~18.

[RABBIT]

Monday morning felt unreal.

For the first time in weeks, Rabbit woke up before his alarm.

Not because panic dragged him out of sleep or because his body hurt too badly to stay in bed.

Not because he had fallen asleep in yesterday’s clothes with unfinished assignments stuck to his chest.

No.

He woke because sunlight was touching his face.

And because his body had actually rested.

Rabbit stared blankly at the ceiling above him for several long seconds, still tangled in his blankets. His mind felt oddly quiet. Not empty exactly—just…lighter.

His alarm hadn’t even gone off yet.

Slowly, he reached toward his phone on the bedside table.

6:42AM.

“…what?”

Rabbit blinked at the screen like it had personally betrayed him.

He had slept.

Properly.

Not three hours. Not broken sleep interrupted by work messages, projects, assignments, or panic spirals.

Actual sleep.

His body practically purred beneath the blankets.

And immediately afterward came the memory.

“If you come next time, I’ll let you undo my ribbons.”

Rabbit slapped both hands over his face instantly.

“Oh my God.”

Heat exploded across his cheeks.

Why would he say that?

What possessed him?

He rolled over dramatically, burying his face into the pillow with a groan muffled deep into the fabric.

“Kill me.”

Every second of Friday night replayed vividly now that his brain had decided to torment him properly.

Hawk-Man’s hands on him.

The way he looked at him.

The kiss.

God.

That kiss.

Rabbit squeezed the pillow tighter beneath him.

The worst part wasn’t even the kissing anymore.

It was the way he craved more of everything he gave him.

That was the thing ruining him.

He treated Nyx carefully.

Like he mattered.

Rabbit groaned again into the pillow before finally forcing himself upright.

“Get over yourself,” he muttered weakly.

It was just a customer.

A dangerously attractive customer with green eyes and a voice deep enough to melt organs.

Still a customer?

Rabbit pushed himself out of bed and stretched slowly, surprised when his back didn’t scream at him immediately for once. His throat still held faint remnants of soreness from last week’s incident, but the bruising had faded a bit more now beneath concealer and time.

At least that was one less problem.

His phone buzzed suddenly.

Skyler: ARE YOU DEAD???

Rabbit snorted softly.

Rabbit: unfortunately no

Skyler: unbelievable

Skyler: you vanished after your little romantic scene

Rabbit immediately froze. WHO TOLD SKY?

Rabbit: shut up

Skyler: no

Skyler: the loud tipped like a maniac btw

Rabbit blinked.

That explained why the Madame hadn’t nearly destroying his phone screaming at him for disappearing early.

Skyler: also your Hawk-Man looked ready to murder somebody when you left. Like he looked like he wanted to snap the necks of the attendants that tried to entertain him!

Rabbit’s stomach flipped annoyingly.

Rabbit: stop calling him MY hawk-man

Skyler: but he is YOUR hawk-man

Rabbit tossed the phone onto the bed dramatically before Skyler could continue.

“Nope.”

Absolutely not.

He refused to unpack whatever this thing was.

Instead, Rabbit dragged himself toward the bathroom, turning on the shower while trying very hard not to think about that mouth against his.

Which failed instantly.

Because apparently his brain hated him and loved to torment him with things like this.

The water hit his skin hot and soothing, steam slowly filling the small bathroom while Rabbit leaned lax against the tiled wall.

Professor Noah had alsowanted him to rest.

And somehow.

Rabbit had done that.

By rubbing and having a certain someone’s tongue down his throat.

His hand rubbed at his lips.

Usually customers wanted more.

More touching.

More flirting.

More attention.

More pieces of him until he went home feeling hollowed out and exhausted in ways sleep couldn’t fix.

But that man?

Rabbit closed his eyes beneath the water.

Dangerous. This was bad.

Because part of him had wanted to stay there all night.Wrapped up in warmth and whiskey and those careful hands.

Part of him wanted to know what Noah would look like without all that restraint strangling him constantly.

The thought alone sent heat creeping back across Rabbit’s face and down his back.

“Stop.”

He whined accusingly at himself through the steam.

“This is how people end up emotionally ruined.”

Still.

By the time he finished showering and dressing, something inside him felt…better.

Lighter.

His steps lacked the usual dragging heaviness as he packed his bag and headed toward campus. He had a tutorial gig today.

Even the morning air in campus felt different today.

Rabbit stopped briefly at a café cart near campus and actually bought breakfast for once instead of pretending coffee counted as nutrition.

A small sandwich. A cup of tea.

Nothing fancy.

But enough.

Miss Owens would probably cry tears of joy if she saw him willingly eating before noon.

The thought made him smile faintly to himself as he crossed campus.

Students flooded the walkways in chatty clusters, some rushing to early lectures while others loitered around benches pretending adulthood wasn’t slowly crushing them.

Rabbit adjusted his glasses and checked the time.

Still early.

Which meant he had enough time to review notes before class.

Miracles truly did happen.

He reached the humanities building quicker than expected, stepping inside while balancing his tea carefully in one hand.

And immediately froze.

Noah Caldwell stood near the corridor windows speaking to another professor.

Rabbit’s heart betrayed him instantly.

One look.

That was all it took.

Professor Noah wore black again today. He wore black any other day but he wore black today.

Sleeves rolled slightly past his wrists while one hand rested inside his pocket.

Effortlessly sexy and intimidating.

Rabbit hated how attractive he found that.

As if sensing him staring, Noah glanced up.

Their eyes met immediately across the hallway.

And Rabbit forgot how to function for a full second.

Because Noah’s gaze changed the moment it landed on him.

Recognition settling almost instantly into those green eyes.

Rabbit swallowed hard and forced himself to move again.

Act normal.

Act normal!

It’s not like he’s the person he spent Friday night kissing stupidly senseless.

Just be a student.

A very normal student.

With very normal panic levels.

The professor Noah had been speaking with eventually walked away, leaving Noah alone near the windows.

Rabbit debated fleeing immediately.

Unfortunately, his body betrayed him again and walked directly toward the man instead.

“Good morning, Professor.”

Excellent start.

Noah looked him over quietly for a second too long before responding.

“Rabbit.”

Rabbit nearly dropped his cup at hearing his name like that again.

Calm down.

“You’re early today.”

“I could say the same to you.”

The corner of Noah’s mouth twitched faintly.

Rabbit stared before he could stop himself.

Who knew the professor could near-smile.

“You look more awake,” Noah said calmly.

Rabbit cursed internally.

If only you knew why.

“Got more sleep,” he answered instead.

“That’s good.” The sincerity in Noah’s voice caught him off guard slightly. He sounded like he was relieved.

Rabbit looked away first, suddenly hyperaware of the professor staring at him.

“Your bruise is fading.”

Rabbit nearly choked on air.

His hand instinctively flew toward his neck before stopping halfway.

Noah noticed immediately of course. His eyes following his hand.

Because apparently this man seemed to notice everything.

“It wasn’t serious, so yeah” Rabbit said quickly.

Noah’s expression morphed to something unreadable.

“Mm.”

That sound alone told Rabbit he still didn’t believe him.

Wonderful.

Silence settled briefly between them awkwardly.

Rabbit shifted his tea nervously between his hands.

Then Noah’s gaze dropped briefly toward the sandwich tucked beneath Rabbit’s arm.

“…you ate breakfast.”

Rabbit blinked. “What? Yeah…yeah I did”

“You usually don’t?” He asked.

Rabbit stared at him outright now.

“You noticed that too?”

Noah looked almost annoyed by the question.

“You think I don’t pay attention to my students?”

No.

He didn’t think Professors would be so aware of their students like this.

Rabbit thought immediately.

I think you pay attention to me specifically and I don’t know what to do about it.

Instead he mumbled, “Most professors don’t.”

Noah was quiet for a second.

Then:

“Most professors are lazy.”

Rabbit snorted. The sound slipped out before he could stop it.

Noah looked vaguely pleased by that.

“I don’t think they’d like to hear that and not from you”

Rabbit took a sip of tea quickly just to give himself something else to focus on.

Unfortunately, that only made things worse because Noah kept watching him with that same calm attentiveness that made Rabbit’s stomach flip every single time.

“How old are you again?” Noah asked suddenly.

Rabbit nearly inhaled tea wrong.

“Twenty-three?”

“You answered that like a question.”

“I’m concerned why you’re asking twice.”

Another faint twitch at the corner of Noah’s mouth.

Rabbit realized suddenly:

Professor Noah Caldwell was easier to talk to in the mornings.

Less rigid but still intimidating.

But softer around the edges somehow?

“Should I be worried about your sleep schedule again this week?” Noah asked calmly.

Rabbit groaned softly. “No mom, please don’t start.”

“That sounds like yes.”

“It sounds like I enjoy suffering.” He whined.

“I had already gathered that.”

Rabbit laughed, his glasses sliding off his nose as he leaned forward slightly.

Talking to people or rather Noah as Rabbit felt completely different from talking to people as Nyx, that’s if he managed to talk to them without their disgusting hands on him.

This felt warm.

Like standing too close to a fireplace during winter.

And somehow that terrified Rabbit more.

Someone else held this same power over him, Nyx.

Noah watched him like he was trying to understand him.

Hawk-Man held him like he mattered.

And Rabbit wasn’t sure which was worse for his sanity anymore.

A group of students suddenly passed through the hallway loudly, breaking the strange little bubble around them.

Rabbit blinked and glanced toward the classroom doors.

“I should probably head in before people think you’re privately executing me for bad grades.”

“You don’t have bad grades.”

Rabbit smiled faintly. “Good to know my academic validation remains intact.”

Noah looked at him for a moment longer before quietly saying:

“Rabbit.”

The use of his first name again sent heat straight into Rabbit’s chest.

“Yes?”

“Take care of yourself.”

That was all. And he turned to walk away.

“Yes Mom!”

Rabbit yelled tauntingly before hurrying off to his gig, pulse racing violently beneath his ribs.