A Different Fate - [Rewrite]

Chapter 20:Confrontation

A/N: I can't have other characters steal the show constantly… so this chapter is all about Arturia and Gilgamesh. Hope you enjoy!

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After the afternoon at the park – and the brief contact his finger made with her lips –, Gilgamesh and Arturia had gone back to communicating through phone calls once again.

It was still the safest method, because the King of Heroes had to live with Kirei to 'discreetly keep his activities monitored', as Arturia formally explained, or 'become more bored than what was decorously possible', as Gilgamesh bluntly remarked.

One late afternoon, Arturia was alone at the apartment, doing some household chores by herself. Illya was at the Tohsaka mansion with Shirou and Rin, the three of them doing homework and later playing together. Even if the white-haired girl did not attend the same school or the same year as the other two, the classes she followed had a similar program, even if slightly more advanced. And it was enjoyable to spend a few hours together, even if just to do schoolwork.

As soon as she was finished with the cleaning and had showered, she received a phone call from Gilgamesh. Their exchanges had become more frequent and more relaxed, to the point that Arturia even looked forward to them most of the time.

That day, he seemed to be bolder than usual.

His voice was almost teasing when he said, "What news are there today, my treasure?"

Arturia narrowed her eyes at both his tone and his words.

"Gilgamesh, I am nobody's treasure. I am not a possession in the first place."

He, however, seemed to enjoy teasing her, and did not stop with that kind of comments. Not willing to put up with that, Arturia felt her irritation rising.

"Gilgamesh." Her tone became more threatening. "If you continue to call me with names of your choice, know that I will begin to do the same."

There was silence on the other side of the line.

Then he said, his voice slightly strained, "You will not."

Arturia allowed herself a small smirk. She had him.

"Oh, I will. You enjoy teasing me, knowing that I can't do anything to you over the phone… but it is a double-edged sword, because you can't do anything to me either."

Again there was silence on the other side of the phone call. Both kings knew that she had just been able to outsmart him at his own game. That was a very, very rare occurrence to happen… but it just had happened. Arturia was too noble to relish in the victory over him, and simply waited for his next words.

His reply, however, was to abruptly end the call.

She frowned, confused.

That was quite unlike him… what had he just…?

And the next second, she realized she had forgotten a detail about the King of Heroes.

A very important detail.

He was able to dematerialize. And he appeared behind her, in the kitchen, making her lose her balance because of the sudden proximity.

She should have guessed an unpredictable move coming from the King of Heroes…

Her first thought was that she hoped Kirei had not been present to notice his abrupt leaving – the second thought was, in what a compromising position the two of them found themselves.