Birds of St. Paul

Early each day to the steps of Saint Paul's

Tommy stared up at Wilbur as the older smiled down upon him

The little old bird woman comes

Tommy's eyes widened, before shifting to join the rest of his face in a genuine smile

In her own special way to the people she calls

Wilbur held out his hand to Tommy, who happily set his soft hand into Wil's.

Come, buy my bags full of crumbs"

Wilbur's hand was hardened with calluses and scars, his knuckles hardened and his palms firm.

"Come feed the little birds, show them you care

Lmanburg was a true nation, they were finally free from Dream's gluttonous hand.

This was the moment in which they could finally rest, the moment that all of Lmanburg had been waiting for since the war had started.

The day that they could move on, and live their lives out in peace.

And you'll be glad if you do

Or at least, it should have been the end of it.

They should have been able to rest, the soldiers should have been able to go home to their families and celebrate their long since earned victory.

The children should have been able to grow up without having to know the difference between the smell of fire and TNT.

Parents should have been able to teach their children about the beauty of the world that had been so gracious as to let them live within it.

Their young ones are hungry, their nests are so bare

That's how it should have gone, Wilbur thought, that's how the story should have ended long ago. They should have, no, could have been happy.

All it takes is tuppence from you"

But as Wilbur stared at Tommy, and Tommy stared back at Wilbur with a look of both longing and fear, he wishes that was how it had gone.

"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag

He wished that both Tommy's gaze and hands were just as soft as they had been the day Lmanburg had been given independence.

Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag

But now his hands were just as scared and calloused as Wil's had been, maybe even worse than his own.

Feed the birds", that's what she cries

Tommy's wings shifted slightly as Wilbur's grip tightened around his hand, shifting with an emotion that Wilbur continuously saw from his younger brother.

Fear.

While overhead, her birds fill the skies

He wished that Tommy would look at him with any other emotion besides that one, he had always hated seeing Tommy scared.

All around the cathedral, the saints and apostles

Wilbur's own dark wings shifted with the wind as he looked up from Tommy's hands to his face, meeting his grey-blue eyes. When had they lost so much of there color, hadn't they been sky blue. Why were they so faded, when had that happened?

Tommy's hand pulled free from his own, and Wilbur's was left empty. Tommy began to walk away from him, for what reason Wilbur hadn't heard and didn't know. He didn't want Tommy to leave him alone, he didn't want Tommy to leave him.

Look down as she sells her wares

"Tommy," the blond froze in his walk, but his head remained away from Wilbur "Who did this to you?"

Tommy didn't reply, which sent an shiver of worry through Wilbur's spine. Why was Tommy so quiet, when had he become so quiet?

"You're going to have to be a little more specific big man." Came Tommy's hesitant reply

Although you can't see it, you know they are smiling

Wilbur only returned Tommy's previous silence, at a sudden loss for words at the answer that Tommy had given, the answer that suggested that his pain ran deep.

"What do yo-"

"You know what I mean Wilbur," Tommy turned around, and those eyes, those cold and broken eyes turned to meet Wilbur's own faded eyes.

Wilbur thought for a second "Tommy I-"

"We could start with the war," Tommy continued "Yeah, that was probably where this all started," Tommy chuckled "Then we had the second war, and then the next, and the next, then the next and the next and the war after that..."

Tommy's voice drifted off, as his grey-blue eyes turned to the ground "Yeah, that's probably where it all started."

Each time someone shows that he cares

"Toms-"

"Forget about it Wil," Tommy's eyes met his once again "I'm fine."

Tommy's words echoed through Wilbur's mind as Tommy turned away from him, his wings following behind him.

Though her words are simple and few

Wilbur watched as Tommy walked away from him, his heart pulsing with pain and wonder. His brother was hurting, his insticts were screaming at him to make it all better, to run after Tommy and demand he left Wilbur protect him, to tell him who hurt him this badly.

But Wilbur also knew, somewhere deep down, that he had caused his younger brother's pain, that it was no one's fault but his own that Tommy was quiet, and scared.

"Listen, listen", she's calling to you

His hand curled into fists the further down he went into that thought, as he realized how true it really was. He had dragged Tommy's through literal hell and back, believing that he would have said something if he was in pain.

Wilbur should have known better than that, and he had no one but himself to blame for that.

"Feed the birds,

"Tommy."

Tommy turned to Wilbur with a glare already set onto his face, ready to tell Wilbur off once more, but was only met with tear filled eyes that looked back at him.

"It was me, wasn't it." Wilbur looked up at Tommy "I did this to you, didn't I?"

Tuppence a bag

Tommy stood still, Wilbur's question running through his brain with the force of a train.

Tuppence

"Yeah," Tommy replied after what felt like an eternity "You did."

Tuppence

A few tears escaped Wilbur's faded brown eyes at the sound of Tommy's response, confirming his fears.

"Tommy I-" Wilbur shut his mouth, understanding what little good an apology would do in this moment "How can I fix this?"

Tommy didn't reply right away, only staring at Wilbur in silence.

"Wilbur,"

Tuppence a bag"

"This is something you can't fix."

🦀 Wil's sad pog 🦀