Chapter 52: Akagitimes

Fleet carrier Akagi of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force smiled demurely as her new American friend pulled her lanky, stunningly built body out of the makeshift repair dock. The raven-haired carrier rested her hands on the semi-decorative piece of her flight deck hanging over her crimson hakama skirt. Partly because it was the proper, ladylike thing to do.

But mostly because grabbing her belly and holding in tight was the only way the starving carrier could think of to keep her raging appetite in check. Her stomach was bone dry, and she could feel it gnawing away at the insides of her fuel bunker between vicious cramps. She might've earned her reputation as a glutton ten times over, but Akagi never ate just for the pleasure of eating.

Her air wing needed to be reconstituted and resupplied after nearly every sortie, and planes weren't cheap. It'd taken every shred of willpower to walk into the mess hall and then walk out again with breakfast for the destroyer girls. It didn't help that the Americans had seemingly pulled out all the culinary stops. For a carrier used to feeding herself on nothing but naked rice—with perhaps a splash of curry sauce or some pickled radish to give it some flavor—the smells of cooking meat and fresh bread had been almost overpowering.

But she was a carrier of the Japanese Navy. She would uphold the proud tradition of CarDiv one. And she wouldn't abandon her guests. "Are you ready for breakfast, Jersey-san?"

"Uh," the towering American glanced down at herself. Her shorts were stained red-black on one side, and her shirt was covered with the crusty stains of soaked-in oil and rusty blood. She pursed her lips for a second while she carefully tugged her shirt off her chest. The soaked-though fabric hesitated for a second before finally peeling off the American's… distinctly American figure.

"If you wish you change," Akagi squeezed at her belly, her abdominal muscles clenching with all their strength to try and contain another furious growl from her mutinous stomach. Her face flushed as she heard a low rumble slip out despite her earnest efforts. "I can show you to the-"

"Oh FUCK," Jersey barked as she almost doubled over. Her hands clapped to her belly as her knees buckled under her. Her stomach let out a roaring rumble so loud Akagi saw the dock's water ripple.

"Jersey!" the carrier jumped to the battleship's side, ignoring the equally-loud roar her own stomach was generating.

"FUCK!" Jersey's mouth hung open as she struggled to get her wind back. Her hands were clawing at her stomach and her eyes were screwed shut as her tummy cramped uncontrollably.

"I'm…" Akagi offered a hand to the far stronger American. She'd probably never known a day in her life where she wasn't so well supplied she literally didn't know what to do with her bounty. Being under supplied had to be a rude awakening for the American, especially after waking up with her magazines all but empty. "Breakfast first?"

"Hell yeah." Jersey grunted as she half-hauled herself back to her feet. Akagi's offered arm helped but there was only so much the fleet carrier could do for a ship of Jersey's displacement. "Which uh…"

Akagi's hand jolted out like a lighting bolt. "Follow me!"

Jersey didn't need to be told twice. The towering American exploded into a sprint. Or what would have been a sprint for any other battleship. For her, it was more of a quick jog.

"Where're the others?" Jersey jerked her head towards the empty main dock pool.

"I think they're changing," said Akagi. She liked to talk when she was hungry. A good conversation could take her mind off the roaring cramps in her empty belly.

"Changing?"

"Mmhm," Akagi nodded as she jogged alongside her new American friend. "Nagato-San thought that, since we're on American soil, we should follow American customs."

"Liiiike?" Jersey shot the carrier a sidelong glance.

"Wearing bathing suits in the dock," said Akagi as she plowed her way though a set of double-doors. To be honest, the carrier didn't see any real reason to cover herself in the docks. After all, the only people who'd see her would be fellow shipgirls, and of course the medical personnel attending to them. Her body was a perfectly natural thing, or as natural as a kanmusume could be.

But, the Americans were feeding her country, she'd gladly wear a swimsuit if that was the cost of such generous aid. Of course, it did help that the swiming wear Ryuujou had helped pick out looked so fetching. Akagi could hardly wait to try it on.

"Is Mushi-" Jersey caught herself. Evidentially the conversation was doing its job on her end as well. The American… still looked utterly miserable, but she wasn't clawing at her belly anymore. "Fuck it, I don't even wanna know."

"That may be wise," said Akagi with a demure little smile. A smile that turned into a full-on cherisher-cat grin when the pair walked into the dining hall.

Akagi'd grown quite fond of Western entertainment, Top Gun and other films of its era in particular. Jersey's sculpted jawline and tough, angular face would've been perfect right up alongside Iceman or the T-800. And it melted into a gooey puddle of unrestrained glee the instant her ice-blue eyes laid sight on the bounty filling the dining room.

"Pancakes!" Jersey bolted for the nearest pile of the fluffy hot cakes with a smiling fleet carrier following along in tow. The two girls quickly filled their trays with mountains of oven-fresh pancakes, several cows worth of sausage, and more bacon than Akagi had ever seen—let alone smelled in her life.

"This is truly amazing," said Akagi. Or at least that's what she wanted to say. With her mouth bulging to capacity with a half-dozen pancakes and plenty of syrup, the best she could manage was, "'s guh!"

Jersey nodded in response. Her pale American features weren't quite as chipmunked out as Akagi's, but the carrier did have the full discipline of the Kido Butai helping her fit every last morsel into her mouth at once.

For almost an hour, the two girls didn't say a word to each other. Every second they weren't swallowing was a second spent piling more syrup-soaked pancakes, griddle-fresh eggs, or piping hot coco into their starving bodies. The two girls matched each other nearly bite-for-bite.

Jersey's utter lack of table manners only barely letting her keep up with Akagi's superior Japanese discipline. The girls only started to slow down when Akatsuki and Inazuma walked out in their aprons to refill a plate of sausage.

"Akatsuki-chan, Inazuma-chan," Akagi waved at the little girls, "Thank you very much for the meal."

The girls were about to bow in response when Jersey raised her voice.

"Hell yeah, this shit fucking rocks."

Akatsuki's cheeks blushed red while Inazuma just let out a quiet "nanodesu." Akagi would've brought a hand to her forehead if that didn't mean a break from her much-needed resupply.

The two destroyers glanced at eachother, then quickly scurried back into the kitchen. A few seconds later, they came back with two more third-generation special-type destroyers (and one throughly-confused looking light cruiser) in tow. Before anyone could react, the whole of DesDiv six piled onto Akagi in a smiling hugpile.

Akagi smiled and gave every one of them a gentle pat on the head. Even Tenryuu, much to the old cruiser's chagrin.

Jersey wasn't so subtle. She picked up all five girls in a crushing hug, causing Tenryuu to let out a surprised 'eep!' that she hurriedly covered with a scowled cough.

"Seriously," The battleship carefully set the girls down, "Thank you. All of you."

"It uh…" Tenryuu rubbed her increasingly red face, "It wasn't a problem."

"It's only ladylike to look after your guests!" said Akatsuki as she did the best curtsy she could in her over sized apron.

"You can rely on us anytime!" said Ikazuchi.

"It was a pleasure, nanodesu."

Hibiki just shuffled over to give Jersey a gentle hug and stealthily slipped a tiny metal flask into the battleship's pocket.

Jersey shoved a pancake in her mouth to hide her blush while DesDiv six and their minder bustled back to the kitchen.

"They really are sweet, aren't they?" said Akagi.

"Mmhm," Jersey gulped down her latest bite. "Hell yeah they are." She paused for a moment. Her gaze drifted to the far corner of the room as she silently chewed her latest morsel of sausage and syrup. "Hey… 'kagi?"

"Mmm?"

"You ever… have a dream?"

Akagi dabbed at the corners of her mouth. "A few, I think. There's only been one I remember."

"Yeah?" Jersey was suddenly leaning over the table. Her ice-blue eyes bored into the carrier's with the kind of focus she normally only expected from Kaga. "What was it?"

Akagi thought back. "I was… in the middle of a huge bowl of ice cream."

Jersey blinked.

"And I had to eat my way out with a tiny spoon," concluded the carrier. She let out a tiny little laugh, "It's funny, I don't think I've ever had ice cream."

Jersey blinked again, then her head slowly fell against the table. "Fucking useless," she grumbled.