A Single Footprint in the Snow (02)
ONE
TWO: A WORLD OF CONFUSION
At first the man, who Nino learns is called Aiba Masaki, refuses to leave him alone, but after Nino almost begs him to have some time alone to think, Aiba angrily grabs some clothes and leaves the apartment. Aiba promises to return after an hour and extracts a promise from Nino that he will not leave anywhere, not in his "condition."
After a shower, Nino had enough time to calm down and think. He finds that everything in his apartment is as it were before he went to bed and woke up with the strange man beside him, except that in addition to his own belongings Aiba's belongings are there as well, situated neatly around his things as if they had been a long part of it; which they probably were if Nino is to believe the other man.
He runs the family name, Aiba, through his mind. The Aiba family are their long-time neighbors and friends. He doesn't remember that they have a son; in his memory is their only daughter who is also his older sister's best friend. Aiba (his alleged boyfriend) says that he and Nino are childhood friends, but it is impossible. Nino doesn't know him.
The information is too much to take in and Nino finds himself curled into a ball on the floor in front of the couch, his arms wrapped around his knees and himself lying on his side on the hard wooden ground. It is all too strange and he asks himself how he can forget such an important person in his life. Only him, Aiba Masaki; no one else. Everything else he remembers. Everything else is correct. Except Aiba Masaki. His fiancé.
This must be a nightmare, Ninomiya tells himself. My mind is fed up with my dull lifestyle and decides to throw me in for a loop. And sets me up with a sexy, hot guy.
Or this is an alternate universe where his mind has fallen into. Or someone is playing a cruel joke on him. And that cruel someone had hired a most gorgeous actor or model to play the part of Nino's lover. Nino wonders then if the model-slash-actor and he had even really slept together, but the ache in his backside tells him something must have happened.
The front door clicks open and Nino sees his "boyfriend" enter.
Aiba sights Nino curled up on the floor like a small animal and shakes his head. "Kitten, how many times must I tell you. There's a couch right behind you. You get sores when you lay on the floor like that."
Nino jumps into an upright sitting position and stares hard at the other man. "Is that really what you call me?" he asks. He knows about "Kazu." His family and close friends call him that, but the pet name he isn't so sure about. It is bizarre, even embarrassing, and he is a grown man.
Aiba releases another breath and closes his eyes. "So it wasn't another one of your silly pranks," he mutters. Opening his eyes, he walks over to where Nino is and stops a few meters away when he sees the wariness return to Nino's eyes. Again, pain crosses his expression at Nino's reaction to him. "Why does it have to be like this?" he asks. "Kazu, what happened?"
Nino can only think of one reason. Despite the pitiful look Aiba is giving him, he replies with a thoughtless question. "Did I love you?"
Nino regrets the question immediately. Aiba's handsome face scrunches up as if he is holding back tears and he quickly turns to face the door so Nino will not see.
Slowly Aiba says, the words costing him effort, "Maybe not."
His obvious pain packs Nino in the gut until he feels winded. Is it my fault? he wonders.
* *
THREE
TWO: A WORLD OF CONFUSION
At first the man, who Nino learns is called Aiba Masaki, refuses to leave him alone, but after Nino almost begs him to have some time alone to think, Aiba angrily grabs some clothes and leaves the apartment. Aiba promises to return after an hour and extracts a promise from Nino that he will not leave anywhere, not in his "condition."
After a shower, Nino had enough time to calm down and think. He finds that everything in his apartment is as it were before he went to bed and woke up with the strange man beside him, except that in addition to his own belongings Aiba's belongings are there as well, situated neatly around his things as if they had been a long part of it; which they probably were if Nino is to believe the other man.
He runs the family name, Aiba, through his mind. The Aiba family are their long-time neighbors and friends. He doesn't remember that they have a son; in his memory is their only daughter who is also his older sister's best friend. Aiba (his alleged boyfriend) says that he and Nino are childhood friends, but it is impossible. Nino doesn't know him.
The information is too much to take in and Nino finds himself curled into a ball on the floor in front of the couch, his arms wrapped around his knees and himself lying on his side on the hard wooden ground. It is all too strange and he asks himself how he can forget such an important person in his life. Only him, Aiba Masaki; no one else. Everything else he remembers. Everything else is correct. Except Aiba Masaki. His fiancé.
This must be a nightmare, Ninomiya tells himself. My mind is fed up with my dull lifestyle and decides to throw me in for a loop. And sets me up with a sexy, hot guy.
Or this is an alternate universe where his mind has fallen into. Or someone is playing a cruel joke on him. And that cruel someone had hired a most gorgeous actor or model to play the part of Nino's lover. Nino wonders then if the model-slash-actor and he had even really slept together, but the ache in his backside tells him something must have happened.
The front door clicks open and Nino sees his "boyfriend" enter.
Aiba sights Nino curled up on the floor like a small animal and shakes his head. "Kitten, how many times must I tell you. There's a couch right behind you. You get sores when you lay on the floor like that."
Nino jumps into an upright sitting position and stares hard at the other man. "Is that really what you call me?" he asks. He knows about "Kazu." His family and close friends call him that, but the pet name he isn't so sure about. It is bizarre, even embarrassing, and he is a grown man.
Aiba releases another breath and closes his eyes. "So it wasn't another one of your silly pranks," he mutters. Opening his eyes, he walks over to where Nino is and stops a few meters away when he sees the wariness return to Nino's eyes. Again, pain crosses his expression at Nino's reaction to him. "Why does it have to be like this?" he asks. "Kazu, what happened?"
Nino can only think of one reason. Despite the pitiful look Aiba is giving him, he replies with a thoughtless question. "Did I love you?"
Nino regrets the question immediately. Aiba's handsome face scrunches up as if he is holding back tears and he quickly turns to face the door so Nino will not see.
Slowly Aiba says, the words costing him effort, "Maybe not."
His obvious pain packs Nino in the gut until he feels winded. Is it my fault? he wonders.
* *
THREE