Gabriel laid in his bed sleeping blissfully. The trip back to the home base was not a very nice ride with the storm blowing with cold winds and the rough seas. He couldn't sleep on Tirpitz's ship despite the warmer interior or the shipgirl offering him her coat. He just toughened it out until they docked, ordered the girls to not fire on Ember, and left for his home. It was unsure what time he had returned by, but it was clear it was the next day.
Eyes slowly opening, the Admiral grunted as he looked at the ceiling of his room. It was afternoon based on the intensity of the light and the direction of the rays from his window. One problem, there was something amiss with the whole place. That one thing being Gabriel unable to move as he felt something holding him. Wait...something? No, someone.
His gaze went downward to spot the familiar short haired blond heavy cruiser laying her head on his chest with her arms snaked around his body. From this position, Roon was holding him like a body pillow rather than another person. At least she was modest enough to wear her clothes and not force herself on him. His eyes turned to his door as the sound of the knob turning caught his ears.
"Master, are you decent?" a female voice asked
"Mm...Yeah," Gabriel answered, trying to sit up despite his body being gripped snugly by a sleeping Roon
The door to his room opened with Sheffield entering with a tray of snacks and coffee, "I see that Ms. Roon has accompanied you, Master."
Rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes, the Admiral replied, "She must have entered when I was asleep. Anything in the mail or on today's agenda?"
"There is a crate for you. The other maids have already examined it for any potential danger but none was found."
A crate? Did High Command send something without informing him or was the information sent but he had sortied? At least the maids took the precautions to check the crate for any possible traps or potential dangerous materials. Still, what was in the crate if the maids found it to be harmless?
"What was in the crate?" he asked, grabbing the cup of coffee and taking a sip. The hot brewed drink ran down his throat and began to stir his senses.
Sheffield waited a moment, thinking of how to explain the item in the crate without spoiling the surprise. She felt Gabriel would love what was inside since it was meant for him. Eventually, she answered, "A weapon, master. It is best you see it for yourself."
"I see. Other than that?"
Sheffield responded, "Christmas is upon us with the Iron Bloods and Eagle Union already decorating the base. The Iris and Sardegna Empire are also participating although the Sakura seem to have their own winter celebration. Lastly, Her Majesty is having the entire navy prepare all necessary ingredients for a feast."
"Isn't it at least a week or two before that happens?" Gabriel questioned, rubbing his forehead while trying to count down the days that had passed, "Either time is accelerating or I'm very busy."
"Master, you've been very busy indulging in your perverted desires and slacking."
"At least I know I'm awake."
He looked at the small tray of assorted snacks to find that it was a light breakfast along with the coffee. An English muffin with a small amount of butter and strawberry jam paired with a couple sausages. Something light enough so the Admiral wouldn't be too sluggish but enough for him to keep his hunger down. Taking one half of the muffin, he bit into the warm bread to find his taste buds enjoying it very much.
"Thank you, Sheffield. The muffin is amazing, are there other matters?" he asked curiously, more awake than ever with the rest of his body rising out of its slumber
For a moment, Gabriel swore he saw a pink hue appear on Sheffield's cheeks but the maid simply bowed before leaving the room. His attention turned back to his small meal that she had brought him. Roon began mumbling something in her sleep that drew his attention, a visible smile under the sleeping woman's face. Her metal 'fins' turned slightly, reminding the Admiral of that one time he was able to visit her mind when he placed his hands on them.
"I wonder if I see what she is dreaming about," he murmured, gulping down his coffee and finishing his toast before attempting an action like that
Like before, he slowly moved his hands towards the small pieces of metal placed on the sides of Roon's head. The very moment his fingers touched them, he felt his eyes suddenly close…
Gabriel now stood on the cliff that overlooked the docks and had a beautiful view over the ocean. This place was visited many times by the various shipgirls as either a picnic spot, a moment to relax, or something a little more romantic. But now, he found himself dressed in a white tuxedo that had a black vest underneath while the sun shone brightly overhead. Looking for Roon, he could only spot a lone figure walking towards him garbed in a black and red outfit. As that person got closer, the Admiral would soon realize that it was Roon in a wedding outfit of her own.
The word that he would use to describe her would be absolutely stunning. The dress itself covered her body all the way up to her chest where a good amount of cleavage was exposed but not lewdly. The fabric reached up to her neck where it formed a small choker, covering everything save for her shoulders in black. The interior fabric was colored crimson just like the faction she was a part of. One large rose settled near her right hip with a small trio of roses nestled neatly on her head. A crimson bow was settled near the back for extra flair and although he couldn't see the shoes she wore, he assumed they would be high heeled.
"Roon...wow…" Gabriel could only utter, his heart fluttering the longer he observed the heavy cruiser
Roon blushed greatly as she realized that this wasn't the dream version of her beloved, trying to hide her face behind a bouquet of flowers she brought, "W-w-what are you doing in my dream?!"
"You were muttering something and I got curious so here I am. Were you expecting a different version?"
Roon didn't answer, looking off to the side in hopes of collecting herself. The Admiral remembered that he once feared the woman ever since she showed how much of a menace she could be on the battlefield. Her psychotic murder spree against the Sirens was something to fear amongst the fleet but ever since she shared her own problems, Gabriel began to feel guilt for his uninformed judgment. Her tendency to fall into an insane rampage was due to her emotional turmoil that had been built up out of fear. Although her love of him was obsessive at first, at least she knew where to stop herself and respect his personal space.
He was her anchor to sanity. An anchor that allowed Roon to show how gentle and cute she could really be if her emotions or mentality weren't skewed.
"U-um...If you're here, then that means you probably know what this is," Roon finally spoke after keeping herself silent for some time
"A dream about you marrying me?" Gabriel guessed, the clues very evident with their attire being the main selling point
Roon only nodded, although her demeanor began to shift into sadness, "I dream of this all the time but I know you already promised three of the Ironbloods already. I...don't want this to be a burden on you…"
"Roon…"
"They spent more time with you than I have," the heavy cruiser continued, her eyes beginning to well up although she was fighting to force them down, "They deserve it more than I do...but...no. I'll be happy for them...even if it hurts…"
"Roon," the Admiral's voice became firm, his hands landing on her bare shoulders to get her attention, "Hold on, what are you talking about? Why are you upset over the others already?"
"I fear for you. That last time you joined us in a sortie, I thought you got killed...I couldn't bear the thought," Roon answered, tears now flowing, "I don't know where to go if you had died."
He looked into her eyes that held no predatory look within them. This wasn't a farce, this was something she genuinely feared more than she feared about her own existence being ended. With his recent actions having put him on the front lines, Gabriel was effectively shortening his life expectancy. He almost died in that encounter with the Leviathan and his duel with Ember could have ended his life as well. Something within him was prompting him to prove Roon wrong, that everything was going to be ok. But...even with the Sirens having taken a backseat, the war was not done.
"Roon...don't worry about the others. Who gets married is still my decision and no one said I couldn't have more if I wanted to. Ok, that sounded something extremely perverted on my end but you get my point," the Admiral stated, his hands unconsciously drifting from her shoulders down to her back
Whether Roon was doing it on purpose or not, her arms wrapped around his neck as they stared into each other's eyes. Their proximity was making her blush but she didn't turn away from him, "Are you saying that you're willing to accept me?"
"A little change of rules wouldn't hurt anyone would it?" he chuckled, earning raised brows from the Ironblood woman, "You know the plan that was agreed upon was that an equal amount of girls from each faction would be close to me. Well, priority ships like yourself were scrapped designs so technically, you're part of your own."
Roon began to smile once again leaning closer to where their lips were inches apart, "You know that's a whole can of worms you're opening."
"I'm the Admiral of the base aren't I? What I say goes, within reason of course."
"Mein liebe, just kiss me already."
So he did. Although, the moment their lips connected, Gabriel was suddenly thrust out of the dream world.
Back in reality, the Admiral found himself being kissed by the still asleep Roon. Her eyes fluttered open as the gentle smooch of their lips could only be heard besides the rustling of bed sheets. It didn't take long for Roon to register that they were actually kissing before her eyes widened and a blush formed immediately. Yet, when Gabriel refused to back down and continued their gentle kisses, the woman relaxed and surrendered to them.
"I better go before everyone thinks I'm oversleeping again," he said, making one more kiss before he pushed himself off the bed to change into something casual
Roon's eyes followed him, her gaze turning into a love-struck teen with a girly giggle slipping through her lips, "When are you coming back?
"Tonight, unsure on when. If all goes well without anything going wrong, which will probably happen, then I should be home about six or seven in the evening," the Admiral answered, changing out of his uniform for something a bit more comfortable. He didn't bother changing since he was so tired from the sortie so his clothes were bound to smell a bit.
Realizing this, Gabriel took a quick shower to freshen up before making his way out of his home to inspect the preparations for himself. Upon opening the door, a clump of snow fell on top of him, much to his chagrin. A frown crossed his face with a silent curse towards the Sirens being muttered under his breath. Several inches of snow greeted him afterward, forcing the man to trudge at a slow pace due to not having proper winter gear on. Must be nice for the shipgirls to wade through this without a problem but he still had to take his sweet time.
Ten minutes of forcing himself through inches of snow and the Admiral was relieved to see the road mostly clear of the white substance. Lampposts were having various decorations adorn them from wreaths to small bells while buildings had assorted lights. The occasional sound of bells tolling in the distance warmed the atmosphere to the holiday season. All this place needed was some carols being sunk by choirs and warm mugs of eggnog.
As he scanned over the area to spot several shipgirls putting up decorations on the dorms. Gabriel spotted Baltimore among the group thanks to her short brown hair, even though she was wearing a winter coat. Another face was Hamman with her cat-like ears, which were fake, sticking out like a sore thumb. The third face was Cleveland with the last face being Dunkerque. Curious that the Vichya battleship was around the Eagle Union instead of her own faction.
"Good afternoon ladies," he called out while approaching the group
Hamman, who was at the top of a ladder while putting up some lights, muttered under her breath, "Oh look, it's the idiot trying to sneak a peek."
"Stop your bickering you tsundere," Cleveland called back, causing Hamman to light up red with anger
"I'M NOT A TSUNDERE!"
Gabriel chuckled at the destroyer's fierce anger when being called out by others for her actions. In many ways, she was just like Hipper despite the fact both were different classes of ships. The only difference was at least he was getting close with Hipper like family while Hamman hardly showed her face around. She normally stayed around Yorktown for some reason, a reason that was bittersweet considering the warships they represented. However, that didn't explain why Hamman was always calling him a 'baka' or a 'pervert' for some reason.
Looking at the decorations being brought up, the Admiral spoke, "What brings you over to the Eagle Union dorms, Dunkerque? Shouldn't you be with your faction?"
"Ehh...They are...arguing once again," Dunkerque answered back with a sheepish smile, having both of her index fingers poking each other
"Was it about religion again?" Baltimore said before looking around curiously, "Wait a moment, where was that other girl? The one who acts all robotic."
Cleveland also turned around with her eyes scanning, "Oh yeah, she was just here a second ago."
"Gascogne? She was with you guys?" Gabriel rose a brow which was met with unified nods, "I haven't talked to her since she was my secretary about a week or two ago."
His eye noticed heaps of snow being hurled into the air before the sound of hammers and drills were heard nearby. Without a word, Gabriel went towards the sounds to find Gascogne constructing a snow fortress at ludicrous speeds with only a hammer in one hand and a drill in the other. Her only resource was snow yet somehow she was maintaining the structure without the need for additional screws or nails.
"Wow...she works fast," Baltimore commented, utterly amazed at the French priority ship's talent
Gascogne stopped her construction to turn towards the group, "Does this satisfy Master's expectations? This unit will demolish the site if it does not meet expectations."
"Please speak normally, Gascogne. You're not a robotic being," the Admiral sighed before observing the current progress, "What is this fortress for exactly?"
"Imminent barrages of snow. Gascogne has analyzed patterns within local forces and has concluded many of the younger girls will be participating in arctic warfare."
"I see, carry on then. Just be sure to help us out with the rest of the decorations."
Gascogne turned back to her work before the group returned to putting some lights onto the dorms. Hamman was already setting up the window lights so Gabriel decided to grab another ladder so they could set up another row at the edge of the roof. Baltimore and Cleveland went inside to do some interior decorations leaving Dunkerque to place a couple of wreaths on the door.
Once he returned, he found Hamman bringing up a set of lights that looked almost as large as her small frame. As she tried to walk up the steps of the ladder, she stumbled on one of the steps causing the destroyer to fall backward. Quick to action, the Admiral dropped the ladder he was holding and dove with arms outstretched to catch the falling shipgirl. He felt his chest hit the soft snow beneath him and the weight of Hamman landing on top of his arms.
Hamman blinked a few times with her mind wondering what made her landing so soft. It didn't take long for her to have that answer as she felt her body get lifted up and her eyes went towards Gabriel's. Instantly, her face lit up scarlet red in embarrassment before she swiftly jumped off and turned back to her usual anger.
"Baka! I don't need your help!" Hamman stated angrily, pointing an index finger in an accusatory manner
"It was a friendly gesture, calm down," Gabriel replied back, wiping off some snow from his coat
This did not calm down the angry destroyer, "Friendly gesture my ass, you're just trying to get me falling for you."
"Amiral, do you mind helping me?" Dunkerque asked, opening the door to the dorms while holding a box full of wreaths
"Yeah, I'll be there."
"Do you think he'll be powerful enough to face Antiochus?"
"On his own….No, but with our help, he will. The Sirens will be coming for him once they gather their strength."
"What will our fate be if he succeeds? If he fails, we will have to find another."
"There won't be another chance. Antiochus will be sure to reset everything once we're all dead."
"What was the point of the simulations? Evolution is all the Sirens spout about but I see devolution in all the timelines they succeed in."
Ash didn't answer as she stared at the snow from the temporary room she and Ember were assigned to. All her thoughts went back to the time she and the Sirens attacked NY Harbor to pull most of the human fleet away so she could place a beacon. That timeline didn't survive but the beacon allowed her to make small corrections in this one without the Sirens realizing it. Every mistake in previous timelines were exposed and corrected so that when they repeated once more, it was the humans who won.
Ember sat at the foot of their shared bed, her hands busy with cleaning a spare blade to replace her broken one, "You didn't answer my question about our fate."
"I don't know...but...if we fade away or die saving this timeline, at least we can see him again," Ash answered, her tone having a slight amount of warmth in it
"You believe in those folk tales about heaven and hell?"
"You did once."
"I did...I miss those days."
"I do too...and we have a chance to see it again."
Ember stopped cleaning her blade to look at her fellow friend, "The others don't trust us, Ash. What we did in the past is unforg-"
"We showed them the mistakes they made and led to their future victories, did we not?" Ash interrupted, turning around to face the fallen Sakura woman
"It seems so. Are we even worthy of forgiveness? What about those who fought against us? Surely they would want to see us destroyed."
"I have been speaking...to my counterpart. She is willing to forgive me but I can't say the same for the others. We have to trust the Admiral."
Ember silently nodded, rising to her feet while sheathing her blade. For once, a small smile went to her face, "I'll stand by your side until the end."
"As will I," Ash replicated the smile
Back at the Eagle Union dorms, the Admiral and his shipgirls were going through every door and every hallway to set up decorations. The only problem with having such a large fleet was the number of rooms and hallways to house the girls. Decorating a small home wouldn't be hard at all but an entire dorm building with most of the girls either doing their duties or playing around, now that was tough. Still, Gabriel found the experience fun. One of the few moments that he cherished when he was a child.
"How many more hallways do we have left?" Baltimore groaned in a tired manner, the simple task being much longer than expected
"Ah, let's see. There's one hundred and five of us so far and each hallway holds about ten rooms, so that means roughly eleven hallways. We only went through two," Cleveland said, doing the math in her head
"But not all of you are on this base, non?" Dunkerque questioned, having only seen only so many Eagle Union shipgirls
Gabriel had an answer for this one, "Can't fit everyone on this base. I split up half of the Eagle Union and sent them back to the mainland for protection reasons. Same thing for the Sakura Empire since they have so many shipgirls. The Royal Navy…"
"They still have most of their girls here, don't they?" Cleveland said abruptly
"Yes, Cleveland. Queen's orders although they have about a fourth of their navy back in their country. The Ironbloods have most of their destroyers back home."
Baltimore rose a brow at this news, "So why do the Iris and Sardegna Empire have their entire fleet here? Wouldn't that compromise their national defenses?"
"Tu as raison, Mademoiselle Baltimore. Our navy is quite smaller than most but we will not hesitate in defending our homeland when the time comes," Dunkerque answered
"Baltimore, always the one to be sure everyone is safe. She and Georgia would probably get along quite well," Gabriel thought to himself before turning back to the task at hand
Which only lasted a few seconds before Cleveland's mouth opened, "So, Admiral, is it true you had...sex...with Shoukaku and Akagi?"
The world stopped immediately as the Admiral turned back to Cleveland with a panicked expression. How the hell did she learn…...Oh fuck. Littorio spilled the beans didn't she? Cleveland's question caught the attention of the other girls who looked at him in shock. Baltimore's face lit up scarlet at such a question while Dunkerque was...curious?
"Um…." the Admiral began, his mind working overtime for an excuse, "Where did you hear that?"
"Cara told me. I was going to ask you something but you were asleep at the time and we were talking about stuff. She just happened to mention it. Is there a problem?" Cleveland explained, a light blush dusting her face although it was easy to miss
Gabriel slowly banged his head against the wall as he chastised himself mentally, "Goddammit Littorio."
"Wait! You did it with Littorio too!" Baltimore exclaimed, her blush growing darker at the thought of her superior falling for the charms of the Italian Battleship
"What? NO! I wouldn't do that unless I wanted to."
"I knew it! You are a pervert!" Hamman's voice called from outside, their conversation being heard thanks to an open window
Dunkerque then grabbed his left arm, pressed her well-endowed bosom against it, "Would you be that intimate with me, mon amour~?"
Now it was the Admiral's turn for his face to have a scarlet blush as each one of the girls were looking at him for an answer. Baltimore was unable to make coherent sentences as this revelation seemed to put an armor-piercing around into her mind.
"Cleve, why did you have to ask that?" Gabriel grumbled, wishing that the light cruiser hadn't spoken said question
Cleveland looked away with a pout on her face that complimented her blush, "I am a woman, Admiral. I have a right to know."
A sigh escaped his lips, "Yeah...it did happen. My parents always taught me to put a ring on a woman's finger before you took them to bed. Well, I clearly did the opposite so...Let's get back to work."
The women relented their future prying as the Admiral got back to the important task of helping them set up decorations. Hopefully, the Royal Navy wouldn't ask him these questions, unless it was Queen Elizabeth. God would only know those answers until he got them himself.
"So you all heard about it too?"
Gabriel was lying on a couch that was quite elegant. Having a dark blue color paired with golden trimming on the edges. The room was quite regal from what he was used to but it was commonplace within the dorms of the Royal Navy. His head currently rested on the lap of Hood while she stroked a bare hand through his hair. Spending another hour or two putting up decorations got exhausting with how repetitive it was. A small amount of rest did wonders to the body on a long day's work.
Hood, who had been silent since she offered her company so the Admiral could relax, then spoke, "You should know how word quickly spreads around here. Like wildfires, they spread quickly and without remorse."
"Poetic. How are the preparations on your end?"
"Very well, Mr. Harper. Today was mainly taking count of how many items we must order. Financing such matters are already being taken care of by Belfast."
Gabriel looked up at Hood, brow slightly furrowed, "Hood, you don't have to be formal about my name. You can just call me Gabriel."
A knock at the door prompted their attention. Who could that be? None of the maids were to bother Hood unless it was urgent nor one of the other members of the Royal Navy. The question was swiftly answered by a soft voice, "Papa, are you in there? Can I come in?"
"Yes, I'm here."
The door opened to reveal Unicorn holding her beloved U-chan close to her chest. The only difference about the both of them was the small Santa hat on their heads. No doubt Unicorn wanted to get into the festive mood a bit more than other shipgirls. Speaking of festive mood, who was going to handle the gift-giving this year? Enterprise?
"Papa, can you help me with the Christmas tree?"
Unicorn, being as adorable as she was, was giving him the puppy dog eyes to further convince the man to help her. As much as he was tired from the decorations he helped put up in the Eagle Union dorms, the request was too hard to deny.
"Alright, where is this Christmas tree?" he asked, having not seen one when he first entered
"In the middle of the town as we did last year. Her Majesty even ordered the largest tree that could be shipped. We weren't able to afford one last year but this year was most favorable," Hood answered
The Admiral slowly rose from his resting position and put on his winter coat. Unicorn eagerly ran out towards the exit of the Royal dorms so she could get to the Christmas tree first. Hood hummed at the sight of how happy Unicorn was before she herself rose to join them. It was already late afternoon/early evening so the sun was beginning to set and the chill of the snow set in. The earlier decorations were still set although the past couple of hours allowed the shipgirls to put up more festive items. It was beginning to look less like a naval base and more like home.
Unicorn was basically pulling Gabriel along as she had her hand firmly around his. It was a wonder that she wasn't pulling his arm off with her strength, although she was much weaker than others. His other hand was held by Hood who was giggling at the sight of the man being easily pulled. The center of the town was getting closer and closer with every step they took and the large true Hood spoke of was visible. Firmly set in a patch of dirt , the imposing plant towered all those who were on the base and all the buildings.
"That's one large tree," the Admiral commented
A large group of destroyers from all factions were gathered around the said tree, already getting to work on placing ornaments. They could probably get towards the first five or six feet before ladders were needed. Even so, the ladders would only go so far and this might require machinery to get up there. Unicorn proceeded into the crowd, no doubt looking for Javelin, Ayanami, Laffey and Z23. A heartwarming moment to bear with the plain tree slowly turning into something beautiful. It would take many hours, but many hours of fun and enjoyment.
Hood finally decided to speak, "She seems so happy when you go along with her. She used to be so shy at first."
Gabriel pondered over those words, thinking back to his first day on the base. Unicorn could hardly speak a sentence before she reduced herself to mumbles. Over a few months, she slowly got out of her protective shell to form a friendship with the Starter Squad. A couple more months and she would visit him. Then she started calling him "Big Brother" for some reason which left the former Commander confused. Give a couple of years and now she saw him as her father figure. It must be nice to be the only guy on the base.
"Years fly by so fast. One day, I had a fleet of maybe ten shipgirls and now there are hundreds. To think that the Wisdom cubes could give hundreds of ships life still astounds me."
"But are we warships or people?" questioned the elegant lady
The answer should be obvious but it also was one that politicians would argue for ages about, "To me, you are people. I think the average person would think so as well. Some might think you are robotic constructions of old ships but I don't think they can deny how your actions have kept humanity from extinction."
A smile tranced Hood's lips, her hands behind her back but within one of her sleeves, it held an item. The Admiral's attention went back to the large group of destroyers. The light from the street lights reflected off of the decorations that were being placed; reds, greens, silvers and golds all sparkling. Hood slowly brought her hands forward and held a small box neatly wrapped. She tapped his shoulder to get his attention.
"Admiral, an early present," Hood said, presenting the box to him
Gabriel wanted to question what it was but since Hood went out of her way to wrap the small box, he should not ask. Slowly, he unwrapped the gift until he was presented with a smaller dark blue box. This had to be a promise ring box, there was no doubt about it. Looking back up towards the battlecruiser in front of him, a small blush on her cheeks but she was not embarrassed. Had she waited until now to do this?
"Hood…"
"It was only a matter of time, Mr. Harper. The Queen was generous enough to buy this ring for us. If you may," Hood stated while presenting her left hand
The Admiral didn't hesitate in opening the small box which held the oath ring. This wasn't the first time he had done this, but it was still a little nerve wracking. Delicately, he took the ring from the soft cloth that held it in place before taking Hood's warm hand in his other hand. Then, he placed the oath ring on her ring finger, the reflective metal bouncing the nearby light.
Once that was finished, the battlecruiser smiled warmly as she inspected the ring that was firmly on her ring finger, "How does the beginning of the new year sound to you, darling~?"
A smile went on Gabriel's face along with a huge blush as he wasn't expecting the ceremony to be planned out so soon, "Sure. Let's help decorate that tree before Unicorn complains about me showing favoritism."
"Very well."
It was close to midnight by the time Gabriel opened the door to his home. His stomach was growling like crazy and his body was aching from standing in the cold for so long. At least the girls were able to get a good portion of the tree done. Unicorn was lazily asleep on his back, refusing to go back to the Royal dorms. A strong and savory smell was in the air, prompting the stomach to growl louder.
"Roon, I'm home," he said with a tired sigh, bringing Unicorn towards his bed so she could get some rest.
Sadly, the small shipgirl that considered herself his daughter grabbed the sleeve of his coat before the Admiral could go eat, "Can you...read me a bedtime story?"
Despite his tiredness, it was almost impossible to refuse such a request to the little light carrier, "Ok. Just one, one that my father told me when I was a young boy."
Unicorn got herself under the covers with her curiosity piqued that Gabriel would tell a bedtime story he was told. Roon was watching from the doorway with her own desire to hear such a tale. If it weren't for the sizzling of the pan in the kitchen that called her away temporarily, she would have heard the first part.
"There was once a soldier who had three sons. Each one was deeply loved by him and his sons equally loved their father. One day, when the boys became men, the father was too old to fight in a war his home was about to enter. So, his sons joined to protect their home…"
"Like you?" Unicorn asked, assuming the story was about him and his family
Gabriel chuckled, shaking his head, "No. Let me finish the story."
Before long, the night sky basked the naval base with a full moon. The stars sparkled brightly and would continue until the morning. Gabriel could wait to see what weapon was sent towards him. Probably another prototype gun of sorts, but he would never realize that it would be something unorthodox.
Like always, leave a comment and tell me how you feel about the story. Focusing on more fluff and heartwarming stuff. I considered doing a Valentine story but I'll tackle it another day. Good luck on your pulls!
Stay tuned and Happy Valentine's Day~
