#JEALOUS AND ANGRY SPEIRS BUT STILL SOFT FOR HER???

[hbostolemysoul]

Band of Brothers fluff alphabet: Carwood Lipton

A = Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

The Army was a rough place, even if you weren’t a woman. You had met some genuine a-holes (*cough Sobel*). So seeing how Lipton treated the men was a breath of fresh air, Winters was a saint too, but there was something about Carwood specifically that drew you to him. He was stern when he needed to be (heaven forbid there was rust on anything), but he also had this sixth sense when it came to supporting the men of Easy. You almost felt bad for paying so much attention to a married man, but you figured a small crush that you kept hidden from literally everyone (yes, that includes you Luz) wouldn’t hurt anybody.

Lipton hadn’t noticed you for the first week of training at Toccoa, in his defense none of the other men realized there was a girl amongst their ranks until Sink inquired about your wellbeing to Winters. Safe to say the men were shocked, you had this uncanny talent when it came to flying under the radar. After that day Car couldn’t help but to notice you. Sure you were quiet, but you were determined and never complained. You took Sobel’s shit better than some of the guys, and if nothing else that was admirable. You also had this innate ability when it came to lifting the guys spirits, seeing you smile and laugh with them warmed something in his heart.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not?)

When Carwood enlisted he had caved to the pressures of home and married his long-time girlfriend. It seemed proper as he was going off to war and should anything happen it was only right to make sure that she was taken care of. It was funny, he thought that being away from her would be harder, but he felt relief. As the war went on the guys would occasionally rag on him about his wife, and about him being married. This happened often when he would accompany them to one of the bars on rare weekends where they could keep their passes. It had never really bothered him until you became a permanent blip on his radar. Keeping his head down and you at arms length seemed to be the safest option.

It was in Bastogne that he received a letter from his wife. She was pregnant, which under any other circumstance would have been exciting to him. Except he had been gone for well…years. The divorce papers were signed through overseas lawyers. His marriage had dissolved, but he couldn’t find it within himself to take the ring off. It weighed his hand down like led, the cold metal itching his finger. It wasn’t that he was attached to the thing, or even to his ex-wife, but taking it off would bring about questions from the men and while his marriage ending hurt, he couldn’t take it upon himself to share something else unpleasant with the men. They deserved better than that. Regardless of how he was feeling making sure the men were in a good headspace was important. Making sure you were in a good headspace was important. It was in that moment he realized for the first time that his thoughts of you were not accompanied by the stinging guilt he was used to feeling.

You stumbled upon him not long after, sliding down into the fox hole next to him you asked if be was okay. Simply nodding he looked at you, and without thinking he told you about his wife…ex-wife, the baby, the divorce. You sat silently and listened. When he looked into your eyes there was a silent fury )how dare she cheat on someone as amazing, kind, thoughtful, selfless and selfless as Carwood). He placed a hand on your shoulder, breaking you from your thoughts. A small smile crossed his face, and that marked a shift in your relationship.

You had both managed to somehow keep your feelings hidden until Austria. Upon receiving news that the war was over a massive weight was lifted from everyone’s shoulders. The boys were running around the baseball field laughing and roughhousing, your eyes found Carwood’s smiling shyly you nodded at him before Bull picked you up and spun you around like a doll.

That night Carwood found you sitting outside your billet, looking up at the stars. He found a seat next to you, and like many other nights you two sat in companionable silence. His hand accidentally brushed yours and you both jolted then shared a laugh. You took the next step and placed your hand in his, instead of the possible rejection you were expecting his hand tightened its grasp on yours.  

You had been sent back to the States at different times but had managed to keep in touch through letters. Eventually you found yourself in Huntington, Virginia. A ring on your finger with a mother in law who adored you.

You found out you were pregnant around the time Carwood had finished his engineering degree at Marshall University. It hadn’t been much of a of surprise, well maybe less for you than him.

You two had talked about having children, and he had expressed some concern over his ‘ability’, the scar on his thigh a painful reminder of his insecurities. With some encouragement from you, he agreed to start trying. It had taken about a year of trying (not that either of you were complaining) but it was more than worth the wait to see the smile Lipton gave you when you shared the news.

On a cold January morning, you gave birth to baby Lipton. They were born on their due date, and in a staggering 9 hours start to finish.

(Baby Lipton was punctual AF)

C = Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

Lazy Sunday mornings are probably your favourite time to cuddle. There is no urgency when it comes to waking up, you two can just hold each other as your slowly wake.

There is something so beautiful about seeing Carwood in the morning light.

D = Dates (What are dates with them like?)

You two like to see movies together. During the war it was one of the things you both looked forward to the most, and while its not quite the same without Luz shouting the dialogue in the background, you both still enjoy getting lost in the on-screen story.

E = Everything (You are my __ (e.g. my life, my world…))

“When I say I love you, I don’t say it casually. I say it to remind you that you are my everything. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me in this life”

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

Carwood knew he had feelings for you back in Toccoa, but they had been easy enough to brush to the side. His promise to his wife, and his duty to the men a motivating factor in trying to keep his head in the right space. These were sentiments you shared. You had been given conditions in which you had to follow strictly, for you to continue to train as an enlisted man.

Starting a relationship with an NCO was not an option. Not for either of you.

Things between you two didn’t change until Bastogne. While you had a good working relationship with Lip, you two tried your hardest to avoid any personal talk. It was easier that way.

When he opened up to you about his ex-wife, and the circumstances surrounding his divorce your body filled with white hot fury. Carwood was probably the best man you had ever had the pleasure of knowing, and the mere idea that someone would betray him in such a manner had you hating her almost as much as you hated the damned Krauts. His hand coming to rest on your shoulder, and the soft look he gave you reaffirmed the fact that in this moment you were so screwed.

You felt like the wall you had been building over the past few years finally broke open, there was no going back.

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

Carwood is a fairly big guy, he has a lot of power behind his movements should he choose to use it. But he would never hurt you.

When your relationship is new Carwood is almost hesitant when touching you, almost as if he is afraid the force he is used to exerting while fighting will somehow come through and hurt you.

It’s something that you were worried about too. You had gotten into some unfortunate situations throughout the war and had to use your bayonet and fists to fight for your life a few times.

It was a learning curve for the both of you, going from using your hands to love versus survive.

But you both got there eventually.  

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

Both your hands are calloused and rough from the war. Holding his hand for that first time under the moonlight in Austria felt right, familiar.

The roughness and warmth of his hand in yours soothing every harsh memory and thought that had ever crossed your mind.

As time goes on your hands slowly begin to lose their roughness, as do Carwood’s to some extent. Although there is one particularly rough patch along his thumb that you find your fingers running along from time to time.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

He was surprised as hell to learn about a woman in Easy company. But in his defense literally every other member of the 101st had been surprised as hell.

He had been worried until he saw you building comradery with the men, and the way you blazed through training. You were a determined little thing, and he felt something akin to pride the first time you hit a home run in a game the companies played against each other back in Toccoa. Dog company had been angry as hell, but when he looks back on the memory with more focus he thinks that Captain Speirs may have given a proud grin, briefly of course.

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

Jealous isn’t the right word, envious maybe. Carwood mostly felt this way during the war. Seeing you laugh and bond with the men brought him some degree of comfort in knowing that you had found your place among them. It also made him sad that he had to keep his distance, there was something truly beautiful about being the one to make you smile.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

You did. The men were stepping into the jeeps to be taken to the dock. Carwood and the other NCO’s and officers were there as well. Wishing each of the men all the best on the journey home. You were pretty sure Major Winters had steadily been passing out his mailing address in order to keep in touch with the men.

You had been saying your farewell to Captain Speirs when Carwood approached, Speirs shot you a knowing look before stepping aside to (scare the shit out of) say goodbye to Luz.

He gave you a shy smile, you two talked for a few moments until someone in one of the jeeps laid on the horn, the steady screech causing you and Lipton to jump briefly.  

Saying goodbye had been hard, and well if the look in your eyes matched Carwood’s then this was not the goodbye either of you wanted.

Grasping the strap on your duffle bag a bit closer you cleared your throat,

“Seeing as this is the last time I will see you as my First Sergeant would it be alright if I…kissed you sir?”,

A quick flush covered both of your cheeks, he gave you a shy smile before nodding.

“I think out of all the times in the past that I wanted to kiss you, now seems most appropriate Y/L/N”,

With a grin you stood on your tip toes pulling Carwood into a gentle kiss. The moment would have been perfect had the entire company not started cat calling the both of you a mere second later.

You both laughed and rolled your eyes as Carwood pulled you close to his chest. Peering over his shoulder you saw a peculiar exchange. In which you mean you saw a smug Speirs collecting cash from a grumpy Welsh and sputtering Nixon. Winters just shaking his head and laughing next to them.

Maybe the moment was perfect after all.

L = Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

He does. On his way home, his train happened to pass close to where you lived, he had figured this out a month or so in advance and you two had been able to work out that he would come visit you for a few days before catching his next train home.

Walking off that train and seeing you waiting there for him was one of the most beautiful moments from the last few years. Within moments you were in his arms, pressing soft kisses to his face as he held you tight.

The words flowed so easily from his mouth it almost didn’t feel like he had spoken at all,

“I love you, I’ve always loved you”.

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

He has many. One of his favourite memories though has to be when you berated Speirs for cutting his hand on some, “stupid Nazi flower pot”. Speirs had muttered under his breath about “calling an officer sir”, all of which came to an end when you shot him a look nearly identical to the one Doc used when he was pissed. Carwood hadn’t seen anything phase the infamous Speirs up until that moment.

He was damned proud, and thoroughly amused.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

In the colder months Carwood’s cough comes back with a vengeance, and while the doctors don’t seem to be too concerned unless he spikes a fever, you are still plagued with the memories of almost losing him.

During these months you seem to collect or brew all manner of teas that are said to help ease a troublesome cough. While Carwood finds it amusing to see you, hair mused, trying to decipher a deeper meaning from the remedies Eugene has sent you, he feels touched that you care so much.

He is a lucky man.

O = Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

You remind him of fireworks, something he find incredibly beautiful, but that at one point scared him based on the intensity of his emotions.

You are the brightest, most beautiful thing that has ever entered his life.

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?)

Carwood calls you Hun, from time to time. It took you some time to adjust to being called something other than your rank or former last name, but Hun seemed to suit you just fine.

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

Carwood had these old cufflinks of his dads. He has never worn them, but he keeps them in this small box inside your jewelry box.

He doesn’t have many memories of his dad, as the accident happened when he was still so young. But sometimes when your children ask about their grandpa, he will pull them out and share what little bits of memory his still has about his father with them.  

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

When it is just the two of you, you try to bake together. Granted neither of you are natural cooks, so more times than not the recipes turn out to be a disaster, but you have lots of fun regardless.

Once your family grows you two begin to bake with your children, but as your oldest grows they begin to teach you and Car how to do things proper. It is a pleasant surprise to have an up and coming chef in your house.

S = Sad (How do they cheer themselves/others up?)

Neither your or Carwood like to dwell on being sad, so you two often brew some coffee or tea and try and talk. Most of the time will be spent leaning into the other, the comforting presence of the person you love helping to heal those old wounds you both still carry with you.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

During the war you and Carwood would talk about the men, shitty weather, how Luz needed a haircut, war tactics, how Luz needed a babysitter, how Carwood was Luz’s babysitter, oh shit where was Luz?

After you two have settled into your life together your conversations turn more to mundane everyday things, how was work, are the kids doing alright, did you hear Luz is getting married?, Oh shit really?, she must be a patient woman, what do you mean Speirs is coming to visit next week?, wait why is half of Easy company going to be at our house on Saturday, you do realize I don’t have nearly enough pillows for all of them, shit we need to go and get more pillow. Like I said, normal, every day, mundane things.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

Carwood likes to sit down with your children and do honestly whatever, board games, puzzles, homework. He just enjoys spending time with your children, giving them the memories, he didn’t get with his own father.

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

Carwood is not a flashy man, unlike Nixon who is the embodiment of a human peacock, Carwood is content with being humble. He is just thankful that he gets to come home to his family everyday.

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?)

His proposal came shortly after you came to visit him in Huntington for the first time. You had both discussed getting married and had come to the realization that it would happen soon. So, when he pulled out a ring and got on one knee you were as ready as you could be, even though happy tears stung your eyes.

You wedding happened to be a lager affair. With Carwood’s fanbase consisting of the entirety of Easy company, having a small wedding was nearly impossible. it also didn’t help that a majority of that ‘fanbase’ had been rooting for the two of you to get together since Aldbourne.

While you and Carwood exchanged vows, the men of Easy shed more tears that the both of you, Speirs would never admit it, but he may or may not have…had to tell the men to pull their shit together, tears were for the weak (before he turns away and rapidly blinks back his watery eyes. He knew he should have had his tear ducts removed during the war).  

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

Found - Trenton

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

Yes, Carwood has definitely thought about marrying you. He has been married before, and unlike last time he wants to make sure he does it right. That it is a day that both of you will remember and cherish. He doesn’t want it to be a rushed affair like it was the last time. You deserve more than that.

Although in your defence you would marry him in a muddy field if that was what he wanted.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

You two end up getting a dog, a neighbour of yours had a litter of puppies, and the way your two-year-old child giggled and wrapped themselves around the patient puppy kind of sealed the deal for the two of you.

(I think this is the longest fluff alphabet yet – 7 pages 3344 words- I have a problem)