Proposal

"So you're really going through with it this time?" Hayate asked taking another bite of the salad in front of her.

Fate nodded. "Yeah. It's been a lot longer than I wanted but I finally have worked up the money and the nerve." She was seated in a chair in front of Hayate's large desk in her office. Both were dressed in their work attire and were enjoying lunch together.

"So you really want Nanoha to be your wife? Officially?"

"Yes. Why do you say it like that?" Fate asked.

"No reason really. It's just that you two have been together how long? Going on 3 years now right?"

Fate nodded. "I'm finally ready. I know what I want and that's Nanoha. Vivio too. I want-no I need them in my life."

Hayate folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. She looked like she was contemplating something but then flashed a big smile. "Good for you Fate! Now I get to be maid of honor right?"

"Nanoha and I will have to talk about that," answered Fate laughing. "I'm not even sure if we'll have a large wedding. I mean neither of us have big families or anything. We just have you guys; our friends."

"Well I wouldn't miss it for the world. Put me down under RSVP." The petite young woman then leaned forward grinning. "So let's see it."

"W-what?" Fate said nervously.

"The ring. Show me the ring!"

Fate reached into the pocket of her jacket that was draped over the back of her chair and pulled out the small black box. Holding it out so Hayate could see she slowly opened it. Almost immediately the short haired young woman squealed in delight.

"FATE IT'S BEAUTIFUL!" she cried beaming at the ring. It was a silver ring with a design on top of it that was almost a perfect, miniature replica of Nanoha's device Raising Heart's standby mode. The only difference was that instead of a red gem for the center there was a gorgeous diamond.

"You think she'll like it?" Fate asked.

"Oh absolutely. She'll flip over this. I promise you. I can hear her bragging and showing it off around the office now," Hayate answered.

"Oh thank god." Fate let out a deep sigh of relief. "This cost me almost an entire year's salary. And that's just for getting the custom work done. If she doesn't like it I'm going to roll over and die."

Hayate stood and walked around her desk to Fate. "Look, Nanoha is crazy about you. I've seen you two together. All she sees is you. Believe me she is going to marry you without question even without this kickass ring." She smiled devilishly. "But the ring is going to pretty much guarantee that you get laid tonight."

"Stop that," said Fate giving her a light push. "Well I need to beat her home so I gotta get going."

"Got big plans?" asked Hayate.

"Sure do. I'm going to do everything that has to be done today so when Nanoha gets home she can come right in and relax. Now I have to go because Vivio's school lets out in 20 minutes." Fate grabbed her jacket from the chair and hurried out of Hayate's office.

"Good luck!" Hayate called after her but Fate was already gone.

Fate managed to get to Vivio's school just in time to pick her up. On the way she texted Nanoha letting her know that she was getting her and she'd see her at home. Once they got home and in the door she got started. "Ok Vivio I'm going need your help today."

The little girl looked at her curiously. "With what?"

"Well…I have a special surprise for your mama. It's really important to me and her too. Think of this like a mission!"

"You're giving me a mission?" Vivio asked.

"Yep! And phase 1 of your mission is to do all of your homework. Can you do that?"

Vivio nodded. "Sure I can! It's just vocabulary words tonight. I have to make sentences with them."

"Good girl. Ok you get on that and I'm going to start phase 2! Is that clear lieutenant Vivio?" she said in a militaristic tone.

"Crystal ma'am!" Vivio responded by giving a salute. She then darted off to the kitchen table and began pulling her stuff out of her backpack.

Great. Got Vivio taken care of. Now to deal with this place. She looked around to see clothes lying all around the living room, dishes still sitting on the coffee table, and Vivio's toys on the floor. Ok let's do this. First she grabbed all the dishes from the table and put them in the new automatic dishwasher. Quickly doing the settings she got it started then grabbed a basket from the laundry room and started picking up all the clothes. Once she had them all she put them in the washing machine and got it going. Lastly she picked up Vivio's toys and put them in her room. The place was pretty much clean but Nanoha was a bit of a neat freak and she didn't want her to have anything to do when she came home but be with her. So Fate grabbed the vacuum from the closet and went all over the living room floor and used the detachable hose to get the sofa, curtains, and behind the TV and such. After that was done she popped her head back into the kitchen to check on Vivio who was absentmindedly eating a candy bar. "I want that paperwork done and on my desk by 2000 hours soldier!"

"Y-yes ma'am!" said the young girl startled by Fate's sudden remark. She busily went back to writing.

There. That takes care of the house now I need to take care of myself. I can't propose to her in my work clothes. Dashing off to the bedroom Fate heard her phone ring. Running back to the kitchen to grab it out of her bag and nearly slipping on the floor due to her running in stockings, she answered it.

"Hey Fate," said Nanoha on the other end.

"Hey…baby! W-what's up?" Fate said still a little shaken from almost falling and taking out the kitchen table.

"Are you ok? You sound kinda flustered?"

Fate brushed her skirt down. "No I'm fine. Why do I sound flustered?"

Nanoha giggled on the other end. "Kinda. But listen I'm on the way home now."

"WHAT?" Fate yelled nearly making Vivio fall out of her chair in surprise.

"Um…yeah that meeting didn't last as long as I thought. I'll be there in about 10 minutes unless you want me to grab take out?"

"Yes!" Fate said quickly taking any chance she could get to delay Nanoha's arrival. "Get take out! That Chinese place we love! Go there!"

"Ok that's convenient. It's right on way. Won't take me 5 minutes."

"What do you mean? That place is on the other side of town," said Fate.

"Not anymore. They moved. Now there only down the road from the house," Nanoha answered.

"Son of a bitch!" Fate screamed out.

"Fate what's wrong?"

"Nothing honey I just-that was the TV. They were talking about this dog that had only one male puppy it's an oddity of nature."

"Don't you mean freak of nature?" Nanoha corrected her.

"Animals have feelings too Nanoha! Listen I gotta go! I'll see you when you get here! Bye!"

"Fate wait-," she was cut off as Fate hung up the phone.

"Vivio I just used a bad word that you are never to say ever again! Understood?"

She nodded obediently.

"Good girl now wash up for dinner."

"But I'm not done with my sentences yet," she protested.

"Ugh…! Ok finish your homework fast then wash up! Come quick like a bunny!" Fate looked at the clock. "Ok she was at least 10 minutes away, to stop for fast food on a Friday night is going to take her at least 10 more minutes give or take so I have roughly 15 to 20 minutes to get ready!" She then made a mad dash to the bedroom and threw her work clothes off. She grabbed a black t-shirt from the dresser as well as pair of gray sweatpants. Putting them on quickly she then headed for the bathroom and checked herself over in the mirror. "Ok looking good. Now I just need to get the ring and…" She patted herself down but didn't feel the little box. "Oh right my jacket pocket!" She headed back into the bedroom and grabbed her jacket where she had tossed it. Reaching into the pockets Fate's eyes widened in horror. "Where is it? I had it in here!" The started shaking her jacket up and down but nothing fell out. "Oh come on this is not happening!" She started hunting around the bedroom like she was possessed. She looked under the bed thinking it might have fallen out of her pocket in her rush and rolled under there but there was nothing. After turning the bedroom upside down she headed back into the living room. It has to be here! I was cleaning frantically maybe it fell out of my pocket around here. She searched the living room top to bottom but found nothing. "Ok Fate think! You're an S-class mage you can handle this!" She mentally retraced her steps. "The kitchen!" Running to the kitchen she saw Vivio gone so she assumed she was washing up. She searched all over the floors, under the table, and on the counter tops but the ring still eluded her. She then ran to the laundry room and checking in the basket she used and on the floor by and behind the machine. Still having no luck she headed back in to the kitchen to give it another look over. Just then the door opened and Nanoha walked in carrying a bag that smelled delicious.

"Hey guys I'm home!" she said walking into the kitchen and sitting the bag down on the table. "How is everything Fate?"

Fate just stared at the ground in defeat. "Nanoha…I'm sorry."

"For what? What's going on with you today?" Nanoha's voice was filled with concern as it always was when she sensed the slightest change in Fate's usually predictable behavior.

"I…I planned to propose to you," said Fate as a couple of tears ran down her face. "I planned it all out but I…I lost the ring. I can't find it anywhere."

"Propose? You were going to propose?"

The blonde nodded. "I've been trying for a while now. But something always seemed to come up or go wrong. This time I honestly thought it work out but I was wrong again. I saved my pay for a year to buy you a ring that I was praying that you'd like. I even had it custom made and everything! It cost a fortune but I wanted to give you one that you'd be proud to wear. I…I was just trying to impress you. But once again I screwed it up!" Fate covered her face with hands.

"Oh Fate," Nanoha hugged her sobbing partner. "You didn't screw anything up. I…I think this is incredibly sweet. You always are."

"Thanks. I just wish I hadn't lost that stupid ring."

Nanoha smiled. "Tell me Fate, what did this ring look like exactly?"

She wiped her eyes. "It was a silver ring with a design mirroring Raising Heart with a diamond in the center instead of a red gem. On the inner surface it also had your name engraved."

"I see. So like this then?"

Fate looked up to see Nanoha holding her hand up with the ring on her finger. "How did you?"

"I found this little black box outside on the walkway as I was coming up to the door. I'm guessing some mind-blowingly beautiful blonde woman dropped it while she was in such a hurry about setting some elaborate proposal her future fiancé." Nanoha shrugged. "I could be wrong of course."

Fate smiled as more tears came streaming from her ruby red eyes. "I think you guessed right."

"Well I have the ring but I'm still waiting on the proposal part," Nanoha said smiling.

Fate nodded and took Nanoha's hands as she knelt down. Vivio came back into the room just as Fate began to speak. Nanoha quickly made a gesture stopping her from saying anything. "Nanoha Takamachi…"

"Yes?" Nanoha said trying to act surprised that this was happening.

Fate laughed a little at her act. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Tears began streaming from Nanoha's eyes as well. She smiled tenderly at her partner who was eagerly awaiting her answer. "Of course I will."

Both of them stood as Vivio ran over and jumped into Nanoha's arms. "Hey pumpkin," she said giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Mama why are you crying?"

"Oh I'm just really happy. We've got some good news Vivio."

"Really? What is it? What is it?" she asked eager to hear.

"I'm going to officially be your mama too now," said Fate gently putting her arms around them both.

"That means…you're going to marry mama?"

"Yes sweetie it does."

"Yay!" She hugged Nanoha tightly and then hugged Fate as well. "Oh mama did you get your surprise?"

Nanoha looked at Fate who smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Yes Vivio. I did and I love it. Every last bit of it."

So after many comments on this I finally got around to the proposal one. I wanted to add a bit of humor in it as well as keep the romantic atmosphere. I also pictured Fate being the type who would really worry about something like this and Nanoha would be the type who likes to tease.

Anyways enjoy and please review!