Page 6 of The Arrival
Nino squeezes his palm, preceding Haruka through the doorframe. “It’s a modern interpretation, and you look incredible. If you were the Phantom of the Opera, then what would I have been to match?”
“Hm. Perhaps Comte Philippe de Chagny?”
“No one knows who the fuck that is, Haru. That’s why me and Jun took creative control—this just isn’t your forte, tesoro. You’re good at so many things, but not this.”
“I cannot believe that you’re making me go out in public like this.”
“I don’t mean to eavesdrop, your grace,” Aries chimes in from behind as they round the corner into the foyer. “But you really do look wonderful. Believe me, everyone will think so. The result of Junichi’s effort is impeccable.”
Nino scrunches his nose as an idea pops into his head. “If nothing else, just look forward to later when we shower together and I can clean you off. That should be messy and fun—you like it when we get messy.”
Haruka huffs, shaking his head. “Aries, please pretend that you did not hear that.”
When Nino glances back, Aries winks. “Hear what?”
As they approach the foyer, Asao steps inside the threshold wearing a long wool coat with a navy-blue scarf neatly tied around his neck. Nino clenches his teeth.Ah, hell…Haruka’s mood is already sour. A snarky quip from his guardian and manservant is the last thing they need.
Asao tilts his head, examining the two of them. After a moment of pause, he looks directly at Haruka, his eyes soft as he smiles. “Hayato would have loved this. It’s right up his alley. Your mother would have fussed about it the entire time. She would have done it though, for him. God, I miss them. You two look great.”
Nino exhales in relief, then gives Haruka’s palm another firm squeeze. “Thanks, Asao.”
The manservant folds his arms. “So… you asked a Greek vampire to come all the way here to dress you up as Greek gods for a Halloween party? Seems rude. And excessive.”
Nino starts, frowning. “No—that wasn’t—”
“Iknew nothing about this,” Haruka asserts. “But once I realized the irony, privately, I had similar concerns.”
“Kids these days would call this ‘problematic,’” Asao snarks.
Aries grins, laughing. “No, no. Jun and I have been friends for decades, and while the three of us brainstormed many possibilities, this was truly the best fit for them. Plus, I just so happened to have the necessary resources to pull it off well. It’s as simple as that.”
Asao nods in approval, then looks at Nino. “Alright, so he’s Hades, but who are you? Hercules?”
“Bingo.”
“I voted for Poseidon,” Aries says. “It would have been thrilling, makeup wise… and oh, the joy I would have had in procuring a proper trident—adorned with jewels, of course. Ugh. The drama. A man can only dream.”
“We don’t need a jewel-incrusted trident lying around the house,” Asao says. “Why not Zeus?”
Nino shrugs. “Zeus is old. And I didn’t want to wear a beard. It doesn’t suit me.”
“Zeus and Hades are also brothers,” Aries interjects. “So there’s a bit of awkwardness there with this being a couple’s costume. This is also the case with Poseidon, though—and technically, Hercules is Hades’s nephew…” Aries throws his hands up in defeat. “Anyway, Greek gods. It’s fine, it’s fine.”
Haruka pouts, blinking. “I would have liked to see you in a beard.”
“Noted,” Nino says. “Skirts and beards. Speaking of things we would have liked, I just realized… why aren’t you wearing the blue eye contacts? I know Jun bought them. He showed them to me last week.”
Haruka looks away. “I refused.”
Nino rolls his eyes.
“Um, excuse me?” Junichi pokes his head inside the frame, eyeing them from behind his half-mask. “What the hell? Can we leave? We’re going to be late!” He flips around, the silky fabric unexpectedly floating upward and toward Asao’s face, making him lean back just before Junichi disappears.
“If he whips that damn cape one more time, I’m going to grab it and yank him backward.” Asao storms out the door as well. Nino is about to bend and start putting on his sandals but pauses at his mate’s bubbly laughter beside him. “What is it?” Nino asks, relieved.
“I agree with Asao, and I retract my earlier statement,” Haruka says, smiling. “Jun shouldnotwear that all the time.”
THREE
