Not So Invisible (Obi x OC)

Bets

I fiddle with the top of the lid of the vial Shirayuki had left behind while watching an especially depressed Obi.

"She'll be back soon. No need to look so sad," I tease Obi.

We had gone for a visit with Shirayuki only to be told she had left to go look at some new herbs.

Obi glances at me sitting on my bed, "Shouldn't you be putting that stuff on your injury? Shirayuki made it so you would stop complaining about your stitches itching."

"I should but..." I trail off, staring at the bandage still wrapped around my arm. I had no want whatsoever to see how my arm looked with stitches. Even when the two days had passed, instead of taking the bandage off I had asked Shirayuki to change it. She seemed to understand.

"Don't tell me," Obi gives an exasperated sigh, "not only are you afraid of needles but of how stitches look also?"

I give him a sheepish look, "Well..."

"Give it here," he strides over and holds out his hand.

I place the vial in his hand.

"Hold out your arm," I obediently give him full access to my injured arm.

"You're ridiculous. You know that?" He berates me as he undoes the bandaging.

I take the insult quietly since he was the one putting the ointment on.

"There."

I let my arm fall back to my side without looking, "Thanks."

I sit for a moment and an idea pops into my head. I collect a few items from my desk and leave my room.

"Um where are we going?" Obi questions my quiet departure.

"I just feel like tinkering out in the fresh air."

"Why is it that I don't believe you, Miss?"

I shrug, "Sounds like a personal problem, Obi."

It would seem that Obi had seen that my intentions weren't as pure as I had said.

-

I sit fiddling with the items in my hands and watching the guards' rotation times and the amount of time it took them to switch shifts. They weren't hard to memorize.

"Were your true intentions to bore me to death, Miss?" Obi yawns in the tree I sit leaning against.

I shrug and click the final pieces in place, "Perhaps."

"Don't you want to go inside? The sun is going down."

"In a minute," I respond while slowly going through all the guards' rotations. Satisfied I stood, cradling the small item I had made.

Obi hops down from the tree and eyes the item in my hand warily, "That looks like a weapon, if I'm not mistaken, Miss."

I glance down at the contraption. It was miniature bow and arrow that shot with deadly precision when the lever was pulled.

"You have to learn to trust me," I hold the little launcher up, "it is a weapon, but it's not loaded. I can't do much damage with an empty weapon."

"Still," he holds out his hand.

I drop the tiny weapon into his waiting palm with an exasperated sigh. I really needed to get out of here.

"Ouch, why must you be so harsh, Kiki?"

I glance up to see Kiki and Mitsuhide walking on the second floor. They both stop and lean on the walkway's railing to talk.

I move to get closer and Obi follows quietly, apparently having the same idea in mind.

Quietly, we both climb a nearby tree to hear better and hide in the foliage.

"I can't help that your fighting technique is sloppy. That's all on you," Kiki teases.

"Oh," Mitsuhide gives a playful scoff, "and Vela's technique isn't? I haven't heard you once criticize her when you two used to spar."

Obi gives me a quizzical look. It was apparent he hadn't known that I had formed close relationship with them.

"Her technique wasn't sloppy, just a little too defensive. Now you leave yourself with too many openings. You could learn a thing or two from her," Kiki keeps a cool expression, but her tone is playful.

"I give it six months," I whisper.

"What?" Obi questions.

"I give it six months till Mitsuhide has the guts to ask Kiki out."

"You, obviously, haven't seen the improvement in his confidence. I give him a strong two months."

I muffle my laughter at his statement. Mitsuhide, confident? The two words didn't belong in the same sentence.

I hold my hand out, still shaking with laughter, "Loser pays the winner one hundred silver."

Obi holds his hand out cautiously.

I sigh and grab it, "Just because I'm a Mauranian doesn't mean I'll cheat."

Obi returns the firm grasp, "Never crossed my mind."

"Somehow I doubt that," I smirk mischievously as I don't let his hand go, "but that doesn't mean I can't make this game interesting."

I yank hard on Obi's hand, causing him to lose balance and fall from the branch we both sat on. He lands on his feet and glares up at me. I smile and flutter my fingers in a wave.

Kiki and Mitsuhide both look down to see Obi.

"What were you doing in that tree Obi?" Mitsuhide is on him right off the bat.

Obi puts a hand behind his head and smiles up at them, "Why, Miss Kiki, Mitsuhide, I had no idea you were there. I was just taking a quick nap."

"Aren't you supposed to be guarding Vela?"

"Why you bring up a very good point, Miss Kiki. I was just on my way right now."

Obi walks off in the direction of the stables while I stay in the tree, stifling laughter.

"I hope those two are getting along."

I look at Mitsuhide. He's worried?

"Me too. Zen's proposal to him acting as her guard really surprised me. His outburst had been pretty intense. It was a miracle Obi agreed to do as Zen asked."

Mitsuhide smiles, "Zen knows what he's doing. We should trust him." Mitsuhide drops his folded arms, "We should get going before Zen starts wondering where we are."

"After you."

I watch the pair walk off.

I sure hope Zen knew what he was doing.

My eyes move to the castle walls. Especially with both my freedom and life at stake. I hope he can get that meeting of his to come quickly and go smoothly.

-

"What would make you do that? Throwing me out in the open like that?"

I look up from brushing leaves off of my clothes and smirk, "I hadn't realized how worked up you'd get. Sorry."

I open Gypsy's stall and guide her outside by the halter.

I let Gypsy run loose, once we're in a paddock.

"Is that all you're going to say?"

"Yep."

"If only you weren't so unpredictable," Obi mutters under his breath.

I grin at the comment.

He hadn't seen unpredictable yet.