Love You Till The End (Robert Zussman x Reader)

20 - Y/N L/N

Early March of 1944
Boston, Massachusetts

Aiello, Zussman, Stiles, and I were currently walking the streets of Boston. The next two days are going to be cherished since we don't have to worry about training or learning anything. We had been issued travel passes to go on leave in Boston for two days and we were in such high spirits. We thankfully had all brought extra clothes in the luggage we brought to camp and it felt good to wear normal clothes for a change.

We had dropped our luggage off at a cheap hotel we are staying at and decided to walk around together to take in the sights of Boston. I felt very excited to walk the very unfamiliar scenery. I had never traveled to the east, so I hoped to make the most out of my two days of leave.

After walking around together for a bit, Aiello went off to some bar since he was in the mood to have a few drinks. It was very interesting to see him not so moody for once. Stiles ended up running off after he spotted a library and I couldn't help but chuckle at how different Aiello and Stiles are.

"College and his damn books," Zussman muttered as we watched Stiles enter the library.

"Hey! I like reading too," I told him, playfully hitting his arm. He put his hands up as if he was surrendering and we both started to laugh.

Since we aren't old enough to go into bars yet and we definitely didn't want to spend our evening reading, Zussman and I decided to stop by a diner. We figured we could just have an early dinner and spend the rest of the night doing whatever.

I felt very happy being around Zussman. I haven't known him for very long, but being in basic training has allowed me to become great friends with him. He knows how to make me laugh and he's just really nice to talk to.

We sat in a booth of a random diner we had found and ordered some coffee and food. I wasn't very hungry, but I still ordered a plate of ham, eggs, and toast.

Zussman and I sipped away at our cups of coffee and waited for our food as we told each other stories from our youth. We had both grown up during the Depression, so we talked about the good and bad moments we had gone through. Although we are from opposite sides of the country, our lives during the Depression share similarities. We had both experienced going to bed hungry, not having many clothes, and losing friends whose families were in search of work, but we each had our share of memories that we cherish even if our families had been struggling to survive.

"Did you know Stiles before joining the military? He said he's from Chicago too," I mentioned after he finished talking about some of the hardships his family faced in Chicago during the Depression.

"Nah, he grew up in the North Side area. Judgin' by the way he talks and well, just him being his typical self, he probably comes from a family that's well off. Me, I'm from the South Side and I don't really like to associate with North Siders, but he ain't terrible, I guess." He shrugged his shoulders. "Long story short, there's a rivalry between the North and South sides of Chicago which has been around for quite some time now. " 

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Wait, you ain't ever been to the east of the states before?" he suddenly asked.

"No, I haven't. My parents are from Wisconsin, but they moved to California where I was born and raised. I've always wanted to go east and see Chicago or New York, but I've never had the money to do so," I answered.

"Oh, you're a Golden State gal? Well, I'd say the east and west can be pretty different, so I'll tell you what. We make it back here after the war and I promise you that I'll show you around South Side, Chicago before we go our separate ways. How's that sound? You shake my hand and it's a deal." He held his hand out towards me, waiting for my answer with a grin on his face.

"Oh gosh, I bet you're a sweetheart to all the ladies, aren't you? But that does sound fun, so fine, it's a deal." I smiled at him and shook his hand, feeling my cheeks warm up.

"Well, there ain't too many people that see this nice side of Robert Zussman, Ms. L/N." He stirred his spoon in his cup of coffee before looking up at me. "But despite what you might think, I can be quite the tame gentleman."

"Tame, huh? I don't know about that yet," I teased, chuckling. 

"I'll prove it to you somehow," he said with a wink.

Our meals eventually came and our conversation continued. After we finished, we ordered a chocolate sundae and shared it. It had been so long since I've eaten ice cream, so I felt like such a child, happily eating the sundae.

After an argument with Zussman over who should pay for the meal, which he eventually won, we both walked outside to be immediately hit by cold air. Even though winter was soon going to be gone, the cold air was still there, causing the hairs on my skin to rise. We put on our coats and walked past the different buildings of Boston.

The city looked even better at night with all the lights on. It wasn't too late, so there was still plenty of people out on the streets. Eventually, Zussman offered me his arm and I wrapped my arm around his. We smiled at each other and I noticed he was slightly blushing. I couldn't help but think he looked very handsome.

There was a band playing jazz on the street we were walking on, so we stopped and listened to them play. There were a few people dancing and it was such a nice thing to see. The band eventually started to play a slower song which caused the couples watching to link up and strangers began to ask other strangers to dance. I was slowly swaying to the music and watching everyone dance with a smile on my face when I was suddenly taken to where the dancing was happening by Zussman.

"I hope you don't mind. Y-you looked like you wanted to dance," Zussman said nervously, holding his hand out towards me as we stood in the midst of the dancing crowd.

"Of course, I don't mind," I replied with a smile and allowed my hand to intertwine with his as we leaned in close and began to dance.

"See? I can be a gentleman." He beamed at me as he slowly twirled me around.

"Hmm...maybe," I teased as we leaned in close to each other once again.

 I enjoyed every moment of our slow dance. I've never been much of a dancer and I could tell at times that Zussman didn't know what he was doing either, but we somehow worked it out and just let ourselves have fun. We continued to dance to the more upbeat songs that the band started to play until we got tired and decided to call it a night. We walked to the hotel and when we arrived, Zussman walked me to my room. I let go of his arm and turned towards him.

"Thank you, Zussman. I haven't had a fun night like that in so long," I told him.

"Me either. It felt good to let loose rather than deal with all that strict crap back at camp." He chuckled. "You go and have yourself a good night of sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, Y/N."

"Good night, Robert." I leaned in and gave him a small peck on his cheek. He looked very shocked when I pulled away and I immediately started to panic when I realized what I had done. It was like I had no control of myself. He smiled at me before walking to his room and I felt at ease that he was okay with what just happened.

I entered my room and got ready for bed. As I laid in bed, I couldn't help but feel so happy about the night, yet so sad. Reality was setting in and I remembered that we were going to be sent off to war. I like Zussman, but there's always that chance that we might not come back to the states together. That thought hurts me because of how true it is. I wasn't sure if I wanted to take the risk of falling in love in the Army.

~ ~ ~

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