Band of Brothers Imagines

Bet - Luz and Welsh

"Hello there, how's my favourite Lieutenant?" Luz called out, clapping Welsh on the shoulder.

"Don't let Lipton hear you say that, he might get jealous," Welsh laughed, the cigarette in his mouth sticking to his upper lip and staying in place.

"Who says he's not secretly my favourite and I'm not just flattering you for favours?" Luz grinned.

"George, I don't give favours to anyone except Kitty anymore," Welsh cackled, enjoying the hint of red on Luz's face, although his friend laughed too.

"Real smart ass, ain't ya Harry."

"That's Lieutenant Welsh to you," Welsh was still grinning, showing off his tooth-gap, and he winked at his friend, showing that wasn't serious.

"Anyway, Harry," Luz smirked. "I came to ask you a very important question."

"I'm already engaged George," Harry's laugh reached his Luz's ears again, as Welsh stubbed out his cigarette. Luz rolled his eyes in mock annoyance.

"What does the dashing bridegroom want for a wedding gift? I doubt I can top Hitler's cutlery but I can damn well try," Luz asked, smiling. It was a different smile to when the two friends had been joking around before, this smile was tender, and the happiness and contentment danced in Luz's eyes.

"That's a kind thought, but I don't expect anything from you, I couldn't accept anything," Welsh replied. When Luz tried arguing back, Welsh just cut him off with a comment about the sweltering July afternoon sun.

///

"I need help," Luz commented, sitting down next to his buddies.

"There's beautiful Austrian dames in town for that kind of thing," Liebgott giggled at his own joke; a similar joke to the one Welsh made earlier, it was a common joke among soldiers.

"What the fuck do I get Welsh for a wedding gift? I asked him what he wanted and he couldn't change the subject quick enough. I suppose I could just guess?"

"No offence, George, but you're real shit at presents," Babe commented.

"For my birthday, you gave me condoms," Talbert cut in, laughing at the memory.

"Hey, don't say it in that tone, it's not like they went to waste, is it?" Luz wiggled his eyebrows, and Tab smirked, now reliving different memories.

"Anyway, the lieutenant is hardly gonna need condoms when he's back in Wilkes-Barre making babies," Joe smirked.

"Come on, guys, be serious," Luz groaned.

"Harry won't accept a gift from you, or from any of the men. In that respect he's like Winters, he'll never take anything from his men, not even a gift," Lipton chimed in.

"I ain't giving up that easy," Luz retorted. "There must be some way he'll accept something. I could slip some money into his pocket?"

"I wouldn't do that George, Harry isn't a dumb as he looks, he'll know," Lipton grinned.

"Hey, you could get him to bet on something that he's sure to win. The lieutenant has no problem taking money if he's won it," Tab grumbled, remembering the time he'd lost forty dollars to Welsh.

"Tab, you're a genius!" Luz smiled, patted his friend's shoulder and ran off, not bothering to say goodbye.

///

"Hey, Harry, wanna bet on something?" Luz asked.

"Depends on the bet."

"I'll bet you fifty dollars that Kitty has run off with someone else," Luz smirked.

"Luz, that ain't even funny," Harry couldn't keep back a grin, happy in the knowledge that Kitty wouldn't run off with anybody.

"Well, is it a bet?"

"We both know I'm gonna win that bet, so what would be the point?"

"I don't think Kitty would be best pleased if she found out that you weren't willing to defend her honour, or that you passed up the chance at an easy fifty bucks," Luz reasoned.

"I sure don't wanna start off my marriage with an angry wife, and Kitty sure as hell is scary when she's angry," Harry smiled, his thoughts with his fiancée. "Okay, it's a bet." At that, Luz grinned, the grin of a victor. Of course, Harry won the bet, and Luz paid up on his wedding day, Kitty standing by in what was Welsh's reserve parachute.