A SOLDIER’S LOVE

Soon he’d be off to war again living another exciting yet terrifying adventure of battling brothers on a blood stained plain. She just couldn’t let him go again, live through the terror of fear with the thoughts of him never returning to her. It killed the brown haired woman to think of such a thing but she had to live in the world of reality. He taught her that. “The world of reality bites,” she hissed with a heart-felt whimper however still trying to put off the façade of being cheerful, if only for his sake.

A slight smile warmed that of the man as he held the petite woman close to his form, metals and badges of sorts poked their way into her chest as if trying to separate the two. Damn things even little trinkets disliked the very idea of them being together. A slight sigh-like noise escaped the mouth of the Lieutenant yet it wasn’t out of contentment.

“You do realize you’re being very selfish, right?”

That deep rugged voice of his it had to be the most-if not just the most beautiful sound in the entire universe. Ocarina was right however, she was being selfish yet she didn’t give a damn if she was or not. Her nearly crimson colored eyes locked onto that of his mesmerizing golden ones in a serious semi-glare she ignored the obvious fact that she was acting like a selfish ten-year old brat rather than a nineteen-year old college student at the mention of her being selfish, she jerked herself out of his arms no matter how hard the act was for her.

“I don’t care, Occy! They have thousands of other willing soldiers signed-up for this, and yet they had to choose you!”

Minkota’s tight fists pounded against that of the soldier’s chest. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair at all. The most precious person in her life is leaving off for war and she’s stuck here in the dust! The world was moving on without her with all the changes of a new age, and she couldn’t handle it.

Ocarina moved slowly closer towards the shaken woman as he brought her to him once again. Her slightly smaller frame fit perfectly with his more built one, she didn’t realize that this was hard on him too. “I’m coming back,” he whispered softly into her chocolate waves of hair he could smell the fleshly applied shampoo in it, a scent of strawberry and honey. It was nearly addicting. He felt her body shake with a sob or two before actually hearing a whimper. This only made him hold onto her tighter.

“How do I know that you will? People die in wars.” She spoke of people dying as if it were a newly learned fact. People die all the time. It was nothing new. “Because I promise you that I will.”

Even so, Minkota wasn’t ready yet to let him go the embrace was tight and comforting, and it would have lifted her spirits any other time. Yet now it only made the knots in her stomach more uneasy. Why was it so hard? It wasn’t the first time she saw him off to war. No this would be the second time she saw the dueled haired man aboard the ship that was headed for Iraq.

In her mind she pictured all the days she would be without him, days melted into months and finally years and it made the sadness grow more. The gypsy girl slightly remembered the time when they both told each other what they wanted to be when they grew older. Ocarina strived to be a veterinarian he loved animals so much, especially the dark stallion Dulsca in which she had the pleasure of riding not so long ago.

Minkota however told him that she had no idea what she wanted to be, she was very fond of art yet didn’t exactly fit the bill to become a top notch artist. So she became a sort of support-line for the rugged man while he went to college majoring in biology to later attend a veterinarian school.
But a year or two earlier Ocarina had been called to service and was shipped out to Iraq the next following week. His dreams of becoming a vet were shattered. Minkota was surprised that he didn’t go into a deep depression as she did previously. Of course, he was stronger than her in more ways than one. At least that’s what she thought.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she completely ignored what her lover had said. Dismissing the thought of asking him to repeat his words she choose her wording in which she guessed was completely off subject. “I’ll take care of Dulsca when you’re gone.” The statement brought an overwhelming shock to her as she discovered what had just escaped her lips.

Likewise, the taller male stared down at her with a confused, bewildered, and questioning pair of eyes. A dark thin caterpillar like brow rose up as he sought out the right words to counter with. “I thought you were afraid of Dulsca?”

Ocarina was right on that part, she was afraid of the stallion if not terrified by him. However he was Ocarina’s horse so in a way; she didn’t fear him all too much. If it had been any other horse she wouldn’t have dared to say what she did. With a bold shake of the head Minkota grinned up at him with that of the innocence of a child.

He smirked and like a father would he patted her head in a near mocking way. The action earned a laugh from the girl. It was a delicious treat to hear her laugh since they found out he would have to go to war neither of them laughed much, he would miss it.

“I’ll miss you, Min.”

He whispered softly into her ear as he leaned in to steal a chaste kiss from her. She let him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck she returned the kiss, yet just as soon he pulled away. A smart smirk played with his lips and she yearned to feel his lips again.

“Don’t say that you’ll miss me…”

Ocarina noticed how she adverted her eyes to the ground in a near shy way. He also saw her smirk; he knew her little game now. Folding his arms he stared at her until she finally looked up at him.

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“Because you’re not leaving!”

Now Minkota was truly acting selfish it angered Ocarina slightly at how she could be so. She was so understanding and kind before this all happened. Damn military. If it wasn’t for the military everything would have been better, happier. But life always had to throw obstacles in the way to make it worthwhile.

Ocarina held her tightly to him staring down at her with piercing golden eyes almost as if he were glaring at her, Minkota’s lip pushed out into a pout at the glare. At times she hated him, loathed him even but she knew deep down that she loved him. Her only reason for being selfish.

With a smirk the soldier dipped in and captured her lips in a rough kiss that demanded for her to silence herself and her proud ways. Minkota nearly gasped at the fierce sign of affection she could feel the metal loop that was attached to his bottom lip, it was cold but the metallic taste was delightful all the same. At this point her lips were swollen, bruised and chapped not to mention swore. A sharp pain cut through her lip, most likely the fang of Ocarina she could taste the blood, and she shivered.

Now he would always have something to remember her by. Breaking away her lungs clung to the much needed air, gulping in mouthfuls. Crimson met gold and her lips twitched upwards into a smile, his into another smart-ass smirk.

How could she live without him?

A loud beep was heard from the awaiting truck outside their house signaling that it was time to go.

Minkota clung to him tightly trying not to cry again “Write to me every chance you get.” She said before looking at him straight in the face. Ocarina nodded to the request even though it wasn’t needed.

“Make sure…make sure you don’t die either. Or I’ll drag your dead ass all the way back here and kill you myself!”

Her meaningless threat made him laugh as he picked up his bag and headed towards the open door. He tried to take in as much of her beauty as possible before he had to walk out of her life, possibly for forever.

“I love you too, Minkota.”

Even though she looked shocked at his words and didn’t even attempt to say the same thing back to him. Ocarina knew that she loved him too. With a heavy sigh he nodded towards her peaking her on the cheek, and he walked out into the bright daylight.

“Love you, Ocarina…”

She whispered as the dark green truck sped off down the road, he has to come home. He would just have to. Minkota knew that too, deep down inside her, that her soldier would come home to her.

After all, she had a soldier’s love.