Kato Marika and Kurihara Chiaki are more than friends.
They're comrades, fellow pirates that share a mutual trust with each other that's hard to find in typical pirates. Their lives are put in each other's hands, and it's because of the fact they're also lovers that make their relationship something so rare to find nowadays in the massive space seas.
It's not a secret affair; they just don't see the need to announce their relationship necessary. Although, sometimes, they do admit to each other that it seems like they sneak around a lot. In the days they can see each other, due it be to combined cases or simply being a helpful hand to each other, when Marika signs off from her deck and Chiaki dismisses herself from work, they meet.
Two rooms, two beds, both at the ends of the hall, Marika seems to like leaving her captain quarters to slip into Chiaki's room. Not like Chiaki minds since they've shared rooms before the upgrade of Marika's ship.
It's just that it'd be nice just to be able to ask for them to already have a set room together in the captain's quarters, Marika says, but Chiaki refuses because her pride as a professional pirate is at stack and that her embarrassment can only go so far before she feels like fainting. It's only because of how few times they see each other that Chiaki allows Marika to slide into her bed at night and hold her.
Most nights however, they sleep alone.
It's those nights that makes Chiaki wish she'd hold Marika back as well.
Marika's tired.
Graduation is just around the corner, and it makes her relieved, but even so, work has been demanding nowadays since the empire has been allowing more and more pirates arise. This comes to be a problem however since most of them are just disguised as pirates, in actuality, they're just criminals wanting to stir more trouble in the universe.
Groaning as she falls face first onto her bed, she wonders how long it'd take to capture the rest of the criminals that are running around pretending to be pirates. It irritates her how lightly they're taking pirateship, but there's nothing she can do but how them the wrath of real pirates.
Turning, she looks at a framed picture of everyone down on earth.
She misses them, and when she sees a certain bespectacled beauty, she misses Chiaki even more.
Marika's tired.
She rolls over so she's lying on her back, looking up at the space skies filled with glittering stars, it's distant yet bright light causing her to extend her arm to try to grab the light in her hands. She lets her arm fall dead though, eyes closing as sleep overcomes her.
Marika's exhausted nowadays.
But she loves her work.
And that's when it hits her that she's in love with Chiaki.
Her fingers dance gracefully across the keys of the computer she's working out, enough force to show the people around her that she's busy and not in the mood to talk.
Chiaki sighs half an hour later, finally putting down her hands as she presses enter for the last time for the night.
Everyone has left, leaving her in a dark room illuminated with the blue screens.
She leans back and sighs again, heavier this time, pushing her glasses up her nose.
It's lonely, she thinks, and it's not because she herself is feeling lonely. No, there's no way she can feel lonely when her crew is always bustling around, work keeping her busy. She thinks it's lonely in terms of the vast, empty space around her and how even if she's around people, there always feels like something's missing.
Shaking her head clear, she stands up from her seat, bones aching. When she turns to leave, a clink can be heard against the metal flooring, and she looks down to see a silver ring glimmer up at her.
It's the ring Marika gave to her.
Chiaki remembers that it was a winter day, snow just coming down on the city as Marika and Chiaki arrive at a small antique store to avoid the sudden downfall of white snow. She remembers scolding the other girl, telling her how she knew they should've taken the time to plan out their date instead of running out without any hint of how the weather would be.
Marika's sheepish smile was bright, and forgiving though, she remembers, and they spend the next hour walking around the store marveling at it's uniqueness. She remembers how when she was just about to tell them to leave because the snow was lighting up, she sees Marika at the cash register, and before she could protest, Marika had stood in front of her.
She remembers the very warm fingers that guided that silver ring onto Chiaki's pinky finger, and she remembers how warm Marika's smile was.
Chiaki remembers how warm that snowy, winter day was.
She leans down to pick up the fallen ring, but before her fingers can make it to the ring, something cold runs down her face.
Reaching up, she feels cold wetness.
Grabbing the ring, Chiaki brings her arms around her, wrapping herself because suddenly, she realizes how quiet it is around her.
It's cold and lonely, and in terms of space and time, the distance between her and Marika are too far apart, and the next time she'll see Marika and her stupid smile is just too long.
Cherry blossoms flutter in the breeze and it's a signal that spring has come.
Marika isn't able to attend her graduation ceremony, but when she gets to school today and it's empty, she thinks that it's all right. After all, work is work and sometimes it's unrelenting.
Walking through the halls of her high school, she feels a bit regretful that she wasn't able to walk through these hallways more often. She's never taken the time to actually see what's in them, who walks through them, what happens in them.
She reaches her classroom and puts her hand on the handle of the door.
Something inside of her keeps her from pulling it open.
Marika realizes she's scared.
Just like the hallways, she's in them alone, and when she opens this door, the classroom will be empty.
She doesn't know why it all hits her now, that's she's been off on her own all along, despite her family, friends, and crew. She's been dashing through her high school life on her own because she had felt like it's only right to do so.
Her mother has always been doing things for her.
Marika had needed independence from her hardworking mother.
Shakily, she pulls the door open, and her heart stops at the beautiful scene in front of her.
Cherry blossoms flutter in the breeze, and it guides her eyes to a single figure who stands with her back facing her.
But Marika knows who it is, and when Chiaki turns with a flushed face and a rare wide smile at her, Marika shakes her head at how stupid she was.
She's never been alone, and even if she ever was, everyone was there with her.
Without words, Chiaki makes her way towards the now graduated captain. In her hands, there's a black tube with Kato Marika engraved in gold on the side of it. Putting it out towards her, Chiaki whispers,
"Congratulations."
Overwhelmed by the pink petals, the sunlight, Chiaki's hair flowing behind her, and simply everything at the moment, Marika steps forward.
And in a swift motion, she kisses Chiaki.
Chiaki hears her father question her once more before she makes her decision.
Will you go with Captain Marika?
It's not like she wasn't sure before; it was confusing though. She enjoys traveling with her father, and she's learnt so much from him and being on his ship. But when her father finally asks if she sees the same future with him, she finds an answer.
Marika's face pops up in her mind, and she cannot shake the image of her being beside the captain out of her mind.
That night, her father helps her pack her things in a medium sized luggage, and he looks around at his daughter's room that's always been here since her birth.
It's been eighteen years he realizes.
He turns around to see Chiaki looking at him patiently.
For the first time since she's learned how to walk, Chiaki embraces her father first.
Laughing with light tears in his eyes, he takes off his pirate hat and hugs her back.
Chiaki has grown into a fine woman, he thinks, and he gives himself a proud pat on the back.
Ririka leans against the door of her daughter's bedroom and grins when Marika mumbles back and forth about what to bring to space or not.
After all, she'll be staying up there for most of the time now.
Marika frowns and turns to face Ririka.
She calls out to her.
"Mom?"
Ririka feels some shock at the family label, but nods in acknowledgement.
"Do you think I should bring this swimsuit or this one? Argh! They're both so cute, but I only have so much room to pack!"
And at her daughter's childish whining, Ririka laughs hard, doubling over with her arms around her stomach. She's laughing so hard it hurts, and Marika comes over to her side and asks if she's okay with worry laced in her voice.
Ririka just shakes her head.
It's times like this where she really feels like a mother.
When she opens her eyes, tears lodged at the corners of her eyes, Ririka reaches out to ruffle Marika's hair.
God, she wishes she could have been a better mother sometimes.
But after looking at how well Marika has grown, Ririka decides that she did a fine, damn job.
And that's enough for her.
It's their first night together.
They can barely contain their excitement, even Chiaki feels fidgety. Marika lies on her side, simply staring at her lover with soft eyes, ones that cause a blush to appear on Chiaki's face.
But even so her embarrassment, Chiaki stares back with the same expression on her face, a small smile reserved for Marika.
There's so many things they want to tell each other, but tonight isn't the night to catch up with words.
Marika reaches up to brush a stray strand of hair from Chiaki's face, in which the latter unconsciously leaned into her touch, letting out a little sigh. Guiding her hand down, she takes off Chiaki's glasses, alarming her.
Chiaki shoots a half glare at Marika, attempting to grab her glasses back.
But Marika sweeps in to land a soft kiss on Chiaki's lips and that successful stops Chiaki's scolds and swipes of hand in attempt to reattain her item.
"I love you," Marika says so easily that Chiaki almost doesn't believe her.
She does though, because she can feel the heartfelt message in Marika's words.
"I know," Chiaki whispers back, leaning in until her lips met again and again.
Marika pulls Chiaki's body closer to her's until they're flushed against each other, lips moving slowly, but deeply against each other's. Marika slides her fingers into Chiaki's hair and pushes herself on her elbows, rolling on top of Chiaki.
"Say it," Marika whispers wanting, lovingly against Chiaki's panting mouth.
Chiaki feels her heartbeat race, her chest heave, and her cheeks burn.
But she says it anyway because she believes in Marika's 'I love you' and their future together as partners, friends, lovers, comrades, and beyond.
A/N: Because as obvious as they are, there still isn't enough Marika x Chiaki love.