The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

98: Infinite or Numbered

It was hard to believe that just a few months ago Charlie had been in the fierce grip of the greatest despair of her life. 

In Austria, life was beautiful.

It wasn't perfect, as nothing was, but it was as close to perfect as Charlie knew she could ever hope to get. She was still followed around by her ghosts, but there were so many fewer dark corners for them to hide in here. And she still missed those she'd lost so terribly it made her want to be sick on occasion; every now and again she would think of what joke Skip and Alex might have made if they'd been listening to a certain conversation, what any of them might think of the new replacements (Charlie thought Hoobs would like Janovec an awful lot), how James might have smiled at the mountains and the blue of the lake. But the ache was more distant now, dulled by the knowledge that she wouldn't be losing anyone else.

And, despite the fact that they were still keeping their relationship relatively quiet - not secret, since they would confirm it if anyone asked - Charlie couldn't have been happier than when she was with Floyd. They were with each other every second they didn't have to be elsewhere and had yet to tire of each other. Every kiss was exactly as exhilarating as the first, every touch exactly as electric. Charlie didn't think it was possible for her to ever grow tired of him.

"What are you thinking about?" Floyd wondered, pulling Charlie out of her reverie. They were both sitting on the edge of the dock, their feet dipped into the lake, waiting for the sun to set. The water was cold but the sun was warm, even as it began to descend, and Charlie smiled as she closed her eyes against the light and rested her head on Floyd's shoulder.

"You," she said, smiling wider when she heard his gentle laugh.

"Why're you thinking about me when you could talk to me?"

Charlie turned her face to press a kiss to his shoulder through the thin fabric of his t-shirt - an old PT shirt all of the Toccoa the men had taken to wearing in the heat of Austria. "Can't help it," she replied, teasing. "I think about you all the time."

Floyd laughed again, a quiet, breathy sound. "Oh, yeah?" he asked, grinning. "What about me?"

"How bad you smell, mostly."

He sputtered a laugh. "You don't seem to mind all that much."

"I'm breathing through my mouth."

In one swift, sudden motion, Floyd turned and wrapped both of his arms around Charlie. He pulled her into his lap so that she was facing him, her back to the water, and left his hands resting on her waist. "I think someone needs to shut you up, Freckles," he said, still laughing.

Charlie laughed too and tucked her nose up beside his, her hands lightly squeezing his biceps to keep herself from falling out of his lap. "Are you going to tell Winters on me?"

Floyd rolled his eyes jovially. "If I'm remembering correctly, the only person who can actually shut you up is me."

"Oh, really?" Charlie asked, playing along.

"Mh-hm," Floyd confirmed, tilting his face closer to hers. "It's my superpower."

"You mean other than being dazzlingly handsome?"

Floyd smiled, and Charlie was so close to him that she felt it. "Freckles, are you flirting with me?"

Charlie laughed. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"So much," he said, his eyes flickering between her eyes and her lips. "I like it so much."

When he finally kissed her, even though she'd been anticipating it, it stole her breath away. He gave her everything when he kissed her, surrendered his every emotion to her, really tried to communicate the depth of his affection. Her hands slid up from his arms to the back of his neck, keeping him close, and he drew her ever closer by the waist, sliding his hands around to her back to hold her to him. They were pressed to each other, as close as they could possibly get, and still they wanted to be closer, needed it.