Disclaimer: Still own nothing.

I am sorry for not updating sooner, I had a busy week last week.
Essays, surgeries and such made it impossible to even think about writing.

From now on I will try to upload a new chapter every Sunday.

I forgot to answer questions!

To answer Honulicious what I meant by saying this had happened to me was
that certain things did happen such as the fire alarm did go off, we had a 1800s
theme and people were looking rather sexual on the dancefloor.

To answer Shlabadak, I made Fate wear a tux so she could give her jacket to
Nanoha and d'awh moments could happen.

As always let me know what you think!
Thanks for the faves and reviews and such.

Chapter 10: What Are We?

The two girls sat on the bleachers side by side, their eyes locked on the starry sky. Both had red covering their cheeks courtesy of the kisses they had shared mere minutes ago. Fate was the first to break the silence.

"I hope you had fun." The quiet words washed over the duo. The brunette smiled, looking over at her date.

"I did. Did you?" It was a useless question and they both knew it, Fate had made it crystal clear that she loved spending time with Nanoha. The blonde nodded with a small grin.

"Of course." The athlete leaned against the cold metal, her eyes returning to the sky above. There wasn't a cloud in sight, it was quite a view. Violet eyes also moved to take in the constellations above.

"You want to know a secret?" The blonde hummed in affirmative. "I've always wanted to be able to fly." Nanoha smiled softly at the space above them. Fate couldn't help but be reminded of her sister, Alicia loved being up high too.

"I think that fits you."

"Yeah, my mom always says I have my head in the clouds." The chill around them was becoming harder to ignore so Nanoha covertly slid closer to her heater.

"That's not a bad thing." The runner looked down at the figure now pressed against her side. How had she gotten there? The brunette shivered slightly, prompting Fate to wrap an arm around her in an attempt to help keep her warm.

Nanoha curled into her date, a happy grin splaying across her face. She's so warm. She looked into the curious red eyes staring back at her. And cute. The brunette flushed at her own thoughts but didn't look away.

Fate looked at the girl glued to her side thoughtfully. I wonder how cold she is. Should I take her home? A blush began to unfold on the brunette's face. Fate was going to ask if she was feeling sick but she didn't get the chance.

In a quick move Nanoha leaned up, her lips brushing over the blonde's. The odd tingly feeling erupted from the contact and that was all the reassurance she needed to firmly press her lips against the blonde's once more. Fate was shocked at the sudden affection but quickly accepted it, her eyes sliding shut. Her hand went to cradle the brunette's cheek, the other tightening around the girl's shoulder. Neither pulled away for a few moments, their lips locked softly together.

Fate was the first to retreat, pulling back to look into the violet eyes she loved so much. Her hand slowly dropped from the brunette's smooth skin, the other staying around the chilled girl. For a while neither spoke, they just simply looked at one another.

A shudder rolled down the brunette's body, causing the spell to be broken. The blonde smiled before standing up, offering her date a hand. Nanoha took the offer and was easily pulled onto her feet. Hand in hand they made their way to the car. After they both were situated, the vehicle was started and they were making their way to Nanoha's house.

The two girls stood on the front porch, both trying to figure out something to say. The taller blonde let her eyes sweep over her date. The girl was clutching the jacket she was wearing, trying to ward off any chill. Her hair was falling out in some places, framing her face beautifully. Fate took a step towards the figure in front of her apprehensively. Nanoha didn't move, her eyes locked on the red one. A hand shot out, grasping the brunette's shoulder and pulling her into the warm body of her date. Fate thread her fingers through the soft auburn locks, holding the teen closer to her. Trim arms returned the hug, holding the athlete tightly in return.

"Fate-chan, you don't have to leave right now." Nanoha giggled against her date's shoulder, sighing when she felt the fingers begin to rub her scalp. "It's only eleven. Want to come in and watch a movie?" The blonde nodded, not extracting herself from the hug. The brunette pushed against the girl's chest, successfully disengaging the hug. "Mou you're so cuddly."

"I'm sorry." The blonde ran a hand through her golden strands, looking towards the door. For some reason she never wanted to let Nanoha go, it was an odd feeling and she didn't know what caused it. The shorter teen took in Fate's reaction curiously, observing the way the runner seemed to be locked in an internal debate.

"I don't mind." She spoke, breaking the blonde out of her thoughts. With no further words left to say, she grabbed the blonde's hand and practically dragged her into the warm house. The two simultaneously let out murmurs of approval. It was hard to believe that they had been completely oblivious to the bitter cold for a whole hour. In a quick move, they kicked off their shoes before walking into the living room.

"Mom, Dad, I'm home. Can Fate-chan and I watch a movie in my room?" Her parents nodded in unison and that was all it took for Nanoha to pull Fate away by her hand. They entered the familiar room, the blonde quickly making her way over to fall on the bed. My feet hurt. She complained internally. Red eyes glanced over at Nanoha who was currently crouched in front of her TV, looking around for a good movie to watch. Fate decided to move the pillows so they could lean against them and watch the movie. After that was done, she sank against the padded wall she had made. With her head resting against the wall and one leg bent, fatigue began to settle in rather quickly. A dip in the bed alerted her to Nanoha presence.

"It feels good getting off of my feet." The brunette groaned, her shoulder touching Fate's.

"I know what you mean. But my shoes were somewhat comfortable, I can't even imagine how yours must feel." Burgundy orbs moved to look into the ones that belonged to her crush.

"They'll be okay." Nanoha smiled gently before turning her attention to the screen. She had decided on a romantic comedy. It was the perfect mixture for the two because Fate liked comedies while Nanoha liked romance. The move started and it had Fate's undivided attention.

The small form also occupying the bed was a different story. She just kept sneaking glances at the blonde beside her. Part of her had expected Fate to try to cuddle and yet they were just sort of sitting together. It was almost disappointing. The blonde chose then to move, her leg stretching out to lay flat on the bed. The girl's legs weren't crossed and the spot between them suddenly looked inviting so Nanoha claimed it, resting her back on the blonde's front.

Fate froze when a warm body was suddenly against her own. Violet met ruby and the athlete slowly moved her arms to wrap around Nanoha's stomach. Both sets of eyes immediately turned back to the screen, bright blushes lighting up their faces. This position was nothing new, but now it seemed so different.

Nanoha felt protected and yet giddy. She wanted Fate to do something but what? Part of her wanted to kiss the blonde silly but was that moving too fast? The only thing she knew was that she liked the feeling she got anytime Fate was around and that feeling was amplified when they kissed. The brunette leaned further into her date, her eyes returning to the television.

The movie and the duo's chuckles were all that filled the room for quite a few minutes. About halfway through the video the brunette grinned when the main character said an adorable line. The words reminded her of something Fate would say. Almost unintentionally, she turned and nuzzled her nose against the blonde's neck. Purple eyes slid shut as the other teenager's scent invaded her senses.

"He reminds me of you." The soft declaration caused the sprinter to shudder, the warm breaths tickling her throat. It was quiet for a few moments before she responded.

"Well if she's anything like you, I'm sure he can't help but say stuff like that." It was things like that that caused Nanoha to blush. The girl was so quiet yet so endearing at the same time. It was those traits alone that caused the brunette's heart to race whenever she was close to Fate.

"Sweet talker." Nanoha accused softly, a blanket of comfort causing her to relax. In that moment everything was perfect for her. She had the movie romance with her best friend, what more could she ask for?

The sounds of the movie enveloped them, though neither paid it much attention. Both seemed to be fighting the sleep that was clouding their minds. Fate's head leaned against the wall, her eyes drooping lower with each passing moment. The even breaths fanning across her neck made it obvious that Nanoha was rapidly losing consciousness as well. The comfortable heat radiating out of the brunette's body made Fate give in to the beckoning darkness. A small voice told her she shouldn't fall asleep but she ignored it and peacefully drifted off.

A sudden chime forced the blonde out of her dreams, foggy red eyes searching the dark room for the device, only to realize it was in her pocket. When had the lights been turned off? The drowsy teenager shook her head clear and went back to the task at hand. It was difficult but Fate managed to get a hold of the phone without waking the form on top of her. Nanoha groaned at the movement, trying to snuggle further into the blonde's chest. Fate smiled at her antics.

"And you say I'm the cuddly one." The blonde mused before checking her phone. The item's back-light was almost blinding and Fate had to look away before attempting to read the message again.

Fate, where are you? It's 1:30. –Lindy

The blonde did a double take when she looked at the clock. Sure enough it was well past one in the morning. She quickly typed out an apology, sending it to her adoptive mother before trying to slip out of Nanoha's grasp. The brunette squeaked at the blonde's insistent movements, holding the girl closer to her.

"Nanoha, I have to go." The sleeping figure frowned at the news, reluctantly letting go of her pillow. Fate easily got out of the bed, quickly pulling the covers over her sleeping best friend. Red eyes focused on the jacket. Should I get that from her? With one look at the brunette's sleeping face Fate shook her head. She didn't want to wake the girl up.

"Good night Nanoha. Hopefully you continue sleeping well." Fate smiled faintly, her hand reaching out and tucking an auburn lock behind Nanoha's ear. Her fingers lingered for a few moments before she pulled away. With that, the blonde was on her way home, waving to Shiro and Momoko before scurrying out of the door. She snuck into the house, part of her fearing what her new mother would say. Precia would always punish her, was Lindy the same?

"Fate, I'm glad you're okay. How was the dance?" Green eyes scanned over her daughter's state of dress. The blonde's hair was messed up, her outfit wrinkled, and jacket missing. In short, she looked like someone who had done something they shouldn't have. But Lindy didn't want to jump to any irrational conclusions.

"It was fun, but the fire alarm went off so it ended early. Nanoha and I went back to her house to watch a movie. I kind of fell asleep, I'm sorry." The officer laughed, of course Fate hadn't done anything bad, she wasn't the type. Lindy never should have doubted her.

"So, did anything exciting happen?" The adoptive mother was actually curious. Chrono hadn't liked going to the Winter Formal so Fate was her only chance at getting some good gossip.

"Well Hayate went with the upper classman I told you about." Fate could feel her cheeks redden as thoughts of her first kiss flared through her mind.

"Anything else?" The teenager shook her head more times than necessary, her face still flushed scarlet. "Okay then. What happened to your jacket?" Burgundy eyes looked down as if she had just realized she didn't have it.

"I forgot to get it back from Nanoha." The blonde looked down at her shoes, part of her feared Lindy's reaction. When she looked back up into the woman's green eyes she realized there was nothing to worry about. Those eyes were so different from the murderous purple she remembered.

Fate turned to go to her room when a thought ran through her mind.

"Uhm, mom?" Lindy smiled brightly at the girl's words. She wondered how long it would take for Fate to call her that.

"Yes dear?" The blonde looked torn but eventually she faced the officer.

"Does a kiss mean you're dating?" That question had seemed to come out of the blue. Lindy blinked, wondering why on Earth Fate would need to know that. The reason hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Why, did you kiss someone?" The teen chewed slightly on her bottom lip, nervously twiddling her foot. "You did!" Lindy grinned, she approved of this relationship.

"So does it?" Fate asked, her cheeks becoming more heated the longer this conversation was being drawn out.

"No, you have to ask properly." Fate nodded, offering a small thanks before all but running to her room. That was embarrassing. The blonde groaned as she fell into her bed. She hadn't meant to be so obvious.

Lindy chuckled as she watched her adoptive daughter make a break for her room. The girl was so easily flustered. The green haired woman relaxed on the sofa, thinking about how different her two children were. She also couldn't believe Fate had called her mom. It had only been a few months since Precia's death and yet the girl was opening up rather quickly. Lindy smiled, knowing that she would have to thank Nanoha one day for giving Fate this chance at a new life.

Nanoha awoke slowly the next morning, her eyes blinking in the sunlight. Her mind was immediately aware of two things. My feet hurt and it's too bright. The brunette buried her face in her pillow, her eyes slipping back closed. She took a breath, wanting nothing more than to sleep the ache away. This smells like Fate-chan. Violet eyes opened as the girl sprang up, searching frantically for her best friend. Did last night really happen? She looked around for any sign that it had, only to come back with nothing. Might as well get up since I'm awake. Nanoha sighed, pulling the covers off her. The black jacket covering her arm was all the evidence she needed. We did kiss. The mere thought made her smile, her memories coming back. Somewhere in her foggy mind she remembered Fate saying goodbye, but she couldn't remember why. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice her mom. Momoko cleared her throat, waiting for her daughter to snap out of her trance.

"Oh, hi mom." The woman returned the greeting, sitting on the edge of her child's bed.

"So how was your night?" Nanoha smiled at the memories, her eyes dropping down to the jacket she was still wearing. The brunette brought her bottom lip between her teeth before looking back up at her mom guiltily.

"It was fun. You should have seen it, it didn't look like the cafeteria at all." The woman nodded at her daughter's explanation, covertly leaning in to get more of the story. "Suzuka-chan went with Alisa-chan" The girl meekly added, trying to avoid her mother's prying gaze.

"Oh that's nice. What about you and Fate?" The teenager instantly reddened, her hand moving to grab the jacket she was still adorned in. The one her date had given her.

"We had fun. I don't know where she is now though." Nanoha noted a bit sadly. She wondered what she and Fate were considered now. Were they girlfriends?

"She left earlier this morning. I would say around one." Nanoha looked at her mother quizzically, wondering how she knew that. "Well we shut off your light around midnight and then she came stumbling out a while after. She didn't say anything, just waved, such a quiet girl she is." Nanoha giggled slightly, that sounded just like her Fate-chan.

"Yeah, she's shy. She forgot her jacket too." The teen gestured to the coat still on her.

"I'm glad you two had such a good night. Where did you guy eat?" Nanoha and her mother spent some time discussing their nights and all the little details. The brunette tried to avoid telling her mom about her moment with Fate, if she told then they couldn't have sleep overs any more. She wasn't about to put her Fate time in danger.

Monday morning was quick to roll around and Nanoha was elated to see Fate. They hadn't talked the previous day due to the brunette's work schedule but that was okay. When she saw Fate talking to Hayate at their normal meeting spot Nanoha couldn't help but break out into a dead sprint.

"Fate-chan watch out!" The blonde turned in time to get tackled by a white and auburn blur. Fate wheezed slightly as the air left her lungs. Red eyes opened to be met with the smiling face of Nanoha. "Nanoha-chan has resorted to actually smothering Fate-chan."

"I'm sorry Fate-chan, did I hurt you?" The blonde was fast to assuage the brunette's fears.

"No, I'm fine." The smaller of the two seemed lost, her head not being able to formulate sentences with the runner being so close. Fate's eyes darted to a smirking Hayate and back to Nanoha, nervously swallowing the sudden lump in her throat. When Nanoha began to lean in Fate turned her head to the side, the soft pink lips landing on her cheek instead. Violet eyes blinked when she wasn't met with the type of skin she was expecting.

"Fate-chan?" The brunette pouted as red eyes stayed glued any place she was not. With a sigh, Nanoha stood. So we aren't dating?

Fate flinched when she saw the way her best friend's face fell. Truth be told, she didn't want to be affectionate in front of Hayate or anyone really. She wasn't a very open person. Plus, she still had to ask Nanoha to be her girlfriend. She watched in stunned silence as violet eyes seemed to fill with tears. The blonde reached a hand towards her crush, trying to make it up to the brunette. Her heart almost leapt out of her chest when she realized Nanoha wasn't going to take it.

"Nanoha, I-"

"Nanoha-chan!" Alisa and Suzuka bounced over, effectively silencing the sprinter and causing Nanoha's attention to be diverted. "Where did you go after the dance? We looked everywhere for you." The trio sped up, leaving Fate standing alone with Hayate.

"You're such an idiot sometimes." There were no words to refute that so Fate simply accepted them, looking sullenly down at the ground. "If you would have just let that kiss happen you two would still be together right now." Hayate gestured to the retreating backs of their friends.

"But I don't want to kiss in front of other people." The brunette scowled at her oblivious friend.

"Did it ever occur to you that she was trying to see if you like her the way she likes you?" Red eyes widened as they looked into angry blue. Nanoha's still unsure?

"But we kissed after the dance." The words caused Fate's face to warm, her face turning towards the surrounding trees. She hadn't told Hayate that they had kissed, it had been hinted at but now there was no doubt.

"And you haven't talked to her since or asked her out, have you?" Guilt flooded through the blonde. She had wanted to be romantic like she had been the first time but now it seemed like that was impossible. She didn't have any time to prepare something adorable. "You need to fix this, before Yuuno-san comes. I hear he likes her." Hayate said, grinning like a Cheshire cat as she watched the blonde's features morph into an irritated glare. She knew how brave Fate got when situations seemed dire. Hopefully the runner would come to her senses.

"Nanoha-chan are you okay?" Suzuka asked, scanning her friend's posture. The brunette seemed to have lost that skip in her step, and her eyes seemed to be duller somehow.

"I'm okay." A convincing fake smile graced Nanoha's face and she noticed with disdain at how easily it fooled her longtime friends. Maybe I should be an actress. Not even her parents could see through her mask. Only Fate could and right now Nanoha didn't want to talk to her. They kissed, didn't that mean Fate liked her back? So why was she acting so distant?

"So how did it go after the dance between you and Fate-chan?" The mere name almost caused the auburn haired girl to flinch.

"It was perfect." It was whispered but the other two heard it as though she had yelled, both of them leaning towards her for the juicy details. "I should probably make sure Fate-chan would want me to tell everyone before I tell you guys." The duo frowned at the statement.

"Why? She obviously wanted to kiss you at the dance. Mou, it was like she couldn't even keep her hands off you." This time the words did cause her to flinch. But now she doesn't want anything to do with me. It was such a change that Nanoha couldn't keep up. That thought caused a bittersweet smile to spread across the brunette's face. It's like her competitors on the track.

"I still don't think I should talk about it without her saying it's okay." Alisa opened her mouth to retort again but thought better of it when the runner was suddenly beside Nanoha. A hand brushed against the shorter girl's and violet eyes met red.

"Can we go talk?" Fate looked around at the crowded campus, figuring they would be able to find an abandoned classroom to talk in before school started. The brunette nodded slowly, letting the sprinter lead her by the hand into the building.

"Where are you taking me Fate-chan?" They had reached the top floor, it was a well-known fact that half of the rooms up there were for storage purposes. So they would definitely be alone, with little to no chance of being interrupted. The blonde hauled her companion into a less crowded room, allowing the brunette to pull away and sit on a dusty desk. Nanoha watched Fate hop onto the desk across from her.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't think you'd be feeling insecure." A brown eyebrow arched at that phrasing. Fate noticed and tried to quickly rectify it. "Hayate told me that you kissed me to make sure I still liked you." A bright red broke out across Nanoha's cheeks and she nervously scratched her chin.

"Nyahaha, actually… I-I just wanted to uhm… Kiss you." Fate could feel her heartbeat pick up at that simple statement. I thought she was the shy innocent one.

"I… I see. I'm still sorry. I'm not a very public kind of person so I pushed you away." Nanoha felt her mood lift, of course Fate wasn't a public person. She had been so upset over nothing.

"We're alone now, aren't we?" The blonde almost fell off the desk at the not so subtle hint. Nanoha was in no way shy about kissing. Well I suppose one of us has to be.

"We are, which is why I wanted to ask you something." This time, Fate did get off the desk, walking over to stand in front of her crush. In a surprising move Nanoha wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck, one finger twirling a golden strand of hair. The motion brought their faces closer together, a bright blush lighting up the blonde's cheeks. The brunette looked at her friend, trying to restrain her affectionate urges.

"What is it Fate-chan?" The sweet, melodious voice caused Fate to jerk back into reality, her lips morphing into a nervous grin.

"Nanoha… Will you be my girlfriend?" One red eye shut, as if she expected a bomb to go off. Nanoha didn't say anything, she just moved forward bringing her lips into the ones she had been dying to meet with since Saturday. Two sets of eyes slid closed as the same feeling spread through both of them. Reluctantly Fate began to retreat, not wanting to make the situation uncomfortable. Nanoha didn't want it to end and when Fate began to escape, she followed, not removing her lips from the ones in front of her. She couldn't help but keep showering the other girl's mouth with chaste, playful kisses.

Fate could feel herself go lightheaded as her girlfriend's lips repeatedly pressed against hers. The light pecks made the blonde smile against the brunette's mouth. She's so childish. Nanoha continued, not at all deterred that Fate wasn't kissing back. After a couple kisses she let Fate pull away, putting some distance between them.

"Mou Nanoha, you're so kissy." Her blurry eyes were level with Nanoha's scrunched face. The brunette's eyes were still closed, her mouth slightly open.

"I hope you don't mind." The slightly insecure words made the blonde frown at her friend. Of course I don't mind. Fate could feel herself being drawn in, tempted by the oddly seductive girl in front of her. Their breaths mingled again before the warning bell snapped them back to the present. Violet eyes opened hazily, tracing over the blonde's tense face, down to her clenched jaw. It seemed as though Fate hadn't wanted it to end either. With a sigh, Nanoha slid off the desk, walking with Fate hand in hand to their classroom.

The day went off without any other moments. Fate was back to her blushing, shy self and Nanoha was in her usual cheery mood. It wasn't until they arrived on Nanoha's porch that their relationship status hit them. Violet eyes scrutinized the blonde. Maybe we could cuddle again. She likes to cuddle.

"Hey Fate-chan want to come watch a movie?" There was a certain twinkle in her eye and a hitch in her voice that made it impossible for the runner to decline the offer. Not that she would ever pass up any time she could get with Nanoha.

"Mm." Fate nodded, this new romantic view of Nanoha piquing her interest. She didn't know how she could have possibly mistaken these feelings for friendship. They were so strong and obvious. The blonde followed her companion through the house, both of them freezing when they got into the living room. Violet eyes met with bright green and Fate couldn't help but feel a little jealous as an instant smile spread across Nanoha's face. The hand the brunette had been holding seemed cold as it was left empty. Fate watched with slight animosity as the random blonde boy hugged her girlfriend. A cheeky smile spread on his face as he rested his chin against Nanoha's shoulder.

"Hi, I'm Yuuno."