"Liri wants us back in five, so pick up the pace a little for this last bit." I tell the group running behind me. I can feel Saira's eyes on my neck. I hadn't spoken a word to her nor her to me after our little conversation regarding Badger.

I wouldn't just drop Badger out of nowhere. I understand her concerns, but it isn't realistic for me to just leave him with no reason besides it being risky. We both know it's risky. That doesn't change how we feel about each other.

"Does Liri want us back or do you just want to get back to Badger?" Carro teased from a little behind me. He said it quietly, but I heard it just fine. The warriors in my patrol had been saying small things like that to get into my head. I wasn't sure why, but as of now, it wasn't working. I wouldn't let childish remarks distract me from training.

Rumors spread fast. Carro couldn't keep his mouth shut.

After returning and being dismissed, I approached Carro.

"How have you been, Carro? Been a while since we talked." I rest my hands square on my hips and stare him dead in the eye. There was a point in time I called Carro my friend, however, the past year he started slacking. His focus drifted. He started skipping out on training regularly. Liri threatened to kick him out, and all of a sudden he was at the top of his game. I suspected the use of steroids or something similar. Nobody gets a physique like that after slacking off for so long.

"I've been fine." Is all he said before taking his shirt off and throwing it to the ground. He was incredibly sweaty.

"Glad you started coming to training again. We all missed you." I say and spin around. I open my locker up and switch out a fresh pair of clothes. I started changing.

I hear Carro start moving. He's moving closer to me.

I hear his harsh breathing right in my ear.

"You got something else smart to say to me?" He asks.

I quirk a brow and look at him over my shoulder. I didn't expect his face to be right there.

"So, you can poke fun at me, but I'm not allowed to do the same?"

Carro lets out a pent-up breath and shakes his head.

"Sorry."

He's gone before I can even react.

A few minutes later, when I was done getting dressed and cleaned up, I spotted Badger waiting for me outside the locker room.

"You smell like dirt." I tell him and ruffle the mess on his head. He brings his hands up and grabs my wrist.

"I just brushed my hair." He complains.

"Didn't look like it." I bite my lip in playful concern, and he laughs a little. He seems to be back to normal. I am glad to see it.

We grab dinner in the cafeteria and talk about our day. It's all very domestic.

"Eve gave me a promotion. No longer the medic's assistant." Badger hums, twirling some noodles on his fork. This was one of the better meals they served.

"So, what are you now?"

"Medic's advisor."

I laugh.

"Quit laughing!"

"You said the same thing twice. Those are the same thing." I tell him, and he kicks my leg under the table. I grunted in surprise.

"I'm still proud. We should celebrate, babe. Let's do something tonight."

But what I've said freezes Badger in place. He looks down to his food and up to me. It's like he's deciding on what he wants to look at more, and the choice seems hard for him to make.

"You called me babe." He says, quiet and shy like he is.

"Oh, guess I did." I shrug, leaning down to eat.

"I know Carro's been telling everyone about us. The rumors have spread to the med bay. Eve pulled me aside today for questioning."

"How'd that go?"

"I lied through my teeth."

"She believe you?"

"I hope so." Badger lets out a groan. "I am terrible, awful at lying."

"I believe that."

"So, what are we going to do if they start taking the rumors seriously?" Badger asks me, and in his eyes, I can see a deep worry. A worry that I will leave him over it. A worry that has no footing, no reason to exist.

"Easy, we leave."

"Not so easy, Mitah. Where would we go?"

"Somewhere. Anywhere. I don't know."

Later, we retreated to my bunker. I wanted to sleep in his tonight, but there wasn't a reason for me to be in the bay. It would just stir more rumors.

"You can't stay long tonight. People are already suspicious of us." I told him, setting down a blanket on my bed. He took a seat further on the bed, letting his feet dangle off the edge. I just watched him as he let himself decompress.

"Here, lay on your side." I told him, and he gave me an unsure look before complying. I crawl behind him on the mattress and spoon him up against myself. I had never felt his body quite this close to mine before. It was a new and amazing feeling. I let it sink in.

"This is nice." He says softly. The air is warm, and my chest is about to explode with the emotion I feel so heavily but am too scared to admit.

"I wish we had more nights like this." I tell him, and he looks over his shoulder.

"We can as soon as the war is over."

"It may take years." He looks displeased at this, but it is reality. The sooner we face it the better.

"However long it takes is however long I'll wait."

I can't help but kiss him after that one.