Chapter Text
Akito wiped the sweat off of his forehead, he sighed, looking over to Kanade who was clipping away at a rose bush.. unevenly.
“Kanade..” He huffed, leaning over her shoulder, the girl in question looked back at him, “D’you want Kiritani to be on your ass about the roses, again?”
Kanade looked at her work, then looked back with a pout, "Do they really look that bad?" She signed.
Akito looked at the bush, which was supposed to be French-styled, but it seemed like it was… Akito didn’t even have a name for it.
“Yeah’s horrible,” He deadpanned, Kanade stared at him and then tucked her head down.
“Akito!” A shrill, annoying, voice came from the other side of the garden, he glanced up to see his sister sprinting over to them at the speed of light. “Stop being so- so!”
Akito shot Ena an unimpressed look, “So what?”
His sister puffed her cheeks, “Ya know… so! Kanade’s still learnin’. Stop being so unfair to ’er,” Ena crouched on the ground, next to the girl with the longer hair.
“Ya do realize we have to make the garden look perfect, or like I said, Kiritani isn’t gonna get off our backs. Primarily yours.”
Ena smirked at him, playing with her apron innocently, “And what if I already told Haruka that you were in charge of this specific area right in front of the little prince’s window-”
“You mare,” Akito hissed at her, grabbing the scissors out of Kanade’s hold and settling in front of the bush himself, “If you told ’er that I’m goin’ to take care of these maybe I should.”
Ena groaned, “But Kanade-”
“Go do somethin’ else,” Akito grumbled, trying to fix the mistakes the white haired girl already made.
“Fine,” Ena sighed, taking Kanade by the hand, “Come on, we can go pick the tulips, we were supposed to do it today anyways.” Kanade waves Akito goodbye and he just nods at her, continuing to snip away at the bush.
The sun is scorching, even for a spring day. By the looks of the shadows, Akito assumes it’s noon. He looks up, not expecting to see the most beautiful pair of eyes looking back at him from above.
No, it was not God. It was the prince.
Akito has seen the prince before, once up close even. They say he likes to personally thank and greet his servants when they get hired, but Akito was already born a servant and he didn’t get to see the young prince much when he was little.
But staring at the prince who was looking at him wide-eyed from his own window made Akito wonder. Does he do that often?
The ginger lifted his hand up and waved thoughtlessly and then he realized that that is extremely disrespectful. His eyes widened, he stood up and bowed. Mentally slapping himself on the forehead.
Then, he heard the most wonderful sound he has ever heard. He didn’t think it could ever be compared to any music or the birds singing in the morning. The prince giggled.
He giggled.
Akito’s head shot up instinctively, but the prince was gone.
Akito was out of water and didn’t feel like running by the well. Kanade and Ena were nowhere to be seen and his father has been bedridden for months.
So, he grabbed two of his buckets and headed for one of the back entrances in the castle.
“Hello girls! And..you,” he said, walking into the kitchen, “What’re you makin’?” He looked over at the table where Akiyama and Otori were thoroughly mixing something.
“Oh! Akito-kun,” Tenma appeared right in front of him, “Perfect timing, do you mind helping me transport these cake samples?” She gestured to a tray on wheels with a dozen plates that had a single cake slice on each one.
“Why do you need so much cake?” Akito asked, staring at the different colors and filling.
“For Toya’s birthday, of course!” Tenma smiled. Akito always got caught off guard by their first name basis. But the Tenma family has also lived in the castle for generations and both Saki and Tsukasa were exceptionally close with the prince.
“Oh really?” he set the buckets on the floor, “When?”
“Next week!” Otori replied, not taking her eyes off the food, “He’s turning 18.”
Akito hummed in acknowledgment, “So where do we take these?” He turned back to Tenma.
“Straight to the prince! Don’t worry about formalities and such, I am his personal chef.”
“Akiyama, d’you mind fillin’ these up with water for me?” Akito asked. Mizuki turned their head and looked at the buckets, “I know Kamishiro installed some weird thing that gets you water from the well, so..”
“Kamishiro-kun hasn’t done the same for you?” Akiyama asked, tilting their head to the side.
“Maybe he just wants to be a lil’ shit,” Akito suggested.
Akiyama snorted, “Yeah, no problem. You can leave them there.”
“Thanks,” Akito took hold of the tray on wheels, as Tenma took two more plates with cake and they walked out of the kitchen.
Transporting the cake turned out to be harder than he thought. Akito didn’t roam the halls much, his family home was on the castle grounds but it was a small house near the garden that could just pass as an inventory shack.
Walking up the stairs with a bunch of cake at risk of falling over was not in his plans for the night.
“Please be careful,” Tenma squeaked, as the tray tilted to the side, “I spent a whole day making all of those.”
“Yeah yeah,” Akito grunted, carefully stepping up the stairs.
When they reached the prince’s chambers. Saki politely knocked.
“Prince Toya?” She called out, to which a loud laugh came from the other side of the door.
“Whahahahaha!”
Akito resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The door bursts open.
“Saki-chan!” Tsukasa Tenma smiled at his little sister, “You brought cake! And..” There was a pause. He looked Akito right in the face, “Akito!” Less enthusiastic this time.
“Yes, precisely,” Saki made a move for the room but her brother stopped her.
“Toya is bathing,” he suddenly sounded serious. Akito’s face flushed at the prospect of them talking about it so casually, then, he noticed the ends of Tsukasa’s sleeves were wet and-
“Oh we don’t mind, we can just wait inside,” Saki waved him off. Tsukasa gave them a wary look but let them through. Akito’s face was still flaming.
They stood in the room awkwardly, while Tsukasa was still helping the prince with his bath. There was talking and laughing heard from the room they were in. Not long after, both of the men emerged from the bathroom together. Prince Toya wrapped in a robe that didn’t cover farther than the tops of his knees. Akito’s eyes darted to his legs but then back up to Toya’s face. To his surprise, Toya was staring right into his eyes. Akito felt himself grow even redder.
“Can you um..” Toya spoke up, his voice was smooth and deep, it made Akito remember the low giggle he heard a few days ago, “I need to change.”
“Oh! Yes of course!” Saki grabbed Akito by the forearm and dragged them out of the room.
“Oh and Tsukasa stays inside?” Akito asked, leaning on the wall. Saki smiled at him, but it seemed empty.
“They’re both boys, it doesn’t matter.”
The blank look on Saki’s face, even though she was smiling. The way it didn’t even reach her eyes. Something about that left a bad taste in his mouth.
“Akito-kun!” A familiar voice called for him. Akito wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to the source of the noise.
Kohane got off her cart, waving her hands around. Akito smiled at her.
“Azusawa,” he greeted, as she ran up to him.
“You’ll never guess what kind of animal father brought from his business trip!” she made a little twirl, humming happily.
“Oh?” Akito took off his gloves, setting them on a nearby bush.
Kohane leaned in too close for comfort, “A snake. ”
His eyes widened, he took a step back from his friend, “R’you shittin’ me?”
Kohane covers her mouth in a pretend gasp, “Akito-kun!” Akito knew she was okay with him swearing since forever, but he didn’t miss the way her face flushed. She was well mannered for someone who grew up on a farm. That’s what years of being around royalty does to ya, “And no, father actually brought back a snake. Not poisonous, obviously. But it’s so cute! You have to visit and take a look at it!”
“I was startin’ to worry you brought it with ya,” he chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. It felt like someone was staring- He turned his head to look back, but there was no one there. He glanced up to see the Prince’s window open wide but empty. He looked back to see Kohane giving him a curious stare, tilting her head to the side.
“Jus’ thought I saw someone starin’,” he explained. Kohane nodded in understanding. When they were little kids, his father would make plenty of jokes about how Akito should marry Kohane when they grow up. When they were fifteen he even tried courting her, but Kohane’s mother never approved of him. At least that’s what Akito wanted to think happened. He tried not to think about how he never could envision a future where he and Azusawa are married and happy. With kids and her family’s cows. And now a snake, apparently. He tried not to think of the way Kohane cried when he “finally” asked her out, and they weren’t tears of joy.
Akito shook off the bad thoughts, snapping back into reality. “So what brings you ‘ere?”
“Sunflowers bloomed early,” Kohane shrugged, looking over to her cart that was filled to the brim with bloomed sunflowers, “Weird, right? Kiritani-san asked to bring some over for table centerpieces. They’re having a big ball, right? She told me about it in her letter.”
“Oh yeah, it’s the Prince’s birthday.”
“Hm? Sunflowers are sweet for that,” she smiled again.
“ Kohane!” Someone shouted from afar. Both Akito and the girl in question turned their heads.
“Oh!” Kohan startled, waving frantically at the girl who was running toward her.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Haruka grabbed both of Kohane’s shoulders, “We need all of those flowers in the castle, immediately. We’re running so so late. Oh, Shinonome-kun,” Haruka squinted at him, “Do you by chance know how to make flower arrangements?”
Akito gave her a look, but then his eyes cleared.
“Yeah, actually.”
“Hell yes!”
Kohane gasped again.
It was late, Ena and Kanade had already gone to bed. Music was playing loudly from the castle. Akito has never been to a ball before. He caught glimpses in tall windows or through the kitchen doors. But never set foot in a ballroom with actual guests. He didn’t mind it though, the aspect of living as royalty never really entertained him. He liked gardening and writing poetry. He was a romantic, Ena always says. Akito laughs in her face for it.
He heats up the pot of water, dropping some herbs in. The King provided his father with a doctor when he became sick and he visits now and again to check on him. He never gives them any good news or bad news either. It’s always the same.
He notices that they’re out of ginger so he goes behind the house to their kitchen-garden.
He’s in the middle of ripping out the roots when he hears a loud crack a few steps away. He looks up and jumps from the scare. A black figure, seemingly a person, is standing amidst all of the herbs and vegetables Akito grows for fun. Now, his eyesight isn’t great, especially in the dark, so he can’t really tell who’s standing there. Maybe it’s not even a person, it can be a tree or something-
“I’m sorry, I’ll leave.”
Holy mother of-
“It’s okay!” He says, perhaps way too loudly. He was shocked into speaking properly, it’s not often the prince shows up in your home garden and just.. Stands there, “Um.. Are you alright?”
Toya fidgets, “I’m quite fine, yes. I’m just feeling a little lightheaded. You know? The feeling you get? Ah, yes. I should probably leave-”
“Hold up,” Akito takes a step forward to the other man, “I’m makin’ tea that’s supposed to help you sleep. S’for my pop’s but I don’t think he’ll mind sharin’. Come in for a cup.”
He waves for Toya to follow him, and strangely, the man complies.
When they come into the house, Akito instantly runs to the stove. He completely forgot about his tea and now it’s boiling straight out of the pot. He takes it off the stove and starts cutting up the ginger.
“Feel free to sit down wherever you want,” he would curse himself for being so rude if he wasn’t so tired.
“Uh, thank you..” The prince sounds uncomfortable, awkward even, “You have a very nice home.”
“Thanks.. S’not a castle but it’ll do.”
Asshole.
Toya chuckled slightly, “Would you prefer to live in a castle?”
Akito pretended to think, “Nah.. Too much work to keep up with royal life. I ain’t no royalty. You hear the way I talk?” He turned to give Toya a look but he was stunned into silence. The prince was looking at him, a soft smile on his face. The warm lighting made his cheeks look fuller, slightly rosy. Akito turned back abruptly to the tea, chopping up the last of the ginger and throwing it into the pot silently.
“Um.. It should be good to go in a few minutes.”
“I’m intrigued to try something made by you,” Toya said softly, Akito felt like banging his head onto the nearest surface. The way he spoke. Who even says shit like intrigued. Like what the fuck?
“That’s a lot of pressure you’re puttin’ on me, buddy,” he tries to laugh but it comes out humorless. Stirring the tea, with a grimace on his face. He’s lucky Toya can’t see him.
“Do you enjoy your work, Akito?” He asks and Akito doesn’t know how he feels about hearing his name spoken like that. It’s probably unintentional. It’s maybe unintentional. Toya probably speaks like this to everyone. It’s not like Akito knows anything about royalty anyway-
“S’alright. I like takin’ care ‘o plants. Especially when they grow big ‘n pretty. Sun gets hot around this time o’ year though. A little uh..irritatin’.”
He hears Toya hum behind him, reaching for the ladle and cup.
“I like the way you talk,” Akito’s world stops spinning for a second.
He wheezes, “You shouldn’t be goin’ around sayin’ things like that to me.”
“Why not?” Toya genuinely sounds confused. Akito wants to crush his own skull.
“Well, you should be savin’ it for someone else. You’d be a great suitor, I’m sure.”
“..Right.”
He fucking hates this.
He pours the tea in two cups and offers one to Toya, “Sorry to leave you alone, but I gotta take this to my father.”
He walks up the creaking stairs and goes down a dark corridor. The door to his father’s room let out an unpleasant shriek.
“Akito?” His voice is gruff, it even sounds painful.
“I brought tea to help your throat and sleep,” Akito sits down on the stool next to his father’s bed, setting the cup of tea on the floor to help him sit up.
The old man waves him off, “Ena rubbed the weird cream on my back today already.”
“Weird cream,” Akito mocks him, “You’ll say thank you to ’er when you don’t die before the king does.”
“I’m outlivin’ that bastard no matter what.”
“Sure,” he hands him the cup and his father downs it.
“S’bitter.”
“Yeah, well, it helps. Don’t die in your sleep, old man,” he took the cup and left the room. Shutting the door behind him.
To his surprise, Toya was still at the table, waiting for him.
“I figured you’d leave,” he said quietly. Washing the empty cup and putting it away.
“Sorry, I will be leaving soon. I don’t want to overstay my welcome. Just wanted to finish the tea you made me.”
Akito frowned, “Don’t get all formal on me all of a sudden..” He grumbled, giving Toya a look.
“I thought you didn’t like me talking to you differently.”
“S’alright,” Akito took Toya’s empty cup from the table, turning his back to the blue haired man again.
Toya stood up and headed to the door, “That’s good because I really enjoyed talking to you, Akito.”
Akito didn’t even try to hide the way his eyes widened. He turned to look at Toya but he only got to witness is front door closing shut.
Akito planted his face into his hands.
“Fuck.”