War Spirit - Lead Leopard

#10 - Soviet Time Capsule

CHAPTER 10

Somewhere in the Jawand District
July 5th, 2018

Grigor's eyes shot open, immediately finding himself in an unfamiliar room. Slowly, recognition dawned upon him...

Termitnik-1... He sighed, realizing where he was.

Valeria lay beside him, dead asleep. They had spent the night together, sharing a moment of intimacy within the abandoned walls of the Soviet fortress. Rubbing his eyes, Grigor glanced at the time.

It's 05:53, shit... I should slip away before anyone finds me in Val's room.

With cautious steps, Grigor approached the bedroom door. He peeked down the hallway, of which the entire base was illuminated by its backup diesel generators. Val's room was positioned at the end of the corridor, giving him a clear view of anyone approaching, with the chance of someone being behind very low. He casted a glance down the hallway to the right, confirming in his mind,

It's clear... good.

Grigor opened the door just wide enough to slip himself out, pressing his back against the wall. As Grigor closed the door, a silhouette caught his attention, appearing behind it. He let out an involuntary gasp as Eva's 5'4 stature startled him. She stared at Grigor with a curious grin on her face and her arms crossed in front of her.

"Did I startle you?" Eva bubbled into a light laugh,

"Yeah, a little." Grigor admitted shyly. Eva pointed towards the door he had exited from.

"Isn't that Val's roo-" Before Eva could finish, Grigor hastily covered her mouth with his hand, anxious of being overheard.

"Shhh! Yes, that's Val's room. I left my torch in there while cleaning last night," Grigor lied, then released his grip.

"Oh, come on. I know that's not why you're in there. Think I didn't hear anything last night?" Eva revealed with a soft giggle. Grigor involuntarily jolted in surprise, unintentionally giving away his secret. Eva's eyes lit up with wonder as he revealed his intimate relationship to her.

"So, that's what you were-" She went to say before he interjected,

"Shut up!" Grigor muttered, his cheeks flushing red. Nervously scratching his beard, he hesitated to confirm her suspicions. It seemed that Eva was already aware, thus denial was futile. He sighed,

"Yes... Val and I have been seeing each other," he finally confessed.

"It's alright, big bear. Val already told me," she chimed melodically.

"She told you?!" Grigor sputtered quietly, dumbfounded.

"You really like her, don't you?" Eva teased, to which Grigor immediately blushed at the thought of his beloved, Valeria.

"Yeah... so what?" he mumbled, rubbing his elbow. He earned another giggle from Eva, who found his shyness endearing.

"You're so adorable, Grigor," she added before going to grab his cheek playfully. He parried her hand, and she caught onto his serious gaze.

"I trust you to keep this between us, alright?" he reminded her. Eva reassured him with a comforting smile.

"Don't worry, Grigor," she affirmed.

"How can I be sure?" he inquired skeptically, raising an eyebrow. Eva responded by making the sign of the cross—a gesture they both held sacred due to their religious backgrounds. Relief washed over Grigor, and he closed his eyes briefly before pulling Eva into an appreciative hug.

"Thank you, Eva," he murmured, as he held her in a tight bear hug.

"Alright, alright..." Eva chuckled as she gently pushed him away,