Chasing You Through Time

Upon the Battlefield

Cu, Cathal, and I talked as we marched across the open plain. Though Cathal seemed a little stiff, Cu, on the other hand, was light as a feather. It was as if all the turmoil from last night had been washed away. Still, I knew that anxiety was tucked away within him somewhere, so I resorted to stroking his forearm soothingly as we rode.

Looking out at the marching men, I tried to spot the ones that had been talking bad about Cu last night, but they weren't. They abandoned the fight like cowards. At least those against Cu were gone. Well, those that I know of. In all honesty, they were probably many speckled within the crowd of his admirers, hidden there. The thought made me uneasy, so I diverted my attention back to Cu and Cathal.

Night came, and the soldiers tired. We made camp in a field, men gathering around fires afterwards, many listening to Cu speak. He made good entertainment after the long days march, feeding the bright eager faces with great deeds and tales. I sat a little further back from the crowd, watching, smiling. It was strange to see how well Cu blended with the men socially, yet never really fit in. Nonetheless, he always stood out from them. Oddly, another thing I could relate to; never quite being able to fit in anywhere. I'd never thought of it before, rather, it was something I just always felt. Though, with Cu, I've never felt that way.

Other than watchmen posted around the camp, everyone retired to their beds, nothing but the night's noises to fill the air. I stood, staring up at the stars, they illuminated brightly with the world so dark, no civilization to pollute it with light. It was very calming.

Cu's hand brushed against my hand, then gripped it. I looked down from the sky and to him. Though it was dark, his facial features were clear to me. "What's that smile for?" I asked him.

"Just... you."

"What does that mean?"

He shrugged, the smile unfaded. "When you think no one's attention is on you, and you're by yourself just being you... it's cute."

I looked back up at the stars. "I feel like you always have a new complement for me. You're too much."

"Oh? Just saying what I see." Cu kissed my cheek. After that, Cu never spoke, but never left also. The silence between us felt like a presence in and of itself. Head unmoving, I glanced at Cu. He was staring at the stars too. For a while we stayed like that, then Cu's head laid atop my shoulder. With dreary eyes he stared off at the milky way stretching into the distance.

Turning my head a little into his hair, I muttered, "Com'on, let's get some sleep."

"What, don't want to stare at the stars anymore?"

"No, you're tired."

"So? I can put it off a little longer."

"Cu," I bumped his head off my shoulder. "Let's go. The stars will be there tomorrow." I tried to pull his hand, but he never budged.

He looked over his shoulder saying in a very mater-of-a-factual tone, "If you want to look at the stars, Emiya, then look at the damn stars."

I walked up next to him again. "You just love to be difficult, don't you." Cu stayed silent as he stared off in the distance, but the small smile on his lips was confirmation enough. He put his head back on my shoulder as we looked at the stars again. I grunted a laugh as he did so. Giving it a few more minutes, I couldn't even focus on the stars. The only thought about Cu. "Alright," I spoke softly. "Time to go--" Cu was passed out on my shoulder. How did he fall asleep standing? With a sigh, I carefully scooped him up in my arms.

Moving around through the tightly knitted tents while being quiet and not waking Cu was a little difficult, but eventually, I made it to our tent. Pushing the flap open with my head first, I carried Cu in. There was no candle lit in the tent, and with the cloth of the tent blocking out all natural light, it was dark. With that in mind, it is very understandable if I never saw something laid out on the ground, especially if I was focused on maneuvering Cu through the tent flap. My foot hit something, and I tripped. I stumbled forward, at least managing to turn before I fell, so it wouldn't be Cu taking the force. Landing with a grunt, I was cradling Cu to my chest, hoping I didn't wake him, though, that was improbable. When I heard a soft laugh from Cu get louder, something clicked in my head. "Were you faking the whole time?"