A/N: Thank you for your response to the first chapter, I'm loving writing this so here's another chapter. I won't carry on if people aren't enjoying it, so let me know if you are (or aren't haha)!
Thank you!
Bernie was woken by a firm shake on her shoulder, which caused her to jump out of her seat, a wild look in her eyes. She had been trained to fear unexpected and alarming wake up calls, and it was well and truly ingrained in her to react with haste. As she took in her surroundings she came to realise she was not in some battlefield or waiting for the next explosion, she was in her office. The office that she shared with Serena, and that she had accidentally fallen asleep in last night.
"Oh shit" was all that came out of her mouth as she stared at Serena.
"Oh shit indeed" she replied, dryly.
"I uhm…I must've fallen asleep last night after you um…after you left" the blonde tried to explain, her hangover hitting her fully as her head began to throb.
"Yes I can see that Ms. Wolfe, your shift starts in 20 minutes so I suggest you go and freshen up" Serena's eyes were cold and she could tell she was still upset about last night, Bernie knew she wasn't joking when she said she held lifelong grudges.
"Yes, yes, I'll do that" she grabbed her hoodie from her chair and rushed over to the door.
"Bernie"
At hearing her name she spun around, her hand on the door handle.
"Why my chair? I mean you do have your own" Serena smirked slightly.
"It's comfier" the blonde answered, a little too quickly. Serena let out a laugh.
"I think you'll find they're the same"
"Yeah well…I was drunk, I don't know" and with that she opened the door and left their office, a red tinge to her cheeks.
She hurried to the bathroom and splashed her face with water, staring at herself in the mirror. It was safe to say she felt like shit, and today was going to be difficult. She entered the office once more and sat at her own chair this time, picking up her hair brush and taming her waves, before tying her hair back.
After a quick trip to Pulses to get herself a morning coffee, and one for Serena as a sort of apology, or the beginning of one anyway.
She sat at the nurse's station, watching Serena get on with doing the rounds of the ward. She watched as she smiled and spoke and licked her lip slightly, the same lips that had been pressed so perfectly against her own only hours before. She flicked through patient notes with hands that only hours before had been holding onto Bernie's waist. How could she have been so close to Serena, and now be further than she'd ever been?
"Cheer up, it might never happen" joked Fletch beside her. She let out a small laugh and replied
"I think it already has" before walking back to the office, leaving a confused Fletch, trying to figure out what could be that bad.
Bernie avoided Serena all day, and she was certain Serena was doing the same. However, she had taken and drunk the coffee Bernie left on her desk, so that was a start. When it got to lunch time, Bernie grabbed another coffee and a baguette and headed up to the roof to get some air for her hangover, and space to think. When she got to the roof, however, she realised she wouldn't be alone. She almost turned on her heel and headed back down to find somewhere else to eat when she saw that Serena had had the same idea, but decided now was the time to be brave. Serena was sat on some steps, Bernie silently walked over and sat next to her, gaining no reaction from the brunette.
"I want you" Bernie said slowly, but surely, after a while of silence.
"What?" Serena asked, confused, being brought back to reality by the blonde's words.
"You asked me to figure out what I want" she continued.
"Well, I told you to decide what you damn well want actually Bernie" she laughed.
"Yes, well I've decided what I damn well want Serena, and it's you" the brunette turned her head to look at Bernie, unsure of what to say.
"What do you mean?" she edged.
"I mean that I'd like to give this a try. I care about you, more than I've cared about someone in a long, long time. I've been scared, and confused and I know I haven't dealt with this very well, but I'd like to give us a try, if you'd like to of course" Serena smiled lightly, turning to look out at the view from the roof. Her hand slowly moved and made its way to Bernie's, holding it and bringing it to her lap.
"I think I'd like that" she responded, simply. "I'm scared too, this is all so new to me. However, it seems my mind does know what it wants as you're all I'm ever thinking about. I don't know what I want, I just know that I care about you and I don't want to lose you"
"Then we owe it to ourselves to stop denying everything we're both feeling. Drinks after work?" the army medic asked, smiling.
"Sounds perfect" Serena replied as they both started eating silently, Bernie's head now rested on Serena's shoulder.
"Thank you for the coffee earlier by the way" said the brunette.
"Looks like it paid off" Bernie joked back. They made small talk until they were both finished, and stood up together. The blonde shoved her hands gently into the pockets of her hoodie, hesitant not to make the same mistake as the night before and giving in to the temptation, taking things too quickly, giving mixed signals. She stood there, staring at her feet.
"You can look at me you know?" Serena laughed slightly. "I won't bite"
She realised what she had just said and elaborated slightly "I mean unless you want me to" which earnt a small laugh from Bernie.
"Let's go back down" Serena stated, before she gently leant forward and placed a kiss on the other woman's lips, showing her it was ok to want her now. Bernie responded as they wrapped their arms around each other, though it didn't last long as they didn't want to get caught. The gossips would have a field day if someone caught them all over each other on the roof, Serena thought, but in the same thought realised that she didn't really care. She was all consumed by Bernie, in a little Bernie bubble that didn't show any signs of popping. Serena leant forward and pressed a quick kiss to the blonde's cheek, before they both made their way down to the ward, realising they'd been up there longer than their lunch break allowed.
"Where have you two been?" Raf enquired as they walked onto the ward.
"Having lunch" came out of Bernie's mouth at the same time as "transferring a patient" came out of Serena's, as they looked at each other in horror. Raf just stared at them, confused.
"Yes, that's um…right. I was transferring a patient while Bernie was eating lunch" she paused "separately, obviously" she smiled awkwardly and walked to their office.
"You might want to have a look in the mirror Major" Raf rolled his eyes and laughed before walking towards a patient. Bernie grabbed her phone from her pocket and looked in the self-facing camera, to see a lipstick mark on her cheek, where Serena had kissed it, and a vague trace of it on her lips too, though she doubted that was obvious to Raf. She wiped it away quickly before following in Serena's footsteps and heading to their office.
"Let me know next time you plan on wearing lipstick to work so I can try and keep my hands off you" she joked as she walked into their office. Serena looked up, confused, considering whether Bernie had some sort of odd lipstick fetish she was opening up about.
"You left lipstick on my cheek and my lips, which was helpfully pointed out by Raf" Serena's eyes widened.
"Well, he doesn't know it was me" she cringed slightly.
"Oh yes I'm sure he thinks I was off kissing some nurse 20 years younger than me with the same coloured lipstick as you, whilst you were off transferring a patient" both the women laughed. "I'm pretty sure he realised what our long break was about" she continued.
"Well, I don't mind if you don't" Bernie looked up slightly, and her smile faltered.
"I mean I don't, in the long run…but it's early days Serena. I don't want the pressure of everyone knowing ruining us" Serena smiled.
"Yes, yes, you're right. Look at me, so eager to show you off"
The rest of their shift went slowly and unproblematically, the red phone stayed quiet, much to both of their surprise, and they were on their way to Albie's in no time.