[Multichapter] The beginning (3/20)
Title: The beginning
Author: tsuchi8562
Beta: syunikiss1990 <-- Thank you so very much!
Banner: andreja1989 <-- Thank you a lot~!
Pairing: SakurAiba
Rating: PG-13 (this chapter)
Genre: AU, psychological, romance, drama
Disclaimer: All I own is plot.
*MASTERPOST*
"Do you want an honest answer?" The doctor looked at the man in front of him. Sakurai was silent and didn't know what to even think about the thing he just was asked for.
"Sensei, if I have to make a decision, I need to know the truth. What are the perspectives?"
"The tests showed Ryou is quite smart for a boy his age. Of course we don't know exactly how old is he, we can just presume he is around fifteen, sixteen... His brain is totally normal, every test result is okay. The problem is that he doesn't talk at all. His throat and vocal cords are fine. We don't know if he is unable to talk or maybe he had some kind of trauma. He also lives in his own world..."
"What do you mean, sensei?" Sho frowned, trying to catch the whole situation.
"He has his own order, his own pace. For example he eats only at the same hours each day, goes to bathroom at the same time... Everything is in order, but at the same time sometimes he rebels against it..." Nagayama sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I know it's complicated, so let me just tell it straight. Right now he qualifies to be placed in a ward for patients with mental illnesses. Ryou is physically healthy and I can't keep him here any longer. The problem is how long he will stay in that place... Seeing he doesn't want to change nor speak with anybody, even you who he trusts the most, he may stay there for a long time."
"What do you advise, sensei?" The editor knew the answer even without the asking. It was just as his friend had said not so long ago. They will put Ryou in place with insane people and he can stop worrying about him. No matter how hard police had tried, they couldn't find anybody from his family or even friends. It was just as if the boy appeared out of nowhere, popped out of thin air in front of Sakurai...
"I can't tell you what to do. All I know is that the second he will step outside my ward your custody ends. He will get some stranger who will try to think what's best for him and he may spend the rest of his life as insane wacko... Unless you will contact with lawyers and ask them to help you become his guardian. If not permanently, then at least for some time..." The doctor paused, looking at the man in front of him and waiting for any reaction. The editor didn't say a word, trying to put everything in right order in his mind. Nobody cares about Ryou, his family is not looking for him. For heaven's sake, he has to have parents!
"What will happen to him when he stays in the psychiatric ward?" Sho asked quietly. "What kind of person can he become?"
"Nobody knows that for sure. Sakurai-san, you know the situation... He is physically healthy and I ran out of reasons I can keep him here. His family, friends of whoever who can know him didn't came here even after the announcements in news... The only thing is to put him in some clinic but I won't lie to you, this can kill him. They will drug him for sure, seeing his state and fears. There is other option..."
"I should take him to my house, is that what you mean, doctor?" The editor looked at the latter, hoping he will say yes but at the same time that he will deny. All Sho received was a nod and silence that fell in the air meant that Nagayama is waiting for a reply. An answer the editor was afraid to give, even if he already decided.
"So? What will you say?" The impatient physician asked, biting his lower lip and when he didn't get any response, he added nervously. "I can give you some time to think, but no more than two days. I can't test him to look some impossible diseases..."
"It's okay, Nagayama-sensei, I have already decided. I will take him to my place. Can you help me settle the things legally?"
"O-of course!" The doctor seemed to be a bit surprised such quick decision. "It will take few days but... Sakurai-san, please be aware that Ryou will have to be transferred to the psychiatric ward for a while anyway. We won't escape from that, but at least it won't be for long and you will be able to have some control over what they will do to him. I will contact the social worker and we will help you to get everything settled as soon as possible."
"Thank you, sensei." Sho smiled and left the physician office, heading outside. He took a deep breath and looked around, wondering what the hell he just agreed on. Yes, he was living alone and most of the time he was working at home but taking care of a teenager is really troublesome. The editor was twelve, maximum thirteen years older than the boy plus Ryou wasn't a typical kid. He needed a special care which Sakurai couldn't give him, that was sure.
"Shit, I can't take care of myself... I can't even cook..." Sho sighed and rubbed his face, feeling his tiredness hits him with almost knocking down power. He should go home and take some sleep before the meeting with Ninomiya in the evening. The writer wanted to talk about some changes Sakurai made in the text. It was strange, because until now Kazunari didn't bother to meet with the editor after he passed him the script. Whether something was wrong and Sho made a mistake or Ninomiya decided to change a big part of his novel. Since the second option was out of question, the writer was a genius after all, Sakurai got even more nervous.
Great, as if I need even more stress... Sakurai thought when he turned off the engine and was about to go to his apartment. Instead of leaving his vehicle, he leaned back and looked in front of him, not seeing anything. He always made every decision without thinking twice and it always ended badly at some point. Well, maybe except his job. Sho wanted to work as an editor because he loved to read and write. However this time he will be responsible for another human being and everybody knows he is a loner. The editor didn't live with anybody since he moved out from his parents' house and it was quite difficult to him to adjust to somebody else's life. Also his apartment was far from being clean and decent enough for a teenage boy... Without wasting his time for thought that won't lead him anywhere Sakurai went to his house and looked around, trying to imagine the changes he will need to make. For sure he will be sleeping on the couch, leaving the bedroom for Ryou. That meant possible change of the furniture he will be sleeping on or in the worst case he will just buy a futon. The unavoidable was the fact that soon he will have to become a very strange kind of parent...
***
The next week was filled with many different things. First were Ninomiya and his script, which was changing its versions more often than the weather in Tokyo. Something was wrong and the writer seemed to be troubled by unidentified matter. Honestly speaking it wasn't Sho's concern. He just had to do his job as good as possible, making sure everything is handed on time. And even though all quarrels with the author belong to Ninomiya's publisher and manager, it also affected the editor. Sakurai had to adjust his time and life to his work more than ever and right now it was highly troublesome. He didn't have that much time to take a good rest, not mentioning visiting Ryou in the hospital. Tonight, after handing the latest corrections to Kazunari he had some time off, which he planned to spend in front of TV, watching some random show just cut from the reality for at least forty-five minutes. When he sat on the floor with a glass of cold beer in his hand and took the remote, his phone rang.
"Great... I really should turn that shit off..." Sho mumbled to himself and looked at the display. It showed some unknown, foreign number and he already know who could call him at this hour.
"How's China?" Sakurai asked, right after he put the phone to his ear. The man on the other side laughed.
"As expected, I knew you will know it's me!" Ohno grinned and it was audible in his voice. As well as the fact he was at least tipsy... "How is my handsome friend?"
"I am fine, was about to watch some TV. How's the shooting? Tiresome?"
"Actually no... Surprisingly I am good in Chinese and I learn fast. They added few new lines which I had to memorize and... Fuck, I didn't call you to talk about my work! You better tell me how is the boy? Did they release him already? Where is he?" Satoshi moved to a quieter place and smoked a cigarette. The editor sighed and told everything to his friend, without hiding anything. The taller man hesitated with sharing the news he will become the boy's legal guardian but in the end he decided to tell the latter everything. After all the actor was his friend and Sakurai knew he will be understood.
"Are you sure you want this?" Satoshi exhaled the smoke and waited for the reply. He was truly concerned and worried and it could be clearly heard in his tone.
"He doesn't have anyone and... Satoshi-kun, I know what they can do to him in that clinic you talked about. I think I am doing the right thing."
"You think? Sho, it's not a cat or some other pet. It is a human being, who was probably hurt. Taking care of him will take a lot of strength, patience and time which you don't quite have. I understand you want to help and it's admirable, but you have to be one hundred per cent sure you want to take this responsibility." Ohno sighed and hid a yawn.
"Don't worry, I know what I am doing." Sakurai smiled and after some protests he send the latter to bed. Suddenly he felt awfully tired himself and after drinking his beer he went to the bedroom and jumped in bed, probably the last time for God knows how long.
The next morning Sho looked around his apartment to check if everything is in its place. He changed the arrangement in the rooms, to make it more comfortable and suitable for a teenager and took his things to the living room, which became his bedroom. The editor was supposed to pick Ryou up from the hospital at 9 am but from all that stress and nerves he was in front of the clinic an hour earlier. Sakurai decided to use that time to talk with Nagayama about the young patient's future and all the medications he will have to take. After a quick chat the editor went to Takeyama's room.
"Hey. Ready to go out?" Sho smiled and looked at the boy, knowing he won't receive any reply. Ryou was holding the coat the older man gave him and looked scared and confused. It wasn't surprising at all, knowing he spent a bit over a month inside the hospital's walls, surrounded by people he didn't know and bearing many medical exams and tests. And now he had to move out again, to a stranger's apartment and adjust to completely new environment. Considering the trauma he had to go through, without a doubt this was a huge step in unknown.
"I hope you like rides... My apartment is not that far away but I have to go to one place before we can get there." Sakurai opened the door and waited until the latter get inside. Ryou didn't move, looked very confused and the fear could be seen in his eyes. He could trust the editor, but apparently it wasn't enough. After a while Sho stepped closer to the boy and tried to show his the most convincing smile.
"Everything is okay. Don't be afraid." Somewhere deep inside the older man knew it sounds ridiculous but it seemed to work. Takeyama slowly, still hesitating whether he is doing good, got in the car and he involuntarily squeezed the coat tighter. The piece of clothes seemed to calm Ryou down, like some kind of plushie. After he made sure the boy won't escape with panic, Sakurai sat behind the steering wheel and slowly drove off. He had to drop Ninomiya's script he edited to the office. The writer was quite weird and before he signed a contract with Nezumi Publishing he demanded all of corrections be made also on the original script with red ink pen. Because Sho didn't want to risk such long trip with Ryou he asked his boss to pass the script to the writer whenever he can. The older man didn't know how to act being with the teenage boy. Of course doctors told him that Takeyama is quite normal and that he shouldn't cause any bigger troubles, but still Sho was confused and decided to be extra careful.
"Ryou, I have to go for a while to the office. I will be back in no time. Don't get off the car, ok?" As a reply Sakurai received a very smart and filled with understanding glance of big brown eyes. This had to be enough. The older man smiled and rushed to the building, hoping nobody will try to make him stay for any reason. Unfortunately his luck ended as soon as he stepped in his boss's office. Except Tanaka, the head of Nezumi Publishing, a man, shorter than Sho with very bratty eyes and not less bratty smirk on his face looked at Sakurai with glass halfway to his lips.
"I thought you will never show up!" Ninomiya grinned and drank a big gulp of a drink that appeared to be whiskey. "When I heard that you won't be able to hand me my script I couldn't just stay at home... What happened?"
"Nothing, sir..." The editor was a bit surprised but decided not to show it to the latter. Something was weird but he couldn't put a finger on it. "I just have an important thing to do."
"More important than me?" The writer raised his brow and words stuck in Sho's throat. What was going on here? And why Tanaka was giggling like some idiot?
"With all due respect, Ninomiya-sensei but this is my private matter." Sakurai tried very hard not to explode with anger when his boss was almost choking with laughter. The writer started to laugh as well and after a while, when he finally calmed down he asked Tanaka to leave them alone.
"How long do we know each other?" Ninomiya asked as soon as the door closed behind boss of Nezumi Publishing's.
"I don't know... Few years?" Sho frowned, trying to grasp the situation and impatiently looking at the window, trying to check if he sees his car from here.
"Almost five... Just so you know, I consider you as my friend. Maybe you don't see it this way, but you are the one I trusted my stories to and they are like my babies. Listen, I don't know what happened in your life and probably it's not my business anyway but I want you to know one thing. Nobody else can touch my scripts. If you change companies, I will do the same. If you become stupid and decide to resign, first I will beg you to check my stories and if that doesn't work I will stop publishing them."
"T-that's insane! There are a lot more and better editors than me!" Sho didn't understand anything at all and also was worried about Ryou. How was he? Was he calm or worried that Sakurai is not coming back? Because of all of those worries he didn't hear what the writer had said. Looking like a lost puppy, not able to answer on a question he didn't hear he sighed and rubbed his temples, staying silent.
"I don't care how long will it take but you are the only one who will touch my stories. Understood?" Kazunari frowned and looked at the latter with quite annoyed expression. The editor just nodded, not able to utter a word. At the moment he would agree on everything, even for being Ninomiya's sex slave just to be allowed to get back to his car. After a while that seemed to last forever Sakurai finally left the office and rushed towards his home. It occurred he didn't have any reason to worry, because Ryou was sleeping peacefully with his nose buried in the coat. Sighing from relief the older man drove off to his apartment and woke the boy up, leading him inside.
"You will be sleeping in the bedroom, I will take the couch. If you need anything, just call me and... Ah... You probably won't be able..." Sho chuckled nervously and scratched his head. "Just come to me, whenever you need anything, okay?" The boy looked at him without any move. He was just standing there, like a kid lost in the mist with his favorite plushie, trying to grasp the situation. Suddenly Ryou made a very strange sound, fell on his knees and started to cry. Tears were falling down his cheeks and absorbed by the material Takeyama held close to his face. Sakurai didn't know what to do at first but then he just decided to do what normal person would do in a situation like this. The editor knelt next to the latter and slowly, as if he was afraid to break the boy, he hugged him gently. Sho lost the track of time and only from the pain in his legs he could guess they are staying on the floor for quite long while already. Takeyama calmed down finally, looked at the older man and smiled weakly.
"Are you okay Ryou?" Sakurai frowned, worried and slight panic was lurking somewhere inside him. The boy shook his head and looked around, as if he was looking for something. Finally the younger one stood up and desperately searched for something he apparently needed right this second. Sho just stared at him, not sure what he should do right now and after around fifteen minutes the boy seemed to find in the living room whatever he was craving for.
"A pen? You want to write me something?" The editor frowned again, thinking he probably will have a deep furrow on his forehead in the future. He gave the latter a piece of paper and waited patiently, when the boy was writing something very carefully, sticking the tip of his pink tongue in the process. When Ryou finished, he showed Sho the sheet and smiled widely, proud of himself. The piece of paper contained three hiragana letters, written with quite childish handwriting.
Ma・sa・ki