Love's Not Allowed in the Trenches

5

The next few days that followed were very exciting. It rained non stop and we had to work very hard to keep the trenches in good condition with all the mud. Several new soldiers had joined us in our posting and best of all Corporal Tomlinson, or Louis as I now called him, often pulled me behind piles of sandbags or towards him in the empty bunker at times to kiss me.

Around midnight when I was lying in the mud with my rifle fixed in place, watching the few dim lights across the field where the enemy trenches were. The lights were usually from candles or lighters but they often showed where other people were standing.

I saw a man stand with a cigarette in his hand and took aim, shooting.

"How's it going?" came a voice behind me.

It was Sergeant Payne, dressed in usual in his uniform, his smaller gun over his arm. Sergeant Payne didn't do much shooting or trench digging, just kept control over our bunker and the ones around us, like Zayn's bunk.

"It's alright sir." I replied.

"Corporal Tomlinson told me you've been doing some exceptional work out here. Well done." Sergeant Payne said and he held out his hand. I shook it and he nodded sharply, then continued on down the trench.

"What was that all about?" Niall asked, joining me, his head ducked out of sight as he crawled up through the mud to where I was lying.

"I don't exactly know." I replied.

"I'm afraid Cooper got shot." Niall said.

"How?" I asked.

"The stupid bastard stood up at the top of the mud pile and was in plain view from everywhere. They got him right in the chest." Niall said.

"Who are you talking about mate?" Zayn's voice asked, joining us as well, a half smoked cigarette between his lips.

"Cooper. From our bunker." Niall replied as Zayn shuffled into place beside us.

"Ah that's a shame." Zayn said.

"Oi, what are all you lads doing lined up here? Spread out, go on." Louis said, approaching us.

"Sorry sir." I said, trying to keep my face straight as I slipped down the mud back onto the solid ground.

Niall stayed in position and Zayn clapped Louis on the shoulder then walked off in the direction of his bunk. I went the opposite way, Louis right behind me.

"Come here you." he said once we were away from Niall and he grabbed my hand and pulled me in to kiss him.

"Can we really keep doing this Louis?" I asked as it stated to rain again, big drops bouncing off my helmet.

"Course we can. Listen, you've got time off next week. I can ask Liam, I mean the Sergeant, if I can just have a few days as well. We can go back to England and stay at an inn or something. Just the two of us." Louis said, temptingly.

"Unless you want to go and stay with your family of course." he added.

"Well I've got five days off, maybe you can come for two and then I'll spend the other three back home?" I suggested.

"Alright then. I'll see you later." Louis replied, grinning.

I pressed my lips to his and then he walked away. I smiled to myself and army-crawled back up the mud to the sandbag wall.