A little drabble I wrote during my re-read of Lovely War. If you haven't read Lovely War by Julie Berry, do it. It's amazing. Side note: this isn't my OC Hazel.
Hazel wakes up, her nerves already high. Today James leaves for the front. She doesn’t want him to go. It’s a selfish thought and she knows it. How can she watch as he marches toward what could very well lead to his death? No. She can’t think like that. James will make it back. He has to.
Hazel gets dressed in a daze, barely noticing the world around her. She starts down the street towards the train station, pulling her coat tight around her to block out the cold. Has it only been a week since they met? It seems impossible. So much has happened in such a short time.
Hazel slips into the station a few moments later, a reprieve from the damp cold. It doesn’t take her long to spot James. The sight of him standing there in his uniform clutching his bags suddenly hits her. This it. He’s going off to war.
“Hi,” James says, lacing his fingers through hers. “I didn’t think you were going to come.” Hazel squeezes his hand lightly, trying to memorize how her hand feels in his. Who knows how long he'll be gone. If he’ll make it back.
Hazel forces a smile on her face, hoping James can't see past her façade. “Of course I came.” I love you. Please don't go. How badly she wants to say those words. She can't, though. It's not fair to him. Tears well in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. “I'll miss you,” she finally says.
“I'll be back soon. Promise me one thing, though?” James says, a small smile tugging at his lips. Oh, that smile. What she would do to see that smile every day. “Keep my heart safe while I'm gone,” he says, moving her hand over his heart.
The tears Hazel’s been fighting back finally spill over, blurring her vision. Her hands cradle his cheeks, pulling him close, as she kisses him softly. She shouldn’t be doing this. Falling in love with the soldier boy going off to war. “Always,” she whispers, resting her head against his shoulder as he hugs her tight.
The train whistle sounds, cutting through the air like a siren. “I guess I better get going,” James says. Hazel hugs him tight one more time, wishing they could stay like this forever as she watches him go, taking a little piece of her heart with him.
