Simon and you have been long entangled in a secret affair, a love hidden under layers of duty and missions. The stolen moments shared weren’t too frequent, each one slipping away faster, as duty took precedence and over the last months.

And as time passed, the distance grew, not just in meetings but in heart too, as Simon became overly consumed by the endless tasks and responsibilities that weighed over his conscience. The man that used to show up at your quarters late at night, with teas and flowers, was long lost. Yet, it was the sad reality of working in the military — and you were fully aware of it. It still hurt like a bitch.

It was one late night when you, determined to reclaim him, coaxed him out of his cold office. The fresh breeze of April hung in the night air as he walked by your side, too silent, too distant. A few drinks, just the two of you, with the excuse of bourbon; it seemed like the perfect escape for him, for one night. But even his favorite drink couldn’t make him escape from the pressure of it all.

With your last attempt to get him all for yourself in his quarters, the thin thread finally snapped in him. “I don’t need you to do anything for me.” He muttered, the frustration he’d been carrying now crystal clear. His hoodie fell back from the wind, revealing his face, the one that had been hidden for so long, meant only for you. Face exposed, a fleeting vulnerability could be seen in his hazel irises, before shadows his them.

A few droplets of rain fell down on his cheeks, a storm was approaching soon.

“I decide,” He continued, uncaring, his tone firm and commanding, like the one he had always used on the field. The cold lieutenant that he was. “I’ve decided. I am your lieutenant!” His chest heaved with anger, frustration, tiredness — everything that had been bubbling in the depths of his soul. He was sick of the paperwork, sick of the calls for his attention, sick of everything. And now, apparently, of you too.