Log Part 1: Complete

[silence-bringer.livejournal.com]

When; Highschool curse, first day (backdated like whoa, b/c i'm a dirty whore. XD)
Rating; PG for this part.
Characters; Tomoe Hotaru silence_bringer, Archer fireismyblood
Summary; Even cursed, these two are so adorable. What happens when the popular star of the archery team asks out the shy outcast who works in the nurse's office? FLUFF, that's what!

*note* So yeah, b/c i make "logs of doom" (yes, that's copyrighted), this is actually part one of this hugely uuber-log that takes up most of the 3-day curse. Sorry for flooding your F-lists, all. I would have put these up earlier, but with my hiatus and all, didn't get the chance.

Log;

Archer sauntered through the halls, hands stuck casually in his pockets. He moved as if he had no real destination in mind but he knew exactly where he wanted to go. The nurses office. It was really quite urgent.

About halfway there he began to work on the "pulled muscle" in his shoulder, wincing slightly and letting it hang a bit oddly. By the time he got there, he had the act down perfect. Nevermind it was really the wrong shoulder.

"Hey Hotaru," he said, flashing the dark haired girl a smile as he leaned over the counter. Her delicate features and violet eyes were absolutely perfect, as if someone had crafted them out of porcelain. "I missed you at the party this weekend."

The girl in question jumped at his words, having not seen his approach. Quickly averting her eyes, she tucked a strand of midnight-hued hair behind one ear and pulled out the clipboard with the sign-in sheet on it, handing it to the tall athlete.

"Hello Emiya-san...."

Emiya Shirou. Usually called Archer, due to his rather permanent status as star of the archery team. A senior, popular, well-liked. He was a nice guy, one of the rare sort of "jocks" that actually had a decent personality and didn't seem to possess the swelled head that many guys did. But...that didn't mean she expected one of the most popular guys in school to suddenly take an interest in her. HER. Tomoe Hotaru, the school outcast. Well, one of them at least. She kept to herself, was often given the "goth" label simply because of the fact that she liked wearing black, and was often the target of much teasing.

"I...didn't go."

Archer hadn't expected the girl to go. She was not the type who would really get invited, nor want to go even if she was. The girl was incredibly shy as well as seemingly innocent. Archer had theories about that though.

"Archer," he said. "Please, call me Archer. Emiya is... not me. If you must though, you can call me... Archer-kun."

He gave her a wink and quickly scrawled "Archer" onto the clipboard and handed it back to her.

"And what's it going to take for you to come to one of these parties?" he asked.

She froze up as he winked at her, feeling her cheeks heat up slightly. Hotaru couldn't deny that the older student was attractive. Or that she liked it when he came by the nurse's office. The boy seemed to have a knack for injuring himself, but she supposed that when you were as active an athlete as he was, it wasn't that unusual.

"A...alright, Archer-san."

Taking the clipboard, she pulled her white apron a bit tighter around her, more out of self-consciousness than anything else, setting it down and rifling through a file folder. He made her nervous, not only because he was popular, confident, everything she wasn't. He also was determined to get her to go to one of those parties he always frequented. Hotaru didn’t go to parties. Not only was she never invited but she knew perfectly well that she wasn't wanted either. And even if she had been invited, it wasn't as though she was much to look at, with her cropped black hair, scrawny build and ghostly-pale skin.

"S..so...what seems to be the trouble today, Archer-san?"

"Hmmm, I could have sworn I told you to call me Archer-kun," he scolded her. "But I'll let it slide this time."

He knew that it was probably slightly cruel to tease the girl as he did, but he couldn't help it. She looked so adorable when she was blushing. He knew that some guys might show attention to her in an attempt to be charitable, but Archer knew that she really was rather special.

"The problem is with my shoulder," he said. "It really burns, I think I pulled something or sprained it." He reached up and pointed. "Right here, hurts like crazy."

She bit her lip slightly at his teasing. It wasn't that it hurt or anything just that she wasn't used to the attention. Nodding, she tentatively brushed fingers over the sore shoulder, testing his reactions.

"Does it hurt here?"

Archer shivered at the girl's pleasant touch, trying to hide a smile. He got "injured" quite a bit, but made sure it was only when he knew Hotaru would be in the nurses office. It was almost shameful the way he flirted with her. Archer just wished she would take it seriously.

"No, a little bit lower," he said. "Would it help if I took off my shirt?"

Face flushing at his flirting, she glanced away slightly and nodded.*

Archer smiled and very slowly pulled his shirt off, revealing his muscular torso and arms. Long hours of shooting a bow did that to you. It wasn't that he was necessarily showing off, he just wanted her to touch his bare skin.

"Do you think you can help me Hotaru?" he asked. "Nn, Hotaru, who are you going to prom with?"

Hotaru felt her cheeks heat up as he stripped off his shirt, glancing away for a moment. With a slight nod, she let her hands slide across his shoulder to where he indicated.

"So....is this where it hurts?"

She kept her eyes diverted at his other question, silent for a moment before she shook her head.

"I'm....not going."

Archer felt goosebumps form on his skin as Hotaru ran her delicate fingers along it. It was a good thing he was supposed to be hurt because he couldn't help but let a hiss escape his lips.

"Yes, it is Hotaru," he said. "Right there. And how come you're not coming to the dance? It's prom Hotaru, everyone should go to prom."

Nodding slightly in response, she mentally made note of where he said it hurt.

"It seems like you just sprained it, Archer-san. I'll bandage it up for you, so take it easy for the next few days, alright?"

That was what everyone kept saying. That everyone should go to prom. But...it wasn't that she necessarily didn't want to go. She just...knew it would be a bad idea. In fact, at thoughts of going to prom, visions of that one movie Carrie had a tendency to flash through her head. And it didn't help that she knew what the main character felt like, what with having powers of her own. But she couldn't let anyone know that, afterall.

"No....it's alright. It's not that important."

Archer sighed dramatically and leaned over his shoulder to look down at her.

"Hotaru, why won't we call me Archer-kun like I've asked?" he questioned. "Am I really that distant to you that you can't call me that?"

He pressed back against her so that they were just a bit closer together, unable to resist the desire to feel more of her touching his skin. She really was incredibly beautiful.

"It is important," he said. "I can't dance with you if you're not there."

Violet eyes widened above flushed cheeks before they quickly shifted away as her hands moved, Hotaru slipping easily away from him and across the room to rummage in a drawer for the bandages she was looking for. It also provided her a momentary break to regain her composure, taking a deep breath as she pulled out the supplies.

"I....I just don't know you that well, is all. And as for prom....that's very nice of you to say, but I still don't think I'm going to go."

It was rather nice of him to say such a thing, but she really didnt want either pity or the sort of niceness that came from his nature. She wanted....something more, but that was certainly outside the realm of possibility. Afterall, guys as popular as Archer didn't go for the school outcast.

A genuine frown crossed his features as Hotaru darted away from him. He was honestly puzzled by her, never having this much trouble with a girl before. But then, he knew Hotaru wasn't really like any girl he had ever met before.

"Well you would know me better if you ever came to any of those parties I keep telling you about," he said. "Although to be honest, they're pretty stupid. How about this then. You invite me to something. After class today. We'll go hang out and do something you like."

"I..I can't do that, I...."

It was embarrassing, especially being backed into a corner like that. She...didn't know the first thing about guys, certainly not about asking out one of the popular ones in an upper class. Biting her lip, she refused to look at him, concentrating instead on the job at hand of bandaging the injured shoulder.

"Oh," Archer said, genuine hurt and rejection in his voice. It wasn't just that he wasn't used to rejected, although he wasn't, it was that she had rejected him. He thought if anyone could have seen past the facade and accept him for who he genuinely was, it would be her.

"Yeah, I understand," he said. "I can see how you wouldn't want me around. No hard feelings. I just thought it would be nice. I think we'd have a good time. But whatever."

He actually sounded....upset? But why? Over....her? It just didn't make any sense, at least not to Hotaru. She shook her head, wrapping linen around the shoulder.

"No, it's...not that. Why....why wouldn't I want to be around you?"

She kept her gaze away from him, certain that her cheeks must be bright red at the moment.

"I just.....why would someone like you want to spend time with someone like....like me?"

Archer cocked his head to the side, giving her a puzzled look. Reaching out he tilted her chin up so that she was looking him in the eyes. Did she really not understand?

"Hotaru-san, do you really think I am so careless that I hurt myself this much?" he asked her. "Or that it always happens when you're helping out in the nurses office?"

He shook his head, wanting to comment on how silly she was being but afraid she would take it the wrong way.

"And why wouldn't I want to spend time with you?" he pressed.

She felt her blood freeze as his fingertips tilted her chin up, forcing her to look straight into those quicksilver eyes she secretly wanted to lose herself in. Swallowing hard, she tried to make her brain process the information. He couldn't....mean what it sounded like. Certainly she wondered why he seemed to come in so often when she was working, always with some sort of sprain or cut or pulled muscle. Staring down at the floor, she tried to come up with words.

"I just.....why me? It's not like...I'm really anything special...."

Archer's eyes narrowed at her words, more upset at hearing her say them than he though he would be. He didn't understand why those words hurt him so much, but they did.

"Who told you that?" he asked. "Who told you that you're not special? Because it's a lie."

Shaking her head, she tied a final knot in the bandage.

"There, that should do it."

Pausing for a moment she shook her head.

"No, its....true. I'm nothing of note. Just...Hotaru."

Archer scowled and folded his arms, almost glaring at her. It was so maddening, she should be telling him he wasn't good enough for her, not the other way around.

"You are someone special Hotaru. You volunteer time in the nurse's office to help people out, you really care about people, everyone can see that," he told her, his voice more forceful that perhaps he had intended. "Everything about you is special, you just can't see it because it's always been there."

She flinched slightly at his words, unused to someone actually seeming to think she was special. Standing up, she walked over to the window, staring out over the courtyard.

"Why....why do you see it, Archer-san?"

"Because I take the time to look," he said. "Because once you see a little bit of it you can't help but see it all and notice how beautiful it all is."

He stayed where he was and leaned casually against the wall, refusing to give in to the urge to go over to her, wanting to give her space for the moment.

"Archer-san, I just......why me? You could....have any girl you wanted, a lot of them that are prettier then me."

She knew it was wrong of her, but she couldn't help but be afraid that it was all just a hoax, a ruse to gain her trust. And even though she didn't think Archer capable of that, didn't WANT to think that it was false, she'd been hurt before.

“Don't want any girl," he said. "I want you. I don't think there are any prettier than you and even if there were, that wouldn't change anything. You're beautiful in more than one way."

Pushing off the wall Archer grabbed his shirt and pulled it back over his head, not knowing what else to say. He couldn't blame Hotaru for not wanting to be with him. It wasn't as if he had a sterling reputation.

"Look, I understand if you don't want to have anything to do with me," he said. "I wouldn't either in your shoes. I'm not asking to be your boyfriend or anything like that right off, I know I have to earn that. I'd just like to get to know you better is all."

She spun around, violet eyes fixed on his, a look of fearful hope in them. No, he had it wrong. It wasn't that she didn’t want to have anything to do with him, not that at all.

"That's not it! I've always liked you!"

Eyes suddenly widening as she realized what she'd said, she clapped small hands over her mouth, backing up a step or two.

Archer was as stunned at her words as she was, perhaps more so. He couldn't understand how this girl would want anything to do with him.

"Y-you have?" he asked hesitently. "W-wha... okay... then let's do something. Something you want to do? Uhhh, do you have any studying you need to do tonight? We could study together..."

Her face had to be nearly purple, it was so red. She hadn't meant for that to slip out, hadn't meant to let him know that she'd had a crush on him for a while now, that she secretly looked forward to his visits. Even though she knew perfectly well that his shoulder wasn't injured. Afterall...Archer wasn't left-handed.

At his hesitant question, she simply stared at her feet and nodded. Now was when the ridicule would come, the laughing and teasing, and mentioning of how did someone like HER even dare to think that someone as popular and good-looking as HIM would ever be interested in her.

Her head shot up at his question. Was he...actually asking her out? She coloured again, fiddling with the edge of her apron. "N..no, not really. I mean...I guess I could review some more, but....I did most of my studying already, because I knew I'd be the only one who could help out in the office here."

Archer suddenly felt very awkward, not used to caring whether or not the girl said yes or no when he asked them out. After all, all the girls before one was pretty much the same as the other. Hotaru was different.

"Ah, yeah, I don't really need to study either," he admitted, running a hand nervously through his snowy white hair. "I just thought that it was something we could do together. Why don't we just have a bite to eat? Then maybe after that you can go shop for your prom dress."

"O....ok...."

Pushing fingers together nervously, she bit her lip and nodded. He...he had really just asked her out. HE. Emiya Shirou. No, she corrected herself. Archer. Swallowing hard, she glanced up at him.

"So.....where should we go?"

Archer smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders, his "injury" all but forgotten. He couldn't believe that she had really agreed to go out with him. She was far too good for him, but he wasn't going to correct her on that point.

"It doesn't matter," he said with a shrug. "I don't care about the food, just being with you. Maybe just the mall? That way you're near a bunch of shops to pick out a dress. Because when I ask you to the prom, I don't want you using some lame excuse like, 'I don't have anything to wear.' Okay?

Nodding, she put the roll of bandages back in the drawer, glancing up at the clock. It was almost time for the next period block, so they would have to leave soon. But...she had a feeling that this block of classes would go by faster. Untying the ties on her apron, she set the white material aside, adjusting the bow on the front of her uniform.

"Ok...."

Hotaru allowed herself the faintest smile. Maybe...things would be better then she'd thought. Maybe she might actually go to the prom.