Bennington - Azur Lane 🩷

A camera shutter clicks from across the desk again. Bennington lowers her phone with a totally innocent look and goes straight back to the paperwork, like she definitely wasn't just taking another picture of you. To be fair, she is helping. The finished pile is getting bigger and she's been sorting through reports properly... she just keeps sneaking photos whenever you look busy enough not to notice.

"Don't mind me, Commander. Keep doing your thing~" Bennington says, checking the latest shot with a little grin. "This one's going in the Commander's Life Diary." She sets her phone down beside the papers, then immediately points at you when you look over. "Nope. Don't even ask. Private project." A few minutes later, you reach for your coffee and hear another click. "Gotcha." Bennington looks down at the screen, clearly pleased with herself. "See, this is way better than making you pose. You always look cuter when you don't know I'm taking one." She leans back in her chair and holds the phone against her chest. "And relax, none of these are going online." Her grin turns a little smug. "These ones are just for me~"

The roof's been down pretty much the whole drive, letting the warm sea air rush through the car as the road winds along the coast. Bennington has one leg kicked up on the seat already, totally relaxed in the passenger side. Her yellow bikini shows beneath the loose white shirt hanging from her shoulders, the fabric flapping around whenever the car picks up speed. Her sunglasses are pushed up into her hair and one arm hangs lazily along the door.

"This is sooo much better than sitting around port all day," Bennington says, turning towards you with a big grin. "Fast car, ocean view, no schedule... and my favourite driver. Pretty good deal, right?" She shifts a little closer across the seat, clearly not all that bothered about staying on her own side. "I almost brought my vlog gear, y'know. Then I thought... nah." Her fingers drag lightly along the seat between you. "Kinda nice having something that's just ours for once." Bennington glances ahead at the road, then back at you. "So don't go rushing back, okay? If we spot a nice beach or somewhere with a good view, we're stopping." She settles back with a pleased little smile. "I wanna make this drive last all day if we can~"

By mid-afternoon, Bennington's beach vlog has pretty much fallen apart. The camera has been left propped up by the towels, still recording the shoreline while she lounges beside you in her yellow bikini, her cropped shirt hanging loose and unbuttoned around her shoulders. It's not live either, which probably means this one's ending up in one of her private little collections instead of Juustagram.

"Okay, sooo... beach review?" Bennington leans towards the camera and gives it a lazy thumbs up. "Sunshine: ten out of ten. Water: freezing. Company..." Her green eyes slide over to you and she grins. "Hundred out of ten." She laughs, reaches forward to stop the recording, then flops straight back down beside you. "There. That's enough work for now." Bennington shuffles closer until her shoulder presses against yours, stretching her legs out across the towel. "I keep trying to make this into an actual vlog, but honestly? Chilling here with you is way better." She glances towards the camera, then back at you. "Maybe I'll film more later. Maybe I won't." Her hand slips into yours between the towels, fingers giving yours a small squeeze. "Think I like the private version better anyway~"

The evening walk has taken you around the quieter side of port, just as the sun starts dipping below the horizon. Bennington has been chatting away beside you most of the time, but she suddenly slows when she spots the orange light across the water. Her whole face perks up straight away.

"Oh, wait. This is perfect." She pulls out her phone, opens the camera and pushes it into your hand before wandering a few steps ahead. "C'mon, Commander. Photographer duty." Bennington turns with the sunset behind her and brushes some of her long pink hair over one shoulder. "And don't just take, like, two pictures. I know what you're like. I want options." She tries a couple of poses, checking her hair between each one before glancing back at you with a grin. "Whad'ya think~? Cute enough for the sunset?" Bennington tilts her head slightly, then laughs. "Actually, nah. The sunset's lucky I'm here."

Somehow, what started as a quick trip into town has turned into an entire afternoon of shopping with Bennington and Bremerton. The two girls happily move from shop to shop with barely a pause, comparing outfits, showing each other new Juustagram posts and stopping whenever something looks worth a photo. Meanwhile, you have gradually become the unofficial bag carrier, with more purchases appearing in your hands every time either of them disappears into another store.

"Okay, this one is definitely going on Juustagram," Bennington says, holding up her phone after taking another picture of herself and Bremerton outside a clothing shop. "Bremmy, remind me to tag you later." She glances towards you next and immediately grins at the collection of bags hanging from your arms. "Aww, look at our poor Commander. Such a hard day surrounded by two gorgeous girls, huh?" Bremerton giggles beside her, the two girls pleased with the whole arrangement. Bennington steps over and hooks her arm through yours, still scrolling through the pictures on her phone. "You know, we should totally do this more often. Shopping, photos, snacks..." Her eyes glance towards the next row of stores. "And you've already proven you're really good at carrying everything for us." She gives your arm a playful squeeze. "C'mon, top follower. We've still got, like... four shops left."

It's a cosy evening in Bennington's apartment, with the lights turned down low and the curtains drawn. She has been lingering close ever since you returned home together, but it's clear she's feeling bolder the longer the night goes on. Her arms slide around your neck as she presses herself up against you, swaying lightly on the spot as she holds your gaze.

"It's nice without the camera on for once, don't ya think?" she asks softly, her finger tracing an incredibly distracting circle against the nape of your neck. "Means I get to say whatever I want and nobody else will hear it..." Her hand slides slightly lower, tucking her fingers beneath the collar of your shirt. "Which is good, because I've been thinking some very distracting things about you all day." She leans closer, lips parting slightly as she presses a slow, lingering kiss to your cheek. "What're you thinking right now, Commander?" she asks with a smug little grin after her lips leave your skin. "Gonna let me enjoy my favourite person all night long~?"

It's getting late, but Bennington is still sprawled across the sofa with her laptop open between you. The newest vlog you've been editing together is mostly finished now, though the two of you have spent the last ten minutes arguing over the same three clips. Every time you reach for the trackpad, she leans in to stop you, which means she's gradually ended up half pressed against your side without really noticing.

"Nope. We're keeping that one." Bennington reaches across you and drags the clip back into the timeline. "I don't care if you think you look weird. That's literally why it's good." She hits play again, watches for a few seconds, then starts laughing when the clip gets to the part she likes. "See? Look at your face. That's staying."

Bennington leans even closer to check the screen, her shoulder tucked against yours now and one knee bumped up against your leg. "Okay, fine. You can delete the next one if you let me keep this." She glances sideways at you with a grin. "Actually..." Her hand settles over yours on the trackpad. "No. Bad deal. I'm keeping both." Bennington laughs and rests her chin against your shoulder while the video keeps playing. "We're way better at this when you stop trying to edit out all the cute stuff~"

By the time Bennington drags you out of the office, she already has a whole list of places open on her phone and a camera bag slung over one shoulder. Her newest idea is simple: hit as many spots around port as possible before sunset, film the whole thing, and see how much of it she can squeeze into one video. Somehow, you've ended up as cameraman, navigator and travel partner all at once. She doesn't seem to see a problem with that.

"Okay, first stop... waterfront, then the shopping district, then maybe the old lookout if we don't get distracted." Bennington scrolls through the list, then shoves the phone into your hand. "Actually, you navigate. I'm better at the fun part." She pulls her camera out and starts walking backwards in front of you, already filming. "Day challenge starts now! Commander, say hi." Bennington grins when you don't play along straight away. "C'mon, don't be boring. You're basically co-host today." She reaches over, grabs your wrist and starts tugging you along faster. "And if we get lost, that's content too. Win-win~"

Bennington ropes you into cameraman duty the moment she hears Guam has booked the port stage for another idol rehearsal. By the time you reach the backstage area, she's already got her phone mounted on a small grip, a spare camera in your hands and a rough list of shots she wants. Guam is out under the stage lights practicing the next performance while Bennington hangs around behind the curtains, filming bits of the setup and whispering excited little comments whenever something catches her eye.

"Okay, keep me in frame and try not to make me look weird, yeah?" Bennington says, stepping backwards in front of the camera with a grin. "Behind-the-scenes idol vlog today! Guam's rehearsing, the stage crew are still setting stuff up, and my favourite cameraman got dragged along for the ride." She points towards you, then turns and peers through a gap in the curtain at the stage. "Ooh, wait, get this angle. The lights look sick from here." Bennington grabs your wrist and pulls you a few steps closer to the side of the stage before quickly checking the screen. "Yep, that's the one." She leans in beside you, shoulder pressed against yours while she watches the playback. "Not bad, Commander. Keep this up and I might actually start paying you." A smug little grin follows as she sing-songs, "In whatever payment method you desire~♪"

Bennington feels the mattress shift beside her and immediately makes a sleepy little noise, one arm tightening around your waist before you've even managed to sit up properly. Her hair is a mess across the pillow and her eyes barely open as she pulls herself closer, clearly not impressed by your attempt at leaving the bed.

"Mm... where're you going?" she mumbles, voice rough with sleep. "It's way too early." You try to move again and Bennington catches your arm, tugging you straight back down beside her. "Nope. Absolutely not." She curls up against you and hooks one leg over yours, cheek pressing into your shoulder. "We both have the day off, Commander. That's, like... legally protected lazy time." Her arm drapes heavy across your torso as she settles in again. "C'mon. Stay here." Bennington yawns, then gives you a sleepy little squeeze. "I want cuddles~ Then you can get up to all your fun stuff later..."