Adrian thought it over, ignoring the blatant innuendo in Cassius’s invitation. When he spoke, his voice felt small, “We can try.”

He obediently followed Cassius into a small room draped with fabric and covered mirrors. He stepped onto the platform and hugged his arms around himself. The room felt small and even though he knew Cassius wouldn’t do anything to him he still felt his breath catch at the other boy’s proximity.

The prince made no move to step forward.

Silence began to fall around them.

“The things people think about will always amaze me.” Cassius’s low voice sounded loud in the quiet.

“...What?” Adrian didn’t follow.

“The woman, she...” he fiddled with the cord, “her thoughts are... how do I say this... interesting to say the least.”

Adrian thought back to how the prince had worded his suggestion and held back a wry smile, “Can you blame her? You say some of the most tone-deaf things I’ve ever heard in my life.”

“I do?” this seemed to take him by surprise.

“Yeah, like yesterday, you asked if I was ‘tired of wearing your clothes’,” he shook his head at the absurdity of the phrase, “I thought you were asking me to strip.”

Cassius looked concerned. “Did it? You must have felt uncomfortable then, I apologize.”

Adrian was taken aback. “It’s fine...”

“It most certainty is not,” he countered. “Remember the agreement we made? We would tell one another if we did something that made the other uncomfortable.”

“But I didn’t feel the need to,” he said quickly, “I know you won’t do anything to me.”

Silence.

Cassius stared at the cord in his hands, his voice was almost too low to hear, “I am glad you feel that way.”

Adrian watched him slowly step up on the podium and stand before him.

Cassius looked him in the eye as he held the cord up, “Hold out your arms?”

His movements were slow and deliberate, but he found himself flinching all the same. He hated it. It made what he’d just said sound like cheap lies.

“Adrian,” Cassius’s voice was cool and even, “I need to measure your neck and inseam.”

He nodded and shut his eyes.

“First, your neck.”

Cassius’s fingers were light on his skin, they felt strange. He noticed they were calloused, and just as he began to wonder which digits were the roughest, they were gone.

“Next, the inseam.”

“Is it normal for everyone to know how to measure?” He needed to not think about how close the prince was to him.

“I learned the terms because of Darrius. He likes to design clothing.”

“Of course he does.” He wanted to roll his eyes.

“My brother is gifted to say the least.” He wrapped the cord up and scrawled the numbers on a piece of paper before handing the book to Adrian. “Take look? I picked a few necessities. Circle anything else you might want.”

Adrian took it and leafed through the pages. He hadn’t realized so many clothes could be required to ride a horse.

“We should probably go out though, one can only wonder where that woman’s mind will be if we take too long.”

Adrian laughed. It was loud and breezy. He didn’t seem to notice the way Cassius stared as they left the small room.

The rest was easy. Adrian picked a few more things and clarified a few things in regards to the material that was being used. With that, they left they left the book with the clerk.

They visited several stores and placed orders for clothes that Adrian picked out, and Cassius didn’t give him the chance to feel bad about it. They’d left another when he noticed Cassius was watching him.

“What?”

“You seem happier.”

“You act like I spend my days depressed,” he knew the prince was right though. He’d smirked plenty, but he hadn’t smiled or laughed. “Whatever, kettle,” his eyes fell on a craft store.

“Want to go there next?” Cassius asked, already heading towards the shop.

The store was mostly filled with sewing materials. Adrian kept looking around though, certain that he’d find what he was looking for.

There was counter in the back and he nearly ran as he made his way to it.

“Beads?” Cassius questioned, he looked at a loss.

“Yeah.”

“What for?”

He bit his lip, unsure of what he wanted to share. “There were a lot of shops like this where I grew up.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth.

“Oh,” he nodded, “See anything you like?”

The beads were organized by color and shape. He looked at the prices and cringed. They were extremely expensive.

“Do you not like any of them?” Cassius peered through the glass at them. “I can have them make something…”

“Where do you get all the money to buy this stuff anyways?”

“I have an allowance.” Cassius’s eyes roamed the display, but it was obvious he wasn’t looking at them, “I don’t buy much, so I have a lot lying around. You are helping me by spending it.”

The clerk at the counter looked more than happy to take some of Cassius’s burden off his hands.

“I’d feel better if it wasn’t your money.”

Still he picked up two cases, they were on the cheaper end though that wasn’t saying much, and Cassius picked out another. They were a dark blue sapphire. No. They were actually sapphires.

“Cassius, you are not buying those for me.”

“Why not?”

“Those are gems. They could feed a small country.”

“I hardly believe these are edible.”

“Cassius.”

“Think of them as a gift.”

“Why are you so intent on buying them for me?”

Cassius looked to them and then Adrian and back. “When I look at them, I see your eyes.”

Adrian had to look at the clerk to check that he wasn’t the only one embarrassed by that comment. And yes, she was blushing, embarrassed for him.

Cassius must have heard her thoughts because he faltered. “Was that really so strange to say?”

Adrian shook his head; the prince had bumbled enough for today. “No of course not.”

He nodded to himself, content to believe Adrian over the clerk, and paid for them.

Adrian didn’t miss the apologetic look the clerk gave him. He waved his hand dismissively. If any other person had said that, he’d have thought they were interested in him too. Except, he knew Cassius wasn’t and, even if for some reason had been, Adrian didn’t want anyone.

The two stepped back outside, the sun was tipping toward the west and with it came a chilly breeze.

Cassius shivered, but Adrian wasn’t bothered by it.

“Do you require anything else?”

“I didn’t need any of this stuff in the first place,” Adrian pointed out, “but yeah I’m fine.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear. The breeze seemed content on whipping his hair into a frenzy. “I haven’t seen this much sun since I was a kid.”

“How old are you exactly?”

“Seventeen, you?”

“Fifteen.” He started towards the carriage, “Darrius is eleven.”

“Eleven?” Adrian repeated, refusing to believe it.

He nodded, “I would be surprised too.” He opened the carriage door and gestured for Adrian to get in first, “I had a feeling that you were older than me.”

“Is that why you talk like that?” Cassius’s speech pattern felt stiff and formal compared to anyone else’s.

“Like what?” Cassius got in and the footman closed the door.

Adrian shook his head and hid a smile behind his hand, “Nothing.”