15. Tell Me About Rain #7
Charlie turned completely to face Reyna. "Wait, so now you're kissing them? What happened to the strangling? Unless that's your... thing?" Charlie's face scrunched up in reaction on possibly stumbling upon something she didn't know how to process.
Reyna actually laughed, heartily, and it carried through the whole galley, resounding through the corridors and bringing a smile to Charlie's face. Reyna was still laughing when she started waving her hand at Charlie.
"Jesus, no!" Reyna was finally able to say in between laughter.
"I mean, you know, to each their own and all," Charlie added, which only started Reyna up once more. But this time, Charlie couldn't help but join her.
Eventually, both of them subsided to soft chuckles, and further to quiet. Charlie looked up at Reyna, expecting the Captain to morph back into her straight posture and measured expressions, to watch every layer click back into place.
But Reyna just sat there, still catching her breath and laughs softly escaping here and there. Charlie watched as the last bits of her laughter fell from her face easily, as though there was no hurry to let it go.
Charlie didn’t realize how much she would enjoy the sound of Reyna’s laugh. It was unlike a feeling she’d had before. A laugh was a laugh, wasn’t it?
Huh, Charlie thought. This Reyna is... different.
"You're staring," Reyna said.
"I was just... thinking."
"Thinking...?"
Charlie let a moment stretch between them. "It's Tavi, isn't it? I knew that little man was up to no good when he kept secretly smiling every time you mentioned the words 'electrical circuit recalibration.'"
And Reyna lost it again, laughing loudly and jovially, her arms across her abdomen when it wouldn't calm down. Charlie watched this unfold once more and joined her. Again. And Charlie felt her own weight of her intrusive thoughts fade away, suddenly feeling light.
What felt like seconds later but was probably closer to a full hour, after the laughter had truly and finally died down and their conversation had covered anything and everything from Reyna's grievances about certain crew members (and no, she didn't say whom) to Charlie's favorite tool brand back on Earth, Reyna looked directly at Charlie and stared for just a moment longer than was necessary.
"Thank you."
Charlie sat perplexed. "For what?"
"Getting me to laugh."
Charlie smirked. "Oh, well, I'd like to say I'm good at that, but I feel it may give the wrong impression."
Reyna giggled. "Don't. Don't start me up again. I'm already going to have sore muscles in the morning."
Charlie laughed. "Okay, I'm done, I promise. I'm glad I could help," she said, and then watched Reyna's face soften.
"You did." And then a smile Charlie had never seen before, something full and bright and inviting. "You made everything better for me tonight, Charlie. Thank you."
Charlie's expression went soft, and she looked into Reyna's eyes. "I'm always here, you know. I mean, yeah, I'm human and from a lowly planet—"
"Earth isn't 'lowly,'" Reyna interjected.
"Okay, but, I mean, I am an 'outsider.' So, if you ever need someone to talk to, or make you laugh, or to even just sit here in silence with you, I'm here.
I'm kind of stuck here for the time being," Charlie chuckled, realizing she didn't hate that thought any longer.
"And, quite frankly, finding a quiet little space at night, and someone to talk to, like this was tonight...
I don't know, something about this just makes it easier. "
"Makes what easier?" Reyna asked quietly.
"I don't actually know," Charlie answered honestly with a soft laugh. "I just know it feels better now. Finding the quiet galley, talking with you..." Charlie's voice trailed off. "It feels better after I've been somewhere... soothing."
Reyna began to nod. "That's how it feels for me, too."
"Really?"
"I don't look for it all the time, especially if we're really busy or handling lots of tasks across the ship.
Most of those nights I fall asleep before my head hits the pillow.
" Reyna smiled softly. "But I go searching for somewhere quiet when it feels...
necessary. I look for that same feeling, knowing I'll feel lighter once I spend some time in a quiet space. "
Charlie nodded, letting that settle between them.
"If I'm ever in a quiet space and you happen to come by, don't feel the need to run away," Reyna began, causing Charlie to look back at her. "I don't mind the company," Reyna met her gaze. "Especially when it's fun company."
Charlie smirked. "I won't, I'll step right in, slip on a banana peel or something, and get you to laugh. Promise."
Reyna chuckled softly. "I look forward to it, Charlie."
Reyna saying her name sounded different this time. Or maybe Charlie was hearing it differently. It felt warm, gentle, almost soft in a way that felt like comfort and care.
"As do I, Captain."
Reyna looked pointedly at Charlie. "Reyna."
Charlie's gaze got stuck on Reyna's, suddenly stoic and determined. There was no arguing with an expression like that.
"Reyna."