Requested by: octaviabowie
OC: Poppy Rogers

There was another gunshot, much louder this time. It had barely missed one soldier. At the brush of the metal, he stumbled backwards.

Someone behind the soldier shouted and there was another shot, only this time greeted by a scream. Turning on his heel, the soldier watched as a fellow friend collapsed to the ground. Dead. The word echoed around.

"Percy!"

The soldier turned. That was the name he always responded to. It took so much strength to remember sometimes that he was a she.

Indeed, most soldiers had some secret they carried with them to the grave. This could be the one for Percy. Living two identities was getting difficult and she didn't know which name or side to trust.

Looking through the rising smoke, she tried to see who was calling for her. There was a figure stepping out of the shadows, making himself clear to see now. "Par ici, mon ami!" In the panic and chaos, languages were getting confused and no one had time to think about their speaking.

Lives were at risk and they had to move as quickly as possible. If there was another wrong move, another life would be lost.

Percy ran towards the person, grabbing on their hand. Her friend's curls were blown in all different directions from the gunfire. He looked terribly frightened. And that was saying a lot, as he wasn't the type to get shaken easily.

A cloud of smoke covered the two as they ran to safety. At this point, they had no chance winning. The only option was to retreat with no regret. Those who were lost would be mourned, but those who survived would save their own life first.

However, much to their dismay, the men in redcoats were still firing. No matter how far they ran, the closer the intimidating figures neared. She could almost feel them clawing at her jacket, preying on her desperate breaths.

"Lafaye-"

When she tried to say her friend's name, another distant cannon cut her off. She halted and turned just in time to see another one of their soldiers collapse. Standing above the victim was another redcoat. He raised his head and noticed Percy watching.

Percy's feet began moving again, and she dashed after his friend who was shouting at him. The beating of drums in her ears grew stronger with every leap she took. All the other noises drowned out except for the drumming.

All of a sudden there was the sound of a trigger being pulled in the distance and the feeling of a knife slicing her heart open.

The world went grey around her as she tumbled to the ground. Up ahead she could just barely see his friend rush towards him. Two arms wrapped around her waist and they began moving again, faster this time.

"Rester en vie!" Her friend was weeping, cradling him close to his chest. That was one of the last things she remembered before waking up safe and sound.

When the young soldier awoke, the instant reaction was to be at attention. Wincing, she decided that was not the best idea. She was very surprised when she noticed her good friend in battle watching her intently.

"I-I-Lafayette?"

The man nodded. "We were retreating and one of the redcoats fired directly at you. Y-you were shot." She could sense a quiver in his voice.

There was a long pause before she whispered in her manly attitude, "Did you save me? I can remember someone grabbing me an-"

Lafayette frantically replied, "Yes, I ran with you in my arms for two miles trying to find safety. I wasn't going to let you die in their victory. The way they laughed like demons at the others who had died, my blood ran cold."

There was silence as some medical assistants passed. When they were gone, he continued hurriedly, "Have no fear. We have received word that they left shortly after defeating us."

Yet again, there was a dull silence following his words. They weren't normally so reserved, but the situation was different than before. One was injured and the other was trying his best to help her.

"You needn't be afraid. Put on that smile you have, lad. Ain't no redcoats here to scare you no more!" Lafayette patted her on the back and both of them managed to chuckle.

Percy lifted her head. She couldn't afford to look and act like a man anymore. The longer she used her fake name and identity, the more she grew restless. It was her chance to say something to him.

"I need to tell you something. Please just don't leave me." She linked their hands together, already feeling her woman like instincts shining through. Lafayette looked uncertain by her touch but he shrugged that off.

Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes. Your name is Poppy Rogers. You hid your identity for a year and a half. She opened her eyes again. "My name is Poppy. Not Percy."

The air thickened between them. Lafayette leaned back before laughing nervously. "Percy, don't play around with me. You need rest."

She didn't let him stop her. "No. Listen. I'm not Percy. I'm a woman." When he gave her a look of confusion, she ruffled her hair with one hand, looking at him.

Lafayette just shook his head. She licked her lips, thinking of another way. The thought struck her quickly and she looked around the curtain to make sure no one was coming.

Without wasting another second, she tore off her sweat and blood stained shirt. His eyes widened and he hissed, "Percy!" But she glared at him, tossing the shirt aside.

His eyes landed on the bandage wrapped around her chest. "Wh-what?"

"I used this to hide my breasts. If anyone knew that I was a woman, it would be from my chest." Poppy took a deep breath, wiping her eyes and picking the shirt back up again.

Her friend was still standing, pale faced and utterly confused. "B-but how?" The fact that his friend had been a woman was shocking.

Poppy buttoned the shirt up again quickly, looking around. "I observed men and their instincts. Got caught on and ended up here, by luck and so many risks. I couldn't have survived without you." There was more silence.

Lafayette stepped forward. "You could have died out there. And you-you're a woman."

"And? I'm a woman and I just saved quite a few men out on that field. If I'm getting freedom, I want to fight for it. Who says women can't be as equal as men?" She tilted her head before mumbling something to herself.

A few months before her decision to disguise as a man, Poppy had been very observant of the politics going on. She watched how they talked, what they talked about, and what they wore.

Everything all seemed to click together. She had made her own clothing and tried it on secretly. From an old friend she received the fake papers about her qualifications and birth details.

The moment she stepped on the battlefield, last spring, her heart pounded with determination and nervousness. But she remembered how Lafayette had introduced himself and fought with her the whole way. That felt comforting to have a male figure right beside her all along.

"I should have told you this sooner. And I understand if you are confused or angry. This was a decision I made and in my heart I hold true to it." She lifted her head to face him. His expression was unreadable.

Hoping for his forgiveness or something, she pleaded, "Gilbert. Please." At his real name, he looked at her. One of the many nights they stationed together, he had told her his real name. Of course, he certainly had no idea at the time being that she was a woman.

Lafayette gulped. There was a lump in his throat, too large to swallow. He had been protecting a woman the whole time. His head began spinning. What if I hadn't kept her alive? If he had made one wrong move, he could have lost the life of a woman.

Poppy raised her eyebrows, waiting. She didn't know whether or not to speak again. He answered that by wrapping her into a tight embrace. It was at first surprising, but she laughed and held him back.

She wrapped one arm around his waist and the other around his neck. Her shoulders were shaking and she started to sob. And much to her relief, he cried with her.

Their bodies pressed together, and Poppy got on her knees on the cot. She cringed at the pain in her stomach but tried to ignore it. Lafayette shifted and pulled her closer. He was sobbing loudly now, raking his fingers through her chopped hair.

"I promise you'll get home safe," he whispered softly in her ear. Poppy placed her head in the crook of his neck and smiled. She had chosen the right person to become friends with. And she would never stop thanking herself for crossing paths with him.

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A/N: Thank you octaviabowie for requesting this one shot! I really liked writing this because this was something that might've happened then. And I have many one shots to write, so I will probably post quite a few soon!