Author's Note

Right ... so I mentioned before that this story would be only two chapters long, but seeing as the final section has yet to be written, I decided to publish this section ahead of time. In essence, this little short story is an exercise to familiarize myself with a genre of writing I am helplessly unfamiliar with; mainly romance, smut and other mature content; so I asked another author I am friends with to help me on my little endeavor. That author's name is "dweeb trash", and she's been so kind as to write the final piece of this story for me, which is naturally going to be a lemon. Our writing styles may differ, but I am extremely excited for the final result, and I hope you guys will enjoy it as much as I will!

Check out her work, it's pretty cool.

On that note, here's the second chapter ^^

Even before the end of the Third World War, the intrinsic value of magicians had become painfully obvious to any of the warring nations. Aside from wholly preventing the deployment of nuclear weaponry throughout the war, magicians boasted combat value unachievable by any type of modern technology and science. While the classification as sentient weaponry was erroneous and inhumane, it was sadly irrefutable that magicians at the time were labeled as such, and were thus subjected to various kinds of genetic and biological experiments to further increase their value as "magicians".

Magicians were weapons belonging to the nations that created them, and as such, strict restrictions were placed on their usage. Even though the treatment of magicians had significantly improved in the previous years, it was still a given that magicians were forbidden from traveling outside their nation's boundaries for reason other than war.

That was only to be expected.

A magician, much like any weapon, carried within him the results of his respective country's extensive research in the field of magic, and their containment was therefore a method of ensuring that a magician's talents were solely used for the country he belonged to.

Yet, for every rule there existed a number of exceptions that circumvented said rule. Whether one considered the case of the Goldie and Saijou families, or the occasional magic refugees seeking exile in neighboring countries, it was apparent that international travel was not impossible for magicians provided they possessed the means. However, what was important to remember was that such acts of travel were extremely rare and highly restricted by governmental policies and regulations.

As such, Angelina Kudou Shield's frequent visits to the oriental nation of Japan could be called a rarity amongst rarities. What allowed her to accomplish this feat regardless of the restrictions placed on her as the USNA's most powerful Strategic-Class Magician was her continued friendship with the 10 Master Clans of Japan, and most importantly of all, her relationship to the Yotsuba.

In an effort to unify their military forces to commemorate the newly established UNAJA (United North American and Japanese Alliance), the USNA's "Heavy Metal Burst" would periodically be stationed in Japan for military exercises, and likewise, Japan's "Material Burst" would frequently be deployed in North American territories. Rather than an alliance built on the friendship between government officials, the UNAJA was meant to be an alliance built on the friendship of their respective military forces, a.k.a. their magicians. This proposal was initially made by the Master Clan Families of Japan after witnessing the devastating effects of their crippling civil war, but it's true intention lay in the granting magicians the possibility to travel outside their nation's borders on a whim, a freedom that was previously unheard of for said minority. While only one country was yet available for travel for both country's magicians, it was a significant leap forwards in terms of cleansing magicians of the burden of their own power.

In any case.

Regardless of the political and societal impact of their actions, Angelina Kudou Shields and Shiba Tatsuya became the unofficial symbol of the USNA's and Japan's renewed alliance. As the first magicians to freely travel back and forth between both nations on multiple occasions, whilst being Strategic-Class Magicians no less, they somehow become icons of change for magicians worldwide and were appropriately revered as celebrities of the magic community.

Much to the surprise of … the whole world, said alliance became unbreakable once the USNA's Strategic-Class "Heavy Metal Burst" and Japan's Strategic-Class "Material Burst" officially announced their romantic relationship to the public.

Whether the leaders of both countries had planned for this or not, they now no longer had the means to go against the Alliance that they themselves had created. With both of their military powers now connected not only by political means but also by a personal connection, their control over the weapons called "magicians" had now completely eluded their grasp. If the USNA were to act against Japan, Angelina Kudou Shields, along with the Stars Unit under her command, would revolt against their own government which had gone against the Alliance's will, and join Japan's Master Clans in a retaliatory effort. The same was true for Japan of course.

Such was the current predicament of the United North American and Japanese Alliance.

Of course, neither Lina nor Tatsuya were spoiled children who would throw a tantrum if their respective countries would actually issue such an order, a tantrum on the level of international war to boot, but in the eyes of the public their "exceptional" qualities were nonetheless hard to ignore.

In the blink of an eye, Tatsuya could erase continents from the world map.

In the blink of an eye, Lina could burn entire armies to cinders.

Due to the power the both of them possessed, in a hilarious turn of events, Tatsuya and Lina had unintentionally taken their own countries hostage simply through the ordinary act of dating.
And just like that, the power balance of the world shifted into a despairing unbalance.

The United North American and Japanese Alliance not only boasted a total of five officially registered Strategic Class Magicians, but now also unquestionably dominated the field of cutting-edge magic research. In light of such achievements, it was only natural that those not included in the Alliance would cower in fear of such tremendous power, which resulted in a plummeting decrease of international incidents.

It was a form of romanticized irony.
For a union of two individuals to lead to a brief instance of world peace … it was a coincidence more surreal than those presented in recent televised dramas.

Of course there were still plenty of issues and conflicts to be dealt with regardless of the newly established international power balance. Because of that, as the Commander of the Stars, Angelina Kudou Shields had long since been denied the opportunity to visit Japan due to the many responsibilities that came with her position. Similarly, Tatsuya was tied down with his own duties for the 101 Battalion and his occupation as Head Researcher and Owner of Japan's leading company in the field of Magic Engineering; namely FLT.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and soon it had already been a full year ever since Tatsuya's and Lina's last embrace.

"Merry Christmas Tatsuya … though it seems I'm a bit late"

Allowing her exhilaration to show from beneath a coquettish smile, Lina waited for her partner to regain his wits. A hint of her lavender lip balm still present on his lips, Tatsuya finally brushed aside his stupor.

"Lina? What are you doing here?"

"I'm guessing 'I came here to see you' won't be enough to convince you, will it?", Lina jokingly stated as she stepped inside the door to take off her knee-high winter boots.

Contrary to the first time she had come to Japan, this time her appearance wasn't as … conspicuous, for the lack of a better word. Wearing well-fitting black stockings with heat insulation properties underneath plain dark shorts and a long-sleeved dark-red shirt underneath a white jacket, Lina's attire seemed to be functional both as combat-oriented equipment (her clothes seemed to be spun out of synthetic military-grade fibers with basic heat and shock-resistant properties), and an outfit universally recognized as "cute". As the USNA's strongest military asset, Lina had long since become used to the practice of dressing herself in a manner that allowed her to function at optimal conditions in the case of covert assassinations or unexpected violent assaults, though her awareness of fashion trends had notably improved over time regardless.

Unfastening the buttons of her jacket as she struggled out of her boots, she was surprised to feel it's weight seemingly lift off her shoulders as Tatsuya neatly hung it into the nearby cabinet.

"… right."

She had almost forgotten how much he spoiled her despite his stoic demeanor … almost.

Holding onto his upper arm for support as she finished wedging herself out of her boots, Lina's fingers playfully brushed against Tatsuya's shoulder before she hopped into his familiar apartment.

He had almost forgotten her habit of subliminally conveying her affection … almost.

Following his free-spirited partner into the living room, Tatsuya continued his inquiry.

"Considering our dispositions, it would be too perfect a dream if 'coming to visit each other' were possible on whim", a bitter smile accented his sullen tone.

"A dream, huh…", Lina muttered wearing a similar expression as Tatsuya before noticing the steaming cup of coffee on the table next to her; it's color sung of the bitterness of it's taste. It's mere smell caused the inkling of a frown to appear on her face.

Unreservedly picking up the cup while simultaneously casting a combination of Speed and Movement-Type Multi-Process Magic Sequences in a mere flash, Lina caught three sugar cubes in her outstretched palm while an ounce of milk, in a bizarre sight, flew from the kitchen straight into the cup. For a magician of her caliber, the amount of effort required for the execution of such magic was in every sense of the word, none.

Lina openly ignored Tatsuya's scolding glare by taking in the now somber aroma of the cup in her hands.

"Just as you said, I'm currently assigned at Tsushima Base to accompany the 101 Battalion for a naval exercise in the Pacific Ocean."

"Tsushima … you mean tomorrow? To test out the new Buoyancy Regulator?"

Taking a sip out of the sweetened coffee, Lina answered with a wink.

"…unbelievable. Since when did you get on such good terms with Fujibayashi?", Tatsuya muttered while shaking his head.

"How come? Simply keeping my involvement a secret wasn't too much of a favor to ask in the first place. It also helps that Major Kazama holds you in high regard."

"To manipulate the content of tomorrow's mission briefing just for the sake of planning a surprise … is this how lax we've become as of late?", Tatsuya sighed as Fujibayashi's mischievous attitude from when she informed him of his future deployment finally made sense.

The main objective of said naval exercise was to gather data on the experimental Buoyancy Regulator Tatsuya had developed together with Major Sanada, as well as allow the newer members of the Battalion to acclimate themselves with the modifications he had made to Silver Taurus' specialized Flying-Type Device. The mission itself was ordinary enough for Tatsuya not to spare a second thought on it, but to think that the higher-ups had kept from him the involvement of the USNA's Angie Sirius … Tatsuya thought it was fortunate that the 101 Battalion was relatively removed from the JSDF's main military structure.

"Is there really a need for two registered Strategic-Class Magicians to be deployed for a simple naval exercise though?", Tatsuya asked as he walked towards Lina.

"As you know, the GAA's fleet has shown signs of movement in the past few weeks so I'm guessing our presence it mainly just for intimidation. Oh well, at least I'll be able to go all out again! It's been a while since you've personally made adjustments to my CAD."

"We'll be measuring the maximum output of your 'Full Metal Burst' again? Didn't we already do so last year?"

"… I had a slight fever that time … the results should barely be called accurate."

Tatsuya could hardly suppress a smile.
The contrast between the strong-willed Angie Sirius, the most destructive Strategic-Class magician of the USNA, and the sulking girl before him was simply too baffling. Taking advantage of the opening that had presented itself, Tatsuya smoothly retrieved his cup from Lina's hands and sampled the liquid inside.

"Sweet…"
… though not as sweet as the "lavender" he had tasted before.

Currently Tatsuya and Lina were but a foot apart from each other.

Lina's cheeks still retained their vivid color from when she was exposed to the cold air outside, though the frequency of her heartbeat implied other reasons.

"…you don't like it? The surprise?"

"Of course I do", Tatsuya dropped his phlegmatic front and lowered his head to bump his forehead against Lina's own.

Under normal circumstances her fringe would reach up to his chin due to her short stature, meaning that by performing said action, Tatsuya had brought himself closer to the addictive taste of lavender.

His intentions laid bare, Tatsuya was about to pacify his lover's mood when-

"Not yet~…"

-an index finger's touch blocked his path.

Lina rejoiced at his raised eyebrow, enjoying the dearly missed act of teasing, and continued in a playful tone.

"Remember, I've only just arrived from the USNA. At least let me take a shower first."

From frustration, to a sigh, to a wry smile, Tatsuya capitulated to the impulses of the woman before him. It was then that he realized that she had not brought any luggage with her.

"Your change of clothes?"

"I left them in my room in Tsushima Base. To begin with, me visiting you for tonight was an exception made by Fujibayashi and Major Kazama."

"… it seems like I'll have to properly thank them for their troubles once again."

"Don't worry, I'll go with you like usual. This time I brought souvenirs with me too", Lina brushed off Tatsuya's worries like nothing as she headed towards the main bathroom usually occupied by Tatsuya.

Once the bathroom door shut, Tatsuya breathed a tired breath and headed back over to his office. Thinking about it, he had alway been following along with her whims.

That's right.

Ever since he had "died", Lina had been the one who had taken advantage of the confusion that followed the fall of the Yotsuba to visit Tatsuya's containment cell (hospital bedroom) as much as she possibly could. Seeing as her "Parade" granted her immunity from Tatsuya Decomposition Magic, she was one of the only two individuals who were able to converse with him directly, the other being Hagane Tomitsuka thanks to his unique application of Contact-Type Gram Demolition.

Initially he ignored her, dismissing her insignificant existence as air, much like he did with everybody else.

Yet, through hours and hours of one-sided conversations, she persisted.

As her continued attempts at conversing began to irritate him, Tatsuya showered her with despicable insults. She was nothing but a "fake". A mere imitation of the treasure that Miyuki had been to him. Everybody was trash compared to her. Nobody could ever be what Miyuki had been to him. They were insects. They were dust. Faced with the gaping hole that Miyuki had left, how could mere kernels of dust think to fill such an abyss?

Yet, through hours of degrading curses, she persisted.

Tatsuya wasn't aware of it himself at the time, but Lina had, in that very moment, gifted him with one of his lost emotions: rage.
Similarly, Tatsuya wasn't aware at which point exactly she had given him her final gift … love.

The tapping of fingers against glass once again filled the tranquil evening as Tatsuya's mind was occupied with a thought wholly unrelated to the sequence he was typing. Rather than a thought, it was a question.

Why?
Why would Lina purposefully put herself into danger merely to mend his broken soul?

What had motivated her to help them suppress the Yotsuba in the first place?

Was it obligation?
Him and Miyuki did settle the Parasite incident for her after all, and he liked to believe that he had at least succeeded in making her question the erroneous notions she carried within her at that time.

Was it rivalry?
Since they had met on the field of battle, Miyuki and Lina had shared a competitive rivalry with each other. To aid such an ally when they were pressured by a clan with unmatched strength was a reasonable course of action, was it not?

If neither of the two, then what else could have spurned her on to risk her life for his sake? Could it be that she had already held feelings for him before?

"…"

Tatsuya's fingers stopped as he seriously contemplated the riddle he had trapped himself in. He could comprehend Magic Sequences at a glance, analyze the structures of any conglomeration of Eidos in the Information Dimension, however, even with his emotions restored, the intricacy of a woman's heart was far beyond his analytical ability.

In that moment, when he let down his guard the most, he was enveloped by a coconut scented fragrance. The soft embrace of Lina's arms didn't allow for escape, nor did the sensation of moistened hair against his nape give him reason to do so.

Her body bent forward as she hugged Tatsuya from behind, Lina comfortably rested her head on his shoulder as she glanced at the monitor before her; she was currently clothed in nothing but underwear and her dark-red shirt.

"… a Dispersal-Type Sequence … I think?"

"Targeted at bacteria, yes. In a sense it works like Yaegashi Himeko's 'Vacuum Bomb', though instead of expelling all air from a specified point of origin, all it targets are infectious bacteria and other harmful particles."

Lina whistled in admiration as she begun to understand just how convoluted the Sequence she was looking at truly was, though by doing so she (un)intentionally nudged her chest against Tatsuya's back.

"Until when is that little assignment of yours due?"

"I've yet to decide when to officially announce it's development, but regarding the portion which defines the variable size and kinds of bacteria…", turning his head to the side, Tatsuya was enraptured by the haunting beauty of her azure eyes, "… I had planned on finishing it by the end of tonight."

Their lips joined as Tatsuya decomposed the clip of her bra.
Though her lips formed an amused smile, her heated gaze remained unperturbed.

"… let's see about that…"