Summary: M-21's aura had changed.

Set after season 1.

Pace the Night

By Dark Ice Dragon

M-21's aura had changed. Rai looked up from the gaming manual Frankenstein had written for him, focusing on where M-21 was. His aura was normally prickly, restless and ready to strike at a second's notice, but now… There was confusion there, wariness.

Distress.

Rai set the manual down next to his tea and started walking upstairs. Frankenstein had yet to return home due to the load of recent paperwork and the children had homework to complete. There was no-one else in the house apart from the two of them.

Now with his full attention on M-21, Rai could feel he wasn't thinking as clearly as he normally did, his thoughts flickering before being focusing on something else. Hm…

He pushed M-21's door open and stepped inside.

M-21 was huddled at the head of his bed, his eyes slitted and gleaming. He jerked his head up at Rai's entrance, lifting his lip to bear his teeth, a low growl rumbling from his throat.

Rai stayed where he was, looking around the room instead. Muzaka would sometimes lose control of himself, he recalled, but not to same extent.

The growl petered off, replaced by light sniffing. When Rai looked, M-21's head was at a tilt, his body leaning towards him.

M-21 didn't react as much when they made eye contact again, a small crease between M-21's eyebrows as he studied Rai's face. That was better, and Rai walked over to him.

There was still no negative reaction as Rai sat on M-21's bed, his legs over the edge.

He didn't say anything, feeling M-21's wariness fade bit by bit the longer he stayed there. When M-21 sniffed towards him again, Rai held out a hand so he could smell him easier.

M-21 seemed to recognise his scent but…it wasn't enough?

…Ah, he'd been expecting and wanting someone else.

M-21 whined, an ache in his heart, starting to shake. Rai reached over and patted him on the shoulder; that was something that comforted Frankenstein so it would hopefully be the same for him.

M-21 tensed at his touch before relaxing slightly, the trembles abating. He edged closer to Rai, pressing himself up against his thigh, wanting the warmth of another body, and Rai continued to pat him on the shoulder.

Eventually, M-21 settled down and drifted off to sleep, his aura calming and becoming normal again.

Rai patted him a few more times to make sure before standing up and leaving his room. He knew how much M-21 valued his privacy and wouldn't want to wake up with him there.

He would have to talk to Frankenstein about this once he returned home, in case neither of them knew. In the meantime, he would finish the chapter he had been reading.

Written for Aoi, who wanted Rai looking after wolf!M-21.

So I thought about Rai petting Muzaka's hair while writing this. X3;

Rai doesn't text because he's not used to using that to communicate, so it didn't cross his mind to use it.