Disclaimer: I do not own Akagami no Shirayukihime

Summary: Canon-verse, in which Zen sends Obi in to comfort Shirayuki. Fluff. ObiYuki.

Takes place sometime after Chapter 100(?), and where they are temporarily back at Clarines

~Touch of a Hand~


It had only been ten minutes since Master and Mistress vanished into Master's bedchambers by themselves. It was sudden, Master had asked her if they could talk in private in a voice so serious it made Obi's stomach coil. Was Mistress in trouble? Was it his own fault? It was like a chain reaction—that if something happened to Mistress it usually was Obi's fault, indirectly, of course.

Obi rubbed at his shoulder, the shoulder that always ached. Or maybe squeezing it had become a nervous habit, something to keep his hands busy and fidget with. Leaning against the wall waiting, his other hand drummed against the plaster. Obi had to wait so he could take Mistress back to her room. Or at least that's what Obi told himself. To give himself a reason to still be here.

Whatever's happening in there, Obi hoped it wouldn't upset Mistress like that time Master ran into the tower. And Mistress had acted weird for the entirety of the day. Obi never did find out what had happened, although he had an inkling. But he didn't particularly like the dwell on it, either.

Kiki and Mitsuhide were waiting for Master, but they didn't seem too concerned with what was happening in there. In fact, Mitsuhide had a small, secretive smile on his lips, as if he knew something exciting. And Kiki…Kiki looked concerned—but for Obi's sake. She'd met Obi's curious stare and while her sharp eyes betrayed no emotion, Obi felt some sort of pity, or sadness, perhaps. Whatever it was, it made Obi's stomach want to climb to his throat.

"What do you think's going on in there?" Obi asked, unable to stop the question from bubbling out of his chest. Again, he needed to fidget. He squeezed even tighter on his shoulder. He had a strange sense of deja vu. Recalling the last time they'd discovered that Master and Mistress were sleeping together alone in Master's room.

"Something a guard should be quiet about." Mitsuhide's smile didn't waver. In fact, if anything, it grew wider.

Obi frowned. He hated that answer. It was a non-answer. The type that said everything and nothing at all. He squeezed his shoulder tighter than ever before, fingers digging in so deep that if he hadn't been grinding his teeth, maybe he would have gasped out from sudden pain.

"If you smile at me like that, Mister," said Obi, "then I'll have no choice, but to dream about it."

Mitsuhide grimaced. "What an Obi-thing for you to say."

That satisfied Obi to see him no longer smiling creepily. Obi stared down at the glowing rock that sat on his chest. Mitsuhide's words finally sank in and Obi smiled. So, Master is finally proposing. Despite his own feelings, Obi wanted Master and Mistress to be happy and to be together. They were perfect for each other. How strange it was to ship your crush with someone else. She deserved someone as amazing as Master.

And Master is truly amazing.

XOXOX

It wasn't easy for Zen—what he was going to do. He wasn't the most perceptive fellow, unlike Obi who could read any situation in the matter of seconds. However, Zen could read this mood quite clearly. It's been in his face since the day Shirayuki gave Obi that necklace. He felt stupid for not noticing sooner—like the way Shirayuki had reacted that day when they'd caught Obi with that girl…

"Shirayuki," Zen said, gently taking a seat next to her on the couch. She titled her head and her green eyes were so round and beautiful. It nearly took his breath away. Nearly made Zen forget everything he was about to say. But he had to focus. He had to take himself out of the equation. "I wanted to speak to you alone because…" He bit the inside of his cheeks. He was losing nerve much quicker than he'd expected.

He swallowed.

He could do this.

He smiled softly, taking Shirayuki's tiny hands in his own. Warm, so warm. "Shirayuki, I wanted to ask you to be…" Zen shook his head, allowing his light hair to bounce. "Shiryakuki, how do you feel about Obi?"

"Obi?" she repeated. Zen took note of the slight downturn of her lips, and how her hands jittered for only a moment. A moment Obi would have caught—a moment Zen had learned to catch.

"I wanted to ask you to be with me—always," Zen admitted, his face felt hot, but he ignored it. He could talk through this. He had to. "But that would be selfish of me."

"Selfish? Zen, you are never selfish—"

Zen wasn't having it. He had to say all that he could before whatever fueled him died out. "You like me," his heart leapt into his throat, "but you love Obi, don't you?"

Shirayuki's mouth turned O-shaped before her bottom lip quivered. She bowed her head. "Zen, I—I…" she deepened her bow. "I'm not sure."

Zen breathed in relief and chuckled. It suddenly felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. That he didn't have to hurt Obi, a stranger who'd turned into one of his closest and best of friend.

"I always liked you two together…" he said more to himself, before taking Shirayuki into a hug and she sobbed against his chest. She mumbled incoherently. Might have been "I'm sorry," or some more "I don't know," but that was all Zen needed to know.

He couldn't explain it and while his own heart hurt, something resonated inside him. Something that felt right.

XOXOX

Obi's free hand curled around the glowing stone. Something he would never take off because Mistress gave it to him. Because she'd given it to him after learning how it had helped him. And the relief in her eyes that Obi had come back safe and sound. A memory he would hold near and dear.

The door to the bedchamber opened, and Master walked out with an oddly sheepish expression. A half-smile and a half-something else.

Everyone's attention fell onto Master. Obi admired that, how Master could walk into a room and be the center of the stage. He truly was a prince—no, he had the makings of a future king.

"Shirayuki is crying," Master said. The news was like a stab to the gut. Obi dropped his hand from the stone.

Mitsuhide and Kiki gasped, but Master's eyes were locked on Obi's. "And I think someone who's not me should go and comfort her."

Why was Master looking at him? Obi, froze, no longer massaging his shoulder. His breath stilled as Master continued to speak. "Obi, would you go in there?"

"Me?" Obi's stomach knotted so tightly, he wondered if he would puke right then and there. Comfort a crying Mistress? Obi didn't know how to comfort someone. He wasn't the comforting type and he never had close enough relations with people to even want to comfort someone. What an odd sensation. He wondered why him though? Wouldn't Mitsuhide be better at this? Or even Kiki?

Master gave Obi a nod and a smile so genuine it nearly broke something in him. "Of course you," said Master.

And Obi's hands went stiff to his sides as he made his way into the room. The room that Master slept in and that Master's love was crying in.

"Mitsuhide, Kiki," said Master, his voice felt a million miles away from Obi's ears, "let's head down to grab some food. I could use a late night snack and company would be nice."

Obi couldn't ignore Master's odd behavior, but he did his best as he entered the room.

It was dark, only lit by the moonlight shinning through Master's huge window, where Mistress stood and gazed out, almost longingly. The door thumped shut behind him, startling the both of them. Mistress turned sharply. With the illumination of the moonlight, her eyes were like sea glass.

"Obi?" He caught sight of a flash of red that colored the apples of her cheeks. Her voice held a hint of a rasp, but was more on the nasally side. She sniffed, the remnants of her tears.

Obi smiled softly. That's his Mistress, he thought. Too strong to let crying take a hold of her. "Mistress," he said back. "Let me guess, Master said something dense?"

Mistress's eyes softened and the action left him unsettled. Obi watched as a tear—silver from the moonlight—trickled down her right cheek. Mistress quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand.

"Yeah." She smiled so brightly at him that, as always, his heart skipped.

She didn't seem like she needed comforting, Obi thought. She was much too strong for that. "Shall I escort you back to your room, Mistress?"

She nodded, her smile grew and Obi found himself smiling back. As they left the bedchambers, Obi noted that Master, Mitsuhide, and Kiki were nowhere in sight. And before he could ponder further on that, Mistress's hand slipped into his own. His eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. So small and so warm and slightly calloused.

It was so her.

He swallowed and did something that surprised even himself—he intertwined their fingers.

Mistress gasped, blushing the same lovely shade as her hair.

Whatever happened in that room between Master and Mistress, Obi decided he was fine not knowing.

And that holding Mistress's hand was all he ever needed.

~The End~


XOXOX

Eek hi everyone! This is my first time writing for this fandom, hope it wasn't disappointing! Obiyuki has consumed me, so I hope I did it some justice! This wasn't too heavy on the ObiYuki, and I guess it was more like a drabble, but I don't know, this was on my mind for a while so I thought I'd give it a try?

Thank you for reading and have a lovely day!