After a moment, he crouched down, checked his rifle, then resumed his position covering the doorway. Waiting, for Isaev's return.
His mind was nowhere near as still as his body.
Kassian could recognize a warning when he heard it.
The whole thing had not been so much a test, Kassian thought, as a way to confirm what Ocelot already suspected. He supposed the rest of the squad would have duly noted that Isaev had not slept in his bunk previous night, after the hazing concluded.
It had not concerned him earlier, but...
Imanov.
They were here for Imanov's scarf.
Imanov, who was very close with Isaev.
Imanov, who might take exception to Kassian taking his place. In the squad. And...
...Isaev's bed.
He'd gotten the feeling, earlier, that it was more than friendship, but since Isaev hadn't seemed concerned, then neither was he.
But perhaps he'd been too quick to discount Imanov.
Or too quick to trust Isaev.
Or...
Or maybe Ocelot was just sticking his nose in places it didn't belong.
Or maybe it had been another test.
Kassian didn't know. He turned it over in his mind for a few minutes, examining it from each side. Ultimately, though, he decided he didn't have enough information.
He would just have to ask Isaev about it, and go from there. It was the best course of action.
Kassian nodded to himself. He did not rush to conclusions.
And in the meantime, whatever it was that Imanov thought, whatever he would do, would not change the way Kassian felt about Isaev.
He drew in a deep breath, and let it out, then his lips curved.
It was a rare expression on the sniper's face, and there was no one there to see it. But good things happened to him so rarely that he wasn't going to let this one go. Not easily.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2006-11-03 04:46 pm (UTC)"Yes, Major," he muttered, belatedly.
After a moment, he crouched down, checked his rifle, then resumed his position covering the doorway. Waiting, for Isaev's return.
His mind was nowhere near as still as his body.
Kassian could recognize a warning when he heard it.
The whole thing had not been so much a test, Kassian thought, as a way to confirm what Ocelot already suspected. He supposed the rest of the squad would have duly noted that Isaev had not slept in his bunk previous night, after the hazing concluded.
It had not concerned him earlier, but...
Imanov.
They were here for Imanov's scarf.
Imanov, who was very close with Isaev.
Imanov, who might take exception to Kassian taking his place. In the squad. And...
...Isaev's bed.
He'd gotten the feeling, earlier, that it was more than friendship, but since Isaev hadn't seemed concerned, then neither was he.
But perhaps he'd been too quick to discount Imanov.
Or too quick to trust Isaev.
Or...
Or maybe Ocelot was just sticking his nose in places it didn't belong.
Or maybe it had been another test.
Kassian didn't know. He turned it over in his mind for a few minutes, examining it from each side. Ultimately, though, he decided he didn't have enough information.
He would just have to ask Isaev about it, and go from there. It was the best course of action.
Kassian nodded to himself. He did not rush to conclusions.
And in the meantime, whatever it was that Imanov thought, whatever he would do, would not change the way Kassian felt about Isaev.
He drew in a deep breath, and let it out, then his lips curved.
It was a rare expression on the sniper's face, and there was no one there to see it. But good things happened to him so rarely that he wasn't going to let this one go. Not easily.