An Imperfect Science | Ikemen Sengoku

Chapter 58

「I lost the bag!」

There was genuine dismay in Ness' voice at this realisation. When did it happen? Back in the courtyard? She half-turned, as if it might just be right behind them in the hallway. I can't help at all if I don't...

There was a sharp tug on her left hand.

「That's quite enough ideas for one night, little mouse,」said Mitsuhide.

「But...!」

The tug came on her right hand then, before she could protest further. She drew flat against the wall, her frame dwarfed by the men who stood close at either side. The doctor freed his hand from hers, raising it to place one finger to his lips. She tried to breathe quietly and steadily. Mitsuhide's breath raced, shallowly, above her head. Then the blond man leaned, almost imperceptibly, to scout around the next corner. A moment later, he looked back down at her with that unruffled expression.

「Forget it, Ness,」said Ieyasu, somewhat gruffly, 「It already did what we needed.」

You did what we needed. Ness understood that the level of giddiness she felt at Ieyasu's not-praise was entirely inappropriate, under the circumstances. She bit her lip to suppress the giggle that was trying to escape her.

Ieyasu narrowed his eyes, 「Are you... laughing, Ness?」

「Of course not!」

She issued the denial immediately, accompanied by a dramatic shake of her head, desperately forcing the laughter back down. Mitsuhide squeezed her fingers, and she couldn't tell if he was trying to encourage or dissuade her.

「It's just... I'm really happy that you think I did a good job, Ieyasu.」

Ieyasu grumbled irritably, 「I didn't say that.」

「Well... not with those exact words, sure.」

「So, now you're putting words in my mouth?」

「We all know that you never s-」

Mitsuhide, incapable of holding it in any longer, finally burst into laughter beside her and surprised them both into startled silence. A moment later he pulled his hand from hers, grasping at his chest, as his laughter transformed into a harsh, breathless cough. It rolled through his chest like a rattlesnake. 

Ieyasu reached out, his hand slipping through the kitsune's limp white hair, and met the other man's eyes with a calm, direct gaze. He took a deep, demonstrative breath. He broke away only once Mitsuhide was breathing with a little more ease, though she liked his colour even less than before and the momentary panic she had seen in his eyes even less than that.

Ieyasu slipped his hand back into hers, the sign that their pause was over. He tugged her around the corner as she reached out to pull Mitsuhide with them, and just like that, they were on the move again.

「Just...」said Ieyasu, sighing, 「Don't tell Nobunaga you can do that.」

「What? Why not?」

「Mitsuhide wastes enough time talking him out of bringing you to the front.」

「Oh. Wait! Is that... a joke? Please tell me that's a joke.」

The blind man behind her let out a resigned sigh, 「Unfortunately, no. He calls you his lucky charm.」

How the fuck do I not know about any of this?!

「I think I'm... just going to keep my thoughts about all of that on the inside.」