A/N: This story came to me when I was itting in my truck outside Home Depot. 'Travilin Soldier' came on, and my Muse suddenly shot me thorugh the head with an Idea Bullet (c).
Beta'd by Hotspur
Bold= lyrics, even in speech
Italics= Euphie's thoughts.
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass, or Travilin Soldier. Even my Muse owns Idea Bullets. All I own is...my imagination? And, hopefully, Suzu and Euphie plushies...?
Travilin' Soldier
CG: Style
Two Days past 18, he was waiting for the bus in this army greens…
The strange boy stood at the door to the café, his back to the shop. He ran a hand through curly brown hair and adjusted his knapsack, looking fidgety. He cast a glance inside the café, before working up his courage and walking inside.
Euphie watched curiously from the corner of her eye as he entered, his long legs covering ground easily. He looked around for a moment before striding over to a booth by the door and seating himself.
Sat down in a booth in a café there
"Can you get that table, Euphie?" her older sister, Cornelia, asked.
Euphie looked at her sister, exasperated. "But that's your…" she trailed off, seeing her sister look over at another booth, where her boyfriend sat. "Oh, yes. Of course I can." Euphie reprised, giving her sister a smile.
Cornelia grinned back at her, face grateful. "Thanks, Euphie," she said, setting down her towel and walking over to her boyfriend.
Euphie nodded after Cornelia, and dried her hands on the cloth that hung under the sink. She reached behind herself, pulling her long pink hair up and tightening the bow that held it up. It had been getting too loose while she stood there, washing dishes. She pulled out her notepad and walked over to the young soldier, a welcoming smile on her face. "Hello, my name is Euphie, and I'll be your waitress today."
"Um, hello…" he answered, looking shy, "May I have a plain coffee, with no milk or sugar?"
Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair
"Of course. I'll be right back." she replied, trotting off to the kitchen. She pulled a mug out of the cupboard and poured hot coffee into it.
Making her way back, she watched the solder. He sat stiffly, as if he was nervous. He probably was, she mused. He was being sent off to war. "Here's your coffee, sir." she placed it on the table. "Is that all?"
"Um…well…" he trailed off.
"Yes?"
"Would you mind sitting down for a while and talking to me? I'm feeling a little low…" he asked politely.
She smiled gently at him. "I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go."
X.x.x.x.X.x.x.x.X.x.x.x.
She waited tables for an hour, anxiously eying the clock every few minutes. The hour seemed to drag by for an eternity. She let out a happy sigh when, finally, the hour was up. Just as she was hanging up her apron, however, and elderly couple ambled in. Euphie resisted the urge to groan out of frustration.
She sighed dejectedly, and reached for her apron again. A hand caught hers. She looked up, surprised.
"You let me off the hook back there. I'll return the favor," Cornelia said with a grin.
Euphie smiled at her older sister. "Thanks! Now we're even!" she forced herself to walk over to the soldier, resisting the urge to skip. She felt undeniably happy for some reason. "Hi there. You ready?" she asked him.
The soldier nodded, then looked shocked and smacked himself in the head. Euphie just smiled at him. "I'm so sorry. I forgot myself!"
Euphie bit her lip to keep from laughing. It was just such an odd statement. He forgot himself?
"I'm Warrant officer, Suzaku Kururugi. It's nice to meet you." he held out his hand.
Euphie suddenly realized the meaning behind his previous statement, and nearly smacked herself. That was idiotic of her to forget to introduce herself. "I'm Euphemia Britannia. But I prefer to be called Euphie, if you please." she took his hand in return.
"It's nice to meet you, Euphie." Suzaku said, his eyes glittering. Euphie blushed.
"And you, Suzaku." Such pretty eyes… I never noticed how green they are.
So they went down and they sat on the pier…
The salty wind from the ocean blew through her long hair as Euphie sat on one of the many rocks that the pier was made of. The crash of the waves lulled her into a state of calm. It seemed to have a similar effect on the boy next to her.
"I come here whenever I'm stressed about something. It's quite therapeutic." she told Suzaku. He nodded at her, his eyes watching her.
"Yes, it is…" he inhaled the air, and sighed it out deeply. "Euphie, um, I was wondering…."
"What is it Suzaku?"
"Look, I bet you have a boyfriend but…I have no one to send a letter to…"
"You…don't?" she asked softly, her blue eyes filling with sympathy for the boy. He was all alone?
"Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?" he asked hesitantly, looking at her sideways from the corner of his eye.
Euphie blushed brightly, a smile lighting her face. "Of course you can, Suzaku!" she answered eagerly.
Suzaku looked at her fully, his face surprised. Then his expression softened into a gentle smile, his green eyes full of warmth.
Euphie felt her stomach drop.
X.x.x.x.X.x.x.x.X.x.x.x.X.
They sat on the pier for some time, telling each other about their lives and their ambitions. Euphie learned that Suzaku's mother had passed when he was barely old enough to know her, and his father had abandoned him when he was 16. He had been in the military since he was that age, having enrolled to protect those who could not defend themselves.
He told her about the horror stories of Boot-Camp, but spared her the details of the battlefield. Euphie was not sure she really wanted to know, anyways.
She told him of her sister, Cornelia, and how they both looked after one-another. Of her mother, and how she died giving birth to her. She told Suzaku of her over-bearing father, who expected so much of her.
She couldn't help but feel a punch in the gut after saying this, as she remembered that Suzaku had no parents. She looked at him sideways, pausing her story, expecting to see hate in his gaze. Instead, there was quiet understanding in his eyes. She fell for him even more at that moment.
The hours flew by and, before the two knew it, the Army van pulled up to the station.
Euphie stood next to Suzaku as he checked in with muster, and paused, looking back at her. She smiled at him.
"I'll miss you." she told him, tears in her eyes. He gulped, his own eyes longing.
"And I will miss you, Euphie."
Acting impulsively, Euphie reached forward and enveloped the soldier in her arms. He was stock-still for a second, shocked, before wrapping his arms around her in turn, his arms tightening around her form.
They stood like that for a moment, before they pulled apart.
"Oh, wait." Euphie remembered. She turned to the mustering Officer. "Could I use a piece of paper and pencil?"
He nodded, handing them to her. Euphie smiled gratefully, before writing on them. She handing the paper to Suzaku, and the pencil back to the Officer.
"It's my mailing address, and my phone number…if you ever need at talk….voice-to-voice." she told him. Suzaku smiled at her, grateful.
"Thanks you, Euphie."
"All aboard!" the driver shouted, reminding them where they were.
"I'll be seeing you!" he called, clambering up the steps.
"You'd better be!" she shouted after him, tears leaking out of her eyes. As the bus pulled away, Euphie waved after it. She could have sworn that she saw Suzaku wave back from the inside of the bus.
"Goodbye Suzaku…" she whispered.
Tears suddenly fell in more rapid form, and Euphie reached up, wiping them away with her palms.
"…never going to hold the hand of another guy…" she cried.
"Too young for him," Cornelia told her, wrapping an arm around her younger sister. "Waiting for the love of a traveling soldier..."
X.x.x.x.X.x.x.x.X.x.
So the leter came from an Army camp in California then Vietnam...
"Euphie!" Cornelia's voice shattered her daydream, and Euphie looked up, nearly dropping the plate she had been cleaning.
"Y-yes?" she asked. Her sister held up a letter. This time, Euphie did drop the plate- into the sink, of course. "A letter!" she exclaimed, dropping the towel and jogging over to her sister. Cornelia held the letter above her head, a look of mock disapproval on her face.
"I don't even get to meet this boy yet, and he's already sending you letters? Now, that's not fair." Euphie frowned at her sister, placing her fists on her hips.
"Sister….you're taller than me. And we didn't get to meet Guilford before you suddenly brought him in one day, announcing he was your boyfriend!" Euphie exclaimed.
Her sister gave her an eerie smile, and Euphie paled, realizing her mistake. "Boyfriend?" she asked, her voice sinister. Euphie backpedaled quickly.
"No- not boyfriend! More like a guy, that's a friend! I met him here, and we chatted, and Ireallylikehimandhe'sbeenpromotedtoa18ZMasterSergeantoftheBasicElementoftheSpeccialForcesintheArmyand-"
"Woah, whoa, Euphie. Slow down." Cornelia looked a little dizzy. "Here's your letter." she handing the paper to her young sister, who smiled brilliantly. "Also, take a break and read your…letter. I'll take over."
"Thanks, Cornelia!" she exclaimed, and skipped over to one of the free booths. She plopped down in the cushy seat, and gently pulled the flap open, using a butter knife as a letter opener. Once open, she tugged the letter out and opened it excitedly.
He told her of his heart…
Dear Euphie,
It may come as a shock to you, but I think I may be in love with you.-
Euphie blushed, and grinned uncontrollably. How like Suzaku to be so blunt through a letter, but so shy in person.
It might be love….
It gets scary here. I'm used to war, but this is the worst. Constant bombs going off and fighting, almost no breaks. It's wearying.
And all of the things he was so scared of.
But when it's getting kind of rough over here, I think of that day sitting down at the pier…
Euphie smiled, remembering that day clearly, despite it having been weeks since then.
And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile…
She gave the letter the very subject of that sentence. How charming he was….
Don't worry, but I won't be able to write for a while.
How could so not worry? She could not even write back, as it was too risky that the enemy could get a hold of the mail and find the location of the troops. Not that she knew where they were in the first place. The only forwarding address was to an Army base.
With Love,
Suzaku Kururugi, your Knight
She could not help but grin at the very end. It was an ongoing joke between them that he was a Knight, and she a Lady. It was quite romantic, especially since she told no one of it.
Gently, she placed the letter back in it's case, and placed it under her dress- over her heart. She stood up, the grin still present on her face. It was time to get back to work.
X.x.x.x.X.x..x.x.x.
One Friday night at a football game, the Lord 's Prayer said and anthem sang…
The crowds were particularly loud that night, each side cheering for their respective teams. Euphie smiled as she watched her high school team prance around the field, the boys showing off. She shook her head.
They think they're so tough, 'fighting' in a stable environment like this. Her mind pictured Suzaku. That's the real hero. Her heart ached for him. Oh, how she missed him so.
A man walked to the center of the field, and the people in the stands feel silent, their jovial moment interrupted as they waited with bated breath, listening but not hoping to hear the names read of the list.
The man said, "Folks would you bow your heads for a list of local Vietnam dead."
Euphie listened attentively, her eyes closed as she prayed. Please, please. Not him. Not Suzaku. Not my-
"Suzaku Kururugi."
Her world stopped. Her mind reeled trying to process the information. "N…no." she whispered. "No." she shook her head, tears suddenly falling down her face. "No!" she gasped, whirling and running. She had to…she had…to…get way…no…notrealliesTHEYLIE!
Her mind was a jumble as she stumbled under the stands, falling to her knees. Her piccolo fell from her hands as she raised them to her face.
"Suzaku…" she moaned. "Su…Suzaku!" Her body was wracked with sobs.
Crying all alone under the stands
Was a piccolo player in the marching band
And one name read but nobody really cared
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair
X.x.x.x.X.x.x.x.X.x.x.x.
"I'm never going to love again….Never going to hold the hand of another guy." she whispered, her blankets drawn over her lower half, her knees up and face buried in them. Tears still fell from her eyes, and her entire body shook from her sobbing.
"You're too young," Cornelia told her, her hand rubbing circles on her sister's back, "To understand. Waiting for the love of a traveling soldier…it will only get you hurt. You will get over him eventually."
Euphie lifted her head, fixing her sister with a looks of disgust. "Could you get over Guilford?"
Cornelia looked away, quiet, but her face telling all.
Euphie returned her head to its place between her knees.
Our love will never end, she thought, waiting for a soldier to come home again.
Never more to be alone when a letter said,
'Soldiers Comin' Home'
X.x.x.x.X.x.x.x.X.x.x.x.
The white sheets blew in the wind as Euphie struggled to life them high enough to pin to the line. Tears still leaked from her eyes, and her heart hurt. She sniffed, fighting back another wave of anguish. Suzaku…
"Euphie!" Cornelia's voice called. Euphie didn't look at her sister.
"Yes?" she asked, just loud enough to be heard.
"There's someone here for you!" Euphie sighed, her shoulders slumping. Lately, Cornelia had been trying to set her up with other men- to try to get her over Suzaku, Euphie guessed. It didn't help. It only hurt worse. This was probably another guy…
"I'll…be there in a second." she answered.
"Al…right." Cornelia sounded surprised, but the back door slapped shut, signaling her leave.
Euphie sighed again, and rubbed her eyes. They're probably permanently ringed by red by now, she thought absently. Euphie looked up at the sky. It's been two months but…
The wind whipped through her hair, reminding her that she had a job to do. She reached up, one edge of the sheet on her hand, when the wind gusted incredibly hard, picking up dust. Reflexively, she let go of the sheet, covering her face.
"Wait- no!" she cried, reaching for the sheet. The symbolism of the event hit her, and her gut clenched. She watched the sheet fly away and land in the street. She clenched her hands, her breath shaking. "Kick me while I'm down, why don't you?!" she snarled, turning around and kicking the tub of water. It spilled over, covering the ground with soap and water- and once clean dishtowels. "Ugh!" she groaned, falling to her knees, covering her face with her hands. "Why can't I seem to catch a break? What did I do to deserve this?"
The sound of footsteps alerted her to another's presence and she stood, wiping off her face. At least look decent, she thought loosely. Euphie turned to face the sheet, and saw the shadow of the other person behind it.
Gathering her courage, she lifted the curtain between them, closing her eyes in annoyance.
"Look, I don't know what my sister told you, but I'm not interested!" she snapped, and opened her eyes and looking to the ground.
"I'm sorry. I just thought that you may want this sheet back." a familiar voice replied. Euphie's eyes widened, and she slowly rose her head.
Suzaku stood there, clad in an unfamiliar uniform, holding a sheet out toward her. His eyes glittered with happiness. "But, if you don't want it-"
She cut him off, leaping at him and toppling him over. "Suzaku! You-you're alive! But how- oh who cares! You're alive!!!" she exclaimed, her hands cupping his face. Suzaku smiled at her.
"Of course I am. They thought I was dead, but I arrived at camp just as they were packing up to go home. So, I came back."
Euphie did probably the only rational thing that was flying through her scattered mind at that moment. She kissed him. And he kissed her back, their arms entangled around another, clutching another desperately.
They parted after some time. She smiled at him. "I missed you."
"So did I." He said. "But…I'm home now."
She gasped in happiness.
"I'm Home."
-The End-