AkiBlue

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

He didn’t miss Akito’s growing blush, but decided to spare Akito even more embarrassment than what he already felt. The silence draws on a little longer as he scratches behind one of Hoko’s ears and sips the juice that was brought along. However, Hiro was patient. He understood Akito had a harder time expressing his thoughts and unlike his father who was much more expectant of quick results, he wouldn’t pester him into speaking.

His eyebrow raised when Akito did begin to speak. Hiro was ready to reassure him that he was definitely cute but didn’t interrupt, not wanting Akito to become closed off and not talk anymore. However the slow speech soon became a spill of rambling and uncertainty that even caught Hiro by surprise for a few moments. “I-” He couldn’t quite get a word in to calm his betrothed down, so he waited until Akito was buried deep into his own arms, obviously regretting ever last bit of it.

Hiro stared at him for a few moments before smiling softly. Quietly, he shifted the box in between them out of the way and scooted a little closer to Akito. He moved slow, not wanting to frighten the man more than he already had been. Hiro tried to think of what to say, while Akito began to close himself off. “I’m glad you don’t think of me as some prize to be won.” He crossed his legs and looked up at the sky for a few moments. He loved the days like this one where the sky was clear and the breeze was forgiving, but he couldn’t help but like stormy days a bit more. “When I was younger, a little after my father was remarried, we went to see the neighboring kingdom. It was the same time the princess of that kingdom was finding a suitor. I remember hearing the men all talking about the princess as if she was just a pretty face to be bossed around. And, well, the princess thought the same. Wasn’t very tasteful in my opinion, but that’s how traditions work I guess.” He shrugged to himself, unsure of why he was telling Akito this. He wasn’t sure that would help ease his blushing, but it was something to get his mind off of it at least.

Glancing down at him, Hiro gently tapped Akito’s shoulder and smiled. “So, yeah. Thank you.” He had the urge to kiss the other to express his thanks, but he refrained, not wanting to give him a heart attack or something of the sort.

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Aoba, almost instantly, scooted out of the way to give Kuro space. His wings pressed against the wall, but he didn’t pay much attention to them. It didn’t seem to be enough space, or more rather, Kuro was purposefully getting closer. He played ragdoll as Kuro maneuvered and moved him closer, unsure just what he was getting at up until he was quite comfortably laying his head against Kuro’s chest. He listened to Kuro’s voice for a moment, feeling the soft hum of it against his chest. At the mention of his wings, he slowly spread them out a bit more realizing he did have a lot more space. He didn’t respond to much of what Kuro was saying, but it was obvious he had visibly relaxed. He stayed that way for a few moments, and when Kuro mentioned moving he lifted his head up. “Huh. wait no I-” The flush grew when he realized how quickly he was about to go against moving. Instead, he put his head back down and mumbled that he was comfy this way.

The demon would quickly find out that Aoba was quick to fall asleep. He didn’t move very much either throughout the night either, save for once when it was a bit too early and Aoba had sleepily forgotten that he didn’t need to be up early for morning prayers or anything for that matter. In less than a minute, he was back to sleep cuddled against Kuro again.

His ‘internal farm clock’ hadn’t been set and he hadn’t realized the sun had rose well overhead until it became a bother. Aoba tried to hide away from the sun, only burying his face into Kuro, until he realized it wasn’t his pillow. “Hmm- Oh.” Aoba rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up, looking down at Kuro. “Oh.” He echoed, unsure of what else to say at the moment but after another, he smiled. “Good morning.” His wings stretched out, but he took care not to hit Kuro. He glanced out the window and scratched his already messy bed hair. “Oh no, did I sleep in?” He wasn’t very quick to getting out of bed, and he had half a mind to lay back down with Kuro but he remembered that there was work to do on the farm. It had only been a week since he had been gone, but he wasn’t as spry to work as he was before.

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

He noticed how it was much easier for Akito to be the listening party rather than the speaker. He was much more relaxed up until he had to speak up. Hiro was patient though. He didn’t want to be apart of the overbearing world Akito was put into. The small flame went out so he could give him his attention, much like Akito did for him. It was only fair. Not once does he interrupt, but his expression does soften a little towards Akito’s own turmoils. However, he couldn’t suppress the look of surprise he gave when Akito is finished.

’That’s… Aw, he’s so cute!’ Hiro refrained from saying these thoughts aloud, not wanting to spook the man at his side. He gave a rather goofy grin, something different from his usual expressions, before looking at his lap. He wasn’t sure what to say at first wondering what he meant by spending time around him instead of with him, but in the end assumed it meant all the same. “Likewise,” He started to say, but then clarified. “You’ve been able to put up with me for this long and I appreciate it just as much as I apologize for it.” The laugh that followed was light. “I’ve… been told I could be a bit stubborn and hard to deal with, but you’ve been patient. I admire your courage though. You’ve been put into this royal business and you’re handling it fairly well.” He blew a few strands of hair out of his face and finally, couldn’t help but playfully add, “And though I’ve never said it, you’re so cute!”

Hiro took the tie out of his hair just to re-tie it, collecting the loose strands of hair that would bother him eventually. He could have kept it down, but his stepmother insisted that she saw all of his face- and he wasn’t going to say no to her. “I was happily surprised to know that you weren’t anything like my father boasted about.” He finally continued. “Not in terms of status of course, but,” He chose his words carefully. “I guess age and possibly a little rough around the edges? No offense to them I guess. They chose to act how they please.” He wasn’t sure how to explain his father’s ideals for his betrothed didn’t sound as tasteful as Akito, so he left it alone.

Hoko had disappeared out of Hiro’s line of sight which made the prince glance around for a brief moment. Akito wasn’t panicking about it, so he assumed Hoko was fine. His query was quickly answered however when Hiro felt those familiar tiny claws sneak up and across his lap to get to his owner. For once, the prince didn’t jump at the sudden feeling of something crawling on him, in fact he had started getting used to the little furball scurrying about when he was allowed.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

’A lot has happened.’

Enasi let out a deep sigh, relaxing and letting his realm wrap him in its positive energies. The halls were quiet, which was a relatively good sign considering all of the hectic things that occurred not too long before. To be fair, all of the chaos was very contained. Overall, his realm was the same bundle of positive energy, but there were small twinges of something different. Something neutral. The guardian let out another sigh, one that was more relief filled than anything. Neutral was good. It wasn’t a lot, and it was mainly in his home, but it was a start.

’We took a trip to the Nightmare Realm. It didn’t go as planned, but things ended up smooth.’ Enasi ran a hand over his stomach before adding, ’More or less, smooth. Rue is also a very well balanced mix of positive and negative energy. He’s okay, as if nothing’s changed.’

He turned a corner, passing the hospital ward. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he let himself roam. ’Seishu got kidnapped for a few days. But he’s back now. He’s recovering. He needs to take some trips to the Earth realm. We need to get his realm back.’ Enasi caught himself before his thoughts could derail into panicking over everything from Seishu’s health to the Balance being a hassle. Instead he kept walking.

It wasn’t often he was able to have a calm moment to himself. Most moments to himself had been filled with panic and reorganizing. It was rare that he actually took the time to care for himself… “Huh.” The idea of it made him pause in his tracks. “I guess...that is a bit unhealthy.” Enasi scratched his head and stretched his arms over his head. He wasn’t going to bring it up with the others though. He didn’t want another ‘I told you so’ from them.

Two energies approaching only grew stronger when they realized their guardian was near. The two staff members, both elves of some sort, beamed in delight when they saw him. He returned their smiles with hugs and kisses on their foreheads. They were going to burst with happiness at this point making him laugh and contain both their energies. “Thank you.”

“Thank you? For?”

“There’s no need to thank us sir. You do so much for us, we’re just happy to do these little tasks for you. And to see you well rested.”

“Right! We’re your subjects. Loyal no doubt. Thanking us is not necessary.”

This caused Enasi to laugh, but he nodded nonetheless. “Yes, of course. I will still of course appreciate my minions.” They grinned and respectfully bowed as they were sent back to their duties. The guardian watched them go and eventually decided that he had enough time to himself. As ironic as his behavior was, closing people off or keeping things to himself, Enasi thrived off being with others and so that’s what he decided to do.

~~~~~~~

Moments that felt like hours passed. Despite such a short time, Crios felt that it was exactly what he needed. When the fox doctor finally found his resolve, he embraced Cho tighter, keeping his tail at bay instead of wrapping that around him as well. A little more reluctantly, Crios pulled himself away from the chef. “Sorry for disturbing you while you were working. I realized-” He paused to figure out the right words. “Well, Lord Enasi has a habit of reminding me of the things...or people that are important.” He gave a sheepish grin only to be met with a kiss.

“None of the apologizing necessary. I was only surprised- a good surprised!” Cho grinned and continued. “I’m glad our guardian could knock some sense into you too.” The chef snickered and let go of Crios as he laughed as well.

“Taking breaks- even the small ones, they’re nice. I should do it more often.”

Cho listened as the man in front of him get lost in his thoughts. He wasn’t going to hold Crios to that, not wanting the doctor to feel like he had to stop working for his sake. It was something he loved to do and Cho wasn’t going to take that from him. “You do what you can, and I appreciate every bit of it. I am happy as-” For once, it wasn’t Crios that interrupted their time together. A smaller minion sheepishly walked over to get her boss’ attention.

“Sir, I apologize for the interruption but…” Her voice trailed off for a moment as she straightened out her apron. “We may have dropped the pastry dish.”

Cho sighed in exasperation and turned to go see the problem, however before he could disappear too quickly, he turned and hugged Crios once more. “I’ve got to get back in and see how much chaos has ensued. I never knew just how busy this job was until I became the one in charge. But, don’t worry, it won’t be too long before we see each other again.”

~~~~~~

Harper watched Seishu’s expression up until his eyes closed once again. “What are we going to do with you Night?” Harper said absentmindedly before letting both ears flop down. Just for a few moments, he let his guard down. Just for a few moments, he stopped listening so intently to the world around him and for once it was rather quiet. Harper took to his own thoughts, mulling over the status of things just as his guardian had. He also thought of things that the guardian may have needed assistance with- without him having to ask. It helped being one step ahead of things when his guardian had tendencies to avoid sharing issues.

Harper managed to get a few minutes of actual rest and nearly missed the footsteps approaching the door. One ear shot up and soon he was sitting up and rubbing his furry cheeks. Before the door could open, Harper hopped up and opened for his guardian. “Sir.” He bowed and stood striaght when Enasi nodded. “You didn’t miss much sir. He was only awake for a few minutes.”

Harper figured Enasi would want a report while he was gone, and while he didn’t, the guardian was appreciative anyway. He took a seat on the bed and leaned down to kiss Seishu’s forehead. “I don’t blame him. He’s had a… rough few days.” His voice was soft, but playing with Seishu’s hair was probably disturbing his sleep nonetheless. “Though, I’m sure Crios would be opposed to sleeping for days.” He rubbed his cheek and sighed. “Hmm, I think the hot springs would be a nice place to relax for a bit. What do you think? I mean, we’ll probably have to take another trip over to Earth, but we just got back so I don’t want to go back and forth too much.”

Harper had noticed Seishu waking up, but stayed silent about it. Instead, he listened to his guardian, doing his best to keep up with his rambling. “I’ve little opinion about hot springs. I’m not a fan of wet fur after all. Another trip to the human realm would do him justice, but if you or Crios feels there’s a need to wait then so be it.” Harper gave a quick glance over to Seishu before shrugging and taking a seat once more.

Enasi sat on the edge of the bed in contemplative thought. He didn’t want Seishu to stay cramped as he had been, but didn’t want to risk messing with his injuries. It was definitely something Crios was better capable of handling. A lot had happened. He wanted to make some changes, but he wasn't sure just where to start.

“Well. Don’t overthink it sir. We’ll be here to help of course. And I’m sure Night would want his input included anyway.”

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Aoba had scrambled off much too quickly to notice Kuro’s lack of reaction. The whole trip to his room consisted of him willing himself to relax. “Just because something is new doesn’t mean it needs to be...feared.” But, he wasn’t scared, just embarrassed by his… obliviousness? Lack of knowledge? Well, he was embarrassed by a few things about himself, he was sure.

He made his way into his room, drying his hair and fumbling around for pajamas at the same time. Aoba’s multitasking was a little more of hectic pacing until he finally heaved a sigh and stopped in his tracks. “It’s fine. This is fine.” Sure he was trying to be calm, but the tension in his wings betrayed that and in traveling around the room, he realized he’d done a good job of looking a mess in his own clothes, so he straightened himself out and sat at the window sill. While he waited, he began to pat down his feathers a little more to make sure they were thoroughly dry. He glanced out the window a few times, daring to glance over at Kuro, though the most he got was steam.

“These are...dry as they’re gonna get.” He patted his feathers down, taking a moment to examine them again. The change from the light gray to how dark they were now was almost instant. Aoba had reason to believe it was because of the fight earlier, or even from a few minutes before. But, it didn’t matter anymore. Aoba was slowly but surely becoming more confident with the decision he made. ’I’m happy here. I don’t need their approval.’ A few of the looser feathers fell on the floor, which made him notice the other stray feathers he had forgotten to collect. Picking up feathers turned into Aoba methodically cleaning his room up more than it needed to be. It was very unnecessary, but it kept him busy and being busy kept him from focusing on what made him get all tensed up in the first place.

The angel hadn’t finished his over cleaning when he heard the knock, so he called out for Kuro to open the door while he rearranged the last few clothes. As the demon walked in, he pulled himself away from the ‘chores’ and looked around his room as Kuro did. The small pile of feathers were tucked off to the side on his side table and he made a mental note to put them somewhere else later. He then started to realize that he wasn’t kidding when he said they had a long day. He had just gotten back from living in the church, watched two brothers fight until one was a bloody mess, up until now. While he didn’t do much, it still took a lot of energy away from him.

When he was questioned, he straightened up. “Oh, hm… Well, I usually sleep near the wall.” Normally, when he slept near the wall he didn’t have to worry about his wings being splayed out on the bed and it made him debate whether he should sleep on the edge or not. He decided against it though, more comfortable just choosing the side near the wall and tucking his wings so as to not bother Kuro. “Being able to make demon wings disappear is a pretty nifty trick.” He mused his thoughts aloud without realizing it as he climbed onto the bed and unceremoniously flopped onto his stomach before rolling to his side and moving his wings out of the way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Learning that this small city was near where had been living made him a little worried. He tried to ignore the idea of the angels’ and demons’ paths crossing, but couldn’t help but think of the disastrous possibilities both for the angels scouting and the demons protecting Aoba. “I think-” Fenrir bit his tongue. He couldn’t possibly be entertaining the idea of going down to Earth to check on Aoba? The doctor was surely losing his mind, he thought.

’No, no...this is to make sure all of the angels get home safely.’ He hadn’t been a field medic for years, and he had to admit being in an office did get stuffy sometimes too… “By the sounds of it, some of these angels need immediate attention. I’ll go along with the group to attend to those enough for them to get home safely without tearing into their injuries.”

The angel leading the way didn’t have any qualms about the decision. Fenrir was his boss after all. He knew what would be best for the injured. “That sounds like a good plan sir. I’ll go tell the others of the plan. We’ll be ready to go in a few minutes, I’ll let you know when.”

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

The answer Hiro got wasn’t technically the one he was looking for, but that was moreso because he didn’t phrase it very well. Nonetheless, Akito did answer and he smiled in thanks. Instead of carrying on the conversation, Hiro took in the scenery around them. He didn’t recall this particular area, which only further moved his attention to his surroundings. There wasn’t anything spectacular about this particular place, but it was quiet and secluded. Somehow, it had its own charm with its simplicity. It was very fitting for Akito and a place that would could definitely grow on him.

He started to take a few steps after the horse was tied, but paused to watch Akito carefully make a path. He decided not to question it and followed the faint impressions that he left behind only moments before. As he got closer to Akito, it was a lot clearer that he was trying to make sure the two avoided falling into the small body of water hidden in the grass. Fortunately, on the side they were on, there was a clear view of it all. Hiro took a seat and placed the box of food in between them. If either of them got hungry, there would be easy access so no one had to reach around the other.

The silence was drawn out a little longer before Hiro realized Akito clearing his throat. “If you don’t mind me asking, what were the other towns like? Well, if you got to see them. Were they similar to this kingdom?” Asking that, he realized he wasn’t even sure he could even define his own kingdom, save for the few short visits. Nonetheless, the prince was curious.

Once he did get the answer, Hiro seemed content with it. He returned it with a soft thanks and rested his hands in his lap. “You know, I don’t think I’ve asked… Or at least I haven’t asked in some time, but there’s four days left before our big day. How are you feeling?” There was a moment’s pause before Hiro continued. “Me? A bit overwhelmed.” His relaxed expression hadn’t changed, although instead of staring at the pond, he would occasionally look in Akito’s direction or watch Hoko shuffle about. “There’s a lot of first impressions as future emperors’ that’ll be made that day. And as much as I...fret over the traditions and rules- and whatever else I could annoy my father about, I know I can’t mess this up. Not this one.” He had taken to creating a small, contained flame in his hand before giving a shrug. “I suppose, I should be used to this kind of pressure with all the teaching, so it’s hard to imagine just how you may feel.” As he thought it over, he realized not much of his life required this much responsibility from him, but it did at least try to prepare him for it unlike Akito who was quite literally tossed into the life.

He expected, as his father told stories about it, that he’d receive a betrothed excited about the idea of marrying into royalty. What he got, was someone definitely the opposite of such and without realizing it, he was beginning to enjoy that about Akito. All or at least most of his expectations of the ex-soldier weren’t as true as his father’s stories foretold. He would have laughed at the thought had he not been listening to the man next to him talking. It had also made him wonder what it would have been like to marry into another royal family had his father not been so utterly opposed to sharing his already great kingdom's power and wealth.

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Aoba felt the gentle hands on his chin and he readily complied to looking Kuro in the eyes. The fallen angel terrible as he was at hiding his emotions, showed a moment of surprise when Kuro agreed. He tried to quell the sudden giddy feeling he had afterwards as well, but the gentle flutter of his wings betrayed him.

“I…Of course Kuro.” There was a brief pause when Kuro kissed him, but instead of his usual shy blush he smiled a little brighter. Aoba watched Kuro drift off to clean his hair before falling into his own train of thought and looking out into the trees a good distance away. I feel a lot...happier than usual? I mean of course I’m happy Kuro’s okay and that his brother didn’t decide to kill me, but that’s not it… I doubt that my depressive episodes are magically cured… I don’t know, this is different somehow?

Aoba tried to put an image with the emotion because happiness didn’t feel like the right word for it. While he wasn’t upset about it, he figured that being more perceptive about his surroundings and his ownself would be helpful- and probably allow him to live a lot longer. It was a back and forth with him when it came to this kind of thing. At times, Aoba would just give in to his blushing fits and jumpy nature, but he was trying to learn how to relax a bit more and think things through.

Oddly enough, as he thought about what he could only call ‘bubbling giddiness’ the first clear image that came to mind was when he and Kuro were out in the town and that group of girls were whispering and giggling as they passed. It was obvious they were ogling him, but at the time Aoba didn’t think much of it. ’What did Kuro say about...pheromones? Hormones? Hm.’ While he was a little naive more often than he cared to admit, it didn’t take that much thought to put two and two together. ’I wouldn’t call it a crush. I believe we’re passed that, but those girls definitely had heart eyes for Kuro. Which, seems like a stretch since their attractions were only physical-’

When it clicked, Aoba’s wings ruffled just enough to express the ‘epiphany’ he had. The fallen angel was prudish and he was well aware of that and it showed every time a sneaky Dani would mess with him. It was never a big deal around other angels whether they were or not and with Aoba living such a quiet life, he never thought about it in detail. So realizing he was acting on subtle physical desires Aoba wasn’t exactly sure how to react. It wasn’t… Well, it ‘wrong’ for him to do so and he was already stripped from his place in heaven along with his grace so there wasn’t much to lose-

’I can’t believe I’m taking this so lightly!?’

Maybe this was him being completely rational, while most times he overreacted. It was hard to say but slowly he started to pull his attention back to reality. He hadn’t realized he had been absentmindedly cleaning off until he ran fingers through his hair and got soap in his face. He quickly wiped it off before it could get into his eyes. The easily flustered angel exhaled and floated towards Kuro again, this time ever so cutely with one wing pulled up in front of him.

“Kuroo~?” He, for some reason felt compelled to know answers to rather unspecific questions. He wanted to take the opportunity to do so while he wasn’t so flustered, knowing that sooner or later he’d fall into his usual ways. When he got Kuro’s attention, he realized he didn’t actually know what he wanted to ask him, and his expression turned into a small frown towards his reflection. “Hm… I’m not quite sure what I’m doing most of the time and I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the process, but I do know that uh, I really like being here with you.” Aoba’s face had softened into a more thoughtful expression, not quite meeting Kuro’s eyes while he spoke. “I don’t exactly know where I’m going with this either or why I started for that matter- but um, despite the circumstances,” He tried to refrain from shuddering at the thought of the angels punishing Kuro, “I’m really glad I was assigned to care for you.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Fenrir softened as he watched and listened to Aoba. Despite it all, he was really growing as an angel- fallen or not. Somehow, he managed to be a better angel than most of the ones Fenrir had known and for someone who’s grace was taken from him, he was still so pure. ’He desreved so much better…’

Listening to Aoba’s last statement made his heart drop as it reminded him that it was his fault that Aoba had gotten into this mess in the first place. If only he had been a better mentor… If only he would have listened. The thoughts made him groan and place his hand on the back of his neck. “It’s too late for that. The mistake has been made...” It made him wonder just how much the fallen angel even care about him. Fenrir hadn’t given him the time of day until the fiasco began to happen and now the doctor was all of a sudden so deeply invested in watching over Aoba’s life. He was probably the last person Aoba would think was watching over him, if he even believed anyone was watching.

Before his thoughts could carry on, he continued watching.

~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s a nice feeling being...being appreciated? Being with someone- uh, someone and their very...excitable family? M’not to sure what to call it, but it’s nice. And I don’t think I say it too often- at least not with the feeling Dani’s gonna make faces or something.” He could feel the creeping blush threatening to color his cheeks, but he carried on. “Hm, I’m not actually sure where I was going with this,” He finally looked at Kuro and gave a shy laugh followed by a soft sigh. He stared at Kuro for a few moments before mentally accepting that he was impossibly enamored with the demon in front of him and there was probably no going back. And to solidify that thought, he leaned up and kissed him. His wing had drifted back behind him, allowing Aoba to move closer and let the kiss linger a little longer than the kiss Kuro gave a few minutes ago. The warm, tingly sensation in his body made him pull away and put a bit of distance between the two, albeit he didn’t move fast to get away.

With a near breathless noise, not caused by the kiss, but Aoba’s own floundering he pointed behind him. “I thiiink- I think I’m as clean as I’ll get for the night. I’m going to, um, get out. Grab some clothes, yeah. That sounds like a good idea. It’s getting late anyway and it’s been a long...exciting day.” Aoba’s rambling turned into mutters, similar to the way Homura had rambled about “experimenting with Aoba” the first time they had met. All the while, Aoba was already in motion climbing out of the tub and grabbing a towel, quickly covering his waist. Somewhere in Aoba’s rambling he mentioned something along the lines of he would see Kuro inside when he was done.

~~~~~~~

Fenrir exhaled with his head in one hand. “And he was doing so well too…” The knock on his door threatened to make him jump out of his skin. In one quick motion, he slipped the mirror into his desk drawer and pulled some paper close to him. “Come in,” He cleared his throat.

“Fenrir sir, I wanted to make sure you were informed about the medical team and a few soldiers being sent out soon.” The medic angel carried on when his higher up gave a questioning look. “We were informed that more demons are starting to appear in a small city where a group of soldiers had been scoping and clearing out. We need to get the injured out and send back up.”

Fenrir contemplated the information before giving a nod. He would have to leave the mirror alone for a few hours to figure out the situation and make preparations as they were needed. He stood to follow the medic angel, starting to ask a few more questions like where the town was and how many were injured and for how long.

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Hiro’s soft gaze widened into a smile when Akito agreed to the trip. The slight shuffles backwards didn’t bother the prince in the slightest. Akito was usually a high-strung and observant person- that and maybe he just really wanted his space. “Oh wonderful, I think we both need a break from this place.” The small jab towards the hustle and bustle of the palace made him chuckle, and while he did he turned to lead the way out. As usual, Hiro walked with his hands rested behind his back, his fingers hooked together. He glided gracefully across the smooth wooden floors as they headed outside. Unlike his betrothed, he was less vigilant of the servants that passed by. Thanks to the wedding, Hiro had already guessed that things would get a little busier so the foot traffic didn’t bother him. He gave nods and smiles where they were wanted or needed. The prince didn’t need any of their assistance and usually tried to stay out of their way. They were always busy with their routines, so the only servant he did bother was Kaede. But in his defense, she was also like a second- or third mother to him.

Once outside, he spotted the saddled horse and a guard on either side. “I may have also pre-prepped for the trip with high hopes you would agree.” There was no guilt behind his statement, only admittance followed by a small shrug. He didn’t think it was too bad. If Akito did deny the offer, they only had to put one horse back in the stables. “Well, let’s not waste any-”

One of the guards stepped forward and bowed as Hiro stepped to the horse. “Your majesty, the Queen wanted me to relay a message to you before you departed.” Slowly, he raised a small satchel, stealing a glance at both the prince and his betrothed. His slow movements were moreso of caution. He was aware that the betrothed ‘given’ was typically the best of the best in the royal army, so he didn’t want to make any movements that would cause an alarm. “The Queen stated she wasn’t sure how long your majesties would be gone, nor what you would be doing, so she got a lunch packed for you both.”

It was obvious by the smell that it was food in a tightly packed compartment. Hiro didn’t check the contents inside before slinging it over his shoulder. “Thank you. We will be back before the sun sets.” Both guards saluted and Hiro took his seat at the front of the saddle. He was fine with sitting behind, but with a quick glimpse of Akito’s eyes made Hiro refrain from questioning his actions.

“So, we have food for the trip if you, or Hoko gets hungry.”

The horse began to move and Hiro gave a gentle and relaxing sigh. Although towards the question, he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. His mind began to whir with possibilities of what they could do, but it stopped when he remembered why he wanted to take the trip in the first place. While Hironori was fine with being in the spotlight, even when he didn’t want to be, he knew Akito was the exact opposite. He wanted Akito to be happy and he seemed to be the happiest when he was in more quiet and peaceful places. ’Right, right, this is supposed to help Akito. I don’t mind the peace and quiet either for a change.’

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea. I can guess that the town has also learned of the news by now as well. And if I wanted to be questioned about anything and everything in regards to ceremonies and responsibilities, I think I would have stayed home.” He couldn’t help the laugh that followed. “A picnic sounds wonderful. We even have the food for it.” With a satisfied nod, Hironori settled into his seat and let Akito steer them to a nice picnic spot while he enjoyed the ride. Every time they left out, seeing the scenery almost always felt new.

It was nice to take different paths even if they all ended up at the same point. Little by little, and piece by piece, Hiro was mapping out the small town they traveled through. Sometimes, he dared to explore farther, however his stubborn father would not have it in the slightest. Sure the prince had went past the kingdom a few times, but that was usually for meetings with other royal families so he never got to see what anything beyond the royal doors were like. “Hey...Akito? When you were with the army, did you travel a lot?” Hiro could only assume so, but he was curious nonetheless.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

He could feel Seishu relaxing against him and without much thought and with in one smooth motion, Enasi moved his arm so Seishu was against his chest while he leaned against the headboard. Caring for his minions as much as he did, the dream guardian could easily position the many that fell asleep against him into more comfortable positions- comfortable for both parties. It happened more often than he could count at this point.

Crios and Harper couldn’t help but watch just how openly affectionate their guardian had become with his counterpart. Watching their emotional rollercoaster up to this point was much more dramatic for sure, but there was something….nicer about seeing Enasi quietly tucking Seishu’s hair behind his ear or gently kissing his head. Harper had a harder figuring out the concept of this emotion with his lack of experience, but Crios figured it out almost instantly.

Their guardian was affectionate and loved all of his minions as best he could and there was no doubt that he spent all of his time keeping them safe and happy. However, this was a different love in his eyes. The attention reminded him of Cho and himself- well, before he dedicated his time to his work. It made Crios realize that over the many, many years he had worked under the guardian, he had never seen Enasi with a partner. There weren’t many things that Enasi kept personal, save for the secrets that he kept to keep the realm running smooth. But maybe that was another reason he kept himself so hellbent on staying busy… Either way, the noticeable change was nice. In fact, Enasi’s “lovey” energy was rubbing off on the doctor.

He cleared his throat in order to get Enasi’s attention.

“Hmm~?”

“When he wakes, I suggest he eat something. You as well, sir.”

“Oh. Yes, yes of course.” Enasi nodded and gestured for his little minions to come closer. When they did, he whispered. “Would you three be so kind and relay the message to Cho?”

Rue was already in the air and ready to help.The other two nodded and scurried off as quietly as they could, following right behind their flying friend.

“I’ll go… make sure Cho gets the message clearly.” Crios gave a small bow and slipped out of the room, deciding to go a different path than the trio. It was easy for the guardian to see through his ruse, but he said nothing of it and nodded. Now was as good a time as ever to revisit the one he had come to love. Both guardians were resting and things were smoothing out. After everything, the feeling of exhaustion was getting to him and the best company he could think to have was Cho.

The departure left Enasi with his other half and his second in command, the latter giving off a somewhat anxious energy. Enasi had slept like a rock for the most part and hadn’t actually planned to go back to sleep, but he didn’t want to leave Seishu alone. He also wanted to take a walk around and gather is energy, so he was in a bit of a dilemma. Instead of facing his indecisiveness, he gestured the rabbit to come sit at the side of the bed. “I’d be blind if I couldn’t see the questions in your eyes.” He gave a him a soft sigh and a kiss on his forehead. “I know, you really want to know, and I understand. But now is not the best time. I’m not keeping it from you, I promise I’m not. It just...would make much more sense if we both could explain it, alright?” Harper nodded a little happier that he wasn’t trying to keep secrets from his denizens. His gaze became curious as he watched as Enasi wiggled free from Seishu, carefully resting him on one of the many fluffy pillows. His legs had gone a bit numb, so he held out his hand.

As Harper helped him out of the bed, a dim and contained light encompassed the guardian. From it, a silken deep blue robe appeared on him. It was long enough to create a short train behind him, with fabric to tie it closed. He realized he didn’t wear many of his more well thought out and ‘fancier’ clothing, but the idea of a robe seemed appropriate at the time.

“Leaving, sir?” The second had to remind himself that his guardian wasn’t as injured anymore. TB had done a perfect job in healing him. His guardian could be independent if he wished.

The guardian looked over his shoulder at Seishu before planting a kiss on his head once more. “As much as I don’t want to…” Enasi nodded. “I believe...I think I need time to think. Clear my head a little.” He noted Harper’s slight concerned look and continued. “A lot has happened… I just have to catch up… I want to think about what’s next.” He wasn’t sure how to explain it to his second, but thankfully Harper understood. If space was what his guardian wanted then he would grant it to him.

“I don’t suppose you’d want to have a heart to heart with him? Only for a few minutes while I go stretch my legs?” The guardian gave a wide eyed look and Harper could only smirk.

“Considering he’s asleep, I doubt that will happen sir. But, I can make sure he can’t get too far without a leash- I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Without my supervision. If need be, I’ll let him roam a bit, but yes, I will babysit until you return.” He received and returned the hug his guardian gave before finding a chair in the corner and plopping into it. One ear stayed raised while the other drooped ever so slightly while he relaxed and waited for the nightmare guardian to return to the waking world.

Cheating Death (AkiBlue x HiddenBeauty13)

At first, Ty ignored the man as he tried to tempt her into committing some act of treason. She stood tall, with her chin up, slowly putting the pieces of her fate together. ’If this is it… This is it.’ There was a gnawing and complaining voice in the back of her head. It was only a whisper, but with the stranger now yelling at her to keep her life rather than to forfeit it for the sake of justice, that whisper grew louder.

“It’s not just...it’s not the law. There are rules, and rules aren’t meant to be broken…” Most of what she said was mumbled because she was reminding herself what she was taught. “Immortality is not a right. It’s a curse.” That was said a little louder to be sure the stranger heard it. However, even though she said it… It didn’t sound convincing.

Of course when the tables were turned, she would get cold feet. But she had to accept it...right?

Ty tensed when she was shaken ad it was only then she had focused on Otiz and not the sound of the sirens that weren’t too far away. She hadn’t spoken a word, but the threat of being carried away made her eyes narrow.

“...I don’t want to die today.” The confession was barely audible, but it was loud enough for Otiz to know that that was the signal to start running. ’Maybe this isn’t over… Maybe if I can find more information about these Cursed Ones...I could give it to the Task Force. I can still fix this and keep my honor.’ Her convoluted, practical brainwashing, kept her thoughts busy as to how to deep into the rabbit hole she could go before escaping back to what she was taught to be reality. However, the thoughts were mainly for her to ignore the fact that she was going against her orders and training and running away from the very people she had been leading hours before.

She was now a criminal and she had this random stranger to thank for that.

~~~~~~

The truck, blaring the sirens came to a halt and a group filed out. “Her comms placed her here! Search the area!” The man that had assumed the position as leader was none other than Jackson Sloane. He was a senior officer like Ty and was the most qualified to take charge. In fact, the two were friends- or at least acquaintances so Jackson liked to think. They trained in the same class and division during their Task Force training. And while Ty exceeded her training, Jackson was never too far behind.

In this particular case however… it didn’t look like he caught up in time.

The group rummaged through the truck wreck and the area around only to find Ty’s badge and comms unit. “Sir, she was following one of the Cursed Ones that ran off! There’s no body around here either…”

“Shit.” Jackson mumbled the curse as he stared the badge over in his hands. “If Ty has been kidnapped we need to report to the Commander first. We need his orders but we will get her back. We don’t abandon our own.”