Catching Feelings? (TodoDeku x Reader)

Chapter Three

—Two Weeks Later.—

—First Person POV.—

I fixed my hands into her softened locks, letting my fingers trace the golden strands as I ran the brush through it—easily detangling and taming the thick mess.

After being here for the past hour, I had fallen into a rhythm, humming quietly and zoning out.

'What's Rikido up to today? Did he find the breakfast I had left? I hope he isn't having too much trouble holding up the bakery, I need to ask if—' My inner-conversation is dragged to a harsh stop as the girl sitting before me jolts.

"Ow! What are you doing?" Lady Hikari turns her head back to look over her shoulder, glaring harshly and reaching back to yank the hairbrush from my grasp.

"Are you trying to tear my hair out??"

"No, of course not." I deadpan, keeping my hands in the same place they were in when she had taken the instrument of hair detangling and waiting for her to hand it back over so I can continue.

After years of serving this Lady, I've noted that rather than cowering—it's more effective to meet Hikari's gaze head-on when she's in a fervor.

And this is proved when her expression shifts with a frown, delicate hand lifting the brush back over her shoulder and turning to fully face the mirror with a grumble as I lightly take the object—fixing my grip on the handle to continue with my task.

"I know it is a mess from my ride this afternoon, but ensure you don't yank it out of my head." She states in a curt tone.

I nodded a bit for her to see in the reflection— Whether she was watching me or not, I couldn't really tell but with the way she had grown silent again, I chose not to delve too hard on it.

My hands simply kept brushing her thick, honey-colored hair—Hikari's fairest feature—and only pausing slightly when a knock resonated from the door to my right.

The Lady's voice called out, giving permission for whoever to enter and tugging my attention off for a split second—eyes casting to meet Tsumaranai's bright irises.

One of the older maidservants—her pale hands locked gently onto the edges of a silver tray as she stepped inside and lightly pushed the door shut with the heel of her shoe.

"Lady Hikari, cook sent this up for you," Her voice greeted with a smile that flashed her teeth "He made it from the last of the berries, a perfect tart for my Lady."

'The last of the berries?' My eye inadvertently twitched at that, tearing my attention from the little desert and trying to busy myself with detangling the soft mess in my grasp.

But the smell of warm fruit wafted throughout the room as Tsumaranai stepped closer, clogging my senses with the tantalizing scent—my mouth watered, internally screaming that I hadn't eaten since earlier in the day.

"It does look good." Lady Hikari hummed, turning her head slightly to reach out and pluck the food up from the tray so she could take a bite.

I held my breath, catching her shoulder lifting as she raised her free hand up in a wave 'Was she telling the maidservant to leave?' My mind inquired but I kept grooming, trying to solely focus on my task.

Suddenly, Hikari spun around in her seat to snatch the brush out of my hand again—eyes set into a glare against my (e/c) gaze and making me blink since she didn't speak with her mouth full.

Out of the corner of my vision, I could catch Tsumaranai staring at me in the same manner, brows furrowed and causing me to shrug—offering an apologetic smile towards the knot I had accidentally yanked out.