"Shall we get going?". His eyes sparkled in the descending sun as he turned his gaze towards Claire. A small smile, which also contained that bit of sadness, grew on his lips.
"Go where?" Claire inquired.
Gabriel took a moment and kept his eyes on Claire. He wanted to say 'to go back to the hotel,' but instead, something else came to his mind.
The smile that was on his lips grew that bit more as his eyes remained on Claire. "I would like to show you something else. Follow me.".
With that, Gabriel turned on his heels and proceeded on walking towards the exit of the memorial.
Claire stood in her place for a moment or two, looking at Gabriel's back before she proceeded on doing as she was told.
She hurried a step or two and caught up with Gabriel.
"Where are we going, Gabriel?".
The smile remained on his face as he adverted his eyes to Claire.
"There is this market nearby. The city of Veursau is very commonly known for it," Gabriel replied.
'A-a market?' Claire thought to herself.
"We'll turn a left here..." Gabriel said, and from there, they navigated through a few more corners before they reached the lights of the huge market.
The chatter and the smell of the street food were what instantly caught Claire's attention.
Her walk slowed down by just a bit as she looked to her left and to her right. She looked at all the people, the stalls and everything that was on sale. Then, she precisely looked at what was sold.
Clothes, food, snacks, toys... jewellery. And then all the light caught her gaze. She looked at the different shades some stalls offered.
Green.
Blue.
Yellow.
Gold.
Red.
Orange...
And many more.
Then, her eyes dropped down to the ground, right before his shoes caught her gaze. From his shoes, he looked up at his Uniform.
It was a navy colour.
And the trailed scent his body left, it was pleasant.
Aftershave. Nothing too special.
The more she kept her eyes on him, on his uniform, the more she realised how nicely it suited him. As if it was tailored to fit him specifically.
And from where her eyes rested on her Captain, she looked up his body to where her gaze met the back of his head.
Then, for the first time in a while, she heard a joyous cheer. Happy laughter filled the warm, Summer air.
Slowly, without her noticing, her walk slowed as her head once more turned from side to side. Her eyes looked at everyone who passed her by.
Smiles. They were all smiling. Even the shopkeepers who operated the stalls had a genuine smile on their faces.
The atmosphere that was portrayed was nothing but beautiful.
In that moment and for the little while that was to follow it, the fact that they were in the war left her mind.
And it was that that let her smile. That let the sides of her lips curve upwards.
It all reminded her of her childhood. When she used to go to the funfair in her town with her father and her brother. But upon thinking of such a thing, the smile on her face receded ever so slightly as pain accumulated in her chest.
She rose her hand to her chest and slowly massaged where it hurt, in the hope to ease the pain away. But it didn't work.
Instead, her eyes filled with tears as a slight lump grew in her throat. And with each passing second, her brows quivered that bit more as her chest resonated that bit more of her pain.
With the biting of her lip, she let a tear emerge from her eye, fall and roll down her face.
It was as if only that one tear was needed to release just enough of the pain she felt to allow a small smile to return to her lips.
Within that smile, Claire remembered the words Gabriel told her. 'It made it that bit more special that I got to share this moment with you, Claire.'.
'I am so glad that I got to share this moment with you too, Gabriel...' Claire thought to herself. And with her thinking of such a thing, her eyes descended down to her shoes. She watched them move, one carrying the other.
'I don't know if it's the weather or the warm atmosphere of the people. Maybe it's the number of people who are here right now... who are happy. Whatever it is, it's something about this moment that really stands out to me. That really hits me right in the heart. And it is something about this moment that I will remember for the rest of my life.'.
With that thought, she looked back up, only to see that Gabriel was no longer in front of her. He was gone.
She felt her heart drop to her feet as she halted, stopping in her place.
Swallowing whatever was in her mouth, she looked around her. She looked at all the people that surrounded her in the hope that she might see Gabriel's face in the crowd.
"G-Gabriel?..." she called out. "Gabriel? Where are you?...". A pause followed as she looked around herself, not stopping her search for Gabriel. "Captain??".
Then, a hand landed on her shoulder. "Claire?" his familiar voice brought grace to her ears. She turned around only to see his face filled with relief.
Seconds later, a small smile appeared on his lips. "I turned around for a moment to see something and I already lost you.". A break followed as he kept his gaze on her. He noticed the fear her face carried. "Don't be scared, I'm back now.".
At first, Claire felt relief, but then she smiled at his words in slight diffidence and embarrassment before adverting her eyes down to the ground.
From there, the smile on Gabriel's face began to recede and with the clearance of his throat, he shot a glance to the ground before looking back up at Claire.
"Hey, Claire?" he began.
As a response, Claire looked back at Gabriel. "Y-yes?".
Then, glancing down his body, she noticed the way his hands were hidden behind his back.
He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, but nothing was heard from him. Instead, he aborted any attempt in him trying to speak.
And from there, the small smile managed to make its way back to his lips as he withdrew his hands from behind him. In one of them, he held a navy box.
He extended his hand, handing the box over to Claire.
Claire looked at it, furrowing her brows before looking back up at Gabriel. "G-Gabriel?".
"I want this to be my 'thank you' to you, Claire," he spoke, still having his hand out, offering Claire the gift he bought for her. "A thank you for everything that you have done so far. For both my team and me.".
Without her notice, slight confusion was expressed across her face as she looked at the box. Eventually taking the box into her hands, accepting his gift, she opened the box.
Looking at what was inside, her eyes widened.
There, inside the box, was a beautiful, platinum necklace.
No guy ever bought her such an expensive-looking gift.
From the necklace, Claire's gaze returned to him. She saw the way he had a smile on his lips. Contentment.
And then again, her gaze returned back to the beautiful necklace. "Is this a gift from everyone in the group?".
"No... it's a gift from me, personally, to you, Claire.".
From there, she took a light grip upon the necklace, holding it as if it was to be fragile, before lifting it up and out of the box. Her eyes not coming off of it.
"H-how much did it cost?..." she asked as she felt a sensation spread through her chest. 'He didn't have to...' she thought to herself as her brows began to quiver ever so slightly. Her eyes began to well with tears.
She tried everything in her power to keep herself contained.
"That doesn't matter. What matters to me, Claire, is... do you like it?".
Such a question caused Claire to stop for a second. From there, she looked at Gabriel. "Do I like it?". A pause followed as her brows quivered even more. A smile formed on her lips, giving Gabriel the hint as to what her answer was going to be. "I love it..." she spoke under her breath.
The smile on his lips only grew bigger the longer he looked at Claire. He observed the way she admired the gift he bought for her and her only.
"Thank you, Gabriel. Thank you so much...". And then... then she allowed for another smile to form on her face and she looked into his eyes.
"You are most welcome, Claire," he responded. "Would you like me to put it on for you?".
To his words, the smile remained on her lips as she gave him a nod. "Yes, please.".
With that, Claire handed the necklace over to Gabriel. He also took a gentle grip upon the box that was in Claire's hand.
In the jacket he wore, he managed to find a space for the box, all while he walked around and oriented himself to put the necklace on Claire.
"Can you lift your hair up for me, please?" he asked, untieing the beautiful piece of jewellery.
She did as he asked and then, Gabriel put the necklace on her. Securing it by clipping the two ends together, he let it fall and hang gracefully around the back of her neck.
First, she let her hair back down before lifting the necklace back into her hold. She gave it another gaze as the smile remained on her lips. "It looks so beautiful.".
And as Claire failed to get her eyes off of the necklace, the gift that was given to her. Gabriel failed to avert his eyes off of Claire.
His gaze remained on her, he watched her, looked at the way she observed her gift. Just like before, it only caused his smile to grow too.
'Something... something about this exact moment will stay and resonate within me,' Gabriel thought to himself. 'Maybe it's the light... the weather... the people... or maybe its the fact that I might, just might feel something for Claire...'. A pause followed in his thoughts. 'Well, whatever it is... something about this moment. The way it makes me feel. I will remember it for the rest of my life...'.
Then, slowly, his smile began to disappear from his lips. 'But I mustn't let myself get carried away when I am around her...' he added to his thought as he looked down to his shoes.
Seconds later, he looked back at Claire, only to see her look back at him.
All it took was that one look to restore the smile on his lips.
They both shared a second of silence before Gabriel decided to break it.
"Hey, Claire?... There is one other place that I want to show you...".
---
With that, Gabriel led Claire up an elevated road. They followed the footpath and Claire kept her place right behind Gabriel as he took the first exit.
They continued walking for a mere 2 minutes before Gabriel turned once again. Now, he walked towards a fence.
Moving so that she could be beside him, Claire took her eyes off of the ground and looked out, over the barrier.
She froze as her eyes widened at such a sight.
It was beautiful.
All the lights, everything that happened below them, she observed it all.
Then, six planes that flew overhead caught her attention too. They flew low, heading in a direction opposite to that of the descending sun.
For the few minutes of quiet that followed, both Claire and Gabriel looked at the view of Veursau. In a few intervals, the lukewarm breeze picked up in its strength. It caused Claire to look back up at the sky, only to see the cloud cover above them becoming denser.
"Did you get a reply from your brother ever since we arrived?" Gabriel asked.
His question pulled Claire out of her trance. "A reply?" she repeated his question as she looked at him.
With him replying by looking back at her, he nodded to her inquiry.
Claire pursed her lips ever so slightly, moving her eyes off of Gabriel mid-thought, but returning them on his just as she was about to reply. She shook her head.
"No... not yet at least..." she voiced. "But thank you for asking...". A pause. "You know... you always ask about my brother. Hadn't you told me you didn't know him, I'd be thinking he's your best friend.".
Gabriel couldn't help himself but let a small smile grow on his lips. His body was leaned against the railing as his eyes were aimed at the ground below him.
Claire felt another question brew within her, but she debated whether or not to ask him. In the end, she decided to go for it. "Why is that so?". A brief pause followed before Claire's worried voice broke the silence in an attempt to explain her reasoning behind her asking such a question. "This is me being curious and nothing more. I just wanted to let you know that.".
Gabriel chuckled at her words ever so slightly. "There is no need to excuse yourself, certainly not when you're talking to me," he began. Then, as he thought of where to continue from, the smile on his lips began to go away.
Immediately, he knew what to say. He knew that he wanted to reveal that bit of his past to Claire. But the real question was, how would he go about doing it?
Gabriel swallowed whatever was in his mouth before he took a deep breath. Then, he continued from where he stopped.
"I had a brother and a father..." Gabriel spoke up.
His words caused Claire to stop for a second. 'Had?' she thought to herself.
"They both got killed on the battlefield... Not in this war tho.". A small, melancholic smile grew on his lips. "I am that person who puts family and love and health above everything else, I think I told you that before. The fact that they are gone... I still have a very hard time trying to accept that. And I don't think I ever will," he said. "I know it's not meant to be my business to care, but I just can't help but worry for you and your brother, because I can personally relate to you... you know?".
Claire remained in her place, her eyes gazing at anything other than Gabriel. She was trying to process everything she was just told. 'I-is that mainly why we went to that memorial? So that he can visit his father and brother?'.
"I-I am sorry to hear about your loss..." Claire began seconds after the silence took over the conversation. "I... I couldn't imagine my life without my father or brother, let alone them both... So I can't imagine how hard that must feel...".
She tried her best not to cry but failed in doing so when she felt a tear roll down her face.
Gabriel was just about to apologise for causing such a mood change, but Claire spoke up before him.
"Also... worried about my brother and me?" Claire questioned, a small, sheepish smile growing on her lips. "You don't have to be... my brother he... he is as strong as an ox. I have no doubts that he'll make it out. And for me... well... I may not be as strong as an ox. But not that I have to be anyway. I work in the background of it all anyway...". Then, from her words, a break followed. "And if I were to be honest... I, too, am worried about my brother. But another person who I am worried about is...". She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "... is you... Gabriel.". Against her own will, Claire recited those words that one soldier told her.
'This is a war, Miss. Whoever it is you are talking about, he may be okay now. But just know, it won't last for long...'.
He widened his eyes to her words as he kept his gaze away from Claire.
Only a second later, did he allow himself to look at her. And when he did, he saw the way she had her gaze pointed out towards the big city. "Y-you are worried... about me?".
Claire let a small smile grow on her lips upon hearing his words. "You sound surprised.".
"Well... a-a bit, yes..." he responded, a sheepish smile managed to find its way to his lips too. "But... in a good way...".
"Oh?" Claire responded.
And with that, the smile on Gabriel's lips, once again, disappeared. He lowered his gaze to the ground. "Claire?" he called out.
"Yes?" she responded, doing the same as him. Looking down at the ground as the smile on her face began to neutralize.
"Can I tell you something?".
"Of course," she replied. "What is it?".
He opened his mouth. But just as he was about to speak up, loud explosions were heard close by. They were so close to where Claire and Gabriel stood that, in turn, they caused the ground beneath them to shake from the shockwaves.
An attack.
Seconds later and the sky lit up with lightning before the loud sound of thunder roared through the warm, Summer air.
Screams and shouts were heard as the clouds above them acquired a brighter colour of orange. Fire.
Before Claire managed to make contact with the ground, Gabriel managed to get a secure grip upon her.
Everything happened so fast that it took Claire a moment to realise that she was in Gabriel's arms. "Claire? Claire??... Are you okay?".
She nodded her head before she stood up, freeing herself from his hold. "W-what did just happen?".
Before Gabriel had the chance to reply, five planes zoomed right over them. Looking at them as they flew, she saw that they weren't the same as the ones she saw a while ago.
Her eyes didn't move off of them as she watched each plane drop a bomb or two. And then. BOOM.
The ground shook once more, as clouds of blackness rose from where the bombs were dropped.
The screams of the scared and injured only seemed to get louder. Claire kept her eyes out on the city as some of the cheerful lights blew out.
Turned off.
It caused pain to accumulate in her chest as her eyes began to fill with tears.
And then, Gabriel kicked Claire out of her trance.
"We have to go! We have to get back to the hotel. Back to safety!". Gabriel saw the fact that Claire was speechless. That she was midst trying to comprehend what just happened, so he grabbed her hand and they both ran for safety...
... All while the first of the droplets of rain began to fall from the unsettled sky.