"Akashi's up to something." This pronouncement came from Mikasa, as she painted herself on the diorama board. Or rather, a model of the actual ship, the IJN Mikasa, flagship of Admiral Togo at the Battle of Tsushima. It was model night, and we were putting the finishing touches on the final ships before setting it on display in her model museum.

"I know," I replied, not looking up from my work on the Prince Suvorov, or rather, the binoculars in the water next to the Suvorov. Mikasa had assured me that they weren't actually there at that particular moment, but it was an homage to the Russian admiral who had commanded the fleet. An easter egg, of sorts. After I explained to her what an "easter egg" was. "I'm not happy about it, but High Command picked her to run this thing, which includes the aggressor units Polaris is going to go up against. At least they gave her unlimited funding so I won't have to worry about this coming out of the base budget."

Mikasa chuckled and shook her head. "They're going to regret that…"

"I warned them," I shrugged as best I could. "If they don't listen, that's on them. In the meantime, the girls have been practicing as best they can."

"And how has that been going?"

"Surprisingly smooth. A few clashes here and there, but nothing that needed intervention. Testing's been going well, we're seeing positive results across the board. And musically, I like it, but that part's a little out of my purview. I'm an admiral, not a critic."

Mikasa raised an eyebrow at my assessment. "Even Akagi?"

"Even Akagi," I confirmed. "I thought her and Hipper would clash every five seconds, but their biggest dispute thus far has been over coffee or tea, and even that was barely above playful banter."

"Good. I'm glad she's doing well and she's not quite as…" Mikasa struggled for the right word.

"Headstrong?" I offered diplomatically.

"Yes, that. As headstrong as I was expecting."

"Agreed. As I said, they've all done an excellent job working together and mastering each system and I look forward to their final trials. Whatever those are."

Mikasa nodded. "Good. Speaking of trials, how are you and Akagi getting along? All settled in now?"

"I think so. The usual couple's debates over what to put where, shared spaces, that sort of thing, but I think we've gotten everything unpacked and in its proper place. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I don't mean to pry, but I had heard Akagi mention something about chains to Akashi when I was in her shop the other day and I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

My cheeks flushed red and I quickly returned to very studiously painting the Suvorov. "Probably something to do with the Polaris stage setup, I'm sure," I lied and made a mental note for Akagi to be a bit more discreet in her dealings with the cat. "We're doing better than ever, but your concern is appreciated."

"Oh, good. Any plans for Valentine's Day and White Day?"

I set aside my brush and stood up straight to stretch before answering her. Being hunched over the table for so long was beginning to strain my muscles and the old wound on my left side. "We're still trying to work out our schedules for Valentine's, unfortunately. With Polaris being dropped on us with such short notice has thrown a major crimp in our original plans, and as for 'White Day', well...I've never heard of it before."

Mikasa looked somewhat surprised, but not terribly so. "Really? Nobody on the base has mentioned it before?"

"I think I've heard it in passing," I explained, "but I didn't realize it was an actual thing. What is it, exactly?"

This time it was Mikasa's turn to set aside her brush and devote her full attention to the conversation. "It's sort of a follow-up to Valentine's Day. In the Sakura Empire, when a woman gives you chocolates on Valentine's Day, you give them a gift in return on March 14th, a month later. And the gift you give lets them know your intentions. So cookies if you want to be good friends, for example, but chocolates if you want a more romantic relationship. And if you're already in a relationship with someone, more extravagant gifts like jewelry are also common."

"I see…" I absently thanked her, still partially lost in thought. "Glad you told me about it. No idea what I'll get her, but at least now I can start thinking about it. Thanks, Mikasa."

She smiled, "You're welcome, Commander. Anything to help out young love."

I couldn't help but chuckle and I was about to object, but then I remembered how long Mikasa has been around. Even comparing her age to Akagi's, let alone mine, she was decades older than either of us. To her, we probably did seem like a couple of lovestruck teenagers.

"Much appreciated. Now let's get this finished so we can have it ready to display this week…"

Our work finally finished for the evening, I made my way back to our apartment, still thinking about what I could get Akagi for White Day. Even if she wasn't expecting me to do anything for her, it's still a tradition from her home and she's been keen on us participating in as many of those traditions as possible. I wanted to do something special for her, something beyond chocolates, which seemed a given, but at the moment, my mind was drawing a complete blank. In the end, I decided to see what she'd do for Valentine's Day and reciprocate in kind since that's what White Day seemed to be.

My conclusion had been timed perfectly, as I found myself at our front door, and reached into my pocket for the keys. Before I could pull them out, the door swung open to reveal Akagi standing on the other side. She was still wearing her Polaris outfit-a short, black pleated skirt and a white button-down short sleeve shirt with a loosely tied red tie, and a broad smile on her face.

"Welcome home, Shikikan-sama!" she beamed, pulling me into a warm and tender hug. I wrapped my arms around her and melted into her embrace. No matter how long the day was, how hard the day was, coming home to her smile and her warmth instantly cheered me up. Normally these were rare occasions, as most nights had us working the office together and coming home together. As of late, however, with Akagi focusing on Polaris, Soryu had taken over as my secretary and we were getting home at different times. Turns out, absence does make the heart grow fonder. "How did things go with Mikasa?"

"Pretty good," I answered, still holding her tightly. We stayed that way for a few more seconds before letting go with a quick kiss. "Finally got that diorama of Tsushima finished. Although we almost didn't, ran out of cotton balls right there at the end."

Akagi blinked as I walked by and shut the door behind us. "Cotton balls?" she asked. "What did you need cotton balls for?"

"Oh, uh, to make smoke and fire," I explained, slipping my shoes off and leaving them by the door. "You take a cotton ball and kinda...stretch and pull it apart until it's long and really whispy, and then you paint it black with a bit of orange at the bottom so it looks like thick black smoke from a fire."

"That's a clever trick."

"Thanks. Mikasa showed it to me today, she's done it before for some of her other dioramas."

Akagi swept by me with a smile and another kiss on the cheek as she headed off to the kitchen. "Akagi will have to go with you sometime this week when we both have free time. In the meantime, I've prepared some tea for you, Shikikan-sama."

I couldn't help but smile and follow her into the kitchen, where she handed me the aforementioned tea, still warm. She either must have just gotten home herself or she knew exactly when I would be getting home. I took the proffered cup and kissed her on the cheek in gratitude. "Thank you, my love. How was practice?"

Her smile grew even wider and her eyes sparkled at the use of my term of endearment for her and she entwined her arm in mine as she guided us toward the couch. "The usual," she said casually. "Every day gets a bit easier and we work better and better together. Akashi thinks we'll be ready for our debut as early as next week."

"Next week?" I repeated as we sat down, cuddling up with one another, my head on her shoulder and her head atop mine. "That's the day after Valentine's...any chance you guys would be able to get the night before off?"

When she didn't respond immediately, a sense of worry and resignation washed over me. A pause like that is rarely a good sign. "Akagi will see what she can do, Shikikan," she finally answered.

"That's all I ask for." I sighed, "I knew we'd miss a few milestones here and there because of work, but I was kinda hoping it wouldn't be the first one."

Akagi wrapped an arm around my waist and gave me a comforting hug. "We'll get through it, and Akagi will make it up to you, I promise."

Sure enough, Valentine's Day rolled around and by lunch, Akagi had sent word that she wouldn't be able to make our dinner date. While not unexpected, it was still disappointing, and I resolved to make this up to her when the Polaris testing had been finished. In the meantime, I still stopped by the local florist and picked up a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates. If we can't have a nice date out, I reasoned, that doesn't mean we can't celebrate it at all. Purchases in hand, I headed back to the office for another long afternoon of reports, commission logs, and supply requisitions.

Soryu and I were working on the last batch of reports to be filed to High Command when my phone buzzed. Checking it just in case it was another Juustagram post from Akagi, I saw that it was indeed from her, but it wasn't a post. Instead, it was a text message that asked me to stop by the Polaris stage after work so that we could at least have a romantic stroll under the stars. As I was typing a reply, Soryu noticed what I was doing and asked. "Was Akagi able to get off early?"

I shot her a look of confusion. "No...but...how did you…?"

"You have a very distinct smile when you're looking at something from her, Commander," she answered, pushing her glasses back up her nose.

"O-oh," I stammered, looking down as I felt my cheeks warming up. "Didn't realize I was that easy to read."

"Normally, you're not. But when it comes to each other, both you and Akagi are very much an open book."

"I see."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Soryu smiled, "Many of us find it cute."

"Ah. Thanks, I guess. But no, she wasn't able to leave early, she was asking if I'd meet her at the Polaris stage so we could at least have a nice moonlit walk home."

"That does sound romantic," she agreed, "We'd best get this finished so you can leave on time, then."

"Right."

We managed to get everything filed and close the office on time, just barely, and I hurried over to the Polaris stage. Although when I got there, the lights were off, the stage was pitch black, and there was no sign of anyone around. I slowly made my way down the rows of seats, looking for Akagi, or anyone, for that matter. "Hello?" I shouted into the darkness. "Akagi? Hipper? Cleveland? Anyone?" Had I missed her? Were they all just backstage? Just as I was about to pull out my phone to re-read Akagi's message, a single spotlight illuminated a figure alone on stage.

"Welcome, Shikikan-sama," Akagi's voice boomed from the speakers, making me almost jump out of my skin. "Akagi has a special Valentine's surprise for you…" She strummed her guitar and beckoned me forward. "Come, sit."

A second spotlight activated, this one over the seat in the front row, dead center. I could only stare in amazement at her for a few seconds, realizing "This is amazing!" I laughed as I made my way down to the highlighted seat. "How? How did you manage this?"

The kitsune simply shrugged. "I paid off Akashi. She's up in the control booth to help with this right now." I glanced over at said booth to see the hint of green hair and a white sleeve waving at me.

"Happy Valentines, nya!" she shouted.

"Happy Valentines, Akashi!" I shouted back, returning her wave.

"Oh, what's this?" Akagi inquired playfully, pointing to the box of chocolates I had been holding. "Shikikan-sama, have you accepted chocolate from another girl?"

The question caught me off guard until I realized that I had been waving at Akashi with the chocolates still in my hand. I gave Akagi a flirtatious grin and shook my head. "Not at all. Actually, I had heard there was a beautiful kitsune that was part of this new band, and, well...I'm afraid I've fallen madly in love with her and I was hoping to get her attention with these meager offerings. Do you think I have a chance of being seen by such a beautiful creature?"

Akagi placed a finger on her chin in an exaggerated pose as she pretended to "think" about it. "Perhaps," she answered, her voice playful. "You seem like the dashing, handsome sort, and you've certainly got a way with words. I'm sure we could arrange something once this private concert is over, hmmm? In the meantime, please, Shikikan-sama, take your seat."

Without further ado, I quickly made my way down to the seat, and the spotlight above me cut off as soon as I sat down. Akagi nodded, most likely to something Akashi said into an earpiece I couldn't see, and began to play her guitar again. The tune was hauntingly beautiful, dark and dangerous, made more so when the background music had begun to pick up. By the time she had begun to sing, she had completely under her spell. I was hopelessly enraptured by her performance, and I could see from the smile on her face that she knew it.

About halfway through the private show, I realized exactly what I was going to get her for White Day. Something that would equal this display of her love for me, something she would never forget, something…

...that I wasn't going to be able to get.

"It's going to take how long?!" I exploded in disbelief at Akashi's words. The cat didn't even slow her stride as we continued to walk through the Polaris event area, double-checking things on her clipboard.

"What you're asking for is going to take a lot of time to get, nya!" She explained, stopping to inspect a button with Hipper's sour face on it before putting it back on the merch table. "Getting things from the Sakura Empire is hard enough, but this? Akashi can get it, but it's going to take a lot of doing. And before you ask, money won't speed this up, nya!"

As soon as she said money won't change things, I let out a defeated sigh. Akashi wouldn't think twice to charge extra to get something done faster, but the quartermaster still had standards. She wouldn't ever charge for something she couldn't deliver on. "So, two months, then? And that's to get the materials here and to get it assembled, correct?"

"Of course!" Akashi chirped happily, shooing a crowd of manjuu out of her path. "Once I get everything here, it shouldn't take more than a week to get it made."

"Do it, then. And if you can get it in my hand by April twenty-first, I'll make sure you get a bonus."

The catgirl spun around, her eyes sparkling with the delight of additional profits. "How much? Fifty percent?"

"Ten."

"Forty!"

"Fifteen."

"Thirty-five."

"Twenty five and not a percent higher."

"Deal!" Akashi hopped up and down excitedly. "I'll get on it right away! Good doing business with you, Commander!"

"Yeah," I replied, trying to hide the disappointment in my voice. "Good doing business." She turned her attention back to getting things set up and I headed in the other direction, hoping a walk could clear my head.

So my original plan for White Day had fallen through, and now I needed to come up with a plan B. On the upside, I still had a month. On the downside, however, I had no clue what to get her beyond chocolates, and those were woefully inadequate as a reciprocal gift compared to what Akagi did for me. What else could I do? I couldn't put on a private concert. Even if this whole thing was standing in a month's time, I still can't play an instrument and can't carry a tune in a bucket! And, again, I doubt a month would be enough to reach a skill level even close to Akagi's. So what else?

If music was out, perhaps keeping something in the same vein. I couldn't sing, but maybe I could do something in another artistic medium. Something that kept with Sakura traditions. The idea came to me in a flash of inspiration, and it was something I could learn in time for White Day. I would certainly need help from someone, and as I already needed to see Amagi regarding the original gift, I could accomplish both goals at once.

My walk had taken me close to the Sakura dorms, so it was only a short trip to Kaga and Amagi's apartment. I knocked on the door and patiently waited, hoping Amagi(and only Amagi) was home. Again, fortune smiled on me and I was greeted by her smiling face when the door opened.

"Commander, this is a surprise," she greeted me cheerfully, "What brings you here?"

"I hate to impose on such short notice, but I need your help with two things. Well, I need your help with one thing and your permission for something else. Would it be okay if I came inside?"

Amagi smiled knowingly and opened the door wider. "Of course. Please, Commander, I've been expecting this for some time now…"

Ah, Amagi, ever the strategist, three steps ahead of everyone else…

Before I knew it, a month had passed and White Day was upon us. Fortunately, Akagi was scheduled for a routine sortie, which gave Amagi, Izumo and I time to prepare the apartment for her return while Hiei held down the office. Once the furniture had been rearranged, hidden, or otherwise moved, and Amagi and Izumo had left, I quickly laid everything out, got changed, and patiently waited for Akagi to return home.

It wasn't very long before I heard the familiar sounds of Akagi making her way down the hall to our apartment and quickly moved to the door. When I was certain she was close enough, I opened the door and saw standing there, her smile quickly replaced by an expression of surprise and confusion.

The confusion, I'm sure, had something to do with my state of dress. Instead of my uniforms, or even my normal casual attire, I had worn a kimono and hakama of blue and black, something I'd never done before, or even expressed interest in. I greeted her with a soft smile and beckoned for her to come inside. "Welcome home, Akagi. Please, come in."

Akagi slowly stepped into the now transformed apartment, the furniture in the living room cleared away and tatami mats laid out over the bare floor. Her ruby eyes slowly scanned the room, her expression changing from confusion to delight as she began to realize my plans. Once she spotted the small antique iron pot sitting on the portable heater, she let out a surprised and delighted gasp. "A tea ceremony?"

I nodded and shut the door behind her. "I tried to think about the best way to return the beautiful gift of your song on Valentine's Day, and while I can't begin to even come close to your singing, I wanted to give you something from my own heart. Now if you'll allow me to help you change into this…" Akagi's eyes widened as I gestured to the kimono hanging up behind me and she nodded eagerly, turning around so I could remove her coat.

My hands slowly slid the silky garment off, my lips planting soft kisses on her bare skin. Her scent, the faint floral hints of lilies and cherry blossoms, filled my nose and her tails wrapped around me in a fuzzy embrace. Her own hands worked the release to her armored belt, the protective garment releasing with a metallic clank as she pulled it off. Now that I was able to fully remover her coat, I gave her one last kiss on her shoulder before turning around to hang it up and retrieve the kimono.

Kimono in hand, I helped Akagi slip it on, making sure her tails weren't caught on anything as she pulled the garment tightly around her. As I grabbed the obi, she slid her hands into the kimono, clearly fiddling with something on the inside. By the time I had gotten the belt in hand, Akagi had slipped off her skirt, holding it out for me on a single outstretched finger, a sly smile on her face. I couldn't help but return the grin as I traded her the obi for the skirt, dutifully hanging it next to her coat. Once she was properly dressed, we took our places, but not before she took a look at the wall scroll and the kanji written on it.

"'Love'," she read aloud before looking at me. "Did you write this?"

I smiled and bowed my head. "I did," I acknowledged, "I had some help from Amagi in using the correct kanji and practice in writing it, though."

"I'm impressed, Shikikan-sama," she said approvingly as she sat down, ready for the ceremony to begin.

The ceremony itself, I have to admit, felt like a blur. I remember the constant anxiety, making sure I did every step correctly, right down to making sure I placed the ladle over the pot in the correct place, wiping the bowl correctly, all of it, hoping that I wouldn't miss something. In the end, if I did make a mistake, Akagi has never told me, and she always remembers the event with fondness, so I guess I did okay.

Once we had set down our cups for the last time, it was time for the second half of my gift to her. Feeling my anxiety rising, I reached into my kimono and pulled out a small scroll. Akagi raised an eyebrow and peered intently at the paper in my hand. "Shikikan-sama, what is it you have there?"

My nerves began to get the better of me and I took a deep breath to try and stay calm. Emotions are funny things, aren't they? I can stare down the barrel of a battleship's guns that is seconds away from ending me without flinching, but read a poem to a girl I like and I'm a half-second away from flop sweats and shaking like a leaf. "It's, uh," I began, "I wrote you a haiku. Well, it translates to a haiku in English, but I wrote it in kanji because I thought it was more elegant." Akagi smiled, so bright and pure I thought it would blind me, and in that look of pride and joy on her face, I was able to calm my frazzled nerves. The paper rattled softly against the tatami as I unrolled it and slid it across to her. I didn't need to see it to recite it as I had long since memorized it and simply spoke it aloud.

Lovely kitsune

Heart's red string found at long last

Two souls now as one

Akagi looked down at the paper for what seemed like forever, her hair falling in front of her face and obscuring my view. Did she enjoy it? Had I made an error somewhere? Was it not enough? Just as I was beginning to worry, she spoke up. "This...this is beautiful. Thank you." When she looked up, I could see the sheer joy on her face, how much this meant to her, and my own heart swelled with happiness.

"It was the least I could do for you, my love," I replied. Just then, I realized I'd forgotten something and looked over my shoulder towards the bedroom. "Oh, damn. I forgot the chocolates."

"Don't worry, Shikikan-sama, I can still have something sweet…" The sweet and sultry tone drew my attention back to my beautiful kitsune, who was crawling towards me on all fours. A hungry smile on her lips as her tongue ran over them and a knowing look in her eyes.

"God, I love you," I whispered as I leaned in to meet her halfway. "Happy White Day, Akagi."

"Happy White Day, Shikikan-sama…"

A/N-Hey, there! Thanks for reading and welcome to the New Year's Anthology! This is going to be a somewhat infrequently updated story and has no real end point, unlike the other AL fanfics I do. The next part of this story will be coming soon, though, on April 22nd to be exact, but after that, it'll be a little more sporadic. I'll add to this for major events or whenever the muse of Akagi strikes me. In the meantime, stay safe out there and fair winds and following seas!