resting on her hips.
“That you better hurry the hell up!”
“Have fun, try not to get it on the upholstery, feel sorry for the bastards that have to clean the library,” Waz said, getting laughs from the section and Tyler.
“You should try telling Helen that a library is meant to be quiet, ” Alexis shot back.
“Not my fault if she had a good time, oh, come on Horley, you and your goddamn Ace,” Waz complained, as Horley smiled happily at disrupting Waz’s attempt to go it alone in Euchre.
Alexis and Tyler escaped to the hallway, holding hands.
“So, what have you heard about the newbies?” Alexis asked.
Tyler’s smile faltered. “It looks like they’re new, so we’re getting their Troopers that just completed basic. The other generals want to look good so they’re sticking with their veterans.”
“Why the long face? We’ll get them into shape,” Alexis said, hitting him with her hip.
“These ones didn’t go through the basic we went through; they just had to meet the Bare Minimum, none of them have been shot,” Tyler said, seeing Alexis wince. “But we’ll change them, though it’s not going to be easy.”
“When are things ever easy?”
“Ummm, can I get back to you on that one?”
She laughed, the rich noise making Tyler’s grin turn into a full fledged smile. They shared everything, and she always made Tyler feel better for it. There were no lies, they told each other what they were thinking and that was why Tyler could never think to be with another person. He loved being with her, and time apart hurt him more than he would have thought possible.
When they met they had been rival gang members, but joining Earth’s Military Forces and becoming Troopers together had turned their casual interest in one another into fully fledged love.
“I love you,” he said, squeezing her hand slightly.
She looked to at him, her eyes shining. They had only a trace of the veteran in them; the sad part that knew that their relationship could be ended by one stray bullet.
“I love you too,” she said, accepting that vulnerability as he had, and brushing it aside.
Tyler kissed her cheek.
“Morning you two,” Mark said, looking sweaty.
“Hey Mark!” Alexis smiled.
“Bro!” Tyler beamed.
Mark gave one of his rare, proud and pleased smiles. While Mark and Tyler didn’t share a mother or father, they were brothers, and they’d taken on the same last name to make it official.
Mark was possibly the deadliest person Tyler knew, but he knew the soft-hearted bastard that lay under all of the muscle and training.
He didn’t fight to inflict pain; he did it to save the Troopers around him.
“Remember two hours, don’t be late Tyler!” Mark said, glancing to Alexis, clearly relying on her more than Tyler to get him to the shuttle bay.
“He’ll be there,” Alexis said, looking to Tyler.
“Have fun,” Mark rumbled, laughing as he walked past.
“So why doesn’t he get another girlfriend?” Alexis asked when they were past. Mark saw her like a sister, and she was invested in seeing he was okay.
“After Lucille hooked up with a med tech a week after they broke up, and she said she couldn’t deal with him being away, it cut deep. I don’t think he trusts anyone romantically.”
“He’ll find someone,” Alexis said with a smile.
Tyler smiled as well, pushing those thoughts aside as he put an arm around her and squeezed.
“Then he’ll never want to let them go, he’ll want to wake up beside her every morning and kiss her all day, to hear her giggle.”
“You talking about Mark or you?” Alexis asked, smiling.
“Who’s Mark?” Tyler gave her a confused look.
“I heard that!” Mark said from down the hall, not even looking back.
***
Jerome found Mark in the cafeteria, and he sat down with the big man, taking a bite of his bagel.
“You look over the messages from the yard yet?”
“Nope, I was hoping you did, and we need a better name than just ‘The
“That you better hurry the hell up!”
“Have fun, try not to get it on the upholstery, feel sorry for the bastards that have to clean the library,” Waz said, getting laughs from the section and Tyler.
“You should try telling Helen that a library is meant to be quiet, ” Alexis shot back.
“Not my fault if she had a good time, oh, come on Horley, you and your goddamn Ace,” Waz complained, as Horley smiled happily at disrupting Waz’s attempt to go it alone in Euchre.
Alexis and Tyler escaped to the hallway, holding hands.
“So, what have you heard about the newbies?” Alexis asked.
Tyler’s smile faltered. “It looks like they’re new, so we’re getting their Troopers that just completed basic. The other generals want to look good so they’re sticking with their veterans.”
“Why the long face? We’ll get them into shape,” Alexis said, hitting him with her hip.
“These ones didn’t go through the basic we went through; they just had to meet the Bare Minimum, none of them have been shot,” Tyler said, seeing Alexis wince. “But we’ll change them, though it’s not going to be easy.”
“When are things ever easy?”
“Ummm, can I get back to you on that one?”
She laughed, the rich noise making Tyler’s grin turn into a full fledged smile. They shared everything, and she always made Tyler feel better for it. There were no lies, they told each other what they were thinking and that was why Tyler could never think to be with another person. He loved being with her, and time apart hurt him more than he would have thought possible.
When they met they had been rival gang members, but joining Earth’s Military Forces and becoming Troopers together had turned their casual interest in one another into fully fledged love.
“I love you,” he said, squeezing her hand slightly.
She looked to at him, her eyes shining. They had only a trace of the veteran in them; the sad part that knew that their relationship could be ended by one stray bullet.
“I love you too,” she said, accepting that vulnerability as he had, and brushing it aside.
Tyler kissed her cheek.
“Morning you two,” Mark said, looking sweaty.
“Hey Mark!” Alexis smiled.
“Bro!” Tyler beamed.
Mark gave one of his rare, proud and pleased smiles. While Mark and Tyler didn’t share a mother or father, they were brothers, and they’d taken on the same last name to make it official.
Mark was possibly the deadliest person Tyler knew, but he knew the soft-hearted bastard that lay under all of the muscle and training.
He didn’t fight to inflict pain; he did it to save the Troopers around him.
“Remember two hours, don’t be late Tyler!” Mark said, glancing to Alexis, clearly relying on her more than Tyler to get him to the shuttle bay.
“He’ll be there,” Alexis said, looking to Tyler.
“Have fun,” Mark rumbled, laughing as he walked past.
“So why doesn’t he get another girlfriend?” Alexis asked when they were past. Mark saw her like a sister, and she was invested in seeing he was okay.
“After Lucille hooked up with a med tech a week after they broke up, and she said she couldn’t deal with him being away, it cut deep. I don’t think he trusts anyone romantically.”
“He’ll find someone,” Alexis said with a smile.
Tyler smiled as well, pushing those thoughts aside as he put an arm around her and squeezed.
“Then he’ll never want to let them go, he’ll want to wake up beside her every morning and kiss her all day, to hear her giggle.”
“You talking about Mark or you?” Alexis asked, smiling.
“Who’s Mark?” Tyler gave her a confused look.
“I heard that!” Mark said from down the hall, not even looking back.
***
Jerome found Mark in the cafeteria, and he sat down with the big man, taking a bite of his bagel.
“You look over the messages from the yard yet?”
“Nope, I was hoping you did, and we need a better name than just ‘The
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