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Shin's brush danced lightly over the canvas he was working at, gently touching the mountain scene he had created with highlights of white to top off their snowy peaks. It was a simple landscape - barely more than a mountain ridge with a long, snaking river dipped between them, surrounded by a broad valley. It was vibrant with color and contained a vast amount of cloudless sky. It was not a perfect scene - far from it, for Shin's beginner skill was hardly good enough to create majesty. But it had not turned out badly, he thought.

Then the critic's part of his mind that picked apart his acting until he thought himself terrible started pointing out the little imperfections, the lines, the blurring of color here, the incorrect brush strokes there, and he began to think that even his meagre praise was not warrented. He still needed a lot more practice.

Setting aside his brush and standing up, Shin crossed to the bowl he was using to wash his brushes and dipped his hands inside it to caress the paint from his fingers. The frown that had been settled on his features the whole time deepened as he watched the water swish around, finally growing still as he placed his palms on the edge of the basin. He was bothered, but not by the painting. Compared to the thing that was nagging at him a mere painting was completely insignificant. It was Akako - or rather, Akako's behavior.

That was not to say that he had not been wonderful. He had. Akako had taken to living with Shin amiably and had been as thoughtful as anyone could have expected him to be. Shin often came home to kisses and it was amazing. But he had noticed a mark the other night on Akako's hip - one he had not put there, for it had been a fading bruise days old at least. He had wondered about it until he had been sickeningly reminded of what Akako actually did for a living - well, aside from acting. He had been equal parts mad and horrified at it.

That was going to have to change.

Shin exited his study and let his eyes wander over the hall, not really seeing the tasteful decor around him. His mind was full of Akako and what to tell him, and he was so absorbed in figuring out how to be polite about his demand he hardly noticed the source of his unease was in front of him. It was only by sensing a flicker of movement that he glanced up and met his lover's gaze. "Akako," he greeted, a half-smile tugging onto his face. It was hard lately not to smile when he saw the other man. He was sure one day that base enthusiasm would die and he would be able to look at him and not appear as though love-struck, but not yet.

"All finished?" he asked, although he could tell right away what the answer was. Well, he thought, now was as good a time as ever. Shin really needed to get this out before he dwelled on it too much. "I have something to talk to you about."

Shin felt an instant pang of grief and regret for the way that he had worded his initial statement. No! his mind shouted. It is nothing bad! One could argue that Shin's demand would be bad if Akako did not want to give up his job as a prostitute, but that was really for the better anyway. Stepping forward and lifting his hands to cup his lover's face, Shin kissed him squarely on the mouth to try and reassure him.

"It is about your... job," he began, not sure whether he could handle referring to Akako's whoring right in front of him as anything as distasteful as he referred to it privately. Stroking his thumbs over his lover's cheeks to try and bring some of that wonderful color back, Shin smiled grimly. "... Your - second - one, I mean..." He inhaled softly and let his breath out in a low sigh. "I want you to stop doing it, Akako. That is going to be the only condition I ask of you for living with me."

Oh.

A wealth of relief washed through Shin and eased away his worries on a tide of gratitude. Akako had apparently decided on his own to abandon that particular type of work, something Shin was all too happy to hear. The fact that the other man had taken it upon himself to do so was even more relieving. Akako really hadn't been enjoying his prostitution and that, for all his talk in the past, he did not want to do it if he did not have to. And he certainly did not have to now. If money had been the issue Shin had plenty of it being both a famous actor and nobility.

It didn't occur to him to doubt the other man or feel ridiculous for having brought it up. It had been a genuine concern of his that, if not addressed, would have continued to weigh on him. He drew Akako into a spontaneous hug and kissed him again, nuzzling his nose gently into his lover's wet hair. "Thank you for humoring my ridiculousness then," he said, the seriousness melting out of his features. "Even if it did come a bit late, it seems."