.
.
It was dark in Shirou's jail cell except for the ambient light of the torch in the hallway, and except for the sound of a pipe dripping, everything was quiet. Quietly he shifted, the chains around his wrists and ankles dragging against the floor.
He heard the heavy door open. Shirou lifted his eyes, expecting to see another guard or another soldier coming to torture him. A circle of light bobbed up and down as the sound of footsteps bounded down the corridor.
"Shirou?"
Rin shined her torch into his cell.
"Tohsaka! What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to get you out," Rin said, and she squatted by the iron bars, pulling out a knapsack. "I put the guards to sleep, but I have to hurry. The spell won't last more than a few minutes."
"You shouldn't be here," Shirou said. He gripped the bars, standing over her. "Tohsaka, you could be killed!"
"It won't be long," Rin said, and she pulled out a jewel. "I'll melt these bars down in a jiffy."
Shirou paced. Rin knelt, brow knit in concentration, because the jail was reinforced by ancient magecraft. Only a mage of Caster's caliber could set him free. "Tohsaka, they'll kill you," Shirou said, again. "Even if you do manage to get us out of here, where will we go? We're in the middle of the desert," Shirou said, and he tried to keep his voice from rising.
"I told you coming here was a stupid idea," Rin said. A jewel sparked. Tohsaka scowled. "They're gonna hang you tomorrow, you know that?"
"They're not going to hang me, I'm just going to be on trial."
"And you're going to be found guilty!" Rin said. "Stupid Shirou, just shut up a minute, okay? I'm going to get you out of here."
She worked. Small sparks flew as she concentrated the heat of her mana on the iron bar.
"I don't want to leave," Shirou said. Rin looked up.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Rin said. Shirou shook my head.
"If I leave, they'll find someone else to take my place. And if I let that happen, I couldn't live with myself. I might as well be guilty," Shirou said.
"Huh?!" Rin set down her bag. "That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard, Emiya Shirou, and-" she lowered her voice, realizing she was yelling and dropping it down to a whisper, "-and if you don't shut up for a minute and let me work I'm going to get really mad."
"Tohsaka," Shirou said, and he gripped her hand holding the bar. "You should go," Shirou said. "Before anyone finds you." Rin's face was pale.
"I'm not leaving you," Rin said. Shirou shook his head.
"I thought your motto was 'self before others,'" Shirou said. "It's not safe. And if they catch you consorting with me, they'll execute you too."
Rin looked at him a long moment. Her eyes were hard and her mouth was a thin pressed line, and he could tell from the way she was glaring at him that she was trying her hardest not to cry. "You're going to die," she said. A tear rolled down her face. "They're going to kill you and you're going to let them."
"It's okay," Shirou said, and he squeezed her hand over the bar. "I'm going to become a Hero of Justice. I'm not really going to die."
Rin squeezed her eyes shut. More tears fell. "You're so fucking stupid," Rin said. She touched her forehead against the bar, and Shirou touched his forehead against hers. "I thought you didn't like seeing other people cry."
"Tohsaka," Shirou said, helplessly.
"I love you, you idiot," Rin said, and Shirou's eyes filled with tears. She cried openly now, shoulders shaking against the bar. "I don't want you to die. So you're going to fucking stay there and listen to me for once, okay?" and she yanked out another jewel.
Rin worked. She worked even though they both know it was hopeless. It didn't stop Rin from trying.
"Shit," Rin said. Her last jewel winked out, and was spent. "Shit, shit, shit."
"Tohsaka," Shirou said, and he looked up to the sound of guards waking, rustling in the corner. "Tohsaka, you need to get out of here."
"I'm going to revive you," Rin said. She gripped his hands, desperately. "I have that emerald, it'll be just like with the amulet, okay? After they hang you I'm going to get your body and...and I'll wake you up. I'll heal you and we can go back to London and you can stop being such a fucking moron-"
"I love you," Shirou said. Rin's face was stricken.
"Stop it," Rin said. "Stop talking like you're going to die!"
"I just wanted you to know that," Shirou said. Rin closed her eyes.
xXx
.
On the day of his execution, Shirou was led through the crowd. The crowd was jeering, shouting obscenities and throwing rocks and garbage at him. One rock slammed against the side of his head and Shirou winced, keeping his eyes forward.
Rin was in the crowd. Her face was stricken. She rushed toward him, pushing through the crowd.
"Look at me," Rin said. "Shirou, I know you're scared, just keep watching me."
The guards shoved him forward.
"Look at me!" Rin said, and he kept his eyes fixed on hers as the crowd jeered at him. "Shirou, please. I love you. Please keep watching!"
He saw her face twist as they pulled the noose tight around his neck, saw her tears slip just as they pulled the hood over his head.
It is the first of many regrets; he hated that he made her cry.