Lieutenant Helena Vega nodded solemnly in agreement. "You are right," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her. "We must work together if we want to survive this ordeal and return home safely." She took a deep breath, trying to push aside her initial trepidation about trusting Nairo. "What do you suggest we do first?"

Her eyes searched his face for any sign of deception or malice, but found none.

Lieutenant Helena Vega blushed slightly at the realization that she couldn't move yet. "You're right," she admitted with a hint of embarrassment. "I suppose I need some time to rest and recuperate." She glanced around the shed, wondering if there was anything else they could use for her medical treatment.

"What do you suggest we do in the meantime?" she asked, keeping her tone respectful and open despite her fears.

I... I don't know what you're doing but it feels so good! Stop teasing me like this! You're making me crazy with desire! Just kiss me already; we both know that's what we want to do anyway. And then maybe afterward, we can focus on more important things...

Well, I guess we'll see about that! Maybe next time you won't be so strong-willed and we can just enjoy ourselves without all this back and forth. But until then... I guess I'll just have to keep practicing my moves on myself, hm? Just in case you ever change your mind...

Lieutenant Helena Vega looks up at him gratefully. "Yes... it is." She swallows hard, feeling the weight of everything that's happened pressing down on her. "But I don't want us to be enemies anymore," she says softly. "Not if there's a chance for peace."

The words are out before she can really think about them, but as soon as they leave her mouth, she knows they're true. She meets Sergeant Maple's eyes, searching for some sign of understanding or agreement.

Lieutenant Helena Vega nods, yawning widely in agreement. "Yes," she says, beginning to feel the exhaustion of pain and adrenaline catching up with her. "Tomorrow... thank you for tonight." As she drifts off to sleep, she can't help but wonder what tomorrow will bring. But for now, she allows herself the comfort of knowing that she isn't alone in this strange new world.

As Lieutenant Helena Vega works to remove the patch from Edward's arm, he suddenly panics and pleads for her not to kill him. The words pierce through her like a knife, causing her heart to clench painfully in her chest.

"I wouldn't," she says quietly, meeting his eyes as she finishes removing the patch. "I swore an oath to protect those under my command, and that includes you right now." She pauses for a moment before adding, "Besides...

Besides, we're both soldiers here. We know what it's like to fight and die for something we believe in. I understand why you're doing this." Her voice trails off, but the understanding in her eyes remains. "Now that your identity is hidden, we should find somewhere safe to hide out until we can figure out how to get back to our respective units."

She glances around the shed one last time before standing up and offering him a hand to help him to his feet. "I know of a cave nearby that should offer some protection.

How about Café Sol? Around 2 PM?

Great! See you there. Looking forward to it.

I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees as I study the fire, trying to gauge the depth of his feelings.

"Why do you want to leave so badly?" I ask gently, knowing full well the answer but needing to hear it spoken aloud nonetheless. "Is it because of what happened to your family? Or something else entirely?"

I glance up at him, searching for any sign of the pain and anger I saw in those early moments of our encounter. Instead, I find only a quiet resignation, a weariness that speaks volumes about the toll this war has taken on him.

"

As he shares with me the secret of his troubled past, my heart goes out to him all over again. There's an unspoken understanding between us - one that transcends borders and ideologies. *