The Spirit of the Corps » Band of Brothers

96: In A Romantic Way

"Charlie?" Floyd called as he entered the seemingly empty hotel room and shut the door behind him.

"Balcony!" Charlie called back, turning in her seat to watch him through the glass of the floor-to-ceiling window behind her. She hadn't realised she'd been sitting in such a way that she was concealed by one of the curtains, but she was glad for it now, because she got the perfect view of the way Floyd's face lit up at the sound of her voice.

Charlie turned back around and pretended she hadn't been watching him, and when he came outside he was none the wiser.

"Pretty," he said, inclining his head in the direction of the sky.

"Beautiful," Charlie agreed. "I love it here."

He smiled. "I had a feeling you might."

Floyd sat down in the chair beside Charlie's and lounged back, keeping his eyes directed towards the sky but his peripheral vision on her. She was smiling and radiant, all done up ready for the party and positively glowing with peace.

Happiness looked stunning on her.

"Nice place," Floyd said, breaking their comfortable quiet.

Charlie hummed her agreement. "Is your room much the same?"

"The balcony looks out onto the town, not the lake and the mountains, but inside the room it's the same."

"Mabs and I got lucky, then," Charlie remarked, giving him a smug smile. "Autumn and Boo are across the hall, on your side."

"Looks like I'll be spending a lot of time in your room, then."

Charlie laughed at the suggestive wiggling of his eyebrows. "You'll have to fight me for this balcony," she said. "I won't easily give it up."

"We could share," Floyd suggested with a smile. "I don't think I'll be spending a lot of time in my own room. Drew the short straw," he explained with a shake of his head and a low, resentful laugh. "Got Malark as a roommate. Reckon I'll be kicked out more often than not so Henry can come over."

Charlie grinned over at him. "Henry's got a room to herself. Don will be in her room, sharing her big double bed, and you'll have the place to yourself, I guarantee it."

"You serious?" Floyd shared her grin and he glowed in the orange light of the sunset. Out here, he looked like a painting. He had surely been born to be admired.

"Completely," Charlie replied. "Congratulations."

He laughed. "Austria ain't turning out to be so bad."

"Not at all." Charlie shook her head with a smile. "Did you come up here from the party?" she asked after a beat, only pretending to gaze at the sunset as she studied him out of the corner of her eye.

"Yeah. I was wondering where you were," he confirmed. "Was lonely without you."

"Oh, I'm sure," Charlie said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes to hide the ache in her chest. Would it ever not hurt to hear him joke about the pain she lived with everyday, knowing he didn't love her and yet still not being able to stay away from him? It always felt like he was throwing her affection back in her face. He didn't understand that he had the luxury of playing at loving her, trying on fondness like a new scarf, ready to disregard it when the material got too itchy or it started to feel like it was wound too tight.

"What," Charlie went on, nervous that her sarcasm had sounded bitter, "didn't they invite any local girls?"

"Nah, they did." He was grinning, oblivious to her sorrow. "But none of them are my favourite girl."