Time crawled interminably whilst the couple waited for the bodyguards to leave. Deciding it was safer to just be a level apart from Nanoha than to test her ability to keep her hands off of the woman, Fate had retreated to the upper level's office to familiarise herself with more of the pending work waiting for the both of them on Monday.

That lasted only so long before Nanoha had to make good-natured a trek up at Fate's texted query about the blonde's problem with logging into the system. Wending her way past Ginga and Edel who were stationed in the dining area near the stair landing, the executive came up behind the seated blonde to peer over her shoulder at the screen locking Fate out.

Initially stymied in her attempts to access TSAB's intranet system, Fate frowned at a cheeky-looking cat sprite that constantly batted away the password the blonde was manually entering in favour of the retina scan, since that had not worked. Exasperated that the login credentials Nanoha had provided her still refused to let her in, she threw herself back against her office chair, the furniture bobbing from the momentum as she gestured at the nefarious feline on her screen for Nanoha to see.

"Oh, that." Nanoha coughed into her fist. The Ragdoll cat sprite had settled smugly back onto its haunches to wash its face in an idle animation, its tail swishing playfully while its tilted, sapphire eyes glittered knowingly at Fate. It was almost as if it was mutely reprimanding the blonde. Knowing the guards were keeping an eye on the blonde as per what Nanoha herself had requested, the executive turned her back to the two women and leaned against the edge of the desk, arms crossed to keep appearances going.

"I caught you working the first Saturday of your week in TSAB…" She murmured, voice kept low so it barely carried to where the blonde was seated. "I locked you out and set it so your access is restored only after Monday comes around. I made Nyanoha there on a whim after I'd kicked you off mid-video call." Her eyes dropped and a wistful smile played gently over her full lips, "That was the day I almost confessed my feelings for you. I had to kill the call before I let myself go too far."

"Do I get a bonus if you avoid contracting food poisoning?"

"You get a bonus for giving a damn."

"O-Of course I give a damn, Nanoha… I… l-like you."

"... ... ...I like you too, Feito-chan."

Fate stared up at the executive whose bashful expression seemed more akin to having been caught with her hand in the cookie jar than doing something so unspeakably sweet and adorable. Her eyes had been cast to the boardwalk below to pin her intensely embarrassed focus on an unsuspecting resident who happened to be walking past with a very nervous flat-faced Persian cat on a harness down below.

Sifting through the fragments of memories she had gotten back thus far, Fate's chin lifted when an image surprisingly floated to the fore. "You were in a karate outfit."

Amazed that the woman remembered that far back, Nanoha glanced back at the blonde, immediately deeming it a tactical mistake when pools of warm, mulled wine lulled her into their depths. Her fingers gripped the insides of her elbows tightly, causing the muscles in her arms to tense in sharp relief. "Close," she muttered hoarsely, "It was a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi."

"You had the top down to deal with some bruises and I…" Nanoha swallowed at the blonde's suddenly feverish look. Fate's remembered attraction was overlapping with what the woman was feeling right now, staring up at the executive looming over her in a loose white cut-off tee and ripped denim shorts. "...I really wanted to kiss you then… and now."

Nanoha's cute little navel presented right at Fate's eye level was getting extra glances and the executive felt a corresponding heat pooling low in her belly from the blonde's blunt disclosure. She knew coming up here would be dangerous. "I'm… going to give Shamal a call." Nanoha husked, turning on unsteady legs and meaning to escape before she did something she would regret. Being responsible sucked donkey balls, the Takamachi heir decided.

Grabbing the closest thing to keep the dazed woman from wandering off, Fate caught the executive's waistband, "Nanoha! Give me access first!"

Jumping at the feel of warm digits slipping into her shorts, Nanoha hurriedly tugged the blonde's hand out of them before Ginga or Edel saw anything. "Wench!" She hissed under her breath at her AVP who did not appear at all contrite. On the contrary, the innocent-seeming blonde merely returned Nanoha's look with a slow blink, as if to ask, 'Well, what else was I supposed to grab?'

Sighing, she leaned over for the retina scanner, incidentally flashing the blonde with an unimpeded view of her cleavage. Nanoha hid a smile to hear an audible gulp coming from her horny blonde. The virginally white, lacy affair had been deliberately chosen by the Japanese woman to tease Fate with how sheer the material was. If the blonde stared hard enough, she was certain she could see the hint of rosy peaks the exact same shade as Nanoha's lips hiding under the lace.

The sound of the system granting Fate access jarred the woman out of her Nanoha-induced trance and she found her voice to hiss back, "I'm the Wench? You wore that on purpose!"

Laughing azure twinkled back down at the blonde torn between arousal and outrage, "What can I say?" She murmured, aware of the bodyguards loitering in the dining area, "I like dressing up for my Feito-chan." Well, how could Fate get mad over that? "Oh my gods, go call Shamal before I lose it." She swatted the ridiculously tempting woman on her way out, which earned her a heavy-lidded over the shoulder glance from Nanoha that promised everything.

Blowing out a breath after that whirlwind of a visit from the woman, Fate wondered if her old self ever noticed how much emptier a room felt once it was devoid of Nanoha. She should have kept her digital SLR nearby to capture a few pennies worth of pictures. Biting back a giggle, she buried her hot face in her hands; all this thirsting was driving her insane. Work. Work would help distract her.

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Bidding their bodyguards farewell for the night, Nanoha confirmed with Rein about Monday's pick-up time and exchanged a quick forearm clasp with the silver haired woman. Once the door closed, the electric lock engaged with a soft AI voice declaring that the bolts had been engaged.

Exhaling a relieved breath, Nanoha rubbed at the old injury in her neck and turned, "Boy, it's not easy trying t-MMMPH!" A blonde-shaped creature had practically cannon-balled into her, gently but no less insistently, and Nanoha found her lips being otherwise occupied immediately. The door behind her shook as she stumbled back against it, Fate's onslaught of kisses sending her backwards and making the electric lock beep in protest when an elbow hit the digital number pad.

Chuckling in the back of her throat at her blonde's enthusiasm, Nanoha slipped a leg between Fate's and with a skilled twist of her body, turned the tables on the woman. Squeaking to find herself being shoved up against the door this time, Fate felt her legs give as strong hands slipped under her tank's hem to clasp her firmly about the waist. She groaned to feel herself being held aloft by the leg between her own and she shamelessly ground down, flinging her arms around that delightfully firm column of neck that she found so attractive.

Strong hands guided the blonde's grinding hips for maximum friction and Fate moaned loudly into the kiss, the executive immediately devouring what her girlfriend was offering with intense greed. Fate could feel her lace thong digging into tender, throbbing flesh and the simmering arousal from earlier in the afternoon bloomed into full-body tingles that had her melting over that one leg pressing up into her. Gasping when her lips were freed, only to find sharp incisors sinking into a softly pink earlobe, her fingers dug into thick auburn hair, pressing Nanoha's mouth more intently to her whilst maintaining her writhing grinds against the woman's tensed thigh.

Feeling stifled in even just her shorts and cut-off top, Nanoha's entire form felt as if it was on fire, the barely banked embers of her desire flaring ridiculously out of control at the slightest invitation from Fate. Unfortunately, Nanoha felt the cost of her move far too soon and much to Fate's disappointment, she was sighing in deep regret, carefully lowering the swaying blonde to her feet.

Giving the pouting blonde one last chaste smooch, the executive smiled at the other woman's dashed hopes for more hanky-panky. "I know, Sweetheart, I know." Nanoha pressed her forehead to Fate's, and the blonde could feel the thin sheen of perspiration coating the woman's skin where their heads met, "The earliest Shamal's associate can see me was this Thursday." She brushed the roughened pad of her thumb over those cutely pouting lips, alto rasping deeply from the bubbling arousal that still coursed heedlessly through Nanoha, "But I can't articulate just how happy I am that you want this as much as I do."

Fate inhaled a few deep breaths to calm her libido back down. It was so difficult to take things slow and she knew she had already crossed the entire safety Rubicon by initiating that first kiss with Nanoha. That the executive refused to go further both melted her and caused her to burn up with all of this unresolved sexual tension. Her one comfort was knowing Nanoha was suffering as much as she was, perhaps even more, considering the fact that all she knew simply led to nebulous thoughts about them in bed. Leaning her forehead to the other woman's, she took her turn to sigh, "I feel like I've wanted you all my life, I just didn't know it until now."

Smiling, Nanoha stroked the blonde's cheek, "I feel the same. It might have been a little too soon to be doing what I did with you just, though." Alarmed now at the wince she could see Nanoha making, Fate checked the woman over worriedly. "I don't think anything broke open, but it definitely aches." Nanoha tried to assure the blonde.

It only half-worked and Fate castigated herself for her over-eagerness, though she was glad that the executive was being honest with her and not trying to hide her pain behind some misguided need to appear strong in front of the blonde. "Not that I didn't feel thrilled when you did that, but Nanoha, please, don't push yourself," Fate said guiltily as she walked Nanoha to the sofa. "Shall I apply the ointment Momoko gave you?"

Nanoha shook her head, "Don't you start blaming yourself, Feito-chan. It was my choice to do that. I just forget myself when I'm with you." The smile she gave Fate served to assuage some of the blonde's guilt and Nanoha nodded in response to the question, "That actually sounds like a great idea. If I could trouble you? You can find some old towels in the bottom drawer of my closet." Leaving Nanoha on the leather sofa, Fate left to find both towels and ointment.

Annoyed at her body's lingering hurts, Nanoha dropped her head back against the top of the sofa, absently massaging the joint closest to her shoulder's bullet wounds. She quietly pondered the long and daunting road ahead of her. It would have depressed her to think of all the years of hard work being undone, if not for the fact that she would have Fate with her on her road to recovery this time. Nanoha was actually looking forward to rebuilding herself with the blonde for company.

Returning, Fate paused to see tears silently tracking down the woman's temples as she looked unseeingly up at the ceiling. Feeling bad for reminding Nanoha about her limitations, she put the items aside to slide in next to the executive and lay her head on the Takamachi heir's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispered, slipping her arm around Nanoha's waist.

Knowing the sweet blonde would continue blaming herself, Nanoha pulled the royal closer to her side and pressed a kiss to Fate's temple, "Hush." Her voice was firm, refusing Fate any space for doubt, "I was just feeling bad for my younger self. She had no Feito-chan to be with her while she recovered. That was probably the loneliest time of my life." Blue eyes shimmered down into Fate's worried gaze, "You make all the difference. I was just so grateful that you're safe and sound and… willing to be here with me."

Aching for the youth Nanoha once was, Fate gave the woman another squeeze, "You'll never get rid of me. Not even if you kept trying to push me away." She paused, "Though it was very difficult when you were doing so." She sat up, her warm gaze spying the abashed look Nanoha tried to hide, "You are a most difficult individual to catch," Fate noted aggrievedly.

Nanoha slipped her hand into Fate's, "Thank you for persevering," the Japanese woman murmured, which earned her a lingering kiss, "You are worth every effort," Fate assured the feisty executive. "Let me cover the leather and I'll apply the ointment for you." Doing just that, Fate instructed Nanoha to remove her top and lie down.

Scooping out a generous dollop of paste onto her fingers, Fate swallowed hard, belatedly remembering the ridiculously sheer lace bra Nanoha was wearing under her cute white top. Drinking in the sight of the woman in nothing but her tiny denim shorts and bra, Fate could not help but capture the slightly upturned Cupid's bow lips in a hard kiss, "Please wear this when we… when we can do it." She pleaded against those lushly soft lips that spread into a breathtaking smile meant only for Fate alone. "Your wish is my command, Principessa."

Slowly lowering herself back over the towels laid out by the blonde, the auburn haired goddess seemed put on this earth for the sole purpose of testing Fate's crumbling resolve. Her scarred torso defied Nanoha's own claims of ugliness, displaying graceful lines that stretched from that lightly bruised clavicle down between the sweet valley of her generous bosom. Her breasts were lovingly cupped in tissue thin webbing of transparent lace that revealed more than it concealed and Fate forgot why there was ointment on her fingers for many long moments.

Nanoha held no inclinations to nudge Fate out of her trance, thoroughly enjoying the blonde's open appreciation of what the heir herself felt was only a vessel that held no real significance other than to house her spirit in. She did not care if no one else found her attractive. As long as Fate did, that was all that mattered. The jagged lines where she had been shot were not even noticed by the blonde and Nanoha had never felt more desired in her life, that niggling self-consciousness over them paling in the light of those wine-rich eyes that openly wanted her, all of her.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

A silent flash of lightning in the distance pulled Fate back to the present and she blinked. Nanoha was still laid out over the towels, the blue heat of her hooded gaze affording Fate all the time she wished to stare. The rise and fall of her chest was quicker than she remembered, cluing the blonde in on the woman's returning arousal at being exposed to Fate like this.

Nanoha felt the edge of the sofa dip under the blonde's weight as she settled herself down by where she was laying. She knew the peaks of her nipples were fully visible under the useless scrap of lace she was wearing and from the way Fate was biting on her lower lip, she could tell the blonde saw them as well.

Holding herself rigid, Fate reminded herself that her enthusiasm had hurt the woman earlier and with judicious care, began to apply the slightly numbing ointment over the spot under Nanoha's left collarbone. The other woman had a higher body temperature compared to Fate and the blonde immediately felt the difference as the ointment began to warm over the skin she was touching.

"I think your mother gave you this just so I'd have an excuse to touch you…" Fate husked, digging out another dollop of paste to spread over the wound in Nanoha's waist. This ointment was still cold and the contrasting sensation drew forth a low gasp from the prone woman. Muscles bunched and trembled under the blonde's fingers and Fate glanced up, swallowing a groan to find those barely covered nipples tightening to diamond hard tips that jutted stiffly up from Nanoha's bosom.

"I hope you'll always have an excuse…" Nanoha burred softly. Fate tsked and leaned over for yet another kiss. The heavy fall of spun sunlight that was Fate's hair draped over Nanoha's torso in a most pleasing way as she found her lips occupied once more in a slowly sensual exploration of her mouth. "Dearest, I'm on my absolute best behaviour right now." Slick fingers continued to massage the ointment into Nanoha's waist, except that the touch had gone from clinical to provocative, "If you think I would even need an excuse when all I want to do is ravish you," She nipped teasingly at the executive's tongue, earning a throaty chuckle from Nanoha, "Then my boss isn't as smart as I thought she was…"

"You're absolutely banned from wearing this bra until that day, by the way." Fate propped herself up on the hand not covered in ointment to stare down at the far too delectable vision daring to obscure Nanoha's breasts from her hungry eyes, "I take no responsibility for my actions the next time I see you in this."

"Oh? You like this, do you?" Smile growing sultry, Nanoha made as if to hug herself, a purposeful move that pressed her breasts together, presenting them up to the blonde in the most exaggerated fashion for Fate to feast her eyes upon. "Oh my gods, you Minx! Roll over so I can get your back." Fate tore herself away from the sofa to stand a pace back to regain some semblance of control, leaving a softly chuckling Nanoha to lever herself up and over to lie on her front.

This position did not really help Fate's libido much, since she had always found the dips and contours of Nanoha's back very attractive, add to that the rips in the woman's denim shorts that exposed the downy lower curves of the heir's shapely rear and the blonde just sighed to herself in defeat. Nanoha was the whole package and then some. She was just bloody fortunate that the woman had not yet been snapped up before Fate could make a try for her.

The application was far quicker this time without that distracting Minx giving her bedroom eyes or pushing up her bosom into Fate's face. Cleaning her fingers on a corner of one of the old towels, she brushed aside thick auburn tresses to press a kiss to Nanoha's uninjured shoulder. "Thank you for letting me tend to you," she whispered, "I know you hate appearing less than."

Rolling back over to lie on her back, Nanoha smiled softly up at the sweet blonde. "Only because it's Feito-chan. You're the only one I feel this comfortable around." She slipped an arm around the slim neck above her, drawing the blonde down for another unhurried, loving kiss. "Thank you, too." Smiling against Fate's lips once the kiss ended, she quirked a brow, "Help me up?"

Smiling to feel a second arm coming up to cling to her neck, Fate tensed her core and slowly straightened up to a stand, pulling the auburn haired woman up with her. A faint air of surprise was evident in her expression and Nanoha giggled, "Nyahaha, Feito-chan's strength training wasn't a waste. Good job, Honey." She gave the blonde a congratulatory peck on the lips. "Was I doing that?" Fate asked while carefully setting her precious armful back down onto the condo's padded floor.

"Mmmhmm, we focused on that on most Saturdays." Getting her legs under her, Nanoha slipped an arm around the blonde's waist to walk them to the stairs, "We cycled upper and lower body workouts. I won't be able to for a while, but we could hit the heated pool that they have instead?"

"Sounds like a plan." Pausing at the foot of the stairs, Fate gave Nanoha a shy look, "Actually, could we sleep in your bed?"

It was Nanoha's turn to be surprised, "Of course, I just figured…" She glanced to one side, shifting awkwardly, "That because of Rein… you'd be more comfortable in your own bed." Fate shook her head, head dipping down to catch Nanoha's eyes. "It being your bed means more to me than that."

The blonde nibbled uncertainly on her bottom lip, "I know I'm not making much sense…" Then she had to stop nibbling because Nanoha was kissing her again, "No, you make all the sense," the executive assured her, "If you're sure…" Blue eyes searched crimson and the blonde gave her a faint smile, "It smells of you."

It was that simple to Fate. The blonde's capacity to take tangible steps towards erasing Nanoha's past mistake with action was absolutely something the auburn haired woman would always be thankful for. "Then, please, I would love us to sleep together in my bed again."

Sandy brows rose, "Again?"

Nanoha's smile grew poignant, "I hope you'll remember some day. I was horrified the first… morning…" The pleased glow in Fate's Bordeaux-red eyes had the heir's words trailing off in mild puzzlement. "So I was in your bed before her?"

"Um, yes?" Knowing Fate was talking about the silver haired bodyguard, Nanoha nodded, confirming what the blonde had said. Apparently, it meant something significant to the woman, since she was kissing Nanoha again, this time in a triumphantly possessive manner. The sharp edges of Fate's lingering jealousy flavoured the kiss, bringing to mind the blonde's surprise claiming of the Japanese woman just two nights before.

Tingling down to her very fingers and toes, Nanoha's eyes fluttered back open, temporarily rendered speechless. "I'll go get ready for bed," Fate purred smugly, disappearing up the stairs in a swirl of rose and lilac scented golden tresses.

"Uh, yea, 'kay, sure," Nanoha uttered huskily. She gave a small shake of her head, laughing softly at how easily the woman could sweep her right off her feet and render Nanoha into a monosyllabic mess. Her angel was full of all sorts of surprises and she knew life was definitely not going to be boring around the blonde.

Nightly ablutions done, Nanoha changed out of her lacy underwear, tucking the set away to be handwashed later with a secret smile. Fate's reaction to them had been a resounding success and she giggled to herself. It was going to be fun going lingerie shopping with Fate. …Once they weren't being trailed by their bodyguards, anyway. She definitely wasn't going to give Edel any chances to ogle her girlfriend in sexy clothing. Or any clothing for that matter.

Pulling on a set of red and black flannel pyjamas, the colours setting off the fiery highlights in her hair, Nanoha crawled into bed to wait on her blonde body pillow. Soon, the quiet padding of Fate's footsteps heralded the arrival of her favourite person and she gave the woman a broad smile of welcome. The blonde seemed to have had the same idea as Nanoha, showing up in her own pyjamas set, hers in black and yellow stripes.

Fate crawled over the waveless waterbed to settle into the arms held open to her by the earth goddess who had been waiting. "Is this all right?" Fate asked worriedly, not wanting to squash the recovering woman. "It's fine." She felt her hair being nuzzled by the woman spooning warmly around her, "You're on my good shoulder. The ointment helped a lot, too." Mollified by the woman's assurances, Fate scrunched back into the wonderful body surrounding her, inhaling deeply in appreciation of the cinnamon and vanilla spice that was Nanoha's distinctive scent.

Ordering the lights off, Nanoha wrapped her arm snugly around the lanky beauty and gave a jaw-popping yawn, "Sweet dreams, Feito-chan." Covering the arm around her with her own, Fate weaved their fingers together. "Have a restful sleep, Nanoha-chan." Having slept apart the night before to keep suspicions at bay, both women exhaled in utter contentment to be together in bed again. As the shadows grew longer, two souls intertwined as surely as their bodies found their perfect peace in each other's arms.

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Once again, Nanoha had held back while Fate got re-acquainted with Erio the next morning. The young man exchanged significant glances with the executive after delivering the woman's order, glances that Nanoha returned with grave gratitude. She was still determined not to overwhelm Fate with information and misplaced expectations, and so made no move to update Erio on the progression of Fate's relationship with her just yet.

The thermos of Vietnamese coffee and two packs of assorted Dim Sum were gratefully received by Nanoha who, to Erio's surprise, actually sat down to partake of it with her 'colleague'. He was used to the executive doing a 'grab and go', with her being so busy all of the time.

He could not quite mask the shock of seeing the executive looking so pared down, the angles of her face that much sharper from the weight she had lost. A dry twist of her lips was all the response his stare garnered from Nanoha, the woman clearly knowing why he was doing so. Her cosmetic surgeries had been skillfully performed, but there was no hiding the new scars Nanoha's body sported, either, since the woman was in just a halter sports bra and tank.

It came as quite a relief to Erio that Fate appeared much the same as she had the last time he had seen her, though the formal manner through which she interacted with Nanoha brought forth its own worries for Erio to contemplate upon. There was much for him to discuss with his wife about. For one, the daily breakfast he sourced for the women would need some updating. Promising to catch up more with Fate another time, he hopped back into his golf cart and puttered off to his next client.

Seeing Erio had been the icing on a cake that had included waking up in Nanoha's arms for Fate. The executive's pre-dawn stirrings had been enough to wake the blonde and after thoroughly kissing away any apologies from the Japanese woman, the couple had gone on their morning walk before finding Erio waiting for them with breakfast.

The discombobulation from seeing the boy all grown up had been marred slightly by his poorly hidden distress at seeing Nanoha as thin as she was, and the determined set of his jaw boded well to Fate's mind. So even her Erio was not immune to leaving Nanoha alone when the woman was so obviously still convalescing. Fate felt his disquiet keenly and silently vowed once more to be with Nanoha through her entire recovery process.

Extracting promises from him to catch up at a later date, Fate waved goodbye and waited impatiently for the youth to be out of sight before shifting her chair closer to exchange bites of delicious, savoury snacks with Nanoha.

Unceremoniously spearing something she did not recognise with one of her chopsticks, Fate offered it to Nanoha who side-eyed the adorable blonde and her atrocious use of the Asian utensils. "I really need to make good on my promise to teach you how to use chopsticks properly soon…" She said, before taking a neat bite of the morsel being proffered to her.

Fate smiled, glad to find Nanoha unhesitant about bringing up their shared past for once. "I would love that. So, anything I should take note of, for today?" She asked, popping the remainder of the Dim Sum into her mouth. Mmm, so this was made with minced pork.

Swallowing the bite of SiuMai, or pork dumpling, that had been fed to her, Nanoha thought a moment whilst pouring out some coffee for her companion, "I'm sure rumours of both our departures have been circulating, no matter what the company newsletter said about our absences."

She paused to take a small sip of coffee directly from the thermos, her eyes lidding in animal pleasure as she did so. Gods, she had not had a solid cup of this in months. Seeing Nanoha's reaction to the drink, Fate made a quick mental note to learn how to make this particular version of the brew.

"It's why you don't see me in any sort of hurry to get ready and head out, and I've asked Rein to pick us up at half-past nine. That will have us arriving at ten, which will mean everyone else will already have reported in for work. I want to make a show of us arriving together. People can infer what they want from that."

She made to rub the old, nagging injury in her neck, only to find Fate's fingers already there, kneading out the knot. She gave a small groan of bliss and let her head drop to give the woman easier access. "Rumours that I slept with Haya-chan for my job still persist, so more rumours that I'm sleeping with my AVP wouldn't be a stretch, either," she added, eyes closed while she gratefully absorbed the tender care the blonde was giving to her.

Her eyes opened then to give Fate an apologetic look, to which the blonde only smiled, giving the muscle one last rub before resuming her meal, "One of those rumours will be true at some point." She murmured, taking a shrimp dumpling in her mouth and offering it to Nanoha. The Japanese woman dimpled and happily accepted the other half, neatly biting off the offering and sealing the mouthful with a kiss. Fate swallowed and licked her lips to catch Nanoha's taste lingering on them. She smirked, "In fact, the sooner the better."

"You're worse than a teenaged boy in rut," Nanoha accused lightly, before leaning over to lick those same lips for herself, only it was Fate's taste she was looking for. "I like that." Nipping lightly at the tongue Fate stuck out at her, she pulled back to focus on breakfast, or they would never be done. "In any case, having the three bodyguards from ESSS with us will weigh the scale of rumours to the other end of the spectrum, you know, where truth actually resides." Voice drier than the red dust on Mars, Nanoha took another sip of black ambrosia.

Fate giggled and tugged lightly at the earlobe closest to her, "I have always loved hearing you speak, you know that?"

Nanoha arched a curious brow at the blonde, the purse of her lips were contemplative, with a hint of bemusement thrown in for good measure, "Hmm? No. I've always struggled with this frog voice. Especially in Japan where women all sound very… umm…"

"Shrill?" Fate offered, half-jokingly.

"Girlish," Nanoha corrected, tweaking that perfectly straight nose. A nose that was wrinkling in distaste, "Girls are shrill, Nanoha. And you don't have a frog voice. Your voice is like warm dark chocolate fudge. Omph. I love it."

Casting Fate a dubious glance, Nanoha chuckled, "Methinks you're a little biassed. But that's all right. I love your voice, too. I wanted to win our little costume competition just to hear you sing." The admission gained a look of dawning realisation from the blonde.

"So that's why I have… Well, that explains the things I found in one of the luggages we brought back from my apartment."

"Probably," Nanoha readily agreed, adhering to her past agreement with Old Fate to not peek, not even verbally. "I heard Haya-chan cancelled the Halloween party after… all that. She's postponed the costume ball to Christmas Eve instead."

Fate speared another Dim Sum to feed to Nanoha, and it was a mark of the Japanese woman's love for the blonde that she could tamp down the horror the blonde's method of chopstick use was causing in the Takamachi heir's traditional soul, "What was our competition about, anyway?"

Nanoha bit off half of the pot sticker and directed the rest back to the blonde, she knew Fate was trying to 'fatten' her up, which she was fine with, just not at the expense of the woman's own meals. "Just who had the better costume. Haya-chan would be the judge, and the loser would have to sing a karaoke song to the winner. We promised not to peek at each other's costume until the day of the party itself."

"Hmm, I'm still up for that if you are?"

Nanoha found herself suddenly needing to dash away tears from her eyes. Being able to recapture lost moments with Fate was something she had never allowed herself to even dream of after the incident. First about teaching her to use chopsticks, and now with the costumes… To have the chance so freely offered to her was a little much for the vulnerable woman to take in.

Fate merely rubbed the Japanese woman's back, compassionately giving Nanoha the space to regain her composure. "I… Yes." Neither made note of the roughness in the executive's voice.

She gave Nanoha a small squeeze, "Let's finish up and get clean. I want to play dress-up with my girlfriend."

Taken aback, Nanoha blinked and stared at Fate, who suddenly appeared apprehensive, "T-Too soon?"

"No, I just… Feito-chan is always my Feito-chan. I suppose I never thought that far…" Her expression shifted to being shyly pleased. "Yes, I am Feito-chan's girlfriend. I really like the sound of that."

Worry melted into relief and Fate squeezed Nanoha's hand, "And I'm your Feito-chan, and girlfriend." She happily confirmed.