Chapter four

The room was silent while Shirou stood in the front, a longbow in hand, string pulled back, and arrow in place.

The other occupants in the room sat behind him in a single, horizontal line, their gazes bore holes in his back, not that he noticed any of them.

Eyes narrowing, he released the arrow from his grasp.

The projectile soared through the air, spinning as it did and impaling itself in the res circle of the target.

Frowning, the redhead relaxed and got back to the line, taking the empty space that was left when he stood up.

This was easy.

It was like second nature, which was weird considering both his element and origin was a sword.

Odd, but he wasn't going to complain, it was just something to ponder on later...

___

"You know, Emiya-Kun-"

His eyebrow twitched, "Kun" is something she added to his last name three years ago, at the end of the year, in fact, and he still got ticked off about it, why not just call him "Shirou"? Stupid traditions.

"-I have been wondering... Are you gay?"

... Wut?

"Because you got the attention of the leader of the archery club, the kendo club, and me, of all people, how come you haven't asked anyone out yet?"

... Okay, now how can he bullshit his way out of this one?

"It's a strategy."

Now fall for the trap.

"A strategy?"

He smirked, leaning back on the roof and closing his eyes.

"for you see, if I do not ask out any one of you, sooner or later, an idea will form that im denser than any metal I use in my forge, the three of you will then team up and together, you can express your love to me by dragging me to bed, just to make sure that I don't misunderstand "a date" as a friendly gesture, that is the way to form a true Harem."

Nailed it.

She just stared at him blankly before releasing a long, exaggerated sigh of disappointment.

"You don't understand girls at all Emiya-kun."

Opening his eyes, Shirou tilted his head to get a better look at her.

Humming in thought, he straightened up, his normally wide eyes full of playfulness narrowing dangerously.

Standing up, he started walking toward Rin, getting her attention by doing so.

She was leaning on the fence that was surrounding the edge of the school roof and started slowly walking back as he got closer.

"So, you're telling me, that girls like gentle males that will take care of them, their desires and whims?"

Her eyebrows shot up, slowly reaching a hand back to check if she would collide with anything.

"What's gotten into you all of a s-sudden?"

He ignored her question.

"Do you like the kind of men that don't pay attention to you and generally act like assholes because there are the so-called "Bad boys", Rin?"

She reached the end of the roof, her back colliding with the wire fence, her eyes wide as he put his hands on the fence next to her and leaned close so that their noses were almost touching.

"Would you like someone who would hold you gently and say most tenderly the words "I love you", Rin?"

She closed her eyes and he decided to stop the gig now, lest she throws him over the fence.

He poked her in the cheek.

___

"Shirou, why do you have a black eye?"

The said boy just calmly picked up his cookie, the ones he made, and took a bite.

Chewing it slowly, he looked at Taiga with a blank look.

" I regret nothing."

He caught a spoon that was thrown at him by Rin, who just glared hatefully. She didn't even want to be there and she used a reinforced punch to hit him. If he wasn't so sturdy, he might be missing an eye.

"Shirou, start explaining, Rin may be mad at you sometimes but it was never this bad."

Taigas's voice was stern but he just rose an eyebrow, who did this woman think she was?

"You may be a "Legal Guardian" but you don't get to order me around when you're in my house and eating my food, no matter your age."

The older woman recoiled as if struck as Shirou remained impassive. Someone thinking he could be ordered around just because they sounded a little sterner than usual was absurd.

He didn't need someone who didn't know the situation acting like they were the all-knowing sage.

He knew he went far, but he would make it up to her somehow.

Stealing a glance at the person of interest, he could see her glancing away, still eating the cookies he made.

At least he knew they were good.