Part One – Don't call me Bro

I bounce the ball once, twice, and then grip it and jump. As I reach the apex of my jump I push it up and toss it. I watch as the orange ball leaves my hands, arching towards the board above the hoop. It hits in the middle of the red box on the board before dropping into the hoop. When my feet hit that ground I say, "That's twenty-one, Commander."

I see him groan before he turns and goes to get the ball and he says to me, "Thanks for the game Clevebro, but do you think I can keep my eight points for the next game?"

I roll my red eyes before running a hand through my blond hair as I say to him, "Fine, but you need to get better at this, alright?"

He grins, tucking the basketball under one arm before he puts a hand on my shoulder and says, "I'll work on it, but do you got some time tonight? There's something I'd like to pick your brain about."

I fidget a little as I think about talking to the Commander outside of the office and outside of the gym. Part of me hopes he's going to ask me on a date. I do my best to keep my excitement about this prospect under wraps as I stammer out, "S…Sure, what'd ya have in mind?"

He gives me that goofy grin he has before taking his arm off of my shoulder and running that hand through his short brown hair as he says, "I'll meet you at the hot-dog stand in the square around eighteen hundred then."

I nod and watch as he turns and heads to the showers in the tiny men's change room. Did he ask me out for a date? Or am I reading too much into this? I run a hand through my blond hair and groan in frustration, why would the Commander ask me out?

I sigh and get changed before heading back to the quarters that I share with three of my sisters.

XXXX

I had some clothes toss on my bed, my hands were on my hips as I stood there, looking at everything trying to figure out what to wear. I feel an arm drape across my shoulders before I see a pink bubble gum bubble blow out before popping and one of my sisters says, "I doubt it's a date."

"It could be!" I protest.

She blows a bubble again before popping it and saying, "I seriously doubt it."

I look at my sister out of the corner of my right eye as I say, "Columbia, it could really be one!"

She snickers and shakes her head before using the hand that was hanging off my shoulder to poke my bust as she says, "Ain't no way he's going to be interested in a girl that could almost pass for a destroyer."

"I gotta agree with Columbia on this one, big sis." Spoke another one of my sisters from my doorway.

I sigh out, "Not you too Denver."

She shrugs and piles on, "Well it's not like you've got a figure like our sister Biloxi."

I rub the side of my head with my left hand as I snap at both of them, "Both of you, outta my room!"

I feel Columbia let go of me as Denver says, "Alright, alright."

I twist to watch them both go, and just before she's out, Columbia says with a wink, "If you think it could really be a date, you can borrow a pair of my fancy panties."

I feel my cheeks get hot as I slam the door. Once it's closed I lean against it and slide down the door as I sigh. Once I'm sitting, I draw my knees up to my chest and rest my chin on them, am I reading too much into this? I mean the Commander has never shown interest in me like that before.

I get onto my knees to reach for my phone and I start to scroll through Juustagram to see what others are up to for a little bit, at least before I really need to finish getting ready.

XXXX

I stop and check myself quickly in a window, making sure that my light green button-up shirt is on right over my white halter top and short light green skirt that looks really good. I also take a second to adjust my hair and for the first time ever, makeup. I even lean forward a little and adjust my cleavage, well what little there is of it. I give myself a nod and turn around to look around and find the hot dog stand.

Once I spot it and start to make my way over, I see the Commander wave at me with a free hand once he puts two hot dogs in one hand and he yells out, "Clevebro, over here."

I hate that nickname; I'm a girl ya know.

I smile and wave back before I hurry over and he hands me one of the dogs with my favorite toppings already on it. He turns and grabs a couple of cans of cola before pointing over to a bench. Once we're seated on it, I fluff out my hair a little, hoping he'll take notice yet all he does is say, "Thanks for coming out here tonight."

I smile sweetly at him, come on, take the freaking hint and compliment me on putting in this effort to do my hair, put on makeup, and put on something that makes me look like a girl. But when I don't get anything out of him right away I ask, "No problem, what's up?"

He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and smiles at me, gosh he's cutie! After a moment he says, "I'm thinking about asking out one of the kansen on this base."

Suck it Columbia, this is a date!

I lean a little forward and nod as I say while I try to keep my excitement in check, "Yeah?"

He rubs the back of his head and he says to me, "So I was wondering…"

"Yes." I say to him, a smile on my face.

He grins and touches my shoulder with his hand as he says, "You're awesome Clevebro! Do you have any advice on how I should approach Baltimore?"

Wait, what?

I blink a few times as I try to process this, he wants advice on how to approach Baltimore? But, but, but… Baltimore is just like me, athletic, helpful, great with everyone. Sure she's a little taller and has bigger boobs… but!

I sigh inwardly and lean back against the back of the bench and force a smile on my face before I say to him, "Well, try being direct with her. But you know, she's kind of skittish when feelings are involved. She'll, like short circuit in the brain a little, so take your time with her."

Ugh, this is brutal. He called me out here to ask about another girl! And just to make it hurt more, it's a girl like me! Doesn't he get that?

He gives me that goofy grin as he says, "What would I do without you Clevebro?"

Not get your torpedo wet.

I give him another forced smile before I get off the bench and check my phone before I say to him, "Sorry but I got to run Commander; I promised Monty I'd help her out with something tonight."

He nods as he says to me, "Give my best to your sisters, 'cept for Monty, she hates me as it is."

I laugh a little, even if I didn't feel like laughing. Once I've left him and I'm out of sight I dump my hot dog in the trash bin and take off the wedge-heeled white sandals I had on, slinging them over my shoulder and sigh out to myself, "I feel so stupid."

I turn and look at myself in the window of the shop; I had put in so much work to look like a girl for him tonight. Of course, he'd be more interested in a kansen that actually looks like a girl all the time. I look down at my toes; I had even painted my toenails for this! My shoulders slump and I mumble out, "How could I ever think I could compete against the likes of Baltimore? She doesn't look like a destroyer."

I feel a tear starting to make its way down my left cheek, I had wanted him to look at me like that, I mean we've been almost inseparable since he got here a few years ago. I hear the approach of heels on the pavement and I look in the direction to see Helena and her older sister coming in this direction. Helena has a bag held tight against her chest while St. Louis has a similar-looking bag hanging down from her hand. It looks like St. Louis is saying something to make Helena blush bright red, not that that's hard to do. Then I spot the logo on the bags and I know why they went shopping at the underwear shop, Helena is always embarrassed about going there.

St. Louis' eyes drift to me for a second before I hear her say to Helena, "You go on ahead to our apartment, I'm going to have a chat with Cleveland."

Helena nods before giving me a wave and heading off at a slightly quicker clip. St. Louis comes over to me and gives me a soft smile as she asks, "What's wrong?"

I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand as I say, "I'm stupid."

She shakes her head and gestures for me to walk with her as she says, "Not at all, now why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

I sigh and hang my head as I fill her in on how I got myself all worked up at the thought of having a date with the commander, only for it to turn out for it to be him asking for my advice on how to ask out Baltimore. When I'm near the end of it, I bemoan out, "And now I don't want to go home, because I don't want to admit to Denver and Columbia that they were right."

St. Louis sits on a bench, crossing her knees while stretching her arms out across the back of the bench as she says to me, "I thought you were dating the Commander? I mean you two are always hanging out with each other."

I shake my head and look down at my painted toes as I say, "He calls me 'Clevebro' all the time. It's like he sees me as a guy friend. I put on more girly clothes today, did my toenails, makeup… Oh man! I've probably ruined it now!"

I hear St. Louis laugh a little before I hear some rustling in her clutch, I look over and see that she's taken out some wipes and is giving me a warm smile as she says, "Let's get it off then."

I take one and start to clean the makeup off as I whine, "The worst part is he's interested in someone that is almost exactly like me!"

St. Louis nods as she adds, "You're right, but that gives you an edge. You know you're his type. You know everything about him already; he just needs to see you as a girl."

I sigh and look down at my bust as I say to her, "That's not going to happen, if anything I look like I kid."

St. Louis frowns at me as she says, "Trust me, bigger isn't always better. Have you ever seen me try to run?"

Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen most of the bigger girls take part in sports that much, even when it's sport week. My brow knits together for a moment and I ask, "Is it 'cause of them?"

She nods and says, "They bounce and swing, a lot. Sometimes it gets kind of painful, not to mention that my back gets exhausted by the end of the day. Personally, I wish mine we smaller…"

I blink a few times and sigh out, "What am I going to do? I've been into him for so long, but I didn't want to trash our friendship."

She shrugs as she says, "And how are you going to feel if he starts dating Baltimore and he comes to you for more advice? I mean he clearly values you and your input enough to seek advice from you in this matter."

I lean back and rest my head against the back of the bench as I moan out, "Pretty lousy. I mean Balti is a friend of mine too."

St. Louis sighs and looks up at the sky as she says to me, "I know somewhere, out there is the right person for me, but I'd hate to be trapped in a love triangle for their affections with a friend."

I groan and drop my sandals into my lap as I say to her, "I'm not sure Balti is even looking for someone like that; it's not her strong suit."

St. Louis laughs as she agrees with me, "No, Baltimore is most defiantly not strong in that department."

I sigh and look at her as I ask, "What should I do?"

St. Louis shrugs and says to me, "Decide if it's worth killing your friendship, a friendship that probably wouldn't survive if he gets together with Baltimore. You probably wouldn't be able to handle it, the feeling of jealousy and it'd poison your friendships with both of them."

I stare at her wide-eyed as she adds, "Just understand once you cross that line with him, there is no going back, the friendship will be effectively over with the Commander, no matter if he accepts you or not."

I sigh again and get off the bench, being sure to grab my sandals as I say to her, "Thanks for the talk, I think I'm going to head home and sleep on this."

She nods, getting up herself, and says to me, "Good idea. Call me after you've made a choice, if you need someone to talk to."

I nod as I wave to her and start to head back to my quarters while calling over my shoulder, "I will, thanks again!"

XXXX

When I get home, I drop my sandals by the door, I'm still not feeling great about how tonight turned out, but St. Louis did give me some good advice. I grimace when I hear the TV going, sounds like some King Kong movie is on, I see a hand come up off the couch, followed quickly by Columbia saying, "You're home early, guess it wasn't a date then."

You got me right in the feels there, Columbia.

I walk past the couch and see that she's camped out on it, in a shirt and her undergarments; I just continue on to my room and slam my door. Once I'm alone in my room, I take off my top, turning sideways to look at myself in the mirror, for a moment before I throw my top at the mirror. I run a hand through my hair before I go over and pick it up and take it to my laundry basket just as I hear a knock on my door and Columbia asks, "You good, Cleve?"

"No." I say back my voice on the verge of cracking.

Less than a heartbeat later my door flies open and there's Columbia already inside, closing the door behind her and she asks, "What's up?"

I groan inwardly and fill her in, on everything. She's the first one of my sisters that I've opened up to about this. But after my talk with St. Louis, I did feel better, so maybe talking to Columbia would help. I was surprised to see her not blowing bubbles, looking disinterested or teasing me, rather she just listened. When I was done talking, she hung her head and said, "I'm sorry sis, I didn't know you were that into the Commander."

At some point during my monologue to her, I had sat on the end of my bead and now I flopped backward as I groan out, "What am I going to do?"

I hear Columbia move and then she flops down beside me, touching her head to mine as she says, "I think Lou was right."

"About?" I ask her, I have a feeling about what she's going to say, but I need confirmation.

"That your friendship with the Commander is over, you either need to make a move or walk away. Especially if he's showing interest in Baltimore." She says to me.

I run my hands down my face and groan out, "But how am I going to cross that line?"

She shrugs and says, "Aside from showing up naked in his bed, I've got no idea."

"Why would I do that?" I ask her.

She laughs and says, "If you really want to be with him, he'll see you naked sooner or later."

I felt my cheeks get hot, I understood from Vestal's class how… boarding actions work, but the idea of following through on that, it still makes me blush. After a moment I ask her, "Come on Columbia, you've got to have at least one idea?"

She shrugs again and says, "You still got a key to his quarters?"

"Yeah, why?" I ask her.

She looks at me and grins and says, "I walked in on Denny watching some anime where a girl wore just an apron to make breakfast for a guy she liked."

"Just an apron?" I ask.

"Just an apron." She confirms.

"I don't think I could do that." I tell her, my cheeks bright red.

"What about the breakfast side of it?" she asks.

"That I could do." I say.

"What does he like to eat for breakfast?" she asks me, rolling onto her belly and starting to scroll online through recipes.

"He likes pan-fried potatoes in a bit of Italian dressing, alongside cheesy scrambled eggs, two strips of crispy bacon, but the bacon can't be burnt or too chewy, and he likes it with golden toasted lightly buttered English muffin." I tell her rolling onto my belly. Columbia blinks at me a couple of times, her mouth hanging on open as I continue, "He also takes his coffee with just a touch of cream so that it's got a tone just a little darker than my skin tone."

"Are you sure, you're not already dating?" asks my sister, after a second she asks, "When's his laundry day?"

"Thursday, we usually talk while he's folding his laundry." I confirm.

"Boxers or briefs?" she asks with a grin.

"He prefers boxer briefs, most of the freedom of boxers but with the support of briefs." I say again in a matter-of-fact tone.

"What's he up to tonight?" she asks me.

I tap my chin for a second before I say, "He's likely watching some TV, but not any TV it'll be one of his guilty pleasure shows as he tries to relax since it's Saturday night."

Again she's blinking at me, her mouth hanging open still and I ask, "What?"

It takes her a second before saying, "You really know him."

I feel my cheeks get hot and I ask, "Is it strange? We've been friends for so long at this point."

"Cleve, we're sisters that live together and there were things I didn't know about you!" She says to me, after a second she says to me, "You really need to go over there tomorrow morning and make the case for why it should be you and not Balti."

"You think so?" I ask her.

"Totally. Just tell me what I can do to help." She says with a grin.

"Make sure I actually do it." I mumble to her.

"What time does he get up?" she asks, already on her alarm settings.

"His coffee maker starts going at oh-five-hundred, but he'll roll out of bed somewhere around oh-six-hundred, and then grab a quick shower before heading down and starting to make breakfast." I tell her.

"Yeah, you're not dating, you're freaking married." She laughs and pushes my shoulder.

I feel my cheeks get really hot and I brush some hair behind an ear as I ask, "Why do you think that?"

She laughs and tells me, "You know what he's doing before he's going to be doing it."

XXXX

XXXX

I slip my key into his front door, it's so freaking early. I take off my shoes and put my cape on his coat rack before I go to his kitchen. I check myself in the mirror by the door; even in my usual outfit, you can tell I'm a girl, well without the cape on at least. I nod to myself; he's going to see it for sure this time!

I move to the kitchen just as his coffee maker starts going and I start getting the potatoes going, peeling and roughly chopping before I toss them in the pan with some melted butter. As they start to cook, I grate some marble cheddar and put it in a liquid measuring glass before I crack in four eggs. I flip the potatoes in the pan to keep them moving and not burning. While they keep working I get the bacon in a second pan with a third one waiting for me to put a couple of English muffins in it to toast them with a light amount of butter on them. As they start to go, I flip the bacon and the potatoes again, before letting my eyes drift to the coffee maker; I've still got a little bit of time before he's going to come down just as I hear the shower starting to go.

I check the muffins and see that they've got the right amount of toasting on them so I drop them onto a pair of plates before I move the potatoes again and take a moment to check their doneness. With a nod, they are just soft enough for me to add the dressing and setting them to slowly go in the pan still. Checking the bacon I can see that it's just done enough so I slide it onto the plates before I pour in the egg and cheese mixture into the pan that had the bacon in it.

It always surprises me how fast eggs can cook, just as they're ready I put them on the plates just as I hear him asking, "Clevebro?"

"Try that again." I say as I keep putting things on the plates and arranging the food on it.

"Clevebro? Why are you over?" he asks me again.

My lips press together; I hate that nickname.

"I'm not your 'bro'. I-" I start to say as I turn around and my red eyes go wide as I see that he's standing there, naked.

My eyes drift down and I get a good look at him, my cheeks going bright red as my eyes snap up to his and he quickly covers himself and I look off to the side, scratch my cheek as I say to him, "I'm a girl, you know."

XXXX

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A/N: And here we are at the end of chapter one.