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"Yes, I did. What about it?"
What about it? What about it? There are so many different ways Doppo can think of to answer that question, but the only thing to come out is, “The Honeymoon Suite?”
“That’s what it’s called, yes.” The knight crosses his legs at the knees, lounging in his seat as though this isn’t a problem for him. “You don’t honestly expect a member of the Royal Guard to sleep in the stables, do you?”
“No…” But I expect the guy who’s supposed to be escorting me to the capitol to stay with me! It’s not a sentiment he can voice out loud, but it’s definitely one he feels raging inside him. It’s not as though he can just sleep out in the stables tonight - okay, he has had to do it before, but not when this amulet is stuck around his neck and won’t come off! Did Jyuto forget that the entire reason they’re even here is because Doppo had been attacked by bandits over this thing? And he goes and takes a Honeymoon Suite, the only room available in the only inn in this village. Everyone is getting as close to the palace as they can for the Summer Solstice, so of course every inn and available room for miles is booked. All that was left was the one Doppo can’t even begin to afford, and now the man who's supposed to be keeping him and this amulet safe is the one who bought it up! But of course Doppo can't voice any of this. Years working as a merchant teaches you never to voice your displeasure, and considering Jyuto saved his life he may as well stay quiet.
"What about you?" Jyuto asks, taking a drink of his tea as if it's nothing. Doppo at this point feels about ready to tear his own hair out.
"I...there aren't any other rooms left…"
"You mean you didn't get one when you spoke to the innkeeper?"
The merchant shakes his head. "The suite was the only thing available. And I don't have the money."
Jyuto raises an eyebrow at that. "Don't merchants tend to make quite a bit?"
"My boss does…" It slips out without Doppo even thinking about it, and his eyes widen the moment he realizes what he's just let slip out. But hey, maybe the knight didn't hear that. It's not like he'd do anything about it, right? ...right?
"Mm…" Jyuto's eyes are closed, and he seems a bit too absorbed in his tea to have heard. Once he finishes it, though, he sets his cup down on the table and looks to Doppo. "Well...you're free to share the room with me if you'd like."
"Thank you, I--" What? Did he actually just offer to let Doppo...what? "You'd do that?"
"Of course, considering the alternative is leaving that amulet to tempt whatever vagabonds are staying here."
Oh, now he remembers the amulet…but even so, the fact he's willing to share the room at all… "I can pitch in for at least half, if you need me to."
"No need." Jyuto gets up, heading off to the room. "Innkeeper is letting me stay for free. In exchange for a member of the royal guard keeping this inn safe for the knight."
Doppo changes his mind. If anyone should be grateful here, it's Jyuto. Had he not offered to share that room, Doppo may very well have snapped.
---
As it is, he feels like snapping now, but this time at himself. Honeymoon Suite...as it turns out, it's called that for a reason. A reason that is now staring him in the face in the form of one large bed. The only bed in the room. How could he not have thought of that? Had Jyuto been aware of this? Well, maybe since the bed is so big then it should be fine, but...there are also chairs and a table he could sleep on...maybe a closet too? All he would need is a pillow and blanket…
"Not too bad a room, is it?" Jyuto asks from the bathroom door.
"Y-Yeah," Doppo replies, shoving down his personal dilemma over the sleeping arrangements down for now. "I can't believe they gave it to you for...free…"
He trails off once he gets a look at the knight, out of his armor and in a simple shirt and pants sleepwear combo. What's truly catching his eye, though, is that Jyuto's hair is no longer styled, hanging loose in a way that it looks almost...soft. And he's taken his glasses off, those emerald eyes of his standing out even more. Doppo's hand goes to his chest. Is this some sort of arrhythmia he's feeling? Why is his heart pounding so much…
“You’d be amazed at the kinds of things you can get when you work for the queen,” Jyuto reples. He moves towards the bed without any problem with it being the only one there and gets in on one side. “The bathroom is all yours,” he says, before asking after a pause. “...you do plan on bathing before bed, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” It’s incredible, this man’s skill for making you feel a complete whiplash of emotions with every sentence out of his mouth. One second he’s earned Doppo’s gratitude, the next he has him flustered, but now? Now Doppo is tempted to risk it all and go for his throat. But he decides against it, not needing attempted murder added to his already long list of problems. Besides, a bath actually sounds wonderful after spending so long on the road…
In the next half hour or so, Doppo eases himself into the bed, feeling more relaxed after that bath than he’s felt in weeks. Oh God...this bed is every bit as fantastic. Feather mattress, is it? It’s so soft...Doppo immediately forgets the notion of ever sleeping on the table. No way...this is going to be his best sleep in months, he can feel it.
“That thing doesn’t come off even when you bathe?” Oh. Right. He’s sharing the bed. Doppo turns onto his back to look at Jyuto, who’s sitting up and writing in some journal.
“No,” he replies. “I’ve tried everything, but this stupid amulet is stuck on me. I think the only way to get it off is to cut off my head, but…” He doesn’t particularly like thinking about that option.
“Hm. Hopefully that friend of yours in the capitol will have an idea. Where did he even get such an item, anyway?”
“Oh, Hifumi gets all sorts of gifts from admirers. Well that, and he’s loaded.”
“You have a friend like that and still work as a merchant?”
“I’m not about to mooch off of somebody else.” Doppo sits up, frowning. “Hifumi offers to help me out sometimes, and that’s fine. But I want to make my own way in this world. That boss of mine, he’s a tyrant, but someone is going to take over for him in the end, right? I figure if I don’t let him break me down...maybe that someone’ll be me.” Jeez...did that bath relax his tongue, too? Doppo can’t remember ever telling anyone this so willingly. His embarrassment is minimized, though, when he fails to catch something Jyuto says. “Huh?”
“Nothing.” The knight closes his journal and glances at Doppo. “I just find it interesting that you want to fix a corrupt system from the inside. That’s all.”
“That’s...well, I guess I never thought of it that way before.” He smiles at Jyuto, feeling a connection to the other man, something left unsaid. “Thank you for letting me stay here tonight. I hope sharing a bed isn’t too troublesome…”
“It isn’t.” Jyuto takes his glasses off once more, then lays down, back facing the merchant. “I spent my childhood with only one bed in our home. This is nothing.” Jyuto doesn’t give Doppo any time to say more on that tidbit. “Turn out the candle when you’re ready. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“...yeah.” Doppo isn’t sure how he’s feeling now, but he certainly does feel closer to the knight than he had before coming here. Maybe they have more in common than he’d thought… “Goodnight.” The candle is put out, and he falls asleep. He can only hope his dreams let him have one night of comfort.