Of course he kissed her back, and though his eyes were still damp with the angst about losing another brother, and this one by Percy's own choice... he was also elated to know she felt the same way. At least they hadn't done this for nothing. At least it all meant something, and now they had each other. Even if he didn't really know what that meant, and didn't really know how to do this. They hadn't even been out on a real date yet, really. This was all precisely why they had decided not to tell Percy, not to tell anyone, really, because they'd wanted a chance to figure themselves out without all that pressure. But that hadn't happened, of course, and yet, even with all the pressure, they'd still come to this. They'd still come to love.
To Charlie--a man who had until very recently in his life spent a lot of his time and energy avoiding entanglements, emotional connections, and complications--that meant even more. He supposed he'd learned the hard way that the truth behind the old adage that if it's easy, it isn't worth it, and if it's worth it, it isn't easy. Hard as the road might be now, might continue to be, Penny was worth it, and he kissed her like he wanted her to know that. He only broke the kiss when he needed to breathe, and as he caught his breath, he gently wiped the tears from her cheers with his fingertips.
"This is crazy. We're completely mad, aren't we," Charlie said helplessly, and his face was lit up through the heavier emotions with the knowledge that she loved him too. He couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips, and he rested his forehead against hers so he could brush their noses together just slightly. "Everything is such a bloody mess, yet I can't help but love you. I just wish it didn't come with so much heartache for you. For us both, I suppose."