, brother?”
“Ahh…” He smiles softly, “Silas… Silas A.P. Saparata. You recall him, don't you, brother?”
Jan stayed silent for a moment before his lips quivered into an amused smirk, “I do. How interesting…” he hums, before he picks up a drink from his table, taking a sip. “Do tell me all about your night with him, ah, even better- how about we invite him later to dine with us?”
Timothy’s eyes sparkled at that, “You certain, brother?!”
“Of course. He's your good friend after all, is he not?” Jan’s smirk remains as he puts his drink down on the table, “It’d be nice to catch up with someone we know on this long trip, and it's Christmas, we best share it.”
“You’re right! I’ll find him and inform him this instant. We should catch up with drinks, as well.” Timothy responds in excitement as he quickly exits the room to find Silas.
Jan moves his hand on the table and taps the surface with his fingers. “This Christmas ought to be interesting.” He says, chuckling a bit.
Abigail, his daughter, could only tilt her head in curiosity and confusion.