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Prompt #4: Laugh - It sounded musical, and it always made him smile.

Words: 407

"...so there we were, creeping stark naked through the motor pool at two in the morning, in the freezing ass-cold of November. Hey, this is a serious story!" Auggie interjected, hearing his listener's laugh suddenly grow in volume and mirth.

"You can't tell me that the great Captain August Anderson would be such a ninny and get tricked that easy." Annie could barely breathe past all her laughter. "You just can't. You're too smart for that."

The compliment made him grin a little. "One, I wasn't a captain yet, I was still in boot camp. Two, I was nineteen, Annie. I thought I could take it."

"Didn't growing up with brothers teach you anything about trickery?"

"This was more subtle then I was used to. Why do I even bother?" he sighed with mock defeat. "You obviously have no understanding of hazing."

Annie gasped for air. "I'm sorry," she said with a trace of true contrition. "Please continue. What happened next?"

"Well, we managed to tag the gunny's car and crack a few eggs on the windshield, so we started heading back to the barracks. But what we didn't know was that we'd been locked out of the barracks by the rest of the idiots in there. It's not funny!"

She couldn't catch her breath, she was laughing so damn hard. Weakness made her lean against him as oxygen deprivation made her gasp for more air. "No, it - it really is," she wheezed. "What - what happened next?"

"Lucky for us suckers outside, I knew how to pick a lock. So we managed to get inside without getting frostbite." His story finished, Auggie crossed his arms and pouted. "I'm never telling you another of my traumatic life-lesson stories again. You take too much pleasure in my pain."

Taking a log, steadying breath, Annie said, "I'm smiling at you, Auggie. And no, I'm just surprised to learn there was once this gullible side to you."

"And you're only too ready to use this as blackmail, aren't you?"

That comment let loose another peal of laughter, making Annie lean against him once again for support. His own grin winning over the pout, Auggie joined in laughing with his best friend.

Maybe he'd tell another story like it. He liked hearing her laugh.

Fluffy friendship bit there. Enjoy!

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