Realistic or Modern 𝑩𝒐𝒎𝒃𝒔 & 𝑩𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒔 (𝘞𝘺𝘰𝘴𝘤𝘩 & 𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘪𝘢)

[Alleluia]

As it turned out, you could get even more scared than she was before. Aria pushed her foot down on the gas pedal as far as it could go, but the car didn’t change its speed any. She had a feeling that if it could the car would laugh at her for trying. At least it didn’t stall and continued obeying her steering. With some effort, since the terrain was rough and uneven, the terrified nurse changed directions and headed toward the line of trees, as Sebastian instructed.

Thank god he recognized the sounds in time, because no sooner did they reach the trees than the bombs started dropping. A single cry escaped her lips, the first time it happened. She put her hand to her mouth, though the chances of it giving them away were slim. Between the noise of the engines and the explosions around them, she could have screamed at the top of her lungs and no one would be the wiser.

She froze, unsure of what they should do. Would leaving the car and running to the trees make them safer or less safe? Maybe they should take cover under it? I’m not supposed to be here, she thought, heart pounding in her chest. I’m not supposed to be here. She turned to Sebastian; eyes wild. “What do we do now?” she asked, trying to keep her voice under control but it was shaking. She hoped he knew.

 

[captain_bumblebee]

With every new explosion, Sebastian flinched, shutting his eyes to try and not get too overwhelmed by the loud sounds. He'd become rather numb to the sounds of bullets being fired, but everything from grenades to bombs made his entire body shiver, jogging his memory once more about his dislike of loud noises.

The man tried to concentrate on the here and now, of which Aria's panicked and raised voice reminded him.
"Breathe, Aria. Breathe.", he tried to calm her down, unsure of what else to say to someone who wasn't used to being directly in danger like that. The blonde gave her a reassuring smile, trying to keep eye contact with her, his hand slipping on hers to gently squeeze it and let her know everything was fine.

At the same time his mind was racing, trying to come up with a solution which would result in them not dying. They couldn't possibly take the car through the forest, he knew for a fact both troops from either country patrouilled them at night, and a car would catch way too much attention. On foot would be best, but he was unsure if he could make it.

And where would they go?

The Frenchman took his hand off of the nurse's, using it instead to hold onto the Jeep's roof - or whatever was left of it - to try and steady himself while he slowly got out of the car.
"Come on, we have to keep moving.", he mumbled, letting out a silent groan while moving.
"If I'm not mistaken there's an abandoned shed or even farmhouse when we go north. We can shield ourselves from both the bombs and nearing cold of the night there."

 

[Alleluia]

Aria forced herself to focus on Sebastian’s words. It was hard. She took one breath after the other, slowly getting herself under control. Just barely, but she managed it. Sebastian seemed to think it was better to move than keep still, and she willingly went along with it. It gave her something else to focus on too, which was taking care of him. Her patient.

Without asking, she inserted herself under his arm to help him walk. He indicated the general direction in which he recalled shelter and they headed that way. All semblance of the peace they’ve had earlier was gone. The racket from the bombs hitting ground, man and machine all around them was ear splitting. The sky lit up with bursts of malevolent light. In between, they could hear screams and shouts of commands. All of it was in Italian, the French being the ones bombarding from above. It must add to his fear, she knew. And still he didn’t give up. His face was pale, the pain would have been excruciating. And still, he didn’t give up.

She didn’t know how long it took them to get to the abandoned farmhouse. It felt like forever. The place was small and dilapidated, but it had escaped the worse of the bombing. The house had been partly ruined, and yet the barn and two of the sheds were still standing with their roofs mostly intact. Aria though the barn might be a more likely place for troops to search and so randomly directed them to one of the sheds.

She deposited him on the doorway, panting and dug out the small flashlight she had used during his surgery. She handed it over to him. “Look inside. I’m going to get some hay from the barn so you can lay down on something” She doubted there would be any animals around making use of it. “I’ll be right back”. Looking into his blue, pained eyes she gave a wan half smile and said, quoting herself earlier. “I’m not done”.

 

[captain_bumblebee]

Sebastian struggled to keep on moving, his breathing getting heavier with every step he took. His head was turning, his headache as strong as if someone was hammering against him. Of course the bombing, now slowly retreating into the distance, didn't aid much in getting better. Instead he just felt a spurt of adrenaline dashing through his body, not being able to do much else besides getting his mind even more active than it already was.

He clutched his rifle close to his body, grateful for the nurse that she was supporting him. He doubted he would've made it very far if it wasn't for her keeping him on his albeit trembling legs.

The Frenchman was unsure of how long it took them to get from the tree line all the way to the farm located somewhere in the north of the forest, but he felt even more exhausted and in need of rest once they finally arrived. Aria directed him towards one of the two sheds, letting go of him in front of the door and handing him the flashlight she'd taken with her.

"Crazily enough.", he replied to her mentioning once again that she wasn't finished helping him yet, still not understanding what exactly the two of them were doing. She was helping her enemy, he had saved his - how was he going to explain this to his superiors once he got back?

Sebastian watched the nurse walk off into the distance to get some hay for him before he pushed the door open, entering the dark shed. He used the flashlight to light the room up, surprised to find an old couch standing in the middle of it, some boxes stacked on it. Probably used as a storage.

He stationed his rifle against the wall, holding the flashlight in his mouth and slowly starting to pick up the boxes to free the couch. Aria could sleep on it, he'd take the floor. She had helped him so much already, the least he could do was try to make the night more comfortable for her. This way she wouldn't have to sleep on the dirty floor.

 

[Alleluia]

She came back, arms full of hay, just in time to see him put down the last of the boxes. “Foolish man!” she called out, rushing in. “Are you trying to undo all of our good work?” Dropping her light load, she took the flashlight from his mouth, shaking her head. “If I have to patch you up again,” she said, waving her finger at him “You’ll do without the whiskey this time”.

She pushed him down gently to sit down on the abandoned sofa. A cloud of dust rose from it, making them both cough. Sebastian groaned in pain when their fit subsided. Poor thing, she thought fondly.

Kneeling beside him, Aria checked on the wound. Some of the stitches must have torn, for the bandages were bloody, but not so much that it was alarming. Three wasn’t much she could do either. Most of her supplies have been used up in the improvised surgery. I’ll need to get more, she thought. That’s when she realized she intended to come back.

Outside, the world was quiet again. Would there be only one attack, or will the French be back? There was no way of knowing. She couldn’t stay there, though. For a million reasons. The car, her brother, her noticeable absence from the room she shared with other nurses, being late for the shift. At the end of that list was the fact she’d be alone here, with a man. True, he was far from a physical threat to her at the moment. And still… she swallowed hard.

“You’ll need to hide here.” she said decidedly. “Tomorrow, we can try again at night”. She was still kneeling in front of him, one hand splayed across his bandaged chest, the other resting on his knee. “Don’t argue now. I can’t stay here. It’ll be safer for you if no one is but looking for me. Here, I brought some bread and a full canteen. It’s not much, but it’ll have to do. I’ll try to bring more food when I come back tomorrow”

 

[captain_bumblebee]

Sebastian flinched at the sudden angry words of the nurse, listening to her scolding him with big, guilty eyes. Before he could even apologize to her, she had already pushed him down onto the couch, a cloud of dust penetrating his lungs, the young male coughing alongside Aria. Once he had calmed himself, he groaned silently in pain, his body finding itself in agonizing pain all over again.

The Italian woman went to kneel beside him to check his injury, and although he was alarmed by the bright red color shining through his bandages, she didn't seem alarmed at all so he should be alright, shouldn't he?

"You're leaving?", he asked, his hand subconsciously rising up to his chest to put it on hers, just for a split second before realizing what he was doing and immediately lowering it again. Sebastian was unsure why, but the woman's presence calmed him down, at the same time not helping but feeling anxious about her having to traverse the forest on her own at night.

"It's too dangerous to go out there on your own, there's nobody to protect you.", the blonde muttered under his breath, followed by another pained moan, not realizing his words had implied he wasn't there to protect her. Then again, why should he? She was still the enemy after all. This raised the question if he could trust her once again to leave and return on her own. What if she were to leak his location this time?

"If you go, take my rifle. That'll at least give you more of a chance to survive... but I'll still advise against leaving now."

 

[Alleluia]

Aria laughed, but not unkindly “And what, exactly, do you think I can I do with your rifle?” she inquired. “It’s almost my size. Even if I could carry it all the way back to the car, I have no idea how to shoot it. And if I get caught with a French rifle, that will only make things more complicated to explain.”

She understood the gesture for what it was though. He needed the rifle and could use it. His offer put her safety above his. Again. “Thank you,” she said, putting her hand against his face once more, intentionally this time. She rose quickly to leave, before she’ll do the quite foolish thing she could suddenly see herself doing. “I’ll be fine. Don’t underestimate the resourcefulness of a determined Italian woman,” she said. Pausing at the entrance to the shed she added, her eyes glistening with mischief “and if you’re worried I’ll leave you here alone, don’t. I’ll be back. I’m not done yet”.

She closed the door behind her and started heading back to the vehicle.

***

Daniel let out a breath, a curse and a prayer when he heard the unmistakable sound of that junker’s clanking engine. “Blessed mother, where were you?” he asked his sister. He helped her dismount the car and checked her for injuries. “Is that blood on your fingers?” he asked, appalled.

“Not mine” Aria answered curtly. “And don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to. The car is back. I am back. Isn’t that enough?”

Daniel swore, and got swatted in the arm. That made him smile. Things couldn’t be too wrong if she was still making him mind his manners. “Let me lock up and I can drive you back to the hospital” he said.

Aria closed her eyes. How was she ever going to survive another shift? Then again, what choice did she have? “Thank you” she answered her brother. “I’ll go wait in the jeep”. By the time he got back, she was asleep.

Daniel looked at his older sister. She seemed utterly exhausted. He wished he had a way of getting her out of her shift. A lot of people owed him a lot of favors, but not of that kind. Besides, she’d probably kill him for interfering. What were you doing tonight, Aria? he wondered as he climbed into the seat next to her. What left you so very tired? What put that tiny smile on your face?

 

[captain_bumblebee]

Sebastian watched Aria leave the shed, his eyes longingly plastered against the door she closed behind her as if she was about to step back inside at any given moment. He knew he should try to get some sleep, but he couldn't help but worry about the Italian nurse. What if she didn't make it to safety? She was going to drive way too close by the frontlines where so much blood was shed every single day, someone could see her, shoot her on sight-

The male furrowed his brows, shaking his head. Why would he even care if she died? She was the enemy, it didn't matter. Then why had he saved her in the first place? It couldn't just have been his impulsivity, there had to have been more to it, even if it was hidden deep in the back of his mind. Maybe he just hadn't wanted to see someone innocent die?

He sighed to himself, tracing the outlines of the wooden planks the shed was built out of, his brain instead portraying Aria in front of his eyes, her smile and big, beautiful eyes making the soldier's heart skip a beat.
"Ne sois pas stupide, Sébastien.", he mumbled to himself, shaking his head once again before closing his eyes and - although hesitantly - slowly drifting off to sleep, getting a well-deserved rest.


[Translation: "Don't be stupid, Sebastian."]

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~​

A young brown-haired woman sprinted into the hospital, trying to pin her hair up into a ponytail on the way to the emergency room where her long shift would start.

Valentina Lombardi was a fierce Italian woman, with a fiery personality to attest to the stereotype of hot-tempered Italians. This had its perks, especially in the medical field. Her passion had always been her career, and a war hadn't been able to change that. She was focused on succeeding, knew what she wanted and would do anything to get it.

"Ah, I'm late!", she cussed to herself, receiving some judging looks from elder personel which she didn't think twice about. It didn't happen often that Valentina wasn't on time, usually being a good fifteen minutes earlier than her rendezvous. She had completely lost track of time while looking for her friend, Aria, over the entire camp, searching through tents and barracks and even asking some soldiers about her.

Russo hadn't come back to the compound last night, which was so not a thing her friend would do. Had something terrible happened to her? Perhaps Valentina shouldn't even be going to work but continue looking for her friend instead? Then again, all these wounded people wouldn't get better by themselves. They needed her.

 

[Alleluia]

Her brother dropped her off about an hour before her shift was due to start. Aria kissed him goodbye and walked into the field hospital. She told the head nurse on duty she was here and went in search of a place she can sleep for a while until it was time to get to work. She found an empty cot, but despite her exhaustion, sleep did not come easily.

What was he doing now? she wondered. She hoped he was sleeping. His body needed to heal, and sleep was often one of the best medicines they had to offer. Certainly, it was for him now with nothing but the antiseptic ointment she put on the wound after the makeshift surgery. And then all the running around they did… He needed rest and then food. I’ll need to bring more when I come back. More water too, and a new bandage.

Holy mother, what are you thinking?! Was she really losing sleep contemplating how to steal supplies so she can treat a wounded enemy soldier? what was wrong with her? Yes, he saved her life. From himself and his friends at least in part. But she had saved him back. Wasn’t that enough?

“I’m not done…” why had she said that? worse, why did she feel that?

“Sei così stupido, Aria” she told herself, before finally getting some much-needed sleep.

***

She was having the best dream… drinking coffee with someone on a sun-drenched porch. Soft wind tousled the jasmine flowers and they were laughing, her and someone. And then she was being shaken awake. Gently, but with a firm hand.

Aria opened her eyes reluctantly. She felt like no time had gone by. She was so tired, it took her a minute to refocus her eyes and put a name to the lovely, worried face in front of her. “Valentina,” she said, stifling a yawn. “I’m up. I’m ready”. She knew it was highly unlikely her friend will ignore the fact Aria didn’t turn up in her room when she was expected. The problem was, she was too worn out to come up with a believable lie.

 

[captain_bumblebee]

Sebastian had fallen asleep in the matter of a few seconds, dreaming about his childhood and growing up in the so-called 'banlieues' of Paris with his siblings. He'd never had it easy in life, always having to fight for something. Be it affection and praise, honor, food, and now a war with a cause nobody really seemed to know anything about.

His dream quickly shifted into something else before becoming too depressing, now showing the soldier sitting on a blanket laid out on a beautiful green field, flowers blooming in every corner. There was a lake nearby, its water so clear that it reflected the vivid blue of the sky perfectly. And across from him, sitting on the same blanket, was a woman.

She was beautiful. She had soft, brown hair, and the most beautiful pair of eyes Sebastian had ever seen. Now, why did she seem so familiar?

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Valentina watxhAria while the latter was waking up, noticing the incredibly dark bags under her eyes and patches of blood all over her clothes. It seemed like she'd had a long night, the question was why, and with whom?

"Girl, where have you been?", the woman asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest, raising an eyebrow and staring her friend down. She looked like she was angry and like a mother who was about to scold and punish her child for doing something stupid, but in reality she was just incredibly worried.

"You didn't come back to the barracks and didn't tell anyone where you were going. You look... and this is nicely put, honey - dead, really. Awful.", she shook her head, sitting down at the edge of Aria's bed, "What happened to you? You're covered in dirt and blood as if you haven't showered and... is that gun powder on your skirt?"

 

[Alleluia]

Dear god, how was she going to explain this? And to someone like Valentina, who seemed to have been born with a natural lie detector?

Aria stretched, buying some time. She decided to stick as close to the truth as possible. She hated lying, but she knew she wasn’t half bad at it. "When my shift ended an officer that was heading out offered to drop me off” she said, sliding off the cot. Her friend and her started to walk toward the nurses’ station, where she could pick up a fresh pair of uniform. She realized now she must have looked like death warmed over for the head nurse to say nothing earlier. She saw how much Aria needed to sleep. “He got orders to get back in the field before we got to the barracks. I should have gotten off and walked, he suggested I do. But I thought he might need help, so I rode with him”.

The head nurse handed her folded clothes and nodded in the direction of an empty room. A shower would have been divine, but at least the room had a little sink and faucet. For now, she made do with washing her hands and arms to her elbows and scrubbing her face. “I shouldn’t have done that. I got stranded with the battle going on around me. It was awful. I saw him die and…. I didn’t even know his name. I made it to cover and I waited there”. She wouldn’t look her friend in the eyes, but at least getting dressed and washing up gave her some sort of plausible excuse for that.

“I’m so tired. I only had an hour or so of sleep. Watch me for mistakes, please. if I hurt anyone because I can’t concentrate, I’ll never forgive myself”. It would be yet another terrible, traitorous thing to do, for the sake of helping an enemy. One she was planning to help again once this shift ends.

 

[captain_bumblebee]

Valentina listened intently to what her friend was telling her, all while closely walking next to her as they walked over to the nurse's station for Aria to grab a fresh uniform so she could finally change out of her dirty one. When they entered the empty room and Aria walked over to the sink to wash herself, Valentina sat down on the cot, listening to what else her friend was telling her.

She wasn't sure if she was being paranoid or if something about Aria's story just didn't make sense. How on earth would a nurse with no basic training nor understanding about how to survive at night during a war make it through some heavy bombing and back to where she belonged without any injury? The elements just didn't add up.

"So, you waited?", the brunette asked, raising an eyebrow as she slightly leaned back, turning her head to look at Aria who had just finished getting dressed.
"How did you get back home? Aren't the frontlines kilometers away from the hospital?"

Valentina jumped up from the cot, stretching her arms and strutting over to the door to open it for her friend.
"Alright, I'll watch you.", she said, "But after our shift you will tell me what really happened out there, because I feel like there's some parts you're holding back."

 

[Alleluia]

What proceeded was one of the worst shifts Aria had ever been in. The influx of wounded was about the same as it was every day. But each new one that came in, made her feel all the more guilty. Each bullet wound came from one of Sebastian’s friends. Each fracture, each blow. Her exhaustion made her move slower, which only made her feel worse. If anyone dies because I spent the night dressing the wounds of the enemy… she thought. How will I ever live with that?

But that didn’t happen. The hours bled into each one another and she was able to hold things together. Just barely, but she managed it. Then it was time to head back to the barracks. Her shift was over.

Once again Aria was faced with a dilemma. She could just stay away. Not come back. Go to her room and sleep and pretend none of this ever happened. Sebastian, if he was even still there, had been repaid for his act of heroism. He could fend for himself now. If the wound will stay clean and uninfected, if he was able to find food and more water, if he managed to stay undetected… he would be fine.

Only those were an awful lot of ifs.

****

Clean bandages, food, medication and water. Aria packed those hurriedly, then snuck out of the hospital’s back door. She had a long walk ahead of her. She didn’t dare ask her brother for a car again. Her plan was to get there, check on the wound and then while Sebastian ate, get some sleep. Then she’ll head back to her barracks never to return again. It didn’t occur to her to question whether she’d be safe sleeping with him there. She didn’t doubt it for a second.

This would be the last time, she told herself resolutely. It had to be. Any more lost sleep and she would be risking too many lives she had no right to risk. Just one last time, to make sure he has the best chances of survival she can give him. He’ll need to figure out what’s next on his own. Maybe he can steal a car and a pair of uniform, drive himself to the border…

She was lost in thought, and tired, and not much of a scout anyway. It was for one of those reasons or all of them together that the fact she was being followed escaped her completely.

 

[captain_bumblebee]

Valentina had held a close eye on Aria throughout their entire shift, making sure her friend stayed awake and didn't hurt any incoming soldier by not concentrating on the task at hand. Whereas the day wasn't a lot different from usually, injured men coming in one after the other, the energy Aria was giving off of her worried Valentina. Not only was her friend silent and exhausted from whatever she had been doing the previous night, she didn't seem to be totally in the present, as if there was something lingering in the back of her mind.

Once their shift had ended and it was actually time to get back to the barracks, Valentina waited for Aria to join her to get back to the camp. When she didn't seem to turn up however, the brunette went back into the hospital to look for her, only to catch a glimpse of Aria swiftly taking the backdoor after having stuffed medical supplies into her bag.
Who are you helping?, the Italian woman thought to herself, her curiosity getting the best of her and urging her to follow.

She tried her best to stay at a distance so Aria would not notice her, although she also needed to keep up to not lose her friend out of sight. She followed her for what seemed like an eternity, evading the glances of soldiers around who would've ordered both to leave and get back home. She didn't understand what Aria was doing so incredibly close to the frontlines, walking through the forest to what looked like an abandoned farm in the distance.

An abandoned farm?, the woman thought to herself, hiding behind a tree to watch Aria's next steps, raising an eyebrow as her friend entered one of the two sheds.

 

[Alleluia]

Daniel was worried.

Yes, Aria brought the car back as promised, and it didn’t look much worse for wear. Though it was hard to tell with the wreck he’d lent her. But she looked exhausted. There was blood on her hands and her clothes and she refused to give any clear answer about where she had been. He had a feeling, a brother’s instinct, that whatever it was wasn’t over.

He had decided to follow her. He asked Davide to take over for him in the office. The night watch being an easy shift that made the man happy to oblige. Then he waited outside the hospital for her to leave. He hadn’t counted on her leaving out the back.

He might have missed her too, if he hadn’t notice Valentina. Once he did, he began to trail his sister’s friend, keeping at safe distance. He was now twice as curious. what would make not one but two nurses, otherwise very responsible women too, sneak away. If it had been him the answer would have been easy – a woman.

****

She knocked on the door to the shed before opening it, hoping to avoid getting shot.

“Sebastian!” she called out, keeping her voice low. “Are you here? I’m back. I’ve brought food and medicine”.

 

[captain_bumblebee]

Sebastian's lovely dream was interrupted by a banging sound, the man's eyes shooting open and immediately grabbing his rifle to aim it at the door. He only lowered it as the soft voice of Aria echoed in his mind, a half smile appearing on his face. He honestly hadn't expected her to return, he'd believed that she would have gone out that door and not return, because frankly there was no reason to. She had saved his life already by treating his wound and getting him to this shed, and yet she had come back.

"I'm here.", he called back out to her, a soft French accent wrapping itself around his words for he had only just woken up. The blonde wriggled around to sit up on the couch, although he was now well-rested his body still aching horribly.
"Did you find your way back home safe and sound yesterday? Didn't come across any soldiers?"
It didn't matter if he was referring to French or Italian ones, either way she would've been in big trouble, albeit dead had it been French ones.

While on the inside of the shed a Frenchman was glad to see an Italian nurse, the latter's friend was still hiding behind the same tree, a deep frown on her face. What was Aria doing here? Why had she entered such a suspicious-looking shed? Her entire behavior was suspicious.
"What are you doing, Aria?", Valentina whispered to herself, unbeknownst to the male figure slowly catching up to her.

 

[Alleluia]

“That,” Daniel said, stepping out of the shadows, probably startling Valentina “Is what I’d like to know.” He grinned at his sister’s friend. “Sorry if I scared you. I didn’t know if you were in cahoots with my sister, so I followed you without saying a word. But you seem every bit as much in the dark as I am. What do you think? should we follow her in?”

***

He’d been sleeping. Good. She envied him, but he needed sleep to recover. “I’m fine, I’m fine” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “Let me see your wound”. She knelt in front of his sitting form, her hands reaching for his bandages. Last night blood had darkened and hardened, but that was good. It mean no fresh blood has flowed. In the dim light she noticed for the first time, despite having her hands on him before, that his body was lean and taut. She blushed.

“I’m going to…” she said, swallowing hard. “I’m going to replace the bandages now. It might hurt a little, but nothing when compared to what we’ve already been through together. I brought antiseptic ointment and clean bandages”

She began working, her fingers quick and accurate. “After I’m done, you can eat. I’ve brought you more bread and some cheese, a couple of apples too. And more water”.

 

[captain_bumblebee]

Valentina jumped up as a sudden figure emerged out of the shadows, raising her fists to protect herself - although she would be no match to anyone - only to let out a sigh of relief upon noticing that it was Aria's brother.
"Daniel Russo - don't scare me like that!", she snarled, shaking her head and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Yes, I have absolutely no idea what your sister is doing here. She was acting weird throughout her entire shift and when I saw her leaving through the backdoor, I followed.", the woman explained, glancing over her shoulder back at the shed which her friend had disappeared in.
"I'm just as curious to find out what she's doing here than you, but do you think following her inside is a smart idea? If we do, then you go first."

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Sebastian watched Aria's movements closely, noticing the faint pink color on her cheeks as she touched the skin around his bandage, fighting back a smirk. She was adorable when she was this nervous, although he didn't really understand why. She'd taken care of his wounds before, thus seeing him shirtless once again should've been no problem to her, should it?

"Thank you.", the blonde whispered as to not disturb her while she was exchanging his bloody bandage for a new one.
"Have you slept?", he asked after a while, noticing the dark rings under eyes indicating she was in dire need of some rest.

 

[Alleluia]

Daniel grinned at the other woman. He always liked her, though Aria would kill him where he stood if she thought he was making a pass at one of her friends. "Why? What do you think is in there? Because if it had been any other person in the world I'd be willing to bet it was a man. But not my sister, Aria's a good catholic girl. I bet you she found some puppies and are keeping them there a secret". Although if that was the case, she could have done it much closer to the barracks or the hospital.

He touched his belt, where he had a gun holstered. He wasn't part of any combat unit, but like any other shoulder he was trained to shoot. It reassure him to be reminded of the weapon's presence. He wouldn't shoot a dog. But if there was a man in there trying to take advantage of Daniel's big sister... "Come on," he said to Valentina. "Stay close".

***

"Not much" she answered truthfully. Then lifted her eyes to him and smiled. He was looking down at her, concern in his beautiful eyes. "Don't worry. I'll catch up on my sleep tonight. Lets get this over and done with first." Removing the bandages she put them aside, then studied the rough sutures before applying the ointment. They looked... we all probably as good as they we're going to. Still red but not infected. "You'll have a scar" she noted. "Not a big one, but... a scar". Slowly, carefully she wrapped the new bandages and taped them closed. "There. This will have to hold you until a proper doctor takes a look".

 

[captain_bumblebee]

"If there are puppies in there and she didn't tell me I'll kill her.", Valentina said, a harsh tone in her voice, but if one paid close attention one knew the woman wasn't serious. She took a deep breath as Daniel nudged her to follow him, her eyes trailing to the gun hanging in its holster at his belt. What if Daniel was wrong, and she was indeed in there because of a man? Then again, what man would she have met for them to want to meet here, so close to the frontlines?

The Italianwoman stayed in close proximity to Daniel, being almost so close she could've been breathing down his neck. Navigating through grass and stepping over branches and dirt spread out all on the ground without making a sound was more difficult than she had imagined, then again she was wearing heels - never much having cared about how impractical they were.
"Be careful you don't shoot her."

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Sebastian let out an airy chuckle followed by a silent groan, urging himself to remember that laughing was a really bad idea in his condition, even if he did feel a little better than yesterday.
"I already have enough scars, don't mind one more.", he replied, sliding in a playful wink.

He once more watched her carefully apply a new bandage around his torso, waiting for her to finish before looking up at her with big puppy eyes, glancing over at the food she had brought him.
"Could I...?", he asked, feeling guilty to ask her about it so straightforward, sounding rather unthankful in his mind - but he was just famished, he couldn't wait any longer.

"You should sleep now and rest if you want to go back before it gets dark."

 

[Alleluia]

"Yes, please" she said, bringing him the package after first carefully wiping her hands. "Don't eat too fast or you'll hurt yourself." This would probably be the last time she saw him. Ever. After tonight, he'll have to make it on his own. She couldn't keep sneaking in here. For some reason the thought was almost unbearably painful. "I won't be able to bring you more, you'll need to make it last" she said, her voice thick.

When he suggested she sleeps, she nodded. "Yes, I should sleep a little before I head back. Then, after tonight's bombing you should try to head back. You can maybe hide here another day or two, if you're not up to the walk to the border. It'll be risky though". Then again, what wasn't?

Sebastian rose from the sofa with some difficulty, making room for her to lay down. She took his place, very aware of the heat his body left behind. "Don't let me sleep too long" she said, fearing her exhaustion would keep her asleep half the night. "My absence was noticed last night, I have to be back in the barracks or someone might stat looking for me". Even as she was talking, a yawn escaped her. It was so hard keeping her eyes open now that she was laying down. "Not too long, promise?" she said sleepily as she cradled her head in her hands and fell asleep.

***

"You're as smart as you are lovely" Daniel said. "No one will believe I shot Aria by accident, least of all my father. We fight far too much for that." He took a deep breath, said a prayer to his favorite saint, and kicked the door open.

 

[captain_bumblebee]

Sebastian didn't reply to Aria mentioning it would be the last time she would come by, averting her gaze with a sad glistening in his eyes. He knew she was an Italian, he needed to see her as an enemy - but for whatever reason he just couldn't. This woman had saved his life, she'd risked hers twice already just to take care of him. Aria was no enemy, she was a beautiful young woman with eyes he could get lost in.

He nodded at her begging him to not let her sleep for too long, even if she looked like she could sleep for a couple of days on end. She probably had needed to work when he was asleep in the shed, which would explain why she was so heavily exhausted. The male couldn't help but smile softly as he watched her cradle her head in her hands and slowly doze off.

The peaceful moment however was ruined only a split second later at the sound of the door being forced open, the Frenchman's instincts kicking in and immediately reaching for his automatic rifle which was still positioned against the couch, probably ripping some stitches by moving so recklessy.

He aimed it at the two intruders, panting. A man and a woman were standing in front of him, the blonde cocking his gun to show he wouldn't hesitate pulling the trigger.
"Who are you? Vous-êtes qui?", he snarled, furrowing his brows in confusion as the woman only gasped in shock, pointing at Aria to which Sebastian reacted by stepping to the side, covering her with his body.

"It is a man!", Valentina shouted loudly, tugging at Daniel's shirt, hardly realizing that there was a rifle aimed at them.
"Try to reach for your handgun and I'll blow you to shreds.", the man opposite of the two Italians threatened, motioning at Daniel's holster.
"I'd rather not be blown to shreds.", the woman replied, glancing over at Daniel with big eyes as if she were asking him what they were supposed to do now. Perhaps she just needed to yell at her friend again?

 

[Alleluia]

“Worse than that,” Daniel said, outraged. “It’s a Frenchman!”. Even if the soldier hadn’t used a French expression, he recognized the uniform. He moved in front of Valentina. He didn’t relish the thought of getting shot, but he wasn’t going to let her get shot either. He also wasn’t going to put up his hands. Not while this bastard was standing over his sister’s laying body.

****

Despite the fact she was suddenly yanked from her much needed sleep, Aria was strangely calm. She looked at the scene and didn’t panic. She realized Valentina had been more suspicious than she thought and followed her. Though what Daniel was doing there was beyond her. Maybe her friend asked him for her? Though that was unlike her.

“Put the rifle down, Sebastian” she said, pulling herself to sit on the dusty sofa demurely, as if there was nothing wrong with the incredulous scene before them. “That’s my brother. Daniele, calm down. No one is in any danger unless you two act like fools”.

“Don’t call me that!” Daniel said, indignant. There he was, worrying about her, ready to defend her virtue, and she was using an old childhood nickname and rebuking him. “He’s a French soldier”.

“I noticed. Sebastian, please. I don’t have any more supplies here and if you shoot my brother it’ll be embarrassing for us both”. She hesitated a minute, then smiled and added “If you have to shoot though, aim for his knee. They’ll send him home if he’s knee’s blown, and I won’t have to worry about him so much”.

 

[captain_bumblebee]

Sebastian listened to Aria explaining that her brother was standing in front of him, raising an eyebrow at the Italianman. Taking a closer look, he did resemble the woman who had been helping him ever since he got shot, but just because he was her brother didn't mean he would just listen to his sister's pleas. If Sebastian were to lower his gun right now, there would be nothing stopping her brother from attacking the injured soldier.

"I could do that.", the blond replied, a mischievous smirk appearing on his face as he lowered his rifle to aim it at Aria's brother - Daniel - at her command. He wanted to be mad at her for letting her brother and the other woman follow her, then again she had never been in a situation like this where she would've had to pay attention as to who was following her and who wasn't.

Valentina seemed to be the only one slightly panicking in the situation, not understanding how Aria could stay this calm and how the only thing Daniel and Sebastian seemed to be able to pull off were these aggressive vibes - but then again they were men.
"Aria.", she said firmly, poking her head out from behind her friend's brother's back and glaring at the other woman in the room.

"I believe you owe us an explanation. What are you doing with a Frenchman in this... secluded shed?"

 

[Alleluia]

Aria got up and put her hand on Sebastian’s arm. “Please,” she said, her eyes locked on his. She gently pushed the other one down, indicating he should lower his rifle. Her fingers tightened on his arm unconsciously, feeling the taut muscles. With their eyes locked like that, it was easy for her to forget there was anyone else there. Anyone else in the world, for that matter.

When her friend raised the very fair question of what they were doing, it snapped Aria out of that state. “Come here, Daniele, Tina. He won’t shoot”. To show she was sure, she left his side and went over to the two of them, who were still hovering unsure at the entrance to the shed. Aria took her brother’s gun out of its holster and placed it on the ground. Then, took her friend’s hand in hers and led her inside. “You might as well sit; this is an odd story”.

She gave a brief account of last night. The story started out similar to what she told Valentina’s earlier, though Daniel hadn’t heard it and his face clearly displayed his shock. His sister could have been hurt, killed even. When she explained how Sebastian saved her, the Italian had no choice but to nod his head in thanks to the still standing Frenchman. She told them of the field surgery and coming back with the car to help him to the border. She explained how the bombing made that impossible and they were forced to find shelter for the night. Finally, her decision to come back again and make sure he was well and had food.

Daniel shook his head in dismay. “You’ve always been stubborn,” he said “But you’ve never been stupid. He’s an enemy soldier, Ari. He’ll kill us all once he’s on the other side. He probably killed the officer you were with to begin with.”

“He saved my life”

Daniel waved his hand dismissively. “Instinct! He didn’t look at you and thought – well there’s a kind hearted Italian woman, her family sure would miss her if she was dead. He grabbed you and ran before he knew what he was doing. I’ll grant you, that’s a good instinct to have, but that’s what it was. What you’re doing – that’s treason.”