Summary: On a quiet day at Novum Chaldea, one former God of Love, now one of many Assassins, reflects as the Grailed Servants play Uno.

Note: This is a combination of two short stories, originally titled "Reading Time" and "Unforgotten Love" that I had written for Carim and Lunar, two friends that I still platonically love with all my heart. Since I've gotten some time to reflect on both original stories, I wanted to combine them into one chapter to post into the proper story, with some additional scenes for better transitions and more content. :)

The original theme I had recommended for the stories was Anthem Lights' cover of I Lived, by One Republic. I still like it now, I'll just also add on Yuki Kaijura's track titled Never Leave You Alone from the Rebellion movie of Madoka Magica.

Carim, Lunar? This is for you both.

A shout-out to the friend I know as Fae too, since their feedback helped in making this chapter real. Also, Aqui, since I know he loves Kama and he's been with me since my Naruto writing days. You both do great and thankie for staying with me.

For everyone else? Please enjoy!

Day 33: Another Form of Love

Kamadeva merely leveled the petite brunette Master sitting next to them with a look of disbelief. In response, Vy said nothing, simply turning the page in her copy of The Tales of Robin Hood — a copy neatly crafted by Murasaki Shikibu and the other authors — while sitting against the bookshelf behind her. If Kamadeva didn't know any better, in that white dress and black ribbon sash, Vy would've been a regular human. If not for the bright red lotus petals shining against the back of her left hand, she would've been the same as any other girl from Proper Human History. Even then…

"Master."

"Mm?" was the little noise of an answer back.

"What are you doing?"

Vy merely leaned in to gently bump the side of her head against Kama's shoulder, shrugging softly. Her glasses slid down the bridge of her nose as she said, "Spending time with you?"

"But you could ask me for anything," Kama said hastily, trying not to focus on the feeling of warmth on their shoulder while defensively sliding their mask into place. This wasn't real. This all wasn't real. Vy's kindness had to be an act. It had to be— she was still just a mere human— "I am still a God of Love. I can give you anything you want."

"But that doesn't account for what you want, Kama," Vy pointed out in the same quiet voice, scooting closer so that she was barely nestled into the space between Kama's arm and side. "And all I want right now is to try to help you be more comfortable. If it means reading in silence to spend time with you, then I'm okay with that." Almost for extra emphasis, the tiny Master scooted over just a bit more, the top of her head finding comfort in the crook between Kama's shoulder and neck as a sigh left her lips. "Everyone deserves some peace and quiet, even if it's just coexisting. And besides, I like coexisting with you right now."

It's real.

Kama wasn't sure if it was their vessel or their own self, but they found themselves inhaling sharply anyways, barely hiding it with a shift of their body so that Vy was better tucked into their side. "…You really are a foolish Master, Vy."

Vy merely turned another page in her book, shrugging again as a smile tugged at her lips. Her fingers gently traced one specific illustration of a hunched-over, green-hooded figure as she murmured, "I learn from the best of heroes."

"Indeed you do." But for some reason, Kama found themselves smiling back.

"I declare the next color change to be yellow!"

"Again with yellow, Ereshkigal?"

Behind her hand of four cards, Shiki was giving Arturia a look. "Says the one who likes blue."

"Blue is a fine color," the Saber retorted without much heat, putting down a yellow "1" to start off the new Uno pile while lowering her number of cards to a mere three. "And this is coming from the one who loves red."

Shiki shrugged enough to rustle her red jacket, just in time for Musashi nearby to let out a happy laugh and wrap an arm around the Assassin's shoulders. "All colors are great, Saber, Assassin!" she chirped, the ribbon keeping her bun together brushing the top of Shiki's hair. A blue "1" was then tossed into the pile as Musashi finished with a lighter, "And I like blue too, so there's that!"

"Thank you, Berserker," Arturia said with a small smile.

"No problem, Saber!"

"Hm," Skadi said quietly on her own, looking at her hand of seven cards before delicately fishing out one and putting down a blue "7" for her turn. "As much as blue is beautiful, there's a limit to the number of blue cards in the deck."

"That's why luck plays a role in this game too, doesn't it? And it's why we reshuffle the pile when we run out of cards too." Ereshkigal put in quietly with a wry smile of her own, glancing at her hand of two before reaching out to the deck in the middle of the kotatsu table. "Color change cards are hard to come by, but I'll put down a blue 3."

Achilles, sitting next to Robin who was working on making another poison bolt for his crossbow, merely put his arms behind his neck to whistle. "Too bad Uno is best with only four players. I'd like to put in some green myself."

"Because it's better than orange?" Robin jabbed under his breath, sanding some edges of the arrowhead in his hands with some sandpaper. "I didn't miss how the Saber of Red called you 'Carrot', Rider."

The incoming friendly cuff to the back of his head was expected considering the banter. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Archer." Even then, Achilles' gesture was friendly, chiding almost, as he went on with a quieter, "Isn't it about time for you to pick up our Princess?"

The statement didn't go over the heads of the other Servants in the room, because many heads turned to look at the only clock in the lounge room, with the seconds hand ticking in an extra note just for the moment. "Huh," Robin said quietly, putting down his tools. "Thanks for the heads-up. It's my shift today, isn't it?"

"Indeed, but will you require assistance, Archer?" Arturia put down her hand in time with Ereshkigal slowly sitting up from the kotatsu, the Uno game clearly pausing as all the Servants looked in Robin's direction. "I can come with you."

"Maybe," Robin said vaguely, grabbing his cloak from the back of his chair while standing up from his workspace. "I have a feeling I know where the little sparrow is, so you should be enough for emergency backup, Saber." Once the familiar mantle was resting against his neck, Robin tossed his head back towards the King of Knights. "Think you could follow me?"

Compared to that tyrant king in Nero, Arturia's smile was quietly and solemnly proud. Humble even, if Robin could put a finger on it. "Of course, Archer."

At least there was one king in Novum Chaldea Robin could find himself trusting. Especially when it was a King he knew from the original observatory. "Let's go get the little sparrow for her nap, then."

Kamadeva was not surprised at the sudden weight against their side. It was obvious Vy would eventually fall asleep. Reading was an activity well known to make the Chaldean Master sleepy, and add in how she was originally snuggled up into Kama's side, the warmth was more than enough to make the girl slowly lose consciousness.

In the dim light of the library, with barely anyone else around, Kamadeva could look at the slumbering brunette with something barely resembling a smile.

"…How is it that you can resist being corrupted by me? I am a God and you are still human, Master. You shouldn't be able to resist me." Kama delicately raised a hand in Vy's direction, not even bothered by the soft breaths brushing their vessel's skin as their fingers pressed against Vy's exposed forehead. A few stray strands of brown hair had fallen there, sticking to the skin until Kama brushed them away, and still Kama found themselves caught between a smile and a frown. Once again, Kama couldn't enter Vy's dreams — even with a single touch while tapping into their Master-Servant bond. Something was blocking them from further corrupting the girl. Why? "What makes you so different from the other humans?"

As expected, Vy didn't answer. She merely inhaled and exhaled as any other human would in sleep, her head still lulling against Kama's shoulder. Almost like Vy didn't mind. Like Vy trusted Kama. Like Vy truly loved Kama enough to care. It took less than a second for Kama's gaze to drift downwards, focusing on the book tucked between Vy's arms and hugged close to her chest.

The Tales of Robin Hood stood out almost mockingly against the green cover with its elegantly embossed gold lettering, contrasting the forest path pictured there and the slender hands keeping it closed. The pink flower-shaped jewel sitting on a golden band adorning Vy's left middle finger made the image feel all the more like a slap to the face.

"Of course it's him," left Kama's throat in a growl they weren't expecting, but even in spite of that burst of emotion, the approaching sound of footsteps was nothing in comparison. Kama wasn't even surprised at that.

It was an unspoken rule. If there was any sign of danger to the Chaldean Master, any one of Vy's Grailed Servants would soon follow to address it. The Green Archer especially.

"Little sparrow, it's time for your—" Sure enough, the titular character — the titular hero Robin Hood himself — made himself known with a step forward in Kama's direction. The originally soft gaze in his green eye turned dark almost immediately once he caught sight of Kama, and Kama said nothing as the Yew Bow started to materialize on his right arm. "What are you doing, Assassin?"

Kama rolled their eyes. "Nothing. I decided to sit down and your little sparrow joined me. She fell asleep a little while ago, probably because it's time for her 'daily nap.'" Just to spite him, Kama extended the arm that Vy was unconsciously using as an extra pillow, using their elbow to poke the girl with an exaggerated smirk. "She's heavy, so take her, will you?"

"Nn-muu…" was Vy's tiny complaint in response to Kama's actions, still asleep in spite of everything as her eyebrows furrowed against her head. "Five more minutes…"

"You don't need to tell me that," Robin snapped, yet still keeping his voice hushed as he got to his knees to take Vy into his arms bridal-style. The Yew Bow disappeared from his hand as he said, "Novum Chaldea isn't your Ooku, Assassin."

I won't ever let it be that way again, was left unsaid. Kama could sense it, though.

Yep. Kama still didn't regret wanting to turn him into a green skeleton puppet. He would've been more dashing that way.

But in the face of that verbal jab, Kama couldn't say much else. They merely rolled their eyes again, crossing their arms and turning their head away from the scene once Robin got a good hold on his little sparrow, taking a breath as the opposing Archer got to his feet. Even without looking, Kama was sure the book Vy loved was still in her arms as the man she loved carried her up to safety in his own.

"…Why did it have to be you?"

"…Huh?" Robin paused before he could fully get away, Vy's head lulling against his neck as he slowly turned to look back at Kama. Whether or not Kama hit a nerve, it wasn't entirely clear. "What brought this on?"

Kama ignored the flush of heat starting to climb up the back of their neck, shaking their head instead. Either it was them or their vessel. Neither thought helped. "I'm a God of Love, worthless Archer. I could easily corrupt anyone I touch. That's how all-encompassing my love is. But that girl — that little sparrow of yours — she keeps resisting me. She keeps staying the way she is because all she thinks about is you."

Robin turned on the heel of his boot this time, barely able to level Kama with a disbelieving look in return. Vy didn't even stir from the movement, the crown of her hair falling against the underside of his chin once Robin glanced down at her.

"'The best of heroes'? Where were the heroes when I died? When I was doing my job and was smited for it?" Kama could taste bile in the back of their vessel's throat as they lowered their head. Shiva, Parvati, Rati. There were so many things that could've been done but just weren't. "…I just wanted to do my duty so that no one would need love. So that no one would need me. Why would that girl not go along with that?"

Why couldn't she fall in love with me and then just forget about me? What did you teach her to make her this way?

Silence reigned for a while. Robin shuffled on his boots for a moment, enough to lightly jostle Vy and have her hair tangle up into the folds of the No Face May King. The last thing Kama expected was for him to sigh. "…I told you to start studying when you came here," was the quiet whisper, and Kama looked up just to see the green mantle of Sherwood Forest's only Archer flutter behind Robin's every footstep as he slowly approached the library's nearest exit. "And if you're still not understanding it even after becoming her Servant, I can give you a hint. From one confused soul to another."

Confused—?!

Once Robin stood in the illuminated doorway, Kama could only see a wry smile on his lips as he turned his head to look into their eyes. "Vy doesn't like forgetting about the people around her because she knows what it's like to be left behind. So get that memorized first, Kamadeva." With one last shrug, Robin stepped out into the light of Novum Chaldea's hallway. "She's stubborn enough to remember a rogue whose village didn't bother to write down his name when he died. Who's to say she's not willing to give a God of Love love to call their own?"

Before Kama could answer, Robin disappeared with an exaggerated swish of the No Face May King, Vy fading along with it.

"...Hmph," Kama felt their vessel sigh, a heaving breath that wasn't theirs leaving their lips. Even with a mere fraction of their power as Beast III/L, even Kamadeva wouldn't want to make an enemy of Excalibur's wielder who had stood outside, waiting for Robin to leave. That green rogue didn't come alone. "And to think I'm the Assassin. You're more underhanded than me, Robin Hood."

The walk back to the unofficial "Grail Lounge" seemed far too quiet for Robin's liking, the only sounds in the hallway being his own footsteps and the quiet rustling of Saber's cape against her armor. Normally, having a walk to himself was supposed to be comforting. Reassuring too, considering one of their Master's shared "Big Seven" was walking with him back to safety — Arturia more so because they'd seen things in their battles together, from the advent of Goetia to the Lostbelts. But after seeing Assassin — that darn God of Love — touch his little sparrow the way they did, he still couldn't wipe the sweat off from the back of his neck.

It was almost like Vy could disappear at any moment. Like his hold on her wouldn't last forever.

The thought made him sick to his stomach.

"…I can see why you wanted me as backup, Archer," Arturia said quietly, breaking the silence as she took a few extra steps forward to match his pace. Her gaze darted between Vy's sleeping face and Robin's own tense one, a tiny smile tugging at her lips before she focused on Robin himself with a tense expression. "You wanted to make sure the Princess was safe?"

"As always," he replied tersely, doing his best to keep his voice in a whisper just to not wake the little sparrow still resting her head against the column of his neck. Still, he felt some of the tension leave his shoulders as his mind processed Arturia's familiar presence. "I know what that Assassin is capable of. We both do. I still remember what it was like nearly getting turned into a skeleton."

Arturia made a quiet grunt of agreement, her emerald green eyes darting down towards the sleeping Vy again. Her eyebrows furrowed against her forehead as she then raised an un-armored hand to gently brush some stray strands of hair out of Vy's face. "Things are different now, Archer." Her voice came out softer and rawer than she seemed to like it, but she persisted in pressing a finger against Vy's cheekbone, her lips smoothing out into an unconscious smile. "You're not alone in keeping our Princess safe."

It took a moment for Robin to hear Arturia's nearly inaudible statement of, "And at least this Princess is within reach and unable to turn against us out of a lost desire to have power."

Memories of another Summoning?

Robin wisely decided not to ask once he could hear the quiet, "Mm… Muu?" from underneath his chin. Glancing down revealed Vy slowly shaking her head, a yawn leaving her lips as one hand left the book in her arms to rub at her eyes. Arturia withdrew her hand almost immediately as Vy blinked her brown eyes to adjust to the lighting around them, another little yawn leaving her mouth. "Big Robin…? Art-san…? Where—" Robin felt a chuckle start to bubble up in his chest once Vy paused her sentence to let out a quiet "Phew" noise, her next shake of her head causing her hair to tangle up and tickle the column of his throat. "What's… going on? I thought I was reading…"

"You were. Archer just picked you up from the library since it's time for your daily nap, Princess," Arturia demurred, giving Vy a warm smile as she extended a hand again to stroke Vy's cheek. "You can go back to sleep — Archer and I will make sure that no one disturbs it."

"Oh…" Vy yawned again, another "Phew" leaving her lips as she snuggled closer into Robin's warmth. Robin could feel the embarrassed flush start to climb up to his cheeks, but he still held her close as he started walking again. "Okay…"

Love you both lots… brushed their minds just as Vy's eyes fluttered closed, and Arturia withdrew her hand with the same smile as Robin felt a pleased smile of his own tug at his mouth.

"Just don't stop loving and rest up instead, little sparrow," Robin let himself whisper under his breath, ducking his head to press his lips to Vy's temple just as her breathing started to even out. Let Arturia stare — his heart still felt all the bigger when glimpsing the green book lovingly tucked in Vy's arms and the gold band sitting snugly on her left middle finger. "We love you too. And I'm sure one lost God will come around to do the same one day."

It was the one thing his cold, dispirited side could even agree on with the King of Knights' idealism. Because even if Kamadeva was a God of Love, they still had a lot to learn about Vy's version of it. Robin still felt grateful about his experience dealing with it firsthand, because when feeling his little sparrow's breaths against his throat, he knew he wouldn't regret it. He never would.