Hello friends. Thank you for clicking into this story and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
As always thanks to thefinalarbiter, or as I call him, Arby. He is the beta for this story and prevents the story from being a complete mess. Check out his stories.
He didn't want to die.
That was the only thing running through Shiro's mind as he walked among the flames. The cries for help coming from the fire, the screams of agony, they all fell on deaf ears; drowned by his desire to live.
I don't want to die, I don't want to die; I don't want to die. They were the pleas of a scared child in a burning city.
His foot lodged into a piece of debris, sparsely noticing his surroundings. He tipped over with a yell, slamming into the ground and hurting his hands as he broke his fall with them. The ground was burning, scorching hot. The boy could only manage a few pained grunts, the hot air had dried out his throat and the only sound he could muster were pathetic whimpers.
Tears started to run down his cheeks. The pleasant cool feeling they brought gone almost instantly as they dissipated from the heat. A few thick tears fell from his face and to his hands. The sight of a teardrop hitting the back of his hand was the last thing he saw before his vision blurred.
He had left his parents behind, his friends, the people he knew. He had ignored their cries for help, paid no heed to the people he had come across. What was worse is that he couldn't recall any of their faces. The people that had been his life until now where no more than a simple blur. What kept him moving forward was his desire to live, and it was greater than the guilt he felt for leaving everyone behind ate him on the inside. Even though Shiro was just a kid, he understood very clearly that he had just saved himself.
Closing his eyes and wiping his tears, he tried to stand, but fell to his knees, grunting at the pain in his leg. Fog started to descend on Shiro's mind. Were it exhaustion or something more sinister, Shiro's mind could not care or tell. He only knew that it was getting harder to think. The air was also getting warmer, a repugnant smell making him grimace in disgust. The boy resisted the urge to throw up and kept trying to move forward. He attempted to run again but was unable to, feeling drained. Something was sucking the life out of everything around him.
In the end, he did manage to limp away. His instincts telling him something dangerous was close. Something he couldn't understand. His head was pounding, telling him that if he stopped he would certainly die. His strength started to leave him, the fog that clouded his mind getting thicker.
Then he saw it, a sickening red mass that relentlessly spread, burning everything in its way. Deathwas the only thing that came to mind. Burning trees and buildings, the red mass started to engulf everything around Shiro.
The boy desperately looked around for a way out. There was no escape. He shook his head, the smoke stung his throat and lungs; his consciousness slipping away. With a coughing fit, he did the only thing he could, climb a pile of rubble and hope the red liquid spared him.
A naive hope at best. If the red corruption decided not to bother with him, then the smoke would surely suffocate him. He cowered into the pile of rubble, craving any sort of protection. A part of him was too far gone. With dead eyes, the only thing his body could do was lay there and rest; to wait for death to come knocking.
He looked up at the moon, ignoring the burning pain at his back. The boy's hand reached out to it. Perhaps in a final attempt to escape, or a simple desire to grab that only pure orb of light in this inferno. "Someone... please help me." he pleaded with a dry throat that made the words sound more like intelligible grunts. The feeling of hopelessness just kept getting bigger, the realization that he wasn't going to make it out alive setting in.
Without him noticing, the corruption started to burn the rubble at his back. A single drop slipped through the cracks. Almost delicately, the ooze fell on Shiro's right shoulder. It burned like an inferno, and the boy thought with all certainty that this was his end.
"I don't want to die!" came the shriek.
A pulse rippled above him, bringing fresh air. There were blue shockwaves in the sky, driving off the smoke away. It lasted for only a second, but Shiro saw it as the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. His arm lost the last of its strength, and unceremoniously started to fall.
That's when Shiro saw her; a woman in a crimson red dress with golden hair. Two emerald green eyes looked down on Shiro, while he just stared at her mutely, thinking her a mere hallucination. With a swift motion the woman got to her knee and caught his hand mid air.
Her hand was cool, like metal. It felt nice.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Shiro woke up completely soaked in sweat. It had been a long time since he'd had that dream. It was far from pleasant, but he had gotten accustomed to it. He no longer woke up screaming like he did as a child, at the very least.
He sighed and rubbed his right shoulder, it hurt. The small movement made it hurt even more, but he preferred the finite pain to having his shoulder stiff the whole day. It finally seemed the give in, the cracking of his bones feeling extremely relieving.
"Senpai!" came the sweet voice of his underclassman. The purpled haired girl entered the room with a jovial attitude, wearing an apron. "Breakfast is ready…" her face scrunched with worry the moment she saw her Senpai with a hand on his shoulder.
"Does it hurt?" she asked meekly, her concern sipping through her every word.
Shiro smiled, feeling guilty over making her worry. "Not really, my shoulder is just stiff from sleeping on the floor."
Her worry quickly turned to annoyance. "Seriously, Senpai, you mustn't overwork yourself. Look at this, you still have your work clothes on!" she scolded him with a pout.
The redhead clasped his hands in apology "It won't happen again."
With a pout that told Shiro she didn't believe him, she left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.
Once she was gone, Shiro looked down and squinted in annoyance. That crafty girl had decided to prepare breakfast while he slept, even though he had explicitly told her it was not necessary. He let out a chuckle that quickly turned into a groan as he covered his eyes. Nothing good happened the days he had those dreams.
Trying to ignore the ominous thought, he stood up. The lively Taiga could already be heard from across the house, praising Sakura on the breakfast. It calmed him down, and with a sigh, he gathered the strength necessary to stand up and start his day on a more or less positive note.
The boy quickly went to his room and changed into his school uniform, making a quick trip to the bathroom to wash his face; he didn't want the food to get cold. On his way out, he found an envelope glued to his door.
New budget, it read.
Shiro frowned and stashed the envelope in his pocket. "You couldn't give it to me in person, now, could you?" he muttered with annoyance before exiting his room.
The table was as lively as always. The teacher was munching down everything in sight while Sakura had diligently waited for him. The food at the table was mostly western, a kind of food Sakura had more mastery with than Shiro. It consisted of the typical English breakfast which he would usually consider too heavy for a morning meal. Nevertheless, it was nice to have it once in a while.
The moment he sat down, Shiro felt pressure emanating from the young girl sitting in front of him. Her food was untouched and she stared at him with a gentle smile on her face. The message was clear; eat the food.
Under Sakura's watchful eye, Shiro took a spoonful of the baked beans and dug into them. As expected, it was delicious. It must have shown on his face, because Sakura's expression visibly brightened, but she didn't stop staring him down. It was obvious she wanted Shiro to go one step further.
"It's delicious." he complimented, nodding. The girl seemed satisfied and got started on her own food.
The morning was as any other. The teacher kept cheerily striking up conversation, while Sakura just nodded with a smile on her face. The occasional intervention from Shiro brought things full circle. It was the way things had always been, and that brought a calmness typically seen in a family's interactions.
Ignored by all three was a fourth, steamy plate of food. Untouched, the food was getting cold.
"Anyway, I have to get going. Those tests won't grade themselves!" the short haired woman happily chimed in. Without further ado, she stood up in a flash, leaving an empty plate by the table.
While Sakura just stayed silent, Shiro gave a sigh. "You're a teacher. Why are you doing this last thing in the morning?" Although his voice appeared annoyed, they both knew it was nothing but friendly banter.
"Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud." Taiga responded, sticking out her tongue. She then sped out of the room to get her things before leaving.
"Sometimes, I can't believe she's actually a teacher." Shiro commented, taking a bite of toast and squinting at the ceiling.
"She cares about her students." Sakura answered in her usual meek but happy tone.
"I don't doubt that." He finished up his breakfast and went to put the plates in the sink. On the way he picked up both Sakura's and Taiga's dish. He ignored Sakura's small pout that indicated she was not pleased.
In that moment, the teacher appeared on the door to say her goodbyes. "Remember, don't be late." she said while waving. Before exiting, she turned back, her tone a taking a serious note "And Shiro, there's been something strange going on in the city; so please take care of Sakura." that last part had been said in a playful manner that left Shiro with a blushing face. Sakura, on the other hand, just looked down with steam almost coming out of her head.
With the teacher gone, both teenagers were left with an awkward, yet not unpleasant atmosphere. Shiro broke it, rubbing the back of his head. "Go prepare your stuff, I'll finish up here."
Silence was the only answer he received. He looked up in curiosity only to find Sakura staring at the untouched fourth plate. Her gaze told him everything.
"Senpai?" she asked with worry in her voice, eyes still on the plate.
Shiro frowned. He somewhat empathized with how Sakura felt. "I'll take care of it." he assured her, striding over to pick it up.
"But…" The girl interjected before being cut off by Shiro.
"She just wasn't here today." he comforted her with a kind smile on his face "Don't worry about it." he picked it up and took it to the kitchen, where he wrapped it with plastic and placed it inside the fridge.
Still unsure, Sakura nodded and stood up to get her things ready. He leaned against the counter, waiting for her to exit. Making sure she was well out of sight, he quickly took a bento box out of the fridge. He was well aware that if the girl noticed, she would demand to make him lunch every day; yet what she did on an everyday basis already was too much, Shiro didn't want to drop yet another load onto her shoulders.
With a light shrug, he made his way towards the front door where she waited for him. With a gentle smile, she opened the door, holding it for Shiro. Normally he would protest and tell her that it wasn't necessary. However. today, he decided to accept her kindness and passed through with a nod, missing how Sakura's eyes lowered as he went by her.
The crisp morning air hit his face, making the fine hairs on his neck perk up. He regretted not taking his scarf with him, tomorrow would probably be even colder. Still, it wasn't all that bad. The cool breeze that made him shudder also filled his lungs with fresh air that was nothing but pleasant. The view was also spectacular; behind the myriad of houses, the first light of the sun made itself known, making only the silhouette of said residences visible. The warm sunlight caressed Shiro's skin, presenting a calming contrast with the cold wind.
He took a deep breath and looked to his side where Sakura now stood. "Ready, Senpai?" she asked while holding up her hair with one hand. The string of sunlight combined with her waving hair gave her an almost angelic appearance. Every lock of Sakura's hair shone with the sun; yet it couldn't even begin to compare to her smile.
Shiro looked away, reprimanding himself for having those kind of thoughts for his childhood friend, one that was more akin to a sister.
Before he could say anything, the voice of a child interrupted his musings. He looked around for the source of the noise only to find a nine year old boy in an elementary school uniform running towards him. "Onii-chan, onii-chan!" he repeated as he hurled closer at a surprising speed.
The boy was quickly standing at Shiro's feet, his eyes beaming up at him like one would look at their idol. He obviously wanted to say something, couldn't quite figure out what. His fiddling hands and rapidly shifting eyes made Shiro raise an eyebrow in surprise.
Shiro quickly got on a knee and shuffled the boy's hair with a smile. The boy was no stranger, he was a local kid that had made Shiro into some kind of a personal demigod. Now he followed him around whenever he was able, and was constantly vying for his attention. The redhead didn't mind, he was a good kid.
"Hello, Saito." the teen greeted, ruffling his hair a second time. "Everything good at school? Are your studies going alright?"
The boy with jet black hair, brown eyes and an adventurous smirk drawn on his lips enthusiastically nodded. Saito then looked behind Shiro's back and with the same picturesque smile said "Hello, Onee-Chan."
The girl in question gave him a small nod in acknowledgement, not saying anything.
"I did all my homework, and then I got the highest grade in P.E!" Saito boldly proclaimed with a hand on chest.
"Did you, now?" Shiro led him on, knowing that the boy would probably bask in all of his glory. As expected, the boy energetically nodded.
"Saito-chan does look like he's the strongest and fastest in his class." the purple haired teen piped from behind Shiro. Her soft spoken words and warm smile bringing red to the kid's cheeks.
"That's right… I am." Saito tried to cover up his embarrassment with a brash tone, but did a rather poor job.
"Saito." called an older, feminine voice. The boy's appearance changed in a flash, shuddering with a grimace as the voice reached him. The two teens turned around, curious. Walking at a fairly fast pace was a woman, probably in her thirties. With her dark brown hair tied in a ponytail that rested on her right shoulder and went down to her chest, a warm, motherly air surrounded her.
"I'm sorry he bothered you." she profusely apologized as she arrived, before eying her child with what could only be categorized as a murderous glare.
The fact that he didn't want to be ashamed in front of his idols was apparent. Bravely, he resolved to his only option, escape. Steeling his composure and beating a speedy retreat, the boy tried to slip away only to be stopped by Shiro's arm. The redhead smiling down at the him"You have to listen to your mother." It was not an order or a scolding; Shiro's kind and understanding tone made the boy look down and nod while Sakura giggled behind her hand at the whole ordeal.
"Thank you." the older woman said with a small bow "For everything… Ever since his father's passing he looks up to you. It's good for kids his age to have someone like that." Shiro awkwardly shook both his hands, stating that he had nothing to be thanked for.
"It is nothing." he vocalized with a tinge of insistence.
The woman just gave him a mother's smile and proceeded to grab her son by the arm. Then the woman's expression changed to one of fiery anger as she scolded him "What are you doing running away like that? Do you know how worried I was!? Didn't I tell you that there's something dangerous going on in the city!?"
Sakura gave a small, awkward smile "Her personality is completely different." she commented as they both watched the mother and her child heading off in the distance. "But you can see that she loves him."
Shiro nodded, feeling a twinge of what could only be called jealousy at the sight of such motherly affection. "Agreed." he turned away from the couple and turned to Sakura "Sorry, well… for, you know."
They both started walking towards school, Shiro noticing Sakura's confused expression out of the corner of his eye. The slight tilt of the girl's face made the question obvious.
Shiro rubbed the back of his neck, "All that business, you might be late for club practice."
"Oh, don't worry about that. Seeing you interact with children is…" She bashfully looked away for a second, a light pink covering her cheeks "…cute." it was almost a whisper that Shiro had trouble hearing.
Shiro didn't answer and looked at the horizon, as if in search for something. The day had been nothing but ordinary, yet he still had a bad feeling a sort of an impending dread. He put a hand on his right shoulder, it had yet to stop stinging ever since he woke up.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Rin Tohsaka. Saying she was a beauty would be a tremendous understatement. Her soft, yet resilient features were pleasant to look at. Although not of an unusual color, her brown eyes shone with the fire of passion; a feeling she seemed to incite in everyone she looked at. Her silky brown hair had always been the object of envy amongst the other girls. Her lithe figure had always been an object of careful observation along boys. Although not especially voluptuous, her long legs, wide hips and narrow waist more than redeemed her in the eyes of the male population.
It was even said that in the deep and most secret archives of her fanclub lay an object comparable in rarity and value to the Holy Grail; a picture of Tohsaka's thighs.
Of course, physical appearance alone had not earned her the position of the school idol. The atmosphere the girl exuded gave her the feel of a woman rather than a highschool girl. Because of this, the students saw her as an otherworldly being, and quickly came to idolize her. Her family name and aloof attitude shrouded the Tohsaka heir in mystery, which made even more students take an interest in her. Her excellent grades and wealthy family did nothing but help her case.
In short, she was everything the males wanted and everything the females aspired to be. As it stood, she was one of the only girls that could make Shiro blatantly stare while lost in thought. Now was one of those moments.
He had stopped working on the heater Issei had requested him to fix, content with staring at the girl in the distance from the corner of the hallway he was in. Issei had noticed, and was now staring at the back of his friend, shaking his head in disappointment.
Issei was not exceptional, but he was far from being a regular student. His sharp features and intelligent eyes did not give a false impression of him; he had some of the best grades in the school, which had given him the position of the student council president. His robust body and stiff way in which he carried himself with also perfectly portrayed his formal and strict demeanor. Perhaps his most eye-catching feature was the stylish, yet simple pair of glasses he always wore.
Nearing the redhead, the bespectacled youth reached his hand out with the intention of tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention. The president hesitated, remembering how Shiro disliked having his right shoulder touched, then angled around and went for the left shoulder instead.
Shiro felt a pat and turned around to see one of his only close friends. The redhead assumed he was checking in on his work. It was no problem, he had finished just a moment ago. "I'm just about finished." he spoke up to his friend "Is there anything else you need me to fix?"
Issei shook his head and directed his gaze towards where the idol of the school stood. "I thought you liked older women." he commented with no malicious intent. "Anyway, I'm not here to judge your tastes, but know this…" Issei pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with two fingers "That vixen is no good, she gives me a bad feeling."
Shiro smiled, Issei's rants on Tohsaka were anything but new. "Don't worry, I'm not that interested in her." he assured his friend "And I do like older women." he piped up after a second, defending himself. The redhead had been sincere, although his interest of Tohsaka would be better named as a crush, it wasn't so keen that he was willing to do something about it.
His answer seemed to put his friend at ease, though it seemed he still had something to talk about "Good, good. Nevertheless, stay away from her. Someone like you could easily fall for her trap."
"What does that mean?" Shiro asked, raising an eyebrow. Issei's response was interrupted as the bell rung throughout the school, announcing lunchtime and leaving a silence between them for a moment.
"Don't misunderstand." the president continued with his usual formal tone "I appreciate all of your help, but someone who's not your friend can easily take advantage of you. That girl, especially, gives me the feeling that she would manipulate you without a second thought."
"It's not manipulation if I fall for it willingly." Shiro argued back, starting to stand up and reaching for his bag that was near some lockers in the hallway.
The monk's son sighed a second time, with slight exasperation, "You might think what you just said was really deep, but this is why I worry about you." he answered, turning around with Shirou.
Deciding there was nothing else to be said on the subject, Shiro changed topic. "I won't be eating lunch in the council room with you; I have to be somewhere. Sorry." He clasped his hands in a sign of apology. "If you need anything, I'll be on the roof."
The president shook his head. "There is no need to apologize, friend. Enjoy your lunch." he courteously added before turning around and making his way to some other student council member. He turned one last time around to give a wave of farewell to which Shiro responded in suit.
Once his friend was gone, Shiro opened his bag to make sure he had everything he needed. Indeed, the several types of bread he had bought at the school cafeteria and the Bento he had brought from home were there, sitting untouched and looking like they were mocking him for worrying. Satisfied, he made his way towards the roof.
What the purple haired president had said rang true; he was fond of older women. It was no secret, either one way or another, the student knew that the unofficial janitor took a liking to more mature women. Perhaps that was why he found himself attracted to Tohsaka. Her standoffish personality gave her a more mature air.
Shiro shrugged just as he was about to reach the stairs. Taking them up, he stopped as he saw a familiar face. There was a moment of silence where neither he nor the other person spoke. There was no tension, only a still silence.
Standing below him, for he had already climbed some steps, was none other than Rin Tohsaka. This was one of the only interactions Shiro had with the school idol. They both liked to eat on the roof from time to time. The issue was that Tohsaka apparently disliked eating with company, so whenever she saw Shiro arrive first, she would turn around and promptly leave. This had turned some days into a race where the last one to get to the stairs would leave in defeat without a word.
Normally, Shiro would not mind sharing the roof. However, today this system worked in his advantage. Today, the privacy was appreciated. Like it was the custom, the girl turned around, not terribly pleased. Her hair made an arc as she turned around and started walking away. The redhead paid it no mind and continued on his way. The moment he closed the door behind him, a familiar, yet melodious voice came, followed by an ethereal blue light.
"That girl is picky… but we shall not shed a tear, for it is her loss; my Praetor."
The redhead turned around, a smile painting his lips. Miraculously, it seemed like a woman in red had materialized, appearing out of thin air. Linings of the blue energy still lingered, before slowly dissipating.
Shiro was a lucky man. Between Sakura, Tohsaka and this new arrival he was surrounded by beauties. This one in particular had golden hair tied up in a bun. The small portions of hair waved with the wind as she moved her head. Her emerald eyes shone with confidence, with her features being slightly rounded; big round eyes, slightly wider chin and even puffier cheeks. Yet she did not look childish, it gave her more of a jovial, charismatic air. It made her, in a strange way, more approachable. Her features were closer to what most people had, yet different enough to be idolized.
However, much of her allure to him, akin to Tohsaka, was her personality. The girl's haughty smile and defiant eyes were bewitching. Similarly, her posture was confident and strong. Despite her low height, the girl held herself with her head high. Her feet were almost buried into the ground and she puffed her rather sizable chest forward. Her body said 'I am here. I will not move.' while her expression dared you to do anything about it.
She was one of the reasons Shiro liked older women. Although she hadn't changed since that day almost a decade ago with her appearance still being pretty young, Shiro still saw her as older than him.
"Look who's talking." Shiro answered "You could have eaten the breakfast Sakura prepared, she was really worrying over it." he added with a tinge of concern. He proceeded to sit down, open his bag and take out the supplies he carried in there.
"That girl is not worthy to cook for me." she answered with a plain yet dignified tone while taking the Bento box offered to her by Shiro. "Your food on the other hand…" a gleam of gluttony passed through her eyes as she licked her lips "Is as if it was brought down by the Gods themselves. It is truly a pleasure to eat it." she opened the box and took an octopus sausage, her face changing to that of bliss as she ate it.
Shiro rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes, an awkward smile forming on his lips. "But you have eaten her food before, haven't you?" he noticed how the woman in front of him looked away. "And you have been quiet all day." the woman didn't move, she just kept quiet "Angry?" he asked with a smile.
The woman in red pouted "My Praetor spent from dawn until dusk with that man's teachings. I could not bring myself to wake you after such a task for your routine training." her pout got more pronounced "It is important to learn how to defend oneself…"
"And?" Shiro continued, getting the feeling that there was something else.
She turned to him with, the pout still visible "We have practiced swordsmanship almost since the moment we met. I enjoy it, it is one of our oldest bonds. Yet you seem to take an infinitely larger amount of interest in Kiritsugu's teachings. I do not want to think that you have only taken his words to heart." she finally confessed.
Shiro though for a moment, before nodding as her worries made sense. "Come here ." he said, patting his lap and prompting a raised eyebrow from his companion. Nevertheless, she complied and made her way towards him before plopping herself on his lap. Once he felt the familiar warmth against him, the tension that had accumulated throughout the day disappeared. He squinted at the cloudy sky above, feeling the rigid posture of the woman disappearing as she too relaxed.
"That's not going to happen, Nero." He said her name for the first time, encompassing the short woman in sort of a hug, placing his head on top of hers.
"I know." she answered, looking up to him, his solemn yet troubled expression gave her pause "It still bothers me, my Praetor." she said, leaning back into his chest.
Shiro gave a small chuckle, yet there was no real happiness in it. "I can make it up to you. What do you want?"
Nero leaned into Shiro a bit more. "It has been many moons since we have seen the sunset, I would like to go to the bridge and appreciate the show." she said, with nary a second of thought.
Shiro gave a small grimace "You know there's a kidnapper on the loose, don't you?" he grumbled. He wasn't against the idea, but still argued, perhaps simply for appearance's sake. "The school asked us to get home early because of that."
"You and I both know that with me by your side, you need not fear a measly criminal." The woman in Shiro's arms quickly proclaimed. Her words rang true, with a being with such power by his side, he was probably one of the safest inhabitants of the city.
"But let's dispense with the formalities, my Praetor." when the redhead brought his head down he found the piercing emerald eyes of the former Roman Emperor. Her gaze was curious, yet serious. Shiro had the feeling that he would have to answer whatever his companion inquired about.
"You seem distraught. What troubles ail you?" there was real concern mixed in her voice.
"You always seem to catch on the moment something happens." Shiro commented with a dry chuckle, looking upwards again.
"Do you think I am dumb? Speaking of your lack of practice with such importance, when in fact we discuss it every month, clued me in" she dismissively explained "That, and the fact that ever since you were nothing more than a boy, you came to me when you were in distress. You seem to find comfort in holding something, rather that in being held."
A nostalgic smile came to her face "I also remember how I sat you in my lap against your wishes and kept you there until you had calmed down." On the other hand, Shiro displayed an embarrassed blush.
"No longer an option, since I have outgrown you in height."
Instant elbow to the ribs for Shiro.
"What did you say?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am."
The girl nodded, satisfied. "Whichever the case is, please speak to me." she asked again.
Shiro kept his silence for a moment, carefully thinking how to word his woes. He settled on a simple yet blunt approach that the no-nonsense Emperor would understand.
"I had the dream." he more or less breathed out while looking away. Not a moment passed and Shiro was already flexing his shoulders, as if a great weight had been lifted.
He then felt the woman under her arms get rigid and tense. The topic was a difficult one, for both parties.
"And?" she ask in a husky, almost commanding tone.
"My shoulder has been stinging all day." he could feel Nero's hold tightening on his arm with every word. "It gives me a bad feeling, like an omen. Yet this day has been nothing but ordinary. It's putting me on edge."
The woman jumped up, grabbing his face and pulling him to face her. "You know that no matter what happens, I will be here." Her eyes were dead serious.
"I know." the redhead breathed out, a bit of relief filling him. "You being here really helps." Shiro gave her a squeeze, making her exhale in surprise "You don't know how much."
"Good." she answered, looking away from Shiro and to the horizon. She had a sad expression on her face, yet a small smirk had made its way to her features.
"Sorry for being such a wimp." Shiro expressed after a few moments of silence. His apology was accompanied by a self-deprecating laugh. "I…"
"Don't, my Praetor." she forcefully interrupted, then quickly turned around and stared him down. "Even my stomach churns when I go back to that carnage." the expression of disgust on her face proved her words correct. "You have nothing to apologize for."
She plopped herself in his lap again. The silence that followed seemed more like a recovery time before either of them could speak again. Finally, Shiro broke the silence, his voice noticeably cheerier.
"Do you want to finish the lunch I made you?"
"Gods, yes."
So I hoped you enjoyed that. I also hope it wasn't too long of a chapter.
It has been ages since I have posted anything so reviews are extremely appreciated. Especially concerning style and such since I have gotten a bit rusty. I would like to make the read more enjoyable for you guys so anything that bothers you or something you see that has room for improvement would be really appreciated. Of course, any comments regarding characters, plot points, story or something you guys just want to see are also welcome.
Special thank's to thefinalarbiter who is the beta for this story. Seriously without him this story would be a mess. He also wrote the small omake that's next. Please check out his stories, the Code Geass ones he has written are particularly good.
Next chapter we will meet the third main character of the story and have a little bit of action.
Thanks for reading, please review and enjoy!
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Omake
Shiro woke up completely soaked in sweat. It had been a long time since he'd had that dream. It was far from pleasant, but he had gotten accustomed to it. He no longer woke up screaming like he did as a child, at the very least.
He sighed and rubbed his right shoulder, it hurt. The small movement made it hurt even more, but he preferred the finite pain to having his shoulder stiff the whole day. It finally seemed the give in, the cracking of his bones feeling extremely relieving.
"Senpai!" came the sweet voice of his underclassman. The purpled haired girl entered the room with a jovial attitude, wearing an apron. "Breakfast is ready…" her face scrunched with worry the moment she saw her Senpai with a hand on his shoulder.
"Does it hurt?" she asked meekly, her concern sipping through her every word.
"No." he grunted out, his eyes narrowing in annoyance as the chiseled face of the Holy God Emperor flashed across his vision, finally revealing the vile creature in front of him for what it truly was - a foul agent of Nurgle, the chaos god of disease and decay.
With an incomprehensible battle cry, he jumped out of bed and dug his fingers in her eye sockets, prompting a blood-curdling scream from the disgusting demon that he quickly silenced by furiously headbutting her over and over again all the while screaming obscenities and praises for the Holy Father of Mankind.
As her skull gradually caved in, showering the surroundings with blood and gore, he stood up and roared in triumph, holding out a fistful of brain matter before throwing it at the window, the gentle light falling through quickly becoming obscured with red as putrid matter and slime dripped down the window.
The vision stopped, and he rolled over to grab his dried-toad medicine, popping it open and gulping down the contents. The good doctor told him to take it every day. He must listen to the doctor. He's a good man.