Feeling a slight pressure tap his nose, Abel began to pull himself out of his dream. It had been about the night he had first met Kirin at his coming-out event. Instead of focusing on what negativity came out of that situation, however, he had thought about everything he had learned in the short time he had been free of his father. Another faint pressure, this time against his cheek, made his eyelids stir slightly.

"Time to wake up, Abel."

Kirin's deep voice held a note of playfulness as he spoke, drawing Abel's curiosity out enough to make him open his eyes. Kirin was leaning over him, his breath tickling Abel's nose with each exhale through his slightly parted lips.

"Good morning," he whispered as he finally leaned back, giving Abel enough room to sit himself up.

His arms went above his head once sitting, stretching a little as he yawned. "Mm, morning, Kirin."

"May I kiss you again?"

The sudden question had Abel pausing, his arms bent near his head, having been descending so that he could push himself out of bed. "Um, I suppose?" he replied with a slight look of surprise on his face.

Kirin leaned over with a widening grin, pressing their lips together without another word. The kiss was brief, Kirin pulling away after only a few seconds. Kirin then stood and offered Abel a hand up. He took it, allowing himself to be pulled out of the bed. He was still sore when his feet touched the floor and he straightened, but he felt significantly better than he had the day before.

"Ready to leave? I will buy us some breakfast from the innkeeper, then we will go find you a dress and wig."

A nervous twist worried his stomach, but Abel nodded. He had completely forgotten to remove any of his clothing after having redressed before eating dinner. Even his boots had remained on when he'd climbed into the bed, so he just hurried to follow Kirin out of the room after the man tucked the gun back into his pants and donned his shirt, both of which he'd clearly removed prior to sleep.

Breakfast was a small hot bun for each of them. Abel added a little honey to his, but Kirin ate his plain before they climbed up onto Asira. Abel was comfortable trying to sit behind Kirin, but the man refused to allow him and instead insisted that Abel stay on his lap for one more day until they were sure he was healed enough. Instead of bothering to argue, Abel tucked his face against the man's chest and wrapped his arms around him so that Kirin could use both of his hands to manage his horse.

When they finally stopped outside of a small shop, Abel hurriedly slipped down to the ground, wincing slightly when his backside smarted from pain. Kirin dropped down to the ground a moment later, and after tying Asira to the hitching post, they both stepped inside of the dimly lit shop.

"Good morning, gentlemen. How may I help you?" a gruff voice called from the back, roughened by age. An old man with little remaining gray hair hobbled out of a small back room, which already had the door open.

Kirin was quick to step forward and extend his hand. When the man grasped it, his eyes widened, mouth opening slightly as recognition found its way onto his leathery face. "Ah, the Lawman in my shop? I am quite positive I have nothin' to hide, so I am guessing you need my skills?"

With a chuckle, Kirin nodded and then gently settled a hand on Abel's back and nudged him forward. "My friend and I wish to have a bit of fun with some of the gents in town this eve. Would you by chance have a dress and wig that may fit this young lad?"

The old man gave a hearty laugh and clapped Abel on the shoulder hard, then squeezed as a glint came to his eyes. "Oh yes. I believe I do have something that should do quite nicely. Come, come! I have always wanted to be involved in one of your hair-brain schemes, Squire."

Abel was hesitant to follow the surely crazed man, but when Kirin continued to push him forward, his hand never moving from his back, he relented and allowed himself to be led into the small back room from which the old man had first come out. The man hurried to slide a pair of old spectacles onto his nose and then walked over to a dress that hung from a hook on the far wall.

"This. Definitely this," he cooed as he held the fabric a moment before removing the item from the wall and turning. Abel was decently surprised by how beautiful it was. His father would have actually approved of the garment.

"Very beautiful. Abel?" Kirin mused, looking down at him with a curious smile. Not wanting to waste time, Abel hurriedly nodded and took the dress. The older man's smile widened as he led him over to a small corner of the room and drew back a curtain. Abel stepped into the small space, relieved when the curtain was pulled back into place in order to give him privacy while changing.

After years of experience dressing himself with only the help of a maid who sometimes was too busy to aid him, he easily slipped into the gown. The only issues he had, once it was situated on his shoulders, were the ties in the back.

"Sir?" he asked, waiting only a moment before he saw the lawman nudge aside the curtain to step into the small space. He expected Kirin to stare at him in the beautiful clothing like he had when he had been playing as Anastasia, but the look that settled on his face was actually quite hard to read, although it wasn't anything close to awe.

"Here, let me help," he said after a second of hesitation when he realized what he was called to do. His fingers swiftly moved over the fabric, tying what was needed proficiently until he was finished.

"All done. He has a wig for you, so let us see how everything looks together."

Abel nodded, feeling slightly awkward with Kirin's sudden lack of enthusiasm. He reached up, tugging the curtain aside and stepping out. The older man showed him quite a bit of appreciation, even making him turn before finally presenting the wig. It was a dark color, possibly black, though Abel had a feeling that it was likely just a very dark brown. Either way, he carefully slipped it onto his head, tucking a few strands of his own hair beneath it that had grown out over the time he had been away.

"By god, you will definitely make some lads jealous with this trickery, Sir Squire."

Kirin chuckled, giving the man a smile and nod, though Abel only received a small frown.

Have I done something to upset him?

He couldn't remember as he thought back to what had occurred throughout the prior day up to the current time.

"Abel? Come."

Shaking his head to refocus, Abel hurried after Kirin. The man had clearly already paid for the dress and wig. He thought Kirin would want to leave since he was standing near the front of the store, but when Abel tried to walk past him, he was held back by a hand against his belly, making him look up at Kirin in question.

"Your shoes. You need to leave them here and put these on," he said, holding up a pair of feminine slippers. It shouldn't have mattered to him if he left his worn boots at the shop or not, but it did. Greatly.

He shook his head, taking a step back. The action made Kirin's brow furrow as he stepped forward. "What are you doing, Abel? Just take off your boots. We have to go."

Abel shook his head again, frowning at the shoes that were being nudged against his chest. When he still refused to take them, Kirin huffed, frustrated. "Why will you not put them on? You may take them off as soon as we finish what we need to do."

Blinking back tears, Abel swallowed around the lump that had formed in his throat as Kirin knelt down, obviously intent on removing his boots anyways. "I cannot leave them here..." Abel eventually whispered after Kirin got one of the boots untied.

Kirin glanced up as he slid the shoe from Abel's foot and set it aside. "Why? They are just old boots. I can buy you new ones once we have fi—"

"I do not want new ones!" Abel said a little too loudly, drawing the shop owner's attention for a brief moment before he went back to mending a torn dress sleeve.

"Then we will return for them when I come back for Asira, but I have no room in my pack for them, Abel, and you cannot expect to wear them where we are going."

It hurt that he was right, but when the shopkeeper chimed in that he would be glad to keep them in the back room until they returned, since Kirin had previously asked him to watch his horse when Abel had not been paying attention, he finally gave in and stopped fussing as Kirin removed his other boot and then helped him into the feminine shoes. He already missed the leathery feel of his boots, even though the slippers he now wore were softer.

"Alright, let us go," Kirin said as he straightened back up and held out his hand, which Abel took.

The ride to his father's home was familiar to Abel, as he had traveled it many times in his life as he went to and from events in his father's coach. He thought he would be more nervous the closer they got, but when the coach Kirin had hailed finally stopped and they stepped out, he stood tall, shoulders back and head held high. When he felt Kirin's hand slip into his, they strode forward, stride matching until they stopped at the front door and Kirin lifted his hand, knocking three times.

The moment the door swung open, Abel was on edge. Not worried, but careful. He couldn't afford to slip up and act like a male, or risk the entire plan going to waste.

"Good afternoon, Sir Hallerd," Kirin said calmly as he bowed his head and smiled. "I am Lawman Squire, and I do believe I may have some good news for you, sir."

Abel tightened his grip in Kirin's hand and leaned a little closer, turning his face so that his forehead rested on the man's shoulder as he lifted his other hand to press his fingertips against Kirin's arm gently. He was trying to act like an innocent maiden, who was embarrassed to bring home a suitor but still smitten, as best he could as his father stared in astonishment at them.

"Well, I am sure you are shocked to see your daughter alive and well. The boy we thought had taken her ended up being innocent, though we still do not quite trust him yet to let him free. However, I am glad to say that I did find this lovely young lady wandering alone quite a ways from here. After she told me who she was, I was a bit startled, as you had previously stated that your daughter's eyes were blue, but she insisted that I bring her to you, if only to speak for a few moments."

As he finished speaking, he turned to Abel and leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his wig before they both turned their attention back to his father. He seemed to be sober for first time that Abel could remember besides the night of his coming-out event... and his mind was working quite a bit, judging from the expression on his face. After what felt like minutes, but had to have been only seconds, his expression changed to one of pure joy and he stepped forward to share a gentlemanly hug with Kirin.

"Thank you, Sir Squire, for bringing my beautiful daughter back to me! When I drink, I sometimes forget details. I must have reported her eyes incorrectly, as they are very clearly a gorgeous emerald color!"