Nearly There Nicely 71

“Anyway,” Crow went around Will and into the kitchen. He came out a moment later with a plate of scrambled eggs and toast, a bowl of grapes and a cup of orange juice. “Breakfast.” He set the dishes down in front of Will's chair, and collected his plate and the cup Noire had been drinking out of, then vanished back into the kitchen.

“Thank you,” Will called after him as he sat down.

Crow came back out and sat across from Will, watching him start on his meal. “Is it warm enough?”

“Yes.” Will nodded his head, starting to eat the eggs. After he took a few bites, Will paused to look up at Crow. Their eyes meeting, Crow flashed a smile, his chin rested on his palm as his elbow propped him up. “Did you have enough?”

“Yeah, I'm fine.” Crow nodded. “Actually....” He rummaged his palm through his bangs. “When do you wanna head out?”

“I think the museum opens at eleven.”

“Great.” Crow slapped his palm down and started out of his head. “That gives me enough time to run home, shower and get changed.”

“Changed?” Will asked, frowning. “For what?”

“Our date.” came the smug reply. Crow grabbed the edge of his shirt, pulling it out from his body to show Will. “You don't think I'm going to wear the clothes I slept in on our date, do you?” He chuckled as he walked around Will toward the door. “You'll be okay right? I can go wake Arluin if you want.”

“N-no. I'll be fine.” Will shook his head. I guess he wants to keep the gel in his hair strong. He spun around in his chair to watch as Crow stopped at the archway, turning back to face Will. “Let him sleep.”

“Cool,” Crow lifted his hand in a wave at Will. “I'll be back at ten.”

Will sat dumbfounded, with no thoughts or words to say, staring in the direction of the front door Crow had disappeared to. A few seconds later, he heard the door creak open, and then shut behind Crow. In the seconds after, an eerie silence filled the house.

Uneasily, and confused, Will turned his attention back to his food. It took him twenty minutes to finish eating, as he kept looking up around. How fast do I eat it when there's no one here to check my etiquette? Can I just … relax, or do I have to eat it as fast as possible?

As he was finishing his juice, Will mumbled to himself softly. “I wonder if other people ask themselves strange questions like this the first time they find themselves alone in an empty house?”

Once Will was done, he straightened up. He looked at his plates, then around toward the kitchen, and then around the empty room, then back to the dishes. Carefully, so as not to make any clinking noises, Will piled the cup into the bowl, and the bowl onto the plate, and then the silverware on the edges. He checked over his shoulder left and then right, then leaned over and picked up the pile.

Will carried his dishes into the kitchen, then looked around at where to put them. He had several options – the long counter-tops, a preparation island in the center, or the counters by the sink, or in the sink. Noticing Crow's and Arluin's dishes from earlier sitting on the counter just right of the sink, Will set his pile next to their's. Then he organized those dishes into a pile, and then re-organized both piles by putting similar items together.

“I wonder if I'm supposed to wash them.” He asked, looking at the sink and then the dishes. He glanced around the counter-top looking for a bottle of soap, but didn't see any. Oh right. He remembered, then leaned down onto his knee and opened up the cabinet under the sink. A trash can and cleaning soaps should be under the sink. Will remembered the organization system from the kitchen at the Bel`vaz estate, but he was disappointed as underneath there was just an almost-empty metal cylinder with a few eggshells in it.

Frowning, Will straightened up, then started to look around the kitchen. There were cabinets both above and below the counters, a tall thin door on one wall, and then an opening to the central staircase. There was an electric oven and stove, and just near it on the outer-most wall was another oven meant for fires inside. Peeking around the kitchen, Will found some simple food items stocked: lettuce, eggs, grapes, a few bottles of orange juice, a bottle of unopened red wine, some spices, two loaves of bread, and some meat in the freezer. He also found some dough balls sitting in a bread bread to keep them humid as they sat.

With a sigh, bored, Will left the kitchen into the room opposite the dining hall. Wide, and empty, and boring. It felt too big, so Will back-stepped into the kitchen, and started upstairs.

He found his way to a small room with several windows, one being a bay-window, perfect for an office or a reading lounge. There was a powder room, followed by another empty room, with just windows for decoration. After that, turning the corner of the hall, Will peeked into a room to see Arluin sleeping in a quaint room – a plain bed, a simple wardrobe and a chest, paired with a small desk and chair. He had the curtains drawn shut, so Will quietly shut the door as he left and went back into the hall. The next door was to another empty room, this one larger, seeming perfect for a small guestroom. Another empty room was large enough for a small sitting area and a grand piano, while on the opposite corner from Arluin's room was a rather large room.

Returning downstairs, Will started to walk around the large ballroom. He stopped close to the foyer and drew out an area with his fingers. “Receiving room,” then he turned to the ballroom, “with the band on a dias over there to the left. A large open space for dancing,” he waved his arms open as he walked toward the dining room's archway, “right to the table, leaving just enough of a wide path for a buffet or hutch on the wall, and then right out onto a deck.” He went back to the middle of the ballroom, turning to face a pair of double-doors with glass framed in their design so he could see outside. “Maybe a fountain out there...”

Will froze, feeling his thoughts drift off entirely. He raised his arms up toward the double-doors with his palms leading, then framed the base of a square with his thumbs and index fingers. “That's odd.” He mumbled, thinning his eyes as his focus scattered around.

I don't see anyone around, yet I'm in the middle of the city... There's no view of the water, just a barrier line of trees. Slowly, Will dropped his arms to his side. Slightly tilting his head to the side, Will took a few steps forward toward the doors. He stopped a step away from the doors, then leaned forward to peek out the glass. He looked around the lush grass, then up to the gray skies where the clouds effortlessly mixed with the shades of white.

“For a kingdom built on the idea just a few decades ago about embracing all those who live in this land, forgotten by others, we haven't made a stretch to embrace each other.” Will mumbled the thoughts to himself.

With careful movements to be quiet on account of Arluin sleeping upstairs, Will opened the doors and stepped out onto the stone cobble patio. It felt cold and unwelcoming due to the weather and the lack of any decoration. It doesn't feel so boxed in now, but still separate. Will mused, glancing around casually.

After a moment, he dropped his eyes to his feet and took a single step forward. He balanced his weight playfully as he stepped down, lifting his other foot. He began to take steps similar to a child playing a game of trying to not step on the cracks of the cobblestone.

“What...” he took a step with a little hop, “could be done...” Another hop, “to connect our people?” He turned the direction he was facing during his next hop, slowing his pace slightly. “Mountains, bay, river, forest... Logically something running north-south and another east-west. The dirt roads and simple gravel roads out there are far and not comfortable.”

Will froze again, balancing on one leg with his lifted foot just above his ankle. “Two or three trains, and a small set of trains to connect the inner city to the port. Trains and trams.” Slowly he rested his foot back down, as he pondered over the thought of creating trains and the system they would require. “It would take effort, but … connecting our kingdom, although it's not large, together … It should be the priority of all the nobles and lord knights.”

The soft sound of knocking at the front door reached Will's ears a moment later. He lifted his head, then returned inside and started toward the front door. By the time a second round of knocking finished, Will pulled open the door with a confused look on his face. I'm not expecting anyone besides Crow, and he wouldn't knock.

Opening the door, Will felt like his thoughts had just tripped him up. Standing there with a playful smile on his face was Crow. He'd showered and redone the horned-owl spikes in his navy hair. He'd changed into a royal blue sweater with large buttons and 3/4^th sleeves, and burnt orange pants with strange steams a their hip pockets. One hand held a navy jacket over his shoulder in such a way that Will could just slightly make out the large white plume of fur that trimmed the collar of the jacket.

The outfit looked appealing on Crow, but the startling mix between royal blue, navy and pumpkin colors surprised Will. Oh right, his achromatopsia. The thought flashed through Will's mind.

With one hand in his pockets, Crow smiled at Will playfully. “You should ask who it is before opening the door.” He looked Will up and down, his smile widening. “You're going on our date in your pajamas? That's a brave fashion statement for a Marquis.”

Gaping, Will glanced down to his own clothes and then back up to Crow. “Oh.. I … I just didn't notice the time.”

“That's okay. I'm a bit early.” Crow's smile widened a bit, then he let himself in past Will. Before Will could turn and close the door, he grabbed it himself. “C'mon. I can help you find something to wear.”

Will lifted his right hand to cover his mouth as a giggle came out. “I'm not sure if you should be the one to do that considering the colors of your current outfit.”

For a moment, Crow's smile faltered as if something Will had said or done caught him off-guard. Seeing that, Will let his smile relax. “It's good to see you loosening up.” Crow said with a cool tone. Then he closed his eyes and started toward the staircase, “And-- I'll have you know, these clothes are from before I lost my sight! They look just fine! Orange and blue always goes together!”

“N-no! It should be blues and whites, or blues and greens!” Will found himself laughing just enough that it made his airways constrict as he hurried to follow Crow upstairs.

This light laughter feels foreign but it's comfortable. Will thought as he followed Crow, just far enough behind him that he couldn't catch up and stop him from entering Will's room. I guess I haven't been at ease since being with Alexander... Or... longer, I suppose.

By the time Will caught up to Crow, he was already at the closet, tossing out shirts, pants and vests willy-nilly onto Will's bed. He'd laid his jacket on Will's pillow where it'd be safe from the growing pile.

“Here, which one?” Crow asked, turning to Will. He had a plain soft-yellow shirt in one hand on its hanger, and in the other he held up a pastel-yellow shirt with thin white pinstripes.

Surprised, Will took in a breath. Asking me what I want to wear, it's like... Odd. Embarrassing. “That one,” Will answered with a soft voice, pointing to the pinstriped shirt.

“Kay,” Crow haphazardly threw the plain shirt onto the bed, and then held out his arm straight to Will. Carefully, Will took the shirt from Crow. A silence surrounded them as Crow dug through and yanked out a pair of burgundy pants, held them up then pulled out brown pants. He tossed the brown ones aside, and then pulled out black ones. Glanced at Will, took a glance at the black pants and then tossed them.

“What are you looking for?”

“Something.” Crow answered. Next he pulled out a rich chocolate brown vest, and then handed both the vest and the burgundy pants to Will. “Go change into that while I find a ribbon.”

“Ribbon?” Will asked as he took the clothes before walking around Crow to the bathroom.

“Yeah, you gotta have a pop of interesting color at your neck.” He answered, turning to wink at Will as Will disappeared into the bathroom.

By the time Will came out, Crow had emptied almost his entire wardrobe onto the floor and the bed. “Perfect timing!” Crow called to Will in a happy tone as he saw him step out. He tossed Will a pair of light-brown socks and then pointed down to a pair of dark leather loafers he'd neatly set down by the bathroom door. “Put those on.”

Will caught the socks, and then gathered up the shoes. “I hope you're not planning to have Arluin pick this all up?”

“Nah,” Crow responded immediately as he gathered up a pile of pants and shirts from the floor and took it toward the bed. He then proceeded to gather the garments spread across the bed into a singular pile. “I'll do it when we get back tonight.”

“Okay,” Will answered with a smile as he sat down the bed and began to pull on the socks. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Yeah.” Crow yanked up another pile of clothes with a heave and a groan. “That should be all of it.”

“There's a few over there,” Will nodded his head toward the edge of the wardrobe. Immediately Crow turned around and began picking up the last few garments. “Did you empty it all out?”

“Uh,” Crow took in a breath as he straightened up to look at Will. “No, not all of it.” He smiled, “I left the rich colors in there, and summer-stuff.” Straightening up, Crow walked over and put the last pile of clothes onto the bed. “You had too much stuffed in.”

By this point, Will had pulled on his shoes and was finishing tying them. “I can't believe you dug through all of them...”

Crow waved his arms make light of the comment, then smiled at Will. “Just think of it like I want you to look your best.”

Will felt a slight smile come onto his lips as he stood up, but as he approached Crow, he let an expressionless face replace it. “Is that desire similar to how you constantly want yourself to look presentable and attractive before me?”

Looking past Will's face, Crow thought over the question for a moment. Then he smiled and tilted his head left then right with a slight motion of his shoulders, “I guess.” He lifted his hand up from his hip, “Here.”

Will turned his gaze down to Crow's out-stretched palm. Almost matching his yellow-tinted white skin perfectly in compliment was a rich blue ribbon the shade of the summer sky. As the light bounced off of the material, it almost seemed to shimmer, giving off the illusion of thin skimpy clouds.

Will's jaw slackened as awe filled him up. “Wow.” He whispered, entranced by the color.

“Like it?” Crow asked. “I got it cause it's the same color as your eyes.” Instantly, Will's eyes darted up to meet Crow's. Will felt his jaw tense a bit as he noticed the beautiful blue of Crow's eyes turned to gold as he studied them.

“Why'd you do that?” Will asked tensing his brows. His voice was soft and unsure.

Crow turned his face away from Will, lifting his hand holding the ribbon to block his lips before speaking. “You're kinda embarrassing men when you look at me like that – so … It's kind of like... Hiding?”

Almost with hesitation, Will took a step closer to Crow with his focus still on the gold in his eyes. “I'm sorry, but for as much as you adore my eye color, I adore seeing yours.” He shifted his eyes downward, allowing Crow to glance at him. “I'm accustomed to the gold and do believe it's equally as beautiful, but... Share with me the blue more?” After Will finished his question, he lifted his head again to check Crow's eyes.

For a few seconds Crow said and did nothing, but Will waited. Crow let out a breath as Will watched his eyes return to their blue tone. “Man, you're just about as sappy as I am.”

Giggling, Will took a step backward. “I guess we're just a couple of saps.”

“Yep,” Crow laughed, then held up the ribbon again. “Anyway, here!” Without Will's invitation, Crow wrapped his arms around Will's neck, caught the ribbon in his other hand and began to tie it around Will's neck. Crow pulled up the collar, tucked the ribbon underneath neatly, and then tied it into a fat bow before tucking away the ends. “There.” He finished with a pleased look on his face.

Will patted Crow's shoulder and then stepped around him and toward the hall. “Let's leave a note for Arluin about the clothes before we leave.”

“All right,” Crow answered, following Will out. “Where are we going to first by the way?”

“The art museum on Chebod; it's got the impressionist paintings exhibit.” Will answered as they went down the hall side-by-side. “I thought you'd like to see that one first.”

“Sure.” Crow smiled at Will when he noticed a hesitant glance in his direction. “My boyfriend is taking me on a personal tour of fine arts,” he grinned when Will stopped mid-step to look at him, “Pretty damn cool.”

The odd enthusiasm made Will chuckle before he started walking again. He's having too much fun but I suppose this is a good thing.

Will took another glance at Crow's face after he finished writing a note apologizing to Arluin about the clothes and stating he'll take care of it tonight. The happiness on Crow's face didn't look forced or fake to Will; giving off the impression that while Crow wasn't sure what to expect, he was looking forward to it anyway.

When a soft giggle erupted out of Will's throat, Crow looked at him with a curious smile. “Your happy face reminds me of when Alexander knows he's being taken to see pastries.”

Crow laughed at the comment, as he held the front door open for Will. As Will stepped through the threshold, Crow commented, “Except that this is going to be cooler than pastries.”

“Oh? I think he'd have to disagree with you.” Will asked, waiting for Crow to come out.

As Crow shut the door he nodded. “Yeah, pastries taste awesome, but,” he turned back to face Will and they started down the walkway, “an array of beautiful colors live on forever inside you as something you'll never forget.”

Will felt awkward smiling at the comment. It doesn't feel like he's talking about the paintings in a light manner. He felt his body jump a bit as Crow took a soft embrace of his right hand within his own. Or that he's not talking about the paintings at all...

“Colors... really are important to you.” Will mused softly, not sure if Crow wanted to hear.

“Colors remind us of where we've been, just like smells remind us of times we've had.” Crow answered easily, tightening his grip of Will's fingers slightly. Comforted by his sweet words, Will returned Crow's grip with a soft embrace of his own.