A/N: Hello, everyone! Alright, let's do a quick Q&A.
Q: I'm new; what the hell is this about?
A: Please refer to my profile page. That should clear a few things up.
Q: Y u no post sex!?
A: Believe me, I'm as upset as you are that it hasn't been finished.
Q: No seriously, you said soon a month ago. What's taking so long?
A: Did you know the new Zelda game is fantastic? xD But also, one's last semester of college is not the easiest one. I have no writing diligence. It's something I'm always working on.
Q: Why isn't this in a chapter story?
A: It just wouldn't work. Trust me; I tried.
Q: Would you please shut up?
A: Gladly! On to the story!
Warnings: Futa Fate…? I mean, she's mentioned.
Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN. Good thing, too, or episodes would never have come out.
Before You Wake Up
It was well after midnight when there was a knock at the door of a woman at the opposite end of town who wasn't known for getting many visitors. She threw a robe on over her black bra and panties and pulled it tightly closed with the sash, still leaving an appreciable V for her neckline, and walked to the front door to peer through the hole, seeing no-one on the front porch. Thinking nothing of it, she returned to the living room, speaking to the open air as she went, "I don't know why you even bother knocking if you never come through the door."
"I thought it was common courtesy to knock when you visit someone."
The woman who owned the house turned her purple eyes on the girl who was sitting on her couch, giving her an amused look of exasperation. "Most people who do don't warp into the house."
"Oh, but what fun would it be if I didn't?"
They crossed the room to meet each other and quickly embraced, pulling tight the way two friends do when it's been some time since their last meeting.
"It's good to see you, Precia. As always."
"It's great to see you, too. To what do I owe this sudden visit, Nanoha?"
"Is it sudden?" The demoness pulled away to arm's length, holding on to her friend's hands. "Don't I always visit at random?"
"Not usually twice in as many months. And what's with this attire?" Precia regarded her guest, taking note of her unusual appearance. The brunette wore a plain, white t-shirt that didn't come all the way down to the waist of her loose-fitting jeans. The woman noticed the black lace edge of Nanoha's pink panties and gently tucked the exposed hem down into her jeans before lifting a pant leg to confirm that she was indeed wearing her usual white thighhighs underneath. "What sort of thing is this to prey in?"
"Maybe I've given it up."
"Please, don't joke about that. I'd hate to see you waste away to nothing."
"Precia, you know the average succubus can go months without feeding if she has to."
"Yes, just as I know you're not the average succubus. As much power as you have, I'd give you a handful of days."
Nanoha daintily put a hand to her chest and feigned offense. "You've no faith in my ability to abstain!"
"Abstain from sex? I know you far too well to put any faith in that."
The succubus pushed the purple-haired woman away playfully. "Enough! I didn't come here to be berated."
Precia calmly sat on the couch and patted the cushion next to her. "Then what did you come for? It's a bit late in the night for a simple house call."
The brunette took the seat she was offered. "Now, Precia, don't be silly. Late for the humans maybe, but for us? And a young thing like you should have no trouble keeping up a few extra hours. After all, it's not like I woke you."
She rolled her purple eyes. "Well, you're right, of course. After spending so much time in the human world, I must have begun simulating their habits."
"Ah... So how is... everything else?"
The woman shifted slightly on the couch. "Business as usual... I'm sorry, can I get you anything, Nanoha?"
"No, thank you. I don't plan to stay long. I just wanted to...," she looked off to the side, "check in."
"I see." Precia sighed before relaxing against the back of the couch. She answered while staring at the ceiling, "Nothing's changed, of course. Not since we discussed it last year. Honestly, nothing has really changed in the past fifty years. With the war over, the demon realm has been pretty quiet. Your father lets me come and go as I please. It's not that he doesn't appreciate my service, but with you no longer around, well, he has no real need of me."
"...do you think he really believes that I'm dead?" Nanoha's voice was almost a whisper.
There was an earnest rise and fall of the woman's shoulders. "If he doesn't, he's very good at hiding it. In any case, he's not looking for you."
"I'm not hiding from him finding me on purpose. It's finding me by accident that would be the problem."
"Well, you seem to have gotten that down over the last few decades. Just do what you've been doing and I'm sure you'll have no trouble. But lose this unflattering clothing!" In an attempt to lighten the mood, Precia tugged Nanoha's shirt sleeves so that her bra straps were revealed.
"Hey! Cut that out, Precia-chan!" She defensively pulled her shirt back into place.
"Modesty is unbecoming of a succubus," the woman laughed heartily, "what ever brought this on?"
The demoness still had her arms covering her chest. "Maybe I'm saving myself for someone now."
"Nanoha, I think it's a little late for that." The purple-haired woman teased, but instead of laughter, she got a serious look and then the brunette turned her gaze away.
"I'm serious, Precia! I... found someone."
"Someone you... love?" She almost felt like that wasn't the right word. Nanoha in love? How could that be? She'd gone five hundred years without anyone at her side. "And it's a human, isn't it? Is that where this joke is going?"
The brunette demoness sighed and rested on the arm of the couch, head atop her folded hands. "It's cruel for you to insult your elder like that, Precia. What does a kid like you know of eternity? You're only two hundred, likely still thrilled by your nigh immorality, and what's more you have your daughter Alicia to enjoy it with. But I've lived twice your life and more, killed for a cause I didn't believe in, and have nothing left in my life but the sex that sustains me. And yet it's a joke if I should fall in love? You deny an old woman the only pleasure left to her..."
The room felt suddenly colder to Precia, even as a demon. It was rare for Nanoha to get so serious. She scooted over on the couch and placed an arm over the girl's shoulders. "You know I hate it when you act your age," she said softly.
"I'm sorry."
"No, I am." She sighed. "It was undue of me to call it a joke. You're right that I'm not in such a lonely position as yourself. And I guess I've never really been in love, either. Not with Alicia's father, not even with Kaname, though we do get along well."
"I'd almost forgotten your fling with Kaname!" She giggled, suddenly brightening. "By the way, how is he? I don't think I ever thanked him properly for... well, killing me off."
The two friends stared at each other silently before bursting into a fit of laughter; it was such a ridiculous way to put it.
"Oh don't worry, I gave him your warmest regards."
"Not too warm, I hope. We wouldn't want him to get the wrong idea."
"I don't think we have to worry about that. But enough about the past, Nanoha! Who's this mystery lover of yours? Come now, you must be here to tell me all about him."
"Nyahaha! Nope!"
Precia pushed her away playfully, leaning against the back of the couch while facing the brunette. "You're a terrible tease."
"No, I'm a wonderful tease." Nanoha pulled her legs up to her chest and set her chin on them.
"You won't tell me," Precia said.
"You misunderstand. You asked who he is. Nope!" She grinned. "Who she is."
"Oh. Oh! Really?! I didn't know you went for girls, Nanoha." She tilted her head. "Well, I'm sure I recall a few encounters you've had with other women involved, but I thought you favored men."
"Yeah, I was a bit surprised as well. I found her window open and, even when I learned she was a girl, I was just sort of... drawn to her. And the sex was so good! Turns out she's a lesbian, so she really did a number on me. I won't deny that there's one thing about men I quite enjoy, but... it wasn't hard to give her that."
Precia swatted her leg and laughed. "I'm sure it was hard afterwards, though!"
"Gods above, she took to it like a natural! The way she works her hips..." Nanoha shuddered visibly.
"Ara ara! A young thing for an 'old lady' like yourself? Ahahaha!"
Here the demoness switched to sitting cross-legged and thumped the cushion between them with both hands. "Hey! That's only okay if I say it!"
"Sorry, sorry!" The purple-haired woman wiped a gleeful tear from her eye. "You were saying you were drawn to her?"
The succubus stuck out her tongue before responding. "Yes. I can't really explain it. I felt like I was being pulled to her house, in through her window, drawn to have sex with her, though her sexy dream didn't hurt either, and I've been drawn back to her ever sense. I've seen her several times in the months since we met. She's just... something else."
"Are you sure you're really smitten, Nanoha? Not just indulging in some fresh sex?"
The brunette's sapphire eyes were wide and earnest, shimmering with something Precia wasn't used to seeing in them. "...she asked my name, Precia. Before we had sex. Do you know how many guys bother doing that?"
"Not very many, from what you've said in the past. But you never seemed to mind before."
"No, you're right, I didn't. But it felt so good when she asked. I can't remember ever having felt like this. And she's amazing." Nanoha stared off again, picturing her lover. "She's got this incredibly long hair, like mine, that she ties near the bottom with a black ribbon. And it's golden, light rays of sunlight streaming from her head. And her eyes! They're the most beautiful shade of ruby, deeper than anything I've ever seen. I could lose myself in those eyes. Staring into them, it almost... it almost feels like I was meant to meet her. Like it was..."
"Fate..."
Suddenly Nanoha realised Precia had been completely silent and when she looked back at her, it seemed almost as if the woman was forcing some kind of tension out of her posture. "What did you say?"
Precia blinked a few times. "Fate, like it was fate. That's what you were trying to say, wasn't it?"
"Oh. Yes, that's right. And now I feel rather silly because... her name is Fate. Isn't that ironic?"
"Yeah, ironic... A-anyway, Nanoha, why did you come to tell me this so suddenly? You said you've known her for a few months now. So then...?"
"Ah! Yes, that's right. Well, tonight I went to see her as usual, but this time she didn't want to let me go..." Nanoha smiled to herself. "She can be a selfish little thing. So, I agreed to stay with her. I'm going to be staying with a human girl that I fell in love with." She looked Precia straight in the eyes. "I guess I wanted to tell you because I can barely believe it myself."
Cloudy purple orbs stared back into shimmering sapphire ones. "Wow."
"Yeah... I don't really know what to think, myself. I've never felt quite like this before. I said that already, didn't I? Somehow though, I know I really do love her. Ah! And I promised I'd be there when she wakes up, so I really should be going."
Nanoha started to float away from the couch when Precia suddenly caught her by the hand. "Take care of her."
"Eh? Precia?"
"I-it's just-! Hearing you talk about her... I haven't seen you happy like that in decades. So please don't squander this chance. Please, Hime-san... take care of her?"
Nanoha nodded firmly, floating away as her hand was released. "Don't worry. I promise I will. Goodnight, Precia-chan. And don't call me that anymore." Though her scolding came with a gentle smile.
"Sorry. Goodnight, Nanoha."
The older demoness shed the clothing she had summoned as her demonic features came back into being, bat-like wings wrapping around herself until, like a puff of smoke, she was gone; vanished into thin air.
Precia closed her eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. "Please... take care of my daughter."
A/N: So now you've seen what happens before and after Window Watching. You might not know how important it was for me to establish Precia's place in all this, but it's necessary for what's coming. If you're really keeping up with my stories (I can't tell you how much it means to me if you are) then you've got questions. Precia is a demon, Nanoha says Fate isn't; what's going on here?! Buckle up folks, we've got a bombshell coming. A big reveal and a big story are on the horizon. Till next time!