For the Faceless (CAMREN)

I - Damn It, Dinah!

Just two of the things she found peculiar in Camila amongst an endless list, like how she manages to hurt herself more than any other person she knew.

"What happened to you?" Dinah stared at Camila's leg, the one that she'd refused to put weight on as she entered the kitchen an hour and a half later. She just knew there's another flaming red patch of skin on her leg beneath those navy blue pants to go with the purpling ones.

"Tripped on the treadmill," she admitted tersely, making her refusal to talk about it clear.

But it wasn't like Dinah ever heeded any sort of warning or plea. So, yes, Camila expected that derisive snort. She'd try to ignore that giant smile but it looked like it ate half her face, so there's that. She might have forgiven Dinah the next second when she set a steaming cup of coffee and a plate of eggs and toast in front of her.

The usual.

And Camila smiled to herself - more like a twitch at the corner of her lips, grateful for the normalcy in her world. She thrived on routine even if her job as a cop was anything but. That part of her could turn into shambles but she protected her home life with every bit of herself.

"Should I bother asking if you're okay?"

"Thanks but you're smiling. Your sincerity is null and void."

"You do the same thing every single day. I even memorized your routine — wake up, brush teeth, wash face, run for half an hour, shower and eat, and you still manage to hurt yourself," Dinah reprimanded, hip cocked, arms crossed, valiantly trying to contain her grin by biting on her lower lip.

She could have tried harder really.

"It's a skill." Camila feigned a smile and shoved a piece of toast in her mouth to further express her absolute aversion to elaborate. Talking with a full mouth is rude after all.

"Sure it is."

Camila refused to acknowledge the sarcasm bleeding from those three meager words and the clear message that Dinah didn't believe her bullshit. She willed herself to ignore the pair of eyes that never left her head, drilling holes in her skull and smiled knowing full well Dinah had more to say, and she hated, absolutely hated being ignored.

She took her sweet time, making sure to cut bite-sized pieces like the dignified woman she is, and chewed every single one well and proper before swallowing until all that was left was a half eaten toast.

"How may I help you, Dinah?" She asked in that cheery customer service rep voice after taking a sip of coffee, hiding the grimace at the temperature.

Dinah took a breath as if asking the heavens to give her strength to get past what she'd just heard, and said, "So, how's Jess?"

There it was. Jess. Jessica. Yet another girl she'd been set up with. Camila couldn't believe her friends hadn't stopped trying after two long years of failure. They'd been hellbent on finding her a new girlfriend to keep her from running back to her ex that they'd sent her on dates with just about anyone. She grimaced just thinking about that woman who chewed with her mouth open.

Gross.

"You're gonna have to call her to get an accurate answer." She chewed on the last of the toast, dusting her hands off on the empty plate.

"You stood her up?" Dinah pulled the high stool that matched their table rather harshly and took a seat right in front of Camila doing her best to intimidate the annoying little shit, who'd sat back, not a knot of tension on her shoulders and nodded in confirmation. "What the hell is wrong with you? She was the better one out of all the people we set you up with. She's pretty, smart and—" she paused, snapping her fingers in search for a perfect adjective, "—and normal!"