surrounded me, surrounded me [private]

[ikki d'amore]

lost and insecure,

It was really amazing…right before his eyes, everything changed. At one moment he was a poor boy living at a place where even a cat would find pitiful…now he lived in a mansion! The boy was simply a butler at the now infamous Crowned Clown Manor. It was a huge step forward, but also the fact that Abe was king… The thought even made him blush because of the fact that they had met even before that. That day, it was the start of when Ikki finally started to move forward. Finally started to open up a bit to at least one person again…it changed his life and hopefully for the better. He glanced around with his dark magenta eyes with a refreshed look on his face. Though, he couldn’t smile… It was just impossible for him right now. There was no way he could smile when he felt that he was taking advantage of Abe. Sure, he really loved it when the king told him about the news and gave him a job…but it just seemed that he was taking advantage of Abe being his friend by getting this job. Yeah, friends should help friends...this was just too much for him to handle at the moment.

Sighing, the butler moved his hands onto the red tie he wore and fixed the messy tie before patting lightly on his new black tux. Taking a deep breath, he nodded and entered the Rose Garden. Sure, it was his break…but he just loved it out here. The red roses and then there were a few white or even pink ones randomly placed around. It was like a maze. Ikki had been here many times before, so he had no trouble with walking through the place. Every one of his breaks were spent here out in the rose filled place. It calmed the nerves that dared to burst… Ikki slowed to a stop and rand his pale hand over a red rose. He was careful enough not to even harm it, but he just stared at the rose. The butler just thought of the rose’s bright color and what it would be like to even see a smile on another’s face after they retrieved one. Ikki glanced around quickly before smiling at the rose. It would only be a week till Valentine’s Day and also the prince’s birthday… This…will it be fun?

NOTES; for Image's Abe. <3 Also, I'm going to keep my posts under five hundred words to keep the thread moving and save muse. =D
SONG; You Found Me by the Fray

you found me.

[abe nishira]

Lying on the floor.

Shock. That was arguably the only thing he could feel when he was told that he had inherited the kingship of Crowned Clown Manor. It was a freedom, a release to a life of his own. No more living underneath the shadow of his uncle, spending every day running in search of something he wasn't sure he could find. But better than the fact that he was immune to the tyranny within the Nishira house's walls was that he wasn't tossed into something this big alone. He still had Ikki, and that was the only thought that he clung to like a lifeline. He was more than relieved when he'd offered the dark-haired boy a job and Ikki had accepted. If Ikki thought that Abe had offered him a job out of pity or just because he wanted to help a friend, the whole truth was obscured. Abe had never felt more reliant on someone, and the thought of taking on such a prominent position alone was more than daunting. He'd always run from his problems, escaping the reality of his issues somehow. But being king of crowned clown manor called for lucrative acquaintances to be made and kept as well as decisions rationally dealt with on an almost daily basis. He was in control of the towns and areas surrounding the manor, and it was proving to more than than the least overwhelming. All his life, he'd chosen to stay in the background, and now, as glad as he was for the position, he wasn't sure how well he could handle having to completely turn himself around.

He silently made his way across the polished tile floors of the kitchen and through the living room, slipping out the back door and only remembering to breathe once it'd clicked shut behind him and the quiet sound of the fountain filled his ears. He wasted not time and quickly shed the black dress coat he'd had to wear for a press meeting early that morning, rolling up the sleeves of his blue button-down shirt and gratefully walking across the courtyard and through the gate to the rose garden. Immediately he was met by the maze of soft color and the sweet smell of the blooming buds, a welcome change from the business-like bustle still going on inside as the house guests began to disperse slowly. The quiet was calming to his stressed system, but still the relief seemed paled in comparison to what he felt when he caught sight of a familiar figure. You look good in a tux.. his quiet voice blended with the tinkling of the fountain as he came to a stop beside Ikki, offering a small smile to the boy before turning his gaze to a velvety red rose blooming nearby, extending a hand to run his thumb across the petal. He'd stated the opinion with a tinge of teasing, his voice light despite the heavy feeling that had stolen over him throughout the week, but in all truth he really was amazed at how well the prim uniform fit Ikki. It was a far cry from the boy's usual attire, the worn casual wear Abe had grown so accustomed to over his visits with Ikki before they'd been moved to the manor. His breaths came more smoothly now than they had in days, and it was all because of one person. Uh... how're you faring? he turned towards Ikki, rubbing at the back of his neck. He felt guilty for getting so caught up in his own stresses, while he was sure that Ikki probably had just as many. He felt the familiar flush begin to spread across his cheeks, his blue eyes searching Ikki's almost apologetically.

Surrounded. Surrounded.

Notes Yaaay Ikki! <3 I just love him... I like this short post idea, muse saving is good lol. And I totally stole your lyrics muaha! XD

[ikki d'amore]

why'd you have to wait,

“ You look good in a tux..”

Ikki nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the calm, soft voice complement him. Really, he didn’t know what to say at first…maybe just a ‘thank you’… But he knew this voice well and really had fun while talking to Abe. Glancing wearily over toward the king, he blushed slightly for bowing his head toward him. Sure, Ikki probably didn’t really need to do that because of their close relationship…he just did it… Maybe over the fact that every time he was around Abe he got nervous to the point he grew stiff. He just let the sound of the fountain water take over for the time being. Letting a slight smile crawl onto his lips, Ikki took in a deep breath as he stopped next to the dark haired boy. As much as he tried, that nervous feel came back in the pit of his stomach and he took a step to the side away from Abe. Truly, the butler didn’t want to hurt the king’s feelings, but he couldn’t help but step away. He shook his head lightly before nodding again. “T-thanks…milord.” His voice was rough and even quiet… This isn’t like me at all… Sorry, Abe, sorry! It was awhile since the time they last had a conversation, probably the time when Abe gave Ikki the news about all of this. The chill in the air wasn’t heavy, but he could still feel it on his bare hands. Glancing down at his pockets, he pulled a black leather glove out of each pocket and pulled them over both hands.

“Uh... how're you faring?”

The butler glanced at the blue eyes of Abe before turning his glaze back down on the rose. He knew he had to be respectful to him now that he was king. At some points, Ikki wished his friend was never made king…that they could both hang out at Nowhere, the old barn, again. It made his heart ache, but he knew he couldn’t say a word to his buddy. Ikki was happy for him, but upset at the same time…he was just confused with all of these emotions crawling around him. God, he just had so many things flying around his head! Some crashing and others just buzzing like an annoying bee. You want to swat at them, however, you knew that it was the chance you had with being stung. Ikki swat at a few and just got stung right in the heart…his most sensitive spot. The dark haired boy closed his eyes for a moment to think of how he should answer Abe. “confused…” he whispered only hoping he, himself, would hear the bitterly toned word. Ikki frowned for a second before pulling a fake smile on to hide the confused look that was just trying to appear. “I’m great! How about you? It’s been forever since we last had a time to talk. Both of us have been so busy and all.” His voice full of false happiness as he kept his eyes close just in case they would show confusion through them.

NOTES; Awwww! <3 Poor Abe! Ikki shall take all your stress away! hehe. ,3
SONG; You Found Me by the Fray

where were you?

[abe nishira]

Lying on the floor.

It felt so good to be around Ikki again. He'd have been embarrassed to admit that all day he'd prayed for even a moment to converge with the maroon-eyed boy he'd grown so close to, but that was the truth of his inner workings. He'd been up too early for even most of the household help to be making their rounds, wearing clothes he felt uncomfortable and awkward in and padding around a silent house until the flood of reporters and other guests of the press to arrive. Now he felt he could finally relax, while at the same time he felt the same sense of nervousness he'd always felt when he was around Ikki. He tried to ignore the small step Ikki took away from him, pretending not to notice as he chewed at his bottom lip, but in reality that one subtle movement might as well have been a punch to the gut. He wanted to rewind, to go back to the uncomplicated times when they'd lain around in worn-through shirts and talked about absolutely nothing and never even cared. He wanted it to be like when they'd met. When nothing seemed to really matter and the only worry he had was being found out by his uncle. His stomach knotted recalling the day he'd stumbled upon Ikki. He would never dare let on to how many times he'd been unable to push away the remembrance of Ikki against his cool lips. God, if Ikki was ever to find out..

His head rocked back as an almost pained groan escaped his parted lips. Please, don't call me that.. his voice came out of his mouth more aggravated than he'd ever want to address Ikki like, and immediately he softened his tone. Sorry.. it's just that that's all I ever hear from anyone now. It's like I don't even have a name anymore. He rubbed at his temple with a thumb and forefinger, letting the quiet atmosphere engulf the garden again. He only barely heard Ikki's whispered word, letting out a wavering breath as he felt his cheeks flush. Like he had before, he once again pretended he hadn't heard, turning his blue gaze to Ikki. He studied the boy's face, swallowing as a smile tugged at the dark-haired boy's mouth. He knew Ikki wasn't as great as he let on, shaking his head lightly and giving the dark-haired boy a small smile. You can talk to me, Ikki. His soft voice was barely above a whisper before he paused, burying his hands in his pockets and considering his answer to the question. I dunno.. I guess I've been better. He sighed, reaching out and gently trimming a rose from the growing bush. It's just.. it's wierd. Different.. His shoulders rose in a small shrug, the corners of his mouth barely tugging upward in a strained smile. I'm really glad you're here, Ikki. He wasn't sure how things would've gone without the smaller boy around. He knew things wouldn't be running as smoothly; rocky as his kingship had been so far, it could've been worse.

Surrounded. Surrounded.

Notes Poor Ikki! O: Lol you're twice the man abe is! haha! (NOTE: I had to change it lol... too much blargness XD.)

[ikki d'amore]

Gah.. D: Sorry for the wait. I shall get my lazy butt in gear and get some Ikki muse. hehe. ,3 I love these two. <33

[image]

rofl it's fine! Take your time, I'm not in a rush :3. And I agreez, they're so cute! <3