Still, the grim expression had not lightened on her face enough to satisfy him. He refrained from giggling at her obvious concern as he gripped her hand, “I’ve done this dozens of times, Kit. I’ll be fine.”

“I know, I only wish you wouldn’t run off so quickly. It feels as if you’ve only just gotten back from the last fight.”

“Well, if there were no men like me willing to fight this war, you wouldn’t be alive to worry so very much.”

“I doubt I’d mind that.” He smiled, seeing some of the color return to her pale face.

Someone knocked on the wall outside the open door, the grinning face of one of his comrades appearing, “What’s the hold up? Your girlfriend caught a case of hysterics?”

He felt his eyes rolling automatically at the sound of his mocking tone, “Yeah alright, I’m coming.”

He stood up, taking one last look at the scene around him, the pretty girl he loved so dearly, the sunlight streaming through the window, reflecting off her golden curls, the flowery bedsheets he’d never been allowed to sit on with his dirty uniform, the floor he’d spent many hard nights on, being comforted by someone he should’ve been protecting.

He was halfway to the door when someone spun him around and pulled his face towards theirs. It wasn’t the first time he’d kissed someone, not even the first time he’d kissed her, but it felt somewhat different this time. Like a desperate need, more than real passion.

“Alright you two,” he felt a strong grip on his shoulder, dragging him back, but not before he got a look at the grin on her face, which was now flushed pink, her lipstick smeared across her cheek.

“You thinking about joining the circus?” His hand instinctively went up to wipe his face, coming away pink and shimmering. He cursed without thinking, hoping she hadn’t heard him and assumed the worst.

Even as I sit here today, I wish I’d kept it on a little bit longer, letting her color sink into my skin, before I lost her forever. Although, I can hardly stand the color now. Quite unfortunate for me, considering it’s my daughter’s favorite.