Chapter Thirteen
Unfortunate Circumstances
“My gender is insignificant in this, Shirou. I am your sword and Servant; it matter not if I was a man or a woman.”
Shirou looked down at the intense green eyes staring up at him from the lovely face. He had to focus on her eyes. A wandering gaze would lead to madness; no man had the right to gaze on something so lovely without falling to his knees. A towel was all that covered her and the steam from the bath was thick as thieves in the air, misting over the mirrors and making him light headed.
He closed his eyes as heat that had nothing to do with the bath flooded his cheeks. He said, “J-just let me know when you’re done and I can have my bath.”
“I do not see the problem with us sharing the bath, Shirou. It would save time and hot water,” she said in her unyielding voice.
Because if I’m alone with you like that, I’m not going to be able to help myself, he thought before blurting out, “It’s just not proper okay. Let me know when you’re done!”
Then, like the coward he was, Emiya Shirou fled.
The scene shifted, the sky was painted in hellish darkness.
Every inch of him screamed in pain and exhaustion. His knuckles were scraped raw and blood that wasn’t his own coated his hands. Yet more and more of the corruption leaked from the giant hole that Ilya was crucified to, glowing with an intense brightness in stark contrast with the hellish scene.
If this did not stop, Shirou knew the world would end.
Saber was standing beside him, gripping a bloodied Excalibur. The sheath of wind had long been blown from the sword, revealing the blade’s holy radiance. Her armor was missing, her hair floated to her shoulders, and blood was smeared across her pale features. It contrasted harshly with the sharp green of her eyes that narrowed at the sight.
“We have won, Shirou.”
Emiya Shirou said, “We need to destroy it.”
“I need to make my wish!” she yelled back as she spun to him.
Shirou said, “That can’t grant anything but misery, Saber.” His hand was burning, the last Command Seal rippled in preparation. His will was poured into the small miracle as he looked at the abomination before him.
He took a deep breath and said, “Saber, I order you to destroy the Grail.”
The scream that unleashed the true power of the sword was thick with raw anguish as golden light filled Shirou’s eyes. Once he was able to open them again he saw Saber began to fade in shards of molten gold that started at her feet and was rapidly working up her slight form.
Emerald eyes dark with anguish, rage, and betrayal met his as she said, “I am still bound, Shirou.”
Then she was gone, fading from his life as rapidly as she had appeared.
Warm, golden light poured in from open blinds to lay upon a sleeping face. Eyes flickered and opened, blearily staring for a brief instant before blinking furiously. A loud groan filled the living room and the form that was longer than the couch it was laying on rose.
Archer shoved the blanket that was covering him and rose from his couch. He absently ran a hand through his hair as he stood up. There was the gentle blowing of the air conditioner in the back ground, the hum of the refrigerator, and the ticking of the clock above his mantle, but there were no other sounds. With a frown he quickly gathered up the pillow and blanket he had used last night before heading to the bedroom.
His shoulders slumped as he saw the empty and made futon lying there. Keen eyes caught a few strands of gold on his pillow and his clothing neatly folded on the dresser, but other than that there was no other trace that Saber had been there. Of course, Archer thought as he put up the extra blanket and pillow. He grabbed the clothing she had worn last night, and he closed his eyes at the mint and lavender scent clinging to the fabric that was wholly Saber.
“I am still bound, Shirou.”
They were the last five words that his Saber had said to him as she looked at him with those painful eyes that had struck him to his very core. It had been the first of many painful regrets, the first person he could not save, even before Ilya. He’d been an idiotic, stubborn child and hadn’t seen that there was someone protecting him who needed saving.
Yet, those hands will never hold anything.
He stared at the clothing in his hands and tightened his fingers into the fabric. The line was all too familiar to him. It had left his lips countless times in battle and the chant’s irony was not lost on him.
Yet right now I’m holding this, he thought as he placed the clothing in the hamper.
Archer straightened to his full height as he mentally braced himself for atoning for his greatest sin. He knew that it may even kill him, but he would not falter and he would succeed.
*****
“I know this is a really odd request, Issei, but I didn’t know where else to go,”
Issei smiled as he adjusted his glasses with one finger as he looked at the rather large, white haired man awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. Archer’s grey eyes weren’t looking at him to make eye contact like the older man usually did, but instead they were darting pretty much everywhere with a tendency to look at his highly polished floor.
Issei chuckled and said, “Well with you asking for my help at least my life will never be boring.”
Those steel eyes lifted and met Issei’s and for a moment the monk found himself faltering. He took a deep breath and mentally shook himself as he had to often around Archer. It’s not like I can tell him the real reason I enjoy his company so much, he thought dryly. With his relations to that fox and Rider woman, Issei knew that Archer was simply not that type of man, just like Emiya Shirou.
Issei had a feeling any confessions given to either of the men he considered friends would simply go over their heads.
Then again, the monk reasoned, it was part of their charm.
Archer replied, “I really don’t want to be a burden on you, Issei.”
“I enjoy your company no matter the excuse, and if I get to be of assistance then that is all the better,” Issei said with a smile and a wave of his hand.
Archer smiled and said, “Thank you. So, remember that sword and scabbard that Saber tossed into the river?”
“Indeed I do,” he said with a nod.
Archer’s eyes met and held his as he said, “I need to retrieve them.”
Issei’s smile faded from his face as he nodded again and said, “Yes. Something of that purity should not have been thrown away so easily. I will be more than happy to be of assistance.”
“Good, because it’s been a long time since I went scuba diving,” Archer said with a sigh.
Issei asked, “So, you’ve done this sort of thing before?”
“Sort of. I got lucky and managed to rent both boat and equipment for the day. Do you know how to pilot a boat?” Archer asked as he started to lock up his shop. Issei swallowed and stared as the older man flipped his “CLOSED” sign up on the door.
Issei shook his head and said, “Unfortunately, I haven’t even been able to get a driver’s license.”
“Rin got hers before she went to London,” Archer said with a smile thrown over his shoulder.
The monk clinched his fists and said, “Well, I should strive harder to do so then.”
“If you want, I could help you practice. I don’t have a car of my own yet, but I do have access to quite a few,” Archer said with a smile that was all too familiar.
Issei felt his heart skip a beat and he nodded. Heat filled his cheeks as he answered, “I would like that very much, Archer.”
******
“Oy, I can’t believe the air keeled over,” Asuka moaned as she waved a menu in front of her face.
Saber nodded as she felt her uniform sticking rather unpleasantly to her skin. Shoulders twitched and shifted in a vain attempt to keep the fabric from merging with her skin. She thought of Archer’s near frigid apartment and sighed, wishing that she was back there again. Heat that had nothing to do with a broken air conditioner filled her cheeks as her mind played back to last night.
She waved herself with her own menu and said, “I do believe our manager is working on the problem.”
“He’d better,” the older waitress grumbled as the bell above the door twinkled. She looked at Saber and said, “Your turn, Saber-chan.”
Saber nodded and headed for the front door only to freeze. Standing there were three youths that looked vaguely familiar and one tall, voluptuous figure she knew all too well. Rider’s queer square pupil eyes met Saber’s as a slow predatory smile crossed her lovely features. Saber felt her posture straighten even more as she gathered four menus.
One of the youths brightened and said, “Look, Saber-chan’s going to be the one serving us today.”
“How the hell can you fawn over Saber-chan when we have Rider right here?” one of his companions said in a low voice.
The third said, “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
“Well, this answers quite a few questions,” Rider said with a smile as Saber gripped the menus in her hands.
Saber bowed and said, “It is my pleasure to be of service. Would you follow me please?”
“This idiot would follow you anywhere, Saber-chan,” the last youth said as he slung his arm around the first youth’s shoulders.
He blushed and stammered, “You . . . you shut up Taro.”
Rider lifted one eyebrow and said, “Why, I had no idea you were so popular, Saber.”
“Wait, you know Saber-chan, Rider-san?” the first youth asked with wide eyes towards Rider.
The middle youth moaned and said, “That’s . . . just not fair, Saber-chan.”
“We live in the same house,” Rider said with a smile at Saber.
Saber gritted her teeth and said, “I apologize about the heat, unfortunately the air conditioner has gone out, but our manager is working on having it repaired.” Maybe I should call Archer or Shirou, she thought and more heat filled her cheeks at the thought of Archer seeing her at work.
Taro whistled and said, “Damn, I think you broke these idiots brains, Rider-san.”
“It wasn’t too hard of a task,” Rider said as she took the lead, falling in step with Saber.
Saber glared up at the taller woman and asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Daichi has been given the task of setting up the next race in Fuyuki. He wanted to discuss possible courses and routes to me,” Rider said with a smile, “And Ryo suggested that we come here.”
“Well, I suggest you should leave,” Saber said in a soft voice so the other three boys wouldn’t hear them.
Rider grinned and said, “And miss this? I don’t think so, Saber-chan.”
Saber gritted her teeth and prepared herself to work through this, just as she had with Gilgamesh. And look where that had lead to. Him forcing me on my back with Archer having to rescue me, she thought as she took their order. Despite herself, she looked to the door and wondered if he would appear.
No. I do not need his aid in this, she thought as she went back to enter their order as another set of men walked in. Asuka took them, leaving her with Rider and her group of yakuza youths. Ryo did frequent the Glass Slipper at least once a week and always tried to make sure he was either in her section or seated at her turn. The manager was waiting for when he would pay to have his picture taken with Saber, something she was not looking forward to.
She returned with their drinks and Rider said, “You do look fetching in that uniform, Saber. I think it rather suits you.”
I could kill you, Saber thought as she forced a smile on her face and replied, “Thank you. Please enjoy your drinks.” Then she fled to the waitress’ station to see Asuka staring at Rider
with wide eyes.
Asuka said, “If she’s your friend, don’t let her get a job here. I mean, you I can somewhat compete with, but her?”
“Yes, Rider is beautiful,” Saber said in a low voice.
Asuka blinked and said, “So really not friends then?”
“Mutual acquaintances,” Saber answered, “But we are not what you would call ‘friends’ by any stretch of the word.”
At that moment, the manager came out of the office with a scowl on his reddened face. Asuka frowned and walked over to him. Saber watched the two as they talked for a moment before both of them headed to Saber. The manager sighed and said, “Bad news, I can’t get anyone to fix that damned thing.”
Asuka tilted her head and asked, “Wait, did you try that Archer guy? I hear he’s supposed to be really good.”
No.
Saber bit her lip and said, “He maybe over booked as well.” She looked over to see Rider missing from the table. The Gorgon was on her way back from the washroom, which was close to where the three were conversing. Saber gritted her teeth as she “casually” made her way over and adjusted her glasses.
Rider asked, “Did you mention Archer of Archer’s Repairs?”
It was a simple business name, one of who was either straight forward to the point or couldn’t care less about formalities. Both traits do fit him, she thought as she saw her manager’s eyes widened at the black clad, voluptuous foreigner with floor length lavender hair.
Asuka nodded and answered, “Yeah, do you know him?”
“Oh, he’s a close friend of mine. I’m sure he’d be here in an instant if I asked,” Rider said with a smile, “If you want, I could borrow your phone and request his services.”
Asuka smiled and said, “Come on, I’ll show you where the phone’s at.” Saber watched them as they left, the manager staring at Rider in her wake.
A low whistle escaped the manager’s lips before he said, “Guess we’re getting it fixed, Saber-chan. I know I sure as hell wouldn’t be able to say no to a woman like that.”
Icy fingers gripped Saber’s heart as she suddenly realized that was something she should be afraid of.
Originally Posted by Elf
. Go Seiba Go.
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