Chapter 9: Confession in the Dark

"Mom, do you really have to leave? I thought that you didn't have to go back on operations."

"Sweetie, you know that I can't stay with you forever. It is my duty as an asset to this country to defend those who dare to threaten anyone. Not only will I be defending the world, but I will also be keeping you safe by keeping them back."

"Mom, you don't have to say it that way. We are old enough to take care of ourselves. We don't need uncle to be taking care of us," said his older sister.

Their mother let out a sigh at her statement about her own brother.

"Well, I'm sorry but there just really isn't anyone that I can really turn to."

"Maybe if dad didn't-" The young teenage commander got a hard slap to the face. Putting his hand on the stinging pain that his own mother has inflicted upon him.

"Don't speak of him that way!"

"Mom, don't hurt him!"

"The kid's right sis," said a man at the door with a flask in one hand and the other on the door frame.

"Uncle…"

"Hey, kiddos. I'm supposed to be your babysitter until your mom comes back. Honestly, I don't know if that is truly the best idea but family is family."

"I can't thank you enough for doing this."

"Hey, it's whatever. It has been a rough few weeks for me and the same will go for you when you are out there playing soldier."

"You could have joined me as an operator. But instead, you decided to play commander and got dishonorably discharged."

"Sis, you know how I roll. I'm not a thrill-seeker like you or the rest of the family. I like taking things slow like a sloth."

"More like you are too lazy to do anything productive."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa now. Don't go throwing the L-word so casually. I'm not lazy. Do you think I was just handed the position of commander and given a ship for no reason? You are deeply mistaken."

"Yeah, and you decided to get dishonorably discharged."

"Well, that's all behind me now. I got enough money to last a while. Or at least I think so anyway. How much are you paying me again?"

"I told you this several times already. I'll be sending you half of my paycheck every month to you for the kids. Not for you to spend on booze or anything else."

"Well, that won't really be a problem. Anyways you better get going for your departure. Your mother won't be home for a while kids. Just letting you know."

"We know that uncle. But you won't be gone for too long right?" His sister questioned.

"Honey, I'll be back on your seventh birthday. Just make sure your uncle comes home by seven and your brother keeps his grades up without me okay?" She kissed her forehead and brought her and her son in for a tight embrace. "I love you both dearly."

Strapping on her backpack she turned her head to look back at her children once more before leaving with her brother.

"Take care now," she waved.

"Please come back as promised," he said, waving.

"I will. I promise."

His eyes were hard to open as someone had recently applied a sticky adhesive to his eyelids. His ears are able to hear the stove and overhead turned on along with the sound of a few crackling noises. Looking around the room, the first thing he noticed is that a specific heavy cruiser was nowhere to be seen and his head was rested on a pillow. Rising up from his position, he immediately looked towards the kitchen to see Atago wearing his apron cooking what appears to be an omelet. Her ears twitched hearing him moving on the couch. Looking at him, she blossomed a warm smile towards him.

"Good morning!"

"How long was I out?" He rubbed his eyes.

"About six hours. Sleeping away like an adorable baby."

Looking at the time, it was already seven in the afternoon. Looking out of the window, he sees a nice hue of red and purple in the sky.

"I'm going to go take a shower."

"Should I assist you in washing your back?"

He blushed a little in hearing what she had said.

"I think I can manage on my own. Thanks for the offer."

"You know that I was just teasing you. But, if you really want to~"

"I'm off." He hurried towards his bathroom.

Grabbing a fresh pair of clothing from his drawer and started to take a hot shower to loosen up his muscles. Thinking deeply about what he had dreamed about.

What was that all about exactly? That has happened over five years ago.

He didn't think about it too much as the past had already happened and the hot shower is putting his body and mind at ease. Upon finishing he started to dry himself until suddenly the door was swung wide open to see Atago cracking a smile seeing her vulnerable commander.

"Atago!" He covered up quickly with his towel.

"Ara ara, what a cute embarrassing expression you have. I thought you would be done dressing up by now. I'm here to tell you that dinner is ready."

"Have you ever heard of knocking? Your punishment won't be as light as everyone else's."

"Ara. What kind of punishment are you going to bestow upon me?"

"You will see once we get back to work. Now get out! I'm changing here!"

"Yes sir! Also, you were a little slow in covering up~"

She retreated from the doorway, slamming the door as she left. Dressed up in his home attire that consists of black and blue shorts with a solid swamp green T-shirt. Entering his dining room, he sees Atago sitting at his dining room table with a plate of omurice in front and across from her along with a glass of water. Settling down in front of her, he stared at his omurice which had a heart sketched out in ketchup.

"Really?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Thank you for the food." He started to smear the ketchup heart across his omurice. Atago upon seeing his actions made her frown a bit.

"What? You didn't spread it across evenly."

"No- I just…" Her ears drooped not being able to finish her sentence.

"Is it because I ruined your perfect heart? Well, I'm sorry. If you would like, I was planning to watch a movie before I head to bed. But, I'm having trouble deciding what to watch. If you would like to choose you can."

Her ears perked up back to normal. "Ara, is this an invitation to spend time together again? I must say Shikikan, I'm touched."

"Like I said. I just have a hard time choosing when I drift from one movie, my eyes catch another and repeat. That's enough talking. Better start eating before your food gets cold."

Lifting up his spoon to take a bite out of his omurice. His eyes widened at the number of flavors that he hasn't had for a long time. Bite after bite, he savored it with enough joy to make him tear up.

"Ara, are you just hungry, or is my cooking that good?"

"This is amazing. I haven't had an omurice with this much kick in so long."

"Well, if you like it so much. I wouldn't mind cooking for you everyday~"

"I believe that that won't happen unless you are-" He stopped himself before he was about to unconsciously drift off with his words.

"Unless I am…?" She tilted her head a little.

"It's nothing. I'm just about finished here. You should also finish up so that I can wash everything at once." Gulping down his glass of water. He turned towards the kitchen sink and started to clean the several bowls and utensils that she had used for their delicious meal.

All of this for an omurice? Jeez.

Washing away the particles and dirty stains stuck to the many items, his mind started to drift.

What the hell was I thinking? Was I drugged by her? Maybe it was the feeling that Eve had for me back then. No, I highly doubt that. Maybe I haven't had enough rest yet. Just what happened when I was asleep?

Stacking up a few bowls and utensils. He didn't manage to notice that Atago had finally finished up her meal and had placed her dirtied plate and spoon in the sink until she placed her chin on his shoulder.

"Atago? What are you doing?"

"Resting. A lot had happened while you were sleeping."

Picking up a plate, he started to scrub again.

"Do you mind telling me?"

"If you lend me your shoulder." She hung over one of her arms on his other shoulder.

"Well, just don't get in the way."

"Okay. Well, after being your pillow for a while. Your stomach started to grumble so I decided to make you dinner. After all, you didn't seem to be waking up anytime soon. Maybe my lap pillow is sleep-inducing."

"Well, if your thighs are. That just makes you the best pillow." He joked as he stacked another plate.

She let out a playful giggle, "We'll have to see. You know what I did after that?"

"You bought groceries for tonight's dinner? Seeing that I haven't bought rice for a while and I barely have anything left in the fridge since I left."

"That is what I did afterward."

"Then what did you do?"

She pulled her head closer to his ear and whispered, "I kissed you."

"You what?!" He said as he fumbled with a plate in his hands.

"I'm just teasing you. I only kissed you on your forehead that's all. Or maybe it was something else~"

"I'd rather not waste my thoughts with your words right now."

"What? Are you too bashful to convey these uncomfortable feelings?" She swirled her finger in the middle of his chest.

He stacked the last of the plates. Forcing her head off of his shoulder, he pushed her to the nearest wall slamming his hand next to her head, reeling his head in towards her face to only leave a few inches away from each other.

"Shikikan?"

"You really are starting to get on my bad side. I don't know if you really feel anything for someone like me. But the thing is. Around here isn't your typical normal social life as if this were some magical, anime high school. This is a military base of operation for humanoid weapons like yourself. So if what I assumed is correct. Suppress them and pray that the results are true for enhancing your performance. You got that?"

"Yes, Shikikan." Her expression wasn't what he had expected out of her. She seemed unfazed by all of this. She still has a beaming smile on her face but something tells him that it was very much forced for hiding her true expression. Her ears drooping down were enough of a giveaway for him to figure out the rest.

"Good." He spaced away from her face not before rubbing one of her ears.

"Ah! Shikikan?" She perked her ears back up.

"I've always wanted to touch them. Now that you are no longer in your little depression. Do you want to pick out the right movie?"

"Yes please."

I guess it was the right call to do that.

"Umm Shikikan?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have any romance movies that we can watch together?"

"I was never really a romance type of guy. It was nice to see them every once and a while. But I'm really a horror movie fanatic. Even though these generations of movies aren't as great as they were earlier and are more and more predictable. I still get a heart-pumping thrill after it. Can't you say the same?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess you can say that," she said laughing nervously. "Uh, this one in particular I heard is quite good."

She switched to a movie cover with a rather ominous, crazed-faced man holding a knife looking ready to plunge it into his next victim.

"I haven't seen that one before. What's it about?"

"Let's see. A young boy drove crazy after his older sister and caretaker had bullied him to insanity. Having to be fed up with her constant mental torture. He goes on to contact spirits of vengeance to find his tormentor…"

"Oh, this one sounds nice. The ratings are pretty decent too. You have a good eye for horror."

"Yeah… This one is pretty scary the first time I watched it. If you ever feel scared. You can always lean on onee-san for closure." She forced a smile.

"Well since you had said that, there is no way for me to pass this up. I'll procure us some popcorn or do you prefer something else as a movie snack?"

"No popcorn is fine."

"Okay. I hope you like kettle."

He left her to stare at the TV screen as the movie started with its opening sequence. Atago's smile quickly faded as Shikikan turned towards the kitchen. The movie started to play its opening sequence with a flash of white upon a young lanky man chanting a ritual as he sat upon a cliche-looking circle of cryptic symbols. As he was chanting, blood started to trickle down his arm as the camera steadily moved towards the source of the bleeding from his hand, evident from a large crimson red lesion on his opened hand. The man kept on chanting as the lightning and thunder became more and more frequent. The symbols started to give off a sky blue light and became brighter with every word in his chanting. Windows started to shatter, the rough wind came crashing in the room knocking over. The man finally plunged the knife into the center of the pentagram.

Atago is now biting her nails in an anxious manner to only let a shriek escape from her lips when the house's lights went out. The kansen tried scanning the room with her only light source being unreliable with a constant dark screen with an occasional flash to temporarily light up the room that she sat in.

"Shiiikikan? Did you turn off the lights?" No response was heard except for a few hard footsteps in her direction.

"Shikikan? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Facing the direction of his voice, the flash of light from the screen emitted the room. The first thing that she sees on the commander is a crimson red stain in his hands with a red line of red with a large kitchen knife covered in red. The light died making the room poorly lit with the dim lighting of the movie. The TV's speakers started to send off ghoulish moans accompanied by Shikikan's loud footsteps. Fear immediately washed over her, paralyzing her in place. Her mind's fight or flight responses weren't responding as the footsteps started getting louder. Rolling to her side, she retreated behind the couch as she crouched down covering her ears from the ghoulish moans coming from the speakers. Her mind repeating to herself that she will be fine, she's fine. There wouldn't be a reason for her commander to kill her right? I mean she only teased him a few times driving him mad, made fun of his drunken singing, questioned his authority a little, and pushed him over with that small incident earlier in the bathroom.

"Atago~" His voice intervened with her thoughts leaving a chill down her spine. "What are you doing? It's like you are hiding from a murderer."

She said nothing, unable to speak, still instilled with fear with the sight of her bloodied up young commander. Her heart beating like a hummingbird's wings, her breathing increased as her lungs demanded more oxygen. The young commander's steps crept closer and closer. She welded her eyes shut anticipating the worst to happen as the sudden stomping came to a close. This is the end for me, Takao. Please take care of Maya and Choukai in my place.

"Atago, what's wrong?" A hand can be felt on her shoulder.

In response, she tackled the commander to the floor and pulled each other in for a hug. His fingers fell loose letting go of the kitchen knife hitting the ground creating a metallic echo. The now dumbfound commander being embraced by the kansen was now just questioning everything that happened.

"No matter who you are, commander. Onee-san will always be there, even when I'm gone." She tightened her arms, her head now rested upon the commander's chest.

"Uhhh…"

"Hmmm? Weren't you— going to kill me?"

"What?! Why on Earth would I do that?!"

"I thought you were done putting up with my insubordination and summoned some spirits to come and kill me."

"Come on now. That would be going too far. I mean, summoning spirits? That's just ridiculous. If I was, I would have had you under command for your lack of respect for authority. Do I really seem like I would kill someone?"

"You mean you really aren't going to kill me?" Her eyes were tearing up collected in the corner of her eye.

"No! You are way too valuable to Azur Lane. Besides..." He hesitated with his words once again. Was it really required to tell her this? She seems quite relieved thinking that she thought to be murdered is just a false assumption. He was conflicted into hugging her back. Dubious with his arm motions, he returned the heartwarming gesture.

This caused her to break down into tears sobbing away as they were in each other's arms. Buried deep within the commander's chest, soaking his solid green shirt. Sighing at her sobbing, he finally spoke up.

"Atago, you mean a lot to me. Ever since I first stepped foot on this island. You were the only person who stepped up to me with open arms, literally. You were quite bold I must say when you uh— approached me in that manner." His face was beginning to heat up at the thought of her "overly welcoming" to the island. Tho he still appreciates her friendly gestures along with everyone else.

"Now, can we please let go? I haven't cleaned up yet and I don't want to dye your uniform red."

She retracted her head to now disclose her watery amber eyes and dried tears in the corners. Her expression now a cheery smile as if nothing has happened. Back to her good old big sister persona.

"What is this cleaning up about?"

"Well, you see. I don't have any more snacks stored on my shelves or pantry and all I could find for us to eat was a pomegranate. I was in the middle of cutting into it and I probably should have asked you everything beforehand. I saw you starting the movie, so turning off the lights was a given while watching horror. I was going to ask you about the whole snacking if that was fine with you until well— all of this happened. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"No, it's fine. I'm fine with you being this way."

"Well can you let go? Again, I still need to clean up and we have a movie to catch up on."

"Just a little longer?"

Shikikan let out a small sigh leave his lips. "Fine, just— only for today."

In response, she buried her head on the young commander's chest once more. Both of them cradled in each other's arms keeping each other company with one more comfortably fit in than the other. Her body warming up the cold commander with his back lying on the backside of the couch. The movie is still running in the background with their barely audible dialogue.

"The stalwart, cheery, and calm Atago. Now showing her other much more vulnerable side. I'm more surprised than ever knowing this."

"You know what they say. Nobody's perfect. You should consider yourself lucky to see another side of me~"

"You have the luck of the devil to get me to agree to this, Atago."

"It wasn't that hard you know~"

"Maybe, maybe not. But one thing's for sure. Anything that has happened in this house stays in the house."

"Then I'll be sure to treasure this moment. I hope you will with my own~ Hehe~"

"Of course, I'll be sure to remember this moment. Now, how about that movie?"

"I think I would like to go to sleep now."

"You know it isn't that late. It is still pretty early to sleep. Unless you sleep at eight at night."

She sat in silence hoping that he wouldn't notice that she had "fell asleep" in his chest. She didn't mind being with the young commander. But, just watching horror just makes her quiver. To roll into a ball and hope that she would be left alone, like a dog with fireworks. It didn't take long for Shikikan to piece together why the events had happened.

"Atag, are you not comfortable with horror?"

"Maybe, it's just that spirits keep me on edge."

"Well, that explains a lot. Do you still want to watch along with me? I'm the one who dragged you into watching."

"No, it's fine. Onee-san will always be there if you need closure."

"I believe that that will be seen as the opposite instead."

"Who said that I was scared?"

While watching, there were a few minor suspensions and sudden twists. Atago is able to keep a composed face the entire time. She ultimately fell victim to when the first jumpscare showed up, falling unconscious. Her unconscious body came crashing down on the commander's shoulder.

She really should have skipped out on the movie. Jeez, what is she supposed to say when her sisters find out? If I contact Takao, will she suspect me of some sort of crime? Do I leave her here to sleep in my house?

Sighing at his dilemma, he ended up calling Takao only to find that she didn't pick up on her end. Now he was down to having to take matters into his own hands. It is probably best to let her sleep in his bedroom while he takes the couch. Carefully, he picked her up bridal style to notice that she was way lighter than he imagined. Most like because of the vigorous training that Takao recommended him to do to keep up with her. Finally reaching his bedroom. He gently lowered her down onto the bed and started to cover her up. In completing the action, he was about to exit the room to find that his T-shirt was caught up on something. Looking at the thing that snagged him was just Atago holding on to him.

Even when unconscious, you still manage to cling to me. Are you really scared to be left alone?

In an attempt to free himself, he ended up getting pulled in by the kansen and was now in an awkward position as he somehow managed to become Atago's body pillow. Making the effort to free himself from her grasps only made it harder as he felt her arms tightening with every movement, unable to escape from the kansen's super strength.

Great, stuck. I am now the small spoon in my own bed with no escape. How in the world am I supposed to leave? And what am I supposed to say to her when she wakes up? Goddamnit!

As he was thinking of ways to leave. A certain kansen was smiling unknowingly to the young commander.

You're mine now~