[Series: AI Crisis]
[Location: Earth, Military's Training Base]
[Time: 7 days before leaving on a mission to planet Theta Unica]
***
"Everybody is gaaaay in the spaaaaace army! Hic! Hahaha!"
"Geez, come on it's only past noon and you're already drunk!"
Two random soldiers were walking through the corridor, making a noise.
It was that day of the year again - Valentines.
The happy couples at Cruz's base didn't hide their joy of spending the day together. Those who joined the army together and had the luck of being always side by side were especially annoying now. Those who had their beloved ones outside had a permission to leave for two days.
The staff kind of encouraged the festive mood as well, what with the off time, romantic meals for two at the canteen and planning a small party in the evening. Even Uzi, Cruz's assistant decided to order a special Valentine's menu for him from the chef.
Jun had less luck with his crush. Juto sort of evaded him since morning. It felt like playing hide and seek. Finally he found the blonde soldier at the rooftop. He was leaning on the railing, looking in the distance and smoking his E-Cigarette.
"Hey what's the matter? Not feeling well?" Jun approached.
"This atmosphere is suffocating me." Juto huffed in response.
"Oh, you mean the lovey-dovey couples all over the base?"
"Yeah. This was the only place where I could escape them."
And as soon as Juto said that, the door to the rooftops slammed open and a couple entered laughing loud.
"Ooops sorry, don't mind us!" they waved then smooched.
"You're right this WAS the last place." Jun commented, to which the blonde grunted. "Hey, wanna go for a ride?" tiny asian grinned, and soon after they were off into the desert on Jun's motorbike.
They decided to rest in the shade few miles away from base. It was all the nicer, because there was a few trees and some grass to lay on.
"Aaaah this is nice. It's so calm."
Jun stretched and then closed his eyes, lying comfortable among the green. Juto was just sitting there looking in the distance.
"Yeah" he looked over at his partner, and a small flashback went through his head - how he used to chill with Ethan in the middle of a meadow. He felt nostalgic.
His last boyfriend died a while ago, but the time still wasn't able to heal the pain.
"Say..." Jun's voice broght him back to the present.
"Hm?" Juto blinked.
"Can you... help me with a thing?"
"Depends what it is." Juto shrugged.
"Well, it's sort of... embarassing, but I am in a pinch and need some advice."
Since few days Jun broke his head over how to surprise Juto on Valentine's Day. He realized he never really knew anything about him to meet his expectations, past the vague info he managed to gather here and there. But he had a flash of thought right now, what if he'll ask Juto himself, but not directly. Not to spoil the surprise later.
"Have you dated before?" Jun asked bluntly and Juto blinked.
"Hm? What, you need advice on dating? From me?"
"What? I told you it was embarassing. I was too shy to ask others..." the asian huffed, playing his game. "You're my partner, and partners talk about everything with each other, right?"
Juto sighs. "So you have a crush, huh?"
Jun sat up.
"Well yeah... I do. But..." he lowered his head. "I don't know what to do. He's really hard to read. Since it's V-day I tried to approach him somehow, but it didn't really work out..." he paused "I like him a lot. He's close to my heart." Jun reached to his dog tags impulsively "I don't know, but to me he seems very upset today... more than usual." he looked up at Juto.
"I don't know." Juto averted his look and pauses "Maybe he associates Valentine's Day with something sad..." he said the first thing that came to his mind.
"What is V-day to you?"
"Pain..." he drifted with his thoughts away for a second then snapped out of it "I mean, pain in the ass! All those stupid couples, can't they get a room? Geez, like we even need a day like that! It's like it was made for losers who don't have the guts to confess, unless encouraged by some commercial holiday!"
Jun puffed his cheeks.
"Losers?" he felt offended.
"God, why did you have to ask me! I'm not good at this touchy-feely stuff, gosh. Leave me alone." he is about to light his e-cig when Jun is already starting the motorbike engine.
"Very well then, you can return to base on your own two feet!" he sets off, all angry.
"Huh...? Wa-WAIT!"
Juto yells and rushes after Jun. With his long steps, he manages to close the distance between them slightly, when Jun accelerates. He looks back at the dashing Juto.
"I can't believe I---" he yells when Juto cuts in.
"In front!" pointing with his finger.
Jun looked forward and panics. He braked trying to do some maneuvering, but it was too late and he crashed against a huge rock. By the laws of physics he flied forward and was about to fall, when the dashing Juto caught up and leaped forward to catch him mid air. They end up rolling on the ground before stopping.
"You okay?" the blonde pants and gets up, checking on his partner.
"Uuuurgh... I guess..." Jun rubs his back.
"Ooooh crap! No! My baby!" he yells seeing the front tire of his motorbike being deformed from the impact.
"The connection is dead... we're too far away from the base." Juto fiddles with the radio and clicks his tongue as he can't get a signal.
"That means..."
"...we have to walk all the way back..."
They both look into the distance in front of them.
***
The sun felt especially generous with it's rays today.
"It's all your fault."
"It's all YOUR fault."
The two complain and drag their feet, breathing heavily bathed in sweat.
"How many times do I have to tell you to just ditch this piece of junk...?" Juto says wiping the sweat off his chin.
"Shut up... I'm not leaving my baby behind." Jun pants. "Besides... it'll provide shade... like now."
He stops and sits on the ground in the bike's shade. Juto just crashes next to him, saying nothing.
"Gosh, my shirt is all sticky!"
Jun took the shirt off and "Huh...?" noticed his dog tags are missing. "OH SHIEET" he imagined that he must've lost them back when they crashed. And that was a while ago.
"I have to get them back!" He rises up.
"Come on, it's just dog tags, they'll give you new ones."
"You don't understand!" Jun was determined to go.
"You can look for them tomorrow."
"Why do you always have to argue with me?!"
"OKAY fine GOD, I'll go!" Juto rises and is on his way. "You go forward."
"Huh?" the asian was dumbfounded.
"Just get close enough to catch a signal and call for help. Then come pick me up when they arrive." Juto waves with hand and leaves.
Jun just stood there looking worried at his partner walking back, he inhales to say something, but he doesn't. He turns in the other direction and walks towards the base.
Juto finally found the tags near the boulder they crashed. Exhausted, he sat in it's shade.
"Stupid midget making me go all the way back for this..." He knew he didn't had to, but still. He felt guilty for the whole accident.
"What's so special about those anyway?" he mumbled then he noticed something odd. There was a cut in the tags that let them open like a necklace. Inside one was another dog tag, smaller and visibly older than theirs, with a name Juto didn't recognize, and in the other dog tag was a photo... of Juto.
He raised an eyebrow wondering why. Suddenly he recalled how Jun gently touched his tags when he was talking about his crush, and then it dawned on him.
HE was the crush.
He leaned on the rock with his back, looking up in the sky. He picked his e-cig from his pocket, took a deep drag then sighed.
"I mean a lot to you, huh...?"
Soon after Cruz himself arrived in his mech unit, together with Jun, the huge mech hand holding the broken motorbike. Of course the grumpy commander had to preach on the way back.
"Here." Juto returned the dog tags to Jun, when Cruz finally shuts up.
"You found them! Man, thanks a lot!" he put them on happily. "I'll take that as an apology for this whole mess" he nudged Juto with the elbow. The blonde was silent for a moment, then spoke.
"...about that advice..."
"Hmm...?"
"About that crush. I think you just need to be patient with him."
"Oh..." Jun blinked. "Okay..." He didn't expect to get back to that talk again, when Juto continues.
"Just wait a bit... and he might approach you by himself."
"Is it really okay to do nothing?" Jun asked a bit worried. "What if he thinks I gave up?"
"Trust me." Juto puts his hand on Jun's shouder. "I know he will open up. He just needs some time."
Juto leans back and closes his eyes to rest.
"Okay. I'll take your word for it." Jun said while brushing his tags with the thumb. "I really hope he will." He whispers and leans back to rest as well.
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