Crimson Threads ♡Sinbad X Oc♡

Chapter eighteen: Mutual sting

"Yuna!" Yunalesca nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Ja'far's voice.
"Where were you?" She stiffened as she turned around, nervously plastering an innocent smile on her face. "Stu...dying..?" She could tell Ja'far wasn't buying it as he stood with his hands on his hips and a frown on his face. "Were you with that man?" Ja'far gestured to the door, his question hanging in the air.

"What? No!" Yunalesca laughed, amused at Ja'fars's protectiveness. It made her happy to know he looked out for her. "He just helped me carry these books." Ja'far narrowed his eyes, clearly suspicious.
"I really was studying! I was at a doctor's office the whole day. Look." She quickly handed him a book on herbs, watching as he flipped through it. After a few pages, he nodded, seemingly satisfied and closed the book before waving it at Yunalesca. "Oh no, he's still angry?" Yunalesca tried to hide behind the pile in her arms.
"We were so worried about you! What if something bad had happened to you without us knowing?"
Yunalesca blinked at Ja'fars' words before a real smile spread on her lips. Placing the books on a nearby empty table, Yunalesca ruffled Ja'far's hair. Swatting her hand away, the boy gave her a puzzled look, his ears slightly red.
"Come on, help me carry these." She chuckled, handing him half the stack.

As the two made their way through the almost empty inn, Yunalesca spotted Sinbad and Hinahoho. She inhaled sharply, ready to call out to her companions, but her heart dropped when she saw Sinbad. He was tenderly caressing a woman's hair as she giggled, clutching a serving tray to her bosom. Yunalesca stopped walking, the books in her arms suddenly heavy.
"Worried, huh..." Yunalesca felt a pang in her heart, the ache spreading into her chest as she stared at the scene in front of her.
"Something wrong?" Ja'far asked, stopping a few steps in front of her. She watched the woman whisper something into Sinbad's ear before walking away.
Yunalesca clenched her teeth and shook her head, forcing a smile back on her face. "Nope. Just a little tired after today." Yunalesca smiled as she strode past Ja'far.

~~~~~~~~~

Putting his cup down on the table, Hinahoho sighed. "Do you think we should go help Ja'far look for her?" He asks, looking at Sinbad, who was now playing with a clean skewer. "No. We'd stand out too much. Besides, I trust Jafar." Sinbad answered, absentmindedly twirling the skewer through his fingers. Hinahoho sighed again, his eyes drifting over the tables of the inn before landing on Yunalesca and Ja'far. "Yuna!" He jumped from his seat, his worry gradually subsiding as she got closer. At the mention of her name, Sinbad's head shot up, a tidal wave of relief washing over him when he saw she was unharmed.
"Before you start, Hinahoho, Ja'far already scolded me." Yunalesca laughed as she approached the table, Ja'far close behind her.
"Yuna, Listen to this!" Sinbad jumped up excitedly, reaching a hand toward her. "Just now we..." She raised a hand, cutting him off. "I'm sorry, Sin. I'm really tired and I kind of want to get to bed..." She gave him a tight smile before turning back to Hinahoho. "Do we have rooms yet?" Sinbad's hand faltered a little as she turned away from him.
Hinahoho glanced between Sinbad and Yunalesca before nodding his head. "Yeah, two beds per room though, so we're sharing."
"Yuna, we can..." Sinbad started, attempting to get her attention again. "That's fine Hinahoho. Ja'far and I can share." A beat of silence passed in the group as Ja'far and Hinahoho glanced at Sinbad.
"You should at least eat something." Sinbad grabbed a plate of fruit, offering her, almost instinctively, the sweetest-looking apple. "No thank you, Sin. Like I said, I just want to get to bed." The air suddenly became heavy as she flashed him another tired strained smile.
"If you'll excuse me. Ja'far, would you help me put these down?" Yunalesca turned to Ja'far, gently lifting the books in her hands.

Sinbad watched Yunalesca and Ja'far walk toward the rooms, his heart squeezing a little. Hinahoho peeked at Sinbad, a sigh escaping his lips. "Don't worry Sinbad. Today was pretty eventful, so I get that she's tired." Sinbad frowned, Yunalescas's avoidant smile dancing around in his head.
It was the same smile she gave him when they reunited back in Reim before setting out again. Like she was keeping her distance. Only this time, it felt worse.
"But... why choose to share with Ja'far when we basically lived together in Narpolia..." The words tasted bitter inside Sinbad's mouth. He didn't want to ask it out loud, but he couldn't stop the words from forming.
After another beat of silence, Hinahoho scratched the back of his neck.
"This is Sasan, remember." Hinahoho placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's probably better for her to share a room with a 12-year-old than with a grown man like yourself. Besides..." Sinbad turned to look at Hinahoho.
"We don't know what you might do if a girl as pretty as Yuna is in the room with you." Hinahoho gave Sinbad a playful slap on his shoulder, his boisterous laughter filling the entire inn again.
Sinbad rolled his eyes at his friend's playful quip, an amused chuckle falling from his lips. He appreciated what Hinahoho was trying to do. "He's 13 actually." Sinbad put the plate of fruit down. "His words do hold some truth to them." Sinbad thought, the apple still in his hand. But in the back of his mind, the sting still lingered.

"Right here's fine Ja'far." Yunalesca plunked the books on the desk in the room. The small candle flickered ever so slightly in the breeze from the open door as her hand gently caressed the book at the top of the pile she had just put down. "Battle injuries and how to treat them." She absentmindedly mumbled the title, her eyes stinging ever so slightly.
"What was that?" Ja'far's question pulled her back into reality alongside the soft thud of books on the stone floor. "Oh no, nothing. I just..." Yunalesca feigned a yawn, stretched, and then wiped her eyes as if she were sleepy. "Ahh... I'll let you rest then. We had a long day today. " Ja'far's smile softened as he walked to the door. "Thank you, Ja'far. Good night." Yunalesca forced another smile. He looked back and gave her a tiny wave. "Good night." Yunalesca felt her throat tightening as she closed it behind him, her hand lingering on the doorknob before turning her back to the door. "I hate this." She whispered as she slid down. Hugging her knees, a silent tear rolled over Yunalescas's cheek as the scene from earlier replayed itself in her mind. The way Sinbad's hand lingered in the woman's hair, how affectionately soft he spoke. She hugged her knees closer, the bangle around her wrist glinting in the moonlight.
The sparkle caught her eye and she took a long look at it, her eyes following the intricate design all the way back to the inscription.
𝓕𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓢𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓸 𝓨𝓾𝓷𝓪.
After a few minutes, she couldn't help but smile as she caressed it with her thumb.
"I really do hate this."