"Peter?" Jout called as he climbed down the ladder into the tunnel. "LeBeau said you waited for me down here" Skipping the last rung, he jumped to the ground and looked around, searching for his boyfriend. "Where are you?"

"In the radio room, luv!" he heard his lover calling from a distance with his distinctive cockney accent, which made Jout's knee buckle.

Jout followed the voice in the radio room. When he stepped into the room, he was greeted by the sight of his love leaning against the table and giving him a radiant smile.

"What's going on?" Jout asked.

Newkirk pushed himself up from the table and slowly stalked towards him. "I 'ave a surprise for ya," he said, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

The shimmer in his warm grey-green eyes conjured a smile on Jout's face. "Oh, really? What is it?"

Newkirk shook his head. "Not so fast, me dear. If I reveal it to ya now, it's not a surprise anymore" He grabbed into his right pants pocket and retrieved a blindfold, holding it up in front of Jout's face. "Do ya trust me?"

"With my life," Jout answered while he stared at the blindfold held between Newkirk's thumb and index finger.

Newkirk began to grin and stepped behind Jout. He put the blindfold over his boyfriend's eyes and tied it behind his head. "Is it too tight?"

"No, it's alright. Can't see a thing"

Newkirk pressed his body close against Jout's, wrapping his arms around his upper body and stroking his chest. He moved his mouth to the other man's ear and softly whispered, " 'at's what I wanted to 'ear"

Feeling Newkirk's warm breath at his ear, dancing across his skin, made Jout tremble with lust. That he was not able to see anything only added to his excitement. Then he felt Newkirk removing his hands from his chest and placing them on his shoulders.

Newkirk gave him a slight and gentle push, making Jout to put one foot carefully in front of the other. "Don't worry, I'll lead the way. All ya 'ave to do is trust me"

Even though he was already blinded by the blindfold, Jout closed his eyes to concentrate fully on Newkirk's movement. He had no idea where they were going despite knowing the tunnel system underneath the camp inside out. But not being able to see overruled his sense of direction. After what seemed like an eternity, they stopped and Jout felt Newkirk's hand at the blindfold's knot behind his head.

"Ya want to see yer surprise?" Newkirk teased.

"What a silly question," Jout said, his body full of adrenaline.

Jout felt the blindfold being removed and he had to blink a few times to adjust to the dimmed light since his eyes were accustomed to complete darkness. When he was able to see, a gasp escaped his lips. Before him was a blanket spread on the ground with food and wine on it, and the room, which turned out to be the clothing section, was lit by at least two dozen candles. The dimmed light provided a romantic atmosphere, and then he heard soft music playing.

Jout turned his head and saw Newkirk standing by the record player, smiling brightly at him. " 'appy six-month-anniversary, luv. I 'ope ya like it"

"Like it?" asked Jout stunned. "I love it, Peter!" He walked over to Newkirk and pulled him into a hug. Jout gave him a deep kiss, which left them completely breathless. "But you shouldn't have bothered"

"No bother at all!" declared Newkirk while holding Jout close. "I asked LeBeau to cook somethin' nice and then I prepared the room. Nothin' to it" He began to smile and continued, "Besides, it gives us a chance to forget where we are for an evenin'"

They kissed again and sat down on the blanket. After their delicious dinner, Newkirk settled against the wall with Jout in between his legs, reclined on his chest. Another blanket was wrapped around the couple and Newkirk held Jout tight while he rubbed his nose along the outside of his ear. During the six months of their relationship, Jout had found out that he loved the feeling of Newkirk's arms encircled around him and just being in his five years older boyfriend's arms.

"Thank you for this lovely dinner," said Jout eventually while playing with Newkirk's fingers underneath the blanket.

Newkirk squeezed him gently. "No need to thank me. The last six months with ya were the 'appiest of me life, and I just wanted to show me appreciation"

"I still want to thank you. You are the first person with whom I'm celebrating such an anniversary, and the first to surprise me with such a sweet gesture"

"Ya never were in a relationship 'at lasted six months?" asked Newkirk perplexed as he halted his movements. "But didn't ya say Henri had asked ya to marry 'im?" [1]

"He did, but we were only a couple for three months. And he was my first boyfriend," admitted Jout sheepishly.

"Really?" Newkirk removed one hand from under the blanket and began to play with the curling hairs at Jout's collar. "I'm curious. When 'ave ya known 'at ya were gay?"

Jout closed his eyes as the memories of his first crush came to his mind. "I was twelve, and a new family moved into the house right across the street. They had a son, Harry Wilkes, who was three years older than I was. I still remember the moment I first saw him; he had been carrying boxes into the house. A tingling sensation spread from my stomach through my whole body and I couldn't stop smiling. I was totally confused over my body's reaction; after all, I was only twelve years old. One afternoon, I was at Mrs Vaughn's house and was helping her with her garden and she caught me watching him with an infatuated look on my face. She was the one who explained to me what I was feeling, and how it was the greatest feeling on this planet. And she was also the one who assured to me that liking a boy as a boy was completely normal and nothing to be ashamed of," Jout explained. "Until I met Henri, I only had a few crushes, but I never acted on them" He turned his head to see Newkirk's face and asked, "And you? When did you know you liked men?"

"It started with me last year in school. Me mates began to only talk about girls, about their bodies. And I stood next to them and was not interested in girls one bit. Of course I joined in and acted as if I was the biggest Casanova there is, but deep down I knew I was different. I was as clueless as ya 'ad been, and then I just settled with the thought 'at it was normal to simply chase birds without feelin' anythin' for them. And at the age of sixteen, I met this bloke in a pub and instantly took a likin' to 'im. 'is name was Tom Clarke. From the moment I first saw 'im, I finally knew what was missin'"

"Did you get involved with him?" Jout asked.

Newkirk nodded. "On the very same night" He looked down to his boyfriend and stroked with his thumb across his cheek. " 'ow come ya never acted on yer crushes? Was it because of the military?"

Jout shook his head. "I'm incredible shy when it comes to love. If you had not kissed me, we would have never gotten together because I never had the courage to ask you out," Jout confessed while turning red. "Don't get me wrong; I love you, with all my heart. But I was never good on taking chances"

"Well, then I'm only glad I took a chance" Newkirk kissed him softly. "Best decision of me entire life"

Newkirk kissed Jout again, nibbling at his bottom lip to make his boyfriend open his mouth. The American complied, and Newkirk plundered his mouth, tasting him deep. When they stopped to let air fill their lungs again, Jout laid his head back onto Newkirk's chest and the couple spent the rest of the night cuddling and lying in each other's arms, simply enjoying the feel of the other's body.

[1] – Henri is an OC introduced in my other story "Brothers in Arms". Short summary for those who have not read the story and don't want to go through 35 chapters to find out his role in Jout's life: He was part of the No. 121 Eagle Squadron RAF with Jout, where they met each other and fell in love. He was shot down and died during a bombing raid in February 1942.