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“Happy birthday, Rei!”
Rei blinks at the plush rabbit swaying in front of him. It’s white and dressed up like an aristocrat, holding a smart cane. What is he? Five?
Even so, the way Michael smiles between its ears makes Rei’s heart flutter. And, it is sorta cute.
And evil looking. Like a rabbitty super villain in a secret lair attempting to take over the world. The old fashioned kind. A rabbit of wealth and taste. Who’d lounge around with a glass of red wine - or blood - and cackle as some womanising super spy was eaten by a shark.
Or a vampire. A vampire rabbit.
“Don’t you like it?” Michael says with a pout.
“No!” Rei cries. Michael’s pout gets worse. “I mean, yes!” Michael tilts his head. “I mean, I do like it and please don’t ask me questions where every answer sounds bad.”
“Sorry,” he laughs.
“I love it,” he says.
Michael beams and Rei hugs the plush close before leaning in and pressing his lips to Michael’s. Life within the the Arclight’s orbit is terrifying. Everyone knows the Arclights are the sons of the crime lord who ran the city. But Michael had always seems lonely at school, despite being perfect. Rei got that, it’s hard to make friends. And the more time he spent with Michael and his family, the more he realises there’s an incredible thrill to the danger.
“So, you know it’s spring,” Michael says quietly, pressing his hand to Rei’s chest.
“Y-yeah,” Rei whispers.
“And you know what rabbits do in the spring, right?”
Rei’s cheeks go red and he’s suddenly very aware of Michael’s brothers both in the room. They’re both incredibly dangerous men, as much as Michael himself. And they’re both watching a little too closely. As if being a teenager isn’t difficult enough without terrifying mafia kids watching his every move.
“I think I can imagine,” Rei says quietly.
“It’s getting late, Michael,” Thomas says. Michael turns to glare at him and Chris stands. “Perhaps we should give Shingetsu a lift home.”
“I’ll do it,” Chris says.
Rei stares up at Chris’ imposing figure. “Umm, yeah. Thank you for-”
“It’s not that late,” Michael says, grabbing Rei’s hand. “Let’s go grab something to eat.”
“Michael!” Thomas and Chris yell as Michael drags him out the door.
Michael grins back at him as they run and Rei’s new rabbit ends up left on the couch. They throw on their coats as they take the stairs a few at time and bolt from the manor hand in hand.
They don’t stop running until they’re at theyre deep in the heart of the city. They’re in the nastier part of town, Rei realises as they lean against the wall regaining their breath. Yet to be regenerated as Heartland grows rich and prosperous with technology.
Michael smiles, pinning Rei to the wall he’s leaning against. There’s always such a thrill to being with Michael. Always five seconds away from danger. His parents would be spinning in their graves if they knew what danger he put himself in these days. His mother is always super protective. She wanted to keep him safe at all costs. His father was a little more lax, Rei thinks he might have been involved in this sort of stuff, but he did insist Rei stayed safe. Almost locked up.
He’s pretty sure making out with the heir to a criminal empire in a dark suspicious alley way is not their definition of safe. Especially not on a school night.
But no matter what anyone else thought, Rei loves him. Even if Michael is just taking advantage of his sweet, trusting nature - he isn’t aware he has one of those - like everyone keeps saying. He loves him. And he thinks Michael loves him too.
The sun is setting by the time they finally think about going home. Michael has been ignoring calls from his brothers and they’ve just wandered together. But it really is getting late and they really should think about heading home.
They’re heading into the station when they’re suddenly caught up by a group, dragged back into an alcove with knives at their throats. Michael stands there calmly, as if they’re not being robbed at knife point. Then again, given Michael’s connections, perhaps that’s the best plan. So Rei tries to stop panicking and just stand there as their pockets are ransacked.
And then they reach for the pendant around his neck. Rei jerks back aways from them, clasping it tightly. It was his mother’s last gift to him.
“You can’t,” he cries.
Michael’s eyes narrow. “Close your eyes, Rei. I won’t let them do anything.”
Rei stares at Michael for a moment before nodding and closing his eyes. There’s a long moment of silent before a sickening crunch and a scream. Blathering about monsters. There are droplets over his face and Rei’s eyes crack open.
Michael is holding one of the knives, splattered in blood. There’s blood everywhere. And two bodies with broken limbs and cut throats. Rei back up against the wall, letting Michael work. There’s something different about him. Something really quite attractive. Rei’s heart is pounding. More than just the fear of death. Something very different.
One of them grabs a gun and takes aim at Michael with a trembling hand. Michael turns slowly and approaches with absolute cold confidence.
“What- what kind of monster are you?!” he cries.
“Monster?” Michael whispers. He grabs the man’s wrist. “Not in the slightest. I’m a success.”
He twists and Rei jerks back as the man’s arm is twisted almost completely. There’s a shot and Michael staggers. Rei’s breath hitches, he grabs on the discarded knives and drive the blade deep into the thug’s back.
The others go running as the man drops to the floor. Rei looks Michael over slowly. He looks fine. There’s a tear in his trousers. Was that is? Where the gunshot went?
“Rei?” Michael whispers. “I- I’m sorry you got involved in-”
“What are you?” Rei says firmly.
Michael frowns and glances away. “I’m… enchanced.”
“Enhanced? Like… one of those comic book super heroes?
“My father is a scientist,” Michael mutters. “I… I understand if you don’t want to hang around me anymore.”
Rei shakes his head and Michael smiles bitterly, tears shining in his eyes. The knife clatters and Rei cross the space between them in a few small steps. His hand tangles into a lock of Michael’s soaked hair and he drags him forward into a desperate kiss. Michael’s eyes widen but Rei ignores that, gripping his wrist and tugging him closer.
“Is this what it’s always like for you?” Rei whispers. “This excitement? Having someone’s life slipping away beneath your fingers?”
“Rei?”
“It’s incredible, Michael.”
“You’re not scared?” Michael whispers.
Rei giggles and pressed his mouth to Michael’s once more. Scared? Not in the slightest. It’s the most incredible feeling in the world. Sharing it with Michael is beyond belief. An incredible high like nothing he’s over felt before.
“Young master.” Rei jerks around, glaring at the man who’s watching them with a group of others in white boilersuits. What on earth? “Your brother is waiting for you outside.”
“Right.”
“Wait, wait, who are those guys?” Rei says as Michael drags him away.
“Cleaners,” Michael replies quietly. “I guess Chris was watching the cameras and called them in. He should really call Kaito if he’s got nothing better to do than spy.”
“Cleaners?”
“They clean up messes,” Thomas says. Rei lifts his head, expecting some kind of reaction to the state they’re in but Thomas is leaning against the side of his car, playing with his keys as if just waiting for kids who are late for their pick up. “What else would you expect cleaners to do?”
“Right…”
He supposes this must be normal for them. If you listened to the stories, their father must have hundreds of deaths on his conscience. Michael had moved like a few deaths to his name weren’t any concern either.
“Get in. I’ll drop Shingetsu at home on the way to work. You can get changed there.”
Michael smiles and pushes him into the backseat as Thomas starts up the engine. They pull off silently and Rei gazes at Michael, who’s on his phone. On social media apparently. He’s so calm. So normal.
Rei smiles. He’s still not recovered. It’s amazing. His heart is racing and his head is spinning. Incredible. And Michael is some kind of super powered experiment or something. He’s been making out with some kind of experiment. And somehow the idea just makes him hotter.
Rei lean over, shoves Michael back to the seats and presses their mouths together once more. He knows now more than ever; he loves Michael. More than anything he loves Michael. Even if they think it’s childish teenage love, he loves him. His sweetness and lightness and endearing weirdness. His darkness and destruction and power. Everything.
“Hey, hey!” Thomas snaps as Rei’s hands start to wander. “You two wanna do it on my backseat at least do me the courtesy of waiting til I’m not here. You’re gonna get blood all over the leatherwork.”
“Sorry, Thomas,” Michael murmurs, playing with Rei’s hair gently. He smiles up at Rei and Rei smiles back. He’s never felt like this before. “I’m so glad you’re not freaking out, Rei.”
“You’re incredible,” Rei replies.
“Oh great,” Thomas sighs. “Another psychopath. Just what we need.”