Negi and Nodoka flew on his staff past the spiral staircase that he and the Baka Rangers had to run up on and his students had to answer school subject trivia questions while being chased by the golem.
Nodoka noticed the elevator door.
Nodoka shyly asked, "Would it not been easier to take the elevator down?"
Negi shivered because the last time he was on that elevator the Baka Rangers stripped bare naked with the advice from Asuna Kagurazaka because they were over the weight limit. That did not work out so Asuna threw the magic book at the golem that was chasing them. The elevator worked as it went up.
Trying to convince Nodoka and even himself, Negi responded, "No it is faster this way."
Negi questioned with a little smile, "By the way Nodoka-san, will you get into trouble helping me?"
Nodoka blushed and said, "No, I do not think so since it is helping someone find a book. After all you do need someone from the library exploration club."
"Really?" laughed Negi.
"Yes," with a tiny laugh by Nodoka.
Nodoka loved the feel of flight. Especially with Negi next to her.
They hovered above the solid surface as Negi jumped down. Negi offered his hand to Nodoka as she slipped down to the ground tripping on her feet. She landed on top of Negi inches away from his face.
"Sorry Sensei," said a jittery Nodoka.
"Accidents happen. Do not worry about it Nodoka-san," said Negi softly.
They both gazed into each others eyes and almost kissed. Nodoka immediately got off of Negi realizing what could have happened.
Negi dusted himself off and Nodoka got to her feet.
Nodoka stood there staring at her surroundings trying to take in everything she saw. Books upon books engaged with water encircling the bookcases.
"No wonder Yue-san liked it down here. There are hundred of thousands of books," Nodoka vocally excited.
"It is unbelievable that books could survive down here with the water," proclaimed Negi as he surveyed the area.
"What an amazing sight this is," Nodoka spoke astonished.
Nodoka loved books as much as Yue does. Suddenly it hit Nodoka that she was alone with Negi and started to twitch.
"He is right next to me with no one around to hinder us," Nodoka was thinking.
"Are you all right Nodoka-san?" Negi asked worriedly.
"Yes, I am fine Sensei," murmured Nodoka.
Trying to compose herself enough to speak coherently, Nodoka directed Negi to start searching to their left for the books on dragons. That was what the library computer told her. At least she thought it did.
They searched and searched what seemed like a few hours. All they found were books on werewolves, demons, and even vampires. Realistically only been two hours since they started to look. With each passing minute the air became warmer.
Both were starting to sweat and get tired from searching. Negi sat down in the sandy ground and began to frown.
"I do not think the books are down here. Are you positive they are here?" Negi said perplexed.
"You may be right Sensei about the books not being here. Yes, I think that is what the computer read," Nodoka responded with the same feeling of bewilderment.
"Oh great I am sweating like a pig. How bad do I look in Sensei's eyes? No wonder he does not like me," thought Nodoka.
"What is it Nodoka-san?" Negi asked.
"Sorry just thinking Sensei," exclaimed Nodoka.
Nodoka asked, "Sensei are there anywhere to get cleaned up down here?"
Negi gulped and remembered what happen when he stumbled upon three of the Baka Rangers naked as they were trying to get cleaned, and how Makie Sasaki, Fei Ku, and Kaede Nagase teased him.
"There is a waterfall located to the right. Just be careful Nodoka-san. If you need me just yell," Negi calmly said.
Nodoka walked until she found the waterfall. She cautiously stripped down and got into the water and under the waterfall. It felt good to her petite silky skin. She enjoyed the cool water coming down upon her.
"I hope Negi-sensei comes and sees me," Nodoka thought.
"What did I just say? That is not what I desire," Nodoka blushed as she was talking to herself out loud.
Her lusty inner voice responded, "Yes it is. You want Negi-sensei to see you naked and maybe then he will fall in love with you."
"He is only ten years old though. What does a ten year old know about nudity? And compared to most of the class my body is nowhere near developed," responded Nodoka to her inner voice.
"Believe me he is no ordinary ten year old boy. And remember Yue and a few other girls desire him so this may be your chance now to snag him," said her inner voice.
Nodoka blushed again and got very nervous, "But he is just a kid. What would he think of me if he saw me naked prancing around just for him?"
"Oh come on take a chance," said the inner voice in a daring tone.
"No! He is my teacher," said Nodoka confidently.
At that moment she hears something behind her and turns around forgetting she was nude. It was Negi standing there looking at her.
They both stood there blushing. She quickly tried to cover up her private areas as she turned around. He swiftly turned around so he would not see her.
"Sorry Nodoka-san, I was worried that you were taking so long. I heard you talking and wanted to make sure you were fine," said Negi in an apologetic tone.
Nodoka nervously responded out of embarrassment, "No, I am the one who should be apologizing. I should have not been naked. I was just talking to myself as well."
"What is Sensei thinking? Oh my God he will think I am an exhibitionist. So much for him to think I am a modest girl," Nodoka timidly thought.
"Sensei, close you eyes and do not move," said an embarrassed Nodoka.
Negi complied with Nodoka's request and did not move and closed his eyes.
Nodoka scrambled to get her clothes put back on.
"You look beautiful Nodoka-san. Like an angel," Negi said trying to think of something to cut the tension in the air.
"Um...Thank you Negi-kun. I mean Sensei," said Nodoka blushing.
"Did he just say I was beautiful? Does he mean when I was naked or in general terms of beautiful? Did he ever tell that to the others in class that they are beautiful?" Nodoka thoughts were unfocused.
Nodoka said to her professor, "You may turn around."
Negi turned around to face a dressed Nodoka. He smiles so to calm any fears Nodoka might have of what just happen between them.
Nodoka took a step toward him, but it was slippery and she was heading back into the water until Negi grabbed her hand. Negi hit back of his head on the floor as they both fell.
"Sensei are you all right?" asked Nodoka franticly.
There was no response by Negi. Nodoka looked over and Negi was not moving. There was a small blood pool behind Negi's head. Nodoka began to shake a lot out of fear that he was severely injured. Negi was breathing at least.
"Calm down Nodoka. He is breathing. You want to save the person you love. What do I do?" she exclaimed to herself.
She calmed down and remembered once reading in a medical book that she needed to stop the bleeding behind his head. She rolled Negi carefully protecting his neck. She inspected his head and saw a little gash that was the cause of the blood loss. The gash did not look deep.
"I wish Konoka-san was here. She is the healer among all of us," said a fearful Nodoka.
Nodoka remembered a spell taught by her by Eva-chan to tear something in half.
Nodoka brought out her practice wand that she always carries. She took off her shirt and placed it on the ground She aimed the wand toward the area of the shirt that was to be torn and said, "Postulo quod thread. Labefactum is in dimidium."
Nodoka's shirt ripped in half horizontally. She put back on the rest of the shirt. Her stomach was bare now. Nodoka took the loose cloth and dipped it into the cool water. She wrapped the cloth around Negi's head. She knelt down and put his head on her thighs. She looked down at him and caressed his face with her hand. He looked like a little kid. And yet, he looked manly at the same time. Nodoka kissed his forehead.
Nodoka whispered, "I do love you with all my heart Negi-sensei and someday I hope you will return the same feelings for me. Sorry you got injured saving me."
She had tears coming down her face. She was blaming herself for her clumsiness and for possibly losing the first boy she ever had feelings for.
She looked up to the heavens with her eyes closed. She withdrew inside to what she was before Negi showed up to be her teacher. A shy, timid, quiet person who was afraid of men.
"I will never be good enough for him. All I do is trip and fall every time I am near him. Why would he ever fall in love with me? Maybe Yue-san or someone else should be with him who is not as clumsy," said Nodoka crying doubting her love for Negi.
Negi opened his eyes as he saw her crying. One of her tears hit his cheek. Negi reached up and touched her cheek with his hand. Nodoka looked down at him.
"I am so sorry you had to save me yet again. I am a burden after all," said a crying Nodoka.
Negi slowly raised himself to a sitting position and faced Nodoka as she was trying to stop crying. He withdrew his hand on her cheek and tried to wipe away tears streaming from her eyes.
"You are never a burden Nodoka-san. Good friends of mine are never a burden. Nodoka-san you are strong in your own way. Do not ever forget that," Negi softly spoke in a caring manner.
Nodoka tried to smile. Negi looked at her with a big smile. He lean closer but felt a little dizzy. He fell toward her as he kissed her on the lips. The kiss was so tender.
"Sorry, sorry!" said Negi trying to apologize for the kiss.
"It was just to tell you everything was all right," said Negi with a smile trying to come up with a reason why he had kissed her.
"It is okay Sensei. I did kiss you at the festival telling you that it was okay about the time we shared during it." Nodoka smiled as she was saying it to Negi.
Nodoka put a finger on her lips and blushed.
"He really kissed me. It was a quick kiss but it was sensual by the way he touched my lips," thought Nodoka to herself.
"I think we better stay here for awhile until my head stops spinning," Negi suggested.
"Okay!" responded Nodoka as she smiled still in a daze after the kiss.
"The sleeping quarters down here are not the best," reflected Negi as he laid down in the sand.
"Sensei, it is fine," proclaimed a happy Nodoka as she wiped her eyes.
Negi told her where to go to get food and drinks in which building that was still standing. Nodoka quickly vanished inside one of them.
"My head hurts," thought Negi as he was touching back of his head. He felt cloth surrounding his gash and head. He knew something was different with Nodoka's clothing as he saw her bare stomach when he woke up.
"Did she do this?" he wondered.
"She is amazing. Have to thank her for treating my wound," he told himself as he closed his eyes.
Half hour later Nodoka was struggling to bring enough food and drink back but managed to do it without dropping anything. She did not even fall.
Negi looked at her and said, "Thank you Nodoka-san for putting this on my head."
Nodoka blushed and said, "It is the least I can do for my hero who saved me."
Negi blushed this time and said, "I am no hero. I am your friend and your teacher after all."
They ate and drank what Nodoka brought back and Negi laid down next to Nodoka. She laid down next to him as they gazed upward.
"You know what Nodoka-san. This is turning out to be a date rather then finding books at a library," Negi said giggling.
"Yeah it sure is," Nodoka giggled back as she is still thinking about the kiss and looking at Negi.
Negi fell asleep fast as Nodoka watched him. Nodoka then suddenly yawned and closed her eyes to simply rest.
A moment of panic set in as Nodoka opened her eyes and checked her watch. It was dinner time for Mahora's students. They have been down here this long. She looked over at the sleeping professor all curled up next to her. She was inches away from his face. He looked like a little kid, but Nodoka told herself how cute he really is.
"I slept next to a boy. What will the others say?" said a nervous Nodoka to herself.
Her inner voice chimed in, "Do not worry what others might say or think. Are you happy you could have the opportunity to doze off next to Negi-kun?"
There was no response from Nodoka on the question just a big smile as she sat up.
Negi opened his eyes to see Nodoka sitting beside him.
Negi wondered, "Nodoka-san? How long was I out for?"
Nodoka responded, "Oh a few hours."
"A FEW HOURS," yelled Negi.
Nodoka said calmly, "Yes, a few hours."
"Asuna-san and Konoka-san will kill me. And God knows what master might do to me that we missed her lessons," Negi said franticly.
Nodoka got up and wandered off to the only location they have not searched and she found the books. Nodoka yelled happily, "SENSEI I FOUND THE BOOKS."
Negi gingerly got up and walked toward Nodoka. He was slowly taking steps as to not fall.
Negi finally reached where Nodoka was and looked within the bookcase that contain a lot of books.
Negi began to go through each book and found three that peaked his interest. One in Welsh, one in Latin, and one in English. Ddraig historic brwydrau in Welsh by Aldwyn Gwynant, Extraho Biology, Physics quod Chemistry in Latin by Dexter Faust, and Dragons Rise and Fall In Theory in English by Elvy Garfield.
Negi packed the three books in a bag. Nodoka smiled.
"I think we are done here. Ready Nodoka-san?" asked Negi.
"Are you sure you are all right to fly?" said a concerned Nodoka.
"Yes I will be all right. Will have Ms. Shizuna-san take a look at my head to see if I scrambled my brains," said a laughing Negi.
Nodoka shook her head ready to go.
Negi's said those magic words to get his staff to hover above the ground as they got on it. Off they went up to the Library Island's main floor.