[Arashi Household Series] Hold Onto Me (And I'll Keep You Whole)
Title: Hold Onto Me (And I'll Keep You Whole)
Genre: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own the people, just the story
Genre: Angst (this time, I'm sure of it)
Summary: Someone ask for the continuation of Nino's stalker. So here it is.
Author's note: Sorry I've been writing angst lately. It's not like I'm on a lower part of my life, I just had the urge to write it. And forgive me if Nino has always been the one to suffer my need of angst. He just begs for it.
It was just eight past fifteen at night when Nino stepped out of the station. Today he had to go to office to do some meeting with the magazine's editorial to talk about articles he need to write for the next edition. It's going to be a special edition next month, so he was supposed to write an essay too. The meeting took longer than he was expected, and he regretted that he didn't bring his bicycle. So he just walked faster in order to reach home as soon as he can.
He took the usual streets. But the streets seemed longer when he's walking. His feet started to ache inside his sneakers. He hadn't had a walk in a while. Aiba's going to teased him for this when he's whining about blisters on his heels later.
Nino noticed an alley to his right. And just as he thought about how dark and scary the alley is, he was pushed into it.
His foot tripped on the concrete beneath his feet and his right shoulder hit the brick wall of the alley. He quickly turned his head around to see who pushed him and was surprised when all of a sudden he was shadowed by a figure one head taller than him. The street light came from behind him so he couldn't see the face.
"I found you." The figure said, and it send chills down Nino's spine.
It was that man. The man who followed him on Valentine's Day. He just knew it. He still couldn't make a clear out of his face, but the man still reeks of alcohol. Nino's first instinct was to scream. But the man seemed to notice this and quickly put a his hand on Nino's mouth. Nino could still scream if it weren't for the rotten smell that came from the man's glove that's making him gag. He thought of biting the hand, but the thought of having that stinking glove in his mouth makes him want to puke.
"What do you want from me?" Nino asked, even though muffled.
The man pressed his hand to Nino's face, pushing him harder to the wall and hurting his head.
"You're so pretty." He said through gritted teeth, voice hoarse and heavy. His eyes stared at him hungrily, like a carnivore who's ready to eat his prey. He gripped on Nino's bony arm, holding him in place. The gamer groaned in pain. He trashed under his grip, even trying to kick his attacker's shin and groin. But the man is bigger and stronger than him.
Nino looked to his right and left, eyes looking for someone who can saved him. But he was being pushed quite far from the alley's mouth, and the street was dark. So even though he can see many people walking on the main road, those people wouldn't probably realized that anybody was even in the alley. But Nino didn't give up and tried to scream under the man's hand. He had to make somebody notice that he was here.
The moment the attacker leaned down and pressed his nose on Nino's neck, he shut his eyes closed and felt warm tears run down his cheek. Nino sobbed as he felt the stubbly chin grazed upon his skin. He hit the man's shoulder repeatedly with his free arm, but it didn't seem to give any him any pain.
Only this seemed to annoyed the attacker because suddenly he turned Nino around so that now he was facing the wall. Nino's left side hit the wall quite hard and he was sure it would leave a scratch on his cheek and temple. His arms were twisted and held behind his back, and he cried in pain once again. He can feel the attacker's hot breath against his nape. His chest pressing on Nino's back. The man started to roamed Nino's front with his right hand, already under Nino's T-shirt. Nino winced at the touch of cold fingers on his stomach and tried to pull himself away from it, only to be met by the stalker's hard groin against his behind. He groaned desperately.
He's going to rape me, he thought. And he's going to kill me after.
When he felt a hand on the waist of his jeans, he gave one last effort to scream. Then he heard a shout from behind him.
"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS AWAY FROM HIM, YOU BASTARD!!"
He felt the man being teared away from his back. So he dared himself to turned around.
"Kazu!"
Nino stared at the new figure in front of him.
"Kazu, are you okay? Please tell me you're okay." Even though Nino couldn't see the face because it was dark, Nino would recognize that voice anywhere.
"Sho.." He said softly, and fell right to the older man who quickly catched him and pulled him to his chest.
"It's okay. You're okay now. You're safe. We're here." Sho said in broken off sentence, his hand hold Nino's head closer to him. Nino gripped the front of his shirt and closed his eyes. He inhaled the smell that is uniquely Sho, basking himself in the other man's presence. He's here, Sho's here.
Then the sound of beating hit his ears and he turned his head to the side.
Two meters away from him, he saw the man on the ground, curling in pain as Jun kicked him on the stomach. His breath was ragged and his eyes were burning with anger. The model, despite of his lithe posture, pulled the man up and throw a fist in his face. Nino can see the silver rings on Jun's fingers gleamed on the dark as it hit his stalker's cheekbone, making a chilling crackling sound. The old man dropped once again to the wet ground. Jun was about to make another move on him again when Sho called him out.
"Jun! Stop it!"
As if suddenly being awakened from a deep hypnosis, Jun's fist stopped mid air and he looked at Sho. Then his eyes dropped to Nino and his expression went completely soft. "Kazu.." He said as he approached them.
Sho handed over Nino to the younger man who took him in his arms at once.
"Oh, God. Kazu.." He can hear Jun kept calling out his name with a sob. Nino just put his hands on Jun's waist.
The man was still lying on the ground, wailing as he hold his face in pain, when Sho walked to him. Sho saw the corner of his eyes started to turn blue and there's blood on his mouth and cheek caused by Jun's blow. The newscaster leered down at him before crouching on the ground. He reached under the man's old coat and snaked his hand around until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a worn out wallet and checked its inside. After making sure that he found his ID, he closed the wallet and put it on his own back pocket.
"I'm gonna have to borrow this for a while." He stood up. "Expect to see my detective friend in a couple of days." Sho held the urge to kick him in the stomach before walking away from him.
Jun and Sho took Nino out of the alley. They both held him together. Jun put a protective hand on his back, and Sho held on Nino's hand.
But after just a few meters of walking, Nino's knees gave away and he dropped down, although both Jun and Sho are quick to support him before he hit the ground.
"Kazu?" Jun asked worriedly, his hand rubbed on Nino's back.
"Kazu, are you okay?" Sho repeated the question for Jun.
"I thought..I thought I was going to be rape in that alley." Nino said with a stutter. "I thought he was going to kill me there after he rape me." He looked up to see Sho's face with tears pooling on his dark eyes. "I feel so dirty."
Jun pulled him into a hug. "No, Kazu. You're safe now. You're safe." The youngest man tried so hard not to cry in front of him. He felt that he needed to be the strong one here.
Sho decided to get a cab even thought they aren't far from home.
Sitting side by side on the back of the taxi, Sho didn't let go of Nino's hand, and neither was Jun. Nino didn't say anything anymore on the way home. He just sat there with eyes empty. Sho looked down to Jun and Nino's linked fingers. The model's knuckles are red, and Sho noticed red splatters on Jun's silver rings. He probably going to throw those rings away the moment they got home, no matter how expensive it was.
They got home ten minutes later, and Aiba's bright face when he opened the door for them turned dark the moment he saw Nino on their arms.
"What happened?"
The heavy air in the room seemed to reach Ohno too even though he was in his room just now. Because soon he joined them on the living room and stared at Nino who's sitting weakly on the couch. But even though he put both hands on both sides of the younger man's face and tried talking to him, he didn't seem to notice his presence.
Sho talked to Aiba and Ohno in a whispered voice as Jun took Nino to the bathroom.
He took off Nino's clothes, discarding them slowly. He left the clothes on the floor. After that, he led him to the bath tub and lowered him to the warm water. He thanked Aiba silently for not forgetting to prepared the hot bath today. He too then undressed quickly to join Nino inside. He took a sponge and drowned them in the water, making it completely wet. Then he ran them softly on Nino's shoulder. He noticed a small bruise on the creamy white skin of his arm and dragged a wet finger on it. When Nino jerked away, he leaned forward to kiss the blue-ish spot, trying to make the pain go away. And not just that, he also noticed more bruise on Nino's waist, and red scratches on the gamers left cheek. Jun gritted his teeth and held back a tear as he kissed them too. This time letting his lips lingered a bit longer than before and he inhaled deeply. He pulled Nino closer to him and the older man automatically put his head on Jun's shoulder as the model rubbed the sponge on his back.
Ohno had walked in the bath room, carrying a towel and Nino's clothes. But unlike Jun, he didn't bother to took off his clothes and pants and sat on the ceramic bath tub's edge. Funnily, this seemed to catch Nino's attention because Nino lifted his hand slowly to touch Ohno's clothed knee. "Pants..wet.."
The artist chuckled softly. "It's okay." He said shortly. He dipped his hand into the water then ran it through Nino's dark locks. Wetting the strands until in curled up between his fingers. He too saw the bruise and scrapes on the younger man's skin and it's hurting him inside. A part of him blamed himself for a reason he too didn't understand. Unreasonable reasons.
The bath water is getting colder and Jun got Nino and himself out of the bath. Ohno took the towel he brought with him and dabbed Nino's body softly, careful not to brush on the bruised part. Jun dried himself and put on a new clothes quickly so that he can immediately help Ohno with Nino.
"Go on ahead. I'm gonna clean up here." Said Jun to Ohno after they're done dressing him.
So Ohno brought Nino to his room where Aiba and Sho who already changed his clothes, was already there, preparing the bed. "I know you don't usually turn the heater on, but it's really cold today, so.." Aiba said to Nino who just nodded weakly. Sho laid Nino's body to the mattress and Aiba covered his skinny body with the thick blanket. Aiba wasn't refraining himself from climbing to the bed right away and laid on his side facing the younger man.
"Is there anything you need?" Asked Aiba.
Nino shook his head and looked at their faces one by one. "Where's Jun?"
"I'll get him." Ohno offered himself and leave Nino under the care of Sho and Aiba.
Ohno was surprised to see Jun was sitting on the sofa in the living room. He was holding a piece of clothes that Ohno recognize as Nino's T-shirt. "Jun?" He called out softly. He heard a distinct sniffling sound and saw Jun wiped his face with the back of his hand before turning his head to him. "How's he?"
The older man walked closer to the latter's side. "He's calmed now. Why don't you see for yourself?"
Jun exhaled heavily like there was something caught on his throat. "I..I can't." He looked up to see the older man's face. "I don't think I can be strong enough to stood beside him. I'm afraid I that I might break down."
"No you won't, Jun. You've been strong enough to support us all."
The model shake his head. "You don't understand, Satoshi. When I saw him back there, staring at me with his eyes empty. Because that, that filthy man had.." He paused. "I..I can't..I felt powerless, Satoshi."
Satoshi knew exactly what the younger man means. He too felt the same when he saw how Nino just fall into his arms right when they were in his room just now. How fragile he felt under his fingers.
"I don't think I can see him right now and not fall into pieces, Satoshi. I just can't." The younger man clasped his hands together in and leaned his forehead on it, then he started crying. It's been a while since Ohno saw him cry. The last time he did it was when he saw Aiba's scar on his chest from the operation he had a few years ago.
Ohno moved to stand in front of Jun and kneeled on the floor. He held up Jun's face, and felt the wet tracks on his cheeks. He ran a thumb across it and wiped them dry. "It's okay, Jun. It's okay if you crumble. We will be there to pick you up." Jun sobbed under his touch. He leaned into Ohno's palm.
"He needs you there, Jun. He needs us together."
Finally, Jun nodded understandingly and followed Ohno to Nino's room.
"Jun.." Nino called out to him the moment he saw the older man's face. He made an effort of lifting his arms to took Jun's hand, but the youngest was quicker to grab his. He crouched beside the bed until his face is level with the older man.
"Thank you." Nino said, and Jun almost cried once again. His body shivered. But then he felt hand on his shoulder, Ohno's hand. So this time, he held his tears back and put a tied up smile. Though he still didn't dare to say anything. He think it wouldn't be words coming out of his mouth, it'll be another sob. He leaned over to kissed the older man on the forehead, and he can feel the man's eyes fluttered close under him.
"Don't leave me alone." Said Nino in a whispered voice. The others understood it right away that he meant it for all of them to stay.
So Ohno turned to turn the light off as Sho and Jun climbed on the bed and he too followed them after. Sho laid on Nino's right while Aiba made space for Jun by sliding down until his face is on Nino's stomach. He wrapped his arms around Nino's waist to find Sho's hand was there too. Ohno laid beside Jun on the far right of the bed, but his right arm were stretched across Jun's shoulder until it touched Nino's shoulder.
Jun put his and Nino's forehead together. His now blood-stain free fingers are stroking on Nino's cheek. The older man's eyes are long closed and his breathing have steadied, a sign that he might've had fall into deep slumber. He looked at his fingers on Nino's skin. He remembered how those fingers, and those metal rings of his, hit the old man's face. He can feel the bones of his knuckles gritted as it cracked his opponent's cheek bone. He really felt that if Sho didn't yell out for him to stop, he would've got the man hospitalized for severe injuries. But even after he did that, he still feel that he can't protect Nino the way he's supposed too. And it's killing him inside. He felt like one those days back then when he used to hurt Nino's feelings with his sharp words and how he always regret what he'd done. He squeezed Nino's hand under the pillow as a tear fell down his cheek.
Then he felt a hand covering his chest, and Ohno's voice on his ear. "We're here, Jun. We're all here for each other." Before pressing his face on Jun's nape. It was then that Jun finally felt a relief. He nodded and twined his fingers with Ohno's on his chest.
The five of them sleep together that night on Nino's single bed. Each of them with a thought that for all it's worth, they will always be together. And if any of them should break and crumble, there is always someone to pick up the pieces for them and make them one again.
Genre: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own the people, just the story
Genre: Angst (this time, I'm sure of it)
Summary: Someone ask for the continuation of Nino's stalker. So here it is.
Author's note: Sorry I've been writing angst lately. It's not like I'm on a lower part of my life, I just had the urge to write it. And forgive me if Nino has always been the one to suffer my need of angst. He just begs for it.
It was just eight past fifteen at night when Nino stepped out of the station. Today he had to go to office to do some meeting with the magazine's editorial to talk about articles he need to write for the next edition. It's going to be a special edition next month, so he was supposed to write an essay too. The meeting took longer than he was expected, and he regretted that he didn't bring his bicycle. So he just walked faster in order to reach home as soon as he can.
He took the usual streets. But the streets seemed longer when he's walking. His feet started to ache inside his sneakers. He hadn't had a walk in a while. Aiba's going to teased him for this when he's whining about blisters on his heels later.
Nino noticed an alley to his right. And just as he thought about how dark and scary the alley is, he was pushed into it.
His foot tripped on the concrete beneath his feet and his right shoulder hit the brick wall of the alley. He quickly turned his head around to see who pushed him and was surprised when all of a sudden he was shadowed by a figure one head taller than him. The street light came from behind him so he couldn't see the face.
"I found you." The figure said, and it send chills down Nino's spine.
It was that man. The man who followed him on Valentine's Day. He just knew it. He still couldn't make a clear out of his face, but the man still reeks of alcohol. Nino's first instinct was to scream. But the man seemed to notice this and quickly put a his hand on Nino's mouth. Nino could still scream if it weren't for the rotten smell that came from the man's glove that's making him gag. He thought of biting the hand, but the thought of having that stinking glove in his mouth makes him want to puke.
"What do you want from me?" Nino asked, even though muffled.
The man pressed his hand to Nino's face, pushing him harder to the wall and hurting his head.
"You're so pretty." He said through gritted teeth, voice hoarse and heavy. His eyes stared at him hungrily, like a carnivore who's ready to eat his prey. He gripped on Nino's bony arm, holding him in place. The gamer groaned in pain. He trashed under his grip, even trying to kick his attacker's shin and groin. But the man is bigger and stronger than him.
Nino looked to his right and left, eyes looking for someone who can saved him. But he was being pushed quite far from the alley's mouth, and the street was dark. So even though he can see many people walking on the main road, those people wouldn't probably realized that anybody was even in the alley. But Nino didn't give up and tried to scream under the man's hand. He had to make somebody notice that he was here.
The moment the attacker leaned down and pressed his nose on Nino's neck, he shut his eyes closed and felt warm tears run down his cheek. Nino sobbed as he felt the stubbly chin grazed upon his skin. He hit the man's shoulder repeatedly with his free arm, but it didn't seem to give any him any pain.
Only this seemed to annoyed the attacker because suddenly he turned Nino around so that now he was facing the wall. Nino's left side hit the wall quite hard and he was sure it would leave a scratch on his cheek and temple. His arms were twisted and held behind his back, and he cried in pain once again. He can feel the attacker's hot breath against his nape. His chest pressing on Nino's back. The man started to roamed Nino's front with his right hand, already under Nino's T-shirt. Nino winced at the touch of cold fingers on his stomach and tried to pull himself away from it, only to be met by the stalker's hard groin against his behind. He groaned desperately.
He's going to rape me, he thought. And he's going to kill me after.
When he felt a hand on the waist of his jeans, he gave one last effort to scream. Then he heard a shout from behind him.
"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS AWAY FROM HIM, YOU BASTARD!!"
He felt the man being teared away from his back. So he dared himself to turned around.
"Kazu!"
Nino stared at the new figure in front of him.
"Kazu, are you okay? Please tell me you're okay." Even though Nino couldn't see the face because it was dark, Nino would recognize that voice anywhere.
"Sho.." He said softly, and fell right to the older man who quickly catched him and pulled him to his chest.
"It's okay. You're okay now. You're safe. We're here." Sho said in broken off sentence, his hand hold Nino's head closer to him. Nino gripped the front of his shirt and closed his eyes. He inhaled the smell that is uniquely Sho, basking himself in the other man's presence. He's here, Sho's here.
Then the sound of beating hit his ears and he turned his head to the side.
Two meters away from him, he saw the man on the ground, curling in pain as Jun kicked him on the stomach. His breath was ragged and his eyes were burning with anger. The model, despite of his lithe posture, pulled the man up and throw a fist in his face. Nino can see the silver rings on Jun's fingers gleamed on the dark as it hit his stalker's cheekbone, making a chilling crackling sound. The old man dropped once again to the wet ground. Jun was about to make another move on him again when Sho called him out.
"Jun! Stop it!"
As if suddenly being awakened from a deep hypnosis, Jun's fist stopped mid air and he looked at Sho. Then his eyes dropped to Nino and his expression went completely soft. "Kazu.." He said as he approached them.
Sho handed over Nino to the younger man who took him in his arms at once.
"Oh, God. Kazu.." He can hear Jun kept calling out his name with a sob. Nino just put his hands on Jun's waist.
The man was still lying on the ground, wailing as he hold his face in pain, when Sho walked to him. Sho saw the corner of his eyes started to turn blue and there's blood on his mouth and cheek caused by Jun's blow. The newscaster leered down at him before crouching on the ground. He reached under the man's old coat and snaked his hand around until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a worn out wallet and checked its inside. After making sure that he found his ID, he closed the wallet and put it on his own back pocket.
"I'm gonna have to borrow this for a while." He stood up. "Expect to see my detective friend in a couple of days." Sho held the urge to kick him in the stomach before walking away from him.
Jun and Sho took Nino out of the alley. They both held him together. Jun put a protective hand on his back, and Sho held on Nino's hand.
But after just a few meters of walking, Nino's knees gave away and he dropped down, although both Jun and Sho are quick to support him before he hit the ground.
"Kazu?" Jun asked worriedly, his hand rubbed on Nino's back.
"Kazu, are you okay?" Sho repeated the question for Jun.
"I thought..I thought I was going to be rape in that alley." Nino said with a stutter. "I thought he was going to kill me there after he rape me." He looked up to see Sho's face with tears pooling on his dark eyes. "I feel so dirty."
Jun pulled him into a hug. "No, Kazu. You're safe now. You're safe." The youngest man tried so hard not to cry in front of him. He felt that he needed to be the strong one here.
Sho decided to get a cab even thought they aren't far from home.
Sitting side by side on the back of the taxi, Sho didn't let go of Nino's hand, and neither was Jun. Nino didn't say anything anymore on the way home. He just sat there with eyes empty. Sho looked down to Jun and Nino's linked fingers. The model's knuckles are red, and Sho noticed red splatters on Jun's silver rings. He probably going to throw those rings away the moment they got home, no matter how expensive it was.
They got home ten minutes later, and Aiba's bright face when he opened the door for them turned dark the moment he saw Nino on their arms.
"What happened?"
The heavy air in the room seemed to reach Ohno too even though he was in his room just now. Because soon he joined them on the living room and stared at Nino who's sitting weakly on the couch. But even though he put both hands on both sides of the younger man's face and tried talking to him, he didn't seem to notice his presence.
Sho talked to Aiba and Ohno in a whispered voice as Jun took Nino to the bathroom.
He took off Nino's clothes, discarding them slowly. He left the clothes on the floor. After that, he led him to the bath tub and lowered him to the warm water. He thanked Aiba silently for not forgetting to prepared the hot bath today. He too then undressed quickly to join Nino inside. He took a sponge and drowned them in the water, making it completely wet. Then he ran them softly on Nino's shoulder. He noticed a small bruise on the creamy white skin of his arm and dragged a wet finger on it. When Nino jerked away, he leaned forward to kiss the blue-ish spot, trying to make the pain go away. And not just that, he also noticed more bruise on Nino's waist, and red scratches on the gamers left cheek. Jun gritted his teeth and held back a tear as he kissed them too. This time letting his lips lingered a bit longer than before and he inhaled deeply. He pulled Nino closer to him and the older man automatically put his head on Jun's shoulder as the model rubbed the sponge on his back.
Ohno had walked in the bath room, carrying a towel and Nino's clothes. But unlike Jun, he didn't bother to took off his clothes and pants and sat on the ceramic bath tub's edge. Funnily, this seemed to catch Nino's attention because Nino lifted his hand slowly to touch Ohno's clothed knee. "Pants..wet.."
The artist chuckled softly. "It's okay." He said shortly. He dipped his hand into the water then ran it through Nino's dark locks. Wetting the strands until in curled up between his fingers. He too saw the bruise and scrapes on the younger man's skin and it's hurting him inside. A part of him blamed himself for a reason he too didn't understand. Unreasonable reasons.
The bath water is getting colder and Jun got Nino and himself out of the bath. Ohno took the towel he brought with him and dabbed Nino's body softly, careful not to brush on the bruised part. Jun dried himself and put on a new clothes quickly so that he can immediately help Ohno with Nino.
"Go on ahead. I'm gonna clean up here." Said Jun to Ohno after they're done dressing him.
So Ohno brought Nino to his room where Aiba and Sho who already changed his clothes, was already there, preparing the bed. "I know you don't usually turn the heater on, but it's really cold today, so.." Aiba said to Nino who just nodded weakly. Sho laid Nino's body to the mattress and Aiba covered his skinny body with the thick blanket. Aiba wasn't refraining himself from climbing to the bed right away and laid on his side facing the younger man.
"Is there anything you need?" Asked Aiba.
Nino shook his head and looked at their faces one by one. "Where's Jun?"
"I'll get him." Ohno offered himself and leave Nino under the care of Sho and Aiba.
Ohno was surprised to see Jun was sitting on the sofa in the living room. He was holding a piece of clothes that Ohno recognize as Nino's T-shirt. "Jun?" He called out softly. He heard a distinct sniffling sound and saw Jun wiped his face with the back of his hand before turning his head to him. "How's he?"
The older man walked closer to the latter's side. "He's calmed now. Why don't you see for yourself?"
Jun exhaled heavily like there was something caught on his throat. "I..I can't." He looked up to see the older man's face. "I don't think I can be strong enough to stood beside him. I'm afraid I that I might break down."
"No you won't, Jun. You've been strong enough to support us all."
The model shake his head. "You don't understand, Satoshi. When I saw him back there, staring at me with his eyes empty. Because that, that filthy man had.." He paused. "I..I can't..I felt powerless, Satoshi."
Satoshi knew exactly what the younger man means. He too felt the same when he saw how Nino just fall into his arms right when they were in his room just now. How fragile he felt under his fingers.
"I don't think I can see him right now and not fall into pieces, Satoshi. I just can't." The younger man clasped his hands together in and leaned his forehead on it, then he started crying. It's been a while since Ohno saw him cry. The last time he did it was when he saw Aiba's scar on his chest from the operation he had a few years ago.
Ohno moved to stand in front of Jun and kneeled on the floor. He held up Jun's face, and felt the wet tracks on his cheeks. He ran a thumb across it and wiped them dry. "It's okay, Jun. It's okay if you crumble. We will be there to pick you up." Jun sobbed under his touch. He leaned into Ohno's palm.
"He needs you there, Jun. He needs us together."
Finally, Jun nodded understandingly and followed Ohno to Nino's room.
"Jun.." Nino called out to him the moment he saw the older man's face. He made an effort of lifting his arms to took Jun's hand, but the youngest was quicker to grab his. He crouched beside the bed until his face is level with the older man.
"Thank you." Nino said, and Jun almost cried once again. His body shivered. But then he felt hand on his shoulder, Ohno's hand. So this time, he held his tears back and put a tied up smile. Though he still didn't dare to say anything. He think it wouldn't be words coming out of his mouth, it'll be another sob. He leaned over to kissed the older man on the forehead, and he can feel the man's eyes fluttered close under him.
"Don't leave me alone." Said Nino in a whispered voice. The others understood it right away that he meant it for all of them to stay.
So Ohno turned to turn the light off as Sho and Jun climbed on the bed and he too followed them after. Sho laid on Nino's right while Aiba made space for Jun by sliding down until his face is on Nino's stomach. He wrapped his arms around Nino's waist to find Sho's hand was there too. Ohno laid beside Jun on the far right of the bed, but his right arm were stretched across Jun's shoulder until it touched Nino's shoulder.
Jun put his and Nino's forehead together. His now blood-stain free fingers are stroking on Nino's cheek. The older man's eyes are long closed and his breathing have steadied, a sign that he might've had fall into deep slumber. He looked at his fingers on Nino's skin. He remembered how those fingers, and those metal rings of his, hit the old man's face. He can feel the bones of his knuckles gritted as it cracked his opponent's cheek bone. He really felt that if Sho didn't yell out for him to stop, he would've got the man hospitalized for severe injuries. But even after he did that, he still feel that he can't protect Nino the way he's supposed too. And it's killing him inside. He felt like one those days back then when he used to hurt Nino's feelings with his sharp words and how he always regret what he'd done. He squeezed Nino's hand under the pillow as a tear fell down his cheek.
Then he felt a hand covering his chest, and Ohno's voice on his ear. "We're here, Jun. We're all here for each other." Before pressing his face on Jun's nape. It was then that Jun finally felt a relief. He nodded and twined his fingers with Ohno's on his chest.
The five of them sleep together that night on Nino's single bed. Each of them with a thought that for all it's worth, they will always be together. And if any of them should break and crumble, there is always someone to pick up the pieces for them and make them one again.