"Come on, Ryuuto-kun." Aoi took the boy's hand, ready to head back to the front desk to switch to a room with a normal bathroom.
But when she tried to move, she found that he wouldn't budge at all.
"What's the matter?"
"Aoi... I'm really tired." he said, suddenly putting on a slightly pouty face as he looked up at her.
"Oh, are you? Then let's just stay here. You must be completely worn out after today, aren't you?"
Just a young boy, yet he'd so bravely chased away those troublemakers for her. Thinking about this, she said gratefully, "I was being a bit picky just now. I'm sorry, Ryuuto-kun."
"Mmhmm!" He nodded, then led her further into the room. "Let's take a bath together. I can wash your back, Aoi!"
"...Huh?" Hearing this, she froze, a wave of dizziness washing over her.
He wants to bathe with her? But isn't Ryuuto-kun well past the age where kids bathe with adults? First came confusion, then a tiny flicker of warmth in her chest. Whatever his reason, it was clearly a sign that he felt comfortable with her.
"Um, Ryuuto-kun." Mrs. Tohsaka smoothed her skirt and knelt down in front of the boy.
She gently stroked his hair as she looked at him with tender eyes, and although it was difficult, she politely declined his request.
"...Oh." He hung his head, looking thoroughly disappointed.
"Was I too strict?" She wondered to herself before gently asking, "Why do you want to take a bath with me? Is there a special reason?"
"..." He kept his head down, not saying anything.
"Ryuuto-kun."
The lady of the Tohsaka household puffed her cheeks out playfully, pretending to be upset.
Only then did he reluctantly nod, stretching up to bring his mouth close to her ear.
Just a couple of inches from Aoi's ear, he whispered softly. "Actually... Aoi-neesan... um."
"Yes, go ahead... I'm listening."
"Well... I've never taken a bath by myself before. I don't know how to do it properly." His face turned red with what looked like genuine embarrassment.
"Oh..." she blinked in surprise. "Then how do you usually bathe?"
"The maids usually help me," he answered honestly. In fact, everything he'd said since earlier had been the truth.
"I see..." she pressed her lips together thoughtfully.
For her, bathing with him wasn't completely out of the question. But when she considered that she had never bathed with any male before, and now she was considering bathing with this young boy... Her heart started beating faster for some reason. Without realizing it, her face had turned as red as an apple.
No, no, what am I thinking! Shame on you, Aoi! Ryuuto-kun is just an innocent child—such thoughts are disrespectful!
So... it should be fine, right?
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she finally said with a gentle smile: "Alright... just this once, I will help you with your bath."
"Awesome!" He tackled Aoi, who was still kneeling in front of him, knocking her gently to the floor. "I'm so happy, Aoi!"
"C-calm down... there's no need to get that excited." As the cute boy nuzzled against her chest, Aoi's face grew even warmer. She gave him a playful pout and said, "What's so special about taking a bath with someone as old as me? I really don't get you, Ryuuto-kun."
...
Late that night, when all of Tokyo had fallen silent, Ryuuto opened his eyes to the sound of quiet sobbing coming from above him.
He felt confused. Why was she crying? Apart from having her wash his back in the tub, he hadn't done anything else.
Come on Aoi, be reasonable, you can't pin this on me, he thought. If Manaka burst through the door right now, you'd need to explain clearly that I didn't do anything wrong! He looked up and saw that Aoi's eyes were closed. She seemed to be caught in some kind of dream.
While holding him close, she buried her face in his hair and whispered, "...Sakura, I'm so sorry... please forgive mommy."
"..." He sighed softly, then wrapped his arms around her waist. He placed his right hand on her trembling back, gently comforting her until she finally fell into a peaceful sleep.
…
The next morning, he convinced Aoi to join him for another shower together. By ten o'clock, they officially said their goodbyes, but not before making plans for him to visit her house next time.
It had been 5 days since he'd left Fuyuki. During that time, the main battlefield definitely hadn't remained peaceful.
"So what's been going on in Fuyuki lately?" he asked.
It was a winter afternoon, and he was in his room listening to Assassin's report.
"Well, Master, it's like this..."
"I can barely hear you. Come closer." He cut her off mid-sentence, motioning to the girl who was kneeling on one knee before him.
"Of course." Assassin rose silently and moved soundlessly to his side. Then, without warning, he reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist—a waist as slender, captivating, and dangerous as a venomous snake. His fingers pressed against the curve of her hip, feeling the warmth through the thin fabric of her outfit.
"Eep!" She let out a startled little sound, her body visibly trembling under his touch.
For her, this was the first time he had ever touched her so intimately on his own initiative.
"M-Master, what are you...?"
Since the lower half of her face was always hidden behind a veil, only her golden eyes were visible, gleaming like yellow gemstones. Now those bright desert jewels were trembling as she looked at her master with an expression that was equal parts fear, resistance, and—unexpectedly—joy.
"Come on, sit on my lap while you tell me."
"What? I couldn't possibly, Master! That would be too—"
Just sit when I tell you to sit, why all the fuss? He didn't bother arguing. His right hand tightened as he pulled her firmly onto his lap, feeling the heat of her body seep through his clothes.
Yesterday he'd spent the entire day acting like a child; today he wasn't acting anymore.
"...Mmm." She let out a small moan and curled slightly in his embrace, her body arching subtly against his chest. The scent of her—something like desert spices and midnight flowers—filled his senses.
Was she using some special technique? He couldn't feel any of her weight on his legs. He studied her face while his right hand caressed her waist, sliding along the curve where fabric clung to skin, and his left hand gave her black-tight-covered calf a gentle squeeze. His fingers traced upward, feeling the taut muscle beneath the thin material, savoring the slight tremor that ran through her at his touch.
"Now, tell me what's been happening in Fuyuki."
"Y-Yes, Master. First, regarding Tohsaka Tokiomi, who has committed the sin of pride..."
She began reporting all the intelligence she'd gathered in Fuyuki over the past few days, all while desperately trying to keep her composure.
"I see, so that's what happened. Were you hurt at all?" he asked half-listening; the events in Fuyuki interested him less than Assassin's reactions to his attention.
How could this pure girl, who had devoted her entire life to her cult and assassination work, have ever been treated this way by a man? Under his affection, her face—though mostly hidden behind her veil—had turned bright red, her breathing becoming quick and shallow. The assassin, surrendering to her master's caresses, parted her lips slightly, her warm breath making the thin fabric of her veil flutter. The delicate muscles beneath his fingertips quivered with each touch, her skin burning hot even through the fabric of her clothing.
"No, I'm perfectly fine. Thank you for your concern, Master... haah... mm."
"So what about the Einzbern family? What are they up to?" This was the only thing he actually cared about right now.
Had she still not told Kiritsugu about that kiss at the BBQ restaurant, even after a week?
"The Einzbern family... they haven't really done anything lately. Kiritsugu seems to be completely avoiding going out during daylight hours. It looks like they're extremely wary of Saber's presence."
"That makes sense. Kiritsugu's usual approach is to strike first, but he's also incredibly cautious." Especially when he thinks his assistant can't be trusted, he thought with a malicious smile.