Still quite flush from the extended close proximity, Akito does his best to smile back, his ears burning a bit when Hiro expresses that he wants to keep him around. [i]'Well, if it winds up being my best trait, I guess I won't complain'[/i] He coughs slightly, rubbing the back of his head before grabbing up a wash rag and scrubbing his body. As Hiro moves to leave after both are thoroughly clean, the former soldier flushes a bit deeper as he is able to see even more of the man he's going to wed soon, and nods. “Sounds nice.” he manages to respond without squeaking. He averts his gaze a bit as servant file in, and he wonders if he's going to be able to convince himself to climb out of the tub, or if he'll have to wait/ask the servants to leave. [i]'No, idiot, you need to get used to this. You can't be selfish and make them do something special for you. They have seen the whole royal family naked regularly. You're not special'[/i]

Only half a minute behind his betrothed, Akito gets carefully out of the tub, covering up with the towel right away and scooting over to where his set of clothing is waiting. His brows furrow a bit as he sees no hakama with his nightwear, but once again, he has to remind himself that he needs to begin abiding by the palace way of things and doesn't complain. Keeping his back to Hiro, he works on drying himself quickly, only pausing at the sight of something white flying at him from out of the corner of his eye. Years of training and instinct cause his hand to snap up and he grabs the white thing out of the air. Looking at it, he realizes what it is, and turns slightly to give Kaede a smile of thanks.

Setting aside the hair tape, he finishes drying and dresses quickly. Hearing a yelp from the other room, he lets out a whistle and Hoko comes trotting into the room. Hiding behind one towel to keep his clothes dry, Akito works on his partner until he's at least not dripping any more, then stands and begins work on his hair. [i]'So, soup tonight. . . I like soup. . .'[/i] His insides twist. [i]'I hope his highness isn't still mad at me. . . .'[/i] He knows the man wasn't exactly mad before, but he still feels bad getting them trapped in the rain for so long. Once his hair is slicked up and tied in place, he pockets the tape to give back to her when he sees the serving roman again.

Slipping out of the room, Akito feels a bit naked without his hakama, but does his best to not look too uncomfortable. Sliding his sword into place, he looks to Hiro and nods. “Food sounds good.” he murmurs, trying once more to smile and relax in front of the man. Hoko follows him out, but when he whistles to see if he can climb in his partner's kimono, Akito lets out a sound to tell him that he'll have to walk for now, and after an unhappy grunt, Hoko begins winding his way back and forth across the hall while they walk to dinner. Hoko spooks a few of the servants, and he is ready to call him back, but then a small, quiet voice in his mind reminds him that Hoko, too, is becoming a part of this family, and the servants will learn to know his partner as well as him in the coming years, and calling him back could have the effect of making them think he's dangerous. So instead, he tries to just politely smile at all the bowing and nervous servants, to make them both seem more peaceful.

The gentle song from the bath comes back as they walk, and the sound helps Akito's smile and feel a bit less nervous as they make their way towards the smell of food. He lets out an honest chuckle when his intended scoops up the wet critter and lets him settle his cool, wet, furry body inside his night clothes. He knows the man will likely have to change again before bed, which is why he didn't do the same, but seeing him be so kind towards the beast who's saved his life several times fills Akito with warm appreciation for the man. Then, they are in a more well lit room, full of movement and smells. Akito gets a little stiff, but takes a seat beside Hiro and does his best to just eat like a normal human being. He's eyeing the soup, sniffing a spoonful when he gets asked about how he's doing, and with some grace he manages to not drop the spoon and put it back without spilling on himself.

“Me? Oh, I'm doing okay. Things got a lot worse on long marches before, so I have a rather hearty constitution.” he responds, smiling at the empress softly. Glancing over, he sees Hoko sniff at the soup before moving over to his lap. Finding only soup again, he scurries right on over to the empress for his nightly handout, to which the woman seems particularly pleased. Glancing at the emperor, he swallows slightly, and does his best to not straight up hang his head. “I know, we should have headed back sooner, but. . . But it was a nice, walk, besides the rain. . . I mean, the rain was pretty, but it was cold. . .” The last words come out as a bit of a mumble, and the empress' chuckle, though kind hearted, doesn't help.