Inside the Box
Long, calloused fingers searched through a box of the half-blood's possessions. He had never been one to hold on to many things. He wasn't particularly sentimental, and he had no use for clutter or being tied down to objects. But there was this one box, dusty and abandoned beneath his bunk most of the time. It contained a broken watch; the only thing remaining of his father, a few antique weapons too fragile to use but too interesting to toss, the shawl his mother wore before passing it along to him, and a dainty, pink bonnet with flowers stitched along the sides.
It was his first article of women's clothing, and he had never expected to keep it. He bought it for a girl in town he'd been "running into" on a regular basis. Sure, he could have just told her she was pretty, but a gift would say that for him. It was easier than expressing himself even if he did miss a few rounds with the boys at the pubs that week to afford it.
The redhead didn't bother wrapping it. He preferred instant gratification in such matters even if he received a few cat calls as he clutched the frilly thing in his hand and strode through the barracks, out the door, and right into Conrad Weller.
The audacious soldier with flaming hair and a ribald personality was rarely at a loss for words, but it had been years since Ruttenberg, Julia's death, and Conrad's departure for his secret mission.
Years.
Not one visit. Not one letter. There were rumors of course—there always were—and Yozak had given more than one man a black eye for the trouble of perpetuating them.
But this wasn't a rumor or a ghost. This was a solid, flesh and blood figure standing directly in front of him, wearing the oddest little smile. Yozak decided it looked strange and ill-fitting on his long-lost captain's lips.
There wasn't any mention of the time that had passed. When Yozak's voice returned he made a wisecrack and Conrad rebutted with what passed for a joke in Conrad's mind. Their conversation was brief, but they immediately fell into that familiar rhythm. There had always been an understanding between the two men, even if they didn't actually understand it.
And then Conrad asked about the bonnet.
Yozak looked down at the delicate embroidery he knew the girl would love. Things had been progressing nicely between the two of them. He had a good shot at referring to her as the little woman someday. He really needed to leave soon for their regularly scheduled, accidental meeting.
Instead, Yozak found himself looking very pretty in pink and explaining to his childhood companion that dressing as a woman was the future of spying. It sounded ridiculous as he said it, but the brunet seemed both appeased and amused by the absurdity. And the two discussed women's clothing, spying, Shin Makoku, and eventually, Earth over a few of those missed rounds.
That was then. Today, the spy finally grabbed the aged bonnet, faded with time, and stuffed the box back under his bed unceremoniously.
Tucking his roughly cut hair up into the fabric, he admired himself in the mirror. The pink head piece was the perfect accent to his sundress. But today he wasn't dressed for spying. As it turned out, his not so little captain liked a bit of role-playing on occasion and he loved the red lipstick.