~**~
"That was awkward." The understatement made Signum repress the urge to scoff at the blonde trailing her. "I'm sorry, really."
"You could have at least come up with a story before we got inside the bank." Signum spoke back flatly, clearly annoyed at the embarrassing act. "I thought Hayate and you would have surely discussed what you would put down on the paper. I'm sure Nanoha is thrilled."
"I can't help it, it was instinct!"
"Writing down that you are married and live with the top instructor on this planet isn't something that comes as instinct. You're lucky Nanoha played along with it. I'm sure you saw how embarrassed she was."
"...Yes." Fate sighed and sat in Signum's sports car, closing the door almost too softly to latch. "I've caused so much trouble since I showed up... I really don't know how to apologize for it all."
"Start by thinking more." Signum started the engine and looked over her shoulder to back out of the parking space. "Am I really your role model? I expected better."
"...You don't have to rub it in." Fate's tone made the older woman exhale a defeated breath.
"Okay... Okay, I apologize for getting upset. Don't get all whiny on me... How do I normally deal with you when you do this?"
"Honestly?" Fate inhaled deeply to calm herself down. "You ruffle my hair and tell me to get over it. If its really bad, you'll hold me and kiss my forehead."
"I wouldn't be caught kissing someone's forehead."
"I know." Fate felt a little of her energy come back. "You always hide the fact that you do it. Not even Vita knows, and you do it to her too."
Signum stiffened slightly. "That's very creepy. Knowing things about me that I do not wish you to is very unnerving."
"Yeah," Fate looked out the window. "I've been getting that all day. No matter how casual I try to be, it still freaks people out when I talk like I've known them forever... Tell me, Signum... If you were in my place, how would you handle it?"
The swordsman hesitated her response, rolling the question over in her head as she drove them down the roads in the capital. Finally, after contemplating it for several long moments, she answered. "I would tell you something that there was no way you could know unless we were as close as you say. Having people support you and take you seriously without doubt would be the best way to stay stable."
Fate nodded. "This is embarrassing."
"Say it."
"You have a cosplay fetish, and Shamal dresses you up when you make love. Hayate makes them for you, and you pose in them to satisfy her and not let her know what you two do with them... Also, you-"
"Okay!" Signum interrupted her, cheeks splashed red. "Did you
have to pick something sexual? Why not say something simple like..."
"You have a mole on your inner thigh that looks like a star? Because anyone who bathes with you would know that."
"...You impress me." Signum nodded to herself. "But might I ask... How did you get that information?"
Fate grimaced. "When we were younger I caught you two doing it several times but I never understood it until after Nanoha and I made love the first time when we were sixteen... I couldn't look at you in the face for weeks."
"So we don't...?"
"No!" Fate almost shrieked, blushing herself now. "I'm dedicated to Nanoha! Fully!"
"Good..." Signum felt a small grin come to her face. "Well then, Fate, how do you feel now?"
"...Better." Looking at her lap, she played with her fingers. "I'm sure you will understand more when we spar tonight but... I'm glad you gave me a chance. I don't like it when you don't trust me."
"We'll discuss that topic more over lunch, where do you want to eat?"
"Well Fuji's isn't open yet so....."
"Fuji's?"
"Yes?" Fate thought about the bar. "Oh... That's right, I directly had an impact on that place... Since Nanoha isn't an Ace and I wasn't there to find it... Kuhn couldn't have opened his bar." Groaning, the blonde leaned back in her seat. "I don't know then, you pick."
"Okay." The woman flicked her wrist and turned on the car's blinker, moving over to take a turn. "I know a good place."
~**~
Hayate looked up from her monitor when a knock came at her office door. "Come in." Her words granted Fate access and she smiled at the woman walking up to her. "Ah, special collaborator Fate." Standing, she walked over to the front of her desk and saluted. "Allow me to officially welcome you to my base."
"Thank you," Fate saluted back before getting casual. "I'll do anything I can to help while I'm here. Thank you again for helping me as well."
"I have people on your case already, investigating where you woke up and searching for anything that could be related. We don't have much to work with so the best I can say is that I'll contact you the moment we find out anything."
"Thank you." Fate smiled lightly. "I really appreciate this, Hayate."
The shorter girl leaned forward, inspecting the cut on Fate's cheek. "What happened to you?"
"Signum got a lick in." rubbing the spot lightly, she smiled. "We had a little sparring match."
"As long as you don't get hurt. Do you need to go to Shamal?"
Fate shook her head. "I just need a bath. By the way, could I get a small advance on my pay? I need to buy a few things while I'm here."
"I'm sorry, but you're only stationed here. I don't have any control over you except for your duties. Your pay comes from the T.S.A.B directly. I can loan you some of mine though."
"Ah, I'd feel bad... Maybe I can just borrow some clothes from Nanoha until I get my first check."
"If you change your mind, don't hesitate. By the way, did you really put down Nanoha as your wife on the bank application?" The embarrassed look on the girl's face made Hayate put a hand on her hip. "I'm sure Nanoha won't mind, but please don't get her upset okay?"
"I won't."
"Nanoha is... very weird in that area." Hayate thought about how to word what she was thinking. All the time growing up she felt like she wasn't part of her family. Same with the times I've known her as well. People love her, I love her, but she has never truely
felt love before. You know what I mean?"
"She desperatly wants someone to be
in love with her. I know, she was like that with me as well."
"But you were there... you weren't for my Nanoha. Do you get what I'm saying?"
Fate nodded. "I love my Nanoha. I would never cheat on her, even if its with the same girl in another time line. She is Nanoha, but she's not
my Nanoha."
Hayate smiled and gave a relieved chuckle. "Thank you, that makes me feel so much better. I was worried that when you left... it might hurt her."
Fate started walking with Hayate as she closed down her office and walked towards the door. "Don't worry, I don't think she'd fall for me that easily. Nanoha and I danced around each other for years before we started dating. In fact, it was you who brought us together."
"Really?" She tilted her head curiously.
"It was at a sleep over, you dared her to ask out her crush to the dance at school. You got her phone and called her crush and... my phone rang. I remember looking at it and slowly picking it up. I brought it to my ear and looked at Nanoha, who quickly turned away from me and looked down at her lap... Then she meekly told me hello and asked if I had a date yet. It was the cutest thing you would have ever seen. I thought she would pass out, her ears were so red."
With a giggle, Hayate shook her head. "That would be so amusing. Nanoha is so independent it is hard to imagine her all shy blushy."
"Blushy? Is that a word?"
"Its a technical term." Hayate smiled as they walked to the residential area. "Nanoha normally takes a bath in her room so I'm sure she won't mind you taking one there as well. She doesn't like people offering to help her, gets really touchy about it."
"Sounds like her."
"I know, right? One time I offered to carry her to the bathtub and she got really upset. She never lets anyone carry her anywhere, its like her pet peeve."
"Really?" Fate stopped walking and looked at her with a confused look. "I carried her to bed last night and she seemed rather pleased."
"You carried her?" Hayate shook her head. "No, no, nobody carries Nanoha. They would lose their arms."
Fate scratched her head before placing her hand on her hip. "Odd, maybe she was just too tired to say anything."
"Must have been being polite," Hayate agreed. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay," Fate nodded and left the elevator once it was on her floor. The short walk was made and she found herself standing in front of Nanoha's door. '
I hope she isn't upset about earlier...' Taking a breath to steady herself, Fate knocked on the door leading into Nanoha's loft. A call from inside bade her entrance and she made her way into the overly large room. "I'm back," she called testingly, seeing Nanoha move over from behind the kitchen cabinets and face her.
"Welcome back," Nanoha smiled in greeting "So, you're registered here, miss Takamachi?"
"I... didn't mean for it to turn out that way. I'm sorry..."
"I don't mind." Nanoha mused, turning her chair around and going back to the kitchen to finish preparing her drink. "You could have told me beforehand, though. I was contacted in front of all my students as I was dismissing them. Now they are all asking me weird questions."
"I'm sorry..." Fate looked down.
"Don't get all pouty on me. Like I said, I don't mind. I'm your wife after all, that's kind of neat. I've never even been on a date and now I have a wife. I should call my parents."
"Nanoha!" Fate felt herself blushing, a fact that the girl didn't miss. "A-anyway, um..."
"Make yourself at home. Want anything to eat or drink?"
"Uhm, a drink would be nice."
Nanoha smiled. "What would you like?"
"Don't suppose you have scotch?" The girl cocked an eyebrow at her. "I don't drink often, but I could use something to mellow me down right now."
"Sorry, don't have any. I have some frozen daiquiri mix and some rum?"
"Thanks but I can't handle the sweetness." Fate moved to the large couch and fell down on it.
Nanoha moved over to her and lifted her arms. The wheelchair shifted and two bars came out for her to grab, allowing the girl to easily move so she was sitting on the couch as well. "So," Once she was set, the wheelchair moved away from them. "Other than looking like a nervous wreck, how was your day?"
"Bad... Good... I'm not sure." Looking down, Fate moved her hands out in a helpless gesture. "I mean, everything is going okay and my day wasn't really that bad, it's just..."
"You're not where you want to be."
"Yeah... which is weird, because this is exactly where I want to be."
"Tell me," Nanoha picked up a pillow from the couch and sat it on her lap. "What do I normally do when you're upset?"
"Rub my back and make advances on me." Fate smiled at the thought. "You're really physical. I remember you telling me that you couldn't express how you felt with words so you tried to do it in a way that would show me."
"Wow, that's interesting." Nanoha leaned forward to make Fate look at her. "So a massage?"
"I- I couldn't-"
"Its okay, you're my wife after all." Nanoha laughed at the statement. "That's so weird to say, I like it. Come on, lets go upstairs and I'll rub your back. Its the least I can do for you fighting for me this morning. Besides, I heard what you said to Lexus."
"A-Ah, that was... Just instinct."
Nanoha smiled more, asking a question fondly. "Am I always in your instinct?"
"...Yeah, you could say that. Not a day goes by without me thinking about Nanoha."
The girl leaned to Fate more. "Then let me help you out for a change. Lets go upstairs... Carry me?"
Fate hesitated, blinking at the innocent eyes gazing at her.