I'm a soldier.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close.

Oh, I am by far the innocent one of the two of us, but surely you know this.

I'm walking away now. Don't follow me, you creepy, little shit. 

You know those days when it’s just so hot all you want to do is sit with seven fans on you? Today is that day.

I'm sure getting your hands on seven fans won't be too difficult.

Well, it seems as though it’s an effective event, seeing as everyone goes all out for it. Kappa Sigma did, but I don’t know if I’d be rushing. The hazing doesn’t sit too well with me. Your girlfriend? Well, that’s great for you. Are you enjoying it so far?

I guess you better find yourself a date, then, huh? Oh, yeah? I don't anything about frats, to be honest. Hazing has calmed down a lot from what it used to be, though. Yeah, my girlfriend. Abby, Abby Harcourt. I am enjoying it. I have a two story house and a decent job, plus with this beautiful weather. You like it here? 

I’m sure they would love to hear about your PTSD making you throw poor innocent bystanders into a wall.

Mmm...I haven't thrown any innocent bystanders into a wall. It doesn't surprise me you would think yourself innocent, you do strike me as delusional. 

“Always, you say? Careful now, I might take that as an open invitation to flirt shamelessly with you - even at inappropriate times.” It was easy talking to Jude. She could still remember her attempts of keeping him at bay - to sass him until he gave up talking to her; Abby had always been relieved when she saw him walk away the times he did, for she knew there was only so much she could throw at him. After all, she wasn’t completely heartless. But, she had always been careful to miss his eyes when she did; it was easier to ignore its desolation, than to face it, she had learnt. “Would you now,” the brunette asked, while her tone adopted a coy tone. Already, her mind was filled with varying ideas on where they could ‘play’. With their foreheads still connected, she moved to brush their noses together as she relayed her thoughts. “And where would we start? Your office? Or perhaps the photocopying room - the roof?” At her last suggestion, her pink tongue darted out to wet her upper lip, as if to give a visual of how much fun they could possibly have. Even as physical space grew between the two, her mind lingered upon the imagery, and glued on a certain curve of her mouth that she usually reserved for the bedroom. The smile briefly retreated at being called cute. “I am not, and I should think they spent too much time on the run to really bother with gifts,” she denied. She probably would have found a way to continue had his hand not climbed its way to her neck - pausing every other thought, but the dormant one that had lurking about the last few days. Did the her, that remembered, enjoy his hand across her skin as much as she did now? Or was this something entirely new? Was this how he knew where to touch her and muddle her protests?

"I always want you to flirt shamelessly with me and I prefer the inappropriate times, it keeps me on my toes," Jude felt like he was in high school again, he felt light and carefree. Not to mention, Abby's playful nature brought out his own. Jude was reminded of a time when life was simple for him, before he had been sent to that desert and discovered the horrible things he was capable of. He still felt a constant worry, he wondered when the next flashback would begin, and if it would be Abby, or worse, his daughters who suffered. The thoughts that kept him up at night were becoming less frequent, though. Moving to L.A. with Abby was turning out to be the best spur-of-the-moment decision Jude had ever made. 

"When do I not do weird? It’s a thing. Yeah, we’re living together, and I feel very…odd about it. Like, I don’t know if I should be finding my own separate place or what. It’s…a little awkward. Also, you couldn’t have maybe mentioned that you were in love with my cousin like a long time ago? I know she’s got that Harcourt charm, but damn. Also, you watch out; I don’t call her Princess for nothing. I love the girl to death, but she’s a handful. And in turn I have to also give you the obligatory, ‘if you hurt her I’ll have to kill you’ speech because she’s like a sister to me. More so than my own sister. So, please try to keep that in mind, yeah?"

That's true, you're weird all of the time. Yeah...it's slightly awkward, but you're not going to be kicked out...if you want to find your own place, though, I understand. I know, I know, but I didn't know how to even start that conversation...I'm not going to hurt her.

Not just fraternities, apparently. This is an icebreaker for the dorms. If this is what we do here, I don’t know if I want to rush a frat. Although one has already approached me. What brings you to LA? Are you going to do your masters here?

I hear it's not for the faint hearted, but it can't be nearly as bad as boot camp. Which one approached you? Oh, I'm here for work, and my, uh, girlfriend actually moved here. 

[He takes a deep breath.] Alright, come on in. How are the girls?

Their good, adjusting well. That's actually why I came by...Nora and Raime came to see me the other day, and I know I've been, I don't know...If you want to be a part of Maxie's life, I want you to. We haven't worked out the details, but I know that they--Nora and Raime--want to be more involved and I just wanted to see how you felt about all of this.

[He stumbled back after running into someone, head tilting up with slightly wide eyes] I—Sorry. I didn’t see you.

It's okay, it's fine, don't worry about it. [He leaned down to collect his briefcase and the items that had fallen out of his grasp.]