Pulling the car to the side of the cramped road shoulder, the executive set the car to park and exited the vehicle. Confused to be left alone, Fate's eyes followed the graceful form wending her way past stacked tables and chairs. The executive's sleeves had been rolled up, hiding the blood Fate had unceremoniously spilt on the woman. It was still early enough that they had beaten the dinner crowd, and it did not take long before she was back in the car. The delicious scent of the dish the nondescript coffeeshop was famous for filled the confines of the vehicle, causing Fate to realise she had been conned out of paying for the meal, too.
In most other circumstances, the accusing look the blonde was giving her would have been amusing. As it stood, it was taking Nanoha an inhuman amount of willpower to focus on the road and not the migraine threatening to send bile up her throat.
Fate watched the shift of muscles play under the sleek velvet surface of her temporary chauffeur's forearms. Giving her eyes leave to roam, she again settled on observing the other woman's profile. She was blinking a lot, and her jaw seemed to tighten and relax at uneven intervals, as if she were fighting some sort of internal battle. Feeling wrapped in wool with reflexes that matched, it took Fate long moments to notice that the car had been parked and the engine switched off.
Blearily, she glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings. Was this…?
"Home sweet home." The executive's sarcastic drawl broke the silence, and Fate blinked.
"I took the liberty of accessing my employee's records. I figured getting around alone would be awkward."
'I should be mad.' Again, the image of Nanoha and a stray puppy imposed itself in her mind's eye. "Logical." was all Fate said.
Sure, that was absolutely what fed her decision-making processes, logic. 'As if someone that beautiful wouldn't have friends, or even a boyfriend?' Shaking off her mocking inner voice, Nanoha decided she was far too tired to think anymore. Transferring her guest to the pleasant embrace of her living room sofa, Nanoha left her to grab the rest of their things from the car.
The muted glow of running lights came on the moment the Takamachi woman had disengaged the electric lock. Taking in the understated furnishings, and the unfamiliar, expansive sea view, Fate surmised they were somewhere on the resort island off the coast of the mainland. Her one free hand trailed over the buttery leather surface of the sofa she was seated on. She knew there were private residences there, but had never actually been in one. So this was how the 1% lived in Singapore.
Time got away from her, and before she knew it, their meal was plated on simple corningware ceramic. A fan of Japanese cucumber, sliced to a precise 45 degree angle, adorned the side of the rustic dish, offering a splash of colour to the otherwise deceptively dull-looking meal.
A clever little table on wheels was pulled over by the executive, the contraption angled so its base was under the sofa while its hardwood surface hovered over her lap. Ingenious.
Nanoha set the plate before the blonde, fork included. Settling herself down on the other side of the L-shaped sofa, the executive dug into her own serving with lacquered bamboo chopsticks, the blonde noting that she was left-handed. Her motions were mechanical, taking no pleasure in the fragrant meal, just something she had to do.
"I would never have pegged you for a local eats type." Fate commented, after they had had some time to assuage the worst of their hunger pangs.
She was rewarded with a ghost of a smile, "Anyone worth their salt knows the best food is where the locals frequent." And the red light district was as local as it got.
Toying with a bit of silken rice noodle, drenched in the soy-based gravy, Fate studied the woman seated adjacent to her. 'Takamachi' certainly sounded foreign to the usual Asian names she had come across in her time working as an expatriate here, and she wondered just how foreign or local the executive was. "Considering how the day began, this wasn't how I had envisioned it would end." She observed instead.
Silent, the auburn woman simply looked at her from over her meal. Girding her loins, Fate soldiered on, manners demanding no less from her, "I allowed my emotions to get the better of me earlier; I apologise."
The blonde's lilting accent held shades of aristocratic inflections, easily matching the information her subordinates had pulled on the woman. The executive decided that she liked how this blonde spoke.
Swallowing her current mouthful, the Takamachi woman gave the impression of shrugging without having moved a muscle, a fascinating skill Fate wanted to study up close, "It wasn't the best of circumstances, if you would recall, Miss Testarossa." It still wasn't. The clamour of responsibility still blared incessantly in her mind, but she knew she wasn't going to get a lick of work done without her meds and some shut-eye.
Scarlet tendrils of the sun's setting trailed possessively over the executive's form, bathing her in a warmth that seemed to chase any perceived cold from her simple statement. Surely, those azure eyes weren't crinkling at the corners, at her? A sudden need to see a real smile from the executive gripped the blonde.
Not wanting to acknowledge where the urge stemmed from, she blurted, "Fate." At the other woman's blink, she continued, "I know w-we're not friends but…" wine-rich eyes dropped to the sling her arm was in. "Call me Fate."
"That's generous of you, Miss… um, Feito." said the woman who had just saved her off the damned ground and paid for her treatment and dinner. The executive's warm alto burred pleasantly as she tested the name on her lips, the word taking on an added mora, or sound shorter than a syllable, due to her faint but distinctive Japanese accent. Fate shivered and took another healthy bite; the doctor was right, she had to eat more.
The auburn-haired woman continued, trying not to ponder what might cause them to become friends, "Nanoha, then. Seeing as you're the only employee who has ever been to my place." It sounded like a pathetic excuse to her ears, but the blonde seemed to take it in stride.
'No fraternising with colleagues, hmm?' The unbidden thought flitted across Fate's mind, swatted away impatiently by Fate's better self. 'Isn't it a good thing you're getting fired in two days? Oh my gods, shut up.'
"N-Nanoha," she mumbled shyly, conflicting emotions waging a war across, to Nanoha, her now expressive face.
Not that it clued the executive on to anything, really. Deciding some levity was needed, she clicked the air with precise pinches of her chopsticks, drawing those interesting crimson pools up to meet her faintly teasing gaze, "Not N-Nanoha. Na, no, ha."
Watching pink creep up the blonde's leonine neck with delight, she grinned at the woman when she fought back her stammer and properly enunciated her name, "Fine! Nanoha!"
Chasing her grin with a cheeky, "Nyahaha!" the executive resumed consuming her meal neatly, showing immense skill with the eating implements.
Willing her heart to cease flip-flopping all over the place at the sight of that blindingly vibrant smile, with a criminally adorable giggle on top of, Fate ducked her head to hide behind the curtain of molten gold that was her hair. This was a side of the woman she would never have thought existed and it confused the blonde why she was reacting like so to what amounted to a complete stranger.
Nanoha cleared the dishes once both were done, rinsing them down before adding them to the half-load already in the dishwasher. Using the water dispenser by the sink, she filled up a glass with lukewarm water and returned, dropping off water and meds for Fate before remembering the poor woman only had one hand to work with. Wordlessly flicking away fine-boned fingers from plucking uselessly at the pill bottle, Nanoha settled next to the blonde and poured out the required doses into her roughened palms. A quirk of one finely arched brow was her only hint for Fate to be a good girl and take her pills.
Feeling ridiculously pampered for a not-friend and soon-to-be ex-employee, Fate did as she was silently ordered, earning her a wordless nod of satisfaction. Leaving the glass with Fate, Nanoha set the pills safely on the kitchen's island and swiftly threw back her own set of pills, washing them down with water as well.
Turning back to regard her unplanned guest, the executive took stock of her reserves. By her estimate, she had perhaps half an hour tops before she would be knocked out. Seizing on the most efficient course of action as was her wont, she padded to a cupboard and pulled out loose shorts and an oversized tee. Grabbing a L'Occitane day-pack off of a shelf, just one of many complimentary gifts people kept sending her, Nanoha set clothes and the day-pack beside her bathroom sink then simply princess-carried Fate into the bathroom, seating her on the side of a lavishly appointed bathtub.
The blonde had felt her protests die on her lips when the executive slipped her arms under her and carried her. The Takamachi's smooth gait was rock steady and Fate wondered just what did the woman do to maintain this level of fitness.
The apartment was silent through all this, words seemingly unneeded at this time. A faint flush coloured the blonde's cheeks, as her mind accurately deduced what needed to follow. She voiced no objections, however, when the Takamachi… no, when Nanoha began the stiffly formal process of helping her to disrobe herself.
Thanking all the femme gods she could name that she had put on a matching set of lacy underwear today, Fate did her best to ignore how her senses ignited at every spot where their brushing touches met, deciding this was just her body's natural response to a beautiful woman. She had always known where her preferences lay, but had never been able to take the plunge due to family circumstances. The novelty of this had to be the reason, no more.
Laboriously reciting prime numbers in her head, Nanoha performed the needed task with the detachment of a thrice-cursed saint. The executive had harboured no ulterior motives helping the blonde, it was simply the right thing to do, but it was impossible to deny the woman was exceedingly beautiful with an air of innocence that only made her more alluring to the auburn-haired woman.
Fate's injured ankle was cradled as khaki pants were pulled off of sinfully shapely hips, the garment folded and set aside. The executive was proud of how her hands did not shake. When her fingers were tangled in silken flax however... Out of Fate's sight, Nanoha's fingers did tremble as she gently drew aside the heavy fall of gold to grant her access to a smoothly arched neck and the sling knotted there. 'Get a grip, Takamachi.' She growled silently to herself.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Unconsciously exhaling, Nanoha's breath disturbed the fine pale gold hairs of Fate's neck, sending another shiver down the blonde's spine that the auburn tressed woman mistook for a reaction to the central air-conditioning. Making an absent note to up the temperature later, she carefully removed her guest's top. The sight of the glacial blonde clad in nothing but skimpy lace almost sent Nanoha careening to the ground, appearances be damned. This was enough to make her migraine but a mere kitten, mewling indignantly for attention. Swiftly, she tore her eyes away from that vision.
Cloaking herself with an air of detached professionalism, Nanoha opened a pack of hygienic wipes, pulling out a handful of sheets that she was certain her guest knew what to do with. Placing the easy to pull on shorts and tee within arm's reach of the blonde, along with a new toothbrush, the executive retreated to her guest bathroom then, to settle her own clean up and change of clothes.
Fate swallowed against the sudden dryness in her throat when Nanoha returned, the executive's simple white tank and shorts showing off her strong, supple body to good effect, not to mention the light bronze of skin that saw the sun on a regular basis. Oh the curves were still there, merely that the addition of sinewy power on clear display only increased the woman's attractiveness to Fate exponentially. Her hair was down, released from its severe ties to tumble fetchingly over strongly rounded shoulders, and with her face washed clean of any make-up, she looked… why, no older than Fate's own twenty-eight years of age.
'Well, that explains how she can move me around so easily.' Fate thought, dazedly.
With both women prepared for bed, silence continued to reign, neither feeling the need to speak when everything was so easily understood. Having no other bed aside from her own, Nanoha transferred Fate to the side set against the wall, not wanting the woman to accidentally take a tumble from an unfamiliar surface should she happen to wake in the night.
Tucked securely into her side of the bed, she watched as Nanoha increased the temperature of the air a few degrees before arranging a body pillow to be between either side of the bed. Instinctively, Fate knew it was to prevent Nanoha from moving around enough to further exacerbate Fate's injuries and the simple consideration curled warmly in the pit of her tummy.
The more the blonde watched her, the more Fate could see the lines of pain held back by the slimmest of margins, a force of will that refused to bend to a mere piffle like a migraine. Exchanging faint smiles with the other woman, Nanoha finally broke the silence, "Lights off. Good night, Feito." Feeling a light throw being pulled over her shoulders, she whispered, "Thank you, Nanoha."
Not friends, but something, the two fell into a dreamless sleep, the first for both in longer than they could remember.
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Limbs leaden with fatigue, Nanoha attempted to claw her way out of a blanketing darkness. Strangely, it did not feel oppressive, merely encompassing, and blessedly dreamless. Nostrils flaring at the vaguely familiar scent her senses picked up, she drew an experimental breath, pleased to feel no more than a dull throb at the base of her skull. Cheek pillowed upon a soft, fragrant surface, the executive took stock of her surroundings, eyes still closed. It was a game she used to play with… well, nevermind that. The steady rise and fall of the surface she was plastered over gave a slight clue as to where she might have been.
Mmm, the Testarossa account, Shamal, dinner, lacy underwear…
Frozen, her eyes flew open and she stomped down the urge to panic by only the slimmest of margins. Greeting her was the slim expanse of a tummy, clad thinly in an old tee, and below that, legs that did indeed, go on forever. Hating her snuggle slut tendencies and wondering where the damned body pillow had gone, she gingerly prised herself off of her far too comfortable sleeping surface.
Except an arm in a sling had been thrown over Nanoha's back, effectively pinning her where she lay. The soft weight was addicting, and the executive made a decision that she had to put some professional distance between them, or the proverbial excrement would hit the air-circulatory rotary devices.
'Carefully, carefully…' The words a silent mantra, Nanoha extricated herself from under the blonde's arm, gently laying the injured appendage back down across the tummy she had been observing up close and personally mere moments earlier.
Fate was still asleep, tresses strewn around her head like a halo. She appeared utterly angelic to Nanoha's admiring eyes. A neat sleeper, Nanoha noted, feeling that somehow, she knew that already. Out of the corner of one eye, she spied the delinquent body pillow, hanging haphazardly over the foot of the bed. 'Fat lot of good you were,' Nanoha scoffed. A mocking silence was her only reply.
With an internal groan, Nanoha rolled out of her side of the bed, stretching in a flexible display to work out her morning kinks. Glad for her waveless waterbed since she didn't want to disturb the blonde, she left Fate to continue her much needed rest and padded over to the living room. Grabbing her smart remote, she set all alerts to mute, channelling any to the smartwatch she had slipped on. Amazed at the lack of messages, she leaned an elbow on her standing desk, allowing her system to wake at the scan of one blue retina.
Quickly, she sifted through the restricted inbox only a select few had access to.
Hayate is holding off the hounds of doofus-ville but she needs something before the week's out. - Vita
Nanoha quietly rattled off a quick acknowledgement using her voice-to-text programme, opting not to use her mechanical keyboard for fear of disturbing her guest.
Ginga-nee came by again. Told her you was bz, which is true, right? Right. Anyway, we're holding off on updating the mainframes 'fore you get back. Weather report's iffy, too. We're doing maintenance on the generators instead just to be doubly sure. - Subaru
Eyes closing, Nanoha let out a quiet breath. 'Blast that rain check.'
"Good thinking; like the initiative. - Nanoha"
There, that would bolster the younger woman's fickle self-confidence. Sighing, she swivelled in her Herman-Miller to cast a critical glance over the ocean. Angry, billowing clouds greeted her eyes, and a quick check on the residents' chat-group informed her that all island crossings would be on hold until further notice. The white caps frothing up the usually placid waters of the sea was more than reason enough for Nanoha.
Good thing it was Saturday with little need for residents to get off what was essentially a holiday retreat island. Hopefully the weather warnings would keep work in stasis until she could resolve this account Hayate had dropped onto her lap like a rotting fish.
Done with her most pressing issue bar one, Nanoha checked on her guest once more, and seeing no change, decided to get breakfast started. Inspecting her pantry, she smiled to see Erio had just restocked all essentials. He must have been following the weather forecasts like a hawk. It was this and more that made him so indispensable to the residents he served out on the island.
Yawning so huge that she squeaked, Fate sat up on the waterbed, rubbing her eyes with her free hand. Looking around blearily, she only just realised Nanoha had been standing over her, about to wake Fate herself. The executive had on the cutest pink apron complete with little bunny prints, the cloth barely able to contain the generous bust line of the woman wearing it.
Nanoha tried to jump start a brain that had shut down at the sight, and sound, of Fate waking. 'She squeaked, oh my gods, that was so adorable, what the hell…' Clearing her throat, she cracked a faint smile, the warmth of which gave her eyes a bottomless quality, "About time for your next dose. Need help?"
Nodding mutely, Fate accepted the assistance to get to the dining table. Smelling of salt, sea and sun, the blonde discovered an odd urge to nuzzle into the body holding her up. 'I must be really out of it.' As she limped her way to the dining area, Fate frowned at the obvious strand of auburn hair clinging to the right side of her borrowed tee. Curious. Then her eyes fell on what adorned the table, and she was left momentarily speechless. "I, wow…"
Classic bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs heaped a large serving plate and beside that, a stack of pancakes, still faintly steaming. In, of all things, a Totoro ceramic, sat what Fate suspected to be hand-whipped cream with a serving teaspoon stood up in the stiff treat. A small bowl of fresh strawberries, de-stemmed, lured the onlooker with how succulent they looked. Finally, a carafe of freshly-squeezed orange juice and a pour jug of maple syrup completed the princely spread.
Refusing to blush under the blonde's scrutiny, Nanoha cleared her throat, "I'm a big eater." Frankly, she had overheard Shamal suggesting the blonde eat more, and while not the sort to dictate to… colleagues how they should conduct their eating habits, the auburn-haired woman was not above providing plenty of temptation within easy reach.
"I… I'll try to help." Fate murmured, wondering how to even get started on such an over the top repast. Seating herself not opposite, but beside the blonde, Nanoha began to cut Fate's pancakes into easily speared servings. True, she could have just tossed milk and cereal together and given Fate a spoon, but those boxes were lies within lies. 'Part of a complete breakfast my arse.'
Unable to wrap her mind around the sight of TSAB's big shot executive cutting pancakes for her, the blonde couldn't do more than just watch graceful hands at work. Settling into another comfortable silence, Fate's eyes slid over to study the little cartoon character taking pride of place in the middle of the spread. She mumbled something before taking a bite of the wonderfully fluffy pancake, now topped with some whipped cream and maple syrup.
"Pardon? I didn't catch that." Nanoha asked, glancing up from her own breakfast with a faint smile playing over her lips.
"M-Mononoke Hime is my favourite." Fate finally clarified, shooting Nanoha a dark look for forcing her to say it twice. Studio Ghibli's animated movies were world famous and Fate had taken a distinct interest in them growing up. For some reason, she did not want to appear childish in front of this astonishingly competent woman.
Chuckling, the sound seeming to come from deep within that lithe torso, Nanoha made a small 'ah' of understanding. Honestly, was it any surprise that the blonde enjoyed a movie about a princess fighting to save her forest against enemies within and without? Deciding there would be little harm in sharing, she said, "Whisper of the Heart is mine." There was that blinding smile again. It lit the room and for a long moment, there was only the sound of their breathing and the faint hum of the central air system cycling.
Fate easily recalled the movie Nanoha mentioned - a wistful, down to earth tale of a girl in Japan's countryside, drifting through life until a chance meeting with someone inspired her into fighting for her future by the person's side. She wondered if the setting was similar to where the executive grew up.
A calloused hand lifted to cup Fate's cheek, breaking the growing silence, and the roughened pad of Nanoha's thumb brushed itself across the blonde's lips, "You um, had some cream there…" the executive explained, pulling her hand back quickly.
Stammering her thanks, Fate returned to her meal, her cheeks flaming. 'What is wrong with me? I'm supposed to hate her!' Yet, in her heart of hearts, she wondered if she ever had to begin with.
Mood broken, Nanoha sighed, "Don't thank me too soon, Feito." Gaze shuttered once more, as if to guard against an expected lashing out, the executive elaborated, "You've become my prisoner, probably for the weekend."
Mouth dropping open, she stared at Nanoha.
"The road out is closed due to a weather advisory, neither ferry nor cable car will be in operation until we get the all clear."
Snapping her mouth closed, Fate finally noticed the ominous cloud cover visible through the huge windows facing out to the sea. Gods, everyone was relying on her to save their hides and she was out on a freaking resort island like it was a weekend getaway!
Azure gaze following the other woman's unspoken thoughts, she quietly added, "I know I gave you the weekend; it's what I gave me, too."
Fate drew back slightly as if slapped. Nanoha's plan had been to try to find a workable middle ground as well! A faint sliver of hope began to wend its stubborn way into a heart now beating triple time, the staccato loud in her ears.
"We've got our work cut out for us," the blonde's soft voice was a balm to Nanoha's ears. Accepting, determined.
We. She studied the blonde for long moments, seeing nothing to set her usually prickly caution off. Fate truly, honestly, wanted nothing but to do whatever it took to keep everyone's roof over their heads.
Quirking that lopsided smile that Fate was beginning to find endearing, Nanoha nodded and applied herself to her meal. She was going to need the fuel.
Fate matched Nanoha's every helping with one of her own.