DISCLAIMER: I don't own Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha, or any of it's affiliated stuffs and whatnot.
A/N: Hello, everyone. I know it's a couple of days late, but with it being around Halloween and all I decided to write a Halloween-themed Nanofate fic for you guys.
I teamed up with TsurugiNoMiko for this one, so a huge thanks to her for the writing she contributed, and mostly for the nagging me to get it finished, otherwise I probably never would have =D
As always please look out for any parts that could do with improving and let me know in a review, otherwise I'll be really grateful just to get your thoughts/comments on my writing.
Please scroll onward and enjoy!
Samhain
Being a naturally quiet and shy person, Fate knew that attending a huge Halloween party was going to be a bad idea.
But still, her girlfriend had insisted. And if there was one thing in the world Fate couldn't resist, it was a pleading Nanoha. Really, the blonde could've almost sworn that girl took lessons in emotional manipulation.
Or rather, Fate was just that smitten with her.
The night was in its prime as she walked down the fluorescent-lit street, so naturally there were children running around in their Halloween costumes – their shrieks and chatter and the occasional cries of "Trick or Treat!" filling the air around her.
Luckily, the temperature was beginning to drop rapidly this night and the blonde idly thought that it wouldn't be long before most of the trick or treaters gave up and went home with the spoils earned thus far.
Fate herself barely felt the cold, considering the outfit she was wearing.
A long black coat – almost a cloak, one could consider – swirled around the backs of her knees with each step, black calf and thigh-hugging pants and a long-sleeved lacy black top completing the gothic-lolita look.
Fate glanced down at the piece of paper in her hand with Nanoha's scrawled directions on it.
Comparing the house number of the note to the mailbox she was standing in front of, Fate was a little taken aback at the sheer size of Yagami Hayate's house. It was practically a mini-mansion!
As she approached the front door, boots crunching on the gravel driveway, Fate tried to steel herself in preparation for all the meeting and greeting she was sure Nanoha would try and force her to engage in once she got inside.
She had met Hayate twice, both times being when she had accompanied Nanoha home on the bus from her nightly cram school classes. Other than that, the fact that she didn't attend the same school as Nanoha meant that she didn't get to meet any of her friends.
And this is about to change tonight, she thought with a weary inward sigh. She reached up and pressed the front door buzzer. The nerves began settling in here, so she swallowed deeply and began her inner mantra.
Try to be friendly, Fate. These are Nanoha's friends, everyone is dressed up here to have a good time, try not to be so withdrawn.
A few seconds later, a cheery brunette in a witches costume popped her head out the door.
"Ah, Fate-chan, welcome!" Hayate greeted as she opened the door to her home.
"Trick or treat!" Fate smiled as she adjusted her coat. Yagami Hayate's smile was almost infectious, she had to admit.
"Wow, that's looking pretty good," Hayate couldn't help but notice the outfit. "You look like a real vampire in that!"
"I am one, you know." Fate grinned and pointed to her fangs. She lifted her hands up and arched her fingers into pseudo-claws, pretending to look menacing.
"Would you like me to bite your neck?" she jokingly licked her lips. Hayate sighed laughingly and stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter.
"Oh, quite playing around. Come on in, Nanoha and the others are already here."
She led the way towards the massive kitchen, where huge packs of people were already gathered.
"Guys, here's our lucky last person!"
A large amount of the partygoers erupted into cheers, and others called out various greetings to the shy blonde. It put her on edge a little, since she knew nobody in this room except Hayate and here was everybody greeting her like a long lost friend. However, it was a young woman in nekomimi cosplay who practically threw herself at Fate when she entered the room.
"Fate-chan, you're late!"
The girl in the vampire outfit had to do a double take at her girlfriend's risqué costume for the evening.
"N… Nanoha...?"
Her wine-coloured eyes were drawn to the auburn-haired girl sashaying towards her, faux fur skirt hugging her slim hips and leaving a mere few inches of creamy skin uncovered above her thigh-high socks.
Fate's eyes traveled over Nanoha's exposed midriff and up to the tank top trimmed with more faux fur, the girl sporting a pair of fuzzy kitty ears to complete the outfit.
The bell on her collar tinkled merrily as the other girl came to a halt in front of Fate, placing her hands on her hips and snapping the blonde out of her temporary daze.
"Where were you? I've been waiting for you most of the night."
Fate ducked her head and smiled apologetically.
"Sorry Nanoha," she began, before smiling cheekily,
"I was busy drinking the blood of trick or treaters. Did you know that different blood types have different tastes?"
Nanoha opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off as Hayate called out from the far side of the room.
"Okay, since everyone is here, let's begin the party!"
"Cheers!" everyone exclaimed simultaneously, Fate using the chance to distract Nanoha from her previous question by ducking forward and sweeping her into a quick hug, kissing her on the cheek before moving off into the crowd.
The gigantic speakers were switched on and the lights dimmed, leaving the entire building almost shaking to its foundations as the hypnotic bass pounded through the room.
Nanoha stood spellbound for a moment before blinking and then pouting.
"Mou, I wanted to talk to her and she ditched me! Fate-chan!"
A few hours passed into the night with Nanoha unable to find Fate again. Instead, she settled for amusing herself by chatting with other party guests.
"So Nanoha-chan, what made you decide to dress up as a Neko-chan then? It's very nice, if I may say so."
The normally-uptight young man, whose tongue was loosened by now due to the more-than-slightly alcoholic punch, flashed her a friendly smile and a wink as she laughed and rubbed the back of her neck.
"Aww, thanks Chrono-kun. I actually was a little self-conscious about wearing such a revealing outfit, but I wanted to impress someone special, so…"
She trailed off with a silly embarrassed grin, causing Chrono to laugh and almost lose one of the tentacles he was wearing on his head as a space alien.
"Lemme guess…. For Yuuno-kun?"
Nanoha blinked, before tossing a glance over her shoulder at her childhood friend who stood talking to Arisa and Hayate. His shoulder-length blond hair was stained with patches of red dye to imitate blood splatter, in lieu with his zombie costume.
Turning back to Chrono, Nanoha waved her hand frantically as she dismissed his idea.
"No no no, Yuuno-kun is special to me, but only as one of my best friends. He's not the person I was, you know…. meaning."
Chrono looked surprised for a moment. It was a fair enough reaction, as most people who knew the pair had assumed they would end up together during their teen years.
For Yuuno, it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. Unfortunately Nanoha was never interested in relationships during high school, nor did it seem like she ever showed signs of attraction to anyone.
That was, of course, until she met the sultry mysterious blonde with the piercing eyes…
A tiny flame stirred in Nanoha's heart, making her suddenly glance around the room again for any signs of her girlfriend. Thoughts of Fate tended to have this effect on her – long periods without being near her beloved would throw her body and mind into turmoil, almost as though she was in a trance and couldn't bear to be without the other girl.
Seeing his friend fidget, Chrono smiled and excused himself.
"Well Nanoha-chan, you're obviously dying to find this 'special person' of yours so I'll leave you to it."
With a grateful smile, Nanoha bid the young man good bye as she turned and re-entered the fray of warm bodies crowded together throughout the house, resuming her search for the elusive blonde.
Making her way out onto the isolated balcony, Nanoha smirked to herself as she caught sight of a lone girl resting against the railing, gazing up at the sky.
Stalking forward, Nanoha prepared to leap and startle her girlfriend – only to have her actions turned back on her when Fate spun around and caught her in her arms with ease.
"Hello again, Nanoha."
"Fate-chan!"
Grinning widely, Nanoha laced her fingers around Fate's neck and began to pull her down into a kiss, only to be hit with realisation a second before contact and jerked backwards, throwing the confused Fate a pouty glare instead.
"Mou, Fate-chan, you totally ditched me in there! I was so happy to finally be able to introduce you to my friends, and you just vanished, like that!" she snapped her fingers for emphasis.
Sheepishly, Fate reached a hand up and scratched her cheek.
"Uh, yes, I suppose I kind of did do that, didn't I…"
"Yeah, you had me wandering around in there for hours looking for you! You're lucky you're even getting this hug, Fate-chan!"
Blinking, Fate glanced down at the girl in her arms and watched Nanoha's peeved expression melt into a placid one under her gaze. Fate knew that her girlfriend never quite could stay mad at her for long when they locked gazes, and she often used it to her advantage.
After a long moment of stretched, tension-filled silence between the two as their eyes remained fixed on each other – Nanoha was more than slightly flushed at this point, too – the auburn-haired girl released an exaggerated sigh and pulled herself upright, wrapping her arms around Fate's long coat and burying her face into the girl's neck.
"Okay fine, whatever. You know I can't stay mad for long, Fate-chan. But still… it was a mean thing to do…"
Bringing her arms up to tighten around her girlfriend's waist, Fate herself made a pained expression as the sadness with which Nanoha's words were laced felt like it was cutting into her.
She never could bear to see her Nanoha upset.
"Nanoha…"
Pulling back from the embrace, Nanoha eyed her attentively. Fate paused for a moment, before continuing with a dull shame radiating from her gaze.
"I just… couldn't stand being in there. There were so many people, all squeezed together in one room like that… like they were just waiting for me! I'm sorry, I know I told you I could handle it, but…"
Nanoha absorbed the admission for a moment before feeling her own shame burning in her gut. It was her suggestion for Fate to attend the party, no matter how much the other girl protested at first. Had she unwittingly put her girlfriend through this kind of torture…?
"Fate-chan, I…! I'm sorry," she fumbled for words, lifting a hand to the blonde's cheek and raising her downcast head until their eyes were again meeting.
"I know you disagreed with the whole party idea in the first place, but I just…." She trailed off, sighing sadly as she slowly realised just how selfish she'd been. "You're just so kind, and beautiful, a-and I just wanted to show you off to my friends. I should never have made you come here."
Fate smiled and lifted a hand to her own cheek, covering Nanoha's.
"Really Nanoha," she breathed, inching closer to her girlfriend's lips as the other girl's eyes fluttered shut.
"There's nothing to be sorry… for…"
"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO NANOHA?"
The sudden furious yell caused both girls to jerk backwards, jumping apart with almost comical wide eyes as the two startled lovers glanced over to the approaching blonde, who glared at Fate with an expression that would make most mortal men cower on the floor.
The passive Fate, however, merely smiled once over her momentary shock and bowed low, her cape draping over her shoulder and barely brushing the pavement at her feet.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Fate Testaross-"
"I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, YOU PERVERT!"
Stunned, Fate dropped out of her polite bow and dropped her arm limply to her side, blinking at the angry girl that stomped towards them.
"A-Arisa-chan, you've got it all wrong…!" Nanoha squeaked, jumping in front of Fate and waving her hands frantically whilst blushing like a beacon.
Stopping before Nanoha, the newcomer – Who just intruded upon our intimacy! Fate thought bitterly – raised an eyebrow and regarded the nekomimi girl with a confused expression.
"What do you mean, Nanoha? I just saw this girl trying to force herself on you!"
Laughing nervously, Nanoha turned to the insulted Fate who was trying and failing to hide an offended pout.
"No no, this is my girlfriend. Arisa-chan, meet Fate-chan."
The girl made a choking sound as she stared wide-eyed at the couple, her batman Joker's costume looking comically mismatched with her rapidly reddening cheeks. The penny had finally dropped.
"She's – Oh! Ohh! This is the Fate-chan you're always talking about, and she's your…!"
"Girlfriend, yeah." Nanoha giggled, swooping sideways to catch Fate's arm and tightly hug it close to her chest. The girl in question coughed lightly to try and hide her own flustered state, Nanoha's overly amorous actions in front of her friend being more than a little overwhelming to the shy Fate.
Arisa just stared at them, speechless, for a few more moments before shaking her head and finally crossing her arms, trying to hide her obvious embarrassment.
"I uh, I thought you were… anyway! My name is Arisa Bannings. I'm Nanoha's friend."
Sneaking a glance at Nanoha out of the corner of her eye, and receiving a reassuring nod, Fate tried again to introduce herself to the girl.
"Umm… that's fine. I'm Fate Testarossa, Nanoha's," she paused, cheeks pink as she mumbled the next word. " Girlfriend."
Back inside, Hayate was feeling more than a little tipsy as she clumsily filled her plastic cup with more punch, nearly spilling the liquid everywhere as she turned around and bumped into the soft front of another person.
Glancing up, the party host's eyes lit up as she recognized the blonde standing before her in a long, black coat.
'Ah, Fate-chan! How are you enjoying the party so far?"
Not saying a word, Fate merely continued gazing at Hayate with a strange smile, almost bordering on a smirk.
What is she…?
Blinking, Hayate found herself involuntarily blushing a bit at the rapt fascination Fate seemed to be paying to her, the girl even daring to step forward and grasp Hayate's wrist, gently urging the girl to lower her drink back down onto the table.
"Eh, Fate-chan….."
Smirking coyly, the blonde raised a finger to own lips in a 'hush' gesture, and winked at the entranced brunette in witch cosplay.
Hayate, usually one of iron will, found her knees weakening and felt as though her insides were melting into a puddle of goo at the not-so-subtle suggestive look her friend's girlfriend was giving her.
Is it just me or are her eyes…. Glowing? Such gorgeous, exotic eyes….
Turning away from her, but not once letting go of her wrist, Fate began to lead the puzzled but giddy party girl through the droves of people occupying the floor and out into the back storage room.
It was empty out here, save for a few cupboards and large freezer which was full of the backup alcohol supply. Dazedly, Hayate heard the door click shut as the still-silent blonde reached past her and closed it with one perfectly-manicured hand.
Blinking out of her haze a little, Hayate tilted her head to the side in confusion.
"Fate-chan…? What're you…?"
In a flash, the blonde had scooped the other girl up and sat her atop the large freezer, Hayate now finding herself at perfect height to wrap her legs around Fate's waist.
N-not that she was going to! I mean really, this was her friend's girlfriend and there was no way Hayate was turned on enough to betray Nanoha!
What is she doing? I have to push her away -
All thoughts of loyalty flew from her mind as the Testarossa girl darted forward and caught her lips in a deep kiss, a pair of hands coming up to rest on her shoulders as the wide-eyed, shocked Hayate sat unmoving for all of two seconds before drunkenly leaning into the kiss and returning it.
? Oh, what the hay…
Pulling out of the kiss to tilt her head and place a kiss on the brunette's jaw, Fate smirked to herself as she darted her tongue out and ran it along Hayate's jaw line, the girl moaning throatily and tilting her head to the side to allow more access for Fate's hot mouth.
Perfect, thought the blonde.
And in the space of a few seconds, a pair of fangs were bared and the girl struck, burying her teeth into the smooth, tender column of Hayate's throat.
"This is our other friend, Suzuka."
"Hello, nice to meet you."
"And same to you," Fate smiled a little nervously, ducking her head in a shallow bow as she introduced herself to yet another of Nanoha's friends.
Not that she minded meeting the people who were important to her special person. If anything, it was well worth the discomfort just to see Nanoha's beaming smile like that.
It's just that…. Right now, Fate wanted Nanoha all to herself. She'd spent the majority of the party hiding from Nanoha because she feared the girl was going to force her to stand inside with the crowd of people, meeting and greeting.
And when a large group of drunk, deliciously-warm hot-blooded adolescents gathered helplessly in one place like that… Well, for her sanity, Fate liked to stay away.
It was ridiculous really, since as soon as she voiced her concerns to Nanoha out on the balcony her girlfriend had immediately understood.
It was a positive trait of Nanoha's, the way she could understand Fate's insecurities perfectly with just the minimal explanation given.
Truly, she was blessed to have someone like Nanoha love her.
And right now, Nanoha was gazing up at her with a barely-stifled giggle.
"… Eh? Oh, sorry, I spaced out… did you ask something, Suzuka-san?"
The girl in the maid outfit laughed demurely at Fate's embarrassment.
"I was just asking where you and Nanoha-chan met. She hasn't stopped talking about you for months, Fate-chan."
"Yeah, it's annoying. You're occupying her mind 24/7" Arisa added with a wink and a smirk at Nanoha's mortified blush.
"Ehh Arisa-chan, I don't about her THAT much…."
"Like hell you don't, you love struck puppy!"
"A-RI-SA-CHAN!"
Fate used their harmless banter as a moment to gather her thoughts before answering Suzuka's question. Just how had she met Nanoha again, exactly? It was quite a while ago now…
** Nanoha grimaced as she checked the time on her phone.
I can't believe I missed the last bus…! Having to walk home from cram school alone, at NIGHT, really is creepy…
Making her way down a lone, empty street the girl exhaled shakily and raised her arms to wrap around herself, the thin school blazer not providing much resistance against the chilly air.
Suddenly, it was as though the hairs on the back of her neck pricked up and some kind of inexplicable sense was telling her that she was being followed.
Swallowing nervously, Nanoha stopped walking and listened for any footsteps behind her. Hearing none, the thoroughly perturbed girl threw a cautious glance over her shoulder just to be safe.
Satisfied that the dark road behind her truly was empty, Nanoha released a small sigh of relief and turned forward again.
… Only to be met face to face with a girl standing directly in front of her. She let out a startled yelp and scuttled backwards a few steps, dropping her books in the process.
"W-where did you come from? I didn't even hear you approaching!"
The girl in front of her merely watched her for a few moments, then gave a concerned look.
"Isn't it a little unsafe for a young woman such as yourself to be walking around alone in the night?"
Blinking, Nanoha stuttered for a second before getting her words sorted and replying with a half-hearted jab.
"Heh, speak for yourself. You only look around my age."
This made the other girl smile, wisps of her blonde fringe blowing past her face, as well as the long ends of her black drape coat picking up in the wind.
"My age…. You have no idea…"
Before Nanoha had time to react, the blonde had dropped to her knees and began retrieving Nanoha's fallen schoolbooks, one by one.
A bit taken aback, Nanoha smiled gratefully when the girl stood once again and handed the items back to their owner.
"I….. uh, thank you very much!"
The rather quiet girl just smiled a tiny smile, and then looked as if she was trying to decide something.
Standing there, Nanoha awkwardly fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. There was just something about the girl that put her on edge, exhilarated her. The eyes, maybe? They were an interesting colour, not quiet as bright as crimson but definitely an intoxicating shade of red.
Eventually the girl spoke again.
"Where are you going?"
"Eh? Oh uh, home. I missed my bus."
"Is it a long walk?"
"Uhh…." Nanoha hesitated, wondering just how safe it was to leak the address of your place of residence to a complete stranger.
But then, there was something in her gut telling her to trust the girl…
"Yeah, I actually live quite a few blocks away. Totally my fault though, I got caught up talking to friends and missed my bus, hehe."
Grinning sheepishly, Nanoha watched as the blonde appeared to be inwardly hesitating about something before finally gazing back at Nanoha.
"I'll walk you home, then. It's not safe to be out alone… No matter what they tell you in school about the darkness being just as harmless as the day, it's not true. I'll walk you back."
Nanoha blinked, about to politely decline the offer when the sound of sliding fabric caught her ears. The girl slipped her long coat from her shoulders, leaving her in just a tight, black long-sleeved top and her dark-coloured thin scarf.
"Here, you're shivering."
A bit too stunned to do anything but stand there as the girl slipped the long jacket over her shoulders, Nanoha turned to look into piercing irises.
"T-thank you…. Um…"
"Fate. Fate Testarossa."
"… Fate-chan." **
"… And I believe that was the first time I met Nanoha."
Nanoha grinned, pressing herself closer to Fate's side.
"And as you can guess, I purposely missed many more buses after that just as an excuse to meet up with Fate-chan. I really grew to treasure those walks home from cram school…" she smiled coyly up at her beloved, "And we just grew closer and closer after that, didn't we Fate-chan?"
Swallowing, Fate averted her eyes and nodded, cheeks flaring.
"Yes, that's true."
Digesting the information, Arisa piped up with another question.
"Hey Fate-chan, you're about our age. Why didn't you go to our school? I never saw you around, anyway…"
Fate looked a bit taken aback by the question, stammering a little before replying.
"I was, uh, home schooled. By my mother."
Suzuka made a small noise of agreement.
"Oh' that'd explain it then."
The group remained chatting for a while before a slamming door and angry yell caught their attention. All eyes snapped over to the approaching man before Fate hesitantly asked,
"Nanoha? Is this another friend of yours?"
Nanoha sweatdropped as the man stormed towards them, looking mighty pissed. She had barely time to shake her head 'no' before Fate had pushed her away, out of harm's way as the man didn't stop.
He crashed straight into the blonde, grabbing the collar of her jacket tight in his fists and yanking her forward, causing the other three girls to gasp and cry out.
"F-Fate-chan!"
"Hey, YOU! What do you think you're doing?"
"Fate-chan, look out!"
The man appeared oblivious to their words as his handsome boyish face, now turned into a snarl, glared at the girl who was, whilst confused, merely gazing back at him without a shred of fear or intimidation despite their position.
He drew in a ragged breath and grit his teeth, trying to suppress his rage. It wasn't right to hit women, after all.
"You… what did you do to Sen-chan?"
Fate blinked, her cool persona momentarily broken as she stared back uncomprehendingly. Nanoha, who had by this point jumped to Fate's side again in case the man decided to get violent, also knitted her brow in confusion at the foreign name.
Fate cleared her throat.
"Excuse me, but I don't believe I know what you're talking about. I've never met anyone by the name of Sen-"
"SEN-CHAN! The girl in the Freddy Krueger costume you were making out with earlier! MY GIRLFRIEND!"
There was momentary silence.
After absorbing the words, Nanoha felt a wash of anger swell up inside her as she stepped forward and shoved the guy backwards. He was caught off-guard, and stumbled back, letting go of Fate's coat in the process.
"Wha…?"
"DON'T YOU DARE ACCUSE MY FATE-CHAN OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"
Staring incredulously for a moment at this petite girl's outburst, the man quickly regained his wits and his expression turned dark again.
"She did! I saw her, practically grinding MY Sen-chan up against the wall while she was all over her neck! Didn't you?"
Laughing at the absurdity of the claim, Nanoha turned to face her Fate-chan – and immediately felt the laugh fizzle out in her throat. Fate wasn't looking pissed, angry at being accused of such rubbish, hell she wasn't even making a move to begin defending herself!
She was just staring back at the man with a concerned expression as he continued to rant at her about her apparent "womanising."
"Yeah, and it wasn't only my Sen-chan you were cozying up to now was it? I've been watching you all night, leading different girls off to discreet location and practically screwing them right then and there! It's disgusting! If you're going to go and lez out all over the place, at least find some of your own kind instead of just taking advantage of drunk girls –"
SLAP!
Even against the booming music coming from inside pulsing it's way out to the balcony, all five of them could've sworn the slap echoed.
Arisa and Suzuka, still huddled together and watching the heated exchange like it was some kind of soap opera, gasped at the latest development. Fate looked stunned, and Nanoha looked entirely too calm as she withdrew her hand, the man now sporting a red mark on the side of his face.
She spoke quietly.
"Don't. Don't accuse Fate-chan of these kinds of things," her hand was lifted, and an auburn lock of hair was tucked behind her ear before she continued,
"For your information, I'M her girlfriend, and she absolutely was NOT the person doing such… such things to your Sen-chan! This is a Halloween party, there are plenty of people dressed as vampires – Don't just assume it's my Fate-chan next time! She would never….!"
The young man cut her off with a growl.
"It was her! Definitely her! Earlier tonight…. Were you with her then? Was she by your side all night? I doubt it, because she was too busy being all over my Sen-chan!"
Nanoha felt and icy dread snake down her spine. No, I wasn't with Fate-chan earlier… I couldn't find her for most of the night…
Swallowing deeply, Nanoha couldn't even come up with a response in time before the man stuck the proverbial knife deeper with a parting phrase.
"Next time, try to watch your girlfriend a bit better. Before she goes off stealing other people's girlfriends again!"
And with that, he had spun around and stormed back inside. Leaving the four remaining girls standing in complete, awkward silence.
Eventually, Nanoha turned her head and looked at Fate, face unnervingly emotionless. She tried to smile a little, but it looked fake.
"Fate-chan….. Earlier, when you disappeared, you didn't…. Did you…?
Feeling a sudden rise of panic, Fate stepped forward quickly and grasped Nanoha's hands, pulling them up to her chest.
"No! No, of course not! Nanoha, he had it wrong… I didn't do anything!"
Voice dropping to a soothing tone, Fate again protested.
"Nanoha, it wasn't me. I came out here at the beginning of the evening, and have been out here since. I didn't once go back inside and rejoin the party."
Nodding, Nanoha tried to be okay with that statement. She knew Fate loved her, knew it was a ridiculous claim that was made against her anyway, liked to think that she could trust Fate… but there was still that little seed of doubt and worry. It caused embarrassing tears to wallow up in the corner of Nanoha's eyes, which she tried to hide by dropping her gaze to the balcony rail.
Her voice was quiet when she spoke.
"Then, um, why didn't…. why didn't you defend yourself back there? If you were innocent, you would've defended your reputation back there…"
Nanoha closed her eyes as she was swept into a tight hug, the blonde placing a reassuring kiss on her forehead and pulling her tight against her warm body.
"Nanoha, listen… I didn't do those things! I was just staying quiet because I wanted to listen to all the facts," she pulled back, looking into the brunette's hesitant eyes as she tried to convey her innocence.
"I didn't do it, Nanoha. But I think I know who did."
Tilting her head, Nanoha knitted her brow in confusion. A few feet away, both Arisa and Suzuka shared a raised eyebrow and a glance amongst themselves. Really, this was just too entertaining! Like it was straight out of a T.V show!
When Nanoha and Fate turned to go inside, the other two girls followed closely behind, choosing to see exactly what was happening first-hand rather than wait for it to become campus gossip the next day.
Inside, a short redhead dressed in a devil princess costume stumbled out of the bathroom, barely able to walk on her shaky legs as a calmly smiling blonde followed her out.
The girl, grinning idiotically, turned and faced her companion.
"That was… was…. Amazing! I don't even know what you did in there, but…. Ohmygod!"
The blonde closed her eyes and smiled, used to this type of attention from her victims after they've received the bite.
"It was my pleasure," she eventually spoke, her voice as smooth and sultry as silk, "I thank you very much for what you… gave me."
She had to suppress a giggle as the redhead looked puzzled, unaware of the fresh marks on her neck – the twin pinpricks of a vampire's bite.
"I gave….? I didn't do anything. All I remember was kissing you, and then…" the girl trailed off into a giggle as she tried to recall the haze of ecstasy she had experienced whilst locked in that cramped bathroom with the hot blonde.
Fate rolled her eyes. It was typical of her victims to experience euphoria during the feeding, and usually she tried to high tail it out of there before the girls had a chance to become affectionate and clingy in the aftershocks of their trance.
As was the case now, as she merely flashed the giggling girl one last, sexy wink before sweeping past her and disappearing once again into the crowd.
As she melted into the sea of bodies, she heard one last dreamy whisper from the redhead.
"God, that girl was attractive…"
Smirking to herself, revealing the tips of white fangs jutting past her upper lip, the blonde stored the compliment into her memory as she continued to leave.
Boo yah. Yet another point for the ego.
Nanoha glanced worriedly up at her girlfriend, who was trying to hold back a visible grimace as they entered the house once again.
"Fate-chan, are you sure you're okay?"
Closing her eyes, Fate nodded. She took a deep breath.
It's been a while since I've fed… and the vulnerability of all these people together at once is making my blood boil.
Flinging her eyes open, Fate shook her head violently.
No no! Mustn't think of blood!
Her panic level dropped a few notches when she felt Nanoha take hold of her hands and give it a reassuring squeeze, the girl smiling brightly at her as they walked together through the house.
Fate couldn't help but let her eyes linger on Nanoha's neck as they passed from room to room. Her throat looked so soft and tender, slender and warm, throbbing below the surface with hot, life-sustaining blood…
With a sound caught somewhere between a choke and gasp, Fate tore her hand from Nanoha's as she flung both hands to her face, trying to quell her racing heartbeat and shake off the powerful shudders that were running down her spine.
"Fate-chan! What's the matter? Fate-chan?"
The blonde slowly drew her hands back and, when she felt in control enough, met the brunette's gaze. Really, it was as though both her libido and thirst were banding together to wreak havoc on her senses – leaving her dying for the taste of blood on her tongue and buzzing in delicate places she was too embarrassed to think about.
Such was the curse of having a lover who was not nocturnal like oneself. It meant that her and Nanoha couldn't be together as often as they craved. But when they were, the time was precious.
And Fate's body was eagerly screaming for that kind of precious time now…
Stormy eyes lighting up with realisation, Nanoha let a small "Oh!" as colour flooded her cheeks while Fate just stared hungrily.
Quickly glancing around to make sure no-one was going to overhear her – and that Arisa and Suzuka were well out of earshot – Nanoha stepped closer to her beloved and whispered into her ear.
"Do you… do you need to feed? Right now?"
Huskily, Fate breathed out a yes. Already she could feel the tingling in her gums as her fangs anticipated the plunge into a supple neck.
Grasping hold of one of the long, black sleeves of Fate's coat, Nanoha grinned cheekily at her girlfriend before turning and leading her off to an emptier part of the house.
Following behind her, everything around them seemingly becoming a blur as Fate's senses honed in on the gorgeous nekomimi girl in front, the vampire bit back her own smile.
She found it curious how stranger's blood no longer satisfied her. Sure she still craved, but since meeting and growing closer to Nanoha she'd begun to find the girl's blood so sweet, so appealing to her, that any other variety seemed dull and tasteless to her.
Most humans would find that gross. Fate thought it was love.
Feeling the last mouthful of hot fluid trickle down her throat, the blonde allowed her glazed eyes to refocus as she detached herself from her victim.
In her arms, the bespectacled young girl slumped down against the wall as her legs gave way, Fate's tight embrace around her waist being the only thing holding her upright.
Breathing heavily, the girl struggled for words for a few moments before uttering, "…. Wow."
Ever courteous, Fate waited patiently while the girl in her arms slowly came back down from her high, allowing her to nuzzle dazedly into her neck while she waited until the girl had at least regained solid footing enough to stand on her own two feet.
After gently releasing the girl, the blonde was about to make yet another sexy exit when a strong hand grabbed hold of the back of her cloak and dragged her backwards
"Wha-?"
The source of the interruption was a zombie, a blood-spattered zombie, with angry emerald eyes boring into her amaranth own.
"You!" he snarled, after the girl had stumbled backwards a little and he let go, watching her catch her balance and glare back at him.
"You're Fate, am I right? I saw you with Nanoha earlier!"
Straightening up and folding her arms, the accused blonde smirked haughtily.
"Sorry, I don't play with boys." And made to turn back to her post-orgasmic friend before an angry growl halted her.
"I can't believe you!" Yuuno Scrya was furious, clenching his hand into a fist as his best friend's girlfriend just shot him an amused smile. He wanted to punch it right off her face.
"Nanoha…. Nanoha never stops talking about you, and how happy you've made her! Yet I meet you for the first time… doing this! Making out with other girls!"
Moving her hands to her hips, the blonde turned on her heel to face the young man directly, eyes dancing at the prospect of conflict.
Fate barely kicked the door shut before grasping Nanoha's hips and pushing her back up against it, the pair already kissing hungrily even though having just stumbled into the room.
Hot, open-mouthed kisses that left them both breathless and pressing against in each other as the pulled back for oxygen.
Nanoha felt as though the room was spinning.
"I…. Fate-chan… nnn…" giving up on whatever it was she was about to say, the brunette just leant forwards and caught her girlfriend's bottom lip between her teeth playfully, giggling as she felt the blonde's hands trailing up her bare back and long, dexterous fingers slipping beneath the hem of her tank top.
She let moved away from Fate's mouth to instead bury her head into the girl's shoulder, giving into the powerful shudders running down her spine from the way Fate's fingers were stroking now along the back of her neck.
She sighed blissfully.
"Fate-chan, if you're really hungry, you don't have to go along with all this foreplay. You can just bite me, if you want."
Cheeks burning, Fate slid her hands from in the back of Nanoha's shirt to around the front, settling them over the lace-covered breasts of her girlfriend she loved so much.
"O-oh, but Nanoha, I thought you liked the foreplay…?"
Pulling back from Fate's shoulder, suppressing a groan at the sensation of Fate's hands on her chest, Nanoha giggled lavishly.
"Oh don't get me wrong, I love the foreplay. I just don't want you to have to hold back if you really want to feed…"
Fate allowed her eyes to drift shut as she worked her hands down from Nanoha's breast to slide over her toned abdomen and settle on her hips, the brunette gasping and hitching her breath every so often at the contact.
"To be honest Nanoha, I 'really want to' a lot of things when it comes to you."
Feeling her heart flutter at the words, Nanoha surged forward and wrapped her arms tight around Fate's neck, pulling their lips together for one last deep kiss before leaning back and lazily lolling her head to the side.
She watched Fate's eyes glimmer like a predator's as they fixed themselves on her now-exposed neck. Nanoha giggled.
"You really do want it, huh? Well go ahead Fate-chan…" she trailed off, smiling shyly as she added on afterthought,
"Besides, it's not like I don't get anything out of it anyway… ne?"
Re-adjusting her grip on Nanoha, Fate swallowed deeply to restore moisture to her mouth as she felt her insides leap and twist at the passionate look Nanoha was giving her.
She was getting very exciteable, indeed.
Leaning forward, Fate ran her tongue along the milky collarbone that was before her, marveling at the slightly salted taste of Nanoha's skin as she kissed her way up to the throbbing pulse point near her shoulder.
Nanoha released a tiny moan as she shifted awkwardly, the area between her legs seemingly burning for attention as Fate continued to kiss her neck.
Drifting her eyes shut, Nanoha heard her most important whisper an "I love you," into her ear before fangs were bared and the skin was punctured and the euphoria hit, eliciting a loud gasp.
"I can't believe they just ran off like that, straight into one of Hayate's guest rooms to have nookie right after Fate was accused of cheating on her!"
Arisa couldn't make sense of it! She folded her arms in a huff, releasing a frustrated sigh as Suzuka hovered nearby. The violet-haired girl smiled warily.
"Yes it was quite… odd, wasn't it? One second it was like they were coming inside to clear up a misunderstanding and then the next they shot off to a bedroom."
"Horny bastards, both of them! Humph!"
Laughing at her friend's outburst, Suzuka allowed her gaze to casually scan the crowd before setting sights on a familiar face. Excitedly, Suzuka began waving their friend over.
"Hayate-chan!"
The witch girl grinned when she looked up and caught sight of her childhood friends, stumbling towards them with as much enthusiasm as she could muster in her current sluggish state. Arisa and Suzuka both shared a worried glance when they saw how unsteady the other girl was, bumping twice against the wall as she made her way over.
"Heeeeey, Suzuka-chan, Arisa-chan! How're you enjoying my party so far?"
They eyed her in disbelief for a second before Arisa finally broke the silence with an incredulous question.
"Hayate-chan, what have you TAKEN?"
Nodding beside her, Suzuka also leaned forward.
"Or perhaps, someone spiked your drink?" she gasped, "Oh, poor Hayate-chan!"
Hayate blinked slowly, tilting her head this way and that as she tried to comprehend what her friends were asking.
"Taken….? OH!" and here, she burst into breathless laughter. "Oh oh, you guys mean like drugs or something? Of course not!"
Using Suzuka's shoulder to brace herself steady, making the other girl frown in concern, Hayate waved a hand reassuringly.
"Truly, truly – I have had nothing but this delicious punch you see before you…"
She lifted an empty hand, waving it in front of the two skeptical girls. Arisa scowled.
"Hayate-chan, you're not holding anything."
"Ehh? Ah! Where'd my drink go?"
Turning her head to fro as she scanned the nearby perimeter for her cup, Arisa was forced to duck forward and catch the girl as she nearly over-balanced and toppled onto the floor. Arisa blinked in astonishment whilst Suzuka fluttered about worriedly.
"Seriously, Hayate-chan! You can't just be drunk! I've seen you down half a bottle of vodka before, and you've never acted like this!"
Hayate laughed, resting her chin on Arisa's shoulder and reaching up to pat her shoulder reassuringly.
"I'm fiiiine, Arisa-chan. Really! I'm just a little buzzed on happy right now is all!"
Behind her, Arisa shot Suzuka a raised eyebrow. She leaned forward to whisper a question to the knowledgeable heiress.
"Is "happy" a street name for some kind of pill these days?"
Suzuka just shrugged helplessly, causing Arisa to sigh in defeat.
"Tonight is OFFICIALLY 'act as weird as possible' night. I mean come ON! Hayate-chan here can barely walk, Nanoha and that Fate of hers race off to a bedroom to boink each other's brains out, and –!"
The Joker cosplayer was cut off mid-rant as Hayate let out a lecherous giggle.
"Ohohohoho, lucky Nanoha-chan…. Fate-chan is sooo… Mmm…."
Bright red erupted onto the faces of both Arisa and Suzuka as Hayate's sentence trailed off into an indecipherable moan. Grabbing her friend by the shoulders, Arisa pushed her back just enough so that she and Suzuka could stare blankly at her perverted grin, the pair both trying to process whether or not they had just heard right.
Arisa opened her mouth a few times, before blurting out,
"Wait wait wait, you mean Fate cheated on Nanoha… with YOU?"
Standing motionless for a few seconds, Hayate felt the cloud of happiness start to dissipate from around her as she swallowed deeply, feeling the incredulous stares of her two friends burning into her.
"I-It wasn't my fault! I was seduced, I swear!"
"Fate-chan, leave it!"
Another giggle as Nanoha playfully swatted her girlfriend's hand away, the vampire trying to re-position her neko-chan's collar so that it covered her new bite marks.
"Fate-chan, come on! You said yourself that you think there's an imposter wandering around committing all these felonies, and you're too busy playing with my costume to even catch them?" Another sweet giggle as the pair shared matching grins.
"Where's your sense of justice, huh?"
Exaggerating a sigh, Fate dropped her hand from Nanoha's collar and slid it tantalisingly slow around her back to wrap around her waist. Nanoha pretended not to blush.
"Okay then, Nanoha. I'll stop playing with you, as you put it."
Reaching one finger up to deftly tap her blonde lover on the nose, the brunette chided in a mocking tone,
"Now now, Fate-chan. There'll be plenty of time for playing later on, ne?"
Fate's eyes shone at the thought, the girl smiling giddily at the prospect.
"I hope so."
"Good!"
And with a final laugh, the pair left the confines of the guest room and headed back out to the main floor. It take long for the pair to realise that something was very wrong.
Or arguably in Fate's case, something fantastic, had she been single.
Almost every girl they passed was eyeing the blonde vampire like she was a piece of meat, a not-so-small few even stumbling forward to – seemingly on purpose – brush up against her as she walked past.
Nanoha felt her eye twitching as she nestled even closer to her girlfriend, who seemed just as stunned as she did about the newfound attention.
One particular daring girl stepped out in front of them and reached out, resting her hands on Fate's stomach. The blonde erupted in a stammer and blush as the stranger sidled up to her, not really sure how to react.
W-what is she…?
"Heeey, darling…"
Nanoha stared, shell shocked for a few moments at the brazen girl who was trying to cozy up to her Fate-chan (who was comically attempting to politely push the strange girl away.)
Nanoha closed her eyes, and her temper reached icy levels.
"HEY!" she roared, voice echoing over the speakers and causing almost everyone in the room to look at her. It wasn't much effort, since practically the entire female population in the room had their attention on Fate to begin with anyway.
Glaring, Nanoha stomped forward and placed herself between her Fate and the unknown femme rival. The girl opposite her just giggled drunkenly, almost like she wasn't entirely sure what was going on around her.
Ignoring that, Nanoha allowed her stormy eyes to betray her possessiveness as she stared down her foe, who seemed disappointingly oblivious to the conflict as she remained grinning eagerly at the nervous Fate who was trying to look dismissive but failed.
In reality, Fate looked like she wanted scoop Nanoha up into her arms and carry her far away from these people; these men slandering her loyalty to Nanoha and these crazy girls who were watching her like a cat would a mouse.
She bit back a nervous gulp.
Nanoha, meanwhile, was in full force. She sucked in deep breath and decided to declare her property openly, in front of all these girls who were obviously interested.
I can't figure it out! I know Fate-chan is one drop-dead, attractive girl but… surely there can't be THAT many girls out there who would instantly fall for her at first sight?
Her words came easily.
"LISTEN! I don't know what's going on, but Fate-chan is MY girlfriend! And not a single one of you girls are going to do anything about it, got that?"
The music continued pumping around them, but the explosion of girl's voices didn't occur until about three seconds later.
"I would be soooo much better for you, than that kitty tramp!" one girl slurred.
"Ohhh, blondie! Blondie, I miss you already…."
"Ms. Mysterious, take me for a second round~!"
After a few cases of this, Nanoha's head was ready to explode.
Gripping Fate's hand tight enough to make the blonde wince, Nanoha began striding through the crowd and bowling people over left, right and center as she ploughed across the room.
Behind her, Fate was nearly tripping to keep up with the fast pace.
"N-Nanoha, slow down!"
The brunette cast a quick glance over her shoulder at her struggling partner before slowing to a stop, turning around so that she was facing Fate head on.
Her vampire girlfriend leaned forward and rested her hands on her shoulders, leaning close so as not to let any of the other party guests overhear.
"Nanoha, the way those girls were acting… they've been bitten."
"Ehh?"
Nanoha craned her neck to look back at the girls who floating about in a daze, stumbling around as though they'd downed an entire keg of alcohol each. Nanoha raised an eyebrow.
"Really? I mean I know the bite feels incredible, but you don't see me going out of my mind like that, do you?"
Nanoha's eyes snapped up to Fate's as the girl giggled a little, her grin allowing Nanoha to glimpse the points of her fangs.
"You obviously don't remember your first bite, do you Nanoha?"
"Ehehe… point taken," the brunette sweatdropped. Fate leaned forward and nuzzled her nose against Nanoha's, making her pout cutely. Drawing back with a laugh, Fate reached up to her girlfriend's face and squeezed one of her cheeks affectionately.
"That is, from as little as I could tell. I didn't have time to inspect them for bite marks because someone decided to drag me away at the speed of light."
Although her words were meant as a light jab, Nanoha couldn't help but feel a stab of shame lance her gut as she twiddled her fingers together.
She smiled exasperatedly.
"Sorry Fate-chan, I just… I just had to get you away from those harpies!" she trailed off, her smile fading a bit. Fate tilted her head, waiting for her to continue.
If there was one thing about Nanoha that she knew, it was that girl liked voicing her doubts and concerns. Nanoha was a very open person; she didn't like the thought of keeping these sorts of things hidden from a partner.
Eventually, she sighed again.
"I know it sounds pretty stupid, but I feel a bit insecure around them, you know?"
Fate just released a small breath of laughter and reached out, placing a hand on Nanoha's reddening cheek. She smiled warmly.
"Nanoha, it's only you. It'll only EVER be you. I look at no-one else, you know."
Nanoha shyly fixed her gaze on a spot on the floor, embarrassed for even doubting Fate-chan's love. Jealousy and insecurity were just the ugly marks that came with adolescence, she supposed.
I guess I'd better apologise.
"It was stupid, the way I overreacted back there," she mumbled, leaning into Fate's touch on her cheek. "I'm sorry."
Fate's velvety laugh made her glance up in surprise. Red eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Don't worry about it. In fact, I kinda liked seeing a jealous Nanoha for once…"
Both girls made eye contact, feeling giddy and shy and entirely in love as they giggled together at their cheesy dialogue.
"We're becoming a cliché, Fate-chan."
"Seems that way."
A mop of messy blond hair approaching from the left made both girls turn to face Yuuno. He limped over to them, and stood there glaring bitterly at Fate. The two girls stared back blankly, waiting for him to say something.
Eventually, Nanoha broke the silence.
"Um… Hi, Yuuno-kun?"
The young man forced a tight-lipped smile back at his friend, wincing in the process. Nanoha creased her brow in confusion.
"Uhh, you okay Yuuno-kun?"
The boy lifted a hand to his head and rubbed it tenderly, never once dropping the icy glare after setting his eyes back on the blonde.
"Well I thought I was, but I guess your girlfriend must've hit me harder than I thought. I could've sworn I saw her walk out onto the balcony a second ago!"
Nanoha blinked, sharing a quick glance with Fate before turning back to the thin boy.
"You got hit?"
"Yes! She made a laughingstock out of me in front of the other guys! I was trying to defend your honour, and she beat the crap outta me!"
"And you say she went out to balcony, right?" Fate enquired, leaning forwards. Yuuno took a step back from her and scowled.
"No, I said YOU walked out to the balcony! I…" he trailed off, blinking quizzically. Nanoha glanced at Fate worriedly.
"Fate-chan, this causing everyone too much confusion. Let's get out to the balcony, now!"
The blonde nodded and the pair left a confused and injured Yuuno standing in the middle of the room. A few metres away, Hayate gasped and pointed.
"There they are! Look, they're leaving!"
She excitedly thumped Arisa on the shoulder, causing her to nearly spill the spoonful of punch she was ladling into her plastic cup. She dropped the serving utensil back into the half-empty punchbowl with a splash and a clatter.
"Right, let's follow! Hayate, Suzuka, in pursuit!"
Stepping out onto the balcony, Nanoha flung her hands to her mouth and her widened as she caught sight of another Fate.
The girl standing at the balcony turned around upon hearing Nanoha's surprise, and she flashed the couple a cocky smile.
"So there you are, Fate!"
The girl was identical to her own Fate-chan; even right down to the uniquely beautiful eyes. It didn't help matters to see that she was also wearing matching clothes.
Unlike Nanoha's stunned reaction, Fate herself merely steeled her expression and walked towards her double.
"What are you doing here, onee-san? You've caused a lot of trouble tonight." She released a sigh, bringing one hand up to rake through her fringe tiredly as she eyed her sister warily.
The girl on the edge of the balcony grinned then, shrugging her shoulders in a "can't be helped" manner. Fate sighed again and turned to Nanoha, trying to force a smile as she gestured towards the mirror image of herself.
"Nanoha, this is my twin; Alicia Testarossa."
Staring, Nanoha was jolted out of her sudden fantasies involving two Fate-chans, herself, and a queen-sized bed and she hurriedly bowed.
"Uh, H-Hello Alicia-chan, it's nice to meet you…" here, the brunette raised her little and made eye contact with Fate, smiling wryly. "It's such a surprise, because I was never told that Fate-chan HAD a twin sister…"
Sweatdropping at the look Nanoha was giving her; Fate fidgeted with the zipper of her coat and stammered an answer.
"I-It never came up in conversation before! And I certainly didn't know she was going to gatecrash your friend's party and wreak all this havoc!"
Interrupted by a soft giggle, both girls turned to watch as Alicia stalked towards them.
"Gatecrashed? Oh not at all, onee-san. I merely came here to tell you to get your butt back home."
Fate blinked, while Nanoha just stared back at the girl. When asked to clarify, the Testarossa girl explained,
"Mother needs you back at the coven. That priest and his soldiers have been causing trouble again, we need your help relocating Daddy's tomb so they don't destroy his body before he can re-awaken and usher in the new dark age for mankind."
Nanoha felt her jaw go slack, and she nearly gave herself whiplash spinning her head around to stare incredulously at her girlfriend. She choked on air for a few seconds before managing to utter a "What?"
Fate just sighed and shook her head, her childish sister trying to stifle laughter after seeing Nanoha's expression.
"Nanoha, no. She's stirring you up."
Pouting Nanoha turned back to Alicia.
"Alicia-chan, that wasn't very…! Umm…" she trailed off, after turning back and finding her face a mere few inches away from the other girl's. Leaning in even closer, Alicia lifted one side of her lips up in a suggestive smirk as she watched the brunette's cheeks enflame.
"So this is the Nanoha you always talk about at home, Fate-chan…"
Nanoha swallowed nervously, feeling her heart rate pick up from the way Alicia's breath was so close that it was ghosting across her lips. She gave out a squeak of surprise when a warm arm wrapped itself snug around her middle and she was pulled flush against Fate-chan's soft curves, her girlfriend frowning possessively.
"Yes onee-san, this is MY Nanoha that I always talk about at home. My girlfriend…" She paused, turning to flash Nanoha a kind, heart-tingling smile. "… I love her."
Alicia sighed and turned back to face the balcony, disinterested.
"Yes onee-san, I see you're very fond of your pet human," she began, eliciting an indignant "Hey!" from Nanoha and a fiery glare from Fate. The latter accused,
"Hey, you caused enough trouble tonight onee-san! What, did you attack the entire female population in there or something?"
Alicia grinned sheepishly, scratching the side of her cheek as she sat up on the balcony railing and swung her legs back and forth.
"Ehe, actually onee-san, I didn't originally come here for that. I just couldn't help myself! They were all just there for the taking!"
Fate rolled her eyes, which made her twin groan and add,
"Yes yes, I know it was wrong. If it makes you feel any better, I have a tummy ache from drinking too much…"
Fate just shook her head in exasperation at her sister's antics. Nanoha the second Testarossa twin a quizzical glance.
"So Alicia-chan, what are you actually here for?"
Inspecting the back of her nails, the other vampire hummed half-heartedly before glancing back over at the couple and smiling brightly.
"Alas, I wasn't completely lying before. I am here because mother sent me, she wants you back home right now onee-san."
Fate winced then, prompting Nanoha to send her a curious glance, whilst lifting her arm to rub the blonde's back soothingly.
"Fate-chan…?"
Her vampire lover sent her a regretful look, catching her hand in her own.
"Nanoha, my mother doesn't like the idea of me spending so much time with a human, so…" she gave Nanoha's hand a gentle squeeze.
"I guess I'd better go, at least for tonight."
After catching Nanoha's hesitant gaze, Fate leant forward and pulled her into a hug.
"Hey, I'll see you some other time, okay? After mother cools down a little…"
Both girls continued to stand in their embrace, each of them reluctant to move from the other's warmth… before a haughty cough interrupted them.
"Jeez onee-san, just do her already, would you? This 'innocent, tension-filled exchange' is giving me a cavity, tch."
Nanoha frowned at Alicia's dry sarcasm and pulled a face, poking her tongue out at the bored girl. Lifting both hands to cup Fate's face, Nanoha drew her forward into a toe-curling kiss that left both of them dizzy and dazed, Fate somehow managing to regain use of her arms long enough to wrap them around Nanoha as the two engaged in a proper farewell kiss.
Leaning against the balcony, arms folded, Alicia huffed.
"Show offs."
When they were finally finished, Fate pulled away with a whispered "sorry" as she prepared to leave her lover for the night. Nanoha just smiled shyly.
"It's okay, Fate-chan. Next time, we'll just make sure I get to keep you to myself all night, hm?"
Fate nodded in agreement, clearing her throat in an attempt to hide her fierce blush at the implications while Alicia struggled to hold her hilarity in as she watched the awkward exchange between her inexperienced sister and her cute pet.
Honestly, this is like reading straight from a corny romance script… written by an amateur! Sheesh.
With a final wave, Fate walked over towards her sister and, in one long movement, stepped up to balance perfectly on the railing of the balcony. Still swinging her legs back and forth, Alicia sent a coy smile towards Nanoha.
"It was nice meeting you, onee-san's neko-chan."
Nanoha forced a smile, lifting her hand for a little wave.
"You too Alicia-chan… Um, I guess?" she had responded, watching as the blonde girl stretched her arms upwards with a yawn before leaning back and toppling over the edge of the balcony.
Now any human would have panicked at seeing this, and any normal human who fell would have made a nasty "crack" sound against the pavement below and had all sorts of weird and wonderful fluids leaking from their head at the impact.
Although to Nanoha, who had been going steady with a vampire for almost 7 months now, these kinds of exits were as natural as if Alicia had merely strolled outside and hailed a taxi.
Without batting an eyelash, she and Fate shared one last smile before the blonde and leapt off the railing, the last thing Nanoha seeing being the flutter of her long, dark coat before she disappeared from view.
Still standing on the balcony, Nanoha absent-mindedly lifted a hand to her neck and used her index finger to trace over the tiny wounds, her and Fate's creepy yet quirky sign of intimacy. She sighed blissfully.
Next time we meet up, I'm keeping you all night, Fate-chan…
From their spot at the balcony door Arisa, Hayate and Suzuka gaped in shock at what had just transpired.
Eventually, after long dragging moments of stunned silence, Hayate spoke up.
"Sooo…. Guess I didn't betray Nanoha after all, huh? It was her girlfriend's sister I made out with!" She laughed weakly. "…. Apparently."
Arisa spun around and grabbed Hayate by the collar, shaking her violently.
"WHO CARES ABOUT YOU! Did you just SEE that? Nanoha's girlfriend is a REAL VAMPIRE!"
The girl continued to thrash Hayate about, never ceasing her tirade about vampires.
"Vampires aren't real! They're not! They can't be! THEY CAN'T BE REAL!"
While her friends went about their mini-meltdowns, Suzuka just stood absolutely calm and still.
She didn't spaz out like her friends did, cave into the mental trauma of seeing a real live vampire leap over a railing and disappear into the night. Hell, she didn't even stress over the fact that it was indeed one of her best friends Nanoha dating said vampire.
Instead she merely took a deep breath, blinked, and glanced at the plastic cup she was holding. She spoke in her usual well-bred demure tone.
"… Wow, this punch really is spiked with some crazy pills…"
A/N: Well I hoped you all enjoyed, and in case you wondering, Samhain is sort of the Gaelic festival of the dead from what I understand, so it is similar to Halloween.
Please let me know if I got my character interactions right, and also if you guys would maybe be interested in seeing more stories from this same Vamp universe, or would just like me to start on a new NanoFate fic altogether?
Reviews and comments are much appreciated, guys~!