Work Text:
Bismarck was hard at work, typing away at her computer, and looking at a stack of documents. She sighed as she took one from the stack and place it on her desk.
“I swear. I’m going to get carpel tunnel at the rate I’ve been working.”
Bismarck's eyes looked at the paper with care. It was more of the same. Plans for the Ironblood part of the base that was under construction.
Bismarck slouched in her chair as she looked at the ceiling. She blew some hair out of her eyes as she smiled.
“At least the Commander was kind enough to give me a skylight. I’ve always wanted one in an office.”
Bismarck looked at her desk and smiled as she picked up the photo of her and Heinz on their wedding day.
“I still remember that day. He looked so handsome in that uniform.”
Bismarck’s eyes went wide as she heard a knock on the office’s hard oak doors. She placed the picture on the desk and faced the doors.
“You may come in.”
Z23 entered the office. She smiled slightly at Bismarck.
“Lord Bismarck. There's someone here to see you.”
Bismarck smiled slightly.
“Let them in.”
Z23 turned around. Bismarck giggled.
“Hey. Thanks for covering for U-556 while she is out on her sortie.”
Z23 turned around and smiled.
“You’re welcome, Lord Bismarck. It’s the least I could do for you. I understand you're a busy woman, with being not only the leader of the Ironblood, but a wife and a mother as well.”
Bismarck smiled as Z23 left the office. A woman with short blonde hair entered the office with a sorrowful look on her face. Bismarck smiled at her slightly.
“Ah, Roon. What brings you to my office today?”
Roon went to her knees as she wept.
“Lord Bismarck. I want to beg for your forgiveness.”
Bismarck raised an eyebrow.
“What for?”
Roon felt a tear go down her face.
“For my betrayal of the Ironblood, and my betrayal of you. I fully understand if you wish to punish me for my insubordination.”
Bismarck got up from her desk and sighed.
“Roon. Get up.”
Roon stood up and pulled her head up. Tears were coming down her face. Bismarck smiled slightly.
“Come. Sit. I’ll get you a chair.”
Bismarck grabbed a chair and placed it in front of her desk. Roon nodded as she sat in it.
Bismarck sat back at her desk. She looked at Roon.
“Roon. I don't blame you for the coup against me. I know what happened. The Commander told me everything.”
Roon sobbed as she covered her face with her hands.
“That doesn’t matter. I’ve betrayed both you and the Ironblood for even being with Friedrich Der Große and Helwig.”
Bismarck nodded as she looked at Roon. Her smile faded into a look of concern.
“I understand. However, you need to think of it this way. Had you not killed Helwig and helped Caleb take out Friedrich Der Große, who knows if I would be here? They would have likely executed me.”
Roon sobbed as Bismarck opened her desk. She pulled out a packet of tissues and handed it to Roon.
“It’s alright to cry. I'll not get mad at you for simply showing your emotions.”
Roon shook her head.
“It’s not just that. I’ve almost got you and your entire family killed. I even almost got Fritz and his family killed!”
Bismarck looked at her desk with a serious look on her face.
“I know this. However, I also don't blame you for that. I blame Helwig and the clone of Friedrich Der Große for that.”
Roon nodded as she wiped away the tears with a tissue. She blew her nose as she threw the tissue in the trash can.
Bismarck smiled slightly at Roon.
“Hey. Look at me. Helwig can no longer hurt you. You’re with Konrad now. A man who loves you and cares about you, just the way you are.”
Roon smiled slightly as she looked at Bismarck. Bismarck smiled at her.
“Tell you what. You can help me.”
Roon smiled.
“What do you need help with?”
Bismarck smiled.
“You can help by organizing the paperwork on my desk for me. They have color tabs and that's for placing them in the corresponding colored bin.”
Roon nodded.
“I could do that.”
Bismarck giggled as she stood up.
“You can place your chair next to me so we can work together.”
Roon nodded as she moved the chair and placed it next to Bismarck’s. Bismarck looked at the pile of papers and sighed.
“It looks like we got plenty of paperwork ahead of us.”
Roon nodded as she looked at Bismarck.
“Why can’t Z23 help us?”
Bismarck let out a slight chuckle.
“She’s only the receptionist. Her job is to notify me if someone is here to see me.”
Roon nodded.
“Isn’t that usually U-556’s job?”
Bismarck nodded.
“Yes, but she is busy with a sortie for the Commander. She’ll be back in the evening.”
Roon nodded as the two girls got to work. Roon smiled at the photo on Bismarck’s desk.
“I see you have your wedding photo with Heinz on your desk.”
Bismarck smiled as she looked at the photo.
“I do. I also have another photo, but I haven’t placed it on my desk yet.”
Roon giggled.
“Can I see it?”
Bismarck nodded as she opened a desk drawer. She placed it on the desk and smiled from ear to ear.
Roon’s eyes went wide as she looked at the photo.
“Aww. It’s a photo of Helga.”
Bismarck smiled.
“Yeah. I’ve been meaning to place it on my desk for some time now.”
Roon smiled as she looked at the paperwork. Bismarck giggled.
“Are you and Konrad planning to have children in the future?”
Roon smiled and giggled.
“Only after we get married.”
Bismarck nodded as she looked at some of the paperwork on her desk.
“I see. I’m sure Konrad will make an excellent father, and you will make an excellent mother.”
Roon smiled as she looked at the paper on the desk.
“What’s all this paperwork for?”
Bismarck sighed and smiled slightly.
“Mostly government stuff. I have to sign off on it, as I am the leader of the Ironblood.”
Roon giggled.
“I thought the leader of the Ironblood would have legions of secretaries to do this for her.”
Bismarck laughed as she closed her eyes.
“You would think, but I don’t have the budget for that.”
Roon laughed as a smile crept onto her face.
“I wonder how you do it?”
Bismarck raised an eyebrow as her smile faded.
“Do what?”
Roon giggled.
“Balance it all. How do you balance being the leader of the Ironblood, a wife to Heinz, and a mother to Helga?”
Bismarck sighed.
“It’s hard some days, but I manage.”
Roon raised an eyebrow.
“Aren’t you ever tired?”
Bismarck nodded.
“A lot. It’s a good thing Heinz is understanding and helps me with Helga so much. I don’t know what I would do without him.”
Roon nodded as she passed a piece of paper to Bismarck.
“Here. This one needs you to sign off on it.”
Bismarck nodded as she pulled out a fountain pen. She signed the piece of paper with her signature and placed a red tab on it. She smiled as she handed it to Roon.
“Here you go. This goes in the red bin.”
Roon smiled and nodded as she took the piece of paper. She placed it in the red bin and smiled.
“Thank you for letting me work with you, Lord Bismarck.”
Bismarck felt a slight smile move across her face.
“Please, just call me Bismarck. We are friends, after all.”
Roon smiled.
“Alright, Bismarck.”
Soon, the evening sun burned on the horizon, its light shining through the skylight.
Bismarck and Roon smiled as they looked up at the skylight together. Bismarck sighed as she looked at the stack of papers.
“Even with all our hard work, the Commander finds more paperwork for me to file.”
Roon sighed.
”Do you think you’ll ever finish all this paperwork?”
Bismarck shook her head.
“Not for another few months, I’m afraid. At least I’m not the only one dealing with a bunch of paperwork.”
Roon giggled.
“Who else is struggling with a bunch of paperwork?”
Bismarck chuckled.
“All the leaders of the factions are. Littorio and Nagato are also currently dealing with their fair share of paperwork, being the leaders of their nations after all. It would not surprise me if even Queen Elizabeth is up to her eyeballs in paperwork.”
Roon giggled.
“Yeah, but at least Littorio as Vittorio Veneto to help her. And Nagato has Hiei to help her. Hell, even Queen Elizabeth has Warspite to help her.”
Bismarck smiled slightly.
“That reminds me. I should see if Tirpitz can help me with all this paperwork.”
Roon sighed.
“Sure. But what would I do? I thought helping you with paperwork was my job.”
Bismarck smiled slightly.
“You can help me by watching over Moritz and Helga for Tirpitz and me while we work on this paperwork together. My husband can help you if you need any help with the children.”
Roon smiled as she got out of her chair. She put it away.
“That’s something I can do. Thank you, Bismarck.”
Bismarck smiled.
“You’re welcome, Roon. You can leave.”
Roon nodded as she left the office. Bismarck slouched in her chair, placing her hands behind her head.
“Another day, another day of nothing but paperwork.”
Bismarck turned off her computer and got out of her chair. She picked up her purse and walked out of the office. She locked the door.
“Lord Bismarck!”
Bismarck turned around as U-556 hugged her. Bismarck smiled as she bent down and hugged her ever-loyal knight.
“There’s my ever-loyal Percival. How was your sortie for the Commander?”
U-556 giggled.
“It was fun. U-47 and U-96 helped me hunt some siren convoys.”
Bismarck smiled.
“I’m glad you can help Azur Lane in your own way.”
U-556 smiled.
“Some subs from the Eagle Union helped us out. They asked if I wanted to go to a cookout they were having. Is it alright if I go? I’m not sure if I have to watch Helga for you while you and Heinz are at work.”
Bismarck giggled.
“Of course you can go! I’ll have Roon watch Helga for me.”
U-556 hugged Bismarck tight.
“Thank you, Lord Bismarck!”
Bismarck smiled.
“You’re welcome. I’m going home.”
U-556 nodded.
“Then I won’t keep ya. Goodnight, Lord Bismarck.”
Bismarck smiled.
“Goodnight.”