PLEASE write some more Hugo Stiglitz Shi I BEG 🙏
summary: after the boys find hugo reading letters from a mystery girl they start to investigate into who she might be
content: German in italics, angst with comfort, mentions of death, blood, stabbing, death of nazis
notes: dunno how to feel abar this one guys send more basterd requests bc I wanna write but I ain’t got no ideas
Donny Donowitz wasn't snooping.
Not intentionally, anyway.
He'd just been looking for Stiglitz because Aldo wanted him, and after checking around camp and finding no sign of the German, he'd wandered down towards the creek.
And that's where he found him.
Hugo Stiglitz, feared Nazi-killer and arguably the grumpiest bastard alive, sitting on a log with a cigarette hanging loosely between his fingers.
Not only was Stiglitz smiling, he was looking down at something in his hands.
Carefully tied together with faded string.
Hugo's head snapped up immediately.
The letters disappeared into his coat pocket so quickly Donny almost thought he'd imagined them.
"What?" Hugo asked flatly.
"Hugo Stiglitz got himself a sweetheart."
Hugo sighed heavily and stood.
And just like that, he walked away.
Leaving Donny with what felt like the biggest discovery of his life.
Donny practically burst into camp.
"Boys, y'all ain't gonna believe this!"
Aldo looked up from cleaning his knife.
"If you say ya found another bear, Donowitz-"
"I found somethin' even better."
"Boy, you tellin' me Hugo Stiglitz managed to charm a woman?"
"I'm serious!" Donny protested. "I seen him smilin'!"
"Or possessed," Omar added.
"Maybe Donny's gone blind," said Utivich.
At that moment Hugo returned.
The whole camp immediately went silent.
Donny threw his hands up.
"German girl?" Omar asked.
"She’s French?" Aldo repeated.
Hugo pinched the bridge of his nose.
"How long?" Wicki asked curiously.
"Sweet Mary," Aldo muttered.
"You ain't married?" Utivich asked.
And immediately walked away.
Donny turned to the rest of them.
"'Mine?!' Did y'all hear that?"
The mystery consumed camp life.
Omar thought she was imaginary.
Aldo was mostly fascinated that Hugo had somehow attracted a woman.
And Wicki was convinced there had to be a tragic story behind it.
But Hugo wouldn't say another word.
The Basterds had just returned from a scouting mission when Donny spotted something sticking out beneath Stiglitz's bunk.
Within seconds everyone was crowded around him.
"Hirschberg ain't here neither."
Donny turned the page upside down.
Aldo smacked the back of his head.
"Boy, upside down it don't become English."
"Maybe there's pictures."
The camp suddenly fell silent.
Aldo still held the letter.
Aldo slowly handed it over.
The German carefully folded it, checking the creases as if it were made of glass.
Then Donny quietly asked,
Hugo's fingers tightened around the paper.
And for the first time since they'd met him, something sad crossed his face.
The fire crackled quietly.
Wicki spoke gently in German.
Hugo stared into the flames.
Hugo looked down at the old letter in his hands.
"I escaped prison. Couldn’t stay in one place."
His English was rougher when he was tired.
For a long time Hugo said nothing.
Then, almost too quietly to hear,
"I think she thinks I am."
And somehow that was worse.
Because suddenly they understood.
The way he'd guarded them like treasure.
She wasn't some old sweetheart.
She was the love of his life.
And neither of them knew the other was still alive.
Nobody made jokes after that.
Though later that night, as the fire burned low, Donny glanced over at Hugo sitting alone.
The German had one of the letters open in his lap.
And so full of love that Donny quietly looked away.
Because some things belonged only to Hugo Stiglitz.
France wasn't what the basterds expected had expected.
Not that they’d had many expectations to begin with.
But they certainly hadn't expected Hugo Stiglitz to spend the last week looking even grumpier than usual.
Which, frankly, was impressive.
"Boy's broodin'," Aldo observed one evening.
"He always broods," Omar replied.
"Nah. This is special broodin'."
Wicki glanced over at Hugo, who sat cleaning his knife beside the fire.
"He's thinking about her."
Donny sighed dramatically.
Not after learning she'd stopped writing years ago.
Not after seeing the look on Hugo's face when he'd quietly admitted he thought she believed him dead.
Three nights later, the Basterds were making their way through the woods when a scream cut through the night.
"...Somebody's gettin' murdered."
They spread out through the trees until they came upon an unbelievable sight.
Another desperately trying to crawl away.
And a woman kneeling over him, driving a knife down again and again while cursing in French.
She was covered in blood.
Hair falling from its pins.
"Holy shit," Hirschberg whispered.
Aldo slowly lowered his gun.
"I don't think she heard you."
"Or she don't care," Omar muttered.
Then finally, she stopped.
Breathing heavily, she looked up.
You blinked through the blood in your eyes.
You'd barely escaped the last group and now there were more men standing over you.
One of them was speaking.
Your heart was pounding too loudly.
And then your eyes moved.
Past the tall one with the knife.
Past the man with the baseball bat.
Written letters that had nowhere to go.
Looking just as shocked as you felt.
And suddenly tears burned your eyes.
The knife fell from your hand.
You were moving before you even realized it.
Straight through the confused Americans.
Someone yelped as you nearly shoved him over.
And for one horrible second,
Like he couldn't believe you were real.
Then his rifle hit the ground.
And his arms were around you so tightly you thought he'd never let go.
"They told me you were dead!"
By now you were crying and laughing all at once.
His forehead rested against yours.
His hands cupped your face.
Not because it was funny.
But because after years of believing you'd died you were here.
You grabbed his face with bloody hands.
And suddenly he kissed you.
Like he'd spent years waiting to.
Like he'd spent years grieving you.
Like he'd never intended to let you go again.
And you kissed him right back.
Because you'd mourned him.
Neither of you noticed the stunned silence around you.
Or Donny staring with his mouth hanging open.
Or Aldo slowly removing his hat.
Or Wicki looking suspiciously emotional.
Or Omar trying very hard not to smile.
Because after years apart nothing else existed.
And when you finally pulled apart, both breathless and teary-eyed, you rested your forehead against his and whispered shakily:
His thumb wiped away your tears.
And behind him Donny whispered in absolute awe, "Holy shit."
The clearing had gone quiet.
Not because there wasn't anything to say.
Nobody quite knew what to say.
Donny had spent months convinced the mysterious girl from the letters was real. Aldo had laughed at him. Omar had declared she was dead. Wicki had just shrugged and said he'd believe it when he saw it.
Clinging to Hugo Stiglitz.
Who was currently looking at her like he'd forgotten the rest of the world existed.
You were crying and laughing at the same time, your hands still gripping his coat.
His hand came up to your face, brushing your hair away from your eyes.
For a second, he just looked at you.
Like if he blinked, you'd disappear again.
"I should be saying that to you."
His forehead rested against yours.
"I thought you were dead."
That made him close his eyes.
You smiled through tears.
Behind them, Donny glanced at Aldo.
"Can anybody understand any of that?"
"They’re talking about how they thought the other was dead."
Then you frowned suddenly and grabbed Hugo's face.
"Why didn't you answer me?"
And for a moment neither of you spoke.
Years spent believing the other was gone.
And all because letters had stopped.
You shook your head in disbelief and let out a watery laugh.
To everyone's surprise, Hugo actually chuckled.
Donny nearly dropped his bat.
"Did Stiglitz just laugh?"
Because they were all too busy staring.
Because they'd known him for a while now.
Seen him kill men without blinking.
But none of them had ever seen him look…
And then, almost absentmindedly, he kissed your forehead.
Like he'd done it a thousand times.
And maybe once upon a time, before prison and war and all the rest, he had.
Eventually you noticed the group of men still standing around.
You wiped blood from your cheek with the back of your hand.
"Ma'am, I've seen stranger things."
Donny pointed at the unfortunate Nazi you'd forgotten.
"You know that guy's still breathin', right?"
The German soldier weakly raised a hand.
Before anyone could stop you, you marched over and drove your knife down one final time.
You returned, wiping the blade on your skirt.
Then you smiled politely.
Finally Aldo extended his hand.
"The pleasure's all mine, ma'am. Never thought I'd live to see Hugo Stiglitz with a girl."
His eyes narrowed immediately.
Donny pointed at himself.
"Why they mentioning me?!"
Wicki burst out laughing.
"He found the letters?" you asked.
You looked over at Donny.
And then, to Hugo's complete surprise you burst out laughing.
The kind he'd spent years missing.
Without a word, Hugo reached into his coat.
And produced the old bundle.
And suddenly your eyes filled again.
Because after all these years,
