27—Rekindling

Shirou slides the door to his house closed behind him. He takes a second to enjoy the feel of the warm air knocking off the winter's chill. Once warm, he slips off his shoes, leaving them at the door, and makes his way to the living room. As he slides that door closed behind him, he lets his eyes drift closed as he draws in a deep breath through his nose.

Chicken with cream… Wait, is that…

After letting it out, he draws in another and arches his brow.

Mint? Cream and mint?

Sakura snaps her worried gaze to the door and breathes a small sigh of relief.

Senpai… Looks like I was worrying over nothing again. No surprise there.

Unseriously, she chides herself, showing a small, relaxed smile.

Then Taruko-kun should be with him as well.

With her hands at her waist, she stands and bows forward politely.

"Welcome home, Senpai. We're sorry for starting without you." She gestures to the spread of food, and Shirou nods, returning her smile with his own.

"Sorry I'm late. Wish I could've come home earlier."

Sakura rights herself, pulling her hands around behind her back and shaking her head. "No, it's fine. But could you wait a bit? I'll get your dinner ready right away."

Shirou nods again, then glances over at the table, tilting his head. Four plates, four sets of cutlery, and three of them have been dished. Yet there are only three people in the room. Then it clicks. Someone is conspicuous for their absence.

"Hey, Sakura? Where's the little guy?"

The innocuous question causes the doused ember of concern to flare violently within her mind. "H-he's not with you?" Her calm smile quickly collapses as Shirou shakes his head.

"No… Why would he be?"

Face-deep in her plate, Fujimura seems not to have even noticed Shirou's return, and Sakura pulls him to one side, somehow repressing her natural inclination to become flustered at the sudden closeness.

"He said he went to look for you. You didn't see him when you came in?"

"Damn kid, wandering off like that. What's he thinking?" Shirou slips his shoes on, muttering to himself under his breath. "I don't care how capable he is, being that small out in a strange place after dark, especially with everything that's been going on. And Fuji-nee's probably going to eat my share. How stupid—"

He slams open the door on its tracks, then stops short as his gaze drops to meet the surprised stare of a young girl with carnelian-red eyes and silver hair. It takes a moment for him to get over his surprise, and another to realize he's seen her before, and recently.

Her…? Why is she here?

He stares down at her, blinking and tilting his head, and Illya stares up at him, trying to process her own surprise. Obviously, he'd be here. But she hasn't had time to prepare herself for this meeting. Before, when she'd been distracted, she meant to deliver to him a somber warning and be on her way. If there'd been more time, she would've liked to sit and talk, in part to learn the truth, and in part to help her sort through her own feelings, and decide what to do with them.

With them, and with him.

Now, suddenly, unexpectedly, the opportunity has been thrust into her lap, and every word and thought she considered saying has vacated her mind like water swirling down a newly opened drain.

"Shirou!"

As Illya struggles with her words, Taiasu speaks out, and Shirou looks down further from her to him, and breathes out a small sigh of relief.

"Taiasu, what happened? Sakura said—"

"Yeah, I know. Sorry…" he says, arms folded, his brow wrinkling. "I got turned around. These streets all look different in the dark."

Shirou sighs again, shaking his head.

Yeah, I thought that might… Wait, though.

"Okay, well, as long as you're fine. I'm sure Sakura will be relieved too, but who's this?"

He gestures toward Illya, who startles at the motion, though mostly from being so lost in thought.

"Illyasviel Von Einzbern." She lifts her jacket and the dress underneath in a curtsy as she introduces herself. "Pleasure making your acquaintance."

"Ah… sure. Uh, Emiya Shirou…" He roughs his hair awkwardly, performing a polite yet shallow bow. "Same—wait, hold on, I didn't mean her name." He stands up, shaking his head. "I mean, why is she here? Taiasu, what's going on, here?"

"Oh! Uh…" Taiasu's gaze falls fast to the ground. "Um…"

C-crap! I just invited her without thinking!

Uncomfortably shifting his feet, he looks back up at Shirou again. "Well, we uh, we met on the way back, and I um… well…" He lets out a nervous laugh through a small, awkward smile. "I invited her over for dinner without thinking." He speaks this last part low and quiet, turning a few shades of red. "Sorry… I hope it's not a problem."

Shirou blinks a few times, trying to digest the sentence he's just been fed, before leaning his head back and palming his face, and letting out an exasperated, muffled groan.

What the hell is with this stupid kid?! URGH!

He lets his hand drop to his side and shakes his head.

"Taiasu, I don't know how things work in your homeland, but here we usually get permission from the person who owns the house before inviting someone else over."

"I know that…" Taiasu's complexion reddens further as he fidgets. "It's the same way where I'm from. I already said, I did it without thinking."

Amused, particularly at the hole Taiasu has dug for himself, Illyasviel quietly listens in on their discussion.

Shirou kneads his forehead, slumping forward. "Okay, but why would you do that?" He looks over at the girl, who traces a path between them with her stare.

"Ah, well…" Unbearably uncomfortable, Taiasu's voice grows quieter as he tries to explain, without explaining. "I mean, I was just trying to be friendly."

"To a complete stranger?" Shirou folds his arms and stares down at him, arching his brow, and Taiasu gives a slow head nod in response.

"Y-yeah, sort of. I mean, it's—"

Illya's smirking grin widens as she watches Taiasu squirm.

Hee-hee. Yeah, he's going to have a hard time explaining everything without giving away too much information. Clearly, he doesn't know Onii-chan's a magus. This is pretty fun!

"—and she's just a little girl, after all, right? I mean, it's not right to let her wander around late at night by herself, you know?"

Taiasu continues to fidget and stare at the ground. On hearing his words, Illya's smirk cracks.

L-little girl—?!

Incredulous, Shirou presses his palm into his forehead.

I can't believe this kid! And worse, if I turn her away, it makes me look like the bad guy!

Again, he lets out a long sigh as he shakes his head.

"Alright, fine. We'll get it sorted out, just… come in before you both freeze to death."

He steps to one side. Taiasu does the same, and Illya stares at the entryway.

Still red, and running his hand across the back of his head, Taiasu looks over at her, showing a small, awkward smile.

"Ah, you know… ladies first?"

"Seriously, you can't just—"

"I know! It was dumb and thoughtless of me, and I'm sorry!"

As soon as they're inside, Shirou looks down at Taiasu and begins complaining as he slips off his shoes. Acutely aware of his blunder, Taiasu repeats his apology from earlier as he strips off his boots. Watching with a thoroughly amused smirk, Illyasviel says nothing as she slides off her winter boots.

"I don't get it! Are you always like this? Even back home?" Shirou shakes his head again as he leans his arm against the entryway wall.

"Mostly, yeah." Taiasu answers plainly, staring up with his arms crossed. "I like doing nice things, and I like it when people feel comfortable." He lets out his own small sigh and stares down at the floor. "And sometimes I forget and act—"

"Yeah, thoughtlessly. Obviously." Shirou shakes his head again and lets out an exhausted, grumbled sigh. "Well, what's done is done… Just… try to think better next time, alright? Honestly, I'm less upset at what you did than I am that you didn't think before you did it. If you're always like that, you're going to be causing no end of trouble for Sakura."

His words catch Taiasu off guard, and his mouth falls part way open, letting out an inarticulate sound as his eyes expand.

H-he's right. I was so wrapped up in what the Echo showed me… I didn't think at all.

He stares hard at the floor, scuffing his bare feet across the polished wood.

"Y-yeah. I'll try to do better. Sorry… I'm still getting used to this wor—er—country."

He winces as he almost slips up. Shirou misses it completely, but Illya doesn't, and her amused smirk broadens into a wide grin. She holds back her laugh, but it shows in her eyes.

"Anyway, come on. At this rate, dinner will get cold, if Fuji-nee hasn't eaten it all."

Taiasu nods, then looks toward Illya, who stares at him, smirking.

"Smooth, little man."

"Just… leave me alone."

He grumbles his minor complaint as he waves over his shoulder. So far, his benign desire to show some sort of cordial kindness to this girl has proved to cause no end of trouble. Both for him, his benefactor, the lord of the house, and likely even the subject of his concern.

"Living room's this way. I'll introduce you." Tired, frustrated, Taiasu hangs his head as he walks the halls, and Illya folds her hands behind her back, skipping along merrily behind him, just glad for something entertaining to enjoy.

As they reach the door, Shirou reaches down and picks a small twig out from a crease in Taiasu's leather chest piece. "You can't go in yet. What were you doing, rolling around in a pile of dirt?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Taiasu cranes his head over his back, looking himself over.

"Your face. Your entire outfit, it's filthy," Shirou mutters. "You can't eat at the table like that." He glances over at Illya and sighs again, shaking his head, palming his face. "And her, too. Jeez, were you both? Come on. If Fuji-nee sees you like this, she'll have a complete meltdown."

Somehow even more tired than a second ago, Shirou pulls his hand away from the door and leads them to the bathroom. Both Taiasu and Illya are too short to reach the sink, and Shirou has to wet a cloth and clean their faces. Indignantly, Taiasu frowns as Shirou wipes his face down, and Illya simply takes the cloth and handles it herself.

As he wipes down Taiasu's red leather, Shirou's eyes widen in surprise at how easily it comes clean, and how brightly it shines in the bathroom's light.

"This stuff's pretty durable…" he mutters, mostly to himself, as he works to get as much of the dirt and grime off as he can. "Whoever your friend is, they must've had a keen eye for quality."

"Senpai?"

Sakura comments her surprise, and Fujimura remains distractedly engrossed in her meal as Shirou pokes his head through into the living room.

"Yeah, he was just outside. Would've been faster if I hadn't had to get them all cleaned up. Sakura, sorry, but can you set another plate? We've got another…" He grumbles under his breath as he palms his face. "Another guest tonight, apparently. And I need to go get changed and wash up."

He draws back and slumps forward, hanging his tired head and sloughing off to his bedroom to change out of his school clothes. Sakura tilts her head, and Fujimura finally lifts hers from her food. They exchange perplexed, blinking stares before the former walks over to the kitchen and brings down another plate and bowl.

Another guest?

No sooner does she set the place, and grab another floor cushion, then Taiasu slumps through the entryway, followed by the person of interest who shoots her gaze all over the room before it comes to rest on Fujimura, who shows an excited grin. She looks over at Sakura who shows a polite smile that quickly falls away.

This girl…

Already, she can sense something amiss with her. Power radiates from her. Imperceptible to most, and even a trained magus would have difficulty noticing for it being suppressed, but it's there all the same. On noticing her hesitation, Illyasviel's eyes narrow and she shows a small smirk, sensing hers as well.

So she's a magus, too… A house of magi. I wonder if Onii-chan knows?

Only for a moment. Then her subtle smirk lifts into a full, polite, and proper smile.

"Fujimura-san, Sakura… This is Illya." Despondent, Taiasu gestures at each person as he introduces them. "I stupidly invited her for dinner when we met just a short while ago, without thinking. Please show her the same kindness you've shown me, and you can yell at me about how much of an—"

Unrestrained, Fujimura already has the girl hefted into her vice-like embrace, and is enthusiastically rubbing cheek with cheek. Taiasu looks over and now has to hide his own amused smirk. How quickly he forgot that he'd received similar treatment on first meeting the kind, strange woman.

Fujimura holds her out at arm's length to get a better look.

"She's adorable!" Illya frowns and puffs her cheeks out indignantly, which only seems to encourage the teacher's elated sense of enjoyment. "What a cute little girl! Taruko-kun, where'd you meet her?"

On again hearing herself being referred to as a 'little girl', Illya's cheeks puff out even further. Before Taiasu even answers, Fujimura is carrying her over to the closet and setting her down. She helps her out of her coat and hat, knocking some dirt out before folding it and laying it on the cabinet, then placing the cap on top.

"We met outside, when I was on my way back." Taiasu watches as Fujimura straightens Illya's purple blouse and pink skirt, smoothing out some wrinkles.

Illya's eyes narrow subtly as she shows him a playful smirk, and something within it causes the fuzz on his head to stand on end.

"Mhm. I was pretty surprised he'd want to invite a total stranger over for dinner."

Behind them, watching quietly, Sakura forces a discomforted smile as she tries to silence her disquieting concerns, threatening to show through in her expression.

What was he thinking? Does he not know what she is?

"Well, we just met today, but from what I've heard him say, it sounds pretty on point." Fujimura looks Illya over again thoughtfully, holding her finger against her chin and nodding, satisfied. "Though I do have to agree that it was thoughtless not to ask first." She shoots a small, annoyed frown over at Taiasu, who shifts his bare feet under the weight of her stare.

"Y-yeah, sorry. Everything happened pretty quick."

"Well, I don't mind." Fujimura ushers Illya over to her place before sitting down at hers. "This place is so big, so having more people makes it feel more homey. But Shirou seemed a bit upset by it."

Taiasu sighs as he takes his own seat. Beside him, Sakura tries to relax as she lets her gaze wander between everyone in the room. For now, all she knows is that Fujimura is right, and this is very much the sort of thing Taiasu would do, based on what she's seen from him.

Illya shows Taiasu another chilling smirk as Fujimura dishes up her plate.

"Well, inviting a stranger over for dinner is one thing, but considering it was immediately after a huge fight, that was—"

Taiasu coughs violently as he chokes on his bite of food. His eyes bulge as he hammers on his chest, trying to force it down before taking a drink of water to clear the rest.

"F-fight, that's… I mean, I thought it was more of a m-misunderstanding, Illya." He chokes out a gasping sigh as his mouth turns up in a hard smirk. One which well matches his singular, visceral eye-twitch. "And I did say food is a fine way to clear up misunderstandings."

"Misunderstanding?" Illya's eyes widen, and the smirk she wears narrows into a small circle of feigned surprise. "I think you're underselling it, Taiasu."

"Fight?" Fujimura looks from one to the other, her eyes also widening, though with sincere surprise. "Over what?"

Illya's eyes narrow again and her chilling, playful smirk returns. Taiasu tries pleading with his eyes, but Illya simply lets hers drift closed as she takes a deliberately slow sip from her cup of water, enjoying every moment of letting him twist in discomfort.

She sets the cup of cold water down.

"A simple case of mistaken identity." She lets her eyes slowly slide open. "I saw him following Onii-chan, and thought he might be a mugger or something."

Taiasu breathes out an enormous sigh of relief. Sakura looks down at him, arching her brow.

Why's he so… He's nervous? Why's he nervous?

Slowly, she looks over at Illya, who takes a small bite from her chicken.

"Onii-chan?" Fujimura tilts her head, looking down and over at Illya from one side. "Who?"

"Him." Expertly holding her chopsticks in one hand, she points toward Shirou as he steps into the room in blue jeans and a long-sleeved white and blue shirt.

Shirou looks around the room, arching his brow, puzzled why he's being subjected to Fujimura's curious stare, Illya's casual stare, and Sakura's concerned stare. Oblivious, and trying to settle himself, Taiasu fumbles some with his chopsticks as he tries to work on his own plate of food.

"What happened?" Now uncomfortable, Shirou walks to his seat next to Sakura and sits down in front of his plate.

"Nothing major." Fujimura shoots him a huge grin. "Just seems Illya-chan's already assigned you a term of endearment, Shirou."

"No, that's wrong."

Illya shakes her head. She stands and walks over to her purple winter coat, rifling through it. When she returns, she sets down a small, faded photograph with creases running perpendicular through the center.

"I called him that because he's really my Onii-chan."

Gobsmacked, Fujimura and Shirou both stare at the photograph. The beaming face of a man with messy, dark hair and rough, uncut stubble. Next to him, a boy with unmistakable, striking red hair and amber-colored eyes. She sets another photograph next to it. On it, the same man flushed red, looking obviously uncomfortable, yet also clearly happy. Next to him, a beautiful woman with fair skin, long, gorgeous silver hair and stirring, familiar, carnelian-red eyes. In front of them, the girl now pointing one finger at each picture.

The silence which follows is so heavy it induces an obnoxious, tinnitus-like ringing in everyone's ears. Fujimura and Shirou look from one photograph to the next, then up at each other, then back down again.

"I was surprised when the place Taiasu invited me to was Onii-chan's house. I was really hoping to see him today, so it was a pleasant surprise." Casually, Illya breaks the thick, tense silence as she sits back down on Taiasu's left, then takes a sip from her water.

Fujimura is the first to move, snatching up both photographs and glaring hard at each. Both are creased, faded, and well worn, yet there's no doubt the man in each photo is the same.

She heaves a deep sigh and sets both photos down, then folds her arms and closes her eyes, trying to restrain herself as her mind works feverishly to make even one shred of sense of what's happening right now.

Kiritsugu… has a daughter… and a wife…?

Her teeth grind audibly. Her heart twists painfully inside her chest, cutting her breath short.

We were friends, weren't we? Why… Why would he hide something like this?!

Illya sets her cup down and glances between them all. Nonplussed, Sakura can only look down at the photos, then over at Shirou, then over at Illya, her suspicions about the girl being shoved into the back of her mind by this sudden revelation.

Senpai has a… sister?

Shirou's mouth hangs agape as his eyes are glued to the two photographs.

Father…

"He never said…" He looks over at Illya in time to catch some hint of sadness in her expression. "I have a… sister? You're my sister?" He smacks his elbows hard on the table, using it to hold them up as he plunges his head into his hands, somehow not even wincing as the nerves in them protest violently to the impact. "Dad never said… Why wouldn't he have said anything…?"

Showing uncharacteristic restraint, Taiasu remains silent. Even if he wanted to say anything, he wouldn't know where to begin. He barely knows these people, and he's not even sure what's happening right now. So clearly, the best choice is to say nothing at all. Gently, he sets down his wooden chopsticks, trying to avoid making any noise.

"He really never said?" Illya stares at Shirou, and her eyes widen as he nearly imperceptibly shakes his head. "That's disappointing." She stares down at her plate and lets out a small, sad sigh. "I heard he died… I was hoping to meet the person he adopted." She runs her fingers along the side of her cup, slowly turning it in place.

Finally, Fujimura slams the table hard with both palms, rattling the plates, sloshing the contents of each cup, and startling everyone sitting around it.

"C-Come on! Let's stop moping!" Trying to play it off, she shows a massive, forced grin. "T-this is a reason to celebrate, right?! Shirou?!" She reaches across the table and grabs his hand, then grabs Illya's and forces them together. "You have a sister! A baby sister!"

She chokes out her words. Tears form in the corner of her eyes, and she tries to hold them back. Tears from a storm of mixed emotions. Hurt and betrayal that her dear friend hid such a massive secret from her, yet excitement and joy at this new and unexpected revelation. Finally, unable to hold back, she flees the room, leaving another uncomfortable silence in her wake. As he watches her go, something twists inside Taiasu's chest, and he stands from his seat.

"Ah… I don't know what to say…" He walks toward the door to the living room in time to hear the front door rattle as it rocks in its tracks. "I'll… um… be right back…" He steps into the hall and slides the door closed behind him, leaving Shirou, Illya, and Sakura by themselves.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know for sure you didn't know." Slowly, she withdraws her hand from Shirou's. They haven't moved since Fujimura tried to bring some mirth to the shocking situation. "I didn't realize it would be so upsetting—"

"It's not—!" Shirou blurts out his thought before it's even finished forming. "I'm not! I'm just surprised, is all!" He shakes his head hard. "I mean, Dad never said anything! I don't know what to think or feel about this!" He stares across the table into Illya's eyes. "I mean, are you? Are you really my little sister?"

"No…" She smiles, shaking her head. "I think I'm your big sister."

Taiasu steps out into the cool evening air to find Fujimura in a huddled mess, standing beside a nearby tree. He slides the door gradually until it finally latches closed. Still, she notices and quickly wipes at her face before turning her red, puffy eyes to see who's there. On seeing who it is, they widen with surprise.

"Taruko-kun?"

"Uh… Don't mind me…" He sits down in front of the door, holding one knee with both hands. "It was feeling kind of… heavy in there, so I thought I might like to get some fresh air."

Fujimura looks up at the clear night sky and sighs. At this point, she decides to dispose with pretense. To stop treating Taiasu like a child, and more like the young adult he obviously is.

"You're a lousy liar."

"H-huh? I wasn't—!" Taiasu waves his hands as he stammers out his denial. "I-I mean, not… not entirely…"

She lets out a small laugh as she wipes at her face and nose, then sniffles a bit. Everything she thought she knew about the man who had been her friend has, in the span of minutes, been turned on its head. Suddenly, she's overwhelmed with doubt and suspicion. What else didn't she know about him? Where was he really going every time he left, and she was put in the place of looking after his son?

"It's just a lot, you know?" She lets out a deep, despondent sigh. "I knew the man for years. You'd think he'd slip up and offhandedly mention something like 'Say, Taiga, did you know I have a wife and daughter?'." She deepens her voice, doing her best impression of the man, and Taiasu chuckles. "So suddenly having this shoved in my lap… It's just so overwhelming…"

"Sorry…" Taiasu stares at the ground for a moment, then looks up, catching the tail end of her slow head-shake.

"Why apologize? It's not your fault, Taruko-kun. You didn't know anymore than the rest of us did." She stretches skyward and lets out a small grunt. "Even if you did, it doesn't matter. We should be glad. Shirou has a sister now. It means he's closer to having a real family."

Taiasu smiles and nods. "Yeah. That's got to be nice…"

His voice trails off, and Fujimura's smile falters, realizing. "Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't—"

He holds up his hand and shakes his head. "Nothing to apologize for. It's like you said. It's something to be celebrated, right?" He shows her a broad grin as he looks up again from the ground. "And I did want to make sure you were okay. I know I don't know you guys real well, but I don't like seeing people sad or upset."

"Well, aren't you just a doll?" She returns his grin with her own. "But thanks, Taruko-kun." She chokes out another laugh and walks toward the door. "Well, dinner's probably cold by now, but we shouldn't let it go to waste, right?"

Taiasu nods, then slides open the door and waits, waving her in.

Subdued for having settled herself, Fujimura slips back into the living room. Taiasu trots along after her, sliding the door closed behind them, and they return to their seats. The heavy atmosphere of the room has lightened little in the time they've been out, but there is a sense of warmth mixed in with it. Like trying to make the best of a sudden, uncomfortable situation.

A few minutes pass in unbearable quiet, broken by the sound of their eating utensils clicking against the plates. It's hard even to know what to say, and despite the sudden, radical change, maintaining calm is important, and for Shirou, adhering to his routine can help with that. With everything going on, he hasn't even had the chance to reflect on the fine meal.

Reasonable, given the bomb of a revelation that the curious young girl he'd seen just a short time ago is his sister. Even so, he's not one to let something so important as contemplating the food he's eating go.

Especially when it's been so masterfully prepared.

In silence, everyone continues eating, and Shirou watches Sakura's anxious expression as she watches him take his next bite. His mouth lifts in a fine smile as he chews the chicken through thoroughly.

She's so modest, but she has nothing to be concerned about.

Shirou takes another bite from his chicken. Every plate of food had to be reheated, yet somehow nothing had suffered for it. Illya takes her own and chews it thoroughly and thoughtfully, then smiles contentedly as she swallows it down.

"This is quite good. Taiasu spoke well when he complimented your cooking, Sakura."

Sakura flushes red, but shows a small, polite smile.

"Thank you, Illya-chan. I'm glad you find it to your liking."

Shirou nods his head in silent agreement. Sakura's skills have vastly improved in the past year. Under his strict tutelage, of course.

She's got me over a barrel with Western-style meals, and I can barely compete with Japanese food anymore. Chinese is still anyone's game. I'm glad she's getting better, but it's disheartening, being bested by my student.

He takes another bite from his chicken and savors it slowly.

It's as good as I thought it would be. It's impressive, considering what a pain it is to get chicken right. If you want it done well, it has to be roasted beforehand. Otherwise, it gets dry and hard.

He finishes his bite and shows a satisfied smile.

She did it perfectly, like a master. I don't know if Fuji-nee has ever cooked a meal, but I know she could never be on this level.

"How is it, Senpai…?" As she watches him eat, Sakura finally asks for affirmation. "Um, I think I, er, we did quite well today."

"It's perfect." Again, Shirou nods. "The sauce is great too. You've definitely got me beat with Western food."

She beams radiantly at his compliment. Taiasu shrugs, unconcerned, letting her bask in the adulation. His hand in preparing the meal was small, in every conceivable sense, and it means more to her than it does to him, so he sees no reason to protest.

Excited, Fujimura nods as well. "Yeah, meaty food is much better since Sakura-chan started cooking." She savors another bite from her plate, beaming as well.

Finally, the weighty atmosphere lightens as the discussion centers on food. Given it's what they're currently enjoying, it's the perfect sort of small talk for breaking tension.

Quickly, though, her smile dips. "Oh, Shirou. With everything that happened, I didn't get to chastise you properly!" He looks up, arching his brow, his mouth full with his next bite. She sighs heavily, holding her hands down at her sides in loosely clenched fists. "You know what I mean! A student mustn't come home this late!"

For feeling somewhat out of place, Illya and Taiasu watch and listen quietly, choosing simply to enjoy the fine meal, and also not wanting to break the flow of their discussion.

Shirou grimaces, swallowing hard his under-chewed mouthful of chicken and rice.

Ugh. She was just getting over all that shock. Now her moods soured again, and pretty quickly too.

"Geez, I bet you were helping someone again." She holds her hands against her waist, pushing out her chest and frowning. "That's good, but you should at least come home early at times like these. I even said it was dangerous in homeroom!" She loads her chopsticks with her next bite. "I said that for your sake, you know?"

Illya smiles, watching Shirou sigh and squirm.

"Can't you tell me that here at home, instead of in homeroom?" he says, frowning.

Fujimura withdraws her chopsticks from her mouth, then firmly shakes her head, quickly chewing and swallowing. "You never listen when I tell you here. It's more effective if I tell you at school." Self-satisfied, she shows a smug smirk, where beside Taiasu, Sakura's expression is lightly seasoned by a small, concerned frown.

"Sensei, I think that's abusing your authority." She looks down at her plate, poking around its contents. "You shouldn't mix work and private life."

"No, it's not enough for Shirou unless I go this far." Fujimura's grin breaks out in a full on smile as she again shakes her head. "He's always on the losing side because he's the one helping everyone else. He should at least come straight home and relax sometimes, instead of being so dumb."

Illya leans over toward Taiasu as she watches what feels like a show to go with her dinner. "Is she… Are they always like this?"

Taiasu shrugs, chewing through his current bite, then swallowing it quickly so he can answer. "'Dunno. From what I've seen, but it's only the second meal I've had here."

They whisper back and forth as Shirou opens his mouth to protest.

"What do you mean, being dumb?!" He frowns hard. "I'm not losing anything by helping someone! Especially if it's actually helpful to them!"

"… Man." Fujimura lets out a deep, despondent sigh. "I wonder if you got this way from Kiritsugu-san. It makes me worry some."

On hearing her father's name, Illya perks up, listening more closely.

Kiritsugu…? Maybe I can learn something here?

Despite what Fujimura says about being worried, she continues to wolf down her food. Seeing a chance to learn something as well, Sakura turns to Fujimura and sets her chopsticks down on her plate.

"Um, Fujimura-sensei. From what you said, has Senpai been like this since he was small?"

Now, Illya's full attention is focused on the discussion being had.

Hmm… I get to learn about Onii-chan, and Kiritsugu? Maybe it's a good thing I accepted the little idiot's dinner invitation.

"Yup, he's always been like this." Fujimura sets down her chopsticks, grinning first at Sakura, then at Illya, before relaxing her smile into something more composed. "He's the type that goes to help people in trouble. But he's not meddlesome. He was just a bit precocious, like Taiasu!"

Hearing his name, Taiasu looks up from his plate, but then back down, seeing no one is actually talking to him. Fujimura lets out a laugh that says 'I know all your secrets', which causes Shirou to wince and frown deeply.

"Fuji-nee, I'll get mad if you say too much," he says sternly, glaring across the table at both her and someone else. "And you too, Sakura. Don't go asking such boring questions."

After clicking her tongue, Fujimura relents.

However, Sakura refuses, showing a hard, determined frown.

"Fujimura-sensei, please continue."

Illya nods in agreement, showing a wide smile at the chance to hear more of this. For his part, Taiasu mostly leaves it as background noise while he whittles away at his plate of food.

"Then I shall!" Glad for the chance, Fujimura shows a huge grin and claps excitedly. "See, Shirou is a person who can never ignore someone in trouble. It's like helping the weak and defeating the strong. In one essay he wrote as a child, he said 'My dream is to become a superhero'!"

Sakura's eyes go fully wide, and she nearly fumbles her chopsticks for her hand pressing surprised into her chest. Still quiet for the moment, Illya lets her gaze wander the group. Frowning, Shirou sighs.

She's talking about something from forever ago. But everything is true, so what can I say? It's still true, even today. It's a goal I won't stray from, even now.

Still wide-eyed with wonder, Sakura stares unblinkingly at him. "Wow. Senpai was actually a real child, once…"

Still grinning and endlessly amused, Fujimura prattles on. "Yeah, he was something. He'd go and help girls being picked on, even if it was by kids who were much older, and he'd always be doing chores around the house because Kiritsugu-san never would." She sighs, resting her hands at her waist again. "He was so cute and innocent back then. So how did he end up growing up so crooked?" She complains unseriously, and Sakura and Illya both giggle.

"Probably your fault," Shirou retorts. "Kids learn a lot when they see bad adults. And maybe you should learn to cook for yourself before saying things like that."

"—Wha—!" Fujimura makes an exaggerated sound, while Sakura shows a surprised face. Shirou half-expects her to contritely apologize. Instead, she only pouts pitifully.

"Uuh… Onee-chan is sad. Sakura-chan, can I have another bowl?" She scoops up her bowl and holds it forward, asking for a third helping.

Sakura nods and dishes her a few more scoops, which she pulls back and stares at plaintively. Shirou sighs, shaking his head, then looks back over at Illya, recalling what she'd said before.

"Say, Illya, what did you mean by what you said earlier?" She turns her head up from her plate and looks over at him, chewing quickly, her brow arching. He smiles, reaching across the table and pulling a piece of rice from the corner of her mouth, dropping it back on her plate. "When you said you're my big sister?"

Her eyes widen, and she swallows down her big mouthful of food, perhaps too early, nodding.

"Right, you wouldn't know." She sets her chopsticks down and looks down at her plate. "Especially because, well…" She gestures to herself. "But I've been eighteen years old for a few months now."

"Eighteen?!" Again, Fujimura slams the table, clearly over being 'sad', as she blurts out her disbelief. "That's completely impossible, Illya-chan!"

Illya nods at the teacher's outburst. "I know how I look, but it's…" She looks at the table, fiddling with her cup again. "It's a condition. I'll always look like this. I won't grow any older in appearance than this."

"That's some condition." Fujimura's eye twitches as she stares at the girl with no small amount of envy.

Illya shakes her head. "Not really… How am I supposed to do anything like fall in love, get married, and start a family, if I'll always look like this?"

"Ah—" Fujimura makes a small, surprised sound, then turns red with shame and quickly hammers down more of her third bowl of rice.

Things settle down from there, from the unserious, lighthearted banter and hijinks, and Fujimura turns her focus back to Illya. The irrational, silly discussion of dinner has long since helped her push her worries and disquieting concerns into the back of her mind, so she feels well equipped to learn more about the silver-haired princess in the room.

"So if Kiritsugu never mentioned you to Shirou, how did you learn about him, Illya-chan?" she asks after swallowing down some more rice.

It's a bit jarring, being asked that question. Not the question itself, but what it makes her remember, and especially after having been privy to all the fun, warm, and light-hearted back and forth of the past several minutes. Just recalling how it happened, and the sudden shift. Both cause Illya to shudder almost violently.

It wasn't here, in this country. It was in her home country. And it wasn't pleasant. Sitting there, covered in her blanket, shivering against the cold draft wafting through her room. Being goaded, taunted by some strange entity masquerading as her mother. Some despicable creature, making unfounded claims that her father, that Kiritsugu, had died, yet also that he had some family outside the one she'd known with her father and mother.

That she had a brother.

Yet she was younger, at the time. Desperate, upset, and angry, and so she accepted the words at face value.

Before now, she'd been looking forward to this meeting, but for completely different reasons. Now, actually sitting here in his presence, having this new connection, rekindling this dying ember within her, she slowly feels her desires changing. Less wanting to see Kiritsugu's illegitimate offspring suffer, and more just wanting to finally have a family again.

"I didn't. Not until after Kiritsugu died…" She pulls out one of the two faded pictures again, then unfolds it. "It was some time after… I received this. Someone told me about Onii-chan." Her eyes well up, forcing her to wipe at them with her thumb. "I didn't see Kiritsugu. Not for a long time…"

Suddenly, Fujimura puts two and two together.

Wait… She didn't see him, but…

"But that's impossible!" She reaches across the table, grabbing Illya's shoulder. "He left here all the time! It had to have been to go see you, right?!"

"What…?" She yields to the teacher's rough grip, letting herself be turned as her thoughts quickly go blank. What had she just said?

Shirou nods. "Yeah, he was gone a lot. Until he got really sick. He always came back with some story." He looks across the table at Illya. "He really never came to see you?"

Illya looks from Fujimura over to Shirou now, and slowly shakes her head. "No. Grandfather said… He said Kiritsugu abandoned me… That's why, when I heard about you, I was so angry…" Her voice is calm and even as she admits her feelings, and Shirou draws in a sudden, sharp breath.

"You were angry?"

She nods. "Mm. I thought you stole him from me… But you said he left here a lot?"

Fujimura and Shirou both nod. For knowing nothing, Taiasu and Sakura can only observe in contemplative silence.

"But you don't know… that he was—"

"Illya-chan, if anything I knew about that man is true, he'd have moved heaven and earth if it meant seeing his own daughter. I don't know why, but it sounds like your grandfather was telling you lies."

Shirou's face tightens, and his brow twitches some as he tightens his grip on his chopsticks. Tighter and tighter, until finally they splinter under the force, snapping at the center. Illya and Sakura both look over at him.

"Senpai…?"

"No… I agree with Fuji-nee. Dad would've definitely come to see you, no question. Somehow, someone or something was stopping him."

Illya blinks a few times, then nods, showing a relieved smile at his words.

"Mm… Grandfather and Kiritsugu didn't get along very well. Something happened between them, so it makes sense that he'd try to keep him away." Her voice cheers up some as her smile brightens. "Thank you for telling me all this, Fujimura-san. Onii-chan." She bows politely toward them both.

Then stands.

"And thank you for the wonderful meal. It truly was delightful." She shoots a playful smirk Taiasu's way. "Even if how it came about was quite strange."

"Illya-chan?" Fujimura arches her brow, following her with her eyes as she walks to the closet and collects her jacket and cap. "You're leaving?"

Illya nods. The meal was brief, yet filling, and filled with stunning revelations about her father, her grandfather, and her brother. It's a lot to take in, and a lot to process, and it will take a while to work through it, and reconcile it with what she knows, and what she's been told. All of this piled on top of the coming conflict means it's better to sift through it sooner rather than later.

Taiasu is immediately on his feet. Neither smiling nor frowning, his mouth is pressed taut in a fine line.

I should at least show her out. And there's something I want answered, too.

What she said about them having a 'fight' had nearly given him a panic attack. Though the meal had been tumultuous with the completely unexpected revelation that she's the daughter of Shirou's adopted father, that means little to Taiasu. He's glad for the boy, of course. Family is important, but that's Shirou's business. Not his.

This, however? Why she would say something like that, when she must know about the secret needing to be kept?

That is his business.

"I'll see her out. After all, I was the one who invited her."

Illya looks over at him and notes his stern expression. She smiles politely and nods as she slips on her coat and pulls down her hat. They walk to the door together, and Illya turns and lifts her jacket and skirt in another polite curtsy.

"Thanks for the lovely evening."

With that, she turns and leaves.

"Be right back…" Taiasu says, then follows in her wake.

A few minutes pass in quiet as Shirou grinds his teeth, glaring hard at the table's surface, as if trying to make it ignite. At his sides, his hands clench tightly. So much so, his arms ache. Fujimura looks over at him and tilts her head, and Sakura looks at him, holding her hands at her chest as her brow furrows deeply inward.

"Senpai?"

"It's… not right."

"Hm? Shirou?"

"She's… We just met, and she's just… I'll be right back!"

He bolts up and runs toward the living room door, throwing it open and running into the hall, leaving Sakura and Fujimura blinking perplexedly in his wake.

"Why did you say that? About us fighting?"

"Hm?"

Outside, Taiasu asks his question in a firm tone, and Illya looks over at him with some surprise.

"That? Oh." She holds her hand at her side and shows a small smirk. "I'm just showing you the sort of world you're in, now." She looks up at the sky, but it's not the sky she's looking at. "In your world, you might be free to be the nicest version of yourself. But if you act like that here—" She snaps her fingers over her head, and before its sharp echo has faded, her Servant, Berserker, finishes materializing from thin air in dramatic, imposing fashion. "—you could end up dead."

"I… don't mind that, honestly," Taiasu mutters, looking down and away. "I mean, if it's between that and being cynical, I'd rather—"

"Well, that's grand for you." Behind her, Berserker kneels down. "But it might not just be you." She casts a knowing look at Shirou's house. "It could be the people you care about, too. Innocent people can get drawn into these things. What do you think will happen, then?"

"Ah—!" Taiasu lets out a small, surprised sound. His eyes slip shut, and he grinds his teeth as his hands clench and shake at his sides.

Sh-she's right. There's no reason she couldn't have gone back on her word. But—!

He snaps his eyes open. Though he nods his understanding, he opens his mouth to refute her claim.

"Then I'd fight to protect them!"

"Really?" Illya's eyes widen. "Even after all that bluster about—"

"If I have the strength to defend the people I care about, the people they care about, even if I just met them today, and I squander it…" He looks down and away, his teeth grinding harder now. "If I waste it, then what good is it? I'd prefer to be friends if possible, but if it's not—" He clenches his fist and raises it in front of himself. "—then I'll fight to defend the friends I already have." Determined, he turns his stare back up toward Illya again. "Even if it means my life."

"Well, that's all fine, if you have the strength to back up those words." This time, her smirk softens into something more sincere. "You're a nice person." Berserker lowers his massive hand to the ground and turns his palm up, and Illya walks over to it. "Stupid, and incredibly naïve, but nice. I hope we don't meet again. I wouldn't want to have to finish what we started."

Taiasu smiles and shakes his head. "Well, I hope we do meet again. Like you said, I'm stupid and naïve, so I still hope we can be friends."

Stunned, she blinks her eyes at his words, then scoffs and turns her eyes up at her Servant.

"Idiot… Berserker, let's—!"

Before she can finish her command, some rattle at the door draws her attention. She snaps her hand up, and Berserker vanishes from view just as the door slams open again, shuddering on its tracks. For being treated so roughly today, it may soon need maintenance.

Shirou stumbles out into the night air, panting out small clouds of vapor.

"Illya!"

"Onii… chan?"

"Hm? Shirou?"

Taiasu looks over and sees him grinding his teeth for a moment. When he sees Illya still standing there, he lets out a relieved sigh, and his frustrated frown lifts into a small smile.

"You're still here, thank god."

She stares at him, blinking. "Y-yes… Was there something—"

"Stay here for tonight!" Before he loses his nerve, he blurts out his request, causing her to nearly fall over from surprise. "We just met! I just learned I have a sister! I don't want you to just run off! I want you to stay here! I want to get to know you better!"

He clamps his eyes shut halfway through, spilling his feelings all over the night, gasping heavily. Not from the exertion of running the short distance, but from his heart racing in his chest as he pours himself out in his front yard.

Illya tilts her head, at first in surprise, then in disbelief. Then her eyes widen and well up. To say the day has surpassed her expectations would be putting it mildly. Halfway, she'd expected to be ending this boy's life. Now, to find him willingly accepting a truth he's only come to learn about an hour ago feels like almost too much to hope for.

"You want me… to stay here?"

Shirou's eyes snap open, and he shows her his best, warmest smile, awkwardly running his hand through his hair.

"Y-yeah… It's embarrassing, asking this… but I—!"

The world around her blurs as streaks of warm wetness run down her face. Before Shirou can finish, she bowls him over, burying herself in his chest, leaving two small wet splotches in his shirt. Though still conflicted, something in her wins out over her other feelings. As she bawls deeply into his chest, her anger and resentment toward the man, Kiritsugu, her father, and toward this boy, Shirou, her brother, wane.

"I thought—! I didn't…!"

For the moment, as she wraps her hands in his shirt, tugging at it, feeling him awkwardly patting her hair over her cap, her love for the man who was her father, her wanting to know this person, the man's son, and her desire for some reconciliation with, some connection to them both, regardless of how tenuous, how tangential, deeply eclipses those feelings.

Blankly, and glad, yet quickly feeling uncomfortable, as if he were intruding someplace he shouldn't be, Taiasu stares for a moment as Shirou looks down at the girl burying her tear-soaked face in his chest.

"Ah… I'll…" Failing to complete that thought, he can only smile wistfully as he slips past and walks back inside.

Well, I may be as dumb as they come, but I guess even a stopped clock can be right at least once a day.