Our Bridge

au: Marine Brother Shran

I'm actually surprised it's still here, and standing strong.

It's been what, nearly 14 years since we've stood on this bridge?

Yeah, I think so.

In the past 14 years, it's bared witnessed to three of our most treasured moments.

The first I remembered the most vividly.

It was the day you and I became friends.

Before I was going to the Asura to be taken to my place of trial, we had agreed to meet at some location. Out of convenience, we had chosen this bridge to meet up. You were really glad about meeting up one last time, especially with the fact you were running your heart out as you neared us.

I think we both had a lot to say to each other, but at the spur of the moment, we had forgotten. But it didn't stop us. After all, we both wanted to talk. Even if it was only from the spur of the moment, it wouldn't have mattered. I was going to be gone for a while, and that was our only chance to talk to each other in person. It was a bit awkward at first, but I managed to accomplish something: I had asked you to show me how to become friends.

I remember your words with absolute clarity.

"You just have to call out her name."

"Look her straight in the eye and say her name."

I did just that. I looked you right in the eye, and called out your name. I remembered the tears and the joy in your eyes as I called your name, over and over again. You just kept encouraging me to keep doing it, to keep calling your name as it let the weight of our newfound friendship slowly sink into me, before you fell into my arms and cried.

I was crying as well, my own tears of joy. I also had made my own promise that day.

"Next time you're the one in trouble ... I'll be the one to save you."

Sadly our time that day had been short. Eventually I had to go back to the Asura, but that didn't stop you. Even as we watched each other leave, and we were waving our goodbyes, I could see the joy in your eyes, despite the tears. You were crying because I was leaving, but so was I. You were happy though, because we both knew deep within our hearts, we would see each other again. It was a silent promise we made that we would see each other again.

No matter how long it took, we would see each other again.

The second time was not for another 7 years, when we had entered our first year of high school.

I had been faced with a dilemma: I had fallen in love with you.

I personally had no problems with it. But, there was the fact you had grown up in a society that had issues against same-sex relationships. You had friends; you had popularity; you had a good life. Although I too shared the same thing, I didn't care what others thought. If I wanted something, why let others say what I should have and what I couldn't have. It wasn't their business.

But you, on the other hand would have suffered worse. When you grew up, you didn't exactly have a place you belonged, or so you've told me. Although you were welcomed, your heart didn't feel like it belonged.

That was my dilemma: How you could possibly suffer from this. I had worried what a relationship with me would have done to you. Your happiness was my happiness. I had also silently sworn that I would protect you, since that day I fought off Vita. If not being in a relationship with you was the only way to keep you happy, I would have done so.

But, it was also that memory that gave me the answer: I would've made you feel like you belonged. Our love would've been your home. Even if you no longer had a place in anyone else, you would've had me, because I would've stood by you until the very end.

So I did it. Although you had told me that you'd rather be told slowly, and let yourself figure it out, I had eventually told you. I had dropped off hints though through that time.

It was actually fun to let you learn it for yourself, just like how I did. I had picked up signs from my behaviour, and eventually came to realize that I was in love with you, even though Hayate decided to come up to me and help me, when I really didn't need it.

On the day you finally figured it out, it had been exactly 7 years we had started our friendship. I remember that day just as vividly as I remembered our friendship start. In this case though, it was you who chose for us to meet at the bridge to confront me.

I remembered that conversation perfectly.

"Fate-chan, can I ask you something personal?"

"Go ahead."

"What do you feel for me?" You had caught me off with that question. I recalled looking at you strangely, since it was less than two weeks since I had started to give you hints during that year.

But you simply looked back at me and said, "I think I know the answers, but I want to hear it from you, Fate-chan."

That was all I needed to hear, before I took your hands in mine, and said those words that I had hoped back then would last all of eternity: "I love you Nanoha."

You smiled back at me, and leaned towards me as we had our first kiss. It wasn't anything special, but it had sealed it for us. We had become a couple.

And again, today 7 years after becoming a couple, here we are again. At 23, I had brought you to this bridge to this time ask you an important question.

I had been giving this question a lot of thought. It took a lot of time, a lot of work, and some bending of the rules thanks to Hayate, I had managed to put together this little night that would change our lives yet again.

Like Hayate though, I kept it simple. Although some would consider it distasteful, I wasn't one for such extravagance. There was only one event in my life I'd like to possibly be exuberantly planned out, but that was it.

Tonight, we had dressed nicely, and had decided to take all ex-members of Riot Force 6 out to a restaurant we knew off, that had a dance floor. It wasn't all that high-class, but it was enough we had to dress a bit appropriately. It was amusing to see those who had never been to Earth to try and read the menus without either of us helping, their devices, or some sort of hand-held translator.

The night had been fun, and as we had gone our separate ways, I brought you here, where the other half of what I wanted to do was going to start.

"Nice night, isn't it Nanoha?" I started off. Let's keep it simple.

"It is," you replied, leaning against the railing as the cool summer breeze blew along, as our hair waved back and forth. "It's been a while since I've seen this sky." I couldn't agree more. It's been too long since we've been home.

"Nanoha, how long has it been, since we've known each other?" May as well play the same game again for old-times sake.

"About 14 years since we became friends, and about 7 since we became a couple I think," you replied, a thoughtful expression on your face.

"You remembered what we said 14 years ago?"

"Umm...Look at her straight in the eye, and call out name."

So I did. I turned and looked at her in the eye, and said her name. "Nanoha." You giggled at me for doing that.

"Do you remember what happened 7 years ago?" I asked.

"I had asked, 'What do you feel towards me, Fate-chan?'"

"I love you, Nanoha," I replied, taking her hands in mine, my right hand lightly fingering her ring finger. That should do it.

"What do you think I'm going to say now, Nanoha?"

You had a thoughtful expression as you thought about it. I could tell you were coming close to a conclusion, but there was just something in the puzzle that made it difficult for you to figure out. I suppose I could just give you another hint.

"What have we been talking about just now, Nanoha?"

"Umm...about we became friends and couples?"

"If so, what normally comes afterwards?"

That did it as your eyes widened in surprise. "Fate-chan, you don't mean-"

You're right, Nanoha.

Pulling that small box from my purse, I kneeled down before you, while at the same time glad I wore a mini-skirt, I said yet another set of magical words: "Will you marry me, Takamachi Nanoha?"

I didn't have time to react as I found myself on my bum as you hugged me, saying "Yes" over and over again, sobbing into my shoulder. I simply hugged you back. You were so happy. I could tell.

After all, you had found your place in the sun, with me. And together, we would stand strong against the tests of time, just like how our bridge, has continued to stand since that day, 14 years ago.

End.

Thank for reading!