Makin' Plans (hbo war imagines)

21. Eugene Sledge; Greener Pastures

The cow pasture wasn't really either of your's idea of romantic, but you couldn't think of a better place to take Eugene. His parents had told you, in confidence, that he had been spending a lot of time just sitting outside since he came home, so you figured you could convince him to sit with you outside somewhere else.

"How d'you feel about taking a walk with me?" You showed up on his doorstep in your oldest dress, one you didn't mind getting dirty, and promises of lunch and your sister's sweet tea.

He could never hold back a smile when you came around, but it still felt a little more special seeing it now when he looked so somber all the time. "Sure."

You tugged him along back to your property line. You smirked at him after you made a perfect landing after climbing over the fence.

"Your mother know you still jump fences?"

Rolling your eyes, you subconsciously smoothed your skirt at the mention of your mother. "She doesn't know about a lot of things I do." With a pointed look, you continued with, "And she never will. Mama would keel over if she knew I stole Daddy's old boots too." You stuck out your feet to show the worn, brown lace-ups.

He shook his head, pulling himself over the fence and softly landing next to you. "I wondered why you were dragging your feet."

A patch of white wildflowers all but begged you to pluck them. You picked several more as you two strolled through the pasture. Finding the only shade tree in the whole stretch, you two settled into the grass, and you began twisting and braiding the flowers you gathered.

"You still do that?" He watched as you worked at the stems, making them lay flat and hold together.

"Mmhm," you nodded, continuing to make your flower chain. "We get so many pretty ones in the summer, and all my little cousins that come stay with us end up in a crown. I can't help myself."

Your fingers moved gently but held everything firmly, and he couldn't have been more mesmerized by anything.

"You used to march around with those little things on your head all the time," he recalled.

You paused to laugh at the memory. "I'd still do it too."

"Oh, I know you would."

"At least these stay together now." You were adding long pieces of weeds and grass to make it thicker—the secret to keeping a flower crown together was to make it tight and thick. "I used to run around with stems and leaves poking out every which way. Pieces stuck in my hair, and everything else falling off behind me."

A breathy laugh escaped his lips, and his head nodded up and down. "I remember. I thought you were beautiful then too."

You wished you could say it was the sun that caused your cheeks to warm, but you'd be lying if you said he couldn't still give you butterflies. "Gene, you flatter me too much. What are we gonna do when it's all gone to my head?"

He leaned in close and pecked your cheek. "That's not gonna happen."

You sighed, amused by his assurance. You finished the crown and secured the ends to keep it from undoing itself. Placing the hoop onto Eugene's head, you smiled at him.

He tried to look up, but all he could see of it was a lone petal and leaf sticking out past his forehead. "Fits perfect. Did you measure my head?"

"Oh yeah, while you were asleep," you joked, giggling.

The sight of him, hair shining auburn in the sun in contrast to the crown of green and white, made your heart swell. Something about him right now seemed ethereal and fragile.

You knew he was a bit fragile in actuality. He'd faced unimaginable things while he was away—things he wouldn't tell you in full detail lest these demons found a way to haunt you too. And yet now, his fragility was different. More child-like.

Just as you were getting closer to reaching your hand out to touch him, to make sure he was still real, a loud "Mooo!" ripped across the pasture.

You both turned to see the herd moseying its way from the other end closer to where you were.

"Looks like the girls are coming this way," you noted for no particular reason. It was quite obvious.

He got to his feet, dusting off the grass and dirt from his pants before hoisting you up too. "One thing I missed the most—other than you—was the familiar animals. I'd be okay if I never saw a crab again."

"I've seen little hermit crabs at the beach before," you recalled from some trips past to the Gulf. "They're cute."

"Nothing like those crazy-looking things." He held out his hands in a football sized oval. "They were about this big and kinda fascinating. Sid tried to burn one when I first showed up."

You were taken aback. "He what?"

Eugene only shrugged, and you realized that there were probably quite a few things about these boys you had known for so long that might shock you now.

"I know we haven't really talked about..." You reached for his hand, letting him decide if he wanted to comply or not. "I know that there's going to be a lot of things we're gonna have to work through and figure out, but that's okay." His hand was in yours now, and you lightly squeezed. "I'm here for the long haul."

Neither of you could say who started crying first, but he was quick to wrap his arms around you. Tears soaking into each other's clothes, the pasture melted away. The cows milking around you ceased to exist. All there was in moment were you and him and all the things you couldn't say.

Ah (Bikini Bottom) we love some soft content. Technically, this was a tumblr request, but she has a Wattpad too (dearheffron ). My friend helped me come up w the idea sort of, so ol thank you to her! Hope you guys are doing alright 😊 M'kay.

~Mariah