Awaiting Your Return (Azur Lane)

Family Bonding

USS Enterprise's P.O.V

Throughout the garden, dozens of flowers bloomed. Spring cicadas sang their songs, announcing the season's arrival, and birds native to the Pacific flew from tree to tree, scanning the ground for their next meal. The garden hosted a vast amount of flower species—nearly everyone that could survive this climate, it seemed. Their natural colours were beautifully arranged with others, which paired well with the scene they displayed.

The Royal Navy continued to outdo itself with this garden. Designing, planting, and maintaining it; the ships never seemed to falter. Each time I came here, its landscape would always leave me astonished. 

Sitting in the gazebo, with flowers blossoming on the entwined vines, I shared a table with my two sisters. To come here was always Yorktown's pleasure, and since she hardly left her room, we were happy to visit this place each time she did. Ever since she grew ill, Yorktown has taken on a slower-paced way of life, enjoying the more relaxing scenes.

Hornet, who held much more energy than the two of us, would always fiddle and look restless whenever we had tea here. Sitting down in a slower environment was never her forte, but if it meant she could spend time with our oldest sister, she'd gladly put up with it.

Once upon a time, I would have been just like her, unable to sit still when I could be doing something like training or out on patrol, but now I find myself in between their two personalities. I still enjoy a faster pace in life, but with help from him, I learned to enjoy the little things as well.

"Here you are." Belfast placed the teacups in front of us, and Yorktown and Hornet said their thanks while I stared at the slice of fruit that floated on top of my tea. 

"What's wrong, Miss Enterprise?" The maid took notice of my troubled face. 

"I don't like lemons." Leaning away from the gross thing, I stated my objection to drinking it. The maid showed a look of confusion while my two sisters snickered.

"Since when was that?" Belfast asked.

"Since always." Hornet found it hard not to laugh. "She's always detested any food or beverage that has, or has touched lemons."

Belfast nodded as she took in the new information. Despite following me everywhere, I never told her about that issue, did I?

"Sorry," I apologized as she took away the cup in front of me. 

"Not at all," Belfast smiled. "I'll make you a new one, just sit tight."

As the head maid brought the cup over to the cart behind me, Sheffield placed a tray of assorted sweets in the center of the table. The moment she let go, Hornet reached in to snatch one of the cakes with a strawberry on top as her eyes followed its arrival. Her behaviour, along with the delighted expression she showed as she took a bite, brought out a sweet laugh from Yorktown.

In no time, Belfast was back with a new cup of tea. This time, I noticed a stick of cinnamon resting in the dark liquid as she placed the teacup in front of me. "Here you are," she then said. 

"Thank you." I flashed a brief smile and picked up the cup.

Yorktown giggled again as Hornet reached for another cake the moment she finished the first. I couldn't help but regain that smile as I watched her take a large bite with glee. She always had a sweet tooth, but strawberries were an all-time favourite of hers; It wouldn't be long before they were all gone.

Thankfully, they weren't the only cakes on the tray; still, she'd eventually target the others too. And so, I took one of the carrot cakes as Hornet snatched yet another strawberry dessert from the tray. She had only eaten half of the second cake, but she moved so quickly for another that I'm sure she thought I was about to take one. Even now, she still struggles with greed whenever sweets are present. When will she learn to relax?