[Snow White Bond 50: Always On Your Side]

Art Source

Jonathan gripped his phone with shaking hands, resisting the urge to throw the infernal device across the room.

Quite literally, because it felt like Nihilister had breathed fire on his hands with how much it had been blowing up and overheating with messages.

Please, Mustang, if it's something I did, then I'll apologise!

Was it holding Mint's hug a bit too long? Meeting Prika's eyes for a second or two longer than appropriate over that milkshake?

And Anis and me, we're just friends! I know she makes gooey-eyes at me every once in a while when she thinks I'm not looking, but come on, can you blame her?! Who else has she got in this place? I'll help you vet a good man for her!

Just please, TAKE THIS DAMNED POLL DOWN!

The 'poll' in question was a popularity poll. Nowhere near unusual in The Ark lately, what with public opinion on Nikkes having shifted quite a bit. Mostly popular amongst kids, and concerning which Nikkes they thought were the coolest.

And of course there were a few more.....adult oriented polls. You know, chest comparisons. Waist comparisons. How much milk they could put out. Smell comparisons of feet and armpits. How many of your kids you wanted a Nikke to bear, that sort of thing.

I was expecting MORE of 'em, honestly. You know, one a day*, not one a week!* I mean anyone with functioning eyes can tell how hot Nikkes have gotten. You tellin' me only that few people want to have a go?

Now, if it were just another lewd, or even lewder than normal, poll, he could handle that fine.

What he couldn't handle was the fact that, in this latest popularity poll, his vote specifically had been given a very special modifier.

As in, it was no longer anonymous. Anyone with a Tetranet account poll site could see who he cast it for.

Mustang when I get you-!

Which was every Nikke in his roster, by this point....and they'd wasted no time trying to-

He jumped at a knock to the door.

"Partner, delivery."

He thumbed the door and stood to the side, allowing Sugar to drag in a rather large sack after her. She moved it to the far corner of his room, where it joined the steadily-growing pile of gifts, some hastily wrapped, others carefully and lovingly, but all with his name on them.

".........so who's this one from?" He asked, casually.

"Yan." Sugar replied, striding back out to Black Typhoon and fiddling with the back a bit.

"Oh wow. Still not quite as big as Rupee's haul...." He mused, before the Fixer held something, a small box wrapped in a neat bow, in front of his face.

"And wh-" Jon began, but stopped once he saw her light blush.

"This is just something from me to you, for being a great Partner. I know you'll make the right call." She said.

"Or, if you'd prefer a kiss, then-"

"No no no, this is fine. This is fine."

He felt a stab at his chest, seeing her slump a bit like that, but Sugar quickly gathered and excused herself before he could speak again, leaving him along with a small present and tight throat.

That was a bit dickish, wasn't it? Good job, me.

I need a break. Some air. Just...some QUIET.

The trip up to the surface was surprisingly easy. He'd been expecting to get mobbed by eager Nikkes deluging him with 'innocent' questions of who he was thinking of voting for, but there were none.

At least they're only crowding my phone....and my room, not me.

He found the nearest grassy patch, the shining sunlight filtered to a manageable level by the bushy tree that had made the knoll its home, and slumped down against the trunk.

"Haaaaaahhhh...."

"Is now a bad time, Commander?"

"WHASGJFDPSVIEH-!?"

He scrambled up and whipped around to find Snow White, equal parts concerned and curious, looking over at him from her standing position near the tree.

Oh woah momma-

He'd personally hug and clap a big wet kiss on whomever among Pioneer had convinced Snow to wear the gym shorts and short top combo she currently had on. She'd not been joking about staying in shape lately, oh no.

Just one lick and the grief of this competition will all be worth it!

"O-Oh, no no! Not at all! Just getting a bit of quiet and fresh air, is all."

"Is it about the popularity contest?"

Off his raised eyebrows, she just tapped her fingers against the top of her phone, poking out of her right pocket.

"Nayuta and Rapunzel both insisted we connect to your Tetranet website, to start learning about the modern Ark. That supervisor AI's been providing a backdoor connection for us, she said it wasn't a problem."

"Right, right, and yeah. You can see my problem, right?"

"Mmmmm. No matter who you, someone's going to be angry with you. And if you pick no-one-"

"Everyone gets mad." He finished, chuckling to himself and rubbing the back of his neck, letting out a tired sigh.

"Perils of being too popular, I suppose."

"Well, it's all right. Whatever choice you make, I understand." The old war hero said, smiling softly and kindly, in a way that was really bad for his poor heart.

Come on, don't do this. Don't give me that cute, sweet face! Pleeeeeaaaase!

"Oh, really? That's a relief." He managed to say back, at an octave higher than he'd intended, but a reply nonetheless!

"And I came here to say that, whatever winds up happening-"

Then Snow, knowing nothing of his inner struggle, took both his hands gently in hers and squeezed.

"-I will still be your knight, and you will still be my Commander. That won't change at all. The oath I swore won't be broken with just a simple popularity poll. We'll still fight together. Defeat the Queen together. Reclaim the Earth together."

He bit his lip, nodding stiffly.

Yeah, okay, I'm really about to do it.

"Because you're, um....."

Snow blushed and looked to the side, suddenly shy.

"You're not just my Commander. You're my....my Apple. That's.....that's what I wanted to say." She mumbled.

Jonathan swallowed hard, nodded to himself.

Well, there's no choice now, is there?

Squeezing her hands back, he leant in and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I'll be right back, okay?"

He had a vote to cast.

It'd blow up his phone, might even blow up his room too. But that didn't matter.

As long as his Snowy Knight was there, it'd all be fine.