Photograph (camren)

Chapter Twenty-One (part two)

Later that evening after an eventful day of cuddling and some other things, Camila was getting ready for her shift at the bar, setting her clothes out and ironing everything.  Since Valentine's day was Saturday there would be plenty of broken hearts trying to drown their loneliness in a few drinks and a couple make outs. Joe suggested she come in for the tips she'd receive and to bring the girls along. The old man informed her that Lauren's drinks would be on the house to thank her for her services and the rest of them could go under her non-existent tab.

Meanwhile the marine was grabbing a shower before heading out to the place that changed her life forever. She hooked up some music to the bluetooth speakers and began to mumble the lyrics as she undressed herself then stepped under the water. A sense of familiarity struck her as the hot water began to create a beat on her back and she looked down to the places that once held bruises along with scratches. The bruises had now faded and the scratches healed, much like everything had the moment Camila sat on the lieutenant's bed for the very first time. The marine's heart had been brought out of it's lonely state, every wound she had ever endured up until the moment she locked eyes with the bartender that night was worth it. She would've gone through it all over again if she had known she would come out with Camila on the other side.

The lieutenant smiled to herself, proud of how far the two of them had come throughout the five weeks they had spent together. She traced the tattooed rings with her callused fingertips, sighing at the memories of everything that had happened on the base after John and Luke were taken in the suicide bombing.  How the guys from other squads had beaten her, touched her, spat on her. Ever single thing came back in a rush and she felt herself place her hands on the shower's wall to stabilize herself. The blood started again, trailing down her lip as it mixed in with the water that cascaded her entire body. Her eyes closed and she allowed herself to let the attack take its course as she willed herself back into the night everything had gone from bad to worse.

She lived through Private James placing his hand her shoulder and how the rest of the boys held her down as he defiled her. She remembered crying and debating if screaming would do any good, but these were marine's, they knew how to keep someone quiet. Which meant after being knocked around a few times she had been gagged. She lived it all over again behind her eyelids there in her shower as the water continued to beat rhythmically down her back. She remembered how he passed her around to each of them like some object, she remembers each thrust, each grunt. Everything.

Finally a knock came on the door with a small 'hey' from the Doctor's voice and Lauren was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard it open slowly. She washed the blood from her face as she felt a pair of slender arms wrap around her torso. Sighing at the contact she allows herself to lean back into Camila and she smiled when the smaller woman pressed kisses to her shoulder blades as she traced the marine's abdominal muscles with her hands. Every ounce of tension left her body the moment Camila had touched it and it never failed to amaze Lauren, just how much this girl had healed her already.

"You seem tense, are you okay? Is this okay?" Camila mumbled on the marine's skin, continuing to press soft kisses everywhere she roamed. The lieutenant simply nodded yes and the small brunette didn't ask again. Instead her brown eyes wandered her girlfriends back, taking in each ripple of the muscles even with the slightest movement, and traced the tattoo on the left shoulder blade she hadn't known about. With Lauren's hair hanging over her right shoulder, it made the phrase hard to miss. 'Sin corazón, sin gloria' it read and she couldn't stop herself when the words slipped off her tongue in her own native language.

"Sin corazon, sin gloria?" Camila whispers patiently. "No heart, no glory." Lauren moved to face the smaller woman, switching their positions as she placed her hands on her waist and Camila's arms now hung around themarine's neck. She pressed their foreheads together lightly with a content sigh before explaining exactly what the tattoo meant to her.