At night, Rin Tohsaka nestled in her warm bedding, only half her face peeking out.
"You really managed to revive Illya's mother," she said softly.
"Yeah, I find it pretty miraculous myself that I actually succeeded," Morpheus replied, sitting by the window, gazing at the night sky.
"It's great. Now she has a proper family…" Rin said, burrowing deeper into her blankets, her voice muffled like a mosquito's hum. "Thank you."
Morpheus paused. "Thank me for what? Giving Illya a family?"
"Mm…" Rin murmured softly. "The Tohsaka family is responsible for this area, so this situation is kind of our fault... my fault. And it's not just that. Without you, Sakura and I probably wouldn't have reconnected either…"
"Oh, that? Honestly, I don't think there was ever much conflict between you two. The choice wasn't yours... it was your father's. No need to blame yourself too much."
"But…"
Before Rin could finish, she felt a hand on her head. She looked up to see that the person who was supposed to be by the window was now beside her.
"You move like a ghost…"
"Silent and stealthy... perfect for a sneak attack," Morpheus said nonchalantly. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Rin grinned. "You're so shameless."
Morpheus kept smiling. "Thanks for the praise."
"By the way, why don't you go see Bazett? She's your sister, right?" Rin asked suddenly.
"You know she's my sister, but only from another world. I feel close to her, but to her, I'm a stranger. Our biggest connection is that I saved her during this Holy Grail War."
Morpheus shook his head, clear-headed about the matter.
"To put it bluntly, my bond with this world's Bazett isn't even as strong as my bond with you."
"So, you and I are close?" Rin said, patting the spot in front of her. "Sit here. That's an order from your Master."
"You're only now realizing you're my Master?" Morpheus teased but sat down anyway.
As soon as he did, Rin propped herself up slightly, resting her head on his lap, adjusting to a comfortable position. "Mm, this is nice. Your thighs are surprisingly soft."
"I don't have much muscle."
"Is that something someone who can physically strike at sonic or even supersonic speeds should say?"
"That's with magical reinforcement. Well, fine, a magically reinforced body is still a body."
The conversation petered out, and a silence settled over them.
After a while, Rin spoke again. "You're leaving soon, aren't you?"
"Yeah, soon. I'd guess within a few days, though I can't predict exactly."
"Can't predict because something's pushing you along?"
"Probably because I'm heading toward my own destination, and some entity keeps tossing me into different places. Maybe it's trying to change something through me." Morpheus said, gently patting Rin's cheek, making her giggle softly. "Stop it, that tickles."
"Tickles? I'm not even tickling!" Morpheus protested, only for Rin to grab his hand. "Then explain the feather in your hand!"
"Uh, that just appeared on its own. Nothing to do with me."
Morpheus said, but Rin pulled him closer, her voice soft as a whisper. "Stay with me tonight."
Morpheus blinked. "What was that?"
"I said, stay with me tonight…"
"Huh? Can't hear you!"
Seeing Morpheus still smiling, Rin felt her cheeks burn. She grabbed a pillow and smashed it into his face, gritting her teeth. "I said, stay with me tonight, or I'll use a Command Spell!"
Her Command Spells had never been used, as there hadn't been an opportunity.
Though she seemed to forget that Command Spells had no effect on Morpheus.
…
Sometimes, physical communication is more direct than words... like a good old-fashioned brawl, or what Morpheus and Rin were doing now.
Time passed slowly, not with the heavy intensity of legend, but with a warm, soft intimacy. That night, Rin felt at ease.
Both mentally and physically, she was in a state of excitement and comfort.
At the same time, her heart relaxed. She had always wanted to take this step but feared she wouldn't until he left. Yet, she had finally done it.
"If I have a kid, I'll tell them you're already gone. Don't worry," Rin said, leaning against Morpheus.
"Cough, cough! Is that necessary? It's not like I can't come back. I'll definitely find a way," Morpheus said, coughing and sounding a bit indignant. "Besides, just one night isn't likely to result in a kid, right?"
"Let's not talk about that. Tell me, how many girls have you been involved with so far? Besides me," Rin suddenly asked, making Morpheus instantly wary.
"Definitely Medea, right? And from what she said, it sounds like the Greek moon goddess is pretty close to you too?"
"Uh, yeah, Medea and Artemis, the moon goddess, are indeed involved with me," Morpheus admitted honestly, watching Rin cautiously. She lunged forward and bit him hard.
"Are you a dog?! Biting people like that!"
"Hmph!" Rin snorted and asked, "What about Atalanta? I get the feeling your relationship with her isn't ordinary either."
"I helped her and was her teacher, but I didn't do anything until I left!" Morpheus said quickly. "Though, according to Medea, it seems my influence is why she never married…"
He sounded a mix of proud and guilty.
"Look at you, all smug!" Rin said, pouncing on him again. "No way, we've got to make the most of it before you leave!"
"Huh?"
"Who knows when you'll be back!" The girl was unusually assertive in that moment.
***
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