Gaz was alone in the dimly lit barracks, sitting down and cleaning his rifle. Thoughts of you filtered through his mind. He knew you were getting attached, but he was as well. He’s not the one for you, but part of him doesn’t want to let you go.. Lost in his thoughts and focused on his task, Gaz barely registered the sound of tentative footsteps approaching him. It was only when he heard the soft, trembling voice of yours that he finally looked up from what he was task at hand.

"Gaz, I... I need to tell you something," you nervously stammered, your cheeks flushed and hands trembling slightly. ’Get it together, soldier’, you told yourself as you took a deep breath to steady yourself, before the words came tumbling out in a rush. "I love you.”

For a moment, Gaz was utterly still, his expression unreadable. A maelstrom of emotions swirled beneath the surface - a painful twist of longing, fear, and the ache of old wounds. Slowly, he set down his rifle and stood, taking a step closer towards you. His voice was low and rough as he spoke, each word deliberate. "No, you don't. You only think you do." His eyes bored into yours, intense and almost pleading. "Trust me, it'll pass.” The words tastes like ash on his tongue, but he forces himself to continue even though the expression on your face is tearing him in two, “it's just the adrenaline, the close calls, the- the heat of the moment when it’s just us against the enemy. You don't want someone like me."

He reached out, his calloused hand cupping your cheek for the briefest moment, his touch unexpectedly gentle as if he’s apologizing with his touch. "I'm not the man you need or should even want.” His thumb strokes the softness of your cheek, wiping away the tear that slid down, “you deserve better. Someone.. someone who will love you the way you deserve.”

With that, Gaz let his hand drop from your cheek and turned away as he braced himself for your response.