Your soldier (Itzy Yeji X Male Reader)

Chapter 2

Location: Poland
Perspective: (y/n)

I shift in my seat as I drive towards the gate.
A Polish soldier walks up to us. His gun is in his holster, but his hand is close to it.
"Name and occupation?"
Panther leans over. I let him talk, since I don't speak polish.
The two of them converse, until Panther takes out the letter that should get us over the border.
After reading it, the soldier leaves and comes back with another envelope. Our instructions. He waves at the others at the gate.
I put my foot on the throttle and we begin to cross over the Polish Ukrainian border.
I keep my eyes on the road while Panther begins to open the envelope. We are pretty much the only car driving in this direction. The others are all driving towards the boarder. We pass dozens of cars and trucks while Panther reads the instructions.
"Where are they sending us?"
Tiger leans forward to peek over Panther's shoulder.
"Zaporizhzhia."
"Don't tell me..."
I look at Panther.
"Yeah."
"What's there?"
In the mirror, I see Wolf trying to catch a glimpse of the letter as well.
"A nuclear power plant."
Wolf's eyes go wide.
"Do they want us to blow it up?"
Panther shakes his head.
"We are here to prevent that."
Tiger waves at a little girl, sitting in a car driving in the opposite direction.
"Aren't the Russians planning on using the power?"
"Yes. That's why we have to get them out of there. So that they can't blow it up and don't get the power."
Finally Seahawk asks the question we all want to know the answer to.
"Are we going to have back up? Or any escape routes?"
Making a right hand turn, I see Panther shaking his head.
"No back up. No escape."
If the mood wasn't at rock bottom before, it is now.
"But it's in Russian territory. They are going to take it back once we are dead."
"That's right Wolf. But we are going there to show that the Russians are weak. We have to bring hope to the people living around the nuclear power plant."
"We are going to sacrifice our lives for hope?"
Tiger scoffs.
"Panther. You have wife and children. Me and Shadow just got ourselves girlfriends. Seahawk still has to pay his debts off. And Wolf still lives with his mom."
Tiger's argument hits me like a truck. For a long time, I had no one to care for. I was often reckless. I never had to think about leaving someone behind alone once I was gone.
But it is different now. The sound of the others arguing, fades into the background. I can't let it happen. I won't be able to leave Yeji. My heart aches as I think about what she might be doing now. She must have already heard the message I have left her two nights ago. Did she try to call me?
I didn't tell her we would leave for the Ukraine. But what if she figured it out? I can't imagine how she must feel. Knowing that she can't do anything. Just wait for my safe return.

"Let me take over."
Panther pats me on the shoulder.
"I'm fine, sir."
"You have been driving the whole day. You should take a break."
"We will arive at Zaporizhzhia in two hours. I will sleep when we are home."
He looks ahead once more.
"I know how you feel."
I glance at him.
"I've seen that you became more cautious since you are with her."
"Are you saying that I'm not as good as before?"
"No. I'm saying that you finally found a reason to go back home."
"I can't stop thinking about her. I don't want to brake her heart by dying."
Tiger's snores in the background are almost louder than the engine.
"I once was where you are now."
"We are in the same car. Of course you where here."
Panther chuckles at my stupid joke.
"When Seri was only my girlfriend, I was sent onto a mission."
I realize Panther just told me his wife's name.
"I almost died in a foreign country. I was badly hurt. I thought I wasn't going to make it."
"You are not helping."
He gives me a light smack on the back of my head.
"Seri took care of me for weeks while I was in the hospital. While she did that I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I actually die."
"Did you ever think about breaking up with her?"
Panther looks at a blue car on the side of the road. Bullets wholes are all over it.
"I did. But after my time in the hospital I realized that it would be stupid. Seri's heart would break if I die. If we are together or not doesn't matter. I don't have to break her heart by breaking up with her as well."
Me and Panther share a lot of live and death situations, but we never had a talk like that.
"Did you ever think about quitting?"
He takes a deep sigh.
"The first time was when my child was born. I don't want her to grow up without a dad."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because I want her live in a peaceful place. If I have to give my life for that, I will."
Now it's my time to pat him on the shoulder.
"I will get you out of here alive."
"We don't have a plan to get out."
I stay silent as I think about how Yeji would react.
Panther's face softens and he smiles at me.
"At least not yet. I'm sure you will figure something out."

Perspective: Yeji

I stand on the balcony on our dorm. The cold night wind makes my hair wave everywhere. The sound of the cars on the streets are barely drowned out by my earbuds.
I press on the repeat button for the 20th time today.
"Hello Yeji. How are you doing, sweetie?"
I can feel him smile at me. My stomach gets warmer when I hear his voice.
"I guess you are sleeping right now. I don't have much time to talk. I will be leaving in a few minutes. But don't worry about me. I've got some warm clothes. Plus, I can always cuddle with Panther when it's cold."
The first few times I had to giggle at his jokes. But after seeing a news report about the war in the Ukraine, I realized what he tried to hide underneath his joke. He is probably there already. I close my eyes and remember the last time the two of us were together. In the last months, I found out that I miss him more when I think about our good times. But then I'm also not as worried as before.
"I hope you are doing great. Someone told me you performed at a university? You must have been so cute when you went to school."
I look up at the stars, hoping I will be able to see him again.
"Shadow! You coming? Last check before the take off."
I hear Panther's voice in the background.
Suddenly I catch something else. Something I haven't heard before. I stop the message and rewind it a bit.
"Shadow! You coming? Last check before the take off.
" Your Ukrainian is garbage."
I'm barely able to make out Tiger's voice in the far distance. Ukraine. They must be going there. I shudder as realization hits me. At first I still hoped (y/n)'s jokes were just jokes. But now I'm sure of it.
My boyfriend is fighting a war.