Wishing they were alone, Fate took in Nanoha's form with a marked level of greediness that she hoped the loitering bodyguards would not notice. Now that she was out of her casts, the Japanese woman had reverted back to what the blonde's sketchy memories told her was her usual mode of dress when Nanoha meant to work out.
A black and pink double-layered top encased the woman's form snugly, its halter design concealing the hickey Fate had marked Nanoha with the night before. It was also an obvious choice to avoid chafing at the still-tender wounds in the woman's left shoulder. Similarly chosen to avoid irritating the wounds in Nanoha's waist, a simple pair of black tights covered her lower half. Cut low enough to sit below the executive's hips, the full outfit offered Fate an exceedingly good view of the woman's body.
The blonde knew the woman's ravaged form had lost some mass compared to what she could recall, but what remained still sent her heart rate soaring and she realised it was the personality and spirit of the woman that had always pulled at her. Long auburn hair had been tugged through the back of a baseball cap, mimicking a ponytail, and Nanoha was hefting a fair-size water bottle in one hand, a spare cap in the other, while she waited on Fate to join her on the porch.
Sharp azure had been drinking in the peace of the sheltered cove laid out in the distance, and Fate admired the noble cast of Nanoha’s profile from her vantage point inside of the apartment. Stepping out onto the porch, the expected hawk-eyed gaze snapped around to find the source of the sound and Fate felt her rapidly beating heart skip a beat.
Nanoha bit back a low growl of appreciation at the sight of the blonde. Her mind had been preoccupied with thoughts about how they would handle Monday morning, though she held back on making any decisions until she had gotten Fate's input. Then the object of her thoughts appeared and all thought faded into the background.
Fate marvelled at how those brilliantly blue eyes never left her own, the gaze widening perceptively and paying no attention to the rest of her person at all. In the most fundamental way, Nanoha was telling Fate that nothing about the blonde mattered to the woman other than that she be herself, whatever that was at any given time.
Warmed to her very toes, Fate drew closer. "Hey." Uncertain just how 'out' Nanoha was, she kept a conscious distance between them just in case. Finally dropping her eyes, Nanoha surreptitiously observed Fate's cute outfit. The blonde was clad in a simple tank and tights combo that showed off her elegantly long limbs, the black spandex streaked with a small gold lightning bolt on either side of the woman's thighs.
It brought Nanoha back to the days when they would spend their Saturday mornings at the gym and she found herself fiercely blinking back any hint of tears. To think that those precious days would resume made her feel blessed beyond belief. "Heya," Nanoha greeted back warmly with only a small hitch in her voice.
Leaving the bottle on the porch table for a second, she invited Fate to take a seat in one of the chairs. Tucking Fate's blonde locks into the spare cap she had brought, she replicated the ponytail look on the other woman in a few efficient moves. "I should have remembered sunblock," the Takamachi heir muttered, frowning at her faulty memory.
"We can do that another time, when… when they're gone." Fate whispered. Tugging the last of the thick fall of gold through the back of Fate's cap, Nanoha paused. "Oh? We need to be alone, hmm? Makes me wonder just where you plan to apply lotion on me."
Caught, Fate tried to stammer a defense that died on her lips when Nanoha leaned close enough that she could feel the warmth coming off the woman's body, "Let's spend time on the beach someday… I know Feito-chan will be thorough." The executive's smooth alto was low enough that only Fate could hear her, and the dark promise in Nanoha's voice sent a shiver through her body. Gods, the torture had already begun. Throwing Nanoha a look from under heavy lashes, Fate murmured, "It will be a duty I happily accept."
Chuckling, Nanoha was delighted to find the blonde more than up to the task of standing toe-to-toe with her. Had she honestly had any doubt? The realist in her acknowledged how well they had gotten along with each other right from the very start. Even when facing her down under the cold, sterile lights of the Testarossa Inc. offices, Fate had proven she was more than a match for Nanoha, something the executive had appreciated greatly.
Exhaling a happy sigh, she kept her smile tucked away in deference to the audience they still had, head tilting to the seated woman, "Shall we?"
Sneakered feet eating up the distance on the boardwalk, Nanoha kept up a smoothly brisk pace. Shamal had not given her leave to begin running again, which left Nanoha with little choice but to practise her family's arts, focused on maintaining a balanced centre of gravity whilst moving without sound.
Fate was struck by how similar the gait looked to the way Rein and Ginga moved and she realised it was part and parcel of the martial arts skills the women possessed. So that was why she had found the way Rein moved so familiar, she must have first observed it in Nanoha.
"I'm feeling selfish," Nanoha said apropos of nothing. Blinking, Fate glanced at her companion who threw her a lopsided smile out of their bodyguards' line of sight, "I want you all to myself," she elaborated, which still did not give Fate much context to work with, though she did return the smile, "That makes two of us, then."
"I mean, I don't want to let on that we're…" Nanoha paused, a moment of uncertainty ripping through her, until Fate rescued her from her insecure floundering, "An exclusive couple?" Despite the pink dusting her cheeks, the blonde had absolutely no compunctions in giving what had sprung up between them a more solid form with her chosen words.
She was Nanoha's and Nanoha was hers, there simply were no two ways about it. Anything less would be unacceptable. From the warmly relieved look the woman was sending her, Fate knew her choice had been the correct one. Again, the blonde was struck by how Nanoha made certain to include her in every decision she made, understanding that the Takamachi heir meant to correct her past mistakes; for theirs to be an equal partnership, something Fate knew she wanted, too.
"Are you still in the closet? ...Was I?" Nanoha shook her head, "I didn't excommunicate myself from the clan to hide that I was gay. As for you… well, you'd told me early on, but it never really came up in TSAB, since I hired you for your abilities, not because…" She gave Fate a small smirk, "I was wildly attracted to you."
Hiding the stupid smile that threatened to give her away to the bodyguards, Fate ducked her head, "Was?"
Nanoha's smirk grew the tiniest bit, "My bad. Am. English isn't my first language." Fate gave a small laugh.
"So about being selfish?"
"Right. Hayate says we can work half-days come Monday. Now, I don't know if you remember this, but some unnamed few have been conspiring to hook us up for a while now. And, well, I don't want to give them that satisfaction for now." She could see Fate was curious who these individuals were though she refrained from asking since there would be no point if she did not remember who those individuals were.
The corner of those brilliant blue eyes crinkled at the blonde's admirable show of patience, "Would you mind terribly, if we pretended to be mere acquaintances around others for a while?" Nanoha gave the blonde a liquidly loving glance that her cap kept hidden from the guards trailing behind them out of earshot. "I'm feeling extremely exposed and vulnerable right now," she admitted quietly, "And I only want Feito-chan to see this side of me."
What other possible answer could Fate give to such a sweetly tender request? Knowing it was taking the intensely private woman a lot to be this open with her, Fate wished she could hug her. "O-Of course. I know it isn't because you're ashamed of us. No one else needs to know what's really going on other than ourselves. Besides," She admitted shyly, "I like the idea of having Nanoha all to myself, too."
Pondering on what Nanoha had shared about conspirators, Fate huffed out a small sound of amusement, "Did you know that Momoko-san patted Ginga's bum and mine when we were saying our goodbyes?"
Mushy mood broken, Nanoha shot Fate a horrified look and hissed quietly, conscious of the bodyguards hanging back a distance, "Do you mean to say my honoured MOTHER sexually harassed you?! Fucking H, where is my phone, I'm going to yell at her."
Feeling an insanely giddy giggle threatening to bubble up to the surface, Fate shook her head, attempting to cut Nanoha off at the pass before the volatile executive drove off the deep end at full power, full throttle, "I think she was checking to see how good we would be at bearing your future offspring."
"Oh my fucking gods…"
"Nanoha! Language!"
"Feito-chan, I just found out my mother was feeling you up, I'm not exactly thrilled about this, I'll have you know."
"No, I mean, yes, I mean… It was just a pat." Voice shy, she gave Nanoha an unconsciously smoky look, "I'd expect your touch there to be far, far different."
Already working up to a full head of steam, Nanoha found herself neatly derailed by the innocent blonde's words, her look immediately reminding the Takamachi heir of Fate's surprisingly bold move the night before. Blowing out an exasperated breath, she threw Fate a faintly put out look, "You're still incredibly good at stopping me on my tracks." She grudgingly admitted.
Ears perking, Fate tilted her head, "Was that what I did in the past?"
"Mmhmm. I tend to barrel headlong into a path I've set. It helps get things done quickly. Somehow, you'd find a gentler way and steer me there without even trying. Saved me time and acrimony."
"I hope to keep doing that for a long time to come." Fate said, prompting another warm look from the executive. "Will it cause you any trouble, though?" An ugly thought surfaced, what if she had to quit her job to continue seeing Nanoha?
Nanoha blinked, "Trouble? Aside from having to control myself around you?"
Derailed herself, Fate tsked at the saucy woman, "Nanoha-chan has a one-track mind, too." She accused lightly, then she shook her head in a negative, "I mean being in a relationship with your AVP."
"Ah," She gave a small shrug, the shift of muscle and bone under skin giving Fate another thing to add to the list of reasons why she enjoyed watching Nanoha. "Not if we keep things professional…" She eyed the blonde askance, sparkling eyes growing sly, "Or don't get caught." Lips twitching at the expected pink blooming across the blonde's pale cheeks, Nanoha affected an air of nonchalance, "I'm sure there will never come a time when you'd want to repeat what you did to me last night during work hours."
The pink deepened in hue and it took Nanoha immense effort not to burst out laughing, certain that the innocent virgin was thinking about all sorts of scenarios right at that very moment. 'Always gotta watch out for the innocent ones, they have the wildest imaginations of all the lot.' Nanoha thought wickedly, finding herself anticipating what the principessa might have planned in the future if she was getting this red over some offhand comments.
"Penny." She drawled, eyeing the blonde with a knowing look.
Coughing into a fist, Fate cleared her throat and pretended not to see the look being sent her way, "I think I may charge more than a penny."
"Oh? Do you want me to pay you with nudes? How many pennies is one worth?"
Resigned to being redder than a tomato for the rest of her life, Fate pondered removing the cap Nanoha had so kindly provided her. Perhaps she could blame it on a sunburn. Deciding the executive was having far too much fun at her expense, Fate lifted her chin, expression haughty, "I believe I shall want a full photo series to deem it worth sharing my very valuable thoughts. I could hold an exhibit titled, 'Nanoha: A Study of My Greatest Love'."
Focused on keeping the pace Nanoha had set, it took Fate at least twenty metres to realise she was alone. Turning around, she found the executive frozen in one spot, her eyes that reflected the seas and skies around them staring flummoxed at Fate. 'Oh dear, did I break her?'
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Jogging back to where the woman was rooted to the ground, Fate waved a hand in front of the beauty's face. "Nanoha?" She had only managed one wave before her wrist was caught in a vice-like grip. The woman had been so quick that there hadn't even a blur to warn the blonde. Pinned by eyes made stormy by the emotions raging within the woman, Fate held back her instinctive gasp, simply leaving her arm relaxed in the hold. She met the whirling vortex of Nanoha's stare with limpid pools of Bordeaux red, and a sense of wonder trickled into the blue eyes boring deep into her soul.
"You cannot be saying that, Feito-chan…" Alto deadly soft, the warning hint of a growl lurking just beneath its deceptively smooth surface sounded like a warning. Pride piqued to be reprimanded as if she were a child, Fate peered down her nose at the woman, "And why not?" Her lilting soprano demanded loftily.
"Because…" The tense form closed the few inches of distance between them and Fate felt her entire world fade into the ocean wide depths that threatened to drown her, "It makes me want to drag you back to bed and make love to you for three days straight." Nanoha admitted, voice raw and frayed to the point where it cracked from the naked desire burning up the scant traces of air still left between their heated forms.
This time she did gasp, and felt her knees go weak all over again. "Wh-What if I want you to?" Fate whispered, painfully conscious of the curious onlookers that were their bodyguards. The women in suits couldn't hear what they were saying, but they surely could see how close the two of them were standing.
Slowly releasing Fate's wrist with excruciating care, Nanoha stepped aside to resume their walk. Quickly keeping pace, Fate willed her legs to stop acting like jelly and threw a glance back at the trio of guards who seemed faintly puzzled over why the pair had stopped, but not worried enough to have approached either woman to ask about it.
Expression pinched, the executive gave Fate a tight-lipped smile, "Then I had better get myself back into shape quickly, hmm?" The blonde returned the smile with a shaky one of her own. She could barely withstand the woman's aura now. Would she have any chance of survival once Nanoha was fit again? 'Oh, but what a way to go…'
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Seated in the first level dining area with the bodyguards, Nanoha had deemed it good practise to see if she could handle having a meal beside Fate without giving anything away. Fate had opted to settle into a chair a seat away from the executive and Nanoha was proud of how neither of them had ventured past boring topics about work and the weather, or done more than exchange fleeting glances.
They had warmed up the omurice and curry leftovers from the night before, with Nanoha taking charge of preparing a fresh batch of fluffy omelettes to place over each fragrant serving of rice stir-fry and sweet curry. An enormous sense of well-being filled Nanoha, and she supposed this was a part of her mother she had inherited. Being able to cook for herself and her loved ones just felt so good.
A carefully cordoned off part of Nanoha was still reeling at being termed 'my greatest love' by the blonde and she knew she would take the intensely gooey feeling it induced into the deepest, darkest nights of her life henceforth.
She was helpless in the face of the power the woman wielded over her, a fact that did not stir the usual apprehensions and fears that would normally plague Nanoha. Perhaps she had finally learned to let go a little, let someone else commandeer her life. There were no hands she trusted more than Fate's to place it in, and simply acknowledging that felt incredibly… freeing. She pondered what she might be able to do for the woman in return for all she had been freely given. Christmas was coming up, wasn't it? Hmm.
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Nanoha wanted to laugh at the expression on Fate's face. Zafira Wolkenritter had arrived right on schedule after their lazy morning breakfast of omurice leftovers. Surprised that the rose amongst the Wolkenritter thorns was in Singapore, Nanoha greeted him warmly. The very good-looking man was the precise sort that would grace the cover of men's magazines and Fate was absolutely ambivalent about having him being Nanoha's physical therapist.
"Zaffy, when did your flea-bitten arse get in?" Smiling with genuine pleasure, Nanoha shook the man's hand, inviting him past the door Rein had opened after determining it was a scheduled visitor.
"Nanoha," The physical therapist greeted, displaying a charming smile as he took the hand being offered and entered. "I finished my boards a few months ago. Took me that long to move here. Shamal's been kind enough to take me on staff while I get settled. She figured you'd be more comfortable with someone you know." He glanced around curiously at the other women present, "She mentioned I'd have some help…?"
Nanoha muttered something derogatory about a tanuki's influence and shook her head, "Of course she did." Having overheard the conversation, Fate quickly stepped forward, offering her own hand in greeting just so the man would have to let go of Nanoha's. Honestly, how long did a hello handshake have to be in Singapore to count as long enough?!
"Good morning. I'm Fate, Nanoha's AVP." Her smile was little more than some baring of teeth, surprising both the handsomely tall and dark Wolkenritter and Nanoha herself. Nanoha was certain Fate knew that the executive was gay, and besides that, utterly in love with Fate. Fate was past understanding her own reactions. All she knew was this muscular man with the attractive shock of white hair was far too good-looking to be left alone with Nanoha. The gorgeous woman had no idea the kind of sway she held over others, same gender or otherwise.
"Er, nice to meet you, Fate." Clasping the icy blonde's hand, he returned her cool smile and glanced at the Nanoha for some direction. "Where would you like me to set up?"
Hiding her amusement over Fate's unexpected behaviour, Nanoha formally queried her AVP, "Apologies, Fate-san, may I trouble you to use the second level's free space?"
"Certainly, Nanoha-san, let me clear the space." Watching the willowy blonde glide up the stairs, Zafira gave Nanoha a slightly nervous smile, "New hire?"
Like Zafira, Nanoha watched Fate disappear up the stairs, deliberately maintaining a slightly disinterested expression before shrugging, "You could say that. She's up to be confirmed in a few months."
"Do you get along?" Zafira was not as close to the ground as the rest of the Singapore-based family and his preoccupation with his certifications had him missing out on the latest news regarding the friends and acquaintances the family had here.
Biting on the inside of her lip, Nanoha made a noncommittal sound, "Well enough. She's lasted the longest, so far."
Rein simply sighed quietly to herself whilst helping with the dishes. Last night appeared to be one step forward, two steps back for the two executives and she pondered if there was time for an intervention before she and the rest of the guards left. She was going to get hives dealing with such useless lesbians.
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Fate struggled to not glare at the physical therapist. His hands were all over her Nanoha and it was utterly unacceptable. The man had been running an evaluation of Nanoha's problem spots which entailed more than the usual share of hands-on work. Recognising the little green-eyed monster lurking in the blonde's eyes, Nanoha took pity on her and paused Zafira's work to ask if he could show Fate the ropes.
"Oh, yes, Miss Fate, if you could position yourself here. You will want to support most of your weight and ease down bit by bit. Nanoha is already very flexible, so we're helping her keep those joints healthy while she regains the use of her whole body." Mollified that she would actually get to participate in helping Nanoha, Fate set aside her instinctive dislike of the man to carefully replicate what he had been doing.
With a start, she realised it was the same thing she had seen Rein doing with Nanoha back in the Takamachi compound. The secretly soft look the executive was directing up at her informed Fate that the woman remembered, and had purposely asked for Fate to take over this one exercise in particular. She wanted to give Fate the opportunity to erase and replace Rein's help with the blonde's own.
"That's it," Zafira encouraged, nodding approvingly at the blonde's careful work. "You'll want to watch her to know when to stop. Don't let her try to hide the pain, I've been warned she'll try to push things too far too soon."
Fate stared down at the woman beneath her, her wine-rich gaze drinking in the closeness between them. Words that did not need to be spoken for two hearts beating as one to hear passed between them. Still, she nodded to acknowledge the man's words. "I will keep the closest watch over her," She assured Zafira, never taking her eyes away from the Takamachi heir.
Understanding the true import of those words, Nanoha felt herself melting under the blonde hovering over her. Striving to remain on task, she tapped the arm closest to her to indicate she had reached her limit and needed a break. Immediately, Fate eased up, "I apologise, Nanoha-san, did that hurt?"
"Just a tad." She blew out a breath, irritated with her body's limitations, though she flashed the others present a tight smile to assure them that her annoyance was not directed at either of them. "It's frustrating," she admitted, knowing she had surprised the man who'd been forewarned by his relative about her tendency to overdo things.
"Understandable. Your siblings' regimen started you on the right path, just that it was implemented earlier than advisable. It's fortunate that you'd already built up a solid foundation so nothing was irreparably harmed. Something I'm sure they took into account. Now that you're officially out of your casts, we can begin to step it up. Not for your first session, however."
Glancing over to the surprisingly helpful AVP, he smiled, "Shall we run through the basics one more time? These will be exercises she can do on her own, just that an extra set of eyes and hands can help move things along a little faster."
"I suppose if it would help my boss…" Fate murmured, feigning indifference to keep up the appearance of her and Nanoha being mere colleagues. Concentrating on their act helped distract the blonde from that ever-present desire to kiss the woman, among other things.
"TSAB appreciates your dedication to your job," Nanoha shot back with cool professionalism, studiously masking the tingles that had sprung up at every spot that had been in contact with Fate.
Zafira glanced from strained EVP to strained AVP, wondering if it was a good idea to have both women be roommates when they appeared to be waging some sort of cold war. Shamal should have warned him about this. Clearing his throat to break the seemingly icy silence, he hurriedly showed Fate the various exercises. The woman was competent to a fault, and her attention to detail left nothing to be desired, but her uncannily crimson eyes held no fondness for the woman she was working with.
The prickly EVP was behaving no better. She was refusing to even look at the blonde helping her and performed the exercises with a put-upon air. Feeling like he had to step in to do some damage control, Zafira made a note to speak with his relatives. Perhaps one of them would have an idea how to mend things between the two women.
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Seeing Zafira off, Nanoha found herself blocked from egress back into the condo. Rein stood in her way, expression serious. "Nanoha, can we talk? Privately?" The executive peered at the woman from under her auburn fringe. The bodyguard was sharper than most and Nanoha wondered if the woman had been at all fooled by Fate's and her amateur performance.
"Sure." Actually grateful for the distraction, she gestured to the porch chairs outside. She wished she could join Fate in the shower but knew better than to give in to that temptation. All her spurious talk about taking things slow would fly right out the window if she found herself naked and in the same room as the blonde again.
The region's monsoon season was upon them and the overcast skies teased with the scent of ozone in the sea breeze sweeping across the resort island. This afforded them a reprieve from the relentless pounding heat of the noon day sun, and the temperature was actually comfortable to be outside in at the moment.
Rein studied the woman seated beside her. The ever-present shadows that haunted Nanoha's eyes seemed to have lessened, and the silver haired woman wondered if some progress had finally occurred between her and Fate, or had the resignation of what was the current reality settled in. As much as her feelings for the blonde were apparent to the bodyguard over the course of the weeks she had been in close contact with Nanoha, the executive was still extremely adept at keeping things close to her chest.
"Hayate has adjusted the terms of my agency's contract with TSAB," Rein began without preamble. This served to pull the ruminative, azure eyes from their study of the deceptively calm coastline to the bodyguard whose lips curved into a thin smile, "We'll be out of your hair by tomorrow's end. We'll still serve as guards and drivers when you're out and about, so let me know when you'd like us to pick you and Fate up."
"Hayate moves fast," Nanoha noted after a moment spent considering this new arrangement. "You and your people have proven exemplary in your service. You are welcome to cite me for reference checks in your future contracts."
Dipping her head in thanks for the generous offer, Rein's eyes continued to hold the executive's own. "Will you be fine, though, alone with her?" The genuine concern evident in the woman's question was touching and Nanoha considered if Ginga or Fate had never entered her life, her path could have gone in a much more different direction with this woman.
Her mind turned slyly towards a tanuki who was still single and had seemed to have liked what she had seen of Rein when the bodyguard had appeared briefly in the video call Nanoha had been in with Hayate. Someone mature and caring who didn't take any bullshit would make a perfect foil to her long time friend's more flippant attitude towards life.
Exhaling slowly, she brought her wandering mind back to the question at hand. The subject of Fate threatened to put a stupid smile on her face, and Nanoha had to employ old boardroom skills to keep her expression neutral. "We'll work something out. She's quiet and unobtrusive for a roommate."
Exasperated, Rein nudged the woman with her toe, feeling that their time together warranted a little show of informality. "I don't mean that. Surely you can tell the woman has feelings for you."
"We'll work something out." Nanoha repeated, voice hardening to cut off any further probes from the woman. Sapphire orbs reflected the ominous grey of the clouds overhead, and Rein could tell the woman was still conflicted over her blonde roommate. The bodyguard was surprised when the woman continued, having assumed that the discussion was over, "Rein, every time I've wanted something, life has found a way to tear it out of my hands and hurting those I care for in the process. It's made me learn not to ask for anything."
The absolute dearth of any personal touches in the woman's apartment was proof of that startlingly honest statement. Gaze softening, she glanced back towards the dependable guard, "Thank you for indulging in my stupid hang-ups."
Rein chuckled, "I can say with all honesty that the pleasure was all mine, Nanoha. I truly do hope you and the princess work things out; it's a crime to keep that tongue of yours to yourself."
That got a facepalm out of the executive, "Please keep that notion to yourself. Preferably, forever." Sighing, she peered at the smirking woman, "Where will you and your people stay, though?"
Rein shrugged, "My family has some property on the island. We'll be nearby. It'll just be for the remainder of the three months, and then we'll be out of your hair, hopefully for good."
Nanoha blinked, then realised just where, or whom, Rein's accent had always reminded her of - the sort of locals that had been depicted in the movie 'Crazy Rich Asians'. "You… don't really need this job, do you?" She squinted knowingly at the woman, now viewed from behind a different lens.
Tilted crimson eyes crinkled at the corners and Rein merely smiled, "It keeps life interesting. I'd fucking hate to stay indoors playing mahjong all day instead." Old money recognised old money, and the women shared a wry laugh.
"Let's spar when I'm better." If Fate allows me.
"You betcha." Nodding, Rein rose and opened the door back into the apartment for her client.