The second kiss was warmer. Kinder. Although it wasn't that the first was cold and unfriendly, just that it had been so restrained by hesitation. So altered by the sad truth that they hadn't properly kissed since the mission.

Afterwards, she as good as drank the air. Deep, shaking breaths. "I love you," she said with such force that she seemed to be compensating for all her lost strength with those three words.