Love You Till The End (Robert Zussman x Reader)

30 - Y/N L/N

June 10, 1944 (D+4)
Normandy, France

We're currently bivouacked* in one of the hedgerows of Normandy, awaiting orders. Since we aren't going to be staying in one place for long, we aren't allowed to pitch up our tents. The tents that we do have up are for the wounded only.

These past four days after D-day had been filled with some combat, but we had recently been relieved by the 5th Infantry Division. Our Infantry Division had lost a lot of lives because we had been the first to arrive at the beach. We are being given time to rest before we have to return to pushing back the Germans.

I had been helping a lot of wounded soldiers, including Zussman occasionally. The wounded were soon going to be transported somewhere else, so my squad and I wouldn't be seeing Zussman for a while. It was gonna be really odd not having him around, but I was glad that he was going to be properly taken care of just like the rest of the wounded.

A lot of the wounded weren't in need of immediate attention by a doctor or a surgeon. Those who did had been transported away immediately. Our platoon felt incredibly low on soldiers and I was worried that we wouldn't be able to withstand combat again. It would probably be a while before we could get new recruits.

I sat around eating my supper with Aiello, Stiles, and Daniels after a long day of cleaning and bandaging wounds. Supper wasn't very appetizing, but you either eat it or starve and I was in no mood to do that. As I ate my can of meat and beans along with a package of biscuits, Aiello kept staring at whatever he had in his can.

"I sure as hell didn't miss this shit," he grumbled.

"It's better than having nothing, I guess," I said and we continued to eat in silence.

"When I went to go see Zuss today, he said he'll be gone by noon tomorrow. Guess it's safe enough for the wounded to get goin'," Daniels broke the silence. That was news to me. I hadn't heard about that while dealing with the wounded.

"Ain't he lucky. He'll be out of combat for a few weeks and probably be eatin' pretty good too," Aiello said.

"He nearly died, Aiello. I wouldn't consider a few good meals and having to come back and risk your life again very lucky," I told him. He was silent for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

I couldn't help but feel worried now that I knew Zussman would be leaving tomorrow. I had discovered that wounded soldiers don't always return back to their original platoons after they heal. Sometimes they're just sent wherever they're needed. I really hoped that wouldn't be the case with Zussman.

There was something I needed to do before he left. With the possibility that I might not fight alongside him again, I wanted to tell him how I feel about us. I wanted to get it off my chest and now was my only chance if he was not going to return to our platoon.

It was too risky to tell him face to face because other soldiers could hear, so I decided I would tell him in a letter. Since it was still light out, I grabbed some stationary from my bag and began to write. Luckily, the rest of the men in my squad didn't try and bother me. By "rest of the men," I really mean Aiello. I wasn't very worried about Stiles and Daniels because they know how to be respectful. Aiello, on the other hand, has a big mouth and doesn't fear to say the wrong things.

I saw Stiles glance at me a few times as I wrote the letter. I could tell he wanted to talk about Zussman leaving tomorrow, but during these past few days, he had been doing his best to avoid bringing up the topic of my feelings towards Zussman. I decided to call him over because I trusted him with knowing what I was about to do.

"You okay?" he asked.

"If I'm being honest, not really. I've decided to tell Zussman how I feel since he's leaving tomorrow and I'm feeling pretty damn nervous. I'm writing him a letter though because I don't need anyone else finding out," I explained to him. He looked a bit shocked after I stopped talking.

"Well, I'm glad to hear you're going to tell him. I wouldn't be too nervous because I'm sure he likes you back. I don't know much about this kind of stuff, but I've seen the way he looks at you and there's something special about it," Stiles said. He was slightly whispering.

"I hope that's true and I hope he can return to our platoon after he heals up. Anyways, it's getting late so I better go give this to him," I said as I stood up.

"Good luck, L/N."

I headed towards the tent where Zussman was at. I wanted to say goodbye to him, but at the same time, I hoped he was asleep so I could slip the letter into his coat or something.

When I got to where he was laying, he was asleep just like many of the other wounded men around him were. I quietly got close to him and gently slipped the letter into a coat pocket of his that was open. I admired him for a moment as he slept. I guess I couldn't help myself because I wasn't sure if I'd see him again.

"I'll miss you, Zuss," I whispered out.

All of a sudden, Zussman's eyes opened up and I gasped as I jumped back.

"Goddammit, Zuss," I said, putting my hand on my chest, "You scared the crap outta me."

"My bad," he chuckled out, "If it makes ya feel any better, I'll miss ya too."

I didn't really know what to say for a moment.

"Really?"

"Of course. I love being around you, L/N. It's gonna be a pain in the ass being away from you, but I'm gonna make sure I come back. Not only to rejoin the squad that I'm meant to be in, but also to be around the woman who's made bein' in this war a whole lot less shitty," Zussman said and I had no doubt he meant what he was saying.

"I'm gonna do my best to make sure I'm still here by the time you get back," I told him with a smile. He smirked at me and gently grabbed my hand.

"So what'd you put in my pocket?"

"Just a letter for you to read when you're up for it," I told him and I gave his hand a small squeeze, "You should get some sleep now though. Rest up, Zuss. I hope to see you soon."

"L/N, wait. Why can't you just tell me what you wrote?" he quietly whined.

"Because that'd be no fun for me, now would it?" I asked, giving him a small smirk, "It's something I'd rather not talk about out loud. Just read it when you're ready. I expect to know how you feel when you come back."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"You'll see. Bye, Zuss."

I walked out of the tent and headed to where my squad had been sleeping for the past couple days. I couldn't believe what I had just done. A few weeks back, I never could have imagined myself telling Zuss how I feel. Hearing what he had told me made me feel happy that I had given him that letter. I dozed off, feeling glad that I wasn't regretful of my decision.

~ ~ ~

* "bivouacked": to stay in a temporary camp without cover.