How could the summer just fly by like that! Yes Rei had been busy with work. Shougo did a lot with Izumi so that didn't fall to Rei as often. Yet, he never got any time alone with Shougo. Not even the countless times one or the other tried to sneak into the others room. How were these people so good at stopping them?
The day he set up to honor Shougo's birthday stuck out in his mind. He had awoken Izumi early, which was a feat in its self. Once the boy realized it was for Shougo, he was all for it. They made an elaborate breakfast. Rei had always loved to cook. He got few occasions to do so. Izumi asked so many questions, at such a high volume, that Rei feared he would wake the older sibling.
Carrying the tray down to Shougo's room, Rei told Izumi to open the door. The boy bounded in, slamming the door against the wall as he shouted. He dashed across the room to leap onto Shougo who was still out cold. The teen let out a wailing cry of alarm that got Rei snickering. He sat up, shirtless, to wrangle his brother in beside him.
"We are celebrating your birthday today!" Izumi cried out.
"Are we?" Shougo smirked up at Rei.
Rei ignored the look as he brought the tray over to the bed. He sat it over the brothers legs. Pulling the top off of the dishes he explained what they were eating. Shougo was thrilled by it. Exclaiming, often, that he was shocked Rei could cook like this. Once they were done eating, Rei ordered Shougo to shower.
Izumi and Rei cleaned up the dishes, then tidied up the kitchen before going to Izumi's room. The boy was hyped up as he danced around. He didn't know what he wanted to wear, other than the new Lala LuLu shirt Shougo brought him home. Rei found some black jean shorts for the boy, then gave him clean socks and some comfortable sneakers.
Once he had Izumi ready, he wondered down to check on Shougo. The bedroom door opened before he got to it. Shougo stepped out, his hair lightly damp. He wore tight rust red shorts, a black tee shirt that hugged his upper body and sunglasses. The necklace that Rei had given him at Christmas hung around his neck. Rei blinked at it.
"I never take it off." Shougo smiled slyly at the older teen.
"I, um, noticed." Rei turned away before he allowed the heat to consume his face.
"Izumi is ready, he went out to the car." He began to walk toward the front door.
A hand grabbed his shoulder. He was spun around. A moment later he was slammed into the wall, Shougo was in his face. Rei had to restrain his natural instinct to fight. Instead he wrapped his arms around the slender waist, drawing it closer to his own. Their lips met. Tongues danced together. Rei sighed in his head at the sensations that ran through his body. He couldn't control the thought that sprang into his head, how would Shougo feel inside him...
Rei ended the kiss. "Izumi is alone in the car." He gasped out.
"Let's go then." Shougo linked their hands together as they walked to the door.
They stopped to get shoes on. Rei moving farther away from the teen as he opened the door for him. "Today, I am your servant." He bowed
"Don't say that." Shougo groaned. "Or Izumi will be left alone for a bit longer." He winked at the slightly bowed male.
"You would never leave Izumi..." Rei began.
"No, we need to go!" Shougo grabbed Rei's arm as he bolted from the door.
Rei barely had time to lock it before he was dragged to the car. Shougo fawned over the bright eyes, fluffy haired baby brother of his. He apologized for making him sit alone for so long. Izumi only shrugged saying he was playing his game.
The first stop was to the mall. Rei thought he could find something special to buy for Shougo, how wrong he was about that! Shougo spent hundreds on the small boy with them. Even when Rei reprimanded him, reminding him this was a day for him.
"Spoiling my baby brother makes me happy!" Shougo insisted.
Rei let it go. Izumi wanted to go to the arcade so they spent the later part of the morning there. Rei found a song booth. He encouraged Shougo to sing for them. He wasn't going to, but Izumi took Rei's side. There wasn't a force in all of known creation that would make Shougo refuse a direct request from that face.
Shougo stepped into the booth. Rei sat down with Izumi facing him. The song he chose was a soft sweet melody about star crossed lovers. Rei found it hard to sit still with those eyes watching him like that. Izumi clapped the loudest as Rei rushed to the bathroom.
They had lunch at a nice upscale place Shougo picked out. Rei was sure it was due to the fountain lava cake they had for dessert. Izumi was beside himself with happiness at seeing it. He was also covered in chocolate by the time he was done. Shougo had to go buy him new clothing while Rei did his best to clean him up in the bathroom.
"Now what?" Izumi asked as they walked down the sidewalk.
"How about a walk in the park?" Shougo offered.
Izumi slumped. His shoulders curved in as he tried to protect himself. "Um, I don't think so." He muttered.
"Why not?" Rei demanded.
It took Shougo's unique way of convincing his brother to get Izumi to talk. Apparently the young boy had been bullied in his last year of school. Those bullies were "in charge" of the park. They had threatened Izumi with bodily harm if he came to the park.
Shougo stood up. "Let's go for a walk in the park." He demanded dragging the other two with him.
"You're not beating up elementary children!" Rei cried.
"I wasn't ruling it out." Shougo growled.
Rei shook his head. They walked with Izumi between them. A group of about six first year middle schoolers blocked their path within a few steps. Rei huffed out a breath. They were all over weight, pimple faced and looked dumber than the ground they were standing on. Rei had the mind to not mention this, but when Shougo found out these were his brothers bullies...
Well he said that and worse. He didn't touch them, but Shougo had a way with words. He stripped the proud over confident looks off their faces with just a few lines. Rei had never been prouder of the teen as he watched the boys scurrying away. Izumi laughed as they ran off.
"That was epic." Rei smiled as he pushed his glasses up. He turned his gaze to the tall teen next to him.
"You truly have a way with words." He offered.
"Thank you." Shougo beamed under the praise.
They spent some time playing with Izumi at the park. Then they strolled along some outdoor shops. Rei found something glistening on one of the tables. He picked it up. It was aa key chain of a song bird. The colors of its feather reminded him of Shougo's eyes. He bought it without another thought. He wondered if he should give it to Shougo? Something made him hold it back.
Then came the theif. He snatched a purse from an old woman as he ran down the sidewalk. Shougo tackled him, but the teen was far from a fighter. The two wrestled a bit until Shougo got hit in the face. Rei had protected Izumi, pressing him into a doorway. He went out to help Shougo.
Rei kicked the guy back away from the teen. The man got to his feet. Seeing that he was out numbered he turned to run again. He didn't get far. Rei whipped his glasses off smacking the guy in the back of the head with them. It was as if he punched him there. The guy dropped, unconscious, to the ground. He let the purse go.
Before the police showed up, Rei found the man had stolen several wallets, one being Shougo's which he assumed he did while wrestling with the teen. This was the only one he returned before the police arrived. They gave their statements and were told they could go.
It was an hour later as they sat down at a Café that Izumi looked over to his brother. He frowned. Reaching out he plucked something from Shougo's shoulder. It was a broken chain. Shougo gaped at it. He took it away, hands flailing he tried to find the rest of his necklace.
"NO! What happened to it?" he wailed.
"Maybe when you fought the mugger?" Rei offered.
Shougo was inconsolable after that. Rei frowned. The teen went on about it being his favorite. Rei left the brothers to enjoy another dessert as he walked back to a shop. He looked over some selections. With a twinkle in his eye, he bought a leather studded choker that looked like a collar. He had them gift wrap it. Something told him, this would be his gift exchange for Shougo for sometime. He would buy him a necklace every time he lost or broke the one before.
Shougo had been thrilled with the new gift. He wore it everyday since Rei gave it to him. Rei had even bought matching sunglasses and fingerless gloves to go with it. Shougo stated they were great accessories for a singer in a band. That had been five weeks ago.
Rei fumed as he watched the plan drift away into the light blue cloudless sky. He sighed. This was Shougo's final year of school. Surely they could figure something out. Rei headed off. One more year...
With a sigh he sank down in the new soft office chair he found online. He picked up his coffee taking a sip as the computer sprang to life. Shougo, just what was he going to do about him? He pondered. One thing came to mind.
The notification sprang up as soon as the computer was on. Rei was looking for a home of his own. One that was close enough for him to visit the Senya's every day, yet far enough that he had some privacy. Said privacy may just mean time alone with the oldest son of his employers.
He looked through the listing that came to him everyday. Something wasn't right with them. One had only a single bedroom, another didn't have a big enough lawn, that knew was too far from Izumi's school, too expensive ... On and on. Well, he had a year to look, save and find the prefect home.
He went on to do his work for the day. Seiya and Nagisa were out of town. He booked a special surprise for Izumi, dinner at his favorite restaurant. He would make sure to take many pictures to blast Shougo with later. The smile was darkly evil on his face. He loved how he could torment the teen with him being around that baby brother of his everyday!
One more year... Rei closed the office at the end of the day to go pick Izumi up from school. He locked it, taking in his new song bird keychain, he was forming a plan for his future. Something he hadn't thought about in a long, long time...