Before the Fall

Chapter Twenty-Six - Reminders

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Namjoon

It was raining.

I walked the grounds of the post, Jin behind me a few steps.

"Make sure they get the repairs to the barracks done by next weekend."

My slicker squeaked as I gestured towards the building in question.

"Yes, sir," said Jin.

I walked on, my boots squishing in the mud. I loved rainy days.

Somehow, it felt like a comforting blanket and a true representation of my current situation.

Sunshine just made me sleepy.

On this day, however, a slow and steady soaking rain had been falling and it was doing a good job at settling the dust, along with my mood.

"Jin," I said, pushing my hood down and letting the rain fall onto my hair. My ears twitched as the cool drops hit them and I closed my eyes, smiling to myself.

"Yes?"

He walked up beside me and stood there, looking around as men filed past, going about their daily duties.

"Wanna know one of my favorite memories?"

Jin hummed a response and I leaned my face up to the gray sky and let the rain soak my face. It felt so nice.

"One time, when we were kids, we snuck out of the nursery on a rainy day, remember?"

Jin chuckled and nodded.

I looked over to him, a huge smile plastered on my face. "Remember how Nanny Song got so mad at us? We were caught splashing in the huge mud puddles out back."

"Her face was priceless," laughed Jin. "It was all scrunched up and it was already really wrinkly!"

I almost doubled over when he imitated her expression.

"We were so filthy..." I paused, "Sometimes, Jin, I feel like sneaking out and just breaking rules again," I said, my voice trailing off. I cleared my throat and put my hands behind my back and walked on a few steps.

I listened to the rain hit my slicker and I shook my head. "When did we become such rule sticklers?"

Jin sighed and stayed silent.

Neither of us knew. Somehow, we had just begun obeying the orders given to us. We questioned them sometimes, but only amongst ourselves. It still amazes me how we never really tried to fight back.

"Because of him," I heard Jin mutter behind me.

I stopped and turned, looking at him squint at me through the rain.

"We vowed never to speak of that," I said lowly.

"Maybe we should," he said, quiet defiance in his voice.

I turned my back to him again and kept walking. "Have the men prepare for a hunt tomorrow. Cook said rations are low."

I stomped off through the mud, heading back to my quiet and dry office.

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Jin

I had tried many times to get Joon to talk about what had happened.

He always refused.

Even when we would go off grounds and he managed to get a few drinks into him, he would never budge from his silence on the topic.