A/N: Well, it's more of a two-shot now. You can thank (or flame) BakaBakaEater for this -- but I think we'd both be happier if you liked it, eh?
Night of the Party - 2
Setsuna's footsteps, quiet on the cobblestones, seemed to echo as she walked. Happiness in one hand, a sword in the other. If you died, she'd be crushed.
You can't let common sense get in the way of love. Setsuna let out a sigh as the clock tower built over Mahora Middle School's central building came into view. If what she felt was real, if she could bring herself to think that it might actually be… love… then maybe there was some way she could tell ojō–
"Se-chan!" Konoka's voice was immediately recognizable, highly excited, and anathema to Setsuna's current line of thought. The swordswoman stopped dead as Konoka and Negi appeared at the top of the stairs to the cobblestone plaza in front of the school, Konoka waving madly. "O-ojō-sama, Negi-sensei," she sputtered, feeling her face heat up. "What are you doing out here?"
"We came to fetch you, Se-chan!" Konoka called, rushing down the stairs to meet her friend. "Everyone's waiting for you. I had to stop Kotaro-kun from eating more than one cupcake, though," she continued, frowning slightly. "They're probably all gone now. I shouldn't have let Chao-san put them out until you got here."
"It's really okay, ojō-sama," Setsuna reassured her hastily. "I'm not a big fan of sweets."
"Yes, you are," Konoka admonished her bodyguard. "It's your birthday. You have to eat at least one piece of cake."
"I'm glad to see you're alright, Setsuna-san," Negi put in as he reached the bottom of the stairs himself. "I was worried that something might have gotten through the school barrier again." Setsuna belatedly noted that the boy mage carried his staff; the wrapped stave rested on his shoulder, and his face was dark. The encounter with Graf Hermann had changed him, made him more wary.
"I'll head back inside and tell everyone that you're coming. Please don't stay out too long… I'm not sure how long I can keep Iinchō-san off by myself," he continued, turning back to the building.
"We'll be right in, Negi-sensei," called Konoka from her position next to Setsuna's ear. Used to this occurrence, the swordswoman did not flinch. Instead, she smiled to herself, pleased that Konoka was having so much fun. "Ojō-sama, thank you for going to all this trouble just for me. I haven't had a real birthday since –" she broke off, eyes widening, wishing she could take the words back. But Konoka's face was already brightening with her own memories.
"My fourth birthday," she cried. "That was the time we had the cake fight, wasn't it? We got cake all over each other, and then Dad made us both take a bath." She paused for a moment, a finger to her mouth as she thought. "We really should do that again."
Setsuna clamped her lips together. She climbed the stairs rapidly, crossing the cobblestones to the main building in record time. Konoka caught up in a few seconds, frowning prettily. "Why'd you run off, Se-chan?" she asked. Setsuna had taken the interim to make sure she could trust her mouth again, and answered "I wanted to get the door for you, ojō-sama."
"We were still a long way away," grumbled Konoka prettily, putting on a fake-hurt air. Once inside the foyer, the young healer gasped as something caught her eye. She hurried across the marble tiles to stand in a shaft of moonlight filtering through the huge window on the stairway landing. "How do I look, Se-chan?" she asked, lifting the sides of her velvet-blue dress and twirling in a little circle. Setsuna watched her dance, pale highlights playing along the folds of her dress and her dark, lustrous hair, and felt her breath catch in her throat.
"You're… beautiful, ojō-sama," she whispered. Stupid! There was no hiding the pause, or the tremor in her voice. Konoka paused, letting her dress fall. She took a tentative step toward her bodyguard, taking a breath as if to speak.
"I have something to confess," Setsuna burst out hastily, before the other girl could. "I know it's wrong, but I don't want to keep lying to you, oj – Kono-chan." She swallowed hard, then pushed forward. "I love you, Kono-chan. I have since we met. At first I didn't want to admit it, even to myself, but…"
"Se-chan." Setsuna broke off in surprise as Konoka drew closer. The younger girl pulled her friend into her arms, holding her close. "Se-chan, trust me. It's okay. How can love be wrong?" she murmured, rubbing Setsuna's back. Setsuna closed her eyes, feeling the sting of tears despite herself. "Konoka…" she whispered, bringing her arms up to embrace the other girl.
After an eternity, Konoka pulled back a bit, leaving some space between her face and Setsuna's. Acutely aware of the proximity and of her flushed cheeks, Setsuna began to speak. "Kono-chan, I–" Konoka leaned forward, pressing her lips gently against her friend's. Taking advantage of Setsuna's shock, Konoka took her by the hand.
"Let's go, Se-chan," she said. "Negi-sensei probably needs our help." Not trusting her voice, Setsuna nodded and followed Konoka up the stairs.
Konoka paused again in front of the door to classroom 3-A, a crack of light shining from beneath the door. "Se-chan, you should go in first," she said. Setsuna shook her head.
"No, we'll go in together," she replied, squeezing Konoka's hand gently. Konoka turned the doorknob, and together, hand in hand, the girls stepped into the light. As the cheer went up – "Happy birthday, Setsuna-chan!" – Setsuna smiled. For the first time in a very long while, it was.
A/N: I may write a third chapter to this, but I don't have a solid idea for it just yet. If I decide to, I'll stick a note on my profile.