He drew a breath as the damp cotton ball moved across the gash on his forehead, the burning sting of the antiseptic contrasting sharply with the cold on his skin. John's eyes followed the track of her hand as it made its way across his vision, the other holding his head steady, cupped on his cheek, her fingers over his ear, the tips resting in his hair. He found her warmth a comforting distraction from the garish throbbing in his head that came with every beat of his heart.
His gaze drifted from the gash on Cameron's cheek to her eyes as she continued her work, stitching the edges of the wound together, causing him to shift under her hand, grimacing slightly before steadying. A ghost of a smile graced her lips as she finished a few moments later, pressing a dressing down over the stitches. He felt a sudden chill overtake him when Cameron's hand left his face, his eyes following as it moved to rest at her side. He hadn't noticed how cold it was in the room. Maybe it was just him.
"Do you feel different?" She asked, her voice tinged with concern, her dark eyes moving almost imperceptibly across his face, her head tilting every so slightly.
He smirked slightly at her words before his face twisted in pain. "Hmmphh... Head's still threatening to burst." He attempted to smile, but grimaced once more. "I'll be fine."
She looked down momentarily, her eyes shifting slightly before returning to John's face. She slowly approached him from her spot. John's concussion fogged mind wandered as his eyes remained on her. After what seemed like an eternity to him, she was sitting next to him. He could feel the warmth radiating from her, those dark eyes staring at him. He could feel the air shift as she moved closer to him, pulling him into an awkward hug before lowering her face to his forehead, faintly pressing her lips against the skin below the thick bandage. It lasted only a few seconds, but he could still feel the warmth of those soft lips against his skin.
He shifted in her grasp, sitting up to look at her, her eyes already locked with his. He tried to speak clearly but could only manage a whisper. "Why did you do that?"
"I felt it was something I should do." She looked away for a moment before returning to his gaze. The corners of her mouth upturned faintly before she leaned closer into him, but his hand came up to rest on her shoulder, stopping her.
"John... I"
"You know what I feel. I know you do. And if you don't feel at least a semblance of what I feel for you, in whatever way you can feel..." He let his hand fall from her shoulder. "You'll be lying to me."
She looked down briefly. He saw a flash of pain in her expression as she did so. "I lied to you before. But I'm not lying now." She looked down at his hands, and reached out with one of her own, slipping her fingers around his, pulling his hand to her cheek, leaning into his palm. "Believe me."
He ran a thumb over the gash in her cheek, feeling the exposed hyperalloy, very slightly warm to the touch. His hand moved to stroke her hair as she leant closer into him, pressing her lips against his lightly, before dragging them across his lower lip, tugging on it gently before pulling away. "I do believe you." He whispered as rested his forehead against hers, their noses almost touching.