[Fic] I Have Kept You In My Heart
Title : [Fic] I Have Kept You In My Heart 20
Pairing : Ohno/Jun, Sho/Nino, Aiba/Becky, Ohno/Nino, Eventual Jun/?
Rating : R
Summary : AU. Before Jun, there was only Nino. The man Ohno loved with everything he had, loved with such ferocity that any other emotion would pale in comparison. He was Ohno's everything, the love of his life, the person Ohno dreamed of sharing his whole life with someday. Until Nino's untimely death, six years ago.
Word count : around 4400 words
Disclaimer : fiction, yo!
Warning : Angst in large doses. Memory loss. Minor character death. One-sided love.
Note : Posted in AO3, all other fics now posted in Dreamwidth
(This fic is also available in AO3)
(I Have Kept You In My Heart - 19)
Nino wasn’t sure he was going to win the argument, but thank god for Aiba’s girlfriend being there because her presence allowed Nino to use that to his advantage.
Mostly, it was to manipulate his best friend, bad as that sounded, but only because he had no other choice. His friend was making it all too obvious about what he was trying to do - his reasons made no sense, seriously - and Nino was pretty certain it was because Aiba, and probably every single person in Nino’s family, Ohno included, was trying to keep Nino from leaving the house to visit the place where Nino’s accident happened.
He knew they were simply trying to protect him, but even their fear that someone wanted Nino dead had no sensible basis. Why would anyone want to do that to him anyway? He wasn’t anyone important. Why would anyone want to kill him?
They’ve been on the road for a while now and he’d been trying to pay attention to what Aiba was saying ever since they left his sister’s house but it was difficult to focus when he had a lot in his mind. His decision to visit the place where he supposedly died wasn’t an easy one, but he had to make it look like it was. Their combined fears wouldn’t help Nino remember anything, and honestly, he was just so tired of it all.
“Would you like something to drink, Nino? We can stop by the next convenience store if you want something in particular,” Aiba’s unexpected inquiry startled Nino despite himself, realized he’d been staring out the window of the car without actually seeing anything.
He raised his head and found Aiba looking at him through the mirror. “You okay, buddy?” Aiba asked. Next to him, Nino realized Becky had turned completely around to check on him, her beautiful green eyes marred with genuine worry.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he said, forcing a smile, reminding himself not to be offended at the way they’re acting around him. They were just being cautious, he told himself; they didn’t mean to treat him like a vulnerable doll, even though that’s exactly how it felt like sometimes.
“What was that you’re asking me earlier again? Sorry, I was not paying attention,”
“Oh, Masaki was asking if you want anything to drink? We could stop by the next convenience store to get you one,” Becky answered instead.
Nino smiled. “Water is fine, thank you,” he answered, startled when Aiba’s phone started ringing. Nino immediately noticed the way Aiba’s expression changed, looking as though he was considering not answering.
Nino sighed. It was obvious to him why. “Answer it, Aiba-shi,” he muttered, drily. He didn’t even have to check Aiba’s phone to know who was calling. It was all over Aiba’s face, after all.
“Answer it. We both know he would only keep calling if you don’t,” he said. Aiba visibly winced as Becky did the courtesy herself, even putting the phone next to Aiba’s ear without waiting for Aiba’s permission.
“H-Hello?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to put it on speaker, Becky-chan?” Nino proposed, watched in quiet amusement as the couple exchanged glances. “I mean, for safety’s sake, yeah? I know that talking on the phone while driving is dangerous, not to mention prohibited, just saying,”
Aiba subtly tilted his head at Becky in answer, and she pulled the phone away from Aiba’s ear without another word. The next thing Nino heard was the familiar sound of Ohno’s voice, asking Aiba what was happening.
Nino sighed as Aiba glanced at him through the mirror once again, uncertain of what to say.
“Ohno-san, hi,” Nino said, already imagining Ohno’s surprise hearing him talk. He shook his head and swallowed the urge to smile despite the difficulty, Aiba looking like he had no idea what to say either. Ohno was asking questions faster than Nino could answer them, and that, in itself, made Nino smile.
“I’m not doing this just to be a jerk, okay? I’m trying different alternatives to see if I seeing the place my supposed death happened will trigger something. Aren’t you guys proud of me?” he teased, even though he was pretty sure they wouldn’t find it funny.
Well, whatever.
“You don’t even know if going there is a good idea. What if seeing that place raises more questions than the answers you’re looking for? Are you sure you’re ready for that? Jesus, you can barely walk on your own, what if something happens while you’re there?”
“Well, that depends on whether I’ll be going there on my own,” he answered when he could, finally, because Ohno had somehow fallen silent. “Which I won’t, obviously, since I’m pretty sure you’ll be there too, even if tell you not to go. Aiba-shi, too, right?”
Neither had answered. Their silence was answer enough, really.
“Can’t we talk you out of this, Kazu? Seriously, it’s too dangerous,”
Nino smirked. “You really like saying that, Ohno-san, don’t you? And, sorry, but the answer is no,” he said, smiling at Aiba shaking his head at him through the mirror in answer.
Another pause. “What time are you planning on going there?” Ohno’s voice was soft, but there was firmness in his tone that made things in Nino’s chest tight.
Nino knew it was pointless to lie, so he didn’t. “Tomorrow. I haven’t decided on the time, though.”
“You’re staying at Aiba-chan’s place tonight, then?” the question followed so quickly it made Nino smile.
“Yeah,”
A breath. “Aiba-chan?” Ohno called, pausing for a bit waiting for Aiba to answer. When he did, Ohno was speaking again. “Would it be okay if I tag along tomorrow? I’ll call you in the morning to confirm,”
“I don’t mind,” was Aiba’s simple answer.
“That settles it, then. Anyway, if I can’t make it, I’ll let you know, but just. Just promise me you’re not going to let your best friend go there alone, please?”
“No, no, of course not, Oh-chan. He can only try, though,”
“Thank you, Aiba-chan,” Ohno said, then, “Nino?”
“I’m here,” Nino answered.
“Be safe, okay? I - shit, you have no idea how hard this is, but. Just. Be careful, okay? Okay? I can’t fucking lose you again, so please, do me a favor and don’t do anything stupid. Please?”
Nino felt like teasing him for saying something like that, for sounding like he’d rather chain Nino to his person than let him go on his own, for sounding like Nino meant so much to him than what he’d wanted Nino - and everyone - to believe, but Nino couldn’t. His heart was beating crazily fast, his face hot in combined surprise and embarrassment.
Nino also didn’t think it still mattered. He could deny it all he wanted, evade the fact even, but he would only be lying to himself. He couldn’t tell Ohno off, ask him why he kept saying things like that like he had the right - he obviously had, who was Nino kidding anyway - so, he didn’t.
Instead, he turned away and bit the inside of his cheeks to keep himself smiling, and answered, loud enough for Ohno to hear.
“Fine,”
Another beat, and the sound of Ohno’s ragged breathing soon followed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
------
Ohno ended the call and exhaled. Things are piling up crazy fast that he was afraid he wasn’t quick enough to catch up. He hadn’t been counting on Nino deciding on doing this so soon - hell, Nino could barely stand on his own two feet right now, how could they trust him to take care of himself when he couldn’t even walk properly without help? - but Ohno guessed that was understandable.
He would have probably done the same thing if it were him, and knowing how similarly stubborn Nino was, like him, this wasn’t surprising at all.
The trouble, though, was that they were still literally grappling in the dark with regards to what really happened to Nino that night. He’d sworn it couldn’t have been an accident - he couldn’t believe it then, and after he’d been presented with these irrefutable evidences six years later, he realized he hadn’t been wrong.
Nino’s mother had been right to be suspicious - Ohno couldn’t blame her, really - everything pointed out to the fact that someone had been there with Nino when the accident happened, and Ohno swore to himself he would do everything in his power to find out who that person was.
The feel of his phone vibrating in his hand startled him, almost dropping it. He took a quick peek at the screen and sighed.
“Hello?”
“Satoshi-nii, you were calling? Sorry, I left my phone in the van. I had to rush to get the samples delivered in Higashiyama-san’s office. What is it?” Yuri asked, sounding breathless.
“Ah, nothing. I was actually calling to check you about that,” he asked, sighing in relief. “Since you didn’t call me back,”
“Uh, yeah, sorry about that, Nii-san. I was in a hurry,”
“No, that’s fine,” he returned, already contemplating driving back and straight to Aiba’s place to wait for them there, wondering if it was okay. He did say he would see Nino tomorrow, but, would it be weird if he just dropped by at Aiba’s place to see him for a bit? Maybe it was better to message Aiba first.
“Did they say anything when they received the samples?” he asked, and was only slightly interested.
“No. They just told me to leave them there, but the person who received them said they will call Jun-san if they need anything.”
“Ah, yes, of course,” he said.
“Is there something else you need, Nii-chan?” Yuri asked.
Ohno shook his head, then remembered Yuri couldn’t actually see him. He chuckled. “Ah, no, no. Thank you, Yuri.”
“Goodnight, Satoshi-nii.” He hung up.
Ohno exhaled and started the car. He’d decide whether to go see Nino on his way there. Otherwise, he could just wait near Aiba’s place to make sure they’d arrived safely.
-----
Sho carefully picked through his normally vast vocabulary for the right words to describe how he was feeling, but doing so proved to be quite difficult right now. He’d caught himself amazed at this very unexpected turn of events so many times already he’d already lost count, and still, he couldn’t bring himself to ask. He’d wondered if this was what if felt like to act on pure instinct, common sense be damned, but even he was scared to ask himself that.
To be fair, he was pretty certain he wasn’t the only one.
To say that he’d expected this didn’t quite cut it. Sho wasn’t used to having to reacquaint himself about things he should have seen from miles away - he’d always reminded himself that it was one of the good things about his profession - but right now, he wasn’t really sure anymore.
He watched as Jun-san worked quietly behind the counter, filling two plates that have been sitting there for a while with precision and ease Sho would be envious about if not for the sheer beauty of the movement of Jun-san’s hands that left Sho in awe. He honestly had no idea someone could look so damn good in Sho’s mother’s apron she’d left there some time ago, while also making the whole thing seem effortless.
A part of him had kept insisting he shouldn’t be focusing on that now, but rather on the fact that Jun-san had willingly, and very suddenly, invited himself over at Sho’s place to cook them dinner, saying something about ‘discussing that matter’ some place private, instead of eating out as planned.
Sho honestly didn’t think anyone, or him for that matter, would have been brave enough to decline. It was actually embarrassing how quickly he had agreed, maneuvering the car to that fancy grocery store selling (expensively) organic produce (and food products) when Jun-san asked him to.
Hours later, they’re here, with Sho trying his very best not to stare openly at Jun-san when he’d set the plates down and gestured for Sho to eat. Sho spent a long moment staring the food over - it looked like a very fancy, and mouth-wateringly delicious version of a pasta spaghetti - and swallowed hard. Man, it smelled delicious, too.
Jun-san rounded the counter and sat next to Sho, and Sho had to look away, chastising himself for quickly thinking how damn good that apron looked on Jun-san.
“Go ahead and eat. It’s nice to eat it while it’s hot,”
“Ah, yes of course. Thank you for the food,” he murmured and started digging in. The first bite had him moaning around his mouthful, and Jun-san giggled in answer as if he couldn’t help himself. The reaction made Sho feel so good about himself.
“Good?” Jun-san mumbled afterward.
Sho nodded, enthusiastic, and almost opened his mouth to answer when Jun-san reached over to tap his lips.
“Don’t talk when your mouth is full, Sensei,” he said, and Sho grinned as he chewed. “They didn’t teach you that in med school?”
“Sshmorry,”
“God, you’re so weird. Just eat,”
“Ohm-kay,” he agreed. Jun-san chuckled again as Sho chewed quickly. “After this though...I mean, you said we’ll talk, right?”
Jun-san smiled, shook his head. “You don’t have to make it sound so dramatic, Sakurai-sensei. But I guess maybe, it’s my fault? I’ve always been kind of bad at handling shit like that, so, there. I mean, I’m sure you already know that by now, otherwise, we won’t be here. I won’t need you, or anyone for that matter, to help me pull my shit together. Normal people do that by themselves just fine, I suppose.”
Sho had to stop eating then, putting his fork down in favor of shifting sideways to face Jun-san.
“I don’t really know what you mean by normal people, Jun-san,” he said, as he looked the other man over. “Is that a joke, because I swear you look pretty normal to me, no kidding.”
Jun-san huffed and the expression on his face made him look younger, boyish even. “Appearance-wise, maybe?”
Sho shook his head. “Ah, I didn’t mean in general,” he said, gesturing with his hand, pointing at Jun-san’s face. “Everything about you seems pretty normal, well except for your face, of course,” he countered, quickly, biting back the urge to smile when Jun-san frowned.
“What do you even mean by that?”
Sho did smile then. “Because there’s nothing normal or average about your face, Jun-san. I mean, have you seen yourself? You’re like a work of art, everything about your face is perfect,” he stated, hurriedly, before he could even stop himself. The look on Jun-san’s face told Sho he was not expecting that.
Sho smiled when Jun-san looked away, but Sho noticed the way the tips of Jun-san’s ears were red and the way he was trying his best not to smile in return.
“Is that how you keep you keep your patients from signing up with a different doctor? Because, wow, seriously, that’s so lame,”
“No, because with other patients, I don’t really have to make an effort for them to stay, or talk, for that matter. You, however, is in a completely different level altogether, I told you this already, didn’t I?”
Jun-san shrugged. “I’m complicated like that, I guess,”
Sho chuckled, picking up his fork again. “You’re that and more, Jun-san, trust me. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad, because it’s not. It’s not, okay? And soon, you’ll realize it too. You just have to let me help you figure out where to go, and we’ll work on it together. Can you do that, Jun-san? Will you trust me enough to help you through this?”
Jun-san nodding his head without saying anything was answer enough.
-----
He tried not to look too shocked when he spotted him standing there. It had been ages since they last saw each other, but the hatred written all over the other’s face was painfully familiar as it was fierce. He grinned and ignored it entirely in favor of stepping forward to unlock his door.
The other followed.
“Ninomiya is alive,” the other hissed just as he pushed the door open, stepped forward and toed off his shoes, vaguely aware of the other’s presence behind him.
“I heard,” he answered, watching the other did the same from the corner of his eyes. “Is that why you’re here, or is it because of something else?” he teased.
“What in hell happened? I thought you said he was dead?!” the other added, as if he hadn’t heard him. He chuckled and dropped his keys on the dish there, making sure the door was properly locked before he sauntered forward, knew that the other had no choice but to follow.
“Did you even hear what I said? I said Ninomiya is -“
He pivoted and caught the other around his neck one-handedly, dropping all pretenses as he pushed him towards the adjacent wall hard enough to make him shriek. He kept a firm hold around the other’s neck to keep him from fleeing, and grinned when he saw him struggle.
“I’m as shocked as you are, so don’t act like you’re the only one,” he said. He had the whole of yesterday to worry about what he should do after he heard the news, but he guessed he was still lucky. Learning about Ninomiya not remembering anything regarding the accident gave him enough advantage to finish the job this time around.
The other looked terrified but he was trying his best not to show it. The effort was completely wasted on him, he thought with dismay, especially with the way he was shaking so badly in his hold. The sight made the sick urge within him grow.
“What are you planning now?” the other asked, or at least tried to, despite the difficulty. It must be hard, given the way he had his own fist pushed against the other’s windpipe.
“About what?”
The other’s face was getting redder and redder by the minute, still struggling albeit futilely against his choking hold. “A-About Ninomiya?”
“I’m still thinking about it,”
The other narrowed his eyes. “What, are you crazy? He’s going to tell everyone who’d tried to kill him that night! You should be -“
“Don’t tell me what to do!” he countered, pissed. “And FYI, asshole, it seems that our little game had left our victim with amnesia. I found out he doesn’t remember anything about the accident, how lucky, right? But just to reassure you, of course I have no intention to wait until he remembers. I’m going to kill him for good this time, with or without you telling me to,”
“That’s exactly what you should have done then! What if it’s just a ploy to lure us out? What if he’s just acting? We will all go to jail for this, damn you!”
“Ah, I can’t let that happen, of course,”
“Then what in hell are you still waiting for?! Find him and kill him, and make sure he will stay dead this time!”
He grinned, hearing that. Without waiting permission from his brain, he shifted closer until they were nose to nose, at the same time he moved his hand down in between them, finding and squeezing the other’s dick through his pants. The noise the other made at the contact sent unexpected shivers down his spine as he worked to undo the other’s pants without preamble.
The expression on the other’s face said it all. “Don’t. Fucking. Tell. Me. What. To. Do,” he hissed, flipping the other around by his hips and pushing him face-first against the wall with one hand, as he took his dick out of his pants with the other.
“Ah, ow, ow, shit, that hurts, fuck, let me go, let me go!” the other hissed, struggling from his hold uselessly.
He leaned down and bit the other’s shoulder hard, covering the other’s mouth to muffle his screams. He was so hard by the time he was able to push the other’s pants down, his desire and his rage blinding him. He gripped the other’s hair and pushed his face roughly into the wall, bending his knees and aiming the blunt head of his cock.
The other was groaning hard, but he couldn’t hear him, not his voice, but someone else’s. He was so hard, so damn hard, and it was painful. He wanted to punish him. He wanted to punish Ohno by taking Ninomiya hard like this, kill him with his own bare hand.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!”
-----
They arrived in the apartment a quarter of an hour later, and Nino was certain Aiba noticed the familiar-looking car parked on the side of the next apartment building just as he’d maneuvered his car to their own apartment building’s basement parking. Their eyes met several times through the overhead mirror but since Nino didn’t open his mouth to comment on it at the time, Aiba obviously decided he wouldn’t, either.
At least until they were in the privacy of the spare bedroom where Aiba had helped him settled into when his best friend brought it up.
He sighed. “I was wondering if you noticed,” he commented, amused. “since you didn’t say anything. I guess you did, huh?”
Aiba chuckled as he settled on the bed, next to Nino’s feet. “I knew he would be there because he messaged me on our way here. He said something about that urgent thing he needed to take care back in Tokyo had been resolved on his way there, so he decided to drive back instead,”
“Wait, he was in Chiba too?” he asked, surprised.
Aiba nodded. “His family’s residence is in Tonosho, but I heard they’re not staying there anymore. His parents are staying in Tokyo, as is his sister and her family," Aiba explained, shaking his head. "And of course, you have no idea what I'm talking about, right? Sorry about that,”
He shrugged. “Can’t be helped,” he said, “It’s not like knowing it would make any difference. He’s still practically a stranger to me, despite all these conflicting emotions I feel when he’s near,” he sighed.
“That’s your heart remembering things for you, don’t you think?”
He scowled, if only to cover up the way he was blushing hard. “Stop it already,” he muttered, then found himself staring thoughtfully into a spot on the wall.
“You okay?”
“Can you check if his car’s still outside?” he asked. Aiba’s answering smile was soft and so, so fond that Nino found himself scowling at him in return. Aiba’s obviously embarrassing him on purpose, he thought, grunting when Aiba leaned over to mess his hair before he stood, took the few steps towards the window. He slid the curtains aside and took a peek.
“He’s gone, isn’t he?”
Aiba turned around to face him, smile still in place. “Nope, still there.”
“Shit,” he muttered, “Is he serious? Doesn’t he realize that he’s acting like total creep? What if someone notices him there? They might think he’s a stalker or something,”
Aiba chuckled. “Well, I don’t think he’s that interested about what other people might think of him. He obviously only cares about what you think,” Aiba said, “So, how about it? Does his presence creep you out? Be honest.”
He didn’t really to answer that, did he? “I think you need to tell him to quit acting like a bodyguard and go home,” he said instead.
Aiba grinned and fished his phone out of his pants’ pocket, handing it over for Nino to take.
“Wha -“
“Passcode’s 122482. Go tell him that yourself. I’ll go see if the love of my life needs anything. I’ll be right back to check if you need help going to the bathroom,” Aiba said, offering him a silly, two-fingered salute before he was out the door.
Nino sighed and stared at Aiba’s phone for a long while, contemplating.
“Ah, fuck this.”
-----
“I hope you’re not planning on staying the night there, otherwise, Aiba-san might be forced to invite you in,” was the very first thing Nino said when he accepted the call, honestly thinking it was Aiba who was calling.
Ohno had to swallow the urge to smile. It was hard, given the way this simple gesture was making him feel like he was twenty-three again, and was taking Nino out to dinner for the first time.
“You thought we didn’t notice you there, did you?” Nino inquired after a while.
“I was hoping you didn’t,” he answered, “I just. Well, I was just planning on staying here until I’m sure you guys made it home safely, but. Ah, never mind that. You should rest, it’s late,”
Nino chuckled then, and the sound of it made his heart ached in a completely different way. “I could tell you the same thing, Ohno-san,” Nino murmured, “So, go home and rest. Remember, you’re driving back here again to accompany me to Choshi, and also help me push my wheelchair for me. So, we need you well-rested and healthy, if you know what I’m saying.”
“I hear you,” he answered.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”
He wouldn’t ever get tired of this, hearing Nino’s voice when he didn’t think he ever would again. He was so lucky, so damn lucky, and he wouldn’t ever stop thanking the heavens for this gift, for as long as he lived. He smiled through the tightness in his chest and breathed.
One step at a time. He could do this.
“You bet,” he whispered, “Goodnight, Kazu.”
“Night, Ohno-san. Drive safely, okay? And message me, well, this is Aiba-san’s phone so, message him once you get home, yeah? Just so we know you’re home already.”
“I’ll do that,”
“Good. Bye for now?”
He was smiling so hard it hurt. “Yeah,” he agreed. The last he heard was the sound of Nino’s chuckles before the line was cut, startled when his phone started vibrating again in his grasp before he could even put it down.
It was Jun.
He frowned when he answered. “Hey, what’s -“ he said, or at least started to, until he realized something was wrong. Jun sounded - breathless, and he was stringing words together so fast he could barely catch up.
“Jun, Jun, calm down, I can’t understand you. Slow down, slow down please,”
Jun obeyed and he heard the other man took a few steadying breaths from the other end before he was speaking again.
“Satoshi,” Jun started, “Yuri-kun is dead.”
Pairing : Ohno/Jun, Sho/Nino, Aiba/Becky, Ohno/Nino, Eventual Jun/?
Rating : R
Summary : AU. Before Jun, there was only Nino. The man Ohno loved with everything he had, loved with such ferocity that any other emotion would pale in comparison. He was Ohno's everything, the love of his life, the person Ohno dreamed of sharing his whole life with someday. Until Nino's untimely death, six years ago.
Word count : around 4400 words
Disclaimer : fiction, yo!
Warning : Angst in large doses. Memory loss. Minor character death. One-sided love.
Note : Posted in AO3, all other fics now posted in Dreamwidth
(This fic is also available in AO3)
(I Have Kept You In My Heart - 19)
Nino wasn’t sure he was going to win the argument, but thank god for Aiba’s girlfriend being there because her presence allowed Nino to use that to his advantage.
Mostly, it was to manipulate his best friend, bad as that sounded, but only because he had no other choice. His friend was making it all too obvious about what he was trying to do - his reasons made no sense, seriously - and Nino was pretty certain it was because Aiba, and probably every single person in Nino’s family, Ohno included, was trying to keep Nino from leaving the house to visit the place where Nino’s accident happened.
He knew they were simply trying to protect him, but even their fear that someone wanted Nino dead had no sensible basis. Why would anyone want to do that to him anyway? He wasn’t anyone important. Why would anyone want to kill him?
They’ve been on the road for a while now and he’d been trying to pay attention to what Aiba was saying ever since they left his sister’s house but it was difficult to focus when he had a lot in his mind. His decision to visit the place where he supposedly died wasn’t an easy one, but he had to make it look like it was. Their combined fears wouldn’t help Nino remember anything, and honestly, he was just so tired of it all.
“Would you like something to drink, Nino? We can stop by the next convenience store if you want something in particular,” Aiba’s unexpected inquiry startled Nino despite himself, realized he’d been staring out the window of the car without actually seeing anything.
He raised his head and found Aiba looking at him through the mirror. “You okay, buddy?” Aiba asked. Next to him, Nino realized Becky had turned completely around to check on him, her beautiful green eyes marred with genuine worry.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” he said, forcing a smile, reminding himself not to be offended at the way they’re acting around him. They were just being cautious, he told himself; they didn’t mean to treat him like a vulnerable doll, even though that’s exactly how it felt like sometimes.
“What was that you’re asking me earlier again? Sorry, I was not paying attention,”
“Oh, Masaki was asking if you want anything to drink? We could stop by the next convenience store to get you one,” Becky answered instead.
Nino smiled. “Water is fine, thank you,” he answered, startled when Aiba’s phone started ringing. Nino immediately noticed the way Aiba’s expression changed, looking as though he was considering not answering.
Nino sighed. It was obvious to him why. “Answer it, Aiba-shi,” he muttered, drily. He didn’t even have to check Aiba’s phone to know who was calling. It was all over Aiba’s face, after all.
“Answer it. We both know he would only keep calling if you don’t,” he said. Aiba visibly winced as Becky did the courtesy herself, even putting the phone next to Aiba’s ear without waiting for Aiba’s permission.
“H-Hello?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to put it on speaker, Becky-chan?” Nino proposed, watched in quiet amusement as the couple exchanged glances. “I mean, for safety’s sake, yeah? I know that talking on the phone while driving is dangerous, not to mention prohibited, just saying,”
Aiba subtly tilted his head at Becky in answer, and she pulled the phone away from Aiba’s ear without another word. The next thing Nino heard was the familiar sound of Ohno’s voice, asking Aiba what was happening.
Nino sighed as Aiba glanced at him through the mirror once again, uncertain of what to say.
“Ohno-san, hi,” Nino said, already imagining Ohno’s surprise hearing him talk. He shook his head and swallowed the urge to smile despite the difficulty, Aiba looking like he had no idea what to say either. Ohno was asking questions faster than Nino could answer them, and that, in itself, made Nino smile.
“I’m not doing this just to be a jerk, okay? I’m trying different alternatives to see if I seeing the place my supposed death happened will trigger something. Aren’t you guys proud of me?” he teased, even though he was pretty sure they wouldn’t find it funny.
Well, whatever.
“You don’t even know if going there is a good idea. What if seeing that place raises more questions than the answers you’re looking for? Are you sure you’re ready for that? Jesus, you can barely walk on your own, what if something happens while you’re there?”
“Well, that depends on whether I’ll be going there on my own,” he answered when he could, finally, because Ohno had somehow fallen silent. “Which I won’t, obviously, since I’m pretty sure you’ll be there too, even if tell you not to go. Aiba-shi, too, right?”
Neither had answered. Their silence was answer enough, really.
“Can’t we talk you out of this, Kazu? Seriously, it’s too dangerous,”
Nino smirked. “You really like saying that, Ohno-san, don’t you? And, sorry, but the answer is no,” he said, smiling at Aiba shaking his head at him through the mirror in answer.
Another pause. “What time are you planning on going there?” Ohno’s voice was soft, but there was firmness in his tone that made things in Nino’s chest tight.
Nino knew it was pointless to lie, so he didn’t. “Tomorrow. I haven’t decided on the time, though.”
“You’re staying at Aiba-chan’s place tonight, then?” the question followed so quickly it made Nino smile.
“Yeah,”
A breath. “Aiba-chan?” Ohno called, pausing for a bit waiting for Aiba to answer. When he did, Ohno was speaking again. “Would it be okay if I tag along tomorrow? I’ll call you in the morning to confirm,”
“I don’t mind,” was Aiba’s simple answer.
“That settles it, then. Anyway, if I can’t make it, I’ll let you know, but just. Just promise me you’re not going to let your best friend go there alone, please?”
“No, no, of course not, Oh-chan. He can only try, though,”
“Thank you, Aiba-chan,” Ohno said, then, “Nino?”
“I’m here,” Nino answered.
“Be safe, okay? I - shit, you have no idea how hard this is, but. Just. Be careful, okay? Okay? I can’t fucking lose you again, so please, do me a favor and don’t do anything stupid. Please?”
Nino felt like teasing him for saying something like that, for sounding like he’d rather chain Nino to his person than let him go on his own, for sounding like Nino meant so much to him than what he’d wanted Nino - and everyone - to believe, but Nino couldn’t. His heart was beating crazily fast, his face hot in combined surprise and embarrassment.
Nino also didn’t think it still mattered. He could deny it all he wanted, evade the fact even, but he would only be lying to himself. He couldn’t tell Ohno off, ask him why he kept saying things like that like he had the right - he obviously had, who was Nino kidding anyway - so, he didn’t.
Instead, he turned away and bit the inside of his cheeks to keep himself smiling, and answered, loud enough for Ohno to hear.
“Fine,”
Another beat, and the sound of Ohno’s ragged breathing soon followed. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
------
Ohno ended the call and exhaled. Things are piling up crazy fast that he was afraid he wasn’t quick enough to catch up. He hadn’t been counting on Nino deciding on doing this so soon - hell, Nino could barely stand on his own two feet right now, how could they trust him to take care of himself when he couldn’t even walk properly without help? - but Ohno guessed that was understandable.
He would have probably done the same thing if it were him, and knowing how similarly stubborn Nino was, like him, this wasn’t surprising at all.
The trouble, though, was that they were still literally grappling in the dark with regards to what really happened to Nino that night. He’d sworn it couldn’t have been an accident - he couldn’t believe it then, and after he’d been presented with these irrefutable evidences six years later, he realized he hadn’t been wrong.
Nino’s mother had been right to be suspicious - Ohno couldn’t blame her, really - everything pointed out to the fact that someone had been there with Nino when the accident happened, and Ohno swore to himself he would do everything in his power to find out who that person was.
The feel of his phone vibrating in his hand startled him, almost dropping it. He took a quick peek at the screen and sighed.
“Hello?”
“Satoshi-nii, you were calling? Sorry, I left my phone in the van. I had to rush to get the samples delivered in Higashiyama-san’s office. What is it?” Yuri asked, sounding breathless.
“Ah, nothing. I was actually calling to check you about that,” he asked, sighing in relief. “Since you didn’t call me back,”
“Uh, yeah, sorry about that, Nii-san. I was in a hurry,”
“No, that’s fine,” he returned, already contemplating driving back and straight to Aiba’s place to wait for them there, wondering if it was okay. He did say he would see Nino tomorrow, but, would it be weird if he just dropped by at Aiba’s place to see him for a bit? Maybe it was better to message Aiba first.
“Did they say anything when they received the samples?” he asked, and was only slightly interested.
“No. They just told me to leave them there, but the person who received them said they will call Jun-san if they need anything.”
“Ah, yes, of course,” he said.
“Is there something else you need, Nii-chan?” Yuri asked.
Ohno shook his head, then remembered Yuri couldn’t actually see him. He chuckled. “Ah, no, no. Thank you, Yuri.”
“Goodnight, Satoshi-nii.” He hung up.
Ohno exhaled and started the car. He’d decide whether to go see Nino on his way there. Otherwise, he could just wait near Aiba’s place to make sure they’d arrived safely.
-----
Sho carefully picked through his normally vast vocabulary for the right words to describe how he was feeling, but doing so proved to be quite difficult right now. He’d caught himself amazed at this very unexpected turn of events so many times already he’d already lost count, and still, he couldn’t bring himself to ask. He’d wondered if this was what if felt like to act on pure instinct, common sense be damned, but even he was scared to ask himself that.
To be fair, he was pretty certain he wasn’t the only one.
To say that he’d expected this didn’t quite cut it. Sho wasn’t used to having to reacquaint himself about things he should have seen from miles away - he’d always reminded himself that it was one of the good things about his profession - but right now, he wasn’t really sure anymore.
He watched as Jun-san worked quietly behind the counter, filling two plates that have been sitting there for a while with precision and ease Sho would be envious about if not for the sheer beauty of the movement of Jun-san’s hands that left Sho in awe. He honestly had no idea someone could look so damn good in Sho’s mother’s apron she’d left there some time ago, while also making the whole thing seem effortless.
A part of him had kept insisting he shouldn’t be focusing on that now, but rather on the fact that Jun-san had willingly, and very suddenly, invited himself over at Sho’s place to cook them dinner, saying something about ‘discussing that matter’ some place private, instead of eating out as planned.
Sho honestly didn’t think anyone, or him for that matter, would have been brave enough to decline. It was actually embarrassing how quickly he had agreed, maneuvering the car to that fancy grocery store selling (expensively) organic produce (and food products) when Jun-san asked him to.
Hours later, they’re here, with Sho trying his very best not to stare openly at Jun-san when he’d set the plates down and gestured for Sho to eat. Sho spent a long moment staring the food over - it looked like a very fancy, and mouth-wateringly delicious version of a pasta spaghetti - and swallowed hard. Man, it smelled delicious, too.
Jun-san rounded the counter and sat next to Sho, and Sho had to look away, chastising himself for quickly thinking how damn good that apron looked on Jun-san.
“Go ahead and eat. It’s nice to eat it while it’s hot,”
“Ah, yes of course. Thank you for the food,” he murmured and started digging in. The first bite had him moaning around his mouthful, and Jun-san giggled in answer as if he couldn’t help himself. The reaction made Sho feel so good about himself.
“Good?” Jun-san mumbled afterward.
Sho nodded, enthusiastic, and almost opened his mouth to answer when Jun-san reached over to tap his lips.
“Don’t talk when your mouth is full, Sensei,” he said, and Sho grinned as he chewed. “They didn’t teach you that in med school?”
“Sshmorry,”
“God, you’re so weird. Just eat,”
“Ohm-kay,” he agreed. Jun-san chuckled again as Sho chewed quickly. “After this though...I mean, you said we’ll talk, right?”
Jun-san smiled, shook his head. “You don’t have to make it sound so dramatic, Sakurai-sensei. But I guess maybe, it’s my fault? I’ve always been kind of bad at handling shit like that, so, there. I mean, I’m sure you already know that by now, otherwise, we won’t be here. I won’t need you, or anyone for that matter, to help me pull my shit together. Normal people do that by themselves just fine, I suppose.”
Sho had to stop eating then, putting his fork down in favor of shifting sideways to face Jun-san.
“I don’t really know what you mean by normal people, Jun-san,” he said, as he looked the other man over. “Is that a joke, because I swear you look pretty normal to me, no kidding.”
Jun-san huffed and the expression on his face made him look younger, boyish even. “Appearance-wise, maybe?”
Sho shook his head. “Ah, I didn’t mean in general,” he said, gesturing with his hand, pointing at Jun-san’s face. “Everything about you seems pretty normal, well except for your face, of course,” he countered, quickly, biting back the urge to smile when Jun-san frowned.
“What do you even mean by that?”
Sho did smile then. “Because there’s nothing normal or average about your face, Jun-san. I mean, have you seen yourself? You’re like a work of art, everything about your face is perfect,” he stated, hurriedly, before he could even stop himself. The look on Jun-san’s face told Sho he was not expecting that.
Sho smiled when Jun-san looked away, but Sho noticed the way the tips of Jun-san’s ears were red and the way he was trying his best not to smile in return.
“Is that how you keep you keep your patients from signing up with a different doctor? Because, wow, seriously, that’s so lame,”
“No, because with other patients, I don’t really have to make an effort for them to stay, or talk, for that matter. You, however, is in a completely different level altogether, I told you this already, didn’t I?”
Jun-san shrugged. “I’m complicated like that, I guess,”
Sho chuckled, picking up his fork again. “You’re that and more, Jun-san, trust me. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad, because it’s not. It’s not, okay? And soon, you’ll realize it too. You just have to let me help you figure out where to go, and we’ll work on it together. Can you do that, Jun-san? Will you trust me enough to help you through this?”
Jun-san nodding his head without saying anything was answer enough.
-----
He tried not to look too shocked when he spotted him standing there. It had been ages since they last saw each other, but the hatred written all over the other’s face was painfully familiar as it was fierce. He grinned and ignored it entirely in favor of stepping forward to unlock his door.
The other followed.
“Ninomiya is alive,” the other hissed just as he pushed the door open, stepped forward and toed off his shoes, vaguely aware of the other’s presence behind him.
“I heard,” he answered, watching the other did the same from the corner of his eyes. “Is that why you’re here, or is it because of something else?” he teased.
“What in hell happened? I thought you said he was dead?!” the other added, as if he hadn’t heard him. He chuckled and dropped his keys on the dish there, making sure the door was properly locked before he sauntered forward, knew that the other had no choice but to follow.
“Did you even hear what I said? I said Ninomiya is -“
He pivoted and caught the other around his neck one-handedly, dropping all pretenses as he pushed him towards the adjacent wall hard enough to make him shriek. He kept a firm hold around the other’s neck to keep him from fleeing, and grinned when he saw him struggle.
“I’m as shocked as you are, so don’t act like you’re the only one,” he said. He had the whole of yesterday to worry about what he should do after he heard the news, but he guessed he was still lucky. Learning about Ninomiya not remembering anything regarding the accident gave him enough advantage to finish the job this time around.
The other looked terrified but he was trying his best not to show it. The effort was completely wasted on him, he thought with dismay, especially with the way he was shaking so badly in his hold. The sight made the sick urge within him grow.
“What are you planning now?” the other asked, or at least tried to, despite the difficulty. It must be hard, given the way he had his own fist pushed against the other’s windpipe.
“About what?”
The other’s face was getting redder and redder by the minute, still struggling albeit futilely against his choking hold. “A-About Ninomiya?”
“I’m still thinking about it,”
The other narrowed his eyes. “What, are you crazy? He’s going to tell everyone who’d tried to kill him that night! You should be -“
“Don’t tell me what to do!” he countered, pissed. “And FYI, asshole, it seems that our little game had left our victim with amnesia. I found out he doesn’t remember anything about the accident, how lucky, right? But just to reassure you, of course I have no intention to wait until he remembers. I’m going to kill him for good this time, with or without you telling me to,”
“That’s exactly what you should have done then! What if it’s just a ploy to lure us out? What if he’s just acting? We will all go to jail for this, damn you!”
“Ah, I can’t let that happen, of course,”
“Then what in hell are you still waiting for?! Find him and kill him, and make sure he will stay dead this time!”
He grinned, hearing that. Without waiting permission from his brain, he shifted closer until they were nose to nose, at the same time he moved his hand down in between them, finding and squeezing the other’s dick through his pants. The noise the other made at the contact sent unexpected shivers down his spine as he worked to undo the other’s pants without preamble.
The expression on the other’s face said it all. “Don’t. Fucking. Tell. Me. What. To. Do,” he hissed, flipping the other around by his hips and pushing him face-first against the wall with one hand, as he took his dick out of his pants with the other.
“Ah, ow, ow, shit, that hurts, fuck, let me go, let me go!” the other hissed, struggling from his hold uselessly.
He leaned down and bit the other’s shoulder hard, covering the other’s mouth to muffle his screams. He was so hard by the time he was able to push the other’s pants down, his desire and his rage blinding him. He gripped the other’s hair and pushed his face roughly into the wall, bending his knees and aiming the blunt head of his cock.
The other was groaning hard, but he couldn’t hear him, not his voice, but someone else’s. He was so hard, so damn hard, and it was painful. He wanted to punish him. He wanted to punish Ohno by taking Ninomiya hard like this, kill him with his own bare hand.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!”
-----
They arrived in the apartment a quarter of an hour later, and Nino was certain Aiba noticed the familiar-looking car parked on the side of the next apartment building just as he’d maneuvered his car to their own apartment building’s basement parking. Their eyes met several times through the overhead mirror but since Nino didn’t open his mouth to comment on it at the time, Aiba obviously decided he wouldn’t, either.
At least until they were in the privacy of the spare bedroom where Aiba had helped him settled into when his best friend brought it up.
He sighed. “I was wondering if you noticed,” he commented, amused. “since you didn’t say anything. I guess you did, huh?”
Aiba chuckled as he settled on the bed, next to Nino’s feet. “I knew he would be there because he messaged me on our way here. He said something about that urgent thing he needed to take care back in Tokyo had been resolved on his way there, so he decided to drive back instead,”
“Wait, he was in Chiba too?” he asked, surprised.
Aiba nodded. “His family’s residence is in Tonosho, but I heard they’re not staying there anymore. His parents are staying in Tokyo, as is his sister and her family," Aiba explained, shaking his head. "And of course, you have no idea what I'm talking about, right? Sorry about that,”
He shrugged. “Can’t be helped,” he said, “It’s not like knowing it would make any difference. He’s still practically a stranger to me, despite all these conflicting emotions I feel when he’s near,” he sighed.
“That’s your heart remembering things for you, don’t you think?”
He scowled, if only to cover up the way he was blushing hard. “Stop it already,” he muttered, then found himself staring thoughtfully into a spot on the wall.
“You okay?”
“Can you check if his car’s still outside?” he asked. Aiba’s answering smile was soft and so, so fond that Nino found himself scowling at him in return. Aiba’s obviously embarrassing him on purpose, he thought, grunting when Aiba leaned over to mess his hair before he stood, took the few steps towards the window. He slid the curtains aside and took a peek.
“He’s gone, isn’t he?”
Aiba turned around to face him, smile still in place. “Nope, still there.”
“Shit,” he muttered, “Is he serious? Doesn’t he realize that he’s acting like total creep? What if someone notices him there? They might think he’s a stalker or something,”
Aiba chuckled. “Well, I don’t think he’s that interested about what other people might think of him. He obviously only cares about what you think,” Aiba said, “So, how about it? Does his presence creep you out? Be honest.”
He didn’t really to answer that, did he? “I think you need to tell him to quit acting like a bodyguard and go home,” he said instead.
Aiba grinned and fished his phone out of his pants’ pocket, handing it over for Nino to take.
“Wha -“
“Passcode’s 122482. Go tell him that yourself. I’ll go see if the love of my life needs anything. I’ll be right back to check if you need help going to the bathroom,” Aiba said, offering him a silly, two-fingered salute before he was out the door.
Nino sighed and stared at Aiba’s phone for a long while, contemplating.
“Ah, fuck this.”
-----
“I hope you’re not planning on staying the night there, otherwise, Aiba-san might be forced to invite you in,” was the very first thing Nino said when he accepted the call, honestly thinking it was Aiba who was calling.
Ohno had to swallow the urge to smile. It was hard, given the way this simple gesture was making him feel like he was twenty-three again, and was taking Nino out to dinner for the first time.
“You thought we didn’t notice you there, did you?” Nino inquired after a while.
“I was hoping you didn’t,” he answered, “I just. Well, I was just planning on staying here until I’m sure you guys made it home safely, but. Ah, never mind that. You should rest, it’s late,”
Nino chuckled then, and the sound of it made his heart ached in a completely different way. “I could tell you the same thing, Ohno-san,” Nino murmured, “So, go home and rest. Remember, you’re driving back here again to accompany me to Choshi, and also help me push my wheelchair for me. So, we need you well-rested and healthy, if you know what I’m saying.”
“I hear you,” he answered.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”
He wouldn’t ever get tired of this, hearing Nino’s voice when he didn’t think he ever would again. He was so lucky, so damn lucky, and he wouldn’t ever stop thanking the heavens for this gift, for as long as he lived. He smiled through the tightness in his chest and breathed.
One step at a time. He could do this.
“You bet,” he whispered, “Goodnight, Kazu.”
“Night, Ohno-san. Drive safely, okay? And message me, well, this is Aiba-san’s phone so, message him once you get home, yeah? Just so we know you’re home already.”
“I’ll do that,”
“Good. Bye for now?”
He was smiling so hard it hurt. “Yeah,” he agreed. The last he heard was the sound of Nino’s chuckles before the line was cut, startled when his phone started vibrating again in his grasp before he could even put it down.
It was Jun.
He frowned when he answered. “Hey, what’s -“ he said, or at least started to, until he realized something was wrong. Jun sounded - breathless, and he was stringing words together so fast he could barely catch up.
“Jun, Jun, calm down, I can’t understand you. Slow down, slow down please,”
Jun obeyed and he heard the other man took a few steadying breaths from the other end before he was speaking again.
“Satoshi,” Jun started, “Yuri-kun is dead.”