Fic: Stars - Betwixt
Title: Betwixt (VII)
Universe: Stars
Pairing(s): Ohmiya
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 3,653
Disclaimer: Do. Not. Own. Unfortunately.
Summary: Four years after 'Adjacent'. Established relationships can be just as hard to manage as budding ones. Maybe standing up and growing up is basically the same thing?
Author's Notes: Finally! For Kailice, for inspiring me.
*
Unsere Kindheit is vorbei
Es weht ein rauer Wind
Wenn du dich jetzt versteckst
Dann werd ich dich suchen
Warum kann ich dich nicht trösten?
Warum gehst du in die Dunkelheit?
Siehst du nichts mehr was dich hält?
Warum kann ich dich nicht trösten?
Warum gehst du aus der Wirklichkeit
In eine andere parallele Welt?
- Trösten, by Ich+Ich
*
Nino awoke and stared at Ohno’s back. Ohno hadn’t wrapped him up in his arms in sleep like he usually did. Nino frowned.
It was in how Ohno spaced out more than usual, how his mental distance was becoming greater, as if he wasn’t simply another place, but his thoughts were at work somewhere else, too.
Something was eating away at Ohno. Well, perhaps not eating away, but Ohno’s mind was definitely not here.
It wasn’t really that they were arguing, because they weren’t. Admittedly, their tempers were running a bit short lately, but they weren’t arguing per se. They both made a point of never leaving while angry to the point of murder, so they never went to bed not on speaking terms, but their discussion yesterday had certainly been one of the more heated ones.
Nino sighed and reached out to Ohno’s tense shoulders. He sometimes wished that he had less of a sharp tongue and that Ohno would speak his mind more. If they could somehow meet in the middle.
They often joked and said that Nino spoke enough for the both of them, but being in the relationship was hard; much harder than Nino had initially thought that autumn night when he had kissed Ohno for the first time.
He let his fingers slide through the hair at the back of Ohno’s head, and in his sleep Ohno shifted closer to the touch.
Nino would be lying it he said it wasn’t worth it. Because it was. It was hard and wonderful and tough and amazing all rolled into one. He had never thought it’d be this hard to love someone, be this frustrating and still feel so good about everything. Ohno gave him a quiet confidence and a support Nino knew he wouldn’t ever be able to be without again.
The thing about Ohno was that he loved so completely. It had taken more than a year for him to open up fully, let Nino in on the painful aspects of his life and his duty and his destiny and the stars, but Nino was confident that he knew everything that he should know and more.
However, knowing and liking what he knew were two different things. Certain aspects of Ohno’s life…Nino accepted them, but he wasn’t happy about them. Those damned stars that Ohno loved and adored; Nino hated them with fiery passion. Because they hurt Ohno. Every. Single. Time.
Nino scooted closer to Ohno, eliminating the small distance between them, and he kissed the bony shoulder peeking out from under the blankets. Ohno had lost so much weight lately.
That had been one of the things they had disagreed on yesterday. Ohno not taking care of himself.
Nino just felt like he never really saw Ohno these days. Not really. Either Ohno was wrapped up in charts and prayers and ceremonies, or he was out of town, doing something or another. It had been like this for months.
And he didn’t want Nino to come with him.
So all Nino saw was the thin and exhausted man that came home to him.
And while Nino knew that Ohno had to do these things, it bothered him, damn it.
Nino worried. And not just for Ohno, but for himself, too. His family, namely his mother, was objecting more and more to the notion of Nino never getting married and producing an heir. His mother was threatening to disown him, and he knew that she was dead serious. He couldn’t believe that few years ago, she had looked fondly at him at his coming of age, spoken to the guests and proudly declared that he was her son and heir to the Ninomiya house.
It seemed like more than just a few years had passed. When Nino looked at her now, he only saw a cold woman.
And if it had been for the fact that she didn’t like Ohno, it would had been easier, but she genuinely liked Ohno, had liked him very much until she discovered that they were indeed very serious.
Nino curled his fingers in the blanket covering Ohno. Ohno had much to think about already, Nino was sure. He wouldn’t bother Ohno with a possible disowning looming over his head. After all, Ohno knew that she had said it, just not that it was approaching rapidly the more Nino refused.
He propped himself up on his elbow to look at Ohno’s sleeping face. Dark circles and gaunt cheeks.
Nino sighed and dropped a feather light kiss to Ohno’s temple before leaving the bed. When he had donned his robes on, he threw a look at Ohno, who was now looking at him through sleepy eyes.
“I’ll be back tonight,” Nino said quietly.
“Visions,” Ohno murmured and stretched a bit.
“Doesn’t matter, you know that,” Nino scolded and leaned down to stare Ohno down. “Tonight. Eat something.”
*
“You should tell Ohno-kun,” Sho said, his brows furrowing.
“Not right now,” Nino responded and looked earnestly at Sho. “What would you want me to say?”
“I don’t know,” Sho replied, “but where will you live if you get disowned?”
Nino looked down, shrugging.
“Nino, we don’t care if you get disowned, we’ll still be your friends and our houses will be open for both of you, but it’s really not a permanent solution. What will you do?”
“I don’t know, okay?” Nino breathed out, frustration lacing his tone.
Sho paced a bit. “You should talk to Ohno-san, that’s what you should do. He deserves to know, he’s as much a part of this as you are. After all, he’s the reason why you’ll be removed from your family.”
“Not tonight,” Nino conceded, “it’s going to be full moon and completely clear skies tonight.”
It was only because Sho was such a dear friend that Nino didn’t deck him for the sympathetic look he received.
*
“Kazu,” Ohno gasped as he doubled over, clinging to the edge of the table and knocking several things off in the process, “where are you?”
Nino was by his side in an instant, willing himself not to look at Ohno’s white eyes - seeing, but at the same time, not seeing at all. He slid Ohno’s arm over his shoulder and supported him to the bed, lying down next to him, holding the older man close as shivers and winces wrecked the thin frame.
Nino closed his eyes against the prickling in his eyes as Ohno called out for him all through the night, each time sounding more and more desperate, more frantic and urgent.
He knew that it didn’t mean that Ohno was seeing anything about Nino, just that Ohno called out for the only thing that made sense to his muddled brain. Nino feared that one day, Ohno would be trapped in the powerful visions, never again opening those brilliant brown eyes and look at Nino and really see him.
And as the sun finally broke the dark night and Ohno eased into a deep sleep, Nino could rest, too. Once more, Ohno would return to him.
*
“Satoshi-kun,” Jun rose from his chair as he watched Nino and Ohno approaching.
Ohno was looking emaciated and exhausted, leaning on Nino and walking slowly and deliberately as if each step caused him discomfort. He looked up at Jun and smiled weakly.
“I hope you’re not intending to leave tomorrow,” Jun said, crossing his arms when the couple sat down. “You’re in no shape.”
“I have to,” Ohno said at the same time as Nino said, “That’s what I said.”
Despite the situation, Nino and Ohno exchanged a glance and a smile.
Ohno looked at Jun. “Tomorrow should be the last trip in a while if everything works out.”
Nino huffed. “And then? Will you come back to me as a skeleton?”
“You’re not being reasonable,” Ohno said softly, and Nino could see that he wouldn’t get Ohno to say more on the matter right now.
So when they left Jun’s place, Nino’s head was ringing with both Jun’s words of worry and his own thoughts, and he refused to reply when Ohno talked to him.
He knew he was being childish.
“Kazu,” Ohno said when they entered Ohno’s room in his home.
Still not replying, Nino just looked at him.
“I’m leaving tomorrow; do we have to argue now?” Ohno asked softly as he took off his outer robe and got ready for sleep.
“We’re not even talking, how can we be arguing?” Nino said coolly, also getting out of his robes.
Nino saw how Ohno’s jaw tightened but knew that Ohno wouldn’t say anything against it. “You’re right,” he said instead, after a moment, before slipping into the futon. He paused before turning his back to Nino. “Sleep well.”
Nino frowned and blew the candles out before slipping into the futon behind Ohno.
“Satoshi, seriously,” Nino tried, but Ohno’s back was tense and silent. He scooted close to Ohno and wrapped his arm around Ohno’s waist, and he was tremendously relieved when Ohno’s hand wrapped around his own.
Nino pressed closer and pressed his lips between Ohno’s shoulders. “Sorry.”
He could hear Ohno’s forgiveness in the way the older man breathed out.
“Don’t be mad when you leave,” Nino whispered.
“I’m not,” Ohno said, squeezing Nino’s hand. “It’s only six days.”
“Six days is a long time.”
Ohno chuckled, “you’ll get tired of me.”
“Never,” Nino vowed fiercely even though he knew Ohno was kidding. He still vividly remembered Ohno’s absence four years ago.
Ohno turned and faced Nino, and Nino could only see the faint glitter in Ohno’s eyes.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” Ohno said softly.
Nino nodded and scooted even closer, his arm tightening around Ohno’s waist.
“Satoshi, I’m not kidding, you’re so thin. It scares me.”
“I know,” Ohno said, his hand coming to a rest on Nino’s hip bone. “Everything will slow down, soon. And it’ll be just you and I.”
“I hope so,” Nino breathed out, pressing forward and kissing Ohno softly. “I want to feel you and not fear that you’ll break.”
In the darkness of the room, Nino more felt than saw Ohno’s tentative smile, and Nino somehow came to think of a promise. “Soon.”
*
“Nino, stop biting your nails,” Jun snapped for the fifth time, looking at Nino pacing in the Star room.
“He should be here now,” Nino returned, momentarily stopping his pacing. “It’s almost sundown.”
“Well, he won’t make it in time for the midnight prayer,” Jun rolled his eyes, “but you knew he’d probably be delayed. They’re always delayed.”
“But he should be here,” Nino insisted, fully knowing that he was sounding like the brat they all accused him of being.
Jun rolled his eyes again. “You are such an idiot, sometimes I really do wonder how Ohno-kun puts up with you.”
“Because he loves me,” Nino said, completely confident in that fact. “And that’s why-”
The sound of commotion reached their ears and Nino stopped mid sentence. His lips twitched and Jun snickered at how much Nino resembled a wife waiting for her husband to come home.
When the door to the Star room opened, Nino was at his feet and when Ohno’s slender body entered, Nino was already holding on to him. Ohno’s arms wound around Nino’s waist and with a squeeze to Ohno’s shoulder, Jun tactfully left the two.
“Toshi,” Nino said, “you’re late.”
“Caught up,” Ohno apologized and he winced a bit when Nino pulled back a little to look Ohno over.
“Don’t you ever eat?” Nino reprimanded, running his fingers over the prominent cheekbones.
“When I’m hungry,” Ohno responded and reached up to hold Nino’s face with both hands, leaning forward and kissing Nino so tenderly that Nino forgot his own name for a long moment.
Breathless, his eyes closed, Nino’s hands bunched on the back of Ohno’s robes when Ohno pulled back a little.
“I missed you,” Ohno said with that tone that Nino knew was reserved for him and him alone.
“I told you,” Nino said with mock-haughtiness, “it was a long time.”
Ohno kissed him again and Nino suspected that it was to shut him up, but it worked.
*
“But you promised!” Nino said, not caring the least that he was being childish.
“I didn’t,” Ohno said tiredly, pausing briefly from packing. “I said if everything worked out.”
“And that’s it? It didn’t work out, so now you’re leaving again, just like that?”
Ohno nodded curtly before resuming his activity.
Nino shook his head, biting his lip and trying to not blow up. “Do you even care that I don’t want you to leave?”
Ohno tensed, but didn’t stop.
“Satoshi, seriously, why do you do this to us?”
“Come with me,” Ohno countered, still not looking up.
“I don’t want to have to travel to be with you,” Nino snapped, regretting it the moment the words left his lips. It was a lie, damn it, he would do whatever, everything, it took.
“I want you with me,” Ohno said sharply, turning to Nino, “but you don’t want to. So now I have to ask you, why do you do this to us?”
Nino winced as if he had been burnt. He deserved that.
Ohno tied his bag closed and picked it up. He stepped up to Nino and pecked his cheek.
“Morning well,” he said, “take care of yourself until I get back.”
“I love you,” Nino offered, “you know I do.”
Ohno breathed deeply, nodding. His hand found Nino’s wrist, and he brought it up to his lips, ghosting a kiss over the knuckles.
“I don’t want to go when you only ask me because I beg you to,” Nino said softly.
“That’s not why I ask you,” Ohno said, dropping his bag to the floor, and finding Nino’s fingers with his free hand. “You’re not ready, yet.”
“For what?”
Ohno smiled that melancholic smile of his and just kissed Nino goodbye.
*
“Ninomiya Kazunari, you cannot be serious.”
“I am, mother,” Nino said seriously.
“For that boy, you will throw your life away.”
“He is a man, mother,” Nino barely resisted snapping, “and yes, I will, if it comes to that.”
Nino’s mother sat down, shaking her head. “Do you not care about the future of the House? Or think of your own future?”
Nino gritted his teeth. “Satoshi is my future.”
He turned on his heel and didn’t see his mother’s tears.
*
Because he had been pacing enough to make even Aiba stressed out, Nino had gone to the only person he knew understood Ohno.
“Machida-san,” he said when the older man opened the door to his quarters. “Can I come in?”
Machida inclined his head and stepped to the side, letting Nino in.
“Are you alright, Ninomiya-san?”
Nino regarded Machida for a long moment. “Not really,” he admitted.
He had spent so much time being jealous of Machida, of how well he knew Ohno and how many years they had known each other, but he knew now that he had been an idiot. Machida was too much like Ohno for them to work out, or so Machida had said with a laugh.
Machida shrugged. “Satoshi neither. That stubborn idiot.”
“And here I thought I was the idiot,” Nino chuckled dryly.
“Oh, Satoshi has his moments,” Machida grinned, “but you already know that. So, what do you need me for?”
Nino paused. When he couldn’t get Ohno to speak, the older man usually had his reasons, so could he really just ask Machida?
“Something has been bothering him,” Nino began, “but he won’t tell me. Do you know what it is?”
Machida’s face was carefully neutral, and his voice didn’t reveal anything when he said, “Yes.”
“And I suppose you won’t tell me.”
“You’re right about that.”
Nino grumbled.
“He wants to tell you himself,” Machida explained, a smile playing on his lips.
“Is it serious?”
The scholar appeared to think for a moment. “Yes.”
Nino crossed his arms.
“Ninomiya-san,” Machida said with a sigh, “if this is bothering you so much, why don’t you go to him?”
“I don’t know if he wants me to be there, our last farewell wasn’t exactly all on friendly terms.”
“I’m somewhat shocked that you doubt it, still,” Machida said, frowning a bit, and not for the first time, Nino wondered how much Machida knew about everything. “But Satoshi will always want you by his side.”
“I know,” Nino lowered his head, feeling scolded. “But I don’t know where he is.”
Machida’s mouth curled into a mischievous smile. “I know.”
“And you’ll tell me?”
“Of course.”
*
When Nino arrived, he was a bit surprised. He didn’t know what he had expected, truly. Maybe a temple, prayers, Ohno in a daze, in a coma or trapped in visions. Something that obviously made Ohno tired, lose weight and turn into a shadow of his former self.
But he hadn’t expected to go to an address just a bit outside of Tokyo, to a house. Following Machida’s directions, he went up to the house. He let his hand rest on the doorframe for a few moments before knocking.
He received no answer.
He opened the door, peeking inside, looking at a completely empty room. He thought he heard the sound of movement, some bustling and rustling.
“Satoshi?”
The sounds stopped.
“Nino?” Ohno called in response. The voice came from further within the house, and Nino took it as invitation to step inside.
The house was really empty, nothing inside. Walking along a hallway, he ended up looking inside a room where Ohno was on all fours…working on the floor?
“What are you doing?”
Ohno looked up before leaning back to sit on the part of the floor that was finished. He wiped his sweaty forehead with his sleeve.
“The floor?”
“Not that, just, what are you doing?”
Ohno shrugged. “I’m building a house.”
“Why?”
Ohno smiled. “For you. Us.”
Nino had to grip the doorframe to keep from falling over. He felt the room start spinning and he was so grateful when Ohno quickly got to his feet and grounded him with a hand on his back, a hand on his shoulder.
“A house?” He managed to say.
Ohno’s wry smile filled Nino’s vision. “Why not?”
“You’re absolutely mad,” Nino said, feeling relief and something else bubbling over in his chest, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “Why would you do that?”
Ohno shrugged as if it was obvious. “I’ve always wanted to build a house at some point. And we’ll need some place to live, right?”
Again, Nino was floored. “Have you known about my mother all the time?”
Ohno ducked his head. “Not precisely. I just saw disturbances. And I’m not that dense.”
“I didn’t want to worry you,” Nino confessed. “You already seemed so stressed.”
“I was worried, but more about if I would get the house ready in time. Or if you’d want to live here with me.”
“After all this time,” Nino said, blinking rapidly, “you’d- no, stop that, never think that again.”
He took a deep breath and for the first time, he really looked at the house. It was beautiful.
Like Ohno Satoshi was.
“Toshi, you built this? This? All of it?”
“I had help,” Ohno admitted, “but I drew it and I’ve done all the things I could do myself. When I came back from the temples, I came here and worked on it before coming back to you.”
“I was worried to death about you,” Nino pinched Ohno just under the ribs and Ohno squirmed, “and you were here, building me a house?”
“Uh, yes?”
“A house.”
“Yes.”
“For us.”
“Is that so hard to believe?”
“It’s just…” Nino trailed off. He had no idea what he wanted to say, so he settled for; “you’re insane, but I love you.”
His arms found their way around Ohno’s shoulders by instinct, and he just held on.
“Probably another month before it’s finished,” Ohno said into Nino’s neck. “Can you wait that long?”
“I’ll manage.”
*
“I want to marry Ohno-kun,” Aiba said dreamily, running his fingers over the walls. “I want him to build me a house, too.”
“I think you’ll have to fight Nino for it,” Jun said, grinning. If anyone of them said they weren’t relieved, they’d be lying.
It had been months since they had seen Nino’s smile this bright.
“Seriously, Nino is such a sap,” Jun sniffed. “Look at that.”
Nino was watching Ohno flitter around the house, beaming. He caught Sho’s eyes.
“I imagine your mother wasn’t too thrilled,” Sho remarked, when Nino walked over to them.
“She wasn’t,” Nino agreed, the smile never leaving his lips, “but she didn’t expect this.”
“And it doesn’t bother you?”
“She won’t disown me,” Nino said, sounding confident, “she thought threats would work because she didn’t expect me to be serious. It would bother me to be disowned, but I wouldn’t care too much. Oh-chan won’t care and his family won’t either.”
“That’s good,” Jun said, nodding. “I’m just surprised that Ohno-kun owns this house.”
“It was a gift to him from his father when he came of age,” Nino explained, “but he wasn’t too fond of the house, so he tore it down and built this.”
“Honestly,” Aiba said, pouting, “can we share Oh-chan?”
“He’s not listening,” Jun chuckled when Nino had already set off to find Ohno again.
“Oh god, we really have to knock here, guys,” Sho suddenly exclaimed, sounding horrified, “they’re going to be gross all the time.”
“Jealous,” Nino’s voice sounded from down the hallway before he came up to the others again, this time with his fingers laced with Ohno’s.
“You wish,” Sho said, but grinned. “So when are you going to move?”
“Three weeks,” Ohno said squeezed Nino’s fingers.
Nino beamed. Three weeks. He could definitely live with that.
*
/End of Betwixt
AN: After ‘Artifice’ and ‘Adjacent’ I thought for a really long time about where to go from there. Originally, I meant to write another B-piece before this, but this wanted out, so here it is! When I finally got started on it for real, it was easy to write. I really like this piece, because they’re so grown up. Seriously, they’re not children anymore, they’re living as adults now.
And that is scary as hell D:
I think the next one will be another B-piece, but I’m not sure. I have several projects I’m working on at the moment, so please bear with the slow updates on this!
Universe: Stars
Pairing(s): Ohmiya
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 3,653
Disclaimer: Do. Not. Own. Unfortunately.
Summary: Four years after 'Adjacent'. Established relationships can be just as hard to manage as budding ones. Maybe standing up and growing up is basically the same thing?
Author's Notes: Finally! For Kailice, for inspiring me.
*
Unsere Kindheit is vorbei
Es weht ein rauer Wind
Wenn du dich jetzt versteckst
Dann werd ich dich suchen
Warum kann ich dich nicht trösten?
Warum gehst du in die Dunkelheit?
Siehst du nichts mehr was dich hält?
Warum kann ich dich nicht trösten?
Warum gehst du aus der Wirklichkeit
In eine andere parallele Welt?
- Trösten, by Ich+Ich
*
Nino awoke and stared at Ohno’s back. Ohno hadn’t wrapped him up in his arms in sleep like he usually did. Nino frowned.
It was in how Ohno spaced out more than usual, how his mental distance was becoming greater, as if he wasn’t simply another place, but his thoughts were at work somewhere else, too.
Something was eating away at Ohno. Well, perhaps not eating away, but Ohno’s mind was definitely not here.
It wasn’t really that they were arguing, because they weren’t. Admittedly, their tempers were running a bit short lately, but they weren’t arguing per se. They both made a point of never leaving while angry to the point of murder, so they never went to bed not on speaking terms, but their discussion yesterday had certainly been one of the more heated ones.
Nino sighed and reached out to Ohno’s tense shoulders. He sometimes wished that he had less of a sharp tongue and that Ohno would speak his mind more. If they could somehow meet in the middle.
They often joked and said that Nino spoke enough for the both of them, but being in the relationship was hard; much harder than Nino had initially thought that autumn night when he had kissed Ohno for the first time.
He let his fingers slide through the hair at the back of Ohno’s head, and in his sleep Ohno shifted closer to the touch.
Nino would be lying it he said it wasn’t worth it. Because it was. It was hard and wonderful and tough and amazing all rolled into one. He had never thought it’d be this hard to love someone, be this frustrating and still feel so good about everything. Ohno gave him a quiet confidence and a support Nino knew he wouldn’t ever be able to be without again.
The thing about Ohno was that he loved so completely. It had taken more than a year for him to open up fully, let Nino in on the painful aspects of his life and his duty and his destiny and the stars, but Nino was confident that he knew everything that he should know and more.
However, knowing and liking what he knew were two different things. Certain aspects of Ohno’s life…Nino accepted them, but he wasn’t happy about them. Those damned stars that Ohno loved and adored; Nino hated them with fiery passion. Because they hurt Ohno. Every. Single. Time.
Nino scooted closer to Ohno, eliminating the small distance between them, and he kissed the bony shoulder peeking out from under the blankets. Ohno had lost so much weight lately.
That had been one of the things they had disagreed on yesterday. Ohno not taking care of himself.
Nino just felt like he never really saw Ohno these days. Not really. Either Ohno was wrapped up in charts and prayers and ceremonies, or he was out of town, doing something or another. It had been like this for months.
And he didn’t want Nino to come with him.
So all Nino saw was the thin and exhausted man that came home to him.
And while Nino knew that Ohno had to do these things, it bothered him, damn it.
Nino worried. And not just for Ohno, but for himself, too. His family, namely his mother, was objecting more and more to the notion of Nino never getting married and producing an heir. His mother was threatening to disown him, and he knew that she was dead serious. He couldn’t believe that few years ago, she had looked fondly at him at his coming of age, spoken to the guests and proudly declared that he was her son and heir to the Ninomiya house.
It seemed like more than just a few years had passed. When Nino looked at her now, he only saw a cold woman.
And if it had been for the fact that she didn’t like Ohno, it would had been easier, but she genuinely liked Ohno, had liked him very much until she discovered that they were indeed very serious.
Nino curled his fingers in the blanket covering Ohno. Ohno had much to think about already, Nino was sure. He wouldn’t bother Ohno with a possible disowning looming over his head. After all, Ohno knew that she had said it, just not that it was approaching rapidly the more Nino refused.
He propped himself up on his elbow to look at Ohno’s sleeping face. Dark circles and gaunt cheeks.
Nino sighed and dropped a feather light kiss to Ohno’s temple before leaving the bed. When he had donned his robes on, he threw a look at Ohno, who was now looking at him through sleepy eyes.
“I’ll be back tonight,” Nino said quietly.
“Visions,” Ohno murmured and stretched a bit.
“Doesn’t matter, you know that,” Nino scolded and leaned down to stare Ohno down. “Tonight. Eat something.”
*
“You should tell Ohno-kun,” Sho said, his brows furrowing.
“Not right now,” Nino responded and looked earnestly at Sho. “What would you want me to say?”
“I don’t know,” Sho replied, “but where will you live if you get disowned?”
Nino looked down, shrugging.
“Nino, we don’t care if you get disowned, we’ll still be your friends and our houses will be open for both of you, but it’s really not a permanent solution. What will you do?”
“I don’t know, okay?” Nino breathed out, frustration lacing his tone.
Sho paced a bit. “You should talk to Ohno-san, that’s what you should do. He deserves to know, he’s as much a part of this as you are. After all, he’s the reason why you’ll be removed from your family.”
“Not tonight,” Nino conceded, “it’s going to be full moon and completely clear skies tonight.”
It was only because Sho was such a dear friend that Nino didn’t deck him for the sympathetic look he received.
*
“Kazu,” Ohno gasped as he doubled over, clinging to the edge of the table and knocking several things off in the process, “where are you?”
Nino was by his side in an instant, willing himself not to look at Ohno’s white eyes - seeing, but at the same time, not seeing at all. He slid Ohno’s arm over his shoulder and supported him to the bed, lying down next to him, holding the older man close as shivers and winces wrecked the thin frame.
Nino closed his eyes against the prickling in his eyes as Ohno called out for him all through the night, each time sounding more and more desperate, more frantic and urgent.
He knew that it didn’t mean that Ohno was seeing anything about Nino, just that Ohno called out for the only thing that made sense to his muddled brain. Nino feared that one day, Ohno would be trapped in the powerful visions, never again opening those brilliant brown eyes and look at Nino and really see him.
And as the sun finally broke the dark night and Ohno eased into a deep sleep, Nino could rest, too. Once more, Ohno would return to him.
*
“Satoshi-kun,” Jun rose from his chair as he watched Nino and Ohno approaching.
Ohno was looking emaciated and exhausted, leaning on Nino and walking slowly and deliberately as if each step caused him discomfort. He looked up at Jun and smiled weakly.
“I hope you’re not intending to leave tomorrow,” Jun said, crossing his arms when the couple sat down. “You’re in no shape.”
“I have to,” Ohno said at the same time as Nino said, “That’s what I said.”
Despite the situation, Nino and Ohno exchanged a glance and a smile.
Ohno looked at Jun. “Tomorrow should be the last trip in a while if everything works out.”
Nino huffed. “And then? Will you come back to me as a skeleton?”
“You’re not being reasonable,” Ohno said softly, and Nino could see that he wouldn’t get Ohno to say more on the matter right now.
So when they left Jun’s place, Nino’s head was ringing with both Jun’s words of worry and his own thoughts, and he refused to reply when Ohno talked to him.
He knew he was being childish.
“Kazu,” Ohno said when they entered Ohno’s room in his home.
Still not replying, Nino just looked at him.
“I’m leaving tomorrow; do we have to argue now?” Ohno asked softly as he took off his outer robe and got ready for sleep.
“We’re not even talking, how can we be arguing?” Nino said coolly, also getting out of his robes.
Nino saw how Ohno’s jaw tightened but knew that Ohno wouldn’t say anything against it. “You’re right,” he said instead, after a moment, before slipping into the futon. He paused before turning his back to Nino. “Sleep well.”
Nino frowned and blew the candles out before slipping into the futon behind Ohno.
“Satoshi, seriously,” Nino tried, but Ohno’s back was tense and silent. He scooted close to Ohno and wrapped his arm around Ohno’s waist, and he was tremendously relieved when Ohno’s hand wrapped around his own.
Nino pressed closer and pressed his lips between Ohno’s shoulders. “Sorry.”
He could hear Ohno’s forgiveness in the way the older man breathed out.
“Don’t be mad when you leave,” Nino whispered.
“I’m not,” Ohno said, squeezing Nino’s hand. “It’s only six days.”
“Six days is a long time.”
Ohno chuckled, “you’ll get tired of me.”
“Never,” Nino vowed fiercely even though he knew Ohno was kidding. He still vividly remembered Ohno’s absence four years ago.
Ohno turned and faced Nino, and Nino could only see the faint glitter in Ohno’s eyes.
“I’ll be back before you know it,” Ohno said softly.
Nino nodded and scooted even closer, his arm tightening around Ohno’s waist.
“Satoshi, I’m not kidding, you’re so thin. It scares me.”
“I know,” Ohno said, his hand coming to a rest on Nino’s hip bone. “Everything will slow down, soon. And it’ll be just you and I.”
“I hope so,” Nino breathed out, pressing forward and kissing Ohno softly. “I want to feel you and not fear that you’ll break.”
In the darkness of the room, Nino more felt than saw Ohno’s tentative smile, and Nino somehow came to think of a promise. “Soon.”
*
“Nino, stop biting your nails,” Jun snapped for the fifth time, looking at Nino pacing in the Star room.
“He should be here now,” Nino returned, momentarily stopping his pacing. “It’s almost sundown.”
“Well, he won’t make it in time for the midnight prayer,” Jun rolled his eyes, “but you knew he’d probably be delayed. They’re always delayed.”
“But he should be here,” Nino insisted, fully knowing that he was sounding like the brat they all accused him of being.
Jun rolled his eyes again. “You are such an idiot, sometimes I really do wonder how Ohno-kun puts up with you.”
“Because he loves me,” Nino said, completely confident in that fact. “And that’s why-”
The sound of commotion reached their ears and Nino stopped mid sentence. His lips twitched and Jun snickered at how much Nino resembled a wife waiting for her husband to come home.
When the door to the Star room opened, Nino was at his feet and when Ohno’s slender body entered, Nino was already holding on to him. Ohno’s arms wound around Nino’s waist and with a squeeze to Ohno’s shoulder, Jun tactfully left the two.
“Toshi,” Nino said, “you’re late.”
“Caught up,” Ohno apologized and he winced a bit when Nino pulled back a little to look Ohno over.
“Don’t you ever eat?” Nino reprimanded, running his fingers over the prominent cheekbones.
“When I’m hungry,” Ohno responded and reached up to hold Nino’s face with both hands, leaning forward and kissing Nino so tenderly that Nino forgot his own name for a long moment.
Breathless, his eyes closed, Nino’s hands bunched on the back of Ohno’s robes when Ohno pulled back a little.
“I missed you,” Ohno said with that tone that Nino knew was reserved for him and him alone.
“I told you,” Nino said with mock-haughtiness, “it was a long time.”
Ohno kissed him again and Nino suspected that it was to shut him up, but it worked.
*
“But you promised!” Nino said, not caring the least that he was being childish.
“I didn’t,” Ohno said tiredly, pausing briefly from packing. “I said if everything worked out.”
“And that’s it? It didn’t work out, so now you’re leaving again, just like that?”
Ohno nodded curtly before resuming his activity.
Nino shook his head, biting his lip and trying to not blow up. “Do you even care that I don’t want you to leave?”
Ohno tensed, but didn’t stop.
“Satoshi, seriously, why do you do this to us?”
“Come with me,” Ohno countered, still not looking up.
“I don’t want to have to travel to be with you,” Nino snapped, regretting it the moment the words left his lips. It was a lie, damn it, he would do whatever, everything, it took.
“I want you with me,” Ohno said sharply, turning to Nino, “but you don’t want to. So now I have to ask you, why do you do this to us?”
Nino winced as if he had been burnt. He deserved that.
Ohno tied his bag closed and picked it up. He stepped up to Nino and pecked his cheek.
“Morning well,” he said, “take care of yourself until I get back.”
“I love you,” Nino offered, “you know I do.”
Ohno breathed deeply, nodding. His hand found Nino’s wrist, and he brought it up to his lips, ghosting a kiss over the knuckles.
“I don’t want to go when you only ask me because I beg you to,” Nino said softly.
“That’s not why I ask you,” Ohno said, dropping his bag to the floor, and finding Nino’s fingers with his free hand. “You’re not ready, yet.”
“For what?”
Ohno smiled that melancholic smile of his and just kissed Nino goodbye.
*
“Ninomiya Kazunari, you cannot be serious.”
“I am, mother,” Nino said seriously.
“For that boy, you will throw your life away.”
“He is a man, mother,” Nino barely resisted snapping, “and yes, I will, if it comes to that.”
Nino’s mother sat down, shaking her head. “Do you not care about the future of the House? Or think of your own future?”
Nino gritted his teeth. “Satoshi is my future.”
He turned on his heel and didn’t see his mother’s tears.
*
Because he had been pacing enough to make even Aiba stressed out, Nino had gone to the only person he knew understood Ohno.
“Machida-san,” he said when the older man opened the door to his quarters. “Can I come in?”
Machida inclined his head and stepped to the side, letting Nino in.
“Are you alright, Ninomiya-san?”
Nino regarded Machida for a long moment. “Not really,” he admitted.
He had spent so much time being jealous of Machida, of how well he knew Ohno and how many years they had known each other, but he knew now that he had been an idiot. Machida was too much like Ohno for them to work out, or so Machida had said with a laugh.
Machida shrugged. “Satoshi neither. That stubborn idiot.”
“And here I thought I was the idiot,” Nino chuckled dryly.
“Oh, Satoshi has his moments,” Machida grinned, “but you already know that. So, what do you need me for?”
Nino paused. When he couldn’t get Ohno to speak, the older man usually had his reasons, so could he really just ask Machida?
“Something has been bothering him,” Nino began, “but he won’t tell me. Do you know what it is?”
Machida’s face was carefully neutral, and his voice didn’t reveal anything when he said, “Yes.”
“And I suppose you won’t tell me.”
“You’re right about that.”
Nino grumbled.
“He wants to tell you himself,” Machida explained, a smile playing on his lips.
“Is it serious?”
The scholar appeared to think for a moment. “Yes.”
Nino crossed his arms.
“Ninomiya-san,” Machida said with a sigh, “if this is bothering you so much, why don’t you go to him?”
“I don’t know if he wants me to be there, our last farewell wasn’t exactly all on friendly terms.”
“I’m somewhat shocked that you doubt it, still,” Machida said, frowning a bit, and not for the first time, Nino wondered how much Machida knew about everything. “But Satoshi will always want you by his side.”
“I know,” Nino lowered his head, feeling scolded. “But I don’t know where he is.”
Machida’s mouth curled into a mischievous smile. “I know.”
“And you’ll tell me?”
“Of course.”
*
When Nino arrived, he was a bit surprised. He didn’t know what he had expected, truly. Maybe a temple, prayers, Ohno in a daze, in a coma or trapped in visions. Something that obviously made Ohno tired, lose weight and turn into a shadow of his former self.
But he hadn’t expected to go to an address just a bit outside of Tokyo, to a house. Following Machida’s directions, he went up to the house. He let his hand rest on the doorframe for a few moments before knocking.
He received no answer.
He opened the door, peeking inside, looking at a completely empty room. He thought he heard the sound of movement, some bustling and rustling.
“Satoshi?”
The sounds stopped.
“Nino?” Ohno called in response. The voice came from further within the house, and Nino took it as invitation to step inside.
The house was really empty, nothing inside. Walking along a hallway, he ended up looking inside a room where Ohno was on all fours…working on the floor?
“What are you doing?”
Ohno looked up before leaning back to sit on the part of the floor that was finished. He wiped his sweaty forehead with his sleeve.
“The floor?”
“Not that, just, what are you doing?”
Ohno shrugged. “I’m building a house.”
“Why?”
Ohno smiled. “For you. Us.”
Nino had to grip the doorframe to keep from falling over. He felt the room start spinning and he was so grateful when Ohno quickly got to his feet and grounded him with a hand on his back, a hand on his shoulder.
“A house?” He managed to say.
Ohno’s wry smile filled Nino’s vision. “Why not?”
“You’re absolutely mad,” Nino said, feeling relief and something else bubbling over in his chest, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “Why would you do that?”
Ohno shrugged as if it was obvious. “I’ve always wanted to build a house at some point. And we’ll need some place to live, right?”
Again, Nino was floored. “Have you known about my mother all the time?”
Ohno ducked his head. “Not precisely. I just saw disturbances. And I’m not that dense.”
“I didn’t want to worry you,” Nino confessed. “You already seemed so stressed.”
“I was worried, but more about if I would get the house ready in time. Or if you’d want to live here with me.”
“After all this time,” Nino said, blinking rapidly, “you’d- no, stop that, never think that again.”
He took a deep breath and for the first time, he really looked at the house. It was beautiful.
Like Ohno Satoshi was.
“Toshi, you built this? This? All of it?”
“I had help,” Ohno admitted, “but I drew it and I’ve done all the things I could do myself. When I came back from the temples, I came here and worked on it before coming back to you.”
“I was worried to death about you,” Nino pinched Ohno just under the ribs and Ohno squirmed, “and you were here, building me a house?”
“Uh, yes?”
“A house.”
“Yes.”
“For us.”
“Is that so hard to believe?”
“It’s just…” Nino trailed off. He had no idea what he wanted to say, so he settled for; “you’re insane, but I love you.”
His arms found their way around Ohno’s shoulders by instinct, and he just held on.
“Probably another month before it’s finished,” Ohno said into Nino’s neck. “Can you wait that long?”
“I’ll manage.”
*
“I want to marry Ohno-kun,” Aiba said dreamily, running his fingers over the walls. “I want him to build me a house, too.”
“I think you’ll have to fight Nino for it,” Jun said, grinning. If anyone of them said they weren’t relieved, they’d be lying.
It had been months since they had seen Nino’s smile this bright.
“Seriously, Nino is such a sap,” Jun sniffed. “Look at that.”
Nino was watching Ohno flitter around the house, beaming. He caught Sho’s eyes.
“I imagine your mother wasn’t too thrilled,” Sho remarked, when Nino walked over to them.
“She wasn’t,” Nino agreed, the smile never leaving his lips, “but she didn’t expect this.”
“And it doesn’t bother you?”
“She won’t disown me,” Nino said, sounding confident, “she thought threats would work because she didn’t expect me to be serious. It would bother me to be disowned, but I wouldn’t care too much. Oh-chan won’t care and his family won’t either.”
“That’s good,” Jun said, nodding. “I’m just surprised that Ohno-kun owns this house.”
“It was a gift to him from his father when he came of age,” Nino explained, “but he wasn’t too fond of the house, so he tore it down and built this.”
“Honestly,” Aiba said, pouting, “can we share Oh-chan?”
“He’s not listening,” Jun chuckled when Nino had already set off to find Ohno again.
“Oh god, we really have to knock here, guys,” Sho suddenly exclaimed, sounding horrified, “they’re going to be gross all the time.”
“Jealous,” Nino’s voice sounded from down the hallway before he came up to the others again, this time with his fingers laced with Ohno’s.
“You wish,” Sho said, but grinned. “So when are you going to move?”
“Three weeks,” Ohno said squeezed Nino’s fingers.
Nino beamed. Three weeks. He could definitely live with that.
*
/End of Betwixt
AN: After ‘Artifice’ and ‘Adjacent’ I thought for a really long time about where to go from there. Originally, I meant to write another B-piece before this, but this wanted out, so here it is! When I finally got started on it for real, it was easy to write. I really like this piece, because they’re so grown up. Seriously, they’re not children anymore, they’re living as adults now.
And that is scary as hell D:
I think the next one will be another B-piece, but I’m not sure. I have several projects I’m working on at the moment, so please bear with the slow updates on this!