BEN

Damn, this woman is smart.

What is one significant way to keep him on his toes? Find something that won't stop making him think.

Simple as it may sound, it's tricky for someone who has a brilliant mind like Ben to fall for such a trap. Yet, the woman seemed to crack the code.

She merely had to utter two words.

Diem. Camden.

He must have said those names in his sleep because how else would she have known those two words?

He must have dreamt of them the night before; he can't recall it anymore.

The moment she said those words, he almost lost all control. It's as if he unconsciously gave a personal part of his life to her and now she'll use it to her advantage.

And yet, even if she took something from him, she gave another in return.

"I'll give you two as well," she said, "Agham and Jedoh."

Now he can't help it. He wants to know who those people are.

He may have been quiet this whole time, but inside he is fuming with utter disgust at himself for wanting to talk to the woman – ask her even. God, how pathetic and weak does that sound?

Ben throws a side glance at the woman who looks busy scraping and gathering the last bits of her share of canned beans. All her attention is on her current action so Ben has the chance to watch her quietly. Deep down he knows that she won’t harm him. Well even if she keeps on verbally reminding him that she has no plan in harming him, he still had his doubts. It’s the normal thing to have especially during a war – doubts, lots of them.

When he got wounded, he doubted that he would survive. And now that he is slowly healing (which is miraculous in its own way), he doubts that he would be able to continue living even with this woman with him.

It’s best if he leaves and runs away once he’s all better. If his men were to find out that he’s been with the enemy the entire time, Ben would not hear the end of it.

The least he could do now…is try to be civil with the woman.

God, cordial with her? He thought with such malice. Could that even be possible?!

It can.

If he simply tries.

“Finished?”

The woman’s voice breaks Ben’s train of thought.

“What?” He asks in his mother language, earning him a confused look from the woman. “What?” He repeats in her language.

She points toward the metal can placed on the ground beside him. “I asked if you’re finished eating already.”

He looks down to see that he’s eaten only around two to three spoonfuls of beans out of his can. Guess his running thoughts were the ones that satiated his hunger.

“Leave the can with me,” he says, “I’ll finish it later.”

“Suit yourself.”

Ben couldn’t hold it in anymore. The words he’s been wanting to ask are clawing their way through his throat. And what’s the harm of asking now? The woman finally initiated a conversation of some sort. “Who are they?” He asks in a slightly loud voice.

The woman raises an eyebrow at him. “Who?”

He rolls his eyes, breaking their gaze, and squares his jaw. After huffing out a breath, he explains in a voice laced with some rising frustration, “You mentioned two names. Who are they?”

Through the corner of Ben’s eye, he spots a small smirk forming on the woman’s face. “So you are curious,” she casually says.

“Just answer the damn question, woman,” he grunts.

“I’m not going to answer unless you say the magic word.”

He turns his head, throwing her an incredulous look. “Excuse me?!”

“You want an answer, right? I won’t give it to you unless you’ll say the magic word.”

“What the fuck? Do I look like some kid that–”

“And now you’re saying bad words,” she cuts him off while pouting her lips. “Aw, do you really want to know the answer or are you just going to continue your tantrum?”

“I’m not–” Ben immediately bites back his tongue and sets his lips in a tight line. He tips his head back in disbelief and squeezes his eyes shut, trying to gain back most of his composure before finally relenting. “Please,” he breathes out in derision. “I’d like to know who they are…please.”

“Didn’t really sound sincere. But fine.” The woman accepts it though since she finally answers, “Agham and Jedoh. They’re my older brother and father.”

“...That’s it?”

“Yeah. Were you expecting something else?”

Actually, Ben wasn’t really expecting anything but he felt underwhelmed by that answer. “I don’t know.” He nonchalantly shrugs his shoulders. “I guess in some way I was expecting those names to be…I don’t know, your two lovers or something.”

The woman gave a snort of bewilderment. “Do I look like someone who would have two lovers?”

“Hey,” Ben begins in a stern voice, “anything can happen okay? Look at us, enemies at war that are not ripping each other’s throats apart. If anything can happen, then it’s possible that you could have two lovers for all I care.” He throws a hand into the air and looks away. Ben doesn’t have to say more. He got his answer already.

Yet why does he still feel unsatisfied?

“Why are you here then?” He questions her. Still, he has not returned to looking in her direction. “Both you and your brother are fighting in this war?”

“Just me,” the woman answers quietly.

Ben whips his head to face her again. In shock, he spits out, “What?”

“Pes planus. My brother’s flat-footed. They wouldn’t allow him to enlist.”

That’s stupid. “Sounds like he sucks,” Ben comments under his breath.

“He does. But I love him. He’s my only sibling.” Ben quietly watches the woman shift in her position. Slowly she brings her knees toward her and then hugs them close. There is this far-off look displayed on her face and for a few seconds, Ben stays quiet – allowing the woman to be with her thoughts. Another few seconds of silence pass and the woman breaks it by asking, “So…Diem and Camden…let me try to guess. It’s either they’re your closest friends or close family members. Which is it?”

“If I tell you…would it make a difference in this unusual dynamic we have now?”

“I don’t think it would make any difference at all,” she whispers. “As you said, anything can happen. Having a decent conversation like this is nothing but…normal.”

And Ben does crave a bit of normalcy in these past months of living on the edge. He eventually says, “They’re my younger brothers.” He chooses to continue, “You even remind me of them. Pathetic. Naive.” He stops, yet after a short interval he adds in a gentle voice, “Persistent.”

“You think I’m persistent?”

“Persistent at berating me, that’s what you are,” he mutters. Thankfully, it seems that the woman did not hear his reply.

“How old are they?”

Hearing that particular question made Ben’s heart begin to ache. “Camden’s 23. Diem…18.” It took him some effort to finish answering. Every time he thinks about his brothers, it always is a painful situation for him.

Her eyes softened as realization struck her. The woman’s shoulders visibly dropped slightly when she receives his answer. “They’re part of the war too,” she says in a soft voice.

“A parent’s nightmare,” Ben breathes out. He blinks his eyes profusely as he feels them begin to turn misty. He won’t show any sign of vulnerability to this woman for he has given her enough to feast upon. “Anyway, that’s that,” he utters forcefully, trying to sound apathetic. “Life’s always going to be like that. Sometimes it’s fair, sometimes it’s not, and we can never do anything about it.”

The woman, on the other hand, continues to stay silent with a look of concern on her face.

“Cat’s got your tongue?” Ben asks, “Now you don’t have anything to say or comment?”

“...I hope the three of you live,” she whispers at length. This makes Ben stop breathing for a second.

In an instant, the mood turns somber and the palpable tension between them disappears, leaving only the feeling of dread hanging over them and finding a home inside their minds.

I hope the three of you live, the woman’s words echo in Ben’s mind.

And for the first time, with all the sincerity that he could muster from within, he replies, “I always hope the same thing too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! ♡

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