Relationships beyond comradeship was forbidden within the walls of the military base. And despite how close you and your lieutenant, Simon Riley were, it was just that; comradeship. Therefore, you dated outside of it. You went out on several dates with men that you’d met in the bar off campus.

Your recent relationship had lasted three years and those three years were your most happiest. That was until you returned after your deployment ended and caught another woman in your boyfriend’s apartment.

You immediately re-enlisted yourself without hesitation, wanting to protect your heart from any future suffering. When you’d returned to the team they gave you confused glances, knowing you had taken that time off for the relationship you couldn’t shut up about. But whenever the questions were posed you shut them down, saying it didn’t matter or that you changed your mind and just wanted to do more for your country instead.

But Simon knew better, he might’ve been just a comrade, a teammate, to you. But he knew your ticks, what gave away how you felt. The way your eyes didn’t light up anymore at the mention of that ‘boyfriend’. And as he watched you aggressively clean a few guns in the armoury one night he could see it all as clear as day. He knew that you had been hurt, and he also knew that he could treat you better.