We Could Never Leave (part 3)
“We cooked the best food,” Jun announced while loosening the apron around his waist and folding it neatly. “Our restaurant will welcome new customers after this event, thanks to Nino,” he glanced at Nino who busily unbuttoning his white uniform.
“You’re exaggerating it,” he replied, slumping on the bed end.
Jun didn’t give any reply, he took a deep breath and looked at Aiba with a broad smile on his lips. He rose off of the couch and sat down beside Nino.
“We should celebrate it, don’t you think, Aiba-kun?” Jun said.
Aiba’s head was in a haze as he saw Nino and Jun sat side by side on the bed. He felt there was a monster awoken inside him; a monster which appeared since he saw Jun and Nino kiss in the corridor of the restaurant. He would turn crazy if he didn’t unleash it.
Jun mumbled that he would take a short shower, leaving Aiba alone with Nino. He sat down on the couch, trying to hide his light erection. He had been able to control himself for these few weeks and only satisfied his lust by jerking off, but not now, when Nino and Jun were at the same room with him.
Jun came out from the bathroom, wrapping a towel around his waist, just like Aiba. Nino took the turn to take a bath without saying anything.
“Did you have a great time at the party?” Jun asked, walking towards the couch and sat down beside him.
“So-so,” Aiba answered. “I drank a lot.”
“I can see from your gaze,” Jun commented, giving him a lazy smile, the one that Aiba liked.
Aiba could feel his cock harden; it was odd that he got excited only by hearing Jun’s voice. When he saw Nino came out from the bathroom with wet hair and a half-naked body, he was totally horny. he stood up from the couch and approached the bed. Jun followed his movement; Nino looked at him with a shady gaze and was about to say something when Aiba silenced him with a kiss.
“You two expected me to do this, didn’t you?” he whispered.
Jun’s lips were on his earlobe as he answered. “It took you so long to realize it. We’ve been trying hard to wake this side of you.”
Nino pulled away and looked at Aiba with a playful smile on his lips. It was the prettiest smile he had ever shown to Aiba; the latter grabbed the back of Nino’s neck and tugged him closer, planting a kiss once again on his lips.
Jun was on his back, he started to kiss Aiba’s neck and loosened the towel around his waist. The sensation was unimaginable, Aiba never dreamt to do this with Jun and Nino at the same time. He used to be very shy when it came to sex and would never brring his feet to a bar to look for a one-night stand. Ohno always told him that he had been too tame and would regret it when he became older.
Nevertheless, he was sandwiched between two good-looking men who eagerly touched his body. Nino’s hand travelled to his bare chest and went down to his flat abs. Jun, meanwhile was busy taking the towel off him until he was totally naked and helpless under their touch.
It was amazing to have sex with both of them; whey they finished, Aiba found himself panting in full bliss. Jun and Nino were on his left and right side, smiling at him. Nino had fallen asleep in no time on the crook of Aiba’s neck.
“Is this really okay for him to share you with me?” Jun said in a tiny voice, gesturing at Nino’s sleeping face.
“Whose idea was this?” Aiba asked in return.
“Nino’s idea,” Jun replied. “He told me that you’re hopeless when it comes to taking the first step, besides, he knows that I like you,” he admitted. “He doesn’t want to hurt me by taking you alone and he realized that you still have feelings for him and you have a little for me, too.”
“Matsujun, I didn’t mean to…” Aiba started but Jun shooed him by attaching his finger on Aiba’s lips.
“It’s fair enough,” Jun said, leaning closer to Aiba and kissing him. “I have nothing to lose, neithr do you.”
“I don’t understand, liking two people at the same time is…”
“Weird,” Nino mumbled with closed eyes. “It’s okay, Masaki. I like you and I like Jun-kun, end of story.”
“He’s right,” Jun said from his right side. He, too, buried his face on the crook of Aiba’s neck and started to doze off.
Aiba looked at the mirror on the ceiling; it was probably crazy, but the monster inside of him growled in pleasure as he felt the warmth of Nino and Jun’s body on his bare skin.
***
“How was it?” Ohno asked Aiba when entered the office on the second floor. Ohno’s smile was wide and an amusement was clearly visible.
“The party was amazing,” Aiba answered.
“You know that I didn’t refer to the party,” Ohno chuckled, gesturing to Aiba to sit down.
“Well,” Aiba shrugged while sitting down on the couch. “It was…how should I put it…rather confusing.”
Ohno gave him a friendly pat on his shoulder. “You deserve it after years of loneliness.”
“I’m not lonely,” Aiba shook his head.
“Oops, sorry,” Ohno grinned and took a small box from his bag then handed it to Aiba. “Another chocolate from Sho-kun,” he said.
“Thanks,” Aiba took the chocolate and tore the cover off. “You should have given me more free trips to the hotels.”
“With those super good-looking men as your companion, I don’t think so,” Ohno shook his head. “You should share.”
“I’ll tell Sho-san,” Aiba said which earned a giggle from Ohno.
“Sho-kun wouldn’t mind,” Ohno said while grabbing a cigarette box from the drawer. “I’ll buy something at the convenience store, do you want anything?” he asked.
“No, thanks,” Aiba replied, raising off of the armchair and walking towards the exit.
When he entered the kitchen, Nino and Jun were busy cooking something. Aiba refrainedfrom talk with them because they seemed to occupied with what they were doing. He returned to the front of the restaurant; the clock pointed to four in the afternoon, the guests would fulfill this place in a few hours.
Aiba loved the quietness in between busy hours, he would sit down at one of the chairs and looked around the restaurant. The scenery was totally different when it was empty of guest. Ohno often joined him staring into space; they would sit side by side and drown into their own thoughts. That was he liked about Ohno, they could sit for hours without exchanging any words and not bothered by it.
Aiba thought of his relationship with Nino and Jun. He couldn’t describe it with words, he just wanted to enjoy it to the fullest. Nino had voluntary moved to his room and slept on Aiba’s bed for the past week. They sometimes invited Jun and shared the same thing like what they did at Stay Gold Hotel. Nino suggested that Jun could stay at Aiba’s house for the time being, because he wanted to spend more time with Jun before his departure to Italy.
Jun agreed and in the last three weeks, the three of them shared bed. Their presence had become too familiar for Aiba that he forgot how were his days without the both of them.
***
“Three weeks left until your departure day,” Aiba said to Nino when they finished their breakfast. Jun had gone for work early in the morning because it was the re-stocking day and he needed to make sure that their ingredients were at the best condition.
“I’m not ready yet,” Nino mumbled. “Half of me wants to stay here, with you and Jun-kun,” he continued.
“It’s just for two years, you’ll be back here before you even know it,” Aiba said, smiling at the man. He wanted Nino to stay here as well, but it would be so selfish to block Nino from reaching his dream job.
“What will you do to Jun-kun if I’m not here?” Nino asked.
“What do you mean?”
Nino sipped his coffee before answering, “Something like making him your official boyfriend.”
Aiba thought for awhile, “Is it okay with you if I date Jun-kun while you’re not here?”
Nino chuckled lightly and nodded. “As long as both of you leave me some space to enter when I’m back.”
“I’ll guarantee that,” Aiba replied, “I’m really happy that we can talk like this.”
“Sorry for everything I’ve done,” Nino said. “I should have talked properly back then.”
“It’s okay Nino, you’re here now, that’s the most important,” Aiba replied, wrapping his hands around Nino’s. They stayed like that for minutes, feeling each other’s warmth through their connecting hands. They probably couldn’t have the same thing like what they shared six years ago, but the things with Jun had added something special between them. It was weird at first, but as the time went by, Aiba’s feelings for Jun and Nino had grown stronger and he loved them.
“Would you wait for me?” Nino asked.
“Sure,” Aiba nodded and flashed a smile. “I’ve been waiting for six years, two years will be no problem for me,” he continued.
“Thank you, now let’s get ready for work,” Nino said, freeing his hand from Aiba’s grip.
Three weeks seemed too short for Aiba. He would glance to the calendar every now and then to check how many days left until Nino’s departure. He tried to hide his anxiety from Nino and Jun and, but the approaching departure day had left him sleepless. He didn’t want Nino to go again, not when he could feel Nino’s warmth again after such a long time.
Ohno planned to hold a good-bye party for Nino three days before his departure. Nino would depart on the Christmas Eve, what an imperfect timing to say good bye, Aiba thought miserably. He still had Jun by his side, but Jun wasn’t Nino, they were two different individuals and Jun’s presence couldn’t erase Aiba’s longing towards Nino.
Ohno proudly introduced Nino to their guest as soon-to-be world class chef on the last week before Nino’s departure. Aiba recalled what Jun told him on the day before, that he didn’t want to lose from Nino and would do his best to become the best cook in Japan.
“If you go to Italy, I’ll be all alone,” Aiba said to him.
“I’ll wait until Nino comes back,” Jun replied, flashing him a teasing smile.
Ohgura was also present, he and Ohno had a long talk about their restaurant. Ohgura had repeatedly recommended Ohno to open the branch restaurant at one of the hotel chains, but Ohno wasn’t that interested. Aiba knew that Ohno had gotten more than three proposals from different hotels to open a branch, thanks to Sho’s article. However, the man was still considering the offer, because he wanted to keep everything original and it would be quite troublesome to look for new employees he could trust.
“Honestly, I don’t want to leave,” Nino said from Aiba’s left side. Nino had just finished talking with one of their regular guests, a beautiful lady named Yonekura Ryoko. “The working atmosphere in this restaurant is just something I’ve been looking for,” he continued.
“You can come back anytime you want,” Aiba replied. “Ohno-san will be more than glad to accept you.”
Nino shrugged as if telling Aiba that he wasn’t sure whether he could come back here. Once he was labelled a world-class chef, Nino would get many offers from high class restaurant to work for them. In that case, the possibility for him to return here was low. The thought made Aiba a little bit lonely, but he was in no position to decide on Nino’s future.
“Masaki,” Nino called.
“Mmmm.”
“Let’s play catch tonight, just you and me,” Nino said.
“Sure,” Aiba answered without thinking.
The air was cold and windy when they walked side by side towards the nearest park. Nino shrunk on his oversized jacket and hid half of his face beyond the scarf around his neck. Aiba half-heartedly suggested that it was better for them to cancel their plan and go home instead, but Nino shook his head and told him that he just wanted to stay outside a little bit longer.
“You’re the one I can play catch with,” Nino mumbled from behind his scarf. “Jun-kun is horrible,” he added.
Aiba chuckled and pulled Nino to his side to keep him warm. “Don’t blame me if you get sick before your departure.”
“I will blame you for keeping me here,” Nino answered, leaning his head against Aiba’s shoulder.
They played while talking about the things they wanted to do in future. Nino dominated the talk since Aiba couldn’t think of what he planned to do for his life. Perhaps, he would work in Ohno’s restaurant for the rest of his life, not too bad, he thought. He wasn’t a person with dreams, unlike Nino or Jun. He tended to enjoy what he was doing and never really thought of what future would bring him.
He caught the ball Nino threw at him and looked at it for a few seconds; was it okay for Jun and Nino to be with him? He was a man with no ambition, he wasn’t that smart, he wasn’t that good-looking either. Aiba often thought about it when he watched Nino and Jun’s sleeping face. One day, they would realize that Aiba was not good enough for them and they would eventually leave.
“Masaki, throw the ball back,” Nino said.
Aiba pushed all of his thoughts away and threw the ball to Nino. He would think of it later on, Nino and Jun enjoyed being with him, end of story. If they wanted to leave, it was their freedom to do so.
They returned home when the clock pointed to midnight; Jun was in the living room, reading a thick book. He turned at them and mumbled ‘welcome home’. Nino approached towards the armchair where he was sitting and told him where they were.
“You were busy at the kitchen when we left,” Nino said.
“Ohno-kun told me,” Jun replied with a smile on his lips. “Do you want me to help you pack your things?” he asked Nino.
“It’s late, we’d better go to bed,” Nino said, rising off of the couch and heading towards the bathroom to wash.
Jun turned at Aiba as Nino disappeared, he gave Aiba a shady smile and told him that he wouldn’t be here on Nino’s departure night.
“I joined a cooking competition,” Jun explained. “I have discussed it with Ohno kun and he told me to go.”
“Good for you,” Aiba said, sitting down beside Jun. “Nino will understand.”
“I don’t want to lose to him,” Jun said.
“You have a nice competitor,” Aiba replied, standing up from the couch and entering the bathroom. Nino had already finished bathing, he kissed Aiba shortly on his cheek before exiting the bathroom.
Aiba touched the spot where Nino kissed him; there were a few days left and there would be no more Nino in this room.
***
Kissing Nino when Jun wasn’t around felt so different. The realization that they were alone made Aiba more nervous, regardless that they had kissed many times when they were dating six years ago. They were on the couch; cuddling with each other. Nino inserted his hand beneath Aiba’s T-shirt, touching him lightly. Aiba pulled away and broke the kiss, he brought his hand to brush Nino’s hair while kissing his forehead.
“I love you, Nino,” he said precisely.
Nino didn’t reply, he buried his face to Aiba’s chest, snuggling like a kid who looked for warmth. Perhaps, Nino didn’t want to say it out loud because he was afraid of what would come during his two years absence. Aiba kept on brushing his hair and kissed the top of Nino’s head once in a while.
Nino’s flight was at midnight; they still had around six hours before the departure. Nino’s suitcase was ready, Jun had helped him in packing for the past three days. Both of them went to watch a stage play together two nights ago as a private way to say good-bye.
Aiba looked at the clock on the wall which kept on ticking, every second had brought Nino further from him. He had never understood the term ‘time is relative’ and now the realization hit him; six hours seemed too short if you were about to be apart with your beloved one.
He gave Nino a long-heated french kiss while preserving the memory in his head. Nino’s eyes were closed, enjoying the kiss like Aiba did. It was the longest and the most fascinating kiss Aiba had ever had with someone.
***
Ohno’s restaurant was busy on Christmas; they had decorated it with mistletoe and a little Christmas tree at the corner. Sho got a day off from his job and helped them at the restaurant. He told Aiba with a happy tone that he and Ohno would travel to Hakodate at the end of the year.
“Satoshi wants to take pictures there,” Sho explained while folding the napkin.
“It must be very cold,” Aiba commented. “I don’t want to go near Hokkaido in this season,” he continued.
Sho chuckled. “When will Jun return from his cooking competition?” Sho asked.
“Two more days,” Aiba answered. His apartment felt far too large when Jun and Nino weren’t around. He missed both of them already. Nino had arrived in Italy and gave Aiba a brief video call, telling him not to miss him too much. How could he not miss a person like Nino?
“Satoshi is considering opening a branch for this restaurant,” Sho mumbled. “You and Jun must be ready to work harder.”
“It goes without saying,” Aiba answered. He wouldn’t mind if he had to work extra hours if that meant he could distract his mind from Nino. He was sure that Jun thought the same way.
The restaurant would be open until midnight on Christmas which Aiba was grateful for since he didn’t want to be alone at his apartment. Ohno had bought three bottles of wine and told Aiba and Sho they could stay for drinks. After closing the restaurant, the three of them headed towards Ohno’s office at the second floor and started drinking. One thing Aiba liked about Ohno and Sho was they never made Aiba uncomfortable between them. They were probably the most casual couple he had ever met.
They finally ended up sleeping in Ohno’s office since they were too drunk to go home. Aiba took the couch meanwhile Ohno and Sho curled up on the rug with mouth half-opened. He wondered what were Nino and Jun doing, he typed a short message to both of them and dozed off right after.
***
Two years later
The culinary festival was always crowded; particularly if it involved the best chefs from various hotels all over Japan. The festival also held a cooking competition and it was the most exciting part of the event. The festival took place in Stay Gold Hotel in Hakone; it was also the place where Ohno agreed to open the restaurant branch with Jun as the main chef.
Aiba, meanwhile still worked at the main restaurant in Tokyo and sometimes traveled to Hakone to supervise the work of newly recruited waiters. The thing between him and Jun had never changed since the day Nino departed to Italy. The only thing which changed was Jun lived in Hakone now and it meant they couldn’t see each other that often.
Aiba and Jun seemed to have unwritten rules during Nino’s absence. They didn’t stay together at Aiba’s apartment; they still dated and went out every now and then, but they wanted to leave a special space for Nino until he came back to Japan.
Two years had passed since that day; the things around Aiba had changed, except him. Ohno had bought a new coffee machine which was bigger and with more various flavor, Sho was promoted as the chief editor for the magazine he was working for, Jun had won three cooking competition and got an offer from the highest-class restaurant in Japan, not mentioning that he declined it because of his loyalty to Ohno.
Aiba was the one who never changed.
Sometimes, he wondered why Jun and Nino liked him. He didn’t have anything special to be proud of and he wasn’t that good looking - just an ordinary man with an ordinary job.
“Aiba-kun,” Jun patted his shoulder from his left side. “The judges have arrived for the cooking competition,” he said. “Let’s go there, you don’t want to miss the best culinary from the best chef.” Jun gripped his hand and dragged him towards the center of the festival where the cooking competition took place. Jun didn’t join it because he was already labeled as the best chef in Japan and there would no meaning for him to compete with the other chefs whose skill didn’t match him.
They walked through the crowds, hand in hand. The visitors had fulfilled the center of the venue, a few girls and middle-aged women lined up in the front and giggled from ear to ear when they saw a figure.
“Look at him, isn’t he cute?” one of them said. “He’s the main judge for this competition.”
Aiba shifted his gaze at the figure and smiled in surprised, the man was no other than Nino - his Nino. He had informed that he would be in Japan soon enough, but he didn’t tell him the exact date. It was typically Nino.
Jun squished his hand and smiled at him. “He missed you so much,” he said.
“Wait, did you meet him without telling me?” Aiba replied, pouting.
“He told me that he wanted to surprise you,” Jun said with an apologetic smile.
Aiba shook his head and focused his gaze to Nino who was busily checking the cooking. He looked handsome on his white uniform; he had seen Jun in the same outfit so many times before, but Nino was different. When Nino finished judging the cooking, he approached Aiba and Jun with a wide smile on his lips. Aiba didn’t think further when he pulled the shorter into his embrace and gave him a bone-breaking hug.
“I almost died from missing you,” Aiba said.
“I’m glad you’re still alive,” Nino’s voice was rough when he answered.
Aiba let him free and kissed him on the lips, ignoring the staring from the people around them. He had been waiting forever for this day and holding Nino felt like a dream for him.
“Masaki, you’re attracting attention,” Nino said as Aiba pulled further, his face was as red as a crab.
“I did it to show that you’re mine, so no one would grab you away from me,” he replied. “You owe me two year’s worth of kisses.”
Nino chuckled, “Alright, but I have to work now,” he said while adjusting his hat.
“I guess you have to wait for a little longer,” Jun said from behind.
“You didn’t kiss him,” Aiba commented.
“Well,” Jun shrugged. “That’s because I kissed him earlier.”
Aiba pouted but said nothing, he grabbed Jun’s hand and led him towards the line of the tables to try the food. They waited for Nino to join them; Nino who had become one of the most anticipated chefs, something which made Aiba so proud. It was almost 10 in the evening when Nino finally finished his work. Aiba and Jun had been waiting for him at the hotel room, they welcomed Nino as he opened the door.
“Welcome back,” Aiba whispered and without any further delay, he led the man to the bedroom, Jun was behind them.
The end