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[danny-boy27]

i’m going to need 5-7 business days to recover from this fic, why do i put myself through so many emotions before work like this.

i love him your honour and i’m obsessed with this fic🫶🏻💜

Sincerely Yours (X)

A/N: Repost from my old blog: sohoneyspreadyourwings

Story Masterlist

*Final Chapter*

Word Count: ~4k

May 1946

You were tired. More than tired really. You sat slumped in your chair in your kitchen, a piping cup of tea set in front of you, and your head rested lazily in your hand. Dot’s voice droned on and on in the background as you tried to keep from nodding off. 

“Oh, for Pete’s sake Dot, leave the poor girl alone already will you?” 

Your gaze drifted over to Gloria, you were scoffing at Dot from the stove. Dot, who sat across from you, rolled her eyes. 

“No! I won’t!” Dot said defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest, and jutting out her chin like a child. “She needs to get over him already, and what better guy to help her than Steve?”

A loud groan erupted from the hallway, as Josie came back from the bathroom. “God, you are the worst. Y/N needs to move at whatever pace she’s comfortable in.” Josie took a seat next to you, swiping your cup of tea and taking a sip. “And, you know, another thing,” Josie angrily set the cup down, “She does not need a man to make her happy. You could learn something from -” 

You rolled your own eyes as Dot, Josie, and Gloria continued to bicker in the kitchen. You could feel a headache coming on as their voices only got louder. Glancing at the clock, you immediately brightened up. 

“Oh, would you look at that? I’ve got to get going or I’ll be late for my shift at the bakery.” Your chair scraped loudly against the floor causing the kitchen to finally go silent. 

“You don’t work today,” Dot said haughtily. 

“Not normally, no, but Tony asked if I could work a few hours today because -” 

“You’re overworking yourself,” Gloria said in that all too familiar motherly tone of hers. 

You gave Gloria a small smile, and began to make your way to the door with the lot of them trailing behind you. 

Dot picked up her pace and blocked you from the door. “Y/N, I’m just trying to be a good friend you know that right?” 

Josie and Gloria both snorted in the background at her comment. All three of you stood in the hallway as Dot got visibly more upset. 

“Well, I am!” She yelled at them. Opening her mouth to defend herself, she was stopped by a knock on the door. Neither one of you thinking much about it, you watched as she turned to open it. “All I’m saying is, you could do worse!” She said offhandedly. 

You let out a sigh, and continued down the hallway towards the door. 

“Dot, I’m telling you I-” the words died in your throat as you saw who Dot was talking to. A man, a rather handsome man, stood in your doorway staring at you. For a brief moment, you assumed it was this Steve she was trying to get you to see, followed by you genuinely considering going on a date with him. 

All of that, however, changed when he said your name. It sounded familiar and foreign coming from him. A strange combination that made your stomach flip. His eyes never left yours, a small astonished smile tugged at his lips, as he took you in. You felt vulnerable, like he knew you, but you knew that there wasn’t any way he could have known you, unless - unless…..

It wasn’t possible. There was no way. 

Time seemed to stop around you. You could feel the looks from the others, a collective air of confusion filled the room. 

He couldn’t be here. Not after all of this time. 

Everyday of your life since writing your first letter has led you to this moment, this dream. You’d acted it out in your head, dreamed about it night after night, but none of those moments compared to seeing him standing there staring at you. 

“Holy shit,” Josie said breathlessly. 

You didn’t have it in you to look away from him. You could feel Dot looking back and forth between you both, no doubt coming to the same conclusion as everyone else in the room. 

You opened your mouth to speak, but you found that the words just wouldn’t come out. He moved to take a step forward, but he took a step back just as soon as he took a step forward. 

“I got your letter,” he said softly. His accent was warm, softer than you had imagined. 

When you didn’t respond, he visibly grew more anxious. He shifted his coat a bit, his eyes never leaving yours. 

“Josie got it to me, and I -” He paused, eyes finally leaving yours and looking down. He swallowed harshly, his hands fidgeting. 

“I know you must hate me, I should have - I never should have stopped writing. I wish there was some type of way for me to tell you what kind of place I was in - the person I had become, but I can’t. I pushed you away, and I knew what I was doing. I thought, well, I thought you deserved to be with someone who wasn't broken - someone whole.” 

“And now?” 

The words had left your mouth before the thought had even formed in your head. His eyes, Eugene’s eyes, flicked towards yours. 

“Now I know that I was an idiot, I made the biggest mistake of my life. Because if anyone could understand, or at least try and understand without judgment it would be you. The person who’s stuck by me for years, and never asked for anything in return.” 

“And how did you repay that? Huh? By breaking her heart! You think you can just waltz over here after months and she’d just be waiting her for you with open arms? Because you’ve got another thing -” 

“Dot, please,” you pleaded. 

You looked over at Dot who was fuming by the door. You don’t think you’d ever seen her that upset before. Dot, it seemed, cared about you more than she let on. And if she did, you guessed, all her fussing was her way of showing it. 

“No, he doesn’t get to treat you like this,” she said harshly. Dot turned towards Eugene, and you imagined she was a sight to behold to him; All five foot two of fiery anger. “You know, she could have had somebody? She could have been with Tony if she had just let herself, but she didn’t. There are plenty of other-” 

“That’s enough, Dot.” 

Dot clamped her mouth shut at Gloria’s words. Dot, glanced between you and Eugene one last time before being led to the other side of your home with Gloria and Josie.

“She does have a point,” you murmured, your hand clutching onto the door. “And I -,” you heard your voice tremble, and you wished, just this one, you could be stronger. “I’ve got to get to work now.” 

With the little courage you could muster, you looked at Eugene, who's eyes looked to be on the verge of tears. 

“No, yes, of course. I understand.” Eugene cleared his throat, his hands, reaching into his coat pocket.  “I, uh, wrote this for you a while ago. You deserve to read it. You don’t- it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way anymore, but I have to try. I have to live with a lot of regret already, and I don’t want to add this, add you to that list. I’m sorry for all the pain I caused you. I wish I could have been a better man, a stronger man, for you.” 

He handed you the envelope, his fingers grazed yours as he passed it to you. Pulling away, his touch lingered, a warm sensation, one that nearly left you breathless at the simple touch. 

Eugene cast one last glance at you, before giving you a small nod. “Ma’am,” he said softly, before turning to walk away. 

“Eugene,” you whispered. Your hands held tightly onto the envelope he had passed to you. His eyes met yours, a hopeful look in his eyes. 

I love you, you wanted to say. Don’t walk away, stay with me, stay with me. 

“Thank you,” you said instead. Your throat going impossibly tight as you tried to fight back tears. You plastered a smile on your face, and watched as Eugene did the same. There were things still left unspoken, you both felt it, knew it, yet Eugene walked away, and you let him. 

You swallowed the lump in your throat and lifted your head high. Leaning inside, you grabbed your coat and shut the door behind you. Walking in the opposite direction from Eugene, you began your route to the bakery. The letter felt heavy in your coat pocket as you tried your best to ignore it. 

Work, at least, was a gift of relief. You wouldn’t have to deal with the others yet. Josie, you’d be having words with her. You hadn’t missed Eugene’s slip, and you weren’t sure whether you should be angry at her, or grateful. 

By the time you walked into the bakery, Tony was busy rolling out the dough for the bread. Silently, you washed your hands, and put on an apron. Your coat and the letter hanging in the distance. 

“You’re late,” Tony teased. 

“‘M sorry,” you said quietly. You didn’t dare look up at him. Instead, your hands worked harshly at the dough. 

Your mind was reeling with the afternoon's events. Eugene had traveled all this way to see you, and you’d essentially turned him away without a second thought. 

“I think you’ve done it alright, it’s dead.”

You ignored his comment, not aware that your dough was misshapen beyond recognition. It was only when you noticed that tears had begun to fall on the dough that you knew what was happening. 

“Hey, I’m sorry. We can fix it, please don’t cry.” Tony had quickly made his way around the counter to hug you. “Come on, it’s just a little dough,” he said softly, rubbing your back to try and calm you down. 

Clinging tighter to Tony, you let out a sob. Instinctively, Tony held you tighter. 

“I’m sorry,” you whispered against him. “You’re always having to comfort me, and that’s not fair to you. Tony-” 

“Hey,” he said, pulling away from you to cup your face in his hands. “What have I told you about apologizing for things you don’t need to? I’m your friend, and I’m always going to be there for you - good times and bad. Now, you want to tell me what’s got you cryin’ so bad?” 

“I saw him,” you sniffled. 

“Saw who?” 

“Eugene.” 

Tony blinked slowly at you. “Pardon?” 

You told him everything. From the moment Eugene had knocked on your door, to the moment you watched him walk away from you. 

“Unbelievable,” he muttered. Tony crossed his arms over his chest, his mouth forming into a frown. 

“I know, he just shows up and -” 

“No, you. You’re unbelievable.” 

“What?” 

To say you were surprised at his comment would be an understatement. 

“Yeah, you’ve been dreaming about seeing this man for what? Years, and now he shows up on your doorstep no less, and you just turn him away? You don’t even talk to him? Find out why he did what he did?” 

You were gaping at him. “Well, I he - he ended things first.” You sounded like a child, and you felt like one too. Sighing, you looked up at Tony who was giving you that same brotherly look he gave to Frankie when he was doing something he shouldn’t be. 

“He wrote me another letter,” your voice was laced with defeat. 

“And? What did it say?” 

“I - I haven’t read it yet.” 

Tony threw his hands up in the air, and let out what you were sure was a few curses in Italian. 

“What are you waitin’ for? Read it! Where is it?” 

You swallowed down your nerves, and walked towards your coat. You took out the letter, and held it in your hands. 

“I’m going to be out front helpin’ at the counter,” Tony gave you a reassuring smile, and made his way out to the front. 

Sitting down on a nearby stool, you turned the letter over to open it. Steeling yourself, you opened it up. 

Dear Y/N,

I’ve, well, I’ve tried many times to convince myself not to write this letter, but I think it’s time I let myself hope for something more. I face death everyday here, and you’d think it’d make me braver when it comes to you, but I’m terrified. Terrified that you won’t feel the same. How could you? You’re beautiful, radiant, good, and I’m not. But I’m going to hope, hope with everything that I have that there might be some small slight possibility that you feel the same as I do. 

The truth is I love you. I love you in ways I never knew a man could love. I didn’t want to let myself believe it was love, not at first, but there came a point when I couldn’t deny it any longer. 

You’re the only person I think about, dream about. You help get me through my days, help me keep going when I no longer think I can. I want to know you, be with you, love you, in ways that I only let myself dare to dream about. 

I love you. I can only hope there’s a chance you feel the same, and if you do, well, there’s nothing in this world that would stop me from coming home to you. 

Sincerely Yours, 

Eugene 

With trembling hands, you held the letter. He did love you. He had always loved you. And you let him go. 

With a shaky breath, you loosened your hold on the letter. The envelope slipped from your grip, dropping steadily to the floor. A piece of paper slipped out, causing you to bend down and pick it up. 

Y/N,

I don’t know if you still feel the same. I can’t expect you to, not after all I put you through. But if you do, I’ll be waiting by the docks at Pier 24 until sunset. 

Sincerely and Forever Yours, 

Eugene

Adrenaline was coursing through you as you quickly put on your coat and tucked the letters into your pocket. Pushing open the door, you saw Tony bagging an order. 

“Tony,” you called out. 

He turned around to face you, his smile growing larger by the second as he looked at you. 

“Are you-?” He called out to you. 

You nodded your head, tears streaming down your face as you smiled back at him. 

Tony clapped loudly as he let out a gleeful cry. “What are you waitin’ for? Go get him!” 

Without another word, you ran outside. Ducking through the crowds of people on the street, you felt your heart racing. You hoped with everything you had that he would still be there. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eugene felt at ease for the first time in a long time. Leaning against the railing, he watched the boats sail gracefully across the water. He imagined this is what it must have been like for you those few years. Gazing off into the distance, and hoping against all odds to see the other. 

The sky was becoming a brilliant shade of red and orange, and the sun descended. A cool breeze blew past him nipping harshly at his skin, but Eugene didn’t mind it. Years of the heat in the Pacific, had him treasuring the cool temperature against his skin. 

Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the salty smell of the sea. His thoughts only of you. Deep down he had hoped you would come, but he supposed he should have known better. He had been too late after all. 

Casting one last look over the horizon, he put his hands in his pockets and turned to leave. Eugene’s breath caught in his throat as he saw you disheveled and out of breath standing in front of him. 

“You came,” was all he managed to say. His eyes began to sting, and his fingers itched to reach out to you. To hold you and make sure that this was real, that you were actually standing here in front of him. 

“I’m sorry I’m late,” you said a bit out of breath, “Bad habit,” you laughed. 

Oh, Lord, your laugh. Eugene had never heard anything like it before, but, oh, he’d like to spend the rest of his life making you laugh just so he could hear that sound. 

“Does this mean-?” He let himself hope as you made your way closer to him. You mere inches from him now, and he was sure you could hear the hammering of his heart over the sound of the waves. 

“I think it’s a start,” you replied softly. You were looking up at him through your lashes in a way that made Eugene’s knees shake. He clenched his hands in his pockets, not daring to touch you in fear of turning you away. 

Slowly, you reached out to him, your hand finding his wrist as you leaned in closer to him. Eugene immediately relaxed at your touch, a sense of calm washing over him in ways he hadn’t felt in years. 

You held his hand in yours, your touch so soft against his skin he nearly cried at the contact alone. You looked up at him again, and Eugene swore he had never been more in love than he was in that moment. 

Daring, he leaned his head forward, his forehead resting against yours. He reached out with his other hand to cradle your face. When he heard your breath hitch, it felt almost as if his heart had begun to beat for the first time. 

He inhaled deeply, trying to take in as much of you as he could. He could feel you shiver against him, and he found a small smile began to tug at his lips. 

“Gene?” You whispered. 

“Yes?” He answered, his gaze looking down at you. His nose grazed yours softly as his thumb gently stroked your cheek. 

You replied by leaning forward, your lips centimeters away from his. Eugene closed the gap between you both, kissing you reverently. This moment here with you, as the sun finished its descent over the horizon, with you cradled in his arms, was better than any dream he had conjured in his head. 

Eugene pulled away to find you smiling breathlessly at him. He felt like a young boy again, one not marred by the horrors of war. With you, he was just himself. 

“Are you hungry?” you asked, your hand squeezing his. 

Eugene let out a laugh, revering in the way your eyes lit up at the sound. “Yeah, I suppose I am. I reckon’ you know a good place around here?” 

“Oh, the best,” you smiled as you began walking down the pier hand in hand with him. “Better than anything in Mobile I imagine,” you teased. 

Eugene felt like he was walking on air, you were teasing him. He scoffed at you “Oh, I very much doubt that, but I’ll humor you.” 

You playfully rolled your eyes at him causing Eugene’s smile to grow even bigger. 

“I still owe you a tour, you know.” 

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten,” he teased, “I want to see everything.” 

“So,” you asked timidly, “You’re staying then?” 

“As long as you want me,” Eugene squeezed your hand causing you to look at him. He hoped you were always going to want him, but if you didn’t he was going to cherish every moment he had with you. He would spend everyday of his life trying to make up for his mistake and the lost time with you if you’d let him. 

You bit your lip, trying to fight your smile, but it was a losing battle - not that you seemed to mind. 

As you both walked off away from the Pier, it was as if Eugene could finally breathe. Like the air had returned to his lungs, and the weight he had been carrying around had been lightened. He finally felt like he was home. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Epilogue

June 1946

You had been running around all morning trying to put finishing touches on everything. The excitement was becoming too much for you, and you needed to breathe. Josie’s eyes caught yours from across the room. Giving you a wink, she managed to usher everyone out of the room into the parlor. 

Finally feeling like you could breathe, you wandered down into your room to take a seat. Chewing on your lip, you found your mind was racing. Your eyes darted around the room until you found a piece of paper and a pen. Smiling to yourself, you quickly got to work on writing. 

After putting finishing touches on your letter, you quickly folded it up and tucked it inside the envelope. Walking outside, you managed to evade some of the larger crowds, until you ran into Tony. 

“Have you seen Gene anywhere?” You asked him. 

Tony gave you a teasing grin, “You know you’re not supposed to-” 

You managed to give him a look that had him laughing.

“No, no I haven’t seen him. Have you tried the back?” 

“No, I’ll try that. Thank you!” You called out as you rounded the corner. You had made it a few feet before Sid caught you. 

“Well, look at what we have here,” Sid drawled out. “Not making a run for it are you?” 

“‘Course not. Have you seen Gene? I need to give him something.” 

“ I can-” 

“I need to do it, but thank you, Sid.” 

Sid simply shrugged his shoulders at you. “Suit yourself. He’s out in his corner.” 

You began to make your way to Eugene. 

“But announce yourself!” Sid called out to you. 

You made your way outside, taking Sid’s words to heart. You didn’t believe in the superstition, but you figured it wouldn’t hurt anyone if you followed it. 

“Gene?” You called out. You watched as he wiped his head around before quickly squeezing his eyes shut. 

“Y/N? You know I’m not -” 

“I know, I know. But I wanted to give you something,” You made your way towards him, gently placing the envelope in his hands. 

“What?” 

“Just read it.” 

Eugene’s hand lingered on your own, before he let you go. “I’ll see you?” 

“I’ll see you,” you replied practically beaming. 

Eugene waited until he was sure you were gone before he opened his eyes. He looked down at the small envelope in his hands. Delicately, he opened it up, curious eyes looked down at the letter in front of him. 

Dear Gene, 

I figured what better way to start this than to come full circle with one last letter. I am almost as nervous as I am excited, but the thought of you standing there at the front of the aisle waiting for me calms me down like you wouldn’t believe. We're moments away now Gene, and I couldn’t be happier in this moment if I tried. 

I love you Eugene Sledge. It may have taken us a while to come to our senses and find each other, but I am thankful everyday that we did. Writing that first letter to you was just about the smartest thing I have ever done in my life, because it brought me to you. 

Thank you for everything you have brought into my life. I love you. 

Sincerely Yours, 

Your (future) Wife

Eugene let out a laugh as the tears began to spill from his eyes. God, he loved you. He was going to spend the rest of his life with you, and he couldn’t have ever imagined he would be so lucky. Carefully, he tucked the letter into his coat pocket. He would put it with the rest of your letters when everything was done. A keepsake for the promise of tomorrow. 

The war had taken so much from him. But it had also given him you, and he wouldn’t trade that for anything. Finally, he gave himself permission to be happy - you both did. 

With one last smile, Eugene made his way back into the house, ready, finally, to begin his life with you.

[danny-boy27]

Sincerely Yours (IX)

A/N: Repost from my old blog: sohoneyspreadyourwings

Story Masterlist

Word count: ~4.5k

Previous chapter//Final Chapter

February 1946 

The war had been officially over for six months now, and with it, your world and the world around you, had changed. It was like after everything had spun around madly, it had all come to a standstill. It was jarring, and more often than not left you feeling as if you should be out there doing more. 

There was no longer a need for you to work in the shipyard. It left you and all the other women without jobs. After the men came back, it had become clear that everyone had just been a placeholder until they came back to work. Most of the women hadn’t minded, but a large majority did, and this left many in a tricky situation to find means of work. 

You had been one of the lucky ones. Not only had you discovered a new found love of baking, but Tony had been kind enough to get you a job at the bakery he worked at. The job had helped you in more ways than one, and you just added it to the list of things you owed Tony for. 

There was nothing quite like baking for you. The entire process was healing, almost like a balm for your wound. From beginning to end, you felt like you were slowly beginning to put the pieces of yourself back together. You weren’t whole yet, parts of you were still broken and longing for Eugene, the man who had broken your heart into pieces so small, you akin them to the fine grains of sugar you worked with. 

But you had hope, hope that you’d be able to pick yourself back up again. You’d once told Eugene that you wished life could be like pie, easily fixed no matter how badly it seemed you had messed it up. Though you couldn’t currently equate your life to pie, you could say that maybe, somewhere in the distance, your life could resemble something like a pie - something whole, warm, and comforting. 

You were currently in the back room of the bakery putting finishing touches on an order of shortbread, your fingers making quick work of it. 

“What are you still doing back here? I told you to go home an hour ago,” Tony came up behind you, grabbing a cookie from the tray and taking a bite. 

“I know, but-” 

“No ‘but’s’, you’ve been here since seven in the morning, go home,” he paused, crossing his arms and leaning a bit against the counter, “Nobody would blame you if you wanted to take a break and breathe. You’ve been working now stop since-” 

“Okay, okay,” you said, making a show of taking off your apron. “I’ll go home.” 

Tony gave you a broad smile, standing up straight and helping usher you towards the door. You paused just as you reached the door frame, a sly smile appearing on your face as you looked at a bewildered Tony. 

“Shouldn’t you be heading home too?” You paused, “I mean you have what? Your Third? Fourth? Date with Louise tonight?” 

Tony’s entire face flushed, “It’s our fifth date, alright?” Tony couldn’t fight the smile that was infectiously spreading across his face. “And you knew that already.” 

“You’re right, but I just like seeing that lovesick look on your face,” you let out a laugh as Tony let out an embarrassed one. 

“Oh, ha ha,” he mumbled before giving you a pensive look. “I can cancel though if you need to talk, Lousie wouldn’t-” 

“Tony,” you reached out and touched his shoulder, “Go on your date. You don’t need to worry about me.” 

Tony opened his mouth ready to refute your statement, but seemed to think better of it as you squeezed his shoulder. 

“Get home safely, yeah?” He said instead, offering you a small smile. 

You gave him a smile in return and made your way back out into the city. A cool breeze immediately struck you as you made your way down the sidewalk. It was another chilly day, the sun fighting its way to peek through the clouds. 

Through the months that had followed Eugene’s last letter, you had found that it had become incredibly easy to get lost in your thoughts. Nearly everything reminded you of him now. How strange it was to be reminded of someone in a city that they had never even been to before.

Quicking your pace, you boarded the trolley. It was nearly full as you managed to make your way to the back. Hanging on tightly to one of the outside handle bars, you braced yourself as the trolley began to make its way up the hill. 

Closing your eyes and taking a deep breath, you tried to focus on the things around you instead of the thoughts trying to crawl their way to the surface. 

Opening your eyes, you signaled your stop. As quickly as you could you hopped off the cable car, barely having enough time to get off before it started off again. The walk was short to your doorstep. Too busy digging around for your keys, you hadn’t noticed someone sitting on the steps in front of your door. 

“Hi.” 

You looked up quickly to find a tired looking Josie. She did her best to offer you a smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. You found yourself looking back at her, trying to find the right words to say. 

“Hi,” you mumbled back. “Do you, uh, do you want to come in?” You gestured to the door behind her. 

Josie nodded her head, watching as you walked past her to open the door. Silently, you both made your way inside. Dot and Gloria hadn’t made it home yet, and for that at least you were grateful. 

“Do you-” 

“I’m-” 

You both looked at each other, small smiles beginning to form on both your faces until the both of you were laughing. Josie was the first to break, reaching forward she pulled you into an embrace.

“I’ve been a shit friend,” Josie’s voice shook as she held you tighter. 

“No-” 

“No, I have. I said things...I didn’t understand, and maybe I’m not supposed to. What you feel is real, and it wasn’t my place to try and question it or make you think that it wasn’t what you thought it was. I - I just want you to be happy.” 

Josie pulled away to look at you, “And he makes you happy right?” 

You took a shaky breath, the tears flowing freely down your face. You tried your best to blink them away, but they just kept coming. You were so tired of crying. 

“No, hey. What happened?” 

“You were right, Josie,” you choked out. 

“Right?” She looked at you confused. “Right about what?” 

You tried to swallow the lump in your throat down. Silently, you made your way to your room, Josie following after you. 

“Y/N?” 

Digging through your drawer you got out his letter. When you found it, you wordlessly held it up to Josie, who took it from you. 

She read it quickly, the confusion and anger clear on her face. 

“When did you get this?” Josie’s voice was firm, her eyes still looking at the letter as if the longer she looked at it the more it would make sense. 

“Same day I wrote this one,” You handed her your letter, the one that carried your heart. “In August.” 

Josie took your letter more delicately. Josie’s eyes began to tear up as she read it, your face turned impassive, as if your body had finally run out of tears to shed. 

“Y/N-” Josie paused, trying to gather herself. “I didn’t - you never - why didn’t you send this? This was months ago” 

“Because I got his letter, and then I knew it didn’t matter if I did send the letter. He didn’t - It’s better this way. I just - I wish I had listened to you sooner.” 

“I was wrong though. I wish I had seen it sooner, what this really was. Y/N, you have to send this. I think if he - “ 

“No.” 

“But-” 

“Josie,” you pleaded. “It’s done now. And I - this is better,” you tried to sound firm, convincing, but you both knew that it was a lie. 

“You can keep them if you’d like. I’m surprised I haven’t thrown the others away yet.” You nodded at your drawer, where all of Eugene’s letters sat. Grabbing a bin, you made your way over to throw them out. 

Josie gave you an astonished look before making her way to your drawer and collected them. “I’ll keep them,” she said hasilty. 

You didn’t think to question why, nor did you care. Maybe with them finally gone and out of your life, you’d be able to move forward. You knew that was a lie, of course, his words were seared into your heart, playing like an endless loop inside your mind. 

You cleared your throat,  “Are you hungry?”, you asked. 

Josie finished carefully tucking your letters into her purse. “Yeah, yeah, I could eat.” 

 There was still a long road ahead of you, both having Tony, having Josie back, was going to help everything be just a little easier. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

February 1946

It was strange how unaffected everyone around him was. They were laughing, carefree, so unworried about the things around him. Eugene watched as a couple leaned in close to each other, giggling about nothing in particular. The train station was packed with couples like that, it left an aching nagging feeling in his chest. 

Eugene looked up, watching as the departing sign update. His eyes lingered on the train leaving for San Francisco in ten minutes. Everything in him screamed to go, to try and find you, to set things right, but he stayed frozen. 

It had been six months since he had sent that letter to you, six months of living with this feeling inside of him that festerd until it seemed as if it would live permanently inside of him. He had made the wrong choice. He knew that. Eugene would even go as far to say that he knew it the moment he had chosen to send it. But he had made his choice. For all he knew, you were off living your life happily with some other man. Someone who wouldn’t hurt. Someone who wouldn’t drag you down with the weight of the war. You’d be free, happy. You were better off without him. 

“Are you comin’ Sledge?” 

Eugene turned to see Burgin and Snafu both giving him a concerned look. As quickly as he could, he plastered a big grin on his face. Picking up his bag, he made his way over to them so that they could make their way to board the train. 

He fought the instinct to look back. Pushed down the feeling that he was making another mistake. Eugene could feel Snafu looking at him, eyes roaming his face as if he knew what he was thinking. Snafu always seemed to know. 

The train ride out of San Diego had been pleasant for the most part. Many of the men were either flirting with any woman who passed by them, or were making light hearted jokes. 

Eugene wanted so badly to feel present, to feel as if he belonged where he was. But every time he closed his eyes all he could see was blood and death. 

“First I have to get Florence home,” Burgin was giving a bashful smile to him and Snafu. 

Burgin’s statement seemed to bring Eugene back to the present, at least for the moment. 

“Wait, Florence from Melbourne?” he asked. If he was honest with himself he’d say he nearly had forgotten all about Burgin’s tryst with the women, he’d been too wrapped in his own thoughts, all of them about you. 

“Yeah, but I haven’t had the chance to talk to her, what with us being out at sea. I’ll find out if I’m still getting married when I get home,” Burgin swallowed thickly before a smile re-appeared on his face. “What about you Sledge? Got anybody waitin’ for you? Any plans?” 

Yes, he wanted to say. But she’s in the other direction. 

“No plans, no girl,” he said simply. 

“Wonder how long that’ll last,” Snafu gave him a knowing look, but said nothing more. 

Eugene looked at him, he wanted to question Snafu on his statement, ask him what he meant by that. It was almost as if Snafu knew something he didn’t, that there was some secret he didn’t know. Eugene shoveled food in his mouth in an effort to stop the questions from pouring out. 

The rest of the train ride had gone smoothly, hours after they had said goodbye to Burgin Eugene had fallen asleep. When he awoke Snafu was gone. That had hurt him in a way he hadn’t expected. To not be able to say goodbye to the man who had saved his life more times than he could count. 

Eugene sat up in his seat, and found an envelope sitting on the seat. Curiously, Eugene opened it to find a train ticket and a note. Looking up, he noticed that the other passengers were either fast asleep or paying him no attention. 

Taking out the train ticket he saw a one way ticket from Mobile to San Francisco along with a note that read: 

If the war taught us anything, it's that life is too short to live with regrets. Don’t live with this one. 

Eugene’s eyes stung, his breathing became ragid as he tried to contain his emotions. Tucking the envelope into his coat pocket, he leaned across the table holding his head in his hands. 

Everything was telling him that he made a mistake, but he couldn’t fight the self loathing that ate away at him. You deserved better, he chanted over and over in his head like a mantra. It didn’t convince him, didn’t make him feel better, but he hoped it would allow him to live with the decisions he had made. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 1946

Returning to civilian life had not been an easy adjustment for Eugene. It was as if everyone around him expected him to be able to just pick up where he had left off, as if the war had never happened. Like he could just forget about how the people he had seen die, or not think about all the people he had to kill in order for him to be back home. 

The nightmares had been the worst part. Not even sleep could save him from the terrors that played in his mind. It was torturous, he felt like a child - helpless. His father would give him this look, and Eugene would just shrink inside. He had warned him before he went off to war, what might happen to him, but Eugene hadn’t listened. And now Eugene had to look in his fathers eyes and see his father’s worst nightmare come true - his son was lost, broken. 

Sid had been there to listen. That had been a saving grace. He understood, had seen the types of things Eugene had seen. But Sid was different then him. He was happy, engaged to a beautiful girl. Sid was doing what Eugene himself refused to do, keep living his life because what else was there to do but move forward. 

Eugene sat on the wicker chair near the back of his house. A warm breeze passed, as he took a sip of his lemonade. His mind was filled with nothing but noise despite the calmness around him. 

“Still gettin’ those nightmares then?” 

Eugene didn’t have to bother turning around to know it was his brother Edward. 

“You could say that,” Eugene mumbled against his glass. 

“You sure that’s the only thing that’s botherin’ you?” Edward sat down next to him, leaning forward to rest his elbows against his knees. 

“War isn’t enough of a thing to bother me?” He was being short and he knew it, but he couldn’t help himself. 

“You can fool just about everyone else Gene, but you can’t fool me. What kind of brother would I be if I didn’t notice when you were in pain?” 

Eugene held the glass tightly in his hands. Leaning back in his chair he looked up at the sky. 

“I ruined everything Ed.” 

“Gene-” 

“There was a girl. She wrote me when I was over there, and I - I have to live with the choices I made.” 

“It’s not too late to fix things, I can drive you-” 

“No, you can’t.” 

“Gene, why-” 

“I’m fine. I just need to be alone right now.” 

“You can’t be alone forever. Sooner or later you’re going to have to face things.” Edward got up from his seat and put a hand on Eugene’s shoulder. “You got a letter by the way. Thought you might want to read it.” 

Edward handed the letter to Eugene before he walked away. Eugene stared at the envelope blankly. His heart was pounding in his chest, and for a moment he wondered if it was you. 

Turning the envelope over, he saw a name hastily scrawled on the top - Josie Mills. Without reservation, he opened the letter. 

Dear Eugene Sledge, 

Do you have any idea how incredibly hard it was to track you down? Took me damn near over a month. And if it wasn’t for Y/N I don’t think I would have gone through this much trouble for anyone else. 

I wanted to say I’m sorry. I know we don’t know each other, and I can only assume Y/N has mentioned my name in passing, but I’ve hurt you both. I tried, through the best intentions, to get her to forget about you. But I didn’t know - didn’t understand exactly what it was the two of you had. 

I don’t know you, nor do I know how you feel about her, but I have to believe it was more than your final letter set out to mean. You both latched on to each other when you needed the other most, and you can’t just up and let go after something like that happens.

I think there are a few types of love in this world, and I believe you two have a love that runs more deeply than anything anyone will ever understand. When you live through something like what you did, I know it can change a person, and I’m sure that you’re just trying to save her pain, but you’re wrong. I need you to realize that.

I know she would kill me if she found out I was writing this letter to you - let alone that I’m giving this to you, but I think she’ll forgive me in the long run. Enclosed is a letter that Y/N wrote to you, right before she got your last letter. I think - I know that it’s something you need to read so that the both of you can finally get off your asses and do what you’ve both been dying to do - see each other, love each other, just finally allow yourselves to be happy. If you’re the man she thinks you are, well then, I guess I’ll be seeing you real soon. 

A friend, 

Josie

Eugene’s fingers were shaking as he held the letter in his hands. His mind reeling at the possibility of the contents of your letter. Josie talked about love. Neither of you had ever said anything explicitly, but there was always something there between the lines that hinted at it. He was always too afraid to believe that it could be true, that you could ever find it in yourself to love someone like him - after all of the things he had done. 

With trembling fingers, Eugene moved to open your letter. He hesitated for a moment. Everything would be real after this moment if you confirmed his hopes. But it would also mean that Eugene had needlessly broken both your hearts, and for what? To save himself from pain? 

With the last ounce of courage he had, Eugene opened your letter. 

Eugene, 

I must have thought about writing this letter to you a million times. I could never find the right words to say or the right moment to say them. But I’m here now, trying to tell you things that have been running through my mind since I wrote you the very first letter. 

I love you. 

I don’t know how, but I love you. I love you Eugene Sledge. How insane is that? I’ve never seen your face, heard your voice, but I love you more deeply than I thought I could ever love anyone. And I -  I want the chance to be with you. To know you in ways that I’ve only dared to dream about. You’ve made my days better. Everytime I get a letter from you, it’s like the world gets a little brighter. I wish - I wish I could  hold your hand, kiss you, tell you just how much you mean to me. 

My life hasn’t been the same since you came into it, and I know that no matter what happens I’m never going to regret writing you that first letter. Because that letter was like starting a new chapter in my life. One where I could see myself being happy. 

I think it’s funny. I have a bad habit of being late for things in my life. I wish I hadn’t been late for this, and I could have found the courage to say things sooner. I guess I have Tony to thank for giving me the final push I needed. 

I love you Eugene. I hope that there’s some possibility that you could love me too. 

Sincerely Yours, 

Y/N

A choked sob left Eugene. He was gasping for air as he tried to calm himself. You loved him. You loved him in all the ways he loved you and he had ruined it all in one fell swoop. He held so tightly onto your letter that he had crushed it in his hand. 

Tears began to stain the paper, as he fully took in your words. 

He had to fix this. There had to be some way something he could do to make this right. 

It has been months now. He had hurt you in every conceivable way. Would you still want him?

Eugene shook the thought from his head. It didn’t matter if you still wanted him or not. You deserved to know the truth. After all the pain he had caused you both this was the list he could do. You needed to know that it hadn’t been one sided. That the thought of you alone had been more than enough to get him through the darkest times on the island. 

Gathering himself, Eugene took both letters in hand and made his way up to his room. Snafu’s ticket would finally find its use. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You’re really going to go to the other side of the country for some dame you’ve never even met before?” 

Eugene rolled his eyes at Sid’s comment. Squirming in his seat, Eugene shifted the bag on his lap. 

“Yes, I am. Now would you just drive faster, please?” 

“Eugene Sledge, in love? Never thought I’d see the day.” Sid let out a low whistle, clearly amused at the situation. “I do wish you would have told me sooner. Lord knows I would have talked some sense into you months ago. Could have been your wedding comin’ up.” 

Eugene let out a laugh, but the thought of being happy, maybe one day married, possibly to you? Was too much of a giddy thought to push down. 

“Alright, we’re here,” Sid said as he parked the car. “Go get her then,” Sid clapped Eugene on the shoulder. 

“Thank you, Sid” 

“Anythin’ for you brother,” Sid gave Eugene a final goodbye before he pulled off. 

Bracing himself, Eugene pulled out his ticket and made his way to the depot. 

The entire train ride he had been nothing short of anxious. He might have even compared it too being in the trenches again. 

Eugene had been able to nod off a few times, but each time he awoke with a start. His mind began to whirl with thoughts of you taking one look at him, and deciding you could do better. In his mind he wasn’t the most attractive fella, but he hoped he wasn’t so awful that you wouldn’t even look twice at him. 

He knew you weren’t like that - vain, but still insecurities ran deep within him. 

What if you hated him? You had every right to at this point. 

The train began to slow as it pulled into its final stop. Eugene thought he might have a heart attack. 

It took everything he had to get up from his seat and make his way out of the train. When he finally stepped out of the station, it was like he had been slapped in the face. There were so many people, of all different types walking around. 

The air was brisk, and he regretted not bringing a thicker coat. He felt lost, trying to figure out how he could get to you. It was only when he ran into a man, Sam, who operated the trolley that he got some answers. 

“Well, you need to take this cable car. It’ll take you right up Filmore which is where you need to get to. Shouldn’t be too much of a walk from there,” Sam offered him a kind smile, and Eugene couldn’t help but feel some comfort. 

You’d taken pictures of the city for him, but you had been right. None of it had been able to live up to the beauty of the city. Eugene found himself gazing off into the distance, the ocean visible as it made its way up the hill. No longer was Eugene on the other side, but finally, he was there with you. 

When the trolley made its next stop, it was time for Eugene to get off. His legs felt shaky, and he was sure he might faint, but he swallowed it all down and made his way up to your doorstep. 

Tightening his hand into a fist before relaxing it, he took a deep breath. His knuckles rapped against the door. 

It was like time itself seemed to stop.

“All I’m saying is, you could do worse!” 

A woman opened the door, and paused her yelling to stare at Eugene. She cocked her head to the side, mouth slightly parted. 

“Can I-” 

“Dot, I’m telling you I-” 

Eugene watched as you clamped your mouth shut. You were so beautiful. More beautiful than your photo had done you justice. Your voice was better than anything he could have dreamt of, and he was sure that if he could hear one thing for the rest of his life he would be happy just to hear your voice. 

“Can we help you with something?”

The woman, Dot, was giving Eugene a concerned look. 

“Y/N” 

Your name was all he managed to say. It felt good to say your name out loud. He watched as recognition seemed to form on your face. 

All Eugene could do was hope, hope that he wasn’t too late.

[danny-boy27]

Sincerely Yours (VII)

A/N: Repost from my old blog: sohoneyspreadyourwings

Word Count: ~2.6k

Story Masterlist

May 1945 

The sun was warm across your skin. You found yourself smiling as the heat danced across your skin. Tilting your head back just a bit, you looked up to see Tony approaching you with two ice cream cones in hand. Tony was trying to bite back a smile as the cones began to drip down onto his hands. 

“One cone for the lady,” he said as he carefully handed you your cone. “Sorry,” he mumbled as the cone began to drip down on your own hands. 

You let out a laugh as you tried your best to clean it off before taking a lick of your ice cream. 

“You see, this is why you’re going to be single forever Tony.” 

Masking your laughter, you turned to see Tony’s little brother, Frankie, giving him a smug look. 

“You,” Tony said as he playfully pointed at his brother, “Better quit now before I bust your chops and we go home.” 

At that, Frankie clamped his mouth shut and silently ate his ice cream. Sighing, Tony took a seat beside you on the bench trying his best to hide his embarrassment. 

“Thank you for comin’ along. I know… well, Frankie’s been excited to see you again since you met him at the shop a few weeks back. Won’t shut up about it really,” Tony was looking over at Frankie as he spoke, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile as Frankie chased after a bird. 

“I know there’s somethin’ goin’ on that you don’t want to talk about, but I hope you know that I’m here if you need me. I mean...what else are friends for right?” 

Tony turned to you to give you a reassuring smile, and you tried your best to reciprocate it. He was right of course, a lot of things had happened in February. After constantly trying to push a relationship with Tony, you and Josie had begun to talk less and less outside of work. You hated it. 

And Eugene...Eugene had been writing less and less frequently. That had been a pain you weren’t ready to anticipate. You weren’t sure what it was, you didn’t think you had been writing to him any differently, but his letters were less personal. It was almost as if he was slowly pulling away from you, leaving a dull ever present pain in its absence. 

Through it all you found yourself spending more time with Tony. Being with Tony was like putting an ointment on a burn, a temporary fix for a permanent pain. And Tony, he himself was wonderful. Full of nothing but patience, kind smiles, and never asking more of you than you were willing to give. 

Tony was the type of man you used to dream about, someone kind and stable, the type of man your mother had always wanted for you. If you were a different person, if your circumstances were different, you could see a life with him - growing old by the bay. But even as Eugene pulled away, you still couldn’t stifle the small flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, there could be something more - something real. 

Frankie’s sticky hand on your knee tore you from your thoughts. “Are we going to ride the Big Dipper now?” Frankie was bouncing up and down as he pointed at the ride with his other hand. Every crushing thought seemed to leave you as you watched Frankie jump around. 

“We just ate ice cream pal, you’re going to be sick everywhere,” Tony leaned back on the bench, his arm stretching out behind you. . 

“Ah, what do you know about anythin’,” Frankie waved his brother off causing Tony to roll his eyes as he tried to stifle laughter. Turning to you Frankie gave you a broad smile, “Since my brother is such a chicken why don’t we go?”

“Well, it wouldn’t be a trip to Playland if we didn’t go on the Big Dipper,” your smile grew at Frankie’s excitement.

“Alright, alright,” Tony said getting up from his seat, “Let’s do this then.” 

Getting up from your own seat, you and Tony followed after Frankie. Tony stuck his hands in the pockets of his slacks, sneaking a glance at you. With a gentle bump of his shoulder, he gave you a soft smile. 

Swallowing and turning to look at Frankie, you watched as he stood in line. It would be a small wait, but none of you seemed to mind much. 

Frankie was prattling on about what rides to go on next while you tried your best to be interested in what he was saying. Tony silently turned Frankie around, and watched as he became enamored by the ride going up and down. 

“Sorry about him, he just goes on if you don’t stop him,” Tony scratched the back of his neck, eyes glancing at you. 

“Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind.” You didn’t mind, not really. Frankie was loud and brash, but it was a nice distraction. 

“I know I said I wouldn’t push you, and I don’t want to, but you just ...you've had this sad look in your eyes since I’ve known you, and if I can help…” Tony’s voice trailed off as he looked at you. 

Tony, you had found, was incredibly observant. He saw you, really saw you. At times it made you feel like running, but other times, well, it was quite the opposite. 

You couldn’t find the strength to look at Tony, so instead you fixed your gaze on Frankie laughing as he watched the ride. 

“I,” your voice cracked, “I’ve been writing letters with someone for a while now. And he- he,” Tony reached down and held your hand in his. Clearing your throat, you tried to ignore the stinging in your eyes. 

“His name is Eugene, he’s a marine stationed in the Pacific. I don’t…” You found yourself blinking harshly, “I love him. I’m in love with him. Which is insane because I’ve never met him, but I do. I love him in a way that I didn’t think was possible. And I - I can’t do anything about it, but push it down. I haven’t told him- I don’t think I’ll ever tell him.” 

Wiping away a stray tear, you looked at Tony. He looked on the verge of tears himself as he held your hand tightly. 

“I think love finds us in ways we least expect, and I think you found it in each other. There’s no shame in that. I can’t tell you what you should do, but I will say that if I loved someone half as much as you love him, well, I’d hold onto them with everything I’ve got and never let it go. Because love like that? It doesn’t happen everyday.” 

You both looked at Frankie, as now stood in front of the line ready to be seated. 

“Tony, I-” 

“I knew, I think I always knew. But I had hope, you know? But my dame is out there somewhere right?” Tony was giving you a smile so heartbreakingly warm that you felt the tears begin to fall down your cheeks. Reaching with his other hand, he gently wiped away the tears. “At least I’m lucky enough to get to call you my friend.” 

“Come on already! They’re waitin’ for us!” Frankie was seated on the roller coaster frantically yelling at you both. 

“Come on,” Tony smiled at you as he led you to your seats. 

Your heart was racing, as a flurry of emotions overtook you. You said the words out loud that you had kept to yourself for so long - you loved him. Taking a deep breath as the ride climbed higher, you felt almost as if everything had been building up to this exact moment. 

Tipping over the edge, you peered down at the tracks below you. Heart in your throat, you wondered what would happen now. The question you already knew: would you ever tell Eugene the truth. The answer, however, was going to be more difficult to figure out. 

It was well into the night when you finally arrived home. You wanted nothing more than to crawl into your bed and never move again. But, your body moved on its own accord; traveling to your nightstand. Taking out the last letter Eugene had sent to you a week ago, you found yourself reading over the familiar words. 

Dear Y/N,

    Time seems to pass by more slowly here, as if every minute here is twenty back home. It’s a strange feeling, combined with everything else I suppose it’s not that strange at all. I’ve been thinking about home a lot lately, about my folks and Sid, and what they might be doing - though I’ve find myself stopping the thought before it fully forms. 

    I hope you’re doing well, that things have been a little easier for you. Life and you seem so very far away now, but I hope nothing but sunlight touches you. You deserve only good things. Until the next letter. 

                            Sincerely Yours, 

                            Eugene Sledge

Holding his letter in your hand, you couldn’t help but feel that there was so much there left unsaid. You’d written back right away of course, but you’d still had yet to get one back from Eugene. You began to feel the sting in your eyes once more as you put away the letter. Your hope for something more seemed to be dwindling by the day as you became more sure of your choice - Eugene would never know how you truly felt. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

June 1945

Eugene was a fool - a damned fool. He knew, had always known it, but that thought had never been more clear to him than now. 

He’d been purposely not answering your letters. Instead choosing to soldier on, and pretend as if they weren’t there. The heavy weight of them though never let him forget. He’d been getting looks from the rest of the company at his sour and agitated state. Snafu, most of all, had given him knowing looks as he became more aggressive on the field. 

There were lots of reasons for Eugene choosing to ignore you. The first being that he was losing himself - in more ways than one. It felt as if the grasp that he had on who he was, was slipping through his fingers like water. This of course, led him to his other reason. You deserved more than him. You deserved someone whole, someone who could be there for you in ways that he couldn’t. So he began to pull away, so that when the time finally came, it would sting less. But what Eugene didn’t account for was the hallowing feeling that had taken nest in his home slowly expanding until it felt as if his ribs would cave in and his chest would crack open. 

He loved you. Eugene was in love with you. He had never wanted to admit - didn’t allow himself too. But that never changed the way he felt. 

Eugene had thought he had known what love was. He thought he had been in love with Betty Adams when he was seven, and then Ruthie Fisher when he was fifteen. He’d spent countless nights pining after each girl imagining what it would be like to go steady with either of them. But with you? It was like Eugene was on another plane of existence. He had thought he had known what love was, but he had been so incredibly wrong. It had only taken a few letters from you to show Eugene that he had never quite known what love was until you came along. 

This, more than anything, had scared him the most. Because how could he really love someone he had never met? He’d heard how the other guys in his company talked about women, and he wondered if maybe that was all there was to it, a passing fancy. But then he thought of the way he carefully took out your picture every night and wished more than anything he could appreciate your features in person. 

No, Eugene Sledge now knew what love was, and he felt it undeniably for you. 

He had realized in Okinawa, as he found a part of himself that he thought he had long since lost - compassion. The lines had become blurred, a never ending haze of what was right and wrong. But he’d found himself again, at least a part of himself that he could recognize. 

Sat now in a makeshift trench they had dug, Eugene found himself subconsciously reaching for your letters. 

“How long are you gonna keep the lady waitin’ then?” 

Eugene didn’t have to look up to know that Snafu was talking to him. 

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” crossing his arms, Eugene slouched further in his seat. 

“You think nobody here isn’t seein’ the difference?” Snafu’s voice was accusatory, but it wasn’t wrong. 

“I don’t have anythin’ to say,” he managed weakly. 

“Bullshit.”

Eugene’s eyes snapped up to see Snafu giving him a passive look. 

“If you even bothered to open ‘em you might know exactly what to say.” Snafu leaned back, closing his eyes as he rested it against the dirt. “You might have everybody else fooled, Sledgehammer, but you don’t fool me.” 

Eugene’s jaw ticked as he held his tongue. Snafu wasn’t wrong, Eugene wasn’t fooling anyone - least of all himself. 

Taking a deep breath, Eugene reached into his pocket to pull out two letters from you. His thumb circled the delicate paper of the envelope, as he resolved himself to finally open it. 

Dear Eugene,

I’ve been thinking about your letter and what someone deserves. I think I do have the right to feel happy, and slowly I think I’ve been letting myself. But if we’re being honest, I think you deserve that more than you’ll ever allow yourself. I wish you could see you the way I see you, then maybe you’d realize you deserve peace more than anyone. 

As for me, I’ve been trying to spend more time out of my head and in the city. Playland, our amusement park, proved to be the best distraction of all. I wish I could have taken pictures for you, but Josie reclaimed her camera, and I’m not in the place to be asking her for things right now. 

I hope you’re taking care of yourself Gene for your sake and mine. 

                        Sincerely Yours, 

                        Y/N

Eugene didn’t even give himself enough to process your first letter before he opened the next. 

Dear Eugene, 

I think I might have discovered a new calling in life - not that welding is terrible, but this sure does beat being covered in soot all day. 

Baking. It’s wonderful and more relaxing than I had ever anticipated. I helped out a friend today at their shop, and I got to learn how to make all kinds of things. Pies, I think, have become my favorite. Possibly because no matter how much you mess it up, it’s always possible to fix it. I wish life could be as forgiving as a pie. 

Eugene, I know it’s been a while, but I hope you’re okay. I’m not sure I don’t know I miss you. 

                        Sincerely Yours, 

                        Y/N

Eugene was gripping tightly to your letter, as he leaned his head back. 

He was a fool. 

Blinking back tears, Eugene held your letter delicately in his hands. 

He hoped, among everything, that when the time came it would be easy for you to let him go, because life was not forgiving, and he would be damned if he dragged you down with him.

[danny-boy27]

Sincerely Yours (VI)

A/N: Repost from my old blog: sohoneyspreadyourwings

Word Count: ~3.2k

Story Masterlist

February 1945

There was something about the city in February that made everything feel different. Maybe it was the unpredictability of the weather or the energy of the city, but whatever it was it had the city buzzing again. The change was nice in more ways than one. There was a sense of hope, a feeling that something better was just over the horizon, even if that horizon seemed impossibly far away. 

Standing in the locker room, you waited for Josie to come out so you could both make your way out for your lunch break. Josie had sworn up and down to you that she had found the best little corner place and you both just had to go. With your foreman giving you a long lunch for your timely finishing of the latest ship, this would be the perfect chance for you to go. 

“Are you almost ready?” You called out to Josie. You were growing more impatient by the second, your stomach audibly growling as you crossed your arms over your chest. 

“Geez, you’d think I’d made you wait an hour or somethin’.” Josie was refastening her bandana as she made her way over to you. “What’s got you so antsy today?” 

You had a letter waiting for you from Eugene you wanted to say. The words almost tumbled their way out of your mouth, but you clamped your lips tightly. Instead choosing to walk beside Josie at a brisk pace to get to whatever little shop she wanted to take you to. 

Josie kept looking at you from the corner of her eye in a way that made you feel anxious. You knew she wanted to say something to you, but she had evidently decided not to say anything. Eugene has been a sore topic between you both lately. Ever since the Christmas party Josie had been trying to get you to try and go on some dates - not that you wanted to. 

It was creating a small amount of friction between you both. She wanted you to have something tangible, a guy you could hold onto tightly with your bare hands, to have a relationship that wasn’t just on paper. And you could see her point, you’d lost sleep over it on more nights than one, but you couldn’t help but think of Eugene. The name without a face. 

“You alright?” 

You blinked lazily before looking over at Josie. “Me? Yeah, Dot was just trying this new skin care regimen last night - took forever before I could clean up after work last night.” 

She didn’t believe you, you both knew it. But Josie still managed a small smile. “That broad has some serious issues. I’ll never understand how you and Gloria put up with it.” 

“‘S’not too bad. Hey, how are things going with Tom?” 

If you had bet money that Josie had the ability to turn flush at the name of a man you would have gone broke. Josie was sputtering at a response as she shoved her hands into her coat pocket. She’d been acting that way ever since she met him at the Christmas party, and it was sweet to see. 

“He’s - well he…. He’s good.” Josie was staring straight ahead as she bit back a smile. “He asked me to meet his folks tomorrow for dinner.” 

You stopped walking and grabbed her arm. “Josie! That’s the kind of news you tell somebody right away - you don’t wait all the way until lunch!” 

Josie was biting back a smile, but her face soon morphed into one of panic. “God, I’m so nervous. What if they hate me? I mean I’m not exactly the most likable person around, and you know there’s also the fact that-” 

“Josie? Breathe.” you told her. You held onto her hands in the middle of the street. People began bumping into you both, but neither of you paid them any mind. “They’re going to love you. You’re like one of those gumballs, you know? All hard on the outside but soft on the inside. And if they can’t see that they’re not worth your time. Besides, the way Tom looks at you? I don’t think anything could change the way that man feels about you.”

“He is sweet on me,” she said. Josie’s voice trailed away as if she was just now realizing the extent of Tom’s feelings for her. Looking up for a moment, Josie’s face lit up once more. “Oh, look at that we’re here,” Josie quickly pulled you by the arm inside before you could even register what she had said. 

The smell of freshly made bread fanned across your face giving off the most delicious aroma. Faintly, you could hear the chattering of customers. 

“Josie, this smells incredible how did -”

“Y/N?” 

You swallowed thickly, already aware of who was calling your name. You’d run into him a few times since the Christmas party, though it was always short. 

“Tony,” you managed to try and make your voice sound a bit enthused. You could feel Josie’s eyes boring into you, and though you both knew you were going to tell her off eventually, it wouldn’t be then and there. 

Slowly, you made your way to the counter. Tony was giving you a boyish smile, all nerves and happiness - an odd combination that seemed to describe Tony himself perfectly. 

“What brings you around here? Are you hungry? Of course you’re hungry you’re probably on a lunch break. Well, you two dames just let me know what you’d like and I’ll get if for you on the house.” 

“Tony, we couldn’t-” 

“Sure you can. That’s no easy job you both got there. This is just me giving you thanks,” Tony was smiling at you in a way that made your face burn. He was charming, and sweet, and he was essentially everything your mother had ever wanted for you in a man. 

“Aren’t you the sweetest, Tony,” Josie said, her lips curving into a sly smile as she glanced at you. “Why don’t you just surprise us, I’m sure we’ll love whatever you bring out.” 

With a small nod, Tony made his way towards the back. 

“I’m going to kill you,” you whispered harshly to Josie. 

“No you’re not. And Tony’s about as sweet and harmless as they come. He’s clearly smitten over you. Would it be so bad to give him a chance?” 

“You know-” your voice was cut out, by Tony placing plates in front of you both. 

“Now, I’m not saying I make the best sourdough in the city, but I do.” Tony was grinning at you as he leaned over the counter. “The clam chowder is just an added perk.” 

Timidly, you dipped your spoon into the bread bowl and took a small sip of the soup. It was incredible, quite probably the best you’d ever had. Taking a bit of a small piece of the bread you couldn’t help but close your eyes. 

“Oh,” you managed. 

“It’s pretty good right?” Tony was bouncing a bit as he leaned over the counter. “There’s not much I can do, but I sure can make some bread.”

“I’m not going to argue with you on that one,” you mumbled as you practically shoveled more food into your mouth. Josie had long since gone quiet and you were sure that she was too busy eating to pay either of you any attention. 

You’d nearly finished your own bowl when you heard Tony clear his throat. You looked up at him to see his cheeks tinged pink. 

“I was...well I was just wondering if maybe you’d want to go out sometime? It doesn’t have to be a date or nuthin’... I just - I like spendin’ time with you is all.” 

It almost felt as if your entire body had shut down. You just stared blankly at him, and you knew you should say something - anything. Tony himself was now standing up straight, scratching his face nervously. 

“We - you don’t have to say yes. I mean - we only spent a few hours together -” 

“Okay.” 

Tony’s eyes locked on yours. He seemed to be just as stunned as you at your response. 

“Okay?” he repeated. 

You got up from your seat at the counter. “Okay, but it’s not a date,” you said as you pulled Josie away from the bread bowl she was still trying to devour. 

“Not a date,” Tony repeated practically beaming at you. “How about I meet you at the Cinema tonight?”

You chewed on your cheek as you looked back at him. “I’ll see you tonight Tony.” 

Tony offered you both a wave as you made your way out the door. Josie was giving you a curious look. 

“It’s not a date,” you grumbled. 

“Well, I think you both made that clear, but I don’t think that’s stopping him from having hope.” 

Deep down you knew it too, but you pushed it down. The only thought running through your mind was Eugene’s latest letter sitting in your drawer. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

You had nearly been pacing up and down the street for nearly twenty minutes. Your feet were starting to ache, and the urge to just go home and call it quits was starting to become all consuming. 

The sound of feet harshly hitting the pavement pulled you from your thoughts. You turned to see Tony nearly out of breath coming towards you. 

“I’m so sorry I’m late. Georgie started a fire in the kitchen,” he paused to look at your wide eyes, and he quickly backtracked. “It was a small fire! But he was starting to panic and I had to try and put it out by myself. But everything’s fine now. I’m real sorry for keeping you waiting so long I -” 

“It’s fine Tony,” you smiled at him. Tony visibly relaxed and he tucked his hands into the pockets of his pants. 

“I was thinkin’ we could catch that new Bela Lugosi movie? But if it’s too scary for you-” 

“I’ve actually been wanting to see it, but none of the girls wanted to see it with me.” 

Tony ducked his head down trying to hide his smile. 

“What?” 

“Nuthin’,” he said, a small hint of laughter in his tone. “You’re just surprising is all.” Tony looked up and stopped walking. “Look, they’re showing one of those newsreels. You want to go inside?” 

You felt your hands go clammy as you read the sign Fury in the Pacific. “Sure,” you choked out as you followed Tony inside. 

You’d gone out of your way to not read too much about what was going on in the Pacific. You’d gone down that hole once before, and you’d nearly lost an entire week's sleep worrying about Eugene. 

Following Tony towards the middle of the theater, you sat down. The newsreel started not a moment later, and you watched as the footage began to roll. It horrified you. You’d never seen anything like it. You’d watch as the ships you’d worked so hard on fight and sink. Men were shot while others trudged on. It was a living breathing nightmare, and Eugene lived it everyday. 

You felt sick, as your fingers gripped onto the arm rests. Tony was none the wiser, his attention solely on the footage in front of him. When it finally ended and the lights came on he gave you another bright smile, a contrast to all the grim horror you had just seen. 

“You okay?” He asked. 

“Mm. We don’t want to be late for the movie.” Tony led you out of the theater and back out into the street. He was chattering away about something, waving his hands about excitedly. You for the most part, offered a few words of reply. If he noticed anything was off he never said. He just offered your hand a gentle squeeze, along with a chaste kiss on the cheek towards the end of the night. 

By the time you finally got home you felt as if you could finally breathe. Closing the door to your room and sitting on your bed, you felt your mind go numb. You’d known that the war wasn’t something romantic, that Eugene was fighting for his life every second of every day, but to see it? That left you feeling a type of empty that you couldn’t describe. 

Reaching over to your drawer you pulled out his letter. It felt heavier than the rest. Not because of anything in particular, but because of everything that had happened in the last few hours. A part of you almost didn’t want to open it. You felt guilty for being safe in your home while he was over there. But most of all you felt guilty for seeing Tony. 

With shaky hands you opened his letter, your eyes already brimming with tears before you even read any of the words. 

Dear Y/N, 

I almost didn’t know how to start this letter. Which is strange when you think about how long we’ve actually been writing to each other. But, what I want to say is I saw something today that reminded me of you. It wasn’t really anything in particular, but it was one of those rare still moments where everything is just quiet. 

The sun was just beginning to set over the horizon, and I’d finally been able to take a few minutes rest. I thought of the way you described sunsets in San Francisco, how the sun kind of danced across the water. I don’t think I’ve ever really taken notice of that before, but now that you’ve talked about it, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to not notice it. 

I hope they’re not working you too hard at the shipyard. If I’m honest I miss hearing stories about you and Josie. I miss you - which is another strange thing I suppose. Missing someone you’ve never really met. But I do, I miss you. I’d like to think maybe you miss me too. 

Take care of yourself. I know you’re always worrying too much about others to think of yourself, but I hope you find some time for you. 

                            Sincerely Yours,

                            Eugene Sledge

Your eyes began to blur as you clutched the letter to your chest. Laying down in your bed, letter pressed tightly against you, you began to sob. The ache in your chest kept growing until it nearly spread to your whole body. 

The guilt you felt before was nearly tenfold now. As you lay there crying yourself to sleep, you thought of all the choices you had been making, and you wondered if you had been making any right ones at all. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 1945

Eugene’s eyes were drooping. His head snapping up every few seconds as he began to nod off. Every part of his body felt heavy in a way he had never known. It was almost as if every time he thought he had reached a new peak of exhaustion or thirst, a new peak was just over the horizon. 

He hadn’t slept in days, not real sleep anyways. His entire company had been on the move with little time for rest or breaks. 

“I can take the watch” 

Eugene tiredly turned his head to the side to see Snafu lazily gazing ahead. 

“It’s my turn, and I’m doin’ just fine.” He knew that he should take Snafu’s offer, but he couldn’t bring himself too. 

“No you ain’t. ‘Sides, I know you want to read that letter you got in your pocket. Been staring at it for days.” 

Eugene chanced a glance at Snafu who was giving him an unreadable expression. “No I haven’t,” he grumbled. 

“Sure have. Been driving me crazy. This dame of yours sure must be somethin’” Snafu was resting his head in his hands. His head slightly tilted as he stared at Eugene. “Been keeping her secret long enough.” 

Eugene shifted in his seat, he was fully awake now. His hands itched to touch your letter folded up in his pocket, but he knew he would just be proving Snafu right. 

“You gonna at least tell me her name?” 

His tongue felt heavy, and his throat tight. If he said your name it would make all of this real, more than it had ever been since getting your picture. Snafu was right about one thing at least, Eugene had been keeping you a secret. 

“Y/N,” he said, your name tumbling from his lips. He’d never said your name aloud quite like this before, and the thrill it gave him was incomparable. 

“Mm. Well, don’t keep the pretty lady waitin,’' Snafu waved off Eugene, his gaze fixing on the opposite side. 

Eugene got up and was about to sit down when he sought out Snafu’s gaze once more. 

“I won’t tell nobody,” Snafu never bothered to look back at Eugene, instead he squinted at their surroundings. 

It was odd, their friendship. But there hadn’t been a day that had gone by that Eugene hadn’t been grateful for it. 

Settling himself down in his new position, he carefully took out your letter and opened it. 

Dear Eugene, 

I do miss you. And I think that’s the strangest thing I’ve ever felt. Because you’re right, how can you miss someone you’ve never met? But I do miss you, in ways I didn’t think was possible. 

I’d like to tell you I’ve been looking after myself, but that would be a lie. Things have been hard I suppose, but I don’t feel as if that’s the right words to say considering where you are. But I just - do you ever feel like you’re making all the wrong choices Gene? Like everything you do is wrong? I wish, well, I wish for a lot of things - most of them involving you.  

I saw something today that made me think of you too. It really almost felt as if the whole day had been leading up to you really. I think because of where I work and the city I’m in I guess it’s hard not to think about you. 

I’m sorry. I’m sorry that this probably wasn’t the letter you were expecting. I almost had half a mind to throw this one away and start over. I just- I promise I’ll regal you with endless stories of Josie and me in the next letter. Josie has been, well, she’s been up to a few things. Not all of which I approve of. 

Just, take care of yourself Gene. We have to take care of ourselves so we can take care of each other right?

                        Sincerely Yours,

                        Y/N

You were hiding something from him. 

Eugene could feel it in your words, he’d read them often enough to know when something was wrong. He wanted to help you, to comfort you through whatever you were going through, but he couldn’t. 

He wasn’t sure what was bothering you, or what was going on between you and Josie, but he knew it was causing you pain - a pain he couldn’t take away from halfway across the ocean. 

Eugene had made a mess of things. That lingering thought of you being better off spending your time with someone you could actually see, touch, was starting to become all consuming. Eugene was better with you in his life, but maybe you weren’t better off with him in yours.

[danny-boy27]

Sincerely Yours (V)

A/N: Repost from my old blog: sohoneyspreadyourwings

Word Count: ~3.2k

Story Masterlist

December 1944

Patterns have become your life. A daily routine of working, coming home, and writing letters had made up your life for months. It was mechanical in nature, a methodical process that didn’t take much thought or effort. You had slowly become as mechanical as the ships you built everyday. 

Sometimes it was maddening, the monotony of it, but there were parts that still seemed to spark something within you. Josie and her endless humor had become an integral part of your days, but when you got a letter from Eugene, it was almost like a restart to your system. The feeling was nearly unexplainable. How could you describe the intangible connection you had developed with a man you had never met before? You couldn’t, not really. And with the holiday season now in full swing, it was becoming increasingly hard to find something to be cheerful about. 

That, of course, didn’t stop Josie from dragging you around the shops in union square nearly every weekend to do holiday shopping - not that you even had a lot of people to shop for. Still, you obliged her, and you even found yourself smiling from time to time. It was hard not to with the music, lights, and displays. It wasn’t as big as it had been a few years before, but that didn’t stop people from trying to find a way to celebrate. 

It was the idea of  celebrating that led to Josie inviting you to a Christmas Eve party that night. It had taken almost an entire day for her to finally convince you to come, but you finally acquiesced. And now, as you stood in front of your bathroom mirror dressed to the nines, you found yourself wanting to come up with a last minute excuse not to go. 

Glancing down at your counter, you saw Eugene’s latest letter gingerly splayed out. Taking a deep breath, you picked up the letter and leaned against your counter. You’d re-read the letter nearly a dozen times since you’d gotten it a day ago, but that didn’t stop you from reading it again as if it was the first time. 

Dear Y/N, 

    I suppose when you get this letter it’ll be nearly Christmas time for you. I don’t know what the holidays are like for you out there in the west, but back in Mobile, they are truly a sight to behold. Though I’m sure, it’s not as grand as yours. Thinking about it almost feels like another lifetime. I wish- I wish things were different for me, for us. But then, I suppose, I never would have gotten a letter from you if things had been different. 

    I want you to know that writing to you these past few months have been nothing short of a blessing for me. I know you probably get tired of reading it, but I am grateful for the letters - for you. I keep thinking about how we know each other in ways that no one else does, yet I don’t have the faintest idea what you look like. If we passed each other on the street neither one of us would recognize the other. That breaks my heart a little to think about. I just - I wish this letter could have been more cheery for the season. I feel like I’m always writing you these melancholic letters, and you turn right around and cheer me up. 

    Merry Christmas Y/N. I hope you get everything you want in the New Year and more. I wish I could have gotten you a present, something to show you how much you mean to me. I hope this letter, and my affection can be enough. 

                                Sincerely Yours, 

                                    Eugene

Your heart began racing all over again at his words. Eugene liked to dance around whatever was happening with you both. You couldn’t blame him - not really. He lived his life by the minute, you lived yours by the days. This, whatever this was, wasn’t feasible you knew that. It was like trying to reach out and grasp the air with your bare hands. But that didn’t stop you from wishing that there was some way, sometime where you both could meet. 

Setting the letter down, you applied the finishing touches to your hair. Eugene’s words tumbled through your mind. You couldn’t help but realize he was right about one thing, if you two had met by chance, there would be no way of knowing who the other was. Briefly, you thought about sending him a picture of you, creating something tangible to your intangible relationship. But fear of rejection buried that thought quickly. 

Taking a deep breath to calm your nerves, you refolded the letter and made your way to your room. Opening a drawer, you placed the letter inside with all the other ones from Eugene, and then grabbed your coat. 

Quickly making your way down the stairs, you bid goodbye to Dot and Gloria who were leaving to their own parties. With a brisk pace, you made your way to the cable car stop. Wrapping your coat tightly around you, you began to regret your choice of clothing.

 Looking out in the distance you could see the cable car making its way down to you. Turning away, you looked down at the city below you. The twinkling lights seemed to shine out all the way to the bay. Biting your lip, you felt a wave of emotion overtake you. Shaking it away, you hopped into the car and took a seat. It would be a relatively quick ride to Steiner street, if it wasn’t so cold out you might have walked it. Instead, you found yourself huddled in your seat trying desperately to keep the cool air from hitting you too harshly. 

When your stop came along, your eyes scanned the area to see Josie huddled by a street lamp. She was hopping up and down as if trying to get the heat flowing in her body. Her eyes caught yours, and you could practically feel her annoyance from where you stood. 

“You’re late!” She yelled. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting out here for you? Geez, I’m about to freeze my ti-” 

“Josie!” You warned, only earning a sly look from the woman. Looping her arm through yours, you both made your way to the house. 

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to be going to this party? I mean - look where we are Jos, this is where the other half lives”. You looked up at the Victorian style houses, all picturesque in their appearance .

“Oh, relax would you. Yes, we are both invited. This should be a good party too, if all goes well, we could get a New Years invite too. And if we’re really lucky we might even find ourselves some fellas here.” 

Halfway up the steps to the home you stopped. “Josie, I’m not here to-” 

“No. Don’t start with me again about this.” Josie was giving you a firm look that let you know she wasn’t done talking. “I have been here for you with your letters and I’m always going to be there for you. But don’t you think maybe you should look for something, I don’t know, real? I love you sweetheart, I do, but I just want you to be happy again. I wish things were different, and there wasn’t a god damned war going on, but there is. And he’s on the other side of the ocean - a man you’ve never really met.” 

Josie paused to look at you. You weren’t too sure what you looked like, but you imagined it wasn’t well. Josie had just aired out to you everything you had been feeling inside. 

“Look, all I’m saying is that if the opportunity should present itself to you, you should take it. But don’t hold yourself back because of words on a piece of paper.” Patting your cheek gently, Josie gently led you up the stairs. 

WIth a knock on the door, you both made your way inside. The party seemed to be in full swing with music, dancing, and drinking. After making a quick tour of the room with Josie, she had settled herself in with a nice looking man. 

Taking a seat at the corner of the room on a couch. Absentmindedly, you sipped on your drink, trying not to think about the letters sitting in your drawer.  

“Not one for parties either?” 

You looked up to see a man, slightly bashful looking down at you. His face was starting to turn pink as he cleared his throat. 

“I just mean that your sittin’ here in the corner is all. Not that, you know, there’s anything wrong with that. I mean I’m here...too,” his voice trailed off and it looked like he was putting in a lot of effort to maintain eye contact with you. 

“I don’t mind parties. I’ve just...it’s been a long year,” you managed a smile at the man though it didn’t quite reach your eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah I get what you mean. Do you mind if I?” He gestured towards the empty seat next to you. You shook your head no and moved over to allow him a place to sit. 

“I’m, uh, Tony by the way”, he stuck out his hand and offered you a timid smile. 

“Y/N,” you said, giving his hand a firm shake. 

“So you know Ruth then?” he asked. Tony leaned forward a bit running his hands along his pant legs. “She’s going steady with my brother Angelo over there.” 

“No, my friend Josie does,” you took a sip of your drink to try and soothe your dry throat. You were nervous and you weren’t sure why, a tingling feeling coursed through your hand where you shook Tony’s. 

You could see Tony silently nod his head in acknowledgement. He chanced a glance at you, his eyes darting to your hand. 

“That’s a nasty burn you got there.” 

You looked down at the base of your thumb where you had burned yourself with the welding iron a few days ago. 

“It’s not as bad as it looks. I’ve had worse before, but that didn’t stop it from hurting,” you let out a small laugh, your eyes meeting Tony’s. 

“You’ve had worse than that?” He gave a shocked and semi proud expression. “Gotta say, you must be one heck of a dame then to brush that off.” 

“I wouldn’t be able to keep my job at the shipyard if I didn’t,” you let out a breathy laugh before taking another sip of your drink. 

“The shipyard?” Tony let out a low whistle. “I just work at the bakery down at the wharf. I would have liked to do more for the effort. I tried to enlist, but they said I had a murmur in my heart, marked me as 4F. But you, I mean look at what you’re doing. That’s no small thing building those ships.” 

Tony was looking at you in a way that made you feel flustered. He was looking at you as if you were important, like without you the war effort would just crumble.

“It’s not-” 

“Don’t sell yourself short. I’m sure the fellas out there are appreciating everything you’re doing for them even if they don’t know it’s you doing it.” 

“Thank you, Tony,” you finally managed to say. As Tony smiled down on you, you found your own smile growing bigger. 

“Nah, you shouldn’t be thanking me for tellin’ you the truth. Do you want somethin’ to eat? I know where they keep the good stuff,” Tony was grinning at you now in a way that made you want to forget everything else. 

“I’m starving actually.” You stood facing Tony. You felt warm, flushed. Tony was handsome, almost in a boyish way. His smile almost blinding as he looked down at you.

“Come on then,” he laughed as he led you towards the kitchen. You both were nearly there when you heard someone shout his name. You watched as he looked up in confusion only to realize you both were standing under mistletoe. 

Tony’s eyes met yours once more. “We don’t have to. It’s just some old tradition. I won’t be hurt if you say you don’t want to. The last thing I wanted to do was make you uncomfortable.” 

Tony’s expression was soft, he was genuine in his words. You stood there for what felt like hours debating on whether you should or shouldn’t. It wasn’t until Josie yelled at you to kiss him that you found yourself unconsciously leaning towards him. 

The kiss was chaste, gentle. Tony kept his hands at his sides, an effort to make you comfortable no doubt. It would have been enjoyable, a sweet enough story to tell your grandkids one day about how you met, if your mind hadn’t been wandering towards a marine halfway across the world on the other side of the ocean. 

You thought about Eugene Sledge and what he was enduring on this Christmas Eve. You thought about what it might be like to spend Christmas with him - to have a conversation with him in person. 

As Tony pulled away from you, bashfully clearing his throat and offering you a small smile before leading you towards the kitchen, you couldn’t squash the thought of wishing Tony was someone else - that he was Eugene. You smiled back at Tony, hearing Josie’s words cycle through your head. 

You really did wish things could be different. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

January 1945

It was a new year, but still the war raged on as if it was still 1944. Eugene supposed it would carry on this way for a while. Through everything he had seen, everything he had endured, it didn’t look like the war would be ending anytime soon. 

He was filthy, covered in dirt and blood, and he wanted nothing more than to wash it all off, but that was a luxury he wouldn’t be getting anytime soon. There were more important things to worry about. 

Eugene’s body ached as he leaned back against the makeshift shelter they had created. It wasn’t much, but it kept them dry from the downpour. Flexing his fingers, he felt the ache in his bones. 

Eugene used to think he knew what exhaustion meant when he was younger. Only now in this hell that he’s living in has he realized that he had never truly known the meaning of the word until now. He felt his eyes droop close for a moment, the lack of sleep was starting to catch up to him. Tired eyes roamed around the camp making sure everything was as it should be. 

A pat on his shoulder caused him to look up. Bill gave him a nod, “Why don’t you get some sleep Sledgehammer? I can take the watch for a bit” 

He wanted to object, but he couldn’t find the words to do so. Instead, he nodded his head in affirmation and made his way to the otherside of the tent. His fingers searched his pack for your letter. He hadn’t gotten a chance to open it yet, much less read it. 

Eugene felt nerves begin to course through his veins. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t stop the nagging feeling in his chest that made it feel as if every letter he got from you might be the last. He knew it was foolish, you had never given him any inclination that you wanted to stop writing to him, but that didn’t stop him from fearing the worst. What could he offer you besides a few measly words on a piece of paper. You deserved more than what he could give you. 

Opening the envelope, he strained to see your words written on the paper. If he hadn’t been so tired he might have noticed something fall out as he lifted the paper close to his face. 

Dear Gene, 

    I’m not sure when you’ll get this, but if it’s already the New Year for you, well then, Happy New Year, Eugene Sledge. I wish you a prosperous and safe filled New Year, which I know is a lot to wish for considering where you are. But, really Eugene, please try and stay as safe as you can. 

    Christmas was, well, it was as eventful as you might expect. The lights down by Union Square are really something to see. Christmas time here is something to experience, but now if I’m honest, I’m a bit curious to see what Christmas in Mobile might be like. I can’t imagine it’s the same without you. Eugene, I wish things could be different too - for you. For what you’re having to go through. But when it’s finally all over, maybe we can make things different.

 I wanted to thank you for what you wrote to me, for what you always write to me really. Because I’m grateful to you too Eugene - in more ways than one. You didn’t need to get me anything, you writing to me is enough of a gift. But I do have a gift for you which you might have already seen. I thought about what you said, and you’re right. At least with this, one of us will be able to recognize the other. I know I’m not - I’m probably what you’ve been picturing, but it’s enough. So here’s my Christmas gift to you. 

Happy New Year Eugene Sledge. Here’s to another year of letters. 

                                Sincerely Yours, 

                                    Y/N

Eugene quickly dug around for your picture. It felt as if his heart was caught in his throat, as his fingers fumbled around until it finally grasped onto the picture. With shaky hands, Eugene held the picture up to his face. 

His eyes scanned every inch of the photograph, he recognized Josie off to the side laughing at something. The room looked like it was decorated for Christmas with guests, but Eugene’s eyes stayed only on you. 

You were in the center of the photo, your face half contorted into one of laughter as you looked right at the camera. It was like you were looking right at him, and for a second it felt like Eugene’s heart had stopped. 

You were right about one thing, you hadn’t been what Eugene had pictured in his head - you were more amazing than he could have ever imagined. 

Everything about you was real now, no longer just words on a page. Eugene stared at your picture for longer than what would have been necessary, but he didn’t care because it was you. He fell asleep with your picture in his hand, and when he woke up to Snafu giving him a look of understanding and confusion, he hadn’t said a word. Instead, he handed him an open can of food and turned away. 

Eugene had dreamt of you, imagined what your laugh might sound like, how you might look at him the way you were looking at the camera. You were across the ocean in what felt like a completely different world, but Eugene was beginning to realize that perhaps there was more to your relationship than just letter writing. The only problem was there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. 

And the more he looked at the picture he realized that there was quite possibly a man who could, and that man wasn’t Eugene.

[danny-boy27]

Sincerely Yours (III)

A/N: A repost from my old blog: sohoneyspreadyourwings

Word Count: ~2.9k

Story Masterlist

September 1944

It was early Sunday morning when you made your way down to the kitchen. The sun just beginning to  illuminate the room, you quietly padded your way to the pantry for something to eat. You had hardly slept last night, mind too busy thinking about Eugene’s letter to you. Never in your wildest dreams did you think that he would have replied back so quickly, let alone that you would get it so timely. It was true, you thought, what they said about V-Mail. 

Biting into a breakfast bar, you thought about what he had written to you. You’d read his letter more than half a dozen times, but each read through only got your brain churning for ideas. Digging into your pocket, you pulled out his letter once more. It was well worn, from your reading, creases more prominent than ever. 

Dear Y/N, 

    I wish I could tell you properly in words how much it means to me that you’re willing to continue a correspondence with me. I don’t have very much to look forward to these days, but I can tell you that I will be looking forward to your letters. I don’t want to make your day bleak by regaling you with the horrors of war, but I will say that things haven’t gotten much better. You could say that they’ve gotten worse. The most challenging thing being thirst in this unforgiving heat. And as a man from Alabama, I can attest to the unimaginable relentless heat. 

    There are a few things to keep spirits high however, my company is filled with men who, at any given moment, can make you laugh just as fast as they’ll punch you square in the face. That, at least, is something to help the days go by. 

    As for your question, I’ve had some time to think about it, and have come to a few possible answers. Though, I think I’d have to go with the fields, just a ways from my home in Mobile. It’s quiet there, a peaceful feeling where it’s just you and the beauty of nature. Thinking back on it now though, it feels like it was a lifetime ago, so very far away from me now. But maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll get to see it again one day. 

    I’d like to pose the same question to you. You say you don’t have much to say about yourself, but I just can’t find it in me to believe that. Because, in truth, it takes a certain kind of person to muster up the courage to write a letter to a stranger. I’m certain your life is more interesting than you give yourself credit for-even if you are a yank, which I hope you know I mean in jest. And, if you’ll permit me, I’d like to get to know more of you. Like, does your husband mind that you're writing a letter to a marine? 

    Before I dig myself further into a hole, I’d just like to say thank you again. You may not realize it, but you’ve already helped to lighten my load. I look forward to your next letter. 

                                Sincerely Yours,    

                                    Eugene 

Letting out a sigh, you folded the letter up once more. You had to do something for him, there had to be something that you could do. It was then that an idea struck you, and you found yourself standing up straight. Glancing at the clock on the wall, it read nearly seven, it was possible she could be up already. Your mind was racing, trying to determine if it was a good idea or not. 

Going with the ladder, you quickly grabbed your coat and made your way out the front door. You’d have to walk to talk to the trolley to Josie’s house, and luckily for you there was one just on its way around the corner. Breaking out into a sprint, you made your way to the stop just before it arrived. 

Paying the toll, and finding your seat you tried not to talk yourself out of your plan. You just hoped Josie would be understanding about it. After all, your plan depended on her.

When you made it to Josie’s house, she had been more than a little angry. Standing at her doorway with curlers in her hair, and a robe wrapped tightly around her. 

“Do you realize what time it is? Are you nuts?” She huffed at you, as she made her way inside leaving you to close the door behind you. 

“I’m sorry, Josie. I just need your help.” 

“What happened, is everything alright? ‘Cause if somethin’s wrong I have a cousin down on Haight Street who’ll take care of-” 

“Not that kind of problem Josie. And wait, what do you mean take care of? You know what nevermind forget I asked,” You grumbled as you sat down at her kitchen table. 

“So what is it then? ‘Cause it damn sure better be good for gettin’ me up at the crack of dawn on a-”

“It’s about the marine- Eugene,” you blurted out.

Josie made a comedic face, eyes wide and lips pursed. “Well, I see then” she said, taking the seat next to yours. 

“Pray tell, what’s the problem?” she teased, grinning like a Cheshire cat. 

You hesitated for a moment before pulling the letter out of your pocket. “He wrote back to me again, and he’s- he didn’t straight out and say it but he said enough. It’s bad over there Josephine, and I want to help get his mind off things if I can. I have a plan to do it! I just, you know, need your help to pull it off. So what do you say?” 

Josie stuck her hand out to you, eyes downcast on the letter. A part of you didn’t want her to read it, it felt too personal - too intimate, but you handed it over. Her eyes quickly scanned over the letter, her face unreadable. 

“He also asked you if your husband would mind,” She said in a near monotone voice. 

Your face burned, hoping she wouldn’t have caught that. “Well…” 

“Did you tell him you were married?” she questioned. 

“No-”

“Then he’s interested,” she said matter of factly. 

“Wha-” you stammered, embarrassed at her assumption. 

“No man would ask about a husband unless he wanted to know if you had a husband. He kinda did it smooth too, good for him” She said, silently nodding her head in approval, her curlers slightly bouncing as she did so.

“So what’s this plan of yours?” Josie set the letter down, eyes never wavering from your own. 

Taking a deep breath you told her. No detail was too small as you went over what you had in mind. Josie had to stop you a few times trying to wrap her head around it. When you eventually finished going over your plan, Josie let out a huff and sat back in her seat. 

Pulling out a pack of smokes from her robe, she carefully lit a cigarette. Taking a drag she looked back at you. 

“You sure this is what you want to do? ‘Cause this plan of yours is going to take all day and cost money.” 

“I’m sure. I still have money left over from the last bet we won. And if I can manage to make it work on time, I’ll more than make up for it. I just...I need to help him Josie” 

“Why?” she asked, crossing her arms on the table, her thumb playing with the end of the cigarette. “Why do you want to go through so much trouble for a man you don’t even know?” 

You swallowed thickly. You had been asking yourself the same question all morning. 

“Because he needs it. He needs to be distracted from everything that’s going on, and I...I think I need it too.” 

Taking another drag, Josie put the cigarette out. “Okay then, let me just go get dressed and grab what we need.” 

“Oh, Josie tha-” 

She silenced you with a wave of her hand. “Don’t. I’m the one who suggested you write to him in the first place. And besides, I don’t think I’ve seen you smile so much ever since you started writing to him. It’s good for you, he’s good for you. So stop with the feeling’s and let me get ready”, she huffed at you before wandering into her room. 

The plan would work, it had to work. You just hoped Eugene would like it. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 1944

The heat was blistering. A kind of sweltering heat that made it seem like even his insides were sweating. They had gotten a brief respite from walking and the fighting, for that he was at least grateful. 

Sat down behind a large boulder with his company, he tried his best not to let his mind wander too much. He tried to swallow, but he found his mouth was too dry to do so. They had been forced to ration water, though they were due to get a new supply soon. For Eugene it felt like soon could come fast enough. 

“Sledge!” 

Gritting his teeth, Eugene stood up ready to take his next order when he was instead met with a mail delivery. He took it quickly, holding it as if it was the most delicate thing in the world. He hadn’t expected to be getting anything so soon. 

His parents had just written to him, and there wasn’t anyone else besides Sid who would write so fast. But when he saw the name scrawled across the front he should have known it would be you. How could it not have been?

Eyes scanning his company, he noticed they were too engrossed in their own business. Bill was reading his own letter, and Snafu was preoccupied eating canned food. 

Head ducking down, he opened the envelope noticing how much thicker it was than the others. He wondered briefly why that would be when things started falling out. Fumbling, Eugene managed to carefully place it on his lap, noticing that they were in fact pictures. 

Eyebrows furrowed, he turned his attention to your letter. His eyes eager to find out what you possibly could have written. 

Dear Gene, 

    I hope you don’t mind that I used your nickname, it makes me feel like we’re a little more than just strangers. I’m assuming you found the pictures by now, and I hope you haven’t cheated and looked at them yet. After getting your last letter, I couldn’t help but feel like I wanted to do something for you. Something that would help you take your mind off things just a bit more. So I hatched a plan with my dear friend Josie, who begrudgingly helped me. You were kind enough to tell me about your favorite place, and now I’m answering your question. But, unlike you, I’m able to show you. So Gene, will you take a tour of the city with me?

Eugene had to stop reading for a moment, the smile too big on his face to pay attention. You had done this for him. Everything around him felt like white noise, as he looked up to see Bill and Snafu still busy with their own things. But for a while, at least he could be with you, walking with you through your city. 

First stop is the Fisherman’s Wharf and the Ferry building. I don’t think I could have started anywhere else. It’s not only where I work but also one of the busiest places in the entire city. Here you can find the best seafood on the west coast, shops, and just about the most hard working people you will ever meet. It’s where I’m forced to spend most of my time, but you won’t find much complaining from me. You can see in the picture, all the different types of people you could ever think of. Which, and I mean this in jest of course, a Southern boy like you wouldn’t know of. But that’s ok, as a Yank, I have no problem showing you. 

Eugene paused to look at the picture, eyes taking in the sight before him. You were right, he didn’t think he’d ever quite seen anything like it. It was wonderful. 

    Then we have the Golden Gate Park, which is beautiful in its own right. And no matter what those New Yorker's tell you, our park is bigger (and better). But that’s just my humble opinion. It’s peaceful to walk through, a nice break from the city life. It reminds me a bit of how you described your field? And I think you’d like it here. Sometimes when I just need to get away and get some quiet I like to sit out by the lagoon and feed the ducks. Which I realize makes me sound like an old broad, but I enjoy it nonetheless. And if you look at the corner of the picture, you can see my friend Josie fighting off said ducks after she fed them too much. She’ll kill me if she finds out about the picture so let’s just keep that between you and me. didn’t look away, until he just shrugged and shoved more food in his mouth. 

Clearing his throat, Eugene turned back to your letter. Eugene looked down to find a picture that looked like it would be the park. Examining it closely, he could see waterfalls, bridges, and all types of fauna. It was nice, if only better than where he currently was. Not bothering to look up, his eyes returned to the letter, noticing there were only a few things left. 

    Next, are various buildings in the city. Mainly landmarks which every new visitor in the city is keen to see. You have The Sentinel, Coit Tower, Grace Cathedral, City Hall, and Mission Dolores. All of the buildings have their charm, and if I’m honest, pictures can’t really seem to do them justice. If you’d like to flip through those later I understand. 

    Our last and final stop is the Golden Gate Bridge. No photography could ever truly capture its majestic beauty. And the fog rolled in - again- so it’s not all visible. But it’s still as awe inspiring as the day they finished building it. It’s definitely one of my favorite places in the city, for a lot of reasons, but lately I think it's because of you. Because now everytime I look at it I think of you on the other side. 

As a side note, I didn’t mean to come out in this picture, but Josie caught me unaware. Good news for me is the fog and my hair basically obscure me, so I don’t ruin the picture. 

I hope I was a good enough distraction, even if only for a little while. And I hope the pictures came out okay. I don’t claim to be a photographer, but I think I did okay. You would not believe the amount of trouble I had to go through to get the pictures to you. But I think you’re worth it Eugene. 

As for my husband, I don’t think he’ll mind considering he doesn’t exist. I do hope your wife won’t mind. 

Be as safe as you can. 

                                Sincerely Yours,

                                    Y/N

Quickly setting the letter down, Eugene frantically searched for the picture of the bridge. Finding it, he held it up to his face to try and catch a glimpse of you. But you had been right, you were completely obscured, save for your outline. Still, he thought, it was a rather fine looking outline. 

“And what do we have here?” 

Eugene barely had time to look up before Snafu snatched the picture from his hand. Like lightning, he was up in Snafu’s face. 

“Give it back” 

“Why, Sledgehammer, you didn’t tell us you had a dame waitin’ for you?” Snaf was teasing him, and he was only taking the bait. 

Eugene was sure he would have been blushing if the head wasn’t already obscuring it. “I don’t have a dame, I have a friend. Now would you give it back?” Eugene’s voice left little room for argument, and Snafu knew it. 

“Just give him back the damn picture Snafu” Bill said, clearly annoyed by what was going on. 

Scoffing, Snafu handed it over. “Sure seems like more than a friend if you got that riled up over it” 

Sitting back down, Snafu spared one last look at him before sitting down. 

Eugene was riled up about it. He was protective over it, you. Never in his life had he ever had anyone go through this much trouble for him. He didn’t want to think about how much it must have cost you to do it. And you told him you thought he was worth it, him. 

He hadn’t missed your comment about your husband. Eugene wasn’t sure why even through it in his last letter. Curiosity, it seemed, had gotten the better of him. He had got the answer he hadn’t dared let himself hope for. You weren’t married, and you had cheekily asked him if he was. 

There was a fleeting moment where Eugene thought that maybe you could be more than just people writing letters to each other. But when the Captain started barking orders about moving out, he was quickly dragged back down to reality. 

He’d write to you soon, he just had to figure out what to say. For now he had bigger problems, but still his thoughts would linger on your letter, and the almost picture of you. 

[danny-boy27]

Sincerely Yours (II)

A/N: Repost from my old blog: sohoneyspreadyourwings

Word Count: ~2.8k

Story Masterlist

July 1944

You were late, again. You had managed to make on time for work at least twice since Josie was able to win the bet. But tardiness seemed to be too ingrained in you for you to be on time for more than a short period. 

Making it downstairs in record time, you found Dot scoffing at you as you rounded the corner of the breakfast table. 

“One of these days they're just gonna fire you from the shipyard.” Dot’s voice was sharp, taking a sip of her coffee as she gave you a pointed look. 

“They need too many people workin’ down there, they’re not ‘bout to go firing one of their best workers. Now stop pickin’ on the poor girl or you’re gonna hear from me, understand?” Gloria was pointing her spatula at Dot, putting emphasis on her thinly veiled threat. 

“Fine, fine,” Dot waved Gloria off, turning her attention instead to the newspaper. 

Gloria turned to you, handing you a piece of toast with jam. “You got a letter in the mail yesterday, didn’t have time to tell you before you went off to bed.” She said, tilting her head to the stack of papers on the counter. 

“Now go, or you really might just get fired,” Gloria said, before turning her attention back to the stove. 

Quickly grabbing the letter, you stuffed it into your coat pocket while biting on the piece of toast. Mouth full you said goodbye to your roommates, faintly hearing Dot say, “And that is why she’s going to end up alone. Girl has no sense of decorum.” Before she let out a yelp, no doubt from Gloria whacking her with the spatula. 

Laughing to yourself as you hurriedly made your way to the cable car, you shoved the rest of the toast into your mouth. If Dot was right about one thing, it was that you really did have no sense of decorum. 

Seeing Sammy waiting for you in the distance, you quickly made your way onto the cable car only to be met by a chorus of groans. 

“I hear ya, I hear ya!” you yelled back as you sat down in your usual seat. Sammy just laughed at you, shaking his head at your actions. Giving him a bright smile you turned your attention to the mysterious letter in your pocket. 

Pulling it out, you looked for the name of the sender before doing a double take. It was from him, the marine you sent your letter to. You found your fingers were slightly shaking in anticipation, wondering why he would have written back, if only to berate you for what you had written. 

Swallowing thickly, you shoved the letter back into your coat pocket. That was something you could worry about later, you had bigger problems currently, like making it to work on time. Seeing your stop in the distance, you didn’t wait for the cable car to stop before you got off. Shouting goodbye at Sammy as you made your way down the sidewalk, you nearly ran to make it too work. 

Making it to your station, your chest was heaving as you tried to catch your breath. 

“Really, Y/N how hard is it to come in on time?” Josie rolled her eyes at you as she tossed you your equipment.  Her face smeared with soot, she gingerly wiped her cheek clean. 

“Not you too, I won you the money last time didn’t I?” you groaned in reply, rolling the sleeves of your overalls just enough so that they wouldn’t hang. Shoving your coat into your locker, you followed Josie to your station.

“You might have won me the lot the first time, but I’ve been losing money ever since! Everybody said you wouldn’t be able to keep the streak, and lo and behold you didn’t. I’m just sayin’ you manage to make it on time to work for the next couple of weeks and we might just be sittin’ pretty on ten dollars.” 

“That much?” you questioned as you facened the welding mask over your head. 

“Yes! That much. Split between you and me that still more than we’d make in a couple of weeks.” 

“Well, I’ll tr,y” you mumbled as you made your way up the ladder, dragging the heavy hose with you. 

“There will be no trying, just doing!” Josie yelled at you. 

Letting out a small laugh, you were ready to lower your mask when you saw Rita laughing with you, her red curls bouncing as she laughed. 

“Is she going on about that bet? ‘Cause I’m betting on you being late. So if I need to switch my bet, tell me now.” 

“Oh, shut it” you replied, lowering your mask and getting to work trying not to pay attention to the dumb shenanigans of your coworkers. 

The rest of your day had gone by rather quickly. You’d all made significant progress on the ship, enough that it would probably be ready to set sail by the end of the week. After the day’s long work you were more than ready to just get your things and go. 

Standing in front of your locker, you put away your work things while listening to the chatter of the girls. 

“I think Jimmy’s going to ask you out any day now. The man’s in love with you!” Rita’s voice rang clearly through the room. You could practically feel Flo blushing as she tried to hush Rita. 

“Stop it! Jimmy is just...he’s a friend...a coworker,” she pleaded. 

“That’s in love with you and you’re in love with him,” Rita’s voice was smug, clearly entertained by her own teasing. 

“Oh, enough you two. It’s been a long enough day without your teasing. Now go home, and we’ll see you on Monday!” Josie, ever the mother hen, waved off the two girls. 

“Lord, I thought they’d never leave,” Josie said, sighing as she leaned against your locker. 

“They are a handful,” you laughed, grabbing your coat and putting it on. 

Josie snorted, pushing herself from the locker. “That’s one way of puttin’ it.” she paused. “Hey, what’s that?” 

Bending down, Josie picked up an envelope, turning it over in her hands. 

Like lightning, you shoved your hand in your coat pocket to see if the letter was still there, but your hand came up empty. 

“It says here it’s addressed to you from one E.B Sledge. Wait...is this the marine you wrote to? He wrote back to you? What did he say?” Josie was almost bouncing, an eager joy written all over her. You didn’t even have a chance to respond before Josie turned it over in her hand. 

“You mean to tell me you haven’t even opened it yet?” she questioned. Josie sounded almost disappointed, you swallowed trying not to think about how you were disappointed in yourself as well. 

Snatching the letter from her hands, you held the letter against your chest. “No, I haven’t opened it yet. I’m...a little worried about what it might say.” 

Rolling her eyes at you Josie let out a sigh. “This is your problem, presumably a very handsome marine has just written a letter to you, and you’re just ignoring it. You have to learn to take risks Y/N, and not just the kind that makes you late. How are you ever going to know what he wrote if you don’t even open it?” 

Pushing you by your shoulders, Josie led you out of the shipyard and closer to the docks near Hyde park. 

“Now, you are going to go read that letter in peace. Whether it’s good or bad it doesn’t matter. You just have to read it. If it’s bad you call me, and if it’s good, well then you don’t have anything to worry about. I hope I don’t hear from you!” Without another word Josie made her way towards the cable car. 

You watched her go until she was no longer in your field of vision. With a huff, you made your way to a nearby bench. Letter in your hands, you briefly turned it over looking at the writing on the front of the envelope. 

With a deep breath, you turned it over, gingerly opening it. Pulling out the letter, it almost felt as if you were holding your breath in anticipation. 

Dear Y/N, 

    I hope you don’t mind that I addressed you so informally. You see, I had the luck of being able to know your first name. I know when you wrote your letter to me you probably weren’t expecting to receive one in reply, but I couldn’t find it in myself to not write something back. I hope you don’t feel obligated to continue in correspondence with me, but I would like to perhaps get to know you better. My life right now is filled with...unpleasant things. And I think you might just be what I need, a distraction from, well, everything. 

I don't know much of who you are, but from your first letter alone, I can only presume that you’re a kind person. But I can tell you some of who I am. My name is Eugene Sledge, though if you’d like to call me Gene you wouldn’t find a complaint from me, and I’m from Mobile, Alabama. I don’t have much else to say about myself, it seems the marines have taken too much residence in who I am. Things aren’t easy here, and I suppose if you choose to write back to me, I’ll be in Peleliu when you get this, fighting. 

Is it bold of me to say I hope you do choose to write back? I know I’m not much, wasn’t before the war and if I make it, probably won’t be much either still. But, I hope you do anyhow. I’m not much for words, never was, but you seem like you are. And maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll get to read more of them. I’ll be waiting to hear back from you, but until then, I’ll just be waving at you from the other side of the ocean, and maybe if I look hard enough I just might see you waving back too. 

                                Sincerely Yours,

                                Eugene Sledge

You felt yourself rereading the letter over and over as if trying to commit his words to memory. This man, this stranger, had a full name now and you wanted almost desperately to know more. Worry was no longer in your mind, instead replaced by a need to write back. This man, Eugene, wanted to keep writing with you, for you to be a distraction. You could do that, for him, a man you didn’t want quite to be a stranger anymore. 

A cold breeze brought you back to reality, causing you to look up and see the sun was just finishing setting overhead. Carefully folding the letter and tucking it back into your coat pocket, you began briskly walking to the trolley. 

Wrapping the coat tightly around your body you thought of what you might write. Eugene wanted a distraction, something to no doubt balm his mind from the bloodshed. Mind racing with ideas, you tried to think of what to write about. Your life was pretty monotonous for the most part, but you would try your best to think of something to say. 

Stuffing your hands into your pockets, you found yourself clasping onto the letter. Eugene, his name was Eugene. You practiced saying the name once in your mind and then out loud, liking the way it rolled off your tongue. 

Well, Eugene Sledge, you thought, you just made yourself a new friend. Let’s just hope you don’t regret it. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

September 1944

Every time he closed his eyes he saw it. The blood, the bodies, the constant death that seemed to surround them. Eugene hadn’t imagined war to be easy, but he had never imagined the horrors that he had to live through. To see how ruthless and uncaring men could be, like their very souls had been killed, and yet they still kept marching on. 

There was finally a lull between the fighting, and he couldn’t be more grateful for it. His feet were soaked to the bone, his mind was weary, and everything just about seemed to hurt. It was quiet moments like this where he missed home, his mother and father, his dog, Deacon, but it all seemed too far away now. 

Rations and letters were being passed around, and as Eugene tried to pry open a can of food he heard his name called. 

Standing up to attention, he was met by a soldier who wordlessly handed him a stack of letters. Sitting back down, he set his can aside. Shuffling through the stack he fell upon your name. If Eugene was being honest with himself he would say that never in a million years did he ever expect you to actually write him back. Surely you had more important things to be doing with your time then writing to him, a man you had never even met before. 

Slyly, he glanced around making sure the likes of Snafu and Bill weren’t paying him any attention and proceeded to open your letter. A small part of him was worried you were just politely declining, wanting to write to him further, but when he saw how much you had written all his worries seemed to float away. 

Dear Eugene, 

    I think we can comfortably say we can be rid of formalities. In all honesty I was not expecting to get a letter back from you, and when I did, I was worried that you had thought me foolish. I have enough people in my life who think that of me so why not you as well? But your letter surprised me- in all the best ways let me assure you. It would be my genuine pleasure to continue writing to you, though I must warn you my life is nothing but boring. Though considering your situation you just mind find it refreshing. 

    I can’t say I have much to say about myself that I haven’t written already. I live in San Francisco, Fillmore Street. I’ve lived here my whole life, and I don’t think I’d ever really have the heart to live anywhere else. There’s a kind of beauty here that seems to stretch endlessly for miles and miles. The City by the Bay is unlike any other, and the people are more than friendly enough. Life here is easy, though the war has made it a bit more difficult, I still have my friends to help lighten the load. 

    I hope I can help lighten your load Eugene. If we’re going to be writing letters to each other frequently, then I’d like to consider us friends. And there isn’t anything that I wouldn’t do for my friends. I’ll happily prattle on about my life for as long as you need too, while also managing to sneak in a few questions for you as well. First being, what is your favorite spot in the whole world? 

    I look forward to you answer Eugene, but until then I’ll be here. I’ll be here for as long as you need me. 

                                    Sincerely Yours, 

                                        Y/N

Your words brought a type of comfort to him that he hadn’t felt since he had left home. It was remarkable to him, considering he had never even met you before. Reading the letter once last time, Eugene carefully tucked away with your first letter in his breast pocket. His fingers itched to write you back, but he would have to wait until the cover of night where there would be less of a chance for prying eyes. 

Sitting back, he found his lips tugging into a smile. His mind was no longer on what was surrounding him. 

“And what are you smilin’ ‘bout?” Snafu said, leaning forward a bit so that he was near inches from Eugene’s face. 

“Nothin’. Just a letter from a friend” he said quickly, hoping he didn’t hint at anything more. 

“Care to share it with the rest of us? Must be good if it got you smilin’ so big,” Snafu was prodding, teasing him to get a reaction. But Eugene wasn’t about to budge. 

“Rather keep it to myself thanks” he muttered under his breath, looking up long enough at Snafu for him to get the message. 

“Suit yourself then” he said quietly sitting back down across from Eugene. 

Eugene closed his eyes once more, but this time he wasn’t met with the horrors of war. For a few peaceful moments Eugene’s thoughts lingered on you. On what you might be doing right now, who you might be with, what you might look like. 

He’d write to you again, as soon as he could. You’d given him a taste of comfort, distraction, and he wasn’t about to let it slip through his fingers.

[danny-boy27]

Sincerely Yours (I)

A/N: A repost from my original blog, sohoneyspreadyourwings. For those of you who missed this story, and for new readers, I hope you enjoy. This story will always hold a special place in my heart.

Summary: It was only supposed to be one letter. A letter to a random marine you had never met before to try and bring some morale, lift their spirits. Instead, you’d been writing back and forth one letter to the next until it had been years. The letters had awoken something in you, a feeling that you couldn’t quite place. It was only when the letters stopped coming that you started to recognize what that feeling was. Suffice it to say, when a certain marine showed up on your doorstep, you were more than a little surprised.

Word Count: ~2.4k

Story Masterlist

Soundtrack to the fic

June 1944

You were late. Eyes flying open at the sound of your alarm clock, you quickly glanced at your clock to see that you were twenty minutes behind. Shoving the covers off of your body, you made a mad dash towards your bathroom. With rapid speed, you get yourself ready for work - not caring too much about your appearance.

Stumbling out of your bathroom and down the stairs, you nearly tripped over your feet on the last step. Catching yourself at the last moment, you composed yourself before making your way into the kitchen.

“Late again, hun?”

“You could say that, Dot” you mumbled, not bothering to look at her. No doubt she was sitting in the kitchen chair sipping on her morning tea, giving you a judgmental look.

“Oh, leave the girl alone, Dotty. She’s got a long day ahead of her, and she doesn’t need to be bothered so early in the morning.” Gloria gave you a firm nod, before giving Dotty a silencing look.

“All I was saying is, she would have been better off selling war bonds like me or manning the board at the stock exchange like you. Instead she’s slaving away building those ships. It’s no job for a woman, Gloria.” Dotty's voice only grew higher and more agitated the longer she went on. All you and Gloria could do was give each other a knowing look before letting out a sigh.

“I should be going, I’ll see you both for dinner!” you yelled, not bothering to turn back until Gloria called your name.

Handing you a piece of toast, she gave you an exasperated look. “At least a piece of toast, would you? Now go, or you’re going to be late for the trolley.”

Giving the stern woman a smile, you stuffed the toast in your mouth before heading out the door. You could faintly hear Dotty and Gloria bickering with each other. Of all the roommates you could have had, those two were definitely not what you ever could have imagined.

Walking briskly down the street, you wrapped your coat around you as a cool breeze blew past you. Rounding the corner, you made it just in time to see the cable car parked at the stop. Making a run for it, you waved it down, only to see Old Sammy smiling at you.

“Just in time as always,” he said sweetly to you. Giving you a nod hello, he turned his direction back to the car, moving it along once again.

“Thanks to you Sammy. You know one of these days you’re going to have a riot on your hands waiting for me to show up,” you said, taking a seat next to his grips controls.

He gave you a soft smile, shaking his head slightly. “Then you might want to think about showing up on time for once.”

You let out a warm laugh, leaning back in your seat. The cable car blocked enough of the wind from you, but you still managed to get a chill up your spine as you rolled down a hill. Eyes taking in the views of your city, the city which had seen so much change since the start of the war. Some changes for the better, and some for the worse, you still managed to see the beauty of your home. They didn’t refer to it as shangri la for nothing.

Once your stop finally came into view, you bid Sammy goodbye before hurriedly making your way to the docks. The docks were already crowded, workers lined the streets getting ready for the day's work. The sun shone brightly overhead, but it did little to mask the crisp air nipping at your face.

Making your way inside, you were met by disapproving stares of your coworkers. Head held high, you kept up your pace. Punching in before making your way to your station, you were met by your rambunctious crew.

“She’s late again ladies!” Josie smirked at Rita and Flo, who were giggling to themselves as they gathered their tools.

Rolling your eyes, you grabbed onto the welding mask that she handed you. “Is everybody going to remind me of that today?” You groaned out.

“Well, maybe don’t be late so often Hun, and people wouldn’t need to tell you. Now come on. We gotta finish the upper deck today.” Swinging her arm over your shoulder, Josie led you to the ship you’d been helping build for the last two days. Adjusting the welding mask on your face, Josie turned to face you. “I got to talk to about somethin’ that one of the girls turned me on to. After the shift I’ll tell ya all about it.”

“Don’t tell me your talking about Sally-”

Smacking you in the arm, she pulled away from you. “I am not talking about the Madam, you dolt!” Josie's now wide brown eyes looked at you disapprovingly. Agitation written all over her dark brown complexion.

“Alright, alright. Sorry." You held in laughter, "What is it then?” you said, still laughing at Josie’s reaction.

“It’s about the boys overseas. Do a little somethin’ to cheer ‘em up. Now come on, or old Rose is going yell our ears off.”

Nodding your head, you walked up to your designated station. Grabbing your hose, you brought down your mask and went to work. Hours seemed to go by welding pieces together. It was long and exhausting work, and the breaks were few and far between.

The girls gabbing away seemed to be the only thing to pass the time more quickly. Working on the ships was an almost therapeutic job for you. You were doing an important job, helping the boys in the Navy, and all those fellows in the Pacific. Knowing that made the job more bearable, a willing sacrifice to try and end the madness of war just a little sooner.

When the whistle finally sounded letting you know the work day was finally over, let out a sigh of relief. Climbing down from the upper decks of the boat, you found Josie, Rita, and Flo waiting for you.

“I need a drink, anyone in? I think some of the boys from the warehouse said they’d be interested.” Rita was smiling at you while fluffing up her hair.

“No thanks, Rita. Josie and I already made some plans. Maybe next time?” You offered, giving her a soft smile.

“Looks, like it’s just you and me, Flo”

“And why on Earth would you think I’m comin’ along?” she stammered. Hands on her hips she looked down at Rita, who she nearly towered over.

“Because Jimmy’s gonna be there. Now come on.” Dragging Flo by the arm, they both waved goodbye to you and Josie.

Turning to look at her, you raised your eyebrow at her. “So what was this thing you wanted to talk to me about?”

Digging her hand into her work pants, she pulled out a crumpled pamphlet. “This has the names of some of the marines stationed in the Pacific. A friend of mine gave it to me. Said she got this from one of the girls at the recruiters office. She said that we should write a letter to one of ‘em. Bring up their spirits and such. I thought that maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea, you know? Write a letter, maybe take their mind off of whatever’s going on.”

“So you want me to write a letter to a man I’ve never met before?” you countered.

“Yes, a letter, a singular letter. You’re a good person and I know why you build these ships, same as everyone else. You just want to help. This might help some lonely or tired marine, make it through the end of this. So take it, pick a name, and write a letter.” Handing you the pamphlet, Josie gave you a gentle pat on the hand.

“I’ll see ya tomorrow, okay? Bright and early. The girls are pulling bets again and I’m the only one not betting against you. So show up on time, and I’ll split it with you” Giving you a grin, Josie waved goodbye, making her way outside.

You watched her walk away, feeling the weight of the pamphlet in your hands. There were hundreds of names of men you had never met or would never know, but still Josie’s words clung to you. Writing a simple letter couldn’t be too hard, and considering everything they were doing over there, this really was the least that you could do.

The entire ride home you tried to figure out what you were going to say, and who you were going to say it too. You’d skimmed through some of the names, and you didn’t know how you were supposed to choose one. None of them stood out to you, and it felt almost like an impossible task.

You’d let yourself forget about it through dinner, and cleaning up for bed. Your mind endlessly debating whether this was going to be worth all the trouble in the end. But once in your room, the pamphlet seemed to almost physically way down your bed.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” you muttered under your breath. Sitting on your bed, you pulled out one of your books to use as a makeshift desk. Grabbing the pamphlet, you closed your eyes. Opening it to a random page, you waved your finger over the names until you suddenly stopped.

Opening your eyes, you saw the name your finger landed on, E.B Sledge.

“Well, E.B Sledge, I hope I don’t mess this up too much.” you muttered.

Grabbing your pen and a few loose pieces of paper, you set to work writing a letter. Going through draft after draft until you finally felt you had gotten something at least passively readable, you neatly folded it up and put it in an envelope. Setting your alarm clock nearly a half hour early, you set yourself upon mailing the letter in the morning. You could only hope that whoever this Sledge was, that he wouldn’t find your letter unwanted.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 1944

The unbearably hot sun was just beginning to set over the horizon on Pavuvu. Exhaustion was not an accurate enough word to describe the ache Eugene felt in his bones. Since setting foot on the island, it had been nothing but grueling work under the unforgiving sun.

Growing up in Alabama provided some resilience to the heat, but the hot sticky summers of his home were nothing compared to the unbearable heat of Pavuvu. His mortar squad at least provided some comfort, a growing camaraderie between the men.

He had yet to see war, and for now he was grateful for it. Though, it was only a matter of time before it happened. There was no real way to brace yourself for it, and though Sid had provided some insight, it wasn’t enough - it could never be enough.

Eugene was sat in his bunk now, sorting through some of his mail. Letters from his mother and father were expected, no doubt wishing him well. But when a letter fell out among the rest, he curiously reached down to examine it.

A woman’s name he didn’t recognize was neatly written across the return address. Double checking that the letter was in fact, addressed to him, he ran his fingers along the front of the envelope. Setting his letters from his parents aside, he carefully opened the unknown envelope. He nearly had it out when he heard someone walk by. Quickly stuffing the letter into his shirt, he casually laid down on the bed, before realizing that it wasn’t anyone in his squad. Just another marine walking by.

Sitting back up, he carefully took the envelope from his shirt and opened it up completely. His initials were written at the top of the page, delicately as if it was done with the greatest care.

Dear E.B Sledge,

That feels awfully formal doesn’t it? I wish I knew your actual name, but this will have to do. I know how incredibly strange this must be for you, to get a letter from a complete stranger, but my friend convinced me this would be a good idea. I got your name from a pamphlet, and was asked to write a letter to any marine listed. Luckily or unluckily for you, I found your name. I wish I had something profound to say to you, words of advice or luck, but all I can say is that I’ll be thinking of you. Which now that I’ve written that down, might seem awfully insane. But, you see, I’m a welder. I help build some of the ships for the navy, which in turn, I guess helps you out there in the pacific too. But when I build them, I’m doing it for nameless men who went out and chose to risk their lives. But now there’s you, E.B Sledge, a person who can give just a little more meaning to what I do, and who knows? Maybe something I helped build might help you.

It’s funny I think, to think about how close and far to each other we're at the same time. Maybe, if I go out to the Golden Gate bridge and squint hard enough I can see you out there, fighting a war you shouldn’t have too. I’ll save you from any of my other ramblings, I’m sure you have a better way of spending your time than reading a letter from a woman you don’t even know. Stay safe E.B Sledge, and know I’m wishing you all the best from the other side of the ocean.

Sincerely Yours,

Y/N L/N

Eugene must have read the letter over at least half a dozen times. Your name rolling around in his head, he tried to picture you, but he wasn’t sure he’d get it right. You could be anyone, really. A nice middle aged woman, or maybe even someone near his own age. There was no real way of knowing. But the contents of the letter were left burned in his brain, a stranger taking home in his thoughts. He could tell that you wouldn’t be expecting a letter back from him, most likely assuming this to be a one off deal.

But as Eugene’s eyes scanned through the letter once more, he found himself reaching for a piece of paper and a pen. You had taken the time to write a complete stranger a letter, and Eugene would be damned if he didn’t do the same. Carefully choosing his words, Eugene finished up the letter just before the rest of his squad came in for the night. Tucking both letters under his pillow, Eugene would find a way to get it sent out to you.

You were strangers now, but maybe you didn’t have to be for much longer. There were countless enemies waiting for him, he could use all the friends he could get, even if you were an ocean away.

[danny-boy27]

Contraband peaches??? As a sticker?????? You bet :)

[danny-boy27]

There are things men can do to one another that are sobering to the soul. It is one thing to reconcile these things with God, but another to square it with yourself.

[danny-boy27]

[danny-boy27]

anyway, let's talk about how Alton More, out of all of easy, is actually the first one to see through the façade of violence and ruthlessness Ronald Speirs puts up around himself because something about this scene--

-- is a direct pipeline to the Carver scene, when Ron pistol whips then trains the gun on Carver's face, and the others flinch away or closes/averts their eyes altogether--

--Alton More is one of the few who keeps his eyes right on Ronald Speirs with that fucking look on his face.

what the fuck does that mean, Alton!? is it morbid anticipation? are you waiting for the final blow, the execution that'll finally satisfy you? are you waiting for him to finally snap and betray his own morals just for your petty revenge? or are you afraid? are you afraid that he's not who you thought he was and he'll actually do it? prove you wrong and everybody right, after months fighting beside him and following his orders? are you finally considering that perhaps the violence and ruthlessness are part of him after all? are you afraid that maybe it's part of you, too?

well, you'll be glad to find out it isn't. part of him, that is. and maybe it isn't part of you, either. not that you care, Alton. brushing up against that existential question is more than you can bear at the moment because the next time you see each other, it's back to business--

--and all is well.

tl;dr Alton More can play Ronald Speirs like a fiddle because he's got him read and sorted. and the funniest thing, is that Ron doesn't realize it.

or maybe he does.

but whether or not he likes it is a different story.

[danny-boy27]

snippet of my webgott fic <3

[danny-boy27]

someone help the guy writing these comments

[danny-boy27]

Band of Brothers hc request where nurse!reader can’t sleep because of all the injuries piling up/feeling guilty about not doing more?

Thank you for the request anon! <3 mentions of grief, wounds, reader is overworked and ur man takes care of you, mainly fluff.

Easy Company x Nurse!Reader Headcanons

Eugene Roe:

I can imagine Gene’s on duty and he see’s you again, still working late into the night, despite him knowing you were on shift before 7am.

The long days were brutal, Eugene knew that. The urge to help out in anyway possible and feel guilt for resting was something he combatted heavily, especially throughout Bastogne.

But nobody can work effectively when they’re running off four hours sleep.

You and Eugene are close, you’re not in a relationship but there’s feelings there that probably go unspoken until the end of the war. So he feels comfortable enough to approach you.

When you accidentally knock into a tray of surgical and medical items and your breathing deeply, hands running over your forehead - he knows you’re too overworked.

“Y/n.” He steps closer. “Get off duty and go to bed.” Gene would borderline sass.

“I’m fine, Gene.” You’d shake him off, snapping from the irritability of exhaustion.

Gene would cover your hand before you had chance to tidy the tray of equipment you’d just messed up. Finally, you’d look at him now.

“Seriously, you ain’t gonna be anymore help running off no sleep.”

You’d feel a little guilty, knowing your tiredness was potentially messing things up, but you couldn’t give up.

“I can’t sleep, Gene, I feel too bad that I’ve got a warm bed and half these men are sleeping on the floor.” You’d finally admit.

“You gotta try, hm?” Ugh his voice would be so low gentle, he’s so careful not to alarm or engage anybody else in the conversation, and the way he’s holding your hand is distracting.

Anyway, he’s too convincing and soon he’s walking you back with a hand in yours, a little saddened by how clearly overworked you are.

“If anything happens you’ll come get me, right?” You’d worry and Gene would offer you a small smile. “Nothin’s gonna happen.”

But anyway he practically forces you to go to bed and by no surprise you’re passed out within minutes of hitting the pillow.

Gene probably comes back to check up on you a few hours later and he’s soo relieved that you’re fast asleep 🥹.

Ron Speirs:

This mf does not mess around, especially when it comes to you.

You and Ron are already in a relationship by the time you’re at Germany, you’re an amazing comfort to one another and Ron’s already thinking about popping the question by the time they get somewhere nicer.

Anyway, when you’re working tirelessly to take care of the poor victims of the camp, you don’t get back until early hours of the morning, eyes circled with dark bags, legs barely functioning.

The next morning Ron see’s you up early asf, so he asks around to see what time you were back last night. When you don’t return from the infirmary until super late the next day, he’s kinda annoyed.

Not annoyed at you really, he just worries for you.

“What time did you get back last night?” He calls you into his office and for a minute you’re actually intimidated by him, skskskksksle.

You’d attempt to lie that it wasn’t that bad but Speirs would just nod with a knowing expression on his face.

“You’re off duty tomorrow.” He’d simply say and your heart would plummet.

“Ron, no!” You’d immediately plead, the guilt building up.

“I can’t have an exhausted nurse running around, that’s no help to anybody.”

“Then do it for me, personally. I can’t sleep knowing all those people are still in there.”

Ron would inhale, feeling a little worried knowing why you’re feeling that way. He’d secretly inform you that you’re moving out tomorrow anyway, speaking so quietly.

Also secretly brings you up to his private room, the fact you have a night off together is overwhelmingly nice and if you can’t sleep Ron’s doing anything possible to help you.

Talking would be the first thing, you’d discuss everything. He’d 100% be cuddly asf after not being able to relax around you for a while, he’d offer you a massage and then if that didn’t work he’s tiring you out even more using other methods… do with that as you please.

Joe Liebgott:

I can deffo imagine him being a little wise ass about it at first. The two of you are close friends, wanting to be something more, and the way Joe expresses it is through teasing you.

Like you’re sitting on the edge of the nurses foxhole, just staring into blank space.

“Jesus, are ya even alive?” Waves in front of your face, half expecting you to crack a smile like you always do.

You’d probably mutter something back to him, snapping and blinking back down to your gloved hands. You’re just waiting for another cry out for help.

“God, you are cranky when you’re tired, huh?!” He watches you stand up with a sigh, glancing around the area to go check up on everyone.

“Where ya going?” He’s a little disappointed and confused, he saw you patrolling around only moments prior.

Anyway when you think of some excuse he’s pulling you back down into the foxhole, climbing in with you.

Kinda confronts you about how you haven’t been sleeping and practically wraps two of the spare blankets around you.

“Stay warm, okay? Talk to me, y/n/n, why can’t ya sleep?” He knows why you can’t sleep, but he’s so caring, even when he doesn’t mean to, Joe naturally falls into the role of sometimes nurturing other people. The perks of having younger siblings, huh?

When you’d explain that there’s too many wounded men back in town to even know where to start, and that you feel too guilty to sleep when all the others need checking up on out here he’s tutting and wrapping an arm around you.

“C’mere. How ya gonna treat anybody when you’re running off no sleep? You’ll get all jumpy and pass out- that’s the last we need, isn’t it, doll?”

“Yeah…”

“Try get some sleep, huh? I’ll stay, as long as nobody finds me here.” Technically being in a foxhole together wasn’t allowed, but the mutual comfort you gained from one another was unexplainable. Plus, Joe didn’t want you creeping up and sneaking away when you had to rest.

When you are asleep and he has to go, he presses the most gentle kiss to your temple, hesitantly climbing back out and telling all the men nearby to shut the hell up.

Bill Guarnere:

“Now when I heard about a lady out here refusin’ to get some shut eye, I didn’t realise it wa’ you.” Bill would smooth a hand up your back as you’d sigh, melting into his touch as he climbed onto the single bunk with you.

“They had to kick you outta’ the infirmary?” Bill doesn’t know if he’s impressed or concerned by your determination out here. Ever since landing you’ve been overwhelmingly busy, he’s glad to see you in bed. He’s not glad to see you awake, however.

“Pretty much.” You’d mutter, turning around to wrap an arm over his lap as he rested with his back against the headboard.

Bill would let you sink completely into his hold, hoping if anything the comfort of having one another would let you sleep.

Bill knows exactly why you can’t sleep, he knows you better than anybody, the guilt, the desperation to make sure everybody is okay. It doesn’t really need to be spoken about.

“Try get some sleep, yeah? I’ll stay as long as I can until those others get back, ok?”

Shifty Powers:

When he rolls over to you in the middle of the night and see’s you awake again he’s reaching over for you instantly.

“What’ya thinkin’ about, hm?” He’d mutter, gazing over your frustrated complexion.

“I should be down there.”

“Where?”

“At the infirmary.”

Now in Germany, it was more civilian injuries you were treating, especially when a building collapses and you’re absolutely swamped with causalities. After hours upon hours of being run off your feet you’re sent off duty, but your brain won’t shut off.

“Last I checked they had it under control.” Shifty would mutter, running a thumb over your creased brow until you relaxed. “If ya running around any longer you ain’t gonna be able to tomorrow.”

Ugh he’d be so soft and reassuring, there’s not a chance you’re leaving the bed however- he makes sure of that.

Dick Winters:

“Y/n, where are you going?” Dick has one eye open in his foxhole when he see’s you creeping past, arms huddled around your chest and scarf wrapped around your head.

Dammit, you thought he’d be asleep.

“Uh, just going to help out, Di- sir.” Although you had both been seeing one another, nothing had occurred out at war so it was extremely professional to maintain professionalism with one another.

“You’ve been there all day.” He’d sit up straighter, both your teeth chattering practically back to one another.

“I-I can’t sleep, sir. There’s so much to do.”

“If you don’t sleep you’ll be no help at all.” He’d remind, a very nice way of saying ‘get the hell back into your foxhole’.

“I know but. I can’t sleep. I feel too guilty.”

“Well we need a nurse out on these lines. Anybody needs you I’ll come get you, alright?” Dick is so understanding and makes you feel less guilty & more important at the same time. He’s so emotionally intelligent.

He walks you back to your foxhole, with a gentle squeeze of your hand he leaves you with a reminder that he’s still there.

He sure as hell isn’t waking you up however.

Babe Heffron:

“Hey get back into bed, would ya?” Babe would be on patrol and see you sneaking back to the aid station, walking alone through Haguenau.

He’d catch you red handed, sneaking over through the concealment of the darkness.

“And what’a’ya doin out here alone, huh?” He wouldn’t be happy, he practically had to force you to go to bed initially, and now you were sneaking out a mere 2 hours later.

“They need my help, Babe.”

“Did they tell ya that personally?” He gets kinda sassy ok, he’s a little annoyed cos he only wants the best for you, but the second he see’s you starting to get upset or blubbering he softens.

“Aw no, c’mere, I didn’t mean to upset ya!” Fuck patrolling, he’s pulling you aside and giving you a cuddle.

When you tell him what’s up he’s reminding you of every single accomplishment, big or small you’ve completed- and just how helpful you are and how everybody loves& appreciates you.

I think Babe is accidentally good with his words in certain situations, even if he’s a little flustered and worried for you, it’s his kindness and reassurance that has you eventually knocked out in bed again.

[danny-boy27]

dick is the type of dad to make sure you brush your teeth, set out your clothes for the next day, say your prayers and gently tell you that yes, it is too late for a snack before tucking you in for the night and lew is the type of dad to army crawl across your bedroom floor ten minutes later with crackers and a whispered “don’t leave any crumbs I love you goodnight”

[danny-boy27]

Contraband peaches??? As a sticker?????? You bet :)