Someone knocked on the door soon after the nurse left. Hugo got up and walked over to the door. He unlocked it and opened the door, "Hi Hugo," Sona said, "I came to see how Cassidy was."
"Thanks, she is doing fine," Hugo said, "Do you want to come in?"
"Sure, should I bring Nami to school?"
"No, I will do that, it starts in half an hour, so I will bring her then."
"Okay, how are you feeling Cassidy?"
"I am fine, happier than normal," She smiled, "Thank you for taking care of me."
"You are my daughter in-law," Sona sat near Cassidy, "Why wouldn't I?"
"Nami, get ready for school," Hugo said as he leaned over her as she did the problems in the workbook, "Nami, are you listening? Nami, get ready for school."
"Huh?" She said looking up at him after he closed her book, "What did you say?"
"Get ready for school, we have to go soon," Hugo said as he put the book on the shelf, "Do you need the workbook for school?"
"Yeah, that one, the first grade one," She said pointing at the book on the shelf, "Can you grab it for me? I can't reach it."
"Here you go," He said, "Anything else?"
"Nope."
"Then let's go," Hugo said as Nami took the book and walked towards the door. She grabbed his hand as they walked together down the path. The streets were already fill. People were celebrating the return of the soldiers and the end of the war. Some of them saluted Hugo. He saluted them. He walked to the school and the headmaster bowed her head. Hugo noticed that there were a lot of couples who brought their children to school.
"Congratulations on the war," She said, "How is Cassidy doing?"
"She is tired, but she is doing fine, I brought Nami today, probably will do the same for some time," He said cheerfully and kissed Nami's forehead before she skipped into the school, "How is she? Like in class?"
"She is very talented, did you teach her before she started school? Because she largely surpasses her classmates."
"I would have to blame my mother," Hugo laughed, "I feel like an idiot when I am around them, Nami and her are much smarter than I am."
"Well then, have a good day," She said bowing her head, "I will see you later."
"Bye," He said as he turned around to walk away before someone called him, he turned around and noticed a woman walking towards him with the soldier he had saved a few months before, "Good morning, how is your arm doing?"
"Thank you so much for what you did for my husband," She said bowing her head, "I don't know how to thank you."
"You don't need to, I am Bilgewater and so is he, brother and brother, it was my duty to protect him, no need to thank me."
"Actually I wanted to ask you," The man said, "What happened after I got hit? I only remember the pain, then waking up in the camp."
"I use this to protect you," He said as wings grew from his back, "I used them as a cocoon to prevent to bullets from hitting us, I moved you back behind the gunfire and finished the raid, then we brought you back, you were to only one who had been shot to not die, the seven other did."
"Thank you," His wife said, "I don't know what I would have told our daughter if he had died."
"You don't need to think about that," Hugo said as he saluted them, "I must leave you, have a good day."
"You too Capt'n, have a good day, and thank you again," Maybe I should give the war vets something to acknowledge that they fought for Bilgewater, maybe a medal or something in that type, something that their family and them can wear proudly, I'll go check on Cassidy and then go see my advisor, and maybe bring something for Cassidy to eat, something fresh, not dried like I have at home. He took a drink and walked down to the market square. It was filled as he remembered it. It had been too long since he had been there. He walked around looking for food that looked good. Should I get seafood? Maybe she would want something else, I don't know. He walked around looking at the food and exchanging greetings with the merchants. Fuck it, I'll get seafood and prepare it for her, she will be surprised that I know how to cook. He made himself laugh.
He unlocked the door and walked in. He put the box on the table and moved over to the kitchen counter. Sona and Cassidy turned to look at him.
"Hugo, what are you doing?" Sona said as she walked over to him, "Are you going to cook?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I can cook, if you want," She stammered, "If you want, I can cook."
"Don't worry, I can cook."
"Are you sure?" Sona looked at him weirdly, "Last time-"
"That was two years ago, okay? I know what I am doing," He said, "Maybe Cassidy can go get some fresh air, and I'll cook and bring it outside when I am done, so we can eat, what do you think?"
"I'll try it before Cassidy does, to make sure, you never know," She turned to Cassidy, "How about we go sit outside so you can have some fresh air?"
"Sure, but could you bring me two cushions for the chair?"
"Yeah, of course, of course," Now, time to blow their minds, who said I couldn't cook. He placed the box on the counter and pulled out a small pot and filled it with water. He lit a flame under the heat stone. He placed the pot onto the stone and waited for the water to heat up. He pulled out the rest of the ingredients from the box and cut them up before placing a pan on the other heating stone that had a flame under it. I hope she likes this. He leaned his head through the door and called Sona. She got up and walked inside. He showed her the three plates he had prepared.
"You didn't prepare this."
"I just fucking did," Hugo laughed, "Try some, I have some extra," She tried the food and looked up at him. She scanned his face.
"When did you get this good at cooking?"
"Can Omega cook?"
"No."
"There is your reason, on scouting missions, we don't have a cook so I kinda learned to cook," He laughed, "Do you think Cassidy will like it?"
"This isn't something she ever prepared neither have I, but I am sure she will," She said as she picked up one of the plates, "You should have told me that you knew how to cook."
"But, but I did," He said as he took the two other plates outside, "Seriously..."
He placed one of the plate in front of Cassidy and sat down with his plate in front of him. Cassidy looked down at the plate then back up at Sona. She nodded as she began to eat. Cassidy slowly lifted her fork to her mouth and took a small bite. Hugo looked at her as he began to eat. She seemed surprised and looked up at Sona. She smiled and nodded once again.
"Did you guys develop mind reading?"
"When did you get this good at cooking?"
"So you like it?"
"Yeah, this is amazing," Cassidy said as she looked down at her plate, "Did you make this? This is really good."
"What do you think I spent all this time on?"
"I don't know, I never thought you cooked, but what is this stuff?" She said as she twirled her fork around in the noodles he had brought back from Noxus, "It is really weird."
"I brought it back from Noxus," He said, "I don't remember what they called them."
"It's really good," She said taking another bite, "You remembered that I like seafood."
"I don't have that bad of a memory," He said, "Why would I forget something about you?"
"How sweet," She said placing her hand on his, "I love you."
"I love you too," He gazed into her eyes, "I've missed being at your side, I've missed knowing that when I wake, you will be near me, I've missed being here, with you, with a family that I've missed out so much time on."
"But now you are here, with us."
"And I will be for some time more," She laid down on the bed and sighed. Hugo sat near her. They sat there, without doing anything. Hugo got up and Cassidy grabbed his hand.
"Where are you going?"
"I am going to see my adviser."
"What for?"
"I wanted to give a recognition to the soldiers and their families, you know, like a medal," He said as she let go of his hand, "I'll be back soon, I'll get Nami from school as well."
"Okay, see you later!" She said as Hugo left the house. He opened the door and walked out. He took a drink and walked down the path. He stopped halfway down the path. He put his right foot onto a flat stone and leaned down onto his knee. He looked over the city. The noon sun shone brightly over the city. He looked out to sea. No longer just an island, I have created the Bilgewater Empire, maybe the next step will be Ionia. A little siege will force them to surrender. He walked down the path and headed towards his adviser's house. He turned into the street and then quickly turned around and leaned on the wall before the street. He waited until she passed him. She didn't notice him and just skipped along the street. He waited a little before walking into the street. He knocked on the door.
"Come in!"
"How are you today?" He said as he walked in. He was sitting at the table in the middle of the room and Hugo sat down across from him.
"I am good, how are you Capt'n?"
"I am good, a little tired but that isn't much."
"Why did you come Capt'n? Looking for something to do?"
"Actually, since the war is over, I wanted to maybe give a medal to the soldiers who survived, you know."
"Like a sign of appreciation from the empire for what they did?"
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking, I think that we should, it would be something that would give them something to show patriotism and something that would need to be respected."
"Okay, maybe we could have the two banners on it?"
"Have the Bilgewater banner covering most of the Noxian banner."
"There are a lot of soldiers, several thousand, how should we distinguish them?"
"We should give them a medal once they can't fight, as a sort of medal of honor, so the injured or the out-of-action, or the ones who are retiring," He said, "That should limit the number we need, and the rest we will give them to the others once they are done serving."
"Okay, I will get working on the design, I will bring it to you once I am done," He said as he pulled out a book from a drawer in his desk. Hugo took a drink and noticed a letter within the mess on the table. He moved his hand over it and lifted it. His advisor lifted his eyes and moved his hand to grab the letter. Hugo looked at him and smiled.
"Meet me at the creek at 1, today," He said, "No name?"
"Can I have that back?"
"Don't worry, I saw you together before I came, I tried not to interrupt you."
"Thank you Capt'n," He said taking back the letter, "We met two weeks back. I fell in love with her and so did she, I thank the creator."
"Good for you," He laughed, "How is this relationship moving?"
"What do you mean?" He looked back up from the book, Hugo lifted his left eyebrow, "Oh, um, well, I don't, um, really know how to, um, well, answer that, um, what, what would you consider, um, a kiss?"
"And it's only been two weeks? For a guy who hasn't had time for girls, pretty good."
"Do you think?" He scratched his head, "It is my first, um, well, no forget I started that sentence."
"I'll finish it," Hugo said as he took a drink, "It's my first relationship?"
"This is real awkward," Hugo smiled as he said that, "Did you want anything else aside from the medal? Well, the designing of the medal?"
"No," He said as he got up, "I better get going, I need to get Nami from school."
"Well, have a good day, Capt'n."
He unlocked the door and Nami ran inside and ran towards Cassidy. Hugo closed the door and waved at Sona. He walked over to Cassidy and sat next to her. She leaned her head on his shoulder. Nami walked over to the bookshelf and tried to reach for the books. Sona got up a grabbed the book Nami was reaching. She placed it on the table and Nami opened the book and began working.
"Nami, do you have homework?"
"I finished it already, it wasn't hard."
"Okay, good job," Sona said patting her head. Cassidy suddenly lifted her head. Hugo turned and saw pain displayed on her face. He turned to Sona. Sona got up and sat next to Cassidy, "Hugo, go get the nurse," She said as he got up and headed out the door, "Quickly."