A Twist of Fate (Fate Zero & Fate Stay/Night:UBW)

Chapter 5: Intimacy

Halfway towards the door step, Diarmuid winced.

"Lancer, are you alright?"
"Nothing to worry about, master." the servant replied, smiling courageously.
Having said that however, Diarmuid almost dropped Avantina with the next step he took.

"Put me down now."

Lancer complied. She looked at his injury which until then, had been concealed by the cover of darkness and her servant's unwillingness to voice its severity.

"You're hurt, not terribly so but you're completely spent from that battle. Come, I'll hold you."

After fumbling with the keys, Avantina managed to open the door while balancing her injured servant. He leaned against the doorframe, taking a breather before ascending the stairs to the nearest room, Avantina's. After nursing his wounds and cleaning up, Avantina went to the bathroom to shower and change her clothing.

Diarmuid was too focused with his responsibilities and the earlier conversation between Avantina and Kiritsugu to bother materializing a T-shirt. Instead, he stood guard in the corner, the moonlight shining on the bandages wrapped around his upper body.

When Avantina stepped out of the shower, she gazed at the reflection in her bathroom mirror, boring holes into the glass.

He's weak. At this rate, I might have to conduct the mana restoration ritual. Ha. Well, if I'm going to be intimate, at least it'll be with a good man.

She opened the tap and splashed some cold water on her face. When she entered the room again, she was dressed in black lingerie, with her hair let down. Diarmuid kept his gaze respectably focused on her eyes. Avantina got under the covers, settling herself. Then she sat upright, mulling something over before she spoke.

"Diarmuid." finally addressing him by his actual name. "If it's not too much trouble, could you hold me while I sleep tonight? You needn't do so if it makes you uncomfortable."

One hand pressed the blanket to her chest, the other strayed to the side. Diarmuid was hesitant, wouldn't this action be disrespectful towards his master? However his duty was not only to ensure her safety, but to make sure she felt safe. And if this was his best way in achieving those objectives, he would do so without a second thought.

Diarmuid walked towards her, gently taking the hand that strayed into his palm. He slipped under the covers and got on his side, facing his master. Avantina gave him a small appreciative smile, then with her hands wrapped behind his neck and one leg draped across his, she fell asleep.

I can't. I can't. I'm not ready for this.

Avantina woke in the middle of the night and sat up, her back facing her servant. Though Diarmuid had been asleep, the servant was no less vigilant than when he was awake.

"Master, is something the matter?"

She didn't speak for some time, contemplating how to word her response.

"Diarmuid, could you..." her sentence trailed, unfinished. Disgruntled, Avantina shook her head. "Never mind. I wasn't thinking clearly."

Diarmuid's response was action over words, wrapping his strong arms around her abdomen. Then he planted slow, gentle kisses from the bottom left of her back, working his way upwards in a diagonal direction.

He performed his task with the utmost care, every press of his lips an endeavor to ease the fear this war had inflicted upon his master, pleading with her to entrust their safety and victory to him.

He ended with one last kiss on her right shoulder. The tension her arms had melted. Diarmuid rested his head at the nape of her neck, breathing deeply as he found comfort in the scent of her skin.