'Thinking'

"Speaking"

"[Intercomms/Radio Transmission]"

*noises*

======

Babylonia - Outside The Command Center
Commander (Y/n) "Ranger" Schmitt - Gray Raven
1730 Hours

The experiences of being a commander of a Consturct squad varies between people. Some would find it hard, others would say it sucks and miserable because of the paperworks that have piled up so much that they pretty much reach the ceiling, but there are also the ones who are after the fame, or find nothing but thrill and excitement of being one and not at all care about their status. And there are also the ones that genuinely want to taste what it feels like to live in the surface of the Earth in its glory days and work hard to bring it back, doing whatever it takes to eliminate the Punishing Virus, even at the cost of their own lives.

"Commandant, please have a date with me!" One of the girls pleaded.

"No, me!" The girl beside her argued.

(Y/n) Schmitt is among these commanders, and unfortunately, the man almost can't catch a break as his unwanted fame causes him to be a center of attention at very unexpected moments, just like the predicament he was currently in. Well, that's to be expected with the commander who went toe-to-toe with Alpha in multiple occasions, clashed with Gabriel, one of the heavy hitters of the Ascendants, with only a steel chair and metal tube, and almost killing Roland on an encounter. But these feats weren't done without the help of his team, and they just had a really good amount of luck.

He was on his way back to his dorm as he came from his recent search and destroy mission back in Sector 157, formally known as Missouri, and in the next moment he got surrounded by fangirls - some are even new Commandants who just finished their training and happened to idolize him - like pigeons that flocked around an old lady sitting on a bench while throwing small pieces of the bread to the ground. In this case, they wanted to take his picture and autograph, with some even attempting to steal his first kiss, a move in which he simply avoided, but a certain Construct wielding a crimson blade did not approve it the slightest.

The sudden shift of events have caught the attention of both civilians and military personnel nearby, but had already been caught in the phenomenon called the "bystander effect", an event where the inhibiting influence of the presence of others on a person's willingness to help someone in need. And unfortunately for the man, it's already in full effect.

In the corner across the hallway, Lucia was watching her commander who was struggling to hold back the girls with what could only be described as the 'yandere stare', where one would stare at their beloved man with jealousy with a dead expression alongside a shadow looming over their eyes. In addition to her jealousy, her fury had caused her to let out a terrifying aura and grip the wall so hard that she practically cracked and dented it, scaring the other poor Constructs and human personnel who were unfortunate to pass by.

"Commandant, please sign this poster!" One of the commanders held out her poster, which is of course a picture of him topless, showing off his muscular torso, as he deadlifts 500 lbs of plates.

"Mine too, Commandant!" Another one showed her own poster as well, but this time, it's a collage of (Y/n) doing bicep curls, push-ups with a large stack of weight plates strapped on his back, pull-ups, and curl-ups.

(Y/n) could only let out a dry, awkward chuckle as he wondered how and where did they get those posters. Probably from one of the journalism teams who snuck a picture while he wasn't paying attention. Another commander, a male this time, presented his own poster as well, now showing the Ranger running to a drop pod, on which (Y/n) thought that the photo most likely came from one of the crew stationed there. He took out his pen and signed the posters that were presented to him.

Not being able to take it anymore, Lucia ran to her commander and gently yet firmly grabbed his wrist, dragging him out of the mess he was in. (Y/n) was surprised by this, but is glad that Lucia had saved him from the girls. Although he felt bad, he was caught in the wrong time, and he just wants to lay on his bed right now because of tiredness.

Both of them arrived at a secluded area after a few minutes. They stopped running and stood in silence. (Y/n) cleared his throat in an attempt to break the ice and signal Lucia that she can now let go of his wrist, but apparently the Construct did not get his message as she still continues to latch on to him.

"Lucia. My wrist." (Y/n) spoke, still wanting her to let go as she was slowly tightening her grip in it.

Lucia flinched and immediately lets go. She turns to face him and bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry, Commandant."

"Woah, raise your head, Lucia. I'm not mad." (Y/n) assured her, and she complied with the order. "Thanks, by the way. For saving me back there. You were a big help."

(Y/n) gave Lucia a headpat - a gesture she would be more than happy to accept. She pressed her head against his palm, but a moment later had to suppress a sad look when he retracted his hand.

"You don't have to thank me, Commandant. It's only natural for me to protect you. After all, I am a Consturct, and you're my Commandant. You're mine, and mine alone..." Lucia mumbled the last part.

(Y/n) raised an eyebrow, not clearly hearing the last few words of her statement. "I beg your pardon?"

"It's nothing, Commandant!" Lucia suddenly raised her voice in defense, prompting her to cover her mouth. She then bows again. "I'm so sorry, Commandant. I didn't mean to-"

(Y/n) lets out a sigh. "Look, it's fine, alright? I know you're just worried because I haven't reported back to you for the last five days. Let's just head back to the dorm."

Lucia raised her head. "Of course, Commandant. I have also already notified Lee and Liv with your arrival."

(Y/n) hummed. "Thank you, Lucia."

Lucia flinched when she felt his hand touch hers, holding it gently. She blushed and looked at the Ranger, on which he replied with a smile, causing her to look away.

"I know you've wanted this for a long time." (Y/n) said to her. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to because we're always busy, but now..."

"Thank you, Commandant." Lucia cooed, thankful for the initiative of her commander. She was surprised, sure, but it was a welcoming one. Their hands wrapped around each other as they continued their way back to their dorm, with Lucia smiling happily as they went on.

'This looks like I'm a father walking my daughter at the park...' (Y/n) thought in amusement, while Lucia was unaware that she just got daughterzoned.

"I forgot to say this, Commandant."

"What is it?"

Lucia turns to him, then smiled. "Welcome home."

======

Babylonia - Gray Raven Dormitory
Lucia - Gray Raven
1947 Hours

"He's fast asleep." Lucia mumbled.

The said Consturct observed (Y/n) who was in deep sleep in the couch, now wearing his usual black t-shirt, combat pants, and combat boots. His dog tags with the emblem of Gray Raven lies on his chest, shimmering as light reflected off its surface.

"He's so cute when he's sleeping." Lucia softly said. "His breathing is soft as a baby's..."

She continues to look at his sleeping figure. His chest rising ever so slightly as he inhale some air, then going back down again as he exhaled. Her eyes then darted to his toned chest and abs that were visible as his tight-fit black t-shirt greatly emphasized them.

'Oh, six pack...' Lucia became flustered, deciding whether to touch them or not, but her intrusive thoughts won, and she kneeled down beside the couch, slowly inching her right hand on his abs.

The moment her fingers landed, she quickly dragged her fingers up and down in a soft manner to not wake him up, savouring the feeling of the perfectly baked breads. (Y/n) suddenly grunted and turns his head towards her, startling Lucia as she quickly pulled her hand away, thinking that the move had awakened him, but he just continued sleeping like nothing happened.

Lucia sighed in relief and continued her move, stopped after a few moments, then finds her new target - his lips. His soft, reddish-pink lips that she wanted to kiss for so long ever since her affection for him grew, not only as acquaintances, her commanding officer, nor even friends, but as someone she could trust and love dearly with all of her heart. A lover. A mate.

"It's... fine, right?" Lucia fidgets, rubbing her thumbs and thighs together at the same time. He's there, alone, with her, sleeping, and vulnerable. Now's her chance to show her deep love for him, and she's not gonna let this chance slip away from her grasp. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself mentally, emotionally, and physically. "Here goes..."

She closed her eyes and slowly inched herself closer and closer to his face, her lips aiming to touch against his. Right there, she finally got it, his first kiss.

*hiss*

*slide*

Before their lips could connect, the door slid open, causing her to jump in surprise and stand up, her face still beat red from her attempt of stealing her comnander's first kiss. Lee, who's holding a plastic bag with four paper cups with coffee in it, and Liv, who also had her own plastic bag but with breads and sweets, soon came inside the room, and their eyes immediately went over to the lone Consturct in the room, then to their still sleeping commander, then back at Lucia.

"W-Welcome back..." Lucia greeted, stuttering in the process. "How was the maintenance...?"

"I got a few upgrades on my systems, while Liv's Levi-guns got better internals." Lee said.

"Are you okay, Lucia?" Liv asked in concern. "My sensors detect that your emotional state is quite..."

Lucia managed to calm herself down. "Yeah, I'm fine, Liv. Don't worry."

"..." Lee didn't say anything, but was suspicious with Lucia's antics.

"How's Commandant?" Liv asked again.

"He's fine. He's just tired from his recent mission." Lucia answered.

"Well, I didn't quite get why he was sent alone instead of bringing us along." Lee added, sitting on the couch opposite to where (Y/n) is sleeping at. Liv went beside him shortly after. He continued, "Having Constructs by his side could surely boost his efficiency."

Lucia then joined the two, albeit sitting on the sofa on the left. "It can't be helped. I'm sure President Hassen has his reasons on why he sent Commandant alone."

Lee nods. "Agreed."

"Oh!" Liv suddenly remembered something as she clapped her hands once, catching the attention of her fellow Consturcts. "Maybe it has something to do with Alpha?"

"!!!" Lucia immediately tensed up after hearing the said name.

"Come to think of it, Alpha has been contacting Commandant these past few days." Lee added on the theory, stroking his chin in thought.

Liv hummed in agreement. "Maybe President ordered Commandant to initiate contact with Alpha to get her to side with us."

"Your assumption is wrong." (Y/n) said to them after he woke up a second ago, startling the three.

"C-Commandant?!" Lucia perked up. He didn't notice her touching his abs earlier, right?

"It's hard to sleep with you three chatting nearby." (Y/n) replied. He reached out for a cup, stopped for a moment as he looked at Lee, received a nod from him, and then finally taking the cup out from the plastic bag. "It was more of a search and destroy mission with a bit of recon. Sector 57 has a lot of Musashi VI and IX's roaming around lately, so I need to take them down. And to clarify your speculation earlier, no, I didn't crossed paths with her."

"Well, that explains the .50 cal sniper in the corner." Lee remarked, sparing a second to glance at the said weapon. "But why alone?"

"The missions were more of an experiment. They were testing us to see if we're still capable of operating alone. This test is only exclusive to those who were in the Omega Project." (Y/n) explained. He took the lid off from the cup and took a small sip. "The mission varies from Commandant to Commandant, but the length is still the same."

"I see." Lee said. "It's good to see you again, Commandant."

"I've missed you three as well." (Y/n) smiled at them. "I'm sorry I didn't contact you during my absence. We were under strict orders to maintain radio silence as part of the test, and use the radio only when it is truly necessary."

Liv lets out a light giggle. "That's understandable, Commandant. Please don't worry about it. We're glad you're safe. We've been worried about you."

(Y/n) chuckled as well. "Me too. I know you three are Consturcts, but ever since you three were assigned under my wing, you're pretty much my children."

If they were in a game, Lucia and Liv would've already lost all of their HP and die because of that last part in his sentence.

"...you're pretty much like my children."

"...you're pretty much like my children."

"Oof." Lee said as he grabbed a bread and took a small bite, knowing that the two female Constructs had a different kind of affection for the man, and he just daughterzoned them both (unknowingly, of course).

(Y/n) tilts his head in confusion. "Eh?"

"Nothing, Commandant." Lee replied stoically, continuing to bite down on the bread.

Still bewildered, (Y/n) decides to drop the topic as he felt that it was not appropriate to continue on, while Lucia and Liv, still heartbroken, decided to eat the remaining breads in an attempt to comfort themselves. But they aren't going to give up just yet.

They're going to get him. No matter what.

======

The Next Day...

Sector 117 (Berlin, Germany)
Commander (Y/n) "Ranger" Schmitt - Gray Raven
0916 Hours

"Reloading!" Lee said as he dove back to cover and replaces his empty mags with loaded ones.

Heavy caliber rounds zips past the heads of Gray Ravens who were caught in a firefight with Corrupted Consturcts - their once brothers-in-arms that were very unfortunate to get caught on the cruel grasp of the Punishing Virus. Not only that, Pilgrims and Sentries provided fire support for the infected Constructs, slowly chipping away bits of debris from the pile of rubble they were using as cover. Despite this, they continued to fight back. The armed survivors joined the fray as well, but they couldn't go in for long as their ammo ran out after a minute.

"Frag out!" (Y/n) tossed a frag grenade to the horde. It went off seconds later, damaging the Corrupted within its blast radius.

Liv and does her best to comfort the survivors they were tasked to rescue, assuring them that everything will be alright, as she does her job on treating the injured. Meanwhile, Lee continues to blast enemies with deadly precision with his dual pistols, while (Y/n), with a spare ammo belt slung over his shoulder, sprays every enemy he sees with 7.62x51mm rounds from his FN MAG. As always, Lucia was in the forefront, dashing from Corrupted to Corrupted, stabbing and slashing their vital parts for a quick kill, ignoring the hissing bullets from both sides flying back and forth.

They have eliminated more than a hundred of them, but they just kept on coming. Lucia had sustained damages as well, though not heavy enough to hinder her ability to fight. Lee and (Y/n) had dumped half their ammo, and they need to replenish it in a few seconds as the number of enemies increases by the minute. As the fight continues to drag on, Liv treated the last of the wounded survivors. Thankfully, they weren't severely injured and only had minor bruises and cuts.

"I'm done treating the wounded, Commandant!" Liv informed.

"Lucia, escort Liv and the survivors. Bring them to the APC, now! Lee and I will hold them off! Go!" (Y/n) orders them.

Following the command, Lucia rushed back to them, running past (Y/n) as she and Liv hurriedly escorts the civilians to their armored personnel carrier. Any Corrupted that would attempt to sneak upon them were blasted by Liv's Levi-guns, while Lucia took care of those that managed to slip past Liv, slicing them with great strength and speed.

Once they reached the vehicle, they assisted the survivors on the back seat, closed the door, and guarded the perimeter for threats while waiting for the remaining two.

"Raven 2 to Raven 1. All survivors have been secured." Lucia contacts (Y/n) to inform about their situation.

"[Roger that, Raven 2. We'll be there in two mikes! Out!]" (Y/n) replied in a raised and hushed manner as gunfire was heard in the background.

======

"Let's go! Come on!" (Y/n) picks a smoke grenade on his vest and throws it to the approaching Corrupted. The grenade popped, then seconds later, began hissing a lot of white smoke. (Y/n) throws another ahead of them, covering the nearby vicinity with a thick plume of smoke.

Soon, he and Lee arrived at the location of the vehicle. The Gray Ravens, now fully assembled, went inside the vehicle as (Y/n) took the commander position, Lee being the driver, while Lucia took the machine gunner role. Liv continued to tend to the survivors, giving them food and a water to ease their hunger, which they gladly took.

"Floor it, go!" (Y/n) shouted.

The APC went off, hitting the maximum speed as it drove past the wrecks of buildings and dead Corrupted. There were aerial monitors that attempted to chase after them, but were shot down with .50 BMGs, courtesy of Lucia.

"Raven 1 to Raven Actual." (Y/n) calls Celica to report their situation.

"[Raven Actual receiving.]" Celica responded.

"All survivors have been rescued - several wounded, no fatalities. We need immediate extract, over." (Y/n) said.

"[Understood. Go to the location 20 clicks northeast. A spacecraft will be waiting for you there.]"

"Acknowledged. Over and out."

Meanwhile, one of the elderly survivors hugged Liv while crying out tears of joy, happy that someone finally came to their aid.

"Thank you, thank you... Thank you so much..."

Liv just smiled and gently pats the elderly woman's back. Ten minutes later, they reached the spacecraft's landing zone, with a squad of special forces soldiers guarding the perimeter around the vehicle. They soon spotted the vehicle and prepares for its arrival. Lee slowed down and drove the APC inside. The special forces soldiers then followed after, securing the vehicle with chains.

"Raven 1 to Raven Actual. Mission accomplished. RTB." (Y/n) reported.

======

Babylonia - Command Center
Commander (Y/n) "Ranger" Schmitt - Gray Raven
0940 Hours

"That concludes my report for today's mission." (Y/n) hands the report to Celica, with the latter accepting it with her usual demeanor.

"Good work, Commandant. Of course, to your teammates as well. You did a superb job on rescuing those survivors." Celica commended.

"Just doing my job." (Y/n) replied.

"There are no missions for today, Commandant. Gray Raven is currently placed on standby." Celica said. "You may now take a rest. Oh, by the way..."

"What?" (Y/n) asked.

"Are you interested on going on a date with me?" Celica offered, adding a slight sultry tone in her attempt.

"I gotta check in with the Gray Ravens. I'll pass on that offer." (Y/n) politely turned her down. "Maybe next time?"

Celica giggled in an even more intense sultry way, almost causing (Y/n) to take a step back. "Sure~"

(Y/n) gave her a small bow then walked out of the Command Center, not wanting to stay there any longer. As he made his way out, he could sense that Celica is still looking at him, but he chose to ignore it. He then went to the armory to return the FN MAG and grab his trusty HK416.

He was alone again, since his Constructs have other things to attend to. Liv was asked by Asimov to go to the Science Department for the testing of the Lux frame - to which he still doesn't understand why its appearance looks... odd, to say the least. Lee also was called to the same department for a test run of his new frame, Entropy. Both frames were made under the Advanced Construct Frame Program (ACFP), and as well as to give the Gray Ravens a little upgrade to balance everything out since Lucia already got her Dawn frame. As for the crimson blade, she asked to be excused because she wants to cook something for him.

That of course got him a little excited since it's his first time that someone close cooked for him aside from his friends in the Combat Culinary Corps (he doesn't know about Lucia's bad culinary skills).

======

Meanwhile...

Babylonia - Gray Raven Dormitory
Lucia - Gray Raven
1015 Hours

Lucia hums a tune as she stirs the soup in the cooking pot, boiling under medium heat. She stops, puts the wooden spatula on the side, and chops the nearby vegetables in a flash with her sword, all sliced pieces landing on the table with almost simultaneous soft thuds. She smiled a little at her accomplishment, and then dunked all the ingredients inside the soup. Lucia then turns the knob to medium heat, allowing the liquid to simmer.

She was so engrossed with her cooking - and occasional fantasies of (Y/n) praising her for cooking such delicious food - that she didn't notice her dish is nothing of it resembles a soup. Her "dish" is a very dark purple in color, and its bubbles and thick purple fumes that unfortunately went in the ventilation systems only added to the ominous feeling that is coming from the unidentified liquid. This, of course, went over her head and continues to do her thing.

"This time, I'll succeed." Lucia declared with such determination. But then, her eyes landed on the table which is full of used ingredients and other matherials, including but not limited to eggs, milk, fish, some unidentified pills, vials with strange white powder inside, flour, baking soda, a cooked meat, cereals, and many more stuff that are not designed to be in a soup. "Hmm... the ingredients ran out. I need to go to the store for a while."

Lucia removed her apron and headed out to her new objective, leaving her "soup" behind, unknowingly committing a rookie mistake. Moments after she left, the unidentified liquid's fumes became much more thicker than before, raising the alarms in the Command Center, prompting those who were assigned in commanding the CBRN units to send a team to investigate immediately.

======

Babylonia - Armory
Commander (Y/n) "Ranger" Schmitt - Gray Raven
1021 Hours

"I should ask Asimov to change Lux's appearance later." (Y/n) said to himself.

Getting nearer the Gray Raven dormitory, he couldn't help but feel a little... off. Like something bad will happen. Is it because of Vera, perhaps? He looks around, looking for the sadomasochistic Construct, but then he remembered that he came across with her earlier in the hangar bay alongside her teammates No. 21 and Noctis as they board a spacecraft. Perhaps an enemy managed to slip past the security systems? That's odd, even if that said enemy got undetected by the security systems, Consturcts would still be able to detect traces of Punishing Virus in them.

When he reached the dormitory, his face shifted into that of surprise and confusion. CBRN units have gathered outside the door, blocking off the vicinity and putting on biohazard signs on the barricades. Those who came across the blockade were gently turned away by other CBRN units assigned with guarding the area while saying that there has been a gas leak in the dorm.

"What the hell...?" (Y/n) muttered, then he realized something. He quickly ran to the scene, his heavy stomps getting louder and louder, catching the attention of the soldiers.

"Commandant!" A familiar voice called out to him. "Please, stay back."

(Y/n) stopped running and walked over to Jerome. "What's going on? Is there anybody inside?"

"Nobody is inside, Commandant." Jerome assured him as he approached, receiving a sigh of relief from the man. "However, I advise you to stay away from the dormitory for a while. The systems detected an unknown type of poisonous gas inside your dorm."

"Unknown poisonous gas?"

"Yes. And according to our scanners, the source of the gas emission is in the kitchen."

"Poisonous gas, in the kitchen... Does that mean...?" He whispered. Then it finally hit him. 'Is that Lucia's cooking?!'

"Is something the matter, Commandant?" Jerome asked.

"Excuse me for a while." (Y/n) took out his phone, dialed Celica's number, and pressed the call button.

"[Hi, hi! Celica speaking! What can I do for you, my dear Commandant?]" Celica's booming voice reached his ear a second later. "[Did you already miss me? Aww~ That's sweet~]"

(Y/n) sighed in mild annoyance. "Not in the mood for games, Celica."

"[Jeez, calm down. I was just playing.]" Celica softly huffed and sulked. "[What do you need?]"

"I came across Jerome and other CBRN units in our dorm because they said that an unidentified gas is coming from the kitchen." (Y/n) elaborated.

"[Uh huh.]" Celica replied in a tone that emplies she knows where the conversation is going.

"And earlier, Lucia said that she will cook food for me as a token of thanks. So in connection to this, I wish to know something."

"[Oh boy...]"

"I know you probably know the answer to my question. Does Lucia have bad..."

"[Cooking skills?]" Celica continued for him, and sighed. "[As much as I don't want to say it to her directly because I'm afraid to hurt her feelings, yes, she's bad when it comes to the culinary field.]"

"The Science Department didn't impliment even the basic culinary skills in her system?" (Y/n) wondered, slightly shuddering at the thought of what would happen to him if he knew about this too late. Constructs should at least have data on how to cook food, given that they can be sent on missions that would last days. They may not need to eat, sure, but their commanders do.

"[Maybe it's because it's that's the skill that got stuck in her memory before she became a Construct? I don't know. Try asking Asimov about it.]"

(Y/n) sighed. "Where's Lucia currently at?"

"[Standby.]" Celica said. Faint taps from the keyboard could be heard, and right after she continued, "[She's at the supermarket, food isle. Still browsing for ingredients for her... er... 'dish'.]"

"Understood. Thank you."

"[Anything for you, darling~]"

(Y/n) ended the call and went back to the CBRN units. "Jerome, you got any vacuums with you?"

Jerome nodded. "Yes, sir. We were also just about to ask for your permission to breach inside."

"Good. Hand me an extra gas mask. We're going in." (Y/n) said.

One of the CBRN soldiers handed (Y/n) a gas mask, as the latter wore it immediately after receiving the object. (Y/n) led the way and enters his fingerprint on the electronic lock, while the squad behind him prepares their vacuums, switching them on to full power.

======

Meanwhile...

Babylonia - Supermarket - Food Isle
Lucia - Gray Raven
1030 Hours

"Hmm..." Lucia looks at the vegetables very carefully, selecting the ones that are still on the top condition. With each precise scan, she picks out the ones that are the best to add in her shopping cart.

She was picky in the selection process, however, as she only has limited money with her and the prices were quite expensive. If only her commander was here, then-

"No. I can't rely on Commandant too much." Lucia muttered, shaking her head gently. "I need to return the favor in my own way."

"Didn't expect to see you here." A rough female voice came from behind the crimson blade.

Lucia took a glance at the source, only to see the heavy hitter of the Purifying Force - Karenina. The latter held a slightly annoyed look in her face, her yellow-gold eyes staring down at her self-declared rival, clashing with Lucia's crimson red orbs.

After the rather intense staredown, Lucia went back to picking ingredients without saying a word, infuriating the EOD Construct.

"Say something!" Karenina shouted.

"I'm afraid I don't have the time to speak with you, Karenina. I'm busy picking ingredients to make soup for Commandant." Lucia replied in her usual tone, further annoying Karenina.

Karenina was about to say something, but her attention shifted to Lucia's statement. A soup? For Commandant Schmitt nonetheless? She then imagined a scenario in her mind where the Ranger is happily eating her food, giving her headpats, and praising her for a job well done, while Lucia was sulking in the corner. Making a soup for Commandant can surely make her superior to Lucia. Victory at last. Just then, her eyes landed on Lucia's shopping cart, and her face shifted into that of confusion, then absolute dismay.

'What the fuck...? Why is the Commandant letting her cook?' Was Karenina's reaction after seeing the stuff in the cart. "Hey, Lucia, do you hate Commandant that much?"

Lucia stopped for a moment and turned her attention to Karenina. "What are you talking about? I do not hate Commandant even a bit. He's a good person."

"...Just forget what I said." Karenina sighed. 'Why do I even bother?'

"I'm gonna go ahead. Have a good day, Karenina." Lucia bid her farewell, pushing her cart towards the cashier, falling in line with other customers.

Karenina, now left alone, looked around the stalls a little to see if something would pique her interest. There were a few things then and there, but nothing stood out much to her. She shrugged and decided to go to the range. A little practice wouldn't hurt.

======

Babylonia - Gray Raven Dormitory
Commander (Y/n) "Ranger" Schmitt - Gray Raven
1100 Hours

Jerome removed his hood and gas mask and took a long inhale, savoring the scent of lavender from the air freshener they attached in the air conditioner, then lets out an exhale of relief. "Ah~ All clear, Commandant."

It took them 33 minutes to get everything done, from removing the toxic fumes, cleaning the trash Lucia left, decontaminating every furniture and walls up until to the very last corner of the room, up until washing the dishes.

(Y/n) removed his own mask and gave it back to Jerome. "Thanks."

Jerome nodded and accepted the gas mask. "It's no problem, sir. Just doing my job."

"Come to think of it, I think this is my first time seeing your face." (Y/n) mentioned.

(Y/n) observed the CBRN soldier's face for a bit. Jerome had brown hair, blue eyes and chiseled jawline. His eyebrows were not too thin, but not too thick either. He had a scar on his left cheek, going from the side of his left eye up until his jawline.

Jerome laughed awkwardly while scratching the back of his head. "Ahaha... We only see each other during missions, so..."

"That's understandable." (Y/n) replied. "How old are you?"

"Twenty, sir." Jerome answered. "Joined the army at eighteen."

"I see. What's your job in the army before joining the Strike Hawk?"

"Combat rescue." Jerome said. "That's how I got this scar."

(Y/n) hummed. "No wonder. Say, can I some spare air fresheners? I like the scent."

"Of course, sir. I have some right here." Jerome removed his backpack and placed it on the table. He opened the zipper on one of the smaller pouches, took out the air fresheners, and handed them to (Y/n). "Never knew you like lavender, sir."

(Y/n) wondered why Jerome would bring spares, but concluded that this wasn't his first time encountering cases like this. He accepted the air fresheners and stacked them on top of the drawer nearby. "It's aromatic, and the scent is not too pungent or overwhelming. The balance is good."

"Agreed." Jerome said as he wore his backpack. "Our mission is done here, sir. Have a good day."

Jerome gave one final salute before exiting the room, where the other CBRN units were waiting for their team leader.

======

Babylonia - Hallway 15
Lucia - Gray Raven
1106 Hours

Lucia exited from the elevator, now carrying all of her groceries in large plastic bags. On her way back to the dorm, she held the slight smile on her lips, which of course caught several gazes. Lucia smiling was certainly a surprise for them, considering that the female Construct always have that unwavering poker face. She didn't mind them, and continued minding her own business.

When she arrived at the dorm, she saw (Y/n) on the kitchen counter with his usual dorm attire, but almost all of his torso is covered with a green apron. (Y/n) then looked at her and motions for her to come over, to which she complied.

Lucia placed the grocery bags on the counter. "Commandant, why are you cooking? I was supposed to-"

"You left your soup, and everything spilled on the kitchen counter and floor." (Y/n) lied, not wanting to say to her that her cooking became a biohazard in her presence and during her absence. "I had to take care of it."

Lucia frowned. "I'm sorry, Commandant. I just want to cook something for you as a way of saying thank you for taking a good care of us. I just want to do something in return."

(Y/n) pats her head, which seemed to ease her a little. "It's okay. I'm not mad or anything. I understand your intentions, but please don't do anything rash, okay? Just you three being by my side is already saying thank you to me."

"I understand." Lucia smiled.

"Now that you brought some ingredients, shall we get to cooking?"

"Please teach me, Commandant."

"Sure." (Y/n) agreed, much to Lucia's joy. He went over to the grocery bags, and checked what's inside. "Let's see... everything here is perfect for a beef wellington. How about that?"

Lucia hummed with a smile. "I'll be fine with anything, Commandant."

(Y/n) nodded. "Very well."

(Y/n) turned on the stove and set it on high heat. He then took the pan hanging from one of the hooks and placed it on top of the burner. While waiting for it to heat up, he poured in just the right amount of olive oil. "Lucia, can you pass the fillet of beef? Oh, and a plate, the salt, and pepper, too."

"Of course, Commandant." Lucia grabbed a plate alongside the salt and pepper containers. She then took the fillet from the package and placed it on the place. "What's next, Commandant?"

(Y/n) looked at her. "Just call me by my name when we're alone, would you please, yeah? It kinda annoys me that even outside of work I'm still getting called by my rank."

"But Commandant-" Lucia tried to argue, but was shut down immediately.

"Consider it a standing order." (Y/n) said.

Lucia made no further objections and nodded. Finally being able to call him by his name is a nice change of pace to deepen their relationship, not just as Commander and Consturct, but also as a husband and wife-

"Lucia. Do you read?" (Y/n) snapped her back to reality.

Lucia flinched and shook her head. "Sorry, Comma- (Y/n)."

(Y/n) gazed at her in concern. "Are you okay? Do you want to have a break? I can teach you some other time if-"

"No, I'm okay, (Y/n). I can't let this moment slip away." Lucia reasoned, internally scolding herself for daydreaming like that.

"...Sure. Well, anyways, let's continue. Next, season the fillet. Lightly."

Lucia sprinkled the fillet with light volume of salt and pepper. She was then instructed to roll the fillet around the plate to use the seasoning on the plate. After that, she seared the fillet with (Y/n) guiding her along the way. Once done, she turned off the stove and placed the seared fillet onto the plate she used to season it.

"Hmm... nice crust. Not bad for your first time." (Y/n) gave her a thumbs up, boosting Lucia's morale. "Next, mushrooms."

Lucia moves on to remove the stems as per (Y/n)'s instruction, while the Ranger brushes the fillet with a nice layer of English mustard and lets it rest on the plate. Once the stem removal was complete, Lucia placed the mushroom caps on the chopping board and took out her sword, much to (Y/n)'s shock.

"Nonononono! Put that away!" (Y/n) stopped her from slicing everything within vicinity. He then grabbed her sword, placed it on the side, and handed her a butcher's knife. "You can't just use your katana like that. Use this."

Lucia accepted the knife and looked at it for a few seconds before chopping the mushrooms to smaller pieces with great speed. After silently complimenting her chopping skills, (Y/n) goes on to grab a separate chopping board. He flattened out the garlics, removed the skin, and finely chopped the cloves.

Once done, he took a separate pan and turns on the second burner. There, he poured a small amount of olive oil. He then instructs Lucia to pour in the chopped garlic, and then, the mushrooms. (Y/n) then added thyme leaves on the mix. They cooked the mushrooms until all the excess moisture evaporated.

(Y/n) shuts off the heat and poured the mushroom duxelle on a tray to cool. "Assembly time."

(Y/n) instructs Lucia to lay a cling film on the chopping board. Then, they placed a layer of parma hams, followed by a little sprinkle of pepper, the spreading of the mushroom duxelle across the parma ham, and placing the fillet on the center.

"Okay, now wrap it nice and tight." (Y/n) said.

Lucia did as told, but struggled halfway. (Y/n) went behind her and placed his hand on top of hers, their fingers overlapping, causing her to blush.

"Don't rush it. Gently pull it towards you, and push it down lightly. Make sure that the mushroom and parma ham encases the beef." (Y/n) explained.

Lucia let's (Y/n)'s hands guide hers, as they wrapped the beef nicely. While the Ranger was focusing on getting the beef wrapped as tight as possible, Lucia's attention was on his hand - more specifically, his palms. They're rough, but not too rough. His hands were also noticeably bigger than hers, almost covering her hands with his own. She snapped out of her thoughts and refocused on the task at hand.

"That's good. Great job." (Y/n) nipped the edges and twisted it, forming a cylinder-like shape. He then placed it on the fridge and waited for fifteen minutes.

Once fifteen minutes is up, (Y/n) took out the roll from the fridge and removed the cling wrap. Meanwhile, Lucia prepares the puff pastry, setting it on top of the board. (Y/n) then orders her to prepare an egg wash, while he wraps the pastry all over the beef. He trimmed off the excess with a knife, and using the back of it, he made some patterns for a little presentation design.

"I'm done, (Y/n)." Lucia brought the bowl with egg wash in it.

(Y/n) nodded. "Brush the pastry with it."

Lucia followed, using an egg brush to coat the wrap with the batter. After that, she sprinkled a dash of flaky salt on top, and puts it on a baking sheet and placed it on the oven, setting the temperature to 200°C - 392°F in freedom language - before gently closing the door.

(Y/n) nodded with a smile. "Okay, now while waiting, let's clean everything up."

Lucia took the initiative by arranging the used dishes and utensils according to their size. Meanwhile, (Y/n) took the stacked dishes and cleaned them one by one. Lucia volunteered to dry the dishes with a towel, then arranging them to their proper places in the dish rack.

======

40 Minutes Later...

Babylonia - Gray Raven Dormitory - Dining Room
Commander (Y/n) "Ranger" Schmitt - Gray Raven
1235 Hours

"Mmm... It's delicious, (Y/n)." Lucia happily munched down the slice of the beef wellington on her place.

"Glad you liked it." (Y/n), who was on the opposite side of the table, smiled at the sight of Lucia's other side. He himself enjoyed the dish they both worked for, and it was definitely worth the wait. In the middle of the table were the other slices of the beef wellington, waiting to be eaten. "Don't rush, Lucia. It's not gonna jump off from the table."

Lucia's cheeks flushed a little, which earned a chuckle from (Y/n). "Sorry."

They finished eating a few moments later. (Y/n) stood up from his seat and took his plate. He went over to Lucia and took hers as well.

"(Y/n), you don't have to." Lucia protested.

"But I want to." (Y/n) agrued.

(Y/n) then brought the plates and utensils to the sink to be washed. He was about to turn on the faucet, but stopped when he felt Lucia's arms wrapping around his waist. He didn't mind it, however, as Lucia has done this sort of thing several times, both during missions and on a casual setting like the one they're currently in. But this one feels different.

"Thank you, (Y/n)." Lucia expressed her gratitude.

(Y/n) chuckled. "For teaching you how to cook beef wellington? It's only just one dish."

"But you did teach me. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I am not a very good cook. So, again, thank you."

'CBRN units literally pulled up here.'

"I also want to thank you for taking care of us. For me."

(Y/n) smiled slightly. "You already said that a lot of times. But, then again, you are my team. My friends. It's only natural."

"..." Lucia said nothing.

An awkward silence soon fell between the two. As much as (Y/n) wants to unwrap Lucia's arms and wash the dishes, he felt that something was preventing him from doing so. All the while, he felt Lucia's grip tightening, but not to the point that it would hurt him.

"(Y/n)?" Lucia called out.

"Yes?" He replied.

"Can you please turn around?" Lucia unwrapped her arms, allowing her Commander to face her. Once (Y/n) turned to her, she lowered her gaze, placed her arms on his waist again, and said, "There are many girls who are after your attention and affection. I'm one of them."

"..." (Y/n) listened to her, not daring to utter a single word.

"I am your sword, and you are my shield. You have always protected us, despite you being only human. You're a fierce, cold-blooded fighter, yet at the same time you're compassionate, caring, and prioritize the lives of others more than your own, to the point that you almost got yourself killed numerous times."

"..."

"You showed me that not all Commandants are bad like the previous ones. You didn't care about fame nor money. You truly have a good heart. You treated us greatly, as if we're humans. Providing us with needs. But it also caused you to be the center of attraction for many women. Even Liv."

"..."

"It's frustrating. I'm frustrated because I know I would never get a chance to be more intimate. To be more than friends. More than best friends."

"..."

"I... I know I'm not the best girl, but..." Lucia looked up, directly staring into his eyes. "Commandant (Y/n) "Ranger" Schmitt. I am requesting permission to grant my selfish request. Can you be mine, Commandant? Just This Once?"

"Permission granted."

With that, Lucia did not say anything further as she inched closer, and closer, until their lips smacked against each other. Lucia's hands slithered across his waist and wrapped around. (Y/n) replied by gently pulling her closer to him.

After some time, the two broke the kiss, with a string of saliva hanging briefly between them. Lucia realized what she had done and looked away in embarrassment, covering her mouth with her left hand.

"S-Sorry..." Lucia cutely apologized.

(Y/n) smiled at her, then laughed lightly. "It's alright."

(Y/n) gently pushed her hand away and kissed her again on the lips, albeit just a second long. This earned a smile from the Crimson Blade, who then hugged the man.

"Thank you for granting my selfish request, (Y/n)." Lucia said, tightening her hug a little. "I love you."

The Ranger kissed her forehead and returned the hug with his own. "I love you, too. I'll be there when you need me."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Promise you're gonna be by our side until the end?"

"I... can't promise you that I'll be alive until then."

*pinch*

"Ow!" (Y/n) winced when Lucia pinched the skin on his back. "Okay, okay. I'll do my best to be careful."

Lucia playfully snuggled her head against his chest. "You better."