A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone for their kind reviews on my first story. I thought this one up awhile ago and I finally typed it out. I just think the thought of Ernst as a little boy is adorable, and sad as it is probably not much different from teenage Ernst in the play, which makes it even cuter. Oh, and as a random aside, I also wanted to mention I recently got into Bare so I might write some fics for that in the very near future. Ooh, and as I type this it just started thunderstorming outside and I love it, hehe.
"Would you like more tea, Princess Gertrude?" the young Ernst asked as he turned to Thea's rag doll sitting to the right of him. He was too shy to play pirates with Melchior and his gang, and if he attempted to play with Otto and Georg (whose new favorite game was attempting to beat each other up) he was sure to lose miserably. Ernst's most viable option for companionship was playing in Thea's tree house, and since Thea insisted "my tree house, my rules" they usually wound up sitting around a makeshift table topped with tiny ceramic cups, saucers, and a tea pot.
"Ernst! I told you twice already! Her name is Princess Gretchen. I hope you never meet royalty… You would without a doubt make a fool of yourself."
Ernst gulped and stammered an apology "S-s-sorry. I'm messing everything up."
"Oh Ernst, no you're not. I appreciate you playing tea party with me, I really do. A lot of the time the other girls do not seem to want to join me up here. I do not quite understand why… But regardless, I like the company."
The young boy smiled and began to cut up the pastry Thea stole from her kitchen, placing it on their individual saucers. Strange as it was, Ernst very much liked playing Thea's games. He had been told such trivial pastimes like playing house should be reserved for girls, but something about them felt so comfortable to him. Whenever he played tag or catch he was dreadfully bored, while the opposite was true of the other boys, who yawned at the thought of playing dress up. Ernst wondered what made him so different.
Lost in thought, as Ernst reached across the table to grab the tea pot, he accidentally knocked a cup and saucer off the table and onto the hard wood floor. The sound of the ceramic shattering, accompanied by the sound of Thea shrieking could have been heard miles away, Ernst reckoned as he felt his face getting hot. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry!" He said fumbling to collect the broken pieces.
Thea let out a huge sigh and through clenched teeth she muttered "It's fine, leave it. At least it was just the cup and saucer and not the tea pot. I guess next time we cannot have Lady Abigail join us…" It took her moments to regain her composure, but as soon as she did, something else happened to get her blood boiling once more. Hanschen Rilow appeared at the entrance of her tree house. "I do not recall inviting you," she said coldly.
"Oh please, as if I would graciously accept that invitation anyway. Trust me, I would not be here if it was not for that dreadful screaming I heard as I was strolling through the woods." the young blonde said with a tone of indifference, examining his fingernails the entire time instead of looking at Thea directly.
"Why are you even on my property?"
"You do not hear me complaining about people cutting across my family's land do you? I guess it is different though, the Rilows own so much of it; I suppose it would be hard not to accidentally trespass occasionally."
"You have such an ego Hanschen Rilow!" Thea shouted, marching right up to him, "Get out of my tree house before I call for my father!"
"I am absolutely terrified," Hanschen mocked, "But now that I see nobody here is in any danger, I suppose I'll be—" he stopped abruptly when he looked down and saw Ernst, who had not said a word the entire time. "Oh, Ernst Robel, I did not know you were here." Hanschen could not help but laugh, even though Ernst playing tea party with a girl was not entirely a surprise, "Do you know what my father says about boys who play in tree houses with girls?"
Ernst simply shook his head, too scared to say anything. He found even Thea intimidating, so someone like Hanschen had an even worse effect on him.
"Maybe one day I'll tell you." Hanschen said smiling broadly, and waving goodbye before climbing back down the ladder.
Once Thea was sure he was gone, she sat back down next to Ernst and said angrily, "How arrogant can one person be? Promise me Ernst you will never, ever hang around him."
"Of course; I would never do that," he answered quickly, but deep down he was not so positive he could keep that promise.
Years later, Ernst found himself once again in Thea's tree house with Hanschen, except this time, Thea was nowhere to be found, there were no ceramic cups around them, and they both had considerably less clothing on. Hanschen tugged on the waistband of Ernst's trousers, eyeing him mischievously. "What if Thea comes up?" Ernst asked with his look of wide eyed innocence.
"Oh Ernst, you know how that face kills me," he answered instead, avoiding the question.
"What face?" the younger boy was quite confused.
"And that perplexed face of yours too! You are too much dear."
"Hanschen, seriously, this is Thea's tree house and if she comes up here when we are…"
"Thea is off trying to catch a glimpse of Melchior Gabor swimming; she is not interested in playing up here anymore. Therefore, the tree house is vacant for you and me to spend the afternoon together in. Now come here." Hanschen purred as he pulled Ernst close to him, littering his neck with soft kisses.
"Wait…" Ernst whispered cautiously.
"Yes?" The blonde was getting increasingly more impatient, and if he was not naked on top of Ernst soon he was going to have to start ignoring the other boy's interjections.
"What did your father say way back when about boys who play in tree houses with girls?"
Hanschen started to chuckle as he pulled away from Ernst just enough to look into his eyes, "He said that boys who play with girls in tree houses grow up to play with boys in tree houses."
"Oh…"
"So can we make him an honest man now?"
Ernst giggled, until suddenly Hanschen's lips crashed against his own and he was being lowered onto his back. Ernst liked it up here better this way; nothing for him to knock over, nobody to get upset with him, and only one name he had to remember: "Hanschen."