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kariachi · 15 hours

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Oh look, I wrote a third part to that 'post-prison Kevin keeping an eye on Mike' fic series.

Our favorite rich bastard has an apartment now.

While he had been putting in the work to rebuild his social life, the going was slower than he would like. Eight years on an off-world prison didn’t do much to keep you up with the latest news and topics, or make you especially desirable company, especially among his crowds he was trying to settle back into. It meant he hadn’t had guests over in the time since settling in, and certainly didn’t have anyone who would come over without at least calling first. So, there was only really one potential source for the knocking, one undesired but not unexpected.

Three solid-not-sharp raps against the door, followed by another three after a few confused moments, had Mike rolling his eyes with a groan even as he set aside his book and coffee to go open it. He took his sweet time, mind, there was no reason he couldn’t make a bastard wait, but he knew better than to bother pretending he wasn’t home. Would be just his luck the fucker would wait. Or break in. As it was at least he just stood at ease in the hallway, smirking to meet Mike’s glower.

“Levin.”

“Morningstar.” For a moment he considered having this encounter entirely at the door, god knew Kevin wasn’t shoving his way inside this time, but the small amount of raising his mom had managed kicked in and he found himself stepping aside in a silent invitation. Kevin made a hum that was almost impressed as he looked around. “What’d I tell ya? Smaller space works better.”

“It echoes less at least,” Mike said with a small huff. That had been one of the three main reasons he’d chosen that particular apartment. Even with the balcony it was only a fraction of the size of the places he had been looking at before, but it didn’t echo so fiercely despite sharing an open floorplan, there was tub, and the view was acceptable.

“Throw down some rugs,” Kevin said as he walked into the main room, Mike trailing a few steps behind him, “it’ll clear that right up.” Mike hummed curiously.

“Did take you for a rug person.” Not with his powers. Certainly, Mike himself preferred to be able to always make full use of his own. Each main room having a straight shot for open air had been another bonus for him. Kevin just shrugged, leaning back against the couch the apartment had come with..

“I’ve got enough shit to not echo. You don’t have jack.”

“I got out of prison a few months ago, I haven’t had time to accumulate as much useless crap as you.”

“I can tell,” Kevin said. Rolling his eyes again, Mike made a point to shove past him despite the ample space on his way to pick up his coffee. “Thought your old place was empty, but damn. Need some bookshelves or something.”

“Most of them are in my room,” Mike said, taking a large sip. “I’m having to rebuild my collection.” The couch just barely shifting as he pushed off it, Kevin stretched and nodded.

“May as well give me a look.” Just barely manages to keep his face mostly neutral, Mike glowered harder.

“And why would I do that?” Kevin flashed his teeth in a grin.

“‘Cause I’m gonna look around the place anyway, may as well come along while I do it.” Oh joy. That was just what he needed, Levin wandering around like he owned the place. As if it wasn’t bad enough he was apparently going to just keep showing up.

“And you’re doing this because…?”

“Keeping an eye on you,” Kevin said with another shrug, “gotta make sure you don’t have captives or something.” The glower became a full glare, only a lifetime of practice keeping the mug from chattering in Mike’s hands. He had done nothing in eight years, yes most of that while behind bars but still. Was some faith too much to ask after all that time?

“Really, Levin?” Smirk dropping, Kevin shrugged.

“Not really,” he admitted, “but the Tennysons found out I’m keeping an eye on things and if they don’t get a proper report odds are they’ll come out here, and neither of us need that shit.” The anger didn’t leave, but settled some. He really didn’t need the temptation of Gwendolyn. He’d been on the wagon all this time, yes, and being able to eat whenever and as much as he wanted without judgement was helping him stay that way, but even just the normal people around town got tempting at times. Especially when he was stressed or hungry, and if anyone was going to stress him out and be too stupid to avoid mealtimes it would be the Tennysons.

Heaving a sigh, he headed for the nearest door, Kevin trailing behind.

“The guest room,” he said as he stepped inside for the first time since he’d moved in. It looked even emptier than the rest of the apartment, with only the furniture the place had come with and a singular generic painting on the wall, but Kevin still made appreciative noises as he walked around. “How are they, anyway?”

“Good enough. Ben’s engaged again and living in South Dakota of all places. Who the fuck wants that much snow?” Mike managed to cut off a snort in exchange for a snicker, watching as he went through the room to the en suite, opening doors along the way. “Does this wall go through the entire fucking apartment?”

“Mm-hm.” He couldn’t help preening as Kevin came back into view, eyes locked out the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up the western wall. Spring was already leaving the place sweltering in the afternoons, but he couldn’t help but enjoy them. The view of the outside soothed something in his gut. “The balcony runs all the way down too.”

“Damn.” Kevin went to the window, craning to see down the balcony, and whistled. “I’ve lived in apartments smaller than that,” he said. “Fuck, I’ve got one now smaller than that, and it doesn’t have half the view either.”

“Eh.” Mike shrugged. “It’s not the view I wanted.” Turning, Kevin leveled him with a doubtful look.

“You have a whole fucking bay in front of you.” He did, and it was very nice, and a big part of why the place cost as much as it did, but it wasn’t entirely what he’d wanted. Close, but no cigar.

“Yes, but I wanted higher up and a better view of the city.” Unfortunately the higher floors had been big enough that the echoes grated on him. The echoes here still grated on him, and he hated that he was probably going to take Kevin’s advice and buy some rugs. Huffing, Kevin shook his head, eyeing the waterfront view.

“All I get to see in the inside of the station,” he grumbled, and Mike tilted his head at him.

“‘The station’,” he asked. Kevin turned back, looking his over with narrowed eyes, before answering.

“Splitting my time between Cali and the Saturn Station. The Cali views are decent, but the station? Awful.” Though his jaw didn’t drop, Mike did find himself blinking a few more times than normal.

“How did you talk Gwendolyn into that?” With a loud snorting laugh, Kevin headed back over and they stepped back into the main space.

“Dude, we broke up years ago. She’s off doing her own thing, I’m doing mine.” There was more blinking before Mike shook his head. He shouldn’t have been surprised. It had been actual years, of course it made sense they would have moved on in that time. Nobody and nothing else had stayed forcibly stagnant like him- fuck, his cousin Teddy’d gotten married and had a kid- why should they?

“Laundry, bathroom, study,” he listed off, pointing at the doors and opening as he did. At least the laundry had an excuse for being barebones, but he could admit it would be nice to do something with the bathroom and the study. One he used regularly and the other… Well, he didn’t use the study at all- it was a little too enclosed for his liking and he preferred to stay in the main space- but without a door it was a bit of a bare eyesore. Kevin seemed to agree, from the way he just stared at it with narrowed eyes after checking the other rooms.

“Well,” he said, “Tennysons should be happy to hear there’s absolutely nothing worth talking about.”

“As long as they’re happy,” Mike said in as dry a tone as possible, sending him snorting again. “Final room then?” Kevin waved towards the door beside the kitchen area with something between a smirk and a smile.

“Lead the way.” There was no way to get around the master suite being the most personalized room in the apartment, in that it was the only really personalized room in the apartment yet. All of his books were there on the shelf, a vanity he’d seen and needed in his life, and the photos he’d managed to dig out of his mother’s house hung up on the wall. There weren’t a lot, and he would probably never forgive her for that, but some, including pride of place for one of himself, his dad, and his grandpa, from the latter’s 70th birthday party. Mike beelined for it, turning it from view as Kevin slipped into the bathroom.

“The fuck does your toilet need to be behind a fucking door for,” he called out.

“I think they expect you to be sharing the room,” Mike threw back with a chuckle. It wasn’t something he could see happening any time soon. He would like it to, but his socializing was out of work, and he wasn’t quite sure he trusted himself to have someone over overnight. Especially not sharing a bed overnight, not when it would be so easy to feed off them. “I’ve been trying to see if I can take it down.”

Really, he would have preferred to take down all the interior doors in this part of the apartment. Even shutting the door to the main bathroom put him on edge, but that needed the option of privacy for when he eventually was having people over. In his own room, there was no reason for him to feel trapped.

“Shouldn’t be too hard,” Kevin said as he came back out, “just need to unscrew the hinges, it’s like a four-minute job.”

“You would know,” Mike said, smirking at him and being briefly flipped off for his trouble as the closet was inspected. “So, good enough for the Tennysons?”

“I fucking hope so. Last thing I want is to have to come out ‘cause you three are killing each other.”

“Oh my god,” Mike said, putting a hand to his chest, “something we can agree on.” When he stepped back out Kevin was glowering at the mock amazement, but smirking still.

“Now that’s out of the way,” he said, beelining for the open door- both it and the one in the main space kept open for that cool bay breeze and salty air- to the balcony. Stepping onto it, really seeing the full scope, seemed to push whatever he was about to say out of his head. “The fuck you even gonna do with this much room out here? You could host weddings.”

“Maybe Ben’s weddings,” Mike managed not to snort, though he did smirk at the ‘I don’t want to be amused, shut up’ look sent his way. It was true, however, it was a large balcony. Running the full length of the apartment and deep enough that he and Kevin, both tall men, could probably have lain down with their feet flat against the door and only just run their outstretched fingers over the railing. It had come with a table and chairs already, and he ate most of his meals out there, but there was still a ton of space that needed filling. “I was considering some potted plants, actually. It’s not as if I don’t have the space for them and entertaining out here.”

The smirk dropped from Kevin’s face in favor of surprise and a hint of confusion. Mike glowered at him on instinct.

“Never took you for a green thumb.” Halfheartedly, Mike shrugged.

“My grandmother liked to garden,” he explained, “I just never got around to picking it up myself.” For a million reasons. She’d died long before he was born, but her private garden had been maintained, from the flowers to the vegetables, until his grandfather’s death and he had spent any a day playing in it. He’d never had any idea where to start trying for himself, however, and between his father’s preference to avoid gardening anymore and his mother’s insistence on just how things should be… “Now seems as good a time as any.”

Nodding, Kevin looked over the balcony like he was trying to picture it. Mike could. Some produce on their end, heading towards the next door down, then flowers to decorate a nice social space making up the rest of it. An empty patch of railing to look out unobstructed over the bay. It would be nice, assuming he’d inherited half her green thumb, and just the thought was enough to ease the tension in his shoulders.

“Probably good for you to have a hobby,” Kevin eventually said, and turned to lean back against the railing. “Had some questions to ask you.” And there was the tension again, urging him to glower at the bastard again.

“Such as?”

“What’cha been up to, where you been going, who can verify, that sorta shit.” Of course. For a heartbeat he’d almost forgotten he was being treated like he was on parole rather than a free man. He sipped a smirk onto his face.

“All this talk of keeping an eye on me and you can’t figure that out for yourself?” Kevin smirked back.

“Gotta check and see if you’re lying to me.” Much as he hated to consider that Kevin might have a brain in his skull, he had managed to track Mike down three times already and so couldn’t be underestimated. Damnit. Was still painfully tempting to lie though. With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, Mike made for the outdoor table and sat down, finishing what was left of his coffee. Kevin joined him directly, draping himself over the opposite chair.

“Exploring the town, mostly,” he said, managing to keep himself in line enough to not get into trouble. “See what stores, museums, restaurants are available, took a few tours. Otherwise, I’m generally hanging out by the pool or on the beach.” He didn’t even really care about the pool or the beach, they were just his best options for socializing, at least so far. The tours had been mostly tourists, so that’d been a failure. Eventually, surely, he’d find better options, but when you were just getting settled in the area, especially an area like his, your best choices often ended up being bars. A history of addiction, plus that addiction being to living energy, plus it all being tied to a monstrous appetite that tended to get him weird looks when he indulged it? Meant he wasn’t willing to risk getting shoved off the wagon by urge to keep up with the heavy drinkers and fill an empty stomach. Pride was coming up, hopefully that’d help him out, give him a better opening to meet new people.

“About lines up,” Kevin said, nodding. “How’s the social scene looking?” Mike just shrugged.

“There’s a few other people in the complex I’ve hung out with, I can give you numbers if you would prefer.” He wouldn’t like it, but he could do it. His social life was already barely getting its feet under it, he didn’t need Kevin calling around asking after him. Unfortunately, the jackass held out a hand expectantly.

“Phone.” With a glare that unfortunately didn’t light him on fire, Mike pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it over. The attempts to develop pyrokinesis continued as Kevin checked his contacts, and he only kept it long enough for that, something the basic human desire for privacy appreciated, until it was safely back in his care.

“Okay, looks like we’re good then.” ‘We’re good then’, he hated this man. Especially the stupid grin he threw at him. “Keep this up and you won’t have to deal with me anything.”

“Keep this up and I’ll start eating people again.” An empty threat, and worse from the way he laughed Kevin could tell. “Are we done here?”

“Yeah,” Kevin said with a nod, throwing another look out over the water before looking Mike over again. “Gotta admit, wasn’t expecting a lot but, you’re doing good.” Or at least he was trying to. No thanks to Kevin. Well, a small thanks to Kevin. Two small thanks to Kevin. He was never going to admit it though. Instead, he simply stood back up with purpose, leaving his mug where it sat, and looked down his nose at the other man. With an amused huff Kevin mirrored him, a smirk on his face.

“If that’s all,” Mike said, “I was in the middle of a very good book.” His glare faltered when Kevin cringed at that, throwing an apologetic look through his lashes.

“Sorry, man,” he said, Mike’s surprise edging out his anger as they headed inside and made a beeline for the door. Well, there was his normal view of Levin on its head. All Mike would do was nod slowly, turning the reassurance and the honest apology for a simple thing- god but how many people didn’t think it worth apologizing for- over in his mind. A part of his mind pointed out the mentioning of bookshelves immediately as needed furniture, rolling that over as well before stowing it away just in case.

“Apology accepted,” Mike said as they went, out of habit more than anything. “You probably know my number, you could just call ahead.” With a snort, Kevin smirked, shook his head.

“Nope, sorry, can’t give you time to hide bodies or some shit.”

“If there’s any bodies I’m framing you for them out of pure spite,” he shot back with a huff, unable to entirely keep a small smile from his face when Kevin laughed again.

“Behave, Morningstar, I don’t wanna have to come out here forever,” he said as they reached the door. It opened with all the smoothness of new construction, a blast of cold air blowing in from the hallway as Kevin stepped out.

“I completely agree,” Mike said as he did, and sighed as the door began to close before sticking out a foot to catch it. “And Levin.”

“Yeah?”

“You could have at least brought a housewarming gift.” A snorting laugh came from the other side of the door as he pulled back to let it slip shut.

“Next time,” Kevin called, laugh still in his voice, “I’ll bring you a plant!”

The worst part was, Mike thought as he headed back for the couch, he was probably going to appreciate it.

#fanfic

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