A/N: Updaaaaate! Hope you enjoy!

K: Knowing

One would have to be pretty thick in the head to be oblivious to what was happening between Doctor Doppler and Captain Amelia on the Legacy. There were just too many instances where they'd run into each other while on a voyage and exchange this look… This look that conveyed this barely-hidden attraction that made even the most stoic of spacers crack a knowing smile. A tiny smile given during roll call when his name was called, his tendency to trip all over his words whenever she was close by… Signs like these all tipped off Amelia's crew that something was happening between their usually stoic captain and her astrophysicist. But none of them dared to call her out on it.

The funny thing was, Delbert and Amelia had agreed beforehand that whatever relationship they had off of the Legacy would not transfer over onto it. But Amelia knew she'd made a mistake asking him to do so, when soon after that conversation she'd asked him to be the resident astrophysicist on her ship. The original agreement had been made with the idea in mind that he would be busy at the Academy with speeches and the like, and she would be busy ferrying cargo...Trips that wouldn't require an astrophysicist. Long voyages with him onboard had not been anywhere in her mind. Her offer had been an idea fueled by her admiration of his ability to work under pressure, not by her newly-discovered need to be near him.

At least, that's what she told herself.

In the deepest part of her heart, she knew the reason she'd asked him to join her. True, she found his knowledge of the stars useful, but she also found his bumbling nature to be adorably charming. So of course the idea of him being right by her side while traveling through the vast Etherium was a pleasant one. When she'd offered, it had spilled from her lips unbidden and almost without her knowledge. She'd thought about it for about a second before she found herself saying hurriedly,

"Come with me."

They'd been seated in his observatory at his desk, their chairs touching as they went over the maps for her next voyage. Amelia had explained it was a routine cargo delivery, but seeing as they were headed to an unfamiliar planet, she needed his assistance plotting a safe route. He'd shown mild concern for her safety, but had dismissed it as his own paranoia. Seeing that his focus was on the map spread out on his desk, he'd missed her oddly placed request. Drawing a straight line down the side of the map, then erasing part of it, it clicked in his head that she'd been speaking to him.

"W-What was that?" he looked over at her, his cheeks flushing when she placed a hand on his wrist.

"Come with me, Delbert. I have a feeling I'll be needing you."

"O-Oh um… Of course, Amelia. I'm sure I can clear my lecture schedule for a while." He smiled, honored that she'd offered.

Returning his eyes to the map, he'd expected her to throw out a playful comment about his tendency to forget personal items in response to him accepting, but when he heard no such response, his eyes met hers.

"Actually, now that I'm thinking about it…" she stood, partially to stretch her legs and also to hide the blush that had made its way over her face. "You will be needed, not on just this voyage...but on every voyage. Whether I need your expertise specifically or not."

Her voice sounded odd, like a mix between the intimidating captain she was, and the conflicted partner she was becoming.

"Aye, Captain."

His response was succinct, and the tension in her body had drained when she spun on her heel to face him and found him sporting a goofy grin.

Thinking about it now, Amelia couldn't help but smile. He'd been so proud of himself when he'd stepped foot on the Legacy right by her side. She'd given him some pointers on how to portray himself on her ship, mainly how to exude the confidence she knew he had somewhere underneath his usual bumbling nature. He'd managed to make it onto the ship without tripping over himself, and stood by her side confidently on the bridge as she gave orders to the crew. That new confidence, coupled with how handsome he looked in his smart new uniform, was the cause of the goosebumps that had seemed to have taken up permanent residence on her arms.

"Captain?"

Amelia looked up, shaken out of her revelry. She was standing in her stateroom, her back to the door. She'd been gazing out of her floor-to-ceiling window that had been put back in, despite Delbert's suggestion that perhaps it wasn't the best idea, and apparently had been there for a while if Delbert felt the need to come check on her.

"Yes, Doctor, come in." she said over her shoulder, her eyes locked on the Etherium.

She listened as the door closed behind her, and the Doctor's footsteps got closer and closer until he was standing right beside her.

"You've been in here a while, Amelia." he said softly, light concern lacing his words.

Amelia chuckled softly.

"Timing my comings and goings are you?"

Delbert rubbed the back of his neck nervously. The truth was, he'd been silently counting the minutes since she'd left. There was only so long he could handle not at least being able to see her roaming the ship.

"W-Well…" he sighed. "Sorry."

"It's alright, Delbert." she gave him a tender smile.

After a moment, she let out a sigh, gently removing her hat and sitting on her desk in a moment of casual relaxation. She crossed her legs and cracked her neck, a small groan escaping her lips.

"Tossing and turning again?" Delbert moved a little closer, taking her hat and hanging it on the hook next to her desk.

He knew how often sleeping on the Legacy made for some nights of tossing and turning, resulting in a few restless nights. Amelia merely nodded. Delbert gestured to her chair, watching her slide off of her desk and into it.

"This voyage is particularly frustrating. Blasted cargo won't stay in its packaging, guest crew members act like they're entitled to special treatment..."

Delbert chuckled, moving behind her chair and gently sliding his hands past the collar of her jacket to massage her neck. He'd massaged her before, off of the Legacy of course, so this wasn't a new concept to either of them. She smiled, giving him a hum of approval as she let her head loll to the side.

"Yes, this voyage seems to be more trouble than it's worth… If I'm being honest." Delbert chewed his lip, mildly confused as to why he seemed to suddenly be having issues concentrating on the task at hand.

"Yes, well...I knew I would need you. If only to keep me sane."

Delbert nodded absentmindedly, focused on nothing more than her words and the task at hand. They continued with small talk, mostly Amelia telling him of all the things she was looking forward to upon their return to Montressor, such as a nice hot bath and some decent food. She went quiet after a while, and Delbert wondered if she had fallen asleep.

"Amelia?" he said softly, slowing his hands. The day was barely half over, and he knew she wasn't fond of mid-day naps while on voyages.

She said nothing, and right as he went to remove his hands and wake her, he felt an oh-so-familiar rumbling against his fingers. He chuckled, blushing as he continued the massage. She would be cross with him later, but for now, he was content with offering her this moment of relaxation he knew she so needed.

A/N: I wrote this instead of doing my homework. Diddles. XD I also have some weird thing about neck massages. And also the timeline is screwed up so yeah this chapter happens before the previous one. You're welcome. Uuuuuuhhhh okay bye lol