Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

June 21st, 2027, 6:30 AM, Base, Commander’s House

Sleeping peacefully in his bed, John was quietly lazing on it.

After that hellish few days of work provided by High Command, which he and Howe finished late into the evening on the 17th, he decided to do some other work not related to reports afterwards. It was a much needed break-up from the torturous paperwork, and it gave him some time to talk with others and out of the office. Of course, the best thing about those days away from the office was his lovely secretary keeping him company. Albeit, she seemed a little more… protective for a lack of a better word, ever since retrieving him from the temple.

He also decided that, since it was his birthday today, he could sleep in a little later than any other day. Normally, he would be up fifteen minutes earlier, and open the door for Belfast and Sheffield. But since he knew that they had the keys to his house, he didn’t have to wake up that early for today.

But something in his head still told him to wake up. Not able to subside this urge anymore, John slowly opened his eyes, and was met by a sight he was not expecting.

“Morning, Shikikan-sama~!” both Akagi and Taihou said at the same time. They were being tied up by the two maids mentioned earlier on the ground. “And happy birthday!”

That caused his drowsiness to immediately disappear — jumping up to a sitting position.

“Good morning, Master,” Belfast calmly said, tightening the bindings on Akagi’s

“Sorry about these pests, Master,” Sheffield added, picking up Taihou like some luggage under her arms. “We will immediately remove them.”

“Who are you calling ‘pests’?!” Taihou screamed, wiggling about.

Reaching over to grab his tablet on the bedside dresser, John saw that he received a message from Ash — something to look at later. He wrote out, “How’d you two get in? ”

“Ooh~ Shikikan~” Akagi dismissively said. “We have our ways~”

Turns out, Taihou had managed to create an exact copy of the house keys by only seeing them for a split second one day. She had actually created it several weeks ago, and had already broken into his house several times already. The phoenix didn’t stay at his house as the maids would come in before John, causing her to flee the scene to not get caught.

Meanwhile, Akagi just brute forced her way into the house — breaking open the back door and waltzing in. How the breaking of his door didn’t wake John is a mystery in itself, but most likely chalked up to him being a heavy sleeper.

But as she did that, Taihou was opening the front door at the same time — meaning that the both of them saw each other at the same time. Upon seeing the other, an intense stare off began; both waiting to see who would make the first move. Was it going to be at each other, or would it be a mad-dash to the stairs. Turns out, it would be the latter.

With a straight line to the stairs, Taihou sprinted towards them, but Akagi managed to grab onto her clothing as she stepped onto the third step. Whirling around, Taihou made an attempt to kick her down the stairs, but was instead tossed down them.

Unfortunately, this managed to knock a picture frame off the wall, and it started to fall towards the ground. Just in time, Akagi managed to catch it — both of them leaping towards it before it could shatter. They did this for two reasons. One was the sound it would make — both wanting to surprise the Commander in his bed. The second was his rage. Rumours of it had already started to spread, and no one wants him to be furious at them — especially after the workload he completed not too long ago.

It was at this time, Belfast and Sheffield poked their heads through the door, and spotted the two yanderes on the ground. Quickly placing the picture back on the wall, Akagi and Taihou dashed up the stairs and managed to open the bedroom before they were caught by the maids.

And thus, we are caught up.

“Come on,” Akagi pleaded. “Just give me… two minutes with Shikikan~”

“Nope,” Belfast bluntly stated, slinging the fox over her shoulders and carrying her out the door — followed by Sheffield with Taihou.

As they were heading down the stairs, both of the intruders managed to yell out, “Don’t forget to open my package, Shikikan~!”

Turning to the side of the door, John saw that there were two small presents laying on the floor, miraculously intact. Getting out of the bed, he moved over and picked them up before returning to sit on his bed.

Foremost, he checked the message Ash had sent him this morning. Apparently, the METAs decided to cancel today’s meet up; something he wasn’t expecting them to do. Setting aside his tablet, he shifted his attention to the presents given to him.

The first one was a small, dark red present with black ribbons, and a tag with Akagi’s name on it — a little heart is also drawn with it. Opening it, he saw that it was a small fox plushie wearing a similar outfit to Akagi, a note indicating that Akagi had “handmade this with blood and sweat, capturing all the best parts of her”.

The next present was a small, light red box with yellow ribbons — Taihou’s name elegantly scribed on the wrap. Unwrapping the box, he opened the lid and found a reddish glass figurine was securely placed inside. Taking it out, he saw that the figure was in the shape of a phoenix, wearing clothing similar to Taihou’s. He could tell she put a lot of work into it, as the glass had no cracks and was near crystal clear, and the outfit perfectly fit around the glass sculpt.

“Sorry for that incident, Master,” Belfast said, walking back in the room with Sheffield.

“Well, it was certainly one way to get me up. ”

“We would also like to congratulate you with a happy birthday,” Sheffield added. “Many of the girls here have something planned for you.”

“I guess I shouldn’t keep them waiting then. ” he replied, motioning them to step out of the room so he could change. But before closing the door on them, he asked, “By the way. Why did you two have rope on you? ”

“Master, a maid should be prepared for any situation,” Belfast calmly stated, closing the door on him.

Chapter Text

June 21st, 2027, 7:25 AM, Town, Rosy Bakery

“And that should be the last batch,” Dunkerque said, placing a tray of sweets onto a rack.

“Whew! Quite a lot of treats for today, huh?” Howe said, swiping away a bead of sweat running down her forehead. “Had to make a lot more Peanut Butter Blossoms than normal.”

“Indeed.”

A knocking on the door could be heard, making the two look up at it. It was Zackary, carrying a box and some letters in hand. Dunkerque moved and opened the door for the man.

“Bonjour, Zackary,” she greeted him, with Howe arriving behind her. “What brings you here so early in the morning?”

“Morning, ladies. Just delivering some mail to you,” he said. “Here’s one for you, Dunkerque. And these are for you, Howe.”

He then handed Dunkerque a single envelope, while giving Howe the package and another envelope. The box was from Victorious, which gave Howe a slight hint to the contents inside; however, the envelope had no one on it.

After bidding the postmaster farewell, the battleship carefully opened the box — wanting to verify her guess. Once she lifted the lid, a smile grew on her face.

It was indeed the Stetson she commissioned, laying perfectly clean within the box. It was made from black felt, with a maroon red band wrapping above the brim. She also noticed a silver wolf pin was also on the hat, something she didn’t ask for. Perhaps Victorious added it to give a little more style to the wear. Pulling it out, she inspected the inside — finding it to be the same color as the band. She also saw a little chibi Victorious face embroidered within, giving a thumbs-up while sticking out her tongue.

After checking her own letter, Dunkerque looked over to Howe, and spotted the Stetson.

“Oh wow!” she exclaimed. “That looks good, Howe. Didn’t know you were looking to get one.”

Laughing, Howe clarified, “No. This isn’t for me. It’s for the Commander.”

“Ooh~ That makes a little more sense. Are you planning to give it to him today?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Oo! How about you try it on; let’s see how it looks.”

Shrugging, Howe flipped the Stetson around, and planted it on her head. Upon wearing it, she noticed that it fit nicely on her own cranium — which means that she and John’s head were of similar dimensions. After making a few micro adjustments, Howe asked, “How does it look?”

“Why don’t you see for yourself?” the battlecruiser said, taking out her phone and snapping a picture of Howe. She then flipped it around and showed it to her.

“Hmm… It does kind of suit me, but my outfit isn’t doing it any justice.”

“Yeah… I see what you mean,” Dunkerque agreed after looking at it herself. “Maybe you could get yourself an outfit to match it — you know, look like a cowgirl.”

“M-Maybe later…” Howe shyly said, moving a strand of hair behind her ear. “I should probably be going now; see you tomorrow, Dunkerque!”

She then placed the Stetson back into its box, before exiting the establishment with it in hand — forgetting that she also received a letter.

Not long after she left, the door’s bell rang, alerting the proprietor that someone had arrived.

“Sont-ils prêts (Are they ready)?” they asked in a slightly worn-out tone, having taken a jog around the base before showing up.

“Bien sûr. Howe sait comment bien les faire (Of course. Howe knows how to make them well),” Dunkerque responded, going around to the counter. She then took out the tray containing the Peanut Butter Blossoms.

Chapter Text

June 21st, 2027, 10:10 AM, Base, Eagle Union Living Quarters

“They said he should be around here somewhere…” Howe said, walking around the Eagle Union’s building, still carrying around the box with the Stetson in it.

Before coming here, she had made her way from Rosy Bakery to the office — expecting to see John when she entered. However…

A little more than two hours ago…

“Commander? Are you in there?” Howe asked, knocking on his door, hiding the Stetson behind her back.

When the door opened, she didn’t the sight of her boyfriend; instead, she only saw the office. Confused, she looked down to see that the person who opened the door was Little Bel.

“Oh! Good morning, Little Bel,” Howe greeted the mini head maid.

“Good morning to you, too, Miss Howe,” she replied, giving a little curtsy.

“Is the Commander in there with you?”

“I’m afraid not at the moment,” smol Bel responded, opening the door fully to allow Howe to enter. As she did, she noticed that Thüringen, Duca degli Abruzzi, and Hai Tien were all behind the Commander’s desk. More specifically, Thüringen was seated in the chair, while the other two were standing behind her — all of them looking at the computer monitor.

“And this here, is how we handle reports,” Thüringen said, pointing towards the monitor for the two to see. “What we like to do is complete the report, take a picture of it, and send that picture to the Kommandant before we hand him the physical. That way, he knows that we’ve completed it, and can point out corrections we may need to make.”

“What if the report is digital?” Hai Tien questioned.

“Same principle. We screenshot the report, send it to him, and wait for approval to send the actual report to him.”

“Morning you three,” Howe said, waving at them.

“Good morning, Howe,” Duca degli Abruzzi returned the gesture.

“What are you guys doing?”

“I’m showing these two the basics,” Thüringen answered.

“The basics?”

“After that enormous effort the Commander asked us to help with last week,” Hai Tien began. “We decided that it might be better if the Commander had a little more help than you, Thüringen, Jintsuu, and Volga around the office. You know, in case High Command does something similar.”

“So we volunteered to become helpers, too,” the diplomat continued. “While we did have some secretary time under Armstrong, it would seem that Commander Heartfall works a little differently.”

Indeed, while John had Howe, Jintsuu, Thüringen, and Volga to help with office work; Adrian was a little different. It would only be him and whoever was the secretary for the week would be. You would think that for an organization of hundreds of shipgirls, you could spare at least another two to help out. Perhaps he thought that he needed all available hands to fight the Sirens.

“Thank you two so much,” Howe graciously said. “The Commander would be so happy to know that you guys will be helping us… Speaking of him, have you three seen him yet?”

“I’m afraid not,” Hai Tien shook her head. “We arrived after Little Bel.”

A tug on her jacket alerted Howe downwards, where the person mentioned was getting her attention.

“Master was here for a short while before three people picked him up and carried him out of the office,” Bel-chan detailed. 

“What do you mean, ‘picked up’?” Howe concerningly asked.

Back to the present…

“I hope those three aren’t putting too much stress on him…”

As Howe rounded a corner of the hallway, she suddenly felt like she was spinning. Turns out, she was indeed spinning in place. For when she rounded the corner, multiple figures ran past her — their speed only making them look like a blur, and leaving a dust cloud behind them. As Howe regained her bearings, she looked down the hallway where those who were running were heading. Focusing her vision, she saw that it was Shimakaze, New Jersey, and Prinz Heinrich; three members of John’s “Boundless Bunny Girls“ group, were the ones who caused that Looney-Tunes moment. Focusing a little more, she saw that New Jersey was carrying John above her head.

“There’s no way I’m catching up to them…” Howe lamented.

“Oh, hello there, Howe,” a voice calmly said behind her. Turning around, Howe saw that it was Jintsuu who greeted her.

“Jintsuu, happy to see you,” she replied. “What brings you here?”

“Doing what you’re doing. Trying to catch up with Shikikan-sama.” the wolf woman honestly answered. “I was with him in the office when the three of them barged in, and carried him out of the office.”

“Where have they been taking him?”

“Around the whole base. We first stopped by the Sakura Quarters, where they held a big celebration for his birthday. Next we went to the Iron Blood Quarters; there he was greeted by an orchestral performance of many classics — Friedrich’s conducting was amazing like usual. That brings us here, where the Eagle girls had another barbecue for him, with a little less baseball this time.”

“I’m sure that everything went fine at each event, yeah?”

“Indeed. I was mostly surprised that Akagi and Taihou behaved themselves, and did not pounce on him as soon as we entered. Even Eisen-kun managed to behave himself as they moved around.”

“Well, where are they heading now?”

“Hmm… Let’s check,” Jintsuu said, pulling out a walkie-talkie and turning it on. After a few crackling from the device, a voice soon became clearer and clearer — eventually the voice became coherent enough to understand.

“The Iris Orthodoxy said that they’re going to be holding a ceremony in their cathedral,” the voice of Shimakaze said.

“Alright~!” Prinz Heinrich’s voice said. “Let’s not keep those girls waiting then!”

“Hold on tight, Commander! Full Ahead!” New Jersey instructed him to do so. “Don’tcha just love it when you get to be carried everywhere you go~?”

Turning off the walkie-talkie, Jintsuu said, “Iris Orthodoxy Quarters it would seem.”

“Jintsuu, how’d—” Howe began to question, but was cut off by her.

“When we were at the Sakura Quarters, I asked Yuubari to make a listening device for me. She managed to create a small microphone and a walkie-talkie just in time before they headed to the Iron Blood Quarters. As Prinz Heinrich ran past me, I managed to plant the listening device on her — seems like she hasn’t noticed it,” she calmly explained, raising a fan to cover her mouth to hide her amusement seeing Howe’s baffled face. She then noticed the box and letter Howe was carrying with her. “What do you have there, Howe?”

“Oh this? It’s the Commander’s birthday present from me~” she said, opening the box and pulling out the Stetson.

“Interesting… What about the letter?”

“Letter?” Howe questioned, until she remembered the letter she got from Zackary. “Oh! I actually don’t know…”

After placing the hat back into its box and placing it on the ground, she grabbed the letter and started to unveil its contents.

“Dear Howe,

I formally invite you to our Third Date. Meet me by the lake today by 8:30 PM. Please wear your most elegant dress.

— John Heartfall ”

Chapter Text

June 21st, 2027, 3:19 PM, Base, Commander’s Office

“And thus concludes your travels on the Bunny Express~” New Jersey proclaimed, planting the Commander on his feet.

“We hope you had a wonderful time with the fastest way to traverse the base!” Shimakaze excitedly asked.

“Happy B-day once again, Kommandant~!” Prinz Heinrich shouted down the hall as she, New Jersey, and Shimakaze left his office.

After a whirlwind of party hopping thanks to the three bunnies, the Commander had become super exhausted and a slight bit nauseous. After the party in Sardegna Quarters, the last party planned for him by the girls, he requested that they take him back to his office so he may catch a break. Granted, he expected there to be some work to be waiting for him, but at least it will be slower-paced comparatively.

Plus, he was excited for tonight.

Waving the girls goodbye, he opened the door to his office, and saw Howe waiting for him in front of his desk — her hands were behind her back.

“Good afternoon, John~” she sweetly spoke, with an equivalent smile on her face.

Smiling, John made his way to her and placed his hands on her hips. Planting his forehead on her’s, he gave off a content sigh, as if he was saying, “It’s good to see you.”

“You must have had a hectic day…” Howe asked, with John confirmed with a nod. “Well, you can catch a break now; seeing as no one else is dragging you around.”

“While I did like the celebrations, it was a little overwhelming. ” John admitted. “Plus, did they really have to get the Bunnies to act as my chaperons? Don’t get me wrong, I like the girls, but they have too much energy for me to handle. ”

“Well… I hope you have the energy for one more gift right now.”

She then moved her arms in front of her; within her grasp was a box with Howe’s name on it. Taking it out her hands, John carefully moved the lids, and saw something he wasn’t expecting to see. A black Stetson with a red band and a silver wolf pin was neatly placed in the box. Taking it out of the box, John examined the fine headwear before turning to Howe.

“You got this for me? ” he questioned.

“Happy birthday, John~” was Howe’s only response.

Suddenly, John threw his arms around Howe, giving her a tight hug and throwing the battleship off guard. Howe quickly acclimated to the gesture, and wrapped her arms around him, too. The two remained silent within the office, enjoying the embrace they were sharing.

After a few seconds, they separated, and Howe could see them — the brown eyes that showed joy. They were so vibrant, and lingered longer than before; even as he started at the hat, they remained brown.

“Go on, Love. Wear it,” Howe told him. Without any further delay, John twirled the hat until it laid atop his head. After a few more adjustments, John looked at his reflection on the window, and appreciated this gift given to him by his girlfriend even more.

“Hmm… Doesn’t really suit you now, given your uniform…” Howe commented. “But I’m sure you have something that fits it. If not, we can go looking around Godly Fashion to see if she's got anything.”

“Where’d you even get this? ” John questioned.

“I had Victorious make it for you. Samantha told me that you would love this gift.”

“I’d have to give my thanks later, especially Victorious for adding my favorite animal as the pin. ”

“You like wolves?” Howe asked, with him nodding.

“I’m over the moon right now, I can’t wait for tonight! ”

“I can’t wait to see what you have planned for tonight,” Howe said, but that only made John dawn a confused expression.

“What I planned? I thought you were the one who planned tonight’s date. ”

“Huh?! But, I got a letter saying that you were the one!” Howe cried out in confusion.

“Same here from you. ” John replied, pulling out a similar looking letter from his jacket.

“Dear John,

I formally invite you to our Third Date. Meet me by the lake today by 8:30 PM. Please wear your most brilliant suit.

— Howe ”

“So if you didn’t plan this date, and I didn’t plan this date…” Howe started to question.

“Then who did? ” John finished for her.

Chapter Text

June 21st, 2027, 7:30 PM, Base, Royal Navy Living Quarters

“Have fun on your date, Howe~!” King George V waved her goodbye as she and her other sisters left her alone. They decided that they would be getting take out for tonight — a very rare occurrence given George’s fondness for cooking.

Now left alone, Howe quickly made her way back to her room, and opened her closet — rummaging around to see what would be the perfect wear for her. She debated whether she should wear her “Evening Marvels” outfit, but since John’s already seen it before, she decided for something different. Eventually she found something that she even forgot she had.

It was a red cami dress that faded into black as the dress neared her ankles — a slit ran down the left side to expose her leg. The dress also lacked a back; instead, the straps crisscrossed at the back, and needed to be tied together at the back in order to keep them secured. The dress exposed a decent portion of her chest, but still concealed them to not be revealing.

Putting it on and tying the straps at the back, Howe felt this was the one that she needed to wear tonight. Not only was it something that she rarely wore and John’s never seen, but it was very comfortable to wear — nothing was constricting her. She also grabbed the golden garter from her other dress to wear; something she thought it would look well with the slit exposing her leg.

But she needed a second opinion.

“Charles, what do you think?” she asked her loyal pet, twirling around so that he could get a better judgment.

*Ferret Noises*

“Hehe~ I knew I can count on you~!”

With another person agreeing on her choice of wear, Howe moved over to her dresser, and picked up the necklace John had given her. Clutching it close to her chest, she couldn’t help herself from smiling as she started to put it around her neck. Afterwards, she started to tie her hair into a bun, and pulled out her makeup box. Next, she pulled out the black heels her sisters gave her for her launch day, and began to secure them onto her feet.

While Howe was applying a bit of makeup to herself, John was already on his way to pick her up. They had decided that John would take her to the lake, as they were unsure of what would actually be there.

Driving down the empty streets, John wore a black, three-piece suit with white undershirt and red tie. On top of his head, rested the birthday present Howe had given him hours ago; he couldn’t stop smiling while wearing it. He was to take her in the Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen — it was the first thing that he grabbed down at the base’s motor pool. The staff car was something that Prinz Adlabert had managed to restore during her downtime, and allowed anyone to take it out just for a leisure drive.

Parking the car out front, John made his way to Howe’s room, noticing that the halls of the quarters were quiet. Even as he drove down the streets, he didn’t see a soul in sight — a very unusual sight even at this time of day. It was both eerie and romantic in a strange way; it was just him and Howe, no one else that they needed to worry about.

Arriving at her door, John couldn’t keep his heart in check — it beated faster and faster as he knocked on her door. A moment later, the door slowly opened and John saw Charles and Rex come out of the door — greeting the man. After a few pets for the two, John looked up and saw her.

“Good evening, John~” Howe greeted him with a shy smile. He was flabbergasted, seeing her in a very elegant dress, and how the hint of makeup made her glow in the light. With the addition of the pets, it made John think Howe was one of those animated princesses from his younger years. Noticing his stunned gaze, Howe said, “I guess you like it…”

“I love it. ” John managed to write out once he was freed from his state of daze.

“You don’t look that bad either, Love.”

“Right. Shall we? ” he asked, extending an arm for her.

“Actually, can we take a picture first? I’d like to remember this before anything happens.”

Nodding, Howe brought him inside, so they could get better lighting — taking out her phone, and handed it to John so they could take a selfie. Raising it high into the air to achieve the best angle, John looked at his date to see if she was ready. Howe wondered what she should do even though it was her idea to take the photo. But then the action she needed to do materialized in her head. Grabbing onto John’s other arm, she held onto it and rested her head on his shoulder. Somewhat startled, her date reciprocated the act, and laid his head on top of hers — both smiled at each other before turning to the phone. With a simple click, this moment was forever stored on Howe’s device.

Handing it back to her so that she could see it, Howe said, “Aw shoot! I had my eyes closed; can we take another one?”; causing John’s heart to skip at the now ruined moment they shared

“Heehee~ I’m kidding, John~” she informed him, giggling at his reaction and causing him to sigh in relief. She then set the photo as her lock-screen.

“Alright you prankster, you got me. ” he said, not able to hold back his laughter after that little joke Howe pulled on him. “You ready now? ”

“One more thing. Rex! Charles! Keep the castle safe!”

*Ferret Noises*

*Bark*

“Okay, I’m ready,” she said, grabbing onto John’s hand as he escorted her to the staff car.

Meanwhile, somewhere else…

“Are preparations complete?”

“Almost. The Back is still preparing.”

“That’s fine, how's the Front?”

“Similar situation.”

“We still have time. Let’s not make this fail!”

Chapter Text

June 21st, 2027, 8:15 PM, Base, Lake

Walking the forested path leading to the lake, John and Howe interlocked their arms — walking next to each other, and anticipating what lies ahead. They had parked the car in the lot, and were now walking the path that led to the lake. The way forward was lit by a few lamppost setup, giving the cobblestone walkway a warm, pleasant glow.

As they drew closer to the lake, they heard something they weren’t expecting…

“John,” Howe called to him. “Do you hear that?”

Nodding, John wrote, “It sounds like a saxophone, doesn’t it? ”

“Yeah… I guess that’s who was the one who concocted this event.”

After rounding a bend in the path, they could see more lights up ahead once they cleared the trees. In front of them was a podium, with someone not playing the brass instrument sitting in front of them.

“Atago? Is that you?” Howe asked once in speaking range.

“Ah! Shikikan-sama! Howe-san!” Atago excitedly greeted them with a bow. The woman was wearing a black, strapless dress with the skirt reaching only to her knees — the dress sparkled as the lights above bounced off the material. “Welcome to ‘Lakeside Lovesong’.”

“Were you the one who wrote those letters? ” John asked, eliciting a giggle from his Sakuran “Big Sister”.

“You’re half correct, Shikikan~” she admitted. “I wrote your letter, while George wrote Howe’s letter. But enough of that. Are you two here to grab a seat?”

Looking at each other, both shrugged and decided to just play along with whatever is happening here.

“Table for two, please. ”

“Heehee~ You’re lucky tonight; we happen to have a table ready for you. If you will follow me,” she asked them, getting off her seat, and escorted them to their seats.

As they made their way to the clearing of the lake shore, they saw that the area was warmly lit with hanging lights. As they made their way to the lake house, they started to hear another instrument fill the air. The ever iconic notes produced by a piano. Looking to the house’s patio, they saw the two people who were playing for them; Prince of Wales and Pennsylvania — but they also saw Duke of York next to them with a violin, and Volga standing over by the lifted cover with a tablet in hand.

Wales rested herself on the stool to Pennsylvania’s right, wearing her “A Knight's Song, a Lady's Night“ dress and adjusting the saxophone. Similarly, York wore her “Eternal Night's Carola” dress, with black heels; chatting with the other two. For her part, Pennsylvania was reading off the music sheet, and getting into the rhythm of playing the grand piano. She wore an ultramarine, bodycon dress that had a split around the thigh. Meanwhile, Volga wore a black, sleeveless top with a long, white skirt with floral patterns.

Alerting Atago that they would be talking to them first, she allowed them to do so and followed closely behind.

“… And thus be the reason for this celebration,” Duke of York finished explaining to Pennsylvania.

“Really? Couldn’t you guys have, like, let her do her thing?” Pennsylvania asked.

“George was very incentive for her to either choose her fate or follow a plan,” Wales said while shaking her head.

“Well it turned out for the best!” Volga concluded.

“What are you four talking about?” Howe asked them once they were in conversation range.

“The UNO game…”

“Ooohh…”

“I didn’t know you girls played these. ” John pointed out, focusing on the now.

“Yorkie and Wales play whenever they get bored,” Howe explained, with her sisters nodding. “They like to do something with their free time whenever people aren’t available.”

“I see. What about you, Penn? ”

“I picked the piano a little while ago, certain people wanted me to play it for you two tonight. So I had So-Dak, Massie, and Chapy give me a crash course,” the Union battleship said, still playing on the piano.

“Well I think you’re doing great. ”

“And what’s with the tablet?” Howe asked, directing her question to Volga.

“See for yourself~” she said, lifting the tablet up. For a bit, it remained a black screen, but then it flickered to life. On the screen was Samantha, vigorously waving her hands to greet the couple. She donned a black ruched dress with a white skirt ending in black frills. Around her neck was the birthday gift Atago gave to her.

“Samantha?”

“Heya, Howe! What’s up, Bro! ” she excitedly responded back using a chat to communicate with them. “Congrats on the date! ”

“Thanks Sammy, but what are you doing? ” John asked his sister.

“Well seeing this amazing moment, duh! ”

“What about Mama and Dad? Are they there? ”

“Nah, I’m not at the house right now. But enough of that! Get to your table Silent J! And you better enjoy this because wearing this dress SUCKS! ”

Chuckling, John and Howe waved them all goodbye as they were escorted, once again, to a white-clothed table with a lit candle in the middle. Plates, utensils, and napkins were already set up for them — notable was the presence of chopsticks. Taking her seat, Howe was pushed in by John before he took his own seat.

“For tonight,” Atago began. “Your meals have already been selected for you by your chefs, King George V and Monarch. So please enjoy the music as each course will be delivered to you.”

The sound of wheels made the couple turn to the direction of the house, seeing that Suffren was pushing a cart towards them. The French "Big Sister" wore a white button-up shirt, black trousers, azure blue vest, and black neck-tie — dressed up as their waiter for tonight. On the cart were two different alcoholic drinks with a few glasses on the middle shelf, and a covered basket on the bottom shelf.

“Bonsoir, Commandant et Howe (Good evening, Commander and Howe)!” she greeted them with a bow. “First, we would like to know which drink you two would prefer?”

She then picked up the bottle on the left.

“This here is a bottle of Moët Impérial Champagne, made from more than a hundred different wines. It has a generous and tasty feel of pears, white peaches, and apples; while reflecting the diversity of the three main grape varieties.”

Placing it back down, she grabbed the other bottle on the right.

“And this is a bottle of Pinot Noir Bourgogne, and like the name suggests; of course, made out of 100% Pinot Noir grapes. It gives off an aroma of plums, raspberries, and cherries; while giving an earthy floral, mushroom, and mineral flavor.”

“Which one would you two like to have for tonight?” Atago joined in.

“I’m not too picky; what about you John?” Howe redirected the question to him.

He responded by picking the champagne, but also wrote out, “Please pour a glass of the red wine to the staff here. ”

“No problem, Sir~!” Suffren obliged, pouring the two their drinks and leaving the bottle on the table. “Once again, as you wait for your appetizers, please enjoy the performance by our lovely musicians for tonight.”

“I wonder what they will have for us,” Howe wondered as the violin’s strings started to hum.

“I have faith in them. ” John wrote.

“Well… here’s to our third date,” she said, raising her glass. John raised his glass, too, and clinked it with her’s — both taking a sip and admiring the taste of the drink.

As Suffren pushed the cart back to the house, after serving the wine to the others, she couldn’t help but take a quick picture of the two chatting at the table. Opening the door, she saw the chefs, George and Monarch making the final touches to a dish.

“Appetizers ready?” she asked them.

“We just finished them, and they’re prepared to be served!” George proclaimed, pointing to the counter where they had placed them. There was a medium-sized bowl filled with small, orange, disc-shaped objects sitting in an amber liquid.

Walking over to retrieve the dish, Suffren took her time to admire the craftsmanship to prepare this dish. “Wow… That looks appetizing,” she complimented. “But I guess that’s to be given from you two, huh.”

“Mon here was the one who did most of the dish,” George said, wanting to give her half-sister the credit.

“So how’s the main course?”

“Still need a little more time,” Monarch said, grating a green plant on what appears to be a wooden paddle. “But it should be done once they finish that.”

“Well I guess I’ll leave you two be, then,” the waitress said, placing the bowl onto her cart and leaving the kitchen. Making her way back to the couple, she saw that they were having a lovely “chat” together; both laughing and smiling as the musicians started to mix the piano with the sax.

“... I wish I could get the chance to see the rest of your family,” Howe giggled after John finished recounting a family story.

“Well who knows, maybe there will be an opportunity for me to take you to Texas. Meet Mama and Dad, and show you what I grew up with. ” John wrote back, dreaming about her meeting the two.

“Are you two having a good time so far?” Suffren asked, parking the cart next to the table — both nodding in affirmation. “Well we hope that you continue to have a wonderful time here.”

She then set the bowl onto their table.

“For tonight’s appetizer, we have chosen to serve you simmered daikon. The daikon's are tender and filled with the flavor from the broth. As for the broth used for this dish, it is made with dashi, soy sauce, and mirin — with a splash of sake. We hope you enjoy this.”

“Thank you,” Howe said, as their waitress walked over to Atago to chat with her. “Well, let’s see how this tastes.”

The two of them then plucked a daikon with their forks and took a bite out of the vegetable. The warmth of the dish helped it melt into their mouths, as the flavors provided by the broth seeped out with each chew.

“Wow…” Howe commented. “If this is what they have for the appetizer, then what are they going to have for the main dish?”

John just shrugged as the two continued to finish up the simmered daikons. But it did make him question how they got his favorite drinks and appetizer for his birthday. The only answer he could think of how they got it was Samantha — an act that he would have to reward later.

“They seem to be enjoying it so far. ” Samantha wrote out. “I was a little worried if you guys had anything special for Howe. ”

“We doth know our little sister well,” York retorted as she still fiddled with her violin. “She be not picky.”

“What about the main?”

“She’s the same in that department, too,” Wales chimed in.

Over by the table, the two had just finished the rest of the appetizer as Suffren started to push her cart back towards them.

“Is everything to your liking?” the waitress asked as she parked.

“It’s been great so far. ” John wrote out. “Especially with the hospitality here. ”

“Hehe~ Thank you, Sir. Now let me grab that bowl so we can move onto your main course.”

After placing the bowl onto her cart, she then placed three ceramic geta plates onto their table — all three covered. She also placed two sauce dishes, and an unmarked container. Suffren then removed the cover of the first plate, revealing a plate with four sushi rolls.

“First, we have selected a simple California roll to start off your main course. Nothing special, so let me tell you about the wasabi here,” Suffren said, picking up the unmarked container. “This is freshly grated wasabi from an actual wasabi plant. We’ve also given you a sample of store-bought wasabi to help you taste the difference.”

Putting the wasabi container back onto the table, she then lifted the second covered plate.

“And here is the king of tuna, two Pacific bluefin tuna nigiri sushi rolls. We managed to acquire the tuna ahead of time, and our chefs have kept it fresh for this very moment!”

“Pacific bluefin is expensive isn’t it? ” John questioned, with the heavy cruiser nodding in agreement. “How did you guys manage to get this? ”

“Atago, Magdeburg, and I were gone for a few days, doing our best to catch one for you two. Madge was the one who caught it if you were wondering. And don’t worry about the rest of the fish; the chefs plan to use all of it one way or another.”

“Well thank you for taking time out of your schedule to do this for us,” Howe gave her gratitude.

“Anything for a perfect date! Anyways…”

She then removed the cover of the last plate, causing John’s eyes to widen in surprise.

“We have your final roll for tonight, we present to you some shrimp tempura rolls! As the name implies, the main ingredient used is some tempura shrimp, giving it a different texture compared to the other dishes you will be having. If you want to have any more of a roll made, please notify me and I will tell the chefs.”

And with that, she rolled her cart over back to Atago.

“I kind of find it weird for them to tell us to wear such nice outfits for just some sushi. ” John wrote. “Not that I’m complaining; sushi is always a favorite of mine. Plus, I need something light after how much food everyone gave me today. ”

“Well then, let’s try these out,” Howe suggested, as they grabbed their chopsticks and started to mix the wasabi and soy sauce together. First they used the store-bought wasabi and dipped their California roll into the sauce.

“Yeah, that’s what I expected from what are the basics.”

They then used the freshly grated wasabi next; using the California to taste it. Upon putting it in their mouths, they immediately could tell the difference.

“Oo~ It’s more mellow compared to the other!”

“And the spice that’s normally there in the other one isn’t present here. ” John pointed out. “Means that the sauce won’t overpower the taste of the rolls. ”

“Now I’m excited to see how they taste with it; especially that Tuna roll. Ever had it before?”

“You kidding? With how expensive it can be? ”

“Our first time’s then~”

The two of them then picked up the bluefin tuna, and planted them in their mouths without the sauce first. As they chewed, they noticed how tender it was compared to any other fish; while giving a nice soft and buttery texture, too. With each bite, the umami flavor spilled onto their taste buds.

“Wow. I can see why they call this the ‘king of tuna’. ”

“That tastes amazing! Better than any other sushi I had!”

The two of them immediately went back to have their second roll. As Howe picked her’s up, an idea struck her head — a small smile forming on her lips.

“John. Can you say ‘ah’ for me?” Howe asked.

Seeing what she’s planning to do, John reciprocated the question by asking for her to do the same thing. Obliging, as they opened their mouths for the other, they both moved their chopsticks to place the tuna roll into them.

“Aww… That’s so sweet~” Atago cued out watching with Suffren.

WIth the bluefin tuna completed, the two moved onto the last rolls for the night: shrimp tempura. For Howe, this would be a new experience as she never had it before. For John, it would be a blast to the past…

After dipping it into their sauce, they both took a bite of the roll, and Howe could tell why John liked this dish so much — how all the flavors popped immediately within her mouth.

“I see why you like this, John. This tastes pretty good,” Howe said.

But John had a different reaction. A single tear rolled down his eye as a memory of a time long ago played in his mind; a time right before joining the Navy.

“John…?” Howe concerningly called out to him upon seeing his expression.

Flashback…

“I don’t agree with you joining the Navy, Son…” Krisandra Heartfall told John as they sat together.

“Mom,” John spoke up. “You keep telling me what I should do. But you never considered what I wanted to do… This , is what I want to do!”

“Is there any way for you to reconsider your choice?”

“I’ve already got accepted. I'm heading out next Tuesday.”

“I see…” his mother said in a solemn tone.

“Why can’t you be more supportive of my choice like Dad?”

End of flashback…

“Is that supposed to happen?” Volga asked Samantha upon everyone seeing his saddened face.

“I’m not sure… ”

John was roused from this memory as Howe reached over to touch his hand, a worried expression plastered on her face.

“Are you alright, John?” she asked.

Nodding, John gave a reassuring smile and said, “I just had a memory when I had that dish. ”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Giving it some thought, he knew that one day that he would have to spill the beans about that event. But he decided now wasn’t the right time, and simply shook his head.

“Alright… Just tell me if something’s wrong; I’m always here for you…”

Pushing herself back towards them, started to refill their glasses for them as she asked, “We hope that everything has been splendid; has it?”

“It has. ” John replied. “Everything tonight has been stupendous. ”

“Well we would like to give you two desserts for tonight,” she told them as she reached down to grab the basket, and placed it on the table. “For tonight, we have chosen to give you these!”

Lifting the cover off the basket revealed the contents to be a whole batch of Peanut Butter Blossoms.

“Woah! When did you guys get these?” Howe asked until something clicked in her head. “Wait… Is that why I had to make so many this morning?”

“Hehe… Sorry about that, Howe,” Suffren apologized with a smile and scratched the back of her head. “But we all know how much you two like these cookies, so we thought to give as much as we could. But even with George’s amazing cooking skills, she still has trouble completely replicating your confectionaries.”

“You don’t expect us to finish all of these? ” John questioned, noticing that there were quite a lot of them in the basket.

“Oh of course not. We just want you to have two each, and you can take the basket back home,” the French shipgirl said, before carting away to avoid being asked more questions.

“I guess we should have these now, huh John,” Howe suggested, reaching for one.

“I was kind of expecting a birthday cake to be honest. ” John commented as they started to eat their dessert. “But I guess they would know that I’ve already had four today. ”

“You had four cakes today?!”

Meanwhile with the others, Suffren and Atago went into the house to see if George and Monarch require any assistance cleaning up in the kitchen. Over by the performers, they had stopped playing for a bit, murmuring with each other as they planned one last performance.

As the couple finished their second Peanut Butter Blossoms, the musicians started to play their tune into that of a waltz. Sensing the opportunity, John got out of his seat and moved over to Howe.

“Would you like to dance with me? ” John asked, extending a hand to her.

Without any hesitation, Howe took it, and both walked away from their table to enjoy this moment — John leaving his tablet on the table. Once they found a suitable spot, both got into position; John placed his right hand on Howe’s hip, and grasping her right with his left. As soon as the musicians matched the ¾ of a waltz, the couple moved themselves in the rhythm.

“This certainly has been an interesting date, huh John?” Howe asked as they turned.

John could only nod and smile as his answer.

“I think we should downscale our next date, yeah?” Howe proposed, eliciting another nod from the man. He then twirled his date, and caught her low to the ground — both smiled and stared into each other's eyes before waltzing again.

“Man, didn’t know the Commandant had moves like that!” Suffren whistled, watching from the sidelines with Atago, George, and Monarch — who was holding a camera pointed towards the two.

“Even as his ‘Big Sisters’, he still has so many surprises for us,” Atago commented, smiling at the two with support. “What about Howe?”

“We had a few lessons a long time ago,” Monarch explained, focusing the camera. “I’m surprised she still retained that knowledge.”

“I’ve had a wonderful time tonight; how about you?” Howe questioned; once again, John only nodded.

As the musicians started to reach the climax of their song, John pulled Howe closer to his body — still careful to not step on her feet. Being so close to each other, the two could only look at each other. The lights hanging above started to look like stars, and time felt like it was slowing down — as if the world wasn’t letting this moment pass by. As the music drew closer to the perfect time, their faces drew closer to each other. They both stopped their movements and waited for it to come.

“I love you, John…” Howe proclaimed as the climax reached, she could feel John’s hand reach up to her right cheek.

“I love you, Howe…” John quietly said so that she could only hear it. Howe had barely any time to register that he had just spoken to her before bringing her into a slow and passionate kiss — their first kiss. It was electric, both feeling like there was no one else in the world but them; time freezing as their lips connected with each other’s. 

Over by the sides, George was frantically tapping on Monarch’s shoulders to make sure she was recording the moment — something she was already doing. Atago and Suffren were doing something similar, having pulled out their phones, and snapping as many pictures as they could. Wales and York had already stopped playing and let Pennsylvania play the last of her keys. The three and Volga with Samantha still on the tablet gave each other high-fives once the Union battleship let the last notes die out.

As the notes faded from their hearing, they echoed between the trees of the forest lining the lake. Between those trees, a metallic figure watched from the opposite side of the lake; having been there for a while. As the group gathered to have a photo together at the behest of John and Howe, they slowly retreated further into the wilderness.