Getting Fitted
Who: Nico and Ethan Setting: Nico's shop
Curiosity got the best of Ethan and he headed over towards Nico’s shop. The guy signed his net posts. It was adorable. Who did that? Ethan had to know this guy.
Ethan hadn’t bothered with looking nice, thinking that his matching black hoodie and sweats were more than enough. It didn’t help that he hadn’t shaved since the party or bothered with his hair. The beanie was cute enough. It was easy to find the shop after a robot pointed him in the right direction, and he let himself in with an appreciative nod. It was fancier than he was expecting, but that was the whole point wasn’t it? Savile Row. Ethan knew enough to know that was the best. And he’d seen The Kingsmen too many times.
The shop was empty, but Nico wasn’t worried about that. He was after quality in his clientele, not quantity. If he had too many customers, he wouldn’t be able to cope. So, after he’d made sure the front of house was spotless, he had retreated into the back room to work on a waistcoat he was putting together - for now, for himself. It was one of the perks of his trade, always being perfectly turned out - today in a dark navy shirt, open at the neck and fitted round the shoulders, under a gray waistcoat which emphasised his narrow waist and led the eye down to the matching trousers that fitted the way they did because they were, quite literally, made for him. He had left a little sign on the counter next to an old fashioned brass bell, which read ‘ring for assistance’.
Ethan amused himself with wandering around the shop, running fingers over the edges of the fabrics before making his way to the counter. The place was neat, spotless. Part of Ethan wanted to mess things up just to shake things up. Places without chaos made him feel like he stuck out. He leaned on the counter for a moment, admiring the little sign before pressing the bell, amused at the noise it made, but he managed to not hit it again, leaning on the counter instead to see what happened.
Nico finished off the seam he was working on, knowing that the sound of the machine could probably be heard out front, but not liking to leave things unfinished. It was a matter of moments anyway. Then he stood, checked himself over for loose threads, and headed out to find out who his new customer was.
He paused for a moment in the doorway as he recognised the figure. He’d been taught when he was younger that people liked to be recognised, to think they were known. Part of his education had been to make sure that he followed everything from the high to the celebrity magazines and gossip column. “Ethan Sinclair,” he said, gathering himself and walking over to the other man. “How can I help you today?” he sounded formal, he knew - he always thought that it made himself older than he actually was, but it was what people expected and a good base before he had a measure of personality and could adjust accordingly.
Ethan’s brow arched up when he was greeted by name by...well he wasn’t really sure what Nico was. He was well dressed, handsome, but he seemed so...stiff maybe? Something. Ethan propped an elbow on the counter and shrugged. “I thought I’d see what you were up to. Nico, I presume?” Who else would it be? “And you know who I am,” he added pointing at Nico. “Good for you. I was starting to think they only invited people here who lived under rocks.”
“There’s no accounting for taste,” Nico said, flashing Ethan a smile that lit up his face and took years off him in a moment. “Yes, I’m Nico D’Angelo - were you looking for anything in particular, or just wanted to look around? There’s not a huge amount on display - little point when I make everything just for you.” He eyed the hoodie for a moment and tried to mentally dismiss the image in favour of some of the other outfits he’d see Ethan wearing in the press over the years.
“Exactly.” That smile was nice. Nico should do that more. Ethan made a mental note to try and make him smile more. “Well, that’s the perk right? I guess I could use some new things. I only brought so much with me, and that’s going to put a damper on my reputation quickly if I’m not careful.” He leaned back and tucked his hands into his sweats. “You recommend anything off hand? Like, a specialty of yours?”
Nico gave him the once over again. “Less… casual than your current look,” he said, trying to be polite. “Shirts, trousers, jackets, waistcoats, ties are my stock-in-trade, though with a figure like yours I can probably make almost anything.” It crossed his mind that there was the potential that with Ethan’s build, Nico would just be able to use his own templates - they looked about the same size.
Ethan laughed at that, before turning in a circle, looking at himself. “What? There something wrong with this?” he asked, mostly teasing. He knew he looked like a slob, but why bother with more? What else was he going to do today? “I’m not sure I’m a waistcoat kind of guy, though, looks sharp on you, but you know, you’re the expert. You tell me. If you could put together the dream outfit, what would it be?”
“For you?” Nico asked, leaning back against the counter and thinking about that. “What’s the occasion?”
Ethan wandered away from the counter, looking at what was on display. “No occasion, Just fun.”
Nothing too formal then. “Dark grey suit,” he said with certainty. “Close fitted trousers, which will show off your form as well as lengthen your legs. Stopping just above the tops of your shoes. Slim fitted jacket with one, maybe two buttons, so the v falls low on your chest. The colour would be so dark it’s almost black, but black would be too harsh. This would be softer, and it would be a softer material as well. Something that has some movement in it, lightweight. You could wear it with a white shirt and a block-colour tie, but for fun? For you? I’d go with just a white t shirt. I’d say that’s more your style and personality in clothing is very important. Otherwise you’re just playing dress up doll.” He paused. “How’d I do?”
Ethan hadn’t meant for it to be a test, but if it was, Nico passed with flying colors. He grinned and nodded. “Perfect. And a welcome change from all the other old as dirt tailors,” he said. “So we do the suit, maybe some pants. Colors probably. And another jacket. Blue maybe?” He needed to expand his wardrobe and Nico was going to be his best bet not to look like anyone else. He could supplement the pieces with what he could find at the department store.
“Blue would bring out your eyes,” Nico agreed. “Hold on.” He disappeared into the back and hurried back carrying three bolts of cloth in different shades that he layered overlapping each other, spread out over the wide counter. “Any in particular take your fancy?” he asked, smoothing the material down with a practiced and loving hand.
Ethan wandered back to Nico, smiling and admiring the fabrics in time, even though he knew which one he was going with immediately. He tapped the brightest of the blues, something in a hue that was still dark enough to be subtle if necessary. Not that Ethan did subtle, but the idea was there. “This one. For sure.”
“Good choice,” Nico said and whilst some may have tried to suggest that he’d say that about anything just to make a sale, that was far from the case. He would be the first person to tell a client when something wouldn’t work for them - after all, better they heard it from him, than from someone else once they’d bought it. He wanted them to keep coming back. “I’ll need to take some measurements. And, would you like to try some samples on, to see what you like and what you’d prefer to avoid?”
Ethan smirked, pleased he’d picked right. He had a guess that Nico might not kiss his ass about that sort of thing. Or he’d only brought him good options so there wasn’t a ‘wrong’ choice. “Whatever you think is best. Lead the way.”
“If you’ll follow me then,” Nico suggested, indicating the way to the good sized side room that he used for personal consultations. He was hardly going to ask a customer to strip in the middle of the shop, after all, but by the same note, a regular sized changing room just wouldn’t give them enough room to work.
In the side room, there was a dark red, velvet couch along one wall. At an angle to it, at one end of the room, there was a trio of mirrors, one flat against the wall and the other two positioned at each side at an angle to give as much of a view around the individual as possible. Between the mirrors and the couch was a wooden valet stand. “If you make yourself comfortable,” Nico suggested. “I’ll go and get some samples.” He paused, then added, “You’ll need to lose the hoodie,” before disappearing into the back room.
Ethan really, really wanted to come back in this little room again. Maybe with other intentions than getting a new suit even. The whole thing screamed ‘perfect hook up area’. He smiled as Nico left, then yanked his hoodie off, leaving the beanie on the couch too. He wasn’t wearing much under it, just a cut up shirt that was more tank top now, dipping low across his chest and under the arms. He poked at the valet a little before going back to looking around the room, taking in every corner with his hands tucked in his pockets. He should probably sit, but for some reason he had a touch too much pent up energy to do that.
The ‘samples’ Nico had referred to weren’t quite that. He didn’t have a huge amount of stock - something he’d truthfully said earlier - and as he grabbed items on hangers for Ethan to try, what he was actually collecting were bits from his own wardrobe. Newer items, at least, but still they had been made for him. He thought that he was a little broader through the chest and shoulders than Ethan was, but a little big was better than a little small and he wanted to impress.
Throwing a tape measure around his neck, he bustled back into the side room, landed down with fabric. “Here we go,” he said, carefully hanging each piece up on the various hooks that were screwed into the two empty walls, creating an impromptu display. “Where would you like to start?”
Ethan watched the little show happen, everything that Nico brought out, enjoying the look of all of it. He looked at the line up of things, walking up and down the room as he looked at the options. “These look perfectly sized,” he said with a tilt of his head. “Which is weird because I’m not really normal sized.” He turned to look back at Nico. “Up to you? Pants or jackets?”
“Let’s start with a jacket,” Nico suggested, picking his favourite - a dark blue with an almost imperceptible pinstripe, just enough to lift the colour. He held it up at the shoulders, lapels wide, so that Ethan could just step into it. “This make be a little big, but it’ll give you a good idea. It falls the way that I think would best suit your style.”
Ethan nodded, moving over to Nico and turning to step into the jacket. He’d gone through this sort of fitting before, trying on clothes for a photoshoot or an event. Despite that, it was nicer with Nico, maybe because he wasn’t old or so caught up in the honor or bored with the idea. “Sounds good to me.” He pulled the jacket on and turned towards the mirror. “Nice.”
Nico stepped up behind Ethan and reached round to close the top of the two buttons, then pulled the material of the jacket a little tighter in the small of his back. “See,” he said, looking over Ethan’s shoulder at the reflection in the mirror. “This one is a little big, it should fit you more like this - and in a little more across the shoulders. It’s classic, but not traditional.”
“Well, I'm nothing if not traditional,” Ethan said with a smirk, but honestly he liked the jacket. It did look good on him. He also liked Nico’s hands on him, even if it was for work.
Nodding a little and taking Ethan’s meaning, Nico turned and collected the trousers. “You should try these on as well. We’ll see how they fit and whether I need to do any detailed measurements as well.”
“Sounds like you’re just trying to get me out of my clothes,” Ethan teased, looking back at Nico. “But you know, since you insist.” He toed out of his Vans then his sweats, revealing an almost modest pair of black boxer briefs. They were shorter than most guys might wear, but considering Ethan had no issues with barely there briefs, he was practically covered up.
Nico turned away to give Ethan the semblance of privacy, even as he said, “Getting men out of their clothes is part of the job.” He paused, choosing a tie and running the length of silk through his fingers slowly. “Of course, the idea is to get him into some of mine… This is your colour, I think,” he suggested, holding the tie out to Ethan, together with a white shirt made of very high quality cotton.
Ethan hopped himself into the new trousers, huffing a laugh as he buttoned them up. “So I’m not special,” he teased. “But you wouldn’t have to try hard to get me in your clothes,” he added. “I’m sure I’d be cute in just one of your button downs right?” He flashed a smile then reached for the tie, eyeing it before nodding. “I think that would do, you know, if I had to wear a tie.”
Nico pulled the tie back. “Just checking - noted, though. Not a tie guy.” He didn’t rise to the shirt comment - he was being professional, at least mostly, after all. “To be truly honest?” he said, standing back. The length of the trousers was just right and he nodded approvingly. “You’re already wearing my clothes. Guess neither of us are normal sized.”
Ethan arched a brow at that, leaning back just a little. “Am I now? Well, at least I know who to share outfits with,” he teased, then reached for the tie, pulling it closer, and maybe even Nico with it. “Not quite as sexy, but fun.”
“This isn’t really about sexy,” Nico pointed out. “Making you look good, sure - but I never really got the whole ‘sexy’ thing. Knew a girl once who specialised in leatherwork out of Soho… She got sexy.” And had taken him to this club once… He still wasn’t sure how he felt about that whole scene and it was years ago now.
That made Ethan laugh, bright and light. “Alright, fair enough. That’s a different kind of sexy though. More of an outright sort. This is subtle, banging in boardrooms sexy, you know?” He canted his head to the side. “Unless you’re into the girls in leather?”
“I.... Am going to go with no,” Nico said, hesitantly. “But I can give you boardroom sexy. So, you happy to put in an order?” he asked.
“Good answer,” Ethan said, stepping towards Nico again. “And yes, you already have my order. Everything you suggested and anything else you come up with that would work.”
“Consider it done - are you happy to take the sets as they’re ready, or would you prefer to wait for the lot all at once?” he asked.
“Whenever it’s ready. More excuses to see you,” Ethan said with a teasing grin.
“I’ll let you know then,” Nico told him. “In the meantime, I’ll leave you to get changed,” he added, before ducking out of the room.
Ethan laughed again. “You could have stayed,” he called out loud enough for Nico to hear. Still, he got undressed, taking care of Nico’s things, laying them back out on the couch before slipping back into his sweats and beanie. Once he was dressed again he wandered back into the shop, hands in his pockets as he looked at Nico. “Anything else?”
Nico slid a piece of paper across the counter. Habit of training with the upper classes - outward discussions of money were considered crass. “You could organise payment. I put together a cost schedule for you,” he explained.
Ethan flipped the paper over, nodded, then pushed up his wrist to reveal his communicator. “You can scan it for the credits, whole amount. I trust you.” And he had the money. Oddly enough, he’d come to the island just as well off as he’d left and the number Nico had written on that piece of paper wasn’t even worth batting an eye at.
“Much appreciated,” Nico said, scanning it through and pleased to find that things worked the same as they always had. He preferred clients who didn’t quibble about the costs of the best. “I’ll be in touch - it won’t be long,” he promised.
Ethan tapped his hands on the counter the nodded. “I’m looking forward to it. Now to throw a party so I have somewhere to wear them.” He waved then headed for the door, walking backwards. “I’ll see you soon.”