The Commander groaned as agonizing prickles were beginning to torment his feet, and he wondered just how many miles they had walked already. He was glad Cleveland was ahead, so he had plenty of headway to hide his discomfort. It was a little embarrassing to admit—even to himself—that he was probably not as fit as he would like, and indeed, as she was.
Even factoring in the fact that she was a KANSEN, Cleveland was unusually tireless in taking and relishing in the wonders big and small. It was perhaps unsurprising considering that they had never been there before—to the land down south, where there are winters in June and summers in December. In fact, he came to believe that's why many of his colleagues never seemed to complain about the long hours of those year-end meetings—not when they could escape the freezing winters of home and had a bit of vacation under the sun during the scant off-days. Even if those days were the dog days of summer.
So far, he had been able to keep up with Cleveland without getting himself separated from her, thankfully—because she would frequently stop to look around. Sometimes he'd get all wishful and would be convinced she did it on purpose to let him catch up. She had never said anything about it, either because she wanted to save his pride—or because she saw something and everything else was really just his wishful thinking. But given that she would often stop where there wasn't anything that would catch even the fancy of most non-discerning travelers, the idea seemed really plausible.
As the Commander noticed when he realized that thinking while walking wouldn't be a terribly sound thing to do, Cleveland had just stopped walking again, so he did, too—and promptly had a sense of déjà vu. They had undoubtedly come here some hours ago. Not that it mattered for Cleveland because she whipped out her cell phone anyway and snapped a picture of the Sydney Opera House, just like she did back then. She then had a once-over of the photo, cringed, and stuck her tongue out.
"Sorry, Commander, can we stay here a bit? I want to take pictures. This one didn't come out good."
As she said that, Cleveland tapped on the phone screen; the Commander was sure she was getting rid of the picture.
"Oh, sure. Though... didn't you snap some pictures of that building back then? And that your sisters said they love it?"
"Yeah, I did—but this time it's different, you know? It's looking much better. I'm sure they will like it more," Cleveland looked up. The Commander also had a glance, and even he had to admit that the orange sunset, burning brightly for just this moment, was indeed a superior backdrop compared to the clear sky of day.
"You're right," he chuckled and allowed her to go as she pleased. Cleveland wasted none of the little chance she had before the dusk settled, darting from one spot to another with gusto. It was almost infectious, and he had a mind to join her, even though the aches had not gone entirely—But he then decided against it. He would get in the way. He was content to let her have her moment and satisfied himself by stealing furtive glances as he rested against the railing overlooking the harbor—seeing her busily going about was as soothing as the water below. The last time he did was right after he heard the distinct shutter of her phone camera—only to see her hastily putting the phone away and whipping her head the other way; the rest of her body followed after that, almost robotically.
Nearly a full minute passed before Cleveland finally turned around, exhaling and looking relieved. The Commander watched as she shuffled closer and studied his face as if looking for something before shaking her head.
"Hey, something bothering you?" asked the Commander. Cleveland was nervous, which was quite uncharacteristic of her—especially when he remembered the delight he had delighted in before.
Cleveland cleared her throat and then again. It took some time for her to answer.
"Oh, you know...just, um, wondering. Are you...um, tired of having to follow me around?"
"Me...? Ah, yeah, I can't say I'm not, but—" the Commander held up a hand when Cleveland was about to say something, "—I don't mind. Following you around, that is. It's...a nice change of pace."
Cleveland laughed along with the Commander, something he was glad for—though he noted she was still sounding a little off, at least she didn't force it. He also caught a glimpse of red, almost hidden by the sunset glow.
"Really? I thought I've been too selfish...that I'm dragging you wherever I please. But... I'm glad you didn't mind," Cleveland breathed a sigh of relief. The redness stayed still, however.
"How could I? You seemed really thrilled by everything around you, and I could understand why. Even I...I couldn't help but be excited, though not to the same extent. That's why I... didn't mind going with you," the Commander smiled as he recalled how thrilled, how moved she was.
"Yeah...it seems I couldn't keep myself still when I'm in places I've never been before... I'd love to keep moving...see everything while my heart races. Even twice or three times—there's always something new when you did."
The Commander nodded. He certainly admired her reason, that she was straightforward and unpuzzling, and how it fostered his desire to see everything with her. He didn't even need to ask if she was alright with him being there because they had spent hours together, and she, at least, didn't seem to hate it. They were far from done, which would be his chance to edge closer to her world.
"Well, then. We still have places to go, don't you think? Let's go together," with a gleeful chuckle which he remembered he'd never give out for any other reason, the Commander turned to Cleveland. She was clenching the railings hard as she looked back, at first incredulous, but soon enough, he could see the lights on her dancing eyes.
"Really? You would come with me?"
"Hey, I was the one offering," the Commander laughed again, reaching his hand forward. Cleveland eyed it, then the corners of her mouth curled up—that smile was dazzlingly bright enough to have him wondering, for a moment, if somehow it was afternoon all over again. And it didn't take long for her to take hold of it. He felt pleasant tingling on his hand from that warmth of hers, and his feet suddenly hurt no more.
"Are you sure...um...of letting me lead you along like this? Is it alright? Since, like, I'm your subordinate," she asked—and while the Commander did think it was backward, he could care little for trivial formalities like that this time. They were on a well-earned vacation, after all.
"Sure. No problem. Go at your own pace; take me wherever. You love that, don't you?"
"Yeah...I love..." Cleveland paused, then shook her head, "...I love that."
The Commander barely had the time to ready himself when Cleveland took off in long, bouncy, almost weightless steps, almost like his mind. Her last words had him pondering, then wishful, again—but it didn't seem too far-fetched now.
