A Promise

A few nights before Trapper's impromptu departure, Hawkeye and he had held each other all night, mostly listening to the unusual silence around them.

"I love you, Trapper." Hawkeye whispered in the other man's ear as he ran his agile fingers over Trapper's stomach.

Trapper stared into Hawkeye's eyes sympathetically until the guilt forced him to stare downwards. After a while, his head slowly rose and he took hold of Hawkeye's hand. "I'm not going to say it until I mean it, Hawkeye. But I promise someday I will mean it."

Hawkeye learned that Trapper John never keeps a promise.