Summary: How hard can love hit? It can be subtle as a breeze on a summer day coming at you when you see the one you love or it can be like a crushing wave that takes away everything that makes you… you, until nothing but the burning passion of love remains. Belfast has been faced with that very question upon seeing Enterprise. How will the maid who has mastered elegance and grace hold up against her own beating heart that's free from fear?

[Delinquent Cupid Part 2]

Among the festival and sugary delights, the Eagle Union carrier had just witnessed the most bizarre thing she had seen all day; Belfast eating pie with ravenous intent.

Enterprise relaxed slightly, seeing genuine composure and the maid's radiant smile. "I see. Y-Yeah. I was encouraged to come by and check out the event. I see that the desserts seem to be up to the standards of the Royal Navy," joked Enterprise.

Belfast beamed at her with an unhinged sunny smile. "Yes, they are. Oh, how clumsy of me. I have some delicious treats I would like to try with you." She picked up one of the two desserts before the one she had received from Taihou's stand and presented it to the woman. "Coffee jelly and Sakura fruit pie." She then held up the styrofoam box toward Enterprise with her other hand and Akashi quickly sidestepped to the side of the stand and launched herself at the box.

Belfast felt a shadow cross her and the box in her hand had vanished with Akashi on the other side from where she launched, now holding the box.

"Nya! How clumsy of me! I just realized that the pie I gave was defective."

"Here, have a replacement on the house!" Shouted Taihou after reemerging from under the table due to the window of opportunity that her green-haired accomplice had granted.

Both Belfast and Enterprise stared at them with perplexing gazes, and Belfast snatched the box replacement pie rather rudely. "That pie is nothing defective of the sorts! You should take more pride in something so scrumptious as that."

"Hehe, noted," replied Taihou with a nervous swallow and her connecting her index fingers very endearingly.

Enterprise noticed the stain on the maid's dress. "Bel, your dress is dirty!"

"Is it? Oh, then maybe I should change into something more... me." The subtle inflection in her words was not lost on Enterprise who internally disliked what she heard.

She didn't put more thought into her actions but she found herself feeling comfortable putting her hands on the maid's shoulders. "Hey, this is you. Are you sure you're feeling all right?"

Belfast blushed while stunned before letting out a cute giggle."I feel more me than I ever felt." Bolder than ever, she grabbed the hand of the carrier and picked up the second Coffee Jelly to hand it to Enterprise while she held the pie box herself. "Come, let's find some shade to enjoy our treats."

Enterprise looked at their interlocked hands and a void clouded her eyes. She was holding hands with Belfast. Why did that idea terrify and excite her all at once? She impulsively squeezed in return and Belfast rewarded her with a sultry look that further propelled the carrier into a realm of unknown emotions.

Once they were gone from sight, Taihou screamed so viciously that various shipgirls, customers, and merchants, equally stared at her.

"Hey, tone it down, nya!"

"Tone it down?! She just ate from the love pie I made for the Commander!"

The green-haired catgirl nervously laughed. "Hehe, I know. K-Keep in mind that it isn't permanent, but I didn't have enough time to test it to get an accurate timeframe."

Taihou began to hold her chest, hyperventilating in the process with wild eyes. "Okay, it's going to be alright. What's the worse that can happen? She tries to get lip funny with Miss Eagle Union and she gets either rejected or accepted."

Akashi twisted her foot from side to side in a nervous manner that didn't inspire Taihou with assurance.

"Akashi!"

"Nya! As you said, it's going to be fine. It's not like the love potion seemed strong enough to turn anyone into a yandere. No sir, she definitely won't be saying stuff like, 'if I can't have you then no one will.' Of course, the way she ate the pie slice didn't show a positive sign that her urges were under wraps, but it wouldn't be an effective love pie... nya."

Taihou looked pale in the face and winched, imagining the backlash if found out about what they did. "Akashi... the plans off. I'll just figure out another way to capture Brea's heart and we should dispose of the pie."

"Already on it—Kyaa!." A splatter resounded and the true delinquent pie stained the floor of their stand.

"There's a trashcan right there!" Moaned Taihou with a facepalm to her face as she pointed to a trashcan that was only a few feet away from the smaller girl.

"Sorry, I panicked."

The tension had passed and Taihou regained a shard of her composure enough to speak her concerns. "You think we should keep an eye on them?"

"Hmm, yes... but I rather get as far away as humanly possible from this. At most... she'll be like that for a week then she'll go back to being as she always was. And... this might be kind of a good thing for them. My cat senses tell me that Enterprise was her love interest, and by the loving concern I noticed from the carrier, it might be mutual. Maybe."

Taihou grumbled under her breath and folded her arms. "Grr, I saw how that pie made the maid act all ravenous. As much I love my Commander, I can't put her through that. Stupid stupid idea— oh why did I listen to my heart!?"

"Nothing's going to happen." Those were empty words of promise and Akashi couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that a catastrophe was on the horizon.

Under the shade of a tree somewhere a ways away from all the commotion of sweets and Sakura aesthetics, the light cruiser and carrier sat in the nice shade while the refreshing breeze cooled them down from the hot sun.

"What a lovely place," remarked Belfast with a dreamy look to her gaze. She patiently watch Enterprise eat the fruit pie she had bought for her.

There was an unease in the air around Enterprise while she silently masticated the pie in her mouth. She glanced at Belfast who grinned at her profusely and she blushed while turning away from the maid. "Hmm... it's good pie. Thanks for buying it for me." She pulled a water bottle that they had grabbed shortly before exiting out fully from the festival, and took a refreshing sip. Then she poured some onto her hands to get the stickiness out.

Feeling uneasy, the carrier glanced at Belfast again. "Do you want me to take off that glove?"

Belfast looked down and noticed that her pristine white glove had been stained orange and sticky from the fact that she had eaten the pie with her fingers. "Oh, silly me. Yes, I wouldn't mind some water to rid the stickiness that seeped through my glove."

Enterprise nodded slowly, not sure how to feel by the way Belfast was showing such a nonchalant expression over her glove and dress being stained. Knowing her, and she did, she would already expect Belfast to be in scrubbing mode toward her glove or at the very least have gone to change.

Enterprise then handed her a water bottle and the maid looked at it with half a smile. "Darling, it's a waste to use another bottle. Please hand me yours."

"Huh?!" Enterprise grew shy, realizing that she had done a very unladylike thing with her drinking from her bottle and using said bottle to dowse her hand clean. It caught up with her that Belfast hadn't even metaphorically pulled her ear from such display as she would usually do. Here she was, smiling warmly and eagerly awaiting the carrier to hand her the used bottle. "Bel... I put my mouth on it... and... you know... germs."

Belfast frowned and reached out toward it regardless. "It pains me that you think I'm that germophobic, Ent-Ent."

Enterprise watched in awe as Belfast cleaned her hand with the bottle, all the while smiling pleasantly with no hints of lying on her face.

"There. All clean. Now let's switch over to our Coffee jelly." She handed the carrier a fork and the cup which Enterprise accepted both.

The carrier picked at the gelatinous substance before stabbing it and taking her first bite that contained a bit of the cream. Through her chewing, she beamed pleasantly and Belfast made a sound of happiness.

The maid stared ahead, her heart decisive about what she wanted. "I thought about you when I got it. I think a lot about you when I do certain things, Ent-Ent," she said with her voice serious and her hair masking her expression.

Enterprise paused and turned her head at her quizzically. "Bel... what's with the odd name?"

"Hmm? Is that odd for you?" She asked with a frown.

"Well, you seemed quite fond of calling me Miss Enterprise, even when I've been trying to tell you that calling me Enterprise is fine," she stated, taking another bite and deciding to not think too hard about the nickname.

Belfast smiled and set aside her Coffee Jelly. "Well, things change, and perspectives can change. Oh, you have a stain!"

"Bel...?"

The maid had crawled over to her and held a handkerchief toward the carrier's mouth.

The violet eyes of Enterprise widened at the view she had been granted, that being the maid's cleavage alluringly taunting the Eagle carrier. It hit Enterprise that when she hadn't been looking, Belfast had stealthily lowered her maid dress rather low around her breasts. The only thing Enterprise could say internally was—why?

The handkerchief gently ran across her cheek and she was too petrified to do anything.

"Shhh. It's okay. My... your face is so tired from all those nightmares. Maybe I should sleep in your room tonight." Her voice had grown to a soft murmur, taking on the soothing effects of warm milk.

It wasn't until the last part that jolted Enterprise harder than a lemon hitting her face. "My room?!"

"Does that not excite you? It does me." The maid used a bit of her strength to hold the carrier's face and her other hand to hold the back of her head. Her lips then moved forward upon the wide-eyed carrier.

"—Look out!" The random voice had pulled Enterprise out of her prey-like mode and it all happened in a blink of an eye when she spotted a soccer ball hurling toward them but more specifically toward her.

Belfast's eyes moved quickly and with a hand in motion, she stopped the ball's hurling energy just inches away from Enterprise's face.

Enterprise gazed at the maid, a sweat drop on her cheek. "N-Nice save, Bel…"

Belfast looked to be in a sour mood yet the kind words had sparked her to smile slightly before returning her gaze to the source the random ball came from that ruined her moment.

Baltimore along with her friends had been playing a competitive soccer game that had veered dangerously closer to the two shipgirls. "Whoa, hey sorry about that. You got some pretty good moves there," said the brown-haired heavy cruiser.

Belfast remained quiet and gave off a fake smile before a glint in her eyes shined. She dug her foot into the ground and pivoted sharply at a 360-degree angle until the ball launched out of her hand and collided with Baltimore, creating a shockwave and sending her flying a few feet off the ground. The other girls were beyond disturbed at seeing Baltimore fail to counter the hit.

"Bel!" Shouted Enterprise, getting up from the ground and grabbing the wrist of the maid to make her look at her.

Belfast now looked at her with a betrayed sting in her eyes. "What? She was about to hit you. Did you expect me to let her hit you?" She sounded mocking and without empathy for what she did.

"That was an accident," declared the carrier.

Baltimore perked their attention when she lightly grunted and pulled herself back up. "Wow, you got a mean throw. Nice! Maybe you should join our next game," said the shipgirl, in no way looking hurt or upset.

Belfast smirked upon the flabbergasted expression of the carrier. "See? Miss Baltimore doesn't seem to mind. I wouldn't have thrown it if I knew she couldn't take it."

"I... see." Enterprise still looked agitated and displeased at how the maid handled the situation, but no one seemed upset except for herself. "I should go. It's getting late, and I should be heading back to the dorms before curfew."

Belfast defensively recoiled from the response and she grew agitated. "Curfew? It's not for another couple more hours."

Enterprise stood her ground and refused to show weakness on her face. "Yeah, but I have things I need to do. I'll see you later, Belfast."

The head maid covered her eyes with her bangs and a serious tone of voice resounded. "What things? Like being alone in your room with the weight of your troubled thoughts, how typical of you?"

Enterprise's heart winched at the sharp and uncalled-for comment from the maid as it cut across her like sharp steel. Never in a million years would she have ever heard Belfast state something with so much venom. It frankly, made her feel hollow and uninspired that someone like her would have this kind of side.

Belfast widened her eyes and immediately looked mortified. "Enterprise, I'm sorry— I didn't mean to say what I said."

"But you did." Enterprise lowered her hat and hurried out of the area, leaving Belfast shaky and on the verge of tears.

(Later that night)

Enterprise thrashed in her bed, sweat pouring out and her gasps for breaths began to increase. She was having another nightmare apparent by her continued thrashing. It was then when a hand seemingly moved through the darkness that began to rub her cheek which caused her trashing to seize.

The hand was soft and warm which created enough pleasant disruption between her and her nightmare to cause her eyes to open. "W-What?!" Her brain kicked in and her body froze at the implication that someone was in her room. From the limited light in the room via the window, she could just make out a set of lips in the darkness closing in on her.

Enterprise couldn't be more shocked if she literally got shocked by lightning. On impulse, she launched her head forward and collided with the mysterious person in the room. Their foreheads knocked against each other, sending the carrier back to her soft pillows while a loud crash was heard.

She disorientedly reached out to the nearby nightstand and flicked on the lamp light. There on the ground… was Belfast wearing a silk lavender nightgown and rubbing the reddened forehead courtesy of the carrier.

"Did she come from the Royal dorms dressed that way?!" Enterprise asked herself in disbelief while also a bit flustered. "Belfast! What are you doing?"

The head maid dropped her hand and flicked her hair with her breath, looking at the carrier with longing eyes. "I wanted to express how sorry I was for the way I acted. It was rude of me to talk to you like that, and I also wanted to make sure you dreamt sweet dreams, Ent-Ent."

At that very moment, Enterprise's younger sister barged through the door. "Ent, I heard yelling are you alright— whoa!"

Enterprise and Belfast stared at the blonde with disbelief eyes and everything grew hazy after that. The shouts that Enterprise had done had caused some of the shipgirls to curiously step out of their rooms to inspect the commotion.

Hornet being a stellar little sister and reading between the lines made sure to calm suspicions from the other that made them go back into their rooms and leave the hallway empty once again. None of them saw Belfast in her nightgown trespassing into the Eagle dorm in the dead of night. Just imagining the rumors for both of them was something Hornet knew her sister wanted to avoid.

Belfast was quickly wrapped in Enterprise's coat which she didn't mind and the maid was cluelessly transported to Vestal's infirmary.

Sometime later, the head maid found herself sitting on the patient table that the carrier had been on.

"I'm telling you, I've never felt better. All of these tests are fruitless," remarked the head maid as she pulled out the thermometer from her mouth.

Enterprise stood guard in the corner of the room, still not fully sure about the events that happened in her room. "Vestal, she's been acting weird ever since I saw her ravenously eat pie from the festival." She gazed at Belfast who still wore her alluring lavender nightgown that accentuated her breasts, and the black coat draped around her shoulders. Seeing her like that had made the carrier's heart spike for some odd reason.

"Pie?" Inquired the repair ship.

Belfast laughed, dismissing such a statement. "You wound me for saying it like that, Enterprise. The pie caught me by surprise in how good it was. Is that a crime?"

Vestal looked over her clipboard and looked unsure. "Hmm, your tests and blood work came out fine, and I can't seem to find anything going on in your ears, eyes, mouth, and... ahem nose," she blushed slightly from having to clarify that.

Belfast sighed yet smiled with a nod. "Yes, I humored all your box checks, Miss Vestal."

Vestal's intuition told her what this could be a cause of, yet having Enterprise here would complicate things. "Enterprise, could we have a moment?"

The carrier looked reluctant to agree but she put her trust in Vestal in what she had in mind. "S-Sure."

Once the sound indicated that the door closed after opening, the repair ship softened her gaze toward the head maid. "Belfast, this isn't the way to go about making Enterprise understand your feelings."

"Vestal..." This threw the light cruiser off guard and she narrowed her eyes at the other woman while wrapping herself tighter around the carrier's coat. She undeniably loved the scent of coffee and vanilla laced on Enterprise's coat which made her feel as if she was next to her. Out of respect for the repair ship, she held herself back from smelling it deeply.

"I know that she can be a bit dense to emotions, especially those of the love variety that resides in people's hearts, but she needs to be brought into it slowly. You know this."

"Well, I'm tired of waiting."

Vestal frowned and ran a hand through her hair. "Belfast this isn't like you. While I'm proud of you for finally being honest with yourself, you have never been one to be this selfish."

"Well, there's a first time for everything," she said with a smirk that exuded fearless confidence.

"You're only going to push her further away if you choose to court her like this, but I won't stop you in your methods of conveying your feelings. Both of you are two grown women, but... if you trespass into her room or the Eagle dorm again, then I'll be bringing this to the Commander's attention, then Queen Elizabeth will be informed."

A sharp glare shot toward Vestal, making her flinch. "Are you threatening me, Miss Vestal?" There was a calming yet dangerous tone to her voice like a torturer pretending to be the captive's friend before subjecting them to the horrible creativeness of their mind. She jumped off from the table and loomed over her all without ever laying a hand on the repair ship.

"I... I... I'm stating what will have to happen. Your actions are highly inappropriate. Just take a look at yourself. You entered the Eagle dorm with a suggestive nightgown, so I have to ask what were you planning on doing with Enterprise if you weren't caught?"

"Whatever she wants. I would never do anything to her that she doesn't want," she said with a flirty laugh.

The repair ship turned crimson and suddenly lost her ability to form any words from that provocative claim.

Belfast smiled sensually and leaned slightly closer to the now sitting repair ship who had stumbled backward onto a chair. "You don't understand my love for her and I will not have you get in the way. You threatened me so it's only fair to balance out the scales. Miss Vestal, this is your only warning, keep your meddling away from my love life or you will find out how painful my ire can be."

She had petrified the repair ship to the point of her being unable to respond, and she triumphantly smiled as she made her way out the door.

Once she stepped out of the infirmary and left a stunned Vestal, she came face to face with Enterprise who had a silent worried look on her face.

Belfast took a relaxed breath, knowing that her conversation had been hushed enough that the carrier hadn't heard anything unless she had her ear to the door.

The Eagle Union removed herself from the opposite wall and silently walked toward the head maid.

The enchanting appeal she saw from the maid had not subsided, making it hard to keep her mind straight and focus.

"Enterprise... I didn't expect the headbutt from you but I should have calmed you down by saying it was me," she said with a flirtatious smile.

The carrier's eyes grew lively as she remembered the collision they had, helping her to keep her mind away from Belfast's beauty. "That... still wouldn't have made it better. You snuck into my room and..."

"Yes. Go on. I snuck into your room and what...?" She teased with hopeful energy to her gaze.

The carrier's cheeks grew crimson, and she looked angry with herself for letting her thoughts go to places that were naughty and wild.

The light cruiser frowned and closed the distance until they were inches from each other. "Enterprise, I love you."

And just like that, everything that Enterprise had been confused and wondering about became clear to her. "You what?! I... I... why would you ever like someone like me?"

Belfast sighed; disappointment evident across her face for how the carrier saw herself. "I have loved you for some time now. Your kind and honest soul, the strength that you use to protect others, and your shy smile never failed to let me have a peek at your beautiful yet troubled soul. I wish to be by your side always and to be all that you ever need." Belfast placed a hand near the woman's tie, and leaned forward, going for a kiss that she had been denied so many times, but the carrier moved her head away.

There wasn't any form of disgust on Enterprise's face when she moved away, but more like an expression of mournfulness as she wouldn't allow herself to be loved by anyone.

Belfast had a void behind her eyes that blanketed her expression into stoicism. She accepted her loss gracefully and adjusted the coat around her body. "It truly is late. Would it be all right if I kept your coat for tonight?"

"S-Sure..." Enterprise said quietly and not all that there.

Belfast giggled lightly and lifted the chin of the other woman rather assertively. "You're confused and unaccepting of yourself. But that's all right. It is my duty as your maid to help you understand these particular human emotions, too. Until tomorrow, Ent-Ent."

Enterprise was left alone, replaying what she heard and trying to find what her heart wanted her to do.

(The Next Morning)

The carrier sat at her table like always and picked at her food. The events from last night were still fresh in her mind, and all she would allow herself to think were the words that the light cruiser had spoken. The royal maid had confessed to her that she loved her, and with words so sweet that they could compete with the pastries being served on base, but she couldn't for the life of her answer those feelings.

A slap connected with her back, and she gazed up to stare at her younger sister's beaming face. "Hey..."

The archer could see that her jovial tone was a front to something else. Something on the border of curiosity. "Morning, sister," replied Enterprise while going back to her food.

Hornet made a disgruntled sound and placed a hand on her hip, closing one eye to further express her upset demeanor. "Mind if I sit down? It's been a while since you and I have shared breakfast together." She had asked but had not waited for a response as she already sat down across from her.

Enterprise moved her eyes toward the blonde. "You're more of a bread and juice kind of gal, Hornet," she said flatly, explaining that breakfast wasn't something that her younger sister did, and would rather wait for lunch to start.

Hornet stabbed a piece of egg on her plate and wolfed it down, using her chewing to funnel her thoughts in order. "Ent, don't leave me hanging here. What was that all about last night? It was straight out of some R-rated movie, especially that nightgown she had on."

Enterprise then proceeded to tell her sister all that the maid had revealed to her last night.

Hornet leaned back on her chair, making it also lean at the explosion of info she received. "Ent. Maybe I've been seeing this with googly glasses but isn't that a good thing that she likes you back?"

"What did you say?" Asked the archer with surprise.

"I've seen the way you two would look at each other and it tilts me that nothing comes of it, but hey... I get it. But now she's the one who finally shot first in this cold war of love you both were in."

Enterprise widened her eyes, coming to realize that her sister had a point. Belfast had always been like an anchor for her that she could always come back to and not drift off further away. She was someone she could rely on. If there was anyone who deserved her heart then it was the woman that had taken her time and nurtured it dutifully, like a flower being watered. Yet when thinking of the maid from last night, she didn't see that same love, more like a warped devotion. "Even if you're right. I can't seem to find myself accepting her love."

"Oh, then you don't like her that way," casually stated the blonde, drinking from her juice.

Enterprise rejected what her sister said. "No! I mean— I can't say that. It's just that, she hasn't been acting like herself, and this version of her I can't seem to accept."

"The more forward and assertive type? I heard that love can make people do weird and bold things so maybe it's just one of those instances."

Enterprise remained silent until she stood up to go to the restroom, leaving Hornet by herself.

After a long minute that had the blonde rubbing one of her twintails to help her think, she started to hear collective gasps from the others in the mess hall that perked her eyes toward the entrance. Her green eyes widened at seeing what had the others so roused.

Belfast had just walked in, wearing a red skirt and black blouse that was tied so one could see her stomach navel. She had makeup on with ruby red lipstick. Her hair had gone through a change that replaced her braids. The front left part of her hair now covered her left eye more, and she had an elegant long ponytail. Her white and blue bow that held her hair together, was replaced with a bigger, flashier purple bow that complemented the messy, and sexy style she was striving for with her hair. In her hands, she held the coat of Enterprise that didn't go unnoticed by the shipgirls.

Hornet tensed and her green eyes didn't blink as the woman that no longer looked like a maid approached her. "Yo. Umm... neat clothes."

Belfast smiled widely which didn't ease the nerves that the blonde had been feeling. "Why thank you, dear sister. My maid outfit was rather dirty and I think that was a wake-up call for a new look."

"I see…" She grunted in shock when it finally hit her like a delayed explosion. "Hold on! S-Sister?!"

Belfast giggled and nodded. "Yes. I figured that eventually we will be family once Enterprise and I get married. Might as well start soon, don't you think?"

"Creepy..." Silently muttered a frightened Hornet.

"Dear little sister, you wouldn't happen to see the love of my life around would you?" Her eyes sharply looked down at the half-eaten plate across from the blonde.

"H-Haven't seen her..." It had been a second when Hornet had noticed the glance Belfast had made to the plate across from her. She was caught lying and she could see a dangerous look flash across the light cruiser's eyes that if she blinked, she would have missed it. "Ahem... she just left before you got here, honestly... big sis."

Belfast grew elated by what she heard and smiled innocently at the carrier. "Thank you for your honesty, dear sister. I'll go check her room as I need to hand her coat back to her."

Hornet's unblinking eyes noticed how possessively she slid a hand across the detailing of the carrier's coat.

Once she had left, Hornet let out a held breath. "What the hell...?"

"Hornet..."

"Kyaa!" The blonde carrier jumped out of her seat and immediately relaxed when she saw her sister come back.

"S-Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that," said Enterprise.

Hornet sighed heavily and forced a grin toward her sister. "I'm just a bit jumpy and before you say anything, nothing happened."

"Huh?" Her sister was noticeably lying and she could only wonder what happened. She paused and closed her eyes to take in a faint smell that persisted. It was a mixture of vanilla and cherries that she was all too familiar with. "Belfast was here wasn't she?"

"Damn, what are you, a bloodhound?"

Enterprise blushed with a squiggly frown across her face. "This is serious. What did she want?"

"She was looking for you, but I told her that you weren't here. Yeah, you can look at me like that— it's all dandy, sis. But I did the right thing. She's acting weird and you should keep your distance."

"Weirder than yesterday?" She couldn't even begin to imagine as the maid had been rather forward in certain feelings that she couldn't comprehend.

Hornet grew redder when she remembered Belfast calling her sister and tenderly rubbing the coat of her older sister. "Ah, I can't get into details! It's too embarrassing! Just let your dependable sis handle this." She sat up from the table and ran away, leaving a bewildered carrier behind. She meant what she said. Her feet carried her to the infirmary where last night she and her sister had taken Belfast.

Vestal looked distraught and unease when the blonde came in, and It didn't take long for the Yorktown carrier to encourage the lavender-haired repair ship to spill what happened last night.

"... and that's what happened." Vestal looked down and sighed heavily. A loud bang was heard, causing the repair ship to flinch.

Hornet's eyes were ablaze with an intensity that would make the flames of the Sakura Empire's finest carriers look like a lighter. "Oh, she just stirred the Hornet's nest big time!" Whatever fear she had for the maid had vanished and she had the urge to give her a piece of her mind. Vestal was like family and no one threatened her family.

Vestal sweated nervously while her teeth chattered with fear at the aura that poured out of the carrier. "Hornet, something must be wrong with her I just know it."

Reducing her anger slightly, just enough to comfort Vestal's worry, she placed a hand on her chin. "Hmm, be as that may, I'm going to need a fellow blonde for this one."

(Sometime later)

The scene changed to the overly sweet scene of Cleveland sharing new Sakura desserts from the still ongoing festival with her girlfriend Helena. It was worth noting that the festival was a three-day long event.

"We need to talk!" Shouted Hornet spontaneously.

The light cruiser couple were outside on a bench and were completely caught off guard by Hornet who had popped up behind them like a jack in a box and nearly gave the blonde a heart attack.

Once Cleveland had calmed her nerves and been brought up to speed, she then responded. "Huh? That sounds like something out of an R-rated movie."

"That's what I'm sayin'!" Agreed the Yorktown blonde.

After thinking it over, Cleveland removed her hand from her chin and expressed a reluctant idea. "I don't want to be that shipgirl but maybe we should tell this to the commander."

"I was thinking that same thing," said Hornet. Both of them didn't want to worry the commander and they felt that the situation didn't warrant her input, but they could feel that this could escalate into something more.

"What do you think, Helena?" Asked the light cruiser blonde.

Helena had been quiet this whole time because what she heard had been too hard to believe. "I've always seen how attentive and patient Belfast was when it came to Enterprise and hearing all of this makes it sound like someone else. She already threatened Vestal, that alone should receive the Commander's attention, even if we think it's a small matter."

"Enough said. To the Commander's office!" Yelled both blondes at once.

"We'll have better luck around the academy grounds. I saw her with Essex, and a few Sakura ships this morning," added Helena.

Cleveland and Hornet redid their over-the-top declaration. "Okay, to the academy grounds!"

(Commander)

"Commander Brea, how has this joint partnership been so far for you?" Said the flagship of the Sakura Empire. Both she and the commander were walking near the lecture hall along with Essex.

"Well, my waistline probably hates you, but the rest of me has seen this event to be a big hitter for everyone. Thanks to you, Washington and Carolina have finally stopped hounding me relentlessly about their upgrades, Wales is finally given the green light to sortie with Eugen, and my dependable secretary—Essex, is finally able to show us all her true potential." She opulently extended a dramatic hand toward the Eagle Union shipgirl that she took up as her assistant, causing said shipgirl to murmur a bit under the weight of her blushing.

"Commander Brea! I—thank you for letting me prove myself to you and all the others. I might not be as heroic as Enterprise, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop. No, I'll keep going until I'm at least halfway there."

Commander Brea patted her on the back, not truly helping the carrier in her profuse blush. "A great partnership indeed, Lady Nagato. Maybe when this is all done, the opportunity to perhaps have a Sakura dorm on base could be a realization?"

Nagato smiled openly at the idea. "Hmm, if those that wish to stay here desire that then I wouldn't mind one bit. I'll probably let Mikasa be the dorm leader if that happens to be a reality."

Caught in their bonding moment of friendship, the three shipgirls— Hornet, Cleveland, and Helena nearly bulldozed the redheaded commander over with their frantic speed.

"Hey, where's the fire?" She said with a nervous laugh.

"Commander Brea, we have an issue going on!" They all yelled in stereo.

The commander immediately grew serious. "W-What kind of issue?"

They all returned to Vestal at her infirmary, except for Nagato. There, Vestal explained what had happened last night, and what Enterprise had told her about Belfast acting weird prior to the head maid being brought in. Hornet then filled in the gaps with her side of the story when she spotted Belfast trespassing into the carrier's room.

The Commander had been sitting with Vestal on one of the patient beds while she had been retelling her events. During that time, Vestal had been eating a dark chocolate bar given to her by the commander. The delicious treat did wonders in easing her stress considerably.

"Hmmm... this is serious," declared the Commander.

"It is, Commander," sadly stated the repair ship between somber chews.

"Yeah, talk about something out of an R-rated movie. Personally, I would have looked the trespassing over because of two lovebirds wanting a moment but the fact that Enterprise was unaware of her going into her room is a different story."

All the others frowned at the Commander's simple-minded and borderline slap-on-the-wrist attitude that she expressed.

"Commander!" Angrily added Essex, given that she already steeled herself in disliking what Belfast did to the woman she admired.

The Commander could feel a scolding lecture by her secretary approaching and she quickly changed tunes. "Oh, I'm most certainly putting my foot down on her threat toward Vestal. She's going to get a firm lecture, temporally suspended, and have her Majesty be informed of the head maid's actions."

Vestal sighed once she finished the chocolate that seemed to have brought some life back into her. "Commander... could we put a pin on that? I genuinely still believe that something is going on with her," she said calmly.

The blue-haired tinted carrier stepped forward. "Could you roll back a bit and tell us again what Enterprise said that was the first instance she saw Miss Belfast act this way?"

Vestal nodded. "She said she started acting strange when she saw her eat fruit pie from the festival in a rather hungry manner," said the repair ship.

"Pie?" Questioned the commander with perked interest and a concealed mouth-watering expression.

Cleveland tapped her head pensively, trying to remember something. "Pie? The pie! Now that you mentioned it, I could have sworn I saw Belfast in the corner of my eye when we went to purchase our pies." She looked over to her girlfriend who quickly recollected that event.

"That must be the stand Enterprise mentioned," said Helena.

"Yeah yeah, but how could the pie be the reason? You and I had some and yeah— it was good, but nothing like eating it like I haven't eaten in days," breathily laughed the light cruiser blonde. The commander then got in front of her and gripped her by her shoulders.

"Cleveland! Please take me to this pie place," declared Commander Brea. She was determined to see this through and nothing was going to make her falter.

(One fast forward later.)

"My darling Commander! Yay!" Taihou had struck gold that day when her commander had officially crossed paths with her.

Commander Brea's face drained of all color and she recoiled in unrivaled horror when she gazed upon the black-haired shipgirl. "Cleveland! Why did you bring me here?!"

As Cleveland confusingly felt the weight of those words, Taihou jumped over the dessert table and launched at the petrified woman. Commander and shipgirl both hit the ground and Taihou rubbed her cheek against the Commander's soft cheek.

"Commander!" Frantically yelled Essex, completely petrified by the wild display from this Sakura woman.

The redhead showed a face of disinterest while the black-haired carrier continued to blissfully invade her space. "T-T-Taihou... long time no see," she uneasily said, the feeling of skin across her cheek never ceasing.

Akashi made her presence known from behind the table with a melding of a laugh and a purr. "Easy for you to say, Commander. I'm sure it wasn't long when she was last spying on you, nya!"

"Shove it!" Roared Taihou once detaching herself from the Commander. She then fluttered her endearing eyelashes toward the woman that stood above everything else in her heart. "My darling, I was so sad when you didn't show up yesterday but looks like my pie is finally getting traction for you to notice me!"

Essex helped the commander up, and the commander started to brush the dirt off her outfit. "Yes. Your pie." She hid the desire to lick her lips by smothering her lips deep within her mouth in a fidgeting manner before summoning the strength to speak again. "Ahem, speaking of pie and traction, I have a few questions to ask you."

Taihou immediately recoiled, sweatdrop on her cheek, and Akashi swallowed hard.

After a long detailed explanation of the situation, both Taihou and Akashi were made aware of the situation. Of course, unknown to the others, they were aware of some of the crucial details that the others lacked. "

"So... that's everything. Did you see anything strange happen to Belfast when she was here purchasing one of your pies?"

"Well..." Taihou was at a crossroads and the information dumped on her didn't inspire her to keep her misdeeds in check.

Akashi was quaking in her shoes and folded quicker than the carrier. "Nya, I confess! She ate the special love potion pie that I— and Taihou, created together. It was supposed to be for you to make you fall in love with this hopeless woman, but it was mistakenly given to Belfast!"

"A love potion?!" Unbelievably spoke the commander.

"Hopeless?!" Comedically roared Taihou.

"Holy smokes. You guys stupidly created something like that?!" Roared Hornet.

Essex then expressed a relief smile on her face. "Then... Belfast is acting out because of the influence of that concoction, not because she loves her!" She laughed oddly, finding some delusional acceptance in her brash logic. "Hornet, call your sister and tell her to stay in her room. The last thing we want is Belfast doing something that she might regret later. Yes, regret later!" Stated Essex urgently and desperately that wasn't lost on the blonde carrier and the Commander.

Despite the other carrier's odd undertones to her words, Hornet pulled out her phone and quickly called her older sister.

(Belfast—Around the same time)

She walked the street of the shopping district with her arms crossed and frustratingly blowing hair that had fallen close to her eyes. She had been on a mission to find Enterprise after finding her missing in her room when she dropped off the coat and searched high and low all over the academy.

The shopping district had been one of many places she searched, and she finally stopped once she reached a dead end. "Hmmm, why do I get the feeling that it's Vestal and naive sweet little sister that's the reason for me not finding Enterprise?" She had made her assumptions but little did she know, it was the hands of fate that were keeping them apart.

"Oh, Eugen stop. I don't want you filling up on desserts."

Belfast perked up and turned to glance at a couple she was familiar with. They had come from the same walkway that she had come from but were still far away to notice her.

"I can't help it, these Dangos are addicting. You should try one," said the silver-haired woman to her lover.

"N-No, I'm trying to watch my figure." Her lover was Wales of the Royal Navy who evaded the light thrusts of the Dangos treat from her girlfriend.

"Hmm, why when you already have me?" Said Eugen in a sultry manner.

Wales pouted, hating that only she could feasibly oppose her ideals to her diet regiment. "No, I won't hear your honey-filled words. Summer is already around the corner, and I already curse the Commander for allowing the Sakura Empire to distribute their desserts—and for three days, I might add."

The heavy cruiser could not sympathize with her girlfriend as she was caught up in her own reveries. "Wales in a bikini... I'm eagerly waiting for that day."

"Then you better keep those devilish things away from me or you won't be able to see what devilish things I have," said with a challenging smirk that put her girlfriend in pondering mode.

"But darling, one won't hurt and I'm sure it will go to the right places." She glanced at Wales's thighs and rear causing the Royal to impulsively pull her skirt down more to hide her assets.

"You know I'm self-conscious about my... derrière." She said with a crimson red face.

Eugen then proceeded to wolf down the rest of the Dangos from the stick and ultimately remove Wales's temptation. "I'm sorry. But you better eat when we go to Blood Howzer tonight. Maybe I can encourage you to get some fried potato patties," she teased playfully.

"You and your potatoes." They rubbed their noses together affectionately and Wales waved her goodbye as Eugen had to go to the Iron Blood dorms that were located back in the direction they came from.

Wales sighed and fixed her warm gaze onto a paper she pulled out from her pocket. Turning around, she came face to face with Belfast who looked at her with a critical eye.

"Ah! Goodness, you scared me, Belfast," remarked Wales with a hand to her chest. It quickly donned on her that the maid, or maid by title, was wearing rather bold and suggestive clothing. Even her hair spelled out fun time with how messy and sexy it appeared with her long ponytail.

Belfast changed her expression to a smirk that sent danger signals to Wales. "You and Eugen make such a lovely couple. I always find it a great source of inspiration when I see both of you together. A relationship forged in both Elegance and Iron, Miss Wales."

The blonde relaxed yet could still not shake off the odd air around the other woman. "That's very kind of you to say, Miss Belfast. Oh, you seem to be wearing such a... different outfit than usual."

Belfast amusingly did a bow with her skirt slightly elevated that had Wales raising an eyebrow. "My maid uniform was dirty, and you know me, I can't stand filth."

The royal blonde light-heartedly scratched her head and continued to nod. "Well... I can see you're coming out of your shell and embracing new things, so good for you on that."

"Really? You don't think this is unbecoming of me as a lady? Mustn't I maintain an image of elegance and grace wherever I go?"

"Hehe, you have always taken that to heart, but we're not in the Royal Capital right now. Away from the queen's eyes, it's a good thing to let down your hair. Eugen showed me that."

Belfast smiled genuinely this time and noticed the paper in Wales's hands. "What's this?" She snatched it out of Wales's hands who looked at her empty hands and at the maid in tangent a few times. "Forgive me for eavesdropping but I overheard Eugen mention something about a Blood Howzer?"

The blonde murmured a bit until she replied. "Oh, that. It's just some Iron Blood constructed clubhouse where one can hang out, listen to music, drink, and eat food."

"—like a nightclub?" Said the head maid with an intrigued look in her eyes.

"I guess you could call it that. Are you... interested in it?" She asked hesitantly and bewildered that Belfast was unmistakably acting differently.

Belfast smiled and nodded. "It would be a place I would never give much thought to set foot in which makes it perfect. No one would dare think to look there," she said with a wink.

Wales couldn't even begin to understand what she meant by that, and she felt like she shouldn't inquire further. "Oh. You're free to come but be warned. Those who go in are looking for either companionship or already have that type of relationship if you know what I mean."

The light cruiser's smile widened and looked at the paper again as if it was some sort of holy grail. "I'm starting to like this place more. Thanks, Wales." She folded the paper and kept it, making Wales look left and right, expecting a camera to appear to explain the odd encounter.

"Was that really Belfast?"

(A little while later)

Enterprise had been walking around the Royal dorms hoping to run into Belfast but today was not her lucky day. She had checked various places like the shopping district, the harbor, the shipyard, the academy grounds, and even the beach. There was no sign of the head maid anywhere, and it started to frustrate her.

Her phone went off again and she turned it on to see another message from her sister asking her where she was. Above that message was a string of messages that had poured out within the hour. The very first message that appeared ignited her stubbornness. "Lock myself in my room..." she read it again with the same amount of incredulous as the first time she glanced at it. "Hornet, I don't like how you kept me in the dark about Belfast showing up in the mess hall. I need to see her and get to the bottom of this. Bel... she loves me…"

She had never been told that by anyone and she had never even entertained the idea of love in the past. Something inside her clawed at her that she needed to give the light cruiser a response. She let those words play in her head like a broken record, and it motivated her to follow her heart that said shutting herself in her room wasn't the way to reach the woman she admired. The woman that came into her life preaching about humanity and being human and had been there to catch her every time life had delivered its absolute punch into her gut. She silenced her phone and disregarded the concerned reply from her sister. Just then she heard a bird cry from above.

Squinting against the sun, she saw her eagle land on the nearest available tree branch with something wrapped around his leg.

Enterprise extended her arm and Grim, her eagle, gracefully perched upon it, giving her a better view of the paper. Her eyes widened slowly as if her bird conveniently brought the answer to her internal struggles. It was a flyer for a place called the Blood Howzer and at the bottom, Belfast's handwriting elegantly graced the paper.

It said, "My darling, Enterprise. I've been trying to find you all over the base but with no luck! I figured the usual call would have corrected that, but I think this is more romantic. Your little friend was so kind as to carry my feelings for me. I wish to talk with you but let's do it where we can't be interrupted. Meet me in this place tonight and we can talk about ourselves. XOXO forever yours."

Her eyes read left to right and once she stopped, she knew what had to do. "Bel... very well." Her friend had been there for her when she needed her, now it was time for her to be there for her. Something was going on within the maid, and she wasn't going to let her go through it alone.

Night had fallen and in one corner of the base, a flashing building filled to the brim with music and energy didn't care that it was nighttime.

This place was located near the area where the Iron Blood dorms were, meaning that no matter how loud it got, it wouldn't disturb the overall population of the base.

The Iron blood dorm was also a fairly safe distance away as one needed to walk down a dirt trail, go down a few stone steps then they would be at the gates of Blood Howzer, just overlooking the night ocean.

Inside was bustling with nightlife activity. All the ship girls there were of considerable mature age (depending on who you asked) but overall, they were all adults.

A few that represented the Eagle Union such as Washington and her sister South Carolina were laughing and both enjoying a glass of mint julep courtesy of a Manjuu bartender who excelled at any type of alcoholic drink.

Over by the dance floor that illuminated the ground itself with a rainbow of shifting colors, visitors from the Northern Parliament were dancing. Three shipgirls that had discarded their polar protective clothing and donned summer attire swayed rhythmically under the power of the music coming out in a modest volume. It wasn't blaring like how one would imagine an unchecked nightclub would be and left just enough for others to mingle without having to shout.

Back to the three parliament girls, their names were Gangut, Arkhangelsk, and Sovetskaya Rossiyaw who danced blissfully with a bottle of alcohol in each of their hands. A DJ Manjuu stood on a stage filled with speakers and record equipment, amping the mood with music from their home country.

In one corner where a booth resided, the atmosphere was tamed and calm as Z23 was talking with a Sakura Empire ship that had come with the other dessert shipgirls, and her name was Ayanami. They seemed to have started with a rough match in conversation as Ayanami had started with video game topics, in which the Iron Blood destroyer felt severely out of her element. But they soon grew in synch when they began to talk about cooking.

About a booth between them, Eugen had been rather nosey and peeked over her booth to look at them. Only the hand of Wales pulled her back into her seat. The heavy cruiser puffed her cheeks when Wales merely tilted her head to the side in exhausted seriousness.

Eugen grinned nonetheless at her girlfriend. "You look at me like that, but this is rather an amazing milestone for Z23 who was the first to initiate the conversation with that Ayanami girl. Plus, I wanted to make sure their drinks were non-alcoholic."

Wales laughed softly, showing how little, she believed that last part. "I'm sure that was the reason. Are you finally going to introduce me to our guests?"

On the opposite side of the booth, Thüringen, and Seydlitz, two newly constructed Iron Blood recruits that were still adjusting to life as active conscious shipgirls had been silently drinking beer. The two had been waiting to be introduced to their senior's girlfriend when they, Eugen, and Z23 had entered the building together some short time ago.

Feeling a bit embarrassed that she took more of an interest in Z23's love life than what was happening in front of her, she aimed to correct that. "Thüringen and Seydlitz, this is my girlfriend Wales of the Royal Navy. Wales meet the latest recruits of the Iron Blood as well as new members that will be joining us on base."

The pink-haired shipgirl named Seydlitz raised a hand to express greetings while Thüringen acknowledged the blonde with a nod.

Seydlitz, the battlecruiser, removed her commissar hat as a show of respect. "It's good to meet you. Our senior Prinz Eugen goes into great detail about you, milady"

Wales blushed and coughed due to mostly not expecting the honorific from the battlecruiser. "I hope it isn't anything that might embarrass me now," she glanced at Eugen who played with the side of her ear with an averted gaze.

The pink-haired shipgirl smiled for the first time since she arrived there. "No, it's only how radiant and lucky she is to have someone like you."

"She did say that you have quite the adorable face when you drool in your sleep." Added Thüringen, the white-haired battleship. Unlike her friend, she was equally straightforward yet brutally honest on all fronts.

While Wales proceeded to shake her Iron Blood girlfriend for all she's worth, Seydlitz gazed at their interaction, wishing she could experience something as playful as that in her currently lacking love life.

"Are you doing okay, Seydlitz?" Her friend and comrade Thüringen had spoken and pulled her out of her thoughts.

She composed herself and sipped her beer before responding. "As far as breathing and functioning go... yeah."

The white-haired battleship looked stoic to that claim until she cracked a smile of amusement. "That's good but I was talking about your feelings toward the current situation."

A blush formed on the pink-haired Iron Blood and she drank again to hide it. It didn't stop Thüringen's stoicism to coerce her comrade to speak her feelings.

Seydlitz lowered her beer and acknowledge the gaze of her comrade "Hmm... Prinz Eugen is lucky to have found such companionship. I wonder if I'll have that same luck."

The white-haired Iron Blood made an approving sound. "I'm sure you will. If your feelings are calling out for that, then you'll meet someone in the same mindset as you."

Seydlitz took comfort in those words yet still felt afraid of the prospects of dating. "It's times like this that I envy the me that isn't the me with this human body. It feels like those distant times were much simpler when we were just experiencing life through passive consciousness."

The battleship Iron blood clicked her tongue. "Now you're just sulking. I think our old us envy these bodies and emotions that we now have. Don't lose sight that it was you that encouraged me to come here with you, but I'm only here for moral support." She casually drank from her beer, letting her friend remember her resolves.

The battlecruiser nodded somberly. "Yeah... I remember. I said that I desired companionship to satisfy this human body."

Thüringen dropped her beer and swallowed fast to respond to the aggravating response she heard. "And there you go not being honest with yourself. You should stop disassociating yourself from your body. Girls don't like that, little Soldatenmädchen."

Her friend was right to degrade her with that nickname. As long as she kept thinking like that, she would never be able to follow the heart that now beats inside her. She would never be more than what she was meant to be. A stagnation such as that would keep her like her old self from another time, and she aimed to change that. The pink-haired Iron Blood suddenly noticed someone new enter the club and she paused in silence when she witnessed her wearing naval attire, her kind of gal. This shipgirl had long white hair and violet eyes that called to her.

"Who is that?" She asked Eugen who was still playfully lost in the moment with her girlfriend.

Eugen followed her comrade's gaze and stood shocked. "Enterprise?! What's a straightlaced ship like her doing in a place like this?"

"Eugen... you're demeaning us all with that comment," stated Wales.

Seydlitz made an inaudible sound of happiness expressing how motivated she was to get to know this woman. "Enterprise... " she adjusted her commissar hat nervously and stood up much to the surprise of Wales and Eugen. Thüringen cracked a small smile of approval, wondering to see where this would go.

Enterprise felt like a fish out of water in a place like this. Even though she was seeing familiar faces like Washington and her sister, she wanted to keep away from their sights best they tease her or assume she was here for other reasons other than wanting to talk with Belfast. The nearest seat next to the bar that provided cover from their gaze thanks to some of the display wine bottles was perfect for her low-profile desire.

She waved a hand to cancel the bartender Manjuu from emoting what type of drink she wanted. It was then a dainty hand rested on her shoulder, and she perked up with a smile on her face, expecting to see Belfast but it wasn't.

"Ara Ara, I haven't introduced myself yet and I already earned a smile out of you," said the alluring woman that wasn't Belfast. She was still beautiful and alluring with that charm reserved only for the Sakura Empire. Her seductive schoolgirl outfit assaulted Enterprise's eyes and all the details flooded in. Analytically, the woman before her was a carrier and not a light cruiser.

The schoolgirl outfit that sexily clung to her stacked body was made of a white blouse and dark blue skirt. Around her long and slender legs, she had on knee-high black stockings and hot pink heels. Her hair was salmon pink and her eyes radiated with vibrant pink. The last thing that completed her outfit was the lingerie like her bra and panties that stuck out from her half-open blouse and mid-section where her skirt and blouse met skin.

Enterprise swallowed hard and stuttered a bit as she had never been hit on before until now.

The Sakura woman gave her a sympathetic look before placing a finger on the carrier's chin and sliding it down. "The names Nachi, and here I thought that I wouldn't see a shipgirl outside the Sakura Empire that could catch my eye."

Enterprise rudely and without thought tore herself away from the woman. Her heart was pounding, and her face was super-heated red. "I-I'm s-sorry, but I was l-looking for someone e-else," stuttered Enterprise, her embarrassment, and nervousness not helping in remaining collected. She couldn't deny that the woman certainly looked alluringly, a genuine fox of a beauty.

Nachi made a sad face that didn't look all that genuine. "Well, where is she? Maybe she stood you up."

Anger sprung out from her nervousness and like a child, she shook her head without thought. "She wouldn't... that's not like her. C-Could you please go?"

The Sakura carrier gazed at the archer with a pissed-off and sour expression on her face.

"Excuse me, but the lady has made her voice know." Another had got behind the alluring Sakura woman, causing both to turn and see a black commissar hat, pink hair, and blue eyes.

Nachi folded her arms once the Iron Blood battlecruiser had interjected into the conversation. "Ugh, fine, she's not worth it anyway. Such a stuttering mess."

Enterprise relaxed and dejectedly looked down. The rude comment had cut deep within her. "Thanks for the assist back there," she somberly thanked the woman in uniform who was clearly Iron Blood.

Seydlitz smiled warmly and she could feel her heart beating. This was it; this was the emotion she had been searching for now—more defined than ever. "None at all, milady. Assisting a fellow comrade is expected of me—I mean, I wanted to assist you. Best that she didn't sink her fangs into you."

Enterprise gazed at her with unblinking eyes that made the pink-haired Iron blood suddenly nervous. Getting past her shock of the word milady that sounded more normal coming from a man in some vampire movie, she smiled at the battlecruiser. "You have peculiar manners, but I like that."

To say that Seydlitz radiated like the sun was an understatement and she blushingly adjusted her commissar hat. "I like your hat, milady." Not much in the way of a conversation starter but it did the trick since they both seemed to be hat enthusiasts.

"Oh, yours is nice too," said Enterprise now feeling more relaxed and feeling capable to talk to the pink-haired woman.

Internally the Iron blood coached herself. "Seydlitz, you can do this you can do this. No, I can't. Yes, you can! No nonsense and go straight for the heart. Wait how do I go for the heart? "C-Could I buy you a drink, milady?" She mentally patted herself on the back, coming up with the wonderful idea that to get to someone's heart you need to go through their liver first, and what better way than a drink?

Enterprise frowned, feeling bad for having to shoot her down. "Sorry, I'm not here for any sort of drinking or..."

Seydlitz's world came crashing down and she formed a defeated frown. "—Companionship?"

Enterprise nodded sorrowfully. "That's a good way to put it. Yeah, I'm just here to talk to a friend about something."

"I see. That's a shame." She shifted awkwardly and found a sudden interest in her cuffs, trying to figure out the best way to end the conversation without simply walking away.

"What makes you so interested in companionship?" Came the sudden question from the Eagle Union archer.

The pink-haired and blue-eyed woman paused for a second until a smile formed on her face. "It seems like the natural course of this body. Why do we eat, sleep, dream, and desire? It's because we are human now. I have grown to accept these urges with open arms, milady."

"With open arms... so, you truly desire that connection with someone else?" Enterprise leaned forward eagerly. She couldn't help but think about Belfast and her love for her that she confessed.

"I do, milady. I don't think it's a bad thing to allow another to invade one's heart in that manner. In my other life... in a life that I can't truly call my own, I was nothing but a machine but now I'm more than just that. I find it exciting and liberating."

Enterprise widened her eyes. This shipgirl before her had memories of another life similar to her. "Sorry, Seydlitz. You seem like one of the nicer Iron Bloods. You're very proper, respectful, and pleasantly dashing. I'm sure you'll meet someone better than me."

"You shouldn't think too critical about yourself, milady. But then again, I can't say that without being a hypocrite. Regardless, your words warm me. Out of just a ghost of a chance, the offer for that drink will still stand." She tipped her hat and walked back to her table. That's when Eugen and Enterprise exchanged a look that told the archer that she had just rejected a good catch.

Enterprise ignored her and turned away tiredly.

"And here I thought I would need to intervene."

Her violet eyes grew vibrant, and she turned her head sideways to the voice that she had been waiting for. "Belfast! Bel…?" Just like the carrier that had hit on her, the royal maid was dressed sexily and uncomfortably different.

"Hehe, do you like my change of clothes? I feel so unshackled."

Deciding to ignore the outfit, she stood up and challenged the wrong smile that flashed crossed the maid's face. "Belfast. You were in the mess hall this morning, weren't you?"

Belfast grew serious and exhaled wearily. "I won't lie, I was. My goal was to look for you, but it would seem your sister had misled me. I'll forgive her as I wouldn't want to hold any grudges against her. Oh, I see you were able to get back your coat." She impulsively fixed her coat for any disheveled details, and Enterprise's hands connected to her wrists.

"Bel, I'm here to talk."

"Then let's grab a seat, my love." She took control of the situation and pulled Enterprise by the hand to a back booth, ignoring the looks from Washington, Carolina, and others that were awestruck to see them in a place like this.

"Why did you bring me to a place like this?" Demanded Enterprise when they were finally secluded from the others.

"So that we wouldn't be interrupted. My instincts tell me that there are those that are trying to keep us apart. Vestal, Hornet, and most likely the Commander is among those now."

Enterprise gritted her teeth. "This is getting out of hand; I don't need them to fight my battles for me. That is precisely why I am here."

"Enterprise..."

The archer hit the table, but the maid didn't flinch. The woman she loved was rightfully confused and angry, and she was going to be there to receive her raw emotions. "Bel... did you take something, or did something happen? This isn't you at all."

Belfast sighed and pulled a piece of hair behind her ear. "This is a part of who I am. The part that I keep hidden from others with a mask. My love for you has finally chipped that mask away."

"No... I refuse to believe it."

"Then you also don't believe that I love you genuinely. That this is all fabricated from what hypothetical thing I took or event that may have happened to me."

Enterprise deflated in her anger and stared hard at the maid that had become such an open book to what swirled inside her.

Belfast's smile returned and she scooted closer to the archer, grabbing her hand and forcing it onto her breast. "Bel…" confusingly said the carrier.

"Feel it. Feel my heartbeat, Miss Enterprise. Tell me that this rhythm does not beat with love."

Enterprise struggled to pull away, but the maid's grip was absolute. The beating of a heart calmed her down and her fingers began to subtly move impulsively. To her horror, she began to squeeze lightly, earning her a soft moan from the royal.

"What a pleasant surprise from you. You, see? Let your heart guide you. Stop letting that woeful head of yours limit you. Enterprise, please kiss me."

Enterprise was at the precipice now. She swallowed hard and gazed intently at the tender ruby-red lips of the head maid.

"I can tell you all night about how much I love you and it wouldn't get through your adorable thick skull. I know that if you grant me a kiss, you will come to understand the depths of my love and we will connect as we have never before."

"I've never kissed anyone before." She remembered the conversation with the Iron blood woman, and it helped her in understanding her soaring heart rate. Was this the natural course of being human? To find someone to form a bond of love... a bond of companionship? Belfast was important to her, so important. Calling her a friend even felt too simple and best friend was merely scratching at the unknown door that she dared to venture past. She had saved her soul and brought color into her life giving her a reason to smile.

"You remember what I said last night? About my love for you," said Belfast, pulling the archer back to her.

"Yes... you wish to be by my side always and to be all that I would ever need." She subconsciously leaned into the tender hand that graced her cheek and she sighed softly.

Belfast smiled. "You never have to be alone, Enterprise. That's what companionship... love is about. You feel something for me. Why else could I keep the nightmares at bay with just my touch? Just like this." She started rubbing motions against the cheek of the carrier and Enterprise couldn't deny how good it felt.

"Bel... I want the old you back." Without a doubt, she wanted Belfast by her side, that's one thing her nightmares had taught her, but this new version wasn't the one she had grown to love. Love? She internally echoed that word again and again.

"This is still me, just more adventurous in the pursuits of my heart. Grant me this one kiss to prove it and I will return to myself as you wish."

Their lips connected and without them knowing, when their saliva mixed, a glow of orange seeped into Enterprise.

She gasped sharply and soon relaxed. Their kiss parted and her eyes revealed a tint of orange behind her violet pools. Her dazed expression turned into a halfhearted smile of enlightenment and the maid stood still with a held breath to what that smile meant.

There grew a fire in Enterprise's eyes as if she was finally understanding a language known to be dead for her. Her hand reached out to Belfast, and she brought her in for another kiss, embracing the crystal clear feeling of love in her heart.

To be continued.