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Kay let her foot sink into the throttle of her surplus Jeep, it’s all-wheel drive letting the vehicle move down the dirt road at a quickened pace. Being able to say good luck to Miho felt good, but her two compatriots had other ideations.
“I bet Miho will lose to her older sister,” Alisa said confidently.
Naomi stuck a stick of bubblegum in her mouth as Alisa continued. “My calculations say that there’s a 95% chance for Maho to win this match.”
Naomi looked backwards at Alisa, a sly grin on her face. “There’s still a 5% chance for Miho to win nonetheless.”
“What do you mean?!” Alisa yelled, causing Kay to jerk the wheel. “It’s a larger percentage for Maho to win! My predictions always end with the larger percent winning!”
“Last time you predicted something, we ended up losing to Miho even with you cheating.” Kay winced as she remember the match against Ooarai. While she enjoyed it, the idea that her vice commander would go behind her back and cheat with radio tapping still bothered her to this day.
Alisa pouted and cross her arms as Naomi laughed. “It’s not that funny!”
“Yes, it is! I don’t understand how you’re going to get this Takashi to fall for you if can’t manage your numbers properly.”
“Well, I’m at the top of the school in mathematics,” Alisa proudly boasted.
Naomi rolled her eyes in return, clearly seeing through her lies. Kay held the wheel steady as she turned through the small entrance to the Saunders campgrounds at the top of a hill off to the right of the grandstands. The commander of the Saunders Tank Corp. got their own tent, followed by the vice commanders staying together in their own tent, finally followed by the rest of the tents, filled with bunks for the crews. A large eating area was set up with chairs and tables closer to the rolled edge of the hill. The dirt path turned to grass as Kay let the Jeep climb up and park beside her own tent.
Alisa jumped off the backseat, already starting to argue with Naomi again about how she can predict a sports match using her ‘mathematical skills’. Kay rested her head against the steering wheel, weighing her options. On one hand, she could stay here with the rest of her team. But on the other hand, she could get some much needed alone time with a significant other.
Letting the others walk off, Kay slowly drove back down the hill until she reached the gate, where she sped down the dirt path in the direction she had come. Hoping that she hadn’t left since Kay had gone off to the camp, Kay let her mind fill with thoughts of what could happen when they finally saw each other alone again. Coming to a screeching halt in front of a repurposed metal bunker, she quickly turned off the engine and leapt from her seat, both eager and worried for her partner.
Opening the door to the inside and peeking in, Kay spotted Darjeeling and the rest of the Gloriana command sitting around a table, with a large chalkboard against the back wall. From what Kay could tell, Darjeeling was instructing her group to pay attention to Ooarai’s tactics for future plans. But as Darjeeling looked across the room, she locked eyes with Kay peeking through. Darjeeling’s face turned pink, causing Pekoe to rush to her aid. Darjeeling brushed her off. “I just need some fresh air. Don’t worry too much.”
Pekoe, frustrated, sat back down. Darjeeling walked along behind Assam before reaching the door. Kay jumped back, letting Darjeeling push the door open and close it behind her. Darjeeling let out a sigh, seemingly tired from her job as commander.
“Tired?” Kay asked curiously. Darjeeling looked over with a smile, enjoying the sight of the optimistic blonde.
“Possibly. It’s a lady’s job to be prim and proper at all times.” Darjeeling brushed herself off and tugged on her uniform.
“You aren’t very prim or proper when I get around you,” Kay teased.
“Very funny. Have you heard this saying before? A kiss is a secret which takes the lips for the ear.” Darjeeling quickly moved in, bringing her lips deeply against Kay’s. Kay did little to resist Darjeeling’s hold on her mouth, letting their tongues dance around together. Darjeeling grabbed Kay’s wrists, getting the most possible leverage to deepen the kiss even further.
They both let back, gasping for air as the kiss ended. “You really did miss me,” Kay panted.
“How could I not. A lady doesn’t get to meet her partner and you don’t expect them to not want more time together?”
Kay fiddled with her hair for a second, trying to think of what she would say next. “So what would my fine maiden like to do now?” Kay asked as she did a playful bow.
Darjeeling giggled, before bowing herself. “Why don’t we return to my dorm?”
Kay tensed up, a little worried of what might happen while aboard the Ark Royal.
“Don’t worry so much, Kay. A lady shall always take care of her subjects,” Darjeeling joked. Kay seemed to at least be a little better, but Darjeeling could still see the apprehension.
“Alright. I’ll drive us,” Kay finally responded.
Kay giggled as Darjeeling fumbled with her keys in excitement. Finally, she got the right key, sliding it into the knob and unlocking her room. Opening the door, Kay’s mouth dropped as she entered the front area of Darjeeling’s dorm. From what Kay remembered it was nothing like this last time she was in Darjeeling’s dorm. The shutters were closed, everything was painfully organized, and the walls were devoid of any signs that someone actually lived in there.
Now the shutters had been replaced with high quality curtains, and sunlight beamed through the window. The shelves were still neatly organized, but Kay could see gaps and other imperfections where things used to be. As Kay looked over towards Darjeeling’s English Oak writing desk, she spotted a small picture frame next to a neatly stacked pile of papers. Walking to the desk, she picked up the frame. She felt tears building up in her eyes as she saw herself, arm wrapped around Darjeeling’s shoulder with a large smile. The photo had been taken after Saunders’ loss against Ooarai, but Kay still managed to have a good time with her lover.
Darjeeling cleared her throat, breaking Kay from her memory induced trance. “Do you want me to hang your jacket up?” Darjeeling asked politely. She had already taken off her sweater, and folded it nicely upon the countertop. “Oh, right.” Kay took her jacket off and handed it to Darjeeling before heading straight to the couch.
Darjeeling soon joined her, snuggling up against Kay’s chest as the pair lied together in the afternoon warmth. Bringing her head up, Darjeeling brushed her nose against Kay’s chin as she kissed the side of Kay’s neck.
“I wish we could stay like this forever,” Darjeeling commented. Kay nodded, putting her arms around Darjeeling’s back.
Kay yawned into the air, causing the pair to laugh as they pressed against each other. Soon the sight of two girls laughing on top of each other was replaced by the sight of two girls cuddling in their sleep…
The End… or is it?