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There were few moments of quiet in Chaldea, and she cherished them. Truthfully, the hustle and bustle of countless servants and staff didn’t bother her. But sometimes… Sometimes the quiet was what she needed. A single moment of silence amidst the struggle for humanity. It was then that she reflected upon herself.

Curled up against one of the countless windows, she had found that moment. Stuck in time as the blizzard raged on outside, as it always did. There was no end to it. Not until they stopped the calamity that had become their world’s timeline. It hurt her just to think about it. How humanity had no future unless they- she, unless she managed to bring that God-damned monster to his knees. That was no simple endeavor.

Her head fell into her hands, palms rubbing viciously at her eyes. How could she, the literal last choice for a Master, bring humanity back from the brink of extinction? There was no doubt that she might have the means to do it, possibly, with the group of servants she had been lucky enough to summon. But there was no strength in her. No vast amount of magic or brawn or smarts like her servants, like any of the other Masters. Yet it was her responsibility, her burden.

A wavering sob left her lips, stifled only after it just barely escaped. She curled up closer to the window, eyes screwed so tightly shut that her head was beginning to pound. There was no escaping this, and it crushed her in these moments. The moments of peace and quiet. That was when she broke down.

Time seemed to slow, the snow outside a mute color as the storm continued to rage on. Ritsuka wondered if she could simply bury herself in it. Let the cold take her and erase her from existence. It wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to her, right? There were countless, more painful ways she could die out on the battlefield. At least she’d be less of a failure this way?

Another sob managed to escape, the sound grating on her own ears. For God’s sake, she needed to get herself together! What good was it to sit here and wallow in her own self-pity? To wonder why she’d been handed this fate. It was useless, pathetic-

She’d been so lost in the flurry of her emotions that she hadn’t even noticed there was someone else there. The gentle weight of a hand on her shoulder had her vaulting forward, scrambling away as she prepared a spell. Roman’s surprised look was enough to make her disarm it immediately.

“Doctor, I-!” She paused, unable to speak for a moment as she took him in. He held a cup of coffee in one hand, the other hovering where her shoulder had been. To think, she’d mistaken him as a threat.

“I’m sorry, I thought you heard me coming! I wasn’t exactly quiet, but I brought some coffee… Wait, are you crying?” The concern in his tone was evident, and he set the cup down quickly.

“No, I- I’m fine.” Ritsuka mumbled, wiping angrily at her reddened, puffy eyes. “Just got something in my eyes is all.”

The look Roman gave her was enough to make her shrink back and avert her gaze. His hands curled at his hips as he continued to stare, eyes narrowing in obvious irritation. He leaned forward as he spoke.

“Mm, well as head of the medical staff it’s my job to look at it then. Let me see,” he commanded, moving over to sit next to her on the ledge of the window. She recoiled immediately, turning her head to look down the empty hallway.

“I said I was fine, Doctor!” She snapped, sniffling despite herself. She hated that she was showing how vulnerable she felt. How weak she was… Especially in front of him.

“Do I hear a sniffle? I don’t think you’re fine at all, Ritsuka.” He said, his voice softening as he said her name. He didn’t say it often, and it startled her, causing her to face him.  

His hands came up to gently cup her cheeks, the action making her inhale sharply. What was- right, something in her eyes. He wasn’t just… he wasn’t doing anything he shouldn’t. Her face flushed, dark pink dusting her cheeks as he examined her eyes. She needed to keep her thoughts in check.

“Look up. Now down. Left, right. Good, good. Now follow my finger, and don’t move your head,” he murmured, one hand leaving her face and moving around to test her sight. She’d set herself up for this embarrassment.

Despite the fact she was terribly flustered and had made a fool of herself, Roman treated her kindly, not mentioning her obvious blush, or bringing up her meltdown. He merely conducted his examination, watching her carefully as she followed his finger with her gaze.

“Good, your eyes are fine. Just a bit irritated from… whatever you got in them. Now, Ritsuka, look at me.”

It was almost unbearable how gentle his voice was, how obviously he was trying to make her feel better. She let her gaze meet his, nearly whimpering at the look in his bright green eyes. She wasn’t prepared for that, the look he was giving her. It was one of unabashed concern and… she couldn’t really make out what else. It was good, she thought.

“What? I’m looking,” she mumbled, her cheeks tinging once more. “I know you know that I was actually crying, and I must look like an idiot and-.”

“Ritsuka.”

“-I know I should be training with Mash but I really just needed some time alone, and-.”

“Ritsuka.”

“-I’ll make sure to train extra hard tomorrow, to make up for-.”

Roman gently pressed his hand against her mouth, effectively silencing her. She couldn’t help but blink dumbly at him, staring at the close-eyed smile he gave her. Once he was satisfied she was not going to continue, he dropped his hand from her lips.

“What I was trying to say, is that it’s okay. I know what you’re going through. I know how it must feel, having the weight of the world on your shoulders. Literally. Mash made it very obvious to me that something was wrong with you, and I made it a point to come check. I had a feeling, after the last singularity, though.”

He reached behind himself to grab the cup of coffee, still steaming, and offered it to her, smiling softly.

“Here. Two creams, three sugars. Just how you like it, yeah? Still piping hot, too!”

It took all of Ritsuka’s self-control not to throw herself at the Doctor and embrace him. Her eyes were already welling with tears again, and Roman began to look panicked.

“Did I not get it right?! Oh, damn, I thought I’d remembered that right. At least, I think that’s how you always make it in the morning-.” He stopped himself, blushing slightly as he all but shoved the cup closer to her. “Here, I- I’ll go make another cup.”

“Roman, no, it’s perfect. I just… Thank you.” Ritsuka took the cup from him and let it sit in her hands, warming her fingers. “You don’t know how much it means to me, that you came. How much it means that you and Mash care enough to…” A tear fell from her eye, trailing down her cheek. “I feel like a nobody, in all of this. Yet somehow, I’m the nobody who has to try and fix everything. I’m no good with magic, I can’t fight, I’m just… A source of mana. I’m worthless.”

Immediately, her chin was jerked up to look at Roman. His gloved hand trembled as he stared down at her, eyes alight with something she’d yet to see from him.

“You are not. Do you truly believe you’re worth nothing? To your servants, to Chaldea, to Mash, and to-…” He cut himself off, eyes widening then, as if he were surprised at what he was going to say. Ritsuka furrowed her brows.

“To..?” She questioned, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Roman was silent, staring at her as he seemed to search for an answer. His gaze was like fire, burning straight through her as the seconds ticked by. She swore she could hear her heart beat quicken audibly as he continued to stare, lips parting slightly as he inhaled.

“To me?”

The question seemed to take him by surprise as much as it did her. She blinked owlishly at him, unable to form any words. All the sound she could make was a soft squeak of confusion, so quiet he might’ve missed it if he wasn’t paying such attention to her.

“I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. Please accept my apology.” Roman dipped his head to her and moved to stand up quickly, turning to make his way down the hall.

“No! No, Roman! I-.” Ritsuka lurched forward, snatching at his hand desperately. No, she couldn’t let him go now. She wouldn’t.

Not that he’d get very far. The cup of coffee fell from her hands as she’d reached for him, spilling all over her lap and legs. The shriek she made was almost inhumane as the steaming hot liquid seeped through her tights and onto her skin, burning her.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

“OhmyGod, oh my Go-.” Roman frantically reached for the cup, tossing it to the side as she frantically tried to get her tights off, kicking her boots in random directions. The mug fell to the floor with a crash, ceramic shards sliding across the smooth tile. Roman watched in mild horror as the material rolled off her legs, revealing the milky white of her skin, but also the angry beginnings of the burns. It was blotchy and red, the skin already starting to bubble where blisters would form. She pulled her skirt up, shaking whatever liquid that had pooled there from the fabric.

Fresh tears rolled down Ritsuka’s cheeks as she stared down at her legs for a moment, biting her lip anxiously. After a moment, she looked up at Roman, mouth parted as she breathed loudly.

“That was stupid. Ah... God…”

That was enough to break Roman from his trance. He hurriedly pulled his jacket from his form, draping it over her lap as gently as possible. Every stitch of fabric that touched the burns made her flinch and whimper.

“No, I shouldn’t have tried to leave. Should’ve just stayed and heard you out,” He mumbled before tucking the fabric around her back. “Come on, we need to get you my office to get this treated. I’m so sorry.”

Ritsuka let out a sigh, shaking her head. It had been her fault entirely and here he was apologizing. This was ridiculous, and it was beginning to become very clear to her that… something was going on. She could feel it, at least, and maybe she was misreading the signs but… She’d be damned if she didn’t at least say something.

“Come on, up you go. I can carry you if you want,” Roman offered, his hand extended. “I don’t know quite how bad the burns are yet, so…” He trailed off, a light blush dusting his cheeks as he averted his gaze.

Ritsuka’s cheeks started to burn as she blushed, realizing she’d just flashed the Doctor unintentionally. She was nearly half naked, and covered in his work coat. She was also very aware of the black t-shirt clinging to his form. Ritsuka couldn’t recall ever seeing him out of his doctor’s uniform, and it was currently drawing almost all her attention.

“Ah… I think I can walk. Let me see,” she mumbled, reaching to secure the fabric of his coat around her as she moved to stand. “I think, ow… Yeah, I can walk, just might need a hand.”

His hand immediately reached out to loop a hand under her armpit, hand resting mere inches from her left breast. She blushed further, her cheeks so heated now that she felt like she was on fire. Of course, she had just spilled piping hot coffee on herself. That might be a contributor as well.

“Alright, we’ll take it slow. Lean on me if you need to, okay? You tell me if the pain is too much, and I’ll carry you.”

His voice was firm as he stared down at her, not letting her move until she finally conceded with a grunt.

“Yeah, I got it. Let’s go. I don’t want anyone to see me… it’s embarrassing.” Ritsuka couldn’t help but mumble the last bit, looking away from him and down the hall.

God, if any of her servants saw her like this? Or Mash? Not to mention, she knew a number of the staff already had no faith in her. Explaining this would only make her look less capable than before.

“Right, I’ll make sure we take the emptier hallways,” Roman confirmed, tucking her against his side with a slight pull of his hand.

It wasn’t so much an act of possessiveness, but a way to hide her from sight more effectively. Despite the intentions, it made Ritsuka’s mind wander to what it might be like if it was possessive. If he was interested in her, and they-

Thankfully, Roman started down the hall, bringing her back from her thoughts. The pain of her thighs rubbing together and jostling her burns was enough to bring her back to reality and hiss in pain. Sure, she would be able to walk, but it was going to hurt like hell.

Even as she adjusted her gait and spread her legs awkwardly, the stretching of her skin as she hobbled along made the walk to the clinic incredibly slow and painful. Roman was a God-send as he helped her along, supporting her weight when she had to take a moment and rest, and keeping her steady as they moved. Along the way, she’d slipped a hand behind his back and clutched onto the fabric of his shirt, using it to keep herself anchored.

They had stopped for a moment to let her rest, when something caught Roman’s attention, causing him to straighten and look ahead.

“Shit, someone is coming,” he said quickly, looking around frantically.

Ritsuka sucked in a breath and looked around him, trying to gauge how far the other person was. They weren’t terribly far from the clinic, and now she was going to get caught with her pants down. Quite literally, which was almost funny to her. Almost.

“What do we do?”

“Ahhhh, uhhh oh! There’s a utility closet in this hall! Come on,” he said, turning around and practically carrying her down the hall. For being so slim, he was incredibly strong.

Roman pressed a gloved hand to the keypad outside the door and it hissed open, metal doors revealing a mess of boxes, cleaning supplies, and some towels all piled on shelves. He ushered her in, letting her rest against a shelf, before he turned and shut the door.

“Alright, we’ll wait it out for a bit in here,” Roman muttered quietly, turning to face her.

Ritsuka nodded, staring back at him in the dim light of the closet. There really wasn’t much room in there, since the shelves took up most of the closet. He was standing a few inches in front of her, looking down at her. God, could he not look at her like that? All concerned and caring, and-.

She pressed her thighs together in an effort to stop the feeling that was starting to coil in her belly. That was, of course, a stupid idea. A pained moan left her lips as she curled into herself, curses falling from her lips moments after.

“Ritsuka?” Roman closed the space between in no time, kneeling down in front of her and grasping her shoulders gently. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. I know it hurts. Shhhh.”

His hands smoothed down her shoulders to her elbows, thumbs rubbing the fabric of her shirt.

“Deep breaths. Look at me. In,” He audibly sucked in a breath, and then spoke. “And out.” He let out the breath slowly, keeping his eyes on her. Ritsuka followed his example, breathing in deeply, and then releasing the air.

“Thank you,” She whispered hoarsely, eyes watering slightly as the pain started to die down. “Sorry, I just… Shifted wrong. It’s not easy moving around with burns on my thighs.” She laughed softly, meeting his gaze again.

Oh. He was terribly close to her face now, staring straight through her with those glittering green eyes. She took a moment to let her gaze flicker over his features.  The way his brows were barely furrowed, and how his lips were slightly parted; lips that looked so God-damned kissable and soft.  The way his hair hung in his face, framing his features but covering one of his eyes. That was a shame, so she fixed it. Her hand came up to brush the lock from his face, fingers ever so slightly tracing a line above his brow as she pushed the offending hair behind his ear. Her hand lingered for a moment, hovering where she’d tucked his hair.

“Ritsuka,” his voice was incredibly strained as he spoke her name. “Please, tell me to back up. Tell me to get up and open the door and take you to the clinic.” His eyes were panicked, searching her face for some kind of sign.

She thought carefully for a moment, hand still hovering at his head. There could be repercussions to this. She could completely ruin their working relationship, and then some. Or, she could finally solve their issues, so they could stop dancing around each other. Thinking back, she hadn’t noticed any of the signs. Bringing her snacks, checking up on her even when there were no singularities to be had. Especially how he would make it a point to have his coffee with her every morning, instead of Da Vinci.

“No, Roman,” She said, testing out his name for the first time. Her hand finally moved to rest against his hair, gently running her fingers over the red-orange of his locks. “You stay right here, and you tell me what’s going through your head.”

She punctuated that demand by flicking the side of his head, gently of course. He whimpered softly, whether at her demand or the flick to his head, she wasn’t sure.

Roman remained silent for a moment, just staring at her as he warred internally. He obviously had something to say, but he was refusing to spit it out.

“We shouldn’t be in here. This is- this is really not good. Ah, what would Da Vinci say? Or Mash?” There was panic in his voice, though Ritsuka wasn’t entirely sure it was because of Mash or Da Vinci.

“Roman, don’t you dare. Just tell me wha-.”

“I want to kiss you.” He stared at her, blinking rapidly. “So badly.”

The grip on her elbows tightened slightly as his breathing sped up, waiting for her to respond.

“Then kiss me, you idiot.” She let out a breath of laughter, lips pulling into a smile. “I want to kiss you t-.”

His lips were on hers before she could finish that sentence, one of his hands trailing up from her elbow to cup her cheek.  The pressure against her lips was firm, but oh so gentle. Like he was afraid to go any further, to hurt her. Her hand carded through his hair, pulling it from its ponytail in one swift motion. God, she loved his hair.  She’d have to tell him sometime.

The hand that held his jacket over her moved up to grip the front of his t-shirt, pulling him closer to her as she deepened the kiss. He didn’t seem like he was ready to take control of this situation, but she was certainly more than happy too.

Her tongue darted out to swipe over his lips, and he groaned softly, letting her do as she pleased. His hands made their way down to her waist, kneading her through the fabric. Ritsuka let out a hearty groan, canting her head to the side as she all but assaulted his lips with her own. By this point, both of her hands were tangled in his hair, tugging and twirling the strands around her fingers in response to every press of his lips, and every squeeze of his fingers.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this way. Elated, pleased… A soft moan left her as she thought about the way he was making her feel. Despite the absolutely dizzying pain

Suddenly, Roman’s hands moved from her hips, grasping at her shoulders and pulling her away from him. His eyes were wide, and wild-looking, lips plump as he panted.

“We need to get you to the clinic before I accidentally hurt you,” he murmured, cheeks burning red as he averted his gaze. “Seriously, this could get bad.”

“Get bad?! I was the one in control here!” Ritsuka whined, pouting up at him. “You’re right though, I would really like to have these burns treated…” She bit her lip and flickered his gaze up to him, peering from beneath her lashes.

His breath caught in his throat and his eyes darkened. Ritsuka realized that she might’ve made a mistake, as he leaned down and pried her lower lip from between her teeth with his own. He sucked on her lip, before letting go and kissing her deeply. Hands slid down her hips to rest on the sides of her legs, gripping harshly.

She whined, both in pain and pleasure.

“R-Roman, shit,” she muttered against his lips. “Clinic. Burns.” Her words were clipped, as she realized both of their control was waning now. As much as she wanted this to continue, the throbbing in her core couldn’t out do the throbbing between her legs. That seemed almost ironic to her.

He pulled away with one last kiss. A gentle, sweet press of his lips. With that, he smiled and straightened, standing up.

“You’re right, you’re right.” A blush lingered on his cheeks, making the doctor look a bit wild after their little make out session. “Where’s my hair tie?”

Ritsuka giggled and shrugged, not at all minding the mussed locks he was sporting. In fact, she preferred it, and she was going to make it a point to steal his hair ties from now on.

Roman huffed, placing a hand on his hip.

“Right, well… This is going to look a bit incriminating but I suppose I could say I lent it to you.” With a sigh, he bent down, scooping Ritsuka up in one go.

She squeaked, grasping his shoulder with one hand, and the jacket around her waist with the other.

“Roman! Jesus, warn me next time.”

“Next time?” He asked with a sheepish smile, that blush still dusting his face. “Maybe there will be a next time, huh?”

Ritsuka sighed, shaking her head at the doctor. He only kept smiling at her, moving towards the door with ease. For being as small as he was, she couldn’t help but marvel at his strength. How has she never noticed he was this strong?

With a bit of shuffling, he held her with one arm as he pressed his hand to the reader on the door. It beeped, and the door hissed open, giving Roman the opportunity to shift her back into both his arms.

“You know, I could get used to you carrying me like a princess,” Ritsuka quipped, smiling stupidly at the doctor.

“Well, uh- I guess I coul-.” Roman stopped mid-sentence, one foot barely out of the door. His eyes widened, face reddening in an instance.

She followed his gaze, tensing up as she spotted the figure in front of the door. Oh no.

“Yah’ know, ah thought the discarded pair o’ leggins’ was a bit strange. But this? Oh, ah wouldn’t ‘ave imagined this!”

Before them stood the infamous blue haired man known as Cu Chulainn. Not to be confused with his lancer class, though. This was the wiley, rune wielding caster who had helped them make it through their very first singularity.

He was smirking viciously, leaning casually on the staff he carried. There was no mistaking the look plastered on his face. Oh no, that sparkle in his eye meant that he was ready to cause mischief.

“Ah-no! No, no this isn’t what it looks like!!” Roman panicked, eyes flickering around like a trapped animal looking for an escape. His face was beet red by now, and Ritsuka couldn’t help but laugh loudly.

Both men looked at her, Cu in curiousity, and Roman in surprise.

“I’m sorry, it’s just… I spilled hot coffee on myself, and threw off my leggings in a panic. Roman was helping me get to the clinic, but I didn’t want anyone to see me like this, and think of me as less capable… So we hid in the closet when we heard someone coming. I guess that was you.”

Ritsuka gestured at Cu, still laughing. The caster looked at her incredulously, snorting loudly.

“Ah don’t know that that was the most brilliant of ideas yah’ve ever had. Ah thought yah were ‘avin’ a… how should ah put it?”

He made a jerking motion with his hand. “Or ah,” He circled his fingers on one hand, and slide his index finger into the circle with the other. “Yah know?”

Roman let out a pitiful whimper as Ritsuka blushed. The pair looked at one another before looking back at the servant.

“Sadly, no,” Ritsuka sighed, letting her head fall to Roman’s shoulder.

“Sadly?!” He all but yelped, almost losing his grip on her.

“Oi! Don’t drop tha lass. Ah’ll carry ‘er if yah need.” Cu reached out his hands, but Roman jerked back, clutching her closer.

“No! I’ve got it! Good bye!” He said in a hurry, turning and briskly walking away.

Ritsuka could hear the servant’s laughter as Roman hurried away. She threw a hand up, waving at the caster from Roman’s shoulder.

“What was that?!” Roman hissed, looking down at her once they were far enough away from the servant.

“What was what?” She played innocent, looking up at him with an equally innocent smile.

“That! The- you know. Sadly? Really?” His voice dropped, gaze flickering away from her and towards the floor as he walked. They were nearing the clinic.

“Yes, sadly. I don’t think what happened indicated anything otherwise.”

Roman stayed silent the rest of the way to the clinic, gloved hands holding onto her tightly. She could tell his mind was churning with thoughts. Surely, he knew that what they’d shared wasn’t just a simple kiss? She’d wanted to continue, and she was nearly certain he’d wanted to as well.

They reached the clinic then, and Roman shifted her so he could open the door with press of his palm. Thankfully, no one was in the room, so there was no explaining to be done this time. She was set down on one of the cots, gently and as painlessly as possible.

“Alright, I’m going to take care of those burns. Sp-spread your legs and lay back, please,” Roman said, his words clipped and to the point. It she didn’t know that he was worked up before, she knew now.

“Yes, doctor,” she said, words coming sweetly from her mouth.

That made him pause, tensed up as he stood in front of a cabinet. Oh, she was going to have so much fun with this.

“Ritsuka, please, just for now. Let me do my job?” He said, turning to look at her pleadingly. “Please? I-I’m…” Roman stopped, looking flustered and panicked.

“Alright, alright,” Ritsuka held up her hands. “I’ll let you patch me up, but this isn’t over.”

Roman nodded, turning back to the cabinet and rummaging for the supplies he needed. She let out a sigh, leaning back and getting comfortable as she watched. The air stung against her burns, now that they were exposed and uncovered. Ritsuka risked a look down and grimaced, the blistered and reddened skin making her shudder.

“I know, it doesn’t look great,” Roman said, dropping a few medical supplies on the table at the foot of the cot. “But I promise, I’ll take good care of you. It’ll be okay.”

His coddling was rather comforting, especially since she was now facing the reality of the pain radiating from her legs.

“Fix me up, doc. I trust you.”

Their gaze met, and Roman smiled softly, giving her a nod before he started at the task before him.

He pulled on a pair of gloves, then reached for a damp towel. Ritsuka frowned as he placed it gently on the burns, the cool water soothing, but the texture of the towel almost grating on her skin.

“I’m sorry, this isn’t going to feel good,” he murmured, voice soothing as he moved the towel over the other burns.

“It’s fine. I can handle it.”

He removed the cloth, grabbing for a foaming soap and squirting a small amount onto another damp towel. Then, he set about cleaning the burns, movements gentle and thoughtful. It took a few minutes, and she couldn’t help but grimace every so often.

Once cleaned, Roman reached for an ointment, spreading the white paste on his finger before smearing it on the burns. His face was now rather close to her legs, green eyes narrowed as he focused on his work.

Ritsuka audibly gulped, face reddening as she watched him. If he noticed, he didn’t make it known. Instead, he moved to the other leg, continuing on with his work. The sharp contrast of his fingers on her, and the pain it brought made her dizzy. Despite his gentle touch, it stung.

“Okay, now I’m going to wrap them, and you’ll be set. They’ll need to be cleaned and changed twice a day. I’ll prescribe you some painkillers as well, to help dull the pain.”

Roman shed his gloves, moving to grab the bandages as he went. The tingling on her thighs wasn’t totally uncomfortable now. It was more of a dull ache, now that a bit of the swelling had gone down. Ritsuka leaned forward, looking at the burns again with furrowed brows.

“How long will it take to heal?” She looked up at him as he returned. “It’ll be just my luck that a singularity will crop up and I’ll have to go bow-legged into battle.”

Roman attempted to suppress a snort of laughter, but failed miserably.

“I’m sorry… That image was just really funny to me. Ah, it’ll be about three weeks to fully heal, but about a week and a half to get to the point that I’d recommend strenuous activity. You’ll have to go into a singularity regardless, but… Maybe a servant will be able to carry you? I think Emiya would be your best bet there.”

She let out a dramatic sigh, falling back onto the cot as he began to wrap her legs.

“Then everyone will just see me as incapable and weak… Which, isn’t a change, but it’ll make their point more valid.”

“You know how I feel about that. You aren’t weak. You’re the strongest person I know.”

Roman’s words shocked her, and she just stared dumbly at him as he wound the bandages around her legs.

“There we go, all done!” Roman sat back, giving her a smile that quickly fell at her look. “What?”

“You… I’m the strongest person you know? That’s not… I’m not.”

He frowned, tilting his head at her in confusion.

“You are. I don’t know anyone else in the world who could handle being chosen to save the world as gracefully as you.”

His words touched her, and her eyes welled with tears again. How could this man be so supportive? So gentle and-

Her eyes flew open at the gentle brush of his lips against hers. Roman’s eyes were shut, and he looked almost blissful as he kissed her.

“You don’t have to cry, Ritsuka. We’re all here for you. I’m here for you. I believe in you.”

She crushed her lips against his, throwing her arms around his neck in a hug. God, she couldn’t handle this man.

They kissed fervently, lips and tongues pressing and twining together. He sucked her tongue into his mouth every so often, relishing in the groans it pulled from her.

“Thank you,” she panted, pulling away from him when she needed air. Her chest heaved, and a blush lingered on her cheeks. “For everything. For being there for me. For- for this…”

She pressed another kiss to his lips and smiled.

“You’re welcome. Any time.” He drew back and cleared his throat, flitting his gaze from her as he smiled. “I… uh, I’m going to need my jacket back. And I need another hair tie.”

“Are you sure? I like your hair down,” Ritsuka whined, frowning as pitifully as she could manage. “You look so handsome.”

He blushed deeper at that, laughing softly. “Yes, well… I need to keep it up when I’m in the infirmary. Maybe… I’ll wear it down later. When it’s just us.”

She was thrilled at that, and Ritsuka grinned widely. “Just us, huh? What’re you planning, Roman?”

“N-nothing! I just- Ahhh, stop it,” he pouted, letting out a huff. “You’re a terrible patient, flustering your doctor.”

“I never claimed to be a good patient,” she said, swinging her legs off the cot with some moderate pain. Roman rushed over, offering his hand. “But I am claiming to be sleepy. Very sleepy.”

“You can nap on the cot,” Roman offered, attempting to press her back. She swatted at him.

“No, I want to sleep in my room, so I won’t be disturbed by anyone. The clinic isn’t always empty.”

“I know that,” Roman grumbled softly, making sure to help Ritsuka up as he spoke. “I’ll make sure you get to your room.”

The walk to her room was slow and awkward, her legs bowed out as she was helped along. At this point, Ritsuka was beyond caring if anyone saw her. Her mood was slowly getting worse as the adrenaline from her experience began to wear off.

They didn’t encounter anyone on the walk there, surprisingly enough. They were both thankful for that.

She pressed a palm to the reader outside her door, sighing as the door slide open for them. Roman helped her to her bed and let her go, watching as she plopped onto the covers. They stared at each other for a moment, neither one really knowing what to say or do.

“So…”

“Stay with me.”

Roman blinked at her, mouth slightly agape.

“Just… until I fall asleep? Please?” Ritsuka looked serious at the request, almost afraid of the answer, even.

“… Until you fall asleep,” he agreed, nodding his head.

Ritsuka beamed sleepily at him, scooting awkwardly over to the side and yanking up the blankets. She patted the spot next to her before moving to take off her jacket.

Roman blushed, averting his gaze and bending to take off his shoes. Once he was free of them, he slid into the bed next to her, staring down at her.

“Thank you,” she mumbled, sliding next to him and wrapping her arms around him. Her legs were awkwardly splayed out, and her whole body was twisted uncomfortably to accommodate the burns.

“You’re welcome,” he murmured, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her head, arms wrapping around her form.

Ritsuka sighed, shutting her eyes as she leaned her head against his chest.

“Don’t think we aren’t talking about everything once I wake up,” she muttered, a sleepy smile on her lips.

“We will, I promise.”

The smile stayed on her lips as she fell asleep.