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Subjecting a guest of the Lair to his moods was never something Splinter wished to do intentionally. Subjecting anyone to this already crossed a line.
However, the intrusion had been his fault, and anything following it would fall back on him. He did not need to keep Draxum around, offer him half of his bed – it’d serve the old goat right to return to the couch. Something kept him from changing what worked for their arrangement, though.
The rat had a theory. One he refused to test, even with the occasional share of a kiss.
Instead, he would allow the yokai to continue to rest on his bed at night, tug at his blanket, kick him the lightest amount in his sleep. Something that never failed to make the rat smile.
It started on the armchair that night. At least, the idea, the conceivable thought. Tail swaying lightly as he heard Draxum hum in occasional interest, quite focused on the movie.
Not unlikely, given that it was one he had a guest appearance in.
Try as the old goat might, everyone knew how drawn he was to his former human self. Whether that interest translated over to him now was not something Splinter would know for sure, faced with just enough petty arguments between any calmer moment between them.
Either way, this simple trap became an easy method of convincing Draxum to watch human movies. Usually, the boys would be around to watch with them, poking fun at some of the acting choices as much as his co-parent did.
Co-parent. Getting along with his sons .
A beat of his heart he refused to linger on.
Even as he felt a layer of heat under his fur from laying against the yokai’s chest, the thump of a larger heart calmed him.
Perhaps that’s why. Perhaps his senses tricked him with a false sense of security, something he has needed, but… from Draxum of all people?
No, it was late. The time, that’s what tricked him. Delirious senses mixed with a warmth he did not dare place.
One he would not trust himself to place now.
Watching the yokai notice him in a crowd of actors would prove as quite the sight.
Splinter snickered, catching the yokai’s eyes before they were shaken from the scene. “You really were just waiting to see Lou Jitsu on screen.”
A scoff. “That may have been the hook , but I can assure you I have gained an appreciation of the film on its own.”
Not something the rat necessarily believed. “Then what was your favourite part before now?”
“This was hardly my favourite part,” Draxum quickly defended. “For example, I enjoyed when the actors… interacted with that poorly animated cat.”
Ha. ‘The actors’. “You don’t even know the characters' names.”
“Am I supposed to remember?”
“Enough.” Splinter chuckled a little, looking up to see that his scene would be ending soon. “Name at least five characters on screen right now.”
“Excuse me?”
“Do it, Goat Man.”
Despite knowing enough how much of a challenge it would be, he saw Draxum take a breath. Wearing a curt smile and leaving a hand out to count. “That will be easy. Lou Jitsu–”
“That’s not the character’s name,” Splinter teased.
“...Is it not usually?”
“Yeah, but not here. This is a different franchise.”
A groan, shrugging in defeat. “Then what is it?”
“Randall.”
Watching him blink was just as priceless. “...Is that why your common alter ego goes by Randall?”
“What can I say, it’s a decent name.” The rat could only shrug. “All my names come from roles and jokes and the like. ‘Randall’. ‘Splinter’. ‘Lou Jitsu’ was always a play on words.”
Why it was easy to say this all now, allowing his leg to bounce like it was nothing, was not something thought much of. Not until he noticed the yokai pondering this. Almost amused it seemed.
“Huh. I did always find ‘Splinter’ to be a peculiar name–”
The rat with said name shoved him before he could finish the thought. “Oh, quiet. It’s a great name.”
‘Splinter’ was, in fact, just a name he threw together last minute. Something to relate to yet distance himself from his lives before. An abnormal name – not one meant to be human .
Perhaps that’s why the other man never made fun of it.
A thought he would allow to turn to him, ears flicking at the soft rhythmic tapping of claws against the armrest. “Not the grandest name I have ever heard, but leagues better fit than Lou Jitsu .” An almost shared huff as the yokai looked him over. “In fact, I would dare to say it suits you quite well.”
Another huff as Splinter looked to the side for a moment, a smile tugging at his maw. “Ha. Thanks, Goat Man.”
Could this man stop being nice to him for two seconds ? It was really giving him mixed signals here.
Forever would he hate the times he could not bounce back, not continue the conversation. Whatever else he could say found itself lost to an inner debate.
For now, he would reason this as a means of convincing Draxum to actually pay attention to the movie, to learn a few more characters' names.
As he sure as hell wasn’t.
A chuckle interrupted his thoughts. “The cat is back.”
Splinter looked up to confirm, and, yeah. That damn talking cat. “Bet you guys never had to deal with bad CGI cats when you just had the real thing,” he mused.
All to be met with a raised brow. “If you mean films in the Hidden City… then you would be right.” Draxum adjusted how he sat to be straighter, Splinter silently following. “Given the time period, we also had higher quality editing should need be.”
“Hey, don’t knock on the classics.” A chuckle as he pushed on the yokai’s chest, laughing a little too much to back his defence.
He was shoved in return. Just a little. “How about I do knock on them as they are utterly atrocious .”
Splinter huffed, turning to stand on the armchair. Face to face. "Dare I say you've never watched a movie with a bit of charm to it."
"As if your movies ever have charm to them."
"I'm very charming, for your information."
"Must be your ego."
When the yokai pushed his chest, the rat braced a hand against the back of the chair. " My ego? You're nothing but a washed-up warlord."
A challenge by now. "And you? An aggravating thorn in my side."
"Clumsy old goat."
"Lazy old rat."
Another hand gripping onto Draxum’s chin, keeping him close. "Convoluted jerk."
"Significant annoyance."
The hand sneaking onto his back would be the final straw. "Bane of my existence," Splinter huffed out, before closing the gap. Pulling the yokai's face up to make their lips meet.
If only faltering for a second, the hand on his back pulled him closer, the other making it to his cheek. Holding him there.
Splinter hummed, lowering himself to instead sit on Draxum's lap. Making himself comfortable for now, tilting his head so his maw fit better against Draxum’s flat face.
Every tender pull only engaging. Any grumble sounding far too familiar to a soft moan.
Never breaking, if only to take a short breath. Finding each other again, daring to slip in a tongue. Bodies flush together when accepted.
With where he was sitting, Splinter found the yokai's little reaction far too amusing. Shifting his hips forward earned him a groan, one he quickly hid against his mouth, kiss growing deeper . Taking this man's breath away.
Making the rat only grow more curious. Brain no longer thinking for him, far too warm to conceive such a thought – yet easily driving himself forward. Shifting forward once more, taking this chance to sneak a hand past the opening of Draxum's kimono.
A gasp well-earned, a mumble of his name in the mix. Far too intrigued to quit his pursuit so early.
Yet it took a much larger hand sneaking under his robe and up his back to remind the rat of his place. His mistakes .
He… was going too far.
Too soon .
Breaking away for air, Splinter gasped, catching his breath. Before entertaining his own nonsense for any longer, he stood once more, bracing himself against the chair's back if only to keep steady.
All while the other man held his cheek, right where his hand just was.
An action he should not put thought into.
"I…" Splinter’s began, clearing his throat before it could grow tighter. "I'll be right back."
Simple, to the point. Up for interpretation. Refusing to explain himself .
With this, the mutant scrambled off the chair, never looking back as he headed… elsewhere, for now. No goal in sight.
The distance of another heartbeat allowed him to finally remember what they had been doing beforehand, where they stood. Why this was wrong .
As much, his ears twitching at a low hum. "Alright," is all he heard Draxum say. Far too acceptant for his own good.
Far too good to him .
—
Mistakes were made.
For what was a rat – what was Splinter – without mistakes?
In an endless pursuit to clear his head, the mutant could only bring himself back to his room, his sanctuary .
A shared space, by his own invitation. Left alone for the time being.
For now, only him in his own mind, under the covers. Hardly registering when another presence found itself in the same train car, eventually joining him in bed. Hardly responding, lest he allow it to become part of space.
He could ask Draxum to leave. But he didn't want him to . He could sleep on the couch instead. But that made no sense . He could ask for space… but why would he want it, lest to hide?
No. He had no reason to hide. Just… reason to debate.
Feeling a hand drape onto his side, he had no reason to turn away.
"Rat."
A hum, devoid of any words to give. Adjusting himself to tug at the blanket; as if he was bothered, trying to sleep.
Hearing a sigh, the hand left. "I apologize, if anything I've done has upset you. If the kiss…"
Not their first. Not that it mattered.
Finding his voice would prove harder than he wished it to be. Having to clear his throat before an attempt – still never looking his way. "I overstepped."
"No no, I'm the one who–"
"Draxum."
Silence. Not even a shift. Nothing but the warmth of another beating, breathing heart.
Clutching his own. Forcing the words of his heart away . "I shouldn't have done that. Shouldn't have… sprung up on you like that." Taken advantage of you , the rat nearly added.
Yet all he found was a huff. "It was a reciprocated action."
"Still."
While relatively still beforehand, he would soon hear a shuffle at his side. A repeated motion. Much like smoothing the blanket between one's fingers.
"I simply worried for you once you left without seeing the movie through," Draxum explained. A sigh quite clear. "I thought you might have gone ill, or grew disinterested in my company–"
Oh, how Splinter grew to enjoy such rambling. Feeling a smile curl at his maw as Draxum tried to explain himself.
"It's okay, I get it," he would say instead. "I'm okay," he would assure.
Never would another understand what Splinter hardly understood himself. Such a resistance when he could hardly put words to it.
"If you say so."
Regardless, he was left with a simple hum in response. Hesitant, but a hum nonetheless. No future questions. Given the space he wanted.
A pull of the blanket only concealing what of his face he refused to show now. Curling within himself. Always hiding .
Forever would the rat feel like a burden.
In times like these, the mind took over – tricked him. Yet its seductress would always prove quite tempting.
Rare would his mind find the gall to invade at a time like this. A time that should have provided him a distraction. Possibly having made a deal with other aspects of his subconscious, who was Splinter to pinpoint the exact origins of his moods?
If nothing else, he knew to rely on sleep. Something that would carry him into the depths of unconsciousness and never nag at him with the thoughts and worries of the waking world.
Should they be kind. Should they not construct a greater horror from memories alone.
Gripping onto his blanket, hardly noticing the shake in his breathing, so lost to what only his thoughts wished for him to hear now .
Nothing he could let win.
"Splinter."
Nothing…
The mutant rat finally forced himself to turn, making the smallest effort to even look at the other man in his bed. "What, Goat Man?"
Not yet would he admit the benefits of such a distraction, of such a presence in his darkest hours.
The kind of distraction that would find itself in the form of a light hum, gracing him with a mere side glance. "Something's wrong."
"Like what?"
For now, feigning ignorance. Any number of things could be wrong in this life. In this bed, the space between them.
A hand rested on Draxum's chest as their eyes finally met in full. "By now you'd have usually entertained me with some foolish anecdote from your acting career."
"Well, I'm not in the mood today."
"But you were."
Not… incorrect. When faced with the opportunity to flaunt his more glamorous days, Splinter could talk for hours without breaking a sweat. Behind-the-scenes stuff, cut production choices – you name it.
He had been in such a mood. Before other moods took over, ruining everything.
"Earlier, when we watched your film. You had more to say," the yokai elaborated.
Just for Splinter to give a huff. "Can't remember what it was now."
Not a lie. Regardless of how often that moment replayed in his mind, he could not, for the life of him, remember the time stamp of the movie. If they got to the last scene he showed up in.
Most of what they spoke of beforehand.
Yet he would lay on his side now, face half buried in the pillows; pretending to allow sleep to take him as he watched Draxum ponder some more.
"Well, should you ever remember, I would not be opposed to hearing." Smoothing the blanket between his fingers. "For the record, I still believe you could have come up with a better name than Randall ."
Oh, this again. Luckily, he managed to get a huff out of the rat. "It's a stage name – a character."
"Right, well I never quite understood the appeal of using it to appear human, long past your acting career."
"Says the prestigious school cafeteria lunch lady Barry Draxum ."
An annoyed groan, the yokai holding his head. "Do not bring that up." When Splinter would not let up from his quiet laughter, Draxum sighed. "Besides, I can hardly hide my appearance. There is no doubt in mind that I am a yokai."
"Didn't most kids think you were a mutant?"
"Most human children cannot tell the difference," Draxum mused. "Mutants, for the most part, resemble a more natural semblance of the animal they come from. Yokai are varied."
Huh, yeah. Something he was yet to notice.
Not that he's met many other mutants.
Splinter watched his chest rise and fall, feigning a small smile. "It is a shame we feel the need to hide our true selves, lest we face a world only destined to harm us."
Always a shame indeed. While meant for the matter of identities, Splinter knew .
Giving a sigh of his own.
"Hiding is… usually the only way to keep yourself and your family safe," Splinter mused. "We both know that."
"Of course." One of Draxum's hands silently reached for his. "Yet I'm led to believe you are hiding more than you must."
…
That yokai knew too much.
For his own safety – no, sanity – the rat would hide. A crutch, when left believing turning to others was no option. Long since using his sons as a security blanket, too often did he believe it better to turn to what he knew best.
That was, until he found someone who knew better. Who knew, and who helped him .
So Splinter would take that hand.
All the same, take a mile when given an inch.
Shuffling closer, Splinter closed any gap between them, laying his head on Draxum's chest. Holding that hand a little tighter.
No need to look to know how the yokai saw him now.
He could feel him sigh, laying his head against his. "If you don't wish to talk, you don't have to. Just know I will listen."
An offer he would never take for granted. All the same, one he could not bring himself to answer.
He knew. He knew well enough why the words failed him before the could even leave his mouth. Why they wanted to, yet why he kept them inside.
Still allowing himself to snuggle into the warm embrace, a hardened heart turned full. A heightened beat. All for him.
One would be a fool to ignore what lay before them, what lay beyond a mutual promise.
Yet it would take a stubborn soul to claim what the other may fail to see. Should Splinter take that leap, that risk , there was no telling the results.
Comfort, more often than not, came from the assurance of another parent to share his load, another adult to settle his worries.
Another hand to hold, tender, soft. A hand never meant to hurt.
Never again.
So, Splinter would allow this. Allow their late nights together, allow the other man to
At worst, Draxum saw him as bothersome; someone who refused to bend to his ways of life.
Someone he was willing to change for.
Someone to offer him a soft kiss to the head when he otherwise thought the rat to be asleep, offer a 'good night' the rat could otherwise not reciprocate.
If only in words. If only to curl around him instead.
If only to embrace his place as Splinter, the wanted company by Draxum's side.