[Multi-chapter] Stepbrother (18/19)
Title: Stepbrother (18/19)
Paring: Ohmiya
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst, School AU, Fluff, Romance
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story
Summary: Suddenly, he was there. Nino had never expected him to be there, and apparently, Nino hated him so much that it got annoying.
Beta-ed by
taboo3104, thank you so much dear <3 <3 <3 XD XD XD
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Chapter 18
It was extremely hard for Ohno to deal with Nino’s cold expression.
After that day and after that susposed-to-be-welcoming-hug, Nino kept avoiding Ohno. Not totally, because Nino couldn’t completely not see Ohno around - they shared home, after all. However, Nino kept making excuse to leave the room when Ohno entered. Ohno noticed that every of Nino’s muscles seemed to tense up when Ohno was around. Nino would never let his eyes land on Ohno for more than two seconds - sometimes he did shoot Ohno furtive looks but he looked away right when he saw Ohno looking back. He didn’t even let Ohno make any conversation between them. This felt just like the very first days when they had met in this house, when Nino had refused to talk to Ohno and had refused to acknowledge Ohno’s presence.
Sometimes, Ohno felt like Nino was actually punishing for what he had done in those three years. Like now, when Ohno tried to call Nino (he had come up with that solution, because Nino wouldn’t let him come close), Nino didn’t only ignore Ohno’s call but also turn off his phone so Ohno wouldn’t be able to make any call anymore. Ohno sighed in frustration - Nino had always been so stubborn that sometimes Ohno didn’t know how to deal with him.
However, this time, there was something different about Nino - there was something that Ohno couldn’t really decipher. Nino wasn’t only angry or hurt, but also there was something else. Ohno had been thinking about it - but he couldn’t, he didn’t have a courage to let his hope up. Because if it didn’t turn out like he had hoped, he would have been extremely disappointed that he couldn’t bear.
One day when he tried to knock on Nino’s door - he had been trying for what seemed like thousands time already, but still every day, he came up here and knocked on Nino’s door and received a cold reply from Nino.
“Go away”, Nino had said, but Ohno didn’t give up easily.
“Let me in,” Ohno said calmly. But Nino didn’t answer. Ohno tried to open the door, but it was locked, and because Nino was stubborn, Ohno had to stay outside and talk to Nino like this. Luckily, their parents weren’t at home.
“Please, Nino, we need to talk,” Ohno pleaded. Nino was making things harder for them by acting like this. Did Nino still love him? He wanted to know that desperately. Actually, he had lost his confidence completely last few days when Nino treated him like nothing but an acquaintance who just shared the house with him.
“Leave.” Nino said coldly again. Ohno’s heart squirmed helplessly inside his chest.
“Kazu...” Ohno sighed and let the frustration seep into him.
“I don’t want to see you,” Nino said. And Ohno closed his eyes, with knowing that no matter how many times he tried, he thought Nino would never accept him again. He leaned to the door, whispered almost inaudibly into the small gap in front of him.
“Do you still love me...?” Ohno wanted to know the answer, he had to, because it was all he could think about these days, tried helplessly to find a reason to stay. But Nino wasn’t going to give him one, so he thought maybe it was really over between them.
And Ohno’s heart shattered while just thinking about those time they spend together and how it meant nothing now.
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A month had passed quietly.
Ohno was thinking of getting a job. He skimmed through the newspaper every day. He was an adult now so he wanted to make some money himself. He had got lots of offers lately but because he had turned them all down, now he had to find a new one. Even though he didn’t want to... Even though he wanted to stay here, beside Nino and his parents, being happy every day... He just didn’t want to spend his any day with Nino’s cold treatment anymore. Because it kept reminding him how stupid he was to believe that their love would always remain no matter what happened.
Maybe going back to Tokyo was a better idea after all.
His cell phone rang and he picked up without looking at the screen.
“Hello?” a voice resounded from the other line. Ohno frowned a little. “Is that Ohno-san?”
“Hai,” Ohno didn’t know this man “Who am I talking to?”
“I’m calling from Tokyo Art Museum,” The man said. And Ohno realized what it was.
Maybe it was his chance to leave this home, to finally set Nino free from him, to go back to Tokyo and started a new whole life then...
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Nino’s first reaction when he heard Ohno was moving out again was pure fury.
He heard it from his mom. And not from Ohno, again. What was Ohno doing with him? Since the very first days, was he just playing around with Nino’s love? Why was Nino always the last one who learn about Ohno’s problem? Since when wasn’t every of Ohno’s decision concern Nino anymore? Well, maybe since…when Ohno had decided to kick him out of his life, Nino thought bitterly.
“I told you, you will regret,” Aiba’s mumble beside his ear didn’t make it easier for him. Even though he was in his class, he couldn’t pay attention anything at all. He kept moving at his seat until he thought it was useless sitting here all day when Ohno was going to move out - so he stood abruptly and left the classroom, ignored the professor’s surprised look on him.
He had to meet Ohno. Right now. He wouldn’t care if Ohno didn’t want to talk to him, he wouldn’t care if Ohno had someone else - his heart ached at that - he just had to talk to Ohno right now. And beat Ohno to death like he had sworn three years ago, maybe.
When he reached home, Ohno was there in his room. He was drawing something in his sketch book. Nino slammed the room’s door shut violently, and Ohno looked up, bewildered.
“What the hell are you doing?” Nino muffled, didn’t bother to hide the fury in his voice.
Ohno looked down at his paper and then looked up at Nino, he looked a little lost as he tried to find the right answer.
“Uhm... drawing?”
“NO!” Nino snapped, and Ohno startled “I mean, what-are-you-doing, moving back to Tokyo???”
“I...” Ohno didn’t expect Nino to be this angry at him. After all, didn’t Nino decide to not care about him anymore?
He put his sketch book aside and put his hands on his knees, tried to make a neutral face “I think it’s better for us.”
“What is better for US??” Nino yelled, totally losing his temper. Why couldn’t Ohno understand? “Stop making decision about us on your own, will you????”
“But...” Ohno stammered “But you refused to talk to me...”
“Because I’m angry at you, idiot!!! Not because I want you to move out!!!” Nino snapped, frustrated. How the hell could Ohno think moving out was the best for them? Separating them never be the best for them, at least not for Nino. Not at all.
“But...” Ohno stuttered “But...”
“I can’t believe you are doing this again!” Nino’s hands closed into fists. He suddenly felt so tired, why did they have to be like this, hadn’t they been really good in the past? His voice turned so low that Ohno had to concentrate to listen to his words “You are going to leave me again, aren’t you?”
“But...” Ohno tried to calm his heart down. Seeing Nino like this was somehow unexpected - he had never thought that his decision still could affect Nino this much. But it showed him that maybe, just maybe, he still had a chance...Hope raised slowly in his heart, but he denied it. “But you don’t need me anymore...”
And when he saw Nino’s hurt eyes on him, he added quietly “...do you?”
“You left.” Nino accused. And Ohno could only bit his lips “You left me, and you never said a thing.”
“I’m sorry...” Ohno whispered.
“You didn’t answer my calls. You didn’t reply my messages. You didn’t mail me. And when I went there...” Nino continued. His tears suddenly blurred his vision as everything suddenly came back at once. He didn’t expect himself to be still this emotional about this, but the painful memories were still there, and it was overwhelming. He could still remember that day when everything had turned cold, both outside and inside his heart, that day when he had realized all he had had to do was give up on the love of his life. Currently Nino realized he had never overcome those feelings - he had just been trying to bury them under hundreds of layers, and tried to not think about it, tried to pretend that it didn’t hurt, tried to pretend that he didn’t care, tried to pretend that it didn’t matter in his life.
But it did matter to him so much that now, standing in front of Ohno like this, he couldn’t stop his tear falling.
“I’m sorry, Kazu, I...” Ohno couldn’t stop himself from shaking. The wave of emotion also rushed into Ohno’s heart. The pain took over them since that day, the despair they both had, the misery they both felt, the broken heart they both carried throughout years... Why did they have to hurt each other repeatedly? Why did they have to be so harsh on each other like this?
Nino just shook his head in return Ohno’s apologize. What was the point of saying sorry now? It meant nothing now, it was too late...
But before Nino could react, Ohno had reached out to pull Nino into his embrace and hold him tightly, tried to sooth away the pain in Nino’s eyes. If Nino didn’t love him anymore, Nino wouldn’t react like this. If Nino didn’t love him anymore, Nino wouldn’t be in tears, Nino wouldn’t be this hurt, Nino wouldn’t be so sad like this. Ohno didn’t want them to regret about it, so he just had to make everything clear between them. The explanation he owed Nino, he just had to say it right now.
“I know that was terrible. I know that hurt... But it also hurt me, Kazu, it also hurt me terribly that I wasn’t allowed to meet you.”
“What?” Nino pulled away imediately to look at Ohno’s face, flabbergasted. What was Ohno saying? “What’s with that ‘you weren’t allowed to’... meet me?”
“Because,” Ohno didn’t dare to look straightly at Nino’s eyes when he said this. Nino would get mad at him if he knew Ohno had decided this all by his own and left Nino clueless about the whole thing. “I have this deal with our dad.”
“What do you mean?” Nino’s frown deepened. He had never heard of this. He had never heard anything like this before, from both Dad and Mom... No one ever cared to tell him about this? What the hell was that? “What kind of deal??”
Ohno had to take a deep breath before continue. Nino’s eyes were staring at him and Nino looked angry, but this time, something was there inside Nino’s look, not only the coldness lately, and this gave Ohno hope.
“I asked him to give me a chance,” Ohno said quietly. His hand found Nino’s and he took it hesitantly. To his relief, Nino didn’t push him away. “...to prove to him and mom that we truly love each other. And he gave me this challenge.”
Nino couldn’t believe in his ears. And Ohno had never told him about that at all. And Dad... what the hell had he been thinking??
“I must not have contacted you in any way during those three years when I was in University. I wasn’t allowed to meet you. No calls, no messages, no letters.” Ohno bit his lips and closed his eyes. The pain of what he had been through once again played in his mind.
“What...” Nino mumbled, dumbfounded. What the hell was that? He could feel his pulse racing and his blood ran to his face. So this was what had happened? For three years? And he was the only one who knew nothing about it?
“And you were not supposed to know it. If we were still in love with each other after three years,” Ohno looked up sadly at Nino “We could be together.”
“How could you not tell me something that important???” Nino yelled. The anger now not towards Ohno but towards their parents. How could they be so cruel on him? Why, and how could they not tell him this? He couldn’t stop the tremble of his hands, and he had to close his eyes and took a deep breath. He wanted to be murder - he had been spending his whole three years because of this? Because of this stupid challenge?? If he had known about this, he would never have let Ohno go. He would run away with him, he would...
He would do anything for not being separated with Ohno all of those time.
“I know what you would do if I told you,” Ohno said softly as he squeezed Nino’s hand tightly. He could feel Nino’s hand shaking inside his own. “And we would have both regretted if we had done so. Kazu,” Ohno leaned in a little closer “The most important thing is, if our love still remain, they will accept us together.”
“But...” Nino grinded his teeth “Wasn’t that hard... I mean, it was cruel!! How could they even...?”
“Kazu,” Ohno called softly, his thumb rubbed over Nino’s palm as a way to calm him down. Nino took a deep breath and took a step closer to Ohno, seeking for the warmth he had been missing for years. Ohno’s voice still whispered beside his ears, and Ohno had never failed to give Nino the peace he needed “Kazu, calm down.”
“I can’t believe it.” Nino shook his head quietly, while resting his forehead on Ohno’s shoulder. The emotion rushed into him, it was so strong that he couldn’t think clearly right now “I can’t believe it... Why were they so cruel on us, I can’t even...”
“They just need a prove that we really love each other,” Ohno murmured. He had his arm wrapped around Nino’s slim waist and he pulled Nino closer. He missed this. He missed their closeness like this so much. And if... if Nino didn’t protest, then maybe Ohno could...
Nino was at a loss for word when Ohno’s lips come to his as the older man was kissing him gently - it was still sweet just like those days when they were still together. Ohno didn’t dare to push further though, he just caressed Nino’s lips in a slightest way. There was despair in Ohno’s kiss, like he was trying to convey all his feeling to Nino, but also he didn’t dare to because he wouldn’t know if Nino accepted him again. He was giving Nino a chance to push him away if Nino wanted to, but because Nino didn’t, Ohno kept kissing him like there was no tomorrow for both of them.
Minutes later, they parted. Ohno lingered in the kiss as he stole some small kiss on Nino’s face lovingly, and his hand came to touch Nino’s cheeks gently. Nino looked like he was still lost in those information Ohno had just told him, but his eyes were closed and he looked more calm than before.
“Kazu...” Ohno breathed, and Nino slowly returned to reality. “Please...”
Nino blinked as he stared at Ohno - at his step-brother, at the one he loved the most on Earth. He had always been in love with this man, even when he was treated badly in that whole three years... He still loved Ohno so much that it hurt him inside every day. Every day he spent believed that he had lost Ohno in his life forever, and he had always been so miserable about that. And now, now, after three years, what Ohno was saying, they could be together...?
“Do you still love me, Kazu?” Ohno asked quietly. His eyes were looking at anywhere but Nino’s eyes, as if he was scared of the answer. Nino could feel Ohno’s hand on him shaking. “If you don’t, that’s okay too, just tell me and I’ll leave, I will...”
“Stop it...!” Nino snapped, but this time, he was much gentler.
He could be with Ohno now... Really?
“Stop being so vulnerable like that. I hate seeing you so.”
He felt like he could die from happiness, the happiness that was raising inside his chest rapidly. The anger was forgotten because, now Ohno was here, in his arms, Ohno was looking at him with his loving eyes... Ohno was here, real, solid, and Ohno was still his.
And they could be together from now on.
“I...” Ohno bit his lips.
“Shut up and just kiss me again, won’t you?” Nino, finally after all of those times of loneliness, smiled, the real smile for the first time since that day “Of course I still love you, old man!”
Ohno’s eyes brightened in an indescribable way. Ohno beamed brightly when he saw Nino’s smile again - finally - and there was tear of happiness inside Ohno’s eyes. Nino wiped the tears away gently as he kissed Ohno’s nose lovingly. Three years were enough for them. Three years were enough to prove to anyone that questioned their love. Now thinking of it, Nino couldn’t even imagine how hard it was for Ohno to stay away from him knowing that he could’ve hated Ohno and forgotten him forever, knowing that he could have left Ohno forever. He could understand the pain Ohno had beared, because he also had felt the same, because they had always been fighting for their love from inside each of them.
And they won, after such a long time suffering.
When he saw Ohno’s grin, Nino knew the answer he had always been searching for years: he still loved Ohno a lot, and this time, there would be nothing that could separate them again...
Before he could react, Ohno had already been kissing him, this time fiercely and deeply, as if there was nothing to hold back. This time, they really had their love, really had each other in their arms. This time, no one would ever tear them apart, and no one could ever separate them again. No more tears and no more pain, it was just the two of them, being together happily from now on.
And with that, Nino felt like he was in heaven, with Ohno in his arms and they kept chanting the sweet ‘I love you’s to each other, their warmth mingled and Nino finally felt alive again deep down in his heart being warmed with every of Ohno’s touches.
This time, Nino knew he couldn’t - he would never let Ohno go ever again.
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A/N: Well, enough of the angsty XD XD XD Now it's happier for both of them :D I hope this isn't disappointing... They had been suffered enough for three years, right XD
I still haven't replied your comments, but I read all of them and I'm really thankful <3 <3 <3 I will definitely reply, just give me sometimes... Thank you so much <3 <3