Author's Notes: This story contains an intimate moment near the end. Nothing to rate Mature but still enough to give a notice. Also this is a little differnt than normal, as it is entirely in Fate's point of view. With that being said, please enjoy.
Tanzanite Night
By:
Satashi
“Fate-chan...” Nanoha looked at me a moment before putting a finger on my nose. “You're sick aren't you?”
I never knew how she could read me like an open book, but it was times like this that really made me wonder just how closely we were linked. I had purposely tried to make myself look and speak fine but she wasn't fooled by it even for a moment. “I'm... I'm not sick.”
“Don't lie to me.” I felt myself being pushed back down onto the bed and the covers brought up to my chin. “Now, be a good girl and stay in bed, you hear me?” Before I could react Nanoha's forehead was on mine and I was looking up into her clear blue eyes. “Because... Fate-chan's a good girl, right?” I couldn't do anything but nod at her slightly. “Good.” She moved away and instantly I found myself able to breathe again. “Raising Heart, contact Fate's secretary please.” I gasped lightly, my plans of sneaking to work apparently having been seen through. Nanoha glared at me and I sank back even farther into the covers, pulling the sheets up to my nose in an attempt to hide from that look. “Ah, Yukon-san.” Nanoha greeted the young male on the screen. “Fate-chan won't be coming into work today because of a cold so please forward anything urgent to my device and I'll handle it okay?” She got a salute and confirmation before the screen cut off silently. “Now,” Turning to me she put a hand on her hip and bent over to touch my nose again. “I want you to sleep. If you need anything contact me okay?” Her finger stayed put as I meekly nodded up at her. When her hand left she bent over the rest of the way and moved my hair away from my forehead before placing a small kiss onto it. “Sweet dreams, Fate-chan.”
I was already falling asleep again by the time I heard the door to our apartment close. The sheets were warm and the blanket on top of them kept me comfortable despite the chill in the air. Somehow I had made my way over to what was generally known as 'Nanoha's side of the bed' during my tossing and turning and latched myself onto her pillows. They were soft and fluffy, filled with feathers instead of my preferred ones stuffed with cotton. Despite this I still felt an odd sense of comfort in them, even if they weren't my preference. It was strange but the pillows smelled like Nanoha to me. Even though we both used the same washing detergent, slept in the same bed, and generally lived together... Her pillows were different. Pulling one closer to myself I hugged it and buried my face into the soft folds of fabric. A long inhale through my nose made my body stop wanting to move so much and calmed me down to the point of finally succumbing to my brain's desire for rest.
When I awoke again it was to the sound of scuffling downstairs. It was still raining, cutting off any attempt to see what time it was by the sunlight in the room so I looked weakly at the clock above our nightstand. Half past noon already it seemed. Nanoha should be on lunch break now so why was she downstairs? She never came home for lunch since it was so far out of her way. “Fate-chan, stay in bed!” She called up to me just as soon as I moved the covers away from my body. “I'll bring you some food so just wait a moment!” I tilted my head to the side and blinked but still did as she requested. How she knew I was awake, let alone about to get out of bed, amazed me. True, over the time we've been together we have on more than one occasion finished each other's sentences, spoke each other's mind before the other could actually say it themselves, and even know what the other was feeling no matter how far apart we were. Closing my eyes I brought a hand to my chest and held it over my heart. We shared a type of synergy that couldn't be described and using it, I sent a heart-felt thanks towards her. If it reached or not was answered shortly when Nanoha walked up the stairs holding a try with a bowl on it and gave me the best smile I've seen in a long, long time.
I accepted the tray from her but apparently it wasn't enough for my friend to simply cook for me. Instead I found the spoon taken by her hands and a nice helping of what appeared to be home made chicken noodle soup lifted up. Bringing it to her lips, Nanoha blew on it softly before guiding it to my mouth. I took the bite at once and closed my eyes as the taste lingered. Nanoha wasn't really a good cook, but for some reason this soup tasted really good to me. Looking back at her, I smiled to release the tension she had to see if I liked it or not and was rewarded with another bite. If it had been anyone else I wouldn't have allowed such babying but Nanoha was special. She knew in her heart that I craved attention despite my best efforts at hiding the truth. I didn't need to be the center of conversation, nor to be idealized or admired. What I needed was what Nanoha gave to me: love. To be pampered every now and then, to be smiled at and told 'good job', to simply be taken care of. That was all I needed, and Nanoha was the only one who knew it.
When the feeding was done I was treated to a slow back massage that soon scaled to even my arms and waist. Slowly hands were rubbed over my back under my sleep shirt and around my body. Warm fingers pressed just hard enough for me to feel, gentle kneading of my muscles soothed me to the point of dreaming while still barely awake. I don't know exactly how long the heavenly treatment lasted but I did know that Nanoha surely had to be late for whatever appointment she had to keep after her lunch time was over. The hands slowly retreated and fixed my shirt back properly before I once again felt the hair on my head be shifted slightly. “Sleep well,” Nanoha whispered gently to me before placing a lingering soft kiss on my temple. I was too tired to respond verbally but when her hand passed over mine on her way back I did manage to give it just a light squeeze. Her fingertips trailed slowly over my hand and I felt a sudden sense of happiness wash over my body. She was reluctant to leave, and that made me smile fondly as I drifted off to sleep.
Waking up again later on I slowly brought myself to a sitting position. The rain hadn't let up yet despite being later in the afternoon. Ignoring this, I crawled out of bed and looked around the loft apartment lazily. All the lights were off except the small one in the kitchen that I could see faintly glowing downstairs and around the corner. After rubbing my eyes I walked down the stairs and clicked on the main lights. All at once the room was flooded with a brightness that made me shield my eyes as I rubbed my temples. The constant drone of rain on glass was normally welcome to me but today I just wasn't in the mood. As I passed our radio controls I turned it on and set the volume to be loud enough to cover the rain slightly but still soft enough to not give me a headache. After making it to the kitchen I cut on the lights in that room as well and promptly swallowed two pills to help battle my draining sinuses and suppress the cough that was still plaguing me.
Nanoha had done a good job of cleaning up as she cooked today, leaving only a few things out on the counter for me to mess with. Normally the girl was just a little bit on the messy side, leaving her plates and glasses on the kitchen counter to be put away another time. Although I could tell she tried her best to clean as she went it was still something I found rather cute about her. In front of everyone else she was almost picture perfect, always on top of things and had everyone in a straight line under her command. At home, however, where only I could see her...She was still a little childish, messy, and even down right clumsy at times. The thought made me smile as I started cleaning up the kitchen, even taking out the spray bottle of cleaner and getting some paper towels.
I never really thought about it before now but Nanoha did act differently around me. I bet everyone would be surprised to know that she slept with a stuffed animal, even more so that she loved bubble baths and sweet things. Speaking of sweet things I noticed that the plate of brownies we baked together two days ago was already down to three pieces left. I had only eaten two that I could think of, leaving the other eighty-percent or so to Nanoha's sweet tooth. I guess growing up in a coffee/cake shop would do that to you. With a smile I picked a square and bit into it. Come to think of it, Nanoha liked nuts in her brownies whereas I liked extra fudge. On this batch we had compromised, putting in both. The results were a weird gooey brownie that still had a crunch to them thanks to the small bits that Nanoha loved so much. Although I think she got her way more so than I did, the happy look on her face when she was enjoying a sugary treat made me smile to myself. The picture perfect Ace of Aces was no more than a teenage girl with an addiction to chocolate... And only I knew it.
By the time my thoughts and slowly eaten brownie were gone I realized that I had already cleaned the entire kitchen. Moving on, I made my way into the living room and started fixing the scattered magazines on the table. Although this mess was more of mine than hers I still noticed little things that made me giggle. Small candy wrappers that she had forgotten about and two glasses that I assume were from her dinner last night and whatever she had drank this afternoon in her hurry to get back to work after taking care of me. Next to the small mess I noticed one of our picture albums still out. Curiously I sat down on the couch and picked it up to flip through it. My mood rose quickly when I realized that this one was Nanoha's own personal album that I had only seen once before after an hour long pleading session. Inside were pictures of the two of us ever since we met. Taken from still shots from the T.S.A.B's videos, Nanoha had photos of both the time I had tried to hurt her to even that day on the bridge where we had swapped ribbons.
I felt a little guilty flipping through the book and had to make myself stop after a few pages. Nanoha was shy about that album and I already felt horrible at seeing what I did, even if it was mainly by accident. Placing it back down, I took the small handful of trash to the kitchen's garbage can and sat the two glasses in the sink. By now all the walking around had taken it's toll on me and I was starting to feel a little woozy. The lights in the kitchen were clicked off as I left and the living room main lights followed shortly after. I didn't think I would make it to the bedroom without getting worse so I simply chose rather to lay on the couch and pull the blanket off the back of it over me. Curling up against the back rest and burying my head into a pillow, I closed my eyes and took a deep happy breath. The sound of rain was just barely heard over the distant sounds of the radio and I couldn't help but worry a little about Nanoha being outside in that weather. Although I knew she had her umbrella, as it wasn't next to the door, I still hoped she remembered to dress warmly. I couldn't remember if she got her coat or not and I was too weak right now to go check the closet. Oh well, I'm pretty sure if she was uncomfortable I would be able to feel it, and right now my heart was calm so I pushed the thought from my mind. Nanoha was a big girl after all, even if I did so enjoy thinking otherwise.
My third awakening came with a bit of a surprise. I was in bed again for some reason, curled up on Nanoha's side once again. At first I thought I had sleep walked to my current location but after looking at the nightstand the truth became apparent. A medium sized stuffed bunny was looking at me along with a card in it's lap and a single red rose in a vase next to it. Reaching for it, I plucked the card first and read it with a soft smile. 'To Fate, get better soon. Love, Nanoha' I couldn't help but laugh. She was horrible at writing on cards but it was the simple childlike attitude that I loved so much about her. The rose was sniffed after I sat up in bed but I only took the bunny with me downstairs in search of my other half. I found her in the kitchen again, messing up the area I just cleaned in typical Nanoha fashion. “Hey,” I greeted lightly, pleased that my voice was no longer as scratchy as it was before. When she turned to look at me I held up the stuffed rabbit and used my finger to make it wave one of it's little hands to her.
“Fate-chan,” She replied with a large smile and slight hop over to me. “How are you feeling?” After a tight hug she went back over to what she was cooking to make sure it wouldn't burn. “I hope you got enough rest today?”
I nodded slightly and hopped up to sit on the counter, despite my constant nagging to her not to do the same thing. “I feel a lot better, thank you.” Placing the rabbit in my lap, I watched her cook. “Thank you for the gifts, they made me cheer up a whole lot.” It was true, and I would probably cherish this silly rabbit for years to come. Gifts from Nanoha were common since she couldn't really express herself well with words. Instead, whenever she felt like she needed to say something that wasn't related to work, she would always give me some sort of small item to help convey her feelings. The sad thing was I still had all of them hidden away in a box in our closet. I don't know if she knew or not but even the first flower she gave me was pressed in my favorite book.
“I'm happy,” Nanoha's words snapped me out of my thoughts and turned my attention back onto her. “Are you hungry?”
“Starved,” I looked over at what was in the pot she was working with and noticed a thick red sauce. Paired with it was a larger pot of boiling water which I assumed had pasta in it. “Spaghetti?”
“Mm,” She confirmed with a hum. “I have garlic rolls in the oven too. I was debating for a while on what I should cook since you wasn't feeling well so I figured something simple would probably be best.” After checking the rolls in the oven she smiled at me. “Plus, I know you will take any reason to eat garlic bread.”
“Hey now,” I teased her back with a small giggle. It was true; garlic was my favorite thing to eat, be it on pasta, bread, chicken, pork... anything really. At lunch I normally had a salad on the go with a piece of garlic bread. This lead to quite an embarrassing situation where Nanoha told me my breath was really strong one day and I realized that I had probably been talking to my office-mates with bad breath for a long time. Needless to say I always kept a pack of gum in my purse now. “Anyway,” I got back on topic even though Nanoha couldn't read my thoughts. “How was your day?”
“Hmmm...” She thought the question over a moment before answering. “Okay I suppose.” Pausing to check a noodle, she slurped it up and chewed a moment before declaring them done. “Really stunk training out in the harsh weather so after the first training session I instead opted to taking them to the gym across campus. A little work out never hurt anyone.” Moving to drain the noodles she hummed to herself while working. She was always humming it seemed, a cute little quirk she had picked up from me over the time we've spent together. It wasn't long then until I found myself sitting down at the table talking about nothing in particular as we ate. The food wasn't the best but once again it still seemed extra special to me today and I enjoyed it immensely. I had extra bread and I took full advantage of it to help settle my stomach. Nanoha was holding back a grin as I ate but I was used to it by now. Whenever she cooked she always smiled at me while eating it seemed.
“I'm stuffed,” I sighed out happily and leaned back in my chair. “That was very good, thank you.” Closing my eyes I took a long intake through my nose.
“No need to thank me silly girl.” Nanoha pointed out as she started taking the dishes to the kitchen for me. “I'm just glad it was edible, I'm not really the best at cooking meals.”
“But you're awesome at cooking desserts,” I reminded her with a smile as she stood behind my chair and leaned over to look at me. “Hi there.”
“Hello,” She cooed while moving a strand of hair away from my neck in a casual flirt. It was things like this that made everyone think we were dating but I didn't care in the least. Reaching up, I took both her hands in mine and smiled up at her with a light blush. “You're face is red,” She informed me.
“That's your fault,” I replied simply. The news made her simply grin and lean closer to wrap me in a loose hug around my neck. “Mmmm, thanks, I needed that.”
“Are you feeling better now that you ate?” She pulled away just enough to look down into my eyes again. “Can I do anything for you?”
“Let's watch a movie?” The question surprised me just as much as it did her. Lately we never seemed to simply sit down together and watch T.V. Normally we were too busy with work or were just not home enough together.
“Mm, okay.” Nanoha kissed my forehead before moving away and helping me to my feet. “Find something good while I go change into something more comfortable?” She walked backwards while holding my hands, waiting for my reply.
“Sure,” I gave her palms a slight squeeze and she trotted off to the stairs and up to our bedroom. Moving to the couch I sat down and looked around briefly for the remote. Turning my attention to the T.V. I clicked it on and was greeted by the main menu of the entertainment monitor. Using the remote I clicked the selection over to movies and started browsing through the selection of new releases. Finally a romantic comedy came up that perked my interest and after reading the summery I chose it. I knew Nanoha preferred action flicks but since I was the sick girl I didn't feel as bad making her sit through a romance with me.
“Back,” Nanoha stated the obvious as she sat down next to me in a pink tank top with matching lacy panties. It was the closest thing to a teddy that she would wear, unlike me who preferred silky things to rest in. “What movie are we watching?” The large blanket on the couch was tossed over both of us, robbing me of my view. “You didn't pick some sappy love story did you?” She knew me so well.
“I did,” I confirmed her fears and pointed to the screen with a small motion of my head. As she looked I made myself comfortable by snuggling up next to her on the recliner section of the couch and leaned it back, also bringing up the footrest. The two of us wiggled a bit to get comfortable and I found myself under her arm, cuddled up against her body with my head resting against her neck. This position was the opposite of what we normally did and I felt a little happy to be embraced like this for a change. No wonder Nanoha liked this position so much.
The movie was pretty good in my opinion. A little cheesy but good none the less. The jokes were enough to make me giggle and even Nanoha seemed to be amused at times. Although about half way through the showing I couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Nanoha was semi enjoying herself but I could tell that it was mainly for me. With a smile I moved a little closer to her and was rewarded with a gentle squeezing of my shoulder. The mood was right, the lights were all off and the only illumination was coming from the screen. Deciding to tease my friend I turned more onto my side instead of my back and placed one hand onto her stomach. Nanoha stiffened slightly at the contact but quickly relaxed again. With a small grin I trailed one finger along the cotton fabric of her tank top until I reached the bottom of it and slowly hooked my fingertip under the hem. Bringing it up, I lifted Nanoha's shirt up enough to uncover her tummy.
I could tell she was wondering what I was doing but I was already in a playful romantic mood so I didn't mind. We were both covered by the blanket and my head was under hers so I didn't feel too embarrassed. Ever so gently I placed my fingertip against her skin and trailed it along her tone stomach. Nanoha went stiff again and I was amused by the sudden shivering under my touch. Moving to her bellybutton I trailed my fingertip around it in a circle a moment before slowly moving across it. My friend shivered openly but made no move to stop my teasing. Encouraged, I pressed my palm flat against her and rubbed softly while watching the movie. Occasionally, whenever I thought she was getting used to my hand being on her, I would trail it up to her breasts and use one finger to playfully trace the line right under them.
The movie was coming to a close so I decided to finish my playing before the mood was broken. Already I could tell that my teasing had an effect of my friend and I was proud to know that I could cause such a reaction. Lightly I resumed my fingertip trailing across her stomach but this time I let it trail a little lower and traced the lines of her hips to the soft fabric of her panties. By now Nanoha's breath was getting a little erratic so I shifted just enough to plant a small kiss onto her neck. The motion didn't calm her down in the least but I was held tighter none the less. My fingertip slipped under her hem and I lifted up slightly, moving my finger along the entire front side before slowly sliding the tip of my hand underneath. She gasped lightly this time, making me giggle. I amused myself by teasing the small patch of hair for the remainder of the final scene and slowly withdrew my hand when the credits started. With a small pat on her panties, I moved my hand up to fix her shirt and curled up against her fully, closing my eyes.
“That's mean,” She finally whispered to me.
“Mm,” I agreed happily, rubbing her side with my thumb.
The screen cut off due to Nanoha's command with the remote and I found her embracing me fully. “Playful for someone who's sick?”
“I feel better.” I told her honestly. “You took good care of me.” It was then that I noticed the mood was still lingering around us. “Hey, Nanoha?”
“Yes, Fate-chan?”
“Remember when we were seventeen? We went to Prom together?”
“Because we didn't have dates? Yes, that was really fun.”
“And you took me home.” I moved slightly, using my nose to guide myself up in the dark until I found her face. “And we were standing at my doorstep?”
“The first time we kissed mouth to mouth,” She finished for me. “It was then everyone thought we were dating.”
“Mm.” My hand went up to caresses her cheek. “And we just kept getting closer...” Instead of an answer I found her lips against mine in a slow sensual kiss. My heart sped up slightly as I pushed myself closer to her and returned it. When we broke it was only to get another small intake of air and touch again. I could feel her lipstick pressing against me and after a second break, felt her tongue gently request entrance. It was our first deep kiss, and it was amazing. The simple act of touching our tongues together made me sweat. I felt her trace my lips, making me open my mouth up more for her. She was teasing me, revenge for what I had done during the movie. I allowed her to do so for a few minutes before I finally gave in to my desire and instead attacked her mouth, pressing past her lips and tasting her. It was still slow, painstakingly so, but I didn't want it any other way. Gentle touches, slight moans, and tight embraces. It was forever before we broke and when we did we were both out of breath, panting slowly against each other's wet lips. “Nanoha...” I was shaking slightly and hugged her close. “Carry me to bed?”
“Yes,” Although she was shaking as well she still managed to lift me like a princess after removing the blanket. I could tell we both wanted to continue but the sudden rush had started making me feel a little faint, and the last thing I wanted to do was get sick on her while making out. “Ne, Fate-chan?” She asked me as I was gently laid in bed. I opened my eyes and looked up at her as she crawled over me and got under the covers as well. “We'll always be together, won't we?”
“Always,” I agreed with her, arm reaching out and cuddling my best friend. “Always and forever.” I felt her kiss my forehead again and her hand started rubbing my back soothingly. We had become even closer tonight, and I was happier than I had been in a long time. Even if I was feeling a little bad, it was storming like crazy, and our first deep kiss tasted strangely like garlic bread. “Oh, and Nanoha?” She hummed slightly to me to show she was listening. “You need to shave, you're like a porcupine.” The room went silent for just a moment before my friend collapsed in a small fit of giggles, pulling me closer to her.
“I love you, you silly girl.”