Here's my contribution :)
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Stirrings began in Two Section's tent, exactly thirty minutes before morning PT at 0530. Molly glanced at her bleary-eyed compatriots as they grumbled their way out of bed. She'd been ready for a couple of hours - PT kit this time; they were on the soft slide now that they'd returned to Bastion, although Captain James and Kinders had made certain yesterday that they'd remembered they were still the British army, by putting them through a punishing 10k run in the unrelenting Afghan heat.
The physical exertion helped. She hadn't been able to sleep most of the night - first she'd had a nightmare, filled with Sohail's staring, glassy dead eyes, seeing herself being shot by the Taliban after Sohail had given her up, and then bleeding out in the dust as Captain James screamed at her to stay the fuck with him.
Captain James. After the nightmare had passed and she'd woken to find herself lying there on her camp bed in between Smurf and Dangles, the night punctuated by the occasional snort and scratch, she'd wished for sleep to overtake her again so she could dream of him, but instead she'd started worrying.
Captain James. Brown, warm eyes filled with the things that perhaps shouldn't have been said, but were out in the open now between the two of them. she'd found herself drowning in the embrace of Captain James' gaze.
I love you.
Army regulations forbid it, so I am NOT pulling you close, Molly. I am not sliding my hands under that plait of yours and pulling your face up to kiss you. I am not allowed to take you somewhere and make love to you in every possible way.
If you can wait for me, I can wait for you.
Molly shuddered with the hot flush of recollection. She knew she'd been overwhelmed with the sheer emotion of knowing that she'd cheated death, but the force of his conviction - and yes, admission of love for her - had had her insides in knots, although he'd barely touched her. The atmosphere between them had been so charged she'd had goosebumps, and she'd felt the rest of her body responding to him - she'd only just been able not to fall into him and bury her face in the musky comfort of his broad chest. How the hell was she going to make sure no one discovered what had happened between them? She flushed again at the thought of how unguardedly she had left her own heart open when they'd been approaching that tarp in the road and all that she would have offered him if he'd chosen to take it from her.
Nothing is stronger than army regulations. Despite the physical restraint, his thoughts had found expression through words that had stripped away his rank, their situation, the uncertainty of the months at the FOB.
"Molls, you ok?"
She started.
"Shit, Smurf. Sorry, I was miles away."
"PT at 0530, make sure you're hydrated. Don't think bossman's gonna give us an easy ride today either."
"Yeah, alright mate. I'm ready."
She exited the tent ahead of the rest of Two Section and stopped short as she came face to face with Captain James.
They stared at each other for a long moment.
He bit his lip before a half-laugh escaped him.
"Dawes. I have to say, I only saw you six hours ago, but you're a sight for sore eyes."
He smiled at her, an intimate look passing between them, and suddenly the worry left her. They'd make this work. They'd wait out.