A/N: I was rewatching the first few episodes of Vivid this past weekend for those wonderful NanoFate scenes, and I thought it would be fun to imagine what really happened during Fate's leave that first time. I didn't think they were going to do the shower scene from the manga, but there it was in all its glory! That left the door wide open for this two-part short story. I have rated this M for mature fluff. Nothing earth shattering happens in this, but it was still fun to write. I hope you enjoy it!
(If you haven't seen any of Vivid yet, the scenes I've referenced in this story are in episodes 1 and 2.)
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.
OUR CERTAIN WORLD
by : ~Nissanity~
Part 1 – Fate
"60 seconds until final docking. Please prepare for landing. I repeat..."
Fate watches as headquarters of the Time-Space Administration Bureau grows larger through the ship's window. Her crimson eyes are focusing on a specific window on the north side of the building, three floors up from the lower level. The blinds are fully drawn up but the window is currently empty. Nanoha has not made her appearance just yet.
Teana Lanster, Fate's longtime partner, moves to stand besides her. She places her hand on her fellow Enforcer's shoulder and smiles out the window. "That sure is a sight for sore eyes, huh?" she says.
"It is," Fate replies. "It's good to be home, even if it is only for one day."
"We might have to 'accidentally' break something on our way out," Teana jokes while looking around the hull of the ship. "It could give us a little more time here on Mid-Childa."
Fate sees her familiar copper-colored hair through the window first, followed by those magnificent sapphire eyes gleaming in the sunlight. When Nanoha sees her standing at her usual window on the ship, she smiles and waves at her. Fate grins and eagerly waves back. In her distraction, she fails to notice that another team member has come to stand beside her at the window.
"Oops! I think we just lost her," Shario Finieno says lightheartedly.
"Yep, it's game over now," Teana shakes her head. Their teasing doesn't seem to register one bit with her partner, though. Teana pats Fate twice on the shoulder to get her attention. "Isn't that right?"
"Huh? What's game over?" she asks. She turns and glances back and forth between the two women on either side of her. They both just grin wider and laugh a little more.
The bridge that docks the ship to the interior mezzanine causes a slight jarring when it attaches to the hull. All three Enforcers grab the nearby handrail to steady themselves until the rocking finishes.
"Never mind all that," Teana says. "Don't you have somewhere to be, Fate?"
Fate looks outside the ship and discovers that Nanoha is no longer at her office window. She immediately backs away from the railing and turns towards the front exit. She begins to walks at a fast pace to leave the ship as quickly as possible.
"See you later, Fate!" Shario calls out behind her. "Tell Nanoha I said hello!"
The blond briefly turns and waves goodbye to her partners. As the distance between them grows, she is sure she hears Teana mention something about 'finally figuring it out'. She is too far away to fully catch what she has just said, though. She figures it is probably a continuation of the teasing she always endures when they return home from a mission.
Once she has exited the ship, she flashes her ID to the officer at the opening of the bridge that leads to the mezzanine. Nanoha is leaning against the railing in her usual spot, waiting to greet her. With a bright smile, she pulls away from the rail when she spots her on the bridge. The sequence during her arrival has become a tradition between the two. Whenever the former TSAB instructor has the opportunity to, she is always the first to welcome Fate home from a mission in this manner.
Even to this day, when Fate sees her best friend waiting for her, her heart soars. To have someone like Nanoha who looks for her first, no matter what the situation is – she understands just how very lucky she is. And it has always been this way with her, ever since the first day they had met.
Fate has barely taken two steps off the ramp when Nanoha tackles her in a fierce hug. "Fate-chan!" she exclaims. Her arms wrap around Fate's rib cage and squeeze tight.
"Nanoha!" the Enforcer responds in equal excitement. "It's so good to see you! You look beautiful."
And she smells just as wonderful as she looks, Fate notes to herself. Nanoha's perfume is a scent she has been wearing for less than a year now. She had chosen it as a more sophisticated version of what she wore when they were teenagers. It quickly became one of Fate's favorite scents on her, and she takes full advantage of their embrace now to experience it once again. In the process, she unintentionally tickles the shorter woman along the neck with her breath.
"Nyahaha!" Nanoha giggles loudly at the sensation. She moves her hands to the back of Fate's arms and grips the brown fabric sleeves in her hands. When she draws back to look at Fate, her face is fully flushed and she is lightly biting her lower lip.
"I'm sorry, Nanoha," Fate says. "I didn't mean to do that."
"It's okay," she replies, still smiling and blushing. "So, um... How was your trip?"
Fate pulls away from Nanoha and starts walking in the direction of the elevators. "It was okay. I'm just really glad to be b-back..."
Nanoha has unexpectedly linked her arm through Fate's while she is talking, causing her to stutter and trail off mid-sentence in response. It's not that she minds the action, but it does surprise her a little. She makes sure to slow her pace to match her companion's as they walk towards the exit.
Until recently, Nanoha had been the one to take the lead, always on to the next goal to conquer. And even though Fate has the longer legs, she often had to hurry her pace to keep up with her headstrong friend wherever they went. But now that Nanoha is a civil servant who only contracts with TSAB occasionally, everything about her has become much more relaxed.
"Does this bother you?" Nanoha asks, lightly squeezing Fate's arm with her other hand.
"Not at all," Fate replies with a smile.
"Good."
The Enforcer suddenly remembers the message she had received that morning. "Oh, were you able to pick up Vivio's device yet?"
"Um-hmm," Nanoha nods. "It's already out in the car. Mariel said to call her if there are any issues during initialization."
"That's great. I really hope Vivio likes it. "
"I'm sure she will."
The two walk arm-in-arm in comfortable silence to Nanoha's SUV in the parking lot. Fate looks back towards headquarters after she opens the door for her passenger. "They were okay with you leaving early?" she asks.
Nanoha carefully climbs inside and settles in to fasten her seat belt. "Yes, it's fine," she replies. "Hayate knew I was only here today to pick you up."
During the process, the green skirt Nanoha is wearing settles high on her thighs as she sits, giving Fate an eyeful from her angle above. She notices that the muscles in her legs seem much more toned than they had ever been before. She can only assume that the time away from work has afforded Nanoha more time to work out.
"Fate-chan?" Nanoha says tentatively.
Fate blinks and shakes her head, realizing she has unintentionally zoned out. "Huh...? Oh, right..." she mumbles.
She quickly shuts the passenger door and crosses in front of the SUV to the driver's side. As she walks, she can feel Nanoha's eyes on her. Turning her head slightly to the left, she catches an amused expression on Nanoha's face as she watches her through the windshield.
Still feeling a bit embarrassed, Fate silently enters through the driver's side door and starts the engine. While pulling the SUV out of the parking lot, she feels Nanoha's hand begin to lightly brush against her cheek. It takes her several seconds to realize her passenger is tucking several of her stray blond hairs behind her ear.
"Y-yes?" she asks. She can feel a self-conscious blush reach the tip of her ear, right where Nanoha's fingertips have just grazed over.
Nanoha shrugs. "Nothing. I just want to see your face more clearly is all."
"Oh... Um, thank you, Nanoha."
"So, tell me more about your mission, Fate-chan," Nanoha then says and leans back into her seat again.
Fate smiles and begins to tell Nanoha of the new planet the Enforcers had been stationed on, as well as the native group that had been so welcoming of their visit. Her voice slightly falters when Nanoha reaches for her hand that is resting on the gearshift between them. She intertwines their fingers, causing Fate even further distraction as she tries to continue describing the significant events of the mission.
The gesture is the third abnormal thing Nanoha has done in the short time since she has gotten back. Although the behavior is odd, Fate also knows that they have been apart for quite some time. Has it been two months? Or was it three? Either way, she can reason the actions are most likely a by-product of Nanoha missing her. And she has certainly missed her best friend as well. She squeezes Nanoha's hand to show that she feels the same way, and she is rewarded with a warm smile from her companion.
Their white two-story home is always a source of comfort for Fate when she returns home. She pulls the SUV into the garage and sighs with contentment as she turns off the engine. With the red box containing Vivio's device tucked under her arm, Nanoha leads them through the garage door that opens up into the kitchen. Once inside, Fate smiles as she looks around. She loves the kitchen, although she thinks it may be because of how much love Nanoha has for it.
Nanoha spins around to face Fate and walks backwards a few feet. She eventually reaches the counter behind her and leans against it. "Vivio won't be home from practice for a while..." she begins. "Is there anything you'd like to do until then, Fate-chan?"
"To do until then...?" Fate repeats. She unbuttons her Enforcer jacket first, sets it on the counter, and continues to look around the kitchen. As she unbuttons the top two buttons of her blouse, she notices Nanoha suddenly looking pensive. Her mouth is drawn tight and a blush has peppered her cheeks.
"Are you okay, Nanoha?"
"Hmm? Yes, of course," Nanoha replies and quickly looks up to meet her eyes. "It's hot in here, isn't it?"
"It's not too bad," Fate says with a shrug. The oven besides them then catches her attention. She believes she has come up with an idea to pass the time before their daughter comes home. "Well, I need to change first, but after that..."
"After that?"
"I haven't made cookies for Vivio in a while. That seems like it could fun."
Nanoha exhales a small chuckle. "Cookies...?" she says with amusement. She shakes her head a little but smiles again. "Alright, we can make cookies if you'd like. I'll get the ingredients ready while you go change."
Fate begins to fully untuck and unbutton her blouse while Nanoha works. The Enforcer has worn her uniform for so many months in a row, she is very anxious to get out of it as soon as possible. And she doesn't care one bit that her bra is visible through her open blouse in the middle of the kitchen.
Nanoha gasps when she turns around and sees Fate now in a half-clothed state. The mixing bowl in her hands nearly crashes to the floor before she catches it again. Now seeming flustered, she quickly sets it on the counter after recovering from the near mishap. Fate self-consciously pulls her blouse closed after seeing her reaction and makes a fast exit out of the kitchen doorway.
"I-I'll be back later..." she says awkwardly over her shoulder. "In a few minutes, I mean."
The bedroom she and Nanoha share is on the second story at the far end of the hallway. She nearly runs up the stairs and bursts through their bedroom door, her excitement and relief at being home growing. She is comforted to find their bedroom is still just as she had left it months ago. Their king-sized bed in the middle of the room beckons to her, but she resists the temptation to flop down on her side of it. If she did, she knows she would risk succumbing to the exhaustion that is always present after a long mission. She would much rather spend her time awake and with Nanoha while she is on leave.
Fate retrieves her favorite black sweater with white trim and matching skirt from the closet. She loves the opportunity to express her feminine side when she is home on leave, and the outfit certainly does the trick. She checks herself over in the mirror and is pleased to find the clothing fits just as well as the last time she had worn it.
Feeling refreshed, she returns to the kitchen so that she can get started on the cookies. She spots her neatly folded white apron already laid out for her on the countertop. Nanoha has her own on and is busying herself with preheating the oven. Fate puts the strap over her head and pulls her long hair out from underneath. While she is tying the bow in the back, Nanoha suddenly turns from the oven and runs straight into her by mistake.
"Oh, whoa!" Fate shouts and reaches for her. She steadies Nanoha by wrapping her arm tightly around her waist and holding her above the elbow with her other hand.
"Sorry, Fate-chan," Nanoha says with a small laugh. "That was my fault."
Fate smiles at the woman in her arms. "Careful there. That was almost dangerous."
"Yes..." she responds quietly. "It was, wasn't it?"
Fate's eyes continue to meet the ones staring back at her, and she realizes that Nanoha's expression has become a lot more serious than her own. Afraid she has somehow upset her with her response, she immediately pulls herself away from her.
"Sorry about that," she says.
Nanoha pauses, seemingly stunned by Fate's abrupt reaction. She then sighs a little and looks away. "It's okay. Don't worry about it."
A strange new tension fills the room, and Fate isn't sure what she can do to fix it. Now that she thinks about it, the entire afternoon has been a series of different atmospheres coming between them. Wordlessly, Nanoha breezes past Fate to the counter behind her. She begins pulling out cutting boards and utensils from the cabinets and drawers beneath it.
"You can get started on the cookies," she mentions over her shoulder. "I should probably get started on dinner myself."
"Okay, Nanoha."
While the two work diligently on their tasks, the ambiance seems to return to normal between them for the most part. Nanoha hums while chopping vegetables for the dinner salad. Fate mixes the batter and drops it by the spoonful onto the cookie sheet. The first batch of cookies soon comes out of the oven and sits cooling on the counter. As Fate prepares the sugar coating, Nanoha playfully bumps her hard with her hip in passing. The brown sugar in her hand goes spilling onto the countertop.
"You should be more careful, Fate-chan," Nanoha teases her with a giggle.
Fate stands frozen for a few seconds and stares at mess in front of her. Figuring two could play at the game, she sticks her finger in the remaining cookie batter and smears it on the tip of Nanoha's nose. She then grins and pretends to admire her work.
"That looks great on you," she says.
Nanoha laughs even louder. "Oh, you're so getting it now!" she exclaims. She picks up the wooden spoon resting in the mixing bowl and brings it up to Fate's face. A large glob of batter ends up on her cheek, causing them both to burst out laughing. Nanoha places the spoon back in the bowl and pushes it out of Fate's reach, just in case she decides to retaliate.
Fate brings her hand up to cheek and takes some batter onto her finger. She then moves it to her mouth to taste it. "That's pretty good, actually," she remarks.
Nanoha giggles and uses her own apron to wipe the batter off the tip of her nose. Fate picks up the hand towel on the counter and removes the sticky mess from her cheek. She pauses when she sees Nanoha's hand raising in her direction once again.
"You missed some right there..." Nanoha says and touches the corner of Fate's lips where some batter still remains. When she brings her finger to her own mouth, Fate's eyes grow wide. She becomes transfixed by the sight of Nanoha lightly sucking on the tip of her finger in front of her.
"Hmm, it does taste pretty good," she adds with her eyebrows slightly raised in Fate's direction.
The front door to their home suddenly opens, pulling Fate back into reality. "I'm home!" she and Nanoha hear Vivio call out from the entryway.
"Oh, shit..." Nanoha mutters and quickly moves to the kitchen doorway.
Feeling flustered, Fate grabs the oven mitts on the counter and puts them on. Nanoha is the first to exit the kitchen to greet their daughter. Fate takes the tray of cookies into her hands and follows her into the dining room. From the corner of her eye, she watches Nanoha walk nearly sideways into the room, her mannerisms completely awkward.
Nanoha smiles. "Welcome back," she says first.
"Welcome home, Vivio," Fate adds.
Vivio's smile grows brighter at the sight of both mothers standing before her. "Fate-Mama is here too?!" she exclaims.
"Fate-chan is on leave until tomorrow evening," Nanoha replies for her. "Her ship is being repaired."
"That's right," Fate nods and raises the tray of cookies higher. "I thought I'd celebrate you being in the fourth grade, too."
"Oh, I see!" their daughter says, her voice filled with elation. "Thank you, Fate-Mama!"
Nanoha clasps her hands together. "Dinner's all done, Vivio. Please go wash your hands," she says.
"Okay!"
The two mothers watch their daughter run off down the hall to the spare restroom. They exhale a collective sigh together and return to the kitchen. Fate sets the tray of cookies down on the counter next to the red box containing Vivio's device.
"Hey Nanoha, when should we give this to her?" Fate asks as she takes off the oven mitts.
Nanoha takes the salad bowl into her hands. "We can give it to her after dinner, if you'd like," she suggests.
"Good idea," Fate nods and begins to search a nearby drawer for a spatula. "I guess we'd better finish up in here soon."
"Yes, we should," Nanoha replies. "I'll get the table set up for dinner. You can finish with the cookies and meet us out there when you're done."
oOOOo
Steam surrounds Vivio after she completes her transformation in the backyard. Fate squints in confusion at first, then freezes when she sees that she has transformed into her adult Kaiser mode.
"Yes!" Vivio exclaims happily. Her new device, now officially named Chris, mimics its master's stance and elation.
Vivio and Nanoha begin to discuss the sequence, but Fate registers nothing that they are saying to each other. Her only thoughts focus on the fact that her daughter currently looks as she did in the JS Incident. She feels her knees buckle and she collapses to the floor, landing with a thud on her butt.
"Fate-Mama?" Vivio says cautiously.
Nanoha rushes to her side. "N-Nanoha?" Fate stammers and grabs Nanoha by the sleeve. "Why does Vivio look like that?"
"Well, you know..." she replies, now flustered as well. "Just calm down, Fate-chan. What happened is – "
Vivio comes back inside their home and approaches her two mothers. "Nanoha-Mama, you didn't talk to Fate-Mama about this?" she asks.
"Well, I kind of... forgot."
"What do you mean, kinda?"
Nanoha helps Fate to her feet and guides her to the nearby couch in the living room. She and Vivio sit on the couch directly across from her and wait patiently for Fate to calm down.
"But why..." Fate tries again. A few unexpected tears begin to brim the corners of her eyes. "Why did it come to this?"
"Well, you know..." Nanoha replies helplessly.
Vivio stands from the couch and approaches her troubled mother. "You know, Fate-Mama... This adult transformation is pretty useful for combat and magic. I've been training with Nanoha-Mama watching over me this whole time."
Fate remains unconvinced. "But still..." she moans.
"Chris, mode release!" Vivio suddenly instructs her new device. In an instant, the young mage returns to her ten-year-old state. Still smiling, she stands in front of Fate and cups her face with her small hands.
"See, I can change back to normal anytime," she assures her. "Even transformed, I'm still me. Thank you for worrying about me, Fate-Mama, but I'm going to be just fine."
The gesture and words allow Fate to relax a bit. Vivio takes the opportunity to remind her Fate-Mama of the dangerous situations that she and Nanoha put themselves in at her age. Fate shakes her hands furiously in denial while Nanoha simply laughs at the notion. Vivio then requests that she be allowed to train a bit more that evening with her new device. Nanoha offers to tag along with her daughter, a suggestion that Fate knows she is making to help ease her mind about the situation.
Fate would have joined the two herself, but she knows she needs to use her time on leave wisely. After seeing Vivio and Nanoha to the door, she returns to the couch to call her other children on her transmitter. She discovers that Erio and Caro were also unaware of the details of the transformation, just the term 'adult mode' being used occasionally. They quickly reassure their mother of Vivio's responsibility and maturity though, even at her young age. Their words do comfort her, and when she ends the call she feels like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders.
By the time Nanoha and Vivio return home from training, Fate has already changed into her black nightgown and is curled up with a book in bed. Outside the bedroom door, she hears Nanoha tell their daughter not to stay up too late that evening. Vivio attempts to protest by reminding her that she doesn't have school the next day. Her mother does not budge and only repeats her instructions to go to bed soon.
When Nanoha enters their bedroom, Fate earmarks the page she is on and sets the book on the nightstand. "How was training?" she asks.
Nanoha quietly shuts the door and locks it behind her. "Training was fine," she replies. "We talked about when she should and shouldn't use her adult mode. You really don't have anything to worry about, Fate-chan. She's going to be fine."
Fate only half-hears the words being spoken to her. She is instead staring at the hand still resting on the door handle. Nanoha has never locked the door to their bedroom before. Perhaps it's a habit that she has developed recently while she was on leave, Fate tries to reason with herself. Either way, she still continues to act out of character and do unusual things that evening.
Nanoha pulls away from the door and walks across the bedroom towards her closet. She stands opposite of where Fate is lying in bed and begins to undress with her back towards her. When she is just in her undergarments, Fate determines that Nanoha has indeed been working out a lot more. She is still slender, but her muscle tone is much more defined, and even her abdomen now has clear definition.
As Nanoha removes her bra, Fate unconsciously shifts in her spot on the bed. Her eyes become fixed on Nanoha's midsection in front of her. She begins to picture running her fingers lightly along those defined muscles beneath her flawlessly smooth skin. She imagines that Nanoha would giggle in response at first, but then -
Wait...What?! Fate sits up straight in bed. Where the hell did that thought just come from?!
Nanoha turns her head slightly and covers her bare breasts with her arm. "What is it, Fate-chan?" she asks, seeing her nearly panicked expression over her shoulder.
Fate swallows hard and shakes her head. "N-Nothing, Nanoha," she replies. She feels her heart beating hard in her chest, a reaction that she can't control and doesn't quite understand. "I think I must be tired or something, maybe."
"I see..." she hums and watches her for a few seconds more. "Maybe so."
When Nanoha slips her nightgown over her head, Fate finally releases the breath she has inadvertently been holding. The pink nightie is something Fate hasn't seen Nanoha in before. The lace along the fringes is intricate and beautiful. The length is also incredibly short, exposing a lot more of her legs than usual.
Nanoha crosses the room and turns off the overhead light, leaving just Fate's nightstand light on beside them. She crawls into her side of the bed and props herself up on an elbow while facing Fate's direction. The atmosphere between them continues to befuddle the blond. It doesn't feel wrong between them, just... tense. For the first time in years, Fate is unable to read Nanoha's intentions whatsoever.
"I know you're tired, Fate-chan." Nanoha then says. She sits up in bed and pats the bed directly in front of her. "Come here. I'll help you relax so you can sleep better."
Fate eyes the spot on the bed in front of Nanoha with suspicion. "Okay..." she responds tentatively. Feeling apprehensive, she moves to sit in the spot Nanoha has indicated and waits nervously for whatever is coming next.
Nanoha first moves her long hair aside and drapes it over her right shoulder, exposing her back and shoulders. Fate flinches when she feels Nanoha's hands lightly touch her bare skin.
"Just relax," she calmly instructs while pushing her fingers deep into her muscles.
Incredible tension that Fate doesn't even realize she has been harboring releases in the first thirty seconds of the massage. Until that moment, she has never understood what it meant to 'melt' under another person's touch. A few unintentional moans escape her mouth. Nanoha chuckles lightly behind her in response.
"You're welcome..." she murmurs beside Fate's ear.
Nanoha's breath on her skin makes her heart skip a few beats. Fate likes the way it feels... She likes it far too much, in fact. The sensation tingles like electricity and warms every part of her body.
Am I...? Am I attracted to Nanoha? she now wonders.
Fate has never viewed anyone in a romantic way before, but if she has to guess what attraction feels like, this is probably it. Perhaps Nanoha hasn't actually changed at all. Maybe she is the one seeing her best friend in a new light, and it is causing her to have heightened reactions to everything she does. It would makes sense that she would become more sensitive to Nanoha's actions if she is developing feelings for her beyond friendship.
But this is Nanoha she might be having these emotions towards. She knows she is treading a thin line that she has been told never to cross with a best friend. Well, maybe not advised personally, but she has witnessed all the negative outcomes of this scenario in various books and magazines over the years. All she knows for certain is that these feelings cannot be allowed to continue. It would risk everything the two had built between them.
With these thoughts in mind, Fate abruptly moves away and crawls across the bed to escape. When she puts a few feet of distance between them, she turns back to face Nanoha again. She is sitting frozen in place, her hands still positioned mid-air. Fate knows her sudden action has taken her by surprise, but she just needed out in that moment.
Nanoha drops her hands in her lap and smiles a little, although Fate can see the sadness behind it. "Did I hurt you?" she asks quietly.
"No," Fate shakes her head. "It's not that at all."
"Oh."
She watches Nanoha drop her eyes and begin to trace her finger along the pattern on the bedspread. She looks like she is about to cry, and Fate has never felt so low in her life as she does right now.
"I really liked the massage, Nanoha," Fate tries to assure her. "It helped a lot."
Nanoha nods and turns her vision to the bedroom door. "Sure. Anytime..." she says distantly. "I should probably go check on Vivio. I want to make sure she's getting ready for bed."
Fate silently watches Nanoha get out of bed and retrieve her robe hanging by her nightstand. After she slips her arms through the sleeves and ties the sash, she surprises Fate by coming to stand beside her at the foot of the bed. She holds her breath when Nanoha brings her hand to her bangs, gently pushing them away from her forehead. She then traces her hand down along her cheek.
"You should get some sleep, Fate-chan," she suggests. "I'll be back in a little bit."
All Fate can do now is silently nod in response. Nanoha leaves the room with the door clicking shut behind her. With a heavy heart, Fate lays back down on her side of her bed again. Normally she would be up half the night, completely stressed over her new, unfamiliar feelings towards her best friend. And more importantly – how she should stop to them before they got out of control.
But that evening, her exhaustion from the mission is winning out over any anxiety she might be feeling. Once her head settles into the pillow, she finds she just can't keep her eyes open any longer. She quickly falls into a deep sleep with her nightstand lamp still on beside her.
A/N: On to the next chapter!