What if Hubert just sorta breaks down and starts sobbing and Ferdinand comforts him
I mean...at least you gave me an outlet for comfort ;w; though about the build up...
It was probably building up for weeks. If you tried to ask Hubert the cause, he wouldn't have been able to tell you (nor would he be able to tell you that it was probably building up for much longer than that). His work for Lady Edelgard began to numb his mind until he found himself blinking back in awareness at the end of the day, reports completed that he could barely remember doing. He was just drifting through the days, completely numb and barely aware of what was happening.
Ferdinand was always there though. Ferdinand, bless his heart, was terribly concerned for him, seeing how strangely numb he had become in the past few weeks. Always asking if he needed to take a break, if he was alright. Hubert always dismissed his concerns though. He was the right hand to the Emperor.
It didn't really matter if he was alright.
One night though, when he was getting ready to head back to his room (his and Ferdinand's room, his brain helpfully reminded him after a moment), there was a knock on his door. He blinked. Did he have someone coming in this late? He'd forgotten.
"Come in," he says quietly, after a moment.
And in walks Ferdinand, that worried look back on his face. Hubert had stared at him, not quite believing he was there, before asking what he was doing.
"I came here," Ferdinand began, approaching Hubert - who was standing besides his desk, having just gotten out of his chair - with that terribly concerned look on his face, "to see what was keeping you. It's past midnight Hubie."
He blinked. Oh. Had it been that long already? He wasn't aware.
"My apologies, Ferdinand..." He spoke quietly, his tongue strangely feeling like lead in his mouth. "It seems I lost track of time."
"But you've never lost track of time this badly before," Ferdinand's concern was thick in his voice, enough that it took Hubert a moment to register it. Or maybe that was just how tired he was. "Don't think I haven't noticed you sleeping well either. What is going on, Hubie?"
"Nothing, there's no need-" Hubert had only just started to protest Ferdinand's unnecessary worry when he spoke again.
"Don't tell me that it's nothing!" Ferdinand's eyes narrowed, the normally gentle light in his eyes becoming a wild blaze. "It's clearly something that's been affecting you terribly, and you can't expect me to simply sit around and watch you force yourself to pretend you're fine!"
Hubert simply stared while Ferdinand caught his breath. Pretending? What on earth was Ferdinand talking about? Hubert was perfectly fine. Perfectly fine....
Ferdinand's eyes softened, the blaze quieting down to a candle's flame, and he took Hubert's hands in his. Hubert idly found himself wanting Ferdinand to keep holding them.
"I'm just worried about you Hubie," Ferdinand whispered, staring at their intertwined hands with tears in his eyes. "We're supposed to share our troubles, are we not? I can't bear the thought of you suffering alone like this, all because you are too afraid to talk to me."
Hubert wasn't sure why those were the words to suddenly shatter the walls that had so readily formed after weeks of building without his notice.
"I-" He tried to speak, tried to say something to reassure Ferdinand but found the words turning to stones in his throat, choking on things he couldn't say. Just as suddenly, his vision began to blur (tears? No, it couldn't be, could it-) as the reassurances he was hoping to tell Ferdinand rapidly became words he couldn't make himself say.
Then, a choked sob forced it's way out of his throat, then another, until Hubert could hardly think about anything else. Time blurred together as he found himself crying in Ferdinand's arms, sobbing out every terrible thing that had managed to work its way under his skin and make its home in his heart.
(And after Ferdinand had carried him back to bed after what seemed like hours of tears, making sure Hubert got something to drink before he truly drifted off, Hubert found himself truly at peace for the first time in ages.
And all Ferdinand could think, lying besides him as he wrapped his arms around Hubert's sleeping frame, is how he wished he could have convinced Hubert to let go sooner, if only so when he finally broke it wouldn't have been into a million pieces.)