SELFISH [Shirou x Reader]

18. Gown

Author's Notes:

[ph] = preferred honorific

[pn] = preferred noun

[ppr] = preferred pronoun

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...

No.

Not.

Not... like this.

Your eyelids were no match for the incoming light. You did the only thing you could think of in your dazed state: you flipped to the other side of your body, which it casted its comforting shadows onto your face. You lightly inhaled the musty air before letting out a dreamy sigh.

Yes. This was perfect.

After relishing in the newfound darkness, you quickly drifted off to sleep again.

---

Rays of honey and auburn eagerly crept their way past the blinds and into the room that you slept in. Once again, you attempted to squeeze your eyes shut after getting irritated by the sun's presence.

This was certainly different than the artificial lights the hospital used to wake you up.

The day's beginnings tried to drag you out of your slumber as more disturbances cluttered the room's atmosphere. Instead of monitors that beeped and clicked, there were birds by the windowsill that pecked and chirped. And if you felt like turning over to relieve yourself from the sweat that collected on a side of your body, the sound of the cot's metal springs would jostle you awake.

The room was like a concert hall that featured a symphony of inconveniences.

You didn't want to wake up, but it was getting harder not to.

You lazily threw a pillow in the birds' direction, hoping that it would scare them off. However, your temporary solution was done in vain as the birds soon came back to sing and...

You slowly opened your eyes and looked towards the hardwood floor. There was no use tossing and turning anymore. Not even the duvet could help for you were already coated in a thin sheen of sweat. You would overheat before you were able to enjoy its noise-cancelling benefits. You squeezed your eyes shut again before opening them in shock.

Wait.

Hardwood floors.

You sprung up, clenching the cotton sheets. You looked at your surroundings and held your breath. You weren't at home anymore. You looked towards the window, where the birds continued to chitter and hop around. Just past the steel white frames was a view of the neighborhood and the skyscrapers that loomed in the distance.

Well, wasn't this a nice view compared to the one of concrete and glass?

You turned your head towards the center of the room. Along the moss colored walls was a small poster of the Beastkin Co-op. Then it dawned on you; you were here because Shirou took you here.

You were here because you left the hospital.

Actually, scratch that thought— how was the receptionist?! Hopefully, she was having a better day today. You couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for what happened to her— after all, she looked pretty horrified after receiving a string of insults from Shirou. You certainly wouldn't know what to do if you had to deal with a really angry wolf. And... you would send an apology card, but you had no idea where the hospital was.

You rubbed your temples and further concentrated on your thoughts. Yesterday... you, were in the hospital's rooftop. You were looking at plants. You remembered smelling the herbs: rosemary being one of your favorites.