Its colddddd...and I'm early.

"You're sure you don't mind? Rin's worried voice drifted to his ears. " I don't want you to get bored…"

"Don't worry, you can just think of me as a child and talk about anything you'd like, Master..." Gil responded as Rin nervously twirled her favorite pen in her hand. Atalanta had attached a feather from one of her arrows to it so it immediately classified as precious.

Smiling brightly his response, Rin continued to lay out dimensions of a jewel she was looking for. Which of course he promptly tried to find one to match to summon from his treasury. Her face lit up and she clapped her hands in excitement as he handed it to her. Rin thanked him profusely before going back to drawing a circle on the barren she did, Gil studied her. Her blue eyes were narrowed in concentration and her dark wavy hair spilled over her shoulders as she worked. Her white uniform made her look extra pretty. Which he supposed wasn't exactly hard. He often said he liked calm and mature women. Rin certainly tried to emulate that. Elegance was what she always aimed for. But most of the time she ended up failing especially around other heroes.

Which always made him laugh.

As Rin settled back on her heels to look at her notes; she noticed him staring at her. She rolled her eyes before going back to work. He smirked as the tips of her ears turned red as she did so. Oh how he liked making Master blush. A sure sign of affection. Gil knew it wasn't like Rin wasn't using this to her own advantage. She had a penchant for jewels and he could provide. She saw mutual benefit to their relationship. Gil saw it as a stepping stone.

While his much much older, much more annoying and much more barbaric version of himself constantly prattled on how beneath Rin was to him...to them. How Rin was just using him for gems. Gilgamesh had an awful lot to say for one who kept claiming he didn't care at all. And sure, Saber was certainly cute and he supposed she was more or less calm as was her legend but that wasn't the point. Rin talked back, she made funny faces, she had conviction; she had fire. She made life less boring in an endless existence. And since he was the only version of Gilgamesh she had met- he didn't have to share. So it worked out wonderfully, that hanging out with Rin meant Goldie stayed far away. Which would have made it all worth it, even if Rin hadn't piqued his interest. And she happened to also smell really nice.

" Ah! Another failure.." her sad voice interrupted his inner musings. Gil looked up as the same sparkly lights that mirrored her failed earlier attempt filled the air around them. Her shoulders slumped dramatically as she pouted. Sighing loudly, Rin flopped down on the floor watching as her failed spell glitter. Gil hesitated for a moment before lying down next to her. Turning his head he watched as Rin held up a hand to make the leftovers of her failed spell into a pseudo meteor shower over them. He could see the heaviness of her failure weigh on her. But he could see her resolve harden even more. Rin was not a calm or quiet person. She was fun and full of surprises. She spoke loudly and often rashly. She was a person who tried til the very end. Gil was startled when Rin turned her head and her blue eyes looked directly into his before softly saying-

"Thanks for staying with me."

Rin's eyes were dark and deep- like a flower that blooms in the wild.

And in that moment, all he could see was her.

..and they called it puppy love..

so cute.

Also Saber is love...just not for kid Gil..in my world.

I might be putting out a few extra chapters before the new year and then taking a small hiatus.