[Old_Iron]

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3a
Chapter 3b
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8a
Chapter 8b
Chapter 9a
Chapter 9b

Spoiler for Swords and Shields: Chapter 9c:

Yuuno had been on pins and needles for at least the past hour now, much to the mild amusement of the other two occupants of the house. But who could really blame him? When Arf's message had come through saying she was on her way with "An incredibly amazing delivery" he knew the moment of truth was truly approaching. Nanoha had threatened to bind him when he'd started to pace and he was smart enough to obey. So here he sat, trying to keep his head cool while waiting for Signum to arrive. Signum. The General of Fire whom he'd so utterly fallen for. Tonight would be the end of what little they had or the beginning of a great deal more.

He very nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard the engine of a car come to a stop outside his home. The opening and shutting of doors. Should he really be hearing things so acutely? Finally came three staccato knocks on the door. With a slight stiffness in his movements, he stood and shook his head. No. He's got to keep himself focused. He must. "Coming!" Straightening his garments, he went to the front door and took a deep breath before opening it. And he nearly had his breath stolen away from him as he beheld Signum.

She was clad in a dress. But not just any dress. It was red. A crimson hue that seemed beyond comprehension. Along the edges was a pattern of gold which traced itself into the shape of what could have been either flowers or flame. There was a slit running up one side which showed off a great amount of her shapely leg with even the barest hint of movement. He'd seen her legs before in various states of dress, but this was simply breathtaking. The top half hugged her torso dangerously, giving no illusion to the form beneath it and proudly displaying Signum's ample cleavage. Lacking sleeves or straps of any sort, her shoulders were left bare to show the defined muscle prominently. There were no gloves to the ensemble, allowing him to see all of her powerful arms. He noted her fingernails had been painted the same color as the lipstick she was wearing, a bright red matching the dress. And her long rosette locks no longer fell about her face or were bound up in her signature ponytail. No, now they were piled atop the back of her head in a beautiful arrangement while what was not bound was left to sway gently with every action she took. His throat went dry as he looked into Signum's crystal blue eyes "I… You… You look amazing Signum. Just… wow." He blinked to try and regain his senses and welcomed her to enter his home. "C-Come inside, please."

Signum found herself blushing heavily at Yuuno's reaction, unsure how exactly to respond. Well, that wasn't quite right. She knew how to respond. It was just the sheer weight of all that was occurring, piled up onto the abuse she'd suffered at the hands of her Lady as she sought her revenge had left her wits somewhat frayed, so it took a moment for her to muster up the proper response. “Ah... thank you.“ She turned to nod goodbye to Arf, she'd thanked her for the ride itself on the journey over, and stepped inside. As she did so, she took that moment to better take in Yuuno's attire while he closed the door. The suit was well-tailored and complimented his form well. Subtle and understated, it did not consciously draw attention to itself, as evidenced by her not taking immediate notice of it upon first seeing Yuuno.

It contrasted well with her own attire, hand-picked as it was by Hayate to entice and tantalize, drawing attention to every curve of her body. Once again, she lamented Hayate's perversity, especially given the additional groping which had been inflicted upon her as the dress was put on her frame. She was convinced half the reason Hayate had chosen this particular design was because it provided an excuse to leave her ample chest unbound and unprotected from greedy eyes and hands. Regardless of the intention, the effect was obvious, if Yuuno's slack-jawed reaction was any indication. Not only that, but she could swear she felt eyes not belonging to him on her as she entered the house, but that could easily have been her own nervous mind playing tricks on her. Or it could have just been Arf, and her nerves were getting the better of her.

Shifting slightly on her feet, she attempted to think of something to say so the awkward silence could be broken. “You look quite good yourself.” Standing there nervously without anything to say, she took in her surroundings, noting the place seemed to be much cleaner than it had been during the brief visit she'd paid this location some time ago. Kaiser, had it really been that long since she had begun this journey with Yuuno which had led them to where they were now? The thought was a humbling one, as it brought to mind everything that had led up to this moment and what the two of them were hoping to accomplish this eve. Well, what she was hoping to accomplish, at least. A low rumble of thunder which made itself known in the distance was oddly helpful in calming her nerves, and it brought her out of her musings. Clearing her throat, she attempted to move things along when it appeared Yuuno was unable to find a means to do so himself. “What did you have planned for us?”

Yuuno found himself himself unable to drive off the reddening of his own cheeks. Not only at the complement paid to him, but also at the fact he'd been quite obviously so taken by Signum's appearance he'd nearly forgotten why they were even having this date. But he was quite glad Signum approved of his garments. He'd really have to thank Fate for choosing what she had. “…Thank you.” Clearing his throat, he offered to escort Signum with a wave of his hand and the crooking of his arm. “I was thinking of having dinner first and them… we could talk.” There was a notable pause in his words as Signum allowed herself to be escorted. So much needed to be discussed, no matter how many or how few words it took. And with their futures riding on it, he wasn't exactly sure what to think. All he could do was have hope. He escorted the rosette to the dining room. A room which had undergone a great change during the day. Where there was once errant tomes, the occasional coffee cup, and other myriad objects atop a decently sized table was now a much smaller table. A table fit for two to sit at comfortably and adorned with a well pressed red tablecloth. In the center stood a pair of candlesticks with white candles burning brightly. Doing as he believed a gentleman ought to, he led Signum to her chair and pulled it out for her to sit down. “I hope you don't mind, but I already ordered for us.” He smiled as he noted a slight movement from the direction of the kitchen. “But our waiter can bring you whatever you'd like to drink.”

Signum watched as Yuuno pulled out her chair for her and helped her sit down, she couldn't help but smile wryly and look up at him as she sat down, a bit more confidence returning to her. “I am perfectly capable of sitting down.” The amusement in her voice was obvious, but when a movement off to the side caught her attention, she quickly directed her gaze towards the source. What she saw caused her eyes to widen and lips to form an "o" shape from the sheer shock of it. “T-Testarossa?” An incredibly well-dressed Fate was approaching them with a teasing smile upon her usually demure expression. Recalling Yuuno's comment about their waiter, she quickly got ahold of the situation and recovered her wits. Though she was still at an obvious loss for words. “I... was not expecting such... hospitality, Yuuno.”

Yuuno scratched his cheek in a somewhat bashful manner as Fate came to stand by the table, the candlelight illuminating her state of dress more clearly. She would not have looked out of place in nearly any restaurant no less than five stars. It was quite amazing at just how well the Enforcer could pull off the waiter look. “I wanted this date to really be something and I didn't want to screw things up, so… I got some help.” As he moved over to take his own seat, a small chuckle escaped his lips. Help was a bit of an understatement. This evening would have been doomed from the start without such assistance. “I just hope it meets your approval.”

Fate smiled lightly as she bowed to Signum and then to Yuuno, intent on filling her role to the fullest. But not without having a little fun at the knight's expense. Seeing Signum so flustered was a sight she doubted she'd get to see often. In fact, this is the first time she's seen her lose her composure so. “I'll be your server tonight. As the gentleman said, dinner has been ordered ahead of time and will consist of a meat lasagna and stuffed cheese ravioli. Fresh garlic bread is available if you would like to partake of it.” She swept her ruby eyes over the two lovers with a smile and continued, making sure to pay particular attention to Signum. “And what may I get for you to drink, my lady? I would recommend a red wine with the meal.” She just might be having too much fun with this.

Red wine did go well with pasta, Signum did have to admit. And it seemed more than appropriate given the atmosphere of the evening. One did learn quite a few things about dining when your Mistress was some manner of omnipotent entity in the kitchen, crafting all manner of dishes she and the rest of the family were often hard-pressed to guess where she had learned how to make. "The red wine will be fine, thank you." She had to resist the urge to raise an eyebrow at the twinkle that appeared in Fate's eyes.

Yes, definitely too much fun. She only hoped Signum's reaction to the meal was just as amusing. Fate gave a bow of acknowledgement and turned to Yuuno. "As you wish. And for the gentleman?"

"I'll have the same, please." If nothing else, Yuuno was certain the wine he'd bought for the evening would be more than suitable. Chrono was... something of a connoisseur. Well, to put it nicely. His old friend might be two steps from being willing to swim in a wine barrel at times, but he made sure to imbibe of quality brew as well. The icy admiral would never allow mediocre drink past his lips, much less rotgut.

Lessons of drink were some of the few Yuuno took to heart from the blue haired man.

As Fate gave a final bow and left to procure the requested wine, Signum appeared to take a moment to find her words. While the Enforcer turned waiter had certainly helped to break the ice, simply jumping straight into conversation was still a slight difficult. "So far, I must say you seem to have outdone yourself and my expectations. I was anticipating... perhaps dinner at a restaurant with how you described things."

Yuuno chuckled lightly, a warm feeling in his chest at Signum's words. "I was kind of hoping to give that impression. And I'll admit, I did consider going out to eat. But... This seemed more appropriate in the end." No matter how long it took them to really get to talking, a more intimate dinner sounded far better than any public setting.

"Indeed it is. And you even enlisted Testarossa's help for the job. I will admit she fits the role well enough she would do well for an undercover assignment." Signum could almost hear the groan of misfortune at her words. No doubt the blonde woman had actually done so in the past. Or if not, may very well find herself doing so sooner than later. Such turns of... fortune tended to befall the woman more often than not. "I am... curious as to who else you enlisted for this undertaking."

"Well... I-" He was interrupted as Fate returned to the dining room, a polished bucket bucket of ice with a bottle in one hand and a pair of wine glasses in the other. She worked with a grace and precision one would be content to simply observe for hours even if not being tended to by her. There was not one wasted movement in the uncorking of the bottle, nor was a single drop of wine spilled. Yuuno nodded to her gratefully, if a slight stunned. "Ah, thank you."

Signum's own reaction matched her lover's. It was quite the sight to behold to say the least. "Indeed. Thank you."

Fate simply smiled and nodded before speaking. "Dinner is nearly ready, the chef is making a few last preparations."

Before any sort of inquiry as to the identity of their supposed mystery chef could be brought up or even an attempt at conversation, a voice rang out from the kitchen. A voice which was normally quite familiar to all present. "Dinner is served lovely madame and handsome sir. I hope you enjoy your wonderful evening together and that the food is most acceptable to your palates." A voice which was currently spouting perhaps the worst faux accent any of them had ever heard.

"...Nanoha, what was that?" It seems not even Fate was anticipating such an entrance. Nevertheless, she moved to help the apron clad brunette with the hot plates of delicious food. Food which made her mouth water as though she hadn't tasted even a morsel of food in years.

Nanoha merely chuckled helplessly as she handed off one of the plates to Fate. "French? Maybe?" Turning her attention to the two flabbergasted individuals at the table, she smiled with amusement. Yuuno seemed to have been shocked at how bad her attempt at acting had been while Signum seemed to have been struck momentarily dumb at her presence. Setting down the plate before the Knight, her smile warmed. "I hope you two enjoy yourselves."

Signum shook herself from her momentary stupor when Nanoha's words finally registered to her. They held only acceptance, kindness, and reassurance. It was as if Nanoha had given her blessing in those words. If ever she had entertained the notion of Yuuno being stolen away by his former lover, this would have dashed such thoughts without question. She nodded and gave a small smile of her own. "We will. I cannot thank you enough, Takamachi. For everything." Her crystal gaze turned to Fate. "And you as well, Testarossa."

The blond woman shook her head and smiled as she set Yuuno's plate in front of him. "What are friends for?"

"Thank you both, really. I don't think I had any chance of pulling this off without your help." Yuuno gave a short bow to his two friends from his seat. Really, he doubted he could even begin to imagine where to begin to repay this kindness.

"Just don't mess up or I'll have to punish you~" Three flat stares were directed towards the White Devil and she merely laughed.

Fate began pushing the all too amused Nanoha back into the kitchen with an embarrassed expression. "Please, just have a good time." She needed to have a few words with the brunette. And get some food of their own. She was really hungry.

Signum and Yuuno sat in silence as they watched the pair leave the dining room. It took a few moments before both felt their composure finally crack and let their amusement spill forth. Yuuno's laughter melded with Signum's own, for a rare time not merely being satisfied with an amused chuckle, as Nanoha's antics shattered the nervous mood which had been steadily growing. Really, who could keep a straight face for long after seeing such a scene? Perhaps a handful at best. Were it under different circumstances, Signum may have counted herself among them. But not now.

Calming themselves, they both raised raised their wineglasses and made a toast. They did not toast anything so dramatic as themselves, nor to the unknown future. Rather, they raised a toast to friends and family. Friends and family who had allowed and helped them reach where they were. Even so minor an involvement, it was something.

As they began to enjoy the wonderfully cooked meal, it was Signum who spoke first. "I should warn my Mistress about this." She eyed a forkful of steaming lasagna critically. "If Takamachi is already at this level and continues to improve, Lady Hayate will soon be overtaken."

"I think she'd enjoy some competition in the kitchen for once. She's held that crown since we were children. Who knows? Maybe a little push from the right direction could be just what she needs to reach a new level of skill." Yuuno's challenging grin turned into one of reflection. "I suppose I'd better work on my own skills too."

Signum swallowed her bite and wiped her lips gently with a napkin before giving him a raised eyebrow. "I would highly recommend it. While your soup was quite good, one cannot live on soup alone." There was a teasing lilt in her voice. One her Mistress had been hoping to bring out even more over the years with varying degrees of success.

Yuuno's expression turned somewhere between disgruntled and playful. "I can make more than soup you know. And you really liked that potato salad too." He was rather proud of that particular dish. It had the highest success rate out of all his cooking that didn't involve something pre-packaged in any way.

"Indeed I did. And you were rather fond of the pasta I made. I would only suggest you do not become a master of sandwiches. I think we would both lose our minds if constantly subjected to the... 'Get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich' jokes." She swirled the wine in her glass slowly as she spoke, making for a rather... unusual contrast when combined with the serious expression on her face..

Said vision nearly made Yuuno lose himself to laughter. Such words with such an appearance was nearly too much. His wide grin was plain evidence enough. "You got that from Vita didn't you?"

Signum nodded with a slight grimace. "Not even Lady Hayate understands the words coming out of her mouth at times. And it was her who introduced Vita to these sorts of things." At least the redhead had enough decency to not go out of her way to irritate the rest of the family. There was only so much she could take hearing the inane ramblings of the internet given voice. "Fortunately she is not so far gone as to neglect her duties or training."

"Fortunately. I don't think there's anything in this universe that could drive her to go that far." If there was, he did not want to be around to see it. And he was pretty sure there was no one who disagreed with his statement.

Signum set down her fork and rested her chin upon steepled fingers, giving Yuuno a curious look. "We have had barely any chance to even chat, much less have a proper talk. So tell me, how have you been Yuuno? And I am curious as to how you managed to rope both Testarossa and Takamachi into aiding you this evening."

"Ah, you see..."

It was perhaps an hour later when the candles began to burn low as they neared the end of their livelihood that the small talk was beginning to abate and a far more relaxed mood had settled upon the pair.

As requested, Yuuno had indeed spilled the beans about his little talk with Nanoha in the library and his request for her aid. Not to mention Fate's unexpected, but most welcome help. He made note to mention were it not for the blond Enforcer, he might have very well wound up wearing an old suit that would have spelled great disaster. Signum had found it all quite amusing. Particularly when told the details of the suit in question. Even she would have wondered if something was wrong with Yuuno's head had he chosen it.

In turn, Signum divulged her own antics involving getting ready for the evening. A rather lovely blush adorned her cheeks as she told of her folly expecting such an old, not even worn dress to fit her after so long. She did admit to having realized it had all ended up being a plot at the hands of her Mistress to shove her into the dress she was currently wearing. One must not expect any less of Yagami Hayate. Especially one so deprived of mischief.

The conversation flowed rather easily as they conversed about work, friends, family, and their daily goings on. It was disturbingly easy to notice just how much more... peaceful their lives had been while Hayate was away at boot camp. Signum had noted just how odd it had felt to not run the risk of being dolled up in some strange outfit at random chance.

Eventually, Fate made her reappearance to take away the empty plates and deliver to them their dessert. It was a simple, yet delicious affair. A steaming cup of hot cocoa for each. Some might wonder why such a choice after all the elegance and faux restaurant aura which had been placed into the evening.

To put it simply, sometimes simple is best.

Afterwards Fate excused herself to rejoin Nanoha so they might partake of their own dessert. There was plenty of cocoa to go around~

Still, after sitting down for so long, even the most comfortable of individuals would want to stretch their legs a bit. Signum picked up her mug and gestured towards the living room. "Shall we continue in there?" She would readily admit to the desire to kick off her shoes and sink into Yuuno's very appealing looking couch.

Yuuno nodded and picked up his own mug. "Sure. I'm feeling a bit stiff after sitting here myself." A point accentuated when he felt his back stretch to the point of popping when he stood up. it was amazing the things you failed to notice when enjoying someone's company.

Back in the kitchen, both chef and waiter gave them unseen nods of approval before smiling and turning back to their own secret little talks. Oh, would they have some fun things to tell Hayate come morning.

Now seated upon the large couch in Yuuno's living room and with steaming mugs of cocoa in hand, the mood in the air turned from a lighthearted one of relaxed comfort to one which was thicker, viscous. Not uncomfortable, but one which held considerable weight. There was a shared thought that it had been a good idea to not bring up the more serious portions of their planned talk over dinner. Had they attempted to do so, they may very well have surrendered to an unbearably awkward silence.

Taking a small sip of her delicious chocolate beverage, it was Signum who ultimately took the first step. She would be brave. She would march forth towards her goal without regrets. "I will not dance about, Yuuno. I believe know what it is that I desire. The question which remains... Is whether or not my desires and your own are compatible." Straight to the heart, like a blade aiming for the most vulnerable point of a piece of armor. Her crystalline eyes did not glimmer with any sort of discernible emotion beyond the determination she was so praised for.

Yuuno cradled the mug in his hands, allowing the heat radiating through the porcelain to warm his palms. He had put no small amount of thought into what he desired between them. It mattered not whether he was the one receiving or granting the question. He raised his green hued gaze to meet Signum's and favored her with an expression mirroring her own. "What I want... What I want is to be yours and only yours. And to make you mine and only mine."

The meaning behind such words was not lost on the Knight and it took her no small amount of effort to maintain her composed visage. The pink creeping onto her cheeks did not make it easy. "You know I have sworn myself to Lady Hayate as her Knight first and foremost. That you will have to share my attentions with her as my duty dictates." They were harsh words, but part of a truth Yuuno would have to realize, understand, and accept.

"I know. And my own duties are not so small either. The Infinite Library can't compare to Hayate, but you've already seen how demanding it is." They had to bring out all the difficulties and restrictions they could imagine. He knew Signum wouldn't hold back and neither would he. They stopped doing so on a certain Autumn night quite some time ago.

She nodded. "Yet still you would endeavor to make this prideful and headstrong Knight your own whilst swearing yourself to her?" There was little else she could ask after hearing Yuuno's words.

"I love you too much to consider doing any less." Yes, his heart belonged to the beautiful and mighty Knight seated next to him and he would do no less than his absolute best. "Are you willing to see what the future holds? With this librarian who spends so much of his time buried in old tomes and ancient artifacts?"

"I would not be here if I desired otherwise." A small smile crept onto her stern features. "I will simply have to make sure I drag you away from your books if you cannot do so for yourself." Those words garnered a chuckle from both of them as the tension abated slightly. No longer was it so thick or bearing the risk of suffocation.

Yuuno gave an awkward smile. "Please be gentle if you do. I'm only so durable." It was a mostly humorous plea, but he was also fairly certain Signum would quite readily tie him up and drag him out in a violent manner if need be.

She laughed in response to his request. Him? Not durable? "Surely you jest. I would think you to be more than capable of surviving at least being drug from your office. Or are you suggesting our matches and all the battles we've survived to be less dangerous than being hauled away from an ancient tome?"

"I don't know... There was that one time Chrono threatened to drop the Claudia on the library if I was late to his daughters' birthday." The man had seemed plenty willing to do so as well and Yuuno wasn't exactly keen on testing just how strong he could make his shields. A late thesis paper had been worth it in the end.

"I doubt I will ever have need to drop a warship on you. So rest assured any collateral damage will be kept to a minimum." Signum took a long sip of her steaming drink with a smile on her lips as Yuuno sputtered in response to her casual threat. "And I hope that you would be of clear enough mind to drag me away from my own distractions as well."

He nodded after regaining his wits. It had been all too easy to imagine Signum showing up at his office one day and hauling him away with Laevatein's Schlagenform. "Of course I will. Though considering you're a lot better at keeping your head on straight, I don't think I'll have much of a chance." Her knowing grin brought a resigned expression to his face.

"At least you are aware of it." As Yuuno finished off the last of his cocoa and set down the mug, she thought back to how all this had started. Never in her wildest dreams could she have predicted this. Least of all with Yuuno Scrya. "I still cannot quite believe how much has happened since that night. Who would have thought one little spar would have brought us all the way here?" They, who had been somewhere between friends and acquaintances, were now taking the steps to brave forward into a relationship together.

Yuuno's gaze took on a somewhat faraway look. "I know what you mean. We've come so far since then, learned so much about one another. I mean, I never really knew just how much you enjoyed battle. And I never would have thought you love to read as much as you do." Some part of his mind had a feeling more than a few of his texts would find their way into the rosette's hands sooner than later. He hoped she enjoyed them, though many were rather dry reading according to some of his coworkers.

"And the discovery of just how sharp your teeth really are was hardly an insignificant one. Not to mention just how deep your love for history goes. I will admit it was not so much a surprise to see it, but the depths were far beyond what I could have imagined." While she doubted she would jump at the next chance to join him on another excavation, Signum was not opposed to accompanying him. It had been quite the experience to say the very least. And not just because they had made what had turned out to be the discovery of the century. "The excavation was... quite the eye opener."

"It really was." A tinge of red colored both their cheeks as Yuuno spoke, neither forgetting the events which had taken place near the end of their trip. It had been like a dam had burst and from it everything had spilled forth. Their feelings for each other. The emotions which had driven them. Even the building aggression from their spars which had found no release until then had come issuing forth like a great flood.

Signum gave a somewhat defeated look. "Vita was rather vocal about it when she found out. I believe she looked up every possible synonym for sex just to see how I would react. And then today, Lady Hayate decided to join in." Some might ask whether or not those two had anything better to do than torment the Knight about her love life. But the rosette knew that even if they did, they would not hesitate to tease when given the chance.

The blond man could only shake his head. The teasing he'd been subjected to no doubt was nothing compared to what those two could come up with. "Maybe they'll give up eventually?" The shake of Signum's head did not fill him with any sort of relief. He really ought to know better. Especially when it came to Hayate. If it involved relationships, she would not hesitate to pounce.

It was then that Yuuno was struck with a realization. All this talk of relationships and the various bits of teasing about sexuality had reminded him of something. It was a rather important something as well. The sort of thing they really should have talked about the morning after their first night together. His eyes widened in no small amount of concern and panic. "Yuuno? Is something wrong?" Signum did not fail to notice his change in demeanor.

His voice was not so much hesitant as it was unsure. "Signum. We... didn't use any protection that night." The notion he may have gotten Signum pregnant and hadn't even realized it until now did not sit well with him. In fact, it sent a disturbing chill down his spine and made him feel like so much scum. They hadn't exactly been concerned about safe sex when so embroiled in one another's bodies. Signum hadn't said anything either, but that didn't excuse his thoughtlessness.

They hadn't really even been sure of what they were at the time! To so carelessly bring a life into this world would be the height of stupidity. He felt his hands begin to shake as his mind ran away with itself. If Signum had conceived as a result of that night... What would they do? What would he do? He had no idea what to do in such a situation. The thought of children hadn't ever crossed his mind until now!

A slender hand, elegant yet till holding great strength fell upon one of his shaking own and stilled it. Yuuno looked up to meet Signum's eyes and saw a kind of grim resignation he had never before seen in her. Before he could he could say another word, she shook her head.

There was the closing of a door as Fate and Nanoha took their leave, having decided it was for the better to not be present and risk overhearing anything further. While they may have wanted to offer whatever assistance they could to the couple, there were things that should remain between only them until they are ready to be open about it.

After a few further moments of silence, Signum's grip on Yuuno's hand tightened and she began to speak. "Yuuno, I... am not with child." There was no breath of relief from him. He knew there had to be more. Her expression left no room for it to be so simple. "Nor will I ever be. Should we reach the point we desire children, it must be through a surrogate or adoption." She swallowed thickly. "I... am barren."

"Wh-what?" The sudden revelation had left Yuuno speechless and nearly brought his ability to think crashing into nothingness. Signum could not have children? He would have asked why she had not said anything prior or even the reason why, but she cut him off as if reading his all too clear thoughts.

"This is the first time in my memory where such a thing has ever been relevant. I will admit I did not realize it's importance until now. For that, I can only apologize." There was a sign of great disturbance upon her features. It was as if all the potential worries she could have held about admitting to her state of being were bubbling up one after the other. A measure of shock entered her visage as Yuuno slowly wrapped his free hand around the one Signum was using to hold him stead. It was a gesture which she drew further resolve from. "I could not even begin to tell you why I am like this, but I imagine the Defense Program thought such a thing was... unnecessary."

Yuuno still seemed quite shaken. He would have been extremely worried if he hadn't been. To so easily overcome a confession of this magnitude would not have spoken well for his principles. "I... I see..."

A potent and dark silence began to grow between them as their thoughts began to overcome them.

Each becoming more and more concerned with how to deal with the information now placed before them. One who felt fear or delivering it and the other who felt uncertainty in receiving it.

"Signum." It was Yuuno's voice who ultimately broke the silence. They locked eyes and saw in each other the wariness and unease. He took a deep breath and gave his answer. "Would... Would you have told me eventually? If it hadn't come out tonight?"

She nodded as firmly as she could at the moment. "I would. I could not say exactly when. But be assured that I would not have left you in the dark." Her body began to release the sharply built tension ever so slightly as she spoke.

Yuuno finally nodded. "A-Alright. Thank you for telling me." His voice was awkward, not entirely unsure but more as if trying to come to grips with something so completely unexpected. He might compare to to asking what color the sky was and being told it was not only red, but also made of sand. "Does anyone else know?"

"Shamal knows. There is very little, if anything, one can hide from her when she is your doctor. I imagine Vita and Zafira know as well, but they have never said anything. I doubt Hayate knows, and I should tell her as soon as I can." It wouldn't be fair to hide such a thug from her Mistress any further. Not after revealing it to Yuuno. "Will you... be alright with this?"

"I don't know yet. I've never really thought about it before." He took a deep breath and did his best to calm himself. "But I'm not going to jump ship just because of it." He doubted he'd ever be able to forgive himself it he did. "Let's see where we end up before we start worrying about children. I mean, technically this is our first proper date."

Signum breathed an audible sigh of relief at his words. Her deepest secret was now revealed. A secret so tucked away she had almost forgotten about it in it's entirety. And one which Yuuno would not hold against her. It filled her heart with warmth and ease. A slightly amused smile graced her features. "It is, isn't it. And a very eventful one at that."

Yuuno gave a slightly more relaxed chuckle. "You're telling me."

"But I am glad. Glad you are willing to accept me for who and what I am." She leaned forward and pressed against Yuuno's chest with one hand, warmth and mirth dancing in her eyes.

He allowed himself to be pushed backwards onto the couch as he replied. "I couldn't say I love you if I didn't." Signum now loomed over his prone form and smiled. It was a smile which made his heart dance.

"And it is that acceptance. That is part of the reason I love you as well." Signum leaned down and placed a kiss upon his lips. There was a contentment within her breast as she embraced the man she loved. It was different from the contentment she felt with her family, with her friends, or even in battle. But all the same, she luxuriated in and welcomed it with open arms. And as she felt Yuuno's arms wrap around her whilst returning her kiss, she would say in this moment she had never been happier.

Spoiler for Swords and Shields: Epilogue:

"And that's the story of how one girl found true happiness. The end." There was a soft thumping sound as the speaker closed the book in her hand with a flourish.

A pair of grey eyes looked up at the reader from her place on the bed, questioning and disbelief apparent in their depths. "Aunt Hayate, I don't think that's how Cinderella ended..." The girl's soft voice made Hayate pause. "Cinderella doesn't turn into a demon lord and I thought there were supposed to be pink lasers."

"Erk" It seems she's been found out. But pink lasers, really? "I think your Aunt Nanoha has been a bad influence on you. Do your parents know about this?" They could not allow a second coming of the White Devil. Vivio was close enough, and she spent more time embroiled in tomes than in combat. Surely this child would not doom them all?

She shook her head. "Mother told me that story. And there was a lot more battles in it." The plush ferret in her arms seemed to wordlessly confirm that statement.

Hayate sighed. Leave it to Signum to tell her own child a ludicrous version of a fairy tail. But it wasn't like she would have been any better with her own children. At least hers had a demon lord. And demon lords were awesome. But she wouldn't really get anywhere debating this with a five year old. "Signum would tell you that sort of story wouldn't she." A more stern expression crossed her face. "You did brush your teeth, right? Just because you get to spend the night here while your parents are on their honeymoon doesn't mean I'll give you too much slack."

"I did." As if to prove her point, she grinned widely to show off as many teeth as she could. All nice and clean as she'd said. "Mother and father said to always listen to Aunt Hayate. Unless she talks about... cos-play?" The curious tilt of her head was not only adorable, but sent an arrow of despair through the brunette's heart.

Why? Why would her precious knight and dear friend deny her this opportunity? Surely they knew just how precious their child was and how adorable she would look in all sorts of costumes? And she's not so depraved as to break out the risque ones for a kid. Hasn't she earned some sort of trust? Maybe? Sort of?

This is Hayate, ergo... No.

"One day. One day your parents will let me show what a wonderful world cosplay is." The significance of her lamentations were lost upon the child, who merely yawed and pulled the blankets up closer around her self and her stuffed companion. "Well, it's time for you to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning light~"

As heavy lidded eyes fells closed, their owner whispered a good night of her own, "Good night... Aunt... Hayate..."

Hayate leaned over and kissed the sleeping girl on the forehead. "Good night, Lenneth." She made sure her niece was all nice and tucked in once more before taking her leave of the guest room with a smile. Really, she was honestly quite envious of Lenneth's parents. The girl was such a sweetheart.

As she made her way down the stairs, Hayate reflected on the past ten years. Things had turned into a circus when Signum and Yuuno finally came out and said they were together. Those who were already in the know, which was far more people than either of them actually realized, had given them no end of congratulation. Those who didn't... Well, everyone requested a copy of the photo depicting Chrono's reaction.

Were it not for Amy's quick thinking, the admiral may very well have choked on his drink.

Caro had stars in her eyes for the rest of the evening and it had made things very uncomfortable for Erio, who no longer is beaten black and blue every time he trains with Arf. Not completely at the very least. The two are married now and have two children with names Hayate doesn't even want to try pronouncing. She bites her tongue almost every time she tries.

Nanoha and Fate finally made themselves official, to which everyone responded with a "Took them long enough." Signum and Yuuno had even repaid the two for their help in bringing them together with a similar dinner. Yuuno's fare wasn't quite up to par compared to Nanoha's, but everyone had agreed that Signum should never be allowed to wear that kind of suit again. It was simply too dangerous on her figure. Were she and Fate to both dress the role of waiter, there would be no survivors.

Almost two years to the day after their first meeting on the training grounds, the Librarian and the Knight officially tied the knot. Hayate had been Signum's Maid of Honor while Chrono had stood in as Yuuno's Best Man, a position everyone could tell he was honored to have. No matter how much he denied it. Such a tsundere that one~

The odd couple had their own place now, right next door in fact. There was only so far Signum was willing to go when it came to being separated from her Mistress. Yuuno wasn't opposed to the idea of living next door and both he and Zafira have often tossed around the idea of actually joining the two buildings. Whether or not they are serious or not depends on the amount of liquor they've had that evening. Yuuno usually passes out after two drinks or so and Zafira laments the man's weakness while stating Chrono can hold his drink far better.

Considering how their relationship got off the ground and how it had blazed on ahead, it was of little surprise the wedded couple continued on with their rather potent battles. Hayate still claims it is the most violent display of foreplay she's ever seen and the fact denials are few and far between only adds fuel to the fire. But regardless of whatever kink the two find in their matches, no one could deny just how positive and effect they had on both Yuuno and Signum. Yuuno was in the best shape of his life and now had more than a decent offensive repertoire to his name. Signum on the other hand was now something of a nightmare. The holes in her defenses had closed to nearly nothing and a certain controlled ferocity had begun to enter her style. Vita nearly wept with fury when Signum managed to blow through Yuuno's best shield with a single, very specialized arrow.

The fact Signum nearly blew up her husband in the process seemed lost on the redhead.

It was some four years ago that Signum and Yuuno had decided they would adopt a child. They still won't say why exactly they made the decision, but Hayate is fairly certain it had to do with the surprising arrival of Chrono and Amy's son. Of course, deciding to adopt and actually adopting are two very different beasts. Being cleared to do so and finally being granted guardianship of the infant Lenneth took nearly two full years.

They say the wait was more than worth it though. Not to mention, the look on Signum's face when she first held the girl who would call her mother was absolutely priceless. Hayate would have paid a king's ransom to have it immortalized in some form or another, but she was willing to settle for photographs and her memories of the eve.

Parenthood was... an awkward affair for the two. While they had good resources to pull on for advice and assistance, no two parents are the same and what works for one may not work for another. Yuuno nearly had a heart attack when Lenneth entered the "terrible two's" and got into a collection of tomes that were not only valuable, but not the sort of thing to be handled lightly. What still baffles him to this day is how she even got into them; an out of reach, twelve layer seal should not be the sort of thing a toddler can get into. Fortunately his daughter was unharmed and he made sure to just stuff anything remotely dangerous into a pocket dimension for storage from them on.

Signum positively adored Lenneth, no matter how much her demeanor might suggest otherwise. It was something everyone found quite endearing of the Knight. Fate in particular found it to be a wonderful sight. However much to the rosette's dismay, Lenneth did not seem to be favoring the path of the Knight like her. Then again, everyone had to remind her that the child wasn't even close to her preteen years and such an expectation couldn't really be considered realistic.

Signum and Yuuno's relationship was not without its bumps in the road and Hayate could quite easily recall a few instances when the former had stormed into the house looking more furious than an angry red dragon. Arf had informed her that Yuuno typically hid out in his office when he was in a similar mood. But in the end, they patched things up, learned from the altercation, and moved on.

Their life was still as much a bundle of chaos as it always was and Hayate certain it wouldn't stop anytime soon. And she was more than happy to watch it unfold.

And poke it when it amused her~

Hayate reached the living room and flopped down on the couch, luxuriating in it's exquisite level of comfort. She glanced to the side and saw a beat up, positively ancient looking book. It was Signum's favorite and the one she'd taken with her the night she and Yuuno had changed the status quo. For whatever reason, she'd never read it. But then again, her's and Signum's taste in reading material was rather different.

She regarded the cover, so faded she couldn't even make out any sort of image or title, and began to wonder just was was within the contents. Contents Signum had found no small measure of amusement in revealing to her husband when he finally managed to convince her to tell him. Carefully cracking open the well-read little book, she began to read with a smile on her face.

It was exactly the sort of novel she expected it to be.

The sort Signum loved so very much.

A romance novel.

-THE END-