Burn ~ Chapter 2
Title: Burn
Author: clovert & kokkaii
Rating: PG
Pairing: Aimiya, Sakumiya, Ohmiya, Sakumoto... (yes it's messy)
Summary: There's something Nino couldn't remember. And it won't leave him alone until he does.
A/N: This is a very very messy collaboration with Kokkaii (but it was really fun writing it that way). She made me post this cus I haven't been showing up for... a long time. beware, we're on 4 horror movies + crack when writing this.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2:
"Where are you going?" Jun asked him as he shut his phone.
"Out," Sho replied. He kissed the younger man's forehead. "No need to get up."
"Unn," Jun groaned. He grabbed the clock beside the bed, holding it above him. “Three o’clock," he said. "Three o’ clock...."
Sho grabbed a pair of jeans (his or Jun's? Sometimes he mixes them up) at the foot of their bed. "Yeah, I know," he said. Red hoodie.....definitely his...
"You're going there again," he heard Jun say, a hard edge on his voice.
Sho stopped. "I HAVE to go," he said. "He needs me."
"What about me?"
"What about you?"
"How d... what if I need you?" Jun was fully awake now, he knew. The younger man's voice was becoming icy.
This argument again, Sho thought, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. "Then I’ll be here." Why does everything sound so scripted?
"And I do, you know I always do," Jun said, placing his arms around Sho. "Please don't go..."
"I told you, I HAVE to," Sho said, slipping Jun's hands away from his waist. He picked up the keys to the car.
"Why?!"
"You know why..."
"I need you, I want you, but you're never here! You keep leaving me -"
"Stop making this about yourself!" Sho said at last exasperatedly. Jun gaped at him. "Look..." Sho began.
"Save it," the other man interrupted. Jun went back to bed, his back turned towards Sho.
"I'm sorry," Sho apologized. He saw Jun stiffen under the covers.
"Go, he needs you," the younger man said curtly.
Sho turned and closed the door behind him.
*
As usual, Sho-chan was nice. He stuffed a mug of warm milk onto Nino's hands and then escorted him to the living room sofa. Out of habit, Sho-chan turned on the television as well, but Nino ignored it and turned his attention to Sho-chan instead who was cleaning up the floor where his broken lamp and cellphone lay.
Sho laughed suddenly.
"What is it?" Nino croaked, his throat still sore.
Sho turned around, a piece of the lamp on his hand. "Tiger stripes?" he chuckled. "Kinky, Nino."
Nino blushed. "It was a present..." he murmured.
"From who?"
Nino started. He doesn’t remember. Most of his memories were still fuzzy and blurry, and whenever Sho asked him about one thing or another, he always pulls nothing from his mind. Sho always understands then, nodding and holding his hand patiently but, Nino hated the disappointed look Sho has whenever the smaller man doesn’t remember. "F-from..." A friend? Sho knew ALL his friends; Nino wasn't a very social person so all his friends were generally Sho's friends, too. From you Sho, don’t you remember? No, Sho wasn't stupid. "From... It’s from..."
Sho waved him off. "It’s ok, I don't really need to know." It’s that disappointed look again. Sho must’ve noticed Nino staring at him - he smiled an awkward smile and winked at Nino. "It’s something I don’t want to know either, huh?"
"Yeah..." The younger man suddenly felt like a horrible person. A screeching woman's voice blared from the television, and Nino wrinkled his nose. Sho turned it off. He sat down beside Nino and held his arms out to him. Nino leaned onto him and tucked his head below the taller man's chin.
"What's going on, Nino?" Sho asked, stroking his hair.
"Nightmares... they’re just nightmares, Sho-chan."
"Of what?" Nino stiffened, fragments of the dream floating back to him. He shook his head. "I... I dreamed of my father...." he lied instead.
Sho halted. Nino saw his hands balled instinctively. Nino's father... it was one thing that has always been a difficult topic for them, and just like before, Nino knew Sho would refuse to delve into that. "Oh..." was all Sho could say. He cleared his throat to ease out the sudden silence. "Well, are you okay now?" he changed the topic.
Nino shook his head half way and then changed it into a nod. "He's... angry isn't he?" he asked suddenly.
"Who?" Sho asked without thinking and then paused.
Nino has never met Jun, but he knew of him.
Sho wasn't the most romantic guy on earth, and he's pretty dull when it comes to love.
So during that time when he was totally infatuated, he relied on Nino to come up with all the romantic schemes. The first time Nino gave him a suggestion, it was a joke. But somehow it worked and so he asked for help again the next time. Nino always starts with an insult and rant on how much of a failure Sho was before telling him what he could do.
Continuous pestering for two months eventually got his best friend pissed off, and one day when he asked for help again, Nino just yelled at him, "You know what? I hope you fail because this Jun sounds like a selfish spoiled brat!"
They didn't talk for a few days after. Nino ended up apologizing one day and just told him to confess without all the fancy schemes. Sho did just that, and then Jun and him started dating.
But Sho wasn't stupid and jealousy from Nino just wasn't normal. Nino didn't like Jun, and he knew why.
Whenever Jun ever comes up in the conversation, Nino shuts down.
Whenever Jun is in Sho's apartment, Nino never visits.
Whenever Jun is with Sho, Nino refuses to meet up with them.
Not that Nino was never there then after. Nino CLINGS to people and Sho was no exception to this strange behavior. Before, where Sho was, Nino was, and this hardly ceased as the years went by. But now that Sho had someone, the smaller man was even more clingy and demanding and soon, Sho found himself running back and forth between the two camps. Sometimes, he felt like he was going out with two people.
But then one day, it stopped.
It stopped but Sho never asked, because he was over exhausted and at his limit at the time. He took the break as if it was granted to him. If he had known that Nino would turn out like this after that one month, he would never, ever have chosen to neglect him. Sho knew something happened, and Nino couldn’t remember exactly what it was. But three months ago, Nino called him up in the middle of the night, just like today.
"I'm sorry," Nino sniffled.
"For what," Sho whispered against Nino's hair.
"I'm not a good friend," Nino said, his eyes drooping sleepily.
Sho chuckled. "Don't say that," he chided.
"No," Nino said, snuggling closer to Sho. "Friends," he whispered before he drifted off completely. "Friends don't get jealous…”
Sho stared at him in surprise. He waited for Nino to continue, but the younger man just snored lightly. He sighed tiredly. He lifted the light man in his arms and carried him off to the bedroom. He placed Nino on the bed and laid down next to him, pulling the blanket over the both of them. He knew that it was impossible to try to leave now.
There had been instances when he left after Nino fell asleep, and the younger man woke up to an empty spot beside him. Nino would then call and scream into the phone for Sho to come back.
Sho had never seen Nino being so hysterical before. He didn't want to think about it, but sometimes it feels like Nino was becoming crazy. And it didn't help that every time he wanted to talk about it, Nino would reassure Sho that he was fine. These nightmares that plagued his best friend were not just about his father, and are far from normal, Sho knew that much. He was also certain that Nino needs help, soon before he completely loses it.
Sho dialed a familiar number. It rang once, twice.... "Hello? Satoshi-kun? I need to ask you a favor."
*
Nino woke up to fingers brushing his bangs away from his face. He froze.
"When you wish upon a star..."
"Go away," Nino whispered. "Please.... go away..."
"- Makes no difference who you are -"
Nino whimpered. A cold breath brushed across his cheek.
"- When you wish -" the cold fingers drifted down his neck. "- Upon a star-"
"Go away!" Nino cried flinging his covers away.
"Good morning to you, too."
Nino opened his eyes to find Sho standing in front of him, breakfast tray in hand. "Sho-chan..." Nino gasped in surprise. "You're here."
"Of course," Sho said nonchalantly. "I never left."
"I see..." Nino said. He looked down to his hands and fiddled with them nervously. "I’m embarrassed," he admitted at last.
"No need to be," Sho said. "Here, eat." Nino raised an eyebrow to the burnt toast and foamy egg. Sho laughed. "... eating out it is then?"
*
"Hey," Sho said, kicking Nino's leg from under the table to get his attention. Nino turned to him soundlessly. Not for the last time, Sho found it creepy that the normally loud and boisterous man was now as timid as a mouse. "We haven’t visited Satoshi-kun for a long time haven’t we?" Sho asked.
Nino's eyebrows furrowed. "Satoshi-kun? Who is he?"
"Y'know, Oh-chan! Oh-chan from Kyoto," Sho said.
"Ahh... yeah, I remember him."
"Let’s visit him!"
"Uhmmm...."
"It’ll be like the old times! Us drinking and splurging..."
"Sh-Sho-chan...... I-I…"
"Remember how much fun we had?" Idly, Sho noticed Nino trembling. "Are you cold?" he asked him. Nino shook his head. "Well then," Sho continued, choosing to ignore Nino's darting eyes. He’s trying to escape, he thought, but I’m not gonna let him. "Oh-chan has been asking about you and -"
Nino stood up suddenly, his chest heaving up and down frantically as if he was panicking. "Y-you can go on ahead, Sho-chan," he stammered. "I-I.... I have to go." And with that, he ran out the cafe.
Sho started to get up, but just then, he noticed the imprints Nino's clammy hands left behind.
*
I've been in love with someone I shouldn't, I think it's wrong.
Maybe it's time to try going out with someone else.
When you wish upon a star....
Give me back my scarf, you bastard.
If Kazu-chan agrees to date me.
He was jolted awake on the train. The name Kazu-chan lingered in his ears from his dream. He couldn't remember who used to call him that… just like how he couldn't really remember what actually happened four months ago.
It was like those nightmares ate away his memories. He couldn't tell what was dream and what was reality anymore and the more he kept looking for whatever it was in that house, it felt more and more unreachable. It was like he was nearsighted, and everyone and everything was a blur.
That was why he couldn't tell Sho what happened: because even he wasn't sure.
Something like guilt gnawed at him from inside out. Nino didn't know why he was being suspicious of everything around him but Sho. Someone had done something to him - someone such as Jun, someone such as Satoshi, someone such as… There was no way he could tell anyone, before he finds out himself.
*
"You're not gonna get away that easily."
Nino buried himself deeper into the covers. He heard Sho sigh tiredly.
"Look," the bed dipped slightly as Sho sat down. "I’m tired Nino..." He began patting the younger man. "I'm tired of hearing you scream every night, tired of rushing here and trying to be happy despite feeling terrified of whatever's bothering you, tired of leaving Jun behind every single time..." he sighed again. "I don't know how much more I can take of this..." Sho paused. "If you could just please… tell me what's wrong -"
"There’s nothing wrong," Nino said abruptly, shaking Sho's hand off. "I'm alright, I’m just having nightmares -"
"Stop lying!" Sho yelled. "There IS something wrong, I know it...I can feel it..." Sho sighed. "Look... Oh-chan.... you liked Oh-chan right?" Nino didn’t know.... did he? "He's a psychologist, he can help you," Sho continued.
"No, no he can't..."
"Just tell him! Just tell him everything you could and he'll help you!" Nino started trembling. Why is he so scared all of a sudden? He tucked his head onto his knees. "I can't do this," he whispered.
"Yes you can.... 'cause I’ll be there with you," Sho said.
Nino stared at Sho blankly. Just like when they were younger, he found it really hard to refuse the older man's request to his face. "I'll think about it..." He finally muttered and pulled the covers above his head.
*
Sho disappeared that night.
"To get toiletries and stuff," he had told Nino, but then… that was some five hours ago.
Nino thought Sho could’ve just ran into someone - Toma or whoever else lived there - even into Jun but that caused him to think of weird and painful things and he closed the lid on that one. He turned on the TV to distract himself. Soon, his eyes started closing.
Don't sleep! He tried commanding himself futilely. Don't...because sleeping caused bad things to happen...sleeping caused nightmares...sleeping made him remember-
"Don't be scared." Nino's heart clenched and a tear rolled down his cheek. A cold thumb brushed it away. "Don't be scared," the voice repeated.
"I can't help it if I am," Nino mouthed. A hand cupped his cheek and he pushed it away frantically. "Go away," he whimpered.
"Don't be scared," the voice repeated again. "I'll protect you."
Nino paused. He heard this before....."Promise?" he whispered.
A breathy laugh. "I promise...always and forever...in your dreams and beyond -"
He's going to burst into flames, Nino thought suddenly. He opened his eyes. "No, wait, Ai-"the man beside him burst into flames and Nino woke up screaming.
He grabbed his cellphone and dialed. Please pick up, he prayed, please pick up.
"H-hello?" a groggy, unfamiliar voice said.
".....W-who are you?" Nino stammered.
"I'm sorry, are you looking for someone?"
"Sho... where's Sho?!" Nino began to panic.
"He isn't here right now -”
"Who the hell is this?!" Nino screamed.
"Wait what? Hey look who gives you the right to -"
Nino flung his cellphone to the wall. No, no, no.... where is Sho?! Where is he?! He got up and paced around his room, chewing on the fingernail on his thumb.
I promise Kazu-chan, I'll give you my everything.
Everything?
There it was again. Something flashed through his head and it instantly felt like his brain was being pierced by a needle.
I'll give you my everything, and in exchange, you will give me your everything.
"Your EVERYTHING," it hissed in his ear.
Nino jerked away and stumbled. No, don't take away Sho-chan, don’t take him away.
He couldn't remember how he got out of his apartment, but if he stayed there any longer he might go insane. And Sho-chan… he had to make sure Sho-chan was alright.