[Draft] Reverse Isekaied to My World 2 (FemShirou TG) (Patreon)

Cole looked out the porch door, and saw Jaune practicing with her family weapons, with her shield close to her chest, and her stance just like how he was taught. He wasn’t an expert fighter, but he had practiced with foam weapons during his Dagorhir days. There he had been taught how to properly handle weapons, even though they weren’t actual weapons, they still used the actual techniques in how they were held.

Jaune still practiced with her sword and shield in the morning and at night before it got dark. He timed her at one point to see how long she had practiced and saw that she had practiced for over an hour. He admired how dedicated Jaune was, even if she wasn’t sure that they would head back.

She wasn’t the only one that was improving. He was improving physically as well. The two of them had started exercising daily. In the few says that he had committed himself he felt a little better since they started running together and exercising. He was able to keep up a little better. Jaune was still able to leave him in her dust, but he could keep going longer. Before he never really had the motivation to do so, only to walk occasionally when he felt stressed, but now that he did, he felt like he had a better reason.

The earthborn human knew that she still wasn’t happy about her current situation, but she was dealing with it the best way she could. Exercising, talking to him, and seeing what this world had to offer was her way of dealing. It was better than how others would have dealt with it, himself included. He knew that he didn’t have the same strength as her and would have probably given into despair the moment he learned he was in another world. He bet he would have fallen into a slump and wouldn’t have been able to work up the will to do anything. It was something he admired and admittedly something he envied about her.

He still couldn’t believe the sense of normalcy they had fallen into. It had been a week since Jaune had arrived and the two of them had managed to come to a relaxed daily routine. They would wake up, have breakfast together, he would show and tell Jaune a little more about earth and what it was like, and they would exercise. They would pass the time afterwards playing a game or watching something together.

Jaune had seen his Warhammer miniatures and asked about them. He let Jaune read the books he had which detailed the group's lore. After reading the lore he wanted to try a match or two to see what it was like to play. It had taken him a little bit to get used to the rules, but when he did, he quickly got into it. When it came to strategy Jaune was able to come up with ways he didn’t think about and made it worse for him. What saved him at those times was when lady luck decided to give him good rolls and make Jaune’s terrible. The way Jaune moaned and cheered when things went her way reminded him of when he and his friends played DnD.

It made him glad that he asked for the Blood Angels during last Christmas, now more than ever. It gave them something else to do outside of video games, exercising, and TV. Their matches made him think more tactically about what he could do in a match to gain the upper hand. It was fun to be able to play the game more and come up with new scenarios for them to act out. It made him want to call one of his friends or all of them over to play, but the jokes and explaining he would have to do stopped him. He would never hear the end of it

Cole went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water for her for her to drink. He sat down and continued to watch her train. There was just something about her that seemed so entrancing as she worked. The commitment, the desire to be better, the drive. It all made her look mesmerizing, almost as if she was a dream brought to life.  He didn’t know how long she continued to swing her sword and fight imaginary opponents, only that when she finally stopped the bottle of water that he held in his hand started to feel wet as condensation took effect. When she finally sheathed her sword in her shield. She wiped her brow and stepped inside.

“So how was your workout?” Cole asked as he held out the bottle of water.

“It was good,” Jaune answered as she took the offered drink. “I’m getting used to keeping my shield up and how you told me to keep my stance. It’s getting easier to keep it like that when I swing.”

“That’s good. I know it’s not much, but thought it was still something.”

“Every little bit helps,” Jaune smiled. “It’s better than where I first started. Someone could have just knocked me down like a twig  with one good hit.”

“That it does,” Cole agreed. “If we had any blunted weapons or some sticks, we probably could train against each other.”

“Maybe, though I think that our fights would be a little uneven,” Jaune remarked. “I don’t want you to get hurt, because I got lost in the moment or something. We don’t need a hospital bill on top of everything.”

“True, but like you said every little bit helps. I might not be anywhere as strong or as you or your Aura, but fighting a person is still something. Besides, fighting can be a little fun when it’s between friends. Me and my pals used to have fun wrestling or swinging wooden weapons at each other.”

“I hear you, used to have fights like that with my male friends, pretending we would be fighting Grimm, or each other, and being heroes. So, what do you want to do now?” Jaune asked as she took her sword off her belt and placed it next to her. “I wouldn’t mind watching something or playing a game.”

“That sounds good,” Cole smiled. He wasn’t sure what to show her now. He didn’t want her to watch as he played a game, despite how much she said she was okay with it. He had shown her plenty of anime and cartoons, and some she liked more than others. She was pickier when it came to the live action stuff, something he could understand. They had been doing the law of three when they first started watching a series and if she was still interested, they would continue. It allowed him to catch up on his backlog of anime and shows he had been meaning to watch.

“Why don’t I show you a show from one of my favorite franchises, Fate/Stay Night,” Cole said. It wasn’t what got him so invested into the Fate Franchise, that being the game Fate/Extra, but it was still a good series. He personally preferred Apocrypha when it came to the anime series, or Fate/Zero, but still found enjoyment in Fate/Stay Night.

After grabbing a quick drink, he pulled up Netflix and went through his list until he found it. He pressed the play button to start. For a moment the TV suddenly went dark.

“Did the TV turn off?” Jaune asked, looking at Cole.

A pit formed in Cole’s stomach as he narrowed his eyes. A cold feeling came over him that made him gulp and his body shiver. For some reason, there was something about this that made him feel as if something was about to happen.

A bright light suddenly filled the room, blinding the two of them. The two raised their arms and quickly got off the couch. Their eyes burned in pain and they rubbed them, hoping it would alleviate the stinging pain in his eyes.

“What the!?” Jaune cried. She moved to grab her sword off her hip, but stopped when she didn’t feel it. She remembered where she placed it and moved toward it and patted around the couch. The moment she touched the handle she gripped it tightly and raised it just in case.

Cole hissed as he blocked his eyes. His mind instantly wondered where it was coming from, but then froze as he remembered Jaune’s arrival. It was just like this, with him getting ready to watch something only for the TV to turn off and then a bright light suddenly filling the room. He heard something slam onto the ground and felt his heart pound a little faster in his chest. The moment the light died down he prayed to all the deities that he could think of, whether they be real or fictional that there wouldn’t be someone there. He heard Jaune gasp and his prayers intensified. He slowly opened his eyes and groaned when he saw someone laying down on the floor.

There on the floor was a teenager around Jaune’s age with auburn hair and golden-brown colored eyes. He is often seen wearing his casual clothing, consisting of a blue and white long sleeve baseball jersey T-shirt and blue slim straight jeans. It was the protagonist of Fate/Stay Night, Shirou Emiya.

He watched as Shriou groaned from his place on the ground. The red-haired boy shook his head and rubbed it as he groggily stood up. When the boy finally saw him, he froze and stepped back when he saw Jaune who had her sword out of its sheath.

“Hello,” Shirou said slowly. Unlike Jaune, Shirou was more guarded. He was ready to move on a moment’s notice if there was a sign of any trouble.

“Hi,” Cole said, feeling the same awkwardness that he felt when Jaune suddenly arrived. He looked at Jaune who seemed just as lost as he felt. He sighed. “Here we go again.”

“Where am I?” Shirou asked. He blinked. “Am I speaking English?”

“You’re speaking English. As for where you are, you’re in America,” Cole gulped, getting a gobsmacked expression from displaced magus. “I take it that you weren’t the best with it?”

“I’ve been learning English in school, but I wasn’t able to speak it this well. How am I suddenly speaking it fluently?” Shirou said. “And I’m in America? How?”

“I honestly couldn’t tell you how,” Cole sighed. He didn’t think that he would be telling someone else that they were in a different world. He really wanted to grab some Tylenol and take a few of them to stop the upcoming headache that he knew was coming. “You just showed up in a bright light without any warning.”

“Was it like this when I first appeared?” Jaune asked as she sheathed her sword, making the redhead relaxed.

“Pretty much. The fact that this is the second time this happened, certainly hasn’t made this any easier,” Cole said.

“The second time?” Shirou questioned, getting the two attention.

“Oh sorry. The same thing actually happened to me,” Jaune said awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her head.

“Really?” Shirou said.

“Yeah, I was in the middle of the forest, and then the next thing I know I break his table. It was weird to say the least,” Jaune chuckled weakly. “At least you didn’t break anything when you arrived.”

“That must have been terrifying.”

“You have no idea. Sorry about the table again,” Jaune said sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it, it's been weeks,” Cole said.

His mind mulled over what this meant and the possible implications and everything it meant. Shirou was a genuinely good guy, who wouldn’t kill him, or hurt him so long as they weren’t villains. There was the matter of when this Shirou was from, like if he just joined the Grail War, or after it and what timeline. While it was good, there was the question of if it was just him, or if Saber was here as well waiting. Either way, he was going to have to look at his money again and would have to get more food. He was glad that Jaune and Shirou seemed to be getting along well, despite Jaune having pulled out her weapon, which was good. Things were no doubt going to be awkward in the next few days if they went like they did with Jaune.

He was grateful that he wouldn’t have to get rid of any of his stuff this time. He had stuff for the Fate universe, but none of them were for Shirou’s timeline. Still, that made him wonder how he was going to ask Shirou about what was going, or even the fact that he was a magus. The redhead wasn’t a true magus and wouldn’t kill him like Rin would have. The fact that he didn’t summon any swords or moved to attack told the young man that the displaced Magus wasn’t from near the end of the Grail War.

A thought struck him. His hands. He just needed to look at Shirou’s hands and he would be able to tell if this Shirou was from during the Grail War if he had any Command Seals. If he didn’t have any then he might be from before the Grail War.

“Cole,” Cole said, holding his hand out to shake.

“Shirou Emyia,” Shirou said.

As they shook hands, Cole’s eyes quickly wandered to Shirou’s hands and didn’t see anything that resembled a red tattoo. He had to hold back a sigh of relief. It didn’t tell him anything of which route this Shirou is from, even though he wasn’t sure it mattered if he really was from before the war. Still he wouldn’t have liked the idea of Saber suddenly appearing, even if she wasn’t hostile. As cute as she was, she would have eaten them out of their home with how large her stomach was.

“You can stay here with us if you want. We have another guest room you can use?” Cole offered. “You won’t have to worry about paying rent.”

“...If it isn’t an issue,” Shirou answered hesitantly.

“So have you eaten?” Cole asked. “We were going to relax as we watched some stuff. Now we might as well talk a little more about this over a meal.”

“If you want, I can cook,” Shirou said.

“Are you sure?” Jaune asked. “You did just show up. You sure that you want to do that.”

“It’s no problem. It will be just like back home when I have to cook for my guardian.”

“I’ve had to do that myself, though with seven sisters,” Jaune sighed. “If you’re sure than okay, but I can help you with that if you want.”

“...Well if you’re offering,” Cole said and wondered if Shirou's cooking would live up to the hype that it had in the show and spinoff series. From what he had seen of the show, and the multiple Shirou’s, his food was divine, worthy of being at the tables of kings and queens. It was time to see if it really was as good as it was made out to be. He said. “Alright then why don’t we set the table.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Shirou said.

As Shirou went into the kitchen and started looking through the cabinets and fridge for ingredients, Jaune and Cole grabbed the silverware. They set forks, knives, and spoons around the table along with some empty plates. When they were finished setting the table, they helped Shirou look for the rest of the ingredients for what he was planning to make. After gathering them all up, Shirou all but forced them out of the kitchen so he could cook in peace.

The two watched TV to pass the time, and occasionally looked to see what Shirou was making. The smell coming from his work made their stomachs grumble and make them more curious about what he was making. Jaune would occasionally step into the kitchen to see what he was doing, but Shirou wouldn’t explain. Cole had to admit he was a little nervous about what Shirou was making. As delightful as his cooking could be, there was also the possibility of him knocking them out or something.

By the time that Shirou brought out their dishes Jaune and Cole were famished and could eat anything Shirou made and as he laid out the dishes in front of them. Their mouths watered at how good it looked and the two would swear to their last days it was sparkling. They sat down at the table and quickly filled their plates. They couldn’t even think of it being a trap with how good it looked, as if the idea of poisoning such food was sacrilege. When they finished making them, they grabbed their utensils and took their first bite. The two froze as the explosion of flavors assaulted their mouths, making them slouch.

“So good,” Jaune muttered gleefully, her mouth full of food.

Cole could only moan as he slowly chewed his food, savoring the explosion of flavor. His mother would be sad to hear that her cooking had been surpassed, but if she tried his food, then she would certainly understand. He certainly would. He had to restrain himself from devouring his food. He wanted to savor the taste of his food. With Shirou here, he would be able to experience his wonderful cooking whenever he cooked, but even so, he wanted to make this meal last, as if it would be the last one that he ever has.

Shirou smiled and started to eat his food, without the fervor that the other two had. The way they ate reminded him of the first time he had gained this level of cooking. The surprise he got from Kiritsugu and Taiga about how good he had become would always stand in his mind and fill him with pride. At the very least he would be able to enjoy his meals with them. He grinned at his own food and smiled at how it turned out. He frowned when his stomach gurgled.

“Excuse me I need to go to the bathroom,” Shirou said as he placed his utensils next to his food.

When they heard him enter the bathroom, the two looked at each other. Jaune sucked on her lips, thinking deeply about something. She placed her utensils down and looked at Cole nervously.

“Should we tell him that he might become a girl?” Jaune said quietly and even a little scared.

“I don’t know,” Cole said. “He’s going be pissed if we hide that from him, but how are we just going to t

“It might be best to just come out and say it. Look I went through this process and it was frightening. I didn’t know what was happening to my body or what I would look like by the end. I had so many images of what I might look like or what might happen to me that I had a hard time getting any sleep when I was changing because I was worried about what I might look like when I wake up.”

Cole frowned and quickly reached across and grabbed Jaune’s hand. He gave it a comforting squeeze.  He felt guilty that he didn’t know about. “If you have any trouble sleeping then you can wake me up and we can talk or do whatever you want until you feel better or fall asleep.”

Jaune had a faint blush and quickly returned his squeeze, smiling slightly. “Thanks.”

“Are you still having any trouble sleeping?”

“A little bit, but I’m making do. Still what do you think we should do for Shirou?”

“I don’t think we should tell him for now. For all we know, you might have been a one-off thing.”

“So, I was just unfortunate enough to turn into a girl,” Jaune mopped. “That sounds like my luck, considering how I just showed up here and all.”

Cole didn’t answer, having no idea what he could say to make her feel slightly better, but had an idea of what he could do to provide some comfort. It wasn’t as if he could apologize and say it was bad luck. Instead he stood up and gave her a comforting hug. Jaune was surprised by the sudden action, and blushed, but immediately returned it. After a few seconds Cole broke the hug and sat down back in his seat. He looked at Jaune and frowned at her blush, and wondered if he overstepped. They had hugged before, like on the day they went shopping and Jaune cried for a while as he held her. Now he wondered if he shouldn’t have done it now, and it was a little much.

They heard the bathroom door open and Jaune looked at Cole. A silent question being conveyed between them, that being if they should tell him what might happen. After a moment Cole shook his head, and Jaune nodded. The two went back to eating their meal, a silent agreement between them that they would wait to see if Shirou would go through the same change or not. If he did, then they would do it. It was better to just let him get comfortable and go at things at his own pace.

Shirou took his seat at the table and went back to his meal, if he noticed the tension between them he didn’t show it. Jaune and Cole looked at eachother again and Cole shrugged and went back to eating his food. After a moment,  Jaune went back to eating her delicious meal.

As they continued to eat, Cole went more in depth about his situation, and Shirou listened to his words intently. When he said they were in a different world, Shirou paled and looked like he wanted to deny it. Cole showed his smartphone to the young man, and the red-haired boy marveled at all it could do. They went onto the maps function and he typed in Fuyuki City in japan, only to find no results.

When they finished eating they placed the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and started it. Shirou sighed. “I think I’m going to go take a nap. Could you show me to my room?”

“Of course, just follow me,” Cole said and led him to the other guest room his family had. He opened the door and allowed Shiou to step inside.

The room had few furniture, and less in terms of decoration. It had a large queen size bed for him with a silver and blue comforter. There was a large silver dresser to place his clothes in along with a closet. There was a large flatscreen tv hanging over the dresser. Next to the bed was a nightstand with a silver lamp on it.

“Thanks for letting me stay here,” Shirou sighed.

“Your welcome, if you need anything let me know. Have a nice nap Shirou,” Cole said and left him alone so he could process it all.

Cole went back into the living room and saw Jaune sitting on the couch. She looked worried, anxious, as if she was waiting to hear if one of her siblings was alright after a surgery. She asked, “How did he look?”

“He looked tired, worried, and maybe a little angry,” Cole sighed. “He’s a bit harder to get a read on.”

“You think he will be okay?” Jaune asked worryingly.

“I think he will, but he needs some to think like you did when it first happened.”

“I guess,” Jaune said. “Still we should talk to him and make sure to remind him, he’s not alone.”

“Without question,” Cole agreed. “I guess all we can do for now is wait for him to come out. Do you want to go back to watching stuff?”

“Sure, and then we could play games later if he hasn’t come out by then. I don’t think it would be a good idea to leave the house for now. In case he needs to talk to one of us or needs help.”

“Yeah,” Cole said as he turned on the TV, his mind muling over what had happened. It was just like with Jaune when he was getting ready to do something,  only for the screen to go dark and for them to show up. He remembered a phrase he read once that described things happening. Once was a coincidence. Twice was happenstance, and the third time was enemy action. He wouldn’t be able to call it enemy action, but it meant something and it terrified him he had no idea what he could call it.

After several hours of watching stuff, playing games, the two decided to prepare dinner, and Shirou had yet to come out of the room. and they were starting to worry. They had put a frozen oven in the oven for them to eat. When it was getting closer to being done they put a bag of frozen corn in the microwave. The two decided they would make a bowl of mashed potatoes as well to go with it, but would make it after the other stuff was ready.  They understood he wanted to be alone, but they haven’t heard anything come from his room since and it did little to ease their mind. Ideas of the young man doing something drastic came to them, or that he would close himself off from them. Neither of them wanted to force Shirou to do anything, but he needed to eat and being alone after being transported to this world was just a bad idea.

“Is it bad I wish Shirou was the one who cooked dinner, especially after his arrival?” Jaune asked as she looked at the meatloaf in the oven. Just staring at it made her wonder what it would be like if Shirou had made it.

“No, no it isn’t,” Cole sighed. After the meal the redhead had cooked he wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to look at other food the same way again. Looking back he couldn’t think of any food he had that compared, even his father’s if he was being honest, and that man worked at a four star restaurant.

“I’m getting worried about Shirou. I think we should go check on him and make sure he’s okay,” Jaune said.

“Yeah,” Cole agreed. “I want to give him his space, but we should make sure to help him feel welcomed, after what happened to him.

The two went to the room Shirou was staying in and knocked and Cole knocked on the door. He said, “Shirou, we’re about to have dinner. Do you want some?”

The two stood there for several moments, but received no reply from him. The two looked at eachother, and Cole knocked on it again. Again he received no response from the redhead. Cole sighed as he quietly poked his head into the room and saw Shirou was sleeping on the bed. He quietly shut the door room and sighed. He looked at the blonde and said, “He’s asleep.”

“Oh do you think we should wake him?”

“I don’t know, especially since Japan is in a different time zone so he might have came here late at night,” Cole sighed. “I think it would be enough if we left him something to eat in the fridge. He might have more energy to talk tomorrow.”

They heard the oven start beeping and was immediately followed by the corn in the microwave. The two quickly headed back into the kitchen and took them out. Jaune opened the packet of corn and poured it into a bowl, while Cole put on a pair of cooking mittens and pulled out the meatloaf and pulled off the foil. After he did, Cole pulled out a measuring cup and started making the mashed potatoes using a packet as Jaune made the table and got their drinks ready.

When it was all ready they started eating their food, though not with the same vigor as earlier and hoped Shirou would join them. The two of them enjoyed their dinner, though still wishing for Shirou’s cooking. The two kept looking at the hallway to Shirou’s room, hoping to hear something or for him to come out of the hallway. Unfortunately for them they were soon full and Shirou had to come out, which disappointed them. If he did the two of them would have stayed just to talk to him and hopefully make him more comfortable.

Since their newest guest didn’t join them they started cleaning the table. They left a note for him on the fridge saying there was food he could have if he was hungry. They packed the food into several separate plastic containers and stacked them ontop of eachother. When they were finished they bid each other a good night and went to bed, both of them hoping tomorrow would be better.

Jaune slowly and quietly walked to Cole’s room in the middle of the night. A light layer of pink on her face as she did so. Another nightmare of her family and how they didn’t recognize her woke her up and since then she couldn’t go back to sleep. She had tried for a half hour to go to sleep, but she just couldn’t bring herself to. After a bit she decided to go to Cole about it. He did say if she had any trouble falling asleep then she could wake him up and they could do something. It was nice, but a little embarrassing to her to go to him about it, even if he did make the offer.

She stopped outside the bedroom and breathed in and out, trying to calm her beating heart. “Hey Cole, sorry to just come in so light, but I was having some trouble sleeping, and hoped I could sleep in your room, or something. Maybe you stay in mine until I fall asleep if that’s not weird. That was totally weird.”

The girl grabbed the door handle and breathed. She gulped and her grip tightened on the handle as if it would fly off if she did. Her mind burned as she imagined various scenarios and what he might say to her. Her body tensed as her toes curled. She wanted to rush off back into her room and just crawl into her bed until she fell asleep, no matter how long it would take. The inner voice in her head said they would be disturbing him and he could get mad. She shook her head, Cole wouldn’t get mad at her, she was sure of it. Her body relaxed as she turned the handle to open the door.

“Cole?” Jaune said as she slowly opened Cole’s bedroom door. She stepped inside and stopped when she saw him laying down on top of his desk, snoring lightly. She slouched forward and let out a small sigh. Looking at him now made it hard for her to wake him. He looked so peaceful, so relaxed and felt guilty at the thought of waking him. She grabbed a brown blanket on his chair and placed it over him. The sleeping young man moaned as he snuggled deeper into his clothes.

The blonde quietly snuck out of the room and shut the door behind her. She sighed as she slouched forward as a sense of guilt welled up in her stomach. Ever since she came here, Cole had done everything he could to make sure she felt as welcomed as possible. She might not have meant to just suddenly show up here, but with how accommodating he was being it made her feel good and horrible about herself. He let her stay here without asking for anything in return and eat what food he had. It was so nice of him and made her feel so guilty she couldn’t do anything she could to repay him. She muttered, “I promise I’ll find a way to pay you back for everything Cole, I won’t be a burden.”

Jaune breathed heavily as she walked to her room. She stopped when she saw a light coming from the living room downstairs and heard a faint sweeping noise. She wondered how she didn’t notice it when she passed by earlier. She couldn’t have been so lost in thought that she didn't notice. Could she? She peeked inside and saw it was Shirou who was sweeping the floor with a broom and dustpan with one of the lamps providing light.

The blonde leaned back into the hallway for a moment and wondered what she should do. She could probably sneak past him back to her room easily, and try to catch some sleep. He looked invested in what he was doing anyway, and the frown on his face told her he wasn’t happy, which she could understand. She wasn’t either when she first found herself on earth and felt so alone. Not to mention, he probably needed a friend to talk, or someone who understood what he was going through. She wished Cole was awake, to make her feel more comfortable and give her a little courage to and make the tension in her gut easier. She couldn’t lean on him for everything, but wasn’t sure what she could say without stumbling like an idiot over her words and making him feel worse. Still, Cole talked to her and did his best to make sure she wasn't alone, and she could do the same for someone in the same position as her.

The blonde breathed heavily through her nose and slowly stepped into the room, her decision made. She moved closer to him, her mind a mess as her heart pounded again in her chest. She breathed deeply through her nose and said awkwardly, “H-Hey.”

Shirou jumped in shock and quickly turned. He sighed in relief when he saw her and said. “Hey, please don’t sneak up like me on that.”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” Jaune said sheepishly and stared at him. It was strange to suddenly have someone who was going through the same situation as her. Well almost from the looks of it. She looked at him, trying to find any sign of his feminizing appearance, but couldn’t. She wondered and hoped he wouldn’t be going through the same thing she did, even if she would be alone in her situation. Getting stranded in another world was bad enough, but getting turned into a girl on top of it was something practically an insult to injury.

“Why are you staring at me?” Shirou couldn’t help but ask. Normally he would have been a lot more tolerant, but he was still trying to process what he learned and it left him very...disgruntled.

“No real reason. It’s just that you look a little gloomy,” Jaune replied, trying to keep her voice level. “I was just wondering if you were okay is all, but then thought it might be a stupid question to ask so I stopped myself.”

“I’m fine,” Shirou sighed and continued his sweeping. It felt good for him to focus on something to do.

“So where are you from?” Jaune asked.

“Excuse me?”

“Where are you from?”

“I’m from a country called Japan,” Shirou answered flatly as he continued his cleaning.  It wasn’t that he had anything against her, far from it, but this day had taken such an emotional toll on him it ruined what manners he would have had normally. He wondered how he would get back to his world. What little magic he knew simply wouldn’t be able to help him. Being here made him wish he could pull out his father’s spirit and interrogate him for any answers he might have.

“That’s interesting. I looked it up and found out where it is and learn more about the culture there,” Jaune answered.

She had looked up more information about the world, and asked Cole for information so she wouldn’t do anything to stand out. It was relieving she didn’t have to worry about standing out, and how familiar the slang was. The biggest surprise to her was just how many countries there were out there, and how old they were. The only places she could compare them to were cities like Vale, Atlas, and Vacuo. It made her wonder if her world would have turned out like this if they didn’t have to worry about the Grim.

“Do you want to know where I’m from?” Jaune asked, feeling a little more confident then thought.

“Not really,” Shirou answered. Honestly he just wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, and just wanted to do what he did at his own pace and let his emotions settle.

“I’m from a place called Remnant, a place not on this world,” the newest Arc girl said nervously.

Shirou stopped what he was doing and looked at the blonde, for the first time truly doing so. His mouth opened and closed, as if he had found the words only to lose them moments later.  After a bit of time he managed to utter, “Really?”

The blonde couldn’t help but smile as she stood a little straighter. She felt a little proud and happy with herself. She thought it might go bad, but the fact he was willing to talk to her was a win as far as she was concerned. “Yeah.”

Shirou went quiet, and Jaune couldn’t help but play with her hands as she waited for him to say anything. After a few moments, Shirou placed the broom he was using against the wall and sat down in an empty chair. He asked, “Would you be willing to tell me what your world is like?”

“Sure,” Jaune said, her nerves relaxing as she sat down across from him as she started to think about where to start. There was a lot of stuff she could cover from the cities, Grimm, huntsmen and huntresses, Aura, even if she didn’t know a lot about some of them. It was almost overwhelming with what she could talk about, that she didn’t know where to begin. Well one thing could lead to another and he could ask her more information about stuff as she went. She just hoped she made things clear and easy enough for Shirou to understand.

In his room, Cole’s face twitched on his desk, as if he was having a nightmare. His hands twitched and curled and unfurled. Sweat matted his brow and his breathing picked up a little faster. His body started to sweat more, small parts getting drenched in his sweat.

Cole dreamt he was in a blurred out area that vaguely resembled a castle. He couldn’t tell because the area around looked like a messy wet oil painting. The floor he was standing on looked like a inky black pain had come out of a burst pipe. He kept expecting to hear a drip or something like that, but he didn’t as he walked down the halls of the castle. He heard the sound of voices of someone speaking, but couldn’t make them out. Goosebumps formed on his skin as if he was rubbing sandpaper and his stomach churn as if he was about to barf. The young man quickly turned and looked around hoping he would find some clue or a place he felt would lead them to him. He stepped carefully closer, and gulped.

“Hello?” Cole said.

As if responding to him, the voices he heard grew louder. It sounded like a forin language, but unlike any he was familiar with. When it reached it apex it screeched out a word that made his ears feel like they were ringing. He put his hands over his ears and screamed as he went down on his knees, shutting his eyes

Cole gasped as he shot up out of his chair as if a gunshot had gone off. He crashed onto the ground and groaned as he held his head. He breathed heavily as his head felt like someone had nailed him with a sledgehammer. He laid there, waiting for the pounding of his head to cease and his heart to relax. He could hear it going off as if it had moved up to his head and pressing against his ears. His throat felt as if he had eaten large packets of salt and couldn’t breathe through his mouth without making himself wince.

When his breathing started to calm down and the pain on the back of his head eased, his heart started to slow down as his mind pondered his dream. The pounding of his heart in his ears stopped and he stared up at the roof as he started thinking about his dream. That dream felt so real, even though he couldn’t see anything at all. He couldn’t explain why, but he felt almost comforted by the place, if not for the strangeness and terror of the situation.

He gulped and winced as his throat felt like someone was scratching his throat and hoped getting a drink would sooth it. He moved to stand up, but the moment he did, he saw stars and felt his body go weightless for a moment. He sat down and waited for the feeling to pass, and when it did he stood up again, this time without issue. He stretched, his legs and arms letting out light popping noises.

He walked out of his room to get a drink, and stopped when he saw a light coming from the living room, along with some voices. To his surprise he saw Jaune and Shirou chatting, the redhead looking as if he was hanging off every word the blonde was saying. He leaned against the wall and smiled in relief and joy. He stepped into the room, earning their attention.

“Hey guys how are you?” Cole asked, his throat quiet and scratchy.

“Did we wake you up?” Jaune asked. “And are you okay?”

“No, I just had a nightmare and needed a drink,” Cole replied, as he continued to the kitchen.

“Y-yeah,” Jaune sheepishly admitted. “I saw Shirou was up and we started talking.”

Cole pulled out a large up and placed it on the counter as he grabbed a jug of milk and poured it into the cup. He chugged the glass of milk down as if it would vanish if he didn’t drink it fast enough. He let out a content sigh when he finished it, his throat feeling better then it had before he woke up. “I’m guessing all of us are having some sleeping issues?”

“Yeah,” Shirou sighed. “Just felt like I needed something to do. So I was cleaning up around the house.”

“Cleaning?” Cole blinked. “Out of all the stuff you could do to pass the time, you decide to clean up around the house? No offense but I’m sure you could have passed the time in more enjoyable ways.”

“Maybe, but this felt a little more productive then other means and worked on keeping me busy for the most part.”

“I understand I guess. Sometimes you need to do something a little more meaningful. What about you Jaune?”

“I was asleep, but I had a nightmare. I was going to talk to you, but you were asleep at your desk and you looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to disturb you,” Jaune said, looking away.

“I told you Jaune if you needed anything just let me know no matter the time,” Cole said, frowning.

“I know but…,” Jaune said, trailing off as she let out a yawn and rubbed her eyes. “I’m starting to feel tired again. I can tell you more about my world later Shirou.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan,” Shirou replied.

“Good night Jaune,” Cole said as she stood up. “And like I said Jaune if you wake up again and have any trouble just wake me up. I won’t mind no matter how good my dreams are.”

“Okay, goodnight Cole, Shirou,” Jaune said and went to her room, leaving them alone.

“What about you Shirou? Are you going to stay up for a little longer?” Cole asked.

“I’m going to stay up for a little longer, I want to finish this room and then I’ll go to bed,” Shriou said. He stood up and grabbed the broom and went back to sweeping the floor.

“Alright then, don’t stay up to late,” Cole said. “Good night Shirou.”

“Have a good night, Cole,” Shirou answered as Cole went back to his room.

Cole stumbled out of bed after laying down for a little while and seeing what was on the web on the web for a bit. His legs ached for his bed after leaving the soft heavenly comfort that was his mattress and sheets. He could hear his legs wish to go back to bed and he was half tempted to listen to them. Even now he could still feel the soft fluffy sheets as if they were still wrapped around his legs, calling him back to the land of sleep.

Thankfully he didn’t have any weird dreams like he did last night. Unlike most of the dreams he had, he could still recall last night’s perfectly fine. Usually, he would wake up after a dream and wouldn’t remember most of the details, or just bits of it. At most he could recall vague aspects or scenes from his dreams, which would get even harder as time passed. He still remembered one dream he had long ago that was with one of his first anime crushes and how they got together.

He entered the kitchen and saw Jaune standing in the kitchen drinking a cup of milk. He smiled as he stretched and let out relieved moans as a popping noise came from his legs and arms.

“Morning,” Jaune said smiling and took another sip of her drink.

“Morning Jaune, did you sleep better after the talk you had last night with Shirou?” Cole asked.

“I did,” Jaune replied. “And you?”

“I slept better after that quick wake-up call. Are you about to have some breakfast?”

“Yeah I was going to have some of the leftovers,” Jaune said as she pulled out the food from last night.  “Do you want some?”

“I was thinking cereal actually,” Cole said. “I want to save that for later when brunch comes around.”

“Right,” Jaune said, shaking her head. She was starting to memorize some of his habits. When he first woke up he would have a drink and maybe a small breakfast. There were times where he didn’t even have breakfast and had a large lunch instead.

They heard footsteps and two couldn’t help but be relieved with the displaced magus coming out. Despite the conversation from last night they worried he would still stay in his room and block them out. Their smiles grew when they saw Shirou step out of the doorway. He jumped when he saw the two of them, as if a kid had popped out of somewhere and screamed at them. He breathed out and relaxed before continuing over to them.

“Good morning,” Cole said.

“Good morning,” Shirou said, his voice sounding strained.

“Did you sleep alright?” Jaune asked.

“I slept okay,” the magus answered, his voice quiet.

The two didn’t know Shirou for long, but even so they could tell he was hiding something from them. The way his voice sounded and the way he smiled at them looked forced. The way he looked at his body and took a moment as if he was inspecting his body. The way he jumped when they saw him, even though he knew they were friendly. It was possible he just forgot or was lost in thought, but the hesitation in his voice also pointed to something being wrong.

Still, something must have shocked him to get him in such a state and they wanted to know what. They doubted they would get a response from Shirou about what it was if they asked. The two started looking him over to see if they could find what was bothering him. Shirou didn’t look any different to them, his face still looked the same, and he didn’t seem any smaller to them. He was still wearing the clothes from last night and they didn’t look off on his body. Part of what made it hard to tell was how short he was since compared to the two of them Shirou was short, the top of his head roughly came to their shoulders.

They looked closer and noticed something was off with his hair. It looked to be slightly longer, nowhere near the point of impossible, but still noticeable.

“So, did anyone start making breakfast?” Shirou said.

“No,” Cole said. “I was just going to grab a bowl of cereal, or go with some of the leftovers.”

“Yeah we have enough left from the looks of it.”

“Well can’t start your day with just that. I’ll get to making breakfast then,” Shirou said as he walked into the kitchen.

“Are you sure?” Jaune asked.

“Yes I am,” Shirou replied as he examined the contents in the cabinets and the fridge again. He pulled out several spices, eggs, bacon, and more. He pulled out several pans and placed them down. He sprayed the pan and afterwards broke the eggs inside them. He threw the bacon onto the other pan and pulled out a plate for him to put it on when it was done cooking.

As he continued to cook, Jaune and Cole looked at each other nervously. Neither of them were sure if Shirou was changing, and the lack of a clear indicator made it hard for them to decide what to do. Jaune looked down at the food she had pulled out earlier, and then shrugged as she put it back in the fridge.

“Did you notice anything different about him from yesterday?” Jaune asked. “With how long his hair is, do you think he’s changing?”

“I can’t say for sure, after all some people’s hair grows ridiculously fast,” Cole reasoned. “That isn’t really enough to go off of either.”

“Maybe, but...I just have a feeling that he is changing. I might not see it, but I just know if that makes any sense.”

“Yeah I get you, but I still don’t want to tell him unless we know for sure that he is. He might be angry if it is happening, but if we do and he isn’t would just add more worry to him. I just want to try and help him relax and give him a little less to worry about,” Cole said.

Jaune opened his mouth to speak, but whatever Jaune was about to say was cut off as they heard the clattering of plates. They turned to see Shirou loading up one with what he had made, as if he was a waiter or chef at a barbecue. Right after the japanese boy finished loading the first plate he started working on the second  one. When he was finished loading them, he lifted both plated in his hand and walked over to the table.

“Here you go!” Shirou said and placed two plates in front of them.

The two stared at their plates and had to stop the animalistic urges they had to just rip it apart and eat with their bare hands. They grabbed their utensils and started to eat their food as if the last decent meal they had was months ago. The food was just as good as last night. Whatever problems or questions the two might have had for Shirou were drowned by the delicious meal prepared for them. Again they had to force themselves to eat their food at a slower pace or else they would have scarfed it down in moments.

“So Shirou did you go to bed right after you finished cleaning?” Cole asked.

“I started watching a little television and I was honestly surprised by all the channels it had,” Shirou said. “Most of the tvs back where I’m from only had around 80 and that was depending on what packages you got.”

Cole blinked, surprised that the sheer number of channels his family had is what surprised him. He wasn’t sure how long it was before the hundreds of channels became a common thing, but he was sure it was after 2004. His family only had television because it came with the package. Him and his parents mainly watched stuff on one of the streaming services they had. The only reason they still had cable was that it came with their package. If it wasn’t for that then they probably wouldn’t have it.

He could only imagine what Shirou would think of the rest of modern technology and what it could do, and some of the websites. Especially what could be found on Youtube and other sites like 4chan, but the moment he did.  As useful as the former could be when it came to getting taught stuff, both of them could be dumpster fires at times, especially the former when you just stumble upon something.

“Shirou technology has changed a lot since your time in my world,” Cole said. “If you want I could tell you a little more about it so you might not suffer from such a culture shock.”

“It would probably help,” Shirou said. “I saw some of the stuff they had on the tv and I just couldn’t make heads or tails of it, while some of the stuff was familiar. I think if I saw a bit more stuff from around here, it would ease the difference. Last thing I want is to say something stupid when everyone knows about it.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about it, despite how much technology has changed it isn’t as if all the buildings and our way of life has changed dramatically. You've already seen that with the Tv’s,” Cole said.

“Yeah they’re so much leaner then the ones back where I’m from. I’m wondering how you were able to get them so small.

“I wouldn't know I'm not a techie guy,” Cole shrugged. “All I can guess is that the needed parts had gotten smaller and they were able to do more. It's pretty much the same thing for the most part. With most technology getting smaller. Phones are pretty much like small handheld computers now.”

“Really?” Shirou asked.

“Yeah,” Cole said and pulled out his phone. All of these little icons you see are apps that handle something on them. Some let you play games on them, but stuff, read books, get the news, and whatever else you can think of.”

“Useful,” Shirou remarked. “Especially if you’re always on the go.”

“Yeah I use my phone a lot for a variety of things and helps me when I’m getting around,” Cole replied.

“I’m just glad the kitchen stuff remained the same, and I don’t have to try and figure out all sort of new gadgets. If it was like one of those movies set a few decades in the future then. I would be in trouble,” Shirou sighed. “At least something is familiar.”

Cole frowned and wondered how the auburn-haired boy was feeling. The world didn’t change that much in the time between his and now had it? Everything had to be similar and yet so different to what he knew. It had to be disorienting and mess with him. At the very least, for all, he knew there was a magical side of the world, that he just didn’t know about or something.

“I have to admit after what I have seen so far I’m a little curious what your computers are like if your phones can do all this,” Shirou admitted.

Cole stood up and went to his room. He grabbed his laptop and turned it on brought it out in front of the two. Jaune didn’t pay it any mind, having already seen it, and having similar type of computer back in her world, it didn’t seem all that special. Shirou on the other hand opened marveled at the technology.

“This is a computer,” Shirou said, as he studied the laptop. “It’s so slim.”

“Yeah from what I have seen and heard, most people tend to prefer using these for work or on the go. The only time people go for the more traditional ones is when they want to modify them with processors, fans, and whatever else to make them more powerful.”

“Interesting,” Shirou said as he brushed the top of it. He opened the top and blinked at how large the computer’s screen was. He wasn't used to seeing them like this. The ones he had seen at his school were far smaller and looked like they could have been used as bricks. He didn’t need to look at their specs or anything to know it was probably far more powerful than anything his time had. He lifted it up and was surprised by how light it was. Cole moved a little closer in case it slipped out of Shirou’s hands.

“So light,” Shirou remarked as he lifted it up. He opened the screen and watched as it quickly loaded and showed the picture of a landscape. “So much faster too.”

Cole could only imagine what his computer could do in comparison to one from back then. Not to mention the stuff that could be played on it. There was no way that a computer from back then would be able to compare to one today, unless a person kept upgrading the parts, but even then it might not be enough.

Cole watched Shirou pressed down on random buttons and wondered if he had used Structural Analysis to know what it was like on the inside. It had to be a useful skill to make sure you were finding the right parts when they were broken or something. It wouldn’t have done him much use, he wasn’t one of those people who had built their own gaming rigs, he lacked the technical knowledge to do so, and didn’t want to throw hundreds of dollars to get parts for it.

“I have to admit that I thought it would be a little different. A bit more I don’t know hologram or something,” Shirou said sheepishly.

Cole couldn't help but snort at the thought. He couldn't hold that against her with how movies amd shows always seemed to make the future look in 20 something years. So did that mean they failed to live up to the hype or did people just shoot for the moon with how fast they would get to that level. Probably both all things considered.

The red-haired boy looked at the case and pulled out one of them. He turned them over and a light seemed to enter his eyes, as if he was seeing something familiar and was happy to see it.

“Are all of these Dvd’s?” Shirou questioned.

“Yeah, you had those in your time?” Cole asked. He vaguely recalled them when he was younger, but he didn’t remember how long ago they were exactly.

“They were a thing back then, but VHS tapes were still pretty relevant,” Shirou answered. “I can see why they are so small. A person could own more movies, for less space.”

“Yeah, they sort of took over the world and evolved into Blu-rays,” Cole shrugged.

“Hmm?” Shirou hummed as he pulled out another case, this time one for a game. “This a game?”

“Yup,” Cole answered. “And trust me when I saw that they have changed a lot since your day.”

Memories of all the games that he had played came rushing forward, making him smile. He recalled every good moment that he had playing one game and others that had caused to rage at failure. Despite how much frustration that he might have had at the time he wouldn’t trade them for a moment.

Cole could only imagine what the young man would think of the gaming systems and the games themselves. Gaming had come a long way since then the more he thought about it. Graphics had grown in detail, games were longer and larger. VR was even a thing, though he couldn’t introduce Shirou to that side of gaming himself. He didn’t have the proper equipment for it, and wasn’t sure he would. None of the games they currently had really caught his eye when he could just play it on one of his consoles. There was a place in the mall if he remembered that he could take him to eventually, something to keep in mind for the future. It was a good experience at least.

It was sure to be at least a little interesting, just for Shrou to see how far things have come along since then, even if he wasn’t a big gamer. It was interesting to see how other people reacted to stuff and what they would do at times.

“Why don’t you play one of them for a little bit, might be nice to have a little fun?” Cole offered.

“I wouldn’t mind, but what about you two? I don’t want you two to just do nothing while I’m playing,” Shirou responded.

“It wouldn’t be a problem,” Jaune replied.

“Yeah and interesting it would be fun to see you play and how you rect to stuff,” Cole waved off.

“Well then...What do you recommend?” Shirou asked. “I’ve never been the biggest gamer.”

“Alright, do you have anything in mind?

“I guess something that I could get a little lost in,” Shirou replied unsurly.

Cole looked through already having a few RPG’s in mind. There were a few games that he had in mind that would let Shiou get lost in the world. His mind automatically went to his favorites and he wanted to show them off to the young man and spread the love.  There was no way he was going to have a repeat of what happened with Jaune and Senran Kagura. Seeing one person play it was enough as far as he was concerned. Especially when one of them was worried about how well developed their figure was. Not to mention he wasn’t sure how Jaune would feel about that game being picked.

The moment the game was chosen he started it up and gave the controller to Shirou. The young Japanese boy breathed in and out again as the game loaded. He gripped the controller tightly and then randomly pressed some buttons as if he was getting a feel for everything. When the game started, Shirou paid rapt attention to what was happening.

Cole was surprised by how interested the red-haired magus was in the game. He never thought the auburn-haired boy was into games, considering all the other activities he had seen, but apparently, even he could admire video games. At least he could talk and show them off to him. He would take whatever he could get to help talk to the young man and hopefully help him deal with what had happened to him. Still, he was happy that they would have something to talk about and for him to do. Something was better than nothing.

After a little while, Shirou needed a break from it and wanted to see a little more of the world’s technology. The rest of the day continued like this with him showing off some of the technology that the world had and how to work it, and with some relaxation after.

Again Shirou cooked their meal and the pair couldn’t have been happier eating his food. Again the food exploded in their mouths with all the deliciousness of 1000 buffets and they needed more. They grinned happily, as they stuffed their cheeks, making Shirou smile at how content the two were. As much as it pained them to admit, their mother’s cooking just couldn’t quite compare to the Japanese boy’s.

When it was late at night, the three crawled into their respective rooms. Again Cole laid in his bed, staring up at the ceiling trying to think and figure out what he would do now. Just like when Jaune arrived, he still had no clue how they were showing up here in his world, and what could be done. The fact it had happened a second time couldn’t have been just a coincidence. There had to be something more going on that they just weren’t seeing. This couldn’t have just started for no reason at all. Everything happens for a reason.

Not to mention he wasn’t sure if Shirou was changing and hoped that he wasn’t. The poor kid was trapped in another world similar to his, but radically different at well. He didn’t think that Shirou would take it well if that happened. He seemed like a nice guy and from what he recalled he didn’t have anything like an explosive temper or anything that would make him attack them or anything. That was something that he was happy about it.

There was other stuff that they would need to do as well. He would have to try and keep a better track on how much they were spending weekly on groceries. The budget that they had was no doubt going to get tighter now that there was someone else who was here. It was undoubtedly going to be affected and the drain on his funds or food and other stuff was going to get worse.

Not to mention if Shirou was going to change into a girl then there would also be the costs to pay for clothes that would fit.  If that scenario were to happen it would be best if there were some set aside for Shirou to use. There was no idea what Shirou’s body would be like at the end. While it could be similar to Jaune’s body in terms of curves there was just as much possibility of it that the red-haired boy would have a petite body, or even gain a muscular body that looked like it belonged to a female fitness model.  He might be stretching for the last bit, but you never know with these things.

The young man sighed, wondering how this was now a train of thought that he had to have in his life. What had he done to have his life turn into this weird series of events? Did he do something in his past life? That had to be it because he was sure he hadn’t done anything in his current one to earn this. Still, it was pretty cool that he was able to hang out with them, but wondered if there was a way that they would be able live happily.

He wasn’t sure when he had finally started to fall asleep but was happy when he did. He knew that he was going to need all the energy he could get if they went out tomorrow or whatever they decided to do. It was no doubt going to be draining in one form or another.

Cole woke up and heard the sound cooking. He sniffed the air and smelled cooked meat. He was sure that it was Shirou cooking breakfast for everyone. He wondered if Jaune was up and what she might be doing. The thought of the two made him think of what it was like having the others over and what they were doing.

It was kinda fun having them over, as if he had friends over and spending the week with them. It was a hope that he had with his friends before they had left, but it simply wasn’t as possible as he would have liked. If his friends weren’t so busy then he was sure that him and his friends would have done something similar. Not to mention that the circumstances weren’t ideal. As nice and cool as it was to get to know the characters themselves, he would have liked it if it was under better circumstances.

Still, something needed to be done soon. He could afford to keep dipping into his accounts to get food and other stuff they needed for now, but eventually, there was going to reach a point where they weren’t. Not to mention if something were to happen like an accident or something. If something like that happened then maybe he could get his parents to cover it, but even so, they probably wouldn’t do it for some random stranger they never met. At one point all the money that he had was going to run out, and they would need to get more, but the question was how.

The food hit his nose again and he relaxed as his stomach growled. The worried that he had went away the more he took it in. Those were problems that he would need to solve later, when he was wide awake and had food in his belly. He would leave them for tomorrow’s Cole to figure out, maybe talk with them about what they could do.

The young man got out of bed with an energy he usually didn’t have in the morning. The closer he got to the kitchen the more He walked into the kitchen and saw Shirou already at work cooking their meal. His mouth watered the more he stared at the food, wondering how long it would be before it was done. There was no doubt in his mind that it would be just as delicious and that only served to make him hungrier. He was sure that the redhead would somehow he able to make something that would make something that he detested into something that he would love.

Well, he should say something so the young man isn’t spooked when he finally finishes his stuff and notices that he’s not the only one in the classroom. The young man cleared his throat and stood up straighter.

“Hey Shirou,” Cole said.

Shirou jumped and turned to see who it was before relaxing, making Cole fight a smile and feel a little guilty. He held his chest as if it might pop out of him.

“Morning Cole, please don’t sneak up on me like that,” Shirou said, catching his breath.

“I didn’t try to,” Cole said and looked the redhead over to see if there was anything different now. Shirou still looked to be the same height and had the same masculine features. Jaune’s transformation was noticeable with how much smaller Jaune had gotten in such a time, even though the rest of his face and body looked the same. Still just because Jaune had shrunk a lot didn’t mean that Shirou would. The transformation could start off severally different from the blonde’s. For all, he knew the magus would remain the same size, but get progressively more feminine.

When he was sure the redhead was the same size he looked over the rest of him to see if there was anything different about him. His face looked the same and his eyes were the same size. There wasn't anything particularly off about him from yesterday like it had been when it first started with Jaune.

Shirou was wearing his long-sleeved shirt so he couldn’t tell if the young man had any less body hair or his limbs were any thinner. His jeans obscured his lower body and his lower body didn't seem any different either.

He wanted to ask if Shirou noticed there was anything off about his body but didn’t. If something was going to happen to him then today would have been the day for it to start happening. The fact Shirou seemed relatively calm told him that everything seemed to be normal for him. It was a relief that he wouldn’t have to worry about that if it held true.

Still, that wouldn’t explain why Jaune turned into a girl then and was sure that would be another punch to the gut for the blonde. The thought of the blonde made him frown. It would be a problem if they couldn’t find out why she had changed. Perhaps Shirou would be able to shed some light on the matter and offer a new perspective. He was a magus after all, even if he wasn’t an experienced one or had any major knowledge. Still some magical knowledge was better then none at all.

Another thought came to him that made him frown further. Since they didn’t know anything it could just mean that they hadn’t started yet. What if the timetable was pushed a little farther away? Would it happen in one go this time, or would it be spread out over days as it had for Jaune? A headache was going to form the more he thought about it. All he had so far was half-baked thoughts and ideas, and if he didn’t do something about it soon, he was sure that it would swarm his mind.

“Is something wrong?” Shirou asked, noticing the pensive look on the brunette’s face.

“No, not really just thinking,” Cole answered.  He didn't want to burden Shirou with his thoughts, not when they might not even be real for him.

“It looked like something pretty big. Maybe talking about it would help you if we talked about it,” Shirou suggested.

Cole hummed as he wondered what to say. He wasn't that familiar with Shirou Emiya and the original Fate series, but he knew some of the basics. He also knew about how broken the young man was with how desperately he wanted to save people because of survivors’ guilt if he remembered right. How it was done in the show and what he had read online made him lose interest in the character, even though he was very interested in the universe and the Servents that inhabited it.

That still brought up the question of which Shirou it was that he was dealing with, or if he wasn’t. There were multiple routes after all and he became a different person on each one and that didn’t include the failures on each route as well. There were some that he recalled where he gave up on the idea of saving everyone, others where he became more certain of his beliefs, and more. Since it was before the Grail War he might not have had any of the development to go down any of the paths to get there. Still, all of them had one thing in common he was sure where they all became stronger and gained bullshit powers.

The sound of footsteps caught the pair’s attention and their conversation stopped. The two knew who it was considering that they were at the table.

Jaune entered the room and the two saw the sleepy blonde yawning as she did. Her hair was a mess and wet all over the place, her eyes dropped with clear tiredness. She was dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of workout shorts that showed her legs.

Cole’s eye momentarily went a little lower and onto the plentiful mounds of her chest. They were practically on display with how the shirt hung a little off of her body and exposed some other cleavage. He forced his eyes up before he was noticed and was grateful that she didn't seem to notice that he had taken a look at her bust. Still, it was an image that he would enjoy and burn into his mind with how great it was.

He looked at Shirou and saw that the young man wasn’t anywhere near as collected as he was and openly flushed at the sight of her body. While he might be used to being around girls, them being in a state like this was clearly out of the young man’s comfort zone. You would think that constantly being around girls like Sakura and Taiga would make it so that he could handle being around them better, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.

“Morning,” Jaune said and let out another cute yawn as she rubbed at her eyes. “Oh would you like some help with breakfast?”

“Oh don't worry about breakfast I got it,” Shirou said and quickly went back to cooking, clearly trying to hide the blush on his face.

“Morning Jaune,” Cole said as he sat down. “Does Shirou look any different to you?”

The blonde took a moment to look at the red-haired boy and hummed as she did. Her frown grew a little as she did. Her eyes ran over every little bit of his body, trying to find one small little hint that he might be changing. She wasn’t quite sure considering how well the clothes were hiding his body. After a moment she turned back to him.

“No,” Jaune admitted tiredly. “If he was changing into a girl then something would have changed by now.”

The blonde looked down to hide the frustration and worry that she felt, again wondering if turning into a girl was part of some divine punishment. She had gotten used to being a girl for now in the time that she had been here, even if it was strange. Especially with the boobs that were resting on her chest.

“It's only been a day, let's see what happens tomorrow or later and go from there,” Cole said, squeezing the Remnantborn human’s hand.

Jaune smiled as she squeezed his hand. The anxiety that she felt going away and once again being reminded that she wasn’t alone. She softly said, “Thanks.”

The two broke away as Shirou walked over and placed their plates in front of them. The mere sight of the food suddenly at the forefront of their mind and making their stomachs growl, as if they were demanding to be fed.

The moment Shirou sat back down with his own plate of food, the others quickly started to eat their meal. Life entered her eyes as she again ate his food. The drowsiness that clogged them went away as she happily ate her meal. Cole smiled and snorted at the sight of how happily she ate her meal. Cole looked at Shirou and again saw the Japanese boy fill with pride at how happily she ate their meal, making the brunette chuckled. It was a little funny seeing him puff up like that considering how serious and well the boy cleaned the place up. It was truly a shame when the meal inevitably ended, even though their stomachs have been stuffed with as much food as they could eat, they wanted more.

Jaune let out a content sigh as she pushed her plate away and patted her content stomach. The young woman suddenly remembered what she was dressed in and her face darkened a little how she had accidentally given them a great view of her curves.

“I’ll be right back,” Jaune squealed as she stood up and quickly went back to the room that she had been staying in.

Cole smiled as he watched her walk away, unable to resist staring at her supple rear as she left. She looked really cute with that surprised look on her face and blush. He would never admit it anywhere near Jaune, but she had a great butt. The episode of the bikini back at the mall last time came rushing forward and he breathed out. The pervert in him wondered just how pleasing her butt and if it was a nice as her bust did. He might have only gotten a moment to see them before Jaune mushed them, but it was enough.

He looked at Shirou’s face and couldn’t help but chuckle. The way he looked right now one would think that he had never seen a cute girl in his life. Cole’s chuckle didn’t go unnoticed and the younger boy sent him a flat look, which made the brunette chuckle more.

“Sorry but with the way that your face looks, you’re sorta bringing it on yourself,” Cole said.

“How can you be so calm when she comes out dressed like that ?” Shirou questioned.

“I'm enjoying the sight and have been living with her for  a while, trust me when I say that I have had time to get used to it,” Cole rebuffed. Besides this didn't quite beat out the full awkwardness arousal of when her boobs and butt came in. He would be lying if he said that he didn't envision it happening again, or the pair getting even larger.

The Japanese boy shot him a flat look, but Cole simply shrugged and pulled out his phone. The young man looked through his phone to see if he had gotten any more messages as he waited for Jaune to come back.

Jaune came out in a pair of jeans, and a t-shirt, blushing somewhat and rubbed her arms. She gulped and sat down again. She looked at the two of them, and Shirou immediately looked away and tried to act natural. Cole just focused on his food again, looking down at it as if he was trying to discover the secret to life.

After a moment the blonde girl focused on her food and took another bite. She melted in her seat and all of her jitters went away. Considering how good it was she could see how he might discover it.

“Sorry,” Jaune apologized. “I was just so tired and smelled the food that it was the only thing that I could think of.”

“It's okay,” Shirou replied, trying to wave off the awkwardness. He could take some solace in the fact that his food was apparently that good to them as well. Though he wished that it wouldn’t lead to another episode like this again in the future. “We’ve all had those days where we are just so tired that we don’t pay any attention.

A  gurgle went off in the room and Shirou dropped his silverware as he held his stomach. The Japanese boy winced as if he had just been punched in the gut. He held it for a moment and pushed his seat out.

“Are you ok?” Jaune asked.

“Excuse me,” Shirou said and quickly left the room.

The two stared at the boy as he left the room and wondered what had happened as they heard the bathroom door open.  Everything seemed to be going fine, until now. They stopped eating and waited patiently for him to come back. Cole pulled out his phone and watched the minutes pass as Jaune’s fingers rapidly tapped the kitchen table.

“What do you think is wrong with him?” Jaune questioned worryingly.

“I don’t know,” Cole responded, knowing the true question that she was asking and hearing it in his ears with perfect clarity. She wondered if he was starting to turn into a girl. He was holding out hope that it wasn’t the case himself.

The young Japanese man came back and breathed out. He shimmied in his seat and breathed in and out and grabbed his fork. He continued to eat his meal as if he hadn’t just left the room.

Jaune and Cole looked at each other unsurely, as if they were trying to decide what they should do. Cole after a moment, cleared his throat, getting Shirou’s attention.

“Are you ok?” Cole asked.

“Yeah I just needed to use the bathroom,” Shirou answered.

The two wondered if there was something more to it, but decided to let it down. For all, they knew it might just be a sudden bowel movement. If it was something more then they were sure that Shirou would have spoken up about it. He still looked the same, even if he did seem a bit frazzled about something.

Cole studied the red-haired young man intently. As much as he wanted to believe the young man when he said that there was nothing wrong with him, he couldn’t. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that told him that something else had happened. That the changes had begun, but he didn't want to just force the young man. If he wanted to talk about it then he would be there to help him when he did. If he tried to push then all he could do was make a divide between them that would make things harder for them all.

The young man focused on the food again, and let out a moan. The thoughts that he had drifting further by how delicious the food was. Well as bad as it was to have another interdimensional human here, at least he could savor the delicious food that he was eating now. At times like this, a person had to look on the bright side of things.

The moment that the food was finished, Cole and Jaune felt tiredness return to them as their full stomachs were pushed to the brim. The two could hear the call of their beds again as their eyelids kept trying to close. They were half tempted to see if there were any leftovers but with how the two of them had been scaring down all of the delicious food that Shirou had made they doubted it.

“I’ll clean up,” Shirou said and took the empty plates from them before either of the two could say anything.

Shirou hurriedly placed them in the sink. The Japanese boy turned on the sink and ran the dirty dishes under the water, the hot water getting rid of most of the grime. He followed it up by squirting a bottle of soap on them. For a moment he froze and then shoved his hands under the water as he harshly scrubbed them, getting the rest of the gunk on them. When they were finished placed them on the other side of the sink.

After a moment Jaune entered the kitchen and grabbed a clean towel. She picked up one of the wet dishes and wiped it down. After a few intense wipes she placed the dry dish on the side and continued with the next one. She hummed a small tune as she continued her work.

The redhead looked at the blonde in surprise and then noticed what the Remnantborne human was doing. Shirou said quickly. “No, don't worry I can do this on my own.”

“It's ok, helping you wash them is the least that I can do, after you cooked for us” Jaune replied. “I’ve done this enough times with my mom and sisters.”

The Magus didn’t say anything for a moment before continuing to clean the dirty dishes, Jaune still wiping the wet ones down. Shirou handed the wet dish to Jaune and the blonde took it when she was finished wiping the one she had in her hand. The redhead would continue to clean and wipe the Jaune was finished with the dish she was holding.

Cole wondered what he could do for a moment since they had it handled until it came to him. He stood up and went to them.  He stared at the clean dishes when it came to him. He picked them, earning a look from the pair. “I can put them away at least.”

The others smiled and went back to work on the dishes as he put the bunch they had just finished away. The moment that they were finished washing the dish he put them wherever they go. The group had settled in an ease process, none of them saying anything as they got further along. In no time at all they had finished cleaning the dirty dishes that were there.

“Well glad thats finished, I think I’m going to go out and practice for a little bit,” Jaune said.

“Practice?” Shirou questioned, looking at the blonde curiously.

“Oh, I practice fighting with my family’s sword and shield,” Jaune replied. “I find it pretty relaxing, especially since it prevents me from getting rusty with them.”

“Maybe we could do a match. Do you have any wooden swords or something we could use?” Shirou questioned.

“You want to fight?” Jaune blinked.

“I would like some exercise and this would be a little something different. I’m a bit more skilled with a bow, but did take some classes,” Shirou replied. “My big sister figure taught me some kendo.”

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt,” Jaune thought. “But have to be careful so I don’t hurt you since my aura gives me a bit of an advantage.”

“Aura?” Shirou questioned.

“Oh right never told you. I told you that I’m from a place called Remnant the other day. Well, I was training to fight monsters known as Grimm and all those that want to have their Aura awakened. Its a manifestation of our souls and acts like a barrier to protect me from harm and strengthens me as well,” Jaune explained.

Shirou was in visible awe with how his mouth dropped and Cole had no doubt that if they were in one of their worlds then his eyes would have been visibly sparking. Cole was willing to bet that it was the idea of how he could have been a hero in Jaune’s world. After all it was a place that eemed like he could make his childhood dream and promise to Kiritsugu come true. After a moment, Shirou shook her head and forced her awe down.

“Well like you said, you’ll just have to watch out and make sure that you’re not putting to much power behind your blows and I know you can do that,” Shirou remarked.

“Would it be alright if I watch?” Cole questioned. It would be interesting to see the two of them clash.

“Of course!” Jaune smiled. “You could be the referee.”

“Alright, just give me a sec to get the practice stuff I have,” Cole said and quickly left the room.

Cole went through his closet, looking for the wooden ones that he had here. Sometimes he would fight it out with his friends. The moment he found them he grinned, a little eager to see what a fight between the two of them would look like. He wasn’t expecting anything massive, but it was two people who were more skilled than he would ever be.

“Here you go,” Cole said and handed them the foam weapons. There was no risk of drawing blood but it would sting like hell. “Let’s take this outside so nothing’s broken and all.”

The group went outside and the moment they were, the two swung their new weapons around, Jaune with one arm, while Shirou used both. The blonde girl adjusted her grip to the false sword while Shirou did the same.

“Alright take your positions,” Cole said.

The two walked a little bit away from each other and after some steps turned to each other. Jaune got in the same starting stance that she always took before she got into practice and then quickly adjusted her stance. Her body was tense, and her face had some nervousness in it. Shirou’s stance looked more like a traditional kendo stance and unlike the blonde, he didn’t seem to have any nervousness affecting him. The two stared at one another, waiting for him to give them the go-ahead to start.

“Go!” Cole exclaimed.

Shirou moved, while Jaune remained where she was, like a turtle. Jaune raised her shield and kept it up. Shirou brought his sword down and it crashed against Jaune’s shield. The blonde went on the attack and swung her blade, the redhead parried and blocked her attacks and then countered.

The two continued to trade blows with each other. Their foam weapons and shield in Jaune’s case moved. Both were determined to win the match. Whenever Shirou tried to get around the shield, Jaune would turn and block the blow, preventing the redhead from sneaking an attack on their side.

Cole smiled as he watched the two of them fight, entertained by the clash of blows between the two of them. He admired how they fought and considered their advantages. The two of them fought with greater skill than he and his friends ever had. He knew that Jaune had a few more options simply because she had a shield and sword. He wanted to say that Jaune had the advantage since she had some cover, but that didn’t mean anything. There were still ways for Shirou to win this fight and Jaune’s fighting style did give him some freedom. But if Shirou didn’t find a way around that shield soon then there was no question about who was going to win.

The brunette blinked and watched as Shirou moved and quickly swung his sword again and again at Jaune, and despite the barrage, Jaune was keeping her shield up, protecting her body from the blows. If Shirou had two swords then things might have been different. She shoved the smaller boy with her shield, throwing the young man off balance.

The blonde girl stepped forward and thrust with her own sword as if she was a porcupine. Shirou parried the blow and was forced to step back as Jaune got closer to her. He tried to attack her again and again she blocked the attack and tried to hit him. Only for Shirou to block the strike with her own, and again Jaune stepped forward and shoved the young man off balance and followed with a strike.

Shirou’s sword clumsily blocked the blow was forced to the side and Jaune quickly brought her sword out to thrust and again the blade was parried. After recovering, Shirou quickly moved and tried to get on Jaune’s side to attack, but suddenly Shirou froze as his face twitched, as if he was a pain. The young man shuddered as if someone had poured ice down his pants. His hands shook and he breathed heavier through his nose. His legs trembled and the grip that he had on his weapon went slack.

Jaune took the opportunity for what it was and bashed him with her shield and then went for a thrust with the tip of the false weapon as if to stab him. The red-haired boy froze the moment the tip of the sword touched his chest. The young man slouched and lowered his sword as he let out a sigh. Jaune did the same and breathed out, smiling happily at managing to win the math.

“Are you ok, Shirou? You froze up there,” Cole asked worringly. While it was only a spar there was still a chance that something could have gone wrong or if that had been a

“I’m fine, just had a muscle spasm,” Shirou said quickly.

“Nice job Jaune. It was smart of you to keep using your shield like that,” Cole praised.

“I just remembered what you had taught me and used it,” Jaune replied with a blush, her gleeful smile growing.

“You did great Shirou. If I had been in your place I would have been crushed in an instant,” Cole remarked, getting a smile from Shirou.

“Thanks Cole, and yeah that shield was a big problem,” Shirou replied. He then continued with a serious expression. “Excuse me, I need to check something real quick.”

Before either of the two could say anything again the young man ran out of there. The magus opened the back door and ran back into the house.

Cole was quiet for a moment thinking about the fight and what he had seen. The way Shirou had reacted it seemed like more than just a mere muscle spasm.

“Something’s off,” Cole said.

“Yeah,” Jaune agreed. “He shouldn’t have just froze up like that.”

“Yeah this is the second time that he’s run off like that,” Cole brought up, getting another nod from Jaune.

The two went inside the house to keep cool and waited for Shirou. They lounged in the living room. It was almost as if they were waiting to hear about what happened to their friend in surgery. Jaune gulped as she breathed, her eyes wandered around the room as she hugged herself. Cole wasn’t doing much better and went over his phone, trying to keep himself distracted before his mind kept making more scenarios that were worse than the last.

When Shirou stepped out of wherever he had been hiding, Cole almost didn’t notice it, but there was a surprised shock in his eyes as if he had just seen something troubling and wasn’t sure what to make of it. A look in his eyes as if he was trying to process whatever had been bothering him. Cole stood up from his seat and opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he saw the look. All of the responses that he had prepared were gone as if he had just stood on top of a stage and was trying to address a crowd of people.

“I need to do some stuff and relax for a bit,” Shirou said and immediately walked ahead of the two.

“Shirou?” Cole questioned, but the redhead ignored him as he picked up some cleaning supplies.

Cole looked at Jaune who was just as surprised as he was. They didn’t think that he would go right to cleaning again.

“Shirou is something wrong?” Cole questioned. “I don’t think cleaning is something that would be considered relaxing.

“I’m feeling a little homesick is all, and it helps put my mind at ease,” Shirou responded.

“Just don’t go overboard ok,” Cole said. “The last thing you want to do is overwork yourself.”

“Right,” Shirou nodded and went back to scrubbing the stovetop. He didn’t feel like he wanted to do anything else at the moment and doubted they would be able to help. The only thing that managed to put his mind at wase was when he was working on something.

When it was time for dinner, Shirou all but leaped to make the meal, despite all the effort that she had down in cleaning the dining area and the kitchen. He went through the cupboards and the fridge, almost like a man possessed. He placed what he wanted down into a pile and when it was all gathered up he immediately went to work cooking.

Cole and Jaune watched Shirou work with mixed feelings. They wanted Shirou to relax a bit, but the thought of not getting the heavenly food Shirou made and the activity itself stopped them. Cooking wasn’t the most physically demanding activity. It shouldn’t have been an issue, in fact it might be the sort of work that would give Shirou a moment to relax.

The moment it was done they went over and their stomachs growled at the sight of the delicious food that seemingly sparkled in their eyes. Just like with before they devoured his food and adored every blast of flavor that came from it. Shirou smiled at seeing his two housemates eat his food again with such gusto. He went back to eating, feeling a little of his strength return to his with the fresh food in his gut. It wasn’t much but it did make him feel better.

A growl came from Shirou’s stomach and the redhead blushed. The young man breathed and looked down for a moment. Shirou’s eyes widened before he calmed himself down. He looked at his dish and was visibly relieved about how close it was to being done.

“I’m going to go to bed,” Shirou said as he picked up his plate dishes. Before either could say anything he ran to the sink and placed his plate inside. He quickly ran out of the room and headed down the hall.

“Shirou,” Cole called from the table, hoping that the magus would stop for a moment. He heard footsteps and smiled when he saw the redhead poked his head out of the alleyway with a frazzled look on his face. A slight tapping came from him and it took him a moment to realize that Shirou was tapping his foot impatiently.

“Shirou whatever’s eating you, you can tell us,” Cole said softly, encouragingly. As if he was trying to reach out to him and tell him that everything would be ok. He stared at the redhead and didn’t dare to look away. Shirou didn’t say anything and the tapping of his foot went quiet. The Japanese young man looked away and quietly walked down the hall to his room.

The moment Shirou was out of sight, Cole slouched in his seat, his appetite for the majestic heavenly blessed food soured by the pit in his stomach that wasn’t from overeating. The bad feeling that he had grew, and he wanted to know what was wrong and if it was like he thought it was.

“It’s ok, I know Shirou will come around eventually, we just have to give her time,” Jaune said.

It did little to soothe his guilty and pained heart, but her words helped assured him. He had been saying them earlier, but it was good to hear it from someone else.

“I don’t know what I want to do,” Cole sighed tiredly. There was a horrible pit in his stomach. It seemed like no matter what he tried in this passive approach it just wouldn’t work. It seemed like the only way that he might be was by being a little pushy about it, but he didn’t want to. He would rather wait and left come to him than feel he was possibly trapping her in for an explanation. Then she would lock herself in and respond to neither of them. Still, he would need to think on this and what should be said and how she might react as well, even if it was a route he would rather avoid.

The deeper it went into the night, the more Cole found it harder to get his mind off of what was happening as the debate raged in his head. Everytime, Cole thought he heard noise down there he would look and half expect to see Shirou coming down. He wasn’t sure what to do and it pained him that he couldn’t do anything.

Jaune was the first to decide to go to bed and Cole decided to as well. He honestly didn’t feel tired and that he could keep on going, but pressure in his gut and worries whispered to him. Getting some extra sleep was better than listening to the evil vipers in his mind.

After doing his nightly routine, Cole went to bed and hoped that Shirou would be willing to talk to him about what was bothering him. A part of him wanted to walk into Shirou’s room and have a proper sit-down, but with Shirou’s current mindset, he didn’t see how well it would go. As his eyes closed and he drifted further off to sleep, the argument in his head continued to grow until he finally passed out.

Cole woke up the next morning, rubbing at his eyes, ignoring the call to go back to bed. His legs itched for sleep and his head wanted to go back onto his nice soft pillow, even if he had a weird dream. He was tempted to listen to them as his eyelids weighed down and tried to close.

The young man wondered if the others were awake and what they were doing. He listened intently and heard the sound of shuffling outside. If he was a betting man then it had to be coming from the kitchen or the living room. He looked at the time and if he had to take a guess would say that it was Shirou. The young man had a habit of getting up early, while Jaune seemed to sleep even later than he did at times.

Cole breathed out and tiredly forced himself out of his bed again, ignoring the call as best he could. He rubbed his eyes and stretched, trying to give himself more energy. Every little crack or step that he took was heavier than it would normally be, but he knew it was just morning laziness. Once he had something in his body and moved around a little he would be fresh and ready for whatever the day decided to throw at them. The young man shuffled out of his bedroom, his throat parched and desperate for a drink. He listened to where the shuffling was and knew that it was coming from the kitchen, especially with the light.

He noticed the hallway was cleaner as if someone had mopped the floor after they had vacuumed. He ran his hand over the floor and didn’t feel a speck of dirt and when he looked at his digit saw that it was just a clean. It was unnerving to see it so clean, as if he had entered a hospital instead of his home, even his mom hadn’t been able to get this place so clean.

He checked the bathroom closest to him and saw that it was jut as clean. The counter was fully wiped down, the mirrors inside sparkling as if they had just been washed, even the toothbrush looked like it had just been cleaned. Even the tub looked like someone had taken a thing of bleach and poured it in and then used other cleaners to make it better. He sniffed and could smell the faint traces of it in the air.

Cole felt awkward the more he looked, wondering who and when this had all been done. He was sure that he wasn't such a deep sleeper that he wouldn't have noticed if a vacuum was going or a heat mop. Neither of the two were quiet and He wondered if he would have slept through an explosion if that was that case. If it had been used only for one short bit then that would have made sense since it wasn't long enough to register.

He checked the room next to his and saw that it was just as clean as the other. He could smell the cleaner and even taste it a little on his tongue. The wood furniture looked like it had just been wiped down and just like the floor he ran his hand over it and could feel the soft wet feeling as if it had just been wiped. The powerful stench of the cleaning supplies hit his nose again and his face scrunched. He stepped out of the room, but kept the door open. That room needed to air out for a bit before it was habitable.

The young man entered the kitchen and again saw Shirou in the kitchen, getting everything that he would need ready to make breakfast. Again Shirou was wearing the same attire, the same clothes that he had arrived in, along with the strange addition of a pair of gloves that he wore.

“Morning Shirou,” Cole said as he grabbed a drink. “You sleep alright?”

“Yeah, I’m just getting everything ready before I start cooking,” Shirou said tiredly, still focusing on the pantry. The moment Shirou grabbed what he needed and placed them down on the stove.

Cole blinked as he heard the voice that came out of Shirou’s. It didn’t sound right, like when a person was purposefully trying to make their voice deeper than it already was. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, wondering if something was up.

“You sound pretty tired? Didn’t get enough sleep?” Cole questioned.

“Just having some trouble waking up fully is all,” Shirou responded and let out a yawn that sounded higher than it should have.

Cole narrowed his eyes as he watched Shirou move, Footsteps caught his attention and turned to see Jaune. She yawned out, “Morning.”

“Hey,” Cole said and the tiredness on Jaune’s face disappeared a little when she saw the worried expression on his face. He jerked his head over to Shirou and the blonde looked at him. The brunette quickly turned back to Shirou as if something would happen if he took his eyes off the magus long enough.

Another thing that he noticed was that Shirou was wearing gloves on his hands. They were black cotton gloves that he would sometimes wear in the winter. They hugged Shirou’s hands and he wasn't sure if it was just his mind playing tricks on him or not, but his hands looked slightly thinner and the bottom of the gloves reached a little lower then they should have for a man’s hands.

If they were outside and it was colder out then he wouldn’t have thought much of it, but inside the house where the temperature is controlled and when one is about to cook. It didn’t make sense, especially with how dirty they would get.

“Shirou, why are you wearing gloves?” Cole questioned, hoping that Shirou had an honest answer.

“Oh,” Shirou started, again the young man’s voice sounding like he was forcing it to be lower than it should be. “I just….felt like wearing them.”

Cole stared at Shirou flatly as he all but squirmed where he was, not even bothering to face him. The both of them knew that it was a weak excuse. There was definitely something off if the young man wasn’t even going to look him in the face, and he didn't need the gloves to add more proof.

Cole stepped forward to get a look at Shirou’s face, but the moment Shirou saw which angle he was coming from, he went the opposite way. The brunette blinked and then tried to go the other way to see Shriou’s face and the same thing happen. The young man was a little put off by how he kept looking away from him, as if he was trying to hide something.

“Shirou?” Cole questioned worryingly, his gust twisting and turning. Something had to be happening and if he was honest he had an idea of what it might be, but praying that it wasn’t. If that was the case then how long had Shirou been hiding this from them.

Cole watched the Japanese boy move intently, while still being slow. A lump formed in his throat as a pit formed in his stomach. His stomach ached as if a monsoon was going on inside. Something was nagging him in the back of his head that told him Shirou was sick. The way that she was acting was off.

Suddenly Shirou went still and started to sway from side to side as if he was caught in a storm. He titled forward and then stumbled backward as if he had slipped on something.

“Shirou!” Cole cried as he rushed forward and grabbed him before he hit the ground. The young man strained from the sudden weight, but was thankfully able to avoid being pulled down by him. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped.

Cole jumped when he saw Shirou’s face. Instead of his normal masculine face, the young man had a pretty girl’s face.  She had high cheekbones, a small cute nose, fuller lips and a rounded face. She looked like she could have been on a school’s cheer squad with how pretty she was.

The young man blushed at how close they were but noticed the distinct lack of something that should have been between Shirou’s legs. He gently moved his leg and noticed that there was something missing there and that made him sure that there was nothing there.

If Shirou was still a boy them he would be willing to eat his shoes as compensation. So long as Shirou cooked it anyway. There was little doubt that the redhead would somehow make it taste good. The young man breathed out, tried to calm his pounding heart, and force those revelations away. Right now Shirou’s condition took priority.

Cole adjusted his grasp so that he had a better holding on Shirou’s body. The moment he had a secure holding on her, he placed his hand on her forehead and frowned at how much he was burning up. The redhead had to be sick at this point from how hot she was.

Cole adjusted his grip on the feverish red-haired girl so he was holding her in a bridal style and took her to the room she had been staying in. He breathed out, thankful that he had enough muscle so that carrying Shirou bridal style wasn’t a challenge. He looked at Shirou’s face and saw her face gain a blush as she bit her lips, clearly a little uncomfortable being carried like this. Normally he would have been a little flustered about this as well, but with how Shirou was currently he

“Jaune, could you get the door for me?” Cole asked as he walked to Shirou’s room.

“Of course,” Jaune quickly said and rushed to Shirou’s room.

Cole moved as best as he could, trying to make sure that Shirou didn’t hit anything. He had to tilt his body a little so he could walk through the hallways without her head hitting the wall or portraits. He paid rapt attention to her breathing as he did. Now that she was off her feet, her breathing came out labored as if she had just finished an intense exercise. He hoped that they didn’t have to go to the hospital. He wasn’t sure how much of a hit it would be, but worried what the bill would be like if they did.

Jaune got the door and he gently placed her on the bed. The redhead groaned as she did and dully looked at the two of them. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a tired wheeze. The two gulped as they watched him, wondering if they needed to get to the hospital.

Cole pulled off one of the gloves on his hand and saw beautiful dainty digits that no man could ever have. The nails on them were long and elegant. He turned her hand over and saw the soft delicate skin there. He pulled up on the young man’s sleeve and saw that his arm was free of hair there. For a moment the idea of pulled at the bottom of his shirt to see his waist and stomach came to him, but he stopped himself. That would be going too far.

The young man wiped his brow and ran his hand through his hair. He sighed tiredly, gathering his thoughts. That was why Shirou kept wearing his shirt, and other long sleeve stuff. He was using it to hide the changes as they progressed.

“Shirou, why didn’t you say anything?” Cole asked, feeling a little hurt that the magus hadn’t said anything to him.

The magus looked away from them as if she had been hiding a dark secret from them. The silence stretched out and festered as if a private secret had been revealed.

“I….I didn’t want you to worry,” Shirou answered, but the words rang hollow to Shirou and everyone else.

“Shirou...I know that we haven’t know each other long, but we care about you. We knew something as off, but we didn’t want to press you in case you retreated more into yourself. We were worried about you and what might be happening to you.”

“I was scared to say what was happening to my body and what might be happening to me,” Shirou looked guilty as if he had personally been the cause of the distress. “I didn’t know what to say or do how long this would be going on. For all I knew my body might end up looking like some sort of monster.s when it was over. I was afraid of what you might do if you learned about it.”

“Shirou,” Cole sighed. He had been dreading this part and how it would happen. It felt like he failed to do his part and make things better for the magus. He wondered what he could have done to make things better. If he had opened up about this at the start would she have been willing to tell them? A million and one thoughts ran through his mind and he wasn't sure what would have been the best course of action.

“Shirou,” Jaune started before Cole could say anything else. She stepped closer to the bed and sat down on it. She made sure that she had the red-haired magus’s undivided attention. “I know what you’re going through because I went through the same thing. I was also a boy before I came to this world. The day after I came here my body started to change. Cole and I didn’t have any clue what was going on and it was horrifying. We didn't want to tell you anything because we didn't know if anything would happen to you or if I was just a freak case. I hoped you wouldn't have to go through that.”

Silence stretched through the room as if a gunshot had gone off. Cole watched the two to see if he could find any idea of how Shirou might react. He didn’t think that the young woman would react violently but he never knew for sure. Something like this, especially after being turned into a woman. Thankfully Shirou didn't seem to get angry or get violent instead, she looked tired.

“I should have told you,” Shirou admitted.

“And we should have told you that something might happen to you,” Jaune said. She took Shirou’s hands and squeezed it gently, making the magus look up at her with an unsure expression. “If you need to talk about what you’re going at all, let me know. I completely understand what it's like.”

“Ok,” Shirou responded.

A growl came from Cole’s stomach, getting the girl’s attention. The young man flushed and wanted to crawl into a hole for breaking the moment. Jaune laughed a little while Shirou merely smiled.

“I’ll finish making breakfast,” Shirou said and moved to get out of the bed, but Jaune stopped her.

“No you're not and that's an order,” Cole said seriously. “You’re going to be taking it easy until you feel better.”

The red-haired girl frowned but relented as Cole and Jaune stared her down. The brunette doubted that there was anything that he could do to stop her, even in her weakened state, but Jaune could possibly stop her. If it was one of the endgame Shirou’s then there wasn't a snowball’s chance in hell that they would be able to stop anything that she had set her mind to, even if it was in this weakened state. Thankfully this wasn't that Shirou. This was a Shirou who was still underdeveloped and had not fully developed the mage craft that made them a monster able to take down beings like the King of Heroes.

The young woman looked away from them and the young man let out a breath that he had been holding. It seemed like he was going to listen, but he had his doubts. From how hard-headed Shirou was in the show and her paths he thought it would be harder, still he wasn't going to take a chance. If Shirou agitated whatever was wrong with body it was bound to make it worse.

“Jaune, could you watch Shirou please?” Shirou questioned.

“Sure,” Jaune replied.

Shirou shot Cole a look, but the young man ignored it as he left the room. It was clear that she didn't have much strength and she needed something in her stomach if she was going to get any better.

Cole went back to the kitchen and wondered what he should make. He wasn’t sure if Shirou would be able to keep it down if he went with something hardy. The last thing he wanted to do was to clean up vomit. Then that would possibly lead to another bit of awkwardness if Shirou wound up getting some of them up on it. It would probably be for the best to start with something small and easy in the stomach.

The young man looked for what would be a good fit. The young man opened the cupboards and immediately shut them when he saw the spices. He opened the pantry and looked through it. He found several cans of soup lined together, organized by type. He wondered which would be the best one to make for Shirou.

He pulled out one of the cans of soup that they had and started making it. Soup was always something good to have when the body wasn’t feeling at his best. He would always have some tomato or chicken soup when he was sick. Bread would also be good to go with it. He remembered that it was easy to eat, so that should help as well.

Cole immediately got to work and moved the stuff that Shirou had pulled out and placed a pan down for him to use. He set the heater and cut a slight bit off a butter stick and moved around the pan. After doing so he poured in the soup and followed it up with the needed milk. The young man stirred the contents together as much as he could.  He wanted it to be as creamy and delicious as possible for Shirou.

The moment it was finished Cole poured it into a bowl and grabbed a spoon or it and put it on a tray. He placed the toast next to it, and some spreads to put on it in case he wanted something.

He walked back to Shirou’s room and knocked on the door. The young man had learned from his parents and anime why he should always be considerate and mindful of his manners, especially when girls were involved. The last thing he wanted to do was walk in on the pair if Jaune was changing Shirou’s clothes or something.

“Come in,” Jaune said.

Cole entered the room and saw Jaune sitting on the side of the bed, Shirou still laying where she was. The red-haired girl tiredly leaned up. She smiled weakly at him.

“Hey got you something to eat,” Cole said as he sat down, and gently placed the tray down on her body. Right after he did, he frowned. “It’s not uncomfortable is it?”

“No it’s fine and thank you,” Shirou replied gratefully.

Shirou struggled to lean up and then take the soup. Her hands shook as she reached up and wrapped her hands on the bottom and the side of the bowl. Despite her efforts there was still a bit of shaking that seemed to get worse as more time passed.

Cole frowned. With how she was right now, he could easily see it spilling all over herself. The way the food was jostling around and all he wondered if he should have gotten something a little sturdier.

Shirou frowned and gently placed it down as much as she could, trying to think of how she could eat this. There was no way that she wa going to let this food go to waste after all the time that he had put into making it. An idea came to her that made heer face darken. She didn’t want to go with it at first due to how embarrassing it would be, but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Besides from when she was looking around in the kitchen, they didn’t have long enough for it.

“Could you feed me?” Shirou asked timidly, blushing slightly.

“You want me to feed you?” Cole said, his voice coming out more like a squeak. He blinked and prayed that he heard her wrong.

Jaune squeaked as well and her face burned brightly at the red-haired request. She didn’t think that she would ask something like that. She looked between the two of them wondering what Cole would say.

“Yeah, I don’t think I can eat it by myself without making a mess,” Shirou explained, looking away in shame. The fact that she needed help for something as menial as this was a blow to her pride. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I...guess I could,” Cole answered. She was going to need her strength if she was going to get back into top shape. This would help conserve strength and ensure that there wouldn’t be a mess.

The redhead leaned back as Cole brought the spoon over. Shirou ate the soup that she was offered and sighed in content. The heat went down her body and she relaxed. It was weird, but she couldn’t help but smile. It was nice and relaxing. The only thing missing would be some favorite music or a show going on to add to it and it would have been like that she was at a spa.

Cole did his best to keep his face blank as he fed the redhead. This was the first time that he had ever been in what could only be described as a romantic scenario. The moment the word romantic came about he shut it away and breathed a little easier. The brunette tried to shove the word away and tried to prop it up like a nurse feeding a weak patient, but it did nothing to ease his erratic heart and thoughts. He looked down at the bowl of soup and frowned at how much of it was there. They weren’t going to run out of soup fast enough.

Jaune watched the interaction between the pair, a little jealous about what was happening. Her stomach churned and she wanted nothing more them to take the bowl and the spoon from him and feed Shirou herself, just so Cole didn’t have to do it. She frowned and stopped the groan that wanted to desperately come out.

Suddenly the image of her in Shirou’s place made her face burn as she imagined being fed by Cole. She bit her lips. It took all that she had to keep an embarrassing squeal from leaving her mouth. Despite her best efforts, the blonde could only continue to watch Shirou being fed, the jealousy and want growing within her. It took more effort then she would like to admit in saying

The moment the bowl was finished, Shirou closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep once more. A light gentle snoring came from her as her chest slowly rose up and down.

Cole grabbed the tray and quietly left the room, Jaune right behind him. The young man let out a breath the moment he was out of the room, the blonde girl shutting the door behind her. That had been one of the most stressful things that he had gone through in terms of awkwardness. Physically it hadn’t been demanding, but the with how his m

“Its about time we got out own meal,” Cole sighed as he went to the kitchen.

They grabbed the last of the leftovers that Shirou had made and warmed the up. They sat down at the table and started eating them.

As they ate, Jaune had to fight the desire to ask if he could feed her. It felt like he had just teased her with how she had seen it done to Shirou. The displaced human groaned as she rested her forehead, what was wrong with her that she couldnt get these stupid fantasies out of her head.

“Is something wrong?” Cole asked.

Jaune quickly raised her head and blushed profusely. The words that she wanted to say were on the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t want to voice it.

“Jaune are you ok?” Cole questioned.

“Just had a thought and wondering what it’s like,” Jaune answered before she bit her lip and inwardly berated herself for saying that out loud. She prayed that he wouldn’t push since she wasn’t sure if she could trust herself not to if he did.

“What is it?”

“I was wondering what… it would be like to be fed by someone,” Jaune admitted and her blush grew at the shocked look that entered his face. She cursed herself for saying it out loud and her mind scrambled as her voice went on autopilot. “After seeing you do it and how happy Shirou was about it I couldn't help but wonder if it was as good as it looked.”

The young woman didn't dare to mention the jealousy that she felt at seeing him do it with Shirou and cursed herself for waying what was on her mind. The blush that he had on his face would have worsened and led to a stranger conversation that she wasn't sure the two of them were ready for, especially since Shirou did show up not too long ago. She knew that if that got out then it would make the relationship that they did have weirder. Weirder than the fact they were from two different worlds.

“Well if you want I could feed you I guess, or at least do it once,” Cole offered, the words coming out on their own.

He had already done it so hopefully, it wouldn't be as weird as the first time. Besides it would only be one maybe two times instead of until the meal was over like with Shirou. He was sure that he had the strength needed to do that.

“Well….if you're alright with it I guess,” Jaune answered.

She had often envisioned being in a scene like this. That when she finally went to Beacon she would meet that special girl that would make the world seem brighter than it ever was. All the romantic scenes like having a lap pillow, going out on dates, or feeding each other. Though she had thought that she would be the man in the relationship instead of being the girl.

Cole grabbed his fork and cut a portion of her meal off. He slipped it on the fork and carefully raised it, making sure that he wouldn't accidentally spill it. There was no way that he was going to let food sent by heaven made by their greatest chef go to waste.

Jaune slowly opened her mouth and took her bite. She chewed her food as if she was eating it for the first time as her face burned in embarrassed glee. The more she chewed the more confident she was. The second forkful of food came around and this time she ate it without any of the hesitation.

Cole smiled at the adorable expression she was making. He patiently watched her chew her food and when she was done he asked, “Is your curiosity satisfied?”

“It is,” Jaune admitted, gidy at what just happened. The young woman had to stop herself from asking for him to do it again. It was so good and her heart fluttered at having been able to fulfill a fantasy that she wanted to do. She hoped in the future that they would be able to do a repeat like this. Though unless they became an item or she got sick she didn’t think that would happen.

Cole frowned as hus thoughts immediately returned to Shirou and her condition. She had to have known that she wasnt in the best condition and yet she pushed on anyway as if she had to. It was almost insane for him to believe. Then again this was the same Magus who ran into danger no matter the odds stacked against her. It made the thought of pushing herself to the point that she passed out in exhaustion all the more possible. They couldn't let her keep doing that or else she

“I don't think we should leave Shirou alone,” Cole said seriously. “With how he…she was I think she might try to get to cleaning up all day again or something.”

Jaune hummed as she thought over what he said. If she had to be honest she could see where he was coming from, With how Shirou looked and how she had kept herself distracted she was sure that she might try to get back to it if she had the opportunity. Even though she almost collapsed and clearly wasn’t in the best shape she still tried to finish making their breakfast.

“I think you might be right,” Jaune hummed. She had never seen anyone do that before. Her parents had told her the importance of making sure that you didn’t push yourself too far. Accidents could happen if you weren’t careful or paying attention. She knew that from experience sadly. “What do you want to do?”

Cole hummed thinking about what they could do to keep Shirou in one place. He was sure that if Shirou thought something was wrong she would go to correct it. The way she had went about cleaning the place as if it was a job only added to his thoughts on what she would do. There was no way that he was going to just lock her in there. He was sure that she could break out of there with ease and it would be pretty rude. She wasn’t a prisoner here and he wasn’t going to treat her like one.

The best way that he could think of was to spend time with her. It would be a good way to keep her there and make sure that she didn't wander out and try to get back to cleaning everything. “Then we better make sure that she is having fun while she is relaxing.”

“Huh?” Jaune questioned.

“We’ll spend the day with her play games, watch stuff in there, whatever we can. Keep her involved so she doesn’t feel antsy and left out,” Cole said.

“Yeah, that should work,” Jaune said a little excited about it possibly working. Anything to help Shirou would be great and it would help them know each other.

“I’ll work on getting some of the game systems in there,” Cole smiled. “Why don’t you and Shirou talk some more, tell her about the plan. Besides I’m sure that she might want to talk to you a bit more about all of this.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Jaune agreed. The blonde went up to Shirou’s room and put her head against the door to see if she could hear anything that might be going on in there. She gently poked her head in the room as she quietly opened the door to see if Shirou was awake and saw the redhead look at her.

“Hey,” Shirou greeted. What’s going on?”

“Oh me and Cole didn’t want you to feel left out so you weren’t just lounging in here with the TV,” Jaune said.

Shirou smiled and seemed a little excited about the whole thing as well. It would be nice to have them here doing stuff instead of just laying around to get her strength back.

“Do you want to talk a little more about….being a girl?” Jaune questioned.

Shirou was quiet as she thought about what to do. It might help to talk to someone who understood completely what it was like. She questioned. “Should I be worried? Is there anything that might be painful?”

“Well it isn’t painful, but there might be a few parts that are rather...pleasant,” Jaune responded, gulping slightly.

“Pleasant?” Shirou questioned. She knew that the transformation of her genitalia was….arousing, but there were other parts that were good?

“Yeah,” Jaune chuckled sheepishly. The blonde gulped as she thought about what to do. She breathed in and bounced her chest, blushing slightly from the action. She then turned around and swayed her hips, getting a familiar jiggle from butt. “It’s...an experience let’s go with that.

Shirou blushed and looked down at her body, her mind imagining large breasts on her body that were near Jaune’s size or even larger. It looked comical in the larger sizes, but she still couldn’t help but find it arousing, especially if their growth rivaled her crotch morphing in that department. It had been so good that the only thing that she could think to do at the time was rub it.

Before the questioning could go further, a knock came on the door and they both turned as the door opened. Cole stepped inside, holding one of the game consoles. He smiled sheepishly at the pair.

“Sorry I took some time, just making sure that I got everything we needed,” Cole said.

Cole quickly got to work connecting it to the TV. He wasn’t as familiar with the plugins for the stuff in here, but it was the same as the other TVS. After a few minutes, he was able to set up the cords without them being in the way. The young man positioned the game system, making sure that it was in a place that wouldn’t fall, or get knocked over in case someone passed it by. He didn’t want to buy another one if something happened to it, and even then he only had some of the data saved on a flash drive.

“Alright there we go,” Cole remarked. “How are you holding up Shirou?”

“Yeah just trying to relax,” the magus said. “Worrying about how big I’ll be when this is done.”

“Well, one thing that you don’t have to worry about is cooking for us,” Cole joked. “With how you have been making something else for a while we’re set food-wise for a while.”

“I couldn’t help it, I just found it relaxing,” Shirou responded, her face darkening a little while the others laughed at her flustered appearance.

“Well when you’re feeling better, if you want to cook again then go ahead,” Cole replied. “I know me and Jaune adore your cooking.”

“It's just so good,” Jaune agreed.

“Well when I start feeling better I'll make sure to whip up something special. I guess this gives me some time to think it over,” Shirou commented.

“Well can't wait to see what you decide to make for your special meal then,” Cole said as he booted the game system up.

The trio passed the time playing some games together. Shirou was slow and careful, still getting a feel for the controller and her own sickness. When she get tired, she switched with Jaune and watched as they played. Again Shirou marveled at how advanced it all seemed to her. It was unlike any of the games that she had played in her time. A part of her wondered if games had been more like this would she have been more invested in them.

When Shirou started feeling tired again and had trouble staying awake they stopped what they were doing. Before she fell asleep, Cole had given Shirou the house phone and told her that if she needed anything then she just had to give him a call. They would slip out of the room as she relaxed some more. They would go and do their own thing to pass the time, a light bit of exercise around the house or playing a game with miniatures to pass the time, until Shirou was awake again.

Whenever Shirou woke up she would call them on the phone and they would head back into the room, continuing where they left off. They continued as if they hadn’t stopped at all, quickly falling back into the dynamic they had before they left.

When it was getting close to dinner, the two grabbed some more of the leftovers that Shirou made and made their own plates as well. This time Shirou had enough strength to eat her food without any assistance, much to Cole’s relief. He was sure that he would be able to do so, but the embarrassment as he watched would be something. Still, he kept an eye on her and made sure she wouldn’t spill it or anything. It would be a sin to waste such delicious food and he wouldn’t let that happen if he could help it.

The day continued like this with them having fun. They all shared dinner in the room, watching a movie, laughing and cheerful. The awkwardness and weirdness that they might have had was gone, as they got to know each other better and have fun.

Soon the night came and all of the energy that they had was gone. All of them bid each other a good night. Shirou snuggled into her sheets once again as Cole and Jaune went about their own nightly preparations. All of them hoped that tomorrow would be a much better day without the stress that came from today.

Shirou breathed in and out as she walked down the hall to the master’s bedroom. It was time for lunch and she would need to make his meal after she found out what he wanted to eat. Usually, he wasn’t a picky eater and would let her do as he pleased, but it wouldn’t be right if she did so without his expressed consent. It would be a waste if she brought something else when he was hungry for something else and no doubt give her a punishment that she would deserve.

The woman stopped at the door and looked down at her attire, making sure that she was presentable to him. She was dressed in a sexy french maid outfit with a white bonnet on her head. The low-cut outfit exposed her upper thighs and was one strong gust of wind from exposing the lingerie hidden underneath it. After making sure that her attire was prim and proper the young woman knocked on the door and breathed out and waited for him to say it was ok for her to come in.

“Enter,” Cole’s voice came through on the other end.

Shirou entered the room and saw Cole reading a book, wearing a suave suit. Her face burned at how dashing he looked in it. Thoughts of the two of them came rushing forward doing a multitude of events from dancing, having a picnic, and lewder ideas that made her loins burn. The young woman forced those lecherous thoughts aside and focused on her job. There could be no distractions right now, especially in front of the master.

“Good afternoon master Is there anything that I can help you with?” Shirou asked, ready for whatever request that it might be. It was getting close to brunch, perhaps he would like a small meal.

“I trust your judgment and your skills,” Cole replied, his eyes for a moment leaving the book.

“Very well.”

“There is something that you can do for me Shirou,” Cole said.

“What is it?” Shirou asked.

Cole got up and went over to her. The young woman breathed at his approach but didn't move.

He placed his arms on both sides of her with a smirk that melted her heart and made her face darken.

She was pulled close and her lips pressed against his own. She melted in her arms and kissed him back.

“I have some urges that need to be dealt with,” Cole asked. “Can you help me with them?”

“Of course master,” Shirou responded, shuddering and biting out a moan to keep the proper respect that was due to him. It was her duty as his maid to help whatever bothered him, no matter what it might be. She didn’t want to receive punishment as well because she didn’t address him with the proper respect that was due to him.

Cole slowly slipped his hand underneath the maid’s skirt, his hand slowly tracing her thigh. The young woman shook again and tried to contain her glee as it got closer to her aching crotch. His hand traced the outskirt of her panties and she had to force herself not to demand that he hurry up. It was his decision. His other hand massaged her rear end and she melted in his grasp thrusting her butt and back and forth in tandem with his grasp.

“Someone is eager?” Cole chuckled.

The Japanese woman couldn’t bring herself to say anything. She was sure that if she did she would make demands that were above her station. No matter how bad she might want it she couldn't do that. He would have to punish her for it, and he knew just how to tease her so.

His fingers traced around her aching hole, making bite her lip harder in eager anticipation.

I think that I have teased you enough,” Cole smirked. Then suddenly he shoved his finger into her demanding hole and she gasped sensually.

A smile graced Shirou’s face and she shuddered in glee. She bucked her hips and bounced on it, enjoying how complete she had felt. When she had been sick he had taken care of her and helped her however he could.

Suddenly he pulled it out of her, making the young woman gasp again. She blinked and looked at him questioningly with lust-filled eyes. She wanted to ask why he stopped, had she done something wrong to offend him, but she couldn’t. The same charming smirk that swept her off her feet stopped her and made it so she couldn’t form any words.

“Perhaps you would like something more?”

“Yes master!” Shirou panted like the dog in heat that she knew that she was,

In one fell swoop the skirt that she wore was torn off of her body, exposing her shapely wet legs and moist crotch, her panties sticking to her lower body more than they should.

The young woman fumbled with the front of his pants, her eagerness getting the better of her. The chuckle that left his mouth was barely noticed by what was happening, but she didn’t care. The young woman wanted to see what was between his legs for herself. She had seen it before, but every time was like a surprise to her.

The pants came off and Shirou moaned in absolute glee at the sight of his member. The young woman didn’t have long to admire it, before she was lifted up in the air, Cole holding her up by her ass. The young woman gasped and lavished in the explosive pleasure that consumed her mind and made a pleased smile form on her face.

In the real world, Shirou’s eyes shot open, her body hot as if she was in a sauna, with a warmth between her legs that she knew if she was still a man would make her rod stand at attention. She stood up and the dream that she had looped in her mind. She could recall everything that happened in the dream with vivid clarity. She tried to bury it and it only assaulted her mind with greater intensity.

Shirou looked down and noticed that her hand was inching closer to her crotch. She squealed and quickly moved her hand away. The red-haired woman couldn’t believe what she had been about to do and still feel the urge to do. It whispered into her mind like sweet words and promises that told her everything would be better the moment she put her finger down there and played with herself.

The young woman blushed at the lewd thought that went through her mind and tried to shove them away. She leaped out of the bed and wandered around the room like an anxious caged beast. The warmth was still there and demanded attention, no matter how she steered her thoughts. It just kept coming back with more ferocity than before as if it refused to be put down.

Shirou squealed as she shook her head and roughly ran her hands through her hair.  Despite her best efforts to expunge those thoughts, it just kept getting worse despite her best efforts to ignore it. Her chest and breasts felt like something was pressing down on them, and needed attention. Her lips felt off as if they were missing something to do. The young woman squealed as suddenly the pressure on her ass grew as if Cole was here right now playing with it.

Her legs clenched together and her flat rear felt like someone had roughly grabbed it. The young woman instinctively clenched her ass cheeks as if she was trying to stop someone from slipping something between them. She trembled and tried to get the image of his hand on her out of her head, but the more she tried to push the lewd thought away, the more it festered and grew in power. She mewled and clenched her hands.

Her bottom started to round out and grew larger as it did. Shirou’s eyes bulged and the young woman stammered as moans came out. Her mind blacked out for a moment and all she could do was stare at her inflating rear as if it was some embarrassing picture. She pressed down on it, as if that would somehow make the expansion cease, but all it did was make what she was feeling worse. Another wave of pleasure shot up through her spine like an electrical snap, making her bounce.

The young moved her hands and watched as her ass continued to get larger and the strain on her pants increased. The front of her pants dug into her crotch, making the image of Cole was the one holding her there stronger. She rubbed her legs together bitting her lips as they formed into a pleased aroused smile. Her ass burned for attention and she struggled to resist the urge. A small part of her wanted to play with her ass as if it was a new stress ball, while she couldn’t bring herself to, despite the growing demand of the perverted voice.

The moment that her bottom had finished changing she looked down at her new. She gulped at the sight of her now pert impressive heart-shaped ass that was bound to get attention no matter what she wore. The curve of her rear would have been hard to find, even if she wore a pair of loose athletic shorts there would be some sign of just how developed she was down below.

Shirou prodded her new inflated rear end with an embarrassed blush. Arousal shot up her spine like an electric zap that made her shudder. The first instinct that she had was to press it further, despite how strange and different it was, while the second was to remove her hand as fast as she could. The two voices warred with each other and she wasn’t sure which one to listen to. Both of them had good points that made it hard to decide between the two, especially since she was in the privacy of her own room. Still, there was one fact that both sides agreed on. The young woman frowned, there was no way that she would be able to go about her day with these pants.

She swayed her hips from side to side and blushed as she could feel the new bounce of her ass that took a moment longer to stop than the rest of her body. The young woman walked around the room at a normal pace and gulped as she could feel her swaying behind move and knew that she would be giving everyone a good view. That would take some getting used to.

The young woman took off her nightclithes and shuddered as her pants brushed against her rear end. The cold air brushed against her buttocks stronger then it did before as if someone was gently tracing it. The young woman breathed as she grabbed her jeans and pulled them on and blinked. She was surprised by how tight they were. She had thought that her pants would be looser due to her differing body. Was her butt that big or did her thighs and butt make up for it?

Shirou breathed as she decided to put it to the test. She looked over her shoulder and moved her hips from side to side as if she was dancing. The tightness of her pants managed to make the bounce of her ass pronounced, making her frown. No matter how she moved there was something off about it, as if something extra was hanging on. She would rather not get all the attention of everyone she met because of her butt.

‘But what if it was Cole that was watching your butt?’ The perverted part of her mind whispered naughtily to her and made her stop. She recalled the day Jaune came out in her nightclothes and how he watched her walk away, his eyes focused on her ass. She wondered if he would like her butt just as much as he liked Jaune’s. The thought of it sent a thrill down her body that only made the blush she had worse. She didn't think that she would mind it much if he decided to stare at her.

The young woman sniffed when she smelled heated food hit her nostrils. Her Stomach growled, there was no way that she was going to get through the day if she didn’t have something to eat.

“Maybe some food will help,” Shirou said, desperate for any sort of distraction that she could get.

The young woman left her room and entered the kitchen and saw multiple trays of food strewn out. She felt like she could eat all of it. There was something familiar about the food and after a moment she recognized that it was food that she had made. The more she looked at the leftovers, the more sheepish she felt. She probably shouldn't have made a new dish for every meal. There was enough here to make it look like they had robbed a buffet. She looked in the dining room and saw Jaune and Cole with their meals ready.

“Morning,” Jaune said as she stirred some of her food.

“Morning Shirou? Sleep alright?” Cole asked.

The moment Cole’s voice went through her ears, she stilled as if she had walked out of the room completely naked. Her face darkened and she quickly tried to get herself under control. The fantasies that had gone through her the night before came back. She wondered if he was as athletic as she dreamed. Her toes curled and the events that she had woken up on made her crotch warmed. She had seen glimpses of his body during small spars and workouts the two had, but never an in-depth look.

“I slept ok, just feeling a little hungry is all,” Shirou squeaked and quickly went about getting her morning meal ready. She hummed a tune and rolled her hips as she thought about it, trying to keep her mind

The way Shirou was acting caught both Jaune and Cole off guard. The two of them had thought that the redhead would be more relaxed now that things were in the open. They immediately knew that whatever happened had to be related to her feminization. The blonde and the brunette looked her over, wondering if they would be able to see what had caused her frazzled state. They noticed that something was different about her lower body and blushed then they realized that her ass had ballooned.

Cole blushed and rubbed the back of his head, trying to keep his eyes off of her ass. It didn’t seem as big as Jaune’s, but the tightness and the shape was enough to draw his attention. His mind wondered how it would feel in his hands, or in other clothes. He tried to put such thoughts down, but they refused to relent because of how she danced.

Jaune was in the same position as him and tried to act casual. She rubbed her arms and looked up at the roof, her face having a dark blush that put Shirou’s hair to shame. She couldn’t get Shirou’s ass out of her mind. The blonde could tell again that she had the bigger butt, but a nice butt was going to get attention no matter what, especially with how her friend was shaking her healthy butt.

Shirou continued to move her behind, trying her best to ignore the bounce of her delectable rear as much as she could. It was doing something in keeping her perverted thoughts away. If she couldn’t do that then she was sure that she wouldn’t be able to look Cole in the face and that was just asking for more problems. She didn’t want to make things weird and go back to how they were, not after they finally managed to get over that hurdle. She wanted to be honest with them after all that they had done for her. She refused to go back to that weirdness.

The rest of the occupants knew that they should probably tell or shouldn’t be watching this as intently as they were. Yet the two watched her and grew more aroused by the second. They couldn’t bring themself to stop it, admiring the curve of her ass and the way it moved. The two of them wondered if this was what it was like to be in a strip club or have a girl do a sexy dance for them.

Cole breathed out and was ever so grateful the table was here again. It hid his aroused manhood from view of Jaune and Shirou when she inevitably turned around. The most perverted part of him that he slammed down with as hard as he could wanted to record the show as if it would be the last time that he would see such sights. No matter what he wasn’t going to do that and be a creep to them.

Jaune gulped and could feel her crotch burn in greater anticipation, fueling her aroused mind as thoughts that she shouldn't have invaded it. She could feel her nipples perk in anticipation and had to stop herself from fondling herself. She wasn’t sure how much more of this she would be able to take it.

“Shirou,” Jaune started awkwardly. “Could you please not…do that so much.”

“Huh?” Shirou questioned, brought out of her lewd thoughts. The young woman realized what she had been doing and sighed. She should have known that they would have noticed, especially if she wiggled her hips like that. She continued awkwardly. “Yeah, I appear to have a little more…girth down there. I’m just trying to get used to it. It feels…weird like something is hanging off of me.”

“It takes some getting used to,” Jaune admitted. “After a little while, you’ll hardly notice the way those bounce.”

“Is it the same way with your….boobs?” Shirou questioned, wondering why she was even asking this in the first place.

“I'm still getting used to them,” Jaune admitted sheepishly. You would think after weeks of having a large set of boobs like her that she would have gotten used to them fully. Then again it might just be that they were just too big for her to get used to them, especially since she spent 17 years as a boy.

Shirou looked down at her flat chest and wondered how much longer it would be before her boobs came in.  By this point, it was no longer a matter of if, but when. She imagined a pair of boobs roughly Jaune’s size or even a little smaller or larger. As weird as it would be, she welcomed them. She even went as far as imagining a pair of boobs that would be ridiculous on her body and make her head look small. She shuddered.

“Are you okay?” Cole questioned.

“Yeah just imagining my boobs coming in and what they might be like,” Shirou stated, only to realize what she had said a moment later.

Cole blushed as well and breathed deeply as his mind was suddenly invaded by perverse thoughts. He had tried to avoid thinking such things, but now the thought wouldn’t go away, if he was alone he might not have minded it, but with her in front of him

Jaune coughed with a blush. She wasn’t sure what to say to that with how blunt it was. She had similar thoughts after seeing the games about the large-breasted ninja girls and how much jiggle they had. The thought made her stomach twist and wish that they didn’t meet anyone like that. She hoped that she would be larger than the redhead when her boobs had finished changing. It was a small thing, but something she wished.

“Well, then today is another glorious day for us to have some fun. Anybody up for getting some exercise later? I wouldn’t mind going for another run,” Cole said, trying to banish those thoughts.

“I would be down,” Jaune said eagerly.

“Sorry Jaune, but I don’t feel like being another weight for you when you run,” the young man said. “I have a little pride, even if you have done that before.”

“Would you like to do a spar after?”

“Maybe...wouldn’t be anything intense, maybe just some small fun you block my attacks. Pretty sure if you swing once, you would wreck me in a heartbeat.”

“It would still be fun and cool and I would never hurt you on purpose! I can control my strength,” Jaune said.

Shirou watched the two interact and how comfortable she had been around them. They had bonded pretty fast in the short time that she had been here.

A smile crossed her face. For the first time in a long while, the redhead felt better than she had been in a while, both physically and emotionally. She didn’t feel bogged down by being in a new world as much.  With all the events that had happened in such a short amount of time it helped harden the bond that they had and show how they were and she trusted them wholeheartedly. It was almost as if they were an adopted family together, or at least as close as one.

They might not have been the idea of what a family should be, but they took her in when she had no one in this strange world no question asked. They were there for her and went out of their way to ensure that she was comfortable. She knew that not everyone had that kind of kindness to just take in a stranger. It reminded her of Kiritsugu in a way and how he took her in.

The young woman looked at the time and saw it was getting close to dinner. Shirou smiled as she stood up and went to the kitchen. She was going to make the best meal that she possibly could as thanks for helping her with everything. Her mind was bouncing with ideas of what she could do and what they liked. Dishes that she was sure would please them in every way possible. It would take some time to make, but that would hardly be a problem.

“I’m going to get an early start on dinner,” Shirou said. “It's going to take some time for it to be finished.”

“Would you like some help?” Jaune asked. “I might not be an expert chef like you, but could help with setup.”

“Just sit down and enjoy yourselves while I make dinner,” Shirou said with a fire in her voice that told them both how determined she was.

Cole and Jaune did as she asked and sat down, not fully sure what to make of this new fire. On one hand, it was nice to see how free and relaxed she was now. On the other hand, it was a little unnerving, especially since they didn’t want her to push herself too hard and get sick again because outfit.  Still, they were happy that the redhead was feeling so much better about what had happened.

The two watched as the young woman worked. Both of them were excited for what he would make, knowing that it would taste delicious. Already their mouths watered in delicious anticipation of what they might have. The two could taste all of the food that Shirou had made for them before. The tastes collided with one another and yet they could still taste it all and differentiate what was what.  They had to restrain themselves from interfering. They didn’t want to do anything that could ruin the food and throw the young redhead off her game.

The food fantasies were disturbed when they noticed a slight protrusion coming from the redhead's body. They gasped when they saw that Shirou’s pecs were looking larger. The two could only stare at Shirou’s chest as it grew, pushing out the front of her shirt. The two wanted to say something but they were left dumbstruck by the sight, even if in Cole’s case this would be the second time that he had seen such a sight. It was as if they were being hypnotized to watch and stare.

The two managed to force their eyes up and see if Shirou was at all phased by what was happening to her. If the magus had any idea about what was happening to her body then she made no sign that she did. Shirou continued to cook as if it wasn't happening at all and still had the same smile on her face. They opened their mouths to say something, but no sound came out.

Cole’s face burned at what he was seeing. It might have been the second time that he had seen a pair of boobs form like this but it was still just as pleasing. The young man breathed heavily through his nose. He could feel blood rush down below and was ever so grateful that there was a table to hide it from view. His hands clenched and his toes curled of their own will.

The blonde’s body immediately got hotter the more she watched. She bit her lip and grabbed her shirt tightly. Her thighs moved closer together and rubbed against each other. The blonde’s mind scrambled as it took in what was happening, and noticed it all. The way the shirt moved, the slight jiggle as her breasts pushed. It was a sif her mind was trying to burn ever every little facet of what was happening to memory. She was sure that if she still had her dick then it would be rock solid.

Shirou’s growth continued to grow and her bust jiggled on her top as she quickly stirred a bowl of some mixture.  Her bosom’s growth started to slow and finished growing when they became a large D-cup that looked like she had decided to shove apple’s down her shirt.

Despite it being done, Cole could only stare at them as if he was in some deep trance. The fact that he swore he could see the outline of her nipples only served to around him further. He brought his leg up underneath to try and control himself, but his third leg continued to fight him as if it had gained a mind of its own. It just wouldn’t go down. The young man groaned and hoped that he didn’t have to get up.

Jaune looked down at her bust and then back at Shirou’s bosom, comparing the two of them. From the angle that she was looking at her boobs looked huge and that was a fact. She had…examined herself enough to gain a great understanding of how large she was. She had yet to find a rival in this world when it came to boob size. After some quick calculations, she was able to say with absolute certainty that she was larger than the Japanese girl. Pride and glee went through her for a reason she couldn’t identify as she sat a little straighter. For some reason, she was just happy that she was.

When Shirou finished making their meal she turned with a beaming smile on her face that would have melted hearts everywhere. The young woman’s new bust took a moment longer to stop and settled, which made the two’s arousal grow further. The red-haired girl noticed the blushes that were on Jaune and Cole’s face and frowned.

“Is something wrong?” Shirou asked.

“Shirou look down,” Jaune said gently.

Shirou blinked and then look down. Her face immediately flushed and became a bright pink when she saw the now large mounds that she had on her chest. She even. couldn’t see her feet past them

Cole could only breathe deeply out as he rubbed his face. He was sure that Shirou wasn’t this dense. Though that blackhole of denseness went to a certain scyfy character going to an all-girls school and a young idiotic noblewoman.

“Do…you want a bra?” Jaune questioned.

“Sure it might help with these,” Shirou replied awkwardly.

The two left the room, leaving Cole alone. The young man quickly took the time to adjust his pants so that he no longer had to with his pants and underwear being so tight. Still despite that, the erection remain and the erection remained, despite the cause of it being gone. He breathed in and out and tried to get his mind off the memories of the pair’s bodies when they grew more voluptuous. Needless to say, it was proving to be a far greater task than initially thought, and he already thought it would be a hard one.

Jaune breathed out and she went back to the room that she had been staying in and went over to where she had kept her bras. The blonde rifled through them looking for one that would seem like the best for her.

“Here try this one,” Jaune said and gave her a black bra.

Shirou breathed out as she held the bra, not sure what to do. The young woman stared at the article of clothing as if it was some new foreign object. She had never put on a bra before, though she did see them from time to time when Taiga had to get some laundry done. The young woman put on the front of the bra without any issue, but she struggled to get it on the back. Whenever it seemed like she was about to get the clip, it was just out of reach.

“Do you need some help?” Jaune questioned.

“Please,” Shirou questioned.

“It takes some getting used to, but it does help,” the blonde remarked as she clipped the back of the bra.

“Thanks,” Shirou replied, looking down at her boobs, feeling weird that she had. The bra that she wasn’t too tight, and knew it was because she didn’t quite match up to Jaune’s size. She grabbed the bottom of her bust and pushed them up.

Jaune blushed at seeing how the girl was seeing how she did. She cleared her throat, making the young Japanese girl jump and turn to her with an embarrassed blush. A part of her was angry for stopping the free show, but she wasn’t sure how long she would be able to stand there before her body became a horny mess.

“How is it?”

“It’s a little big, but it’s doing something at least,” Shirou replied sheepishly.

Jaune smiled at the redhead. Again glee went through her at the fact that she was right about being bigger than her. The blonde knew that it shouldn’t have mattered to her as much as it did, and yet she couldn’t.

“I would recommend walking around a little,” Jaune said sheepishly. “It’s weird wearing one for the first time and comes with its own challenges, even if it does make you less... bouncy.”

Shirou blinked and walked around the room and immediately understood what she meant. She looked down at her bust and bit her lip. She could feel the bra gently brush against her boobs as she moved, making her feel strange. The bra managed to reduce some of the bounce there, but it wasn’t enough to prevent it from happening. It might have just been the size of them since it was meant for someone bigger.

“Well thanks for it, I’m glad some of the strain is gone at least.”

“Not a problem, glad I could help,” Jaune chuckled. “Now we better get back to the table. We don’t want the food to get cold, especially after all the hard work you put into making it.”

“Right,” Shirou agreed earnestly.

The two of them went back to the dining room and saw Cole on his phone. The moment he heard them coming he cleared his throat and placed his phone down.

“Everything ok?” Cole questioned.

“Yeah, everything is fine,” Shirou replied with a gentle motherly smile. She sat down and her breasts brushed against the table. She slid back and chuckled sheepishly.

Cole blushed again and could feel another rush down below that he quickly got to work suppressing. It was just like when Jaune’s boobs came in, and he was given a show, except this one wasn’t as….active. He still wasn’t going to complain about it, getting either show like this was a win.

Jaune blushed as well, and the mood that she had tried to settle back on was gone.

“Well let’s not wait for the food to get cold, let’s eat,” the Magus said as she started to munch on her food.

For the other two it was as if a race had started and ate their food with great vigor.  Shirou as the make was able to eat her meal as if it was normal, but Jaune and Cole couldn’t. The food they tasted was scrumptious and seemed to be better than anything that she had made before. It was too good to resist. They responded when spoken two, but the two of them could hardly resist the food that they had. It was almost as if the two of them worried that if they did that it would be taken away from them by some unseen specter. Shirou didn’t mind and simply smiled as she ate her food, taking pride in the fact that she was able to gain that sort of reaction from the pair.

The food seemed to disappear as fast as it was placed. They would go up to get more food almost without break. With every plate made the food that they had dwindled but they never noticed aside from Shirou who was happy her food was loved so much. Unlike the other times that they had eaten the food Shirou had made, there wasn't anything left over this time.

By the time they all of them felt as if they could pass out at second. All of the food that they had, making them all feel as if their were weights resting in their guts that weight them down. Their eyes struggled to stay open and the group couldn’t help but feel as if they were about to pass out. The trio tiredly said good night to eachother as they went to their rooms. They didn’t even bother to change as they just laid down in their beds and cuddled in their sheets, wondering what the next day would bring.

Jaune didn’t expect to be the first person to wake up but was surprised that she was. With all the food that she had last night she had thought that she would be asleep till the afternoon at the latest. She didn’t know what to do with herself now that she was. She had wanted to try and see if she could play some of the games, but didn’t want to risk waking the others up. Though from what Cole said he coukld sleep through anything if she was comfortable enough.

She left the room, wondering what she could do to pass the time.

Footsteps caught her attention and she wondered who it could be. With how Shirou been the other night she was sure that she would be asleep, but then again it considering how late she had stayed up to clean the house and how much she did it might have been her pushing herself again.  It was possible that it was Cole. She didn’t know who she would prefer right now.

If it was Shirou then that meant she was making more of her delicious food. Sure they could talk, but things had gotten weird with her breasts just growing in like that. She breathed out. If it was then all she had to do was avoid that kind of talk if she could help it. Shirou liked superheroes and was interested in Remnant. She was sure that she could call upon to tell her that she was sure she would like.

Her heart skipped another beat at the possibility of it being Cole. It would be the first time in a bit that they would be alone. Sure things weren’t weird between them, but her body just couldn’t help it. Being close to him felt so good to her. Everything felt better and somehow she just felt like things would be ok in his presence, but the way her heart pounded in her chest and the way she had been.  She was more worried that she would make things weird between them.

Jaune stepped forward. She wasn’t going to find out who it was if she just stayed here. Besides she shouldn’t be so nervous. They were her friends and good people. There was no reason to be acting like it was her first day at Beacon.

The young woman entered the room. She saw that it was Cole with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands. He looked half-dead with heavy dark rings around his eyes. The nerves that she had died down and frowned.

“Hey,” Cole greeted tiredly. He took another sip of his drink and his eyes came to life just a little bit more.

“More weird dreams?” Jaune asked worryingly.

Cole nodded his head and then took another sip of his drink, which made her worry grow. It was almost like talking to a statue, which unnerved her from how animated he could be. He was never this quite in the morning.

“So...did you sleep well?” Jaune asked then winced. “Nevermind stupid question.”

“Ehh about as well as can be expected,” Cole replied tiredly. “Just had some weird dreams again. How are you doing?”

“Worried, trying to relax and wondering how to pass the time,” Jaune sighed. “I don’t feel like practicing how to fight and I don’t want to play games because I didn’t want to possibly wake you or Shirou up.”

“Thanks but I’m tired enough I would have just slept through it all,” Cole replied, earning an unladylike snort from the woman. “As for Shirou, I’m sure that she wouldn’t have been bothered if you did want to play something.”

“Maybe, but still it just didn’t see right,” Jaune said.

“Well then guess we could start making breakfast now or something,” Cole said. “I could use something to eat.”

“I guess I wouldn’t mind having some food, I think its about time that we make our own food and maybe something special for Shirou. After all the stuff Shirou did its time we finally did a little something,” Jaune said.

The two grabbed a small bit of the leftovers from the fridge and got to work on heating them up for their meal. It might not win any rewards or be instantly prepared, but with all the food there, it needed to be eaten at some point. Besides, it would be ready whenever their latest household member was awake and ready to eat.

When their meals were finished heating up, the two took bits of their meals but stopped. They rolled the food in their mouth, and swallowed. They frowned as they looked back down and then took another bite. They slowly chewed on it, tasting it and examining it. It wasn’t bad, as if it was out of date, but it seemed like it lost some flavor.

“Is it just me or does food not taste as good anymore?” Jaune sighed.

“Nope it’s not just you,” Cole said. “It can’t be the food, its should still be good for a while longer.”

The two looked down at their food again, trying to think of what was wrong with it. They hadn’t done anything to it and knew Shirou wouldn’t mess with it. It simply wasn’t in the redhead’s nature to pull some sort of prank.

Suddenly Cole recalled the first time that he had tried Shirou’s delicious food. The young man had smiled gleefully and felt as if he had just been given the best food in the world. Even when he was full and his stomach felt like it ws going to burst he couldn’t bring himself to stop, simply because he wanted to have more of the delicious food. He was pretty sure that was the closest that he would ever get to a real life food orgasm like from Food Wars.

“We’ve been spoiled by Shirou’s cooking,” Cole sighed, making Jaune blink and look at him curiously.

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it Jaune, Shirou has been handling our meals, we have had nothing but her’s ever since she had arrived for the most part,” Cole explained.

The blonde gasped as if she had just been told some sort of horrifying truth. She tried to think of the food they had recently and where it had come from. She was sure that they hadn’t only had Shirou’s in the time that she had spent here. For a moment she thought that they had gone out to a restaurant the food was just as delicious, but it was shot down when she remembered that it was the day before. She was forced to accept the fact that Shirou’s cooking had been all that she had recently.

Cole slouched as he looked down at the meal that he had readied for himself, wondering if he would be able to eat normal food that hadn’t been prepared by Shirou with joy again. He took another bite and groaned at the lack of taste to it. Now that he had it for himself, he could understand why Taiga kept coming back to Shirou’s for food. The redhead was the only one who could make food that lived up to her expectations and dreams.

Shirou stepped out of the room and the two looked at him. There was a belt around her waist that kept her pants up. The legs of her pants reached down the hem of her ankles and brushed against the floor. The shirt was stuffed down the front of her pants, making the outline of her bosom visible. It made for a somewhat cute image, but the frazzled look on her face somewhat killed it.

“Morning,” Shirou greeted awkwardly, with a smile to match. “Sorry I slept in. I guess was more tired than I thought I was.

The redhead sat down and munched on the food in front of her without any hesitation. She cut the food into smaller bites and then added some syrup to it. She took bite after bite, clearly enjoying what she was eating, unaware that she was being stared at by Cole and Jaune.

The two envied the auburn-haired girl and her ability to eat food other food with no problems. As rude as it might be, they were considering having her get back up and cooking their meal again. It no longer seemed like they would be able to start their day properly if this was the morning meal that they had to put up with when they started their day.

Instead, the two reluctantly ate their meal at a slow pace. It was as if they were trying to eat a bland piece of food. They wished they could do something to try and give the food more spice or taste, but was sure that no matter what they did it just wouldn’t be able to compare. A person could only go so far, before it just became futile and only made it worse.

The moment Shirou finished eating, she put the empty plates in the sink. The young woman sat down at the table again and cleared her throat, getting the two attention. She breathed in and out, as if she was thinking about what to say. The two waited patiently for her to say something and she couldn’t help but feel nervous as guilt came in at the thought of asking.

“Your clothes aren’t really going to fit me anymore,” Shirou said. Her eyes drifted to the large mounds on her chest. “Is there any chance that we could go shopping today?”

“Are you sure? It doesn’t have to be if you're not ready,” Cole said. He was a little surprised that Shirou felt like going shopping.

“Putting this off isn’t going to do me any favors,” Shirou said tiredly. “We might as well get this over with. Whatever clothes we have around the house are too large for me to wear.”

“Well I guess we could go after breakfast,” Cole said, looking between the two. “Do you want to come with us Jaune or do you want to stay here?”

“I’ll come along,” Jaune answered. She didn’t like the thought of going back to that store, but she didn’t want to stay here by herself. At least it would get her out of the house for a bit, even if the mall wasn’t an ideal place, especially with what they would be doing.

“Alright then, I guess we’ll get ready when we’re done,” Cole said and went back to eating his food, the two doing the same.

The moment they finished eating and putting their stuff away, the group huddled back into the car. Jaune sat next to him, and she looked so unsure of herself. Shirou sat in the back behind him, and looked down. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out. Cole breathed out as he started the car, wishing that it was going well and that the atmosphere didn’t feel as oppressive as it did now.

The drive there didn’t ease up as they drove, and Cole looked at Shirou through the mirror to see how the redhead was doing. If he was at all discomforted by the fact she was getting clothes for herself now, then she didn’t show it. The Japanese girl listened to the music and looked at the passing scenery. Cole waited for her to say something but she didn’t.

He snuck a look at Jaune and she looked down and closed and opened her hands as if she was the one they were shopping for. This was the second time he had to drive to the mall prayed he wouldn’t have to go through this a third time. Knowing his luck he wouldn’t be surprised if he had to so, maybe even for a fourth time. Though hopefully, it wouldn’t be for any more unexpected houseguests.

“So how much farther?” Shirou asked.

“Not much,” Cole answered. “Just depends on how much traffic decides to mess with us some more.”

The air in the car somehow got more oppressive, even more so then the first. It was like he had delivered some ill news to the pair that made him feel guilty. The young man wondered if going back would be a good idea at this point, and waited to see if they would say something. If  they did then that would be enough.

“Do you guys want to go back?”

“No we’re already close, we might as well go all the way,” Shirou replied.

“Yeah,” Jaune agreed, much to Cole’s shock.

“Alright then,” Cole said.

In the rearview mirror, Cole watched Shirou breathed in and out as if she was pumping herself up for an important test. It was a little cute with how she was pumping her fists up and down with a determined look on her face. The young man snorted and focused on the road, a smile on his face feeling a little better. It was hard not to feel good after seeing such a cute display.

When they arrived at the mall, Cole breathed in and looked at Shirou. The magus was the first one to step out of the car. Jaune got out of the car and stretched in place. Cole sighed as he turned it off and stepped out. He looked at the others and watched as Jaune stretched her back, his eyes locked on her bosom which was pushed out. He looked away before the others could see what he was doing.

“Ready?” Cole asked, getting nods from the two.

Cole took the lead and found himself being followed by the girls as if he was a mother duckling leading her young. He looked over his shoulder and saw Jaune breathing heavily looking down as she played with her arms. Shirou kept looking straight ahead as if she was trying to put a brave face on.

The young man led the trio through the mall, his face burning at having to come here again. He had thought he would never have to come here again after Jaune. He stopped outside the store, and looked at it all, his face burning again as he imagined stepping inside. The lone male looked at the other two and saw the blonde’s face had a faint blush on her face as she stared at the clothes in the store windows. The redhead on the other hand breathed in and let out a tired sigh. He watched as the foreign girl walked into the store, leaving the two of them alone. Cole blinked and looked at Jaune, who seemed to be just as surprised as he was.  The two looked at each other silently wondering if they both saw the same thing.

“Didn’t think Shirou would just march right on in,” Cole admitted.

“Yeah,” Jaune agreed, blushing somewhat as she looked at one of the nearby mannequins in a racy set of scarlet underwear. “We better go in after her, or else we might never find her in there.”

“Right,” Cole said and took a breath.

The two quickly rushed inside after their red-haired friend. They swiftly managed to catch up with her and slowed when they stood next to her. They stood behind her as she walked around the store, looking at everything they had. Shirou didn’t say anything as she looked. The girl sped up a little faster past the swimsuits and lingerie. When she was finished looking around the whole store she stopped and hummed in thought.

“So where do you want to start?” Jaune asked timidly.

“I’m not sure where to start,” Shirou sighed as she looked around. Her eyes landed on all the sale signs and while they did seem appealing what held her back was the clothing in general. All the clothing would only serve to remind her of her new femininity. Whatever she chose she wasn’t going to enjoy when she stepped into the changing room to see how her clothes fit. It was all overwhelming for her to see what they had now. She knew what she wanted. Nice simple clothes she could wear around the house. Long-sleeved shirts and comfortable jeans. Maybe some short-sleeved shirts and shorts for herself for when she walked around the house.

Cole looked around, trying to think of a good way he could ease Shirou into putting on some of the clothes. His first thought was to suggest looking for some shirt but that would put her in direct view of her new bust. Then he thought about saying some pants but then her new ample behind would make itself known. No matter what he chose it would be a lose lose situation for Shirou.

As he was looking around he noticed an employee coming to them with a practiced smile. He watched them do so and the more he looked at her the more familiar she seemed. He tried to place where he had seen her before when suddenly it came to him. It was the same woman who had helped them last time they were here. The young man tried to remeber her name and quickly looked at her nametag to see what it was.

As Ashley got closer her smile became more genuine then it did moments ago. She said. “I didn’t expect to see you guys so soon. I see that you brought a friend with you this time. Just in case you don’t remember my name is Ashley.”

“You remember us?” Cole said, a little surprised.

“Yeah, I do. How could I forget such interesting customers,” Ashley laughed. “And I see you brought a friend with you this time. How can I help you three today?”

“Nice to meet you,” Shirou said tightly. “My name is Shirou.”

“That’s a lovely name. Are you Japanese? With your red hair and unique eyes, you look like you could be of American descent?”

“Yes I am. As for the descent, I can’t say for sure,” Shirou shrugged.  “Either way I will be living here in the states for now.”

“Well hope you like living here then. So do you guys need any help looking for something? If so Joan I found a perfect swimsuit that would really show off your body,” Ashley said.

“N-No I don’t need anything else,” Jaune quickly denied and gulped from her gaze. She wanted to correct the wrong name, but stopped herself. Saying what her name really was would have just made things weirder. Even if getting called by a girl’s name made her cry a little inside.

“We’re here for our friend here. She’ll be staying with us for a while and unfortunately the delivery service lost her luggage,” Cole quickly explained. Hoping to keep things moving forward and not have to answer a dozen questions. While at the same time, helping Jaune relax a little.

“Another one?” Ashley said, looking at the redhead.

“Yeah,” Shirou sighed.

Ashley studied the three of them as if she was looking for something. Cole gulped slightly and kept still as if her vision was based on movement. Jaune squirmed a little from the intensity of her gaze. Shirou stood there naturally, a little confused as she looked between her friends and the employee. After a moment she merely shrugged and then started studying Shirou intently. She looked the redhead over as if she was trying to find some hidden secret.

“Okay I already got a bit of a list in my head of what clothes would really work with you,” Ashley said.

“Really?” Shirou questioned.

“Yeah, when you work here long enough you automatically start getting a list of things categorized in your head for customers just in case. If you could please follow me we will get started on your wardrobe. I’ll take you to one of the stalls to get your measurements. After that I’ll look for some clothes that will suit your body.”

Shirou nodded and followed her to one of the stalls. Ashley shut the door behind them, leaving Cole and Jaune alone outside the changing room. The two stood there quietly for a moment and looked at eachother, as if trying to see what the other was thinking. The silence dragged out between them as if one of them had just said something completely random in response to a question.

“So, this is what it’s like waiting out here,” Jaune sighed as she lowered her head to look at the ground.

“What did you expect it to be like?” Cole asked.

“I thought it would be relaxing and I don’t know a little… happy and eager to see a pretty girl come out in a nice outfit, but it isn’t. It’s just awkward, stressful, and a little…nauseating I guess.”

“Yeah that sums it up really well what it was like for me,” Cole said. “Probably because of the full context of the situation. If it were under better circumstances I might have been a little more cheerful about the whole thing.”

“Yeah, I thought that you would have liked to see a pretty girl in a cute outfit, but you looked just as shocked as me,” Jaune said.

“I would, but you weren’t exactly eager to show anything off,” Cole reminded her. “Things were already weird enough for the two of us. I didn’t want to make even weirder. I just wanted to make things as painless as I could for you.”

“Thanks for keeping me in mind,” Jaune smiled.

Inside the stall, Ashley brought out her measuring tape. She muttered lowly. “Now let’s see how big you really are.

Shirou gulped and watched the tape in the girl’s hands as if it was a garrote wire. The former boy breathed as she grabbed the bottom of her shirt and slowly lifted it up. When it covered her face she wanted nothing more then to keep it there and let her to

“Just where is your bra?” Ashley said. “You had to have a bra with you didn’t you?”

“It was dirty?” Shirou said.

“Maybe, but wearing a dirty one is better then not wearing one at all. Okay going to need to get you that first. First Joan and now you? What is up with you bigger girls just walking around with anything helping you keep your girls up.”

Shirou shuddered as the tape wrapped around her voluminous breasts.  She wasn’t sure what she should be feeling and all and the new way her body felt when her breasts were being touched made her jump. The magus looked at the mirror and quickly turned when she saw her reflection. It was still strange to see her breasts fully like this and even though she knew they were her own

“D-cup. Not as big as your blonde buddy’s but certainly big for someone like you. If I didn’t know better, I would swear that you had some work done for your size and all.”

“I assure you that I haven’t. They are natural,” Shirou sighed, blushing.

“You mind telling me your secret? You must be doing something right, if you got them that big. It can’t just be genetics. Was it some special drink? Food? Family recipes.”

“No! Nothing like that! They just got that big on their own,” Shirou said, blushing slightly.

“If you say so,” Ashely said.

“I’m going to need to find some bras in your size, and will also get some clothes for you that should help you,” Ashely said. She stepped out of the stall and ran her hand through her hair. She muttered something under her breath and went over to the waiting duo.

“You sir deserve a medal for how willing you are to get outfits for these girls,” Ashley commented. “That wallet of yours must be screaming out in mercy.”

“Yeah,” Cole sighed. “It’s screaming out for mercy, but they need my help. I’m willing to let my bank account take a few hits for them.”

“Heh, if I wasn’t sure that you were going to end up with one of these two, I probably would try to go on a date with you,” the employee laughed.

Cole blushed under the praise and felt a little happy that she had left. She was pretty, but he had little doubt that she would tease him every chance that she got. He wasn’t sure if the two of them became an item it would last.

“That blush of yours is just so cute,” Ashley said, making his face darken further.  “As fun as it would be to keep talking to the two of you

Cole watched her leave and let out a relieved sigh. He wasn’t sure how long he would have lasted if she kept teasing him. His luck with girls had never been good, and the only time a girl had shown any real interest in him was middle school he hadn’t been sure how to respond. So he just kept his mouth shut and tried to keep his distance, until she stopped being interested.  Ever since then no girl had shown any interest in him. Which he didn’t mind too much, since he was more focused on his school work. Still it would have been nice if a girl was interested in him romantically.

He noticed Jaune looking down at the ground guilty and turned to her. He asked. “You okay?”

“I’m sorry,” Jaune said sullenly.

“For what?” Cole blinked.

“For just making things harder on you. You’ve done so much for us. You feed us, let us stay at your place without asking for anything in return. The only thing I’ve really done was put my dirty dishes in the dishwasher and do my own laundry.”

“Don’t worry about it Jaune. It wasn’t as if you could have planned for suddenly showing up at my house.”

“Yeah, but I haven’t done anything to make up for it. I just…I just want to try and figure out a way to pay you back,” Jaune said, rubbing her arms. “Even if it is something small.”

Cole wasn’t sure what he could say. He wasn’t sure where Jaune could get a job that wouldn’t ask too deeply about her past. She lacked a paper trail and necessary information that would make it hard for her to get a job. If she wanted a job it would have to be under the table. “If you really want to help, then you could help with cleanup, and eventually we might be able to find you a job.”

“That’s a start,” Jaune said slowly. “But I would like to do something more for you. I feel like I’m just lazing around even though I can do more for you.”

“Jaune you already have enough to deal with this. Don’t push yourself more then you already have,” Cole said, and placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Jaune didn’t answer and bit her lips, as if she was trying not to cry. She lowered her head and looked away, as if she couldn’t look him in the eye without feeling guilty. She gulped and tried to think of what she wanted to say, but the words just wouldn’t come to her. The blonde heavily breathed in and looked him in the eye. Trying to fight the tears that wanted to come out. Whatever she might have had suddenly lost when something caught her attention over his shoulder, which caused Cole to turn around to see what had caught her attention.

The two saw Ashely with her hands full of clothes. In one hand was a stack of pants, while in the other was a variety of shirts, several swimsuits and even a dress.  She had a small smile on her face and they could hear she was humming a merry tune. She stopped in front of Shirou’s changing room door and knocked.

“Shirou it's me I got some more clothes for you to wear,” Ashley said. After a moment the door opened, and she merrily stepped inside. She looked very much like a little girl who had been given a new doll to dress up.

Jaune shivered and looked back at Cole with a relieved look. She hugged herself and smiled sheepishly, grateful for the distraction the thoughts she had before. Her mind still thinking about what it had been like for her and not wishing to have to go through it again.

“At least I don’t have to go through that again,” Jaune said, getting a snort from Cole.

“Don’t feel like going through another fashion show?” Cole asked jokingly. “Some of the clothes that you got last time looked good. Still want to see what you look like in some of them.”

Jaune blushed under his praise and turned away to hide it. “You’re not the one that has to put them on and deal with her…eagerness.”

“True. I can easily see if we told her we wanted to get you some winter clothes she’d probably set up another wardrobe for us to buy.”

“Yeah, she probably would,” Jaune said sorrowfully. The moment the words left her mouth a heavy burden came over her, as if a boulder had been placed on her body. She couldn't get her mind off of all that Cole had done and spent for her. All of the money he had to spend on her for more food and the clothes he got so she had something to wear that fit her made her feel dirty. As if she had taken the money from his wallet and spent it on whatever she wanted. It only made her wish she could find some form of work to contribute, even if it didn’t fully pay him back, it was better than nothing.

“Okay here’s everything I got,” Ashley said as she placed the pile of clothes in one hand on the bench. She placed the shirts she on one of the hooks in the room

Shirou watched her do so and stepped closer to the pile of clothes to get a better idea of what she was about to wear. As Ashely started hanging some of the clothes, Shirou looked down at the pile of clothes. Honestly most of it didn’t bother her too much and were not too bad. They consisted mainly of jeans and short sleeved shirts. There were a few skirts, but they weren’t too bad since they were a little on the longer side.  Some of the clothes were a little much when it came to how they were designed. Some had too many studs or designs on them that she found audious.

“I think this might be a little much,” Shirou said as she touched the clothes to get a feel for them. The fabric didn’t bother her as much as she thought they would. They didn’t feel different from what she usually wore, which she didn’t expect. She had thought it would feel softer with how her body was. “I don’t need this many clothes.”

“Better to have a little much when you're trying on clothes,’” Ashley said as she started hanging some of the shirts she had brought. “After all the stuff you will keep will just keep getting smaller.”

Shirou grunted as she continued to look through the clothes. When she was done examining the pile, she looked at the rest of the stuff that Ashely was hanging. She froze when she noticed a pair of swimsuits along with a dress. One was a white swimsuit while the other was an orange one with white stripes. The dress was a nice teal one with black a black sash running around her stomach. It would have looked nice if it was on a girl, but the fact she was the one who would be wearing it made it seem like the devil’s own torutre device.

Shirou asked quietly. “Why do you have a swimsuit and a dress?”

“The dress is for any special occasion you might have in the near future. As for the swimsuit, just as I told your blonde friend when she stopped by, it wouldn’t hurt to have one.”

“I don’t know, I don’t think the swimsuits would be needed,” Shirou gulped. The thought of being in a female swimsuit was repulsive to him. Sure, she would need one if he needed to go somewhere, but she wasn’t sure if they would be going somewhere like a beach or a pool anytime soon. She didn’t want to waste Cole’s money for something that he might not even use.

“Are you sure? It wouldn’t hurt to have one in case you go to the pool and beach. Even if you don’t go to either of them often at least you would have the proper clothes?”

“And I’m sure I wouldn’t need the dress,” Shirou said.

“But what if you get invited to a special event like a wedding or a formal event?”

“It's going to be a long time before something that happens,” Shirou said.

“I didn’t mean for your own wedding I meant in general,” Ashley quickly said.

The redhead looked at her flatly. She wondered how much of this was really necessary and Ashely just wanted to see her in a variety of outfits. She breathed out through her nose. Either way she would need more than one set of clothes since she was going to be staying here for a while. Especially since she was currently the smallest. Cole’s clothes along with both of his parents wouldn’t fit her with how tall they were. It wouldn’t be so bad if she were to put on some of Jaune’s clothes, but there would still be a noticeable difference in their height that would certainly get attention. Even if she put on a belt her pants might start falling down her body. Not to mention that the two of them going through those clothes would lead to them having to wash them more.

“Before we do all that though, let's see how this bra fits. I think this one is perfect for you,” Ashley said as she held up a bright red bra. “Need to make sure I got the right size for you.”

Shirou took it and wondered how to put it on. She had been forced to clean some of Taiga’s laundry back when she spent the night at her place. The first thing she did was make sure the cups of the bra were secured over her breasts and then moved the straps to her back. She tried to clip the back of the bra, but it would slip out of her hands before she could do so. She tried multiple times, but just couldn’t hold it long enough to clip it.

“One second,” Ashley said and clipped the back of the bra again.

“Thanks, it’s a little tight,” Shirou commented as the clip dug slightly into his back.

“That’s good, you want it to be or else your boobs would go flying all over the place,” Ashley muttered, breathing through her nose. “Another thing to be grateful about with having smaller breasts is that the quest to find a bra in your size isn’t anywhere near the quest that it could be for some people.”

Shirou didn’t reply. She looked down at his bust and mentally compared her new boobs to everyone that she knew, and her bosom blew everyone that she knew out of the water aside from Jaune’s. She didn’t know for sure since she never really stared at their breasts before. This was a strange comparison she never thought she would have to make before in her life and one she wasn’t sure how to feel about.

Outside of the room the two stood next to each other, trying to look natural as they waited for the two to inside to finish trying on the clothes. Jaune played with her hands as she looked down at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone who came into the room. It wasn’t that they couldn’t think of things to say to each, but with all the people around them they couldn’t talk about them. They could easily imagine the looks they would get if someone heard them speaking about Jaune and Shirou’s former gender.

The door opened and they swiftly turned to see Ashley step out of the door with her arms out in a presenting manner. She stepped to the side to show Shirou off in a nice manner.  She said, “Presenting Shirou!”

She wore a long sleeved top reminiscent of the one she wore when she arrived, but meant to fit her, though this one was grey and red. She looked like she was about to go for a run. The girl had her arms down in front of her clasped her hands. The group noticed with the way her biceps were positioned, the redhead was unintentionally pushing her breasts together. If Shirou was at all bothered by it she didn’t stop.

“Does this look nice?” Shirou asked, her face looking so much like her hair at first glance it would look like it was painted to match

“You look good,” Jaune replied. She wasn't sure what else she could say that wouldn’t make things even more awkward than it already was.

“Thanks, Cole?” Shirou asked, looking at the man.

Cole sucked on his lips and cursed as he tried to think of what he could say. The young man wasn’t quite sure what to say. If he was honest the former boy did look cute, almost like a girl about to go on a first date. Still he was willing to bet Shirou wouldn’t have liked hearing that from him. Ashley would have kept trying to get him to say something and probably would have kept showing Shirou off until he gave some sort of reaction to her.

“Yeah you do look good,” Cole said simply, and prayed it would have been enough to get her to stop.

“Well that’s good we can put these on the yes possible,” Ashley said. “I’ll get your thoughts on the next definite outfit that I think deserves a second and third opinion.”

“Ashely we don’t need their thoughts on every piece of clothing or possible outfit,” Shirou said, and looked at Cole. A part of her wondered what he would think of all the different outfits. There was just something that made her want to hear what he had to think about her in all these clothes.

The moment the door was shut, Ashley turned to her with a smirk. “Are you saying you don’t want to hear Cole’s thoughts on your clothes?”

“Then why did you ask his thoughts? You could have just kept silent about it. Granted I would have asked him either way, but you took the initiative there.”

Shirou opened her mouth to respond, as she tried to think of an answer. There wasn’t a reason in particular why she wanted to hear what he had to say. It had been almost instinctual. Part of it could have had something to do with the fact it was his money they were using for her, but even so there was something more to it that she couldn’t quite explain. A part of her that needed to have some sort of validation from him.

Cole leaned against the wall as he watched the door Shitou and Ashley were behind. He could easily imagine her stepping out again to show off Shirou’s next outfit. The thought of seeing the Emiya girl like that made him slightly uncomfortable with how Shirou seemed to be. Not to mention he was a little weirded out by the fact Shirou had wanted his feedback. Either way he didn’t want her to base what she would get around what he said. Especially since Ashley was no doubt going to try and get the max possible reaction out of him.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Cole said. He did feel the need, but could have held it in longer if he wanted to, but he wanted to stretch his legs so it was a perfect excuse. He rifled through his pockets and pulled out his wallet. He held out his wallet for Jaune to take and the blonde took it mechanically. “If they’re finished before I get back then pay for it and we can meet each other outside by the entrance.”

She opened her mouth to ask if he could hold it for a little so she wouldn’t be alone but stopped herself. It would be a strange thing to ask Cole. She wasn’t some little kid that couldn’t do anything without an adult or a friend nearby. Besides, someone had to stay here for Shirou in case they finished up. It wouldn’t do if Shirou had put all the clothes back and started looking for them and eventually found each other. They would have to come here and go through this all over again.

“Okay,” Jaune said. She watched him leave the store and felt more awkward the more the distance between them grew. She watched him through the class, playing with her hands and fighting the urge to follow after him or call him back. When she couldn’t see him anymore, she looked down at the floor and slouched. The room in the air felt oppressive and her spine shivered as she couldn’t help but feel eyes were on her. It was as if she was entering forbidden territory again and knew she didn’t belong here. It made her hug herself for comfort.

“Now what am I supposed to do?” Jaune sighed. In situations like this when she was dragged to places like this she would have passed the time on her scroll. But the problem was that it was powered by Dust, unlike all of the other electronics in this world which were powered by electricity. Her and Cole had managed to save what documents and pictures they could on some portable storage devices on the internet. As happy as she was to still be able to access all her files and photos she had if her scroll were to die she wished there was a way to charge it. She had been keeping it off ever since she had arrived here to save the battery as much as possible. She wanted to still be able to access her scroll in the future, even if she knew she wouldn’t be able to eventually. It was something from her world, just like Crocea Mors was, even if her weapon and shield had more value and were more sentimental to her.

The door opened, making Jaune jump and turn to see it was the same stall Shirou had stepped in with Ashley having a foxy grin. The japanese girl was wearing a short frilly white top that complemented her hair and a white skirt that showed off her legs. There were a pair of heels on her face that completed the look

The employee’s grin fell as she looked around. She looked at Jaune and asked. “Hey where’s Cole?”

“He had to go to the bathroom,” Jaune said, struggling to keep her eyes off of Shirou. It was hard with how her face rivaled her hair and how she tried to look smaller than she was. She had to admit the other former boy did make a pretty cute girl. She didn’t know if she would have tried to get with her, but she would have tried to see if they could be friends if they were in the same school year.

“Oh that’s too bad, I was hoping he would be able to provide some feedback for Shirou’s outfit,” Ashley sighed.

“Yeah, I’m sure he would have been able to help there,” Jaune deadpanned, knowing Cole wouldn’t have liked to.

“Can you not do that please?” Shirou groaned.

“She looks good,” Jaune said. “Though if you went with a red top it would also work well depending on the shade of her hair.”

“Hmm that’s true I actually have a similar top in here I wanted to see her in. I didn’t think you had an eye for fashion,” Ashley admitted.

“Never really cared and just wanted to wear what was the most comfortable,” Jaune replied. “Just grew up with enough sister to pick up on it, no matter how uninterested I was.”

“Ahh I get what you mean. Same thing happened to me with some of my brothers. Do you want to see for yourself what Shirou looks like in some of these clothes? Cole might not be here, but I wouldn’t mind hearing someone else’s thoughts?” Ashley offered, much to Shirou’s dismay.

“No thanks,” Jaune said quickly, looking at Shirou meaningfully.

“That’s too bad, but if you say so,” Ashley shrugged.

“Can we please continue?” Shirou asked.

“Sure thing,” Ashley sighed sadly.

The moment the stall door shut, Jaune wiped her brow and sighed again. The earthborn human had dodged a bullet by going to the bathroom, and Shirou now knew how she felt when she had been forced to show off to Cole. If they come back here again with anyone else then they would have to make sure they either got someone new, or warn them beforehand. They might not react in the same manner then they did, especially if they had a more violent temperament. Thinking about it now she wondered how that girl was able to keep her job. There had to be a few people who had complaints about how she did things.

Jaune left the room and looked around to see what was for sale. She might not be planning to buy anything, but it gave her something to do. At least she wouldn’t be standing around and add to Shirou’s embarrassment if the clerk decided to ask for her opinion. Despite the limited time they spent together she was willing to bet if she stayed then she would ask for her opinion again, or worse pull her into the fashion show. That was something she didn't want to have to go through again unless she chose to.

The blonde quickly looked through the shirts and jackets trying to see if there was anything special amongst them. A few had some appealing designs, but none that would make her go she needed to have this. She felt them and liked how they felt in her hands. Some were so soft and comfortable she could easily imagine falling asleep wearing it. She didn’t bother to look at the pants since they were mostly the same, and the skirts didn’t have any appeal to her. No matter what her gender was, pants would always rain supreme over skirts as far as she was concerned.

Eventually she reached the swimsuit section and looked through them. Just like when she was looking through the shirts and jackets she wondered if there was anything that would catch her eye. Some of the simple one-piece swimsuits and bikinis were more up her alley if she had to pick one of these to wear. Some showed a bit too much on them, like one green swimsuit that was little more than triangles attached to floss. She didn’t know why she was looking through these when she was avoiding going to the undergarment section. She didn’t need any more underwear then she already had.

The blonde stopped when she saw a bright red one-piece swimsuit that had small silver studs on the cups of the top and a diamond-shaped cutout over the stomach. She held it up and saw it looked to be her size. In ways it wasn’t as revealing as the bikini she had been given last time and would hide a little more, but at the same time it was arguably more so. It would hug her body and show it off for anyone who happened to see her, while at the same time keep them concealed. She thought of herself in it and bit her lip. She wanted it. She wondered if Cole would like her in it. Her face burned at the thought of him checking her out in it.

Jaune quickly and quietly stepped into one of the empty changing rooms, hoping Cole or the others wouldn’t come back in the meantime. She quickly took off her clothes and put them on the bench. The former boy picked up the swimsuit and stared at it for a moment. A part of her wondering if she was about to do this. At the very least she had some solace in the fact it was her choice and not anyone else trying to stuff her in five different outfits like Ashley had.

The blonde gulped as she put it on. Just as she expected the swimsuit squeezed her body as she pulled it up her thighs. She might have gotten used to having girls underwear, but this was different from the bikini and the underwear. It was unlike anything she had ever worn before. It was tighter than them and  the onesie she wore that her mother had made for her, and dug into parts of her body that she wasn’t sure how to feel about. It got tighter the more she pulled it up her body and by the time she fully pulled it up it felt like it was tightly wrapped around her body.

The blonde looked at herself in the mirror, and blushed at her reflection. The top propped her breasts up and gently cupped them, almost as if the swimsuit was lovingly holding them. It hugged her waist as if someone had wrapped her arms around him. She looked in the mirror and saw the back of the swimsuit and showed off the curvature of her butt. As tight as it was, she was glad it didn’t leave an outline of her genitalia for all to see. She pushed her butt out to the mirror and wiggled it, and watched the way it rippled. From wearing it she knew it was meant to emphasize her breasts and butt, just like the bikini Ashley got her on her first visit.

The more she looked at herself in the mirror, the more she liked the swimsuit. It showed off the curves she wanted to be seen, while at the same time offering a little more coverage. This was a better swimsuit for her to start out with. She ran one of her hands over the curves of her buttucks. It made her wonder more what Cole would think and she flushed at the thought of him seeing her right now. She didn’t understand why she wanted him to see her in it, but it didn’t feel like a bad thing.

After admiring herself for a little while longer she stripped out of the swimsuit and put her old clothes back on. She put the swimsuit back on the hanger and breathed out. The blonde fixed her hair and breathed out. The Arc heiress looked around to make sure Cole, Ashley, and Shirou weren’t around and then stepped out of the changing room. She went to put the swimsuit back where she got it from, but stumbled when she Cole enter the area.

“Oh there you are Jaune,” Cole said.

“Oh hey Cole,” Jaune said and tried to hide the swimsuit behind her back. She put her hand into her pocket and quickly pulled out his wallet. “Here’s your wallet.”

“Thanks Jaune,” Cole said as he took it. He noticed there was something red behind her back and asked curiously. “What’s that you got behind your back?”

“Oh it's nothing. I just thought about trying on some clothes to pass the time,” Jaune said, hoping he wouldn’t press further. Cole tried to look over her shoulder and the blonde moved so he couldn’t see it.

“Jaune,” Cole sighed.

Jaune stood there unsure of what to do. She wanted to try and just brush it off, but it made her feel guilty about doing. Instead she lowered her face to hide the dark red blush on her face as she raised the swimsuit she had in her hands for him to see. She could already imagine the look of befuddlement on his face. She slowly raised her face and looked at him shyly to see what his reaction would be, biting her lip.

The young man blinked and looked at the swimsuit. He looked at Jaune and imagined the blonde in such an outfit. Smiling at him and walking down the beach with a erotic sway in her hips and noticable bounce in her bust. The outfit changed to the bikini to make a comparison and his mind started to war with itself over which one was better. He closed his eyes and breathed a little heavier through his nose and tried to fight the blood that was rushing down the below. If Jaune saw he was getting aroused by this he doubted it would make this situation any less awkward.

“I just saw it and thought about trying it on,” Jaune admitted. “I just went along with the first one I was given, even though the one Ashely gave me really does complement my body and looks.”

Cole looked at the former boy as if she had grown a second head. Those were words he didn’t think he would hear from the blonde. The first part more so then the second part.

“I grew up with seven sisters so I know a good swimsuit that compliments someone’s body when I see one,” Jaune said. “And I might not be a boy anymore, but I know a nice swimsuit on a girl when I see one.”

“...I’m sorry,” Cole said.

“It has its ups and downs,” the Remnantborn human sighed.

Cole looked back at the swimsuit again and back at Jaune. He had never thought the blonde would willingly put on a girl’s swimsuit. If Jaune was willing to put it on then it had to mean she was interested in it. “Did it fit fine?”

“Yeah it fit right,” Jaune admitted. “It was a little tighter then I was expecting, but it fit perfectly. Just like when I had to wear that bikini.”

“Do you want it?”

“What?”

“I said do you want it?”

“No, no, it's fine. Like I said it was just a way to pass the time until you and Shirou were done,” Jaune said.

“Was there anything else that caught your eye?”

“Well no, but…I don’t think you should spend your money on something I want so frivolously,” Jaune tried to think of an excuse, but before she could the two were walking to one of the registers.

“It's alright, Jaune. One swimsuit isn’t going to kill my bank,” Cole said as he stopped at one of the nearest registers. “I might only work one day a week with my aunt, but it's enough for now. Come on let’s get it paid.”

The cashier at the register turned to them with a practiced smile and said. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Yeah my friend found something that caught her eye,” Cole said.

“Well then we can ring her up now then.”

Jaune slowly gave her the swimsuit like a child being told by a grownup what to do and watched the woman as she rang it up. She opened her mouth when she saw the price. Cole pulled out his wallet and she opened her mouth to stop him, but again the words just seemed stuck in her mouth.  The clicking of the credit card being wiped through the machine and the beep of the card being accepted felt like a punch to her gut. The girl placed it in a bag and handed it to Jaune, who took it back.

“Thank you. I hope you have a nice day,” The cashier said.

“Oh we ain’t leaving just yet,” Cole replied. “We’re waiting on one more friend who got roped into being a model for one of your coworkers.”

“Let me guess Ashely?” the cashier asked sheepishly.

“Yeah, I take it she’s normally like that?”

“Yeah she gets a little to her job,” the woman sighed.  “I heard she plans to be a designer for modeling, so this is a good stepping stone. She’s good at her job, but can be a little off putting with how eager she is.”

“Good to know, and thanks for the info,” Cole said. “Take care.”

“You two sir, miss,” the woman said as she moved onto dealing with the next person in line.

The two went back to the changing room and stood close by for when the two of them were done. As Cole played on his phone, the blonde looked down at her bag with a frown. All the desire she had before it was gone and she looked as if it was some cured treasure. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the swimsuit she had before, in fact she liked it. If she had to choose one for her new body then it would honestly be a hard choice between the one. Which one she wore would probably depend on the situation and what she was going for. The only thing she could see was how much more money Cole had spent to give it to her.

“I’m sorry Cole,” Jaune said sadly.

“It's alright Jaune, don’t worry about it,” Cole said. “Like I said, it's nothing. Maybe one day before the next semester for my college starts we can go to the beach, all three of us?”

“That sounds like it could be fun,” Jaune said. It didn’t sound bad like she thought it would be. It did sound appealing, mostly because it would mix things up. If they were to go, then she hoped that when they did go then there wouldn’t be too many people. If it was just the three of them then they could have some real fun and she wouldn’t have to worry about getting stared at by so many guys. The biggest question though would be, which swimsuit should she wear. The new one, or the bikini that Ashley had given her.

One of the doors opened again and they saw it was the one Shirou had been using. Ashley stood in the doorway with Shirou behind her. She held some of the clothes she had chosen for Shirou. Shirou heaved a sigh as she held a pile of clothes in her hands. The redhead looked like she had been stuck in class without a break. She looked tired, and looked like she wanted to take a nap.

“Oh Cole, Jaune your back,” Ashley said. “I was wondering where you went, Jaune. I looked outside to get your thoughts on another outfit I chose but you weren’t here. Wondered where you ran off, but now I see something caught your eye, Jaune. What did you get?”

“Oh nothing,” Jaune waved off. There was no way she was going to let her see she had chosen a swimsuit.

“Glad I wasn’t here then,” Cole said quickly.

“Even though you could have seen a pretty girl in a swimsuit or a pretty dress?” Ashley teased.

“I’m sure Shirou would have just liked to try her clothes on and get it over with,” Cole replied. “So Shirou are those clothes enough for you?”

“Yes, I’m ready. These are fine,” Shirou said tiredly. She let out a little yawn.

“You want to grab a bite here, or do you want to just head back to the house?”

“I can honestly go either or,” Shirou said. Only to let out a yawn moments later. “Though maybe getting me something here before we go would be good before we go.”

“Then we can grab lunch here and then head out.”

The trio went around and gathered what they wanted from the food court. They made their way to an empty table where they could eat by themselves and not have to worry about anyone listening in. They placed the bags down and then their food on the table.

“I didn’t think I would feel this tired,” Shirou yawned as she sat in her chair.

“It has been a stressful day for you with getting all these new clothes,” Jaune said sympathetically. “It’s weird isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I never thought I would wear anything like this,” Shirou groaned.

“I have unfortunately worn stuff like this before the changes,” Jaune said. “My sisters would sometimes shove me into girl clothes.”

“Oh...sorry to hear,” Shirou replied, not sure what to say.

“It’s fine, the only difference is that this time it's more of a necessity,” Jaune groaned. “Ever since my own changes I’ve gotten more used to the clothing.”

Cole continued to eat. There wasn’t anything that he could think of to say to the conversation. He had heard that bit of information before.

The group ate their food, enjoying the taste, and allowed themselves to relax the more they ate. The food allowed their stressed-out minds to relax.

When they were finished, they sat there for a minute and allowed the food in their stomachs to settle. They lounged further in their seats, stretching out. They basked in each other's presence again, a fresh wave of tiredness over them from the food in their guts.

“Hey Cole, Jaune, what are your favorite food?” Shirou asked.

The two of them were thrown off by the question. It seemed a little off to ask, especially since they just finished eating. The two of them thought it over for a moment. It was easy to say that both of them liked quite a good number of dishes, but to narrow it down was a challenge in itself.

“I love ribs and chicken with a corn casserole and mashed potatos,” Jaune answered.

“That sounds amazing, especially the corn and potatoes, but wouldn’t mind some pasta like spaghetti or lasgana to go with it. Maybe some chicken parm.”

“Thanks,” Shirou replied and then went out to get rid of her garbage.

After they threw their trash away, they headed back to the car. All of the new clothes that they had gotten for Shirou feeling like they weight more then they did. The moment they were back in the car, Shirou threw her new clothes in the back seat and sat down. She closed her eyes and lounged in her seat.

Cole got up and noticed that Shirou was still in the back, her eyes still closed. He opened the car door and he was almost afraid to wake her up with how peaceful she looked. Still if she wanted to sleep it would be far better to do it in the house rather then in the car.

“Shirou,” Cole said softly and squeezed her shoulders. He didn’t think she would be this tired from it all.

Shirou’s eyes fluttered open and the young woman yawned cutely in her seat. She rubbed the tiredness away, and looked at him sleepily.

“Do you….need to me carry you again?” Cole joked, his face darkening a little at the joke.

Shirou’s face brightened and she quickly unbuckled her seat and all but launched herself out of the car. The two bumped into each other and Cole flushed against at feeling her breasts mushed against her body.

“I’m good,” Shirou squeaked and quickly bent over to pick up her bags. The young woman tried to gather what sense of dignity she had left and get it organized.

Cole blushed at the perfect angle to see the curve of Shirou’s wonderful ass. The young man couldn’t help but stare at it. It wasn’t like when Jaune wore the swimsuit or even as revealing as the jogging shorts.

Jaune blushed as well as her stomach churned as she noticed how her friend stared at the redhead’s ass. Jealousy boiled in her gut at seeing him look at her like that, before she did. Suddenly the jealousy that she had was replaced with arousal. She might have an interest in guys, but women were still just as appealing to her as always.

The moment Shirou moved to get out, Cole turned his head away and grabbed as much of the bags as he could, and Jaune the last of them. The three of them stepped inside the house and placed them in Shirou’s room. The magus sighed as they were placed down.

“I’m going to start cooking dinner,” Shirou said and went to the kitchen.

“It's a little early for dinner, but I have something special in mind that's going to take me a little while to set up,” Shirou smiled. “Just relax and enjoy yourselves. Do whatever you want in the meantime.”

The two of them felt a little guilty that Shirou had decided to do something major without any help from them. Even if she said it was ok. The pair decided to pass the time in the living room, that way if something happened then they would be close by in case she did.

As they waited, they could smell a variety of aromas coming from the kitchen and wondered what they would find. Whenever they went in though, Shirou would force them out as if she was a defender forcing out an invading army. The two weren’t worried about what it would be. They knew that whatever Shirou had in mind that it would be delicious. Hours passed and the two wondered how much longer it would be ebfore it was finally done.

“Ok I finally got everything done!” Shirou called out.

The two of them entered the dining room and saw the wide assortment of food there. There were plates of various delicious foods that would last them a few days.  The pair’s mouth watered at what they saw. After the initial glee of seeing all of the wonderful food, Cole noticed something.

“You made all of our favorites,” Cole said as he stared at the table.

Jaune blinked after she noticed that too. She had been so focused on the food that she hadn’t given it much thought. Indeed there was the barbecue-style meal that she had told Shirou about earlier. She couldn’t wait to devour the food.

“This is more of a thank-you meal for everything than just a simple dinner,” Shirou smiled. “You’ve both been so nice to me, that I felt like I needed to step up after all the shopping we did earlier.”

Cole and Jaune smiled as they sat down on the table, Shirou sitting across from them. They immediately made their plates. Any sense of restraint that they might have had was gone in favor of having the delicious food. The three of them munched on their food, savoring the taste of it all. Just as Jaune and Cole had hoped the food that Shirou had made was absolutely divine, better than they had ever tasted. If they were to die right now they would be content knowing that they got to taste paradise like this.

Thoughts that have been on Cole’s mind for weeks, especially since Shirou arrived came back to him. He put his fork down as he frowned. Again thinking over the past and what the days had been like when Shirou and Jaune had arrived.

“Is something wrong Cole?” Jaune questioned, noticing that he suddenly stopped eating.

“I didn’t overcook anything did I?” Shirou asked.

“No, everything is perfect,” Cole said. “I’ve been thinking about this whole situation, and how you two show up.”

The two girls and looked at them. It would be a lie to say that they hadn’t thought over it themselves. They hadn’t put as much thought since they were still trying to adapt but when they were alone and didn't have too much to do they did. Despite all of their thinking, they weren’t any closer to figuring out how it happened.

“I have been thinking it over as well, and when it happened if there was something that I didn’t notice at first, but there wasn’t anything that stood out. There’s only one thing that has been there both times this happened, and that’s you Cole,” Jaune said.

Cole frowned. He’s the only real connection that they had in both events. There wasn’t anything that he did differently in either scenario. He just went about his day and did his own thing. He turned to Shirou and said, “What was it like on your end? Did you feel anything off or was there something off?”

“There wasn't anything major. It was like one moment I was back at my home and the next a bright light went off and then poof, I’m at your place,” Shirou answered.

“I think maybe next time we should set up something or keep track,” Jaune said. “That way if this does happen a third time then we can see for certain if there is a pattern and find any other stuff.”

Cole nodded in agreement. He hoped that there wouldn’t be a third time, but since this happened twice now, he couldn’t deny that the chances of it happening again were pretty good. Despite his hopes that they wouldn't. He didn’t want another poor soul to be suddenly dragged from their world to his away from everyone they knew and loved.

After they hardened out the details, the group went back to enjoying their meal, talking about whatever else came to mind. All of the worries that they had farther away than there were mere moments ago. No matter what might happen next in the coming days, they found comfort that they wouldn't be alone in them.