thehometree | But my life is more than a vision--

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But my life is more than a vision--

| characters | Archer, Shirou, Rin, and whoever wants to join them in their endeavor. Feel free to tag multiple headers and jump threads within them!
| date/time | Monday, May 4th, onwards through the rest of the week.
| location | Outside the tree, near the mists.
| rating | PG for now, who knows later.
| summary | A complicated series of domestic scenes unfold as Archer, Shirou, and Rin set to work building a miniature kitchen out where they can have real fire, only to be interrupted by a storm.

It's been almost three weeks since Archer and Rin arrived in the center of the tree and gained their wings, only to be met by Shirou and Saber as well. That's just about enough time for it to dawn on those who might be concerned with the domestic details of day-to-day life that they have such a thing here, in between the confusion, the struggle to organize, and the fears of more giant spiders.

Archer's highest priority might be the salvation of all the souls around him, as much as he hates it, but bit by bit a new concern creeps up on him, almost unconsciously. Every time he serves Rin a subpar, barely-cooked meal, it pains him a little deep inside where he thought he was only hollow.

He decides to act.

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Ah. That was for real--?

[ He can't let himself think, then.

He just strides forwards and pulls her into his arms. ]

Of course it was a legitimate statement.

[ Now she gets to sulk up close. ] It isn't as if I say things just to say them.

No.

[ Without thinking about it--it's nice not to think about things--he strokes her hair. ]

Rin Tohsaka is a woman of action, isn't she?

[ Enjoy the drenched fingers from her sopping and thick hair. The natural waves are gone for now, straightened out in thick chunks that stick to her neck and cheeks. ]

Is that what you want, Archer?

For me to take control of this situation and adjust it to my liking?

Yeah.

[ He's still pretty damp himself, so he doesn't care. Not that he'd care even if he were dry to start with. He has Rin in his arms, and for a few moments, the world is acceptable, not distorted by his very existence. ]

My Master is a woman who does as she pleases, after all.

Then shouldn't we move to the bed so that we can warm up under the blankets?

[ His arms aren't enough exactly, even if he's warmer than before. ] Unless you're afraid of being seen in bed with me.

Don't worry, Rin. I'll kill anyone who sees us.

[ His voice is warm and affectionate. ]

There's no need for us to make enemies in this new place. [ At least yet there isn't. ]

Come on. I'm freezing.

[ With a cold no doubt. ]

[ He doesn't have to think too much about what he's doing. He's attending to her needs as her Servant; isn't that enough? In a few more moments, he'll say something sarcastic, and everything will be fine again.

For now, though, he scoops her up again and carries her to the bed. ]

[ Good, now she doesn't have to engage in the heavy work that would have been dragging herself off to a bed. At least it gives her enough time to consider what would happen if she were to lay in it right now with her hair as wet as it is and so she takes care of it via magecraft. Nothing like a spell to dry it out. Less waves than with a hair dryer, but it isn't as if she has anything like that available here. ]

Do you think we should call the others? [ Not for cuddling, but she doesn't really explain that with her vague question. ]

Hmmm? Do you think they'd be warmer than me, Rin?

[ He draws her up against him, tucking her head beneath his chin. She is the little spoon. ]

That's wrong. You should have more faith in the Servant you summoned.

Huh? [ She sulks a bit at that which results in her curling up even more against him. ] No, that isn't what I was getting at.

You should know I have placed all of my trust in you. I made a contract that said so.

[ What a vague way to imply things. ]

I was wondering if we should use the amber to contact others and warn them about the storm.

Ah...

[ He buries his face in her hair. ]

Yeah, as a hero I should do that, but as your Archer I should stay here and hold you.

[ He breathes out against her. His reason fades in the face of her scent, her warmth, her need for him. ]

You're very soft, Tohsaka.

That should suit someone as hardened as you, shouldn't it?

[ Not that she's admitting she's this way because of him, but it comes natural to her now. What a contradiction of a magus she makes. ]

Archer, there's something that's been on my mind for a while now.

Yeah. I like a girl like you--

[ He hesitates. ]

Ah, yeah?

Ehh? [ Not what she was going for. Suddenly his identity doesn't matter as much as what he's just said. ]

You mean to say you can tolerate my personality despite my quirks, correct?

[ He's on the edge of something. He should pull back from it. He should be cold. ]

Yeah, I know without being told that you're strange.

[ It's impossible to be cold when she's this warm in his arms. This was a mistake, holding her like this was a mistake, he can't--

Dimly, he knows that his bright days with Rin will end when he says this. He takes a breath and murmurs against her ear. ]

But I love that foolish part of you.

You should be like that. I'm saved by having a girl like you.

[ A week ago it was everything she wanted to hear when they reunited here. All that talk of being bound together by fate and of romance, though he was having none of it. What changed since then? Her contract with Shirou wasn't that obvious, but perhaps his feelings filtered through--no, no, no. That made no sense. ]

S-Saved? I don't really understand.

Is this something to do with your past, Archer?

I have no past. I'm nothing when it comes to legends and folktales.

[ He thinks of his attempts to make her tea over the past couple of weeks. He thinks of tidying up her little house. He thinks of touching her hair as he knelt at her side, dying. ]

But I am your Servant, Rin. Well, I'll have to go back to being a hero someday, but if I can protect you and see your smile until then--

I think I will be saved a little.

[ That's wrong. Rin thinks as she looks up to the man who holds her all while wondering if voicing her objection would snatch this moment away from her. There was so much of this world (and of him) that she didn't know of that taking an unnecessary risk intimidated her.

Then again, wasn't he the one taking the risk? All of those compliments and honest statements he threw at her might have seemed wonderful at the time though now they struck her as odd. What was so strange about the cold man acting warm suddenly? Questions will have to be answered at another time, she decides once it's acknowledged that there isn't enough information to go by. She doesn't want to return to the chill so soon after all. ]

Saving a hero just by smiling. That's a little messed up, isn't it? [ She's so good at this. ]

Isn't that a terrible thing to say, Rin?

[ But his voice is still warm. ]

You shouldn't call someone who's confessing such things to you messed up.

I suppose you're a little messed up yourself. That's fine. I'll save you too.

[ No, that's exactly what she should do to someone who is confessing these things to her. If Archer found out she was going to kill Sakura, could he really like someone as messed up as her? He speaks of saving her, but she's the exact kind of person he shouldn't be saving. All that time she allowed Sakura to suffer alone without lifting a finger to help her... that kind of person, the kind of person Rin Tohsaka is, doesn't deserve to be liked at all! ]

That only proves you have no idea what you're talking about. [ HMPH! ]

And that you're really messed up!

[ At least she's sulking in his arms. ]

Yeah...but I'm your messed-up Archer.

[ He doesn't think. She's too warm in his arms for him to think, too cute with her sulking face.

Somewhere in his brain, a part of him is frantically trying to get him to stop.

But he just rescued Rin from the rain, and it very nearly made him happy. He hasn't felt so close to happy in longer than he can imagine, much less remember. He doesn't know how to deal with it; he can't possibly deserve such a feeling, but maybe if he devotes himself wholly to Rin it's acceptable for him to feel that way.

He kisses the top of her head. ]

[ Whatever mental resistance she had up fades due to the combined efforts of his kiss and the heat of his body. Those arms of his feel too familiar, but Rin passes it off as a desperate attempt to understand the hero whose past remains much of a mystery to her. It wasn't so long ago she was curled up in this same bed with Shirou and look where that got her. Conveniently avoiding him and acting as if she was too busy to speak with him.

Archer was someone she couldn't ignore. By now she's grown used to the salads he brings her as well as a rare treat. It'll be... difficult to move forward from this point, but maybe it'll be easier with someone who had as much trouble as she did with these things. If they're both screwed up, then their mistakes can't scare each other off. ]

Do that again, Archer.

Again?

[ There's bewilderment in his voice. He sounds so much like a boy with orange hair, in that moment. ]

Aren't you greedy...

[ Then it fades, and his voice is cynical again, save for the thread of affection running through it. ]

All right. It doesn't cost me anything to do a thing like that.

[ He thought it did--he thought it destroyed him to be that gentle with another person--but if it makes her happy, then it rewards him as well.

He kisses her hair again, nuzzling lightly against her head this time. It's all right because it makes her happy; nothing else matters, in this moment. ]

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