More To Life
Title: More to Life
Rating: PG
Length: One Shot (7000+ words)
Genre: au, hospital, angst, happy ending,
Pairings: Sakurai Sho/Aiba Masaki, Ohno Satoshi/Ninomiya Kazunari (Side)
Disclaimer: I only own the plot,
“Sensei…May I have a word?” A voice called and Aiba Masaki gave an inward growl that didn’t make its way to his face which was lit up with what people called his infectious smile. He couldn’t help it even when he was dealing with a reporter that seemed to be making everyone’s lives a living hell. He would never be able to understand why the powers that be had allowed the reporter free reign in the hospital. Even if it was Sakurai Sho beloved the entire country over by housewives and teen girls who treated him as something of an idol. The doctor had to admit that the man was attractive…In much the same way as the devil was said to be attractive. He had black hair and warm hazelnut brown with a touch of gold. His mouth was plump and curved into a seductive tilt and Masaki had to admit that at any other time and place he would be happy to talk to the man but as he had just released a report on one of his very best and closest friends which seemed to show him as being nothing but a sexual predator Masaki wanted nothing more than to thump him.
“Sorry! I’m busy at the moment!” He said taking a chart and flipping through it before calling the name “Matsumoto Jun-kun!”
“It’s okay…I want to watch you working…I’ve been given permission…” Sho said with a smile and Masaki felt his own almost pinch a little but he gave a nod saying;
“Only if you have the agreement of my patients…”
“…Very well…” Sho said softly looking over at the woman who was accompanying her six-year-old son. Unfortunately, it seemed that Matsumoto-mama appeared to be a fan of Sho’s as she gave him a flushed smile her hand resting on Jun’s nervous shoulder. “Hello, my name is Sakurai Sho…I’m doing a feature for News Zero about the doctors here…”
“I’ve been watching!” The woman gasped and Masaki knew for certain that he was sunk there was no way that he could get out of having Sho sitting behind him waiting for him to slip up. It was what had happened with his friend Ninomiya ‘Nino’ Kazunari. It didn’t matter to him that Nino was a good doctor who cared about his patients even if he was the world’s biggest flirt. All that had mattered was that Nino was involved with a college student. The report had made it sound as though Ohno Satoshi was still in school and now Nino was on suspension until further notice.
“I’m so happy to hear that! I was wondering if I would be able to sit in on your consultation today?” Sho asked with a smile and Masaki rolled his eyes slowly turning his focus to Jun by kneeling down in front of the extremely nervous boy.
“Hello, Jun-kun…Feeling sick again?” He asked and the boy nodded sticking out his lower lip into a pout “It’s okay! We’ll soon have you feeling better! Come on in…” Masaki opened the door to his consultation room and it became obvious that Sho had gotten his permission and followed behind them. Masaki sat in his chair and motioned for the Matsumoto’s to do the same in the chairs opposite him. He didn’t care where Sho sat but the man didn’t seem to mind his rudeness and positioned himself by the door with his arms folded over his chest watching him with a smile on his face. “...Jun-kun are you going to tell me what’s going on today?” He asked and although the boy nodded he stayed silent and Masaki gave him the best smile that he could manage “Eh? Not wanting to talk to me again? Will you talk to floppy bunny instead?” He chuckled getting to his feet and going to the cupboard where he kept a selection of toys including floppy bunny. Jun’s eyes lit up at the toy and his arms stretched out. “There you go! Now you tell floppy bunny what’s wrong with you…”
“My head hurts…And my throat is scratchy and hurts when I swallow…” Jun said with all seriousness to the bunny and Masaki wrote it all down on his computer before taking out a wooden lollypop stick and a flash light.
“Can me and floppy bunny look into your mouth, Jun-kun?” He asked and the boy gave a nod opening up his mouth and Masaki turned on the light and gently pressed down his tongue to reveal his very inflamed tonsils. “Oh dear, that does look very sore…Don’t you agree Floppy-sensei…?” He hummed to the rabbit refusing to acknowledge the chuckle from Sho. He knew how to do his job and nervous patients like Jun needed careful handling not that he expected a chipmunk faced reporter to care about that. “I think you’re right Floppy-sensei…We’ll have to give him some medicine to make it feel better…What’s that Sensei?” He said leaning into the rabbit “Oh no! Of course we won’t give him the nasty medicine! We’ll give him the nice medicine that tastes like bananas…Three times a day…Yes, Floppy-sensei…” He gave a smile and then filled in the report on his computer to issue in a prescription before turning to Mrs Matsumoto “How have you been?”
“…Okay sensei…Thank-you…It’s tiring but…You have to make do…”
“You’re doing a great job…But I hope you’re taking time for yourself as well…” Masaki hummed as the machine kicked into life printing out the prescription. He had met Jun and his parents last year when a routine check had turned into something a whole lot more serious. Thankfully they had gotten through it but the woman was scared each and every time Jun even had a sniffle. Oddly though all of his trips into the hospital hadn’t made Jun any less embarrassed to be around him. “Okay…If the soreness hasn’t gone within a few days just come back but I honestly don’t think it’s anything worse than tonsillitis…”
“Thank-you…I’m sorry sensei…”
“Don’t apologise...It’s always better to be safe ne!” Masaki hummed getting to is feet and walking with them to the door and Masaki noted the reluctant way Jun was holding out floppy bunny to him. “…Humm…Jun-kun…I think floppy bunny is bored being in here all day with me, I think he’ll rather be with you making sure you’re feeling better…Why don’t you take him for now ne? You can come and give him back when you’re feeling better…”
“Okay! Thank-you, sensei!” Jun rasped hugging the bunny close to his chest and Masaki smiled bowing his head at Mrs Matsumoto before sighing glad that his break was due. He loved his job but the irregular hours sometimes made him sick to death of it.
“There see that wasn’t so bad, ne sensei?” Sho asked and Masaki stiffened up again his hand still resting on his neck as he turned around to look at the reporter “You don’t have to keep glaring at me…I’m just doing my job…”
“Your job means you have to ruin lives? Not a very nice job…” Masaki huffed closing the door of his office with a snap refusing to allow the people outside to listen in to their private conversation. Sho gave him a knowing look as he asked;
“You mean Ninomiya-sensei and his affair?”
“Hardly an affair…Just two people very much in love…” Masaki huffed thinking of his two friends who had been completely devastated the last time that he had seen them. Satoshi was thinking that it would be better if they had never started dating and Nino genuinely thinking of leaving the hospital.
“Ohno Satoshi was a patient of his when they met, it is unethical…”
“Only if Nino did anything while Satoshi was still a patient he didn’t in fact it was a year before they even saw each other again...” Masaki hissed a flush of anger coming to his cheeks as he rested his hands on his hips glaring at him “You didn’t even report it properly…You made it sound as though he was sleeping with a school student…Or is it that you have a problem with homosexuals?”
“That would be rather difficult as I am one…” Sho answered knocking the wind out of his sails a little before he managed to recover himself. “You don’t have to like me but I have to do a report on you…Aiba Masaki the angel of the children’s ward…” Masaki blenched at the title but kept his tongue firmly between his teeth. The nickname had been Nino’s fault but it had stuck and there was no escaping it now. “So…We could just do the interview and get it over with…”
“I never agreed to do an interview…” Masaki huffed his cheeks turning a hot shade of pink and Sho smiled again saying;
“I was told that I would have full cooperation with the staff and any that I should wish to interview…”
“Maybe you should have thought of that before you decided to run your scandal piece on my best-friend…” Masaki snapped back throwing open the door again “I may have to let you watch me work but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it or allow you to interview me…If you’ll excuse me I’m on my break and I want to enjoy it…”
“…Sensei…” Sho hummed but Masaki shook his head and then stalked out of the room. He stopped by the wards first handing out sneaky sweets to the patients within and then spend most of his break reading them stories before finally slipping into the break room and pouring himself a large cup of coffee knowing that he was going to need it. He dropped down into a comfy chair and closed his eyes. “You would have more of a break if you didn’t spend so much time on the wards…”
“I…I don’t see how that’s any of your business…” He huffed opening his eyes again to look up at Sho who was standing over him with a lunch box clasped firmly in his hands. The reporter gave a shrug and then sat down beside him as he said;
“It’s not but it’s the truth…I’m sorry...About your friend…You’re right I shouldn’t have done that report but you’re not the only one with pressures that they have to deal with…”
“You’re a liar...You didn’t out right state but you implied…Nino’s life as a doctor is over regardless of what you say now…” Masaki hissed and he was pleased to see that there was a flash of remorse in the man’s face but it wasn’t enough to get him to forgive him not when he could still remember Nino’s pinched and pained expression and the way that Satoshi had been trying to comfort him. “You made him out to be a paedophile something that he isn’t…”
“Borderline…By your own admission they met each other a year before they dated…Satoshi-kun was in his last year of school when they met…My information was accurate…”
“No…No its not…” Masaki muttered quickly managing to recover even though he hadn’t actually known that part and even if he had it wouldn’t have changed his mind about his friends. Satoshi had been good for Nino and Nino had been good for Satoshi. “Excuse me I would rather enjoy my break without you…”
“…Give me an interview and I will tell the truth about your friends…” Sho bargained and Masaki let his eyebrows lift up his forehead deciding that this had to be the most infuriating man that he had ever met.
“…Are you blackmailing me? You should tell the truth because it’s the right thing to do…” He told him with a touch of a growl to his voice and Sho gave a shrug saying;
“I should but I would be damaging my career…”
“…Why do you want me to be interviewed? Want to ruin my career too? Well too bad for you I don’t have a lover or any dark secrets…” Masaki whispered his heart pumping with fear because he knew that that wasn’t true and he could tell from the almost stiffening of Sho’s lips that he knew it as well and he whispered;
“Yusuke…”
“…” Masaki felt the air leave him and he deflated completely trying to recover as much as he could, trying to work out if he had ever met anybody he hated more than this man. There wasn’t really a chance of that he had never hated anybody in his life before in fact it was an alien concept for him but he was running close with Sakurai Sho “He was my baby brother…I don’t see…”
“…You are famous here, Aiba-sensei…You take care of patients even without insurance or payment and then mark it down as being paid by Yusuke…How many desperately sick children have you saved by doing that Aiba-sensei?”
“Is that a bad thing? They get sick they need help…Should I feel guilty for wanting to help?” He asked his voice shaking now as he clenched his hands at his sides and Sho sighed slowly shaking his head and murmuring;
“I never said it was a bad thing but I am curious as to why you haven’t sought fame for your fund…”
“I’m not doing it for fame…I just want to do my job…I want to help as many sick children as possible I don’t want to play around with you…”
“Where did you get the money from to set up your fund, Aiba-sensei? That is one thing that I can’t find out…” Sho whispered and once again Masaki was picturing the devil in the form of the reporter. His mind was swirling with images or how he had gotten the money. They were legal, but only just and he had no desire to have his life splashed about on some entertainment channel. “I’m sure with some digging I could easily find out but wouldn’t it be better if you just told me? That way you could help your friends too…”
“You are a manipulative bastard…”
“I know…” Sho agreed and Masaki sighed looking down at his watch before saying;
“I have rounds now…Stop following me for the rest of the day and I will give you your interview tonight at seven…”
“…If you don’t show…”
“You can publish whatever you like…Good day…Sakurai-san…”
*~*~*~*~*
Sho watched the doctor walk off with a hunched back his heart aching with how much pain he was causing the gentle doctor. He had watched him for the last week and interviewed several of his patients and they had all told him the same thing, that without Masaki and his Yusuke fund their child wouldn’t have been saved. The fund itself was almost a secret known only to doctors who would send their patient onto Masaki when it became apparent that the family wouldn’t be able to afford it. There was no paying back involved it was just paid and that was it. How Masaki had amassed such a great amount of wealth had amazed him, but all of the research into the man’s life had made him draw a blank. There was absolutely no way that he should have been able to afford the thousands that it cost for some of the treatments carried out and yet three more children were already being funded by the doctor. He wanted to leave him alone, to let him be able to carry on and continue saving lives but he needed the truth.
He had always needed the truth and more than anything he wanted to believe in something good. His years had a reporter had stripped him of the ability to see the good in the world and he desperately wanted that good to be Masaki. When he had watched him half his break time in half to read to sick children he had been convinced that this really was a man that just wanted to something good and help people but now he was growing concerned that there was going to be something sinister behind him.
He let out a sigh and then sat back down not having anything to do for the next three hours. He hoped that Masaki would come back to him and he could try and find out the truth. He hadn’t actually meant to report on the man’s friend, his producer had been the one to blame with that and he had always intended to say a retraction even though most of the damage would already be done now. He drummed his fingers on his knee and then looked up when the door opened and a little girl of around five came inside hugging a dolly. Both their heads were sporting hats and Sho knew that she had been going through chemotherapy.
“Hello little princess…Are you lost?” He asked softly knowing that this side of his personality came out when he was dealing with children and animals. Neither group had done anything to earn his ire. The girl blinked him her eyes strange without eyelashes and he noted that the doll also lacked any.
“Masa-sensei…” She breathed hugging the doll to her chest and looking around the room “Masa-sensei…”
“He’s not here…”
“Oh…” She breathed slowly sucking on her bottom lip again before she sighed and then hugged her doll even closer to herself. “Are you a sensei too?”
“No…I’m a reporter…” Sho breathed not sure if she would be able to understand what he meant about report but to his surprise she gave a smile her head cocking to one side and saying;
“Oh…Like on the news?”
“Yes, exactly on the news…” He smiled again and the little girl hummed a little before asking;
“Is Masaki going to be on the news?”
“I hope so…”
“Has he done something bad? People only go on the news if they’ve done something bad…Masa-sensei is really nice! I don’t want him to be on the news!” She pouted and Sho sighed not knowing how to respond to that. It was the truth after all. Day after day there was just a list of bad people doing bad things. He wanted Masaki to be different. He wanted him to be the one person that made him believe that there were some decent people in the world that wanted to do good things just because they were nice.
“Not only bad people end up on the news sweetheart sometimes good people do…”
“Like Masa-sensei he’s a good person!” She said with a grin and Sho smiled at her enjoying the open enthusiasm that only a child could bring “He gave me my dolly! Wanna see!” She said happily running over and pushing the doll in his direction “Her hair is gone like mine! She was sick like me so I gotta make her better!”
“I see she’s a beautiful dolly” Sho enthused happily remembering all of the tea parties that he had shared with his sister over the years when she was younger.
“Masa-sensei says that her hair will come back when mine does!” She breathed happily touching the doll and Sho smiled again as the door opened for the second time and this time it was Masaki who came in looking completely panicked until he saw the little girl.
“Akane-chan! There you are!” He gasped hurrying in and dropping down to his knees his hands on the girl’s shoulders before he pulled her into a hug. “How many times have I told you not to wander off…”
“I was looking for you, sensei! I done a colouring!” Akane said proudly and Masaki sighed little and then smiled hugging her again before getting up and taking her hand.
“Then you had better show it too me…Come on…” Masaki walked towards the door without a backwards glance but Akane turned and beamed at him waving the hand with the doll until she vanished through the door and leaving him alone again. Sho let out a breath and then closed his eyes with head resting against the back of the sofa.
He wasn’t aware that he had fallen to sleep but he was aware when he was being nudged on the shoulder and he opened his eyes slowly to look up at Masaki deciding for the first time that the man was easily the most attractive man that he had ever seen before. He had an almost feminine face with almond shaped eyes and pouty lips which would probably feel amazing wrapped around his cock. His eyes though were filled with a tired nervousness that looked hauntingly beautiful even if he preferred him when he was smiling.
“Aiba-sensei…Is it…Time?” He asked righting himself in the chair and Masaki gave something like a nod dropping himself down into the chair in front of him.
“As long as you promise to say that Nino isn’t a pervert…”
“I will…” Sho nodded slowly and Masaki sighed crossing one of his long legs over the other and holding onto his knee with his hands. It was a defensive stance and Sho couldn’t blame him. He pulled a camera out of his bag setting it up so it focused on Masaki who was doing his level best to look calm and composed while at the same time looking terrified of what things he might be asked. “Thank-you for consenting to do an interview…”
“No problem…” Masaki lied and Sho couldn’t resist the urge to smile as he leaned forward in his seat a little.
“So sensei…You are known as the Angel of the Children’s ward…How does that make you feel?” Sho asked and Masaki gave a shrug chewing on the corner of his mouth before muttering;
“Honestly I dislike it…I’m not an angel I’m just one small of a team of people…Everybody as to work together in making sure that the sick gets better…”
“But you seem to do more than most…You don’t have to be shy, Sensei…I’ve already conducted several interviews in which your patients and co-workers tell me that you work longer hours and cover shifts…What is it that drives you so much?”
“…My brother…He got sick when he was seven years old…I was ten…My parents couldn’t afford his medical treatment…” Masaki breathed and Sho felt his heart constrict knowing that this all fit in with what he had found out already in his earlier investigations. “…Both my parents worked longer hours trying to pay for it but of course that meant that Yusuke never got to see them…He died while they were both out at work…”
“You were there?”
“I was…But I couldn’t do anything…” Masaki sounded angry with himself and Sho felt a touch of guilt at having to make him relieve this moment. “I promised him that I would become a doctor…Of course it was harder than I thought but...I did my best at school…”
“…Your parents were able to send you to college?”
“…No…They had spent everything on Yusuke...So I vowed to get a job and pay my own way...Unfortunately I couldn’t mix work with college…”
“So what did you do? How did you pay for it?”
“I got myself a sugar daddy…” Masaki asked his chin lifted as proudly as he could manage and Sho swallowed seeing the truth written clearly in his eyes. “I looked online and found a website…It was like a dating site…They matched me with somebody and I did whatever he told me…He wasn’t a bad guy and like he promised he paid for my education…”
“I…I…See…” Sho whispered not exactly knowing where he was meant to go with that. He had honestly thought he would need to probe a little more deeply to get the doctor to confess his sins but it appeared that Masaki had made up his mind while he was doing his rounds and he fixed him with a stare and something that could also be called a smirk but was far too nervous and sickly looking as he asked;
“I have shocked you?”
“…You’ve impressed me…You must have been determined to keep your promise…”
“I was and still am…” Masaki shrugged slowly before switching out which leg was crossed before breathing sharply through his nose and saying “My benefactor died several years ago…He had no family and he left me a sizable inheritance…”
“He…He must have been quite old…” Sho breathed and Masaki shook his head slowly giving him a tight lipped smile.
“Fifties…Died in a car accident…I didn’t want the money at first but then I realised…I realised that this was my chance to help even more people…I used the money to set up the Yusuke fund…My account manager deals with all the investments…” He shrugged in a very business-like manner completely different to the way he had been a few hours ago and Sho imagined that he must have been doing a lot of soul searching.
“And the reason you don’t want people to know about it?” Sho breathed slowly deciding that he had found the bright thing that he been searching for.
“…I don’t want people to abuse the system…The patients that find their me and the Yusuke fund have exhausted all other options…” Masaki sighed slowly once again chewing on the corner of his mouth “There is nothing else that can be done...I was given a lot of money but it isn’t never ending I just want to help as many people as I can…I don’t want parents have to go out to work for all hours to pay for medication and treatment yet never getting to see their child…Sometimes they can be saved other times they can’t and the parents have to live with the guilt for the rest of their lives…”
“…Like your parents…They died when you were in college…”
“They killed themselves…” Masaki confirmed blinking rapidly as twin tears rolled down his cheeks before he could stop them and Sho wished that he could gather the man up into a hug and apologise for the witch-hunt that he had performed to force him to admit all of this. “Is this what you wanted to know? Are you happy now?”
“...Aiba-sensei…” Sho breathed reaching out to the doctor who stared at his hand as if it was going to come out and hit him before he jumped up and ran to the door leaving him for the third time alone in the break room.
*~*~*~*~*
Masaki ran through the hospital and then out of the door to the garden before dropping down to his knees. His heart was hammering against his chest as he tried to stop the tears coming out of his eyes. He had sworn to himself that he would just give an account of his life and get it over and done with rather like a pulling off a plaster. He hadn’t expected it to be so painful. He wasn’t ashamed of what he had done and he refused to allow a jumped up reporter to make him feel sad. He had done everything he could to insure as many children got the treatment they needed and more importantly their parents had been able to be with them.
Yes, he had done things that he wasn’t proud of. He had lost his virginity to a man that was the same age as his father but what did that matter when he was able to save people.
“I report on bad people every day…” Sho’s voice said breathily from behind him and Masaki turned to look at the reporter surprised that he had followed him.
“I gave you your interview…You can do what you like with it…”
“…I know…My father was a grade a arsehole…He bullied my mother belittled my brother, sister, and myself…Nothing we ever did was good enough for him…He was the anchor-man of a small town news network…I thought if I made it to the big leagues a national station maybe then he would start to care…Think that I was something…Unfortunately it worked…The bigger stories I covered the more my dad approved of me and the more I hated myself…A few years ago my dad died…And I realised…I realised that his approval of me didn’t matter…” Sho breathed and Masaki blinked at him through his own stalled tears honestly not knowing how he was meant to respond to such an impassioned speech. “He had gone and I hated myself and I hated the truth that I had uncovered…”
“What truth?”
“That there is nobody good left in this world…With each story I followed the more I realised it and the more I realised that it was meaningless…”
“Sho-san…I think that you might be suffering with depression…” Masaki whispered softly his tears gone now “I can recommend a good doctor…”
“…Then I heard about you…” Sho carried on with a sharp laugh that started sound almost like a bark “The angel of the children’s ward…So I persuaded my company to let me do a story here…I wanted to prove that you were as bad…If not worse than the other people but at the same time I wanted you to prove me wrong…I wanted to be the way that you seemed…I wanted to know that there was something good in the world…I’m sorry…”
“Sho-chan…I really do think you may have depression…” Masaki whispered gently unable to stop himself from slipping into the same gentle tones that he used with his patients and Sho gave another little laugh and then nodded running his fingers through his hair. “There are so many bad people in this world Sho-chan…There are and there always will be but…I don’t think…I don’t think you want to find it in someone else you want to find it in yourself…You want to know if you’re a good person…”
“I’m not…I know I’m not…”
“Maybe but there’s still time to change…As long as you’re alive there’s always time to change Sho-chan…” He said placing his hand on Sho’s shoulder surprised when the man seemed to collapse onto the floor his breathing sharper than was normal. He had had a lot of strange days in the hospital but this would easily rank amongst the strangest of the strange and he gently reached up and cupped the reporters face with his hand and wiped away the tears. “You can do it if you really want to…But first I think that you might want to talk to somebody…”
“Thank-you but I think I already know what I have to do…” Sho breathed taking a few breaths and then getting back to his feet and walking away leaving Masaki alone in the garden feeling confused and bewildered.
*~*~*~*~ A year later~*~*~*~*
Masaki smiled stretching out his back and looking at his friend who had just come into the room bearing a cup of coffee and a sandwich. It had been a year since there week from hell Sho had made a public apology about Nino and Satoshi giving the true details of their romance. There had still been an investigation but the higher ups had thankfully seen fit to reinstate his friend into the hospital and now most people had seemed to have forgotten about it. Masaki hadn’t though there was still a gnawing worry in the back of his mind that the reporter had done something silly. Sho hadn’t released the interview between them but had quit his job the same night as he had given his apology and for the last year nobody had seen him. Masaki had received a package around eight months ago with a single piece of paper saying ‘Thank-you’ but since then there had been complete silence.
“Here you go Ai-baka…” Nino said handing them over and then dropping down into the chair “Have I told you that Satoshi and I are getting married? He’s joining my family…We’re having a party and you have to be there! With a date!”
“…I don’t have a date…” Masaki muttered with a shrug he hadn’t even had sex with anyone since his benefactor had died and there wasn’t really a chance of him getting one when the only person that he had remotely thought of as attractive had been an arrogant jerk and then just a messed up person. “…Besides I’m probably working…”
“I haven’t even told you the day yet and for your information you have it off I know because I checked before arranging the party so you have absolutely no excuse…And as for a date…Well I might have an idea…” Nino said with a twinkle in his eye looking like a magician about to do a trick and Masaki felt like groaning loudly hoping that his fear wasn’t coming true.
“I don’t want a blind date…” He whined and Nino gave a laugh smacking him hard on the shoulder leaving him with a horrible feeling that he was being “Nino…No…This isn’t fair…”
“I know that angels are meant to transcend gender but you my friend are a human male for all that you are an angel you need to let your hair down! While you’re doing your saving people thing who’s looking after you?!” Nino said as he slapped him hard on the shoulder again and Masaki groaned and then nodded knowing that it would do no good to argue and who knows maybe it would be fun to have somebody even for a short time. “So you’ll come! It’s next week at my place…Don’t flake out on me you have to be there Masaki….”
“I will, I will! Now go!” Masaki huffed wanting to eat his lunch and then get on with his morning appointments. Nino gave a laugh and then left and Masaki was successfully able to eat his lunch in peace before going out and calling his next patient for the day. “Matsumoto Jun…Come on Jun-kun…”
*~*~*~A week later*~*~*~*
Masaki nervously stood in the elevator of Nino’s building a bottle of wine clasped firmly in his hands. His friend hadn’t told him that he had to bring anything but he knew that it was common curtesy to do so. He had been thinking a lot about his blind date for the last week and he honestly couldn’t believe how much he wanted to be able to like this person and maybe have him like him in return. He had become a workaholic for the last couple of years it would be nice to actually have a reason to leave the hospital. The elevator came to a jerky stop and his heart raced a little bit more as he got off and walked to the door of his friend’s apartment and knocked slowly.
It took a few moments for the door to be opened and he smiled at the sleepy face of Ohno Satoshi. Satoshi had graduated college at the beginning of this year and was working an intern for an advertisement agency and seemed to be doing well if Nino’s praise wasn’t all just hot air.
“Hello Satoshi-kun I come as promised bearing wine…” He said handing over the bottle and Satoshi took it with a smile saying;
“Thank-you…I’m glad you came; Nino has been promising to do a lot of nasty things to you if you didn’t…”
“…Then I’m glad I did as well…” Masaki sighed his heart flipping over a few times as he heard the humming of the music and the cheerful voices that he could hear. Satoshi gave him another little smile and then motioned for him to follow inside and reluctantly Masaki did so kicking off his shoes and taking off his coat. Satoshi took it and walked to a door in the hall throwing it inside before nodding his head in the direction of the living room where all the noise was coming from. The door was pulled open and again Masaki had to take a calming breath before he could step inside. The room was filled to capacity of people and he genuinely surprised that so many people were there to celebrate the union of Nino and Satoshi.
His friend was in the middle of it all chatting animatedly to some people that had to be Satoshi’s friends as they were too young to be Nino’s. His friend saw him and waved him over and Masaki hoped that none of these kids were going to be his blind date. Nino might like them young but he preferred them older.
“You made it!”
“Of course I did, I promised that I would come didn’t I…” He muttered and Nino slipped an arm awkwardly around his shoulders smelling suspiciously like he had had one too many drinks already but since it was his wedding party Masaki wasn’t going to begrudge him it.
“Yup you did…Hey did you know that this is the angle…Angel! I said angle…I meant angel…Angel of the children’s ward…Everybody loves this guy…” Nino said with a little hiccup and Masaki flushed to the very roots of his hair glad when Satoshi floated over and drew Nino’s attention. “There he is! My husband to be!” Nino grinned wrapping his arms around his neck before pulling him down into a kiss “My darling Satoshi!”
“Yes…Nino…I think that you may have had a little too much to drink…Shall we get you some water?” Satoshi asked gently and Nino nodded hiccupping happily before swaying over towards the kitchen and leaving Masaki in the middle of the living room with a bunch of teenagers who he really was hoping wasn’t going to be his date for the evening. None of them spoke to him and Masaki sighed with relief before feeling uncomfortable wondering if he had been stood up on his own blind date. A smooth and cultured voice hummed softly behind him and he turned and gasped with surprise when he saw none other than Sakurai Sho standing there smiling at him.
“Sho-chan? You…You’re here…?”
“Nino asked me to come…I…Um…” Sho stopped speaking and Masaki looked him over deciding that he looked a ton loads better than he had done when he had last seen him a year ago. He wasn’t wearing a suit just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. His hair as longer now and his face was free of any of the tension that he had held.
“Where did you go? I mean how have you been?” He asked and Sho smiled a little his head cocking to one side as he motioned to the spot against the door. Masaki followed him and then sat down in the chair wondering why his heart was doing strange little flips. The last time they had seen each other he had been torn between feeling angry and sorry for him but now there was something else inside him.
“...I’ve been a lot better than I was a year ago…You were right I was suffering from depression and I have gotten some help for it…”
“I’m glad…”
“As for where I went…I decided to travel…I went to Asia, Africa, Europe, and north and south America…I went to find the good people like you…While I was doing it I worked with several charity groups building houses and wells…” Sho whispered and Masaki felt his moth fall open in surprise as his eyes blew wide impressed with what he was hearing and amazed guessing that that was where the muscles Sho was now sporting under his t-shirt.
“…And now you’re home…”
“Yup…I’m home…And I wanted to come and see you…But first I had to apologise to Nino and Satoshi personally and then Nino…” Sho broke off and Masaki was left with a feeling of knowing where this was going. Sho was his blind date. “…He suggested surprising you here…”
“…Well I am surprised…” He muttered adding ‘and disappointed’ in his mind knowing there would never be a real chance of him and Sho going on a date or anything like that. Even if he had changed now Sho was still out of his league “…I’m happy that you’re doing so well Sho-chan…I thought about you a lot in the last year…”
“Me too…You are one incredible person, Masaki…Even back then I thought so…” Sho breathed and Masaki felt his face burn a little before he gave him a sheepish grin saying;
“You’ve become an incredible person yourself…What are you planning on doing now?”
“…I’m working for a charity…I still have some celebrity clout and I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty…You are still saving as many lives as you can?”
“One at a time…” Masaki nodded in agreement surprised when Sho reached out and took his hand in his saying gently;
“I know that you still have no reason to trust me but I…I would be honoured if you really did want to go on a date with me…”
“Huh? No…No way…”
*~*~*~*~*
“Yes way…” Sho chuckled looking at the stunned expression on Masaki’s face. The man looked tired and his eyes seemed drained of life. The only time that they had a spark was when he had talked about his work and Sho thought that was a sad thing. If he lost himself in it completely and never saw a life outside of it then it was clear to him that Masaki would just become a different version of the way that he had been. He didn’t want that. He wanted Masaki to be that man he had held the fire that had called him out on his idiocy when he had all but ruined the lives of two people that loved each other. The man that had been angry with him one minute and then worried about him the next. Masaki had been his beacon of hope a year ago and now he wanted to repay him and more than that he wanted to be with him. “I wouldn’t joke about something like this…I know that after last year you might never want to forgive me…”
“I forgive you…I already have; you were working yourself too hard Sho-chan…” Masaki hummed once again showing him that he was sweetest man to ever have existed.
“Pot meet kettle…You are working yourself just as hard…You will lose yourself too, Masaki…” Sho breathed hesitantly reaching out to stroke away a lock of hair from the man’s face “I wouldn’t want that…”
“And you want to stop me?” Masaki asked looking almost hopeful and Sho smiled relieved that the man seemed to be open to the idea at least.
“I want to help you…So you can continue what you’re doing without losing yourself in it and you can help me too…I think that we balance each other out pretty well…If you will let me?” He asked and Masaki gave him a troubled look for a moment his bottom lip trapped between his teeth before he nodded and gave a small smile whispering;
“Okay…We could try it…”
*~*~*~*~*Two years later*~*~*~*~*
“Sakurai-san…May I have a word…?” A reporter asked and Masaki turned to face him noting that there was something about his eyes that reminded him of Sho before they had gotten together and he felt his heart pinch in sympathy for him. There wasn’t really time for questions but he supposed that he could take some time as this was the press conference for his and Sho’s hospital. He was shocked when Sho had suggested it a year and a half ago but they had worked hard at it and now the Aiba Yusuke hospital was in full swing.
They only accepted patients that couldn’t afford it with Sho and his fund manager running the business side of things. Nino was one of the first doctors that he had hired and then several of their friends had followed until now they had a fully functioning staff. They were only small but they were well known now and his past had come to light a month or two ago. Somehow there had only been support for him. There was even talks that his life was going to get a drama. He had rolled his eyes at that but both Nino and Sho had pointed out that it would bring in money for the fund and he reluctantly agreed. He and Sho had married five months ago with Masaki happily taking his last name. They worked well together each pulling the other back from the edge and showing each other that there was more to life than work. He could only hope that this reporter would figure that out as well.
*~*~*~The End*~*~*~*
A/N: I’m sure that this is a load of rubbish that no one will really read but I was watching Last Hope and this came from that :/ I should also point out that I don't know how the paying for treatment works...I'm luckily enough to live in the UK and have the NHS...But I've watched a ton of dramas which say that it's a struggle to pay...So I realy hope that this is okay...If it's completely wrong we'll pretend that its another universe .>.<
Rating: PG
Length: One Shot (7000+ words)
Genre: au, hospital, angst, happy ending,
Pairings: Sakurai Sho/Aiba Masaki, Ohno Satoshi/Ninomiya Kazunari (Side)
Disclaimer: I only own the plot,
“Sensei…May I have a word?” A voice called and Aiba Masaki gave an inward growl that didn’t make its way to his face which was lit up with what people called his infectious smile. He couldn’t help it even when he was dealing with a reporter that seemed to be making everyone’s lives a living hell. He would never be able to understand why the powers that be had allowed the reporter free reign in the hospital. Even if it was Sakurai Sho beloved the entire country over by housewives and teen girls who treated him as something of an idol. The doctor had to admit that the man was attractive…In much the same way as the devil was said to be attractive. He had black hair and warm hazelnut brown with a touch of gold. His mouth was plump and curved into a seductive tilt and Masaki had to admit that at any other time and place he would be happy to talk to the man but as he had just released a report on one of his very best and closest friends which seemed to show him as being nothing but a sexual predator Masaki wanted nothing more than to thump him.
“Sorry! I’m busy at the moment!” He said taking a chart and flipping through it before calling the name “Matsumoto Jun-kun!”
“It’s okay…I want to watch you working…I’ve been given permission…” Sho said with a smile and Masaki felt his own almost pinch a little but he gave a nod saying;
“Only if you have the agreement of my patients…”
“…Very well…” Sho said softly looking over at the woman who was accompanying her six-year-old son. Unfortunately, it seemed that Matsumoto-mama appeared to be a fan of Sho’s as she gave him a flushed smile her hand resting on Jun’s nervous shoulder. “Hello, my name is Sakurai Sho…I’m doing a feature for News Zero about the doctors here…”
“I’ve been watching!” The woman gasped and Masaki knew for certain that he was sunk there was no way that he could get out of having Sho sitting behind him waiting for him to slip up. It was what had happened with his friend Ninomiya ‘Nino’ Kazunari. It didn’t matter to him that Nino was a good doctor who cared about his patients even if he was the world’s biggest flirt. All that had mattered was that Nino was involved with a college student. The report had made it sound as though Ohno Satoshi was still in school and now Nino was on suspension until further notice.
“I’m so happy to hear that! I was wondering if I would be able to sit in on your consultation today?” Sho asked with a smile and Masaki rolled his eyes slowly turning his focus to Jun by kneeling down in front of the extremely nervous boy.
“Hello, Jun-kun…Feeling sick again?” He asked and the boy nodded sticking out his lower lip into a pout “It’s okay! We’ll soon have you feeling better! Come on in…” Masaki opened the door to his consultation room and it became obvious that Sho had gotten his permission and followed behind them. Masaki sat in his chair and motioned for the Matsumoto’s to do the same in the chairs opposite him. He didn’t care where Sho sat but the man didn’t seem to mind his rudeness and positioned himself by the door with his arms folded over his chest watching him with a smile on his face. “...Jun-kun are you going to tell me what’s going on today?” He asked and although the boy nodded he stayed silent and Masaki gave him the best smile that he could manage “Eh? Not wanting to talk to me again? Will you talk to floppy bunny instead?” He chuckled getting to his feet and going to the cupboard where he kept a selection of toys including floppy bunny. Jun’s eyes lit up at the toy and his arms stretched out. “There you go! Now you tell floppy bunny what’s wrong with you…”
“My head hurts…And my throat is scratchy and hurts when I swallow…” Jun said with all seriousness to the bunny and Masaki wrote it all down on his computer before taking out a wooden lollypop stick and a flash light.
“Can me and floppy bunny look into your mouth, Jun-kun?” He asked and the boy gave a nod opening up his mouth and Masaki turned on the light and gently pressed down his tongue to reveal his very inflamed tonsils. “Oh dear, that does look very sore…Don’t you agree Floppy-sensei…?” He hummed to the rabbit refusing to acknowledge the chuckle from Sho. He knew how to do his job and nervous patients like Jun needed careful handling not that he expected a chipmunk faced reporter to care about that. “I think you’re right Floppy-sensei…We’ll have to give him some medicine to make it feel better…What’s that Sensei?” He said leaning into the rabbit “Oh no! Of course we won’t give him the nasty medicine! We’ll give him the nice medicine that tastes like bananas…Three times a day…Yes, Floppy-sensei…” He gave a smile and then filled in the report on his computer to issue in a prescription before turning to Mrs Matsumoto “How have you been?”
“…Okay sensei…Thank-you…It’s tiring but…You have to make do…”
“You’re doing a great job…But I hope you’re taking time for yourself as well…” Masaki hummed as the machine kicked into life printing out the prescription. He had met Jun and his parents last year when a routine check had turned into something a whole lot more serious. Thankfully they had gotten through it but the woman was scared each and every time Jun even had a sniffle. Oddly though all of his trips into the hospital hadn’t made Jun any less embarrassed to be around him. “Okay…If the soreness hasn’t gone within a few days just come back but I honestly don’t think it’s anything worse than tonsillitis…”
“Thank-you…I’m sorry sensei…”
“Don’t apologise...It’s always better to be safe ne!” Masaki hummed getting to is feet and walking with them to the door and Masaki noted the reluctant way Jun was holding out floppy bunny to him. “…Humm…Jun-kun…I think floppy bunny is bored being in here all day with me, I think he’ll rather be with you making sure you’re feeling better…Why don’t you take him for now ne? You can come and give him back when you’re feeling better…”
“Okay! Thank-you, sensei!” Jun rasped hugging the bunny close to his chest and Masaki smiled bowing his head at Mrs Matsumoto before sighing glad that his break was due. He loved his job but the irregular hours sometimes made him sick to death of it.
“There see that wasn’t so bad, ne sensei?” Sho asked and Masaki stiffened up again his hand still resting on his neck as he turned around to look at the reporter “You don’t have to keep glaring at me…I’m just doing my job…”
“Your job means you have to ruin lives? Not a very nice job…” Masaki huffed closing the door of his office with a snap refusing to allow the people outside to listen in to their private conversation. Sho gave him a knowing look as he asked;
“You mean Ninomiya-sensei and his affair?”
“Hardly an affair…Just two people very much in love…” Masaki huffed thinking of his two friends who had been completely devastated the last time that he had seen them. Satoshi was thinking that it would be better if they had never started dating and Nino genuinely thinking of leaving the hospital.
“Ohno Satoshi was a patient of his when they met, it is unethical…”
“Only if Nino did anything while Satoshi was still a patient he didn’t in fact it was a year before they even saw each other again...” Masaki hissed a flush of anger coming to his cheeks as he rested his hands on his hips glaring at him “You didn’t even report it properly…You made it sound as though he was sleeping with a school student…Or is it that you have a problem with homosexuals?”
“That would be rather difficult as I am one…” Sho answered knocking the wind out of his sails a little before he managed to recover himself. “You don’t have to like me but I have to do a report on you…Aiba Masaki the angel of the children’s ward…” Masaki blenched at the title but kept his tongue firmly between his teeth. The nickname had been Nino’s fault but it had stuck and there was no escaping it now. “So…We could just do the interview and get it over with…”
“I never agreed to do an interview…” Masaki huffed his cheeks turning a hot shade of pink and Sho smiled again saying;
“I was told that I would have full cooperation with the staff and any that I should wish to interview…”
“Maybe you should have thought of that before you decided to run your scandal piece on my best-friend…” Masaki snapped back throwing open the door again “I may have to let you watch me work but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it or allow you to interview me…If you’ll excuse me I’m on my break and I want to enjoy it…”
“…Sensei…” Sho hummed but Masaki shook his head and then stalked out of the room. He stopped by the wards first handing out sneaky sweets to the patients within and then spend most of his break reading them stories before finally slipping into the break room and pouring himself a large cup of coffee knowing that he was going to need it. He dropped down into a comfy chair and closed his eyes. “You would have more of a break if you didn’t spend so much time on the wards…”
“I…I don’t see how that’s any of your business…” He huffed opening his eyes again to look up at Sho who was standing over him with a lunch box clasped firmly in his hands. The reporter gave a shrug and then sat down beside him as he said;
“It’s not but it’s the truth…I’m sorry...About your friend…You’re right I shouldn’t have done that report but you’re not the only one with pressures that they have to deal with…”
“You’re a liar...You didn’t out right state but you implied…Nino’s life as a doctor is over regardless of what you say now…” Masaki hissed and he was pleased to see that there was a flash of remorse in the man’s face but it wasn’t enough to get him to forgive him not when he could still remember Nino’s pinched and pained expression and the way that Satoshi had been trying to comfort him. “You made him out to be a paedophile something that he isn’t…”
“Borderline…By your own admission they met each other a year before they dated…Satoshi-kun was in his last year of school when they met…My information was accurate…”
“No…No its not…” Masaki muttered quickly managing to recover even though he hadn’t actually known that part and even if he had it wouldn’t have changed his mind about his friends. Satoshi had been good for Nino and Nino had been good for Satoshi. “Excuse me I would rather enjoy my break without you…”
“…Give me an interview and I will tell the truth about your friends…” Sho bargained and Masaki let his eyebrows lift up his forehead deciding that this had to be the most infuriating man that he had ever met.
“…Are you blackmailing me? You should tell the truth because it’s the right thing to do…” He told him with a touch of a growl to his voice and Sho gave a shrug saying;
“I should but I would be damaging my career…”
“…Why do you want me to be interviewed? Want to ruin my career too? Well too bad for you I don’t have a lover or any dark secrets…” Masaki whispered his heart pumping with fear because he knew that that wasn’t true and he could tell from the almost stiffening of Sho’s lips that he knew it as well and he whispered;
“Yusuke…”
“…” Masaki felt the air leave him and he deflated completely trying to recover as much as he could, trying to work out if he had ever met anybody he hated more than this man. There wasn’t really a chance of that he had never hated anybody in his life before in fact it was an alien concept for him but he was running close with Sakurai Sho “He was my baby brother…I don’t see…”
“…You are famous here, Aiba-sensei…You take care of patients even without insurance or payment and then mark it down as being paid by Yusuke…How many desperately sick children have you saved by doing that Aiba-sensei?”
“Is that a bad thing? They get sick they need help…Should I feel guilty for wanting to help?” He asked his voice shaking now as he clenched his hands at his sides and Sho sighed slowly shaking his head and murmuring;
“I never said it was a bad thing but I am curious as to why you haven’t sought fame for your fund…”
“I’m not doing it for fame…I just want to do my job…I want to help as many sick children as possible I don’t want to play around with you…”
“Where did you get the money from to set up your fund, Aiba-sensei? That is one thing that I can’t find out…” Sho whispered and once again Masaki was picturing the devil in the form of the reporter. His mind was swirling with images or how he had gotten the money. They were legal, but only just and he had no desire to have his life splashed about on some entertainment channel. “I’m sure with some digging I could easily find out but wouldn’t it be better if you just told me? That way you could help your friends too…”
“You are a manipulative bastard…”
“I know…” Sho agreed and Masaki sighed looking down at his watch before saying;
“I have rounds now…Stop following me for the rest of the day and I will give you your interview tonight at seven…”
“…If you don’t show…”
“You can publish whatever you like…Good day…Sakurai-san…”
*~*~*~*~*
Sho watched the doctor walk off with a hunched back his heart aching with how much pain he was causing the gentle doctor. He had watched him for the last week and interviewed several of his patients and they had all told him the same thing, that without Masaki and his Yusuke fund their child wouldn’t have been saved. The fund itself was almost a secret known only to doctors who would send their patient onto Masaki when it became apparent that the family wouldn’t be able to afford it. There was no paying back involved it was just paid and that was it. How Masaki had amassed such a great amount of wealth had amazed him, but all of the research into the man’s life had made him draw a blank. There was absolutely no way that he should have been able to afford the thousands that it cost for some of the treatments carried out and yet three more children were already being funded by the doctor. He wanted to leave him alone, to let him be able to carry on and continue saving lives but he needed the truth.
He had always needed the truth and more than anything he wanted to believe in something good. His years had a reporter had stripped him of the ability to see the good in the world and he desperately wanted that good to be Masaki. When he had watched him half his break time in half to read to sick children he had been convinced that this really was a man that just wanted to something good and help people but now he was growing concerned that there was going to be something sinister behind him.
He let out a sigh and then sat back down not having anything to do for the next three hours. He hoped that Masaki would come back to him and he could try and find out the truth. He hadn’t actually meant to report on the man’s friend, his producer had been the one to blame with that and he had always intended to say a retraction even though most of the damage would already be done now. He drummed his fingers on his knee and then looked up when the door opened and a little girl of around five came inside hugging a dolly. Both their heads were sporting hats and Sho knew that she had been going through chemotherapy.
“Hello little princess…Are you lost?” He asked softly knowing that this side of his personality came out when he was dealing with children and animals. Neither group had done anything to earn his ire. The girl blinked him her eyes strange without eyelashes and he noted that the doll also lacked any.
“Masa-sensei…” She breathed hugging the doll to her chest and looking around the room “Masa-sensei…”
“He’s not here…”
“Oh…” She breathed slowly sucking on her bottom lip again before she sighed and then hugged her doll even closer to herself. “Are you a sensei too?”
“No…I’m a reporter…” Sho breathed not sure if she would be able to understand what he meant about report but to his surprise she gave a smile her head cocking to one side and saying;
“Oh…Like on the news?”
“Yes, exactly on the news…” He smiled again and the little girl hummed a little before asking;
“Is Masaki going to be on the news?”
“I hope so…”
“Has he done something bad? People only go on the news if they’ve done something bad…Masa-sensei is really nice! I don’t want him to be on the news!” She pouted and Sho sighed not knowing how to respond to that. It was the truth after all. Day after day there was just a list of bad people doing bad things. He wanted Masaki to be different. He wanted him to be the one person that made him believe that there were some decent people in the world that wanted to do good things just because they were nice.
“Not only bad people end up on the news sweetheart sometimes good people do…”
“Like Masa-sensei he’s a good person!” She said with a grin and Sho smiled at her enjoying the open enthusiasm that only a child could bring “He gave me my dolly! Wanna see!” She said happily running over and pushing the doll in his direction “Her hair is gone like mine! She was sick like me so I gotta make her better!”
“I see she’s a beautiful dolly” Sho enthused happily remembering all of the tea parties that he had shared with his sister over the years when she was younger.
“Masa-sensei says that her hair will come back when mine does!” She breathed happily touching the doll and Sho smiled again as the door opened for the second time and this time it was Masaki who came in looking completely panicked until he saw the little girl.
“Akane-chan! There you are!” He gasped hurrying in and dropping down to his knees his hands on the girl’s shoulders before he pulled her into a hug. “How many times have I told you not to wander off…”
“I was looking for you, sensei! I done a colouring!” Akane said proudly and Masaki sighed little and then smiled hugging her again before getting up and taking her hand.
“Then you had better show it too me…Come on…” Masaki walked towards the door without a backwards glance but Akane turned and beamed at him waving the hand with the doll until she vanished through the door and leaving him alone again. Sho let out a breath and then closed his eyes with head resting against the back of the sofa.
He wasn’t aware that he had fallen to sleep but he was aware when he was being nudged on the shoulder and he opened his eyes slowly to look up at Masaki deciding for the first time that the man was easily the most attractive man that he had ever seen before. He had an almost feminine face with almond shaped eyes and pouty lips which would probably feel amazing wrapped around his cock. His eyes though were filled with a tired nervousness that looked hauntingly beautiful even if he preferred him when he was smiling.
“Aiba-sensei…Is it…Time?” He asked righting himself in the chair and Masaki gave something like a nod dropping himself down into the chair in front of him.
“As long as you promise to say that Nino isn’t a pervert…”
“I will…” Sho nodded slowly and Masaki sighed crossing one of his long legs over the other and holding onto his knee with his hands. It was a defensive stance and Sho couldn’t blame him. He pulled a camera out of his bag setting it up so it focused on Masaki who was doing his level best to look calm and composed while at the same time looking terrified of what things he might be asked. “Thank-you for consenting to do an interview…”
“No problem…” Masaki lied and Sho couldn’t resist the urge to smile as he leaned forward in his seat a little.
“So sensei…You are known as the Angel of the Children’s ward…How does that make you feel?” Sho asked and Masaki gave a shrug chewing on the corner of his mouth before muttering;
“Honestly I dislike it…I’m not an angel I’m just one small of a team of people…Everybody as to work together in making sure that the sick gets better…”
“But you seem to do more than most…You don’t have to be shy, Sensei…I’ve already conducted several interviews in which your patients and co-workers tell me that you work longer hours and cover shifts…What is it that drives you so much?”
“…My brother…He got sick when he was seven years old…I was ten…My parents couldn’t afford his medical treatment…” Masaki breathed and Sho felt his heart constrict knowing that this all fit in with what he had found out already in his earlier investigations. “…Both my parents worked longer hours trying to pay for it but of course that meant that Yusuke never got to see them…He died while they were both out at work…”
“You were there?”
“I was…But I couldn’t do anything…” Masaki sounded angry with himself and Sho felt a touch of guilt at having to make him relieve this moment. “I promised him that I would become a doctor…Of course it was harder than I thought but...I did my best at school…”
“…Your parents were able to send you to college?”
“…No…They had spent everything on Yusuke...So I vowed to get a job and pay my own way...Unfortunately I couldn’t mix work with college…”
“So what did you do? How did you pay for it?”
“I got myself a sugar daddy…” Masaki asked his chin lifted as proudly as he could manage and Sho swallowed seeing the truth written clearly in his eyes. “I looked online and found a website…It was like a dating site…They matched me with somebody and I did whatever he told me…He wasn’t a bad guy and like he promised he paid for my education…”
“I…I…See…” Sho whispered not exactly knowing where he was meant to go with that. He had honestly thought he would need to probe a little more deeply to get the doctor to confess his sins but it appeared that Masaki had made up his mind while he was doing his rounds and he fixed him with a stare and something that could also be called a smirk but was far too nervous and sickly looking as he asked;
“I have shocked you?”
“…You’ve impressed me…You must have been determined to keep your promise…”
“I was and still am…” Masaki shrugged slowly before switching out which leg was crossed before breathing sharply through his nose and saying “My benefactor died several years ago…He had no family and he left me a sizable inheritance…”
“He…He must have been quite old…” Sho breathed and Masaki shook his head slowly giving him a tight lipped smile.
“Fifties…Died in a car accident…I didn’t want the money at first but then I realised…I realised that this was my chance to help even more people…I used the money to set up the Yusuke fund…My account manager deals with all the investments…” He shrugged in a very business-like manner completely different to the way he had been a few hours ago and Sho imagined that he must have been doing a lot of soul searching.
“And the reason you don’t want people to know about it?” Sho breathed slowly deciding that he had found the bright thing that he been searching for.
“…I don’t want people to abuse the system…The patients that find their me and the Yusuke fund have exhausted all other options…” Masaki sighed slowly once again chewing on the corner of his mouth “There is nothing else that can be done...I was given a lot of money but it isn’t never ending I just want to help as many people as I can…I don’t want parents have to go out to work for all hours to pay for medication and treatment yet never getting to see their child…Sometimes they can be saved other times they can’t and the parents have to live with the guilt for the rest of their lives…”
“…Like your parents…They died when you were in college…”
“They killed themselves…” Masaki confirmed blinking rapidly as twin tears rolled down his cheeks before he could stop them and Sho wished that he could gather the man up into a hug and apologise for the witch-hunt that he had performed to force him to admit all of this. “Is this what you wanted to know? Are you happy now?”
“...Aiba-sensei…” Sho breathed reaching out to the doctor who stared at his hand as if it was going to come out and hit him before he jumped up and ran to the door leaving him for the third time alone in the break room.
*~*~*~*~*
Masaki ran through the hospital and then out of the door to the garden before dropping down to his knees. His heart was hammering against his chest as he tried to stop the tears coming out of his eyes. He had sworn to himself that he would just give an account of his life and get it over and done with rather like a pulling off a plaster. He hadn’t expected it to be so painful. He wasn’t ashamed of what he had done and he refused to allow a jumped up reporter to make him feel sad. He had done everything he could to insure as many children got the treatment they needed and more importantly their parents had been able to be with them.
Yes, he had done things that he wasn’t proud of. He had lost his virginity to a man that was the same age as his father but what did that matter when he was able to save people.
“I report on bad people every day…” Sho’s voice said breathily from behind him and Masaki turned to look at the reporter surprised that he had followed him.
“I gave you your interview…You can do what you like with it…”
“…I know…My father was a grade a arsehole…He bullied my mother belittled my brother, sister, and myself…Nothing we ever did was good enough for him…He was the anchor-man of a small town news network…I thought if I made it to the big leagues a national station maybe then he would start to care…Think that I was something…Unfortunately it worked…The bigger stories I covered the more my dad approved of me and the more I hated myself…A few years ago my dad died…And I realised…I realised that his approval of me didn’t matter…” Sho breathed and Masaki blinked at him through his own stalled tears honestly not knowing how he was meant to respond to such an impassioned speech. “He had gone and I hated myself and I hated the truth that I had uncovered…”
“What truth?”
“That there is nobody good left in this world…With each story I followed the more I realised it and the more I realised that it was meaningless…”
“Sho-san…I think that you might be suffering with depression…” Masaki whispered softly his tears gone now “I can recommend a good doctor…”
“…Then I heard about you…” Sho carried on with a sharp laugh that started sound almost like a bark “The angel of the children’s ward…So I persuaded my company to let me do a story here…I wanted to prove that you were as bad…If not worse than the other people but at the same time I wanted you to prove me wrong…I wanted to be the way that you seemed…I wanted to know that there was something good in the world…I’m sorry…”
“Sho-chan…I really do think you may have depression…” Masaki whispered gently unable to stop himself from slipping into the same gentle tones that he used with his patients and Sho gave another little laugh and then nodded running his fingers through his hair. “There are so many bad people in this world Sho-chan…There are and there always will be but…I don’t think…I don’t think you want to find it in someone else you want to find it in yourself…You want to know if you’re a good person…”
“I’m not…I know I’m not…”
“Maybe but there’s still time to change…As long as you’re alive there’s always time to change Sho-chan…” He said placing his hand on Sho’s shoulder surprised when the man seemed to collapse onto the floor his breathing sharper than was normal. He had had a lot of strange days in the hospital but this would easily rank amongst the strangest of the strange and he gently reached up and cupped the reporters face with his hand and wiped away the tears. “You can do it if you really want to…But first I think that you might want to talk to somebody…”
“Thank-you but I think I already know what I have to do…” Sho breathed taking a few breaths and then getting back to his feet and walking away leaving Masaki alone in the garden feeling confused and bewildered.
*~*~*~*~ A year later~*~*~*~*
Masaki smiled stretching out his back and looking at his friend who had just come into the room bearing a cup of coffee and a sandwich. It had been a year since there week from hell Sho had made a public apology about Nino and Satoshi giving the true details of their romance. There had still been an investigation but the higher ups had thankfully seen fit to reinstate his friend into the hospital and now most people had seemed to have forgotten about it. Masaki hadn’t though there was still a gnawing worry in the back of his mind that the reporter had done something silly. Sho hadn’t released the interview between them but had quit his job the same night as he had given his apology and for the last year nobody had seen him. Masaki had received a package around eight months ago with a single piece of paper saying ‘Thank-you’ but since then there had been complete silence.
“Here you go Ai-baka…” Nino said handing them over and then dropping down into the chair “Have I told you that Satoshi and I are getting married? He’s joining my family…We’re having a party and you have to be there! With a date!”
“…I don’t have a date…” Masaki muttered with a shrug he hadn’t even had sex with anyone since his benefactor had died and there wasn’t really a chance of him getting one when the only person that he had remotely thought of as attractive had been an arrogant jerk and then just a messed up person. “…Besides I’m probably working…”
“I haven’t even told you the day yet and for your information you have it off I know because I checked before arranging the party so you have absolutely no excuse…And as for a date…Well I might have an idea…” Nino said with a twinkle in his eye looking like a magician about to do a trick and Masaki felt like groaning loudly hoping that his fear wasn’t coming true.
“I don’t want a blind date…” He whined and Nino gave a laugh smacking him hard on the shoulder leaving him with a horrible feeling that he was being “Nino…No…This isn’t fair…”
“I know that angels are meant to transcend gender but you my friend are a human male for all that you are an angel you need to let your hair down! While you’re doing your saving people thing who’s looking after you?!” Nino said as he slapped him hard on the shoulder again and Masaki groaned and then nodded knowing that it would do no good to argue and who knows maybe it would be fun to have somebody even for a short time. “So you’ll come! It’s next week at my place…Don’t flake out on me you have to be there Masaki….”
“I will, I will! Now go!” Masaki huffed wanting to eat his lunch and then get on with his morning appointments. Nino gave a laugh and then left and Masaki was successfully able to eat his lunch in peace before going out and calling his next patient for the day. “Matsumoto Jun…Come on Jun-kun…”
*~*~*~A week later*~*~*~*
Masaki nervously stood in the elevator of Nino’s building a bottle of wine clasped firmly in his hands. His friend hadn’t told him that he had to bring anything but he knew that it was common curtesy to do so. He had been thinking a lot about his blind date for the last week and he honestly couldn’t believe how much he wanted to be able to like this person and maybe have him like him in return. He had become a workaholic for the last couple of years it would be nice to actually have a reason to leave the hospital. The elevator came to a jerky stop and his heart raced a little bit more as he got off and walked to the door of his friend’s apartment and knocked slowly.
It took a few moments for the door to be opened and he smiled at the sleepy face of Ohno Satoshi. Satoshi had graduated college at the beginning of this year and was working an intern for an advertisement agency and seemed to be doing well if Nino’s praise wasn’t all just hot air.
“Hello Satoshi-kun I come as promised bearing wine…” He said handing over the bottle and Satoshi took it with a smile saying;
“Thank-you…I’m glad you came; Nino has been promising to do a lot of nasty things to you if you didn’t…”
“…Then I’m glad I did as well…” Masaki sighed his heart flipping over a few times as he heard the humming of the music and the cheerful voices that he could hear. Satoshi gave him another little smile and then motioned for him to follow inside and reluctantly Masaki did so kicking off his shoes and taking off his coat. Satoshi took it and walked to a door in the hall throwing it inside before nodding his head in the direction of the living room where all the noise was coming from. The door was pulled open and again Masaki had to take a calming breath before he could step inside. The room was filled to capacity of people and he genuinely surprised that so many people were there to celebrate the union of Nino and Satoshi.
His friend was in the middle of it all chatting animatedly to some people that had to be Satoshi’s friends as they were too young to be Nino’s. His friend saw him and waved him over and Masaki hoped that none of these kids were going to be his blind date. Nino might like them young but he preferred them older.
“You made it!”
“Of course I did, I promised that I would come didn’t I…” He muttered and Nino slipped an arm awkwardly around his shoulders smelling suspiciously like he had had one too many drinks already but since it was his wedding party Masaki wasn’t going to begrudge him it.
“Yup you did…Hey did you know that this is the angle…Angel! I said angle…I meant angel…Angel of the children’s ward…Everybody loves this guy…” Nino said with a little hiccup and Masaki flushed to the very roots of his hair glad when Satoshi floated over and drew Nino’s attention. “There he is! My husband to be!” Nino grinned wrapping his arms around his neck before pulling him down into a kiss “My darling Satoshi!”
“Yes…Nino…I think that you may have had a little too much to drink…Shall we get you some water?” Satoshi asked gently and Nino nodded hiccupping happily before swaying over towards the kitchen and leaving Masaki in the middle of the living room with a bunch of teenagers who he really was hoping wasn’t going to be his date for the evening. None of them spoke to him and Masaki sighed with relief before feeling uncomfortable wondering if he had been stood up on his own blind date. A smooth and cultured voice hummed softly behind him and he turned and gasped with surprise when he saw none other than Sakurai Sho standing there smiling at him.
“Sho-chan? You…You’re here…?”
“Nino asked me to come…I…Um…” Sho stopped speaking and Masaki looked him over deciding that he looked a ton loads better than he had done when he had last seen him a year ago. He wasn’t wearing a suit just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. His hair as longer now and his face was free of any of the tension that he had held.
“Where did you go? I mean how have you been?” He asked and Sho smiled a little his head cocking to one side as he motioned to the spot against the door. Masaki followed him and then sat down in the chair wondering why his heart was doing strange little flips. The last time they had seen each other he had been torn between feeling angry and sorry for him but now there was something else inside him.
“...I’ve been a lot better than I was a year ago…You were right I was suffering from depression and I have gotten some help for it…”
“I’m glad…”
“As for where I went…I decided to travel…I went to Asia, Africa, Europe, and north and south America…I went to find the good people like you…While I was doing it I worked with several charity groups building houses and wells…” Sho whispered and Masaki felt his moth fall open in surprise as his eyes blew wide impressed with what he was hearing and amazed guessing that that was where the muscles Sho was now sporting under his t-shirt.
“…And now you’re home…”
“Yup…I’m home…And I wanted to come and see you…But first I had to apologise to Nino and Satoshi personally and then Nino…” Sho broke off and Masaki was left with a feeling of knowing where this was going. Sho was his blind date. “…He suggested surprising you here…”
“…Well I am surprised…” He muttered adding ‘and disappointed’ in his mind knowing there would never be a real chance of him and Sho going on a date or anything like that. Even if he had changed now Sho was still out of his league “…I’m happy that you’re doing so well Sho-chan…I thought about you a lot in the last year…”
“Me too…You are one incredible person, Masaki…Even back then I thought so…” Sho breathed and Masaki felt his face burn a little before he gave him a sheepish grin saying;
“You’ve become an incredible person yourself…What are you planning on doing now?”
“…I’m working for a charity…I still have some celebrity clout and I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty…You are still saving as many lives as you can?”
“One at a time…” Masaki nodded in agreement surprised when Sho reached out and took his hand in his saying gently;
“I know that you still have no reason to trust me but I…I would be honoured if you really did want to go on a date with me…”
“Huh? No…No way…”
*~*~*~*~*
“Yes way…” Sho chuckled looking at the stunned expression on Masaki’s face. The man looked tired and his eyes seemed drained of life. The only time that they had a spark was when he had talked about his work and Sho thought that was a sad thing. If he lost himself in it completely and never saw a life outside of it then it was clear to him that Masaki would just become a different version of the way that he had been. He didn’t want that. He wanted Masaki to be that man he had held the fire that had called him out on his idiocy when he had all but ruined the lives of two people that loved each other. The man that had been angry with him one minute and then worried about him the next. Masaki had been his beacon of hope a year ago and now he wanted to repay him and more than that he wanted to be with him. “I wouldn’t joke about something like this…I know that after last year you might never want to forgive me…”
“I forgive you…I already have; you were working yourself too hard Sho-chan…” Masaki hummed once again showing him that he was sweetest man to ever have existed.
“Pot meet kettle…You are working yourself just as hard…You will lose yourself too, Masaki…” Sho breathed hesitantly reaching out to stroke away a lock of hair from the man’s face “I wouldn’t want that…”
“And you want to stop me?” Masaki asked looking almost hopeful and Sho smiled relieved that the man seemed to be open to the idea at least.
“I want to help you…So you can continue what you’re doing without losing yourself in it and you can help me too…I think that we balance each other out pretty well…If you will let me?” He asked and Masaki gave him a troubled look for a moment his bottom lip trapped between his teeth before he nodded and gave a small smile whispering;
“Okay…We could try it…”
*~*~*~*~*Two years later*~*~*~*~*
“Sakurai-san…May I have a word…?” A reporter asked and Masaki turned to face him noting that there was something about his eyes that reminded him of Sho before they had gotten together and he felt his heart pinch in sympathy for him. There wasn’t really time for questions but he supposed that he could take some time as this was the press conference for his and Sho’s hospital. He was shocked when Sho had suggested it a year and a half ago but they had worked hard at it and now the Aiba Yusuke hospital was in full swing.
They only accepted patients that couldn’t afford it with Sho and his fund manager running the business side of things. Nino was one of the first doctors that he had hired and then several of their friends had followed until now they had a fully functioning staff. They were only small but they were well known now and his past had come to light a month or two ago. Somehow there had only been support for him. There was even talks that his life was going to get a drama. He had rolled his eyes at that but both Nino and Sho had pointed out that it would bring in money for the fund and he reluctantly agreed. He and Sho had married five months ago with Masaki happily taking his last name. They worked well together each pulling the other back from the edge and showing each other that there was more to life than work. He could only hope that this reporter would figure that out as well.
*~*~*~The End*~*~*~*
A/N: I’m sure that this is a load of rubbish that no one will really read but I was watching Last Hope and this came from that :/ I should also point out that I don't know how the paying for treatment works...I'm luckily enough to live in the UK and have the NHS...But I've watched a ton of dramas which say that it's a struggle to pay...So I realy hope that this is okay...If it's completely wrong we'll pretend that its another universe .>.<