Chapter Text
Time passed without much incident. There was a standstill in the battles with the Sirens, and recently Kurenai was collaborating with headquarters about gathering intel about the Siren phenomenon known as the Mirror Seas. They appeared whenever the Sirens did, but apart from that we did not know much. Other than this and usual patrol sorties, there haven’t been any major missions that required several fleets and several commanders to sortie from the base. Because of this lull, Kurenai seemed to have been thinking about other things, but when I asked her what was on her mind, she simply smiled.
The base was as it usually was, and tonight in particular was calm and quiet. The moon illuminated the sea from the horizon, leaving a rippling reflection in the water. I was used to recognizing lights on the sea as the enemy, but here, I thought, the light on the ocean looked beautiful. Our base was on an island, and any given night one only needed to look above to see a myriad of stars lighting up the night sky.
Kurenai had asked me to come down to the harbor tonight to meet her. I thought it was unusual, as normally she would just speak to me about whatever she wanted to say right then and there. Nevertheless, I waited for her, sitting on a bench that faced the sea. I looked up at the moon and the stars, awed at the mysterious and peaceful light that bathed the base. The sound of Kurenai’s voice alerted me to her presence.
“There you are, Enterprise. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for too long,” Kurenai said as she approached. There was something mysterious about the way she was smiling at me.
I shook my head no, making room on the bench for her to sit. Kurenai thanked me, her voice soft, and sat next to me. Her hand came to a rest upon mine. “What did you want to meet me here for? Is it something that couldn’t be said earlier?” I asked, furrowing my brow.
“You asked me once before what I wanted to do after the war, and my answer was to ask you. You’ve given me your answer, Enterprise. So…” Kurenai trailed off, turning her head towards the sea, looking up at the moon as it shone down. The soft light of the moon illuminated her features and coated her in a silvery light. She turned back towards me. “…I should give you my answer. I’m sorry for making you wait, E.”
“Wait for what?” Kurenai smiled again, and reached into a pocket on her uniform. Tilting my head curiously, my eyes widened when I saw her pull out a small black box. Turning towards me, she opened it, and inside was a ring, the band glistening and the stone shimmering in the moonlight.
“What I want to do after the war. Something like that isn’t easily answered, I think, for someone like me. Once the fighting ends, I want to ensure that the world after is at peace, I want to work towards a better future. But it wouldn’t quite be the same if you weren’t there to share it with me,” Kurenai said. Her smile was brighter than anything on this world, her eyes warmer than any hearth. “Would you marry me, Enterprise? And would you walk with me towards whatever the future holds, shouldering those responsibilities together?”
Words were almost too much for me, and my heart was full of joy and love. I carried with me for as long as I could remember, the wills of those I said farewell to, in those battles long ago. I carried their hopes. I carried everything upon my shoulders and fought for them alone. I had almost lost another person that I loved because I insisted on carrying everything on my own. “Of course, Kurenai. Let us walk together until the very end,” I spoke gently. I held out my hand, and Kurenai took it in her own, sliding the ring upon my finger.
Her fingers gently wrapped around my tie. Softly, she tugged and I leaned town to her height. I pressed my lips to hers, holding her face in my hand. “I love you Kurenai. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Enterprise.”
The wedding was a small event in Kurenai’s hometown. Neither of us particularly wanted something grand, so mostly family, close friends, and Kurenai’s subordinates were invited. My sisters Yorktown and Hornet, as well as Vestal all came with me for the wedding also. As I stood there, clad in a white dress, I turned to look at them, sitting in the front row. Vestal’s eyes glittered proudly, as if she was saying, ‘I’m proud you finally chased after what you wanted.’
I looked towards Yorktown. There were tears in the corners of her eyes. I remembered when I parted with her long ago, the responsibility that she passed on to me. The memory was bitter, but clear as day. But the memory of my reunion with her was even clearer. Yorktown’s eyes gleamed, ‘I’m glad that I was given the opportunity to see this day.’
A grateful smile formed on my face as I looked at them. It was thanks to them that I can stand here with Kurenai, who was dressed in her formal navy uniform.
As Kurenai was sliding the ring of our promise onto my finger, she smiled lovingly at me. “From now on, I’ll walk with you, I’ll shoulder your burdens hand in hand with you. After the war, I will be by your side,” she spoke softly. Her own ring glistened in the light. When I heard the priest say ‘You may kiss the bride,’ I entwined my arms around Kurenai’s waist, and, holding on tightly to her, I lifted her up to my height and kissed her deeply. Kurenai was surprised, but slowly she eased into the kiss.
“I love you, Enterprise,” Kurenai spoke softly into the kiss. “I will love you now, and forever. Even if time were to no longer turn, I will always love you.”
“I love you too, Kurenai… I will always be yours.”
Headquarters gave the two of us some time off as congratulations for the wedding. While the guests returned to their normal lives, and Kurenai’s subordinates returned to the base, the two of us remained in Japan, in the Kurokawa family home. Kurenai’s father and mother were all too happy to host the two of us for the meantime. On the last few days of our short leave of absence from duty, Kurenai brought something to my attention.
“There’s a fireworks festival here that I used to go to every year when I was younger,” Kurenai explained. The two of us were sitting in the living room, having a cup of tea. “I’ve wanted to bring you to one for a long time, E. HQ didn’t really give us enough time for a full honeymoon, but that’s understandable. We have a battle to return to.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Any time that I get to spend with you is fine with me. Tell me about the festival.”
Kurenai explained that it was tomorrow night in town. “It’s held on the shrine grounds. Townspeople will have booths set up where we can play various festival games and try lots of festival food. The festival will wrap up with a fireworks show. I know the best spot to watch them from, too. As for dress, the two of us can wear yukata. Before we flew down here, I made sure to call and ask my mother to pick one up for you.”
“Oh, you’re going to like it, Enterprise,” my mother-in-law’s voice sounded from down the hall. She stepped into the room, holding the yukata in her hands. It was navy blue with red and white accents, and came with a black obi. A beautiful pattern that resembled wings started at the shoulders and extended down to both sleeves.
“It looks beautiful,” I spoke softly as my mother-in-law handed it over to me. The fabric was soft to the touch, and now that I held it up close, the wing patterns on the yukata were beautifully intricate.
“And I bet you would look even more beautiful wearing it,” Kurenai smiled.
“Kurenai, your yukata should still be in your closet,” my mother-in-law remarked, to which Kurenai nodded her head. I wondered what Kurenai would look like in a yukata, and suddenly I looked forward to tomorrow’s festival a lot more than I already did.
“We should rest, E,” Kurenai spoke, as she stood to her feet. When I looked out the window, the stars and moon were already glittering in the night sky, and I could feel the events of the day catch up to me. I stood from where I was sitting, the yukata still in my hands, and I followed my wife down the hall to her room. Hanging up the yukata in a free spot in Kurenai’s closet, the two of us retired to bed.
Immediately as I slid underneath the futon, Kurenai snuggled up close to me, her nose buried in the crook of my neck. A soft, happy exhale left my lips as I brought my own nose down into her hair, inhaling her scent. I had already been used to sleeping at her side since before we were officially married, but there was certainly something different about the past few nights I had been doing so as her spouse. I felt Kurenai exhale on my neck, and not long after that I could feel her lips kiss and nibble at my skin.
“You were the one who suggested that we rest, sweetheart,” I remarked, feeling a smile creep onto my face. Kurenai’s hands worked to the front of my night clothes and started to unbutton them. Kurenai leaned close and kissed me deeply, licking my lips and pushing her tongue into my mouth. When she pulled away, her eyes burned.
“I had a craving,” she mumbled before she gave me another kiss.
I slid her night clothes off her shoulders, my eyes not leaving hers. “Mm. Try not to wake anyone, then.”
The night of the festival was crisp and clear. There wasn’t a cloud in sight and a pleasant summer breeze blew through the port town, carrying with it the scent of the ocean. The sight of Kurenai in her yukata as the two of us stood at the entrance to the shrine grounds was something to behold. Her yukata was mostly black, but was adorned with beautiful red, white, and pink flowers, along with a dark gray obi with white accents. I found myself staring at her, taking in every little detail as if I would never see it again. Kurenai rubbed the back of her neck and smiled bashfully.
“I think your yukata looks more beautiful, E,” she mumbled. There was a pink flush to her cheeks as she looked at me.
I shook my head. “No way. Not as much as you.”
It took Kurenai a short while to regain her composure, but after she did, she stood closer to me and slid her hand in mine and led me towards the festival grounds.
Scarlet lanterns hung from the stands and stood by the path that led up to the shrine, shrouding the whole venue in a whimsical glow. It seemed that the whole town was there, and most of them seemed to know Kurenai. When they passed her they greeted her, and Kurenai stopped occasionally to speak with an old friend from her school days or the owner of a local business or shop, and would introduce me. People would try to speak in English, and I’d surprise them by responding in Japanese.
Kurenai had told me that she was this town’s representative in Azur Lane, and though she did not really try to think much of it, the people were fond of her. I tightened my grip around her hand, pride coursing through me. “Let’s enjoy the festival. We’ve held a few at base, but here is the full experience,” Kurenai said, smiling as she pulled me towards the countless booths lined up along the shrine grounds.
There were so many things to do and so much food to try that I almost couldn’t name them all. Kurenai and I walked down the length of the path on both sides, and I tried every activity offered. I managed to catch a goldfish that I decided to name Penny. I was a crack shot at the cork gun game, and won several prizes in a row. As a result of that, I attracted a small crowd of children who were all asking me to get them specific prizes that they wanted. I glanced over at Kurenai, who seemed to have trouble holding back her laughter. I hung around for a little while and won a few prizes for a few children before the man running the booth insisted that I go and experience the rest of the festival.
“Let’s get some food, the fireworks are going to start soon,” Kurenai spoke. We continued back down the length of the venue, and I stopped her when there was something I wanted to get to eat. While Kurenai got herself some yakisoba, I got myself some karaage. After paying for my food, Kurenai tugged at me with her free hand. “We can eat while we walk. I know the best place to see the fireworks.”
Kurenai continued down to the very end of the venue, almost to where the shrine was. She skirted around until she had found a path that wound up a hill behind the shrine. The grass here was flattened, so people had walked up here before, but not often enough for a path to be built. I followed closely behind Kurenai and climbed up the moonlit path until she came to a stop at the very top. There was a clearing here that overlooked the festival grounds, and if you looked even further out, the sea glittered underneath the light of the moon.
The crowds down below had stopped milling and had all gathered by the torii. Kurenai sat down on the grass and settled down with her food in her lap. She patted a spot next to her, which I took gladly. “The fireworks are about to start.”
There was the first streak of light from somewhere out at sea. It sailed into the air, and exploded into a vibrant shower of reds and blues. Slowly I felt my eyes widen. Soon, several more fireworks exploded in the air, in many shapes and colors. The clear night sky lit up with a beautiful myriad of patterns, lights and colors. The fireworks reflected off the surface of the water, so the ocean was lit up like the sky. It was so unlike the flash of gunfire of fighter planes, the flash of artillery firing into the air and across the sea.
“Someday there will come a day without fighting. Someday everyone can smile like today. When that time comes, I want to be with you,” Kurenai spoke, her voice soft.
I turned my head away from the fireworks and looked towards Kurenai. Her face was illuminated by the light of the spectacle going on above. I smiled softly.
This is where I belonged. Right by her side.