I've been sitting here with a stupid grin on my face for an hour now. And Oboro is still talking at me about Hoshidan fashion. It's only partially going in, but it's nice to hear her so passionately talking about some fabric or whatever.

I've never really been one for fashion. Hell, I don't even wear shoes.

"Say, do we have any stops at any towns planned soon? I'd love to show you some dresses you'd look golden in" she said, getting out of the armchair and looking at my foot. I'd been so lost in thought with her I'd forgotten it was injured.

"Y-yeah, small t-town near the edge of this forest" I stammer out. At least I can talk to her now somewhat normally, which is leaps and bounds ahead of earlier. Oboro frowns again.

"Foot's still really bad, isn't it?" she asked, lightly touching it. It did hurt still, but it wasn't that bad anymore. Good thing I can pass off all this awkwardness as me being in agony. "At this rate you won't make it down for dinner… I've got a plan!"

Please be what I'm thinking. I'd be so happy I could die right now. Come on Oboro, be a darling!

"Hinata wanted to do you a favour as a way of saying sorry for headbutting you earlier! Let me go get him!"

What.

No no no no no no! What are you doing! Spoon feed me dammit!

But it's too late, she's out of the door. Not a few minutes later, she returns with the rough samurai in tow.

"Heya Kamui! Heard you're in a bind so here's Hinata at yer service!" he said, boisterous as ever. Is everyone associated with my brother an idiot? Why would he be her first idea? Oh! Oh my god, he's picking me up. He's picking me up in a bridal position?

"Awawawawa!" I stammer, channeling Felicia for a second.

"Hinata! Be less rough, you're hurting her!"

You're not wrong Oboro. You're not wrong. This was such an amazing afternoon too! And now I'm getting paraded around my fort as if I was to be wed to this oaf! With my crushing laughing as she follows along! Gods, I must be blushing more than Sakura! As we go past the smithy towards the mess hall, I see the last person I wanted to see standing near the entrance.

Azura.

I try to cover my face, but she has seen me.

That's a smirk. An honest to god smirk on her dumb face! Oh, will I be hearing about this later.

"Quit squirming, will ya! I'm gonna drop you otherwise."

Oh, please do, right down the Bottomless Chasm. End this humiliation once and for all.

"You're still looking really flushed, Kamui" said Oboro. Her lovely soft hand was on my forehead, making it tingle with the coldness. This would have been a lot nicer was I not being lugged around by Hinata. "AZURA!" she shouted, attracting the attention of essentially everyone in a mile radius, including the songstress. "Could you go fetch Sakura!"

My eternal rival smiled at my predicament again and headed off. Now everyone in the castle knew of Hinata carrying me to dinner as if we'd just wed. "Oh, young love" I overheard one of the servants of the fort say to her colleague.

I try and yell back at her but my voice just squeaks as I flail my arms. It's not like this! It's meant to be her carrying me in tough arms!

Dammit! This is so unfair! And yet, I can't even make any words out to stop this blasted circus. It's like all the progress I made today is for nothing! Daa-aaa-amit!

"Kamui… Are you crying?"

G-great… Hinata heard it. I-it's getting worse. I can't help but wail. Hinata's grin drops as Oboro clips him around the ear

"I was tryin' to be gentle!" he tries to defend himself, but the spearfighter isn't listening. Just put me down and let me limp back to my bed and hide forever.

"Just stick her down!" hissed Oboro. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and knelt next to me. "Sorry about this… Guess we shouldn't have moved you, huh?" Is she going to wipe my tears? I can't handle that level of girl power on me!

At least the hanky smells really nice. As expected of her, really. Dammit, now everyone is watching her fuss over me. And she's smiling really softly at me. But there's a crowd watching now! But Oboro's looking right at me. Dammit mouth, say something!

"Clear a path!" I heard Jakob say, with Sakura in tow. "Milady, I thought you were told to get bedrest and not gallivant around?" he says. Now I'm getting scolded in front of everyone. "Sakura, help me get her back to her room." He shoots a glare at Hinata and Oboro.

I want to protest against him putting me over a shoulder, but I don't have the energy to fight anymore. I just want it to end already. I can hear the gossip now.

"S-sorry, sister" said Sakura, putting more cold on my ankle. At least I had stopped blushing, the last thing I needed was a suspected fever. "I-I should have told them to not move you"

"Don't blame yourself. I should have told them to stop." I would have loved to, really. If I could spit a damn word out. I was doomed to continued humiliation if I kept pursuing her, if something didn't change.

"You're not giving up already, though, are you?" asked Azura. She was holding some pie she had managed to grab from the mess hall. Give it up, traitor! You could have gotten him to put me down much earlier!

"N-no…" I mumble. I don't want to give up on her, but these last few days have been hell.

"I'd say we need to clear the air first. Rumours going around is you and Hinata are having a fling" she says, placing a plate down on the counter next to my bed. I cover me face with a pillow and yell. "So, we need to get you to prove it's not him you're into."

"M-maybe you should avoid him for a while" said Sakura. Even Azura nodded in agreement.

"You'll have to change up the marching schedule to shift him away from you. But if we end up in a skirmish, there's no tellings." All I need to do is turn into a big old dragon and everyone keeps away from me. But that opens a new problem. How am I meant to fight if being near one of my soldiers turns me into a gibbering wreck? "These rumours die out in time" Azura said.

"That's not the problem here" I say. "I still can't do anything meaningful with Oboro around! What if her top tears and I take an arrow because I'm too busy blushing and running!"

"Avoid her until you can then" says Azura, with a shrug. Helpful. "You're leaps and bounds better today than you were before. My, if only she not grabbed Hinata, it might have been her spoonfeeding you now." That grin was wider than usual for her. "On a lighter note, the pie is delicious tonight. Don't skip it, alright?"

Yes, yes, will do, mother.

"Your foot should be fine by the morning now. Just don't move or get carried anywhere, alright?" said Sakura. I don't need sass from you too! She ducks out of the door too, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the pie.

…

…

It was really good. I could have gotten to eat this with Oboro fawning over me, too.

"Dammit Hinata!" I curse to the empty room.