Author's note: So a few days back, I finished this brilliantly amazing and touching work that is Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet. Nothing I do will ever be able to come even close to the series in terms of quality, but this series deserves more attention.

Credits to Urobuchi Gen and Murata Kazuya, for pulling off this both heartwarming and nightmare inducing series. Can't wait for the second OVA!

This is just a brief heartwarming moment, something I'm really not used to writing, so I apologize for any inconsistencies with the flow and/or characters.

Cover image belongs to longestdistance on deviantart.

Ledo still slept in the warehouse, sometimes.

During the day, it was often used for various repairs, but at night it was cold and empty and the hole that Chamber made in the ceiling on their first night on Gargantia was still there, waiting on repairs that kept getting delayed due to more urgent breakdowns.

It had become a force of habit, of sorts. He had his own living space now, earned by his hard work, but more often than not he left it behind in favor of the cold warehouse. He lied down and observed the starry night in silence. It reminded him of the time when he had been so lost and confused, in a place that should not even exist. It reminded him of some better times, too and even the simpler ones. Sometimes it even brought a smile to his face.

He still wondered if some day, maybe, another soldier like him would show up. He imagined how it would be if it happened and how he would react.

He was still not sure about his life, about his past, present and future.

Was the Galactic Alliance still fighting a never-ending war? What about all those soldiers who had fought by his side? Were they still out there, fighting for their survival? Had they, by a stroke of luck, won even against all odds? Or had they lost?

He had no answers and he knew he never would. With Chamber gone, even the slim hope he might have had was lost and all he could do was treasure the life he had right now.

But it's not that simple.

He still worried. About the Hideauze and the Alliance and about the whalesquids, too. He worried about many things, but he couldn't help himself. Before, Chamber would shoot some of his fears down with cold hard logic. It had both its advantages and disadvantages, but it more or less helped him hold irrational fears at bay. Normally, he managed on his own just fine, but not always.

Sometimes, all he could do was stay up until late night hours and think about various different scenarios, desperately searching for viable solutions for many potential problems. Those were the nights he spent at the warehouse and those were the nights when he took the last memento he had of his comrade at least once, irrationally hoping for some kind of reaction.

Of course, it never happened. The only sound in the night was the distant sound of the engines as the Gargantia moved through the calm waters.

But that night was different. At least in one sense.

A metallic sound rang out, the way it would if somebody knocked down a toolbox. It startled him, to the point that he'd reflexively reached for a gun that he had not brought along, then narrowed his eyes in the direction where the sound had come from.

The light of the stars was insufficient, hiding the visitor deep in the shadows. However, what followed it was a sound of somebody hastily putting the tools back where they'd come from and that eased Ledo's mind.

As if the mysterious visitor had only noticed his presence then, he heard a gasp, followed by a shout.

"Uh-uh! I got you now!"

It was almost ridiculous, how over the top it sounded. It came from a dark corner and he couldn't see anything more than a silhouette, but the voice was one that he knew very well. He resisted the urge to laugh, instead turning so that his feet dangle from the container.

"Amy?" he asked, with a perfectly straight face.

She walked towards the container until she was standing surprisingly close, allowing the light of the stars to illuminate her skin. There was a somewhat guilty smile on her face while she played with her fingers.

"Caught you now. He he."

"Um… hi," he said. "What are you doing here, Amy?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" she replied immediately, face heating up. "What are you doing here? And at this hour, no less?"

"It's late. Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he asked instead.

"Ugh, no! Don't answer a question with another question!" she returned. However, as Ledo merely tilted his head, she continued in a much more mellow voice, "Uh, the granny that lives next to you… um, she was a bit worried, said that you go outside at night without a jacket. 'Dear boy, he's definitely going to catch a cold!' she said, just like that..."

She laughed awkwardly.

"I see…"

Several seconds passed, during which they looked at each other in silence. Amy was the first to look away.

"I agree, you know! You will catch a cold. Especially if you keep lying there all night!"

Ledo wasn't sure whether to sigh or smile. Her presence, while unexpected, wasn't exactly unwanted. She had long since proven herself to be a great source of optimism when she wanted to be and he figured optimism was the kind of thing he needed, especially at times like these.

"Don't worry. I'm fine."

She put her hands to her hips and pouted, but she was quick to relax once she focused on their only source of light.

"If you just wanted to watch the stars, wouldn't it have been better to go outside?"

Ledo glanced towards the hole, too.

"Maybe... " he trailed off as a shooting star appeared as fast as it disappeared. "Maybe you're right."

From the corner of his eye, he noticed that she looked as if she wanted to say something more, but didn't. Instead, she waited in silence for him to climb down, with an ever present smile that he'd gotten so very used to seeing on her face.

They walked to the deck in silence, focused on the stars that lit up the night sky and their reflections in the water. The soft green light of the lightbugs merely added to the scenery, lighting up their surroundings enough to show them their destination, but not enough to light up their way.

Naturally, it meant that Amy had to knock down another tool box.

"Ouch! Ow! Who leaves these things here all the time?" Lifting the toolbox with a sigh, she carried it out of the way, all while grumbling something in her chin.

Ledo leaned on the railing, watching her in amusement as he absently reached for the ear peace he kept with him at all times.

Is the way I'm living now good enough, Chamber?

He wanted to think it was. His language skills improved surprisingly much, he learned exactly how to use a Yunboro for maximum efficiency and with Bellows' help learned many tricks in his job. And unlikely as it was, he had even improved his dreadful swimming skills. He was making a progress, exploring, adapting. Just like he promised he would.

Having returned the toolbox where it belonged, Amy joined him by the railing, leaning her head on her arms.

They remained that way for a few silent moments, Ledo leaning his back on the railing while Amy gazed towards the ocean.

It felt strange, in a way. There was nothing oppressive or uncomfortable about the silence, it was the exact opposite. So, in hindsight, it puzzled him that he'd actually decided to break it.

"Amy—"

"Ledo—"

They shared a brief look and grinned.

"Sorry. What did you—"

She shook her head. "No, no. It's okay. You wanted to say something first."

Ledo hoped that the brief nod he gave was enough to show that he was grateful, before he turned around and looked towards the thin, almost invisible line that separated the water from the sky.

"I… like it here, with everyone. So, I'm sorry. I didn't want to make anyone worry."

Amy was quick to respond. "No, no! If there's anything on your mind, you should say it. Haven't you already noticed how that works here?" Without giving him a chance to answer, she continued in a subdued voice. "You looked a bit sad, back there, you know? You were smiling, but… you looked sad."

He never thought of the word 'sad' as a fitting description of how he looked or felt. Admittedly, his definition of sad still somewhat lacked in context, but he was sure that 'melancholic' and 'thoughtful' were better fits, although 'concerned' probably wouldn't be too far off the mark, either. The more he thought of it, however, the more he was sure that while she hadn't exactly been right about that, he couldn't with certainty claim that she was wrong, either.

"Is it because of Chamber?"

It was funny how she knew how to ask all the wrong questions at the right time, with such an innocent face.

"That, too," he admitted.

"Too? So there's more?"

"It's… just… well, think of it as me worrying about things that I can't change."

She seemed to think about that for a moment. "But if you can't do anything, why worry so much?"

"Illogical, I know."

"No! Well, maybe. But that's not what I meant." She looked away, focusing on the ocean while a gust of wind blew her hair backwards. "I just don't want you to be sad. That's all."

Ledo's hold on the railing tightened.

As much as he tried to make it through the days without making it obvious, there was still a longing, for his partner and friend who had been everything he could have possibly ever asked for and even for the life he'd had back during his service in the Alliance. But that was in the past and it would be wrong to say that he didn't cherish the life he had now as much as, or even more than the life he'd had before.

Feeling something brush his shoulder, he turned, only to find Amy's face millimeters from his own and coming closer. Their lips touched for less than a second before she pulled away, burying her face in her hands.

"Sorry!"

He thought for a moment that she'd said something that sounded like 'supposed to be the cheek', but that might have been his imagination. Nevertheless, his lips curved into a soft smile.

A moment later, he realized that, while she had moved away, she was still much closer than she'd originally been.

He clenched his fists.

"Amy, I…"

"Huh? What?" she asked, peeking through her fingers, but as if she'd only then realized how close they were, she moved another step away and began playing with her fingers. "Umm, I…"

"Thank you."

Amy blinked. "Eh?!"

He smiled.

"What… what for?" she asked.

The truth was, there were many things he wanted to thank her for. Her friendship, for one, but also her understanding and company even during the moments he would have preferred to be alone. He wanted to thank her for all the food she'd shared with him and those both serious and silly things she'd taught him, but also for the entire new world that she'd shown him, that she taught him how to be a part of.

He settled for one word that he found to work the best in the context and a simple gesture he'd only seen once, but nevertheless found to be appropriate.

"Everything."

Taking her hand in his, he lightly touched it with his lips.

She looked lost, for a moment, maybe even a bit surprised. But the moment passed, leaving only a familiar smile on her face.

She tightened the hold on his hand, threading their fingers together before turning towards the sky and the first hints of the rising sun.

"You're welcome."