Pray For War

Acid Rain

Don't hide your mistakes,
cause they'll find you, burn you.

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Water met us at the intersection that was painted with blood and powdery drywall. It bathed my uniform, enough to rid the stench of the sewer we had waded through. Raining down like a dozen showerheads mounted to the ceiling. It was fucking cold. I shivered, shifting my rifle in my hand.
Sam was silent, her face an embodiment of fear. Fear of those creatures. Fear that John had become one.
I sucked in a breath through my teeth. I needed him to be alive.
"Sin?" Sam asked quietly with her arms drooping by her side. I kept her close at my shoulder.
"Yes," I responded and swept my eyes ahead, searching for any beast. Listening for a single noise.
"Thank you" She spoke firmly and softly squeezed my free hand.
"For what?" I asked with a raised brow and tossed her a look over my shoulder.
"For not giving up on John" She responded and looked around the debris-filled corridor. Her blonde hair had dulled beneath the soaking wet.
"I owed him, for saving my life", I replied cautiously and kept my eyes peeled for any creepers.
"You bring out the better in him, you know?" Sam smiled, prying with all she had.
"Yeah? His 'better' still looks a lot like being an Asshole", I quipped and she gave me a knowing look. Fuck I missed that asshole. I was one of the few who had known him well enough for a fleeting moment to see he wasn't. To know that 'Man of few words' act wore off after enough years and beneath it he was kind. Unbelievable kind to me. He never really cared much for himself but he always made sure Brian and I were breathing...Perhaps he had cared too much.

"I was waiting for him to tell you. I'm sorry he didn't", She smiled softly against the obvious soreness on her cheek. Her lips pursing into a small pout.

"Tell me what?" I asked distractedly as I peeked around a corner. My mind drifted off the soldier who had tracked down my lost dog tags in Nebraska.

"Valkyrie" She breathed, her eyes searched mine like I was meant to finish her sentence. "He's in love with you", She continued.

"...I know", My response seemed to surprise her. I knew. Of course I did. John was anything but subtle. Yet he was fucking oblivious.

"How long have you known?" Sam asked quietly.

"Five years" I spoke in a hushed tone and continued ahead. For all, I knew he was dead.

"...Do you love him?", The blonde-haired woman pried.

"I used to..." I replied softly.

"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't" Sam replied, my eyes met hers and I breathed out heavily.

"It's not that black and white Sam, we have a history" I spoke softly in disbelief. My eyebrows furrowed in frustration and I shook the thought out of my mind.

"Duke told me about that rumour. Is it true?.", Her question made me snap my head to her in disbelief, that goddamn rumour was still going around after I was dead. I assumed half the world now knew that John and I had sex.

"That's not why he's pissed", The words seemed to escape my mouth before I could stop them.

"What do you mean?", Sam asked with squinted eyes as we rounded a corner.

"...The night before we left for our Afghanistan mission Sarge had been called away on other business, he was going to meet us there. John was second in charge. I had to debrief him on the mission and the objective while Sarge was away, which of course led to a fight...", The memory still seemed to fresh in my mind.

"You two hooked up the night before Afghanistan?, Sam gasped.

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Mashhad, Iran, 2043