A/N: First off, thank you so much for all the thoughtful and amazing reviews after the last chapter! They were some of the best I've ever received. Secondly, I sincerely apologize for this extremely delayed release. Unfortunately, I had some pressing issues come up these past few weeks that took up all the time I usually devote to writing. I won't bore you guys with the details, but I am anticipating that things will be returning to normal from here on out.

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 10 – An Open Book

~Day 8~

A streak of yellow blazed across the night sky before disappearing through the heavy layer of clouds in the atmosphere. Nanoha smiled at the sight above her and leapt off the ground in full pursuit. Fate cleared the clouds and cut her speed nearly in half in anticipation of the chase. She soon spotted the familiar pink trail fast approaching her from the corner of her eye.

"You can't catch me, you know?" she teased telepathically.

"I could if you didn't cheat."

Fate laughed at the ironic accusation."You're the one who always breaks the rules, Nanoha."

Once the blond was within her grasp, Nanoha accelerated and reached out her hand to grab her. The moment her fingertips grazed Fate's white cloak, she was gone in a flash. She reappeared half a second later behind her, leaving Nanoha no time to react to the move. Fate's strong arms quickly captured her around the waist.

"I win," she softly declared in her ear.

Nanoha pretended that Fate's breath against her skin didn't affect her."It's only because you cheated again," she countered.

Fate released her hold and guided Nanoha to face her directly. She expected to see defiant sapphire eyes wanting to continue the fight, but she found instead an unexpected softness in Nanoha's expression.

"What is it?" Fate asked her. Nanoha reached for her hand and continued to seek validation in the burgundy eyes staring back at her.

"I want this to be real between us, Fate-chan."

"Real... between us?" she repeated in confusion.

"Yes. I want to be with you. I want us to be together."

Fate smiled in response to the confession. "Whatever you want is fine with me, too. I just want you to be happy, Nanoha..."

"Nanoha...? Nanoha, wake up..."

Nanoha first heard the sound of Fate's voice calling out to her from somewhere in her dream. Her eyes then fluttered opened when she realized that Fate was trying to wake her. She found her wine-tinted eyes staring down at her in amusement.

"What is it, Fate-chan?" she asked as she rubbed the sleep away from her eyes. The dream remained vivid in her mind, although she was too disoriented at the moment to truly weigh what had happened in it exactly.

"You were talking in your sleep again," Fate told her.

Nanoha's eyes grew wide as she replayed her confession from the dream in her mind. "I was?"

"Yes. But that's not the reason I woke you up." Fate's eyes trailed away from Nanoha's towards her chest. Nanoha looked down as well and found her hand cupping her breast, exactly as she had done in her sleep the previous morning.

"Oops," she said and immediately pulled her hand away.

"I really don't mind," Fate assured her with a smile. "But my mother's already awake this morning. She probably wouldn't want to see that."

"No, definitely not after last night," she replied. She blushed when she recalled the incident with Lindy and Arf walking in on them naked the night before. They had decided it best to sleep in their clothes from the previous day after getting caught, both agreeing that it was punishment for being so careless when they had guests in their home.

"We should probably get up anyway. We need to start getting Vivio ready," Fate then said.

Nanoha rose up from her position next to her on the floor. "I'll come help you with her in a few minutes. I just want to say hi to Lindy first."

Fate sat up as well. "Sounds good. I'll see you in there."

After parting ways with Fate, Nanoha made a detour for a cup of coffee in the kitchen before heading to the dining room. She found Lindy sitting at the head of the table with the Sunday morning newspaper spread out in front of her.

"Good morning," Nanoha greeted as she sat down in the chair beside her.

Lindy nearly fell out of her seat. "Oh, good morning! Sorry, I was so engrossed in this, I didn't even hear you come in."

"That's okay. I'm the same way with it sometimes." Nanoha then held her coffee mug in the air. "Thank you for making coffee this morning."

"Of course. I just hope I didn't make it too strong for everyone else."

Nanoha looked away to the table and could feel her face flush in embarrassment. "So, Lindy... Um, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about last night."

"You don't have to apologize. Arf I and actually found it quite amusing. We're just glad you two could work things out."

"We did. For the most part, at least."

Lindy turned away from the newspaper to give Nanoha her full attention. "Is something else the matter?"

"Maybe? Everything has changed between us, especially after last night. I'm really not sure where we're supposed to go from here."

"Well, how does Fate feel about it?"

"Honestly, I don't really know," Nanoha sighed. "But I guess that's nothing new between us. I tell her how I feel first, and then I'm left wondering if she actually feels the same way I do, or if she's going along with everything just to make me happy."

"So you're worried that she's so wrapped up in your feelings, she might not realize what her own are?"

"That's a really good way to put it, yes."

Lindy hummed thoughtfully. "Well, it's possible that could be an issue for her. Fate has always struggled with her feelings for others because of her mother. The only thing you can do now is give her the chance to show you that she feels the same way you do."

"Give her the chance..." Nanoha mused and became lost in thought in how to accomplish that exactly. After recognizing Nanoha's eyes become distant, Lindy let the conversation subside between them and returned her attention to the newspaper in front of her.

"Chrono and Amy should be here with the twins soon," she mentioned after a few moments.

The comment snapped Nanoha out of her daze and prompted her to look at the clock above the table. "Oh, that's right. I need to help Fate-chan get Vivio ready for the zoo today."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"Are you sure you don't mind taking her without us?" Nanoha asked hesitantly as she stood from the table. "We can still come with you guys. We haven't made any plans for today."

"Don't be silly! I'm excited to see all my grandbabies today. Plus, it gives you two a chance to spend the day together. I know this is your last day off with her before she has to leave on her next mission."

Nanoha tried to ignore the twinge in her stomach at the mention of Fate leaving again in a few days. "That is true. Well, I really do appreciate you doing this, Lindy. I think Vivio is going to have a lot of fun with you today, too."

oOOOo

Nanoha knelt in front of Vivio to ensure her shoelaces were double-knotted. "Be good for your grandmother today," she warned her. "Do exactly what she says. That goes for Arf, too."

Vivio nodded seriously. "I will, Mama. I promise."

Lindy opened the front door so that they could leave. Arf guided Vivio out the door towards Chrono's mini-van sitting in the driveway. "Don't worry, Nanoha," Lindy assured her. "Everything will be fine. We'll call you guys to let you know how things are going."

"Please do. Thank you again, Lindy."

After seeing them off for the day, Nanoha journeyed down the hallway and approached her closed bedroom door at the end. Once she was had reached the threshold, she slowly opened the door and found Fate getting dressed on the opposite side of the room. She smiled at her first before running to their bed and jumping onto her side of it.

"Nanoha, what are you doing?" Fate laughed when Nanoha began to roll from side to side on it.

"I just missed this so much!" she said and buried her head into her pillow. "I'm glad Lindy and Arf came to visit, but I can't wait to sleep in our own bed tonight."

Fate crawled onto her side of the bed to join her. "Did they already leave for the zoo?"

"Um-hmm. Chrono and Amy say hi, by the way."

"That's good. So, was there anything in particular you want to do today?"

Nanoha eyed the gap between the two of them on the bed in disapproval. She scooted herself towards Fate to close the distance and wrapped her arms around her. "Not really," she then said. "As long as we are spending the day together, anything we do is fine."

"You really mean that?"

"Of course I do. But what about you? Is there anything you wanted to do today?"

"Whatever you want to do is fine with me, Nanoha."

Nanoha paused when she realized that Fate wasn't about to make a decision in the situation. She then rose up to face her directly. "But it's not just about what I want, Fate-chan. If there is something you want to do, we should go do that."

Fate could help but give her a confused smile in return. "But I haven't thought of anything I wanted to do today. I can think of something though, if you really want me to?"

"No, it's not that. I want you to think of something to do because it's what you want to do."

"Wait, are you saying you want me to want to think of something I want to do?"

Nanoha sighed in frustration and rested her head on top of Fate's chest again. "Damnit..." she whispered.

Fate continued to stare at the top of her head, completely dumbfounded. "Nanoha, is there something I - " she began, but the inquiry was interrupted by a series of loud knocks coming from the front door. They first looked down the empty hallway in unison and then back at each other.

"Do you think they forgot something?" Nanoha asked as she rose from the bed.

"Possibly? Did you lock the door after they left?"

"I can't remember if I did or not, honestly."

Nanoha and Fate both exited the bedroom and made their way down the hallway to answer the door together. When Fate opened the front door, they were both surprised to find Hayate on the other side, dressed in her full commander uniform. Behind her were two uniformed security officers acting as her escort. In front of the house, black sedans with TSAB emblems on the side were parked along the curb.

"Good morning, Nanoha. Hello, Fate," she greeted politely.

"Hayate? You're working on a Sunday?" Nanoha asked.

"Yes, I am. I'm actually here on official business... Nanoha, I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me to headquarters."

Fate came to stand in front of Nanoha protectively. "Hang on a minute, Hayate. What's this all about?"

"It's regarding the incident that occurred between Nanoha and Ginga at Park Road yesterday. That's the only information I can give regarding the matter at this time."

"Wait, what?" Fate said and turned to face Nanoha. "What happened with Ginga yesterday?"

Nanoha shook her head at Hayate in a state of disbelief. "Is this some sort of joke? It wasn't even that big of a deal."

"I'm sorry, but the council thinks otherwise. They want an official statement from you about the incident, and they want it now."

"Fine, whatever," Nanoha huffed and walked out the front door without another word. Fate watched the two security guards turn and escort her down the walkway towards the vehicles parked in front of their house.

"I'm going with her," Fate said and tried to walk out the door next. Hayate put her arm up in the doorway to block her path.

"I'm sorry Fate, but Nanoha is under investigation right now. You won't be able to speak to her again until they release her. You can go to headquarters separately and wait for her there if you wish."

Fate watched Hayate walk away from her in helpless frustration while Nanoha was guided by the officers into the backseat of the first car. As Hayate approached the two vehicles, she directed both of the officers to ride in the second car behind them. One of the uniformed men tried to protest, but Hayate quickly shushed him and entered into the front passenger seat of the first car.

As they drove away with Nanoha, Fate retrieved her cellphone from her pocket and brought up her contact list. After selecting Teana's name and pressing the call icon, she put the receiver to her ear and waited impatiently through the rings while she gathered her keys and her wallet.

"Hey, Fate. What's up?"

"Teana, can you do me a favor and find out what happened between Ginga and Nanoha yesterday? I'm on my way to headquarters now. Nanoha is under some sort of investigation, apparently."

oOOOo

Once the vehicle entered the freeway, Hayate turned to face Nanoha in the backseat. "Sorry about having to act all official at your house. It was because those officers were there with me. Those security guys are so uptight."

Nanoha sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Seriously, isn't this a bit much over something so stupid?"

"Two high-ranking members getting into a fight in public is a pretty big deal, Nanoha. And at a company-sponsored event, no less."

"But it was broken up before we fought, though."

"Still, there was physical contact between you two. The council wants to make you shouldn't face assault charges."

"Hey, I didn't start it! Ginga did."

Hayate grinned at her. "Well, according to the rumors at Velvet last night, you punched her first."

"What the - ? I've only been to that stupid club once! And I didn't punch her! I pushed her away from me when she got in my face."

"Man, I wish I had been there to see that! Good thing there's a video of it, at least."

"Yeah well, I hope there's audio too," Nanoha grumbled. "That way everyone can hear the type of person Ginga really is."

"Maybe so... Although, she did tell me last night that she has no hard feelings towards you. And that she wanted you to know that, too."

Nanoha laughed bitterly. "Yeah, right. Why would she say that all of a sudden, after the terrible things she said to me yesterday?"

Hayate turned to face forward again as they approached headquarters. "Eh, she was probably just trying to cover her ass once she realized the rumors were getting out of control."

"Rumors she probably started herself. Is she being called in about this, too?"

"She's already been at headquarters for a while, actually. You probably won't see her, though. She's giving her statement in a separate room."

Hayate's driver parked directly in front of the building and the second vehicle pulled in close behind them. The officers opened the rear passenger door for Nanoha and escorted her inside the building. As she was led towards the elevators, she caught a glimpse of Subaru and Teana talking near a row of vending machines on the opposite side of the lobby. Teana gave Nanoha a sympathetic look once she recognized it was her, although Subaru didn't seem to notice her arrival.

Hayate pushed the elevator button to take them all to a higher floor. "Don't worry too much, Nanoha. Just tell them exactly what happened yesterday and you'll be fine."

Fate arrived at headquarters a few minutes after Nanoha had been led upstairs and began searching for anyone who might have more information. Teana saw her enter into the lobby and excused herself from Subaru to speak to her. She noticed Fate looking somewhat distressed over the situation.

"Fate, over here!" Teana called out.

"Teana!" Fate replied and jogged in her direction. "Hey, what did find out?"

"I don't think it's too big of a deal. The council is just overreacting like they always do."

"Okay, good," Fate sighed in relief. "With the way Hayate was acting this morning, I thought Nanoha was in serious trouble."

"Well, she and Ginga aren't in the clear just yet. Subaru said they almost got into a fight yesterday at Park Road. The commanders aren't exactly happy about it."

Fate stared back at Teana in confusion. "But that doesn't sound right. Why would they want to fight each other?"

"I guess it had something to do with you being upset with Nanoha about Yuuno? That's all that Subaru knows. Ginga didn't really want to talk about it."

"Oh..." Guilt flooded over Fate once she realized the fight had most likely started over her own actions in the first place. "I guess this is all my fault, huh?"

Teana recognized Fate's anguished look and put a hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her. "Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. It sounds like everyone just overreacted a little."

"But why would Ginga do that, though? It doesn't even make sense."

"I think it has to do with her wanting to be with you. Maybe she's a little jealous of Nanoha?"

Fate shook her head in denial. "But Ginga's not attracted to me anymore. She told me she was waiting for someone else, and that they just needed time to realize they wanted to be with her, too."

"I'm pretty sure she meant you in that case, Fate. Last time I checked, anyway."

"Well, none of that matters anyway. I want to be with Nanoha. Nothing's going to change that."

Teana raised her eyebrows in surprise at the confidence in her statement. "Well, that's certainly a different attitude from the last time we talked. It sounds like you're pretty serious about the way you feel about her now."

"I am. And she feels the same way about me. I know she does."

"Hmmm, I guess we should all be so lucky..." Teana pondered and briefly glanced over in Subaru's direction. "You know, I think if you told Ginga how you felt about Nanoha, she would respect that. People just want to know where they stand with each other, even if they don't like where that is exactly."

"I think I'll do that. So, what about you and Subaru? Are you guys still having issues?"

Teana chuckled a little. "That's an understatement. We're just a couple of idiots who don't know what we want from each other. But I did make a decision that I was going to talk to Subaru about. Nanoha gave me some good advice the other day that really helped."

"That's good. I'll make sure she knows... that..." Fate trailed off once she spotted Ginga emerging from the elevators and making her way into the lobby. She immediately left her conversation with Teana and began walking in her direction. Subaru spotted her sister at the same time and then observed Fate's expression change the closer she got to her. She and Teana starting jogging after them to mediate any conflict that could potentially arise.

"Hey, Fate! Look, about what happened - " Ginga began to say.

"What did you do to Nanoha yesterday?" Fate interrupted, her voice much louder and harsher than her usual tone.

"I didn't do anything to her," she replied with a bitter tone of her own. "You were upset, so I stayed to talk with her after you left."

"And then what? How did you almost get into a fight with her?"

"I was just trying to protect you, alright? I'm your friend. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"So you hurt Nanoha instead? That's your way of protecting me?!"

Teana stepped in between the two before the conversation could escalate any further. "Alright, calm down guys. Have you forgotten that we're here because of something like this already?"

Ginga stared at Fate's fiery eyes and recognized anger and pain directed solely at her, but she refused to back down from her stance. "I'm not sorry for what I did. You weren't willing to stand up for yourself, so I did it for you. If that makes me a bad person, then so be it."

Fate clenched her fists in frustration, a gesture Teana and Subaru both caught from the corner of their eyes. "I don't need you to protect me from Nanoha," she seethed. "She is the most important person in my life. If you can't respect that, then we can't be friends anymore."

Ginga physically flinched at Fate's statement, which cut her deep in more ways than one. She eventually had to look away to the ground, her expression turning to that of grief and disappointment. Subaru came to stand beside her sister and reached for her hand.

"Come on, Ginga," she said and pulled her towards the exit. "You guys can talk about it later when things have calmed down."

Teana waited until the two had left the building before attempting to speak to Fate again. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she replied, although her hands and voice were still a little shaky. "I'm sorry about that. I got more upset than I thought I would once I saw her."

"It's alright. I'm sure you guys can work it out eventually. I do think she was telling the truth about wanting to protect you from getting hurt. She just went about it the wrong way."

Fate sighed and sat down on the bench next to them. "I don't want to deal with that right now. I'm just going to wait for Nanoha here until she's done."

"I understand. I'm going to let you have some space for now. But if you need anything, you have my number."

"Alright. Thanks, Teana. I appreciate you helping me out with this."

"It's no problem. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

Fate leaned back on the bench and watched Teana exit through the automatic doors of the lobby. She felt twinges of remorse over her confrontation with Ginga, but she chose to ignore them for the time being. She decided it was best to focus on calming her nerves while she waited for Nanoha to be finished with the investigation instead.

oOOOo

Thirty minutes passed before Nanoha finished her statement regarding the incident and was released. As she emerged from the elevators and entered into the lobby, Fate stood from the bench and walked in her direction. She smiled at her as she approached, filling Nanoha with a sense of relief that she wasn't mad at her over the situation.

"Hey, how did it go?" Fate asked her.

"It went okay. After they reviewed the witness statements and saw the video, they decided I wasn't the one who started it."

"So how much trouble is Ginga in?"

"Not too much. I told them I didn't want to see her punished, since she claims she was just protecting you. But she is on probation for a year, and we both have to attend anger management classes."

Fate's eyes grew wide in response to the decision, although a small part of her wanted to laugh at the thought as well. "I'm sorry you have to go through all of this," she chose to say instead. "I know I'm the reason this all happened in the first place."

Nanoha shook her head at her. "That's not true, Fate-chan. I don't feel that way at all. I'm actually surprised you're not mad at me for not telling you."

"Well, I do wish I had found out from you first," she admitted. "But I'm not upset with you. I know it wasn't your fault it happened."

Nanoha sighed as they walked towards the lobby exit. "So, is anyone else still here?"

"Teana was, but she left after Subaru and Ginga did. She said she made a decision about her situation with Subaru, and that your advice helped her out."

"That's good. I'm glad to hear that. I really hope it goes well for them."

Fate wrapped her arm around Nanoha's shoulder as they made their way to the parking lot. "So, we still have some time before they're done at the zoo. Are you still up for doing something today?"

"Um-hmm! Like I said earlier, as long as I get to spend the day with you, I'm happy."

"Good, because there's a place I've been wanting to show you for a while now."

Nanoha entered their vehicle as the passenger and smiled at Fate as she climbed into the driver's seat. "You're really deciding what we're doing today?"

Fate returned her smile and started the car. "I am. I just hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will," she replied and reached for Fate's hand. They both shared small, affectionate glances with each other as they rode in a comfortable silence, soon exiting the city all together.

The hum of the tires on the pavement as well as Fate's gentle presence soon began to lull Nanoha to sleep. "You should take a nap," Fate suggested when she saw her nodding off. "We still have a ways to go."

"I think I might. Thank you."

Nanoha wrapped her arms around Fate's and shifted into a more comfortable position against her. She allowed herself to enter into a light sleep with her head resting against her shoulder. Fate did move once to to find a classical music station on the radio, which further helped calm Nanoha's nerves after the stressful situation she had endured that morning. Once they had finally reached their destination, Fate pushed Nanoha's bangs away from her forehead, a gentle gesture meant to wake her.

"We're here, Nanoha."

It took several moments of blinking against the bright sunlight before Nanoha was able to fully focus her eyes. She first looked out the driver's side window and caught sight of lush green grass with small blue flowers dotting the landscape. She turned to face the front windshield and discovered they were parked in the middle of an uninhabited meadow. There was a hill in front of them, with an oak tree situated at the very top.

"Oh my god..." she said at the breathtaking sight. "Fate-chan, where did you find this place?"

"I saw it once when we were doing training in the area. I'm not sure if anyone else knows about it."

Nanoha opened her car door and was enveloped by the warm breeze passing over the area. Fate exited her door as well and retrieved the spare blanket they kept in the back of the vehicle. Fate watched Nanoha climb to the top of the hill to look out above the horizon.

"You can see the whole city from up here!" she exclaimed.

Fate joined her a few seconds later. "The view is my favorite part of this place."

Nanoha helped unfold the blanket so that they could sit and enjoy the scenery together. Fate sat on the blanket first and leaned her back against the tree. Nanoha knelt down in front of her and pushed her knees apart without explanation. Fate couldn't help but laugh when Nanoha then turned around and maneuvered herself to sit in between them. She finally took Fate's arms and wrapped them around her waist for her.

"There, that's better," Nanoha declared as she leaned back, with her head coming to rest against Fate's chest.

"It is."

Nanoha raised her hand towards the clear sky all around them. "You know what I miss the most, Fate-chan?"

"What's that?"

"I miss flying with you. I know we sometimes go up to do training and all that. But remember when we used to spend the nights together, just you and me?"

Fate laughed and held her a bit tighter. "How could I forget? I used to get in trouble all the time for sneaking out with you. You were a terrible influence on me."

"Nyahaha! Yeah, I guess I was. But our parents never did try to stop us from doing it, if you really think about it."

"They didn't. But I think they just wanted us to be happy."

Nanoha reached for the ruby orb against her chest. "My mother still hasn't responded to my last video message yet," she mentioned.

"I'm sure it's nothing. They probably just got busy at the cafe this weekend."

"I hope that's it."

"Hey, Nanoha... Can I ask you something?" Fate asked suddenly. She could feel her heart being to race in her chest as she gathered the courage to approach the subject weighing on her mind.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Do you want this to be real between us?"

Nanoha could feel her face immediately flush a bright red in response. "W-Why would you ask me something like that?" she stammered.

"I heard you say that in your sleep. I was just curious, is that something you really want?"

"Well... Actually, what I really want is to hear what you want to happen between us."

"What I want to happen?"

"Yes. I need to know that you aren't going to just go along with what I want. That wouldn't be fair to either of us."

Fate searched the imploring blue eyes staring back her, ones that almost matched the sky around them. She found herself at a loss for words again, similar to what had occurred the previous evening. A torrent of emotions were now building inside of her, filling her with a nervousness that she was going to say the wrong thing that didn't match what she actually felt inside.

"What am I supposed to say right now?" she asked quietly.

"Just tell me how you feel about us, Fate-chan. Don't worry how it comes out. Just say it."

"Nanoha, I... um..." Fate began and then looked away for a moment to collect her thoughts. She soon met Nanoha's eyes again when she finally found the words she felt she needed to say.

"Nanoha, I don't want to pretend like this is less that what it is anymore. I want it to be real between us, too. It is real to me already. I know you and I are meant to be together. And a part of me thinks that maybe it was always supposed to be that way. But I want to be able to say that I'm yours now at least, and that you want to be mine, too."

Nanoha took a shallow breath. "Fate.. cha..." was all she could barely get out.

"I hope that was okay?"

"Um-hmm," she nodded as the tears began to flood her eyes. She eventually had to close them and cover her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking as she cried silently. Fate held her close and waited patiently for her to recover.

"Are you alright?" she ventured once she seemed to calm down after a few moments.

"Yes, I'm fine," Nanoha replied in shaky voice. She brushed away the few remaining tears with her fingers and shook her head a little. "I'm sorry, I'm not even sure why I'm crying right now. But I liked what you said."

"Good, because I meant every word of it."

Nanoha sighed and lean herself into Fate even further. "How much time do we have together here?"

"A while, I think. I'm sure my mother will send me a message when they're leaving the zoo."

"Okay. I just want to enjoy this place with you for as long as I can."

Fate smiled and kissed her on top of her head. "Whatever you want to do is fine with me, Nanoha."

oOOOo

Nanoha and Fate entered their home and were met with Lindy and Arf's luggage sitting in the front entrance way. They shared a nervous look together and quickly made their way into the living room. They found the two women slumped on the couch in seeming exhaustion, with Vivio no where in sight.

"She's taking a nap in her room," Arf said before they could even ask.

"Oh," Nanoha replied hesitantly. "How did it go with her at the zoo?"

Lindy mustered the best smile she could. "Vivio was an absolute dream today. Those twins, though..."

"I really don't know how Amy and Chrono do it," Arf added and continued to stare into space in front of her.

Fate breathed a sigh of relief at the news, knowing Nanoha's reaction would not have been pleasant if Vivio hadn't behaved herself. "Did you guys want to stay for dinner?" she then asked.

Lindy and Arf both stood up from the couch in unison. "Honestly, I think we're ready to check into our hotel room now," Lindy replied. "We'll probably just order room service and call it a night."

Nanoha snuck a peak at the clock on the wall and noticed it was only five in the afternoon. "How bad do you think those twins were?" she whispered to Fate.

"They must be holy terrors," she replied. She and Nanoha led the women to the front door and lugged their suitcases out to the car for them. Lindy and Arf walked slowly after them, both sore and exhausted from the day they had endured.

"Thank you so much for coming to visit us," Nanoha said once their luggage had been loaded.

"And thank you for having us," Lindy replied sincerely. "This really has been the best visit. I feel so much closer to you girls now."

"For me, too," Arf added. "But this isn't goodbye. We'll probably see you at the conference tomorrow."

"That's true," Nanoha replied. "I'll be sure to find you guys. Maybe we can have lunch."

Fate made a detour to say goodbye to Nanoha while Lindy and Arf got into the vehicle. "I'll be back in a little bit," she told her.

"Okay. I'll get started on dinner while you're gone. It should be ready by the time you get back."

Fate smiled and began to turn away, but Nanoha reached for her hand and pulled her close before she could leave. They shared a kiss goodbye in front of the car, one that lasted much longer than either had anticipated. Fate only pulled away when her heard the driver's side window roll down behind her.

"You'll be back in thirty minutes, Fate!" Arf yelled out the open window.

"Alright, alright! I'm coming."

Nanoha waved to them one last time as they backed out of the driveway and pulled into the street. She walked back inside the house and leaned against the front door, her heart now soaring after the kiss with Fate that she could still feel tingling on her lips.

Vivio soon emerged from her bedroom and ran towards the living room. "Where's Grandma and Arf?" she asked, her voice laced with disappointment when she found the couch now empty.

"They had to go to their hotel room for tonight," Nanoha replied. "They didn't want to wake you up from your nap. But you'll see them again before they have to leave, okay?"

"Okay..." Vivio sighed. Her shoulders sagged dramatically as she walked down the hallway towards her mother. She then surprised her by falling against her legs and wrapping her arms around her waist.

"What's that for?" Nanoha asked as she smiled down at her. She moved Vivio's bangs away from her forehead and out of her eyes affectionately.

"Just because I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, Vivio. I'm going to get dinner started now so that we can eat when Fate-mama gets back."

"Okay. Can I play my dancing game until then?"

"Alright. But you have come eat dinner when I call you, no matter what."

"Deal!" Vivio exclaimed and immediately ran away from her and into the living room. Nanoha made sure that she was able to start the game before making her way to the kitchen to prepare dinner for their family.

As she pulled out all the ingredients she needed from the pantry and refrigerator, she found herself openly smiling as she replayed the confession Fate had made to her that afternoon. She found it to be incredibly endearing, sincere, and truly the sweetest thing anyone had ever told her in her life. To her, it was perfect.

Nanoha had just finished setting the table and had returned to the kitchen to retrieve the main dish when she heard the front door open and then shut again. She pretended to fuss over something on the stove as she waited for Fate to come into the kitchen. She first heard her stop in the living room to say hi to Vivio before coming to find her next.

"Hey," Fate greeted from the doorway.

"Hi. How was the hotel?"

Fate smiled and crossed the kitchen in her direction. She wrapped her arms around Nanoha's waist and looked over her shoulder towards the food on the stove. "It was nice. I didn't stay long, though. I wanted to get back home as soon as I could."

"I'm glad you're back," Nanoha replied softly. She closed her eyes and leaned into her further, letting Fate's warmth envelop her completely. Fate continued to embrace her in return, she too allowing herself to get lost in the moment.

"I caught you guys again!" Vivio suddenly teased from the doorway of the kitchen. Fate pulled away immediately and watched Vivio run out of the room with a huge grin on her face. Nanoha giggled and reached for the pot holders sitting on the counter.

"Should that be another rule? No more hugging in the kitchen?" Fate asked her.

"Not at all," Nanoha replied as she picked up the dish from the stove. Before passing her by, she stopped to kiss her on the cheek. "In fact, I think we should just get rid of all the rules from now on."

Fate grabbed the salad bowl and followed her into the dining room. "You would say that. You were always breaking the rules anyway."

"You're right. But rules are meant to be broken. Well, the stupid ones are, at least."

"Oh, yeah? Which ones were the stupid ones again?"

Nanoha smiled and winked at her from across the table. "They all were."

oOOOo

Fate slowly shut Vivio's door after putting her to bed, making sure not to let it click shut and potentially wake her up again. The late afternoon nap had caused her to be more energetic than usual for that time of night, which Fate had to combat with two bedtimes stories instead of just one.

Nanoha turned the last of the lights off at the same time, leaving just the faint glow of their bedroom light at the end of the hall. "Are you ready for bed, too?" Nanoha whispered to Fate.

Even in the dimly lit hallway, Fate easily found Nanoha's hand. "I am. How about you?"

"Um-hmm."

Fate allowed herself to be guided towards their bedroom. "I'm looking forward to sleeping in our own bed tonight," she mentioned.

"Me, too," Nanoha replied as she pulled her into the bedroom.

Fate wrapped her arm around Nanoha's waist and drew her in closer once they were beside their bed. She brought their hands up together and touched the corner of Nanoha's smile. "You look happy," she mentioned.

"I am. I've thinking about you all night. I like the thought of being yours, Fate-chan."

"You do?" she asked hopefully, her expression changing to one of surprise.

Nanoha stepped closer to her, their eyes meeting and their bodies brushing up against each others. "Yes. More than anything in this world."

Fate leaned her head forward but never broke their gaze. "I like the thought of it too, Nanoha."

"I want you to show me," Nanoha told her softly, their faces mere inches from each other.

Fate's hands moved along the curve of Nanoha's back and then down her waist. "Show you what?"

"How much you want me to be yours, too."

The distance between them diminished, with Fate finding Nanoha's soft lips with her own. She experienced her sweet taste first, the feel of soft skin of her neck under her fingertips next, and the sound of Nanoha's breath against her ear. She etched those sensations into her memory as she continued to explore all the parts of Nanoha exposed to her.

When Fate knelt down to lightly kiss and nibble at her stomach, Nanoha gasped and ran her fingers through the blond hair beneath her. The feel of Fate's lips and teeth on her skin felt like shocks of electricity passing through her.

"I want this with you, Fate-chan," she whispered. "I want you to be mine."

Fate looked up and met the brilliant and earnest sapphire eyes with her own. "You already have me, Nanoha."

"Fate-chan..."

Fate stood up again, her hands raising to cup Nanoha's face. "I'm already yours," she said as she brought her forehead to rest against hers. "And I'll always be yours, no matter what happens."

Nanoha closed her eyes and nodded, fully accepting her words and the sentiment behind them. Fate held the ends of Nanoha's shirt and slowly moved it up her body until it had been removed completely. There was no rush as they undressed each other in the middle of their bedroom floor, with their careful gestures further building the intimacy between them.

As Fate laid Nanoha on the bed beneath her, her hands explored her skin as if she had never touched her before. There wasn't a spot she did not reach, nor an inch she didn't yearn to taste. Nanoha succumbed completely in return. She wanted Fate to know and master her body, no matter how long it took. Never wanting it end.

"I love the way you make me feel," she murmured. Fate paused before her lips could meet the bend at her waist. She laid her head gently on her stomach and looked up at her.

"You're beautiful, Nanoha. I hope I can always make you feel that way."

The sincerity in her words and the inflection in her voice brought tears to Nanoha's eyes. "You do," she replied and brushed the tears away that were threatening to fall. "You make me feel beautiful, Fate-chan."

Unlike the previous times spent together, the goal was not the release but all the moments they shared leading up to it. Nanoha's desire to be touched was matched with Fate's own passion to give it. Soon, Nanoha's need to express the way she felt as well overtook her own pleasure.

"Wait," she said breathlessly. Fate pulled away to let her turn on the bed completely and lay on top of her. She allowed Nanoha the access she yearned for before returning her attention between her legs again. She gasped when Nanoha's persistent tongue began to touch her at the same time.

"Oh, god..." she moaned. Nanoha whimpered as Fate's tongue resumed stroking and thrusting against her as well. As they both gave and took from each other, the already intense exchange escalated to a level they could have never imagined possible.

Nanoha was the first to struggle to hold on to the final threads of self-control. Tremors shook her body and her mind nearly went blank, focusing solely on Fate and what they were experiencing together. The knowledge of Nanoha's climax only fueled Fate's arousal further, even as Nanoha could no longer sustain her pace in giving. She dug her fingernails into Fate's thighs when she approached her peak, sending the blood roaring through Fate's veins in turn.

It was too much. Too intense for either to hold back any longer. They both muffled their cries against each other through their first simultaneous rush, falling into a world together they had never been to before. Neither knew how long they endured the spasms within, one ending and the next beginning in a chain of seemingly endless ecstasy.

"Fate... cha..." Nanoha gasped once the waves had finally subsided.

Fate swallowed hard as she stared at the ceiling, her voice too far gone to be able to give any response. She waited until Nanoha had turned around again to collapse against her. She wrapped her arms around her as tight as she could, almost afraid the experience might slip away from her if she were to ever let go.

In the midst of their passion-filled embrace, the two missed the alert that came from the ruby orb resting on the nightstand beside them. And as they fell asleep in each others arms, neither realized that Nanoha had just received the newest video message from her mother.

(continued under the sequel story entitled Unbreakable)

A/N: Again, thanks again to everyone who has made it this far in the story. We still have a ways to go with it, as the girls will now be transitioning from friendship to an actual relationship together. I'll see you again in the next story, Unbreakable ~Nissanity~