Eddie had been up for hours.
Sitting in the chair across the room with nothing but his underwear to hide his shame. His eyes were fixated on the beauty in his bed, sprawled out on the comforter in a running pose. The stream of morning light danced across his soft skin like a painting, the gold in his hair highlighted by the warm summer sun. There were striations in his lean figure and Eddie couldn’t stop the sinful memories from the night before.
They hardly ever spent the morning together like this, for fear of the neighbors judging glare. Being with another man was a death wish. Eddie knew this but also knew that Richie’s touch was kind while others were harsh, his words encouraging while others sharp, kiss love like fire while others were ice.
Yes it was all so scandalous, he a soldier on leave from the army, and Richie a flower child from out west preaching peace and love. They were destined for failure the moment they had met and still Eddie never wanted to be with anyone else. With his long hair and full lips, Richie was everything he wanted and more. Life, it seemed, was unfair.
Richie stirred, lifting his head a few inches to glance over to his lover. “Your up early.” He muttered, his voive hoarse and deep. “Figured you’d be out till noon after last night.”
Dispite himself, Eddie smiled. “Beep beep trashmouth.”
He must have noticed something was off because Richie sat up, rubbing the sleep out his eyes and letting the sheets pool at his waist. “Eds?” He whimpered, crawling across the matress to where Eddie was. “What’s wrong?”
Eddie took in a deep breath, dropping his gaze. “I need to tell you something and you aren’t going to like it.”
Richie stood then, his nudness going unnoticed. “What is it?”
There was an overpowering urge to cry, to weep at his lovers feet and admit defeat but he understood how important this was, the implications like a weight in his chest. “I got my orders last night Rich.”
“No.” Richie whimpered, ripping Eddie’s heart from his chest. “ Oh god no.”
It needed to be said, even if they both knew. “They are sending me to Vietnam.” It was sour on his tongue, the words burning his throat. “I ship out at the end of the week.”
“No.” Rhichie breathed like it was all he could say. “No, no, no…”
“I’ll be the medical officer in Charlie Unit.” The front lines, exposed and vulnerable. “I can give you the address so you can write, you don’t have to…I know how you feel about this war and-”
“We can run away, me and you.” The words tumbled out desperately, want and fear like dust in the air. “Today, we can get in my van and just drive. Drive till there is nothing left.”
Eddie shook his head. “Richie-”
“Fuck this, fuck all of this. Please Eds.” He whined, crawling into Eddies lap, digging his knees on eaither side of his hips and burying his hands into Eddie’s hair. “Please, run away with me.”
They kissed, deeply and desperately. It was scorching Eddie’s lips, tears melting into their connection making it salty and sad. Pulling away Richie traced his cheeks, keeping their foreheads pressed. Eddie took in his scent with one deep breath, searing it into memory. “I have to go, you know that.” It was a painful awnser, bit the right one still.
Richie was sobbing, his entire body shaking. “Eddie, baby…please…”
“I’m sorry Richie. So fucking sorry.” And he was, because this was his job, his life but if he had know Richie before things would be different. He would have happily never joind the Army, instead traveling the world with the hippe he had grown to love.
“You come back to me, you understand?” Richie cried, clutching into him with despair. “Do what you need to do and come back. I need you.”
And he kept that promise, only he was accompanied by a folded flag.
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