Kita frowns at that, wondering what Alexis means. The person he wants? He doesn't want anyone, though. He has made that very clear through rejection after rejection. He must mean the type of person he wants. Kita finds himself curious, unaware Alexis even had a type.

"Alexis, the homelessness and crime rates are rising. Unemployment is through the roof. I can't keep up with anything, I'm horrible with numbers and diplomacy. The economy is getting worse every day I'm in power. The monster problem is worse than it's ever been. I can't do this without your father."

Her voice sounds almost broken, clearly growing emotional. Kita has never heard her sound like that.

"Then let me do it alone," Alexis says, tone almost pleading. Almost. "I can't settle for someone else. I'm sorry."

Someone else? Kita is starting to grow really confused, because it seriously sounds like he's talking about somebody specific. He must just have a very select type of person he is interested in. That has to be it, because if he actually had someone in mind that he wanted to marry, he'd surely have told Kita.

"Okay," the empress says, sounding like she's hit her limit with this. Alexis has always been a very stubborn person. At the same time, though... he gets it from somewhere. "Okay, fine, I give up. You won't take the throne by yourself, but I will leave it up to you."

Alexis frowns in confusion, possibly at the contradictory statements. Eve specifies immediately.

"Choose whoever you want. Royal, commoner, highborn, lowborn, rich, poor, peasant, I don't care. It can be romantic or platonic, it doesn't matter anymore. Just find someone and marry them, soon. The empire needs you. I need you."

Alexis pauses, staring at his mom in shock. Kita feels the same way, because that's unheard of. Someone royal marrying a commoner without having to forfeit their own royal status just does not happen. Highborn and lowborn, generally, don't mix.

Still, Kita doesn't know how this new rule could change anything, until her words really hit him.

It can be romantic or platonic.

Wait a second.

"Are you serious?" Alexis asks in disbelief.

"Yes," she says honestly, and her voice is shaking. Tears are beginning to well up in her eyes, voice wobbly, when she talks again. "I can handle the press and everything, just... please."

They keep talking after that, but it's only the specifics to what she just gave Alexis explicit permission to do. Kita doesn't stick around, especially when the poor woman finally breaks down and Alexis has to comfort her. It's a moment Kita has no business intruding on.

So, he leaves the almost empty castle and goes right to Bermuda. His mind is a million miles away the entire journey home, going through scenario after scenario of what the future holds. What he will do.

This is because Kita finally has a solution to Alexis' problem.

-

Kita actually doesn't hear from Alexis for a couple days. This doesn't ever happen, so he finds himself feeling a bit worried. Especially because he really needs to talk to the guy.

Kita can't stop thinking about the conversation he heard. The fact that Alexis has been given explicit permission to marry whoever he wants. Eve is clearly at her limit with leading, she needs somebody to take over, and Kita would be absolutely fine with helping Alexis rule Amarath.

Also, he wouldn't have to deal with Alexis marrying someone else and leaving him. It's not like Kita has many plans for his life, and he sure wasn't looking forward to working at the pub for the rest of it. This would save him from that fate. He'd get to spend the rest of his life with his best friend! It's a win-win!

As the days go by, Kita's wound doesn't heal. He's forced to just keep wrapping it in bandages, though at least it hardly bleeds anymore. He is so unbelievably hungry, and he craves something specific, but he doesn't know what. He tries to eat multiple times during this two day long period. However, every time, his body rejects it. The only thing he can keep down is water, but it ends up being pointless to drink since it only makes him feel more dehydrated.

Kita only feels worse and worse, hungrier and hungrier, unsure what to do. Is he going to die like this?

Thankfully he's distracted mostly by his thoughts, as well as Alexis disappearing off the face of the earth, so it doesn't weigh on him too much. One night, two days after the castle incident, Kita is working in his parent's pub. He's bartending, like usual, and it's actually somewhat of a slow night, which hardly ever happens. They're about ten minutes from closing—the place is near empty—when Kita hears the door chime as someone enters.

Kita looks up, as does the rest of the place. When he spots Alexis' large form entering the building, his entire face lights up. Alexis, as per usual, pays the staring no mind. He is clad in his armor, meaning he is most likely about to go on a hunt.

Alexis takes a seat at the bar, in his normal spot, all the way to the left side. It's right in front of where Kita does the dishes, and as soon as Kita sees him, he's rushing over there. Once Kita reaches him, he speaks.

"I need to talk to you."

"I need to ask you something."

They both talk at the same time, and Kita frowns. Alexis needs to talk to him? Kita was just going to come clean about his eavesdropping, and ask him how he feels about the... solution he came up with. He was also going to question Alexis on where he's been these past few days. Alexis and Kita both frown.

"What is it?" He asks, meaning Kita is going first. Whatever, Alexis might want to talk about the same thing Kita does. It's really a great idea, it solves all their fucking problems. Again, it's not like Kita was planning on doing much else with his life. He figured one day some girl would steal Alexis away and then Kita would rot in his parent's pub the rest of his life. This is way better.

"Okay, so—I'm sorry, but, uh, at the party. So, yeah—so—" Kita really should've planned this out. Alexis starts to look amused, possibly at the fact that Kita can't talk. Why is he so nervous all of a sudden? "After I left I, uh, changed my mind..."

Kita pauses after that, wondering why he didn't tell Alexis about the vampire. Whatever, they can talk about that later. It would redirect the conversation, anyway, and they need to speak about something else right now.

"So I went back inside, and I couldn't find you anywhere, so I started looking..." Kita can tell from the look on Alexis' face that he's catching on. Thankfully he doesn't look mad. Kita actually can't read his expression at all right now. It's sort of unnerving, but he powers through. "Uh, I found you upstairs, and you were talking to your mom, and I accidentally eavesdropped."

Alexis just stares at him. "Accidentally."

"Yeah, anyway, uh..." Kita gulps, wondering how he should phrase this. Alexis is looking at him, gaze unmoving and intense. It has Kita growing more nervous, and he wonders why Alexis is so keyed in on him. It's strange to feel self conscious around his best friend, but he is. "Your mom wants you to take over, because the empire is suffering, and she... well, she said..."

Alexis leans forward a bit, arms folded in front of him, and studies Kita's face, which begins to grow warm. Why is Kita being so weird about this all of a sudden? It's just... uh... marriage. Damn, that is kind of serious, huh?

"What did she say, Kita?"

Kita gulps. Come on, just say it! Stop dragging this out! "She said you need to get married."

Alexis nods, and Kita wonders if he's thinking the same thing. Probably not, since they're friends. Honestly, what is Kita doing, anyway? This whole time he just assumed that Alexis would agree, but he could have anybody he wants. Why would he choose Kita?

"I do," Alexis says simply. Kita gulps. He should change the subject, he doesn't know what he was thinking. Alexis probably had somebody in mind, anyway. It sure sounded like it, going off his phrasing.

"Do you want something to drink?" Kita asks him, fidgeting. To keep his hands busy, he begins washing his dishes.

"No thank you."

Kita nods silently, not making eye contact. A few minutes go by of him doing this, until he risks a glance up at Alexis, who is already looking at him. Kita jumps, not expecting it, though he probably should've.

"What?" Kita asks anxiously.

"You said you wanted to ask me something," Alexis reminds him. Kita pauses, realizing Alexis is right. He curses himself for saying that, for being stupid enough to think Alexis would go along with something so ridiculous.

"Never mind," Kita says, shaking his head and continuing with his dishes. "It was a dumb idea."

Kita continues washing his dishes, uninterrupted this time, until they're completely finished. He then realizes the pub is basically empty, and they're closed now. There are a few servers still doing side work and closing tasks, and Kita has done hardly any of his pre closing duties. He's been too distracted by the conversation.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Kita asks, upon remembering what Alexis said earlier. He finishes his dishes, so he just rests his hands on the industrial sink in front of himself. Alexis is still staring at him.

Alexis continues looking at him blankly, and Kita really can't read his expression at all. It's starting to drive him crazy. "Not relevant anymore."

Not relevant anymore? That makes Kita wonder if, perhaps, he was actually going to tell Kita about his situation. His predicament, of finding someone to marry before the empress loses her mind. Then, Kita revealed his eavesdropping, and it was rendered useless.

"Oh," Kita says lamely, unable to think of anything else. He purses his lips, averting his eyes to the bar top. He realizes that it's kind of dirty, so he grabs a nearby rag and begins cleaning it. When he's scrubbing the area in front of Alexis, the guy puts his hand over Kita's own, successfully stopping Kita's movements.

"What did you want to ask me, Kita?"

"I- I don't know," Kita says hastily, avoiding eye contact and backing away, cutting their contact quickly. "I'm gonna finish closing."

Alexis doesn't answer him, and Kita does his best to ignore him as he begins doing as he said he would. It takes him at least thirty minutes to completely close down the bar, and by that time everybody has left. The pub is now empty, and Kita does a walk through to ensure they did a decent job.

After making sure the door is locked, Kita turns back around. Alexis is no longer on the bar stool. Instead he's standing there, arms crossed, the room only illuminated by the faint light in the kitchen. Kita makes a mental note to shut it off when he goes upstairs.

Alexis is leaned against the bar, eyes still unmoving from Kita, when he talks, "come here."

Kita gulps, feeling so nervous for some reason. His steps are hesitant when he does as told, slowly making his way back to his best friend. Eventually he is in front of Alexis, but still keeping a good bit of distance between them. Alexis pushes off the bar and takes a couple steps forward, rendering that precaution useless. Now they're much closer. Kita has to actually crane his neck to look up at him, and it does not help his nerves.

He's frozen when Alexis speaks again. "Ask."

Kita stares into his eyes, putting his hands in his pockets when they begin to shake in anticipation. Alexis' silver gaze is unnerving, so Kita doesn't last long before breaking eye contact.

"I was g-going to, um..." Kita stammers, feeling like an ant under a magnifying glass. After a while, he gives up. Honestly, if Alexis really wants to know, then fuck it. Kita will tell him. That is, if he can even get the words out. How should he phrase this?

"You... could marry me."