The Only Exception

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I start to blindly swing at Threil in the darkness as I continue to scream. Why won't he leave me alone? He's supposed to be dead why the hell is he here? Threil grabs my wrists and pulls me to his chest so I can't hurt him anymore. I struggle against him until a scent hits my nose that I can't place but it immediately stops my fight. It's Obi. Once my arms relax, he releases them and I wrap my arms around him. Whether I fully remember him or not, I can tell my mind is aware of the connection. He feels more like home to me than this cottage ever has.

"I'm sorry." I whisper as I keep my head buried in his shoulder.

"It's okay, I'm just glad I found you again." He tells me soothingly as he gently rubs my back. "Why did you leave?"

"I... I wanted to feel the rain and then I just ended up here. I wanted to know why he took me but there's no information or records he kept for me except what may be my birthday and when and how I got injured on my jobs."

"I'm sorry, Els. Maybe in the long run it's better that we don't know. Men like that are very sick. There's no telling what he was thinking. He's gone now and he can never hurt you again."

"I know..."

"Would you like to go home now?"

"Home?" I repeat as I pull away slightly.

"Yes, home. It's that cottage you just wandered away from in the middle of a storm. It's your home now too as long as you want it to be."

"Will you be there too?"

"Of course, unless you'd like to stay there alone, then I can move into another one of my safe homes." He shrugs.

"I-I want you to stay... You feel more like home than anything else in my life so far..." I mumble under my breath.

"Wait, what was that? Could you repeat that for me?" He asks with a smirk and I tell him to shut up. "That sounded like the first real compliment I've gotten from a certain little troublemaker since I re-met her. The very first time I encountered you again, I made a joke about something that happened and you totally ran me through with your comeback."

"What did I say?"

"I was napping in that field and you were running from him but tripped over me. Later on at the cottage I asked your name and said it wasn't often that I have women falling for me and you told me that it sounded like a personal problem."

"In my defense, it's not my fault you had no luck with women." I grin.

"Who said I ever bothered to look for women when I already married the perfect person for me?"

I look up at him in surprise. I mean, I know we married and married young, but why didn't he move on after I disappeared? "I was gone for so long and for all you knew probably dead, why didn't you ever move on?"

Obi shrugs. "There's no point in looking for something I knew I'd never have again. I only ever wanted you."

I wake up shivering despite being buried beneath the blanket and another quilt and curled up against Obi. I think it's safe to say I am sick now. That's what I get for staying out in a storm for two hours plus another thirty minute walk home. All I want to do is curl up and sleep but I'm hungry and the uncontrollable shaking isn't letting me rest. I wiggle around in bed until I'm as close to Obi as possible and snuggle into the warmth.

"What's wrong?" Obi asks, his voice husky from sleep. "You're moving around so much."

"I can't stop shaking. I think I'm sick." I tell him and he chuckles.

"I wonder who's fault that is."

"Shut uppp," I whine as I bury my face into his chest. "I don't feel welllll."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"Fix it."

"I'll have to go to a healer for medicines. She'll probably need to check you over to figure out what's needed for sure. Are you okay with going?" He asks around a yawn. "I can carry you as well."

"I don't want to be any trouble..."

"You've been trouble since we were children. I'm used to it by now and it's Callia's job to care for sick people so you won't be a bother to her."

"If you say so."

"I do say so. Now, let me get more awake and dressed then we'll head out."

Obi stretches a moment later, trapping me against his chest in a death grip since his arms are around me. He's definitely way stronger than he looks.

Obi and I made it to a small cottage a short while later. We started out walking but my body hurt and I kept shaking so I lost the fight about him carrying me. I was a little nervous about meeting this Callia lady but Obi said she's really nice and has saved his life a time or two over the years. I just really haven't met anyone beyond Threil and Obi himself since I was taken. The only other encounters I've had are with people I immediately killed. I haven't spoken much with her since we arrived past answering her questions about symptoms but she does seem nice so far. She stops examining me and tells us that I have pneumonia. I'll be down for about a week and will have a few medicines to take. Oh joy. It also means I can't leave the bed for a week because Obi definitely is going to make me stay off my feet. I feel like he's also going to find some weird amusement out of me being stuck and relying on him judging by the smug smirk on his face.

Mercy *Obi x OC* (COMPLETE)Where stories live. Discover now