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Samira knows she should be paying attention to Victoria chattering next to her, knows the other girl will roll her eyes when she realizes that she hasn't processed a word she's said for the past few minutes, but she just can't help herself. Trinity is crouching by the pile of wood she and Mel have built and is carefully trying to start a fire. Sue her, her girlfriend looks unreasonably attractive doing survival stuff. Across the firepit, she sees Parker fully twisted around, watching Mel splitting some of the logs she's deemed too big. Fair enough. If that was Trinity, Samira is perfectly aware she'd be even more obvious in her ogling.
"Ugh, Samira, are you even paying attention to me?" Victoria says.
Samira knows she's caught. "Of course, Tori."
Victoria rolls her eyes. "No you weren't, you were staring at Trinity. You guys live together, can you please lock in? We almost never see each other anymore."
Samira hides her responding smile. "I'm sorry Tori. I'm paying attention now I promise."
"Okay, well, listen because it's important. I graduate med school this year and I need to figure out where to apply."
"You like psych, right? So apply to the psychiatry program at PTMC."
"Yeah but what do you think about me applying to programs outside of Pittsburgh?" Victoria sounds very hesitant.
Samira finally tears her eyes fully away from admiring Trinity's backside and looks at Victoria. "Do you have some places in mind?"
"Of course!" says Victoria indignantly. "Do you think I haven't done research?" Samira just raises an eyebrow. "Okay, I have locations in mind, but not hospitals. I need help narrowing it down from there."
Samira responds, "sure. We can absolutely take a look at what you have. We can make a day of it. When are you off next week?"
"Tuesday and Thursday."
"Perfect," Samira answers, "I'm off on Thursday, we can make it a whole thing."
Victoria hugs her quickly. "Thanks, Samira."
Before Samira can respond, her attention is drawn back to Trinity, who has let out a jubilant whoop. Samira cranes to see and realizes that Trinity has finally managed to start the fire. She settles in to watch her girlfriend carefully, competently build the fire up from that tiny spark. She can feel her lips curl into the smile she always has when she's watching Trinity flex her skills like this. Victoria always calls it her "dopey smile" but Samira can't find it in her to be truly annoyed about it. Especially because she's caught Trinity with a very similar expression on her own face on more than one occasion.
Once the fire has been built up and it's consuming the chopped wood easily, Trinity sits back on the log benches next to Samira and leans her head on her shoulder. She knows that before long, Trinity will practically melt into her. Nothing could make her happier.
Mel rejoins them soon after, putting the wood she's prepared into a pile, and immediately attaches herself to Parker. Samira doesn't hide this smile. She's just so happy that Parker has someone who adores her as much as she adores them. Her dear friend had a habit of finding partners who didn't fully appreciate her, but it's clear that Mel is different.
"We should play a game," Trinity says into the quiet lull of everyone watching the fire crackle.
"What kind of game did you have in mind?" pipes up Joy, who is sitting between Emma and Victoria.
"We could do 'Never Have I Ever' maybe?" Trinity suggests.
Victoria huffs, "that's never any fun for me, I haven't done anything."
"Okay, then we could do Truth or Dare? We're all medical professionals, we can manage any injuries."
Parker wrinkles her nose. "Nah, that's just asking for trouble."
"Two truths and a lie?" Trinity offers.
"Oh sure and let's do a fun fact about ourselves too," snips Joy.
Emma giggles at that. "We could do stories, like ghost stories, maybe?"
Samira jumps in eagerly. "Stories could be fun, especially if it's not just ghost stories."
Samira has to start then, of course, so she tells a piece of the Cilappatikāram, ignoring Victoria elbowing her discreetly. It's not like anyone else is familiar with it. And Samira hasn't written anything that's not reports or charts for years at this point.
The group's attention turns to Emma next, and it turns out that Emma suggested the idea because she's got some great ghost stories. Samira mostly tunes her out though, and instead gives Trinity a kiss on the top of the head. Trinity tilts her head up to get a real kiss, and before too long Joy pelts them with marshmallows she's stolen from the s'mores supplies.
"Come ON," groans Victoria. "Don't you people have homes you can do that in instead of in front of me???"
Trinity pulls back and exhales a laugh. "If someone wants to get the s'mores set up, I can tell my ghost story. Took place right here, even." When Samira shares a not-so-secret smile with her girlfriend, she could swear Trinity's eyes sparkle in the firelight. She knows she's being dramatic, she does, but she can't help it. Trinity makes her soft.
Still, Samira refocuses on the rest of the group as Trinity sits back. Emma begins handing out the sticks and marshmallows, while Joy starts pulling out the chocolate and graham crackers. There's a pause while people get settled with their s'mores makings. Trinity herself burns a marshmallow for a s'more, though Samira elects to avoid the stickiness herself.
After inhaling her treat, Trinity begins her story. "Once upon a time, not too far from here…"