Ad Astra Per Aspera [2] - Band of Brothers

31 | orange juice

" Happiness comes in waves. It'll find you again."

- Unknown

✰✰✰

As the weeks of May slowly flipped through their normal course of action, the weather turned warmer, the days remained getting longer and longer, and with each moment, more hope filled inside Easy Company.

Maybe this war would be over sooner than they thought.

They were beginning to fall into the routine of life in Austria and it was glorious. With nightly pillow fights in the platoons, swimming and splashing each other in the lake and finally having some fun for the first time in ages, was the relief Easy needed as an occupation force. What everyone needed, truly.

Lizzie felt Gene needed it the most.

The two usually ate breakfast together because they usually woke early to prepare the aid station and he smiled more than usual at breakfast and sometimes even cracked a few jokes or taught Lizzie a few words in French. He wasn't closed off, or giving a blank stare, such as his stare in Bastogne when Lizzie had been ill and spoon feeding his frozen body on Christmas Eve.

That was an experience she never wanted to experience again.

Neither of them.

But together they had talked about the experience for them in Bastogne and how draining it had truly been for the both of them and their emotions. They understood each other's emotions like an open book, simply because of the experience of Bastogne, especially when Lizzie physically had to coax Gene to eat a sliver of food even. It had been a vulnerable moment.

Truly.

And then at 0400 when they arrived back and he had so gently held her hands in his own grasp, like they were the most precious thing, was true vulnerability.

A medic's hands were the most important asset.

That entire night had been about the vulnerability of a medic.

Where they both understood one another.

It had been one of the worst nights of her life, but also the one she believed that they saved each other somehow. It was nice to see Gene genuinely happy again as May continued day by day through the weather as it grew warmer and warmer. Color returned fully to his face and his eyes brightened. Lizzie just wanted to see him happy. And seeing Gene happy was what she got to see.

" You look happy, Gene," Lizzie said softly, meeting his gaze. Gene's eyes were soft in the setting sun. He nodded.

" I feel happy," Gene said, " you know, for the first time in a while." Lizzie softly glanced towards him, smiling.

" I've been wanting to see you happy for a while, you know?" she said, " Seeing how you were in Bastogne, it hurt, a lot, because I could barely do anything myself." Gene gently placed his hand on her upbent knee to stop her. She met his gaze.