Riley ate his weight in pancakes. He was completely unfazed by the poor condition of the tiny diner. The tile floors were scuffed and stained from years of spillage and half of the lights in the room were out. I had to fight back my grimace when we walked in. My boots stuck to the floor and I felt them peel off with every step I took.

Disgustingly sticky-sweet syrup covered every surface of our booth, even though I had made the waiter wipe it down before we sat. I refused to touch the table as I stared down at my coffee cup, at least it was clean.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Riley mumbled through a mouth full of pancakes.

Syrup oozed from the corner of his mouth and I felt part of my soul die. I'd been to warzones filled with wounded soldiers and had seen horrors most men wouldn't believe, but all of that paled in comparison.

"No," I replied.

I stared in silent horror as Riley continued to shovel the soggy, sticky pancakes into his mouth. All I could think was that I had been inside that mouth, on multiple occasions. My stomach turned. This is why I didn't take men on dates.

"Would you like a refill sir?" the waitress asked as she came over. Her silver hair was tied back into a neat bun and her wrinkled smile was filled with warmth.

My coffee cup sat on the table untouched. Her eyes landed upon it and widened. "Is it not to your liking? I could bring you something else."

"No it's fine," I replied. I faked a smile, but it quickly disappeared when Riley spoke up.

"I'll take another platter of pancakes."

The waitress smiled as she headed off toward the kitchen. I stared Riley down, certain that my irritation was clear. Yet he just smiled at me through his sticky lips and continued to eat. Bastard.

I felt my eye twitch and I couldn't take it anymore. "You can get a ride home from here right?"

"Of course. I didn't mean to steal so much of your time. Thank you for earlier," he said with his usual cheerfulness. Either he was ignorant of my anger or it didn't bother him.

I stood from my seat and dug my wallet out of my pocket. Dropping more than enough cash on the table to cover breakfast and a car to take Riley home, I left.

My leisurely ride back to base was just what I needed to calm down. Nothing was more soothing than the wind. I loved the way it felt when it danced across my skin. It always managed to make me feel refreshed and vitalized, whether it came from a storm or the cycling blades of a helicopter.

I was waived straight through the gate upon my return. The soldier had remembered me. As expected, there were clusters of recruits out for their morning jogs. A few of them waved at me as I passed them.

After returning my bike to its rightful place I was ready for a nap. However as I climbed the barracks stairs I found a familiar face sitting outside my door with a coffee in each hand. Her golden blonde hair was tied back into a flawless bun, even though she was dressed in casual clothes. A soldier through and through, as always.

"I can't believe you're here," I said as I came up to her.

Kris leapt to her feet and threw her arms around me. Managing to not spill a single drop of coffee she squeezed me tight before releasing me. It had been nearly three years since the last time I saw her. I had been relocated to Ft. Bragg, North Carolina when I became a Captain, while she got stationed at Ft. Carson, Colorado.

"Keep a girl waiting why don't you," she teased as she handed me a coffee.

"It's not like I knew you were coming. Next time you should give me a heads up."

I smiled after taking a sip of the coffee. She still remembered my favorite, cold brewed black coffee unsweetened.

"But that would ruin the surprise," she complained with a sly smile.

Her blue eyes were complimented by the perfectly matched blue shirt she wore under her black jacket. It topped a pair of black skinny jeans that transitioned beautifully into the black heeled boots she wore. Kris always looked fierce on her days off.

"Love the boots."

"Thanks," Kris replied as she showed them off. "So are you going to show me in or what?"

I opened the door to my apartment and she shouldered past me. Her heels clacked on the hardwood floors as she danced around the room checking everything out. She was always so curious, but I had to stop her when she started opening the drawers in my bedroom.

"I think that's enough snooping for one day," I said as I closed the partially opened drawer before she could see what was inside. It was filled with various bedroom toys that I had no desire to show off.

"Fine, you party pooper." She sighed. "Change shirts and then you can show me around the base."

Her eyes landed on the small section of my shirt that could be seen under my jacket. The glitter from Riley's face glimmered in the day light. Shit, of course she would notice that.

I slipped out of my jacket and pulled my shirt off over my head. Kris' eyes followed me as I grabbed a black t-shirt out of my closet. She knew I was gay, but she liked to stare at me when I was shirtless anyway. Quickly I slipped into the shirt and threw on my jacket.

"Shall we?" I asked as I motioned toward the door.

Her smile widened. "We shall."