Note: Healing Over Time AU stuff is back! This time with one Faceless May King. :) A sequel to Achilles' Other Heel and a prequel to Listen.

Dedicated to the first Servant I used a Grail on in FGO, one of my favorite Archers.

Please listen to Sayuri's Tsuki no Hanataba for this chapter and enjoy.

Sparkle 41: Green Wind

"Robin? Robin?" I cupped my hands around my mouth, keeping my voice as quiet as I could in the open air. "Robin? Are you out here?"

No answer. The wind simply blew past me, rustling my hair to the point of it tickling.

"Robin?"

Again, no answer.

"I don't think it's any use, Master." Shirou's voice echoed from the patio above, and I turned my head upwards just to catch a glimpse of his tanned hand waving at me. Was it just me or was he looking slightly sour? "That Green Archer isn't the brightest flower of the forest. Even if it's you, I don't think he'll show himself that easily."

Er, what?

"That doesn't mean I can leave him alone!" I couldn't help but stomp my sandal against the grass, tempted to jump up a little just for Archer to see me frown. "Even if he's a new Servant, even if you don't like him that much—"

"Hey—"

"I don't want to leave him alone, Shirou!"

My first Archer, not even clad in the red he was known for, blinked at me once. Then he chuckled softly, his laughter echoing in the air even when he was a bit above my head thanks to the patio. "Still as stubborn as ever, huh, Tomoko?"

I pouted at him, crossing my arms. I couldn't glare up at him, but I could very well try. "You've been with me for these past few years, shouldn't that be obvious?"

Shirou laughed again, throwing his head back. "You really are one big piece of work. I'm assuming you're going to wander off into the forest past the yard until you find him?"

On point, but I was an open book. All my Servants could guess. "Aye!" I said, cheerier this time.

I didn't have to make direct eye contact to know my red Archer was rolling his eyes. "I'll prepare lunch for you so you can have something when you get back."

The smile on my face was already growing because thank goodness, he wasn't stopping me. Even if my idea was probably reckless as all fuck with Mama and Papa handling the cafe and my Servants being the only people in the house. The ninja were all doing their own thing, so I couldn't ask them. Sakumo-jichan was still at the Academy until sundown, and right now it was close to noon. Hopefully, Robin Hood would be nice with his disappearing act and take it down once I found him. For now… "Thankie, Shirou!"

Archer smiled that familiar amused smirk of his.

I probably shouldn't have thought the approval process was over at that.

A single second passed and then a familiar yellow ahoge was poking past Archer's shoulders, letting me see emerald eyes peek past Archer's neck narrowed disapprovingly in my direction. Uh oh. "Tomoko, are you going alone?"

Welp. Saber. Of course she would be there too. I shouldn't have been surprised, but my voice came out squeaky nonetheless. "Um, yes?"

Saber immediately stepped out of Archer's shadow, frown deepening with the motion. Her hands were obviously on her hips. "One of us should come with you. There is no telling what is out there in that forest."

"Why, Saber?" Archer gave her a teasing side-glance, shrugging. "Our Master is stubborn. She has her Wayfinder and the Command Spells. She can fend for herself."

"That does not mean I am happy with the arrangement, Archer," she shot back, and a shiver climbed up my spine at her voice. "Tomoko is our only Master. And if anything happened to her, who knows what would occur in the aftermath." She shook her head. "Tomoko's family would have all of our heads before we could even dematerialize. And she has been struck down before. I shall come with you, Milady."

Archer paled and took a step back as soon as Saber stepped forward, his hands raised in the air to surrender. "Okay, okay, I'm not going to fight you on that part."

Oh no. "Y-You don't have to, Saber!" I waved my hands too, trying not to rustle my skirt with the air. "I'll be okay! I have my self-defense naginata on me!" It was folded up and hidden in my skirt pockets, but still.

"Tomoko, you're going out into a forest alone. Where poisonous plants and dangerous animals abide their time constantly." Saber was looking more and more unimpressed by the second. "Why do you insist on going unguarded?"

The first thing that came to mind immediately left my lips in a hasty squeak. "Because it makes Green Archer-san feel more comfy if it's just me?"

Saber blinked. Archer blinked too. Then someone jumped over both of their heads and once I got a glimpse of the metal shoes in the sunlight, I could already guess. "C'mon, you two, lighten up!" Achilles himself entered the fray lacking his iconic shoulder gauntlets and orange sash, but the armor said everything else, and I couldn't help but blink up at him. "We all know how Tomoko is. Our Princess is going out there whether we like it or not. So, why not trust her?" The grin was already leaking into his voice if the confidence oozing from the words was any indication. "It's because of that stubbornness the three of us originally got along, right?"

Saber's frown lessened, albeit slightly. She folded her hands against one another. "That is true…"

My heart beat a bit harder at the obvious trust. "Achi…"

My green-haired Rider turned to give me his usual happy grin, his gloved hand already reaching over to pat my head, knocking the words of gratitude off my tongue. "You're serious, huh?"

I settled for a simple, "Aye."

"You sure about this? I can offer one of my horses to go with you." Achi's smile dropped for a solemn expression, his yellow eyes glistening with something new. Worry? Concern? I didn't know. But I didn't miss how one of his hands slowly reached up to brush my cheek with the back of his fingers.

"Aye," I said again, gently reaching over to grasp his hand in mine. The least I could do was reassure him, so I put on my best smile. "I'm sure, Achi. I'll be okay and I'll come back as soon as I can."

Achilles tilted his head at me, eyes searching and probing. "You won't be reckless?"

"As much as the Faceless May King allows," I amended with a small boop to his nose with my other hand. "And if anything, I can use a Command Spell if worse comes to pass."

Achilles continued to stare at me. He definitely wasn't buying it. Not that I could blame him. "You trust him that much?"

"I trust you all that much," I corrected, booping his nose again while holding back a sigh. For once, I couldn't help but wish my Servant family could give up some of their paranoia because this was starting to get suffocating. The ninja were already bad enough on their own. "And I get it. Sure, our new Archer isn't exactly the 'brightest' person of our group—"

Shirou scoffed from up above on the patio. Woooow. Someone was definitely sulky. Out of some kind of feeling, I couldn't help but shoot at him a small, "This coming from the guy who makes a cloudy world filled with just swords!" While to my Rider of a boyfriend, I added, "So more brooding people in the family means I get more experience pulling heroes out of their shells! Literally!"

Achi blinked at me before turning his head away, gloved hand clearly covering his mouth to hide laughter. Even from the high vantage point, I could faintly make out Saber's figure shaking too, her face turned away.

Hah. My weird wordplays were catching on! It only took a year this time!

"…Objection," the red Archer said after a pause, pointedly ignoring the giggling Saber behind him. "On what grounds?"

"Magic!" I chirped at him, waving my arm in the air at him for extra exaggeration. "And your objection is denied!"

"Again, Master, on what grounds?!"

"Mine!"

Archer put his forehead into the palm of his hand.

Meanwhile, Achilles was already snickering, his shoulders shuddering from how much he was holding back in his own palm. "You have a point," he said in-between chuckles. "We already have quite the crowd, huh, Tomoko?"

I mockingly saluted a la an old flying blue cat. "Aye!" It didn't take long for the feeling of a glare to settle into the top of my head, so I simply raised my head to shout an additional, "Love you too, Archer!"

The stoic Servant gave me a raised eyebrow once we made eye contact, but the light pink on his cheeks was unmistakable. "Hn," he scoffed, before closing his eyes completely and disappearing in sparkles of blue.

Embarrassment wasn't something Heroic Spirits left behind in their previous lives, it seems.

"Spirit form," Saber muttered after a moment, and she trotted over to the railway that served as the patio's border from the backyard, leaning over to yell, "I will watch over the house, Tomoko! Please, Milady, be safe!"

Oh, Saber. She was amazing. I couldn't help but wave at her too, beaming. "Aye aye! I love you too, Art-san!"

She flushed a light pink, jolting in place. She glanced to both sides, looking around before meeting my eyes. She didn't say them aloud, but mouthed the words instead, probably because Achilles was still here. The words were still obvious.

I love you too, Milady.

Once she finished, Art-san quickly darted back into the house, her ears visibly pink.

Awww.

"Hee hee," left my lips in a giggle. "I'm feeling very lucky."

Something lightly bumped the back of my head. "Oiiiii. Princess. Aren't you forgetting someone?"

That's true… Hehehe. I swiveled around on my feet, got up on my tiptoes, and leaned over to my Rider. The grin on my face was starting to make my cheeks hurt from how big it was. "I love you too, Achi~!"

Just before I could kiss him on the cheek, I could barely catch Rider smirking from the corner of my vision before he conveniently moved. "Not there, Princess~!" was the happy hum, and the squeak that left my lips quickly became muffled once it registered in my head that he was kissing me on the lips. Argh.

I tried to pull back, only to be held in place by a muscular arm having wound itself around my waist, plus the hand pressing against the back of my head. "N-Nn… A-Achi…!"

Achilles hummed happily in the kiss, not even minding my fidgeting before pulling away. The grin on his face could've been blinding. Aaaand infuriating too, if not for how fast my heart was beating. "Can't let you go without that, Princess~!"

"Mou, Achi!" I pouted, very tempted to stomp my feet again. "I need to go out!"

"Awwww, but Princess." The hands wound around me did not seem like they wanted to budge just yet. "I can't just let you go like the others without some reassurance of the girl that is you." His nose brushed mine, and I held back the urge to giggle once he rubbed them together. "Or can't a lowly hero like me do that much?"

"Just ask next time," I pointed out, my cheeks red. "I don't mind you kissing me, but I'm trying to go reach out to another stubborn Servant and I don't want any fights breaking out because you got too handsy."

Achilles rolled his eyes, chuckling. "I can't help it, Princess." His lips lightly brushed mine this time, and I tried not to recoil from the embarrassment. "You're going out on your own — I can't help it. So…" he trailed off, his face still close to mine as he breathed. "Can I get one more before you go?"

Immediately, my mind made me remember a single name, but I decided not to bring it up, instead reaching over to tug at the collar of his shirt. There was no point in bringing up bad memories. "Okaaaaaay, Achi, you can have one more."

My Rider Servant's eyes proceeded to sparkle, and I tried not to roll my own eyes once he pulled me in by his hand still resting on the back of my head.

Even if he was a Heroic Spirit, he was still human in the end. Demigod or not. I had to respect that.

"Robin? Robin?"

I cupped my hands around my mouth as I walked, ignoring the slight tug of fear at the back of my mind. The forest was a bit too quiet than usual, the only sounds in the area I could hear being that of the faint chirpings of faraway birds and the crinkle of leaves being crushed under my sandals.

"Robin?"

No answer. Argh.

Perhaps I should have brought one of my Servant family members with me, but that was then. There was no changing the now when I couldn't ask now. I took a breath, stopped walking, and put a hand to my chest.

"It's okay, it's okay, you have your Wayfinder, you have Miyako-bachan's naginata…" The aforementioned metal star was still around my neck, so I instinctively gripped it. "It's okay." I took another breath to calm myself. This was not the time to be anxious. I had a green Archer to find.

I looked up towards the tree tops and opened my mouth while walking forward. "Robin?"

At first, there was the usual silence. But once the next "Robin" was on the tip of my tongue, a voice echoed through the trees, as if disembodied. He could've been like a ghost from how sudden the reply was. "You call for me way too much, silly Master."

My own voice cracked on the next call, because that jab was not expected. "Is… Is that a bad thing?"

"I don't know, ojou-chan, you tell me." The voice echoed yet again, this time from a different direction. "Why are you trying to find me?"

"Because I want to?" I couldn't help but feel confused. Even Shirou — my first Archer, never was this stand-offish. But the hesitance from me — that wouldn't convince anyone. "Because I was hoping to get to know you better," I said a bit more confidently, clutching my Wayfinder all the while. It didn't seem right to bring up our apparent Master-Servant contract, so I kept my mouth closed with that.

The response was a faraway scoff. "I don't think a young lass like you should associate herself with me, ojou-chan." The words were accentuated by a rustle of leaves and what sounded like the folding of a cloth. Or maybe that last part was me fooling myself. "I'm not a Knight like your Saber. I'm not a Hero like your boyfriend from the Trojan War."

Ooookay. I took a step forward, gently asking, "What about the other Archer? My red Archer?" Why are you putting yourself down in the face of the others? Is it because they're not here?

Another rustle. "He doesn't count," was the terse reply. From the way his voice dropped a few octaves, I had a strange feeling Robin was miffed. Was Shirou a bad subject? "Don't know much about him, and to be honest, he rubs me the wrong way. We wouldn't make good friends, me and that red Archer. And besides, I'm supposed to be a rogue, ojou-chan. Not a waiter."

Oh. The Servant civilian identities in Nagareboshi Cafe? He was deciding to focus on that now? I took a breath. "Robin, I wasn't going to ask you to be a waiter if you didn't want to."

"Then what were you going to do with me, ojou-chan?" The disembodied voice sounded closer to me now as the tree branches above my head shook from nearby winds. "Without a fight, I'm just a petty bowman who's only good at archery and deception. And you have plenty of Assassins to fill that role."

Um. Okay. He was bringing Kei and my other friends into this conversation now. I wasn't sure what to make of it. "That doesn't mean I don't want you here, Robin," I said honestly, looking up towards the sky. "Ninjas or Assassins or whatever. My friends are my friends, but that doesn't discount you. And hey. You seem nice enough and I said it before. I want to get to know you better, Robin."

A long pause followed. "…You don't even know me, ojou-chan, and you're calling me 'nice.'" There was a soft, sarcastic laugh. "I don't know if you're a blockhead or really as sweet as the Servants claim you are."

"Use 'dork' and I'll go with that," I couldn't help but follow up with a dry tone because this was starting to echo another friend I used to know and I didn't want that reminder. "Sweet is better than bitter from reality, isn't it?"

"I dunno, ojou-chan." The trees rustled again. Was he jumping around in the foliage? Or was he just perched somewhere to be hidden away from any staring? "There's this thing called 'honey-traps' I think you should look up."

Uh. My grip on my Wayfinder loosened from the curiosity flooding my veins. "What's a 'honey-trap'?"

A longer pause from before followed my words. "You're asking me?" Robin answered finally.

"You're the one who brought it up! And this is a way to start a conversation!"

There was the distinct sound of a hand meeting a forehead that echoed through the forest, even with all the rustling. "I shouldn't have even tried, but thanks for proving my point."

"I'd ask what point that'd be, but at least it's a better question than, 'What's a bondage slave'!" I protested loudly. The last part wasn't even necessary, but out of stubbornness or what have you, I blurted it out anyways. Vy did have some weird social experiences, and that one question alone started everything with Josh and Leo, funnily enough.

And yep. That was the apparent last straw since the next thing I knew, a green lump of a person was falling to the forest floor in front of me, twitching post-landing as soon as my eyes focused on it. "The — The fuck," was the curse, and then the green hood fell back to expose spiked orange hair as a bandaged hand rubbed the neck area. "You asked two boys that? In an open area?"

"No different from how I'm asking you now!" I pointed out with a huff. "And I know I'm clueless on sex stuff! So, what's this thing?"

The green Archer known as Robin Hood stared at me incredulously for a few moments. The first seconds, I didn't mind. Once it started trickling into a minute, I felt myself fidget. What was I, a goddess? No. "You know what? Never mind. Don't ask me that. Me and my big mouth. Leave the 'honey-trap' thing to that Red Archer of yours." He rubbed the back of his neck this time, looking more and more put off as he turned his head away. "Fine then. If you're going to try to get to know me better, then I'll have to set a few ground rules."

"Sure," I agreed immediately. "Name them off."

Robin Hood turned back to give me another incredulous stare. If I didn't know any better, it could've been like I gave him the world with how he was looking at me. "You really are a blockhead," he said in amazement. "Not even questioning me?"

"Do note," I replied in dry amusement, "that this is the first actual conversation that I've had with you since the summoning and this is a simple way of getting to know someone! So there's nothing to really question!"

"In what way?"

"Keeping your ears open and listening helps start something!"

Robin's green eyes widened. "…Oh," he said finally, then closed his eyes and put a hand on his hip, lowering his head. It was hard to miss the green and purple-highlighted crossbow strapped to his right forearm with the gesture. "I really did get stuck with another blockhead."

"I'll… take that as a compliment?" I said slowly, feeling my voice drop a pitch or two. "But please, go on?"

Robin sighed again before raising his left hand in a "come here" gesture. I blinked but followed him anyways, walking forward to face him while still gripping my Wayfinder. Judging by how his eyes darted between my eyes and my hands, he definitely noticed, as he huffed once before putting on a smile I don't think I had ever really seen except for when we first met. Small, gentle, yet mysterious. "C'mon, Master, I'm not gonna hurt you."

"You've given me plenty of reason to be worried about you instead, Archer," I pointed out instead, letting go of one of my hands to gently pat his shoulder through his cloak. Robin took a step back from surprise, but I kept my hand raised while returning his previous smile with one of my own. "Because if my other Servants haven't said it enough, I don't plan to send you out to fight. I was just planning to take you in like everyone else who's come to my home. I just don't get why you're backing away like this."

Robin exhaled before turning away again, this time using his left hand to throw the hood of his cloak over his head. "It doesn't involve you, Master. Archers usually do their own thing."

It took a moment for me to hold back a sigh. "…Shirou said the same thing, y'know."

That got his attention. Even when Robin was starting to phase in and out of view from his cloak, which already had me guessing that it was a Noble Phantasm, I could make out his green eyes and orange hair. "Shirou?"

"The Red Archer you keep dissing, Archer," I continued casually, and the smile on my face felt wry and almost sarcastic now. Hisako would've been proud. "And even though he said the same thing, he's now back at home, cooking with Saber. So I don't think that excuse applies here."

"Bloody hell," Robin said incredulously, lowering his cloak enough to bring his form back into view. "You got the bastard's name. No one I've known got his name."

"I feel like I should take offense at the bastard comment," I huffed, feeling a pout come onto my face and chakra starting to flow through my veins. The Wayfinder was feeling warm under my fingers, but I took a breath to stop it. There was no point in getting angry. "Enough of that. Can we talk?"

"We're talking right now, Master."

"That's not it!" I stomped my sandal and Robin blinked. "It feels like you've been deflecting me! I want to get to know you, but I can't ever seem to find you and we're going in circles! Just, just…" I took a breath, lowering my head to look at those green boots instead of meeting his eyes. Who knew what he was thinking? Even with the lily Command Spells embedded into my front shoulder blade, Robin Hood felt like an enigma. A kind enigma, but an enigma. I settled for plain honesty because otherwise, it felt like I was going to cry. "What can I do to make you feel better?"

This time, there was no immediate reply. The green boots in front of me shifted back and forth, tapping the forest floor for a moment as a quiet, almost thoughtful voice echoed above my hair. "…No one's really asked me that question before," Robin said finally. "I'd have half a mind to tell you not to worry so much about me, Master, but—" a hand was in front of my lips before I could raise my head and protest, "you're stubborn. I'll give you that." The hand in front of my lips reached up to rest on my head and this time, the smile on his face looked sad. Lonely, if I could say that much. "You are an absolute blockhead, Master."

"Not Master," I replied back quietly, "Tomoko. You can call me by my name, Archer. To-mo-ko."

A wry chuckle left Robin Hood's lips. "That will be hard, Master, for I am still a petty bowman."

"So? I am a petty pianist girl, surrounded by Heroic Spirits and ninja she never did deserve," I shot back, parodying his words. "I think we're in good company."

It took awhile to find the right seats. Well, more like the right tree.

Robin Hood insisted on staying in the woods and not returning to Nagareboshi Cafe for the chat. Needless to say, I politely did not mention my absolute fear at being so high up without Kei and the others around, but since Robin was still a Servant, I could take a breather. Maybe. Maaaaybe.

"I still can't believe you like camping this much," I muttered, trying to adjust my seat on the branch just so I could be a bit closer to the trunk and not towards any delicate wood. "How you can sit like this is beyond me."

"This is coming from the Master who has Assassins for best friends and three powerful Servants on her side before I even came into the picture?" Robin rolled his eyes but offered an arm to me anyways, perched cross-legged on the branch like a pro. "I'm surprised you're not used to this."

"I may have been impaled through the stomach and survived death, Archer, but that doesn't mean I'm invulnerable."

Robin paused this time, giving me enough time to scoot over, at least a little, to rest against his offered arm. "You're blunt."

"And you're a dork, so being blunt is necessary," I concluded.

The green Archer sighed again. "What was this about ground rules again?"

"Please, Archer," I deadpanned, "please elaborate then."

"I dunno, Master—" he paused as soon as I gave him a dirty look, fixing it with a hasty, "Tomoko — man, that feels weird to say," he took a breath, absently fingering a pouch attached to the belt around his waist, "I feel more up for a smoke."

What the heck. A forest-dwelling man who liked tobacco smoke that killed your lungs? The irony was strong here and I didn't like it. My voice must've reflected it, because it was the most guttural and unapologetic I had ever heard myself be. "I don't think cigarettes would help in establishing the first social interaction, Archer."

Robin Hood gave me a look of his own before absently resting an elbow on his knee, pulling his hand away from his belt. "Then listen carefully, Tomoko. I won't repeat these. Rule #1." He raised a pointer finger of his own, looking up towards the leaves above us. "You gotta let me be on my own every now and then. It gets noisy staying in a home like yours."

"Sure…" I said, feeling a bit inadequate now because that wasn't exactly a farfetched request, considering Robin Hood's mythos back in Vy's world. It was still not expected, and to be honest, I felt a bit sad at hearing it being said. Then again, this was one of Robin Hood's apparent boundaries — I had to respect it at least. "Keep going?"

"I can't even believe you," Robin quipped back with a dry frown, "considering no one else has really listened to my input, but sure. Number 2. Keep that Red Archer of yours away from me. Even if it means us not being in the same room."

Okay, what the heck. "Is Shirou really that bad?"

Once my companion was giving me a scathing glance, I raised my hands in the air and vigorously shook my head, amending the previous statement with a smaller, "Okay, I'll drop the subject. Anything else?"

This time, Robin Hood's eyes seemed searching, the dirty look from before dropping for something else entirely, and the entire moment alone reminded me that this was still a Servant I didn't know much about. Unlike Art-san, Shirou, and Achi, who had been with me for a year or more, Robin Hood was still an enigma. I had no clue of his heritage, where he came from, or even if his legend was the same one as that one Disney movie.

I found myself gulping a little once it became obvious he wasn't willing to talk immediately. "…Archer?"

He blinked and proceeded to snap his fingers. "There's the last rule. Number 3."

"Eh?"

"Ojou — Tomoko," Archer took a moment to amend his voice, his nose wrinkling from discomfort at the name change before continuing, "you have two Archers under contract now. And I have no clue what relationship you have with that reckless red Archer of yours, but you can't just call the both of us 'Archer' and get away home free. It'll get confusing, cafe work or not." With that said, Robin Hood turned away, a distant look now present in his green eyes. "And True Names are out of the playing field."

That was new. And alarming. I mean, I knew my original three Servants took a while to open up, but this guy… "Do you…" I scooted a little closer to him while reaching up to gently rest a hand against his crossbow arm. "Do you not like the name 'Robin Hood'?"

"It's not that." This time, Archer rubbed the back of his head, angrily ruffling his hair before turning to me with what looked like a helpless shrug. "I dunno what fairy tales you read, Tomoko, but from where I was, there was more than one person who took up the name 'Robin Hood.' I was but a nameless rogue who tried to help a village from being plifered, and died a rogue thanks to the village I was trying to protect." A soft, uncharacteristically bitter chuckle left his throat as he kept his gaze focused on the leaves above. "Never bothered to pick up any other name. So you can call me anything else but that."

Oh. This was definitely… this was definitely something a therapist could unravel better than a civilian pianist girl. The amount of baggage in the words, the way Archer wasn't meeting my eyes — it all screamed volumes of a past I could barely understand, even with the lens provided by my ninja family and my other Servants, and for once, I found myself blank.

What could I do?

Maybe…?

For a moment, I remembered a silver dog tag owned by one Egyptian Pharaoh who specialized in playing card games and that alone served as my lightbulb.

I took a breath. "…Then how about I give you a name?"

Robin Hood swiveled his head fast enough to nearly hit a branch overhead, his green eyes wide. "Repeat that?"

A blush was climbing up my face from how suddenly he responded, but I continued with as much courage as I could muster. "If you're not okay with the names of 'Archer' or 'Robin Hood,' then I can come up with a name for you. One that you'd be okay with, one to call your own. Since no one named you before."

If I didn't get his attention before, I definitely had every single bit of it now. "Master — Tomoko, you do realize that I'm still a copy of the original Servant in the Throne of Heroes?" He was fumbling now, shaking his head and not meeting my eyes again. His gaze was shifting between the tree beneath us, my face, and the sky — anywhere but my eyes. "Even if you give me a name, the original 'me' might not—"

Might not remember anything, was left in the air. Unspoken, unsaid, but obvious and painful.

It was panic. Robin Hood was panicked. That wasn't what I was aiming for, but it was still a reaction. He was actually extending something that resembled help, and I couldn't ignore that. So I reached over to rest my hand over his. "We don't know about that," I said gently, patting the available skin showing through his glove. Even without making eye contact, I knew that Robin Hood was staring holes into my head, so I looked up to meet his gaze and put on a smile. "Things can change. Shirou's the Counter Guardian and Saber's King Arthur. Maybe the Throne could make exceptions. And besides. You have another life here. Might as well make the most of it, right?"

Archer inhaled sharply. "You really are a gigantic blockhead. Anything could happen, Master."

"And it's because of that uncertainty that you should enjoy what you have. Move onward, not there yet, let's just live." Those old lyrics would never tire out and they were already doing their job considering how Archer's eyes had widened again in my direction. "So." I patted his hand again. "Can I shoot a name by you?"

Archer's green eyes swirled with something foreign. Still, I kept up eye contact until it started to hurt, and once he read whatever he could from my stare, he turned away and quietly pulled his hand back from my grip. He wasn't meeting my eyes again. "…If you're that insistent on it, go ahead. Aim and shoot, Master."

It was good enough permission. I took a moment to think on it. It could've been a minute. A second. I didn't know. But once I had something, Archer already had a cigarette in his hand, so my response came out hurried and worried all at once.

"Then what about 'Kaze-san'?"

Robin Hood's lighter nearly fell out of his hand as he turned to stare at me. "Kaze? Wind? Why that?"

The blush was still sticking on my cheeks, but I shrugged anyways. "I think it's meaningful. I don't know what your life was like as a rogue, but I can imagine you like the wind. Something no one notices at first glance, but also something you can't take for granted. Something people should cherish because it pollinates flowers and cools hot days. And besides." I looked into his green eyes and did my best to smile. "I met you on a windy day and I like the wind."

It was in that moment that I first saw Robin Hood blush. And by then, I knew it was a good choice.

A wind passed between us, coincidentally, as he absently rubbed his nose with his thumb. The cigarette and lighter were left forgotten in his lap as he considered. The waiting took a moment, but before I could fumble and try to apologize for whatever mishap I did, Robin Hood laughed. For another first time, Robin Hood laughed in what sounded like good cheer. It wasn't dry nor sarcastic. The laugh was warm and happy. Almost resembling that fox version of Robin Hood Vy remembered from that one Disney movie. It was something. "You are cheesy, Tomoko." He was smiling and even with the quip, it felt like it was enough. "What the hell. We're here and I'm not winning anything. Kaze's good."

"Oh." I covered my mouth with my hand. "Hee hee." I couldn't hug him yet, but I could offer my other hand to him and smile as a sign of future blessings. "Welcome to the family then, Kaze-san."

It didn't even take five minutes for him to take my hand and shake on it. It was the start of something new.

"How long did it take this time?"

Shirou's gray eyes seemed to glint in that malicious teasing way, and now I could understand why Kaze-san didn't seem to get along with him that much. It certainly explained why he immediately used his cloak to disappear out of sight once we came back home.

"A few days," I said casually, trying not to roll my eyes while walking past my red Archer, and the entire time, I could see Achi's knowing smirk behind him. Dorks. Thankfully, Saber was the usual Saber, smiling gently at me past Shirou's other side and already opening her arms for a hug once I came close. It wasn't even a choice since it was Art-san. Her smile merely widened once I reached her for a nice snuggle, her hands already brushing my hair of any leaves. "I'm home safe now, Saber…!"

"Yes, you are, Milady," Saber said softly above my head. "Yes, you are. As reckless as you were, you did well."

Coming from the former King Arthur herself, that was praise I could do nothing but take. There was no refusing Art-san.

The drain that came with emotional openness finally started to hit and I found myself slumping against her before I could feel it register in my head. "Milady?" Saber was confused for only a second before she adjusted the entire hug, her hands going to support my waist as my knees continued to buckle. "Oh," she said, her voice quieter, "you are drained now, aren't you?"

"Aye…"

A hand was gently patting my back and it was thanks to the clinking of armor that I knew it was Achi. "Our Princess finally is falling back to Earth with us, huh?" There was a snicker. "Knew this was going to happen. Whose turn is it to carry her back to bed?"

"I-I can walk…" A yawn left me before I could protest. "Darn it…"

Saber chuckled softly above my head while shifting, a soft kiss pressing to my hair. "Do not complain, Milady, you are tired and we all merely love you. Just let us tend to you for once." Arms were lifting me up now, my eyes barely strong enough to stay open as my ears could pick up a conversation. Bits and pieces of what sounded like Shirou talking to someone before the air was brushing my now bare feet. Someone took off my sandals. Who was it?

My head lolled against a new shoulder, a different pair of arms resting against my back and under my legs. My nose could vaguely smell something woody. It wasn't Achi and the muscles were too lean to be Shirou. Who?

"Archer." Art-san's voice, but this time she sounded more alert. A bit farther away. Huh? "I see you have taken Milady with you."

"Chill, Saber, I'm not going to do anything with the lady. Just tucking her into bed since you three can't seem to decide who's going to carry her there."

"OI! That's my girlfriend, you ass!" Achi protested.

"Quit it, Achilles, the guy's as stubborn as me. Don't question it."

The person carrying me sighed. "And here I thought I would get some peace and quiet."

Art-san sighed. "I will handle those two. Be sure not to drop her, Robin Hood."

"Duly noted."

Oh. The tension was leaving my shoulders and I breathed in that woody scent before leaning against him. Kaze-san. He was closer than I thought. Even with my half-closed eyes, the small bit of green I could see through my eyelashes confirmed it. "Thankie, Kaze-san…"

A shaky breath reverberated through the shoulder I was leaning on. Then a nose was pressing in my hair. "You blockhead. Don't talk—"

"Welcome home…"

There was silence. I couldn't feel Shirou, Aqui, or Art-san. Just Kaze-san and he was breathing again. "Blockhead. I'm back."

It was something. I was going to be more tired in the future, but at least this time, someone new would be happy. It felt good enough.