Hi everyone! It's me again, with another fic for another fandom. I am absolutely in love with the ObiYuki ship so I just had to start something. Let me know how you like it and if I get some good feedback, I'll keep posting for it!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Akagami no Shirayukihime.

She was cold, and soaking wet. The bleary January skies had drizzled icy rain non-stop for two weeks, which was pretty much a worst case scenario. Huddled against the wall in a back alley, wrapped tightly in an overly large dirty green hoodie with the hood drawn, she shivered violently as she tried to ignore the hunger pains stabbing at her insides. The air rumbled with thunder, threatening an even more unpleasant evening.

The city bustled about as usual, the chatter from the street echoing down the alley to her. Most of the people were walking speedily through, trying their best to not be caught up in the coming bad weather. The alley she was residing in didn't have too much foot traffic, only the occasional local going from A to B. New Orleans had many, many convenient alleys.

"I appreciate it, ma'am," came a voice from around the nearby corner. The girl didn't react, opting to stay motionless in place to remain as invisible as possible.

Only a moment later, a man stepped into the alleyway, walking past her without much mind. She thought he would keep going and ignore her, but she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned and she could tell he was looking down at her, but she couldn't really take note of his features as most of her visage was obstructed by her hood. The man only looked at her for a brief moment before digging into the front pocket of his jeans.

Next thing she knew, the sound of something landing wetly on the ground in front of her had her jerking her head up before freezing again. She didn't want to seem desperate. It had been several days since she had last eaten anything, and the amount of money she could see resting on the asphalt in front of her was enough to last her a week if she was careful. However, there was something else she needed more.

Hesitating, she locked gazes with the stranger, and was honestly a bit stunned. His golden cat-like eyes were piercing, and he was looking at her with an almost surprised expression.

Snatching her hood to cover her face once more, the girl curled in on herself, not liking attention in the slightest. Though she couldn't see him anymore, she could feel his gaze on her for a minute longer before he finally turned and walked away. Once she was sure there was no one in the immediate area, the girl made a dive for the crumpled money on the ground.

As the day wore on, the darkened storm clouds encroached onto the city, blowing freezing winds and sheets of rain throughout the streets and alleys. The girl was still huddled in place against the alley wall in the dark of the night, only seen with the flashes of lightning. The wetness of her clothes and the chill permeating the air had her rigid, the shivers almost leaving her entire body seized. Lightning struck not far away, rushing deafening claps of thunder through the (for once) not-so-crowded streets, making the girl cringe.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

She could barely hear the threatening male voice at first. It sounded very far away through the noise of the storm, though she knew it had to be closer than that, possibly just around the corner. Not moving from her place, she listened as more male voices joined the first, all just as threatening as the others. They seemed angry and ready for a fight. Their shouting grew louder and louder before they suddenly died off, replaced by the sounds of scuffles and breaking wood. An occasional male shout could be heard, and the girl couldn't help but pay slight attention.

The ruckus continued on for only a few minutes before all sounds finally seemed to dissipate. The girl held her breath, wondering if the men were dead. Only a moment later, she heard a splash of a puddle being stepped into and didn't have time to react as someone rounded the nearby corner. Gaze shooting upwards, she was surprised to see the same man in the dark hoodie from earlier that had given her the money. He looked completely unfazed, if not a bit disgruntled by the storm blowing him about. He didn't seem to realize she was still there (or she would venture to go as far as saying he probably didn't care she was there) as he continued moving out of the alley. He stopped at the entrance and took his time looking around the area, as if scouting for more gangs of men to beat up. Possibly even waiting.

With his attention elsewhere, another man suddenly appeared from around the corner, limping blatantly as he basically crept up behind the unaware man. She saw him clutching something in his hand, and from the flash of light that reflected from it, it looked very much like a knife.

In the time she had been homeless, she had learned that there were many, many battles that were not hers, and she should stay as uninvolved as possible if she wished to stay invisible. However… The stranger had given her money. There was some sort of small kindness in him. It would have been wrong to disregard that.

So she tried to call out to warn the man, but between the cold and hunger and shock, she couldn't make a sound. As the knife-wielding man advanced on the unsuspecting other, she panicked and her body began moving on its own. Grabbing the empty wooden crate from beside her, she forced her frozen body to move forward quickly, lifting the crate before smashing it over the man's head. He immediately went limp, crumpling to the ground in a heap as his knife skidded across the ground. The other stranger suddenly swung around, looking at her in alarm as he realized what was happening. The girl was still standing there with her arms raised, looking down in shock at what she had just done.

Just as the hooded stranger started to make a remark, his eyes suddenly widened in surprise as he shoved the girl out of the way. "Look out!" She crashed to the ground a few feet away. In the next second, another knife came down right where she had been standing only a moment before, and the hooded man was quick to grab the knife-owner's wrist. The assailant was disarmed quickly and sent crashing to the ground, where he didn't make a move to get back up. It happened so fast that she wasn't sure if the hooded man had even moved at all.

Grinning nervously, the man scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that, Miss. I didn't mean to toss you to the ground when I - " The man stopped abruptly, however, when his eyes locked with hers. He seemed to forget what he was saying for a few seconds before coming back. "Uh, I mean…" he stuttered, moving forward quickly to reach a helping hand out for her to take. "I'm so sorry, Miss. Please, let me help you up."

The girl looked at his hand nervously, suddenly very much unsure about everything. She hadn't meant to get involved. She had only wanted to repay the man's kindness, not draw so much attention to herself. She continued to stare at the offered help, feeling slight panic rise through her. Nervously, she reached forward and took it, allowing him to assist her to her feet. Once she was upright, she took a timid step backwards, drawing her hood closer around her head. "Th-thank you," she managed to grind out, her teeth chattering from the cold.

"Anytime," he said cheerfully, giving her a lopsided smile. "The name's Obi. Thanks for uh… Well, for getting that guy before he could get me, I guess."

She could only nod, unsure if she was capable of saying much. After standing there for an awkward moment, he continued, scratching the back of his head nervously once again. "So, yeah. Thanks. Would it be too much to, uh, ask my savior's name?"

She visibly tensed, unsure if she should say anything else. It wasn't exactly the smartest thing, giving a stranger your name when you're on the run. However, she would have to stay in that massive city of New Orleans for a while until she could find a way to make the trip to the next town furthest from her home. The man looked genuine, as if he really were there to just be a good person.

'Giving just one person my name shouldn't hurt.'

"Sh-Shirayuki," she managed to stumble out. Everything was starting to feel hot, and her mind seemed to lurch with a wave of dizziness.

The man saw the flush appear on her pale cheeks as her eyes suddenly glassed over. "Miss, are you alri-"

He just barely managed to catch her before her head hit the pavement.

Please leave a review and let me know what you think! I'll have the next chapter up very soon if I get some good feedback.