Just a Heart Beat

ジェミニ
~Team GEMINI~

雛森.N雛森.Y

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join together this ma—woman and this… woman… in holy matrimony," The priest shifted his weight from foot to foot nervously, "Within this holy estate, these two persons present before me now come forward to be joined. And if anyone feels that this couple should not be united in Holy Matrimony speak now or forever hold your peace."

When no one raised their voice, the priest scanned the room with pleading eyes and sighed. Everyone here was in support of the happy couple before him.

"Marriage is the union of hu-husband and wife in heart, body and mind," The priest froze in fear when he realized he had said the 'H' word. "I-It is in-intended for their m-mutual joy, and for the help and comfort given on another in prosperity and adversity. But more importantly, it is a means through which a stable and loving environment may be attained."

"Through marriage, Fate T. Harlaown and Nanoha Takamachi, make a commitment together to face their disappointments, embrace their dreams, realize their hopes, and accept each other's failures. Fate and Nanoha will promise one another to aspire to these ideals throughout their lives together, through mutual understanding, openness, and sensitivity to each other."

Fate looked into Nanoha's eyes and smiled brightly. Within those stunning indigo hued orbs, Fate saw eternity and blissful paradise. No other moment could compare to the one she was sharing with Nanoha. She was so happy that it made her forget about every single sad and painful moment in her life. The memory of finding out that her twin sister and mother had died in a car accident felt like a cool spring day, mostly because Nanoha was there to consol and help her accept what had happened. It was a twisted and morbid thought, but it was true. Having Nanoha by her side through thick and thin made the day seem like a perfect sunny afternoon even though the world, in reality, was torn asunder, racked with thunderstorms and hurricanes.

"We are here today to witness the joining of Fate. T Harlaown and Nanoha Takamachi. This occasion marks the celebration of love and commitment with which this ma-woman and this woman begin their life together. And now – through me – He joins you together in one of the holiest bonds."

"Um, Father," Nanoha interrupted. "If it'll make things easier on you, you can just call Fate my husband. It's okay, really. She is my prince after all."

"B-But..."

Fate leaned in and chuckled as she patted the priest on the back, "Honestly, you aren't the only one who isn't comfortable with this, Padre."

"Ahaha…"

"Nanoha's parents are the one who are making us get married like this." Fate explained with a dry laugh. "It's a trivial formality on my part." Nanoha swiftly punched Fate in the arm causing the taller girl to flinch in pain. "God damnit, Nanoha!"

"Don't use the Lord's name in vain, please!" the priest pleaded with an exasperated face.

"Father, can we just hurry this up? Fate and I have a plane to catch in like," Nanoha looked up at the hanging clock all the way down by the front doors, "Five hours."

"Wow, you can see the clock from here?" Fate asked with a quirked eyebrow. Turning her head to peer over to the clock, Fate squinted and tried to read the time only to see the numbers as a mere blur. "Wow, you have really good eyesight, baby."

"Why thank you! I ate all my carrots when I was young."

"Hush now, darling, you are still very young."

"Jeez, Fate, I'm almost forty-nine, at least give me a little dignity with my age," Nanoha growled with a pink tint on her cheeks.

Fate smiled at her bride and hummed whimsically. There was a significant age gap between them, but they didn't care much. Nanoha was an art professor at the University of Uminari and Fate was her prized student. They met at a local art gallery and Fate was the highlighted artist alongside a well renowned fashion designer named Yagami Hayate (a close personal friend of Nanoha's). It was a mere coincidence that they met that day, but the moment they did was magic.

"Will you two lovers quit with the babblin' and hurry up? I want cake!" a distinctive Osakan accent boomed from the front row pews. Both Nanoha and Fate stuck their tongues out at Hayate who, in return, immaturely fired the same gesture back.

"Hayate, maturity please." the beautiful older blonde sitting beside Hayate chided.

The short haired brunette blushed and replied in a hushed whisper, "I'm sorry, I'll be quiet…"

"By gathering together all the wishes of happiness and our fondest hopes for—"

"Father," Nanoha and Fate whispered.

The priest rolled his eyes and sighed, "What is it now?"

"Can you just skip to the end?" They both asked at the same time.

"But…"

"Come on; do a brutha a solid here." Fate added jokingly.

"What about your vows?" The priest asked. His face went from a pasty white to a shocking red color as the conversation continued. "They're a very important part of the ceremony! We can't skip over that.

Laughing haughtily, Nanoha winked at the priest and said, "Oh we've exchange them already. But it was under satin sheets with rose petals, if you know what I mean. And if you hurry this up, my hubby and I can get back to those… vows."

"Nanoha!" Fate squealed in embarrassment.

"Nyahaha."

The tall blonde haired woman glowered at her lover, "Don't 'nyahaha' me, missy."

"Okay, fine! You win! Have it your way you hooligans!" The priest shouted angrily as he slammed his leather bound book shut, the sound reverberated across the church hall giving all of the wedding attendees the chills.

An elderly old man stood up flailing his arms screaming, "Oh dear Lordy, the apocalypse is a comin'!"

"Shouji, sit down now before you make Nanoha do something stupid!" his wife growled as she yanked Shouji back into his seat. "She already got a priest angry; you don't want her to rip open the gates of hell!"

"… I'll be quiet…"

Fate watched the elderly couple in awe. A single bead of sweat rolled down her cheek as she observed the bickering couple talking about how her future wife had the power to destroy Earth itself.

Nanoha nudged Fate and asked, "Honey, what's wrong? You look pale."

"What… have I gotten myself into?" Fate mumbled.

"huh?"

"But Momora, the fact Nanoha's getting married is a sign that life as we know it is ending!" Shouji wailed, his wrinkly cheeks jiggling as he screamed.

"No, the fact she was even dating was a sign of the world ending!" Momora replied with as much vigour as her husband portrayed.

"Mom, Daddy, stop hassling Nanoha on her wedding day!" Takamachi Momoko whispered to her parents. "We should all be happy we aren't the ones dealing with her anymore!"

"Oh," the elderly couple said in unison. "Poor Fate."

There was an inkling of fear nagging at the back of Fate's mind. Was she really ready to get married? She was only twenty-two, and as the only living blood related heir to the Testarossa family fortune, Fate was still considered as one of the world's most eligible bachelorettes. Just as the fear claimed victory over Fate's nerves, Nanoha placed a tender hand on Fate's left cheek and urged the younger woman to face her.

"Keep your eyes focused only on me, Fate-chan." Nanoha said in a confident voice.

Looking at the women before her, Fate felt the fear completely dissipate and in its place, love reigned supreme. "I wouldn't have it any other way, my dear." Fate replied with a dashing smile. She turned to the priest and nodded her head, "I don't think we'll have anymore interruptions now."

"Are you sure?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Fate looked at her bride through the corner of her eye and replied, "Yeah, I think so. If we hold this off anymore, Nanoha might pull out her bazooka."

"I have a bazooka now?" Nanoha asked with a strange expression on her face. "What happened to my grenade launcher?"

"Not accurate enough."

"Oh right…"

"AHEM! Do you Fate take Nanoha to be your wife to your lawfully wedded wife?" The priest asked. "Will you promise to love her, comfort her, honour her, and keep her in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and to love forever, forsaking all others, and keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?"

"I," Fate paused and looked at her eager bride as she feigned hesitation. "I'll think about it." Nanoha's eyes narrowed dangerously, her hand curling into a tightly clenched fist. "On second thought," Fate stammered, "I can't live without this barbaric woman—oof!"

"Who are you calling barbaric!" Nanoha roared as Fate fell to her knees in agony. She turned her gaze to the priest and said, "Get on with it!"

The elderly man stood up straight as Fate clambered back to her feet. "D-Do you Na-Nanoha take F-Fate to be your lawfully w-wedded husband?" the priest stammered in fear. "W-Will you pro-promise to love her, comfort her, h-honour her, and keep her in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and to love forever, forsaking all others, and keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Nanoha practically barked in annoyance.

A young boy with deep red hair, of about ten or eleven, walked up to the priest nervously, his steps were robotic and his hands unsteady. The boy was so focused on the rings sitting on the little pillow that he didn't see the small bump on the carpet.

"Erio, look out!" Fate shouted worriedly.

Erio looked down with wide eyes as he tripped on the small bump. He tumbled forward, but thanks to Fate's investment on his martial arts hobby, he was able to avoid fall face first and dropping the rings. Thrusting his small hand out, Erio used it as leverage to lift his body up land on his feet, rings unmoved.

"That's ma' boy!" Fate shouted out proudly. The red-headed boy blushed deeply and scratched the back of his head. "Now hurry up before Nanoha-mama gets angry!" Erio ran towards the priest and grinned at the long haired brunette.

The priest chuckled with an amused smile on his face and continued on with the ceremony. "May these rings be blessed as the symbol of this affectionate unity." He looked at the smile on Fate's face and the blush on Nanoha's cheeks, and decided that they were seemingly and hopelessly perfect for one another. "These two lives are now joined in one unbreakable circle. Wherever they go, may they will always return to one another. May they grow in understanding and in compassion through the years and build a home full of love and joy."

Grasping hold of one of the rings, the priest looked at it tenderly and read the inscription. A small tear rolled down his cheek as he read the finely engraved words in the golden ring: "Forever yours just call my name and I am there."

Wiping the tear away, he handed it over to Fate and whispered, "Wonderful choice of words my dear." The blonde haired woman blushed and nodded her head. Getting back on track, the priest said, "Fate, by placing this ring on Nanoha's finger repeat after me: Nanoha, from this day forward you are to be my wife, and I give you this ring as a pledge of my eternal love and as the symbol of our unity, and with this ring, I thee wed."

Nodding her head in complete understanding, Fate accepted the ring in the priest's hand and offered her own to Nanoha. It was clear to all that Fate was nervous, but they all knew it wasn't because she was scared, but because she was eager. Nanoha placed her left hand in the one Fate offered and took a deep breath as Fate repeated what the priest had said.

"Nanoha," Fate began her voice calm and clear, "From this day forward you are to be my wife, and I give you this ring as a pledge of my eternal love and as the symbol of our unity." Placing the ring halfway through Nanoha's finger, Fate paused and stared deeply into Nanoha's eyes, searching for one final confirmation from her bride. "And with this ring," Nanoha smiled at Fate giving her the courage she needed, "I thee wed." The ring slipped on the rest of the way seamlessly. It was a perfect fit for Nanoha, just like Fate was.

It was destiny.

The priest smiled at the charming 'groom' and her bride as he picked up the other ring on the heart shaped pillow. He looked into the ring eagerly hoping to find another wonderful phrase embedded into the ring. To his elation, there was in fact an equally touching message written into Fate's ring. He mouthed the words: "You were the one I was waiting for all my life."

"Nanoha, by placing this ring on Fate's finger repeat after me: Fate, from this day forward you are to be my wife, and I give you this ring as a pledge of my everlasting love and as the symbol of our unity, and with this ring, I thee wed."

Taking a deep, relaxing breath, Nanoha accepted the ring in the priest's hand and reached out for the one Fate held out for her. At first the words wouldn't come out, but with a gentle squeeze from Fate's hand snapped her back into reality. "Fate, from this day forward you are to be my wife, and I give you this ring as a pledge of my eternal love and as the symbol of our unity." Following her wife's example, Nanoha slid the ring halfway up finger's finger and paused. Doing exactly what Fate did, Nanoha stared deeply into her lover' eyes and searched for any residual fear that lingered in Fate's heart. "And with this ring," Fate returned the favour and smiled at Nanoha, proving to her that there was in fact no fear lacing her heart, "I thee wed." Just as the ring glided effortlessly on Nanoha's finger, it was the exact same effect on Fate's.

They truly were meant to be together and the rings proved that point.

"May you always share the gifts of love, and be one in heart and in mind." The priest placed a hand on Nanoha's and Fate's back and pushed them a little closer together. "On his hallowed day, Fate and Nanoha have consented together in marriage before this company of dear friends and family, and have pledged their faith and declared their unity by giving and receiving a ring, are now joined." The observers leaned in eagerly, waiting for the final moments of the wedding. "You have pronounced yourselves as husband and wife, but remember to always be each other's best friend above all else."

Nanoha and Fate stood closer together, their eyes locked in place. They shared words that could be heard by no one else but them. Secret promises and sweet nothings were passed back and forth in a silent volley.

"And so, by the power vested in me by the City of Uminari and Almighty God, I now pronounce you… uh…" The priest paused and looked at Nanoha who shot him a curious stare. "A little help here?"

"You can say it; Fate is my man after all." Nanoha said in a hearty laugh. She didn't care anymore; all she wanted was to finally be able to say that Fate belonged to her and only her.

"Do you mind?" the priest asked Fate pleadingly. The groom in question smiled at the priest and nodded her head. She knew that he was uncomfortable with the idea of wedding two women, but he pulled through to the end and put up with her and Nanoha's useless banter. So letting the old coot say his speech the way he was taught to say it was no big deal. Plus, as Nanoha said, she was her "man."

"Go ahead, at this point I don't really care anymore," Fate replied impatiently.

Beaming at the two lovers before him, the priest smiled brightly and said, "Wife and wife, may your days be fill with nothing but joy." Stopping his speech, the priest cleared his throat and opened his book. "You may now kiss the bride," he proclaimed with his eyes hidden behind the book. Everyone had her eyes glued to the priest hiding his face. A minute passed before everyone broke into a hysterical laughter. Bringing the book down, the priest glowered at the newlyweds and shouted, "Kiss already!"

The two shrugged their shoulders and complied with the heated priest's demand. Fate wrapped her left arm around Nanoha's shoulders and looped her right around Nanoha's knees and lifted her up, sweeping the shorter girl off of her feet. Nanoha threw her arms around her lover's neck in surprise and yelped as she was suddenly hovering high above the ground.

Their eyes met again for the millionth time and even though their friends and family cheered loudly for them, all they could hear was the unison beating of their hearts. The smiles on their faces grew larger the longer they gazed into each other's eyes.

The two meet in a sweet kiss that that bound them together forever. At first it was just an innocent touching of their lips, but the action quickly escalated as Nanoha took control and deepened the kiss. She finally had her prince in her arms at last. It had taken her so many years, and an uncountable number of tears just to finally find the correct kind of pain that told her that this one was the one.

Breaking apart for air, Fate placed a chaste kiss on Nanoha's forehead and whispered, "You'll always be mine."

"Un," Nanoha nodded her head. "I'll always be yours."