0900 Hours, March 16, 2553 (MILITARY CALENDAR) / Sol System, Planet Earth, Cherryton Academy

Damon sat cross legged amongst the blooming flowers of the gardening club. He had practically sworn to never come back following the incident from last time, but he couldn't really think of anywhere else he wanted to be on this Saturday. He finally had the day off and even got some quality sleep the night before. There was no real work to be done elsewhere, so he was confident that he could enjoy his free time in relaxation. He was trying to "clear the mechanism;" emptying his thoughts and focusing on what was before him. Ironically, the person who had introduced him to the concept was Durham, someone whom he would classify as more of a scatterbrained individual. Perhaps that is why he always appears so sharp on the pitching mound.

Spartans were trained to survive and even thrive within chaos, as that is what the essence of combat is. Being alone with one's thoughts felt far more daunting for the medic, especially with the responsibility he now bore. He was constantly having to be on alert, making sure his trainees were progressing well, keeping an eye on his fellow Gammas, and keeping up a positive image while in school. Now, it was just him and the flowers… until the rooftop door creaked.

"Oh, hey Damon!" Haru half-shouted from the brick arch as she approached the resting goliath.

"Hey, Haru." He responded, letting his back arch forward as he broke his upright posture.

"What are you up to?" She asked, stopping just a few feet away. It was nice for her to talk to him while he was sitting for once. She didn't have to crane her neck to speak to him.

"Meditating, I think. Haven't gotten the opportunity to do it in a while so I'm out of practice." His smile was fresh and genuine, but his eyes were tired.

"Wow, a Spartan not being good at something right off the bat? Mercury must be in retrograde." She giggled while sitting down in front of him, mimicking his leg placement.

"Might be right. Oh, and I took care of the clipboard list already." The sound of a water drop hitting a puddle below one of the pot rows affirmed his comment.

The hare nodded with an almost satisfied expression. "I see that. Does this mean you're still a part of the club?"

The young man gave a shrug, feigning aloofness. "I don't know, am I?" The smile stayed as his eyes wandered over to the tulips.

Her gaze narrowed a little and she turned her head up in suspicion. "You seem… different. What's up?"

That question elicited a real shrug this time. "I don't know. I'm not sure. What's different?"

"You're not so… uptight." She seemed to suppress a cringe at the description but pushed on. "No offense, but until you have been kind of robotic, minus the end of our last real talk."

Despite the bluntness, there was no change in the medic. "I think you're right." He was quiet for a few seconds, then started again. "Thirteen, fourteen now, and because that's how ONI operates. Five… and you're right."

An expected confusion passed over Haru. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Those are the classified answers to the questions you asked me. How old I am and why it's classified, how old I was when I started, and why I joined." He said nonchalantly.

She nodded at the first few answers, then had to think a bit harder on the last one as it had been a few months. When she finally remembered her prying theory into why he joined, her ears dipped down as she thought about his negative reaction.

"What's with the droopy ears? You were just figuring out what I had never openly admitted to myself before. Honestly, it's helped me understand myself more." The tiredness in the twin seemed to dissipate as if mere thoughts had given him a physical boost. "My motivation comes from those around me. I have to be the best so I don't let them down when they need me." He chuckled after voicing those thoughts. "I'm sure it sounds like a rather obvious reason, but it felt far more profound when I realized it. It's how I structure my relationships, how I care, and how I love."

Haru moved past her short downtrodden moment at the mention of love. It made the rabbit perk up, and a devilish smirk started to grow on her face. "'How you love,' huh? So you gonna finally tell me about this mystery girl? I've only been waiting about three months to hear about her. And don't just say 'it's complicated.'"

The twin groaned in annoyance. "But it is!"

"Spill it, big guy."

Damon interlocked his fingers and laid his hands in his lap. His thumbs tapped together as he thought intently. "Have you ever seen someone you have looked at before, but with a new perspective? Like, they were always beautiful, but you see someone else point it out and it dawns on you that they're wholly, entirely, right?"

The dwarf of a herbivore scooted closer, taken in by the description. She searched through the memories of past lovers, but could only find one to whom she could apply his layout, the very deer she now secretly dated. "I believe I have. You originally come across them in a platonic manner, and yet your world shifts. You see them in a new light, then you understand how bright the world is when you're with them."

"Nail on the head." The medic empathized with her description too much. It deflated him and he had no desire to hide it. "Aw, man." He decided to lay back on the rooftop and let the sun beat down on his face.

After a quick shuffling of feet, the sun was blotted out by the senior student. "So what's the issue? I trust you have a good judgment of character. Why not try to ask her out? Surely you Spartans have enough courage to do that."

"She's already seeing someone." He said flatly, staring directly into the dark eyes of the rabbit.

Haru just stared back, and they stayed locked onto each other for a long time. "So what?" She responded, finally breaking the stalemate.

"What do you mean 'so what?' How can I tear her away from the peace she has found with somebody? Especially when she needs that connection more than me." He looked out towards the baby blue sky.

"Oh come on. Do you really think that this guy has any sort of leg up on you? How could he be a better boyfriend than you?" She asked, demanding the answers.

"I can't really say they're dating. Some things came up and they're staying friends for now, but I think he still wants more."

A look of bewilderment came over her face. "So they're not even going out? What is even the problem then? The worst thing that could happen is she says 'no.'"

The medic groaned. "Ugh, but I don't even want to start thinking about what the fallout would be of her rejecting me. It would be better overall if I just leave things the way they are for now."

The rabbit rolled her eyes and scoffed at the thought. "I'm going to cut you some slack seeing as how this is your first love, but to any other guy friend I'd say they were acting pathetic."

This got Damon to laugh. "Wow. Thanks for letting me down easy, coach."

"I'm being serious. What makes you think that everything is going to end up rotten?"

"It's not the fact that I know it'll happen. It's the fact that it can happen. I'm not a gambling man… most of the time. I'm supposed to be the one making smart decisions that turn out the best results for the team. The best that can come from this is that I get something I want. The worst could mean creating an irreparable rift."

"Oh Rex, you sound like Louis with how dramatic you're being! Fine, do it your way, but please let me say 'I told you so' when you come crying to me in the future."

"Deal. How are you two doing by the way?" He asked as he finally started to get up, only to be stopped by a tiny hand on his back while in a kneeling position.

"Hold it. Got a bunch of dirt on your back." She reached up as far as she could, barely reaching his shoulder blades as she dusted the giant off. "We're better than ever. We're exclusive now, minus a prior arrangement on his part. I'm assuming you already know about it since you Spartans like snooping so much."

"Azuki the Red Deer, daughter of Roan the Red Deer and heiress to Forest Prince Mediaworks. Originally alerted by Louis' status as a male Red Deer with a talent for acting, Roan's desire to find a proper suitor for his daughter, combined with his ambition to forge ties with the Horns Conglomerate, had him propose an arranged marriage. Their matrimony could serve as a political merger of the two corporations, creating a near monopoly on several service sectors as well as entertainment and advertisement divisions. In addition to her value as an asset to the company her father owns, Azuki is a woman of great aptitude in her own right. She has a projected IQ of a hundred and eighty, along with being one of the fastest female herbivores on the continent with a 10.82 hundred meter dash. She is also the President of the Book Club at Zebuth Academy and occasionally does charity work on the weekends." He rattled off the briefing he remembered Ana gave them some time ago. The Spartan turned towards Haru who had stopped her brushing halfway through his spiel. Her ears had dropped again when she heard of Azuki's accomplishments and prestige. She was no doubt comparing herself to the young woman who she contended with for the right to a relationship with Louis. "And yet, even with all of that clout, the heir to the Horns Conglomerate can't help but be enraptured by a little dwarf rabbit." He stated with a smirk before standing up.

Haru had been reinforced with those words and now had her own grin. "Yep. I don't plan on letting him go anytime soon."

"Didn't think you would." Damon looked up, relishing the sun and the wind. "You know what I haven't done in a while? Gone camping. I always feel more comfortable on the earth than on any bed."

The rabbit thought it over. "Maybe we can go sometime in the Summer when the nights aren't so cold. My roommate mentioned a nice place near a river down South a bit. I'll drag Louis along no matter what he complains about." She said, chuckling.

"That'd be great. I'll see who Nomad and Ana want to bring along as well. I can almost guarantee we'll have a whole pack of canines." The medic knew the 701 group wouldn't turn down the opportunity for a large outing. They always enjoyed big groups, minus the wolf, but Jack would deal with that.

"Oh great, the campsite will have a constant wet dog smell." She giggled, her playful comment obviously not having any real malice to it.

Damon laughed too as he thought about it. "I'm sure the company will make up for it. They're a good bunch."

Haru nodded before looking back up at the giant directly. "Hey, I need to move some of the lilacs. They aren't blooming properly. I think they were over fertilized. Mind lending a hand?"

"Sure thing." He said as he followed her to a stack of pots, the thought of another girl still nagging at him.