Ronnie stayed with her, watching the soft smile on her face.
"Hungry? I am."
He was aware of Romulus and Mercy walking behind them, and found himself glancing over his shoulder at the big man, watching his back.
You never could tell with Callistoans…
…….
Romulus grunted. He'd stayed back quite a ways, only to realize they were all heading to the commons.
"Something like that, though… can we talk about the fact that she's dating a literal murd-…" He stopped himself and also stopped walking, closing his eyes to get control of his tongue.
“Well then, let’s go get something to eat.”
She continued to walk down the hall but paused for a moment when she noticed Ronnie looking back at Romulus and Mercy. She didn’t want to whine at him for it since she didn’t know what had happened between them, but it still irked her to see them like this. She just hoped their anger towards each other wouldn’t get them in trouble.
“Ronnie…” She sighed, unsure of what to say.
Mercy stopped along with him, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. A murdered? Well, that was no surprise. She was from the army, and she had no doubt people had died because of her part in the war. But it wasn’t just that that seemed to be bothering Romulus. Something bad must’ve happened between the two men.
“Romulus, what happened between the two of you…?”
Ronnie glanced at her, but didn't say anything. Not till they'd gotten to the commons, they'd both gotten their food, and sat down.
He ate silently for a minute, before looking at her.
"I'm an exceptional sniper, and on a black ops team, you're going to be killing people on a regular basis. I have been an assassin, as well as the backup for an infantry team. I've done a lot of things."
……
Romulus waited till Ronnie and Arriss were around the corner, before continuing towards the commons. "I was on a black ops, counterintelligence team for a lot of years. I've been involved in some operations that were morally ambiguous, and probably unnecessary. And as an armored heavy, I was often in charge of repelling foot soldiers."
………
Ronnie continued. "Romulus, as you know, fought for our enemies. He's a Callistoan. They're all big, and strong, but he's exceptionally vicious." He stared down at his plate. "And we had run-ins."
……..
They walked into the commons as Romulus continued. "In an operation, often there are snipers, and the Earthling snipers were always impressive, and quite threatening to our soldiers. But Ronnie Vale?" He lowered his voice. "The most accurate, cold-blooded killer I've ever seen work."
Arriss picked at her food as she listened to Ronnie. She had never known that he was a sniper. Yes, she knew he was with the special units, but the fact that he was an assassin somewhat terrified her. To know how many people he had likely killed… but she still loved him anyways.
She looked at him, her eyebrows furrowed. “What kind of run ins?”
Sympathy filled her eyes as he spoke. She knew that Ronnie was likely doing his job, but she couldn’t imagine how hard it must’ve been for Romulus. To see many of his friends drop dead because of one sniper. It was sad to see what war could do to people, but she hoped things would change now that they were away from all that violence and bloodshed.
“He… must’ve killed off a lot of your men,” she said softly. “But, Romulus… what if he’s changed? It’s been a long time since then.”
Romulus glanced at her as they got their plates. "….It's not been that long. He joined Arriss's team within the last year… I've been here 11 months, nearly a year… and a fight with him was what got me pulled of my team."
……
Ronnie looked at her. "War related. Battles. But with a guy like that and a guy like me, we started recognizing each other. Targeting each other."
…….
"It started years ago." Romulus said quietly as they found a seat on the opposite side of the Commons from Ronnie and Arriss. "We were on a mission, trying to rebuff a squad who'd gotten into our base with the intent of killing off a political figure. I was defending the main chamber with a port-cannon, and I suddenly see my men, my friends, dropping left and right like flies, before the charging squad even gets to us. Had to be sniper fire, so I started looking, and sure enough, about the time I spotted where he was, he shot me in the shoulder."
………….
"The first fight, we broke into a compound Romulus was guarding. I picked off the defenders and shot him, though I didn't know him at the time. He dropped, but wasn't dead. We got in and did our job, and got out."
He looked back at his food. "But the next time we attacked a place, Romulus was back, with a counterintelligence team. They were ready for us, and I watched through my scope as he literally broke my soldiers like they were little wooden toys. I tried to kill him, I really did, but he'd upgraded his armor."
……….
"I recuperated from the shoulder wound enough to get back out there, though I paid attention to the caliber he'd used and upgraded my armor. The next time they came in, we'd tracked their movements for weeks, and were ready. My armor kept Ronnie from putting me down, and I cracked his boys easily. He had to retreat."
Arriss took Ronnie’s hand in hers, holding it close. There was so much she wanted to say to him. She knew that she should be taking his side in their rivalry, but neither of them were in the wrong or the right. They had done what they had to do in the name of war, and it had torn them apart.
“Sounds like you two had a rough start, to say the least,” she said softly, pressing his hand to her cheek. “But this is your chance to start over, Ronnie. He was doing what he believed to be right, and so were you.”
Mercy watched him for a few moments as she ate, nodding along with his story. She couldn’t imagine how hard that had to be for him, standing there while his friends dropped like flies. She knew how hard it would be for them to make amends after that, but she hoped it would get to the point where they would be able to work together.
“I’m so sorry, Romulus.” She sighed, staring down at the table. “That must’ve been so difficult…”
Ronnie carressed Arriss's face gently. "A rough start, for sure. By the next time we saw each other on the battlefield, we were both ready. I had upgraded my ammunition, and was able to put two rounds in his leg."
…..
Romulus nodded slowly, before going on.
"When we next met, I brought a massive mini-gun, and after his first couple of shots went through my leg, I lit up his area with variable munitions. I put him out of commission for quite a while."
…..
"I was flat on my back with 6 bullets in my torso for 2 months. When I finally healed, I went back out and hunted him. Hunted Romulus."
…….
"I knew after a while that he was back, because I couldn't go anywhere without getting stalked by a sniper with a grudge. But I kept my armor upgraded, cutting edge, and he never managed to put a bullet in me again."
……
"I couldn't kill him, though I made his life miserable. We spent the better part of 6 months locked in that cycle. He couldn't get close enough to tear me apart with his bare hands, like he wanted to, and I couldn't snipe him down."
……
Romulus paused. "Then we both got assigned to our respective military leaders on the planet we'd been fight over. There was a surrender happening. We came face to face at the cease-fire, both of us acting as bodyguards."
……
Ronnie frowned. "We stood there, in that room, looking at each other across the desk, knowing that if the cease-fire hadn't been called, we'd be trying to murder each other right now." He looked up at Arriss from where he'd been staring at the ground. "And then someone shot my commander."
……
"There was a shot, and Ronnie's commanding officer dropped. I never found out who shot him, but… my commander was immediately shot. By Ronnie. In retaliation." Romulus's face darkened. "So I lunged at him, and we duked it out."
…….
"By the end of that fight, he'd broken my shoulder and 6 of my ribs." Ronnie said quietly. "They pulled us apart and I got sent home. That was where I was recovering when they assigned me to your team, Arriss."
……
"I got sent home with my face all cut up." Romulus pointed to several facial scars. "Ronnie gave me these, and then I got demoted since I technically attacked him. That's how I ended up on the 6 man salvage team that got picked up here."
She leaned into his hand, gently kissing his palm as he spoke. “You’re opening up to me a lot today, aren’t you?” She sent him a warm smile before she pulled him close. “I understand why you’re so upset with Romulus, but do you think you’ll be able to work with him. I don’t want you to be sent home from this mission…”
Mercy’s eyes searched his face, stopping for a moment on the scars, before she let out a sigh. “You two have quite the history, huh?” She stole a glance over in Ronnie’s direction. “Do you think everything will be alright during the trip? You two will probably never be best friends, but…”
Ronnie nodded quickly. "Yes, and that's difficult. I'm not-… I'm not really an open person…" His voice got quieter as he went.
He leaned into Arriss's shoulder, thinking. "We can try… it's just… there's a lot there, but we both signed something that says we'll put it aside."
…………
Romulus chuckled. "Quite the history… you can see why that hallway was a tense moment… I hadn't seen him since he cut up my face on Mekallo."
He looked over at Ronnie as well, his expression inscrutable.
"I hope so. I don't want to fight him, exactly, I just… there's a lot."
She rubbed his back as she peppered his face with gentle kisses. “I’ll be here to help you, okay?” she whispered. “We’re all here to support you.”
She leaned her head against his and closed her eyes. It was so nice to see Ronnie being so open with her. Just days ago, he was completely closed off about his past; he wouldn’t even bring it up. But now…
Mercy glanced over at Ronnie and Arriss, her eyebrows furrowing. “Besides, him and Arriss seem to be in a relationship now,” she said. “It would devastate her if you two went after each other again. It would hurt me too, but… not as much as her, I’m sure.”
Ronnie melted into her soft kisses, eyes closed as he grounded himself in the contact.
"Thanks, Arriss."
He didn't move when she paused, letting the moment sit, letting the darker feelings subside slowly.
…….
Romulus gave Mercy a small smile. "Yeah… I'm not here to hurt anybody by killing their man… I just… I gotta work on putting it aside." He wanted to, but… it was difficult.
Arriss turned toward her boyfriend, pulling him close as she gently rubbed his back. He was tired— she could see it in his eyes— but he was always so soft towards towards her. It was strange to see him change so much from then to now, but, she had to admit, she loved the change.
Arriss continued kissing his face as he relaxed against her, and eventually, she pecked his lips. “I love you, Ronnie,” she said softly. “Do you wanna go somewhere else?”
“It might be hard, but I believe you can do it.” She sent him a small smile as she began to pull her hand away from his. “Besides, you’ll get a break from him when we make it from earth. I think it’ll be good for you.”
Ronnie looked at Arriss, suddenly very grateful she was there. That she was with him.
"Yeah… not really hungry anymore." He swallowed hard, thinking. "Wanna head to the library and learn some things? We talked about you learning more about the species around us… or maybe we should try to find Valiel and talk to her?"
……..
Romulus let her go, nodding slowly. "We'll manage…" He started eating again, realizing he'd stopped midway through his story.
"So. Your brother and the Commander seemed like they had a moment, there." He winked at her, trying to lighten the mood. "Is he always combative?"
She intertwined her fingers with his, smiling as she leaned her head against his. She had been anxious about starting a relationship at first, but now that they were together, she had no regrets.
“Hmm… we can do either. Validly probably has a lot of information on their species.” She smirked faintly, kissing the edge of his lips. “But at the same time, the library would get us away from everyone else for a while.”
She laughed softly, leaning against the table. “He can be, but he’s a good guy. Really.” She smiled and rolled her eyes. “He just has issues obeying order sometimes. But I love him.”
Ronnie chuckled, kissing her cheek gently. "You do seem intent on smothering me. I'm not complaining." He grinned at her. "Let's at least check on Valiel, see if she knows about the meeting this morning."
…….
Romulus nodded slowly. "Issues obeying orders, huh… I guess that's my boot camp thinking coming out." He laughed. "Military mind and all that. I'm sure he'll do fine."
She smiled and gave him one more kiss before she stood up, holding his hand in hers. She pulled him towards her and gently kissed his shoulder before they began to walk.
“Mm, I just like it when you get all flustered.” She smirked at him. “It’s adorable.”
She sighed softly and stared down at her food as she began to twist her rings.
“I just get worried about him sometimes,” she said softly. “His rebellious streak… we’ll, it isn’t always a good thing.”
He was getting flustered, but her bringing it up just made him blush harder.
"Oh, c'mon, that's mean… I don't have that effect on you, how am I supposed to fight back?"
……….
Romulus nodded at her. "Oh, I would guess it rarely is, personally. But. With some guidance, I think he'll do ok." His voice gentled. "Something in particular bothering you about that?"
She laughed and kissed him, pulling him in close. After a few moments, she pulled back, blushing ever so slightly.
“Oh, you do make me flustered, my love,” she teased. “I’m just better at hiding it.”
She noticed how Romulus’s tone grew softer with her, and it made her smile slightly. He was the first person who had been this gentle with her in a long time.
“I don’t know, Rom.” She sighed softly, running a hand down her face. “I’m his older sister. I was the one who practically raised him. I can’t help but worry sometimes.”
"Clearly…" Ronnie said, his voice sounding mildly dazed. "Anybody ever tell you you're a good kisser?"
…….
"So… family not much in the picture?" If that was true, he would definitely be going with her to see her family on Earth.
(Sorry theyre short, conversation is my weak point XP )
(( Hahaha same honestly xDD ))
She laughed and took him by the hand, leading him out of the crowded commons area. “No, I can’t say they have.” She grinned back at him. “Of course, you’re the first man I’ve ever kissed.”
“Well, they’re fine. They have… quite high expectations for me and my brother.” She sighed, staring down at the table. “My parents were never really there for us, but they got better as we got older.”
Ronnie stopped in his tracks, frozen by that thought. "I'm the first-… oh." He couldn't say the same, and he wasn't sure if he or she should feel any kind of way about that. "Well…. raw talent then, I guess."
……..
Romulus watched her expression. "So you carried a lot of the emotional weight of the family, huh?"
It would make sense as to why she later ended up in an abusive relationship. Someone take-charge and domineering would seem more present than absent parents, and distinguishing that would be hard.
She smiled faintly and looped her arm through his. “To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing when I kissed you for the first time,” she said, squeezing her hand. “But it was nice. I enjoyed it.”
“Yeah. In some ways, I guess I still do, even though I left.” She sighed and leaned against the table, forcing a smile. “Anyways, what should we do? Go read in the library, start packing for our trip home…?”
Ronnie started walking again, slowly, making their way towards Valiel's quarters. Moro-12 had marked which room it was for him.
"I, uh… I'm glad. Glad you enjoyed it, anyway. First experiences can be…. not great." He was still a tad stunned, but was glad she seemed happy.
…………
Romulus left it alone. Mercy didn't seem to want to talk about it too much. "How much do you have to pack? I've not got that many clothes or personal items or anything."
She smiled and raised an eyebrow as his demeanor as they continued to walk. Eventually, they reached Valiel’s room, and Arriss knocked on the door before stepping back to Ronnie’s side.
“Do you think Valiel and Conner are together?”
“Mmm… not much. Just a few essentials.” She went silent, thinking, before her eyes lit up. “Did you know we have a planetarium on this ship? Not too many people know about it, so I like going there when I need time to think.”
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