2This is a commission for ObeliskX. Thanks go to GrimGrave for his beta reading services. If you'd like your own ideas put down on paper, PM me to discuss rates.
Plot: male Rin x Saber (with Archer-like personality). Set in partially gender-swapped Fate stay night AU, with male Rin summoning Saber.
m!Rin and Saber forced to have a date (because of lost bet, or having to hide of security reasons, or smth else). Since they both have snarky personalities, and Saber is still quite dominant while Rin is tsundere; plus jealous girls messing with "date", plus oblivious to whats happening femShiro, plus angry servants of their rivals and so on...
-Weekend Warrior-
The Holy Grail. This Christian holy relic was believed to have received the blood of Christ and was the driving force behind unimaginable bloodshed over the years. When he was younger, Rin Tohsaka had always thought it to be yet another chapter in history driven by madness and greed-something he himself tried to avoid. How could he have known he'd find himself within the maelstrom of the Fifth Holy Grail War? He should have seen it coming, he supposed, considering his ancestors had been the ones to help orchestrate the Holy Grail Wars.
... Was this really a before-breakfast topic? Rin groaned and flopped onto his stomach. He'd been thinking about it a lot recently.
Rin's eyelids lowered over bright blue eyes and his breathing started to even out. It was the weekend and he planned to spend the morning lazing about before any sort of responsibility interrupted the peace.
There was a sharp knock at the door and Rin pulled the blanket up over his head. Maybe if he ignored her, she'd go away. That hope was dashed when the door swung open and whoever had been knocking crossed the room and threw open the curtains. Even through the blanket, Rin could see the radiance of the sun seeping into his room.
So much for going back to sleep...
He yanked a hand through cropped black hair, causing it to spike up more. "Seriously, Saber?"
"Awaken, Master Tohsaka. There's much to do."
Every golden hair was perfectly in place and the blue, knee-length pleated skirt and sleeved white dress shirt combo she wore was perfectly pressed. The woman had likely been up for hours already and, having exhausted every chore she could think of, had finally gone to awaken her Master.
"Five more minutes," Rin grumbled.
The sheets were yanked off of him with one decisive motion and the dark-haired young man glared up at the blonde beauty. She met his gaze evenly, as though daring him to comment, and eventually he was the one to look away.
Saber, the Servant he had always wanted to form a bond with.
Had this woman really been the king of Britain; the one chosen by the sword in the stone, Caliburn; the one who had managed to establish the mighty Knights of the Round Table despite the obstacle of her gender, hadn't been quite what he had expected. Though perhaps that was because of her Master's influence? Servants took their summoner's preferred appearance, after all, so why wouldn't that extend to their personality? N-not that he liked her haughty nature or anything like that. Perhaps it was his prior bond with Archer that had somehow affected her persona? Whatever the reason, they were constantly butting heads because of it.
"Come. We must continue our search for the Holy Grail."
"It's Sunday."
"And yesterday you said it was Sat-er-day," Saber huffed. "What difference does that make?"
"Saturday and Sunday are called the weekend. They're reserved for rest and relaxation."
"War waits for no one." She was right, of course, but Rin would never tell her that.
Rin got out of bed and crossed his room, the tiles cold against his bare feet. A bookshelf sat next to his school desk and from it, he retrieved a flat box in which there laid a single coin.
"Tell you what: I'll flip a coin. If it's heads, we do something I want to do today. If it's tails, we'll go to war or whatever."
"I'm not one for games of chance."
"Don't look at it that way. Think of it as... Leaving the decision to someone else for the day."
The proud woman was used to being in control and it was easy to tell she didn't like the idea. "What, are you scared of a little bet?"
Saber bristled and Rin knew he'd struck a nerve. "I will play your silly game and if I am the victor, you must awaken early as I do—without complaint."
Gulp. He really wasn't a morning person. He'd have to up the ante to make this worth his while.
"Okay..." Rin wracked his brains, but wasn't quite sure what he wanted. A day to relax, certainly, but tooling around by his lonesome didn't sound fun anymore. "Okay," he repeated, inspiration coming to him slowly as his gaze roamed his books. "If I win, you have to go on a date with me."
Saber tilted her head slightly, questioningly. "You wish to eat dried fruit with me?"
Rin burst out laughing, which made confusion turn swiftly to irritated embarrassment. It was kind of cute how Saber still didn't understand modern conventions— Wait, no! Saber wasn't cute. Her cluelessness was amusing. Yeah.
"No. A date is..." Rin faltered, suddenly embarrassed. How the hell could he explain it to her without her getting the wrong idea? It wasn't like he liked her or anything!—he was just making a point.
"Uh... An act of... courtship? Where two parties grow closer and learn about each other."
"And you want to go on one with me?"
Her incredulous tone actually got Rin thinking... Why did he want to go on a date with Saber? He'd left a trail of broken hearts and rejections at school, but the blonde swordswoman wasn't like his vapid classmates. To have a woman able to stand toe-to-toe with him was- dare he say-somewhat attractive and he wanted to explore that piqued interest.
Ugh. It was too awkward to even begin to unpack that. "Do you agree to my terms or not?" Rin snapped.
"Tch." For a small eternity, the pair glared at each other. Finally, the blonde nodded.
Rin flipped the coin and two sets of blue eyes traced its upwards arc. It hit the floor and rolled some distance before coming to a stop and Rin and Saber scrambled after it to see the results.
The heads side lay upwards and Rin released a triumphant sound.
Saber was deadly quiet. Then, "... Very well. I will prepare to depart."
She curtsied before leaving the room, the action mocking in its swiftness, and Rin was left in peace. Alone now, he went over to his bed and fell onto his back. Dark blue eyes strayed to the coin he was turning over between his fingers and he chuckled.
On one side, there was the profile of a woman wearing a crown and on the other was the mirror image.
"I have never been to a... Zoo," Saber admitted, tripping over the word despite its simplicity. She seemed uncomfortable with the crush of bodies around them and Rin found himself stepping instinctively between her and the rambunctious kids milling about to the rear of them in line.
"It'll be fun."
"Hm..."
Rin nudged Saber forward in the line and she shot him a glare. "Two tickets, please."
"Well, aren't you two cute!" the woman at the counter gushed. She laughed when both parties went red in the face and winked. "Have fun, now~"
Rin led Saber through the entryway and along the pathway that wound through the exhibits. It was marked by animal tracks and lined by flowering hedges. The sun was high in the sky, but a cool breeze made sure it didn't get too hot. Basically, it was the perfect day for this.
"Master, look!" Her exclamation drew in glances from other zoo goers and Rin had to quietly remind her not to call him that in public. "Apologies..."
Rin nodded and looked to where the blonde had been pointing. "That's a tiger; a big cat. You've never seen one before?"
"Ah, no. There was once a lion brought to the castle by a travelling show. It was marvelous." Blue eyes sparkled and Rin found himself smiling. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I'm not," he said quickly. "Let's go over there..."
The two spent the day exploring the grounds. They saw otters—
"How cute!" Saber gasped.
"They're otters. They're carnivorous and spend much of their time in the water," Rin read from the placard.
They watched as the furry brown creatures frolicked with inflatable toys in the crystal clear water—or rather, Saber did. Rin found himself staring at his companion. She really was quite pretty and the pale blue colour of her sundress made her aquamarine eyes pop. When she leaned over the railing like that he could see the way muscles honed by years of combat coiled despite her deceptively slender frame, and the duality of femininity and stalwart protector really hit him.
"Rin?" Saber was looking at her Master curiously. She had already started to meander along the path to the next exhibit.
"C-coming."
Camels—
Standing tall, the camels were an impressive and somewhat stinky sight. Rin clicked his tongue and tried to lure one closer for a better look, but the lot of them turned up their noses.
One of the creatures strayed closer and spat on the ground near Rin and he made a face. Saber, on the other hand...
"Do that again and you forfeit your life, beast!"
"Saber, it's okay... Really..." Rin said, trying to calm the woman down before she made a scene. He gripped her upper arm and was pleasantly surprised by how soft and warm her skin was—so much so that he lost track of why he'd touched her in the first place.
Saber rounded on him and, just like that, their faces were way too close.
"...!" Blue eyes were wide.
"Uh..." Rin's heart had leaped into his throat.
"Oi! Move along, lovebirds!"
The cry was enough to spur the two into action and they hurried along, Rin with his hands jammed in his pockets and Saber with her arms crossed over her chest. He couldn't shake off the residual warmth in his fingertips...
Tropical birds—
"How lovely," Saber murmured as she gazed up at the foliage. The zoo staff had done an impressive job at recreating their natural habitat and the woman who oversaw the exhibit informed them that the brightly coloured birds were tame enough to eat from the hand.
"Would you like to feed one?" Rin asked. He was already digging around in his pockets for change to put into the food dispenser.
Saber shook her head emphatically and Rin cocked an eyebrow. Other people were feeding the birds and taking photos with them. They seemed harmless enough.
"Here, hold out your hand."
Saber shook her head, more firmly this time.
"Are you scared?"
"No." It was said too quickly and the blonde deflated a bit. "One of my knights was a falconer. He impressed upon me how dangerous beaks and talons could be..."
So cute, Rin's renegade brain mused before he could stop it.
"They won't hurt you. Promise," he added, when Saber looked at him incredulously.
Hesitantly, she followed his example and held her arm out, palm flat. Before long, a few of the smaller birds fluttered over and landed on her arm and the railing in order to pick at the pellets. Wordlessly, excitedly, Saber looked to Rin, her eyes sparkling, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
Lovebirds. The word tickled at the back of Rin's mind and his face got hot. Yeah, right...
And monkeys—
The monkeys ooked and eeked and performed aerial acrobatics and the children pressed up against the glass imitated them excitedly. Their parents fussed at them for causing a commotion—therefore causing more commotion—and Sabre observed them with a guarded expression.
"People here are so lively."
"What were they like in your time?"
The blonde looked thoughtful for a moment and then she chuckled. "Far more boisterous in their own way, I suppose. Imagine a room full of men, spirits lifted by a combination of victory and mead."
Right. She'd spent a lot of time around men, hadn't she? For some reason, the thought bothered Rin. How many knights had professed their adoration to such a beautiful leader?
Rin frowned and tried to shake off the dark cloud that had descended over his mood. While Saber wandered closer to the exhibit, he sat down and put his head in his hands. It was starting to hurt from the thoughts he kept stuffing into the back of his mind.
Something cool was pressed to his temple and Rin started. Saber had returned with a beverage from the vending machine—matcha tea, upon closer inspection. She offered it to him wordlessly and then sat down next to her Master.
"Hey, is that Rin?"
Rin took a sip of his beverage and then began gulping it down when he realized how thirsty he was from walking around in the sun. He drained the can in a matter of moments and released a satisfied sigh.
"I believe those girls know you." Saber was looking past him.
Girls? Rin tensed and glanced around. Sure enough, some young women he recognized from school were making a beeline towards him. He really didn't want to deal with that headache today and especially not in front of his Servant. Rin quickly grabbed Saber's hand and hustled her towards the next exhibit, her confused questions falling upon deaf ears. When they were a safe distance away, he ducked into a hallway leading to a bathroom. They were quiet until the girls rushed past, after which Rin breathed a sigh of relief.
"Phew."
"You're rather popular, it seems." Saber's expression was unreadable.
"I don't want to be," he grunted.
"Do they want to... Date you?"
"Probably." Rin crossed his arms, not happy with the topic of the conversation.
"But you do not want to date them?"
"It'll be a cold day in hell."
Saber quirked an eyebrow at the turn of phrase, but he could tell she understood what he meant. Then, her stomach released a mighty growl and she smiled sheepishly.
"Let's get lunch," Rin said and his stomach rumbled in agreement.
The zoo café had a themed menu and, while Rin was trying to puzzle out what he wanted, Saber tensed beside him. He followed her gaze to a spot across the dining area: a handsome blond man dressed from head to toe in black was sauntering towards them, a dangerous glint in red eyes. Rin knew immediately that he was a Servant—and a Heroic Spirit at that—and clenched his hands into fists.
This would be a horrible place for a fight to break out. He cast a quick look around for an escape route, but by then the man had drawn even with them. What he did next was unexpected—
"Saber, is that you?" He threw an arm around her shoulder-or tried to; the woman ducked under his arm and frowned at him.
"Hello, Gilgamesh."
Gilgamesh? That name was vaguely familiar. The legends said he was a half-god, half-human king and friend of the monster Enkidu. What was he doing at the zoo on a Sunday afternoon?!
An auburn-haired girl was quick to join him and she was a familiar face: Shirō Emiya. They went to the same school, but didn't share many classes, so Rin knew her by name alone.
"Hey, Rin! Who's your friend?"
Saber smiled tightly and the air became taut. The Servants and Rin knew what was going on and what would have to happen if they wanted the Holy Grail for themselves. That was why he was surprised when Gilgamesh smiled brightly and clapped Saber on the shoulder so hard she staggered.
"This is an old friend of mine, Sa...rah."
Saber's expression became murderous for a moment, but she swallowed her irritation and smiled at Shirō. "Pleased to meet you."
"Oh. How do you know each other, Gil?"
Gil? It was such a cute nickname for such an imposing man and Rin had to choke back a laugh. Crimson eyes flicked to him and a shiver went down his spine. This man was dangerous, there was no mistake.
"We're going to be late for the Sea Lion show, Shirō." "Oh!" Shirō's eyes went wide. "I'm sorry, you two, we'll have to sit down and chat later! Come on, Gil."
"You owe me," the blonde man mouthed over Shirō's head with a wink. Then, the duo was gone.
...
"You're pretty popular yourself," Rin remarked, not for the first time since finishing lunch.
Saber sighed. "Would you please be quiet."
"I'm just saying... That Gilgamesh guy seemed pretty enamoured with you."
The blonde woman stormed off, into a building on the right, and a moment later Rin heard a shout of alarm. He dashed after her and was in time to see a set of silver armour materialize over the blonde's dress in a flash of light. In her hands was a sword and it was pointed directly at...
A taxidermy bear, rearing up on its hind legs, it's lips peeled back in a silent snarl.
"Saber, wait-"
In a single swing, Saber had separated the beast's head from its body. When what poured out was stuffing, she staggered backwards. "What manner of magecraft is this...?"
"I saw Rin go this way!" a shrill voice announced somewhere to their rear. Then they heard hurried footsteps and they were getting closer.
Crap.
Without thinking, Rin grabbed the bear head and shoved it into Saber's hands. Then, he pushed the blonde woman behind the remaining torso and went to head off their pursuers.
He was cornered in an instant.
"Rin!"
"Who was that girl earlier?"
"I've never seen her at school before."
"I-"
"Omigod, do you have a girlfriend?"
"Is that why you always reject us?"
"What does she have that I don't?"
Bombarded on all sides by questions, Rin's irritation spiked. "I wouldn't date any of you if you paid me!" He pointed at the first girl, a pink-haired waif with enough make-up for all three girls. "All you care about is looks." Then, he pointed at the pouty brunette. "Your IQ is lower than that of an amoeba." Finally, he rounded on the tall blue-haired girl. She cowered slightly and he forced himself to take a deep breath before he said something he regretted. "Just get out of here. Yes, she's my girlfriend, but who I'm with isn't your business."
There. He'd said it. "Prove it." Crap.
Their triumphant glares turned to gasps of indignation when Saber came out of hiding, her armor absent. The blonde smiled sheepishly at the girls and Rin took hold of her hand.
"Yes, well, as you can see we're very happy. Bye!"
Run!
The entire car ride back to the Tohsaka estate, Rin didn't let go of Saber's hand. It fit perfectly into his. When the door closed behind them he rounded on her, an apology on the tip of his tongue.
"So that was a date."
"Kind of. I was hoping to have a less chaotic day." And school the next day would likely be even more hectic. Great...
"I had fun." Saber bit her lip. "Can we do it again sometime?"
"S-sure. Only because you want to." "Don't you?" Rin swallowed, hard. It was difficult to tell what they were talking about with the way his heart beat roared in his ears. Their faces were close again, but this time Rin didn't flinch away. In fact, he leaned forward and...
Saber's lips were exactly as soft as they looked. They parted to release a gasp and Rin took advantage of the gap to push his tongue up against Saber's. He was pleasantly surprised when her hands found purchase at the front of his t-shirt, drawing him closer to her.
When he pulled away-or did she?-they were both red in the face and breathless.
"Was that... Something people on dates do?"
"Uh, yeah." His mind was still reeling. Single syllables seemed safe.
"I see." Saber lifted her hand to her lips, as though remembering the contact they'd just shared. "Goodnight, Master Tohsaka." "Night..."
When Saber left, Rin could suddenly breathe again and he fell across the sofa in the sitting parlor. A giddy grin spread across his face and he bounced his heels against the side of it.
He couldn't wait until next weekend.
-Fin-
