The Wizardly Ways of Ninomiya Kazunari (Chapter 17)
Ohno didn’t look up from his painting when the front door opened. He knew it was not Nino who came home, but Jun. On nights like this Nino would be too annoyed or tired to travel home the usual way. It was costing him more power to teleport directly but it was fast and he knew that Ohno would take care of him as soon as he was here. There was no worry that he needed to be careful anymore once he was back.
A small sigh escaped the man and he shook his head at the thoughts running through his mind. It was stupid, really, to be worried about his lover. Nino knew what he could do and what he could not do. He would not have left if he was insecure about succeeding but studied more to find a secure solution for this curse. Even if it was an emergency job, Nino was not stupid.
“Do you want to keep standing there?”
“Sorry,” Jun said with a sigh. He sounded tired, small and not like the confident Jun he was used to. Ohno looked at him over his shoulder with a small smile. Jun moved his shoulders uncomfortably and a bit helpless. Ohno understood. He was not the person that Jun wanted to comfort him.
“It’s fine, feel welcome here. Don't worry about Nino.”
Jun nodded but stayed in the doorway for a second longer until he sighed. It was not easy to feel welcome if Nino and he didn’t talk, also as much as he liked Ohno, Nino was his best friend and the person he wanted to run to if he felt bad. He rubbed his face with another tired sigh and finally stepped inside fully.
He looked at the canvas that Ohno was focused on with a small frown. The colours were dark blue, violet with a bright yellow, almost white moon to the top corner. Its mirror was seen on what was supposed to be water with dancing cherry blossoms on the surface, dancing in the wind, belonging to a dark tree trunk at the side of the stream. Right now Ohno was putting white in the cherry blossoms on the tree.
Jun was silent as he observed the picture further. There were strokes on the bottom depicting figures and he was curious about how it would look once finished, but he would not be allowed to witness that today. That he knew.
“I brought things for pasta.”
“Mhm… Here I thought you would make hamburger steak.”
Jun smiled shyly and shook his head. “Nino would take that as me trying to bribe him. I wouldn’t want that.”
“Nino likes to be bribed,” Ohno said with a chuckle. “I get it though, and am looking forward to a nice dinner.”
“With Nino?”
Ohno shrugged and put down the paintbrush after he was happy with how the tree looked. “I guess we won’t know until he is here. He wouldn’t like it for us to wait for him, and I don’t know when he will be back.”
Jun sighed but nodded. “But I can stay?”
“Of course, I told you, you are welcomed here anytime. Nino wouldn’t say otherwise. I prepared the second bedroom if Nino comes home very late. He would not like it if I let you sleep on the sofa. And sorry, but not really, I won’t share the bed with you,” Ohno explained with wriggling eyebrows, grinning when that brought a weak, but clearly there, smile from the younger man. “Need a hand or two? I am sure I can spare them.”
“Aren’t you busy?”
“The layers need to dry and Nino is not here to wave his hand to dry it instantly. It’s very useful, you know.”
Jun snorted and shook his head. He would never understand how the both of them really worked. They did, and everybody could see it but it really was a mystery.
“Okay then,” Jun mumbled and turned around to go to the kitchen. Ohno followed with a low hum, just to turn around after he had entered the kitchen to go to the bathroom and then wash his hands to make sure Jun would not hit him when he prepared food with slightly dirty hands. He had not spied any rings but he was sure that it would still hurt.
-
Jun and Ohno had eaten late in silence and Jun had made sure to prepare a plate for Nino that he could warm up when he came home. After they had sat in the living room, mostly in silence, Jun still insecure in himself it seemed and Ohno had never been a big talker. He had Nino for that. He was also pretty sure that Jun would not even listen if he spoke.
It was nearing midnight when Jun’s body finally gave in to the tiredness that accumulated over the day and the stress over the breakup. Ohno chuckled softly because of that and he patted his head. Jun didn’t move so Ohno decided that it was time for him to go to bed. It was not the easiest task to carry him over, but he was used to it because of Nino, even if Nino’s body was smaller and therefore easier to carry. It helped, even if it worried him at the same time, that Jun weight almost the same as his little wizard.
Afterwards, he lay down on the sofa and stared at the ceiling, listening to the sound of the clock ticking away until it was close to midnight. He stood, stretching out his back. It was getting late and he knew that it was time to get ready for bed.
Ohno was not even halfway out of the room when the buzzing feeling came back and he realised that it was finally time for Nino to come home. A small smile appeared on his face as Nino appeared directly in front of him.
Nino’s eyes were unfocused for a second, then changed to confused and last to amused as he realised that Ohno was in front of him with now open eyes. He fell against him and Ohno swayed them for a second.
“I’m home.”
“Welcome home, love,” Ohno whispered.
Nino nodded and allowed Ohno to press a kiss against his forehead before he stiffened just slightly.
“Jun-kun is here.”
“Huh…” Nino said confused, slightly insecure.
“His boyfriend broke up with him.”
“Good riddance,” Nino said and Ohno poked his cheek.
“Better not tell him that. He is really sad.”
“I know,” Nino said with a sigh and rubbed his nose against Ohno’s cheek.
“Food?”
Nino slowly shook his head. He was not hungry.
“Sleep?”
“Uhn,” Nino mumbled.
“Exhausted?”
“Very.”
“You used too much magic again huh?”
Nino shrugged, maybe, maybe not. That was for tomorrow to judge. Ohno chuckled softly and kissed his temple, before prodding his side. “Then a toast and your beloved drink then bed.”
“Just bed,” Nino argued and Ohno tipped his nose as he shook his head.
“No can’t do. Shower as well?”
Nino shook his head and Ohno could tell that he had already cleaned up. Ohno nodded but still pushed him to the kitchen to force him to eat and drink before bringing him to the bedroom. Ohno carefully dressed him into sleepwear. He smiled and smooched his cheeks when Nino was comfortable and sleepy. “Bed?”
Nino nodded but then he hesitated, his eyes wandering to the wall where their second bedroom was and Ohno smiled as he lifted Nino’s chin to put a kiss on his lips. “Come here my lovely little wizard,” he whispered as he picked Nino up. The other didn’t struggle as he snuggled up against him and let Ohno carry him to the other bedroom. Soon enough Nino was snuggled up beside Jun, getting another kiss from his lover before Ohno left the two alone. Jun had cried in his sleep, no wonder that Nino had felt the distress that came from the other.
For tonight, even if Ohno would love to know Nino in his arms, he knew it would make for a much more restful night if the two friends were close and could comfort each other.
A small sigh escaped the man and he shook his head at the thoughts running through his mind. It was stupid, really, to be worried about his lover. Nino knew what he could do and what he could not do. He would not have left if he was insecure about succeeding but studied more to find a secure solution for this curse. Even if it was an emergency job, Nino was not stupid.
“Do you want to keep standing there?”
“Sorry,” Jun said with a sigh. He sounded tired, small and not like the confident Jun he was used to. Ohno looked at him over his shoulder with a small smile. Jun moved his shoulders uncomfortably and a bit helpless. Ohno understood. He was not the person that Jun wanted to comfort him.
“It’s fine, feel welcome here. Don't worry about Nino.”
Jun nodded but stayed in the doorway for a second longer until he sighed. It was not easy to feel welcome if Nino and he didn’t talk, also as much as he liked Ohno, Nino was his best friend and the person he wanted to run to if he felt bad. He rubbed his face with another tired sigh and finally stepped inside fully.
He looked at the canvas that Ohno was focused on with a small frown. The colours were dark blue, violet with a bright yellow, almost white moon to the top corner. Its mirror was seen on what was supposed to be water with dancing cherry blossoms on the surface, dancing in the wind, belonging to a dark tree trunk at the side of the stream. Right now Ohno was putting white in the cherry blossoms on the tree.
Jun was silent as he observed the picture further. There were strokes on the bottom depicting figures and he was curious about how it would look once finished, but he would not be allowed to witness that today. That he knew.
“I brought things for pasta.”
“Mhm… Here I thought you would make hamburger steak.”
Jun smiled shyly and shook his head. “Nino would take that as me trying to bribe him. I wouldn’t want that.”
“Nino likes to be bribed,” Ohno said with a chuckle. “I get it though, and am looking forward to a nice dinner.”
“With Nino?”
Ohno shrugged and put down the paintbrush after he was happy with how the tree looked. “I guess we won’t know until he is here. He wouldn’t like it for us to wait for him, and I don’t know when he will be back.”
Jun sighed but nodded. “But I can stay?”
“Of course, I told you, you are welcomed here anytime. Nino wouldn’t say otherwise. I prepared the second bedroom if Nino comes home very late. He would not like it if I let you sleep on the sofa. And sorry, but not really, I won’t share the bed with you,” Ohno explained with wriggling eyebrows, grinning when that brought a weak, but clearly there, smile from the younger man. “Need a hand or two? I am sure I can spare them.”
“Aren’t you busy?”
“The layers need to dry and Nino is not here to wave his hand to dry it instantly. It’s very useful, you know.”
Jun snorted and shook his head. He would never understand how the both of them really worked. They did, and everybody could see it but it really was a mystery.
“Okay then,” Jun mumbled and turned around to go to the kitchen. Ohno followed with a low hum, just to turn around after he had entered the kitchen to go to the bathroom and then wash his hands to make sure Jun would not hit him when he prepared food with slightly dirty hands. He had not spied any rings but he was sure that it would still hurt.
-
Jun and Ohno had eaten late in silence and Jun had made sure to prepare a plate for Nino that he could warm up when he came home. After they had sat in the living room, mostly in silence, Jun still insecure in himself it seemed and Ohno had never been a big talker. He had Nino for that. He was also pretty sure that Jun would not even listen if he spoke.
It was nearing midnight when Jun’s body finally gave in to the tiredness that accumulated over the day and the stress over the breakup. Ohno chuckled softly because of that and he patted his head. Jun didn’t move so Ohno decided that it was time for him to go to bed. It was not the easiest task to carry him over, but he was used to it because of Nino, even if Nino’s body was smaller and therefore easier to carry. It helped, even if it worried him at the same time, that Jun weight almost the same as his little wizard.
Afterwards, he lay down on the sofa and stared at the ceiling, listening to the sound of the clock ticking away until it was close to midnight. He stood, stretching out his back. It was getting late and he knew that it was time to get ready for bed.
Ohno was not even halfway out of the room when the buzzing feeling came back and he realised that it was finally time for Nino to come home. A small smile appeared on his face as Nino appeared directly in front of him.
Nino’s eyes were unfocused for a second, then changed to confused and last to amused as he realised that Ohno was in front of him with now open eyes. He fell against him and Ohno swayed them for a second.
“I’m home.”
“Welcome home, love,” Ohno whispered.
Nino nodded and allowed Ohno to press a kiss against his forehead before he stiffened just slightly.
“Jun-kun is here.”
“Huh…” Nino said confused, slightly insecure.
“His boyfriend broke up with him.”
“Good riddance,” Nino said and Ohno poked his cheek.
“Better not tell him that. He is really sad.”
“I know,” Nino said with a sigh and rubbed his nose against Ohno’s cheek.
“Food?”
Nino slowly shook his head. He was not hungry.
“Sleep?”
“Uhn,” Nino mumbled.
“Exhausted?”
“Very.”
“You used too much magic again huh?”
Nino shrugged, maybe, maybe not. That was for tomorrow to judge. Ohno chuckled softly and kissed his temple, before prodding his side. “Then a toast and your beloved drink then bed.”
“Just bed,” Nino argued and Ohno tipped his nose as he shook his head.
“No can’t do. Shower as well?”
Nino shook his head and Ohno could tell that he had already cleaned up. Ohno nodded but still pushed him to the kitchen to force him to eat and drink before bringing him to the bedroom. Ohno carefully dressed him into sleepwear. He smiled and smooched his cheeks when Nino was comfortable and sleepy. “Bed?”
Nino nodded but then he hesitated, his eyes wandering to the wall where their second bedroom was and Ohno smiled as he lifted Nino’s chin to put a kiss on his lips. “Come here my lovely little wizard,” he whispered as he picked Nino up. The other didn’t struggle as he snuggled up against him and let Ohno carry him to the other bedroom. Soon enough Nino was snuggled up beside Jun, getting another kiss from his lover before Ohno left the two alone. Jun had cried in his sleep, no wonder that Nino had felt the distress that came from the other.
For tonight, even if Ohno would love to know Nino in his arms, he knew it would make for a much more restful night if the two friends were close and could comfort each other.