Can't fall even harder (Band of brothers/Richard Winters)

II. The first confession

Camp Toccoa, Georgia, last week of February 1944

That friday night easy company was in the middle of their weekly march. The air was damp, which is wasn't really strange for a February night in Georgia; everyone was silent until one Pvt. decided to ask a question:
"Lt. Winters?" "What is it Pvt. Randleman?" "Permission to speak, sir" "Permission granted"
"Sir, we got nine companies, sir" "We do" "why are we the only one marching every Friday, 12 miles, in the pitch dark?" "Why do you think Pvt.?"

"Sobel hates us, sir", at that moment Isabelle couldn't believe her ear, sure everybody knew that, but no one dared to speak a word, no one; not even her who was always picked up by the man.

She had always thought that her being female was the reason to his behaviour, but deep down she knew that it wasn't the only cause, she was the first woman to ever enter the Airborne, the first to enrol for the U.S Army not aiming for a desk job, colonel Sink liked her for her courage, her knowledge, and her demeanour.

But overall she didn't care. She had the support of the company and that's what encouraged her and gave her strength.

"Lt. Sobel doesn't hate easy company, Pvt. Randleman, he only hates you" hearing Dick's answer Isabelle couldn't stop her smile; he knew that there wasn't an answer to that question he himself couldn't find it, but orders were orders so no discussions.
"Thank you, sir."

The march was particularly dreadful, Isabelle fell asleep as soon as she hit her pillow. She was happy, knowing that she could've woken up late.

"Goodmorning sleepyhead" It was 11 a.m. and as Sobel ordered easy company was staying in for the weekend, obviously nobody liked the idea but they could relax at least. So when Nixon saluted her she was refraining herself from ripping off his head, she isn't a morning person. Right then when she was contemplating the idea of actually doing it she heard another voice calling for her.

"Goodmorning Isabelle, Did you sleep well? There is still some breakfast, I asked the cook to left something for you to eat. I thought that you were going to sleep in, yesterday you were very tired."
Her heart melt.
He was so caring, it was so sweet of him to think for her. She started blushing again damning herself for having no auto control. After a moment she collected all of her thoughts and answered.
"Yes, I slept so well that the bed seemed comfortable" she stopped to admire his feature, he was laughing at her joke, his eyes were shimmering with joy, pure joy, his mouth curled up into a smile, so bright that she thought she would be blinded if she stared too much. "anyways, thank you for caring, I thought I would be starving till lunch." and then he said something that shocked both her and the Yale man:

"I could never let something happen to you, not even starving."

His tone was sweet, deep, his voice vibrated through his chest, his eyes full of anxiety, fear, hope, and fondness while they were scanning her face for any kind of reaction. She was freaking out, so many thoughts were crossing her mind while she tried to formulate an answer, she lifted up her chin and looked at him in the eyes.

"Thank you"

She whispered, losing herself in the deep ocean of his blue eyes. "You're welcome" he answered smiling, looking confidently at her green ones. They stayed like that, staring at each other, fearing the moment that they would have to look away. Nixon, who stayed silent the entire time, coughed breaking the staring between the two. "Dick is better if we go, we have to control the.... uniforms, yes the uniforms" and with that, he took his friend and saluted Isabelle. She started heading to the kitchens, unable to give an explanation of what just happened.

Winters didn't say a word, while Nixon tried to find a hidden spot to have a conversation with his friend.
"What the fuck was that?" he asked trying to stay calm and not assault the redhead in front of him, but failing miserably. "That what?", "You know perfectly well what I'm referring to, come on answer my question" "I don't know, really" Winters tried to persuade is friend. "Ah no no you are not escaping this conversation, I want to listen to you saying what happened back there. Now"
Unsurely Winters started answering: "Well you see..." he tried to find the right words to use but Nix was faster "You like her don't you?" Nixon was smiling like a child in a candy shop, he was so excited for his friend, Winters was still processing the situation "well you could say that I have started developing a certain kind of feeling for her, yes." Nixon was on cloud nine, he knew that something was up but he didn't imagine something that big, "And what is your plan loverboy? Are you planning on making a move, asking her out maybe?", Winters snapped out of his thoughts, he looked the man in front of him right in the eyes, then again he focused on the ground, and with sadness in his voice, he answered: "How?". Nixon didn't hear him despite the fact that he was in front of him. "What?"

"How? How can I ask a girl out and make a move on her while we are here, training to go fighting in a war god knows where for god knows how long? No, I'm not going to do anything, I'm going to wait, wait till this war is over, then I will tell her how I feel, if I'm going to ever tell her."
"Man, you said it yourself we don't know how much this war is going to last, What if she finds someone else? What if she returns home? What if.." Nixon couldn't end the sentence he wasn't able to say that word referring to his best friends. "I'm not going to die, nor she, so stop with that pessimism, I'm not doing anything, that's final, maybe if I don't act on my felling they will go away, yeah I'll actually do that."

Nixon watched as is friend started walking away, with a serious expression on his face, "Sometimes he is so stupid" in fact Nixon saw the way she looked at him mirroring his expression. "In the end, you'll see my friend you'll see".
"Nixon come on we have to go"

And like that Lewis jogged to his friend, smiling, happy that during something so brutal and unhuman like men killing each other there was still space for something so beautiful and natural as love.