Little Red *Mitsuhide x OC* (COMPLETE)

Can I Tie Your Shoes? I Don't Want Anyone Else Falling For You

Chapter 21: Can I Tie Your Shoes? I Don't Want Anyone Else Falling For You
Song: Same Old War - Our Last Night

I don't know what it is, but now that Daliah is technically free from immediate threats of death, my thoughts still revolve around her. Zen has her under my supervision during the day and she stays with Kiki overnight. It bummed Obi out when he found out that he's not actively involved with her, but Zen still has some reservations about them being alone together just yet. After the first three weeks, that will likely change. I've been trying not to think about my hidden feelings for her but spending the days with her has made it so hard. It's worse when she smiles... it takes my breath away.

"Mitsuhide!"

I follow the sound of Daliah's voice upward in time to realize she's falling out of the tree. I shake my head and sigh as I catch her so she doesn't kill herself.

"I fell." She giggles as she wiggles out of my grip and gets to her feet.

"I can tell. What exactly were you doing?"

"Setting trip wires for dear Big Brother." A bright grin crosses her face and I sigh again.

"I thought you wanted to bond with him?"

"It is bonding. We did childish versions of this as children. He's been pranking me back."

"I mean, I guess that's better than nothing, but why don't the two of you talk?" I ask as we walk through the garden together toward her favorite spot.

During her down time she would wander the grounds with me trailing behind her. A few days ago she found an alcove on the outskirts of the garden where the rose bushes had grown up to form a canopy surrounding a small wooden bench. I'm not sure how I never noticed it over the years but it's a rather peaceful spot. She takes a seat on the left side of the bench as always and for some reason the mixture of the sunlight on her hair and the roses blooming around her but I stop in my tracks and can't get myself to move or breathe. Her eyes flick up to me in confusion and her asking if I'm okay is enough to snap me out of my thoughts and I shrug it off.

"You've been weird the last few days, what's up? Am I not interesting anymore now that I'm not dying?"

"No, no it's not that."

"Hm? So it is something, then." She smirks and I curse. "So what is it? You're stuck with me for at least three weeks and I have an amazing memory, so don't think you can get out of it."

"It's nothing really, I've just been distracted lately."

"Distracted by what? Is it Miss Kiki? She's rather pretty."

No, not Kiki. It's her, but I can't tell her that.

"I-I just haven't been sleeping well, that's all."

Daliah huffs and stands on the bench before latching onto my shirt and dragging me closer to her. With her new vantage point, we're close to the same height now and her face is so close to mine. It's uncomfortable to say the least. She moves closer to stare into my eyes and I resist the urge to run away and abandon my post.

"What are you doing?" I ask hesitantly.

"Peering into the depths of your soul." She whispers seriously.

"You are a strange one."

Before she can reply, we hear Obi shout her name and a broad grin stretches across her face.

"It totally worked! Let's go mock my brother!"

She jumps off the bench and grabs my wrist before forcefully dragging me back through the garden. At least she's distracted for now.

As the sun sets, Obi, Kiki, Daliah, and I settle at a table behind the servant's quarters with Garak and Shirayuki so we can eat dinner. Daliah had briefly met Garak on her second day of supervised freedom and I'm still trying to decide which of them I'm more concerned about being the bad influence on the other. They both have their issues.

"So children, who wants to drink and gamble tonight?" Garak asks.

"Ooh me! It's been forever since I've had a drink."

"You're too young to drink Daliah, so no." Obi cuts in.

"I'm nineteen and last I checked you're not my guardian so..." She sticks her tongue out at him. "Pour it up."

"I may not be your guardian but you're still my little sister." He shoots back.

"How about this?" I cut in before they decide to murder each other instead. "She can drink while we're around to keep an eye on her and if it starts to be a bad thing we'll cut her off. Besides, she'll be with Kiki tonight so it's not like she can really get into trouble."

"Works for me as long as my stupid brother agrees."

"Come on Obi, let me get your baby sister wasted. It'll be fun."

"If something bad happens because of this, I will come after you."

Daliah can hold her alcohol better than I thought. I guess she has that in common with Obi. Somehow his reluctance to let her drink has turned into a competition between them on who can out-drink the other while playing poker with the rest of us. She's doing rather well with poker too. She's made herself comfortable against my shoulder as she nurses her tenth bottle. I'm glad she's comfortable and I don't mind her leaning against me, but the fluttery feeling won't go away. I haven't really gotten close to her yet, so I don't know why I feel this way but there's just a connection I can't ignore. I just have to keep it from everyone else.

"Full house!" She cheers as she slaps her cards on the table.

"Good job."

"Ooh! Garak! Tell me stories of Obi being drunk!"

"I don't have any drinking stories." He cuts in quickly.

"Oh nonsense! There was that time I slipped you a lot of moonshine and you go-" Garak's story is cut off by Obi's hand covering her mouth.

"I said I don't have any stories."

"He got down to his underwear and ran through the castle blindfolded as a dare." Kiki supplies the rest.

"Oh, well that's rather tame." Daliah pouts as she sits up.

"Like you have anything better?"

"Well... There was the time I got drunk with Torin when we made port and started a tavern fight that turned into a village wide brawl. From there we decided that gathering our crew and splitting them into thirds and proceeded to steal two boats on our way out. Ooh or the time I convinced a man that I was a goddess locked in human form and I demanded offerings in order to free myself from my earthly bonds... and that's the story of how a man gave me everything he owned including his house in the name of the great Goddess Itsasham."