She had awakened to the scent of breakfast being made.

Leaving the comforts of her bed was a daily struggle. Most of the time, she did not rise until noon and would curse at the sun if any light was shone on her. She had espoused the night owl lifestyle and was often reminded of those sunless days she spent in Shinjuku. At least now she did not have to deal with any obnoxiously stubborn kings or the constant odor of burgers permeating the air.

Originally, she was the type of woman that marched to the beat of her own drum, but people gradually changed, and she was no exception. It was with a loud yawn that she mustered the motivation to free herself from her soft blankets, exiting the bedroom and following the pleasant smell.

In the kitchen, she recognized the familiar mess of black hair near the stove. And it was then she felt a small pang of relief.

There were occasions where she had this fear of waking up and finding herself back in the heat of combat, defending herself against some abomination or cocky individual of a bygone era. She worried that this was an elaborate illusion which suited her personal desires. She was afraid of being alone, without him at her side.

Taking a deep breath, she reaffirmed herself as she took in her surroundings. Those times were behind her. And the world wasn't a desolate void anymore.

Her days of fighting were over, and he was with her.

Bright blue eyes had then met her yellow eyes, and although she could not easily admit it, she never got tired of seeing that azure gleam.

"Oh, good morning, honey," the young man greeted with a smile.

Her ahoge straightened up as if it had a mind of its own, rousing the girl from any leftover grogginess she may have had previously.

"G-Good morning, Ritsuka," replied Jeanne d'Arc Alter, blushing.


It all still felt surreal to Fujimaru Ritsuka. Only yesterday did it feel like he was in Chaldea, socializing with Servants or planning with everyone about diving into another Singularity or Lostbelt. He could not forget their features nor personalities. Virtuous warriors, methodical leaders, wicked sorcerers — the Heroic Spirits he had met and summoned were prolific and diverse.

But he was no longer in the freezing landscape of Antarctica, no longer surrounded by the Chaldea staff or his army of Servants. What remained of Chaldea stayed in Antarctica or worked with the Clock Tower. His contracted Servants had all but returned to the Throne of Heroes once everything was said and done.

However, for his accomplishments, after the multitude of battles and hardships he endured, he was granted a single wish. It was a selfish one, to be honest, yet he would only pursue it if a certain Servant agreed to it.

Falling in love with a woman who tried to kill him at first was strange, something she even pointed out. Dating each other after a chance encounter in Shinjuku was marvelous. Asking her if she wanted to incarnate and spend the rest of her mortal life with him by the end of their journey was incredibly bold.

And Ritsuka had felt like the luckiest man in existence when she said yes. She had called him an idiot for being so ecstatic, but he vividly remembered the joy on her face.

Coming back to Japan by himself would have been quite daunting, but having the Dragon Witch at his side helped reassure him that they were capable of overcoming anything together. Life had been restored and continued thriving — just as he recalled prior to joining Chaldea, further cementing this world as the one he fought for. Reintegrating himself into society was not too onerous. The various treasures and knicknacks he was able to take with him from his adventures were highly profitable to pawn shops and museums. He was able to afford an apartment that offered everything he and his lover needed, and settled into a remote occupation.

After the past couple years, he wanted to appreciate a simpler lifestyle once more.


Jeanne Alter figured a good way to kill time was to draw.

Whenever Ritsuka was busy or she couldn't think of any other activity to do, she defaulted to sketching. Whether it was through her tablet or a sketchpad depended on her mood. It became a hobby of hers after reading a bunch of manga.

She was rather proud of her ability, which she had lauded over her not-sister. Even though the original maiden of Orleans may be gone, she could still brag to Ritsuka. He always paid attention to her anyway.

Her Master treated her so well, and she couldn't help but wonder why a guy such as him would be romantically interested in her. Not going to lie, she acted like a bitch to him many times in the past. Yet he was persistent and broke down all her walls.

Every so often, the Avenger believed she really didn't deserve anything, especially him. She was given life from a Holy Grail wish as a fake, and by some miracle she materialized as a proper Heroic Spirit. He had no issues from forming a contract with a girl as… problematic as her. There was plenty of competition back at Chaldea too. Surely he could have picked anyone else.

Great, now she distracted herself from drawing with this train of thought. Stupid self-esteem. She couldn't focus.

"Ritsukaaa," Jeanne Alter sighed loudly, "why do you love me?"

The boy had been washing dishes from their recent breakfast, and lifted his head to see her laying on their couch.

"Is this a trick question?" Ritsuka chuckled. "If it's not, then I'll likely say something super cheesy again."

"Humor me," she challenged.

Drying his hands with a towel, Ritsuka pondered on what to say next. Once he found it, he made his way over and sat next to her.

"Well, there are a lot of reasons why I love you. If I had to narrow it down, then I'd say it's because of your personality."

Jeanne Alter hugged a pillow in front of her face, staring at him to continue.

"I really admire how confident you can be, even if you're in over your head. It was something I lacked when I first started out as a Master, and it stuck with me ever since we met. You could say you were my inspiration."

That put a smile on her face.

"You're also very thoughtful. I can't forget all the Valentine's Day chocolates you gave me, like the one time you kept forcing me to drink coffee because you were worried about how the taste of that batch turned out."

Oh god, she did do that. She had forgotten about it.

"Then there were the times you would get jealous if other girls were trying to make a move on me. I was flattered whenever you spoke up or took me somewhere else. As weird as it sounds, it made me feel… special. I realized it was your way of showing how much I meant to you."

She blushed, burying her face into his chest.

"Geez," Jeanne Alter huffed, "I have no idea how you can say all that with a straight face."

He simply smiled at her and gently stroked her hair. It was a pleasant experience.

"What else can I say? You're so pretty and badass too."

Jeanne Alter smirked. Somehow he usually knew the right things to say.

"If anything," Ritsuka rubbed the back of his head, "I should be asking why you love me."

"Huh?" She shot him an incredulous expression. "Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Haha…" Ritsuka was embarrassed. "I can be quite dense, apparently."

She could concede to that, at least.

"Initially, I thought you were a weak-as-hell Master that I could easily squash," Jeanne Alter admitted nonchalantly. "But you managed to prove me wrong. You confused the shit out of me every time you tried reaching out to me, wearing that dumb smile of yours. You didn't avoid me like most Servants did either. You accepted me for who I was, abrasiveness and all… I felt so special…"

Damn it, she disliked being put on the spot.

"A-Anyway, I love you for your personality too!" Jeanne Alter exclaimed. "You're such a nice person; it's frustrating you can't see that sometimes!"

She blurted out the last part without thinking. But it was true. He could be surprisingly stubborn about being generous to himself.

Ritsuka smiled, but she had been around him long enough to tell it wasn't a smile that she loved seeing. It was one of sadness.

"I want to believe you," he said softly, "but I-"

She cut him off by placing her finger to his mouth.

"None of that, Ritsuka," Jeanne Alter insisted sternly. "This is one thing you can't change my mind about."

No doubt he was still recovering. Ritsuka hid it well, but she knew how hard he was on himself. His trauma of restoring proper human history was not going to disappear overnight. Not after the sights they had witnessed.

She could not blame him for the weight he felt after destroying so many lives. His empathetic nature was truly a boon and a bane.

Jeanne Alter considered herself a total powerhouse among Servants, and even she had to admit it was a goddamn miracle they were able to overcome it all. Shit just kept on escalating throughout the journey. And not every victory was sweet.

The Master and Servant couple earned their rest, in her opinion. And God be damned if anything or anyone else would dare ruin this ephemeral dream.

"It's going to be okay, Ritsuka." Jeanne Alter pulled him into a hug. She sensed how tense he was.

He was an idiot for pursuing a sinner like her. He was an idiot for holding his feelings back. He was an idiot for placing everything and everyone above himself.

But he was her idiot. And she would not change that for the world.

"I promised I would bear your burdens with you, so please… Be kinder to yourself."

She didn't know how much time passed while holding him, but she didn't care. And bit by bit, his muscles relaxed.

"Thank you, Jeanne Alter." With a content sigh, Ritsuka wrapped his arms around her. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

'And I you,' the Avenger wordlessly embraced him tighter.


A/N: Can you tell I really love Jeanne Alter? This is just some self-indulgence, haha.