#romnorweek2020

Fantasy - for the last day of @aph-romnor-week

Theme: Understanding

Warnings: Mentions of Death, OCness, and Kind of Sad

Norway- Eindride

Romania- Viorel

Some more of this au and some pasts are revealed.

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Viorel did end up eventually opening up to Eindride, but it happened when he shared something painful with the Romanian.

They were silently sitting under the wishing bells. Just enjoying the little breeze that passed through that is when Viorel interrupted their silence with his question.

"Eindride, can I ask you a question?" He asked.

Eindride turned to look at Viorel who was staring down at the ground as he was hugging his knees to his chest. "Yes?" He said.

"You don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but..." Viorel paused as Eindride silently waited for him to continue. His friend looked uncertain and unsure, but after a few minutes had passed by, he finally asked his question. "What was your life like when you were alive and how did you die?"

Eindride wasn't surprised by the question at all. To be honest, he was waiting for Viorel to ask this question. He did opened up to his friend and shared a little bit about his life before coming to this world, but he only ever shared the good parts and never the bad.

It wasn't that he never wanted to tell Viorel or that he didn't trust him. It was just hard for Eindride to put into words and it was hard for him to opened that piece of himself up to anyone. However, with Viorel, he wanted to try. Besides, maybe if he opened up, then Viorel will as well.

He took a deep breath before he begin. "My life wasn't so prefect when I was alive. I mean, it could have been worst, but it could have been better." He said. "For most of my life, it always been my mother, my brother, and myself. Our father had passed away when I was young and before my brother was even born so I don't remember much about him. My mother did her best to be a mother and a father to both Emil and myself. She was a wonderful woman and she was the one who gave me my hairpin."

Eindride felt a smile tug at his lips as the memories of his mother popped into his head. She may have been a strict and hard on him and his brother, but she was always there when they needed it. No matter how exhuasted she really was, she would always put their needs before her own. His mother was truly a beautiful beautiful person.

"All three of us had each other, we were happy until..." Eindride frowned as he gulped. "...I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and that is when things started to go south. I remember hearing my mother crying outside my hospital room when the doctors told her the news. Emil was crying as well next to my bed as he heard everything the doctor said. Seeing and hearing them so heart broken, hurt so much and I made the decision right then and there I would fight for them. I would fight every tooth and nail to stay alive for them. However, that became futile when the gods had a different plan in store."

He had to give himself a minute before continuing. "I was staying in the hospital. I asked my mom to go get a drink from the local gas station because I wanted something different then what the hospital had to offer. Emil went with her because he wanted to get out of the hospital for a while." His voice started to break at this part no matter how hard he tried to keep it together. "They were at the wrong place at the wrong time. There was a robbery happening at the gas station. One of the robbers attacked both my mother and brother with a knife. My mother had died on the way to the hospital while my brother was fighting for his life and was put on life support, but he, too, eventually died."

Eindride remembered the doctor coming in to tell him what happened. He remembered how desperate he was to wanting to get to his brother as he openly wept for his mother. He remembered his shock and horror as the news station showed how brutal the attacked was. The nightmares that followed as all he could ever hear was his mother's and brother's screams while the pain and guilt ate him alive on the inside.

He blamed himself for their deaths. He was the one that asked them to go to that gas station, after all. It was his fault. None of that would have happened if he just sucked it up and drink whatever the hospital gave him. However, he wasn't the only one he blamed.

He blamed the gods. He blamed them for his family's death. They were happy and they took that happiness away from him. They were the ones that put him through the many years of pain, guilt, anger, and sorrow. They couldn't even be merciful enough to end his life right when his brother had died. No, they had to keep him alive for several long, lonely and bitter years before the cancer finally killed him off.

He didn't realize he was crying or that his body was shaking until he felt Viorel's arms wrapped around him and pulled him close.

Eindride wrapped his arms around him and clung onto him for dear life. He buried his face into the side of his neck as he sobbed. "My only family was gone. I had nothing left in that world." He whispered. "So I ended up giving up the fight and let the cancer slowly and painfully kill me off."

He closed his eyes as he let the tears continued to fall while Viorel had gently started to run his fingers through his hair. He hadn't cried this much in a very long time and to be honest, he hated it, but he would be lying if he didn't say it didn't make him feel a little bit better.

"I am sorry," He said as he did feeling a little embarrassed about breaking down.

"You don't need to apologize." Viorel whispered gently into his ear. "I understand, I am here for you. Besides, you are human. You have thoughts and feelings so it is only natural for you to break down once in awhile."

Eindride just nod and didn't say anything else. He just held him close as he breathed in Viorel's calming scent. He didn't realize it before, but the Romanian smelled like smoke, rain, jasmine, and some other type of earthy scent he couldn't place.

Once he was calm enough, he asked the same question to his friend. "What was your life like before, Viorel?" He asked. "How did you die?"

Eindride felt him stiffen in his arms as the man's fingers stilled in his hair. He heard him let out a sigh in his ear before going silent again. He thought he wasn't going to answer before he heard him finally speak after a couple of minutes.

"I wish I could tell you, but I can't." Viorel whispered. "It's not that I don't want to...I just don't know."

Eindride pulled away a little so he could look into Viorel's eyes. "What do you mean by you don't know?" He asked.

"I don't have my memories of...my living life." Viorel explained. "All I know is my name and the only reason why I knew I was Romanian is because I heard a lady from the town speak it and she had a similar accent to mine. I can't remember if I even had a mother or a father. Did I even have any siblings? Was I even married and did I even have a family? Where was I even born and what did I did for a living? I don't even know how I died. All I ever known is this place, Eindride. Anything from my old life is gone to me and I am afraid I will never get it back."

"Couldn't you wish for your memories back like how we got my hairpin back?" Eindride asked.

"No," Viorel shook his head as his eyes stared sadly at the ground. "I already tried that and it didn't work. Besides, I honestly don't know if I even want to remember..."

Eindride could understand where Viorel was coming from. There was times where he didn't want to remember either, but that would mean there would be a chance he could forget about his brother and his mother. No matter how bad the past was to him, he wouldn't give it up if it ment he had to give up the only thing good he had when he was alive. However, Viorel's case was different from his. He had no memories and all this time he had been alone until Eindride came along. If he were to get them back, then it might bring him more pain then good. Since he is stuck in this forest on his own, there also might be the chance that his family isn't even here anyways.

Viorel interrupted his thoughts when Eindride felt his hand cup his cheek as he gently ran his thumb against skin.

"I may not be able to remember anything, but there is one thing I am grateful for." Viorel whispered. "I am grateful that I have you in my life. Without you being my friend and giving myself and this forest a chance, I probably would I been still alone. So thank you...for everything."

Instead of answering, Eindride pulled Viorel back into hug and held his close to his chest as he rested his chin on top of his head. He ingored the fluttering in his stomach as he closed his eyes.