Those Alluring Eyes
Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own the characters, plot lines, etc. of Hogan's Heroes, as we all know. I just write, like the rest of you people.
To him, it seemed like years instead of moments that had passed since they last saw each other. Nothing had ruined the short time apart, but the tears and longing were always there. He knew that she felt it, too.
And as he stood there on the sands, he sensed that their meeting place seemed safe from danger, secure from prying eyes, even if he heard gunfire in the distance. On an empty beach, down the old pier, the seagulls perched on slippery edges and then flew away, cawing for food. The waves pushed forward and pulled backwards, spraying him with a salty saliva.
Despite all that, he searched, shielding his eyes from the elements, but soon found who he was searching all of his life for. Crunching the gritty pathway underneath his boots with haste, he dashed to his destination, as if he was late, but knew that he was somehow right on time.
And then, there she was, right at the end of that long quay, just waiting for him to return from the last mission. She had been standing there for some time, it seemed, but she was patient enough to be there for him. She had to make sure that he was coming back for good. Their own war seemed over, but it was always on their backs, reminding them of their duties.
Even with that in mind, his breath was taken away as she noticed his presence and turned to face him. With each passing day, he realized that her beauty grew bolder. Her alluring brown eyes invited him in, telling him that she loved him from the start. The wavy blonde hair waved with the sea winds, holding him closer with those invisible tentacles, those strands that resembled a yellowy straw pillow. Even the candle she was holding illuminated the light of hope between them.
"The war is over for the moment," he started awkwardly, unsure of what else to say.
"So it is." She gently, strangely even, blew the candle out and dropped the waxy taper beneath her feet, walking towards him.
Seeing this, he started picking up his own pace, soon running and then scooping her up in his arms. Talking all at once about everything as they embraced, they soon found each others' lips and were kissing many times over, more deeply with each passing endearment. The words could wait for a while longer.
To him, her lips tasted salty, as if she stayed at the beach for a long time, but the lushness of it never faded. Her spirit seemed to envelop him, as if they were meant to be together, but even that couldn't last. Only the good things in life had to leave, too. The gunfire was coming closer now.
Within moments, their kissing slowed down and then stopped. Then, he put a gentle finger to hers, as if to shush her, and smiled.
"What, do you not want me?" she asked softly, confused by the gesture.
"I do want you, but…" He hesitated, not knowing what to say. He knew it wasn't reality and yet, here was the greatest moment of his life that he could enjoy for a little while. But, it was just a dream that would end soon anyway and he knew it.
"But, what? What is making you not stay with me?"
"It's the same reason you stay," he replied after some time, taking his finger away from her lips and hugging her tighter. "We have to somehow fight for a common good. Without us, there would be nothing."
"Oui, I understand. I know. We cannot be together like this."
"Do you understand? You risk your life everyday and don't think about it."
"And so do you!"
"But, I'd prefer if you lived after the war than if I did. I couldn't live without you. There would be no point."
"I would feel the same." She held him closer, as if to dispel the danger. "So, we must hold onto the moments we have left. It'll be any day now. They'll find us."
He cuddled closer, ignoring the noises coming towards them, louder and louder. They would be here sooner than he thought.
"And when they do," she continued, "I'll remember to be as brave as everyone before us has gone. I'll always remember you, too."
Suddenly, a gunshot separated them.
~00~
A knock woke Colonel Hogan up from a sound sleep, as if the danger in his dream could not.
"Colonel?" Kinch peered inside the colonel's quarters, inquiring silently if his CO was awake. "Colonel, roll call in five minutes."
Shaking the sleep out of his mind, Colonel Hogan woke up immediately and responded. "Thanks, Kinch. I'll be out in a few minutes."
As soon as the door was closed, Hogan got up from his bunk and dressed quickly, thinking about his dream. Dismissing it as nothing more than wishful thinking and the stresses of war, he walked out of the cold barracks and joined in formation outside, waiting until Kommandant Klink had announced the news they had been anticipating. He hoped that it would be another step towards an Allied victory, but he couldn't tell. Almost three years in a POW camp taught him that anything was possible, even Germany pushing the Allies back again.
Snuggling deeper into his jacket, Hogan warded off the cold, licking his chapped lips. They tasted oddly like salt and Tiger.
Hogan then smiled, thinking that even dreams had a way of making him hope.
