"In?"I ask, amusement coloring my tone."Do you not even know where I'm stationed?"
Again, that damnable silence.
"Not really," she finally admits."But it's not my fault.They keep moving you around."
This time, I actually laugh.Pain jostles my ribs for a moment as I sputter into a soft cough."No.They haven't.I've been over here for years now.Come on, Lily," I tease."Think.Where am I?"
"Look.I don't know.I've been busy trying to focus on me."
"I can tell."
"Hey," she barks out."It's not like you actually know where I am."
"University of Colorado Denver.Wanna try that again?"
"You're so infuriating."The irritation in her voice would be hilarious if I wasn’t so damned tired.
Shaking my head again, I play this little game."And you're desperate for my help.You're not going to get it until you get your head out of your ass and actually think about where I am."
A smirk tugs at my lips as I stretch out in the water.Just like old times.The banter, the thinly veiled sibling dislike for each other, even though we never grew up together.It's things like this that make me miss home.These little things that make me happy to be heading back.
A soft huff over the phone makes me smile even wider."This is cruel and unusual punishment," she finally laments."Aren’t there like Geneva Convention laws about this sort of thing?"
"Who the hell are you going to report me to?I ask you to remember where I'm stationed and somehow you're now experiencing psychological warfare by way of a bad playlists?Please.Cruel and unusual… You don't even know the meaning of the phrase."
"Then you obviously haven't heard my roommate fucking at all hours of the night," she mumbles so softly I almost don't hear it.
I don't miss that note of longing in her voice, however.It calls to me in a way nothing about her ever should.My cock twitches beneath the water, and I shift uncomfortably.Heat pools low in my gut as I picture her in bed, frustrated and needy, listening to those sounds.Fuck.Shrugging it off, I will my erection to flag with promises of sleep and a rut clinic.It’s the only thing I can do.
With a sigh, I roll my head back and forth to release some tension in my neck."Look.It's really late, and I have an early morning.If you need my help this desperately, let's get on with it."
"What time is it there?"
"Do you really care?"
"I should…"
The wistfulness, the soft longing in her voice pricks at my heart.Even away from the family with the freedom she seems to crave, she's so lonely.Unfortunately, I get it.
"Look, Lila.I was just teasing.It really doesn't matter."
"Germany.Right?Somewhere in Germany?"
My heart shouldn't warm at her remembering, but it does.It drives home just how much I miss my family.As much as I love serving my country and living on such an amazing base, there's something to be said about coming back home.
"You're right.Good job.You've won the prize.How can I help?"
"What's the time difference there?I don't think I've ever looked it up."
"You never really had a need to.It's not like you call me regularly or anything."
"Yeah.You're right about that."
My lips turn down into a frown as I mull over our conversation.Is it odd?Mom calls me all the time unless I'm out with the squadron doing drills or taking care of an emergency.Lila's dad is usually there with her to join in.But never Lila.
Then again… I guess it's not all that weird.Still, it would have been nice to hear from her.At least once or twice.
"Eight hours," I eventually grumble."I'm eight hours ahead of you."
