Her laugh...stars above, her laugh was beautiful. It was brief, just a quick chuckle, but lovelier and more precious than he could fathom. Ed would give much to hear her laugh again. If there was any sound lovelier than her laugh, it was the sound of her voice, and the careful, intelligent thoughts it carried.

"I'm waiting for the day that he tells those stories. Imagine us doing that someday, Ed, when we have enough stories to tell."

[i]Us.[/i]

That magical word, [i]us[/i]. Throughout their training at the university, the constant stress and demands on their time made it near-impossible for them to explore the possibility of a relationship. In those rare moments when he was alone with his thoughts, he daydreamed about building a life with her, what life would be like, what she would be like. For the longest time, his pragmatic side brushed it off as silly, just a wistful dream that might never come true. So he contented himself to be her friend, choosing instead to value her as a temporary companion through this brief trial through life. It never occurred to him that she shared in his dreams.

[i]Us.[/i]

Ed leaned closer, the corner of his mouth turned up slightly in a half smile. "Between you and me, I think we're off to a great start. We have a cool ship, a grand mission, and a boatload of destiny to spend."

His eyes drifted down to her hand as his mind trailed off into thought. At length, he added, "If I'm being honest with myself, though, I'm less interested in hearing Captain Darcy's stories than I am in hearing yours, Sofie. You're hardworking, kind, and tough as nails. I would love to find out more about this intriguing woman who stepped into my life a year ago, who in the space of a minute showed me her strength before weeping that she could have hurt me. What do you say we explore the possibility of Us? May we date, Sofie?"

He stretched out his hand and grinned.