unrealistic duty x freedom scenario

waaaaa

Splint carefully maneuvers through the Army Warehouses. He's travelling between the border to the Red Forest and the Bloodsucker Village. Here is a dangerous place to be. To make matters worse, he's in Freedom territory. Splint, a Duty member, would be shot instantly if a Freedom member caught a glimpse of the Dutyer. He needs to get back to the Duty base and fast. Splint feels his hands get sweaty underneath his leather fingerless gloves. He squeezes his gun handle tighter. He takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. "Don't worry," Splint tells himself. "You're almost home." Before Splint can relax, a blood-curdling scream shatters the silence. Splint freezes in place, and his muscles tighten. He turns to the source of the sound. His stomach churns at what he sees.

A Freedom soldier is pinned to the ground by a Bloodsucker. The mutant's spiked tentacles are inches away from the Freedomers neck. Splint screams to distract the bloodsucker. The creature looks up, and shrieks. It runs after Splint, leaving the Freedom soldier behind. The Dutyer lets out a brief battle cry before a shower of bullets spring from his submachine gun. The Bloodsucker screeches and claws at Splint in defense. Splint falls backward as the monster launches itself onto him. The man screams and kicks the creature away, just before knifing the assailant. The knife pierces the bloodsucker's tough skin, and Splint drives the blade further into the carotid artery. He pulls out the knife, and blood spurts everywhere. Then the bloodsucker drops dead. Splint stumbles onto his feet and wipes the monster's blood off his face.

He looks around and quickly becomes aware of his surroundings. The Freedom soldier is lying face down on the ground, and he moans in pain. Splint rushes over to the Freedomer, and he quickly notices that the bloodsucker ripped apart his left calf. Luckily, the rest of his leg is still in one piece. "Help me..." The injured man croaks. "I'm here," Splint replies. "I got you." Splint picks the Freedomer up and pulls the man's arm over his shoulder. 'What on Earth am I doing?' Split asks himself. 'It's wrong to help the enemy!'

However, the Freedomer he met never did anything to hurt Splint personally. Besides, he can't just abandon someone crying for help. He hates seeing others being hurt when they're helpless. "Thank you, brother..." The Freedom soldier mumbles. He's not aware of Splint being a member of Duty.

Splint needs to come up with a way to help the stranger. He can't go to the Freedom base, nor the Duty base. He needs to find somewhere secure. In the distance, Splint catches a glimpse of a small rundown shed. Undoubtedly it's abandoned, so he wouldn't need to worry about uninvited guests barging in. Splint advances towards the shelter.

Splint breaks inside, and the shed is empty. Good. Splint lies the Freedom soldier down and takes out a medkit. "Can you tell me your name?" He asks as he takes out gauze and suture kit. "Darin..." The man replies in a whisper. "Alright, Darin. Just hang tight. My name is Splint, by the way." Splint disinfects and sews up the wound with his best efforts. He doesn't know much about mending wounds, but he knows a thing or two by picking up orders from medics. Splint finishes his job by wrapping up Darin's leg with sterile gauze. "There, you're all patched up." Darin lifts his head, and his sky-blue eyes widen with shock. "What the...? Why-- what are you doing!? Why are you helping me!?" He cries as he realizes a Duty member is helping him. Splint opens his mouth to say something, but he quickly changes his mind. Darin tries to stand up, but the excruciating pain from his mangled leg forbids any movement. The Freedom soldier cries out in pain and falls back onto his side. "Take the pills, they won't kill you. They kill the pain." Splint says, holding out small tablets. Darin looks at the pills and then at the Dutyer. With a grimace, Darin grabs the medicine and swallows it. He shudders and gags. "Ugh, tastes like poison!" He turns his head to Splint. "If those pills kill me, Freedom will know. They'll shoot you up until you're nothing but a puddle of blood and matter."

Splint rolls his eyes. "Am I supposed to be scared?" Darin frowns. "Yes," he says firmly. Splint smirks. This guy is weak. "You'll be stuck here for a while, Darin." He looks toward the old shed door. "I can't take you back to your base, and I can't take you to mine either." The Freedomer furrows his blonde brows. "Why?"
"One of us will get shot up or ostracized for interacting with each other." Splint looks back at Darin. "I can't risk either of those. I don't feel like taking a bullet to the chest or sabotaging my hard-earned reputation," the Dutyer leans in closer to the Freedomer. "You wouldn't want either of those, would you?" Darin shakes his head in response.
"I thought so." Splint sighs and leans back. He takes out some food from his bag and throws a piece of bread at Darin. "Enjoy." The man timidly nibbles at his snack. "Thanks," he mumbles. Splint shrugs. "It's the least I could do." Darin raises an eyebrow but says nothing. 20 minutes passed quietly. And before he knows it, Splint is fast asleep. His long day has finally got to his brain.

Mutants screech and howl through the night. The trees sway in the wind, and crickets chirp their nightly melody. Splint wakes up in the dead of night. As he becomes aware of his surroundings, he realizes something is grabbing him. He flinches and cries out. "What?" Darin's voice whispers loudly in the pitch dark. "You're spooning me!" Splint accuses with a harsh, but low voice. "No, I'm not!" Darin retorts, his voice getting louder. Splint murmurs angrily, "Shut up, you're making too much noise!"
"I'm not!"
"Dude, shut up or I'll make you sleep outside!" Darin goes silent. "Sorry." Splint squirms and Darin lets go of him. As Splint slowly drifts off to sleep again, Darin's hands grab Splint's shoulders. "Why are you doing that!?" Splint hisses. "I'm scared," he squeaks. Splint scoffs. "You're scared? What are you doing out in the Zone then, big baby? Is that just an excuse to cuddle with me?" Darin punches Splint. Hard. "Ow!" Splint howls. Then, a loud roar echoes in the distance. It's a bloodsucker's screech. The two men go silent. Nobody speaks for the rest of the night.

Morning sun filters through the open rifts in the shed wall. Along with it, a cool, early morning breeze drifts through the shed. Splint stretches his arms and yawns as he awakens. Splint opens his eyes and sees a sleeping Darin right in front of his face. Darin's chest slowly rises and falls. He looks quite peaceful. Strands of his fine, dirty blonde hair fall off the bridge of his nose. Darin's cheeks and nose are rosed, perhaps from the breath of wind caressing his skin. Splint's skin flushes. He's never been so close to a Freedomer before. Splint extends his hand, and touches Darin's face. It's soft, but cool to the touch. Instantaneously, Splint feels an overwhelming desire to kiss the Freedomer. Splint hesitates. He's not going to kiss anyone, especially another man. It's wrong. Why does he want to kiss Darin so badly? He feels no attraction to him. There's no reason to, either.

Ah, no. He'll make it quick.

Splint leans in, and presses his lips against Darin's. He pulls away, and kisses him once more. When he pulls away, Darin's blue eyes are staring at him in utter disbelief. "Did you kiss me?" He gasps. Splint's heart nearly explodes in his chest. Crap. What's he going to say? Splint opens his mouth to speak, but only stutters and stumbles over his words. Darin averts his eyes and his face grows even more red. "Can... Can you do that a-again?" Splint's eyes widen. "What?"
"I've never kissed someone before, especially someone of the opposite gender. I want to feel it again... There is no love in the Zone, after all." Splint sighs. Might as well, you only live once. Splint kisses Darin again. The two men plant a few pecks on the lips, then it turns into deeply passionate kissing. Splint feels like he's on a high. Darin's arms run down Splint's back, and pulls him closer. What on Earth is he doing kissing a Freedomer? Splint is not gay, and it's wrong to kiss the enemy. But everything feels like a rosy fantasia... Splint pulls away. But Darin leans in and kisses the other man on the lips a few more times. "Thank you, for saving me." Darin says softly with a warm smile. Splint's face turn's red. "It's nothing..." He mumbles as he sits up.

"Splint, you should tell me about yourself." Darin says as he stretches his arms. "I was born in Kharkov, Ukraine. I served in the military for a while, and 'disappeared' when we were stationed in the Zone. I could hear the Zone calling for me. She tempted me with freedom, adventure, and riches beyond my apprehension. I answered that call," Darin nods as he listens eagerly. "I do have a family, though. A mom and dad, some sisters and brothers... But I never felt like I had a place with them, so allowing myself to vanish isn't a big deal." Splint concludes with a yawn. "Ah, I see. I actually grew up in Ivano-Frankivsk, but then we moved to Chernihiv for whatever reason. I think my parents liked that place better than Ivano-Frankivsk. It was just me and my two older sisters. I went to Kyiv for college, but chose to run away. I was tired of the outside world."