Operation: smoking trap

The return

Noah's pov
We walked off the chinook tore apart and covered in mud and grime as Doc and Lera came rushing out to bring our wounded to the med bay. We all shuffled to the showers after grabbing a change of clothes, washing off the grime and dirt trying to freshen up before we went to the debrief. I heard Sebastien "when are you gonna tell her?" I pretended to not know what he's talking about before asking "tell who what?" He sighed and replied "Tina, when are you gonna tell her you still love her?" I paused before speaking "I don't know, I don't know if I want to" he asked jokingly "what? You think she doesn't love you?" I replied sourly "can we not play relationship advisor with my love life?" He chuckled and replied "seriously bro, you shouldn't wait to tell her" I ignored him clearly signaling the conversation was over. I dried off and changed into my clean clothes before walking back to the dorm room placing my guns into its cubby before I rubbed my face, exhausted after only getting 2 hours of sleep in the last 2 days. I felt Tina behind me press her forehead into my back resting her palms on my shoulder blades.
I asked "what's wrong Tina?" She replied softly "just a long day" I turned and asked "after the brief you wanna go get some food? We can eat and take a load off" she smiled and nodded, I grew a small smile and said "let's get going, the debrief is scheduled for 10 minutes from now" we walked through the halls before Tina got my attention by asking "has Seb been teasing you about quote unquote being in love?" I nodded and replied "we were talking about it in the showers" she nodded slowly as we walked in to the debrief and sat down. 30 minutes later we were released and Tina and I headed down to the chow hall. We ate and talked before I asked "hey Tina, can we go for a walk after this?" She looked at me in inquiry before nodding "I'm getting a nap after it though" I chuckled and looked at the table "yeah, nap time is on the schedule" she laughed as I stood and turned in the tray. Tina finished her food and we headed out to the roof, the same roof I had talked with Erik when I first joined the team.
        I leaned on the railing enjoying the look of the base bathed in a gorgeous warm light as I felt Tina do the same next to me before she asked "so why'd we take this walk?" I looked out across the base and replied "Seb and Craig convinced me to talk to you" she laughed and answered "We talk everyday silly" I chuckled before speaking softly "I still love you" I saw her head snap in my direction as she asked "what?" I repeated "I still love you" I saw her mouth twitch as she tried to hide her smile before she lost her battle and broke into a small grin "I love you too" I looked over and joked "I'd ask you on a date but I don't think we have many options here" she replied "we could get leave passes and head into town" I nodded before asking "well in that case, would you care to join me for a trip to town?" She laughed and replied "of course" I looked out at the base once more before replying "Seb is gonna have a field day with this" she laughed before replying "him and Craig both, they'll make it fun"
      I nodded before pushing off the railing, Tina did the same before replying "wanna see how long we can keep this a secret from the two?" I smirked deviously and replied "you've read my mind" before she spoke "come on, let's get back and take that nap. I'm exhausted" I nodded and yawned "you and me both" as we meandered through the halls back to our dorm. We quickly dropped face first into our beds and drifted to sleep like rocks sinking in a pond, very quickly and very deeply. I woke up 3 hours later as I swung my feet over the side and rested them on the floor as I put my face in my hands and rubbed the sleep away before I stood and walked towards Harry's office, I knocked on the door and heard his faint "come in" through the heavy old oak door. I pushed it open and saw Harry looking at me, before he stood and smiled "Kerry, what can I do for you?" I assumed the position of attention and spoke "Sir, Tina and I would like a leave pass to head to town for the afternoon" he smiled knowingly "you two have gotten together finally, haven't you?"
      I replied as a small smile danced across my lips "yes sir, please keep it quiet because we're trying to see how long it can go before Sebastien and Craig find out" he smiled kindly before speaking "your leave passes are approved, if you come by tomorrow morning I'll have them written up and waiting" I smiled and replied "thank you sir" I turned to leave before I got stopped "Sergeant Kerry" I turned back "Sir?" He said "your team did good on that recovery op, you and Erik did a great job balancing everything" I replied "just doing what had to be done sir, Sebastien and Mako did a great job supporting the efforts" he nodded and replied "I'm glad I listened to Sebastien when he recommended you" I dipped my head in thanks and slight embarrassment before Harry spoke for the last time in this conversation "You're dismissed, take the next 2 days easy. I'm taking your team off missions during that time for some r&r" I spoke "have a good day sir" as I walked back through the door and to the dorm. I saw Erik in the hallway causing me to go "Thorn!" He stopped and looked back at me.
        I walked up and informed him "we're on R&R for the next 2 days, Harry's orders" he sighed but replied with an open ended question "the team needs it don't they?" I replied slowly "yea, plus Apha got wounded on the last mission. So we're not at full strength until she gets back" he rubbed his beard and spoke "alright, I'll shift our training schedule around I don't think training without all members will really help" I spoke in suggestion "we should keep training, it'll simulate losing a team member just not tomorrow" he looked at me with a suspicious glint in his eyes "any reason?" I smiled faintly "Just because Tina and I won't be here in the afternoon" he immediately understood and asked "got a leave pass?" I nodded "Harry said he'll have them tomorrow morning for us" he replied "everything's in order then, have fun. Do try to avoid getting spotted by Sebastien, Craig or Collinn. I don't want to have to try to answer questions" I gave a nod before replying "no promises" as I excused myself and resumed walking to the dorm. I walked in and sat on Tina's bed causing her to wake up.
She sat up and yawned before looking around and seeing me, she mumbled gibberish in her semiconscious state before I spoke "I've got good news" she perked up and I saw the cloud of confusion leave her eyes "Oh what is it?" I answered "our leave passes have been approved and we have the next 2 days off" she stretched before asking "why?" I answered "well one because we just had a very intense mission and saw a lot of traumatizing shit and two because Apha got wounded so we're undermanned." She nodded slowly before I spoke "I'll run down tomorrow morning and get the passes so we can go out on the town" I saw her nod before I patted her leg "I can see your tired, get some more sleep." She yawned before replying "no, no, I'm okay" I sighed before asking "wanna watch a movie?" She shrugged and replied "sure, we don't have anything to do today" I walked over to the DVD player and put in tremors before sitting on the foot of Tina's bunk as it started playing. Eventually Mark walked in and looked at the scene of Tina and I watching a movie in suspicion before he asked "Sergeant, can I talk to you for a second?" I nodded and stood, following him into the hallway.
I leaned against the wall when mark started "I wanted to thank you" I looked at him in question before he explained "you made me take a break when I didn't want to, I needed that to reset. That was the most intense combat I've ever been in and it was eating at my mind" I nodded stoutly before speaking "You're young, you think you've got a lot to prove. Don't let your ego get in the way of keeping yourself in the fight, clear?" He nodded disheartened before I spoke "Go get some chow, a warm shower and reset" he looked at me before replying "yes Sarge" I stopped him before speaking "you've got potential kid, keep moving forward" he nodded before I walked back into the dorm. I heard Tina ask "what did you two talk about?" I replied "he thanked me for making him take a break, he admitted that combat was the heaviest he'd been it and it was eating at him. He needed the break to reset" she nodded and spoke "he's still a brash kid, like we were when we were on Dagger" I replied slowly "maybe, I think we were a bit brasher, it's why we pushed as hard as we did"