AN: I decided to take sometime before writing the next chapter, to sort of revamping the first two? So, while the basic plot is the same it's a bit more fleshed out. While I'm doing that I'm also fixing up the Archive versions of the story because Archive's formatting is terrible.
If this is your first time coming to the story, allow me to get across that I started this with the original intention of three chapters, but it's since grown (as most of my projects tend to do). I don't see a lot of "wholesome Jeanne Alter content" and since she's my waifu it kinda makes me sad. However there are some problems I can fix being a writer, and I thought to myself I would write a story I would want to read. So if you're just joining me, I hope you enjoy it, and for others, I promise the new chapter is coming, though I've only just started it, I felt some revamping was in order for the first two chapters especially.
It was loop five, he was certain. Day...three or four? Ristuka shook his head pressing the palm of his hand into eye sockets as if they could help with their soreness. He let out a sigh and shook his head.
I'm already losing track, can't be a good sign.
There was a chocolate fountain in the lobby, on a long table where the dessert pastries were often kept. He could see it from the corner of his eye. Just like he had seen it every single time he'd also come to eat food for the past month. The quick math of each loop taking about a week. He could see Ishtar sneaking her way over to it, with a few strawberries in hand, meaning to make a dessert out of them.
If there was any place in the world, where you should bathe fruit with chocolate, it would be here.
The master huffed again and leaned back into his chair. The food in front of him was nearly gone, dinner having been served and eaten hours ago. Having satisfied his hunger, he was simply enjoying the last bits of his dinner slowly. An excuse to avoid going back to the hotel room for a few minutes longer. He watched Ishtar walk away from the fountain a wide grin on her face like she'd won a great victory, chocolate strawberries in hand.
Now it was only he, and the other servants who were working on the main floor of the hotel. Jekyll was sitting behind the circular desk in the center of the lobby. Mordred's leg was bouncing from boredom, and she was leaning over the desk, chatting Jekyll up about whatever gossip they had discovered. Despite the long work hours the pair of them seemed to be enjoying themselves.
No doubt Fran was going to join them soon.
The headache that had been forming in the back of Ritsuka's head was finally starting to leave. He planted his forehead down on the empty space of his table, resting it in his arms. He closed his eyes, almost daring himself to fall asleep. He knew he wouldn't, but even still, closing his eyes felt good.
Too much at stake, like always.
He huffed and thought back to the ladies' hotel room. Or was it Alter's hotel room? That was a minor detail he could barely remember anymore. Too busy and too small to care about the answer to that question. Then there were writing-related things running through his head. Edits, ideas, and it was the last loop, that loop in which he was certain that he'd started taking Alter's scrapped ideas to start a manuscript on the side.
That conversation went about as well as I thought it might. Terribly.
Things were going smoothly enough during this loop that he could get some work done for it on the side. His lips twitched against his arm, a protest at the thought of going back in there for even a second.
I guess I'm not quite ready to head back yet.
Even if things were going smoothly, that didn't mean he thought they would succeed with this particular doujin that was being worked on. Like Alter was, he was starting to get a feel for the flow of story work.
"Well, it didn't take that long to find you, brother." Her voice teasing, but filled with some concern. "I was worried I was going to have to do a more fervent search for you in order to have our scheduled meet-up." Her footsteps came to stop just a few meters away. "You did say you wanted to deal with this end of all the problems."
He turned his head to look up out of the corner of his eye. "Gudako." He said, acknowledging her presence.
Her orange hair was folded back, fluffed in a ponytail. She had a bathrobe over her swimsuit. The scars that had once covered her from head to toe, as they had him were mostly gone now, thanks to the constant treatment. She would never admit it, but he knew how self-conscious she'd been about anyone seeing her lined with scars. Her playful smile faded a little resting a hand on her hip as she looked down at him. "Ritsuka?" saying his name as equally dry as he had greeted with hers.
His mouth twitched at the prod. "You deserved the vacation more than anyone else." Finally, he shook his head as he straightened up in his chair. "I remember how adamant you were about...avoiding swimsuits last summer." His blue eyes met hers, a small smile touching his lips. "I just wish I could make the problems of this seemingly endless vacation go away."
"I haven't had any real problems to deal with on my end. Yet. I still haven't figured out what happens to Edmond on the fifth night." She was silent. "So for his loop at least, I'm keeping him with me." There was a beat of silence and another quiet sigh. She gestured to the free seat at the other end of the table. "May I?"
He nodded his small smile growing wider. "How is your boyfriend?"
She scoffed as she settled into her seat across from him. "Sweet, but out brooding no doubt. Missing me dearly, as he always does." Gudako leaned back, folding her arms over her chest. "I'm more worried about you. I made my boundaries clear from the start, and you're staying in a room with no less than three people you've crushed on since their summoning."
Ritsuka huffed looking away, denial coming to his lips. "I don't have a crush on Mash."
Her expressions turned dry, as her eyes narrowed. She grew almost comically serious as she stared at him, looking right through him. "You can deny your crush on Ushiwakamaru. But not the other two." She rested her arms on the tabletop and sighed again. "I figured I would be waiting for you when I arrived, if not that having to find you." Gudako tilted her head. "So, why are you down here instead of upstairs trying to solve our loop problems?"
"Tired." He stated simply. "We've hit another wall. Jeanne Alter and I are starting to be able to gauge how our doujin will come out usually around halfway through the loop." He paused for a moment trying to think for a moment of how to explain what happened next. "And I took on a big side project for myself."
She started nodding, slowly, her shoulders seemed to slacken. Looking and feeling as crestfallen as her brother did no doubt. "I take it this isn't the loop for our doujin to be number one then?"
"No."
Gudako seethed quietly. Having to learn, or process that her boyfriend disappeared on the fifth day of every loop was starting to get to her. The expression she held was enough to convey to him that she hadn't succeeded yet in discovering anything about it. In the one previous test, she'd managed, when she went on that night walk with him, nothing had happened.
Edmond had lived. But when the loop began again, he'd disappeared again.
He wanted to scoff at the very thought. Edmond was probably getting killed by the same thing every loop.
Evidently, her patience had worn out on trying to solve it at least for this one loop. Which was why she was working extra hard to keep him close. Just so she could make sure he survived this one. Not with any other purpose in mind other than just to enjoy spending some time with him, no investigation required.
Before we have to begin the loop again.
She pressed her fingers to her forehead. "I fucking hate Medb."
Ritsuka snorted, wanting to lighten the greying mood they were sharing. "I believe Alter is using more colorful language than that, but she heartily agrees." He ran a hand through his hair at the frustration at their predicament. "It doesn't help that since we can tell this won't be the loop, it's getting harder and harder for her…" He huffed a small laugh and corrected himself. "All of us to hide that irritation. Won't be long now before she goes out to pick a fight and find some stress relief."
Not seconds into the silence following his sentence, the elevator doors slid open, and out stepped Jeanne Alter, her katanas strapped to her back, her ashen hair flowing behind her. Her lips pressed together in what he could only see as a mix of frustration and determination. Her eyes scanned the hotel lobby. She looked intently focused on trying to find her particular goal. And when she spotted Ritsuka, her eyes narrowed and she marched over.
Speak of the Alter, and she doth appear.
Ritsuka winced slightly wondering if he'd done something wrong. Alter rarely ever looked so aggravated unless she intended to give him an earful.
Gudako watched her brother's reaction wondering what had happened. Then she followed his eye, twisting herself around in her chair, to get a look at what was causing him distress. She picked out Alter immediately from the rest of the lobby, catching the same tensed expression on Alter's face that her brother had. She raised an eyebrow at the swimsuit-dressed servant marching towards them.
Under Gudako's gaze, however, Jeanne Alter's stride towards them faltered, and she froze for a couple of seconds. She glanced away pretending to look at something else. An emotion neither of them could quite place passing over her features. And then, she continued walking towards them, a lot less purposeful than before.
His sister snorted a little as one of the reasons came to mind. "I think she doesn't like the way you're giving others attention right now." She almost smiled as she turned back around to her brother. "Luckily for you, I'm not exactly a part of the competition."
Ritsuka sighed, wanting to slink further into silence, knowing that this was going to be a bad mix. The forwardness of his sister, and the avoidance tendencies of Alter. "I know, contrary to popular belief I'm not stupid." He straightened himself out to look a little more confident in himself. "Just don't make trouble I'll have to deal with."
Gudako smiled. "Awe isn't that sweet." His sister put on an evil grin. "You want to shield her from all of my teasings."
"Hey! Nerds." Alter rested her hand on her hip as she approached. Her voice was that same passive-aggressive tone she'd always adopted. "You two doing anything important? You know, humanity restoration-related projects?"
Gudako turned around resting her arms on the back of her chair. "Eating dinner, actually." She shrugged. "Well waiting on dinner." She rested her cheek in her palm and fell quiet, to watch the two of them interact.
Alter scoffed, looking away. "Make it quick then." Her eyes flicking to Ritsuka. "You're needed back at the room."
It was as he expected, Alter wanted him back in the room. If he was being fair to her, he had been gone for an hour and a half at least. However, he wasn't quite ready to go back still short of it being an emergency. So he gave a firm nod. "Is there a problem?"
"Not an immediate one." She gestured her palm up. "But Mash and Ushiwakamura wanted to go somewhere else for dinner. And go get their hair done. And some facials." Alter shook her head of the tangent. "Point being, I need my assistant helping me while they go off to find whatever it is they need to unwind before they go too bad." She scoffed and waved her hand towards Ritsuka. "Honestly to think you'd be slacking-"
Ritsuka's mouth twisted, maybe it was being tired, or maybe it was the fact he'd been cooped up with her for too long during this loop. Some frustration slipped out as his voice turned to one of equal annoyance. "Dinner Alter. I'm eating dinner."
She frowned, "Your sister mentioned."
Ritsuka shook his head. "While eating is optional for the rest of you, I still need three meals a day." He huffed. "Or at least two."
Now, Alter looked uncomfortable. Her mouth twisting, her cheeks turning red. Maybe she hadn't expected him to bite back a all. Or maybe she really had forgotten the importance of how the masters actually had to eat. For a long moment, she didn't say anything as she stared at him, lingering frustration still palpable.
Relax Ritsuka, you know that frustration isn't with you.
Thankfully Gudako picked up the tension quickly, always the more emotionally observant of the two twins. She sipped at her drink. However, instead of diving right into teasing as her brother might've expected. She looked pointedly at the berserker and nodded to the open seat adjacent to them. "Why not join us Alter?"
Ritsuka raised a brow towards his sister.
What are you planning?
Gudako thought Alter would put up more resistance. Claiming how she had no need for such things and just continue to banter with her master assistant about how he was slacking off. It would've been what they were both used to.
To their mutual surprise, Alter was silent as she stared at the table. "Okay." She said simply. She reached over to the table behind her and hefted a chair, so she was sitting adjacent to the both of them. She crossed her arms over her chest with a bit of a frown. She looked like she was going to say something else entirely, but she turned to look over Gudako, passed her, and towards the kitchen. "Can we get some service over here!"
Tamamo Cat shot up from her seat at the counter and practically ran over to them. She had a bed head forming around her right ear. And she appeared next to them with a yawn. "Sorry, the staff purrty slow today. Can I take your order?"
Gudako smiled. "Onion rings, and a Chicken sandwich." She was already familiar with what she wanted, having meditated on it during her walk here from the beach. She'd also continued trying a new thing from the menu every loop. This particular order seemed more traditional than her previous exotic orders. "And a Vanilla shake for me."
Ritsuka held up a hand. "I'll take a refill on the Sprite for me."
Tamamo wrote it all down quickly and turned to Alter.
She blinked. "Uh," She looked down at the mess of empty plates sitting in front of her. Her eyes met that of Gudako because she would know why immediately. Even in the brief second that she met Gudako's eyes, her master's sister seemed to smile a bit wider. She curled her hand into a fist and nodded to Ristuka. "I'll have whatever he's having."
The waitress nodded and jogged back towards the kitchen.
Ritsuka raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know what I had?"
"So?" Alter said dryly. "What does it matter if I don't need to eat anyway?"
Gudako sighed, placing a hand over her face to hide her amused smile from the two of them. She shook her head a couple of times too. Her eyes flicked to Ritsuka's pointedly.
Ritsuka's eyes narrowed.
I know that sigh. It's that sigh she always has when she's annoyed with me. Or amused.
Alter sat quietly, doing her best to pay no mind between them. Her eyes drifting over to the countertop with fruits, desserts, and the chocolate fountain. She of course spent most of her time cooped up in the room without much exploration of the environment around them. She looked for a moment as if she was contemplating going to get some of the fruits for herself. Then she went rigid as she looked back at the two of them. The tension was obvious for her to notice.
"You are both so oblivious." Gudako rubbed her temples.
"Huh?" Ritsuka's brow furrowed.
Oh here we go.
Alter shifted giving a nod towards Gudako. "Tugh. You would say that jackass." She gave a nod to the door. "Isn't your boyfriend busy moping or something without you to brighten his day?" She leaned forward. "Perhaps you should get your dinner to go?" Alter was starting to speak through gritted teeth.
Rtisuka winced as he realized that bait that Gudako had dangled.
"I'd be more worried about yourself." She chuckled and leaned forward a bit. Alter was one of the best servants to have in a fight, undeniably. However, one of her shortcomings was the inability to banter. Gudako knew what that source was, and she knew her brother would figure it out eventually. For now, Alter was at her mercy. "What's the matter Alter?" She propped up her chin with her elbows on the table, a smug grin coming to her lips. "Are you still feeling possessive of your master?"
Her denial was fast and reflexive, "I- I'm not possessive!" Her frown deepened, and her pale cheeks flushed with color. "Tch." She folded her arms and started speaking through gritted teeth. "You've been hanging around that cursed holy maiden too much, you know that?"
Gudako huffed a chuckle. It was almost too easy. But the berserker had some feeling she desperately wanted to get off her chest. "Haven't spoken to her once yet, in a loop." Her smirk widened. "Though, Edmond and I are gonna hang out with her and Marie tonight. She's determined to get Jeanne an outfit to make her look like a princess."
Jeanne Alter's frown continued to deepen, her fingers clenched in a fist on the table, shaking. Moreover, the fluster hadn't left her yet. A few sore nerves had been touched. It was abundantly clear she wanted to wipe that smirk off of Gudako's face.
She couldn't blame Alter. She tried to scare Gudako off with some insults and banter and had lost horrendously. The Chaldean master brushed her orange hair behind her ears and she leaned back into her chair again. However, Gudako felt a slight pang at her comment. Thoughts returning to her problem of trying to keep her boyfriend alive while helping to solve the loop problems on the outside.
That pang, at least, hadn't gone unnoticed by Ritsuka. So he did the only thing he thought might work before the two of them decided to go at each other's throats again. He grabbed Alter's hand, giving it a tight squeeze.
Alter's expression was quick to change. She whipped her head around, a range of emotions passing through her, enough so neither sibling was able to catch them all. She bit her lip as her eyes narrowed towards Ritsuka.
He only smiled at her. "Just let it go Alter. She gets under the skin of every servant under a contract to me."
Jeanne Alter is a berserker was more expressive it seemed than when she had an avenger spirit origin. The tension in her shoulders slowly relaxed, and she looked down at the table in shame. And if not for the grip he had on her fist, he imagined she would've chosen that moment to march away huffing.
Eventually, her clenched fist loosened too, Ritsuka gently squeezing her knuckles together gripping her hand still for a moment longer.
She closed her eyes, scrunching her face together before letting the tension out there too. Her cheeks were still red when she opened her mouth again, amber eyes landing on Gudako, still allowing her knuckles to be held by her master. "Sorry."
Ritsuka's eyes turned to his sister.
You don't get to back out of this one.
Gudako seemed to understand, and she nodded slowly. "It's okay Alter. I know you mean no harm with how protective you've been." A half-apology, just enough there to still embarrass the summer berserker. Then she grew more serious, as her expression became crestfallen again. "If it makes you feel any better, you touched some nerves of mine too."
Jeanne Alter huffed at that. Her expression only seemed to darken a bit further as she looked down. "Sorry." She repeated herself again, this time her voice coming out quieter.
Then there was a moment of silence between the three of them. Ritsuka clutched her hand a little tighter for a moment, trying to convey whatever comforts he could through the grip he had on her fingers. But it was only for a moment. He let go of Alter's hand once she'd finished gathering herself, her shoulders straightening.
They are both on the abrasive side, aren't they?
Alter's eyes lingered on her hand for a moment as he'd let go. She took a couple of slower and calmer breaths. Her eyes glanced over at him, and then back to Gudako.
Gudako stared at them in her silence. Then she sighed, running some fingers through her hair. "I think…" She started slowly, her eyes darted between them once again. "I think I'll get my meal to go after all." She pushed her chair out. "The night is still young after all." When finally her brother turned away, she gave a conspiratorial wink to Alter.
Her face started to flush again, as she understood what Gudako was trying to do. "Wait, why don't you stay? At least for dinner?" A slight hint of panic had touched her voice.
She sighed and muttered beneath her breath. "You two…" She shook her head a bit. "As you say, Edmond probably misses me. I can't have his brooding scaring anyone else off."Gudako turned her gaze purposefully to her brother. "If you're both still looking to unwind, go check out the pool in the back in about an hour, when they shut most of the lights off. The view will be great."
Ritsuka nodded. "I'll…" He glanced Alter's way.
She looked at him, trying to keep her face neutral, but there was a slight sign of nervous worry in her eye. One that gave him pause from blurting out his immediate answer. However, ultimately even after taking a few seconds to observe her, he came to a decision.
She's working the hardest of all of us this time around.
She needed some time to wind down as well, otherwise, their frustrations would only grow more palpable. "We'll check it out." He gave an affirming nod to Gudako realizing that was what she most definitely wanted to hear from him. His eyes flicked to Alter, and for her, he added only an additional suggestion. Something only she would hear. Focusing on their bond as master and servant.
"If you'd like to that is?"
Alter almost jumped at the sound of his voice in her head, for he had not done it in a while. It was something she'd approached him cautiously about. Wanting to retain some privacy and agency for as long as she was at Chaldea. She covered her lips for a moment trying to hide her blush. "I...I'd like to tag along." She straightened. "I'd hate for one of those night chickens oversized crabs to be what ends the saviors of humanity."
Gudako chuckled. "Indeed she agreed." She put a hand on her hip and nodded to the both of them. "Night, you two. And try to remember we are supposed to be having fun on this vacation in between all the work we have on our hands." She walked off towards the Tamamo Cat, who'd once again fallen asleep at the counter waiting for the food orders to finish.
Leaving Alter and Ritsuka alone.
He shifted in his chair and watched as both Boudica and his sister rouse the berserker that had once more fallen asleep at the counter. Upon waking up she immediately grabbed her tray, now full of drinks. Her tail swished as she balanced the tay on her way over to them. One of the drinks was a shake that she plopped down in front of Jeanne Alter, and a refill in the form of a soft drink for Ritsuka.
Alter's eyes narrowed towards the shake. "You're eating a lot of stuff that's bad for you. Am I going to be getting a soda after this?"
Ritsuka nodded. "I'm allowed to cheat now and then you know. As long as I maintain my health outside of...such cheat days." He stuck his straw into his Sprite to take a sip. "It's not as bad as you think it is, I promise."
Not that she has to ever worry about eating unhealthy foods.
Tamamo, quietly took all dirty dishes from the table, to make space for what would be Jeanne Alter's giant meal.
Alter didn't seem impressed with his answer, her eyes lingering on, then avoiding them, deciding it was better to eye the shake, it was something easier to focus on him than it was for her to focus on him. She did however pluck the cherry from the top of the shake, and plopped it between her teeth, whipped cream and all, and tugged the stem free. "I can't have my assistant turning into a glutton."
He sighed.
It was a better topic to linger on than the tension between us.
And admission he kept to himself. He took another sip from his Sprite. "What about the way I eat and the way I go about my mornings, typically at Chaldea, says to you I'm a glutton?" It was something EMIYA had gotten him into the habit of. A routine in the mornings to keep his body in shape while between giant missions. His sister joined him every day too. However, if the both of them were to be fair, they'd done it to follow Roman. The doctor had been the first to do so, starting every morning with a jog around the facility and a workout before breakfast.
Walking in out of breath, sweat clinging to my clothes managed to get a small, but subtle proud smile out of him.
Having kept up the routine for so long, being on vacation was making part of him miss it. He hid a frown behind his drink.
Maybe Gudako and eye can go out for morning jogs along the beach?
Jeanne Alter hummed. "I never see you during the mornings of Chaldea." She opened her straw and slid it into the shake. "I assume you were being lazy as per usual."
That made his eyes narrow and he shifted back into his chair. It was something he was still getting used to. The way Jeanne Alter insults him, without intending them to be malicious. He bought back his more… testosterone-filled reply. "I'm your assistant, have I done anything since we started our doujin group to indicate that I'm typically lazy?"
She smiled a bit with her eyes closed. "You took a nap during the day yesterday."
Rituska huffed. "I took a nap because I spent all night helping you draw."
Her amused smile waned. "I didn't want or ask you to do such a thing."
"You didn't have to." He replied. "Even if we both know this won't be the one, I'm still intent on helping you finish out your vision for it." Once he was finished, he realized he was getting a different sort of glare from Alter.
She'd paused, her straw sitting inside her shake, in her chair she wrapped one leg over the other. And against her pale skin, another tint of color started to flood her cheeks. Alter looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes for a moment. Alter took a long sip from her shake hoping the coolness of the ice cream would cool her redding cheeks.
Right back to where we started, on a topic, both of us want to avoid. Because there is only one logical question to follow up on my statement. "Why?"
And both Ritsuka and Alter feared what may come out such a simple question. So they both opted for silence. Deciding it was a safer path for them both to traverse their time together.
"On..second thought…" She started slowly, the tint in her cheeks growing brighter and warmer. She indicated with her finger at the shake. "I don't think I'll be able to finish this…" Her amber eyes lingered on Ritsuka, red still coloring her expression. To further exasperate her suggestion, she slid the shake between them, on the adjacent corner that they shared. She leaned in for another swig and tucked some of her hair behind her ear.
It was his turn to fight a rising blush. Thankfully, he'd had a lot of practice during his time at Chaldea. Kiyohime was one major reason. As was Mashu in several instances when she did something adorable and she didn't seem to realize it.
Alter though...Alter is different.
It was a kinship formed for different reasons.
The shake between them was for the moment the only thing he dared to look at. Jeanne Alter in her bathing suit didn't help, because she was already astoundingly beautiful, and the bathing suit had only brought it out more. It just made the fight against the rising fluster more difficult to suppress.
Fuck, what does EMIYA do?
He tried to think of that time when all the knights of the round table made constant innuendos while conversing with both EMIYA and their king. They were proud supporters of their friendship and had running bets for when it would finally go beyond that first step.
EMIYA was the only one seemingly aware of their antics, trying to repress his grimaces in conversation with both them and their king. Arturia, bless her heart, seemed to focus completely on the fact that all she cared deeply for was in the same space as her. Her wide grins and competitive nature often showed its hand leading to games that they would all play together.
But through all of it, EMIYA bantered back enough at the knights more often with a subtlety that still managed to go over their heads. And he put up with Arturia's closeness more often than not despite the group setting he was often dragged to.
All that for me to know that certainly, EMIYA wouldn't refuse to share a drink with the King of Knights, even with all her knights present to make jokes at him.
Out here, in the dining area, there was no such crowd close at hand to dissuade him. Gudako was the only person who would care, but even she would be smart enough to hold her tongue, and simply chew him out later. If she even wanted to do so. As far he could tell his sister had been encouraging this sort of thing.
Mordred and Jekyll were busy, watching something on the desk computer together with popcorn as they waited for something else to occupy their time. The kitchen was obscured from view and thus Boudica would never be able to see them, cooking away at Alter's food. And Tamamo Cat had fallen asleep. Again.
Jeanne Alter looked away. "If you didn't want anymore shake you could just say no." She reached for the shake, fingers wrapping around the base of the cool glass. She'd pressed her lips into a line, perhaps to suppress a grimace. But she froze, her eyes flicking to him.
Ritsuka had wrapped his hands half, around hers, and a half around the glass and slid it back to sit just between them. "Despite working on our Doujins, I believe I'm on vacation, and I'm entitled to a few more desserts than usual." He offered Alter a smile, plucking switching a straw from one of his other drinks and plopped into the shake.
Alter slipped her fingers out from beneath his hiding the hand behind the table now. "Tch." was the noise she made as she looked away again. "You are becoming a Glutton." Though a small smile still formed with her blush.
He rumbled a low chuckle, his mouthful, as he swallowed a small portion of the shake. The denial was reflexive. "Nope." But this time he decided to offer a proper explanation. "The mystic codes help out with that." He tapped his aloha shirt a few times. "Magic threads are incredible these days. The only excruciating part is turning my mana into a thread for the staff to do the rest."
She hummed, running fingers through the loose hair that was falling behind her, swinging it over so it rested over her shoulder. With a small smile, she leaned in, taking another sip from the other straw in her shake. She looked across the small space at him. Once she'd gotten her sip, she leaned back some vanilla still hanging from the edge of her lips.
There was an urge to fight cliches that rose within him.
Would it be better to tell her? Or to wipe it yourself?
Maybe he had read too many romance Doujins in the past few days. Or maybe it was his sister's more brazen approach to such things. But both reasons were quick to plow through any urge to fight cliches that he'd had. "Alter," He reached for one of the unused napkins still on the table. "You've got a little something…"
And when he turned to look back at her, she'd gone rigid.
I'm not the only one who's read a bit too much romance these past four weeks of loops.
Her eyes were wide on him, but she'd made no pause to stop him. Her eyes flicked to him, realizing he'd frozen as well. Amber eyes flicked to the napkin in his palm, and then back to him again. Then, Jeanne Alter, despite her fluster, didn't fight the words that had to claw their way out of her throat. "Well? Get it off!"
Ristuka's mouth twitched her raised voice and her glowering blush at the shout. He too felt heat rush into his cheeks as his eyes flicked to where his sister was still waiting by the counter chatting up Boudica.
Both Tamamo had jumped from her seat at the counter, and Gudako spared them a glance. His sister of course seemed to only smile slightly, before going back to the conversation at hand.
Just get it over with.
He reached over and wiped the corner of her lip, his fingers gingerly brushing her chin.
She remained rigid. "S-sorry." Alter said in a much lower voice. Her eyes watching him, like she was expecting him to do something wrong, or waiting for him to screw up in such a fashion she would mock him for it. Mostly, however, she was watching him with wariness. The corners of her lips quivered.
"Got it," Rituska said, once again leaving the moment behind, and scrunched the dirty napkin between his fingers, leaving it on the empty plates. His eyes flicked to Gudako near the kitchen still, finally getting what she ordered.
The orange-haired master simply gave him a wink, and thumbs up.
She is enjoying this too much.
Alter was more careful with her drink for the rest of dinner, and when the food showed up finally, she took it as a much desperately needed break for the tension now resting so firmly between them.
Ritsuka did his best to try and make small talk but for the life of him, he didn't know how to keep the conversation going beyond certain points. And one couldn't say it was for lack of trying. One thing became abundantly clear to him though in this prolonged night between them.
She was as clueless as he was at trying to figure out how to keep the conversations going.
So one by one, the conversations died away, filled with awkward silences.
Alter popped a fry into her mouth. "Tch. I still can't believe you were dumb enough to go alone."
He sighed with a shake of his head. "That wasn't the point of the story I told." He said biting back only slightly. A part of him is still enjoying the banter. He looked away for a moment trying to figure out how to keep this one from dying like the rest. But like the last few times, all his thoughts came and went before anything could be done otherwise about it.
He leaned in for another sip of the shake, tucking his straw between his lips. His eyes coming back to rest on Jeanne Alter.
Alter's eyes had widened, straw still tucked between her lips.
Their noses were only a few inches apart. Enough that when he could feel something warm rising in the small space between them.
I just really want to skip the rest of the dinner now.
But even as her flush deepened, she remained rigid. Too rigid, like she was forcing herself to stay in place. The corner of her lips was cocked upward in a smug smile, one that grew wider with every second she managed to hold his gaze.
Did this just become a competition?
His heart thumped and he could feel his instincts want to return the challenge in kind. It was a difficult thing to suppress. So he didn't bother. If there was one thing he did manage to pick up from his sister during all their time and years together, it was that competitive nature. And he would never back down over something so...simplistic. He leaned in closer.
Her eyes widened in surprise, but she still managed to hold her ground.
And then came the loud sucking noise from a straw pulling it at an empty cup. Both of them looked to the glass between them.
Empty.
Fuck. Saved by the empty glass.
Jeanne Alter sat back into her chair taking another bite from the sandwich she'd gotten with dinner. She remained silent, the smile not as smug as it had been previously, but still present. Happy with the current situation she was in.
And the rest of the meal went by without interruption.
#
Ritsuka got up first, tying his shirt back into place and shaking what little crumbs had clung to him throughout dinner. He left a dozen or so Gil bucks, paying for both himself and Jeanne Alter.
"I can pay for myself." Her voice didn't reach levels of full protest.
Still can't deal with the attention huh?
He smiled. "I may be your assistant for however long we are stuck here." He pressed a hand over the Gilbucks on the table. "But I'm still your master," He chuckled a bit, "And that means you fall under my care." His voice trailing off as he felt his cheeks warming again.
Alter coughed, looking away. "Thank you."
The master hummed a nod. "So, still want to come swimming with me at the pool?"
She folded her arms looking away. "Do you… do you think that it's a good-" She glanced back and froze, looking at the hand outstretched to her.
Ritsuka saw her lips tighten, and whatever misgivings or doubts she'd had present on her features wiped themselves away.
She seemed to take a deep breath first and nodded a few times and rested her hand in his. "O-Of course I'd like to go swimming with you." She smirked a bit. "Remember angry night chickens? It'd be one of the worst written bad endings for a visual novel about someone trying to save the world. Again."
At that, he could only agree. "It would be a terrible way to end my story." He paused for a moment and then corrected himself. "Our story." He wrapped his fingers around her hand and tugged her up gently.
She stood up, and strapped the katanas to her back, letting go of his hand. But she worked quickly, in making sure that the swords in question were back in their rightful place. And before he could pull his hand away fully, Alter snatched his wrist again.
His eyes bulged.
And she looked away, growing red again. But she continued to say nothing in her simple demand. The small pouting smile still on her lips.
Rituska for one was not brave enough to comment on it either.
Or I may just instinctively know better. For once.
He returned the grip on her hand and then gestured the rest of his arm out further between them.
Alter blinked her smile widening at his acceptance and the offer of more. She latched their arms together, the two of them now nearly pressed together. While her face warmed, it was clear she was content to let her flush sit there comfortably.
To the pool.
###