Before the Battle

Reckoning 18/20

--Taira--

The Colonel pulled his hand away from mine as quickly as if he'd been burned. Then he looked at Shira, who was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest and an icy stare that could kill.

"What are you doing here, Daichi?" My very irritated boyfriend asked coldly. "Taira isn't supposed to have visitors."

I could see that the formal Imperial officer wanted to say something to Shira. In the end, he didn't. He was afraid.

No one could terrify others like my beloved. All the more so now that there were probably exaggerated rumours circulating among the soldiers about the violent end of the mercenary gang that had dared to cross Shira.

"I'd better go," Daichi said hastily. "Get well soon," he gave me another embarrassed smile and headed for the door.

Which was still blocked by Shira.

Shira eyed the Colonel with displeasure and didn't look like he wanted to get out of the way. They really didn't like each other, and judging by the hateful glances, it seemed that their mutual animosity had taken on a whole new dimension in my absence.

Unfortunately.

I really didn't need a fight between my people right now.

"Shira, please," I tried to calm him down, and he finally moved to let the officer leave.

"Don't come back," he hissed as the other man made a hasty exit from the room.

"Maya promised to look after you," he said as he sat down beside me, immediately taking my hand in his as if to show that he alone had the right to hold it. "And the first time I'm gone, I'm going to find that bastard with you."

"He's just trying to... do his job," I spoke slowly and very quietly. "There's been trouble at the camp."

"Don't worry about it. Just rest. Everything else can wait. You need to recover first."

"Shira, I can't ignore the problems. I need you to cooperate now. All of you. Even you and Daichi. And calm the situation."

He remained silent.

"I understand you don't like each other. I know he led the attack on you that night, so..."

"That's not the point," Shira stopped me, squeezing my hand tighter. "It's something else about him that bothers me."

It wasn't hard to guess what it could be.

"I'm sick of the way he looks at you, touches you and flirts with you all the time.'"

So Shira noticed. Well, he'd have to be blind not to.

"He fancies you and he's hitting on you all the time. He doesn't even hide it."

If it hadn't hurt so much, I might have laughed out loud. Not at how jealous Shira was, but at how absurd the idea was that anyone could replace him in my heart.

"He deserves your pity, not your anger," I whispered, barely audible because I couldn't speak any louder. "Those looks and those words are all he ever gets. I love you and no one can change that."

He looked at me intently, then down at my bandaged chest. I waited to see if he would return the confession, but he remained silent. As he always did.

"So you're not going to tell me?" I wanted to tease him a bit. "Because I know you said it to me back then."

Again he didn't answer.

"I get it now, you only confess your love for me when one of us is in danger of dying."