"Happy birthday, dear Tubby! Happy birthday to you!"

Spring was here, François was sick, and the sweet smell of strawberry cake was in the air. Today, he was finally seventeen and everyone gave him gifts like recorders, pictures, and personal hygiene stuff.

"Here, Lloyd." François sniffled as he handed him a neatly wrapped rectangle.

He opened it and hugged François. "You got me the book I wanted!"

"Now you could stop making us watch that 70s movie."

Kim added, "I don't even know who Art Garfield is and you go crazy every time he's on screen."

"Garfunkel. He's only like my favorite singer ever. Paul Simon could kick rocks."

Sergeant White patted his back. "Look at you. Seventeen, recorders, and just one rank away from being a general."

"Ugh, don't remind me."

"Did your parents call you yet?"

"Yeah, and Mulligan called me and sent me a gift and a letter!" He showed everyone the letter and the bracelet.

White snatched it. "Snatch."

"Bra."

White read the letter and laughed before telling it to everyone as Lloyd blushed and twisted his hair. "Hello, my sweet Lloydie-" everyone wooed as François and Kim looked down. "-I hope you're having a wonderful birthday. I saw you on TV the other night and you looked so beautiful."

"Awww so beautiful."

"Shut up, Carol."

White waved his hand around to stop the giggling before he went on. "Please stay safe. I'm so sorry I'm not writing you more, I just got a job and school is a pain. But you're so strong, you're able to be my hero while doing all this stupid school work."

Lloyd laughed as François teased him, a tint of pain in his voice. "His hero, huh?"

"I looove you sooooo much!" Everyone blew him kisses. "Signed, your Mulligan. WOOOOO YOUR MULLIGAN!"

The others laughed as Lloyd took the letter back. "Leave him alone, he's so cute!"

François couldn't help but tear up the more he thought of it. His hero? Love? Lucky bastard. He was so caught up in his misery and everyone else in the celebration that Kim was able to snuck off outside.

Red in the face, Kim chased down a squirrel and pinned it down to the tree with his hand. Before the poor thing even had the chance to cry out, he stabbed it in its pump belly with his knife. Warm blood dripped all over his arm as he kept stabbing it. He eventually got bored and threw it somewhere.

---------------------

At ten, the celebration wasn't over. As a treat, White took Lloyd, Kim, and three other cadets to a wedding held by the Coians. They had to disguse themselves in Gypsy clothing before the stupid guard let them in.

It was quite the scene. Women dancing, the men slapping their asses and throwing money at them, and the bride and groom having sex on stage for everyone to see. The smell of cheap paper money and jasmine made White feel sick.

"Alright! Alright!" A man said in a strange accent after the dance stopped and light clapping began. "Who's next?"

White pushed Lloyd forward. Fuck it, he was feeling it, why not?

"Me! Me!" Lloyd made his voice high pitched and tried doing the strange accent.

The crowd mistook him for a young unmarried woman by the way he dressed and the way he was winking at all the men. The man walked over to him and guided him to the stage by the hand, his many rings shining in the light. The others, except for White, were silently freaking out. Stupid Sauveterre, this could get them exposed.

"Well, young lady," Lloyd cringed as he felt the man put his sweaty fingers around his thin wrist. "Many lovely suitors here, all very happy that you were kind enough to dance." The men cheered as he blew kisses to them. Kim clapped and blushed as the three others laughed. "What song do you want, young lady?"

Lloyd made himself sound as innocent as possible as he batted his long eyelashes. "Well, mister, do you know the song Jump In The Line?"

The band held up their instruments. "Of course! Of course! Boys, when you're ready!"

Lloyd winked at the band, they whistled and started playing. The singer, a sweaty man with lots of loud clips on his suit, sang as the dance began. His royal purple dress also had sliver clips, clapping everytime he moved. His head covering hid everything but his sprinkling eyes. For once, he didn't mind not covering his stomach or his arms. He felt beautiful.

He danced on stage at first. His hips moved and his body spun and his feet kicked and jumped. The man stared at him, their mouths watering and lust in their eyes as he moved around. His friends laughed hysterically and clapped for him. Kim stared his hips moving. God, he was so beautiful. He almost found himself getting angry as jealously burned tears in his eyes.

Lloyd jumped off the stage and took the big hands of many men, inviting them to dance. They danced, the bride and groom joining. This allowed the group to escape and go back to base.

"Tubby, that was amazing!" White laughed as they took off their dresses.

The air was light and fun. François was sleeping, he felt too sick to join in. That left Kim and Lloyd to do whatever they pleased. There was only an hour left of the day. They went to their room and they shared Lloyd's bed. To Lloyd, it was all innocent. He was his best friend, he loved to cuddle. They been through so much together, nothing could break them apart.

As Lloyd slept, Kim stroked his hair, adoring the feeling of his thin hair coming out on his fingers. Imagine them together, married? They could live in Korea together, they'll eat kimchi together, they'll be together forever. He could leave his boyfriend, he's dumb anyways.

He looked at him. He put the softest kiss on his head and smiled like an idiot. Maybe, just maybe, they'll be together.

---------------

In the morning, François was dying of man flu. This always happens before his allergies clear up. Dramatically laying alone in bed, he was taken care of by Lloyd.

"Franny, do you know what happened last night?"

His voice was high and annoyed. "No."

As he put a rag on his head, Lloyd told him about last night. François would've been laughing if he wasn't such a grumpy mood.

"Hm."

"Aww, you're sleepy?"

François blinked and yawned. "Hm."

"Alright then, I'll leave you to rest."

As he got up, he felt the dreaded drop. His eyes went wide as he slowly turned to François, who was fast asleep. He rushed out and quickly went to the nurse that knew of his problem.

"Excuse me..." He asked with a quiet voice as she turned to him. "it happened..."

"What happened?"

"Um..the period thing..."

"Oh, I see it. Pads or tampons?"

"Pad, please."

She gave him one as she took out his file. "When was your last period?"

"January, it was heavy."

"Ok." He still looked shaken. "You'll be fine. It's common for people with your condition."

He nervously laughed. "I know, I know. I just don't have it so often that I forgot it happens when it does!"

---------------------

Kim drove along the town they were staying in until June. It was a rundown area in Serbia. Serbia itself was nice, he really liked the food. This area, however, was disgusting. Horse shit and trash were everywhere, you really had to watch your step. Children walked by themselves, most of their parents could give two fucks. They all supported the Coians and every time they saw one of Vagans, the children threw rocks at them.

"Hello?" Kim stopped the car to turn to a little boy curved in dirt. He didn't understand him, but he used enough hand movements to make sense. "Can I have a ride? I need to go to the market to get some fruit for my mother."

He nodded and let the young boy sit in the front seat next to him. He was so dirty that Kim couldn't tell his skin nor hair color. He was short and thin, he reminded him of Lloyd.

He had an idea. He smiled and let himself do it.

He dropped the boy off and, as the best he could, promised him a ride back home. The boy didn't take no longer than two minutes before he hopped back in with a grapefruit. Kim, poorly, told him that he had to go somewhere before they could go back home. The boy quietly sat and looked outside.

He had a gun, sword, and a pocket knife. The gun would work the best. He studied the boy without him noticing. They stopped somewhere far from the village. Kim told him to get out and help him look for something he dropped here.

When the boy was turned around, Kim did it. It was quick and painless, the boy didn't even have time to face him before dropping dead.

He didn't know what else to do. He couldn't bury him. He went back in the car, the grapefruit still in the front seat. He looked at the boy one more time before driving off. The crows were already flying into the forest before he left.

--------------------------

When he came back, he saw Lloyd looking like his puppy died in their room.

"What's wrong?" He sat across from him in his bed.

"Just not really in a good mood. Plus I'm bored, François' grumpy and sick, and everyone else is away."

"Don't worry, we can read together. And look," he pulled the grapefruit. "I know you like fruit."

Lloyd smiled and moved to sit next next to him. "Thanks, Kimmy."

They broke it in half. Lloyd opened the book as Kim hugged him from behind. He enjoyed his scent. The other already read the whole book while Kim was gone. He started off on a random page and read from there in Korean.

"It doesn't make a damned bit of difference who wins the war to someone who's dead."

DEATH DIRECTS THE BULLET- Hans Larwin