Roon x Nero (kinda) (no cringy sex ahead)

ARC III Part 5

ARC III Chapter 5
The welcoming ceremony was unfolding smoothly, and it was actually more sober than one would expect: it could be compared to a simple lunch, with the only exception being the considerable amount of food in proportion to the amount of people eating, exactly 100. The overall atmosphere was jolly and cozy, the ceremony itself wasn't really ambitious at all: there hadn't been any particular speech, any performance of sorts, any fancy display... It was only a huge lunch, nothing more. And despite this (or maybe thanks to this),  everyone was able to enjoy themselves... Although there were a couple exceptions. 

One of these, the one we are most familiar with, was Roon. She was sitting next to Nero, of course, and he noticed that she wasn't cheerful and lively like usual; he felt that, on the contrary, she was quite uncomfortable and awkward. He wanted to verify his assumption, therefore he recalled her attention by tapping her shoulder.
"Hm?" She quickly turned her head towards him with a serene smile.
"Hey, is anything wrong? I might just be paranoid, but you don't look like you're enjoying yourself so much." He whispered.
"... Can we go outside for a bit?" She asked; before she did, Nero noticed that her thin smile had widened, possibly signifying a sense of relief.
"Sure." He stood up together with Roon, they approached the commander and notified him about their decision: he didn't even ask for any details or reasons, but he simply told them not to venture too far away.

And naturally they didn't: they stopped a dozen of steps away from the mansion's rear, and they didn't plan to go any farther.
"I'm so glad you're able to understand me like this, Nero..." she hugged him gently. 
"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I weren't even able to read right through my girlfriend?" He asked rhetorically while returning her hug; "Were you feeling awkward because of the ceremony itself or is something particular bothering you?" 
"It's just the ceremony... I've never liked parties so much, they can become a bit unsettling for me in the long run..."
"Unsettling? Is it because you're not used to having so many people around you all at once?"
"Yeah... I think that's it. Do you think I should do something to fix this?" 
"To be honest, it's not really necessary, in my opinion... You can still live your life without parties, obviously. But if you wish to overcome this fear, you're free to do so... although I can't help you with that.." 
"Well, as long as you're with me, I don't need parties. So what's the point in trying to change who I am?" She looked at him with a bright smile.
"... I don't regret having become a KANSEN." He said to himself while being almost hypnotized by Roon's smile.

As they spent more time within each other's embrace, a quite tall man walked slowly past them, ignoring them completely. He was wearing a white coat and his face was obscured by its hood. He was headed for the mansion as his boots left large footprints on the snow.
Nero was curious to know who that person was, so he caught up to him and simply asked him directly.
"Excuse me!" He said; the unknown man turned around and removed his hood. He didn't look very old, Nero assumed he was in his thirties, and he had brown hair and eyes of the same color. The thing which caught most of Nero's attention, though, was his piercing gaze: he didn't look malicious, but his eyes were staring right into his own. They never moved even slightly, almost as if those eyes belonged to a machine focusing on a target. During those brief seconds of silence between Nero and this man, he felt a sense of anxiety, but he managed to handle it.
"I know it might sound pretty rude, but may I know who you are? I'm a KANSEN of the Azur Lane, and I've arrived here with my fleet just today. So I was curious to know who you are, since you're going into the mansion where my fleet is currently stationed."
The stranger kept staring into Nero's eyes for a dozen of seconds, as his face did not express any emotion. Roon was curious too, but she couldn't see the stranger's face because of Nero obstructing her view.
"Oh, of course, your question is legit, don't worry!" The man suddenly put on a friendly smile and began speaking: "I'm a KANSEN engineer working here in Russia, and I was called here by Sovetsky Soyuz herself. She did tell me something about a visit by the Azur Lane... I guess you preceded me, huh?"
"Oh, an engineer? Uh, forgive me again if I might sound rude, but your accent doesn't really sound russian... Are you a foreigner?" 
"That's correct! I was actually born in Italy, and that's where I spent the first half of my life."