Akari Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven (Volokari/Volo x Akari/Volo x Reader)

He Is Long Acquainted With The Night

"Rei!" Akari gasped. "Keep your voice down!"

The young man rushed forward, eyes and mouth wide as he frantically looked between the two travelers.

"What is HE doing here?" Rei gasped, staring at Volo like a stunned Magikarp.

"What are YOU doing here?" Akari shot back. "I thought Ress had the gate tonight!"

"He did, but his Bidoof was injured and I offered to cover him so he could take care of it,"

Akari almost slapped herself on the forehead. So much for a quiet entrance.

"I ran into Volo while I was out on my survey," she hissed. "He's trying to be better but I don't want the whole village to hear he's here and throw him out before he even gets a chance!"

Rei flushed and heatedly shook his arms, falling back into a more casual pose.

"Sorry, sorry!" he said hurriedly. "I just wasn't expecting you back tonight, let alone with HIM,"

"It's quite alright, I'm sorry for frightening you," Volo said in his familiar honey tenor. "I'm here to atone for my crimes against Jubilife and Hisui. I don't have any right to ask for forgiveness, but Akari is willing to give me the chance and I'll do anything I can to prove it,"

Rei gulped, then nodded in understanding.

"Right, right. If Akari says so then it must be for a good reason. But what are you planning on doing? Kamado isn't going to take lightly to this after all the trouble he caused,"

Akari sighed but looked up in determination. "I'll be talking to him myself any moment now. I just pray he'll listen,"

Rei sighed. "Yeah, glad I'm not you then,"

Akari gave a quiet laugh. "I'm not excited to be me either in this instance,"

She glanced back at Volo, who gave her a nervous smile. "Well, we should talk to him before it's too late. He should have eaten by now so maybe he'll be in the mood to listen,"

Rei nodded them through the gate and the pair made their way down the quiet street. Thankfully, the majority of villagers had turned in for the night, candlelight flickering in several windows while others had long since gone dark. By the time they approached the steps of Galaxy Hall, Volo was visibly tense, his strides shorter and his figure hunched. Akari greeted Beauregard, who didn't take his eyes off of Beautifred the Dustox long enough to notice she was accompanied by the former Guild merchant.

"Is the cart not manned at night anymore?"

Volo's voice surprised her. Akari looked over at the Gingko Guild Cart, which sat silently and unassuming in the moonlight.

"No, Ginter and Tuli have rooms at the Wallflower now. They get their wares when the other merchants stop by and take turns sailing from Prelude Beach. Tuli admitted that I was the only one buying at night anyway,"

Volo nodded. "That's fair,"

Akari swung the heavy doors open and they walked into the crimson hall. Guiding the man forward, they ascended the stairs in uneasy silence until they reached the third floor.

The loud snoring of Kamado's Snorlax greeted them well before they saw him, blocking half the doorway with its mass.

"What are you doing in Galaxy Hall this late?" Kamado's gruff voice called from behind the massive blue belly. "Surely there's nothing amiss that needs my attention?"

Akari squeezed past the Pokémon into Kamado's office. The middle aged commander was hunched over his desk, eyes trained on a worn book held in one hand as he sipped from a clay mug. He glanced up at her, slate eyes revealing nothing.