Before I Go

Two Shot

The night was quiet, the night was calm- though, like many things in life, this was but a fleeting feeling. What was the peaceful heavens of the night will give way to the chaos and calamity that the sun brought, the great star that lit the planet was to bring misery to the land.

However, these stars, so far away, some even at the same plane of space as the lost planet Earth, seemed to lose this evil-inducing aura due to their great distance- thus giving this night a safe voyage until sunrise.

Two people were standing outside what was a large iron wall with huge, blue crystalline spike sticking out like poised pikemen ready to defend. Besides these two young humans was a large off-road vehicle with a machine gun turret mounted on the back.

"I can't believe you're going..." the person on the left, a young woman with peppered hair, muttered to the person on her right, an equally dark haired man.

"I have to defend NLA, Irina." the man responded and looked at her glowing white face, "If I don't... Lord knows what will happen to every civilian here..."

"If only they had assigned me to fight in the frontlines!" Irina yelled and grabbed his vest, shaking the man, "I wouldn't have to have doubt in my mind, I could be there to protect you, Gwin!"

"Hey, we both have equally important parts." Gwin rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "Just in separate sections, there's no need to get jealous-"

"I am not jealous!" Irina shook her head, then looked down to the soft Primordian grass, "I'm... concerned..." she muttered to herself.

"Huh?" Gwin muttered in confusion, "Irina? What do you m-"

"Don't you see!?" Irina yelled, "Now that we recovered the Lifehold, we all have one shot now!" she informed, "If you go in this battle, you're gone for good!"

"Sheesh, Irina..." Gwin muttered, "I know that, but I signed up for BLADE not to save my life, but to save other peoples lives at the expense of my own." he said, "I know, I'm afraid too... We're basically the forlorn hope of the operation, but I am next to competent fighters like Doug and Elma."

Irina looked back up at his strong and determined face, but was eventually taken back to his eyes. Those eyes, even though Gwin tried to act tough, those eyes always blew the lid- at least that's what she thought. The eyes she saw were gentle and puppy-like, despite the callous mask he tried to put around them.

"Irina... stop." Gwin muttered uneasily as he was being inspected, "It's... unnerving."

"I'm going to so selfish for saying this..." Irina responded and held his chin, "But I don't want you to fight in the frontlines... I want you to stay with me." she leaned on his chest.

"Irina, you know I ca-"

"I know!" Irina blurted, "But why couldn't they put us together!" she held him tight, "I could have been there just in ca-"

"Irina, I'm not going to die any time soon, I guarantee it." Gwin smiled and returned the embrace, "Please, what can I do to let you know?"

"Are you sure you can't change..." Irina muttered and held back some tears, "I've already lost too many friends to those freaks... I don't want to lose you too."

"You're not going to lose me." Gwin mumbled, "I swear to you, Irina, I will fight for my next breath!" he picked her up, "To tell you the truth, I am terrified right now..." he confessed and set her back down, turning back in shame.

Irina looked as the masculine prowess that he had displayed disappeared like water in a desert, such a precious commodity used up to the point of loss.

Gwin turned back to Irina, he knew she was stronger than him since she never put up an act to impress, she kept it real- especially in times of conflict.

"Why do you care for me, Irina?" Gwin finally murmured as he shook his downtrodden head, "You knew I was never as strong as the other Interceptors, why me?" he asked and sat down next to the nearby vehicle's huge wheel.

"Because... you're special." Irina sat on him, causing quite the awkwardness, "You're not like the others..." she grabbed his collar, "You're dependable, earnest, loyal..." she held his head up to her, "You're always seeking to better yourself despite everything that is thrown at you... And importantly, all the things you would do for me are way beyond the call of duty."

"That... is.. true..." Gwin looked at her stern face, "Irina, I would tear down whole words to see you smile, and whole galaxies I would rip apart just to keep you safe." he grabbed her hand and held it up to the sky.

"A sky has countless stars." Irina looked up to the heavens, "Yet out of those vast masses, two always connect..." she smiled, causing Gwin to grin.

"The reason I am in the frontlines is because I volunteered." Gwin informed, causing Irina to dart her head back at him.

"What!?" Irina yelled, "Why would you do that!?" she growled and shook his head.

"Irina!" Gwin grabbed her arms and took them off his head, "I did it so you wouldn't have to go!" he confessed, "That's right! I took your place!"

Irina's world stopped, like a winter's night with no life.

"Gwin-"

"I couldn't take it upon myself to have you put in such danger and threat..." Gwin sighed, "That's why I told Vandham to switch us out..." he held her chin, "I must save another's life at the expense of my own."

Irina was speechless, why did that idiot do that for her!? She couldn't fathom the thought of being ousted by the one she put so much of her trust and time into for her own safety! Why did he purposely risk himself for her- Then it struck the woman.

"Gwin-" Irina was taken back by Gwin's sudden advance towards her face.

"Ever since the day we left Earth, Irina." Gwin departed his lips from hers, "I took it upon myself to become your protector... At first it was platonic, but with each day seeing you, well, I guess I got so tripped up I took it up-"

Irina interrupted his rant with another union, and this time it was deeper...