Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

First Kiss

For the record, their first kiss was an accident. Rapi had been leaving the Commander's room after finishing up the paperwork for their most recent mission. The Commander had been resolving some issue between the numerous Nikkes of the Outpost and was returning to his room. The blind corner not ten steps from his door was a frequent place to accidentally bump into others if you weren't paying enough attention. So when the two tried to round the corner at the same time, unknowing that someone else was there, it guaranteed an accident. The Commander being mid-yawn and Rapi turning her face towards the sound to identify it didn't help either.

When their lips met something warm, they both did the correct thing: panicked and separated so far they rebounded back around the corner from each other. Rapi's core heated up in embarrassment and the Commander's heart hammered into his chest. Taking a minute to compose themselves, they both stepped well past the blind corner's accident zone, said quiet goodnights to each other and desperately tried to keep their red faces from being seen.

Second kiss

The second kiss was less accidental but still officially an accident. It had been aimed at a cheek, but a quickly turned head and a minor audience only served to make it worse. But back to the inciting incident. Rapi and Commander were returning from a supply run in the Ark, when they had run into one of the Commander's many "friends." Or as Rapi referred to them, idiots who took advantage of the Commander's kind nature to get weird tasks or items for themselves. This one happened to be an author of a romance series about a Nikke who would return to human if she could have the squad Commander fall in love with her.

The premise was already ridiculous, but the request to come to the Outpost to find "inspiration" for their illustrator to make the cover art of the book "passionate" went over the line. Before Rapi could disparage them for such a crazy thing, Commander agreed and offered a ride up with them. The author talked the whole way up, even going so far as to ask their opinions of ideal spots to fit "a forbidden romance" from their perspective. Then somehow the topic came to what could expose such a romance unintentionally, and that naturally meant discussions of extreme impropriety in public areas, excessive public affection, and just downright idiotic things like wandering the Outpoat wearing each other's clothes.

Rapi was counting down the time to the elevator finishing its ascent when the author requested a picture of Commander and Rapi together, one kissing the other's cheek. Commander seemed willing to oblige, but only on the promise that no photos be taken. Rapi kept a thought of throwing the author over the edge to herself as she stood next to the Commander, forced to notice how similar they were in height. Easy to angle, and prepare herself mentally for the task ahead. No way could she make the Commander try and kiss her cheek, it would be ridiculous!

The problem came from the timing. In her focus on not letting this emotionally fluster her like the last time they had been that close, she lost track of the timing of the elevator. A burst of light as they reached the top and the sudden jolt of stopping caused them to momentarily lift. The Commander had turned to check on her, worried this request would prove too much for his companion. In that moment of weightless exhilaration, their lips met again. Their hats even floated above them, granting the moment a level of picturesque quality that would make some movies jealous.

13.09428 seconds later, the author's squeals finally penetrated the haze that affected the two. They separated with a rush of cold snatching away the moment's warmth as they returned to themselves. To the sound of a phone's rapid shutter clicking. Commander acted first, handing Rapi all the shopping bags and telling her to take care of the supplies while he got the author to delete everything.

She wasn't sure if the heat on her face was the intense pseudo-sunlight of the Outpost or something else. And she wouldn't acknowledge her core's attempt to overheat either.

"But whyyyyyyyyy??????? You're both too cute!" The author's wailing complaints chased her all the way back to the dorms.

Third kiss

Once? An accident. Twice? A coincidence. A third time? Rapi cursed every bit of this Goddess-forsaken conspiracy that kept causing her and the Commander to end up in these situations.

Everything had been going normally on this trip to Royal Road. They had picked up supplies, the Commander had gifted her a white variation of her uniform, which she didn't particularly mind. Wearing the same exact style of clothing day in and out could tire out anybody. They had enjoyed a light break at a Cafe that wasn't against Nikkes, and were just about to go home. All they had to do was head down the escalator and then make their way back to the Outpost.

So why were they kissing each other even as they fell down the stopped escalator?!?!? Her instincts had told her to pull the Commander close when the stupid thing lurched. She was right to do so as they both cleared the distance to the floor beyond the escalator. The click of their teeth against each other probably knocked out the Commander with the force of their joint descent. She felt him go slack and their lips rejoined like they were magnetized. Her core and mind overheated, leaving her with only the sensation of warm lips, the faint traces of their Cafe meal, and the fact that everyone thankfully was looking away from them to find out why the escalator wasn't working.

32.18516 seconds later, she finally felt the Commander stir in her arms, and relaxed enough to separate and sit up.

"Commander, are you alright?" She asked, trying to keep a stony face despite the heat consuming most of her body.

He gave her a small smile and nod, "Thanks to you." He looked over his shoulder, where a small crowd had formed at the top of the escalator. A young child was being scolded for pressing the emergency stop on the moving staircase, answering how the incident had started.

He stood up fully and offered a hand to the still sitting Nikke. "We should probably get going."

"Yes. We should." She gave him a small smile. "Thank you Commander."

The trip back was a blur and soon enough Rapi was laying down to rest. Her phone buzzed with a Bla-Bla message. Checking it, she found a message from Exia.

The message was a video link, that stirred a mixture of curiosity and concern in the XO of the Outpost. She clicked it.

Her eyes widened and her embarrassment practically sent her into a meltdown as an artistic cut of security camera footage of the incident at the mall. Including every second of her and the Commander locking lips. A little blurb appeared before the video looped back. Ganbare, Rapi! Keep being bold and the Commander will be yours! -Exia

 It was official. The Goddess thought her suffering was funny.

Chapter Text

Rapi took a proactive approach to dealing with her problem. By avoiding it. She limited her interactions with the Commander to what was strictly necessary, stopped going to advising sessions, and let Anis join the Commander on supply runs to the Ark. While the Commander didn't seem to notice, Anis and Neon certainly had. But it was easy to brush off their concerns with comments about her own workload and "a need to focus on non-Outpost matters" which they seemed to take as her studying up on their next mission's goals. 

She even went so far as to confront Exia about the video of her and the Commander. Apparently Exia had been shopping in the mall at the same time as the incident and had been the single spectator to not look at the wailing child undergoing discipline. Once Rapi recovered from the revelation, Exia offered to delete the recordings but refused to delete her "editing masterpiece." It was only the logic that Exia was the Commando Unit's information specialist that stopped Rapi from mauling the smaller Nikke.

It was only after extracting a promise of silence from the information specialist that she moved on, prepared to investigate the source of her recent accidents and misfortune.

Fourth kiss….

She spoke too soon. That was a relative term in this moment since her investigation was already a week in when this latest moment had decided she was due for another incident. Kissing. Again. While in a cramped, dark closet. With the Commander. Who accidentally nibbled on her lip. But before she lost herself to the moment, she focused on how this damnable situation had even occurred. 

The week of investigation had turned up nothing. The blind corner was easily explained, the opportunistic author and the elevator confirmed to be working "normally" by Outpost standards, and the escalator had already been confirmed by Exia. But it still lingered in her mind. That many accidents, in only a scant 12 days? She didn't believe it. But with her own distance from the Commander, she could objectively say nothing seemed to be forcing this to happen.

She was walking down the barracks corridor when she heard it. The unholy groan of some poor lost spirit. For the official record: Rapi was NOT afraid of ghosts. She knew of their existence as a matter of fact and reality, and simply disagreed that it should remain that way. It's why she never listened to the Commander's ghost stories about things around the Outpost. Maybe she should have listened. To know what areas to avoid.

Her spinal column somehow tensed to full stretch and shrunk at the next sound. Her feet were carrying her forward before she could think of a dignified explanation for her incredibly fast pace. The sound chased her, filling with the slamming of doors, rattling of windows, even faucets and showers not connected to the water lines squeaking as they pressed out some liquid. Her eyes were starting to blur from the intensity of her sprint drying them.

One haven stood out to her. A small supply closet, little more than an alcove with shelves for cleaning supplies. And just enough room for a single person. She didn't check the space, wrenching the door open and throwing herself inside with the door slamming closed behind her. 

And her slamming straight into the Commander, face-first. Three reasons she knew it was him. One, a masculine groan of pain ejected out of his nose right into her ear. Two, her internal IFF registered his ID chip. Three, his lips tasted like they always did. Not that she cataloged the sensation from her previous accidents. 

With the groan released, the Commander attempted to suck wind between his teeth to alleviate the pain. At least that’s what she thinks happened. Because she felt him suck her deeper into the kiss, even going so far as to lightly nibble her lip with his incisors in a way that let her escape. If she had wanted to. Or could form coherent thoughts. 

20.385647 seconds later her brain finally restarted enough to pull her mind into action. She pulled back, finding her shivering body currently wrapped by his arms and easily pulled into a tight hug. She decided he was only doing it to save room in the already cramped space.

"Rapi." His voice whispered into her ear, husky and breathless. She was immensely glad it was too dark to see each other right now.

"Yes Commander." She kept her voice from betraying a hint of her mixed-up feelings through pure will.

"Stay still. I can hear them coming." He pulled her tighter to him, her head settling on his shoulder, her face nearly pressed into the hollow of his throat. Whatever thoughts she had been organizing dropped straight to the mental floor and threw their papers everywhere.

She tried to focus herself beyond the feelings of their closeness, the pressure of each other's breath on their chests. She barely succeeded. Or maybe the two culprits were just that loud.

"OOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLDDDDDDDDD-TTTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMEEEEERRRRRR!!!!!" Belorta seemed to shout with every ounce of air she had. Mica could be heard trying to keep up with her friend, not that it helped much. The incorrigible prankster kept shouting as she passed by, Doppler Effect confirming that she had passed by the hiding spot in her run.

"She's gotten obsessed with sticking things to me as a prank recently." He informed her, explaining why he was hiding in an underused closet. Something Rapi herself hadn't found the time to ponder with the ongoing situation.

The Commander sighed and relaxed his hold, but his arms still remained around her.

"Commander, you're… still holding me." She informed him, as clinical and cold as she could be while keeping her own whirlwind of conflicting feelings under control.

He seemed to notice after she pointed it out, his arms lightly squeezing before releasing her. "Sorry!" He practically froze into a statue once his arms were no longer around her. 

She didn't trust her own words as she left the closet, not even double-checking on her Commander.

Kissing the XO (Commander's side)…

The Commander of the Counters Nikke Squad, sole Commander of the Advanced Commando Unit, and general friend to the Nikke population of the Ark found himself very confused. The past three weeks had seen chaos unlike any he could have imagined outside an animated comedy about romance. None of it had happened on missions, thankfully. If anything their missions were going well, and he was supposed to be reviewing their supplies for an upcoming one in a few days. So why was his mind still hung up on how it had all started and snowballed from there? His trusted junior officer, squad leader, and all-around skilled helper Rapi. And the current reason he was laying in his bed trying to calm his heart.

3 weeks ago, he'd unintentionally kissed Rapi when they walked into each other at the infamous "blind corner" by his room. He supposed it offered privacy as to whoever might be visiting him for counseling and/or advice, but he had already heard plenty of accidents happening there. Nikkes knocking into each other, items getting hit, papers being spilled, you name it and had probably happened at that corner.

The kiss had been very unexpected and short, maybe 5 seconds or so. And no, he hadn't felt those cliché "fireworks" when their lips met. He hadn't been able to notice more than their warmth and softness. They had quickly separated, and did their best to not make worse fools out of themselves. 

A few days later, they were coming back from a supply run when Director/Producer/Author Kim had seen them and struck up a chat about their latest work. Apparently it was nearly ready for printing, but their illustrator was having a hard time making the included illustrations and cover art match Kim’s descriptions. They had asked if they could take some pictures of the Outpost to help the poor artist overcome the creative block, and being the kind of person he was, the Commander allowed it. It wouldn't hurt, and the only people who would know where the images were sourced from would be people with clearance for the Outpost anyways. 

So on the elevator ride up, Kim had started giving him the whole rundown of the story. A modern fantasy story about a Nikke who finds a strange creature on the surface and in return for saving it, promises to perform a spell to return her to being human. Supposedly inspired by some older stories of a sculptor who had brought his masterpiece statue to life and then the Goddess transformed it into a full human woman because of his skill and love for the statue. Weird idea, but pre-Rapture Invasion humanity was weird like that.

It was only when the protagonist learned that she needed the love of a person who already believed her to be human that the Commander winced. He'd commented that lying was not a way to build a romance. Surprisingly, Kim agreed and explained it was a deliberate twist to make a love triangle between the Nikke's Commander and a high-class member of the Ark's elite. The Commander held his tongue at the concept and the exaggerated scenes of the Nikke being torn between the love of a Commander who wouldn't care if she was a Nikke and the socialite she could never be fully honest with.

It was finally confirmed that the Nikke would choose the Commander and become human, marking the happy ever after. At which point Kim asked the Commander and Rapi to pose for the cover. He considered the request and felt it was normal enough. By the time he and Rapi had agreed, Kim had upgraded the request to one of them kissing the other on the cheek. The Commander hated that he had frozen at the new request, and it took him entirely too long to look to Rapi for her opinion. 

In the moment he turned, she had apparently worked up the courage to take initiative and kiss his cheek. A platonic gesture, nothing more. And instead ended up kissing him fully just as the elevator reached its destination. The slight rise from its stop was the reason his stomach had fluttered and it was the same reason he was entirely too focused on Rapi at that moment. The light of the Outpost framed her beautifully, her eyes wide with surprise at the moment of airborne freedom. Their kiss this time lasted 10ish seconds, but the thing that ruined it was the squeals and camera shutter clicking from Kim's spot watching them. Before he could start to process their second kiss, he had to deal with the very real threat of those pictures leaking to the public. Nothing good would come from that.

He pushed the shopping bags into Rapi's hands and sent her moving before her own mind caught up to what was happening. The Commander stomped up to the still fawning Kim, drawing himself up with all the authority and dignity his position could have while he tried to keep his blush under control.

"Delete those photos. Now." He ordered, his voice becoming a growl meant to be intimidating. 

Not that Kim bought it for a second. "But whyyyyyyyyy??????? You're both too cute!" The author complained, deliberately raising their voice enough that several passing Nikke turned to look at the spectacle. Damn author and their love of drama.

The Commander cursed under his breath, and lowered their voice further. "Delete those, and I will give you a freebie."

"A freebie, an interview, and one photoshoot."

"Two freebies and one interview."

The author narrowed their eyes, weighing their options, before countering. "Three interviews, one photoshoot of just you, and I send you the whole collection of photos while being able to describe the scene to my illustrator."

Commander sighed, knowing if he didn't agree here the blackmail would get worse. Or be shamelessly posted as cover art. "Fine. But you also delete your copies."

The author huffed, conceding the point in exchange for victory. "Very well." Their phone came up and after a blur of finger motion, the Commander had a message containing all the pictures and a dress code for their impending photoshoot. Kim turned their phone screen to Commander to prove the photos were deleted. The author walked back to the elevator controls, pushing the down button to return to the Ark with their prizes won.

"But you two do look good together. Don't let yourself rule it out, friend." With that authorial wisdom passed on, Kim descended into the depths, off to publish another bestseller. At the expense of the Commander's own private embarrassment. 

That night he browsed through the pictures before encrypting and password-protecting the files to an Exia-approved level. It did nothing to stop the butterflies the photos induced.

He spent the next week trying to figure out how to apologize to Rapi for the incident. Calling in a favor from a certain Cafe to ensure they could both receive service there, setting up an easy supply run and the date was planned. Not a romantic date, he reminded himself, just something to help Rapi feel better because that's what a friend does when the other is… how did she even feel about them kissing again? The first had been an accident, but the elevator thing made him guilty that he had kept the photos.

It was hard to remain unbothered, thinking about it. Maybe that was why he ended up calling on Talentum to have a variant of Rapi's uniform made. She was always in her black and red uniform, and he honestly didn't know if she had multiples or just washed it daily. That rabbit hole nearly cost him an hour and allowed Belorta to waltz into his room with her patented "salt in his water bottles" prank. Blegh.

Naturally, the supply run and date went well. He thought so. Rapi seemed to lighten up and everything seemed to be heading back on course. Which meant Fate had other plans.

They made their way to the escalator and the Commander let himself zone out on the moving staircase. He was reviewing the day so far when he felt the stairs stop. Without thinking too hard, he pushed off and did a bit of light hop to make sure his shoelaces didn't get caught at the bottom. So why did he achieve sudden weightlessness and feel arms around him? His mind pulled forward, looking into Rapi's worried gaze as they sailed lazily over the heads of other escalator riders. They all must have been out of it since none of them panicked at the floating duo.

His and Rapi's landing was rough, to say the least. Face-to-face is not a good position to land in without something that can give way. Them somehow locking lips during it didn't even register in the absurd moment. Which is why headbutting Rapi while feeling a familiar warmth on his lips stunlocked his brain. Or that might have been the resulting concussion. Honestly he didn't know.

What he did know was that it took him at least 30 seconds to remember how his limbs worked well enough to separate from Rapi, who looked absolutely flustered. Adorable. Mentally slapping himself for the comment felt automated, he had done it so quickly.

"Commander, are you alright?" She said, her stony expression ruined by the luminescent blush that managed to redden her nose, but that might have been a future bruise. The concussion was making his thoughts strange.

He smiled to put her at ease, "Thanks to you." Finally standing on his own two feet, he extended his hand to help Rapi up. "We should probably get going." The sound of a crying child and a raised voice filled with parental disapproval signaled an impending meltdown that he didn't want to see.

Accepting his hand and pulling herself up, Rapi gave him a smile that summoned those gravity-defying butterflies right into his stomach again. "Yes. We should. Thank you, Commander."

The whole walk and elevator ride back, he couldn't stop staring at her. His XO, his best friend, and maybe even… he slammed the door on that thought. What kind of Commander got a crush on a member of their own command structure? The military had rules against it! He thinks. It wasn't helped by the quiet return to the Outpost. He let himself be checked by Mary, who confirmed the light concussion and put him on limited duties for the week. Which meant Rapi would be taking up most of his paperwork. Woops. 

Rapi avoided him for the week, which was fair. She had gone out of her way to show him how to do the paperwork so she wasn't burdened by his ineptitude. Not only was the escalator accident his fault, but the concussion and the resulting shifting of duties as well. No wonder she was giving him the cold shoulder until he was able to return. 

It was the official day of his return to full duty when something just had to happen again. With Mary's confirmation that he was cleared to return to work, The Commander was eager to start, hoping that it would lighten Rapi's mood from the past week. He reached the door to his room/office and was going to grab the door handle when he saw it. The faint glimmer of something wet on the handle. After pulling his hand back, a small note from his pocket was sacrificed to determine the substance. Glue. The note was now a fixture on the door, but he could open it safely. 

When he opened it, a whiff of chemical sealants hit his nose, making him stagger back. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of movement. A familiar duo of Belorta and Mica ducking around a corner.

Seriously? He thought, making the decision to abandon the room and contact Liter for a safe removal of whatever the two pranksters had done. But he needed to make sure he was clear of whatever would come of it.

A quick turn past the blind corner (no accidents, no one else in the hall) and his Bla-Bla app was open. 

Liter, I think there might be a chemical spill in my room. I could smell fumes the moment I walked in.

Wwhahtt??? Hooowwwe? One my way! Ssstayy sadfe!

And I saw Belorta and Mica nearby. He hated ratting them out, but this prank represented a threat to himself and his actual paperwork. That called for retribution.

They will pay for this. It took a minute for the foreman of Might Tools to reply. The fact that Liter took the time to make her text clear meant business. He might have felt bad for a second, but realizing Liter handling the unruly pair would mean Rapi wouldn't have to discipline them made it go away.

All's well that ends well. For a moment.

"OOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLDDDDDDDD-TTIIIIIIIIIMMMMMEEEEEERRRRRR!!!!!! You rattled us out!" Belorta's shout probably echoed to the other side of the Outpost.

Sensing the very immediate danger to his safety and dignity, The Commander of the Outpost made a tactical decision. He found a good hiding place.

Was a tiny closet filled with barely used cleaning supplies an ideal hiding place? No. If he wasn't careful, he could knock everything over and that…. Liter wouldn't spare him for making such a mess. He waited, knowing Liter would signal him when she caught the troublemakers. Time to get some work done.

Pounding feet pulled him from his phone's email app, directing his senses outward. The steps were rapid, almost reaching a full sprint in terms of frequency and approach speed. He ruled out the pranksters, since they would have been shouting or panicking about Liter. It couldn't be Liter either, since there was no sound of Volt giving chase. Who else would have a reason to be sprinting in the barracks right now?

The answer hit him in the face. Literally. Lip first, because he couldn't catch a break. The flash of light from the open door hadn't done much for revealing the identity of the person beyond a silhouette, but he could tell who it was. Rapi. Her lips tasted the same as before. Now if only they hadn't jostled his teeth enough to bring an instinctive wince to the Commander's throat. He channeled it out his nose, the pain lessening. Now to breathe through his mouth and…

Her lips were warmer and softer than he had ever noticed. His incisors lightly scraped at her bottom lip, producing a whimper that he was certain had stopped his heart in its frantic pace.

Being in the dark wasn’t helping. Senses were heightened. His hands were clasped behind her back, his forearms resting atop her utility belt and encircling her waist. She was pulled close to his chest, her core warm and thrumming to replace his own stopped heartbeat. Her arms were encircling him as well, the faint shiver suggesting something had managed to scare the normally unflappable woman. To say nothing of the way her lips tasted was to keep himself from going mad.

It was in this heightened state that he heard the sound of two runners approaching. He broke the lip contact, forcing himself to focus past the woman in his arms. "Rapi." He whispered, trying to get her attention. It took a few tries, his voice low to keep anyone from noticing noise from the closet. He knew he had succeeded when she jerked and pushed herself against his embrace. He pulled her tighter, aware of how bad being found like this would be for both their reputations.

"Rapi." He tried to inject some amount of authority into her name, to try and get her to understand the situation they were in.

"Yes Commander." Her voice, calm enough to make him relax even as the runners approached their hideout.

"Stay still. I can hear them coming." He decided it was an order, even if it had no amount of commanding tone. He pulled her even closer, praying that whoever was running would just pass by the closet without investigating. Didn't help that the sensation of Rapi's breath on his throat was making it hard to think again.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLDDDDDDDDDDDDDD-TTTTTTTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!" Belorta's hollering covered up the distinct words of Mica as the two passed. It seemed Liter hadn't caught them yet and they were out for revenge still. 

He waited until the shrill call had faded before he refocused on the situation. 

Him. 

Rapi. 

Dark closet. 

Holding each other. 

Close. 

Very close. 

Abort. 

Abort. 

Abort NOW!

"She's gotten obsessed with sticking things to me as a prank recently." He babbled, trying to cover for their bizarre situation. There was no way she was going to buy that.

"Commander, you're… still holding me." She declared, making him realize that fact. He had not, as it turned out, stopped hugging her close to his body. His mind blanked, some other body parts panicked and froze.

"Sorry!" He forced his arms to relax, only succeeding in hugging her body closer for a second before they unlocked. She was gone before he could say anything else, the open door of the closet the only proof she had even been here. That and the intense blush that he could finally feel overtaking his head and even reaching his ears with their heat.

"I've screwed up, haven't I?" He asked himself, letting his legs pull him to the floor. How the hell would he be able to apologize for this one?

Fifth kiss….

All of this culminated in the snowball avalanche that was today’s incident. Just an hour ago, he’d done it for the fifth time. Kissed her accidentally, to clarify. At this point, he wondered if Fate decided the only way he would ever interact with her again was through these downright bizarre and illogical situations. He needed to complain to Fate’s manager.

The Commander had been in a haze for the past day and a half. Sure, he’d been able to complete his work and talk to everyone, but his mind was still far away. Still holding a beautiful woman close as they kissed. Why couldn’t he get it out of his head? It had been an accident! He knew it, she knew it. They hadn’t even been avoiding each other, just… awkward whenever they tried to have a conversation. There had to be some way to fix this.

He really should have known better at this point. Good intentions, hell, embarrassment, and all that wisdom just ignored for a sincere attempt at trying to right whatever curse Fate had put on them. Which is why he didn’t notice Belorta had “survived (read: escaped)” Liter’s ongoing punishment. And she wasn’t the type to forgive.

Counters were coming back from their shift at the Outpost Defense Point when the Commander met up with them. Anis and Neon were comparing their kill counts, claiming the other miscounted. Rapi noticed him and paused to salute. That seemed to be the spring for the trap. 

He caught the flash of movement, instinctively ducking. Belorta had accounted for that, aiming several lower and hitting his back. Rapi unfortunately took the projectiles to the front. A soft whump as the projectiles burst, splashing the two with a sticky clear liquid. Anis and Neon looked at them in shock, then ducked as more of the projectiles launched from hidden caches. The other two escaped cleanly. Rapi was mostly coated, and the Commander could see the liquid congealing, turning gray and foamy. He recognized it as emergency concrete foam, something meant to stabilize damaged buildings to allow responders to work safely while the foam temporarily held things in place. They had 30 seconds before the liquid set. And they weren’t close to any hoses or large bodies of water.

He moved, focused solely on getting them out of this situation, “Let’s go!” Pulling Rapi into a princess carry as more projectiles fired, some part of him had to wonder why Belorta never applied her skills to Rapture combat. Then his plans’ flaws manifested.

Even though Rapi wasn’t huge, she was still denser than a normal woman. The emergency foam was also quite viscous, and made it hard for him to keep balance. And projectiles were still hitting the both of them, further gumming them up. It wasn’t a real surprise when a bad step turned into them rolling after he tripped. Their short attempt at escape ended with them pressed to each other, the liquid foam starting to harden.

Their lips were together, and some part of him knew that staying there would cause the foam to stick their faces together until help arrived. But the other part just wanted to stay where he was, indulging in the warmth and taste of her. It was so overwhelming of a desire he put an arm up to keep them covered, cradling her head to his forearm as he lost focus on anything else. 

He thanked the Goddess that he needed to breathe. It was the only reason they weren’t stuck liplocked when the foam set and the projectiles seemingly ran out. He came to his senses as the crackling foam completed its transformation. He and Rapi were trapped, faces inches apart against the wall. Her gloved hands cemented to the back of his jacket, her hair stuck to the wall, and her legs carefully angled underneath her and between his. Meanwhile, his one arm was cemented less than an inch from ear to the same wall as her hair, his other stuck to a mass of cement anchoring Rapi’s hips and keeping her from sliding out. His boots and pants had become a single piece of emergency cement, ensuring he wasn’t going anywhere either.

He could think of worse places to be stuck, and much more humiliating positions to be found in. But trapped in cement performing a kabedon straight out of Signal’s romance anime? To Rapi? After accidentally kissing her again? There was no way that Fate wasn’t choking to death on its own laughter. 

“Commander, the cement seems to be strong enough to hold even a Nikke’s enhanced strength.” Rapi informed him, making a show of not meeting his eyes and trying to twist her body free of their artificial restraints. She failed, and he didn’t even need to try to know he wasn’t escaping with his normal human strength. 

He sighed, resigned to this situation. “We are stuck until someone brings the solvent, or the foam breaks down in an hour.” He did his best to not think about their bodies being in close proximity that whole time, or how easy it would be to lean in and-. The mental slap he gave himself must have made a sound as Rapi turned her attention to him. "Just trying to figure out what we can do."

Rapi closed her eyes, her face scrunched adorably as she concentrated. He felt something near his back flex and move before with the sound of light tearing it vanished.

Rapi made eye contact, showing him her freed hand and the torn skin at her wrist. She didn't seem bothered by the injury, which only made him more aware of it.

"Where is your phone? If I can reach it, we can get help sooner." He nodded, feeling the stiffened material on his neck and jacket collar resist the motion.

"Left pants pocket. Liter should be the top contact on Bla-Bla." He explained, trying to twist himself against the cement to allow access. Though it didn't help that the pocket was sealed from the outside.

"Apologies, Commander." Her hand was warm as it brushed against his body, reaching past the sealed waistband to the pockets' internal location. The skin-to-skin contact left a trail of fire along his torso, hip, and upper thigh. He stifled a groan as the contact ended, and the pocket was ripped clean out of his pants. He had already written them off as loss either way, but the loss of contact tugged at something deeper.

Rapi's deft extraction got them his phone, and before long Liter was contacted and video-called to explain the situation thoroughly. She estimated a few minutes to arrive and get them out. She kept the solvent on hand for reasons best undisclosed. Leaving the Commander and Rapi to wait.

The leader of Mighty Tools was on her way, and that let them relax. At least, as much as they could relax in their predicament. Honestly, the sheer absurdity of it was finally getting to the Commander enough to make him laugh. He let out the chuckle, which drew Rapi's gaze to him.

"You know, most people don't ever think they will end up in a bizarre situation like this. But here we are." He pointed out, letting himself enjoy the light tread into the chaos. 

Rapi's smile made itself quietly known, though she seemed intensely focused on something. "And here I thought Fate or the Goddess were trying to mess with us."

"Could be. It might even be part of some 'cosmic plan' for us." He wished he could wiggle his fingers to show how sarcastic it was. 

Rapi seemed to tense at his words, taking a second to choose her own. "And if it was?" The question left him stumped. The past 3 weeks had been…. Weird was the only word for it. Different didn't cover the absurdity but impossible was just a hair too far.

"I would prefer to not be some cosmic circus performer. I want to live my life by my own decisions." He didn't know why he felt so serious about the topic. Maybe it had to do with his memory loss, or even the way he rallied against the hopelessness of the fight to reclaim the surface. 

Rapi's eyes were staring into his soul as she prepared to say something, only for the frantic barks of Volt to make them look in the direction of an approaching ally. Liter had arrived, sealed buckets of… something carried on a pole across her slim shoulders.

"Okay. The plan is simple. Greenhorn, I'm busting you out first. Rapi is going to take a while considering all the hair." The short construction worker looked at the woman in question. " Unless she would prefer a new hairstyle until the Repair Center could fix it?" Liter suggested in her own blunt way.

"I am willing to be patient. The Commander should be the priority." Her reply was stock standard, but he could feel something else behind the words.

Liter didn't give him an opportunity to think about it, setting to work on freeing his hands after dumping a bucket of the solvent across his neck, back, and jacket. While the foul-smelling stuff worked there, precision tools spared his hands the same treatment, but left him feeling numb from the vibrations. 

With his hands freed, he managed to help pull his jacket and its rocky coating off. His undershirt had been spared by the jacket’s sacrifice. It was only when Liter started breaking his legs free that it occurred to him. He mentioned it, rather embarrassed at it.

"Don't worry Greenhorn, I won't look at you streaking back to your room." Liter's blunt comment didn't help as he felt the fabric of his pants tear away with most of the cement on his backside.

The Commander of the Outpost officially felt any sense of dignity die as Liter continued her work. He was only consoled by the fact that even Rapi seemed uncomfortable enough to have closed her eyes. Small mercies and all that.

With his legs freed, boots and pants destroyed, and a pair of Absolute-themed underwear left to protect his modesty, The Commander tried to plan his route back to his room with the least chances of being seen and/or called out for strange habits. It wouldn't do him any good after the whole challenge of getting Yuni to "communicate" that had gotten him labeled as a pervert. Again. 

"For the record, when someone says a relationship is 'set in stone,' this isn't what they mean Greenhorn." Liter's teasing words chased him from the site, leaving Rapi to quietly await her own freedom.

He somehow made it back without being seen. There were close calls, with several squads moving together and a few too many open spaces to cross. But somehow he made it.

If only his heart would calm down. Why had Liter insinuated him and Rapi had a relationship like that? He didn't think of her like that. Rapi was a precious friend and a treasure of an existence in his life. 

She didn't mince words, but still cared for your feelings and opinions. She didn't have a favorite food but found some foods too boring to eat. She was afraid of ghosts but pretended not to be. She was the best. 

Her pouting and flustered faces were downright adorable. Her hair was always well-kept, and she always looked presentable. Her voice was soft but carried every bit of emotion she had a hard time expressing. Even her smiles, rare and small as they were, could make any room brighter. And her lips were addictively kissable.

The Commander flopped onto his bed, face burning. What was he thinking?

Chapter Text

Sixth kiss….

"A Tetra Gala invitation?" Anis asked again, looking at the piece of mail Rapi was re-reading herself. She had committed it to memory on the first pass but still found it hard to believe.

"Yes, it seems that CEO Mustang wishes to congratulate the Commander for his work, and has extended the invitation to include a member of Counters." Rapi explained again, already feeling Anis and Neon's complaints building.

"No fair!" "Why only one?" 

Sometimes she hated being right. "Because it's what the CEO wants." She had been careful to exclude the mention of phrases like custom-tailored clothing and assigned dates . This wasn't a date with the Commander, it would be a mission with her as an undercover bodyguard. That would keep her nerves from giving out on her.

It hadn't been more than 48 hours since the temporary concrete incident and her core still hadn't cooled down. How was she supposed to? He'd tried to princess carry her (despite the failed escape), they had ended up kissing again (shorter than some of their previous ones, not that she was counting!), he had ended up in extremely close proximity for several minutes (where else was she going to look?), and to top it off Liter had made all kinds of suggestive comments (she hadn't been watching the Commander run out to check how toned his butt was and no one could prove it!) so Rapi found herself mentally exhausted.

These feelings were born from accidents, not the Goddess and Fate trying to push them together. She could objectively state the Commander was handsome. Most of the Nikke and the Ark's population agreed on that. Enjoying the touch of a good-looking person was a normal, human thing to do. It spoke well of her status as a Nikke to be able to feel things like that. So why did the thought of him meeting a human admirer at the Gala fill her with dread? They were close, trusted partners in many ways. She crumpled the paper in her hands at the poor choice of words.

She felt Anis and Neon quiet and focused their gaze on her. Neon looked apologetic, and Anis seemed to have calmed down. It was better than them teasing her about getting glued to a wall.

"Sorry." They said in unison. They were acting weird.

"Just, be careful at the Gala. Commander and the higher-ups might be okay with Nikkes, but there's no telling what others might think or say." Anis had to be seriously concerned to remind Rapi of that fact of their daily lives.

"Master will have you there, so we know he won't get hurt." Neon's words were a shard of glass into Rapi's center. She had failed to protect him so many times, but everyone seemed to think she was doing a good job. Rapi didn't let the complicated feelings make themselves known.

"Thank you for your words." She gave them a sincere look of happiness, the corners of lips slightly upturned. "But I'm not going to let you skip chore duty over this."

The other members of Counters groaned in protest.

Commander's room….

He stared at the invitation, partially listening to Ingrid as she explained the newest pieces of equipment that were being shipped to the Outpost. At least some skills had been retained from the academy. 

"Those sound like a good thing for us to field-test. I will have our defense squads use them and report back." He agreed, looking up to see Ingrid nod before narrowing her eyes. Crap, he forgot it had been a video call.

"I see you've gotten an invitation as well. Mustang's love for garish events is well-known." Ingrid had misinterpreted his focus on the invitation. Nice save!

"Yeah. I've never attended one before. And I'm not certain I will fit in." He sheepishly half-truthed. No need for a CEO of the Big Three to know about his very conflicted emotions.

"Hmmm…" Ingrid always sounded like she was halfway to a growl when she sighed, in the Commander's opinion, "Mustang is many things: Eclectic, Eccentric, Extravagant…" He ignored the alliteration for fear of getting an alphabetic asskicking by asking. "But for him to not know that seems unusual. Have you read the full invitation?"

He sheepishly nods, muttering just loud enough to be heard. "If I find out who sold him my measurements for a custom suit, I'm not sure what I will do." There wasn't any heat or threat to his words, just embracing the fact that Mustang knew enough to have a custom-made set of formalwear tailored to him. Without him being present or giving him those measurements.

Ingrid snorted, the undignified noise somehow feeling natural to associate with the serious CEO. "Mustang has his own plans. And have you told Rapi yet?" His eyes widened, a weight settling in his chest with enough strength to bring a hot flush to his face. Had she been able to read his mind? "No need to fear Commander. I am the one who suggested she be your chosen partner for this. Counters is your squad and they deserve to be celebrated too." Ingrid's face softened a fraction, a miracle for its marble-like immutability. "And quite frankly, she is the only one who could handle the etiquette and atmosphere of such a gala." 

The logic made a lot of sense, and even he couldn't refute it. Neon was… Neon. And Anis may have been a Tetra Line member, her impolite and confrontational attitude wouldn't do well at an event like that. Which left Rapi. Who would be attending a formal event. As his date. In what was likely a custom-made dress. Goddess, protect his heart.

"Thank you for that. I will have to break the news to them." He diplomatically answered, preparing himself for the weight of telling two of them they weren't going to attend a party dedicated to their victories.

"No need. Rapi will have received her own invitation. Mustang is very focused on the formalities of his events." Ingrid had to be reading a portion of his mind. He had to test it. Schooling his expression to the best Rapi imitation he could pull off, he tried again. "And no need to fear reprisal from anyone who might know Rapi as a Nikke. It's a high-priority secret and most of the attendees are Ark socialites who know nothing of the military or its Nikkes."

Well, that was both reassuring and terrifying. People wouldn't know she's a Nikke, so she wasn't likely to be subjected to the usual trash behavior he saw in the Ark. On the other hand, it would mean many of them would see her as a beautiful woman there as his date. Could he handle that? He shoved the thought to the side. No way to know until it happened. Preferably wherever Ingrid’s mind-reading powers couldn’t find it.

Decision made, the Commander only had to wait until the gala. And maybe grab some gifts for Neon and Anis to tide them over for being left behind.

Afternoon of the gala….

Rapi found herself nervous as she looked at her provided formal wear. It wasn't something she would have ever seen herself wearing. Not for lack of fashion sense. She had to acknowledge the well-designed clothes tailored to fit her perfectly. Even the red-soled black kitten heels were comfortable, if a bit unfamiliar. Now if only she could calm down about the stylist sent along who was currently doing her hair and makeup.

“Don’t furrow your brow dear.” The stylist casually ordered, their voice calm in its firmness. She forced herself to relax, letting the makeup brush continue to paint around her eyes. Which she hadn’t seen since the process had started. The makeup brushes went away, and she felt a comb start shaping a new part in her hair. It curled from above her left eyebrow to the joint of her jaw, framing her ear. She was going to question why until she felt the touch of cold metal to the lobe. It pinched and settled, an almost imperceptible tug from its weight. An earring, of all the impractical things.

“Done.” The stylist stepped back and admired their work, taking a few pictures for their portfolio and to prove their skill. Rapi wanted to see, if only to sate her own curiosity. The mirror was just behind the- She was distracted by the flurry of motion by the door.

“C’mon, she’s probably done. And if Commander has to wait any longer they’ll be late!” Anis pushed through, followed by Neon. The commandeered barrack room was now full to capacity.

“Master and Rapi won’t be late! Besides, the stylist wouldn’t have sent us a message to come over unless they were done.” Neon argued back.

“Fine, but-” Anis seemed to notice Rapi’s attention and froze. Her expression cycled through a number of micro-expressions before settling into a bemused smile. “Wow. You really do clean up well.”

“Anis.” Rapi only had to say her squadmates name to convey her annoyance. Not that it ever affected Anis.

“For real though Rapi, you look amazing. Guess Commander better step up his fashion game if he doesn’t want to embarrass the both of you.” Even as Anis explained, Neon took pictures with her phone, awestruck at the squad leader’s formal look. Which she herself hadn’t seen.

“I shouldn’t leave him waiting any longer. We do have to arrive on time.” Rapi decided she wouldn’t worry about her own looks. They were in a time crunch. She wasn’t excited by the idea of seeing her Commander in a formal suit! How dare you insinuate otherwise!

Anis smiled, something else behind it as she said, “Follow us, O Queen of the Outpost.” She turned with a half-salute, bustling Neon up as they made their way out of the barracks.

Outside the barracks….

The Commander checked his watch, glad that he had lied to the other members of Counters about his and Rapi’s departure time. The padded time would ensure whatever crazy accidents tried to happen wouldn’t make them late. Planning was everything.

“Commander! She’s ready!” Anis’s voice carried out of the building. He turned, surprised to find Neon walking outside with a phone held up. She was doing her best…. to take a video? Something was afoot, and he felt something almost anticipatory building inside him. Why put on a production like this? Anis stepped out next, juking quickly to the side of the doors and holding herself up like some kind of professional announcer. “Presenting….!!!! Your date for the night!”

The world and his heart stopped the moment she walked out. Rapi was beautiful. No, more than that! Enrapturing, Gorgeous! Divine! His mind spun every word he could find to try and describe her while his eyes committed every detail to memory.

Rapi’s dress did everything right to an almost sinful degree. The sleeveless high-neck top accentuated her face and neck, the keyhole neckline teasing him with a glimpse of the hollow of her throat and clavicle. The Grecian style torso piece hid her bellybutton and abs while letting the mesh material press tightly to her slim waist, teasing him with the revealed skin spanning from her underbust to the skirt’s waistline. And what a waistline it was, the high mermaid fit following every curve from her waist and hips to her legs, where the asymmetrical slit down the left side showed off her cream/nude stocking-clad thigh and calf. The slit reached high enough to tease him with a hint of the lacy top of the stocking, making him gasp on some unbidden reminder to breathe. His eyes caught the black heels for a moment before the pattern and color finally registered. Lunar New Year Red fabric carried the black flame pattern from the hem to her chest, where it bloomed into the Counters squad symbol. The trail of dark fire traced from her hidden leg, begging for him to chase it as it raced up her leg, coiling around her before curving elegantly up the material connecting the top and the skirt. From there his eyes found her arms, both clad in cream-colored opera gloves that stretched to her biceps, hugging them in a way to show both their strength and softness. He swore there was a hint of flashing gold in the keyhole of her dress as she breathed.

Lastly, her makeup and hairstyle had been changed, highlighting her jewel-bright eyes with reddish-purple makeup in a cat’s eye pattern. It made her seem fiercer, sending a thrill through the Commander’s spine. Her hair had been side parted, its length and generous volume shaped to swell behind her and frame the single golden hoop earring into an artistic rendition of a goddess pulling the sun to herself. And it was this goddess’s lips that he found himself finishing his tour of the divine vision at. Lips red with lipstick and lip liner. Lips that he knew were warm and soft. That were tantalizingly sweet to the taste. What he wouldn’t give to walk up and-

It took a full mental tripping and faceplant to bring him back to reality. He was slack-jawed, and if he was certain he hadn't blinked yet going off the dryness in his eyes.

"Commander. I believe we need to get going." Rapi's voice nearly pulled his everything back to her lips, but her grip on his arm became the anchor he needed to not be a complete idiot.

"Correct. Let's not keep them waiting." He could do this. Rapi wasn’t about to collapse into temptation the way he was, so all he had to do was copy her.

Rapi’s POV….

Why was she so nervous? She was just making her way outside to meet the Commander. For a date. With her Commander. A totally platonic date. To a fancy gala. In custom-made formalwear. That she hadn’t even been allowed to see the completed look of. And there were the doubts again. 

Neon was the first out of the barracks, self-appointed to confirm that the Commander was out there. Anis gave her a glance over her shoulder before giving her a thumbs up. Rapi found Nodding more trustworthy than her words at the moment.

Anis stepped forward, calling out to the Commander before stepping out. Her hand waved Rapi forward, and she could attest that she heard Anis swear under her breath. 

Rapi stepped out of the barracks, and her eyes found the Commander. Her Commander, in a fully tailored suit meant to show off every bit of his toned physique. And what a quality suit it was.

A classic three-piece black suit at first glance, from the black Oxfords to the silken pants hugging his lithe legs, reaching a black sport coat held closed by a single button. The deep maroon vest underneath hugged him well, and highlighted the cream white shirt underneath excellently. She swore she could see the cleavage of his pecs behind his bright Lunar New Year Red tie, a black flame pattern winding up to the collar. Where his broad shoulders were highlighted by the black sport coat's fit, even giving his already defined upper arm muscles that extra oomph. No wonder he thought he could princess carry her. His forearms could definitely support that theory, solidly toned to her preferences. The cufflinks of his sleeves shined, the Counters logo displayed in onyx and gold. Even his pocket square had the same flame and bright red motif, peeking out of his pocket. His eyes were almost glowing, wide and seeming to roam over her with an intensity most scanners would envy. Impeccable and handsome, her Commander was looking at her with such attention she couldn’t help but be flustered.

She felt herself become more and more aware of her own appearance and her lack of knowledge. Did he think it looked good? Was he uncertain she should be wearing this? Or worse, what if he thought she needed to start wearing formal clothing more often? Would it really be so bad, dressing up for him?

“Commander,” she forced the words out, desperate to reign in her emotions and thoughts before they got too far ahead of themselves. “I believe we need to get going.” She swore his eyes focused on her lips for a second, before finally blinking and his usual smile and look returned to his face.

“Correct. Let's not keep them waiting.” He extended his arm to her, taking her hand in his before pulling her to his side, their arms intertwined as the Commander took his position as her escort.

“Before you go!” The voice of Anis returned Rapi from her private scene with her Commander, earning the brunette a short glare. She smiled rather cheekily while Neon’s eyes gleamed beside her, phone upraised. “A photo before you go? How else will we commemorate you both leaving us behind to party with Ark snobs?” About halfway through her question her eyes flattened into her more irritated look. Jealousy wasn’t becoming on her, in Rapi’s opinion. Especially when it was slowing HER Commander time away from her two headaches of teammates (she loved them, but they were a handful). Nevertheless she stood there and accepted the impromptu send off. But with it finished, her and the Commander left the Outpost for the night. The elevator didn’t glitch or slow for a moment, carrying them into the Ark. From there, they took a reserved limousine to the Gala. All in blissful silence and close proximity that did nothing to slow her core’s temperature rising.

The Gala had a whole red carpet walk in, through a collection of photographers and eager Ark citizens wanting to see the members of high society in their finery. Rapi's nerves kicked in at the thought of so many people's attention on her, judging in the way that would only claim superficial notice. The Commander seemed to not be affected, easily sliding out of the limo before reaching in to help her exit.

"Focus on me, not them." He said, the words low enough for only her ears. His smile put her worries to rest, and she took his hand. 

She emerged to the sound of dozens of cameras, but she was too focused. Her Commander was there, and that's all that mattered.

She didn't quite remember the walk into the gala, but when she refocused enough on the outside world they were standing at a small table with the Big Three CEOs and Andersen.

"Fabulous! Rapi, Commander! I'm so glad you could attend." Mustang was flamboyant as ever, a matte-gold suit with the Tetra logo patterned in a polished black jigsaw puzzle across the outfit.

"Thank you for inviting us." Rapi spoke diplomatically, knowing the major powers of the Ark would be listening in with some interest. Ingrid gave her a slight dip of head to acknowledge the calculated move, telling her she had performed well there. Even here she wore her military-styled suit.

"Still don't think this is worth a whole gala." Syuen grumbled, swirling a cocktail as purple as her cheongsam with an air of disdain. "Or is that why you invited both Matis and Absolute and didn't let their accomplishments headline?"

Rapi was only able to prevent her eyes from rolling by focusing on the image of herself throttling the Missilis CEO. Ingrid seemed to agree.

"Considering the attitudes of the Ark's elite, do you think many would attend if they knew it was to celebrate their hard work?" Elysion's CEO gruffly reminded the diminutive Syuen, who only huffed and took a drink from her glass.

"Now, now." Andersen cut in, the diplomat between the egos of the group. "We are here to celebrate. Both the incredible work of the Nikkes and our own Commander's successes. Working jointly, I would dare say we may see the surface reclaimed in our lifetimes." His words had gotten louder, carrying to nearby groups.

Rapi wasn't sure who was more awed by the confidence, the so-called elites or her own group.

Mustang smiled, an almost vicious gleam to his perfect smile. "Very well then." He said quietly, before announcing in a booming voice, "Let's get this show on the road!" 

With his cue classical music sprung into play, elegant and refined. Black-garbed staff hustled through the venue, offering finger foods and champagne flutes. Soon enough a dance floor had taken form, with partygoers doing their best attempts.

It wasn't long before people started to come over and greet the Commander, glad-handing him and praising his efforts. Several compliments were given to her as well as mentions of "how lucky she was to escort the heroic Commander." He smiled through the whole process, but Rapi could tell it was as much a facade as her own politeness was. Really, none of these people had experienced the challenges of leadership on the battlefield, or fought for their lives.

Commander's POV…

His arm was getting tired. Not the one he had used to secure Rapi to his side after seeing the hungry looks of several female members of the Ark's Sovereigns. The one he was using to keep them moving by smiling and shaking a hand so they could use it for whatever social politics they were playing at. Goddess, he would just have to survive the night. And then never make the mistake of attending one of these parties again. And Rapi’s own stiff posture suggested she agreed.

When he recognized a few of the people in line, he relaxed at the knowledge they were quickly scaring off the people in front of them. Eunwha was just that terrifying. Vesti was the first member of Absolute to make it to him, having hurried over to say hello. She complimented Rapi on “looking brighter than the stars on the surface!” which got Rapi to offer her a more genuine smile than he had seen since arriving at the gala. Emma arrived next, quickly hugging the two of them over top of Vesti, earning a complaint from the shortest member of the trio. Properly relaxed by the simple fact everyone that wasn’t important had moved, he was letting himself enjoy some light talk about upcoming missions and previous successes when Eunwha finished glaring the crowd into submission.

“You two certainly seem… matching today. Was it intentional?” Truly, his senior alumni turned Nikke-tactician could miss things not relevant to battlefields. But Absolute still looked gala-ready in their combat uniforms.

“It was.” Rapi spoke up for the first time without being socially obligated to respond. “We were given these outfits to ‘meet the gala’s formal expectations.’ Though I would argue some of it is excessive.”

Eunwha took a second to fully appreciate Rapi’s dress before looking at him with some unusual flickers of emotion in her eyes. “Quite. But the two of you are clearly together, so it should keep the pests from flocking around you.”

“Oi! Who are you calling pests, prissypants?” Drake’s voice didn’t carry, but it made him look in the direction of her, her squad, and her CEO. Another good view of his friends and acquaintances ruined by the existence of that gremlin. Wasn’t one of the waitstaff carrying a small trashcan he could stuff her in? The thought eased some tension in his shoulders.

As Drake and Eunwha started bickering and Emma tried to referee it, Maxwell and Laplace came up to him and Rapi, both smiling.

“Birdie, you look extra dashing in a suit!” Laplace slapped his shoulder with all the camaraderie she could. Thankfully, she restrained her full strength this time. No need to repeat the incident.

Maxwell took a second to fully inspect him from head to toe before proclaiming, “Looking positively handsome, Cutie! Do I get a chance to take some photos with you?”

He felt Rapi push deeper into his side and her grip on his arm tightened. At least that's what he prayed for, because if it was his desperate mind trying to convince him that she had, there was no way he could forgive himself for wanting it to be true.

“Maxwell, there’s more important people here than him.” Syuen had to open her mouth for a snide comment.

Rapi’s response was whispered so softly he wasn’t sure she meant him to hear it. “Like everyone besides you.”

He didn’t cover the laughter elegantly, instead choosing to double over with a coughing fit. It drew attention but it didn’t make Syuen angrier than needed.

“Ugh.” the Missilis CEO made a face. “If you’re going to do that, do it far away from me.”

He rolled his eyes before retorting, “Sure. Rapi, let’s go dance.” He walked away, false confidence at his proclamation. He’d never done a formal dance before. Goddess, help him wing it! Or at least, not look like an idiot….

Rapi’s POV…

Her Commander pulled Rapi away from the Missilis headache collection before she could really start to get irritated. Syuen was grating enough, but the members of Matis were being overly familiar with him right in front of her! Rapi had gone so far as to lean deeper into him and glare at Maxwell to remind the scientist exactly who was his date. She caught that thought entirely too late as she was led by the hand towards the dance floor. 

She didn't know how to dance for a formal event like this, though it seemed to mostly be swaying in a circle while couples spent time looking into each other's eyes. Which did nothing for the butterflies fluttering around her core. His confidence was soothing as he stopped at the edge, eyes focused solely on her.

"Ready?" A single whispered word nearly had her failing to maintain her composure.

"Yes, Commander." She replied, taking his other hand in hers, finding them warm through her gloves. Is that why she wanted to hold them more?

"Trust me and follow my lead." He told her, to which she could only nod in reply. Her words were failing her even as the butterflies increased their pace.

And they danced. It wasn't anything particularly special, just them swaying together to the slow beat of the song. They turned slowly, Rapi lost in his eyes that were only on her. Like she was the whole world to him. Even as she felt elation at it, the unbidden thoughts bubbled up. What if he found a human girl in the Ark? Would their closeness fade? Was it only her feeling like this? She didn't know how it had started to become so serious. These feelings hadn't been there this whole time, had they?

Slowly the world faded from her attention, and their dance became more complex. Steps became sweeping glides, sways became full turns, and their closeness never wavered. She didn't notice that they were even breathing in perfect synchronization until he dipped her, lowering her in those deceptively strong arms of his before pulling her close again.

If questioned later she would describe the dancing after that in a manner not unlike an out-of-body experience. Her sole focus was him as their dancing became something more honest, true to them alone. They moved together, bodies pressed tight and intimate. The dance floor was truly their own. Its melody was born for them and no one else to hear, each step only meant to keep them moving together. The floor existed only to support their feet. Even the air stilled and charged with their unsaid words and feelings.

When the music cut out and she found herself mere inches from his face, Rapi could feel it. His lips were right there, fully hers to take. No hand of fate to force it, only her own decision. And she hesitated. If she did and it wasn't reciprocated, there was no fixing their bond after that.

The choice vanished as the world rolled back in with thunderous applause. Whistles and more raucous hooting and cheering reminded her where she was. Not just in his arms, but in front of a crowd. Who had apparently all left the dance floor to watch her and her Commander.

Before she could get embarrassed about the situation, she was pulled into a bow and then pulled away from the crowds returning to the dance floor. Soon enough they were back at the table with Andersen and the CEOs.

"I don't remember ballroom dancing being in the curriculum at the Academy," Andersen jokes, a smile that reached his eyes appearing. "But they must have changed that since I graduated."

"Color me surprised, there are new tricks for the Commander to learn," Syuen's verbal backhand almost earned her a free trip to the hospital if Ingrid hadn't cut in.

"What she means is that it was a professional tier performance executed with textbook precision." Ingrid glared sidelong at her least liked acquaintance. "Though I must say it was an absolute delight to watch. "

Rapi did her best not to blush before her CEO and Coach. She rarely got praised for things outside of combat. Except by her Commander.

Mustang finally boiled over, his voice likely reaching the entire Ark. "Such passion! And a brilliant performance! Ze Magnifique! You must tell me who taught you both to dance so well!"

Her Commander shifted, using his free hand to rub the back of his neck. "And if I said I never had any lessons?"

It was quite funny to watch the assembled figures begin to gawk at her Commander. He sheepishly smiled, continuing to rub his neck.

Mustang spoke first after the impromptu silence. "A natural talent? Astounding! What other talents for the fine arts are you hiding? When you return from your next mission I will have a full gamut of tests for you to do and see what we can unlock in the Ark's most prominent bachelor."

Rapi couldn't help but feel a twinge of some dark emotion. She guessed that’s how most saw Her Commander. She prepared a short rebuttal, something along the lines of being too busy for romance.

“Hi, well now!” Director-Producer Kim interrupts, a huge smile on their face. “If it isn’t my favorite models!” They managed to catch Rapi and Commander in a single quick hug. “I must tell you, your matching outfits, that dance, every bit of it is giving me inspiration! In fact-” The author/performer/director/whatever they decided their job title was turned to Mustang. “Would you be willing to listen to a short elevator pitch?”

Rapi did her best not to blush at the implied reference to the last time she had seen Kim.

Seeing an opening, she excused herself and dragged the Commander with her to a small balcony offset from the party room. 

They took a second to enjoy the cooler atmosphere and muffled noise of the ongoing gala. 

"Thanks. Didn't know how long I would have survived Mustang's plans for me." The Commander half-laughed. She felt a smile cross her own face. 

"Perhaps I should let him test you. Find out what other skills you've been hiding." She teased him, fully comfortable with herself when alone with him.

A twinkle in his eyes promised something but he chose to keep quiet. He leaned against the railing, drinking in the sight of the carefully made garden beneath and the simulated night sky on the Dome of Eternity.

"They really don't compare." He commented, while motioning to the spot next to him. She took it, leaning over herself and brushing shoulders with him. The contact felt nice on her bare skin.

"True. The stars on the surface practically dance with how bright they are." She found herself agreeing, and picturing them beneath the stars on the surface, But she wondered, would they even know each other if humanity still lived on the surface. Some part of her declared that they were always meant to meet, but a quieter, more insistent voice told her no. 

"Rapi, I-" he started to say, only to be cut off by the splintering of wood. The balcony's railing gave way, sending the two into the air. They reached out, instinctively seeking the other. They connected, gravity beginning its vicious pull. And in mid-air, it happened again. Heads bumped and lips met. This time she understood.

She forgot herself. She forgot they were falling. All she wanted was that moment of contact, of being the only thing he was holding and kissing. She desired it, needed it. She was-

The not-so insubstantial ground reminded her of what was actually happening. They shared a soft grunt, breath knocked from their lungs. They had landed in a small section of hedge, herself beneath him. And silhouetted by stars, he shined with concern and so many other things.

I love him. The thought solidified into a conscious certainty. I'm in love with my Commander.

They stared at each other, both seeming lost in the moment before it was interrupted.

"Hello? Are you okay? We saw you fall!" A male voice called out, multiple footsteps suggesting a group was coming their way.

The Commander nodded to her, and quickly got up. His arms weren’t holding her to his chest like his life depended on it. She practically cried out at the loss of contact, her new revelation burning through within mind and core.

"I will take care of it." He promised, before stepping through the hedge.

How would she be able to function with the truth of her feelings burning through her at every moment?

Commander's POV…

He stepped through the hedge towards the voice, willing his body to not react worse than it already was. He wished he smoked so he could excuse the shaking of his hands as a need to light something up.

Even as he calmed the security guards and explained what happened, his mind kept going back to the woman he fell with. The woman he had fallen for and now couldn't deny his feelings for. He was in love with Rapi. 

When did it happen? His heart and soul had fallen first, that was certain. His body had easily become addicted to the taste of her lips through all these accidents  And how much he wanted to kiss her again instead of answering these idiots' questions. But the dance was where his conscious mind couldn’t deny his feelings anymore.

Dancing with a partner was supposed to reveal the depth of a bond between the two. And it had. He hadn't known what steps to take or what moves to follow, only a desire to let Rapi's grace and beauty shine. And the dance had done more than that. The way they had synchronized was something else. He had felt whole as his world had narrowed to focus on her. Her every breath, movement, and stride his to observe. Her eyes were the deepest pools of warmth he had ever seen, willing to drown just to get closer.

Even as his mind accepted the truth of his feelings, they also promised another truth. 

For both their sakes, he could never tell her how he felt.

Chapter Text

Commander's POV…

He was distracted. If he was honest with himself he hadn't even been aware of anything other than his own pain for the past few days. It hadn't helped when Andersen called the next morning to warn him about a "shitstorm on social media" that was brewing. So he moved up the mission time to get them far from the Ark while someone else cleaned up a mess that shouldn't be his fault, but somehow was. He would never understand why.

So there they were, on a mission to the north to check on some collector drones that had gotten stuck deep in the snow. Unlimited was too busy saving some group to go take care of it, so naturally it fell to him to fix. Raptures had been detected in the area, but they were nothing before the might of Counters. Everybody was working well together. Except him. He was slow to call out changes in priority targets, only noticing enemies flanking mid-ambush. But it was a testament to the squad that they were able to take his middling work and make it successful. The fact that no one was injured despite his mistakes felt like a personal insult. He wanted to have something to focus on, even if it was lightly patching up one of his squad members.

Arriving at the location, they set about rescuing the collector drones. An hour of digging through the snow later and the little things were thanking them for the help. A quick word of advice about avoiding certain areas later and they were making their return trip. Honestly, it couldn't have been a longer trip? Raptures screeched as they reached the ruins of an old town they had passed through yesterday, bringing the need to focus on the battle to the forefront. Fuck you Fate, that was not what he meant about extending the mission!

"Prepare to fight!" He called out, assigning them their firing positions and settling in to do his work.

Rapi's POV….

She was distracted. Honestly, the fact that her mistakes over the past two days hadn't gotten them injured or much worse, gotten HIM injured was a Goddess-sent miracle. Ever since the gala, she'd been alternating between a giddiness at the idea of asking the Commander to date her and the immense fear that he would reject her. She wished the mission was longer, as Anis had shown her the amount of online hatred that had been directed at the Commander's "Mysterious Tetra Gala Date" for having "stolen the most eligible bachelor of the Ark." It had infuriated her at the gala, a symptom of her true feelings. Now, it left her with dread. If they found out she was a Nikke of his squad, they would take her away and try to have her memory wiped. Only to find out she didn't have NIMPH and couldn't be. The chances that she would leave their custody alive would drop to zero at that point.

"Rapi, left side! Second building's roof!" His voice cut through the internal fog, her weapon shifting and firing before she consciously put effort into it. She trusted him to know what he was doing. And somehow that had kept her constant missed calls, poor aim, and general dazed attempts at fighting from getting them all killed. Another wave defeated, the squad moved back. They had fought a retreating battle since the Raptures weren't in their path back to the nearest elevator. The problem was the waves that had been responding to the noise were faster models that could outpace them in a race back to safety. They couldn't risk that. So they fought, making their way towards the elevators back-first.

Two more waves arrived, and Counters was quietly pushed to a bridge across the river that ran beside the town. They had avoided it on their initial run through the area, not willing to risk the bridge collapsing. But it held sturdy as they fought a newly arrived wave, barely shaking under the explosives and electron beams of the Raptures.

"Last one, sitting low in the old grocery store!" Eyes snapped to the target, weapons were raised and demolished the position and the enemy within. With a final cry, its broken body hit the floor. But not before it released its final attack. A small missile streaked overhead, the projectile's aim seeming to be wild. Rapi's trajectory monitor confirmed it would not hit her nor any of her squadmates' positions. In fact, it was going to hit an area well-behind them. Almost as if-

She turned, panic evident as she could only watch it happen. "COMMANDER!" She watched his face go through the stages of grief before settling into a mask of determination, his own training sending him running to safety. Her own legs were pushing her towards him.

He almost made it. The missile hit the bridge's edge, pulverizing a support strut and setting off a minor collapse. The Commander was fast, but gravity was faster. Cracks raced out, easily overtaking him and separating the two. She watched as he plummeted alongside the pieces of the former bridge, leaving a yawning void over a half-frozen river. Not that she cared. 

He was in danger. She dove towards the edge of the hole, looking down into the icy waters of the river below. He wouldn't survive long. She needed to do something!

"Anis, Neon keep up the defensive line. Ready AEDs and on-board stabilizers!" Her belts and harness clicked off with frantic speed, her jacket joining the pile. Her beret, forgotten in the moment, drifted off and left her hair to run wild with her emotions.

"I will recover the Commander, just be ready to support!" With her final emergency order given, she dove in. The water was cold, and her lungs ached from the shock as her internal temperature regulator kicked in. Fear drove her deeper into the water, searching for a sign of him. She found it near the bottom of the river, piles of debris that had taken a strange shape. Until she saw an arm dart out, struggling to find purchase. She reached it, grabbing onto him and giving a light tug. His head cleared the gap, but his body was too big to escape the cage of fallen steel and asphalt.

They locked eyes, grim certainties filling them. She rushed forward, sealing her lips around his. When his mouth opened, she breathed into him, pushing as much air as she could in. He would have to survive until she could get back with help. Pulling away, she tapped on his arm to let him know she was going to go up and come back. His nod filled her with worry, knowing how he always neglected himself in these moments.

She rushed up to the surface of the river, taking a huge lung full of fresh air for herself before rallying. The sound of Raptures attacking didn't give her hope either. She needed their help now!

"Neon, he's trapped in the rubble. I need a demolition charge!" She hoped against hope that the firepower-obsessed Nikke had brought some of her heavy ordinance.

The reply came in the form of a hurled bag and a call of "3-second fuse, any bigger and Master might get hurt!"

Rapi thanked the Goddess as she dove down, arming the device with one hand while swim-crawling back into the depths. His limp body floated, half-stuck out the hole in the debris. She panicked, swimming faster to reach him. He came alive as she forced their lips together, pushing more breath into him. They shared a moment of understanding as she brought the demolition charge in between them, sharing a nod. He pushed himself back into the gap, moving far enough to be out of the radius.

She set the charge, mentally counting down.

3….

2…..

1…..

0!.....

Huh?

The demolition charge went off before she could recover her bearings, the blast wave shaking the riverbed. The dirt and mud was kicked up, obscuring her view of the debris pile. She waited desperately to see him come out. She nearly hit her limit before his form swam out, more battered than he had been. Even so, Rapi felt calm. He was free. He was going to be safe.

They raced towards the surface, running on the last bits of air they had. It was too late by the time she saw the shadow on the other side of the surface. A new piece of broken bridge fell, slamming into the water. They were on the edge but the Commander was too close. She could hear the garbled yell of pain as he was struck, reflexive breathing in despite them still being underwater. 

She grabbed him before he could sink, his body going limp as water flooded his lungs. Terror flooded her veins with cold adrenaline, hauling them to the surface. 

The river and bridge had changed, destabilized by the constant fighting and the demolition charge. More pieces had collapsed, choking the river and dropping the height of the water on their side. The real problem was the riverbanks being far to steep to climb while carrying the unconscious Commander. 

"Neon! Anis! Commander is injured! I need help getting him out of the river!" Her words shouted above the din of the ongoing battle. For a second she thought they hadn't heard, desperate thoughts twisting to some way to save him. 

"Rapi, over here!" Then Neon appeared over the high edge of the riverbank, skidding down it and eventually into the river itself. She splashed towards them, getting an arm around the Commander and letting the other Nikke join her on the riverbank.

"Anis is holding them off and we have a small cleared area." Neon informed her squad leader, trusting that Rapi knew what to do.

"Raise internal temperature, and disengage AED. He's too soaked right now to risk using it." Rapi finished the haul-sprint to bring the Commander to safety, laying him down to focus on clearing his lungs and checking his pulse. She began CPR as her internal systems warned her of his status: [Critical]. 

Neon hurriedly warmed the area by increasing her heat output but it wouldn't be enough. Rapi knew that even as she breathed into the Commander, pushing the life-giving air in with enough force to trigger his reflexive coughs. Water spilled out, clearing his lungs. But his heart along with his body temperature were failing. She knew what she needed to do. Even if it meant blowing the cover on her secret.

"Neon. Switch with Anis. Her AED should be primed. Don't let the Raptures anywhere close, got it?" Rapi ordered her squadmate, mentally preparing for the burden of what she would do. 

Neon took only a second to double-check as Rapi continued the CPR, but did as she was told. She raced towards the battle, calling out for Anis.

She would only have a few seconds, but it would be all that she needed. "Activate sub-generator." And she felt her body heat up as Red Hood's core awoke. The massive well of energy burned, and that's where she focused it. She raised her temperature as fast and high as she dared, knowing that she needed to warm the Commander without burning him.

Why was it always him getting hurt on these missions? She loved him for his sincere nature but the Central Government kept pushing for more. If it kept happening, he would be worked to death if not outright killed on a mission. She wouldn't allow that. She would rather deSTROY THE ARK!-

Rapi slammed the mental lid closed on the energy well, deactivating the second core within her. Faintly she could smell something burning, and Anis's voice sounded far away.

"Rapi, AED ready! Get clear!" She felt something push her, but her body was heavier than she remembered. [Warning: Extensive internal damage. Warning: multiple system failure.]

The discharge of electricity cracked through the haze that was consuming her awareness. [Commander heart rate stabilized.] They'd done it. He was safe.

The last thing Rapi remembered was the sight of her own burning hair drifting onto a dry, warm chest.

Anis's POV….

Things had gone to hell fast. First the bridge collapse, the Commander's injuries, the Raptures showing up, and now Rapi was down for internal damage recovery. She couldn't leave her Commander and Rapi unconscious and undefended, but Neon was close to finishing off the last few Raptures, which would buy time to call for the Medical Evacuation squad.

"Don't either of you lovebirds die when we aren't looking." Between the smoldering hair and clothes of Rapi and the Commander's very battered and half-stripped body, she wasn't sure who she was supposed to be more worried about.

"Re-engaging!" She shouted, her grenades striking a clump of airborne Raptures, turning them into a hail of shrapnel. Neon didn't acknowledge the return verbally, choosing to blast an area into rubble to open up sight lines for the Tetra woman's own explosives. Soon enough they finished up, both hurrying back to check on the other half of their squad. Rapi's body had cooled down enough that her clothing wasn't smoking anymore. The Commander's vitals had stabilized, indicating a deep rest at the moment.

She couldn't help but plop down besides them, laughing to herself. "Lazy bums. Acting like they did so much fighting they got first nap privileges."

Neon chose to go along with Anis's false confidence, nodding while she radioed for emergency support. They wouldn't be waiting long thanks to their continuous retreat during the extended battles.

"You didn't happen to bring any playing cards, did you?" Neon asked once she finished the call. Anis smiled, holding up a set.

"You're first, dealer."

Chapter Text

“What did you write? Commander ❤️ Rapi-” Anis's voice startled her in the middle of doodling. Rapi moved fast, crossing it out and furiously kicking sand over it.

“I didn't write anything.” The darkness of the evening should have helped hide her blush but Rapi knew better. Anis already knew that she and Commander were dating, as did almost everyone on the island. It was just Rapi being jealous. She hadn't had a chance to spend any time with him during this whole mission, and the fact that Sakura, Rosanna, and Viper had been… “making their appeals” to him wasn't helping either. Was it bad that she wanted time with her boyfriend? No. Was it bad that it had interfered with their surveying since she had to stop and keep chaperoning him whenever he got lured away and alone with one of those three? Yes, But her fears were quite valid! She knew she could be confident in her looks but those three…. it hurt her pride as a woman to say she was outclassed in physical assets by them.

“Oh hey Commander!” Anis said, walking up the beach and away from where Rapi stood just shy of the surf.

She sighed, knowing Anis was trying to cheer her up in her own way. “I'm not falling for it Anis.”

“Not falling for what?” His voice was close to her back. Before she could turn around, a pair of arms hugged her waist and drew into the warmth of his embrace. “Missed you.” He whispered into her ear, settling his head on her shoulder.

“Missed you too.” She turned her head enough to kiss him and was rewarded with the same thrill she got every time since their first kiss. She let her body relax into his embrace, her core heating up just a bit at the feel of his abs at her back.

He hummed and swung around, standing hip to hip with her. And his arm still pulled her close. He knew how much she enjoyed the simplicity of physical contact. “Sorry I've been so busy with all this. First the photo-shoot. Then their constant bickering, and the Golden Kraken.” He heaved an exhausted sigh, leaning deeper into her as she supported some of his weight. “So now all we have is that one last night before we leave in the morning.”

She had to poke a little fun at him. Just this once. “And what do you plan on doing with that night alone, your girlfriend in your arms, and nobody willing to risk interfering?” She had made clear her opinion of the other Nikke trying to seduce her boyfriend in front of her painfully clear after the Kraken fight. All three deserved a bit more but Mary had put a stop to it. Now they were spending the night in the sadist's care and here she was with him.

He smiled, a decision made on a simple whim. He pulled her along, heading for the rolling waves of the starlit bay. “A night swim in some tropical waters sounds like a good start, don't you think?” He was flirting in his usual way, never fully open but always considerate of her own feelings.

“That they do.” She waded in after him, intent of having some fun together before the sun arrived to make them leave.

And so she spent her night enjoying everything they could.

Chapter Text

Rapi's POV….

Two days in the hospital for the Commander and a full day in the Repair Center for her. She received assurances from Pepper and Mary that it was more to do with drowning and the cold than the head wound, but that didn't make her feel better. She kept replaying the moment she had heard the voice of Red Hood infiltrate her mind. Even as she was saving him with her secret power, she was putting him at risk. They would never be compatible. The pit in her stomach yawned its void wider, threatening to swallow her core and sanity with it. She loved him. She knew that. But did he love her the same way? Could he even love her like that? She needed someone to talk to. Someone more objective, who had experience with the effect of long-term closeness between Nikkes and Commanders. Someone who wouldn't mince words.

That left her with two options. And neither one was going to be kind about it. Still, she needed to do this. She opened her phone and called.

"Is there a chance we could meet and talk?"

Commander's POV….

Ending up in the hospital so frequently couldn't be good for his health. Not that anything that got him sent to the hospital had been good for it, but you know what he meant. Between helping Nikkes through their struggles, risking his life on the surface, constant dangers in the Ark itself it was a miracle he hadn't ended up in the morgue. 

He pushed the darker thoughts away, thanking Pepper as she finished his check-up. They were going to release him in a few hours. Rapi had apparently been released from the Repair Center and then promptly disappeared into an Elysion training facility. Anis and Neon had expressed their worries via Bla-Bla, but he reassured them it was Rapi trying to come to terms with what happened. 

Not that he believed it himself. He had been the weak link again. Rapi had been forced to save him. Again. She'd had to risk drowning just to reach him, much less share her air with him. Would she even like a man that she had to constantly save or cover for the mistakes of? He was barely worth mentioning but everybody kept hyping him up and setting insane expectations that he tried to desperately live up to. What did any of them even think of him beyond those expectations?

He stewed on the mire of circumstances that brought him this far, so lost on his navel-gazing that he didn't notice he had a guest. A cleared throat made him aware, snapping his eyes over.

Andersen stood there, an unlit cigarette held between his teeth. "Commander, glad to see you've recovered. Unfortunately I'm going to need you as soon as you are released."

No rest for the weary. "Counters and I are-" he stopped when Andersen held up a hand.

"No, not your squad. Just you. The situation involving the gala video has become problematic enough that the Central Government is having to come up with a response. Or rather, making you respond. You'll be glad-handing and touring the Ark, especially the Sovereign district to show your 'eligibility' to the citizens." Andersen sounded as disgusted as he felt hearing it. What the fuck? Why the hell did this matter so much? Wasn't this supposed to be fixed? He'd left on a mission two days early with less supplies and recon than needed explicitly for that reason.

He voiced those questions and a few choice words on the debacle. Andersen at least was sympathetic enough to nod along and hear out his woes.

"I'm not a fan of it either. But keeping the Sovereigns placated is hard enough without them threatening to pull their support from the Government and the Nikke programs." Andersen was serious. They were basically planning to use him as some marketing mascot to keep the spoiled elites from doing the stupidest, most petulant child's tantrum they could. Because if they did, it would get everyone in the Ark killed. He hated this. He hated it with a passion.

"I'm not going to like being used like this." He told Andersen, tone making it clear he wanted to be alone.

"No. I'd imagine not. Especially with your heart on your sleeve about her." Andersen cryptically replied, leaving him in silence. 

By the time Pepper had everything done and he was released, The Commander found himself whisked away in a Government-issued whirlwind.

Rapi's POV…

"Rapi, I must reiterate the lack of thought behind this choice." Eunwha complained. Even though they were alone and relaxing in the Absolute Dormitory, neither had dropped an ounce of formality.

"I must also reiterate that you are the one person I know that I can approach this subject with." Rapi responded, the tactic a standard of her former teammate’s casual talks.

Eunwha sighed, acknowledging her partial loss. "Very well. As far as I am aware, the laws forbidding Nikke and human relationships are still enforced and carry the same punishment: Imprisonment in the Rehabilitation Center for the human and the disposal of the Nikke." Rapi flinched, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "Though the severity and enforcement is dependent on the human's direct superior. And seeing that Andersen is aware of your relationship, I do not believe you have any reason to fear."

Rapi sighed in relief, only to feel herself flush as Eunwha's words were fully processed.

"The Commander and I aren't in a relationship!" She blurted out, trying to salvage the situation. Whatever that even meant at this point. Goddess, she was blushing like some foolish teenager asked about a crush.

Eunwha seemed surprised, judging by the way her eyebrows rose. "Oh…. My apologies for making assumptions. Between your possessive attitude and the dance at the Gala, we figured you two were…. Romantically entangled." She averted her eyes, not letting Rapi see the full emotions of what Eunwha was trying to keep hidden. Or imply.

"No. We aren't in that kind of relationship." Rapi couldn't keep the notes of sadness out of her voice. "It's too dangerous for him to be around me."

The door into Absolute's dorm opened revealing Emma and Vesti, who had been listening in if their postures were anything to go by. Shameless they were, but also a comfort to see.

"So there's no reason you should be worried about him." Emma waited until Rapi nodded to continue speaking. "Because Vesti and I were watching the news and it seems he's being speed-dated across most of the Ark Sovereign's eligible female population." 

Rapi was the first back to the main room, where the TV was muted but showed her Commander sitting at an ostentatious table with several women talking to him while servants busied themselves bringing food, wine, and what she was certain were things those women would never get to use if she had any say in it. But when the camera refocused on him, she knew what was happening. 

Absolute squad waited behind her, watching her with nervousness. They weren't prepared for a relieved sigh and her relaxed collapse onto their couch. Emma rushed forward, clearly thinking it was distress. Vesti went for the remote, preparing to change the channel. Eunwha was already dialing the other members of Counters.

"It's okay. He's being forced into this situation." Rapi explained, making the trio pause mid-stride. They shared a collective look then returned their focus to the former member. 

She continued, not seeming to fully realize what she was doing. "It's obvious. His fake smiles always start from the right side and highlight his dimples. His real smile starts from the left and draws your attention to his jawline. Not to mention how often he's blinking. He only does that when he's keeping his anger in-check."

The three sat down, observing how casually Rapi said these secret tells none of them had ever picked up.

Rapi pointed to the screen. "And that one said something offensive that he can't publicly call out! His eyes only get that hooded when he's looking at those types! And he's clearly bored by the conversation, I haven't seen even a hint of his shoulders moving forward to lean in and talk!" She pushed back into the couch, heedless of her silent audience. "None of you have anything more than his contempt, at best. Take yourselves to the nearest recycling center and try becoming a better person before approaching him!" Vindication flowed through Rapi. Only she knew him well enough. Only she could see how much he didn't want to be there. Only she was worthy-

She slammed her feet to the ground, bolting her back to standing. She shouldn't be thinking like this. She turned, halfway to the door and her back to the TV. Giving herself such a lofty position. Just because they were close, she knew him better. But that could change.

Her eyes returned to the screen, unbidden. She froze. Commander. He was being kissed. Against his will. He'd managed to deflect it to his cheek, but the woman seemed to take that as him being playful. She leaned in agai-

The TV exploded as a chair grew out of its screen. "HE'S NOT INTERESTED, YOU BITCH!" Rapi screamed, not even recognizing her own voice in the moment. The shattering of the TV broke whatever spell the four were under. Rapi collapsed to her knees, crying as she couldn't contain it any longer. She felt Emma pull her into a hug, and Vesti joined in on her side. Eunwha didn't join the hug, but kept her hand on Rapi's shoulders, the sound of a hushed conversation happening. 

And she let herself be held until the tears stopped.

Commander's POV….

Andersen saved the whole event. No other way to put it. Sacrificing his hand to block the Sovereign woman's advances on him and drawing attention to it in a way that set the attendees against each other, truly his skills were unmatched. It also saved him from being arrested and sent to the Rehabilitation Center for punching her. He still spent the whole car ride to the next location vigorously cleaning his cheek where the unwanted kiss had landed. 

"I apologize. I should have stepped in sooner." Andersen sounded genuinely remorseful, which made the Commander take some focus off the ritualistic cleansing of his poor cheek.

"More I should be thanking you. I had a left hook ready until you ended up blocking it." He admitted, finding it unnerving how visceral his response had been to the unwanted advances. Surely that was normal? <Or maybe more proof how badly in love he was with Rapi.> But it still felt awkward no matter what. 

"I've been through similar situations myself. Being paraded around, used to drum up sponsorship, and dealing with rabid women that don't understand boundaries." They shared a shudder in camaraderie. "But this can be easily solved. You just have to explain your already established relationship."

That was such a strange phrase that Commander couldn't help but stop and bring his full attention to Andersen. "My what?"

"Your relationship. With Rapi." Andersen's eyebrow quirked up, a hint of amusement tugging at his mouth. "You two aren't discreet, and it's part of why we're working so hard to quell rumors instead of supporting facts."

Commander was stunned worse than when a Sentinel's beam found a target. His denials and conflicting emotions eventually cracked through. "We aren't in a relationship!" He looked down, away from his superior officer. "It would go against the military's doctrine, and I don't know if she even…" He couldn't bring himself to say it, the mere thought of Rapi not returning his feelings too painful to process.

Andersen let him stew and compose himself, before stepping out of the vehicle first. "I will buy you some time to think about it. But maybe you need to reread your regulations."

The Commander sat alone in the back of the limo, pulling on his mental mask of politeness and affability. But even it was getting harder to hold up. He hadn't been given a chance to check on anyone or even speak to them on Bla-Bla since the tour had started forever ago. Surely it will be over soon. Or he would have time to recharge his phone. A glance at his watch only told him that he was two days into the week-long event. 

Goddess, grant him a strong heart, or failing that, a strong drink to wash away the misery.

Absolute dormitories, Ark, Rapi's POV …

The dorms were well above their normal capacity as Rapi's squadmates, ex-squadmates, and friends came at the emergency request of Eunwha. 

Rapi wasn't too sure how to take it. In some ways, it was humbling to see how many people actually cared. On the other hand, everyone seemed shocked to learn that she was not, in fact, in a romantic relationship with the Commander.

Anis, Neon, and Absolute were the easiest to correct since they believed it had happened at the Gala. Theories ranging from asking her out during or after the dance to asking her on the elevator ride down from the Outpost. Easily clarified as it was platonic, even if she realized at the end the depth of her feelings.

Rupee apparently thought they were together since the mall incident. She had been in the crowd and was a bit too shocked to say something then. Learning that had reminded Rapi of how spectacular that incident had been. 

Exia, and by extension, Novel, had apparently taken one look at Producer Kim's book cover and identified the illustrations models as her and the Commander. "Besides, the Commander looks at the photos almost every night." Exia commented, pulling up an access log that showed he accessed it for a few minutes each night around his self-imposed bedtime. Apparently he really enjoyed the photo of them in the air.

Having dispensed with the misunderstandings, Rapi found herself the subject of everyone's stares. It wasn't hard to figure out what they wanted. 

“No. I haven't figured out how I am going to ask him out. Much less how to express my feelings for him.” She looked away, not wanting to see whatever looks they were giving her. “And I'm not sure how to.”

“Lucky for you, we have a few ideas then.” Anis smiled, the hint of teasing more from concern than anything.

“Yeah! Plus, we have got to get you ready to make Sweetie yours the moment you can!” Rupee added, already going through her phone for clothing ideas, if Rapi had to guess.

“It's best we take this time to ease your stress and prepare you for the mission.” Eunwha pointed out, gaining nods from the collection of her friends.

“Which means…. Girl's week!” Anis jumped to her feet, a black credit card in her hand. “And we have all the money we need! So let's enjoy some fun!”

Commander's POV...

The Commander sat in his appointed hotel room, a rare moment of his evenings not being swallowed by some event the Sovereigns were using to push themselves on him either physically or socially. Both of which he hated. And he was still blocked from using BlaBla. He had been thinking about what Andersen had mentioned, and pulled out his old regulations book. It took him a bit, but he found the section on “ Nikke fraternization ” and quietly studied the words.

Direct Superior… that would mean…!!! Andersen thought he and Rapi were together already and hadn't done anything! Which meant he should be in the clear. But it also made him feel guilty. Was he only willing to be with her now that there was no risk to either of them? He flopped onto his bed, a soft groan of annoyance slipping out. He could use a distraction about now. Whether it was Anis coming in to borrow his shower, Belorta trying to pull a prank, or even just some natural encounter brought about by the Outpost's haven status to every Nikke team he met. Thinking of the Outpost naturally turned his mind back to Rapi, his feelings for her, and his predicament. If he wanted to be serious about this, he needed to get serious! 

He sat up, blazing with energy to try and do something. He marched to the door, fully ready to face whatever he needed to on his way to Andersen. He would know what-

Standing on the other side of the door were a group of Nikke he was very familiar with. Maid For You Squad had arrived, and brought a friend. Along with his room service dinner order.

“Hello Master.” Ade said, her demeanor refined as ever. Unlike a certain blue-haired maid trying to hide from his gaze behind her. He was getting the story of what happened there. 

“Master! We are here to help!” Soda and Cocoa chorused, bringing enough positive energy to stun him out of his plans.

The four Nikke made their way in, his food tray and a small cleaning supply cart following them in. Without a word from him Soda started cleaning while Cocoa supervised, Ade set up his dinner at the table, and Privaty did her best impression of a tomato whenever he looked in her direction. Ade ushered him to sit and eat his meal, citing the importance of eating the food while it was warm. A light grumble from his stomach agreed with her. 

The Commander took his seat, letting the fact that others were here bringing so much chaos and liveliness to the room sweep back his lingering irritation. It was finally something akin to his normal.

“Ade, not that I am complaining but why did all of you come here?” He said between bites, the Splendamin food was nearly indistinguishable from the real food he had eaten at Scarlet's farm on the surface.

Ade separated herself from the chaos, proper and polite as always. “Boss was worried about you, Master. He said. ‘He is not cut out for the limelight being shown on him all the time! He needs relaxation!’ Then he dispatched us and our specialty as caregivers was cited as the reason.” Ade's impression of Mustang managed to nail his accent, further proving her skills.

Nodding his head that he wholeheartedly agreed, a teasing smirk overcame him as he turned to blue-haired cat maid. “And you, Privaty?”

She flustered herself, messing up the blankets she was folding at his direct question. Her embarrassed face was quite honestly too adorable for him to pass up seeing. “N-n-no reason! I was already helping out at the Maid Café when they were talking about visiting so….” She devolved into mumbles and stutters.

“You weren't.” Cocoa piped up, pointing her umbrella at Privaty. “You came in after failing to find Master and Rapi anywhere on the Outpost. Then you overheard us while eating chocolate cake and begged to come along.”

Commander raised a single eyebrow, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. Privaty at least had the wherewithal to blush in embarrassment. “Well it wasn't like this was the easiest way to see him!” Ah, her tsundere had kicked in again. He really had to thank Signal for introducing him to the word and concept. It was Privaty to a T.

But he couldn't help himself any longer. One hand slipped to his pocket and set his phone to rapid-photos, while the other reached out to pat Privaty's head. “Don't worry Privaty. Neither Rapi nor I will forget to praise and cherish our little sister. Especially if she wants to wear a maid outfit.” It worked. He could practically hear the steam coming out of her ears at the praise and gentle touch. 

3…

2…..

1……

She was sprinting out the door so fast he swore there was a smoke trail. “Master is an iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiddddddddddiiiiiiiiiiiiiiioooooooooooooootttttttt!” She wailed, the Doppler of her voice telling him she was putting on  her full sprint.

He smiled to himself, glad to see Privaty was in a good mood at least. None of the other members of Maid For You said anything until he finished his meal. 

“Master, was that really necessary? Teasing her so much.” Ade asked, passing his cleaned plate back to the serving cart. She was quite efficient.

“Sort of. It was a bit excessive for her coworkers to see though.” He admitted, a shoulder rising and falling with his words. “But in my defense, she makes me think: ‘this must be what having a younger sister that looks up to you feels like’ whenever she denies seeking Rapi's or my attention. She constantly brags about how hard she's working and new things she's done. It feels like when your little sibling is looking for your validation that they have done well.” He concluded, before pulling out his phone. He turned to show her the gallery of pictures he had sneakily taken of Privaty across their many encounters, who was embarrassed but clearly enjoying the attention.  “Plus, you can't tell me this isn't an adorable little sister aura.” He let his phone be passed around, getting nods of understanding once they saw it for themselves. Yep, his little sister of a Nikke was just that cute.

Rapi’s POV…

The past two days had been an interesting experience for Rapi. This “Girl's Week” had started off with less chaos than the phrase implied. They had begun by going to see Director Kim's latest movie, an adaptation of one of his older books. The story followed a group of soldiers and Mass-produced Nikke that got stranded in Rapture territory. Were the characters the best? No, but they were absolutely fascinating nonetheless. The actors gave their best to embody the stubborn will and determination of human survival against the odds. What really caught her attention was the way the squad treated the Nikke after a harrowing escape from a Rapture patrol. Treating their injuries, and praising them for their work. Ultimately, by the end of the movie only a handful of the characters made it back to report what happened. But the twist came when the Nikke were to be redeployed while the humans would be sent to the Ark. Rather than allow this, the surviving officer forged a new set of orders, sending the soldiers back to the front and the Nikke to the Ark. In a series of short montages, the secret relationships that had “not so obviously” bloomed during the escape were able to share their farewells and monologues. The one that got her the most was the combat engineer and an early Soldier OW. They had regularly risked themselves to rig traps and clear the path to safety, and had come to care deeply for each other. Their goodbye was a reminder to not ignore their feelings even if it interfered with their duties. She knew why she had been invested in it. 

After the movie they had spent time visiting various stylists and a Nikke massage parlor recommended by Rumani of all Nikke. She rarely handed out compliments like she had for the place. But it was so worth it. She hadn't known that they could even experience the relaxation of a massage, much less the simple enjoyment of a bit of cosmetic pampering. It felt strange, but Rapi was happy that she had this time with them to help her remember why she fought so hard for so long.

Today's big event was planned to be a shopping spree for new clothes, led by Rupee. Even Exia agreed, since the plan was to pick out an outfit for Rapi to wear to “blow the socks off him’ when the Commander came back in a few days. The plan went well, the shops recognized Rupee and her live-stream instantly and left them to their own devices. It was when they took a break for lunch that the trouble started.

“He's so handsome! Why are they hogging him and not letting the rest of us get a piece?” A particularly obnoxious sounding brunette woman complained from a table nearby. Rapi could have sworn half the mall heard her.

Her friend, a redheaded woman who was probably a few years younger, nodded. “Like, even with the rumors that his gala date was a Nikke, the Sovereigns have been hogging him! At least they keep streaming the events so we can look at him.” The redhead pointed to a phone screen held between them, “besides, they have him surrounded by other hot people. That Vice-Captain of his also looks good too!”

Rapi hadn't realized how angry she was until a hand grabbed her balled fist. Anis looked at her, clearly worried that Rapi might cause an incident. But she wouldn't. She didn't want to ruin their day.

“It's just a shame he's one of those Nikke-lovers.” The brunette complained, her voice grating. “They should just scrap that squad and make sure he knows what a real woman is. It's obvious that they are malfunctioning and corrupting him.”

The fact that the woman had overstepped the line was obvious to everyone in earshot. Rapi hadn't even begun to prepare her own caustic remarks before Rupee jumped up.

“Don't talk like you know anything about Sweetie or his work!” The gyaru half-rounded the table, only stopped by Eunwha bodily-blocking her. 

The women startled, looking at the scene in confusion. It quickly turned to sneers and malice. “Oh, I didn't know the famous Rupee had time to spend with a Commander with those interests. Tell me, was he like that before or after you two broke up?”

That low blow seemed to make everyone in the food court clear out. Not many knew that Commander had faked a relationship to help protect Rupee from a stalker, but they had made the announcement of their “breakup” on live-stream. Some fell back to a safe distance to watch the catfight. Not that there would be one considering the NIMPH kept them from hurting people.

Emma and Vesti looked ready to jump in, and Exia seemed to be focused on something on her tablet. She was also wrangling Novel by her collar, even though neither was particularly strong. Neon was currently wrapped around Anis, who seemed the most offended that they would bring that up.

“What's wrong? Can't make real friends so you bought some on the aftermarket?” The redhead mocked, feeling safe at the reveal that the majority were Nikke. Which made Rapi more confused. If she could tell they were Nikke, then why didn't they recognize the trio of Absolute, the most powerful and well-known Nikke Squad in the Ark. That was when she noticed the way the two women were holding their phones. They were recording this! Unbelievable. Was this part of some scheme to make Rupee pay them off, or use the outrage to do something else? 

Rapi wouldn't let them. “Rupee, everyone, stand down. We can leave them to their pathetic complaints.” She shot the duo a baleful look over her shoulder. “The Commander has high standards for a reason.” 

Her words mollified her friends, and had the exact opposite effect on the women. They started throwing worse insults and rumors, claiming they knew some secret. It was at times like this Rapi was glad she could turn down her audio sensors. They left the mall, and called it a day. The return to Absolute's dorms was quiet, but everyone seemed to be okay with it. 

When they had returned and set their shopping spoils down, Rupee bounded over to Rapi. She clasped their hands together, a fiery light in the Tetra gyaru's eyes. “We need to work on your strategy to confess to Sweetie! A. S. A. P!” It became clear that Rapi had been avoiding that line of thinking the past two days if Rupee's follow-up was to be believed. “We are doing a romance mega-marathon! Nobody goes to sleep until we craft the perfect confession of love!”

“Pass.” Exia tried to make an escape, but Rupee's aura seemed to manifest into flames around her. Exia froze in the moment, torn between self-preservation and a dislike of sappy movies. It was only when she looked at Rapi that she capitulated. “But I'm going to speed run some romance visual novels and see what I can find there. Not my usual fanfare but it will help.”

The others seemed to respond to the fierce energy by agreeing and Emma soon had the replacement TV set up and started pulling up on-demand movies. It wasn't long before an impromptu collection of cushions, blankets, and pillows found their way to the floor around the couch and snacks piled up on the seats. Rapi couldn't help but smile. Her friends were all weird, but she wouldn't trade any of them away.

Commander's POV….

The worst part of something being almost over is the fact that it wasn't already over. It felt like months had passed, and yet the Commander found himself with two more nights and a day before he could return to the Outpost. While the visit from Privaty and Maid For You had eased some of the pain and stress he was feeling, it hadn't helped him clear out the self-doubt plaguing his mind. He loved Rapi, but was it something that was capable of deepening? Could he even figure out how to be a good partner to her and still be her Commander?

He groaned, enjoying the quiet space he had been given between the Sovereign-sponsored lunch and the impending Sovereign-sponsored dinner. No doubt some family was going to try and either bribe him into marrying their daughter or the wife would “innocently'' try and seduce him. Maybe he should just claim that he was already happily married so they wouldn't try anything? Oh Goddess, he was starting to think like D!

He started to stand up, mentally whispering goodbye to the nice couch and the out-of-the-way room he had found it in. When he turned to the door, it was already open and Director-Producer Kim was walking in. They seemed just as surprised to see him as he felt seeing them walk in with a lit cigarette in their mouth.

The Director smiled, a less sharp thing than most of theirs normally were. “How about we agree to keeping secrets today, yes?”

It was less than a few minutes before they were standing at the room's window, taking drags off the cigarette. Commander didn't particularly enjoy the action but it helped with the stress. They stayed like that for a bit, just smoking and enjoying the quiet.

It was Director Kim that broke the peace,”‘so now what is the problem that has you hiding so much? If this is your way of asking for relationship advice, you've found a proper mentor.” Something in their smile was sincere about the offer despite the jovial tone.

“How do I know I'm going into a relationship with sincere intentions?” Commander asked, the air growing heavy as he explained the loop his brain had been stuck in since he had confirmed Andersen wouldn't use a relationship with Rapi to destroy her or him. Kim waited as he vented to them, clearly paying attention. When he finally got the whole story off his chest, he let himself take a large breath to calm down. And waited.

Kim nodded to themselves, clearly picking and choosing their words. The author spoke their wisdom, “you are confused because a barrier to your potential relationship is gone? I believe you are looking at the gift horse in its tonsils.” Commander couldn't get what he was supposed to understand from that. “My young friend, you loved her even before you knew you would be safe from reprisal. You pined for her even when you knew it would be a danger. And I know you would have tried everything you could have to keep her safe.” Kim tapped their hand to his chest. “Your heart was leading you to her even when your mind was caught up in fear. That's why I know your love for her is sincere.” Kim gave him a clap on the shoulder, shaking them lightly to dispel the confusion. “So listen to it.”

Commander could feel his doubts fade as the advice broke every chain of logic he had been fighting with for the past few days. His shoulders relaxed, tension leaving them for the first time in days. “Thank you.” The words came from his soul, his heart lightened enough that he knew exactly how he was going to approach Rapi as soon as he was done with this tour program. 

“Of course.” Kin elegantly stubbed the cigarette, tossing it out the window. “Just let me be there for the wedding when it happens.” 

Kim was halfway to the door before Commander started to respond. “Of course, and then-” He paused, processing the words. “Why do you think there will be a wedding?!!??!”

Kim gave a sad smile over their shoulder, “because if my wife ever came back after sacrificing herself to get me into the Ark, I wouldn't care if she was a Nikke. I would remarry her on the spot. Don't ever doubt your feelings for her. Otherwise, you will find yourself without her.” With that final mental bomb thrown at Commander, Kim disappeared out of the room.

“I really don't know Kim, do I?” He muttered to himself, checking his watch and realizing he was late for the dinner. Even as he ran, he felt lighter than he had in months.

Rapi POV…

The marathon was reaching its end. Over 48 hours of mostly uninterrupted romance movies and confession scenes from TV shows. Exia had passed out, her hand still holding the pen she had been writing down confession scenes from the games she had played. Dozens of suggestions, meticulous notes, rough drafts, and even a moving diorama from Novel and she still didn't know what to do.

Rapi checked her watch, and frowned. The Commander would be back tomorrow. And she still couldn't find something that would work for a confession. Maybe she was approaching the situation too literally. She knew him the best, everyone had agreed to that most of the time. Even when it came to clothes shopping, they trusted her color choices at the very least. Rupee called the shots on the actual clothing designs.

“Everyone.” Some stirred in their blanket piles, others groaned from the various furniture they had resigned themselves to sleeping on. Even Eunwha, strict as she normally was, was on top of her bedroll and sleeping bag. They took a break, pausing the movie on the TV to gather themselves up and properly talk.

“I don't think any of this is going to work.” Rapi admitted. The others grimaced. The deadline for the Commander's return was approaching and they didn't have a plan for Rapi to confess her feelings to him yet.

“Damn. Maybe we are thinking about this wrong?” Anis suggested, looking to the group for support. “Maybe movies and TV aren't the way to go.”

“But confessions of love are supposed to be big!” Rupee pointed out, gaining nods of agreement from Emma and Vesti. The others looked uncertain, and Rapi noticed the wording Rupee used. Supposed to . Not have to , or need to . They really were going about this the wrong way. 

“He's spent the past week being badgered by Sovereigns and I think all of them tried big things to impress him.” Rapi pointed out. Not that it would ever work on him. Goddess they had been approaching it wrong the whole time.

Novel bolted up, her face scrunched up as she began to think aloud. “Watson has clearly got numerous advances made on him but has rebuffed them. This has led to more and more extravagant offers being made. If he's tired of such overwhelming displays, then the answer is obvious! It’s elementary with Watson!” She opened her eyes, pointed at Rapi and declared, “all you have to do is ask him out! Just walk up and say ‘I love you and want to go out with you!’ With every bit of your feelings, and he will obviously accept them.” She looked quite smug, bringing a hand up to her chin. “The Case of the Love Confession is solved!”

The simplicity of it belied the complexities hidden there. Rapi would be the first to admit she was bad at expressing herself. Though even she could admit it was easier when he was around, it wouldn't handle her own nervous self-doubts.

It was Anis who noticed her indecision. “Pfft, Rapi! Your face right now.” Anis chuckled, using her natural skills at off-balancing people to shake her friend. “You have nothing to be worried about.” She waved to everyone else, “look at all of us. Every last one of us thought you two were already together BECAUSE you both acted like it. He's already decided, even if it hasn't been said.” She gave Rapi a smile. “You just gotta say it out loud. Like you did with us. If you don't say it to him, someone else will.”

Rapi looked to her friends, all of them offering their own versions of smiles and small encouragements. Even Eunwha managed to restrain her usual frown to a neutral look.

“Thank you Anis, everyone. For helping me and making this week great.” She closed her eyes, before opening them with new resolve and calm. “ I will tell him first thing tomorrow.”

“Then that means it's time for the victory parry!” Anis held up her phone. “Who wants some really good takeout?”

The Outpost, Commander's POV….

The Commander had returned to his Outpost, free of his obligations and finally ready to see everyone. He wouldn't complain about Belorta's pranks or anyone interrupting his personal time again. But more than that, he had a mission. Find Rapi and confess to her.

He stepped off the elevator, and prepared himself for the long hunt. Only to be met by Counters making their way down to meet him. Anis and Neon offered smiles before turning around, leaving only Rapi standing there.

They stood frozen. It had only been a week but it felt like months had passed since they had last seen each other. And she was still the most beautiful person he knew.

“Rapi.”

“Commander.”

“Do you have a moment?” They said at the same time. They paused, looked at each other, and let themselves share a laugh. Yep. This felt right.

He extended his hand to her and she took it, stepping up and into his side. It was the most natural place for them. With each other.

“I love you.” They said in unison. It was weird how easy it was to say. After all that stress, doubt, and everything else it was said and done. And Rapi's blush adding such adorable color to her cheeks made him want to kiss her right then and there. But he restrained himself, a plan already in place for what he wanted to do. It was a quiet walk back to the Commander's office, simply enjoying the feeling of holding her hand and basking in the joy of having her love.

Rapi spoke first. “Commander, is there a chance we can…” her eyes kept focusing on his face, particularly a lower portion of his face. He smiled and decided to lift her hand to his mouth. He kissed her gloved hand, keeping eye contact with her. Her blush managed to deepen.

“This Saturday. A whole day together as a first date. Just me and you, my lovely girlfriend.” He practically cheered at her soft nod. “And then we can have a proper kiss worthy of the feelings you bring to me.”  He held a hand up to her cheek, enjoying the way she leaned into the touch. “So let's hold back just a bit.”

Her slight frown nearly made him cave. He would do anything to never see her frown again. But she took a second to collect herself before speaking. “Understood Commander.”

She turned, seemingly ready to leave. He let go of her hand, already missing its warmth. He wasn't prepared for her to spin back and hug him close. The feeling of her pressed into his body, arms wrapped around him was the only feeling he wanted in that moment. His arms closed, pulling her in deeper. His eyes found hers, and even through her embarrassment he could see the love and happiness there.

“And when we are alone, you can just use my name from now on.” He told her, trying to maintain some composure before he started to lose control. 

“I will,” She whispered his name, as though she were keeping it a secret meant only for them. And then she let go, and her stoic mask came back, albeit dusted pink with her flush of emotions. “Have a good day.” 

And she was gone, off to do her duties around the Outpost. He smiled, knowing he had a date with a gorgeous woman to look forward to. Now to get back to work. Starting with his pile of mail.

He sat down, letter opener moving quick. Spam, dispatch, spam, spam, survey, dispatch, a magazine subscription he didn't remember having, even more spam, and a bill. He paused, noticed that it had been forwarded from Andersen's desk…..

…..

………

…………

Why the fuck on the Goddess's green Earth was he somehow responsible for paying a 50 million credit bill?!?!?!

Chapter Text

Saturday arrived with little fanfare. They had agreed to meet down in the Ark, so as to not give anyone any extra ideas of their plans. Not that Rapi herself was aware of the plans but that was the point. The Commander knew since they were following his plans for the day, and he wanted it to be a way to show her exactly how he felt about her.

8am reached the small park near the Ark Hospital, and the young couple saw each other. He was dressed casually, light khaki pants and a long-sleeved red button down shirt. He let his hair be messier than usual, but Rapi enjoyed the fact that he felt comfortable enough to let it go unstyled. 

She was wearing an outfit Rupee had helped pick out, a classier look than she normally went with. It started with black knee high boots and tights with a white lower-thigh length skirt that hugged her without restriction. She honestly enjoyed the sweater-like material of her sleeveless shirt beneath the pink sweater she kept unzipped. The thin black gloves let her feel through them as easily as if they were her own skin, and her skirt’s belt added a splash of brown and silver to her ensemble. Lastly, her normal beret had been exchanged for a simple black silk number with a small flower pin.

With little preamble they were holding hands as they walked, Rapi enjoying the feeling of contact with him. Something he seemed to enjoy just as much. Their first stop was a coffee shop. A nice way to start the morning. The scent helped her shake some nerves that were trying to build. It was one of those quaint places with 6 seats around 3 tables, and a small selection of reading material publicly available from a bookshelf next to the counter.

“Good morning!” The barista was a young man that seemed quite awake for the early hours of a Saturday. But that might have been skewed with Rapi and Commander's early start. 

“Good morning, she'll have a medium Mocha with a shot of espresso and one pump of milk.” He remembered her coffee order since it was the first thing they did when working on paperwork. Nothing like a warm drink with concentrated caffeine.

“And he'll have a large Americano with 1 pump of Frima cream, 1 pump of milk, and 1 pump of sugar.” She knew his coffee order just as easily. Cafe Sweety had gotten to his taste buds, but at least they still functioned.

The young man smiled, quick to ring them up and start the order. The whirs and hiss of steam as water was heated helped them keep track of the barista while they took a seat. 

They had barely sat down before their cups were set before them. The barista had gone out of his way to grab them some thin slices of coffee cake, artfully plated and settled between them.

“For the lovely couple.” He said, before returning to his spot behind the counter. Rapi couldn't help but flush with excitement at the fact someone else saw them as a couple. It felt gratifying to have that external affirmation.

She wasn't prepared for him to slide his seat next to her, carefully taking the hand not holding her coffee cup and interweaving their fingers. She was quickly noticing how much she enjoyed physical contact with him, and he seemed to enjoy it just as much. It was warm and grounding, a reminder that this time together was real.

She loved it. She loved him , and it wouldn't stop making her smile. His smile was sincere, even as he tried his best to keep it while drinking his coffee. How did he manage to make it look adorable and elegant? Or was that the effect of “rose-tinted glasses” on her mind? She didn't care. Especially when they took turns feeding each other slices of the coffee cake. It was silly and dumb but too much fun and it somehow made the food taste better.

When they were done with their coffee, they left after leaving a generous tip to the young barista of the little Café. And so the first part of the morning went well. They started towards Royal Road, but he had them turn down a street before they reached the prominent shopping area. There she found herself in an alley lined with unique little shops, from custom embroidery to secondhand furniture and clothes to handmade jewelry. A small sign advertised it as “Craftsmen's Plaza” and soon they were moving through the shops.

Carefully crafted treasures, high-quality clothing that was eternally fashionable, even looking at repaired desks was fun when they could simply enjoy each other's presence and opinions. It wasn't until they stopped at the jeweler's that she had a sneaking suspicion of what was going on. 

The older woman behind the display case nodded and welcomed them in, and began to gush about her boyfriend's “beautiful special lady” before introducing herself as the owner and primary crafter of the custom pieces she sold. She left them to browse and promised a chance to try out the pieces if they wanted to see what they looked like. It wasn't long before she found something that caught her eye. A simple pendant of three small diamonds arranged vertically, a thin silver chain, and a few charms that could form patterns along the chain. She turned to ask the woman for help only to find her already opening the display case. 

“Let me fetch the mirror. Young man, help her put it on.” She instructed, a motherly tone brooking no argument from them. Rapi tried to focus on holding her hair out of the way while her boyfriend ( the very thought of calling him that excited her! ) did as instructed. His hands opened the clasp, and brought the necklace to settle comfortably. All while she luxuriated in the closeness of his touch, a tempting promise of warmth close to her skin. Their hands met as he guided her to the clasp and its adjustable length. He hummed to himself, close to her ear as he took over holding her hair while she adjusted the necklace to her preferred length. Once she felt comfortable with it, he let go of her hair and set about getting her beret back to its perch upon her head. By standing right in front of her so she could see every flex of muscle in his chest.

“Don't be flirting so obviously like that!” The woman's voice made them both jump, but her smile made her words lose any chastising tone. “This is a place of business.” She presented the mirror to Rapi, a small handheld one that she gratefully took. 

Looking at the necklace was hard when she kept catching glimpses of him and the soft smile he had. But eventually she focused on the piece of jewelry. She liked it. The simple design hid how well-crafted it was, a true sign of skill. The simple charms gave a bit of uniqueness that Rapi found her normal wardrobe lacking. And the way it glittered against her black sweater made sure it didn't disappear or stand out too much. A perfect fit for her.

“I love it.” She told the woman, who's smile grew larger. “Would I be allowed to wear it when we leave?” She wanted her first gift from her boyfriend to be shown off.

“Of course!” The owner signed off on the transfer of ownership, then looked to her boyfriend. “And as we discussed, you get the discount and my usual 30 day billing notice.”

“Thank you Ma'am.” He smiled properly, choosing a return to holding Rapi's hand as he did. The feeling was becoming a bit too addictive for her, but she was reveling in it.

They left the shop, hand in hand, though only Rapi heard the woman suggest they come back to her for engagement rings. She let herself blush at the idea, losing herself a bit in the fantasy of him proposing. She was pulled out of her stupor paradoxically by them stopping.

They stood outside “Maid For You,” home of the namesake squad and notable maid cafe. Walking in, the doorbell chimed and signaled their arrival.

“Welcome home Master!” Soda cheerily called out, her words echoing across the busy Cafe. Rapi found herself impressed that she could hear that over the general din of conversation, but guessed the Nikke had special adjustments to her audio sensors to detect it.

Cocoa arrived and showed them to their seats, a small booth away from everyone else. “As requested, a private space for Master and his girlfriend to enjoy their meal!” The ketchup-loving maid bowed slightly after handing them their menus, then excused herself so they could take the time to find something to order.

Rapi found herself confused to find a more normal menu in her hand than the “standard” cute version used by the Café. Before she could ask, she had a more pertinent question on her mind. “What kind of discussion did you and the jewelry store owner have?”

Her boyfriend smiled with a hint of mischief, something she had come to appreciate for warning her about him doing something more chaotic. “I bet her I could guess exactly what kind of jewelry piece you would want and that you would want to wear it out. She even went so far as to make sure she changed out her entire inventory and display case models for it.” He reached over to hold her hand, the warmth and merriment of his little game showing how much he really knew her tastes. “Which just goes to show how much you can get to know someone.”

“Oh? Do explain.” She wanted to hear what he seemed to think of her tastes. He'd never complained about her lack or favorite foods, music, or even coffee blends. But jewelry was more personal and intimate than many realized.

Soda arrived and quickly gave them some glasses of water, and they entered their orders from the non-standard menu. She jetted off with a smile and promised that “it would be ready soon!”

He sipped his water before beginning. “I knew you would prefer something practical. Preferably a piece that could be tucked away and wouldn't risk getting caught easily. So, a necklace made sense. You would want something fairly simple so it wouldn't appear as a piece for thieves or the more jealous types to target you over. A single pendant necklace with small gems would do that. 

But more than that, I knew you would want it to be something that could grow with you, letting you add more personal touches as you go. Hence, the small charm collection and the ability to add them to the necklace. But what sold me on it was the necklace chain itself. It was low profile, could match any outfit, and could be easily repaired if anything happened to it.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “You are a practical type, but you wanted something you could use to express yourself bit by bit as you became comfortable in the knowledge that we are together. Thus, the perfect piece for that.”

Rapi couldn't find the words for it. He knew her. He knew her thoughts that she could barely articulate, and again she knew why. He never looked away. He was always watching, guiding her forward, and most importantly, gave her the space to find out what she truly wanted.

“I have the best boyfriend in the world.” She stated. It was his turn to blush, stunned into silence. They kept holding hands until their orders arrived, enjoying the simple feeling of each other.

The pasta that she ordered was quite good, and judging by the way he smiled she was certain her boyfriend was enjoying the flank steak he had ordered. But what she kept finding her eyes wandering towards was a side that he had ordered. So-called “Golden Shrimp Balls” sat in a small tray, thin wax paper keeping them from contacting the tray directly. A half-dozen near perfect spheres with some type of seasoned breading. And they were golden, likely oil-fried considering the evenness of the color on the breading. She couldn't help but find herself curious as to how they tasted.

She watched as a fork speared into one, causing the breading to part with a thin crunch, causing something to bubble out and grip the tines of the fork. She watched as it reached her boyfriend's lips, where it disappeared quickly.

“Mmmmmmmm.” He sighed, eyes closing as he enjoyed the fried food. A thought crossed her mind to taste it by kissing him, but they had agreed to restrain themselves for a reason. Kissing him because a piece of food looked tasty wouldn't be the right one.

His eyes opened, and caught her staring at him. “I guess you want to try one?” He seemed to misinterpret her focus, but still be accurate. 

She nodded, not trusting herself to say what she wanted to try. Soon enough the tantalizing golden orb floated in front of her, held aloft on his fork. There was only one option: try it.

The first bite told her everything. Light and crispy breading broke with a release of aromatic seasonings. The hidden layer of warm, gooey cheese burst with a pleasant heat that turned the mellow flavors of the shrimp beneath into a symphony of elements. Each layer building on the next, it could be described as a culinary masterpiece. Rapi let herself enjoy the flavors, reveling in the depth of expertise being presented before her. She would have to ask Ade. Only Ade could make such sublime perfection-

“Rapi?” Her boyfriend’s voice finally pulled her from her musings, a bemused look on his face. “Did you enjoy them?”

“It was… perfect. I can imagine eating them for the rest of my life.” She was honest. And the little ball of deep-fried shrimp and cheese was arguably perfect.

“Considering you ate all of them without noticing, I can imagine.” Rapi started, looking to the basket that should have contained the other 4 morsels of culinary heaven. They were gone. Vanished. Not a single crumb remained to prove they existed.

“Oh, I… I didn’t notice.” She felt embarrassed, having lost herself eating in the middle of her date. But he wasn’t mad. If anything he seemed genuinely happy. It kept herself is

“Guess we finally found your favorite food.” He said lightly, reaching over to hold her hand again. “Ready to go?”

“Yes.” And so they left, the bill having been settled and the rest of their meal cleared while she was in her shrimp-flavored reverie.

They took their time, walking through the Ark’s various parks and chatting lightly. The early afternoon gave way to evening, and they found themselves at the Elevator to the Outpost. Rapi presumed that their date was coming to an end as they rode up. But instead, she found an open-air transport running nearby and her boyfriend with a cheeky smile.

“Your carriage awaits, my love.” He said, bowing slightly before helping Rapi up into the transport. She couldn’t help but enjoy his casual dropping of the word love. She was still trying to get used to it herself. She enjoyed the thrilling ride through the Outpost, wondering why she didn’t see anyone around. When they stopped in front of a mission elevator to the surface, she became confused.

“Where are we going?” She asked, watching as he grabbed a quilted blanket and a small pink patisserie box. He handed the box to her and took the blanket over his shoulder. He smiled but didn’t say anything as he led her into the elevator. The ride was short, but filled her with nerves. The surface was dangerous. She wasn’t armed and he would be here. Without protection.

The elevator doors opened, and the surface’s night air was calm. The lack of Rapture sounds and no enemies detected calmed Rapi’s mind and core. The stars above provided them plenty of light, and they stopped a short distance from the elevator.

She watched him spread the blanket on the ground before sitting atop it. He motioned for her to sit beside him. It didn’t take too much encouragement. She loved him and trusted him enough to know that he had planned this out.

“No worries, everyone is keeping a perimeter to make sure we have no Raptures showing up tonight. Just the two of us and the stars that you outshine.” He told her, the casual compliments warming her soul the way his hands warmed hers.

“Thank you… my love.” She half-whispered it, trying to not fluster herself by using a pet name for her boyfriend so spontaneously. But it felt good, watching him smile and offer her hand a reassuring squeeze. His support, his love, everything he had done today had shown her how much she meant to him.

She let her gaze drift to where the stars danced in the night sky, letting their movements and glow ease her stress. She couldn’t help herself from saying something softly.

“They’re beautiful.”

He hummed beside, bumping shoulders as he slid closer. His arm encircled her waist, pulling their sides flush to each other. “Not as beautiful as you, though.”

She looked at him, faces inches from each other. His sincerity shone in eyes glowing with starlight. She wanted to kiss him so badly, her very being aching for it. But something held her back.

“I love you Rapi.” He told her, totally serious as he looked in her eyes. “And I wanted to spend all of today showing you that. Not just a simple date, but how much we know of each other, our likes and dislikes, the little bits of things only we know of each other, everything we’ve built up before we started dating. So that when I say this next thing, you will believe me.”

He turned to face her fully, taking both of her hands in his. He stared deep into her soul and spoke. 

“I don’t want to live another day without you in my life.” Rapi couldn’t stop herself from gasping. “The idea of spending a day without you is totally unthinkable. I don’t know how I managed before we met and I don’t care to find out. I love you, and that’s become the absolute truth in my soul. I hope you feel the same.”

It took every ounce of self-control she had left to not kiss him senseless. “I do.” She leaned into him, getting so close it would only take a moment for one of them to reach the other’s lips. “And I don’t want to waste another day denying it.”

“Can I kiss you?”

“I’ve been waiting.”

He leaned in, capturing her lips.

Rapi felt electricity spark and wind through her, invigorating her every sense and emotion. Her hands moved from his to wrap around his neck, deepening the kiss. She wanted this and knew he wanted it just as much. His hands rose to cup her face, and she could practically taste the depths of his love on his lips. A promise for their united future, sealed with a simple act of love.

For the record, their first kiss as a couple was very much intentional.