Then they went and had supper.

It seemed perfectly natural. There was nothing awkward or strange about it. The only problem was the food had to be reheated, but it was still very good. Archer sat down to enjoy his own cooking, savoring every texture and nuance. He'd always enjoyed food but now it seemed even better.

"That's another thing I want to do," Archer murmured to himself. He wanted to try all the foods of the world. He wanted to spend time experimenting in the kitchen, making the most exotic of recipes. Molecular gastronomy? Why the hell not?

"What do you want to do?" Rin asked as she ate her portion of the stir-fry. Archer admired the red lines on her face. They went so well with her pale skin and dark hair.

"Everything!" Archer tossed one hand to the side and nearly spilled his rice. Rin stared at him, surprised. "I want to do everything Rin. I want to have sex with you in every conceivable position!" Oh what a beautiful blush! His Rin could still be embarrassed it seemed. "I want to eat every food under creation! I want to wear beautiful clothing in any style and color I care for! I want jewelry, for myself and for you! I want to sit on a beach and sip fizzy drinks through a curly straw! I want to do all the things I was never able to do, have all the things I was never able to have!" Archer found he was unable to sit and surged to his feet before pacing restlessly. "I was such a fool! I never took anything for myself. It was all give, give give and to people who didn't even appreciate what they were receiving!" Oh, that was a little unfair, a lot of them had appreciated it but – "They left me to die! I was framed and they all just accepted it! And you know the most disgusting thing Rin? I forgave them! I told myself they couldn't free me anyway and it was better for everyone to have someone to blame. That was the very nature of my heroism, being the person to take the blame. It disgusts me!" Archer paused to run a hand through his hair and saw Rin was staring at him with wide-eyes. He immediately felt contrite. "I'm sorry Rin. I didn't mean to dump all that on you."

"No, it's fine. If we're going to do all those things we need a lot of money," Rin said practically and Archer's lips lifted in a wicked smile.

"That, darling Rin, will not be a problem. Trace on," Archer said as he held out a hand. He wouldn't have been able to do this before but the Grail had amplified his powers beyond all measure. A gold bar appeared, heavy in his palm. "I could trace money but the serial numbers would be an issue," Archer said conversationally as Rin gasped.

"Is that REAL?" she asked before standing and going to his side. Rin took the bar from his hand and Archer let her, smiling as she weighed it with a wondering expression. "It IS. Will it stay?"

"With the Grail behind me, oh yes," Archer said easily and Rin smiled. Then she shook her head.

"Stupid Archer. It's beautiful and your dreams are wonderful but the food is getting cold again." HAH! Archer laughed as Rin went back to her seat. Taking his own seat, Archer dug in. "Archer, do you know what happened to Shirou? I couldn't find him anywhere."

"I believe he fought Gilgamesh. I arrived to find him passing out from blood loss from an amputated arm," Archer reported carelessly, eating more of his food. Rin stopped eating, her expression stricken and Archer found that… displeasing. "I stopped the bleeding and left him there." He still wasn't sure why he'd bothered.

"Archer! You just left him there? He could have died of exposure!" Rin exclaimed and Archer swallowed, the food suddenly sour in his gut. Rin cared for Shirou. The thought suddenly ignited a rage in his heart and Archer was moving without thought. He slid around the table and caught Rin's face in his hands, making her gasp.

"You are mine. You belong to me," Archer said, his voice rough and possessive. Then he kissed Rin and it was as rough as his voice, domineering and –

Rin abruptly slapped him.

"Archer!" Rin surged up and out of his grip, standing up and punching him in the chest. It didn't hurt, not really but with the power of the Grail behind it, Archer was pushed back. "I belong to myself! I don't belong to you and I don't belong to Shirou! Get that through your head right now!" Rin's eyes flashed and she was dark and dangerous and gloriously beautiful. At that moment, Archer was deeply tempted to exert his power over her. With a burst of force from the Grail he could make Rin forget she'd even known Shirou. He could… could…

That isn't why I did it this way, a thought of pure clarity intruded into his jealous rage. I didn't do it to control her, I did it to protect her. Yes, Archer had kept Rin's connection to the Grail at a remove to spare her. She wasn't a Counter-Guardian, her mind might slip. It would be a desecration to do that to her. A profound breaking of trust. Archer's breath came short as he was suddenly overwhelmed with pain.

"Rin, I… Rin…" Fear ebbed and surged through him, fear and grief and nameless emotions, too many to mention. Archer sank to his knees in front of her, gripping her knees and pressing his face into her skirt. "Rin, please." His voice was fogged with tears. I am crying. When was the last time I cried? Not for a… long time…

"Oh Archer." Arms enfolded his shoulders, as Rin knelt, pulling him against her bosom. She cupped his chin and then it was Rin's turn to gently kiss away his tears. "You do love me, don't you? Don't worry my Red Knight. I would never forsake you. I will be your faithful mistress," Rin whispered and Archer met her eyes, wondering who had corrupted who. But he wanted to fall under her spell, the magic of a woman and a man. "I love you too Archer." That hit him so hard.

"Rin," Archer whispered before kissing her again. This time it was gentle and sweet, with just an edge of heat. Heat that built between them, the kiss deepening until they were almost tongue-fucking each other. They finally parted, gasping and breathless. Rin was beautifully flushed and Archer wished they could go right back to the bedroom. Alas – "You're still in pain aren't you?" The Grail wasn't as deeply connected to her as it was to him and that was a very minor injury. Rin nodded, a bit unhappily.

"I'm sore. But I'll be ready tomorrow and you've taken my maidenhead." Maidenhead? "It doesn't come back. Soon I'll be turning your brains to goo Archer!" Then Rin suddenly frowned. "Wait, I'm forgetting. What about Shirou?" Archer opened his mouth but Rin silenced him with a hand over it. "Don't say to forget about him! We can't, we have to do something about him." She pulled her hand away, standing up and moving back to her chair. Archer followed suit, taking his seat at the table again.

"Why should we do anything about him?" Archer said a touch sullenly. He couldn't help it. Emiya Shirou was a rival for Rin's affections.

"Well, first, because you left him half-dead without an arm. I'd be madder but I guess he's lucky you didn't kill him," Rin said as she picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of chicken. "I'm glad you didn't by the way. Thank you." Rin said with a grateful smile and Archer felt a little better. He took some chicken for himself. It really was too good to waste. "As soon as we're done we should go check on him. He's probably woken up and called for help but you never know."

"Mmm." Shirou should have had his cell phone but perhaps it had been smashed in that ratfuck mess. "Very well. But you seem to be implying more," Archer said before eating his chicken and rice. Rin swallowed a mouthful of food before speaking.

"Archer, you know Shirou, you ARE Shirou!" … "He's like a terrier with a bone. He'll notice there's something odd about us and then he'll just have to get to the bottom of it. You know he will," Rin said and Archer frowned before taking a drink. It was chilled sake, he'd poured it for the meal.

"You have a point," Archer allowed. That was exactly what Shirou would do, what he would have done. "The simplest thing to do would be to kill him." Honestly, he was rather regretting saving the idiot's life. He could have just allowed Shirou to die and no one would have even known he was there.

"Archer!" Rin's gentle scold made him sigh. Well, he wasn't exactly surprised. "We need to corrupt him, bring him over with us." Archer looked into his food, feeling a cold void in his stomach. Then he shook his head, forcing it away. Rin loved him, she would not forsake him. "And it would be much easier to do that when he's weakened."

"Yes…" Archer was reluctant to do it at all but if they were going to, it should be when Shirou was still recovering. He'd proven to be shockingly fearsome, defeating both Archer and Gilgamesh. "I refuse to do it the gentle way," Archer grumbled and Rin gave him an odd look.

"Gentle? Archer, are you talking about what you did to me? Because I'm not complaining but that was pretty painful," Rin said before taking a sip of her sake. She suddenly brightened. "This is good…" Archer vaguely noted that Rin wouldn't have had much alcohol until now. Well, it wasn't like either of them gave a crap if she was underage.

"There is no easy way to accept the Grail's corruption but believe, that was the better way. When I fell into it, it went down my throat, into my lungs and stomach," Archer said calmly before eating more rice and vegetables. Mmm, tasty. "It activates the gag reflex, causing intense nausea as well as a choking sensation – "

"Okay, okay! You can stop. That does sound worse," Rin shook her head with a frown. "You're going to do that to Shirou?" She sounded ambivalent and Archer shrugged. Mmm, the chicken was especially good. "Couldn't you just stick it in him?"

"Rin!" Archer almost choked on his chicken before managing to swallow. Then he scowled at her. "I'm not just a machine for putting it in you know!" For god's sake! Rin gave him a winsome smile.

"But Archer, you and Shirou are the same person!" Yes, that was why – "It would be like twincest! Wouldn't that be incredibly hot?" No it wouldn't! "Picture this Archer… you on the bed, on your back. Shirou writhing on your cock, gripping your arms as he pleads for mercy…" Archer's breath caught. Was this actually starting to sound appealing? "And me, about to go down on him, wearing nothing but your coat." Rin's smile was utterly wicked and Archer was transfixed as he imagined it. Holding Shirou at his mercy as they tormented him from both sides… Rin in his coat, oh god that was an amazing image! Vaguely, Archer realized he was getting hard at the thought.

"This idea has merit," he finally admitted and Rin laughed before finishing her rice. How to go about it though? Archer finally began to apply his mind to it, taking another sip of the sake. "He'll need to go to the hospital first, if he isn't there already. But once he's stable we can use my charisma and your magic to have him released to us for recovery," Archer mused. The hospital would be better for Shirou's initial healing although if they were actually going to keep the idiot, Shirou's arm would need to be regenerated.

"Why not just bring him here right away? The Grail can – oh. You're worried about him surviving the corruption," Rin said, catching on. Archer nodded.

"If he's too weak it will simply kill him. We might have to nurse him a while before he's healthy enough," Archer said, reflecting on it. Absorbing the Grail's mud wasn't just painful, it was extremely stressful and could send the body into shock. That would be far more likely after such an injury. "Rin, Saber has disappeared yes?" Surely she had. Rin nodded.

"Yes, I saw it after the Grail was destroyed." Perfect. Archer didn't want Saber around mucking things up. "Well, I think we're done. Shall we go look for Shirou?" Rin bounced to her feet and Archer polished off the last of his sake before standing.

"If we must," he said with a small sigh. He still wasn't that enthusiastic about bringing Shirou to his bed, but Rin made an excellent point about his past self's nature. And Rin didn't want him to die. Archer also didn't particularly want him to die, oddly. Why was that?

I respect him, Archer mused to himself as they went outside and he lifted Rin in his arms before taking off in a burst of speed. He faced me down. He defeated me. Although that had partly been because of Archer's own doubt and uncertainties. Ah, he would never feel that way now! What can we accomplish together? Something glorious no doubt. Of course, all of this explained why Shirou was a threat. Yet… Archer loved Rin. Archer trusted Rin. She would not let him down.

Comforted by the thought, Archer arrived at the spot he'd left Shirou. He was gone, although there was a puddle of blood. It did not lead anywhere and his keen eyes caught the trace of fresh tire tracks.

"I believe he was able to summon help," Archer said calmly, not setting Rin down. "Shall we check the hospital?"

"Yes, absolutely. Someone else might have kidnapped him," Rin said decisively and Archer nodded although he couldn't imagine who. Although the world was a strange place so who knew.

Fortunately, nothing diabolical was afoot. It took all of Archer's charisma but he was able to persuade the nurse on duty to divulge the fact that their good friend Emiya Shirou had been admitted for a horrible accident. Archer likely could have talked them into letting them visit but didn't bother. Shirou would have to be a mess, likely under vast quantities of painkillers.

"How long do you think we should give him?" Rin asked as they left the hospital and Archer considered it for a moment.

"Three days." That would give Shirou a bit of time to heal. "He might need longer, but we can tend to that at the manor." It would be more comfortable than the hospital, to tell the truth.

"Well, take me home my knight. I am so tired!" Rin stifled a yawn with the back of her hand and Archer smiled as he picked her up again. He was tired as well, despite his invigoration by the Grail. It had definitely been a long, interesting day.

It was time to rest.

The next three days were spent in a haze of hedonistic pleasure.

True to her promise, Rin attempted to turn Archer's brain to goo. And Archer did the same to her, trying to reduce her a puddle. Neither of them succeeded for long but the quest was what mattered.

Then it was time to get Shirou from the hospital.

"Tohsaka…?" Shirou sounded groggy as Archer very gently settled him in the back of the rented SUV. "Archer?" The child squinted and Archer noted that his pupils were too large. No doubt whatever pain medications he'd been given.

"It's alright Emiya-kun. We're going to take care of you," Rin said sweetly, gently taking his remaining hand and giving Shirou a comforting squeeze. Archer settled in behind the wheel and started the car. "You'll be just fine."

"My arm… I lost…" Shirou said and Archer could hear grief in his voice. Rin heard it too of course.

"Don't worry Emiya-kun, that was your off arm anyway. You still have your writing hand, you'll be fine," Rin encouraged him and Archer kept his gaze on the traffic as he pulled out. Then he blinked as he heard a soft sniff. "Oh Shirou, don't cry," Rin's voice suddenly held a little catch. Archer lifted both his eyebrows. Cry? Shirou? That wasn't – oh, of course, the drugs were reducing inhibitions. "Really, it's going to be just fine."

"I love you Rin," Shirou said groggily and Archer stiffened.

"You're my best friend, Shirou," Rin said and Archer grimaced slightly. He was sure if she hadn't known he was listening, Rin would have returned Shirou's sentiment.

"I want… more… Rin…" Shirou sounded so distraught. Archer sighed before speaking.

"You can say it Rin. I don't think I can bear listening to my past self cry," he said sourly. It was a bit obscene, hearing Shirou so completely out of it. Ugh, babbling under the influence of narcotics, he knew that well. A hand slipped past the seat and gently squeezed his shoulder for a moment before Rin went back to Shirou.

"I do love you Shirou. You're my wonderful Emiya-kun," Rin said lovingly and Archer imagined she was kissing his forehead. Yeck. It did settle Shirou though. The rest of the drive was mercifully silent.

Arriving at the Tohsaka manor, Archer gently got Shirou out of the back. He couldn't walk so Archer carried him bridal style, noting the way his head lolled. Very out of it. Well, the amputation site had to be extremely painful. He really shouldn't have been out of the hospital. But as soon as they could infuse him with the Grail mud, all of this would be fixed. Rin got the door and Archer carried Shirou upstairs, to the room they'd readied for him.

"Here's all his medication," Rin said, setting the packages on the dresser as Archer gently placed Shirou in the bed. He was wearing nothing but a hospital gown, to preserve modesty. Archer impatiently pulled it away. "We'll have to check the amputation site regularly."

"Yes, I know," Archer said absently. Fortunately he'd done some field medic duties when he was alive and amputations were a rather common war injury. "He's definitely going to need more time before I can infuse him. I think even the sex would kill him." A very pleasurable way to die, but death all the same. Rin's laugh was a sweet, tinkling sound.

"Emiya-kun isn't that fragile! But he'd never survive the mud. We can take care of him until he's ready." That they could. Leaving Shirou to sleep off his current dose of painkillers, they went back downstairs.

Soon, Shirou would be ready to accept the power of the Grail.