Photograph (camren)

Chapter Thirty-Five (Part-Two)

After laying everything out on that bed, maybe a little more than once, Camila found herself wrapped up in her lieutenant's strong arms once again. It was a feeling the young doctor had yearned for the moment she laid in bed alone on that very first night of Lauren's absence. A feeling she had considered a paperweight to keep her in place until she could feel it again. Now, with the arms of the woman she loved locked around her waist tightly, the young brunette couldn't help but let a content sigh escape her parted lips.

As she trailed her fingertips up and down the marine's arms, Camila took in the new scrapes, and scars, while she traced the rings of the raven-headed girl's tattoo. She knew this was probably the first time Lauren had slept in days. It was evident on the older girl's face earlier that day that sleep hadn't been on her side lately. With boot-camp taking up the entire day back on base as well as the thoughts of what was going on at home keeping her lieutenant awake, Camila understood why that was.

Truthfully, sleep had been hard to come by for her as well, since Lauren's deployment. It had even gotten to the point where she had been prescribed some sleeping medication. However, after the love they had just made, and finally having the marine home once again, Camila found no need in taking it that night. She wanted to stay awake as long as possible just to revel in the way her lieutenant's cold hands warmed the moment they came into contact with her skin. The brunette thanked God above she had taken her contacts out prior to setting everything up for Lauren's little surprise, otherwise having to ruin everything by slipping out of the sleeping girl's arms to do so. Suddenly, reality settled into Camila's bones, her eye's following the rise and fall of the marine's chest, as she realized something in the early hours of that Sunday morning.

Lauren would be leaving again the following day.

It took everything inside of her to not turn around in the lieutenant's embrace, wrap her own arms around her sleeping figure, and allow her heart to break with the knowledge that her lover would be gone again this time tomorrow. Instead, she slid her fingers between the older girl's, gripping a little tighter than intended, and placed a chaste kiss to the marine's bare shoulder. As if Lauren could tell exactly what had caused the gesture, she settled her face between Camila's neck and shoulder, placing sleepy lips to the younger girl's cheek.

"I love you, you know?" Lauren mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. "More than you could possibly imagine."

"I love you." The brunette replied quietly, careful not to let her girlfriend see the silent trail of tears that had now taken over her face. However, her plan backfired the moment the marine turned her head and kissed the younger girl's cheek; tasting the salty substance.

"What's wrong baby?"

"Nothing." Camila hummed in reply, knowing fully well Lauren wouldn't settle for anything less than the truth. When the marine lifted her chin to get a better look at the young doctor's face, the brown-eyed girl knew she wasn't fooling anyone, not even herself. With a small sigh, she shifted to meet the lieutenant's forest green gaze with a sad smile adorning her lips. "I just miss you."

Taking a moment to understand what it was Camila was saying, Lauren's brows furrowed in thought. She knew her girlfriend missed her, it was more or less why she jumped at the chance to come home when the General had allowed it. But the marine also knew that two days would never be enough time to silence Camila's withdrawal. Two days was barely enough time to formulate what to do with their new-found time, let alone get enough of each other to last another five months. Lauren's thoughts took her back to that night in the bathroom of her grandparents' ranch house after yet another 'episode'. Her own voice filled her head at the familiarity, "How tragic it would be, to love her for only a millisecond of eternity."