Everything was more boring when she was alone, she concluded. It had been a few hours since Eric had left, and she'd spent that time eating through the food he'd provided for her, as well as absentmindedly watching old war shows – documentaries, they were called – on the television. It was mind-numbing, but in the absence of anything better to do, it was the only thing available for her to occupy her time.

Thirteen was beginning to realize how much she hated not having anything to do. In the military, there was always something that needed to be done, generally either killing Iprenians or simply training to kill them. Any downtime she'd had was spent in either cryo or in the hospital wing of whatever ship she'd found herself on.

Thirteen grit her teeth as she stared at the screen, willing herself not to clench her fist and shatter Eric's remote control. The lack of anything to do was making her stir-crazy, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could take it.

Finally, just when she'd about reached her breaking point, she heard the Crown Vic pull into the driveway. Immediately, she perked up, if only because that meant she wasn't going to be alone anymore. A quick glance at the nearby wall-mounted clock told her that it was almost three in the afternoon; he'd been gone for several hours. She didn't know why he'd decided to leave so suddenly or where he'd gone, but that didn't matter. All she cared about now was that she wouldn't be stuck alone with nothing to do and nobody to talk to.

For all his faults, Eric at least kept her from dwelling on her own boredom, if nothing else.

The door to the house opened and Eric stepped in. Immediately, Thirteen's relief was dashed when she saw what he looked like. He looked haggard, but more than that, he just looked downtrodden. She wasn't sure how to describe the look, but it was one she was familiar look – that faint sense of unease etched across his face, and the way he kept his gaze fixated firmly ahead, staring at something that wasn't there.

She'd seen the same look on the faces of soldiers who'd lost a battle, and worn the same expression herself whenever she'd heard news of one of her fellow Angels falling on the battlefield.

Idly, she noticed he was swaying side-to-side slightly; a cursory glance showed that he was clutching tightly to a half-empty bottle of some kind. That was enough to snap her out of her stupor.

"You're drunk," she declared.

Eric blinked, then looked over to her, whatever spell that had taken over him having apparently been broken at the sound of her voice. After a moment, he let out a small huff. "That easy to tell, huh?"

"Tell me you didn't drive home like this."

Eric waved her off. "Relax. Roads were clear the whole way back."

"That isn't the point. You should not be behind the wheel of a car at all when you've been drinking."

"What are you, my mother?" Eric shook his head. "Christ, you sound like Rosa…"

As Thirteen watched, he raised the bottle to his lips and drained it of whatever was left, then wiped the few remaining drops from his lips before letting the bottle fall to the floor below. It landed on its side, then rolled across the carpet before stopping next to her foot. Again, her brow furrowed at the sight of it, and she turned back to face him.

"Where did you go, anyway?"

"What's it to you?" Eric growled. "Mind your own business."

He went to walk past her, but Thirteen didn't let him. She stood up and moved to stand in his way, blocking him from going any further. She blinked, surprised at what she had done; it had happened before she'd even realized she was doing it. Across from her, Eric scowled.

"Move," he demanded. "Unless you've forgotten that this is my house, and you're just a guest here?"

Thirteen's gaze narrowed, but as much as she hated to admit it, he had a point. Begrudgingly, she nodded, then stepped aside. Eric glowered at her for a moment before stepping past her.

"That's what I thought," he said as he moved past and into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Thirteen stared at the closed door for a moment, then turned and marched back to her spot on the couch. She settled into her seat and tried to focus on the war documentary airing in front of her.

Somehow, it seemed even more hollow and pointless than it had before.

***

The next day, she awoke to the sound of something sizzling in the kitchen. Thirteen blinked, then sat up in mind, a small yawn escaping her. It was early – early enough that she sun hadn't even risen yet. She hesitated; staying here wasn't an appealing option, but neither was leaving to investigate the noises Eric was making in the kitchen. Still, she couldn't exactly spend the rest of her days in this small room, and if she had to leave anyway, then perhaps it would be best to get the worst of it over with.She rose out of bed and pulled on some clothes and her eyepatch, then stepped outside into the main hall. Again, the sound of something cooking hit her, as did the scent; she hesitated for a moment, but then decided to move on.

"Eric," she said, stepping out from around the corner.

Just as she'd predicted, he was there in the kitchen, hunched over the stovetop, cooking something. His back was to her, meaning she couldn't see his face, but the moment her words hit him, he tensed. She grit her teeth at her apparent mistake and turned around, silently chastising herself as she prepared to walk back to her room.

At least, that was the plan until he turned around, a shameful look on his face.

"Hey," he greeted.

She paused, then looked over to him, the two of them locking eyes. "Hey," she repeated.

He took a breath, then gave a sharp exhale, running a hand through his hair as he did so. "Look, about yesterday… I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"How about everything?" Again, he sighed. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone all day. I'm sorry for drinking and driving. I'm sorry for snapping at you when you confronted me about it. And finally, I'm sorry for threatening to kick you out at the end."

Thirteen titled her head, taken aback by his abruptness. Still, even she knew better than to spurn his apologies, unfamiliar as she was with the process of giving or receiving them. She shifted nervously.

"...Is there a reason you left to go drinking all day?"

Eric flinched like he'd bee struck, and again, she silently chastised herself, up until the moment when he exhaled again.

"...Yeah," he answered softly. "It's just… I didn't think Victory Day would be this tough for me, you know?"

Thirteen said nothing in response, instead giving him a nod of understanding. The two of them were about as far apart as two service members could be, and yet there was something in his statement that she could relate with.

There wasn't much time to dwell on it, though, as he soon beckoned her to step into the kitchen.

"Here," he offered as she came up alongside him. "I was tossing and turning all night; couldn't get to sleep at all. Finally, I said fuck it and decided to just start making breakfast. You recognize any of this stuff?"

Thirteen eyed the stovetop, poring over each item he'd prepared. Out of them all, she only recognized one at first glance.

"Eggs," she said, pointing to the mound of fluffy yellow in the corner.

Next to her, Eric blinked, confused. "That's it?" She nodded, and he exhaled. "Shit… you really are out of touch. I guess they didn't teach you much of anything not related to killing Iprenians…"

"Correct."

"Figures…" He sighed once more, then pointed to the other two items on the stovetop. "That's bacon, and those are pancakes. Take as much of everything as you want, I can always make more if you're still not satisfied."

"You are always careful to offer to make more," Thirteen noticed.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Yeah, well… I figure you didn't get many good meals while you were in the service. I didn't either, for that matter, but you're on a whole new level of not experiencing everyday life. I figure, hell, might as well start in the kitchen, if that makes sense."

He shook his head, then handed her a plate. "Go ahead and start, I'll join you in a minute."

Thirteen nodded, then loaded up her plate with food and took a seat at his table. True to his word, Eric joined her a short while later, the two of them sitting and eating their breakfast in silence. As usual, she powered through hers, but ultimately opted not to go back for seconds; resources were scarce, after all, and she didn't want to waste any of them by being a glutton. Instead, she simply placed her dishes in the sink, then sat back down across from Eric once more to watch him eat.

He suddenly tensed, a hand going to his temple as he grimaced. Immediately, Thirteen was at his side, though he was quick to wave her off.

"I'm fine," he insisted through a mouthful of eggs. "It's just a headache. Drinking too much will do that to you."

Reluctantly, Thirteen backed down, though she was careful to keep her eye on him even as she moved back to her seat. As she sat down, Eric turned towards her once more.

"So," he said, "I just realized that you must be getting stir-crazy." She tilted her head, and he added, "You must be feeling pretty claustrophobic, being cramped up in here all day."

"Affirmative," she answered.

He stretched his arms out. "Well, then you'll be happy to know that you're free to wander around town as much as you want."

Thirteen tensed. "...You're kicking me out?"

Eric's eyes widened. "No, no! I just meant… if you want to walk around town, you're free to do so. You don't have to wait for me before doing anything. Probably should have realized that earlier, but it didn't really sink in until now that you're probably used to being regimented. Figured I'd bring it up, just in case you weren't aware already."

Thirteen stared at him in surprise. Truthfully, she hadn't realized that she had that level of freedom. Still, after a moment, she nodded. "...Affirmative."

Eric opened his mouth, intending to tell her something else, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door. The moment he heard it, a deep scowl crossed his face.

"I fucking figured she'd come around eventually…" he muttered angrily. "And only she could make a point to do it this early…"

Before Thirteen could ask what was going on, Eric stood up and marched over to the door, then threw it open.

"What do you want?" he asked angrily. Thirteen peered around him, staring at the familiar woman and her ever-present pair of dark glasses.

"Good to see you, too," Rosa greeted, Eric's harsh demeanor rolling off her like water off a raincoat. She flashed him a thin smile. "May I come in?"Eric rolled his eyes, but stepped aside all the same, allowing her entry. Rosa pushed past him without a care, entering his home, though she paused the moment she laid eyes on Thirteen.

"Huh," she said aloud. "So you two aren't at each other's throats."

"Why are you here?" Eric demanded, crossing his arms.

"Aside from it being my job to check on you two periodically? Because I wanted to see how you both were getting along. Judging by the lack of property damage and physical injuries to you, I'd say this has been a success so far, if only just."

Again, Eric rolled his eyes. "If you came here to make fun of me-"

"Oh, please, I can do that over the phone just fine." Rosa flashed him a thin smile. "Really, I'm here because I truly did want to make sure you both were doing fine. And by the looks of things, you are. I mean, she hasn't killed you yet, so that's a small victory right there."

"I know you well enough to know that there's some ulterior motive here," Eric challenged.

"Well, you'd be right about that," Rosa admitted. She clapped her hands together. "How about I take a look around and make sure she's getting along just fine, and then we'll do lunch?"

"Only if you're paying for it," Eric said gruffly. He stepped into the hall and began to make his way back to his own room. "Gonna go take a shower and get changed. Try not to destroy the whole house while I'm gone."

"No promises," Rosa said as she watched him go. The moment the bedroom door closed behind him, she turned towards Thirteen, a smirk crossing her face.

"So," she began, "tell me everything that's happened since you've gotten here."

Thirteen blinked, unsure of what to say at first. She hesitated before finally settling on the truth.

"The first day, I aggravated Eric by breaking his nudity taboo, and he immediately demanded I put on some clothes. I did so, and he made breakfast afterwards. He then took me to the liquor store, purchased a number of bottles of alcohol, and dropped me off back here before leaving me to figure out how to use the television by myself," she explained. "The next day, he disappeared for a number of hours, leaving me by myself. When he came back, he was visibly intoxicated and very irritated about something."

Rosa stared at her for a moment. "...That's it? That's all that's happened over the past few days?" Thirteen nodded, and Rosa let out a tired sigh. "Damn it, Eric… what are you doing?" She shook her head. "Well, I figured this was going to be anything but smooth sailing, but still. I'll talk with him, see what needs to be done when it comes to getting you better settled in. Were there any questions you had about adjusting to life outside of the military?"

Again, Thirteen hesitated. Truthfully, she had no questions, but that was less because she knew what she was doing at this point and more because she still didn't know what she didn't know. It was difficult to come up with any questions when she wasn't even sure what she needed to be questioning in the first place.

Rosa seemed to sense her discomfort, and shook her head again. "Look, don't worry about it now," she offered. "You're still taking time to adjust, I'm sure it's more than a bit of culture shock to you. Tell you what, I'll leave you my card. If you come up with any questions that Eric can't – or more likely won't – answer, give me a call and I'll answer them for you. Deal?"

Thirteen nodded, and Rosa reached into her pocket and handed her a small card of some sort. Thirteen turned it over in her hand, examining it.

Rosa Herrera - Service Officer, Office of Veterans' Affairs

"My number's at the bottom," Rosa explained. "You have any questions, give me a call."

Thirteen gave her an appreciative nod. "Thank you."

Rosa waved her off. "Least I could do, really. Anyway, I'm just gonna take a quick look around, and then we can get lunch afterwards when Eric's out of the shower. Anything in particular you feel like eating?"

Thirteen shook her head, and Rosa clicked her tongue. "Well, we'll think of something. You just hang tight here for a second, I'll be right back."

With that, she turned and disappeared down the nearby hallway, looking through the various rooms in Eric's house. Thirteen again turned her attention back to the card Rosa had left her, tilting her head as she stared at it.

She was used to serving alongside comrades, of course, but Rosa and Eric were certainly the oddest two she'd ever dealt with.

"Are all civilians like these two?" she wondered aloud.

There was a sudden crash from down the hall, followed by a surprised shout. Thirteen was about to take off running down the hall when she realized what had happened – Rosa had accidentally knocked a picture frame over, and Eric was now yelling obscenities at her from inside the bathroom while she simply laughed at him in response and set the picture back upright. Thirteen paused at the sight of it, then slowly allowed herself to relax. Quietly, she grimaced.

"...I sure hope they aren't," she softly added.