Unbalance (Part 1)
Title: Unbalance
Author:saturn_necklace/stormy_words
Pairing/group: Ohno/Nino, Arashi
Word count: 16,000
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU (Historical/fantasy)
Warnings: British English.
Summary: Nino, Ohno, Sho, Aiba and Jun live in a small town in the mountains. They live normal lives until suddenly everything they've ever known changes.
AN: Originally posted here at je_holiday for lady_gemma. Now that reveals are up I can finally share this, so I hope everyone enjoys it :D! ♥ Thank you to sunrisecandy for putting up with all my spamming and flailing and general worrying over this ♥
He was running. All he could do was run. There wasn’t even time to think because buildings were going up in flames, and they were getting closer, and he knew his house would be next. The sounds were deafening; roaring fire and terrified screams, clashing metal and angry shouts, and Nino knew that he had to run, because if he didn’t it would be him lying on the floor, blood pooling around his lifeless body.
He’d barely had enough time to grab a small bag and shove whatever he could in it - clothes, valuables, anything - before slinging it over his shoulder, smashing a window and leaping out of it, broken glass cutting abstract patterns in his skin, and sharp edges tearing a long jagged line up his leg, causing blood to spatter across the tatami floor of his bedroom. He jumped out just in time, because that was when he heard the screams of his mother and his sister, the pleading shouts from his father, and he had been praying so hard that they would make it out on their own, but he couldn’t go back and he knew it; he didn’t have the skill or the strength to save them, all he could do was save himself - so that’s what he did.
He dodged his way around houses, blood soaked straw sandals slapping against the floor as he headed towards the edge of the village so he could escape into the forest, his only hope. The sandals were poorly fastened, but they were done well enough to not cause him to trip or twist an ankle - he’d had no time to put them on properly in the moments before he leapt from the window, but he was glad that he’d thought of them because despite their loose state they made running far easier.
A voice from behind was calling his name, and Nino turned to look. He didn’t even have to think about his decision; he just did it, running back towards Ohno - his best friend. The other had tripped, was lying on the floor and they were coming. Nino reached out a hand to pull the other up and run, dragging the other along with him, no time to stop, no time to do anything but run as fast as their bodies allowed them.
Behind him Nino heard the clash of metal, an angry scream, and he knew it was Aiba. He knew he shouldn’t look back, but he did. Aiba was sprinting towards them, tears streaming down his face, skin heavily splattered with blood. The soldiers lay on the floor, their own blood pooling around them. It painted a gruesome picture; a background of burning buildings, smoke curling from the fire so thickly that it blocked out the sun, nameless, faceless soldiers dressed entirely in black - black devils - cutting and killing brutally, no trace of sympathy or mercy, blood sprayed across the ground, across walls, everywhere; in the foreground the two dead soldiers - dead at Aiba’s hands - the blood surrounding them reflecting the roaring light of the fire.
Before he knew it Aiba was gripping his other hand tightly and they were running again, Aiba repeating the same words again and again, his voice thick with emotion. “Don’t stop, whatever you do, don’t stop.” Nino knew this wasn’t the time for a sarcastic comment about how he had no intention of stopping; he didn’t think he would be able to find his voice to say it even if he wanted to, all he could do was squeeze both Ohno’s and Aiba’s hands in some form of reassurance as they ran for their lives.
The building next to them went up in flames, a man barely falling out of it in time; Sho. Aiba’s hand had already left Nino’s by the time he realised who it was. He felt Ohno slowing next to him and he shook his head, “He said don’t stop. They’ll be okay. They have to be okay.”
He heard the grating of metal on metal behind him again before the sickening sound of a blade cutting through flesh and bone. Nino prayed that it was the soldier who was dead and not Aiba or Sho as they continued to run desperately in the direction of the forest. The thud of two pairs of feet behind him and the sound of Aiba’s voice told Nino that they were both okay. Aiba was still crying, Nino could hear it in his voice, desperately repeating the same sentences as though their lives depended on it - and maybe their lives did depend on it, Nino realised, his body somehow finding the strength to go a little faster.
“Don’t stop, we can’t stop,” “Don’t look back, it’s pointless” “We’re going to be okay, we have to be okay.”
They ran past ruins of buildings, still ablaze and falling to pieces. Bodies lay on the floor, some burned beyond recognition, others cut brutally - hacked apart. The sight was sickening, as was the scent, and Nino was sure that had the situation been different, if he’d had enough time to even let things really register in his brain, he would have been sick. All he could see and hear and smell was death; for the first time in his life, he was truly terrified.
After what seemed like a lifetime of running they made it to the edge of the village - the start of the forest. ‘He’ll be there, he’ll be waiting.’ Nino thought as they dodged trees, tracing the route that they all knew so well. ‘He’s escaped and he’ll be waiting there for us.’
Finally they made it to a clearing, all four of them panting for breath, covered in blood with tears streaming down their faces. A man was sat against a tree, blood trickling down one side of his head but otherwise unharmed. As they made it to him the four of them dropped to the ground, so drained of energy that now the urgent sense of needing to escape was gone they couldn’t even stand.
“Jun.” The name slipped from Nino’s mouth as he looked at the man in relief. “We all made it.”
Jun nodded, reaching out to grip Nino’s shoulder reassuringly. “We did. We’re alive.”
Nothing else was said as they regained their strength, the tears that they had shed as they ran were no longer flowing, the day’s events so unbelievable that they seemed almost as though they weren’t true. Their breathing calmed and gradually they sat up, all of them keeping contact with someone as if to reassure themselves that they weren’t alone.
“It’s just us, isn’t it?” Aiba’s voice was raw from his screams and shouts earlier.
Jun nodded. “I think so.”
Nino’s leg was throbbing with pain. Now he had time to stop and think, and actually process things, the intricate pattern of cuts that decorated his right leg had begun to hurt - the long, jagged and deep cut was almost unbearably painful. He gripped Ohno’s hand hard, unable to do anything else. He could feel the other’s eyes on him - a concerned gaze.
“Nino’s hurt.” Ohno mumbled, noting that the blood, seeping into the material of Nino’s robe wasn’t from one of the pools of blood they had run through - it was entirely his own.
“We’re all hurt.” Sho pointed out, gesturing to the cut at Jun’s hairline.
Ohno shook his head, peeling Nino’s robe away from his leg just enough to expose the mess of wounds. “No, it looks really bad.”
Sho stood up on wobbly legs to walk over, seating himself again in front of Nino. He looked at the injury carefully, straightening Nino’s leg out - which only caused the man to wince and grip Ohno’s hand harder, hissing curses through clenched teeth. “Fuck, Sho, don’t do that.”
Sho mumbled an apology, trying to examine Nino’s leg without moving it too much. “Can you fix it?” Aiba asked, sliding closer to Sho, not liking the feeling of being unable to hold onto someone.
Sho shook his head, shooting Nino an apologetic look. “Not now. I don’t have enough energy yet.”
Nino cursed again, glaring at Sho. “What kind of healer are you? I need your help; you know I’m not advanced enough to fix this kind of damage myself.”
Sho gave Nino another apologetic look. “Later I will Nino, as soon as I can. For now we’ll have to use normal methods.”
Ohno pulled off his torn cloak and handed it to Sho “Use that, it’s ruined anyway.”
Sho nodded, tearing the thin cloak further, into strips. Ohno let go of Nino’s hand, silencing the other as he opened his mouth to complain. He quickly shifted to sit behind the other, pulling Nino’s back against his chest before taking both of his friend’s hands in his own before mumbling quietly “It’s going to hurt. You’ll be more comfortable like this, so no complaining.”
Nino nodded once, and his foot was lifted to rest on Sho’s knee so that the other could bandage his leg. The resources were less than ideal, and it probably didn’t help much, but Nino supposed the bandaging would at least help to stop some of the bleeding, and maybe lessen the pain for a while.
Jun moved closer to the group, surveying them all quickly before speaking. “I think we should keep going. We aren’t safe here; they’re probably searching the area to make sure no one made it out alive. I’m not letting anyone die now.”
“But where are we going, the next village? That’s where they’ll be next. We can’t escape.” Nino let his head fall back against Ohno’s shoulder as he spoke. “What do we even have left?”
“We still have each other. That’s not something I’m willing to give up on.” Jun walked over to pick up the small bag he had hurriedly packed - much in the same fashion that Nino, and everyone else had. “I think we should go to the capital. The emperor needs to know the extent of things, and we’re the only ones who’ve survived to tell him.”
Sho and Aiba nodded their agreement as they stood, and Jun spoke again. “The sooner we leave the better, I promise we can rest properly soon. Please don’t give up just yet, Nino, we’ve made it this far.”
A small nod of agreement from Nino confirmed the plan. They were going to make things right.
Six hours later saw the group of five in another clearing, further into the forest. Night had fallen, and everyone but Nino was asleep. Once they had made the decision to move on, Sho and Ohno had helped him up off the ground, and Aiba had carried his bag as he walked with help from both Sho and Ohno, trying his hardest to keep the weight off his injured leg as much as he possibly could. They had walked for hours, not stopping until Jun deemed it safe enough for them to rest. No one knew the forest as well as the group of five who had spent the majority of their childhood playing in it, exploring it and learning it; they knew where each path led and their enemy didn’t. By this point, Nino thought that they had probably stopped searching - believing every villager to be dead - and had moved on to the next village, going by road at a steady pace, an army of black uniforms, faces hidden by masks; hungry for power and ready to murder.
It was now that they had stopped, and Nino had no one to talk to, that he lost himself in thought. He thought mostly about the life they’d held in the mountain village they’d lived all of their lives in - Kikuyama. All five of them had become adults already, but they didn’t seem to have truly grown up in that time - Nino was fairly certain that they would have no choice but to grow up, now that they were alone. Aiba had been learning the way of the warrior since he became old enough, and was skilled with a sword, had always been the top in his class - partially thanks to his almost endless amounts of energy, no doubt. That skill had saved them all, and never had Nino been so grateful for Aiba’s years of hard work.
He himself had hardly any skill with weapons; he had never been properly trained to use them. Instead he had been trained in magic, having shown the beginnings of skills in both black and white magic as a child. Because of this he hadn’t trained intensely in either type, like Sho and Jun had, his teachers choosing to give him equal, less powerful skills in each; whilst Jun could attack forcefully with black magic, Nino could inflict a moderate amount of injury, and whilst Sho was able to heal severe injuries, Nino could only heal the fairly minor ones.
Ohno was an oddity. There was no other word for it; he wasn’t gifted with magic, and he had never been trained as a warrior, yet he still had skills - he had the skills that were rare amongst even those in high status families, the skills that could make him sought after as a spy, or something else of that sort. Ohno was gifted with heightened senses; his sight was sharp even at night time, and he could hear things that normal humans couldn’t - Nino couldn’t even begin to imagine the amount of suffering Ohno had been forced to listen to earlier in the day, even when they had made it into the forest, and the rest of them could no longer hear the sounds of destruction.
Ohno’s skills would be what helped them evade future danger, and prepare for any attacks that might come their way. He also had other abilities - those of illusion and invisibility. Nino was amazed by the things that Ohno could do, what he could make people believe. He was able to leave an image of himself in one place long enough for him to be gone by the time someone realised it was a fake, was able to take on invisibility for a short amount of time - long enough to be highly useful.
Nino could hardly believe that Ohno had taught himself, had perfected his skills alone; that had been all that he could do, because in a village, like Kikuyama, there was no one else with those abilities, and so no one to teach him; even in the big cities there were few, if any, people with these skills.
After the thoughts of his childhood and the friends that he had grown up with, his mind moved on to thoughts of his family. It had been him, his mother, father and sister, and they had been happy, even if he and his sister had enjoyed playing tricks on each other more than most children. He had no doubt that his father had tried to protect his family to the very end, but Nino had heard the screams, and he had heard the silence afterwards - that silence had been what scared him the most.
He knew he had been lucky; he had been in his room, at the back of the house, when the rest of his family had been in the front. He’d had the opportunity to escape, and they hadn’t. Nino supposed that leaving his family to die hadn’t been the honourable thing to do; he should’ve stayed and fought, even if winning had been an impossible outcome. But running had been the right thing to do, as far as he could see; his mother had always said that living was more important than honour (after all, how could someone do honourable things if they were no longer alive?) and Nino had always agreed - his mother would be glad that he had survived, and she would find it far more honourable for him to try and get justice for what had happened, rather than fighting a lost battle.
Ohno stirred next to him, and Nino stayed still, not wanting to wake the other. Once Ohno’s hand found his under the makeshift blankets - the items of clothing they’d managed to stuff into bags before they ran - Nino knew that he was awake, and wouldn’t be going back to sleep any time soon.
“You’re awake.” Ohno whispered, concern evident in his voice.
Nino nodded, squeezing Ohno’s hand in reassurance. “Can’t sleep; my leg hurts.”
“Sho said he’ll sort it out when he’s got enough energy, hopefully in the morning.”
Nino nodded again. “I know. It still hurts though.”
Ohno laughed quietly. “You’ve been awake all this time?”
“Yeah. I was thinking. About how things were, you know?”
“Nino…” Ohno’s sentence trailed off as he watched the younger man. All of them had been trying not to think about what they had lost - the memories of watching their loved ones and friends die still too vivid.
“I know, Oh-chan, but I can’t help it. What else could I possibly think about? No matter how hard I try not to, it’s just there, you know? …I’m okay, don’t worry. I’m dealing with it.”
Ohno nodded silently, squeezing Nino’s hand gently before sitting up. “Since we’re awake we may as well sit next to the fire - it’s warmer.”
Nino nodded his assent and sat up as well, both of them moving over to the fire carefully, in fear of waking the others - and in Nino’s case, in an attempt to minimise the pain of his leg - taking the robes they had been using as blankets with them.
The fire had shrunk considerably since it had been lit, and Ohno used a log to poke some life back into it, busying himself with the task of keeping it going and encouraging larger flames as Nino watched. Had Jun been awake to relight the fire with his magic, Ohno might not have bothered, but he was glad that it gave him something to do - keeping busy helped hold the thoughts of that day away, helped to stop the image of his mother being murdered from replaying in his mind.
The fire cast a dull orange glow across their skin as heat radiated from the flames. Ohno looked over at Nino, at a loss for something to do now that his task was complete. Nino, as always, seemed to know what he needed - a distraction from the thoughts that were almost impossible to hold back - and spoke in a hushed voice, highly conscious of the three men still sleeping behind them. The topic was what they needed to do - how they were going to reach the capital. Despite its link to the day’s events, it was a safe topic - one that needed to be discussed, and that didn’t force them to think about what had been; all they had now was what was to come.
“We need to stop somewhere soon - a village or something.”
Ohno nodded, his hand finding Nino’s in the faint light that the fire and moon worked together to provide - an unlikely, yet effective, combination. “As soon as possible; no matter how I look at things, we can’t go much further without getting food and resting properly.”
“Hagizawa isn’t far from here, if I remember correctly. It’ll probably take an hour or two, with us in the condition we’re in at the moment.”
“Yeah, it’s close. It’ll probably be safe there as well; it’s so small that I doubt they even know it exists.”
The conversation continued like that until they eventually fell silent, watching the fire flickering - casting shadows across the clearing. Finally, Ohno broke the silence once more, studying Nino with caring eyes. “Nino?”
“Yeah?”
Ohno reached up to cup Nino’s cheek, his thumb brushing gently against the other’s skin - over dried spatters of blood. They kept eye contact as the fact that Ohno had been about to say something was temporarily forgotten, both of them searching each other for reassurance; the knowledge that they were okay - that they were going to be okay in the future.
When Ohno spoke again, Nino could tell that it had taken a huge amount of effort to find and voice the words that he had originally been intending to say. “You look terrible.”
“You aren’t looking your best either, Oh-chan.” Nino gave a small smile, one which Ohno mirrored - the first smile Nino had seen on his face since before everything had happened; it took every ounce of Nino’s willpower to stop himself from leaning in to brush his lips against Ohno’s.
“Before we do anything else tomorrow, we should find somewhere to wash.” Ohno’s voice had been reduced to a cautious whisper - a subconscious attempt to stop himself from ruining the moment, although he knew that it would have to end at some point.
Nino nodded silently, unable to look away from the other - possibly not wanting to look away.
After another long silence, the two men not moving through the duration of it - their faces were barely inches apart, and there was a reluctance to move and shatter the moment that they were sharing - Ohno moved his hand away from Nino’s cheek, all too aware that if he didn’t move then, he would be tempted to stay in that same position until the others woke up. He turned to look at the fire again, not sure how good he would be at controlling himself if he continued to watch Nino. In a way, Nino was glad; he wasn’t sure how much longer he would’ve been able to stop himself from claiming the other’s lips. He knew that it was something that couldn’t happen; they would all be travelling together for weeks, and if anything happened between him and Ohno it would undoubtedly put tension on the group - Nino couldn’t let that happen. Even so, Nino couldn’t help but miss the feeling of Ohno’s hand, warm against his cheek, the older man’s thumb brushing gently, carefully against his skin; he couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, if things had stayed normal he and Ohno might’ve had a chance at love.
It had taken Ohno more effort than he would care to admit to pry his hand from Nino’s cheek, his palm feeling decidedly empty as it rested on his lap. There was nothing he would’ve liked more than to turn to face the other again and guide Nino’s lips to his, but he knew that he shouldn’t - couldn’t - and instead forced himself to try to remove the temptation.
“Maybe you should try to sleep.” He murmured, watching the fire with a guise of extreme interest, not trusting himself to look at Nino without giving in to his urges.
“Maybe I should.” Nino agreed, not moving.
“Maybe I should too.” Ohno added, risking a glance at Nino.
“Maybe you should.”
There were a few moments of silence before Nino leaned over to rest his head on Ohno’s shoulder. Ohno’s arm automatically moved to wrap securely around the younger man’s back, holding him in place without a word. It was in this position that Nino fell into a light sleep, Ohno left awake with only his thoughts for company until morning arrived.
Once the sun had risen - patches of light shining through the gaps between leaves - Jun was the first to wake, the movement of his sitting up disturbing both Sho and Aiba who he had spent the night huddled with, none of them having particularly wanted to be alone. Nino woke soon after - once the group started making noise - having been unable to sleep deeply with the pain of his leg, despite having been comfortable against Ohno, who he had managed to move significantly closer to in his sleep.
The fire had begun to die out again at some point in the early hours of the morning, and Ohno had decided against attempting to keep it going for a second time; all that remained of it now was a pile of ash and thoroughly charred logs.
Aiba’s face was still sporting the blood spatters he had gained in battle, and the trail of blood down the side of Jun’s face from his cut had long since dried and was beginning to flake off; in Nino’s opinion they were all long overdue a wash.
It didn’t take them long to pack up the small number of things they had gotten out of their bags, and they were soon making the trek to the river that they knew ran nearby. The chance to wash was appreciated by the whole group, none of them particularly bothered by the icy cold temperature of the water; Nino was even glad for it, as it numbed the pain of his leg. Sho hadn’t had the energy to heal it even after his sleep - mostly because they hadn’t been able to have a meal; he’d been able to heal the small cut on Jun’s head, but that was all his drained body would allow.
Nino knew that it wasn’t Sho’s fault; had the other finished his training he probably would’ve been able to manage it, but he hadn’t - none of them had yet, magic took years to completely master, as did swordsmanship and the skills which Ohno was gifted with. He walked with help from Ohno, the other’s arm around his waist to provide support, and the other three hadn’t taken long to notice that something was different about the pair. They all knew that Ohno and Nino were close - the five of them had been inseparable since childhood, Ohno and Nino even more so than the rest of them - and they had all watched the relationship steadily progress over time, and whilst the pair had, on occasion, acted as though something had happened, it had never been particularly noticeable.
Sho could only assume that the loss of their families had driven Ohno and Nino closer than ever as he watched their behaviour; Ohno was more attentive than he would usually have been - and whilst a lot of that was down to Nino’s injury, Sho didn’t think that Nino really needed help picking up something right next to him (it wasn’t his hand that was injured, after all). There was also the way that the two of them had barely said a word to each other since they left the clearing, communicating mostly through glances and small touches in an unspoken language that the other three couldn’t understand.
It took longer to reach the Hagizawa than it usually would’ve done, with Nino’s injury slowing him down and the five of them generally lacking energy. All five of them had been to the village numerous times on errands, usually for the sake of trading and selling; whilst they were still in training they were expected to learn the family trade, for magic alone provided no steady job, and whilst Aiba was training to fight, there had never been a large amount of demand for warriors in the fairly remote area that they lived in, despite it being near to the border (there were, after all, the mountains to help guard them from attack, as not many people decide to venture over them when there was the option of going around) - in Ohno’s case, he could potentially go on to earn large sums of money as a spy or assassin, but the whole group agreed that Ohno had never been, and probably never would be, suited to such jobs; he was far too gentle.
Secretly, Sho was worried about what would happen once they left Hagizawa. The forest was huge, and they by no means knew all of it. They could navigate the area between Kikuyama and Hagizawa with ease, as they knew every area between the two places off by heart, but none of them had stepped far beyond the hidden village, and after they left it they would no longer be able to rely on what they already knew.
The villagers gave them curious glances as they made their way past the small groups of houses to reach the largest building - one which still wasn’t particularly big in size - where the village leader lived. Everyone knew them fairly well, but they hadn’t been expected for another three days, and it was only meant to be Sho and Aiba who visited, so naturally everyone was curious, especially after taking note of their appearances; they looked tired, drained, and in Nino’s case injured - which also roused curiosity, because it was common sense for him to get an injury of that nature healed as quickly as possible. Sho was thankful that they’d all had the good sense and quick thinking to grab spare clothes in their escape - it wouldn’t have done any good to turn that confusion into alarm immediately upon their arrival.
The village leader saw them almost immediately; Fujita Takeshi was a kind man in his late forties who the group of five had known all their lives - a close acquaintance of Jun’s father. It was clear that he was worried by their sudden arrival, and the sight of the five young men sat in a row with solemn expressions - four of them sat in seiza, one with his legs outstretched because of injury - did nothing to alleviate his concern.
They exchanged formalities before falling silent again, Fujita watching them patiently. It was Jun who finally spoke up, his words clear and voice unwavering, despite the emotions which were doing their best to take control of his mind.
“They came. No one else escaped.”
The sentence lacked detail, but Jun knew that he didn’t need to elaborate; Fujita had understood his concise explanation completely, and had cast his head down in a silent prayer for the dead, allowing himself a moment’s grief before turning his attention back to the conversation.
“What do you intend to do?” His eyes met Jun’s once more as he continued. “The villagers here would be more than willing to take you in, if you want to stay.”
“I hope you’ll understand that we can’t do that, Fujita-san; we’re heading for the capital. It’s come to the point where we need to carry the message to the emperor - no one expected them to come over the mountains, you know that as well as I do, and you also know that for that reason exactly there was no one sent to protect us, or to report back news of any attacks. We’re the only ones left to take the message.”
Fujita nodded in understanding, casting his gaze over the five men. “Is there anything I can do?”
“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, it would be a great help if we could stay somewhere here for the night.” Jun answered, glancing across at Sho.
Sho gave a curt nod before adding to the request, all too aware that Jun already felt as though he had asked too much, but knowing that they needed more to be able to make their journey. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but if there are any supplies that you could spare it would be a great help - we have no food to take with us, and no more spare clothes.”
Fujita nodded his understanding. “I’ll get the message around that you need help; I get the feeling everyone will want to support you in whatever ways they can.”
By that afternoon everyone in Hagizawa knew what had happened, and the five of them had quickly been offered a place to stay for the night, free of charge. As well as a place to rest, villagers offered them food for the journey, robes, spare sandals, and a childhood friend of theirs - Hamada Tsutomu, who helped his father in the business of raising horses - even managed to spare three of their stallions. They thanked everyone profusely as they were offered various things, and it was as they gained support from the people they had known for so long that they felt for the first time that, somehow, they might really make it.
Lunch had been eaten with enthusiasm by all five men, despite the fact that it had only been a simple meal - going without food for a day whilst using so much energy had had its effect on them. Their evening meal had been eaten in much the same manner, although they had all been slightly more subdued. It was after this meal that Sho healed Nino’s leg, having regained enough energy for it.
The next morning everyone was looking far better than they had when they arrived; they had eaten well and had regained their health, and Nino was able to walk normally, without help. Although he certainly didn’t miss the pain, Nino found himself slightly disappointed that he would no longer be able to have Ohno so close to him, arm wrapped around his waist in support - these thoughts were quickly dismissed, once Nino realised that letting himself think them was only going to make him awkward around Ohno.
They set off after meeting Fujita again. Sho had been becoming increasingly worried about how they were going to find their way to the capital, and so when they were called to see the village leader and Fujita had presented them with a map of the country a feeling of relief washed over him. He supposed that he probably should’ve expected it - Fujita had known them all since they were young, and so knew that they wouldn’t be able to navigate easily once they left the hidden village - but for some reason the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.
The villagers sent them off with smiles, but it was clearly obvious to the group that there was underlying worry as they made their way out of Hagizawa on the horses. Aiba and Sho shared a black stallion, Rai; Jun had Rai’s brother, Kano, a large, handsome horse; and Ohno and Nino followed on the grey, Yoshi, who - whilst having a less impressive appearance - had a calmer temperament and therefore suited the pair far better than one of the larger jet black horses.
Ideally, they would’ve preferred a horse each, but they knew they had been lucky to even get the three - they were well aware that they were some of Hamada’s best horses, and were therefore extremely grateful. It had been decided that Jun would be the one to ride alone, as he had a tendency to ride more dangerously than the others, and everyone valued their safety - it had been an unspoken assumption that Ohno and Nino would be sharing, and so Sho and Aiba rode together.
Sho had been put in charge of navigation, so he and Aiba led the way; the map had been consulted carefully before their departure, and Sho had planned their route through the forest to the closest city, Sugiyama, which lay on the other side. From there they intended to head straight for the capital, Torayama, stopping in villages to rest, and for supplies along the way.
They kept a fairly slow pace as they made their way down the forest path which led towards the edge of the forest. Not too far from Hagizawa the trees gave way to a small field, which lay between the forest and one of the mountains that separated the Northern country from the South and helped to protect them from the attack of the Northern country’s army, the black devils, - this was where the horses were kept, as there was nowhere near enough room for them to move around amidst the trees which surrounded the village. They stuck to the path which ran next to the field, along with the forest, which they would continue to walk alongside most of the way to Sugiyama.
No one said much as they rode, although Aiba would comment on things that they went past every now and again, no doubt excited to be exploring a new place. Nino felt rather awkward sat behind Ohno, pressed up against the other’s back with his arms securely around his waist; they were too close, and Nino was enjoying that fact a little too much for someone who was trying to prevent himself from acting on any feelings he might have for Ohno. He loosened his grip on the other’s waist slightly, and Ohno let go of the reigns with one hand to pull Nino’s arms back around him properly, tighter than before. “I’m not letting you fall off.” He murmured, taking up the reigns with both hands again.
The rest of the journey continued in much the same manner, with little conversation and a few moments between Ohno and Nino where they somehow ended up getting gradually closer, despite trying their hardest not to. It was all Nino could do to stop himself from giving a sigh of mixed relief and disappointment when they decided to stop for lunch, instead making the effort to stay silent as Ohno climbed off the horse first before helping him down; Nino didn’t really need the help, but Ohno appeared to have gotten into the habit of helping Nino wherever possible whilst the other was injured, and hadn’t quite gotten out of that habit yet.
Nino winced internally as the action of Ohno helping him caused him to stumble a little, and somehow end up gripping the other’s shoulders to keep his balance, his face closer to Ohno’s than he would care for, considering the fact that he was struggling to suppress certain feelings. It was like something out of a predictable romance novel, Nino thought, or maybe a clichéd love poem - these thoughts only intensified once he gained eye contact with Ohno and found it impossible to look away.
After a not-so-subtle cough from Jun they sprang apart, hurriedly rushing over to sit with everyone else; apparently the amount of time they’d spent locked in the moment had actually been just as long as it had felt, as the others had already managed to unpack some food and tie each horse to a tree. The awkwardness between them faded away after about ten minutes of eating, the conversation within the group finally picking up as they seemed to start regaining their will to make an effort; no one had really felt like talking much after Kikuyama was destroyed, but after two nights they recognised that they needed to make the effort to stay as cheerful as possible.
After eating their small lunch and giving the horses a small rest they set off again, going at a slightly faster pace - meaning that Nino had to cling to Ohno tighter, much to his dismay - and reaching Sugiyama in good time.
Sugiyama was bigger than they had expected; they’d known it would be bigger than both Hagizawa and Kikuyama, but they hadn’t anticipated exactly how much bigger. Aiba couldn’t recall ever having seen so many people in one place, and he was excited by it - Sho was slightly less excited in that he knew Aiba would want to look around, and he really didn’t want them all to get separated, as seemed likely in the bustling streets.
It didn’t take them long to find somewhere to spend the night, and they were all thankful that they had remembered the one thing they needed the most on this journey - money. Their accommodation wasn’t anything special, but it had somewhere for them to keep the horses, was affordable and was comfortable enough for them.
Aiba was eager to leave as soon as they had dumped their bags into the two rooms they had for a few nights, and after Sho’s stomach gave a decidedly loud rumble it was declared that they were going to go and find food. Nino had quickly opted to stay behind using the excuse of tiredness - the thought of walking around such a large, busy city didn’t really appeal to him - and Ohno had quickly done the same; Nino wasn’t sure if Ohno was actually tired, or if he felt the same as him - it briefly occurred to him that Ohno might just be staying because he was, but the thought was quickly dismissed as Nino told himself to stop being ridiculous and hoping for the impossible.
Soon they were left alone in the room that was apparently theirs for the night, a blanket of silence surrounding them as they sat opposite each other.
“How’s your leg?” Ohno was the one to speak first, not liking the awkwardness that neither of them were used to having with one another.
“It’s fine; Sho did a good job.” Nino internally winced at the way the sentence sounded - it was too short, too cold.
Ohno just nodded, watching Nino - possibly for any sign that the other was lying, but probably just because he couldn’t think of anywhere better to look.
Nino willed himself to shatter the awkwardness that had fallen over them, stronger than before. “How long do you think they’ll be?”
“Probably a few hours - you know what Aiba’s like.”
After that it fell silent again, the two of them just sitting and watching each other.
Finally, after what seemed like hours of staring - but realistically could only have been a few minutes - Ohno broke the silence again, standing to move and sit next to Nino.
“We’re being awkward.” He stated, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from where it had fallen across Nino’s forehead. “Why are we awkward? It’s you and me, we’re never awkward.”
Nino gave a small smile and rested his head against Ohno’s shoulder - an action he did without thinking. “Maybe we’re just tired.” They both knew it wasn’t true, but it worked well enough as an excuse, so Ohno played along, reaching up to stroke Nino’s hair soothingly. “Yeah, that’s probably it. Want to sleep?”
Nino shrugged, a small, satisfied sigh escaping him as he just enjoyed their closeness for the first time since he decided nothing could happen between them; he couldn’t find the resolve to push Ohno’s hand away anyway.
By the time the other three returned with extra supplies, Ohno and Nino had both fallen asleep, Ohno spread flat out on the bare tatami, an arm curled around Nino’s waist. Nino was lying half on top of Ohno - something which had no doubt happened after they had fallen asleep, because with Nino’s current reluctance to get too close to Ohno, no one could believe that he would consciously have chosen to move into such a position.
They stayed in Sugiyama for three more days, making sure they had everything they needed, regaining all of their strength, and planning what they would do. Sho and Jun had been the ones to do most of the planning; they had discussed things like money, and whether they would have enough - how to make it last if the need arose - they discussed how long they would stay in each place, how many days it would take them to arrive.
There was only one thing that they didn’t discuss, but Nino knew they were all thinking about it - were more than just a little worried. What would they do afterwards? Once they had made it to Torayama and given their message what was left for them to do? They had no home to go back to, and no plan for the future, but still, the topic remained unspoken of, no one wanting to admit that they just didn’t know what they could do.
The journey was to take two weeks overall, starting from when they had left Hagizawa, if all went to plan - and Nino suspected that it would, because Jun and Sho would do everything possible to stay on track. Their next destination was a smaller town, Shikaoka, and it would take two days to get there, by Sho’s reckoning.
They set off on the fifth morning of their journey, loading up the horses again before setting off, going at a moderate speed; it would’ve done them no good to wear the horses out too much and be forced to stay somewhere longer than they would’ve liked, when they didn’t need to be going at full speed anyway.
During their stay in Sugiyama, the awkwardness between Ohno and Nino had begun to disappear again, much to everyone else’s relief. Nino was no longer uncomfortable keeping a tight grip on Ohno as they rode, and the group of five looked a little happier, holding light hearted conversations throughout the journey. It had already been nearly a week since the death of their families and they end of the life they had known, and somehow - although it had been only a short amount of time - their feelings of despair over the event had faded somewhat; there was no doubt that they would never forget the people they grew up with, or Kikuyama, the place they grew up in, but they knew that they were bringing justice, and that no one would want them to mope forever.
Sho was pleased to find that they were on time when night began to fall, and they settled in a small clearing of a forest that ran next to the road. It was different to the forest they had lived by - the sounds and scents of it were different - but it still gave them a sense of familiarity; as intriguing as Sugiyama had been, they had clearly missed living that little bit closer to nature.
They all slept well that night, the five of them lying close together for warmth, limbs entangled, making it almost impossible to tell which arms and legs belonged to whom. This night in the forest was far better than the first - the one they’d spent before reaching Hagizawa. This time they had blankets and food, and were healthy, not to mention happier. A lot had happened in a short space of time, but they were quickly beginning to become their old selves again - or at least as close to their old selves as they would ever get.
The sixth day went quickly; they travelled at a steady speed and reached Shikaoka by nightfall. Shikaoka was smaller than Sugiyama - around the same size as Kikuyama had been. It had a friendly feel, and the locals welcomed them cheerfully; a particularly kindly man, who they later discovered to be called Nakano, was even nice enough to take them to a nearby ryokan.
Their rooming arrangements were much the same as they had been in Sugiyama, with Nino and Ohno in one room, and Sho, Aiba and Jun in another. The family who ran the ryokan seemed to have been charmed by the group of five, and even invited them to eat dinner with them that night. They happily accepted, after making sure that it was really alright, and enjoyed a meal with the family.
That dinner reminded them of the meals they used to have at home, with lots of cheerful conversation and laughter - had it happened a few days before, it probably would have left the group depressed, missing their families too much for them to bear, but as things stood, they were able to remember how things had been with a smile, and be glad that they could still at least remember the happiest times of their life.
The youngest daughter Yukina, who was five, seemed to have taken a liking to Jun, and had insisted on sitting next to him for dinner, much to everyone else’s amusement. After the meal it had been decided that they would be given a tour of Shikaoka - not that it was particularly big, or had anything of great excitement, but no one really seemed to mind that - and Yukina had been set on holding Jun’s hand for the duration of it, pointing things out and explaining them to him in her tiny, high pitched voice.
This commentary from Yukina was seemingly only one meant for Jun’s ears, as she talked just quietly enough for no one else to quite catch what she was saying, but her older brother, Koichi, happily took the role of tour guide for the rest of them, pointing out various shops and telling them who owned them and what was sold there, as well as introducing them to the locals - not before Yukina introduced Jun, of course, explaining proudly that Jun could do magic (a fact that she had learned from Nino, at dinner, and had been particularly impressed by).
Ohno couldn’t help but get the feeling that when they left it was going to be a tearful goodbye, on Yukina’s part at least.
The tour hadn’t taken very long, and once they got back to the ryokan, everyone but Jun went up to their rooms, bathing before settling into bed; Yukina had insisted on ‘Jun-pon’ tucking her into bed - despite her mother’s insistence that he was meant to be a guest, and shouldn’t feel inclined to do such things - and Jun had agreed, much to Nino’s amusement.
Once Jun returned he bathed quickly and dressed for bed before joining everyone where they were sat in Ohno and Nino’s room, having a conversation which Jun suspected may have been about him and his new ‘girlfriend’ until the sounds of his footsteps brought about a sudden change of topic. They all sat there, talking and laughing for around half an hour before Ohno declared that he was tired, and Nino kicked the rest of them out.
The next day was spent stocking up on various supplies again, with some help from Yukina - who still insisted on holding Jun’s hand - and Koichi. Once they had everything they needed, and it was stored carefully in Ohno and Nino’s room, the realisation that there wasn’t really much to do in Shikaoka hit them. Koichi suggested going on a walk, and everyone agreed for lack of a better idea.
When the walk had first been suggested it had been clear that Yukina had her doubts - she was, after all, only five, and so she couldn’t walk as far as everyone else without getting tired. After hearing that Jun liked the idea of a walk, however, she quickly agreed, her decision was further confirmed once Nino had whispered in her ear, a clear smirk on his face - ‘If you get too tired, Jun-pon might agree to carry you’; Jun didn’t think that statement had really been necessary, but he wasn’t against Yukina coming with them - he wouldn’t admit it, but he was becoming rather fond of the five year old who seemed to idolise him.
It was a nice day for a walk; the sun was shining as they walked aimlessly over hilly fields, the backdrop of a mountainous landscape to the north was breathtaking to look at, and the group of seven had fun talking, Koichi telling them all various things that had happened in Shikaoka - a few of them to Yukina’s great embarrassment, particularly when Koichi started on the story of where she got lost on the next street from theirs and cried until one of Koichi’s friends spotted her and took her home.
By the time they had been walking for an hour Yukina was beginning to get tired, and had already made Jun promise that if they planned on exploring the area around Shikaoka again the next day, they were taking horses and leaving Koichi behind; Jun was fairly certain they wouldn’t actually leave Koichi, considering the fact that he was the only one who knew where he was going, but nodding his agreement had made Yukina happy, and Jun suspected that by the next day she would’ve forgotten all about that part of the promise anyway.
When they returned to the ryokan it was mid afternoon, and Jun had carried Yukina a fair distance, much to her delight and everyone else’s amusement. They apologized for having taken the children away for so long, but were quickly assured that it was no problem - it was easier to get things done with the children out of the house anyway.
They ate out that night - just the five of them - at the small restaurant a couple of buildings down from the in. It seemed that despite the short amount of time they’d been there they were already becoming popular in Shikaoka, and were greeted with warm smiles and friendly conversation, which they returned happily.
The day had been a fairly tiring one, and so when they returned to the ryokan everyone went immediately to their own rooms, after bathing. Jun, Sho and Aiba fell asleep quickly, and Ohno and Nino could hear their gentle snores from where they opposite each other in their own room; neither of them had felt like sleeping straight away, instead deciding to just sit and talk for a while.
Despite this decision, the two of them were having trouble finding something to talk about; the only thing on both of their minds was each other, and the feelings they were hiding - a subject that both of them had decided to keep buried. Somehow, the silence between them wasn’t awkward as they watched each other, neither man able to break eye contact.
Despite the efforts they made not to discuss it, there was nothing they could do stop their feelings from showing themselves in their eyes; although no words were spoken, the message was conveyed clearly, despite the need they felt to suppress their feelings - to not let the other know, because once they did, neither of them would be able to stop themselves.
They were drawn to each other, a sort of invisible force pulling them together as they found themselves trapped in the moment, unable to escape - possibly not even wanting to escape. Before they knew it they were millimetres apart, and Ohno’s hand was cupping Nino’s cheek, his thumb gently stroking the skin beneath it as that miniscule gap between them closed and their lips were gently brushing together.
Neither of them could tell who it had been to close that final distance, and neither of them cared as the careful brush of lips became another, more definite, confident press of lips, and neither man could restrain himself any longer.
Nino’s arm snaked around the back of Ohno’s neck, and his hand tangled in the other’s hair as the kiss deepened, tongue meeting tongue for the first time, after both of them wanting it for so long. Neither of them wanted to pull apart, the only thoughts on their mind being that of wanting more, needing to be closer, and so somehow Nino found himself straddling Ohno, the other’s arm securely around his waist, keeping him close.
They had both stopped thinking about consequences, and how this really shouldn’t be happening, and were focused solely on getting what they needed. Lips moved apart when the need for air hit them, instead brushing across cheeks, foreheads, chins before meeting again in a surge of passion.
When they finally broke apart their hair was mussed, clothing skewed, and lips thoroughly swollen. After a few moments the situation seemed to hit Nino, and he scrambled off of Ohno, hurriedly fixing his sleeping robes and running a hand through his hair before crawling into his futon, facing away from the other, only one thought in his mind. ‘That shouldn’t have happened’
To Part 2
Author:saturn_necklace/stormy_words
Pairing/group: Ohno/Nino, Arashi
Word count: 16,000
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU (Historical/fantasy)
Warnings: British English.
Summary: Nino, Ohno, Sho, Aiba and Jun live in a small town in the mountains. They live normal lives until suddenly everything they've ever known changes.
AN: Originally posted here at je_holiday for lady_gemma. Now that reveals are up I can finally share this, so I hope everyone enjoys it :D! ♥ Thank you to sunrisecandy for putting up with all my spamming and flailing and general worrying over this ♥
He was running. All he could do was run. There wasn’t even time to think because buildings were going up in flames, and they were getting closer, and he knew his house would be next. The sounds were deafening; roaring fire and terrified screams, clashing metal and angry shouts, and Nino knew that he had to run, because if he didn’t it would be him lying on the floor, blood pooling around his lifeless body.
He’d barely had enough time to grab a small bag and shove whatever he could in it - clothes, valuables, anything - before slinging it over his shoulder, smashing a window and leaping out of it, broken glass cutting abstract patterns in his skin, and sharp edges tearing a long jagged line up his leg, causing blood to spatter across the tatami floor of his bedroom. He jumped out just in time, because that was when he heard the screams of his mother and his sister, the pleading shouts from his father, and he had been praying so hard that they would make it out on their own, but he couldn’t go back and he knew it; he didn’t have the skill or the strength to save them, all he could do was save himself - so that’s what he did.
He dodged his way around houses, blood soaked straw sandals slapping against the floor as he headed towards the edge of the village so he could escape into the forest, his only hope. The sandals were poorly fastened, but they were done well enough to not cause him to trip or twist an ankle - he’d had no time to put them on properly in the moments before he leapt from the window, but he was glad that he’d thought of them because despite their loose state they made running far easier.
A voice from behind was calling his name, and Nino turned to look. He didn’t even have to think about his decision; he just did it, running back towards Ohno - his best friend. The other had tripped, was lying on the floor and they were coming. Nino reached out a hand to pull the other up and run, dragging the other along with him, no time to stop, no time to do anything but run as fast as their bodies allowed them.
Behind him Nino heard the clash of metal, an angry scream, and he knew it was Aiba. He knew he shouldn’t look back, but he did. Aiba was sprinting towards them, tears streaming down his face, skin heavily splattered with blood. The soldiers lay on the floor, their own blood pooling around them. It painted a gruesome picture; a background of burning buildings, smoke curling from the fire so thickly that it blocked out the sun, nameless, faceless soldiers dressed entirely in black - black devils - cutting and killing brutally, no trace of sympathy or mercy, blood sprayed across the ground, across walls, everywhere; in the foreground the two dead soldiers - dead at Aiba’s hands - the blood surrounding them reflecting the roaring light of the fire.
Before he knew it Aiba was gripping his other hand tightly and they were running again, Aiba repeating the same words again and again, his voice thick with emotion. “Don’t stop, whatever you do, don’t stop.” Nino knew this wasn’t the time for a sarcastic comment about how he had no intention of stopping; he didn’t think he would be able to find his voice to say it even if he wanted to, all he could do was squeeze both Ohno’s and Aiba’s hands in some form of reassurance as they ran for their lives.
The building next to them went up in flames, a man barely falling out of it in time; Sho. Aiba’s hand had already left Nino’s by the time he realised who it was. He felt Ohno slowing next to him and he shook his head, “He said don’t stop. They’ll be okay. They have to be okay.”
He heard the grating of metal on metal behind him again before the sickening sound of a blade cutting through flesh and bone. Nino prayed that it was the soldier who was dead and not Aiba or Sho as they continued to run desperately in the direction of the forest. The thud of two pairs of feet behind him and the sound of Aiba’s voice told Nino that they were both okay. Aiba was still crying, Nino could hear it in his voice, desperately repeating the same sentences as though their lives depended on it - and maybe their lives did depend on it, Nino realised, his body somehow finding the strength to go a little faster.
“Don’t stop, we can’t stop,” “Don’t look back, it’s pointless” “We’re going to be okay, we have to be okay.”
They ran past ruins of buildings, still ablaze and falling to pieces. Bodies lay on the floor, some burned beyond recognition, others cut brutally - hacked apart. The sight was sickening, as was the scent, and Nino was sure that had the situation been different, if he’d had enough time to even let things really register in his brain, he would have been sick. All he could see and hear and smell was death; for the first time in his life, he was truly terrified.
After what seemed like a lifetime of running they made it to the edge of the village - the start of the forest. ‘He’ll be there, he’ll be waiting.’ Nino thought as they dodged trees, tracing the route that they all knew so well. ‘He’s escaped and he’ll be waiting there for us.’
Finally they made it to a clearing, all four of them panting for breath, covered in blood with tears streaming down their faces. A man was sat against a tree, blood trickling down one side of his head but otherwise unharmed. As they made it to him the four of them dropped to the ground, so drained of energy that now the urgent sense of needing to escape was gone they couldn’t even stand.
“Jun.” The name slipped from Nino’s mouth as he looked at the man in relief. “We all made it.”
Jun nodded, reaching out to grip Nino’s shoulder reassuringly. “We did. We’re alive.”
Nothing else was said as they regained their strength, the tears that they had shed as they ran were no longer flowing, the day’s events so unbelievable that they seemed almost as though they weren’t true. Their breathing calmed and gradually they sat up, all of them keeping contact with someone as if to reassure themselves that they weren’t alone.
“It’s just us, isn’t it?” Aiba’s voice was raw from his screams and shouts earlier.
Jun nodded. “I think so.”
Nino’s leg was throbbing with pain. Now he had time to stop and think, and actually process things, the intricate pattern of cuts that decorated his right leg had begun to hurt - the long, jagged and deep cut was almost unbearably painful. He gripped Ohno’s hand hard, unable to do anything else. He could feel the other’s eyes on him - a concerned gaze.
“Nino’s hurt.” Ohno mumbled, noting that the blood, seeping into the material of Nino’s robe wasn’t from one of the pools of blood they had run through - it was entirely his own.
“We’re all hurt.” Sho pointed out, gesturing to the cut at Jun’s hairline.
Ohno shook his head, peeling Nino’s robe away from his leg just enough to expose the mess of wounds. “No, it looks really bad.”
Sho stood up on wobbly legs to walk over, seating himself again in front of Nino. He looked at the injury carefully, straightening Nino’s leg out - which only caused the man to wince and grip Ohno’s hand harder, hissing curses through clenched teeth. “Fuck, Sho, don’t do that.”
Sho mumbled an apology, trying to examine Nino’s leg without moving it too much. “Can you fix it?” Aiba asked, sliding closer to Sho, not liking the feeling of being unable to hold onto someone.
Sho shook his head, shooting Nino an apologetic look. “Not now. I don’t have enough energy yet.”
Nino cursed again, glaring at Sho. “What kind of healer are you? I need your help; you know I’m not advanced enough to fix this kind of damage myself.”
Sho gave Nino another apologetic look. “Later I will Nino, as soon as I can. For now we’ll have to use normal methods.”
Ohno pulled off his torn cloak and handed it to Sho “Use that, it’s ruined anyway.”
Sho nodded, tearing the thin cloak further, into strips. Ohno let go of Nino’s hand, silencing the other as he opened his mouth to complain. He quickly shifted to sit behind the other, pulling Nino’s back against his chest before taking both of his friend’s hands in his own before mumbling quietly “It’s going to hurt. You’ll be more comfortable like this, so no complaining.”
Nino nodded once, and his foot was lifted to rest on Sho’s knee so that the other could bandage his leg. The resources were less than ideal, and it probably didn’t help much, but Nino supposed the bandaging would at least help to stop some of the bleeding, and maybe lessen the pain for a while.
Jun moved closer to the group, surveying them all quickly before speaking. “I think we should keep going. We aren’t safe here; they’re probably searching the area to make sure no one made it out alive. I’m not letting anyone die now.”
“But where are we going, the next village? That’s where they’ll be next. We can’t escape.” Nino let his head fall back against Ohno’s shoulder as he spoke. “What do we even have left?”
“We still have each other. That’s not something I’m willing to give up on.” Jun walked over to pick up the small bag he had hurriedly packed - much in the same fashion that Nino, and everyone else had. “I think we should go to the capital. The emperor needs to know the extent of things, and we’re the only ones who’ve survived to tell him.”
Sho and Aiba nodded their agreement as they stood, and Jun spoke again. “The sooner we leave the better, I promise we can rest properly soon. Please don’t give up just yet, Nino, we’ve made it this far.”
A small nod of agreement from Nino confirmed the plan. They were going to make things right.
Six hours later saw the group of five in another clearing, further into the forest. Night had fallen, and everyone but Nino was asleep. Once they had made the decision to move on, Sho and Ohno had helped him up off the ground, and Aiba had carried his bag as he walked with help from both Sho and Ohno, trying his hardest to keep the weight off his injured leg as much as he possibly could. They had walked for hours, not stopping until Jun deemed it safe enough for them to rest. No one knew the forest as well as the group of five who had spent the majority of their childhood playing in it, exploring it and learning it; they knew where each path led and their enemy didn’t. By this point, Nino thought that they had probably stopped searching - believing every villager to be dead - and had moved on to the next village, going by road at a steady pace, an army of black uniforms, faces hidden by masks; hungry for power and ready to murder.
It was now that they had stopped, and Nino had no one to talk to, that he lost himself in thought. He thought mostly about the life they’d held in the mountain village they’d lived all of their lives in - Kikuyama. All five of them had become adults already, but they didn’t seem to have truly grown up in that time - Nino was fairly certain that they would have no choice but to grow up, now that they were alone. Aiba had been learning the way of the warrior since he became old enough, and was skilled with a sword, had always been the top in his class - partially thanks to his almost endless amounts of energy, no doubt. That skill had saved them all, and never had Nino been so grateful for Aiba’s years of hard work.
He himself had hardly any skill with weapons; he had never been properly trained to use them. Instead he had been trained in magic, having shown the beginnings of skills in both black and white magic as a child. Because of this he hadn’t trained intensely in either type, like Sho and Jun had, his teachers choosing to give him equal, less powerful skills in each; whilst Jun could attack forcefully with black magic, Nino could inflict a moderate amount of injury, and whilst Sho was able to heal severe injuries, Nino could only heal the fairly minor ones.
Ohno was an oddity. There was no other word for it; he wasn’t gifted with magic, and he had never been trained as a warrior, yet he still had skills - he had the skills that were rare amongst even those in high status families, the skills that could make him sought after as a spy, or something else of that sort. Ohno was gifted with heightened senses; his sight was sharp even at night time, and he could hear things that normal humans couldn’t - Nino couldn’t even begin to imagine the amount of suffering Ohno had been forced to listen to earlier in the day, even when they had made it into the forest, and the rest of them could no longer hear the sounds of destruction.
Ohno’s skills would be what helped them evade future danger, and prepare for any attacks that might come their way. He also had other abilities - those of illusion and invisibility. Nino was amazed by the things that Ohno could do, what he could make people believe. He was able to leave an image of himself in one place long enough for him to be gone by the time someone realised it was a fake, was able to take on invisibility for a short amount of time - long enough to be highly useful.
Nino could hardly believe that Ohno had taught himself, had perfected his skills alone; that had been all that he could do, because in a village, like Kikuyama, there was no one else with those abilities, and so no one to teach him; even in the big cities there were few, if any, people with these skills.
After the thoughts of his childhood and the friends that he had grown up with, his mind moved on to thoughts of his family. It had been him, his mother, father and sister, and they had been happy, even if he and his sister had enjoyed playing tricks on each other more than most children. He had no doubt that his father had tried to protect his family to the very end, but Nino had heard the screams, and he had heard the silence afterwards - that silence had been what scared him the most.
He knew he had been lucky; he had been in his room, at the back of the house, when the rest of his family had been in the front. He’d had the opportunity to escape, and they hadn’t. Nino supposed that leaving his family to die hadn’t been the honourable thing to do; he should’ve stayed and fought, even if winning had been an impossible outcome. But running had been the right thing to do, as far as he could see; his mother had always said that living was more important than honour (after all, how could someone do honourable things if they were no longer alive?) and Nino had always agreed - his mother would be glad that he had survived, and she would find it far more honourable for him to try and get justice for what had happened, rather than fighting a lost battle.
Ohno stirred next to him, and Nino stayed still, not wanting to wake the other. Once Ohno’s hand found his under the makeshift blankets - the items of clothing they’d managed to stuff into bags before they ran - Nino knew that he was awake, and wouldn’t be going back to sleep any time soon.
“You’re awake.” Ohno whispered, concern evident in his voice.
Nino nodded, squeezing Ohno’s hand in reassurance. “Can’t sleep; my leg hurts.”
“Sho said he’ll sort it out when he’s got enough energy, hopefully in the morning.”
Nino nodded again. “I know. It still hurts though.”
Ohno laughed quietly. “You’ve been awake all this time?”
“Yeah. I was thinking. About how things were, you know?”
“Nino…” Ohno’s sentence trailed off as he watched the younger man. All of them had been trying not to think about what they had lost - the memories of watching their loved ones and friends die still too vivid.
“I know, Oh-chan, but I can’t help it. What else could I possibly think about? No matter how hard I try not to, it’s just there, you know? …I’m okay, don’t worry. I’m dealing with it.”
Ohno nodded silently, squeezing Nino’s hand gently before sitting up. “Since we’re awake we may as well sit next to the fire - it’s warmer.”
Nino nodded his assent and sat up as well, both of them moving over to the fire carefully, in fear of waking the others - and in Nino’s case, in an attempt to minimise the pain of his leg - taking the robes they had been using as blankets with them.
The fire had shrunk considerably since it had been lit, and Ohno used a log to poke some life back into it, busying himself with the task of keeping it going and encouraging larger flames as Nino watched. Had Jun been awake to relight the fire with his magic, Ohno might not have bothered, but he was glad that it gave him something to do - keeping busy helped hold the thoughts of that day away, helped to stop the image of his mother being murdered from replaying in his mind.
The fire cast a dull orange glow across their skin as heat radiated from the flames. Ohno looked over at Nino, at a loss for something to do now that his task was complete. Nino, as always, seemed to know what he needed - a distraction from the thoughts that were almost impossible to hold back - and spoke in a hushed voice, highly conscious of the three men still sleeping behind them. The topic was what they needed to do - how they were going to reach the capital. Despite its link to the day’s events, it was a safe topic - one that needed to be discussed, and that didn’t force them to think about what had been; all they had now was what was to come.
“We need to stop somewhere soon - a village or something.”
Ohno nodded, his hand finding Nino’s in the faint light that the fire and moon worked together to provide - an unlikely, yet effective, combination. “As soon as possible; no matter how I look at things, we can’t go much further without getting food and resting properly.”
“Hagizawa isn’t far from here, if I remember correctly. It’ll probably take an hour or two, with us in the condition we’re in at the moment.”
“Yeah, it’s close. It’ll probably be safe there as well; it’s so small that I doubt they even know it exists.”
The conversation continued like that until they eventually fell silent, watching the fire flickering - casting shadows across the clearing. Finally, Ohno broke the silence once more, studying Nino with caring eyes. “Nino?”
“Yeah?”
Ohno reached up to cup Nino’s cheek, his thumb brushing gently against the other’s skin - over dried spatters of blood. They kept eye contact as the fact that Ohno had been about to say something was temporarily forgotten, both of them searching each other for reassurance; the knowledge that they were okay - that they were going to be okay in the future.
When Ohno spoke again, Nino could tell that it had taken a huge amount of effort to find and voice the words that he had originally been intending to say. “You look terrible.”
“You aren’t looking your best either, Oh-chan.” Nino gave a small smile, one which Ohno mirrored - the first smile Nino had seen on his face since before everything had happened; it took every ounce of Nino’s willpower to stop himself from leaning in to brush his lips against Ohno’s.
“Before we do anything else tomorrow, we should find somewhere to wash.” Ohno’s voice had been reduced to a cautious whisper - a subconscious attempt to stop himself from ruining the moment, although he knew that it would have to end at some point.
Nino nodded silently, unable to look away from the other - possibly not wanting to look away.
After another long silence, the two men not moving through the duration of it - their faces were barely inches apart, and there was a reluctance to move and shatter the moment that they were sharing - Ohno moved his hand away from Nino’s cheek, all too aware that if he didn’t move then, he would be tempted to stay in that same position until the others woke up. He turned to look at the fire again, not sure how good he would be at controlling himself if he continued to watch Nino. In a way, Nino was glad; he wasn’t sure how much longer he would’ve been able to stop himself from claiming the other’s lips. He knew that it was something that couldn’t happen; they would all be travelling together for weeks, and if anything happened between him and Ohno it would undoubtedly put tension on the group - Nino couldn’t let that happen. Even so, Nino couldn’t help but miss the feeling of Ohno’s hand, warm against his cheek, the older man’s thumb brushing gently, carefully against his skin; he couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, if things had stayed normal he and Ohno might’ve had a chance at love.
It had taken Ohno more effort than he would care to admit to pry his hand from Nino’s cheek, his palm feeling decidedly empty as it rested on his lap. There was nothing he would’ve liked more than to turn to face the other again and guide Nino’s lips to his, but he knew that he shouldn’t - couldn’t - and instead forced himself to try to remove the temptation.
“Maybe you should try to sleep.” He murmured, watching the fire with a guise of extreme interest, not trusting himself to look at Nino without giving in to his urges.
“Maybe I should.” Nino agreed, not moving.
“Maybe I should too.” Ohno added, risking a glance at Nino.
“Maybe you should.”
There were a few moments of silence before Nino leaned over to rest his head on Ohno’s shoulder. Ohno’s arm automatically moved to wrap securely around the younger man’s back, holding him in place without a word. It was in this position that Nino fell into a light sleep, Ohno left awake with only his thoughts for company until morning arrived.
Once the sun had risen - patches of light shining through the gaps between leaves - Jun was the first to wake, the movement of his sitting up disturbing both Sho and Aiba who he had spent the night huddled with, none of them having particularly wanted to be alone. Nino woke soon after - once the group started making noise - having been unable to sleep deeply with the pain of his leg, despite having been comfortable against Ohno, who he had managed to move significantly closer to in his sleep.
The fire had begun to die out again at some point in the early hours of the morning, and Ohno had decided against attempting to keep it going for a second time; all that remained of it now was a pile of ash and thoroughly charred logs.
Aiba’s face was still sporting the blood spatters he had gained in battle, and the trail of blood down the side of Jun’s face from his cut had long since dried and was beginning to flake off; in Nino’s opinion they were all long overdue a wash.
It didn’t take them long to pack up the small number of things they had gotten out of their bags, and they were soon making the trek to the river that they knew ran nearby. The chance to wash was appreciated by the whole group, none of them particularly bothered by the icy cold temperature of the water; Nino was even glad for it, as it numbed the pain of his leg. Sho hadn’t had the energy to heal it even after his sleep - mostly because they hadn’t been able to have a meal; he’d been able to heal the small cut on Jun’s head, but that was all his drained body would allow.
Nino knew that it wasn’t Sho’s fault; had the other finished his training he probably would’ve been able to manage it, but he hadn’t - none of them had yet, magic took years to completely master, as did swordsmanship and the skills which Ohno was gifted with. He walked with help from Ohno, the other’s arm around his waist to provide support, and the other three hadn’t taken long to notice that something was different about the pair. They all knew that Ohno and Nino were close - the five of them had been inseparable since childhood, Ohno and Nino even more so than the rest of them - and they had all watched the relationship steadily progress over time, and whilst the pair had, on occasion, acted as though something had happened, it had never been particularly noticeable.
Sho could only assume that the loss of their families had driven Ohno and Nino closer than ever as he watched their behaviour; Ohno was more attentive than he would usually have been - and whilst a lot of that was down to Nino’s injury, Sho didn’t think that Nino really needed help picking up something right next to him (it wasn’t his hand that was injured, after all). There was also the way that the two of them had barely said a word to each other since they left the clearing, communicating mostly through glances and small touches in an unspoken language that the other three couldn’t understand.
It took longer to reach the Hagizawa than it usually would’ve done, with Nino’s injury slowing him down and the five of them generally lacking energy. All five of them had been to the village numerous times on errands, usually for the sake of trading and selling; whilst they were still in training they were expected to learn the family trade, for magic alone provided no steady job, and whilst Aiba was training to fight, there had never been a large amount of demand for warriors in the fairly remote area that they lived in, despite it being near to the border (there were, after all, the mountains to help guard them from attack, as not many people decide to venture over them when there was the option of going around) - in Ohno’s case, he could potentially go on to earn large sums of money as a spy or assassin, but the whole group agreed that Ohno had never been, and probably never would be, suited to such jobs; he was far too gentle.
Secretly, Sho was worried about what would happen once they left Hagizawa. The forest was huge, and they by no means knew all of it. They could navigate the area between Kikuyama and Hagizawa with ease, as they knew every area between the two places off by heart, but none of them had stepped far beyond the hidden village, and after they left it they would no longer be able to rely on what they already knew.
The villagers gave them curious glances as they made their way past the small groups of houses to reach the largest building - one which still wasn’t particularly big in size - where the village leader lived. Everyone knew them fairly well, but they hadn’t been expected for another three days, and it was only meant to be Sho and Aiba who visited, so naturally everyone was curious, especially after taking note of their appearances; they looked tired, drained, and in Nino’s case injured - which also roused curiosity, because it was common sense for him to get an injury of that nature healed as quickly as possible. Sho was thankful that they’d all had the good sense and quick thinking to grab spare clothes in their escape - it wouldn’t have done any good to turn that confusion into alarm immediately upon their arrival.
The village leader saw them almost immediately; Fujita Takeshi was a kind man in his late forties who the group of five had known all their lives - a close acquaintance of Jun’s father. It was clear that he was worried by their sudden arrival, and the sight of the five young men sat in a row with solemn expressions - four of them sat in seiza, one with his legs outstretched because of injury - did nothing to alleviate his concern.
They exchanged formalities before falling silent again, Fujita watching them patiently. It was Jun who finally spoke up, his words clear and voice unwavering, despite the emotions which were doing their best to take control of his mind.
“They came. No one else escaped.”
The sentence lacked detail, but Jun knew that he didn’t need to elaborate; Fujita had understood his concise explanation completely, and had cast his head down in a silent prayer for the dead, allowing himself a moment’s grief before turning his attention back to the conversation.
“What do you intend to do?” His eyes met Jun’s once more as he continued. “The villagers here would be more than willing to take you in, if you want to stay.”
“I hope you’ll understand that we can’t do that, Fujita-san; we’re heading for the capital. It’s come to the point where we need to carry the message to the emperor - no one expected them to come over the mountains, you know that as well as I do, and you also know that for that reason exactly there was no one sent to protect us, or to report back news of any attacks. We’re the only ones left to take the message.”
Fujita nodded in understanding, casting his gaze over the five men. “Is there anything I can do?”
“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, it would be a great help if we could stay somewhere here for the night.” Jun answered, glancing across at Sho.
Sho gave a curt nod before adding to the request, all too aware that Jun already felt as though he had asked too much, but knowing that they needed more to be able to make their journey. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but if there are any supplies that you could spare it would be a great help - we have no food to take with us, and no more spare clothes.”
Fujita nodded his understanding. “I’ll get the message around that you need help; I get the feeling everyone will want to support you in whatever ways they can.”
By that afternoon everyone in Hagizawa knew what had happened, and the five of them had quickly been offered a place to stay for the night, free of charge. As well as a place to rest, villagers offered them food for the journey, robes, spare sandals, and a childhood friend of theirs - Hamada Tsutomu, who helped his father in the business of raising horses - even managed to spare three of their stallions. They thanked everyone profusely as they were offered various things, and it was as they gained support from the people they had known for so long that they felt for the first time that, somehow, they might really make it.
Lunch had been eaten with enthusiasm by all five men, despite the fact that it had only been a simple meal - going without food for a day whilst using so much energy had had its effect on them. Their evening meal had been eaten in much the same manner, although they had all been slightly more subdued. It was after this meal that Sho healed Nino’s leg, having regained enough energy for it.
The next morning everyone was looking far better than they had when they arrived; they had eaten well and had regained their health, and Nino was able to walk normally, without help. Although he certainly didn’t miss the pain, Nino found himself slightly disappointed that he would no longer be able to have Ohno so close to him, arm wrapped around his waist in support - these thoughts were quickly dismissed, once Nino realised that letting himself think them was only going to make him awkward around Ohno.
They set off after meeting Fujita again. Sho had been becoming increasingly worried about how they were going to find their way to the capital, and so when they were called to see the village leader and Fujita had presented them with a map of the country a feeling of relief washed over him. He supposed that he probably should’ve expected it - Fujita had known them all since they were young, and so knew that they wouldn’t be able to navigate easily once they left the hidden village - but for some reason the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.
The villagers sent them off with smiles, but it was clearly obvious to the group that there was underlying worry as they made their way out of Hagizawa on the horses. Aiba and Sho shared a black stallion, Rai; Jun had Rai’s brother, Kano, a large, handsome horse; and Ohno and Nino followed on the grey, Yoshi, who - whilst having a less impressive appearance - had a calmer temperament and therefore suited the pair far better than one of the larger jet black horses.
Ideally, they would’ve preferred a horse each, but they knew they had been lucky to even get the three - they were well aware that they were some of Hamada’s best horses, and were therefore extremely grateful. It had been decided that Jun would be the one to ride alone, as he had a tendency to ride more dangerously than the others, and everyone valued their safety - it had been an unspoken assumption that Ohno and Nino would be sharing, and so Sho and Aiba rode together.
Sho had been put in charge of navigation, so he and Aiba led the way; the map had been consulted carefully before their departure, and Sho had planned their route through the forest to the closest city, Sugiyama, which lay on the other side. From there they intended to head straight for the capital, Torayama, stopping in villages to rest, and for supplies along the way.
They kept a fairly slow pace as they made their way down the forest path which led towards the edge of the forest. Not too far from Hagizawa the trees gave way to a small field, which lay between the forest and one of the mountains that separated the Northern country from the South and helped to protect them from the attack of the Northern country’s army, the black devils, - this was where the horses were kept, as there was nowhere near enough room for them to move around amidst the trees which surrounded the village. They stuck to the path which ran next to the field, along with the forest, which they would continue to walk alongside most of the way to Sugiyama.
No one said much as they rode, although Aiba would comment on things that they went past every now and again, no doubt excited to be exploring a new place. Nino felt rather awkward sat behind Ohno, pressed up against the other’s back with his arms securely around his waist; they were too close, and Nino was enjoying that fact a little too much for someone who was trying to prevent himself from acting on any feelings he might have for Ohno. He loosened his grip on the other’s waist slightly, and Ohno let go of the reigns with one hand to pull Nino’s arms back around him properly, tighter than before. “I’m not letting you fall off.” He murmured, taking up the reigns with both hands again.
The rest of the journey continued in much the same manner, with little conversation and a few moments between Ohno and Nino where they somehow ended up getting gradually closer, despite trying their hardest not to. It was all Nino could do to stop himself from giving a sigh of mixed relief and disappointment when they decided to stop for lunch, instead making the effort to stay silent as Ohno climbed off the horse first before helping him down; Nino didn’t really need the help, but Ohno appeared to have gotten into the habit of helping Nino wherever possible whilst the other was injured, and hadn’t quite gotten out of that habit yet.
Nino winced internally as the action of Ohno helping him caused him to stumble a little, and somehow end up gripping the other’s shoulders to keep his balance, his face closer to Ohno’s than he would care for, considering the fact that he was struggling to suppress certain feelings. It was like something out of a predictable romance novel, Nino thought, or maybe a clichéd love poem - these thoughts only intensified once he gained eye contact with Ohno and found it impossible to look away.
After a not-so-subtle cough from Jun they sprang apart, hurriedly rushing over to sit with everyone else; apparently the amount of time they’d spent locked in the moment had actually been just as long as it had felt, as the others had already managed to unpack some food and tie each horse to a tree. The awkwardness between them faded away after about ten minutes of eating, the conversation within the group finally picking up as they seemed to start regaining their will to make an effort; no one had really felt like talking much after Kikuyama was destroyed, but after two nights they recognised that they needed to make the effort to stay as cheerful as possible.
After eating their small lunch and giving the horses a small rest they set off again, going at a slightly faster pace - meaning that Nino had to cling to Ohno tighter, much to his dismay - and reaching Sugiyama in good time.
Sugiyama was bigger than they had expected; they’d known it would be bigger than both Hagizawa and Kikuyama, but they hadn’t anticipated exactly how much bigger. Aiba couldn’t recall ever having seen so many people in one place, and he was excited by it - Sho was slightly less excited in that he knew Aiba would want to look around, and he really didn’t want them all to get separated, as seemed likely in the bustling streets.
It didn’t take them long to find somewhere to spend the night, and they were all thankful that they had remembered the one thing they needed the most on this journey - money. Their accommodation wasn’t anything special, but it had somewhere for them to keep the horses, was affordable and was comfortable enough for them.
Aiba was eager to leave as soon as they had dumped their bags into the two rooms they had for a few nights, and after Sho’s stomach gave a decidedly loud rumble it was declared that they were going to go and find food. Nino had quickly opted to stay behind using the excuse of tiredness - the thought of walking around such a large, busy city didn’t really appeal to him - and Ohno had quickly done the same; Nino wasn’t sure if Ohno was actually tired, or if he felt the same as him - it briefly occurred to him that Ohno might just be staying because he was, but the thought was quickly dismissed as Nino told himself to stop being ridiculous and hoping for the impossible.
Soon they were left alone in the room that was apparently theirs for the night, a blanket of silence surrounding them as they sat opposite each other.
“How’s your leg?” Ohno was the one to speak first, not liking the awkwardness that neither of them were used to having with one another.
“It’s fine; Sho did a good job.” Nino internally winced at the way the sentence sounded - it was too short, too cold.
Ohno just nodded, watching Nino - possibly for any sign that the other was lying, but probably just because he couldn’t think of anywhere better to look.
Nino willed himself to shatter the awkwardness that had fallen over them, stronger than before. “How long do you think they’ll be?”
“Probably a few hours - you know what Aiba’s like.”
After that it fell silent again, the two of them just sitting and watching each other.
Finally, after what seemed like hours of staring - but realistically could only have been a few minutes - Ohno broke the silence again, standing to move and sit next to Nino.
“We’re being awkward.” He stated, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from where it had fallen across Nino’s forehead. “Why are we awkward? It’s you and me, we’re never awkward.”
Nino gave a small smile and rested his head against Ohno’s shoulder - an action he did without thinking. “Maybe we’re just tired.” They both knew it wasn’t true, but it worked well enough as an excuse, so Ohno played along, reaching up to stroke Nino’s hair soothingly. “Yeah, that’s probably it. Want to sleep?”
Nino shrugged, a small, satisfied sigh escaping him as he just enjoyed their closeness for the first time since he decided nothing could happen between them; he couldn’t find the resolve to push Ohno’s hand away anyway.
By the time the other three returned with extra supplies, Ohno and Nino had both fallen asleep, Ohno spread flat out on the bare tatami, an arm curled around Nino’s waist. Nino was lying half on top of Ohno - something which had no doubt happened after they had fallen asleep, because with Nino’s current reluctance to get too close to Ohno, no one could believe that he would consciously have chosen to move into such a position.
They stayed in Sugiyama for three more days, making sure they had everything they needed, regaining all of their strength, and planning what they would do. Sho and Jun had been the ones to do most of the planning; they had discussed things like money, and whether they would have enough - how to make it last if the need arose - they discussed how long they would stay in each place, how many days it would take them to arrive.
There was only one thing that they didn’t discuss, but Nino knew they were all thinking about it - were more than just a little worried. What would they do afterwards? Once they had made it to Torayama and given their message what was left for them to do? They had no home to go back to, and no plan for the future, but still, the topic remained unspoken of, no one wanting to admit that they just didn’t know what they could do.
The journey was to take two weeks overall, starting from when they had left Hagizawa, if all went to plan - and Nino suspected that it would, because Jun and Sho would do everything possible to stay on track. Their next destination was a smaller town, Shikaoka, and it would take two days to get there, by Sho’s reckoning.
They set off on the fifth morning of their journey, loading up the horses again before setting off, going at a moderate speed; it would’ve done them no good to wear the horses out too much and be forced to stay somewhere longer than they would’ve liked, when they didn’t need to be going at full speed anyway.
During their stay in Sugiyama, the awkwardness between Ohno and Nino had begun to disappear again, much to everyone else’s relief. Nino was no longer uncomfortable keeping a tight grip on Ohno as they rode, and the group of five looked a little happier, holding light hearted conversations throughout the journey. It had already been nearly a week since the death of their families and they end of the life they had known, and somehow - although it had been only a short amount of time - their feelings of despair over the event had faded somewhat; there was no doubt that they would never forget the people they grew up with, or Kikuyama, the place they grew up in, but they knew that they were bringing justice, and that no one would want them to mope forever.
Sho was pleased to find that they were on time when night began to fall, and they settled in a small clearing of a forest that ran next to the road. It was different to the forest they had lived by - the sounds and scents of it were different - but it still gave them a sense of familiarity; as intriguing as Sugiyama had been, they had clearly missed living that little bit closer to nature.
They all slept well that night, the five of them lying close together for warmth, limbs entangled, making it almost impossible to tell which arms and legs belonged to whom. This night in the forest was far better than the first - the one they’d spent before reaching Hagizawa. This time they had blankets and food, and were healthy, not to mention happier. A lot had happened in a short space of time, but they were quickly beginning to become their old selves again - or at least as close to their old selves as they would ever get.
The sixth day went quickly; they travelled at a steady speed and reached Shikaoka by nightfall. Shikaoka was smaller than Sugiyama - around the same size as Kikuyama had been. It had a friendly feel, and the locals welcomed them cheerfully; a particularly kindly man, who they later discovered to be called Nakano, was even nice enough to take them to a nearby ryokan.
Their rooming arrangements were much the same as they had been in Sugiyama, with Nino and Ohno in one room, and Sho, Aiba and Jun in another. The family who ran the ryokan seemed to have been charmed by the group of five, and even invited them to eat dinner with them that night. They happily accepted, after making sure that it was really alright, and enjoyed a meal with the family.
That dinner reminded them of the meals they used to have at home, with lots of cheerful conversation and laughter - had it happened a few days before, it probably would have left the group depressed, missing their families too much for them to bear, but as things stood, they were able to remember how things had been with a smile, and be glad that they could still at least remember the happiest times of their life.
The youngest daughter Yukina, who was five, seemed to have taken a liking to Jun, and had insisted on sitting next to him for dinner, much to everyone else’s amusement. After the meal it had been decided that they would be given a tour of Shikaoka - not that it was particularly big, or had anything of great excitement, but no one really seemed to mind that - and Yukina had been set on holding Jun’s hand for the duration of it, pointing things out and explaining them to him in her tiny, high pitched voice.
This commentary from Yukina was seemingly only one meant for Jun’s ears, as she talked just quietly enough for no one else to quite catch what she was saying, but her older brother, Koichi, happily took the role of tour guide for the rest of them, pointing out various shops and telling them who owned them and what was sold there, as well as introducing them to the locals - not before Yukina introduced Jun, of course, explaining proudly that Jun could do magic (a fact that she had learned from Nino, at dinner, and had been particularly impressed by).
Ohno couldn’t help but get the feeling that when they left it was going to be a tearful goodbye, on Yukina’s part at least.
The tour hadn’t taken very long, and once they got back to the ryokan, everyone but Jun went up to their rooms, bathing before settling into bed; Yukina had insisted on ‘Jun-pon’ tucking her into bed - despite her mother’s insistence that he was meant to be a guest, and shouldn’t feel inclined to do such things - and Jun had agreed, much to Nino’s amusement.
Once Jun returned he bathed quickly and dressed for bed before joining everyone where they were sat in Ohno and Nino’s room, having a conversation which Jun suspected may have been about him and his new ‘girlfriend’ until the sounds of his footsteps brought about a sudden change of topic. They all sat there, talking and laughing for around half an hour before Ohno declared that he was tired, and Nino kicked the rest of them out.
The next day was spent stocking up on various supplies again, with some help from Yukina - who still insisted on holding Jun’s hand - and Koichi. Once they had everything they needed, and it was stored carefully in Ohno and Nino’s room, the realisation that there wasn’t really much to do in Shikaoka hit them. Koichi suggested going on a walk, and everyone agreed for lack of a better idea.
When the walk had first been suggested it had been clear that Yukina had her doubts - she was, after all, only five, and so she couldn’t walk as far as everyone else without getting tired. After hearing that Jun liked the idea of a walk, however, she quickly agreed, her decision was further confirmed once Nino had whispered in her ear, a clear smirk on his face - ‘If you get too tired, Jun-pon might agree to carry you’; Jun didn’t think that statement had really been necessary, but he wasn’t against Yukina coming with them - he wouldn’t admit it, but he was becoming rather fond of the five year old who seemed to idolise him.
It was a nice day for a walk; the sun was shining as they walked aimlessly over hilly fields, the backdrop of a mountainous landscape to the north was breathtaking to look at, and the group of seven had fun talking, Koichi telling them all various things that had happened in Shikaoka - a few of them to Yukina’s great embarrassment, particularly when Koichi started on the story of where she got lost on the next street from theirs and cried until one of Koichi’s friends spotted her and took her home.
By the time they had been walking for an hour Yukina was beginning to get tired, and had already made Jun promise that if they planned on exploring the area around Shikaoka again the next day, they were taking horses and leaving Koichi behind; Jun was fairly certain they wouldn’t actually leave Koichi, considering the fact that he was the only one who knew where he was going, but nodding his agreement had made Yukina happy, and Jun suspected that by the next day she would’ve forgotten all about that part of the promise anyway.
When they returned to the ryokan it was mid afternoon, and Jun had carried Yukina a fair distance, much to her delight and everyone else’s amusement. They apologized for having taken the children away for so long, but were quickly assured that it was no problem - it was easier to get things done with the children out of the house anyway.
They ate out that night - just the five of them - at the small restaurant a couple of buildings down from the in. It seemed that despite the short amount of time they’d been there they were already becoming popular in Shikaoka, and were greeted with warm smiles and friendly conversation, which they returned happily.
The day had been a fairly tiring one, and so when they returned to the ryokan everyone went immediately to their own rooms, after bathing. Jun, Sho and Aiba fell asleep quickly, and Ohno and Nino could hear their gentle snores from where they opposite each other in their own room; neither of them had felt like sleeping straight away, instead deciding to just sit and talk for a while.
Despite this decision, the two of them were having trouble finding something to talk about; the only thing on both of their minds was each other, and the feelings they were hiding - a subject that both of them had decided to keep buried. Somehow, the silence between them wasn’t awkward as they watched each other, neither man able to break eye contact.
Despite the efforts they made not to discuss it, there was nothing they could do stop their feelings from showing themselves in their eyes; although no words were spoken, the message was conveyed clearly, despite the need they felt to suppress their feelings - to not let the other know, because once they did, neither of them would be able to stop themselves.
They were drawn to each other, a sort of invisible force pulling them together as they found themselves trapped in the moment, unable to escape - possibly not even wanting to escape. Before they knew it they were millimetres apart, and Ohno’s hand was cupping Nino’s cheek, his thumb gently stroking the skin beneath it as that miniscule gap between them closed and their lips were gently brushing together.
Neither of them could tell who it had been to close that final distance, and neither of them cared as the careful brush of lips became another, more definite, confident press of lips, and neither man could restrain himself any longer.
Nino’s arm snaked around the back of Ohno’s neck, and his hand tangled in the other’s hair as the kiss deepened, tongue meeting tongue for the first time, after both of them wanting it for so long. Neither of them wanted to pull apart, the only thoughts on their mind being that of wanting more, needing to be closer, and so somehow Nino found himself straddling Ohno, the other’s arm securely around his waist, keeping him close.
They had both stopped thinking about consequences, and how this really shouldn’t be happening, and were focused solely on getting what they needed. Lips moved apart when the need for air hit them, instead brushing across cheeks, foreheads, chins before meeting again in a surge of passion.
When they finally broke apart their hair was mussed, clothing skewed, and lips thoroughly swollen. After a few moments the situation seemed to hit Nino, and he scrambled off of Ohno, hurriedly fixing his sleeping robes and running a hand through his hair before crawling into his futon, facing away from the other, only one thought in his mind. ‘That shouldn’t have happened’
To Part 2