The Duke's Killer Rabbit [BL]

"You don't even know how to use that wand," Elric said.

Clint smirked and leaned in a little more, pressing the wand tighter under Elric's chin, making the healer's head lift instinctively in response.

"Wanna test it?" Clint muttered, eyes narrowing as his grip tightened slightly.

Elric's jaw clenched, and his expression darkened even further, his green eyes locked with Clint's.

But just then, Clint shifted slightly, his knee brushing against between Elric legs and for a split second, he felt the man beneath him flinch.

Elric's eyes closed tight for a moment, his breath hitching before he forced them open again with a steely focus, but Clint had already caught it.

A strange silence settled between them.

Clint blinked slowly, frown tugging at his brow as his eyes ran across Elric's face. Now that the heat of the fight was cooling down, Clint started to actually look at the guy.

Elric's breathing was heavy, his chest rising and falling against Clint's weight, and his cheeks were slightly flushed whether from anger or something else, Clint wasn't sure.

His dark hair was loose now, a few strands sticking to the side of his face from sweat, and his green eyes bright and alert seemed to burn with a strange fire as they stared back up at him.

Clint frowned harder. His gaze shifted to their positions his hands gripping Elric's arms, knees pressed against the man, the wand still angled at his throat.

He muttered under his breath. "What the fuck...?"

He pulled back slightly, confused by the odd atmosphere that had crept in, and suddenly unsure if they were still fighting or not.

Clint, still straddling the carpeted floor of the carriage, suddenly raised his voice with clear irritation as he looked up at Elric, who was now breathing a bit more steadily after their earlier scuffle.

"Why you react like that? Are you gay or what?!" he snapped, eyebrows pulled down in disbelief, lips curling into a scowl.

Elric's frown deepened as he sat up quickly with a sharp motion, clearly not amused by Clint's question, and without a word he snatched the wand right out of Clint's hand before standing up to his full height.

He brushed off his robe sleeves, adjusted the front of his robe that had come loose during their struggle, and turned slightly to face the window, trying to calm himself.

Clint, still sitting on the floor but grinning smugly, "You didn't deny it! You're really gay! What the heck?!" he said again, shaking his head like he couldn't believe it.

Elric spun around and glared at him with narrowed green eyes, his tone low and sharp. "Shut up," he muttered, voice tense with warning.

Clint rolled his eyes and finally got up to his feet with a stretch, letting out a breath. He casually moved to sit on the opposite seat, acting like the argument didn't bother him anymore.

Without being noticed, while Elric was fixing his wand and facing away, Clint's fingers slipped quickly in his pocket the potion and tucked it neatly where the loose fabric covered it.

He leaned back in the seat, arms behind his head, smirking to himself. 'Got it,' he thought. 

Clint stood up casually from the carriage seat, brushing dust off his pants, then looked at Elric with a grin tugging at the corner of his lips and said, "Well, I'll take my leave now," as if nothing had just happened between them.

But before he could even take a step toward the door, Elric, still calm but with sharp eyes, raised his wand again and pointed it at him without standing, the tip glowing faintly as he said in a low, warning voice.

"Are you deaf or what? I asked you, who are you? Don't make me kill you, kid."

Clint blinked once, then let out a soft laugh as if amused, turning his head slightly with that same grin, "You're calling me kid? When we're basically the same height and probably the same age?"

Elric didn't respond, his green eyes unreadable, wand still aimed.

Clint stretched his arms up lazily, then let them drop to his sides as he looked directly at Elric and said, "Call me Clint. I'm one of the Duke's servants. I just arrived yesterday and bumped into you."

Elric's eyes stayed locked on him for several seconds longer, watching his expression, maybe trying to catch even a flicker of dishonesty or nervousness in Clint's face.

But Clint didn't flinch, only raised an eyebrow like he had nothing to hide.

Finally, Elric lowered the wand and muttered, "You're lucky. Using magic outside the academy without a valid reason is forbidden."

Clint, never losing his smirk, stepped closer to the door and threw one more teasing jab, "Lucky? Or maybe… you already fell for me?"

Elric gave him a blank look at first, then tilted his head slightly in disgust. "Have you seen yourself?" he said plainly. "Never mind. It's obvious you're a commoner."

Clint paused, looked down at himself his dirt-smudged clothes, the faint bloodstains, and his bare feet then sighed dramatically and muttered.

"Tch. Yeah, yeah. Stop the carriage, then. I'll get new clothes and head back to the Duke."

Elric kept watching him, clearly still suspicious, but didn't object.

Instead, he leaned out the carriage window and shouted, "Stop the carriage."

Almost instantly, the horses slowed, the wheels creaked to a halt, and the carriage came to a smooth stop.

Clint didn't wait. He opened the door, stepped out quickly, and stretched his arms wide with a satisfied breath until he looked around and blinked in surprise.

He was standing in the middle of a town square, paved with pale stones and surrounded by tall buildings of clean stone and glass windows, vendors chatting from behind wooden stalls, and people walking with baskets or cloaks.

At the center of it all was a wide marble fountain with crystal-clear water flowing from the mouth of a carved griffin, sparkling under the sun.

Clint squinted. "You've got to be kidding me, Where am I?"