Now situation here is a bit unusual normally I am not one to post a chp outside of the inital first chp of a fic and I usualy only post after I get a good handle of the fic in general
But I loved this chp so much after accidently finding it that I can't let it go unknown I am obsessed with Muramasa/Musashi ship sue me :V
Words: 35k+
Link: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14171706/7/The-Domestic-Life-of-Counter-Guardians
Chapter 7: Valentine's Day Special
Everyone seemed to want that one shot so here it is! Part of Domestic Life of Counter Guardians!
Reviews:
Kirby the God Slayer: Great chapter, full cuteness and wholesomeness, but I just would like to ask when will the handholding happen?
Thank you! Funny thing actually, I initially planned them to hold hands last chapter but decided to save that scene for later. Sorry XD
BOBINGTON VII: Damn, i need insulin shots after reading this
Better have a lot because there's more where that came from!
ShuKirisaki: Cu best wingman
Indeed! He's such a bro. They best frenemies
Reaper200851: Wait, I think I've determined Lancer's role in the story. He's going to be the one shipping both of them together isn't he!
One of the many that will tease them and give the occasional push. But Lancer is definitely going to be one of the more recurring characters because he is Archer's best frenemy!
[This special takes place in the same world and some time after the start of The Domestic Life of Counter Guardians]
"Oi, Musashi."
"A-Ah! W-What is it, Gramps?"
"Look at me when I'm talking to you."
"Sorry! I-I'm going over to my friend's place! I'll be back soon!"
Miyamoto Musashi dashed out of the door, face completely red as she left her house. Her housemate, Senji Muramasa, stared at the front door, perplexed and annoyed before he heaved a heavy sigh. The Pseudo-Servant walked toward the door, closing it as he went back to their living room.
It's been almost seven months since they came to this world— a modern-era Japan. He recalled how that came to be as if it was only yesterday... Well, that isn't exactly true. His memory of how they ended up here had gotten foggy. The only piece he recalled before their arrival was a certain udon lover pestering him to make her a new sword.
Muramasa grunted as he picked up his cup, taking a sip of his barley tea. That troublesome girl... She became too comfortable asking him for favors back in their world. Forging her new swords, cooking for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and hell, he even gave her a massage one time! He felt more like a servant than a blacksmith at times.
That said, Muramasa always complied with her requests in the guise of being in debt to him. Without the blacksmith realizing it, he had grown quite comfortable with the swordswoman's presence.
For all her rowdiness and shenanigans, her cheerful and openhearted demeanor was something the auburn-haired blacksmith appreciated... He'd never admit it to her, though.
His lips twitched upward, remembering the first few days when they started living together after his arrival. It surprised the old man how easily he adjusted to living under the same roof as the Flower of Tengen. He expected to experience insufferable chaos in his everyday life.
Well, actually... it wasn't to that extent. Living with the dual-sword wielder was quite pleasant and homey, something he didn't expect.
Muramasa would be in charge of cooking their meals and doing the housework, and Musashi would do the shopping and help with the housework if needed. That was their arrangement, and the pinkish-blonde-haired woman didn't mind at all. They respected each other and noticeably grew comfortable with one another's presence.
But that's why he couldn't help but wonder about Musashi's odd behavior these past few days.
Whenever he would greet her in the morning, she'd flinch before greeting him back, soon leaving the room he was in with some flimsy excuse. That wasn't the only thing that he remembered. Muramasa vividly recalled her making some sort of concoction in the kitchen whenever he wasn't around. Suspicious.
Another odd incident was whenever their hands would brush each other, she'd pull away as if she got touched by germs. Frankly, it kinda hurt his feelings.
Now that he was thinking about it... her cheeks were always red whenever it happened. What was she, a maiden in love?
...
...
...
Naaaah. That woman's always in that state, for better or worse.
The blacksmith took another gulp of his tea as his lips parted for another sigh.
The awkwardness that followed after Musashi's every reaction to him was... unpleasant, to say the least. Haaa... He wished things would go back to normal between them.
Downing his green tea, the blacksmith stood up from the cushion as he went to the kitchen. His eyes drifted and wandered to look for his senbei. He started wandering toward the cupboard until his amber eyes caught something that stirred his curiosity— a note sticking out between the sticky notes.
Muramasa made his way toward the countertop, taking out the piece of paper.
"The heck? This is..."
Slowly melt together the chocolate chips... Let it cool to room temp... Fill the mold with the chocolate and filling of your choice...
It was a printed recipe for homemade chocolate!
The auburn-haired blacksmith had no idea where this came from. He can say with one hundred percent certainty that it didn't belong to him. He never had visitors either, so it was impossible for the note to belong to anyone other than his housemate, which means...
"G-Gramps?! H-How did you find that?!"
The Pseudo-Servant turned his head and saw Musashi, red-faced with a shaky finger pointed at him.
"So, this is yours... Is this why you've been acting odd for the past few days?" He asked, raising a brow out of curiosity.
"U-Um..." Musashi's already red face flushed even more as she looked down.
The swordswoman offered no proper response. He'll have to take that as a yes, then. The blacksmith tilted his head, closing his eyes to ponder. As if his gut gave him a hint, Muramasa looked at the calendar.
February 14
Oh.
Ohh.
Ohhhhh.
It made sense now!
Curse his old-timer mind, though he didn't really care that much about the occasion. But Musashi? He kind of understood why she was acting so odd now. Nodding sagely, Muramasa placed the note on the counter as he crossed his arms.
"Don't worry, I get it now. You've been trying to make homemade chocolates for someone, right? You could have just said so before. I would have helped." The auburn-haired man sighed when he saw her flinch. Guess he was right. "Then again, I guess you want to make the chocolates through your own effort, huh? I'll get out of your hair and let you start cooking then."
"W-Wait!"
Before Muramasa could leave the kitchen, Musashi grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. The blacksmith scratched the back of his head, unsure how to react.
"What? Do you want my help or something now?"
"N-No. Just... Here!"
Musashi thrust a box onto the man's chest before averting her gaze. Amber eyes grew wide in surprise.
What Muramasa held in his hands was a heart-shaped box, a red ribbon wrapped around it, along with a small card.
Happy Valentine's Day, Gramps
- Love, Musashi ❤
It was for him...?
A bit of pink dusted his cheeks. Whether it was from embarrassment or what, Musashi wasn't quite sure. She stood frozen, nervous to see how he'll react. The blacksmith undid the ribbon and opened the box, a small gasp escaping his lips before the woman glanced back.
Musashi bit her lower lip. She needed to get her feelings straight. She needed a sign, anything to give her a moment of confidence.
As if her prayers have been heard, their eyes met.
Pushing down her nervousness with a gulp, the Flower of Tengen fiddled with her fingers.
"You'd cook me meals and do most of the housework while I'd do nothing but get the groceries. Whenever my body would get sore from training, you'd scold me for pushing myself too much but massage me afterward." Musashi's face turned into deeper shades of red as she listed off his kind acts. "You've always obliged my whims, even when I'm being a pain. And I..."
The young woman looked down at her feet and shyly muttered, "I know you would hold my hand whenever I fell asleep on your shoulder or when I would have a bad dream..." If Musashi noticed him getting a little red, she didn't point it out and continued. "I-I know that you'd probably do the same to others. I know that, but... It still made me really happy."
"Musashi..."
Her growing embarrassment slowly started to overwhelm her. Just say it already! Taking a deep breath, Musashi bowed her head and poured her heart out. "I-I like you, Senji Muramasa! Please accept my Valentine's chocolate!"
She finally said it. The feelings plaguing her for the past weeks after realizing them were finally known to the blacksmith. Things might not be over just yet, but the woman felt her chest become a little lighter.
Training in harsh environments? She can deal with. Wandering for who knows how long? she'd do it again. Taking part in fights to the death? Piece of cake.
Giving chocolates, confessing, and wondering how her crush will react, though? She'd rather dig herself a hole right now.
Muramasa picked up a chocolate truffle covered with green powder. The man only inspected it for a second before popping it into his mouth.
"Mm..."
When she heard the sound of chewing, Musashi timidly raised her head as her nervousness spiked up. The woman held the hem of her sweater tightly, a hint of panic grasping her heart as Muramasa furrowed his brows.
"The powder is matcha, right?"
"Y-Yes. Does it... taste bad...?"
Muramasa picked up another piece before setting the box down on the counter. Grabbing his white haori, the auburn-haired man shoved the chocolate truffle into Musashi's mouth, startling her as he placed his haori over her head, covering her face.
"Mm...!" It all happened so fast that she almost choked on the sweet. Before she knew it, she felt her head resting on something hard yet comforting, a hand holding the back of her head. "G-Gramps?"
"I liked it. The flavors were perfect for my taste. Thank you." Muramasa softly said as he caressed her pinkish-blonde mane. She felt her heartbeat race at his touch as flustered crimson returned to her cheeks. "Seriously, you're such a troublesome girl..."
Musashi snapped her head upward and frowned. "Hey! You shouldn't say that after I poured my heart out to you! U-Unless you—"
Mwah...
Muramasa gave her no opportunity to voice her fears as he lifted her bangs...
And kissed her forehead.
Her face now matched the color of her sweater. D-Did Gramps just... Did he just...! Musashi managed to stop the blacksmith from covering her face with his haori, catching sight of his flushed face. Muramasa covered his visage with a hand before pulling down his haori, successfully covering the woman's face this time. She gasped as she heard his retreating footsteps.
"Oh no, you don't!"
Musashi took off the object that obstructed her vision, then tackled the blacksmith onto the ground.
"Gah...!"
Muramasa's groaning was cut short by the teal gaze of the swordswoman. The innocent shine that glimmered in her orbs full of affection for him made it hard for him to resist a blush. Ultimately, he turned away. It wasn't because of guilt; she understood that. The shyness he was displaying made her smile, knowing that he couldn't answer her feelings due to embarrassment.
That was fine. As long as the bud of affection was there, this maiden in love could wait until the budding flower bloomed.
"I love you."
But that doesn't mean she wouldn't profess her love for him every chance she gets.
"Urk..."
"I love you so much~"
Musashi cooed her affection into his ear while nuzzling his neck. She giggled as Muramasa groaned and squirmed, flustered beyond belief. Yes, this was totally fine. She may get a little impatient, but she knew some things were just worth the wait.
"I never thought that friend you wanted me to give advice about chocolate would be Miyamoto Musashi, Okita. Who knew she was a girl, though."
"I think Musashi-chan once told me it's because she's from a parallel world."
"Huh... I see."
The Counter Guardian duo took a sip of their green tea, sighing contently. The Flower of Tengen had just departed and returned to her home. EMIYA was a little shocked to discover Heroic Spirits, other than the ones in this timeline, living in the same neighborhood as them. Though, his shock quickly disappeared after Okita reminded him of their other past visitors.
Yeah, he really shouldn't be surprised anymore.
Archer brought his warm cup of tea to his lips as he took another sip, shutting his eyes with a content look. Ha, refreshing. The bowman now craved snacks to pair with his green tea.
"Senpai."
"Hmm?"
The silver-haired man opened his eyes, surprise flashing across his countenance. With embarrassed pink on her cheeks, Okita presented a basket of baked goods to her Senpai. Its warm cocoa and buttery scent entered his nostrils as his stomach jumped for joy and desire. It was obvious that it was still freshly baked. Is that why they had to wash a baking tray? Archer just brushed it off earlier!
"Happy Valentine's Day, Senpai. I know my skills in the kitchen aren't as good as yours, but I hope my gift is acceptable."
EMIYA could feel his face start to get warmer. "Geez, saying stuff like that again? You know I'd eat anything you would make, right?"
"The last time you said that you were knocked out for over an hour after taking a bite of the omelet I made." Okita pouted with flushed cheeks. EMIYA cleared his throat and looked away.
"I was just caught off guard by the spices. Besides, it was your first time handling the cooking all by yourself."
"Please just be blunt and say that I'm bad at cooking, Senpai." Archer groaned as he facepalmed at her deadpan remark. The silver-haired woman then shifted her weight in her seat, blushing slightly. "Please go ahead and try it..."
Okita didn't have to tell EMIYA twice. The male Counter Guardian allowed a smile to cross his visage as he picked up a cookie. His lips parted to welcome the baked sweet into his mouth. The Alter watched in anticipation as nervous thoughts popped into her mind.
The young woman wanted to wait for Archer to critique her work, but before her mind realized it, she spoke.
"How is it...?"
Archer swallowed the baked treat, soon cleansing his palette with his beverage. The faker gestured for Okita to come over as she nervously complied. The woman kneeled beside him as the man fed her a cookie, startling her.
"It's sweet, isn't it?"
Okita dipped her head in agreement. She had baked the cookies with her Senpai in mind. Before Okita could take another bite, Archer leaned forward and bit the other end of the treat, their faces and lips merely a few inches away from each other. The Alter stared wide-eyed at EMIYA's boldness. She felt something soft graze her lips, watching him pull away with a smirk on his face.
"Now it tastes a little sweeter, no?" EMIYA said as he licked off the crumbs on the corner of his lips.
The blushing woman opened her mouth, yet no words left her. She was far too flustered to form any sentences. EMIYA laughed softly and made his partner rest her head on his shoulder, bringing Okita back to her senses.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Okita."
Okita puffed a cheek at his teasing, her lips twitching upward as she closed her eyes. The comfortable silence of the beating of her restless heart resounded in her ears as she comfortably leaned against EMIYA, her palm resting over his hand.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Senpai."
I hope you all enjoyed this early Valentine's gift! I apologize if Muramasa and Musashi were OOC, I don't have a full understanding of their characters yet. But I hope you all enjoyed reading it nonetheless. Also, I basically gave a little sneak peek at how EMIYA and Majin-san will be in future chapters XD
Anyways, I already have plans for the characters that will be debuting, such as the main Fate cast and the other CGs. But if you enjoy other servants like Musashi and Muramasa popping up, would anyone like Saber Okita to show up? I actually have considered her showing up to show that it really is a different timeline! But I'd like to hear some thoughts first.
Well that's all I really have to say right now. See you all in the next chapter! :3