Timeskip Post!

[starlight_devil]

[Private, hackable]

Ah... The worst part of this is the wait. Even after what happened, there's nothing I want more than to be back in the air... Staying out of the fight for this long isn't something I can afford. But then again, I have that kind of thinking to blame for the state I've put myself into.

[/Private]

Comments

Back dated to before she got off the crutches

[is_this_fate]

*Fate came in the early evening to make food for Nanoha; she had been doing it often lately, and so she was becoming a better cook as a result. She had an easy time following recipes, but until now all she had been able to really do was more simple things. She was hopeful that Nanoha enjoyed it.*

*In fact, Fate had been spending so much time there lately that... she spent more time at Nanoha's apartment than she did at her own. She was always trying to be bright for Nanoha's sake, but on some level perhaps she wasn't learning from Nanoha's bad example. Perhaps she was going to burn herself out like this.*

*But she wasn't yet.*

Nanoha. Dinner's ready. *She laid out some simple Japanese food on the table; soup, salad, rice, and grilled fish. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was good.*

[starlight_devil]

*Nanoha limped in and sat down, leaning her crutches on the side of the table as was quickly becoming routine. She offered Fate a warm smile*

It smells wonderful, Fate.

[is_this_fate]

Thank you. *Any little compliment from Nanoha brightened Fate, but still, it has hard to quell her concern for Nanoha*

*But they both did their best to be happy through dinner and the evening, not succeeding until they stopped trying and started being more natural with one another, Fate doting upon Nanoha, perhaps overly so, and Nanoha telling her she didn't have to try so hard, until it got to be rather late, and Fate looked at her watch*

O-oh, we lost track of time again.

[starlight_devil]

Eheheh... sorry, Fate, I didn't mean to keep you so late.

[is_this_fate]

What? Oh, no. I don't mind if it's for you...

[starlight_devil]

That's just like Fate, as always.

1/2

[is_this_fate]

*She humbled herself and smiled* I try...

Re: 1/2

[is_this_fate]

*... then she hesitantly stood up. She didn't especially want to leave, but she didn't want to be presumptuous either. It was odd, because with Nanoha she felt at her most natural, and yet... there were still certain things a person just didn't do. Inviting oneself into staying too late wasn't polite, and she couldn't burden Nanoha when she was still recovering...*

*... but she couldn't conceal a faint displeasure at the thought of leaving either...*

[starlight_devil]

*after well over a year, it wasn't hard for Nanoha to read into the reluctant manner in which Fate prepared to leave, and she wasn't sure which one of them wanted Fate to depart the least. Besides...*

...Ah, your apartment's some distance away, isn't it?

[is_this_fate]

Hm?

... oh, well, it feels that way since they won't let us fly without clearance.

[starlight_devil]

Ah... what I'm trying to say is, why don't you stay here overnight?

[is_this_fate]

*Her first inclination was to not make a hassle; it would be the most polite to decline first, but... they didn't have to go through those social scripts. They were closer than that. Still...*

May I really? Um... where would I sleep?

[starlight_devil]

Um... I could pull out a spare futon, but the bed's big enough for two so you could sleep there without displacing me... The couch folds out, too, although I haven't used it that way so far so I'm not sure how comfortable it would be to sleep on for more than a few hours...

[is_this_fate]

*When Nanoha mentioned sharing the same Fate flushed a little, head turning the slightest bit aside, eyes glancing around as if checking nervously in case someone was somehow watching...*

Uh, um...!

*Fate paused, thinking about how best to phrase this, too embarrassed to look Nanoha in the eyes*

Whatever'seasiest.

[starlight_devil]

Um... ah, even with two people, with my legs like this setting up anything extra would take a while... so the bed should be easiest, shouldn't it?

[is_this_fate]

Well... I'm sure I could set it up myself, but ...