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"Rin," he said.
She stirred on the bed. "Mmm." She might have been drooling a little on the pillows.
"Rin," he said again, "is there a reason you're naked in my bed?"
It was strange to say "my bed" as if he was a being who needed such a thing, but since he'd returned from the Throne of Heroes, his Servant body failed him often, and he needed rest to make sure he didn't disappear. So Rin had given him a bed.
At least, she had done that once, but now she was sleeping in it, curled up beneath the covers, her bare shoulders peeking out from beneath the blankets. "Mmm," she said, and she stirred a little. The blankets slid further down her body.
Reflexively, Archer looked away, straight ahead at the wall. He started to count to ten inside his head, but gave up around six. Then he reached down, grabbed the covers, and pulled them off of her.
She rolled over and fell out of the bed with a thump. "Archer! Archer, I'll kill you!"
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, "but that would be very difficult, since you're naked and defenseless right now."
"I'm not defenseless," she said, but she was as red as if she were wearing clothes. "I'm still a powerful magus, so--!"
"What were you doing, powerful magus?" he asked, focusing on her face.
"Oh, that's right," she said. She stood up. "Archer, I was going to seduce you!"
"I see," he said, his head suddenly blank of any other words.
She nodded. "Sex with me would fix your body."
"What an audacious thing for you to say," he said. "But you fell asleep, Rin. I'm afraid you've failed to seduce me."
"That's true," she said. "About the sleep, not the failure--Archer, I don't fail. But I was tired. I haven't been sleeping well..."
"There are teas I could make you," he said.
"It's not that," she said. "I'm not used to sleeping with other people in the house. It's strange. I stay up at night, thinking of you."
She was naked and saying things like that. He became aware that he had a heart inside this body, beating. "That's a serious problem."
"If we had sex and fixed your connection to my prana," she said, "you could stay outside at night."
"Like a stray cat?"
She ignored that. "I could even have a little house made for you. I'd order you to make a very nice one."
He sighed. "I appreciate the offer, Rin. But it's unnecessary. I won't ask you to have sex with me. We'll find another way to set things right."
But he was still looking at her face, so he caught the way her expression changed, the way the ice in her eyes softened, as she tilted her head to look seriously up at him. "But do you want to? Archer."
"I--" He began.
She stopped him. "Be honest! I know it's very difficult for a sarcastic, rude, cynical, and twisted person like you. But you have to be honest."
"How could I lie, when you're giving me such compliments?" His smile was sarcastic, cynical, and maybe a little twisted, but probably not rude. She had invited it, after all.
"See, that's what I mean," Rin said. "You're impossible, Archer. You don't know, do you? If you want to do a thing like that with me."
He fell silent and glanced down at the floor. He couldn't help but notice that she was wiggling her bare toes a little.
"Archer." Her voice was soft, but the command in it was unmistakable. He had to look her in the eyes again when she spoke like that. "Archer, will you kiss me and find out?"
"Hmmm." He turned his back on her. "No, I don't think so." He couldn't see her face, but he heard the small distraught gasp she choked back. So he kept speaking, even though he could have just walked out on her. "A kiss is a serious thing, Rin. Put some clothes on. Dress for a proper evening."
"Archer..."
"Well, I can't promise anything," he said, which was true. She was right--he was twisted and couldn't be sure he would keep his promises. "But maybe then I'll kiss you, and find out--whether there's something more I want." It was good he had his back turned to her. She couldn't see his face right now.
She must have been smiling when she spoke again. He could hear it in her voice. "All right, Archer! I'll really make you want to kiss me, and more! Then you'll put it in me and all our problems will be solved!"
He sighed. "Just get dressed, Rin. Then we'll see." But he felt like he might smile too.