Run - Chapter 7 (Final)
Title: Run
Author: Juri
Pairing: Ohmiya, hint of Sakumiya
Rating: R
Beta: shardaunei
Genre: AU, Romance, Mystery
Summary: After a night of drinking, Ohno finds himself 100 years in the past staring at a person who looks exactly like Ninomiya. Looks are deceiving though; This Ninomiya is hardened by war and has wounds deeper than can be seen. Ohno tries his best to fit in and get along with this new Ninomiya, but he's reminded every so often that reality is harsh.
Feeling like a stranger in a foreign country, I cautiously unlocked the door to my apartment. The familiar click of the lock and creak of the door opening welcomed me back to my apartment. Carefully taking in my surroundings, I removed my shoes and dropped my keys in the little bowl sitting on a small shelf in the genkan. I next removed my jacket and hung it on the hook on the wall, letting my hand slide down the leather fabric. It was all so nostalgic.
Pouring myself a glass of ice water, I mulled over my thoughts. Everything felt strange to me.
I changed into pajamas. My clothes, no longer traditional, but a T-shirt and grey colored sweat pants. Running water in the bathroom. Clean water to drink and food in a refrigerator: cool, ready to be prepared.
Why did this life feel so foreign to me? How could it have been a dream? Maybe this was the dream... Or perhaps this is heaven...
I fell asleep to my questioning thoughts, dreaming of nothing more than darkness. In the morning, I woke up refreshed, but saddened, unable to smell the cooking food that someone had prepared so ritually in the morning. Walking into the kitchen of my modern day apartment, I looked about the room with a melancholy expression.
I used my cell phone to contact my manager about the jobs I have lined up. I closed the phone and eyed the piece of technology in my hand. It was so different living in a time where there was no technology, no transportation like there was today in modern day Japan.
I don't know how to go about reliving my life...
*~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~*
"I want you to record that one more time, Ohno-san."
The music director for our newest album shut the intercom for the recording room. I played with the buttons on the machine next to me, studied the lyrics placed before me one more time and then began my recording again.
"Once more," he told me a second time.
I wrote notes in my lyrics sheet, reset the machine and begin once more.
"Perfect, that'll do."
I hung the head phones on the microphone stand and exited the room after thanking the director. Matsumoto Jun was waiting for me to finish.
He ruffled my hair. "What's up with you today?" he asked. "Usually you finish your recordings within an hour or less, that was ridiculous!"
I flattened my hair with my hand. It took me almost two hours to record a roughly 3-minute song.
"Sorry. I don't know. I'm just not thinking right today. I have a headache."
"You aren't still drunk from last night, are you? Damn it! I asked Nino to take care of you last night."
"Jun-kun, calm down. It's okay. I couldn't even tell you want happened last night anyway, I don't remember it," I lied. It wasn't entirely a lie though. I was transported to an older Japan for several months only to realize no time passed between my return to the past and the fast-forward to present day after my death.
"You sure you're going to be alright with dance practice tomorrow? We also have filming the next few days..." Matsumoto's words fumbled out one by one. He was distracted, checking his phone for train times.
"I sure hope so," I joked.
*~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~*
Standing in the bathroom of my tiny apartment, I tossed my T-shirt to the tile floor. I shifted into different positions, looking at my naked body in the mirror. My shoulder had a scratch, a deep scratch. I must have done it to myself when I was sleeping. But otherwise, no aches and pains in my ribs. I have no bug bites, unsightly bruises or marks that would have been indication that I traveled to another time and had some terrible things happen to me. If only I could remember what those terrible things were.
*~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~*
"Again!" the choreographer shouted at the five of us. We lined up in our starting positions, the music came on and we began moving. "Ohno-san, please be more serious about practice," she shouted. But then she stopped us and said, "From the top!"
We danced again and again. When we finally finished the one dance, Sakurai sat on the wooden dance floor catching his breath. The dance was new, highly detail oriented and we were supposed to perform it in a week's time.
We had been at it for at least four hours now, and I was beginning to get tired of dancing over and over, not to mention being called out. Annoyed, I grabbed my small water bottle, draped my towel over my neck and went to the locker room of the studio. I doused myself in the moderately warm water of the shower, re-dressed in the clothes I'd worked out in and took the train home.
With a huff, I dropped my heavy, tired body onto my bed. I rolled over to sleep off the day but my phone rang.
I didn't bother to check who the caller was. "Hello?" I answered, unenthusiastically.
"Ohno, what happened today?"
"Oh, Nino..."
Ninomiya sighed. "Yes, it's me. Where are you?"
I gave him a short, curt reply. "Home. Sorry."
"Don't apologize. Is there something you need to talk about?" he asked. "You're a horrible liar, so you should just tell me."
I was not a very strong liar. Nor was I any better at lying to Ninomiya. "I don't think you would believe me anyway, so I don't think it's worth telling anyone about it. I'll get over it, I just need time."
After a brief pause and a sigh, he said, "So something did happen..." The phone line went dead.
"Nino...?" I said, still hoping he was on the phone. Unexpectedly, my doorbell rang. Confused, I lifted myself from my bed to answer the door.
I cautiously opened the door to find Ninomiya Kazunari, bundled up in a warm jacket. I let him come inside and immediately began making hot tea.
He laughed. "I figured you wouldn't talk to anyone about it so I came over to make you talk!"
With a slight hint of egotism in my voice, I replied, "Jeez, I'm fine. I don't need you to worry--"
"I'm not worrying," he interrupted, "...per se. I'm kind of curious as to how you're behaving though. It isn't like you, even on a bad day. MatsuJun told me about what happened yesterday at the recording studio and then today at practice..."
"Two days is hardly something to be concerned about. It's only a momentary thing--"
"I guess so." He sighed in defeat. "Maybe it's me then..."
I placed the small cup of freshly made tea before him, which he quickly took in hand and drank. I smiled and sipped my own tea.
"Still though..." His brow furrowed. Ninomiya was relentless, unwilling to accept my answers. "Why are you being all secretive? Satoshi, answer me." He gave me a blank stare. His eyes caught mine for a moment. "Answer me," he said again. He reached for my face and pulled my cheeks until I begged for mercy.
"Jesus, what do you want?! I just had a bad dream is all!" I informed him.
"That's it? You're upset over a dream?" he scoffed.
I rubbed the heated cup of tea with my thumb, my eyes darting back and forth trying to find the right words to describe what happened. "Well it... It wasn't just a dream... It was really real..."
"So...what is it? Was it a dream or reality? It was just a dream, right? Dreams aren't real."
I rolled my eyes. "That's the thing though. I don't remember if it was real or not!"
"Alright," he said. "Tell me about it. It's bothering you." He leaned against the arm of the couch and rested his head on his propped hand.
I sighed. "You're going to think I'm slightly insane. Don't judge me until I completely finish, alright!? No interruptions!"
"On my honor." He half-smiled knowing that I finally gave in.
"I don't remember exactly, but it was like I was transported to another time. Like 100 years ago. I met someone, but I can't tell you what he looked like. And in this...dream..." I hesitated. I can't remember much of the dream, but my hand started to drift unconsciously to my shoulder. "In this dream, I was cut with a sword and kidnapped and accused of murder. I only woke up because someone that looked exactly like me, shot me and this other person..."
The entire time, Ninomiya Kazunari sat in silence, nodding his head every few minutes, making "Mm-mm..." noises. When I finally finished his first reaction was, "Did someone drug you when we were drinking the other night?"
"I am being absolutely, 100%, completely honest with you right now."
"I find this really hard to believe..." he said.
I rubbed my hands on my face. I knew it would be difficult to pass this story off as something believable. "I can't remember the whole thing!" I groaned.
"Sounds like your mind had quite the adventure though!"
I followed up on his joke. "I don't know how much I appreciate all the adventure, though."
Unable to convince him, and the two of us unable to stay awake for any longer, Ninomiya left. Once more, I was victim to my own thoughts.
*~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~*
In the morning, I cancelled my appointments and filming appearances for all of two weeks. It was impossible for me to cancel our performance on MusicStation. We worked hard on the dance and I wasn't a complete bastard. I performed to the best of my ability, I stayed quiet during the talks and continued about my business the rest of the day. But after that, I refused to continue working knowing that I could not concentrate on anything. I received phone messages and emails from close friends, the rest of Arashi, and even one from Johnny Kitagawa, the man himself. I replied to all of them saying I just needed some time off.
I replenished my paint collection and placed myself in front of a blank canvas. Quietly thinking, I dabbed my paintbrush into one of the assorted paint colors on my palette. The white of the canvas was quickly blended with shades of green, and yellow. A figure dressed in blue was eventually painted into the scenery. I paused to take a small look at my new work.
In my dream, every morning, when I walked up this hill, I would see someone looking at the sun rising over the city below. When he noticed my presence, he would turn and smile. The simple painting sitting before me became the image ingrained in my mind. Despite knowing so much, his face is unclear.
Except for when I wanted to sleep a few short hours or to eat, I worked on the piece from sunrise to sunset, three days straight, and each day I sat to work on it, I remembered more and more of my dream. I looked at the finished work and smiled a melancholy smile. As much as I disliked living in that time, the hardships people had to undergo and the everyday fight to survive, I loved that hill. I loved going to it and watching the view of the sunrises and sunsets. I loved sitting next to this person. But it made me sad. I can remember all the feelings associated with this dream, except for what is important, and that one important thing all but escapes me.
A knock came from my front door. I panicked. I had finished this painting, but I hadn't changed clothes or had a proper shower in three days time. My hands and shirt were covered in different colored paint. While going to the bathroom to wash my hands, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The many colored paints decorated my skin. Paints smears lined my face where I once had an itch to scratch. Cursing, I wash off whatever paint I can and forego changing to answer the door. Ninomiya, my unannounced guest, let out a laugh and welcomed himself inside.
"Did you go to war?" he asked.
"Yes. I went to war and fought against all those paint tubes and brushes." I said sleepily, unenthusiastic.
"You're painting again? That's a relief. I was hoping nothing horrible happened to you. Your text message was so cryptic, we were all so worried." Ninomiya briefly glanced at the painting in the next room while lowering himself to the couch. "That was what you were working on?"
"Yeah,...it's almost finished,... I think..." I poured myself a glass of water, pausing momentarily to ask Ninomiya if he wanted anything; he refused. "It might need a little bit of a touch up but I think it's mostly finished." I walked into the small living room and joined him on the couch, sipping my drink. I eyed the book hidden in Ninomiya's lap. "What's that?"
He raised the book to the light. The title written on it is 'Dream Moods: How to Interpret and Make Sense of Your Dreams'. If I remembered correctly, Matsumoto had this book the other night.
"Your dream got me thinking a little, is all," he replied with a chuckle. He blushed from embarrassment. "I borrowed it from Jun-kun."
"And...? Did it explain anything?"
He tossed the book onto the coffee table before him. "It's a bunch of junk."
I raised an eyebrow and took a sip of my water. It was inevitable.
Ninomiya squinted and looked directly at me. "Can I make a suggestion as to what I believe your dream was telling you?"
"By all means..."
"I think..." he paused. "I'm not very good at this, so bear with me. I think, you're running from something. Some secret or something in your life that you don't want to acknowledge... and that you might be your own enemy for keeping quiet about it. As if you're fighting with yourself."
I raised my eyebrow again, listening to his interpretation.
He continues. "If I remember correctly, I think that, your regular self is running from your murderous self because you don't want something to be found out. The truth needs to come to light but you're afraid of it happening for whatever reason. That causes you to turn tail and run the other way. By being in the past, I think your mind was telling you that you cannot redo something that happened in the past, but if you know the future, you can fix the past... And when you fix the past, you change the future." He looked at me for a moment, taking in the reaction I gave him: a look of confusion mixed with questions. "Or something like that! I'm not a professional." He blushed again.
My mouth changed into a smirk. He couldn't have been more right; how I wish I could tell him...
Just as I went to say something, a vibrating noise catches our attention and Ninomiya begins to dig in his pockets for his phone. He apologizes as he checks the message he received. Something catches my eye. Just when I started to think my dream had almost everything to do with my strange mind, I saw it. The luck charm I had been given in my dream. It was the exact same luck charm I watched swing off the end of Ninomiya's phone. I quickly grabbed (probably rudely too) Ninomiya's phone, staring intently, shifting the little charm into different positions in my hand.
"How did you get this?" I asked.
"I've had it for a while. It was a gift from my grandfather. And if you must know," he proclaimed with pride, "he got it from his grandfather!!"
I took a second look at the charm. The wood was slightly discolored in spots and chipped away in places with scratches, but the sheen on the wood made me think it was preserved somehow. There was no doubt about it, this was the charm I had with me in my dream.
My jaw dropped. There was a question on my mind. I wanted to ask him even though I probably already knew the answer. Then again, I wasn't sure if I really knew. In my dream, I died. I'm sure of it. But I also know someone died next to me, someone I recognized in this time.
I became nervous. "Do you know who his grandfather was?"
"Ah, I never asked him. My mom might know though..."
The tension that built up inside me faded. "Oh..." I said with a sigh.
"You know... When I was trapped in that time... that dream," I corrected myself, "I just kept thinking that I wanted to go home, or that I wanted to see you one more time--"
"Me? You wanted to see me?" Ninomiya raised an eyebrow.
My heart began to pound in my chest and my stomach tied into a knot. Had I meant to do that intentionally or was that a slip?
"Listen... Nino..." My words were caught in my throat. "I'm not sure how to tell you this..."
Ninomiya stared at me, waiting for something to happen, waiting for me to tell him something.
The suspense threatened my physical being. My heart sped its pace, my breathing came in short bursts. Unable to handle the sudden emotional onslaught, I leaned close to him and pressed my lips to his for several short seconds. He didn't move when I shied away. He didn't say or do anything. Ninomiya remained motionless but his eyes darted in every direction. His mouth curved into a confused smile, unsure of how he should be feeling.
Quickly, I removed myself from his presence. I heard him call after me, but I didn't want to look back at him. If I did, I don't know what I would do. I slumped to the wooden floor of my bedroom, locking the door from the floor. I tried to catch my breath and keep myself from crying, but my cries caught in my throat and it was painful. Like a small child, I huddled my knees to my chest. I had what I wanted in my dream. But reality was harsh.
I woke up in the morning, lying on the cold floor. My eyes ached. They were no doubt reddened by my long and hard crying from last night. I felt nervous leaving my tiny room to venture out into the wide living room. I couldn't remember if I heard Ninomiya leave. I wasn't keen to the idea of seeing him this morning.
I hesitantly opened the door and poked my head out, checking for signs of life. I sighed, remembering last night. These feelings that gripped me, this guilt and longing, I needed to overcome it. The quicker the better, I thought. I'm in my thirties for goodness sake! I don't have time to waste acting like a heartbroken teenager (even though a heartbreak hurts at every and any age). I have a job, I have things I must do. Shaking off whatever feelings that surfaced, I got dressed and headed to the studio for filming. I greeted the people I passed by in the hall until I reached the green room. Sakurai was reading his newspaper, as per usual. Aiba and Matsumoto were hovered over a magazine, arguing about something pertaining to whatever page they were on. Ninomiya was buried in his handheld gaming system. Three of the four, muttered a small greeting. Ninomiya flicked his eyes and went back to his game. As expected, the tension between Ninomiya and myself was strong. Overcome it, me! I think.
During filming, Sakurai and Aiba laughed with the guest, while Matsumoto intently listened to the guest's outrageous story of a recent family reunion. I could only assume he was waiting for a good time to insert a small joke. Ninomiya sat next to me and pretended like nothing was amiss, the perfect actor. The entire time the guest talked, I merely swiveled in my chair, half listening to the guest and half waiting for the bright red "Recording" light to go off, so I could leave.
I read the cue card the AD was holding and followed its instructions pertaining to a tsukkomi act. I spoke up with my quick-witted joke and the guest chewed me out and then he crushed the AD with harsh words (all in a friendly banter, of course). When the recording light went off and we were ushered out of the studio, relief washed over me. Gathering my items, I pulled my jacket on and slung my small bag over my shoulder. Sakurai stopped me on my way out and asked to walk to the station together. I had difficulty refusing him and in the end, he happily followed me out to the station.
The cold air was brisk but not overbearingly cold. It felt kind of good to inhale the freezing air.
"Yuzuru-san was so funny tonight. I didn't know his family was so crazy like that!" Sakurai laughed, reminiscing the recording we just finished.
I laughed half-heartedly. "Yeah- Hey Sho-chan..."
"What's up, Ohno-kun?"
I bit my lower lip. "Do you ever have dreams where, when you wake up, you wonder if it really happened? Even so much as wondering if your dream was reality?"
"Doesn't everyone have those kinds of dream? You have your dream and you can convince yourself that it was a dream or, if you can remember it, you ask yourself if it was really just a dream. But in the end, a dream is only a figment of your imagination, they can't hurt you. Why?"
"I had a really weird dream recently and it felt so real. It was scary. It was like one of those dreams when you wake up just before you hit the ground and you sort of...jerk awake in your bed."
Sakurai chuckled. "I've had dreams like that before. They are scary. I'll tell you one if you promise not to judge me!"
"I promise! I won't say anything!" I smiled.
"I'm trusting you here, okay? I had a dream that I was a samurai. I was chasing after something or someone and someone had stabbed me with a sword, multiple times, but I didn't die. I was immortal but it hurt every time that sword pierced me. When I woke up, I had to take off all my clothes in the bathroom to make sure I was really alive!"
I laughed at him. He seemed displeased. "I'm serious here!! Also, what's with you, Matsumoto-kun and Nino and all this dream stuff? He came into the green room earlier today holding a book about dream interpretation and now you're asking me all about this stuff..."
"It's nothing really. Just curiosity! I'm glad I'm not the only one to have dreams like that!"
"No, you're not," he replies. He sounded unsure of how to answer. The rumble of an arriving train extinguished his next thought. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow, then." His train rolled into the station before mine did.
We said our goodbyes and I was left standing at the station with tired businessmen who might have just finished their day's work. I thought to myself, That could have been me. That exhausted, worn-out man could be me. I wouldn't be able to have as much luxury as I do now and I would most likely be unhappy with my job. But I was not a businessman and while I don't make too much money as an idol, I could still afford things I would otherwise be unable to. I have loyal people who forgive my mess-ups and tell me to do my best. But without Ninomiya, I would have had none of this.
My legs subconsciously walked my body onto the home-bound train, I'm lost in thought. I became inattentive to the world around me. It came as no surprise to me when I woke up the next morning, completely oblivious of how I made it home unscathed. At work, I found myself eating in silence, away from others. Aiba Masaki asked me to after-work drinks. I wanted to decline, but something told me to go. Even Ninomiya agreed that I needed to smack a few hundred yen on the bar and down some colorful, fruity beverages laced with alcohol. Like he is one to talk, I thought to myself.
The bar was not far from the studio. We walked together in a row, dodging the people walking the opposite direction and blending into the busy nightlife of Tokyo on a weekend. When we arrived, it was as Ninomiya had predicted. Money flew from my pocket, buying drinks for the Arashi members. Bouts of dizziness took control of my consciousness. Three hours after arriving, I was falling over drunk and escorted from the establishment with a lighter wallet. We all were.
"Don't you know an idol when you see one?!" Matsumoto shouted at the bouncer that threw us out.
All the while laughing, Sakurai pulled Matsumoto into a hug with ulterior reasoning: to keep him from getting any more rowdy. Matsumoto whined.
"I spent so much money on their drinks and I get thrown out!" He sounded out of breath and yet somehow managed to shout, "I'm never coming back here again!! Keep your stupid drinks!!"
Sakurai marched off with Matsumoto hanging on his shoulders. There were probably more ulterior motives hidden at Sakurai's apartment, which I assumed was where they were headed given the proximity of his apartment. Aiba gallivanted off in the direction of his own apartment, solo. Ninomiya and I lived in the same direction. He toddled several paces ahead of me, showing no signs of stopping and waiting. I followed behind him quietly.
After a while he seemed to ignore my presence. I slowed my pace, still keeping somewhat of an eye on the drunk Ninomiya wandering the streets to the station. That was when I saw two men dressed in grey jumped out behind Ninomiya, tailing him. One of the men made a hand signal and another two people came into view. I increased my walk to a small jog and then full sprint. They were going to jump him.
I shouted, "Nino! Run!" The four strangers and Ninomiya turned towards me. I wound my arm back and nailed one of the stalkers with a fist to the face. I never punched someone before. Adrenaline flowed through me, as did panic. Ninomiya took off running. Looking for revenge, the four men turned their attention to me.
"Ken, Naga, take him," one of the men said. The men supposedly named Ken and Naga approached me cautiously, like a hyena stalking its prey. I took a protective stance. I wasn't a fighter. I was going to get the crap kicked out of me. Ken and Naga feint movements, jolting forward, ready to grab me. I try to make a run for it but they overtook me in no time flat, holding my arms, rendering me defenseless. I struggled but their grip was unbreakable. The two nameless men laughed. They're excited.
The one I could only assume was their leader spoke again. "We were going to grab that other guy, but you're much more interesting. Who would have thought that someone would actually try to stop us."
Ken and Naga laughed in my ears. The one standing next to the leader placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, shit, Taka, look at this! This is Ohno Satoshi!" he said to the leader. "We have an idol in our hands!"
"No, shit!" Taka snorted with delight. "I think we hit the jackpot, boys!" The four of them laughed.
The leader spoke again. "Nao, would you like the honors?" The man next to him, Nao, smiled devilishly.
"With pleasure!" he said.
Nao pulled his arm back and wacked me right in my eye. Excited, he said, "Whooo! This guy has a hard head!" He didn't waste another minute as he pulled back once more and slammed his fist into my face again. It was Taka's turn next. Taka crashed his knee into my stomach. I fell forward but the men holding me brought me back up. One of them hauled their arm back again but suspended the assault when they heard a voice say, "He's right here!!"
"Shit, man, the cops. We gotta to get out of here." Taka warned the men with him.
Ken and Naga threw me down and the four of them took off running. I cough and spit up blood.
"Ohno!" Ninomiya ran to my side. Relief washes over me when I looked up to see his face. My head pounds from pain but I'm at ease knowing the men were gone and Ninomiya was by my side. "Oh my god, are you okay?!" He cradled me, holding onto me tightly. He let go enough to examine the damage done and embraced me a second time. "Why did you do that? You could have died?"
"Where's the officer?" My question was as quiet as a whisper.
"He didn't come, he wouldn't come because I was drunk. Stupid bastard! I'm so glad you're alive!"
A small chuckle escaped me. "It's okay," I consoled him. Why was I the one reassuring him though? Between the two of us, I was the one who got the shit kicked out of me.
"Why did you do that?!" he scolded me.
"Because I wanted to."
"You should have let them jump me! Now, you're hurt... God damn it..." he cursed.
"I owed you. If I didn't react, I wouldn't have been able to repay you for saving me." Our eyes met for a moment.
Ninomiya, flustered, said, "Whatever! We have to go to a hospital!"
"I'm f-fine," I stuttered when he helped me to my feet. "Just take me back home."
Without arguing, Ninomiya wrapped one of my arms around his shoulders and we started to walk, slow at first, until we established a walking pace, toward the train station. We just nearly missed it, but we boarded the final train of the night. Only a small number of passengers were in our car but we received stares from everyone seated in the train car.
"You look like hell, so bear with it until we get back," Ninomiya said. He folded his arms over his chest, but then he removed the hat he was using as a disguise and placed it on my head, blocking my face from the light in the car. I was thankful and somewhat moved by his action.
When we arrived at my apartment, Ninomiya jittered around, looking for a first aid kit, finding it under the sink in my bathroom. He sat me down on the toilet seat and cleaned me up, putting band-aids in strange places. When I looked at myself in the mirror of the bathroom, my face looked something similar to a patch-job done on a pair of ripped pants. I peeled some of the tape back, only to be scolded by Ninomiya.
"But it's too much! It looks worse than it really is!" I retorted.
"I don't care!" Ninomiya whipped out an eye patch and slapped it to my eye. "Humor me!" he said sarcastically. He ceased and looked at me. "You're right, it does look worse."
By the time we settled, I only had the eye patch, a couple of band-aids and butterfly bandages laced against my mouth and cheek.
"They really kicked the shit out of you... It's a good thing you have off tomorrow, this is horrible."
"Thanks for helping me."
"No, no... Don't thank me. You were so brave. I left you all alone." Ninomiya twiddled his thumbs, looking for something to say. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright. You were a little too drunk, so I thought, since we live the same way, I'd just keep an eye on you--"
"No, not that," he interrupted. I raise an eyebrow. His smile was sad. "I'm sorry," he said again. "I wasn't able to give you my answer."
I swallow, hard. This was a moment of truth for me. This was what would make or break me. His answer, only seconds away, caused me anxiety.
"I always thought about you a lot. Ever since we first met, but I never thought that the feelings I had would be different from friendship. To be honest, I'm slightly ashamed of myself. I surrounded myself with so many women trying to figure myself out but I always went back to thinking of you." Our eyes caught each other for a moment, before Ninomiya directed his attention elsewhere. "When you kissed me, I was upset but I was also completely happy. I thought that I could finally tell you what I felt, but then you ran away..." Kneeling down, he rested his forehead against my knee. "I'm not going to let you run away again. We'll face things together, from now on."
I smiled as best as I could, holding back overwhelming joy, knowing that I was finally accepted by the person I'd loved for years. I rested a hand on his head, caressing his hair. I didn't feel the need to run anymore.
_______________________
OOC: So here it is! The final chapter! I hope you enjoyed the crazy ride that "Run" was, lol. I enjoyed writing it despite it taking me almost 2 years to finish and post! Hopefully I can get another chaptered fic out soon without it taking as long as this one! Thanks to all the readers for taking the time to read! I really appreciate it!
And once more for your viewing pleasure, shadz's banner because it's awesome! ♥
Author: Juri
Pairing: Ohmiya, hint of Sakumiya
Rating: R
Beta: shardaunei
Genre: AU, Romance, Mystery
Summary: After a night of drinking, Ohno finds himself 100 years in the past staring at a person who looks exactly like Ninomiya. Looks are deceiving though; This Ninomiya is hardened by war and has wounds deeper than can be seen. Ohno tries his best to fit in and get along with this new Ninomiya, but he's reminded every so often that reality is harsh.
Feeling like a stranger in a foreign country, I cautiously unlocked the door to my apartment. The familiar click of the lock and creak of the door opening welcomed me back to my apartment. Carefully taking in my surroundings, I removed my shoes and dropped my keys in the little bowl sitting on a small shelf in the genkan. I next removed my jacket and hung it on the hook on the wall, letting my hand slide down the leather fabric. It was all so nostalgic.
Pouring myself a glass of ice water, I mulled over my thoughts. Everything felt strange to me.
I changed into pajamas. My clothes, no longer traditional, but a T-shirt and grey colored sweat pants. Running water in the bathroom. Clean water to drink and food in a refrigerator: cool, ready to be prepared.
Why did this life feel so foreign to me? How could it have been a dream? Maybe this was the dream... Or perhaps this is heaven...
I fell asleep to my questioning thoughts, dreaming of nothing more than darkness. In the morning, I woke up refreshed, but saddened, unable to smell the cooking food that someone had prepared so ritually in the morning. Walking into the kitchen of my modern day apartment, I looked about the room with a melancholy expression.
I used my cell phone to contact my manager about the jobs I have lined up. I closed the phone and eyed the piece of technology in my hand. It was so different living in a time where there was no technology, no transportation like there was today in modern day Japan.
I don't know how to go about reliving my life...
*~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~*
"I want you to record that one more time, Ohno-san."
The music director for our newest album shut the intercom for the recording room. I played with the buttons on the machine next to me, studied the lyrics placed before me one more time and then began my recording again.
"Once more," he told me a second time.
I wrote notes in my lyrics sheet, reset the machine and begin once more.
"Perfect, that'll do."
I hung the head phones on the microphone stand and exited the room after thanking the director. Matsumoto Jun was waiting for me to finish.
He ruffled my hair. "What's up with you today?" he asked. "Usually you finish your recordings within an hour or less, that was ridiculous!"
I flattened my hair with my hand. It took me almost two hours to record a roughly 3-minute song.
"Sorry. I don't know. I'm just not thinking right today. I have a headache."
"You aren't still drunk from last night, are you? Damn it! I asked Nino to take care of you last night."
"Jun-kun, calm down. It's okay. I couldn't even tell you want happened last night anyway, I don't remember it," I lied. It wasn't entirely a lie though. I was transported to an older Japan for several months only to realize no time passed between my return to the past and the fast-forward to present day after my death.
"You sure you're going to be alright with dance practice tomorrow? We also have filming the next few days..." Matsumoto's words fumbled out one by one. He was distracted, checking his phone for train times.
"I sure hope so," I joked.
*~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~*
Standing in the bathroom of my tiny apartment, I tossed my T-shirt to the tile floor. I shifted into different positions, looking at my naked body in the mirror. My shoulder had a scratch, a deep scratch. I must have done it to myself when I was sleeping. But otherwise, no aches and pains in my ribs. I have no bug bites, unsightly bruises or marks that would have been indication that I traveled to another time and had some terrible things happen to me. If only I could remember what those terrible things were.
*~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~*
"Again!" the choreographer shouted at the five of us. We lined up in our starting positions, the music came on and we began moving. "Ohno-san, please be more serious about practice," she shouted. But then she stopped us and said, "From the top!"
We danced again and again. When we finally finished the one dance, Sakurai sat on the wooden dance floor catching his breath. The dance was new, highly detail oriented and we were supposed to perform it in a week's time.
We had been at it for at least four hours now, and I was beginning to get tired of dancing over and over, not to mention being called out. Annoyed, I grabbed my small water bottle, draped my towel over my neck and went to the locker room of the studio. I doused myself in the moderately warm water of the shower, re-dressed in the clothes I'd worked out in and took the train home.
With a huff, I dropped my heavy, tired body onto my bed. I rolled over to sleep off the day but my phone rang.
I didn't bother to check who the caller was. "Hello?" I answered, unenthusiastically.
"Ohno, what happened today?"
"Oh, Nino..."
Ninomiya sighed. "Yes, it's me. Where are you?"
I gave him a short, curt reply. "Home. Sorry."
"Don't apologize. Is there something you need to talk about?" he asked. "You're a horrible liar, so you should just tell me."
I was not a very strong liar. Nor was I any better at lying to Ninomiya. "I don't think you would believe me anyway, so I don't think it's worth telling anyone about it. I'll get over it, I just need time."
After a brief pause and a sigh, he said, "So something did happen..." The phone line went dead.
"Nino...?" I said, still hoping he was on the phone. Unexpectedly, my doorbell rang. Confused, I lifted myself from my bed to answer the door.
I cautiously opened the door to find Ninomiya Kazunari, bundled up in a warm jacket. I let him come inside and immediately began making hot tea.
He laughed. "I figured you wouldn't talk to anyone about it so I came over to make you talk!"
With a slight hint of egotism in my voice, I replied, "Jeez, I'm fine. I don't need you to worry--"
"I'm not worrying," he interrupted, "...per se. I'm kind of curious as to how you're behaving though. It isn't like you, even on a bad day. MatsuJun told me about what happened yesterday at the recording studio and then today at practice..."
"Two days is hardly something to be concerned about. It's only a momentary thing--"
"I guess so." He sighed in defeat. "Maybe it's me then..."
I placed the small cup of freshly made tea before him, which he quickly took in hand and drank. I smiled and sipped my own tea.
"Still though..." His brow furrowed. Ninomiya was relentless, unwilling to accept my answers. "Why are you being all secretive? Satoshi, answer me." He gave me a blank stare. His eyes caught mine for a moment. "Answer me," he said again. He reached for my face and pulled my cheeks until I begged for mercy.
"Jesus, what do you want?! I just had a bad dream is all!" I informed him.
"That's it? You're upset over a dream?" he scoffed.
I rubbed the heated cup of tea with my thumb, my eyes darting back and forth trying to find the right words to describe what happened. "Well it... It wasn't just a dream... It was really real..."
"So...what is it? Was it a dream or reality? It was just a dream, right? Dreams aren't real."
I rolled my eyes. "That's the thing though. I don't remember if it was real or not!"
"Alright," he said. "Tell me about it. It's bothering you." He leaned against the arm of the couch and rested his head on his propped hand.
I sighed. "You're going to think I'm slightly insane. Don't judge me until I completely finish, alright!? No interruptions!"
"On my honor." He half-smiled knowing that I finally gave in.
"I don't remember exactly, but it was like I was transported to another time. Like 100 years ago. I met someone, but I can't tell you what he looked like. And in this...dream..." I hesitated. I can't remember much of the dream, but my hand started to drift unconsciously to my shoulder. "In this dream, I was cut with a sword and kidnapped and accused of murder. I only woke up because someone that looked exactly like me, shot me and this other person..."
The entire time, Ninomiya Kazunari sat in silence, nodding his head every few minutes, making "Mm-mm..." noises. When I finally finished his first reaction was, "Did someone drug you when we were drinking the other night?"
"I am being absolutely, 100%, completely honest with you right now."
"I find this really hard to believe..." he said.
I rubbed my hands on my face. I knew it would be difficult to pass this story off as something believable. "I can't remember the whole thing!" I groaned.
"Sounds like your mind had quite the adventure though!"
I followed up on his joke. "I don't know how much I appreciate all the adventure, though."
Unable to convince him, and the two of us unable to stay awake for any longer, Ninomiya left. Once more, I was victim to my own thoughts.
*~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~*
In the morning, I cancelled my appointments and filming appearances for all of two weeks. It was impossible for me to cancel our performance on MusicStation. We worked hard on the dance and I wasn't a complete bastard. I performed to the best of my ability, I stayed quiet during the talks and continued about my business the rest of the day. But after that, I refused to continue working knowing that I could not concentrate on anything. I received phone messages and emails from close friends, the rest of Arashi, and even one from Johnny Kitagawa, the man himself. I replied to all of them saying I just needed some time off.
I replenished my paint collection and placed myself in front of a blank canvas. Quietly thinking, I dabbed my paintbrush into one of the assorted paint colors on my palette. The white of the canvas was quickly blended with shades of green, and yellow. A figure dressed in blue was eventually painted into the scenery. I paused to take a small look at my new work.
In my dream, every morning, when I walked up this hill, I would see someone looking at the sun rising over the city below. When he noticed my presence, he would turn and smile. The simple painting sitting before me became the image ingrained in my mind. Despite knowing so much, his face is unclear.
Except for when I wanted to sleep a few short hours or to eat, I worked on the piece from sunrise to sunset, three days straight, and each day I sat to work on it, I remembered more and more of my dream. I looked at the finished work and smiled a melancholy smile. As much as I disliked living in that time, the hardships people had to undergo and the everyday fight to survive, I loved that hill. I loved going to it and watching the view of the sunrises and sunsets. I loved sitting next to this person. But it made me sad. I can remember all the feelings associated with this dream, except for what is important, and that one important thing all but escapes me.
A knock came from my front door. I panicked. I had finished this painting, but I hadn't changed clothes or had a proper shower in three days time. My hands and shirt were covered in different colored paint. While going to the bathroom to wash my hands, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The many colored paints decorated my skin. Paints smears lined my face where I once had an itch to scratch. Cursing, I wash off whatever paint I can and forego changing to answer the door. Ninomiya, my unannounced guest, let out a laugh and welcomed himself inside.
"Did you go to war?" he asked.
"Yes. I went to war and fought against all those paint tubes and brushes." I said sleepily, unenthusiastic.
"You're painting again? That's a relief. I was hoping nothing horrible happened to you. Your text message was so cryptic, we were all so worried." Ninomiya briefly glanced at the painting in the next room while lowering himself to the couch. "That was what you were working on?"
"Yeah,...it's almost finished,... I think..." I poured myself a glass of water, pausing momentarily to ask Ninomiya if he wanted anything; he refused. "It might need a little bit of a touch up but I think it's mostly finished." I walked into the small living room and joined him on the couch, sipping my drink. I eyed the book hidden in Ninomiya's lap. "What's that?"
He raised the book to the light. The title written on it is 'Dream Moods: How to Interpret and Make Sense of Your Dreams'. If I remembered correctly, Matsumoto had this book the other night.
"Your dream got me thinking a little, is all," he replied with a chuckle. He blushed from embarrassment. "I borrowed it from Jun-kun."
"And...? Did it explain anything?"
He tossed the book onto the coffee table before him. "It's a bunch of junk."
I raised an eyebrow and took a sip of my water. It was inevitable.
Ninomiya squinted and looked directly at me. "Can I make a suggestion as to what I believe your dream was telling you?"
"By all means..."
"I think..." he paused. "I'm not very good at this, so bear with me. I think, you're running from something. Some secret or something in your life that you don't want to acknowledge... and that you might be your own enemy for keeping quiet about it. As if you're fighting with yourself."
I raised my eyebrow again, listening to his interpretation.
He continues. "If I remember correctly, I think that, your regular self is running from your murderous self because you don't want something to be found out. The truth needs to come to light but you're afraid of it happening for whatever reason. That causes you to turn tail and run the other way. By being in the past, I think your mind was telling you that you cannot redo something that happened in the past, but if you know the future, you can fix the past... And when you fix the past, you change the future." He looked at me for a moment, taking in the reaction I gave him: a look of confusion mixed with questions. "Or something like that! I'm not a professional." He blushed again.
My mouth changed into a smirk. He couldn't have been more right; how I wish I could tell him...
Just as I went to say something, a vibrating noise catches our attention and Ninomiya begins to dig in his pockets for his phone. He apologizes as he checks the message he received. Something catches my eye. Just when I started to think my dream had almost everything to do with my strange mind, I saw it. The luck charm I had been given in my dream. It was the exact same luck charm I watched swing off the end of Ninomiya's phone. I quickly grabbed (probably rudely too) Ninomiya's phone, staring intently, shifting the little charm into different positions in my hand.
"How did you get this?" I asked.
"I've had it for a while. It was a gift from my grandfather. And if you must know," he proclaimed with pride, "he got it from his grandfather!!"
I took a second look at the charm. The wood was slightly discolored in spots and chipped away in places with scratches, but the sheen on the wood made me think it was preserved somehow. There was no doubt about it, this was the charm I had with me in my dream.
My jaw dropped. There was a question on my mind. I wanted to ask him even though I probably already knew the answer. Then again, I wasn't sure if I really knew. In my dream, I died. I'm sure of it. But I also know someone died next to me, someone I recognized in this time.
I became nervous. "Do you know who his grandfather was?"
"Ah, I never asked him. My mom might know though..."
The tension that built up inside me faded. "Oh..." I said with a sigh.
"You know... When I was trapped in that time... that dream," I corrected myself, "I just kept thinking that I wanted to go home, or that I wanted to see you one more time--"
"Me? You wanted to see me?" Ninomiya raised an eyebrow.
My heart began to pound in my chest and my stomach tied into a knot. Had I meant to do that intentionally or was that a slip?
"Listen... Nino..." My words were caught in my throat. "I'm not sure how to tell you this..."
Ninomiya stared at me, waiting for something to happen, waiting for me to tell him something.
The suspense threatened my physical being. My heart sped its pace, my breathing came in short bursts. Unable to handle the sudden emotional onslaught, I leaned close to him and pressed my lips to his for several short seconds. He didn't move when I shied away. He didn't say or do anything. Ninomiya remained motionless but his eyes darted in every direction. His mouth curved into a confused smile, unsure of how he should be feeling.
Quickly, I removed myself from his presence. I heard him call after me, but I didn't want to look back at him. If I did, I don't know what I would do. I slumped to the wooden floor of my bedroom, locking the door from the floor. I tried to catch my breath and keep myself from crying, but my cries caught in my throat and it was painful. Like a small child, I huddled my knees to my chest. I had what I wanted in my dream. But reality was harsh.
I woke up in the morning, lying on the cold floor. My eyes ached. They were no doubt reddened by my long and hard crying from last night. I felt nervous leaving my tiny room to venture out into the wide living room. I couldn't remember if I heard Ninomiya leave. I wasn't keen to the idea of seeing him this morning.
I hesitantly opened the door and poked my head out, checking for signs of life. I sighed, remembering last night. These feelings that gripped me, this guilt and longing, I needed to overcome it. The quicker the better, I thought. I'm in my thirties for goodness sake! I don't have time to waste acting like a heartbroken teenager (even though a heartbreak hurts at every and any age). I have a job, I have things I must do. Shaking off whatever feelings that surfaced, I got dressed and headed to the studio for filming. I greeted the people I passed by in the hall until I reached the green room. Sakurai was reading his newspaper, as per usual. Aiba and Matsumoto were hovered over a magazine, arguing about something pertaining to whatever page they were on. Ninomiya was buried in his handheld gaming system. Three of the four, muttered a small greeting. Ninomiya flicked his eyes and went back to his game. As expected, the tension between Ninomiya and myself was strong. Overcome it, me! I think.
During filming, Sakurai and Aiba laughed with the guest, while Matsumoto intently listened to the guest's outrageous story of a recent family reunion. I could only assume he was waiting for a good time to insert a small joke. Ninomiya sat next to me and pretended like nothing was amiss, the perfect actor. The entire time the guest talked, I merely swiveled in my chair, half listening to the guest and half waiting for the bright red "Recording" light to go off, so I could leave.
I read the cue card the AD was holding and followed its instructions pertaining to a tsukkomi act. I spoke up with my quick-witted joke and the guest chewed me out and then he crushed the AD with harsh words (all in a friendly banter, of course). When the recording light went off and we were ushered out of the studio, relief washed over me. Gathering my items, I pulled my jacket on and slung my small bag over my shoulder. Sakurai stopped me on my way out and asked to walk to the station together. I had difficulty refusing him and in the end, he happily followed me out to the station.
The cold air was brisk but not overbearingly cold. It felt kind of good to inhale the freezing air.
"Yuzuru-san was so funny tonight. I didn't know his family was so crazy like that!" Sakurai laughed, reminiscing the recording we just finished.
I laughed half-heartedly. "Yeah- Hey Sho-chan..."
"What's up, Ohno-kun?"
I bit my lower lip. "Do you ever have dreams where, when you wake up, you wonder if it really happened? Even so much as wondering if your dream was reality?"
"Doesn't everyone have those kinds of dream? You have your dream and you can convince yourself that it was a dream or, if you can remember it, you ask yourself if it was really just a dream. But in the end, a dream is only a figment of your imagination, they can't hurt you. Why?"
"I had a really weird dream recently and it felt so real. It was scary. It was like one of those dreams when you wake up just before you hit the ground and you sort of...jerk awake in your bed."
Sakurai chuckled. "I've had dreams like that before. They are scary. I'll tell you one if you promise not to judge me!"
"I promise! I won't say anything!" I smiled.
"I'm trusting you here, okay? I had a dream that I was a samurai. I was chasing after something or someone and someone had stabbed me with a sword, multiple times, but I didn't die. I was immortal but it hurt every time that sword pierced me. When I woke up, I had to take off all my clothes in the bathroom to make sure I was really alive!"
I laughed at him. He seemed displeased. "I'm serious here!! Also, what's with you, Matsumoto-kun and Nino and all this dream stuff? He came into the green room earlier today holding a book about dream interpretation and now you're asking me all about this stuff..."
"It's nothing really. Just curiosity! I'm glad I'm not the only one to have dreams like that!"
"No, you're not," he replies. He sounded unsure of how to answer. The rumble of an arriving train extinguished his next thought. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow, then." His train rolled into the station before mine did.
We said our goodbyes and I was left standing at the station with tired businessmen who might have just finished their day's work. I thought to myself, That could have been me. That exhausted, worn-out man could be me. I wouldn't be able to have as much luxury as I do now and I would most likely be unhappy with my job. But I was not a businessman and while I don't make too much money as an idol, I could still afford things I would otherwise be unable to. I have loyal people who forgive my mess-ups and tell me to do my best. But without Ninomiya, I would have had none of this.
My legs subconsciously walked my body onto the home-bound train, I'm lost in thought. I became inattentive to the world around me. It came as no surprise to me when I woke up the next morning, completely oblivious of how I made it home unscathed. At work, I found myself eating in silence, away from others. Aiba Masaki asked me to after-work drinks. I wanted to decline, but something told me to go. Even Ninomiya agreed that I needed to smack a few hundred yen on the bar and down some colorful, fruity beverages laced with alcohol. Like he is one to talk, I thought to myself.
The bar was not far from the studio. We walked together in a row, dodging the people walking the opposite direction and blending into the busy nightlife of Tokyo on a weekend. When we arrived, it was as Ninomiya had predicted. Money flew from my pocket, buying drinks for the Arashi members. Bouts of dizziness took control of my consciousness. Three hours after arriving, I was falling over drunk and escorted from the establishment with a lighter wallet. We all were.
"Don't you know an idol when you see one?!" Matsumoto shouted at the bouncer that threw us out.
All the while laughing, Sakurai pulled Matsumoto into a hug with ulterior reasoning: to keep him from getting any more rowdy. Matsumoto whined.
"I spent so much money on their drinks and I get thrown out!" He sounded out of breath and yet somehow managed to shout, "I'm never coming back here again!! Keep your stupid drinks!!"
Sakurai marched off with Matsumoto hanging on his shoulders. There were probably more ulterior motives hidden at Sakurai's apartment, which I assumed was where they were headed given the proximity of his apartment. Aiba gallivanted off in the direction of his own apartment, solo. Ninomiya and I lived in the same direction. He toddled several paces ahead of me, showing no signs of stopping and waiting. I followed behind him quietly.
After a while he seemed to ignore my presence. I slowed my pace, still keeping somewhat of an eye on the drunk Ninomiya wandering the streets to the station. That was when I saw two men dressed in grey jumped out behind Ninomiya, tailing him. One of the men made a hand signal and another two people came into view. I increased my walk to a small jog and then full sprint. They were going to jump him.
I shouted, "Nino! Run!" The four strangers and Ninomiya turned towards me. I wound my arm back and nailed one of the stalkers with a fist to the face. I never punched someone before. Adrenaline flowed through me, as did panic. Ninomiya took off running. Looking for revenge, the four men turned their attention to me.
"Ken, Naga, take him," one of the men said. The men supposedly named Ken and Naga approached me cautiously, like a hyena stalking its prey. I took a protective stance. I wasn't a fighter. I was going to get the crap kicked out of me. Ken and Naga feint movements, jolting forward, ready to grab me. I try to make a run for it but they overtook me in no time flat, holding my arms, rendering me defenseless. I struggled but their grip was unbreakable. The two nameless men laughed. They're excited.
The one I could only assume was their leader spoke again. "We were going to grab that other guy, but you're much more interesting. Who would have thought that someone would actually try to stop us."
Ken and Naga laughed in my ears. The one standing next to the leader placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Oh, shit, Taka, look at this! This is Ohno Satoshi!" he said to the leader. "We have an idol in our hands!"
"No, shit!" Taka snorted with delight. "I think we hit the jackpot, boys!" The four of them laughed.
The leader spoke again. "Nao, would you like the honors?" The man next to him, Nao, smiled devilishly.
"With pleasure!" he said.
Nao pulled his arm back and wacked me right in my eye. Excited, he said, "Whooo! This guy has a hard head!" He didn't waste another minute as he pulled back once more and slammed his fist into my face again. It was Taka's turn next. Taka crashed his knee into my stomach. I fell forward but the men holding me brought me back up. One of them hauled their arm back again but suspended the assault when they heard a voice say, "He's right here!!"
"Shit, man, the cops. We gotta to get out of here." Taka warned the men with him.
Ken and Naga threw me down and the four of them took off running. I cough and spit up blood.
"Ohno!" Ninomiya ran to my side. Relief washes over me when I looked up to see his face. My head pounds from pain but I'm at ease knowing the men were gone and Ninomiya was by my side. "Oh my god, are you okay?!" He cradled me, holding onto me tightly. He let go enough to examine the damage done and embraced me a second time. "Why did you do that? You could have died?"
"Where's the officer?" My question was as quiet as a whisper.
"He didn't come, he wouldn't come because I was drunk. Stupid bastard! I'm so glad you're alive!"
A small chuckle escaped me. "It's okay," I consoled him. Why was I the one reassuring him though? Between the two of us, I was the one who got the shit kicked out of me.
"Why did you do that?!" he scolded me.
"Because I wanted to."
"You should have let them jump me! Now, you're hurt... God damn it..." he cursed.
"I owed you. If I didn't react, I wouldn't have been able to repay you for saving me." Our eyes met for a moment.
Ninomiya, flustered, said, "Whatever! We have to go to a hospital!"
"I'm f-fine," I stuttered when he helped me to my feet. "Just take me back home."
Without arguing, Ninomiya wrapped one of my arms around his shoulders and we started to walk, slow at first, until we established a walking pace, toward the train station. We just nearly missed it, but we boarded the final train of the night. Only a small number of passengers were in our car but we received stares from everyone seated in the train car.
"You look like hell, so bear with it until we get back," Ninomiya said. He folded his arms over his chest, but then he removed the hat he was using as a disguise and placed it on my head, blocking my face from the light in the car. I was thankful and somewhat moved by his action.
When we arrived at my apartment, Ninomiya jittered around, looking for a first aid kit, finding it under the sink in my bathroom. He sat me down on the toilet seat and cleaned me up, putting band-aids in strange places. When I looked at myself in the mirror of the bathroom, my face looked something similar to a patch-job done on a pair of ripped pants. I peeled some of the tape back, only to be scolded by Ninomiya.
"But it's too much! It looks worse than it really is!" I retorted.
"I don't care!" Ninomiya whipped out an eye patch and slapped it to my eye. "Humor me!" he said sarcastically. He ceased and looked at me. "You're right, it does look worse."
By the time we settled, I only had the eye patch, a couple of band-aids and butterfly bandages laced against my mouth and cheek.
"They really kicked the shit out of you... It's a good thing you have off tomorrow, this is horrible."
"Thanks for helping me."
"No, no... Don't thank me. You were so brave. I left you all alone." Ninomiya twiddled his thumbs, looking for something to say. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright. You were a little too drunk, so I thought, since we live the same way, I'd just keep an eye on you--"
"No, not that," he interrupted. I raise an eyebrow. His smile was sad. "I'm sorry," he said again. "I wasn't able to give you my answer."
I swallow, hard. This was a moment of truth for me. This was what would make or break me. His answer, only seconds away, caused me anxiety.
"I always thought about you a lot. Ever since we first met, but I never thought that the feelings I had would be different from friendship. To be honest, I'm slightly ashamed of myself. I surrounded myself with so many women trying to figure myself out but I always went back to thinking of you." Our eyes caught each other for a moment, before Ninomiya directed his attention elsewhere. "When you kissed me, I was upset but I was also completely happy. I thought that I could finally tell you what I felt, but then you ran away..." Kneeling down, he rested his forehead against my knee. "I'm not going to let you run away again. We'll face things together, from now on."
I smiled as best as I could, holding back overwhelming joy, knowing that I was finally accepted by the person I'd loved for years. I rested a hand on his head, caressing his hair. I didn't feel the need to run anymore.
_______________________
OOC: So here it is! The final chapter! I hope you enjoyed the crazy ride that "Run" was, lol. I enjoyed writing it despite it taking me almost 2 years to finish and post! Hopefully I can get another chaptered fic out soon without it taking as long as this one! Thanks to all the readers for taking the time to read! I really appreciate it!
And once more for your viewing pleasure, shadz's banner because it's awesome! ♥