From Then Till Now (Chapter 8)
Title: From Then Till Now
Group/pairing: Arashi/ Ohmiya
Word Count: 1984 words
Rating: PG
Summary: Nino had thought he had left his past behind for good until he meets an old ghost he once loved.
Disclaimer: So far I only own two photosets of Sho and a set of Arashi playing cards. I wish I'd own Arashi, but no. I don't. ._.
Author note: CHAPTER 8 IS HEREEEE. As I promised, it's a song fic chapter. Song is... "full of love". :D It's been a loong while since I last did songfics and I finally remembered what it was like to write to the same song over and over and over and over and... XD Welp, enjoy this lovely chapter! ^^/ (credits go to yarukizero for translating the lyrics that inspired this chapter)
Chapter 8
Ohno paced himself a short distance away from the bar and bolted into the dim streets, his mind focused only on getting away as far from Nino as he possibly could. When he had reached a fair distance away, he slowed his steps and looked around at the empty stalls around him. He took a deep breath and sighed, looking up into the dark skies above him. The moon and the stars shone brightly above him, giving his surroundings a surreal, nightly glow.
After seven whole years of quiet, painful longing for the other, he had finally revealed that he had left to protect him in the only way he thought he could. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
He still had no idea if Nino could ever accept that reason.
He still had no idea if what he did back then was right.
He also had no idea if there was even an inkling of a possibility that they could be back together.
"But I guess none of that really matters," Ohno whispered to himself as he looked back down at the ground, "as long as we are both set free from our past."
With that resolve in mind, he exhaled a cloud of white breath as he took slow, steady steps in no particular direction, allowing the quiet cold of the night air to comfort him.
風になれ...
Become the wind
The ground remained damp with small puddles along the roads and pavements as the human traffic around the amusement park began to thin. The crowded chatter and buzz had softened in the night to little more than soft, quiet murmurs. He shivered lightly as a soft, cold breeze blew across the side of his neck.
いつの間に雨はあがって 月と星が顔を出して
朝を待つほど 想う distance
同じ空見てる？ 君の中僕はいる？
止まってない時間 迷い込んで
Before I knew it, the rain had stopped And the moon and stars appeared
The longer I wait for the morning, the more I think of the distance between us
Are you looking at the same sky? Am I inside of you?
I'm lost in this time that won't stop
"The rain had stopped, huh," Ohno thought as he looked up at the sky.
"Do you.. still like the rain?"
"I don't know... but I don't dislike it."
Nino's words in the hotel room came at him like a distant memory- a memory of them looking together at the same rainy sky on that day seven years ago. His lips curled into a soft smile as he recalled their brief exchange in the hotel room. At least Nino had remembered that day too. Even if they had become more distant than ever, somehow Ohno knew that their memories together would keep them connected somehow.
眠れず 遠くに 滲んで見えた
朝焼けの空は奇麗で
優しい ぬくもり 胸に込み上げ
確かなものを探すため
Unable to sleep, I saw the morning glow in the sky
Blurred into the distance, it was beautiful
The gentle warmth fills my heart
So that I can search for something that's certain
His slow footsteps passed by a small playground, and his eyes looked over at it with fond eyes as he recalled the day when they finally plucked up the courage to be honest with their feelings. In his mind's eye he saw everything- the orange glow of the rising sun in the horizon, the way the rays of light swept across the playground, the way they illuminated Nino's face as their lips touched for the first time. He could never forget the gentle warmth around them back then, and even at that present moment he could still feel it in his heart.
"I...like you, Nino," he whispered the same words from that day, as if reliving it in that moment.
親愛なる君へ 舟を漕ぎ出して
風になれ
その奇跡を描いて 想い溢れ出て
すぐ君のもとへ
Toward you who are dear to me, I began to row my boat
Become the wind
Portraying this miracle, my feelings overflow
I'll go straight to where you are
Nino bolted fast out of the bar and sprinted along the pavement, his mind reeling and confused as he struggled between absorbing the facts from a while ago and focusing on searching for Ohno. The air whizzed past him like a rushing wind as he made a mad dash towards the nearest signboard that showed a map of the shopping district and amusement park. He quickly looked through it as he made a note of his location and the rough outline of the theme park.
"Please," he quietly prayed under his breath as he started running off in the direction of the amusement park, "please be there."
Ohno shuffled leisurely into a Starbucks cafe and took his place in a queue of people.
Soon enough, his turn came to place an order...
And he did not see Nino run past the cafe from behind him.
あの約束を 囁いたこと
君はまだ覚えてるの？
波がたぐり寄せた 理由なんていらなかった
心が触れ合った 瞬間を
Do you still remember
Whispering that promise?
I didn't need the reason pulled in by the waves
The moment our hearts touched each other...
"Ne, Kazu. Do you think we'll still be together in high school?"
"We will be, and even after that when we go to college, we will be. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
"I wonder if he still remembered what he said then," Ohno thought as he carried his warm cup of Caffe Americano out of the shop. Then again, he reflected, they had been together for a very long time ever since that day at the playground when he offered him a cookie. Somehow, there was no particular reason why they could get along from such a young age- they just did.
海へと 連れ去る 涙の跡は
幾つもの記憶繋いで
いつからだろうか？ 君を想うたび
微笑みさえも切なくて
The tracks left by tears taken away to the ocean
Are connected to many memories
Since from when was it that every time I think of you
Even smiles are painful?
Nino panted heavily as he stopped in his tracks inside the vacant theme park. He felt tears roll down his cheeks as he looked around at the empty stalls and benches. There was no one around and yet on the contrary to what he had expected, it was too hard to find him.
"You promised you won't go anywhere," Nino panted in shallow breaths as he looked around while feeling completely lost, "and I promised I won't either..."
He flopped down tiredly on a bench (it had been YEARS since he last ran so much), the story behind Ohno's departure a long time ago resurfacing again in his mind. His heart ached as he thought back on how they had met- and how Ohno had tried desperately hard to get his attention or to remind him of their shared memories.
"...Do you think Shizuka-chan has found her prince yet?"
"You don't remember? The faceless prince she's marrying?"
And that smile. That one smile that hid every scar that was inflicted on him.
"This won't do," Nino hissed as he wiped his tears and stood up, readying himself to look around for Ohno some more.
重なり合う日々に 記した想いは
忘れないで
イタズラな未来に 変わりはしないさ
いま君のもとへ
In the days that pile up, don't forget the feelings you wrote down
The tricky future won't change
Now, I'll go to where you are
On the other side of the theme park, Ohno had made himself comfortable on a bench as he thumbed through his sketchbook that he always carried with him in his bag. He smiled as his fingers traced the outlines of a 7-year old Nino that he drew from memory and a 14-year-old Nino that he drew from pure observation.
And finally, near the bottom of the sketchbook was his rather recent sketches of a grownup Ninomiya Kazunari, his playful, mischievous childlike features only becoming more and more attractive with age.
"Maybe I should return to the hotel now," Ohno murmured, "I wouldn't want to worry anyone."
Just as he got up, he felt a wet prickling sensation on the nape of his neck. He looked up to see that the rain had returned for the rest of the night, and it was picking up fast. Within half a minute, the heavy rain pelted down mercilessly on the rest of the amusement park as Ohno stuffed his sketchbook in his bag and hurried towards the nearest place to shelter himself from the rain. From between his squinted eyes, he could see himself approaching a small pavilion that served as a rest stop for patrons. He carefully paced himself towards the pavilion, placing his bag down and sitting down on the seat.
夢の中 君を見た 触れたら 儚くて
I saw you in a dream If I touch you, you'll disappear
Ohno looked up at the pouring rain, as if spacing out in a small trance. With an outstretched hand, he reached out with an open palm, letting the cool rain pool a small puddle in the palm of his hand.
月夜に... 会いにゆくから
Because I'll go to meet you... in the moonlit night
"The rain reminds me of you though,"
"Why?"
"It's soft, quiet and comforting like you. Well, you're a lot warmer though."
Ohno smiled as those words that lingered in his memory replayed in his mind like a gentle whisper amidst the pouring rain. He closed his eyes as he focused his senses on the cool, comforting sensation in his hand. And in the midst of his concentration.. he heard loud, splashing footsteps of someone running towards him.
親愛なる君へ 舟を漕ぎ出して
風になれ
その奇跡を描いて 想い溢れ出て
すぐ君のもとへ
Toward you who are dear to me, I began to row my boat
Become the wind
Portraying this miracle, my feelings overflow
I'll go straight to where you are
Before Ohno could tell what was happening, a strong force knocked him slightly off balance as something warm and yet soaking wet wrapped itself tightly around his body. His eyes flickered open in shock as he looked down to see that it was Ninomiya Kazunari himself, his clothes and hair completely drenched from being in the rain.
"N-Nino.."
"Oh-chan.."
Ohno almost felt his heart stop as he heard that familiar name.
"Oh-chan..." Nino's muffled shaky voice came from against his shoulder," I'm so sorry..."
"No," Ohno said as he gripped Nino's shoulder firmly," it's not you-"
"No it is!" Nino protested between tears, "I was always the one pushing you away without knowing what the hell was happening and I... I just..."
"Kazu," Ohno said gently as cupped Nino's cheeks tenderly in his wet palms and brought his face closer to him.
重なり合う日々に 記した想いは
忘れないで
イタズラな未来に 変わりはしないさ
いま君のもとへ
In the days that pile up, don't forget the feelings you wrote down
The tricky future won't change
Now, I'll go to where you are
Their lips touched gently and Nino closed his eyes as he felt more tears streaming out of his eyes. Yet those were not tears of sadness or confusion, but those of joy. Amidst the cold, Nino wrapped his arms tightly around Ohno, searching for warmth in their kiss and the warmth of the other man's body temperature. Ohno smiled into the kiss and deepened it as he slipped his tongue into Nino's. Unlike the kiss from before, it was not one of anguish and hurt, but of tender feelings of affection that lasted for more than seven years. When they finally parted, Ohno laid his forehead on Nino's, softly brushing their noses together.
"Oh-chan," Nino whispered, "from then till now, I.. I've always loved you. Even after you left and even after we met again, I.."
Ohno felt his heart warm up as he softly kissed Nino's nose.
"Me too," he said, "I've always loved you.. and I always will."
For the first time in a long while, Nino broke into a genuine smile as he tugged Ohno close to him in a warm embrace. Ohno responded by wrapping his own arms around Nino, sharing the warmth in their hearts. And the seven years' worth of distance between them was finally dissolved away into the rain.
A/N: YAYYY LOVELY SCENE IS DONE :D *pats self on shoulder* I fell in love with this song after listening to it and envisioning something happening in the rain. Aaand that's how I got this entire story and this scene going. What do you guys think? Comments and cookies are very welcome! :D :D :D
Group/pairing: Arashi/ Ohmiya
Word Count: 1984 words
Rating: PG
Summary: Nino had thought he had left his past behind for good until he meets an old ghost he once loved.
Disclaimer: So far I only own two photosets of Sho and a set of Arashi playing cards. I wish I'd own Arashi, but no. I don't. ._.
Author note: CHAPTER 8 IS HEREEEE. As I promised, it's a song fic chapter. Song is... "full of love". :D It's been a loong while since I last did songfics and I finally remembered what it was like to write to the same song over and over and over and over and... XD Welp, enjoy this lovely chapter! ^^/ (credits go to yarukizero for translating the lyrics that inspired this chapter)
Chapter 8
Ohno paced himself a short distance away from the bar and bolted into the dim streets, his mind focused only on getting away as far from Nino as he possibly could. When he had reached a fair distance away, he slowed his steps and looked around at the empty stalls around him. He took a deep breath and sighed, looking up into the dark skies above him. The moon and the stars shone brightly above him, giving his surroundings a surreal, nightly glow.
After seven whole years of quiet, painful longing for the other, he had finally revealed that he had left to protect him in the only way he thought he could. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
He still had no idea if Nino could ever accept that reason.
He still had no idea if what he did back then was right.
He also had no idea if there was even an inkling of a possibility that they could be back together.
"But I guess none of that really matters," Ohno whispered to himself as he looked back down at the ground, "as long as we are both set free from our past."
With that resolve in mind, he exhaled a cloud of white breath as he took slow, steady steps in no particular direction, allowing the quiet cold of the night air to comfort him.
風になれ...
Become the wind
The ground remained damp with small puddles along the roads and pavements as the human traffic around the amusement park began to thin. The crowded chatter and buzz had softened in the night to little more than soft, quiet murmurs. He shivered lightly as a soft, cold breeze blew across the side of his neck.
いつの間に雨はあがって 月と星が顔を出して
朝を待つほど 想う distance
同じ空見てる？ 君の中僕はいる？
止まってない時間 迷い込んで
Before I knew it, the rain had stopped And the moon and stars appeared
The longer I wait for the morning, the more I think of the distance between us
Are you looking at the same sky? Am I inside of you?
I'm lost in this time that won't stop
"The rain had stopped, huh," Ohno thought as he looked up at the sky.
"Do you.. still like the rain?"
"I don't know... but I don't dislike it."
Nino's words in the hotel room came at him like a distant memory- a memory of them looking together at the same rainy sky on that day seven years ago. His lips curled into a soft smile as he recalled their brief exchange in the hotel room. At least Nino had remembered that day too. Even if they had become more distant than ever, somehow Ohno knew that their memories together would keep them connected somehow.
眠れず 遠くに 滲んで見えた
朝焼けの空は奇麗で
優しい ぬくもり 胸に込み上げ
確かなものを探すため
Unable to sleep, I saw the morning glow in the sky
Blurred into the distance, it was beautiful
The gentle warmth fills my heart
So that I can search for something that's certain
His slow footsteps passed by a small playground, and his eyes looked over at it with fond eyes as he recalled the day when they finally plucked up the courage to be honest with their feelings. In his mind's eye he saw everything- the orange glow of the rising sun in the horizon, the way the rays of light swept across the playground, the way they illuminated Nino's face as their lips touched for the first time. He could never forget the gentle warmth around them back then, and even at that present moment he could still feel it in his heart.
"I...like you, Nino," he whispered the same words from that day, as if reliving it in that moment.
親愛なる君へ 舟を漕ぎ出して
風になれ
その奇跡を描いて 想い溢れ出て
すぐ君のもとへ
Toward you who are dear to me, I began to row my boat
Become the wind
Portraying this miracle, my feelings overflow
I'll go straight to where you are
Nino bolted fast out of the bar and sprinted along the pavement, his mind reeling and confused as he struggled between absorbing the facts from a while ago and focusing on searching for Ohno. The air whizzed past him like a rushing wind as he made a mad dash towards the nearest signboard that showed a map of the shopping district and amusement park. He quickly looked through it as he made a note of his location and the rough outline of the theme park.
"Please," he quietly prayed under his breath as he started running off in the direction of the amusement park, "please be there."
Ohno shuffled leisurely into a Starbucks cafe and took his place in a queue of people.
Soon enough, his turn came to place an order...
And he did not see Nino run past the cafe from behind him.
あの約束を 囁いたこと
君はまだ覚えてるの？
波がたぐり寄せた 理由なんていらなかった
心が触れ合った 瞬間を
Do you still remember
Whispering that promise?
I didn't need the reason pulled in by the waves
The moment our hearts touched each other...
"Ne, Kazu. Do you think we'll still be together in high school?"
"We will be, and even after that when we go to college, we will be. I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
"I wonder if he still remembered what he said then," Ohno thought as he carried his warm cup of Caffe Americano out of the shop. Then again, he reflected, they had been together for a very long time ever since that day at the playground when he offered him a cookie. Somehow, there was no particular reason why they could get along from such a young age- they just did.
海へと 連れ去る 涙の跡は
幾つもの記憶繋いで
いつからだろうか？ 君を想うたび
微笑みさえも切なくて
The tracks left by tears taken away to the ocean
Are connected to many memories
Since from when was it that every time I think of you
Even smiles are painful?
Nino panted heavily as he stopped in his tracks inside the vacant theme park. He felt tears roll down his cheeks as he looked around at the empty stalls and benches. There was no one around and yet on the contrary to what he had expected, it was too hard to find him.
"You promised you won't go anywhere," Nino panted in shallow breaths as he looked around while feeling completely lost, "and I promised I won't either..."
He flopped down tiredly on a bench (it had been YEARS since he last ran so much), the story behind Ohno's departure a long time ago resurfacing again in his mind. His heart ached as he thought back on how they had met- and how Ohno had tried desperately hard to get his attention or to remind him of their shared memories.
"...Do you think Shizuka-chan has found her prince yet?"
"You don't remember? The faceless prince she's marrying?"
And that smile. That one smile that hid every scar that was inflicted on him.
"This won't do," Nino hissed as he wiped his tears and stood up, readying himself to look around for Ohno some more.
重なり合う日々に 記した想いは
忘れないで
イタズラな未来に 変わりはしないさ
いま君のもとへ
In the days that pile up, don't forget the feelings you wrote down
The tricky future won't change
Now, I'll go to where you are
On the other side of the theme park, Ohno had made himself comfortable on a bench as he thumbed through his sketchbook that he always carried with him in his bag. He smiled as his fingers traced the outlines of a 7-year old Nino that he drew from memory and a 14-year-old Nino that he drew from pure observation.
And finally, near the bottom of the sketchbook was his rather recent sketches of a grownup Ninomiya Kazunari, his playful, mischievous childlike features only becoming more and more attractive with age.
"Maybe I should return to the hotel now," Ohno murmured, "I wouldn't want to worry anyone."
Just as he got up, he felt a wet prickling sensation on the nape of his neck. He looked up to see that the rain had returned for the rest of the night, and it was picking up fast. Within half a minute, the heavy rain pelted down mercilessly on the rest of the amusement park as Ohno stuffed his sketchbook in his bag and hurried towards the nearest place to shelter himself from the rain. From between his squinted eyes, he could see himself approaching a small pavilion that served as a rest stop for patrons. He carefully paced himself towards the pavilion, placing his bag down and sitting down on the seat.
夢の中 君を見た 触れたら 儚くて
I saw you in a dream If I touch you, you'll disappear
Ohno looked up at the pouring rain, as if spacing out in a small trance. With an outstretched hand, he reached out with an open palm, letting the cool rain pool a small puddle in the palm of his hand.
月夜に... 会いにゆくから
Because I'll go to meet you... in the moonlit night
"The rain reminds me of you though,"
"Why?"
"It's soft, quiet and comforting like you. Well, you're a lot warmer though."
Ohno smiled as those words that lingered in his memory replayed in his mind like a gentle whisper amidst the pouring rain. He closed his eyes as he focused his senses on the cool, comforting sensation in his hand. And in the midst of his concentration.. he heard loud, splashing footsteps of someone running towards him.
親愛なる君へ 舟を漕ぎ出して
風になれ
その奇跡を描いて 想い溢れ出て
すぐ君のもとへ
Toward you who are dear to me, I began to row my boat
Become the wind
Portraying this miracle, my feelings overflow
I'll go straight to where you are
Before Ohno could tell what was happening, a strong force knocked him slightly off balance as something warm and yet soaking wet wrapped itself tightly around his body. His eyes flickered open in shock as he looked down to see that it was Ninomiya Kazunari himself, his clothes and hair completely drenched from being in the rain.
"N-Nino.."
"Oh-chan.."
Ohno almost felt his heart stop as he heard that familiar name.
"Oh-chan..." Nino's muffled shaky voice came from against his shoulder," I'm so sorry..."
"No," Ohno said as he gripped Nino's shoulder firmly," it's not you-"
"No it is!" Nino protested between tears, "I was always the one pushing you away without knowing what the hell was happening and I... I just..."
"Kazu," Ohno said gently as cupped Nino's cheeks tenderly in his wet palms and brought his face closer to him.
重なり合う日々に 記した想いは
忘れないで
イタズラな未来に 変わりはしないさ
いま君のもとへ
In the days that pile up, don't forget the feelings you wrote down
The tricky future won't change
Now, I'll go to where you are
Their lips touched gently and Nino closed his eyes as he felt more tears streaming out of his eyes. Yet those were not tears of sadness or confusion, but those of joy. Amidst the cold, Nino wrapped his arms tightly around Ohno, searching for warmth in their kiss and the warmth of the other man's body temperature. Ohno smiled into the kiss and deepened it as he slipped his tongue into Nino's. Unlike the kiss from before, it was not one of anguish and hurt, but of tender feelings of affection that lasted for more than seven years. When they finally parted, Ohno laid his forehead on Nino's, softly brushing their noses together.
"Oh-chan," Nino whispered, "from then till now, I.. I've always loved you. Even after you left and even after we met again, I.."
Ohno felt his heart warm up as he softly kissed Nino's nose.
"Me too," he said, "I've always loved you.. and I always will."
For the first time in a long while, Nino broke into a genuine smile as he tugged Ohno close to him in a warm embrace. Ohno responded by wrapping his own arms around Nino, sharing the warmth in their hearts. And the seven years' worth of distance between them was finally dissolved away into the rain.
A/N: YAYYY LOVELY SCENE IS DONE :D *pats self on shoulder* I fell in love with this song after listening to it and envisioning something happening in the rain. Aaand that's how I got this entire story and this scene going. What do you guys think? Comments and cookies are very welcome! :D :D :D