1.1 | louder than bombs

- 3 -

Cairo was a ball of excitement and restlessness in his tent. The man was rolling on his bed in nervousness, his fluffy caramel-coloured locks spreading like a halo around his head. Excited because it was his first assignment after a while. Restless because of what happened during the last time he got an assignment. He shook his head in a chastising manner as if to fling his thoughts clinging on out of his head.

No, Cai. You are already here. Face it.

"There you are. I was searching all over for you," Troy walked into the tent with his luggage on his back, his shoulders slouching under the weight, "I'm staying with you, so be prepared."

"Blue, I've been dealing with you ever since I met your crying-bottom in the hospital next to me the day I was born. I don't need to be prepared," Cairo scoffed, finally coming to a rest after finding a comfortable position, tucking his arm under the pillow as he looked at his friend with mild exasperation evident in his brown monolids.

"Aw, you say that like it's a bad thing," Troy said, dropping his bags onto the floor with a thud before throwing himself on his friend, cutting off Cairo's oxygen supply.

"Maybe it is," croaked a red-faced Cairo, trying to push the muscled pig off himself who wrapped his strong limbs around the brunette like a koala.

"Cai!"

But before Troy could start ranting about how he changed his friend's life for the best with his funny and charming self, in his opinion, Phoenix poked her head through the tent, looking at the two goofballs rolling on the bed.

"How is your leg, Cai?" she asked, walking in and pushing Troy off of the still struggling brunette, her small hands showing strength that one would think that she did not possess.

You can't blame me, the idiot clung to me as a child clings onto their mother in a candy shop, adamant on not leaving her until they get their destined candy.

"It's better now, Nix. Not as bad as it was during the flight here," Cairo answered after taking a deep breath before shooting lasers with his eyes at the unbothered grey-head, turning to give a reassuring smile to his Chief.

Phoenix nodded, satisfied with the reply as she sat beside them on the bed, the bedding hard yet comfortable enough for a soldier. She brushed Cairo's hair out of his face, him giving her a sweet smile in return for the gesture.

"Now, as I was sayi-"

"The equipment will arrive tomorrow," Phoenix interrupted Troy yet again as she continued running her slender fingers through Cairo's fluffy curls, "We can start with setting up a general check-up on the soldiers in the morning and see where it goes from there, okay?"

The two best friends nodded.

"You know," Phoenix started, her brows furrowing as she tried to remember what she read just that morning, "During the 2001 crisis, Argentina had five different presidents. All in a span of two weeks!"

"Ha," Troy interjected, puffing out his chest with a proud smile gracing his thin lips, "I dated six people in one week in high school."

Cairo snorted in a very elegant manner whereas Phoenix just rolled her eyes.

This kid.

"Now, I think dinner is ready. Come out," she continued as if the grey-head didn't just label himself as a Casanova, patting Cairo's head and standing up, already walking towards the exit with her long, dark hair swishing side-to-side like a pony's tail.

"But Nix-"

"No buts, Troy. Out. Now!"

"Why do you keep cutting me off?" huffed Troy, crossing his arms and giving a pointed look to his Chief with a pout on his face, not very happy with how he was treated by his friends. Treated like an over-grown baby who was nothing more than an annoying sibling to the two.

Phoenix just shrugged and walked out.

Cairo snickered before letting out a full-blown laugh, his hands clutching onto Troy's arm.

Troy smiled, his blue eyes glowing with warmth and happiness as he looked at his best friend. Cairo's box-shaped smile showing itself in between before he started laughing all over again, his brown eyes closing because of the act.

Troy was glad. Glad that his best friend forgot about what happened. Even if it was just for a while.

You see, Troy's and Cairo's moms were the best of friends having grown up together in one neighbourhood. After marriage, the two ladies settled down with their high-school sweethearts, close to each other, not wanting to split up after graduating from college. To add onto this, the boys happened to be born on the same day, Troy an hour earlier than Cairo.

Troy made it his life's mission to not let his friend forget that fact. Not even for a second.

They became one, big, happy family. It was almost natural.

How Mrs Damaris always dotted on Cairo, the sweetheart showered with kisses and hugs as a pouting Troy looked at them from the corner while the grown-ups laughed lovingly at the sulky boy. How Cairo's mother always made sure to bake the little blue-eyed monster his favourite white chocolate-macadamia cookies every week up until he left for the military, her son following her sweet boy. How Mr Elroid read the sleepy boys their pirate stories every night before tucking them in under their superhero blanket and Troy's father sneaked them out for their weekly secret rendezvous at the street's ice cream parlour.

It was normal.

The two households were never two, but one happy family separated by a mere wall with overflowing happiness and love, making wonderful memories and a bond so strong that nothing in the world could change that.

The boys were always there for each other. 7-year-old Cairo was there when the grey-head got slapped by a frantic little girl who was scared of getting cooties because a boy kissed her, dismissing the fact that he was laughing his tiny head off at a red-faced Troy. 15-year old Troy was there for his friend when he was a crying mess for getting his first and only detention because he was late to class by 10 minutes. It was Troy's fault. 19-year-old Cairo was there to follow his best friend to the military.

The point was that they always stuck together and faced everything together, no matter what.

So when that happened to his best friend, it broke Troy's heart. It broke him to see his best friend crying his eyes out on the hospital bed. It broke him to know that Cairo may never walk the same way again. It broke him to see his Cai so broken.

Cairo was a sensitive person given that he was generally happy, sassy at times with violent, violent thoughts though he wouldn't hurt a fly. But he tended to slip into the dark memories from time to time.

So Troy treasured moments like this, moments when his best friend was so carefree, his small body filled to the brim with happiness.

"It wasn't even that funny, you know?"

"It was. You should have seen your face, Blue," Cairo replied, rubbing at the tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.

Troy made a face, sticking his tongue out like a child before tugging on his friend's hand. The friend who started laughing all over again because of the grey-head's childish actions.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. Come on, Cai. Let's go before Nix comes back and blasts us to pieces."

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athenelar