Hello there. I've long been a fan of the character Setsuna Sakurazaki and as any good Setsuna fan, and a silly shipper, I am naturally a KonoSetsu shipper. And since I'm in a bit of a Setsuna phase at the moment I decided to try and write a fluffy one-shot for that shipping. Never done a story like this before so I hope that it's come out ok.
This is basically a tiny extension of the ball scene in the Negima manga. It takes place before Negi goes to his meeting with Kurt Godel.
Oh and I don't own Negima. Ken Akamatsu has that honour. This is just a fanfic written for entertainment purposes only. If I did own Negima the latest Setsuna/Tsukuyomi fight would've taken place over 2 or 3 chapters rather than happening off-screen.
It was like something out of a dream.
A large ballroom lit up in such a fashion that it might as well be daylight. Wonderfully contrasting with the black night sky seen through the windows.
Beautiful music played, setting a romantic mood for couples that slowly and rhythmically moved across the dance floor.
The women wore lavish and colourful dresses and the men slick and stylish suites.
Truly it was every young girl's dream to go to a ball like this. At least, Konoka Konoe, heir of the Konoe family and resident healer of the group known as Ala Alba, observed, it seemed like her classmates all had wanted to go to a social event like the central government ball. And to be honest she'd lie if she'd say that she never had similar thoughts. Sure, they had the incredibly hard task of getting back to their world ahead of them and there were incredibly dangerous opponents in their way. But there wasn't any reason why they couldn't act like regular high school girls just for this one night.
Of course in most girls' dream ball there would be a dashing male companion by their side to bring them drinks, compliment their dresses and, most importantly, dance with them.
Konoka giggled a little as she observed several of her classmates closely studying the dance floor. Nodoka, Chachamaru, Ako, Makie, Ku Fei, Sayo and Yue all had their eyes glued to Negi, in his totally super-hot adult form, dancing with Asuna, the two of them looking a lot like a proper couple. The Konoe heir bet that all the girls, a large majority of the young women at the ball and, from the looks of it, several of the young men present would trade their left arm to take her roommate's place.
A triumphant smirk spread across Konoka's face as she figured that she was that much luckier than her classmates when it came to a companion for this ball. She turned around to see her suite-dressed and handsome escort approach her from the other side of the ballroom, a drink in each hand.
Granted, Konoka's date was young woman rather than a man. But a silly little detail like that hardly mattered when the mere sight of her made Konoka light up like a sun and caused butterflies to flutter around in her stomach.
Decked out in a striped dark blue suite, white shirt and black tie and with her raven coloured hair let down Setsuna Sakurazaki, half-demon shinmeiryu expert of Ala Alba and Konoka's personal protector, looked like the very definition of cool. Konoka allowed her gaze to linger a little longer than usual and an appreciative noise to escape her mouth as she admired her childhood friend's appearance.
While Konoka was ogling Setsuna, because that's totally what she was doing, it became evident that she wasn't the only girl at the ball that took greater notice of the swordswoman than of Negi. Half-way to her destination a girl walked up to the half-demon with a hopeful and nervous expression.
The girl had flowing canary yellow hair, skin as white as fresh snow, feline features and was wearing an elegant light green dress that reached down to her knees. With a twinge of jealousy pounding in her chest Konoka begrudgingly admitted to herself that the girl was cute.
The brown haired girl saw how the stranger started up a conversation with Setsuna and while she couldn't hear them it was fairly obvious what was going on. The blonde girl gestured towards the dance floor and bowed her head slightly at which point both she and Setsuna blushed noticeably. This was followed by the half-demon frantically looking in all directions with a desperate expression, as if she would find any help for getting out of the situation without making an ass of herself.
Konoka felt a mix of appreciation for her Secchan's characteristic bashfulness and irritation that some other girl was trying to ask her out to dance. She'd never danced with Setsuna and it was a safe bet that she wouldn't enjoy seeing somebody else having the pleasure of doing so before her.
However, there wasn't any reason for her to worry as her guardian declined the invitation as politely as possible and walked away, a little quicker than before and with a lot less grace.
She felt a little sorry for the blonde, who stared after Setsuna with a disappointed look before walking away, but other than that Konoka was pleased with the outcome. She walked towards Setsuna to put some distance between them and the nosier members of their class and to prevent any other temptresses from attempting to pick up the swordswoman. At the same time she smoothed out her own pink dress, she wasn't about to lose in appearance to some girl whose name she didn't even know.
"Secchan, are you ok? You look flustered." The Konoe heir enquired with a curiously innocent voice as the two met up at the end of a long buffet table. Teasing her childhood friend was always amusing and something the swordswoman would have to put up with until she was honest with her own feelings.
"Oh, it's nothing Ojou-sa… Kono-chan. Here's your beverage" Konoka's smile grew to twice its regular size as Setsuna used her old nickname for her ward. It wasn't enough to let her off the hook though.
"Thanks Secchan." The healer said as she accepted the glass. She drank a little of the juice in it, waited a few moments to lull Setsuna into a false sense of security and then continued her assault. "So nothing happened to you while you were fetching these drinks?" She asked with a perfectly sweet and innocent tone of voice.
Setsuna swallowed her juice a bit too quickly. She'd recognise her ojou-saman's mischievous voice anywhere. Quickly going through her options she decided that telling the truth was probably her best choice right now.
"Ehm, well," The blush returned to the swordswoman's cheeks to Konoka's amusement. "A girl came up to me and eh…" Her eyes darted all over the room as the brown haired healer got a few steps closer. "And kind of sort of asked if I wanted to dance or something." The swordswoman nervously rubbed the back of her head. By now Konoka was a few inches from her face.
"Nee, Secchan," Konoka said in an overly fake upset voice. "I didn't know you were such a player. Should I be jealous?" Setsuna should've seen through the façade due to Konoka's teasing smile but the idea that she might've wronged her precious ojou-sama over-powered her common senses quite efficiently.
"What! No! I declined and..! I would never..! She and I..! I was busy bringing you drinks!" She finished rambling as the red glow of embarrassment covered her entire body and her throat became dry.
Being a benevolent person Konoka decided to spare her guardian any further awkwardness. "Ok, Secchan. I believe you. But I'm keeping an eye on you." Turning round to further observe the other ball attendees the Konoe heir swore she could hear a sigh of relief escape Setsuna's mouth followed by some muttering that vaguely sounded like 'I wouldn't mind that'.
Leaning against the table Konoka let her eyes wander the premises while enjoying how Setsuna's eyes were roaming across her body. The half-demon's feelings were quite obvious to pretty much anybody that saw her interact with Konoka. Only Setsuna was sort of oblivious about them.
"Hmm, scratch that." Konoka thought to herself. "It's more that she's in denial because she doesn't feel… worthy of me." A serene look of humility settled over Konoka's face as her inner musings continued. "You think too much of me Secchan. I'm just a girl like any other except that I… really like you. Probably as much as you like me. Maybe more." She sighed dejectedly at the complications of her relationship with the raven haired girl by her side.
Then she pushed those negative feelings aside with the help of happier thoughts. "But I'm patient Secchan. And you're wavering." She sing-sang with her mind's voice as she recounted how they'd grown closer over the recent months. Forming a pactio contract together, Konoka's cheeks gained a pink tint as she remembered the taste of Setsuna's lips, was definitely the highlight of it but far from the only indication that Setsuna was becoming bolder in displaying her emotions for her charge.
A persistent and adoring glance here and there, weaker attempts at dislodging herself whenever Konoka latched onto her and… well… Setsuna's sleep talk had grown a bit raunchier as of late. At least, that's what Mana's complaints seemed to indicate.
Having perked herself up Konoka directed a dazzling smile at Setsuna, making the swordswoman blush cutely in gratitude. "We'll get there Secchan. Once we're back home we'll start training as partners and I doubt that your silly stubbornness can hold out long after that. Then we can finally explore these feelings of ours."
She glanced out at the dance floor again where Negi and Asuna were still dancing. "Until then though I want to have another 'first' with you."
"This is fun, isn't Secchan." She got a concurring mutter in response. "And all the people on the dance floor look like they're having a lovely time." She looked into her protector's eyes which seemed to be trying to find some kind of hidden meaning behind her ojou-sama's words. "Don't you think that it would be nice to join them?" The healer hoped that her not entirely subtle approach would get through to the swordswoman.
"You want to dance then Kono-chan. I'll go ask Negi-sensei if he can spare the next dance for you." She said, her cheeks growing dark red and her voice failing to hide a tone of desperation. Konoka narrowed her eyes and mouth. Evidently the swordswoman had gotten the hidden message but decided to be silly and stubborn about it.
"You're not getting away that easy Secchan." Before the swordswoman could move out to fetch Negi Konoka took a hold of her wrist with her left hand, put their glasses on the table with her right and dragged her protector to the dance floor.
"Kono-chan! What are… where are we..?"
"Calm down Secchan. We're just going to have some fun you know." The mage said half genuinely and half teasingly.
Ignoring her guardian's predicted protesting and with surprising strength she managed to lead them out to the dance floor and into a proper dance position, as she'd seen on tv, just in time for the next dance.
"Ok Secchan, since you're the one wearing pants today I'm putting you in charge of leading this dance." Konoka said happily as she made Setsuna place a hand on the healer's lower back while she intertwined her right hand with Setsuna's left.
"Eh… ok… Kono-chan." Setsuna said, failing to hide the happiness in her voice.
The music began and they started moving. At first it was awkward. Setsuna traipsed clumsily around trying to get in touch with the rhythm and guide Konoka along with her while not letting her own nerves get the better of her. A difficult task to be certain and one that Setsuna wasn't feeling up for as the seconds went by. Her nerves wrecking havoc on her timing and with each messed up step she lost more and more confidence in herself.
On the verge of giving up out of embarrassment and shame that she couldn't even do this for Konoka the swordswoman locked eyes with her ward. And then something popped within her.
Konoka was smiling. A genuinely happy smile that showed, without the shadow a doubt, that she was enjoying herself. Seeing her beloved so content in turn made Setsuna so happy that she managed to take a deep breath, relax and just like that they were the only people in the world.
For Konoka it was like an entirely different experience.
Suddenly Setsuna's movements were perfectly matched to the music and Konoka couldn't help but be swept along as she was guided through the dance. With a firm yet gentle touch Setsuna only needed the simplest of nudges to gracefully direct the Konoe heir's steps. They silkily moved through the crowded dance floor as one person and Konoka just couldn't believe it.
From uncertainly cute and clutzy to elegant and secure in under a second. It was like a dream. The brown-haired girl had imagined that their first dance would merely be a fun experiment. A template for what they could improve on another time. She'd never considered that it would go this smoothly and if that had been the only surprise she would've been perfectly happy and enjoying herself like she usually does. There was however something even more surprising that made Konoka feel uncommonly aware of herself.
The way Setsuna was looking at her. It was so intense and so focused that Konoka was certain that her knees would give out if she didn't force herself to stay up. She could feel her insides melting into pudding and she had to glance away from the piercing gaze of her protector's onyx eyes. At one point she could see the girl that asked Setsuna to dance glaring at them, eyes filled with envy. Under the steel-eyed stare of her protector Konoka wondered how she ever could've been jealous when she doubted that Setsuna would look at anybody but her this way. At another point she noticed a few of her friends staring at them with fascination, Haruna smiling broadly and madly sketching in her notebook while Kasumi was busy taking pictures. Konoka made a note to ask the journalist for copies. Although the way things were going she might forget as her mind turns to mulch.
In the end however it was futile. Like a black hole devouring everything coming close to it, Setsuna's firm gaze drew Konoka's attention back to them so that they could continue collapsing her very being. Before Konoka gave out however the music shifted to a more somber pace and she could feel her body being pulled towards the half-demon, which allowed Konoka to peacefully rest her head on her guardian's shoulder as they gently danced in place.
"Oh Secchan, I'm the one that's supposed to make you feel all flustered and weak-kneed and… you know." Konoka thought meekly as she snuggled closer to her dance partner, certain that her heart's thumping could be heard across the entire ballroom. Despite her non-protests the healer sighed contently. If they could stay like this forever she would be… "Actually, scratch that. There're too many things that I want to experience together with Secchan for us to get stuck here." She dared to look up into the swordswoman's eyes. Eyes that might very well see into the deepest recesses of the young mage's heart and soul. Within them there was an unspoken promise that no harm would come to her as long as Setsuna could draw breath.
Ignoring that her throat's need for refreshment was growing with every second Konoka inhaled deeply, letting the winged warrior's scent seep into her mouth and nostrils adding yet another thing that sent her head spinning. Konoka could very well get addicted to these kinds of sensations.
A nudge beneath her chin pushed Konoka's head away from her comfortable position. Setsuna had used their intertwined hands to create some distance between their bodies. Konoka's confused eyes met with Setsuna's which displayed the type of absolute confidence she normally reserved for battle. Her lips formed a thin yet well-defined smirk.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Konoka thought numbly as her body helplessly followed Setsuna's silent orders. Vaguely the chocolate haired girl could hear the music they'd been dancing to winding down to a finish. Even the way they were moving, slowly and purposely, seemed to be preparing for the end.
Suddenly and with barely any warning Setsuna moved her hand up to Konoka's upper back, took a step forward for better balance and lowered the Konoe heir into a deep dip just as the music died down.
At that point Konoka's blush had bestowed her cheeks with the same colour as a lobster and she could hear herself muttering unintelligible non-words. She was feeling very vulnerable right now what with being in a rather compromising and easily attacked position and completely at the mercy of an incredibly powerful swordswoman. At the same time she felt entirely secure in the arms of the girl she loved and desired, the same girl that had sworn to protect her for the rest of their lives. While these conflicting emotions would most likely be an interesting aspect to analyse the truth is that they were both overshadowed by one very loud thought echoing through Konoka's mind.
"God, Secchan is HAWT!"
Shortly thereafter the swordswoman pulled the mage upright once again. Naturally it was at this time that Konoka became very aware of how out of breath she was and she began breathing heavily, hoping to slow down her pounding heart. Then it got worse.
Still wearing a look of absolute confidence and with both of Konoka's hands in her own Setsuna started leaning towards her ward. More specifically, she was closing the distance between their lips. If your hearing was at such a level that you could discern the mental facilities in a singular person you would be able to make out the faint sound of Konoka's higher brain functions fizzling out as she reached a state of anxious happiness.
"Secchan… kissing… me… again… soon…" The mage's thought process went on in a similarly chopped and deliriously blissful fashion. She could vaguely make out Setsuna's face inching closer to hers, lips pursed and head tilted for the best possible access. Any second now they would make contact and then…
"Nice moves out there Sakurazaki! I didn't know you had it in you!" Haruna's jubilant voice shouted loudly into their ears, completely screwing over the mood and realigning the Konoe heir's thoughts to normality. It was only now that she noticed that she and Setsuna were at the centre of attention with the people in the ballroom applauding them. Apparently their little waltz had impressed the other attendees enough to warrant this level of recognition. Naturally their friends got a bit more personal.
"That was very impressive Setsuna-san." Negi congratulated with friendly smile as he approached together with Asuna.
The red head draped her arm across Konoka's shoulders. "Nice going out there Konoka. You're reeling her in." Thinking that her friend was being just a bit too loud Konoka looked over at Setsuna who luckily, from the brown haired mage's perspective, was being swamped.
"I managed to sketch up some interesting variations of your little-dance number there. You wanna take a look to see if there's anything particular you like?" Haruna asked with her most lecherously suggestive voice.
"Once we back home and I finished off that heavily edited paper on Ala Alba's summer adventures I'm giving this dance an entire article all to itself and I would like some comments on it." Kasumi sort of ordered as she got up close with a notepad in her hands.
"That was so brave of you Sakurazaki-san. Can you give me some tips on how to get the one I like to dance with me?" Ako asked with an admiring voice.
"Ehm… I… we…" Setsuna muttered uncertainly, not really comfortable with all the interest people were showing, before sharply turning around. "I'm going to get Ojou-sama something to drink!" She said too loudly and ran away, in the completely wrong direction if you wanted to get a beverage.
"I think she might've snapped." Chisame informed Konoka with an off-hand voice.
Agreeing that Setsuna seemed a bit too disturbed the Konoe heir excused herself from her classmates and followed her bodyguard.
Konoka saw a suite-dressed leg slipping round a corner and into a large foyer with an enormous fountain in the middle. Not certain of what her guardian was doing Konoka just peered out from a corner. From that point she saw how Setsuna was standing in front of the fountain breathing heavily for a few moments. Then she abruptly dunked her head into the fountain's clear waters, not caring the least about the other occupants in the room staring bewilderedly at her.
As suddenly as she had submerged herself Setsuna pulled herself up with a scream of horror escaping her. "AHHHHHHHHH! What's wrong with me! I almost did this and that to Ojou-sama! And without her permission, not that I should do it anyway! A person like me is unworthy of such things!" As Konoka watched Setsuna's rambling and fretting about, while a growing blush and nose-bleed became more noticeable on the hanyou's face, her own mood lightened considerably.
Speaking fluent Setsuna the Konoe heir understood that her ministra had enjoyed that dance to same extent as she had. She'd just been able to push away that all too cute self-consciousness of hers for once. It would just be another facet of their relationship that Konoka would be all too eager to explore once they got back home.
The half-demon slumped down against the wall, breathing heavily. Her ranting seemed to have ended. To her delight Konoka detected a smile spreading across her winged warrior's face before she muttered. "It was nice." The way she said made Konoka conclude that there were a whole lot of other words that more accurately described Setsuna's feeling towards the dance. Other, more… exotic words.
As Setsuna seemed to regain her senses and calm down Konoka hurried back to their friends. On the way there she crossed eyes with the canary blonde girl again. In a fit of childish triumph she stopped for a second and stuck out her tongue at the girl before hurrying along.
"I discovered a new side to Secchan, showed up a random stranger rival and almost made out with Secchan again. I'd say that's perfectly fine first dance experience." Konoka summed up to herself as she joined her friends again and awaited for Setsuna to return to where she belonged. By Konoka's side.
And there we go. I had so much trouble deciding what to end it on that in the end I just had to wing it. I'm not entirely happy about it but it works IMO. Thank you for reading. Now please submit a review telling me what you thought about the story. That should be abou...
Setsuna: Wait!
Morlin: Crap. What?
Setsuna: Where did I learn to dance like that?
Morlin: ...ehm.
Setsuna: The shinryumei school were rather strict about what we learned. It was lots and lots of swordfightning. A bit of stealth and proper manners. But no dancing. I would've remembered that.
Morlin: Ehm... LOOK! An interdimensional gateway that showing off half-naked Konokas in cosplay outfits!
Setsuna: WHERE!
Morlin: *runs away* REMEMBER TO REVIEW!