We need more stories of these two.
Assam sighed as she sat by the stands on the running track rubbing a cloth over her brow, the heat from the sun making the blonde sweat and her cloths to stick to her, St Gloriana's Sensha-Dō team had extra exercise lessons to keep up their fitness up for operating the tanks, unfortunately today was baking hot "It's too hot for this." Assam sighed.
"Are you ok Assam?" Darjeeling asked as she walked up to Assam.
"Urgh, why did we have to do this today?" Assam groaned "It's way too hot for all of this."
"We go on holiday tomorrow for a week and when we are back, we go straight into a practice match." Darjeeling replied.
Assam was about to retort when they heard a bunch of running feet come from the track looking past her commander Assam could see Rosehip at the head of the first years running just as fast as she normally did.
"How does she do that?" Assam said as she sat down on the ground "It's as hot as the desert and she's running around the place like its nothing."
"Rosehip's energy has always been her strong point." Darjeeling replied.
"It's also my constant headache." Assam groaned as she closed her eyes a second.
"You're never going to let her forget the river jump, are you?" Darjeeling asked as she sat down next to Assam.
"She broke the tank and bruised her ankle, she's lucky it was just that." Assam sighed "She could have been really hurt." Assam felt tiny pang in her heart at the thought.
"Aw, you were worried about her though, I distinctly remember someone wanting to rush her to the hospital once they heard to make sure she was ok."
"She's my junior and I'm her mentor, it's only natural that I was worried, besides, I'm sure you'd worry to if your dear Pekoe got hurt."
"True, but it's not just a mentor and junior thing with you two though." Darjeeling stated.
"Don't!" Assam sighed opening one eye to look at Darjeeling.
"Come on Assam, even if you don't want to say it out loud, I've seen you glancing her way and those small smiles you give at her antics even when she's making you sigh and what about those drawings you have of her in your diary..."
"SSHHH!" Assam said as she covered her commander's mouth as she felt her cheeks heat up "How do you know about those?" the blonde asked in a whisper as she removed her hand.
"You told me." Darjeeling said with a smile.
"When?"
"Just now."
"You…" Assam growled as her shock went to annoyance in a flash at her commander and friend tricking her and Darjeeling giggling at the situation "I really wonder why I'm still friends with you sometimes."
"Oh come on Assam, you clearly like her, why don't you tell her?"
"Because its improper and besides, I'm always hard on her there is no way she would like me back." Assam sighed.
"It's not improper at all." Darjeeling countered with scowl "And you don't know that she doesn't like you back, she is the most popular girl in the school and she's got quite the following outside the school to, if you don't tell her someone else might and you'll miss your chance."
Assam felt her gut churn at the words, even if she knew it was true, but before she could say anything Darjeeling carried on speaking "Do you remember a week ago when you were ill for a few days?"
"What about it?"
"Every day you were gone, she would ask me and Pekoe how you were doing and if you were ok or not…"
Assam let out a sigh before she stood up interrupting her friend "I appreciate the pep talk, but all that proves is she cares about my wellbeing, not that she likes me in that way." Assam said before she walked off ignoring Darjeeling's calls to her.
Assam walked up the stairs of the grandstand that overlooked the running track, once she reached a seat near the top of the stand she sat down. The first time the blonde had met the speedster she wasn't that impressed; Rosehip was hardly a model lady with her mannerisms and her act first and think second attitude often got the girl into trouble or injured, not to mention her constant need for speed.
But she also had her good points, she was loyal, funny, had a sweet smile and she never backed down from a challenge no matter what, though that last point did need to be kept in check a few times.
If Assam had to compare herself and Rosehip, she would be a rapier, elegant and refined, Rosehip was an axe, rough and keen.
'But that's what made her perfect for the fast tanks of Gloriana.' Assam thought as she watched the first years who were starting another lap of the running circuit.
Assam smiled as she watched Rosehip smile as she led the first years around the track a fair distance ahead of the rest 'God that smile is so cute.' Assam said as she watched the pinkette run like the wind a few moments before looking up to the sky.
The blonde wasn't sure when she had started to do it, but she'd found herself staring at Rosehip on a few occasions and walking down to the tank garage to watch her as the pinkette worked on the tanks.
At first, she put that down to wanting to make sure she wasn't going to do something that would hurt herself or that the younger girl was acting in an appropriate manner, that it was just her looking out for her junior.
But then she started to stare at Rosehip as they would change from their school uniforms to their senshado uniforms, she'd put that down to simple curiosity, Rosehip was cute there was no denying that.
But then she would watch as Rosehip left to go home, Assam was always staying late to fill in data and budget and the room overlooked the exit, again Assam had put it down to simply making sure Rosehip left ok, but then she would spend her time waiting to watch her go and it had been one of these occasions that had tipped off Darjeeling.
(Two weeks ago)
Assam watched as she saw Rosehip run towards the exit as she usually did 'I'm amazed she doesn't trip sometimes.' Assam thought with a smile till she saw Rosehip met up with Rukuriri and the blonde suddenly felt her heart chill slightly and her smile dropped.
"My, my, has something caught your attention." Assam heard Darjeeling say behind her, she'd been so absorbed with watching Rosehip she hadn't noticed her friend entering the room.
"No." Assam said quickly though the smile on Darjeeling's face told the analyst her friend didn't believe her words.
Darjeeling silently walked over to the window Assam had been looking out of, the commander looked outside for a second before taking a sip of her tea before speaking "Watching Rosehip leave, were we?"
"Can you not make it sound like I'm a stalker!" Assam shouted her cheeks heating up at Darjeeling's words.
"Sorry, but I am curious, have you been doing this before now?" Darjeeling asked knowingly, "I only ask because I feel the need to make sure of the wellbeing and happiness of my subordinates."
"I have no choice, I've got to make sure she doesn't injure herself or break something, or the budget.' Assam groaned, though she felt a small part of herself not quite believing that sentence.
"Really, is that all there is?"
"What do you mean?"
"I saw that smile and that smile drop, was it because Rosehip is talking to Rukuriri?"
Assam just looked at her friend with surprise, as she was trying to think of a reply, Darjeeling spoke first "If I may ask, did you feel a chill in your heart?"
"Maybe." Assam replied while adding 'How did she guess that?' in her head.
"Do one's palms feel a bit sweaty?"
"A little."
"And did you feel a pit in your stomach?"
"Ok, now you're starting to scare me."
"Aw, my dear little Assam, that's called jealousy."
"Jealousy…what…?" Assam said shocked at her friend's suggestion "What am I supposed to be jealous of?"
"Someone else is spending time with Rosehip instead of you."
"Are you sure your drinking tea and not something else?"
"Really, so you're denying it?"
"Of course I am, why wouldn't I?"
"So if I told you those two were dating…?"
"What, when?" Assam shouted in a pitch she wasn't aware she could reach and she felt a burning in her heart as she jumped out the chair.
"My, my, that's quite the reaction and face." Darjeeling said with a smile "Don't worry she's not, I just wanted to see how you would react."
"You…?"
"Tell me was there a burning in your heart at the idea?"
"Maybe." Assam said as she felt her checks get rather warm suddenly.
"That's jealously Assam, trust me I know it well."
That night Assam had a dream where she had kissed the pinkette, a dream which had been a constant since her talk with her commander 'Damn it, Darjeeling why couldn't you have just left me in my ignorance.' Assam growled to herself, ever since she found it hard to be around Rosehip, the speedsters smiles made her heart flutter so much she thought she was about to have a heart attack and the sense of longing she felt made her feel like she was being pulled apart in several directions.
"Lady Assam are you ok?" came a familiar voice.
The blonde turned to see the pinkette standing before her winded and sweating like mad 'Well that's what happens when you run that fast in this heat.' Assam thought to herself "I'm fine Rosehip, shouldn't you be on the running right now."
"Oh, I finished that," Rosehip said with a smile "I just saw you up here by yourself and wanted to make sure you were ok."
"I'm fine honestly Rosehip, it's just a bit too hot for me, though I do appreciate the concern." Assam sighed.
"I can go and get you some water if you want?" Rosehip asked leaning on one of the chairs slightly.
"No thank you, I'm fine." Assam sighed though with a smile at Rosehips concern "You are drinking enough water yourself, aren't you?"
"I am, don't worry." Rosehip said with a smile.
Assam felt her heart flutter at the sight of the pinkette's smile 'Blast it, Rosehip why do you have to be so cute sometimes?' Assam groaned in her head.
"So what are you going to be doing during your break?" Assam asked as it dawned on the blonde, she didn't know what the speed demon was doing over the break. Though that was largely down to her own making, since the revelation of her feelings she'd been trying to avoid Rosehip as much as she could, hoping her feelings might fade, but they hadn't, if anything they had got stronger.
"Oh, I hadn't really decided." Rosehip said quietly with a surprised look.
"How so?" Assam asked curious.
"Well I had a plan but it fell apart, so I'm kind of in the wind really."
"How so?"
"I'd rather not say."
"You're not in trouble, are you?" Assam asked concerned.
"Oh no, nothing like that, I'm just not looking to be around my family's home right now is all."
Before Assam could inquire into what Rosehip meant, the pair heard Pekoe shouting to them "Assam, Rosehip, it's time to head back."
Assam stood with a sigh relieved that their time exercising was done only to see Rosehip swaying slightly "Rosehip are you ok?"
"Yeah…" Rosehip said out of breath "Just…a little…"
The next thing Assam knew Rosehip was falling forward about to fall down the stairs, the blonde dived forward and just managed to catch the pinkette and pull her back 'Never a dull moment.' Assam sighed in her head "Pekoe, I need a hand!" Assam shouted down to the ginger as she tried to hold the speedster in her arms.
As Pekoe was running up to them Assam felt Rosehip shift slightly and brush her nose against her neck causing the blondes heart to skip a beat slightly.
"Even in your sleep your still bad for my hear." Assam muttered to herself, though with a small smile.
This was only meant to be one chapter long, its become a monster, quick summon the Crusader tanks.