Akito smiled and listened silently, shaking his head as Korren apologized, “No need to apologize for things you get excited about, I’d love to see this perfect spot in a garden for reading sometime. It sounds wonderful. If you want to show it to me that is.”
He slowly sat up as he talked, rolling his shoulders and finally getting to his feet slowly. Glancing over at the prince, he nodded his head and shot him another small, charming smile but didn’t say anything.
Before they departed he knew they would have to arrange what time to meet again, but Akito found himself wanting to stay longer. And so he didn’t bring up arranging details, just studied Korren and Koji, trying his best not to get caught up and stare even if it was a very hard task.
“Thank you for joining me for lunch.” He eventually said, motioning around the building, “I would’ve never found this place on my own or even would’ve thought it had such good food.”
“Yeah, Angus here works wonders,” Korren said joyfully, taking Koji in his arms and pushing himself to his feet as well. The small cat scaled his chest, waddling up to his shoulders once more. Korren had never understood the cat’s intentions, but figured his own neck was warm and it was a high place, so why wouldn’t the cat like it?
“I’ve loved this place ever since I was just a small boy. I used to come here with my sister, and Angus always fixed us up right. It’s a hole-in-the-wall, but it’s ours. I’m glad to hear that it’s impressive even without sentiment tied to it.”
He shifted back on his heels, holding a hand on the back of the chair before glancing back up to Akito. Didn’t the man have to leave? He said he had had work to do.
Well, not that Korren wanted him gone. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
“And, thank you for joining me, as well,” Korren replied, flashing one of his own smiles. Perhaps it was less charming than Akito’s, but he tried his best. “And for taking care of the expenses. And for… much, much else. I’m so glad I came across someone just as crazy as I.”
(Oh my gosh I'm so so so sorry I thought my reply went through again >-< I hope this works even though it was nowhere as amazing as my original reply)
"It's nothing, I'm glad I agreed to both help and even just hear your question," Akito said with a soft laugh, meeting Korren's eyes as he asked, "Well, when shall we meet next? I can meet you somewhere after I finish at the docks, but exactly where and when is completely up to you, prince."
Meeting again with the male in front of him was something he was excited to do, not just because they would start this huge game of disguise but also because he already liked spending time with the attractive man in front of him. He was fun and clearly wasn't the spoiled person he had always assumed most royals to be. Korren was nice, and he not only could be seen in the city, but he seemed to want to help the empire.
Akito started towards the door as he talked, hoping that the other male would follow with him, at least to the doors so they could talk a bit longer, "Dock bell sounds just before the market shuts down for the night, sometimes right as it closes."
(Oh, don’t worry about it at all! My replies do that sometimes too, I get it. No worries!)
Korren nodded, beginning to walk forward as well.
For some reason, when Akito said ‘prince,’ it induced a different feeling than normal. When anyone else addressed him with that, it made him feel like a complete stranger. Like they were just addressing him with his class, not even bothering to use his real name. After all, he was a person as well, not just royalty.
But, when Akito used it, it felt different, and he didn’t know exactly how. He liked it.
“Assuming we want to get you your new attire, then there’s a small shop just down and through the market. I’ll be there when the bell tolls, making sure they don’t close shop,” he replied. “We’re very good family friends, and I’m positive they’d do anything for the prince’s… boyfriend.”
He said the word like it was foreign to him, his face taking on a reddish hue as he adverted his eyes. He lifted a hand to behind his head, scratching Koji for a moment before giving a small bow to Akito.
“And, for everything, I don’t think I can thank you enough,” he continued. “You’re… well, I’m happy that I can do this with you. I’m extremely glad I made your acquaintance.”
Akito bowed back, flashing another charming grin and nodding, "I'm glad I made your acquaintance as well Korren, and I'm honored to play your boyfriend for as long as needed. I'll meet you at the shop, or somewhere in the market. Have a nice day."
Before he started on his way, he smiled at Koji as well, and winked at the prince, calling out as he stepped away, "Say hi to your family from me as well."
Then, as much as he wanted to stay and chat, or even just spend time with the prince, he walked off, making his way back through the streets at a quick pace until he spotted the docks. And a very grumpy looking boss who immediately smacked him upside the head and scolded him for taking so long once he was near. Even though he got scolded, Akito set back to work with new energy, eager to get the day to go by fast so he could see the prince once again. It seemed like it was going to take forever for time to pass, but he ignored it and got to work, trying not to think about the time.
After going home and explaining to his mother that he would be out later than usual, he made his way to the clothing shop. Sure, he had more time, but he was eager to do something. He was too fidgety and too nervous and too excited and he just couldn’t stay home and do nothing. So he decided to get things on a little faster, possibly prepping himself for anything he needed to do. Just anything.
His mother had actually taken his declaration a lot better than he had expected. Of course, he didn’t tell her about Akito just yet— he needed to wait until she could meet him.
Even so, upon explaining to her that he needed to be out longer, she simply pushed him out the door waving her hand and saying it was totally fine. Apparently concerned that her son hadn’t had enough social interaction, she was. Korren barely understood it.
He made his way down the market, which was nearly closed. He had changed into something just a little more formal, wanting to make a good impression. Plus, his mother and sister were waiting on him for dinner, so possibly when they all sat down, and both he and Akito were decked out in some sort of royal garb, they’d be more apt to accept.
He had a flowing black robe, making his hair look even darker in contrast to his pale skin. It was clear he tried to hide the scars across his face, but at least it had looked better than before. He had combed his hair over to the side as well, perhaps putting in too much effort, but he didn’t care. He wanted to look nice.
No matter what Akito tried to do, he couldn't stop thinking about lunch with Korren. It had been exciting, and the more he thought about what he had agreed to, the more he was eager to meet him again as well as both the queen and princess.
It was nice to have something to focus on other than work though, and taking his mind off of the blazing sun and hard work was amazing. He didn't even notice how fast time had gone either. At least not until the market bell tolled and he was officially done for the day. Sore and tired, he made his way over to his boss, making sure he was free to leave before dashing off as quickly as he could for the market. He didn't want to make Korren wait, and if he was already waiting, he didn't want it to be for long.
On the way, weaving through market stands that were closing up, and customers that were going the other direction than he was, he tried his best to fix his hair. Even if it was messy, he brushed through it with his hand and did his best to get it to follow some semblance of direction. Before he got too far with messing with his hair though, he spotted the person he was looking for, a large smile pulling onto his face at the sight of the prince. Especially decked out in royal robes and with nearly combed hair.
Korren was nervous. For many, many reasons, but the most of them stemming from the women running the shop. He hadn’t planned on ‘acting’ this early, but they were a curious bunch. They were… ‘nosey,’ was the nicest term he could use, but only to say the least. They asked many questions, and frankly, he wasn’t very apt to answer any of them.
All the women here— which was only four, but they had enough energy to power the empire— were like close sisters to Korren. They were friends with Aoi, as well, and probably closer to her than they were to Korren. Still, it seemed as though they were all family nonetheless. And, for the most part, they acted that way.
Korren suddenly caught eye of Akito, his breath caught in his chest as the man jogged over. he let out a stutter breath, awkwardly waving a hand. Okay, perhaps he was just a little more nervous than he let on.
“Hello,” he said, trying his best to seem casual. It didn’t work very well, but he gave it his best effort. “You ready? These people are… an interesting lot. You’ll probably do fine, but just a warning.”
"I'm ready for this," Akito replied, nodding as he stopped in front of the prince and glanced at the shop that he assumed they were going into, "Are you ready for this? This is the start of something huge, for the both of us and for the Empire."
He straightened out his work clothes a little more, then casually stepped closer to the prince and held out a cautious hand, unable to hide the flush in his cheeks from even just offering out his hand for the other to hold. After all, even though they had to act like a couple, the two of them were far from an actual couple. In relaity, they were just two unexpected acquantiances.
Having the prince by his side both made walking into the shop easier and more nerve wracking. He felt comfortable having someone with him that knew what they were doing, but he also knew that the two of them would have to put on quite a show to convince people that they were together. Even though Akito swallowed his nerves as they took the first step in, he couldn't help but wonder why he agreed to this, no matter how much he enjoyed the idea or intentions.
“I know, but… It’s been a long time coming,” he replied. With that, he took the man’s hand, leading him through the market to the small tailor’s shop.
There were many hanging paper lanterns out front, casting a wonderful warm pink and orange glow upon the wooden door. They cut through the newly dim night, bringing life to the small shop in a menagerie of colors. Hesistantly, Korren pushed open the door, drawing Akito a little closer as he did so.
The shop looked nothing special, just a little tailor’s place. There were racks and racks of clothing on the right side, then a few fitting places off to the left, and a sort of elevated stage nex to those, with mirrors around it.
“S—Saya? Tone?” he asked tentatively, ringing a small suspended bell by the door as it shut behind them. After no answer, he called, “Kuroki?”
“Figured you’d get it right after three tries,” another, much more feminine voice called from the back.
Korren looked moderately surprised. “Suko? You’re barely ever in the shop. Where’s Saya?”
Suddenly, a woman came shuffling out from the back room, carrying a few robes. Her face was rounder, her hair mostly pulled back, but her eyes still holding that somewhat defiant look. She looked probably tougher than she seemed, arms crossing as she set down the robes, eyes gazing over the two men.
“Oh….? Who might this be?” she asked, offering a sly smile, brown eyes gleaming. “Korren, you never told me you met anybody. And Saya’s out, with the rest of the girls. They’ll be back soon, but for now, I’m keepin’ watch.”
“Ah, I see. And, as a matter of fact, I did meet someone,” Korren replied, much more casually than he thought he could. He actually played it extremely well. “His name’s Akito. I’m going to introduce him to mother and Aoi tonight. Think you might be able to fix him up? Not… not that he needs fixing anyway.”
Korren glanced over to Akito, giving him the sweetest smile he could muster.
“Of course, your majesty,” Suko replied, bowing slightly. Although, her words dripped with sarcasm as she drawled Korren’s title. “Nice to meet you, Akito. How did you manage to hook the princey here?”
(Pardon the shorter response..writer's block hit me like a train today)
Akito's hand tightened on Korrens when he was introduced and he politely bowed, as well as offered her a small smile, "Nice to meet you too, Suko." He chuckled at her question and shrugged, glancing over at the male beside him with a happy smile this time, "I don't know how I managed to get lucky and snag him in particular, just luck I suppose."
As much as he was trying to come off as calm and happy, he was nervous, as well as worried that Suko would see right through their act. He didn't let it show though, just glanced around the shop.
"This is a gorgeous shop by the way," He added, both to just say what he meant about the store and also to compliment the lady, "Korren's said good things about it too."
(Don’t worry ‘bout it! Always just write whatever, honestly. If I don’t give you much to go off of, you can always let me know.)
Suko nodded, giving Akito a smile of her own.
“Why, thank you! I run it with my sister and a few friends,” she replied. She then glanced from Akito back to Korren, batting him with her hand. “And Korren I didn’t know you complimented us! I’m absolutely flattered.”
“Don’t take it to heart,” Ren joked, shaking his head.
With that, she turned, folding her arms back in front of her and looking from rack to rack. Her eyes danced across the large selection, then back to Akito, trying to see what style would suit him best.
“So, we have to get you something fancy, huh?” Suko muttered to herself, squinting at the hanging robes before unfolding her arms and sifting throuhg them.
“Yes. We’ve got a… big night, I guess. It’ll be the fist time he meets the family,” the prince replied.
“I see,” she mumbled, nearly inaudible. She then held up sort of a red version of what Korren had chosen, except it seemed much better-fitting and had less of a regal look, more of a utility look. Like something someone could actually move around in without much hinderance. It was a deep crimson with golden trimming, and even despite its look, it still seemed much fancier than normal.
“This…?” Suko asked, more to herself than Akito. She then held up a black one, that looked much of the same style.
Akito smiled, chuckling at the light banter once again. Clearly Korren and Suko were close, just by how they talked to each other, and it made him smile even more.
Even as Suko turned and looked through the robes though, he didn't take a step away from the prince. His hand was still holding Korren's, and he only shifted how he was standing while he watched the woman do her job. She was skilled, that much he could tell as she pulled out two robes that Akito very much liked the style of, and both were in colors that would complement the prince's own outfit.
"I like both of those, if my opinion is needed," He said, shrugging to hide just how much he liked the two choices, "They look much better than whatever I would've chosen on my own."
Normally, he didn't mind trying or looking at clothing, but he was almost eager to try them on, though he wasn't going to ask if he could until Suko had done what she needed to do and had chosen what she thought would be best.
Suko nodded, but it seemed like she hadn’t even heard him. She kept muttering to herself, Flipping through clothes but keeping the two robes in her free hand. Finally, after coming to the conclusion that those were the keepers, she turned around, holding them up.
“Alright, glad you like them,” she said kindly, walking back up to the two. “I was trying to find something that would match your princey here.”
Korren rolled his eyes, but the statement ‘your princey’ cued the light blush across his face. His heart jumped slightly as he grew more and more aware of Akito’s hand in his.
“You can just take these, try them on in that back room over there,” Suko continued, gesturing a hand behind her to a small door toward the back of the shop. “Come out once you have one on that you like— then I’ll help get them fitted, if they don’t already. You seem just a little smaller than Korren here, so I have a pretty good idea on what will fit or not. I’ve done plenty of jobs for this guy.”
She then held up the robes to Akito, as if checking how they’d suit his complexion before actually handing them over.
“Here you are, hope you like ‘em. This style should be pretty comfortable.”
"Thank you," Akito said politely as he took the robes from her hands. It did require him to let go of Korren's hand, and he did so slowly, then followed Suko's directions back to the small door at the back of the shop.
Even before he had the robes on, he could tell they were nice quality. They were soft, and like she had said, they seemed like they would be easy to move around in. Quickly, he slipped out of his work clothes and into the red robes, quite impressed at how little they would need to be fitted to fit him as well as the shimmering gold trim that contrasted with just how deep red it was.
"How does this one look?" He asked as he stepped out of the room, glancing between Suko and Korren for both of their reactions. A small smile was on his face, and he turned in a slow circle so they could see the entirety of the robes, "Be honest too, please."
Even with whatever their opinions were, Akito knew he liked the style of the outfit. If he ever got the chance, this was going to become one of his favorite outfits. It was easy to move in, like his normal clothing, but it was fancy, or at least formal enough that he no longer looked like a random dock worker. He could pass as someone of a higher status.
(Oh my goodness, sorry! I was out of town for forever. I’ll get my reply up soon!)
Korren had to manually keep himself composed, clenching is teeth as his face grew noticeably red. Suko just stood there happily, her hands clasped in front of her as she smiled.
“I believe you to look wonderful,” she admitted, offering a small nod. “But to you, I would assume my opinion is not the one that truly matters.”
With that, she flicked her eyes back up to Ren, who was trying his hardest to mask his near slack-jawed expression. With a little nudge from Suko he cleared his throat, blinking a few times before speaking.
“Ah—Y— You look… stunning,” he said, the last word seemingly more a question. Korren had forgotten his part in this whole play they were doing, and had to forcefully rope his mind back to it. He was a prince. Akito was … also a prince. But they were each other’s, and he needed to remember to play that part as best he could.
“Thank you so much for your help, Suko,” Korren murmured, seeming to gain back his composure as he spoke.
“You are always welcome, Kor,” she replied, grinning while looking between the two.
(Pardon the length)
Akito's face flushed at the Prince's reaction and he tried his best to hide the reaction as he quickly replied to Suko, "Your opinion matters, as you're the one who knows the most about clothing choices, thank you." Then he turned to talk to Korren, walking closer and motioning to the his robes, "I can't look as good as you do in your outfit, but thank you."
He truly liked the outfit, and the color, but already he felt fairly bad that the prince would have to pay for them. At the moment he didn't have enough, or what he figured would be enough to purchase the crimson robes. Akito decided that he was going to pay the Prince back though, since the robes would be essential for their plan of fooling the Queen.
(no worries!)
“Oh—heh.. thank you,” Korren mumbled, fiddling with the edge of his sleeve. He looked as if he were about to say something more when a loud noise cut him off.
A door shut toward the back of the shop, followed by laughs and yells. Three women sort of stumbled into view, faces alight as they talked amongst themselves. One looked very much like Suko but younger, eyes still holding that same brightness. The two others were clearly unrelated, one looking much older with tanner skin, hair a much lighter sepia and tied up in the back. The third was relatively the same age, with angular features and bright blue eyes, her smile seemingly more timid.
Both of the older women’s eyes caught the sight of Korren and they stopped, regaining composure, while the younger one ran over, engulfing him in a hug.
“H-Hello Saya,” he laughed, returning the gesture. The girl stepped back, attention flirting around to catch Akito.
“Hi Korren,” she mumbled, mind clearly elsewhere as she beamed toward the other man. “And who might this be?”
The sound of a dorr shutting was enough to startle Akito, and he turned to face it, a small smile forming on his face. Gently, he tugged at his robes, making sure he looked presentable as three women walked in, immedately causing him to assume that these were the rest of Suko's friends.
One of them reminded him of the older woman, with the same bright eyes, though the other two he assumed weren't related to Suko. They looked kind, and happy, but both seemed to stop when they saw Korren. The third didn't seem to care though, and rushed to the prince while Akito stepped to the side to give them room, his small smile still settled on his face.
"I'm Akito," He introduced himself easily when the girl turned to him, "Nice to meet you Saya."
“Didn’t know you had a boyfriend!” Saya yipped excitedly, already nearly prancing around Akito and sizing him up.
“H-h-yeah,” Korren muttered, his entire body stiff as a wooden plank. He could feel the blood rushing to his face once more and cursed the dregs of emotional anxiety.
Saya stopped in her tracks, bright eyes gleaming even brighter, if it were possible.
“Wait, really?” she replied, voice twisted up into that ecstatic question. “No way! I thought I was just razzing you!”
Her attention suddenly wobbled over to Akito as she smiled, almost forgetting formalities as she forced a bow. “Akito, how did you manage to wrap Princey here around your finger? It’s not usual he just falls for people out of the blue.”
“It-It wasn’t ‘out of the blue,’” Korren quickly added. “We’ve been… exchanging letters for the past… few months.” He glanced over to Akito periodically, almost nodding along as if to ask if he got the story right. Saya simply took that uncertainty as Korren’s horrid ability to suppress embarrassment. Luckily, lying was easy for someone as socially awkward as Korr.
Akito's face flushed as Saya pranced around him, feeling the attention on him and almost feeling awkward. "We've been talking for a few months, like Korren said," He replied, shrugging and smiling at the women, "I'm not sure how I succeeded in catching his attention though..I suppose I just got lucky."
Even for him, the nervousness coursing through Korren was visible, and he had spent less than a few hours around the princes. Gently he squeezed his hand, trying his best to keep the prince from getting more nervous than he already was. They had to convince the ladies that they were actually a couple, and having him freak out in front of them wasn't going to help.
"This is the first time I'm meeting the rest of Prince Korren's family though," He admitted, hoping that the little nugget of truth would help sell their story.
“Oh, I see,” Saya replied, clearly much to excited to bank on social cues. “So that’s why you’re so fancy. I barely ever see Korr in anything besides his armor. Lucky you, huh?”
She paused for a moment, squinting between the two before raising a finger and slowly pointing to Suko.
“Although I wouldn’t have gone with the red, maybe. A green perhaps? Was this the only one with gold trimming we had?” Saya mumbled, almost passively to herself. Suko narrowed her eyes, bumping her sister with the side of her shoulder.
“Shut it, Saya,” she uttered, unable to hide a smile. “Anyway— Have a great night, you two. You probably have to get going, no?”
“Yeah,” Korren replied, offering a small nod. “The Queen hates waiting. Thank you again, Suko. You always have my back.”
“What can I say? I like you, kid,” she replied, giving a diminutive bow. Saya just stayed there, ecstatically smiling.
“Nice to see you two, too,” Korren called, raising a hand to the two women still in the back. Their hands were filled with various bags and they looked busy enough, but stopped what they were doing to wave back.
Suko and Saya said their goodbyes to both of them, quickly shuffling over to one of the women in the back when they had called their names. It left just Korren and Akito, and Korren turned for the door.
He then looked back to Akito, heart beating more from excitement than nervousness.
“Well, ready to go?”
"Thank you for all your help ladies, it was nice to meet you," Akito replied, letting a charming smile show as he waved to them and stayed by Korren's side. It felt weird not to have to bow in the presence of the prince like the ladies did, but he stayed standing straight, knowing that he had to act less like a dock worker and more like a person with a high status.
Getting lost in his thoughts about acting more formal, he almost missed Korren's question, snapping back to reality just in time to nod. "Ready as I'll ever be I suppose, seeing as I'm meeting the Queen and Princess, both of who we have to make sure don't think we're suspicious."
He smiled at the prince, adjusting his new robes and looking back at the ladies once more before following Korren to and out of the door.
The women turned quickly to offer Akito a wave as well, all calling back with “nice meeting you”’s and “no problem”’s.
Once out of the store, Korren let out a long sigh, almost like he had held his breath the entire encounter.
“Good gods, I have to get better at this,” he said, words cut by stifled laughter. “I didn’t know it would be this difficult.”
He offered Akito a hand, simply out of formality, and continued walking down the dimly lit streets. The lanterns, just like the ones beside the shop, shined all kinds of beautiful oranges and yellows on the path below, holding a certain warmth to them.
“I mean— maybe it’s you,” he teased lightly. “Maybe it’s your fault for the fact I can’t think straight. Well… not like that wasn’t an issue before..”
Korren paused, glancing back over to meet Akito’s eyes.
“Or maybe that bodes well for us love-stricken pair, huh? The whole ‘not thinking right’ and spacing out and all that. But I still probably should play it smoother… not that I was smooth before, either.”
Akito sighed, almost instantly relaxing a little as well, even as he took Korren's hand and chuckled, "I think we both do. I certainly could've done better."
He glanced over at the prince, caught up with how the laterns cast soft glows over him before he realized what he was doing and quickly looked away. At least the yellow lighting hid most of his faint blush. This was going to be much more difficult than he had originally thought.
"It's not me, it has to be you and your regalness," Akito joked lightly, winking at him, "I have to reign in how starstruck I am just to pass as a love-stricken man. I can teach you if you'd like how to make it look like we're maddly in love. It takes practice."
He wasn't fully lying or joking about having to reign in sometimes how amazed he already was with the prince. After all, who else looked effortlessly this good besides Korren. No one he had ever been interested in could pull it off this well.
