A/N: Kudos to Little Donkey for the beta!
Chapter 12: Second Sino-Japanese War: Departure
"You were holding back, weren't you...?"
I raised my head when Akagi pressed the cold bag of ice against my bruised cheek.
When I didn't respond, she pulled it away from me.
"...and what could that possibly mean...?" I asked after a brief pause.
After going head to head with me, Tenryuu helped me to my feet and apologized with grudging admiration in her voice. With a straight face, I told her to "forget it, no harm done" although I still felt like my head was floating toward the skies at the time. Akagi brought me back to my room and she treated my contusions, avoiding my eyes the whole time as I sat on my bed.
That sudden confession still felt like a dream for me.
I hadn't seen hide nor hair of her for nearly a month. And suddenly here she was, right in front of me and treating my wounds.
I was not ready to have a heart-to-heart with her after all that time.
"Nothing... I was just... I know you, Kaga-san. You were not doing the best you could back there..."
"You know me, huh...?"
She dropped her gaze, her face flushing. After not being this close to her for so long, it was amusing watching this new array of emotions she was showing in front of me.
"Akagi-san."
"Y-yes...? !"
I pointed to my cheek and said, "Go on."
"Ah, sorry!" she blurted, kneeling down in front of me while putting the ice pack back.
I had to admit, her blush was making the same shade of red appear on my face too.
Akagi was just too cute.
Someone this cute couldn't possibly be in love with me.
"...Is it true..?" I murmured.
She already knew what I meant without me saying it.
"Yes..." she whispered.
"But that's..."
"I'm serious."
It did sound as if she had contemplated over this during the two years of being away from each other.
"I'm serious about this, Kaga-san..." she said in a pleading tone, "I'm sorry that I ran away back then... It was far too sudden... and I regretted what I did... but I've thought about it long and hard. Kaga-san is so important to me... and not in the way that my other friends are. Kaga-san is different... and I'm sorry that it took me so long to realize that... Kirishima-san told me that I would become repentant if you went to another war and didn't come back home this time... and it hit me much, much harder than I thought..."
My head was spinning.
After two years of our relationship becoming strained, this came from completely out of nowhere.
It was hard to believe, and in my mind, there was no guarantee of my happiness.
"Do you remember what I said about my feelings?" I asked her, "My love for you is..."
"I understand," she interrupted, as I watched her like a hawk, "But... I realize that your love is not just about that. It's also about how you are always willing to spend time with me, to listen to me, to know my weaknesses and embrace them, to see past through what I show in the surface...and still love me in spite of that."
I became breathless when she gazed so deeply into my eyes.
She exhaled and held both of my hands in hers. "I love you, Kaga-san..." she said, "I love Kaga-san, and all her love for me, too. I love you."
My face turned redder every time she uttered the word "love".
This was all very new for me, and my brain still needed time to process it.
Akagi seemed to take my silence as a rejection.
"I-it's okay if you don't believe me...or if you don't love me anymo-"
"No," I cut her off, "No, I love you, Akagi-san. I still do. Not even two years is enough to make it go away. I don't know what to do, I don't..."
Before I could finish, Akagi's arms were around me and her lips were already on mine.
Never in my life had I ever expected that I could share a romantic kiss with Akagi.
My body felt so light and peaceful, being immersed in absolute bliss although a surging heat was coursing in my veins, surrounding me, engulfing me. I was a snowflake, being thrown around in a violent storm that came from that intoxicating pair of lips.
Even when the kiss was filling me anew, I was still hesitant to touch her. But the urge to become one with her soon grew irresistible.
Akagi-san...
It began with an outstretched arm, then a caress from a finger, then my hand was entangled in her long tresses.
I didn't dare to move my mouth, knowing that the beast inside of me was waiting. Waiting to escape from the cage that I had built for it ever since I realized that it wanted to get its claws on Akagi.
However, that cage was plainly crumbling.
Akagi looked a little afraid at first, but she gradually enjoyed the kiss, and she showed obvious hints that she wanted more.
Her thigh was sliding against mine and her mouth was threatening to do the same.
She was climbing onto my lap, pushing my head back, and my mind was drowning in a haze of lust.
For a brief moment I was in that half-and-half land where you are not completely conscious nor completely awake.
I wondered if I dared to do anything more than this.
When my brain wouldn't stop urging me to just give it a go, my hand reached Akagi's chin and parted her lips, creating access to deepen our kiss.
However, as soon as my tongue connected with hers, she let out a soft moan against my mouth.
A truly audible moan of gratification and arousal.
I had never heard a sound like that in my life.
I had never imagined I could hear Akagi making that sound because she was kissing with me.
And Akagi seemed to had thought the same, because she broke our kiss with a jolt.
I could only stare at her, still overwhelmed by that intimate contact we just shared.
"A...Ah..." she clasped her hand on her mouth as she slid down from my lap, "I-I'm sorry... I..."
When I was coming back to my senses, I recognized that look of fear in her eyes.
She was ready... but not ready in the way that allowed us to go further than this.
"...Akagi-san," I called, "It's okay..."
She shook her head. "No! It's not okay. What was I thinking, suddenly pulling back like that...I..."
"No, no, I mean it," I gave her the most sincere smile, "This is enough."
"It's not...you said..."
I remembered the words I mindlessly spouted out to her in my room back then.
"Oh, that...? That was just... Just forget that."
She still looked more guilty than ever. "No, don't..."
"Hey, listen to me," I put my hand on her cheek, "This is enough."
"But..."
"This is enough. For now."
She opened her mouth to retort but nothing came out and instead, her cheeks turned into a deep, scarlet shade.
Seriously, I really wanted to know what was going on underneath that adorable reaction of hers. But now was not the time.
"I think you should go back. The factory workers are probably getting paranoid with you. You don't want to make another case of disappearance," I advised.
"A-ah, that's true! I'm late!" she dropped the ice pack on the bed and hurried toward the door.
"Should I go with..."
"No."
I felt a little hurt hearing her abrupt refusal.
"Akagi-san..."
"I-I can go by myself. Kaga-san stays here. I just..l just need a bit of time alone...I mean..."
Watching her slowly turning into a blushing, blabbering mess was interesting.
She fidgeted at the door, as if waiting for my response. When I made a tiny nod, she immediately vanished from sight.
I listened to her footsteps until I couldn't hear her anymore, before tossing myself on the bed and reflecting on everything that just happened today. My fingers found my lips before I knew it.
Just one day ago I felt like a bird grubbing about for worms, trying so hard to get through my life and barely succeeding.
And now... it was like all my dreams from the past two years became true just in the span of one day.
That kiss would stay in my mind for days to come.
My brain kept repeating every little detail about the heart-stopping kiss...the creases of her lips...her long eyelashes...that tiny, sensual moan...
I blushed and put my hands over my eyes, groaning inwardly.
I thought I could make these feelings disappear by avoiding her, but it turned out...nothing about them had changed.
I really have... fallen head over heels in love with her.
Everything between Akagi and me was guaranteed to change after this.
Somehow, I was given this chance to fix what we had left broken...
If there was anything I could do to express this gratitude...it was to never let go of her ever again.
We had always been trained for a quick dispatch whenever the Navy needed us, but this was the first time I took part in it for real.
I supposed I never packed my belongings that fast in my whole life.
But everyone was already ready in the harbor when I arrived there to listen to the final announcements. The officials told us some things that were left out previously, like how resources would directly go to each fleet from the main base of the war, and at least one fleet girl was required to keep guard over them and their transports at all times.
Just when they had finished speaking, I heard a loud yawn from beside me.
It was a long-haired blonde wearing a black headband with a ribbon. If I remembered correctly, Yuudachi was her name.
When she realized I was giving her a disapproving look, she covered her mouth and said, "Ah, I'm sorry, poi."
"That's a little rude," I reminded her.
"Sorry, Kaga-san, I slept pretty late last night. Didn't expect my squadron to be sent in such a rush, poi," she yawned again.
"That's okay. I could barely sleep last night, either."
"Oh, why is that, poi?"
I couldn't possibly tell her it was because I kept replaying that high point of my life in my mind through the whole night.
"Your guess is as good as mine," I replied lamely.
Yuudachi was quiet for a while before saying something I was totally unprepared for, "Was it because of Akagi-san, poi?"
"Where the heck did that come from? ?"
"Well, rumor has it that when Kaga-san loses her cool it's usually because of Akagi-san. I guess it's true, poi."
If Ryuujou keeps spreading more irresponsible gossip about me, I'm going to bombard her so hard that the 4th Fleet Incident would only feel like a scratch on the butt.
"Whatever it is that you have heard about me, that is not true," I slung my bag over my shoulder as the fleet girls were starting to form lines to depart.
"Including the part that you two are dating, poi?"
"What-"
"No, seriously, I mean, I know you're not that close these days, but...Akagi-san and Kaga-san just go together, you know...? I guess a lot of people think you're made for each other, or something, I don't know, poi."
"Listen..." I scratched my forehead in frustration. My brain quickly concocted a guarded answer that was made up of a mixture of lies and half-truths.
"I don't know who told you those things and I don't want to know, but those kinds of gossips are never grounded in fact. Akagi-san and I aren't half such a romantic couple as you think, we are just friends-"
"Kaga-san!"
That voice made my heart skip a beat.
Among the queueing fleet girls who were preparing to launch I saw her running to me, apologizing left and right to the people she accidentally bumped against.
Akagi.
The girl of my dreams.
She stopped in front of Yuudachi and me, trying to catch her breath while clutching a box covered in cloth.
"I'm sorry I'm late," she bowed her head and the long, messy locks of her hair nearly reached the ground, "Good luck with the war. I made this in a rush, so it might not taste that good."
That was when I realized that she was holding a bento box.
If Yuudachi weren't there watching us, I would probably have shed tears of gratitude in front of her.
"I bought a good luck charm to guard against accidents and injuries, but I think I lost it in my hurry and I can't lay my hands on it..."
"No, this is more than enough. Give yourself more credit, please," I smiled at the harassed-looking girl, "And besides, I've got that charm covered."
She gave me a confused look and I lifted up my bag to show her the white rabbit keychain dangling from it, causing her to flush a few shades of red.
"Kaga-san, why do you still keep that? It's not..."
"Nope, don't say it's just a cheap knock-off or whatever. Ever since I received it from you, this thing has always been my guardian angel."
She gazed at me in awe as I heard Houshou's voice from afar, "Everyone, please head to your launch pads!"
Ever since last night I had the hankering to spend as much time with Akagi as possible to make up for these past years, but that had to wait.
I wasn't a happy camper because I would be separated from her for quite some time, but I have my obligations as a fleet girl. I was ready to endure that hardship, so I braced myself and faced Akagi with a smile.
"I guess I have to go now," I said firmly to her, "Take care of yourself, okay...?"
Just after I waved goodbye to Akagi and nodded to Yuudachi, I heard my name being called again.
Before I could ask Akagi what was wrong, she suddenly pulled my arm and planted a kiss on my cheek.
In broad daylight.
In front of so many onlookers.
As if on cue, wolf whistles and high-pitched coos started coming from all sides.
"Ohh, those two are going out now, I guess," Murakumo told Hatsuyuki.
"Woohoo, Kaga got a good bye kiss from her girl!" Ashigara teased.
"Congratulations, Kaga-san!" Isonami cried out.
"We'll keep an eye on her, don't you worry, Akagi!" Myoukou piped in.
The encouragement and teasing from the other girls made me want to just dig a hole and bury myself inside.
"I'm..." I mumbled to Akagi, my face now burning hotter than ever.
I can handle this, dammit, I can handle this!
"I'm going."
She regarded me with her soft, beautiful eyes and smiled.
"Kaga-san, I look forward to hearing from you. Get along with everyone, okay? Let's have a good talk after you come back. Have a safe trip," Akagi whispered before heading back out in a heartbeat, leaving me in the waves of fleet girls who were headed to their launch pads in a haphazard manner.
I was feeling more self-conscious than I had ever been in my life.
After standing there for a handful of seconds, Yuudachi smirked at me.
"...Just friends, huh, poi?"
"Be quiet," I replied without turning a hair, and I knew she was holding back her laugh.
