First fan-fiction.
I... am not sure about this. At all. This is my first ever fan-fiction for ..real.. people.. Lol. And I'd appreciate any feedback whatsoever as to whether I should continue writing. Because. Really. I am NOT sure about this at all. :p Is this a one-shot? The beginning of a series? It really all depends on you. xD
Title: Why do you build me up, buttercup? \random title is random sorryy
Pairing(s): Nino x OC, A leetle Sakumiya, a leetle Sakuraiba, a leeeetle Ohmiya. General ot5 love.
Genre: Angst.
Rating: PG for drunk!Nino's mouth.
Summary: Heartbroken Nino, motherly Sho, and quite possibly (at the veeery end) how Ohmiya became real.
P/S: Now with a pseudo-sequel here! (i.e. it can be read separately or continuously following this story. :D)
The sky is a perfect black; it’s closer to morning than night, and the citizens of Tokyo are either fast asleep in their comfortable beds dreaming dreams of more dreams, or in the process of getting drunk if not inebriated already.
It’s a Friday, or rather, it was a Friday, and the weekend is ushered in thankfully by all and sundry.
Somewhere in the classier part of town, where a warm fire in the hearth keeps out the cruel December chills, a certain Keio graduate with spectacular athletic incapability yawns.
Sho stares at his book fixedly- it is an old favourite, written by a fantastic author... and yet the strokes seem to be making no sense to him, and the words seem to be playing tag with each other in their silly little vertical lines, laughing and making crude jokes and getting bitten by tigers......
Yes. Sho-kun is sleepy.
He shuts the book with a resigned sigh and gets off the comfort of his armchair to turn out the lights.
Hearing the sounds from the bedroom two doors down from his, he concludes that Mother's asleep in front of the TV again, and will women ever learn to appreciate electricity? Albeit this latter thought came with the typical affection and fondness that his heart forevermore associated with thoughts of his mother. Such is a perfect Japanese man.
Suddenly (and now the plot thickens), the door-bell rings. Loudly, and repeatedly.
Sho swears under his breath. If it was one of those middle-school kids again... Indignant and sleep-deprived, he marches grimly down the steps, and is surprised to see that behind the frosted windowpane in his front door, the silhouette of the bell-ringing figure is still present.
"Who's out there?"
"SSsshoo-kunnnn?"
A confused expression darts across Sho's face.
"Nino?"
"Who else wou' it beeee, you fuckinnnnn' idiot?"
Ah. The confusion clears.
Enlightened Sho-kun opens the door; drunk Nino falls into his arms.
*
The fans would have a field day with this, Sho speculates.
He is back on his armchair with a lapful of Nino. Drunk Nino. Who smells like cigarettes and stale beer, like cheap lipstick and unchanged clothes. Who has retched into Sho's bathroom twice in the past ten minutes. Who is currently sobbing into Sho's shoulder.
"Jesus, what happened to you, Ninomiya?" Sho murmurs, patting the younger man's back gently. He was not called the mother hen of Arashi for the mere sake of the fans' imaginations.
But Nino isn't done yet, so all Sho gets for an answer is more quiet sobs, interjected with a random word or two as Nino attempts coherency.
"We're... over..."
*
Half an hour passes. Nino has somewhat calmed down, less drunk and more scarred.
Sho takes Nino's face into his two hands, presses firmly, and gazes into Nino's bloodshot eyes straight on.
"You ready?"
He takes gulps of air, like he's drowning in some unseen substance. Then- a hesitant nod. Sho releases his face and sits back and waits. (By this time Nino has moved to the other chair, the one closer to the fire. He sits bundled up in himself, arms around his folded legs, chin on his knees.)
Sho is sort of scared, sort of impatient, and very sleepy. But all in all, he knows one thing- he's never seen Nino cry this hard.
"It all started after filming today."
"Hm."
"I..." A single sob broke through.
"Nino?"
His hand rummages around in the pocket of his suit. A little burgundy box with velvet trimmings is found and thrown onto the coffee table with considerable force.
Sho's heart breaks. "Oh Nino..."
Nino makes a strangled noise, somewhere between a chuckle and a whimper. "I.. I know, right? It's so stupid.."
Sho takes the box and opens it slowly. The ring is beautiful; Sho knows Nino, he knows Nino, and he knows that when Nino spends this much money (for fuck's sake this is a diamond ring), it is with emotion felt from the bottom of his heart.
And now. Now. Why should this have to happen to him?
"She- did she.." say no? He is unable to finish his sentence.
Nino shakes his head anyway, and the scariest smile Sho has ever seen forms itself on Nino's lips. "I didn't even get to ask..."
Well fuck that. "Why..?"
Nino shuts his eyes, and Sho begins to feel somewhat light-headed.
"We were eating dinner. And. You know. The ring was meant to be in the cheesecake."
A silence.
Sho notes that there is a gradually increasing, throbbing pain in his chest.
"Cuz' she loves cheesecake, you know- despite not liking cheese itself... and she doesn't like strawberry-flavoured stuff too.. which is kinnnnda weird.. don't you think so?"
Sho notes that the alcohol hasn't really left Nino's system yet.
"Nino..."
"And it turns out- hah, this is SO funny, Sho," he giggles -giggles! thought Sho helplessly- "that nothing fucking mattered at all.. 'Cuz. We didn't. Even. Get to the dessert. 'Cuz. You know. By the third damn course, she'd said.. that we should.. stop."
Their eyes met again, and the full realization that Nino is broken slaps Sho in the face.
"She said let's stop, Sho. She didn't say let's take a break, or let's see other people. She just said... stop."
Sho is panicking at his loss of speech. But the pain in his chest, it hurts...
"Then. You know. The whole thing started coming out. You know how she rambles. We're.. too young for all this, and she still feels guilty.. about jeopardizing my career," that strange half-way noise comes out again, "-with the pictures.. and shit."
Sho takes a deep, deep breath, and forces the pain away.
"Do you want some water?"
*
It is nearly dawn when Nino finally falls asleep, tear-stained face, soiled dinner jacket and all, on Sho's bed. Sho himself is busy- busy thanking whatever God that exists for the fact that it's a Saturday morning, and they're all free- as free as idols can be anyhow.
He stares at his schedule, written carefully and neatly on the little whiteboard Arashi had given him for the Christmas he'd graduated. A solo interview is awaiting at eight thirty -damn he was running late- but at least, after that, he is unbothered. A sigh of relief escapes him.
He prepares a note for his mother explaining that he'd received a late-night guest, a note for Nino explaining where he would be for the next hour or so (not that he believed Nino would be up any time soon), and three packets of aspirin accompanied by a super-sized bottle of mineral water.
"Drink ALL."- he writes as a postscript to the bottom of Nino's note.
He almost manages to leave the house at just that.
*
Nino wakes up to the smell of freshly-cooked scrambled eggs and bacon, and thinks, what a damn mother.
*
(Upon further reflection, Sho figures that the fan-girls would really have had a field day with that. He is glad his culinary skills is a fact that has not yet escaped to the media.)
*
"Moshi moshi Sho-kun! :3"
"Good morning Ohno-san. I'm afraid we have an emergency on our hands."
"What-"
"She dumped him."
"... I'm on my way over."
*
"...so I thought it'd be nice if we could- Aiba, are you CRYING?"
"I.. NNGH... BUT IT'S SO SUPER SAD SHO-CHAN!!!!!"
"Yes, I know, but it's Nino's grief and we have to help him-"
"I'LL HELP HIM I WILL I PROMISE. (sniff)"
"Then stop crying. And please go buy some balloons and a cake."
"Yes Sho-channnn! <3"
"Oh. And Aiba?"
"Hmmm?"
"Make sure that under any circumstances that may or may not occur, this cake that you purchase is not any form or variant of cheesecake, okay?
"Will do. <3 Oh and Sho-chann?"
"Yes, Aiba?"
"Don't be scared. I'm not going anywhere. <3"
*
"Oh, that BITCH!"
"Good morning, Jun-kun. I see Aiba has notified you already."
"Hell yeah he has. Dammit, I am soo not going to watch ANY of her dramas anymore!"
"Jun--"
"I mean, who the hell does she think she IS? Doesn't she know--"
"Jun."
Timidly, "Yes?" (Sho feels bad for abusing this weird hero-worship thing Jun has for him, but it's all for Nino's sake right?)
"Cancel whatever programs all five of us have scheduled for the rest of the weekend. Possibly, for Nino, the rest of the week. The manager likes you- I know you're capable of this and more."
"Yes, mom. Shall I hire a sniper to shoot the bitch while I'm in my super-DoS Domyouji mode as well?"
A chuckle. "No, baka. I have to do at least one thing for the party..."
*
Back at his house, Sho finds Nino comfortably settled on the lap of Ohno, who is in the process of calmly and collectively telling him about what fish he caught last weekend, all the while stroking Nino's hair like one would do with a cat. The bacon and eggs are finished, and Sho's mother is found in the kitchen making a second batch of pancakes. He gives her a kiss on the cheek, and asks tentatively, "How was he?"
She speaks quietly, but something makes her words ring through his ears. "He's a very strong boy, you know."
Sho breathes. The throbbing pain ebbs away. "We know."
Title: Why do you build me up, buttercup? \random title is random sorryy
Pairing(s): Nino x OC, A leetle Sakumiya, a leetle Sakuraiba, a leeeetle Ohmiya. General ot5 love.
Genre: Angst.
Rating: PG for drunk!Nino's mouth.
Summary: Heartbroken Nino, motherly Sho, and quite possibly (at the veeery end) how Ohmiya became real.
P/S: Now with a pseudo-sequel here! (i.e. it can be read separately or continuously following this story. :D)
The sky is a perfect black; it’s closer to morning than night, and the citizens of Tokyo are either fast asleep in their comfortable beds dreaming dreams of more dreams, or in the process of getting drunk if not inebriated already.
It’s a Friday, or rather, it was a Friday, and the weekend is ushered in thankfully by all and sundry.
Somewhere in the classier part of town, where a warm fire in the hearth keeps out the cruel December chills, a certain Keio graduate with spectacular athletic incapability yawns.
Sho stares at his book fixedly- it is an old favourite, written by a fantastic author... and yet the strokes seem to be making no sense to him, and the words seem to be playing tag with each other in their silly little vertical lines, laughing and making crude jokes and getting bitten by tigers......
Yes. Sho-kun is sleepy.
He shuts the book with a resigned sigh and gets off the comfort of his armchair to turn out the lights.
Hearing the sounds from the bedroom two doors down from his, he concludes that Mother's asleep in front of the TV again, and will women ever learn to appreciate electricity? Albeit this latter thought came with the typical affection and fondness that his heart forevermore associated with thoughts of his mother. Such is a perfect Japanese man.
Suddenly (and now the plot thickens), the door-bell rings. Loudly, and repeatedly.
Sho swears under his breath. If it was one of those middle-school kids again... Indignant and sleep-deprived, he marches grimly down the steps, and is surprised to see that behind the frosted windowpane in his front door, the silhouette of the bell-ringing figure is still present.
"Who's out there?"
"SSsshoo-kunnnn?"
A confused expression darts across Sho's face.
"Nino?"
"Who else wou' it beeee, you fuckinnnnn' idiot?"
Ah. The confusion clears.
Enlightened Sho-kun opens the door; drunk Nino falls into his arms.
*
The fans would have a field day with this, Sho speculates.
He is back on his armchair with a lapful of Nino. Drunk Nino. Who smells like cigarettes and stale beer, like cheap lipstick and unchanged clothes. Who has retched into Sho's bathroom twice in the past ten minutes. Who is currently sobbing into Sho's shoulder.
"Jesus, what happened to you, Ninomiya?" Sho murmurs, patting the younger man's back gently. He was not called the mother hen of Arashi for the mere sake of the fans' imaginations.
But Nino isn't done yet, so all Sho gets for an answer is more quiet sobs, interjected with a random word or two as Nino attempts coherency.
"We're... over..."
*
Half an hour passes. Nino has somewhat calmed down, less drunk and more scarred.
Sho takes Nino's face into his two hands, presses firmly, and gazes into Nino's bloodshot eyes straight on.
"You ready?"
He takes gulps of air, like he's drowning in some unseen substance. Then- a hesitant nod. Sho releases his face and sits back and waits. (By this time Nino has moved to the other chair, the one closer to the fire. He sits bundled up in himself, arms around his folded legs, chin on his knees.)
Sho is sort of scared, sort of impatient, and very sleepy. But all in all, he knows one thing- he's never seen Nino cry this hard.
"It all started after filming today."
"Hm."
"I..." A single sob broke through.
"Nino?"
His hand rummages around in the pocket of his suit. A little burgundy box with velvet trimmings is found and thrown onto the coffee table with considerable force.
Sho's heart breaks. "Oh Nino..."
Nino makes a strangled noise, somewhere between a chuckle and a whimper. "I.. I know, right? It's so stupid.."
Sho takes the box and opens it slowly. The ring is beautiful; Sho knows Nino, he knows Nino, and he knows that when Nino spends this much money (for fuck's sake this is a diamond ring), it is with emotion felt from the bottom of his heart.
And now. Now. Why should this have to happen to him?
"She- did she.." say no? He is unable to finish his sentence.
Nino shakes his head anyway, and the scariest smile Sho has ever seen forms itself on Nino's lips. "I didn't even get to ask..."
Well fuck that. "Why..?"
Nino shuts his eyes, and Sho begins to feel somewhat light-headed.
"We were eating dinner. And. You know. The ring was meant to be in the cheesecake."
A silence.
Sho notes that there is a gradually increasing, throbbing pain in his chest.
"Cuz' she loves cheesecake, you know- despite not liking cheese itself... and she doesn't like strawberry-flavoured stuff too.. which is kinnnnda weird.. don't you think so?"
Sho notes that the alcohol hasn't really left Nino's system yet.
"Nino..."
"And it turns out- hah, this is SO funny, Sho," he giggles -giggles! thought Sho helplessly- "that nothing fucking mattered at all.. 'Cuz. We didn't. Even. Get to the dessert. 'Cuz. You know. By the third damn course, she'd said.. that we should.. stop."
Their eyes met again, and the full realization that Nino is broken slaps Sho in the face.
"She said let's stop, Sho. She didn't say let's take a break, or let's see other people. She just said... stop."
Sho is panicking at his loss of speech. But the pain in his chest, it hurts...
"Then. You know. The whole thing started coming out. You know how she rambles. We're.. too young for all this, and she still feels guilty.. about jeopardizing my career," that strange half-way noise comes out again, "-with the pictures.. and shit."
Sho takes a deep, deep breath, and forces the pain away.
"Do you want some water?"
*
It is nearly dawn when Nino finally falls asleep, tear-stained face, soiled dinner jacket and all, on Sho's bed. Sho himself is busy- busy thanking whatever God that exists for the fact that it's a Saturday morning, and they're all free- as free as idols can be anyhow.
He stares at his schedule, written carefully and neatly on the little whiteboard Arashi had given him for the Christmas he'd graduated. A solo interview is awaiting at eight thirty -damn he was running late- but at least, after that, he is unbothered. A sigh of relief escapes him.
He prepares a note for his mother explaining that he'd received a late-night guest, a note for Nino explaining where he would be for the next hour or so (not that he believed Nino would be up any time soon), and three packets of aspirin accompanied by a super-sized bottle of mineral water.
"Drink ALL."- he writes as a postscript to the bottom of Nino's note.
He almost manages to leave the house at just that.
*
Nino wakes up to the smell of freshly-cooked scrambled eggs and bacon, and thinks, what a damn mother.
*
(Upon further reflection, Sho figures that the fan-girls would really have had a field day with that. He is glad his culinary skills is a fact that has not yet escaped to the media.)
*
"Moshi moshi Sho-kun! :3"
"Good morning Ohno-san. I'm afraid we have an emergency on our hands."
"What-"
"She dumped him."
"... I'm on my way over."
*
"...so I thought it'd be nice if we could- Aiba, are you CRYING?"
"I.. NNGH... BUT IT'S SO SUPER SAD SHO-CHAN!!!!!"
"Yes, I know, but it's Nino's grief and we have to help him-"
"I'LL HELP HIM I WILL I PROMISE. (sniff)"
"Then stop crying. And please go buy some balloons and a cake."
"Yes Sho-channnn! <3"
"Oh. And Aiba?"
"Hmmm?"
"Make sure that under any circumstances that may or may not occur, this cake that you purchase is not any form or variant of cheesecake, okay?
"Will do. <3 Oh and Sho-chann?"
"Yes, Aiba?"
"Don't be scared. I'm not going anywhere. <3"
*
"Oh, that BITCH!"
"Good morning, Jun-kun. I see Aiba has notified you already."
"Hell yeah he has. Dammit, I am soo not going to watch ANY of her dramas anymore!"
"Jun--"
"I mean, who the hell does she think she IS? Doesn't she know--"
"Jun."
Timidly, "Yes?" (Sho feels bad for abusing this weird hero-worship thing Jun has for him, but it's all for Nino's sake right?)
"Cancel whatever programs all five of us have scheduled for the rest of the weekend. Possibly, for Nino, the rest of the week. The manager likes you- I know you're capable of this and more."
"Yes, mom. Shall I hire a sniper to shoot the bitch while I'm in my super-DoS Domyouji mode as well?"
A chuckle. "No, baka. I have to do at least one thing for the party..."
*
Back at his house, Sho finds Nino comfortably settled on the lap of Ohno, who is in the process of calmly and collectively telling him about what fish he caught last weekend, all the while stroking Nino's hair like one would do with a cat. The bacon and eggs are finished, and Sho's mother is found in the kitchen making a second batch of pancakes. He gives her a kiss on the cheek, and asks tentatively, "How was he?"
She speaks quietly, but something makes her words ring through his ears. "He's a very strong boy, you know."
Sho breathes. The throbbing pain ebbs away. "We know."