Split my Tongue
by SMYGO4EVA
Whatever Shirou and Shinji had in the past, it was long gone. There was nothing between them now but empty platitudes and a seething hatred.
Shirou raised his fist; he'd done it only a few times before, but only when he had no other choice in the matter. It was only when there was no other way to get to Shinji, no way through to his blind jealousy and unhindered rage.
His life walking on eggshells around Matou seemed endless. There was no future, not now, and nothing would ever be as it was before, not when they were in archery long ago.
Shinji had changed, his calm demeanor growing into an arrogant smirk and boiling anger over at any hindrance he had in his way. Blood pooled in his mouth and his face swelled; his arms and wrists littered with bruises, hidden only by her old uniform. No matter what he did, nothing seemed to go his way.
Whatever friendship they had before, something that even then Shinji hadn't put a word to, was gone now forever. Shirou saw to it that any pleasantries or common ground they held was long gone, with only a brief rush of sadness once he turned away from the Matou; he felt Shinji's eyes burning into him.
