Band of Brothers Imagines

Sorrow and Stars - David Webster x Reader

You woke up as the chill of the night wrapped around you, lifting your hands to your bare arms to find goosebumps. Shivering slightly, you made a mental note never to sleep outside in just shorts and a T-shirt again. The Austrian days were sunny and warm, but the nights were colder than you'd expected. Looking around you for any sign of David, who was meant to be sleeping next to you, you lifted yourself off the feathery, overgrown grass.

"David!" you called out, hoping he was nearby. You debated going in search of him, knowing that after such a hard day he might want some time alone, but you were also worried about his state of mind. Eventually, you decided to try to find him.

The search didn't last long, you stumbled upon him after just a few minutes, finding him staring out at the small lake near where you were sleeping.

"Come back to bed. Please," you spoke quietly so as not to startle David, who was clearly lost in his own thoughts. He didn't even acknowledge your presence right away, before eventually tearing his gaze away from some distant tree and looking at you.

"Hardly a bed," he murmured, lifting a fresh cigarette to his mouth. You noticed four butts already on the ground.

"Alright, come back to the grass," you laughed a little, hoping to cheer him up. David wordlessly lit his cigarette, returning his stare to the treeline across the calm lake.

Sighing a little, you walked up to stand next to him, looping your arm through his, thankful when he didn't pull away. The two of you stood there in a heavy silence, you just waiting for David to start talking whenever he was ready.

"I just... I thought it was over, you know? I didn't think there would be anymore death," David sighed deeply, moving his eyes to the ground.

"Yeah, I know. It's what we all thought. What we all hoped," you kissed David's arm, and he finally melted into your touch, turning towards you and bringing his arms around you, his half smoked cigarette tossed to the ground.

"Janovec was laughing at me, just before it happened. Because I don't have enough points," David murmured into your hair, and you felt your cheek growing damp with his tears. Attempting to soothe the man crying in your arms, you ran your hands up and down his back, pressing kisses to his cheek.

"It's okay, it's okay," you moved out of his hold to wipe away his tears. "Have you been taking care of yourself?" The moonlight illuminated the bags under David's eyes that were less noticeable during the day, and at that very moment you heard his stomach growl, desperately wailing for food. You looked at him with mock disapproval, relieved to see him giving a small smile. "Do you have something to eat?" You asked, as you led him back to your spot in the grass.

"Yeah," David pulled some chocolate out of his pocket, breaking off a piece and handing it to you. You let the treat melt in your mouth, it almost seemed to bring your body the warmth it craved. "I'll never forget the look on that little Dutch boy's face when I gave him the chocolate. It seems like a lifetime ago, I can't believe it's been less than a year," David chuckled a little. "Hoob... Hoobler was angry at me for a week for giving away the chocolate," your shoulders slumped as you noticed David's eyes moistening again.

You pulled him down next to you on the grass, pointing at the night sky.

"Which one do you think Hoob is?" You asked.

"That one for sure," David pointed at the brightest star, which seemed to gleam even more as soon as he mentioned it, as if it was saying hello. After a couple minutes of comfortable silence in which the two of you scrutinised Hoobler's star, David spoke again. "I know all about the stars, you know. The... constellations..." David trailed off and you smirked to yourself.

"You can't fool me, David Webster, you don't know shit about stars," you laughed, elbowing him gently.

"Hey, yes I do!" He protested, the warmth of his hand in yours spreading through you like a drug, making your goosebumps disappear as if all they were waiting for was just for David to feel a little happier. He lifted his other hand, pointing at a glittering cluster in the deep blue sky. "That one there, that's..." After a pause, he admitted, "yeah, you're right, I know fuck all about stars," he grinned, rolling onto his side so that he was facing you, and you doing the same. "But surely you can forgive me for wanting to impress you?"

"You don't need to impress me, after all I've already agreed to marry you. There's no turning back now," you smiled softly, lifting your hand to his cheek.

"We're not married yet. Anyway, I'll still be wanting to impress you when we're old and grey," David lent into your touch and brought his lips to your hand.

"I have no complaints about that," you snuggled into his side, allowing sweet dreams of a peaceful future to embrace you, the two of you forcing the pain of the recent past aside, hoping that in the future they will finally turn into distant memories and let you live your life with no more sorrow.