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When Hisame finally stopped lounging around in his bed (he was basking in Kiki’s presence, really) and got up to get dressed, Kiki asked, “Should I wait outside?”
“No, you can stay.” He touched her shoulder briefly on his way to the adjacent wash area. He liked seeing her here, in his room. “I’ll be quick, I promise.”
He speedily washed up and changed into a new undershirt and pants, returning to his room to find Kiki examining his bookshelf. Selecting a book to pass the time, perhaps?
“Since you’re here, Lady Kiki, do you want to help choose my outfit?” He opened the door to his wardrobe, presenting it to her with a flourish.
“You really have a penchant for dark clothing, don’t you?” His fiancée regarded his entirely monochrome wardrobe with some amusement. He used whites and greys for contrast, but that was about it.
He shrugged. “It’s like your preference for purple.”
“Even I have clothing of different colors.”
“If there’s something in particular that you want me to wear, you only need to gift it to me. I would be happy to model it for you.” He smirked.
“That’s alright. You have clearly put a lot of thought into your wardrobe.” She had a teasing grin that he absolutely adored. “It’s just that seeing it displayed like this is something else.”
“Why, thank you. This is only half of it. The rest is at Sereg.”
“I figured as much.”
The outfit she ended up picking for him was one of his favorites; he was happy with her choice. He particularly liked the gold embellishments at the top of this tunic.
After he got dressed, he put his earrings on as the final touch and then did a once-over in the mirror. His hair was messier than usual, but until he had a chance to take a bath, it would have to do.
When he glanced back at Kiki, he saw that she had settled down with whatever book she had selected from his shelf. The sight of her, reading on his bed in his room, like she belonged there… it temporarily took his breath away. He could get used to this sight.
Sensing his gaze, Kiki looked up from her book. “Hm, you’re faster than I thought. I only got through a few pages.”
Normally, it would take him longer. A lot longer.
“I can’t keep my lovely fiancée waiting, can I? I’m already late.” He strode toward her until she was a few steps away.
“It’s not a problem. Since you were up late with His Highness, he’s probably still asleep. Prince Zen usually ignores Mitsuhide’s wakeup visits and goes back to sleep, especially when we don’t have anything urgent going on like today.”
“Oh, he doesn’t ignore your wakeup calls?”
Kiki raised an eyebrow. “You think I would let him?”
“I can certainly picture you being ruthless. I believe I was going to be subject to the same treatment had I been in bed any longer.”
Kiki chuckled, covering her mouth with her left hand, and Hisame thought he could get used to this too. Her laughing at his jokes.
As Kiki put aside the book and stood up, he asked, “Do you want to borrow the book?”
“That’s okay, I’ll read it next time I’m here.”
“Next time, eh?” He was sure Kiki meant the next time she was visiting, not when she was in his bedroom. Nevertheless, he was exceptionally pleased. “You can come to my room any time, even if it’s in the middle of the night. I’ll welcome you with open arms. ” He said it jokingly, but he truly meant it.
“I’ll put that into consideration.” Kiki said, her eyes twinkling.
Come to think of it, there had been an occasion, once before, when Kiki occupied his room. She had borrowed his room at the Sereg base that time when the room she usually stayed in had a broken lock. It was fun, orchestrating that whole thing with Mitsuhide.
He couldn’t believe that he had provided Mitsuhide with such a golden opportunity to be alone with Kiki and he had squandered it. What an absolute imbecile. Perhaps he should have predicted Mitsuhide’s rejection of Kiki’s proposal from that incident? But if Mitsuhide had no romantic feelings for Kiki, why did he get so hot and bothered about sharing a room with her? The logic of that man would baffle Hisame till the end of time.
How things had changed since then. When that incident happened, almost two years ago, Hisame decidedly had no chance with Kiki. He supposed he had Mitsuhide’s idiocy to thank for what he had with Kiki now.
“What’s on your mind?” Kiki asked curiously.
“Nothing important.” He smiled. “Breakfast?”
When he saw Kiki off later, he hesitated. He wasn’t quite sure how to say goodbye. Should he go in for a hug like last night? He had caught her off guard yesterday, so he didn’t necessarily want to do that again. He just somehow wanted to express his appreciation for the care that she always displayed for their relationship.
Actions spoke louder than words though, especially with Kiki. What action was appropriate here?
Kiki saved him the trouble of deciding. Because suddenly, she leaned in and gently brushed her lips against his cheek. It was over before he could properly process it, but the smile she gave him afterward, with a hint of shyness, was beautiful.
She was the only one who could make him speechless like this. The urge to take her in his arms, kiss her, and profess his love for her threatened to overwhelm him.
But no matter how much he adored Kiki, he wasn’t that foolish. Yet.
So, instead, he smiled back and said, “Thank you for spending time with me, Lady Kiki. I enjoyed our time together.”
Sometimes, it was best to let things simmer.