Page 293 of Every Almost

Charlie scoffed out loud.

There was definitely not going to be anyone to stand up and sayin her defense, the building really was coming down.Probably just Reyna on the other side of a desk, reading out the list in a flat, even voice that was so much worse than yelling.

I disobeyed a direct order.Charlie thought.On an open channel, in front of the entire Bridge crew. I cut comms during an active crisis and decided to run a solo operation, unauthorized, in a structure that was actively coming down.

"Holy shit."

Maybe that's why Kess sent me here.

She heard footsteps in the corridor. Fast.

And then the door opened.

REYNA

Reyna walked through the door and closed it behind her.

Charlie started talking immediately.

"Before you say anything, I know I disobeyed a direct order and I know I cut comms and I know that's probably seventeen different violations of Coalition protocol, and I accept whatever consequences you?—"

Reyna was crossing the room.

"—think are appropriate, and I understand if you need to file a formal report, I just want you to know that those people would have died if I hadn't stayed and I couldn't?—"

Reyna was close now. Very close.

"—live with that, and I know you're angry, and I'm sorry for the way I did it but I'm not sorry that I did it, and?—"

Reyna stopped. Right in front of her. Close enough that Charlie could probably see the individual patterns of her markings, gold and steady and right there.

"You stubborn, arrogant, pain in my ass."

CHARLIE

Charlie's mouth was still open. The ramble died in her throat. Because these were not reprimand words. These were not Captain words. These were thesamewords from the Niblet corridor, the same words that had preceded laughter and desire and the most alive Charlie had felt in months. And Reyna was saying them with tears in her eyes and a smile breaking across her face.

"Wait... what?"

REYNA

Reyna laughed. Small and wet, almost surprised by itself. The laugh of a woman looking at this impossible human who fell out of a PERS flash into a pile of cake batter and into Reyna's life and who just couldn't stop showing up, couldn't stop being brave, couldn't stop being so thoroughly and irreducibly Charlie that the walls Reyna built to survive her simply could not hold.

"I thought you were going to yell at me," Charlie said.

"I considered it," Reyna said. "I decided this was better."

Reyna reached up. Slow and deliberate with not particular urgency. Only absolute certainty.

She tucked a strand of hair behind Charlie's ear. The same gesture Charlie had done it in the shaft after the cascade. But Reyna didn't let her fingers stop like Charlie did. Instead, she traced Charlie's cheek before cradling her in her palm while her thumb brushed the edge of Charlie's jaw. She brought her other hand up to the other side, holding Charlie's face between her palms.

CHARLIE

Charlie's eyes fluttered closed while her breath caught in her throat. Her hands hung at her sides, useless, because her brain had stopped sending instructions to her limbs approximately three seconds ago.

"Charlie," Reyna whispered.

"Mm?" Charlie answered, trying her best to hold everything together.