Chapter Text
Eventually, they managed to stop for breakfast and pull the Master of Chaldea away from the summoning room.
By then, however, six hours had passed and way past time for lunch. Mash sighed, upset by the whole thing, but knew better than to say anything against Da Vinci, who was still reeling from the shock of exactly who the Master managed to summon in the last few hours.
With enough data to keep her occupied for the better part of the day, she quickly took her leave. Romani, who was apparently still nursing his broken nose and bruised pride, had been doped up on pain meds and locked in his office trying to make himself better a little bit better. She had no doubts that he was reading up on his shitty and fake idol girls instead of doing anything productive.
Which left just Mash to look after the Master. The feelings intensified further when she realized that not all the servants had the purest intentions in heart, and began to fear for her Master’s life and safety.
But Mash would protect her. It would be fine. Mash would be strong for the two of them.
-
The first time the Master headed out into the training ground, it was after a hearty breakfast. And she spent the first 15 minutes of the mission hunched over a rock, emptying her stomach.
“Ah, could it be that the transportation was bad on your system?”
She was heaving, and when Mash leaned forward to rub her back, because that’s what she wanted someone to do for her and it was a sign of comfort that she saw in media, the Master jerked under her touch and slapped her hand away.
The same hand that could be so warm was a hand that could slap hers away.
Was she embarrassed? It was fine, Mash wasn’t upset. Mash was fine. This wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, this might be a good thing, because Master was looking at her. Her eyes, bright ambers sharpened into a fierce glare, was good.
Because she was looking at Mash.
That was a good thing. And something that she didn’t do before. This was progress, wasn’t it.
She turned back around to dry-heave into the grass.
Mash couldn’t help the warm smile on her face, even if it was inappropriate.
It felt like they were a little closer, just from that small bit of contact.