2097 UNPC Universal Calendar
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Anton waited, not averting his eyes as she covered her bare chest with her one piece dress uniform top, appreciating her beauty.
She looked into the mirror at herself, and smiled, turning to him. "How do I look?" She asked.
"Stunning." Anton said. "Absolutely stunning."
She beamed, and looked back into the mirror, turning her head ot the side so she could see her new haircut.
"I think the hairdo is a bit too boyish." She turned her head to look at the other side.
"Not at all, you look amazing in a high and tight." Anton replied, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her, putting both of his hands on her stomach.
"The uniform looks amazing, really, that tailor really knows their stuff." Anton said, looking her uniform up and down. It was black with navy blue highlights, every button was the mirrored eagle of the UNPC, and the pants were solid dark gray wool.
"We've got three weeks to 'prepare' for it." Anton said, air quoting with his fingers, arms still around her.
"By that you mean learn to act normal" Kate replied, making eye contact with him in the mirror.
"That's what I meant." He chuckled.
'You do look absolutely gorgeous in your dress uniform though." He said, after they held one another's eyes for a long moment.
"You're really laying it on thick." She giggled.
"I'm serious, you made my heart stutter." He replied.
She blushed, and turned around to face him. She kissed him, and wrapped her arms around him in a hug after their lips parted.
"I love you." She stated, hugging him tight and wrinkling her freshly ironed uniform.
"Love you too honey." He replied.
---
Three weeks later, Installation 001 main cafeteria (decorated.)
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They sat next to each other, conversing quietly after the speech had concluded.
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the room had died down to a dull murmur. They'd been recognized a few times, but they'd just smiled and waived.
The cafeteria had been cleared of it's utilitarian tables, and replaced with ornately carved wood ones, bearing UNPC eagles and depictions of augments, marines, and aircraft, with the operation name and a memorial of those lost listed.
The table they were stat at depicted a UNPC marine handing out MRE's to civilians.
The banner read:
"Unnamed operation, 2086, Horn of Africa. Biological cleanup event."
The sentiment was there, however there were different memories attached to the deployment for the two.
"I think this is going well." Kate said, looking over to him for a moment, then taking a sip of water from her goblet as he replied.
"Don't jinx it." He did the same, taking a drink of water.
"You're so cautious, live a little." she replied, poking him with her elbow.
"Being cautious has kept me alive." He scoffed, making her frown.
"I'm going to get you out of your comfort zone tonight." She told him.
"Oh?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Somehow it's going to happen." She said.
He rolled his eyes, taking another drink while people watching, and same as she was doing.
"Is it true that you guys partied like super hard back in the day?" She asked him.
He laughed. "yeah, I'll tell you all about It later." He told her.
"You're going to have to get really cool with a lot of things very quickly." He followed up.
She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Yeah, it's it's a pretty crazy set of stories." He said.
She kept staring at him.
"I'll spill it all, don't worry, have patience." He said, smiling.
You're going to leave me on the edge of my seat like that?" She asked.
"Damn right." He chuckled.
They people watched for a long while more, Kate occasionally commented on pretty dresses and suits she saw.
She sound herself gazing at the large amount of medals and ribbons on her partner's chest.
He saw her looking, and wondered what she would say.
"They're very pretty." she said softly after a long moment, recognizing that he'd seen her looking.
He looked down at thim himself, looking at them in a way he'd never before looked at them. "They are." He nodded, looking up at her again.
"What's that one with the non-UNPC eagle on it, to the left of your Russo-Ukraine deployment medal?" She asked.
"That's a Bundeswehr bronze medal of honor." He said, picking it up off of his dress top and looking at it. "I got it before I was an augment, it was one of my first medals, one that meant anything at least." He said.
She looked at it with respect, while he looked at it with remembrance of the friends he'd lost in earning it.
"One day I'll tell you that story, too." he told her, blinking away the sound of gunfire and screams.
She nodded slowly. 'Should we order desert?" She asked him, grinning like a little kid.
"I will clean this place the fuck out." He mouthed, making her cover her mouth and stifle a giggle.
---
He took off his uniform, and set it neatly in a brand new garment bag, and watched as Kate did the same in her slightly worn bag, the zippers work worn and the fabric frayed from travel.
They were fed and happy when they fell into bed, finding one another in the covers.
"That was fun."
"It was." He agreed. "Good food and company, good service too."
"You're just happy when you get food." She jested.
"Damn right." He said in a mock gruff tone. "And for free too!" He stated.
She laughed at him.
"Do you want to take a week off, just keep one another company?" She asked.
He considered it, and eventually set yes, as it'd been a long while since they'd had a long period of time to spend together without the stress of deployments.
"Well, aren't you going to tell me the stories?" Kate asked.
He chuckled, and caved.
Well, she's insistent.