Mood Bulb - Afterward
Two weeks almost to the day and I'm back. and let me just say, it was a break i deathly needed. But after trying to write Yasashi Kedo (which i had been dearly missing when finishing Mood Bulb) i realized the reason i couldn't get any words down on paper was because i had left this unfinished. So here you go. enjoy~!
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Afterward
Ohno was avoiding his family. He hadn’t been home for almost two weeks now. Not since the Oosama broadcast. You’d think it was a cowardly thing for him to do-especially after gathering the courage to do that-but the truth was that he had little to spare now that it was over.
Complete strangers he could handle-he couldn’t care less what they thought about him. But…it was different with someone who has known you for your entire life.
What if they didn’t understand? What if they thought he was deliberately trying to shame them with this? What if they wanted nothing to do with him now that they knew? He was terrified of finding out.
And, if by the slight chance they did support him, he was afraid they would be hurt that he didn’t trust them and tell them sooner.
Yes, family was complicated-being the ‘gay son’ even more so. Which was why Ohno now lay in the pitch-dark of Nino’s room, unable to fall asleep in the haven that was the man’s bed.
He sighed, and, pulling the covers up around his arms, flopped over, so that now he stared into the eerie nothingness of Nino’s bedroom.
“Oh-chan?” Nino’s quiet voice slid through the dark like a knife through soft butter.
“Hmn?” Ohno hummed in response, rolling back over to peer at the indistinguishable lump that was Nino.
Then the lump moved and warm arms snaked their way around his waist. Nino’s head rested itself on his chest.
“Just go see them. Worrying about it won’t help.”
“Hmn…”
Nino was right, of course, and he’d been saying the same all week to try and gently push Ohno to do it, but Ohno still wasn’t sure if he was ready.
“It’s been two weeks-I’m sure they’ve had plenty of time to think it over and calm down. They may not even know yet.”
Ohno was silent, struggling to find that one ounce of courage that would harden his resolve. It just wasn’t there. He sighed, wondering if this would ever get any easier-if he would ever be ready to confront this.
“You’re going tomorrow,” Nino told him, “No excuses. Your mother is probably worried sick about you and then it’s my ass on the line.” He paused, searching for the smile that never came-not that he would have been able to see it in the dark otherwise.
“And besides,” he continued, “You can’t hide out here forever. Sooner or later you’re going to have to face them.
Warm lips pressed against his cheek, and then Nino flopped back over to his side of the bed. Silence ensued. Before long, Ohno could make out his calm, stretched breathing, signifying that the man had found sleep.
He, however, was not so lucky.
***
Fwump!
Something soft and squishy-and yet somehow hard at the same time-landed on Ohno’s face, startling him awake.
“Get up!” came Nino’s voice somewhere in the floating world off to his left.
Then the pillow was removed and Ohno opened his eyes, remembering where he was. Nino’s face appeared above him, annoyance set in the man’s jaw.
“Hurry up!” he commanded, stealing the covers away. Ohno shivered and fought to pull them back.
“W-why do I hvnnngnnnp…”
Too exhausted to protest any longer, he collapsed back on the bed, curled up into a ball, and pulled his pillow over his head, grumbling about pushy boyfriends.
Nino lifted the pillow away from him and replied.
“Because we’re going to see your parents today, that’s why.”
That got Ohno’s attention. He sat up suddenly, peering at Nino curiously through eyes red with insomnia.
“You’re going?” he asked, his brow drawn together in confusion.
“Of course I’m going. Why wouldn’t I go?”
“You never said…”
“You never asked.” Nino gave him a smug smile for a brief moment before it changed. His brow tightened and he frowned.
“Why didn’t you ask? We’re a team, aren’t we? Partners? Did you really think you were alone in this?”
“O-of course we are!” Ohno insisted, “I just never thought…”
“Stupid,” Nino insulted, but he said it warmly, lovingly, dropping a light kiss on the man’s lips. “Now come on, get dressed.”
***
An hour later Ohno found himself on his own doorstep, feeling like an intruder as he slipped the key into the lock. He called out a feeble “Tadaima…” and slipped off his shoes, stepping carefully onto the wooden floor.
“Kaa-san? Oyaji?”
“Satoshi?” Mrs. Ohno appeared from around the corner, dishtowel in hand, a dumbstruck look on her face. “Honey, Satoshi is home!” she called over her shoulder. She turned back to face her son. “Where have you been? I haven’t heard from you in-in two weeks! Why haven’t you called? I’ve been worried sick about you!”
She pulled Ohno into a forceful embrace, nearly knocking the wind out of him. When she let him go, she looked expectantly for an answer.
“Well?”
“I-I’ve been at K-at Ninomiya’s,” Ohno stuttered. His cheeks burned from the slipup he’d almost made. He’d gotten so used to calling Nino by his first name, it was becoming a habit. It wouldn’t matter a few minutes from now, maybe, but he didn’t want his parents questioning their familiarity with each other before he had the chance to explain.
“And Ninomiya-kun doesn’t have a phone?” Here Mrs. Ohno gave Nino a pointed stare, setting her hands on her hips.
“Ah, well, we’ve been busy,” Nino said defensively, putting his hands up, “With work…”
“Don’t give me that crap! I saw the papers-I don’t live under a rock, you know!” Ohno’s mother snapped back at him, “I know you’ve been given time off.”
“Then…you’ve heard the rumors?” Ohno asked tentatively.
That was when his dad chose to shuffle in from the living room. As soon as he saw Nino was there, a deep frown set in on his face.
“Rumor?” Mrs. Ohno blubbered, throwing her hands up, “What rumor? There are so many popping up that I don’t know what to believe!”
“I mean the one about K-Kazu and I.” This time when the man’s name started slipping out, Ohno let it. As soon as he did, a dark shadow passed over his father’s face-it was the shadow of suspicion.
“Oh yes, that one.” Ohno’s mother brushed the matter off, as if to say, ‘were you really worried I would believe that?’
“It’s not true, is it?” Ohno’s father demanded, squinting at the two of them.
Ohno took an unconscious step away from Nino. It would be so easy to lie under the scrutinizing gaze of his father-he was pretty sure neither of them had seen the Oosama interview. He glanced back at Nino, checking himself. His eyes trailed lazily to the space above the man’s head, where the mood bulb once churned a deep blue. It was gone now, but the memory of it still remained.
He turned back to his parents, closing the gap between him and Nino and snatching up the man’s hand.
“It is,” he confirmed proudly, “It’s true.”
He squeezed the hand, taking comfort in the fact that it was there, and steeled himself for the inevitable explosion about to occur.
Then an arm was around his neck, pulling him into the nook of his mother’s shoulder. The other wrapped itself around Nino’s, pulling him to her as well.
“It’s about time,” she said as she released them, stepping back. She dabbed at her eyes with the dishtowel, her cheeks pink from either embarrassment or happiness, or both. “It’s about time.”
Ohno’s father merely scowled at the touching scene. Then, with a disapproving shake of his head, he returned to the living room.
“Dad?” Ohno called after him, but the only reply he received was the television being turned way up.
Mrs. Ohno gave her son a sad smile.
“Don’t worry sweety,” she said, petting the back of his head reassuringly, “He’ll come around.”
And eventually he did, for his part.
---
Now that you've read this, I can reveal the good news--while writing this, my brain started going, "hmm...what WOULD get his dad to come around? Well, stay tuned. I intend on writing it.
---
To the Epilogue~!
---
Afterward
Ohno was avoiding his family. He hadn’t been home for almost two weeks now. Not since the Oosama broadcast. You’d think it was a cowardly thing for him to do-especially after gathering the courage to do that-but the truth was that he had little to spare now that it was over.
Complete strangers he could handle-he couldn’t care less what they thought about him. But…it was different with someone who has known you for your entire life.
What if they didn’t understand? What if they thought he was deliberately trying to shame them with this? What if they wanted nothing to do with him now that they knew? He was terrified of finding out.
And, if by the slight chance they did support him, he was afraid they would be hurt that he didn’t trust them and tell them sooner.
Yes, family was complicated-being the ‘gay son’ even more so. Which was why Ohno now lay in the pitch-dark of Nino’s room, unable to fall asleep in the haven that was the man’s bed.
He sighed, and, pulling the covers up around his arms, flopped over, so that now he stared into the eerie nothingness of Nino’s bedroom.
“Oh-chan?” Nino’s quiet voice slid through the dark like a knife through soft butter.
“Hmn?” Ohno hummed in response, rolling back over to peer at the indistinguishable lump that was Nino.
Then the lump moved and warm arms snaked their way around his waist. Nino’s head rested itself on his chest.
“Just go see them. Worrying about it won’t help.”
“Hmn…”
Nino was right, of course, and he’d been saying the same all week to try and gently push Ohno to do it, but Ohno still wasn’t sure if he was ready.
“It’s been two weeks-I’m sure they’ve had plenty of time to think it over and calm down. They may not even know yet.”
Ohno was silent, struggling to find that one ounce of courage that would harden his resolve. It just wasn’t there. He sighed, wondering if this would ever get any easier-if he would ever be ready to confront this.
“You’re going tomorrow,” Nino told him, “No excuses. Your mother is probably worried sick about you and then it’s my ass on the line.” He paused, searching for the smile that never came-not that he would have been able to see it in the dark otherwise.
“And besides,” he continued, “You can’t hide out here forever. Sooner or later you’re going to have to face them.
Warm lips pressed against his cheek, and then Nino flopped back over to his side of the bed. Silence ensued. Before long, Ohno could make out his calm, stretched breathing, signifying that the man had found sleep.
He, however, was not so lucky.
***
Fwump!
Something soft and squishy-and yet somehow hard at the same time-landed on Ohno’s face, startling him awake.
“Get up!” came Nino’s voice somewhere in the floating world off to his left.
Then the pillow was removed and Ohno opened his eyes, remembering where he was. Nino’s face appeared above him, annoyance set in the man’s jaw.
“Hurry up!” he commanded, stealing the covers away. Ohno shivered and fought to pull them back.
“W-why do I hvnnngnnnp…”
Too exhausted to protest any longer, he collapsed back on the bed, curled up into a ball, and pulled his pillow over his head, grumbling about pushy boyfriends.
Nino lifted the pillow away from him and replied.
“Because we’re going to see your parents today, that’s why.”
That got Ohno’s attention. He sat up suddenly, peering at Nino curiously through eyes red with insomnia.
“You’re going?” he asked, his brow drawn together in confusion.
“Of course I’m going. Why wouldn’t I go?”
“You never said…”
“You never asked.” Nino gave him a smug smile for a brief moment before it changed. His brow tightened and he frowned.
“Why didn’t you ask? We’re a team, aren’t we? Partners? Did you really think you were alone in this?”
“O-of course we are!” Ohno insisted, “I just never thought…”
“Stupid,” Nino insulted, but he said it warmly, lovingly, dropping a light kiss on the man’s lips. “Now come on, get dressed.”
***
An hour later Ohno found himself on his own doorstep, feeling like an intruder as he slipped the key into the lock. He called out a feeble “Tadaima…” and slipped off his shoes, stepping carefully onto the wooden floor.
“Kaa-san? Oyaji?”
“Satoshi?” Mrs. Ohno appeared from around the corner, dishtowel in hand, a dumbstruck look on her face. “Honey, Satoshi is home!” she called over her shoulder. She turned back to face her son. “Where have you been? I haven’t heard from you in-in two weeks! Why haven’t you called? I’ve been worried sick about you!”
She pulled Ohno into a forceful embrace, nearly knocking the wind out of him. When she let him go, she looked expectantly for an answer.
“Well?”
“I-I’ve been at K-at Ninomiya’s,” Ohno stuttered. His cheeks burned from the slipup he’d almost made. He’d gotten so used to calling Nino by his first name, it was becoming a habit. It wouldn’t matter a few minutes from now, maybe, but he didn’t want his parents questioning their familiarity with each other before he had the chance to explain.
“And Ninomiya-kun doesn’t have a phone?” Here Mrs. Ohno gave Nino a pointed stare, setting her hands on her hips.
“Ah, well, we’ve been busy,” Nino said defensively, putting his hands up, “With work…”
“Don’t give me that crap! I saw the papers-I don’t live under a rock, you know!” Ohno’s mother snapped back at him, “I know you’ve been given time off.”
“Then…you’ve heard the rumors?” Ohno asked tentatively.
That was when his dad chose to shuffle in from the living room. As soon as he saw Nino was there, a deep frown set in on his face.
“Rumor?” Mrs. Ohno blubbered, throwing her hands up, “What rumor? There are so many popping up that I don’t know what to believe!”
“I mean the one about K-Kazu and I.” This time when the man’s name started slipping out, Ohno let it. As soon as he did, a dark shadow passed over his father’s face-it was the shadow of suspicion.
“Oh yes, that one.” Ohno’s mother brushed the matter off, as if to say, ‘were you really worried I would believe that?’
“It’s not true, is it?” Ohno’s father demanded, squinting at the two of them.
Ohno took an unconscious step away from Nino. It would be so easy to lie under the scrutinizing gaze of his father-he was pretty sure neither of them had seen the Oosama interview. He glanced back at Nino, checking himself. His eyes trailed lazily to the space above the man’s head, where the mood bulb once churned a deep blue. It was gone now, but the memory of it still remained.
He turned back to his parents, closing the gap between him and Nino and snatching up the man’s hand.
“It is,” he confirmed proudly, “It’s true.”
He squeezed the hand, taking comfort in the fact that it was there, and steeled himself for the inevitable explosion about to occur.
Then an arm was around his neck, pulling him into the nook of his mother’s shoulder. The other wrapped itself around Nino’s, pulling him to her as well.
“It’s about time,” she said as she released them, stepping back. She dabbed at her eyes with the dishtowel, her cheeks pink from either embarrassment or happiness, or both. “It’s about time.”
Ohno’s father merely scowled at the touching scene. Then, with a disapproving shake of his head, he returned to the living room.
“Dad?” Ohno called after him, but the only reply he received was the television being turned way up.
Mrs. Ohno gave her son a sad smile.
“Don’t worry sweety,” she said, petting the back of his head reassuringly, “He’ll come around.”
And eventually he did, for his part.
---
Now that you've read this, I can reveal the good news--while writing this, my brain started going, "hmm...what WOULD get his dad to come around? Well, stay tuned. I intend on writing it.
---
To the Epilogue~!