This Dashing Stranger of Mine
Scenario: Vanui
Execution: Divine Vengeance
A/N: So this is a collab of sorts, since SOMEONE can't write at the moment. This is also my first time writing NanoFate, so please don't kill me if I completely wrecked them ;_; I hope you enjoy this one-shot!
The rain cascaded down in a rather relentless torrent as a young lady stumbled out of a multi-story office building, a groan escaping her as she stood underneath the overhang at the entrance. She stifled another grumble of despair as she pouted, glancing at her watch that ticked just past 7 in the evening.
"Stupid Chrono-kun, making me stay this late," Takamachi Nanoha mumbled to herself.
She let out a sigh as her stomach gave a rumble that she ignored while she glanced out into the dark parking lot. Shivering slightly, Nanoha narrowed her eyes as she considered making a run for her car, not looking forward to how drenched she would become.
"Ahem."
A gentle voice interrupted Nanoha's musings as she turned to look to her side. Standing right next to her was a fine young lady. Extremely fine, her brain added helpfully as her eyes scanned up and down, taking in the person's extremely well-fitting suit, extremely gorgeous blonde hair, extremely kind smile, extremely beautiful, red eyes–
"Need some help getting to your car?" The woman's words cut into Nanoha's thoughts once again, though she completely didn't mind considering how the stranger's voice was soft enough to send her flying off into cloud nine. Mentally shaking herself back to reality, Nanoha smiled brightly at the woman and noticed that she was wielding a bright yellow umbrella.
"Um… Are you sure it's not too much trouble?" the brunette asked as she scratched her cheek.
The blonde's smile only grew. "I am more than sure," she reassured her as she opened her umbrella and raised it over their heads. "Now, which way to your car?"
"Thank you," Nanoha said gratefully before pointing to their left. "It's a little off that way."
With a nod, the blonde lady took the first step forward as Nanoha followed along, clutching her bag to herself. The instant the duo stepped out from under the overhang, the umbrella was assaulted by the pitter-patter of raindrops. Silently thanking the stranger once again, Nanoha slowly glanced towards her savior.
The brunette bit her lower lip in awe as she got to see how extremely fine this person was from this particular angle. As she was appreciating the blonde's excellent jaw line, she suddenly realized red eyes were on her and she had to suppress a squeak of surprise.
"You're going to get wet if you don't stand closer," the blonde informed Nanoha as she walked slightly closer to her, shifting the umbrella to cover the shorter woman better.
"Th– Thanks," Nanoha stammered, looking down at her hands in embarrassment. She felt her body heat up a few degrees despite the biting cold every time their shoulders brushed, which was often enough to make her feel like running out into the rain to cool down.
The two traveled in peaceful silence for a minute or two, Nanoha still looking down to avoid eye contact, until the taller of the pair spoke up.
"I feel bad for whoever's car that is," the blonde said, sympathy evident in her voice.
"Eh?" Nanoha quickly looked back up.
Indeed, she also felt bad for whoever owned that car. It could hardly be called a car anymore considering the way it was utterly flattened by the tree it had been parked next to. It looked like a metal pancake with the roof of the car smashed in, water dripping into the interior.
"My car!" Nanoha wailed loudly. She felt her whole body slump in despair, her head hanging low.
"Um…" A hand gently placed itself on Nanoha's shoulder and she turn to see a concerned smile. "I have a car if you want a lift instead?"
"Eh?" The brunette blinked in surprise.
"I– I promise I'm not a creep or anything!" the blonde quickly added in defense. "I just thought that m– maybe you'd want to get out of this rain first and then take care of your car later?"
"Are you sure?" Nanoha asked, not wanting to impose on the stranger even more than she already had.
"Yeah… If you don't mind, we could stop to get some food somewhere and you can call someone to pick you up?" The taller woman glanced at the dark office building they had stepped out of. "I think that'd be better than waiting alone in there."
Glancing at the deserted building as well, Nanoha frowned slightly as she weighed her options before giving a firm nod. Looking at her ruined vehicle once more, she turned back to her gracious helper and smiled with much appreciation. "That would be great, thanks."
The two walked together in another direction, the wind assailing them as they crossed the parking lot. Despite mourning her car, Nanoha was grateful for the excuse to huddle closely to the blonde beauty and feel her body warmth through their clothes.
"Here we are," the taller woman said as she whipped out her keys to unlock her car.
Nanoha's eyes widened as a lone black vehicle beeped, its lights flashing. While she was no motor enthusiast, even she could recognize the Ferrari logo and the shape of a sports car, albeit a bit old fashioned. The word Testarossa was inscribed on the back. Somewhat amazed, she allowed herself to be steered to the passenger side of the car. Before she could move, the blonde reached over and opened the door for her.
"Th– Thanks," Nanoha quickly stammered, a slight blush creeping on her cheeks.
"My pleasure," the other woman replied with a charming smile that sent butterflies to the brunette's stomach.
As she waited in the car for her savior to enter the driver's side, Nanoha smiled to herself. Despite the horrible weather and her car getting basically destroyed, maybe today didn't have to be so bad.
A black Ferrari pulled into a parking lot, the rain still pouring high above. A blonde stepped out from the driver's side of the car, opening an umbrella, and crossed over to the passenger seat.
Takamachi Nanoha blushed yet again as she was assisted out of the car. "Thanks," she said for the nth time, earning another charming smile.
"I hope this place is to your liking," the blonde spoke.
Nanoha glanced up at the building, her eyes widening slightly as they took in the words written in bright neon.
"Wait a minute…" she said slowly. "My parents own this!"
To her surprise, the taller female's entire face lit up. "You guys make wonderful pastries!" the red-eyed woman gushed in excitement. "I love when Mom brings home stuff from here. Oh, and your family can get you home too!"
Nanoha, who had been rather pleased at the blonde's evident happiness, suddenly felt her balloon deflate. "Nyahaha, yeah, they can…" She pouted to herself, wondering how to keep the blonde woman from leaving so soon as said blonde gazed into the window of the bakery like a child in a candy shop.
Without warning, the door at the entrance burst open and a familiar voice called out into the rainy night.
"Nanoha-chan! Who's this?!"
"M- Mama?!" Nanoha jumped in shock, ripping her eyes from her companion to an older lady with similar features to herself.
"Don't "Mama?!" me! Come on in already!" Takamachi Momoko excitedly grabbed both young ladies by the sleeve and pulled them in, ignoring the blonde's look of astonishment and Nanoha's embarrassed facepalm.
"Sorry," Nanoha mouthed to the person who had helped her get here. The blonde merely shook her head and smiled in amusement as the two stepped into the warm bakery.
"So, Nanoha-chan, who's this strapping young lady, hm? Hm?" Momoko asked, enthusiasm and a hint of deviousness clear in her eyes as she scanned the lady in question.
Nanoha blinked before gears quickly clunked into place. "Oh my god, Mama, no, it's not like that!"
"Not like what, hm? I must say, she's quite the looker."
Trying to fight down her blush despite her agreement, Nanoha waved both arms in the air in desperation. "Mama, wait, it's really not like that! I– I don't even know her name!"
The blonde, who had been watching quietly with an entertained expression on her face, suddenly opened her mouth.
"I'm Fate Harlaown," she said with a pleasant smile that reminded Nanoha of princes and gave her the urge to squeal like a schoolgirl.
There was a moment of silence as mother and daughter both stared at the dazzling smile.
"Well, Fate-chan," Momoko suddenly spoke while grinning widely. "Why don't you stay for dinner?"
"Mama!" Nanoha exclaimed, rushing over to her mother and grabbing her arm. "What are you doing?!"
"When was the last time you brought anyone over, Nanoha-chan?" her mother scolded with a finger.
Smiling awkwardly, Fate raised a hand. "Um, I really wouldn't want to impose–"
"Nonsense!" Momoko said dismissively. "We'd love to have you here! Nanoha-chan's girlfriend is always more than welcome here."
"Mama, she's not–" Nanoha did her best to quickly correct the situation, but was cut off rather quickly.
"Now, now, no need to hide it. Your papa and I have always thought it would only be a matter of time."
Nanoha groaned, wanting to crawl into a hole and die. "Mama..."
"Ahahaha…" Fate could only let out a sympathetic grin as she tried to come up with a solid excuse.
"Off to the kitchen with you! It's not every day I get to see Nanoha-chan cook for her beloved," Momoko said as she ushered the younger brunette off to the back of the bakery.
Left alone with the scent of bread, Fate Harlaown sighed and pushed a hand through her bangs before smiling. Dinner with a cute girl and her mother couldn't be that bad.
"So how did you two first meet?" Takamachi Momoko asked, ignoring her own plate of food. She laced her fingers together and rested her head on them as she scrutinized the blonde sitting next to her daughter.
Pouting, Takamachi Nanoha ignored her mother and dug into her rice. Throughout the entire process of making dinner, she had done her best to convince Momoko that the blonde next to her was not her girlfriend, but all she got was laughter and dismissal.
Fate Harlaown seemed to have understood the situation and the futility of convincing her host that they were not an item. She glanced between the two brunettes as she cautiously lifted her chopsticks to her mouth.
"Well?" Momoko asked again. "Don't be shy, you two! Fate-chan, when did you meet Nanoha-chan?"
"Uh… We met at the p– park not too far from the office. She was on a walk and we both b– bumped into each other…" Fate trailed off as she pulled lies right out of midair to please the older Takamachi.
"R– Right! I was walking Yuuno-kun and Fate-chan was jogging and we crossed paths! Nyahaha…" Feeling bad for the blonde, Nanoha played along.
"Oh, how sweet! I bet you two go there lots now. What do you like about Nanoha-chan?"
"U– Um… She's really hardworking and does whatever she puts her heart to," Fate said after swallowing a bite. "Uh… Some might call her… stubborn, but I just think she's really determined."
Nanoha fumbled with her chopsticks for a second. Wondering how Fate was so spot-on without knowing her, she missed the concerned glance the taller woman sent her way.
"I know, right?" Momoko nodded seriously. "Our Nanoha-chan here doesn't know when to stop, sometimes. Do you two spend a lot of time together?"
"Ah… We try to," Fate said smoothly. "Work can be a bit too much for the both of us at times, but we make do."
"Fate-chan works overtime too much," Nanoha said with a pout, not knowing that her fib was also accurate.
Fate frowned. "My brother can be a bit overbearing. He likes to get things done as soon as possible."
"Oh, right, Nanoha-chan sometimes comes home mumbling about Chrono-kun and his strictness," Momoko replied.
Nanoha blinked as she quickly recalled Fate's introduction and her boss's last name. An alarm bell immediately began ringing in her head as she put two and two together. She quickly wiped her face of her revelation, however, as she noticed her mother look her way.
"Yeah, nyahaha~" Nanoha quickly laughed.
Momoko smiled at the two before breaking into a mischievous grin. "So, Fate-chan… Anything you don't like about Nanoha-chan?"
Fate swallowed particularly loudly. "U– Um… I would say no…?"
"Oh, come on, we here all know that Nanoha-chan is far from perfect," Momoko pushed the red-eyed woman.
"Mama!" Nanoha protested, glaring at her mother who merely grinned even wider.
"Um… Nanoha can be a handful in the morning…?" Fate said with a feeble smile.
"… Nyahaha?"
"Oh my gosh! I know, right?!" Momoko exclaimed loudly, causing Fate and Nanoha both to jump in their seats. "She was such a pain to wake up when she was a kid. It's a bit nostalgic to hear that that hasn't changed," the older woman said with a wistful sigh.
Nanoha merely gaped, forgetting about her mother, as she wondered how this stranger knew about her morning habits. Before the blonde could respond, it was Nanoha's turn to receive the question.
"What about you, Nanoha-chan? Anything you don't like?" Momoko asked like a gossiping teenager.
"Fate-chan… can be a meanie," Nanoha made up as she tried to imagine what it would be like with the blonde. "She likes to tease me a lot," the brunette said with a pout.
Next to her, Fate choked on her rice. "N– Nanoha!" she exclaimed as she turned a shade of red not too far from her eyes.
"Nyahaha~"
Momoko watched this exchange with a devious grin. "Does she tease you in bed a lot too, Nanoha-chan?"
This time, it was both girls that choked on their food. Nanoha joined Fate's blushing, though the poor blonde was approaching a color closer to purple.
"M– Mama!"
"Momoko-san!"
The mother felt absolutely no guilt as she laughed at the sight of the two flustered young ladies. "What? I thought it would be interesting to know."
"We– We– We– Mama! You can't ask that kind of thing at dinner!"
"Oh, so if it's not dinner, it's okay?"
"Mama!"
Fate, who was returning to a more normal color, coughed to clear her throat then placed a calming hand on an indignant Nanoha's shoulder. "We– We haven't done anything yet," she tried to speak as smoothly and calmingly as possible. "We're waiting until we're both r– ready."
"Y– Yeah!" Nanoha nodded for emphasis, still blushing as she looked down at her lap.
"Nanoha-chan," Momoko suddenly spoke in a very grave tone.
"Yes, Mama?" Nanoha asked, looking up and instantly gaining a sense of dread and worry from the serious expression on her mother's face. Glancing over at Fate to see her reaction, she received a reassuring smile from the blonde. "What is it?" she prompted.
"Fate-chan's a keeper."
"Mama!"
And thus, the interrogation of Takamachi Nanoha and Fate Harlaown continued.
After the quite embarrassing dinner, Fate Harlaown was waiting outside the bakery as the Takamachis cleaned up the remains of their dinner and cleaned up the shop. She recalled how she offered to help but was all but kicked out of the bakery, no objections allowed. Thankfully, the rain had stopped long ago.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" a cheery voice called out. Fate turned around and smiled as Takamachi Nanoha stepped out of the store to greet her.
"It's no problem," Fate said.
"Good job today, Nanoha-chan," Takamachi Momoko spoke from the doorway of the bakery. "It was nice to meet you, Fate-chan."
"Likewise, Momoko-san," Fate replied with a nod.
"Well, I think it's time for you two to go home," the older brunette suggested. "It's been fun, but don't stay up too late on a weekday~" Momoko teased with a wink.
"Mama," Nanoha sighed, expecting the jokes to be over by now. She inwardly noted that it was worth it to see the tall blonde blush at least.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop. See you two soon!"
With that, Momoko spun around back into the bakery, leaving the two 'girlfriends' to themselves.
Nanoha turned to speak to Fate, who was still blushing at the tip of her ears. Chuckling to herself, Nanoha walked closer to the blonde.
"Fate-chan?" she asked, leaning in closer.
"Y– Yes?" the red-eyed woman stammered, blinking rapidly.
Nanoha slowly and carefully leaned in even nearer. She was glad that the blonde did not take even a single step backwards. She laughed in her head, watching as Fate swallowed loudly and continued blinking in confusion as the brunette leaned dangerously close.
Without warning, Nanoha threw her arms around Fate.
"Fate-chan, can you take me home?" she mumbled into the taller girl's shoulder.
There was a moment of silence as Fate processed the words before nodding rapidly. "Of– Of course I can!"
Nanoha decided that she rather enjoyed a flustered Fate as the pair walked back to her Ferrari, the taller of the two moving somewhat stiffly.
The duo made it to Nanoha's apartment. Despite Nanoha's protests that she could go up to her flat alone, Fate insisted on escorting the brunette to her door. Quite chivalrous, Nanoha noted as she heard a sharp bark from inside the apartment.
"I'm guessing that's Yuuno-kun?" Fate questioned, smiling gently.
"Nyahaha, yeah. He's a nice chihuahua. Do you want to come in? I'm sure he won't mind," Nanoha offered as she fished out her key.
Fate shook her head, much to the brunette's disappointment. "It's getting pretty late and I don't want to further impose on you."
Nanoha glanced at her watch and winced when she noticed how late it was. "Sorry for keeping you up so late," she apologized.
"It's no problem, really," Fate reassured her with a kind smile. "Well, I guess this is where I let you go."
"Yeah… Bye, Fate-chan."
"Goodbye, Nanoha."
With that, Fate turned around to leave, not seeing Nanoha pout behind her. The shorter woman quickly called out before the blonde could walk away, however.
"Wait, Fate-chan," Nanoha said.
"Yes?" Fate asked with a tilt of her head.
"Um… Thanks a lot for today," Nanoha said gratefully as she bowed her head.
Fate smiled her now-familiar dashing smile. "It was my pleasure, really. I had a lot of fun."
"Uh…" Nanoha fidgeted from foot to foot while she looked down at the ground. "Well, I was thinking…" She quickly fumbled within her bag before pulling out a slip of paper. She whipped out a pen as well, quickly scribbling down a few digits before handing the paper over to the blonde.
"Is this…?" Fate trailed off as she examined the piece of paper.
"Nyahaha, yeah. That's my number. Even though my car was smooshed, I had a great time with you," Nanoha confessed. "I… would love to spend more time with you, if you'd like?"
"I'd be honored," Fate replied with a face-splitting grin. As if she realized how widely she was beaming, she quickly corrected her face into a more prince-like smile.
Nanoha laughed at the sight although the butterflies in her stomach began dancing again. "Fate-chan… You don't have to try to act cool, you know?"
"Ah– You figured it out?!" Fate panicked, eyes wide.
"Nyahaha, it took a while, but yes," the shorter woman admitted.
"Ah… I'm so embarrassed now," Fate groaned as she covered her red face with her hands.
Nanoha laughed again but was cut off when a loud bark suddenly cut through the air. "Oh, I forgot to feed Yuuno-kun!" she exclaimed.
"I guess that's my cue to really leave then," Fate said, signs of a blush still evident on her face.
"Yeah… See you soon?" Nanoha asked hopefully.
"See you soon," Fate echoed with a pleasant nod.
As the blonde finally departed, Nanoha was left smiling. As she opened her door and was greeted by a lot of licking, she decided that today definitely was not a bad day at all.
A/N: Yuuno became a dog, oops.