Chapter 6
2090words
We were no longer adults testing each other and playing ambiguous games, but a couple in the true sense. This feeling was magical, like finding solid ground in a desert of uncertainty.
The day of parting drew closer day by day, the shadow of sadness constantly hovering overhead, but we tacitly chose to ignore it, and instead, like two greedy children, desperately seized this final sweet time in Hadram.
Leo seemed determined to make up for all the "boyfriend" skill points he'd missed while in the military. He was no longer just Captain "Apollo" who gave orders on the battlefield with calm determination; he began to show more aspects of his everyday life.
For instance, he would appear at the medical office early in the morning, carrying a wrench and toolbox, rolling up his sleeves to reveal forearms as solid as sculpture, helping us repair the water purifier that broke down every other day.
When he tightened the last screw with sweat beading on his face, watching clear water flow out with a splash, our female colleagues burst into exclamations and applause. He, like a victorious general, smugly raised his eyebrows at me.
That look seemed to say, "See, your man can do anything."
And I tried my best to let him experience what a "normal" girlfriend would do. Coinciding with Amazon Prime Day, I hugged my laptop and, like an experienced bargain hunter, taught him how to take advantage of various discounts and coupons to beat the system.
"Look, this brand of protein bars, buy three get one free, plus this discount coupon, it works out to almost half price. I'll stock up a six-month supply for you."
I said while quickly adding items to the cart. "And these tactical gloves, although not military-issued like yours, have great reviews and are more breathable. They'll come in handy next time you're on a mission in a hot region."
Leo crossed his arms with interest, leaning down from behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder, his warm breath falling on my neck. He looked at the colorful product pages on the screen, his blue eyes full of curiosity.
"Chloe, I've discovered you have an amazing talent for saving money. You should go to the Pentagon and do budgeting for the Department of Defense." He whispered in my ear with his sexy, deep voice, while one mischievous hand slipped under the hem of my clothes, gently caressing my waist.
"Stop it," I felt a bit ticklish from his touch, symbolically pushing his hand away. "I'm saving money for you, be serious, Captain Kane."
"Yes, sir." He smiled and planted a kiss on my cheek, then pointed at a fluffy item on the screen. "What's this?"
"Oh, it's a Shiba Inu neck pillow, very comfortable for long flights," I explained.
"Buy me one," he said in a commanding tone.
I turned around to look at him in surprise. "Are you sure? This doesn't quite match your usual character." I really couldn't imagine what kind of picture it would make—a Navy SEAL lieutenant who exuded a "keep your distance" aura, sitting in the cabin of a C-17 transport aircraft with a silly cute Shiba Inu neck pillow around his neck.
"My character is being your boyfriend," he answered righteously, and silenced all the words I wanted to say with a deep kiss. At that moment, I almost drowned in his domineering tenderness, willingly ready to buy the entire Amazon catalog for him.
However, the sweet daily life couldn't completely conceal the cruelty of reality. Leo and I were enjoying our world for two in a huge bubble, but just by looking up slightly, we could see the increasingly tense atmosphere between Mark and Eva outside the bubble.
Eva's father, that general who wielded great power, once again became the insurmountable chasm between them. That afternoon, I passed by their dormitory. The door wasn't completely closed, and Eva's voice, suppressing anger, carried out from inside.
"Work as a civilian at the Pentagon? Those were my father's exact words?" Eva's voice was filled with disbelief. "Who does he think you are? A pawn he can manipulate at will? What right does he have to demand you give up the career you've fought for half your life?"
"Eva, calm down." Mark's voice was as deep as always, but permeated with profound weariness. "This is his condition. Leave the SEALs, go to Washington, then we can be together."
"So? You agreed?"
A long silence. This kind of silence was more heartbreaking than any heated argument. I didn't dare listen anymore and hastily left. This episode was like a bucket of cold water, awakening me from my cloud of happiness.
My medical team's deployment mission was about to end, and the orders to return home could come at any time. Leo and I would eventually face the same challenges as Mark and Eva, or even more severe ones. He would remain on the front lines, while I would be in New York.
Our future was separated by the distance between life and death and a time difference of ten thousand kilometers. The sadness of imminent parting enveloped my heart like a dense fog, silently and completely.
Three days later, I received a pickup notification for an Amazon package. To dispel that bit of sadness in my heart, I decided to listen to some upbeat music while going to the communications room to collect my package.
The communications room was the only place in the entire base with relatively stable signal, and it was also the distribution center for all letters and packages. There was an old Bluetooth speaker there that soldiers usually connected to play rock music to boost their spirits.
When I walked in, the room was empty, with only ear-splitting AC/DC playing from the speaker. I turned it off and skillfully connected my own phone via Bluetooth, then played a light, upbeat pop song.
I hummed along, searching through mountains of packages for my name, my mood gradually improving with the melody. Finally, I found that huge cardboard box with the Amazon logo.
I hugged it, feeling content as I prepared to leave. Just as I turned around, I completely forgot about my phone still connected to the speakers.
I walked out of the communications room just as the pop song finished playing. On my phone's autoplay list, the next track was... that audio file I had recorded on the edge of a cliff, when I thought I was about to die.
After a moment of silence, a trembling, tearful, and desperate female voice came through the base's broadcast system, echoing crystal clear throughout every corner of Hadram.
"Leo... I'm sorry... I've been avoiding you, and I regret it. I don't hate you, I just... I'm just too scared. I'm afraid I'll fall in love with you, afraid that you'll suddenly leave me... just like Jaime did.
"But now I understand that the greatest fear isn't losing you, but never having truly had you in the first place. If... if I can make it back alive, I will... I will definitely tell you that I love you, Leo... I love you..."
My footsteps suddenly froze, and the heavy cardboard box in my arms dropped to the ground with a loud "thud." My mind went completely blank in an instant, as if my blood had solidified in that moment.
Throughout the entire base, from the training grounds to the cafeteria, from the hangar to the barracks, all soldiers—whether busy working, resting, or training—stopped what they were doing. It was as if time had been paused.
Everyone's gaze, like searchlights, turned uniformly toward the source of the sound—me, standing petrified at the communications room doorway, still clutching the cardboard box.
After a few seconds of dead silence, someone started it off with a loud whistle, and then the entire base erupted in thunderous teasing, cheers, and applause.
Mark, who had been instructing new recruits on the training field, rarely curved his lips into an amused smile, as if enjoying the show.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Leo, who was adjusting his sniper scope, slowly lowered his weapon and looked up. His blue eyes pierced through the noisy crowd and locked precisely onto me.
There was no surprise on his face, but rather an expression of bemused helplessness, mixed with a hint of indulgence and affection.
My face—no, my entire body—felt like it had been thrown into boiling water, instantly turning purple-red. This wasn't simply "social death"; it was a public execution! I had never been so embarrassed in my life! My only thought was to escape from this planet.
I dropped my package, turned around, and ran away desperately like a startled rabbit.
"Chloe!" I heard Leo shouting my name behind me, accompanied by even more enthusiastic teasing from the soldiers.
"Chase her, Captain!"
"Catch her, Apollo!"
I couldn't hear anything anymore, I just wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into. However, how could I, a medical officer, possibly outrun an elite Navy SEAL?
I hadn't run very far when my arm was grabbed from behind. Leo's presence enveloped me completely, and with a slight pull, he yanked me into his solid embrace, his arms locking around me like iron clamps.
"Let me go!" I was dying of embarrassment, struggling in his arms, burying my face deep in his chest, not daring to look at the soldiers around who were enjoying the spectacle.
"No," his voice, filled with barely suppressed laughter, sounded above my head. "Everyone on the base heard it, Dr. Sterling. Are you trying to back out now?"
"I..." I was too embarrassed to say a single word.
He didn't give me a hard time anymore, but instead half-dragged and half-carried me away from the "accident scene," directly putting me into the passenger seat of his Hummer. He started the car and drove away amidst a chorus of "ooh ooh ooh" cheers.
The car drove along the empty roads of the base, and neither of us spoke. I leaned my head against the window, watching the scenery rapidly receding outside, feeling like a deflated balloon, completely wilted.
"Still angry?" he finally spoke, one hand on the steering wheel, the other reaching over to envelop my cold hand.
"I'm not angry," I said glumly. "I just... want to find a time machine to go back five minutes."
Leo suddenly pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. He unbuckled his seatbelt, turned to face me, with an expression more serious than ever before. "Chloe, look at me."
I hesitated, slowly turning my head. The remnants of the sunset shone through the car window, coating his handsome profile with a warm golden glow.
"I admit, this way of going public is a bit... unexpected," he weighed his words carefully, but that smile he couldn't hide at the corner of his mouth betrayed him. "But I don't think it's something to be embarrassed about.
You simply expressed your most honest thoughts, albeit in a somewhat unusual way. And I'm delighted to be the man that the entire Hadram Base is jealous of."
He leaned closer to me, affectionately rubbing his nose against mine. "So, would you allow me to be that man? Officially, witnessed by everyone."
I looked into his deep eyes, finding not a trace of mockery, only sincere earnestness and love. In that moment, all those feelings of awkwardness and embarrassment melted away under his gentle gaze.
I couldn't hold back anymore. I laughed out loud, then leaned in and kissed him on the lips.
He was stunned for a moment, then turned the tables and responded with an even more passionate kiss. This was no longer a tentative exploration or an act of comfort, but a kiss full of possession and declaration. He scooped me up from the passenger seat and positioned me to straddle his lap.
In the confined space of the car, the temperature rose rapidly. His hands skillfully found their way under my clothes, kneading the skin of my back, while I hooked my arms around his neck, greedily responding to his demands. This kiss, witnessed by everyone, brought our underground romance completely into the light of day. Our relationship, from this moment on, was no longer a secret.
