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It was something in genetics, they believed. Something that made them different. It was a recessive trait, one that could be carried by women but only manifested truly in men. They didn't really understand it, and was kept for the most part under wraps, society deaming the stories myths. Johnny's and Associates was one of the few places that was safe for people like them; people with abilites, and it wasn't odd to find people there walking through walls or painting their faces with heavy makeups to hide blue stripes. It was a haven for boys and men with abnormalities; yet despite that Keito often felt like an outsider amidst the rest of them.
Yuto could sense the vibrations of just about any object. Chinen could manipulate wind. Yamada had beautiful patterns on his skin made of pure diamond that sparkled and shone in the light. Yabu could make anything disappear at will. And Keito...Keito had nothing. He was normal. Usually when auditioning to be a part of the company one had to give a demonstration of their abilities to be accepted, but he'd been let in on the basis that he'd come from a long line of special people. His father, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather had all exhibited some variation of element manipulation. His father was already a member of the company, and Keito had been taken in under the assumption that―while his powers hadn't revealed themselves yet―they would with time. That had been ten years ago however, and he was still normal.
It bothered him sometimes, being surrounded by amazing, interesting people and yet being so boring himself. Most people didn't know. Many of them still looked uninteresting, and there were quite a few people within the company that kept their abilities private. It was widely assumed that Keito had something, but he just kept the knowledge of what it was to himself. Sometimes he thought that maybe he wasn't the only one. Hikaru had never revealed his special abilities, if he had any. Keito had considered asking about it on multiple occasions, in private moments mostly, but every time he'd faltered. Hikaru had always been very private, and while they were very close, he didn't want to push.
It had been a slumber party, they were all hanging out at Chinen's apartment after a long day of concert staging, and the others had started showing off, taking turns playing around with their special skills, egging each other on and joking and laughing. It was a common event at their gatherings, and usually it was quite enjoyable, Keito loving watching them all get to relax and be themselves―he liked that they'd managed to create such a safe environment in their group. This time someone had added an element of spin the bottle, and Keito was feeling rather jittery about it, not wanting to have to ruin the mood with his explanation that he couldn't do anything.
He needn't have worried however, because a few spins into the game the bottle landed on Hikaru, the older man glancing around the circle they'd made on Chinen's living room floor before saying
"No." He was anxious, tense and uncomfortable. The other's didn't seem to pick up on his discomfort, too absorbed in their own anticipation and excitement to take notice. Yuto arranged his lips in a playful pout, saying
"C'mon Hika. Show off a little."
"Yuto it's okay, he doesn't have―" Inoo's words were interrupted by Hikaru getting to his feet, anxiety radiating from him now, and he said
"I'm going, I have to go...bathroom." He practically bolted from the room, and on reflex Keito followed him, wanting to assure him, to make things better. Despite where he'd claimed to be going, Keito found Hikaru in Chinen's bedroom, his knees pulled up to his chest, arms curled around them, and he looked more helpless than Keito had ever seen him. It was unsettling, and he took a deep breath, joining Hikaru on the bed and saying
"It's okay you know, if you can't show off the way they can. You don't need to." Hikaru didn't look at him, but he was calmer, and Keito was feeling braver, feeling like he might have just found someone like him, and he felt the confession spill from his lips, hope rising in his chest as he said
"I don't have anything." Those words made Hikaru's head turn. "I'm not special. They thought I was just a late bloomer but I'm just...nothing." There was a long silence, and his words seemed to have a positive effect. Hikaru opened up a little, his posture looser, more comfortable. He opened his mouth to speak, and there was a noise, a small sound by the doorway, and Keito could feel Hikaru's shock almost as strongly as he could feel his own, his heart leaping in surprise at the interruption. It was Yabu, the older man looking apologetic for startling them, but remaining silent, his eyes on Hikaru.
"Keito, it might not be a bad thing, not being special. Special isn't always good." Hikaru's words came slow, and as he talked Yabu straightened up, surprised. Hikaru was nervous again, but he wasn't panicky like before, and for a second Keito thought that might just be the end of their conversation, but then Yabu said
"Hika―"
"Yabu, it's okay." They were staring hard at each other, faces set in lines of worry and something like determination. "Keito...special can be bad. You're lucky." Hikaru's words were followed by a big, weighted sigh from Yabu, and when Keito's eyes went back to Hikaru he couldn't help up jump in shock. He had changed. His chest was bowed out, ribcage warped, and the whole room was taken up by huge, leathery wings that jutted out from his back, by his shoulder blades, too big for the space they were folded in, only spread as far as the walls would allow.
They were grotesque, tattered and scarred, burn marks rippling over the expanse of skin, shiny and red and angry looking, twisting and knotted, pulling at the flesh in unnatural ways. Sharp harsh lines from blades cut across it all, raised and ugly, focusing on the areas closest to his body, the bones thick and knobby underneath, and at the joints the bones shot through the skin and flesh in exposed spikes. It looked demonic, like something from hell, like something that had been condemned. But it was Hikaru. Hikaru's body. He sat there in silence, taking it all in.
"I've tried to get rid of it all for years." Hikaru said. "Nothing I've tried has worked yet. Yabu has been helping me. He's been shielding my deformities for years now, hiding them from the public, from everyone." He paused, treating Keito to a look. A rather broken look that made something in Keito's chest ache, and he said "You're lucky you were born normal."
"Hey guys―" It was Inoo; and in a blink Hikaru looked like his usual self, any trace of his abnormalities wiped clean. It was jarring, and Keito wondered if Inoo had caught a glimpse of Hikaru's true form. If he had, he didn't indicate it in any way. Instead he just smiled, his tail flicking out behind him as he said "―we're going to watch a movie. There's a debate, Star Wars or Star Trek. You wanna be the tie breakers?"
"Yeah...yeah." Hikaru got to his feet, and Keito wanted to stop him, wanted to talk to him, to tell him that he didn't need to feel ashamed, or that Keito would support him, or something. But before he could begin to formulate his thoughts into proper sentences Hikaru was already out the door, his unmarred back reminding Keito of his secret as he pulled away.