Chapter 9: More than just friends.

The terms "nervous" and "shocked" don't express how I felt just blinking from the weight of those four simple words. Those four words meant more to me than anything in my life to date.

"Can't you tell she is asking you on a date? Say yes!"

"Umm yeah I didn't have anything planned."

"Good I will meet you later than ok?"

"Okay."

She smiles and walks into the room right across from Rex.

"Get into the dress uniform dude; it's a date not a combat drill."

"Yeah good point."

"And wear your Knight medal, and have a great time."

I get into the dress uniform and leave both weapons lying on the bed. I pick up the Freedom's Knight medal, the small flag in the middle had use to be the United States of America's according to the Freedom's records. I head out into the hall way and wait. Tsumugi comes out of her own room a few minutes later.

"Well Tsumugi where are we headed?"

"I was hoping we could head to the sea, I heard it is beautiful."

"Alright let's find out than."

"Have you ever gone?"

"No, the Freedom had many things but we were never allowed to visit the sea."

"So it will be both of our first times."

The walk to the elevator to the sea was a quiet one and not one person thought anything of it, and a few people aka Xena and Herald clapped when they saw us. We take the elevator to the sea, the people in the elevator just whisper to each other about if Tsumugi was allowed up to the sea.

"So how do you feel?"

"Nervous, you?"

"Same, may I ask something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you ask me out on a date, I mean we just met last week?"

"Where I come from, you died weeks after Gauna 550, before I could admit what I felt towards you."

"What had happened at 550?"

"I was rash, and Izana and you got hurt from the fight, when the Gauna fired the beam you broke out of my grip and used the Vanguard to protect Sidonia and us."

"I would have done that here if I had been quick enough."

"A shard of metal from the arm broke off and went straight into your chest; it took four whole weeks for you to die from the internal bleeding. During those four weeks I was aloud to visit using the air ducks, you had liked the company and… when you died… a piece of me died too."

"Is that why you were shocked when you saw me?"

"Yes, I was afraid that I was dead, or that I dreamed it all up."

"What happened between you and Tanikaze?"

"He thought he knew me, he thought I didn't grow feelings for our hero. He said pilots die every day. I… got angry."

"I would have too if he said that."

"I was never the same after you were gone; I grew disobedient and was hardly ever deployed because of it."

"You sound like someone that needed time to grieve and wasn't given that time."

"The last night you were alive you had broke out of the hospital and came to visit me, you said, that although I was bigger, that you had enough room in your life for me. That night you slept in my room, in the morning you were dead."

"Oh… I am sorry that if I had upset you."

"No, its fine… I needed to tell someone."

I could tell that telling me put her on the verge of crying, her eye was now watery. When we get to the sea her eye was still watery, so I order up a sub for two and we enter.

"Tsumugi you're strong, but even you are allowed to express your feelings."

"Everything felt dark, like a star went out, I missed you and wished you could have bounced back like Tanikaze could."

"Here I can promise you will never feel that way again as long as I have a heartbeat, I vow it."

"A Knight vowing to bring light to the darkness… it feels nice."

Tsumugi started to tear here and walked towards me and begins to silently sob into my shoulder I wrap my arms around her gently.

"Don't make a girl… a promise that you… may not be able to keep, John"

"I have something to admit too."

"And… what's that?"

"I have had feelings for you too, although I thought maybe I was the only one who had those feelings. You are who I want to spend my life with."

After a few minutes of silence she stops tearing and a Manta ray swims by.

"You will say something to your wing right?"

"Knowing Xena, they already know."

"Guess we won't need to explain either."

"I will still make an announcement to the wing."

Rex's POV…

"Ben why are you in the kitchen?"

"I am cooking."

"For who?"

"I was asked by Tsumugi to make dinner for the two of them… would you like something too?"

"No I am fine."

"Are you sure I do make excellent fettuccine alfredo?"

"Wait… you made that when Xena and Herald got married?"

"Yes, Xena can't really cook, and I had thirteen courses downloaded into my systems."

"Ok, fine make some for me too please."

"Of course Creator Rex."

John always finds ways to either get around doing things or fixing non repairable items… that's just John. If he ever changes, he won't be the brother that doesn't like how much Xena and Herald get at him. But he has changed ever since he met Tsumugi, he froze in combat and nearly got gutted by a Gauna, froze when fighting Big O and nearly got crushed from the sear weight, and then on the hunt, when that Crimson Hawk Moth went to attack Tsumugi he caught its arm and ran it through with a Kabizashi. He has changed when he found Tsumugi, I hope that Oracle's last perdition is horribly wrong… no one will survive if Reaper shows up. The phone goes off and I pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Rex, its me Xena I need you to make something for a friend of mine."

"Like what?"

John's POV…

"Tsumugi… that's an Octopus."

"It looked like a Gauna."

"Yeah with the eight arms it really does."

"What's that one?"

"That's a sea horse, and that small light is from an angler fish."

"The light is a fish?"

"No, it's a lure."

"For what?"

"The fish uses its lure to catch prey."

"So it eats the other fish?"

"Yes, but for food not just because it can."

"How do you know so much about the sea if you never came?"

"The Freedom had lots of research and historic records from before the Gauna came including about the sea."

"Must have been nice to know so much."

"It didn't matter that we had it all, only one good thing came out of it all."

"And what was that?"

"Me being alive to meet you."

Tsumugi blushes and looks away trying to hide her smile, her tail was swaying back and fourth behind her drawing the attention of a fish. I notice her frown slightly.

"Tsumugi what's wrong?"

"You make me wish I was normal, and not the way I am."

"You're perfect the way you are."

Her frown disappears and she looks at me and smiles, and walks up to me and hugs me.

"I love you, John."

"I love you too, Tsumugi."

The fish that was outside was knocking into the sub trying to go after her tail, Tsumugi moves her face closer to mine and I do the same. We share our first kiss on this tour, I could hear her heart beating for a moment.

"Umm hi, get a room you two."

Tsumugi and I didn't even notice the people watching from the doorway until one spoke up. We both just blush and walk out. On the way back we were silent but we were holding each other's hand, I had caught a glimpse of Yuhata running off no doubt to tell Tanikaze… the little tattle tale.

"So how did you like the sea, Tsumugi?"

"I liked it, you?"

"It was okay."

"I hope you're in the mood for Italian, I asked Ben if he could make dinner for us and he said "I will make the Italian dish Fettuccine Alfredo." What does Italian mean?"

"Oh… before the Gauna destroyed Earth there was a place called Italy and well the dish Fettuccine Alfredo was from Italy."

"Oh so if something new is created on Sidonia does that mean its Sidonian?"

"I guess."

"So what does "may the stars guide you" mean?"

"It was part of a saying Knights from the Freedom say."

"What part?"

"The saying is "For every light there is a darkness, for every freedom there is a restraint, may the stars guide you upon the path to victory and salvation." It has come in handy for a good closing for a speech or end of a battle plan."

"So why do you consider your wing family?"

"We were raised together and when we were let out of the vats, we were the closest thing to a family each other had."

"So even though you weren't related you all consider each other family?"

"Yup."

Tsumugi and I reached the house, and just in time, Ben was getting the breadsticks he made out of the oven and was getting the pasta on the plates. There were candles set up on the table and the curtains were closed keeping the light from the buildings from shining in.

"Hello Master John and Lady Tsumugi the food just got done."

"Thanks Ben, but what's going on here?"

"I was asked by Tsumugi to set up a dinner and Xena said to make it romantic so here is the end result."

"It is perfect Ben, don't you agree John?"

"I guess, at least Xena didn't go overboard… like she normally does."

Dinner started out quiet although I could hear Rex working in his room on… who knows what.

"Where did Ben learn how to cook like this?"

"He downloaded the information from the Freedom's mainframe."

"It's delicious."

"Yeah he really does go above and beyond his original programming."

"What was he meant to do?"

"Monitor vitals, apply medical care, and keep track of Heigus particles, although with some tweaking he became a friend."

"So you upgraded him beyond his original purpose?"

"Yup, without permission from Rex."

We finished up dinner and then headed upstairs, Rex was working on some sort of ring… don't tell me Xena put him up to something like THAT on the first date?

"Hey umm John, I had a wonderful time hope you sleep well tonight."

"Thanks Tsumugi, I will see you tomorrow."

And with that we both head to our different rooms and head off to sleep, the next morning I headed off to get coffee from a café and find Kouichi along with Samari there talking to some other Garde pilots.

"Hey John how was your date with Tsumugi last night?"

"How did you find out?"

"Yuhata was talking about it with Tanikaze last night and I overheard so I asked."

"Oh, so she talks about stuff like that to everyone."

"Did you…"

"Kouichi you're on thin ice, stop while you're ahead."

"But…"

Now he was right next to me, so I put some common sense into him and hit him where the sun don't shine. He falls onto the floor and just whimpers.

"About time someone did that to him."

"Surprised you hadn't Samari."

To be continued…