Disclaimer: The usual stuff that you probably know by heart already with the addition of: Romeo and Juliet is the work of William Shakespeare.
Author's note: I know I said chapter 3 was going to take place in the palace but my friend kind of insisted that I should extend chapter 2. I'm real sorry for killing the anticipation. The next chapter (definitely set in the palace) is about ¾ done so you should expect an update within the next two days if nothing school related crops up.
Happy reading.
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. If Akihito couldn't recite the seven colours of the rainbow at the top of his head after this let's-see-who-can-shove-the-poor-japanese-boy-into-the-most-number-of-clothes competition, he should be sorely ashamed of himself. In fact, give him the next hour and he was sure to be able to tell the difference between eucalypt green and rivergum green, even when they are essentially the same freaking shade of green.
Akihito couldn't believe the nerve of these women. They had been treating him like a piece of lifeless mannequin for the past two hours, stripping him bare without his consent save for his boxers (which he was eternally grateful for) and forcing his barely clothed self into women's clothing that varied from very conservative to downright revealing.
It didn't help that the exhibitionist criminal waiting down the hallway left so many bruises on him. Bite marks around his neck and collarbone and broad, red lines around his wrists and ankles left him lighting up in painful embarrassment while the pack of female hounds squealed and swooned at the apparent display of love.
The photojournalist couldn't understand why they were trying so hard. Other than the fact that Asami would probably have their brain shot out of their heads for defying him, these Moroccan ladies seemed to genuinely enjoy playing their little game of dress the Japanese up. Akihito was convinced that their efforts would prove to be futile later.
He wasn't exactly as largely –and sexily, his mind whispered traitorously- built as Asami but he had still retained the standard male built. Broad shoulders, lean, muscular arms and legs, angular face structure… All in all, he definitely looked distinctly male. There was simply no way any female clothes could bring out his non-existent curves -well, maybe his butt curve. Asami never failed to mention that particular trait when they were tussling away in bed- at his hips or chest. Akihito fervently hoped that the end result of this cross dressing nightmare would burn Asami's condescending eyes badly, so much so that he would never indulge in this newfound fetish for the rest of his life. He couldn't even see how badly he looked because the curtains had been drawn over the ridiculously huge mirror. As usual, his opinions didn't matter.
Akihito huffed impatiently when he was stripped of yet another piece of clothing. As another silky garment made its way onto his body, he sighed sleepily. The repetitive process of having clothes yanked off and put on was slowly lulling him into a drowsy state despite the loud babbling of French belonging to the group of female staff as they argued over something. From their hand gestures and face expression, Akihito could just barely guess the current topic of disagreement. Flowers or butterflies. Oh great deities, it's never going to end, is it?
If they took over two hours to decide on a piece of outfit, Akihito could only groan at the prospect of repeating the same process for shoes, accessories, hair-styling and make-up. As disturbing as it sounds, he'd very much rather spend the time being tied to Asami's bed and be shoved up the ass with nothing but toys and Asami's incredibly huge cock.
Outside, lounging comfortably on a couch, Asami sneezed. While Kirishima peered worriedly at his boss, Asami merely smirked knowingly. His wildcat must have been thinking about him. The poor brat must be suffering badly inside if he was seeking out Asami for a source of comfort. His pet would surely beg him pitifully tonight when he revealed to him that he would continue to be well-acquainted with the women here for the rest of the week,
"Stop hovering Kirishima, I'm fine."
The low, clear voice stopped Kirishima from openly assessing his boss's well-being. However it did nothing to quell the anxiousness the bodyguard felt. Kirishima was worried. Extremely worried. Asami-sama never sneezed unless his almost impregnable immune system crashed. Takaba Akihito's Valentine chocolate did a spectacular job of doing just that.
"Are you sure, sir? It may be possible that you have not fully recovered from the aftereffects of Valentines. I'm sure it would be better if you let the doc-"
Asami cut off his secretary's rambling with a cold voice, "Kirishima, are you questioning my ability to take care of myself?"
Kirishima stiffened. "… No sir."
"Then we don't have a problem," Asami stated firmly.
"…" Kirishima hesitated before voicing more of his concern. "However Asami-sama, you must understand that Morocco's weather is nothing like Japan's. It would be unwise if-"
With a single raised eyebrow, Asami chided the anxious man, "Are you my mother, Kirishima?"
Kirishima was horrified beyond words. "No sir. The very idea of being compared to Tomoko-sama is inconceivable."
"Exactly. I hired you to be my bodyguard and secretary, so why don't you start doing your job?"
"Yes sir." Kirishima handed a file to Asami and as his boss flipped through the neatly collated information, he elaborated, "Our informants have discovered several possible reasons as to why the King is vehemently refusing your right to the takeover. It seems the King…"
In hushed tones, the two continued to converse in this manner while they waited for Akihito's grand appearance.
Corsets should be banned.
It was an absolute abomination.
He could hardly breathe in this thing and it was crushing his waist. (Although, it did a splendid job in giving Akihito a curvaceous torso) Akihito yowled miserably when Lutfiyah gave another firm yank at the strings lacing the corset up.
In an attempt to distract himself from the growing pain, he cursed the man responsible for his suffering. "Stupid, mean, horrible man" was all Akihito's feeble mind could childishly supply.
Asami narrowed his eyes when he sneezed again. So the boy was thinking unfavorable things of him was he? It was time to reconsider tonight's bed routine.
Kirishima was back into his mother-hen mode.
"We are not discussing this, Kirishima."
"Yes sir." Kirishima visibly retreated.
Done. Finally done. He survived. He would live to tell the tale.
Akihito wanted to kiss the ground in relief but his clothes were too restrictive for the action. Choosing the perfect matching shoes and accessories took a relatively shorter time because the theme was more or less set by the garment he was wearing. Styling of his hair and make-up were a breeze as professionals did it with precise efficiency and practiced ease.
The best part? He was spared from wearing the corset.
It was a shame he couldn't even catch even a glimpse of his appearance that would definitely leave Asami at a loss of words. The female staff wouldn't let him, ushering him down the hallway the very minute his make-up was done.
Now, the very last part of the act was to scare the wits out of Asami with his horrible appearance as a drag queen. Life sure was sweet at this very moment.
Akihito let loose a gurgle of evil laughter.
"Yes Asami-sama, the King's right hand general has personally requested-."
Asami silenced his secretary with a hand. His attention was now given fully to the approaching footsteps. Kirishima retrieved the file of reports and took a step back.
When the lavender veil was swept to the side to reveal his wildcat, Asami was, for the very first time in his life, genuinely speechless.
Akihito smirked victoriously when he saw Asami freeze the moment he laid eyes on his sure-to-be appalling self.
Hah! Take that Asami! Wow, even glasses guy is gaping. That bad huh.
His sense of victory was short lived, and confusion was quickly rewritten in its place. Something was very wrong. It was difficult to describe Asami in the next flow of events. The man seemed to be in a trance.
Asami fluidly rose from the couch, and glided towards Akihito, eyes never once leaving his transformed self. Akihito's heart pounded with anticipation. The entranced man stopped a step before Akihito and smoothly took Akihito's right hand. Asami bent forward, bringing the back of Akihito's flawless hand to his lips and lightly kissed it.
Oh my god.
Blood rushed upwards, causing Akihito's cheeks to glow delightfully. He drew a deep breath when Asami looked up, lips never leaving his right hand. Asami's eyes were no longer golden. It was a deep shade of heated ember, swirling with an emotion Akihito couldn't identify. Akihito shifted uncomfortably and his uneasiness seemed to bother the older man.
Asami's soothing baritone voice rumbled, breaking the deathly silence.
"If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."
Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet. That was all Akihito's muddled mind could compute. His hand however, instinctually moved, interlocking their fingers together. Unsure of what to say, Akihito stuttered unintelligently.
"H-huh?"
Silence.
Asami straightened, still keeping a hold on Akihito's trembling hand.
"Um… Asa-"
A pointer finger was placed lightly over his lips.
"Shhh. Don't speak my sweet Tierboskat."
The finger gently traced his bottom lip, and then his jaw. It was then sleekly replaced by Asami's thumb. As the thumb gently brushed against his lips, Asami spoke again, holding their interlocking hands up, head cocking slightly towards them.
"I'll take this as your answer."
Before Akihito could decipher what Asami meant, his chin was gripped with unyielding yet gentle force and his lips gently met with Asami's briefly.
Butterflies collected in Akihito's stomach. He was being torn asunder. While he was touched by Asami's small, gentle kiss and his entire tender demeanor, it also crept the hell out of Akihito. The bastard was uncharacteristically treating him like a porcelain china doll. Every movement was so calculated and controlled, like he was afraid to break the fragile piece of work. Fear and hesitance was not Asami. The real Asami always maintained a cool, detached façade, doing his thing with infuriating confidence. It was like a spell had been cast over the usual smug, arrogant and overbearing yakuza, making him so, s-so … m-mushy.
He glanced at Kirishima for some sort of clue as to what had come over the man, but Kirishima was shockingly useless. The blank gape was still prevailing on the secretary's face.
Just what the hell is going on?
Akihito's confusion must have been reflected on his face because he found himself steered towards a full length mirror in the corner of the room by a set of strong arms. They remained resting at his waist when he peered cautiously into the mirror.
"Oh." Akihito could only softly comment. He unconsciously brought his fingers towards the reflection. Fingertips lightly tracing his reflection, he admired the ethereal being in the mirror in disbelief and awe.
It really couldn't be him. This perfect specimen of androgyny couldn't possibly be him. This dreamy stranger could even outshine world-class, famous gender bending Bosnian model, Andrej Pejic.
The Takchita, as Lutfiyah had taught him back in the dressing room, looked disturbingly fitting on him. Translucent long sleeves of the button up robe flowed smoothly over his arms, hiding the angularity of his muscles under the guise of a slender dark silhouette. The long orange coloured dress underneath was made of fine fabric and it complimented his golden tanned skin perfectly. It would swish softly over the floor each time Akihito made a small movement, letting the pair of golden Balgha peek out from underneath the flowing fabric. The Takchita, however, couldn't hide his strong frame nor did it give him a chest. Rather than being a flaw, it gave an image of an exceptionally tall, flat-chested dominating female instead. Resilient and powerful.
Akihito now knew why they had forgone the corset in favour of the Sfifa. The broad orange fabric encircled his waist firmly, similar to an obi, gathering the fabric at his mid-torso before it spilled freely downwards. It wasn't a well-defined voluptuous curve but it gave a svelte illusion with each swing of his hip nevertheless.
Detailed embroidery filled the silky canvas. Golden and silver thread weaved through the Takchita, coming together to form complicated designs. One of the most distinguishable patterns was the theme of the Takchita, hieroglyphs of a savannah wildcat. Probably the Tierboskat creature Asami had mentioned moments ago. Beading and sequins also elaborately adorned the traditional formal Moroccan costume. Akihito was amazed by the meticulous handicraft. Moroccan women must have spent years embroidering this magnificent piece of work.
His usual wild hairstyle was pulled back, intricately curled at the ends, entwining with adjacent curls flawlessly, save for his fringe. His normal messy fringe was neatly flattened by hair starch, lining the top left half of this face down to spot just below his left earlobe. Glitter was sprinkled onto his hair, making the nest of hair sparkle dazzlingly under the soft amber lighting of the boutique.
What greatly interest Akihito was his face. Make-up had definitely got to be the scariest invention in history. He could hardly recognize himself, although if he squinted hard enough, he would sometimes see the shadow of his original face, behind the mask he was wearing, for no more that several fleeting seconds. Foundation smoothed out his angular chin and jaw. A small tinge of pink blusher dusted on his cheeks accentuated the roundness of it. His eyebrows were drawn so that it slanted down like a pair of spread out wings. Dark eyeliner and orange eye shadow brought out the hazel glow in his eyes while fake dark eyelashes, when fluttered sultrily, enlarged his eyes by impossible amounts. Dark red lipstick flaunted the fullness of his lips. He could see why Asami had that insane urge to kiss him. Absurd as it was, Akihito felt compelled to kiss his own reflection. He appeared to be neither female nor male because when his mouth moved tentatively to see if the delicate mask would crack, hints of his masculinity at the edge of his face showed.
If Akihito had to describe himself, he would have to say that on the surface, he represented a woman of ethereal beauty, grace and dignity. However, if one were to pay attention, the coiled power and masculine undertone would teasingly show once in a while. His appearance was definitely one of nobility, strong-willed and no pushover. It could be his ego speaking but Akihito could only think that the being he had become possessed a beauty that was unrivalled despite the vague sexuality.
It then suddenly occurred to Akihito. The reason for Asami's sudden freaky personality change just unsuspectingly came to him. The very thought was unfathomable; however it was a truth that could not be denied. Asami, the great, powerful, crime lord, was enamored.
The laughter in Akihito bubbled in his guts, slowly rising and he quivered. The grip on his waist tightened warningly but the androgynous beauty was undeterred. In a matter of minutes, Akihito laughed hysterically, shaking in Asami's warm embrace.
This was definitely his victory.
Asami 2 Akihito 1(with help from the female staff)
Just some information to lessen the confusion.
The number of sneezes superstition:
One sneeze- somebody is thinking/saying something good about you.
Two sneezes-somebody is thinking/saying something bad about you
Three or more sneezes- definitely a cold, go see a doctor
The quote from Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet:
"If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."
Putting that simply: If you find my touch repulsive I will remove all trace of it with a kiss.
If you have read Romeo and Juliet (I'm honestly not a big fan of it so I'll apologise in advance if my interpretation is totally off), the entire scene goes something along the lines of Romeo touching Juliet for the very first time and he boldly asks for a kiss in this extremely long winded way(see above quote). Juliet then answers that she does not hate his touch and shows it by interlocking their hands together. This is a metaphor keeping with the pilgrim theme- pilgrims clasp their hands together when they pray. Basically it's a metaphor for a kiss. When Asami quoted from Romeo's lines, he was asking for Akihito's permission for a kiss because Akihito seemed a bit skittish when Asami freaked him out with a kiss on the back of the hand. (Which is pretty much very un-Asami) So when Akihito interlocks their hands, he unknowingly gives his consent for Asami to kiss him. Understand? Anyway, I hoped I managed to pull that scene off properly. If you still don't get it, just forget it. It's not that important in the storyline. It's just to show the change in Asami's personality.
Andrej Pejic:
Bosnian male model.
Top 50 male models- Rank no. 18
FHM magazine, top 100 sexiest women in the world 2011- Rank no. 98 (yes, even though he's male)
Notable for his androgyny and his ability to pull off both female and male modeling successfully.
The Takchita:
The Takchita is a traditional Moroccan female garment worn for formal events. It consists of two pieces. The first layer is a dress, not very ornately decorated. The second layer is a button up robe that is worn over the dress. It is usually richly adorned with embroidery, beadings and sequins. The Sfifa (comparable to the Japanese obi) and akaad closures holds the second layer in place. Still can't visualize it? Go google it or something.
The Balgha:
Flat sandals. Sometimes decorated with gold or silver tinsels, especially the high heels version.
Extended Author's note: Omg. I totally OOCed Kirishima and Asami at the end. It was intentional so I'm not too worried. However, if it seriously crept you out, tell me. I'll try to restrain myself in the future. Haha.
In response to questions posed by reviewers:
Akihito's punishment? You'll have to wait till march the 13th to find out. I'll be doing a white day side story.
To my readers and reviewers,
Glad you liked it. Thanks for reading.
God speed.
