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“Daphne?”
Her voice came out weak, making her cringe slightly. She hated how powerless she felt, stuck here in the literal sewers of a fortress that actively wanted to kill her and the girl she perhaps cared for beyond everything else.
The girl wasn’t even aware of when this foolish crush had begun; it was almost as if, one day, her heart had decided to allow her to fall head over heels for the medic. It wasn’t hard to find reasons to like Daphne, she supposed; the woman’s laugh was addicting. She was considerate, intelligent, and unabashedly kind in an environment that proved punishing to those with hope in their hearts.
She couldn’t count the number of times Daphne had practically demanded to look at every single injury she had. She recalled an incident where she’d gotten a simple scrape from a mild fall. Daphne insisted on checking the minor abrasion— something her fellow Griffins had teased her about for weeks. Some even suggested that perhaps Daphne and the Captain were secretly together— a rumor she attempted to put down immediately, only for the rumor to spread even faster due to the denial.
Now everyone who had incessantly teased me is nothing but a corpse. The thought was almost as painful as the bullet she took earlier, grounding her enough to bring her out of her own thoughts.
“Captain?” Daphne asked, her face slightly concerned. “You spaced out.”
“I— I apologize. I just— well…”
Daphne frowned. “Are you feeling weak? Here, let me see your wound, it might’ve reopened during the fighting.” Immediately, her hands lowered as she attempted to look at the Captain’s wound.
“I am fine!” She said, half scampering away. Her balance, already off kilter, suddenly failed. Daphne grabbed her with one arm, hoisting her up and holding her by the waist.
Instantly, her mind was racing. Perhaps she actually was starting to bleed out— her mind felt fine, though she was a little cold. Worse, though, her mind was actively betraying her; perhaps it was the proximity between the two, maybe the stress was causing her to become delirious. Regardless, it was beginning to not matter, as her mind wanted just one thing—
To kiss Daphne. Right then and there.
“Captain?” If Daphne’s voice wasn’t panicked before, she certainly was now. She reached her hand to the Captain’s wound, and let out a sigh of relief as she took her hand away and saw that there was no blood. The relief was short lived, though; perhaps that meant that she was in worse shape than originally thought.
“The adrenaline may be beginning to wear off.” She spoke, answering Daphne’s question she didn’t even need to ask. “Daphne…”
“What is it, Captain?” Daphne asked, the response coming reflexively, her mind more focused on somehow finding a way to get out of here— only then could she do a more thorough evaluation.
Her heart was racing, as she placed a shaky hand on Daphne’s cheek. “Daphne. Look at me.” What are you doing?! Her mind shouted at her, yet she pushed the thought aside. “I understand this is— well, a bad time puts it mildly, but I don’t know if I will get another opportunity to say it.”
Daphne tried to pull away. She pulled Daphne closer. “You are, perhaps, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Perhaps I am not in the best state of mind right now, but trust me, I mean my words fully. You brighten my world. Your laugh fills me with hope, your smile with courage. I— fuck, I imagined this moment would be much different, but fuck it. I love you. I have been in love with you. A-and I mean this as me; not as your Captain, not as any other stupid, useless rank I have.”
Daphne looked utterly baffled. “Captain, I—“ Her words failed her, as her cheeks turned red. “We really don’t have time for this, but…”
And suddenly, Daphne’s lips were on hers. Her hands pulled Daphne closer, as their kiss deepened. One hand was on her waist, while another hand was in her hair. The moment was bliss, as every problem and noise and pain sank into the abyss, being replaced with the medic she loved— and then the moment shattered, as lips separated. She felt Daphne’s heavy breaths on her neck, which reminded her of her own need to breathe.
For a moment, the two were still; processing what just happened, perhaps, or simply not wishing the moment to fully decay.
“We should… get out of here.” Daphne said.
“Yeah, yeah. Good idea.” She felt as if she was in the clouds, and as much as she resisted gravity’s temptation, it eventually won. I’ll have to remember to continue that at another time. She added internally. “Speaking of… got any ideas?”
“We still have one option.” Daphne said. “We can turn ourselves in.”