Ikki, Ikki, Ikki. Did he not know her well enough to know that he would end up on the dance floor if she wanted him there? But the clear distaste on Ikki’s face—the near-horror, really, combined with the way he held the sparkly jacket as if it were a piece of trash he’d found at the beach—made Jessica laugh out loud, only for her to do a double-take and raise an eyebrow at his next words. “Oh?” Her eyes lit up, lips curving into a grin. “If that’s a challenge, it’s on, Ikki.” She’d been hoping to keep him here for hours for the fun of it, but there were some nice outfits she’d genuinely love for him to wear.
Ikki had his own sense of style—sharp and sophisticated, the type Jess chose for herself when she wanted to show that she meant business, having seen how people took Ikki seriously no matter the day—but at an engagement party full of color, she didn’t want her new in-law-to-be to shine even a little less brilliantly than Rafael did. So she combed through the clothing racks, fingers brushing through eye-catching suits and silk shirts that were a mix of relaxed but elegant, and fun and fuckboi, then turned towards Ikki, drawing out several shirts with a flourish.
“Okay, serious business Jessica here,” she said primly—something that lasted for a good two seconds before the smile broke through again. “Knowing Raf he’ll go for something lively, so you don’t need to be in tinsel,” she admitted, completely unashamed by the fright she’d given him, “but you shouldn’t pale in comparison, either. Which is why I’d love to see you rocking metallics, even if only with some great accessories.” Despite his words earlier, she was fairly sure he’d go with one of her choices if she really pushed it. “But because I love you,” she added, “I do have options.” And she hung them on a clothing rack that she’d wheeled in front of the others: several silk shirts and suits, among them an elegant navy blue silk shirt with gold and red accents; another dark blue shirt with a blood-red floral print; a much brighter patterned white shirt that felt like a sunny day to her, warm and welcoming; and a gorgeous black blazer with a serpentine motif, accented by billowing clouds and red anemone, completed with an elegant black silk shirt.
Jess knew that she didn’t have much to worry about; the worst that Ikki could possibly do was to choose something boring. But, her own opinions aside, the most important thing was for Ikki to look and feel good in whatever he chose at his engagement party. So as she unbuttoned the collar of the dark blue shirt, clasping a gold necklace around the neck of the hanger, she watched Ikki’s expression, giving him time to make his choice or even to take his time looking through the racks, before eventually piping up again. “So? Anything catch your eye?” she asked, a tinge of hopefulness in her voice. Then, with a grin: “If your question is whether I’ll style you for the rest of your life, the answer is yes—all for the low, low price of one long, 10-second hug a week. Or two five-second hugs a week, if you change your wallpaper to a selfie of the two of us and the birds.”
The truth was that Ikki didn’t actually ever shop for himself, he had someone do that for him. It was an investment he made when a certain image became important for him to have, and as far as he was concerned it paid off. So, he was more than willing to listen to other people’s opinions or ideas when they knew what they were speaking about. Jessica was indeed one of those people, when she wasn’t fucking with him. When she got more serious Ikki took into consideration her options, looking through the clothes with mild curiosity, and interest. Flipping past some options without a second thought, and taking a second to pause on others before passing it to the side.
Were it any random party he might not even care, he might just pick something and know he only had to wear it for a few hours. He might not like parties, but this was different. Plus, as a very discerning man about almost every single thing in his life, this was hardly different. Ikki paused on the black suit with the elegantly painted serpentine pattern, and accented with reds and whites. “This one,” he says, only after a moment of consideration, not taking too long to come to the decision. When he saw something he wanted to choose he chose it, simple as that. There was really no reason to sit around and be indecisive.
Glancing up from the suit as Jessica spoke he, gave her an amused snort. “And have my own sister disown me because I didn’t offer the job to her?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. “No, that’s not what I was going to ask, it was something else…” Ikki finished letting the statement trail off quietly, as he stood with his chosen option and hanging it up to be put on later. “I will let you change my wallpaper, though. I don’t mind doing that.” Currently it was of his birds anyway ( and usually was ) so there wouldn’t be much of a difference.
Once back to Jessica he paused, falling silent for a few moments. Not hesitancy, necessarily, but considerate and pensive. Numerous thoughts running through his head that caused something warm to cross his typically cool expression as he looked at Jessica. The thought of Rafael introducing Ikki to his weird little cousin all those years ago. The fact that it wasn’t just Raf who had spent the time drawing Ikki out of his shell. How Jessica had been a champion for him, and his relationship long before it even became a thing. That she was still here, despite what he had told her. Once again, deciding to just do away with any unnecessary preamble as he spoke. “Will you be my maid of honor?”
