Chapter The First

Yue leaned against her oldest friend, her best friend, the one she had betrayed so badly, and let the tears flow. Even though they were chasing the same person, the part of her that had heard Nodoka say that they'd make it work somehow believed her. Hoped that it would work.

After what seemed like an eternity, she felt Nodoka draw back and flinched, wanting to hold her closer, to make it all better again.

Nodoka looked down and softly placed her hand on Yue's shoulder, seeming more embarrassed than Yue could rememebr seeing her ever before, which was saying something. She made as if to speak, then fell silent again, looking around.

Yue swallowed nervously. "N-Nodoka? W-what is it?"

Her friend met her gaze for the first time since she'd held her close and whispered that she forgave her. "I-I can think o-of one way it might work out..."

"R-really? I..." Yue swallowed and tried to hide her excitement. "Wh-what is it?"

Nodoka looked shamefully from one side to the other, looking for someone who might stop her and perhaps hoping a little that that would be the case. Finally, she leaned in, placing her mouth to Yue's ear, and whispered four little syllables.

Sai. Shou. Do. Kin.

Yue mouthed them wordlessly as she heard them, and they only sank in once Nodoka had finished saying them. She felt her face go red, but even more noticeable was the heat she felt coming from Nodoka's face, radiating out and warming the side of her neck.

She turned her head just a little, trying to see more of Nodoka, only to find that the other girl had done the same. Now, their eyes met again, and something strange happened. Nothing.

If she had moved that close to a person, Yue would have invariably jolted back and muttered an apology, perhaps fended off Haruna's grinning yet inevitable playful gropes.

Now, she felt hypnotised, frozen in place. The faint trace of tears of worry still hung around Nodoka's eyes, and her face was red, and suddenly Yue's mind was thrown back to the moment they met.

"I-I think that a-any person th-that likes books... that person can't be a bad person, " Nodoka had said shyly, and yet with quiet confidence and kindness.

Yue had only been able to say "Eh?" back, but she remembered thinking how cute Nodoka had looked at that instant, and the inexplicable momentary rush of blood to the face, though her expression hadn't changed.

"I-I... w-wouldn't mind doing s-something like that... i-if it was with you, Yue, " Nodoka managed to whisper. She didn't move away or break eye contact, a quiet yet firm voice.

A hundred things went through Yue's mind. They'd seen each other in the bath, while getting changed, and now... She had no idea what was supposed to happen in bed, but she felt sure that something more than friendship was needed. The kind of deep not-pain that Negi let her feel when he paid attention to her.

Can I do something like this? Make the jump from friend t-to lover? Even thinking the word was embarrassing for her. It sounded all very well out loud — 'I like you as a friend and like the same guy as you, but I don't want to hurt you, so I'm going to share him with you' — but to put that into practice...

Nodoka blinked slowly, deliberately, and took a breath, and for the first time Yue noticed just what her best friend's hair looked like when it was wet.

"Y-Yue... I-I usually never ask you to do thing you don't want to do, but... for the sake of our friendship, I-I have to try this. Please..." Nodoka's eyes pleaded begging for just this once.

The floodgates opened. Yue's best friend was sitting there in front of her, pleading and begging and crying and asking and looking so desperate and in need and soft and beautiful—

One of them brought up a hand to the others' cheek. It didn't matter which one it was, because the other did the same moments later.

One of them tilted her head, opening her mouth a little and slowly, gently, pushed their lips together so tenderly, and the other did likewise.

But it was Yue who swept the other hand down along Nodoka's back, tracing gentle fingers along wet cloth over skin. Yue who leaned into Nodoka and fell on top as they kissed, moving that hand along her hip and up to touch every soft curve she'd seen a hundred times before and never ever imagined could feel liket his. Yue who felt a tear edge from her eyes in happiness, falling down Nodoka's cheek as they parted, smiling in joy.

And Nodoka who felt her heart laugh, for she wouldn't lose a friend just yet. And Nodoka who began the second kiss, because she wouldn't favour Negi over Yue or Yue over Negi.

No, she could never choose between two things she loved equally. Knowing there was another in the world like her made it all worth it.

A/N: So, it's time to compile my various snippets and oneshots in one place. Be on the lookout for various other stories which probably don't occur in the same universe as this one being tacked onto this.

Apparently this is fairly good (according to my buddies). Personally, I'm a bit of a skeptic, but what can I do?

Negima! does not belong to me. I'm a unversity student, for crying out loud. Maybe you'll get an old textbook if you sue me. A ten-trip train pass, tops.