Work Text:
"We're going out!"
"I beg your pardon?"
"We are going out to town to have some fun Ken!"
Hide was bright and loud in the quiet surroundings of the prince’s chambers.
"How in the world did you get the king's permission?"
"I didn't!"
"You... didn't?"
"I didn't, we're going undercover."
"Undercover?"
"Why are you so slow today Ken, we're going to sneak out!"
"Oh my god, your majesty we absolutely mustn't!" Kaneki was horrified.
"Like you mustn't be here in the prince's bedroom on his bed dead into the night?" Hide teased.
Kaneki blushed. "Okay then have it your way your highness.." Kaneki grumbled but there was a sweet smile on his face.
"Sweet, I prepared clothes for us to look as inconspicuous as possible," Hide said, kneeling to pull a box from underneath his bed.
Hide pulled the lid off of the box and pulled the garments out, then proceeded to throw them at Kaneki's poor sprawled and unsuspecting form.
"That's surprisingly almost ideal.." Kaneki ran his hands over the shabby cloths. "I underestimated your disguise skills, I beg your forgiveness your highness."
"I know you just want to tease me, you don't have to pretend it's a compliment." Hide pouted.
"Part of the truth, I must admit," Kaneki grinned. A few months back he couldn't have possibly imagined himself talking to the prince like that. Even if a few months further back he used to be a prince himself.
"What's the rest of it then?" Hide grins right back.
"Your wit isn't half bad."
"A heartfelt compliment?" Hide clutched his chest in mock emotion.
"A little slip up to lift your spirits, I know why you want to go out." Kaneki's expression morphed into a serious mask.
"Do you now?" Hide's grin fell and his lips pressed together into a thin line.
"Which one of them was it this time?" Kaneki was angry, even if he shouldn't be towards the royal family sheltering him.
"The old pervert talked shit on my mom."
"Hey.." Kaneki spread his arms out for Hide to collapse into them. "All they can do is talk, you know that."
"I know, it just- it just pisses me off so much.."
Kaneki didn't know how to comfort him so he just pat his head.
“Some of the servants were talking about a festival going on for this week, they say there will be street performers and dancers coming all the way from the Naaga tribes in the western mountains!" Kaneki suddenly supplied and Hide smiled.
"That sounds amazing! I can't wait!" Hide was vibrating with excitement and Kaneki's state was no better. Kaneki loved doing things with Hide, it didn't matter what they were doing, everything they did together was fun.
"I'm hungry!" Hide grumbled and the sudden exclamation drew a chuckle out of Kaneki.
"Dinner is going to be served in about an hour your highness.." Kaneki knew better than to ask Hide to wait but he could at least try. "It's best that you don't spoil your appetite."
"Just sitting on the same table as a handful of reptiles is enough to spoil it, Ken."
"While you're not wrong.." Kaneki started then cut himself with a sigh when he took a look at Hide's face. "Come."
Hide took the hand extended towards him happily and followed Kaneki. While the palace was a vipers' pit, it was undeniably beautiful. The winding corridors were all extravagant, banners of royal deep green silk hung on the walls, bearing the Washuu crest. An elegant pattern beneath their feet, engraved into the ebony marble. Every other step a huge painting hung on the walls, or a nondescript marble bust stood on a pedestal. Sometimes an expensive vase stood on a pedestal instead of a bust.
One corridor in particular though, Hide found suffocating. Portrait after portrait of Washuu hung, each next to their respective swords and armor. The deep emerald of the royal family covered the room like moss, it drowned out any of the beautiful ebony that the marble floors held. When they reached the final painting, a painting of Matsuri, his half brother, he felt like all the eyes of the other portraits bore into him. The space next to Matsuri's oil painted face was empty, his face would be there once he's come to age. On his 21st birthday there would be a sword in his hand and a portrait of his face hung in here.
Hide took a deep breath when they finally exited the suffocating hallway and turned to a set of spiraling stairs with ornate railings, forged no doubt from the finest bronze in the kingdom. Kaneki led him down the deep emerald carpeted steps and then through a few more corridors before the delicious smell of food hit his nostrils.
"Chef Shinohara!" Hide greeted when he stepped into the huge kitchen. Shinohara looked up in surprise from the dough he was beating on the smooth marble counter.
"Your highness!" Shinohara greeted back with a warm smile that made the skin beside his eyes crinkle. "What do we owe this visit? Hungry?"
"Absolutely famished," Hide whined and Kaneki stifled soft laughter behind his palm.
"Oh no, what kind of cook would I be if I let my prince starve!" It was always this excuse that he used to spoil Hide.
"How's the protégé thing going, Mr. Shinohara?" Kaneki made effort to be polite.
"Oh Juuzou? He's a piece of work for sure," Shinohara chuckled gruffly, piling more and more on Hide's plate the more as the boy ate. "But he's a good boy, and he's an amazing cook."
"You've always had a soft spot for troublesome children Chef," Hide said through a mouthful of food, kissing all basic etiquette goodbye.
Shinohara laughed heartily, "Normal snotty nosed rich children are no fun."
"But I'm rich!" Hide protested.
"And you used to be very snotty nosed," Kaneki found himself adding before slapping both hands on his mouth.
Hide just laughed, hard. "A rare slip, thank your stars you could witness this moment in the flesh Chef."
Shinohara just laughed harder, all the way from his stomach, deep and hearty. Kaneki hid his flaming face in his hands.
After Hide was finally done eating, which was at least half a pot of what Shinohara cooked, they left to kill some time before dinner (As in: Kaneki read as Hide watched and annoyed him).
By dinner time both were quite full so that, to Hide’s amusement, put a knot between Tsuneyoshi’s eyebrows.
When they excused themselves to retire to their rooms Hide let out a relieved sigh. It was quite frustrating, watching Hide deal with his family of insufferable snakes and not being able to help. Well help the situation, but he could help lift Hide’s spirits.
“So, first light tomorrow?”
“We ride at the first crack of dawn.”
“Stop trying to sound like a war general, your highness.”
“Fine. We put our diabolical plan into motion before the birds rise from their slumber. We mustn’t be seen by the guards lest we may be put to the guillotine.”
“Don't make it sound like we're trying to kidnap a princess, your highness.”
Hide sighs and gives Kaneki a look of faux exasperation. “We wake up early and ride for the town so we don't get caught sneaking out of the palace. Better?”
“Much better, we should go to sleep now your majesty. You must be tired and we need to wake up early tomorrow.”
“There might be better ways to court a prince, Ken..”
Kaneki rolled his eyes. “You're not even allowed to get courted yet your highness.”
“That's just because that perverted old man is worried I'll steal all the courtiers and nobles in his court.”
“Does you being only fifteen have nothing to do with it?”
“Of course not,” Hide huffed indignantly. “And I’m turning 16 soon.”
“Is 10 months soon to you, your highness?”
“You just love to ruin my fun don't you?”
“Not at all, please perish the thought.”
“Mhmm,” Hide just glares at him with no real malice in his eyes.
“Alright, let’s go to sleep now, it's gotten quite late.”
“Okay,” Hide drags the last syllable in a pouty manner.
It was, as per usual, Kaneki that woke up first.
“Your highness! Wake up, we need to get ready!”
“Five more minutes…” Hide grumbles.
“We absolutely can't afford that your highness! Any more and the servants will wake up. You know it's hard enough to deal with the guards on post!”
“Ugh,” Hide groans and finally sits up and rubs his eyes. “Whose stupid idea was waking up this early?”
“Yours, your highness.”
“Touché. Alright let's get ready.”
Hide picked an airy blouse with some shabby dark pants and a brown leather belt. That left Kaneki with a thin undershirt and a worn down vest, coupled with dark pants and a leather belt similar to Hide’s.
“Perfect. Now, we can't just look like commoners, we need to act like ones too. So none of that stuffy ‘your highness’ stuff,” Hide instructed.
“Hide…” Kaneki’s face flushed a deep shade.
“That's what I've been telling you to call me for years,” Hide sighs. “Now I want to stay a commoner for life..”
“If you like it that much your high-” Kaneki cuts himself off to correct. “Hide.. I can call you that. Just not in public..”
“Really?! Yeah!” Hide fist bumped the air.
It took some sneaking around. A lot of sneaking around. It was lucky for them that the guards were at the end of their shift, Hide picked the perfect moment. The guards were tired from the night-long shift and the fresh guards were yet to arrive to take over.
They took one horse, not one from the royal stables, definitely not Hide’s pristine mare. It was one they swiped out of the servants’ stables. One that'd go unnoticed for a day.
There was a lot of blushing and a lot of awkwardness when Kaneki had to hug Hide from behind to avoid falling into the rain dampened trail. Hide’s chest was strong and warm, and curiously his heartbeat was a few beats more than what was normal. Kaneki brushed it off as the thrill of riding and the tenseness of sneaking out.
The palace never rose before the sun, it was odd seeing the town bustling with life when only the first of birds started to chirp.
The townspeople were a mix of nice, rude, and neutral. Going into town while in disguise was very interesting to Hide. It meant that people wouldn't treat him well because he was a prince. It meant that he was one of them, and that he couldn't take offense to something a prince would.
That meant that when he got shoved around, and when that grumpy man from the cloth stand yelled at him when he accidentally knocked a bolt of silk down, he couldn't take offense. Thank god no one ever tried to mess with Kaneki, that, a prince or a commoner he'd take offense to. Great offense.
Time passed them by really fast. They didn't notice it was already late until torches started to light up and stands were set. A carriage with dancers in tribal wear arrived along with a wagon full of musicians.
It didn't take long for the streets to get crowded. When someone shoved Hide and he almost lost Kaneki in the sea of people, he decided that logically it was best they held hands. And of course that was the only reason. Of course he wasn't blushing and his hand wasn't sweating.
“Woah look at that!” Hide exclaimed and pointed to a stand full of carved wood to take back whatever dignity he had after flushing like a maiden over holding hands. It wasn't even the first time they've done that, not even close.
“Wow, look at the fox it's really pretty!” Kaneki marveled at a well sculpted wooden fox charm.
“Let's buy matching ones!” Hide smiled and Kaneki shook his head quickly.
“Y-You don't have to..” Kaneki blushed.
So cute.. Hide thought but only said, “don't worry about it!”
“The dancing show is starting!” Hide heard people around him exclaim.
“Let's go! I've never seen a naaga traditional dance!” Kaneki was really excited for once.
Hide’s heart almost burst.
The dance was mesmerizing, a once in a lifetime experience, but at that moment Hide found his eyes drawn to Kaneki and Kaneki alone. Watching him follow the dancers with amazement, his eyes wide, his face flushed and a wide smile on his lips was enough to make his heart lurch out of his chest.
His hand squeezed Kaneki’s minisculely tighter and Kaneki, almost automatically squeezed right back.
They were both reluctant to put that magical night to an end, but their absence would be noticed if they were gone any longer, dinner was mandatory and missing it would mean questions. A lot of them.
On the ride back the discomfort from before was gone, and Kaneki found himself melting to Hide’s back, exhaustion taking over, making him lean fully on the other. Kaneki let his eyes flutter shut but his grip on Hide’s torso was consistently strong.