A Familiar Stranger - Part 3
Nino woke up in a room that wasn’t unfamiliar to him. He had been here once and recognized it almost immediately as he looked at the drawings around the room. Once again, he was lying in Ohno's room. The only difference… he was fully clothed this time.
And, strangely enough, he was calm this time despite knowing what had caused him to lose his consciousness earlier. The stranger that he met a week ago… the one known as Ohno… the one who wanted Nino to call him Teddy Bear… that person had revealed to him that he had let the man top him when they slept together last week. And, even though he couldn’t remember saying it, according to Ohno, Nino didn’t mind being pregnant as long as it’s Ohno’s child. What the heck?
Without realizing it, he started sobbing, afraid of the thought that he would get pregnant. Nino wasn’t like other men. He is a freak known as a bearer. What did it mean to be a bearer? It meant he could get pregnant if someone else topped him. The thought scared him. He didn’t want to get pregnant. That’s why he had been careful all these times. But, it seemed like it would be a waste if he got pregnant this time. No, he can’t get pregnant! He didn’t want a baby!
Being overwhelmed with his feelings, he didn’t notice someone had entered the room. Not until that person standing at the bedside, casting a shadow over him. He lifted his face to see who that person was and found Ohno staring at him with a frown.
"Are you crying?"
Nino fought the urge to roll his eyes when he heard the stupid question that came out of Ohno’s mouth. Yes, he was crying. Why did Ohno have to point it out when it was obvious?
“Why are you crying?”
That’s what he asked next when Nino didn’t give him any answer. Once again, Nino chose to ignore the question. Instead, he only glared at the man who handed the tissue box from the table to him. Nino took it without saying thanks to Ohno.
“Hmm…” Ohno scratched his head, looking clueless. “Are you okay? Why didn’t you say anything? You make me worried. Should I get a doctor to check on you?”
Nino didn’t know why but the moment Ohno mentioned a doctor, he suddenly became angry. He didn’t want to see a doctor. What if a doctor comes and confirms that he is indeed pregnant. Without thinking, he threw the tissue box that he was holding to Ohno, who, in return, scowled.
“That hurts, you know,” said the man, looking angry. He no longer looked like the charming man Nino met at the bar last week. “What’s wrong with you? Why do you hit me with the tissue box?”
“Shut up, you rapist,”
“Huh?”
“You are a rapist. You raped me! And, now, I will get pregnant because of you,”
Ohno’s eyes widened because of the accusation from Nino. And, of course, he wouldn’t stay silent. However, the noise they made in the room had attracted the attention of both Sho and Aiba who came inside, frowning to see both Nino and Ohno shooting daggers at each other.
“What happened?” Asked Sho and Aiba in unison before Ohno could say anything to Nino.
“I don’t know,” answered Ohno. He pointed at Nino. “I just came in to check on Kazunari but he was crying. When I asked why he was crying, he accused me of raping him,”
“Raping?”
“That’s weird, right? I was here for barely five minutes. How could I rape him?” Continued Ohno. Nino rolled his eyes. This guy is so stupid. Of course, Nino didn’t mean just now. He was talking about what happened last week. No matter what, he refused to believe that he had let Ohno sleep with him. So, there’s only one explanation. Ohno forced himself on him.
“I’m not talking about now, you idiot,” Nino growled. This time, he threw a pillow at Ohno. But, the man was quick to deflect it. “I’m talking about last week… I was drunk… You took advantage, right?”
“What… But…” Ohno seemed to be at a loss of what to say. But, he seemed to be in pain because of what Nino said. And, seeing the pain in Ohno’s eyes, it occurred to Nino that he had crossed the line. What he said was too much especially because he couldn’t remember what had happened for the rest of the night.
The sudden change in Ohno’s expression made it hard for him to say anything, afraid that whatever he said would only worsen the situation they were facing. And, his guilt intensified when Ohno turned around and hastened towards the door. Before Nino could say anything to stop him, the man was already out.
“I better check on him,” said Sho and he quickly ran after the other man, leaving Nino alone with Aiba. His cousin, on the hand, looked flustered for a moment before deciding to sit beside him on the bed.
“Are you okay, Nino-chan?” asked Aiba.
“I…”
He didn’t know what to say. At first, he thought of lying to Aiba, pretending that everything was okay. But, that would be impossible, right? Aiba had seen too much and there’s no way he would let Nino go without any explanation for what had happened earlier. Besides, he also needed someone to talk to. And, Aiba would be the only person he would trust to talk about this.
Nino, then, began recounting what had happened to him last week. The story flowed easily from his mouth without hesitation. He told Aiba everything, starting from how stressed out he felt since Aiba dropped the news about the upcoming wedding and Jun’s arrival at the office as his boss. And to relieve the stress, he went to a bar for a drink, where he ended up meeting Ohno. What happened after the talk with Ohno was still hazy for him. But, one thing was certain. He indeed slept with Ohno.
“I slept with a stranger, Aiba-chan!” Exclaimed Nino. “And, I let him top me. This is bad, Aiba-chan! What if I get pregnant?”
His cousin didn’t say anything. Perhaps, he was still trying to process what Nino had just told him. But, Nino couldn’t wait any longer. He needed Aiba to convince him that everything would be okay and he just freaked out for nothing.
“What should I do with the baby?” said Nino impatiently. “Should I abort it? But, I don't want to kill it. It’s inhuman! Do I keep it, then? I don't want to. It will be troublesome and painful. And, if I do keep it, I don't want to raise it. Who should take care of it, then? Will Ohno-san take responsibility for what happened?"
"Are you pregnant, Nino-chan?" Aiba finally said something.
"I don't know," He rebuked. "I have to see a doctor or use the pregnancy kit to check. But…"
"Relax, Nino-chan," Aiba didn't let him finish. "Take a deep breath,"
He did as he was told. But, it's impossible to calm down. No matter how much he pushed the thought away, he kept thinking about getting pregnant.
"Okay, now you listen to me properly," said Aiba, taking charge of the conversation, which rarely happened. "Let's check if you're pregnant or not first,"
“No!” Nino shook his head. Even though he knew it was the right thing to do, he didn’t want to do it, afraid of what the result might be. If…
“Nino-chan, if you don’t check, how will we know if you’re pregnant?” said Aiba, trying to knock some sense into his thick head. Nino could only pout. What Aiba said was true but…
“I’m not ready, Aiba-chan,” he said, his voice low.
Aiba, on the other hand, only smiled at him, understanding his problem.
“Nino-chan, I know you are afraid to hear the results,” Aiba began. His voice was soft and it helped to calm Nino. “But, this is the only way to put your mind at ease. If not, you will keep thinking about being pregnant. If it turns out you are not pregnant, you are freaking out for nothing,”
“If I am pregnant?” asked Nino, almost mumbling.
“We will help you with the baby,” answered Aiba with a wide grin. “And, I’m sure Ohchan will take responsibility for what he did. He won’t leave you alone,”
“How can you be sure of that?”
“Because I know him,” answered Aiba confidently. “He may look sleepy and lazy but don’t let his appearance fool you because he is nothing like that. Try living with him. You will understand what I mean. And, if you’re pregnant as you think, this is the perfect solution, right? You will get to know him better and can raise the baby together,”
Nino swallowed, not sure what to say about that. Frankly, thinking of how comfortable he was with Ohno when they talked in the bar, he had a feeling that the two of them would get along well. But…
“I don’t think he wants to be my housemate… I mean… I was harsh to him earlier,”
Nino’s mind strayed, thinking about what he had said to Ohno earlier. Yes, the idea of being pregnant scared him. But, that was not a reason to be rude with Ohno when the man was only there to check on him. Now, because of his rudeness, the chance to have a decent housemate to replace Aiba was gone. Damn!
“I’m sure Ohchan will understand,” said Aiba, trying to convince him. But, Nino found it hard to believe. “Besides, I think he likes you. He had been in a bad mood for a while now because of work. But, since last week, he has become cheerful again. I think it must be because of you,”
Nino could feel his eyes rolling to hear what Aiba said. It was cheesy, he thought. Being in a good mood because of Nino? Pretty sure it wasn’t true. Ohno must be happy because things went well with his work.
“What is his job?” Asked Nino curiously. If he was going to take Ohno as his housemate, he had to make sure the man earned enough to pay for the rent.
“Hmm… that’s hard to answer,” said Aiba, tapping his chin. “Ohchan did all sorts of work, Nino-chan,”
“What do you mean?”
“Mostly part-time jobs,”
“What? How is he going to pay for rent if he didn’t make enough money?”
Aiba had mentioned that Ohno was in a bad mood because of his work. Was it because he couldn’t get any job?
Much to his confusion, Aiba only laughed to hear his pessimistic remark.
“Why are you laughing?” complained Nino. “This is a serious matter. I don’t want to help him pay for the rent. If it comes to that, maybe I should find a cheaper house and live alone, then,”
“Don’t worry, Nino-chan,” Aiba said, still laughing. “His part-time jobs paid him well. Anyway, if you’re with Ohchan that night, how about Matsujun? I thought he was also with you,”
Nino frowned, almost cursing for forgetting what kind of role Jun played that night. It slipped out of his mind because he was more concerned about the pregnancy. But, as long as he didn’t sleep with Jun, he didn’t care what happened between them. Perhaps he could ask Ohno about it later, providing the man still wanted to talk to him.
“I don’t remember meeting Jun at all,” explained Nino. “But, as I was with Ohno-san, maybe he knew. I will ask him later,”
“Hmm, if you say so,” said Aiba before glancing at the watch on his hand. Noticing the time, he stood up and pulled Nino to follow him. “Let’s eat. It’s late already. If you are pregnant, this will be bad for your baby,”
Nino didn’t say anything. Now that he had calmed down, he realized that he was starving. So, he followed Aiba without protest. However, as he stepped out of the room, he was suddenly worried about Ohno. Would Ohno still treat him nicely?
His eyes darted around the living room, noticing only Sho was there, watching television.
“Where is Ohchan?” Asked Aiba.
“Out,” answered Sho. His gaze lingered at Nino and perhaps seeing the look on Nino’s face, he immediately continued. “It wasn’t because he is angry at you, Nino. It’s an urgent job. His boss had just informed him so he couldn’t join us for dinner tonight,”
Nino simply nodded, pretending not to care. Honestly, he wondered what kind of job Ohno had to do at this time considering it was already late. Remembering that Aiba said his part-time job paid him well, Nino could only think of a job. A hooker. Eh? That’s impossible, right? Nino shook the idea away. Sho’s parents were traditional. There’s no way they would let Ohno stay with his son if that’s what Ohno did for a living.
But, seriously, what is the man’s job?
A/N: So, is Nino pregnant? What kind of part-time job did Ohno do? Let's see what happened in the next part, ne?
Anyway, I hope this is okay. Let me know what you think of it, ne? It will be very much appreciated :)