Because it's you (Rei x Arlo)

14

Brat: Meet me at that coffee shop in like, ten minutes

:Why?

Brat: we need to talk

Rei sighed setting his head against his steering wheel. 'I literally just got back in my car.' After making sure that kid had safely left the alleyway and authorities had come to drag the drunkard away, Rei was ready to go home and take a nap. 'But no Kuyo just has something to say doesn't he?" Rei huffed hopping out of his car and throwing a hoodie over his outfit making sure to tuck the mask area around his neck. 'I could just not go, Kuyo hates me anyway so I don't know why he still insist on speaking to me.'

Rei sighed running a hand through his messy hair before he felt his phone buzz. He was almost ready to curse Kuyo out and tell him off when he saw it was just Arlo. 

Forky: you home?

: nah stopped for coffee, but the weather is clearer over here so I should be fine

Forky: just checking

Rei smirked. Arlo could be so shy sometimes. Nonetheless, he did like it whenever Arlo showed that he actually gave a care about him. 

Deciding, it wasn't the smartest idea to continue to stand in this alleyway Rei finally walked out onto the streets. He had been planning to get a coffee afterward anyway but with Kuyo, that made the experience like ten time less enjoyable. He didn't exactly know why he still had Kuyo's number, or why he even had it in the first place. He just never happened to delete it, and was now regretting that because Kuyo seemed to randomly remember that Rei existed and would text him either the most annoying or aggravating things as possible. 

'I should just delete the number." Rei contemplated doing that, but he would probably feel bad for doing that so he just decided "screw it" and left it alone. 

When the bell to the coffee shop rang above his head the owner had immediately turned to him with a huge smile. "Rei, why it's not your usual day. Special occasion?" Rei smiled, Seymor the happy coffe shop owner always made him smile. "No I'm meeting...a person." Rei rolled his eyes as he leaned against the bar as he spoke with Seymor. "What's with the hesitation, are you secretly meeting with an alien?" Rei chuckled, "could fool me." As the two continued to talk the door rang once more and Rei turned with an exasperated sigh.

"You're early." He commented. Kuyo huffed picking some leaves out of his long blue hair. "Like you're one to talk." Rei shrugged crossing his arms. "I was already in the area." He blurted without thinking. "You were?" Kuyo and Seymor asked at the same time. Rei gulped, finger nails pressing into his arms where they were folded. "I just left a friends house." Rei muttered trying to hide to shake in his voice. "Uh huh...welp. Two coffees!" Seymor nodded before turning to Rei. "The usual?" Rei nodded. "I'll have that one." Kuyo had pointed to something he couldn't pronounce and it made Rei chuckle. 

"You're a regular here?" Kuyo asked. "They have great coffee." Rei shrugged ignoring the stare he got from Kuyo. "Here ya go." Seymor said placing the two cups on the counter. "I'm not paying for yours." Rei grumbled as he paid for his own and then walked over to the door. "I didn't expect you to." Kuyo scoffed paying for his as well. "Go outside, we're taking a walk." Rei groaned as the demanding tone in Kuyo's voice and at the fact they'd be walking.

"Stop whining like a fatass, you're fit enough to walk." Kuyo hummed as the two left the coffee shop. "You're as rude as ever." Rei commented. "How? I just called you fit!" Kuyo glared. Rei rolled his eyes sipping at his coffee. "It's cold out here, why did you want to walk?" Kuyo groaned, throwing knives at Rei. "Will you stop complaining?" Rei hummed with a smirk. "I live to annoy you, you signed up for this." Kuyo huffed but didn't answer. It was quiet for a moment until Kuyo spoke up again. "So I have no doubt you've seen the news." Rei hummed, "I don't know about that. I don't like to wake up to depression."

Kuyo rolled his eyes. "Yeah sure I believe you." Rei didn't respond, just kind of staring across the rode as cars went by. "Okay let me put it this way. I'm sure you've seen the vigilante's dying." Rei's reaction was an answer itself. His shoulders had tense and his grip on the coffee cup increased enough to almost break it. "Of course, they're famous people dying. Everyone knows." 

"Who you think is next?"

"Kuyo!"

Kuyo put his hands up, "I'm just asking. With them dropping like flies I'm wondering which is next." Rei glared, something he really only did around Bradley. "First off, they're not dropping like flies, only two have died." Kuyo, now thoroughly annoyed stopped walking which over course caused Rei to do the same. "Stop playing dumb, you and I both know what's going on." Rei sighed tilting his head toward the sky. "Yeah that they're being killed, I thought it was obvious." Kuyo restrained a scream of frustration as he chuckled his coffee cup into a nearby trashcan.

"You finished already?"

"Yes your annoyingness made me have to take giant gulps every two seconds." Rei smirked, "funny, I'd say you're the reason I'm drinking mine slower." 

"I'm gonna strangle you."

"As I've said before, you'd do that anyway."

Kuyo clenched his hands, he could do it, he could do it and no one would know. "But back on topic, why do you care so much about superhero's dying. Not like you like them or support them or anything." Rei continued. "I asked who do you think is next?" Kuyo stated once again. Rei shrugged, "I dunno, I don't keep up with that kind of stuff."

"You think it's you?"

"I'm not a vigilante."

"Let me rephrase that. You think the "superhero" X-Static is next?"

Rei clenched his jaw trying to stay ahead of Kuyo so he wouldn't see. "Which one is that again?"

"The one with the lightning ability. Who, also is common around here in Lovun, has green hair that hey, kind of looks like yours and what do you know the name X-Static suddenly reminds me of you." Rei stopped walking once again. "Why are you throwing you're life away, what you're doing is pointless?" 

"No it's not."

Kuyo glared marching around in front of Rei to look him directly in the eye. "The same thing that happened at Wellston is gonna happen here. As soon as you leave everything will fall apart." Rei glared as well pushing Kuyo out of his face. "There's a difference this time. I'm not alone, I have people who have my back and I'm not the only one trying to make a difference around here."

"Then what happens to this town when you're gone."

"Someone else picks it up."

"Who's picking up Wellston right now?"

"Will you stop bringing Wellston up!" Rei shouted. "I am one person and I did my best." Kuyo scoffed. "If you did your best then Arlo would've followed right after you." Rei flinched, he knew that part was true. "Arlo has different views than me, and I left the school in shambles. I know that, alright..." Kuyo hummed crossing his arms. "And I commend Arlo for being able to fix what I broke." 

"Then why are you doing this?"

"It could've worked Kuyo, I went about things the wrong way, and I'm trying to fix it." Kuyo gritted his teeth. "If you wanna help, be my damn guest." Rei grumbled tossing the forgotten coffee in the trash and spinning on his heel to head back to his car. Kuyo huffed , "don't get yourself killed Rei."