IRUn's House of Whatever

Just something I felt like writing today. Busted it out in ten-something minutes. It's short, but I actually quite like it a lot.

It depresses me like hell, though.

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"Hey there, cutie. I'm back. How are you feeling?" Shirou asked the small girl lying in the hospital bed as he walked in to her room, a place which had an atmosphere that felt like it was isolated away from the rest of the world.

"Well, you know, it hurts." The white-haired girl sheepishly replied with a meek voice that was undeniably strained and weary.

"I'm sorry about that, Illya." Shirou answered, "Still, I brought something for you that might cheer you up."

Shirou reached into the grocery bag he brought with him and pulled out a single taiyaki, still steaming-warm from being freshly baked.

Illya suddenly bolted upright from her hospital cot with an excited squeal of delight and promptly snatched away the fish-shaped piece of sweet bread right from Shirou's hands. The helpless pastry was then devoured with a terrier-like ferocity, and the only evidence that remained of it's passing were the crumbs all over Illya's face.

"For someone who says she is in pain you sure don't act like it." Shirou chuckled endearingly as he gently wiped her face with a napkin.

Illya grinned weakly at Shirou's words.

"Just now...it was excruciating."

Illya confessed this with such resigned nonchalance. But in spite of dropping this bomb on him, shattering all illusions that they could somehow deny the situation, pretend that it didn't exist for only a handful of moments, she still beamed radiantly. She still smiled happily.

"But I didn't care at all about it. The pain is nothing when you are around."

Shirou felt like he was torn up from the inside-out.

'That's not right. Just because you're used to the pain doesn't make it okay.'

He wanted to say that to her. But he knew he couldn't take her pain away from her. That was yet another burden of hers that he would not be allowed to shoulder, no matter how much he wanted to. There was nothing he could do. He felt helpless.

He felt like a child once more, wandering aimlessly for his life amidst those hellish, burning ruins of a city all the while surrounded by death.

Despite his helpless feelings, he too smiled in response to Illya's confession.

Shirou would do anything to see that smile of hers for as long as possible.

"That's...wonderful." He said, stroking Illya's smooth cheek with the back of his hand. It was indeed truthful and indicative of his feelings, even though that same truth also simultaneously hurt him immensely.

That truth, that he was so very happy that he could take away her pain while at the same time being helpless to do anything about it, both healed and broke his glasslike heart beyond repair.

He stood from his seat at the side of her bed and reached down to gingerly lift the girl into his arms.

"Shirou?...What are you doing?" Illya asked, though she already knew that was unnecessary.

He could feel her heartbeat pump faster and faster the closer he held her to his chest. She was incredibly delicate and small in his muscular arms, and was indisputably lighter than she normally was. It almost felt that if he wasn't careful enough he could accidentally break her.

But...she had proven herself to be made of stronger stuff than she appeared. Back then, and even now.

"Ssh. It's fine, it's just time for you to come home."



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Yeah, seriously. Can't even think of a title for this one.