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met June years before the war took the world by storm. Our daily clandestine rendezvous by the edge of the forest was my refuge. In those moments, I did not fear what the world has to say. All that mattered was the us, men celebrating our love under the moonlight away from the eyes of the world. Honestly, June was the last person I thought I’d fall for. He was reckless and stubborn. There was not a single day he would visit the clinic where I worked, without a cut on his cheeks and sores on his fists. “Your name fills our daily logs,” I remarked as I carefully cleaned his cut. “You’re a magnet for trouble.” “You’d always be there to patch me up,” he smiled for a moment before wincing in pain as I plastered his cheeks. “Careful.” “Tell that to yourself,” I pressed his nose and he winked in return. Maybe it was the way he leaned into my touch every time I tended to him. Or maybe it was the way he stared at me while I look at his stitches. There was something about his smile as he walks out the door. Before I knew it, my heart was his. “Do you always get into fights so you could see me?” I teased. He was laying on my lap, eyes closed and grinning proudly. We were under the star-studded sky on a bed of grass. “Not entirely,” he giggled. “Someone has to fight the bullies.” “Playing hero only gets you hurt.” “The pain will be worth it. I help save people in need and I get to see my love.” “Sappy, aren’t you?” “You love me anyway.” He was right. I love him so much. However, the thought that I may never see his stupid little face or hear his annoying laughter or feel his warm embrace or inhale his familiar aroma kills me. “Do you have to go?” my voice cracked into a whisper as I hold in my tears. “I promise to return,” he sat up and cupped my face. “Just stay at home for me, alright?”
76 | Cosmos
