Play Pretend (Aaron Pauley)

~Chapter Three~

CHAPTER THREE: WHEN YOU CAN'T SLEEP AT NIGHT

POV: PRIVATE EMBER CARTER OF REBELLION

One month had flown by. I finally had a day off from intensive training and drills! I had grown closer to Austin and Aaron. I really like them. Too bad they don't know the real me. The Rebel part...

But I was going to see someone who did. I was almost to the meeting place when someone grabbed my waist. I elbowed them in the gut. They quickly released me. I turned to see a familiar ginger laying on the ground.

"God, Em! What are they teaching you at that camp?! How to attack old friends?!" And Private Alan Ashby of The Rebellion returns. Of course.

Alan and I had been in The Rebellion the same amount of time. The only reason I was a lieutenant and he was still a private was because he never put forth the effort to do as much as I did. 

"Sorry, Al. What's up?" I asked, helping him up.

"I was promoted!" He cheered. I clapped. "But was demoted..." I slapped him on the back of his head. "Ouch."

"Sorry- not sorry. Here." I handed him a folder filled with notes about the Squire camp. Battle tactics, weapons, officers and ranks, how their training was and much more. It was a perk to be friends with Austin. He was definitely a gossip. 

"Thanks! See you in a month!" We hugged and went our separate ways. On the walk back, the silence was deafening.

"So we stand here waiting. Heads held high. We won't say no. We won't tell our lies." I continued to sing. I stopped singing when I was close to the base. It wouldn't end well for me if I got caught. I sighed as I walked to the camp, and to my bunk.

I had almost fallen asleep. But yet when you have friends, there is no peace for Lieuten Emmy.

"Ember? Ember? Are you in here?" I heard Aaron calling after hearing the heavy door open.

"Yeah!" I yawned as I sat up on the bed. He sat on my the end of my bed, smiling at me softly.

"Hey." He said, gently brushing a piece of hair off my forehead. "How was your day off?"

"Good." I said stretching. "When's your next day off?"

"I had mine already this month, but my next one is on the same day as you." He smiled brightly, an idea coming to him. "Maybe we can spend the day together." He purposed, his cheeks turning red.

"Sounds amazing." I smiled. Aaron started leaning in, his face getting very close to mine. His eyes were trained on my lips. I was watching his eyes in confusion, searching them for any hint of what he was doing.

For the first time, I noticed his eyes. They were a light brown- like honey. They reminded me of my favorite caramel candy, and like summer time when the sun came through the window and landed on the laminate flooring in my quarters back in Rebellion. It was one of my favorite sights. His eyes were so warm and full of life. I could stare into them for days,  just memorizing the flecks of espresso brown and sunshine gold. 

He stopped leaning in and shook his head. "I'll see you later, Ember." He said softly before he got up and left me to contemplate his actions.

That's when it hit me. He almost kissed me.

And I wanted him to.

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A/N: Shipping it? I'm shipping it. Ship name ideas, anyone? 

Stay Sassy, 

The Rutabaga