#friendly reminder that William was not as nice and open-hearted as Wilf is today

[rosetintedgunman]

Oliver beamed at the present in his hands, the nondescript white box decorated with a red bow that had been practiced so many times over. The attorney carefully left it at the Colonel’s door before giving the wood a few quick knocks… then the attorney went and scrammed. He hid in some bushes just before he could be seen, carefully peeking his head out to watch and wait for William to come out. Maybe he can get him to be a little sentimental if he wasn’t around, he figured with a lighthearted grin.

Inside the box was a photo of William, Damien, and Oliver from before the war, posing like young men do, labeled in Oliver’s mother’s handwriting. Under it, there were a set of glasses that William once told him about, along with a compass. Inside the compass, besides the usual bells and whistles, was an inscription. It read, “For all your adventures.”

The last thing inside was a note from the attorney himself:

I’m very thankful to be your friend, William. I don’t know where I’d be without you. Merry Christmas, old friend. —O. Ashcroft

@oliver-ashcroft-documents

-

It might have been the Holiday season, but William was hard at work. He had gotten his hands on an old wooden kitchen cabinet and had been spending his free time repairing it. There was no plan for what to do with it afterward, but that was never a problem when he was in the middle of the project. Someone would happen to need a replacement cabinet, and he would offer this one.

He was in the middle of measuring the back of the cabinet to add further reinforcement when there was a rapid series of knocks on the door. By the time he managed to step over the wood, narrowly miss trip over a chair, and make his way to the door, the visitor was long gone. Typical. He let out a bemused huff and was about to slam the door, only to catch a glimpse of white.

No name, no identifier... It was likely for one of the neighbours. With the box simply decorated with a bow, it would be easy to lift the lid and try to guess which house it was for (it wasn't like it was for him. Aside from Damien, Mark, and Celine, who would bother their ass coming out to visit him?).

Yet, to his confusion, there was a photo of him looking back up at him, alongside Damien and Oliver. It looked to be around high school, before William finished school early to join the army. That brought a hint of a chuckle from the soldier. He didn't really care to think of his youth these days. How could he properly reminisce about the innocent times when he (and most of his generation) lost their innocence early because some people decided to be selfish and trigger a chain reaction that would set off a war?

Did William really look that ridiculous without a moustache? Good heavens.

Then, the glasses. They were properly quality whiskey glasses, and it was a funny coincidence that he and Oliver had only been discussing good drinks a month or so back. Inside one of the glasses was another box that, when opened, revealed the compass.

For all your adventures...

What was Oliver trying to do with all of this? How could he still value William as a friend after everything that happened? William had a part to play in how Oliver turned out the way he was. He was supposed to keep his friend safe, and he failed. (In one way, he 'succeeded' because Oliver survived, but is that really how low the bar was?) Hell, he hadn't even sent Oliver a card this year.

There was an urge to leave the box back where it was, but something insisted he hold on to it. It would be dishonourable to abandon it, or lie and pretend he wasn't home and didn't know of its existence. Likewise, it felt wrong to take it in and stash it away where no one could see.

Unfortunately for Oliver, it was hard to gauge if his plan to hang around was even worth it. William's expression was hard to read, between the moustache and his fringe falling over his wide-rimmed glasses. But then, there was a brief shake of the shoulders, as though letting out a quiet laugh, before everything was brought inside and the door closed.

It was.... Probably something positive. Hopefully.