Fate had returned to the Takamachi compound the night before to find the police commissioner there. He'd come to return her cellphone which had been picked up as evidence and the blonde felt the loss of her memories keenly once more. The model of phone was different from what she last recalled using, same with the reading glasses she had found in her luggage. Thankfully, it used biometrics for security, allowing her to unlock it with a thumbprint.
In it, a ream of unread messages awaited her attention, but only one stood out from a name she recalled hearing.
'Yagami H. - Fate, call me.'
Nervously, she listened to the ringtone, and after three rings, her call was picked up.
"H-Hello? This is Fate, I was asked to call…"
"Fate-san!" The unfamiliar female voice spoke perfect english with a hint of some accent Fate couldn't quite pinpoint. She sounded incredibly relieved. "I'm so glad you got my message."
Sitting on the edge of her borrowed bed, Fate fiddled nervously with her reading glasses. "Thank you… for the guards."
"Please, it is the least we can do." This Yagami person seemed to think little of the costs being incurred. "I know it's hard to keep track of everything after what happened. So do take your time to adjust. I'm Yagami Hayate, CEO of TSAB. You were hired a few months ago as my AVP of Operations, reporting directly to Takamachi Nanoha, the EVP of Operations. You still have your laptop, hai?"
"Y-Yes, it was in my luggage."
"Okay, good. Leave it there."
Fate pulled her phone away to stare at it for a second. Gingerly, she brought the device back to her ear, wondering all the while if she had misheard the boss of her boss, "I b-beg your pardon?"
"Don't push yourself. You've had a… disturbing experience, and TSAB values not just your physical but also your mental health. Nano-chan has searched high and low for an AVP she can work with, and we would very much like to keep you in the role you're in." Hayate closed her eyes and crossed her fingers, hoping she wasn't revealing too much against Nanoha's wishes.
"I… That's very kind, Miss Yagami…"
"Hayate is fine. And yes, just leave work aside for now. Focus on finding your bearings, read some news. Maybe read it to Nano-chan. I'm sure she'd like to stay updated on what's happening in the world and… and…" Hayate's lips quivered. She'd read the report her uncle in the force had obtained for her, including the full extent of Nanoha's injuries. They had been so close to losing her again.
"...And I think she has trouble holding a newspaper right now." Fate could hear the sob the CEO was unable to hide, and she immediately grasped what the woman was trying to say. Please look after my friend.
"...Understood." The blonde responded gravely, "I will read to her until I lose my voice."
Hayate choked out a blubbery laugh, "Please, no. Nano-chan would kill me. I don't need my AVP to lose her voice, or my EVP to lose…" A sniffle was heard this time, "Just come back to Singapore safely," Hayate finished thickly.
"We will do that, but there may be some delay. Miss Nanoha tore open one of her wounds yesterday…"
"Oh my gods," The CEO squeaked, "Why can't she sit still for even a week?! Fate-san, please, just sit on her if she tries to overextend herself. Tell her you're doing it under my orders if she tries to complain." Fate felt her cheeks warm at the thought of sitting on those legs she had seen and she turned to face the wall. Ginga was in the room, still guarding her.
The bodyguard was on the futon laid out by the only entrance to the room. She had changed to a more casual sweatpants and tee get-up and was discreetly ignoring any conversation she was hearing. An extendable baton and Maglite lay by the head of her bedding while she scrolled through her phone.
"U-Understood," Fate said again, thoroughly unused to the CEO's casual way of speaking.
"Only when you think Nano-chan is well enough are either of you allowed to access your laptops. I'm placing you in charge of that decision. I know Nano-chan will try to get right back to work before she's ready. So make sure she knows you're in charge here."
"I w-will do so, M… Hayate."
The line fell silent, Hayate struggling with wanting to say more. Damn that Nanoha for extracting promises from them. Worse, she knew Ginga had been assigned to Fate and was most probably situated in the same room as the blonde to guard her according to the terms of the contract.
"Listen, Fate-san. You worked well with Nano-chan. I know she's a stranger to you, but give it time and you'll find your way back to being good… colleagues again, all right? Remember, she's the one who hired you."
Fate nodded before remembering the woman couldn't see her, "I… yes. I will keep that in mind. Thank you, Hayate."
"Thank me by sitting on Nano-chan when she's being bad. Good night, Fate-san. I'm glad you're all right." The call ended, and Fate flopped down onto the downy softness of her bed, burying her warm face into the coolness of her pillow.
First it was her siblings, and it sounded quite plausible, the way Kyoya-san had framed his request, echoed then by Miyuki-san. Then it was her mother, who also sounded very reasonable, explaining how the family would be busy. Now it was her friend and CEO, also requesting for Fate to take charge of Nanoha's convalescence.
Surely the lovely lavender-haired bodyguard would've been a better choice for this? Fate's knack for languages had her picking up japanese fairly quickly while she spent her time immersed in the people and language here. The conversation she'd inadvertently overheard while pretending to nap had her insides in a knot, and she couldn't fathom why.
Evidently, the bodyguard and Nanoha had been in a relationship in the past. So that meant both of them were open to dating other women? That was a surprise. Was that why the executive seemed to be unmarried? Did her family approve? Fate was unable to grasp all of the nuances in their conversation, only that this Ginga person missed the executive, and wanted to be with her again.
Nanoha hadn't sounded enthusiastic about Ginga's revelation, speaking more about protecting Fate. Was it because the blonde was royalty, and she felt some sort of obligation to keep her safe? Fate thought she would've made it clear at the start that she held no loyalty to her family, but perhaps she had neglected to mention it earlier. It was so frustrating to not know what all she'd told her boss in the time that they had known each other.
What was clear was that the quiet executive hid layers beneath her exterior that had surprised the blonde with their intensity. Even laying where she was, eyes closed and pretending to sleep, she could feel a moment when it seemed the room would go up in flames. Whatever Nanoha had been speaking about, something about her decisions, it boded no one any good to contradict her.
Fate wondered at the faith those around Nanoha had placed in her, to confront that sort of intense fire and prevail. Slipping quietly under the covers, she tucked her knees to her chest. In a sea of strangers whose focus was all on the executive, Fate felt more alone than ever. She took out her phone again, idly scrolling through its imported camera roll, starting from when she still remembered herself, her life.
Eventually, she reached images she didn't recall. Pictures of Alph playing a fool at someone's birthday celebration in what looked like offices of some sort. She needed to call her old friend soon. A few pictures of a small, homely looking apartment. Its decor suited her tastes, and she guessed that it was probably her home in Singapore.
A beach at sunset that she didn't recognise appeared now, displaying a riot of reds, oranges and pinks, with pleasure crafts dotting the horizon. Now an unfamiliar office, one with floor to ceiling windows and a fancy standing desk with expensive new hardware. Was this her office in TSAB? Incredible. Even the plants lining the window sill looked young, freshly bought.
The picture roll was interrupted by some screenshots of a ramen recipe, another for japanese chashu, and yet another for the sweetened egg omelette Momoko-san had made for them for lunch. Was she learning how to cook Japanese cuisine? Maybe she could ask the woman for tips if so.
Scrolling to the present, Fate froze. A candid image of a strikingly gorgeous woman filled her phone's screen. She was in a fitted shirt and pants ensemble complete with black suspenders, the cut obviously tailored to mould perfectly to her body. In the middle of tugging off her black tie, shirt unbuttoned at the top, she was looking in the picture's direction, eyes on the photographer while chatting. Chatting with whom? Her old self? The fiery highlights in the woman's side plait gave away her identity. It was her boss.
Why was she taking candid pictures of her boss? The blonde swallowed, glad she was under the covers so Ginga couldn't possibly see what was on her screen. Was this why she found their bodyguards' uniforms appealing? 'You mean sexy,' her mind scoffed. She prodded at the screen and compared the date the image was created, to today's date. It'd been taken from just a week ago.
A week, to turn this vibrantly beautiful woman, into what was lying in the ICU of St. Luke's. She covered her mouth to muffle her sobs. Nanoha kept insisting it wasn't Fate's fault, that it was her duty, but what sort of duty would demand that the executive be reduced to such a state? It still didn't add up.
Ginga listened to the blonde cry herself to sleep, eyes of shadowed green watching the lump under the covers shaking. Wishing she had the luxury to do the same, she closed her eyes and fell into a light, watchful sleep.
----------------------------------------
It had taken Nanoha an intense session of cajoling and threats to be allowed out of her bed. She'd initially refused the use of a wheelchair, which had been her doctor's first requirement, only acceding when it was clear her arm in the sling would be of no use with a walker. Nodding to every acerbic instruction and caution she had to take to be allowed out of her bed, she quietly translated it all to her AVP who had once again showed up after breakfast to visit.
"And so help me, all the kami-sama in the world won't protect you if I find you've pulled open one of your wounds again!" The doctor stared down at her bull-headed patient to emphasise her warning. Looking at the blonde stationed quietly in the wings, the doctor pointed at the executive, "Must behave, hai?"
Standing at attention under the doctor's irate scrutiny, Fate nodded, solemnly promising, "I will make her behave." A statement that garnered her a beady-eyed look from Nanoha that the blonde fervently hoped wasn't a look of challenge.
Hurumphing mightily, the doctor called for a nurse to fetch a wheelchair for this headache of a patient. The doctor and nurse demonstrated to the women how to get Nanoha in and out of the chair safely.
"NII JIIKAN," The doctor shoved a v-sign into Nanoha's face, forcefully. "She gave me two hours outside," the executive dryly translated for Fate.
Checking the time, Fate nodded. It was around nine in the morning. Two hours would allow them time to get back to have the lunch Momoko-san had packed for them. Feeling her jeans pocket, Fate checked that her phone was still with her before sitting by Nanoha on the bed's edge and carefully ducking under the woman's right arm to help her shift into the chair.
Both doctor and nurse stood back to observe the blonde, checking to see if she had gotten the correct technique down. Nanoha's jaw clenched against the pain that erupted all over her torso. Miyuki was right, Kevlar wasn't magic. The vest had saved her from two additional holes, but that was it. The impacts had still been enough to bruise and fracture bone. Refusing to make a sound, she forced long unused legs to bear the brunt of her weight, leaning only lightly on the blonde who threw her a sharp look.
"Nanoha-san, I can take it," she quietly scolded the woman who only quirked her lips at Fate. "I know," she whispered in a strained voice. Transferring the woman's IV bag to the wheelchair's hook, Fate tucked the thick throw that the nurse had brought around Nanoha, and bowed to the medical personnel. Once the women had bowed back, she beat a hasty exit with the executive.
Ginga had swapped places with Rein who was off sleeping in her car and she blinked to see her clients exiting the room. Rising, she followed a few paces behind them. The government agents had been dismissed once it was determined that the women had twenty-four hour watch.
"Where to?" Fate asked the silently recovering executive. There was a worrying hint of paleness in the woman's lips and Fate could see faint traces of perspiration on her brow. The doctor was right, she was at least a day early getting out of bed.
"Somewhere with sun, please," the woman politely requested, her one free hand gripping tightly at the chair's armrest. Nodding, Fate checked the signs on the ceiling and headed for the rooftop gardens.
The automatic doors opened into a tranquil scene built expressly for the well-being of convalescing patients. The garden reminded Fate of the one in the Takamachi compound. All that were missing were the old bonsai trees. Benches were scattered around each winding pathway, allowing a small measure of privacy in case of multiple visitors to the premises, and each had a built-in overhang to provide shelter from the weather.
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The autumn morning was crisp and still, and the blonde could see Nanoha inhaling against the bandages wrapped tightly around her torso. An image flashed through her mind of an auburn-haired woman running in the sun, but it was too quick for Fate to catch a hold of it.
Sighing, it reminded her of the fleeting dreamscape she had woken to earlier on, of a crowded gym, and exercise machines. The lack of context continued to frustrate her, even as she knew it was still too early to tell if she would ever get back more than these snippets of scenes.
Mistaking Fate's sigh for boredom, Nanoha glanced up and over her shoulder, blue eyes regretful, "Apologies for troubling you."
Immediately, Fate responded, "It is no trouble at all," wishing to add that it was the least she could do after all Nanoha had gone through. The knowledge that the intensely independent and stubborn executive wouldn't take kindly to the notion that the blonde felt guilty stayed her tongue. "I… wish to get to know you better." There, something safe, and truthful.
Another over the shoulder glance, this time dubious. Turning back to watch the passing scenery as Fate wheeled her further into the gardens, Nanoha squinted out into the distance, picking out various Tokyo landmarks that she could recognise, "There isn't much to know," Nanoha said, her voice barely carrying over the sound of gravel crunching under the chair's wheels.
"That's what all the strong and silent ones like to say," Fate teased, pulling to a stop by a secluded bench that had an evergreen oak for a companion. Its branches cast pleasing shadows and a cheerily bubbling pool of koi fish swam some feet away. "How is this spot?"
Nanoha had been caught off-guard by the tease, finding this 'younger' Fate a little more carefree with her words. "This is fine, thank you." She watched the woman carefully lock the wheelchair's wheels into place before settling down into the bench next to her. "How did I end up with that title?"
"You mean you are not?" Fate feigned surprise. She held up one fine-boned hand, ticking fingers off in Nanoha's face, "Takes four bullets to the chest and survives, tries to bow while recovering from said bullets, says one word when she can say five…" Nanoha caught the ring finger that hadn't been lowered yet, "Blows away from a stiff gust of wind…"
Fate tsked and rescued her finger from the executive, "Leaves her bed a day early, pretends she's boring when it's the opposite… Hmm, I've run out of fingers."
Nanoha's head fell back as blue eyes studied the canopy of branches overhead before drifting closed. "I'm just your average shark without a suit, Fate-san. There really isn't much else to me." A faint breeze had come up, brushing at the mussed bangs that had fallen into the woman's eyes.
Away from all the tubes and wires, Nanoha looked much closer to the image the blonde kept hidden away in her phone, and Fate wondered how she could have thought of the executive as being merely pretty.
In spite of the woman's hospital pallor, there was a harmony of lines that gave her a noble air. The smooth sharpness of her jaw flowed into a chin that held more than a hint of stubbornness and finely arched brows some shades darker than her auburn locks framed large, expressive eyes of the deepest blue. Sinfully long lashes now cast shadows over high cheekbones and her straight, slightly upturned nose was a perfect complement to lush lips shaped like a Cupid's bow. The hollowness in her cheeks, and shadows in her eyes, merely accentuated every feature and the blonde hoped that Momoko-san's cooking and lots of rest would help put that to rights soon.
Realising she was staring, Fate fixed her gaze on the sedately swimming fish in the distance instead, glad that Nanoha's eyes had been closed. "I know I have lapses in my memory, but even with that, I do not think I have ever heard of a corporate shark with bullet wounds."
The blonde's mellifluous voice remained light, and Nanoha knew that Fate was doing her best to dig her gloomy behind out of the hole it had fallen into after her chat with Ginga. Fate had stirred from her nap a good while after the lavender-haired woman had left, none the wiser about what they had spoken about.
It was just as well that Nanoha was distancing herself from the blonde, seeing how her mood had plummeted despite all of Fate's efforts to help wash her hair. The sweet blonde had bid her a confused good night before leaving once visiting hours were over, and Nanoha had resigned herself to another spate of unwelcome dreams.
Nanoha could still sense Ginga in the vicinity, smell that mild perfume she continued to favour after all these years. She wondered how sharp the woman's hearing was. "First time for everything, I suppose. I still eat, sleep and shit like the rest of the world." She kept her eyes closed, absorbing the blonde's close presence without giving away that she was doing so. Fate had picked a simple combination of jeans and tank top, with a baggy sweater layered on top, and it was safer to close her eyes than to be caught staring.
That faint hint of rose and lilac tickled at her senses, reminding her of mornings in the ryokan, waking up tangled up in limbs and yukata. The irony of mourning for someone still alive was not lost on the executive, and she blew out a steadying breath in favour of laughing at her stupid self. "Feels good to be outside," she commented, lips twitching as she held back an insane and sudden urge to laugh, or scream, or punch something.
Fate watched the woman absorbing the rays of gold slipping through the branches overhead. "Are you in the sun a lot, in Singapore?"
A sound emerged from the woman's throat as she continued to rest her head on the back of her wheelchair, "I like starting the day with a run."
Something niggled at the back of Fate's mind, "You live near the sea." It was a statement, not a question, and the blonde could see the truth of it when the executive's eyes flew open to stare at her. Seeming almost afraid, Nanoha licked her lips, "What… do you recall?"
Her AVP shook her head sadly, "Nothing. It was just an impression."
"An accurate one," Nanoha noted grimly. "Fate-san," she began, blue eyes guardedly watching the blonde for more possible 'impressions', "You may experience fear, or confusion, when… if your memories return. I… am sorry."
"Why do you keep apologising?" Fate studied the woman who had retreated back into her shell, presenting a cautious front to the blonde.
The woman had no answer, her jaw working for long moments before she closed her eyes once more, this time in defeat, "Just know that I regret your loss."
Nanoha felt a soft hand covering her own and she opened her eyes to orbs of rich wine red that held nothing but understanding and compassion, "Some things are simply out of our control." The blonde's sweet soprano wove a spell around the executive, and she was helpless to break free, "I may not have known you for long but I believe that lack of control is anathema to you. Whatever happened, I don't hold it against you." She squeezed calloused fingers, the only things exposed by the women's cast, "I forgive you," she repeated clearly.
"How…" Nanoha cleared her throat against the sudden husk in her voice, "How do you know what to say, when it's you who's lost your memories?" Azure gaze swirling with unvoiced emotion stared wonderingly at Fate. "Maybe I try to listen to what you are not saying," the woman whispered, feeling herself drawn into those blue whirlpools.
The air had grown thick between them, and alarms blared in the back of Nanoha's mind. This was wrong. This could not happen. Clearing her throat a little more loudly this time, she carefully removed her hand from under Fate's, deliberately fixing her eyes on some inoffensive shrubbery in the distance. She fancied she could see a figure with lavender hair behind it.
"You are a good listener," Nanoha muttered grudgingly. A gentle smile was her reply. "It has been a week," Fate began, before adding, "Or years for me. Would you like to catch up on some news together?"
One blue orb rolled to the side to peer at the blonde from under a fringe that could use a trim, "That's a good idea. Maybe I can help fill in the major events for you." This was better. Something safe and impersonal was needed, before the natural affinity she felt for the princess got any worse and she slipped up.
"We are still wearing masks. Is the pandemic still going?" Nanoha eyed the blonde, expression droll, "Starting with the easy stuff, huh? Well, you see…"
Ginga frowned from behind the shrubbery she had stationed herself at. It allowed for a clear view of the exits, as well as that of her clients who seemed deep in conversation. Though she couldn't hear anything, it was obvious that the blonde was warming to Nanoha in spite of the executive keeping a marked distance between them. She supposed she couldn't blame the princess. Nanoha could charm the socks off of anyone without trying. It was little wonder she had been elected to be student council president twice even while sporting the temperament of a wolverine with a thorn in its paw.
"...And AI will take over everyone's jobs in the next five years." Nanoha concluded her impromptu 'Brief History Of Time' lecture.
"I do not know if I should applaud or run screaming for the hills," Fate murmured, finding the executive a natural-born public speaker.
Clearing a throat gone dry from more talking than she had done in a long time, Nanoha settled herself a little more snugly under her thick throw. The weather had grown a slightly colder and she was beginning to feel the aches in old and new injuries alike. "There's time to do both if you're motivated enough." The woman had an obvious charisma that easily drew a person's attention and not even a wheelchair was enough to hold that personality in check.
Fate noticed and rose to tuck the throw more tightly around the executive's body. "We should head back. It's almost time for lunch." Annoyed with herself, she added, "I should have remembered to bring some water, too."
"You weren't expecting me to say five words instead of one." Kneeling by the wheelchair to unlock its wheels, Fate propped an arm over Nanoha's covered legs, looking up at the executive from her vantage point. "Are you always this full of sass?" The question was asked in good humour and the corners of Nanoha's lips twitched. "Depends on the company."
"I get the feeling I have to constantly be on my toes around you," Fate mused as she began pushing the injured woman back towards where they had come from.
"Please don't, I'd get a crick in my neck." Suddenly, it dawned on Nanoha that they were beginning to fall back into their old bantering habits and if she could've kicked herself, she would have. She was getting too comfortable around the blonde again, and the veiled look Ginga had dropped her as she was wheeled past the bodyguard told her that others were noticing it.
'Shit, shit, shit.'
"Oh come now, you cannot be that short."
"You're that tall." Out of Fate's line of sight, Nanoha bit at her bottom lip to make herself stop quipping back at the blonde.
Back amongst others, Fate could sense Nanoha pulling back again. After two hours of interacting with her boss, time that flew by shockingly quickly, the blonde was slowly forming a notion that the woman didn't feel free to let her guard down most of the time. Considering the position both she and Fate were in, the blonde could see why. A quick web search had pulled up information on TSAB that dwarfed anything Testarossa Inc. could ever dream to grow into. The woman hadn't been exaggerating about huge layoffs in bad fiscal years.
Secure in the knowledge that her boss didn't dislike her, the blonde folded the woman's throw aside and lowered the hospital bed to more easily help Nanoha back onto it. Again, the woman's jaw was clenched to hide how much effort it was taking her, but to Fate, her colour seemed better for having spent some time in the open.
"Thank you," the woman said quietly while Fate looked for the button to shift the bed into an incline for Nanoha to have her lunch. Wine-red eyes crinkled at the corners at her boss, "Thanks for not trying to bow again." That earned her a sharp look, and Fate wondered if she had stuck her foot in her mouth this time. But the woman relaxed into a small lopsided smile, "You have a dumb boss."
"Oh yea? My boss was smart enough to hire me, so she cannot be all that bad." To that, Nanoha could only shake her head. The little jaunt outside had taken more out of her than she had realised. "Hey, are you feeling all right?" A soft hand was slipping under her fringe to feel her forehead, placing the blonde's lips dangerously close. Blindsided by a sudden desire to lean forward to claim them, Nanoha bit her lip and quickly looked away, "I'm fine," she mumbled, voice thick.
Fate had been frowning slightly, worried that the trip out had triggered a fever or something. A glance down at the auburn-haired woman found the blonde gripped in a heated sea of tropical blue. Instinctively, she felt her body responding and she leaned a hair closer. Until Nanoha had turned away, leaving Fate with a rapidly beating heart and a confusing warmth between her legs.
'What… What was that?' She wondered shakily. It was as if her body knew something she didn't. Mumbling some words about washing her hands, Fate beat a hasty retreat into the ward's washroom. The face staring back at her in the mirror was flushed and she could see that her eyes were dilated. Swallowing hard, she took calming breaths and splashed her face with cold water.
This was insanity. She had effectively just met the woman days ago! Pulling out her phone, she scrolled back to the image of Nanoha she'd found in it last night. She traced the form with a finger. Maybe her past self knew something she herself had yet to figure out in the present. Locking her phone, she stuck it back into her jeans pocket and braced herself to go back outside.
The executive was flipping unenthusiastically though cable channels before settling on a business one, right where Fate had left her. She was flexing her bare feet on the mattress, one up, one down, in slow succession to stretch her calves. Even when she was meant to be resting, she was working. The blonde felt a twinge of guilt to realise she had neglected to cover the woman back up and swiftly moved to rectify that.
Nanoha blinked to realise Fate was back. It was unnerving how the blonde slipped past her senses, while still overwhelming them when she was close by. It was as if the normal rules didn't apply to the princess and the executive knew this was hazardous ground to be on. She gave the woman a small smile of thanks, still not quite able to look her in the eye.
Fate excused herself a moment to hand Ginga one of Momoko's bento boxes. Returning, she gingerly placed the other two on the overbed table and wheeled it to position them before Nanoha. Exchanging looks, Fate reached over to open the first slowly.
"If it's noodles, I'll have to borrow your phone to yell at my mother…" That broke the sombre mood they had descended into and Fate snickered faintly. "Don't yell at your poor mother. I'm certain she was singing whilst preparing them."
Nanoha appeared horrified, "Kami, I hope not. She can't carry a tune in TWO buckets."
Lifting the lid, both women heaved twin sighs of relief. A ginormous breaded pork cutlet on a bed of rice confronted them with mouthwatering scents. A smaller compartment was packed full with shredded cabbage and sesame cream salad sauce, and the last was filled with a runny egg, onions and scallions omelette. Predictably, the other box was again filled with fruits.
The cutlet had been cut into easy to scoop, bite-sized pieces and Fate smiled. "Your mother loves you so much," she murmured, not meaning for a hint of envy to slip into her voice. Glancing at the wistfully smiling blonde, Nanoha patted the woman's hand, "She would adopt you in a heartbeat." 'At least, she wouldn't try to kidnap you and erase your memories…'
If there was someone Nanoha really wanted to pay a visit to, it would be Precia Testarossa. In fact, she would definitely be making time for it someday in the future. Carefully masking her dark thoughts, she gave the woman casting a politely doubtful glance towards her a reassuring nod, "Really," easily reading the blonde's unspoken question. "You're staying in the clan house, aren't you?"
Nodding hesitantly, Fate began spooning up a serving for the executive. "She never does that. Means she likes you." She patted Fate's hand again before accepting the bite. The blonde had fallen into a thoughtful silence, quietly switching between feeding Nanoha two bites for every one she took. Somehow the thought of the kind woman accepting her into the household made Fate feel unaccountably warm, and to her embarrassment, she found herself blinking back tears.
"Perhaps I am not as alone as I thought, then." If her voice sounded husky, neither woman noticed.
"You are not alone." Nanoha risked leaning over to catch the other woman's eyes, shrugging off the protest her torso filed with her for doing so. "There is Alph, Erio and Caro in Singapore, too." Fate did tear up this time, and she brushed impatiently at her eyes, "I-I apologise. I don't know what has gotten into me…"
Azure gaze understanding, Nanoha continued to hold the blonde's eyes, knowing this was important. "Not alone," she repeated adamantly. Though speaking of that trio, Nanoha was going to have to make some difficult calls. Time was of the essence. Unable to hold that pose any longer, Nanoha exhaled and settled back against the bed's incline. Gods, that waist wound did not like that at all.
"Maybe I'll ask Momoko-san to teach me some of her recipes, her bento are amazing," Fate finally said, dredging a pained smile out of the executive, "Kaa-san… would love that." She chewed with her eyes closed, carefully shunting away the throbbing ache for just a little while longer. "Are you sure you are all right?"
"Just a little… tired."
A slim hand squeezed the auburn-haired woman's good shoulder, "We will finish up lunch and nap. You need it."
The executive nodded, drained enough that she had forgotten to hate appearing this weak in front of others.