#kaitaka

closeups harrhar

It is a week before his wedding. Kai lets the servants take his measurements and slightly tenses at every hand that brushes against his shirt. The turtleneck is skin tight and he can feel the fingers leaving a mark.

Takao is in the room next door getting his own measurements. Kai wishes to push away all these servants and just stay by his fiancé. Unfortunately, that is not proper of a Hiwatari.

Soon, they are all done with the tapes and writing down his measurements. They switch to helping him get ready for the day. They dress him in blues and whites, fitting for the someone who will be married off soon. The long cape barely keeps the cold out. Kai sends a servant off to check that Takao's has more fur padding than his. He knows that Takao does not like the cold weather, but has been very forgetful in keeping warm.

The last touches are the chains and gold earrings to match. An amethyst sits around his neck to show off the Hiwatari wealth. As if the lavish cape was not enough.

The servants finally bows and leaves him be. They will probably fetch his future husband for him so they can walk together to entertain the family. Now that Yuriy is the heir to the Hiwatari Clan, Kai is left with no other duties than to socialize. His least favorite activity. He does like his cousins, but they are way too much, especially Brooklyn. He almost groans out loud at the thought of having to interact with him.

As Kai stares into the mirror, he sees a glimpse of a shadow. Brown hair and doe eyes. His body completely tenses up. Yuya was already dead so who could have gotten in? When the image of Yuya and his killer appears in his mind, his body completely goes automatic. He reaches for the pen on his vanity and whips around to stab whoever got into his room.

"Woah! Don't stab me!" Takao yelps as he puts his hands up in surrender.

Takao knows how jumpy and flighty Kai been, especially in the Ring. It's still scary to see him hold a pen that threateningly.

Kai's eyes widen and the glaze in his eyes are gone. He sees that it is just Takao. His grip on the pen loosens.

The air becomes awkward between the two.

He sees that Takao is wearing the exact same outfit as him, but his supposed whites are black and his amethyst is a ruby. How fitting. Hiwatari owns a lot of major mining companies. Ruby, amethyst, and obsidian are used the most by the Hiwatari Clan.

"You look nice! I think the cape looks dashing on you." Takao winks, trying to ease Kai.

He slowly approaches Kai, trying to subtly get the pen away from him. Kai can see him glancing at the pen and just pushes it into his hand. Takao relaxes at that and throws it onto Kai's childhood bed.

"What was that anyway? I knocked but you didn't answer." Takao slowly reaches and holds Kai's hand.

Kai stares down at their hands together and sees glimpses of blood under their fingernails. He gives a weak squeeze and pushes Takao away to grab a handkerchief.

"Nothing." He scrubs at his hands.

"It was something! You almost attacked me!" Takao points at him.

Kai sighs. He knows that Takao wants to hear the answer right out of him, but reopening that wound is not something he wants to do today.

"I thought I saw someone, but it was just you." He stares at the dry handkerchief.

Takao wants to say something more. Push at this and have them scream about their feelings. Their trauma. But he realizes that doing it in Kai's childhood bedroom and with so many servants around is not an ideal place.

"Alright yeah. You wanna go get something to eat? Tala is hosting."

Kai stares at him confused for a bit, but realizes that his fiancé is using Yuriy's nickname. His shoulder droops at attending his first social event. Though, he would rather escape any potentials for talking to Takao about what just transpired.

"Yeah. Let's go."

(Here is the couple outfit that I am referencing.)