Part Two: Restless Archers
“I need something to clean.”
Sakura blinked at the tall man standing in her kitchen with a scowl on other wise handsome features with his arms crossed over his broad chest. Steel grey eyes were narrowed as they surveyed the room in the hope to find a speck of dirt or anything. She sighed and walked over to her friend and the man who had been more of a big brother to her than her own brother.
She said, “Archer, you should know fully well there’s nothing to do here.”
“I’ve already cleaned the Tohsaka mansion from roof to basement, organized Rin’s lab twice, and reshelved her library,” Archer said with a scowl as his shoulders slumped.
She smiled, shook her head and replied, “You waited too long.”
“I told her I wanted to go with her,” he said, his voice rising ever so slightly.
Sakura patted his shoulder and said, “It doesn’t help that you say it when she needs to get on the plane. You’re too late.”
“She said I could come for her,” Archer said slowly with a frown as he ran a hand through his spiky white hair.
Sakura laughed and said, “Weren’t her words, ‘Once you get your head out of your ass, you know where I’ll be at,’?”
“Well, yes, but for your sister that’s her way of saying come after me,” Archer said with a slight smile.
“Like your way of saying ‘I love you’ is heavy sarcasm and teasing with the occasional complement?” Sakura asked with a slight giggle.
Archer blinked and said, “Well . . .”
“I hope my Sempai doesn’t become as tsundere as you are,” Sakura said with another giggle.
He frowned and said, “I’m not tsundere.”
“Yes you are,” Sakura said with a giggle as she started to root through the cabinets for the tools to make dinner.
His lower lip thrust up, he folded his arms over his chest again, looked away and grumbled, “I am not tsundere.”
Sakura giggled, shook her head and walked over the refrigerator. She said, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
“Damn it,” Archer said with a sigh before joining her at the refrigerator. In a unison that belied words the two of them began to grab the ingredients needed to feed the three of them and Fujimura-sensei, who was all a flutter at joining “Archer-san” for dinner.
“You’re almost out of fennel,” Archer said with narrowed eyes and a frown as he peered into the chilled box.
Sakura pulled out some leeks and said, “We have enough for the salad tonight. I’m going shopping tomorrow.”
“Do you need help?” Archer asked.
“No I’ll have Rider with me. She’s off tomorrow,” Sakura said before looking at him, “Speaking of which, do you have a job?”
Archer swallowed and said, “I work for Fujumura-dono.”
“You’re not caught up in the yakuza are you?” Sakura asked with a frown.
He shrugged and said, “I’d rather have him as the lord of Fuyuki than some other boss. The crime rate in this city would be a lot higher if he wasn’t in his position, not to mention drug use and prostitution.”
“You’re not doing anything dangerous or unsavory are you?” she asked with a frown as she tapped a carrot on her hip.
Archer shook his head and answered, “No, a bunch of repair work actually. I’m saving up money to start a shop.”
“I don’t see you as a handy-man for the rest of your life,” Sakura said with a smile.
He frowned, snorted and said, “I already tried the superhero gig and you know how that story ended. I’m counting on you to keep that punk at home even if he has to be a house husband.”
“Sempai’s actually been expressing interest in studying law again,” Sakura said with a soft smile as she cradled an armful of wrapped beef in her arms.
Archer’s expression softened as he said, “Good.”
“Did you have an interest in that too, Archer?” Sakura asked, eager to get some insight on her lover through this future version of him.
He chuckled and answered, “Yeah, I did, and I also wanted to travel. I doubt he’s going to much now that he has something worth staying at home for.”
Her cheeks flushed at that and she looked away. She said, “Well . . . I’m glad. I really have no desire to go anywhere . . . However . . .”
“You like plants right? Ever thought about becoming a botanist? You could breed a new form of cherry tree or stronger flowers,” Archer said as he took the head of fennel and placed it on the chopping block. Sakura shut the refrigerator door with her foot as she watched him swiftly brandish the blade as if it was an extension of his arm.
She smiled and said, “I don’t have the grades to do such things Archer.”
“You still have a year of school left. Hit the books. I doubt all the genius went to Rin,” he said with a smile as the leafed vegetable was chopped into even pieces. He handed her the root with a smile and she took it.
The scent of licorice tickled her nostrils before she bit down on the tangibly sweet plant, nibbling delicately. She swallowed the first mouthful and said, “I’m not as smart as nee-san, Archer. You know that.”
“But you’re smarter than you’re giving yourself credit for. You just haven’t had a chance or someone to let you explore that. I’m sure the punk would be more than happy to support any and everything you did,” Archer said as he pointed the knife in her direction.
Sakura eyed him and said, “You know I don’t like it when you call Sempai a punk.”
“It’s a rather interesting case of self-loathing. He calls me an asshole,” Archer replied with a shrug.
She sighed and said, “I wish the two of you would get along.”
“You know what they say about opposites attracting? Parallels repel,” Archer said with a lopsided smirk as he reached for the carrots.
Sakura moved to push the fennel into a bowl and asked, “Semapi is the idea and fantasy of the superhero while you’re the harsh reality?”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much it,” Archer said with a chuckle.
She grinned and said, “Well, no wonder nee-san’s taken with you. She’s never had much of an imagination.”
“You should see the books she borrows from Ayako,” Archer said with another chuckle.
Sakura snorted and said, “She’s going to get a rude awakening when she realizes what sex is really like if all she has to go on are those books. Well . . . I trust that you’ll see her through that when the time comes Archer.”
He turned five shades of red, ducked his head and grumbled, “Don’t talk about such things, Sakura . . .”
“Well, I know that you think about it,” Sakura said with a chuckle.
Archer looked at her and said, “But I shouldn’t. She’s ten years younger than I am physically now. I’m like a dirty old man going after a school girl.”
“The thing of it is, when I ever pictured nee-san with anyone . . . they were always older. She’d just get frustrated with someone her age. Part of her attraction to you is that you can match her better than the rest of us,” Sakura said with a grin.
Archer frowned and said, “What do you mean match her?”
“In teasing or in conversation,” Sakura said as she pressed her lips together, “She loses the rest of us and gets angry when she does. You . . . you can keep up with her and she doesn’t get frustrated.”
The knife stopped and was laid against the cutting board. Archer reached out and stroked her hair. His smile was soft and kind, actually meeting his eyes for once. Sakura’s breath caught as she caught a glimpse of the man her Sempai would become and swallowed.
“You know your sister loves you very much, but Rin’s not good at expressing such things,” Archer said softly.
Sakura sighed and said, “I know . . .”
“Now we’ve got to make enough food to feed Fuji-nee and the three of us,” Archer said with a grin.
Sakura laughed and said, “I try to comfort you, and you end up comforting me.”
“We’re both magi so we should believe in equivalent exchange,” Archer said in a high pitched voice as he held up his index finger mirroring Rin.
Laughter welled up from the kitchen in the Emiya household as the surrogate family banded together to create a feast to soothe a hungry tiger.
The target had a rather handsome face with sharp features, a wide mouth, laughing red eyes and long blue hair. An arrow rammed right into the aristocratic nose and vibrated from where it hit. Moments later another arrow struck right into that boyish smile, then the forehead, and one of those stupid silver earrings he was never caught without.
Ayako was breathing hard as she riddled the target wearing Lancer’s face in her mind with arrows. There was a low whistle behind her when a familiar voice said, “Someone’s got your knickers in a twist Mitsuzuri.”
“Shut up, Shinji,” Ayako said between gritted teeth as she nocked another arrow on her bow, aimed and let the arrow fly. This time the arrow caught Lancer’s throat.
Matou Shinji whistled and said, “Still, that’s not bad.”
“Shouldn’t you be chatting up some first years?” Ayako asked as she adjusted her gi before glaring at him.
Silence stretched along the archery range as the members of the Archery Club stared at its two captains having yet another argument. Ever since February of their second year the arguments hadn’t been nearly as fierce, but Ayako was still in a foul temper from yesterday. Shinji frowned and said, “Easy there Mitsuzuri.”
“Or do you want to settle this with a contest?” she asked as she continued to glare at him.
He smirked, his queer eyes glittering as he answered, “Are you sure you want to embarrass yourself like that?”
“Well, I figure the guy who asked Tohsaka twice and got turned down each time would know all about embarrassment,” Ayako said with a frosty smile.
Shinji all but bristled as he replied, “At least I wasn’t caught wandering downtown naked.”
Chains musically clicked as her arms were hosted above her head. Lavender hair created a curtain of intimacy that made Ayako’s stomach clinch. Cool, slender hands with elegant fingers traced heated features before nimbly unbuttoning a troublesome uniform. A blind offered no insight into the eyes of the wanton creature before her. There was a flash of sharp teeth, a painful sting then unwilling bliss . . .
She had not been aware she had thrown the punch until her knuckles hurt and Shinji was on his back with a cry. “Ayako-chan!” Fujimura-sensei’s shrill voice broke the rabble as Shinji slowly rose to his feet. Pale, pretty features were smeared with crimson as a hand reached up to staunch the bleeding.
“Ayako-chan, what do you think you’re doing?” Fujimura-sensei said with a scowl and her hands her hips.
Ayako faced her, took a deep breath and said, “I need some air, Sensei.” Then without a word she picked up her things and headed out of the archery range. She quickly changed in the locker rooms, not even bothering to shower, and briskly packed her bow and quiver. She knew she should have collected her arrows, but heat and red was simmering below the surface, waiting to explode.
She splashed cold water on her face and looked up at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. There were two high spots of color on her cheeks and her amber eyes were all but gleaming in the reflection. With her auburn hair Ayako didn’t see her own reflection there, but the vixen Lancer had waxed poetically about yesterday.
Yesterday.
When she had been on top of the world only to have that bitch who haunted her come back. She wasn’t found naked and wandering around a year ago, but Shinji had made that theory very popular. Emiya, Sakura, and Tohsaka had helped kill it, with Tohsaka actively threatening violence, but it was still an unspoken question on everyone’s lips. All Ayako could remember was flashes, and she went to a doctor after regaining her senses. In the resounding check up the rape kit had came out clean. She still had her virtue, but she was plagued by memories that looked like something out of a bad horror movie.
Vampires don’t exist, Ayako thought as she rubbed the scar that most of her shirts usually covered up.
“Mitsuzuri-sempai?” a soft, feminine voice said behind her.
Ayako spun around to see the voluptuous girlfriend of Emiya Shirou standing there. Sakura had been letting her hair grow out and Ayako had to admit that it really suited the girl. Sakura was generally quiet and soft spoken, but over the past year the girl had been blossoming. She smiled more, helped out more in the club, and it was no wonder that Minori was infatuated with her.
Ayako sighed and said, “I’m okay Sakura.”
“Sometimes my brother is a jerk,” Sakura said with a shake of her head.
Ayako blinked, knowing all too well of the days that Sakura would come to school with bruises or her movements were sluggish. Watching the Matou siblings back then was an easy way to figure out why Sakura was injured so often. However, ever since Sakura had been going out with Emiya the bruises and the obvious soreness were gone. Then again, it wasn’t a secret that Emiya had beaten Shinji to a bloody pulp after Sakura had come to school with bruises on her face. It was the start of the long spiral that got their star archer to quit the team.
Ayako sighed and said, “It’s just been a bad week.”
“Anything I can do to help?” Sakura asked as she took a step forward.
Ayako smirked and said, “Yeah, get your boyfriend to join the team again.”
“I don’t think he’ll do that,” Sakura said with a bright smile.
The older girl shrugged and said, “I know, but I had to try. Besides, we’ll graduate soon so it won’t matter anyway. You’d just had better take good care of the team, Sakura.”
“I will,” the girl said with an easy smile before peering at her with her large, violet eyes.
Ayako swallowed and said, “Thanks. I just need to get home and clear my head.”
“Please be careful,” Sakura said with a tiny bow.
She nodded and said, “I will.”
Not like I’m going to get attacked by another vampire or anything.
Originally Posted by Altima of the Gates
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