[RP] [Viva la Vie] Post
[Title] Post
[Author] honooko
[Rating] PG
[Notes] pokerfacenino's recent 'presentstory' in viva_la_vie. Fic: it's easier than logging with yourself! :D
Nino always made sure to check the mail himself. Part of it was for purely selfish reasons; he liked seeing his name on the box, on the envelopes, in all their many misspellings and variations. He took a childish glee in opening the little door and sorting out the junk from the real mail. For the most part, it all ended up in the trashcan.
But Nino also did it so Ohno wouldn’t see the secrets behind the innocent-looking white fronts.
Dear Mr. Ninomiya,
You are currently behind two payments on your phone bill. If you do not pay the following outstanding balance owed in the next 30 days, your service will be cut off and a collection agency will be contacting you for payment...
Dear Mr. Ninomiya,
We have been in contact with you numerous times regarding the as of now unpaid credit on the following cards...
Nino-
Listen, shorty. Your rent was due three weeks ago, and I’ve gotta eat too. You either make a payment by the end of the week, or you’re evicted. Hate to do it; you’ve been pretty good as far as tenants go, but rules are rules. I’ll be waiting for the check.
It had been harder on his finances to support them both than he’d expected, and with the fewer hours at Esperer, his income was dented enough to have him prioritizing what got paid, and what didn’t. Heat, electricity, water, and food ranked higher than phone, credit card (only one; he wouldn’t risk the interest) and pocket change. He’d even been walking to the rehearsal hall to save on the subway fare. And somewhere amongst the warnings and threats and counting change with the seriousness of life or death, rent had slipped through the cracks.
He had no idea where the rent was going to come from this time.
Nino had been pinching pennies his entire life, especially after leaving home. He’d been semi-homeless on a number of occasions in the beginning, varying levels of starving, and knew what it meant to beg to work fulltime under the table because otherwise he’d pass out and medical bills would be impossible to pay. But Nino had decided long before Ohno had actually accepted his offer to live together that he would rather die than put Ohno through that. He would sacrifice anything it took to keep the situation comfortable, even if that was merely an illusion.
So he destroyed the warnings along with the paid bills, covering his tracks with care. His intent was not to hide things from Ohno, but to protect him from the pains that poverty implied. He hated keeping secrets from the one person he knew he could trust over anyone else, but the darker aspects that filled him with a sick shame seemed to be things he never wanted to subject anyone too, especially the ones he loved most. In Nino’s mind, it was far better to face his demons alone.
As he shifted through the wad of grimy paper, one particular note caught Nino’s eye. A soft yellow envelope with his name written clearly on the front. And the return address?
Kaori Mitsumoto, Japan. And in tiny, careful script on the back:
和ちゃん、私が言い送るおねがい。大丈夫ですか。
Kazu-chan, please write to me. Are you alright?
Nino stared at the lettering blankly. He refused to process it, refused to consider the fact that somehow, his sister had found his address from on the other side of the planet. That after four years of hearing nothing directly from her, and two years of no contact with family whatsoever, she was trying to contact him. He refused to believe that she might want him back in her life.
The letter was torn neatly into small pieces and put directly in the dumpster outside the complex. He didn’t read it; he didn’t even open it. Just like he hadn’t done with the previous two letters. Kaori could write him until her hand cramped for all he cared; nothing could make him acknowledge the pang of betrayal he felt whenever he heard her name.
Nino refused to be hurt like that again, and protected himself the only way he knew how: by cutting off the affected part of his heart and cauterizing it against further injury.
He couldn’t forgive long enough to heal.
[Author] honooko
[Rating] PG
[Notes] pokerfacenino's recent 'presentstory' in viva_la_vie. Fic: it's easier than logging with yourself! :D
Nino always made sure to check the mail himself. Part of it was for purely selfish reasons; he liked seeing his name on the box, on the envelopes, in all their many misspellings and variations. He took a childish glee in opening the little door and sorting out the junk from the real mail. For the most part, it all ended up in the trashcan.
But Nino also did it so Ohno wouldn’t see the secrets behind the innocent-looking white fronts.
Dear Mr. Ninomiya,
You are currently behind two payments on your phone bill. If you do not pay the following outstanding balance owed in the next 30 days, your service will be cut off and a collection agency will be contacting you for payment...
Dear Mr. Ninomiya,
We have been in contact with you numerous times regarding the as of now unpaid credit on the following cards...
Nino-
Listen, shorty. Your rent was due three weeks ago, and I’ve gotta eat too. You either make a payment by the end of the week, or you’re evicted. Hate to do it; you’ve been pretty good as far as tenants go, but rules are rules. I’ll be waiting for the check.
It had been harder on his finances to support them both than he’d expected, and with the fewer hours at Esperer, his income was dented enough to have him prioritizing what got paid, and what didn’t. Heat, electricity, water, and food ranked higher than phone, credit card (only one; he wouldn’t risk the interest) and pocket change. He’d even been walking to the rehearsal hall to save on the subway fare. And somewhere amongst the warnings and threats and counting change with the seriousness of life or death, rent had slipped through the cracks.
He had no idea where the rent was going to come from this time.
Nino had been pinching pennies his entire life, especially after leaving home. He’d been semi-homeless on a number of occasions in the beginning, varying levels of starving, and knew what it meant to beg to work fulltime under the table because otherwise he’d pass out and medical bills would be impossible to pay. But Nino had decided long before Ohno had actually accepted his offer to live together that he would rather die than put Ohno through that. He would sacrifice anything it took to keep the situation comfortable, even if that was merely an illusion.
So he destroyed the warnings along with the paid bills, covering his tracks with care. His intent was not to hide things from Ohno, but to protect him from the pains that poverty implied. He hated keeping secrets from the one person he knew he could trust over anyone else, but the darker aspects that filled him with a sick shame seemed to be things he never wanted to subject anyone too, especially the ones he loved most. In Nino’s mind, it was far better to face his demons alone.
As he shifted through the wad of grimy paper, one particular note caught Nino’s eye. A soft yellow envelope with his name written clearly on the front. And the return address?
Kaori Mitsumoto, Japan. And in tiny, careful script on the back:
和ちゃん、私が言い送るおねがい。大丈夫ですか。
Kazu-chan, please write to me. Are you alright?
Nino stared at the lettering blankly. He refused to process it, refused to consider the fact that somehow, his sister had found his address from on the other side of the planet. That after four years of hearing nothing directly from her, and two years of no contact with family whatsoever, she was trying to contact him. He refused to believe that she might want him back in her life.
The letter was torn neatly into small pieces and put directly in the dumpster outside the complex. He didn’t read it; he didn’t even open it. Just like he hadn’t done with the previous two letters. Kaori could write him until her hand cramped for all he cared; nothing could make him acknowledge the pang of betrayal he felt whenever he heard her name.
Nino refused to be hurt like that again, and protected himself the only way he knew how: by cutting off the affected part of his heart and cauterizing it against further injury.
He couldn’t forgive long enough to heal.