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Snow released the hug before anything began to fully process in my head. I would have hugged him back and kissed him, but an artillery shell hit near the bunker. It shook the ground and sprayed dirt into the bunker, bringing me back to reality. I still had a job to do, even if it just got a lot more complicated. I set back to work on the MG and he helped me pick it up and place it outside the bunker facing the enemy.

He slipped his paw over mine as I rested mine against the gun. I looked up at him to meet his beautiful eyes. He made me melt inside. If only he knew how long I had waited to see him again.

"Look," he paused and bit his lip like he was looking for the right words. "I'm sorry, Jaz. I... I didn't know what to say. I was disgusted at first, but when I got home..." He teared up and looked down.

I took my other paw and clasped his shoulder, "You got home..." I encouraged him on.

He sighed and looked back up. "I got home and I was sick from the fact that I had left my best friend behind without a word. I was infuriated with myself that I might not ever see you again. But most of all, I was devastated by what I had done because the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much you really mean to me..." he confessed through a sniffle as he held back tears. He gripped my paw tighter and continued, "When your letters started coming in, I couldn't believe that you still liked me. But I couldn't bring myself to write back to you. I didn't know what to say or how to say what I felt for you. A part of me didn't want to hold on to the hope that you would survive the war and come back." He ended with a shaky breath, looking as though he was just able to hold back his tears.

My mind was racing. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to kiss him and tell him that everything was going to be fine. But the reality was, there were shells exploding all around us, comrades dying and the lingering uncertainty of how long until we were next.

The sound of artillery and mortars shook me out of my trance. I searched him for an answer and said, "Snow, I... I don't know what to say." I paused and looked for words. Finding none that were appropriate, I asked, "All that still doesn't explain why you are here."

He took a shaky breath and answered, "I couldn't accept standing by and waiting to see if you would come back. So I decided to enlist. They gave me the choice on what regiment to join seeing how I was one of the few who enlisted after the recent drafts. So naturally I chose yours," he smiled shyly as he finished.

I turned and started walking down the trench waving for him to follow me. I could hear him whimper slightly, or maybe it was just the whistle of a shell... Either way, we made our way down the trench and came to a quieter, less crowded part.

Snow spoke up, "Are you mad at me... Ja-" I cut him off as I quickly turned around and gave him a quick kiss on his lips, quickly breaking the sweet moment.

"No Snow, far from it. I just... I am sure you remember my letters," he nodded before I continued, "Good, then you will understand when I say that I wish I could do more, but right now this is a warzone." I leaned in and whispered into his ear, "Not to mention that being openly gay is dangerous enough in the military let alone being gay with another soldier."

I leaned back and looked into his eyes. His expression was mixed, but I could begin to see him accept the facts and he leaned in to whisper to me, "I love you, Jazcal."

I almost melted into his arms right there, but Lieutenant Coker's voice calling my name brought me back. "Sergeant Silverback! A word if you would."

I straightened up and Snow started making his way back down the trench. I turned and saluted the Lieutenant, "Sir!"

"At ease, no need for formalities here. A runner came up and updated me on the situation. Like us, a few pockets of friendlies have breached the first line. However, you and I both know that means nothing in terms of the battle. The enemy probably has at least another half mile of trench work to fight through. We discovered the communication trench that leads up to the trench that we are currently in, or what is left of it anyways. Our artillery completely cratered it." He paused and awaited a reply from me.

"This is troubling news sir. Without the proper level of penetration needed to actually crack the enemy quickly and decisively, this whole attack will be a failure. And without the communication trench, we'll have to cross another open field to continue." I responded nervously. Sure the odds I had faced before were grim, but facing them didn't involve putting Snow in harm's way before.

"We are in agreeance then. I sent the runner back asking for orders. In the meantime, make sure the troops are ready and taking a quick second to take care of themselves. If we are ordered over the top, I want them to be as ready as they can be," He finished and turned to head back down the trench.

"Yes sir!" I replied and followed after him.

The Lieutenant and I made our way down the trench, making sure to touch every soldier we passed by. Lieutenant Coker was slower than I, but he was doing something I hadn't seen an officer do in a long time. He was caring for his fellow canines. Stopping at every canine and personally speaking with them and encouraging them. I tried to replicate his attitude, but I was distracted. My mind was elsewhere, mostly with Snow but also imagining what life was like before the war and how simple it was.

My trance like march down the trench was interrupted when I heard a voice call out, "You look like you've seen a ghost Sarg."

I looked over and saw Lafayette. The Labrador was caked in mud like everyone else, sitting on an empty ammo container. "Hey Lafayette! Good to see you!" I responded, cheering up a bit.

"Good to see you too," we shook paws like old friends as I sat down next to him. "Have you seen Hendrick?" he asked with a concerned look on his face while his voice tried to mask his concern.

"You know," I paused to think back. "I... I don't remember seeing him after we hauled each other out of the trench."

He leaned back a bit against the dirt trench wall, "That is about when I last saw him." This time the concern I could see in his expression was clear in his voice.

I got up and leaned down to clasp his shoulder comfortingly, "Let's not worry just yet. He has made it through tougher fights and I have a ways to go still down the trench. I'll keep an eye out for him." With that solemn promise, I continued to work my way down the trench.

I started looking for familiar faces to see who had survived so far in my section. The more faces I scanned, the more demoralized I became. I only vaguely remembered a handful of faces, but that is because they could be some of the new recruits or not in my section at all and I just wanted them to look familiar. How many of us are left? I thought to myself. All too soon I reached the end of our small line. My knees became weak as the grand scale of the death and destruction that had taken place in a matter of hours. I noticed a large crater that had taken a chunk of the trench out just a few paces ahead. Curiosity got the better of me and I peered around the corner. I noticed an enemy soldier face down in the dirt with what looked like another soldier underneath him. Not necessarily what I had hoped to find, but might as well check them for intelligence. Hopefully a trench map. I walked over and could make out the smell like they had not been this way for long. I also noticed the difference in uniforms but it only hit me fully of what I had stumbled upon hit me hard. I rolled the cat off whoever was under him to find Hendrick.

I stumbled back and tripped, landing back into the trench. Fear had overtaken me and as I sit there in the muddy trench staring at a comrade, no, a friend. I broke down and cried. Curling up into a tight ball, I cried into my knees as a feeling of illness overwhelmed me. I couldn't help but to keel over onto all fours and vomit. When my stomach had settled a little, I felt a paw touch my back. My fur stood on end and I went into survival mode. I lunged back and twisted to land on top and pin down my surprise guest as I instinctively reached for my bayonet, which was fortunately still on my missing rifle.

"Jazcal!" Snow yelped in surprise.

I leaned back in disbelief and flopped back against the trench wall, thankfully missing the vomit. I was shaking uncontrollably as I stared into the concerned look Snow gave me.

Snow didn't say a word as he got up and hugged me. He held my head to his chest with a tender touch of his paw. I hugged him back tightly and began to sob. He set his chin on top of my head and rubbed my back slowly as I cried in his arms.

There we sat. Amongst the death that was most certainly happening all around us and the ever present danger of dying too. I had finally snapped. Everyone who lives through battles and sees the carnage goes through this, but it had never happened to me. It was always something I had thought I was immune to. Clearly that was a foolish thought as I sat in the arms of the husky I loved, crying like a puppy. We sat there for a few minutes as I slowly gathered myself again.

I relaxed the hug and whispered between us, "I have to go in there. I have to get his tags." I began to shake again slightly and he hugged me tight again briefly.

"What do you mean? Who did you find?" He asked softly.

I replied in a shaky voice, "One of my Dogs. Hendrick was his name and he had been by my side for the entirety of the war so far." My voice cut out as I took a long shaky breath. I started to rise to my feet and Snow helped me up.

He looked into my eyes and I back into his when I was fully up. He leaned in ever so slightly to touch his nose to mine. It took everything I had not to lean in further and kiss him. Knowing that even a subtle display of affection such as this would never go unpunished, I couldn't drag myself away from it either. I simply sat there, savoring the loving touch from my best friend and lover. He broke the touch all too soon for me and turned around, revealing the entrance to the cratered out part of the trench. All the emotions immediately flooded back, but this time I knew I wasn't alone in facing it.

Snow grabbed my paw and helped me up, but he never let go. I squeezed his paw as we entered the crater. I couldn't help but feel weak again and I felt some hesitation from Snow. Together we pushed ourselves forward and collected poor Hendrick. We carried him back to where we had our other dead and set him there. Several from my section gave him tokens and a few teared up. When Lafayette saw him, I had never seen the Lab so overtaken with grief ever. He sank to his knees and openly sobbed which caused me to join him. We hugged and huddled together to morn our fallen friend.

The touching moment didn't last as suddenly everyone around us started shouting and taking positions along the trench. Snow nudged me and I glanced at him with a nod. Looking back at Lafayette I whispered, "It is time to avenge him and carry on." Without a word the Lab rose to his footpaws and with his rifle in paw, took a spot at in the trench. Snow and I joined him. When I glanced at Lafayette, all I could see was anger. He was going to kill everyone he saw or die trying.