Work Text:
John could feel himself slipping. For the fifth time that night his body relaxed against his will and welcomed the release of sleep. Not only had it taken him hours to find this place, he had now been sitting in what he discovered to be an abandoned apartment building for the past two hours. It had been…maybe three days since the man, hero-wait not hero- used-to-be hero, no wait.
Rei, that was his name. Right, since Rei had saved him.
John was also still slightly in pain. Yes, he had gone to doc that morning to get a tonic. Did he tell the good doctor what had happened, no, but what was new? In reality, John probably should have been in his room resting, at least then the only person he’d have to avoid looks from was Blyke.
But alas, John was one of the most stubborn people he knew and he was determined. John wanted to thank Rei again for saving his life, and he wanted to get to know the guy. “ I’ll remember you ,” he had said, and he intended on upholding his promise.
Unfortunately, John had no idea whether Rei would come back here or not. The vigilante had never implied that he came to this building often, and for all he knew, it could’ve just been a last second decision to get himself and John out of danger.
A look at his phone told him it was almost eleven, John clicked his teeth. With a groan he pushed himself to his feet. “No luck,” he mumbled as he pulled a folded sheet of paper out of his pocket. John wasn’t stupid, he wasn’t going to make sitting around for hours on end a habit.
“ If I can’t meet him in person, if he comes here at all, I’ll leave a note .” Earlier, John had lucked out and found a light switch near the door. The old apartment had been filled with a dim and dingy yellow light, but it was a light nonetheless. He placed the note on a nearby counter, where it couldn’t be missed before switching the light off and heading back toward the high school.
— — —
“As a way to formally thank you for keeping me from an early death, I propose a game.
20 questions to remember you by!
Because let’s be honest, it’s always hard to remember someone you just met, and I refuse to let you disappear from my brain like some “ghost” as you would put it.
You can ask me questions too, that way it’s fair!”
— — —
A week passed, John checked the building three days after he left the note and the flimsy piece of notebook paper he had used was still there. It had even collected some dust. But John was an expert in the waiting game (in some areas), he could wait this out.
Turns out he couldn’t, he went back and checked the next day.
And the next.
And the next.
By the seventh day, Sera had invited (forced) him to go to the mall, so he didn’t check. On a side note though, he did find some better paper. So if Rei did reply, John could write back on something he didn’t dig out of the bottom of his bag.
“If it’s still there then maybe he doesn’t come here often,” John pushed open the apartment door, “I mean it probably isn’t every day he saves-“ John paused.
The paper…it was gone.
And in its place was a neat, not crinkled, slip of paper.
Excitement filled his body, and John quickly ran over to the counter to read the note.
“ I am not certain that exchanging letters is safe. You shouldn’t frequent an area in which you were attacked.
A formal thanks is not necessary, your words that night were enough.
I wish you the best .”
John couldn’t say he was surprised, but he was a little hurt by the dismissal. But he had at least confirmed two things.
Rei frequented this area and building.
And, Rei had been comforted by John.
And so, with a proud smirk, John wrote back.
“ What’s your favorite drink ?”
— — —
This time, he replied in three days.
“ I don’t really have a favourite. ”
“You’re so helpful. I enjoy boba! My friend and I go to this place called Woaba Boba every once in a while. The mango boba is delicious, you absolutely have to try it sometime.
Also did you know you talk like an old man? That does not count as a question by the way. How old are you?
“ An old man? I do not. I’m 21 if I remember correctly .”
“Over the age of 20, nearly halfway to 50 so you might as well be an old man.
Anyway, what’s your favourite food!”
And so it continued like that for a couple weeks. Eventually, the letters were exchanged over night. John would leave a letter at night, and when he came back there would be a reply.
So far John has discovered that Rei did in fact know how to skip a rock on water, he sucks at calculus just like everyone else does, he loves reading, and his vigilante name had been X-Static.
John snickered from his spot behind the counter. He had a surprise tonight. Whenever Rei came to replace the letter, he would jump out and surprise the young man. Then they could have a proper chat, like proper friends. In John’s mind, it was a perfect idea. Plus, he was running out of paper and it would be easier to talk in person anyway.
The door creaked open and light filled the room. John chuckled to himself and inched closer to the counter. He had to cover his mouth to keep his giggles in as he listen to the soft brush of footsteps come closer.
John braced his hands on the ground, ready to push himself up.
When a knife was suddenly at his nose.
Not a moment later the knife was retracted, but the owner still looked down at him with a frown.
“John, what are you doing here?”
All of John’s energy seemed to have been sucked out as he slouched against the floor. “I guess it would be hard to surprise you. You were a vigilante after all.” Rei made a soft hum before lowering himself to the floor to sit in front of John. “I’m shocked your first mode of attack was a knife though. Wouldn’t your ability be more useful,” John asked.
“Reveal your ability to the wrong person, and you’ll be in more danger.”
John supposed that was true.
A frown painted Rei’s face again, “John you really shouldn’t be here. A few minutes dropping off a letter is one thing, but sitting here and talking is great way to get targeted.” John shrugged, “I’ve been coming here every night for the past two weeks. If I was going to get attacked, I think it would have already happened.”
The older boy sighed, but made no further comment.
“Do you get bored sitting around all day?”
Rei shook his head, “I don’t sit here all day.” John pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin on one, “then what do you do when you’re not saving teenagers out past curfew.” Rei chuckled slightly but shook his head. “Why were you out so late?”
John huffed at the deflection of his question, but answered anyway. “My dad lives in New Bostin, but he was here in Wellston to visit me. I was coming back from the airport when I got jumped. I guess I didn’t really account for public transport. Since you wouldn’t answer my previous question, I shall ask a less confidential question.”
“When is your birthday?” Trivial questions, just trying to make small talk, and it gave John more things to remember Rei by. Despite his initial curiosity of simply knowing the background of the mysterious ex-vigilante, John really did just want to be friends now.
Rei chewed on his lip, “I actually…don’t remember.” John gawked, “you don’t remember?” The older boy shook his head. “I think it’s in April? But I couldn’t tell you the exact date.”
That’s, incredibly sad. How does someone forget their own birthday? Hell, John got upset when someone else forgot his birthday, he couldn’t imagine not knowing the date he was born. Then it occurred to John, Rei had stated that he was protecting people like John from something. It was likely through that that he had forgotten is birthday.
“Were you-“ no…John shouldn’t ask that.
“Don’t stress over it, it’s alright,” Rei flashed John a small smile before he spoke again, “when is yours?”
“November eighteenth, I’ll be turning nineteen this year.”
Rei tilted his head in confusion, “didn’t you say you were a third year?” John awkwardly laughed, scratching at a patch of hair behind his head. “About that, I actually enrolled at Wellston late. I got held back a year, so technically I should be a fourth year.”
Did John want to share that story? He hadn’t told anyone about it. Seraphina knew, but she had found out on her own. Arlo had dug through his personal information, but other than them, no one really knew about what happened in New Bostin. John looked up at the man in front of him. There was no malice or deceit hidden in the Golden eye he could see, only sincerity and genuine curiosity.
“I was actually expelled from my previous school, for excessive violence.” John’s gaze was not pointed at the floor, he maintained eye contact with Rei, and surprisingly, the man didn’t even flinch.
“I’m a late bloomer, and I was bullied for several years for it. I was very angry, I lashed out at people who had good intentions. I treated everyone around me like trash, because I believe that they deserved it.”
He shifted slightly from where he sat.
“When I did develop my ability, I used to it get revenge on those who had wronged me. And then, it gradually grew to wear I attacked people just for looking at me wrong. I ended up beating up my entire class, even hospitalized a few. The authorities were called on me and I was expelled from the school.”
John sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Little did I know I would do the same thing just a few years later. I enrolled in Wellston as a cripple but I ended up revealing my ability and doing the same thing. I hurt a lot of people.”
John released a shaky breath he didn’t know he was holding. There was a gentle hand resting on his shoulder, he hadn’t even noticed when Rei moved closer, and he took a few deep breaths.
“Thank you for listening. I’m better now I promise, I think,” John chuckled awkwardly. Rei simply smiled at him, “the fact that you can look back on that and realize where things went wrong shows you’re making progress.”
John nodded and the two sat in silence for a minute. “Can I ask you something?”
“Isn’t that the point of the game?”
John laughed, “fair point.” The silence stretched for just a moment longer before John spoke. “Rei, what do you remember about yourself?”
The smile Rei had worn gradually disappeared until he was looking at the ground with a certain…uncertainty.
“I…” Rei paused as if choosing his next words wisely. “I have a sister. But I don’t remember her name.” At this John moved back in shock, “you don’t remember your sisters name? Well what does she look like, maybe I know her.” Rei shook his head though, “I don’t know. When I try to remember her face I only get a blurry image. Were her eyes gold or were they red, did she have short or long hair? I can’t remember.”
“I can’t remember the day I was born. I don’t remember the name of my home town, nor the elementary school I attended.” For the first time, Rei’s voice sounded unsure and shaky. “I can’t tell you what my favourite food or drink is, or my favourite book.”
“I can’t remember the face of my best friend. I remember fighting alongside him, and I remember him being there that night. But when I try to think of his name, it just…” John’s heart clenched as Rei’s voice broke, and the question slipped out before he could stop himself.
“What did they do to you?”
Next to him, Rei stiffened and he looked down at his hands.
“I don’t know…”
John threw his arms around the older boy in a tight embrace. Hesitantly, Rei hugged him back and John could feel him shaking. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. John shook his head, running a comforting hand up and down the others back.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Shh, it’s okay.”
— — —
“I think you’re cheating.”
“How do you cheat in footsies?”
The two were laying on the floor with their legs up against the wall kicking each other. What was the goal? To take their minds off of what weighed down on their shoulders. But to them, the goal was simply to kick the other hard enough that they retracted their leg.
Quiet laughter filled the small apartment building, laughter than the peeling walls hadn’t heard in several years. These walls protected those laughs from the outside world that would try to and had hurt them.
And when the time displayed 2:00am on John’s phone, the bright light from the phone merely illuminated two sleeping faces, temporarily young and peaceful.
Temporarily two young men who weren’t fighting for their lives.
— — —
John awoke as his body was lightly shaken. He groaned and rolled over in search of his soft pillow and was met with stuff carpet again. Startled, John jolted into a sitting position and took in his surroundings.
“ Oh the apartment, wait I’m still here ?”
It was still dark outside, and a quick look at his phone told him it was five in the morning. John looked up and met eyes with Rei who was now standing and flattening down the wrinkles in his clothes. “I have to go John.”
“ Go where ”, John wanted to ask, but he knew he wouldn’t get an answer. “Okay,” he said as he pushed himself up off the floor. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” His heart sank when Rei shook his head. “I…enjoyed this. Thank you, John. But this can’t be a regular thing, I don’t want to put you in any more danger than I already have.”
John nodded, “I understand. Can we at least continue writing letters?” Rei seemed to think for a moment before he nodded and John beamed. “Then I shall talk to you tomorrow!” John pushed open the door and stepped out into the cool air.
“Be safe John,” Rei called.
“You as well!”
John turned around and began making his way back to Wellston. He was gonna have to come up with an excuse for all of his late nights eventually. He groaned at the thought, and at the crick in his neck.
But he smiled nonetheless.
And when he got back to his dorm, he had bought one more pack of paper and some funny stickers.