AN: I've been trying to finish this for weeks. I was aiming to have this out as a Christmas surprise but that didn't work out. At least I got it done before the end of the year right? I hope you enjoy this tale of Nanoha and Fate being adorable as ever.
Cram School and Graffiti
There comes a time in every person's life when they realize there are truly more boring things than watching paint dry. For Nanoha, that time came in the form of her math class. Nothing could beat her professor's monotone lecture about formulas or something. She couldn't be sure. A good portion of the class was spent trying to stay awake, however that wasn't what concerned her the most. Her inability to pay attention in her cram school sessions pointed to bad things to come. She would be screwed come exam time. Plain and simple. Getting into college would be a lot harder with horrible test results. Nanoha stared blankly ahead of her, hoping she looked alert enough. The professor caught on to her sleeping habits and began calling on her to answer random questions. As if sensing something amiss, the monotone woman drew her gaze to Nanoha for a few seconds before flicking back to the book in her hand. One bullet dodged. Mentally patting herself on the back, Nanoha looked down at her own book. Reading didn't enthuse her any more than listening to the white noise in this class.
Her eyes drifted from the book to her desk. She inspected every inch of it in an effort to kill time. The desk had definitely seen better days. Scratches along the surface looked like nothing at first until she looked closer. Not all of it was random damage. Little doodles were carved into various areas. One in particular caught her eye. A little stick figure asleep on a desk. How perfect. At least she wasn't the only one bored to death. Returning her attention to the teacher, Nanoha took note that class was almost over. She quickly wrote down the homework assignment her teacher gave out. She may not pay attention but she could at least do the assignment. A victorious day, in her opinion, since she'd been able to stay awake. As she packed, Nanoha looked at the doodles on the desk again. A sudden urge came to her. Taking her pencil out, she wrote a quick "hi" near the top right corner. She had no idea why. It just felt like the thing to do. At least she was more considerate by using a pencil. There would be no permanent property damage done on this day.
By the time Nanoha returned to cram school, she'd completely forgotten about her impulsive message. Imagine her surprise when she happened to look at that particular corner of her desk.
An elegant "hello" now greeted her back.
She stared at the word all through class. Before she knew it, the teacher dismissed them for the night. Packing her things at a slower pace, Nanoha tried to think of what to do. Someone responded. Should she continue the conversation? It would be easy to just forget about this. Who knew what kind of person answered her. For all she knew, this person could be a creeper. Still something told her that maybe that wasn't the case. For one, the penmanship of this person gave her the feeling of someone very tidy and perhaps a bit shy.
Unsure of what else to write, she instead asked: boy or girl?
Nanoha found herself really looking forward to her next class.
xxx
Fate looked down at the very simple question on her desk.
Boy or girl?
It wasn't a difficult question to answer, but she found herself hesitating. Who was this person suddenly corresponding with her? In all honesty, Fate hadn't expected a response to her greeting. In fact she couldn't remember why she even bothered to reply. The plan had been to just erase the word since the graffiti was in pencil for once. It took her of all of her class time to finally settle on her next course of action.
Girl. You?
She took one final look at her response before willing herself away from the classroom. Maybe there would be no response this time. The thought brought her down a bit.
Fate never felt so nervous going to class the following day. She even considered skipping her lesson, but would never jeopardize her studies. It was silly for her to worry about what she'd find. Much to her surprise, her mysterious pen pal wrote back.
I'm a girl too. :)
A small smile made its way to her lips. A girl. That cleared some of the mystery. It still didn't tell her much, but it would do for now. Better a girl than a boy. Not that she had a problem with members of the opposite sex, but with her naturally shy personality, she found it simpler speaking to other girls. That didn't mean walking up to any girl and having a conversation with them came easy. Sometimes Fate cursed her shyness. Sitting back down she wondered what to write next. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad to get to know this person. Clearly they were both taking this cram course for school. She must be a student around her age. Unfortunately it would be hard to narrow down which school she might attend since this particular one accepted many students from around the district.
My name is Fate.
Introducing herself was a start, not to mention, the polite thing to do.
xxx
"Fate-chan."
"Is there something you'd like to share with the class Takamachi-san?"
Nanoha jumped in her seat.
"Uh, no ma'am."
The teacher narrowed her eyes at Nanoha but did not push the issue. Nanoha sighed in relief. She didn't realize she spoke so loud. Returning her gaze to the writing on the desk, she said the name again, albeit a lot quieter.
"Fate-chan…"
She couldn't believe it. Part of her thought their conversation would end after her last message. Yet here she was, with a name to go with the writing. Fate. What a pretty name. Almost ironic considering the circumstances of their meeting. Nanoha spent the rest of class trying to picture what Fate looked like. Was she tall? Short? With all her daydreaming, Nanoha almost forgot to write back.
My name is Nanoha.
Nanoha never thought she'd actually enjoy going to cram school. She and Fate's corresponding was unorthodox, but it worked well for them. They'd learned quite a bit about each other from their short messages. Nanoha received confirmation they went to different schools. A bit disappointing since she hoped to seek her out. Fate though, attended Mid High while she went to Uminari. The two schools were within the same district and the cram school happened to be conveniently between them. Nanoha took her usual seat. Messages weren't the only things they left for each other. They also played games. Currently, the two were engaged in a very intense game of tic tac toe. Nanoha frowned. Fate didn't take her turn. An uneasy feeling settle in her chest as she looked down at the game.
This was the first time something like this happened. She spent her whole class wondering what to do. This incident made it painfully obvious of the disadvantage of their method of communication. Maybe Fate fell ill. Several of her classmates were out recently because of the flu. The classroom was the perfect place to be exposed to diseases. Not knowing or having a way to find out made sitting through class harder. For the next couple days, being in class didn't get better. It only made her worry more. Not to mention her imagination began to run wild. Finally, on the day before their weekend, her worries were put at ease.
Sorry! I was sick. :(
Relief flooded through her. Fate had just come down with something. This still didn't solve the problem of not being able to tell each other sooner. Nanoha wasn't sure she could deal with waiting days again if Fate disappeared again like that. Talking as they had been made their relationship special, but maybe it was time to change things. Before leaving Nanoha wrote down her email.
xxx
Fate stared at her desk for her entire class period. This was a curve ball. So far their interactions were, in her opinion, at a comfortable level. She didn't feel the need to change anything anytime soon. Of course eventually there would be no choice but to do something about their situation. The semester was soon to end. When that time came, a decision needed to be made: continue their correspondence or let it become a memory.
This was too soon for her. Fate didn't know what to do.
xxx
Nanoha was in a bad mood. Her eyes glared at her desk. A week. That's how long it'd been since she left her email for Fate. For the first couple days, were an anxious wait to hear from the other girl and yet she got nothing. No email or even any message on their precious desk. Her anxiousness quickly gave way to anger. Not anger directed at Fate but at the situation they were in. Nanoha didn't like to just sit back and wait. It wasn't in her nature. Nodding to herself, Nanoha settled on her next course of action. She was going to find Fate. Their friendship hadn't even gotten started and they were already drifting apart. She'd be damned if she let that happen.
Class couldn't end soon enough. Instead of bolting out the door like usual, Nanoha went straight to her teacher.
"Yes Miss Takamachi?"
"Umm, is there a girl named Fate in this class?"
Her teacher pinned Nanoha with a suspicious look.
"Why do you need to know?"
How was she going to explain her situation? Would her teacher actually give her any information? She doubted telling her she was looking for a complete stranger would work, however a little white lie wouldn't hurt right?
"Well we have class on different days but we happen to share the same desk. I left my notes there the other day. They're not there anymore and I'm hoping she has them."
"Why don't you just call her?"
Because I don't have her number!
"Nyahaha, I got a new phone and didn't back up my numbers." Nanoha smiled nervously. She hoped that was convincing enough.
Her teacher sighed.
"Miss Takamachi, I would advise to be more careful with such things in the future, however I cannot give you a student's personal information regardless of your relationship."
Her cheeks flushed involuntarily at the mention of relationship. At this point, she just hoped Fate wanted her in her life in some form.
"Not even an email?"
"I'm sorry Miss Takamachi but I can't help you."
Nanoha's nervous smile fell. Her one chance to be able to get a hold of Fate had failed. What was she supposed to do now? Forget about her?
"Be patient." Nanoha snapped out of her gloomy thoughts. Her attention shifted to her teacher. "Miss Testarossa is not what I'd call a social butterfly. She is incredibly shy, but I don't see her as the type to just disappear on a friend. Give her time. She'll come to you."
"Ah, thank you." Nanoha was unsure what else to say about the advice. Testarossa. So that was Fate's last name. Maybe she could use this. They may go to different schools, but she did know someone who went to Fate's school. "I better go now."
The teacher shook her head as Nanoha ran out of the class room. Standing up from her seat, she made her way over to Nanoha's desk. Looking down at the surface she smiled slightly. Nanoha may think she was being sneaky but she knew the situation. For the past few weeks, she'd watched her best student become distracted with the writing on her desk. She'd thought of saying something to both of them but watching Fate enthusiastically come to class made her reconsider. It was also the reason she let Fate's last name slip. She hoped whatever happened between the two girls was resolved soon because her best student lack of focus increased since Nanoha left her email.
xxx
"So to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"
"Oh you know, just wanted to say hi."
"Nanoha please. It's been weeks since you called."
Nanoha winced slightly at that. That was one of the things that sucked about going to different schools. Hayate Yagami became a really good friend to her during elementary and middle school. Sadly the two girls chose to go to different high school for various reasons. Usually, talking and getting together on weekends wasn't such a big deal, especially during their first year of high school, however it was their last year before college. Both girls were incredibly busy getting ready for exams that were vital to their future choice of universities. There was very little time to just talk or hang out. They did their best to at least message each other through the week to keep up to date on their lives.
"Oh alright fine. I need your help."
"That's what I thought. So, how can the great Hayate Yagami be of service?"
Nanoha rolled her eyes. "I need you to find someone for me."
"Hmm, Nanoha I know my grandpa may work for the government but I don't think I can abuse his power like that."
"I doubt you need to use his power to find this person." Hayate never said exactly what her grandfather did, but none of her friends felt the need to pry. It was important position from what they knew. "She goes to your school."
"Ah okay that's different then. What's her name?"
"Fate Testarossa."
"You're looking for Fate-chan?"
The way Hayate said her name so familiarly shocked her at first. It only lasted for a second before irritation set in.
"You know Fate-chan?" Nanoha tried not to sound irritated. Hayate would pick up on it. Why did she suddenly feel like this towards her friend? It shouldn't really surprise her that Fate had other friends.
"Yeah she's in student council with me. She's my vice president actually. How do you know her?"
Nanoha could picture the sly grin Hayate probably sported. Hayate was so good at getting information from people. Good thing she wasn't a notorious gossiper. It would be the bane of a lot of people's existence if she were.
"Spill the beans Nanoha or I'll get it out of Fate-chan instead."
Nanoha sighed. There was no way out of this situation. It would be better to be honest anyway, lest her friend think she was randomly stalking someone. Thus Nanoha began her tale of her anonymous message on the desk.
"And it took you this long to give her your email?"
"I was worried about being too forward!" Nanoha pouted. "She's never brought it up either…"
"Yeah Fate-chan isn't the type of person to ask a random stranger for their email, much less their name. It's cute how shy she is."
Irritation welled up in her again.
"Nyahaha, so can you help me?"
"Of course! How about we all meet up this weekend for karaoke?"
"Eh? We?"
Hayate gasped. "Nanoha I'm hurt. It's been so long and yet you are already replacing me with someone you've never met! Oh what cruel FATE!"
Nanoha groaned. "Hayate that was a terrible pun."
"It was a great pun and you know it!"
"Alright, alright. I'll invite Suzuka and Arisa."
"Great! I'll get Fate-chan's sister to help me convince her to come along. She works too hard sometimes. The girls needs to learn to have some fun."
"Fate-chan has a sister?"
"I think Fate-chan would like to be the one to tell you about herself."
"Oh fine. So see you this weekend?"
"Yup! Meet at the place downtown at 2pm. Don't be late!"
xxx
Fate begrudgingly followed her sister through the train station. Why was she going to this get together?
"Oh come on Fate. Try to look at least a little bit excited." Alicia playfully bumped her shoulder against her. "One day of fun isn't going to kill you."
"I had important things to do."
"Like moping around all weekend like the world was going to end?"
Fate frowned. Alicia just smirked in victory as the sisters continued to walk to their destination. For the last week or so, Fate did a great job of impersonating a kicked puppy. Dragging herself around the house, unmotivated to do anything except lay in bed. Alicia couldn't remember the last time Fate look so depressed. She tried to get Fate to talk to her but to no avail. It wasn't until her girlfriend called her with some very juicy details that things fell into place. It seemed that Fate was having trouble talking to a girl in her cram school. For a second she thought Fate was only a message away from getting a girlfriend, but Hayate dispelled those notions. This other girl, Nanoha, only wanted to become friends with her. Still this was progress. Fate was incredibly shy to the point that all the friends she had were made through Alicia. Hayate being one of those people. Although Alicia had the feeling even if she'd never dated the younger girl, Hayate would take it upon herself to befriend her sister anyway.
"Ah there's Hayate!"
Alicia quickened her pace. Fate rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. Alicia graduated a year before them. College took up a good chunk of her time, much like exams were taking up her and Hayate's. Their limited time together made her appreciate any moment they could make to spend with each other.
"Alicia!" Hayate enthusiastically greeted her girlfriend with a hug, which quickly led to both of them kissing.
Fate looked away; embarrassed at the public display of affection. The urge to tell them to get a room was strong.
"Sorry Fate-chan, too much stimulation for you?" Hayate teased.
"Shut up." Fate pouted.
"Brighten up! My other friends should be here any moment."
Fate didn't understand why she had to meet these other people. Alicia pretty much let her know she had no choice but to come along. When she asked why, Alicia informed her that Hayate wanted to introduce her to some friends. A flimsy reason if she ever heard one. There had to be an ulterior motive for her being there, but had been unable to figure it out. Fate could have fought harder to not join her friend and sister; there really was nothing keeping her from refusing. Yet there she was, waiting awkwardly to the side. Fate really needed to learn how to say no.
"There they are!"
Hayate waved over to three girls. Fate didn't pay much attention to them and instead let her mind drift to her dilemma with Nanoha. The first person she'd made an effort to talk to, even if it was by unconventional means, was at an end. Too much time passed for her to make things right, at least that's what it felt like. She couldn't even bring herself to write something on their desk. Every class would end with her staring at the email address, which she'd yet to erase. Fate no longer knew what to do. She could go to Alicia for advice; her sister even asked her what was wrong. She didn't know what was holding her back at this point. There was nothing to lose, except Nanoha's friendship if she continued to stall. Fate was rudely brought out of her thoughts with a slap to the back of her head.
"Ow! Hayate!"
"I'm trying to introduce you."
"Sorry." Fate faced the group of three girls. She shouldn't be rude to them. It wasn't their fault she was having an internal crisis.
"Anyway," Hayate faced her friends again. "Girls, this is my girlfriends little sister Fate."
"Hello." All three greeted politely, although the last girl in the group looked like she was about to burst. From what? Fate had no idea.
"Fate these are my friends from elementary school." Hayate began with the blonde girl on the left. "This is Arisa Bannings, Suzuka Tsukimura, and Nanoha Takamachi."
Fate stared at Nanoha. Mouth opening and closing but unable to find the words she wanted. There was no way. It just couldn't be possible. Of all the people Hayate could introduce her to, it couldn't possibly be her Nanoha.
"N-Nanoha?" Fate managed to stutter.
"Hi Fate-chan." Nanoha smiled, unsure if Fate's reaction was good or bad. "I'm glad you still remember me."
Without really thinking, Fate stepped forward taking Nanoha's hands into her own.
"I-I'd never forget you!"
Having Fate this close, she couldn't help but notice how pretty she was. With her height, Nanoha could easily picture Fate being a model. Although, with how shy everyone said she was, that probably was the least desirable career choice. What really caught her attention were those eyes. A peculiar shade of red and very expressive. They left no doubt that Fate meant what she said. Nanoha found herself feeling warmer than before.
"Ahem."
Both girls turned their attention away from each other. Hayate and their other friends stood off to the side watching the two with different reactions. Hayate, arms crossed with a smirk; Alicia trying her best not to laugh. Arisa just looked irritated with Suzuka smiling mysteriously at the two.
"I hate to break up this love-fest, but" Hayate smirk never left her lips. "I thought we were going to do some karaoke."
Fate finally became aware of what she'd done. She released Nanoha's hands; jumping back in the process. Face bright red, attempting to stammer out an apology. For her part, Nanoha was more upset by the fact Fate moved so far away from her. She threw Hayate a quick glare for ruining such a good moment.
"Nanoha please stop attempting to kill me with your eyes."
"Don't worry Hayate-chan, I will protect you!" Alicia quickly engulfed Hayate in a hug.
"My hero!"
"Guys please," Fate managed to pull herself together. "I'm embarrassed enough as it is."
"You're no fun Fate-chan." Hayate disentangled herself from Alicia. "But I can understand why you two are so anxious to get to know each other better."
Fate's cheeks flushed with color while Nanoha laughed nervously. The four girls herded Nanoha and Fate into the building before they could lose themselves in each other again. Fate may have had her doubts at the beginning, but things turned out for the best. She truly did enjoy herself plus she got to be around Nanoha. It was just a shame there were no good opportunities to talk alone, however, that did give her a chance to get to know more about not just Hayate, but the other girls as well. Hearing all the stories about their time in elementary and middle school left her feeling a bit envious. Up until middle school, Alicia and Fate were home schooled. Mainly due to her mother's paranoia about strangers kidnapping her precious babies. It took a long time, but Alicia and Fate were able to convince their mother that no one was out to take them.
Having been sheltered for so long, both girls found it difficult to make friends at first. Alicia came out of her shell far faster than Fate, managing to make friends with her classmates. Fate found herself clinging to Alicia a lot more after her failed attempts. It wasn't all terrible. She met Hayate because of her. Fate hoped to one day be able to share a long friendship with someone as well. Their karaoke time was soon to expire, giving the girls a chance to mingle amongst themselves for the last few minutes. Fate was thankful that Arisa and Suzuka were pretty engaged in whatever Hayate and Alicia showed them on Hayate's phone. This was her chance to speak with Nanoha and clear up any more misunderstandings.
"Nanoha?"
"Yes Fate-chan?"
Fate scooted closer to Nanoha, lowering her voice a bit as to not attract attention to them. "I want to apologize."
"For what?"
"Because I never tried to contact you." Fate held her hands together in her lap. "I'm sorry."
Nanoha covered Fate's hands with her own. Startled, Fate chanced a glance at the girl next to her.
"I'm not mad." She smiled kindly.
"B-but if you hadn't tried to find me I we probably wouldn't be here. I would have disappeared on you."
"No you wouldn't."
"Yes I would!"
Nanoha gently cupped Fate's face. An unexpected action, but Fate didn't try to move away. Oddly enough, she felt safe with her. Something you don't usually feel with someone you just met.
"You wouldn't."
"How can you say that?" Confusion filled her. Nanoha knew nothing about her and yet she placed this much faith in her. Why?
"Because I believe in you." Nanoha giggled. "Although I did get impatient and looked for you instead. I guess I should apologize to for invading your privacy."
"You don't have to apologize!" Fate took Nanoha's hands into her own. "I'm glad you did." Fate took a deep breathe. "I still think I at least owe you an explanation."
Nanoha nodded, encouraging Fate to go on.
"I got scared. I'm not very good at making friends. In fact, I don't think I've ever made a friend all on my on without Alicia's help. I guess I was afraid that you'd get to know me and come to find that I'm not the kind of person you'd like."
"That could never happen." Nanoha tightened her grip on Fate's hands. "Because even with just our messages, I could tell Fate-chan was someone I wanted in my life. It's why I wasn't going to give up until I found you."
"Nanoha." That was the first time someone told her she was worth knowing. Fate felt the tears stinging her eyes.
Fate and Nanoha continued to smile at each other, completely oblivious to the world around them.
"AHEM!"
The two girls jumped in their seats. Arisa stood before them, glaring.
"If this is going to become a problem we'll need to keep you two apart."
"Eh?" Nanoha and Fate had no idea what Arisa referred to.
"They're trying to get to know each other." Suzuka attempted to placate her best friend. "Let them have their moment."
"Nanoha!" Alicia pulled Nanoha from her seat and away from Fate; pinning the younger girl with a glare. "I won't hand over my baby sister so easily. You'll have to work harder than that."
"Alicia!" Fate stood up. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm protecting you!"
"You've lost your mind!"
"Now, now, let's just all calm down." Suzuka, being the voice of reason, convinced Alicia to let Nanoha go, for now at least. The group soon found themselves outside saying their good-byes.
"I'm sorry about my sister. She's over protective sometimes."
"It's okay. I don't blame her. I mean, I'd be a bit suspicious of a stranger talking to my sister the way we were."
"About that," Fate held out her hand. "Can I see your phone for a second?"
Nanoha didn't even ask what for. She just gave it to Fate, fully trusting whatever she was about to do. She hoped that Fate would enter her email. Nothing would make her happier. She'd yet receive something in response after all. Fate returned Nanoha's phone with a smile.
"I think it's only fair that I gave you something as well. Bye Nanoha."
"Bye Fate-chan."
Nanoha stood in the middle of the sidewalk, watching until Fate was no longer in her view.
"Earth to Nanoha!" Arisa bumped shoulders with her zoned out friend. "Geez, it's like you're in love or something."
"Nyahaha, I don't know what you're talking about."
Arisa rolled her eyes. She had a feeling Fate and Nanoha were going to give her more trouble than she originally thought.
"Sure. Whatever you say. So what did Blondie give you?"
Nanoha opened up her phone scrolling through her contacts.
"S-She gave me her phone number!"
She was wrong, this definitely made her happier.
xxx
Nanoha unceremoniously plopped down face first onto her bed. It was finally over. After weeks of agonizing and preparing, her tests were complete. Graduation was upon her and college just around the corner. For the moment though, she didn't want to have to think about anything in the future. She felt, she deserved a nice break. No more thinking about tests or college applications. If possible, she wanted to lay in bed for the rest of the day. A muffled melody began to play. Without getting up, her hands aimlessly searched for the noisy object. It didn't take long for her to dig her phone out of the black hole she called a purse. Turning her head just enough to see the screen, Nanoha smiled at who messaged her.
Done with exams?
It was Fate. Rolling onto her back, she held the phone over head as she wrote back.
'I am. What about you?'
She didn't have to wait very long for a reply.
I'm done as well. I hope I did okay.
Nanoha couldn't help but roll her eyes. Fate was too modest sometimes. Only average students did okay. Fate definitely did not fall under such a category.
'Fate-chan you probably aced your tests.'
She on the other hand may be no genius, but she was confident to have passed most of her subjects with math being the only one she felt iffy on. Know this, Fate gave her some last minute tutoring. She could only hope that was enough.
I don't know about that. How did math go?
Nanoha thought back to that particular test. It'd been a challenge; no doubt about that, however she did answer all the question. That had to count for something.
'I answered every question so hopefully I did well.'
She needed to get a gift for Fate. To thank her for helping. She didn't have to and it certainly cut into her own study time, but Fate wouldn't take no for an answer.
That's good. I'm glad.
Nanoha could practically picture the blonde's relieved smile. Fate was too good to her. There had to be a better way to thank her than just a gift. Looking over to her desk, Nanoha spotted a magazine. With much effort, she stood up. Taking the magazine off her desk, she stared at the cover. It was for an amusement park. They'd opened up recently close to her home. She flipped through the magazine, seeing if anything interesting jumped out at her. It looked like a fun place. This was perfect.
'Are you busy this weekend Fate-chan?'
No. Why?
Nanoha smiled.
I want you to come somewhere with me.
xxx
Fate leaned against a wall. She was early. A little too early. Normally she would time her arrival much better but her nerves got to her. This was the first time she and Nanoha were going to hanging out. Together. Alone. Alicia made it a habit to "escort" Fate around when Nanoha was involved. If she was unable to, Hayate, Arisa, or Suzuka always seemed to go along. Fate sighed. She wasn't completely oblivious as to why Alicia suddenly became overprotective. Everyone kept dropping hints, but Fate didn't have the confidence to do something like confess. She still feared what would happen if Nanoha didn't return her feelings. Her first friend and she had to go and fall for her.
"Fate-chan!"
Pushing herself forward, she greeted Nanoha with a smile. Nanoha in turn, threw her arms around the unsuspecting blonde.
"N-Nanoha?" Fate was glad that Nanoha could not see her blushing face.
"I missed you Fate-chan."
Her blush intensified. She quickly hugged back before Nanoha noticed something was wrong.
"I missed you too Nanoha."
Despite her feelings, she truly did miss seeing her friend. After their first meeting, much of their interaction was through text. Leaving messages on the desk became a rarity; mainly due to the fact that others started leaving random messages as well. It definitely annoyed Nanoha. You didn't just interrupt two people having a conversation on the street, why would it be any different here? Without having messages to distract her, Nanoha found her lessons become boring again. To give her something to look forward to, Fate sometimes left her special notes hidden in the desk. Many consisted of drawings Fate made if she ever grew bored of class. They never failed to put a smile on Nanoha's face. With their grueling exams done, Fate was happy to have this time with her crush. She hoped Alicia didn't catch on to where she actually went to. Hayate, Arisa, and Suzuka promised to cover for them so they could hang out. Even if she didn't gather her courage to confess, this was her chance to just be alone with Nanoha.
"Let's go in. There's so much to do!"
Nanoha did not exaggerate. The park had many different types of attractions and rides to satisfy a wide range of people. The two poured over the map, planning out their day. They would not be able to do everything, but they wanted to definitely check out some of the rides. Fate in particular, wanted to ride the roller coasters.
"I didn't know you liked those types of rides." Nanoha commented on their way to the roller coaster Fate had her eye on.
"I enjoy fast things. If mom allowed it, I'd get a motorcycle."
"But those are dangerous!"
"Maybe, but I guess I am a bit of a speed freak."
"Fate-chan, I think you'd give me a heart attack if you ever got one of those."
Fate chuckled. She imaged several people would have a heart attack. Alicia wasn't any more supportive of the idea than her mother.
"I wouldn't worry. Between you, mom, and Alicia, I think I'll never get one." Fate paused. "But that doesn't mean I won't get a fast car."
"I think I can live with that."
Nanoha and Fate patiently waited in line for their turn to ride the metal monster before them. Fate more nervous considering this would be her firs time riding one. As if sensing her unease, Nanoha gripped Fate's hand.
"I'll be right there with you."
The tension in her body faded. Smiling in turn, they stepped onto the cart. The start of the ride definitely ramped up the anticipation. Slowly and steadily, the cart chugged along its rails up a hill that only seemed to go higher. Fate could feel her heart beat in her ears. The cart stopped atop the hill, giving Fate and Nanoha a good view of the drop they were about to take. Everything seemed to go still before the world blurred around them. Fate's grip on the hand rail tightened as the cart continued to jerk and whirl them through its predetermined path. It ended almost as soon as it began. Fate and Nanoha laughed.
"That was amazing!" Fate eagerly pulled Nanoha along to get back in line. "Let's do it again!"
"How about we try something different?"
Not that Nanoha didn't enjoy the roller coaster. It was one of her many favorite rides, but she didn't want them to spend too much time on one ride and not have time for the others they wanted to go on. Fate found herself being pulled away from the ride. She allowed Nanoha to lead her to their next destination without complaint. She didn't really care what she did as long as it was with Nanoha. The day went on, going from ride to ride, food stall to food stall. Fate couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun. The sky grew dark by the time Nanoha and Fate sat down for a break. Their view of the sun set was nothing short of beautiful, however, Fate's gaze kept darting to the person beside her.
"Did you have fun Fate-chan?"
"Uh, yes! This was probably the most fun I've had in a long time."
"I'm glad." Nanoha faced forward again.
Fate tried to focus on the scenery before her. She really did. Sitting so close to Nanoha made her aware just how much her heart hammered against her chest. What should she do? How much longer could she hold back her feeling back? Forever? Even if that were possible, would that make her happy? Would she be okay if someone else took Nanoha away? Fate's hands balled into fists. The thought didn't sit well with her, especially if she didn't even try. Despite her fear, or the outcome, Fate knew what she needed to do. A weight settled on her side. It startled her at first but relaxed when upon realizing it was just Nanoha. She laid her head against Fate's shoulder, completely content.
"You don't mind?" Nanoha asked barely above a whisper.
"N-No."
"If you're uncomfortable-"
"I'm not." Fate cut her off. Leaning her head against Nanoha's she emphasized her point by taking hold of Nanoha's hand. The two remained in comfortable silence, watching the last remnants of day light disappear. Fate's gaze traveled to the sky above. The stars twinkled magnificently, as if to encourage her. Steeling her resolve, Fate nuzzled against Nanoha.
"Can I tell you something?" The butterflies in Fate's stomach chose that very moment to go into a frenzy.
"You can tell me anything Fate-chan."
"I just," The butterflies vanished; a cold feeling took their place, "Don't want you to hate me."
That caught Nanoha's attention. Straightening up, she took a good look at Fate; trying to decipher what upset her.
"I could never hate you Fate-chan. You're my best friend."
Those words really shouldn't have stung. They were true after all. Even knowing each other such a short time, Fate could confidently say Nanoha was her best friend as well.
"Fate-chan?" Nanoha grew worried when Fate became deathly quiet.
"What if I don't want to be just your best friend?"
The question left Nanoha speechless. Did Fate not want to be her friend anymore? She thought things were going great. There would be more time to spend together with summer approaching. She could hardly wait for summer break so they could build even more memories. Nanoha never felt so close to someone as she did with Fate. There had to be a reason Fate wanted to end things here. She wanted to yell at the blonde. Demand an explanation for this turn of events. Instead tears slipped down her face.
"Why Fate-chan?"
Fate snapped to attention.
"Nanoha?" She couldn't believe it. Nanoha was crying. "Nanoha!"
Fate quickly reached out to her, only for Nanoha to pull away. She wanted to panic. This was going very wrong.
"Was it something I did? Something I said?" Nanoha sobbed.
"You haven't done anything wrong!" Fate insisted.
"Then why don't you want to be friends anymore!" she cried in frustration.
"Because of this!"
Fate lunged forward, not giving Nanoha a chance to react. Nanoha didn't know what she expected, but Fate's lips on her own certainly wasn't it. Fate pulled away slowly, her eyes never leaving Nanoha's.
"I don't want to be just your best friend. I want to be more than that." A blush spread across her cheeks. "I-If you'll let me."
Nanoha didn't reply. Instead she claimed Fate's lips once more. Fate's heart soared. This was the best answer she could have hoped for.
"Ah ha!"
The two girls broke apart in surprise. Standing a few feet away from them were some uninvited guests.
"I finally found you!" Alicia stomped towards them. "I told you I wasn't going to hand over my baby sister to you so easily!"
"A-Alicia! What are you doing here?"
Coming to a stop before them, Alicia crossed her arms over her chest.
"I became suspicious when I found this!" Alicia held up a magazine of the amusement park. "I didn't recall you saying anything about coming here with Hayate-chan so I asked her about it."
"More like threatened." Hayate mumbled.
"Did you say something?" Alicia asked in a sweet tone.
"I-I said you were the best and most amazing girlfriend I could ever ask for." Hayate smiled nervously.
"Pfft," Arisa smirked. "Whipped."
Alicia directed her attention back to Nanoha.
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
Nanoha hugged Fate closer to her, causing Alicia to become even more irritated.
"I think I'm lucky to have such a cute girlfriend."
"Eh?" Fate could practically feel the heat radiating from her cheeks. "N-Nanoha!"
Unable to look at anyone, Fate covered her face. Would the embarrassment ever end? Or at least for a hole to swallow her whole. Alicia sighed. Clearly Nanoha wasn't afraid of her. She smiled at that.
"I guess I have no choice then." Alicia held out her hand to Nanoha. "Take care of my sister, okay?"
Nanoha took it without hesitation.
"I won't let you down."
"Good! Because I'll have to hurt you if you do."
"Well now that this is resolved, I think we should go have some fun at the park before it closes." Hayate pointed excitedly towards the rides. She had yet to visit the park and she wasn't about to let this opportunity to go to waste.
"I did drag everyone here. I guess it's not a bad idea." Alicia took Hayate's hand. "Let's go!"
Following their friends lead, Nanoha and Fate walked down the path leading back to the park. Nanoha moved closer to Fate, intertwining their hands together. Fate gently squeezed back. Happy that she took the chance to respond to that greeting on her desk.
AN: I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year! Here's to a more productive 2015!