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“Astolfo… Are you in love with Sieg?”
He paused at the question whispered into his ear. Is he… In love with Sieg? Of course he loved his master, but that didn’t seem to be all Ruler is getting at.
He considered it for what must have been a few seconds, but to him feels like a century. Of course he loves Sieg. Of course he does. There was something so charming about him, about his courage and compassion and unwavering sense of duty. When he was told to run away and live a full life, he came back to the prison he was born to die in to save his brothers and sisters. When Astolfo’s life was threatened by another Servant, Sieg, a mere homunculus, jumped in front of him to save him. What kind of idiot hero did that? Sieg’s heart was that of a Heroic Spirit, and surely that heroic nature itself carried over to him.
Astolfo admired that. And if he really thought about it, he did love that. But at what point did he cross from loving Sieg to being in love with Sieg? If he was in love, was he that transparent?
Maybe… Maybe he was in love. If he really thought about it. And wow, did he realize, had he thought about it.
He blinked a few times. He hadn’t blushed in so long he’d forgotten what it felt like. He knew Ruler was eyeing him with a sly smirk, so instead of answering Astolfo just deflected the question.
“What about you?”
She giggled at him from behind her hand. Oh, she definitely saw through him. Astolfo flustered and waved his hands in front of his face, trying to look anywhere but Ruler’s face.
“I-I’m not! I mean, I love him, but I’m not in love with him! I mean that—It’s not like you say!”
Ah, why was he denying it so stubbornly? Was it because he was found out? Ruler’s giggles subsided and she reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. At the last second, she reconsidered and reached up, patting Astolfo’s head instead.
“It’s not a bad thing to be in love with someone,” she said as she rubbed his hair.
“But it’s not like I…” Astolfo paused, and the two looked to Sieg, who had paused briefly to turn back and look at them. Turned slightly as he was, Astolfo still could see how broad his shoulders had become after receiving Siegfried’s hart and training as we was. He’d really started growing into himself. Astolfo found himself flushing again.
Ruler smiled that soft smile at Astolfo again and released him with a final pat, the playful side of her pushing a finger against his forehead.
“Well, Rider, We're rooting for you. As you said, he has a future ahead of him.” And with that she crossed her arms behind her back and began to walk towards the castle again.
“D-don’t tease me!” Astolfo yelled after her, but he couldn’t help pouting as she passed Sieg with a small nod. Still, Astolfo’s frustration dissipated as his master jogged back to him.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Astolfo answered instantly, but it was hard to slap on his usual smile when he was aware of just how close Sieg had come to him. Ruler’s words echoing in his head didn’t help, was he in love with his master…
“Are you sure? If something’s wrong, you can—“
“It’s nothing, I promise! Don’t worry about me, Master,” Astolfo cheered, pumping a fist. But Sieg didn’t look like he was buying it, and Astolfo let his smile drop.
“I… Master, you spoil me…”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I mean that… I’m a pretty weak Heroic Spirit, but the way you believe in me makes me feel so strong… Just knowing that you’re there with me makes me feel like I can do anything.”
“Astolfo?”
“Master. You’re strong. And kind. And you’ll do anything to protect the weak. I admire… No, I really love that about you. And I just think sometimes that you deserve a stronger spirit, so—“
“You are strong,” Sieg cut him off, making Astolfo look at him. For a moment, the sincerity in his eyes overtook him and Astolfo almost wished for Sieg to reach out and embrace him.
“You’re strong and brave, weather I believe in you or not.” Sieg looked away from him. “I’m nothing like you say I am. I’m really no good, sitting back like a coward while you—“
“That’s not true!” Astolfo yelled. He reached up to take Sieg’s face between his hands, squishing his cheeks together.
“Don’t say that, Master! You’re not cowardly at all! You came back for me when that Saber of Red was going to kill me! You can’t—“
Astolfo heard his own voice crack. Was he crying? No, he wasn’t, he was just high-strung on emotions. Damn it, he probably was in love with Sieg wasn’t he? Otherwise why would he be reacting like this?!
“You can’t say you’re ‘no good’ when you risked your life to save someone else’s!”
“Astolfo…”
“Master… You’re really wonderful.”
Sieg sucked in a breath. For along moment Astolfo didn’t let him go, just rubbing his cheekbones with his thumbs. He was trembling but he couldn’t let go.
“Astolfo, you’re… your hands are…”
“Ah—!” Astolfo jumped back with a wave of his hands, finally hiding them behind his back. “S-sorry!”
“No, it wasn’t that, it…”
“Hey you two~!” Ruler called before they could say anything else substantial. “Let’s get inside before it gets dark!”
With a confirmation yelled back, Sieg hesitantly turned away from Astolfo and started jogging up the hill to catch up to her. Over his shoulder, Ruler shot Astolfo a look he couldn’t quite decipher, with tilted brows and a half-smile. Sympathy was the first thought that came to him as he started following them as well, but something in her expression was also knowing.
He… Was even more transparent than he thought, wasn’t he. And he was definitely in love with Sieg.