It begins with us.

Chapter One

Ava's POV

The weather was scorching, breathing in air felt like it would set fire to my lungs as I grabbed for my canteen, opening the top before downing the last remaining liquid, hoping it would extinguish the burning in my chest.

I hate the fucking desert.

I wiped my chin with the back of my hand as I cast my eye's over my troop, seeing I was not the only one to be suffering under the sun's intense heat. They were all fanning themselves dramatically, resting their backs against each other while we continued to wait under the blistering sun.

Private Second Class Anthony Reese and best friend sat beside me, elbows dug into the hot sand as he smiled up at the burning sun, welcoming the heat while he openly tanned in the middle of the fucking desert.

"I hope you burn"

I huff while fanning myself dramatically, my helmet cast aside as I wiped my forehead with my undershirt, uniform sitting beside me as the hot air sizzled at my exposed arms and chest.

My army pants felt way to heavy and my boots were full of sand and small rocks while Anthony chuckled beside me, his deep brown eye's looking up at me in amusement while he shielded the sun with his hand.

Anthony was by all means a very attractive man, with his dirty blond hair buzzed at the sides making his jaw and cheek bones look even more defined, his broad shoulders, chiseled six pack and slim waist made him the envy of quite a few fellow soldiers.

He was by all accounts the most sort after man on base, with every female dripping for him and Anthony being the oh so sweetheart that he was, helped them out every so often.

The men on base were the same. Openly fucking him with their lust filled eyes, and deep breaths that the sexual tension was thick in the air everywhere Anthony went.

Total fuckboy.

He didn't have a preference for only males or females, being attracted to both gave him what he wanted. Literally a kid in a candy store he would say to me as I laughed at his free way of living.

Anthony never hid who is was, openly flirting with men and women that I found myself quite envious of his personality, wishing I could be more open about myself the way he had always been.

His parents never gave a dam about his sexuality, only wanting the best for their son and nothing else. If he was happy and content, then they were too.

But the man sitting beside me has been my best friend since fourth grade, and fuckboy or not he is my everything and would gladly take a bullet for the dumbass.

"Well fuck you too, not everyone can be blessed with naturally tanned skin"

He looks back at the sky, closing his eye's as he sighs.

"Why do you think I joined in the first place"

I gasp at him.

"You joined for the same reasons I did, to defend our country and make a difference."

I knew he was joking, that we both felt a love for serving our country. A dream we both shared since we were little kids watching our fathers getting dressed in their US uniforms, watching the pride and joy washed over their faces as they got ready for deployment.

The look of worry and heartache was what I saw on my mother faces, loving my father so feirsly that she honestly probably couldn't live without him.

The same went for him too.