Chapter Text
The night was a little chilly, considering it was getting close to the change in seasons. Nene shivered once, while working on bringing her flowers, which she’d set out to advertise her mother’s shop, back inside. She had been working the shop for a lot longer than she’d intended to, staying open hours past normal. However, in those extra hours, she’d made a few more sales. Being a florist wasn’t her initial calling, though her mother was one, so she’d learned all sorts of things about flowers. Plants. Life.
She hummed softly as she worked on bringing the planters and pots back into the building.
The soft song on the girl’s lips was what caught the wandering knight’s attention. It was his turn to patrol, though the kingdom was often boringly quiet. To the point where the siren song of the common girl drew him in. And it wasn’t like he was urgently needed anyway, so he could spare a moment. Akito saw her there, carrying a planter in through the open doorway of a very inviting floral shop. Ah… he did suppose it was getting cold… if they stayed out, the flowers would surely droop. So he picked up a particularly large one without really thinking, carrying it in after the girl.
When Nene saw Akito, she jumped, before a nervous laugh breezed past her lips. The humming had stopped, and Akito found himself genuinely disappointed for a moment, before he spoke, “The sooner these get inside, the better. Figured you could use some help.”
The crest on his light armour was, of course, the dead giveaway about who he was. Well, not exactly, since the royals had many knights, but at least she knew he was one of them. Though he tried to come off as casual and non-threatening, he didn’t smile, and didn’t attempt to. He gave off an air of intensity that tied into his role, and it was a little bit intimidating. Still, she moved past him to go grab another planter. “Is a knight like you really supposed to be burdening themselves with carrying heavy planter boxes?” She passed him a quick glance as she stepped back out, and Akito followed.
“No. We’ll just say this is more… curiosity. See, I heard you humming, and it captured my intrigue.” He leant down to grab another larger one, seeing as she seemed to purposely avoid them so far. “Normally when I patrol, the place is being run by an older woman. I never really stop by, but I usually take note of who’s where.”
She picked up a small pot, carrying it in both arms, despite only really needing one. “Yeah, my mother owns the shop, so you saw her. I’m usually here early in the morning, or sometimes into the evening. It’s just her and I.” She ignored his comment about her humming, awkwardly waiting for him as he easily lifted the large soil box. This particular one had out-of-season flowers, thriving within the box like they were meant for these sorts of conditions. So not only were the girl and her mother good with plants, they were extraordinary . No wonder even the royal family often ordered from them. Yet, he wondered, why they still lived so ordinarily, as if they weren’t making good money, selling to not only other common folk, but also royalty. Surely they’re better off than they seem?
“Your voice is really nice, by the way. If it’s enough to make even me curious, then you clearly have talent.” He was never the best at giving compliments, when he was often forcing himself to be nice for the sake of other peoples’ well-being, so being able to be genuine for once… felt nice. It felt like he didn’t even have to wrack his brain for the right words. Nene felt like the type to value honesty.
Still, Nene was silent as she stepped into the shop, setting the pot down very carefully. She then turned on her heel to face him. “Do you talk this way with all the town’s girls who have even an ounce of talent, or are you being sincere?”
Akito should have been offended that she would even assume he spoke so kindly with other girls of the same status as her, considering he often associated with royals. He hardly made time to talk with regular people, considering he was so busy with making sure they were all protected, as was his job. Still, he simply shrugged, setting the large planter down. “If I said I don’t, you’d doubt me all the same. After all, my duty’s to walk the streets, not converse with every girl who could hold talent. I’ve heard many girls sing, but nothing’s captivated me like the bit I heard from you.”
The girl froze, eyes wide in an expression of bewilderment, before she stomped back out to grab the last flowers. This time, the knight didn’t follow, instead finding himself almost as confused and puzzled as her. He’d never met a girl who didn’t get giddy about simple niceties, and it only really served to intrigue him further. Who was she?
When she stepped back in, she set the last two pots onto the table, before getting to work, straightening them out so they’d look nice.
Akito now leaned back, giving her the space to work. He shook his head to move a piece of hair from his face, before his eyes watched as she worked. “Are you this antisocial with everyone? Not that I’m judging, I mean… would you say knights are any more sociable than you?”
Nene almost laughed, instead stooping down more so her hair covered the telltale signs of the cracks of a smile. “I guess not, when your job is primarily to loom over the backs of royals, to make sure nobody else does so first.” She straightened back up, brushing her hands off on the apron she wore, before turning to look up at the taller. “But, yes, pretty much. I like being alone, much more than anything, and crowds scare me. If I’m in a crowd, I usually get panicked, and either just crouch down where I am, or get lost trying to run out.” But it’s no big deal. Well, she could say that, but she knew the knight would disagree. That doesn’t exactly sound like no big deal.
But he simply nodded in response. “Though I can’t say I experience that level, I do find that large crowds… get on my nerves. I like when things are easily containable.”
Nene now moved to close the door, before throwing wood into the stone fireplace, which was quick to warm up the cosy little building. Silently, Akito was grateful for the warmth, considering the chill outside was always quick to turn what little metal pieces he wore almost unbearably cold. Nene began to remove the apron, setting it on a wooden hook by the counter. “You’re strange.”
“Strange?” Akito cocked his head to the side, letting orange strands swipe across his face in the process. “If I’m strange, what does that make you?”
Nene paused. Thought about it. “Normal.” And like that, she turned, moving to the back to grab something. When she came back, a single Orange Daylily was held gingerly by the stem. “Here. Take this. Orange Daylilies represent courage, devotion, joy, love, and beauty. I think that… for a knight, the courage and devotion parts ring true. Be quick when walking home, so it doesn’t droop.”
“Is this your way of sending me off?”
She simply smiled, holding the flower out. “Maybe. But I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other again. But that’ll be up to you to decide.” The flower went from her hand to his, and he carefully twirled it around to get a good look. Courage, devotion, maybe even joy. His mind stuck to love and beauty.
“Get home safely.” She came out from behind the counter, leading him back to the door, and watching him step out onto the path. He then turned, looking at her expression, his own unreadable.
“What’s your name? I realise we didn’t actually introduce ourselves.”
Nene laughed for once, a gentle smile gracing her features. “Nene Kusanagi. But life’s too short to be so formal. Just Nene is okay.”
Nene. Nene. He tested her name out loud a few times, underneath his breath, committing it to memory with ease. “Well, then you can call me Akito.” He didn’t quite smile, though there was a slight shift in his expression, a gentleness she hadn’t seen from him when he first showed up.
“... sure. Goodnight, Akito.”
He couldn’t sleep that night. The moment he’d gotten back to the castle, he had rushed to his quarters, so that he could properly take care of the flower he’d been entrusted with. He still didn’t understand why, exactly, she had given him the flower out of seemingly nowhere, but he wasn’t going to lie and say it wasn’t pretty. He liked it, in fact. He was never much of a flower guy, but even putting it in the vase and setting it on his desk made the room feel brighter.
It matched his hair, too, he came to realise. It felt silly, to only realise how much it matched him, long after the encounter was over. He had been so entranced with how Nene moved about, carried herself in a way that really kept him guessing, wondering what she’d do next.
He removed the light armour he’d been wearing, setting it off to the side for the night. He sat down in the chair that was haphazardly pulled from the desk, tired eyes staring at the Daylily that rested in the vase he’d managed to swipe for it. He went to touch one of the petals, before stopping, looking at his glove almost quizzically.
He then tools his gloves off, before touching the petal. He wasn’t sure why, but it felt cruel to handle the flower so gently, while still covering his scarred hands. As if putting a barrier between him and it.
He’d never felt so stupid.
The morning was slow. Prince Toya had no real orders for Akito, it was more so just messing about, asking pointless questions that all went unanswered. This was the usual banter, neither of them really saying anything of importance as they ate together. It was never actually proper for a knight to eat alongside he who he was primarily meant to protect, but Toya had always made him do so anyway. It ensured that Akito ate enough, and it gave Toya an excuse to pry.
“So, what was the patrol like last night? You seem awfully exhausted… did something keep you up?” Toya pointed his fork at Akito in an accusatory manner, steel eyes on the knight.
Akito paused, as if thinking. Of course he knew why he was so tired… but never in his life would he willingly explain he’d met a girl. A girl that had managed to pique his interest in no more than an hour at most. So he lied, as if it were second nature. “There was a little boy, he’d somehow managed to lose his way. We found his home again just fine, but it had my nerves fried.”
Toya accepted the answer easily, clicking his tongue, before going right back to his breakfast. “Never thought I’d see the day where your compassion won over you just doing your job…” His tone was icy, and Akito tensed. “But as long as you don’t make a habit of it, then there’s no problem. Keep in mind, however, that a wandering mind may make you fall short. And, were you to fall short, you’d get killed and replaced in no time.”
“... thanks.” His tone reeked of sarcasm, but all Toya did was laugh.
“Always willing to dish out my advice, especially to you, Shinonome. After all, your job is special. Be excited.”
Akito could be anything but.
Technically, he wasn’t supposed to patrol tonight. Still, he offered to take the other knight’s place, and although surprised, both the knight and Toya agreed. Akito was never really the sort to want to take someone’s place, though Toya knew that the other male was better off doing night patrol than day - after all, it was calmer, and Akito was often the type to need time alone.
After making his knight put up with his constant antics, Toya would at least grant him this respite. After a quick conversation with the ginger, he excused himself, and went to sleep. Akito, meanwhile, was quick to put on the same armour as the night prior, before leaving to make his rounds.
His nerves were all going crazy, the closer he got to the shop. When it finally came into view, lights on and everything, Akito visibly relaxed, before striding to the door, a deep breath washing through his lungs. And he knocked.
At first, Nene was sure it was a late customer, hoping to catch the shop open in the last few minutes of the hour. Still, a slight smile stretched across her lips when she opened the door, Akito on the other side. She rushed him in so she could close the door, motioning for him to sit down. Of course, he did so gladly, and found that the chairs in the place were surprisingly comfortable, for being made of wood. Nene, meanwhile, knelt down and grabbed a second teacup from the shelf built into the underside of the counter. “You have got to try this tea. I just made it last night, after you’d left.”
“Tea, huh? You know, normally I’d pass, but if you’re recommending...” He laughed, a quiet, short-lived laugh that hung in the air around him. Around both of them.
“It’s not like I was giving you a choice. Here, watch.” Nene brought the teacup, frosted glass with little roses etched in, and let him watch as she poured the water over a sieve filled with gorgeous purple flowers. In no time, the water turned a vibrant purple to match. Then, she cut a lemon in half, squeezing some into it, then stirring. “Not many people put lemon in their tea, or just don’t notice, but the lemon’s acidity changes the colour, because of the pH.”
As she spoke and stirred, he watched as the tea began to turn pink. He personally hadn’t known about that… and now he was just more fond of the girl across from him. She was smart, too? At this point, he hadn’t seen even a single flaw in her. It made him a bit worried about what could possibly even be a flaw.
“You sure do know a lot.” He gladly took the cup when she handed it to him, before taking a sip. Normally he found that tea was tasteless, but the lemon made it bearable. He enjoyed lemon.
Nene grabbed her own cup, holding it with both hands to warm them up. “What can I say? I really like to read. Simple sciences like that are some of my favourites - a friend introduced me to the scientific aspects of a world I already knew the basics of, and now it’s like I’ve known far less than I thought. And… it’s nice to learn.”
A friend? Well, at the very least, Akito was glad Nene had friends. He couldn’t really say the same. He quietly sipped, really letting the taste linger on his tongue as he thought about it. It’d only been two nights, but he was clearly drawn to her. “Hmm… this friend must be something else, if it could get you to look at things you already knew, in a more… scientific way.”
“Oh, yeah! He’s rather smart… he uses his brain in a more creative way, though. He could have gone for various jobs within sciences, but he chose to become an inventor, using his creations for children’s theatre shows.” Nene smiled fondly, the pad of her middle finger tracing around the rim of her cup, deep in thought. Akito almost wished that she would smile fondly when talking to and about him , instead.
“He sure is admirable, then.”
Nene laughed, pulling herself from her thoughts. “It’s funny to hear you talk of what and who’s admirable, when you’re a knight. I asked my mother about what rank your crest was, in fact. I had no clue you were personally picked by the prince.”
He simply smiled nervously in response, before polishing off his cup, setting it down. “It’s not really something I wanted you to associate with me. At the end of the day, I’m just one of many knights, personal pick or not. Besides, I’d rather it not be my only defining thing.”
“I see.”
He watched her nod, finishing her own cup of tea, before grabbing both cups and setting them aside to wash later. “Hey, Akito? Would you let me walk with you the rest of the night? I think we have a lot to talk about, and I have to close up shop.”
If it meant he got more time to talk to her, he was all in.