Post by prettywitchiusaka on Dec 20, 2009 8:35:27 GMT -5
Hello everyone! After a few months of no story writing, I have finally completed my last fanfic for this year! This is actually a Christmas gift to my good friend Fangirl4315/Jam, but I figured it would be nice to share it with everyone here as well. I can't think of much else to say but enjoy.
Love at the Bottom of a Pepsi Can
By Prettywitchiusaka
Christmas time, it was a time of giving, and a time in which one spends time with those they love. For kids however, Christmas was a time of presents and taking time off school. But that’s not to say that all kids think this way. For while many kids enjoy getting presents and having time off from school, many also enjoy spending time with their friends and family during the Christmas season (in addition to presents and winter break). This is a concept that has not slipped past the organization known as the Kids Next Door, who were currently holding their yearly mid-December Christmas party on Global Command. All throughout the finely decorated auditorium, operatives from all over the world were talking, laughing, dancing, and eating and drinking, all the while enjoying themselves. Yes, it was very clear, everyone was having a good time. Well...almost everyone.
Elsewhere in the Global Command lounge room, the Kids Next Door Supreme Leader Rachel McKenzie, or Numbuh 362 sat on the lounge chair, holding a cup of Rootbeer in her hand. She wore a red dress with a matching shall, white frills outlining both pieces of the outfit. Elbow length red gloves and knee high red boots grazed her slender arms and legs, and a small mistletoe like ornament perfectly laced into her beautiful golden blonde hair. But the despite the elegance of her outfit, the young blonde was clearly lost in her thoughts, a look of boredom clearly detailed on her beautiful face. This puzzled her because it wasn’t uncommon for Rachel to sneak out of a party and go stargazing, but for whatever reason this time, stargazing didn’t amaze her at all. Instead, it escalated the boredom she felt at the party, causing her to retreat to the lounge room for some privacy.
This puzzled her not because of the stargazing, but because of why she felt so bored. She knew it couldn’t be because stargazing had become boring for her, but at the same time she couldn’t reach any further conclusion. After awhile though, Rachel finally reached the conclusion that maybe she was bored because she felt lonely that night. The young blonde immediately shrugged the idea off, but somewhere in the back of her head, she couldn’t but think it may be true. Maybe she didn’t want to be alone tonight, maybe she wanted someone to talk to.
“Oh, so that’s where you ran off to! I should have known”, said a voice that both snapped Rachel out of her thoughtful state, and caused her to yelp in surprise. Upon catching her breath, the young blonde looked up to see her old friend Patton Drilovsky, or Numbuh 60 standing in the doorway, holding a can of Pepsi in his hand. He wore an emerald green turtle neck sweater complemented by black pants and brown shoes, a devious smirk and a hint of blush were clearly detailed on his handsome face as he continued to eye the brown-eyed beauty.
Upon realizing that the voice belonged to her friend, the young blonde flashed him a small smile, signifying that she was happy to see him.
“Hi Patton”, she said sweetly.
“Hey Rachel”, he slurred in a smooth tone, something Rachel noticed.
The raven-haired boy then began to walk towards the couch in a very sloppy fashion, one which furthered the young girl’s suspicions. Finally, he sat down on the lounge chair right next to her. They devious boy then turned to face his friend and smiled at her rather dreamingly, all the while opening his mouth to speak.
“So, how’ve you been”, the raven haired boy asked as he slurred his words, gulping down some more Pepsi right afterwards.
“Uh...I’m fine but...how much have you had to drink tonight”, the young blonde asked as she thingyed her eyebrow in confusion.
“Oh, I don’t know”, Patton slurred as he wiped his lip free of Pepsi with sleeve. “Maybe like eight...or nine cans...Why?”
“Well call me crazy, but...it seems to me that you’re drunk”, Rachel calmly replied.
“What? I’m not drunk”, the raven-haired boy slurred in denial.
“I beg to differ, you are”, she replied in a tone of calm assurance and disbelief.
“Ah, you’re just crazy”, he slurred.
“Really? Well if I’m so crazy then how come your face is so red”, she asked in a calm yet thingyy tone as she pointed towards his face.
“Wha...”, he drunkenly replied.
“Your face gets flushed whenever you drink too much”, the young blonde observed.
“No it doesn’t”, Patton slurred in denial.
“Yes it is”, she triumphantly said.
“ No it’s not! I got no proof”, he replied.
“Yes I do. Our Cadets Next Door graduation ceremony”, she said in a confident yet matter of fact tone. “You drank one too many sodas at the wrap party and got really drunk. In fact, you were so drunk you practically passed out on the food table!”
Upon recalling that memory, the young Supreme Leader could not help but burst out laughing. She knew it was mean of her to do so, but at the same time she couldn’t help but recall just how funny the image of Patton passed out on a buffet table was. And as she laughed, all Patton could do was smile warmly at her. He may have been drunk, but that didn’t stop him from finding her absolutely amazing in every single way.
“See...”, he sweetly slurred, causing her to turn and face her drunken friend.
“See what”, she asked, curiosity very clearly detailed on her adorable face.
“You have such a pretty smile, it’s kinda unfair that I’m the only one who gets to see it, ye’ know”, Patton sweetly replied, his sweet remark causing the brown eyed beauty to blush a light shade of pink. “I really don’t see why you always run out on get-togethers with that smile.”
“Oh, come on Patton. You know how bored I get at parties, that’s why I go off on my own”, she calmly replied.
“But don’t you get lonely”, he drunkenly asked.
“Not really, I’m used to being alone”, she calmly replied. “Although...I did feel lonely tonight...But at the same time...I didn’t feel like going back to the party and talking to anyone...I’m not sure why though...maybe I felt too bored to talk to anyone, even though I feel lonely tonight...”
“Are you bored talking to me right now”, he asked.
“Oh no”, she quickly replied. “I enjoy talking to you. In fact...I feel happy when I talk to you Patton...”
“Well that’s good, cause I really wanted to talk with you”, Patton slurred in a sweet tone. “Ad I’m glad I could talk to ya’.”
“Really”, the young blonde asked.
“Yeah”, he replied. “I got ta’ talk to ya’, I got ta’ see ya’ smile, and I got ta’ see ya’ in a cute outfit.”
“Cute...outfit...”, Rachel said in a surprised manner as blush began to crawl up her delicate cheeks.
“Yeah...you look really cute in red”, he slurred in a smooth, almost flirtatious tone. “You should like...you know...wear it more often...it really suits you...”
Upon hearing her friend say those words, Rachel felt her heart begin to beat faster as moment of silence came between them. The moment of silence however, ended once the young blonde snapped out of her heart-felt trance and opened her mouth to speak.
“Well”, the brown-eyed girl began as she cleared her throat. “All this talking has made me thirsty, I’m just going to go get some more Rootbeer if you don’t mind”, the young blonde nervously replied as she went to get up from her seta on the couch. But before she could, the black-eyed boy gently yet firmly grabbed her by the wrist.
‘Why do you do that”, he asked in a low tone, one that caused Rachel to turn and ace him in shock and surprise.
“What-”
“Why do you always dismiss anything romantic between us”, he asked in a low yet angry tone.
“Patton, I have no idea what you’re talking about”, the brown-eyed beauty denied in a nervous tone.
“Yes you do”, he slurred in an annoyed tone. “When I smile, you turn the other way. When I try to flirt with you, you always change the subject. When I say you look nice, you always dodge my compliment”.
“What’s your point”, the young blonde asked on confusion.
“My point is that even though you say I’m just your friend, and yet you...you know...obviously love me”, the young Drill Sergeant slurred, causing Rachel to stare at him in shock.
“D-Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t love you and that’s the truth”, the young blonde replied in a nervous tone.
“No it’s not, cause you’re stuttering”, he replied.
“No, I’m not”, she angrily replied.
“Yes you are”, he replied.
“No, I’m not”, angrily shouted.
“Yes, you are”, he sternly slurred.
“Patton, even if it was true, why would you care if I loved you”, the young Supreme Leader angrily asked.
“Because I love you...”, Patton sincerely slurred.
Upon hearing that sentence, all Rachel could do was stare in shock at her drunken friend, a look of surprise and heart felt melancholy clearly detailed on her beautiful face as a moment of silence came upon them once more. The moment of silence however, broke itself as soon as Patton raised his rough hand to caress her delicate cheek, causing the young blonde to instantly react.
“You’re...you’re just saying that because you’re drunk”, Rachel yelled in disbelief as she shooed his hand away from her cheek.
“No, I’m not”, he slurred.
“Yes, you are”, she defensively said.
“No, I’m not”, he slurred in a somewhat stern tone.
“Okay, fine. You want to prove it? Look me right in the eye and tell me you love me, without blinking”, Rachel demanded in a stern tone. Upon hearing her demand, the raven-haired boy leaned in closer towards her beautiful face, all the while opening his mouth to speak.
“I love you”, he said in a sincere yet slurred tone.
Upon hearing those sweet words once more, Rachel gasped in shock. And as the shock began to settle into her system, the young girl’s eyes glazed over as she gazed into the raven-haired boy’s gentle black eyes. Not only had he not blinked, but they were also filled with deep love and sincerity as he continued to look at her.
“You...you are telling the truth”, the young blonde replied in a low tone of shock.
“Of course I am”, he sincerely slurred. “I’d never lie to you Rachel...unless if it was to...you know...protect you and stuff”, he slurred as he rested his rough forehead against her soft one, causing her to blush a light shade of pink. Shortly afterwards, the young boy closed his eyes as he began to move his lips towards her soft looking ones. But at the last second, the young blonde pulled her beautiful face away from his approaching one, causing Patton to look at her in confusion.
“What’s wrong”, he slurred in a low tone.
“Do you really think it’s that easy to win me over”, the young blonde asked in a low, almost melancholy tone.
“No…but since you return my feelings…I think it’s okay”, he replied as he went to kiss her again, only to be stopped by the young blonde placing her fingers on top of his lips.
“Look Patton…I really like you, and I’m flattered by your feelings for me. But…I’m afraid I only think of you as a friend”, Rachel sweetly replied as she let him down gently. But to her surprise, the raven-haired boy was not fazed at all. Instead, he continued to smile drunkenly at her, causing her to become rather confused.
“You’re a really good actress you know”, he slurred in a complimentary tone. “It’s too bad you’re a really bad liar”.
“I’m not lying Patton”, she sternly stated.
“Yes you are”, he remarked.
“No, I’m not”, she angrily replied.
“Yes you are”, he replied.
“Okay, so what if I was lying”, she angrily asked. “Why would I justify lying to someone I love!?”
“Because you’re…you know…afraid they’ll get hurt or something”, the raven haired boy slurred as he gently placed his rough hand on her gloved one, causing her to blush a light shade of pink.
“Well…that is one reason I would justify lying to you…or someone I love for that matter”, Rachel said in a low yet nervous tone.
“See…that’s proof that you love me”, Patton sweetly slurred, his drunken smile causing the blush stained on the young blonde’s cheeks to deepen.
“That doesn’t qualify as proof”, she defensively yet angrily stated.
“Yes it does”, he drunkenly stated.
“Patton, even if that were true, what could you possibly love about me”, she angrily asked.
“What do you mean”, he asked.
“Look, I understand why I-or any girl would fall for you…You’re sweet, and kind, and brave, and strong, and compassionate, and very handsome…But I don’t understand what you could possibly love about me…”, the young blonde explained.
“Well…you’re beautiful”, he slurred as he moved closer towards his beloved. “You have a nice smile…you’re really smart and really mature…you’re really stern and assertive, you’re brave and repentless…”
“Relentless”, she calmly said as she corrected him.
“That too”, he said. “But you’re also very sweet and kind…and very passionate about justice…that’s what I love about you…”
And as he said those words, a moment of silence broke out between the two young friends. The silence however, was only broken once the denial looking Rachel opened her mouth to speak.
“That…that’s not true! That’s not the real me”, Rachel shouted.
“Yes it is”, he sweetly slurred.
“No, it’s not Patton”, she shouted. “I’m a terrible, unlovable person! I’m so emotionally damaged that I’m incapable of love or being loved.
“Well if that’s true then why do I love you as much as I do…why do Sector V and Numbuh 86 love you as much as they do…why does the entire Kids Next Door organization love you then… You know you’re not unlovable…and yet you always deny that…Are you that afraid of giving your heart to someone…”, he asked her.
Upon hearing that question, Rachel felt herself freeze up with both anxiety, and denial. Anxiety because she knew she was coming very close to admitting the truth, and denial because she knew he had hit her feelings towards love exactly on the nail. The thoughts that circled inside her head however, immediately ceased to exist as she saw her drunken friend moving towards her once more. Surprised by this, the young blonde tried to move away like she did before. But because she leaned a little too far back, she ended up falling flat on her back on the couch. Before she could pull herself up however, she came to find Patton lying on top of her, his gentle black eyes filled with deep love as he continued to stare at her.
“Let me be your significant other Rachel…I know I could…you know…make you happy”, the young Drill Sergeant romantically slurred as he leaned down towards his beloved angel.
“I can’t let you do that”, the young blonde replied in a calm yet sad tone.
“Why not”, he asked.
“Because I’m the Supreme Leader, it wouldn’t be right”, she sadly stated.
“I don’t care…you’re still Rachel to me…” he quietly slurred as he leaned down and began to gently yet passionately kiss her shall covered neck and shoulders. As he did, Rachel allowed her resistance to go down for a moment as she allowed him to plant passionate kisses on her upper body, mewing in delight as she enjoyed what he did to her. Unfortunately, this did not last long as the young blonde immediately snapped out of her pleasurable state and snapped back into reality.
“No, Patton”, the young Supreme Leader angrily stated as she pulled his lips away from her chest, surprising him. “You can’t just think that confessing your love to me and professing your loyalty will make me yours!”
“Why not”, he asked.
“Because you have to take my feelings into consideration”, she yelled at him, her voice now clearly filled with a shaky tone.
“What’s there to consider”, he asked.
“Patton, I am the Supreme Leader of an entire organization”, the young blonde replied in a shaky yet heartfelt tone. “Can you imagine what kind of position I’d be putting my operatives in if I gave my heart to someone!? Especially if a villain found out!?
“I know…but I still think we can ride through it”, the raven-haired boy replied as he continued to stare at her lovingly.
“You don’t know that for a fact”, she sadly replied as she turned her head away from his gaze. “No…but I do know that we can keep it secret”, he calmly slurred.
“No we can’t Patton”, she replied in a sad yet stern tone.
“Why not”, he asked.
“Because we may be good at keeping secrets, but we’re not immune to mistakes”, the young girl sternly stated. “Suppose a villain did find out; it could put the Kids Next Door in jeopardy of being destroyed, and you could end up being hurt because of me. Do you want that!?”
“No”, he slurred. “But…I’m sure if we got into some…uh…trouble that you’d try to protect me…because you’d want nothing to happen to me…right…”, he asked as a momentary silence broke out between them.
“Of course I would protect you”, she quietly stated as she ended their moment of silence. “Do you think I’d want anything to happen to you?…I care about you Patton…”
“And I care about you…”, he sweetly slurred. “That’s why I hate to see you so stressed out all the time…”
“You need someone who you can be yourself with…Someone you love…Someone like me…”, Patton slurred as he layed himself on top of the young blonde, causing her immediate discomfort.
“You have to forget about me Patton…I can bring you nothing but misery…” , Rachel sadly stated as he eyes began to glaze over with sadness.
“I don’t care…I love you Rachel…”, the young Drill Sergeant romantically slurred as he leaned closer towards her beautiful yet melancholy looking face. ‘I want to protect you…I want to erase the loneliness in your heart…I want to make you happy…so happy that you won’t know what to do with yourself…”
And with that one simple sentence, Patton finally pressed his lips up against his beloved’s soft lips, indulging her into a gentle yet passionate kiss. Although taken aback by this at first, the young blonde eventually gave into her desires as she kissed back with the exact amount of passion he delivered. As the moment continued on, the young Drill Sergeant caressed her soft cheek as she wrapped her free arm around his waist. Their passionate moment of love continued on for what seemed like an eternity, until the young lovers finally broke their lip lock, staring into each other’s eyes immediately afterwards. But as he went to kiss her once more, the raven-haired boy suddenly passed out, surprising the young blonde.
“Patton…”, Rachel asked, confusion clear on her beautiful face as she stared at her unresponsive friend.
“Patton…Patton…Patton”, she said in a concerned tone as she shook him, attempting to get a response from him as her anxiety continued to rise. But upon hearing a pattern of deep breathing coming from her friend, the young blonde sighed in relief as she finally realized that he was just sleeping.
Once she allowed her feeling of relief to pass her, the young Supreme Leader then proceeded to quickly but gently get up from off the couch, taking Patton with her as she did. Grabbing onto him, she then proceeded to gently lay the sleeping boy on the opposite side of the couch, arranging his feet properly right afterwards. Upon feeling how cold his hands were, the young girl quickly (in a concern manner) put a blanket over top of her friend, so as to keep him warm during the night. In spite of his unconscious state, Rachel didn’t really feel like leaving him alone just quite yet. With this in mind, she sat herself on the couch and stared at her friend. As she did, she could not help but feel calm as she stared at his sleeping friend’s peaceful looking face.
“Merry Christmas Patton”, she softly spoke as she ran her gloved fingers through his spiky raven hair.
“See you when you’re sober”, she spoke in a cute manner as she went to get up from her seat on the couch.
“Rachel…” , the raven-haired boy slurred, the mere mention of her name causing the young blonde to look back and stare at him in surprise.
“Patton”, she asked, curious if she was really awake or not.
“Rachel…I love you…Why can’t I have you…I know I could make you happy…”, he slurred in his sleep, turning over onto his side as he did. Feeling saddened by his words, the young girl slowly leaned over towards her friend and secretly beloved, her beautiful chocolate brown eyes glazing over with sorrow as she continued to stare at his sleeping face.
“I do love you Patton”, she softly whispered. “But I’m afraid that a future for us together is not plausible…not with our positions it isn’t…”, the young blonde softly whispered as she gently kissed his rough cheek.
Upon kissing his cheek, Rachel got up from the couch and walked over towards the door. Putting her hand on the doorknob, she placed her gloved finger on the light switch. But before she turned it off, the young girl looked over to her sleeping friend, a look of melancholy clearly detailed on her beautiful face as the scene that had just occurred between them ran through her mind. Immediately taking her mind off of the situation, she turned off the lights and closed the lounge room door, leaving the raven-haired boy to sleep peacefully for the rest of the night.
……………………………………………………..
The morning sun lit up the space sky, illuminating all parts of Earth and Kids Next Door Global Command rooms visible to the star’s radiant light. One of these rooms was the Global Command lounge room, where a tried looking Patton still slept on the couch from the night before. The light from the sun however, was all it took for him to awaken. Unsure of where he was, the raven-haired boy went to get up at determine his surroundings. But upon doing so, he felt a feeling of queasiness come over him, causing him to feel as though he could barf at any given moment.
“Good morning”, Rachel cutely chirped in a chipper tone as she walked into the room.
“Rachel”, Patton questioned as he raised his head up once more. “Oh god”, he said as he put his hand to his head, his queasy feeling from before beginning to resurface as he sat himself up, Rachel coming over to sit beside him as he did.
“You okay”, she asked in a calm yet concerned tone.
“You mean besides the fact that I feel like puking my guts out”, he asked as he turned to face his friend, thingying his eyebrow in confusion as he did. ‘I’m okay…except that I can’t really remember anything.”
“Oh, you poor thing. Here drink this”, the young blonde said in a calm tone, handing him a glass with a strange looking liquid as she did.
“What is that”, Patton asked as he took the glass into his hands, thingying his eyebrow in confusion as he did.
“It’s Umboshi. Numbuh 3 said it’s a great hang-over cure”, she explained.
“Has she actually used it”, he asked in a suspicious tone.
“Well not exactly, but she’s seen what it does to her dad after a late night of drinking. Here, take it”, she said.
“Are you sure this stuff works”, he asked.
“Just drink it”, the young blonde replied in an annoyed tone.
Upon hearing the annoyed tone of her voice, the young Drill Sergeant quickly yet hesitantly gulped down every last drop of the strange drink, feeling its bitter taste as it went down his throat. Once he did, a small moment of silence came upon the two friends.
“Well”, the young blonde asked, ending the moment of silence. “How do you feel?”
“Good”, he replied. “In fact, I’m feeling better already. Tell Numbuh 3 I said thanks.”
“I’ll be sure to tell her”, she sweetly replied. “So…you don’t remember anything from last night”, Rachel asked in a calm yet curious tone.
“No…I don’t remember a thing”, he calmly replied.
“What did happen last night”, the raven-haired boy asked, causing panic to come to Rachel, for she was unsure of how to respond. Upon quietly calming herself down, the young blonde calmly opened her mouth to speak.
“Well…I was just sitting here, minding my own business when you came in”, she said.
“Let me guess, you shipped out on the party again, didn’t you”, Patton asked in a thingyy tone.
“Yes”, Rachel bluntly replied, a very straight yet angry expression clear on her face. “Must you keep harping on that?”
“I’m sorry, but I find it odd that someone as interesting and lovely as you gets bored at parties”, he replied in a thingyy tone.
“Oh boohoo”, she sarcastically replied.
“But anyways, we just talked for awhile and then you passed out.”
“On you”, he asked in a nervous tone.
“No”, she replied, causing him to sigh in relief.
“You just passed out on my lap”, she cutely replied.
“What”, he screamed in reply, causing the young blonde to laugh in delight.
“I’m sorry, what I meant to say was you passed out and I caught you in time”, she explained as she continued to laugh, Patton sighing once more as she did.
“You sly little vixen you”, he said in a jokey yet thingyy tone. “You had me going there for awhile.”
“Well you tease me all the time, it’s only fair that I retaliate once in awhile”, Rachel said as she flashed him a devious smile.
“True”, he replied.
“Say Rache…do you mind if I ask you something”, Patton asked in a low, almost nervous tone.
“Of course Patton. What is it”, she asked in a calm yet chipper tone.
“Well…uh…I didn’t…do anything stupid while I was drunk…did I”, he asked in a nervous tone.
Upon hearing that question, Rachel tensed up as light pink blush crawled onto her cheeks, his honest vows of love and the kiss they shared dancing in her head as she did. Quickly shrugging the memories off, the young blonde turned to face her friend with a smile and opened her mouth to speak.
“No, you didn’t do anything stupid”, she sweetly replied.
“Oh, that’s a load off of my mind”, he sincerely replied. “Because if I did do anything stupid, then I apologize right now.”
“Thank you. But there’s no need for you to apologize”, she calmly replied.
“I know…But while I trust your word, I wouldn’t want to do anything to offend you”, he replied.
“I know”, she stated.
“Say…”, Patton began in a curious tone. “If I was here all night…weren’t my parents worried about me?”
“Oh no, not at all”, Rachel answered. “You see, Numbuh 600 called them last night and told them that you guys decided to have a last minute sleepover at his place.”
“Did they buy that”, he asked.
“From what I understand, yes they did”, she said, causing him to sigh in relief.
“That’s good to know. Although I should have expected that from them…they’re not exactly the brightest people on the cinderblock”, the raven-haired boy replied in a jokey tone, causing the young blonde to laugh. Suddenly though, a small beeping noise could be heard by the two friends. Realizing it was her communicator; the young girl quickly took it out of her left pocket and looked over what was written on the screen. Upon reading what it said, she gave out an exasperated sigh.
“ What is it”, he asked.
“There’s a power outage on the main bridge, they need my back up code to get the power generators on, so I have to go. I’m sorry”, she replied.
“It’s okay. I should probably get going anyway”, the raven-haired boy replied as he stretched up his arms in the air. “I’ve probably already missed most of my morning shift, so I might as well get ready for my afternoon one.”
“Actually, your shift hasn’t started yet”, Rachel quickly replied.
“What do you mean”, the young Drill Sergeant asked.
“Well, your shift starts at nine, but it’s only 8 o’clock right now”, she explained.
“Really”, he asked as his friend nodded her head in agreement, signifying that his answer was yes.
“That’s great”, the raven-haired boy happily replied as one of his rare, genuine smiles appeared on his face. “This means I have time to go home, freshen up, eat breakfast, see my folks-”
“And hand-in that report you owe me”, Rachel sweetly yet sternly chimed in, causing Patton to cringe in embarrassment.
“Ah…right…”, the brave boy said, embarrassment clear in his voice as he did. “I’ll be sure to hand that into you by the end of today, I promise.”
“I’ll trust you on that”, the young blonde replied as her friend get up from his seat on the couch, only to face her once more.
“Well, thanks for this morning…and for putting up with me last night”, he sincerely said to her.
“Oh, don’t mention it. See you later”, the young girl sweetly replied as she waved him goodbye.
“You too”, he said as he returned her wave, smiling at her one last time as he walked towards the door.
Upon reaching the door, he smiled at his beloved one last time before exiting the room, closing the door behind him as he did. Upon doing so, the young Drill Sergeant leaned himself on the door for a short while, a look of melancholy apparent on his face as he did. I his mind, memories began to dance inside of his head, memories of his beloved; her laugh, her smile, her sweet comments and her gentle nature. And he thought of these sweet memories, they made him feel both joyous and happy, but also sad as he let out a small sigh.
“How is it that as my love for you grows deeper…it gets harder to see you as just my friend”, he asked himself in a whispered tone, a melancholy look clear in his gentle black eyes as he did. Standing himself up straight, the young Drill Sergeant began to walk towards the docking bay, now focusing his mind on what he needed to do when he got home.
After he left, Rachel got up from her seat on the couch and stared at the door for a moment. As she did, the young blonde could not help but place her fingers on her lips, recalling their kiss from the night before. As she did, the raven-haired boy’s question about doing anything stupid the night before echoed in her head. And as it did, all the young blonde could do was sigh in grief.
“Yes Patton…you did something stupid”, she remarked in a low, almost saddened as she sighed once more, hugging herself as she did.
“But to be fair, we both did something stupid…by falling in love with each other”, the young blonde remarked in a sad yet chipper tone, a small, but noticeable smile appearing on her beautiful face as she did.
The End
Love at the Bottom of a Pepsi Can
By Prettywitchiusaka
Christmas time, it was a time of giving, and a time in which one spends time with those they love. For kids however, Christmas was a time of presents and taking time off school. But that’s not to say that all kids think this way. For while many kids enjoy getting presents and having time off from school, many also enjoy spending time with their friends and family during the Christmas season (in addition to presents and winter break). This is a concept that has not slipped past the organization known as the Kids Next Door, who were currently holding their yearly mid-December Christmas party on Global Command. All throughout the finely decorated auditorium, operatives from all over the world were talking, laughing, dancing, and eating and drinking, all the while enjoying themselves. Yes, it was very clear, everyone was having a good time. Well...almost everyone.
Elsewhere in the Global Command lounge room, the Kids Next Door Supreme Leader Rachel McKenzie, or Numbuh 362 sat on the lounge chair, holding a cup of Rootbeer in her hand. She wore a red dress with a matching shall, white frills outlining both pieces of the outfit. Elbow length red gloves and knee high red boots grazed her slender arms and legs, and a small mistletoe like ornament perfectly laced into her beautiful golden blonde hair. But the despite the elegance of her outfit, the young blonde was clearly lost in her thoughts, a look of boredom clearly detailed on her beautiful face. This puzzled her because it wasn’t uncommon for Rachel to sneak out of a party and go stargazing, but for whatever reason this time, stargazing didn’t amaze her at all. Instead, it escalated the boredom she felt at the party, causing her to retreat to the lounge room for some privacy.
This puzzled her not because of the stargazing, but because of why she felt so bored. She knew it couldn’t be because stargazing had become boring for her, but at the same time she couldn’t reach any further conclusion. After awhile though, Rachel finally reached the conclusion that maybe she was bored because she felt lonely that night. The young blonde immediately shrugged the idea off, but somewhere in the back of her head, she couldn’t but think it may be true. Maybe she didn’t want to be alone tonight, maybe she wanted someone to talk to.
“Oh, so that’s where you ran off to! I should have known”, said a voice that both snapped Rachel out of her thoughtful state, and caused her to yelp in surprise. Upon catching her breath, the young blonde looked up to see her old friend Patton Drilovsky, or Numbuh 60 standing in the doorway, holding a can of Pepsi in his hand. He wore an emerald green turtle neck sweater complemented by black pants and brown shoes, a devious smirk and a hint of blush were clearly detailed on his handsome face as he continued to eye the brown-eyed beauty.
Upon realizing that the voice belonged to her friend, the young blonde flashed him a small smile, signifying that she was happy to see him.
“Hi Patton”, she said sweetly.
“Hey Rachel”, he slurred in a smooth tone, something Rachel noticed.
The raven-haired boy then began to walk towards the couch in a very sloppy fashion, one which furthered the young girl’s suspicions. Finally, he sat down on the lounge chair right next to her. They devious boy then turned to face his friend and smiled at her rather dreamingly, all the while opening his mouth to speak.
“So, how’ve you been”, the raven haired boy asked as he slurred his words, gulping down some more Pepsi right afterwards.
“Uh...I’m fine but...how much have you had to drink tonight”, the young blonde asked as she thingyed her eyebrow in confusion.
“Oh, I don’t know”, Patton slurred as he wiped his lip free of Pepsi with sleeve. “Maybe like eight...or nine cans...Why?”
“Well call me crazy, but...it seems to me that you’re drunk”, Rachel calmly replied.
“What? I’m not drunk”, the raven-haired boy slurred in denial.
“I beg to differ, you are”, she replied in a tone of calm assurance and disbelief.
“Ah, you’re just crazy”, he slurred.
“Really? Well if I’m so crazy then how come your face is so red”, she asked in a calm yet thingyy tone as she pointed towards his face.
“Wha...”, he drunkenly replied.
“Your face gets flushed whenever you drink too much”, the young blonde observed.
“No it doesn’t”, Patton slurred in denial.
“Yes it is”, she triumphantly said.
“ No it’s not! I got no proof”, he replied.
“Yes I do. Our Cadets Next Door graduation ceremony”, she said in a confident yet matter of fact tone. “You drank one too many sodas at the wrap party and got really drunk. In fact, you were so drunk you practically passed out on the food table!”
Upon recalling that memory, the young Supreme Leader could not help but burst out laughing. She knew it was mean of her to do so, but at the same time she couldn’t help but recall just how funny the image of Patton passed out on a buffet table was. And as she laughed, all Patton could do was smile warmly at her. He may have been drunk, but that didn’t stop him from finding her absolutely amazing in every single way.
“See...”, he sweetly slurred, causing her to turn and face her drunken friend.
“See what”, she asked, curiosity very clearly detailed on her adorable face.
“You have such a pretty smile, it’s kinda unfair that I’m the only one who gets to see it, ye’ know”, Patton sweetly replied, his sweet remark causing the brown eyed beauty to blush a light shade of pink. “I really don’t see why you always run out on get-togethers with that smile.”
“Oh, come on Patton. You know how bored I get at parties, that’s why I go off on my own”, she calmly replied.
“But don’t you get lonely”, he drunkenly asked.
“Not really, I’m used to being alone”, she calmly replied. “Although...I did feel lonely tonight...But at the same time...I didn’t feel like going back to the party and talking to anyone...I’m not sure why though...maybe I felt too bored to talk to anyone, even though I feel lonely tonight...”
“Are you bored talking to me right now”, he asked.
“Oh no”, she quickly replied. “I enjoy talking to you. In fact...I feel happy when I talk to you Patton...”
“Well that’s good, cause I really wanted to talk with you”, Patton slurred in a sweet tone. “Ad I’m glad I could talk to ya’.”
“Really”, the young blonde asked.
“Yeah”, he replied. “I got ta’ talk to ya’, I got ta’ see ya’ smile, and I got ta’ see ya’ in a cute outfit.”
“Cute...outfit...”, Rachel said in a surprised manner as blush began to crawl up her delicate cheeks.
“Yeah...you look really cute in red”, he slurred in a smooth, almost flirtatious tone. “You should like...you know...wear it more often...it really suits you...”
Upon hearing her friend say those words, Rachel felt her heart begin to beat faster as moment of silence came between them. The moment of silence however, ended once the young blonde snapped out of her heart-felt trance and opened her mouth to speak.
“Well”, the brown-eyed girl began as she cleared her throat. “All this talking has made me thirsty, I’m just going to go get some more Rootbeer if you don’t mind”, the young blonde nervously replied as she went to get up from her seta on the couch. But before she could, the black-eyed boy gently yet firmly grabbed her by the wrist.
‘Why do you do that”, he asked in a low tone, one that caused Rachel to turn and ace him in shock and surprise.
“What-”
“Why do you always dismiss anything romantic between us”, he asked in a low yet angry tone.
“Patton, I have no idea what you’re talking about”, the brown-eyed beauty denied in a nervous tone.
“Yes you do”, he slurred in an annoyed tone. “When I smile, you turn the other way. When I try to flirt with you, you always change the subject. When I say you look nice, you always dodge my compliment”.
“What’s your point”, the young blonde asked on confusion.
“My point is that even though you say I’m just your friend, and yet you...you know...obviously love me”, the young Drill Sergeant slurred, causing Rachel to stare at him in shock.
“D-Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t love you and that’s the truth”, the young blonde replied in a nervous tone.
“No it’s not, cause you’re stuttering”, he replied.
“No, I’m not”, she angrily replied.
“Yes you are”, he replied.
“No, I’m not”, angrily shouted.
“Yes, you are”, he sternly slurred.
“Patton, even if it was true, why would you care if I loved you”, the young Supreme Leader angrily asked.
“Because I love you...”, Patton sincerely slurred.
Upon hearing that sentence, all Rachel could do was stare in shock at her drunken friend, a look of surprise and heart felt melancholy clearly detailed on her beautiful face as a moment of silence came upon them once more. The moment of silence however, broke itself as soon as Patton raised his rough hand to caress her delicate cheek, causing the young blonde to instantly react.
“You’re...you’re just saying that because you’re drunk”, Rachel yelled in disbelief as she shooed his hand away from her cheek.
“No, I’m not”, he slurred.
“Yes, you are”, she defensively said.
“No, I’m not”, he slurred in a somewhat stern tone.
“Okay, fine. You want to prove it? Look me right in the eye and tell me you love me, without blinking”, Rachel demanded in a stern tone. Upon hearing her demand, the raven-haired boy leaned in closer towards her beautiful face, all the while opening his mouth to speak.
“I love you”, he said in a sincere yet slurred tone.
Upon hearing those sweet words once more, Rachel gasped in shock. And as the shock began to settle into her system, the young girl’s eyes glazed over as she gazed into the raven-haired boy’s gentle black eyes. Not only had he not blinked, but they were also filled with deep love and sincerity as he continued to look at her.
“You...you are telling the truth”, the young blonde replied in a low tone of shock.
“Of course I am”, he sincerely slurred. “I’d never lie to you Rachel...unless if it was to...you know...protect you and stuff”, he slurred as he rested his rough forehead against her soft one, causing her to blush a light shade of pink. Shortly afterwards, the young boy closed his eyes as he began to move his lips towards her soft looking ones. But at the last second, the young blonde pulled her beautiful face away from his approaching one, causing Patton to look at her in confusion.
“What’s wrong”, he slurred in a low tone.
“Do you really think it’s that easy to win me over”, the young blonde asked in a low, almost melancholy tone.
“No…but since you return my feelings…I think it’s okay”, he replied as he went to kiss her again, only to be stopped by the young blonde placing her fingers on top of his lips.
“Look Patton…I really like you, and I’m flattered by your feelings for me. But…I’m afraid I only think of you as a friend”, Rachel sweetly replied as she let him down gently. But to her surprise, the raven-haired boy was not fazed at all. Instead, he continued to smile drunkenly at her, causing her to become rather confused.
“You’re a really good actress you know”, he slurred in a complimentary tone. “It’s too bad you’re a really bad liar”.
“I’m not lying Patton”, she sternly stated.
“Yes you are”, he remarked.
“No, I’m not”, she angrily replied.
“Yes you are”, he replied.
“Okay, so what if I was lying”, she angrily asked. “Why would I justify lying to someone I love!?”
“Because you’re…you know…afraid they’ll get hurt or something”, the raven haired boy slurred as he gently placed his rough hand on her gloved one, causing her to blush a light shade of pink.
“Well…that is one reason I would justify lying to you…or someone I love for that matter”, Rachel said in a low yet nervous tone.
“See…that’s proof that you love me”, Patton sweetly slurred, his drunken smile causing the blush stained on the young blonde’s cheeks to deepen.
“That doesn’t qualify as proof”, she defensively yet angrily stated.
“Yes it does”, he drunkenly stated.
“Patton, even if that were true, what could you possibly love about me”, she angrily asked.
“What do you mean”, he asked.
“Look, I understand why I-or any girl would fall for you…You’re sweet, and kind, and brave, and strong, and compassionate, and very handsome…But I don’t understand what you could possibly love about me…”, the young blonde explained.
“Well…you’re beautiful”, he slurred as he moved closer towards his beloved. “You have a nice smile…you’re really smart and really mature…you’re really stern and assertive, you’re brave and repentless…”
“Relentless”, she calmly said as she corrected him.
“That too”, he said. “But you’re also very sweet and kind…and very passionate about justice…that’s what I love about you…”
And as he said those words, a moment of silence broke out between the two young friends. The silence however, was only broken once the denial looking Rachel opened her mouth to speak.
“That…that’s not true! That’s not the real me”, Rachel shouted.
“Yes it is”, he sweetly slurred.
“No, it’s not Patton”, she shouted. “I’m a terrible, unlovable person! I’m so emotionally damaged that I’m incapable of love or being loved.
“Well if that’s true then why do I love you as much as I do…why do Sector V and Numbuh 86 love you as much as they do…why does the entire Kids Next Door organization love you then… You know you’re not unlovable…and yet you always deny that…Are you that afraid of giving your heart to someone…”, he asked her.
Upon hearing that question, Rachel felt herself freeze up with both anxiety, and denial. Anxiety because she knew she was coming very close to admitting the truth, and denial because she knew he had hit her feelings towards love exactly on the nail. The thoughts that circled inside her head however, immediately ceased to exist as she saw her drunken friend moving towards her once more. Surprised by this, the young blonde tried to move away like she did before. But because she leaned a little too far back, she ended up falling flat on her back on the couch. Before she could pull herself up however, she came to find Patton lying on top of her, his gentle black eyes filled with deep love as he continued to stare at her.
“Let me be your significant other Rachel…I know I could…you know…make you happy”, the young Drill Sergeant romantically slurred as he leaned down towards his beloved angel.
“I can’t let you do that”, the young blonde replied in a calm yet sad tone.
“Why not”, he asked.
“Because I’m the Supreme Leader, it wouldn’t be right”, she sadly stated.
“I don’t care…you’re still Rachel to me…” he quietly slurred as he leaned down and began to gently yet passionately kiss her shall covered neck and shoulders. As he did, Rachel allowed her resistance to go down for a moment as she allowed him to plant passionate kisses on her upper body, mewing in delight as she enjoyed what he did to her. Unfortunately, this did not last long as the young blonde immediately snapped out of her pleasurable state and snapped back into reality.
“No, Patton”, the young Supreme Leader angrily stated as she pulled his lips away from her chest, surprising him. “You can’t just think that confessing your love to me and professing your loyalty will make me yours!”
“Why not”, he asked.
“Because you have to take my feelings into consideration”, she yelled at him, her voice now clearly filled with a shaky tone.
“What’s there to consider”, he asked.
“Patton, I am the Supreme Leader of an entire organization”, the young blonde replied in a shaky yet heartfelt tone. “Can you imagine what kind of position I’d be putting my operatives in if I gave my heart to someone!? Especially if a villain found out!?
“I know…but I still think we can ride through it”, the raven-haired boy replied as he continued to stare at her lovingly.
“You don’t know that for a fact”, she sadly replied as she turned her head away from his gaze. “No…but I do know that we can keep it secret”, he calmly slurred.
“No we can’t Patton”, she replied in a sad yet stern tone.
“Why not”, he asked.
“Because we may be good at keeping secrets, but we’re not immune to mistakes”, the young girl sternly stated. “Suppose a villain did find out; it could put the Kids Next Door in jeopardy of being destroyed, and you could end up being hurt because of me. Do you want that!?”
“No”, he slurred. “But…I’m sure if we got into some…uh…trouble that you’d try to protect me…because you’d want nothing to happen to me…right…”, he asked as a momentary silence broke out between them.
“Of course I would protect you”, she quietly stated as she ended their moment of silence. “Do you think I’d want anything to happen to you?…I care about you Patton…”
“And I care about you…”, he sweetly slurred. “That’s why I hate to see you so stressed out all the time…”
“You need someone who you can be yourself with…Someone you love…Someone like me…”, Patton slurred as he layed himself on top of the young blonde, causing her immediate discomfort.
“You have to forget about me Patton…I can bring you nothing but misery…” , Rachel sadly stated as he eyes began to glaze over with sadness.
“I don’t care…I love you Rachel…”, the young Drill Sergeant romantically slurred as he leaned closer towards her beautiful yet melancholy looking face. ‘I want to protect you…I want to erase the loneliness in your heart…I want to make you happy…so happy that you won’t know what to do with yourself…”
And with that one simple sentence, Patton finally pressed his lips up against his beloved’s soft lips, indulging her into a gentle yet passionate kiss. Although taken aback by this at first, the young blonde eventually gave into her desires as she kissed back with the exact amount of passion he delivered. As the moment continued on, the young Drill Sergeant caressed her soft cheek as she wrapped her free arm around his waist. Their passionate moment of love continued on for what seemed like an eternity, until the young lovers finally broke their lip lock, staring into each other’s eyes immediately afterwards. But as he went to kiss her once more, the raven-haired boy suddenly passed out, surprising the young blonde.
“Patton…”, Rachel asked, confusion clear on her beautiful face as she stared at her unresponsive friend.
“Patton…Patton…Patton”, she said in a concerned tone as she shook him, attempting to get a response from him as her anxiety continued to rise. But upon hearing a pattern of deep breathing coming from her friend, the young blonde sighed in relief as she finally realized that he was just sleeping.
Once she allowed her feeling of relief to pass her, the young Supreme Leader then proceeded to quickly but gently get up from off the couch, taking Patton with her as she did. Grabbing onto him, she then proceeded to gently lay the sleeping boy on the opposite side of the couch, arranging his feet properly right afterwards. Upon feeling how cold his hands were, the young girl quickly (in a concern manner) put a blanket over top of her friend, so as to keep him warm during the night. In spite of his unconscious state, Rachel didn’t really feel like leaving him alone just quite yet. With this in mind, she sat herself on the couch and stared at her friend. As she did, she could not help but feel calm as she stared at his sleeping friend’s peaceful looking face.
“Merry Christmas Patton”, she softly spoke as she ran her gloved fingers through his spiky raven hair.
“See you when you’re sober”, she spoke in a cute manner as she went to get up from her seat on the couch.
“Rachel…” , the raven-haired boy slurred, the mere mention of her name causing the young blonde to look back and stare at him in surprise.
“Patton”, she asked, curious if she was really awake or not.
“Rachel…I love you…Why can’t I have you…I know I could make you happy…”, he slurred in his sleep, turning over onto his side as he did. Feeling saddened by his words, the young girl slowly leaned over towards her friend and secretly beloved, her beautiful chocolate brown eyes glazing over with sorrow as she continued to stare at his sleeping face.
“I do love you Patton”, she softly whispered. “But I’m afraid that a future for us together is not plausible…not with our positions it isn’t…”, the young blonde softly whispered as she gently kissed his rough cheek.
Upon kissing his cheek, Rachel got up from the couch and walked over towards the door. Putting her hand on the doorknob, she placed her gloved finger on the light switch. But before she turned it off, the young girl looked over to her sleeping friend, a look of melancholy clearly detailed on her beautiful face as the scene that had just occurred between them ran through her mind. Immediately taking her mind off of the situation, she turned off the lights and closed the lounge room door, leaving the raven-haired boy to sleep peacefully for the rest of the night.
……………………………………………………..
The morning sun lit up the space sky, illuminating all parts of Earth and Kids Next Door Global Command rooms visible to the star’s radiant light. One of these rooms was the Global Command lounge room, where a tried looking Patton still slept on the couch from the night before. The light from the sun however, was all it took for him to awaken. Unsure of where he was, the raven-haired boy went to get up at determine his surroundings. But upon doing so, he felt a feeling of queasiness come over him, causing him to feel as though he could barf at any given moment.
“Good morning”, Rachel cutely chirped in a chipper tone as she walked into the room.
“Rachel”, Patton questioned as he raised his head up once more. “Oh god”, he said as he put his hand to his head, his queasy feeling from before beginning to resurface as he sat himself up, Rachel coming over to sit beside him as he did.
“You okay”, she asked in a calm yet concerned tone.
“You mean besides the fact that I feel like puking my guts out”, he asked as he turned to face his friend, thingying his eyebrow in confusion as he did. ‘I’m okay…except that I can’t really remember anything.”
“Oh, you poor thing. Here drink this”, the young blonde said in a calm tone, handing him a glass with a strange looking liquid as she did.
“What is that”, Patton asked as he took the glass into his hands, thingying his eyebrow in confusion as he did.
“It’s Umboshi. Numbuh 3 said it’s a great hang-over cure”, she explained.
“Has she actually used it”, he asked in a suspicious tone.
“Well not exactly, but she’s seen what it does to her dad after a late night of drinking. Here, take it”, she said.
“Are you sure this stuff works”, he asked.
“Just drink it”, the young blonde replied in an annoyed tone.
Upon hearing the annoyed tone of her voice, the young Drill Sergeant quickly yet hesitantly gulped down every last drop of the strange drink, feeling its bitter taste as it went down his throat. Once he did, a small moment of silence came upon the two friends.
“Well”, the young blonde asked, ending the moment of silence. “How do you feel?”
“Good”, he replied. “In fact, I’m feeling better already. Tell Numbuh 3 I said thanks.”
“I’ll be sure to tell her”, she sweetly replied. “So…you don’t remember anything from last night”, Rachel asked in a calm yet curious tone.
“No…I don’t remember a thing”, he calmly replied.
“What did happen last night”, the raven-haired boy asked, causing panic to come to Rachel, for she was unsure of how to respond. Upon quietly calming herself down, the young blonde calmly opened her mouth to speak.
“Well…I was just sitting here, minding my own business when you came in”, she said.
“Let me guess, you shipped out on the party again, didn’t you”, Patton asked in a thingyy tone.
“Yes”, Rachel bluntly replied, a very straight yet angry expression clear on her face. “Must you keep harping on that?”
“I’m sorry, but I find it odd that someone as interesting and lovely as you gets bored at parties”, he replied in a thingyy tone.
“Oh boohoo”, she sarcastically replied.
“But anyways, we just talked for awhile and then you passed out.”
“On you”, he asked in a nervous tone.
“No”, she replied, causing him to sigh in relief.
“You just passed out on my lap”, she cutely replied.
“What”, he screamed in reply, causing the young blonde to laugh in delight.
“I’m sorry, what I meant to say was you passed out and I caught you in time”, she explained as she continued to laugh, Patton sighing once more as she did.
“You sly little vixen you”, he said in a jokey yet thingyy tone. “You had me going there for awhile.”
“Well you tease me all the time, it’s only fair that I retaliate once in awhile”, Rachel said as she flashed him a devious smile.
“True”, he replied.
“Say Rache…do you mind if I ask you something”, Patton asked in a low, almost nervous tone.
“Of course Patton. What is it”, she asked in a calm yet chipper tone.
“Well…uh…I didn’t…do anything stupid while I was drunk…did I”, he asked in a nervous tone.
Upon hearing that question, Rachel tensed up as light pink blush crawled onto her cheeks, his honest vows of love and the kiss they shared dancing in her head as she did. Quickly shrugging the memories off, the young blonde turned to face her friend with a smile and opened her mouth to speak.
“No, you didn’t do anything stupid”, she sweetly replied.
“Oh, that’s a load off of my mind”, he sincerely replied. “Because if I did do anything stupid, then I apologize right now.”
“Thank you. But there’s no need for you to apologize”, she calmly replied.
“I know…But while I trust your word, I wouldn’t want to do anything to offend you”, he replied.
“I know”, she stated.
“Say…”, Patton began in a curious tone. “If I was here all night…weren’t my parents worried about me?”
“Oh no, not at all”, Rachel answered. “You see, Numbuh 600 called them last night and told them that you guys decided to have a last minute sleepover at his place.”
“Did they buy that”, he asked.
“From what I understand, yes they did”, she said, causing him to sigh in relief.
“That’s good to know. Although I should have expected that from them…they’re not exactly the brightest people on the cinderblock”, the raven-haired boy replied in a jokey tone, causing the young blonde to laugh. Suddenly though, a small beeping noise could be heard by the two friends. Realizing it was her communicator; the young girl quickly took it out of her left pocket and looked over what was written on the screen. Upon reading what it said, she gave out an exasperated sigh.
“ What is it”, he asked.
“There’s a power outage on the main bridge, they need my back up code to get the power generators on, so I have to go. I’m sorry”, she replied.
“It’s okay. I should probably get going anyway”, the raven-haired boy replied as he stretched up his arms in the air. “I’ve probably already missed most of my morning shift, so I might as well get ready for my afternoon one.”
“Actually, your shift hasn’t started yet”, Rachel quickly replied.
“What do you mean”, the young Drill Sergeant asked.
“Well, your shift starts at nine, but it’s only 8 o’clock right now”, she explained.
“Really”, he asked as his friend nodded her head in agreement, signifying that his answer was yes.
“That’s great”, the raven-haired boy happily replied as one of his rare, genuine smiles appeared on his face. “This means I have time to go home, freshen up, eat breakfast, see my folks-”
“And hand-in that report you owe me”, Rachel sweetly yet sternly chimed in, causing Patton to cringe in embarrassment.
“Ah…right…”, the brave boy said, embarrassment clear in his voice as he did. “I’ll be sure to hand that into you by the end of today, I promise.”
“I’ll trust you on that”, the young blonde replied as her friend get up from his seat on the couch, only to face her once more.
“Well, thanks for this morning…and for putting up with me last night”, he sincerely said to her.
“Oh, don’t mention it. See you later”, the young girl sweetly replied as she waved him goodbye.
“You too”, he said as he returned her wave, smiling at her one last time as he walked towards the door.
Upon reaching the door, he smiled at his beloved one last time before exiting the room, closing the door behind him as he did. Upon doing so, the young Drill Sergeant leaned himself on the door for a short while, a look of melancholy apparent on his face as he did. I his mind, memories began to dance inside of his head, memories of his beloved; her laugh, her smile, her sweet comments and her gentle nature. And he thought of these sweet memories, they made him feel both joyous and happy, but also sad as he let out a small sigh.
“How is it that as my love for you grows deeper…it gets harder to see you as just my friend”, he asked himself in a whispered tone, a melancholy look clear in his gentle black eyes as he did. Standing himself up straight, the young Drill Sergeant began to walk towards the docking bay, now focusing his mind on what he needed to do when he got home.
After he left, Rachel got up from her seat on the couch and stared at the door for a moment. As she did, the young blonde could not help but place her fingers on her lips, recalling their kiss from the night before. As she did, the raven-haired boy’s question about doing anything stupid the night before echoed in her head. And as it did, all the young blonde could do was sigh in grief.
“Yes Patton…you did something stupid”, she remarked in a low, almost saddened as she sighed once more, hugging herself as she did.
“But to be fair, we both did something stupid…by falling in love with each other”, the young blonde remarked in a sad yet chipper tone, a small, but noticeable smile appearing on her beautiful face as she did.
The End