Chapter 13
"And off we go!" Connie yelled as he and Sasha got their horses to move "What a timing, too; we really needed to get away from the captain anyway."
"I suppose the racket we made yesterday was a bit too much" Sasha agreed "Poor Jean; with us gone, the captain might focus all of his anger on him."
"No kidding, but better him than us" Connie said "Besides, Hanji needs him so much that she won't give Levi the time to bother Jean too much."
"Yeah, you're right" Sasha said, shuddering as a certain thought surfaced "Unless the captain decides to mess with both of them."
Connie laughed.
"Maybe later, but he won't risk bothering Hanji now with all the Marleyans around" he said "As long as there's a chance of things going wrong, they will have each other's backs."
He was right, Sasha knew. Levi and Hanji would always back each other up, no matter what.
"I suppose they're bit like us…" she frowned in thought "Or with how much they sometimes throw jabs at each other, like us and Jean."
"Hey Sash" Connie suddenly started again, getting her attention. Sasha turned to face him, wanting her friend to know she was listening. Connie continued: "You probably don't want to hear this, but- "
That was never a good sign.
"-You shouldn't get your hopes up about the next ship full of Marleyans."
Oh
"I know" Sasha said "I know he probably won't be there, but… there's still a chance that he will, and I hope he will" she paused, her voice quieting "Is that… wrong?"
"No" Connie said. He kept his eyes ahead as he said: "I just don't want you to get hurt. After all, Nikolo might not- "
"He'll come back" Sasha cut Connie off before he could finish. When the guy gave her a look, she continued: "He will; he promised."
Connie stared at her for a while more before turning away again, saying: "Even if he wants to come back, who says they'll let him?"
Sasha couldn't answer that. Sure, it had crossed her mind a few times too, but she'd always brushed it off, sure that Nikolo would find a way.
"He will, he promised."
XXXXX
"I should look at things from a different ankle" Nikolo thought as he did his pushups "What other ways are there to get to Paradis aside from the groups that go there every three months?"
One option would be to go up the ranks and eventually be stationed there, but that would take too long and even then, there'd be no guarantee he'd get there. Aside from that…
…
He came out empty. At least, when it came to legal means, but he wasn't going to break any laws for this. He'd most likely fail and, worst case scenario, get other people in big trouble along with himself.
"If I could get in to a unit that supervises our Eldian soldiers…" he quickly dismissed the idea. He might actually be able to do it, but the Eldian troops wouldn't be sent to Paradis in order to avoid conspiracies so it was no good. Plus, they were often in the front lines, so if a war broke out somewhere again, he'd end up there along with them. He knew it was a part of being a soldier, but he'd still prefer to avoid that "I've had my fair share of the front line already."
What else was there? Should he just wait and see? He had become a rather patient person during his time on Paradis, but when it came to Sasha…
Flashback starts
"What do you mean I can't go in!?" Nikolo yelled right at the face of an MP who was keeping up order around the hospital. The man just sneered, saying: "You think I don't know who you are? Like hell I'm going to let a Marleyan anywhere near sick and wounded fellow Eldians!"
"I have no intention of harming anyone!" Nikolo protested, trying to make the man see his point "I just want to check on someone!"
"Check on someone? And then kill them if they aren't in a bad enough condition?" the man sneered, making Nikolo grit his teeth. No, he had to stay calm, he'd get in trouble otherwise. And if he did, then they certainly wouldn't let him see Sasha.
"I am not going to hurt anyone" he said once more, trying his best to keep his anger in check "I just want to see that she's alright. Just a short moment, that's all I'm asking!"
"Not a chance" the MP said "Now get lost before I throw you out!"
"But- "Nikolo couldn't finish as the angry MP took him by the collar, pulling him close, making him flinch. The Marleyan was actually pretty convinced that he could take this man on, but he didn't want to do so unless his life was in danger, for he'd just get in trouble with the rest of the soldiers if he harmed this one.
"Enough already" said the older man "They don't teach manners in Marley, do they? I suppose it's up to us Eldians to handle the task!"
Nikolo saw him raise his hand, and while it did frighten him to not fight back, he simply shielded his face and prepared for the blow. However, it never came. Lowering his arms, Nikolo saw someone holding the MP's hand back. Following the long arm with his gaze, he came face to face with Jean.
"What is the meaning of this?" the scout asked, letting go only after the other soldier released Nikolo.
"This Marleyan here thinks he can just walk in to a hospital to harm our comrades" he answered with a sneer "I think we might need to reduce the amount of war prisoners for safety reasons since one even managed to get all the way here."
Nikolo's blood ran cold; that was a death threat if he'd ever heard one. But Jean was here, so he'd have his back, right? At the very least, the guy wouldn't just let him get killed… right?
"That's a bit of an overreaction, don't you think?" the scout asked, stepping between the two of them "I'll take care of this; just ignore that you saw him."
The man looked about to object, but apparently, Jean had more authority than Nikolo had given him the credit for, for the MP actually did as the younger soldier told.
"Come with me" Nikolo didn't even consider to protest as Jean led him away. After making a few turns, the scout spoke: "I take it you came to see Sasha?"
"Onyankopon told me what happened" he said, swallowing "Is she still…?"
"She's alive" Jean answered, and Nikolo sighed in relief. That relief, however, was short lived as the man continued: "Her condition is stable, but she hasn't woken up since losing consciousness back at the airship. We don't know when she'll wake up, or if…"
Jean didn't need to finish, Nikolo knew what he was getting at, but he refused to think about it. Sasha was strong; she'd pull through. She'd be bothering him in his kitchen again in no time.
"Can I see her?" he asked "I just- "
"I know" Jean interrupted "And yeah, you can. I'll take you there."
Flashback ends
Nikolo shudders as the image of Sasha laying in the bed completely unmoving returns to his mind. He doesn't want to see something like that again, ever. And now with the war over, he probably wouldn't need to, either.
"It's okay; she's safe" he reminded himself "I have plenty of time to find a way back to her."
XXXXX
"Life is great!" Sasha cheered as she came back from her solo hunting trip. Her parents had gone to town, Claus was studying something and Connie was fixing up the fence with Kaya. She had offered to stay and help, but the two had insisted that they had it covered. It's not like Sasha suspected that, but part of her was sure they'd refused her help only because they'd seen how eager she had been to go hunting. She felt a little guilty.
"I wonder if they're done already?" after putting away her haul, Sasha decided to go check. Rounding a corner, she saw Kaya sitting on the now fixed fence and Connie resting on the ground. They hadn't noticed her yet, so maybe she could give them a little scare?
"Has there been any sign of mister Nikolo?" the mention of Nikolo made Sasha falter and she stayed rooted to the spot, listening in.
"No, but it's been only eight months, so it's possible that he'll show up someday" Connie said. It was quiet for a moment and Sasha couldn't see their faces. She frowns as Kaya says: "You… don't think he actually will, don't you?"
"I'm not getting my hopes up" Connie said without missing a beat, much to Sasha's shock. Hadn't Connie also become friends with Nikolo…? "But for Sasha's sake, I hope he will."
"For sis's sake?"
"C'mon Kaya, you're not stupid" Connie said, sitting up. Sasha hid behind the corner a bit better as he did "He's, or at least he was, in love with Sasha and, while Sasha doesn't seem to have noticed it herself, she's also in love with him."
What? She what!? Is that what Connie thought!?
"But it could be true" Sasha thought, her face heating up. Yes, she might be, she really might be… but how come Connie noticed it before even she did? She's not stupid when it came to these things; she wasn't that dense!
"Yeah, I know" Kaya said, giving Sasha another shock "Sis is surprisingly naïve about these things when they are about herself."
"Am not… or am I?"
"About herself, huh…" Connie muttered, but Sasha heard it. Barely "Has she picked up on something about you, then?"
Sasha still couldn't see their faces, but she could imagine the smirk that was surely now on Connie's. But would Kaya be blushing or would she be able to keep a poker face? She wasn't sure.
"Wha-what?" oh boy, she stuttered. Definitely blushing, then "Well… that's…"
"Oo so there is someone!" Connie cheered, standing up before throwing his arm over Kaya's shoulders "C'mon, you can tell me! I promise not to tell, especially not to Sasha!"
Sasha doesn't hear Kaya answer; she probably isn't saying anything.
"Maybe I should go stop him; Connie can get pretty intense when he finds a new target to mess with" Sasha thought, sweat dropping "Well, I suppose we're both like that."
Wanting to save her sister from further embarrassment, Sasha started to march towards the duo.
"Boo!" she yelled as she slammed her hands on to Connie's shoulder, causing both him and Kaya to yelp right before they scurried away from her. Sasha laughed, glad that her little surprise had gone even better than she had expected it to.
"What the hell Sasha!?" Connie yelled "That's not nice!"
Sasha ignored him, too busy laughing, holding her stomach as she was about to double over. A good laugh was really something she needed.
"Aren't you a little too old for this, sis?" Kaya asked, looking at Sasha with an unimpressed face. Sasha, finally getting her laughter under control, simply shrugged "One's never too old for a prank or two."
"I'm with you on that one" Connie said, throwing his arm around Sasha's shoulders this time "But isn't it about time you stopped pranking me?"
"Never" Sasha says with a laugh "If I see an opportunity, I'll use it."
"Oh yeah?" Connie says, starting to mess with Sasha's hair, ignoring her protests "In that case I'll be doing the same!"
"You two are such children" Kaya says, but Sasha can hear no malice in her tone. Glancing away from her struggle with Connie, she can see the girl smiling "Yeah well, Connie's been a bad example over the years."
"Me?" Connie said with a dramatic gasp, hands over his heart "What makes you think it's me and not you who is a bad example to me?"
"If I was the bad example, Kaya would be like us" Sasha says, pointing at the young woman in question, who just blinks back.
"…Fair enough" Connie admits, suddenly smirking "That reminds me, we were in the middle of an interesting talk before you showed up. Start talking, Kaya!"
"What? No" Kaya says, taking a step back "I'm not telling you two anything."
"Leave her alone, Connie" Sasha says "We'll find out if she gets some results, right Kaya?"
"You heard us?" Kaya asks, making Connie go pale. Carefully looking at Sasha, he asks: "How much did you hear?"
"A lot" Sasha says, knowing why Connie reacts the way he does. He's about to say something, but Sasha interrupts him: "It's fine, really" no it wasn't; what he'd said hurt. But- "I know that, sometimes, it's really hard to trust people."
Especially for Connie. All his hardships had made the guy rather skeptical about everything and everyone… well, almost everyone. He still seemed to have full faith in her and Jean.
"It's not that I don't want to trust him. But- "
"I know Connie, I know" Sasha assured. Wanting to lighten the mood, she crossed her arms and said: "What I don't trust is you not spreading any rumors about my so-called love life!"
"What?" Connie said, probably trying to sound sincere but failing miserably as he continued: "I'd never- "
"Bullshit" Sasha cut him off "If you want to pry about someone's love life, go see what the captain's up to!"
"Even I know that's a terrible idea" Kaya cut in "You'd get in trouble."
"Yeah, I would" Connie agreed, laying a hand on Kaya's shoulder "Your sister is horrible, trying to get me in to trouble like that!"
Normally, Sasha would've said something back but right now, there was one thing that distracted her… was that a blush she saw on Kaya's face?
"No, it's just a trick of light" she decided, shrugging as she finally decided to give Connie a reply: "I'm sure he has more of a love life than you do."
"You wound my heart" Connie said before dramatically collapsing on the ground. Sasha laughed along with Kaya, realizing that she'd gotten in the last word this time.
"Sometimes life is just so nice"
XXXXX
"Sometimes life just sucks" Nikolo thought as he opened the front door to his house, already in a foul mood. Some of the soldiers that had been sent to Paradis around three months ago had just gotten back to their base, and the whole place was filled with their stories of the "horrifying devils." Of course, by now, he had enough self-control to not let any unnecessary words slip. However, he wasn't all that sure about his face and body language, especially the later. What if his behavior gave away what he really thought? One slipup wouldn't do that much harm as long as it wasn't in front of completely wrong people, but…
"No, calm down" he told himself "Don't think about it too much; it's not like you've already messed up."
Or at least, he thought he hadn't. At this point, he couldn't bring himself to say for sure.
"Are you ready to tell me about that woman yet?"
Oh yeah, he'd definitely messed up already. Fortunately, though, he'd only done it at home.
"Just drop it" he really wasn't in the mood to deal with this. Ulrich, however, didn't let it go.
"Don't say that, at least tell me something" his brother said, starting to follow him as he headed for the kitchen "I'm not asking for her name, just one or two details… how did you two meet each other? What does she do for living? How does she look like? C'mon, answer those and I'll leave you alone, I swear!"
"Aren't we way too old to tease each other about women?" Nikolo asked instead of answering. They'd done this as teenagers, which pretty much meant up until Nikolo left for Paradis, but that was so long ago.
"…With how long you were away, it's easy to forget how much time has passed" Nikolo turned to look at Ulrich in surprise, wondering if he'd heard right. For a split second, he saw a sad smile on his brother's face before it turned back to the earlier mischievous smile "Alright Nicky, I want my answers!"
…Maybe he should give them. The answers to those questions wouldn't give off too much after all, not as long as he kept it vague.
"Fine" he snapped as they got to the kitchen "We met through work and as for how she looks like, well, stunning to put it simply. Happy now?"
"No way" Ulrich said with a grin "I want more details!"
Nikolo glared at him as he moved about to heat up his dinner, saying: "You promised you'd drop it."
"To think that you believed it" he said smugly, crossing his arms "More info. Now"
"Here's some info for you" Nikolo snapped as he slammed the oven hatch closed "I'd much rather be with her now than with you!"
"Way to state the obvious, Nicky" Ulrich said. Nikolo wasn't watching, but he was convinced that the man was rolling his eyes "And? Where is she now?"
"…." where indeed. Inland, training? Negotiating something with stuck up MPs? On some important mission? Border control? Or perhaps with her family, having a vacation? "I have no idea."
Ulrich kept his mouth shut after that.
XXXXX
Dinner was fun; things got livelier with Connie around. That might also be why her father had situated Connie on the other end of the table than her; to avoid more trouble.
"He should realize that the table isn't that big" she mused "We could easily start trouble like this if we wanted to."
Not that she was planning to do that… at least not yet. She and Connie might arrange some pranks for their last night here, though.
"Can someone pass the bread?" Claus asked.
"Sure" Kaya said, reaching out for the bread basket, accidentally touching Connie's hand as he was also reaching out for it "Sorry."
This time Sasha knew she wasn't imagining it; there was clearly a blush on Kaya's face now, having appeared there as her and Connie's hands touched.
"No way… seriously?!" she thought, her jaw hanging open as she stared at the place where the basket had been in just a moment ago in disbelief. Was she overanalyzing this, or could it really be that-
"Sasha honey, what's wrong?" her mother asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. Snickering, Connie said: "You'll swallow a fly at that rate."
Sasha huffed as she closed her mouth, taking a turn at glaring at everyone as they laughed. It wasn't that funny.
XXXXX
Nikolo had been called to meet up with his superior privately, making his mind go in turmoil. It took a lot of effort from him to not to let it show on his face, but he thought he'd managed. Still, what was this about? Had he messed up? Had Grior told on him? Had someone else told on him?
"No, maybe I'm being called over for something good" he tried to be optimistic "Maybe I was called over to inform me that I'll be on the next ship going to Paradis."
That'd be great and, in fact, didn't sound impossible. Maybe that was it.
Now much calmer, Nikolo knocked on his superior's door with a steady hand. Getting the order to come in, he did just that.
"Sir" he greeted, saluting.
"At ease, soldier" the man said from behind his desk "How have you adjusted to normal life?"
"Well, sir, or so I believe" Nikolo answers, no longer standing in attention but reminding himself to be humble "But not too humble or he'll see that I'm nervous."
"I'm glad to hear that; some of your brothers in arms have resigned from the military and other still haven't been able to return to service" his superior officer says, looking at him with a piercing gaze "And most of those who have returned to service are still having some nightmares, among other things. How about you, any nightly terrors bothering you?"
"…Sometimes, sir" Nikolo confessed. It'd do no harm as long as he didn't need to go to details "But they're getting rarer."
He wasn't so sure if that was a good thing, though. The nightmares were a good reminder of the things he'd done wrong and what he wanted to change about himself. He was afraid that losing them could lead to him losing his way.
"Good to hear" the officer says, his gaze landing on some papers on his desk "Especially since you've been requesting to return to the field twice now. Eager to return to your duties fully, I see."
"Yes sir" Nikolo had a hard time keeping his poker face. Could it be he was really getting a permission to return to Paradis now?
"But why Paradis? You've been stating your desire to go there specifically" of course, he'd seen that question coming "Is there something there you want to do?"
"That is one way to put it, sir" in a way, he didn't even need to lie for this. What he was about to say was another, small part of wanting to go back "I want to see the ones I saw as a prisoner again, this time from equal grounds where they can't treat me as they please. I believe that being face to face with them as equals will bring a closure to everything and help me move on."
And he wanted to apologize the way he treated everyone when he first met them, this time from equal grounds so no one would suspect he was just trying to please them to save his own skin. Not that Sasha did, he was sure. Everyone else though, he couldn't help but suspect… maybe Connie trusted him. Jean probably, too. But Mikasa? Armin? He highly doubted that… he didn't believe in having Hanji's trust either, and Levi was definitely out of the question. As were all the MPs and other soldiers he'd gone around poisoning. He had to apologize from the few that were left, assuming he'd have the chance to see them… though in all honesty, the cowardly side of him hoped he didn't.
"I can understand the idea" Nikolo sensed a but here "But are you really ready for it?"
"Yes" Nikolo said, having decided not to hesitate "I am sure that I am ready."
"Confidence is good" the man says with a nod, and this time Nikolo was sure he had nailed it, but- "And yet it can be deadly when misplaced."
It's not like he disagreed, but his confidence wasn't misplaced.
"I do believe you're ready to return to the field" again, Nikolo got his hopes up "But sending you to Paradis would be too risky, so you'll be stationed elsewhere."
Damn it, he should've known it wouldn't be that easy. But if he disagreed now, getting to Paradis would take even longer.
"Dissatisfied, soldier?"
"In all honesty sir, I am a little disappointed, for I believe I could do more than what people think" he said, adding quickly but not too hastily "But orders are orders and as a soldier I am happy to follow them."
"Excellent" the man said "You'll be leaving next week. Dismissed."
"Yes sir" Nikolo said, saluting before leaving the office. It would take quite a while before he got back to Paradis; it was clearer than ever. But he wasn't one to give up.
XXXXX
Sasha was cleaning the stables with Kaya, stealing glances at the younger girl every now and then. Should she ask? But even if she did and was right, Kaya would probably deny it. Would there be any telltale signs if she was lying?
"Eh, I'm just gonna do it!" she decided, getting straight to the point: "So~! It's Connie who you like?"
The reaction was immediate and all telling as Kaya dropped her shovel in shock. Sasha beamed; she knew it!
"Wha- what?" Kaya asked eyes wide "Why would you think that?"
"I've seen you blushing a lot lately" Sasha said with a smirk "I wasn't completely sure at first, but now- "
"Don't tell him!" Kaya interrupted her, looking panicked as she ran up to Sasha, hands on her shoulders "You can't say anything!"
Sasha blinked a few times, staring at the girl's anxious face before smiling.
"Hey, relax" she said, taking Kaya's hands in hers "I'm no snitch; your secret is safe with me."
Kaya pulled her hands away, looking embarrassed. Sasha supposed she regretted her sudden show of panic.
"Sorry sis" she said, looking down at the ground "I just really, really don't want him to know… not yet, at least. I just…"
Not all that long ago, Sasha would've taken all joy she could get from teasing Kaya in a situation like this. However, having struggled with her own feelings and still doing it, it didn't even cross her mind now. She simply felt sympathy for the girl.
"Hey, it's okay" she said "The war's over, so Connie's definitely gonna stick around. Take your time!"
"I know, but what if- "she paused, looking troubled "What if he finds someone else while I'm hesitating? What if he already has someone else in mind?"
Sasha snorted at that.
"Believe me, he doesn't. I'd know if he did" sitting down and motioning for Kaya to follow suit, she asked: "Why exactly are you hesitating? The age differences?"
"…Yeah" Kaya admitted, sitting down next to her sister "He might still just see me as a little kid… that's why I'd rather still wait… but if he doesn't have anyone else yet finds someone when I'm hesitating, I'll end up regretting it. What if I had had a chance if I'd just opened my mouth, you know."
Sasha hummed, pretty sure she got it. Waiting for a better chance could mean that one would miss their chance entirely… is that what had happened with her and Nikolo?
"No no, stay focused!" Sasha scolded herself "You're supposed to be supporting Kaya!"
"I could try to subtly ask him about what he thinks of you" she offered, but Kaya flat out refused "You and the word subtle don't exactly mix well."
"Wha?" Sasha felt a little offended "I can be subtle!"
Kaya laughed at her.
"Thanks sis, but I don't think I want to risk it" the girl said "Don't say anything to anyone, okay? I'll just… try to do things my way."
"Okay" Sasha said. Patting Kaya's head, she said: "Just so you know: I'm fully supporting you in this. You two would make a great couple!"
"Sis!" Kaya protested with a blush "You're getting way ahead of things!"
Sasha laughed, making Kaya blush even harder. She only stopped when Connie walked around the corner, asking them to help him feed the horses. When he asked what had been so funny, the girls decided to just run ahead, ignoring Connie's protests about being left out of the loop. But it was okay, for Sasha had a good feeling about this. Kaya and Connie were both good people who deserved happiness. Perhaps they could find it with each other.
"I'm getting way ahead of things again…"
XXXXX
"Western border, huh?" Nikolo wondered as he jogged down his usual route. Apparently, the area had had some unrest recently, or to be exact, more than usual. He was pretty sure that the peace with Eldia had something to do with it, but he wasn't sure if it was the neighboring nation getting more nervous with Marley now that it was in direct contact with the island of devils or if it was trying to take advantage of the situation where everyone was on edge thanks to the dealings with Paradis. Either way, Nikolo knew that it'd be no field trip once he got there. But it was okay; he needed this after all. Needed to prove that he was fully capable of acting as the soldier he was "And while it's no walk in the park, it shouldn't be that dangerous. I won't end up dead unless I'm really unlucky."
But then again, lady luck had never been a friend of his.
"Luck or no luck, I'll pull through" he told himself "Definitely… hm?"
He saw a pair of familiar silhouettes some ways in front of him. Helmut and Herbert, he was sure.
"I haven't seen them since that night in the better parts of the city" Nikolo realized, wondering if they were mad about what he'd said, just suddenly coming over like that "Well, only one way to find out."
As he ran to catch up with them, he hoped the two understood, or if they didn't, that they'd be able to talk things out. To Nikolo, they were friends, kind of at least, and he didn't want to lose them just because he'd gotten a little curious and had ended up keeping up appearances.
"Helmut!" he called out once he was almost at their side, making sure not to be too loud. The brothers looked over their shoulders, not looking all that surprised to see him. They must've recognized his voice. The brothers looked at each other, and as the older gave the younger a nod, Herbert jogged ahead. To keep watch, Nikolo knew. This was their usual way of handling these things.
"It's been a while" Helmut greeted as Nikolo caught up with him "How have you been?"
"Well, thank you. And you two?"
"We're doing great" the Eldian replied. It didn't look like he was lying; his smile did reach his eyes. But Nikolo had to ask him.
"Helmut, be honest with me" he said, not taking his eyes off of the other man's face, so he managed to see how his smile faded a little "What exactly were you two doing in that area?"
Something flashed in Helmut's eyes, but the man said: "Physical labor, just like we told you back then."
Bullshit. Or at the very least, only a part of the truth. They may very well have been there for physical labor, but the question was what that physical labor was for.
"Tell me" Nikolo decided on, making sure not to blink as he continued: "Are you two doing something that could get you in major trouble?"
It was a good decision to not to blink; had he done so, he would've probably missed that very slight moment of terror in the Eldian's eyes. But he didn't, and his suspicions were confirmed. Now the question was, what should he do about it?
"At this point, it's obvious" he decided, knowing what kind of person he wanted to be "They are my friends."
"Don't worry; I won't rat you out" he assured "But whatever it is, please drop it. If you make a mistake, you could both die, perhaps even your family would if you're unlucky."
"I have no idea what you're talking about" Helmut said. While he hesitated only for a little while, it was still way too long for Nikolo to not notice. For their sake, he wanted to push the issue, but decided against it as in the worst case, it could get all three of them in trouble "Alright then" he paused "Just be careful whenever you leave your settlements, especially around those parts of the town."
"…Yeah" Helmut said. Nikolo knew the guy was forcing himself to change the subject as he suddenly smiled, asking: "Are things starting to work out for you at work?"
"Not as well as I'd hope, but they are improving" Nikolo answered, and he could swear he saw Helmut sigh in relief because he was willing to change the subject "In fact, I'll be stationed elsewhere for a couple of months at least, possibly longer, starting next week."
"Really?" Helmut asked in surprise "Good for you!" he paused "It's a good thing, right? Or are you not happy about it?"
"I am" Nikolo said. He hadn't told his honest thoughts on the matter aloud to anyone, but saw no harm in telling Helmut "It's not exactly what I hoped for, but it's a step in the right direction. A major detour, but it'll get me closer to what I want."
Hopefully anyway. There was always the risk that he'd do too well at the border and got stationed there permanently… the risk was small, but it was there. And there were other more likely risks, too.
"That means we won't be seeing you in a while, either" Nikolo jumped a little as he heard Herbert speak. The guy barely ever said anything, especially to him, and always ran ahead, so the soldier tended to forget he was there in the first place.
"Yeah…" Nikolo hadn't really thought about that. They weren't that close, though it had been nice running together with them. Nice enough that he hoped they'd still have the habit once he came back "I really hope they won't do anything stupid while I'm gone."
A.N: Just a little reminder: this takes place around 6-7 years after the current canon storyline, which means Connie's around 26. We don't know Kaya's actual age, but I'll be putting her around 18, so her crush on Connie is no scandal or anything.
