Page 328 of Every Almost

Reyna turned them both away from the left branch, gripping Charlie's hand, and began to walk toward the officers' wing.

"For the record," Charlie said, as they walked, "I was going to come find you anyway. In like an hour. I just didn't want to seem?—"

"Needy?" Reyna's mouth curved as she stopped again, turning to Charlie. "You are aware I want you needy, aren't you?"

Charlie's face went slack.

"That's deeply unfair. You can't justsaythings like that," Charlie sputtered.

"I'm the Captain of this?—"

"If you say 'I'm the Captain of this ship' one more time tonight, I'm sleeping in my own quarters out of principle."

"You are not."

Charlie stared into Reyna's eyes, and Reyna saw the fire begin to burn there, the same she saw last night.

Charle let out a sigh that sounded defeated and delighted. "No," she admitted. "I'm not."

CHARLIE

Charlie followed Reyna in through the door of her quarters and drifted toward the middle of the room, taking it in from the inside the way she still hadn't quite gotten to. Reyna had a low couch in the corner, a desk along the wall with its scatter of datapads, and a small quiet corner where she kept a few things to eat and drink.

Reyna moved past her toward the desk, unclipping the Captain's pin at her collar and setting it down, not looking back.

"So," she said, over her shoulder. "I found your love letter."

Charlie stopped.

"My what?"

"Your love letter." Reyna still wasn't looking at her. She set the datapad down beside it, entirely casual, as if she hadn't just said that. "The one you've been writing me for five months. It's very good, I must say. But it was a little heavy on the nineteen-eighties, though the sincerity carries it."

"I haven't written you a letter."Had she? No, she'd remember that."I'd remember that."

"Mm," Reyna hummed, finally turning around. But there was her tell, right there in the corner of her mouth, the almost-smile. "The songs, Charlie."

"... The songs." Charlie didn't understand how that was a clue.

"On your datapad? The ones you kept adding, one at a time, since the day Tavi created the music program." Reyna leaned back against the desk and folded her arms, watching Charlie put it together, thoroughly enjoying it. "Orion found the pattern?—"

"What pattern?"

"—and brought it to me," Reyna continued, not giving in. Charlie rolled her eyes. "The pattern he found showed every song lines up to a day. A specific day, actually, with a specific event that happened between you..." Reyna pointed to Charlie. "... and me." Reyna pointed at herself. The almost-smile grew. "You've been telling me you love me since about your second week aboard. Musically. In increments." She tilted her head. "I have receipts."

Charlie stood in the middle of Reyna's quarters and felt the whole thing land on her at once.

"Holy—"

"Yeah," Reyna interrupted, walking toward Charlie, wrapping her arms around Charlie's waist when she reached her. "Holy shit about covers it."

And then Reyna kissed her, and it said more than any song ever had.

When they broke apart, Charlie didn't step back. She stayed close, hands still at Reyna's sides.

"Can I tell you something? Since we're apparently doing this now. The saying-things-out-loud thing."

"Does it involve you nearly dying again? Because I'm telling you now, Charlie Wickett, I have reached my cap. It's been officially maxed out this early in our relationship," Reyna said tentatively.