Chapter 1: Good Thing
February 14th, 9:47am
Darjeeling's dorm room, HMS Ark Royal
Kay opened her eyes and groaned. She had a splitting headache but still remembered everything from the previous night. Darjeeling had once again gotten carried away, and had dragged Kay over to help her with her "issues."
Kay had enjoyed it even if she somewhat didn't want to be there. Kay looked around the room, seeing the state that it was left in after the previous night's escapades. Clothing was laying all over the place, there were still a small dent in the wall from when Darjeeling had gotten a bit too feisty. The only thing that didn't appear completely trashed was a white bathrobe laid over a chair.
Kay gently got out of the bed, realizing how sore she was after her "activities" from last night. The robe had a note written on a piece of yellow cardstock. "Good morning my little pie, I'm sure you're tired, so why don't you put this on and come join me for breakfast?"
"What a sweetheart. Crap, I still need to go get her a present for Valentine's Day."
Kay put on the robe and checked herself out in the mirror. "Fits like a glove, as expected from her."
The door slowly opened as Kay tried sticking out her head to see what was going on in the kitchen. Darjeeling was standing in front of the stove, in a similar robe to the one Kay was in. A large pot of water was on one of the burners, with a box of eggs and a bottle of vinegar next to it on the counter. Kay sneaked up behind Darjeeling before wrapping her arms around the girl in a tight hug, lifting her slightly off the ground.
"Kay, please put me down!" Darjeeling yelped.
"Awwww, you're so cute when you're scared. What are you making anyway?" Kay set Darjeeling down before looking over her shoulder.
"I was attempting to make some poached eggs but you had to come in here and distract me."
"I'm sorry for that."
"Just please don't do that again."
"As you wish, angel." Kay gave Darjeeling's neck a kiss, before moving away to find something else to do while breakfast was being made.
Darjeeling was curled up into a ball in Kay's lap, rubbing her face against the soft fabric of Kay's shirt. Kay was trying to focus on a rerun of an old race in America, but Darjeeling's constant movements and random purring didn't help.
"What's wrong?" Darjeeling asked with a smug smile.
"I love you, but do you really have to be doing that right now?"
"I'm cold though. You're the warmest thing in my dorm right now."
Kay looked out the window, seeing a thin layer of snow out on the grass. A large group of dark clouds loomed overhead, waiting to dump snow until it's higher than the door.
"Want me to get you a blanket?"
"But that means you're going to get up." Darjeeling looked up with Kay, her eyes watering up.
"Ugh, here." Kay took her jacket off the back of the couch and wrapped Darjeeling with it.
"It's so warm..." Darjeeling nuzzled up against Kay's neck.
"Gosh you are such a mess sometimes."
"But I'm your mess, and that's all that matters." Darjeeling turned around to watch the TV. "What's this?"
A bright yellow car with multicolor dots was leading, followed by a blue and yellow car, and then a yellow and black car. The three of them dove deep into the first turn, trying to out brake the others. Both yellow cars ran wide as the blue one stayed on track. When the leading yellow car tried to merge back on track going up the hill, the blue car got in the back of him. The yellow car spun while the two others kept on going.
"Wow..." Darjeeling was stunned by the scene unfolding as she watched.
"Trust me, it gets better."
The other yellow car was practically pushing the blue car down the backstretch, as they got ever closer to the bus stop chicane. Both of them cut the curb slightly entering, and ended up having to blast through the grass to get back on track, but they were still going as they enter the carousel.
The yellow car was able to pass on the outside coming out of the turn, but the blue car kept on his bumper and even pushed him into the next turn. The yellow car managed to hold on and win the race, his second year in a row at the track.
"That was something special."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"Now can I sleep in your lap?"
"I have to go get my special present for you, so I need to get up."
"Awwwww."
"Don't be in such a bad mood. You get to keep the jacket until I get back."
Darjeeling shifted herself until she was now sitting on the couch rather than Kay's lap. "Can I at least get a goodbye kiss?"
"Sure." Kay met Darjeeling's lips with hers, savoring the moment. Even with Darjeeling trying to pull Kay back, she still managed to get up off the couch and over to the door. "I'm not going to be gone forever, just a few hours," Kay said as she put her bright orange jacket on.
"Fine. But be sure to get me something special."
"I'm sure I will." Kay opened the door and left, leaving Darjeeling all alone.
Naomi was standing outside of the one mall on Ark Royal, looking down at her watch. "Why do you always have to get here so late?"
"What's wrong?"
Naomi jumped up and turned around, seeing Kay with a huge grin on her face. "That wasn't funny!"
"I'm sure it was."
"Why did you want me to come out here again?"
"Because you and me both need to get a gift for our loved ones, right?"
Naomi looked down at the ground, too disappointed in herself to say 'Yes.'
"Do you at least know what you want to get her?"
"Something sweet like chocolate would be nice. I don't really have any other ideas at the moment."
"Same."
"Shall we just walk in and look around?"
"After you." Kay does a silly little bow, managing to get a chuckle out of Naomi.
The two of them had entered the one department store in the mall, looking around for something nice to buy for their significant other.
"You find something good?" Kay asked as Naomi stopped to look at something. It was a little honey jar, covered in a design akin to a teacup.
"It's perfect is what it is."
"Why don't you buy it?"
"Well I'm afraid I might find something better."
"Just because it's only Valentine's Day doesn't mean you can't get her more than one thing."
"Fine." Naomi picked up the jar off the shelf and ran her thumb over it, feeling the design etched into the glass.
"I mean you don't have to if you don't want to. I'm not trying to force you to buy something for her."
"I know, I know."
"Want to keep looking then?"
"Sure."
"Wow, this would be perfect for her." It was a ceramic tea set, covered in emblems of the Appalachian Mountains.
"Are you sure she's gonna like it being covered in an American mountain range?"
"I mean, it would be coming from me so I don't think she would care that much."
"That's true. I mean she's gonna love it either way because it's from you."
"Exactly. Same thing with what you're getting, so don't feel bad about it."
"Darjeeling? I'm home now." Kay said as she slowly entered the house, not wanting to wake up Darjeeling. From the fact that she never responded to her text messages, Kay went with the safer option of sneaking around.
Sure enough, Darjeeling was peacefully sleeping on the couch, holding Kay's jacket close to her chest. "So that's where my jacket was." Kay softly giggled, enjoying the sight of her lover holding her jacket as if she were there.
Kay put her bag on the table, before turning back to Darjeeling. She set her hand down on Darjeeling's shoulder, gently running her hand across it in an attempt to wake up the girl. Soon enough she opened her eyes, looking straight at a grinning Kay.
"When did you get home?" Darjeeling murmured as she rubbed her eyes. For as much as she tried to be a lady, there were still some issues to iron out.
"A few minutes ago. Would you like me to give you my present now or after dinner?"
"Now would be easier." Darjeeling sat up, still hugging the jacket close.
"Here." Kay handed over the bag, ready to see Darjeeling's reaction.
Darjeeling first pulled out a large rectangle of tinfoil. After gently opening it, she finally saw one piece of Kay's cooking that she loved, her brownies. "You really made these just for me?"
"Of course I did. Did you want me to make something else?"
"No, these are perfect." Darjeeling set the brownies down next to Kay on the table, before returning back to the bag. She next pulled out a small box, inside was a tank model of a Sherman. Other than having a darker shade of green and a few of the Saunders logos on the sides, it looked fairly the same as any other. "Is this supposed to be special or something?"
"Why don't you look at the bottom of it?"
Darjeeling flipped the model over, a piece of white cursive showing on the bottom of the hull. "Dedicated to the one I hold dearest, for they may always be with me." "Kay, that's so sweet of you."
"You're welcome. Why don't you look at the one still in there?" Darjeeling set the model down beside her, before returning to the bag for the largest item. It was a large white box with "fragile" written across the top. Darjeeling did as the box asked, gently opening it. Inside was the tea set Kay had picked out earlier, a shining mosaic of the mountains of the American East Coast.
"How'd you know I wanted one of these?"
"Wait you actually wanted something like this?" Kay was taken aback, not expecting Darjeeling to want something like this.
"Well of course. I've wanted to sometime go out there for a week and try to understand their culture." Darjeeling looked up at Kay. "Are they all like you?"
"Some of them are, and some of them are way worse. I'd have to contact a friend of mine from out there but if you'd like to go that'd be fine."
"You'd really let me go with you out there for a week?"
"If it's what you want to do, then sure. Is there anything else you want or do?"
"I want to wish for something."
"Huh? Oh, whatever. Sure, what's your wish?"
"I wish for Kay to take me somewhere special."
End of Chapter 1