A/N: I was visiting my in-laws when the inspiration for this story struck me. I really have to say I have come to appreciate keyboards since the first draft for this story was handwritten. I do not own Negima, but thankfully I had some salve for my aching wrists…

A Day Indoors XXXVI

Ku Fei held her stomach and tried to quell the butterflies trying out for the Olympics in her stomach. It had been surprisingly easy to make the last minute reservations that detoured the two of them to China. The plane ride hadn't even been bumpy.

No, the problem facing the lithe martial artist now was her growing feelings for a certain ten year old mage and becoming his partner. Ever since the other girls had started talking about her making a pactio with Negi she'd been trying to get a grip on the feelings that came gushing through her every time she looked at him. Watching it fight only made it worse.

"What a beautiful place to live in Master Ku." Negi said as he looked over the sculpted gardens of the Ku family estate.

I can make it through this. Ku Fei thought as she escorted her teacher through the archway into the manicured front yard. Just an overnight trip to discuss her performance with her parents, that's what she had told him.

The truth was the young girl was more terrified than she had ever been before any fight in her life. She was going to introduce Negi to her parents because she'd decided to become his partner. She was going to kiss him and when she did she was quite certain that she was going to finish falling completely and madly in love with him.

"Mother, we're here!" Ku Fei shouted in her native language as they reached the porch.

"Excellent dear, we're looking forward to meeting this 'Negi-sensei' of…" Her mother started as she stepped out to greet her only daughter. "Oh… my."

"I happy to be meet you." Negi replied with a polite bow. His Chinese sucked, but then he'd only started learning it that morning.

"He doesn't speak our language?" Mrs. Ku asked eyeing the pint sized instructor with trepidation.

"Just give him time." Ku Fei sighed dejectedly. "He won't even have an accent in a week."

"You better come into the kitchen." The lady of the Ku household said as she looked around quickly. "Your father will be home any minute and you obviously have some explaining to do."

The eldest daughter of the Ku family nodded and obediently followed her mother into the kitchen where her grandmother was making a feast. As soon as she entered, her grandmother turned to gaze up into her teacher's eyes. Then her gaze slowly dropped until she was looking at Negi in dismay. "Oh… my."

"Mom, I know this looks bad, but just let me explain." Ku started.

"You said you were bringing someone to meet us." Her mother said slowly. "Your letters said you had been teaching martial arts to one of your teachers. I had no idea that the young man you were bringing home to meet us would be… well, him!"

Grandmother Ku quietly rounded up Negi and hustled him off to help her with the meal preparations while Fei tried to talk to her mother. "It's more complicated than all that mother. Negi is my teacher and I have been teaching him martial arts. I've got something I have to tell you."

"You're pregnant?!" Her mother gasped. "Is that why your grades have been so bad over there?"

"No ma, it's just hard listening to teachers in another language. I know my grades have slipped since I accepted the invitation to Mahora…" Fei flustered.

"We're home!" A gruff male voice bellowed through the house chorused by younger and softer voice of Ku Fei's older brother.

"Great, perfect timing." Ku Ki muttered as she glanced at her oldest daughter. "Well, I guess we'll have to talk about this over dinner. Go help your grandmother, and I'll go try to prepare your father for… this."

The young student tried to convince herself unsuccessfully that everything was going to be alright. Negi was smiling at her and she tried to give him her best grin to make him think everything was okay. The two of them helped grandmother pick up the dishes for the meal and carried them in to where Mrs. Ku was frantically whispering to her husband.

Fei's father was staring at Negi with his eyes open as wide as they would go. Fortunately though he didn't say a word and calmly turned to his wife and nodded to her reassuringly. Nothing was said as the meal was set out for the family. Finally once everyone was seated and getting ready to eat, her father broke the silence.

"So, my daughter, would you like to explain why this boy is here?" Ku Jo said as he sipped his tea.

"I came to ask your permission father." Ku Fei said formally. The truth wasn't an option at this point since she would have to reveal magic to her parents in order to explain a pactio, so Ku Fei decided to explain it in the closest terms she could. Even though doing so was going to be problematic in itself. "I want your permission to make Negi… my boyfriend."

Ku Ki swooned and nearly fainted into her rice and her father spewed tea all over her brother. "You want to do WHAT?!!"

Ku Fei glanced aside to Negi who was looking at her in dismay. Realizing he probably wasn't following the Chinese conversation; Ku Fei flashed him a smile and whispered in Japanese. "Father not happy with my grades. No worry, I handle this."

"So have you… 'kissed' him?" Ku Ki said diplomatically.

"No mother, it's not like that." Ku Fei replied defensively. "I know our family's rule has always been that we only select the strongest people to marry. Father, please, I love Negi and he's the strongest man I know."

"He is only a boy." Ku Jo replied darkly.

"No father, he is a man. You know I wouldn't bring him here looking for your blessing if I didn't believe that." Ku Fei countered heatedly.

"Ku Fei…" Negi said urgently tugging at his student's sleeve.

"Is okay, I telling father how good teacher you are and not to worry about grades." Ku Fei lied in translation to her teacher. She hated not telling Negi the truth, but this was her problem and she was going to have to win her parents over on her own.

"If this boy is the one you want then I guess we'll just have to test him." Grandmother Ku said as she nibbled on her beef.

"Mother?" Ku Jo gaped at the eldest member of the household.

"It is a simple matter son." Grandmother Ku continued. "If this boy is strong enough to pass the test, then you should give Fei permission to pursue a relationship with him."

The head of the Ku family sat quietly for a moment and then nodded. "Very well, then the boy can go up against your brother after dinner."

Negi looked at Ku Fei in confusion and the worry on the girl's face must have been evident. Slowly she tried to think of how to explain it all to him. "Father said he interested in seeing your progress in martial arts. He thinks if you good at learning, you then be good at teaching. So, no use magic, but go all out to impress father."

"Ah. That's no problem then." Negi said quickly turning back to Ku Jo. "No worry, I take good care of daughter."

Ku Fei sighed at the way her father was undoubtedly taking his innocent statement. Maybe she'd make it through this after all.

After dinner Negi and the Ku family gathered in the garden. In an action story what might have resulted would have been a fight by two equally matched rivals taking hours and several chapters to convey. That was not what happened. What happened was a vulgar display of virtuosity by a prodigiously powerful fighter against a young eighteen year old combatant of limited ability which was over quicker than the time it took to read this paragraph.

Ku Fei's father nodded in time with his son's body as it bounced a few times upon impact with the ground. Negi landed and knelt, begging for forgiveness. "I sorry, I no mean to be rough!"

Ku Fei's mother went to go check on Lee as Ku Fei fanned her blushing face and turned to trap her father in his own rules. No young man had a right to be that sexy when he fought…

Ku Jo however was already grabbing his daughter in a big massive hug. "My child you have made me so HAPPY!" He squeaked.

"What was that?" Granny, Fei, and Ku Ki all blurted at the same time.

"That boy is the most powerful prodigy I have ever seen!" Ku Jo gushed racing over to Negi with his daughter in tow.

"So, I pass?" Negi said in his limited Chinese.

"Yes, yes you do!" Ku Fei's father said nodding with tears in his eyes. "If I had known my little girl would come home with a treasure like him, I would have had her attending preschool at Mahora!"

Negi looked happy that he wasn't in trouble, and Ku Fei began to relax thinking that maybe things were going to work out after all. Her father was beaming and all seemed to be going her way for a change.

"Dear, after you've seen to Lee, take Negi here to get a bath. It doesn't look like he broke a sweat, but we should make our guest at home." Ku Jo said slapping Negi on the shoulder. Mrs. Ku just nodded and she and Negi proceeded to carry/support Lee out of the garden.

"I'm glad you approve Daddy." Ku Fei beamed.

"Why should I not approve, Negi will make a wonderful son-in-law." The proud father said looking after the young prodigy.

"WHAT?!" Ku Fei sputtered looking at her father aghast.

"I admit, when you brought him here wanting my blessing to pursue him I admit I was livid, but after seeing how strong, smart, handsome, and apparently well off this young man is I can think of no one better to marry my little girl." Ku Jo said with a happy tear coming to his eye.

"Now father…"

"Do you care about Negi?" Her father asked her seriously. For all the twists and turns of the situation, far all the misdirection, this was the core of the matter; a father asking his daughter if she was sure. And there was only one answer she could give.

"Yes Daddy, I love him."

"Then that's all that matters. Your mother and I won't rush you to tie the knot, but you'd be a fool to let that boy get away." Her father said gently to his only daughter as he pulled her into another hug.

Ku's mother came back into the garden with the rest of the family as her father released her. "Lee is sleeping his thrashing off and Negi is in his bath."

"Good, put Negi's things in Ku Fei's room tonight." Mr. Ku said looking suddenly very old.

"What?!" All the Ku women said in shock.

"Our daughter has proven herself to be honorable and trustworthy in coming to us for our blessing. She has confessed to me that she loves this young man and I can think of no better young man for her. It is only fitting that we reward her by showing faith in her to make her own decisions about her relationships from here on out. Besides, there isn't really any other place for him to sleep." Her father lectured. "It is time to face the reality that our little girl is growing up."

Ku Fei was flattered, but the idea of spending the night… with Negi… made her head swim. She thought quickly trying to think of some excuse to get out of this, but the vision of Negi in his boxers addled her thinking.

"You just want super powerful grandchildren." Grandmother Ku accused her son.

"Shh." Her father whispered quickly with a blush.

Finally Ku Fei bowed to her father and sighed in defeat. "Thank you father, I will not dishonor our family."

Ku Fei turned and headed to her room. She was spending the night with Negi, literally. As she got to her room, she looked at her small bed and imagined the two of them trying to fit into it. Quickly shaking her head to ward off her decidedly un-trustworthy imagination, Ku Fei began to change for bed.

As luck would have it, at least tonight anyway, Negi came walking in carrying his bag and wearing nothing but a towel just as she had gotten down to her panties. "I'm sorry!" Negi cried spinning around quickly.

"Is okay, you see me naked before." Ku Fei said as she got out a loose shirt to sleep in. It was short and didn't quite reach the top of her panties, but after all the times Negi had been in the girls' baths modesty around the young man she would soon be kissing to make her his partner seemed rather moot.

"Your mother said I was sleeping in her tonight." Negi said still rooted to the spot.

"Yes, you sleep here. There no other place for you in house, so you my guest." Ku Fei explained.

"I see." Negi said quietly kneeling down to get his clothes after risking a glance back at Ku Fei.

Ku Fei turned away so he could put something on, but couldn't resist peeking. She couldn't say she was disappointed even though he'd already gotten into his boxer shorts. The summer spent training with Rakan had made his body even leaner, more muscular, and drop dead gorgeous to the martial artist.

"Sorry." Was all the blushing Chinese girl could muster when Negi caught her staring and blushed a little as well.

"It's okay; apparently my pajamas are in my other bag." Negi murmured in embarrassment.

"It hot tonight anyway." The suddenly shy girl whispered. Normally it would get so hot at night that she'd peel out of her shirt too, but somehow she figured that would have sent Negi packing for sure.

The two young people looked at the small bed, which would barely fit the two of them. While two could sleep there, they would have to be pretty much wrapped up together in order to fit. "I can sleep on the floor…"

"No, it fine." Ku Fei said motioning for Negi to get into bed first. Once he was in she wiggled in beside him. It was a little cramped until Ku Fei timidly reached out and pulled Negi's arm around her waist so she could lean against his chest. The diminutive girl had never been very tall, but she could tell right away that Negi was getting taller. After just the summer he was just as tall as she if not a little taller.

Negi tensed a little at holding his student in his arms, but it did make sharing the bed more comfortable and made sleep actually possible. Ku Fei could feel his breath against her neck and she felt tingles running down her spine every time she felt his chest expand against her back. Negi's body was like a furnace with every inch of it making her sweat; though whether it was from the actual heat of the night she couldn't tell.

"So, is it true what you said earlier about being in love with me?" The only thing that stunned Ku Fei more than Negi saying those words was the fact that he said it in perfect Chinese.

"How? How did you…" Ku Fei sputtered suddenly feeling very vulnerable.

"Translation spell. I cast it when I was helping your grandmother. I couldn't understand a word she was saying." Negi confided.

"So you heard the entire conversation with my father." Ku Fei whispered. As close as Negi was there was little need for anything more.

"Yeah. So, is it true? Do you really love me?" Negi asked her in hushed tones.

"I'm scared to say it to you." Ku Fei said on the verge of tears.

"Why?" The boy genius asked in genuine confusion.

"Because… I'm afraid that I won't be strong enough for you, and you'll find someone better than me. I've watched you become the most brilliant fighter I've ever seen. It didn't take me long after I started teaching you martial arts to figure out that there was no way I was going to keep up with you. You surpassed me within weeks of beginning to learn. I had always dreamed of finding someone as strong or maybe a little bit stronger than I was to bring home to my family. I never imagined I would find someone anywhere near as strong as you are. I felt like I could never be your equal so I dismissed any idea of loving you. It wasn't until I saw how you took care of all of us and how you protected all of us in the magic world that I began to realize that I was falling in love with you anyway, and that I wanted to be protected by you. I've never seen myself as a 'damsel in distress', but suddenly I wanted to be one so you could come rescue me. I started wanting you to sweep me off my feet and make me yours, and it's tearing me up inside because then I would be nothing but a burden to you." Ku Fei confessed as she cried openly. The feelings of helplessness as she had watched Negi fight came flooding back, and it both disgusted and thrilled her at the same time.

"You'll never be a burden to me Fei." Negi said tenderly. The fact that he was addressing her so informally made her heart race. "You girls are where I draw my strength. Without all of you, I'd never be able to do all the things I've had to do. I'd still be just a ten year old kid trying to be a mage."

"Negi, will you do something for me?" Ku Fei asked timidly.

"Sure, anything you want."

"Please take me." Negi froze in place and she could tell he was sputtering trying to speak unsuccessfully. She couldn't help but giggle at him. It was one of the cute things about him that had made her fall in love with him. "Not like that silly."

Negi relaxed but just a little. "What do you mean then?"

"I don't want our pactio kiss to be my first kiss. I want you to kiss me and make me yours first. I want my first kiss to be with you and I want you to take control." Ku Fei said as the butterflies got ready for round two.

Negi was silent for several moments as he digested what she was saying. "You're burning up aren't you?"

"Yes." Ku Fei answered before she realized he wasn't speaking romantically. Her shirt was drenched in sweat, and only part of it was due to the heat of the night.

"Sit up for a moment." Negi ordered.

Ku Fei timidly complied as Negi sat up as well. She was paralyzed as he reached down and gently lifted her shirt over her head. Ku Fei was trembling a little as he finished stripping off her shirt and she sat there facing away from him in nothing but her panties. The night air that was now much cooler wasn't what was making her tremble though. Negi was taking control, and she couldn't wait to see what he would do next.

"Is this what you want?" Negi asked as he put his hands up on her shoulders.

All the young girl could do was nod mutely as Negi turned her around to face him. Ku Fei felt like sticking her chest out to make her breasts look bigger for him to look at, but true to being a gentleman, Negi didn't stare at her chest. She wished he would though.

The martial artist allowed her mage to lay her down on the bed, her body presented before him as he lay down on top of her. Her pulse quickened and began to race as she felt his body against the full length of her own. "Negi, I'm not ready." The teenager squeaked. The truth be told, the way she was feeling right now, if Negi had made love to her she wouldn't have been able to resist him. At the moment she wasn't even sure if she really would want to.

"Don't worry; I'm only going to kiss you. Will this be good enough for your first kiss?" The boy mage asked with a smile.

Again Ku Fei could do nothing but nod to him as she gazed up at his perfect face. She was awestruck as she watched his lips lean down and claim hers. It felt like a jolt of lightning ran through her as Negi began to deepen the kiss and as he did the last of her will gave way. She was now his woman. She was officially in the race with the rest of the girls to win this young man for her own and the others were now her rivals as well as her friends. If Negi had asked it of her in that moment she would have given him her body with no regrets. Ku Fei wrapped her arms around her young hero and could feel that puberty had definitely set in for Negi. It thrilled her, but she also felt safe and protected knowing that Negi would never take advantage of her and that his strength was not only in his body but in his will as well in keeping her innocence safe.

Their kiss would last a lifetime, because she was certain she'd never forget this perfect moment Negi had given her, even though their lips parted after only a few moments. Negi seemed to want something from her as well though as his kisses trailed down to her neck and shoulder as the two made out in her bed.

"Mark me Negi, I'm yours." Ku Fei whispered into her lover's ear. "You can do whatever you want, because I love you."

"I love you too Fei." Negi said as he began to nip and kiss her neck where it met the shoulder. Ku Fei writhed beneath him in contentment, knowing she was going to have the mark of his lips on her shoulder tomorrow. She wasn't really sure if she was going to be able to give Negi a similar mark on his neck, but she was bound and determined to try her best.

After they came to their senses, Negi started to move to the side so they could resume their former position and get some sleep, but Ku Fei pulled him down until he was lying on his back with her on top of him. "Can we sleep like this?" She asked, her eyes sparkling at him. "I'm not too heavy am I?"

"Light as a feather." Negi said pulling her up for quick good night kiss before she laid her head down on his chest and drifted off to sleep.

Out in the hall, a worried father nodded and stepped away from the door where he'd been listening. "I thought I was going to have to step in there for a moment."

"It was your idea. What were you even THINKING having the two of them stay in the same room?" Mrs. Ku muttered as the two headed for their room.

"Well considering his father's reputation, I wanted to see what kind of boy young Negi was going to turn out to be. I wanted to make sure he was someone that was going to watch out for our daughter, and I DON'T mean in combat." Ku Jo said seriously as he readied for bed.

"Our daughter, a partner to the son of the Thousand Master, still it's a bit sad that we weren't the ones to tell her about magic." Ku Ki said as she brushed her hair in the mirror.

Mr. Ku chuckled and wrapped his arms around his wife and partner's waist. "Well she still doesn't know about your magic my dear."

Ki leaned into her husband's embrace and giggled. "Think we should tell her?"

"Eventually. I think she's got enough to think about right now." The head of the Ku clan said as he picked up his wife. "Now, since the kids are asleep…"

A/N: Ku Fei has not yet made a pactio with Negi in the series so far. If she does get one before they hit Japan again, oh well, it was still fun to write. The Ku family was actually going to be introduced in a story I scrapped in which Negi had to hold parent/teacher conferences with all the parents. I'm glad I was still able to use them. A bit longer and more intense than I had expected though.