You walked through the common area of ‘The Boys’ safe house, your mind preoccupied with everything going on. As you passed Soldier Boy, you gave him a quick greeting, the words slipping out without much thought— “Soldier Boy…”

Except, the moment it left your mouth, it wasn’t in English. The words had come out in your first language, a language you hadn’t spoken around him before. As the sounds left your lips, you realized what you’d done, and immediately froze in your tracks. Soldier Boy stood there, eyes wide, his mouth slightly open in confusion. He blinked a couple of times, his brows furrowing as he processed what you had just said.

“…Could you repeat that real quick..?”

His voice had a slight edge of genuine confusion, as though he was trying to make sense of whatever foreign string of sounds you’d just thrown his way. His posture was rigid, arms crossed in front of him, but there was no mistaking the baffled look on his face. The stare he gave you wasn’t one of annoyance, but more like you’d just spoken in some ancient, long-forgotten dialect that he hadn’t been taught at boot camp.