This Is My Uniform

Spring Green Wingtip Dress Shirt

"Alright Mako!" Wu rapped on his bodyguards bedroom door, ignoring all the past conversations when he'd been told not to bother Mako in his room. "Time to get going."

The door creaked open to show just the sliver of Mako in his night clothes; white under tank, boxers.

Wu swallowed hard, set his nerve.

Nothing about this was abnormal. This was just the life of royalty. Of bodyguard and prince. Their daily routine. Two buddies in Republic City.

"So early?"

The rasp of his voice and half-hooded amber eyes made Wu want to run; want to fall into sleep warm body and stay there, cry until every tear had been spent and he couldn't anymore.

But it was a silly notion and Wu knew it.

"As you know, my good man," he shoved open the door, as he always had. Pushed past the feebly protesting firebender. Sat on the still warm bed, just as usual. "I've a busy schedule to keep."

"Whatever." Mako turned around, door closing. "What's first?" Mako yawned, stretching.

Wu's pulse leaping through the roof at the expanse of oblique and happy trail the motion uncovered.

"Muscles." It took a second for Wu to realize what he'd said, ripping his gaze away from the changing man before him. "I mean, we're going to have to try some food from the new restaurant that opened-"

"For breakfast?" Mako turned, jacket hanging open over his shirt, hands in his hair.

"Of course not." Wu rolled his eyes, this didn't have to be weird. He was making it weird. "My council meeting?" He examined his nails.

"Right." Mako's tone dropped noticeably.

"After that I have a manicure scheduled." He peered across the room. "And then the restaurant."

Mako's shoulders stiffened. "And that's why you're up so early?"

"Yes." Wu declined to admit he'd hardly slept for all the tossing and turning, the nightmares. The muscle aches. "Ready? We've got roughly half an hour for the meeting-"

"Why didn't you get me up earlier?!" Mako raced out the door.

"I tried." Wu shrugged, following Mako out to the main room. "Also paced outside your door for about fifteen minutes." Wu supplemented under his breath.

Because he couldn't be feeling this way about Mako. He shouldn't be, at the very least. If the last year had proven anything it was that Mako wanted nothing to do with him, least of all in a romantic fashion. And if his childhood had proven anything about how the Earth Kingdom viewed those kinds of relationships.... Well, Wu had fled to Republic City for a reason and it wasn't all about education.

"Too early to worry about that." Wu muttered, pacing again. "Not even sure-"

"You ready?" Mako paused, scrutinizing Wu. "Not sure about what?"

The heat of the gaze made Wu want to move, expand energy somehow. He settled for grabbing his top hat and cane, twirling the item a few times. "Nothing at all, my fine fellow." Wu crowed, marching on ahead.

"You're in a good mood."

"And you're not?" Wu smiled up at Mako as they exited the hotel room. "It's a new day, my kingdom grows closer to peace every passing minute, and I'm nearer to being king than yesterday."

The firebender huffed, eyes rolling.

"Stairs today." Wu announced, "I want to get the blood flowing to my brain before this meeting."