a Twist of Fate (Brand New Animal) (Shirou×Michiru)

Chapter 7: Comfort

"I just...I just,"
She stuttered, not knowing where to start.

Shirou looked at Michiru. Her eyes gazed at him longingly.
I should comfort her like she comforts me. Right? Y-wait no! I'm being too nice! I'm going to outlive her, I need to stop getting so attached.

His saddened face vanished like a switch, and was replaced with his usual unreadable frown.

He walked past Michiru and sat on the ledge, motioning for her to follow. She sat right next to him, with no space inbetween. He stiffened, she continued to lay her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks Shirou-san. I really need this. I'm sorry you've seen me like this once already."
Michiru murmured, but his wolf ears heard it crystal clear.

She wallowed in her self pity for a couple of minutes till she added,
"Am I a bad friend?"

Shirou thought about it.

"Do you think of me as your friend?"
He felt like he was putting his heart on the line.
I'm so stupid I didn't even answer her question.

As the seconds drag by, his heartbeat quickened. He felt like he was going to explode.

"Yeah, your always there for me. You make me feel better,"
she nudged him with her shoulder,

"you protect me,"
She showed a selfie she took when they fell off the building,
"And sometimes, if I'm lucky, you show your true self to me. Even if it's for a second. And I really like that, of course your my friend Shirou-san."

Shirou slowly turned, so he wouldn't shove Michiru's head off his shoulder
...and he....
(>v<)

grabbed his tail to stop it from uncontrollably wagging. Turning back again he lifted his paw to his mouth and cleared his throat,

"*ahem* oh. That's good to know."
He analyzed her face.

The fits of giggles, and patting his arm trying not to laugh, probably meant that he wasn't as subtle with grabbing his tail as he'd thought.

"I uh, think you're a good friend too."
He hadn't had someone to call a friend in years.
What a foreign word to me.

Checking the time with his free paw he saw that it was 23:00.

"Well Michiru, it's getting late."
He glanced at her hands on his arm, her head leaning over his shoulder to look at the time.
When did I let her get this close?

He felt uncomfortable and self conscious he shuffled a bit. Michiru's hands gave his arm a light squeeze as she got comfortable next to him again.
What if she's scared to go to sleep?

Since there was some things he still wanted to talk about with her he suggested,
"But we could talk instead, if you can't go to sleep."

"It would be nice if you could stay a little longer."
She leaned in more and wrapped an arm around his.
Why does Nazuna not want to spend time with me?

She started humming,
"~ 突然にもUpside down~"

"Michiru, you sound amazing,"
It took a lot of courage for him to say that. He wanted to comment on her nightingale-like voice before, but she thought she was alone last time she sang. And he didn't want to come out as a creeper/stalker if he had complimented her then.

"Thanks"
She blushed.

"But Michiru, what happened in your nightmare to make you scared enough to not want to sleep."
It came out less than a question, but a command.

She sat up straight, taking her arms from his.
"I-it-well..."

Shirou patiently waited, he knew what it was like to have nightmares. And knowing what it was like to wish someone was actually there to talk to, even if it was hard to talk about.

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It's going to get spicy next chapter.

And thank you Hollow2097 for subscribing!