Sea of Flavors Chapter 3, an azur lane/碧蓝航线 fanfic

A/N: NSFW section at the end of this chapter…. You have been warned.

Part Three – The right temp

It'd been almost a month since I was uplifted to Knighthood, in that time I was shocked to learn that we had a press corps on-base… even more irritating was to find out that I was now the center of their attention. That combined with a Victorian-era courtship that was forced on me has made progressing things with George difficult at best and a downright unholy terror at worst.

I mean we aren't even allowed to hold hands in public! We can't go anywhere alone; thankfully Wales is our 'chaperone' most times so that allows some leeway, but when it's Swiftsure, she makes us walk three feet apart at all times with her in the center and she makes me submit my planned conversations with George in advance so that she can approve them to make sure that there is nothing inappropriate that could be overheard…

I know the way out of this courtship, but am I ready to put that on the table? I know that 'Lizzy made it clear where she expects this to go, I wouldn't have been made a Knight of the Garter if she didn't expect me to join her household at the end of this courtship… then again technically I am a part of the Royal household now.

I flop back down on my bed and look at my ceiling fan as it slowly turns and I run both hands down my face as I groan and ask the universe; "What am I going to do?"

When no answer comes from on-high I force myself to sit up and move to my bedroom window and look out over the port and I start to wonder how George feels about this. I know what I want right now; it involves her in my bed. I sigh and rest my right arm against the window frame before leaning my head against it, these thoughts are not helping right now, but they are fun to imaging… I look down and see that my blood has collected down south and I shake my head as I tell myself, "Really? Am I that hard up?"

I leave my window and start to get ready for the evening; it's the monthly poker game, a chance for me to get my mind elsewhere for a bit.

XXXX

"I raise." Said Her Majesty as she slid more chips into the center of the table, she seems a little confident.

To her left, I can see Washington looking at her cards, hard and looking to her chip stack before she tosses in her cards and says, "Fold."

Next is Bismarck, she's always the hardest to read, she matches the 'Lizzy's bet as she says, "Call."

I look at my cards, I've got a pair of twos, I look to my stack of chips, it's getting kind of small, but I match the bet, leaving me with just a couple of chips left as I say, "Call."

It's back to Lizzy and she sits back in her chair for a moment before pushing in a full stack and I do my best not to make a face as she looks at me and says, "You can always bet something other than chips Sir Hawker…"

Bismarck turned a little in her chair to look at me and ask, "How is your courtship going? I am surprised to see it being so…"

She paused and looked to 'Lizzy as she finished, "Old fashioned."

I see The Queen get a little red in the face at the thinly veiled slight as she continues, "Had I known Commander that you were looking, I could've offered the hand of my sister Tirpitz… Check."

Washington snorts at Bismarck's words and says, "I could've put North Carolina up too since you seem to like busty blonds Commander…"

I sigh and look at my hand again, a pair of twos, this is a risky hand to work with and I shake my head and I let them in on the secret, "It was an accident that I found out that I like George…"

Washington seems to take the bait as she asks me, "How that'd happen?"

I adjust my cards in my hand in a big show as I tell her, "I had a crush on Dunkerque, like to the point where I was taking baking lessons from her, just to spend time with Dunkerque… Anyways, things happened and it was made clear to me that there was nothing there nor would there ever be anything there…"

I shift my cards around one last time as I say, "But then George slipped on some water and pulled me down as she fell… things happened and there was something there, something that felt really good and exciting."

I look at 'Lizzy as I say, "Check."

I was either out for the night or I'd get lucky. I watch as 'Lizzy arranges her cards, she's thinking on something for a good long while before she tells me, "I don't care about the chips Johnathan…"

I'm a little surprised by her using my first name, she never calls me that, it's usually Commander, Commander Hawker, or lately Sir Hawker, but it's the cool look in her grey-blue eyes that seem to be playing with a higher level game than for chips as she continues, "I win this hand and you formally ask George for her hand…"

Bismarck looks between us before she sits back and puts her hand down and says, "I fold."

I can see a slow devilish smirk at the corners of her mouth and I start running the numbers in my head, my probability of winning is low, like really, really low… and I have been trying to avoid the M-word, but engagement doesn't have to end in that we could find that we are actually really incompatible… Not bloody likely though. I take a breath, well might as well as ask for something truly outlandish if I win… "Fine, I win this; I'm made the Lord High Admiral."

I felt a chill run down my spine as she says, "Done."

Oh, bugger… I thought for sure that she wouldn't go for it, I lay my cards out, a three, four, five, and finally my pair of twos. I see 'Lizzy start to laugh as she places down her cards, a six, seven, eight, and a pair of threes. To her left I hear Washington bemoan, "Are you fucking serious?!"

The three of us look to her as she flips over her cards to show a straight, the table erupts in laughter at her outburst, we divided up the chips and returned to the game.

XXXX

The next day I stood in front of my computer, I took a deep breath and checked the time, taking into account the time zone differences it'd be just before the diner rush, so no she might pick up, I felt so very, very nervous… I hadn't been in much of a position to call home in what felt like years.

Letting out the breath I hit the connect button, it rang a few time, a few more times before on the other end I saw a young woman with blond hair that I didn't recognize and she looked at me and said with a heavy London accent, "Oi, I think you got the wrong number govnah…"

I shake my head and say, "No… I don't think I am. This is the contact number for Marry Hawker…"

"Aye it is govnah… but she's a bit busy with Chef Hawker right now…" the girl said back to me.

I was going to say something when she closed the window ending the call, I sighed, and she must be a new higher and had no idea who I was.

I got to get up from behind my desk; I need to start morning rounds soon, I'm almost across my office when I hear my computer make a noise telling me that someone was trying to call me. I shrug and get back in my seat and accept the incoming call, I see a woman I know really well, her red hair going a little grey at the roots, some more lines around her blue eyes that go wide when she sees me before she calls out, "Johnathan!"

"Hi mum, how are you?"

I ask as I give her a smile.

I see her scoot forward a little as she seems to be looking me up and down in my uniform, a warm smile crossing onto her features as she says to me, "You look so good, how are things where you are?"

I look off to the side, I can't tell her where I am, it's classified S.C.I. and I start thinking about what I can tell her, "Things are okay here, if they keep up like this, the war should be over by the end of the year I think."

She looks happy, like really happy as I say that and she asks, "When it's done, are you going to come home, or are you going to go and find more adventure?"

"I'd like to come home, show dad all that I've learned in the service, all the new recipes I've picked up..." I say, these were almost pointless bits of small talk, I knew what I wanted to ask, but it was tricky trying to find a way to ask it.

I watch as she gets up from behind her screen and I hear a door close before she comes back and asks, "So tell me Johnathan, have you found a young woman… or man if that's what you fancy?"

I laugh; leave it to my mother to get right down to the important topics… I rub the back of my head and before I say "A woman actually."

I mean technically she both is and isn't, but that falls under the S.C.I. classification of my job. I see her grin from ear to ear and spin around in her chair before she says, "Ha! Your father owes me fifty quid."

I rub my hands over each other before slipping them under my desk and I decide to go at the subject head-on, "Mum, do you still have Grandmother Hawker's engagement band?"

She stops spinning, and looks at me like I had just dumped a bucket of water on her, before she says, "Johnathan William Hennery Hawker, you are not asking what I think it is you are…"

I wince, the full name and she continues, "I haven't even had a chance to meet this woman! Not to mention this is the first time I've heard from you in three years…"

I hang my head, she was right, but I need to prove that I am my own man now and I let out a breath before I tell her, "You're right mother, I've been stuck out in the central pacific ocean fighting a war for the past five years of my life, the last three having been placed in charge of something that is so classified that I don't even know if I'm putting the rest of my life at risk by even calling you from my office right now. So I am sorry, that in that amount of time I met someone that I care a great deal about and would like to spend the rest of my days with, but I haven't had a chance to fly to London to introduce her to you…"

She seems surprised by my outburst, but not unhappy at seeing and hearing it, she looks off to the side before she says quietly, "I'm sorry John, over here in London the war is so far removed that if you didn't try to follow what was going on, you'd never know one was going on."

I pinch the bridge of my nose and nod, there was truth to that, with Kansen doing the bulk of the fighting, there was little disruption to everyday life for everyone else. I sigh before I say to her, "Look mum, I'm not trying to do things in a strange order, but things are progressing here and I would like to take the next step with her… that steep needing…"

She gives me a weak smile and nods before telling me, "I'll get it to Scapa Flow as soon as I can and get it shipped out to you John… when this is over, please come home so I can at least met her."

I nod as I tell my mother, "I'll try mum… I'll try to call again before three years goes by… Love you."

She smiles back at me and returns the words before closing the link. I lean back in my chair and spin it around to look over the port, and it hits me, I sure hope the fleet can find my location…

XXXX

Her Majesty had given me a month to ask George for her hand or she would do it for me, and now I'm running out of time to do that. At current I found myself at the local market, looking at ingredients, trying to come up with an idea. I knew that George had traveled the world, tasted things from every corner of the globe, but I didn't have the luxury of being able to pick the best of the world has to offer for her right now.

I continued to wander around the market thinking on what I could find; I went up and down aisle after aisle and inspiration just wasn't striking, I was kneeling on the floor looking at things on a lower shelf when I noticed a shadow cast over me, the subtle smell of roses following closely. I smiled to myself, I knew that scent, I turned around and found my nose pressed up against black fabric, I look up and notice that the light is defused somewhat and I see, oh! Oh my… I feel my cheeks get hot as I put my hands on the thighs that I was pressed up against and push back to not have my head stuck up her skirt.

As I land on my rear, I look up to see George blushing and looking off to the side slightly, before she tucks her hands behind her to pull her skirt in tight as she bends at the knees to look me in the eyes before she leans over and whispers in my ear, "Since it was you, I won't be angry… But Johnathan we can't do that sort of thing in public…"

I had gotten better about being called that, I'd gone by John ever since primary school, I only ever heard Johnathan when I was in trouble, but when she says it, it makes me feel good. I feel so nervous, I know what I need to ask her, and I'm very sure she'll accept, but the words are stuck in my throat, she tilts her head to the side and looking at me with her red eyes, they seem so warm. She brushes some of her blond hair behind an ear as she smiles at me and says, "It's good to spend even a little time without a chaperone with you… it feels like forever since we got to."

There was truth to that, almost two months had gone by since the Gala and my life changed. I nodded my agreement to her words and it was almost like she could read my thoughts as she said, "Now, let's find something to make for dinner tonight… you were going to invite me over were you not?"

I relax a little when she said that and stood up, bending at her hips to help me up, her hand felt so soft in mine, but I knew just how strong and tough she really was, I was the weaker creature here, but she let me think the roles were reversed here. As I stood up, I shoved my right hand into my pants pocket, and I felt the box there, I got lucky that it had been put on the next supply flight that first went to the Eagle Union to make the trip shorter. I really want to say something but I don't get the chance as she starts to fill my basket and her own with supplies before turning to face me, she bites her lower lips for a second and looks around before kissing me, I was starting to forget how electric this felt, I slide a free hand around her waist and pull her close against me. I don't want this to stop, based on the happy noises she was making I don't think she wants it to stop either. As my lungs just start to burn in protest she breaks the kiss, almost going in for a second one before placing our foreheads together as she tells me, "I missed that."

As we were like that I ask her, "Can you come over without a chaperone tonight?"

She smiles warmly at me as she says, "I'll talk to Wales, she's the most relaxed when it comes to us getting privacy…"

I take my hand off of her waist and touch the side of her face and tease, "Thank goodness for your sister."

"Indeed…" she says before giving me another quick kiss.

XXXX

We had just finished dinner, she was looking utterly content on my living room couch, she was dressed in a simple red shirt and white skirt that barely covered her mid-thigh, and she had gone with her usual black stocking so that the outfit felt very similar to her uniform, but was clearly a relaxed outfit.

On the couch she was holding the sides of her belly, grinning as she looked over the back of the couch into the kitchen to see me cleaning up and she said, "I really like times like this Johnathan… are you sure you don't want some help in there?"

I shook my head, truth be told I needed these few minutes to get myself right in the head, I had a life-altering thing to talk to her about… I sigh to myself; really I've got more of a spine than this…

I hear her get quiet for a moment before she opens up about something, "Johnathan, my greatest hobbies in life are food and fighting. While I am more than capable of fighting alone, dining on my own is quite difficult and lonesome. To be able to find someone who can share both of these things with me is truly a joyous thing… so thank you for being a part of my life now."

I look over my shoulder and see that she has moved to stand at the doorway, a blush on her cheeks. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, it was now or 'Lizzy does this for me… I dry my hands and walk over to her and take her left hand in mine after I stop and pull out the little box I had stashed in an empty jar in the kitchen. I take another breath and feel my stomach doing backflips. Without a word being said, I slip the ring on her finger, I got lucky it seems to be a perfect fit. I know it's not the most impressive of rings, it looks decidedly common on her finger, she seems intrigued by it and I tell her, "It was my grandmother's engagement ring…"

Her attention snaps from the ring to me, back to the ring then back to me, I saw a smile start to spread across her face as she understood the meaning of this as she said to me, "Yes."

I felt my heart start to pound in my chest as she looked back to the ring on her finger as she continued, "They say that 'The quickest way to one's heart is through their stomach,' but you've managed to win over both at once. Commander, shall we share all our meals together from now on?"

I take a deep breath and risk putting my hands on her hips and kiss her, I feel her hands start to rub up and down my back before one hand makes its way to my hair and she starts to run it through my hair. I feel her push her left leg between mine as she presses herself against my thigh. I break the kiss and start to kiss her jawline to her neck and she starts to rub herself against my thigh, little moans starting to escape her throat before she says: "We need to find a bed."

I let her lead me up to my bedroom and we start to kiss again while pulling each other's clothes off, tossing them to the floor, I see a blush on her cheeks as she squishes her bust together with her arms before she got down on her knees and undid my pants, as they felt to the floor, I feel her soft hands around me, softly stroking me. I close my eyes this feels amazing, her hands let go and I feel warm wetness around me, I open my eyes and look down to see that I am in her mouth, I feel her tongue dancing around me just before I feel a sudden chill as I'm exposed to the air again. She catches her breath before she sides her skirt and underwear off and on to the floor and flings herself on to my bed backward.

I see a bright blush on her cheeks as she has her legs closed tightly, I move closer and force them apart and start to kiss down her thighs. When I reach her womanly area, I give it a kiss before I give her some attention with my tongue. I feel her hands in my hair as she starts to moan loudly and she tells me, "I want you, all of you."

I stop teasing her with my tongue and kiss my way up her belly, to her mounds, collar bone, neck, jawline, and finally her lips. When I got to her lips I felt one of her hands on me again as she guided me in, she was so wet and warm, it felt so very tight around me. I see her bite her lower lip before she tells me, "You're bigger than I thought…"

Her red eyes are locked on mine as we start to move as one, her moans getting louder and louder. I feel her nails run down my back as she moans out "Johnathan!"

I feel her tighten even more around me and start to convulse, it's too much for me and I'm pulled right along. I feel myself spasm inside of her and I moan out, "I love you…"

I collapse on top of her and we stay like that for a few moments, neither of us saying anything, just breathing heavily, after what feels like an eternity, she kisses me, it's still just as electric, but is somehow more amazing right now, I don't know if it's because I'm inside of her still or not… I feel her legs wrap around me before she says, "I love you too Johnathan Hawker."

I go to pull out and she uses her legs to keep me in there longer and smiles at me while she giggles out, "Not so fast, you're not going to roll over and go to sleep so fast."

I laugh and kiss her, touch the side of her face and tell her, "Well, if you want me to stay in here, I'll stay as long as I can."

We lay like that for a while before she asked me, "Johnathan, what do you think is going to happy after the war?"

I kiss her and place my forehead against hers as I tell her, "I want to go home and visit my family's restaurant in London…. I've been away for a long time and I'd love to introduce you to my mother."

She touches the side of my face and asks, "She won't hate me because I'm Kansen will she?"

I kiss her before I say, "I doubt it, if anything she'll be impressed I bring home such a beautiful woman."

I see her smile, but I can tell that there is something hidden behind that smile, if I had to hazard a guess, it had to due with the artificial nature of the Kansen, but after having spent so long living among them, I didn't see a difference between them and a human anymore… truth be told I preferred Kansen to other humans at this point.

XXXX