Keeping Secrets *Mitsuhide x OC*(COMPLETE)

Safe

I stir as I feel movement on the couch. I hadn't really fallen asleep but I started to doze while waiting for her to wake up. Obi returned and promptly curled up in a nearby arm chair and fell asleep after teasing me for sitting with her. I look down at her hopefully to find her beautiful aqua eyes looking up at me but I can tell she's fighting to stay awake. The movement I felt is her shivering almost nonstop despite being under the blanket and near the fire. I press the back of my hand to her forehead and scowl. She's burning up.

"Mitsuhide... A-Are you real?" She asks, her voice coming out a rough whisper.

"Yes Miss Reila. You're safe here." A smile crosses her face before eyes close again.

"Obi."

"What? I'm awake." He grumbles as he shifts in the chair.

"Reila woke up. I think she's asleep again though. She's running a fever. Go get Shirayuki."

His golden eyes flick open and a moment later he's gone.

Shirayuki checks her over again, then tells me that she has pneumonia. She would have to go to the pharmacy to make the medicines needed to help her, but is able to wake her enough to have her take something that will help with her fever in the meantime. Obi offers to go with Shirayuki to the pharmacy, leaving me alone with Reila. She's still awake but just barely. I can tell she's fighting the urge to close her eyes and every blink takes a few seconds before she forces her eyes open again.

"I missed you." She whispers.

"I missed you too. I want to know what happened, but I don't want you to strain yourself talking right now. You need to rest."

"Worry-" she turns her head and lets out a series of painful sounding coughs. "Worry doesn't suit you."

"Sick doesn't suit you either, Miss Reila." I attempt a smile but it doesn't quite get there. "Go back to sleep. Shirayuki will be back in a little while with more medicine for you."

I start to run my fingers through her hair and smirk as her eyes flutter closed each time. It's putting her to sleep.

"Not fair." She mumbles as she loses the fight.

Her breathing evens out again but I continue the movement and softly apologize though she can't hear me.

Shirayuki and Obi return with three bottles of medicines, one that is supposed to help rid her of the pneumonia and the others to help with her cough and fever. She gives me instructions on when to take what and how often before going back to sleep. Obi settles back in the chair and asks if Reila had said anything when she was awake.

"She first asked if I was real, then fell back asleep right after. After you left with Shirayuki she said she missed me and that worry doesn't suit me. Then she got mad at me because I realized that doing this to her hair puts her to sleep. She was fighting to stay awake but I knew she needed rest."

"She's going to be so mad at you when she wakes up." He chuckles.

"I'd happily accept whatever happens because it means she's here and she's safe." A soft smile crosses my face as she shifts in her sleep and her hand falls onto mine before she lightly squeezes it in her sleep. "You don't have to stay if you'd rather get some rest."

"It's raining too much for my tastes, besides if something happens it would be easier for me to get up and go than for you to move her and leave her alone."

His reasoning makes sense so I nod and we fall into silence.

"You know, I actually did have feelings for Miss Reila." My eyes dart up to him in a harsh glare but he simply smirks at me in response. "No need to worry though, your feelings are far deeper than mine so I backed off and decided to spend my time pushing the two of you together instead. I don't think I could tie myself down to anyone anyway."

"What did you two talk about when you brought her to the gardens that day?"

He chuckles and gives me a smug grin. "Oh, just about how wonderful and amazing this man she knew was. You were all she could talk about. She even told me a secret."

I think he's talking about the kiss but the walk was before that so I'm not sure what it could be.

"What was it?"

"I was sworn to secrecy by this thing she called a 'pinky promise'." He mumbles as he wiggles his pinky finger. "She said if we interlocked our fingers that meant I agreed to hold her secret and she would hold it as well. Rather peculiar. She told me there were grave consequences if I broke it but never specified. Is Miss Reila a witch?"

"I don't believe so." I laugh quietly.

Morning arrives, the muted light coming from the window waking me. I look around to find Obi curled up in the chair still, his head somehow resting on the seat cushion. I will never understand how he can get comfortable in such strange positions. Reila is huddled up on the floor in front of the dying fire with the blannket wrapped snugly around her.

"What are you doing?" I ask softly but she still jumps.

"I'm so cold." She whines before having a coughing fit.

"Why didn't you wake one of us?" I ask as I get to my feet to restart the fire for her.

"I didn't want to disturb you. You both looked so peaceful. How did I get here?"

"Obi found you unconscious outside the gates last night and brought you in. Shirayuki checked on you and made some medicine for you since you're sick. Zen will be in later to check on you as well."

"I made it..." She whispers and I can tell it's more for herself.

"We were all really worried. What happened? Last I knew you were set to marry Lord Gerron's son in... two hours."

"It's a long story." She mumbles as she looks up at me. "I'm just happy I'm here."

We both jump as a loud thud sounds from behind us and we find Obi rubbing his head from the floor. He looks up with a scowl but it fades when he notices that she's awake. He asks how she's feeling as he stretches and gets to his feet. She complains of being cold still, that her whole body hurts, and that she's hungry. He leaves after offering to bring her food and I feel her tug on the leg of my pants before she pats the floor beside her. I sit beside her and she sighs as she rests her head on my shoulder.

"So, did you miss me?" She asks with a small giggle that sends her into another fit. I'd give her the medicines but Shirayuki recommended that she eat first.

"I did, Miss, but I don't think the heart attack you put us all through is quite how I wanted to see you again."

"Wholly unintentional. I was hoping to make it to the castle itself before I passed out."

"I don't think that would have been any better."