When You Can’t Sleep

Posted on Thu Dec 5th, 2024 @ 4:14am by Lieutenant JG Vyse Ingelbard & Lieutenant Fubuki Kuchikukan 'Snowflake'

1,507 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: The Nursery
Timeline: The Night Before the Space Battle

It was just past midnight on the Tokyo. The night shift was well underway. However many of the crew were nervous, if not scared to once again be going up against the Elachi. Although they had faith in their Captain and their crewmates, some were finding it hard to sleep.

One of those persons was Fubuki. The responsibility of Commander Air Group had been thrust upon her at the last moment. It was a lot to bear, and a lot of stress. She found herself tossing and turning amongst the sheets, constantly trying to come up with ideas of how to fall asleep. Counting sheep never worked for her. Breathing slowly and closing here eyes seemed useless and she had tried reading but that had the opposite effect.

Finally she decided that maybe a walk would be a good idea. Not bothering to change out of her pajamas, comprised of a crop top and matching shorts, she decided to see if she could relax a little in the pilots lounge. Maybe she could program the replicator to make a cup of warm milk with nutmeg.

Regardless, she soon found the lounge in semi-darkness only being lit by the dim night lighting. After grabbing a cup of warm cows milk with nutmeg sprinkled on top she seated herself down near one of the windows watching as the stars streaked by. Soon she and all of her pilots would be out there, fighting for their lives and fighting to protect others.

From his own quarters, Vyse was similarly anxious about the upcoming mission. However, he tended to deal with that anxiety by keeping either his mind or body active. Tonight it was the former, and he found himself at his desk, in the black t-shirt and plaid shorts he slept in, putting thoughts to screen and letting his creative side flourish a bit.

He would've kept going, if the light from the computer hadn't woken up his roommate. Aika threw her socks at him, landing the second one right across his face, which thoroughly communicated her feelings on him still being up and writing at that hour. So he sent the file to a PADD and took it with him to the pilot's lounge.

He found the flight leader inside, sipping milk. "Oh, hi Fubuki. I wasn't expecting anyone to be in here."

"Huh..." Fubuki said at first, then realising it was Vyse. "Oh, yeah. Hi." she said in a low soft tone. "Couldn't sleep too?"

"It's always hard to sleep before a big mission," he replied. He set his PADD on a table and took a seat next to her. "Last time I flew I broke my leg in the landing, so yeah, a bit nervous about the next one."

Fubuki leant backwards on her chair. "Yeah, I get that." she replied. "But this is my first time in command of the entire wing." She looked up at the ceiling. "What if I screw up?"

“We’ve all been practicing,” Vyse observed. “Rehearsing for the mission, under your command. Things might always go sideways, but not because of you.” He smiled. “We trust you, because you’re one of the best. You’ve earned your command, Snowflake, and we’ve trained for this enough that we’re all prepared, you included. You especially.”

She flashed him a small smile. "You're so sweet you know that?"

That brought colour to his cheeks, as well as to the scar under his red eye, the one partially obscured by his eyepiece. “Well…that’s me I guess. Aika would say that being sweet got me this,” he gestured to his eye. “But she’d also kick my butt if I wasn’t being the real me. A good sister will do that, I guess.”

Fubuki chuckled. "I know what that's like. I'm the oldest of my sisters." She stated. "Althought I keep getting asked by my mother when she will have grandchildren. I keep telling her it's when I find the right person."

"An important first step," Vyse agreed with a chuckle. "Do you have a big family?" he asked.

"Three little sisters." Fubuki smiled fondly. "They're all back on Kantai Colony. I miss them sometimes."

He nodded. "I've only seen my parents once in...13 years?" He counted the years in his head. "Yeah. That's when Aika and I had to leave Iadara, since it stopped being safe for us. They came to our Academy graduation ceremony but otherwise we've only talked on subspace in that time. I miss them too."

Fubuki looked at him, she sat forward in her chair. "You claim that you're brother and sister. But you don't have the same family name?" she asked curiously. "I've got to know, whats up with that?"

"Not that exciting a story, actually," he explained. "My parents and her parents were neighbours, and we were friends since we were babies. Her parents died when we were ten, and my parents adopted her. So yeah, siblings in every way except blood and last name."

"That explains an awful lot," Fubuki said as she pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her head on her knee's. "I've got to ask..." she said as she looked at Vyse directly into his eyes. "At that pajama party, you seemed all so flushed when I was there. But now that we're alone, you seem perfectly calm and collected. Whats up with that?"

“Lots of other people at the pajama party, I guess,” he tried to explain. “I like talking with you. I like hanging out with you. I like, well, you, Fubuki.” He smiled and shifted his chair so he was sitting a bit closer to her. “With the entire wing as an audience, suddenly it gets me self conscious. You know?”

Fubuki could feel her cheeks flushing. "Yeah, and we're all close here. We all fly together after all..." she replied as she looked down at the floor and then back upto Vyse. "Like as in, like like?"

She’s gonna make me say it, Vyse said, suddenly a bit embarrassed despite the lack of judging audience. Oh well. Gotta be done. “Yes, as in like like. You’re smart, funny, gorgeous. Me asking to take you hiking on Kantai, that wasn’t bluster. I really want to take you out to do something fun sometime.”

"I see," Fubuki said. "Speaking of fun... There's still a few hours until we have to get ready for battle..." she began rubbing her legs together nervously. "And there's no guarantee that either of us will come back... so I guess... we should have some fun together...?" Her face was beet red as she avoided eye contact with him.

"I'd like that," he said, smiling, surprised that it was happening but oh so glad that he had come to the lounge that night. With one finger he touched her chin to point her face to him, and then, his hand cupping her cheek and jaw, he brought his lips to hers.

Fubuki leant in, kissing him. After a few seconds she broke free, still beet red. "You know... You are rather attractive..."

His own cheeks were also quite red, not expecting the compliment. "And you're gorgeous," he repeated, kissing her again, but not for quite as long. His other hand lingered on her bare thigh. "My, ah, my roommate is asleep, so my quarters are no-go." Another kiss.

Fubuki blushed as he held her close. "You know..." she whispered to him. "Since I'm acting CAG. I have access to the CAG's private office..." she told him with a sultry smile. "It has a couch..."

"A couch, eh?" he said with a half-smile. "We'd better hurry though. Because I'm not sure how long I can keep my hands off you."

Fubuki jumped to her feet and grabbed him by the hand. "Well come on then..." she said with a smirk. "Don't make me order you..." she added in a hushed voice accompanied by a cute giggle.

He followed her out, intrigued by the prospect of an increasingly assertive Fubuki....

***

Lying on the carpeted floor of the CAG office, Vyse breathed heavily, drained as he was, and held Fubuki close. "I could fall asleep like this."

Fubuki was laid next to him and had pulled a blanket over herself. Their clothing was discarded in a corner. She smirked at Vyse. "We could. But I think we'll get discovered in the morning... But it was worth it.." she said.

"You know... that was my first time..." she blushed.

“Your…your first time,” he stammered, suddenly nervous. “Well…what did you think?” He mentally cringed. What a question.

"Not bad," Fubuki smirked. "I guess I just need to get in more... practice..." she told him with a wink.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a charming grin. He pulled the blanket off her and moved in to kiss her as prelude for Round Two….

END


Lieutenant Fubuki Kuchikukan
Acting Commander Air Group

Lieutenant Vyse Ingelbard
Fighter Pilot

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