Chapter 10: Baptism by fire
Later, in the quiet hum of the makeshift infirmary, Tim took a knee by Jack’s cot, watching the slow, steady rhythm of her breathing in sleep. Her face, often sharp with focus or tight with pain, was softened into an unfamiliar peace, the harsh basement light carving gentle shadows along her cheekbones. He quietly moved a stray strand of hair from her forehead, his thumb brushing her temple, and as he leaned back in the creaking chair, his lips unconsciously grazed against hers in a breath-light touch that lingered for a heartbeat.
.”
Tim rolled his eyes, Spooks switched off with another solider he was off to bed. Tim was already pulled back to the dark where Jack slept. He walked over, the cold floor gritty under his boots, and looked down at her. Jack was still dead asleep, exhaustion and injuries probably taking it out of her. but Tim could swear that he saw a smile. It was a small, unguarded thing that softened the harsh lines of pain, and it made his chest ache.
Tim quietly started talking to Jack but as she wasn’t conscious he was ostensibly talking to himself.
“