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“So, which do you think it is?”
“What?”
“C’mon, China. You had to have noticed by now.”
Nadine sighs. She has noticed, but she didn’t plan on actually bringing it up until after the job. Her wrist has a new little decoration on it: Chloe’s name.
“Ja, I noticed.”
“You weren’t going to mention it?” Chloe seems disappointed. “And here I thought it was supposed to be a magical moment.”
Nadine sighs. Of course Chloe is acting like this. She shouldn't have answered the phone. “I’m sure this happens for people every day.”
“Well, not to me. You’re special, China. You’re my first,” she purrs into the phone. She seems utterly amused at this, rather than tentative or logical. But Nadine hasn’t really heard caution or logic as something Chloe has in spades.
“We have to talk about this now?”
Nadine has no interest in discussing something like this as early as it is; she’s fairly certain on which Chloe is from the options of “born enemy” or “soulmate”. She’s not terribly excited about it-- more nervous than anything.
“Oh? And when can we talk about it, hm?”
“After.”
“After what, exactly?”
“After the job.”
Chloe huffs. “You’re a tease, love, you know that?” She hums. “Can you at least speculate with me?”
Nadine shuts down that line of thought right away. “No.”
She’s certain Chloe would get entirely too insufferable if Nadine passes off the information she has. They have a whole job before them that could take weeks. It could be good. But it could be horrible and awkward. She would rather get to know Chloe more before they figure anything out related to the names on their wrists.
“You’re no fun.”
“How about now?”
Nadine sighs. Seems like she’s been doing that a lot lately. “No, Frazer.” She tosses Chloe an MRE. “Eat something and get some sleep. I’ll take first watch.”
Chloe frowns at the package in her hands. “And what’s this one have?”
“Curried rice pilaf, white rice, and a stamina bowl.”
“I hope it’s good curry… What, pray tell, is a stamina bowl by the way?”
“Broth, meat, and cubed vegetables, for that one.” Nadine tosses her a flameless heater and a bottle of water. “You’ll need to heat it.”
Chloe is completely unimpressed with it. “I swear, you’re taking me to dinner after all this to make up for these damn things. Whether we’re enemies or not.”
Nadine just rolls her eyes. It’s obvious Chloe has never had to subsist on this sort of thing before, but Nadine is well acquainted with many types of MREs. These ones aren’t bad when compared to others. She still gags if she thinks too hard on the “vegetable omelet” she’d gotten in one. It’d been the least favourite of many of the men in shoreline, quickly being nicknamed the vomlette.
“I’ve got others if that’s not what you want.”
Chloe looks half hopeful. “What are my options?”
She doesn’t even need to think on it. “Another type of the one you’ve got, but with a hamburger instead of the stamina bowl. I broke down a Patrol Ration One Man, so we’ve got… Muesli with fruit-- better for breakfast, if you ask me. Mi Goreng noodles and beef teriyaki.” She shrugs. “Some have smaller snacks or spreads with them. Marmalade and what not. But I think I took out the yeast extract.”
Chloe looks up. “You didn’t bring the vegemite when you’re out here with an Australian? I’m wounded.” She puts a hand to her chest as though insulted.
With a shrug, Nadine digs through the bag. “Sorry. Didn’t think on it. It’s good for b-vitamins, but I’m not fond of it so I usually replace it with sunflower seeds or almonds. I’ve got a chocolate bar if you want it, though.”
“You certainly know how to get me back on your good side. Toss it over.”
She does. “Did you want something other than what I gave you?”
Chloe rakes her eyes down Nadine’s form. “Can I say anything?”
Again, Nadine sighs. “Eat your food, Frazer.”
Chloe chuckles and gets to work heating up her food. “Do you wanna talk about what we are to each other now ?”
“ Frazer .”
Nadine is by the fire when Chloe crawls out of their tent. It's late and Nadine has only been on watch for an hour now.
“Something wrong?” she asks in a low voice.
Chloe shrugs. Her path takes her to a seat next to Nadine on the ground. “Couldn't sleep.” She leans heavy on Nadine's side despite the heat.
“Anything I can help with?”
“Mm-mm,” is the soft response. “Just let me use you as a pillow?”
Nadine should say no. She should usher Chloe back to the tent or at least get her off of her side. But she just lets the woman settle. “Sure you're okay?”
“Yeah.”
They leave it at that, despite both knowing better. It's been a hectic couple of days.
It hits Nadine then, that Chloe is truly her soulmate. That this woman could make her happy for the rest of her life. It's terrifying and exhilarating. Her heart is racing and she wants to say something to Chloe to let her know important they are, but she stays quiet. Now is not the time.
Chloe notices the beating of her heart and the way Nadine stiffens a bit. She's bright red, and Chloe doesn't know why, but she takes it in stride.
“Are you okay?”
“... Ja.”
“You sure?”
Nadine shifts to hook an arm around Chloe, inviting her to get more comfortable at her side. Chloe lets out a soft delighted noise and curls against her.
“Get some rest, Frazer. You've got watch in a few hours.”
Chloe happily makes herself at home against Nadine.
Nadine finds no issue with it. Chloe is her soulmate . She can't help but allow her this closeness, even if it can seem out of character, even if Chloe might call her out on it. It makes her feel good to offer Chloe this bit of softness. Maybe she can do more after the job. Holding Chloe sounds altogether pleasant. Especially when Chloe is asleep. She can't talk and ruin the quiet when she's asleep.
Chloe moves again. She's now half in Nadine's lap with her forehead against her stomach and her arms folded between them. She murmurs something in a pleased tone. Moments later, she's asleep.
Nadine just sort of stares at her for a bit. Chloe Frazer, thief and adventurer, best driver in the business, and Nadine's goddamn soulmate. She's clever and funny and terribly intelligent. Besides all that, she's beautiful as well. She's more than Nadine ever thought she'd get in a soulmate.
Nadine is half in love with her already.
How they didn’t hear that damn vehicle before it rammed the wall, sending Chloe to the ground, tossing Nadine away, who knows.
Nadine tries to get up. She needs to get to Chloe. But a blow catches her in the face before she can do more than struggle onto her hands. She bears the brunt of two more blows: one with the butt of a gun, the other from a boot.
Chloe reaches for the disc, but Asav stops her with a boot on her wrist.
He clicks his tongue. “Oh, look at that. You’ve got her name.”
He picks up the disc, examining the changes. “The eye of Shiva... That’s impressive. My man worked for a week and turned up nothing.”
“Probably hired the wrong expert,” Chloe rasps as she pushes herself up.
“Perhaps.” He uses the side of his fist to bash bricks out of the doorway leading to the aqueduct. “You know… A Hoysala poet once wrote of a young king who showed mercy and thus ended our rituals. But the old kings, they understood that progress demands sacrifice.”
Nadine waits for her moment. She needs to break free. She needs to help Chloe. They’ll kill her-- and maybe with men like these, that’s the better fate than what Nadine might get, but Nadine will fight for Chloe as much as she can and as hard as she can.
“Is that what you tell your men?”
Of course Chloe is being mouthy. That’s who she is. It’ll just get her killed faster.
Asav crouches in front of Chloe. He’s got a gun in his hands. “So which is it?” he asks, curious in that morbid, shit-eating sort of way. “The two of you. Enemies? Or soulmates?”
Soulmates, Nadine thinks, in spite of herself. But Chloe doesn’t know. There’s no way she could.
Asav can tell that from the look on her face.
“You don’t know? Pity. I suppose it’s poetic either way, you two dying here together.” He cocks the gun. “In times of war these aqueducts would run red. Those who would not fight had to be used to inspire those who would.”
He stands and holds the gun to Chloe’s head.
Nadine struggles against the men holding her and breaks free. That’s all the distraction Chloe needs.
More than a half hour later, Nadine is sitting next to Chloe’s unconscious body. She wonders if she should tell Chloe when she wakes, but she decides to leave it for after the job. She just hopes she doesn’t make it too obvious in how she acts.
It’s a soft wonder at Nandi rising from the ground not fifty meters from the tower. It’s an experience Nadine is happy to share with Chloe.
At least, she is until only a moment later.
She feels like she’s going to throw up.
“No-- you better be joking.”
“This was my deal-- Sam went ahead to do recon--”
“ Shit .”
“--for me, on the disc, but then he went missing and I couldn’t leave him for dead--”
Nadine can feel anger and hurt and so much more welling up in her. “You knew my history with Sam and then you dragged me into this anyway?” She’s pacing. She can’t believe what she’s hearing.
“Your history with Asav made you the obvious choi--”
Nadine hits her. She shouldn’t but she does. Chloe goes down instantly. She lands on her side and manages to push herself up again, but it’s slow. She’s still hurting from earlier.
Nadine tries not to think about it.
“Don’t hold back or anything,” Chloe says as she pinches her nose. It’s not bleeding, but it probably feels like it should be.
“Oh I did,” Nadine spits.
Chloe takes a slow breath. “You know what, Nadine? This doesn’t change anything-- you’ll still get your share.”
She’s angry. She can’t stop herself. “Yeah? Or maybe you and Sam will cut me out as soon as you get the tusk.”
“Come on, that’s not how I operate--”
“That’s exactly how your type operates!”
Chloe looks up at her, hurt again, but in a different way this time.
Nadine can’t stop herself. “I already knew what we’re supposed to be,” she hisses, pointing at Chloe's name on her wrist. She rips her watch off to reveal another name. “Because the other name I have is the goddamn man you brought me to save!” She stills. “And to think I trusted you.”
Nadine is gone before Chloe can say anything else.
Nadine feels sick. It’s a combination of all of her anxiety about this, the hurt from the lie she’s been fed, and the guilt from hurting Chloe.
She sort of hates herself for hitting Chloe. She won’t say it out loud.
The silence between them is heavy, but Nadine can’t find it in her to break it. Her cards are on the table. She won’t let Chloe get hurt, but… She’s tired. She doesn’t want this.
“Ohhhh no,” Chloe lets out softly.
They move closer to the trapped elephant. If there’s one thing they can do together, it’s this.
“Hey, hey hey hey… It’s okay,” she murmurs out.
“She’s trapped.” Nadine rubs her hand over the great beast’s back. “But I don’t think she’s wounded.”
“Those explosions we heard must’ve triggered the collapse.”
Chloe eases onto the elephant’s back. Nadine follows suit. “Easy girl. Shh, sh… It’s okay.” They push their feet against the column holding the elephant down. “Sorry girl. We’re gonna get you out.”
Nadine wants to be angrier at Chloe, but hearing her talk to this trapped animal… It softens her. She wishes it didn’t.
On the back of an elephant is a strange place to get some sort of apology, but Nadine won’t fight it. Now that she’s calmed down, she wants to repair things, but she doesn’t know how to go about things.
It helps that Chloe starts it.
“Look, I uhm… I’m not very good at the whole people thing.”
Nadine says the truth. She doesn’t really mean it in the worst way, but she means it. “You’re a selfish dickhead.”
Chloe’s voice is quiet. “Yeah. I am. I am a selfish dickhead.”
“Ja.”
Chloe laughs.
“It’s good to hear you say it.”
Immediately, things feel better.
“Hear that, dad?” Chloe says to the little figurine she has. “I did get something from you after all.”
And maybe it’s too much, but Nadine is curious. She asks about Chloe’s mysterious father. It’s a sad story, and one she’s heard before with small alterations. Plenty of childhood friends lost parents who had tried to find their wealth in a risky way. But this man had simply wanted knowledge.
A few minutes later, they pull themselves from the water. They’re both in good spirits now, it seems.
Nadine spots their elephant rejoining her memory. Nadine points it out. They both revel in it for a long moment. It’s an amazing wonder, seeing wild elephants so close.
“Look, about the whole… Sam...”
Nadine brushes it off. She sort of understands, even if she can’t stand the man. “I’ve got my own shit to sort out as well. Let’s not have that stand in the way anymore, eh?”
Chloe looks thoughtful for a moment. “In the way of… Us?”
Nadine takes a deep breath. “Of us.”
Chloe grins wide. “Can I kiss you?”
Nadine flushes a deep red. “Ah… not yet?”
Her soulmate accepts the answer. “Well, would a hug be okay?”
“Ja, I can handle a hug.”
Chloe shoots forward and wraps her arms around Nadine's waist. Nadine cements an arm around her shoulders, the other turning up to bury a hand in Chloe's hair. They're like that for a full minute before they part. Despite the dampness of their clothes, it's warm and wonderful and Nadine can't remember the last time she felt so good.
And when they do part, its slow and Nadine almost regrets saying no to a kiss.
But they'll get there.
Nadine finds she loves watching Chloe figure things out. She’s so smart. Watching her put the puzzle pieces together and come up with something she hadn’t thought of before is something Nadine could do any day of the week.
“It was a symbol of them,” she finally says.
Nadine can hear what she’s left unsaid. This tusk isn’t just a symbol of them, but also a symbol of Chloe, where Chloe comes from. Of her father and all the family that came before him. The connection that was taken from her young is being rediscovered right in front of Nadine.
Nadine notices some small figures along the top of the statue that seem oddly familiar.
“Wait, so what are these?”
She blows away the cobwebs as Chloe turns to her. The figures, they’re… they’re just like Chloe’s. Her little Ghanesh. It’s amazing. It means so much more now, it means…
Nadine smiles at Chloe, but she realizes that Chloe may not think this is something good.
Chloe looks shaken. She takes a deep breath and fits her Ghanesh figure into the one open slot. It sinks a tad until it’s the same height as the others. The others seem to settle as hers does.
Chloe stares at it, almost shocked.
Nadine can hear the shakiness in her breaths, the evidence of her holding back tears.
Finally, Chloe looks up at Nadine. “My dad was here.” Her voice is raspy and thick. “Something big alright… Why didn’t that stupid bastard tell me?”
Nadine already knows the answer. “You said it yourself. He wanted to keep you safe.”
It’s something she can relate to, really. Her focus has been almost exclusively on keeping Chloe safe for the last day.
Chloe turns, lowering herself to a seated position, and just sort of works on holding herself together.
Nadine kneels beside her. She wants to do something, anything, to make her feel better. But what is there to do? Listen, maybe.
“I can’t let Asav get that tusk.”
Nadine nods. Already she knows they won't be seeing much, if any, money from this venture. But she has Chloe, right? Does she need anything else?
“No,” she agrees. “No, we can’t.”
“Thank you.” Chloe's voice is soft. Not weak, just soft. Near inaudible.
Before she can stop herself, Nadine pulls her in for another hug. She should really have more self-control, but this is her soulmate in distress right here.
“Thank me after we get out of this alive,” Nadine mumbles.
Chloe laughs. “Fair point.”
Half in love doesn't even come close to what Nadine feels for this woman.
Finally meeting up with Sam is more than disappointing for a number of reasons. First off, it's Sam. Secondly, of course to meet up with Sam, they also have to be found by Asav. Thirdly, it puts an end, for the most part, to the comfort and closeness Nadine and Chloe have been sharing for the past, well, since the elephant ride.
Nadine is completely done with all this. All she wants is to find the tusk, bring it wherever Chloe wants to, and take Chloe on a proper date.
The only benefit of finding Sam is hearing Chloe defend her.
“I trust her.”
And honestly? Sam can shove it. If Nadine hadn't fallen for Chloe, hook line and sinker, Sam would be dead right now.
The fact her soulmate (she still can't get over that, over Chloe) is friends with the other name on her wrists, is annoying, but she can power through his proximity. But only for Chloe. If anyone else asks her to, they're shit out of luck.
Chloe is forced to solve a puzzle for Asav because the man is too dense to get it.
And Asav is a smart man-- as much as Nadine is loathe to admit it-- but she swells with pride when she thinks of how much smarter Chloe is. Or she would, if it weren't for the handcuffs and the worry heavy in the pit of her stomach.
“Professional courtesy” is just a polite way of saying “I'd have left you behind if Chloe wasn't there”. Nadine knows it, Sam knows it, and Chloe knows it.
Nadine notices that Chloe hovers closer to her now. She's the buffer between the two of them, but she seems to want Nadine to know where her loyalty will lie in the end. At least that's what she'd like to think.
It seems likely enough, what with Sam being a third wheel and all.
They get a moment to themselves a bit later. Sam doesn’t have a rope, and they’ll have to climb around to find him.
Chloe thanks her for tolerating Sam. Well, for not murdering him.
Nadine takes a deep breath and gives Chloe a long look. “You're the only reason.”
Chloe seems a bit breathless at the confession. She asks again: “Can I kiss you?”
Nadine is so terribly ready to say yes.
And of course she receives a grin that's ear to ear at the answer.
Chloe shoots forward and kisses Nadine like her life depends on it.
Nadine had only prepared herself for a peck on the lips at most, but Chloe is still Chloe. She drags the kiss out as long as she can, sneaks her tongue in as soon as she can, and uses up every bit of breath they both have before stopping.
Nadine pants, eyes dark with want. “That's more than we should've done and you know it,” she hisses.
Chloe just keeps on grinning. “You didn't set any rules before it, so how could I break any?”
With a roll of her eyes, she sighs. “I--”
“Ladies?” comes Sam’s voice. “You still down there?”
Nadine scowls. Leave it to him to ruin the moment.
Chloe frowns. ”Sorry,” she whispers. “What’s say we keep going? Faster we get the tusk back, faster it’ll be you, me, and a nice dinner, yeah?”
The thought alone manages to cheer Nadine up. “Ja.”
She presses one more kiss to Nadine’s cheek. “Soon, darling. Soon.”
Nadine says it specifically for Chloe. “You should relax. You’ll live longer.”
The look on Chloe’s face is plenty for her to deem it worth it.
It's not long before that rush of warmth is overcome by adrenaline as they're climbing into the helicopter. And even sooner after that Chloe has the tusk in her hands. She passes it to Nadine, their hands brushing. She turns away as Sam tries to see it.
She denies his attempt to hold it, and she moves away.
But then Chloe says something, something impossible, something more than worrying.
“It’s a bomb.”
Sam cuts off in what he's saying. “I-- What?”
Chloe's voice comes softly at first. “Oh my god.” She turns to them and moves closer. “Asav traded the tusk for a bomb.”
Something Orca said clicks in Nadine's head. “Fireworks.”
Sam takes the diagram from Chloe; Nadine only catches a glimpse. “Thi-- this? This is big.”
What does this mean for them? Nadine doesn't know. They need to do something, don't they?
“Yeah.” Chloe's eyes are on the horizon, towards the very city they had started all of this. “Those tracks run right through the city. Through the market…”
Nadine knows where this is going. She can feel it, if she can only get ahead of the thought, stop Chloe-- Chloe is too good. Nadine knows this. She wants, no, needs Chloe to be selfish in this moment. She needs Chloe to fit the reputation she's known for. She needs Chloe to walk away .
“We find the nearest town,” she argues. “Notify the authorities.”
Chloe isn't looking at her. “It’ll be too late. If that goes off, it’ll kill thousands.”
Sam chimes in. “And that is a terrible shame but we did get what we came for. I--” He cuts off. Not even he knows what to say.
Chloe picks up a gun.
Nadine panics. She can't see this, she can't, Chloe is her soulmate . She can't lose her. She can't. She won't, she refuses to.
“What? You are not seriously going after that train.” Chloe refuses to even look at her. “Okay, fine-- Fine, you have a plan?”
“Doesn’t seem to be much of a requirement in this organization,” comes Sam's voice.
Nadine turns her attention to him. He's known her longer, maybe he can stop her? “Are you really going to let her do this?
He's defensive. “No, I’m-- she’s got a valid point-- shit I don’t know okay?”
Useless. Of course he is.
Nadine turns back to Chloe. She needs to be louder, make her point obvious, make Chloe listen to her. She'll riot if her damn soulmate isn't by her side at the end of this.
“This is not our fight you said so yourself. Even if you catch that train-- what happens? Disarming the bomb is impossible.”
“You’re right.”
Relief floods Nadine. They'll make it through this.
“Good! Good, so we’ll, we’ll call the authorities and--”
But then Chloe speaks again and the relief turns to dread.
“This isn’t our fight. It’s my fight.”
Chloe's reputation is selfish, self-preserving, and flighty. Why is it now she's none of these things? Why is it now-- They've finally found each other. She and Nadine, they're meant for each other, nothing should part them. They were supposed to have time to figure out what they are and how they'll function in tandem. But now Chloe, selfless, heroic, steadfast Chloe, is willingly getting on this train. It's certain death.
“That bomb detonates in the city, it’ll spark a civil war. I can’t walk away.” Finally, she looks up at Nadine. “I’m tired of walking away.”
Nadine can't handle it.
“You'll die.”
Chloe uses her free hand to grab one of Nadine's. They look at each others wrists, at their own names there.
“I can live with that.”
They're both close to tears. If Sam wasn't right there, Nadine would say so much more. But shouldn't she anyway? Shouldn't she say these things while Chloe can still hear them?
But she doesn't speak up fast enough. Chloe drops her hand. “Hey, save my share of the tusk okay? Just in case.” Her voice is thick, as though she's about to cry.
She walks away, hopping in the driver's seat.
Nadine stands there. Is there a point to her life if Chloe is about to die? Shouldn't she be doing everything she can for her soulmate?
Sam gets in the car before she can make her decision, but it's mere seconds later that she's there.
“Out,” she demands.
Sam gives an exasperated, “No!”
Nadine doesn't even bother looking at him. Her eyes are on Chloe's. “I call shotgun.”
“Fine... I'll sit in the back.”
Chloe gives her an incredulous look.
“What?”
They drive on.
Nadine can’t believe her soulmate is so reckless as to blow their element of surprise by yelling “surprise!” as soon as Nadine has finished saying as much, but then again, this is Chloe.
They could die here. They probably will.
Nadine can’t think about it now, though. She’s too focused and ended the life of the next man to go after Chloe, and the next, and the next. There’s no short supply on them; she’s well aware of the fact most of them see Chloe as the weaker of them. The easy target.
Chloe makes them pay for it.
Nadine can’t help but feel terribly proud of her for it. So many men have underestimated her only to find their death at her hands.
Asav will be the next to fall.
It’s a long time coming, but Nadine is perfectly fine with having a place in his downfall. She’d like for herself and Chloe to survive it, but that’s still yet to be seen.
If they live, she has plans. Certainly not as many as Chloe probably has, but enough for her to have a hard time deciding what would come first.
A shower, probably. She’s having damn fantasies about a proper hot shower.
Nadine has never seen a bomb quite as big as the one they find. She’s never had real need of things like this, and Shoreline-- when it was under command of a Ross-- had no need to deal in this sort of thing.
There’s nothing they can do here, so they move on.
Nadine feels like she should say something to Chloe about what Chloe means to her, but that just might jinx them.
Chloe jumps to a four by four and Nadine is jerked back. She yells out for Chloe to get to the switch house.
And maybe it’s ridiculous, but she’s more worried about Chloe than she is about herself. She hasn’t hit “exhaustion” yet. She can keep going, keep fighting.
But she isn’t there to help Chloe, even if she knows Chloe is plenty capable. It’s an almost irrational fear that something will happen to Chloe while she heads for the switch house. She’s safer doing that, even with men after her, than it is for her to be on the train with Nadine.
Nadine also knows, feels, Chloe will be back. Chloe won’t leave her alone on this train.
She already knows Asav is done for when Chloe is tossed down next to her.
“Soulmates,” Chloe muses out loud. “We're soulmates.”
They're half on top of each other on a crappy little cot Meenu offered them for the night that's tucked away in what's little more than a large closet. Well, Chloe is half on top of Nadine. They're comfortable, all cuddled up. It's a bit warm for it, but they'll check into a hotel tomorrow. For now, they just need sleep.
“You really weren't going to tell me until after?”
Nadine hums. “No. Wanted to get to know you first.”
“And how'd that work out?”
She smiles and rolls her eyes. “Eish. Fine, I suppose.”
Chloe presses a kiss to her collarbone. “I mean, we're in bed together.”
“We are.”
“We're rather attached to each other.”
“Of course.”
“And we're…” She hesitates for only a breath. “Dating?”
“Ja.”
A bit of tension seeps from Chloe's body. Nadine feels her press heavier against her.
“Oh. Good. Wasn't sure if you'd want like, an open thing, or just sex, or what, so… Thought I'd ask. Much better to know for sure.”
Nadine idly traces shapes on Chloe's back with her finger. “Prefer closed relationships. And I've always had a take it or leave it attitude about sex. But… ja. Us dating feels right.”
Chloe snorts. “That makes one of us on the sex thing. Love a good round of it-- can't wait to ravish you, actually.” She chuckles and her breath is hot on Nadine's throat. “I do agree about us dating. Seems a rather banal word for it, though, when we're soulmates. Fuck, I can't get over that-- we are soulmates .”
“Tomorrow,” Nadine promises. “Once we have a hotel room and a proper shower. Not the less than adequate one we got today.”
“Hm, you do still stink a bit.”
Nadine is about to say “rude” in a mock of Chloe's voice, but there's a knock on the door.
“Yeah?” she calls instead.
“It's me!” comes Meenu's voice from the other side of the door.
She and Chloe share a warm look before Chloe responds, “come in!”
Meenu pushes the door open and drags in a rolled bundle. “I brought you a mattress! So you've got two places to sleep. Just has to be un-rolled!”
Chloe smiles at her from her spot on Nadine. “Thank you, beastie, but we should be fine. We're pretty comfy here.”
Meenu gets a thoughtful look on her face. She's a smart kid, so she's gotta have some idea of what's going on.
“You two are more than friends, aren't you?”
Both women smile at her.
“We're soulmates, kiddo. A lot more than friends.”
Meenu smiles at them. “That’s very cool.”
Nadine grins. “It is, isn’t it?”