All Is Fair In Love And War

Chapter 2

January 31, 1943

Douxie watched Carter from his bed with worry. He kept to himself up until the medic left the tent before he joined his friend on his bed.

"You okay?" He asked, reaching out to take Carter's injured arm.

Carter gave him a small smile. "I'll live, Douxie. The bullet barely grazed me."

"That's the understatement of the century." Douxie muttered, running his thumb over Carter's bandaged arm. "There was so much blood..."

Carter tilted his head, giving Douxie a sarcastic smile. "You squeamish, England?"

Douxie met his gaze, eyes hardening a little. "Carter, you could have died."

Carter's smile fell and he looked away, pulling his arm out of Douxie's grip. "I know the risks, Hisirdoux. We all do."

Douxie shook his head, taking in a deep breath. "Two things there, Queens. One, jumping in front of a bullet for me is not going to help anyone. Two, you know how I feel about you using my full name. It makes you sound like my father."

Carter's smile came back a little and he looked back up at Douxie. "Daddy issues?"

Douxie snorted a laugh, gently bumping shoulders with his friend. "Oh please don't. My father wasn't the best but he tried. He would just really sternly yell my name alot and he never called me by my nickname."

Carter chuckled. "Man, you should hear my mom when she's pissed at me. She goes the whole nine yards. Middle name and everything."

"Middle name?" He inquired with a curious smile.

Carter groaned. "God no, please don't make me say it."

Douxie nudged him. "No, you kind of have to now."

He huffed, brushing his hair away from his face. "Fine. But promise me you won't laugh?"

Douxie grinned. "Promise."

Carter sighed, running a hand over his face. "My middle name is... Bellum."

Douxie blinked, that familiar fear of the unknown creeping in his chest. "Bellum... like the latin word for 'war'?"

Carter snorted. "Yup. Guess my mom had a sense of humor."

Douxie pursed his lips, trying to push down his suspicion. "Carter Bellum Howard?"

"You said you wouldn't make fun." Carter warned, although there was a certain playful lilt to his voice.

"I'm not..." Douxie murmured, eyes fixing on the floor as he thought. Old memories swirled around in his mind. A name whispered in the wind. A faceless figure looming over the fields of fallen men. A feeling of dread stirred in his gut.

"Doux...?" Carter said carefully, placing a hand on his arm. "You look like you're about to throw up. Are you okay?"

Douxie looked at him, studying his face intensely. They were sitting so close he could see every detail. The little scar over his upper lip, the slight crookedness to his nose that had come from a few too many punches in the face, the minute dash of freckles splattered across his nose and cheeks like a careless painter had decided to go wild on his canvas. And his eyes. Carter had the most gorgeous brown eyes Douxie had ever seen. They swirled with various shades of amber and brown. Slight flecks of gold were placed deep in the earthen shade of his eyes, like precious jewels hiding in rich dark soil. And in his face, Douxie could see it. He could see the almost unnatural and slightly ethereal beauty that wasn't there in regular mortals. Carter's face was just a little too perfect, a little too symmetrical. He was absolutely breathtaking to look at, and Douxie wondered how he'd missed this before.