- 06, January 1917 -
Schofield exhaled a tired sigh, the dull repetition of the day creating a state of exhaustion within him, the obnoxiously loud shouts of the Sargent had awoken him from a much needed nap to find the new recruits running through a basic training exercise
Schofield was exhausted, emotionally and physically drained. He'd been a part of the war since the beginning, three years ago, and since then he'd experienced so much trauma and violence he feared he'd never be the same hopeful, positive man he was when he'd first entered the war
It was quiet today, he could hear the sorrow of the men's losses in the air...a stale quiet that reminded everyone of the harsh reality they were living
The only sounds were the quiet panting and squishing of mud from the training recruits. Schofield allowed himself to study the younger men's faces, faces of courage and confidence that would soon become tainted with experience and loss
They truly had no idea what they were getting into, they had no idea of how brutal and severe the conditions of war really were, all they had was false ideas of heroics and triumph
Schofield continued to study the men, noticing a similar pattern in all of them...tall, lean, strong
They were all so similar, that the one who didn't share these traits stuck out like a sore thumb, Schofield saw the poor boy bringing up the rear...face flushed with clear exhaustion
He was struggling greatly, his round, soft face was reddened and sweaty with effort as he desperately attempted to keep up with the other, much fitter men who flew through the course with ease and grace
Schofield's first thought was why such a young boy was training with these men...however he knew the young looking boy must be of the same age as the other recruits, though he looked far from it
All the other men looked prepared for battle, wearing stoic expressions of determination and purpose, while the youngster's face remained pained with a look that suggested he was on the verge of tears
The boy was shorter and still had an abundance of baby fat that reminded everyone just how young and innocent he truly was, although it aided in making him appear cute...it wasn't helping him get through the course, and it wouldn't help him in the war
Schofield felt an urge within him upon seeing the boy struggle, it was almost like watching a younger brother or a helpless child suffer....he felt a sudden urge to protect him. Men like him never lasted long in this war, and Schofield had experienced the loss too often
Schofield recalled the faces of friends he'd lost through the years, they all reminded him of this young boy...too innocent for the cruelty of war, taken too soon from a world they'd barely begun to know. He made a promise to himself in that moment to ensure the safety and protection of the podgy boy trying to complete the course
The boy approached the section of the course that required him to crawl along the damp, mushy mud...however as he was approaching he lost his footing and slipped, falling straight on his arse
"Blake!" The Sargent hollered in an angered tone, "get your lard-arse over here!" he barked causing the younger boy's head to jolt up in surprise, he stumbled hurriedly toward the unhappy Sargent
The eagerness and utter innocence being displayed caused Schofield to feel certain emotions he hadn't experienced in a long time
Schofield's jaw clenched, feeling immense sympathy for the younger man who'd been thrown into the whole war mess
Schofield subtly listened to the angry man project onto Blake, it was a rage of profanities and brutally rude remarks which succeeded in making Schofield's heart constrict unpleasantly as the urge to help the boy increased
"Now, go make yourself useful and get the lads water" he said hotly as he shoved a cluster of canteens into the bewildered Blake
The other men in training sniggered and mumbled degrading comments toward Blake whose face morphed into a sad frown
He stormed off in a rut, clearly upset from the events that had just unfolded, Schofield got lost in thoughts staring at Blake's soft features and how hurt and sad he looked
"Don't you have something to do Schofield??" Came the coarse voice of the grumpy Sargent
"Y-Yes Sarge" Schofield stuttered slightly trying to find the proper words after being so helplessly dazed by the young boy
"Well go on then" he said unkindly as he gestured for Schofield to get lost
Schofield in reality didn't have anything to do, he would've normally gone to his usual resting spot against his tree in hopes that the beauty of nature would outshine the tragedy of the war
However today was different, upon seeing the hurt look on Blake's face, he felt almost obligated to go and help out, or at least to give the the young lad some pleasant company
He decided to head to the water pump with a deep sense of purpose, his heart ached for Blake...though he didn't know anything about him, he felt his heart swell at the mere thought of the younger boy
Upon arrival, he was taken aback when the sound of Blake's soft sniffles emanated from where he filled up the canteens
Schofield studied Blake's face, his bottom lip slightly quivered and his face a look of immense sadness and heartache, resembling a distressed child immensely as he released his gloom
Schofield felt his own throat constrict unpleasantly upon seeing such sadness from Blake
Schofield slowly approached him trying to be as polite as possible and not wanting to offend the fragility of Blake in that moment
Blake's head quickly snapped up and he hurriedly tried to wipe any traces of tears away as Schofield approached
"S-sorry" he stuttered our trying to broaden his appearance as Schofield drew nearer
"No need to apologize....here, let me help you" Schofield offered with as soft as a tone he could muster
Blake sniffled and looked up into Schofield's intense sapphire eyes, Schofield found the most brilliant yet soft baby blue eyes in Blake that only caused his heart to melt further
Their eyes remained locked for a few moments until Schofield slowly and carefully reached out and took one of the canteens from Blake's soft, pudgy little hand, their fingers lightly brushed causing a slight shiver to travel through Schofield's body
He quickly turned and began to pump water into the canteens, trying not to appear as helplessly affectionate for the boy as he so clearly was
"Why are you helping me?" Came the thick yet soft cockney accent from the younger boy
"Because there's a lot of men who need water and one person isn't as efficient as two" Schofield said nonchalantly as he continued to fill the canteens, though his words weren't entirely true he still managed to lie good enough to get it passed the younger more naive boy
Blake nodded slowly and gave the man before him a once over, he was older for sure and looked to be quiet experienced in the war, more experienced than Blake could ever hope to be
Blake was a farm boy who had no idea what he was getting into coming into the war, he missed his mum and his dog Myrtle...he especially missed his big brother who was also in the war
He couldn't help but study the unique features of the man before him, he felt his stomach slightly flutter being so close to the other man, he was old fashion handsome and Blake was already falling in love
"So, what's y'name?" Blake asked smoothly, talking had never been an issue for him...he'd always been a social butterfly, as his mum had always referred to him as
"Schofield" he said in a somewhat tired tone, of course this wasn't his first name but he never gave his first name out to anyone, out of fear the war may somehow manage take that away from him too
"Aight Sco" Blake said as he took a seat on the damp ground behind Schofield, allowing him to do all the work himself, "what's your real name?" Blake asked suddenly very upbeat and bold
Schofield tried to remain poised but it was increasingly difficult, Blake was already quiet cute with so many childlike features and mannerisms, however the accent only added to the boy's adorable innocence
"Just call me Schofield okay? And if I can recall correctly this is supposed to be your job...now get up, and help me out"
Blake let out a huff, slowly getting to his feet and standing beside Schofield watching him repeatedly pump the water out, Blake wore an expression on his face of boredom and longing
Several moments passed, the only sound was the creaking of the water pump as it filled the canteens, Schofield strained his ears trying to find the comfort of the sounds of birds or other beautiful creatures
"....I miss home" Blake said softly to break Schofield's concentration
Schofield stiffened and turned to look down at the shorter Blake as he expressed his heartbreaking feelings, it was something Schofield was not used to. Most of the men never talked about their feelings, himself included, it caught him off guard to hear the younger men express himself so openly and bold
"It's a lot harder than I fought it'd be" Blake said quietly, his voice slightly shaky as he spoke
Schofield wanted to pull Blake into his arms and hold him, tell him everything would be okay and that soon enough he'd be back home to his family....but he couldn't, there were no guarantees in the war and he wasn't about to get the boy's naive hopes up just to have them crushed
"Sarge doesn't seem to fancy you much...." Schofield offered quietly
Blake let out a small chuckle at this, "he bloody hates me! And I don't fink anyone fancies me here"
Schofield felt a tinge of sadness, he slowly reached over, gently rubbing the other's back, "you're not so bad" he said softly, offering a gentle smile
Blake looked over at Schofield delicately with his large round eyes and shared an equally gentle smile
"You could use some work though" Schofield said with a small teasing grin
Blake rolled his eyes, "I fink I should stick wif maps and navigation...I'm actually decent at it"
Schofield nodded understandingly and gathered up the many canteens he'd just filled up
"Well you should get these back to the Sarge before he gets upset again" Schofield said as he handed them all to the smaller boy
Blake nodded and took them, struggling to hold the hefty amount
Schofield smiled slightly and tipped his helmet to Blake before walking away
"Wait Sco!" Blake called after him with a clear desperation to his voice, "Will I see you again?"
Schofield stopped, he knew he wanted to see more of Blake and listen to him talk but he didn't want to grow attached to anyone out here as he knew how fragile and unpredictable everything seemed to be
However, he felt he needed to protect the poor boy, and distancing himself from Blake would not be effective "I'll see you for lunch, I like to rest by the trees if you ever want to look for me" Schofield said softly, feeling slightly awkward and stupid suggesting trees to Blake
"That sounds perfect" Blake said through a wide smile, "name's Blake by the way, Tom Blake" he said proudly slightly puffing out his chest
Schofield chuckled softly and shook his head, "I'll see you later then Tom Blake"
With that they both parted ways and went their days
*****
Schofield allowed his head to rest against the strong tree, shutting his eyes letting his mind wander back to Blake and how sweet and innocent he was, and yet he radiated such confidence and courage, it was admirable
He felt himself falling into a pleasant dream of music and dancing when he was suddenly jolted awake by Blake bluntly dropping beside him and letting out a loud groan
"That food was rubbish...I'm still starving" he whined, laying out on the damp grass aa rubbed his aching, empty, tummy
Schofield smiled to himself, remembering the days when food was the biggest concern of his, when the stale bland tasting food they were served was the top issue on his mind, he missed being that clueless and naive
"Do you got anyfing?" Blake asked as he peered at schofield's webbings, desperate for any sign of food
Schofield looked at how desperate the boy's eyes were pleading him for food, so desperate and so irresistibly adorable. Schofield found himself pulling into his webbings and retrieving the small chunk of chocolate he'd managed to store for the past several weeks
Blake's eyes went wide, "where'd you get that!" He reached out for it greedily but Schofield quickly moved it away from his grasp
"Hold on Blake, just a little bit alright? I want this to last"
Schofield broke off a small square and handed it to Blake who ate it hungrily with an adorable smile
"Mmm I love chocolate" he said with a soft smile, his stomach interrupted as it let out a low growl indicating clearly how hungry he still was
Schofield looked at the small piece he'd broken off for himself then back at the young boy who was still so clearly hungry, he found himself handing Blake his small piece of chocolate somewhat desperate to satisfy the poor boy beside him
"Aww fanks mate!" Blake said gleefully taking the chocolate
"Don't mention it" Schofield said softly as he closed his eyes, there were a few beats of peaceful silence until Blake's thick accent broke the air
"Hey Sco?"
"Mmm"
"Do you fink I'll ever make it fru all this?" Blake asked bluntly
Schofield was once again caught off guard by Blake, something that was tending to happen a lot, this was a question on every man's mind, yet no one ever asked it aloud....leave it to Blake to be the first, "Yes...yes I think you will"
"Really??" Blake asked smiling so innocent and happily it made Schofield's heart ache, his innocence and youth was created a sensation of butterflies in Schofield's abdomen
Schofield nodded, smiling softly and allowing his eyes to close again, hoping maybe to get some rest this time
However the silence only lasted mere moments before Blake once again began conversation
"Fanks for helping me out earlier..."
"Don't mention it"
"So...what do you usually do around here?"
"Sleep"
"Do you really? All the way up here? Isn't it cold? And uncomfortable?"
Schofield let out an amused sigh at Blake's curiosity, it was foreign to Scofield but nevertheless accepted...he enjoyed the spark of personality that Blake possessed, personality that had been long lost and forgotten through this war
"It's peaceful here...and quiet" Schofield said slyly, partially hoping Blake would take the hint
"I bet" Blake smiled and looked up at the trees, "These are oak trees y'know....back home my mum...."
Schofield smiled slightly, beginning to feel Blake's words of oak trees becoming distant as he succumbed to his heavy eyelids and drifted into a sleep
Blake realized Schofield had fallen asleep after about ten minutes of explaining how oak trees grow, he smiled to himself and allowed himself to lay back on the grass and gaze up at the setting sun
He longed for home, for love and affection...though out here he'd come to the conclusion that affection and love were far from what he'd be receiving
However, Sco had been a real decent bloke helping him out and letting him have the chocolate, it was nice to have at least one friend...
But deep down Blake longed for more...he wanted Schofield to be more than a friend but he knew that was wishful thinking....something that would inevitably become dangerous, especially for him
As the sun slipped beneath the horizon, he felt a unpleasantness of the cold, the cold was something that Blake did not like, yet he was cold more often than not out here in the open
He curled himself into a ball trying to preserve as much body heat as possible, he let his eyes rest hoping to fall into a deep sleep to forget his current freezing state
***
Schofield was pulled from his sleep by a fit of shivering beside him as well as the sound of shaky breathing, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, examining his surroundings to find poor Blake curled into a ball at his side obviously cold
Schofield felt his heart once again tense with sympathy, he slowly sat up and gently wrapped his arms around Blake. He pulled the smaller boy closer so he could rest his head on Schofield's shoulder
Schofield then scooted closer to Blake and wrapped an arm around him to try and share what little warmth he had, upon the contact Blake opened his eyes sleepily and smiled yawning
"Fanks Sco" he slurred sleepily
Schofield smiled and looked down at the adorable boy resting on his shoulder, however he knew any chance of them being together was not even a possibility....still it was nice to hope
Blake let out a small sound of happiness as he snuggled into Schofield, maybe it was the youth of Blake or his sweet heart...but Schofield felt a need to share his name with Blake, something he hadn't shared with any of the other soldiers...
"Will's my first name...." Schofield offered quietly through the silence of the night
Blake smiled and nuzzled his face into Schofield shoulder letting out a big yawn, "I fancy that name..."
Schofield's smile widened as he shut his eyes, he tried to savour the moment he was living, he knew moments like these would not be commonplace, he shut his eyes and hoped to find more of the young man named Tom Blake in his dreams
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{first writing!! I hope everyone enjoys this, sorry it took so long to update this was very long and I've been very busy, take it easy on me pls 🤞😂}
Thanks for the read :)
More to come....