Boom!
Another explosion.
This one crackled and sizzled, temporarily branding the night's sky in red and yellow before dissolving into smoke.
His colleague glanced up at him with uncertain eyes. He wrapped a comforting arm around her narrow shoulders and pulled her close.
She let out a small whimper and he mumbled a few words of encouragement.
It had been a rough week. This was their second air raid in seven days. As a seasoned soldier, he'd been on the front lines before - but his colleague was new to the field. She'd graduated with honours from the academy, but she was still a little...green. If there was one thing they couldn't teach the new recruits, it was how their bodies and minds would react in a war zone. Sure, she'd gone through the necessary drills and training exercises - but war was a difficult concept to dramatise. It was a monster with too many moving parts.
Boom, boom!
The spectacular sound shook the windows of their bunker, and she buried her face into his side. He rubbed her arm with his open palm and dropped a soft kiss on top of her head. He wished there was more he could do than offer his unwavering support, but it was a tricky situation. After all, he wasn't responsible for what was happening and he had no power to stop it.
He checked his watch. In a few seconds, it would be midnight. The end was near. He could hear the locals counting down from ten.
Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one...
The last few explosions popped and fizzled in quick succession. He hummed into his colleague's ear and continued to hold her tight. She was shaking now. He hated what this was doing to her. He hoped the experience wouldn't have a lasting effect on her mental health.
Outside, there was cheering followed by silence. The war was over. He instinctively relaxed and loosened his grip on his colleague. He ruffled the soft hairs on top of her head.
"Good girl, Marge!" He said, enthusiastically.
Encouraged by his words, his colleague jumped onto his shoulder and licked his face..?!
They both fell backwards and he ran his hands across her sleek, black and white coat. He felt a sense of pride bubble up inside him. She was going to be okay. His behaviour might have been a bit excessive, but Marge was man's best friend - even on the worst days. The very least he could do was return the favour!
"Who's a good puppy?" he cooed, "Who's a good puppy?"
"Hey..!" Came a familiar voice from the edge of the living room, "I was wondering where you too got to! You missed the New Year's fireworks."
Jack gently placed the puppy on the floor and sat up.
"Yeah, I know...sorry," he winced, "Marge needed me. You saw how anxious the fireworks made her at Christmas. I figured she needed the support. They really didn't cover this at dog school."
"...I suspected as much..!" Sam replied, walking over to Jack and kneeling in front of him. She gestured to Marge and the border collie ran eagerly into her arms. "It looks like she's recovered..!"
A smile tugged at the corner of Jack's lips as he watched his two favourite girls interact.
"Yeah, she should be okay now."
"So...I believe you owe me a New Year's kiss," Sam said, as she tousled the puppy's velvety belly fur.
"Are you talking to me or Marge?" Jack questioned.
Sam playfully nudged Jack's shoulder in retaliation and he pretended to stubble backwards. Taking her hands off the dog, she grabbed a fist-full of Jack's shirt and pulled him towards her. Their lips collided in a face-melting smooch. The world around them was about to melt away, when they were unceremoniously interrupted by a third tongue.
Sam's face soured and she ran the back of her hand across her mouth.
"Ewww…Marge!"
Jack laughed and gave the dog a rough pet.
"Happy New Year, Sam."
She shook her head in amusement and rubbed at one of Marge's floppy ears.
"Happy New Year, Jack."