band of brothers imagines

you are my sunshine - donald malarkey

TW for attempted assault against Reader and the OC, Reader fights back so no graphic assault happens but I wanted to warn you. It starts at the third divider - if you do skip it, just send a message or comment and I'll give you the gist of what happens

As always no disrespect intended to the real men and their families, this is based on the portrayals of the actors.

She gave you her real first name but insisted that you call her Sunshine, "only name worth keeping".

You reached the barracks with specific instructions to stick together wherever possible. There were a few men scattered around the building, having chosen their beds already. They were probably told you were coming because they barely spared a glance as you made your way through.

There were two beds right in the back corner. You gave Sunshine the one pressed to the wall. You were sure there would be repercussions should anyone try anything, but you can never be too careful. Plus Sunshine looked a little too trusting for your liking.

"Hope you don't mind if I talk during my sleep. I once recited Juliet's monologue from when she kills herself, then conked right out again." There was a hint of mischief in her tone, so you huffed a laugh and nodded.

You dropped your stuff on the bed, deciding to sort it out later. Sunshine grabbed your hand to lead you outside, plonking down on a bench.

"Considering that we are the only women in the Airborne for the moment, I really want us to become friends. So I want to play a game. Is that okay?"

She said it all in one breath, you almost couldn't keep up. You sat next to her and her smile grew even brighter.

"Great! So how old are you?"

"20, and you?"

"18. Where are you from?"

"Portland, Oregon, you?"

"Atlanta, Georgia, baby! What's your favourite colour?"

This back-and-forth continued for a while, long enough that you heard her stomach growl from hunger. Sunshine linked arms with you as she continued to rant about her siblings, "they better be taking care of Daisy, I love that dog!"

It was a good distraction from the gnawing dread in your stomach. You were not looking forward to eating in the mess hall. No one had been objectively awful to you yet, but a big room packed with sweaty men jostling for space to eat was not your idea of a good time.

Thankfully Sunshine seemed to have a knack for reading people, so when you both collected lunch, she led you to a less populated table. One man with beautiful red hair sat across from two lighter-haired men, all three looked about two seconds from starting a food fight.

"Hey there boys, you mind if my friend and I have a seat?" Her voice was bright but firm enough to suggest that you were going to sit there anyway.

"Welcome! Of course, you can." The blonde smiled – more lip and gum than teeth – and gestured for you two to sit next to the redhead.

"I'm Warren Muck, you can call me Skip, this here is Alex Penkala and the strapping young gentleman next to you is Donald Malarkey." Skip shook hands with Sunshine and sent another bright smile your way.

"I'm Sunshine, and this is Y/N. Great to meet you all."

"Sunshine?" Malarkey chuckled a little as he took another bite of food.

"Only name important enough for y'all to know." You all laughed, the ice broken.

Sunshine and Skip were happy to carry the conversation, the other two men jumping in when necessary. You were content to just listen, something you did often as a nurse. Your patients found it more comforting to talk at you, while you interjected every once in a while, with your own opinions or stories.