Rael was working on another assignment when he sensed Takeo come to his door and knock. "Come in," he said, feeling Takeo's focus on him and relaxing despite the papers annoying him.
"I want to make a contract with you," Takeo said a moment after the door clicked shut behind him. Then the resolute focus in his eyes was replaced by a bit of nervousness. "That is, if you still want to. It is a big commitment."
"It was my idea in the first place." Rael stood, feeling disgruntled. Why on earth would he back out now? Unless the human thought Rael might have decided he wasn't good enough? "Who else would I make a contract with?" No one else, obviously.
Takeo smiled, looking relieved and a little proud. "Then I'll give you my blood?"
"That is necessary to make a contract." Even if it was a bit gross. The ick showed on Rael's face but Takeo was undaunted, cutting his palm with a fingernail and holding it out to Rael.
Rael ran a finger through the blood and after looking at it, decided he just had to get it over with and stuck it in his mouth, focusing on it. Sir Raizel told him the words, so he drew himself up, trying to ignore the way his finger made a little 'pop' noise when he removed it from his mouth. "We have entered into a contract of the soul. You are hereby bound to me by blood," he said, feeling how Takeo's soul was open to him – but he was used to that. "Do you consent?"
"Yes," Takeo said with a smile of relief, reaching back as Rael gave in and enfolded him.
Rael smiled. "Good." Maybe he didn't have to worry about Miss Seira's contract with that Shinwoo after all. There wasn't anything like that sex stuff in Frankenstein's lecture about this. It was just comfortable, that was all.
Takeo let out a breath, and it felt like it had back then, when Father held his hand. A connection, made of both of them reaching out. Comfortable, yes, it was comfortable.
Takeo's eyes were halfway closed, and even thinking of that Shinwoo falling asleep on top of Miss Seira couldn't upset Rael right now. "You can take the bed," Rael told him. "It's not as though I need it." Unless he was injured, which he wasn't.
"I'm fine," Takeo assured him, raising a hand to his mouth, but suppressing the yawn without it. "I can stay awake."
"Don't you have patrol later?" Rael reminded him. "Never mind, if you don't want to sleep – nap –" that was the human word for brief slumbers, too short to be worth it for even an injured noble, "Then I'll take the patrol."
Takeo frowned. "You don't need to do that."
"Then nap." So Rael didn't need to. "I can finish my work in time to go on patrol," he told Takeo, in case that was the issue. "I can practice moving undetected while I'm patrolling." So it wasn't a waste of time, even if he would have Tao chattering in his ear the whole time.
Takeo finally sat down on the bed. "I'll just rest so you can work," he decided, sounding a little distracted.
Rael could feel Takeo's soul curling around his a little, which explained that. Takeo's wasn't big enough to engulf him, but it seemed to be trying, or at least the pieces that reached out to Takeo, making the bond. Rael shifted a little, wrapping another layer around where Takeo's soul covered the bond, and Takeo's soul calmed a little. This was convenient, how he'd seemed to know what to do. Maybe it came from feeling what Takeo's soul wanted, with the two of them linked like this.
This didn't feel like how Seira and Shinwoo's bond had looked when Sir Raizel showed it to him, but that was a good thing, that his bond was tighter than theirs.
Takeo lay down on the bed on his side, watching Rael.
Rael didn't need to ask anything like, 'how does it feel?' with the bond open. Takeo would feel his satisfaction with how Takeo pressed closer, how Takeo felt sleepy and content. Shifting around like this was tiring for Takeo, even though it was not much different from moving his body for Rael. Not that even moving wasn't more tiring and difficult for humans, the way they couldn't fly or cancel momentum before they marked up the floors.
Takeo closed his eyes now, and that was nice. He found himself wanting Takeo to sleep – that would prove he was willing to leave this to Rael.
Bonded of Rael Kertia, he thought, looking at Takeo's hair spread out behind him, the focus on his face as Takeo reached out through the bond, feeling it. It didn't feel as intrusive as the first time Takeo tried to use his powers on Rael – well, they were bonded now, Takeo was allowed to do this instead of taking liberties. Rael carefully reached back when he felt Takeo reaching. It felt fascinating.
Takeo was delicate, even after everything Frankenstein must have done. Careful, Rael had to be careful. The gentle reaching out came naturally to Takeo as well, his soul was doing this of its own will, but it tired the human and feeling that tiredness sent a wave of protectiveness through Rael.
Yes: now Takeo was relaxing more, feeling that Rael wanted him here, wanted Takeo to rest instead of feeling put upon.
It was mesmerizing, and Rael was glad Takeo was enhanced because otherwise he would be even more delicate, be even more tired even with Rael's power to draw upon, and Takeo was already making Rael think of himself when he was forty. He wondered if he had felt this small and precious to Father in the bond they'd shared as parent and child.
Takeo was so small, and still elegant and loyal and, and warm. His soul soaked up Rael's power and Rael didn't feel stolen from at all. This was a modified human, one of the Union's toys, but now he was one of the Noblesse's Knights, loyal and determined to protect others even though he should be worried about protecting himself.
Or maybe not. Now he was the Bonded of a clan heir with a soul weapon, that made him better able to protect himself than most of the Kertia a hundred times his age. Rael would know if Takeo was in trouble, yes? Through the bond that was made of their souls, tangled and layered together. Rael was a Kertia, he'd have the speed to reach him, and Takeo could be taught to hide from the enemy and flee to Rael if he was outmatched – or no, he wouldn't leave his comrades. Or he might not want to bother or distract Rael. Rael would have to work on his own ability to disengage from a fight, in case some of the Union scum tried to pin him down away from Takeo. He was fortunate that Frankenstein was willing to teach him tactics.
Seira and Regis had a bond because their parents decided to raise them together, but Rael couldn't even feel jealous of that. It was a light thing, compared to this. Not that the bond he shared with Takeo was heavy or encumbering, even if he did feel a little tired. That was Takeo's tiredness, Rael was more than strong enough that this wouldn't tire him.
"Sleep," he told his Bonded, and while Takeo didn't fall asleep right away, he closed his eyes, relaxing as Rael reached out with his senses.
Nothing would come close enough to bother Takeo. He would make sure of it.
"I'll be taking Takeo's patrol shift," Rael said, coming down into the living room.
"Oh, why?" Tao asked, sitting on the couch.
"He's asleep," Rael said first, and then what he should have said first thing, which was, "We made a contract."
Raizel smiled into his tea.
"You did?" Tao asked, leaning forward. "How is it?"
"He's tired." Rael frowned. "Don't go bother him with your questions."
"I'm asking you," Tao countered.
Rael frowned again, looking suspiciously at Tao. On general principles, or was there a reason? Like, say, he might be feeling protective of Takeo?
"How is it for you, sir?" Tao asked him.
Raizel put down his tea and said that, "It is how it feels to Frankenstein that is important."
Rael nodded, looking relieved that someone else had found the right words.
"But," Raizel continued, serene as always, "When Frankenstein relaxes into the bond, when he is content to have it open and is at peace – I share his feelings."
"So when Boss is happy you're happy." That was just like them, Tao thought warmly. "And Takeo's happy?" he asked Rael.
"Ask him yourself how he feels." Rael bristled. At the implication that he might give away Takeo's private feelings? "But not now, he's resting."
Rael was clearly willing to fight him if he had the bad taste to bother Takeo, and wasn't that interesting? That Rael wanted to protect Union scum. That a pureblood noble with a soul weapon thought human toys like Takeo, Tao and M-21 were worth protecting.
Tao wasn't jealous, he realized with some relief. Well, for one thing it was Rael, while Tao had him and Miss Seira thinking he mattered enough to give him a soul weapon. He had the goldfish now. He could feel them if he focused, three big auras a little hard to tell apart even wedged in the middle of them snugly.
It wasn't what Boss had, but what Boss had was special. Tao was happy with what he had. Really happy. He was glad he wasn't jealous of Takeo. Whatever made Takeo happy, even if it was Rael.
"That's nice of you to take Takeo's patrol for him," Tao said cheerfully. "And congratulations!" He'd say that to Takeo as soon as Takeo came down.
Rael blushed, which was cute.
"Do you have your earbuds?" Tao asked, and Rael nodded. "Then I'll go to the control room," and not Takeo's room, so Rael didn't need to worry. It was cute, though.
Takeo wasn't surprised that Tao pounced him as soon as he came downstairs the next morning. "So, how is it?" Tao wanted to know, asking with his arms around Takeo, squeezing him.
"It's," more than fine, "good, Tao." Takeo smiled at his friend. "I'm sorry I missed patrol last night."
"Rael took it for you, wasn't that nice of him," Tao said, chattering but with a hint of a question in it: was Rael being nice?
Right, there had been… something about that. Takeo was so drowsy after the contract he wasn't quite sure what either of them had said. He hadn't wanted Rael to do even more for him, when he'd already made the contract but Rael had been… not insistent, but blustering in that way he did when he was a little hurt that someone might not rely on him. Takeo really hadn't been up to staying awake on patrol, and Rael felt Takeo was his responsibility now, which Takeo didn't mind exactly but it was something that would need to be worked out. Takeo wouldn't be a burden on Rael.
He reached out along the bond and found Rael concentrating. He must be doing homework, either something Frankenstein had assigned or paperwork for the Kertia. It made Takeo smile. Rael was willing to work so hard to be someone that others would rely on.
"We'll need to see what powers you have now," Tao went on, and Takeo frowned.
It was true, but he didn't want this to be about power.
"We'll include Rael in our training," Tao said to make Takeo happier about it. "If you can make him let us. He's only trained with Boss so far, the rest of us should be learning how to back him up too. We were no match for him the first time we fought, but the enemies that came last time were stronger than him."
The Union elders? Yes, Rael was in just as much danger as they were, and Takeo's eyes widened a bit when he realized that he was in danger of losing Rael, just like Tao could die. And Sir Raizel. The bond could break and that, that would ache, the way losing any of them would. Like losing Teira, even though that had never been real in the first place. He'd still wanted to die until M-21 made him think of Tao and M-21's last comrade. Takeo had one more person to live for now, and that was good provided he could stay alive and didn't make them mourn him. Maybe it was alright to be glad that the bond should make him stronger. He could protect them, keep them from feeling loss, but only if he lived.
"Yes," Takeo said. "I'll bring him to train with us." They weren't as strong as Sir Raizel, but they all wanted to protect each other, wanted to live: Rael should be a part of that.
"I'll work on Regis," Tao promised him.
"I don't think Regis will be a problem," even if he disliked Rael. Not after Frankenstein had that talk with him.
"Rael, hold on a minute," Frankenstein said when Rael dropped off the last batch of assignments on his desk at school.
Rael stood there, shifting his weight once out of nervousness, but keeping his chin up and succeeding in concealing the rest of it under noble pride.
"Did you get the Lord's permission?" was the first question.
There was alarm in Rael's eyes. Seira had also made a contract, but the Lord would be lenient when it was accidental and obviously Seira was more in her favor than someone who first had to be confined and then ran away from Lukedonia without permission. He was already on probation, and he made a contract?
"Not yet," Rael said, which was better than Frankenstein had thought. It implied that he'd at least sent a message asking for it.
"You should inform her right away," Frankenstein said.
Rael nodded jerkily.
"In person," Frankenstein added. He'd offer to intercede for Rael, but that wouldn't help when he'd done his best to irritate the heir in the past. Sometimes bad behavior had consequences.
Rael nodded again, squaring his shoulders. "And I should tell my brother," when it might reflect on the clan.
Frankenstein nodded himself, pleased that Rael had thought of that. He was learning to be responsible. "Good," he said, to make his approval crystal clear. "You should tell Takeo before you go, and I'll have letters for you to take ready by tonight. You might offer to carry Seira's reports."
Rael frowned.
"Oh?" Frankenstein asked.
"Even with the contract, Takeo won't be able to keep up with me. Nobles who aren't Kertia are sometimes ambushed outside Lukedonia. If we're slow, we may be targeted." By the Union.
"I'm sorry to separate you so soon after your contract," Frankenstein said, with a pang of sincerity behind it when he thought of how he would have felt if Master left on a trip and wouldn't let him come so soon after the contract Frankenstein made because he didn't want them to be separated. Surely Takeo's contract with Rael was different, he consoled himself.
Rael seemed worried. Frankenstein waited for him to speak, looking sympathetic.
"If I'm placed in confinement again, I won't be close enough for Takeo to draw power from me. The bond will be useless."
"I'm sure I can convince them to have you confined here, under Master's supervision, if it comes to that." Rael was already under Frankenstein's supervision, but even though he'd failed to prevent Rael making an illegal contract – failed to prevent two contracts now – they should still respect his Master's ability to deal with criminals.
They had better.
The young man looked a little relieved, which was good.
"How are you finding the contract?" Frankenstein asked now, making an effort to seem casual.
Rael hesitated, finally saying, "It's not that different."
Oh?
Seeing his questioning expression, Rael went on, "He isn't draining me like that human tried to drain you," Shinwoo. "He's still reaching when I'm irritated, but he was doing that before. It's not irritating."
"That's certainly a good thing." From anyone else that would be damning with faint praise, but this was Rael.
Rael nodded.
"Your brother placed you into my care, so I am responsible for your wellbeing." Independent of whatever the genetic connection ended up meaning to a young noble like Rael. "If the bond starts to make you unhappy in any way, I hope you would come to me."
The idea seemed to surprise him a little.
"You think I wouldn't be able to assist you?" He tilted his head meaningfully.
Rael shook his head quickly. "Takeo won't bother me. More than he already does," Rael corrected himself, "but it's not bad."
Bothering? Hmm, that probably meant the way Takeo had taken to reaching out when Rael was irritated, doing something that affected Rael's mood. It had worried Frankenstein because it seemed to be automatic, instinctive to Takeo, and it was clearly affected even if there wasn't enough power behind it for it to be brute force mind control. It left Frankenstein wondering what he had done to shape Master's mood, affect how Master felt about him without realizing it in the ten years before the contract. Before Master spent some, too much, of his precious life to save Frankenstein from Dark Spear.
Frankenstein had been so upset by the thought he might have affected Master's will that he'd sealed the bond and stopped doing anything at all that affected Master even knowing that his soul's capacity to heal was helping his Master. There were things worse than death, and he'd feared that he'd done one of them to the one who let him stay, let him close. He'd feared he truly was a curse on anyone who let him close and tore apart his lab, because what good was his research if it hadn't let him discover what he was doing? If his modifications made him capable of it, then it was the fault of his research – or worse, was it something that escaped his notice because he was born with it, and he'd never detected in action before because he hadn't wanted to keep any of the nobles he'd captured?
But he trusted Master. If Master was certain that Frankenstein hadn't done anything to his will, that it was no more mind control than a hug or a word, other things that could shape mood, then he could have faith in that. He still wanted to study it at some point, but he had Master's health and enhancing the children to focus on.
"You've improved a great deal since you started training here." He'd become much more tolerable. "And your training with Takeo is part of that. I'm sure you both will continue benefitting from a closer association like this." Who knew at this point what Takeo's nudges had done. Just the evidence that someone cared that Rael was out of sorts instead of annoyed that he was being annoying could have helped a great deal. "Master approves of your contract." Frankenstein had reached out to Master when he realized what he was sensing, and Master sent back that he was pleased with what was going on, otherwise Frankenstein might have been alarmed and thought that Rael making a contract had something to do with Seira making one, which wouldn't end well for Takeo without prompt intervention.
"Sir Raizel said that I was like you, and a contract might help me the way it helped you." Rael was a little embarrassed to say that, to admit someone he respected thought he needed help, but it was Master's opinion and he greatly admired Master.
"Master did?" Master had given Rael the idea of making a contract? That was a surprise, but also a relief. After taking action like that, Master would have been keeping an eye on the situation, surely.
Master… he reached out to him, luxuriated for a moment in the warmth of being bonded, of knowing that Master was here for him and he was not alone.
"Frankenstein. Do you approve?" his Master asked with a hint of concern.
Frankenstein could have said that of course he did, that he trusted his Master, but, "I'll speak to Takeo," he said instead, and felt his Master's approval and relief that Frankenstein would make sure that the children were alright. A contract was too important to not make sure. "Don't worry, Master." Takeo had put thought into making the contract. Frankenstein was sure it was a true one, as different as it felt from his and Master's, or Seira and Shinwoo's. A true contract was forged when both souls desired it, and all of them were very different people, who wanted different things.
Rael nodded and Frankenstein smiled to reassure him. He was vexed with Ragar that a five-hundred-year-old still needed reassurance from a parental figure this badly. He'd done his best to beat Ragar into thinking about things. Ragar could at least have waited until Rael reached his majority to follow that Lord into eternal sleep, it wouldn't have been that much of a delay by noble standards.
Still, what was done was done, and Frankenstein had made the young man his responsibility. As had Master, but even without that, Frankenstein would still do his best by Rael.