Intertwined Destinies (Chapter 46)
Ohno tried very pointedly not to look back and check up on Nino. He knew that the other man was fine. Nobody would think that he was a man and Niji was slung around his neck so that nobody would be able to cut him down. He also knew that the illusion that Nino had put on himself would protect him, but still, he was very nervous that something would go wrong.
He would have preferred to get inside in silence, in hiding with nobody knowing about them getting in. But Nino had not even considered it, and somehow that made Ohno feel as if the other knew more than he did. Maybe Nino didn’t think it was possible for them to get inside unseen.
He breathed in relief when he realised that one of the guards on the entrance was Jun and he squeezed Nino’s hand when he heard him chuckle under his breath, realising that even if Nino looked that confident that he had been worried as well.
“Your highness,” the second guard cried out as they came to view. Jun shot him a dark look before his eyes fell on Ohno and he moved his head into a respectful bow.
“We thought you dead,” Jun said.
“I’m not,” Ohno answered in a gruff voice, making hard not to grimace. He wasn’t used to using that kind of voice anymore.
“How?” the second man asked, seemingly shocked. “They said you were mauled by strangers and they didn’t find you…” he trailed off when Jun clucked his tongue.
“You are not paid for babbling,” Jun mumbled, and Nino rolled his eyes. He was curious as to what those people were told, but he also thought foolish to ask Ohno such a thing.
“I shall not need to tell you,” Ohno said with a frown on his face. “Or do I know?”
“No, of course not, your highness. I apologise.”
“Jun!”
“What can I do for you, your highness?”
“Escort me to my chambers. I shall refresh myself and send word to my father.”
“I shall tell him myself,” Jun agreed as he called another soldier to take up his post on the gate. The man almost stumbled as he saw Ohno who ignored him and Jun looked back at Ohno before his eyes fell seemingly for the first time on Nino, who had a hard time to lower his gaze shyly instead of glaring back as everything in him demanded to do so.
But that wouldn’t fit his disguise, and he bit his inner cheek to keep from saying anything.
“What about your… companion?” He asked with an evident sneer into Nino’s direction, who rolled his eyes discreetly.
“I was indeed wounded, and she helped to tend to my wounds. I promised her to compensate her for her good deeds. So she is with me,” he said with a lifted eyebrow. “Now lead the way.”
“As you wish, your highness,” Jun answered primly as he lowered his head shortly before turning around sharply and striding inside. Nino bit his lips as he followed Ohno inside, for a moment feeling as if he wasn’t able to breathe with the tightness around his lungs.
Ohno squeezed his fingers, and Niji hummed into his ear, and he closed his eyes for a moment as he fought against the borders that were meant to keep him out. They bent to his wishes, and he was careful to do just the slightest changes so that nobody would realise just right away. Not yet, he thought. Not yet, but soon. He looked up, staring at the jade palace with the golden tops. He was home.
-
Ohno visibly relaxed when the door to his chambers closed behind them, and Nino chuckled as he came over to hug him from behind.
“You are still not sure about this, right?”
“Yes, I don’t like being here officially. My father will call me and then I have to leave you alone. Who knows what will happen inside then.”
Nino snorted as he shook his head. “Nothing will happen. Don’t forget that I know how to defeat myself. I don’t need you for that,” he reminded him gently, hugging him more tightly when Ohno stiffened slightly.
“I’m allowed to worry,” he grumbled.
“Yes, but you need to worry about yourself first,” he whispered as he turned him around. Ohno was frowning down at him, and Nino held his face in his hand.
“My father won’t kill me,” he mumbled.
“You don’t know that,” he sighed. “He already tried.”
“Yes, but he can’t do it here. Everybody would know it was him if he does it here.”
Nino nodded in agreement. “Not today, right. Still, promise me to take care of yourself and worry about me afterwards.”
“If you do the same,” Ohno demanded, and Nino grimaced but nodded. He stepped back when there was a knock at the door and Ohno called whoever there was inside. Nino knelt on the floor in front of the low table, when Ohno motioned for him to do so and soon enough a few servants came inside with refreshments and buckets of warm water to fill the tub nearby.
Neither Nino nor Ohno really wanted to take a bath, but still, Ohno thanked them, and Nino stared at his fingers without a word as he waited for them to be alone again. Ohno groaned as he sat beside him.
Nino chuckled as he moved forward to kiss his cheek. “You should take a bath, my lord,” he teased him. I suppose the king expects you to do so before he would allow you to see him.”
“Seems like it but maybe that’s a reason why I shouldn’t,” he grumbled.
Ohno reached out to serve them tea, but Nino put his hand on top of his to stop him.
“Let me. I’m supposed to do so,” he said with a sigh.
“Not when we are alone,” Ohno said with a frown.
“Maybe, but if the king is in any way how I expect him to be, he will demand us to eat dinner together. And it would be bad if something went wrong because we behave as we usually would.”
“You are the guest, and not meant to serve us,” Ohno murmured but didn’t fight him as Nino poured the tea for them and then took a sip, frowning at the bitter taste.
They stayed in silence for a moment, before Nino sighed and got up to usher Ohno to the second room with the washbasin and the filled tub. “I’ll even wash your back,” Nino offered as he tugged Ohno’s robe off of his body.
“There is a hot spring down. I would love to go there with you,” Ohno mourned but didn’t fight the talented fingers, that unclothed him.
“When this all is over, we will.”
“That sounds nice. When this all is over,” Ohno hummed. Nino giggled as he took a washcloth from the side.
“Right? It’s something to look forward to,” he agreed readily as he washed the other man. A small smile on his face as Ohno slowly relaxed under his fingers.
When they were out there was a sharp knock on the door, and with a sigh, Ohno asked the person to enter, while Nino helped him to get into a more representable robe that was fitting for his status.
Jun stepped inside just moments after and closed the door behind him. “I see you are getting ready,” He said, relief clear in his voice.
“Yeah, Nino forces me to,” Ohno answered with a pout. Nino’s lips twitched into a smile as he closed the belt around his waist.
“Your father awaits you,” Jun said, and Ohno nodded, looking at Nino again.
Nino smiled as he kissed him on his lips, lovingly. “Don’t look so worried. I’ll be fine. I will have some more tea and one of those rice cakes.”
“Okay,” Ohno said with a pout. Jun cleared his throat.
“He’s right, you know? Besides, I’m supposed to guard your chambers. Now that you are back, your father told me so. He doesn’t want anything to happen to you again, just now that he has you back.”
Nino snorted slightly and lifted his hands as Jun shot him a dark look.
“I didn’t mean to belittle you,” he said with a sigh, then looked at Ohno with a small frown. “Go!”
“Yes, my highness and master,” Ohno teased, and Nino growled as he pushed him out, but he was smiling gently at Ohno’s giggling, which vanished as soon as the door was opened, his face serious once more.
“I like the lord more when he jokes with you,” Jun said with a sigh as Ohno was gone and the door close.
Nino shrugged as he pulled at his hair. “Who wouldn’t?” he asked with a sigh, before shaking his head. “No, please don’t. I know the king prefers it this way.”
“Nino?”
“Mh?”
“Why do you always call him, the king?”
“Because he is,” Nino said with a frown. “You know I don’t mean that.”
Nino sighed as he looked out of the window. “The king is not who he appears to be, and he is not Satoshi’s father.”
He would have preferred to get inside in silence, in hiding with nobody knowing about them getting in. But Nino had not even considered it, and somehow that made Ohno feel as if the other knew more than he did. Maybe Nino didn’t think it was possible for them to get inside unseen.
He breathed in relief when he realised that one of the guards on the entrance was Jun and he squeezed Nino’s hand when he heard him chuckle under his breath, realising that even if Nino looked that confident that he had been worried as well.
“Your highness,” the second guard cried out as they came to view. Jun shot him a dark look before his eyes fell on Ohno and he moved his head into a respectful bow.
“We thought you dead,” Jun said.
“I’m not,” Ohno answered in a gruff voice, making hard not to grimace. He wasn’t used to using that kind of voice anymore.
“How?” the second man asked, seemingly shocked. “They said you were mauled by strangers and they didn’t find you…” he trailed off when Jun clucked his tongue.
“You are not paid for babbling,” Jun mumbled, and Nino rolled his eyes. He was curious as to what those people were told, but he also thought foolish to ask Ohno such a thing.
“I shall not need to tell you,” Ohno said with a frown on his face. “Or do I know?”
“No, of course not, your highness. I apologise.”
“Jun!”
“What can I do for you, your highness?”
“Escort me to my chambers. I shall refresh myself and send word to my father.”
“I shall tell him myself,” Jun agreed as he called another soldier to take up his post on the gate. The man almost stumbled as he saw Ohno who ignored him and Jun looked back at Ohno before his eyes fell seemingly for the first time on Nino, who had a hard time to lower his gaze shyly instead of glaring back as everything in him demanded to do so.
But that wouldn’t fit his disguise, and he bit his inner cheek to keep from saying anything.
“What about your… companion?” He asked with an evident sneer into Nino’s direction, who rolled his eyes discreetly.
“I was indeed wounded, and she helped to tend to my wounds. I promised her to compensate her for her good deeds. So she is with me,” he said with a lifted eyebrow. “Now lead the way.”
“As you wish, your highness,” Jun answered primly as he lowered his head shortly before turning around sharply and striding inside. Nino bit his lips as he followed Ohno inside, for a moment feeling as if he wasn’t able to breathe with the tightness around his lungs.
Ohno squeezed his fingers, and Niji hummed into his ear, and he closed his eyes for a moment as he fought against the borders that were meant to keep him out. They bent to his wishes, and he was careful to do just the slightest changes so that nobody would realise just right away. Not yet, he thought. Not yet, but soon. He looked up, staring at the jade palace with the golden tops. He was home.
-
Ohno visibly relaxed when the door to his chambers closed behind them, and Nino chuckled as he came over to hug him from behind.
“You are still not sure about this, right?”
“Yes, I don’t like being here officially. My father will call me and then I have to leave you alone. Who knows what will happen inside then.”
Nino snorted as he shook his head. “Nothing will happen. Don’t forget that I know how to defeat myself. I don’t need you for that,” he reminded him gently, hugging him more tightly when Ohno stiffened slightly.
“I’m allowed to worry,” he grumbled.
“Yes, but you need to worry about yourself first,” he whispered as he turned him around. Ohno was frowning down at him, and Nino held his face in his hand.
“My father won’t kill me,” he mumbled.
“You don’t know that,” he sighed. “He already tried.”
“Yes, but he can’t do it here. Everybody would know it was him if he does it here.”
Nino nodded in agreement. “Not today, right. Still, promise me to take care of yourself and worry about me afterwards.”
“If you do the same,” Ohno demanded, and Nino grimaced but nodded. He stepped back when there was a knock at the door and Ohno called whoever there was inside. Nino knelt on the floor in front of the low table, when Ohno motioned for him to do so and soon enough a few servants came inside with refreshments and buckets of warm water to fill the tub nearby.
Neither Nino nor Ohno really wanted to take a bath, but still, Ohno thanked them, and Nino stared at his fingers without a word as he waited for them to be alone again. Ohno groaned as he sat beside him.
Nino chuckled as he moved forward to kiss his cheek. “You should take a bath, my lord,” he teased him. I suppose the king expects you to do so before he would allow you to see him.”
“Seems like it but maybe that’s a reason why I shouldn’t,” he grumbled.
Ohno reached out to serve them tea, but Nino put his hand on top of his to stop him.
“Let me. I’m supposed to do so,” he said with a sigh.
“Not when we are alone,” Ohno said with a frown.
“Maybe, but if the king is in any way how I expect him to be, he will demand us to eat dinner together. And it would be bad if something went wrong because we behave as we usually would.”
“You are the guest, and not meant to serve us,” Ohno murmured but didn’t fight him as Nino poured the tea for them and then took a sip, frowning at the bitter taste.
They stayed in silence for a moment, before Nino sighed and got up to usher Ohno to the second room with the washbasin and the filled tub. “I’ll even wash your back,” Nino offered as he tugged Ohno’s robe off of his body.
“There is a hot spring down. I would love to go there with you,” Ohno mourned but didn’t fight the talented fingers, that unclothed him.
“When this all is over, we will.”
“That sounds nice. When this all is over,” Ohno hummed. Nino giggled as he took a washcloth from the side.
“Right? It’s something to look forward to,” he agreed readily as he washed the other man. A small smile on his face as Ohno slowly relaxed under his fingers.
When they were out there was a sharp knock on the door, and with a sigh, Ohno asked the person to enter, while Nino helped him to get into a more representable robe that was fitting for his status.
Jun stepped inside just moments after and closed the door behind him. “I see you are getting ready,” He said, relief clear in his voice.
“Yeah, Nino forces me to,” Ohno answered with a pout. Nino’s lips twitched into a smile as he closed the belt around his waist.
“Your father awaits you,” Jun said, and Ohno nodded, looking at Nino again.
Nino smiled as he kissed him on his lips, lovingly. “Don’t look so worried. I’ll be fine. I will have some more tea and one of those rice cakes.”
“Okay,” Ohno said with a pout. Jun cleared his throat.
“He’s right, you know? Besides, I’m supposed to guard your chambers. Now that you are back, your father told me so. He doesn’t want anything to happen to you again, just now that he has you back.”
Nino snorted slightly and lifted his hands as Jun shot him a dark look.
“I didn’t mean to belittle you,” he said with a sigh, then looked at Ohno with a small frown. “Go!”
“Yes, my highness and master,” Ohno teased, and Nino growled as he pushed him out, but he was smiling gently at Ohno’s giggling, which vanished as soon as the door was opened, his face serious once more.
“I like the lord more when he jokes with you,” Jun said with a sigh as Ohno was gone and the door close.
Nino shrugged as he pulled at his hair. “Who wouldn’t?” he asked with a sigh, before shaking his head. “No, please don’t. I know the king prefers it this way.”
“Nino?”
“Mh?”
“Why do you always call him, the king?”
“Because he is,” Nino said with a frown. “You know I don’t mean that.”
Nino sighed as he looked out of the window. “The king is not who he appears to be, and he is not Satoshi’s father.”