Japan was one of those countries where leaving one's belongings behind wouldn't automatically mean the item would be stolen in five minutes, and so Fate was able to retrieve their devices with no issue. She returned to a still giggling Nanoha and was torn between irritation and charm. Charm eventually won out, the blonde loved seeing the sombre woman relax enough to laugh.
They spent the morning discussing work over breakfast. All showered, they lounged around in their hotel yukata, sitting at the kotatsu with their laptops to get more work done.
"Hey Vita."
Momentary silence, "...Hey Nanoha, how's Japan?" Vita looked nervous over the video call, the whites of her eyes visible on the screen.
"I've scheduled your death for Monday next week, just so you know." The executive's sardonic drawl held more than a little threat for her petite E.A., the executive arching one finely-shaped brow at Vita.
Fate was seated adjacent to Nanoha at the heated table and had a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles while remaining out of the webcam's view.
"N-Nanoha, it's not my fault. It was a short notice booking! The next best pick was out in Nikko, over an hour from DoCoMo's offices!" Vita shifted guiltily in her chair, "I-I mean, it's a nice place, isn't it?"
Nanoha cast one eye at her mirth-filled AVP, looking absolutely delightful in her yukata, blonde tresses pooled around her on the tatami. "It's the only reason I'll only execute you partially." Pinning Vita where she sat, she pronounced the woman's judgement, "I'm going to forward you a store address. You will go in there and look for XiaoFang. Ask her for her best loli goth costume. You'll be wearing that to TSAB's Halloween bash, no arguments."
Fate's ears were turning pink and Nanoha reached one long arm under the kotatsu to tickle the blonde's feet, forcing the woman to squeak and roll away in self-defence. Her face was still set in an implacable mask for Vita's benefit, giving away none of the horseplay happening outside of her view.
The blonde had learned some time ago that Nanoha had a wickedly dry sense of humour that tended to rear its head on rare occasions. Each time it did, she and others around the executive usually suffered. It was never done with a mean spirit, though, and was probably one of the few ways the executive was able to let off a little steam. In fact, she felt privileged to have been made part of the very small circle of friends Nanoha would prank like so.
From her vantage point on the tatami floor, Fate could see Vita's mouth open and close like a beached fish. "I… B-But Nanoha."
"I said no arguments. And let the rest of Ops know they're all to attend in costume as well. I'll have a souvenir for you to help."
Vita offered her unpredictable boss a look laden with doubt, "Yea, okay, fine." The E.A. knew when she was licked. It was the cost of doing business and if taking one for the team helped, then so be it.
Vita tried to deduce if her sacrifice was even worth it. Unfortunately, Nanoha looked no different from her usual stern self and the E.A. sighed to herself, 'Back to the drawing board, I guess.'
"How's Fate doing?" Vita asked instead, disappointed when that drew no reaction from Nanoha either. All she did was shift her laptop, "Ask her yourself."
Fate had hurriedly sat back at her place and smiled at Vita, "Hello Vita, how are things back home?"
Vita shrugged, "People are running around with their hair on fire because you and Nanoha aren't around. They dealt with it before you were hired, they can deal with it now. Don't mind them."
"Like I said, they need to learn to miss you," Nanoha cut in drolly.
Fate threw the executive a look that piqued Vita's interest. There seemed to be something different about the blonde, if not their boss.
'Would you miss me?' Fate wondered, eyeing Nanoha, though she merely gave Vita a slight smile, "Thanks for holding down the fort for us, Vita. We'll see you in a few days." Sticking her head into the webcam's view, Nanoha repeated, "Costumes, or else. Bye, Vita."
Cutting the call, Nanoha pulled her workstation back over to her side. She was pleased to see they had cleared all the pressing emails in their department's queue and tried not to think how life would be working without her AVP around any longer. 'Stop with that.' Her stupid mind kept wanting to go down depressing paths and the executive had to constantly haul herself away from those dark thoughts.
It was coming to half past one and neither of them had paused since getting back from the gym. Yawning, Nanoha stretched for a long moment, working out the tenseness in her shoulders. Falling back to lie on the tatami, she looked up at the ceiling, "Ne, Feito-chan?"
The swift sounds of typing paused, the blonde glancing over to find the auburn-haired beauty laying down, hands on her tummy while she studied the ceiling above them. The wish to cuddle against the woman's side hit her and Fate's hands closed into fists, "Hmm?"
Nanoha's head tilted to the blonde, eyes appearing shadowed, "Could we… visit that friend I mentioned, for a late lunch?"
Sensing the ask to be more than what it sounded like on the surface, Fate held the executive's eyes for a long moment, "Absolutely," she asserted quietly, gaze warming.
Blue eyes offered Fate a grateful look. "Wear black," she suggested with no further elaboration. Blinking, Fate nodded.
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Contacting the front desk, Nanoha spoke at length to the receptionist while Fate changed for lunch. She chose a simple, long-sleeved blouse tucked into tapered jeans. Slipping on flats, the blonde wrapped a cashmere scarf around her neck and tucked her purse into a small sling bag since she was uncertain how long or far they would be going. It was a good thing that black was her favourite colour to begin with, thus finding an entire ensemble in black had been simple enough for Fate. Her long hair was secured in a black ribbon, holding the ends together neatly while the rest of her tresses hung freely.
Both of their phones were on the wireless charging dock, in case of emergencies while they were out, but their laptops were going to be left behind. Little wonder that Nanoha had put the pedal to the metal this morning to clear as much of the day's work as possible before they took a break.
Nanoha was in a tailored plain black suit, complete with a white men's shirt fitted to her trim frame and a black tie. Even her cuff-links and tie clip were of polished onyx, and her black leather tomboy shoes shone with oil, a match for the soft leather gloves she also wore. Butterflies the size of her hand fluttered willy-nilly in Fate's stomach when she saw the gorgeous woman in the suit, and she happily agreed to help Nanoha plait her hair while the woman polished her shoes.
The executive was mostly silent, speaking only when spoken to, and the blonde took the woman's cue, keeping speech to a minimum. Silence wasn't an issue with the two, however, and preparations were made with smiles and warm looks regardless.
Locking up behind them, Nanoha pocketed the room key and headed to the front desk. A few words and she was retrieving what appeared to be their lunch, packed in boxes of black lacquered wood. The boxes fit perfectly stacked atop one another and were secured in a grey furoshiki, or bento cloth. The knot at the top made for easy carrying, and Nanoha handed it over to Fate for the blonde to take charge of.
The staff then handed Nanoha another bag and a large bouquet of roses in various hues of red, pink and yellow. Fate started at the sight of the roses, then comforted herself to see they were not all red. Honestly, she was getting paranoid after that whole Agito thing. Nanoha wouldn't bring Fate along to visit a paramour, would she?
Thanking the staff, Nanoha led them to the hotel vehicle she had chartered earlier and opened the door for Fate. Settling in after the blonde, the executive placed her bag on the car floor, nodding to Fate that she could prop the stacked bento boxes on the seat between them. The roses were laid in the front seat for the trip.
Fate looked out the window at the passing scenery and noted that they were heading further out into the less developed side of Tokyo. The leaves were turning, shrouding the landscape in a riot of greens, yellows and orange. "It's so beautiful…" She murmured.
'That you are, Principessa.' Nanoha thought, again second-guessing herself about this trip. No, the blonde had seen the worst of her, this would just be an elaboration, an illustration of the broken goods Nanoha was. Perhaps she was hoping to scare the blonde away. It would be easier, than for Nanoha to leave the blonde. The sooner Fate learned to distance herself from the executive, the less it would hurt. Twisted logic, for sure, but since when were emotions logical?
Inhaling a long breath, Nanoha closed her eyes, consciously fighting back the dull feeling of panic that imposed itself on her whenever she performed this task. The car sped down the country lanes in silence.
Yanaka Cemetery was located in the old part of Tokyo, and there was a hushed air about the area. Old growth trees shaded the stone pathways, lending a stately feeling to their surroundings.
Confirming the time that they would return with the driver, Nanoha hefted the bag the hotel staff had given her on one shoulder. Her free arm cradled the bouquet of fresh flowers and she gave Fate a tight smile that never reached her azure eyes. Picking up the packed bento she was given, Fate accepted the gloved hand offering her help in exiting the car. "This way," Nanoha told her quietly, turning to lead them down one of the many picturesque paths.
The muscle in Nanoha's jaw was tense, and it appeared to Fate that she was fighting a force pushing her back, just to take a step forward. Slipping her hand into the executive's gloved one, she gave the woman a comforting squeeze. That did get a real smile out of the woman, who glanced over to the taller blonde, her expression clearly saying she was glad Fate was here.
The area was empty save for the two women and a few stray cats. Stopping in front of a headstone, Nanoha drew in a long breath before blowing it out. Fate read the words on the headstone, surprisingly in english as well as japanese.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Yuuno Scrya
(6th July 1992 - 26th Oct 2012)
Beloved son who left us too soon. You are missed.
They were here a day before the person's death anniversary. The portrait in the headstone showed a cheery looking young man in glasses. His light brown hair was long and pulled back into a low ponytail. So, this was Nanoha's Yuuno.
Nanoha bowed at the lowest angle and Fate followed, holding it for a full ten seconds. Straightening, the blonde could see the other woman's eyes were bright. "Hey Yuuno, it's been a while." Her voice was husky, but her smile for Fate was genuine. Gently drawing the blonde forward, she added, "I wanted you to meet my new best friend, Feito-chan. I think you'd have gotten along well together."
Throat full, Fate could only bow again, hand tightening around Nanoha's gloved one. "Nice to meet you, Yuuno-san." The lilting melody of her words trembled with emotion, "Thank you for looking out for Nanoha. I only hope I can do half as well as you did."
Straightening, she caught the executive's perplexed look, "You don't have to…"
"Apologies, Nanoha-chan," Fate cut the woman off archly, lifting one aristocratic brow at the auburn-haired woman, "Are we going to argue the first time I meet Yuuno-san? I think that is a little rude, no?" Her smile took the sting out of her words.
A slight huff agitated the forelock that had fallen into Nanoha's eyes and she threw the stubborn blonde an exasperated look. Leaving her bag on the ground, she handed the roses to Fate. "Wait here, please," she asked, and departed back down the path they had taken. The blonde took her time absorbing the peace and quiet, noting that a little calico had shown up a few graves over, observing her.
Returning shortly with a pail of water and a ladle, Nanoha began washing the headstone and its surrounding granite fixtures. Dust and dead leaves were cleared away with each reverent pour, until every stone surface gleamed wetly. Setting the pail aside, Nanoha dug out some rags from the bag she'd been carrying and began wiping away the water clinging to stone. Fate joined in, setting the bouquet aside for the nonce to help.
Soon, the work was done and Nanoha was laying the bouquet before the headstone. "He always liked roses," she murmured, eyes still bright, "Said they were worth more than just being Valentine's Day fodder." Sticks of incense were taken from the bag now, and soon the scent of sandalwood began to permeate the area. Another stray had showed up, a rotund ginger. Paws aligned neatly, both cats watched the women at work.
The last item from the bag was a folded up mat that Nanoha knelt to spread out before the headstone. Fate kept to one side, slightly awkward and uncertain what to do next. Smiling up to the blonde, Nanoha patted the mat, inviting Fate to have a seat.
What? Were they going to eat here? The auburn-haired woman divested Fate of her furoshiki-wrapped burden and began untying it. Apparently, yes. Gingerly folding her long legs under her after removing her sandals, Fate accepted the bento being handed to her. It was quite a spread, Nanoha clearly ordering for three when she spoke to the front desk back at the ryokan. Little dishes were set out for the cats that had gathered around them as well, Nanoha greeting each one that appeared as if they were an old friend, and perhaps they were.
Setting a bento before the headstone, she placed a pair of chopsticks next to it, then handed Fate a pair as well. "Itadakimasu~" she whispered, hands together. "Eat up, Feito-chan, it's getting late."
Feeling quite odd indeed, Fate picked up a sushi roll and nibbled on it, her other hand under the morsel in case she dropped anything. "I'm too big of a pussy to come on the day itself." Nanoha admitted quietly as she tugged off her gloves and tucked them into her suit pocket. Picking up a morsel to snack on, she toasted Yuuno and popped it into her mouth.
Swallowing her mouthful, Fate offered Nanoha a compassionate look, "How did you meet?" She asked softly.
"We were neighbours growing up. He was always getting me out of the trouble I got myself into." Nanoha glanced at Yuuno's portrait, smiling faintly, "Kyoya nii-san and Miyuki nee-san were much older than I was, so I never really hung out with them. I didn't want to be the annoying little sister."
Her smile became pained, "Guess I became his annoying little sister instead." It was difficult to continue, the Japanese woman opting to have a few more bites instead.
They ate in contemplative silence, until Fate spoke, "I want to see Annoying Little Sister Nanoha."
"Augh, no," Blue eyes rolling, Nanoha looked horrified at the notion, "I was such an awkward kid. All elbows, knees and nothing else. Mom had a penchant for dressing me in lacy dresses and socks. I got in so much trouble ruining them."
Fate decided she had to find a way to bribe someone, anyone, for pictures of Nanoha from back then. 'Maybe Hayate can hook me up,' Fate thought. Surely the cunning CEO had blackmail material on TSAB's poster child.
"You know that only makes me want to see it more, yes?" Her light soprano dripped with amusement. "No such images exist," Nanoha asserted firmly, "I destroyed them all." Fate didn't look convinced and Nanoha sweat-dropped, making a note to re-check all possible sources.
Nanoha shared stories about her misadventures with her departed friend with Fate, and the blonde listened in rapt attention. Overhanging branches cast pleasing shadows over them, and Fate admired how sharp the beautiful executive looked in her men's suit.
"Things got awkward around the time I was sixteen," Nanoha continued. She had fished out an apple and a paring knife from one of the bags and began making precise cuts into the rose-pink skin of the fruit. "He… He confessed to me during Golden Week." She glanced at Fate, who looked unsurprised. She was certain she would have done the same had they grown up together as well.
"I would imagine that did not turn out too well for him." The blonde said, watching Nanoha's hands with interest as shapes of apple bunny slices began to appear in the woman's skilled hands. Nanoha gave a faint snort, "I was busy being neck-deep in stupid, chasing after Ginga at the time." Fate stiffened at the familiar name, expression darkening at the memory of that hussy kissing Nanoha in that Turkish restaurant.
"I wasn't the brightest crayon in the box," Nanoha added, trying to placate the blonde who seemed to have the lowest possible opinion of her old 'friend'. "You were young," Fate began. "As was she," Nanoha concluded wistfully. She took a moment to arrange the apple slices cut into adorable bunny shapes on a plate and placed it next to the bento that had been offered to Yuuno. The calico approached to sniff at the apple slices. Deeming them undeserving of further attention, the little stray curled up on a corner of the picnic mat to snooze instead.
"I thought I had it all. An amazing group of friends, my first girlfriend, a shoo-in for student council president… I felt bad but relieved when Yuuno confessed, because I could then come out to him." She picked up a second apple to pare normally, something she was doing by feel since she'd thrown back her head to look up at the branches swaying gently in the autumn breeze.
Eyes dark with memory stared up into the perfectly blue skies beyond the trees, "He was shocked, of course. Once my family found out, he was a staunch supporter while the rest of my blood relatives took their sweet time coming to terms with it."
She exhaled a long breath and met Fate's eyes, "I do not know why people expect that it's only girls with men's haircuts and clothes that like other girls. That was their argument; I still wore skirts, so why?" Fate gave a small shake of her head, the blonde equally puzzled over such preconceived notions.
"I think Ginga held some feelings for me, in her own way. I was completely besotted, like a child with their first real toy." Scorn laced Nanoha's voice as she spoke about herself. "She couldn't take the pressure and we broke up when we were seventeen." The expected dull pain of that memory never came, surprising the Japanese woman. The warm, steady regard of the blonde who bothered to sit and listen to her ramble had to have something to do with it. Losing herself in those ruby eyes, her mind thought, 'Ginga who?'.
Fate was willing to be placated by only the barest of margins. She couldn't fathom giving up the love of this woman, yet she was grateful that the hussy had, since that meant… Meant what? Nanoha was her best friend, and that was it. The executive was utterly out of her league and Fate knew it all too well. It didn't make it any easier for the blonde to hide her love for the woman, however.
Nanoha forced herself back to the present with a shake. "I was a mess. I went through the day by rote and shut myself in my room once I was home. There wasn't anything Haya-chan or the rest could do to get me out of my depression. I kept my grades up, sure, but that was it. I didn't want to do anything other than feel sorry for my stupid self."
Slicing the apple in two, she cored a half and handed it to Fate, the other half lay forgotten in her hands as she continued, "It was around this time when Yuuno had enough of my shit and dragged me out. He was studying to be an archeologist and had just gotten his pilot's license… for twin prop planes."
The plane sat on the runway, a little battered looking, but it had just been serviced. She stood to the side, an unwilling participant in this. "Come on, Nanoha, I only have a short window for take-off."
"Why should I?" Teenaged Nanoha grumbled, stubbornly remaining outside.
"Because," the young man sighed, "Tokyo is just hurting you right now. Let's fly away from it, leave it behind, just for a while. Our parents gave the okay, remember? We'll see some fat monkeys in hot springs and come back."
Reassuring the teen who had dug her heels in, the youth pushed Nanoha towards the folded down steps, "It's just for a day!"
"AUGH, fine! Gods, you're such a nag!"
Blinking, Nanoha remembered to core the other half of the apple and bit into it, tasting nothing. Fate had remained silent, offering the woman space to get her story out. The woman eating reminded her of the apple in her own hand, and so she ate it, a symbolic partaking of what Nanoha was willing to share with her.
"It was the end of the typhoon season. The weather forecast predicted clear skies." She took another bite, chewing mechanically, "It was a freak storm, the sort of thing mountains enjoy conjuring from thin air. The engines failed, but Yuuno kept his head," there was a hint of pride in her otherwise toneless alto, "He did his best to keep the nose up, but there was nothing but forest."
"I lost consciousness at first impact," Nanoha tapped the spot on her scalp that she had shown Fate before. "I was in and out of it for days. I could… feel him pinned over me. He… He wouldn't answer me. I asked him to move, he was too heavy, too cold." She dropped what was left of her apple, hugging her knees to herself, trying to warm that teenaged version of herself in her memories.
And then there was a real warmth surrounding her. Fate had left her spot the moment she saw that familiar anguish in Nanoha's eyes, the woman shivering and hugging herself defensively, battling far worse demons than the one people claimed she embodied. Pulling the Japanese woman into her arms without hesitation, the blonde tucked Nanoha's shivering form under her chin, rocking her slowly to comfort not just the woman, but the child she had once been.
"They had to… to c-cut him, to g-get to me," she whispered past chattering teeth. "The sounds… that smell… Oh gods, Yuuno, what did I do?" She curled into the blonde's embrace, feeling as if she would shake apart into pieces had Fate not been there to hold on to her. "His family couldn't even receive him in one piece… It was my fault. It should've been me on that headstone. He was just trying to help his stupid friend."
"Nanoha, look at me." Loath to leave the safety of Fate's arms, the executive reluctantly lifted her head. The blonde was staring at her, expression stern but filled with empathy, "Listen, if we were to be judged by our actions as children, there would be few left blameless in this world. You were going through what everyone goes through, and Yuuno-san was doing what any best friend would."
The blonde's voice was firm, refusing the executive any wiggle room for buts. "I would have done the very same, had I been your best friend back then. Care for us, yes, as we care for you. But to take on the responsibility of our every action? No, you do not have that right, Nanoha-chan. No one does. Do not take away Yuuno's agency. It was his choice, because he loved you. Just as it would be my choice to do the same." Because I love you.
Fate omitted the last, but held the auburn beauty's gaze. "As your best friend, I know I can say on Yuuno-san's behalf: 'Nanoha-chan, I forgive you.'" She tried to convey to Nanoha what was so clear to herself, that the youth would never have blamed the girl for what had happened.
It truly felt as if he was speaking to her, his face superimposed over Fate's beautiful features, the two of them, saying the same thing. A trembling hand lifted to cup one alabaster cheek as tears tracked their way down from shimmering azure eyes. Caught in the moment, Nanoha closed the barest distance and pressed her lips to Fate's, the kiss she could never have given Yuuno, being offered to the blonde who held her so securely.
It was chaste, the smallest peck, and broken as soon as it was given. It was almost as if it was imagined and not real, and Fate didn't know what to think of it. The other woman had dropped her forehead to Fate's shoulder, "Th-Thank you," she whispered, voice muffled by the blonde's scarf. Ah, it was a kiss of thanks and nothing more. Fate understood and tightened her arms around her friend, setting aside her desire that it would mean more. "Nanoha-chan, please… stop hurting yourself over this."
"I… I'll try, because Feito-chan asked" That was the best Fate could ask for. Better this than another decade of guilt.