Peaceful Days
Shirou was in the kitchen, just about done making breakfast when Rin trudged into the room like a sloth. Just like every other time he's seen her in the morning, she's an unruly mess. At first it was oddly scary and not at all the cute image he expected someone that wasn't a morning person to be. It had grown on him though and he'd come to realize that despite looking like the undead, she was still cute in her own way. Even the way she groaned into the table had become cute to him.
She didn't greet him but he didn't mind, there were a lot of things that were just too much trouble for her in the morning.
"Good morning, Toh-" He said while exiting into the living room with two plates full of food.
"Rin." Correcting him on what to call her was not one of those things.
"Ah, good morning... Rin." Shirou congratulated himself on not stuttering when he said it.
Calling the girl he liked by her first name always managed to embarrass him and ever since they started dating she wouldn't allow him to call her "Tohsaka" anymore. Well, she let him get away with it when other people were around... After she found out he got even more flustered in those situations anyway. She loved to tease him about it and she would still sometimes complain but even Rin wasn't that evil.
"Good morning, Shirou." Rin was smirking now.
He smiled at her, still a bit embarrassed, and set the food down before sitting next to her.
"Hm...? If this is all you made then Fujimura-sensei must not being coming over." Rin commented offhandedly.
"Oh, yeah, she said something about the Archery Club the other day." Shirou sighed. "She'll probably call later demanding I bring her lunch."
Rin made a non-committal sound as she ate. It looked like her sociability had reached its morning limit that quickly. Shirou didn't feel the need to talk so it was fine. The two ate in a comfortable silence and as soon as the talented magus had finished, she dropped her head onto her boyfriend's lap and curled up. This was normal of her so he didn't even bat an eye and continued eating. It turned out Rin was dissatisfied with this development.
"Hey, Shirou, why are you still eating?" Rin muttered.
"Eh, why wouldn't I be?" Shirou asked and looked down at her.
Instead of replying, the girl looked up at him with a glare. Well, it looked that way, but she was really sulking. Shirou saw this and knew that Rin wanted something. Frowning, he looked up at the ceiling while he pondered what that could be.
"Oh, I see. If you want me to play with her hair you should just say so." Shirou smirked at her.
"Wha...? I-I don't care if you do that!" Rin protested but she hid her face in his side and he could see a bit of her blush.
"You're so dishonest, T... Rin." Shirou managed to catch himself. "I'll do it, but let him finish eating first."
Silence. Then...
"I'll be asleep by then." Rin whispered.
Her quiet admittance caught Shirou off guard and he looked at her in surprise. He looked at his plate, which was a few bites away from being done, and knew she was wrong. It would be fun to tease her, such opportunities were rare and he enjoyed making her blush, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Rin was rarely so direct and she was being oddly shy so all he could do was give in. Shirou ignored the last of his breakfast and ran his fingers through her hair.
It was something he normally did when she got like this, especially in the morning when she was still drowsy. He rarely failed to finish eating before her so he'd end up doing it right after she laid down. The boy hadn't realized Rin enjoyed it so much. It occurred to him that, that was probably why she did this every morning they were alone together. Shirou smiled at her and stayed like that for a good half hour even though it took her no more than five minutes to fall asleep again.
Then he carefully slipped away from her and left the room only to return a moment later with the blanket from his room and gently draping it over her. The auburn haired boy watched her for a moment and then brushed the loose strands of her hair behind an ear before leaving the room. He had training to do after all. It wasn't until noon was rolling around that Rin woke up. She slowly sat up and smiled upon seeing the blanket.
She got up and was about to get ready for the day when the phone began ringing. Rin was well aware that her boyfriend was likely to still be training and wouldn't hear the ringing so she couldn't ignore it. If Shirou hadn't mentioned that Taiga might call she wouldn't have cared either way but that wasn't the case so she went up and answered it. The whining of Taiga was not surprising nor was how it cut short when she registered who answered.
"Tohsaka?" Taiga said surprised.
"Yes, it's me." Rin replied. "Shirou said you might call. You want lunch right? I'll let him now."
"O-Oh, I... I see, but... why are you there?" Taiga asked.
"Why, because I spent the night here of course." Rin said nonchalantly and idly wondered how many rumors would spread due to eavesdropping students.
"Hm, hm, I... Huh? ...What?!" Taiga screeched.
"Anyway, I'll let him know right away." Rin said sweetly and hung up on her.
It was really enjoyable for her to mess with Taiga and she chuckled to herself as she went in search of Shirou. She headed to the shed first, as that is where he typically did magic training, but before she reached it he came out from the dojo and they spotted each other across the yard. The girl was surprised-was he doing physical training all this time?-but quickly composed herself and walked over to him.
Before Shirou could ask what's wrong, he's informed that Taiga called wanting her lunch. Rin had this evil glint in her eye that left the boy worried. Not knowing if he really wanted to know, he asked what she did. The pigtailed girl frowned at him, pretending to be hurt by his suspicious attitude, and then walked off ahead of him. Normally he didn't mind her antics, but Taiga could be a handful and he really didn't want a scene with her. Especially in front of the entire Archery Club or Ayako, who would definitely tease him about it and in a romantic sense, never realizing how right she was.
Because of this, if nothing else, he would like to be prepared for what was to come. To do that, he needed Rin to tell him what she did. The girl was waiting for him in the living room and took in the stressed expression dominating his face. Blue eyes closed with a sigh, a sign she was about to take pity on him. She told him what he wanted to know but it only resulted in a dreadful look. Rin huffed and crossed her arms in exasperation, it wasn't that big of a deal.
"I guess I'll make lunch for all of us now." Shirou said off-handedly. "Any requests?"
"Hm? Actually, I was going to make lunch for us while you delivered Fujimura-sensei's." Rin said. "Spare you some time. She gets angry if you take too long, right?"
"If that's the case, I'd rather you take her the lunch instead." Shirou sighed in apprehension. "Deal with the mess you caused."
"Geez. You're overreacting." Rin was exasperated. "It won't be any different from whenever she sees us together."
"..." Shirou had this uncharacteristically stoic expression.
He wanted to protest, he really did. Rin didn't know the half it. Taiga was a lot tamer in front of her, but once she wasn't there? Then she would really lay it on him. Her disapproval was on Issei's level but admittedly for entirely different reasons. It wasn't as though she didn't like Rin, but more like she couldn't accept her position in Shirou's life. It caused him a lot of trouble really. She pressured him constantly on what she wanted but he held his ground. How long would it take for Taiga to give up?
Regardless, it was going to be pretty bad now that she knew Rin stayed the night. It wasn't something new, though it was typically him staying at her place so Taiga wouldn't cause them any trouble, but it was still painful to deal with. It was normal now, which was probably why he made such a pained face at the storm Rin had set in motion. He didn't go out of his way to hide these things, but he didn't go out of his way informing her of them either. As it was, he couldn't blame Rin since he kept Taiga's private outbursts a secret from her. It was just too depressing for him to acknowledge that some of the closest people to him wouldn't accept her. At least with Issei it was a mutual dislike that had never been able to be breached but still...
Shirou reminded himself that it was nothing new and therefore nothing to get worked up about. He dealt with it often enough so there should be no problems. If he was quick about it, he may even be able to get out of there before any of the other students came to their own conclusions on the matter. Yes, if he was fast enough then he could avoid Ayako too. Maybe he could avoid Taiga all together and ask one of the members to hand it over to her. Coming to that conclusion, he took a deep breath and set to work.
"I'll leave our lunch to you then." He told Rin.
"Oh? Have you gotten yourself together then?" Rin watched him inquisitively.
"Yeah, for the time being anyway." Shirou said.
Rin smiled at that honest answer and watched him prepare Taiga's lunch. She had nothing better to do and so waited for him to be fone. It was quiet as Shirou quickly put something together for the impatient sensei. He was about to leave, a quick "I'll be back soon" sent Rin's way, before she stopped him.
"Hey, hey, aren't you forgetting something?" Rin protested lightly.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Shirou was utterly lost.
The look Rin gave him warned him that it would be painful for him if he didn't figure it out himself. He really had no idea what she wanted but he sent his brain into overdrive to find the answer. In relation to Taiga, he was sure he had everything covered. That meant it had to have something to do with Rin herself but he didn't see what he could be forgetting. Desperate though he was to come up with an answer, one never came.
"U-Um..." Shirou was worried, afraid to admit that nothing came to mind.
"Come on, Shirou, I'm your girlfriend now." Rin huffed in exasperation.
She didn't need to say anything else. In an instant, his eyes had widened and his face had flushed. A stuttered sound of acknowledgement was his only response and Rin smirked because this was exactly what she wanted. She was never one to pass up embarrassing him and if he ended up going through with her teasing request then that was just a bonus. It would be nice for her but she wouldn't press it since she knew her poor boyfriend found such a simple thing troubling for his heart. The boy hardly pulled off calling her by her first name without stuttering so she didn't expect anything more.
That's why she found it so surprising when he swallowed hard and actually kissed her on the cheek before quickly running away. She was incapable of moving her a moment and had to suppress her urge to laugh at his quick retreat so she could ask what he wanted. Normally she wasn't as considerate of him, but she decided to make an exception. However, what the embarrassed boy called back was...
"I'll be happy with whatever you make. It's guaranteed to be good since you're the one making it."
Usually a comment like that would result in a first-class cocky attitude, but hearing it from him brought a feeling of warmth and slight embarrassment to her. While he was weak with romantic gestures, he certainly made up for it with his sincerity and devotion. Yeah, now she really wanted to do something nice for him.
In front of the archery dojo, Shirou felt his nervousness return, but he knew that just standing there would get him nowhere. Knowing his luck, it would only get him caught by Taiga or something equally terrible. So he took a deep breath and carefully crept into the dojo. His eyes quickly took in the area with the intensity of a soldier in the middle of enemy territory. The auburn boy slowly crept closer and was caught, but thankfully it was only Sakura.
"Senpai?" She gave him a worried look due to his tension. "Are you okay?"
"Ah, Sakura, good. Um, I'm currently in a precarious situation with Fuji-n-Fujimura-sensei so I'd like to avoid her if possible." Shirou admitted. "...I had to bring her lunch though. Uh, is it fine if I leave it with you?"
"Yes, I'll give it to her for you." Sakura said with a troubled expression.
Something was on her mind, but Shirou was too distracted to notice.
"Thanks, Sakura. I owe you one." Shirou sighed and slumped with visible relief.
"It's nothing. Um," Sakura hesitated for a moment. "Senpai, is Tohsaka-senpai at your place?"
"...Y-Yeah, um, but what made you think she was?" Shirou asked, having a feeling he knew the answer.
"Fujimura-sensei said something like that while on the phone earlier." Sakura admitted with a quiet voice. "Why is she there so early though?"
The line of conversation was heading in a bad direction and Shirou didn't have any good excuse. He couldn't lie about it either because Rin had already told Taiga the truth. On top of that, Sakura had just confirmed his worst fears and he knew staying here any longer could be detrimental to his health. He couldn't just ignore her question though so he had to say something and quickly leave.
"Senpai?" Sakura asked.
"Huh? S-Sorry, I spaced out." Shirou apologized. "Um, why is Tohsaka over? Well, she was over yesterday and it got pretty late so I had her stay the night. Anyway, I'm sorry Sakura, but I have to go. I don't want to cause a scene so let's talk later, okay?"
"O-Oh, sure Senpai, I'll see you at dinner." Sakura suddenly looked sad but she bowed her head so it went unnoticed.
"Yeah, see you then." Shirou gave those parting words and left in a hurry.
As he was sliding the door shut, he heard Ayako inquiring Sakura as to who was there. He didn't wait to see what happened next and dashed off immediately. If Taiga had revealed that Rin was at his place so early in the morning, then Ayako would not let him escape without teasing him first. Therefore, he had to have escaped before she went after him and he somehow managed that. Shirou found himself looking forward to seeing his girlfriend again, even if she was the cause of all this. She was likely the most stressful aspect of his life and yet, at the same time, it was still really soothing for him to be near her. A contradiction, yes, but true nonetheless.
Shirou hurriedly made his way home and had a look of relief when he stood before the entrance of his house. As he stepped inside, he called out an "I'm home". There was no response but that was normal and he made his way to the living room where Rin should be waiting for him. He walked into the room and missed her "that was fast" because he was more focused on the meal in front of him. As far as lunches go, it was his favourite.
"What is it?" Rin asked.
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. I just..." Shirou was suddenly snapped out of his shock and he shook his head. "I guess I didn't expect this, that's all."
Rin sighed in defeat. It was kind of disappointing that he didn't realize her intentions, but it also wasn't unusual. She didn't mind most of the time, since she did it when she went too far with her teasing usually so it was nice how his obliviousness seemed to say that she didn't need to go through all this effort for him even when she screwed up. It was also nice to just see how something so simple could distract him if he was having a rough day. It would be nice to have him notice every once in a while, but she could tell he was appreciative even when he didn't realize any of it.
They ate peacefully and the girl refused to let it get to her. She fell in love with an idiot, so there was no helping it. Besides, he still made a happy face and that's what mattered, not if he understood her intentions. He made an off-handed comment about how she made this the best while they ate. It made Rin ridiculously happy to hear that but she brushed it off with a cocky attitude. Shirou was grinning at her in an odd way which told the red dressed girl that she was missing something.
"What?" She asked.
"Oh, it's nothing." Shirou replied easily but she didn't like the way he said that and glared at him. "It's really not a big deal. You just look happy and I like that."
That wasn't entirely true. Though Rin had naturally brushed his comment off, she had blushed a little and that was enough to tell him how she really felt. It was true that she looked happy though and he did like that. Shirou was also happy to see Rin blush more prominently this time and she failed horribly at brushing it off like before.
"T-That's...! Stupid Shirou! Don't say dumb things like that!" Rin sputtered out such nonsense.
"What? Is it bad that I like seeing you happy?" Shirou smiled at her, enjoying the rare moment where he got to be the one teasing her.
"Huh? Of... Of course you can, that's not..." Rin said that much instinctively before realizing what Shirou was doing. "You jerk, I'll get you back for that."
Rin tried to look mad, but her words were only half-hearted and the boy knew it. Even if they weren't, the things she did "to get back at him" where the same things she did normally so it wasn't like it would have made a difference if he'd held back. So he just smiled at her, in that way that told her he was happy. Knowing how hard it was supposed to be to make this guy happy, she couldn't help getting flustered whenever he made faces like that. She muttered that she might just forgive him this once so quietly that the boy didn't hear her.
Once they finished lunch, Shirou got up to take care of the dishes and make tea but when he turned to ask Rin what kind she wanted she wasn't there. He turned the stove off with a frown and went looking for her. The boy wandered around until he saw her sitting on the porch out into the yard. He sat down next to her without comment. A sidelong glance told him nothing was wrong so he turned his gaze to the sky instead.
"You know, I think this is the first time we've sat out here like this." Shirou commented. "During the day, I mean."
"Oh...? Yeah, I guess it is." Rin said. "What about it?"
"Nothing." Shirou lightly shook his head. "Just a random observation."
Rin had a bemused expression as she looked at him.
"Hey Shirou." Rin said to get his attention while gently grabbing his hand and leaning in.
Shirou looked down at her with a small sound of acknowledgement and then his eyes widened from the feeling of her kissing him.
"Ah..." He said when she pulled away and then heat rose up his neck and made his face boil. "W-W-W-Wha...?! What was that for?!"
"'Cause I felt like it." Rin said cheerfully and then smirked evilly. "Why? Don't you like it?"
Shirou swallowed thickly from her question. She already knew the answer and he knew she was teasing him. He didn't want to answer but she would just keep pressing the question until he clearly told her how he felt. Sometimes the girl really reminded the boy of the devil. Revenge came swift and rough from Tohsaka Rin.
"I..." Shirou felt his throat constrict on the first word.
"Hm?" Rin urged patiently and held onto his arm now, knowing it would only make things harder for him.
Shirou looked away, blushing furiously. On top of making his heart run a marathon, she looked really cute leaning on him like she did. It was making it difficult for him to think straight and instead of answering her question, he was thinking about how much he liked her being close to him even when it made him feel like his heart would explode. There was no way he could calm down with her like this. His brain would certainly be fried before long.
"Geez. Of course I like it!" Shirou whined with a tingle of desperation and his hand moved to interlace their fingers. "I'm in love with you, so it's obvious!"
The devil pulled back in surprise and now she was blushing too. Rin had only expected a pathetically mumbled "I do", not for him to confess to her again. The way he held her hand in his lap was such a blatant "I like having you by my side" to her that she felt she might actually overheat for once. It felt impossible to speak and so they fell into another silence. It wasn't anything bad, but it was filled with embarrassment for both of them.
It didn't take too long for them to settle down since Rin wasn't one to stay embarrassed for long and Shirou was just getting used to all her teasing. The girl running off to make them tea made it a hell of a lot easier for them though. Shirou was leaning back on his hands when she returned and he smiled at her arrival, accepting the mug gratefully. The duo sipped at their drinks contentedly and simply enjoyed the other's presence silently.
Rin eventually set hers down and dropped her head on his shoulder. She let out a happy sigh and closed her eyes. Shirou looked down at his girlfriend and his eyes softened with affection. He leaned into her a bit and rested his head against hers. He put the unfinished tea to the side, where it would be forgotten, and snatched her hand again. Though it could not be seen, the devil smiled blissfully. They stayed like that, with Rin caressing the back of his hand with her thumb and starting to get really comfy, until the phone interrupted them with its shrill ringing.
The girl huffed in displeasure but pulled away so Shirou could go answer it. He smiled amusedly at her before hurrying off to do so. He picked it up with a simple hello and was surprised when Sakura's voice came through. He quickly got himself together and asked what was up. Meanwhile, Rin was trudging in after him, but he didn't notice since his back was to her. She slid in behind him and snuggled into his back, startling him. He was thankful that all he did was jump in surprise, he didn't know what he'd do if Sakura had asked what was wrong if he yelped or something.
"Um, Fujimura-sensei said that she won't come home until you come see her. It seems she's unwilling to let this morning go." Sakura said.
"O-Oh... I see. Thanks for letting me know Sakura. I'll go get her." Shirou sighed.
"It's no trouble, Senpai. Um..." Sakura sounded uneasy with that small sound.
"Hm? Is there something else?" Shirou asked.
"Y-Yes, I'm afraid I won't make it for dinner today, Senpai, I'm sorry." Sakura said apologetically.
"Is that so? That's fine, I'll see you tomorrow then." Shirou said.
"Yes..." Sakura said dejectedly.
She said goodbye and then hung up. Shirou looked at the phone in confusion, wondering why she had suddenly sounded so sad. After putting the phone down, he tried to look at Rin over his shoulder. She was nestled into just the right spot that he couldn't do so. He placed his hands over hers as she asked him what Sakura called for. Shirou tensed up at the reminder but dutifully told the news. She squeezed his waist and offered to go with him, pleased when the boy relaxed like she wanted him to.
Pressing into her a bit, he declined the offer, telling her that he could handle it and that Taiga was likely to throw an additional fit if he didn't come alone anyway. His girlfriend chuckled at that and sounded all to happy about tagging along with him. Shirou didn't know if it was so she could show the tiger up or just for the fun of rattling the cage further, but either way it was best if she stayed here. He knew what was coming so he said he ought to go and Rin pulled away obligingly.
The taller boy glanced back at her and said he'd be quick. After a brief pause, he asked if she minded preparing dinner while he was gone. Receiving her affirmative, he started for the door. The girl he loved huffed at him while snatching his arm. The boy froze and turned his attention back to her. She looked annoyed but only for a moment. Holding onto his arm, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. Rin smirked at the expected blush on his face and giggled as he sputtered unintelligently before hurrying to the door.
The boy quickly slipped on his shoes and Rin all but fell in a laughing fit after she heard door close in the same beat it was opened. The sound reached him outside and it made him walk all the faster. Shirou made his way to the school with a flustered mind and wished he'd hurry up and become immune to her teasing. Dread filled him once he stood in front of the archery dojo for the second time that day though and thoughts of Rin's teasing all but vanished.
Shirou took a deep breath and slid open the door.
"I'm here, Fuji-nee!" Shirou called, knowing the students would be long gone by now.
"Shiiiirooooooou!" His body went rigid with her yell.
It took great effort for him to get his legs working again. Reluctantly heading into the dojo, a ferocious tiger stood before him. He gulped. She surged up to him and began hitting him excessively while just screaming. Once satisfied with beating him, he was made to kneel on the floor in repent as she lectured him about how it was inappropriate to have a girl stay the night at his place or at all if there were no adults there. His lips hardened into a line at that, knowing she wouldn't be saying the same thing if it were Sakura. He knew the girl was family but it didn't change the fact that Taiga gave her preferential treatment.
Anyway, most of what the woman he thought of as his older sister was complaining about had already been settled by Rin. Taiga couldn't hold a candle to his girlfriend, she could come up with an excuse for everything and make it completely reasonable. The lecture went on for a while and when the woman was good and satisfied, Shirou was allowed to get up. The boy got up and stretched, staring at the older woman who he felt had said some unfair things.
"Why are you so harsh when it comes to Tohsaka, Fuji-nee?" Shirou asked.
"I am not harsh." Taiga protested haughtily.
"...Then would you have been as upset if Sakura had been the one over instead of her?" Shirou said.
"Uwu... But, but Sakura's different!" Taiga whined. "She's a member of the family. You've said so yourself!"
"That's true, but it doesn't really make it any more appropriate." Shirou argued. "For some reason, you seem very against Tohsaka. I don't know why, but you need to find a way to accept her. She can be troublesome at times but she's a good person and she's important to me."
"But Shirooou..." Taiga complained.
"You wouldn't like it if someone complained about me, right?" Shirou held his ground. "It's the same for me with Tohsaka."
The tiger pouted at the young man but there was a determined expression that said he was serious and wouldn't take no for an answer. The woman had no choice but to submit and nodded her head like a scolded child. Shirou relaxed after that and smiled, saying they should head home. When they stepped outside, Shirou's composure was ruined. Standing there, waiting for them, was none other than Tohsaka Rin herself.
"T...Tohsaka?!" Shirou was horrified. "Why are you here?! I thought you were making dinner!"
The girl was wearing a devious smile and it told him bluntly, "I heard everything." His face flushed immediately and he wanted to protest that it wasn't okay for her to eavesdrop on him. He couldn't say such a thing in front of Taiga though.
"I was going to but then I saw the time and it was too early so," Rin's voice was too sweet, "I decided to meet up with you."
"Shirou! You can't let a guest cook!" Taiga scolded.
"I, uh..." Shirou didn't know what to say and he really just didn't have to brain capacity to deal with any of this.
"It's fine, Fujimura-sensei, Shirou cooks for me all the time." Rin came to his rescue, but he didn't know if he should be grateful or not after all the trouble she was causing him in one way or another. "I don't mind doing it once in a while. Besides, it keeps me from getting rusty."
After hearing that, Taiga could do nothing to protest. Shirou didn't know if she truly found that excuse as acceptable or if she was just learning not to challenge the clever girl in front of her. The boy didn't care either way. The only thing on his mind was avoiding getting teased by Rin. That meant he'd have to stay with Taiga all day and hope that she'd lose interest after a while. There's nothing he was going to be able to do about those looks she gave him though.
His only defense crumbled before the foundations could even settle since Taiga told them that she had to head to the faculty room to get some papers. She told them not to wait up for her and Shirou would have argued that they didn't mind waiting if it would have accomplished anything but it wouldn't. As soon as the two of them were alone, Rin would be on him and that would be that. Shoulders slumping in resignation, he watched as the tiger waved cheerfully at them while she abandoned him to Rin's mercy. Something he suspected she would have none of.
The girl latched onto his arm as soon as their teacher was out of view and began tugging him along as she hummed a happy tune. It just served to make things worse for Shirou, as he was left on edge waiting for her to strike. The boy stared down at his girlfriend, wondering why she felt the need to do this to him.
"I was surprised, you know? I didn't expect you to say all that to Fujimura-sensei." Rin said, looking up at him.
Shirou got attacked from left field. Instead of the teasing he had expected, she was being honest and direct in a different way. It still left the poor boy hopelessly embarrassed. He got more embarrassed from her talking openly about her feelings than her teasing him since this got him right in the heart.
"It was unnecessary since I don't really care how Fujimura-sensei feels about me but," Rin smiled at him, "it was nice to hear you get all defensive over me like that. I really never would have guessed that you didn't want me to come so that you could argue with her. You were so depressed earlier about having to come here that I felt the need to go with you and I'm glad I did."
Those words coupled with the look she gave the boy made him as flustered as when she'd kissed him. He grunted softly without intending to, making Rin say "critical hit" with that too sweet voice of hers. He was blushing so bad that he could even feel his ears burning. Everything felt too hot and yet he couldn't utter a single complaint, not when his girlfriend was saying such honest things.
No, instead he mumbled an honest response about how he'd been holding it in for a while. Rin looked a little surprised at his ability to say something like that in his current state. She figured if he said anything it would be complaining since she understood how embarrassed she was making him. It was such fun to do this to him and she was grateful that her being honest and sweet still rewarded her with a wonderful reaction like this.
The girl pressed into his arm and sighed wistfully, telling the boy that it was a shame dinner was rolling around because she was in a really cuddly mood now. Shirou looked away in embarrassment and then peeped back over at her. She was in high spirits and extremely happy. It sent an incredible amount of warmth through his body when he saw her make expressions like that. His heart skipped a beat and it felt like the universes were aligned. Cheesy, yes, but true. It was a truth for Shirou, because that smile was worth any price to him.
Tempted to wrap his arm around her, he wasn't sure if he should since she was holding onto that arm right now. The auburn boy decided that if it was a bust, he would hold her hand so he removed his hand from his pocket and shifted it close to her side, a silent "May I...?" Rin looked at the hand curiously for a moment and then slid comfortably into his side, pressing into him and giving the non-verbal response "Yes."
Shirou immediately placed his hand on his girlfriend's waist and held her lightly against him, but she was quite happily snuggling into him. It wasn't that he minded but it was a bit hard to walk like this. He didn't know how Rin pulled it off so easily when she wasn't even looking. The two walked the short distance home like this, with Shirou nearly tripping over himself several times and Rin completely unperturbed despite being in the more awkward position.
The pigtailed girl finally slipped free of the boy once they were inside and then headed to the kitchen with Shirou in toe. The two got settled into the kitchen and went to work preparing today's dinner. The talk with Taiga was enough to make "too early", "running a little late" so they got right down to business. The goal was to finish everything before the tiger got there, if that was even possible. It depended on how much trouble she had finding the paperwork she was looking for-that was the sole determining factor.
Somehow, they just managed to cover the tables in everything when the teacher barrelled into the house. The two shared a victorious look at their success. No complaining from Taiga about how long it was taking now. Then they settled down in their usual places, Shirou and Rin on one side and Taiga on the other, and had a hearty meal. The tiger lazily watched TV afterwards and the other two crept out of the room so they could relax together.
They went back out to the yard, it was now getting a little late. Not late enough for the stars to be out but for the sky to be a multitude of colours. It was a very pretty view and they simply sat there comfortably. Shirou was leaning on his hands again, like earlier, and Rin sat normally next to him. Without paying any attention to him, she began caressing up and down his nearest arm with the tips of her fingers. The boy left out a small sigh and closed his eyes as he relaxed further. Not taking her eyes off the sky, Rin smiled knowingly. That was the reaction she was looking for.
She slowly moved her hand to the back of his neck, gently playing with loose strands of hair and scratching absent mindedly. The man appeared to melt even more at her touch. Even without looking at him, she could tell and she smirked. It was absolutely adorable watching him slowly melt into a puddle of mud from nothing more than her light touches. It was unexpected when he decided to topple sideways and use her thigh as a pillow however.
For a brief moment, she didn't move a muscle. It wasn't as though it bothered Rin or anything, it was just odd for Shirou not to get embarrassed by this. Funny, how the same didn't apply when their positions were reversed. After that moment, a genuine smile so soft if could make Shirou's heart stop beating indefinitely and gentle fingers running through his hair were his reward. It appeared to allow him to relax and settle in.
Honestly, her boyfriend's little reactions made her want to laugh but he would definitely run away if she did and she didn't want that so she refrained. Her fingers caressed and massaged his scalp and the way his body curled up a little seemed to say that he was in heaven. That absurd thought really made her want to laugh but it was also ridiculously pleasing, which managed to calm her down. She couldn't help but wonder how tired he must be to not be embarrassed right now though. He only acted like this when he found a day particularly stressful and Rin found it touching that she was the one who could sooth that away for him, but this time...
"Sorry, Shirou." Rin murmured.
"Hm?" Shirou looked up at her in confusion, rolling onto his back so as not to strain his neck.
"In the end, I caused you the most stress today." Rin said.
It was silent for a moment as Shirou scrutinized her face and then brought up a hand to caress her arm.
"I don't think you've been any different than usual." Shirou said. "Really. There's nothing for you to feel bad about."
Rin knew Shirou was being sincere but it didn't really make her any feel better about it. Sometimes she just did things without thinking about how it would affect her boyfriend, like ratting them out to Taiga. Shirou had always found that painful to deal with and even if that might have been resolved now, it didn't change the fact that Shirou had fretted over Taiga for most of that day. She was the core of that problem.
The boy seemed to understand that his words were not enough and even though he did not want to get up, he was quite comfortable right then, he did so anyway and leaned in close to her. The girl's eyes widen in surprise at that action, it was rare for Shirou to be so daring and without blushing to top it off. He gently tangled his fingers in the hair at her nape and pressed their foreheads together. He leaned in close enough for their lips to brush against one another and made it clear that it didn't matter how much stress she made for him because she was the only one will the power to take it all away before gently yet passionately kissing her.
Something like that would make even Rin blush as she kissed back, leaning closer to him and letting her hand gently caress his side. When he pulled away, their eyes still closed, he gave her one more quick peck before dropping back down to her thigh. Rin noted with a smirk that he was blushing now. Her smirk softened into a smile when she thought of his words. Those words had made her pleasantly toasty inside. It was nice.
The jewel mage combed back her boyfriend's hair and then began to trace his face. She noted that the blush that had been dying down flared back up yet he didn't complain a bit. His eyes were closed and he obviously didn't plan on opening them any time soon but he was still relaxed and she liked that. The pigtailed girl loved getting to see how relaxed he was with her. It was very gratifying to know how easily he unwound with her around.
"High school's almost over, you know..." Rin said. "Soon we'll be going to the Clock Tower."
"Yeah, London, right?" Shirou asked.
"Mm... Are you sure you won't regret it?" Rin asked.
"What?" Shirou looked up at her despite his blush.
"About coming to the Clock Tower..." Rin said.
"Why wouldn't I? I go to the Clock Tower with you and then later," Shirou smiled at her, "when we're ready, we'll travel around the world saving people, right? Sounds perfect to me."
Rin said nothing and closed her eyes in that "idiot to the core" way of hers that oddly enough translated into some kind of thank you. Shirou didn't question it, he just grinned at her.
"Come on, Shirou, get up. It's late and I need to go home." Rin said lightly, not really caring if he moved or not. "You'll walk me, of course."
Oh, and that was not a request. It was an order and Shirou knew it. Not that he minded, he wanted her company for as long as possible and he understood she did too. So he reluctantly got up and offered his hand, pulling Rin to her feet when she took it. The two returned to the living room and Shirou announced he was taking Rin home. Taiga waved her hand dismissively while munching on some leftover sushi from the other day. They then made it to the door and Rin hooked onto his arm as soon as they were outside.
Shirou glanced over to her and they slowly moved to her Western-styled mansion. They enjoyed their last bit of time together tonight in silence and slowly disappeared up the hill leading to her home. A night that would no doubt end in embarrassment for Shirou as Rin demanded a goodbye kiss from him, just because she knew how much it got to him. Not that he would ever think to object despite that fact.