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Louise was trembling, hair cut and snipped at boyish lengths. Holding back tears, she flinched at the knock she received on her bedroom door.
“Go away!” She shouts, so completely out of it she’s angry.
”Louise!” Gilbert pounds on the door once more. “Cmon, open up,” He demands. As if Louise has no other choice.
Reluctantly, the door unlocked, and Louise tried her best to hide herself (and her messy hair that was now cut down to her shoulders). Gilbert just stared at his sister…? Brother? Sibling????
”…I hate this,” Louise’s voice cracks. Said voice has deepened—a lot—since she started to act so…like this. Manly.
”Okay,” Gilbert starts, shutting the door behind him as he enters Louise’s room. “What’s going on with you? Louise, you’ve—“
“That,” Her voice holds a slight tremor. “I hate it,” Louise curls up, bringing her knees to her chest. “I hate being a girl,”
Now, Gilbert understood.
“If you’re ashamed of me, I—“
”No,” The older immediately cuts off his brother. He sits beside Louise on her bed. “What would you prefer I call you?”
Louise’s—no, thats not his name—eyes well up with tears.
“…Ludwig,” He stutters, his voice uncharacteristically shaky. Gilbert smiles. “…thats it,”
”Now,” Gilbert’s hand messes with an uneven edge in Ludwig’s hair. “Let’s fix this up, ja?”
—————
“…Thank you,” Ludwig murmurs. “It’s nice. I like it.“
”Its my awesomeness showing,” Gilbert claims, earning him a nudge to the shoulder. “Hey! I still have scissors in my hand!”
As Ludwig gels his hair aside—which made it look more neat, it suited him well—he smiles softly.
”Cut it more than you have,” Gilbert’s already flinching. “and i’ll tear your skin off.”
That’s all Gilbert needed to shut up. And Ludwig?
Ludwig smiled. Truly.