Fate
Knock. Knock.
"Hey..." A pause. "You alright in there...?" My tone is much more confused than worried.
"Yeah, I'm just about do-Eep!"
Crash.
Thud.
A sigh. Déjà vu, eh?
"I-I'm. A-Alright." Her slightly shaky voice replies. I feel an oncoming headache; my fingers pinch the bridge of my nose.
"Would you mind hurrying it up?" Ah, the familiar tone of irritation. This is why... people...
"I told you that you don't have to drive me there! Mou! And you're the one insisting you want to." She sort of yells from the other side of the door.
What.
My head throbs painfully. If looks could kill...
"Did you forget?" My voice icy. "You're the one who overslept. So I'm the one being considerate." I seethe with anger, but keep my voice relatively level.
Silence.
"S-Sorry." A barely audible guilt-ridden voice.
The door opens slowly, her eyes glued to the ground.
"That was horrible of me; I was being childish. I'm just...nervous." Nanoha whispers the last part, ears reddening. A sigh. How many is that today?
"It's just a casual date. Here, look at me." My fingers easily brush up against her cheek before pushing her chin up; lavender and crimson meet. My eyes give her a quick once over. "You're a relatively attractive young lady. It's just a casual event. Just stay confident, and you'll be fine." Her face is heating up. "Alright?" A smile.
This is why people piss me off.
I mean.
Didn't we just run through the whole process yesterday?
It is required by society that the boss of any establishment must have a luxury vehicle. That pressure is increased tenfold if one's family background is of a rather high standing. Although, I suppose indulging in these types of activities isn't so bad, I wish I had been a bit more reserved when I chose my car: a sleek black two seater sports car with bright yellow accents; a similarly colored interior...ahh, sports cars don't have much use in cities. Maybe in couple years I'll move to a large private estate and really test her out. My thoughts are interrupted by the one standing in awe next to me.
"You have a car." She's like an excited kid, inspecting everything while in the side seat. If I ever had a kid, I'd hope to god it wouldn't be anything remotely similar to her or I might just up and leave.
"Yes, I said I was going to drive you. The main park, was it?" I'm pulling out of my driveway and onto the street.
"Yeah. But you have a car." Nanoha continues emphasizing. She's completely enamored with the bi-colored leather interior, or so it seems.
"...Right."
"But you walk everywhere. I'd probably drive everywhere if I had a car that was this nice." Her wide eyed excitement would be cute, but I'm tired.
A sigh. "I enjoy walking."
"But you have a car." My fingers tap impatiently on the wheel.
"I'll kick you out."
"Sorry." She sulks silently. Perfect.
A couple minutes into the drive, Nanoha is caught between inspecting the car further or enjoying the passing city scenery.
Honk!
She jumps in her seat. Looking out the window she notices a car full of guys pulling up on her side. After getting a look a the occupants in the car, or more specifically, us, they start cat calling too. It's quite a sight, what with their rolled down windows, sly smiles, and popped collars.
"Uhh..." People on the sidewalk are whistling at the car as well. "Does this always happen?" Nanoha sinks in her seat a bit, embarrassment written on her face.
"Just ignore it." A small smile. Well, maybe a kid like her wouldn't be so bad.
o o o o o o
Nanoha
As my boss pulls up next to a curb, Ah, I'm nervous again. I notice the slight shaking of my hands and clench my fists in the hopes of stabilizing my emotions. It's alright, it's just a date. Not like I haven't been on one of those, right? Nyahaha... since my first one was... yesterday. It'll be... fine.
"What time are you meeting Scrya-san?" Her voice brings me back to reality.
"Umm. 11:30."
"It's 11:43."
"...Yeah..." An absent reply. What if I mess up and, well, Fate-chan fires me. What if Yuuno-kun gets bored in the middle, or we don't know what to do halfway through? I can't will my body out of the car even if I want to. Well, I don't..., but I have to.
She sighs, again, turning off the engine and pulling her keys out. The engine gives a guttural growl. And then. Silence.
Clack.
As she steps out of her door, she takes a deep breath. The wind seems to pick up, playing with her hair. Then,
Slam.
The muffled sounds of shoe against pavement circles around the car, stopping right next to me. A couple knocks on the glass; I just look up at her. Her eyes flutter close, and her shoulders rise up a little then fall back down. The telltale signs of another sigh.
Clack.
A gust of cool morning air rushes at me. The blond pulls the door wide open and leans against it.
"Come on. Out." Her voice stern, tired. She reaches a hand towards me. As I place my hand in hers, she grips and pulls me out, roughly. And I sort of, well, crash into her, lightly. Her arms snake around my waist, and I can feel her breath tickling my ear. My body instinctively leans in, basking in the warmth and comfort.
"Fate-chan..." My voice uncertain. Can't we just, go. Leave, forget this date.
"Relax." That soft, soothing voice again.
"Inhale."
"Exhale."
Slowly, I copy her and sync my breathing exercise with her own. After a few times, my breathing isn't as erratic and my mind has cleared a bit.
I end up staying like that for quite a while, just enjoying her presence with my arms wrapped loosely around her. The smell of flowers. Lavender, I think. And then,
"Just go and have fun." That gentle voice again. She pulls apart. "Call whenever. Now, go." The blond gives me a light push towards the park as she turns to circle around her car. With her back to me, "Your prince awaits." Blatant sarcasm, but somehow, the words sting a little. Her hand raises up in a casual goodbye. I smile, feeling better, and walk off in the opposite direction, towards my own destination.
As it turns out, Yuuno-kun had been waiting for quite a while; almost an entire hour, since he came early. But he doesn't seem all that angry...
"Yuuno-kun."
"Yeah?" He definitely doesn't sound angry. Quite the opposite, actually.
"Sorry about being late."
"It's no problem, really." He flashes a smile. "Anyway," He grabs my hand and gives a slight pull. "The weather's nice today so let's go for a walk."
-Just go and have fun-
A smile. Well, why not?
"Hey, let's go by the lake too. I want to see the birds."
"I hear people feed the birds here a lot, so they're really people friendly."
"Yeah, they're very cute. I feed them every time I come here." Emerald orbs shine brightly.
"Really? I bought a bag of bread crusts! Want to go feed them?" His excitement is-
"Ahahaha."
I can't stop. I keep laughing, hands clutching my sides.
"Aha. Ha." The remnants of laughter as I calm myself. "H-How old are you?" I stutter out playfully, while trying not to laugh again.
"Hey. That's kind of mean." Mock dejection.
"S-Sorry." Still trying not to laugh.
"I thought it would be fun." His questioning gaze is too much. A light pat to his shoulder.
"Well, alright." A bright smile. "Come on. I know a great spot."
o o o o o o
Fate
After shifting the gear in my car to park, another sigh escapes my lips. "But you have a car, she said." My eyes scan the interior, a soft smile.
-After I finish this, we'll get a su~per expensive sports car with bi-colored interior leather and all~ the extra packages. Then we'll take it out for a spin and celebrate at a fancy restaurant.-
That horrible feeling: the tightening of my chest, as if my insides are lurching. I slowly pull my keys from the ignition. Nostalgia.
-How does that sound?-
I quickly exit the car, giving it a quick glance again before heading up into the living room. As usual hanging my jacket up in my closet. My red-furred friend gives a couple barks and whines, tail wagging happily.
"Hey Arf." A light pat on her head. "Sorry about this morning; you must be starving. I'll make you something right now." I say as my hands grab a hair band and quickly tie my hair into a low ponytail. My feet take me into the kitchen as my hands reach out to grab my apron. As I'm finishing tying the strings behind my back, "Rice and chicken sound okay?"
Arf gives a happy little bark and proceeds to sit down.
"I'll take that as a yes." A soft smile.
There's nothing but the slight hum of the gas stove and the sound of my spatula against the pan. After a while, I click the stove off, and pull the now cooked chicken breast out of the boiling pot of water and onto the cutting board.
"Arf, would you mind getting your bowl for me? I'm almost done." I voice while cutting up the chicken into smaller pieces and throwing it into the pan.
She gives a quick bark and wanders off, reappearing a couple moments later with her empty bowl in her mouth and tail wagging. After a quick mix, I grab her bowl and fill it up with the contents of my labor.
"It's a bit hot, okay? So eat slowly." I say while walking around the counter and placing her bowl down.
The puppy looks up at me and wags her tail before heading towards her bowl, enjoying her overdue meal.
"Aren't you cute." My hands stroke her fur. After watching her for a couple minutes, I stand up slowly. "Well, I have to clean up, so enjoy." I quickly hand wash my pan and pot, hanging them up to dry while I give a quick rinse to the spatula before placing it in the dishwasher. As I'm taking off the hair band and apron, my phone rings.
Ring. Ring.
Well, cell phone.
"Now where did I put it?" I slowly follow the noise, as I hang the apron up. "Oh, right." I open the closet, and dig through one of my jacket pockets, unearthing said cell phone. For a second, I contemplate whether or not I want to chance answering the call.
"Testarossa speaking."
"Fate!" The familiar voice is sort of frantic. I knew I shouldn't have answered.
"…Yes, we've established that-"
"Thank god you picked up!" Had the volume been any louder, my ears would've been dying.
"Huh."
"She was feeding the birds! And then there were flowers. And wind. Everywhere!" My fingers pinch the bridge of my nose as I feel the oncoming headache. I don't even understand what you just said...
"She."
"Yes! She. Shiroi!"
"Shiroi."
"The girl that works at your place. Gorgeous girl, bright lavender eye-"
"Right." Nanoha. "Why are you calling me, Yuuno?"
"Oh! Right! I need your help! Do-"
"I know this might be hard for you, but would you mind not acting like you just hit puberty and discovered girls?"
"W-What?" My ear rings slightly; my head throbs painfully.
"Let's try again. Now. Talk like you're 19." There is a huge intake of air on the other side of the line.
"Alright. Shiroi just went to the bathroom. I wanted to get her something, and there's this stuffed animal stand here. So I called you."So he's high on excitement.
"Right. That wasn't so hard, was it?" I deadpan.
"Don't patronize me." He bites back. A sigh.
"Okay, so you called me." Sensing my lack of resistance, he continues his story.
"Yeah, I wanted to ask what her favorite color was."
What.
Silence.
"Fate? Hello, can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear."
"So her-"
"Favorite color. Right." A sigh. "I don't know. Try blue."
"Try?" The blond haired boy sounds as if I had said his dog had been beaten and then eaten. If I wasn't so pissed off, it would be quite funny. "I'm trying to impress her and you're telling me to try blue?" He questions with a surprisingly sarcastic tone. Did he pick that up from me? That's no good; his father's going to have a field day with me if he hears that. A smirk.
"Try blue."
Click. I snap my phone shut. Enough of that. Now, the 'off' button...
Ring. Ring.
Again, for a split second, I contemplate whether this is actually worth my time.
"Yuuno." I'm too nice sometimes...
"Hey, Fate. Sorry about earlier. I just-"
"I don't care. Look, it's your date. You figure it out."
"W-What?" He sounds genuinely confused. A sigh. Without your father, you're just a kid.
"You like her, right?" He stutters somewhat, I suppose out of embarrassment. "It's a yes or no question." The throbbing hasn't stopped. Maybe I'll take some Advil.
There's a bit of shuffling on the other side of the line. Another throb.
"Don't nod. Say it. Nothing happens if you don't talk." Maybe I'll take a walk. I think that'll be relaxing.
"Y-Yes. I. I like her." His face is red, probably.
"Then why don't you try asking about her favorite color?"
"W-Well..." The emerald eyed boy sounds unsure.
"Relationships are built up through dialogue. So start talking. Ask her questions, and you might end up finding out more about her."
"I guess that sounds reasonable..."
"Right. Well then. Have fun."
"Wa-"
Click.
"Not only do I have to drive Person A to the date." Well, I didn't actually mind that... I suppose. "But I have to guide Person B along with the dating? What am I? A fucking counselor?" A sigh. Whatever. Advil and a walk. Advil and a walk.
o o o o o o
Nanoha
This whole date was turning out to be a lot more fun than I thought it'd be. Yuuno-kun's been great. I brought him to a spot I frequent, and we fed the birds his bag of bread crusts. It didn't take long to finish the bag, but as a result a flock of birds followed us for a while. It was funny yet kinda of alarming. Especially when they thought we had food. After that, it was just walking and talking. At least, until I needed a quick, well, break. I walk out of the bathroom, drying my hands on my denim shorts. I hate it when they run out of paper towels. As I look at the bench which Yuuno-kun is sitting, he seems to be staring intently at his phone.
"What's up? Someone call you?" I sort of hop in front of him.
"Eh? Ah, it's nothing." The blond pockets his phone and stands up. "I was going to get you something." He points behind him with his thumb. "But I wasn't sure what you liked." My eyes widen slightly.
"Woah, they sell stuffed animals out here?" My feet instantly take me over to inspect the fluffy creatures. My date follows slightly behind.
"Apparently they have some sort of rotational thing going on."
"Hmm. Now that I think about it... I guess the couple that gives out balloons isn't here today."
"So, do you have a favorite animal or anything like that?" Blunt isn't he.
"Well, when it comes to stuffed animals, no. It just has to catch my attention."
"Catch your attention?" He scans the selection. I place my hand under my chin, in a thinking pose.
"For example..." I pick up a plain brown teddy bear. "This little guy here, looks exactly like the one my, ah, friend bought for me recently. But he stood out more because all the other animals had fancy designs and clothes. So I liked that one more and not so much this one." Though, mine is actually cuter than this one, but that's a small detail...
"Right, so this one strike your fancy?" He pulls out what is by far the creepiest stuffed animal I have ever seen. It's like some sort of chimera that is part lobster and part bat. Or something. I can't really tell, but it's really creepy. I look up at Yuuno, and he's about ready to burst out laughing. Maybe from my expression?
"Mou!" I grab the creature from him and place it back in the cart. "That's not what I meant by 'catch my attention'!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He apologizes; his laughter is pretty contagious, so I end up smiling back. "Are you sure you don't want anything?" the blond asks pleasantly. Well, there are a couple that seem pretty cute...
"Yeah, I'm fine." He sports a somewhat dejected look. I'd be happier if, well, no use thinking about that. "And anyway, lets check out the food stands." I walk ahead a bit. "How about we split up and meet back at one of the benches?" His emerald orbs look at me questioningly. "Food or drink?"
"Ah. Food, then. Do you want anything specific?"
"Anything's fine. How about you? Drink?"
"Apple cider, then. I'll see you in a bit over there, okay?" His figure dashes off as my hand is barely raised. Well, whatever.
"Right, drinks." I walk over toward the vending machines. Apple cider? "Where am I going to find that?"
"Find what?" A familiar voice behind me-
"Hayate-chan!" My brown haired friend and I give each other a quick hug. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm out enjoying myself with my relatives." She flashes a happy smile. "And I volunteered to get the drinks."
"What a coincidence." But as soon as the words come out of my mouth-
"Yep, a total coincidence." Another smile. I pull her closer to me.
"You're not following me, are you?" If it's Hayate-chan...
"Not at all, not at all. So who's your date? I think I saw a nice handsome young blond around here." ...it's definitely not a coincidence.
"So you are following me!" A playful glare. Her hands raise up in an 'I-surrender' type of motion.
"Well, I only came here because Fate-chan seemed so adamant about staying far away from this place."A sly smile.
"Fate-chan is here?"
"Yep. She's right over there with Si-Oh? That's strange. She was there a second ago." My short haired friend points at the bartender, Signum, sitting quite a ways from us quietly by herself on a grassy hill. "Care to join us?" She says invitingly.
"Sorry. I'm on a paid date." A slight smile.
"Is that so?" Well, give us a call when you're gonna leave; I'm sure we can fit one more person in the car." Another hug and she walks back towards Signum and, a flash of blond. Fate-chan? A sigh.
"Seems like fun." And hey... Hayate-chan didn't buy any drinks. Refacing the machine, I drop in a couple coins and press two buttons. Holding both beverages in my hand, I head back towards the meeting spot.
"Ah, Shiroi!" A different blond waves at me from the bench. My free hand waves back. I park myself next to him.
"Sorry, Yuuno-kun, they didn't have apple cider, so I got you apple juice instead. Is that okay?"
"Eh? Well, thanks anyway."He takes the juice box that I offer and stares at it for a minute before proceeding to drink from it.
o o o o o o
It was late afternoon by the time we both finished up our lunch. If it could be called that anyway, considering that we started eating around 3. The food was great, and the company's been pretty fun too. It seemed as if time just flew by, and I thought the rest of the date would go the same way. But well...
This is pretty boring. Maybe I'm just tired or something.
We're both walking around the park. According to Yuuno-kun, the park is home to a rose garden. I've never seen one, so I was up for the idea, but.
Maybe I'm just tired of walking? Or my sense of direction has died. Along with Yuuno-kun's. Because, well, I think we're lost.
"I think we're lost." His brows furrow up in annoyance. That was established when we circled around the fountain, twice.
"If we ask around we should get there eventually." I suggest. The blond pulls out a piece of paper.
"But that map said that if we went straight we would've made it already." He has a map?
"We could look for landmarks?" His emerald eyes shine brightly at me.
"That's a good idea. You think we'd be able to see a... 'Turtle's Rock'?" He states while fumbling with the map. A what?
"It should look like a giant turtle, I think." His eyes scan around.
"Uhh. I don't see a giant turtle."
This back and forth of him choosing a 'landmark' and both of us being unable to find it went for quite a while. In the end, we just called it quits since it was getting late. The sun was almost setting, the temperature was dropping, and the wind was picking up. And I think we were both tired. Or at least I was extremely tired.
"It's a shame we couldn't find the rose garden." His voice still dejected. A smile.
"It's alright; I had fun today." A hug. His arms circle around my waist and pull me in tightly. Ehh...
"Yeah." His breath tickles against my neck. I give a small laugh.
"Alright, I should probably get going. My friends are waiting for me." He releases, slowly. Eyes looking at me expectantly. Eh? I know this happens in those dramas on TV and such, but... Their gaze lowers, to my lips, and then his face inches closer. Somehow everything is a couple degrees warmer than a second ago. W-Wait! My hands dig into my pocket, searching frantically. Closer. This is too fast! Almost touch-
Ring. Ring.
I stiffen; he pauses. Chance!
"S-Sorry about that." Thank. God. That worked. A nervous chuckle as I back away and turn around. "H-Hello? A-Ah! Hayate-chan?" A pause. "Am I ready to go? Yeah, I'll be right there." I turn quickly back to my date. "Sorry about this. I have to go. Thanks for today." A hand wave as I run off, and well, leave him standing. Sorry. Really. "Hayate-chan? Yeah, I was just wonder..." My legs carry me to a small trail behind a couple trees. Still lightly jogging, my phone snaps shut and my hand drops down. "...How long it'll take until he can't see me running." I purposefully chose a pretty obscure path, so I think I'm fine now, but just in case. I jog for a couple more minutes. Now the problem is. I flip open my phone and punch in a number I'm familiar with.
"Nanoha-chan?" My friend's voice.
"Hayate-chan. Are you still at the park?"
"Yeah, we were just packing up. Are you just about ready to leave as well?"
"Yes, well. I was going to take you up on the offer for a ride, but..." A pause.
"But?"
"Well. I'm lost. I think." This is embarassing.
"Ehhhh? Lost?"
"Yeah, well-"
"All by yourself?" ...why is her voice so dramatic? "In the middle of the woods?" No, wait.
"Not the woods."
"Whatever happened to your date?" Is it just me...
"Eh? Well, we separated."
"He left you? It's getting dark too." Or does it sound like she's not really talking to me.
"Hayate-chan." My voice firm.
"Yep?" I can feel her smiling on the other end of the line. Eyes sparkling, too.
"I'm lost. Help?"
"Oh, I suggest you keep walking straight to the end of the path you're on." Wait.
"You can see me?"
"Ah, well, look at the time! I'll see you at the car, okay?"
"Hayate-"
Click. Silence. She hung up on me. I stare at the phone.
Well, fine. Might as well listen to her advice, I guess. I walk silently on the trail. If it was a little brighter, I'm sure this scenic route would look breathtakingly beautiful. But now that it's getting darker, it's a bit, creepy.
Crunch. The sound of a tree branch snapping. Okay. I didn't need to hear that.
As I quicken my pace, I can't but help notice that horrible things tend to happen to people that are alone. Like kidnappings and killings. Dammit. I should have asked Yuuno-kun to walk me to a parking lot or something. Oh, I think that's a clearing up ahead; that's the end of the trail, I'm guessing. As my feet painstakingly hike up the rest of the way, I'm blasted by the fragrant odor of...
"Roses."
Before me, against the setting sun, is a sea of roses.
Suddenly, my legs feel like jelly and I sink down into the grass. A bright smile. "Nyahaha. I guess I get to see them after all."
Inhale.
Exhale.
I will myself up on my feet. They're all in bloom! I walk up to a grouping of white roses, and bend down to smell them. A chuckle. "It smells so nice."
"Aren't you a bit too happy to be lost?" A venomous voice next to my ear. I jump and turn around, only to be greeted by a head full of soft silky blond and a pair of glaring blood red orbs.
"Fate-chan."
o o o o o o
Apparently the rose garden wasn't too far from the parking lot that Hayate-chan and her relatives were waiting at. Unfortunately, the trek to said parking lot was uphill, and I was tired. Extremely so. By the time we made it up and I saw the face of my brown haired friend, I was about ready to just fall to the ground. So I was quite relieved to hear that there was 'plenty' of space in the four-door sedan.
"Plenty of room." I repeat to myself.
Not only was the trunk full to the brim with all sorts of toys, foldable chairs, and an assortment of dishes and plates, but the entire car was well, packed. Signum-san was driving, and Zafira was riding shotgun. That left Shamal-san, Hayate-chan, Vita-chan, Fate-chan, and me to figure out how to sit in the back. Luckily, there wasn't much thought to put into the process since Shamal-san was already seated on one side of the vehicle, and well, Hayate-chan was already climbing in, with Vita-chan then proceeding to sitting on her lap. Obviously, we were going to squeeze four people into three seats. Not too bad, right? Could be worse. I went in afterwards, followed by Fate-chan. It wasn't too uncomfortable, just very, ah, cozy. I suppose.
There wasn't much talking going on in the car, since Vita-chan was asleep. She looked pretty exhausted and was asleep as soon as the engine started. It was cute, what with Vita-chan cuddling up to Hayate-chan, and my friend in turn dozing off with her head resting on Shamal-san's shoulder.
At some point, I'm not quite sure, my eyelids started to flutter close, and the fragrance of lavender enveloped me.
Fate
I sort of expected something like this to happen, so I didn't end up stiffening as much as usual. My head turns slightly, and my eyes watch the sleeping brunette next to me. Should I wake her? This is sort of awkward...but, she does look pretty comfortable. And sort of... There's an almost inaudible snicker; my eyes focus on the figure next to Nanoha.
"You said she was in trouble." A quiet voice, so as not to wake the two sleeping bodies, but still with an edge.
"Oh?" A glint in her eye. "Did you run all the way there?" A wide smile; my eyes narrow.
"I don't see why I had to go find her anyway." I ignore her previous question.
"Hmm. Well, think of it this way. As a reward, you get a hot body sleeping up against you." She raises her eyebrow suggestively.
"That's not funny."
"It wasn't a joke."
Silence.
Thud. Shamal lightly hit the short haired girl on the head.
"Oww." She frowns.
"Don't tease the poor girl." She came to my aid. "Look, she's all red now." Or not.
"I am not red." Blunt.
"It's okay, Fate-san. She's a cute girl. I understand, I would too-" I cut her off.
"No. Wait. Don't make random assumptions." They're tag-teaming me.
"Don't you think they look cute together?" Hayate asks Shamal.
"Yes, I was surprised. You said they met what, two days ago?"
"Wha-Don't ignore me." A glare. And it wasn't two days.
"I wonder how far they've gone." That mischievous smile again.
"I'm sure they've already..." She whispers the rest in Hayate's ear.
"Oho, now that you mention it, I did see them..." A quiet sigh. I want to go home.
"There seems to be a traffic jam up ahead." Signum states absently.
"Hmm, it looks like they closed off a couple of roads." Zafira adds as well.
From the corner of my eye, two figures with glinting orbs snicker.
You've got to be kidding me.
o o o o o o
Thankfully, the ride didn't take that much longer. An added twenty minutes or so, but any longer, and I probably would have died from embarrassment from being in the vehicle listening to those two talk. After shaking Nanoha awake, we headed into my house, each to our own respective showers.
Being under the warm water slowly but surely relieved the stresses of today. Walking out of my room in a white tank top and black shorts while drying my hair with my towel, I park myself comfortably on my couch.
As I am flipping through a couple channels, my roommate appears in a set of pink and white plaid pajamas, also drying off her hair. When she sits next to me, I notice the lump of brown in her hands as that teddy bear from a couple days ago. Finally picking a channel worth watching, it's a rerun of an old classic movie, I get up and fetch a blanket and resettle down on the couch. The lavender eyed girl is still playing with the bear. She's wiggling it's arms or something.
"What are you doing?"
"Eh? Oh, I saw a similar one today, but this one is definitely cuter." She rubs her nose against it. Right. I turn my attention back to the movie, since it's starting. Her eyes sparkle as she looks up at the screen.
"I love this movie! Can I watch?" She turns to me with pleading eyes.
"Go ahead." She stares at my blanket for quite a while. Then,
"Share?" Her voice meek, head lowered, ears red. Telltale signs of embarrassment. I study her for a while. Usually I don't have to debate, but well, I blame Shamal and Hayate. A sigh. I definitely blame them.
"Go ahead." My voice softer, gentler. I lift the cover up and shift slightly to make room for the other body.
About halfway through the movie, I'm regretting my decision. Immensely. Crap, she's crying, isn't she. I can't really focus on watching the movie if the person next to me is sniffling.
I should ignore it. Right, ignoring. And then, I feel a soft pressure against my side. She's leaning against me, isn't she? Was a simple movie before bed such a hard thing to ask for?
At some point, the faint quivering of her body due to her crying had stopped, and I had stopped being self-conscious about the extra weight against me, enjoying the rest of the movie. I switched off the television after the end credits rolled for a couple minutes. As I turned to move, her head sort of slid forward and well, fell in my lap. No other movement occurs. She's asleep. Great.
"Nanoha." A slight shake of her shoulders.
Nothing.
"Nanoha, wake up." I try again.
In vain.
A sigh.
"I guess today wiped her out." A small smile as I stroke her hair. "You tried really hard, huh." I bend my head down, my mouth next to her ear. "Thanks for your hard work today."
No response.
A slight chuckle.
"Well, I hope you don't scream when you wake up tomorrow morning."
a/n: err, I have a flight to catch in a couple hours. so i'll leave this section pretty blank for now.
in other news, another approximately 6 months of inactivity. my apologies. this is sort of a bit past first draft? so I'll definitely fix it up and whatnot. i don't think they seem that OOC from their already OOCness. umm, just a softer side to all of them? right, well, i will try to fix this up before AX, because i probably wont touch this when that time comes.
edit: added a bit of stuff here and there, hopefully making this chapter a bit easier on the eyes. I'll hold off on review responses at the moment. So they'll be edited in eventually, along with more changes to the chapter as I see fit.