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[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

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⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀𝘪'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 ⠀⠀
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ 𝘮𝘺 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀
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[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

“ — you may have mentioned that once or twice. ”

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

eyes rolled, but those lips threatened to curve into a smile that spoke only of amusement, tilting her head so she could view as much of their face from this angle. despite the bruises, the small injuries, they seemed to be okay, and that's really all nora needed to know. it —

[ْ @lostforgots]

⠀⠀ “ anyone ever tell you that you complain too much? ” step for step, bouncing off of each other with a camaraderie cameron hadn't been bestowed with since innocent soldiers they served with ceased to exist.

⠀⠀ hand both glacial —

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

— was hard for her, surprisingly so, to watch cam leave for patrol, force herself to go about each day until they returned. there'd been too many sightings of infected, too many ambushes from the seraphites, and the risk of there not being a return was too high.

⠀“ i think — ”

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

— sigh surprised her.

⠀“ anyone ever tell you that you're bossy? ” words escaped in a tone that was full of sarcasm, but even as nora said it, she maneuvered closer, leaning down until she could tuck herself into cam's side, palm finding a home against their toned stomach.

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

lithe arms were crossed over her chest, determined to wait out the silence for as long as cam deemed it necessary. nora could be, and had been, just as stubborn if it called for it, if only to show them how ridiculous they were. she expected a greater fight, but that resigned —

[ْ @lostforgots]

⠀⠀ another bout of silence wavering between them, assumedly prolonged until a sigh pierced the void, cranium tilted to inadvertently admire nora's concern. since day one, cameron's doctor was her, to this point, there was no one they —

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

— on the shelf adjacent before fixating her gaze upon them, “ but you also can't get injured and let it sit. there's a process. you get hurt on patrol, you get cleared through medical. doesn't have to be me, just ... someone. ”

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

“ any other patient wouldn't fight me so hard to clean a wound, ” obvious was stated as cam relaxed, clearly uninterested in letting nora do what needed to be done.

⠀“ look, i get that you're not used to accepting help from anyone, ” she spoke, taking the kit and setting it —

[ْ @lostforgots]

⠀⠀ “ well stop, ” instant response, watching every movement to transpire as first aid was fetched from pack. “ i get injured a lot, just treat me like any other patient. ”

⠀⠀ despite her obvious attempt to rectify injury with —

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

— question was posed, nora ignored it, carefully pulling her hand free to reach into the bag that was slung over her shoulders for the small, first aid kit. “ when it comes to you, yeah, i do. ”

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

the concern that bloomed in response to that injury was seen only in the subtle shift of her gaze, quickly masked as soon as features twisted into that smirk. as their grip encircled her hand, she sighed, rolling those dark hues in response to that question.

⠀when—

[ْ @lostforgots]

⠀⠀ like clockwork, cameron's visage was ripped from diversion, forced to look into nora's deep, suffocating brown eyes demanding answer. at first, silence exchanged, taking in the rise and fall of pupil dilation when met with their —

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

— capturing the blooming shades of deep purple and the laceration to full lower brim.

⠀“ you let anyone look at this? ”

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

nora had spent way too long patching up her stubborn friends to think that, even for a second, cam was unharmed. instead of answering, nora took the steps towards that cot, gently lifting her hand to cup their strong jaw. as she turned their face, she lifted her brows, eyes —

[ْ @lostforgots]

⠀⠀ only * half the truth, preferring nora's presence even over liquid courage at this hour. but the bruise being nursed across the expanse of their lip, split by fallen debris during patrol ... there was too much to explain and —

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

— of injury, but cam moved too quickly.

⠀“ i would say nice to see you, but you clearly want to see the wall instead. ”

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

toes tapped against the floor, not impatiently but out of anticipation, and when the door finally swung open, brows lifted. “ hello to you too, ” nora responded with a hint of sarcasm, though her eyes immediately scanned their face, checking for any and all sign —

[ْ @lostforgots]

⠀⠀ worse for wear but easily concealed come determined rap to door. pointer and thumb leave the proximity of their reaffixed nose, nostrils flaring in approach to unwind makeshift lock of ribbon and pulling ajar to reveal nora's presence —

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

knuckles gently knocked against @lostforgots door, posture lax as nora leaned against the partition.

⠀word of their return from patrol had reached her ears, and despite reports stating the truth, she wanted to see they were okay.

[‍ ‍ ‍*‍ ‍ 𝖋𝐮𝐜𝐤 ‍ 𝖘𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞. @SHESlMMUNE]

⠀⠀
https://t.co/z9i7WpByK2
⠀⠀

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

— stomach flip, forcing her gaze to fixate upon that stoic face that caused heat to bloom under her skin. “you're trouble,” she replied, carefully wiggling one hand free to rest palm over cam's that held book to her chest. “big trouble, you know that?”

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

nora's lithe reactions were no match to the sheer brawn possessed by the one standing in front of her. her frame was no competition to cameron's sheer size, able to hold her in place whilst still retrieving said journal without even breaking a sweat. curious gaze followed ever —

[ْ @lostforgots]

the instant leather sole extends to swindle journal out of reach, pointer and thumb loop tighter around nora's wrists, raising limbs infinitely higher until she was forced to toes.

differing height comes in handy for the one seeking —

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

— was something lonely about cameron – a past that clung to them like a shadow, and their particular brand of lonely spoke to nora in a way that didn't make sense, making her want to understand them, and, at the very least, be there for them.

⠀low, husk filled tone made her —

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

— “and truth be told, i don't think your ego needs it.”

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

the moment that smile appeared on their face, nora knew she was in for trouble, and as she was forced to arch to find comfort, the sound of the journal hitting the ground all but sealed her demise. “not exactly something that's part of my skill set,” she replied to question —

[ْ @lostforgots]

cameron would indulge her, at least for however long it took to procure the journal still teetering between wall and body.

palms affixed to torso for stability prompts eyes to traverse towards contact, one hand pulling away from cement to —

[ْ @drivenbyloyaIty]

— posed, shifting her foot in an attempt to keep the journal stuck out of reach.

⠀her pulse pounded, heart thudding erratically in her chest, but it had nothing to do with the revelations that could be waged from her written words, and everything to do with the space shared. —