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When his uncle gave him Kevin, Riko wasn't sure what to do, at first.
Kevin wasn't like the Ravens, much older than Riko, or his uncle's assistants. Kevin was Riko's age, and the perfect exy practice partner. Riko knew how to handle Kevin under those circumstances, but now, with him acting so strangely, quiet and tired and not even mentioning exy once?
...Kevin's mother had died, or something. Riko hadn't paid attention to the specifics, not with the knowledge that Kevin would be staying in the Nest now, forever.
Riko's uncle had given Kevin to him. So Riko looked down at Kevin, curled up against the side of his bed, and decided that he didn't get to mope anymore.
"Get up, we're going to play exy." Riko said, but Kevin didn't look up. Riko walked over to him, grabbing one of his wrists to expose his face. "You're mine now, remember? If I say do something, you do it."
Kevin wet green eyes met Riko's brown ones, still for a moment before Kevin nodded. They went down to the locker room, and on the court, Kevin seemed a little more recognisable.
Riko wasn't sure when Kevin went from 'practice partner' to 'pet' in his mind.
Maybe it was when Kevin stopped arguing back when Riko hit him. Maybe it was when he learned to walk a step behind Riko. Or maybe it was inevitable from the moment uncle Tetsuji told Riko to teach him to behave.
Today, Kevin was collapsed at Riko's feet, gasping for breath through bruised ribs. His wrists were marked red from where he'd been handcuffed yesterday. Riko looked along Kevin's side, taking in the knife cuts of various sizes. As he watched, a drop of blood ran down Kevin's chest, staining the floor. Kevin was shaking, Riko noted, arms wrapped around his body as if that would do anything.
It was a pathetic sight, a wounded dog desperately waiting for the pain to be over. It made something light up in Riko's chest, smile creeping onto his face.
Kevin choked back a cry as Riko pressed one foot onto his side, right on top of a bruise. Kevin, exy-obssessed, bad tempered Kevin, was trembling in fear and pain, all at Riko's hand.
Riko knew how much those injuries would hurt, but wow, did it feel good to make someone else feel them.
Kevin would do whatever Riko told him to do. That was a constant in their lives. The Ravens thought he was rude and argumentative, but Riko knew better.
Then again, Kevin was rude and argumentative with some people. But not uncle Tetsuji, not the other coaches, and definitely not Riko.
They left the court for the day, and Riko dragged Kevin to their room by his wrist. He didn't have to, Kevin would follow him anyway, but he could, so he did.
Riko didn't have to shove Kevin to the floor either, but Kevin let him. Or perhaps 'let' wasn't the right word. Kevin didn't do anything to stop Riko because he knew that wasn't his place. Kevin was the pet, and Riko was his owner, his King.
Maybe, Riko thought, as Kevin sat on his knees, eyes cast downward, his God.
Kevin would do anything Riko told him. Kevin would never fight back. He knew his place, at Riko's feet.
Riko could kill him, right now. There was a knife only a few steps away, to be sliced across his neck. Or he could just knock him down and stand on his throat. Would Kevin try to stop him, then? Probably not. He wasn't sure he remembered how.
Riko wouldn't kill him, of course. Kevin was still his partner, even if he was also his pet, and uncle Tetsuji would be furious. That didn't mean that the idea, the knowledge that he could, didn't give him a rush.
Kevin's back hit the floor, pinned down by Riko. He wouldn't kill him, but Riko would make him bleed.