Chapter Text
JESS, OR RATHER, MISS MCCREADY, ALWAYS WEARS PANTS.
It annoys Beverly to no end how obviously masculine she allows herself to be. Each time she accrues a fine, Beverly prays to whatever is out there running the universe that Jess, sorry, Ms. McCready, finally adheres to her rules.
But no. New day, same old, beaten down trousers.
At first, collecting the fines seemed easier than ever. Simply pocket a tenner and use it to buy whatever tickled her fancy (Beverly misses lobster more than anything else in the world), but her conscience prevents her from doing so.
And also, Aino.
Aino, Aino, Aino, her mind churns the name around with such intensity that she's surprised the contents of her brain don't curdle. The thought is deeply painful, but Beverly is nothing if not a masochist. And so, despite the hurt, she allows herself to remember.
"Beverly Dickey!," comes the sharp shout of Lieutenant Goldstein. She rushes outside the truck she was driving to give the man a salute. "You have a new barrack member, Aino Cheung. Show her around. Clear?"
"Yes sir."
The woman in front of her was nothing short of a model. With jet black hair, sharp, beady eyes, and red lipstick that seemed to bring colour to her linen - white skin, she could easily make any man in the army swoon.
"So, I take it you're Ms. Cheung," she asks and Aino nods, her iron - straight hair tied up in a bandana bobbing up and down in a ball - like fashion. "You're.. Chinese?"
"My dad is. Mom's a Finn."
"Ah, I see. You're used to barracks?"
"I spent half my life in a prep school. I'm more than used to it."
"Well, I hope Camp Sherman treats you well. I be fourth bunk from the left if you need anything."
Two days pass, and Beverly sees little of Aino, her posting being as one of the cryptographers, while she was a simple truck driver. On Tuesday, Aino sharply pulls aside the curtains around her bunk and plops down on the bed, ignoring the embarrassed shriek of Beverly as she shakily wakes up.
"Bev, we're having a party tonight. We need some good booze. Help us?"
Beverly picks up a pillow and attempts to scream into it, but no sound comes out.
"I'm absolutely, positively, not helping you."
"Oh, come on! We'll dance, have fun, even invite some boys in for a good time."
"The last reason is especially not going to get you anywhere."
"Bevy, please?"
She looks up at Aino, her eyes full of faux - innocence and a quivering bottom lip. She can't help but be moved, and sighs.
"Okay."
Aino screams in joy and hugs her tight. After mock - choking and gagging, she lets her go, but Beverly, even after getting up and walking out of the barracks, feels the sensation of Aino's hands around her, her perfume lingering on her skin. She shrugs and tries to get the feeling off of herself, but to no avail.