A/N: Happy New Years! I felt like writing something, so have something from muuuuch later on in the timeline. It probably won't turn out exactly like this, but have something of a relationship piece.
Enjoy!
--
2026, Chaldea Security Organisation HQ
Ritsuka remembers what New Years was like at home. Waking up in the late morning, warm and toasty and still feeling stuffed from a very packed Christmas. Not having to go to the Dojo and run through a morning routine for an hour or two. Blearily wandering into the living room to see Aunt Saber flopped on the kotatsu while watching the morning news, then joining her while she peeled oranges for everyone to eat. After a nice hearty breakfast, dad would then take everyone out to Shinto or something, either to a movie or to a nice park or something eventful, and they'd spend time together as a family. No magecraft, no training, no mom giving dad strange looks about how he financed last week's christmas trip.
It's not something most kids would cherish - and after a point he didn't much care, he had friends he'd rather spend the day with - but he always took the time to spend at least the morning with them. It was a yearly routine from since before he was born, having new years soba made by mom. And his mom rarely made soba, because she was always busy managing something, whether it was some affair in the city or something in London or the family finances with dad or his magical education or really anything at all, and honestly the quality suffered for it. Compared to dad's soba, hers was pretty average. He just ate it because, well, it was there.
Now, though? Alone, in a cold office, surrounded by oodles and oodles of statistics and reports? Staring at a progress meter tick slowly towards completion, as his phone growled and growled as the speakers die from ringing too much? With the literal weight of the world resting on his shoulders, knowing that the next three days will be absolutely critical? That in a year of critical events and decisive battles, this would be the one that mattered most of all?
God, he missed mom's shitty soba so much.
He winces as he hears his phone hit the carpeted ground, having rung one too many times, and goes to pick it up. His fingers brush against another's at that moment, and while polite instinct drives him to withdraw he just looks up at the owner of the other hand as she withdraws and smiles at Mashu Kyrielight, herself unable to make eye contact. He laughs as he picks up his phone and tosses it onto the desk, his work set aside for the moment. Mashu blinks and looks at him, cheeks powdered red.
"S-So... do we have enough ascension materials for everyone, s-senpai?"
"We'll figure something out," he replies with a grunt. There was no telling what kind of environment the Time Temple would prove to be, but considering it was effectively King Solomon's Reality Marble, they would literally be invading a planet hostile to their very existence. Just operating in the Age of Gods was difficult enough. This would be on another level entirely... But that's just how the final boss dungeon was like, wasn't it? "I'll be inspecting everything with Kana later anyways. We have a little bit of time."
Mashu nods. She swallows. "Ah, about that, senpai..."
His expression wavers for a moment. "Are you feeling alright? I want you there with us, Mashu, but you don't have to force yourself."
She shakes her head vigorously. "No, I'll be there. I'll see this through, no matter what. I, Galahad, we will finish what we started." Her righteous outburst done, Mashu then looks to the ground. "T-That said... senpai, we don't have much longer left together... do we?"
"Don't say things like that." He stands up, one hand holding hers, the other brushing aside her bangs so he can see both of her beautiful lilac eyes. They were so lively, large and expressive and beautiful unlike anything else. One could compare them to precious stones or the stars in the sky or any number of metaphors for that which glistens and shines and nothing would compare to the actual article. They simply were beautiful eyes, and he always felt it was a shame she kept one of them hidden at all times. "I love you, Mashu Kyrielight. I love your quiet strength, your diligent work ethic, your insistence on seeing the good in everything, how you're slightly possessive of me, the way your ears turn red and you pull your hands into your sleeves when you're flustered..." Her breath hitches, and her little body quivers as he hugs her right. "I love everything about you. And nothing could change how lucky it is for a guy like me to meet a girl like you, my mashmellow."
"...I love you too, senpai," she whispers in his ear, too shy to look him in the eye or call him by name. But the way her breath catches, the sound of a quiet laugh, that's all the reassurance Ritsuka needs. She pulls away from him to look him in the eye with a cheeky, uncertain smile. "Y-You know, I remember from when we watched those old movies that... before the final battle, the hero and the heroine always... Y'know." She draws inwards, hiding her hands and herself, as much as possible. "D-Do you..." She says, her voice barely a whisper, her face close to his. "...Want to try? W-With me?"
He stands fully to attention, carrying his adorable bespectacled girlfriend in his arms, still hugging tightly onto her. "You sure?" He asks, clearly intrigued but also very careful. The veins in his neck are starting to pop and he's trying so hard to untense himself to no avail. God this must look super creepy - no shut up get it together Ritsuka get your shit together. "I-I mean, it took us so long to just get to holding hands so i-if you want we could--"
She places a finger on his lips. With a beautiful tittering laugh that sends shivers up his spine, Mashu Kyrielight says,
"Please take care of me, Ritsuka senpai."
Ritsuka inhales sharply.
----
He wakes up in the middle of the night, incredibly parched and very sore. But happy, and fulfilled, in ways he didn't know he could be happy or fulfilled in. Mashu lays next to him, sleeping peacefully. In the dim darkness of his room, lit only by the pale blue hazard strips that line the edges where the walls meet the ceiling, he watches the still form of his girlfriend, every shift in her body language, every rise and fall of her chest as she dreams deeply. Lit in dim blue light, she looks like an angel.
He chuckles to himself at the small joke. His personal guardian angel, Mashu Kyrielight. The light at the end of his tunnel. If only that were true; but unfortunately, Ritsuka has evidence to believe that God's got different aesthetic priorities.
His smile falters. Jeanne must never find out about this.
"Mm." Behind him, D'Eon stirs and leans her head against his back. "It's about time, Master. Most young boys and girls wouldn't last eight hours with each other, let alone almost a year."
"Yeah... Yeah I guess it is." Ritsuka sighs as he thinks back to his initial confession. And then to his second confession after London. If he could curl up into a ball and launch himself across the kaleidoscope, he would. That was awful.
And he'd still do it all over again. All for the same girl. The only girl that ever mattered like that to him.
"...She's right to worry, you know? Master, what's going to happen to you?"
"I'll be fine," Ritsuka says.
"You love her."
"More than anything."
"And you'll lose her."
He lets out a shuddering sigh. "We lose everything eventually."
"Master." D'Eon is quiet for a moment. "She wouldn't want this for you."
"I know. And I'll move on. I just won't forget about her."
"Mm."
"...And I'll still have you, right?"
"...Mm. Rest well, Master. Duty calls."
A few seconds pass. Ritsuka rolls over slightly. D'Eon's gone from the bed. But she's left her clothes.
Well. At least there's that. He goes back to sleep.
----
The morning hits him with the sore-bat harder than the middle of the night ever could. Every movement provokes new agony from his muscles, screaming for relief as they rebel with their weakness. But Ritsuka's been through too many fights, learned too many katas and been hurled by blonde men too often to submit to mere muscle fatigue. So instead he gets up from the bed, tidies up a little, and calls for a little drone to get them breakfast.
Mashu wakes up with a yawn fifteen minutes later, treated to the sight of Ritsuka Tohsaka doing pushups shirtless right by her bedside. She doesn't say anything until he finishes the routines and stands upright, his body glistening with sweat.
"Ah, man, I knew I shouldn't have pushed to fif...ty..." Ritsuka blinks as he meets Mashu's gaze, his girlfriend looking back not with a blush and barely restrained embarrassment, but with confidence and certainty. Of herself. Of what she wants. "...Ah. Morning, Mashu. I called for breakfast."
Mashu Kyrielight giggles. "Happy new years, senpai."
"...Eh? But it's the 29th."
"Is that so?" Her smile grows. "It felt like new years came early this year."
Ritsuka looks at her. He smiles and laughs. Here and now, in the moment, the future doesn't matter. Tomorrow can go and find its own trouble. He's got a cute girlfriend, nothing could ruin the moment.
"...Alright, get dressed. The inspection's at ten, so we'll head over after breakfast."
"Okay... E-Eh? Ten?" Mashu looks up with a strange smile, her brow quivering. "S-Senpai, it's nine fifty."
"...Nevermind new plan get dressed now breakfast can wait!"
"Senpai! I can't find my clothes!"
"What?!" He makes a quick scan with his eyes. That's ridiculous, he literally just cleaned up the place, her clothes would have been in the pile... Unless... "Dammit D'Eon! You set us up!"
"D-D'Eon?! Why?!!"
"Nevermind! Just wear these, no one will notice!"
"S-Senpai, this is--"
"I know! Just wear it!"
----
"...Mashu, why are you wearing D'Eon's shirt over Ritsuka's uniform?"
The Shielder says nothing. She just goes red, from head to toe. Her glasses even start fogging up. Ritsuka, ever the protective boyfriend, just glares daggers at his twin sister. Ever irreverent and nonplussed, Kana nonetheless gets the message and looks away. "Whatever, laundry accident, got it. I'll go get the doctor."
As she heads off, Ritsuka feels his phone vibrate in his pants. He checks it quickly.
'nice bro'
Only experience, no money and a boatload of willpower keep him from crushing his smartphone in his hand. God dammit Kana. Happy fucking new year.
God he wants some soba.
----
His phone buzzes again. 'btw saw ishtarmom on the way, told her about it'
Ritsuka's brain explodes. Everything about him falls to pieces and you can never put him back together again, not like he was. Wordlessly, motionlessly, he stands there looking at his phone. Nothing on his mind except white hot rage of the featureless kind.
It buzzes again. 'she wants cute grandkids asap'
"Yep," he mutters under his breath as he starts walking, "Chokeslam it is."
)
