Cu Caster x Female Reader (1)

Your Caster Servant is gravely wounded in a run for ascension materials.

Collecting ascension materials for your Servant was at once an incredible bonding experience, and a huge pain in the ass.  But, as a magus in Chaldea, gearing up for the fight to save true human history, it was your job to boost your partner as much as you possibly could. This particular run proved to be an especially painful one.  They sent you on this mission without intel, and the next thing you know, you're surrounded by Rider enemies, tails lashing, jaws salivating.   Your pulse raced.  Your breath was short.  Sweat drips from your brow, and you're covered in bruises.  Still, you stand, back-to-back with your Caster Servant, Cu Chulainn, who looked a little tired after so many battles with lower-level enemy types. If you weren't careful, both you and he would be finished.  "Got any tricks up your sleeve?"  You ask him without looking at him. He chuckles with some exhaustion in his voice.  "I have one more thing I can do.  But I need you to hold them off for me.  Can you give me ten seconds?" You smile wickedly, more to hide your anxiety than to express any real arrogance.  "You better make good use of it."  You grunt and push off, blasting a wide range of foes with Gandr bolts.  "Hey!  Ugly!  Come an' get it!"  You dig deep into your reserves, fortify your legs with mana, and blaze across the battlefield, drawing your enemies' attention away from your Caster. Power started to swell far from where you stood, and you knew he began his incantation.  You yelp as a creature's tail spine darts past you, slicing your upper arm open.   "I'll use the ace up my sleeve..."  His voice echoes in your head as he speaks aloud, and you know your cue is up.  You run full-tilt towards your Servant, kiting a bunch of those creatures with you.  He opens his eyes and sees you in a mad dash towards him.  He smiles at you, cocky and reassuring.  "Burn them completely, giant of all trees..." Time seems to slow, and you throw yourself forward as the ground cracks and quakes.  You hit the ground, and a projectile from one of the foes whizzes past you, aimed directly at your Servant. "Wicker man!"  His stave strikes the ground, and a giant, wooden golem appears, trapping all of the enemies in its belly.  A brilliant, deafening explosion sends debris whipping around, scattering ashes everywhere.  Your ears are ringing from being too close to the explosion, but you look up and see a gaping wound in Caster's chest.  Blood oozed from it, staining his blue robes. Icy fear grips you by the throat.  You call out and scramble to your feet, hurrying to catch him as he sinks to the ground, his face a grimace of agony.  "No!  No, no!  Caster!  Hey!"  You kneel next to him and rapidly scan the wound. You breathe a deep sigh of relief.  It wasn't fatal.  But you weren't going anywhere any time soon, and you certainly weren't gathering any more ascension materials today.  You concentrate your mana and use your Mystic Code to heal him. He coughs and shakes a little bit, then chuckles painfully.  "Yeah.  It'll be fine."  He wheezes.  "Just gimmie a sec."   You curse under your breath.  You were not as proficient in healing as you'd like.  The active bleeding has stopped, but Caster pierced his lung.  He used all of his power with Wicker Man, and now, you were alone in a wasteland with no way to get back to the rendezvous point. Several seconds pass.  Listening to his whistling, wheezing breaths frightened you.  You knew you could camp out here until his mana restores itself, but that could take a couple of days.  In the mean time, you're left with no defense and no backup. You sat next to your Servant, at a loss.  Your brow is wrinkled with worry, and you had no words of encouragement for your partner who, no doubt, was in terrible agony.  His eyes flutter open, and he sees the look of distress on your face.  He reaches out and touches your knee reassuringly, offers a smile between his laborious breaths.  "You're worried?" "Yeah..." "'Bout little old me?"  He chuckles and coughs, smiling at you with impossible kindness. "... Yeah.  And me.  I mean, if we're attacked now, we're completely fucked." He hums gravely.  "True."  He seems to give the predicament some thought, his breath quieting a little bit, apparently having rested for long enough to calm himself.  "Master?" You look him in the eye.  He didn't use your title unless he was being serious. Once he has your attention, he gently squeezes your knee.  "Mana transfer." For a moment, you're confused.  But as the gears in your head turn, your expression shifts from confusion, to apprehension.  You fidget a little bit, looking down at his hand on your leg, trying to keep your attention on him without having to look him in the eye or stare at his partially-healed wound.  "I... I dunno...."  You're a little shy to admit your inexperience. Caster lays his head back and closes his eyes, conserving his energy.  But he does speak.  "You don't need to worry, Master.  I'll guide you.  Besides," his eyes crack open and he smiles, "you're brilliant, and a fast learner.  I have faith in you." Your face heats at his words.  You did find him charming and handsome, and you trusted him.  You couldn't deny that doing something like that with him was an appealing idea to you.  You chew at the inside of your lower lip.  "This isn't how I wanted to go about this," you admit to him. He chuckles again, then sighs and nods.  "I know, cailin.  Me, neither.  I will not force this upon you."  His body shudders as he holds in a cough.  "I don't think we'll be attacked before morning." Morning?  You looked up and around.  Dusk had fallen, and you'd barely moved.  It's been hours.  How has it been hours?  You realize the light source is Caster's stave, a soft, ambient glow surrounding you both and shielding you from the dark.   But he was right.  There wasn't anything you could detect in the immediate area, and his senses reached further than yours.  If he said you'd be safe, you believed him. But still, seeing him like this, your heart clenches.  If you could help him, then why wouldn't you?  For some antiquated sense of modesty?  Because you were embarrassed?  As if he would tease you, knowing you hadn't had much prior experience. You scoot closer to him, taking his hand from your knee and bringing it up.  He looks up at you questioningly, but when you kiss the top of his hand while making eye contact with him, you showed him you were willing to take his instruction. His hand moves and cradles the side of your face, his thumb brushing against your lips delicately.  "Good girl," he praises you for your bravery.  Your eyes squeeze shut and you blush again as his words wash over you.  His praise meant something to you, and receiving it just now not only filled your heart, but it stirred something in your guts, too. Your emotional imbalance sparks the beginnings of the process.  You look down on his face, his expression full of encouragement, his eyes soft, and you feel yourself being drawn in.  Before you understand what's happening, you're bent over him, your lips pressed to his, tender, gentle, careful. He senses your hesitation, and with some scraps of his strength beginning to return to him, he's able to help you a little bit.  He tilts his head and relaxes his jaw, his tongue brushing against your lips, attempting to deepen his contact with you.  You squeak softly in surprise, and he responds with an approving hum, his tongue passing over your lips again, a little harder, a little more insistent. A wave of heat passes through you, and you mimic his motions, a little awkward, a little unpracticed, but when you press your tongue to his and meet his strokes, you hear him breathe out another hum, this one heavier, needier.  Your skin needles as you feel your desire beginning to bud, slowly overcoming your apprehension.   He pulls gently away from you, resting his head on the ground and looking up at you with heavy-lidded eyes, his breath still labored, but better than it was.  You search his eyes, waiting for what to do next, unsure of how to use the new energy building inside of you. His smile is still genuine, but there's a new quality to the way he looks at you.  The air around you crackles, a low hum, resonating with the energy gathering within you.  "You really are a fast learner," he says at a lower tone, touching his fingertips to his lips, remembering the way it felt to kiss you.   You giggle bashfully, nervous, but thrilled to have his attention.  You look down Caster's body and furrow your brow.  His injury is singular, the deep wound in his chest, but he wears so many clothes.  You wouldn't be able to undo them all. He chuckles heartily, then coughs and groans from the pain he causes himself.  But he grins anyway.  "Servant.  Remember?"  As if to make his point, he dematerialized his tunic and all of his clothes from the waist, up, his body briefly covered with a shimmering light. You redden upon seeing him, bare-chested, lying in front of you.  You could see the edges of his wound sparking with energy, though it is subtle and small.  You understood the mana exchange was the cause, and even the small amount of kissing him augmented the healing already done to him by your Mystic Code.  You reach out and place your hand on his chest, careful not to touch the injury, a look of sadness passing over your features.  "I'm sorry," you say, your voice soft, barely a whisper. "Why?  D'you throw that beastie at me?"  He shakes in a silent laugh, his hand coming up to curl into yours, squeezing and looking you in the eye.  "Besides.  A pretty girl is leaning over me and worrying.  It's not all bad." You look him in the eye, surprised that he has the wherewithal to flirt with you.  His smile only grows, and he brings your hand up from his chest to touch his lips to your knuckles.  "Now, I want you to straddle me," he says, his tongue gently touching to your skin, teasing you a little bit. You shift your weight and withdraw your hand from him, taking great care to move over him.  You stand on your knees over him, looming, looking down at him, and you can tell he's trying to hide his amusement from you.  His hands travel up your thighs and hips, his touch gentle, but decisive.  You think you see his eyes light up and his mouth curve a little more as he smirks.  "I'm wounded, not made of glass.  Or don't you want to sit in my lap?" His touch electrifies you.  You hesitate, but slowly ease yourself down, settling your butt on his lap, reaching out with your hands to steady yourself.  Your fingers splay out over his abs, and you hear him make a small noise from the back of his throat, followed by another chuckle.  "Careful.  I am ticklish."  To punctuate his point, he lightly digs his fingertips into your sides just below your ribs. You yelp in surprise and can't help squirming, though the contact lasts for only a couple seconds.  You hear him sigh, and you see his eyes darken.  "Gods, you're turning me on, and all you've done is sit on me," he smiles up at you, wickedness lurking in his eyes. Your eyes widen, and you scowl down at him.  "Are you sure you're wounded?  You seem really flirty for a man with a serious injury." He shrugs.  "What can I say.  I can't let a little thing like a hole in my chest keep me from my Master." "Tch,"  You curl your lip and restrain yourself from swatting him.  You're having a hard time knowing what to do with your hands at all, so they stay planted on his abdomen.  You feel yourself being eased forward, and realize that he's pulling you.  Your eyes widen again, and you catch yourself before you fall on him.  Still, he pulls you down, coaxing you to lie down on him, and when he doesn't wince, you relax a little bit.   He felt so warm.  Despite removing his clothes from the waist up, he was pleasantly warm, and despite his lithe, wiry musculature, comfortable to rest on.  "That's right," he says encouragingly, though his smile belies his growing desire.  "Relax.  I'll be gentle with you." Your face flares hot at his crooning words.  It's made worse by the fact that he means it, and isn't just saying something suggestive to get under your skin.  "Now," his voice lowers a little, "this time, you kiss me."  He brushes his fingertips along your temple and offers an impish little smile.  "Like you mean it." You shiver from the demand he makes of you.  Obediently, you lean down and seal your lips over his, trying to relax, your nerves jumpy and raw.  He follows your lead, forcing you to take some measure of control, and as he had done to you a moment ago, you test the edge of his lips with your tongue. He inhales a soft, short breath through his nose and moans appreciatively, parting his lips and welcoming you to explore his mouth.   Power crackles through you, and with his willful surrender, your lust begins to rise.  You start slow at first, tasting him, stroking lazily against his tongue.  But your motions have an effect on him, and his hands rub at your side and the back of your neck.  You notice his body shift under yours, as though he moves with the motion and rhythm of your shared kiss. The hand on your back slides down to your hip, and on the way back up, sneaks under your shirt, stroking the bare skin of your back.  His fingers left fire in their wake, your skin alight with sensitivity.  You break the kiss and look down at him in question, your lips a little puffier, your eyes more hooded and hungry. His mouth hangs slightly open, his tongue perched at the edge of his teeth.  His brow is furrowed and the look in his eye proves the effect you have on him.  He smirks at you through his haze.  "You're a good kisser, Master," he drawls, his smirk deepening when you shudder.  "And your skin is so soft."  He grazes his fingers down your back, leaving little scratches, pleasant, not painful.  He traces along your spine, and you push yourself up a little bit, gasping with surprise at the shock it sends through your system.  He gasps softly and groans again, and you can feel him wriggle under you.  "Mmm, my Master is eager to sit back on my lap and grind me." You keen, in part a whine from embarrassment, in part because at first, you're not sure what he means.  You instinctively squeeze your thighs together, somehow forgetting for a moment that his body was between them, and when you do, his body rolls, a slow, gentle movement, but unmistakable in its intent.  His smile turns wicked as realization dawns on you.  "Can you feel that, Master?  How hard my cock is for you?"  He rolls his body again, a little stronger this time, nudging his hardness against your ass.   After a few more waves of him pressing up against you, you brace your hands on the ground on either side of him, watching his face, refusing to blink as you roll your hips in time with him.  His eyes flutter closed, and his mouth falls open again, his hands moving to your hips and guiding you, grinding with you.  He starts to huff in time with your movements.  "Yes... good, just like that, Master," he encourages you, his hands curling down and cupping your ass, gripping you.  His eyes open halfway, looking at you through his lustful haze.  "Do you wanna keep going?" You grimace when he asks.  You do want to keep going.  He's built the energy inside of you and it has nowhere to go.  "I..."  Your voice is light and airy, much more seductive than you intended, and you make yourself blush again, but you can't look away.  The look in his eyes, the way he breathes, the way he feels under you overrides your shyness and reservations.  You rotate your hips and watch him react, subtle, but powerful.  "Yes.  I do." He smirks lazily and takes a few breaths before he speaks.  "That'd be easier without clothes on," he offers, his eyes lit up with playful mischief. You pause for a moment, then push up and rise to your feet, standing over him.  You feel zoned out, at the mercy of your instincts, and you reach up to undo the buttons on your blouse.  Caster is patient and enjoys your show, though it was fairly quick.  He smiles encouragingly and draws a little circle with his fingertip against your ankle.  "Beautiful," he breathes as you open your shirt, drawing back the fabric, revealing your bare chest.   You hug yourself, feeling self-conscious, half-naked in the wilderness.  You felt sure somebody would stumble upon you both.  The very idea terrified you.  Being nude around your Servant was already nerve-wracking, but a stranger or an enemy happening upon you was out of the question. He chuckles as you turn shy all over again.  "It's alright," he reassures you.  "Look.  I'll go before you, okay?"  You hesitate.  He smirks.  "The sooner we're both naked, the sooner you can come back down."  His tone is teasing, sing-song, and exactly what it took to spur you to action. You step aside, standing beside him instead of over him.  "I'll go," you murmur to him, your voice low in volume and tone.   He lifts an eyebrow at you, his smile wicked, but not unkind. "As you wish.  My Master sure is brave." You grunt, a muffled sound at the back of your throat.  You didn't want to be called 'brave.'  But you weren't sure what you wanted, besides to help heal Caster and, if you were honest with yourself, your curiosity and interest in sharing your body with him was rising by leaps and bounds. You toe off your boots and set them aside, along with your knee-high socks.  You watch him as he stares at you, one hand draped across his abdomen, the other behind his head, propping it up so he can watch you.   You unlink your belt. You unzip your skirt. Your clothes pool at your feet, leaving you only in your panties.  His eyes wander down your body, drinking in the sight of you.  You see the hardness in his pants pulse when your skirt falls, and your mouth begins to water.  You bring your fingertips to your lips, the skin there tingling with anticipation.  Your eyes darken with desire.  Now that you're nearly naked in front of him, you feel the power inside of you throb, sending adrenaline through your system.  His tongue slowly draws along his lips, and he smiles, the most flirty, lecherous smile you've ever seen on him.  "My turn."  Before you can respond, the rest of his clothes evaporate into their ephemeral form, leaving him completely exposed to you. You're surprised by how small he looks without his big, bulky robes on.  He seemed larger than life before, but now, he's like a normal man.  You're completely disarmed and fascinated, seeing him lying naked on the ground in front of you, staring at you with a growing hunger that resonated with you.  You find your eyes wander over his body, admiring his tattoos and his muscles, zeroing in on his hardness.  You swallow the lump in your throat, tamping down on your nervousness.  You knew logically that he'd fit.  But you weren't sure how it'd feel.  Your eyes wander back up to his, and find him patiently waiting for you to look at him again.  He gives a small, sly smile when you look him in the eye.  "Come here, girl." You shiver from the tone of his voice, the edge to it striking a chord with you.  You slide your hands down your body, and as you crouch down to the ground, you kick off your panties and crawl over to him.  You pause when you reach his side, torn.  You want to resume your position over him, straddle his hips and resume where you left off.  But you're unsure.  You're self-conscious, paralyzed with uncertainty. He smiles kindly, reaching up to touch your face, his expression showing his deep affection for you.  "Master," he breathes out, trying to sound reassuring through his mounting lust.  "You're a gorgeous creature.  I've wanted you for a long time."  He chuckles, then coughs, turning his head away so he doesn't cough in your face.  He takes in a shuddering breath and sighs, his smile returning to him.  "I'm so sorry I can't be at my best for you." You stare at him, eyes wide in concern and awe.  You touch his hand with yours.  "Just... tell me what I should do, Caster." His smile looks apologetic, but even so, you're happy to see him smiling.  "C'mon.  Up," he tells you, gently pulling and nudging you to straddle him again.  "Don't you worry.  We'll be careful." You move your knees on either side of his waist, your hands planted on either side of his head, framing his grinning face as you resume the position.  You slowly lower your hips, sitting back on his lap, his cock lining up perfectly along your folds, pressed parallel together.  You gasp softly at the way it feels, to have his hard flesh slide between your puffy, wet lips, to have the tip of him kissing gently against your clit, just from rocking back against him.  His smile starts to fade and is replaced by a strained, drawn look, his eyes rolled slightly back, his teeth grit.  He sighs heatedly when your slickness touches his cock, and you feel him nudge up against you, acting on instinct.  You shudder and whimper, feeling your face bunch up in a mirror image of the way he looks.  You slide forward and back, your body driven to act by the sensations you feel, the energy inside of you flaring and filling you with that carnal instinct.   Caster grunts when you move your hips, his hands reaching up to hold you by the waist, his body rolling in time with yours, sliding your sex along his shaft, drenching him in your slick.  You feel him shudder and see him tilt his head back, his face slightly twisted in a silent, pleasurable moan.  The air around you seems to hum with power, and you can see his wound closing, the tissue and muscle knitting together.  "It's working," you breathe out in fascination, surprised and thrilled to be able to help your Servant. "Aye, it is," he huffs out, his eyes finding yours and holding your gaze.  "I'm sorry, Master.  This might hurt a little."   You search his face, but you know what he means.  Your apprehension rises, but you swallow it back down and nod your head, determined to see this through. "Good girl," he croons to you.  He reaches between you and adjusts himself to line up with the entrance to your core.  You tense and shake a little bit, the dual feelings of fear and arousal combating for dominance.  You force yourself to stay still, with the tip of him resting perfectly against you, waiting.  He knows you're scared, and he whispers, "Come down here, love."  He pulls you to lie down on him, maximizing the amount of bare skin-on-skin contact.  He holds you delicately by the back of your neck, his other hand gliding down your spine and tracing down the curve of your ass.  You bury your face in his neck and squeeze your eyes shut.  "There ya go," he whispers and scratches at the back of your neck, pressing a kiss to your forehead.  "Are you ready?" Time seems to slow.  Are you ready?  Your fingers curled against his shoulders, and you nod timidly, mentally preparing yourself for him. "Okay."  He's slow to push, at first just nudging gently against your cunt, tiny, but noticeable thrusts upward, his hand on your butt keeping you in place.  You shudder and sigh hotly on his skin, making him chuckle, a sound light and airy for the situation at hand.  "You're doing great.  Hang in there." "Yeah," you answer him, your voice trembling with the force of your anxiety and desires.  You can feel him press slightly harder, the tip of him easing into you, stretching your velvet ring in a way that felt oddly pleasing.  You whimper and nuzzle your face further into his neck, unfamiliar sensations coursing through your body as he pushes, a little bit at a time, making sure to be gentle with you. He grunts and shivers, presses his face to the top of your head, and you can feel his chest heave with his breaths.  It's taking a lot of self-control for him to keep going slow this way.  "Gods, girl, you're unbelievably tight."  He huffs a sigh.  "How d'ya feel?" He's barely begun to slide into you at this point, and you're convinced the part that stings is coming up.  You gather your thoughts in this moment of reprieve, and lift your head to look him in the eye.  What he saw there seemed to turn him on even further, because his eyes darkened and you could feel his cock pulse against you.  You bite your lower lip and slowly nod.  "This is... it feels pretty good," you don't exactly lie.  Everything up to now has been pleasant.  Your body demands more of him, but your mind is still in overdrive, overthinking your situation, preparing you for something less than pleasant. His smile is dark, and it sends a jolt through your system, which is promptly amplified as he pulls you down for a deep, slow, sensuous kiss.  The mana inside of you flares again, harder this time, and as if on cue, he pushes a bit harder against you, piercing into your depths.  You cry out against his mouth in surprise and protest, but the shock wears off.  He's still going slow, his hips rutting gently into yours, the measurement of depth he moves into you measured by millimeters, slow and careful, but decisive and insistent.   The power in you begins to spill over.  The deeper he presses into you, the more you share with him, and the pressure inside of you seems to concentrate to a single point.   Your lips separate from his, but your mouths stay close together, both of you breathing heavily, sharing air with one another.  You keen, and the moment your voice reaches his ears, his tongue slides into your mouth, toying with your tongue, distracting you from the intense sensations going on around you. Without you realizing it, he's sheathed fully within you, and as he strokes your back and neck, he speaks.  "Are you alright?" "Hmm?"  You're surprised.  None of the pain he talked about wracked your body.  You didn't even feel a pinch.  But the feeling of being filled with his cock sends a new wave of lust through you, and instead of answering verbally, you give him a look of abject desire, eyes hooded, lips parted, tongue peeking out just past your lips.   You hear a heated rumble emanate from his chest, and he pulls you back down against him again, cradling you into the crook of his neck.  His body flexes and rolls against yours, dragging his length along your walls in short, purposeful strokes.  You begin to pant softly, unsure of how to act, letting him take the lead.  He, too, takes his breaths in gentle puffs, whispering and murmuring words of reverence in his native tongue, words that you don't know, but in the moment sound like beautiful music.  His tone is warm, but edged with his mounting lust, and the sound of it sparks within you a renewed confidence, and a profound want to be an active participant. You tilt your hips just slightly, listening to your body and its wants, and the sensations change enough to make you gasp and him groan and shudder beneath you.  "Yes," he hisses through his teeth.  "Move with me, girl.  Fuck me like you want me." The needy moan that slips past your lips stuns you.  You feel like you're watching yourself experience this new thing, and the thought that you could bring your Caster Servant to feel like this turns you on beyond your wildest imagination. You want to please him.  You want to hear his words of encouragement, to earn his praise.   With a determined huff, you brace yourself and start to move with him, doubling the force between you.  His body grinds against yours, and it sends a spike of pleasure through you, making you moan and claw at him, desperate to feel more. "Ungh, fuck...!"  He curses under you, his hands now both cupping and kneading your bare ass, guiding you to move, keeping in rhythm with you.  He presses his mouth to your ear, and you can feel a hint of animalistic intent in his tone.  "You're gonna make me cum soon," he growls and nips at your ear.  After a couple of breaths, he continues, "You feel so goddamn good, Master." "Caster...!"  You're helplessly at the whim of your lust, and judging by his slipping control, so is he.  You call out to him, the pressure within you ready to explode, and you're not sure what to do. He chuckles throatily and clutches at you.  "Use my name.  My True Name." You sensed that when you did, that this ride would get a lot rougher.  But you felt ready for it.  You trusted your Servant with your life.  His name drops from your lips on a breath so needy you made yourself shake.  "Cu.. Chulainn...!" He growls feverishly and plants his feet on the ground.  You're held firmly in place as he drives up into you, giving in to his primal desires.  You yelp and hold on for dear life, the difference between when you started and now like the difference between night and day.  Where once he was careful and gentle, now he was possessive and domineering.  Where before he took care to ensure your comfort, now he was taking you for his own. That realization made your entire body tense.  You felt your core tighten and throb, and like the waters before a tidal wave, you feel yourself freeze, unmoving and completely silent. Then, everything broke apart. Your body heaved and spasmed as waves of exquisite pleasure crashed over you.  Every breath you take is laced with an ecstatic cry, and you're taken away by the power of your climax.  You can feel the power inside of you spilling from you and into him, and as he gripped you, hips pistoning, back hunched in a partial sit-up, you believed he wouldn't be far behind. He hammers up into you, his body spasming and tensing as he cums deep into you.  He pulses inside of you, driving your orgasm to last even longer, and you hang onto each other as the waves crash over you, the air around you alive with the power of the mana transfer. Then, it was over.  You slowly unclenched, your body used and exhausted.  He drained you of your mana, and as a result, he was healed and powered up enough to get you home. He chuckles breathlessly and strokes your back, planting an affectionate kiss to the top of your head.  "You did good, Master," he compliments you.  "I hope I wasn't too rough with you." "Mmm."  All you can do is hum in response, all of your strength sapped.  But you smile and lay your head on his chest, snuggling against him, somehow oblivious to what goes on around you. He sighs and smiles, shaking his head.  "Poor thing."  He allows you a few moments with him before he gently rolls you off of him, then dutifully re-dresses you in your Mystic Code.  While the mages at Chaldea would understand what went on and why, he felt you didn't need the added stress of all the questions and scandal that would come with it. Once you're fully dressed and sound asleep on the ground, he looks down on you with a deep sense of affection.  He sighs and shakes his head, then re-materializes his robes.  He lifts you into his arms and cradles you protectively, making his way to the ley line so he can ray shift back to Chaldea and regain your strength. You would need it in the battles to come.

Strings of Fate Chapter 6

We have spiciness!  Aine and Cu play a game of flirty chicken to see who breaks first.

Days have passed, and still no word from Caster.  Aine sits on Cu's couch, staring at her phone, her expression drawn and sad.  Usually, after she and Ruwa have a spat, it's at most one day before he sends her a text message.  But now?  Nothing.  Not a single word. Cu watched her carefully from across the room.  The last couple of days have been fairly light between them, but he knew this day was coming.  She stared emptily at her phone, at her empty message box, and said nothing for several minutes. He couldn't keep sitting like this.  He had to do something, even if it was something small.  He quietly pads over to her and sits beside her, drawing his arm across her shoulders and pulling her in to lean against him.  She goes easily, allowing herself to lean on him.  She curls up beside him, snuggling up under his arm, miserable, but glad to have his company. That was something, anyway.  Though Cu felt a spark of warmth in his chest, he couldn't bring himself to smile.  Aine was truly hurting.  She missed her friend, and she felt left out in the cold by his brother.  As much as he would love to see this as a step forward towards physical affection, in truth, he knew this was comfort, and intended it as such.  But even so, knowing that Aine accepted his comfort was enough for him. She shivered a little bit, and he could tell she held her breath.  He squeezed her gently and rubbed her arm with his hand, soothing her.  She cried, he knew.  But she was hiding it from him, and he would not force her to show him. After a long moment of sitting together, he felt her shift, and he looked down to see her looking up at him, her eyes glossy, but with a weary smile on her face.  "I'm a mess right now," she admits. He hums and nods in agreement.  "I don't blame you."  He paused and sighed.  "Have you thought to reach out to them?" Aine made a face.  "It doesn't feel right.  Every time I start to write a text, the words feel wrong.  I don't know where to start." Cu grins.  "That's easy!  If it's Caster you're contacting, all you have to do to start is to tell him that you're okay.  He'll be happy with that." "And, Ruwa?" He bites the inside of his cheek and bows his head.  "Hmmm.  Well, whenever Gilgamesh gets this way, he usually has one of us 'beg' him to come back."   Aine sat up straight, separating from Cu and letting his arm drop off of her.  Her eyes are wide.  "He really makes you do that?!"  When Cu nods solemnly, Aine can't help the tiny giggle that bubbles up from her throat.  "I can't imagine ever begging Ruwa for anything." "Yeah, well, his version of 'begging' is more like a peace offering of beer or something."  He shrugs.  "We've learned to live with his giant ego.  You've seen how he performs.  It's worth the sacrifice."  He grins reassuringly at her. "A peace offering, huh?"  Aine considers this angle.  "Hmmm.  I'll have to think about that."  She shakes her head.  "I don't know where to begin with that, either." Cu's grin becomes mischievous.  "You could serve her up Gil on a golden platter." "Ha!"  Aine barks a laugh at the idea.  "She'd throw him back and throw me out for good!" "Ya think?  I'm not so sure about that," he chuckles. "Hmmm?  Do you know something I don't?"  Aine chides him. "Call it instinct."  He taps his temple with two fingers and smiles.  "He's definitely interested in Ruwa.  But he's entirely too proud to admit it, so he tries to attract her." Aine smirks.  "Yeah, well, he's in for a hell of a dance if that's the route he takes.  She won't settle for less than she's worth." Cu chuckles mischievously.  "Think they're fucking yet?" "Oh, most definitely."  Aine smirks at Cu.  "I can't confirm it, like, I haven't watched them or anything, but..."  She trails off when she sees the look in his eyes, sharp and sly.  "... what?" His lips parted and his teeth showed as his amusement grew at the way she hesitated.  "Interesting that you jumped straight to voyeurism in this scenario," he says in a taunting tone. "I did not!"  Aine blushed deeply, the night she came to his home to hide out rushing back to her, of the sounds he made when he thought she couldn't hear.  Her eyes went wide, and ever the observant one, Cu picked up on her change in demeanor. "Oh?"  He draws out the sound, reveling in the way she reacts to his teasing.  "Have I stumbled upon Aine's secret kink?"  He starts to lean forward, his eyes catlike and his lips pulled into a teasing smirk.  "Does this beautiful pop princess have a dirty little secret?" She got her bearings pretty quickly once the initial shock of his accusation wore off.  Though she still blushed, her expression changed, her eyebrow lifting in question and her eyes sliding halfway shut, meeting his challenge.  "You think I'm beautiful, huh?"  She smiles wickedly when his smirk shrinks, his lips pressed together in a line, though the corners of his mouth stay upturned.  She opens her mouth in a sly grin, like silent laughter from his subtle response.   He puffs a chuckle through his nostrils at her twisting of his intent.  He slowly rose to his feet, his eyes trained on hers.  Though the aim was to loom over her, she didn't seem to shrink from his imposing stance.  His voice drops.  "You'd look even more beautiful on your knees," he says, words dripping with challenge, goading her into getting angry with him for his comments. But to his shock, she begins to move, that smile on her face anything but innocent.  She slides to the floor on her knees, kneeling in front of him, and looks up at him with a brilliant, challenging smirk.  "You mean, like this...?" Cu grits his teeth.  The sight of Aine willingly on her knees before him turns him on with astonishing speed.  Instead of backing down, a shadow falls over his eyes and he reaches down to rest his hand on top of her head.  "Just like that.  Now pout for me." Being ordered by him to do anything made her blood run hot.  She didn't need much coaching, and her core begins to ache.  She squeezes her thighs together and puffs out her lips, looking up at him through her eyelashes.   He growls deep in his chest and curses under his breath.  This teasing game escalated a lot more quickly than he thought it would.  The way she stared at him over the rim of her glasses made his cock stir, and thoughts of the way she sounds when she makes herself cum flood back into his mind.  His tongue runs out along the edge of his teeth and he pulls at her to bring her face closer to his crotch.  He had no intention of actually pushing her face into his lap, and his coax was weak, intended for her to break and resist. But she didn't.  Her demeanor changed, and when he pulls her forward, she reaches out with her hands and rests them on his hips.  She cranes her neck up, and as he pulls her in, he pauses before she presses against him.  His breath became deeper and slower.  There was no way she didn't notice the bulge growing in front of her.  If he wasn't careful, he was going to break first.  His smile was wicked, and he decided to take another shot at her.  "A man calls you pretty, and you're on your knees, ready to blow him?"  His voice is husky, low, and a little ragged as he held onto the fraying edges of his clarity. At his goading, however, Aine's eyes sharpen, and she leans in, her throat pressed along his groin, where she hums out a sultry chuckle.  She keeps eye contact with him, knowing that she's winning this game.  "Unless he'd prefer to loudly beat off in the shower while I'm trying to sleep...?" He grunts and shudders when her voice vibrates through his pants, sending shocks up his spine.  He curses again and, with surprising speed and care, hauls Aine to her feet and pulls her body against his, one arm curled around her middle, the other holding the back of her head, a fistful of her hair held in his fingers as he holds her in place so he can speak, his voice nearing feral tones.  "Is that what made the princess fuck herself on my couch while calling out my name?" She snarls with the speed and force she's turned on by his words.  She leans up on him, using the minor pain of her hair being pulled to fuel herself.  Her nose touches to his as she defies his game, her lips barely brushing to his as she speaks.  "One of the hardest orgasms of my entire life," she laces her words with the lust building inside of her. Cu growls again and grits his teeth.  "Just.  Break."  He wants her to lose her composure before he loses his. She giggles airily and slowly shakes her head.  "You first." He hisses and shakes violently before he closes the distance, her waiting mouth eager to accept his.  She moans heatedly as sparks and needles dust over her skin.  She clutches at him, matching his hunger, her fingers curved and grasping, her body pressed and writhing against his.  His hands rub down her back and sides, feeling her curves, anything but gentle.  He pushes forward, guiding her down to the couch, lying her down and covering her body with his, using his leverage to intensify rather than slow down. She shudders and squirms under him, the feeling of his weight on her driving her lust.  He glides one hand under her thigh and, curling his fingers under her knee, brings her leg up to hitch on his hip.  He grinds down on her greedily, eliciting from her a whine mixed with surprise and desire.  She moves with him, and when he breaks off the kiss and bows his head alongside hers, she can hear his ragged, huffing breaths.  His voice comes in a low growl, shaking her down to her core.  "You wanna have one of the hardest orgasms of your life?" She whimpers helplessly, the question all by itself pouring heat through her.   That, paired with the way they grind together means her rationality has left her completely.  All she can do is nod and writhe against him with more enthusiasm, squeeze her thigh against him. He shudders and runs his tongue against the side of her neck, reveling in how she whimpers for him.  He's thorough and slow, takes his time, tracing along the curve from her shoulder to her ear, where he whispers to her, "I'll ruin you for other men," he warns her. At that, she regains a little of her composure, and after panting helplessly, she presses her face to his shoulder and manages to force the words from her lips, "I don't want other men.  I want, you."  She nips harshly at his collarbone, and she hears him take a deep and shuddering breath before he ruts against her again, deeper and more purposeful, as if he could fuck her through her clothes. He then breaks from her, pushing up and peppering her with greedy, hungry kisses on her neck, on her shoulder, then one more deep, carnal kiss to her lips, plundering her mouth with his tongue, then tearing away again, traveling down her body, in a hurry to get settled between her thighs.   She watches him through eyes barely open, the sight of him so concentrated on touching her, tasting her, feeling her making her lose all sense of control.  He seized the waistband of her shorts and pulled them down, refusing to wait for her permission, reading her body instead of waiting for her words.  Her panties were soaking wet from his assault, and he mindlessly pressed his mouth against the fabric, deeply nuzzling his face back and forth against her covered core.   Aine gasps sharply and her body jerks with shock.  She's already so sensitive that her toes curled and her hands fisted into his hair, grabbing hold for dear life.  "Cu...!"  She yelps, a sharp and harsh sound with his name attached, her climax rushing up on her and making her thighs quake and body wrack.   Even Cu was surprised by how quickly she came.  But that didn't stop him.  He groaned, a deep, appreciative sound as he tasted her through her panties and felt her come undone around him.  He wouldn't let her off so easily.  He pulls back and helps her out of her panties, leaving her only in her tee shirt.  He hikes her thighs up over his shoulders and lavishes her bare sex with his tongue, dipping into her folds and tasting her nectar.  Her moans, high and strained with overstimulation, served only to drive him higher.  His hands gripped her hips while he dragged his tongue up the middle, lingering at her apex, drawing her nub between his lips and nibbling delicately on it. She thrashed under his ministrations, unbelievable pleasure rampaging through her nerves, so sensitive and bordering on pain.  She's at his mercy, and her hands claw at his, looking for an anchor, a piercing wail torn from her throat when he draws her clit in and suckles on it, his tongue pressing and massaging it, forcing a second orgasm from her, tearing through her senses, making her feel dizzy. He slows his attention and allows her to calm a little bit, and as her thighs began to relax, he chuckled darkly, one hand sliding off of her hip and moving up, one experimental digit prodding at her slick, swollen entrance.  Her flesh yielded easily to his touch, and his finger disappeared into her.  She shuddered and groaned, though it was a lot more relaxed than before.  "Mmm," Cu hums to her with approval.  "I could live off of the sounds you make for me."  His finger lazily massages inside of her, the velvety walls soft and slick.  He gives a shuddering sigh.  "God, I want to fuck you." Aine froze, her mind slow to catch up, but her mouth moves anyway.  "W-, wait...!" "Hmmm...?"  Cu keeps stroking her inside, but looks up at her with the same predatory eyes, his hunger far from slaked. She sees the look on his face, and her mouth waters.  She swallows thickly, her body positively humming like an electrical current.  "Let me..." He narrows his eyes at her, but slowly withdraws his finger, leaving her empty, but not unsatisfied.  She pushes herself up, her jaw slack and lips parted, still breathless from her forced climaxes.  He pushes himself up and stands from the couch, giving her room to move.  She stands in front of him, her eyes defiant, but somewhat shy at the same time.  Like she was trying to decide what to do.  He takes her hand in his, turns her palm towards him, and presses it to the front of his strained shorts where his cock pulses, angrily hard, hot to the touch. Her breath catches in her throat at the feeling of him in her hand.  He rocks his hips against her hold, and the way the bulge slides against her fingers makes a twinge of regret pass through her.  She may have decided not to fuck him right now, but she wanted to be in control when he came undone.  She wanted to see it.  She wanted to know that she made him writhe under her touch, the same way he made her a moment ago. She reaches beyond the waistband of his shorts and touches his bare flesh.  He gasps softly at the direct contact, his hips bucking and his eyes fluttering shut.  She gives a wicked little smile  as she curls her fingers around his shaft, pulling him free of the fabric, pulling the shorts down around his thighs, giving her freedom of movement.  She sighed hotly at how he pulsed against her touch, more pronounced and concentrated when she touched near the tip of him.   He huffed and tilted his head back, every muscle pulled taut as he keeps himself still so she can do as she pleases.  Slick precum beads at his tip, peeking out just past the skin surrounding that sensitive mushroom tip.  She slides her fingertip over that bead, smearing it, making his cock leap in response and his entire body jerk and shudder.  "Aine," he growls her name in warning. "Mmm," she responds with a hum, bringing her hand off of him and rubbign her thumb and forefinger together, toying with his precum.  When she looks at his face, his eyes are dark and dangerous, like his patience was wearing thin.  She sticks her tongue out and touches  her fingertip to it, testing the flavor, which made his expression even more severe and his body shake in protest.  She smiles sweetly at him, though she can't hide the glee from him, her eyes practically glimmering with mischief.  If the way he licked her made her feel so good, maybe... She sank to her knees in front of him again, and without pausing to savor his reaction, she pressed the flat of her tongue against him, rubbing up and down against his tip, coaxing it out of the foreskin. He grunts loudly at the sensation.  His hands fly to her shoulders to steady himself as his knees quake, weakened by the jolt that passed through his body.   She pretended not to notice, all of her concentration spent on treating his cock the same way he treated her clit.  She lavished him with long, wet licks, switching between pressing  the broad bed of her tongue to him, and digging at the sensitive slit at his tip with the point of her tongue.   He chokes on his breath at the way she thrashes him with her tongue.  He shuddered with every breath, his mouth hanging open and head bowed, his hips flexing of their own accord. Then, she seals her lips around just his tip, suckling on it the exact same way he had done to her clit.  He ruts against her mouth, incapable of stopping himself, and his breath becomes ragged.  He's blinded by pleasure, chasing his orgasm, forgetting to warn Aine while he's lost in his primal euphoria.  His body spasms and shudders heavily.  His cock throbs and pulses, spilling hot seed onto her tongue and into her waiting mouth. Aine yelps in protest, not having expected that.  Some of his cum splashes onto her tee shirt when she flinches, and she looks up at him, one eye closed, her mouth hanging open and tongue covered with his seed. Cu began to calm a little, and when his eyes opened again, he groaned heavily and closed them again.  "Fuck, woman, I've already cum.  You look at me like that, and you're gonna get another load." Pride swelled in her chest at the way he talked to her.  She giggles and rises to her feet, quick to make her way to the bathroom to spit out his cum and rinse her mouth out.   Her entire being felt alive in the moments following.  She leans in the doorway to the bathroom and watches him as he moves to clean up the rest of the mess.  Once he's done, he rests on the couch, apparently drained. Aine changed her shirt quickly, then rejoined him on the couch, making a point to get up under his arm so she could lean against him.  He didn't make a move to stop her, so there she stayed, riding the giddy high they created until it was time to go to sleep. ////////// "You sure look happy."  Emiya comments on the way Cu looks when he joins them for practice the next day. He smirks at the drummer.  "When am I ever not happy?"  He plucks at the strings of his guitar, tuning it. Emiya shrugs.  "Seems different today, I guess." "Isn't it obvious?"  Gil's eyes are sharp, and his grin is sharper.  "His phone must be blowing up.  A man can only take so many propositions before he gives in," he teases Cu through his comment to Emiya. Cu frowns at Gil.  "Uh, no?  I didn't publish my private number, so I'm not sure why you think I'd be getting any calls." Ruby red eyes turn catlike, and he strums his bass experimentally, almost like an afterthought.  "It was only a guess." "Yeah, a stupid one," he chides Gil.  "By the way, what's that on your neck?" Gil's smirk is triumphant.  "I don't see how that's any of your business, mongrel." He scoffs and adjusts his microphone stand.  "Playing with vacuums again, blondie?" "A vacuum would only be so lucky to taste my skin."  Gil plays off the comment and turns his head away from Cu.   "That doesn't even make sense," Emiya butts in.   "Oh, shut it!"  Gil's arrogance turns to hostility.  "Fine.  If you gossips must know, I have been seeing a woman." "Poor woman, may she rest in peace," Cu snipes. "What, like, up close, or from a distance?"  Emiya chimes in. Gil's rage flares again.  "This conversation is over and no longer concerns either of you."  His voice got a little harsher, but the color of red on his face wasn't missed by either of his bandmates, who snickered at his expense, but did drop it once he put his foot down. The sound of a car approaching makes them all pause.  The engine cuts and a door closes, and before long, Caster stood in Emiya's garage, regarding the men with some reservations.  "Uh, hey, guys," he starts awkwardly.  "How's practice?" Cu snorts at his older brother.  "It's fine.  Whaddya want?" Crimson eyes meet their twins, and there's a lot of guardedness on both sides.  Caster senses his brother's hostility, and sighs.  "Have any of you seen Aine?  She ran off and we haven't heard from her." Cu shrugs exaggeratedly.  "Have ya tried calling her?" Caster paused.  "Well, no.  She seemed pretty angry." He laughs at his brother.  "And you think she'd talk to us?" "I do," Caster doesn't hesitate.  His eyes bore through Cu.  "Specifically, you, little brother." Cu meets his glare with his own.  "Why me?" "Oh, come on," Caster seems annoyed with his cluelessness.  "You must know how taken she is with you." At that, his glare is augmented with a venomous grin.  "Are you envious, brother?" "No, I'm worried," he cuts Cu off.  "Do you know something or not?" Cu sighs.  "I might.  But she said she didn't want to be found, so."  He shrugs heavily. Caster's eyes widen and his anger flares.  "You knew something and didn't think to tell me?" "What are you, her keeper?"  Cu mocks his brother.  "Look, she asked for my help and I helped her.  She's fine.  That's all you need to know." "Are you fucking her?" The question hangs heavy between them.  Cu's eyes are wide and wild with barely-contained rage at the question.  His blood boils and his throat tightens.  "You need to leave." His tone is low and dangerous.  "Before we both say something we regret." Caster scowls.  He knows he stepped over the line in asking that question, but Cu's response was what he wanted to see, not that he wanted an actual answer.  "Just... please, tell her to text me?  I really am worried about her," he says softly.   At his brother's change in demeanor, Cu's rage subsides, and he, too scowls.  "I'll pass the message along," he promises. Without another word, Caster leaves.  Before he can turn away from the group, Cu catches the look of abject exhaustion on his face. As his brother's car drives away, Cu sighs.  "Sorry about that, guys," he says to break the silence.  "Back at it?" After a heavy silence, Emiya breaks first.  "You've been harboring a runaway!?" Cu scoffs.  "She's not twelve." "Good thing for that," Gil mocks him.  "Have you even considered the implications of what you're doing right now?" "No, not really," Cu snaps.  "I helped a friend.  That isn't the wrong thing to do." Neither of them can really refute his point.  But Emiya still seems dissatisfied.  "Just be careful, okay?" Cu was surprised how the gentle tone of Emiya's voice calmed his frayed nerves.  He sighs, resigned.  "I will.  Thanks, man."

Strings of Fate CHapter 5

Things start to get a little hot and heavy as Cu and Aine struggle with their growing attraction to one another.

The rest of the morning was a little tense and awkward between Cu and Aine.  They each ate their breakfast in silence, thankful for the low volume of music playing through the speakers of his stereo. Aine was flustered.  She couldn't get the image out of her head of him standing in the doorway, his towel leaving so little to the imagination, the fabric strained even as he came down from pleasuring himself.  She felt ashamed.  He'd allowed her to be in his home, uninvited, and less than a full day of close confinement with him had led her to these salacious thoughts. Cu had a similar feeling of how things were going.  Here she was, asking for his help, and all he could think about in those moments before he came was how she would look and sound, squirming under him as he fucked her senseless.  He felt a tremendous amount of guilt when he admitted it to himself.  He really liked Aine, and in her hour of need, all he could think of was touching her. He dared to glance up at her, and she seemed to zone out to the music.  She seemed to allow herself to get lost in it which, to him, was a big relief.  He allowed himself to smile, a look of calm in his eyes.   Aine was grooving to the music on the radio, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Cu smiling at her.  Her eyes meet his, and she can't help the small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.  "It's a good song!" He grins, probably a lot bigger than the situation called for, but he couldn't help that the tension being cut offered him a way out of his own head.  "Yeah.  It really is."  He nodded his head along to the beat, which made Aine giggle a little bit, and then sigh. "Music seems to tie us together," she says in a bit of a nostalgic tone. He blinks at her and pauses.  "How do you mean?" She studied his expression before she continued.  "We share taste.  That's really important to me."  She stands and brings her cereal bowl to the sink to rinse out.  "Used to be, Ruwa and I were connected by music, too." He hesitated.  "It didn't seem to me like that really changed."  When she looks over her shoulder at him, her stare pointed and harsh, he shrugged it off and smiled.  "My brother always tells me how people can be fans of different bands and genres.  Why not have different connections to different people, too?" Aine didn't move.  The wounds from yesterday were still fresh, and she wasn't sure she was ready to hear his surprisingly deep wisdom on the topic.  She sighs and turns towards him, leaning back on the counter, her hands rested on it to steady herself.  "I dunno.  She seemed so angry." He smirked.  "Angry, huh?  Sounds like Gil." Aine surprised herself by bursting out giggling at the comparison.  Cu's dumbstruck by the response, and looks bewildered as Aine's laughter starts to die down.  "Sorry, sorry.  She'd be even more angry if she heard you saying how she was like him."  She covers her mouth to hide her smile, but it reaches her eyes, which gleam with amusement. At her expression, he can't help joining her laughter, cautious at first, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that their friends really were so alike.  "Best we keep it to ourselves then." "Definitely."  Aine grins.  A moment passes between them, and as they calm, their eyes meet again, and she feels that pull.  She squirms a little bit as she sorts out her feelings toward him. unmistakable attraction gripping her.   He notices her heavy silence, and the blush beginning to color her cheeks.  His heart flutters in his chest at the sight.  She's looking at me like...  He lowers his head, but not his gaze, watching her from under his eyebrows.  He stirs his empty cereal bowl with his spoon, thankful he had something to fidget with.  "So, you ready to talk about it, or just want to hide out some more?" Aine's stomach flip-flops at his wording.  DId he mean her situation with Ruwa, or could he tell how she was feeling?  "I..."  Her words come a little more breathily than she intended, which make his face heat up.  She stares at him.  He's blushing?  She decides to word her own reply delicately.  "... I'm not ready to talk about Ruwa yet.  I know she'll cool off.  But I can't rush her."  She checks her cell phone, trying to distract herself a little bit.  "Caster will send me a message when they're ready to talk." Cu snorts at the mention of his older brother.  "He's such an idiot," he says under his breath. "Huh?"  Aine blinks as Cu curses his brother. He looks to Aine, the blush still on his face, but his expression guarded.  "My brother is an observant man.  He likely saw what you were going through and didn't think to talk to you."  He rests his chin in his hand and closes his eyes.  "He's a dumbass." She considered his words and weighed them carefully.  "Maybe."  She returned her attention to her phone.  Caster was their manager, sure, but she thought of him as a friend, too.  "I wonder if he was trying to protect Ruwa?" "Maybe."  Cu decided not to stir the pot anymore, then stood and moved to the sink, setting his bowl in it, then stood in front of her, looking down to her eyes with curiosity and care. She met his gaze and didn't move.  He was testing her.  She stayed on the counter and didn't make any move to get away from him.  He seems to feel bolder and steps forward, closing some of the distance between them.  She held her breath.  Her skin felt hot all over.  He leans over her, his hands on the counter top next to hers, and as he looms, she leans a little bit back so she can see his face.  "Uh... Cu...?"  Her voice is small and a little bit shy.   He took great care not to press his body to hers when he leaned over her like this.  His eyes were full of determination.  "Listen, Aine," he said carefully.  "I don't care if he is my brother.  He should have protected you, too.  And he didn't.  So I will." Electric shock runs up her spine from the floor to the back of her head.  The heat on her skin feels prickly, and she can see from his expression that he means it.  "Y... You're a little close..."  She shivers a little bit despite the heat inside of her.   He lingers near her to impress upon her how serious he is.  After the moment passes, he draws away, giving her space to breathe, though his eyes stay riveted to hers.  "Don't let him fool you.  My brother's smart, but he's dumb.  All brains, but no soul.  He probably calculated it somehow."  He turns from Aine so he can go sit in the chair.   She watches him carefully and her body slowly begins to cool and relax.  "I can't say I disagree," she sighs.  "I don't complain.  Maybe I should have." He shrugs, and when he turns back to her, his friendly grin is back on his face.  "Hell yeah, you should have!"  He raises a fist.  "The squeaky wheel gets the oil, right?" Her eyebrows drew down in a straight line over her eyes, and she puffed out a chuckle.  "You saying you want to see me oiled up?" "Wouldn't complain!"  Cu shamelessly flirts with her, a playful smirk on his face. She rolls her eyes and scoffs.  "Pick a lane!  Are you gonna protect me or flirt with me?" "Hmm," he hums and taps his chin with his forefinger.  "Why not both?" "You're impossible."  She makes a face at him and decides to not take him seriously.  He's swinging wildly in several directions, clearly incapable of keeping to one tactic, which on one hand is frustrating her, but on the other, is keeping her mind off of things.  So she wouldn't complain about it, either. "Un-possible," he corrects her with a grin, then laughs when she throws a pillow at his face.  He clutches the pillow in his hand and peeks at her.  "I have practice with the guys at Emiya's today.  You wanna come with me, or hang out here?" She sighs.  "I just want to zone out for a while.  I'll stay here.  You go practice." "'Kay!"  He sets the pillow on the couch and, with one more lingering look at Aine, goes to leave the house. As he turns from her and exits the door, Aine can't help but stare directly at his ass when he leaves.  Damn him, she curses him.  Making me feel these... feelings.  Looking good in those dark jeans.  She chewed on her lower lip.  As his car starts and he drives away, she lets herself fall into the couch, groaning with frustration.  She can't tell if he's being kind or cruel.  But either way, she can't deny, being trapped against the kitchen counter by him sent such a thrill through her system.  She was sure, once again, that he was going to kiss her.  But then, instead of doing that, he promised to protect her.  But instead of cooling her growing attraction to him, it boosted those feelings into overdrive. No.  Not here.  She resists the urge to relieve her own pressure, and opts instead to distract herself with mindless television, random songs on the radio, and breaks out some of her art supplies from her backpack to sketch.  At least then, she'd have something to do with her hands besides touch herself. ////////// The whole day had gone by, and not a word from Caster.  Aine began to feel guilty for leaving them the way she had.  But no matter how many times she played the scene in her head, there was no better way to have handled it without sacrificing her own peace of mind to do it.  She's spent months grinning and bearing it.  One more time wouldn't have accomplished anything.  She did have faith in her friendship with Ruwa, but she knows much too well that giving her space was the best way to get to a good place to resolve their differences. Cu returns with some plastic bags in hand.  "I'm back!"  He grins.  "Brought some food.  It's not pizza this time.  It's Chinese." "Oh!"  Her eyes lit up as the smell wafted over to her.  Her stomach growled angrily, and she blushed a little bit.  "Uh, thanks.  I didn't eat since breakfast." He chuckles.  "Don't worry about it."  There was plenty there.  They both ate their fill, and there were leftovers for later, which Aine put in the refrigerator.   She sighed contentedly.  "I could get used to this," she grins at him. "Get used to what?"  Cu eyes her suspiciously.  "Having food brought to you?  Yes, I imagine you could." She pouts.  "Don't be mean." He raises his hands and smirks.  "Wouldn't dream of it!"   ////////// That night, she had trouble sleeping.  She couldn't stop thinking in turn about the way her confrontation with Ruwa had gone, how Caster reacted, and the things that Cu has said and done in the last two days.  Her mounting sexual frustration wasn't helping any.  Lying on his couch, listening to the soft music playing in the background influenced how she felt and what she thought about.   A particularly sultry song whispered on the speakers and pried into her thoughts.  She allowed herself to feel however she needed to feel.  Cu was fast asleep in the other room for hours now, and she couldn't run away from her needs forever.   She dreamt of the way he grabbed her at the pool.  The way his body felt pressed against hers.  She remembers the many different kinds of looks he's given her, from his challenges and encouragements, down to his embarrassment and his determination.   Her hands begin to wander.  She thinks of yesterday, when she saw him in that towel.  She allows herself to fantasize about what he must have looked like while she listened to him masturbate in the shower.  How would it feel to hear those sounds close to her ear?  How would it feel with his hot breath on her skin? A small whine escapes her lips, but she doesn't care.  It's quiet.  What would it be like, if he touched her like this?  If his hands roamed over her body, teasing her, feeling her.  What would he feel like, huffing like that under her touch instead of his own?   Heat blazed through her veins.  Her core throbbed for him, and she cupped herself over her clothes.  Her thighs squeezed together, and she covered her mouth to keep her sounds muffled and quieted.  She's lost in the sensations she causes for herself, imagining Cu's hands, lips, and body all over her.  A rising tide of pleasure swells within her, steady and slow as she tried to keep it quiet. On the other side of the door, Cu was crouched by the door, his hand over his mouth and his eyes wide.  He heard her soft and breathy moans, and for a moment, wondered if she might be having a nightmare.  But when he opened the door, he was careful not to make noise, and what he saw startled him.  He hid behind the mostly-shut door, afraid to make a move even to go back to bed, in case she heard him.   She moans again, more heatedly this time, and his eyes squeeze shut.  His cock is painfully hard already, and hearing her make those noises made it pulse and caused his adrenaline to spike.  It was torture.  He needed to touch himself, but he didn't want to be discovered. "Ungh... Cu...?"  His eyes snap open wide when he hears his name.  He stands slowly and peeks through the door again.  Aine is squirming on the couch, still in the grips of lust, apparently trying to keep herself quiet.  He grits his teeth.  Maybe he imagined it.  But from here, seeing her squirm, listening to her pant softly, he can't think straight.   Everything in his mind goes to static, and as she nears her climax, her breath speeds up.  Her sounds are more desperate and ragged, and even more hushed.  He found himself straining to hear, and she gives a harsh, short, heavy, muffled yelp.  He begins to shake, and he takes his hand off the door, steadying himself and weathering the sounds of her writhing and cumming. He is perfectly still for several minutes after she finishes, and soon, the telltale sounds of her slow, steady breaths signaled her sleep.  He hurriedly closed the door, yanked his shorts off, and, still keeping his mouth covered, jerked his cock, taking mere moments to bring himself to completion, his legs buckling and his body shaking.  He held his breath and his body wracked painfully, no coherent thoughts in his head, the only goal to cum and to be silent about it. He bites into his own hand to keep from making a sound, and as he begins to relax, he allows himself to breathe.  Even though he's just finished, he's still unbelievably turned on, and his brain is a fog.  He knows he heard his name from her lips.  There was no mistake.  She thought of him when she touched herself.   What to do now?  He lies on the bed, sprawled out and staring at the ceiling.  He'd been ashamed at first, thinking of her in that way.  But now?  Now, he was intrigued.  Something in his guts burned, and that pull he felt toward her before grew stronger. He wanted her, too.  It didn't feel like the fleeting fantasies he's experienced before.  But he didn't want to surprise her while she was in mid-masturbation.  No.  He would do better for her than that. With his mind made up, he allowed himself to drift back to sleep, his mind full of ideas and his dreams sopping wet.

Strings of Fate Chapter 4

It’s time for a little suffering, and a little spice.  :3

-- One week after the show -- The days following the concert passed like a blur.  The girls got to showcase some new skills, and the guys gained some notoriety by performing with them.  There was growth on all sides, and the happiest person in the entire entourage was, naturally, Kotomine Kirei. "All as according to plan," he says with no small amount of arrogance to Caster.  "You see?  Both our groups are trending on Twitter.  My phone hasn't stopped ringing.  I'm sure you're having a similar experience, are you not?" Caster's expression was grim.  "Yeah."  His tone was flat, and his lack of jubilation seemed to irritate Kirei. "Is there a problem?"  The priest frowned for the first time in weeks.   Caster grit his teeth and bowed his head.  "... Nothing you need to concern yourself with."  He looked up at the priest from under his eyebrows.  "Commercially speaking, we are doing even better than before." Kirei's smile returned, though not as broad as it was before.  "Then whatever could be the problem, dear Caster?" His crimson eyes slid shut and his face relaxed.  He shook his head slowly.  "It's nothing." ////////// -- Three days after the show -- "What a ride it's been!"  Ruwa giggles and spins in her office chair, looking up at the ceiling with a confident grin.  "We've been getting all kinds of calls for repeat performances!  Not only us, but the guys, too!"  She lurched forward and rested her elbows on her knees, leaning toward Aine with brimming enthusiasm.  "Aren't you excited?" Aine's smile was wan by comparison.  She couldn't deny their success, nor the thrill of being allowed to sing more to her tastes than before.  But ever since the show ended, she's felt the rift between herself and the music she performs with Ruwa.  Now that she's had a taste of rock music in her performance repertoire, the thought of going back to strictly idol music made her feel empty and starved.   But she met her friend's smile and gaze all the same.  "I... am glad it was a hit," was all she could offer, weak though it was. Ruwa's expression soured.  "Aw, don't be like that."  She sulks a little bit.  "You'll hurt my feelings.  I went along with this idea because you were excited about it.  Don't tell me you regret it now?" "It isn't that!"  Aine sat up straight and waved off Ruwa's concern.  "I just..."  She chews on her lower lip.  Ruwa's sulking morphed into real concern at seeing her friend hesitate. "Well?  Don't keep me waiting, Aine.  I'm your friend, aren't I?"  Though her words were genuine, her tone edged on accusatory.  "You have been acting weird for a while now.  What's going on?" The girls didn't realize Caster stood just inside the doorway, watching their exchange.  He hesitated because it sounded like they were in deep discussion, and when he turned to walk away, he heard Aine talk about their performance.  He froze and eavesdropped, against his better judgment. "I..."  Aine stuttered, the words caught in her throat.  When Ruwa looks at her this way, she feels so guilty about her feelings regarding their idol duo.  Her hands tremble.  Ruwa's eyes widen.  She fears what comes next. "Aine...?" "... I can't... I don't..."  She can't bring herself to say the words out loud. Caster's heart stops for a beat. He expected this eventually, but not so soon as this.  Not after such a big success. "... you don't, what?"  Ruwa's tone dropped.  Her guard went up.   Aine's heart clenches hard at hearing her friend guard herself.  She knows.  Ruwa knows, and is going to make her say it out loud anyway.  Tears sting the corners of her eyes.  She never intended to say these things today, but her heart crumbled when she heard all the offers being made, not just for them as a duo, but for Ruwa and Aine as separate solo acts.  Caster thought he was sneaky, but Aine knew.  The only thing holding together their idol duo right now was their will to keep going, and hers was failing. She took in a shuddering breath.  "You... deserve your chance at a solo act," she says as evenly and genuinely as she can. Ruwa's eyes widen even further, and she snarls.  "What!"  She stands up from her chair and turns away from Aine to hide the anger.  "Ridiculous!  We're a team!"  She wanted to deny it, but Ruwa had thoughts towards a solo act, though she rarely entertained the notion. "Please," Aine tried to remain calm.  "I'm not saying we're not.  You're my friend." "Then bloody act like it!"  Ruwa rounds on Aine, her pupils slitlike and full of hurt disguised as indignation.  She sees Caster just outside the door.  "Can you believe this!?  Aine wants to quit!" "That's not what I..." "You've been acting sketchy for months now!"  Ruwa rants, hiding her hurt and fear under the guise of rage.  "Why'd you even go through with this performance if you knew you were going to leave!?" Aine slammed her jaw shut and bunched her brows in the middle.  Tears streaked down her cheeks at her friend's words and attitude.   "Got nothing to say?"  Ruwa gestures wildly at Aine. Aine stands and stares hard at Ruwa.  No words come to her.  There was nothing she could say when her friend got like this to calm her down.  Indeed, the torrent inside of her swirled angrily as well, but she knew expressing it would only make things worse.  Without another word, she turns and shoves past Caster and out the door. Caster, resigned and sad, allows Aine to push him and moves easily out of her way.  Ruwa's rage was still on a high boil.  "Aren't you going to stop her?!" He sighed and stared toward Aine's retreating form, his heart aching.  "No.  I'm not."  He slides his gaze over to Ruwa, pointed, but not unkind.  "Don't'cha think you were a little hard on her?" Ruwa snarls again and opens her mouth to retaliate, but at hearing Aine's car door slam and the engine roar to life, her face crumbles and she sinks to her knees, all of the wind taken out of her sails.  "I didn't mean..." Caster knelt down next to Ruwa and draped his arm over her shoulders comfortingly.  "She'll be okay.  And so will you."  When Ruwa looks up at him, tears in her eyes and a hint of indignity in her expression, he offers a reassuring smile.  "You're friends.  You'll pull through this." Ruwa sighs and rests her hands in her lap.  "I hope so.  Oh, Aine..."  She stares at the spot where Aine's car was a moment ago, regret pulling at her heart.  She leans against Caster, and reflects on what just happened. ////////// "Jeez, it's pouring out," Cu looks out the window and sighs.  "So much for going anywhere today."  He lived in a condo on the outskirts of town, a small, standalone apartment that suited him fine.  He had the TV on in the background where a music channel was still covering their concert from days ago.  He grins at watching Gil and Ruwa, video taken from a fan with a cell phone.  Their mutual teasing was the highlight of the show, apparently, because it was most of what music media talked about for the last few days.  The pop idol gone bad girl really grabbed headlines, it seems. Damn, the priest was good. He lounged on the couch in a comfortable pair of shorts and a loose-fitting tee shirt, daydreaming about the crowd, about their cheers, about the flex on stage and the thousands of fans they've made with one single performance.   Ah, the performance.  His moment in the sun, for sure, was his duet with Aine.  He smiled easily, remembering the way she screamed her notes, raw and visceral.  She blew everyone away, not the least of which was himself.  He couldn't afford to be stunned like everyone else, so opted instead to use his awe to inspire the rest of their performance together. But that look in her eye.  The guts she used while she belted out those howling notes.  He couldn't get it out of his head.  He wondered how she'd look without that wig on.  The hairpiece she wore was stereotypically gorgeous, certainly, but her short, dark hair seemed to fit her style so much better.  He dreamt of what she would look like in her natural form, in her comfortable clothes, singing more songs like those. He's startled out of his thoughts at a harsh pounding on his door.  He shouts and falls off the couch, then scrambles to his feet.  "Coming!"  He rushes to get the door. He's breathless when he sees Aine, distressed, soaking wet, and obviously having cried on the way to his home.  He takes a little too long to react, and she looks up at him.  "... it was a mistake to come here," she says flatly and turns to leave. "Wait!"  Cu reaches out and catches her shoulder.  "What in the world happened?  Why are you crying?  Why are you here?"  And how'd ya know where I live?"  All of his questions start spilling from his lips, and his heart races as feelings of protection towards Aine start to come to the fore. Aine shivers.  "Can I come in, please?  It's cold out here."  She hugged herself and refused to make eye contact or to answer any of his questions right away, standing in the rain on his porch. "Oh.  Right.  Duh."  He steps aside and gestures for her to enter.  She toes off her shoes and sheds her jacket, minimizing the water she tracks into his house. "Thanks," she mutters, her voice hollow.   "Uh, sure."  He's still shocked.  This was something straight from a movie.  The pretty girl shows up at the guy's house after a big event.  But that usually means something bad  happened, right?  Gears start to turn in his head.  "Caster didn't do anything stupid, did he?" "No!"  Aine leapt to his defense, then sighed.  "No.  Caster is fine.  Ruwa and I fought." "You... fought?"  He blinks.  "Is that all...?" "I quit the group." "What!?"  Aine winced at Cu's loud and surprised response.  "Sorry!  I'm sorry."  He scratches the back of his head and sighs, looking back and forth for something to offer.  "Wanna sit and talk about it...?" "Not really," she says tiredly, helping herself to a seat anyway in a chair situated across from the couch.  "Could I just hide out here for a while?  Caster will know I'm here, but Ruwa won't think to come looking for me." Cu's spine straightened.  He's suddenly very aware of his situation.  This girl he'd taken an interest in, who rocks harder than he expected her to, was in his apartment and asking to stay there.  "How long is a while?"  He asks slowly. Aine shrugs noncommittally.  "I dunno.  A day?  A few days?  I just don't want to be found right away."  She glances around the room and sees a hall with doors to a bedroom, a hall closet, and a bathroom.  "... I could sleep on the couch...?" Cu felt jittery and nervous.  "I, uh.  Okay.  Sure.  Whatever you need."  He looks around again, trying to get his bearings.  "Uh.  I have a washer and dryer, if you want to wash those wet clothes.  The shower's clean.  Uh, towels and extra bedding are in the closet."  He mumbles and ducks his head, refusing to make eye contact.   Aine saw how flustered he was, and it helped to lift a little bit of her gloom.  She smiles genuinely, though it is watery and weak.  "Thanks, Cu.  I'll try not to be a burden." He looks at her directly, the wispy smile she offers him captivating him.  His heart tugs a little bit at the idea that he's brought her some comfort.  "It's no big deal," he smiles back at her, broad and friendly.  "Do you have extra clothes..?" Aine stared at him with some disbelief.  "Of course I did."  She lifts her backpack a little and sets it back down.  "This isn't a romantic comedy, Cu," she teases him a little bit, thankful for the setup. Cu snaps his fingers and sighs.  "Ah, man.  I was hoping to see you in one of my big graphic tees and literally nothing else.  Oh, well!"  He shrugs exaggeratedly.  "The sacrifices I make." Aine scoffs and swats at him, her face turning bright red at the words, even if they were spoken in heavy and obvious jest.  "Quiet, you.  I'm in crisis, here." He chuckles and flinches away from her swat, but grins.  "Alright, alright.  You get settled.  I'll clear out the washer and make sure the bedding is ready.  Deal?" "Yeah."  Aine catches sight of the TV, where the clip reel showed her and Cu on stage.  Her face heats again, and she averts her eyes, opting to dig into her bag and pull out a fresh set of clothes.  She was eager to shower and get warm, change into her comfortable lounging clothes, and be numb to the world for just a little while. While Aine steps into the shower, her change of clothing and towel in the room with her, Cu makes good on his promise to make the couch comfortable for her.  He set out a couple of pillows, and a big, fluffy blanket that he kept for himself whenever the weather got cold.  He listens to the water running in the bathroom and sighs.  What am I doing?  He shakes his head and sighs.  He should go to Caster with the information that Aine is here, but he didn't want to drop her location so quickly after she showed up.  She should at least be able to calm herself for a little while before being made to endure more questions and pressure, however well-intended. He sits in the chair and flips mindlessly through the channels, not really looking for anything in particular to watch, but not really wanting to think about the naked girl in his bathroom, either. During his perusal, he sees several advertisements for food, and he looks at the clock. It was past lunch, but not quite time for dinner.  He shrugs.  A pizza would be just fine.  It's just as good cold as it is hot, and it would really hit the spot.  He picks up the phone and orders one for delivery.  20 minutes.  Should be enough time to give Aine to finish her shower. After the delivery driver came and went and Aine was still in the shower, Cu began to wonder.  What's taking so long?  He shrugs and sets the box on the counter in the kitchenette.  It'll keep, and he's not picky. An extra ten minutes pass, and Aine emerges from the bathroom, a puff of steam spilling out from the doorway.  She sighs a deep, relaxed sound.  Her eyes were puffy and she looked exhausted, but something about the way she carried herself gave him a little bit of relief.  He smirks.  "Feel better?" She gives a breath of a chuckle and nods.  "Yeah.  Sorry.  Thanks."  She looks apologetic.  "I don't usually take long showers, but..." Cu held up a hand.  "Don't worry about it."  He grins.  "If you're hungry, I ordered a pizza." Aine's eyes widened and her pupils dilated.  "Food...!"  She scampers to the conspicuous box on the counter, and she stares at it like it's made of gold.  "Ugh, I'm so hungry.  You're the best," she praises Cu as she opens the box and seizes a slice. He stares as Aine demolishes a full slice of pizza without so much as a paper towel to hold it with.  He laughs heartily.  "A woman after my own heart!"   She grabs anoher slice and gives him puppy dog eyes.  "I'm hungry," she says defensively. "Yeah?"  His smile only grows.  "Why d'ya think I got food?  Eat, woman!" They manage to split the pie evenly, which impresses Cu, even if it meant he went without his normal helpings.  With this as an icebreaker, it made the evening a lot more comfortable.  They hung out in each other's company for a few hours, talking back and forth about random things, until they lull into surfing the internet on their cell phones and listening to music on the radio. Aine gives a big yawn and a sleepy stretch, which catches Cu's attention more acutely than it should have.  He watches her intently when she reclines on the couch, burying her face into the pillow, a small, grumbling noise at the back of her throat.  "Hey, Cu?"  Her voice is heavy with tiredness. "Yeah?"  His voice was scarcely above a whisper. "Mm sleepy.  M'gonna sleep now."  She yawns again, smaller this time.  "Thanks again." "No problem," he says in the same quiet tone.  Before he can say anything further, she falls asleep, the smallest, barest snoring sounds coming from her. He stands up and turns out the lights.  He keeps the music running, but turns it down.  He takes a last, lingering look at Aine, peacefully asleep, before he walks back to his own room.  He debates with himself whether to leave the door cracked open, or to close it all the way, and eventually, he decides a closed door would be best.   He has difficulty sleeping that night.  He manages to get a few hours of sleep, but ends up waking up early, unable to go back to bed.  Alone with his thoughts, and with Aine still passed out in the next room, his mind begins to wander.   The reality of his attraction to her comes back in sharp relief against the last couple of days' worth of high and crisis.  Now that there's a moment to stop and think, he can't help but remember the way she looked when they stood so near to each other by the edge of the pool.  How stricken he'd been by the way she looked at him.  How, during their performance, all the pieces started to fit together. He felt his groin begin to stir, and he grunts in frustration.  Not now.  He looks down at the growing hardness in his shorts and then his head falls back against his pillow, his forearm resting across his eyes.  Damn.  The harder he fought his arousal, the more difficult it was to ignore the thoughts.  He reaches down and palms himself, then grunts again, his blood running hot at the first contact.  Not here.  He throws his blanket off, then stretches, his joints popping satisfyingly, and he sighs, sitting up at the edge of his bed.  He listens carefully.  No movement from his front room.  Chances were good that Aine was still sleeping.  At least there's that.  He decides speed and stealth would be best, and he opens his bedroom door slowly and carefully.  He peeks to see if the bathroom door was open.  When he sees it vacant, he slips from his bedroom to the bathroom and quickly shuts and locks the door behind him. He sighs with relief.  Time for a shower, he tells himself.  His cock pulses when he remembers against his will the fact that Aine was naked in here last.  She was in his shower, covered with soap, so clean, so... Fuck.  He turns on the water.  Now that he's in the bathroom, he doesn't worry as much about being silent.  The water comes up to temperature and he hops into the water, drawing the shower door closed behind him, the frosted glass filtering the light. Without any preamble, he pressed his palm to the wall of the shower, leaning forward, the water cascading down his back.  He grips his hard length in his hand and starts brutally stroking it, desperate to get this feeling out of his system.  He closed his eyes and let his mind wander.  He tried to think about anything but Aine, but his thoughts came back to that night by the pool.  He began to huff, his legs began to flex and quake.  His pleasure skyrocketed when he allowed himself to think of her.  He groans lowly, helpless and at the mercy of his mind.  His jaw falls open and his tongue hangs out of his mouth, the beastly side of him taking over in the final seconds before he brings himself to finish.  With a harsh grunt and a few more furious pumps of his fist, he spills his seed into his hand and onto the wall.  His breath is ragged and harsh, and he nearly buckles from the sheer force of his self-inflicted orgasm. Dazed and barely holding himself up for a few seconds afterward, he gathers his thoughts.  The rest of his shower is spent cleaning up after himself, and trying to process it all in his post-orgasmic clarity. Aine, meanwhile, lies on the couch, able to hear every single sound Cu made as he pleasured himself.  Her eyes were wide, and she dared not to breathe.  Her thighs squirmed together as mental images flooded her mind.  She feels heat pool in her lower abdomen, a flame growing within her.  But before she has a chance to truly acknowledge and do anything about it, the water is turned off and the door is opened. Startled, Aine sits bolt upright and stares openly at Cu, wrapped in a towel, standing in the doorway and staring back at her.  Aine is shocked.  She could tell from the way the towel clung around his waist that he hasn't yet gone soft from masturbating, and she squeaks and turns away from him.  "Oh, my god, I'm sorry!"  She blushes furiously and curls in on herself. Cu turns away from Aine, self-conscious about her response to him.  "N-, no, it's alright.  I should have waited until you were awake."  His words are lame, but they were better than stammering, anyway. "I-it's fine," Aine says, relaxing a little bit, but refusing to look in his direction.  "I'll just wait to use the bathroom until after you're in your room.  Okay?" "Yeah!  Right, got it."  Cu awkwardly takes the lifeline and hurries into his room, shutting the door a little harder than he'd meant to, which made Aine flinch. Once the door was closed, though, she went to use the bathroom, though she was a bit rushed, in a hurry to be out of this room so she didn't have to be the one to walk second into the front room after that awkward encounter.

Strings of Fate: Chapter 3

It’s the day of the big show!

A/N: Here's the set list, for anyone interested in the tracks! For the idols: "I Can't Stop Me" -- Twice ""M" Revolution" -- Unlucky Morpheus "Megitsune" -- Babymetal "Turn Me On" -- Band-Maid "Gogobebe" -- Mamamoo "Miss Unlimited" -- PassCode For the rock band: "Undisclosed Desires" -- Muse "Get It Up" -- Mindless Self Indulgence "Paralyzer" -- Finger Eleven "Rumors" -- NEFFEX "Addictive" -- Royal Republic "Zitti e Buoni" -- Måneskin Fir Gilgamesh and Ruwa's duet: "Levitating" -- Dua Lipa feat. DaBaby "Yubisaki" -- Covered by XYZ (Shoose, Luz and Soraru) For Cu Chulainn and Aine's duet: "One Hell of a Team" -- Hazbin Hotel "The Promise" -- In This Moment //////////

After a long month of PR engagements during the day and practice at night, the group had the opportunity to rest for two days.  Even so, the groups decided one of the days, at least, should be dedicated to a final rehearsal before they gather up for the big show. It was seamless.  Every song perfectly done.  Everyone professional and in their element.   It's not that Aine had forgotten about what happened the night previous, at the pool, where she and Cu had their encounter.  It's not that she didn't think about it in her waking thoughts and in her dreams.  It's not that she didn't want to make sense of it all. But, she did have a job to do.  Her life as an idol has brought her here, yes, but her life as an idol also stops her from considering what that spark could have been, the pull that she felt when she stood in front of Cu, there, alone in the dark. From the way everyone acted around them, nobody had been present to witness them.  She'd gotten her wig back to the shape she needed it to be, looking natural and luscious.  Even Cu, for his part, seemed to barely spare a second glance when she came in to practice.  He acted the same as he always did, cocky and self-assured, challenging Aine to step up her vocal game. But likewise, Cu couldn't entirely shake the feeling that something between them had sparked.  Was it honestly because she had a different hairstyle than the blonde wig she uses?  Was he really so shallow as that?  Or was the difference in hairstyle enough to make him realize something that was there all along? Whatever it was, it was too big and complicated to think about the day before their big performance.  He took a page from the idol book and wore his rebellious grin, jammed on the guitar, sang his heart out as if they were playing for a live audience. With everything cinched up tight, the two groups packed their belongings.  Their instruments, their microphones, everything they would need to put on their grand performance the following day.   Even as she drove away from Emiya's garage, Aine still couldn't put away her thoughts about the Irishman that had invaded her mind.  She was left wondering what it would have been like for him to kiss her, like she was certain he tried to do the night before.  She despised that she couldn't have resolution before their show.  So instead, she made a point to remember to bring it up to him later. ////////// The day of the big show wasn't anything new for Aine or Ruwa. They'd played to packed stadiums before.  But this was new in a way.  Now, they had an edge to their normally happy-go-lucky tunes.  Now, they had some more gravel in their vocals.  For half their set, they would have a backup band, and for the other half, they would be backup singers.  In practice, they had it nailed down.   But it would all come down to how the audience received them.  Would their rock-pop fusion go over well?  Or, would it be a mess?  Was the public ready for this?  Their fans?  Would the guys' own popularity be forever colored by their performance with the girls? Too late to think about that now, Caster thought.  He takes a bracing breath and watches the girls getting ready in the mirror, as they had scores of times before.  He forces an enthusiastic smile to hide his apprehension.  "You two have been working hard for this," he says with beaming pride.  At least that part was true.  They had worked themselves to the bone to make this work.  They'd learned new songs and developed stage chemistry with a band they knew very little about until a little over a month ago. Ruwa smirks.  "We really have, haven't we?"  Her quip makes Aine giggle. "They have, too, you know," she chides Ruwa. Ruwa scoffs and rolls her eyes, but she does smile.  "Yeah, yeah.  Good grief, we can accept praise from our manager without spreading the wealth."  She turns her nose up in mock-indignation.   Caster's smile becomes more genuine from watching them interact.  They always played off of each other like this, and knowing this new performance wasn't hampering the way they talked to each other put his mind at ease.  "Let's go over the set list one more time."  He knew they had the songs down.  The first half was to be them front and center, with Kotomine's boys as the band.  The thought behind that was that, it would be strange for the two famous idols to take a back seat to their band first thing in the show.  Instead, they would have the idols perform, and then introduce the band to let them play their own set list while they provided backup vocals and dancers.  Everyone was on board with that plan. Then, the duets would happen.  Two where Ruwa sang, and two where Aine sang. She hadn't given it much thought before, but as Caster read off the last four tracks, she noticed a pattern.  They'd paired Ruwa with Gilgamesh to sing.  They paired her with Cu. Something about that tugged at the edges of Aine's psyche.  She didn't think to question why she'd be put out front.  Ruwa was the lead.   Maybe it's because of the differences in their vocal qualities? Either way, she decided to focus on the music and their performance.  They finalized their outfits, makeup, and hair, and readied themselves. Across the hall, the guys were having a  more difficult time with the magnitude of their performance.  They'd played at festivals and competitions, sure, but never to a stadium.  Never to a packed house full of potential fans.  Add to that, that most of the audience would be idol fans, and that added an edge to their anxiety. "Is everything ready?  Is it time to go yet?"  Cu paced and rubbed the back of his neck, antsy and eager.  He hated to wait.  At least if they were already on stage, he'd have something to do with his hands. "Calm yourself," Kirei admonishes Cu, his stare hard and cold.  "The stage hands are preparing the equipment.  The audience has begun trickling in."  The murmur of the crowd beginning to meander into the venue did reach them, though it was distant and muffled. Emiya sighed and shook his head.  "This is a lot different from our road shows, priest," he peered at Kirei.  "A total reversal.  We've gone from 'hurry up and play' to 'wait we're not ready yet.'  So you can understand our impatience." Gil snorts.  "As if a nighttime show at a hole-in-the-wall bar could compare to a stadium full of screaming fans?"  He regards his bandmates with some pity.  "I've forgotten, you've never tasted true success before." "Watch it, Goldie!"  Cu snaps at Gil.  "We get by fine.  Commercial success isn't why I'm here."  He folds his arms and shuts his eyes. Kirei chuckles.  "But it is why I'm here."  He gives a fake smile, laced with predatory intent.  "Believe me, boy, you will get a taste of what it's like to play to a crowd like this," he gestures to the noises of the crowd, "and you'll be hooked." Cu scoffs and turns away from Kirei and Gil.  "I'm so sick of waiting!"  His fingers twitch, as if holding his guitar would bring him relief from his anxiety. "Well, at least we're back in familiar territory," Emiya shrugs and shakes his head.  "It can't be helped." There's a rap on the door, and the sound of the hinges creaking as the door opens.  "Yo," Caster's voice calls ahead before he steps inside.  "The girls are ready.  How's it coming over here?" Cu takes in a breath to give an impatient remark, but Kirei cuts him off.  "We are eager to begin," he says, his tone smooth and low.  "Some of us more than others," his eyes slide in the direction of Cu. Caster lifts an eyebrow at his little brother.  "You in that big a hurry to make an ass out of yourself?" "Oh, fuck off," Cu flips his brother off, but despite the two tossing insults back and forth, they smirk at each other.  Cu lowers his hand and grins.  "You an' the priest really pulled out the stops for this little plan, eh?" Caster sighs and shakes his head, though he does smile.  "Hatched this plan just like an egg," he claims.  "Now, c'mon.  Let's go meet the girls in the hallway.  You guys have to be set up and on your instruments before they even take the stage." "Yes!"  Cu eagerly exits the room. Emiya sighs quietly.  "Finally."  He strides out the door, in less of a hurry than their singer, but no less eager. Gil snorts and follows suit, pausing in the doorway to give a sideways glance to the priest and the Caster.  He appears as though he has something to say, but he thinks better of it, and follows his bandmates to the hall. Once they're alone and out of earshot, Caster narrows his eyes at Kirei.  "Playing a little hard to the rumor mill angle, aren't you?" "Whatever could you mean?"  Kotomine's smile was small, but playful and venomous.   Caster considers him carefully.  "You tryin' to tell me you didn't pair the duets strategically, choose the songs in just such a way to cause a stir, at all?" The priest shrugs dismissively.  "I chose them based on how they sounded individually.  I picked the songs because I thought they would sound good."  His eyes fell on Caster's, sharp and alert.  "Do you disagree with the choices?" Caster bit his lower lip.  "... No." "Good.  It'd be far too late to change it, anyway," he smirks and walks past Caster, patting him amiably on the shoulder on his way out the door. Caster's left alone, staring at the floor.  Something bothers him about the care taken in this particular plan, but he couldn't put his finger on it.  Was he feeling protective of the girls?  And even if he was, shouldn't he also feel protective of his little brother? What a mess.  He gives a resigned sigh, then decides to turn his thoughts to cheering on the musicians for their performance.  Regardless of motive, the show promised to be an amazing spectacle.  He needed to be sure all of the behind-the-scenes pieces were in place, from sound and lighting, down to which stage hands would be on duty.   "Look at them all!"  Cu peeked at the crowd shuffling their way into their seats.  "Wow, you two really pull a crowd, huh?"  He smiles wickedly.  "Hope you don't mind if we steal away a few of your adoring fans." Before Ruwa can lay into him, Caster approaches.  "Little brother, you do understand that a person can be fans of multiple bands and genres, right?"  He sounds weary, as if he's had this conversation with Cu before. Aine giggles and grins.  "I can't wait to see how they react to the set!"  She shivers with excitement, her eyes gleaming.  She's bursting with energy to get out on stage and perform.  Ruwa turns her attention from the cocky frontman to her friend, and her piercing glare turns into a softer, gentler smile, dazzling and brilliant.   "It'll certainly be a change for them.  Good thing we did all that PR stuff, or they'd be completely taken off guard!"  She tosses her hair over her shoulder and rests her hand on her hip, her eyes landing pointedly on Gil.  "You better not screw up our duet, blondie, or I'll have your ass." Gil scowls at Ruwa, his pupils turned to slits in response to her goading, but it's touched with a hint of a predatory smile.  "Does that mean if you screw it up, that I get to have your ass?"   Ruwa's cheeks redden, but she refuses to back down, staring at him for a long moment. "Just fuck already!"  Cu says behind his hand before he comes down with a sudden fake coughing fit. "That's for later."  Ruwa licks her chops and narrows her eyes as she smirks at Gil who, suddenly at a loss for words, decides to busy himself by moving toward the stage. "Are we getting set up or what?"   Aine nudges her friend and gives her a knowing smirk.  "Aw, look, you flustered him!" She giggles and nudges Aine back playfully.  "Good.  It'd be no fun if he matched me every time."  She winks and grins.  "Look, the guys are making their way to the stage." The lights by the stage were intentionally low.  Stage hands helped Emiya to get into position, where he gave a couple of test taps to his drum kit.  He smiles, feeling a lot less anxious now that he's behind his kit.  Here, he's at home and knows what he's doing.  At last.  The drum sticks were like a lifeline to him. Likewise, Cu was guided to where his guitar was set up, still not hooked up to the amplifier, so he gave it a few experimental strums and plucks.  His nerves began to calm, and the murmuring of the crowd became white noise to him.  With his guitar in hand and his microphone stand nearby, he was in the space he needed to be. Gil, able to compartmentalize himself from his spat with Ruwa a moment ago, made the easy transition, still the same arrogant, slightly grumpy musician he always was on the bass guitar.  He needed no comfort and believed that he belonged wherever he was.  For him, this was hardly a bump in the road. Since Emiya had tested his drums, some of the crowd had begun to hush and pay attention.  Most of the attendees had entered the venue and were in the process of finding their seats, but the die-hard fans all found their way in early.  Occasional cheering and whooping, the call of Ruwa's name, Aine's, and even Cu's sometimes rang out, but no formal chanting had started.   It felt like ages, but soon, the behind-the-scenes players plugged Cu's guitar into its amp, and did the same for Gil's bass.  Both men were tapped gently on the shoulder, which was the signal that the show was about to begin. The lights fell.  The crowd hushed.  A dull roar of cheers started to well up in the gathered crowd, and the backlighting for the set lit up.  Under the cover of the low lighting, the two girls took the stage.  They got to their marks flawlessly.  Emiya tapped on his cymbals gently to get the beat started, one, two, three, four times. Cu's guitar rang out, melodious and heavy.  The second his pick hit the strings and the first note sounded, the stage was bathed in light, spotlights on himself, one on each of the girls, and one each on Gil and Emiya.  He was warned he'd be blinded, and so was prepared, his head bowed down and eyes half-closed, the picture of concentration and passion as he began their first song. The drums and bass backed him up nicely, and that's when the girls' voices took over.  They settled into the rhythm of the music, playing the song, 'I Can't Stop Me,' but with an edgier, harder flavor to it.   The crowd rejoiced as Ruwa and Aine sang and danced together.  They swayed back and forth, a mass of humanity, a tide of fandom, all here to watch them perform.  They were in perfect sync, mirroring one another's moves, complementing one another's vocals.   And as the final, growling guitar note sounded the end of the song, the lights dimmed again, and the crowd erupted in screaming cheers.   Aine was positively glowing with pride.  They liked it!  She adored that she could bring some rock flavor to their normally pop idol set list, and she reveled in it.  She was full to bursting with joy, and even more excited now to duet a full-blown rock song with Cu Chulainn. Ruwa saw the change in her friend, and her joy was dimmed.  She sensed a change in Aine of late, even before this collaborative effort.  But still, seeing her friend so happy was infectious.  She couldn't deny the crowd's response to their performance, and in fact had already began to gear up for the second track, ""M" Revolution."   They whipped the crowd into a frenzy, the speedy drumbeats making Emiya work much harder, but the look of concentration and the sweat on his brow meant he loved every single second of it. The variety of different songs the girls had in their own setlist was a surprise to their fans, but a pleasant one, judging by their response.  Each and every note, every single stage interaction, all the smiling and waving served to drive them higher.  By the time it was time to change their tune and give the boys their chance at the spotlight, the girls had begun to work up a real sweat.  Aine had more fun in the last 45 minutes' worth of songs than she had in an entire year of touring.  For Ruwa's part, the experiment did fuel her, and she saw what else could work in her craft, even if the decision to use a rock band wasn't her first choice. "Thank you so much!"  Ruwa blows a kiss to the crowd and gives her signature idol's grin.  "You've been so kind to us today.  Did you like our performance?"  She waited for the predictable explosion of shrieking and applause from her adoring fans.  She laughed airily.  "I'm so glad!  Don't worry, we're going to keep going!"  She waited again, and the crowd answered her with more cheers and whoops.  "But do you think you could do me a favor?"  She spoke through their cheers this time.  "Keep that energy going for my friends!"  She gestures to the guys, who gave unpracticed, awkward waves at first, but when the crowd's energy swelled, it fueled their confidence, and they looked more natural.  Cu rewarded them with a shredding guitar solo that lasted for only a few beats, but it did feed them.  Ruwa's smile was so wide, Aine worried it might split her face in half.  Ruwa bows graciously in a couple different directions to the crowd, and Aine follows suit.  "Thank you so much!  We love you!"  She blows more kisses and points randomly to different people, earning her squeals and more cheers.  The lights dimmed again, giving them a chance to rearrange themselves on stage. As Aine and Ruwa stepped back to the side of the stage to take their place as the band's backup, they took a second to drink water and refresh their vocal cords.  No time to chat.  At least the transition song was fairly slow. The plucky beginning began, and the recorded synth played over the speakers.  From the first beat, the girls moved in sync with the tune, even before Cu began to sing.  "I know you've suffered, but I don't want you to hide..." The routine they performed was a little different from their norm, but both of them stayed in step and professional.   "Please me..."  The way Cu sang that line sent a shiver down Aine's spine.  She felt thrilled by it, and she let it fuel her dance performance. ... "undisclosed desires in your heart."  Cu and Gil sang together, Gil providing the backup vocals, since the girls were too focused on their moves to effectively vocalize.  Aine did catch a glint in Ruwa's eyes at the line, and she suspected she knew why.   The song ended and everyone stopped.  The crowd, most of which hadn't heard the song before, paused before it gave its verdict. Thunderous applause bounced off the walls of the stadium.  Cu gave a relieved smile and a sigh.  They really liked it.  After relief came ego, and he let his inner rock star shine through.  It was time for a new song, and the next one was a bit harder and raunchier than the first.  Once again, the recorded synth played on the speakers.  Cu grasped the microphone stand and closed in on the mic.  "Gentlemen, screwing in moderation, screwing is such a bore.  None of that time is wasted, I do that shit on tour!" He then hits the guitar and plays the next song, "Get It Up."  Since they lured the audience in with something kinder and gentler, it was time to wreck them with this. Ruwa felt a little weirder about this song than the first.  Aine wasn't comfortable either, but as they were professionals, they played along, though this time they did keep their movements a bit more modest.  They let the guys perform instead, where they thrashed and played off of each other. Not every song they performed did quite as well as the rest, but the boys' set list was a net positive, and the crowd appreciated them.  It was always going to be an uphill battle for them to win over pop fans, but they knew this going in. The real test was coming up.  The duets. Cu, sweating and panting, addressed the crowd once their track list ended.  "You like that?"  Was all he could come up with, but it earned him a dull roar from the crowd.  He smiles and nods, looks back at his bandmates and the girls.  "Alright, how about some love for the girls, too?"  That earned him a bigger round, and his smile sharpened.  "Well, it ain't over yet!"  He points out to the crowd.  "We got a few more songs for you.  And now," he takes a deep breath, "for something completely different."  And with that said, the lights fall again. They're moved efficiently by stage hands, offered water to drink and to splash on themselves.  The girls declined the splash, but they graciously accepted the drinks.  In the low lighting of the backstage lights, Aine passes by Cu and catches his eye.  She holds her breath for a moment, seeing how deeply into the music he's gone.  It's infectious.  Her pupils dilate.  Though their own two songs together were to be last, it wouldn't be long now.  She'd be center stage with him, performing on equal ground. For now, though, she would hop back stage and Ruwa and Gil would take center stage.  Their songs were much different from the ones she and Cu planned to perform.  That was a personal choice on everyone's part.  They forced their managers to go along with it, despite the stark differences in style. True to plan, instead of Cu's voice calling out in the silence, it's Gil's.  He starts with a speaking line, quick and methodical, setting the tune for a more electronic-pop sounding song, introducing the audience in a way to Ruwa's own rapid-fire lines. "If you wanna run away with me, I know a galaxy, and I can take you for a ride..."   Gil and Ruwa had incredible chemistry on stage.  They moved together as naturally as she and Aine had, as though they'd been performing together for years.  They played off of each other, flawlessly dropping their lines and moving their bodies to the rhythm of the music.  From where the audience stood, it looked perfectly choreographed, a moving artwork with moving pieces and striking models that worked together like a machine. To Aine, she saw a game of chicken.  How provocative could they get on stage?  How far would she pull him in, before pushing him away?  How far would he let himself go, before he pulled back and made her come to him? They hadn't rehearsed half of the things they did to each other on stage.  It was as if they lived to frustrate each other.   But, as professionals, they kept it clean, their bodies hardly touching at all, their faces hardly ever less than a foot apart.  But even so, there was something going on there, and it translated into the way they performed. The crowd ate it up.  They loved the way the pair had their back-and-forth.  Flirting with scandal is the sort of thing a crowd generally lives for.   The song was short, but at the end of it, they were both a little more breathless from the intensity of their performance.   But for all of Ruwa's teasing in this song where she took lead vocals, the next song, while in Japanese, would definitely be translated into the way they danced on stage.  For this number, Gil shed his bass guitar and handed it off to a crew member.  Aine could see the predatory look in his eye as he stared at Ruwa who, without a doubt, met his gaze with one of gleeful challenge, daring him to go further, provoking him to act. They took their spots on stage, and Ruwa began to move.  The drum beats signaled the start of the song, and then the guitar joined, along with Gil's voice. It was a deceptively bouncy tune, one easily danced to, but Gil dominated the stage, treated Ruwa's form like she was a caged bird and he was a hungry cat.  He circled her as he sang, moved in and moved away, hovered his hands over her body in ways threatening in one instant and provocative the next. Ruwa, for her part, played along, reacting and interacting with him, but rather than fear or worry, she displayed defiance and challenge. The way she smiled as she performed wasn't the plastic one she wore when she performed as an idol.  This was different, Aine could tell.  She was having fun.   During a particularly heavy part of their song, Gil moved behind Ruwa, and as she swayed and moved to the music, his hands trailed down her sides, and he bent his head down near her shoulder, the smile on his face full of fangs.  As the crescendo of the music swelled, Ruwa looked over her shoulder at Gil and their faces were millimeters apart.  Once their eyes met, the lights and the music died and the song ended. One fan trumpeted a screaming ovation, just ahead of the rest of the crowd, which went wild with adoration for this new side they got to see of Ruwa.  Aine stared at them as the duo stayed there together for a little too long after the lights went out, as if they were stuck there.  Realization dawned on Aine, and her skin ran hot.  Something happened between them in their moments on stage, and either they were both too stubborn to break from each other, or... Ruwa regains her composure and separates from Gil.  Aine couldn't tell what was said between them, but they both exited the stage and joined her in the back.  When they came into the light, Aine saw that her friend was on an adrenaline high the likes of which she hadn't seen in a long time.  Joy and apprehension in equal measure floods Aine at seeing her friend this way.  When she sees Gil, he looks more serious, though the small smile on his face is unmistakable. They had such a great time on stage.  Had they been practicing privately for this?  They had to have been, right?  Had she and Cu screwed up by not doing private rehearsals?  Would their performance together fall flat because they hadn't thought of it? No.  Their act was different from Gil and Ruwa's.  They weren't there to showcase their dance moves.  They were there to sing.  Their voices would break through any shortcoming that their lack of performative art would have by comparison. She's ushered to the stage before she can speak to her friend.  Her breath is caught in her throat as pre-performance anxiety grips her for the first time in ages.  Her hands tingle and her stomach has butterflies.  She can see Cu's outline in the low light, just a few feet away from her.  She knows he's looking at her, though his face is obscured by shadow.  "Hey," he says to her with his usually forceful optimism.  "Let's show those two up, eh?"  He gives her a thumbs-up. Aine's heart flutters, and a huge grin spreads on her face.  She nods firmly.  "Let's show them what we can do!" The crowd hushes, and the telltale tapping of Emiya on his drum kit gives Cu a beat.  A single spotlight shines on him as his guitar starts, low and quiet as his voice.  "You stitch your dreams, but they'll never hold.  You're falling by the wayside.  Falling by the wayside.... ",,, Down you go."  At the end of the line, the music livens up and the rest of the stage lights up.  Aine puts a mistrustful look on her face to aid in the performance, as Cu sings about making deals and how much she should trust him, of the things he could offer her and ask nothing in return.  The way he looks at her makes Aine giddy.  While she knows his lines are scripted, she couldn't help but feel like his words spoke to her on a deeper level. Her cue comes up and, firmly in character, she starts her back and forth with him.  "I don't understand what's in it for you." Just as in rehearsal, they play off of each other in perfect time.  Muscle memory takes over and Aine can enjoy the work as if they were still in Emiya's garage, closed and comfortable. Cu's eyes are piercing as he sings to her.  "Now hang the banners, welcome all those on the outside." She counters him, "I'll show compassion, and they'll see, their future's in sight." "Yeah, nothing can go wrong, our deal is..." "Sealed airtight," their dual lines begin, and for a beat, everything pauses. The stage lighting explodes, and their voices ring out together, their voices blending and harmonizing, like they were made to sing together. The crowd is riveted to their performance, but even so, Aine can only pay attention to what she and Cu are doing.  Their cues are met and everything goes smoothly, and soon, everything calms.  It's time for her solo.  She adopts a determined expression, and her voice is low and sultry.   Something in Cu's expression changes as she sings her lines.  "But, I see you, all of you, clearer than I ever have, stone cold, with no soul,  loneliness your only friend.  Get in it your head, you're never gonna change me." "No, I only wanna set... you... free."  Cu's voice is soft and soothing in the way he sings.  Aine can feel something in her mind shifting, like all the moving parts of some sort of realization are coming together live on stage.   The song ends and the lights go down again.  The crowd is wild with glee, and Aine felt power and resolve like she hasn't felt in a long time.  This is what she wants.  This is the sort of music that she wants to make, the sorts of performances she wants to do, the visceral, the moody, the thought-provoking.  Idol music is fun and bouncy, great to dance to, fun at parties, but... it isn't what she wants.  Her soul isn't in it. It's in this. The lost expression on her face must have startled Cu, because he waved at her to get her attention.  "Hey!  Don't fall apart before we're done!"  Cu steps up to her and nudges her bodily, offering her that rebel's smile that he always wore when he wanted to make her improve her game.  "You got one more in ya?" Aine found his eyes, and her expression moved from lost, to manic, her smile heated and her eyes wild with the burst of adrenaline she felt.  "Try and keep up," she answers and nudges him back, meeting his challenge with enthusiasm and glee. The music begins, and heavy guitar riff signals the start of the song.  Aine felt high, every sense clean and acute, every beat of Emiya's drum and strum of Cu's guitar pouring through her.  Her voice for the start of this song is soft and low.  "It's haunting.  This hold that you have over me.  I grow so weak." Cu answers, though he concentrates on the lines, his brows drawn down and eyes shut as he leans into the microphone.  "I see you, and everything around you fades, and I can't see."  His eyes open and land on Aine.  "But, you can never know, what it is you do to me...." The moment his line ends, she screams at him, "I can't take what you're doing to me!  I can't take it!" Ruwa's breath catches in her throat as she watches Aine clutch at her head, as though the song caused her real agony.  The line repeats, and she can breathe again.  But, Ruwa is captivated by how raw and emotive Aine could be on stage.  In that one powerful shriek made by her friend, Ruwa is an audience member, watching the show like anyone else.  She can feel Gil lingering behind her, and they are both glued to the performance. She looks up at Gil with a lifted eyebrow.  "She didn't do that in rehearsal, right?" Gil shook his head, but he didn't take his eyes from the stage.  He watched everything unfold, watched as both Aine and Cu poured out visceral energy, displaying their raw emotion to the crowd. "The only promise I can make you...!"  Aine begins. Cu answers in a roar that came from deep in his chest.  "Is that my promise is a lie!" "The only promise I can make you...!!!"  Aine tears a howl from deep in her soul, in the longest, harshest note she's ever sang in her life. Cu follows closely behind, and in the last line, his voice blends with hers, like two wolves howling at the moon together, "Is that my promise is a lie....!!!" They settle back into the chorus of the song, and Ruwa is left speechless.  With that one note, she knew.  Something changed.   The final line is soft-spoken, in stark contrast to that bearing of souls everyone witnessed before.  They sang the line together. "My promise is, I will hurt you..." The lights fall for the final time on their performance.   The sounds the audience made that night were to be remembered for the rest of all of their lives. The night things changed.

Strings of Fate:  Chapter 2

The media circuit ends in a pool party.

The circuit of appearances and engagements was a grueling and taxing process. The girls had no problem as they've had experience handling the press, as well as their fans. They knew they'd be asked many of the same questions over and over again, and they handled themselves quite well.

"How did this seemingly mismatched couple of groups even come together? Can you tell us that?" The radio DJ asked, as if they were the first to get the answer.

Ruwa smiles sweetly and play-acts as if they really are the first ones to ask. "It's a funny story, really. You know how you get together with your friends, and they bring some of their friends along, and every so often, a crazy idea will fall out of someone's mouth?" She winks. "It's a little like that."

"Wait, so," the DJ overexaggerates his confusion, "an idol duo knows people in the same circle as this up-jumped garage band?" He smiles, obviously goading them to some sort of conflict.

"That's right!" Ruwa smiles, though this time there's an edge to it. "But I wouldn't underestimate them. They really are good," she defends her partners.

They'd had a discussion about who would handle which interviews ahead of time, and the rest of the group stood outside of the recording room, watching and listening to Ruwa gracefully correct the DJ.

Aine crossed her arms and scoffed. "Can you believe this jerk?" She asks nobody in particular. "I'd bet he never even listened to you guys play."

Emiya glances down at Aine before he turns his attention back to the interview. "It can't be helped," he says. "In its rawest sense, the DJ isn't wrong." He shrugs indifferently. "We'll just make him eat his words."

Gil watched the interview, his eyes riveted to the pair inside. Either he was watching Ruwa with great interest, or he was staring down the DJ with daggers in his eyes. It was difficult to tell for Aine, who decided it'd be best not to bother him.

She instead turned to Cu. "Do you feel the same way as Emiya?" She asked more directly. "Do you believe we can make him eat his words?"

He grins confidently, though the look in his eyes is dangerous, his gaze glued to the DJ. "Yeah," he says in a low, menacing tone. "We will. There's no doubt in my mind."

//////////

It was Gil's turn to make an appearance. As his band's bassist, he has shown he could revolutionize the way the bass is played, matching and even sometimes outshining the work Cu does as lead guitarist and leading vocals. So, when it was time for them to interview with a regionally-aired music news TV show in the later hours of the night, during the "metal hour" of their program, they seized the opportunity. Naturally, they didn't exactly fit the description of a "metal group," but their odd pairing had garnered the attention of the show's producers, anyway.

"Don't get me wrong," the woman sitting across from Gilgamesh waves her hands in front of her, as though covering up a mistake. "Music is all about revolution. It's about expression. It's just," she leans in, her elbows on her knees and a for-the-cameras cheesy smile on her face, "Idols? They don't really do revolution. They're... well... idols."

Gil smiles and scoffs at the interviewer. "Is that what you believe?" He leans back and takes a drawn-out sip of coffee from a mug. "Tell me, then. Have you ever heard them sing? Have you ever seen them perform?"

"Well, I..." The interviewer didn't seem to have a right answer. She could either admit she had, and lose 'credibility' as a rock music host, or she could admit she generalized idol singers and hadn't bothered doing her homework. Both answers made her look bad, and she knew it.

Gil positively took command of that interview, and it was completely effortless. Aine was impressed with the diplomacy he employed while he spoke to this woman. He had torn her down in such a way that made him look sympathetic, instead of like a jerk. It was art in motion, and Aine lived for it.

"Oh, wow!" She smirked and nudged Ruwa, who absorbed the nudge, but didn't really respond. Aine continued anyway. "Who knew a guy like him would have the talent for this?"

Ruwa's smile to her friend was rigid and plastic. "The woman in that room has no idea how to handle him."

Aine giggles easily. "I know!" She was thoroughly entertained, almost to the point of missing how her friend was tense and slightly annoyed. Still, she sensed something was a little off. "What's wrong?"

Ruwa lifted an eyebrow, and her eyes seemed to clear from that fake smile. "You understand I'm going to get so much worse from him, now that this girl can't satisfy his need to argue, right?"

Aine smiled mischievously. "If I didn't know better," she teased her friend, "you're looking forward to that."

Ruwa scoffs and turns her head up and away, her frown a little too severe to be genuine. "Don't say such silly things," she scolds Aine, who just giggles a little bit more, then leaves her alone.

//////////

By the end of the circuit of interviews and meet-and-greets, the five artists were exhausted, irritated, and needed to get away from the public eye, and maybe away from each other, too.

"Ugh, finally," Cu complains, "it's nearly over." He crash-landed on his usual spot in Emiya's garage, where they all decided to drop by on the night of the final interview. "Tomorrow, we can relax by the pool, and two days of pure R and R!"

Emiya snorts. "And by R and R, do you mean Rehearse and Rehearse More?"

Gil shoots a mocking glare at the drummer. "That's the best you could come up with?"

"Bite me, Goldie."

"Name a time and place." The pair glare at each other, clearly tired of each other's company.

Aine's eyes darted back and forth between the fighting pair, and the crash-landed Cu on the couch. "So, does this mean you guys won't be at the pool tomorrow?"

"I will be," Cu answers immediately. "I don't give a shit if they come or not."

After another few seconds of glaring at one another, Emiya breaks the gaze first, sick of Gil's crap. "I'll be there. We didn't go through all that publicity to say no to a closed event like this pool party," he waves his hand dismissively, then sighs. "I'm going to bed. Close the place up on your way out," he offers a short bow before he exits, clearly in no mood to be convinced to stay in the conversation.

"Good night!" Aine calls after him, trying to sound cheerful, but she, too is worn down from the non-stop running they've been doing all month. She sighs softly. She glanced at Ruwa who, once again, stared daggers at Gil, as if waiting for him to speak so she could attack. Gil, a fairly smart man, ignored her hostility, his expression the same relaxed scowl he usually wore. "Hey, where'd Caster go, anyway?"

Cu shrugs. "He and I don't really keep tabs on each other, but if I had to guess, he and Kirei are finalizing things at the venue for our performance." He stretches involuntarily, a muffled, sleepy sound in the back of his throat, followed by a satisfied sigh. "You girls really okay being our backup singers for some of these songs?"

Aine grins. "I am. I've been a backup for Ruwa for a while now." Her grin shrinks a little. "But, she may feel differently. She's a star."

"Still standing here," Ruwa reminds them, her tone flat and unimpressed. "And I'm as fine with it as you are being our backup band for our songs." Her gaze shifted from Gil to Cu. "I'm a professional. The real question is, how will the new songs go? I mean," she gestures to Gil, who continues to pretend she's not there, "you have him and me singing together. He's your backup singer. Are you going to be okay with that?"

Cu sighed, bored. "I get to play either way," he states as a matter of fact. "I can give up the spotlight for a couple songs."

"As it should be," Gil comments from the peanut gallery.

"Nobody asked you," Ruwa snaps. It was a ham-handed approach to start a fight with him, but it worked. Aine suspected they were waiting to shout at each other for a little while. As they bickered and sniped at each other, Aine sighed.

"It's late. We're all tired. I think I'll go home now." She smiles wearily and waves to the remaining musicians, none of whom were really paying attention to her. "See you at the pool tomorrow!"

They all offered a half-assed goodbye. Aine hopped in her car and turned the key. As the car came to life, the sound of alternative rock rang through her speakers. As she drove off, Cu lifted his head and watched her car leave.

She really did like to sing rock music. It wasn't a front at all. At that, he was impressed. He then settled in to watch the remaining two in the garage fight until they were both sick of it, huffed, and parted.

//////////

The open-air pool party was a small and private affair. Or, at least, it should have been. There was easily a hundred people in the water, and another fifty or so hanging out by the side. Aine, Ruwa, Gil, and Emiya all stared at the scene before them, dismayed by the volume of humanity in front of them.

Cu, on the other hand, wouldn't be stopped. He cheered and shouted, hurtled himself forward and dove into the water, leaving his towel behind.

Gil shrugs. "No time like the present." He's more dignified in the way he sets his towel down, then walks into the water in his audacious gold and red swim trunks.

Emiya sags and sighs. "Not a drop of sun block between them," he says. He whips his towel off, revealing himself to be in a black speedo.

Ruwa and Aine recoil, not having expected that. "Dude!" They say in unison.

"What?" He grins, obviously knowing why they're reacting this way. "It makes me more hydrodynamic." He takes a moment to stretch out, which makes the girls redden, but they don't turn away.

"Nobody needs to see that!" Ruwa shakes her fist at Emiya, whose smile only grows.

"Relax. Once I'm in the water, nobody will know the difference." He stands up straight and inclines his head. "Will you ladies be joining us?"

"Not me," Aine said with a hint of reservation. "I'll be sunbathing by the pool, though!"

"Okay," Emiya smiled in a friendly way. "Do you need help with your sunblock?"

Aine's blush deepened. "No. Thank you. Go play." She waved him off before images of him kneading and rubbing her bare back with lotion could take hold in her mind and make the entire trip awkward. The truth was, she wanted to go in the water, but she had to wear this stupid wig everywhere she went, now. She owes Caster another ass-chewing for not including that damn nondisclosure agreement.

When she turned to go find Ruwa, she saw she, too had entered the water, in hot pursuit of Gilgamesh, no doubt to annoy him. She smiles, but she is quite envious. Oh, well, she thinks, Someone's gotta watch our stuff. She laid on a beach chair, sunglasses on, umbrella angled just right to keep the sun out of her eyes, and took out her book so that she could read and relax. From nearby, she hears a familiar voice whooping. Cu stood at the edge of the pool, arms spread wide, a manic smile on his face.

Aine stared at him, using the cover of her sunglasses to watch. He'd forgotten to remove his tee shirt before jumping in the water. The white cotton fabric clung to him and left little to the imagination. She held her breath as she stared. Not only was he lithe and well-muscled, but the tattoos she'd seen on his arms apparently traveled over his chest and side, too. Her fingertips felt itchy as she daydreamt about tracing her fingertips over the red ink.

Her jaw clenched, and she breathed again, then forced herself to look down at her book. What was that!? She demanded of herself. You must be too warm. Yeah. That's what happened. She made a point to focus on her book, though occasionally she did look up to scan for her friend. After a time, it seemed she lost track of everyone she arrived with.

She smiled secretively. She could guess at where Ruwa and Gil have gone. Some dark corner, no doubt, to express their frustrations. As for Cu and Emiya, well, with all the people and noise, it was impossible to track them from where she was. Since she couldn't get into the water and risk losing her wig, she decided to allow herself to drift off for an afternoon doze.

//////////

By the time Aine awoke, everyone else had gone home. She was covered with a blanket, no doubt Emiya's doing, and all of her stuff was safely under the chair, out of view of onlookers. She looked around sleepily, an annoyed grunt sounding from her throat. When she remembered where she was and why, she panicked. She clutched at the top of her head, then breathed a deep sigh of relief at the fact that her hairpiece was undisturbed.

She scanned the area carefully. Nobody else was here. Everyone had left. She listened carefully, alert to anything she couldn't see, but was met only with the hum of the pool's cleaning system. She stood from the chair and, after a cursory stretch, she took in a short, but deep breath, and removed her sunglasses. Luckily, the pool had lights inside of the water. While one could get around, there wasn't a harsh beacon anywhere to be found. It was low light from top to bottom, and the sun had gone down.

Feeling brave, and a little bit slighted by the events of the day, she carefully removed her wig and hair net. With a light sigh, and a bit of a brace, she dove gracefully into the water.

This feels amazing! After having spent all afternoon in the sun, a dip in the water was just what she wanted. She burst from the depths, took in a deep breath, and laid on her back, floating aimlessly, looking up at the stars.

While her attention was occupied and her senses were dulled with her ears under the water, a figure paused at the edge of the pool. A mischievous smile plays on the lips of the person who then eases themselves into the water, careful not to splash. It wouldn't hurt to give this intruder a little bit of a scare, would it? Surely, they knew breaking into a pool like this would have consequences. They'd done the same thing, sure, but they weren't the one getting caught right now.  The figure moved slowly, taking great care not to disturb the water any more than necessary, that mischievous smile sharpening as they got closer.

Aine thought she heard the sound of water lapping against something near, and guessed she'd drifted toward the edge of the pool. She reaches out toward the noise, her arm swinging in a lazy arc, grasping for the side wall of the pool. Nope, she says, Not that close yet, apparently. As she brings her hand back to resting, she feels a sensation on her upper arm, trailing from her elbow to her shoulder. It doesn't register until two or three passes that this isn't the water or the wall. She gasps and startles, splashing water as she brings herself upright, looking around for something to grab onto and get a better look at her surroundings. Laughter echoed while she scanned the area for an exit, though the sound was short-lived.

There's a man in here! Her brain screams at her to find the ladder and get out. She groans inwardly when she sees it far from her reach. I'll have to settle for the wall. She scrambles for the wall and grabs onto it with both hands, perching her feet against it under the water, and hides her face from the man. "What do you want?!" She demands, her voice hard and rough.

"Who, me? Just taking a dip, and saw someone who wasn't invited to the party hanging around in the water."

Panic seizes Aine. Cu Chulainn was still at the pool? But how? She'd checked before she jumped in the water! Her jaw slammed shut, and she refused to turn to look at him.

He drifted to perch against the wall beside her in the same way she had, but when he tried to see her face, she looked away from him. He frowns deeply. "Aw, don't be shy," he taunts her. "I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to know who you are."  He reached out and trailed his fingertips down her spine, eliciting from her a shiver and a squeak.  She bit down on her tongue to keep from vocalizing her surprise.

Her eyes snap wide open. He doesn't recognize me? She sensed him shift to try and move to her other side, though when he does, she looks away from him again. "N-, no," she says through clenched teeth, unsure how to hide her identity from him.

"'No?'" His tone mocked misunderstanding, and he teased her some more. She heard him chuckle, as though he heard a challenge.  His hands clamped down on the side wall of the pool next to hers, trapping her between him and the wall.  He sighs and grins, leaning his head down so he can speak into her ear in a low, teasing tone.  "You're a party stowaway, sweetheart," he begins, his elbows bending as he pushes her forward towards the wall, his chest pressed to her back.  "Don't tell me you're not.  I don't recognize you." She gasped from the way he handled her.  Her eyes widened when he pushed forward, and as his body formed to hers, she felt fear and interest in equal measure.  I have to get away!  She squeezes her eyes shut, then takes a deep breath, shoves her hands down to her sides, and plummets under the water.  She propels backwards and makes a mad dash for the opposite side, where she saw another way out.  She emerges from the water's surface and takes a breath.  She looks around, groaning inwardly in dismay.  She misjudged the distance, and she's several meters away from the exit. Stupid low lighting, she curses. In her panicked state, she made her way toward the ladder in a last-dash attempt to get away. Unfortunately for her, Cu had followed her under the water, and then managed to thread the needle in just such a way that he appeared before her, caged between her arms with his back against the wall. He smiles a foxlike grin, triumphant and sly. Aine's eyes widen, and she's frozen in place, staring at him.

"Hah! Gotcha!" He doesn't immediately identify her. "Oh, look at you. You're blushing. How adorable." He reaches up and caresses her face, his smile sly and teasing.  He doesn't stop her when she yelps and pushes off of the wall, propelling herself backwards and away from him.

He saw my face he saw my face he saw my face. Aine's brain scrambled. How would she tell Caster about this? She's busted. Cu knows. He knows she isn't a natural blonde like Ruwa. He knows she's faking it on stage. He's going to expose her and endanger Ruwa's career. And when he does that, Ruwa will never talk to her again. Shit!  Even so, she couldn't pretend she didn't feel the beginnings of a heat in her belly from the way he looked at her.  He never looked at her like that when she wore her idol hairpiece.  But that realization only serves to drive her panic higher.

"Hey!" He called after her. "Where're you going?!"  He follows after her, enjoying this game he's invented.  He's hot on her heels when she hauls herself out of the water.  As she dashes away from him, he catches her by the wrist.  She yelps as he spins her around and captures her in his arms.  "Got ya," he smirks down at her.  She glares up at him with wide, strikingly purple eyes, her teeth grit in a panicked snarl.  He chuckles and tightens his hold on her when she struggles to get away.  "Now, maybe you can tell me why you're here?" "Let go!"  Aine shoves at his chest, ducking her head, reprimanding herself mentally for looking him in the eye and letting him have a better look at her face.  She loosens his hold enough to pivot on her foot and turn away from him, but he catches her again, his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her in. Cu chuckles and lowers his head to growl into her ear, "You can't get away that easily.  Now, tell me," he grunts when she struggles again, and he squeezes her a little harder, "Why did you break in here?" "I didn't!"  Aine feels the wind being pushed out of her lungs.  She decided maybe running away from him wasn't the best idea, and relaxes a little bit.  She feels him loosen his hold, and she bows her head. Cu blinks, confused.  "Huh?  Then, you were at the party, and I just didn't notice you?"  His tone is full of disbelief. Aine clenches her fists.  Her shoulders shake.  She couldn't decide how to feel, if she should be relieved that he didn't recognize her, or hurt and angry.  "You did see me," she grinds out through clenched teeth. The sound of her voice seems to affect Cu, and he hesitates.   He glances at the chairs. Huh. That's where Aine was sitting. He looks down at the mystery girl in his arms. Did she leave something behind? His eyes were good, but since he was underwater with the pool lights, his eyes hadn't yet adjusted to the dark.  He further loosened his hold on the girl, and to his surprise, she bolted towards the chair he stared at.  The girl had scurried over to the chair and crouched beside it, apparently busying herself by hiding something. She reached for a book, a pair of sunglasses and...

Wait a minute.  The gears began to turn in his head.

The sound of Cu's wet footfalls approaching made Aine tense up. This is it. This is how he finds out. She shivers, in part from the cold, in part from the impending consequences. She then relaxes, then stands up straight. "You got me."

Wait a damn minute! "You sound like..."

Aine turned to face Cu, her eyes full of resolve and determination.

Cu was taken off-guard by what he saw. "... Aine?"

Her lip turned up in a snarl, and her fists balled up at her sides.

Cu's expression of surprise cooled, and his jaw slackened. His eyes widened. His heart paused and he held his breath.

"Damn it," she curses, though her voice sounds strained and a little bit broken. "Now that you know... now that you've seen..." Her shoulders begin to shake. Frustration and regret build inside of her. Tears sting at the corners of her eyes. "Just two more days, and we would have been home free."

"Huh?" Cu's confusion seems to irritate Aine, but he tries anyway to reassure her. "I don't know why you're so worried." He swallows thickly. "Is it that big a deal?"

Aine glares at him. "I'm an idol." She looks down at his feet, clearly quite angry with herself for being caught. "Do you have any idea what music media does to idols who are caught wearing these?" She grabs and shakes the disheveled wig in her hand and tosses it back on the chair, then rubs her eyes with her palm heels. She sighs. "It doesn't even matter." She leans down and grabs her regular glasses to put on. "This is almost over anyway." She turns her palm up and points at Cu. "Think you can keep this shit to yourself until after our performance? 'Kay, thanks."

"Wait. Aine!" Cu calls after her, and she stops in her tracks, then turns to look at him again, her expression completely resigned. Cu can't stop looking at her. He's stricken by the way she looks without her wig on, but he can't find the words. Instead, he sighs and rubs the back of his neck, reminiscent of the way Caster does whenever he's feeling apologetic. "I won't bring it up. Anywhere. Ever." He shrugs. "It's none of my business, but," he looks her in the eye, where he sees her waiting patiently for him to continue, "I think you look prettier without it."

A hint of a blush dusts Aine's cheeks. "Thanks," she mutters, her gaze drifting down to his feet.  Whether she thanked him for his promise, or for his compliment, she couldn't say. But his words and actions had a profound effect on her.  Cu noticed her hesitation, and he decided to approach, his steps slow and telegraphed, so she wasn't surprised. "Don't go," he says quietly.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to scare you." She looked him in the eye again, a spark of anger lighting within her.  "You didn't scare me," she corrects him.  "You discovered me." He exhales a breath he didn't know he held.  "Yeah.  Looks like I did."  His tone was breathless.  The look in his eyes was as if he'd seen her for the first time, and in truth, he had.  He stops in front of her and reaches up again, but this time, instead of wearing a cocky grin, his expression is one of affection, colored with a hint of a blush.  His fingertips caressed the side of her face.  Her expression softens.  Her heart thunders in her chest and her adrenaline spikes.  She's frozen momentarily in place by the war of emotion going on within her. Similarly, Cu can't help being captivated by Aine.  While he had certainly seen pretty girls before, there was something about Aine that hit him differently.  When his fingers came in contact with her skin, his breath hitched.  His eyebrows lowered and his eyelids drifted down.  Every molecule in his body was drawn to her in that moment.  But he hesitated.  In a moment of clarity, he realized that his face was centimeters from hers, to the point where he could feel her breath on his face.  She looked nervous, but she didn't move away from him.   Now wasn't the time.  He sighs, then draws away from her.  The strong pull he felt before subsided.  She looks momentarily confused, then a little scared, then ashamed, and finally, back to resigned.  He offers a reassuring smile.  "See you at practice tomorrow?" Aine clears her throat and gathers her things.  "Yeah...!"  She grabs onto their upcoming practice like it's a lifeline out of this conversation and away from her battling emotions.  "See you then!"  She grins at him, then turns to walk away. He knew.  He understood that grin was the fake idol's smile she wore for her fans.  For some reason, that got under his skin, and he felt a hint of despair.  Had he messed up their partnership?  Would they now refuse to work with him, because of a stupid prank that ended in a fairly heavy moment?  He shakes his head to clear it.  No.  She wouldn't let something as dumb as a prank get to her.  She knew he was kidding.  Right?  There wasn't really anything there.  She was a pop idol.  She wouldn't want anything to do with him. ... Right? Damn it.  He cursed himself mentally and pushed the thoughts out of his mind.  He went to gather his own things and decided to take the long way home, to think on what on Earth just happened. While Aine strode away from the pool, she felt her heart race. Something in her soul pulled at her from the way Cu talked to her, the way he looked at her and toyed with her. An unfamiliar heat poured through her, and before she could stop it, she began to feel herself being attracted to him.

... Damn it.

Strings of Fate:  Chapter 1

The girls meet the  boys.  First impressions are everything. Song used for this fic is called “One Hell of a Team” by Hazbin Hotel.

"Ugh, do I have to?"  Aine was displeased, and a dismal pout graced her features. Caster smiles patiently.  "I think it's a better idea to let them believe your stage presence is natural."  He shrugs, Aine's blonde wig clutched delicately in his hands.  "For the sake of maintaining your brand."  His tone is nearly apologetic.  "There was no nondisclosure agreement in the contract."  He chuckles and sheepishly rubs the back of his neck.  "I... forgot to add one in during negotiations." Aine's expression sours.  "Damn it, Caster, you're such an airhead," she chastises him, but sighs.  She knows he means well when he sets stuff like this up, but he has no head for legal issues.  She wished he had brought her along, at least, to look over that contract.  Still, at the very least, she can otherwise wear her normal clothes.  The wig was, ultimately, a small concession. Caster took his turn to pout.  "That hurts my feelings, Aine," he feigns emotional injury and huffs, looking dramatically up and away.  "It'd take a pretty good apology to get me to begin healing after that creative and clever burn." Aine's cheeks puffed out.  She caught him peeking at her, and they exchanged mischievous smiles, both facades cracking at once.  She smiles sweetly.  "I'll buy you a cheeseburger," she offers.  "Would that make up for it?" "Ha!"  Caster barks a laugh and throws an arm around Aine's shoulders.  "You know just how to soothe my injuries."  He squeezes her affectionately and grins.  "Look, I know you don't like the wig, but you'll be rehearsing, not performing.  You're not likely to get as hot, and you'll have plenty of room to take breaks for drinks and such."  He offers the winning, enthusiastic smile that always puts Aine at ease.  She can't help but smile back. "Okay.  I'll do it," she nods, though with some sense of resignation.   Caster pretended not to notice the undertone.  Instead, he squeezed her again, and then let her go.  "I'm grateful,," he says in a teasing tone.   "For what?"  Ruwa walks in, in the middle of putting a second earring on.  "What've I missed?" "Aine's agreed to wear her wig while you work with Kotomine's band in rehearsal," Caster helpfully offers. Ruwa sucks in a breath and winces.  "Ouch.  I know you hate wearing it," she says with some sympathy.  "But!  It is a good idea.  There's no need to have one of them sneaking pictures and sending them to the media."  She sits in a chair and relaxes, her smile brilliant and confident.  "You're pretty, Aine, no question about it.  But we do have an image.  It'd embarrass our group if the world found out you wore a hairpiece." Aine scowls.  She knows her friend means well, but she can't help but feel put on the spot.  She recovered before either other party noticed, that weary smile back on her face.  "We're meeting with them today, right?" she changed the subject.  "They're meeting us in the studio?" "Yep!"  Caster leapt on the life raft that was the new line of thought.  "They'll be there in, hmm, about an hour."  He dusted his hands off and grinned.  "Are you ladies excited?" "Meh," Ruwa waved a dismissive hand.  "I wouldn't say that, but," her eyes slid over to her friend, and she smiled knowingly, "Aine's been low-key dying to get started." She snorts.  "That's... I... okay, maybe a little."  She holds up her thumb and forefinger, millimeters apart, and giggles.  "I like rock," she says defensively. "Mmhmmm," Ruwa shifts in her chair and leans on an arm, resting her chin in her hand, her eyes half-closed and a teasing grin on her face.  "And the fact that Caster's brother will be there doesn't have anything to do with it, I'm sure." Instant blush.  Aine is momentarily stunned.  "What!?  No, you have it wrong!"  She glances at Caster, who lifts a questioning brow, and she groans and hides her face in her hands.  "I just looked them up and listened to a few of their songs," she weakly offers.   "Uh-huh," Ruwa agrees, though her tone says she's completely unconvinced.  "Maybe it's their pretty bassist, then?"  Her eyebrow lifts, and her smile sharpens.  "Or, maybe, their drummer...?" "The d-drummer...?"  Aine reddens even more and curls into a ball on the sofa.  Was she really that obvious? Mercifully, Ruwa lets it go.  "Well, we can't have you all red-faced when they're due to be at the studio.  C'mon.  Let's get ready."  She coaxes her friend out of her hands and smiles, genuine this time, putting her more at ease and leading her to go and get changed. Caster sighs and watches them go.  He smiles and shakes his head.  Poor Cu.  He doesn't stand a chance. ////////// "You seriously didn't get a key?"  Emiya was unimpressed with Kotomine, who crossed his arms and regarded the drummer with a placid expression. "It's not our studio.  Why would I want a key when they're to meet us here?" "Yeah, well, they're late.  No surprise there," Cu shoved his hands in his pockets and toed at the ground in abject boredom bordering on irritation.   Gil laughs at them all.  "Is this all your first time dealing with women?"  His grin was arrogant.  "Add to that, they're idols.  They're not going to meet us here in their pajamas."  He shrugs indifferently.  "They're excellent performers, and they can hold the attention of the crowd."  He points at his two bandmates.  "You two would do well to remember that." Cu takes his turn to snort.  "You listen to that crap?"  He smirks at the blonde.  "And here, I thought you played in a rock band." Gil was unrattled.  "You mean to tell me you didn't even look into who our partners are?"  He sighs.  "You really are a fool." Before they can get into a true argument, the sound of footsteps approaching interrupts them.  A voice that sounds similar to Cu's, but slightly more matured greeted them.  "Sorry we're late, guys," Caster apologizes.  "Let me get that door." Four sets of eyes focus on the man, and when he passes them to get to the door, they all divert their gaze to where he came from.  The two blonde girls from the picture stand before them.  The one in glasses looks hopeful, but nervous.  The other has her arms crossed and wore an expression as if she was ready to fight.  They did arrive late, and these are people they barely know, after all.  There's no telling how they'll react to being made to wait. Emiya moved before anyone else.  He stood up straight and walked over to the pair, where he gave a shallow bow of greeting.  "It's a pleasure to meet you.  My name is Emiya Shirou.  Forgive my bandmates.  They're short of fuse, but long of talent."   "Finally, someone with manners around here," the one who had crossed her arms said.  She grins, a dazzling smile.  "My name is Ruwa, and this is Aine," she gestured to the more reserved girl, who had offered a smile and a wave upon introduction. "Nice to meet you!"  Her voice was a little quieter than Ruwa's, but her enthusiasm showed through all the same.  Emiya nodded to her in acknowledgement.   Gilgamesh and Cu were too busy staring each other down to give more than a casual wave in the girls' direction, which made Emiya sigh like he had seen it a thousand times before.  "They'll relax once we've started setting up."  He smiles reassuringly.  Ruwa grins back, and Aine looks past Emiya to wave back at the two men who, clearly, didn't even bother to look their way. "Have you seen the sheet music?"  She turns her attention back to Emiya, since he was at least polite enough to engage her and Ruwa in conversation. He nods.  "We got copies and have messed around with it a bit."  The door opens, and everyone wanders inside. Ruwa's mouth curled in a small, secretive smile at seeing Aine walk off with Emiya.  Her eyes then fell on the blonde man who had been having a tiff with Caster's brother.  He glanced her way, shot another glare at Cu, and then gave Ruwa an appraising stare from afar.  When he snorts and turns away to go into the building, Ruwa can't help but feel a sting of irritation.  Her usual winning smile dimmed a bit.  This was going to be more work than she thought.  With a bracing breath, she followed the rest of the party inside. ////////// What Emiya told Ruwa did come to pass.  As they set up their instruments, all tension seemed to evaporate, and the guys became something resembling professional.  While their bassist strummed and fine-tuned his strings, their drummer jiggled the drums to ensure they were properly secured to their stands, before he gave them a test run. Aine watched in awe at his command of the drum kit.  His rhythm was impeccable, and he seemed very at home dual-wielding the sticks.  When he saw her staring, he offered a friendly, but confident grin, without missing a single beat. She smiles back at him and offers a small round of applause.  She kept it short, though since she was here to work, not to watch as a fan.  Indeed, she'd only heard a few of their songs before, and that was because of her research into them.  The fact that they had played at fairs and competitions that she'd been at hardly even registered.   When she turned from Emiya, she found that their singer, Cu Chulainn grinned at her.  When their eyes met, his smile deepened.  "Have you ever sung anything more visceral than pop idol stuff?"   She sighs.  "In my personal time, sure."  She's used to being pigeonholed.  As an idol, it's expected that she'd like the sort of music she performed.  And she did enjoy the happy, bubbly tunes they played.  But there was much more to her musical tastes than that. "Is that so?"  He turned broadside to her, his smile challenging.  "Then, come and show me what you got, sister."  He strums on his guitar, the amp singing in response to his nimble fingers on the strings.  She recognized the beginning of the song she was supposed to sing with him.  Before Cu began to sing, his grin disappeared, and his face relaxed.  He put himself into the music.  His voice changes and quiets, smooth and rough at the same time.  Her brain catches up when he sings the line, "You're fallin' by the wayside..."  The guitar kicks up, harsher, louder.  "There is so much you could be..."  Aine eyes him as he sang his lines.  Her gaze swept over the other two bandmates.  Emiya had dropped the beat, giving depth to the music.   "Now, you can trust me..."  Gil began in earnest on the bass. Aine was swept up in the moment, hearing the song for the first time in reality instead of in her head from the sheet music.  They really were quite the team, when they came together to play.  Before she knew it, she felt her heel tapping on the ground to the beat of the song.  Then, Cu sang her cue, a little harder than the rest of his lines, "Can't you hear it in my voice?!" She jumps in on autopilot, her voice sweet and suspicious, a perfect contrast and complement to Cu's confidence and cunning.  "I don't understand what's in it for you..." "There's no motive.  I just wanna make your dreams come true..." "So why does my heart tell me not to trust, you're only bad news..." They continue with their back-and-forth.  Ruwa stands to the side, her arms crossed and leaned to one side, watching in awe as Aine jams seamlessly with Caster's brother's band.  She didn't expect a first session to go quite so well, but it seems that this garage-style band takes their music quite seriously.  There is no denying their talent and dedication. Still, there was something about the way Aine and Cu played off of each other that caught Ruwa's interest. Then, their voices rang out together.  "If you wanna feel alive, we could set the world alight...." Ruwa's eyes widened.  She sensed a hint of something here beyond a simple duet.  Her eyes darted to the other bandmates.  The drummer was focused entirely on keeping the beat.  When she looked to the bassist, she caught him glancing her way more than once.  She narrows her eyes at him.  What's his problem, anyway?  He's always scowling, even as he plays.  It's so different from the brilliant smiles and happy expressions she's trained to give while performing.  It goes against her grain. The music ends, and for a moment, she sees Aine stare at Cu, as though she's waiting to be appraised.  Oh, girl, Ruwa thinks, This guy?  Really?   Cu snorts and grins again at Aine.  "You have more chops than I thought you would," he acknowledges.  "Never thought a pretty little blonde idol would have the guts for this." Aine looks dumbstruck for a moment.  She quickly recovers, though, and she narrows her eyes and scoffs at the singer.  She meets his cocky gaze with a slight glare, putting him on notice.  "Watch what you say," she says with some heat in her tone, though the sweet smile on her face belies her venom.  "Certainly, someone of your creative talents can come up with something better than 'pretty girl sing good'?"  Her grin sharpens when Cu gave her the same dumbstruck look she'd given him a moment ago.  But then, his expression morphed back into a smirk. "Oh, I like you," he says with a bit of a growl. "Mmhmm."  Aine lifts her eyebrows and purses her lips.  "Tell you what.  I'm going to go get some water.  You cool off.  I'll be back."  She doesn't wait for his permission, though when she scans the rest of the room, she sees that everyone else was impressed with her, save Ruwa, who looked slightly annoyed, and a little bit concerned. She leaves the recording room and goes to the vending machines.  While she sorts herself out, she feels her friend's presence behind her before she sees her lean against the wall beside her.  "Man, I forgot how much you like rock music," Ruwa smiles.  "It's almost like you fit the scene." "Y-, yeah!"  Aine smiles guardedly at Ruwa.  "I mean, it's a good song, don't you think?" "Yes, I do," she responds, then stands up straight.  Her eyes bore into Aine, like she's about to start an interrogation.  "You seem to be hitting it off with them." "Oh, do I?"  Aine can't make eye contact.  She sips her drink, then offers some to Ruwa, who gladly takes the offer.  Aine clears her throat.  "They are quite good," she observes. "Mm."  Ruwa swallows her drink and gives the bottle back to Aine as she nods.  "They are.  Looks like Caster knows what he's doing, after all." "Or he got lucky," Aine offers, which makes Ruwa giggle, a genuine, amused sound. "He did.  He did get lucky."  She smirks.  "He might not be the only one," she teases Aine in a singsong voice. "What do you mean?"  Aine feels heat on her cheeks.  Unsolicited images of being touched or kissed by any of the men in the other band flashed in her mind.  She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head.  "N-, no.  No, no.  No." Ruwa grins mischievously.  "Who said it would be you?"  She winks.  "That bass player is an adorable little pain in the ass, wouldn't you say?" "Huh..?"  Aine was now confused.  Was she being teased or warned?  She couldn't tell.  Ruwa smiles secretively and turns to walk away. "C'mon.  Enough playing around.  Let's go get serious."  She marches back to the recording area, where Aine follows, in her own head about the comments Ruwa made.   The rest of rehearsal that day goes off without much trouble. ////////// Back at Emiya's garage, the guys stow their instruments.  Cu lands on a couch bodily, groaning and stretching tiredly, then sighs, content.  "That went better than expected," he observed. "Yeah," Emiya agreed, putting the big, heavy cases containing his drums in the back of the garage.  "I figured they must have some talent, but I was surprised by their adaptability." Gil snorts at them both.  "You really thought they would try and 'idol' these songs?"  He shakes his head, disappointed.  "We have a set that's half our style, half their style, and then a song or two of a mix.  We all have to adapt." Cu snorts back at Gil and turns away from him, resting his head on his hand.  "Whatever, blondie," he tosses a casual insult over his shoulder.  "You're not as stealthy as you think you are." At that, GIl growled.  "What's that supposed to mean, mongrel?" Cu cranes his neck and smirks at the bassist.  "She caught you staring." "Hah!  I was not staring."  He crosses his arms and looks up and away, indignant.  "I happened to look over at her a couple of times.  I looked toward you, too.  Do you think I want you?" "Everybody wants me," Cu quips.  "Isn't that obvious?" Emiya groans at his bandmate's overinflated ego.  "Knock it off, Cu.  Even you don't believe that."  He gestures at the singer, who turned over again to look toward the conversation.  "Just because you wear a black-and-blue tee shirt, and black leather pants, as if this is the 1980s?" "Black jeans," Cu points accusingly at Emiya to correct him.  "And this is a gift from the gods," he grabs his own crotch, "I don't need to stuff my pants." Both Gil and Emiya groan and block the view with their hands, recoiling in disgust.  "Come on," Gil seethes.  "None of us wanted to see that." Cu laughs at his bandmates' dismay.  "Relax.  Those girls want nothin' to do with me."  He eyes Gil and smirks.  "But the outgoing one, Ruwa, sure seems to have it out for you." At that, Gil scoffed and turned away, done with the conversation. Emiya shook his head and sighed.  "Was any of that necessary?" Cu smirks wider.  "Just having a bit of fun," he explains.  "The shy one seems to have a thing for you," he cast at Emiya. "Ridiculous," he dismisses the notion.  "She was being polite, nothing more." "Uh-huh."  Cu is entirely unconvinced.  "Keep telling yourself that.  You'll end up on the cover of magazines, for sure." Kirei made his entrance, and saw that the boys were back at each other.  Nothing really new.  He decides to ignore the tension.  "It seems you have already hit a stride with Caster's young ladies," he observed.  "Today's rehearsal seems promising, wouldn't you agree?" "Yes," Gil agrees.  "They are versatile performers.  It was plain to see."  His expression was one of boredom, though, still shutting out Cu and Emiya's nonsense. "Indeed," Kirei agrees.  "I have with me a list of appearances we're scheduled for." "'Appearances?'"  All three men question the priest, all of their attention now on him. "But of course," he smiles knowingly.  "Surely you didn't think their star power, alone would give you the publicity you need?"  He opens up a laptop and clicks on a calendar. There are dozens of engagements, ranging from interviews on local news, to more social engagements.  Cu squints and leans in.  "Wait, is that a pool party?" "Mm."  Kirei nods.  "That one is optional.  But if you're serious about making it big, I strongly suggest you make an appearance." "Hell, yeah!"  Cu punches the air and grins.  "I'd rather do a pool party than a stuffy interview any day!" While Cu celebrated privately, Gil and Emiya scanned the calendar.  "Are we really expected to do this entire circuit?"  Emiya's tone was dubious.  "This seems like poor planning, priest." "Oh, yes, every single one," Kirei answers, his smile small, but venomous.  "We've left two days between the final engagement, and the performance, so you can relax, unwind, and prepare yourselves."  He closes the laptop.  "Better rest up.  You still have to practice with the girls in the meantime, too."  He waves a warning finger, then gathers his things and goes to leave.  "I trust you won't disappoint me." Gil looks mildly annoyed.  Emiya looks tired already.  Cu keeps celebrating, chanting, "Pool party, pool party, gonna be a pool party...!"

Strings of Fate:  Prologue

Aine and Ruwa are a successful idol duo.  They find themselves in collaboration with  a progressive rock band that has struggled to find success.  Fate/Stay Night rock band/idol group AU. Rated Explicit for future chapters.

A contentious sigh signals the man's trepidation. "It is something to think about," he says slowly, rolling a pen in his teeth as he looks over the short, crude contract. Crimson eyes looked up from the table to give a hard stare to the priest sitting opposite of him. The man of the cloth looked quite pleased with himself, content to sip his tea in a leisurely fashion while his colleague looked over the papers he brought. His smile is arrogant, as though he knows he'll get what he wants. "Your girls are quite beautiful," he says in a pleasant tone. "And the publicity from such an odd collaboration would build on itself." He snorts. "Come on, Kirei, is that the best line you have?" He tilts his head and glowers. "They're idols. It's their literal job to be beautiful." "And talented," Kirei answers, savoring another sip of his drink. "You have an eye for talented beauties, Caster," the priest's eyes slyly glint. "That is how you earned the name, is it not?" He set his tea cup down and clasped his hands on the table. "Besides, my boys aren't as rough around the edges as their material would have you believe." Caster scoffs and looks down at the paper again, trying to find some reason to deny Kirei's request. The wording was careful and it left plenty of room to back out if things got out of hand. After he sweeps over the contract again, he looks back to Kirei, this time his expression less hostile. "I'm not sure how I feel about pimping out my idols to be eye candy for your audiences, Kirei." The priest laughs, a harsh, cold sound. "'Pimp'? This is a musical collaboration, not a dating service." He waves a hand dismissively, but then leans forward with another cunning grin. "However, if rumors should spread, certainly that kind of publicity can only be good for both our clients?" Caster narrows his eyes. After another long, hard look at the priest, he can't find fault with his reasoning. He closes his eyes and sighs, resigned. "Keep to your end of this bargain, Kotomine," he points the pen at the priest, "or I'll have your ass, financially and professionally." Before he changes his mind, Caster leans over the paperwork and signs it, his signature scribbled chicken scratch. "Excellent!" Kirei leans back in his chair, crosses one leg over the other, and folds his hands into his lap. "You will not regret this decision. We will both succeed with this joint venture." He shakes his head and sighs. "Whatever you say, Kotomine," he dismisses. "Remember. One of those 'boys' is my brother. That means if you fuck this up, I'll be after you personally, too. Got it?" "Have no fear," he answers through a catlike smile. "I take only calculated risks. I have every confidence this will end well, even if some things may go awry." Caster leans back in his chair and sighs, then stands. "It had better." He turns and walks away. Though he knows intellectually that Kotomine Kirei was very good at what he does, he has a nagging feeling that something was going to go against the plan. He leaves the restaurant, pulls his hood up and shoves his hands into his pockets before departing. Aine, Ruwa, he thinks, I'll look out for you. Don't worry, Back at the table, Kirei is joined by a man with pale skin and blonde hair. He snorts as he sits where Caster once did. "He went for it?" Kirei smirks. "Of course he did. Our argument was iron-clad." His gaze meets the new man's, and his smirk sharpens. "Worry not, Gilgamesh. You shall be within striking distance of the object of your desires." He snorts derisively in response to Kirei's word choice. "Do not presume you've done me any favors, priest," he says as some sort of reminder. "And I will thank you not to act as though you've set out bait for a scared rabbit." His ruby-red eyes glimmer dangerously. "I will win her over on my own. You set this up because you want to get rich. Do not presume to think otherwise." "Perish the thought," Kirei says with some sarcasm. "Besides," he adds, "the press won't give a damn what a band's bass player is doing." He makes a show of indifferently sipping his drink. Gilgamesh snarls and tightens his fists at the slight. "All the more reason to stop acting like you've done me a favor," he seethes. Kirei nods. "As I told the Caster, this is a musical collaboration." He looks up from the brim of his cup. "Not a dating service." He lifts an eyebrow. "Why are you here, anyway?" At that question, the blonde man peered at the priest. "I wanted to be sure you would not screw us over. Emiya and Cu Chulainn are in this purely for the music. They're not savvy in the ways of conniving musical managers." He crosses his arms, his stare unblinking. Kirei smirks all over again. "Fair enough." ////////// A young lady with short, punkish black and grey hair and brilliant purple eyes stared at herself through her glasses in the mirror, her expression weary.  The muffled sounds of thousands of fans made their way through the walls of the dressing room where she prepared for her performance.  "Aine!"  She's jolted out of her stare attack by her friend's voice.  "Hurry up!  We're late to the stage!" Aine shot her friend a small smile.  "They'll wait for us.  Just listen to them," she gestured toward the door.  "They're chanting your name.  'Ruwa!  Ruwa!  Ruwa!'"  She grins at her friend reassuringly.  "Trust me, they won't leave."  As she speaks, Aine tucks her hair up into a net, then lowers her idol wig on.  They managed to get her to wear a hair piece that looks similar to Ruwa's natural locks.  While Aine's hair was short and dark, Ruwa's radiant, blonde hair framed her face and trailed well down past her back,  long and luxurious.   Ruwa was built to be an idol.  She had the face, body, voice, and disposition for the profession that made her a force to be reckoned with.  So, when Ruwa asked her to start an idol group with her, Aine was excited.  Though she looked different from her friend, she still was more than happy to support her.   Which is why she continued now.  Ruwa's career has taken off, and Aine was usually relegated as a support on stage.  Which suited her just as well.  But work as an idol was beginning to wear on her.  Having to dress in clothing that straddled the line between provocative and modest left little room for practicality.  Wearing the wig was itchy and bulky, though with some tricks of the trade, she has learned how to minimize the discomfort there.  She did manage to convince their manager to allow her to wear cute flats instead of high heels, because dancing for hours at a time in that sort of footwear left her aching and unable to walk for a day or two after a performance.   It's clear to Aine that Ruwa is caught up in the idol hype.  She loves their fans.  She'd do encores and meet-and-greets all day and all night, if time would allow. Thankfully, Caster put a stop to that.  He, at least, saw how Aine suffered when Ruwa tried to give too much to the crowd.  "Always leave them wanting more," he'd said to her when she tried to argue with him, and though at first she seemed dissatisfied with his explanation, eventually, she saw the payoff.  When she didn't give them everything they asked for, they were more willing to stick around for what she was offering, be it a concert with only one song as an encore, or a meet-and-greet with time limits.   She had them wrapped around her little finger.  And she handled them with great care.   Which is why Aine is so torn.  She wants to support her friend in her work.  But she is not built for life as an idol.  She didn't have the same social graces when it came to persistent fans.  She didn't care for the wardrobe choices.  Even the music choice wasn't hers.  Not really.  Oh, she performed well.  Even now, on stage, with the idol's smile on her face, the bubbly personality, the high notes, all meant to uplift the audience, all meant to bring a little brightness to their lives, she was competent. But, her heart wasn't in it.  Not anymore.  Now that Ruwa is the clear headliner in their duo, Aine felt the time to let her be a solo act was near.   Then, she'd be free to pursue her own goals. But, today's not the day.  Today, she's content to be Ruwa's backup, because even though Aine didn't know if she wanted to perform anymore, she loved watching Ruwa dominate the stage.   At the end of the show, as the fans roared their admiration, the duo left the stage, grinning and waving to everyone on their way backstage.  Only after the door was shut and they had made it back to the dressing room did they both allow their weariness to show.   "What a great show!"  Ruwa was beaming.  Though she was overheated, she looked dewy instead of sweaty, like there was a natural glow to her. "Yeah!"  Aine moved to remove her wig and release her natural hair from the netting.  "Ugh, I'm sticky," she complains, placing the hair piece on the mannequin head by the mirror.  She flips on a desk fan and lounges in front of it.  "Ahhh, that's much better." A gentle knock came a few minutes later.  "It's open!"  Ruwa's voice greeted their manager, who cracked open the door and peeked in. "Are you girls decent?"  He paused before he opened the door to step fully inside.  He was dressed in his usual sky-blue hoodie, and his darker-blue hair was tied, as usual, in its long rattail.  His eyes lit up with pride.  "You did wonderful out there.  That was a packed venue!"

Aine smiles wistfully, but Ruwa jumped on the comment.  "Of course it was!"  She grinned, as though unaware of her own pridefulness.  "We put on a hell of a show every time!  It'd be weird if the venue wasn't packed." Caster grinned at Ruwa.  "That's what I like to hear."  He looked to Aine, his smile taming a little bit upon seeing the look on her face.  He pretended not to notice.  "Come here, ladies, I have some great news!"  He waited, but the room was small enough that he was met with unimpressed stares.  He chuckled. "Okay, okay.  Here it is.  I've arranged for you to collaborate with a rock band." Aine's ears perked up.  Rock would be a pleasant change of pace.   "A collaboration?"  Ruwa sounded more suspicious than Aine felt.  "With who?" Caster rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.  "Kirei's crew." "I'm sorry, what!"  Ruwa snapped.  "The band with your kid brother?  Really?"  She seemed more surprised than anything else.   Caster patiently glanced at the blonde girl.  "Yeah.  But I'd hardly call him a 'kid' these days," he lamented.   Ruwa groaned.  "But their band is so... so..."  She gestured with her hands, implying somehow without words that she was unimpressed with the choice. "I think it'll be fun," Aine spoke up, in unusually high spirits, given that she's not twenty minutes out from having been on stage.  "Come on, Ruwa.  Let's do it.  Please?" Her friend gave her an appraising stare.  "You seem enthused," she observed.  She paused for a moment, then considered Caster.  "Well, I guess I'm out-voted.  Collab, it is!"  She seemed to perk up, as if Aine's enthusiasm for the idea infected her. "Great to hear!"  Caster grinned.  "Especially since I already signed the contract." "Damn it, Caster!"  The girls both cursed at him, then threw small objects at him, clearly displeased at having been signed on to a project when they weren't consulted.  His apologies were all laced with laughter, and couldn't sound less sincere if he tried. ////////// "Rejoice, degenerates, for I have found our big break!"  Kirei busted into the recording studio, also known as Emiya's garage, papers in hand and arms spread wide, like he was giving a sermon. The trio hadn't begun practice yet, and were still tuning their instruments, Gil on his bass, Cu on his guitar, and Emiya setting up his drum kit.  Gil, completely unsurprised, eyed Kirei from his spot, sitting on a folding chair, running his fingers along the strings of his instrument. "Great news!"  Cu was enthusiastic, as he often was when presented with a new opportunity.  "What is it?  Are we underlining for a big shot?  Is there a competition of some kind?" Kirei's smile was a little more predatory than Cu would have liked, and when he caught on to that expression, his enthusiasm dulled a bit.  He crossed his arms and waited patiently for the priest to explain himself. "Better."  His answer had a reptilian quality to it.  He motioned for the three men to gather around the folding table set aside for snacks, drinks, and other odds and ends, and when they huddled around, he laid a picture on the table of two young, blonde women with great, big, open smiles holding microphones. "What the hell?"  Emiya squinted at the image.  "I think I've seen them before." "Huh?"  Cu's face was more curious.  He tilted his head.  "You mean, these girls?  Haven't we seen them at festivals and competitions?" "The very same."  Kirei smiles that crocodile grin. Cu narrows his eyes and chews on the inside of his cheek.  "But, they're so..."  He gestures in a way that shows he's a little confused.  "... how are they supposed to mesh with us?" Gil snorts.  "You can see heavy metal bands playing with classical orchestra, but you can't see a prog rock band pairing with idols?"  He chuckles and shakes his head.  "You have no imagination, mongrel." Cu snapped at Gil.  "I told you not to call me that."  But he sags and sighs.  "I do admit, it's hard to see."  He picks up his guitar and strums out a few chords.  "What are the details?  I can't imagine we'd just jump on stage together without rehearsing?" Kirei nods.  "Indeed.  But their facilities are much better than... well..."  He gestures broadly around.  "Besides, they do need more security.  These girls pack stadiums, and you are still getting a toehold." "Yeah, maybe we need a new manager," Emiya quips. "Watch it," Kirei points at the drummer, who busies himself by testing his instruments.  Kirei stares at Emiya for a solid few seconds before he continues.  "To answer your question more directly, yes.  You will meet and rehearse.  You'll need to, because the songs in mind are new to both groups."  He hands out more papers with sheet music.   Cu snorts.  "We're not going to be these girls' backup band, old man."  He scans the sheet music, and the more he reads, the higher his eyebrows climb on his forehead.  "Oh.  But this song looks like it slaps!"  He sets down the sheets and strums out a few notes.  "Okay.  It's not garage band quality, but it'll pass.  Now, here's hoping these pop princesses don't turn their dainty little noses up at us scrubs."  His grin is wicked and rebellious.  "But, I kinda hope they do.  Just so we can see them squirm." Kirei sighs.  "Be respectful, please.  They're your partners, not your betters in this contract."  He gives Cu a reprimanding stare.  "You will be duetting with the one named Aine." Cu shrugs.  "Works for me.  Long as I can play and she doesn't get in my way."  He's oblivious to the seething glare Gilgamesh shoots to both he and the priest. "Shut up and play," Emiya sighs, tired of the conversation, punctuating his comment by throwing down a heavy beat, which Gilgamesh picks up on the bass, and Cu joins in with his guitar to one of their old, familiar songs to get warmed up.   The volume of the instruments was enough to chase Kirei out of the garage and away from them. On his way out, Kirei smiles triumphantly.  They were legally bound to follow the contracts he set out.  But at least, this way, it won't be a fight to get them to go along with his plan.  They will find success with this venture.  He was sure of it.

I’m Not Your Plaything, Chapter 9:  Confess

You re-experience the King of Heroes. https://archiveofourown.org/works/30985838/chapters/84734752

Short Break

Huh... that sounds like an excellent title... ... anyway!  I’ll be out of town for a couple weeks.  I can’t promise I’ll be able to write while I’m gone, but hang in there!  I have some good stuff in the works. See you on the other side!

I’m Not Your Plaything

I am on a roll! Here is the latest chapter to "I'm Not Your Plaything," my multi-chaptered Gilgamesh x reader Screenshot from Fate/Zero.

 fic.https://archiveofourown.org/works/30985838/chapters/84301111

Gawain x Female Reader

Alright!  Here is the chapter of Fuyuki Nights with Saber (Gawain) and a first-timer female reader.  It’s sweet.  It’s hot.  I hope you like it! https://archiveofourown.org/works/28524801/chapters/84239260

Surprise, new fic!

I have attempted... fluff. There was some expression of desire for a fluffy piece for Cu Alter after my smut chapter for him in Fuyuki Nights Chapter 8.  So I explored the option, and... while I was exploring... I wrote this. I never wrote fluff without smut before.   https://archiveofourown.org/works/33777091/chapters/83962477

Fuyuki Nights chapter 9

This is a reader request, where Archer (Emiya) plays the part of a reluctant dom.   https://archiveofourown.org/works/28524801/chapters/83928865

Shibari chapter

I’ve been pushing through my writer’s block for a couple of weeks, now, and am nearing 5000 words for the latest chapter in Fuyuki Nights, featuring Emiya as a reluctant dom.   I hope the reader who requested it is still hanging around.  o.o  

Preview time!  A request of a reader that wants to see Emiya as a reluctant dom. 3000 words in and still writing.

List of Works

List of Ongoing Stories in the Works (in no particular order): I’m Not Your Plaything - continuation of an ongoing story Private gift Private gift Cu Caster chapter Arthur/Prototype chapter Ozymandias chapter Male/Male Reader fic (tba)