SELFISH [Shirou x Reader]

4. Night Running

Author Notes:
Optional music to listen to as you read this chapter:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T3ofoKfEoY

[ph] = preferred honorific

[pn] = preferred noun

[ppr] = preferred pronoun

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As Shirou dashed through the busy streets of Anima City, he wrinkled his nose. What was worse than the smell of humans was the smell of a rotten citizen. For the remaining decades of her life, Barbara Rose and the other Japanese mayors held campaigns to get beastkin and humans to intermingle with one another. Unfortunately, this was met with a lot of resistance from both races. Thus began a series of experiments to allow beastkin to live in human cities to reduce the stigma around them. Soon after, people found out that they weren't so different from beastkin, and this sparked a second push to have humans live in Anima City.

The first batch of new residents arrived a week ago and successfully settled into their new apartments. Today, the second batch was supposed to arrive; the last train landing in Anima City terminal at 7:30 PM. A few members in the police force were left in charge of protecting these new arrivals.

And Shirou was personally tasked with handling any matters that went awry.

Even after being educated by Michiru, he still had his personal doubts and biases against the humans. But he was still learning, trying to heal from the past: the humans' pasts, the beastkins' pasts一 his past. Deep down in his heart, Shirou knew he had to push past his preconceptions for the wellbeing of all beastkin. One could say that it was almost his civic duty to bear the pain of neutrality.

Shirou's ears perked up as the human curled [ppr] fingers, grazing them against his chest. How on earth did this little human being get caught up with a wanted beastkin? There were multiple instructions sent out via b-mail to all incoming citizens to prevent this very sort of thing from happening.

Idiot.

Did [ppr] really think that [ppr] was any match for a king cobra's rage? Especially after injuring the beastkin with those bites? It was impressive, but ultimately [ppr] was no match for something that had fifty times the strength of a normal human being. Shortly, the right side of his lips tugged upwards. He was also reminded of another night where a certain tanuki girl knocked down a very large scaffolding during the middle of a festival. Even after a hundred years, it seemed like humans were still very much clumsy.

Idiots.

Usually, Shirou was able to detect these incidents before they escalated. This evening, the damage to the [pn] proved that wrong and he was certainly feeling the guilt of not acting fast enough.

For a long time, he sought revenge against the human race to make them hurt and repay for their ancestor's wrongdoings. He was blindsided by a never ending goal, but even the voices of the thousand slain Nirvasylian citizens urged him to find peace amidst all of the calamity. So why did he feel different tonight? He was unsure of what he was feeling towards the individual.

Irritation? No. Regret. Maybe? Sympathy? Possibly.

'To live with beastkin.'

The words replayed themselves in his mind. Even after being attacked by a beastkin on [ppr] first day in Anima City, [ppr] still wanted to become an Anima City resident. Pushing past ignorance was a remarkable trait, and something that he hoped to be able to do one day.

Otherwise, something threw off his nose today. He lifted the human's body a little closer to his face and closed his eyes for a brief moment.

[Ppr] had just got out of the last in-bound train and walked through the junction and into midtown where [ppr] was sidetracked. [Ppr] arrived at a small ramen shop called Izo, then sat down to order. [Ppr] ordered a dish that came out in a large bowl. Broth. Noodle. Egg. Nori. Chashu. Tonkotsu.

Then came the cobra beastkin, who sat down next to [ppr]. Broth. Noodle. Egg. Nori. Chashu. Shoyu.

That was what that other smell was. The beastkin laced his mouth with another scent to mask his would be crime. Detectives already had a hard enough time searching for him: who knew that his downfall would be his lustful hunger for humans. Shirou understood now. He opened his eyes and saw the hospital in his line of sight. He had to hurry before the venom made its way to the nervous system.

He had to save [ppr].

--

He ran past the automatic doors and through the waiting area, eliciting shocked gasps and squeals as the drops of blood created a trail behind him. The nurses on duty immediately stood up and rushed to get a hospital bed to put the body on. 

"Bring [ppr] over here, sir."

A nurse ushers him over to the bed being pushed past the emergency room doors. Shirou gently places the [pn] down onto the bed, and in a split second the nurses were attaching monitors, restraints, and an endotracheal tube onto the [pn]. Their arms dived in and out of the air like birds of prey.

Shirou could not help but stare at the convoluted mess: wondering how much pain can one suffer without the crutch of immortality. It never occurred to him how fragile a human being could be. As the blood pooled more, so did his sense of liability. The nurses started to move: he briskly walked along with them, only to be stopped by one of the doctors.

"Let. Me. In."

"Sir, you can't come with us into the operating room. You'll have to wait until they finish operating on [ppr]."

He snarled, flashing his large canines to the alarmed doctor. 

"You can visit [ppr] when we're done." The doctor bowed his head towards Shirou and quickly departed behind the emergency room doors. 

Shirou was irritated. He was the one who brought the human in, yet he wasn't allowed to even step into the operating room? He curled his fists and glared at the beige panels. The bed and group of medical professionals were nowhere in sight to see. What were they going to do to the body? He transformed back into his human form and begrudgingly walked over to the waiting area to sit down. The startled patients jerked back in response as they eyed his form. To clamor them down, Shirou shot them another glare before taking off his bloodied jacket and plopping down onto the illy padded chair. He closed his eyes, sighing wistfully.

He promised himself that if the human was still alive after all of this, he would visit [ppr] to make amends on behalf of beastkin. 

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End Notes: 

A Shirou POV! How do you like them apples? 

Some of you might be wondering why there's such a big build up (like c'mon where's the fluff and romance Simone, we're 4 chapters in???) and it's because I'm trying to write Shirou in character. 

I promise you that if you stick with me, the wait will be worth it. I have plans. Big plans. >:3 

After reading this update, tell yourself one constructive thing that you will do this week. It can be anything from washing your sheets to taking a walk to get some fresh air. Let's be the best beastkin we can be! 🐺