Chapter 6
The wheels on her roll along luggage case jumped and jostled around on the rough concrete, despite its overloaded and heavy state.
The sun hung low, shining through the skyline in the background casting shadows along the numerous ships moored on their docks.
Squinting at the slowly dying light, Val can make out the outlines of some of the ships. Many small ones, she assumed were the Destroyers and Cruisers, lined the majority of the docks. Several Aircraft Carriers sat alongside each other, their flat tops covered with numerous fighters and bombers.
Two larger ships sat near the entrance to the shipyard, most likely the Battleships. Their larger guns dwarf everyone else's around them.
"I guess one of them's Massachusetts." Val says to herself.
"You called?" Says a familiar, even toned voice.
Startled, Val turns around to find said Battleship standing there with her hands tucked into her jacket pockets.
"Oh, hey" She greets, "Didn't see you there."
"Looking for Brooklyn?" Massachusetts asks looking out towards the water.
"Yeah, I was supposed to meet her by the gates 10 minutes ago."
"Last I heard she got caught up doing paper work with the Commander." Massachusetts says as she takes a spot next to Val, "She should be done by now."
Peeking over the edge of the concrete barriers that lined the quay, Val strains her eyes, trying to see if she can spot Brooklyn's ship, but none bore the triple bow turrets her class was famous for.
"I don't see her ship out there…" Val says slightly disappointed.
"She usually doesn't keep it out, unless it's time for inspections or maintenance."
The Battleship tilted her head side to side quizzically.
"And now that I really think about it, I haven't seen her ship out and about for a long time."
"How about when she goes overseas, on her diplomatic missions?" Val asks. "Doesn't she use her ship then?"
Bringing her hand up to her chin, Massachusetts closes her eyes in thought.
"I haven't sortied with her in a while, but when we did, we usually traveled the distance ourselves on our riggings if we're without cargo and only really brought our ships out to rest, though it's different for some girls I guess."
The Royal Navy girls especially pop into the Battleship's head as she recalls the numerous impromptu tea parties on deck of the Lead Ship, some of which she herself had hosted when on sortie with King George V and her entourage back during the war with the Sirens.
But in Brooklyn's case, for all the years Massachusetts had known her, never really noticed anything of note in regards to how the Light Cruiser treated her ship.
That is until a few years ago, the Battleship recalls, "For Brooklyn, she used to use her ship like everyone else…"
Hearing the past tense made Val feel a little uneasy.
"Now she only uses her ship when ferrying delegates and ambassadors around from meetings and summits."
That made sense in Val's mind given Brooklyn's penchant for the diplomatic side of things.
"But when she's not carrying anyone, she usually rests aboard someone else's ship" Massachusetts continues.
Val hums in response, not really knowing what to make of the new information on her fiance.
"Miss Valentina?" A soft voice calls out behind her.
Turning around, Val nods at the Shipgirl with long white hair, a blue flower broach adorning her chest.
"Yorktown," Massachusetts greets, "what brings you out here?"
"Brooklyn asked me to find Miss Valentina for her." The gentle Carrier explains.
Val had seen Yorktown around the base a few times but had never crossed paths.
"She's still at it with the Commander?" Massachusetts asks.
"Yeah" Yorktown answered with her cheeks puffed, "and she's always telling me not to work too hard."
Gesturing at Val to follow her, the Carrier leads her into the base.
She's been around the base a few times to meet up with Brooklyn but the buildings near the center of the base she was being led to were still new to her.
A few Shipgirls hung around outside by the fountain as they chatted and laughed among themselves, turning their heads to greet Yorktown and Massachusetts as they passed by, their stares lingering behind them at the sorta familiar girl on their heels.
The Carrier led Val into the building and up a flight of stairs at the end of a hall, stopping at the large ornate wooden double door at the top.
Knocking on the door Yorktown calls out to the occupants inside.
"Commander, I brought her for you."
Val immediately tensed up upon the realization of who she was about to meet.
"Come in!" Yells a gruff male voice from the otherside.
It was fairly chilly inside but Val started to sweat a little as Yorktown pushed the door open.
Massachusetts, sensing the sudden nervousness radiating from Val, lightly slaps her back.
"The Commander's a good guy," the Battleship says, attempting to ease her mind.
"He won't bite," she adds, though after saying that she looks away blushing slightly, "well… maybe a little." She says under her breath.
Hearing that didn't exactly calm her nerves but she had no time to prepare herself as Yorktown gestures for her to enter.
Stepping inside Vat pats her skirt down for wrinkles as she messes with her hair a bit, hoping she didn't look too disheveled in front of one of the most powerful men in the world today.
Looking up though, she couldn't quite see the Commander, as a huge stack of papers, like a massive wall, lined the front of the large ornate desk.
She could only make out the top of a white hat and next to it, a head of blonde with a familiar blue bow moving around behind the mountain of papers.
"Sorry for the mess," the Commander says, standing up from his seat revealing his face and shoulders.
"Val?" Calls Brooklyn as she peaks her head around the corner of the far stack of papers.
Seeing her fiance's face put Val at ease and the rare sight of Brooklyn wearing glasses was food for her soul.
Getting up from her seat, the Light Cruiser makes her way around the desk. The Commander does the same as he holds out his hand.
"I'm the Commander of Azur Lane," he says as she shakes his hand, "it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Valentina."
"Soon to be Mrs. I guess," he laughs. "Sorry for holding up Brooklyn, but some last minute paperwork came in that needed doing."
"We should be done in…" Brooklyn says, turning to look at the unfinished stack of papers, "about 45 minutes or so."
The Light Cruiser shoots Val an apologetic smile.
"You should drop off your stuff in my room." Brooklyn suggests, "I'll meet you there when I'm done?"
"Uh, yeah" Val nods her head, "I shouldn't hold you guys up."
"C'mon." Yorktown says offering to take one of her duffel bags, "I'll help you to her room."
"Thank you." Val says transferring the heavy bag to the Carrier.
"Again, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." The Commander says, shaking her hand once more. "Feel free to make yourself at home on the base."
Waving the two goodbye, they make their way back out of the office, meeting up with Massachusetts waiting for them by the door.
As the sound of Vals rolling luggage case faded down the staircase Brooklyn and The Commander turned back to face the mountain of paperwork.
"Sorry for holding you up." He says taking a handful of unfinished papers from the stack.
"It's alright," Brooklyn says, adjusting her glasses reading through the contents of another document. "These needed to be done before the Summit anyway."
A silence fell on the two as they flipped through page after page scribbling their signatures on the quickly shrinking pile of unfinished paperwork.
It really felt like old times for the both of them, as they sat quietly next to each other filling paperwork and reports, one after another.
The Commander was the first to break the silence.
"Soo… She was pretty cute," He says, lifting his head up from his desk.
"You better not get any funny ideas," Brooklyn says, eyeing The Commander suspiciously.
"I mean you did pretty good, I'm happy for you." He says as he pats Brooklyn on her head.
It still felt strange for the Light Cruiser to be doted upon like this and as it was happening more frequently as of late she was starting to make sense of the warm feelings bubbling up from inside.
'It feels the same as the gentle touches from Mama Hermosa' Brooklyn thinks to herself as she looks up at the Commander through her bangs.
Fighting back the smile forming on her face she shakes his hand off her head.
"Oh, and about my other request?" She says turning to face away from the Commander.
"You know, you've been quite demanding these last few weeks." He says scratching at the back of his head, " but, I just approved the transfer request for Phoenix and Boise the other day so they should get to the Joint Base a day or two after you arrive."
"Thanks, Commander." Brooklyn says, still looking away from him.
Bringing her eyes back to the papers in hand, a mention of a black Wisdom Cube catches Brooklyn's attention as she flips back to the front of the document trying to find its origin.
A red seal bearing the insignia of Iron Blood made the Light Cruiser release a long drawn out sigh.
"Great, what's Bismark up to now," Brooklyn says to herself.
"Hey Commander, You may want to look at this."
Quickly going through the document handed to him, the Commander chuckles nervously as he sets the papers down.
-...after many failures we have produced a direct re-creation of the Black Wisdom Cube for the sole purpose of gathering information on the Siren's origins.
I shall present it before those in attendance to this upcoming Summit. If the majority declare it unnecessary we shall dispose of it and all research concerning it and no further ventures regarding the Black Wisdom Cube shall be pursued.-
"She really went and did it..."
"Without the Sirens this time." Brooklyn says, thinking back to what started the war with the Red Axis in the first place. "I know we allowed her to continue her research, but to actually create the Black Wisdom Cube from scratch is…"
"Just like her." The Commander finishes
"Want me to keep an eye on her when I get there?" Brooklyn offers.
"No need, I'm pretty sure Wales already knows what's going on, but I'll phone her up later to see what she knows."
Signing off on the Iron Blood document he places it on the growing stack of finished papers.
"Dinner should be almost ready," the Commander says, picking up another stack of documents, "Leave the rest to me, we're almost done anyway."
"But…" Before she could get another word out the Commander places his hands on her shoulders turning her to face the door.
"I can't keep relying on you for everything." He says as he gives her a light nudge. "I can handle the rest from here, so go and meet up with your girl."
Brooklyn always felt wrong leaving work undone but the Commander's insistence helped ease her mind.
"If you insist Commander, then I'll take my leave."
"You're dismissed." He says saluting as she leaves through the door.
Walking through more familiar halls, Val followed behind Yorktown again with Massachusetts behind her as the carrier led them to Brooklyn's room.
The heavy duffel bag tucked under her arm didn't seem to be too much trouble for the white-haired Carrier as she denied Massachusetts her offer to carry it for her.
"I'm not so frail that this little load would break me y'know. "
"No, I didn't mean…" Massachusetts tries to clarify.
"I know," Yorktown turns to face the Battleship. The smile on her face was a gentle one.
"What I'm trying to say is, you have to stop worrying about me all the time, you're really starting to sound like Brooklyn."
"And since you're leaving tomorrow," She continues, "When you see my sisters, tell them the same thing."
"And if they insist?" Massachusetts asks.
"Then Vestal should be there to get mad on my behalf."
Massachusetts laughs, already seeing how it would play out.
"And Hamman?"
Yorktown's smile faded a bit. Replaced with a sad expression that Val couldn't quite figure out.
"Tell her… that I'm doing a lot better," the Carrier brings her arms close to herself as if she were hugging something.
"And that I miss her," she strokes the air pretending to pet something, "and if you could, pat her head for me."
Massachusetts chuckled nervously, "I feel that's a good way to get my hand bitten."
'Are they talking about a dog or something?' Val thought to herself as she tried to follow their conversation.
As they turned the corner into a common room, a few Shipgirls gathered around a small table with some playing cards in hand.
"Hey, it's Val," Essex waves from her spot on the table. "You guys are leaving tomorrow morning right?"
"Yup, that's the plan anyway." Val says waving to the other Shipgirls at the table.
"Wait, I've seen you somewhere before…" says a girl with pink twin tails.
"She's Brooklyn's Fia…" Essex almost lets it slip, but with the help of a quick jab to the ribs from a vigilant Shangri-La stops her from saying too much.
"Brooklyn's friend…" Shangri-La finishes after clearing her throat. "She's Brooklyn's friend… from the Coffee shop in Bay Ridge."
"Ah, yes!" The pink haired girl yells, "I do recognize you!"
Standing up from her seat she offers her hand.
Val thought she would have to get used to greeting many new people over these next couple of weeks. Taking her hand she gives it a firm squeeze.
"I'm Bremerton," she says, giving her an enthusiastic shake. "The Manjuu cakes at your shop are amazing!"
"That's great to hear," Val says, blinded by the Heavy Cruiser's enthusiasm, "The chef would be very happy to know you like them so much."
"My sister Baltimore over here can't get enough of 'em" she says laughing.
"Brem!" The short haired brunette looks away blushing, "don't tell her that!"
Now that Val got a good look at the tomboyish Shipgirl, she did recognize her as a fairly frequent regular and one of the girls who always accompanied Brooklyn to the cafe those first few times.
"So, what's up with the bags?" Bremerton asks. "Moving in?"
"Oh no, uhh... I'm tagging along with Brooklyn and Massachusetts to the Joint Base actually."
The Shipgirls around the table looked puzzled for a second.
"I did hear something to that extent," Baltimore says to herself, "but why's Brooklyn taking a civilian with her?"
Val began to sweat a bit, remembering what Brooklyn told her the night she came over to help pack.
- "If at all possible, could you keep our engagement a secret. At least until I could tell my sisters myself."-
"You're not an Official or anything are you?" The brunette continued to question. "Unless you're going to open up another location at the Joint Base?!"
"Uh…" Val tries to deny it.
"And Brooklyn's gunna ask for permission at the summit!" She shouts like she figured it out.
"Y...yeah… something like that…" Val laughs nervously.
Baltimore looked overjoyed hearing that. "Now I have something to look forward to if I do get transferred."
"Relax Baltimore," another brunette Shipgirl says from across the table, "unless the Sirens attack, we're not going anywhere."
"C'mon Independence, don't you want to see Cleveland again." Essex says
"Not really," blushing, the Light Carrier looks away, "it's not like she's my sister or anything."
"She's not?" Says a distraught blonde as she cradles, what looked like to Val, a little quivering airplane.
"Bataan no, I didn't mean it like that…" Independence tries to backpedal.
"Ugh…" Independence groans as she scratches at the back of her head,
"Masa!" She calls for the Battleship's attention, "if you run into her…"
"I'll let Cleveland know you miss her." Massachusetts finishes for the Carrier.
"You don't have to say it like that…" Independence blushes.
"How about you Essex?" Massachusetts says turning towards the new temporary Fleet Leader, "want me to deliver a message to Enterprise for you?"
"Tell her I want to have a match soon." She says, pumping her fist in the air, "I have to show her how much stronger I got."
"And you got to tell her Yorktown and the Commander are shag…"
Essex stopped and froze stiff at the crushing feeling on her shoulder as an overwhelming aura of malice radiated from the Fleet Carrier standing behind her.
"My~" Yorktown said in a sing-song voice, a bright smile on her face, the grip she had on Essex's shoulder tightened. "What were you about to say, Essex~"
The older Fleet Carrier's tone sent a cold shiver down Essex's spine as she struggled to form a response.
"I… I… was s...saying how you and the C...commander were sha...aiking up fleet deployment schedules."
Essex braced herself to get scuttled right then and there, but the malicious aura had faded as quickly as it came as the older Fleet Carrier released her grip on Essex's shoulder.
"My~" Yorktown says, bringing her hand to her cheek.
"My sister doesn't need to be informed of such things, right Massachusetts?" She says smiling in the direction of the Battleship.
For a split second Val thought she saw a look she had never seen on the Battleship's face before, fear.
"R...right"
"Now, if you'll excuse us girls, I'd like to get Miss Valentina settled in before dinner."
With that said, the trio once again set off in the direction of Brooklyn's room.
"Be careful on your trip!" Bremerton yells down the hall after them.
Just near the end of the hall they stopped in front of room 1810, the plain placard on the wall read "CL-40 Brooklyn".
Val had been in Brooklyn's room a handful of times so when she was led inside by Yorktown, she wasn't surprised at how little changed since she was last here.
Looking around the sparsely furnished room Val shakes her head at the mess of clothes strewn about on the floor.
"You'd never think Brooklyn was the type to be so disorganized." Yorktown says setting down Val's duffle bag on the only couch in the fairly large room.
"Was her room always this empty?" The question has been on Val's mind ever since she first visited a couple of years ago, but never had the heart to ask her directly.
"Hmm…" Yorktown began to think, "It wasn't always like this, I suppose."
Val clenched her fists as she started to regret asking. She felt wrong for prying, but at the same time her curiosity about the things her fiance kept silent on was gnawing at her.
"Ever since Helena…" Massachusetts stops herself before saying too much she wasn't sure had any right to reveal.
"She lost her memories, didn't she?" Val says, taking a seat next to her duffel bag, "Brooklyn told me about her a little while ago…"
Massachusetts bit her bottom lip as she remembered just how hard the news of Helena's sinking hit Brooklyn.They were stationed together near and around Casablanca just a few weeks after Massachusetts herself had engaged in a fierce battle with Jean Bart and her Vichy forces.
A call came directly from headquarters for Brooklyn, it was the Commander. Massachusetts recalls watching how her legs gave out from underneath her and the tears. She remembers the Commander's voice calling out from the dangling handset as she went in to comfort the Light Cruiser.
Through her sobs all she said "Helena… she's…" But that was all the Battleship needed to hear before tears started to fall from her own eyes.
The two sat on the floor of Brooklyn's bridge for a while, holding tightly to one another, the bigger girl letting the blonde cry into her chest.
All she could do was hold her, as she couldn't think of any words to say that could take that pain away.
Massachusetts finds herself looking down at a picture frame sitting atop the countertop of Brooklyn's kitchenette. A bittersweet smile crossed her face as she picked up what was essentially Brooklyn's family photo and a rare sight of the Commander before he was the Commander, before war broke out amongst the factions.
"She's doing well from what Wales reports." Speaks Yorktown as she attempts to tidy up some of Brooklyn's strewn about clothes. "Apparently she's a chart topper whenever exercises are held."
Val didn't quite know the significance of that but she could tell it was an impressive feat.
"That's good to hear."
"Though if you did want to know more," Yorktown says, placing down a stack of neatly folded clothes on the table, "it would probably be better to hear it from Brooklyn herself."
Yorktown believed that there might be no better person to tackle the still tender wound in Brooklyn's heart than Val.
"Well, I should get going," Yorktown says, looking at the clock on the wall. "I'm gonna check in to see if the girls in the kitchen need any help setting up dinner."
"Uhh… thanks for helping me with my bags." Val says just as the Carrier was about to leave.
"It's no problem, really." Yorktown waves as she makes her exit.
Continuing where the Carrier left off Val begins to tidy up Brooklyn's loose clothes.
"Do you have anyone in particular you wanna see at the Joint Base?" Val asks Massachusetts.
"South Dakota and Alabama…" Massachusetts replies as she leans forward in her seat.
"They're your sisters?"
Smiling, the Battleship nods. "I did see my older sister last year on sortie, but I haven't hung out with them in a while."
"Oh, so you're not the oldest?"
"No South Dakota is and Alabama's the youngest."
Val wonders what Massachusetts's siblings might be like as she looks towards the aloof Battleship laying down on the couch using her duffel bag as a pillow.
Massachusetts lies on her side as she watches Val bounce around the room cleaning and dusting the few shelves Brooklyn kept in her room.
"Y'know" the Battleship starts, "you'd probably get along with some of the Royal Navy girls."
"Hmm, why do you think that?" Val asks as she pulls a pair of Brooklyn's lacy black panties from the top corner of the bookshelf.
Holding the undergarment in her hand Val wonders how it even got up there in the first place.
"I dunno," Massachusetts replies, "you kinda remind me of them."
An image of the ever elegant Hood popped into her head, as she was one of the few Royal Navy girls she was familiar with.
Blushing, Val didn't realize Massachusetts thought so highly of her.
"Aww~ really?"
"Yeah, they'd probably dress you up if they see you."
Val did a little twirl, the ends of her skirt floats to her knees as she imagines she's wearing an elegant ballroom dress.
Doing her best to mimic their mannerisms she ends in a curtsey.
"Oooooh…" Massachusetts claps from the couch, "you'd fit right in."
With the room almost tidied, a light knock came from the door.
"I'm coming in~" Brooklyn's voice sang as she stepped into a relatively cleaner room than when she last left it.
"Oh, Brooklyn's back" Massachusetts greeted from the couch.
"I hope you don't mind me cleaning up a little." Val says as she hugs the Light Cruiser, giving her a quick peck on her cheek.
Brooklyn gave an embarrassed chuckle, "you didn't have to, I was planning on cleaning up…"
"When?" Val interrupts, "before or after we leave?"
Val's tone was a little harsh as the Light Cruiser hung her head.
Massachusetts sat quietly, not used to seeing Brooklyn getting chewed out over anything.
"Though it did look a lot better than back then." Val said, taking note that things were improving, albeit slowly.
Taking a seat next to the Battleship on the only couch in the large room, Brooklyn watches as Val folds the last stack of clothes.
"Need any help?" Brooklyn offers.
"No," Val answers immediately, "it's alright, you just had a long day signing papers. So just sit down and relax."
"Val…" The Light Cruiser nervously calls, "are you mad?"
"No," another immediate answer, "why would I be."
Sensing some troubled waters up ahead, Massachusetts quietly makes her way to the door.
"I should get going," she says creeping quietly towards the door.
Looking back before leaving through the door the Battleship meets with the pleading eyes of the Light Cruiser but she turns her head the other way.
"I'll see you guys at dinner," Massachusetts makes her exit without waiting for a response.
The silence fell on the two as Val put away the last stack of clothes in their proper place.
"Val…" Brooklyn calls out again, " I'm sor…"
Before she could finish she was shot in the forehead by a piece of black cloth.
Val burst out in laughter as the Light Cruiser was staring down at her own panties resting on lap.
"Wh...where?" She looks back up at Val, pure confusion on her face, as her fiance was doubling over laughing, pointing up towards the top of the bookshelf.
"Really Brook?" Val says coming down from her laughing fit, "the bookshelf?"
Brooklyn sat quietly, blushing from ear to ear, as she clutched her underwear in her hand.
"Sorry…" she says, unable to look Val in the eyes.
"I'm not gonna ask how it got up there, but…" Val teases as she plops down next to the Light Cruiser.
"Please don't…" Brooklyn pleads looking away from her.
Val slumps to her side resting her head on Brooklyn's shoulder. Her head rising and falling subtly with each little breath the Light Cruiser took. Nuzzling into her side, Val can feel the stiffness in the Shipgirls body and the heat that radiates from her cheeks.
"You're doing a good job…" She says, barely above a whisper.
"No…" Brooklyn shoots back, "everything's still a mess."
"Maybe," Val says, intertwining her fingers with Brooklyn's, "but I know you're trying, you gotta take it one step at a time. Not everything has to be perfect all the time."
"We're still talking about my room right?" Brooklyn says resting her head on Val's.
"Possibly…" Val's eyes wander to the empty side of the room, "you said once that your sister used to live here… it wasn't Helena was it?"
Brooklyn tensed at the sudden mention of Helena's name, something that she knew wouldn't go unnoticed by her fiance resting on her side.
"Honolulu actually, Helena was in the same room as St. Louis, just down the hall."
To Brooklyn, Helena always felt more like St. Louis's sister than her own, but that was just a lie she told herself.
Helena was her sister, her precious youngest sister.
"What was she like?" Val asks.
A pause filled the air before the Light Cruiser took in a breath.
"Honolulu, I mean…" A nagging feeling in the back of Val's mind was curious for any sliver of information regarding Helena, but she felt as if the place and time was off. Like she told Brooklyn, one step at a time.
"She's uhh…" Brooklyn relaxes as she exhales, "a bit of a handful." Brooklyn lets out a little chuckle hoping it didn't come across as too forced, but that wasn't lost on Val either.
"She can be a bit temperamental and a little hot-headed. She's hard to approach and even harder to understand, always saying one thing but meaning another. She's both honest and not-"
"Yeah that does sound like a handful."
"You think that's bad, she's also incredibly clumsy, to the point you'd think the world's out to get her and it doesn't help that she's easily embarrassed over the smallest things."
Brooklyn's mood seemed to lighten now that it was Honolulu she was talking about.
"There was one time San Diego and Columbia played a prank on her during a Christmas party. She was dressed up in a fluffy reindeer suit and ended up getting tangled in ribbons that the two tossed around her. After falling over in spectacular fashion, the zipper on her suit broke and when the Commander went in to help her up, her suit came open and-"
"Don't tell me she was naked under that thing was she?"
"..." Brooklyn stayed quiet for a second, "well… pretty close."
"Oh my God, that sounds horrible."
"Yeah, she was pretty upset about the whole ordeal. San Diego and Columbia still probably haven't finished apologizing to this day."
"Remind me to never bring up reindeers around her."
"Which is a shame, because she actually really loves them."
Val followed Brooklyn's gaze to a large dusty stuffed reindeer sitting atop the book shelf.
"Why don't you bring it along when we leave tomorrow?"
Brooklyn thought about it for a second, but shook her head.
"It was a gift… right before she left." A bittersweet smile shone on Brooklyn's face. "She gave it to me as she was packing her stuff, ' So you won't feel so lonely,' she told me."
Looking around the near empty room again, Val questioned if it worked or not.
"She should be happy her big sister's coming to visit soon."
"...y...yeah." Brooklyn let out a nervous chuckle, "C'mon I'm pretty hungry, dinner should be done by now."
Quickly getting up from the couch Brooklyn pulls Val up after her. The two make their way out of the room and into the hall, with Val still being pulled behind the Light Cruiser.
Brooklyn's hair bounced side to side, the halter neck blouse she wore exposed much of her back, giving Val glimpses of Brooklyn's bare bronze skin with every step.
Did that Commander guy have this view all to himself when they were doing paperwork? Val thought to herself.
She was hungry, but not only for food and the Light Cruiser's back looked increasingly appetizing.
"What's up?" Brooklyn looks back to see why Val was lagging behind.
The combined sight of her bare back and glasses drove Val over the edge.
Pulling the Light Cruiser into a vacant nook she goes in for a kiss.
Their glasses clink against one another as Val presses her lips against Brooklyn's.
Caught off guard, the Light Cruiser was engulfed in Val's passion as her hands roamed around her back.
Feeling no resistance, Val increases the intensity of her kiss before breaking off breathlessly.
"But dinners almost ready…" Brooklyn said out of breath, her forehead pressed against Val's.
"Lemme just have a little snack." Val quickly spun the Light Cruiser around pressing her chest against the wall.
"Wha… what are you…" An out of breath Brooklyn looks back with flushed cheeks, her glasses skewed on her nose.
Brooklyn's shoulders heaved up and down as a sweat drop glistened down the creases on her back
Val's lips found their mark on the nape of the Light Cruiser's neck. Sliding her hand into the sides of Brooklyn's blouse, she cups at her braless bosom, squeezing her tip with her fingers.
Faint echoes of Brooklyn's voice bounced around the empty halls, only a lone wandering Manjuu bore witness to the event unfolding down the vacant hallway, before scurrying off as to not be seen.
"There they are?!" Essex shouts as Brooklyn and Val walk hand in hand, towards the vacant food line.
"I guess they worked it out." Massachusetts says as she finishes off her plate.
"Those two look pretty close, don't you think?" Bataan says to her sister sitting next to her.
Shrugging her shoulders, Independence takes a glance at the two on the food line.
"I guess?" She says after watching the two bicker slightly. Brooklyn turns her back with puffed up cheeks as Val looks like she's apologizing for something.
Waving her hands at the pair, Essex calls for them, gesturing to the empty spots at their table.
"We saved you guys a seat."
"Sorry, we're a little late." Brooklyn says taking an empty seat next to the Battleship.
"We got caught up in something." Val laughs nervously.
Massachusetts narrows her eyes at the pair when she notices a mark barely visible through the Light Cruiser's hair on the side of her neck and her slightly disheveled state of dress.
"We saved you some dessert too." Shangri-La says sliding a couple cups of pudding down the center of the table.
Reaching towards the pudding Brooklyn's hair slides a little off her back, exposing even more marks to the Battleship's sharp eyes.
Biting the inside of her cheek, Massachusetts held back on commenting.
"My~ you two" Yorktown says, stopping at the group's table. "Make sure you guys get some sleep tonight, you have a very early day tomorrow. You'll have plenty of time on your trip to be together~"
Brooklyn nearly chokes on her yams as Massachusetts taps her on her back to prevent her from doing so.
Val blushes from ear to ear as she nods, acknowledging Yorktown's words.
"Y...yeah, I'll make sure to get to bed early tonight."
"Good, good, I'm going to deliver some food to the Commander, so I'll see you girls in the morning. " lifting a plastic container to her chest, Yorktown waves the girls at the table goodbye.
Sorry for the delayed update, this month has been pretty hectic with work, holidays and birthdays.
But in the next chapter the trip to the Joint base will finally begin.
If you have any criticism, please tell me. I'm still a complete beginner at this stuff.