There is magic in this World (Chapter 12)
Nino giggled as he came back from the bathroom. A big smile was on his face as he saw the note on top of his desk. He didn’t know which spell Ohno used precisely to make it possible to bring things into his room, but he would never even dream of telling Ohno off. He put his hands on top of the desk and leant forward so that he was directly above the note.
The cards were made from cardboard and not bigger than a credit card but on each one was a small sketch and Nino loved looking at them in the early mornings. He would first stare at them from a distance as he was doing now to get the whole picture before picking the note up and scrutinising it from a closer distance.
Today it was a stick figure playing the guitar. The hole of the guitar was a dark heart, and the notes coming from there weren’t oval like normal but also small hearts. He grinned as he put it into the small pocket of his robe just as the door to the bathroom opened again.
“So, what was it today?” Toma asked curiously.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Nino said with a giggle to his voice as his hand wandered into the pocket tracing the cardboard paper with his fingertips. He would show his friends later, probably. But for now, his heartfelt full of love for Ohno and happiness that Ohno took the time to draw something small for him each day. Nino was sure his days were busy and filled with work.
“God it’s too early for you to look like that,” Jun grumbled as he finally re-entered their dorm room as well.
Nino scrunched up his nose at the words and stuck out his tongue. “Looking like that? I look normal,” Nino said with a pout. At least he was sure that there was nothing amiss in his appearance or that there was dirt on his robes.
“Like a lovestruck puppy,” Jun deadpanned as he put his arm around him. “It’s horrible.”
“Liar,” Toma sang. “You are just grumpy because you hadn’t had coffee yet and because you haven’t seen Aiba yet.”
Nino’s brows drew together as he looked at his friend whose ears turned a little bit red. “You and Aiba-chan?! No way!”
“Yes way,” Toma said while laughing. “God, Nino. How could you miss that? They got closer at the end of last year. Of course, you were moping about missing Oh-chan, so I suppose it’s normal.”
“We are not together,” Jun said, his eyes still red as he tried to get away from his friends. But now Nino had put his arm around Jun’s waist so that he wouldn’t be able to get away and Toma was on his other side, his arm around his shoulder.
“Come on, Junny. You like him,” Toma said with a sigh.
“How?” Nino breathed. Still, a bit hung up on how he could have missed it all. God, he had been a horrible friend it seemed.
“We spent more time together… I study less with Sakurai-san.”
Toma snorted. “I’m surprised it’s less and not not. He isn’t attending this school anymore.”
Jun glared at him. “Shut up. Just because you are only interested in Quidditch doesn’t mean I’m not happy that he still tutors me when he has time for it.”
“Hey! At least I already got sponsorship for after next year,” Toma said as he lifted his hands in innocence. “We can’t all be smart asses like you two are.”
“Studying would help,” Jun teased him with a twinkle in his eyes.
Toma opened his mouth to retorted before he stopped and blinked. “Hey! Stop riling me up we were talking about you and your love life.”
“Not existing love-life,” Jun said with an eye roll. “We got closer because he wanted to help me to get closer to the animals. Since you know I like them, but they don’t really reciprocate,” he said sarcastically, hitting both boys when they laughed at those words.
Jun was infamously bad with animals, after all. Nino was sure that Aiba-sensei would have forbidden Jun to attend classes if Jun had decided to take Care of Magical Creatures all those years ago. Even now, Jun was only allowed to the enclosure when Aiba was with him because Aiba, on the other hand, was perfect with any kind of creature.
“So you and Aiba?”
“I like him okay? But there is no way he would feel the same. He is older, and he would never fall in love with someone who gets attacked by rabbits,” Jun said with a sigh.
“Oh-chan is older so that argument is stupid. And I don’t think that Aiba-chan would mind,” Nino said with a sigh. Now mad at himself for not paying attention so he couldn’t tell if Aiba was interested in Jun or not. But he vowed to himself that he would start looking now, and of course, make Toma tell him everything when they were alone. (Because he really didn’t want to rile Jun up too much. A Jun that was a bit mad at them could be fun, but if Jun was furious or hurt, he could be terrifying.)
“Just stop it,” Jun pleaded almost as they entered the great hall for breakfast. Nino waved at Aiba who was just coming in from another door and pointed to their usual table that was still free, luckily.
“I promise not to embarrass you in front of your crush,” Nino said solemnly. Toma grinned beside them, winking at Nino.
“At least not too much.”
-
“What are you doing here?” Aiba’s amused voice broke Nino from his concentration, and he looked up from the sheets he had been writing the lyrics for the new project in class down.
“What?”
“Why are you composing in the middle of a horde of Hippogriffs?”
Nino blushed slightly as he looked around himself and realised that the Hippogriffs were watching him intensely. He coughed as Aiba climbed over the fence and sat down on the floor beside him. He whistled as he brought out some treats for the creatures who were all happily chattering as they came over to Aiba in a somewhat orderly fashion.
“I’m surprised they don’t overrun you,” Nino said with a giggle as a cold snout was pressed against his fingers in search of more treats.
“I leave when they do,” Aiba said with a shrug. “They learnt that they won’t get any cuddles or treats if they don’t behave. Then they pout, and the next time they behave better. But they are also cheeky,” he said with a breathy laugh when one Hippogriff pushed Nino on his back his snout wandering under the collar of his robe in search for food, making Nino laugh helplessly.
Aiba watched him for a moment before he clicked his tongue and said an order that made the Hippogriffs stop and leave them in peace. “But honestly, what were you doing here?”
“Composing, as you have already guessed.”
“But why here?”
“Why not?”
Aiba lifted an eyebrow at the grin on Nino’s face. “I know you can be strange, and sometimes I’m sure your brain is not really here, but you can’t tell me that you got lost in the fields because your mind was on Oh-chan.”
“You are the idiot, not me,” Nino said as he stretched out on the blanket he had brought. “Inside was too loud, and it’s supposed to be a fun song. Something about animals,” he hummed in thought.
“You have strange works to do,” Aiba said with a laugh in his voice. Nino shrugged again.
“Matsuoka-sensei says it’s good for us to try all kinds of things. We can’t all write love songs or something like that.”
“Do you write love songs?”
“I write songs for Oh-chan,” Nino nodded with a happy smile. “Sometimes he sings them with me or records his singing for me. He has a great voice,” he added dreamily.
“I see and why animals now?”
“I want to compose something that will calm down animals. So if I write it here and try it out I can see if it works,” Nino explained as he stared into the sky. “It’s also easier to get credit for because you can see directly if it works.”
“Huh? Songs that calm them down?”
“What do you know about wizard music?” Nino asked curiously as he looked into Aiba’s confused face. He had just taken that course this year, and it was super interesting. It also fitted perfectly with the extracurricular classes he had taken about non-wizard music in the year before.
“Not much… I just know the songs those wizards and witches sing hold power in them.”
“If written and performed correctly, yes. They can manipulate the feelings of the listener as long as the listener is open or meant to be the recipient.”
“Huh? So you can make people fall in love with you because of songs?”
“No, of course not. But it can amplify feelings that are already there,” Nino said as he rolled his eyes and hit Aiba’s hips softly. “It’s not allowed to toil with such emotions. It’s the same with the love potions. It won’t create love. It amplifies love if it’s there, but yes you could probably make people do whatever you want if you wave the song correctly and are powerful enough. But it’s dangerous, and you will be punished harshly by the wizarding community.”
“I see,” Aiba said with a grin. “But then again. You wouldn’t need a song to make Ohno fall in love with you. He just did on his own will. And you never would want another person in your life.”
Nino blushed, but he nodded happily as his fingers pulled out today’s card. It was a penguin with dancing with a heart. The picture this time moved, and Nino smiled as he traced the card with his fingertips. “I only want Oh-chan ever.”
“Would you be able to sing songs for others?”
“Huh? What do you mean? They are meant for other’s to listen to, and they are meant for specific things.”
Aiba tapped his forehead with a small frown. “I don’t mean that. Can you write songs for other’s to sing?”
“Yes? Oh-chan sings my songs,” Nino said slowly.
“No, I meant, would they make the same feelings grow in others?”
“Probably not as much, honestly. You don’t know how to use your vocal cords to put the magic in your voice. But it might be that the effect might still be there even if it is not as strong. I’ve actually never tried it. I need to ask sensei next time at class,” Nino said happily as he thought of how to find a solution to this question and if it was possible in any way.
Aiba tweaked his nose before lying down next to Nino, watching him. “One more question.”
“Yes?”
“When you write a song for another person. Would you think of that person while doing so? Put in things about that person?”
“Of course.”
“So if you wrote a song for another person to sing for another person could you put in what that person thinks of that other person?”
Nino looked at him with wide eyes. “What?” he asked a bit baffled. Not understanding what Aiba was getting on.
“Forget it.”
“Aiba-chan are you in love with someone?”
“Maybe,” Aiba said with a sigh.
“And you want to sing a song for that person?”
“Maybe.”
Nino lifted an eyebrow as he stared at him, waiting for a real answer.
Aiba groaned. “You are a brat, you know that?”
“You would need to tell me anyway if I agreed to write something for you.”
“Yeah. So if I wanted to sing for Jun, would you write me a song for him with things I think or feel for him. Would that work if it’s not your own feelings?”
Nino shrugged slightly. “I don’t know. I will ask Matsuoka-sensei and let you know.”
Aiba nodded slightly as he blushed and looked down. “Don’t tell Jun-kun?”
“Of course.”
-
Nino sat at his desk, writing his weekly letter to Ohno when Aiba knocked on the door.
He was looking around nervously which made Nino chuckle. “I’m alone.”
“Oh, good. Here I wrote this about Jun for the song,” he said as he put it down on the desk and sat down on the free chair, looking at him expectedly.
“What?”
“Look it over,” Aiba said with a pout.
Nino groaned but took the sheet to look it over. He tried hard not to grimace or anything as he stared at the overly sweet words. He supposed it was kind of cute, but Aiba went way overboard with this.
“So what do you think?”
“That you are hopeless,” Nino said without thinking. He bit his tongue when he saw the downfallen look on Aiba’s face and sighed.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. But you are hopelessly in love. Jun is one lucky boy. I think I can write something with that, don’t worry.”
Aiba’s face brightened up with that promise, and he jumped up to hug him tightly. “Thank you, Nino. I will leave you on it then.”
“Will you finish it until Valentine’s day?”
Nino frowned, but then he nodded. “Yes. Exams are afterwards, so I want to have it finished by then.”
“Thank you!” Aiba shrieked and hugged him again, kissing him on the cheek.
“Urgh! Out now or I will show Jun this,” Nino said as he pushed him out, rubbing his cheek in disgust.
Aiba giggled as he ran out of the room, leaving Nino alone to try to finish the letter before he groaned. If he was going to write this song, he couldn’t do it here, he realised. He carefully put the papers away into a wooden box Ohno had made for him. It was handmade and with different coloured ornaments that sparkled when he held it. When another person tried to open it, it would bite that person’s fingers, and he loved it so much.
Nino left the room to go to his home-run teacher asking for permission to visit Ohno the weekend. Kokubun agreed readily if Nino promised to behave and do his homework and Nino went back to his room to finally finish his letter to Ohno and telling him that he was visiting their future home on the weekend to write the song.
-
“Oh-chan,” Nino said happily as he heard the front door open. He hopped from his place in front of the kotatsu to run to the entryway and then jump into the arms of Ohno.
Ohno chuckled as he held him with his hands under his butt to lift him up and kiss him on the lips. He swirled him around grinning when Nino laughed out loud.
“Hey, babe. Sorry I wasn’t home when you arrived.”
“It’s okay. It was kinda sudden. I finished my homework and part of the song. So we can spend the afternoon together?”
“You sure?”
Nino pouted but nodded. “I really finished my work you can check.”
“No, it’s fine. I trust you,” Ohno whispered as he kissed him again, nibbling on his lower lip. Nino smiled against his lips, sighing happily as his arms snaked around his neck.
A few minutes passed before Ohno moved back and set him down on the floor again. “Are you hungry?”
“A bit,” Nino said. “Sorry I didn’t prepare any lunch. I forgot the time.”
“I brought bread for lunch. But I wouldn’t mind a home-cooked meal for dinner?”
“Sounds good,” Nino agreed as he led Ohno to the living room and snuggled up with him under the kotatsu again.
“I like your melon pan best.”
Ohno chuckled as he pressed his lips against Nino’s forehead as the younger boy munched on his bread. He played with his soft locks looking down at him. “How are you doing at school?”
“Good. My robes got more yellow.”
“Is that even possible?” Ohno teased him with amused eyes. Nino giggled but nodded. He was very proud of his achievements.
“Are you worried about the exams?”
“Not really. It’s not the last exams they come next year. Then I need to decide what I want to do for work.”
“You know that you could continue your studies?”
“Yes, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to be a scholar. So it wouldn’t make sense. And mom would hit me if I don’t try to earn my own incomings,” he said with a frown.
Ohno chuckled as he stroke his side. “Then you should use the long holidays to look around the shops to see what you would like?”
“Sounds like a plan,” Nino agreed slowly. “I like your cards. Thank you for them.”
“Everything for you,” Ohno said with a smile. “Besides I get nice songs out of it.”
Nino giggled as he finished his bread. “I’m writing a song for Aiba.”
“Mhm, how is that coming along?”
“Better than expected. I would play it for you, but it seems unfair since it’s Aiba’s feelings for Jun.”
Ohno hummed in understanding dropping a kiss on top of his head. “Do you need time for that?”
Nino shook his head. He would finish it tomorrow when Ohno was at work. He kissed him lovingly and rubbed his nose against his cheek.
“I was allowed to come here, and I want to spend time with my boyfriend.”
“Me too,” Ohno agreed. Nino grinned as he snuggled close again, pulling Ohno down beside him. They faced each other, Nino holding his hand softly as the fingers of his other hand traced Ohno’s face and lips.
“You are tired. You should take a nap,” Nino whispered as he moved closer to hug him.
Ohno wanted to disagree, but he was already up since three am and it would be a lie. He kissed Nino’s fingertips and then closed his eyes as he hugged him tighter to his body.
Nino smiled as he kissed the side of his lips and then softly sang his favourite song for Ohno to fall asleep to.
-
“Nino,” Aiba whispered as he tugged at Nino’s robe.
“What?”
“I can’t do it. I can’t sing,” Aiba whined as he grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving.
“What? But you wanted to do it today! Aiba after all the work.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. I liked it so much. It’s perfect, but I can’t remember the lyrics. I get nervous and then it’s awful, and he’ll hate me. There wouldn’t be any loving feelings then,” Aiba whined. “Please help me!”
Nino grumbled as he rubbed his face. Today he had a date with Ohno. Ohno had written him a beautiful card with a wizard penguin to ask him to be his Valentine, and he felt happy ever since.
“Okay, I got an idea,” Nino grumbled. “I need to go meet with Oh-chan now. But I promise I send it to you, okay?”
Aiba looked at him with big eyes, but then he nodded slowly. Nino smiled as he petted his head.
“But you still meet with Jun today, right?”
“Yeah… Since he isn’t dating someone, he wanted to try to feed the unicorns again. He really likes them.”
“I can understand that. They are cute,” Nino said with a smile. “Have a very nice day, alright?”
“You too. Greet Oh-chan from us. We miss him.”
“He and Sho prepare a feast for us when exams are over,” Nino grinned. “And a big party for you for finishing school.”
Aiba giggled as he nodded and watched Nino skip down the stairs to apparate to his and Ohno’s home.
Ohno was standing in the entryway, a big package of chocolates in his hands with Kairy around his shoulders wearing a bow-tie.
Nino giggled as he saw them. “You two are absolutely ridiculous,” he chuckled as he pushed off his shoes to then step up to them to kiss Ohno lovingly and then pet Kairy’s head.
“Ready for our date?”
Nino groaned as he remembered Aiba’s pleading face and Jun’s shy one whenever he thought of his crush on Aiba.
“Not yet. Aiba panicked,” he said.
“So what do you have in mind?”
“Can you draw a quick sketch on a card for Jun?”
“What about?”
“Just something with “Be my Valentine”. So that it looks beautiful. I can just get a white one, but that seems wrong.”
“I can do that,” Ohno agreed as he kissed him on top of the nose. “You are very sweet to help your friend, you know?”
“Aiba would whine for weeks if I don’t help him,” Nino denied. His cheeks were hot as he ran up into their bedroom, closing the door and putting up a barrier so that Ohno wouldn’t be able to listen in.
He sighed deeply as he moved his wand so that a box appeared in front of him. It was small and not perfect and would probably last just one time playing, but it would do. He let his guitar appear, before settling down and singing the song he had wrote. He spelt the box close and then headed out to the living room.
“Do you have some paper?”
“Is that okay?”
“Cute,” Nino said with a grin as he saw the picture of a turtle and a dog. He put it on top of the box and scribbled down a note for Aiba, before looking at Ohno.
“Can you send it to Aiba? I still don’t manage to do that. It needs to arrive there soon and whole.”
“I can do that,” Ohno agreed quickly. He took the box carefully and then mumbled the spell to send it all to Aiba. When it was done, he looked back at Nino, taking him into his embrace.
“Now on to our Valentines Day,” he whispered against Nino’s ear. Nino giggled as he moved his head to kiss Ohno properly.
-
Nino was dazed when he came back to school. He was clutching a sparkling rose in his hands as he wandered to the great hall.
His eyes went down to the rose now and then, blushing and paling whenever he saw the twinkle on his finger.
“Nino! Hey Nino!” Aiba yelled, but Nino ignored him.
He yelled out in shock when someone grabbed him, moving around, his wand in his hand.
“Relax, it’s me,” Aiba said.
Nino stopped, blinking at Aiba and Jun in front of him. His eyes wandered down to their intertwined hands, and he grinned softly. “So it worked out?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you, Nino. The song was perfect. And the card as well,” Jun said as he hugged the card to his chest. “The box disappeared after one time, though. I would love to hear the song again.”
Aiba nodded in excitement.
“I taught Aiba. I think it will be even better if you have him sing it,” Nino mumbled fighting the blush. It was the first time someone else than his classmates praised his songs. “But I’m glad you like it.”
“We did. It was perfect. I’m sure other’s would love such a thing as well.”
Nino grimaced. “Too much work.”
“You could sell them,” Jun interjected.
Nino’s eyes widened at that idea. He should consider it at least.
“How was your weekend?”
“Good… Perfect actually,” Nino whispered his eyes again falling on the rose.
“What did he got you?”
“This?” Nino asked, holding up the rose.
Aiba’s eyes widened as did Jun’s when they saw the rose and the glint on his fingers.
“That’s a…” Aiba started, and Nino felt his cheeks heat up even worse. He hid his face behind the red petals. The rims of the petals were golden, and it was clear that the rose was enchanted to stay like this forever. Or for as long as the spell on it would last, which Ohno had promised him would be forever.
“I can’t believe he got you a betrothal rose,” Jun said with a small gasp. “It’s meant only to wilt when the love ends.”
“Oh-chan said it will be this beautiful forever,” he whispered. “Because he never would not love me. He also got me a ring.”
Nino showed them the small golden band around his finger, still not being able to believe that Ohno had asked to marry him when graduation was over next year. But he could believe even less that he had said yes.
The cards were made from cardboard and not bigger than a credit card but on each one was a small sketch and Nino loved looking at them in the early mornings. He would first stare at them from a distance as he was doing now to get the whole picture before picking the note up and scrutinising it from a closer distance.
Today it was a stick figure playing the guitar. The hole of the guitar was a dark heart, and the notes coming from there weren’t oval like normal but also small hearts. He grinned as he put it into the small pocket of his robe just as the door to the bathroom opened again.
“So, what was it today?” Toma asked curiously.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Nino said with a giggle to his voice as his hand wandered into the pocket tracing the cardboard paper with his fingertips. He would show his friends later, probably. But for now, his heartfelt full of love for Ohno and happiness that Ohno took the time to draw something small for him each day. Nino was sure his days were busy and filled with work.
“God it’s too early for you to look like that,” Jun grumbled as he finally re-entered their dorm room as well.
Nino scrunched up his nose at the words and stuck out his tongue. “Looking like that? I look normal,” Nino said with a pout. At least he was sure that there was nothing amiss in his appearance or that there was dirt on his robes.
“Like a lovestruck puppy,” Jun deadpanned as he put his arm around him. “It’s horrible.”
“Liar,” Toma sang. “You are just grumpy because you hadn’t had coffee yet and because you haven’t seen Aiba yet.”
Nino’s brows drew together as he looked at his friend whose ears turned a little bit red. “You and Aiba-chan?! No way!”
“Yes way,” Toma said while laughing. “God, Nino. How could you miss that? They got closer at the end of last year. Of course, you were moping about missing Oh-chan, so I suppose it’s normal.”
“We are not together,” Jun said, his eyes still red as he tried to get away from his friends. But now Nino had put his arm around Jun’s waist so that he wouldn’t be able to get away and Toma was on his other side, his arm around his shoulder.
“Come on, Junny. You like him,” Toma said with a sigh.
“How?” Nino breathed. Still, a bit hung up on how he could have missed it all. God, he had been a horrible friend it seemed.
“We spent more time together… I study less with Sakurai-san.”
Toma snorted. “I’m surprised it’s less and not not. He isn’t attending this school anymore.”
Jun glared at him. “Shut up. Just because you are only interested in Quidditch doesn’t mean I’m not happy that he still tutors me when he has time for it.”
“Hey! At least I already got sponsorship for after next year,” Toma said as he lifted his hands in innocence. “We can’t all be smart asses like you two are.”
“Studying would help,” Jun teased him with a twinkle in his eyes.
Toma opened his mouth to retorted before he stopped and blinked. “Hey! Stop riling me up we were talking about you and your love life.”
“Not existing love-life,” Jun said with an eye roll. “We got closer because he wanted to help me to get closer to the animals. Since you know I like them, but they don’t really reciprocate,” he said sarcastically, hitting both boys when they laughed at those words.
Jun was infamously bad with animals, after all. Nino was sure that Aiba-sensei would have forbidden Jun to attend classes if Jun had decided to take Care of Magical Creatures all those years ago. Even now, Jun was only allowed to the enclosure when Aiba was with him because Aiba, on the other hand, was perfect with any kind of creature.
“So you and Aiba?”
“I like him okay? But there is no way he would feel the same. He is older, and he would never fall in love with someone who gets attacked by rabbits,” Jun said with a sigh.
“Oh-chan is older so that argument is stupid. And I don’t think that Aiba-chan would mind,” Nino said with a sigh. Now mad at himself for not paying attention so he couldn’t tell if Aiba was interested in Jun or not. But he vowed to himself that he would start looking now, and of course, make Toma tell him everything when they were alone. (Because he really didn’t want to rile Jun up too much. A Jun that was a bit mad at them could be fun, but if Jun was furious or hurt, he could be terrifying.)
“Just stop it,” Jun pleaded almost as they entered the great hall for breakfast. Nino waved at Aiba who was just coming in from another door and pointed to their usual table that was still free, luckily.
“I promise not to embarrass you in front of your crush,” Nino said solemnly. Toma grinned beside them, winking at Nino.
“At least not too much.”
-
“What are you doing here?” Aiba’s amused voice broke Nino from his concentration, and he looked up from the sheets he had been writing the lyrics for the new project in class down.
“What?”
“Why are you composing in the middle of a horde of Hippogriffs?”
Nino blushed slightly as he looked around himself and realised that the Hippogriffs were watching him intensely. He coughed as Aiba climbed over the fence and sat down on the floor beside him. He whistled as he brought out some treats for the creatures who were all happily chattering as they came over to Aiba in a somewhat orderly fashion.
“I’m surprised they don’t overrun you,” Nino said with a giggle as a cold snout was pressed against his fingers in search of more treats.
“I leave when they do,” Aiba said with a shrug. “They learnt that they won’t get any cuddles or treats if they don’t behave. Then they pout, and the next time they behave better. But they are also cheeky,” he said with a breathy laugh when one Hippogriff pushed Nino on his back his snout wandering under the collar of his robe in search for food, making Nino laugh helplessly.
Aiba watched him for a moment before he clicked his tongue and said an order that made the Hippogriffs stop and leave them in peace. “But honestly, what were you doing here?”
“Composing, as you have already guessed.”
“But why here?”
“Why not?”
Aiba lifted an eyebrow at the grin on Nino’s face. “I know you can be strange, and sometimes I’m sure your brain is not really here, but you can’t tell me that you got lost in the fields because your mind was on Oh-chan.”
“You are the idiot, not me,” Nino said as he stretched out on the blanket he had brought. “Inside was too loud, and it’s supposed to be a fun song. Something about animals,” he hummed in thought.
“You have strange works to do,” Aiba said with a laugh in his voice. Nino shrugged again.
“Matsuoka-sensei says it’s good for us to try all kinds of things. We can’t all write love songs or something like that.”
“Do you write love songs?”
“I write songs for Oh-chan,” Nino nodded with a happy smile. “Sometimes he sings them with me or records his singing for me. He has a great voice,” he added dreamily.
“I see and why animals now?”
“I want to compose something that will calm down animals. So if I write it here and try it out I can see if it works,” Nino explained as he stared into the sky. “It’s also easier to get credit for because you can see directly if it works.”
“Huh? Songs that calm them down?”
“What do you know about wizard music?” Nino asked curiously as he looked into Aiba’s confused face. He had just taken that course this year, and it was super interesting. It also fitted perfectly with the extracurricular classes he had taken about non-wizard music in the year before.
“Not much… I just know the songs those wizards and witches sing hold power in them.”
“If written and performed correctly, yes. They can manipulate the feelings of the listener as long as the listener is open or meant to be the recipient.”
“Huh? So you can make people fall in love with you because of songs?”
“No, of course not. But it can amplify feelings that are already there,” Nino said as he rolled his eyes and hit Aiba’s hips softly. “It’s not allowed to toil with such emotions. It’s the same with the love potions. It won’t create love. It amplifies love if it’s there, but yes you could probably make people do whatever you want if you wave the song correctly and are powerful enough. But it’s dangerous, and you will be punished harshly by the wizarding community.”
“I see,” Aiba said with a grin. “But then again. You wouldn’t need a song to make Ohno fall in love with you. He just did on his own will. And you never would want another person in your life.”
Nino blushed, but he nodded happily as his fingers pulled out today’s card. It was a penguin with dancing with a heart. The picture this time moved, and Nino smiled as he traced the card with his fingertips. “I only want Oh-chan ever.”
“Would you be able to sing songs for others?”
“Huh? What do you mean? They are meant for other’s to listen to, and they are meant for specific things.”
Aiba tapped his forehead with a small frown. “I don’t mean that. Can you write songs for other’s to sing?”
“Yes? Oh-chan sings my songs,” Nino said slowly.
“No, I meant, would they make the same feelings grow in others?”
“Probably not as much, honestly. You don’t know how to use your vocal cords to put the magic in your voice. But it might be that the effect might still be there even if it is not as strong. I’ve actually never tried it. I need to ask sensei next time at class,” Nino said happily as he thought of how to find a solution to this question and if it was possible in any way.
Aiba tweaked his nose before lying down next to Nino, watching him. “One more question.”
“Yes?”
“When you write a song for another person. Would you think of that person while doing so? Put in things about that person?”
“Of course.”
“So if you wrote a song for another person to sing for another person could you put in what that person thinks of that other person?”
Nino looked at him with wide eyes. “What?” he asked a bit baffled. Not understanding what Aiba was getting on.
“Forget it.”
“Aiba-chan are you in love with someone?”
“Maybe,” Aiba said with a sigh.
“And you want to sing a song for that person?”
“Maybe.”
Nino lifted an eyebrow as he stared at him, waiting for a real answer.
Aiba groaned. “You are a brat, you know that?”
“You would need to tell me anyway if I agreed to write something for you.”
“Yeah. So if I wanted to sing for Jun, would you write me a song for him with things I think or feel for him. Would that work if it’s not your own feelings?”
Nino shrugged slightly. “I don’t know. I will ask Matsuoka-sensei and let you know.”
Aiba nodded slightly as he blushed and looked down. “Don’t tell Jun-kun?”
“Of course.”
-
Nino sat at his desk, writing his weekly letter to Ohno when Aiba knocked on the door.
He was looking around nervously which made Nino chuckle. “I’m alone.”
“Oh, good. Here I wrote this about Jun for the song,” he said as he put it down on the desk and sat down on the free chair, looking at him expectedly.
“What?”
“Look it over,” Aiba said with a pout.
Nino groaned but took the sheet to look it over. He tried hard not to grimace or anything as he stared at the overly sweet words. He supposed it was kind of cute, but Aiba went way overboard with this.
“So what do you think?”
“That you are hopeless,” Nino said without thinking. He bit his tongue when he saw the downfallen look on Aiba’s face and sighed.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. But you are hopelessly in love. Jun is one lucky boy. I think I can write something with that, don’t worry.”
Aiba’s face brightened up with that promise, and he jumped up to hug him tightly. “Thank you, Nino. I will leave you on it then.”
“Will you finish it until Valentine’s day?”
Nino frowned, but then he nodded. “Yes. Exams are afterwards, so I want to have it finished by then.”
“Thank you!” Aiba shrieked and hugged him again, kissing him on the cheek.
“Urgh! Out now or I will show Jun this,” Nino said as he pushed him out, rubbing his cheek in disgust.
Aiba giggled as he ran out of the room, leaving Nino alone to try to finish the letter before he groaned. If he was going to write this song, he couldn’t do it here, he realised. He carefully put the papers away into a wooden box Ohno had made for him. It was handmade and with different coloured ornaments that sparkled when he held it. When another person tried to open it, it would bite that person’s fingers, and he loved it so much.
Nino left the room to go to his home-run teacher asking for permission to visit Ohno the weekend. Kokubun agreed readily if Nino promised to behave and do his homework and Nino went back to his room to finally finish his letter to Ohno and telling him that he was visiting their future home on the weekend to write the song.
-
“Oh-chan,” Nino said happily as he heard the front door open. He hopped from his place in front of the kotatsu to run to the entryway and then jump into the arms of Ohno.
Ohno chuckled as he held him with his hands under his butt to lift him up and kiss him on the lips. He swirled him around grinning when Nino laughed out loud.
“Hey, babe. Sorry I wasn’t home when you arrived.”
“It’s okay. It was kinda sudden. I finished my homework and part of the song. So we can spend the afternoon together?”
“You sure?”
Nino pouted but nodded. “I really finished my work you can check.”
“No, it’s fine. I trust you,” Ohno whispered as he kissed him again, nibbling on his lower lip. Nino smiled against his lips, sighing happily as his arms snaked around his neck.
A few minutes passed before Ohno moved back and set him down on the floor again. “Are you hungry?”
“A bit,” Nino said. “Sorry I didn’t prepare any lunch. I forgot the time.”
“I brought bread for lunch. But I wouldn’t mind a home-cooked meal for dinner?”
“Sounds good,” Nino agreed as he led Ohno to the living room and snuggled up with him under the kotatsu again.
“I like your melon pan best.”
Ohno chuckled as he pressed his lips against Nino’s forehead as the younger boy munched on his bread. He played with his soft locks looking down at him. “How are you doing at school?”
“Good. My robes got more yellow.”
“Is that even possible?” Ohno teased him with amused eyes. Nino giggled but nodded. He was very proud of his achievements.
“Are you worried about the exams?”
“Not really. It’s not the last exams they come next year. Then I need to decide what I want to do for work.”
“You know that you could continue your studies?”
“Yes, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to be a scholar. So it wouldn’t make sense. And mom would hit me if I don’t try to earn my own incomings,” he said with a frown.
Ohno chuckled as he stroke his side. “Then you should use the long holidays to look around the shops to see what you would like?”
“Sounds like a plan,” Nino agreed slowly. “I like your cards. Thank you for them.”
“Everything for you,” Ohno said with a smile. “Besides I get nice songs out of it.”
Nino giggled as he finished his bread. “I’m writing a song for Aiba.”
“Mhm, how is that coming along?”
“Better than expected. I would play it for you, but it seems unfair since it’s Aiba’s feelings for Jun.”
Ohno hummed in understanding dropping a kiss on top of his head. “Do you need time for that?”
Nino shook his head. He would finish it tomorrow when Ohno was at work. He kissed him lovingly and rubbed his nose against his cheek.
“I was allowed to come here, and I want to spend time with my boyfriend.”
“Me too,” Ohno agreed. Nino grinned as he snuggled close again, pulling Ohno down beside him. They faced each other, Nino holding his hand softly as the fingers of his other hand traced Ohno’s face and lips.
“You are tired. You should take a nap,” Nino whispered as he moved closer to hug him.
Ohno wanted to disagree, but he was already up since three am and it would be a lie. He kissed Nino’s fingertips and then closed his eyes as he hugged him tighter to his body.
Nino smiled as he kissed the side of his lips and then softly sang his favourite song for Ohno to fall asleep to.
-
“Nino,” Aiba whispered as he tugged at Nino’s robe.
“What?”
“I can’t do it. I can’t sing,” Aiba whined as he grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving.
“What? But you wanted to do it today! Aiba after all the work.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. I liked it so much. It’s perfect, but I can’t remember the lyrics. I get nervous and then it’s awful, and he’ll hate me. There wouldn’t be any loving feelings then,” Aiba whined. “Please help me!”
Nino grumbled as he rubbed his face. Today he had a date with Ohno. Ohno had written him a beautiful card with a wizard penguin to ask him to be his Valentine, and he felt happy ever since.
“Okay, I got an idea,” Nino grumbled. “I need to go meet with Oh-chan now. But I promise I send it to you, okay?”
Aiba looked at him with big eyes, but then he nodded slowly. Nino smiled as he petted his head.
“But you still meet with Jun today, right?”
“Yeah… Since he isn’t dating someone, he wanted to try to feed the unicorns again. He really likes them.”
“I can understand that. They are cute,” Nino said with a smile. “Have a very nice day, alright?”
“You too. Greet Oh-chan from us. We miss him.”
“He and Sho prepare a feast for us when exams are over,” Nino grinned. “And a big party for you for finishing school.”
Aiba giggled as he nodded and watched Nino skip down the stairs to apparate to his and Ohno’s home.
Ohno was standing in the entryway, a big package of chocolates in his hands with Kairy around his shoulders wearing a bow-tie.
Nino giggled as he saw them. “You two are absolutely ridiculous,” he chuckled as he pushed off his shoes to then step up to them to kiss Ohno lovingly and then pet Kairy’s head.
“Ready for our date?”
Nino groaned as he remembered Aiba’s pleading face and Jun’s shy one whenever he thought of his crush on Aiba.
“Not yet. Aiba panicked,” he said.
“So what do you have in mind?”
“Can you draw a quick sketch on a card for Jun?”
“What about?”
“Just something with “Be my Valentine”. So that it looks beautiful. I can just get a white one, but that seems wrong.”
“I can do that,” Ohno agreed as he kissed him on top of the nose. “You are very sweet to help your friend, you know?”
“Aiba would whine for weeks if I don’t help him,” Nino denied. His cheeks were hot as he ran up into their bedroom, closing the door and putting up a barrier so that Ohno wouldn’t be able to listen in.
He sighed deeply as he moved his wand so that a box appeared in front of him. It was small and not perfect and would probably last just one time playing, but it would do. He let his guitar appear, before settling down and singing the song he had wrote. He spelt the box close and then headed out to the living room.
“Do you have some paper?”
“Is that okay?”
“Cute,” Nino said with a grin as he saw the picture of a turtle and a dog. He put it on top of the box and scribbled down a note for Aiba, before looking at Ohno.
“Can you send it to Aiba? I still don’t manage to do that. It needs to arrive there soon and whole.”
“I can do that,” Ohno agreed quickly. He took the box carefully and then mumbled the spell to send it all to Aiba. When it was done, he looked back at Nino, taking him into his embrace.
“Now on to our Valentines Day,” he whispered against Nino’s ear. Nino giggled as he moved his head to kiss Ohno properly.
-
Nino was dazed when he came back to school. He was clutching a sparkling rose in his hands as he wandered to the great hall.
His eyes went down to the rose now and then, blushing and paling whenever he saw the twinkle on his finger.
“Nino! Hey Nino!” Aiba yelled, but Nino ignored him.
He yelled out in shock when someone grabbed him, moving around, his wand in his hand.
“Relax, it’s me,” Aiba said.
Nino stopped, blinking at Aiba and Jun in front of him. His eyes wandered down to their intertwined hands, and he grinned softly. “So it worked out?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you, Nino. The song was perfect. And the card as well,” Jun said as he hugged the card to his chest. “The box disappeared after one time, though. I would love to hear the song again.”
Aiba nodded in excitement.
“I taught Aiba. I think it will be even better if you have him sing it,” Nino mumbled fighting the blush. It was the first time someone else than his classmates praised his songs. “But I’m glad you like it.”
“We did. It was perfect. I’m sure other’s would love such a thing as well.”
Nino grimaced. “Too much work.”
“You could sell them,” Jun interjected.
Nino’s eyes widened at that idea. He should consider it at least.
“How was your weekend?”
“Good… Perfect actually,” Nino whispered his eyes again falling on the rose.
“What did he got you?”
“This?” Nino asked, holding up the rose.
Aiba’s eyes widened as did Jun’s when they saw the rose and the glint on his fingers.
“That’s a…” Aiba started, and Nino felt his cheeks heat up even worse. He hid his face behind the red petals. The rims of the petals were golden, and it was clear that the rose was enchanted to stay like this forever. Or for as long as the spell on it would last, which Ohno had promised him would be forever.
“I can’t believe he got you a betrothal rose,” Jun said with a small gasp. “It’s meant only to wilt when the love ends.”
“Oh-chan said it will be this beautiful forever,” he whispered. “Because he never would not love me. He also got me a ring.”
Nino showed them the small golden band around his finger, still not being able to believe that Ohno had asked to marry him when graduation was over next year. But he could believe even less that he had said yes.