A/N: Just a short little friendship/fluff chapter between Asuna and Negi, because there really aren't enough, and they're impossible to find. I don't mind Konoka and Setsuna, but there are a billion of them. Hell, every other fic is a KonoSetsu fic! I don't even mind Negi/Nodoka or Negi/harem fics, but Yue is my limit. After watching the anime, I can't stand her. Oh, and also, this is set anytime after the festival in the manga or anywhere later in the anime, after the first time Asuna catches Takahata and Shizuna. Ahem, so on with my first Nahou Sensei Negima fanfiction!!!!
A Change of Heart
Asuna sighed into the top of her pillow and buried her head into it once again, the backlash of emotions she had kept tightly in check through the day welling up and bursting through her. A stab of pain went straight to her heart as she recalled a scene she had witnessed earlier that day, another of Takahata-sensei and Shizuna-sensei's secret dates. This time they had been a bit more intimate with one another, and she was thankful they'd been too busy kissing to notice her dumbfounded stare.
She remembered how she had wished for Takahata-sensei to be her first kiss, for him to have looked at her like that, but now she knew better. Even her dreams of having him be her first kiss had vanished a few months ago when she agreed to Negi's pactio. Now any hopes she had had were gone, and somehow she found herself wanting to blame it all on Negi and his clothes-ripping sneezes and stupid Latin Pactios.
She paused for a moment and sighed, she knew she was being too harsh on him; Negi had never done anything to purposely hurt her. He had done his best to keep anything from happening to her in fact. Still, the pain of giving up her love for Takahata was looking for someone to blame, and it was turning out to be a battle between herself and Negi.
Biting the edge of her much abused pillow, she grew irritated at herself for being so stupid and silly. Growling aloud at her confusion of whom to blame, the said young Mage chose that precise moment to come in, arriving from an afternoon shopping with Konoka and Setsuna.
"Why hello Asuna-san! How was your day? You hadn't come back from your paper route when we left... Asuna-san?"
She was vaguely aware of the thin stream of tears that had broken through as Negi had spoken. Of course she hadn't been back; she'd been struck by seeing them, Takahata and Shizuna.
"Asuna-san are you alright? Did something happen? What's wrong? Why are you crying?!" Negi yelled, he was in his panic mode, like he always was when he didn't know the cause of things.
Asuna chuckled a little bit; she hadn't given the little brat enough credit. "I'm fine Negi; I just had a moment, okay? Nothing is wrong."
Negi stopped his ranting and seemed to see her wiping off the tears, "Are you sure Asuna-san? I thought I heard you growl when I came in. Did I do something to upset you?"
Asuna blushed, "Eh? No, that wasn't about you Negi. It's fine, okay?"
The relief he felt was visible on his face as he relaxed into a cheerful smile and began chattering away about the shopping trip. Asuna smiled and nodded in the right places, only half listening to Konoka and Setsuna's scandals.
Negi-bozu I'm sorry I wanted to blame you, she thought, I need to shoulder my own problems. You really are something else, to be so kind and worry about me like that. Maybe Nodoka and Ayaka aren't crazy after all..."Asuna-san? Asuna-saaan?!" Negi called.
"Whoops, guess I blanked out there. Sorry Negi-kun!" she replied.
"Are you sure you're alright Asuna-san? You aren't quite acting yourself, and Chamo said you didn't come back from your route till late this afternoon. Please tell me Asuna, what's wrong?"
Asuna sighed, "Really Negi, it's nothing; I was just forgetting it, okay? Come on; let's talk about something else, please."
"Asuna-san!!!!!! Me and Se-chan have gifts and sweets!!!!" Konoka's voice called from the door. That signaled the official end to the discussion, at least until they were alone again. Negi nodded as Asuna called out "All right, bring 'em in!!!"
It wasn't until much later that evening that the topic relatively came up again. Negi woke in the middle of the night to the tossing and turning of Asuna on her bed. Climbing up to check on her he desperately tried to wake her out of whatever nightmare had ahold of her.
As her eyes slid open and she saw Negi, she didn't quite register that she was now awake and away from the nightmare. A small gasp escaped her lips and she grabbed Negi in the tightest grasp she could manage. He squeaked at this and felt pressure build up in his head, but all the same he wrapped his small arms around her.
"Negi-kun, I thought you were gone. I thought everyone was gone. I'm so sorry Negi-kun."
She pushed herself up and was forcefully wiping any spare tears from her eyes and fixing him with a powerful gaze, and he quailed slightly under it. "Asuna-san, what are you talking about, you've done nothing wrong! Did I do something? I'm sorry if I made you think…" he went off and she had to hug him again to get him to stop.
"Negi-bozu, stop. I thought you were supposed to be smart, but if you think you're the one who needs to apologize, then you're dead wrong. I'm sorry Negi, for everything, I've been so mean to you and you've been nothing but nice. I just can't help thinking about everything we've been through, and I don't want to know what would happen if something happened to you or Konoka, or Setsuna, or even Chamo-kun that stupid perverted rat."
Chamo shifted in his sleep slightly and his dreams suddenly turned to ermine-eating underware, and Negi looked at Asuna tried to figure out what brought this onslaught of regret forward and realized that both Takahata and Shizuna had been out that morning when he and Konoka and Setsuna had gone by.
Instead of answering anything directly he just gave her his best smile, "We have been through quite a lot, haven't we Asuna-san? I never imagined that any of these things would happen to me when I came to Japan, and I never thought that I would make such wonderful friends with everyone here. I wasn't sure what to expect really, I was so nervous about what kind of mage and teacher I would be. But then I met you, and despite all those awkward things I put you through, you still helped me and tried to be my friend. I'm really happy to have a best friend like you Asuna-san, and you have no reason to be sorry for anything."
After he finished, she was looking away and they settled into a semi-comfortable silence and the enormity of their relationship dawn over the two of them. They were each others partners and had been for some time, they were also close friends and they each respected the other. And underneath it all, they each sensed something more.
After some time, Asuna asked very, very quietly, "Negi, would you stay up here tonight? I sleep easier with you near."
He smiled at her and nodded, "Absolutely Asuna-san."
They curled under the warm covers and she held him lightly, almost protecting him. And suddenly she realized why she was doing that, it was her place. She was supposed to watch over him, and be his partner, and make sure he had time to enjoy himself. Asuna smiled to herself, she knew her place, and felt better because of it, she wanted to help Negi-kun.
Looking at him, he seemed to be asleep. She scooted closer to his warmth, the winters chill sneaking in through even the blankets, and a thought slipped through her loose and tired mind.
On the edge of consciousness, she mumbled, "Ayaka and Nodoka-sans have had the right idea all along…"
As she slipped into her dreams her lips brushed across his own. Negi's eyes shot open in the dark half-light, barely registering the fact that Asuna was falling asleep. He felt her smile against his lips and recalled the last thing she had said, Ayaka and Nodoka-sans have had the right idea all along…
"I think I could handle liking you Asuna," he whispered leaving off the honorific, realizing he'd given Nodoka a much less promising answer. Slowly, and for the first time he had done so willingly on his own, Negi brushed his lips against Asuna's already close ones. After a few moments, they'd both fallen asleep like that, willingly. Their peace was not disturbed for several hours until Asuna once more had to leave for her paper route.
Asuna smiled as she closed the door; she'd made no theatrical fuss about him that morning, and she'd rather enjoyed their talk the night before. It'd helped her feel better, and who knew where they'd go from here? Sighing, she walked off out of the dorms, and suddenly she was aware she wasn't all that bothered anymore about seeing Takahata the morning prior, she was going to hang out with Negi later on, before they both had to go back to school the next day. Besides, Takahata was happy with Shizuna, but that didn't mean Asuna couldn't be happy too.
Alright, let me know what you think, I know it's a tad bit OOC but what Negima isn't? I mean, I just know I get sick of all the AsuNegi stories when they profess their undying love, I mean he's TEN. Its bad enough Nodoka did it, and I can stretch and see someone with him (ASUNA) because it'd be no fun otherwise, but seriously? Love? Nah… Oh well, I won't complain about what few AsuNegi's there are, cause I'm a fan and I just want any really. Come on fellow writers! Well, first things first, review! I may write more!!!!! *Please?*