Active Duty (L.H. AU)

CHAPTER ONE

        When Luke had first joined the United States Army, it was because he wanted to make a difference. He wanted to be on the news for saving lives and making peace. By the end, all he wanted to do was make peace in his head. All the things he had seen... The friends that had become his brothers, shot down in front of his eyes.

         But he was a man. And men do not show weakness. All the weakness he had once had, was kicked out of him by the third week of boot camp and the first time they placed a semi-automatic weapon in his hands. The first time he knew that somewhere deep inside, he was regretting signing on the dotted line. 

        His mother was not happy with him when he told her he was being deployed. She screamed and screamed, until her screams turned into sobs and her baby had to cradle her in his arms. It was why he hadn't visited her yet. He had been back for three weeks. Instead he sat in a bar. 

         "Hey buddy," he was awoken by a dull thudding next to his head and faint shouting getting closer to him. He was startled when he picked his head up, half his face covered in drool and a beautiful girl right in front of his face. "It's closing time. You gotta go." Her face was so close to his and he could see the freckles on her red cheeks and the color of the sky in one eye, a beautiful caramel color in the iris of the other. He didn't realize he'd been staring until her smile went from exhausted to uncomfortable. 

        "Oh, god," he was stumbling over his words and making a fool of himself. He could feel it. "I'm sorry for falling asleep. I don't know, agh, it's been a long couple of weeks. God, Luke too much information, well bye." As he started fumbling around trying to get his jacket on and trying to shake off the sleep still hanging on, he heard a snort erupt from behind the bar. 

        "Dude it's fine." She said trying to hold in her laughing at his startled face. "I just have to clean up. It's not a big deal if you hang around for a little bit." Luke signed in relief and sat himself back down on the chair, planning to leave once he fully woke up. "What's your name sleepy head?" She asked as she began wiping down the bar. 

        "Private First Class Luke Hemmings." He pulled his dog tags out of his t-shirt, and showed her the inscription. Chicks always dig soldiers. 

        "Oh Army boy," she wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Thank you for your service... or whatever the less condescending version of that is." She stretched her arm across the bar, "Izzy McCaig, First Class Bartender/Dog-Walker/College Student." Luke might have laughed a little too hard and for a little to long at her joke; her seeming perfectness intimidated him. So did her unique eyes, and her slightly crooked teeth, and also her short brown bob hair cut and the way how the color of her hair looked perfect against her ghostly white skin. Her nails were also painted red. He liked that. 

               They chatted until around 2 a.m., (so about 20 minutes), and Izzy was grabbing her coat and the keys to lock up. He learned she was a zoology and biology double major at the local college and was working her way through school, even though her parents offered to pay, and that she hated the cold and wanted to move to Australia to study Koalas once she graduated. She also worked at the bar on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. He made a mental note to stop by on those nights.  Luke informed her that there wasn't much left to him other than being in the army, and that he played a mean C cord on the guitar.

                "Well, my car is that way," she gestured to down the block, "and this," she had a piece of paper in her hand, "is my number. If you turn out to be some creep, I will block you and change my number. But I think I'll be okay," she smiled at him. Luke was doing an internal happy dance, but only said thanks and told her he would call her. Grabbing the paper they parted ways, going opposite directions down the block, Luke waving around the piece of paper around and doing the moonwalk, stopping after hearing a gigle behind him. "Have a nice night Private Lucas!" She called laughing. 

        "You too Izzy McCaig." 

 Helloo. Just wanted to throw out there that Luke is american in this fic. It's still him, just the american version. Hope you liked it! Comment and vote please!