Disclaimer: I do not own Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha or any of the characters or locations or associated with it.

Doubts and Blessings

Chapter I - Valentines Day

She was alone on Valentines Day but right now that was just the way she wanted it.

Fate Testarossa Harlaown leaned against the headboard of her bed and hugged her knees to her chest. Her stomach growled but she didn't move, she would stay there until this feeling of absolute mortification was gone. It hadn't been the worst week of her life, it didn't even come close, but it had certainly been the most embarrassing.

Stupid teenage hormones, that dream didn't help either.

She'd known for some time now that her feelings towards her best friend had…changed? Grown? Whatever the correct term, the fact was she felt differently towards the girl than she had even a year ago.

It wasn't just a physical attraction either. Yes, Fate thought Nanoha was exceptionally cute and but she was also kind and generous and just plain nice. It was true she was about as subtle as a brick and could be incredibly naïve but she even founds these parts of her to be somewhat adorable. Still, over the last year she had been able to control her desires and keep her thoughts to herself.

However, over the last week, it was like she had been transformed into one of those chronically unlucky, harem anime leads.

First on Monday, despite her years of training and combat experience, she had somehow managed to trip over her own feet. On the way down she had instinctively reached for something to break her fall but had only succeeded in giving Nanoha a firm slap on the backside. The girl had squeaked rather loudly but had fortunately accepted it as an accident.

On Tuesday, it had been Nanoha who had slipped as they were exiting the classroom to begin their journey home. Fate had reached out caught her before she could hit the floor but Nanoha had looked at her and Fate had suddenly forgotten where she was, lost in those deep, blue eyes that felt like an endless sky. Then the girl below her had whispered her name and it had sent a thrill through her body, the mere memory of it caused her skin to tingle even now.

It wasn't until Nanoha let out a low moan that she had been snapped from her daydream and realized that, during her rescue she had managed to grab her best friend's breast. Not only that, but she unconsciously began to massage it!

She had felt the heat explode in her cheeks and just knew her face must have been a most spectacular shade of red. Once again the brown-haired girl had been willing to accept the whole thing as an accident, even the rubbing. She had even smiled at her, with a faint tinge of red colouring her own cheeks. In that moment Fate had wanted nothing more that to lean in and kiss her, both for being so understanding and for being so very beautiful.

Wednesday hadn't been too bad, she'd simply gotten a nosebleed while watching Nanoha during a P.E. lesson and she'd been able to cover that up easily enough. Still, whilst sitting on the side-lines watching the other girl get all hot and sweaty wearing nothing but a t-shirt and a pair of bloomers, she had been forced to discreetly cross her legs.

Thursday she had been caught openly staring at her during class. She hadn't even realized she was doing it, one minute she had been copying notes from the board the next she was listening to the teacher yell at her while her gaze was on her friend's back. The man had even cracked a joke at her expense (thankfully he hadn't realised just how close he had come to the truth), and Fate had sunk back into her chair wishing she could disappear.

As she had slouched there red-faced, she had caught Nanoha giving her a weird look and had immediately panicked, thinking that her secret had been discovered, but after class things had been the same as always. Strangely this had left her feeling more on edge than ever.

Friday had been mercifully free of any embarrassing incidents and for some reason she had taken that as a sign it was safe for her to invite her friend to spend the night at her house. She didn't know what she had been thinking.

Nanoha had slept in her bed of course, they always slept in each others beds whenever they did a sleepover. Only this time Fate had been entirely too aware of the girl sleeping next to her, she had felt her heart pounding violently in her chest and her blood burning beneath her skin. Some part of her imagination had been sure that the girl would wake and be suddenly aware of the dirty imagery the other half of her imagination just wouldn't stop conjuring up. The fact that her best friend and secret crush had been facing in her direction and she could feel the girl's warm, soft breath on her neck, only made things worse.

Needless to say, she hadn't slept very well that night.

Then Saturday, yesterday, the most embarrassing, mortifying, humiliating part had happened.

Things had started as usual this morning the two of them had risen groggily from their bed (Fate had needed some insistent poking from Nanoha), washed and were in their underwear about to but on their uniforms when it happened. For the second time that week Fate's normally excellent balance had deserted and she had fallen whilst in the process of trying to pull on her right sock. She had crashed into Nanoha on the way taking her friend with her.

Now she was face down in something that smelled…actually she wasn't sure how to describe it. It was kind of repulsive but enticing at the same time and held a sort of musky sweetness. Then she noticed the feel, it was soft but smooth like flesh covered by cotton… Suddenly her brain crashed to a halt and she felt her blood turn to ice.

Oh no, please…

Slowly, oh so slowly and with a growing sense of dread, she had firmly planted her hands to either side and pushed herself up, whilst forcing herself to open her eyes. Sure enough she discovered that her new-found clumsiness had sent her tumbling, face first, into the place were her best friends legs joined together.

If she had thought the heat under skin had been something before, this time it was like the burning intensity of a thousand suns. She could feel her skin turn red and her heart begin to race faster than she had ever experienced before. A faint itch began to develop at the back of her nose, and a faint tingling sensation made itself known between he own legs.

God, she felt like a pervert.

The last thing she wanted to do in that instant was look Nanoha in the face but her body had decided to turn traitor. She had fought with all the willpower she could muster but gradually her head risen until she was looking the other girl in the eyes.

What she saw there made her mind go blank. There was a storm of emotion in her friends rich, blue eyes, she saw embarrassment and confusion and others Fate didn't dare even attempt to identify, just in case it turned out to be her own wishful thinking. Her friends face was also flushed a bright crimson, creating a look that Fate thought was incredibly cute but at the same time so very hot.

By that point her self-control had shrunk to almost nothing and she caved to her desires. With an agonising slowness she had crawled her way up Nanoha's body until their faces were only inches apart. Then she began to lower herself, fully intending to claim the girl's lips with her own; the way Nanoha whispered her name only adding to her need. She didn't notice then and hindsight wouldn't help her later but the brunette had begun to tilt her own head forward in order to meet her.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) the door to her bedroom had suddenly sprung open.

"Girls, are you two almo…" Lindy trailed off upon catching sight of her daughter and her guest lying frozen atop each other. She continued to stare at the two of them blankly, with a faint blush developing on her own cheeks, for what felt like an age before speaking again:

"Hmmm, I can't say I'm surprised but I'm not sure you girls have time for that." She turned to leave but paused and added, "Well Fate-chan it looks like you and I are going to have to have a talk when you get home from school. It seems I've put this discussion off for too long." And with that the two of them were alone again.

They turned to face each other again and a pregnant pause hung in the air before they both scrambled to their feet. It turns out having ones mother walk in on you like that, is quite the effective mood-killer.

"N-Nanoha…" Fate began, grasping for an excuse, any excuse.

"Hey Fate-chan, let's finish getting ready or we'll be late." And her friend began to do just that. If not for the faint blush that would persist until the two of them left the house and the fact that Nanoha refused to look at her until they reached the school, wouldn't even know anything had happened.

She hugged her knees closer and bit down on her lower lip. She hadn't been to talk to Nanoha for the rest of that day; in truth she had been trying to avoid her. She had been so stupid, why had she done that? She had probably ruined the first real friendship she'd ever had and it hurt. It felt her stomach was caught in a vice, her throat felt like it was swollen and her eyes stung.

To make matters worse, last night she'd had a dream. In that dream it had been her and Nanoha on the floor, the door had not suddenly burst open, Lindy-mama hadn't suddenly interrupted them and they had…her body burned just thinking about it.

There was a knock on her door but she ignored it. There was only one person she wanted to seen right now and she wouldn't be calling again any time soon, if ever.

"Fate-chan?"

After a frozen moment Fate sprung off her bed like lightning and grabbed at the handle, yanking the door open. On the other side stood Nanoha, a genuine smile on her cute face and a wrapped parcel in her hands. The sight made her feel funny, like the pain in her throat was soothed but the vice on her stomach tightened. She could barely suppress the desire to fling herself forward and hug her.

"Na-Nanoha…"

"Nyahaha. Your mum let me in." The enthusiasm was genuine but that laugh…was Nanoha still nervous around her? That was probably to be expected though, after all she had basically sniffed the girl's crotch and then proceeded to try and make out with her. Honestly she was amazed that her friend still trusted her enough to come up to her room.

"Do you want to come in?" Fate asked.

"Nyahaha," that laugh again, "I can't sorry. Mum wants me to go straight back after I drop these off. The shop's really busy today." She offered the wrapped package and Fate accepted it. "See you tomorrow Fate-chan, happy Valentines day." Nanoha cheered as she bounded back down the stairs.

Fate didn't know how long she stood there, just staring at the place her friend had been before she closed the door and walked over to her bed. Trying very hard not to let her imagination run away with her (after all this was probably just a piece offering) she carefully began to unwrapped her present.

When she had finished she felt her knees go weak and she had to quickly sit on her bed before they completely gave out. It was chocolate. Nanoha had given her chocolate on Valentines Day. Nanoha had given her what was clearly home-made, honmei chocolate on Valentines Day.

Did this mean Nanoha knew how she felt? Did it mean she felt the same way? There was no other reason to give these kinds of chocolates to a person on Valentines Day after all. She felt the vice on her stomach give way to be replaced by an airy weightless feeling.

Her tongue darted out and ran along her lips, their was no way this was just a piece offering, you didn't hand honmei chocolates out to people you were just friends with. So Nanoha really did like her back, maybe? She sighed, there was the doubt again but this might be the only chance she would ever have to change their relationship. It would be a gamble, a big one, if she was wrong she could end up ruining things between them completely. She sunk back into her bed covers; she would need to think this over carefully. If she decided to go through with it, she would need Lindy-mamas help…

She picked a piece of chocolate out of the box and popped it into her mouth. It tasted good.

First I'd like to ask everyone if the rating's okay, someone in real life made a comment about the scene at the begining of the flashback, so just say the word and I'll raise it.

So how badly did I mangle the characters? It's okay, you can say it, constuctive criticism is important after all. So on that note please read and review.