" A sky full of stars and he was staring at her."

- Atticus

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Speirs dismissed them all eventually and some men even ran off to the local bars already, searching for the closest drink they could get their hands on.

Catherine found herself jogging up the steps of the large Austrian house where the officers were currently housed, searching for Nixon. She knew he'd have Vat 69 nearly shooting out his ears, and that waiting behind a bunch of rowdy Easy Company men would not get her the drink any faster. She smoothly headed down the hall and then turned finding Nixon already sipping on a bottle, taking a satisfying sip from one with a sigh.

" I knew it," she said and shut the door quietly behind her before sliding onto his desk and looking at him.

" Knew what?" Nixon asked as he sat up from his chair, already slightly drunk.

" Vat 69, I knew you had some," she said and Nixon smirked.

" Here," he said and Catherine gleefully took a sweet, long sip of the drink.

" Thank you," she said with a quiet sigh, " this is amazing."

" Only the best," Nixon clarified and Catherine laughed lightly.

" You said it," she said with a smile.

" You ever think about life back home, Nix?" she asked him passing back the bottle.

" Well, with the war on, it hasn't exactly been the number one thing." he said.

" Let me guess, Vat 69 and keeping Dick in line?" she asked him and Nixon smirked.

" How'd you guess that?" he asked her.

" Lucky pick," she said with a smile. Nixon chuckled.

The bars that night were filled to the brim with paratroopers celebrating the one year anniversary of D-Day. And it was nice to really celebrate the anniversary and not have to think of anything else. No war, no grief, no fear, nothing. They could just celebrate.

Sure, a year ago, Catherine had been hauled half-way across Normandy by Gene, and they had taken out the German garrison, and Hazel had her first close up kill. It had all happened in one day - Hazel was determined not to dwell any longer on that portion of her life. It was behind her now.

As Hazel entered the very warm bar that night, she immediately felt the love that was surrounding the entire bar and the familiar feeling in general of family, a feeling of belonging. Hazel smiled, blushing and waving at people that called out to her and continued moving through the group to where she could get herself a drink. She got herself a Coke and then slowly turned around, leaning up against the bar table and looking out over the group. Everyone was happy. Happiness was such a good feeling, better than most feelings in the world.

Just to feel genuinely happy, Hazel hoped she achieved that fully one day.

Hazel's eyes slowly traveled along the length of the bar and she found Lizzie attempting to dance with Babe, who kept, embarrassingly, tripping over both their feet, so many times so that they were catching each other from falling more than actually dancing. But it had to be one of the cutest things.

Catherine and Malarkey were talking quietly together and it was nice to see them talking and smiling. They'd both been through more than Hazel could imagine and Hazel had been through many things in life. They still kept on living.

Hazel had always admired their courage in tough times.

Hazel knew those two women better than anyone did and they knew her better than anyone, well of course, except Joe. But she loved them both with her entire being.

They had shown her what a strong woman can be like, that she can break, that she can be vulnerable and emotional, yet intelligent, kind, caring, absolutely right on many occasions, fearless and brave, opinionated, boss people around, a leader, a caregiver, a home.

They can be what the Virago truly exemplifies, while still being themselves.

That was pure adoration.

" You don't have to make it that obvious, Joe," muttered George as the two were leaned up against the opposite bar, their front Class-A's unbuttoned, a bit of sweat along their foreheads, hair hanging down a bit, and their ties wonderfully loosened. It was hot. Joe grumbled and rolled his eyes glaring at George.

" Care to explain?" Joe muttered.

" You've been making heart eyes ever since she walked in," George commented, sipping his beer. Joe grumbled.

" I don't think she'll ever love me the way I love her," Joe said, watching as Chuck approached her and the two started talking and laughing together, before eventually sitting down and turning away for conversation. Joe sighed.

" I wish I could just tell her I loved her already, with the way the war's going and all," Joe said and slumped his shoulders sagging.

" Joe, buddy, you can't beat yourself up over her," George said," I don't know how damn oblivious you can be, but I see the way she watches you, smiles around you, laughs with you, all of it." Joe watched George with narrowed eyes.

" I think she might feel the same way," George said quietly and suddenly Joe's eyes widened a bit, " I think she's just scared to tell you too." Joe's heart started racing inside his chest suddenly and he felt warmer than before, too warm.

If what George said was so ungodly true, why was he an absolute MESS about it?

" Joe, you're sweating." George said watching him as Joe's hand traveled across his brow.

" Do you sweat when this happens too or are you normal?" Joe asked him and judging by the look on George's face, Joe frowned.

" I take back that comment." Joe said and George chuckled, " You're not normal." George laughed loudly.

" So," George said as he calmed down, " you thinking about telling her sooner or later then? Before the jump into the Pacific?" Joe let out a sigh and shook his head.

" I...I don't...I don't know," Joe said shaking his head.

He knew love was hard for Hazel.

Her relationship with her father had been especially hard on her and the past 13 years of her life she has been tortured by the fact people she loves can walk away as fast as they came. He knew it hurt her. If what George said was the truth, he hoped it were the truth.

Joe knew himself, he couldn't keep playing this game any longer, being her best friend, not getting that feeling of holding her, making her feel safe, telling her he loved her, laughing with her, just being with her - this game had gone on too long. Joe watched her, with soft eyes and felt his heart fucking melt. It always melted around her.

" You got it bad, Joe," George said gently and Joe looked towards him with sad eyes." Yeah, I know." Joe said slumping back against the bar, " So bad." George watched his friend sympathetically. Joe was never one to openly express his emotions with another person, at least like this, but with Hazel it was out for everyone to see, like it were some chocolate display.

" It's okay, soon enough," George said patting him on the back and Joe watched him weakly. Hazel made him feel like love wasn't hard, that loving another person wasn't hard, that being open to love wasn't a generally hard concept. He felt something with her.

" Ask her to dance," George said. Joe shot him a look. George gave him a bored look.

" Where you take her hands in yours and sway to the musi-"

" I know what dancing is." Joe said and George smirked.

" Don't tell me Joseph Liebgott is scared to ask a woman to dance." George said nudging his shoulder. Joe blushed furiously, angrily, madly, horribly. George couldn't help but smirk.

" C'mon it's just Hazel," George said.

" She's not just Hazel, George," Joe said looking at his friend, " she's....she's more than just....Hazel." George felt a sympathetic smile cross his face, as he wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

" I know she's more than that," George said and Joe met his eye," now go ask her to dance, or I'll do it myself." Joe watched him.

" I thought you'd actually be sympathetic for once."

" Eh, I usually can't for too long, I have to balance it out, ya know."

" If that's what you call it," Joe said as George chuckled.

" Go," George told him and Joe gulped.

Dancing was so important to Hazel, one of the most important things to her. He'd only danced with her twice, but each moment, made him smile like a kid again. He wanted to dance with her a third time. Joe slowly wiped his hands against the collared shirt beneath his Class A coat, before letting out a shaky sigh.

Joe turned and looked back towards George who was still leaned up against the counter.

George smirked, simply raising the glass in the air, and took a big gulp, watching Joe proudly. Joe flipped his off, hearing George chuckling as he moved through.

Joe's eyes were narrowed, slightly pissed at George, even if he loved him like a brother, but it changed almost immediately the second Hazel came into view. Her hair, pulled back in that half up, half down she always seemed to wear, with pieces framing her face, as she laughed lightly at something Chuck said to her, where she squeezed her eyes tightly, scrunching her nose up a little bit like a baby bunny, before shaking her head through the laugh. It made his heart skip a beat. Joe slowly walked up and then slowly cleared his throat. Hazel almost immediately turned at the sound and Joe watched that smile grow on her face and her eyes brighten.

" Joe!" she said as Chuck turned with a smirk.

" I was wondering if you wanted to dance?" Joe asked her and suddenly a soft smile fell on Hazel's face, as she watched his eyes.

" Yes," she said softly, with an innocent nod, a slight blush on her cheeks as well. Maybe George was right, maybe she liked him too. Or maybe it was just hot in the bar. Chuck looked between the two and slowly turned away, sipping his drink with wide eyes.

Joe gently lent his hand forward and with a nervous giggle, Hazel took his hand and let him lead her towards where the dance floor was. Hazel's hand in his was something Joe had always wanted, gently clasping her tiny little fingers in his own, feeling her presence there without having to even watch her. Hazel slowly looked up as Joe kept her hand protectively in his own, walking forward, a sense of pride in his step, the way his fluffy hair bounced with each step, the way his tanned features sort of stood out a bit more in the dimmer bits of light.

Hazel couldn't help but let her heart flip and flutter like a butterfly, giggling softly. When they arrived at the dance floor, Joe softly turned to her as he placed a hand on her waist, keeping his hold on her hand tightly clasped in his own. Hazel softly placed a hand on his shoulder, where there was evident heat radiating from his uniform and she nervously met his eyes. The look he gave her, made her face grow even hotter, she felt like her face was burning. She giggled. She always giggled under his gaze.

" What?" Joe said, biting back his smirk the best he could, as it twitched to appear on his face. Hazel shook her head with a little giggle.

" Nothing," she said, blushing further. Joe smirked again and let his gaze rest on her. She giggled again.

" What?" Joe said, " C'mon Hazel."

" You make me nervous, Joe," she whispered softly and suddenly his heart clenched inside his chest. Joe watched her, slightly amused, full of adoration, love.

" Why?" he said quietly. Hazel's lip twitched.

" The way you look at me," she said, " no one looks at me like that." Joe watched her, his heart racing, his blood pumping. His mind a mess, like a bunch of mini Joe Liebgott's racing around, paper burning in areas, things on fire, others punching the brain wall, trying to do something, anything.

" And the way you treat me," she whispered, " you treat me too well." Joe's lips quirked into a smile.

" I treat you the way you've always deserved to be treated," Joe said softly and Hazel felt her own heart stop. Hazel bit back her lip and softly watched him.

And for a moment, it was just Haze and Joe, there, standing, watching one another, eyes boring into the others, a million little stars dancing across them, the background fading away. All Hazel could focus on was Joe, staring right back at her.

" You deserve to be treated right, Hazel." Joe whispered, " As the woman you are, the strong woman you are, and as a human being, for continuing to fight and live, despite what you've been through, it's why..." Joe's heart clenched just watching her. He wanted to tell her, pour out his heart, let her know, his heart was hers and hers only in that moment. He could see the emotion in her eyes, each and every bit that had been shattered over and over, only for her to gracefully collect the pieces and softly build it up again and again, with a heavier load each time, but doing it without fail.

" Joe..." she whispered, as tears filtered into her vision, creating the blurry vision of the man she loved. Joe softly let go of her hand, placing it flush against her hot cheek, his thumb warm against her scolding hot face, as Joe watched her, his eyes an endless abyss, watching hers with even more love than she could imagine in her lifetime.

" The way you cared for me, after the....the camps," Joe whispered, nodding, watching her, taking in every beautiful bit of her being, " the way you make me smile, or laugh, or even just will let me sit in silence with you and I know you're there. The fact you make me feel something. More than the numbness war offers, I actually can feel my heart racing, when I look at you, feel what a feeling is like. Or maybe it's because when I see you, I see the mother of my children, or the woman who I know will be by my side on my good and bad days, the one who will make sure that her mother's okay before anything, that I'm okay, that she herself is okay." Hazel softly felt tears escape from her eyes as she watched Joe watch her, those words spilling from his lips as if it were poetry itself, her heart racing, yearning for his, for his touch, for his care, for the way he smiled.

For him.

For each and every bit of what Joseph Liebgott was.

" You make me so happy, Hazel," Joe whispered, as if he himself were choking back tears," like the happiest man in the world, you know that?" Hazel felt a broken laugh intermingled through a cry escape her lips, as her lips quivered.

" I didn't know that," she whispered out, as she sniffled and Joe let out a soft broken laugh, that shattered at the end.

" And you know why?" Joe said softly as Hazel watched him, her heart racing and racing, her blood rushing, her heart flipping, her entire body yearning for him.

" Joe..." she whispered again, but his thumb gently brushed across her cheek.

" Because I love you," Joe whispered softly, as Hazel's lip quivered and tears raced down her face quicker than ever before. Joe loved her, her loved her.

" And it's because I love you, for who you are, ya know?" Joe said, as his thumb caught the tear on her cheek, " And you've always been you, you didn't change for someone else, you stayed you, and you showed me how to be human again, even through war." Hazel's lip quivered, as she tried to hold in the cry on her lips, watching Joe, watching him with every fiber in her being, holding him closer and closer.

" Ever since I saw you, up on the Effiel Tower, just, ya know, with the stars, I knew I was in love, in love with you, with everything about you." Joe said, as Hazel sniffled, holding back a quivering cry, " And the war never changed that, the fact I was in love with you." Hazel let out a quivering cry, watching him say he loved her.

When love had always been viewed as the hardest thing on this planet for her, and now it seemed to be the easiest thing on Earth.

" The way you look at the stars, I hope I never stop looking at you the same way," Joe whispered, and Hazel didn't hesitate to softly cup his warm cheek, tears streaming down her cheeks.

" I hope I never stop looking at you that way either," she whispered back. Joe watched her, watching her, taking her in, taking her in, all the beauty that encompassed this woman that had wrapped him around her finger ever since he had stood glowering in the corner of the barracks back in England.

" I always thought love was hard, Joe," she whispered, " but with you, it's easy, it's so easy to just look at you and know I'm loved, know I'm cared for, that you won't leave my side. I couldn't help falling in love with you." Joe's heart swelled, his mind went calm and all he wanted to do was show him that he loved her more than anything.

" I love you, Joseph Liebgott," she whispered softly, her fingers setting sparks across his cheeks. And to hear her say those words, in her softest voice, against his own lips, sent shock waves through his system.

" And with you..." Hazel whispered, her thumb, brushing near his lips," I believe in love." Both of them couldn't hold in their emotions, tiny laughs breaking past their lips, as Hazel watched him, softly, tears continuing to softly boil down her cheeks.

Before either of them even could tell what was happening, Joe had lent forward just a hair, and pressed his lips to her soft ones, passion and love and warmth swirling around them. His world was right in his hands, her little face, gently placed right in his hands, as he deepened this kiss, holding her closer to his body, their hearts aching to touch one another, to be near one another.

Hazel felt so safe, encased his warm, comforting grasp, that never failed to make it feel like home, like she could find a home and it could be with him. Her heart had ached so long for him, just to hold such this quiet, intimate moment with someone like Joe, made her feel a love she had never felt before, but a love that she wanted to last.

Hazel couldn't stop her hand from traveling up into his hair, pulling him closer, her fingers brushing through the chocolate waves that she always thought of when she thought of Joe, that smirk, that look, just him.

The split second they separated, foreheads pressed softly together, their breathing rates slightly ragged, hearts racing, yearning, they were still so intoxicatingly close, holding one another, each other's worlds in the other's hand, eyes gently closed. Their hearts raced almost in sync, in the dim light of the bar, with people nearly everywhere.

The only reason Hazel knew it weren't a dream was the gentle touch from Joe's thumb on her cheek and how swollen her lips suddenly felt. And the pounding love that swirled in her heart. Both their hearts.

" I would do this all again, Hazel," Joe whispered as Hazel softly bit her lip, barely fluttering her eyes open enough to look at his, " this war, all of it, if it meant I got to be standing here holding you at the end of it, knowing just knowing that you're here." Hazel's heart exploded then and there.

" I'd do it for you, Joe, each and every bit of it, just to see you happy, standing here, happy, so so happy. I've only ever wanted you happy," Hazel whispered against his warm lips.

" I've only ever wanted you happy, Parker, and right now, you look so happy." Joe whispered, with a breathless laugh as he took in her beauty, so close up, the flecks of grey in her blue eyes, the tanned freckles on her nose, the long eyelashes, each and every bit.

" It's you, Joe, you make me happy." Hazel whispered. Joe didn't hesitate to press his lips to hers again, creating that fire, that burn, all over again.

The kiss had been amongst the crowd of people, and had been between two people who loved each other for who they were, and it was theirs, their little moment in this war.

Even if they hadn't kissed, they'd been in love for too long for a kiss to signify it.

Their trust and loyalty to one another had already signaled it back one year ago when Joe had been the one to comfort her from her fears, hide her from her constant worries, and reassure her. And just be there; simply be there like the man he was.

Their love grew like a fire being fed wood.

They didn't want that love to ever stop.

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AHHHHHHHHHH CAN YOU HEAR ME SCREAMING BECAUSE THESE TWO FINALLY WERE NOT BEING SO DAMN OBLIVIOUS TO EACH OTHER. this truly made me tear up writing is because these two just so truly understand one another, and to see them finally happy, even in war, makes my heart so warm as a writer, to see where their story has lead, it gets me a lil emotional :) and i can't thank you all enough for following their journey, truly, it means the world to me. i adore these two with all my heart, and i hope you do too!! thank u! thank u! thank u! <3