SEX & LOVE | 18 +

03 | Глазки

"How old are you?" I asked before I could stop myself. The words slipped out, curiosity getting the better of me.

She hesitated, her fingers still on the bedspread, then looked up at me. Her eyes were guarded again, like she wasn't sure whether to answer or not.

"Twenty-one," she said finally, her voice almost defensive, like she was bracing herself for something.

I blinked, my breath catching in my throat for a second. Then I shook my head, smiling softly. "Nevermind," I muttered, waving it off. I wasn't going to push. It didn't matter right now.

We went back to work, the silence falling over us again, but something was different now. I could feel it-an understanding, maybe, or at least the start of one.

As I moved some old furniture aside, she picked up an old photograph from one of the shelves, staring at it for a moment before setting it back down. There was something in the way she moved now, less cautious, like she was letting herself exist in the space a little more.

I glanced at her as I folded a shirt and put it in the wardrobe. "You know," I said, half-jokingly, "this might actually start looking like a room soon."

She chuckled, a soft sound, almost reluctant, but it was there. Progress.

I headed toward the bathroom, figuring I should check if it was functional after all this time. The door creaked open as I stepped inside, the light flickering on overhead. It wasn't much to look at-tiny, cramped, with tiles that had seen better days. But it had the basics-a sink, a toilet, and a shower. Good enough.

Except, as I glanced around, I noticed something else. A door on the other side. It didn't lead to the hall-it led to another room. Her room.

"Looks like we're sharing a bathroom," I called out, half-laughing as I stepped back into the hallway. "Hope you don't mind waiting your turn. Can't promise I'll be quick about it."

I expected some kind of response-a smile, maybe. Something. But there was nothing. Silence.

I glanced over, and there she was, standing by the bed with one of my bags open, carefully unpacking my things. It was odd, watching her go through the motions like that. So... deliberate. Like she was trying to find a place for herself by organizing someone else's life.

She reached into the bag and pulled something out, pausing as her fingers traced the edges. It was my old army badge, the one I hadn't really looked at in years.

I leaned against the doorway, watching her. "That's seen some miles," I said casually, waiting for a reaction.

Still nothing. She just stared at the badge like it was some sort of puzzle she couldn't quite figure out.

I pushed off from the door, walking over to stand next to her. "You're wondering how a guy like me ended up with that, aren't you?" I asked, keeping my voice light. "Back in the day, I thought I'd wear it forever. Funny how things change."

She finally looked up at me, her expression unreadable. But there was something in her eyes-curiosity, maybe. Or something deeper. "What happened?" she asked, her voice soft.

I shrugged, glancing down at the badge in her hand. "It's a long story. Short version? I signed up thinking I'd change the world. Spent a lot of time figuring out I wasn't going to do that. Ended up just trying to survive."

Her fingers tightened around the badge, as if she was trying to hold on to something. She looked at me, then down at the insignia again. "I thought... I don't know. That kind of life... it must change you."