Bittersweet Heart

POV: Narrator

Disclaimer: I do not own Snow White With the Red Hair

Obi doesn't remember the exact moment he had fallen in love with her, nor the moment he realized his feelings. All he knew, and felt in his heart, was that he had always felt something for her. A feeling that seemed to grow with every interaction he had with her. In a way, one could say that he had always been in love with the woman, but he knew for a fact that it had not been when he first laid eyes on her like most fairy tales liked to start off with.

Thinking back on the day he had first met her he could recall his initial shock at the sight of her vibrant red hair. She had been nothing but a target at the time, a part of a mission he needed to complete for the esteemed lord he had been hired by. She was a job and Obi always made it a point to finish every mission that was given to him. It was his livelihood and he was the best in his field.

He was definitely surprised to have failed in scaring her off like he had been ordered to. The first mission he ever failed at which left him speechless to say the least. He didn't know how to react, but he was not angry as he did not anger easily. There was not enough time in the world to dwell about the past and hold onto anger to let it poison him when he had work to focus on. Emotions were futile, but this woman turned out to be his downfall.

It wasn't her beauty or exotic hair that had captured his fancy over time. Shirayuki was not particularly on the level most people seemed to deem gorgeous, but she was beautiful in the eyes of his master as well as himself. No, her beauty was not his downfall rather it was the dazzling glint in her eyes that had stolen his heart from right under his nose. The glinting light amongst emerald green irises that always made his heartbeat quicken without fail even when he had been trained to always keep a steady heartbeat. It was a light that shined with life, excitement, kindness, determination, and love; though Obi knew that the love and admiration she showed him was not the one he wanted.

That kind of love she saved for his master.

Knocking on a door, Obi asks for permission to enter the room but begins to open the door before even gaining that permission as was his custom. He would always get in trouble by his master for just barging into rooms without waiting, but Obi felt that dawdling outside and waiting for entrance was far too cumbersome. He was a patient man when he wanted to be, but waiting to be allowed passage into places had never held that patience. He was not one who enjoyed locked doors.

"OBI!" Shirayuki exclaims happily while turning to look at him from where had been gazing at herself in the mirror.

No doubt she was still fretting whether the gown she was currently wearing was appropriate or not, or if it even suited her at all. She was afraid of offending anyone who were to see her dressed so formerly, a feat she was still not used to.

Even after all the years he has known her now, Shirayuki still had a knack for overthinking on things she was still not accustomed to like her elegant wardrobe. Obi had no doubt in his mind that the red head would prefer a lab coat covered in fresh soil and smelling of herbs and medicine over expensive satin and pungent perfumes any day. The medicinal scents that clung to her because of her work suited her far better than the strong perfumes she sometimes had to wear.

On the other hand, Obi never complained when the young woman was stripped of her lab coat and clothed in elegance. She was stunning in anything that she wore, and always being the first to see her dressed up was a job he would never give up. As her personal escort, he rather liked being the first to see Shirayuki dressed so beautifully before his master, a feat he would never admit to out loud.

"Ready your highness?" Obi asks jokingly while closing the door behind himself and secretly admiring the teal chiffon dress the woman was wearing.

The color and fabric complimented her soft emerald eyes and did not clash at all with her vibrant red hair which sometimes made it hard to clothe her in anything other than white or pink. Obi realized he preferred this color on her and wanted nothing more than to exclaim how beautiful she looked, but bit the inside of his cheek instead as Shirayuki pouts at him.

"Obi..." Shirayuki groans while ducking her head causing the hanging beads on her ornamental hair sticks to twinkle.

It's a clear sign that she is uncomfortable with the title Obi insists on saying to her effortlessly, but what else was he supposed to call her? She was now married to the second prince of Clarines after all, which now made her royalty.

"I'm sorry Miss," Obi laughs, knowing very well how much Shirayuki hated for him to call her that.

He, along with Kiki and Mitsuhide, as well as the court herbalists, were a few of the people the red head had pleaded to keep from the formalities. Even though she was now from a higher status than her cohorts, Shirayuki had no fun lording her new title over the heads of the people she deemed her equals. She wanted nothing more than to remain being seen as what she has always been, a court herbalist to the castle of wisteria who emigrated from the country of Tanbarun.

"Seriously Obi, you'd think that after knowing one another for so long you'd finally call me by my name rather than 'Miss,'" Shirayuki laughs while shaking her head, and Obi answers back with his own chuckle.

Obi had only ever called Shirayuki by her name a handful of times in the time that they've known each other; however, most of those instances had never been when she was around. He felt weird uttering her name in her presence. It only ever felt right to say her name to his master, whom was also now her husband, because in his mind and heart she had always belonged to Zen.

Even then, Obi only ever called her "Miss" to keep the woman's husband from giving him that familiar threatening look. Otherwise, Obi didn't think he'd ever say her name in front of her, especially since it felt too personal.

This mostly had to do with the fact that he was scared of uttering her name in front of her because he was never quite certain with what tone it was that he would say her name. Could he hold his emotions long enough to make it sound natural? Or would the love he has held for her in silence for all these years finally pour out for the world to hear with the uttering of a simple yet beautiful name? Her name was beautiful and meant "White Snow" which he thought suited her so well, even though she reminded him of spring.

"If Zen heard me calling you by your name I'd definitely be getting an earful for being presumptuous," Obi jokes while scratching his ear, "Not that the prince would ever mean the scolding."

"Are you really that scared of him?" Shirayuki asks while laughing that twinkling laugh that always made his heart stutter and race at the same time.

"Terrified," Obi murmurs the lie, because it had somewhat been proven before that Obi could win a fair fight against the prince if he so wished. Not that he would ever do such a thing. Not when he owed his life to Zen.

"You'd think that after all these years you'd learn to loosen up a little," Shirayuki jests while sitting down on her bed to get her shoes on.

"You're one to talk," Obi laughs while receiving a glare from his mistress and keeper of his heart.

Without asking, Obi steps up and takes the shoes from Shirayuki and helps slip her delicate feet into the cumbersome shoe. He's careful not to touch her and straightens up when they're fully secured on her feet.

Shirayuki admires the shoes and the soft smile she gives them warms Obi as he silently watches her finish getting ready, moving about the room like she did back at work. Obi never got bored of watching her move around and work tirelessly. He could spend hours upon hours watching the red head work and even help her whenever she needed the aid. He'd watch over her and help her for as long as his master allowed him to.

"We should probably get going before your husband hunts us down," Obi says after a few minutes of silence causing Shirayuki to give him an amused look.

"We wouldn't want that, now would we?" She giggles while taking Obi's arm that he offers her and lets him lead her out of her room and down towards where Zen was waiting to make his entrance with her and his brother.

Shirayuki makes small talk about work and new discoveries that have made back at the lab by her and a few other court herbalists. She talks animatedly about her work and Obi listens intently even though he already knows about the discoveries. He was there when they were made, but he still lets her talk and listens as if it were the first time he was hearing this news. He even feels a sense of excitement when Shirayuki accidentally tightens her hold on his arm and he berates himself for getting flustered.

He's had years to learn how to behave appropriately and keep his emotions under control, but Shirayuki always made it hard. Still, he would continue to bury his feelings for the woman deep in his heart and make sure that the feelings never spilled out for anyone to see. He'd remain passive and aloof so that everyone would continue to think that he had no interest in love or relationships, because he didn't.

If it wasn't Shirayuki he did not want it even though he did like to flirt with the elusive Kiki from time to time. No one would ever have his heart like his mistress, but Obi knew better than to reveal that news with anyone. She belonged to Zen… she always had and Obi was ok with that because he knew that no one would ever treat Shirayuki better than Zen ever could. Obi adored them both and would do anything for either one of them.

Even swallow his heart in order for them both to be happy with one another.

"Hey Obi?" Shirayuki asks, bringing Obi back from his reverie, "Do you think you'll ever find anyone?" she then asks surprising him with the question.

"Find… anyone?" he asks while looking down at her curiously, "I find people all the time," he then answers dumbly causing the woman to deadpan.

"Obi…" Shirayuki groans and he laughs at her annoyed expression.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help it," he chuckles while pretending to think the question over. "Never," he then says bluntly with a smile on his face.

This answer stops Shirayuki in her tracks while she stares up at him incredulously, her arm slipping out of his.

"Never?" she asks as if she could not fathom the question.

Surely he was joking.

"Never," Obi repeats, giving her a curious look as if he didn't understand why it was so shocking for him to say so.

Shirayuki's heart aches at the thought of Obi remaining alone for the rest of his life. Surely there would be someone who would catch his fancy, though she is surprised that he hasn't pursued a relationship in all of the time that they've known each other.

Was it because of his work? Was it because he was forced to spend so much time around her as her bodyguard and escort? Or was it because he was simply uninterested. In fact, Shirayuki never even heard Obi talk about anyone that wasn't his close friends or coworkers. He seemed to talk a lot about Zen, but she assumed it was because he was his employer.

"Don't give me that look," Obi says while tapping her nose with his finger. He then stuffs his hands into the pockets of his pants and looks down the hallway while thinking of what to say to make her feel better, "Love has never been an interest of mine," he says, which is not a lie. He never meant to fall in love, nor did he mean to remain in love with Shirayuki as long as he has, "It has always been a forbidden red fruit for me, just always out of my reach," Obi then murmurs, "It's just not for me," he lies while offering his arm to her. "Besides, if I were to ever fall in love it would just inconvenience the master. I also don't like the idea of being tied down."

But he was tied down. Tethered to the woman standing before him whose glistening emerald eyes would only see him for what he was. Her friend and protector, but he did not complain. Having her in his life like this was better than not having her in his life at all.

"You'll find someone Obi, I'm sure of it," Shirayuki says with determination.

But I already have…

Obi smiles and murmurs a bland, "Maybe," while Shirayuki links her arm back with his and let's Obi lead her away.

Obi doesn't let himself wonder the "what ifs" as they walk in silence. He knew the thought of possibilities that could have happened would hurt him, and he had broken his heart over this girl already. On the day he decided to fully give up on her when Zen had told him in confidence that he was finally going to propose.

At that moment Obi had almost confessed his feelings to both Shirayuki and Zen, but realized deep down that the woman did not share his feelings. It had hurt him to relinquish any possibility of a future with the red head, but he did so willingly, because even though he could not have her as his own he would always have her in his life.

And maybe she was right. Maybe one day his feelings for her would soften and he would finally be able to say her name without the fear of his love spilling out into the world. He'd finally see her as a friend rather than the keeper of his heart, and maybe he would find someone who would capture his attention like his mistress had. Until then he'd continue to devote himself to his Shirayuki and his master while waiting for the future to come.

So recently I finished rewatching Snow White With the Red Hair and got the inspiration to write this little mini story which I couldn't get out of my head until I finished writing it. If you haven't checked this show out yet I really recommend it. It is one of my favorite animes and such and cute wholesome show. If you guys do end up checking it out let me know what you guys thought of it.

Anywho, Obi is one of my favorite characters in the show and I absolutely love his devotion and dedication to Zen and Shirayuki. In the show they make it seem like he has a developing crush on Shirayuki which I loved, because I'm a multi-shipper by nature, but realized that their relationship could not happen. It's a bit bittersweet, but then again that's my cup of tea lol.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed this little mini story and that you guys continue enjoying my work.

Until next time my lovelies!