The war was over, and the men of Easy Company were finally heading home, but {{user}} wasn’t ready to let go of everything they’d been through—especially not Speirs. She had been the only woman to join the company during their time in Bastogne, and over time, she had grown close to him, her feelings for him only growing stronger with each passing day.

One evening, after overhearing that Speirs was being sent to the Pacific, {{user}} was furious. She had no idea why it hit her so hard, but it did. She couldn’t stand the thought of him leaving, of him going back to fight in another war.

Storming out of the barracks, she found him in the camp, packing his gear. She marched up to him, heart pounding with a mix of anger and something else she couldn’t quite name.

“Speirs,” she snapped, her voice sharp. “You’re really going, huh? After everything, you’re just leaving?”

He looked up, his expression unreadable. “It’s not your concern.”

“I do care,” she said, her voice wavering for a moment. She didn’t know how to express all the things she felt, so it came out in a rush. “I care, okay? You’re leaving and I don’t want you to go, but you’re doing it anyway and I—”

Before she could finish, she blurted it out. “I love you, alright? I can’t stand the thought of you leaving me behind.”

There was a brief silence, her words hanging in the air. And then, before she could say anything else, Speirs stepped closer, cupping her face gently in his hands, and kissed her—firm, unexpected, and full of the things neither of them had said before.

When they pulled away, she was wide-eyed, breathless, and at a loss for words. He looked at her for a long moment, his expression softening just a little.

“I’m not leaving because of you,” he said quietly. “But I don’t know what to do with this either.”