Author's Note: Well, I had intended on having this finished before classes started up again, but things didn't work out as I planned. Still, the latest one-shot is finally done, and that's what counts. :)

Cooking Battle of the Romantic Rivals

It was the all too familiar feeling of disappointment that surged through Ayaka as she left Saber standing in the school's hallway to go to the cafeteria. His appreciation for the lunch she made had seemed real enough, but that was about the only good thing that could be said about her most recent encounter with him. Unlike in her daydreams the previous day, it was clear that the last thing on Saber's mind was asking Ayaka out.

But he had thoughts to spare for Shira Emiya, the bespectacled girl thought glumly, mechanically eating the cafeteria food she had just bought and wasn't hungry for. A mental image of Saber smiling appeared in her head, the same smile that had adorned his face towards the end of their brief exchange. It was warm, it was affectionate...and it was meant for a girl who wasn't her.

It was only later, when school was out for the day and Ayaka began her walk home, that her self-pity lessened enough for her to think more reasonably. She'd just set her hopes too high; after all, she could hardly expect to win Saber's heart on her first attempt. And besides, he knew her name and had had two conversations with her so far, which was definitely preferable to the last several weeks of him being all but unaware that she was alive.

What was more was the undeniable fact that Saber had come to Ayaka's defense when Yua, Emiko, and Aina were taunting her yesterday. He could've very easily have ignored the plain-looking shrinking violet of a girl being bullied, but he hadn't, and it was the one thing that she clung to for all it was worth.

Saber likes me, Ayaka insisted to herself as she got closer to her house. And if she had to make a hundred lunches in order to get him to leave Shira for her, then so be it.

Saber stirred groggily. "Shira...?" he mumbled as he let his body take its time in waking up. He received no reply, not even a small hum of acknowledgement, and that struck him as odd in his half-awake mind. Sitting up in the futon, blinking rapidly all the while, he quickly noticed something else: Shira was not in bed with him.

It was this more than anything that caused the blond to wake up fully. This is unusual, Saber couldn't help thinking as he stared at the empty space next to him. For the past couple of months, he and Shira had more often than not woken up at around the same time, each other's faces being the first thing they saw in the morning. He had barely spent a second wondering where his lover was when he heard the sounds of sizzling coming from the kitchen.

Ah, of course, Saber realized. She must be making breakfast. As he got dressed for school, he found himself vaguely curious as to why Shira felt the need to get up earlier than six o'clock to get started on cooking the first meal of the day, but decided that it wasn't too terribly important.

He was less than halfway through the hall when he noticed that the smell he was breathing in was quite unlike the scents of the food Shira normally made. He was smelling neither fish, rice, tofu, nor anything else belonging to a traditional Japanese meal. In fact, if Saber's nose wasn't deceiving him, it smelled a lot like—

He slid the dining room door open before he could complete that thought. The table was set for six, as usual, but Saber immediately took note of, much to his puzzlement, the absence of chopsticks at each place, followed by the stick of butter and the bottle of maple syrup set in the middle of the table. Saber glanced at the kitchen counter to find that a mixing bowl, a cookbook, and a plate stacked high with pancakes had been placed on it, only increasing his confusion.

Shira, who was presently wearing her blue apron over her school uniform, turned from the stove with a cheerful grin on her face and a spatula in her hand. "Morning, Saber!" she greeted.

"Hmm? Oh!" Saber quickly switched his gaze from the counter to his former Master upon realizing that she had just spoken to him. "Good morning to you, too, Shira," he replied, pushing aside his bewilderment as he walked to where she stood. He eyed the circle of batter cooking in the pan. "I take it this is why you were not in our room when I woke up?"

"Yep." Shira turned back to the stove and flipped the pancake before continuing. "I woke up about an hour ago and couldn't go back to sleep, so I figured I'd get an early start on trying out some new recipes from the cookbook I bought last night."

"So I see," Saber remarked, now looking at the golden brown griddlecakes Shira had already made. That explains some things, he thought. Last night, Shira had hurried out of the estate shortly after dinner was finished, saying that she really needed to buy something, and she hadn't returned until it was time for bed. When Saber asked her what it was that she'd bought, Shira's only answer was that he'd find out tomorrow.

"I believe this would be the first time I have seen you make Western food," he now said after a slight pause.

"Uh, well...that's because this is the first time I've made Western food." Saber returned his attention to the redhead to find her still looking at the cooking hotcake, her smile suddenly a bit strained. "A little variety in what we eat won't hurt anyone, right?" she hastened to add.

"Of course not, but..." The blond's voice trailed off prematurely as Shira lifted the pancake with the spatula again and laid it on top of the others. A rather awkward silence descended upon them, and it was only after they stepped into the dining room for Shira to put the plate of pancakes on the table that Saber decided to speak again.

"Shira, would all of this have anything to do with Ayaka making me lunch?" Unexpectedly enough, the lunch Ayaka Sajyou had prepared for Saber yesterday had been Western: a fried ham sandwich with a handful of chicken nuggets. As far as food went, Saber thought it was quite good, and although Shira hadn't disagreed, she hadn't been very enthusiastic about it.

At present, Shira's smile faded as she sat down at the table, briefly biting her lower lip. "Would you believe me if I said no?"

"In the interest of being truthful, I'm afraid not," Saber admitted, going to sit down himself.

"It's just that..." Shira paused, "you seemed to really like what she made, so I thought maybe you'd like a more Western breakfast for a change. Of course, it's not like you ever ask for anything special, but still."

And I am certain your jealousy was not a factor at all, Saber thought, but he kept it to himself. He had a feeling that Shira would not appreciate being teased this early in the morning. Instead, all he told her was, "Well, whatever your motives, I have no doubt these hotcakes will be delicious—all the food you make is."

This time, Shira smiled more genuinely. "If it weren't for the fact that not even Tohsaka criticizes my food, I'd think you were just being polite."

The doorbell rang before Saber could reply, putting an abrupt end to the conversation.

As Saber predicted, the pancakes were good—perhaps they were slightly on the undercooked side, but that didn't detract from their taste. Taiga and Ilyasviel made no fuss about the unusual breakfast that had been prepared, being happy to eat whatever was set before them, but Rin and Sakura wanted to know why Shira was suddenly making Western food. All Shira said on the matter was, "Can't a girl just want to experiment in her own kitchen?" without any mention of Ayaka.

The next few hours at school passed normally enough, and Saber was able to put all thoughts about Shira feeling compelled to compete with another girl for his affections out of his mind as he focused on his lessons. Shortly after the bell for lunch rang, he stood up from his chair and was about to join the rest of the students in leaving the classroom for the cafeteria when a by now familiar, soft voice stopped him.

"Uh...Saber?"

"Yes?" the blond asked neutrally as he turned to look at Ayaka, who was still sitting at her desk.

"I...um..." she hesitated, lowering her eyes nervously, "was wondering how you liked the lunch I made the other day. Was it good? I—I mean," she added quickly, lightly flushing as her gaze snapped back to Saber, "w-was it edible, at least?"

"It was more than edible, I assure you," Saber said, smiling. "But I confess to being surprised that you had made a Western lunch."

"Oh...really?" Ayaka's face flushed even more. "Uh...we make Western meals a lot at my house, so..." She momentarily paused. "B-besides, I thought maybe it'd be more to your taste, since you're not from here and everything."

Saber only hummed in reply, and when Ayaka said nothing else after a few seconds, he turned towards the doorway. "Well, if that will be all, I should be going now." He began to walk out of the room.

"Saber, wait! I—" Ayaka suddenly spoke before he'd gone more than two steps, her voice about two octaves louder than what seemed usual for her. Saber gave a start and looked back at her in time to see her get up from her seat and bend down to grab a boxed lunch from the foot of her desk.

"I..." She straightened up, clutching the lunch in her hands, her cheeks reddening again in embarrassment over her outburst. "I...m-made you another lunch," she finished quietly, stepping over to Saber as the corners of her mouth twitched upward into a small, hopeful smile.

"You did?" Saber stared at Ayaka, schooling his features into an unreadable mask. I suppose I should not have assumed she merely wished to make small talk.

The bespectacled girl nodded wordlessly, still wearing that hopeful smile as she held out the boxed lunch to him. Unlike yesterday, however, Saber made no move to take it.

"Ayaka," he began, "I appreciate the thought, but—"

A new voice cut in before he could finish. "Hey, Saber; ready for—oh. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Saber and Ayaka looked at the door to see that Shira had entered the classroom, carrying her own lunch underneath her right arm. The smile that had been on the redhead's face when she'd started talking faltered a bit once she saw that Saber wasn't alone.

"Not at all," he assured her as she walked forward. "Ayaka was just offering me lunch again."

By now, Shira's smile had vanished. "You're Ayaka Sajyou?" she questioned, her eyes trained on the other girl.

"Um...y-yeah, I am," Ayaka stammered, also no longer smiling. "And you...you must be Shira Emiya."

"I am," Shira echoed, her tone polite but cool as she flatly stared at Saber's latest not-so-secret admirer. For her part, Ayaka did not avoid Shira's gaze, although she looked uneasy.

"Saber's told me about you," Shira went on after a short pause.

"H-he has?"

"He's told me enough." Like how you're trying to pursue him, went unsaid. There must have been more of an edge to her voice than she'd thought, because Ayaka visibly flinched.

Another pause followed, more tense than the last, and Saber finally cleared his throat and took Shira by her free hand. "As I was about to say before Shira arrived," he said, "I appreciate the thought, but there is no need for you to trouble yourself with preparing a lunch for me, Ayaka. I normally buy my lunch from the cafeteria, but sometimes I bring food left over from a dinner Shira made. Since I am living in the same house as her, it would simply be more practical if Shira were the one to provide me with lunch."

Saber's voice was calm but not unkind; even so, Ayaka looked as upset as if he had shouted at her, and Shira felt a sudden flash of what uncomfortably felt like pity mix in with her initial possessiveness, something that had never happened with any of Saber's other fangirls. Then again, none of Saber's other fangirls had ever looked like a punched kitten.

At present, Ayaka tightened her grip on the boxed lunch; for a second, it seemed like she was going to say something, but she sighed instead. "I...guess I'll just go to the cafeteria now." With her shoulders slumped and her head bowed, the bespectacled girl started walking out of the room, and the sight was enough for Shira's unexpected pity to rise.

"Oh, let her give it to you," the redhead found herself saying as she dropped Saber's hand.

That one sentence caused Ayaka to stop in her tracks, and she turned in Shira's direction, shock written all over her features.

Saber seemed just as surprised. "Shira?" he asked, his brows raised and his eyes widened slightly.

"Well, she's obviously invested a lot of time and energy in making you lunch," Shira explained, the smile plastered on her face feeling terribly forced. "Wouldn't want it to go to waste."

"I...suppose not, but are you sure?" Saber questioned uncertainly.

Shira shrugged, heading to the door herself. She stepped past Ayaka without so much as glancing at her. "Just take the lunch and let's go." Her voice sounded testy to her ears, and the smile had slipped off her face.

She stepped out into the hall, not waiting to see if Saber would accept Ayaka's food. And as Shira waited for her lover to join her, she thought it would've been better if Ayaka Sajyou had just been another obnoxious girl wanting to get Saber in bed with her.

As it turned out, Saber did end up taking Ayaka's lunch, but he did little more than nibble at the tuna sandwich and soft-boiled eggs she'd prepared, his appetite all but gone. While silences were not an uncommon thing during lunchtimes with Shira on the roof, the silence during this particular lunchtime was far from comfortable. Shira refused to speak to Saber even when he tried to engage her in conversation, her face unusually difficult to read as she busied herself with eating the rice, salmon, and vegetables she'd packed. After the bell signaling the end of the lunch period rang, Shira hurried off the roof and back inside the school building before Saber could ask what was bothering her.

They didn't see each other again until classes were over. Shira walked up to Saber in the hallway, shoved a note in his hands, and walked away without a word. I have to go to work, the note read. Don't expect me home in time for dinner.

You really want to avoid me, don't you, Shira? Saber thought after he'd taken a glance at what the redhead had written, some measure of frustration welling within him. He was tempted to follow her and demand to know what was going on, but he decided it would be best if he just went home and waited for Shira to return. Hopefully, if she was given time to think things through, they could talk about this without having the discussion dissolve into an argument.

Night had fallen by the time Shira came home. About an hour or so had passed since dinner at the Emiya estate had been eaten, so Saber was the only one in the house. It wasn't too long before Shira entered their room to find Saber sitting cross-legged on their futon.

"You're back," the blond said evenly, looking up to meet Shira's eyes, his expression impassive.

"Yeah," came Shira's reply. Evidently, she was finished with the silent treatment, though she seemed pensive. She remained in the doorway, her fingers tightly holding the sliding door's edge and her brows furrowing. When she didn't continue, Saber decided to speak.

"Sakura set aside some leftovers for you. Have you eaten them?"

"Mm-hmm."

And just like that, the conversation dried up. The seconds passed in silence, both of them waiting to see if the other would bring up the subject of Ayaka. At last, Saber opened his mouth to speak again, but Shira beat him to it, finally removing her hand from the door.

"Sajyou seems nice."

Saber blinked, a confused frown spreading across his features. "What do you mean?" Sure, Ayaka did seem like a more or less pleasant person to talk to, even with how timid she was, but what did that have to do with their encounter with her?

"You know—nice. Quiet, sweet, shy, likes to cook for you. She kind of reminds me of Sakura...and, well..." Shira's voice, which had previously sounded bland, now trembled slightly as she stared down at the floor, "there are plenty of guys who like that kind of girl."

Was she implying what he thought she was implying? Saber stood up, his frown deepening into a glare. "If you mean to suggest that I would leave you for the first delicate flower that crossed my path—" he began heatedly.

But Shira interrupted. "Maybe it wouldn't have mattered so much if Sajyou was like that one girl who tried to get you to have a 'study session' with her that one time or something, but she's not, and..." She sighed heavily, and Saber watched as she wrung her hands together and met his gaze. "I guess it made me think about things."

"Shira..." If he still felt a bit agitated at that point, it melted away into concern upon seeing the look on her face—her mouth curving in a dispirited frown and her eyes shining with insecurity. He stepped forward until he was standing in front of her, so close that he could have reached out and stroked her cheek if he'd been so inclined. "Ayaka might be nice, as you say, but she is not the one I spent fifteen hundred years waiting to reunite with."

"That's just it, Saber," Shira said. "For you, it's been fifteen hundred years in between the end of the Grail War and when you came back. You told me that your feelings for me haven't changed, but how is that possible? Surely you've met other girls who were interested in you over the centuries."

As the redhead spoke, her voice did not rise at all. She didn't sound angry, accusatory, or even upset, just empty. Her words hung in the air as Saber spent the next couple of seconds trying to formulate a response. It didn't help that the sudden turn the conversation had taken revolved around a topic that had remained undiscussed ever since the night of their reunion. He wasn't trying to hide anything about what he'd done during those long centuries he'd spent away from Shira—after all, he had nothing to hide—it just never seemed important enough to talk about. But now, the subject was broached, and he had no choice but to give an answer.

"You would not be wrong," he ended up admitting. "There were other young women who showed a romantic interest in me. But," he added before Shira could get the chance to say anything, "nothing ever happened, I promise you that."

"But if you had hooked up with someone else, I wouldn't have blamed you." She resumed staring at the floor, downcast. "We were so far apart, and it's not like I was alive throughout most of that time. Nobody would expect you to stay loyal to a girl who wasn't even born yet."

"I would hope you would know me better than that." What Shira was saying strongly reminded Saber of how a highborn woman might rationalize her husband's infidelity, and he didn't like it. "Yes, I could have gotten involved with another woman, and perhaps no one would consider it an unfaithful act, but in my heart, it would have felt like I was betraying you, and that was something I promised I would never do."

"And I'm supposed to believe it's that simple? That someone like you literally spent forever loving someone like me, even if there were other girls who could've been just as good or even better for you?"

All Saber could do was mutely stare at Shira, whose eyes remained focused on the floor. She really didn't understand, did she? Oh, sure, his former Master was never known for thinking much about herself, but that was normally in regards to people who needed help or were in trouble. Was her self-image so poor that she didn't realize that, for him, the thought of being with anyone else was unthinkable?

He wanted to assure her that no woman, whether Ayaka or any woman he had met during the centuries he'd lived through, could ever compare to her. He wanted to tell her that, while plenty of girls had been smitten with him for one reason or another, she was the one who saw him at his worst, who knew both the good and the bad about him, and loved him anyway. He wanted to say that once he fell in love with her, he'd never truly fallen out, even if there had been times where he could scarcely recall her face.

But Saber found himself unable to give voice to everything he was thinking as he continued looking at her. Instead, he took one of Shira's hands in his own and lifted it, her palm facing downward, to his lips.

The action caused her to look up at him with a slight, startled gasp. "What are you doing?" A questioning expression crossed her face, but when she didn't try to pull away, he placed a light kiss on her knuckles.

"The last time I kissed a woman's hand," he said solemnly, "was right before I disappeared at the end of the Holy Grail War. It is traditionally a sign of respect, especially if the woman is of an equal or higher social standing than the man, but it can also be used as a sign of a man's devotion to his lady. I am afraid that words fail me at the moment, so if I want to express how I feel, this," he kissed Shira's hand again, "is the best I can do."

"Saber..." Shira breathed, staring at him with wide eyes. After a moment, the realization of the significance of what he was attempting to get across seemed to slowly dawn on her, and she let out a small laugh, smiling for the first time since their conversation started. "You're incredible, you know that? Only you would have just one girl that you've kissed in over a thousand years."

"I would not be so certain," Saber said, letting go of the redhead's hand. "Would you have been any different if our places were exchanged? Or if there was no hope we would ever see each other again, for that matter? Would you have moved on?"

"No," was Shira's automatic answer, but after a split second of thought, she elaborated. "I mean—yeah, eventually, I'd be able to get on with my life, but...not to the point of finding someone else, I don't think. And even if I did, I'd probably end up comparing the other guy to you, and that wouldn't be fair. Still," she smiled again, stepping forward to embrace Saber and teasingly brush her lips against his, "you have set the bar really high, so I doubt any guy could compare to you anyway."

"I suppose I will have to take your word on that," Saber commented, wrapping his arms around her.

Her only reply was an amused hum as she rested her head against his chest.

Author's Note: That awkward moment when you realize that that last scene is, like, the third hurt/comfort scene in this series.

In all seriousness, the last scene actually stemmed from what I'd originally planned for F/GR Good Epilogue, but decided that it didn't really fit and was causing things to drag. In any case, I feel like that's a conversation that Shira and Saber would have to have eventually, so might as well have it while in the midst of love triangle drama. *chuckles*

EDIT – 12/15/14: Dear Guest reviewer (and you know who you are),

Kindly stop spamming the review page begging me to continue with where "Burning Angel Wings to Dust, Part One" left off. There will be a second part eventually, but I'll get there when I get there and no sooner, and no amount of pestering and badgering will make me write it faster. Considering the subject matter, I think I'm well within my rights to take as long as I have to in order to make sure I do it justice rather than going at it half-baked.

If you ask me about this again, not only will I delete all of your reviews pertaining to this subject, I will disable anonymous reviewing.

Sincerely,

ElvenQueen18