The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

103: Shocked Into Silence

"You're a real charmer, you know that?" she teased, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

"I've been told once or twice," he replied with a wink.

She rolled her eyes, smiling. "How did I ever find myself saddled to such a flirt?"

"A question I ask myself hourly," Floyd answered her, finally removing his second boot and turning to her. "Did you eat today?"

"How was your day?"

"Charlie," he said seriously.

"Not yet," she offered with a sheepish smile.

Floyd bent down and picked up one of his boots, preparing to put it back on. "Then let's go -"

"No," Charlie cut him off, falling dramatically back into her pillow and burying the side of her face into it. "I don't want to talk to anyone else," she complained, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"You don't have to talk to anyone else," Floyd reasoned with her.

Charlie huffed. "If we see people they're going to talk to us. Mabs, especially. I'm sure she has a few choice words for me after I went off at her boyfriend."

"If you don't wanna talk to her then we won't talk to her," Floyd replied.

Charlie scoffed and turned her face away from the pillow so she could open her eyes and look at him. "You don't know Mabs at all if you think you're going to be able to stop her."

Floyd gave her a tiny smile. "You're gonna have to talk to her sometime, Freckles," he said quietly. "Maybe she won't even be mad."

"But if she is, we'll argue," Charlie pointed out. "I'm still so mad at Speirs I could gouge his eyes out."

"Okay," Floyd said, dragging out the vowel sound with a short laugh, "since that's not gonna do anyone any good, how about I go down and get you something? How's that sound?"

"Terrible," Charlie complained, reaching her arms out for him again. "I just got you back and now you're going to leave me again?"

"You have to eat, Freckles," he reminded her. He took her hands and turned them over, then dusted a kiss to both over her knuckles.

"Will you be fast?" she asked, quirking a considering eyebrow.

"Back before you know it," he promised with a faux-serious nod.

Reluctantly, Charlie agreed to let him go. True to his word, Floyd was back again in a little over five minutes. 

"Food," he declared as he kicked the door closed behind him.

Charlie and Floyd sat on the floor at the end of his bed while they ate, though he only ate scraps here and there to make it seem like they were sharing. Finding it endearing, Charlie pretended not to notice. Once they were finished they scrunched up all of the packaging and squeezed it into the trashcan in the bathroom, then fell back on the bed together.

They lay together for a while, talking quietly and kissing whenever they could stay apart no longer. This was, until a knock at the door interrupted them.

Charlie's eyes went wide, suspicious as to who it was, and she pressed her lips to Floyd's to prevent him from answering.

"Charlie?" called the person behind the door.

Silently, Charlie sighed. It was Mabs.

"No one's home," Charlie whispered to Floyd under her breath.

He grinned. "I think I've corrupted you."

"Charlie!" Mabs called again.

"Is the door locked?" Charlie whispered. She started to pull the comforter they were lying beneath higher up the bed, as though if they hid beneath it Mabs would leave.