A/N: I'm back! Thanks to everyone who has reivewed and followed thus far! Hope you enjoy :)
Henry smirked in contentment over the rim of his glass, taking a sip from the deep red liquid that was housed in the glass. The sweet taste of port a welcome treat. The main St Gloriana ballroom was filled with tables and people as the suit clad men danced with the well-dressed women. The St Gloriana orchestra was playing on a raised dais. Rather different from the last victory party that Saunders had thrown, the St Gloriana parties tended to reflect those of high society long ago, classical music and ballroom dancing, accompanied by a full three course meal and various alcoholic beverages.
The chandelier above sparkled with light, casting it's illuminations across the hall, red curtains pulled back allowing the moon light through the large stained glass windows, throwing a myriad of colours into the room as well. At this point of the party, most of the tables had been pulled back to the side of the room, allowing for a large dance floor as the throng of tank crews danced and mingled around the room.
As the Pravda-St Gloriana match was the last of the friendlies to be held this season, the victor was the one granted the honour of hosting the final party. Thus, how members of all the other schools found themselves aboard the Ark Royal. Students from Oorai, Pravada, Saunders, Kuromarine, BC Freedom and others were all scatted amongst the more numerous St Gloriana students. Henry himself was leaning on one of the windowsills, clad in a navy blue suit, with a white shirt, bright blue tie and grey waistcoat. His eyes scanned the crowd, Darjeeling was chatting with Marie from BC Freedom, her scarlet red strapless dress drawing Henry's eye. He allowed himself to linger on her for a minute, and as he did she turned and caught his eye, winking at him, before turning back to her conversation.
Moving on from his girlfriend, Henry saw his crew leading their various significant others in a dance. Once again to his surprise and amusement, Pekoe and Tim were leading the dance showing the others how it was done and judging from Richie's pained face, Rosehip was just as graceful on the dance floor as she was on the battlefield. Assam and Richard flew around the floor like swans, both clearly just caught up in each other and the music and Arthur and Rukuriri looked at ease with other as they too swayed along with the music, bringing a happy smile to Henry's face, finally seeing his loader content with life.
"It's cute isn't it?" his thoughts were broken by Kay sliding next to him.
"Oh quite so yes." He took another sip of his wine.
"You've got a good lot here, you do know that right?" She took a gulp from her own drink, clearly -not- wine
"Did you sneak whiskey in?"
"Nooooooo, I wouldn't do that." She winked at him mischievously.
Henry chuckled, "To your point I would say yes, I am awake of how ridiculously lucky I've been here. I got a good crew, and a good bunch of friends as well as an -extremely- beautiful but irritating girlfriend as my co-commander."
He paused for a brief second, glancing over at Darjeeling, before back to Kay.
"Don't tell anyone I said that."
Kay's grin widened, "Can't have your reputation being ruined for showing feelings, right?"
"Something like that."
Kay giggled, before indicating the Pravda male captain out in the crowd,
"He's very good in bed."
Henry spluttered and almost choked on his drink.
"What?"
Kay snorted, clutching her sides as she laughed, "Oh you should see your face!"
"Are you serious or just joking?"
She wiped away a tear from her eye, "Oh I'm serious, but still your face!"
Henry grunted, his eyes tracking his Pravda contemporary. Ivan Vasil was unlike the stereotypes, slightly smaller than Henry, but taller than his female opposite. He was cold and calculating, not roaring and angry like Katyusha has proven to be in the past.
"So you two are dating then?"
"Nah not really, just an occasional fling. Like what we used to have back when we first started."
Henry's eyebrows raised in surprise, "I thought we agreed to not talk about that."
Kay shrugged "We've both moved on and are friends, I don't see an issue."
"Fair enough I guess, how'd it start?"
"Oh, we had a match, but it was his male team against our female. We drew as both our flag tanks popped at the same time, so we met up afterwards for a chat and a drink to discuss it and somehow ended back at my apartment." She winked at him "He's actually a massive teddy bear really."
Henry chuckled, "What is it with you girls and teddy bears. Miho from Ooorai is -Obsessed- with that one…. Boko is it?"
"Yeah that's the one! I think it's cute."
"Of course, you do."
A comfortable silence settled between the two as they watched the rest of the crowd. The band began to pick up a more jaunty tune and Henry observed Philippe from BC Freedom drag Marie along with him for a dance, leaving Darjeeling on her own.
"If you'll excuse me Kay, I've got a girlfriend to rescue."
"Oh of course, I'll go find my Russian bear."
"Please don't call him that when I'm near." Henry just got a smirk in response.
He weaved himself through the crowd, keeping an eye on Darjeeling's platinum hair so he didn't lose track of her. Henry avoided drunken students and dancers, before swerving around a very vigorous exchange between a Kuromarine girl and a Pravda male, and then reaching his target he curled an arm around her waist and twirled her around, eliciting a gasp from her, then a giggle.
"Hi there, having fun?"
"Oh, I was until you showed up." Darjeeling poked him in the side, planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Oh, my heart cannot bare the pain you cause me."
"Mhm, what heart?"
"Ouch."
Darjeeling looped her arms around Henry's neck as the two began swaying to the music.
"Your dress is very…. elegant." Henry spun Darjeeling around in a slow turn.
"Elegant?" The two stepped to the right.
"Well I was going with sexy, but it didn't really fit the situation."
Darjeeling grinned again, pushing up closer to him as they carefully maneuvered the dance floor, leaning her chin against his chest and looking up cheekily "Perhaps we could…. get lost?"
Henry chuckled "Dangerous minx." Glancing over his shoulder, he saw an open side door and taking her hand, he led her out of the main room into a side corridor.
As the sounds of chatter and music slowly faded away, Henry and Darjeeling came across one of St Gloriana's many gardens. The Air outside was pleasantly cool, making for a change from the hot and sweaty ball room.
Darjeeling closed her eyes as the fresh breeze swept over her skin "Ah, much better."
"And quieter too." Henry led her to one of the benches scattered around, brushing off a few leaves that had fallen from the tree above.
The two settled on the bench, Darjeeling leaning into Henry's side, resting her head on his shoulder grabbing hold of one of his hands. "You know we made little Katyusha very angry today."
"Oh yeah, was it because we trounced them?"
Darjeeling gently swatted his arm, "No it was because, and I quote 'We stole their tactics from them'."
"Ah charging en masse with great success? I mean, If you can call you and your girls advance a charge, more like a crawl."
"Hmpf, still pulled you out of the fire."
"It was a very small fire."
"That IS-2 staring down at you didn't look small to me."
"Ach, size isn't everything. It's how you use it."
Darjeeling glanced down, then back up at him.
"Not a word."
"I wasn't going to say anything." She batted her eyelashes at him.
"You enjoy it well enough."
"Mhm true."
She leant forward and caught his lips, enjoying a slow, sensual kiss as hands wandered.
Later
Darjeeling straightened her dress as she and Henry walked back into the hall. Henry by all accounts looked fine, except for a smirk on his face as he looked at her causing her to shake her head.
As they re-entered the hall, they were instantly cornered by Kay.
"Well helloooo by two favourite Brits."
"Hello Kay, how are you?" Darjeeling enquired of her American counterpart.
"Fine thanks!" Kay's voice was slurred, "Lil Ivan's gone off to get me another drink."
"Are you sure that's wise?"
"Yeah! No problem with it!"
Ivan appeared at Kay's shoulders, holding out a cup which she eagerly grabbed and guzzled down it's contents.
"Water" Ivan mouthed at Henry and Darjeeling, who both nodded in understand.
Henry let go of Darjeeling's arm and offered Ivan his hand, "You fought well today."
"My thanks, it was an honour to engage in battle with you." Ivan shook the offered hand firmly, "A shame some of our competitors do share the same attitude."
"I know what you mean…but can't be helped sometimes."
Ivan was dressed in his dress uniform, unlike the girls of Pravda who were based off the Soviet Union, Ivan and his men were based off the White Tsarist forces from the civil war, clearly showing a stark divide between the two teams.
"Heeey this isn't alcohol." Kay dropped the cup on the floor.
"No it isn't, you've had far too much to drink already." Ivan turned to face the oncoming storm.
"Well we'll leave you too it." Henry nodded to Ivan and Kay before taking Darjeeling's arm once more.
"Are they together?"
"Kind of."
"Ah that sort of together."
"Indeed."
The two made their way over to where their friends had pushed together some tables and were lounging around in the chairs. Pekoe was feeding Tim some cocktail Sausages, Richard had his head in Assam's lap as she played with his hair, Richie and Rosehip were nowhere to be seen and Arthur and Rukuriri were wrapped up in each other.
"Ran out of energy then?"
Assam looked up and smiled at the two, "Dancing does take it out of you."
Henry pulled out a seat for Darjeeling, before dragging one over for himself. "Yes, that's why we went outside, for some fresh air."
Assam wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, "Fresh air is a euphemism now?"
"No…."
"Sure, fresh air it was then."
Richard groaned, "Please, you're going to ruin breathing for me."
The group burst into laughter, chatting away until the early hours of the day as the music slowly died off and the sun rose across the sky, the bright beams of lighting once more shattering the colours off the stain glass, decorating the now almost empty ballroom once again with a rainbow of colours. Henry looked around at his friends, all of whom were slumped around the table in various positions.
"Guess we should go to bed now?"