A Final Kiss Before the Battlefield
Eryk gazed down at Valentine, who was sleeping soundly in his arms as if the whole world were her bed. “…You should sleep in the bed.” Even when told to sleep in the bed, she wouldn’t listen. Valentine simply leaned against him and sought out sleep. Eryk poked her cheek again and again, watching the utterly content expression on her face, and a soft laugh escaped him.
“So you’re saying I shouldn’t confess first…”
Seeing her smile mischievously and beg him never to confess first made Eryk’s heart race wildly. “I’m worried I won’t be able to stay calm even on the battlefield.” What if he hesitated out there? What if he found himself missing her? With those thoughts swirling in his mind, Eryk gently draped his coat over Valentine.
“…It will definitely happen.”
He would hesitate in the face of death and picture Valentine in his head. It was hardly the attitude of an exemplary soldier. But as a human being, it was only natural. Even if he left the person he loved in a safe place and charged alone into battle, his chest would ache like it was being torn apart. And that beloved person was heading to an entirely different battlefield.
“……”
Eryk already felt his heart beginning to throb with pain. “I’d rather tie the knot right now, but…” Even if he said it, she would only refuse. And even without that, Eryk didn’t want to rush. After all, she had asked him not to.
“Please… survive and come back to me.”
Eryk let out a small, wry laugh. Sharing affection with a vampire. Hoping that a vampire would live. She was the very existence he had once hated so fiercely, the one he had wanted to eradicate from this world. Yet now he found himself dreaming of building a family with that same being.
“…This is complicated.”
Eryk was still deeply conflicted. The trauma from that day—when he had abandoned his family and fled—had taken root too deeply inside him. Because he had personally buried his fallen comrades, his head ached terribly, yet at the same time, he felt happy.
“…Eryk, don’t go.”
“Yeah, I’m right here.”
“Hehe……”
One utterly adorable little vampire laughed and rubbed herself against him. She was like a cat. So cute it drove him insane. Eryk was certain of it: he had already gone completely mad. He could not live without Valentine. And he hoped she felt the same.
“…How incredibly fortunate I am to be able to treat you as a person rather than a vampire.”
So saying, Eryk slowly stroked Valentine’s hair. “Thank you. I’m sorry. And I love you.”
After letting out one more soft laugh, Eryk blew out the candle flickering pitifully beside them. The wavering light vanished, leaving only pitch-black darkness. He could feel the warmth of Valentine’s body.
“…I’d like to kiss you one last time.”
But it seemed impossible right now. Valentine was sleeping far too happily for him to wake her. She already struggled with sleep because of her PTSD. Eryk decided not to disturb her.
“Have sweet dreams… Yes, dream of me.”
“……”
“I’ll dream of you too, my dear.”
With those words, a blushing Eryk sat down in the chair and closed his eyes to sleep.
Chirp, chirp, chirp.
Birdsong that felt entirely out of place on a battlefield rang through the air.
“…Eryk…?”
Rubbing my eyes and looking around, the first thing I saw was Eryk’s face. I broke into a wide smile and pulled him into a tight hug.
“Haa… I should make some coffee for Kipi and the others.”
While brewing coffee for Eryk, I moved about energetically. It had been so long since I’d greeted a morning this refreshed. Because Eryk had slept beside me, I hadn’t suffered from PTSD during the night. I hadn’t even had nightmares. A story of ending the war together with Eryk and surviving—it was an incredibly happy thought. Just imagining it filled me with joy as I sipped my coffee.
“…That smells good.”
“…!!”
“Are you alright?”
“L-Lieutenant Colonel, sir. Did you cough?”
“Yes.”
Eryk gave me a blunt little smile as he looked at me. He had approached without making a sound and placed a hand on my shoulder, startling me.
“Please have some. I prepared it myself.”
“Thank you.”
Eryk ruffled my hair, pressing down firmly. I looked up at him with a proud little smile.
“Heheh, thank you for the compliment.”
“I love you.”
“…!!”
There he went, breaking his promise again. But I didn’t scold him. After all, we only had a few hours left before we had to part.
“…I-I love you too.”
“You’re not going to say anything about it?”
“We don’t have many hours left, do we? I’m not that heartless. You can write it down in your memo if you want.”
When I said that and gave a small laugh, Eryk smiled and replied that he understood.
“No morning kiss?”
Watching him chuckle mischievously, I put on a straight face.
“…We’re not at that kind of stage yet, are we?”
A morning kiss? Without even brushing our teeth? That was a bit gross. No matter how much I loved him, I didn’t love Eryk’s bacteria along with him.
“No matter how much I love you, Lieutenant Colonel, I don’t love your germs too.”
“…But we kiss all the time anyway, don’t we?”
“……”
When I frowned, Eryk flinched.
“…Then it sounds like you’re asking me not to do it even normally.”
“…!!”
“Go ahead and beg, then.”
“I’m sorry……”
Eryk immediately surrendered at my words. I told him to go brush his teeth. “I’ll wash up too. I feel sticky.”
“Does the base have hot water?”
“I heard it does.”
“That’s a relief.”
Then he added that if I did anything self-harming again, he wouldn’t let it slide. I let out a sigh as I looked at him.
“…I didn’t do it that time either. It was just an impulse.”
“……”
“You stopped me so well that I managed to halt right before it happened, so please don’t worry.”
“What exactly am I supposed to feel relieved about…?”
“I won’t do it again.”
“Good. That’s how it should be.”
With those words, Eryk stepped out of the tent. I waved at him gently, then gathered my clothes and headed for the shower room.
“Major.”
“Ah, Lieutenant Colonel, sir.”
“You finished brushing your teeth perfectly.”
“You smell nice too.”
When I said that, Eryk replied that of course he had showered as well. I gave him a thumbs-up. He naturally stepped into my tent. I gave him a light scolding.
“You’re very comfortable with this, aren’t you?”
“Do you dislike it?”
“…I like it.”
When I answered honestly, Eryk pulled me into a tight embrace.
“…You’ll give me a kiss, right?”
I nodded at his question. Inside the quiet tent, the only sounds were those of our lips meeting and exploring each other. Slightly obscene, wet noises filled the space. I grew anxious, wondering if they could be heard outside, and my hair became a mess. Even so, I couldn’t stop.
“Haa…!! Haa… I-I can’t breathe.”
“I love you, Major.”
“…Me too… mmmph……”
It felt so good. I loved this man so much. Even though he hated vampires, this foolish Eryk who still accepted me—I loved him so much. I hoped he would fight well on the battlefield too.
When our lips finally parted, a strand of clear saliva stretched from my tongue. “I like you too much, Eryk.”
“Using casual speech now?”
“It doesn’t matter, does it…? There’s no one else here.”
When I said that, Eryk supported the back of my head and pulled me even tighter against him. The bite marks were visible on his neck.
“…I’d appreciate it if you refrained from drinking other people’s blood on the battlefield.”
He deliberately showed me the marks. When I tilted my head in confusion, Eryk continued with a flushed face.
“It makes me jealous when you drink someone else’s blood. And more than that, it must be hard on you, right?”
“…Eryk.”
“If it becomes too difficult to endure, you can drink. But if you drink this blood now, won’t you be able to hold out longer?”
I nodded as I looked at him. “Are you really okay…?”
“I’m fine.”
Looking at Eryk, I brought my lips to the scar on his neck. My saliva smeared across his skin. ‘…Without causing pain.’ I carefully sank my fangs in. The sensation of piercing the muscular flesh of Eryk’s neck was followed by the flow of blood.
“Mmph… hngh…!! Haa……”
“Aren’t you drinking a bit too passionately?”
Eryk chuckled as he spoke. I said nothing and simply focused on drinking his blood. In silence, he stroked my back.
“…We will definitely meet again alive. When both you and I return alive, at that time, without the slightest hesitation—”
We would become lovers. No longer in this vague relationship. No longer a pair who had to be cautious even about kissing. We, who had been so careful even about holding hands, finished preparing ourselves to become lovers.
Once we were lovers, I would have to face all of Eryk’s desires and unpleasant sides. But I had finished preparing to love every single one of them. After all, we had started as two people who hated each other. I had already seen plenty of his bad sides. And yet, knowing all that, if I still loved him this much—
“Eryk, I think I’ve gone crazy for you. I can’t… I can’t calm down at all.”
I had gone completely mad for Eryk. “You’re the one who made me like this… so……”
Once this battle was over, I would ask him to take responsibility for everything. That’s what I would say.
“Will you wait for me? Until I’m ready?”
Since I still couldn’t say it yet, when I spoke those words, Eryk smiled softly and answered.
“Gladly.”
“…!!”
“I will gladly do so, Major.”
Around the time I was grinning ear to ear, unable to contain my happiness over Eryk, the sound of tanks and trucks starting up echoed—the signal for departure. I was now Major Valentine, a war hero, and I had to lead them. I had to make sure they felt no fear until the very moment death claimed them.
And so, I sensed that this peaceful moment had come to an end.