It was four years ago. My first, and last, tour in Iraq. My comrades and I were walking through the broken town, the guns fire echoing around the empty street. Calmly, I walked up to the man I had just shot down with the gun clasped tightly in my hand. The only way you could survive this place was distancing yourself from all emotions.
Unfortunately… watching that ten-year-old boy walk out from behind a broken stone wall, a dirty bandage covering his right eye, his left dull with the heartless fire of a murderer. I was scared, in that moment, scared of this boy and his beautiful blue eyes.
"Hey… kid, you okay?" I took a step forward toward the place, blue-haired boy.
It seemed to snap the boy back to reality for his blue eye snapped to attention, his body lurching forward in a burst of energy. He jumped over the body of the dead man, his small pale arms attempting to encircle my waist as he began sobbing into my dark green vest.
I rolled my eyes, resting a hand on the boys head as I glanced around at my comrades. Bard, a tall blond weapons expert, raised a brow, gesturing to the shaking boy who clung to me like a life-line. I shrugged, indicating I knew not why this boy held onto me so tightly. I wasn't exactly an inviting figure.
The boy began to sag, his energy probably spent after watching so many of his people die. Sighing once again, I gently picked up the "bundle of joy", knowing I was someday going to regret this decision to save this boy.
But as he tilted his head up to look at me with that stunning blue gaze, I knew I had to do this, I couldn't leave him to die.
"I'm Sebastian," I muttered. The boy nodded, his eye closing as he leaned his head against my chest. I glanced back at Bard, who was grinning like the fool I knew he was.
"Didn't know you had a heart, Captain!" he laughed. I glared at him.
"Tell anyone back at camp and you will find yourself missing some essential male parts." Happily, I strode past the quivering Bard with the strange boy curled contently in my arms. This was going to be interesting…
