I see a world covered in red. The sky is dark as smoke covers the clouds while the heat of the world is hot enough to burn my skin. Yet I feel no pain from it.
…I'm dreaming.
All around me are the burning buildings and corpses of the town. Their features long gone from the flames, and all that's left of them are black charred bodies like charcoal.
And in the middle of that red world, is a girl in black and red.
Her pinkish hair, dirty from the ash and dust, sways in the wind, her familiar red scarf is torn and shredded, fluttering behind her like red smoke, and her face is stained with red blood.
The blood of the people she's killed.
The scene in front of me is something that I'm becoming more and more used to seeing. The scene of the girl standing in the flames of death is something that's becoming familiar to me with each passing night.
I say that yet… Somehow, it still pisses me off.
Not just because of the red world, not just because of the sight of the girl standing in the middle of it, but also because…
…That girl doesn't have a slightest hint of emotion on her face whatsoever.
And that's something that always makes me angry whenever I see it, whenever I see a dream like this after going to sleep.
Because what I'm seeing isn't a dream, but a memory.
Worst of all… This is just one of many scenes similar to the world I'm seeing before me. And in all of them, she never shows any emotion. As if she's a sword designed only to kill.
And I hate that.
That's why… In order to not see that emotionless face on her again, I'd have to make her not to be a sword, but to be a human.
The moment I made that promise, darkness consumed me, making me close my eyes once more.
I sluggishly open my eyes. I look outside the window to see that it's still night out.
Then looking at the clock in my room, I see that it's still late at night.
"..."
Sighing, I lay still in the futon. I can't seem to sleep for some reason. The reason not because of me not being sleepy, but because of-
A familiar girl with pinkish hair flashes through my mind.
"...Those dreams again."
…That's right. The reason is simple. The reason why I can't sleep is not because I'm not tired, but because of the dreams I've been seeing recently.
No, not dreams. Memories.
Memories of a girl with pinkish hair that thinks of herself as a sword.
Memories of her standing in the fires of hell with charred and slashed corpses around her. Her red scarf that I have gotten so used to, was torn and shredded. Fluttering from the wind behind her back as her pinkish hair, dirtied by the dust and ash of the fire, swayed in the burning night, with the stains of blood of the people she killed on her face.
She just stood there, watching the scenery before her eyes, not caring for the flames or corpses that surrounded her. She just watched.
All without a single hint of emotion on her face.
Again, and again I see those, no, her, memories everytime in my sleep. The sight of her just standing there covered in blood, surrounded by corpses, is something I can't just accept.
Because… Because…
…All of it felt very familiar to me.
Tick.
The ticking of the clock pulls me out of my thoughts. The moment I separated from them, I realized that my breath is ragged, my heart racing as if I'm afraid of something.
And my hands are clenched so tightly where they could pierce the skin.
"Ha... Ha..."
...Did her memories really make me riled up this much?
Her emotionless face flashes through his mind again.
...
Not to be a sword, but to be a human.
The promise I made in the dream echoes in my head. As if reminding me of what I should do.
No, what I need to do.
Yes, that's right. I swear I will do everything in my power to make her be human, no matter what the dreams suggest, no matter what they show.
For I will prove them wrong. That she's not a sword, but a human being. I will prove it.
Even if it means my life.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The clock ticks away as I let out a breath. Shaking my head, I turn to look at the room where Saber's currently sleeping in.
Hm? Something's different. I can't hear Saber's breathing in the room next to mine.
"Saber…?" I get up from the futon and walk to her room, sliding the door open.
As expected, she's not there. Where did she go at this time?
"Maybe…" It's just a guess, but considering her, I'm pretty sure that's where she is.
Nodding to myself, I went out of my room.
Going out to the porch, I look around and-
"..."
What I saw in front of me took my breath away.
There she was, just sitting on the porch watching the night sky. Her long silky pinkish hair reflected by the moonlight sways from the cold night breeze behind her back. Her face is calm, her eyes looking as if they're searching for something in the starry sky.
She's beautiful. I know that since the very day I met her, but the scene in front of me makes me realise that fact even more.
Then, she turns to me. Her grey eyes which were emotionless before, now seem to light up more whenever she sees me for some reason.
"Master…?" She speaks in her usual quiet tone.
"Y-Yo. What are you doing out here, Saber?" After finding my breath, I ask her and sit down on the porch beside her.
"...I couldn't sleep." She answers me.
"I see. Well, I couldn't sleep either, so I guess that makes us even."
"Is that so…" As if ending the conversation there, she looks back up at the night sky.
Not having anything else to say, I look at the sky.
We just sit on the porch like that, just looking at the night sky together in silence.
Moments passed before the silence finally began to become unbearable. When I open my mouth to say something to break the silence-
"...Why are you always kind to me?"
Saber speaks up, and asks a strange question. What does she mean by that?
"What do you mean, Saber?"
"Why are you so kind to me, even though I'm just a sword only for you to use and that I will potentially disappear from this world." She turns to me. I could see uncertainty and conflict in her eyes that's unlike her.
Ah, so that's it. Do I really need a reason?
"Well…" I keep looking up at the night sky. "I don't really have a reason to be kind to you, because there doesn't need to be a reason to be kind."
"What…?" She tilts her head with her eyes filled with confusion at my words.
"That's right. I will always be kind to you, no matter how much you call yourself a sword, because-"
Yeah. No matter how much she says it, no matter how much she calls herself that, no matter the fact that she'll eventually disappear from this world, that still doesn't change one thing in my mind.
I turn my gaze from the sky to Saber's eyes.
The red world flashes through my mind, and the promise I made in that world.
And that thing is-
"You're still a human."
"..."
An inaudible gasp escapes Saber's lips. There's only silence after that. Saber looks at me with wide eyes as if what I said was absurd. Then she hangs her head, not looking at me.
"Saber…?" I carefully call out to her.
Then, after a few moments of silence-
"I see…" She speaks quietly. Taking a deep breath, she lifts her head to look at me and then-
"Then I no longer have doubts."
She gives a warm smile.
"Thank you Master… for being kind to me."
Badum. My heart beats. I don't know why, but I couldn't help but be happy and smile back at her after seeing that smile on her face.
Something about it feels… precious. Something that seems like an once-in-a-lifetime experience.
"..."
I shake my head. The emotionless girl I saw in my dreams isn't present in Saber. In fact…
…That's right. Looking back to them, this is the first time I've seen her smile like this. A true genuine smile.
So, seeing her smile like this for the first time is something that I can be happy about.
For this is her true nature. Her real self. Not the emotionless sword that she thinks she is, but a human being.
"That smile fits her." I mutter to myself.
Yeah. That smile really does fit her.
"Master?" Saber's concerned voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
"Ah, sorry, Saber." I shake away my thoughts. "I was just spaced out for a moment."
"Okay."
Knowing that her concern was unneeded, she looks back up and watches the night sky with that same smile on her face.
Looking at the sky, I realised how late it was already.
Man, how long have we been sitting here?
Sleepiness suddenly hit my body as my eyes started to droop the moment I noticed how late it was. It seems that I didn't realise how tired I was when I was talking with Saber.
With that in mind, I stand up from the porch.
"Master?"
"Let's go back to sleep, Saber. It's already late."
"Ah."
Saber, also realising, nods at my words as she also gets up from the porch. Seeing her stand up, I walk back to my room.
"...Hm?"
I stop after taking a few steps. Strange. I don't hear Saber's footsteps behind me.
Checking behind me, I see Saber still standing on the porch deep in thought.
"Saber?" I call out to Saber, wondering if she's okay.
That seems to get her attention as she was pulled out of her thoughts.
"A-Ah, sorry, Master." Saber acts strangely as she walks back to her room in a hurry.
"...?"
I tilt my head confusedly at her strange behaviour before an uncontrollable yawn comes out of my mouth, telling me that I need to go to sleep.
Brushing Saber's strange behaviour aside, I went back to my room.
I fall down onto the futon, feeling the wave of sleepiness hit my body as soon as I lay down on it.
I stare up at the ceiling, thinking back to that conversation with Saber. Thinking back to that smile.
The first ever smile I saw on her face. If that's what it takes just to make her be a human being, a normal girl, then that's good enough. Maybe a small step, but a step nonetheless.
Smiling at that fact, I slowly close my eyes.
But, the moment I do so-
"Master… Can I come in?"
Her voice speaks up from the other room.
"A-Ah, Saber?" I raise my body and look at Saber's room.
"Can I come inside, Master?" She asks me in an unusual tone.
What does she want during this time?
"S-Sure, come in, Saber."
"Okay."
With that, the sliding door of Saber's room slides open and-
…Time freezes. My breathing stops the moment I see her figure the moment she opens the door.
Moonlight shines on her exposed tan skin as she's wearing something that reveals most of her body.
She's wearing a dark red silky lingerie dress that highlights her features. Where did she get that?!
Her soft thighs are exposed, glistening in the moonlight while showing her cleavage. Her black ribbon that is used to tie her hair is nowhere to be seen, letting her long wavy hair fall down her back like a wave of pink. Her exposed collarbone and shoulders are alluring, making me imagine myself wanting to kiss the- No!
I shake off the indecent thoughts out of my head. I can feel my face heating up from the thoughts in my head, and from the girl in front of me right now.
God, I'm so embarrassed.
She must be feeling the same as she's blushing slightly. Her eyes are roaming around my room, not wanting to look at me with her arms crossed under her breasts, making them stand out even more.
"W-Why are you looking at me like that, Master?" Her voice sounds timid as her words make me realise what I was doing until now.
"S-Saber! Wh-What are you wearing?!" I shout in embarrassment as I look away from her. I don't know what I will do if I look at her in that state any longer.
"D-Do you not like it?"
I don't know why, but her voice sounded disheartened when she said that.
"What, no, I mean, yes, anyway that's not the point!"
"You like it then?"
Man. If she asks me that with that face, I don't know what to say.
"...Yes, I do like it…" I answer her as naturally as I can as I can feel my face heating up even more from embarrassment.
My words seem to make her light up a bit as she smiles lightly.
Okay, my mind is slowly calming down. There's just one thing I need to ask.
"Saber."
"Hm? What is it, Master?"
"...Why are you wearing something like that?" I point at her outfit while staring directly at her face. No, more importantly, where did she get something like that.
A certain red devil comes to mind.
…On second thought, I think it's best not to think of it.
"Well…" Her blush grows redder. "It's because…"
I got a bad feeling that I know why she's wearing that, but I don't think about it as I push her.
"Because…?"
"Because…" She hesitates. After a few moments of silence, she breathes in and finally speaks.
"Because I want to sleep with you, Master."
…
My mind stops thinking. The girl in front of me said something so absurd that it feels like a dream.
But then… Why is my face burning up so much that it feels like it's about to burst into flames?
"Master?"
Her voice breaks me out of my state as reality starts to hit me like a stack of bricks.
"What… Did you say?" I ask her even though I already know.
"I said I want to sleep with you, Master." She answers naturally.
Hah… It's not a dream after all.
How did it come to this? That's the question that's constantly asked in my head as I look at Saber who's still standing in the doorway of her room.
I want to say no, I want to say she can't sleep with me. I'm a guy, who knows what'll happen if she sleeps with me tonight, but…
"Can I… Master?" She looks at me with a strange hint of hope in her eyes.
…I can't deny her if she asks me with a face like that.
With that in mind, I make my decision.
"...Yes, you can, Saber."
She lights up at my words.
"R-Really?"
I nod at Saber.
"Yeah."
Despite me telling her yes, she still looks hesitant. After a few moments, she walks into my room with hesitant steps and sits down in front of me.
I lay back down on the futon, motioning her to lay down with me despite my burning face due to the thought of having her this close to me.
Saber looks between me and the futon before slowly sliding into the futon. I try to give her my pillow, but she refuses.
"Saber?"
"I'm sorry, Master, but I can't force you to give me your pillow. When an… another alternative is available."
She blushes lightly, glancing at my left arm with her eyes.
Another alternative? What another alternative-
…Oh.
"You mean…?"
"...Yes. I want to sleep on your arm, Master."
That's what she means by that.
I have no other choice but to use my arm as her pillow.
I sigh. Ignoring my blushing face, I lay out my arm for her to rest her head.
"T-Thank you."
She then slowly put her head on my arm, trying to find a comfortable position on my arm.
After finding a comfortable position, she just looks at me with her eyes. Our bodies are close to each other, covered by the sheets of the futon. We just stare at one another for a few moments, not making a sound.
…I don't know what to say. The girl in front of me is acting differently from the sword I was accustomed to.
But, I prefer her this way. The girl in front of me now, is actually acting as a human girl instead of a sword.
First, that smile, and now this. I'm seeing more of that girl now than ever. And that makes me happy.
Because that means I'm one step closer to fulfilling my promise.
Then, my eyes start to droop. It seems my sleepiness is finally catching up to me. But I have one more thing to ask her before I fall asleep.
"Saber."
"Hm? What is it, Master?"
"Call me Shirou."
"Huh?"
She tilts her head at my words.
"Shi… rou?"
"Yeah. I want you to call me Shirou from now on. Not Master or anything else."
"I…"
She hesitates until she speaks after a few moments.
"Okay, but…"
She looks me in the eyes.
"I want you to call me Okita…. Just for tonight."
Okita… I knew that was her name from the dreams. If she wants me to call her Okita, even just once, I will.
"Okay, Okita."
The moment I called her by her name, she smiled.
Good. As long as she's happy, I can sleep with ease.
"Good night, Okita."
"Yes. Good night, Shirou."
We lay there with our bodies close to each other as we slowly fall into a deep sleep.
But before that…
"Thank you… for giving me a life."
She says those words in the most heartfelt voice that I didn't think possible, as she smiles at me in a way that makes my heart beat.
"Mhm… No problem, Okita."
With that, we lay in each other's company as my mind fades into darkness.
Author Notes:
So… I wrote this. Well, I didn't think I would actually finish this, but here it is. A Shirou/Okitan fic. It's an odd thing, but that's what fanfiction is all about.
This is actually the first story that I've written to like 1-2k plus. I usually write stories in the 400-500 words range, sometimes bigger than that, but never 1k and above.
When I was writing this story, I felt that the quality went downhill, which I think it did to be perfectly honest. I'm sure you felt the same way too when you read through this story, if you actually made it to the end that is.
Fun fact, there was actually going to be an omake about Okitan being petted, but I scrapped it. The story was already getting long anyway, excluding this Author note you're reading right now.
So, here it is. The story took at least 2-3 months to finish. Most of that was due to motivation and other things like not knowing how to write certain parts, etc.
Well, I hope that you enjoy reading this story. If you didn't, well, I don't blame you.
Ghost out. (Ghost out? I need to get something better than that.)
Edit:
Sorry if you were hoping for a new chapter, but there isn't a new one. I just updated this chapter with more, well, content…? Is that what you call it? Eh, whatever. I added more words to the beginning part though, not the dream, but the one where Shirou wakes up which I'm sure you guys noticed. Thanks to Dhaturas for the suggestion in the reviews by the way. You guys should check him out, he's a great Author. The rest of the story is still pretty much the same though. The reason I updated this chapter is because I just posted the story over at AO3 just recently, and I wanted to share the news to you guys if you want to read the story over there instead.
Anyway, I think that's it for this edit so yeah.
Oh also, there's an Okita Souji Alter character tag now. So if some of you guys are writing a fic featuring her, you can use the tag.
Anyway, Ghost out.