Catch Me, Catch You

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Negima!, Sakurazaki Setsuna, or Konoe Konoka. (Are those two love or are they love?) I just own fandom and plot bunnies. This was requested by the lovely and wonderful Whitewash. Enjoy!

"Hey, Setchan?"

Setsuna looked up immediately to where Konoka was sprawled on her back on her bed, smiling at her friend around the shiny pouch of grape juice she was drinking.

"What is it, Ojosama?"

Predictably, Konoka dropped her drink in order to arrange her soft lips in a childish pout. "C'mon, Setchan! Stop it with the formal stuff! You know I like it better when you call me Kono-chan, like before!"

Setsuna blushed a little and gave her an awkward smile. "Um… sorry, you know it's kind of a habit. Um… K-Kono-chan, then… what is it?"

Konoka grinned at her. "Hee. You silly Setchan." She rolled over, flopping onto her belly and kicking up her pink-socked feet, pointing her toes in the air as she waved them back and forth above her. "It's just, since Eva-chan and everyone have said I can be a Magus too, like Negi-kun, I've been thinking about the whole partner thing, you know, the pactio."

"Um… yes?" Setsuna went a little redder as she remembered the awkward kiss she'd shared with her teacher. It had felt so weird, but she'd forced herself through it for Konoka's sake. Protecting her beloved friend was all that was really important to her—it was her duty, and her joy.

"Well, I keep thinking of how you helped protect me on the school trip," Konoka went on, smiling warmly at Setsuna in the way that made her belly turn flips. "You fought for me so much then, and, well, Negi-kun has Asuna and Nodoka to take care of him already, so it should be fine. Eva-chan says having a Ministra is really important, and there's just nobody else I'd want with me but you."

Forget red—there had to be a special term for the color Setsuna's face felt right then. "U-um—Ojosa—I-I mean, Kono-cha—I mean…!"

"It's just, you fight so well, and you go to such lengths to protect me already, and you can even fly…" Konoka pointed at Setsuna, wagging her fingertip slightly in a cute chiding gesture. "If you're going to take risks for me anyway, I want to be able to help you, too, and give you my power so you won't get hurt. Since we were little, you'd always catch me whenever it looked like I was going to fall—I don't know how else to thank you, Setchan!"

"…" Setsuna couldn't even say anything. All she could do was stare, getting redder and redder, her heart pounding in her ears.

"Ohh—" Konoka blinked, sudden realization crossing her face. "Oh, that's right—you have to kiss the person to make a pactio though, don't you?" She giggled. "That might be a little weird—not like I'd care that much, but it might be awkward for you, right, Setchan?"

Setsuna fought the urge to put a hand over her pounding chest. "I-it's not that I… mind, particularly…" she mumbled. It was more the fact that she would like it. Which was precisely why there was no way in—absolutely no way that they could do it.

"I know! I'll ask Negi-kun about it sometime. If there's another way to do the pactio, he should know it. I still don't want to have any partner other than you, Setchan."

"O-Ojosama…" Setsuna managed, blushing straight up to her ears.

"Kono-chan!" Konoka insisted, throwing her empty juice pouch at Setsuna's head.

"Kono-chan," Setsuna managed to repeat meekly, smiling and easily batting it away.

Konoka just giggled. "You silly Setchan."

Owari.