A/N: My apologies for the delay in getting this update out! Work was really hectic for me this past week and I haven't had a chance to write anything until my days off. This is a Nanoha-focused chapter, one I felt necessary to explain where her reservations about love and relationships stem from. Fate's issues will be explored in an upcoming chapter as well.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from or the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime, nor any other movie, actor, song, or character referenced or stated in this story.
FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
by : ~Nissanity~
Chapter 7 – Falling into Place
~Day 5~
It was the rain that started her day. The first sounds Nanoha heard in her half-awake state were heavy drops against the metal rooftop. Usually the sun would have made its appearance by that time, but with the sky as overcast as it was, it still looked to be nighttime outside of her bedroom window.
The rumble of thunder followed soon after a flash of lightening. Nanoha looked to the other side of the bed when she felt Fate stirring at the noise.
"Fate-chan?"
"Hmmm?"
"You should sleep in this morning. There isn't much you can do with it raining like this today."
Nanoha's bedmate turned to face her as well but did not open her eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Um-hmm. Enjoy your day off."
"Okay," Fate replied quietly. Her deep breathing could be heard seconds later, indicating she had already fallen back asleep.
Nanoha exited the bedroom and made her way to the kitchen. She was sure to be quiet as she passed by Vivio's bedroom door in the hallway. It was still at least thirty minutes before she needed to wake her daughter up for the day.
Raising Heart beeped against Nanoha's chest as she entered into the kitchen. "You have an incoming transmission, Master."
The ruby orb flashed moments later to indicate that she had received the message. Nanoha knew there was only one person who would be sending her something that earlier in the morning. She pulled up her transmitter and opened the newest video message from her mother on the screen. She seemed to be in lively spirits, with her smile brighter than Nanoha had ever seen.
"Great news, Nanoha! Your sister just got engaged! There is no set date for the wedding, but they've already decided to have Midorya make the wedding cake for the reception. Isn't that wonderful?!"
Nanoha had to laugh a little at her mother's excitement. She loved planning and being a part of huge events, especially if it involved one of her children. Her mother then shifted in her chair after the announcement and her smile fell quite a bit. Nanoha watched her demeanor change and knew exactly what was coming next.
"So, Nanoha... I suppose that just leaves you then, right? I know you've told me so many times that you aren't interested in getting married, but I really think you shouldn't give up on the idea just yet. Find a nice guy and settle down someday! You would make such a wonderful wife for some lucky man out there. Life is so much more fulfilling when you have someone to share it with. And he will take care of you and Vivio, too. You know, I talked to Yuuno the other day -"
"End transmission, please." Her mother's face immediately disappeared from in front of her, leaving only her words to echo in her ears. It wasn't the first time her mother brought up the marriage issue. In fact, there hadn't been a conversation or a video correspondence in years where her mother didn't bring up the subject at least once.
Her mother began pushing her to find a man to marry soon after the JS Incident ended. It almost started as a joke about Vivio needing a brother and sister, but the conversations progressively turned more serious as time went on. Now it seemed to be all her mother discussed when they spoke, putting her in the awkward position of constantly defending her stance that she didn't need to be married to be happy.
Thoughts of the marriage her mother envisioned for her crept into Nanoha's mind and it caused her to physically cringe at the notion. She tried to picture coming home to a man night after night but found she couldn't bring herself to do it. It was as if her mind created an invisible barrier that wouldn't even allow the idea in. And the thought of being in bed with a male was beyond approach.
"And she wonders why I don't want to get married," she muttered. She turned on the coffee pot and pushed it away from her on the counter in frustration.
"Mama...?"
Nanoha turned to find Vivio standing in the kitchen doorway. She was rubbing her sleepy eyes in her pajamas with her stuffed bunny hanging from her hand. "Good morning, Vivio. Did the storm wake you up?"
The little girl nodded a few times and then yawned loudly. Nanoha crossed the kitchen to turn her back towards the hallway. "Okay. Start getting ready for school and I'll make you some breakfast. Make sure you stay really quiet this morning, though. Your Fate-mama is sleeping in today."
oOOOo
The heavy rain began to lessen about mid-morning, just as the forecast had predicted it would. Nanoha looked out her office window at the drops coming down in a trickle now. The training for the recruits had been delayed for two hours, meaning she and the rest of the staff were guaranteed to have to stay at least three hours later than usual to ensure the schedule stayed on course. She debated the feasibility of the plan and checked the forecast again.
A light knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in!" she yelled over her shoulder.
"Helloooooo!" a familiar voice sang out. Nanoha sighed and reminded herself she needed to ask who it was first before inviting anyone in unannounced.
"Good morning, Hayate. How are you doing today?"
"Oh, I'm good! I just came to see what you were doing about training now that the rain is finally letting up."
Nanoha eyed her warily as she came to stand in front of the window as well. "Really? You came to ask me about work and not my love life?"
Hayate pretended to be hurt. "Nanoha, I'm a professional! I can actually focus on this sort of thing when I have to."
"Um-hmm. Well, if we start now it only puts us three hours over schedule for staff today. We can do it."
"You could always have a makeup day this weekend instead?"
Nanoha shook her head. "No, Lindy and Arf are coming to visit starting tomorrow. I need to be home this weekend."
"What about Vivio? Don't you usually pick her up from practice after work?"
"I can ask Fate-chan to do it. She said she didn't have any plans today." Nanoha pulled up Raising Heart's transmitter screen and searched for Bardiche. She glanced over at Hayate skeptically while she summoned the other device.
"Oh, don't mind me. I'll just wait here while you call her," Hayate assured her.
Nanoha grumbled something unintelligible while she waited to be connected. Fate's smiling face soon filled her screen. "Hey, Nanoha. What's going on?"
"Fate-chan, I have to work a late tonight. Do you mind picking up Vivio from practice and making dinner? I'm sorry about this. The rain has been an issue all day here."
"Sure, no problem. I wasn't doing much anyway. I was just working on the air mattress now." Fate moved away so that Nanoha could see behind her. There were pieces of an air pump scattered around the room. The flattened mattress sat in the middle of the floor.
"You can always wait until I get home if you need help with it?" she asked as she eyed all the parts.
Fate returned to face her with her cheeks puffed out slightly. "I can do it, Nanoha."
Before Nanoha could speak again, Hayate stuck her head over the screen to interrupt the conversation. "Hello, Fate!" she shouted and waved eagerly. Fate recoiled at the unexpected sight of Hayate upside-down on her screen.
"H-Hey, Hayate. I didn't realize you were there, too."
"Yep! So since you're already picking up Vivio and making dinner, do you mind if we take Nanoha out with us after work tonight? Some of us are wanting to do a girls night out."
"Hayate?! What the hell!" Nanoha yelled.
The brunette came to stand in front of the screen and threw her arm around Nanoha's shoulder. "You don't mind, do you Fate?"
"No, it's fine. Nanoha should go out and have some fun if she wants to."
Nanoha tried to get out of Hayate's grasp. "Are you sure, Fate-chan? You're okay with watching Vivio?"
"Um-hmm. You should spend some time with your friends tonight. I'll come pick up your car from headquarters in a little bit."
"Alright. Well, I'll call you - "
"Bye, Fate!" Hayate interrupted again and pressed the exit button before Nanoha could finish her sentence. She immediately started walking backwards towards the office door to escape her impending wrath.
"Why did you do that, Hayate?!" Nanoha shouted as she followed her across the room. "You didn't even ask me first!"
"Would you have even considered going if I had?"
"Of course not! I don't get to go out like you and everyone else. I have a child to worry about now."
"And Fate can take care of her for just one night." Hayate's back finally found the office door and she reached for the doorknob with her hand. "You have to have a social life too, Nanoha. Just like Fate does."
Nanoha stopped to recount how many times Fate had been out with her friends since she had been home from her latest mission. She came up with three total, if she included her day with Teana involving the bed frame. She then tried to remember the last time she had been out with her friends in recent memory. Nothing at all came to mind.
Hayate grinned when she notice Nanoha silently resigning herself to the idea. She opened the door behind her to let herself out. "Great! We will meet you down in the lobby at eight tonight. I think you'll really like the bar we're going to. It's not far from here."
"Okay, but I can't guarantee I'll have fun!" Nanoha said as Hayate shut the office door in her face.
oOOOo
Nervous eyes shifted to the large clock above the main lobby of TSAB headquarters. Nanoha fidgeted and paced while she waited for the rest of her party to arrive. It was one minute before eight and she could feel her heart sink into her chest as she thought about the night to come.
She recalled the few times she had ever gone to a bar in a her life, all miserable experiences from what she remembered. Countless men approaching her table to hit on her when she was just there to enjoy conversation with her friends and coworkers. Then there were their eyes summing her up all around the room and sending drinks her way. Drinks she had to politely decline, or else she would have been completely intoxicated around strange men she had no intention of ever speaking to.
The clock above her finally read 8:01pm. Nanoha turned and made a path for the front exit so she could hail a cab, figuring she had fulfilled her side of the bargain. If Hayate couldn't be on time, she wasn't obligated to stay any longer and wait for her.
"And where do you think you're going?!" someone yelled behind her. Nanoha spun around and found Hayate crossing the lobby with Shamal and Signum in tow.
"I was just going to get some fresh air," she lied. She stepped away from the automatic doors to let them shut behind her.
Hayate put her arm around her shoulder just as she had done earlier and escorted her outside. "You were trying to leave and that just won't work. Not until you give this place a chance."
Nanoha soon realized that Shamal and Signum were walking behind them very closely, probably ensuring she wouldn't try to find a way out of the situation.
"There is no escape," Shamal teased her as if she had read her mind.
"I'm sorry. I'm just not really into the bar scene. I don't like men hitting on me and that seems the whole point of places like that."
"That shouldn't be a problem tonight." Hayate gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder as her driver pulled their car up in front of headquarters. Shamal entered in the backseat first and pulled Nanoha in to sit in the middle. Hayate got in behind her while Signum climbed into the front passenger seat.
The driver pulled away from the curb and started the journey out of the large parking lot. Nanoha tried to gauge where they were going as they turned onto one of the busy main streets. She was unable to recall any bars in the direction they were headed in as she looked out the front windshield.
"We're here," the driver announced after the short trip a few blocks away. He stopped the car in the front of their destination and Nanoha looked out Shamal's side window. She found she didn't recognize the place at all.
"Velvet?" she read out loud. The name of the bar flickered on a large pink and black neon sign hanging above the front entrance. The small building was windowless and painted completely black, giving no indication from the street of what it was like inside.
Shamal opened her door first and Nanoha felt herself being pushed out of the car. Hayate exited behind her, even though she had her own door she could have gone through. Nanoha kept her distance from her so that she couldn't wrap her arm around her shoulders again. Shamal surprised her by nabbing her instead.
"Shamal, what are you doing?!" Nanoha asked.
"Hayate can't have all the fun. Come on, let's go inside."
Signum held the door open and Nanoha allowed herself to be led inside the entrance of the unfamiliar establishment. Muffled house music could be heard from the other side of the second set of black double doors. They led directly into a large room that had a bar on one side and a second floor balcony crowded with people above them. The room was filled with a sea of female faces and TSAB uniforms. Women were packed around the bar and on the dance floor.
All eyes in the bar seemed to focus on their group as they walked in, with a few people waving and saying hello as they entered further inside. Nanoha looked around in a state of complete confusion until she found two women in the corner sharing an intimate moment together.
"Is this...?" she began.
"Yep!" Shamal confirmed. "Velvet is one of the city's all-girl bars. You would be surprised at who all comes here, actually."
"So what are we doing here?"
"What are we doing here?!" Hayate repeated. "This is like a second home to some of our friends! Look over there in fact." Nanoha followed where Hayate was pointing and discovered Subaru sitting at one of the tables with a few of the Scaglietti girls. The younger woman noticed their group nearing her table and her face lit up.
"Wow, you really got her to come here?!" she exclaimed and stood up from her chair. She beamed and offered Nanoha the stool next to her.
"Here, you guys can have our seats," Nove offered as the rest of the Scaglietti girls stood up from the table. "We were just about to get some drinks and head out to the dance floor."
"Alright, have fun!" Subaru told them.
Shamal plopped Nanoha down on the stool next to Subaru and sat down beside her. Signum and Hayate both took up the recently vacated chairs across from them. A waitress soon approached their table with five drinks on her tray, all looking to be martinis with two olives.
She gave Hayate a lingering kiss on the cheek first, leaving Nanoha completely floored at the sight. "Hey, baby! I brought your favorite drink for you and your friends. Is that alright?" the waitress asked in a very flirty voice.
Hayate gave a sly smile back. "Of course it is. That's why you're my favorite waitress."
"And that's why you're my favorite customer," she replied and playfully touched her on the nose. She started passing around the drinks while Nanoha continued to stare at her friend in disbelief.
"Hayate gets a lot of attention here," Subaru informed her.
"No kidding. I feel like I just entered another dimension or something."
Subaru shrugged. "I think women think power is sexy or something."
Two arms suddenly came from behind and tackled Subaru and Nanoha both around the shoulders. "You must be talking about Ms. Playgirl over there," the person said.
Nanoha looked over her shoulder and was completely shocked at who she found now hanging on her. "Ginga...?" she said just above a whisper.
"Hey, Nanoha. It's good to see you here," she said with a smile. She then pulled away and greeted everyone else across the table.
Subaru jumped off her stool and gave her sister a huge hug. "Hey! I'm so glad you could make it!"
"Of course I did! I don't get too many chances to come here. And there's no way I would miss it if you were going to be here tonight."
"We can find you a place to sit?" Subaru suggested and started looking around for an empty stool.
Ginga waved her hand to decline and turned her eyes to the balcony. "Maybe in a little bit. I have a few friends up there I want to say hi to first. If that's okay with you, that is?"
"Sure! We'll be here for a while."
"Okay. See you guys!" Ginga left the table just as quick as she had arrived. She first made a stop at the bar before heading upstairs to the balcony to meet her friends.
Subaru sat back down on her stool, now looking more elated than before. "I'm glad she came tonight. And you too, Nanoha. I wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday."
"What happened yesterday?" Nanoha asked in confusion.
"You know, when I thought Fate was on a date with my sister. If I had known...?"
Nanoha shook her head. "It's okay, Subaru. There was no way you could have known. Besides, Fate could date Ginga if she really wanted to. I didn't have a right to act the way I did."
"But still, no one wants to hear stuff like that." Subaru paused and took a deep breath, as if summoning her courage with the next statement. "Did Fate tell you what happened between me and Tea last year?"
"She told me a little - "
"Excuse me, can I buy you a drink?" Nanoha and Subaru turned around to find a woman in a TSAB uniform suddenly hovering behind them. She was smiling directly at Nanoha.
"Um..." Nanoha turned her attention to the untouched martini still in front of her. "Actually, I doubt I'll even drink that, but thank you for the offer," she politely declined.
"Oh, okay. Well, if you change your mind, find me. The offer stands all night." The woman waved once to her and walked away. Nanoha let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
"Sorry about that, Nanoha," Subaru said. "It's still a bar, and you're new here."
"It's okay. I don't mind it, I guess. If that had been a guy, that would have been a whole other story."
"I was actually going to ask you about that. See, with Tea and me - "
"I'm sorry to bother you, but would you like to dance?" Nanoha smiled politely over her shoulder again at the new woman standing behind her. Subaru unexpectedly reached for Nanoha's hand on the table and entwined their fingers.
"She can't. She's already promised the next dance to me." The woman bowed her head graciously and turned to leave. Subaru tried to take her hand away after she left, but Nanoha grasped it tightly and wouldn't let go.
"This is easier. That way we can actually have a conversation."
"Good idea. Like I was saying, I don't want to get too much into my thing with Tea. It still hurts to talk about, honestly. But I don't want you and Fate to end up in the same situation we did."
"So you want to give me advice?"
Subaru nodded and took a long sip of her drink first. "Um-hmm, I do. So first, I know Fate only likes women. Her and Ginga have talked about it a lot when they were on missions together. And when I was doing whatever with Tea, I thought she just liked women too. So when I found out she slept with Vice, it really hurt. A lot more than you can imagine."
"I see..." Nanoha decided to take a few sips of her drink as well before proceeding in the conversation. She suddenly felt a little vulnerable with where it was headed. "Are you suggesting that I not sleep with men, Subaru?" she ventured.
"I'm just saying, if you think it's what you want to do, then you probably want to tell Fate now. Even if it isn't serious between you guys, if she finds out like I did with Tea, it will probably hurt her a lot."
"And what if I have no desire to be with them at all?"
Subaru raised her eyebrows. "You only want to sleep with women? I thought you were interested in both genders for some reason."
"Um..." Nanoha paused as she remembered the way she felt that morning when her mother brought up marriage to a man for the countless time. The thought of being with a male caused her to flinch in a negative reaction even now. She then recalled being in Fate's arms recently and how it seemed so warm and inviting to her. It just felt right. She tried to picture herself with a different woman next, and even though no one came to mind specifically, there was no unpleasant thoughts about that idea either.
"I think the answer is yes. I only want to sleep with women," she finally concluded.
"Oh!" Subaru put her free hand up apologetically. "Then I was worried for nothing. I'm sorry I brought it up at all."
"No, it's okay," she replied distractedly, now starting to be consumed with her own thoughts. Questions of why she didn't realize it sooner about herself flooded her mind as she tried to grasp the concept completely.
"Hey, Nanoha?" Subaru squeezed her hand gently after seeing her face become clouded with angst. "You don't have to make it a big deal about it, you know? It's just another part of who you are."
"Sorry, Subaru. It's something I had never fully considered before now. I guess I don't really know myself as well as I thought I did."
"People don't always realize it right away. It doesn't mean you did anything wrong. Maybe you just weren't in the right situation to explore it before now?"
"Maybe not," Nanoha hummed. "I really want to talk to Fate-chan about this, though. I feel like she should know."
Subaru shook her head almost bitterly. "It sounds like you guys are really open with each other. I wish Tea had talked to me before everything went bad. Things might have turned out differently between us."
"Yes, Fate-chan and I have always told each other everything, good or bad. Where is Teana tonight, by the way?"
"Well, this isn't really her type of place. She says she would rather be at home watching a movie or reading a book."
Nanoha looked around the crowded bar. "I can see that, actually. I'm glad I came here tonight, but I'm pretty sure I'm that type of person, too."
"And there is nothing wrong with that, either." Subaru smiled and stood up from her stool. She started pulling Nanoha by the hand away from the table. "I think you still owe me a dance before you have to get back home, though!"
"Okay!" Nanoha shouted back over the increasingly loud music as they approached the dance floor.
The rest of the table watched Nanoha get dragged away across the club. "It looks like she is loosening up a little bit," Shamal mentioned affectionately.
"Um-hmm," Signum replied. She then tapped Hayate on the shoulder and pointed above them. "But how does that play into your plan, Hayate? She's being doing that for a while now."
Hayate and Shamal turned their attention to the balcony where Signum was indicating. They found Ginga leaning against the rail and continuously taking pictures of Nanoha and Subaru together on the dance floor. Even though everyone else had been privy to their conversation and knew it was just friendly interactions between the two, someone not present at the bar could easily misconstrue the pictures if they happened to see them.
"She started doing that when they were holding hands at the table," Signum added.
"Shit..." Hayate muttered.
"How is Fate going to react when Ginga sends her those pictures?" Shamal asked in slight panic. "You know that's what she going to do. Look, she's probably sending them to her right now!"
A smug smile crossed Ginga's lips as she pulled away from the balcony rail. She pressed a few buttons on the screen and quickly entered in some text. After several seconds, she giggled and placed the phone back into her pocket. She then turned her attention back to her friends and reentered the crowd on the balcony.
Hayate pounded her fist on the table. "Oh, that sneaky little - "
"That was fun!" Nanoha exclaimed as she and Subaru returned to the table. They were both breathless and grinning as they took their seats again.
Hayate suddenly stretched her arms above her head dramatically. "Oh, it feels so late! I'm sure Nanoha is ready to turn in. What do you guys think?"
Shamal and Signum both nodded their heads earnestly. "Oh yes. Absolutely," they said in agreement.
Nanoha looked at her watch and frowned slightly. "But it's only nine-thirty?"
"Whoa, that late already!" Hayate exclaimed. "We really should get you home as soon as possible."
Subaru laughed at their perplexing antics and stood up from her stool. Nanoha did the same but held a confused expression. "Well, I guess it would be nice to see Fate-chan? I haven't talked to her all day."
"Sounds like a good plan!" Shamal said. She grabbed Nanoha's purse from the table for her and started shooing her away towards the exit.
Hayate stopped to speak with her favorite waitress briefly before escorting Nanoha outside as well. Signum called the driver to come pick her up at the front of the bar.
"Seriously, did something happen I need to know about?" Nanoha asked as they all stood anxiously on the sidewalk. Their suspicious actions screamed that she should be concerned.
"It's probably nothing," Hayate tried to assure her as the driver pulled the car up to the curb. She started guiding her to it and opened the front passenger door for her.
Nanoha spun around to face her directly before getting in. "I don't know what's going on exactly, but if Fate-chan ends up getting hurt for some reason... I'm not going to be happy with you," she warned.
Hayate took a silent step back after seeing the gravely serious expression on Nanoha's face. She wordlessly indicated through the windshield that it was alright for the driver to leave once Nanoha was inside.
As soon as Nanoha had buckled up, the car pulled away from the curb. "She is such a pain in the ass sometimes," she grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest in a huff.
The driver glanced over at her and smiled. "You have no idea," he laughed.
oOOOo
"Thank you very much for the ride!" Nanoha told the driver before shutting the door.
As she turned her attention to her darkened house from the sidewalk, she found that the porch light had been left on for her. She searched the bottom of her purse for her keys as she walked and didn't noticed the vehicle parked in front of the house next door. Not until the driver opened their door and then slammed it shut behind them, that is.
"Teana? Is that you?" Nanoha asked as she squinted at the approaching figure.
"Did you have fun tonight, Nanoha?" Teana said with a angry tone. Nanoha noticed her eyes were red and swollen like she had been crying.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Teana grabbed Nanoha's hand and shoved her cellphone into her palm. When Nanoha looked down at it, she discovered a picture of her and Subaru at the bar holding hands. It was obviously taken from the balcony above them. She thumbed through the rest of the pictures that followed. There were several of them talking at the table together and then a few on the dance floor. The album the pictures were in was titled "Could this be love?"
"Ginga...? What the hell?" Nanoha whispered.
"You know, I don't care what kind of arrangement you and Fate have. You know she wouldn't be out doing this while you were at home waiting for her."
Nanoha's eyes flashed in anger at the insinuation. "First off, this isn't what it looks like at all. And second, it's none of your business what I do or don't do!"
"She deserves better than being strung along by you! And so does Subaru! I already did that to her once and I regret it every day. I'll be damned if I see you screwing around with her emotions like that, too!"
"Alright, this is so stupid," Nanoha groaned and placed the phone back into Teana's hand. "I'm not fighting with you over this. You need to figure out why you're so upset right now, Teana. And I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with me or Fate-chan."
"Yes it does. How do you think Fate feels right now, huh?" Teana continued as Nanoha passed by her. "You know she has seen these pictures already."
Nanoha turned around but continued walking up the front walkway. "And I'll explain that nothing happened if she has seen them. Now, go deal with your own problems and stop worrying about mine."
Teana threw her hands down at her sides in frustration and started walking back towards her car. Nanoha entered into her house and shut the door behind her before Teana could say anything else to her.
The lights in the main part of the house were off, leaving only the soft glow of the bedroom light spilling out into the hallway. Nanoha sighed and began the journey to her bedroom. Even though she felt no guilt for what happened earlier with Subaru at the bar, she was still very worried that Fate had received the pictures and would be just as upset at her as Teana was. She paused briefly outside of the bedroom door and tried to listen for any noises inside. She eventually turned the doorknob and let herself in the room.
"Hey," Fate greeted softly from the bed. She was currently sitting on top of the comforter and reading in just her bra and underwear. She placed the book on the nightstand as Nanoha shut the door behind her. Nanoha could feel herself staring at the tempting sight waiting for her on the bed, but she knew she had to make sure everything was still okay between them first.
"Hi," she replied cautiously. She eyed the cellphone sitting beside the book on the nightstand table. "Did anyone send you any pictures tonight, Fate-chan?"
Fate hummed and leaned over to pick up her phone. "I don't think so?" Nanoha watched with bated breath while she unlocked her phone and started looking through the contents. "No, not at all. Is there something going on?"
Nanoha felt immediate relief when she realized Ginga hadn't taken the pictures to send to Fate after all. They were only meant for Teana to see. She walked across the bedroom and looked out the window towards the street. She found Teana still standing outside on the sidewalk, now pacing and almost shouting into her cellphone. She also looked to be crying again. Nanoha then watched her get back into her car and drive away.
"I think someone just got a reality check," she mentioned quietly.
"What was that, Nanoha?" Fate asked.
"Nothing, really." She turned back to face the bed and smiled. "So, was everything okay here tonight?"
"Yep. Vivio and I had a lot of fun. How was your night? Where did you guys end up going?"
"This place called Velvet. Have you been there?"
Fate burst out laughing. "You went to Velvet?! That place is so full of drama!"
Nanoha giggled and started taking off her uniform jacket. "Nyahaha, tell me about it! It was fun, but I don't think I will be going back there again."
Fate beckoned her over to the bed once she had taken off her shoes and white stockings. She guided Nanoha to sit across her lap with her legs on either side while they continued talking.
"So, anything special happen there?" Fate asked. Nanoha tried to remain focused on the conversation as she felt Fate's hands slowly begin to run along the her legs.
"U-Um, yeah. I actually talked with Subaru a lot tonight. I never really realized it before, but I think I'm only interested in being with women."
Fate moved her hands down to the buttons on Nanoha's blouse next. "Oh, yeah? One trip to Velvet and you've already decided that?"
Nanoha slapped her lightly on the shoulder. "I'm being serious! I never knew why I was so against the idea of having something physical with someone else. But I think it was because I only considered the idea with men before all of this happened. And I don't want that. I never have."
Fate stopped undressing Nanoha momentarily and met her eyes instead. "You know, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy to hear that. You have a right to do what you want, but I think if there was a guy in the picture it would feel... different than if it were with another woman. Not that I would want to know about any of it, of course."
"I can see that." Nanoha wrapped her arms around Fate's neck and played with her hair. She soon felt Fate's gentle hands undoing the zipper on her skirt. "You're really okay with me going to that bar, Fate-chan? With all those women hitting on me and everything?"
"They were hitting on you?" she scowled playfully.
"You know they were. I was fresh meat to them."
Fate smiled when she heard Nanoha moan at her hands now sliding up her bare stomach and over her chest. "I don't think I have anything to worry about, Nanoha. At the end of the night, you're here in bed with me. I'll start worrying if that ever stops."
Nanoha removed her blouse and let her hair down to fall across her shoulders while Fate's hands remained busy. "I have no intention of doing that. I'm very satisfied with what we have going on."
The clasp of Nanoha's bra was eventually released. Fate slid the straps slowly off Nanoha's shoulders and met her eyes again. "I guess I'll have to make sure that doesn't change, huh?" she asked as the garment slipped through her fingers and onto the floor.
Nanoha pulled Fate's head against her bare chest in response. She closed her eyes and relished the feel of her lips and teeth now lightly kissing and nibbling on her skin. Her fingers slid into her blond hair and she gasped when Fate's mouth found her breast.
"I don't think it'll change, Fate-chan... This feels too right to ever stop."
oOOOo
It was the rain that ended her day. Nanoha sat up just after midnight in the darkened bedroom and listened to the heavy raindrops on the metal rooftop again. She glanced back at Fate lying naked under the sheet, already asleep for the night.
Raising Heart rested against her bare chest. She played with orb absently between her fingertips as she debated what to do next. Sleep was eluding her and she knew the reason why. She felt she was keeping a secret from the one person she never wanted to hide anything from.
Nanoha found a plain t-shirt and yoga pants in her dresser drawer and put them on. She then returned to sit on her side of the bed and brought up her transmitter screen. She found the button to record a video message and took a deep breath to steady herself. Eventually, the icon illuminated red to signal it was now recording. Nanoha's eyes shifted to look directly into the camera.
"Hey, Mom! I got your message this morning. I'm so happy to hear about Miyuki's engagement! Will you tell her I said congratulations? I hope you and Dad do the red velvet cake with the cream cheese frosting for the reception. That one is always the best. I also got the second part of your message where you asked about me getting married, too. Well, there's something I think I need to tell you first..."
Nanoha looked to her lap as she prepared the next thing she wanted to say to her mother. She felt tears start to form at the corners of her eyes, ones that she didn't expect to make an appearance at that moment. She tried to calm her nerves again before returning her vision to the camera.
"Mom - - I'm never going to marry a man. I know you say I should give it a chance, but it's just not possible for me. It's because I'm gay. Or... a lesbian? I think that's it. Whatever that term is for me, that's what I am." Nanoha had to stop herself briefly and laugh a little at her nervous stumble during the confession. She quickly wiped the few tears that had escaped with a shaky hand. She then cleared her throat so she could speak again.
"Anyway, I'm hoping that this doesn't change anything between you and me. Or with Dad, or the rest of the family. It's just a part of who I am, and I'm still the same person I've always been. I also know I'm not ready to settle down just yet or be married. But, whenever I do decide I want to be in a serious relationship with someone... It's going to be with a woman. I'm sorry to spring it on you like this. It just didn't seem right to not tell you. I hope you understand. Well, I love you, Mom! And I miss you and everyone so, so much. Please tell everyone back home I said hi if you would? Okay, I'm going to go now. I hope to hear from you soon. Bye, Mom. I love you!"
Nanoha kissed the tips of her index and middle fingers and turned them towards the screen, something she and her mother both did when they were signing off a message. She then pressed the stop button to end the recording. She scrolled through the contact section on the screen and selected her mother's email address. Her finger hesitated over the 'send mail' icon for quite some time as she debated whether she could actually go through with the confession or not.
Warm arms came to wrap around Nanoha's waist from behind her. "You don't have to send that until you're ready," Fate said quietly.
"I know. Sorry I woke you up, by the way."
"Don't be. I was glad I was able to hear that."
Nanoha took a deep breath and pressed the button. "Well, there goes nothing," she declared.
Fate squeezed her a bit tighter. "I'm sure it will be okay. Your mom loves you and just wants you to be happy."
"I hope it turns out that way."
"It will. So, are you ready to head back to bed?"
"Um-hmm," Nanoha nodded. "I'm pretty sure I'll be able to sleep a lot better now."
A/N: I am hoping things are back to normal for me and I can update this story sooner this week. See you again! ~Nissanity~