Rose for an assassin
Edward was watching the street below from his perch on the rooftop. The roads below were all clear and he hadn't seen a single sign of a Covenant since his watch shift had started. He was statue still as his eyes searched the area, the VISR outlines making things much easier to distinguish. He didn't even look at the other solder as she moved to stand beside him. "Your shift isn't for another ten minutes."
"I know, but I couldn't miss a chance to see you batmanning up here." Edward looked to her and Emily explained. "Silently watching the city streets for any sign of danger or trouble. Dressed in all black and being serious. You know, like batman does."
Edward shook his head. "I never read that one. I was more a fan of Iron Man." He turned his gaze back to the roads. "Kind of funny as the Sergeant is a lot like Iron man."
"Except her suit doesn't allow her to fly, she doesn't actually need all the power that the suit can give her, and she can't shoot beams out of her hands. Oh, and she's not secretly a billionaire who just wants to right the wrongs in the world that she thinks she's created." Emily sat down on the rim of the roof, relaxing a bit. "She's more like Deadpool, I think. I mean, I can't think of a more violent superhero."
"Didn't know you crossed universes." Emily just shrugged at his comment. "Why are you up here anyway? You should still be sleeping."
Emily reached up, removing her helmet and setting it to the side. "I wanted to give you something." She reached to one of the pouches on her belt and pulled out a small object. Edward turned to her, trying to get a better look. Emily held it out to him and he took it.
Edward looked it over, a bit confused. "Is this a rose?" He spun it a bit in his fingers, looking at it from all sides. The odd thing was that it wasn't the red that most people associated with roses.
"Yep, a black rose, for you." Emily smirked at him. "I thought it might be a nice romantic gesture to give you one. You know, since giving roses is how most normal people show love and affection."
Edward didn't say anything about how they weren't normal. They all knew that the ODSS weren't really normal. They weren't looking forward to the end of the war, they weren't thinking of the people they had back home, they were just surviving. Then again, a black rose wasn't really normal.
"You know if you really wanted to show me that you loved me you'd let me have that energy sword that you picked up from that elite." Edward's eyes traveled down to her thigh where the weapon was attached to her armor.
"What, your combat knife not enough?" There was a smirk on Emily's face as she spoke. The smirk that she only wore when she was teasing him. "Can't get the job done with what you've got."
Edward was careful with his reply. He played along with the teasing but he really did want the sword. If he played her games maybe she'd let him have it. "I can get the job done with anything."
"I'm sure that you can." Emily reached out and took the rose from his hand. She slipped it into the part of his armor that attached his knife to his chest plate. "You know if you wanted to show me that you loved me you could tell me a bit about yourself before you became a soldier."
Edward's mood instantly soured. "No." Emily frowned and slid down so that her back was leaning against the lining around the roof. Edward watched her for a moment before his gaze turned back to the street below. "Why do you care about that time of my life anyway?"
"Because no one knows anything about it. I mean, isn't it natural to want to know about the history of the guy you're banging?" Emily scowled, a bit annoyed that she had to explain it. "I mean, I've told you about my family."
Edward shrugged. "There's nothing to tell, nothing that matters. Nothing of what I am today was created due to anything from the past. You've known me from the start of this program. Is that not enough?"
Emily didn't look at him, just stared across the roof. "I guess so." She looked down at the ground and then let out a breath. "Your shift is over." Emily moved to be sitting on the edge of the roof, looking out at the city.
"It's been pretty quiet. I don't think there are many Covies on this side of the city." Edward removed his helmet and tucked it under his arm. "I'm going to go get some sleep."
Emily stopped him and pulled the man toward her. Her lips touched his gently. He lingered for a few seconds as he returned the kiss and then broke away. Edward looked down to his thigh where Emily had attached the energy sword.
Emily turned to the street below, shifting her helmet to put it on. Edward stopped her and leaned down, his lips grazing her ear. He whispered to her, something that he'd never told her, never told anyone. He placed a light kiss on her cheek before he pulled away. Emily smiled and slipped her helmet on. Emily moved to the doorway and walked down the stairs to the room that the ODSS were using that night.
He moved inside and sat down in a corner a bit away from some of the other soldiers. He knew that when Emily's shift was over she'd come down and join him. He made sure there would be room for her. He closed his eyes and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
