Wonders

Monday

Monday. Rat was awake before dawn. He watched the sun rise from his bed. He had pushed it under the window. Shion was asleep beside him. The kid had a nightmare and came in around 2 in the morning, clutching his own blanket. Rat smiled over at him.
Currently the only thing he could see of the other boy was a tuft of white hair. He was cocooned in the blanket, his head was pressed against Rat's arm. He could feel both hands holding onto his arm. One just above his elbow, the other nearly holding his hand. Rat didn’t dare move.
At seven there was a knock on the door. Rat turned his head as Karen opened it. She saw her son asleep in the bed. Her hand went to her mouth. Flashes of the boys as children raced across her mind.
“I'm sorry.” She whispered as she moved toward Shion. “I forgot he comes here when he has nightmares.” Rat's eyes widened a little. She knew he still had nightmates?
“Its ok.” He said. Shion stirred at the sound. His head poked out of the blanket. He looked like a turtle emerging from his shell.
“Good morning, sleepy head.” Rat couldn’t keep the note of affection out of his voice. Shion yawned. Rolling over he saw his mom.
“Hey mom.” The door chimes from the bakery sounded.
“Time to get up.” She called as she hurried down to check on her customer.
Shion didn’t look at Rat. “Thanks, uh for" he plucked at the comforter. Rat took his chin lifting it up. Those red eyes took a moment to focus on his grey ones.
“I will always be here for you.” Rat said. Shion's eyes darted away again, a light blush creeping into his pale cheeks. Rat couldn’t help it. He leaned forward, his lips brushed the tender softness of Shion's. They were warm from being under the blanket.
Rat’s free hand pressed into the bed by Shion's leg as he leaned closer. His lips taking over the other boys. He had only meant to brush a kiss across his lips, but when his mouth had touched the others, he couldn’t stop. Shion reacted.
His fingers clutched at Rat's shoulders, the dark boy only slept in boxers. Shion's mouth opened under the pressure of Rat's. With a soft moan Rat's tongue darted in. He licked it over Shion's. He felt the boy shiver against him. Rat knew this was as far as he could go. He quickly pulled back.
A tiny smirk touched his lips. “I am going to take a cold shower now.” He hugged the blanket to his waist as he stood. At the door, his scarred back to the pale boy he dropped it. He hurried downstairs to the bathroom. What was he doing? He berated himself. He couldn’t play with Shion like this. The erection he had tried to hide from the boy told him, he wasn’t playing. He had wanted the boy for so long now.
After stepping in he turned the shower on. The blast of cold hit him like an avalanche. He stood shivering in it. His skin pimpled up, yet he stood there until he was soft again. Warming the water back up, he showered.
Meanwhile, Shion sat stunned on the bed. He never told Rat that the dark boy was the only person he had ever kissed. The way his tongue had felt. Shion shivered again. He touched his lips. A smile curving under his hand. He turned to look at the door where Rat had vanished in a hurry. He chuckled to himself as realization hit his fogged brain.
Climbing from the bed he folded up his blanket. He picked up Rat's holding it too his face he breathed in the husky sent of the other boy. Neatly as he could, Shion made the bed. He went to his own room to make his bed and get dressed for the day.
As he came out of his room, Rat came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, another atop his head. Shion laughed. He had to hold onto the wall as he laughed harder. Rat stood arms crossed forcing himself to have a stern look on his face. He couldn’t keep it as the other boys laughter made him feel to happy inside. He chuckled at the boy.
“You're something, Shion.” Rat said. He headed upstairs to get dressed. When he made it to the kitchen, ten minutes later, Shion was just setting down twin plates of food. A bagel  with crunchy peanut butter on one side and grape jelly on the other, half a banana and one hard boiled egg. Rat stared at it speechless. This was what his mother made him for breakfast as a child.
“Did I get it wrong?” Shion asked a touch of fear in his tone. He reached for the plate when Rat didn’t respond. “I’m sorry. I guess you don’t like this any more.” He was moving toward the garbage can. Rat snagged the plate just before Shion could throw it away.
“It surprised me that you remembered is all.” He placed the bagel halves together taking a large bite. Shion grinned.
“Milk, orange juice or coffee?” he asked happy Rat liked what he had made.
“Coffee, two sugars.” He told him. Shion practically danced back to the kitchen. He came back with two coffee mugs, handing Rat his. They sat down to eat in comfortable silence.
They said good bye to Karen half an hour later. Shion had his backpack on. Rat had scoffed at this, over the weekend, as he never used his for school, but now his was resting against his left side. Shion was talking about some plants he had seen. Rat half listened to him. His mind on what was going to happen at school. His finger caressed the butterfly knife in his pocket. They were about a block away from school when Rat realized it was very quiet beside him. He looked over, Shion wasn’t there. He stopped spinning around he searched the area. He didn’t see the white haired boy anywhere. He was about to retrace his steps when a flash of white caught his eye.
Shion, walking with Safu, just crossed the block ahead of him. His red eyes flashed back to Rat. His mouth curved ever so slightly on the corner, then the pale boy turned away. Where had Safu come from? Rat wanted to hit something. How had he lost the boy? How was he suppose to protect him when he had never heard him walk away from him?
These thoughts ran through his head as he made his way up to the school. Just as his foot hit the sidewalk, his head snapped up. He was school Rat now. Shion was only another student to distain. His grey eyes hardened. His breathing slowed. His thoughts went blank as did his face. His posture slouched. Hands buried deep in his pockets. He ducked his chin into his scarf. Cold grey eyes surveyed his domain.
“You dare show your face here?” a snarl came from the cement steps beside him. Dogkeeper sat perched on a flat surface. Her face a mask of hatred. Squirrel girl was standing beside her, as was Goose.
Rat snorted. “Like you three could keep me away.” He walked past as if he had no cares about them. A hand caught the backpack. In a flash, Rat had twisted around. He held Goose's wrist in his, twisting it painfully. He spun the boy away jerking his arms halfway up his back. He shoved the boy into the wall, smiling as the breath whooshed out of him.
Not bothering to talk to Goose his eyes bore into Dogkeeper. “Any of you mutts touch me again, and I will start breaking bones.” Dogkeeper’s eyes widened the tiniest of fractions. She was surprised by how quickly Rat had reacted.
“Let him go.” She ordered in a tone that shook a little. Rat laughed. It was an evil dark sound. He leaned into the boy, pulling his arm higher until the kid cried out.
“I do what I want, when I want.” He purred. He shoved himself away from the boy.
“Say hi to Moose for me.” He called tauntingly over his shoulder as he walked away with a jaunty little wave. Rat knew Moose was still in the hospital. Monkey boy was still in jail, for now. For now he could breathe. He had seen the fear of him still in Dogkeeper’s eyes. Until Monkey boy came back, the other two would follow her. She wasn’t stupid enough to cross him not without the other two for muscle.
Throughout the day various other members of his ex pack came around. Some swore their loyalty to him, others attempted to taunt him. They found out quickly, that he was still to be feared. He flushed one's face in the toilet until he nearly drowned. Another he cut his cheek, then jammed into a locker, a third, maybe the biggest one in school, met him outside on the side walk at the end of the day.
Rat had been waiting for Shion. The pale boy had kept his distance, but always had a side eye on the dark loner.  Now Rat stood looking at Gorilla. The dark brown eyes of the other was filled with hate. This was Squirrel girls boy toy. The boy stood over six feet, weighed probably triple of Rat's lean frame. Rat dropped the pack. He wasn’t on school grounds any longer. The knife rested in his palm, hidden from view.
“You had this coming for awhile now. Thinking you’re better than the rest of us. You've gone soft over that pathetic kid.” He snarled as Shion and Safu emerged from the gathering crowd. Dogkeeper held tight to Shion. Rat lowered his head. Glaring at her through his long lashes, he looked like the devil everyone thought he was.
“Let him go, or you're dead, my little mutt.” He hissed. Dogkeeper’s hand shook. Shion took the opportunity to pull away. He dragged Safu around the circle, away from the others. Rat's attention fixed back on Gorilla.
“Walk away, while I still let you have full use of both legs.” He advised. The taller boy snorted. A smirk cut his face in two. He looked as big and dumb as they came.
“What, me be afraid of a worthless prostitute like you?” he arched an eyebrow. “I've heard the rumors of how you really make your money, Rat.” He sneered the name. “It appears you don’t care what gender you do. How’s sucking dick going for you? Your ass like that…”  Suddenly the boy was bent over. Shion had head butted his stomach.
The small pale boy was on the tall dark monster. Shion's fists and feet hit and kicked every part of the other boy he could reach. All the while he screamed about him taking back the vial things he had said about Rat. He screamed about what he was going to do if he didn't.
Rat was frozen in shock seeing the boy defend him once more. Shion's face was that of a mindless wild animal. Rat had to snap himself out of his daze. He launched himself forward catching Shion around the waist. The smaller boys elbow collided with the side of his head. Rat saw stars for a moment but refused to let go of the wailing teen in his arms. He yanked Shion back.
“Shion, stop it. It’s me, just stop!” Rat yelled. Rat looked down at Gorilla. The large boy was barely conscious. Blood poured from his broken nose, two fingers on his left hand where bent at abnormal angles. His face was a patchwork of red splotches. Shion slumped in Rat's arms.
The dark teen turned his attention back to the pale boy. “Shion, are you ok?” he asked worried.
“Ok!” Shion cried. “How could you just stand there listening to all the nasty things he said?” Shion's eye glistened with angry tears.
“Because, what he thinks of me doesn’t matter.” Rat explained. There was shouting from near the school. Rat glanced back. He saw Safu standing off to the right of the crowd. She had all three of their backpacks.
“Come on, I have to get you out of here!” Rat pulled Shion away. He scooped up his bag and Shion's from the girl. Still holding onto the white haired boy he headed home. Safu walked with him. When they were a few blocks away she turned to look back toward school. She looked to the silent boys beside her.
“Well there goes the whole, let's pretend we're not friends, thing huh?” she glared at Shion. She noted how close the boys held their hands. Rat was gripping Shion's wrist. The other boy wasn’t pulling away.
“Was there any truth in what he said?” she  asked Rat.
“Safu?” Shion cried looking open mouthed at her.
“No, not really.” Rat said. He hunched his shoulders. “There was a time I did some stuff for hire.” He turned his shoulders in trying to make himself smaller under Shion's eyes. He glared at those haunting red eyes. “I never sold myself!” he cried opening up his stance as the truth flowed from him.
“I acted on stage or fought or was a gun for hire, but I never had or gave sex for money.’ He looked away. “I knew that would be the deal breaker with you.” He added quietly. Shion took his hand. He pulled Rat into a hug.
“It's ok. I trust you, Rat.” He said. Then Rat was kissing him again, clutching him to him as if he were drowning and Shion was his life boat. Safu let out a startled gasp.