Alone *Obi x Oc x Mitsuhide* (ON HOLD)

The Apple

Obi is gone. I haven't seen him in two days and there's a group get together this evening and he's not here either. It's been a few weeks since I started here at the castle and I've seen or spoken to him daily, same with Mitsuhide except for a couple of days when Prince Zen's brother held meetings with him. I glance up from my cards before pushing a small pile of candies to the center of the table. Mitsuhide is settled beside me and he looks a little concerned before placing his bet. That won't end well, he's horrible at a poker face.

"Hey Hide, where's Obi? I haven't seen him for a couple of days." I ask.

"Oh, Zen sent him out with a message to the prince in Tanbarun. He should be back soon."

"That's unfortunate."

"What? That he's gone? It's always good to get a break from Obi." Lillith chirps as she places her bet.

"No, it's just unfortunate he has to deal with that filthy prince."

"What's unfortunate is we will be hosting him next week. That's what that letter is about. He'll be here for four days once he arrives."

A scowl crosses my face apparently because Garak comments on it with a mild slur between her laughter.

"Should we cut her off?" Lillith asks jokingly and in the time it takes to blink she's pinned beneath Garak who's sitting on her.

"Cut me off now twiggy wench!"

"Get off me!" She whines.

Once the get together dies down- meaning Lillith is too drunk to walk and Garak is barely conscious- I tell everyone goodnight and get to my feet. I only had half of a drink because unlike my friends, I'm not much of a drinker. Mitsuhide stands too and I fall into step with him as we head back toward our rooms. I'm actually enjoying staying here, far more than I thought I would actually. It's all because of their insistence that I'm here and I still don't fully understand why. It has to be something more than pity, right?

"Hey Hide, I have a question, if it's alright to ask."

"What is it?"

"Why did you and Obi fight so hard for me to come here? Was it really just pity for me being a beaten down woman living in a tent?"

"It was never about pity. It was concern, for sure, considering the situation we found you in and what we were supposed to leave you in, but it was more than that. You won us over a little bit when you stayed with us at the safe house. It's not often that we come across someone that fits nicely with us. Shirayuki was the first outsider that came into our lives, then Obi not too long after."

"How did Obi come to join you? He's rather peculiar and doesn't exactly match with the rest of you."

"That's what I will call an Obi story. I won't tell his past and I will assume he won't tell mine."

"Understandable. Goodnight Mitsuhide, sleep well."

"You as well, Miss Arwen."

Obi is back when I leave my room the next morning, but he has a few cuts and bruises that weren't there before. He greets me with a smile as he settles in the window but my smile fades when I notice the blood smear on his cheek disappearing into his hair line. He notices my expression change and arches a brow in confusion.

"You're bleeding or at least were bleeding, and you have bruises and cuts. What happened?"

"Oh... I fell."

"You fell with your knuckles and face as only points of contact?"

"I- yes?"

"You're a horrible liar. So what really happened?"

"I encountered a horrible man being rude to a woman so I had to make sure she was okay."

"So you punched him?"

"Sure- sure did. Definitely yes."

"Now I'm even more concerned."

"You just missed me Miss Arwen, is that it?" He smirks and I roll my eyes. "It's alright, I know I'm amazing."

"You're making me regret it."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Insufferable."

"I heard 'incredible'."

I still don't buy Obi's story about punching a man while he was away. I've thought about it during my work shift and it just sounds fake based on how he reacted when I asked about it and the fact he's just not threatening in the slightest. I'd believe it more from Mitsuhide since he's had his knight training and such. Even Lillith has had training since she's one of The Points. Obi just seems to be a random person they took into their group, like Mitsuhide had said.

"If you keep thinking like that you'll get wrinkles." Mitsuhide tells me.

"Ooh Miss Arwen's lost in thought. I wonder what it's about." Obi chimes in and I sigh.

"I was just wondering what exactly happened for you to become close with everyone and come here. Mitsuhide said you were taken into the group shortly after Shirayuki arrived." I answer from my spot curled up in an armchair.

Obi's eyes immediately cut to Mitsuhide with a sharp look but Mitsuhide quickly explains that he left the story telling up to him. That's not at all suspicious.

"We ran into each other one day and the rest is history."

"That's definitely a lie..." I mumble as Mitsuhide bursts into laughter.

"There was over an apple." Obi shrugs.

"An apple? Really?"

"A very shiny red apple and it was in the way."

"It was... an apple... what could it have possibly been in the way of?"

"Some people didn't want the apple around so I was hired to remove the apple, but I couldn't. Then I became friends with everyone."

"And what happened to the apple?"

"It lived happily ever after."

"This was such a terrible story... now I don't even want to know the real reason."

"Yeah Obi, why not tell her the real story?" Mitsuhide presses.

"That was definitely the real story, Hide." Obi glares at him from the couch before refocusing on me. "Enough about me, Miss Arwen. Let's hear about you."