Summary: Back in Salem, a Master waits for an Archer to come back from his nightly patrol, remembering things in the past while trying to stay in the present.

Note: This was written over many days after work, from dealing with what was apparently upfront borderline abuse and workplace harassment over two weeks. And as much as I'm glad upper management and my loved ones have been listening to me, it didn't stop the initial frustration I felt. Even when reeling from the ramifications of it days after, to the point of posting this on a day off my supervisor made me take from my body wobbling like I was a weak penguin, I just wanted a hug. But not everyone could give one at the time, and writing was the next best thing I could turn to.

I'm still trying not to think about what will hit my family soon in 2022 either, and work hasn't made it less easy to digest, but that's how life has been this October. Let's just say I dread the next upcoming funeral, because it's no longer a mere "possibility" anymore.

The theme for this chapter is Sakiwafuhana by Mimori Suzuko, from Washio Sumi is a Hero. I found the translated lyrics fit the myriad of feelings I was experiencing when writing this.

Dedicated to Rex and Carim, two online friends who saw me through all the drama and who I'm currently feeling very grateful towards. Please enjoy.

Day 23: Meaning in Waiting

Tick tock. Tick tock.

Vy wasn't unfamiliar with waiting. In better days, in the time she had before Chaldea, it became a habit to wake up in the middle of the night to wait for Daddy to come home.

Hiep Duong wasn't a perfect man — not by a long shot. It didn't make seeing his tired expression morph into a fondly surprised one any less worth it in those days, because he would always give Vy a wide-eyed look before striding over to let her hug him.

"What are you doing, Be Vy? You should be asleep with your mom," she could still recall him saying with a kiss to her head, and her answer hadn't changed, even when she was in a Singularity and the enemy could be anywhere.

Vy kept her eyes, blurry as they were without her glasses, open and focused on the front door of the Carter household, blanket loosely hanging on her shoulders as she sat in one of the many rickety chairs of the building and waited again. Da Vinci's Mystic Code-fashioned nightgown covered her enough to let her sit relatively comfortably, and time went on.

Tick tock. Tick tock.

Vy wasn't sure of how long she sat there, but by the time the door creaked open, a tiny smile formed on her face. A soft tap of an invisible boot echoed against the wooden floors before a flash of green revealed the newest visitor to the Carter household, and Vy silently watched as Robin Hood slowly made himself visible. Probably coming back from a patrol all alone in this new Salem, no doubt. He said he would be back eventually. A swish of ginger hair was all she could make out past the No Face May King and her own impaired vision before a green eye was wide and reflecting just her in the iris and then she could hear longer, rougher walking strides against the floor. She did her best not to flinch at the feeling of larger calloused hands cupping hers, almost like she was a doll.

The ticking stopped once Vy could hear Robin — my hero, where were you, are you okay — exhale like he had been punched in the gut.

"Little sparrow," Robin Hood whispered adamantly, horror bellying his voice and making the tired lines under his eye all the more clear as he leaned in towards her, "what are you doing out of bed? It's almost dawn, and—" he cut himself off once he noticed the blanket covering Vy's shoulders, immediately taking one hand away to tug at the thing. Probably to fix its positioning if anything. When did it get so cold in the house, anyways? Was it always cold? "You should be with Mash and the others."

Vy returned Robin's stare with the same small smile, repeating the same words she used to say to Daddy way back when. "I woke up and noticed you weren't home, so I wanted to wait for you, Big Robin."

Robin's green eye widened again, enough to resemble a dinner plate for a moment, before softening. "Little sparrow…"

"I'm used to this, waiting," Vy whispered to him, slowly closing her eyes and squeezing his hand with both of hers. "I used to do this for Daddy when he'd come home from work. And after everything we've seen together, from the Temple of Time to that weird digital sea, I think I can wait for you too, Big Robin."

"That doesn't mean—" Robin inhaled sharply, all the warning Vy had before the hand on hers was pulling and she found herself falling forward. Her nose uncomfortably bumped against some muscle before settling into a familiar comfy crook of a cloak collar, allowing her to smell forest wood and mint as lean, toned arms wound around her waist, squeezing past the blanket. "Vy, little sparrow, you didn't have to wait for me. You can barely stand up now and I told you I'd come back."

Even when on her tiptoes, Vy still shook her head. "I still wanted to wait for you. I…" A yawn cut through her words, interrupting her already fading thoughts, but she raised her arms, as weak as they were, to hug Robin back. He deserved it after everything. "I've handled it before. And you're worth it to me…"

I wanted to see you, was left unsaid. After everything they saw together in that Digital Sea, Vy wasn't sure if she could say it. But she meant it.

"You really are…" A hand was then resting on the back of her head, stroking her hair as a breath brushed her skin. Did Robin know? "You really are something else."

"Is that… a bad thing?" Vy didn't know what made her ask. It was an instinctual question if anything.

But Robin didn't answer at first, instead continuing to brush her hair with the tiniest of sighs leaving him as he kept her close. It took a moment for Vy to hear the quiet, almost inaudible, "Never has been," before Robin pulled back and Vy unconsciously closed one eye when a gloved hand reached up to cup her cheek. Something feathery brushed her forehead, making Vy blink slowly at the sensation. What was that? "But you need your rest, little sparrow."

"So do…" Vy did her best to hold back the next incoming yawn, rubbing at her eyes with a sleeve of her nightgown while trying not to accidentally hit Robin's arms. "So do you." He was already dealing with what appeared to be plenty of crap from Nezha and Sanson, even if Sanson was polite in every other circumstance. Rivalry? Vy wasn't sure — she just knew she didn't want to add to any possible burdens Robin was carrying. After all, having your strength halved and being forced into a living, almost-human body after being a Servant for who knows how long could easily affect anyone. Vy had no clue how Robin was taking it.

Robin still chuckled at her tired quip, almost like they were back in Chaldea again, his laughter brushing her forehead as his hand rubbed her cheek. "Maybe, with this temporary body and all," he mused, bumping her head with his. "But I'm not the Ringmaster of this ragtag troupe, and we have another performance coming up tomorrow night. And all good Ringmasters need sleep."

"And so do petty bowmen," Vy couldn't help but add, doing her best to give him a disapproving look like Mommy used to when she worked too hard, but all it accomplished was make him laugh a bit louder. Sheesh, was there something on her face? "I-I meant every single bit of that! Don't laugh, Robin!"

"I-I know, little sparrow, I know," Robin said, still working around the snickers as the arm around her waist squeezed in that warm welcome way of his (like in Chaldea, before the Demon God Pillars reared their ugly heads again), the hand on her cheek falling to — wait. He couldn't be thinking of — would he? "But my point still stands taller than yours, so I think I can laugh it off a bit."

Vy barely got out a call of his True Name before Robin was carrying her princess-style (or was it called 'bridal-carry'? Vy didn't know anymore), and by the time her cheek lulled against his shoulder, a frown covered her face. "…I can walk by myself, Big Robin," she found herself saying almost petulantly.

"And I'm still your squire, princess," Robin purred, the arms around her shoulders and the undersides of her knees still holding pretty firmly for his halved 'incarnation' as he started walking, leaving the front door of the Carter household behind him. Why did he have to use Art-san and Achi's nickname for her in this situation? "And squires have to care for their ladies by bringing them to bed."

"Muuuu," was all that left Vy's lips to that, and Robin's chest rumbled enough for her to feel it as he chuckled again, his boots gently clacking against the wooden boards of the floor before slowly starting to climb the only staircase in the house. Despite their combined weight, each step didn't even make as much as a "creak" noise, almost acting like stone as Robin made his way up to the second floor where the guest bedrooms were. "You're a dork, Big Robin," left her lips before she could stop them (flapping yet again), and yet again Robin chuckled, shifting her weight just so that her head was resting against the crook between his shoulder and neck.

"But I'm your dork, little sparrow," was the gentle answer that brushed the top of her hair — it was so uncharacteristically heartfelt and sweet coming from the rogue that used to smoke on a daily basis when they first met — and Vy blinked once the same feathery feeling from before gently pressed against the crown of her head. Huh? "Didn't we decide that back in that digital sea of yours?"

"Aye…" And in a way, they did, didn't they? Even with BB lording her influence around that oil rig like a king — more like the insufferable, intolerable bitch of an AI she was — back then, Robin had proven that he still cared, didn't he? Hugging her when Vy was crying, even when she was feeling so so tempted to punch him a bit because of his ghosting act, and then outright apologizing even when she wasn't sure she wanted to hear it. He still stayed. He still hugged her because he remembered she liked those when she was upset. Even now, in another Singularity, with half of his power at his disposal, Vy couldn't forget that. And — darn it, her eyelids were getting heavier. Vy still forced her remaining energy into her vision so that it wouldn't fade so quickly, nodding her head to keep herself around. "You know…" came out of Vy's lips in a very tired, high-pitched version of his usual drawl, "I appreciate you a lot, Big Robin, right?"

By the time Robin was pushing one of the bedroom doors open with a boot-covered foot, he was giving her a half-fond, half-exasperated look with his singular green eye, a wry smile on his face. "Wouldn't forget it even in another Summoning," he deadpanned, an undercurrent of warmth wiping out whatever sarcasm would've been present in his voice. Robin proceeded to gently approach the only bed in the room, lowering her to rest on the mattress while taking the blanket off her shoulders. With a soft rustle of the cloth, the blanket then covered her figure in time with Robin softly pushing Vy into the nearest pillow, letting her ear rest against the darn thing. "But you still need sleep, little sparrow. We can talk in the morning."

He's going away—

Vy didn't even know where the thought came from. All she knew was that she had to do something before losing herself to another night of rest. So she just willed her last dredges of consciousness into her left hand where her Command Spells were, urging her fingers up into the air to grasp the edges of the No Face May King just before he could turn around and disappear.

Even without her glasses, Vy could tell Robin was staring at her over his shoulder in surprise. No thanks to her foiling whatever attempt he was making at leaving the room, probably, and Vy opened her mouth.

"Could you…" The words felt like sawdust in her throat, sounding so so selfish, but she still found herself saying them with blurry eyes. "Could you stay with me?"

Robin opened his mouth, considered, then closed it, his lips thinning into a line. Something swirled behind that green eye of his, and Vy blinked blearily up at him in return, ignoring the urge to hide away in her tangled brown hair.

"Please?"

Don't go away like in SERAPH, Robin. Please. I want to see you when I wake up.

I don't want to be alone again.

The last thing Vy was expecting was for Robin to sigh. He slowly closed his eye, his brow furrowing for a moment — almost like he was shouldering the entire world — before he extended one pointer finger towards her in a quiet request for "one second." Without a single ounce of hesitation, he then used his other hand to pull over a rickety chair, similar to the one she was sitting in when waiting on him, and proceeded to plop himself down on it, leaning forward to meet her eyes in eye contact. Vy also wasn't expecting him to grab the hand she was using to hold onto his cloak, squeezing it like before again. Like she was a doll. Like Vy was the one in danger of disappearing, when Robin was in just as much danger as the rest of them.

"Always," he whispered, the fringe of ginger hair parting somewhat to reveal his other green eye to her. It was equally soft and warm as the hands he was using to hold hers, cradling her fingers like they were some kind of precious treasure. "For as long as you need me, little sparrow, I'll be here."

By the time Vy's eyes closed against her will, she wasn't sure if she gave him an answer back. Maybe a "thank you" would've done well. But the dreams that followed, at least this time, were filled with hiking trails and bluebirds, so it would be something she'd have to satisfy herself with. The hint of green she saw in her mind was good enough.