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yannowhatigiveup · 3 years

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My One And Only - Chapter 16

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Chapter 16! When I have new chapters, I post it on Wattpad first then here then on AO3 as fast as I can. I watched Gang of Secrets yesterday, I fangirled greatly.

Adrien hoped that Ladybug wasn't too injured, she's far too valuable and important to be lost, especially at the beginning of, what looks like, Hawkmoth's new rise of power.

"Something tells me things are about to get a lot more serious from here on out"

————————————————————

"-ngel, Angel it's time to wake up" Marinette's eyes fluttered open at the sound of Damian's soft voice. She lifted her head off of his chest and sat up next to him, the green-eyed boy nuzzled her neck much like a cat. "Sorry for waking you but I do not wish to have your sleep schedule destroyed"

The girl giggled. "Kinda ironic that the true user of the miraculous of destruction doesn't want to have my sleep schedule destroyed" Then she shrugged. "Well I suppose you can't destroy something that's already destroyed"

"You should really get a full 8-hour sleep at least once a week" Damian grumbled as Marinette got up from the bed.

"Tell that to my cup of depresso- I mean espresso" she jokingly replied.

"In all seriousness, though" the green-eyed boy got up to sit in one of the armchairs in his hotel room. "How will you create a new team of heroes and who will you choose to uphold this responsibility?"

"Simple," she took a sip from her coffee, leaning on the wall. "I'll give each new member a miraculous, the first to join should be Adrien Agreste"

"The model?"

"Yep" the bluenette replied, popping the 'p'. "Believe it or not he was Chat Noir"

Damian raised one of his eyebrows. "They do seem quite different at first glance"

"I know right! Anyway, like I said, he was Chat Noir and he admitted to believing he was not the true owner of the miraculous. Though he might not think things through all the time, he's willing to listen and he's a good fighter"

"Admitting to that must have taken a lot of courage. He is attentive and skilled in combat" the black-haired boy hummed. "He sounds like an adequate addition to the team you are forming"

"You're just as important in this team as I am, Dami" Marinette reminded before putting a finger on her chin and thinking thoughtfully. "I was thinking maybe giving him the dog miraculous would work best"

Plagg scoffed. "The kid's gonna go from a cat to a dog eh? I know he doesn't make the wise decisions all the time but-"

Marinette rolled her eyes and continued as if Plagg hadn't said anything. "What's the power of the Dog miraculous, Tikki?"

"The Dog miraculous has the power of Location, it's ability is to retrieve and identify where any object or person is. The ability can locate them, hold them in place, bring them to the holder and/or rescue them possible captivity" Tikki stated, floating over to smack Plagg on the back of his head.

Marinette mumbled incoherently before humming thoughtfully. "I also think we should bring Alya into the team"

"Césaire? I understand she is your reporter now but what other significance does she have?" Damian questioned, trying not to offend his girlfriend's best friend.

"She's the first one other than Chat and I to join the heroes, she was Rena Rouge"

"Ah I see so you want to bring Rena Rouge back?"

The bluenette nodded as the green-eyed boy stood up from where he was sitting.

"Wanna come with me to get the miracle box?"

"Sure just... give me a minute" Marinette tilted her head in confusion as Damian went towards one of his cases and pulled, what looked like, a training mannequin. She watched as he then drew his katana and slashed at the poor mannequin, it was obliterated. The bluenette winced when the pieces hit the floor while Plagg barked a laugh.

"Now that's destruction" The black kwami then flew up to the boy and rested on his head. "Good job, kid"

Marinette giggled as he rolled his eyes and put his katana back. "In all honesty, I thought you were going to do a lot more damage in the battle. I'm surprised you're not that angry"

"Oh I am" Damian replied calmly. "Enormously so, I have just merely bottled my anger. If even the smallest ounce of it were to escape then, well, I don't think Hawkmoth would like a powerful Akuma whose only goal is to see him suffer"

The bluenette walked up to the angry vigilante, wrapped both of her arms on his left and rested her head on his shoulder. "No I don't think he would" she giggled as Damian kissed her temple. "You can use all that pent up anger in training later. For now, let's go get the miracle box"

"Lead the way, Angel"

~~~

The couple were on their way when Marinette heard a familiar voice, one that wasn't a friendly voice. She quickly pulled Damian and herself out of sight, leaning flat against the wall to safely ease drop.

"Is it true that you know the world-renowned chef Wang Cheng?" An unidentifiable voice asked.

"Yep! He actually gave me Master Class cooking sessions, that's how I've become an amazing chef myself!" The others awed at Lila's lies, Marinette felt her anger bubble, no one takes her Great Uncle's success and uses it for their own personal gain. "Actually, I was the one who helped him create his recipe for his signature dish"

"Oh my gosh, really?!"

"Yeah! I didn't help that much, he did most of the work" Lila's voice faded into the distance, Marinette was grateful that she didn't have to listen to the brunette anymore but she was also worried, 'How many lives is she willing to ruin just for popularity?'

The bluenette turned to glance at her boyfriend, only to be met with a visibly angry expression still looking at where they last saw the brunette. Marinette opened her mouth to start conversation but Damian beat her to it.

"Who does she think she is? Disrespecting Cheng Shifu in that manner" The green-eyed boy snarled. Marinette blinked in surprise.

"You know Cheng Shifu?"

Damian then looked at her, almost offendedly. "Of course! He is not just a chef, Cheng Shifu is an artist. We went to a grand opening of one of his five-star restaurants, arguably the place I was served the most exquisite food throughout my entire existence" He placed a finger on his chin in thought. "The best dish I was served had to be his signature recipe, Celestial Soup. Though, I think the name has changed to Marine-"

He paused and looked at his girlfriend's smug face, he presumed his face appeared to have an epiphany. This thought was confirmed when Marinette's giggles turned into proper laughter.

"No..."

"Yes" she giggled, resting her forehead on his shoulder. "He's my maternal great-uncle"

"My god, your mother must be an excellent cook then"

"Yep! She's the best! Now come on, to my house!" Marinette dragged Damian towards the bakery and use her keys to open the front door. His eyes diverted to a wrapped package of cupcakes. "Oh that's for Nadja, she'll come by to pick it up in a few minutes" She then gestured for him to follow her. They both went up through the trapdoor and to Marinette's room.

Damian knew that his angel's favourite colour was pink so he presumed her room was drowned in said colour, when he entered he was greeted by the splash of rose as expected but he was also greeted with many rolls of fabric. It wasn't a messy mess per se, more of an organized and pretty one. It correlated with Marinette quite well in his opinion. The green-eyed boy sat on the girl's chaise as she brought a spotted box out of one of her drawers. Box in hand, Marinette sat next to Damian and pressed a button, opening one of the cabinets and out of the cabinet appeared a new kwami.

"Hello, Great Guardian" The kwami began. "Do you need my help?"

"Hello Barkk, there's really no need to address me so formally" Marinette replied to Barkk, fidgeting her fingers. "And yes, I believe it's time for you to get a permanent holder"

"Really? Great! But what happened for you to make this decision?" The kwami noticed how Marinette flinched at the question and flew closer. The kwami gasped. "Nooroo's energy... did Hawkmoth do something?"

"He did" The sudden appearance of Damian's sharp voice made the Kwami rise slightly.

"Who-"

"Lover-boy over here is my true chosen, Barkk" Plagg and Tikki appeared through the floor after eating downstairs.

"Hmm, he does seem to have your energy"

"Yes Barkk, Damian is the true user of the Black Cat miraculous. He's also my boyfriend" Marinette's cheeks were dusted with the lightest shade of pink, they grew deeper in colour as Damian pressed his lips against her skin. "We were thinking of having Adrien use your miraculous and Alya using Trixx's miraculous" The bluenette stated, half-glaring at the green-eyed boy for getting her flustered.

"I think he'll be a great fit for the Dog miraculous" Barkk replied, happy to have a new permanent holder.

"Alright!" Marinette took the collar necklace from the compartment, followed by the necklace. The bluenette turned to face Damian, the collar necklace in her palm. "You can give Adrien his new miraculous, I'll go find Alya and we meet at the Eiffel Tower. It'll save time"

"But shouldn't you give the miraculous? Considering you are the guardian after all" he questioned.

The bluenette shook her head. "Its a good way to get to know each other because, well, you'll technically be my partner meaning that you're one of the leaders of this new team. You need to know who you're working with and you need to trust them to save your life, if it were to come to that"

Damian slowly nodded, reaching for the collar necklace. "Meet you at the Eiffel Tower then"

~~~

A certain blonde was strolling down an empty street in Paris, in sun was setting and it was deathly quiet. Luckily, his schedule was cleared for the whole day. However, had no idea how to spend his last few hours of freedom. Usually he would go out as Chat Noir and jump from rooftop to rooftop. But he wasn't Chat anymore. Adrien winced at the reminder of the events that occurred early that day, he felt so useless. Thank god for Noir. 'That is his name right? He's incredibly attractive, the hero has only showed up once and he's giving me a run for my money' Adrien couldn't help the flash of red that appeared on his face before pushing it down completely. 'If Kagami talked to me the way he normally sounds then...'

His train of thoughts stopped when a figure landed in front of him. His first instinct was to get into a protective stance, which he did, but he recognised the figure as Noir, the mysterious hero that saved Ladybug earlier, so he dropped his stance.

"Hi Noir, what can I do for you?" Adrien questioned trying to act poised when he knew the only suave one here was Noir himself. He was totally not fanboying over the new hero, no way.

"Adrien Agreste" The black cat-themed hero began. "I'm sure you are aware of the... predicament that occurred earlier today, considering the fact that you were a witness of the whole ordeal"

"Yeah..." Adrien tried to look at anything other than Noir, but he sighed as he failed.

"Knowing that Hawkmoth has had an increase in power, Ladybug and I have come to the joint decision to have other permanent holders and form a team of superheroes." Noir looked at the blonde straight in the eye.

"And you want me to be a part of the team?" The blonde's eyes widened as Noir nodded.

"You were Ladybug's first choice"

"I- really?" Adrien stuttered out in disbelief, 'She still wants me to have a miraculous? Even though I couldn't do anything today?'

"You were Chat Noir, my predecessor, were you not? I have a lot to live up to" Though Adrien couldn't see most of the hero's face, he could see his eyes and the encouragement that shone through. "Do you wish to help us?"

"Absolutely" the blonde wasted no time in confirming.

Noir nodded and pulled out a box. "Adrien Agreste, this is the dog miraculous of Location. Ladybug has entrusted me to entrust this miraculous to you, you shall use it for the greater good. Can we trust you?"

Adrien carefully took the box and nodded with determination. He opened the box and, similarly with Plagg, a small peach-colored glowing orb spun around him. When the light died down, a dog kwami was facing him. "Hello, Adrien. My name is Barkk. To transform say: 'Barkk, to the rescue!'" He out the collar around his neck.

"Barkk, to the rescue!" The blonde was engulfed in peach-colored light, leaving a new superhero when it died down. Adrien now stood in a brown suit with a white belly reaching up to his neck, white boots, white gloves, brown floppy dog ears that contrasted well with his blonde hair. He also had a short, brown, metallic tail that which on command, would appear in his hand as a boomerang-shaped weapon. The blonde found out that it could be pulled apart into two separate rods and that with a flick of the wrist, the boomerang could snap into place like a baton, similar with his staff as Chat Noir. "Pawsome!"

Noir nodded. "It would be best if we head to the Eiffel Tower as soon as possible, Ladybug and Rena Rouge are probably waiting for us" The cat-themed hero then used his staff to propel himself in the direction of the city's landmark, Adrien followed closely, his new powers allowed him to jump like Rena. Sure enough, both heroes arrived on the building where two heroine's were waiting.

"I was wondering when you were going to get here" Ladybug's voice rang out, stepping out from the shadows. Noir had transformed and left before Ladybug had but now he wished he was there to see it.

The spotted heroine's suit had changed greatly. The top part of her suit had changed to black, running down her arms fading to the familiar red. The bottom part of her suit remained the same red with black spots but she had matte-black along the bottom part of her legs, mimicking boots. The long ribbons in her hair remained the same except they faded to black at the tips. Noir looked away to stop his cheeks from getting any redder than they already were.

"Something wrong, Minou?" She asked teasingly.

"Tt, of course not"

Ladybug giggled while Rena and the dog-themed hero exchanged knowing glances. The spotted heroine turned to Adrien and gestured for him to introduce himself.

"Oh, I'm Le Chien"

"Well, Le Chien, Rena, Noir, we have some training we need to do"

~~~

By the end of their patrol and training session, Le Chien was exhausted. He bid the other heroes farewell and detransformed. Giving Barkk a sugar biscuit, which honestly smelt a lot better than Camember, Adrien ran down the Seine, hoping to meet up with two people in particular. Said figures appeared in the distance and when he was closer enough, Adrien pushed himself in between the two and placed one arm over each shoulder.

"Hey you two, what's up?" Adrien asked.

"We just wanted to watch the sunset" Kagami answered, "Right Luka?"

"Yes, the sky is very beautiful at sunset" The guitarist answered. Suddenly all three of their phones chimed. "Chloe's inviting us for a sleepover at the hotel"

"Did she say who would be there?" The bluenette asked.

"She invited us, Alya, Nino couldn't make it, Marinette and... Damian? Do you know who that is?" Luka looked between the blonde and the bluenette.

"No, never heard the name before" Adrien's oblivious self replied.

Kagami hummed, both boys looked at her in confusion. "You'll find out who he is later and before you ask, I know who he is. Now let's go get the things necessary for this sleepover"

~~~

When the trio arrived at Chloe's door, they were greeted by both the blonde herself and Alya.

"Hi Chloe, Hi Alya" Luka greeted the two.

"Just come on in already, the movie's about to start!" Chloe walked away from the door to sit on a space on her sofa out of the current view of the two bluenettes and blonde.

"What movie are we watching?" Kagami asked, entering the room first.

"Une Petite Frayeur, it was premiered just last week" Alya replied, "I don't know what the genre is yet, Chloe is refusing to tell" The brunette with glasses led them to the sofa, the coffee table decked out in snacks.

"Please don't tell me it's a horror movie" a soft voice whined.

"Oh, hi Marinette! We-" Adrien stopped mid sentence when he noticed Marinette sitting next to an unfamiliar figure. He walked up to the both of them and when he got close enough, he started spluttering. After a good minute, he managed to say words. "This man isn't doing anything yet he's a better model than me! You are waytoo attractive for your own good. Y-you're illegally attractive! I'm gonna have to take your good-looking license away"

Adrien held out his hand much like a police officer, one of Damian's eye brows shot up in amusement while Marinette giggled at the display. The bluenette looked Adrien in the eye, wrapped her arms around her boyfriend. "No" she deadpanned.

"Adrien, Luka, Kagami" Marinette got the other two's attention. "This is Damian, my boyfriend"

"Pleasure to finally meet you, Damian" Kagami held out her hand which the green-eyed boy took.

"Likewise"

"Wait you two know each other?" Adrien asked, his mind thinking of many different things at once.

"That explain's why Melody's music has changed"

"Alright enough chit-chat, let's watch the movie already!" Chloe cut in through the conversation.

"What genre is it?" Marinette timidly asked.

Chloe looked straight into the bluenette's eyes and smirked. "Horror"

~~~

Luckily the film wasn't that scary, well actually it was but the teens were busy arguing about how stupid and unrealistic the plot was.

"The murderer manages to get from point A to point B going at legit 2 kilometers per hour before the main protagonist, who just so happens to be sprinting, and they're insisting that they're human?!"

"Now you understand my frustration!"

"Well... he could've been running off-camera...?!"

"Well that wasn't implied!"

The rest of the sleepover was relatively quiet, at around midnight most of them had fallen asleep. If Alya, who were awake, managed to get a picture of Marinette cuddled in Damian's arms while they were asleep, the couple wouldn't know.

All but Chloe left in the morning after breakfast, Kitty Section would be practicing on the Liberty and Kagami came to watch. Alya would be on a date with Nino and Chloe was going to spend time with her parents, leaving Damian and Marinette free for the day. They decided just to spend the rest of their free time at Marinette's house, she had some commissions she needed to finish and Damian wanted to paint on her balcony.

When Marinette went up to her balcony through her trapdoor, she saw Damian sitting on the floor with some watercolour paint next to him. The bluenette had never been able to master using watercolours but she loved the way the paint looked. Peering over his shoulder, Marinette saw a realistic piece of the Notre Dame Cathedral and the air nearly escaped her, it was incredibly detailed. From the piece of artwork itself, the bluenette envisioned many pieces she could create and rushed to her sketchbook so her ideas could be on paper.

In the end, Damian gave the artwork to her so she could get inspiration whenever she wanted. He kissed her goodbye, since she had school the next day, and went back to the hotel.

~~~

"Marinette! You're going to be late!" Tikki's voice echoed in the bluenette's ears.

"Oh! Thanks Tikki!" Marinette shot out of bed, got changed, grabbed a croissant and rushed out the bakery, eating the croissant on her way. Alya was there waiting as usual.

"Hey girl!" The reporter called out after noticing her best friend, the bluenette waved back.

"Hey Alya!"

"Wow, this is probably the first time you've been early in a long time!" Marinette huffed while they both went to their lockers.

They found the room empty when the two arrived, making it easier to converse. As Alya was about to mention the photo she took of Marinette and the green-eyed boy, the bluenette winced, clutching her chest. The reporter rushed to her best friend's side but the blue-eyed girl ran to the bathroom, Alya followed not far behind. When the girl entered, she found Marinette in front of the sink, double-over with tears of pain threatening to spill. Not knowing what else to do, Alya went over to inspect where Marinette's hand was clutching, presuming that was the source of her pain. It was in the space of her curves, 'Isn't that the...' Alya gasped and looked at Marinette. It was so obvious, why hadn't she seen it sooner?

"Marinette?"

The bluenette looked at her best friend with a look that told her to continue.

"...You're Ladybug, aren't you?"

———

Taglist: @little-bluestar,@miracleofadisaster,@frieddonutsweets,@jjmjjktth,@genderfluidmoma,@starlit-dreaming,@icerosecrystal,@lolieg,@kashlyn,@mochegato,@eggadoodle,@walkingthroughonautopilot,@toodaloo-kangaroo,@lady-bee-fechin

#daminette #damian x marinette #maribat #maridami #marinette x damian #damianette #mlb x dc #ml x dc

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sneakyninjacat · 7 years

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Your Happiness

Author: X-Breath of Fresh Air-X

Submitted by: @chillinlikestrawberryfillin

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12702470/1/

“IT WON’T WEAR OFF!” Zen flopped face down on his bed screaming his frustration into the sheets.

The muffled sound of his anger made Obi laugh. “Are you doing alright there Master?”

Zen let out an exasperated sigh, “I don’t know Obi, it’s just like the old days when Mitsuhide would follow me around everywhere, I felt so stifled you know?”

Obi listened quietly while Zen vented his feelings. Sitting in his Master’s room like this gave him a sense of serenity that he couldn’t find in his own quarters, it made him lazy and he had taken many an afternoon nap on the prince’s couch.

“I take our dynamic for granted, he’s there, but he gives me space and when he gets weird like this it really messes with me.”

“So that’s must be why you two fight all the time,” Obi observed.

Zen rolled onto his back staring at the ceiling. “Obi stay in here with me here for a while.” Zen’s soft request came from the bed.

Obi’s eyes widened in surprise. “Whatever you say Master…” he turned away from the bed so Zen couldn’t see his expression and gazed out of the window into the darkness that stretched over Clariness.

Stay. It was something he wasn’t used to hearing, and he was always unsure of how to react.

In an attempt to lighten his Master’s mood he gave a half-hearted attempt at a joke, “Well why don’t I sing you a lullaby? I’ve been told I have a beautiful voice.”

“Never mind get out,” came Zen’s blunt and unimpressed reply.

Obi chuckled and remained quiet basking in the silence that blanketed the room.

He recalled their journey back from Tanbarun and the conversation that he had with the Prince while they were in the baths.

“I mean that for you too Obi, I want all of you to be happy.”

He struggled with the idea since they arrived back in Clariness wondering where his happiness lay. Was it here in Clariness kingdom? Or would he be leaving soon to some other far and distant land?

Such sweet words his Master shared with him that day, but he wondered if someone like him truly deserved to find happiness. His past was coloured with years of blood, lies and shadows solely for the purpose of fulfilling whatever mission it was he was assigned.

He wasn’t proud of the work he had done, and he wondered when it all became too much that he had made the decision to walk away. His hand absentmindedly traced the jagged scar across his chest; his last mission had almost cost him his life, could that have been it?

No definitely not, he was not afraid of death his life held no worth unless it was to ensure the success of a job at any cost.

Such a poor existence he led, but he did not grieve for the life that he left behind. He preferred serving under a Master, someone to hold the reigns and decide his fate. Besides, the lives that he protected here in Wistal castle were much more valuable than any money he could have received from his previous jobs.

Zen’s breathing had slowed signifying that he had finally fallen asleep probably exhausted from the day’s events.

Obi stood from the ottoman, walking toward the bed taking in his Master’s sleeping face reinforcing that the trust he shared with the prince was implicit. He grabbed the sheet, and gently placed them over Zen’s sleeping form, before quietly exiting the room.

Outside he almost ran headlong into Kiki. He placed a slender finger to his lips and gestured for her to accompany him down the hall.

“Good evening Miss Kiki.” he greeted her cheerfully once they were far enough away from Zen’s quarters.

“Obi, I didn’t know you were still here.” she didn’t sound surprised, Kiki had become accustomed to his presence as one who stood beside Zen and for that she was grateful, the prince needed more people outside of herself and Mitsuhide that he could trust and share his thoughts and feelings with. Both Obi and Shirayuki had been able to fill that void.

“Master asked me to stay with him for a little while, he fell asleep not long after,” he explained.

Kiki nodded. “If Zen has gone to bed, I might as well call it a night. If you see Mitsuhide you can let him know I’ve retired for the night.”

They said their goodnights and Kiki left towards their dormitories.

“I think I’ll stay up a little while longer.” Obi lept out of the nearest window, headed toward the pharmacy to check on Shirayuki who was sure to still be there racking her brain to determine a cure for Mitsuhide’s condition.

Sure enough when he arrived the light was still on in her office, where she sat at her desk pouring over a large stack of books.

“Still at it Miss?”

He smiled when Shirayuki jumped startled from his sudden appearance, enjoying the surprised look on her face when he caught her off guard.

“Obi! You scared me what are you still doing up at this hour?”

He shrugged, “I figured with Mitsuhide still so out of it, there was a pretty good chance that I would find you here after hours working away to find a cure especially since Master is too stubborn to address the situation himself.”

Shirayuki stopped halfway through turning a page, looking thoughtful. Obi froze wondering if he had gone too far.

“I mean…It would be good for Mitsuhide to get back to being himself.” Obi laughed nervously, peeking a look at her face, but she didn’t look upset with him, just fiercely determined.

“You’re right Obi,” she said looking directly at him.

Obi swallowed hard, Shirayuki’s emerald eyes bore into his very soul and he felt something stir in his heart. Miss always had a way of making him feel grounded, like this place, here in Wistal castle right next to her side was where he was meant to be.

Their closeness was a result of circumstance, but their friendship had grown far beyond that of just mistress and attendant.

“You’re hardly the type to make fatal mistakes.” Trow’s statement rang through his mind and it made him wonder.

“Miss, can I ask you a question?” Obi asked, eyes still locked with hers.

Shirayuki nodded before he continued.

“What does it mean to find happiness?” he watched as the different emotions played out across her face. He could tell that she was caught off guard by his question, but the gears were turning in her mind to give him some sort of answer.

“Well Obi, I think finding happiness is to find your true purpose in life, something that brings you joy, something that keeps you going and makes you feel like you’re on the right path.”

Obi could tell that she had thought about this before, perhaps when she had first come to Clariness. Her answer made sense, and he wondered when his purpose, his sole reason for existing became the girl sitting on the stool in front of him.

“Does that answer your question?” she inquired still watching his face, his expression had changed and for a second she could see the sadness in his eyes.

“Yes, Miss it does.” He gave her a bright unreadable smile, that definitely did not fit the changed atmosphere of the room.

If Shirayuki was anything, she was observant and spending as much time together as they did she had picked up some of his habits, the light-hearted jokes he would make to diffuse a situation, the deliberate eye contact when inquiring about something serious.

He was a master of sidestepping a question he didn’t want to answer or absentmindedly massaging his shoulder and looking off distractedly while looking like he wasn’t eavesdropping.

Obi did not lie, he always told the truth regardless of the circumstance and he rarely dropped his smile, but the unguarded look in his eyes, this was new for her.

“Obi…Could I ask you a question?” His smile faltered a bit.

“Of course, anything for you Miss,” he answered politely.

“Have you ever found happiness?” For a fleeting moment, he considered letting his silence speak for him. But he wasn’t sure what expression he was wearing on his face and didn’t want her to be confused or embarrassed for asking him such a direct question.

“It’s like I’ve left apart of my soul with these people, and I am unable to act of my own free will without it.” His statement to Trow echoed in his ears.

The flecks of gold in her eyes danced in the soft candlelight and silence stretched between them as Obi considered what he would say.

After another moment she broke eye contact, looking a little disappointed she flushed pink.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean…” she fidgeted nervously with the corner of her skirt.

Obi absently took a step toward her and she looked up surprised at his sudden movement as he knelt down on one knee before her.

Shirayuki blushed an even brighter shade of red taking in her attendant’s disposition in front of her.

“Obi…what are you-” her words died on her lips as he looked up at her ocher eyes meeting emerald.

“Miss, my sole purpose is to protect you with my life.” Shirayuki was taken aback by his response.

He crossed a hand over his heart before he continued. “Master made me your first line of defence, and I do not take that job for granted, my happiness is ensuring your security and safety when Master cannot.”

Shirayuki’s heart thrummed in her chest as the weight of Obi’s words sunk in. She was his purpose, his happiness, his reason for living and…"

“Obi…” tears sprang to her eyes, but she couldn’t stop them and she frantically tried to wipe them away.

Obi stiffened, he hadn’t been prepared for her reaction and immediately regretted being so honest about his feelings. He couldn’t help it, and he couldn’t lie to her either, but he hoped that he hadn’t said too much.

“Miss!” Obi’s eyes widened in horror at the tears now streaming down her face. “I’m so sorry!” he desperately waved his hands in front of him searching for a way to make her stop.

“Please, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you cry!” Zen would punish him for sure if he found out.

Shirayuki let out a small laugh at the shocked expression on his face, wiping away the last of her tears.

“No, I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting that answer.” she apologized tearfully.

Obi gave her a nervous smile like he was expecting her to break down again at any second.

“I told you before Miss, you should be careful what you wish for.” he scratched nervously at his cheek waiting for her to regain her composure.

He hadn’t thought about the effect his words might have on her and inwardly cursed himself for being the cause of her tears. She was special to him in ways that she could never know and he knew that no matter how much he considered it, he would never be able to leave this place unscathed.

“Is that why you came after me in Tanbarun?” she spoke so softly he almost didn’t catch it, and she didn’t realize the double meaning in her words.

They had briefly spoken about what happened after the pirates had kidnapped her in Tanbarun, something he would never forgive himself for, and he had made it very clear to her that he wouldn’t listen to anything she had to say on the matter.

Obi nodded slowly unsure of how he should respond. The conversation had taken a turn into dangerous waters and he needed to remember his station.

“Miss, the prince charged me with your protection, it was my responsibility. You were kidnapped, and you had to endure so much terror and uncertainty because I didn’t do my job.” his statement was void of any emotion.

“But-” she tried to object, but he held up a hand to silence her.

He never wanted her to be in that position again, it was a non-negotiable matter. It wasn’t only that he had come after her, it was that he had volunteered to go in his Master’s stead. Obi had known waiting for them to arrive at the castle would have wasted precious time, he wasn’t capable of keeping himself there knowing that Shirayuki was in danger and he was faster tracking the enemy alone.

“It can never happen again,” he silently promised himself.

They sat together in silence, and the tension caused Shirayuki to shift uncomfortably in her stool. This light-hearted conversation they were having had turned serious and she hated the way Obi’s face looked stoic and unreadable, shadows dancing ominously around him in the flickering candlelight.

“Obi…could you promise me something?” Shirayuki asked quietly.

Obi considered her request, a promise? What could he possibly promise her? Was he even capable of keeping a promise to someone like Shirayuki?

She didn’t wait for a reply. “Obi I want you to promise me, that although your purpose has tied you to me, you will never lose sight of who you are and whatever makes you most happy even if Zen has ordered you to remain by my side.”

Obi was a bit taken aback, was she really suggesting that he disobey Master if it was no longer something that made him happy? He tried to make sense of it in his head, and he realized that she wanted him to have the freedom to make his own decisions, to choose his own path, and to discover his own happiness.

Warmth filled his chest as he looked at the girl before him. She would never know the truth, why he remained by her side, or even why Master had charged him with her protection. It was all by his own design.

“Miss, are you asking me to disobey the Master, and even if your life is in danger to leave you if my happiness isn’t invested in your protection?”

Her face remained fiercely determined. “Yes Obi, because your life is just as valuable as mine.”

This girl, she was too pure, he could never defile her with his tainted past, but at the same time, he wondered if she could be the only person brave enough to navigate their way through.

Obi wished the ground would swallow him whole. It took everything in him not to close the distance between them, gather her in his arms and tell her that would never happen, she didn’t know what she was asking of him.

He wasn’t the kind of man that would ever leave her defenceless as long as there was life still left in his body. His happiness was never in choosing his own path or aspiring to a greater purpose. With his skills, he was a valuable weapon to be used, a resource and the best line of defence against any impending threats.

For her to think of him as a person with a life of value; Obi understood why he was drawn to her and he would gladly lay down his life for his Master, for Shirayuki because their happiness, and purpose was so great it made him happy just to be allowed to stand in their presence. For Master to ask him to stay, for Miss Kiki to trust him, for Shirayuki to acknowledge him; he never asked to meet these people at Wistal castle, he never thought he would forge bonds with people or even care if they lived or died.

Obi realized without searching for it, he had found happiness in the shining light of Shirayuki’s heart and that was enough for him.

He crossed his fingers behind his back, “I promise.”

#submitted by: chillinlikestrawberryfillin #written by: X-Breath of Fresh Air-X #submission #fanfiction #one-shot #Oh my #this made me dig deeper into obi's mind #and his relationship with shirayuki #not that I don't already do that in a regular basis #man obi's mind is very confusing #but it's a very interesting mystery at the same time #obi has found his true happiness at last #very beautiful piece #i'm very happy for him

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xbreathoffreshairx · 7 years

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