Hey everyone. I know a lot of people don't like me, but I don't care! Here I am once again, pairing Yuuno off with a girl! Such an evil fiend I am! But hey, I'm keeping NanoFate in tact, so I guess I'm allowed to keep my head this time ;)

Before I talk about this fic, let's get that open challenge out of the way! I'm all about bringing variety to this section. All we have here is fic upon fic of NanoFate. Doesn't that get a little dull after a while? That's why I challenge all you writers to try something new! Give a pairing that's not NanoFate a shot! How about some Chrono/Amy? No one ever writes about them. Or maybe some Kyouya/Shinobu, Erio/Caro, or Griffith/Lucino? You can also try something random! How about Hayate/Carim? Verossa/Uno? Rein/Agito? Vice/Shari? The sky's the limit! Go wild! Flex your creative muscle!

Really want to tackle a challenge? Try Nanoha/Yuuno or Fate/Yuuno! You need courage to face the slings and arrows that will result. When they drag you off to Golgotha, just remember that I'll be nailed to the cross right next to you ;)

I hope the winks make it clear I'm saying this in good humour ;)

Anyways, this fic. Alisa/Yuuno. There are a couple of fan arts floating around of these two. The doujin Nanohana had a cute page at the end to this effect as well. Been wanting to do something with them for awhile.

I discovered that it's ridiculously easy to mix up Rie Kugimiya's roles in your head. I've seen so many animes with her in it.

Also, clichés ahoy!

"Geeze, are those two still in the hot spring?" Alisa fumed. "Seems they can't get enough of each other."

"Well, I guess Nanoha-chan and Fate-chan just like being together." Suzuka answered. Since Fate had never had the chance to enjoy a hot spring before, the friends and their families decided to go there for the weekend. Alisa and Suzuka had long since finished their baths and were now lounging about in their yukatas.

Restless, Alisa bolted to her feet. "Let's go for a walk, Suzuka." She suggested.

"Um… I think I'll pass…" Suzuka replied. "I'm a little tired."

"Fine, then." Alisa turned to the small animal curled up on a pillow. She snatched it and held it at eye level. "Let's go, Yuuno."

The ferret let out an ambiguous 'kyuu' noise, but didn't struggle.

Alisa went out into the dusk. The grounds were deserted, and for good reason. It was pretty cold. Alisa shivered a little, and considered heading back inside. However, Alisa Bannings wasn't one to admit defeat. If she went back now, she'd look like an idiot.

"It's not that cold…" She tried to convince herself. She held Yuuno closer, hoping the mammal's body heat would help a little. At random, she picked one of the several forested paths that snaked out from and around the inn.

The naked trees and dead grass certainly weren't picturesque. The lack of white made it more like a nightmare, rather than a winter wonderland. Alisa's sandals clomped audibly against the frost bitten ground. She was hardly interested in the view, anyways.

"I'm really glad Fate was able to visit," She thought aloud, puffing out a breath that could be seen in the cool air. "But her and Nanoha are acting less like friends, and more like newlyweds. B-But I'm not jealous or anything!" She quickly added. "I-It's just, how would they like it if I was off being all mushy with some one? Ah, it's not like I want to be mushy with some one or anything!"

Alisa paused to consider there wasn't anyone around she needed to persuade. There was only Yuuno. "What am I doing?" she sighed. "Guess I'll head ba…"

But when she turned to look behind her, she only saw trees. Apparently she was so lost in conversation with herself that she failed to notice her surroundings.

"It's ok, I'm not lost." She murmured. "I just need to go back down that path…"

She also didn't notice the steep incline until she stepped on the edge. The earth gave way, causing Alisa to tip over and become victim to gravity's firm grasp.

"Why is something like this here?!" She shouted as she fell. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced for the pain. She thought she saw a flash of light through her eyelids.

When her downward motion ceased, she was surprised to realise that there hadn't been much shock from the impact. The ground also wasn't hard and cold. In fact, it was warm and soft…

"Are you all right?"

Alisa's eyes shot open at the unfamiliar voice. She sat up and glanced down to see she was straddling a boy she had never seen before.

"Waaah!" She screamed and jumped back, her face hot. "W-Who are you? Where did you come from? What are you doing here?"

"Calm down, Alisa." The boy tried to placate her. It had the opposite effect.

"H-How do you know my name?"

Yuuno cursed at his slip up. He couldn't very well tell her he was the ferret she had brought along.

"I… uh… saw you and your friends at the inn, and your name was mentioned…" He lied. It still didn't help matters.

"S-So what? Did you follow me out here?" She accused. "Don't come near me, you stalker!" Alisa assumed a martial arts stance she had seen in a movie once.

"Ah! No, you're misunderstanding!" Yuuno waved his hands frantically. "I was just taking a walk, and happened to see you slip, so I tried to save you."

Alisa narrowed her eyes and backed away. "You expect me to believe tha…" She stepped on a rock this time, and fell back again. A sharp pain zapped through her foot. "Ow! My foot…"

Yuuno crossed the distance and knelt at her foot. "Stay still." He ordered and took her foot in his hands.

"Hey! Don't touch…" She tried to yank her foot free. "Ouch! That hurts!"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything weird." Yuuno said. "I'm just going to have a look at your foot."

Alisa would have objected again, but the boy's serious, yet gentle expression had her reconsidering.

"O… Ok…" She watched as the boy softly skimmed his fingers across her flesh. It sent a jolt of something that wasn't pain through her body. Most of her blood pooled in her cheeks.

"Looks like you just twisted it a little." Yuuno diagnosed. It would be easy enough for him to heal her right there, but the whole 'magic should be kept a secret' thing prevented him from doing so. "Let's head back to the inn. Here." He turned around and showed his back. Alisa stared at it incredulously.

"W-What are you doing?"

"What?" He blinked. "You can't walk like that, so I'll carry you."

"W-Why should I let some guy I just met carry me on his back!" Alisa squirmed away a bit. She looked at the boy who simply laughed uneasily over his shoulder. He was trying to help her. Maybe she could give him the benefit of the doubt. "W-Well… Since this is your fault, I guess I'll let you take responsibility and have you carry me…"

"Ok, ok." Yuuno feigned defeat. Alisa placed her hands on his shoulders and pulled herself up. He then hooked his arms around her legs and stood. "All set?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine." His grip seemed firm enough. If he made a crack about her being too heavy, she'd have to hit him. Yuuno began walking forward. "Are you sure you know the way back?"

"Yeah, the inn is off in this direction." He answered.

"I see…"

"…"

"…"

It became too quite for Alisa's taste. There wasn't so much a squeak from any sort of woodland creature. She had to talk about something.

"So… Ah, right, your name!" She declared as if she made the scientific discovery of the century. "I never got your name."

Yuuno pondered his reply. Giving his real name shouldn't be a problem.

"I'm Yuuno." He said. "Yuuno Scrya."

"Yuuno?" Alisa blinked. "What a coincidence! My friend has a pet ferret named… Ah! Yuuno!"

"What? What is it?"

"I brought Yuuno out here with me!" She realised. "We have to go find him!"

Yuuno had to think of something, and fast. He silently prayed that the girl would buy it.

"Uh… you said he was a ferret, right? Then I'm sure he's fine!" He said. "Ferrets are really smart, so I'm sure he's gone back to get help!"

Alisa considered it for a moment. Yuuno worried that her silence was a sign of disbelief.

"Come to think of it, he went and got help that one time Nanoha got hurt…" She muttered. Yuuno breathed out his relief. He had sent out a mental message to Nanoha earlier, informing her of the situation, so it wasn't a total lie.

A frozen breeze whipped past them. Alisa instinctively linked her arms around Yuuno's neck and pulled herself closer for warmth. It was so cold and here she was in nothing but a thin cotton yukata.

And that thin, cotton yukata was currently all that was separating her bare chest from the boy's back.

At least her face was warm enough now.

She looked up at Yuuno's face, expecting to see some sort of perverted expression on it. There wasn't one. He just continued walking, unhindered.

It wasn't like Alisa had anything to press up against him, anyways.

'What the heck's with that?' She thought bitterly. 'At least react a little! Just you wait! One day they'll be so big you can't help but notice!'

If there was one part of Alisa Bannings that was already considerable in size, it was her pride.

So how did such a prideful person wind up in this sort of cliché situation? Stranded in a forest with a mysterious boy, an injured foot and a piggy back ride… It was the kind of situation Alisa constantly saw in the games she always played. The parties involved usually ended up together at the end.

Alisa squirmed at the thought. She had just met the guy! She barely knew anything about him! But… well… ok, he'd proven himself to be kind and gentle…And he certainly wasn't bad to look at…

Was this what they called a "destined encounter?" Did some sort of deity arrange this meeting to answer her spoken-but-then-denied desire? If so, she shouldn't waste this chance. She should try to get to know him.

"So, Yuuno…"

"We're back." He declared.

"What, already?!" Sure enough, they had exited the trees and the inn's courtyard lay before them. Alisa had gotten lost in her thoughts again.

"Alisa-chan!" Alisa saw Nanoha and Fate run towards them. "Are you ok?" Nanoha asked when they met. Her next line had a rehearsed feel to it. "We were worried when Yuuno-kun returned without you."

"Uh… yeah, I'm fine." Alisa answered. "I just hurt my foot a little, it's no big deal." Though she regretted it, she indicated that she wanted to be let down. Yuuno complied and Alisa stood, keeping weight off her injured foot.

"W-Who is this person?" Fate asked, having a little difficulty feigning ignorance.

"O-Oh, him? His name is also Yuuno. Funny coincidence, right? He helped me out. These are my friends, Nanoha and Fate."

"Uh… Nice to meet you." Yuuno said. There were awkward smiles all around. "Well, since you're back with your friends, I'll take my leave, then."

"Ah!" Alisa watched as he turned to go. "Wait! That is… uh… right, you're staying at this inn too, right? So I guess I'll see you around…"

"Um… I'm leaving… like… right now, actually." Yuuno lied. "So I'll have to say goodbye…"

"Oh, I see…" Alisa couldn't let it end like that! "Then… then give me your cell phone number… You know… so I can contact you and… thank you properly for helping me!"

Yuuno smiled uneasily. "Sorry, but I don't have a cell phone…"

"Oh… I see…" Alisa repeated. She stared down, dejected. "I guess it can't be helped, then…"

A moment of silence passed.

"Alisa!" She looked up when he called her name. The smile she saw on his face made her heart jump. "We'll meet again. I'm sure of it."

"O-Ok." That was all she could think to say.

"I'll see you later, then!" And with that, he was gone.

"See you later…" She whispered, still dumbstruck. She stared at where she lost sight of him until she realised her friends were grinning like idiots behind her. "W-What is it?" She demanded.

"Nothing~!" Nanoha hummed, but her expression betrayed her true thoughts.

"D-Don't be stupid!" Alisa flushed. "N-Nothing like that happened! Don't get the wrong idea!"

Ignoring her friend's laugh, Alisa hobbled back to the inn. She was greeted by the sight of the pet ferret upon her return to the room. Alisa couldn't help but hope that she'd be able to meet the mysterious boy again sooner rather than later.