All Things Nice » Band of Brothers

50: Bombers

a/n:
hi, all!! thank you so much for your patience with this hiatus!! life's been hectic (in the best way, worry not!) but in the midst of it all my desire to write this has returned with a vengeance. i'm not coming out of hiatus just yet, just because i'm still v busy and i want to make sure i've got rid of the last of the burnout before i do come back, but i thought i'd check in and drop a chapter :) i'm pre-writing them so that when i do come back i'll be posting everyday again. thanks again for your love and patience! hope you love!! <3

***

Posey had never considered herself someone who could fully appreciate the joys of a public house. Perhaps it was because she'd been with a bunch of Americans the first time she'd ever been in one, or perhaps she simply just wasn't someone who much liked to drink. Either way, in spite of this, she had to admit she'd had some rather good times in pubs since being in Aldbourne.

This was not one of those times.

Luz had been giving her the cold shoulder ever since they'd gotten back from visiting John and it didn't look as though he was planning on relenting any time soon. And whilst Posey had other friends, it was only when he was avoiding her that she could truly appreciate how much she enjoyed Luz's company. She watched from afar as he lit up the other side of the room with some story or other, his gift for impersonation making an appearance whenever he needed to use dialogue to propel his tale onwards. From this far away she couldn't discern which story it was, even squinting to try and read his lips as she was.

"He'll come around," Shifty spoke up softly as he sat down in the chair beside her. She hadn't realised he'd gotten back from the bar.

Posey offered him a small smile before watching as Luz earned a hearty roar of laughter from the men gathered around him once more. She shrugged. "Maybe." Shifty didn't know the reason Luz was avoiding her, after all.

"Say, Duckie," said Tab, sliding into the seat opposite her. "Shouldn't you be over there with your usual crowd?"

Posey rolled her eyes, though when she spoke there was nothing biting in her tone. "I'd have thought you of all people would understand the merits of seeking different company every now and again."

In response, Tab shot her a grin that she couldn't help but mirror; she'd been referring, of course, to Tab's reputation for promiscuity amongst any women he laid eyes on. He was exceedingly good at charming women into letting him go home with them, it seemed, though not so good at keeping his interest on any of them afterwards. Posey couldn't help but wonder what they all saw in him - Tab was attractive, sure, but when you'd seen him pull the same trick on every single one of your friends, how could you bring yourself to fall for it yourself?

Maybe that was just the memories of boot camp speaking, though; she could still remember Talbert with regurgitated spaghetti smeared all around his mouth and sweat covering every inch of him. He could probably remember seeing her in that state, too. And he was just Talbert. A great friend, yes, but also such a boy.

Her smile faltered a moment when she realised he probably thought much the same of her. The vast majority of the men likely did. Perhaps that was what had really thrown Luz through a loop, why he was avoiding her so avidly now. She was a girl who had done a decent enough job of pretending to be a boy that hardly anyone had known. Perhaps he just didn't know how to act around her now.

How would she have reacted if one of the girls at boarding school had turned around one day and told her they were a boy?

The question had to be locked away for later consideration when Tab fired back, "Oh, I understand it perfectly well. You're not one to stray from the pack though, Duckie."