A Soldiers Struggle

Jake
As I sat on the transporter staring at the love of my life as he sleeps 30,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. My legs shook as the poorly heated fuselage made me cuddle into Ross’s warm, toned chest. Ross was from a poor family who struggled to get him through schooling. His father had died in the Vietnam War after being ambushed.

Ross and I first met when we were both applying for the US Marines. We had sat next to each other in the medical waiting room. Long story short we became great friends but I didn’t know if he felt the same way about me as I am to him, well this was until we came back from our training in Germany about six months ago. I drove him home when in the car he asked if I would be his boyfriend. Of course I had to say yes; ever since we had first met I knew that I wanted to be with him, I knew I could never feel like this about anyone else in the world and this was the day that made my dreams become reality.

Now lastly me, I’m called Jake Thompson, and I am 24, as it turns out so is Ross. We had just moved in together in a house out in the countryside. I wasn’t from the richest of families but still a lot better off than Ross’s family. “He really likes you doesn’t he?” I heard Sgt. Stock shout across the plane. I could barely hear him but all I did was smile at him. I then slowly put my head against Ross and went to sleep feeling his breathing, slow but deep.

Ross
Our plane landed at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan but little did we know that my uncle was the camp Commander and would rather send me or Jake to the frontline with either of us most likely killed than have us together. Jake and I were holding each other’s hands as we walked over to our Tent; all I could think was how enticing Jake’s light blues eyes were as they shone in the moonlight. Our tent had 8 beds in (4 each side) and included both of our beds and they all had a locker on the right of each bed.

Jake
I lay underneath the battered, bullet filled, colander of a Hummer trying to repair its damaged driveshaft. When, all o f a sudden my body is ripped from under the Hummer by my feet and launched upwards onto my feet by two large muscled arms. The only thing I noticed was the man screaming at me as I am trying not to pass out as the blood escapes my head. That was when I realised that the man was the Camp Commander and was standing only a foot away, he was red in the face and furious. He said “If you and your fag of a boyfriend don’t sort your lives out and never see each other again or your world will come crumbling down and die quicker than the bullets that come out of your gun. Do you understand they soldier?” All I could think about was what he meant by sorting our lives out while trying not to lash out in rage that could ruin mine and Ross’s lives with one phone call.

When the Commander left I realised that he meant me and Ross would have to break up or something terrible would happen to us. All I could do was fall to the floor and sit with my head against my knees. That was when I started to weep knowing that I was told that I couldn’t be with the one person I only truly love and want to be with. I never wanted to break up with Ross; he was the love of my life; my whole life and there was nothing worth living for if I didn’t have Ross in it.

Ross
I was walking over to the hanger extremely fast today, I had just heard that Jake and I had the rest of the day and all day tomorrow off work and cam do whatever we wanted. I knew that Jake would be in the Engineering hanger because of the bullet ridden Hummers that came back to the base yesterday, even I knew they deeded a lot of work done to them. I was nearly in the hanger when I heard sobbing inside. I practically sprinted into the hanger and saw Jake curled into a ball in front of one of the Hummers and tears were streaming down his face. I knew that something very important was wrong. I knelt down next to Jake and gently started to rub his back and ask what was wrong. Jake said “Look Ross it’s hard to explain but Commander Phillips said that we have to break up or something terrible would happen to us, I think he means that we might be kicked out of the core.” All I said was that I will sort this out and kissed him softly on the cheek and ran off. As I was running I tried to think about what to say to my uncle. He never liked me after he was told that I am gay but I hoped that wasn’t as bad now as he was then. I knew that the Marine core was nearly as important as me in Jakes life so if we were kicked out he wouldn’t know what to do with himself.

“I love that man and you told him that the two most important things in his life might be taken away from him. You don’t do that, if you want to take your obsession of being homophobic out on someone take it out on me.” The commander replied by saying that if I want to prove to me that I should let the two of you be together then fine I will get a Hummer to take you to death valley (there way of saying the frontline) tomorrow morning. All I could think was how ridiculous was he being but I didn’t want to argue with him so I agreed.

Jake
As Ross decided to run off and sort this all out I though that I shouldn’t just lay on the floor and sulk so I pulled myself up and started to walk to where Ross ran to. I knew where to go but my head was killing and I could barely see with my still watery eyes. All I did was carrying on going to the Commanders office when I saw Ross. “Hey Ross thinks for what you said to me but what did he say?”
“I have to go to Death Valley or we will be broken up and either one of us might be kicked out of the Core”
“What you can’t do that let me go”
“Look no matter what you say you can’t go I will for the both of us.” I thought he was crazy saying this but I knew no matter what I said he wouldn’t listen and still go out there.

Ross
I got up from the small camp bed and pulled on my shoes. Jake was still asleep so I just kissed him on the lips and walked off with my gun in hand and webbing on my back and got in to the Hummer. It was 5.30am and the base was nearly a ghost town with only the occasional person walking around. As we got to the main gate out of the base I saw the Commander come out of the guard tower and stop the Hummer.
“Christopher’s you do not need to go out to the front please walk with me” so I got out and started to walk with him back towards the Commanders office. We talked all the way back to the office and he said to me that Jake and I can be together and that we can have our own private room and neither had to go out into Death Valley. All I said in return was “thank you Uncle Kevin” and went off back to the tent.

“You both will be given your keys tomorrow” Kevin shouted to me as I walked off. As I got back to the tent Jake was just woken up and was lying in bed all I did was put my stuff down; took my shoes off and joined him. All I said to him was “I love you” and we both went back to sleep. When we had finally woken up we moved into our room and as we finished unpacking I got down onto one knee and said to him “Jake ever since we first met I knew we were always going to be together for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?”