424 Commitments (1/2)
UN, Haven, Botanical Gardens
Cheers and applause followed the smiling couple as they walked down the carpet of flower petals. Two wind wolves howled in unison as they competed with the roaring of two dragons trying to outdo each other in their way of cheering. James Bone, ex Marine and now a Major with the newly established UN Army held on to his just wedded wife, Kristine Bone.
He wore his uniform with all his medals in display and waved at his friends while his wife dressed in an ivory white dress clutched a bouquet of flowers. Her tummy slightly bugling can be seen under the flowing dress as she threw the bouquet of flowers over her head, a traditional custom hailing from their home planet.
”Congrats!” Mills shook his previous section leader's hand and gave a hug to Kristine before he stepped back and grinned at Kristine's condition and shook his head at James. ”Damn... you dog! How many months?”
Bartley also gave James his congratulations and a hug to Kristine too while his two wind wolves, Grey, wearing a bow tie and Sasha, wearing a floral necklace, laid down next to the couple, gnawing away at a giant muffalo thigh bone.
”Two months,” Kristine giggled at the expression on her husband's face. ”I took off my birth implants... since I wanted him to settle down! Hehe! Nah... its a joke! He didn't know about me being pregnant when he proposed! It was double surprise for him! Hehehe!”
”Oh... man! Good for you!” Mills laughed at James's expense. ”You finally found a woman to lock you down!”
James rolled his eyes at Mills's antics and poked a finger at his chest. ”How about you?”
He jerked his head to the group of ladies playing around with the bouquet of flowers. ”When are you planning to get hitched too?”
”Ehh...” Mills scratched his head and put on a confused expression and looked at Bartley for help. ”What? Who?”
”Tsk...” Kristine shook his head at Mills's act. ”You can't keep a lady waiting for so long! They are not the elves in our fantasy novels or games! Their life span is the same as us! If you are not going to commit to a relationship, then do not waste the other's time and youth!”
”Ahh...” Mills who was chided, gave a sigh and said. ”I know... but... I just do not know how to... propose to her...”
”MEN!” Kristine rolled her eyes like her husband. ”You can brave bullets and monsters but the thought of proposing to a girl you like turns you into a coward! Oh, my gods...”
”Hahahha!” Mills gave an embarrassed laugh. ”So how did James proposed to you?”
”Yes yes!” A low rumbling voice came from overhead, followed by a shadow blocking out the sun. Blue Thunder leaned over, his breath had a hint of sour cheese. He blinked his dinner plate sized eyes rapidly in anticipation of James answer. ”Tell meee!”
Kristine giggled when she saw her husband's face turning red at the question. She reached up and patted the snout of Blue Thunder and said, ”Well... He brought me to a fancy restaurant...”
”Oooo!” Blue Thunder thumped his tail excitedly, making the two wind wolves growl in irritation. ”Woops sorry! Anyway... Are there candles? A violinist? Or a pianist in the background? Flowers?”
Blue Thunder's eyes were like glittering and he had his tongue sticking out from the side of his jaws in excitement, looking like some kind of gossip reporter. Mills sighed in disappointment at the look of the dragon and whispered to Bartley. ”Damn... My ideal impression of dragons has just done and gone down the crapper...”
James cleared his throat and said, ”Erm... Mrs. Bone... Why not you entertain the dragons... while I entertain the guys?”
”Ha!” Mills grinned evilly at James. ”Trying to get out of this eh?”
James glowered at Mills and lightly dusted his shoulder tabs, ”Why... there's dust on my MAJOR rank...”
”Oooh!” Mills glanced at his own uniform rank tabs where he had only the two bars of a full lieutenant. ”So you wanna play rank now...”
”Come on, Lieutenant!” James grabbed Mills and Bartley and dragged them off. ”I will be right back honey!”
”Hehehe!” Kristine shook her head at the antics of James and his friends before she turned to impatient Blue Thunder. ”Now... where were we?”
-----
”Cheers!” James and the rest raised their mugs. ”Congrats on the wedding and your child!”
”CHEERS!”
”Didn't expect you to get married and have a kid at the same time,” Mills said as he placed his mug of beer down. ”Time... really goes by fast...”
”Yes...” Bartley mumbled in his mug. ”Three years already.”
”Yea...” James nodded in agreement. ”I am already thinking of this place... as... home...”
Bartley nodded as well. ”Here... is a good place. Good people, good land and air.”
Mills shook his head in disagreement. ”Hell... no! I still want to return to earth! Powered toilets, twenty four seven temperature controls, VR entertainment... and the food! God... I missed food from Earth! Even from a slum in the big apple!”
”What about Titanna?” Bartley asked. ”Are you going to leave her?”
”I- I probably will bring her back with me...” Mills hesitatedly said. ”Hell... I don't know!”
”Hey... This place isn't like back home,” James frowned at Mill's words. ”They don't have our ideas and cultures of having flings or short term relationships.”