Another Night
A Fate/Stay Night fanfic
by Diffyprincess.
Saber / Shirou

To put it simply, it was a beautiful night.

Shirou Emiya- dressed in his usual blue shirt and pants- was standing outside the house and in the gardens. Below him, tiny moonbeams danced off the hills and illuminated the lake, giving a clear illustration of a shattered moon.

Saber would have loved this sort of night…

The thought suddenly came to him, unbidden. Struck with a sudden pang of misery he knew ever so well, Shirou crumpled onto the ground below him and crossed his legs. Why did he think of her?

Saber…

How did she manage to end up in his mind again? He thought he had been able to push her away. To keep her locked tightly in the little black box in the untouchable corner of his mind. At least, that was what he deluded himself into thinking. Even without a color, place or even action to remind him of her- she was still lurking there. She was still ready to blind him again with her emerald green eyes, beautiful blonde hair and winning smile.

How long had it been? Two? Three? Four years? Or maybe it had only been several months.

Did it matter though? It still felt like he'd been through an eternity.

I love you…

Stop! He mentally screamed to himself. It was over- it was supposed to be over. They were too different! He was a normal teenage boy simply trying to get through school for now, while she needed to go back and fulfill her destiny. Because the Holy Grail game was over. Because he didn't need to spend every second making sure he was safe and trying not to get killed. He was supposed to be thankful- grateful- on his knees for that!

And yet all he could do was yearn for those days again.

Saber…

He missed her. He missed her a lot. Everyday, he went back to the things he usually did- hanging out with his friends, trying to ace his tests, sometimes walking with Sakura.

Yet everything seemed so awkward now. It was as though the time when Shirou Emiya was once a normal teenage boy was in another era. It was like he didn't know what to do anymore.

And despite the fact that she knew hardly anything about his time, Saber made him feel like he could count on her to help him when he was getting lost. He wondered what was the longest time he had pent without thinking of her at all. An hour? Thirty minutes? Or perhaps only ten.

Either way, he knew he was lost without her. Sometimes he felt as though he were a walking zombie. A pointless being- there to only be there.

"Shirou?"

What? Huh?

"Shirou." Said the voice, warm and happy. It sounded like…like…Saber.

"Saber? Where are you?" Shirou gasped, jumping to his legs.

"I believe I am behind you."

He turned around, and was met with the most beautifully heart-breaking sight he'd seen in years.

Right in front of him, in the flesh- was Saber. And she was every bit as breath-taking as she was…uh, two years ago, was it? Shirou didn't care enough to remember.

Her emerald green eyes glittered brighter than the moon that night, lighting up the small but proud frame of her face. Her pale long blonde hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, as small strands fell across her forehead. She was smiling, her cupid's bow shaped lips pulled up uncontroably. Shirou couldn't help but stare at her. It wasn't the first time he'd seen her, of course. But he was as amazed as he had been the first time he ever laid eyes on her. The way she stood portrayed her elegance and grace, and her blue and white dress hugged her skin tightly.

"Saber," he whispered breathlessly, before his arms wound automatically around her as he embraced her, a feeling he hadn't felt in all too long rising up in him. Instinctively, her smooth hands came to rest on his back as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"Shirou," she smiled.

They didn't know how long they stood there, perfectly content with simply being together. And while Saber held on for only that sake, Shirou did it also for another reason. Because he was afraid.

Because he was afraid that this was a dream, and he would wake up at any moment to deal with harsh reality once again. And he didn't want to wake up. Because if this were a dream, he wanted to stay in his slumber for an eternity. Because he was afraid that if he let go of her, she would vanish and leave him there. Because he was afraid he wasn't strong enough to go through this again.

Suddenly a chuckle erupted from Saber. "You can let go of me now, Shirou. I am not going to go anywhere."

Shirou tightened his grip on her. "I don't believe you."

"I promise." She said softly.

Slowly, he unwound his hands from her, but kept her hand enclosed in his still. Saber laughed at that but did nothing to remove it as they walked down the garden path, hearing nothing else but the beating of their hearts and the melody of the night.

"Why are you here?" Shirou asked at last. "How are you here?"

There was no mistaking the desperate tone in his voice. It was so obvious he didn't think he would ever see her again. He didn't dare hope for it, even.

A pregnant silence followed the question.

After what seemed like a very long time, Saber said; "I found a portal. It leads here. But it changes places every few years. It's time will be up in a few days. I would not know where to find it the next time it moves. I will need to go back in a few days."

"You promised you would stay!" Shirou was going to shout. But then he knew how selfish it would sound. So he grieved in silence, but tightened their intertwining fingers.

Saber stopped, and then looked up at him. There was something in her eyes this time, some flicker of emotion he couldn't quite place.

"I say I should go back." She said slowly. "But I won't."

Shirou didn't conceal his surprise. "What?"

"It has been a very progressing three years in the kingdom." She said, as though every single word had been thought and laid out nicely. "And I should be happy to stay there- but I am not. Shirou, I feel happy here. I want to live in this world. I have already chosen an apprentice who will take over my duties. The kingdom will run smoothly. And I will stay here instead. I have chosen to enroll at your school. And we need not be so secretive of me now, as the fight is over."

It took a long moment for him to digest this, and when he did- he wished he had digested it earlier.

"You're staying." He said to himself, awe in his voice. Saber nodded, though he was too lost to see it.

"With me. Forever." He said again.

Saber nodded. "Yes."

"Promise me you won't disappear. Promise me you won't go one day and leave me hanging." Shirou almost pleaded.

Her hand went to cup his face gently as she gave him that winning smile she always possessed. "Never."

A/N: Ahh, my very first Fate/Stay Night fanfic. Not too bad, if I do say so myself. This manga series has been my latest obsession and I know it would have just killed me if I didn't get this down.

The curses of being an addicted writer. Lol. Anyway, read and review please ppl.