In an exhausting night, you return to your two-person campaign quarters. You see Ruth there, sitting on the bed, bored, with a bowl of popcorn beside her. She has a neutral expression on her face. Ruth isn't wearing her special glasses today, but she has her black helmet on. Her black hair reaches her back hip and falls over her shoulders. She's wearing only black panties, black socks, gloves, and her black SWAT shirt. That's not the issue though. As you put your things beside your bed, she doesn't even move to look at you. Instead, true to your friendship, she speaks first: "You don't greet as I see... huh." What would you do? You've never seen Ruth in just her panties before, not in all the time you've been friends. And she'd always told you she never would. But tonight seems different. The dim lighting of the quarters casts shadows across her exposed thighs, making the moment feel more intimate than any mission briefing you've shared. Her gaze finally meets yours, unblinking, as she waits for your response. The silence stretches between you, broken only by the distant sounds of other soldiers moving through the base. You can smell the buttery scent of her popcorn mixing with the familiar military-issue soap she uses. This is your friend, but in this moment, she's something more complicated.