A/N: This is my second fanfic, a oneshot that takes place in a slight A/U which replaces these two characters' original meeting. Inspired by a real event. Please rate and review!
The disgruntled soldier heaved a troubled sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair. He gazed out at the warm glimmer of the streetlights lining the streets of the quarantine zone from atop the military school's roof. This was his among his top places to escape to when he needed reflection time; he favored the gentle breeze of the chilly spring night and the view of the sprawling city beneath him. The young man drew his hand away from his short, brown hair and tugged at the collar of his soldier uniform in hopes of allowing his neck more space to be comfortable.
"Goddamn military," he mumbled to himself, "they just have to make everything so difficult. Damn them all to hell."
The man kicked a nearby empty can on the floor out of frustration, and subsequently lost his balance in an uncommon act of clumsiness, tumbling to the cement floor of the rooftop and landing on his behind. He cursed aloud, at no one in particular, and sat there for a moment with his head in his hands. Suddenly, his contemplation was interrupted by a soft tapping on his back. Startled, the soldier quickly got to his feet and spun around to face the stranger. His look of bewilderment was met by the most delicate pair of emerald eyes he had ever seen, and the face of the fragile child it belonged to appeared just as calming.
"Are you okay, mister?"
The young girl spoke with a soothing voice, so tender and frail that the man felt as if she was a castle of glass and he was afraid of cracking it.
"I-I'm fine. What are you doing up here? This is a restricted area." The man struggled to force his face into a stern expression, yet it was a losing battle. The child before him seemed too innocent to be mad at; after all, the soldier was only twenty-two, so he was used to receiving stern looks from his superiors himself. He had never imagined he would be on the other end; at least, not until much later when he had grown into a sullen old man himself.
The girl seemingly ignored the man's look of sternness and her infinitely curious eyes wondered about the rooftop, studying each and every nook and cranny. Her auburn hair fluttered in the nighttime breeze and her eyes, lit with the purity of a young child, once again returned to the figure of the soldier before her.
"I like exploring. This place is so cool!"
The man couldn't help but admire the girl's jubilancy and felt it wearing off on him as well, her contagious grin causing a slight smile to spread across his own lips. He quietly watched the young girl search the rooftop in order to satisfy her curiosity, as if he were observing an endangered animal in its natural habitat, actively trying to avoid disturbing her.
"How old are you?" the soldier finally asked after a moment of silence, as he relaxed his posture and slumped down against the wall of the doorway to the stairs. He continued to peer out at the city.
The child's bright eyes returned to the soldier and she stepped toward him with a toothy grin. She was missing her two front teeth. "Eight. But I'm real big for my age!"
The man chuckled heartily at the girl. "You sure are."
"What about you? How old are you?"
"I'm… pretty old I guess. Twenty-two to be exact."
The girl's eyes widened with astonishment.
"Woah! That's like, really, really old!"
The soldier chuckled again and looked at the girl. "You'll get there one day too."
The girl had climbed up on top of one of the air conditioning units and sat there casually swinging her legs. "Whatcha doing out here anyways?"
The man hesitated before deciding to tell the truth. "Thinking… I like coming out here to think."
She sat there for a moment, as if she were closely inspecting the man's response, before replying. "Don't you have anybody to talk to?"
He was briefly taken back by her question before regaining his cool posture, and furrowed his brow. "Now that I think about it… No, I don't."
The girl proudly displayed her cheeky grin again. "Well, now you do! You can be my friend. I'm Ellie."
He studied his palms with a look of melancholy, before smiling and peering up at the girl. "Ellie, huh? My name's Winston. Glad to meet ya." Ellie beamed at him.
And he wasn't lying. For the first time in what seemed like eons, Winston sensed a glimmer of hope deep inside himself. He looked up at the moonlit sky one last time before getting to his feet and straightening his arms and legs in a stretch. He quietly scoffed at himself.
"Well, it's way past your bedtime, Ellie. Let's get outta here."
Ellie let out an exaggerated groan, but obeyed. She hopped off the unit and followed him down the stairwell, joyfully swinging her arms around her. That night, little Ellie had unknowingly saved a man's life.