Part 9:
"You're being silly, Fate-chan."
Fate looked away. Of course she wouldn't be taken seriously. When had she ever been taken seriously?
She felt Nanoha's lips on her cheek. Felt the cold fangs just behind those lips.
"I'm beyond redemption. I'm beyond being saved. Even if I got hurt… even if I died… again… I would not be saved. I will never be saved. I gave up that right when I gave up my life."
Fate shook her head vehemently, not wanting to believe, not wanting to accept that… the one she wanted to save didn't expect or want to be saved. "Y-You…"
"Sh-shhhh… it's all right, Fate-chan." Nanoha's voice was gentle, so very gentle. Tears threatened to spill from Fate's eyes. "And when I pass on, I'll return your soul to you along with what's left of mine. Maybe you can't save me, Fate, but you can decide for yourself what you will do when the time comes."
Fate frowned, not liking this talk of death. As if Nanoha was giving her an oral version of a will. Her will.
"Fate-chan, do you like Hayate?"
Fate froze, her eyes trailing guiltily to the bed, which, if she remembered right, had not been washed again in time… not that demons cared so much about hygiene and the like but…
"Fate-chan, it's a simple question."
Fate nodded.
"For me, or for you?"
Fate's eyes widened, never seriously considering the latter. "F-for… you… for… both?" She answered meekly, not sure how Nanoha would react.
Nanoha let out a loud booming laugh, but it had none of the insanity of her trademark "Nyahahaha…" It was… deeper. Softer. More enthralling.
To Fate at least.
"You're a good kid, Fate-chan. That's why I'm so taken with you. Next time, don't go sneaking around my back and just invite Hayate over if you want to play, all right?"
A bolt of indignation ran through Fate, opening her mouth before she could stop herself. "I'm not a little kid anymore! I don't play around like-"
Nanoha smirked knowingly. "Like what, Fate-chan?"
Fate turned away, suddenly catching Nanoha's drift. "That… it wasn't… nothing ever…"
"I know, pet, I know." Nanoha stroked Fate's hair with open affection in the privacy of their bedroom. "Hayate would have told me. But who knows, maybe, if you want, you can invite Signum over too. That'll be interesting."
An uncharacteristically lecherous grin spread across Fate's face at the thought of her former playmate turned unofficial rival, but Nanoha tickling her stopped those thoughts short. "That'd be fun," Fate agreed.
"It's settled then. Sometime in the future, we'll set aside a playdate day. Night. Who knows, a whole weekend's worth."
Fate giggled, feeling her inner child return to the surface under Nanoha's gentle attention. "You'll be there? For sure? Definitely?"
Nanoha hugged Fate tightly against her, preventing Fate from seeing her expression as she promised, "I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Fate was smiling happily until she noticed a strange yet familiar hand traveling up her thigh. She giggled, the last of the tears drying safely. "N-Nano-chan!"
Nanoha purred as she leaned over and whispered in Fate's ear. "When you're ready, you know what to do."
Fate's purring became a low, steady rumble, soon mixed in with flurries of high pitched whimpers and soft, contented coos. At her peak though, she did as she always did, wiggling to find clear access to Nanoha's neck. Biting down to muffle her otherwise very loud squealish-scream of pleasure.
Later that night, when Fate was dead asleep, drifting in the world of dreams, she felt more than knew that Nanoha was stealing kisses before leaving her alone beneath the covers.
It would not be until late afternoon the next day when Fate would realize just how alone she was going to be.
--
A/N: Short. *shrug*
