Jan 4, 2017
i like?? kinda did obiyuki kissathon but i also just drew some singing
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i like?? kinda did obiyuki kissathon but i also just drew some singing
This is my entry for Obiyuki Kiss-A-Thon Day 4: Forever Groom Obi and bride Shirayuki <3 *-*
I chose kiss on the forehead because I read that it means respect and protection. (We know these traits describes their relationship the most. :,3 ) I also read that it means “I hope we’re together forever.”
I admit my drawing skills has seen better days (their heads are too big + they have weird hands xD), but despite I haven't practiced drawing since ages, it came out quite well.
Anyways, I hope you like it! :D
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Shirayuki has always thought the best endings are ones that are beginnings instead.
fandom: Akagami no Shirayukihime / Snow White with the Red Hair main relationship: Obi/Shirayuki notes: a personal favorite; i hope you all like it! i had so much fun writing it- it was going to be short but it got away from me. FFN refused to cooperate so for now it’s only available on AO3. happy new year!
summary: Shirayuki, a snowy day, and time spent with a loved one.
Forever AO3
One look out at the snow falling thick and fast past her bedroom window had Shirayuki rewriting her plans for the day with a resigned sigh. It was her day off, and she’d planned to spend most of it in one of the greenhouses checking up on some of the winter flowers she and Ryuu had started studying earlier in the month. But as much as she loved working on her projects, she balked at the thought of wading out to the greenhouse in what looked to be a foot of snow that was still falling.
They’ll be fine for one day, Shirayuki reasoned with herself as she dressed quickly, fumbling with the straps on her boots and the ties on her coat. It was warm in her room, but the castle hallways were drafty and tended to be cold even when they weren’t exposed to the open air. She braced herself for the chill when she opened the door, taking a deep breath of winter air as the draft swirled past her. She dropped her room key in a coat pocket and headed towards the mess hall for breakfast.
The members of her circle of friends outside of work were all busy with their own jobs, so after eating her breakfast Shirayuki wandered towards the library. She planned to kill some time looking for a book that Gazelt had mentioned in one of her lectures on the medicinal properties of some winter flowers a few days ago. The library’s warmth was a welcome respite from the freezing cold hallways and Shirayuki closed the door behind her as gently as she could. She shook snow out of her hood into the puddle on the ground and hung her coat up on the provided rack before venturing into the stacks.
Shirayuki’s passing by the front desk startled the clerk on duty into dropping her book over the counter.
“Oh! Oh, it’s just you- good morning, Miss Shirayuki,” the clerk said with visible relief. Shirayuki knelt to pick up the book and handed it back to the clerk with a smile.
“Good morning, Maru,” she said. “If you have time, do you think you could help me find a book?” Maru beamed and got up from her desk in a bounce of joy, nearly knocking over a stack of books with her elbow.
“Of course! What were you looking for?”
Maru found the book in very little time, pointed out a few others that might be of interest, and left Shirayuki to her reading in a corner of the library by the windows with a pad of paper and a pen in case she needed to note something down. Shirayuki giggled when she saw that Maru had made off with more books to add to the pile she kept for reading at the front desk. The use of the library was free to the castle staff and any visitors, but more often than not it was empty and quiet, which was how Maru was generally able to get away with reading while she was supposed to be working. It was a nice place to come to when Shirayuki wanted a quiet place to read or study but didn’t feel like isolating herself in her room.
The book Gazelt had recommended was very interesting, and Shirayuki left off taking notes in order to devote her attention to reading. Time slipped away from her. She woke with a start when someone let the library doors bang shut. The murmur of voices at the front desk and the darkness of the library made her conscious of the fact that she’d been napping for quite some time. She began to gather her things up with haste.
“Miss Shirayuki?” Maru called. “Someone’s here for you.”
To pick me up? I didn’t tell anyone where I’d be today, Shirayuki wondered. She folded her notes up and tucked them into her waistband before heading back towards the front of the library. Is it Zen, or-
“Obi!” she exclaimed. She hadn’t expected to see him until later that night, if at all- their schedules were so different this time of year she often went days without seeing Obi or Zen for longer than it took to pick up finished paperwork or drop off new forms that needed to be looked over and signed.
Obi had her coat over his arm and was leaning over the desk to see what was behind it. Maru was not so subtly leaning away from him, in return, and gave Shirayuki a grateful look when she brought Obi’s attention back towards her with a gentle tug on the straps of his cap.
“Hello, Miss,” he said cheerfully, standing up straight. “I’m here to pick you up.”
“So you are,” she replied. “How did you know where I was?” Shirayuki placed the books she hadn’t finished reading on the cart that Maru kept next to the desk for reshelving. The clerk nodded goodbye to her as she did so. Obi helped Shirayuki back into her coat and out into the winter twilight as he answered her.
“Gazelt told me you had the day off, and I didn’t think you’d be in your room, so I thought you might be in the library. And you were,” he said with all the certainty of someone who was used to finding people exactly where he thought they’d be.
The snow had stopped falling sometime while she was napping in the library. The courtyards were draped in white and all of the castle’s usual sounds were muffled. Shirayuki’s breath fogged out before her and she walked in silence next to Obi, focusing for a moment on the warmth of his hand over hers.
“How did you get out of work so early, anyways?” she asked him once they’d reached a more inhabited part of the castle and she felt like breaking the silence. “Not that I mind, but I thought Zen had you helping with paperwork this week?”
“Oh, he did,” Obi said. He gave her one of his mischievous cat-grins, clearly waiting for her to ask him more questions. She decided to play along.
“He did?”
“He did, but today I was bored~ I may or may not have made a suggestion for a better use of the desk, which Miss Kiki may or may not have heard, and so she sent me out before I could ‘distract his highness further’~”
“You did not!” Shirayuki gasped. She let go of their hands to poke Obi in the sides, which only made him laugh and twirl away from her. She chased him down the hall, past a few bemused guards and into an empty courtyard. He danced out of her reach a few feet into the snow, leaving her at the edge of the walkway. She eyed the snow warily, and looked out to where Obi was standing, waiting for her with a bright grin. She set her teeth and stepped carefully into the large footprints he’d left in the newfallen snow, hopping a little to match his stride and finally catching up only when she tripped and pitched forward into Obi’s waiting arms.
“You’re terrible,” she told him when she regained her footing, unable to stop herself from smiling.
“Ah, but you love it,” he grinned down at her. She snorted and he kissed the top of her head.
They stood there for a while in the snow, catching their breath. Shirayuki’s cheeks were warm from the exercise but she still kept her face buried into the front of Obi’s coat. Like this, surrounded by the quiet courtyard and the soft glow of newly lit lanterns spreading through the halls, it was easy to feel like they were the only two people in the castle.
Of course the moment couldn’t last for long. There was a clatter of armor and a pair of guards on patrol rounded the corner, with the little lantern-lighter girl and her partner close behind them. They didn’t leap apart like they would have years ago, upon being seen by other castle members, but they did let go of each other long enough to stumble back through Obi’s footsteps to the walkway. Obi greeted the pair of guards by name when they passed by, waved to the lantern-lighters on the other side of the courtyard while Shirayuki focused on shaking the snow from her boots and the hem of her dress. She took up his hand again and they continued on their way through the castle.
When they passed the mess hall, Shirayuki paused. The smell of fresh bread reminded her that she had barely eaten all day.
“You don’t have to go back to Zen’s side any time soon, do you?” she asked Obi while peering in at the bustling hall. “Let’s eat together. I’ve missed you.” The expression on his face, when she looked back at him, was one of utter fondness. Even now, that particular look still made her blush.
“I’ve missed you too, Shirayuki,” he told her with a smile, bending over slightly to kiss her cheek. “I’m done for the day, so we can take our time over dinner.”
Excitement and affection bloomed in her chest and left her feeling warm all over.
The lantern by her door was lit by the time she and Obi got back to her room. Shirayuki held the door open for Obi, who was carrying their dinner trays, before taking the lantern in with her. She used it to light a few of the candles scattered around her room and then the brazier while Obi set up the tiny folding table and stools. With the curtain pulled back from her window, they had a nice view of the snow falling outside while they ate. Conversation between them was easy, as always, and the hours passed by quickly.
It was properly dark when Obi finally, reluctantly, had to say his goodbyes. Shirayuki tried not to pout as Obi disentangled himself from the blanket nest they’d set up on her bed after dinner. She trailed after him while he put his boots and coat back on, then handed him his gloves and two of the grain-filled handwarmers she’d put by the brazier earlier.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” she asked him at the door. Obi pulled the quilt around her shoulders up a little more, pausing to tuck a strand of her hair back from her face.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be let out early like I was today, but I can stop by the greenhouses at noon,” he said.
“It’s a date, then,” Shirayuki said. Her smile brightened and she leaned in to meet his last kiss of the night.
“I’ll always make time for you,” Obi told her, softly, while they were still wrapped up in each other and she could hold his warmth closer to her for just a little longer.
“I love you, too” she said back.
Shirayuki opened the door and Obi stepped out into the bitter cold. She watched him walk towards his own quarters until he was out of sight, and only then did she close the door with a sigh. She snuffed the candles one by one on her way back to her bed, until only the candle on her nightstand was left. She changed into her nightgown and socks, scooped the remaining handwarmer off its tray over the brazier, and quickly burrowed back into the nest of blankets on her bed. There was a lump by her side that puzzled her for a moment until she dug it out from under the quilt and examined it.
“He left his cap,” she said out loud, and then giggled. She folded it neatly and then sat up to place it on her nightstand. I’ll return it to him tomorrow, she thought as she made herself comfortable once more. I can’t wait to see him again.
Nothing More Magical (Obiyuki Kissathon Day 4)
Witch Shirayuki!AU ((pssst Obi is a cat))
Shirayuki closes her eyes as she lies on her bed, listening to the sound of waves turning over each other before crashing into the harbour. Her exhausted arms and legs slowly sink into her mattress until her chest rises and falls calmly in sync with the quiet night. It had been a long day, and she has a big one coming for her tomorrow morning. So for now, she decides, she will—
“Miss? You’ve got another letter.”
She opens her eyes to see the wooden ceiling above her and all her jars of magical herbs floating in the air. She turns her head to the side, and Obi is sitting cross-legged on the floor next to her bed with an unfolded piece of paper in his hand. “Another job?” she asks.
“Sort of.” Obi hands her the piece of paper and watches her read it. “This year’s winter weather has gotten the better of some of Yuzuri’s greenhouse. Her plants might not hold out for much longer, so Shidan has asked you to fly in to help with the experiments if you have time to spare.” He huffs. “It must be pretty tough being a witch doctor and a researcher. It’s your week off right now, too.”
Shirayuki sits up on the bed and raises her hand in the air. A small blue light begins to glow from her palm, drawing in some of the jars scattered around the room until they are right in front of her. She twitches her fingers one by one before reading the labels on the turned jars. “I already have nine deliveries across the country to do tomorrow, the daily area check, plus…” She turns her head and looks at Obi. “I have to be there with you when you go to court at two…”
Obi waves his hand dismissively, “You don’t have to worry about it too much. Shidan, Suzu and Ryu all know how busy you are, especially with my hearing tomorrow.”
“I don’t think I’ll even remember to go to Lyrias afterwards…” she murmurs.
“Oh, come on, Miss. You don’t rely on me that much. I’ve only been your assistant for two months.”
She looks down at him sadly. “But…” She doesn’t want him to go. He might’ve become her assistant under punishment for trespassing into a building at night (for fun, she might add), but they quickly became good friends and partners. They now stuck together like glue. But after all, if he works for her as a punishment, then surely he couldn’t be happier to be free tomorrow…
So instead she sighs and tries to force a smile on her lips. “I guess that means tomorrow will be our last day of work together.” She sends the jars away to their original places and then reaches that hand out towards the top of Obi’s head. “It’s been fun.”
“Miss, what are you—Oh my god, Miss—No—“
Shirayuki giggles as she scratches the centre of Obi’s head, causing a pair of black cat ears to pop up. Obi grits his teeth and clenches his hands in an attempt to stop himself from curving his back and rolling into her fingers. “You’ve been such a good assistant, Obi!”
Obi rolls his eyes and in the next moment a puff of smoke shrouds him from sight. Now with a cat’s smaller form, he jumps through the cloud and lands on the bed next to Shirayuki.
“There’s no use hiding your ears, you know,” Shirayuki says as she rolls over to curl next to Obi. “Besides, they’re very cute.”
“Miss, I am a grown man.”
“Is it so bad that even a grown man such as yourself can’t enjoy cuddles?”
He groans. “No…”
Shirayuki beams as she opens her arms and waits for Obi to crawl into them. When he does, she wraps her arms around him and pulls him closer, nuzzling her face into his fur and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Goodnight, Obi,” she purrs.
Winter’s chilly wind whooshes past Shirayuki as she jets above the townscapes of Clarines. She raises her head and takes a peek at the sun in the sky. “Obi, the last place we need to deliver to Northern Flu medicine is Kirito, correct?”
Obi’s head pops out of the hood of Shirayuki’s thick robes. “That’s right, Miss. I just hope he’ll be in bed this time—Ah, shit!” He screams, “Bird! Straight ahead!”
Shirayuki lowers her head and sees a bird flying straight towards them. She screams, holds on to her pointy hat and drops the broom’s height down a few metres. After the short turbulence, she sighs with relief. “Thanks for the warning, Obi.”
“It hasn’t stopped beating,” Obi blurts.
She turns around. “What was that?”
“My heart.”
They arrive at Kirito’s house a few minutes later and drop off his medicine by his window. For the next few hours after that they fly around a smaller area near the east of Clarines’ capital past the citizen’s houses and windows looking for anyone who could be sick. To their pleasant surprise, nobody had called them down that day.
“Looks like everyone else is doing well. That’s a good sign!” Shirayuki exclaims. “So, I guess the next thing on our to-do list is…” Her voice trails off. The broom slows down just a little as she turns the tip towards the town’s courthouse. “If we make it in time, you’ll get to be freed a little earlier than expected, Obi…”
Obi sits in her hood, staring off into the space behind her and watching the fading trails the broom had left behind. “Don’t worry, Miss,” he says with a flat voice, “I’ll come visit.”
She hopes so. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to…” She sniffles quietly and rubs her welling tears onto her sleeve.
An uncomfortable silence rings between them. All they hear is the harsh wind in their ears, and the sound is not as pretty as their voices to each other.
“You know, Miss,” Obi finally turns around to look at the back of Shirayuki’s hat. “The first thing I noticed about you, well, besides your pretty face, was that you had a hood on your cloak and a hat. I’ve actually been meaning to ask why that was.”
With a chuckle escaping from her throat, she answers, “Zen told me before you came that I was in charge of keeping a certain cat in check, and that he would be my assistant for his community and service hours.” She turns her head around and smiles. “I was wondering how this little kitty would travel with me on my broom, and then I thought I’d buy myself a hat so he could use my hood for warmth. My bag had too many things in it, after all.”
Obi begins to laugh. “I thought you were just making a sort of fashion statement, Miss!”
“My cloak is too cool,” she pouts, “Officer Sakaki can’t arrest me for that!”
Shirayuki lands her broom in front of the courthouse. Obi hops out of her hood onto the ground while she dismounts, and he transforms back into his human form with a poof of smoke. Just as they turn towards the doors to enter, Zen jogs out of the courthouse towards them. “Shirayuki! Obi!”
“Zen?” Shirayuki blinks. “Shouldn’t you be inside?”
He laughs with a shrug. “Big deal. You guys are early anyways.”
Obi stuffs his hands into his pockets while Zen turns around next to him and begins guiding him into the courthouse. “So, who’s going to be my judge today?”
Zen looks at him, puzzled. “…Judge Haruka, obviously. Same as last time.”
“I just hoped that by some sort of miracle he would be sick today,” Obi groans and throws his head back in frustration.
Shirayuki pats Obi’s back. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell them that you’ve done every single task I’ve assigned you, and that you’ve done them absolutely wonderfully.”
Zen snorts, “This guy?”
“I’ll have you know I am an excellent witch’s assistant. I’m a cat, it’s in my DNA.”
“You know I’m joking. Well, I’ve done my part by reducing your jail time to community and service,” Zen reminds him. “Good luck, you two. I believe in you guys.”
While Shirayuki and Obi enter the courtroom, Zen remains outside and sees them off with a reassuring smile and wave.
“It looks like you’re a free cat now, Obi.”
As they exit the courtroom he takes a look at Shirayuki who stares straight ahead of her. It seems to Obi that she has gotten used to the fact Obi isn’t her assistant anymore. Perhaps she is still sad, but a hunch tells him she’s not going to give him a tearful goodbye anymore. Well, not that he really wants her to cry…
Just in front of the doors to the outside, they spot Mitsuhide and Kiki standing together. Shirayuki calls out to them, and the two of them run straight towards them.
“Shirayuki! Obi! It’s been a while!” Mitsuhide beams. “I heard from Zen that the hours are over.”
“Sure are,” they both nod and confirm together, to their surprise.
Kiki smiles. “It looks like these two months have brought you two quite close together.”
“S-speaking of which,” Shirayuki stumbles, “Where is Zen?”
“He’s defending in another court hearing right now,” Kiki replies. “This one stole a bunch of crystals from a staff manufacturer.”
Mitsuhide sighs, “Forenzo was not impressed.”
“Shirayuki!”
Everyone quickly turns towards the door to see them burst open. A broom lands abruptly and Suzu’s feet skid on the floor. “Shirayuki! I’m really sorry, I know you’ve had a busy day but we really need more people at the research lab right now! The experiment is at a really vital stage right now and we need as many brains as we can get!”
“O-oh!” Shirayuki nods hastily and begins to follow him out. “I’ll be right there!” She turns around to the others before jumping on her broom. “I’ll see you guys later!” And with that she begins to fly off with Suzu.
Mitsuhide, Kiki and Obi are left inside the courtroom staring out, then at each other.
“How does it feel, Obi?” Kiki asks, “To not get a goodbye kiss from Shirayuki?”
“I am going to live the rest of my life wishing that Suzu got lost for at least an extra five minutes just so I might get at least a hug.”
“Well,” Mitsuhide adds, “I guess that means you’ll have to hug her, not the other way around.”
Both Obi and Kiki turn to him. “Mister Mitsuhide, you are an…”
Ryuu inches the plant seed in the clamp towards the molten crystal in the steaming beaker, gripping his fingers on the edge of the bench to keep his face from getting to close to the flame. Shirayuki, Suzu, Yuzuri and Shidan all crowd behind him, watching closely for the exact moment.
Inside the molten crystal, a bubble suddenly pops. All three researchers shout at once, “Now!!”
He swiftly places the seed inside the small gap, leaving half the seed in the outside. The cheers and clapping that erupt behind him is enough indication that it was a success, as well as the plant roots that slowly seep through the crystal.
“Ryuu! We did it!” Shirayuki pulls him into their group hug and then turns her head, “Obi we—!“ She freezes.
After their in-the-moment celebrations, Yuzuri returns to Lyrias’ greenhouse while the others begin to write their report on the bench. While Shirayuki hooks her lab coat onto the hangar at the other side of the room, Ryuu suddenly taps her shoulder.
“Shirayuki, I’m sorry we had to call you in so suddenly. We were…” he hesitates, “just concerned that something might go wrong, or if we forgot something.”
Shirayuki lets out a puff of a sigh from her chest. “Don’t worry about it. I’m happy I got to see the end of the experiment! If anything, I would’ve been a little upset if you didn’t call me in.”
Ryuu gulps, building up courage. “Shirayuki, is…everything okay?”
When she tilts her head with confusion, Ryuu’s gaze points to her side, the empty space where Obi had been. He stumbles, “Ah—well, I just thought…it’s not like you to not use your telekinesis for things like putting your coat away…”
She knows Ryuu was referring to Obi, but forces a smile anyway. “I’m fine! Just a little tired from all the deliveries today. I saw Kirito was well enough to bring his own breakfast up today.”
“So, do you…want to go home for today? Suzu and I will write up the report and we’ll give it to you to look over tomorrow.”
For a while she considers against it, but eventually nods her head slowly. “I think I’ll go home today. Thanks, Ryuu. Tell Suzu and the others I said thanks as well.”
Before Ryuu can say anything else, Shirayuki begins to step away towards the door, then out of the laboratory.
Shirayuki trudges through the door to her apartment. As soon as she steps in, the glass jars all over her floor begin to rise into the air, but she shakes her head and fans her hand down until the gently set onto the wooden floor. She closes the door behind her and tiptoes to her bed, throwing herself on top of her blankets and burying her face into it.
She turns her head to lie on her cheek. On top of her sheets she spots strands of black cat hair, and some strands of her own red. Ugh, how she wants to kick herself. She didn’t even say goodbye! She just…flew off to do the experiment and then proceeded to forget that he was even gone and she was so angry and sad at herself—
There is a mew at the window.
Shirayuki throws herself off the bed and looks at the window. Sitting on the sill outside is a black cat. She gasps and rushes to the window, her feet kicking over a bunch of jars on the way before she pulls the window open. “Obi!” she screams.
The cat remains unfazed by her outburst, instead licking its paw. Shirayuki’s hand drags down the edge of the window and falls to her side. She instead watches it and asks, “Are you cold? Do you want to come inside?”
It jumps off the sill into Shirayuki’s room. She faces out her window to close it again, staying there to stare out into the sky. Behind her on the floor she hears the soft clink of glass against wood and turns around, but before she can she sees smoke and golden eyes emerging as two arms wrap tightly around her.
“Did you miss me, Miss?”
Shirayuki stands frozen in place while Obi presses a soft kiss into her shoulder. His arms are so, so warm around her and she just wants to fall down and lie with him just like they did the night before and—
Obi’s hands suddenly drop to her waist and he tickles her. A squeal jumps from Shirayuki’s chest as she doubles over and backs into him, shutting her eyes tightly and laughing under his fingers. “Obi, you idiot! Why didn’t you say anything when I called you?!”
“You didn’t recognise me! I’m so offended!”
She gasps, “I did! I called your name and you didn’t do anything so I thought it wasn’t you!” She breathes sharply when Obi lets go of her and steps back. “But what are you…” she turns around. “What are you doing here? I thought…you’re free now.”
“I am,” he says. “And that means I’m free to choose to do whatever I want now. So, I decided to stay here. Forever.”
Shirayuki’s eyes widen, and Obi just flashes a wide grin, “If I really did have nine lives, I would fall in love with you nine times over.”
Names
Hearing the eruption of laughter coming from out back, she smiles and looks up from the plate she had been scrubbing. She can’t see them from where she is, so she releases the dish back into the soapy water, and wipes her hands on the tea towel before moving towards the large glass door that overlooks the backyard.
She frowns; the beautiful leaves from the large oak tree out back have started to litter the yard, their fall colours fading into a decomposing brown. She had always loved autumn. It was such a happy time of year – full of festivals, warm smells, and brilliant colours. It was such a shame that winter usually came shortly after and usually with little to no warning; although, this would be their first winter in this house, she was interested to see what kind of snow they would get here. A smile dances across her lips, she hoped it was good packing-snow.
She still can’t see them, but she can hear their laughter floating in – she slides her shoes on and slowly opens the door, making her way out onto the deck. Surprisingly, she notices them before they see her. She grins, and has to try to keep from laughing, she completely understands where the shrieks of laughter are coming from.
There’s a giant pile of leaves, sitting just under the tire-swing, and it would appear that Obi is hiding somewhere inside. She can feel her heart start to flutter at the thought of him. Her hand lifts up and rests gently on her breast, feeling its excited beat; even after all this time, her heart would always choose him. Her eyes move from the colourful leaves, to the second young man who’s managed to steal a piece of her heart – Xander. She smiles tenderly towards him, knowing that he hasn’t seen her yet, and she lets out a sad sigh. He was growing up too fast; he had just turned three in August.
Xander cautiously tiptoes his way towards the leaf pile only stopping to break out into a fit of giggles whenever Obi sticks a hand out from within to wave at him. She loved being able to watch moments like this, she only wished she was more handy with the video camera. Obi was the camera-guy, and she was convinced that the only reason they had any photos at all, was because of him. She watched as Xander, feeling he was close enough, did a little dance before shouting “Daddy!” and took off, jumping excitedly into the leaves. The leaves suddenly exploded into the air, Obi jumped up and grabbed Xander by the waist to swing him around – both of them laughing as the leaves started to settle around them once more.
Obi caught sight of her then, grinning up at her, he rests Xander on his hip and points up to where she stands. She gives a small wave and can’t help the laughter that bubbles up, as Xander spots her and is suddenly wriggling to get out of Obi’s arms, shouting “Mommy! The leaves! Look! The leaves!”
They’re walking towards her now, Obi still carrying a squirming Xander, as she calls down to them, “Yes honey, I see the leaves, they’re beautiful!”
She laughs again as Obi swings Xander up and places him on his shoulders with ease; another fit of giggles tears from the boy as he wraps his small hands around Obi’s face. Obi quickly hops up the last few steps, and is standing in front of her, his cheeks and nose are red from the chill in the air and he’s got a leaf stuck in his hair. Her heart does a small flip, his warm golden eyes meet her green – he was so incredibly handsome. She smiles up at their son, still on Obi’s shoulders, “And did you have fun, playing in the beautiful leaves, with daddy?”
Xander nods enthusiastically, before he starts tugging at Obi’s ear, “Down daddy, I want to play, please.”
“Okay, but go inside and play, please – it’s getting too cold out.” Obi lifts him off his shoulders, and places him inside, helping him undo his coat and shoes. With that task complete, he stands, “Mommy and I will be in soon, okay?” Xander is already halfway down the hall before he shouts “’kay!”
Obi returns to her side, peppering a small trail of kisses along her jaw, causing her to giggle, “Well hello husband-oh-mine.”
“Hello wife-oh-mine.” He growls in her ear, sending her poor heart into overdrive.
Hoping to distract herself from how wonderful he smells after he’s been outside, she asks in a teasing tone, “Did you have fun playing in the beautiful leaves, too?”
“Hmmm, of course… Though, they’re nowhere near as beautiful as you.” He moves to press a warm kiss against her forehead. She can feel her cheeks growing warm with colour, as he grins down at her; they’ve been married for nearly six years now, and he still had the ability to make her blush worse than a school-girl with a crush.
She smiles up at him as his hands reach out to gently touch her swollen belly, his eyes alight with love, wonder and happiness. She was glad that he still looked at her like this, that the magic hadn’t been lost, especially when she felt as big as a house. He playfully winks at her, “Although, if we’ve got a little girl in there, you’d best watch out beautiful wife-oh-mine, you might be bumped to my number-two girl.”
She just laughs, and takes one of his hands in hers, “And if it’s a boy, I guess that would mean that you, handsome husband-oh-mine, would be my number-three man?”
He grins, leaning in to draw his lips softly across hers, one of his hands still on her belly drawing small thoughtless circles across it, “I think we both know I’ll always be your number one.” He winks and rubs his nose affectionately against hers, “Whatever the gender, it doesn’t matter to me – just so long as they’re healthy, that’s all I could ever ask for.”
She gives his hand a light squeeze. She knows that he would be happy with another boy, but she also knows that he’s secretly hoping it’s a girl. “You know, we still have to talk about names. We’ve left it a little late this time.” She laughs and gives her enormously pregnant belly a light pat. “Last time I was in, the doctor seemed a little surprised that I hadn’t burst yet.”
He steps back, and opens the door – she didn’t realize how chilly it had gotten. “Shall we my lady?”
She waddles over to the door, laughing, “I think we shall!”
When he’s made sure that she’s sitting comfortably on the couch, he heads to the kitchen to put the kettle on. Pressing a light kiss to her cheek, he purrs, “I’ll be right back to talk about baby names, I’m just going to check on Xander first.”
He’s back about five minutes later, and he’s chuckling under his breath as he fixes two cups of tea for them. “What are you laughing at, Obi? What’d he do now?”
Xander was sometimes a handful, so whenever Obi came up laughing after checking on him, she couldn’t help the slight panic she felt. He was incredibly smart – he was only just three and was already reading at a Grade 1 level. Obi liked to tease that his intelligence was all thanks to her genetics, and she often had to remind him that intelligence alone does not create a troublemaker. It seemed that Xander had also inherited Obi’s charm and craftiness. Which meant that he could often be found doing something most three year olds wouldn’t dream of and then defend his position, or charm his way out of trouble.
He hands her a steaming cup of tea, and she can’t help but smile into the murky water – he had made her, her favourite loose-leaf. She inhales deeply letting the smells of apple, cinnamon and hibiscus, wash over her.
“Oh, I think that we may have a mad-scientist on our hands.” She groans, which causes him to give a soft laugh, “He had somehow managed to get his hands on your lab-coat, which is now safely back in the closet, and my ski-goggles.” She looks at him curiously, and he starts to shake his head, grinning, “Shirayuki, you should have seen him – he was just too cute. He was marching around the basement, his red hair all spiked up, the goggles hanging halfway off his face, and the labcoat dragging along the floor behind him.” He pauses as he takes a sip from his mug, before placing it back on the table.
“So of course, when he saw me, he came over and grabbed my hand, leading me to the sand and water-wheel he had going in the bathroom, you know, the one that Mitsuhide and Kiki got for him?” She nods, of course she knew the water wheel, it was probably the messiest toy he owned and he absolutely loved it.
“Of course, it’s only his favourite toy…” she’s momentarily side-tracked, “You know, Isabelle’s birthday is coming up, I think we should get them back by getting her something loud – maybe something they can’t turn off…” she grins over at him, hand rubbing slow circles across her belly.
He just laughs and gives a devilish grin back, “I’ll start looking tomorrow.”
She takes a sip of tea, and nods at him, signaling to continue his story about Xander. He leaps right back into it, his eyes dancing playfully – she smiles, her heart twisting in her chest, he was such an amazing father. “So he takes me by the hand, lab coat dragging behind him, and pulls me up to stand beside the water wheel. Which is when he tells me to watch, before he grabs some of that washable finger-paint stuff and starts dripping it into the water. He had figured out that if he spaces it right, the colours won’t mix until they’re picked up by the water-wheel, but tells me that he wants to colour the sand at the other end, so he’s been marching around the basement wearing your lab-coat because ‘it makes mommy smarter’.” He’s laughing again, “When I finally convinced him that it was just a lab-coat, and that you were smart all the time, even without it, he handed it back to me, ran up to the side of the water wheel once more, his amber eyes fierce as he yelled ‘science is neat!’ before rearranging some of the water tubes. Which is when I started to head upstairs – he’ll be down there for another hour, at least.”
She’s giggling now, at least he was playing with his toys and not trying to take apart their furniture again. That had been an interesting discussion to have. She takes a sip of her tea, the flavours mixing pleasantly in her mouth. “And we wanted to have another one… Are you sure we can handle it? What if they’re like another Xander – then we could really be in a lot of trouble. Especially when they hit their teen-years.” The thought terrified her a little.
He reaches out to hold her hand, his eyes like molten gold when they catch her worried green. “Shirayuki, as long as you’re by my side, I know that we can handle anything this world throws at us.”
His words soothe her, as they always had. She takes another sip from her mug, and excitedly puts it back on the table as she feels the baby start to kick. “Obi, feel.” She takes his hand and presses it tightly to where she could feel a tiny foot, pushing as though trying to escape. She’s grinning at him, his eyes wide with excitement, before he leans over to gently rest his head atop her tummy.
His voice a deep rumble as he speaks to the tiny soul moving in her womb, “Hey in there. You’d best not cause your mom any mischief, you hear me? I knew right from the first moment I saw her, that she was it for me…” her heart starts to race with his soft words. “And the day that I put that ring on her finger, I promised her forever…” he presses a warm kiss to where the tiny foot had been pushing. “So don’t cause any trouble… But come soon, we can’t wait to meet you.”
She threads her fingers through his hair, gently making swirling patterns. “Not too soon though,” she coos, “we still need to pick names.”
Obi sighs happily, “That is true.” She can feel as he smiles against her. She’s surprised that they had waited this long to talk about names – it had been one of his favourite things to talk about when she was pregnant with Xander. He had often woken her up in the middle of the night with another name suggestion – that hadn’t happened once this time around. He hums as he slowly sits up to look at her.
His golden eyes dance with emotions as he stares deeply at her, “What about… Benjamin or Caractacus for a boy?”
He catches her off-guard and she nearly snorts, as she starts to giggle ferociously, “We are not naming our future-child Caractacus.” He looks at her, a mock pout lining his lips, “No way, Obi. The poor kid would be teased right into their next life time.”
He laughs freely, “Okay, okay… Seriously though, what about Benjamin, Reid or Jamison for a boy?”
His suggestions come quickly, causing her heart to give a happy flutter – he had been thinking about it. She hums, “I like Reid, if it’s a boy… I like Benjamin, but I wouldn’t want people calling him Ben. Jamison would turn into Jamie, which might be okay… I think that I like Reid the most though. But what if it’s a girl? What about Melanie?”
Obi scrunches up his face, “But wouldn’t that turn into Mel? Not sure I like Mel.” He shrugs at her apologetically. His fingers thrum steadily against the couch cushions. “What about Aria or Brielle?” He shakes his head quickly, “No, that would turn into Bri – you wouldn’t like that, right?” she shakes her head, “Hmmm… How about Lyra? Or Quinn?”
She wonders just how many names he’s thought of these past few months. She wasn’t sure how he came up with so many wonderful names; it had been him who thought of Xander’s name too. “I like all of those, actually… Although I think that out of the four, I like Aria or Lyra most. Should we ask Xander what he thinks, see if he has any input?”
Obi’s smile is dazzling, “I think that that’s a wonderful idea.”
She lay leaned into Obi’s side on the couch, his arm wrapped around her, drawing small, lazy circles across the top of her tummy; he had taken Xander up to bed about an hour ago, after he fell asleep hugging and talking to the small being dwelling within her. When they had asked him what he thought about names, he had crawled right up onto her lap and pressed his ear against the roundest part of her stomach, declaring that Reid and Lyra worked well.
His voice rumbles deeply in his chest, catching her attention, and drawing her eyes from the characters flitting across the screen to meet his steady golden gaze. “So, Reid or Lyra, huh?”
She smiles happily up at him, “Sounds like it – I’m happy that we asked Xander. I think it’s important for him to be a part of this too. Do you think he’s excited?”
“I think I’m more excited.” Obi’s laughter is warm, his hand now splayed out across her swollen belly, “But I do think that he’s excited to be a part of this… I should see if I can find him an ‘I’m-an-older-brother’ shirt, tomorrow while I’m out. What do you think?”
“I think that he would absolutely love that. I wish I could come with you – you know I hate being confined to the house…” She gives him a small pout, widening her eyes just a little, trying to guilt him into letting her come.
He just shakes his head, “No, absolutely not. Shirayuki, you’re enormously pregnant. The next time you go out of this house it will be to deliver that baby.”
She sticks her bottom lip out further, “You’re no fun…”
Obi laughs, bringing her hand up to his lips he scatters a row of kisses down her knuckles, “No, maybe not… But when you were pregnant with Xander, you were just so sick near the end… and when the doctor…” he shudders, his voice turns solemn, his eyes full of fear and pain as he whispers, “Shirayuki, please don’t make me answer that question again… I can’t…”
Her pregnancy with Xander had been a difficult one, and near the end she had gotten so sick that she collapsed in front of their tiny town house one day. Obi had been at work, but luckily their neighbour had found her and called 9/11 – they wouldn’t let her leave after that. When they finally managed to get a hold of Obi, it had only taken him fifteen minutes before he was sitting by her side, shakily holding her hand. She doesn’t remember much after that, she spiked with a fever and they kept her sedated for most of it. When she woke up in the hospital bed some time later and Obi sat beside her holding their son, he wouldn’t tell her much – he had just asked her, with tears in his eyes, to promise him that she wouldn’t leave him. She had been worried at what he could have meant, and he didn’t explain what had happened, for weeks. When he did finally explain, it had nearly broken her heart – she had held him close and stroked his hair as his anxiety took over, ragged sobs ripped through his body, his fingers desperately clutching at her. When they had induced her, due to her poor health, complications had arisen. The doctor had to ask Obi that if it came down to it, who should they to try and save – her or the baby. It had nearly destroyed him giving them an answer.
Her heart aches at the memory. They had discussed, in length, about what should be done, if that ended up being the case again. It was an extremely tender subject, often ending with Obi marching off, and tears being shed by both. “Obi… You know what I would want…”
His fingers flex against her belly, and she can see his jaw twitching as he tries to control the emotions roiling behind his amber eyes. “I can’t, Shirayuki… There is only one you, and we already have a beautiful son. So please, don’t make me answer that question again, because I will be just as selfish as the first time, even if it makes you hate me… You promised me forever, remember? I will not lose you…”
She gives a soft sigh and nuzzles herself closer to him. She knew that would be his answer and she does understand where he’s coming from, but he doesn’t know what it’s like to have a life growing inside of him, to have a tiny heartbeat within her own, completely dependent on her. She held a perfect and tangled mess of their DNA that was about to greet the world before the month’s end. Her hand comes up to join his on her belly, lacing their fingers together. “I know I did, Obi – and I meant it. You have my forever. For however long my heart is beating, it will only beat for you.” She smiles and squeezes his hand gently, “I can’t promise that you won’t have to choose.” She sees his eyes tense, feels his body become coiled with anxiety, her heart beats warmly as it swells beneath her breast, “But I can promise that I will always love you, no matter what happens. You know what my choice would be – but I have come to know and understand, that if the roles were reversed, I would always choose you too.”
She can feel his built up stress leave his body with one sharp exhale, his hand relaxing into hers once more. His voice is so full of love and happiness, and she is largely aware of the way her body seems to melt under his burning gaze. “Until forever then?”
Giving a soft laugh, she nods her head, “Until forever.”
Truth Can Be Stranger (Forever AU)
One of the many things Obi hates about his condition is the fraction of a second between returning to consciousness and breaking the surface of the water. No number of resurrections has proved enough to convince his body that he isn't drowning, and he starts every new life in a panic.
Next comes disappointment. Nothing changed, still not dead. Then he remembers the last thing he saw. Sometimes it doesn't matter much, when he's died of illness or accident or his own stupidity, but this time it is Shirayuki screaming, poised to run but delaying in a futile hope that he'll join her. Tear tracks streak her cheeks. The rocky path smashes him in the face and everything stops.
He surfaces in a still lake, not far from shore. The water is cold as one would expect from the mountains ringing it, but it’s not going to kill him again right away. His clothes are all with Shirayuki, assuming she's made it to safety - his hidden caches around Lyrias and Wistal can't help him here. He treads water, slowly working his way toward the shore. He's been dancing around the issue, but clothes are not his most important decision right now. If he goes back to Clarines, there is no hiding the truth this time. Shirayuki literally saw him die with at least three arrows in his chest. He's failed her again, and unless he runs away he'll have to face her with that shame and explain how he's alive.
He splashes to shore, the sun warming his skin as he emerges. Returning from the dead dulls his senses, or he would have noticed sooner that he isn't alone. A sharp gasp draws his attention, and his list of options shortens immensely as he meets Shirayuki’s eyes.
“Obi,” she whispers, and takes two sharp steps toward him. Then she stops, her gaze dropping from his eyes. Oh, she is probably embarrassed by his state of undress. Her stunned face the time she'd seen him shirtless (and not bleeding) has been a pleasant memory he's treasured many lonely nights. This might be a bit much for her. But when she doesn't move, he looks closer, and that isn't embarrassment in her eyes. She looks confused, almost betrayed.
“Are you okay, miss?” A ludicrous question. Of course she doesn't understand how this is possible. He wishes he knew so he could explain it to her. She takes two more steps toward him, softly as though he were a wild animal. Her eyes are still riveted to his . . . chest? He looks down to see what she’s looking at, and smooth skin greets him. Oh. It’s been so long this time he'd forgotten. He'd been used to those scars - it’s going to be strange without them for a while. He rolls his left shoulder, and the ache there is gone too. Another clean start. Hooray.
Her cheeks pink a bit at his motion. “Obi?” She says again, this time a question. He can't lie to her when she looks at him like that.
“Yes, miss, it's me. I can explai-" the breath is knocked out of him by Shirayuki’s hug. It’s hard to appreciate when he feels so exposed, but her grip is like iron. Her warm fingers dig into his back like she’s never going to let go. She sniffs - is she crying? Obi tries to back out of her hold to talk to her, but she grips harder, her nails digging painfully into his back. That’s okay, actually. Let the first marks on this body be hers.
He feels her lips moving against his chest now but can't hear what she’s saying. This is going to get embarrassing. He flexes, gently prying her arms apart, and her nails dragging across his back feel distractingly good. In a breath she goes from tense to limp, and it’s his turn to catch her.
“I'm okay, miss. Really.” He gets the distinct feeling he’ll be reassuring her for days. “When I die it just . . . doesn't stick. This isn't the first time. I'm still me and I'm okay now.” Her tears slow now, and if he knows his miss, the next phase will be curiosity. He is going to be in for all kinds of investigation, but at least she isn't the kind to ask him to die again. She's never seen him as a tool before, and he doesn't think even this would change that about her.
Her fingers betray the first blushes of that curiosity, running gently over the skin of his chest. Both her hands stop just where his largest scar used to be. “I always wished I could heal you,” she murmurs. “I dreamed of being able to fix this scar. But you never needed me for that, did you?” She leans forward and kisses his chest inside the frame of her two hands.
His mind goes white with surprise. She’s in his space. He feels her lips on his new unmarked skin, too much, too much. They’re warm and wet and it goes on longer than he can keep from reacting. His breath saws out of him, but even through that she holds on. One of her hands runs across his side, verifying that the scarred ridges are gone from there too. Obi tenses to keep it from tickling, and her hand stutters in its path. She ends the kiss with a gentle tick and looks up, reaching her other hand to cup his cheek. Izana's rock had left a thin silver line, now gone with all the rest. Her thumb smooths over where it had been, and she steps closer to ease the reach.
She’s standing so close and her hands are insistent on his body. It’s too hard to think about cold water and arrows when Shirayuki is near enough to touch. She’s warm and so close and he’s been dying to kiss her for years. His resolve wavers. She knows his secret now. Would it be fair to let her know how he feels and let her choose?
She jerks both her hands away as though his skin burns her. Her wide eyes flick down, up, and now there is the embarrassment he expected all along. But she doesn’t turn away and hide her eyes this time, and he thinks just maybe that curiosity is warring with her fixed upward gaze.
He moves, just fractionally shifting his weight, and Shirayuki squeaks. “You must be hungry, I’ll get you something to eat!” She spins and flees, calling back, “And pants!”
Information on the TV show this is referencing, for those who aren’t familiar with it.
Undertow
So, Claudeng80 and I got to talking, and then it was Obiyuki Kiss-a-thon and then this happened. It’s all yours, now, dearies. J. out.
Undertow: a force or tendency that is in opposition to what is apparent.
In space no one can hear you scream, but Zen is willing to give it a shot. Except he can’t. Not when the success of his mission and the morale of his crew depends on his next decision.
“Are we positive we can’t fix the MDV?”
Ryuu is the youngest of his crew but his voice doesn’t falter. “I can re-engineer some of the Olin Maris’s spare units to match the malfunctioning ones on the MDV. There is a 75% chance that will work.” “I’ll take those chances.” Zen is grasping at straws, he knows. “Unfortunately for us, the MDV is a matchbox in comparison to the Olin Maris. Even with our very competent poking around, that’s gonna eat up a lot of space.”
The Olin Maris crew is seated around the kitchen table, as the great ship plods steadily through space, except for Obi, who’s leaning tall against the kitchen cupboards, looking like he’s going to launch any second now. He’d been running flight simulations when the glitch was recorded. His brown jumpsuit strikes a discordant note to the rest of the crew’s downtime civvy grays.
“I can make room for two.” Ryuu is competent but everyone else around him is competently quiet. Two means one. Obi needs to fly and dock the MDV on the platform Commander Izana Wistalia’s crew set up for them on the previous Mars expedition. The highly successful previous Mars expedition. Zen feels sick.
“This isn’t a two man mission.” Trust Kiki to put it out there. “Then we don’t have a mission.” Shirayuki squeaks and Zen wishes Mitsuhide learned how to actually communicate in communication school. None of them underwent 5 years of grueling astronaut training, reading mission reports Zen Wistalia’s older brother routinely sent from Mars in preparation for Olin Maris’s first voyage to the Red Planet, just to turn the colossal ship around, empty handed and on tax payer’s money, just because their ride down to the actual planet malfunctioned and Zen couldn’t catch it in time. “We still have a mission. Get the MDV ready for flight.”
“The MDV will fly. It’s docking that’ll be tricky. Flight sims show 0.5% success odds even with manual control.”
Obi doesn’t trust computers. Izana wanted him on the mission not even a week after he graduated top of his class, but NASA doesn’t work that way. Lone wolf syndrome is what his psych eval said.
Train this stray, will you? is what Izana told Zen right before he launched himself into the Space Heroes Hall of Fame.
“What if we eject before impact?” Kiki trust computers. She trusts Obi’s piloting skills more though.
“We could.”
His brave Shirayuki, always making Zen smile, even in the face of adversity. She took her more physical training very seriously. Zen knows for a fact she had Obi sneak her in for Extra G Force practice, even though she passed Advanced Survival Training with above average grades. She could take a tumble, even on Mars.
“But our equipment won’t make it in one piece. These are delicate instruments. NASA build a separate container into the MDV just for them.”
“Could we scavenge the Wistal Hab for instruments?
Shirayuki scrunches her nose dejectedly: “Not for what we need.”
“Ryuu?”
“We don’t have the resources I need to replicate the instruments. We don’t have time.”
And time is the critical issue. Zen knows his crew. Ryuu could build a rocket to get them down to Mars and Obi could fly it with Mitsuhide and Kiki riding first class, sipping martinis, while Shirayuki is strapped in with a lap full of delicate instruments, but with only 10 days to spare, Zen is keenly aware that they can’t work miracles.
“What if we make this a two man mission?”
It isn’t meant as a challenge, but there are no what ifs involved here and Obi knows it. Zen wonders when he got so easy to read.
“Obi needs to fly the MDV down and the MAV up. He can double up as mechanical engineer, if need be. The Lyrias Hab is brand new. Shouldn’t require much maintenance.” Kiki speaks in her no nonsense tone now, which only serves to remind Zen Kiki Seiran could have been commanding this ship had her father not put an end to that train of thought, what was NASA thinking, seriously? Surely not his only child and heir - things go wrong in space all the time. Let somebody else deal with that.
Well, Zen is trying.
“Cool. Always wanted to be a space janitor.”
A collective giggle brings some much needed levity in the somber kitchen.
“You wouldn’t be in space. You’d be on Mars. The planet we need to terraform. We need a mission specialist on the ground. We have two.”
Zen steals his nerves against what he knows is coming.
“We are all here familiar with the mission parameters, doctor. We have all been trained in operating the instruments.”
Kiki is only partially mollified. She can see it coming - the decision Zen has to make. It isn’t pretty.
“But you have a point. Could any of us effectively deal with the myriad variables involved in analysing the data and executing the right command? We’re not scientists. We’re heavy lifters.”
Primary Civilian Personnel is what they called Ryuu and Shirayuki. Exceptional people with an extraordinary set of skills that were indispensable to the success of the Olin Maris terraforming mission. But they were people, who unlike Zen and Kiki and Mitsuhide and even the wild card that was Obi, hadn’t listed astronaut as their first career choice. Five years ago they had been working in the sterile environment of a lab, not in the vacuum of space. It was only after the success of the Experiment (information classified) in one of the most inhospitable regions on Earth (location undisclosed) that they left a deafening mark on NASA’s radar and were co-opted on the mission. They were the mission.
“I volunteer.”
Ryuu beats Shirayuki to it by a hair, which is not entirely surprising. He only speaks up when it matters.
“Ryuu!”
“We already have an engineer. The mission needs a geologist.”
“I assure you, doctor Seiran, that I can competently...”
“Enough!”
Zen isn’t about to let this turn into a PhD pissing contest. He musters his best Commander voice and lays out a course of action.
“New mission parameters - a scenario. Obi, sit down, please.” He’s distracting.
Obi takes his place between Shirayuki and Kiki, so Zen gets a good look at everyone, from Mitsuhide to his right and Ryuu’s shaggy black mop of a hair to his left.
“Ryuu engineers us enough working space on the MDV so that Obi can fly Shirayuki and our equipment safely next to the Lyrias Hab. Estimated time?”
“Three days. Two days for tests. Five days for scheduled pre-flight tests.”
“We need to get NASA on the line for this. Mitsuhide?”
“MDV stat report is ready to send. 24 minutes ETA. Crisis cells usually take another 15 minutes. Protocol states they need to advise within the hour. Plus another 24 minutes for relay.”
“Ryuu, I want a report on changes made on the MDV. I’m issuing an executive order. Mitsuhide, be ready to inform NASA as soon as the report is ready.”
“Understood.”
“Obi, you are now scheduled to assist Ryuu. I want those tests positive for landing. Mitsuhide will merge your work schedules as appropriate.”
“Aye-aye, Cap’n!”
Obi’s mock salute is met with Zen’s personal brand of not the time, Obi! He’s had to use that look more often than he’d anticipated on this mission.
“Shirayuki, you will resume your daily tasks. Downtime will be cut one hour short for mandatory counselling with Kiki. Which brings me to my next point. Kiki.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What’s the psychological impact on the crew pending a change in mission parameters?”
They know Kiki won’t pull her punches, but the gravity of the matter leaves Zen no choice. They need to hear this.
“We trained for a Mars expedition: our goals were to land on Mars and begin Stage Two of terraforming procedures at the Lyrias Hab. We have been practising our tasks for over an year on the Maris to ensure the peak of efficiency once on Mars. You are effectively ordering the four of us to stay behind. Yes, that includes yourself, Zen. You are the mission Commander - but once Obi and Shirayuki are down there, executive command is effectively transferred to the senior officer. That’s Obi.”
Obi wants to protest, but Mitsuhide is faster: “That won’t necessarily happen. They aren’t cut off. We’ll be in constant communication. Hab is linked to the Olin Maris. We’re all connected. They still report to the mission Commander.”
“They will be alone on a planet that does not support human life.”
“Yet”, Shirayuki interjects.
“Even so, every information that we receive is second-hand information. We can’t possibly devise mission protocols for...everything. Things will go wrong. We’ll have eyes and ears on you, but we won’t be there.”
“What does that leave us with then?”
Obi’s eyes are golden slits of frustration. He’s not sure if Kiki is challenging his ability to follow orders or Zen’s ability to relinquish control. Zen knows it’s both. And he can’t really blame her.
“Trust, Obi. That leaves us with trust.”
Zen feels suddenly very weary and it’s only the mental image of Izana’s clear blue eyes when he’s disappointed that keeps his poker face intact.
“I trust you to complete the mission: get Shirayuki there and back again safely and assist her as she completes Stage Two.”
Obi has a very expressive face, but his smiles now are only for Shirayuki’s benefit.
“Hear that, Miss? I’ll be your own personal bodyguard.”
Shirayuki is all green-eyed determination when she says: “We won’t fail this mission. We won’t fail you.”
Zen smiles. She never could.
…
Ever since Shirayuki complained that she can’t hear him coming and it’s very unsettling - and hazardous to their surrounding, but that only happened once and Obi thinks it’s not fair that he should be held accountable for his Miss dropping the thingamajig into the whatdoyoucallit just because he startled her half to death - Obi walks in whistling.
He whistles extra loud now just to make sure. Shirayuki is running a marathon on the treadmill and he’s fairly sure she’s going to wear the damn thing to pieces.
She’s a sweaty pony-tailed wonder and his Commander (and best friend) wrapped a bow around her tiny frame and deposited her - competent, brilliant, geeky, Shirayuki - in his less than worthy hands.
His Miss wounds down and beams up at him - as she always does.
“Obi! Are you whistling opera?”
A few red tendrils of hair have snaked out of her messy ponytail and are now clinging to her neck. Why must he be so good at noticing minor changes in everything around him? This image is going to haunt him for days and space is a lonely place.
“I don’t know. Am I? It’s what Mitsuhide always listens to.”
...and punished him with last time Obi was late with a data dump. Obi is more of an 80’s disco guy. Secretly, of course.
“Yes! It’s a famous aria from...” and then Miss promptly launches into a detailed plot summary of some servant dude’s marriage to a girl courted by his master.
“...it’s one of the most frequently performed operas, actually. Ryuu and I...”
Shirayuki suddenly stops and looks away.
“Yeah, you guys…?” Obi prompts. He needs to squash this now or else he’ll be no use to her planetside.
“We used to go to the opera all the time.” Shirayuki finishes rather lamely.
“And you still can, even if you’re descending and he’s not.”
“Don’t be silly, Obi.” She’s trying to be brave about this, but she’s in space, prepping to go down on an uninhabited planet in a malfunctioning vehicle they patched up together to complete a terraforming mission that not only cost billions of dollars but may in the very near future save billions of lives. Without her lab partner. With a glorified space janitor as chaperone.
“We’ll have opera nights, Miss. I’ll get Mitsuhide to dig up this Figaro guy’s nuptials and we’ll all watch it together. I’m sure it will be a riveting experience!”
Shirayuki laughs her true laugh then and mock slaps him with her towel.
“They don’t actually show the wedding night, Obi, you realise that, right?”
Obi pretends to be shocked, but her laugh is infectious. She knows him too well.
“Good. I’m not sure the kid’s old enough to be watching that kind of stuff.”
Obi’s not a super scientist like Shirayuki or a prodigy like Ryuu, but Shirayuki is every inch a pretty Miss and Ryuu is a cute kid. Obi’s ways are no more convoluted than that.
Shirayuki is still trying to be indignant over their assigned nicknames, but she’s smiling and her eyes are now bright again.
“So, are we good, Miss?”
They need to be.
You’ll be alone with her for six months. Working together, breathing the same recycled air together. Cohabitating. A man and a woman, on a deserted planet. With very little privacy. You can’t run from your feelings on Mars, Obi. You’d have nowhere to go.
The Doc didn’t mince words and she was far too clever and observant. Almost as observant as he was.
Doc, give me a break. I’m a professional. I’m ex-military. I know what’s at stake here.
You’re still military, the Doc had corrected. That had made Obi smile: you couldn’t bullshit a bullshitter. But you like her. And she’s technically a civilian.
Are you baiting me?
I’m warning you. This might be a bit more difficult than you think.
Come on, Doc, it’s not illegal to like someone. I like you too.
Most of the time.
Problem is, she likes you too.
Which was when Obi realised this must have been a weird ass psych test. Miss had the biggest crush on Zen. He’d been there: We won’t fail you, his Miss had said. He could almost taste the adoration in her words. Did it taste bitter? Yes, but he wasn’t going to prove Kiki right.
So, according to the Doc, they liked each other, did they? Shouldn’t that make things easier?
Things always seemed easier when Shirayuki was looking at him with clever bright green eyes and cheeks dimpled by her smile. She was practically bouncing with excitement.
“We’re good! We’re great! We’re going to Mars! On an adventure! We’re going to do science, Obi! On Mars!”
It was the bouncing. One moment she was beaming up at him, the next all he could see was red and all he could feel was her lips making brief contact with his left cheek.
Regroup, Obi, dammit, regroup!
“I am going to hit the gym. And you are going to shower. You stink, Miss.”
“I do not...” Shirayuki started but a quick sniff of her sweat soaked tee had her running to showers with that cute little squeak Obi found so endearing.
Shit, I’m screwed.