Paint, Film, and Stuffed Animals
Title: Paint, Film, and Stuffed Animals
Rating: PG13
Pairing: Aiba/Ohno, Jun/Sho, Touma/Nino
Genre: Romance, AU
Chapter: nine
Disclaimer: I guess Johnny’s technically owns Arashi, huh? Not me.
Summary: Aiba becomes interested in Ohno, a recently popular artist, but it’s difficult to get a boyfriend when you have a kid…Everyone seems to think you’re straight.
Chapter one
Chapter two
Chapter three
Chapter four
Chapter five
Chapter six
Chapter seven
Chapter eight
Working with Ohno was a lot different than Aiba thought it would be.
First of all, the photographer realized as he stared at his boyfriend from across a fountain at their first filming location, Ohno was much quieter around normal people than he with his close friends. He would professionally explain to the young assistant how he wanted his figure displayed, but didn’t bother with small talk about anything, and didn’t usually respond if someone else tried to initiate it either. But his change in demeanor was pretty obvious when Jun came over to discuss something with him, and it was only after he discovered his boyfriend’s “second personality” that Aiba realized how much Ohno must like him. From the first time they had met, the photographer considered his boyfriend warm and cute and maybe a little shy, but he had never seen this almost standoff-ish attitude ever before.
At the second location, the extent of Ohno’s fame became so obvious it was almost painful.
It started with one person asking what they were doing and the gopher assistant giving an honest answer, and slowly morphed into a crowd that had to be held at bay by Jun and Sho. (When the designer had heard of the new project, he had convinced Aiba to request his presence to help with handling equipment, and even though the photographer figured Sho could probably be doing something more useful with his time than watching them, he had gone through with it immediately.)
Once they were finished, being there for only about an hour, Jun gave the assistant a firm talking to and Ohno wore sunglasses for the rest of the afternoon.
The last big epiphany that Aiba had during his bliss-filled weeks of being around Ohno every hour of the day was that the artist knew some very important people.
The first was Shimura Ken, who ranked just below God in Aiba’s book. Although the man had turned into an entertainer more than a photographer thanks to his quick wit and quirky personality, he was the most talented man that Aiba had ever discovered in the photography industry.
So when he found out that Shimura was the professional that Ohno had used on his last project, being introduced to him early the first morning before they had gotten started, Aiba became anxious enough that he froze, his hand still in the experienced man’s grasp and a look of terror no doubt on his face. It took Ohno chuckling and gently patting his back before Aiba realized what was happening and released his idol’s grip, deathly embarrassed, but the wrinkled photographer just gave him a grin and patted his shoulder, obvious pleased with the fact that he had been recognized.
Although Aiba’s hands had been shaking for the better part of two hours, his photos turning out worse than usual, by lunchtime he got used to working with the older man, and before they ended the session, he had even gotten bold enough to exchange jokes with Shimura. Of course he was very insightful and pointed out many things that Aiba missed, and although he was kind, he was also very blatant with his criticism, which the younger photographer was thankful for.
They got into a rhythm quickly and it seemed like in no time at all they had finished their scheduled shoots and Aiba was back at his office desk, touching up the pictures on his computer. He had ended up with more of Ohno than he had remembered taking, but he happily filed each of them away in a separate folder and assembled the rest of them so they were presentable. Although Ohno had the final choice in which ones he liked, Jun would also be there at the decisive meeting, as well as several representatives of sponsors of the event and Aiba’s manager, too. It was a first for the father, having this much pressure, but it was more exhilarating than stressful and Koharu was always excited to hear about his adventures with Ohno when he got home.
At the meeting to discuss the setup of the show and what pieces were to be used there were two other important men, both financers of the show and apparently acquaintances of Ohno’s. Johnny had been introduced to Aiba already and the two shared a curt nod when their eyes met across the table. The other man was named Ogura, and although Aiba had never met him, he had certainly heard of him and his deep interest in anything art related. Although the photographer had been basically thrown into this world by his boyfriend, he was encouraged when his works were lightly praised and immediately incorporated into the setup of the displays.
After Aiba started going back to his regular office work of magazine inserts and advertisements, his time with Ohno reduced to one day per week, it seemed like he suddenly had a completely new view of the industry he had been living in. Of course the tips that Shimura had shared improved the quality, but Aiba had tasted a new way of working and he really liked it. He was suddenly unsatisfied with the mundane photo sessions that he was stuck with right now and had a newfound motivation to continue to improve so that he could get out and do what he actually wanted to. It was refreshing to both his professional and personal life.
And despite feeling much more confident about the project now that it was nearing its completion, Aiba still had mixed feelings when he saw that the invitations included his name next to his boyfriend’s. Ohno Satoshi in collaboration with Aiba Masaki.
He loved it, those words together, but at the same time he didn’t think he was on the same level as the artist in this area and felt like Ohno was being far too kind to him, giving him more credit than he really deserved. Aiba was still a nobody, making his living taking generic pictures of generic things, and even though he wanted more, he wasn’t sure that kind of talent was within him.
But there was nothing Aiba could do about it now. The only thing he had a say in was what directly affected how his photos were used, and as far as that was concerned, he’d let Ohno do what he wanted to.
Although he still wasn’t sure about the whole thing, with the support he had right now, Aiba at least knew it wouldn’t be a failure.
+++
“I don’t know how you do this,” Aiba whispered in a shaky voice, standing in the corner of the reception hall and making an attempt to hide without actually leaving the room (because if he did he would be singled out immediately). Luckily enough, Ohno had found him and gotten his attention, calming him a little and keeping anyone else from trying to interrupt their private moment.
Because of the nature of the show, Aiba’s name being on all of the photos and promoted just as much as Ohno’s was, the weeks leading up to the art show had been unbelievably busy for the photographer. Interviewers had come from all over to find out more about this little known man that had allied himself with the famous Ohno Satoshi, bringing up his older works and apparently non-existent relationship with the artist he was helping.
After the first one, Jun and Aiba’s own manager had stepped in and made a few statements for Aiba, but that didn’t stop him from being approached as he walked home or called at work endlessly until he unplugged his phone. He still had an office job after all, which he couldn’t avoid if he wanted to feed his daughter, and so he couldn’t simply hide in his apartment anonymously like Ohno did, even if he wanted to.
But luckily, he had managed to keep his cell number and apartment a secret and spare Koharu any trouble in the matter. So when the day of the show finally came around, the father took a sigh of relief and actually began anticipating the event.
Since he was the photographer and everything, Aiba of course had to show up early in the morning to check the display, not having any time the day before, and thus he had left Koharu in Jun’s care, knowing that she would be close by, arrive on time, and be properly dressed as well. Sho, of course, would be there with them, but Aiba felt slightly better knowing that he had left Jun responsible instead of the designer, who seemed to have a mild case of air-headedness despite how good his intentions were. Nino and Touma had been invited too, of course, but Aiba couldn’t be sure what time they would show up or how long they would stick around, and just like always, the gamer had shirked the responsibility as soon as he found out there was someone else to help.
That morning, Ohno had arrived about an hour after Aiba and everything was ready to go on schedule. By the time Jun had shown up with Sho and Koharu, all three of them looking impeccable, a man had already taken his station at the door to check tickets and several journalists had been allowed inside to begin their reports on the show. Koharu had run over to him as Aiba had been shyly answering a middle aged woman’s questions, and without a second thought he introduced his daughter to her, collecting the girl into his arms. She hugged her father tightly, relaying what she’d eaten for lunch at Jun’s and the short trip to the store while the reporter desperately tried to flag her cameraman over.
When Koharu realized they were taking pictures, she’d wiggled her way out of Aiba’s arms and ran across the room to include Ohno. Of course he’d been talking with someone else, but when the adorable princess showed up with a bright smile, they both stopped whatever they were doing and Ohno’s interviewer followed the pair over to Aiba as Koharu led the way. After an awkward moment of the girl standing between the two men, holding their hands and looking expectantly at the cameraman that had been snapping pictures of her and her father a few minutes ago, Aiba smiled at Ohno and the two of them gravitated together at the same time.
Their positions changed a fraction, the father switching his daughter’s hand to his other side so he could automatically place the closer one on Ohno’s lower back, and the artist did the same, wrapping his arm around Aiba comfortably. In retrospect, they had probably been a little too close, but it was natural and the cameraman only egged them on. After everything was said and done, that particular picture would end up as the opening page for several of the articles about the art show.
As expected, they had broken apart immediately after that, and Aiba had finished his interview quickly, trying to avoid the questions about his relationship with Ohno. Instead he focused on his daughter, which the interviewer seemed more than interested in, and then excused himself when Sho began to hover closer, Jun having already gone to recheck the photos.
While the exhibit was still fairly void of people, Aiba took Koharu around to look at the displays, Sho following behind him and making a few comments here and there. Once the suddenly important man noticed the cameraman snapping pictures again, he tried to act normal and ignore him, but he had to admit he felt very out of place right now.
Once Ogura had shown up, Jun offered to keep the girl occupied while Aiba socialized, a required part of his role in this event, and the father had thanked him sincerely before he was left alone with the older man. Johnny had come by after that and introduced him to several new faces, who had introduced him to several more, and finally Shimura Ken had forced his way in and pulled Aiba out, saving him from the sense of overwhelming panic that had risen in his chest.
They walked around the exhibit as a pair, the experience photographer pointing out a few things on the selected pictures that he liked, and then teased him about Koharu before heading to the refreshments table. There a few of Shimura’s fans found them and before he had taken off to flirt with one of the young girls, the star mumbled that the back corner behind the bar seemed to be unoccupied.
And so Aiba had made a beeline there instead of searching out any of his friends. He needed a moment to himself after feeling suffocated, and the only person he really wanted to see right now was Ohno… but the artist would no doubt be surrounded by people himself.
Somehow Aiba’s wishes had silently made their way across the room, though, and a few minutes later his boyfriend approached him with a gentle smile and the photographer took a sigh of relief.
“Yeah… no back room in this place, unfortunately,” the older man replied, placing his hand heavily on Aiba’s shoulder. He wanted to touch him more intimately than that, but if anyone saw them there might be a problem. Especially that cameraman.
Although the fact that he was dating a man might be a little too scandalous for his relatively new fame, Ohno was more worried about the fact that no one would take Aiba seriously if they found out that they were lovers. Although, of course, a lot of Ohno’s decision had been based on his affection for the younger man, there was no way he would have succeeded if Aiba wasn’t talented. Not only would he have to get through Jun first (which was a battle in itself) but then there were his patrons and fans and people that demanded the best from him every time and if the photographer hadn’t delivered on Ohno’s promise, the two of them wouldn’t be here tonight, together.
“Just… so many people… everyone keeps asking me questions about everything,” Aiba whined and the artist really wanted to lean forward and kiss that pout away. Instead his grip tightened.
“You’ll get used it,” Ohno replied vaguely and offered his boyfriend the biggest smile he could. Tonight they would go back to Aiba’s and celebrate and make it all worth it, but right now they both had to survive the event.
Aiba smiled in return and whispered as quietly as he could while still being heard by his partner, “I love you.”
Heart fluttering, Ohno almost gave in and kissed his breathtaking boyfriend, but luckily he hesitated just long enough and Jun called out to them. Of all the people in the room, the manager was probably the only one who was daring enough to break such a heavy atmosphere, especially considering his close relationship with the couple. But then again, Ohno thought that could certainly be why he had done so.
“Hey, there’s some guy named Kame that Sho says Aiba knows that’s here with his friend who happens to be a big fan of Ohno’s,” Jun said with a neutral expression despite the roundabout explanation, and both of the men stared at him for a second in an attempt to properly process what the younger attendee was saying.
“Kame?” Aiba asked with a frown. Ohno recognized the name, having met him once or twice, but he hadn’t known that he was acquainted with his boyfriend…although Touma had been a weird and surprising connection, so maybe he shouldn’t be surprised.
With raised eyebrows, the father exchanged a look with the artist, but the two of them seemed to agree on the topic and moved after Jun as he started back into the crowd of people.
“Kame works at Tentoumushi Studios, too,” the father explained, even though Ohno hadn’t asked (he didn’t really care, actually, but Aiba seemed to like talking when he was nervous). “He’s a film director. We don’t work together very often, but he likes events like this, so he probably couldn’t resist when he saw that I was involved…” Nodding, the exhibit host tried to avoid making eye contact with anyone and stayed closer to his photographer than was probably necessary as they made their way across the room.
Sho came into view first, Koharu in his arms, and the little girl began bouncing when she saw them coming towards the group, waving with the hand that wasn’t firmly grasping onto the designer’s suit jacket. Ohno waved back first and then Aiba did too, drawing the attention of the other two men that had been chatting with Sho.
“Yamashita, this is Ohno Satoshi,” the temporary baby-sitter said, indicating the said artist as well as he could. “And Aiba Masaki, Koharu’s father and the official photographer of this exhibit.”
“Aiba, nice to see you! I was so surprised when I saw your name in the list of upcoming shows!” Kame started with a grin, turning to greet his friend at the same time as the guest that had come with him did.
“I guess I should have anticipated-“ Aiba started with a chuckle, but froze when he saw the face belonging to the man named Yamashita.
Ohno glanced to the new guy even though he didn’t feel particularly interested (he met his own fans all the time, especially at places like this, and although he didn’t usual go out of his way to interact them, this was a friend of Aiba’s, or a friend of a friend at least, so he was planning on being pleasant about it). The problem became apparent immediately, though, and the artist stiffened too.
Both Kame and Jun began glancing back and forth between the three men, and finally the manager asked, “Have you guys met before?” successfully breaking the tense atmosphere.
“You’re… Ohno Satoshi?” the apparent fan asked with a sour expression, and the older man could only blink.
“Oh God,” Aiba finally sighed, dropping his head into his hands, unconsciously leaning against Ohno’s shoulder, as if that was a successful hiding place.
“What…?” Sho interjected in confusion, taking a step closer with Koharu, who had distracted herself playing with the man’s tie.
Following Aiba’s lead, Yamashita dropped his head down too and covered it with his hand. “My idol is a pervert…” he said under his breath, obviously disappointed in himself for his bad taste rather than Ohno’s apparently questionable activities.
Everyone looked a little surprised at those few words, and Kame asked quietly, “What?” again. His friend raised his head and looked into the director’s eyes with a disenchanted expression before opening his mouth to respond. But Aiba had suddenly come back to life and covered Yamashita’s lips with his palm in order to silence him, a nervous smile on his face.
“It’s nothing. Just a misunderstanding.”
The new man mumbled something against the hand, trying to pull himself away, but Aiba held him tightly and it was only in that second that Ohno realized that he should probably help. He had been called a pervert after all, so it was only right to aid his valiant boyfriend in defending his name at his own art exhibit.
Between the two of them they managed to get Yamashita away from the group, and Jun distracted Kame long enough for them to say what they needed to.
“You realize where you are right now, right?” Aiba whispered in the new man’s ear, and Ohno nodded avidly. “How about we just pretend that whole little meeting under the stairs didn’t happen?”
Yamashita looked at the photographer suspiciously, but when the hand was withdrawn from his mouth he didn’t say anything.
“I already told you. We were just caught up in the moment.”
Narrowing his eyes, the guest sighed and gave both of them a pointed look, as if agreeing even if he wasn’t happy about it.
“I still think you’re both perverts,” he added for good measure, then relaxed his expression a bit. “But you’re both fantastic at what you do, so I guess it can’t be helped.”
Aiba smiled, despite the initial insult, and so Ohno did too.
“Thank you,” the photographer said and Yamashita rolled his eyes at the pair.
They all turned back to the remaining group together, Kame watching them with surprise, and Aiba flashed his grin again, which seemed to make everything better.
“Anyway, it was great to meet you, Yamashita,” he let out louder than he probably needed to and patted the other man heavily on the back.
Kame told his coworker, “You’re acting weird,” and then grasped his date by the elbow and pulled him back to his side, although it wasn’t clear if that was to protect him or simply show where he belonged. “Anyway, this looks amazing. You’ve improved since the last time I saw your work,” he continued after a second, when it seemed appropriate to change the subject.
While Aiba looked embarrassed at the compliment, Ohno beamed.
“When I told Yamapi I got tickets he was really excited. He’s always admired Ohno’s work, but he’s never been able to get in to any of the events…at least until we started seeing each other, that is,” Kame bragged, grinning at Yamashita and suddenly pulling him close.
“Ahhh! I told you not to tell anyone!” the blushing art enthusiast cried, hitting his date lightly on the head.
“It’s okay, Pi. Aiba’s… you know-“ he started, glancing at the photographer as if asking for permission to explain farther.
“Yeah, I know,” Yamashita winced, and effectively ended the conversation. Kame turned to him and mumbled that they were going to have a talk later, but Ohno felt his boyfriend let out a sigh of relief at the situation getting taken care of by itself, and finally turned to Sho to collect his daughter from him.
“Papa, I held onto Sho-chan’s coat the whole time just like Jun-chan told me to,” she said proudly, prompting exchanging the grip onto Aiba’s.
“What a good girl,” the photographer cooed, and it was obvious to the artist leaning in close to him, patting Koharu’s head himself, that he had finally overcome his moment of panic.
+++
It was a week before the periodicals were published, and until they were, Aiba’s work remained the same as usual. But when one of his female coworkers came in with a magazine and began passing it around the office, there were suddenly people flooding his desk, asking about his daughter first, then about Ohno, and then more specific questions about Ken and the art show. Of course they had realized that Aiba had been working on a big project, but no one had suspected how massive it actually was.
Of everything that was brought in, there ended up being three articles about the show specifically and several other small ones talking about Aiba’s infiltration into the professional art world or Ohno’s sudden successful collaboration. The first big article was headed by the picture of Aiba with Ohno and his daughter, followed by a short criticism that only praised the event, and ended with highlighting a few of the more popular pieces. The second one was almost the same, except it included more pictures of the gathering, mentioning the important guests that had attended along with them. It was obvious to Aiba who had created the piece for the last magazine, as there was a full interview published about the photographer and his daughter, how he had started taking pictures, and where he worked now as well as a storyboard of Aiba showing his daughter around the exhibit. Tentoumushi Studio’s address was listed at the end and the main telephone number with it, much to the newly famous man’s displeasure, and it was no surprise that the phone was already ringing off the hook by the time lunch rolled around.
But his manager thanked him for the free press when Aiba had a second to spare, and said that he would take it upon himself to sort through who was actually looking to give them work and who just wanted to talk to the father. Aiba was thankful for that, but it was obvious when the clock read four o’clock, the time he usually left on days he had to pick Koharu up from school, that the photographer was nowhere near done. He wasn’t even to a point that he could just pause his work until tomorrow.
Aiba knew that Ohno was just as busy as him, though, probably even more so if he considered that being possible. The pair couldn’t manage to get together tonight, and tomorrow was also questionable, but the father knew he wouldn’t last until the weekend without seeing his boyfriend at the pace he was moving, so he took some comfort in his decision to leave early on Thursday.
Of course with the absence of his lover-turned-babysitter, that meant that Aiba had to call Nino, and after thirty minutes of talking to him on his cell while trying to look over the most recent job proposal that his boss had given him, they had finally worked out a compromise. The gamer would close his shop for a few hours so he could get Koharu from school and bring her back to Aiba’s, and assuming the father hadn’t made it home by then (which he was really doubting right now), he would leave the girl in the care of his landlady. It had been a while since Aiba had been forced to ask for her help, so he didn’t feel too terrible about it, and she was of course agreeable when he called her, promising to even feed the little girl dinner if it came down to that. Pretty sure that meant that she was cooking for the small family tonight no matter what the situation, the photographer relaxed in his wheeled office chair and thanked her more than necessary before hanging up and immediately going back to work.
And, as expected, he wasn’t able to leave until the sun had already set and there was only one other employee left in the office, and even then he had a pile of things to take care of in his bulging briefcase. At least he could do that after he had properly put Koharu to bed, though.
When the cold night air hit him, the streets lit up with buzzing florescent street lights, Aiba took a deep breath and smiled before heading down the sidewalk towards the station.
+++
Ohno was humming to himself despite not being able to talk with Aiba at all recently. Jun had bought a stack of magazines this afternoon, and over a cup of coffee the two of them had marked every page that Aiba or Ohno or Koharu had been mentioned in or appeared on. Although Jun always did something like this when an article was written about the artist, it was the first time Ohno himself had been particularly interested in that sort of project, and before he headed back to his studio, had picked up an extra copy of one of them so he could cut out the picture of the three of them together. Jun had promised a large copy of it for his home, but Ohno decided that, for his studio, a simply cutout was enough, posting the paper on the wall just behind his easel so he could look at it all the time.
And thus he had been in a fantastic mood for the rest of the night, spending a good five hours working on a new commission for Ogura, which had been inspired by one of the pieces at the show. Jun had brought over some take-out later, anticipating the fact that Ohno had forgotten to eat, and the artist had continued late into the night, riding off his high of energy and being more productive than he’d been in a while.
Although he was still awake, even after Jun had buzzed him a message telling him to go home and get some rest because it was two in the morning and Ogura didn’t need the commission that bad, Ohno was still a little surprised when his cell phone began ringing.
The tone was generic and when he checked the number it was unfamiliar, but he had a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach that he should answer it. Ohno usually went with these sorts of promptings, since they hadn’t gotten him into trouble yet, and in fact had done some very nice things like make him share that piece of cake with Koharu.
Gently setting down his art supplies, the man wiped his hands on his work apron once before picking up the mobile from the counter next to him.
“…Hello?” he asked slowly, not revealing himself, just in case it was a wrong number.
“Hello? Is this Ohno-san?”
It was a woman’s voice, one the artist didn’t recognize, but she seemed nice and maybe a little worried, and she had asked for him by name after all, so he decided to be polite.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Ohno-san, I’m very sorry to be calling you so late. This is Murota Sumiko. I own the apartment that Aiba-san lives in,” she replied as way of greeting.
“Ah…” the man replied awkwardly, not sure what the correct thing to say was. “What can I do for you?” he got straight to the point. He’d never properly met the woman before, although he had seen her around once or twice when he had come over for dinner, and his boyfriend had mentioned her on occasion…
“I’m very sorry,” she apologized again. “But you see, Aiba-san hasn’t come home yet.”
“Hmm?” Ohno perked up, pushing himself up off the chair, and automatically began putting his supplies away in preparation for his departure, even if he hadn’t actually reached the decision inside of his head yet.
“I’ve tried to call him several times. It was just getting so late…I’m a little worried. I wasn’t sure what to do, but Koharu gave me a piece of paper with your phone number, so I thought you might have some idea…” she offered, and Ohno realized that he hadn’t even questioned how she’d gotten his information before this second. The paper had come in handy after all, although it would have been better if the situation in which Koharu needed it never arose.
“Is Haru-chan with you?”
“Yes,” the woman responded hesitantly, sounding unsure of what Ohno was thinking, but a second later the small voice came on over the line.
“Oh-chan?” The artist’s heart clenched when he heard the wavering in Koharu’s greeting.
“Don’t worry, Haru-chan. I’ll come over right now, okay?”
“Oh-chan, I’m sorry.” The girl sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
“It’ll be okay, Koharu. Oh-chan’s coming over and we’ll wait for papa to come home together, okay?”
There was silence on the other end and he hoped it was because she was nodding and not because tears had begun to fall from her eyes.
“I’ll be there really soon, okay? Will you tell Murota-san?”
“Y-yes…”
By then Ohno was already out of his studio, darting down the stairs fast enough that he was probably in danger of falling, and he almost jumped out in the middle of the road to get a taxi.
After cutting the line, the first thing the artist did was to try to call Aiba. Of course it rang several times and then went to his voice mail, but Ohno left a message and then wrote him a message, saying that he was headed over to his house to watch Koharu for the rest of the night.
He really hoped it was because Aiba was being overworked and not because of something else.
When he burst in through the front door of the apartment complex, Koharu ran into his arms, still on the verge of tears but not actually crying, and Ohno hugged her tightly before thanking the landlady for her time tonight and apologizing for keeping her up late. Without thinking about it he took the girl upstairs, using the spare key he’d received from Aiba a long time ago, and immediately set out their futons. It was almost 3 a.m. now, far later than any child should be awake, and probably the reason Koharu was so upset over the absence of her father. (Although Ohno did suspect that this was the first time that this had happened, even considering the horror stories that he’d heard from Nino about the initial time the father and daughter had spent together.)
“Oh-chan, where’s papa?” she asked pathetically, after Ohno had helped her into her futon and was stroking her hair gently.
“Don’t worry, Haru. I’ll try to call him again, okay? I’m sure he’ll be home soon.”
As he said he would, the artist dialed the same number he had earlier, this time opting to hang up instead of leaving another message, and although the girl was still acting worried, within a few seconds her eyes had fluttered closed.
Making sure she was actually asleep first, Ohno then snuck into the living room and called Nino next.
As expected, the gamer let out a string of curses first at being called so early in the morning, but when the artist quickly said, “Aiba’s missing,” in a sober tone, Nino froze.
Their conversation didn’t achieve any results, Nino being in the same ignorant boat as Ohno other than the fact that he’d talked to Aiba that afternoon and had brought Koharu to the apartment building, but he said he would at least ask Touma and call him back if anything came up.
Next on the list was Jun, more because Ohno wasn’t sure what else to do rather than because he thought the other man knew something, and the artist didn’t know Sho’s number anyway.
But Sho was with Jun, luckily enough, and through a strange three way conversation mostly facilitated by the manager, it was made clear that Aiba had been bombarded at work that day and was anticipating staying late, but not unreasonably so, and when Sho called the office, no one answered.
Within the hour Ohno had exhausted his resources, and decided to call Aiba one more time.
It was no use.
With a sigh, he checked on Koharu and took up refuge in the photographer’s futon, although he didn’t fall asleep, not even when the first rays of morning light began making their way in through the window.
He tried to call Aiba again. Nothing.
He called Jun and Sho called the office, this time talking to an early receptionist and finding that Aiba had still been working when she had gone last night, but she didn’t know anything otherwise.
“She’s going to call us back when more people come in,” Jun explained and Ohno frowned, feeling like he was going to cry himself.
Something was wrong. Not only did the situation point that way, but his intuition was kicking in too and he didn’t like it at all.
Koharu was still asleep when the time that Aiba usually woke up came around, and Ohno decided that she wasn’t going to go to school today. Later her father could tell the elementary the reason why, but right now she was too fragile and the artist didn’t want to let her out of his sight anyway.
Finally pushing himself out of the futon and trudging into the kitchen, Ohno set his useless cell phone down on the counter and opened the fridge. He didn’t have any motivation to cook or even make coffee, but maybe there was some pudding or something. If he was exhausted and starved, he wouldn’t be useful to anyone.
Just as he was about to move an old box of Chinese food out of the way, Ohno felt himself shiver and straightened immediately, the hairs on the back of his neck standing. Unable to pin point exactly why, the artist glanced over at his cell and jumped when the thing suddenly lit up in a phone call.
It was the melody he’d picked out for Aiba.
Instead of diving for it like he probably should have, he eyed the thing suspiciously and then cautiously retrieved it, reading his boyfriend’s name on the caller id, as if to insure that he wasn’t imagining things.
When he pressed the answer button he didn’t say anything for a few seconds, but quickly realized that doing that wouldn’t get him anywhere, so he tentatively asked, “…Aiba?”
It was silent, and then a different voice replied, “Satoshi. It’s been a while.”
“Damnit,” Ohno let out before he could stop himself. He didn’t exactly recall the voice, but there was only one person it could possibly be: the stalker that had basically forced him to rearrange his entire life three years ago.
“Ah. It seems like you’ve already realized what I have.”
A series of pleas rolled through Ohno’s mind, and in the end he decided to ask, “What do you want?” calmly, rather than to beg for Aiba’s safety.
“Haha. Very forward, aren’t we? That’s what I like about you.”
The artist really wanted to tell this man to shut up, but thought better of it, exercising his patience with gritted teeth.
“I think you know what I want,” the kidnapper said after a sizeable pause. “The same thing I’ve wanted since the beginning.”
Ohno waited for more instructions, closing his eyes tightly and trying to hold his emotions inside. At least now there was something he could do to help the man he loved instead of just sitting around waiting.
“I’ll send a car to pick you up, but you’ll have to tell me where you are. And of course, it’d be a shame if you chose to involve anyone else in this little rendezvous.”
Without hesitation, the artist spat out the address to his studio, where he was planning on being in just a few minutes, and the numeric password to get in; it would be easy to find a new place to work, assuming they got out of this in one piece, and that way the stalker wouldn’t know about Aiba’s home or Ohno’s either.
“Fantastic. I’ll be seeing you soon,” he said in a pleased voice. “Oh, and Satoshi? Bring your art supplies, would you? I might want that painting when we’re done.”
Ohno hung up venomously and was just about to drop his head to the counter when he saw Koharu staring at him with wide eyes.
Forcing a smile, the man said, “Oh good morning,” as neutrally as possible. “Guess what, Haru-chan? I found out where papa is.” He tried to make it sound exciting rather than reveal the sinking feeling that was eating at his stomach.
“Really?” the girl perked up a little, but her expression dropped immediately as if she could tell exactly what was happening. “Where is he?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll go pick him up soon.”
He glanced around the room, trying to quell his sudden panic, and really wanted to call Jun and tell him about the new situation… but he knew he couldn’t. Something bad could happen to Aiba, and so Ohno would wait to take any action until he knew where the photographer was.
“Sorry, Haru-chan. We’re going to my studio right away, okay? You don’t have time to change out of your pajamas, but you can grab a stuffed animal if you’re fast.”
The girl didn’t argue and bounded across the room while Ohno grabbed his wallet from where he had placed it by the door, and the two of them left together, Koharu holding the blue dolphin that they had give to Aiba to commemorate their first date together.
+++
A/N: Notorious cliff hanger!! O: What's going to happen?! Sorry, you'll have to wait until next week to find out. ^.^
I saw Bartender on TV Friday night. :) Aiba-chan did a good job and I think he's got a good grip on his character. And, of course, so sexy~ Plus yesterday I saw Gantz, which was also amazing! A little too gory at the beginning for my tastes, but I'm totally in love with Matsuken right now... I'm writing a Matsuken/Nino story, and I'd totally be willing to do a trade with someone for some more. :) You write me Matsuken/Nino and I'll write you whatever you want! :D How does that sound?
But, unfortunately, I'm in a funk otherwise. :\ It's a good thing most of this story was already written, because it would be sadistic of me to leave you hanging here. I usually get motivated to write by yarukizero, but right now she's not writing much and not motivated either... so I'm not! D: What to do... We're both stuck... Still haven't posted drabbles either... ): ): ):
As always, I welcome reviews and criticism. ^.^
Chapter ten
Rating: PG13
Pairing: Aiba/Ohno, Jun/Sho, Touma/Nino
Genre: Romance, AU
Chapter: nine
Disclaimer: I guess Johnny’s technically owns Arashi, huh? Not me.
Summary: Aiba becomes interested in Ohno, a recently popular artist, but it’s difficult to get a boyfriend when you have a kid…Everyone seems to think you’re straight.
Chapter one
Chapter two
Chapter three
Chapter four
Chapter five
Chapter six
Chapter seven
Chapter eight
Working with Ohno was a lot different than Aiba thought it would be.
First of all, the photographer realized as he stared at his boyfriend from across a fountain at their first filming location, Ohno was much quieter around normal people than he with his close friends. He would professionally explain to the young assistant how he wanted his figure displayed, but didn’t bother with small talk about anything, and didn’t usually respond if someone else tried to initiate it either. But his change in demeanor was pretty obvious when Jun came over to discuss something with him, and it was only after he discovered his boyfriend’s “second personality” that Aiba realized how much Ohno must like him. From the first time they had met, the photographer considered his boyfriend warm and cute and maybe a little shy, but he had never seen this almost standoff-ish attitude ever before.
At the second location, the extent of Ohno’s fame became so obvious it was almost painful.
It started with one person asking what they were doing and the gopher assistant giving an honest answer, and slowly morphed into a crowd that had to be held at bay by Jun and Sho. (When the designer had heard of the new project, he had convinced Aiba to request his presence to help with handling equipment, and even though the photographer figured Sho could probably be doing something more useful with his time than watching them, he had gone through with it immediately.)
Once they were finished, being there for only about an hour, Jun gave the assistant a firm talking to and Ohno wore sunglasses for the rest of the afternoon.
The last big epiphany that Aiba had during his bliss-filled weeks of being around Ohno every hour of the day was that the artist knew some very important people.
The first was Shimura Ken, who ranked just below God in Aiba’s book. Although the man had turned into an entertainer more than a photographer thanks to his quick wit and quirky personality, he was the most talented man that Aiba had ever discovered in the photography industry.
So when he found out that Shimura was the professional that Ohno had used on his last project, being introduced to him early the first morning before they had gotten started, Aiba became anxious enough that he froze, his hand still in the experienced man’s grasp and a look of terror no doubt on his face. It took Ohno chuckling and gently patting his back before Aiba realized what was happening and released his idol’s grip, deathly embarrassed, but the wrinkled photographer just gave him a grin and patted his shoulder, obvious pleased with the fact that he had been recognized.
Although Aiba’s hands had been shaking for the better part of two hours, his photos turning out worse than usual, by lunchtime he got used to working with the older man, and before they ended the session, he had even gotten bold enough to exchange jokes with Shimura. Of course he was very insightful and pointed out many things that Aiba missed, and although he was kind, he was also very blatant with his criticism, which the younger photographer was thankful for.
They got into a rhythm quickly and it seemed like in no time at all they had finished their scheduled shoots and Aiba was back at his office desk, touching up the pictures on his computer. He had ended up with more of Ohno than he had remembered taking, but he happily filed each of them away in a separate folder and assembled the rest of them so they were presentable. Although Ohno had the final choice in which ones he liked, Jun would also be there at the decisive meeting, as well as several representatives of sponsors of the event and Aiba’s manager, too. It was a first for the father, having this much pressure, but it was more exhilarating than stressful and Koharu was always excited to hear about his adventures with Ohno when he got home.
At the meeting to discuss the setup of the show and what pieces were to be used there were two other important men, both financers of the show and apparently acquaintances of Ohno’s. Johnny had been introduced to Aiba already and the two shared a curt nod when their eyes met across the table. The other man was named Ogura, and although Aiba had never met him, he had certainly heard of him and his deep interest in anything art related. Although the photographer had been basically thrown into this world by his boyfriend, he was encouraged when his works were lightly praised and immediately incorporated into the setup of the displays.
After Aiba started going back to his regular office work of magazine inserts and advertisements, his time with Ohno reduced to one day per week, it seemed like he suddenly had a completely new view of the industry he had been living in. Of course the tips that Shimura had shared improved the quality, but Aiba had tasted a new way of working and he really liked it. He was suddenly unsatisfied with the mundane photo sessions that he was stuck with right now and had a newfound motivation to continue to improve so that he could get out and do what he actually wanted to. It was refreshing to both his professional and personal life.
And despite feeling much more confident about the project now that it was nearing its completion, Aiba still had mixed feelings when he saw that the invitations included his name next to his boyfriend’s. Ohno Satoshi in collaboration with Aiba Masaki.
He loved it, those words together, but at the same time he didn’t think he was on the same level as the artist in this area and felt like Ohno was being far too kind to him, giving him more credit than he really deserved. Aiba was still a nobody, making his living taking generic pictures of generic things, and even though he wanted more, he wasn’t sure that kind of talent was within him.
But there was nothing Aiba could do about it now. The only thing he had a say in was what directly affected how his photos were used, and as far as that was concerned, he’d let Ohno do what he wanted to.
Although he still wasn’t sure about the whole thing, with the support he had right now, Aiba at least knew it wouldn’t be a failure.
+++
“I don’t know how you do this,” Aiba whispered in a shaky voice, standing in the corner of the reception hall and making an attempt to hide without actually leaving the room (because if he did he would be singled out immediately). Luckily enough, Ohno had found him and gotten his attention, calming him a little and keeping anyone else from trying to interrupt their private moment.
Because of the nature of the show, Aiba’s name being on all of the photos and promoted just as much as Ohno’s was, the weeks leading up to the art show had been unbelievably busy for the photographer. Interviewers had come from all over to find out more about this little known man that had allied himself with the famous Ohno Satoshi, bringing up his older works and apparently non-existent relationship with the artist he was helping.
After the first one, Jun and Aiba’s own manager had stepped in and made a few statements for Aiba, but that didn’t stop him from being approached as he walked home or called at work endlessly until he unplugged his phone. He still had an office job after all, which he couldn’t avoid if he wanted to feed his daughter, and so he couldn’t simply hide in his apartment anonymously like Ohno did, even if he wanted to.
But luckily, he had managed to keep his cell number and apartment a secret and spare Koharu any trouble in the matter. So when the day of the show finally came around, the father took a sigh of relief and actually began anticipating the event.
Since he was the photographer and everything, Aiba of course had to show up early in the morning to check the display, not having any time the day before, and thus he had left Koharu in Jun’s care, knowing that she would be close by, arrive on time, and be properly dressed as well. Sho, of course, would be there with them, but Aiba felt slightly better knowing that he had left Jun responsible instead of the designer, who seemed to have a mild case of air-headedness despite how good his intentions were. Nino and Touma had been invited too, of course, but Aiba couldn’t be sure what time they would show up or how long they would stick around, and just like always, the gamer had shirked the responsibility as soon as he found out there was someone else to help.
That morning, Ohno had arrived about an hour after Aiba and everything was ready to go on schedule. By the time Jun had shown up with Sho and Koharu, all three of them looking impeccable, a man had already taken his station at the door to check tickets and several journalists had been allowed inside to begin their reports on the show. Koharu had run over to him as Aiba had been shyly answering a middle aged woman’s questions, and without a second thought he introduced his daughter to her, collecting the girl into his arms. She hugged her father tightly, relaying what she’d eaten for lunch at Jun’s and the short trip to the store while the reporter desperately tried to flag her cameraman over.
When Koharu realized they were taking pictures, she’d wiggled her way out of Aiba’s arms and ran across the room to include Ohno. Of course he’d been talking with someone else, but when the adorable princess showed up with a bright smile, they both stopped whatever they were doing and Ohno’s interviewer followed the pair over to Aiba as Koharu led the way. After an awkward moment of the girl standing between the two men, holding their hands and looking expectantly at the cameraman that had been snapping pictures of her and her father a few minutes ago, Aiba smiled at Ohno and the two of them gravitated together at the same time.
Their positions changed a fraction, the father switching his daughter’s hand to his other side so he could automatically place the closer one on Ohno’s lower back, and the artist did the same, wrapping his arm around Aiba comfortably. In retrospect, they had probably been a little too close, but it was natural and the cameraman only egged them on. After everything was said and done, that particular picture would end up as the opening page for several of the articles about the art show.
As expected, they had broken apart immediately after that, and Aiba had finished his interview quickly, trying to avoid the questions about his relationship with Ohno. Instead he focused on his daughter, which the interviewer seemed more than interested in, and then excused himself when Sho began to hover closer, Jun having already gone to recheck the photos.
While the exhibit was still fairly void of people, Aiba took Koharu around to look at the displays, Sho following behind him and making a few comments here and there. Once the suddenly important man noticed the cameraman snapping pictures again, he tried to act normal and ignore him, but he had to admit he felt very out of place right now.
Once Ogura had shown up, Jun offered to keep the girl occupied while Aiba socialized, a required part of his role in this event, and the father had thanked him sincerely before he was left alone with the older man. Johnny had come by after that and introduced him to several new faces, who had introduced him to several more, and finally Shimura Ken had forced his way in and pulled Aiba out, saving him from the sense of overwhelming panic that had risen in his chest.
They walked around the exhibit as a pair, the experience photographer pointing out a few things on the selected pictures that he liked, and then teased him about Koharu before heading to the refreshments table. There a few of Shimura’s fans found them and before he had taken off to flirt with one of the young girls, the star mumbled that the back corner behind the bar seemed to be unoccupied.
And so Aiba had made a beeline there instead of searching out any of his friends. He needed a moment to himself after feeling suffocated, and the only person he really wanted to see right now was Ohno… but the artist would no doubt be surrounded by people himself.
Somehow Aiba’s wishes had silently made their way across the room, though, and a few minutes later his boyfriend approached him with a gentle smile and the photographer took a sigh of relief.
“Yeah… no back room in this place, unfortunately,” the older man replied, placing his hand heavily on Aiba’s shoulder. He wanted to touch him more intimately than that, but if anyone saw them there might be a problem. Especially that cameraman.
Although the fact that he was dating a man might be a little too scandalous for his relatively new fame, Ohno was more worried about the fact that no one would take Aiba seriously if they found out that they were lovers. Although, of course, a lot of Ohno’s decision had been based on his affection for the younger man, there was no way he would have succeeded if Aiba wasn’t talented. Not only would he have to get through Jun first (which was a battle in itself) but then there were his patrons and fans and people that demanded the best from him every time and if the photographer hadn’t delivered on Ohno’s promise, the two of them wouldn’t be here tonight, together.
“Just… so many people… everyone keeps asking me questions about everything,” Aiba whined and the artist really wanted to lean forward and kiss that pout away. Instead his grip tightened.
“You’ll get used it,” Ohno replied vaguely and offered his boyfriend the biggest smile he could. Tonight they would go back to Aiba’s and celebrate and make it all worth it, but right now they both had to survive the event.
Aiba smiled in return and whispered as quietly as he could while still being heard by his partner, “I love you.”
Heart fluttering, Ohno almost gave in and kissed his breathtaking boyfriend, but luckily he hesitated just long enough and Jun called out to them. Of all the people in the room, the manager was probably the only one who was daring enough to break such a heavy atmosphere, especially considering his close relationship with the couple. But then again, Ohno thought that could certainly be why he had done so.
“Hey, there’s some guy named Kame that Sho says Aiba knows that’s here with his friend who happens to be a big fan of Ohno’s,” Jun said with a neutral expression despite the roundabout explanation, and both of the men stared at him for a second in an attempt to properly process what the younger attendee was saying.
“Kame?” Aiba asked with a frown. Ohno recognized the name, having met him once or twice, but he hadn’t known that he was acquainted with his boyfriend…although Touma had been a weird and surprising connection, so maybe he shouldn’t be surprised.
With raised eyebrows, the father exchanged a look with the artist, but the two of them seemed to agree on the topic and moved after Jun as he started back into the crowd of people.
“Kame works at Tentoumushi Studios, too,” the father explained, even though Ohno hadn’t asked (he didn’t really care, actually, but Aiba seemed to like talking when he was nervous). “He’s a film director. We don’t work together very often, but he likes events like this, so he probably couldn’t resist when he saw that I was involved…” Nodding, the exhibit host tried to avoid making eye contact with anyone and stayed closer to his photographer than was probably necessary as they made their way across the room.
Sho came into view first, Koharu in his arms, and the little girl began bouncing when she saw them coming towards the group, waving with the hand that wasn’t firmly grasping onto the designer’s suit jacket. Ohno waved back first and then Aiba did too, drawing the attention of the other two men that had been chatting with Sho.
“Yamashita, this is Ohno Satoshi,” the temporary baby-sitter said, indicating the said artist as well as he could. “And Aiba Masaki, Koharu’s father and the official photographer of this exhibit.”
“Aiba, nice to see you! I was so surprised when I saw your name in the list of upcoming shows!” Kame started with a grin, turning to greet his friend at the same time as the guest that had come with him did.
“I guess I should have anticipated-“ Aiba started with a chuckle, but froze when he saw the face belonging to the man named Yamashita.
Ohno glanced to the new guy even though he didn’t feel particularly interested (he met his own fans all the time, especially at places like this, and although he didn’t usual go out of his way to interact them, this was a friend of Aiba’s, or a friend of a friend at least, so he was planning on being pleasant about it). The problem became apparent immediately, though, and the artist stiffened too.
Both Kame and Jun began glancing back and forth between the three men, and finally the manager asked, “Have you guys met before?” successfully breaking the tense atmosphere.
“You’re… Ohno Satoshi?” the apparent fan asked with a sour expression, and the older man could only blink.
“Oh God,” Aiba finally sighed, dropping his head into his hands, unconsciously leaning against Ohno’s shoulder, as if that was a successful hiding place.
“What…?” Sho interjected in confusion, taking a step closer with Koharu, who had distracted herself playing with the man’s tie.
Following Aiba’s lead, Yamashita dropped his head down too and covered it with his hand. “My idol is a pervert…” he said under his breath, obviously disappointed in himself for his bad taste rather than Ohno’s apparently questionable activities.
Everyone looked a little surprised at those few words, and Kame asked quietly, “What?” again. His friend raised his head and looked into the director’s eyes with a disenchanted expression before opening his mouth to respond. But Aiba had suddenly come back to life and covered Yamashita’s lips with his palm in order to silence him, a nervous smile on his face.
“It’s nothing. Just a misunderstanding.”
The new man mumbled something against the hand, trying to pull himself away, but Aiba held him tightly and it was only in that second that Ohno realized that he should probably help. He had been called a pervert after all, so it was only right to aid his valiant boyfriend in defending his name at his own art exhibit.
Between the two of them they managed to get Yamashita away from the group, and Jun distracted Kame long enough for them to say what they needed to.
“You realize where you are right now, right?” Aiba whispered in the new man’s ear, and Ohno nodded avidly. “How about we just pretend that whole little meeting under the stairs didn’t happen?”
Yamashita looked at the photographer suspiciously, but when the hand was withdrawn from his mouth he didn’t say anything.
“I already told you. We were just caught up in the moment.”
Narrowing his eyes, the guest sighed and gave both of them a pointed look, as if agreeing even if he wasn’t happy about it.
“I still think you’re both perverts,” he added for good measure, then relaxed his expression a bit. “But you’re both fantastic at what you do, so I guess it can’t be helped.”
Aiba smiled, despite the initial insult, and so Ohno did too.
“Thank you,” the photographer said and Yamashita rolled his eyes at the pair.
They all turned back to the remaining group together, Kame watching them with surprise, and Aiba flashed his grin again, which seemed to make everything better.
“Anyway, it was great to meet you, Yamashita,” he let out louder than he probably needed to and patted the other man heavily on the back.
Kame told his coworker, “You’re acting weird,” and then grasped his date by the elbow and pulled him back to his side, although it wasn’t clear if that was to protect him or simply show where he belonged. “Anyway, this looks amazing. You’ve improved since the last time I saw your work,” he continued after a second, when it seemed appropriate to change the subject.
While Aiba looked embarrassed at the compliment, Ohno beamed.
“When I told Yamapi I got tickets he was really excited. He’s always admired Ohno’s work, but he’s never been able to get in to any of the events…at least until we started seeing each other, that is,” Kame bragged, grinning at Yamashita and suddenly pulling him close.
“Ahhh! I told you not to tell anyone!” the blushing art enthusiast cried, hitting his date lightly on the head.
“It’s okay, Pi. Aiba’s… you know-“ he started, glancing at the photographer as if asking for permission to explain farther.
“Yeah, I know,” Yamashita winced, and effectively ended the conversation. Kame turned to him and mumbled that they were going to have a talk later, but Ohno felt his boyfriend let out a sigh of relief at the situation getting taken care of by itself, and finally turned to Sho to collect his daughter from him.
“Papa, I held onto Sho-chan’s coat the whole time just like Jun-chan told me to,” she said proudly, prompting exchanging the grip onto Aiba’s.
“What a good girl,” the photographer cooed, and it was obvious to the artist leaning in close to him, patting Koharu’s head himself, that he had finally overcome his moment of panic.
+++
It was a week before the periodicals were published, and until they were, Aiba’s work remained the same as usual. But when one of his female coworkers came in with a magazine and began passing it around the office, there were suddenly people flooding his desk, asking about his daughter first, then about Ohno, and then more specific questions about Ken and the art show. Of course they had realized that Aiba had been working on a big project, but no one had suspected how massive it actually was.
Of everything that was brought in, there ended up being three articles about the show specifically and several other small ones talking about Aiba’s infiltration into the professional art world or Ohno’s sudden successful collaboration. The first big article was headed by the picture of Aiba with Ohno and his daughter, followed by a short criticism that only praised the event, and ended with highlighting a few of the more popular pieces. The second one was almost the same, except it included more pictures of the gathering, mentioning the important guests that had attended along with them. It was obvious to Aiba who had created the piece for the last magazine, as there was a full interview published about the photographer and his daughter, how he had started taking pictures, and where he worked now as well as a storyboard of Aiba showing his daughter around the exhibit. Tentoumushi Studio’s address was listed at the end and the main telephone number with it, much to the newly famous man’s displeasure, and it was no surprise that the phone was already ringing off the hook by the time lunch rolled around.
But his manager thanked him for the free press when Aiba had a second to spare, and said that he would take it upon himself to sort through who was actually looking to give them work and who just wanted to talk to the father. Aiba was thankful for that, but it was obvious when the clock read four o’clock, the time he usually left on days he had to pick Koharu up from school, that the photographer was nowhere near done. He wasn’t even to a point that he could just pause his work until tomorrow.
Aiba knew that Ohno was just as busy as him, though, probably even more so if he considered that being possible. The pair couldn’t manage to get together tonight, and tomorrow was also questionable, but the father knew he wouldn’t last until the weekend without seeing his boyfriend at the pace he was moving, so he took some comfort in his decision to leave early on Thursday.
Of course with the absence of his lover-turned-babysitter, that meant that Aiba had to call Nino, and after thirty minutes of talking to him on his cell while trying to look over the most recent job proposal that his boss had given him, they had finally worked out a compromise. The gamer would close his shop for a few hours so he could get Koharu from school and bring her back to Aiba’s, and assuming the father hadn’t made it home by then (which he was really doubting right now), he would leave the girl in the care of his landlady. It had been a while since Aiba had been forced to ask for her help, so he didn’t feel too terrible about it, and she was of course agreeable when he called her, promising to even feed the little girl dinner if it came down to that. Pretty sure that meant that she was cooking for the small family tonight no matter what the situation, the photographer relaxed in his wheeled office chair and thanked her more than necessary before hanging up and immediately going back to work.
And, as expected, he wasn’t able to leave until the sun had already set and there was only one other employee left in the office, and even then he had a pile of things to take care of in his bulging briefcase. At least he could do that after he had properly put Koharu to bed, though.
When the cold night air hit him, the streets lit up with buzzing florescent street lights, Aiba took a deep breath and smiled before heading down the sidewalk towards the station.
+++
Ohno was humming to himself despite not being able to talk with Aiba at all recently. Jun had bought a stack of magazines this afternoon, and over a cup of coffee the two of them had marked every page that Aiba or Ohno or Koharu had been mentioned in or appeared on. Although Jun always did something like this when an article was written about the artist, it was the first time Ohno himself had been particularly interested in that sort of project, and before he headed back to his studio, had picked up an extra copy of one of them so he could cut out the picture of the three of them together. Jun had promised a large copy of it for his home, but Ohno decided that, for his studio, a simply cutout was enough, posting the paper on the wall just behind his easel so he could look at it all the time.
And thus he had been in a fantastic mood for the rest of the night, spending a good five hours working on a new commission for Ogura, which had been inspired by one of the pieces at the show. Jun had brought over some take-out later, anticipating the fact that Ohno had forgotten to eat, and the artist had continued late into the night, riding off his high of energy and being more productive than he’d been in a while.
Although he was still awake, even after Jun had buzzed him a message telling him to go home and get some rest because it was two in the morning and Ogura didn’t need the commission that bad, Ohno was still a little surprised when his cell phone began ringing.
The tone was generic and when he checked the number it was unfamiliar, but he had a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach that he should answer it. Ohno usually went with these sorts of promptings, since they hadn’t gotten him into trouble yet, and in fact had done some very nice things like make him share that piece of cake with Koharu.
Gently setting down his art supplies, the man wiped his hands on his work apron once before picking up the mobile from the counter next to him.
“…Hello?” he asked slowly, not revealing himself, just in case it was a wrong number.
“Hello? Is this Ohno-san?”
It was a woman’s voice, one the artist didn’t recognize, but she seemed nice and maybe a little worried, and she had asked for him by name after all, so he decided to be polite.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Ohno-san, I’m very sorry to be calling you so late. This is Murota Sumiko. I own the apartment that Aiba-san lives in,” she replied as way of greeting.
“Ah…” the man replied awkwardly, not sure what the correct thing to say was. “What can I do for you?” he got straight to the point. He’d never properly met the woman before, although he had seen her around once or twice when he had come over for dinner, and his boyfriend had mentioned her on occasion…
“I’m very sorry,” she apologized again. “But you see, Aiba-san hasn’t come home yet.”
“Hmm?” Ohno perked up, pushing himself up off the chair, and automatically began putting his supplies away in preparation for his departure, even if he hadn’t actually reached the decision inside of his head yet.
“I’ve tried to call him several times. It was just getting so late…I’m a little worried. I wasn’t sure what to do, but Koharu gave me a piece of paper with your phone number, so I thought you might have some idea…” she offered, and Ohno realized that he hadn’t even questioned how she’d gotten his information before this second. The paper had come in handy after all, although it would have been better if the situation in which Koharu needed it never arose.
“Is Haru-chan with you?”
“Yes,” the woman responded hesitantly, sounding unsure of what Ohno was thinking, but a second later the small voice came on over the line.
“Oh-chan?” The artist’s heart clenched when he heard the wavering in Koharu’s greeting.
“Don’t worry, Haru-chan. I’ll come over right now, okay?”
“Oh-chan, I’m sorry.” The girl sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
“It’ll be okay, Koharu. Oh-chan’s coming over and we’ll wait for papa to come home together, okay?”
There was silence on the other end and he hoped it was because she was nodding and not because tears had begun to fall from her eyes.
“I’ll be there really soon, okay? Will you tell Murota-san?”
“Y-yes…”
By then Ohno was already out of his studio, darting down the stairs fast enough that he was probably in danger of falling, and he almost jumped out in the middle of the road to get a taxi.
After cutting the line, the first thing the artist did was to try to call Aiba. Of course it rang several times and then went to his voice mail, but Ohno left a message and then wrote him a message, saying that he was headed over to his house to watch Koharu for the rest of the night.
He really hoped it was because Aiba was being overworked and not because of something else.
When he burst in through the front door of the apartment complex, Koharu ran into his arms, still on the verge of tears but not actually crying, and Ohno hugged her tightly before thanking the landlady for her time tonight and apologizing for keeping her up late. Without thinking about it he took the girl upstairs, using the spare key he’d received from Aiba a long time ago, and immediately set out their futons. It was almost 3 a.m. now, far later than any child should be awake, and probably the reason Koharu was so upset over the absence of her father. (Although Ohno did suspect that this was the first time that this had happened, even considering the horror stories that he’d heard from Nino about the initial time the father and daughter had spent together.)
“Oh-chan, where’s papa?” she asked pathetically, after Ohno had helped her into her futon and was stroking her hair gently.
“Don’t worry, Haru. I’ll try to call him again, okay? I’m sure he’ll be home soon.”
As he said he would, the artist dialed the same number he had earlier, this time opting to hang up instead of leaving another message, and although the girl was still acting worried, within a few seconds her eyes had fluttered closed.
Making sure she was actually asleep first, Ohno then snuck into the living room and called Nino next.
As expected, the gamer let out a string of curses first at being called so early in the morning, but when the artist quickly said, “Aiba’s missing,” in a sober tone, Nino froze.
Their conversation didn’t achieve any results, Nino being in the same ignorant boat as Ohno other than the fact that he’d talked to Aiba that afternoon and had brought Koharu to the apartment building, but he said he would at least ask Touma and call him back if anything came up.
Next on the list was Jun, more because Ohno wasn’t sure what else to do rather than because he thought the other man knew something, and the artist didn’t know Sho’s number anyway.
But Sho was with Jun, luckily enough, and through a strange three way conversation mostly facilitated by the manager, it was made clear that Aiba had been bombarded at work that day and was anticipating staying late, but not unreasonably so, and when Sho called the office, no one answered.
Within the hour Ohno had exhausted his resources, and decided to call Aiba one more time.
It was no use.
With a sigh, he checked on Koharu and took up refuge in the photographer’s futon, although he didn’t fall asleep, not even when the first rays of morning light began making their way in through the window.
He tried to call Aiba again. Nothing.
He called Jun and Sho called the office, this time talking to an early receptionist and finding that Aiba had still been working when she had gone last night, but she didn’t know anything otherwise.
“She’s going to call us back when more people come in,” Jun explained and Ohno frowned, feeling like he was going to cry himself.
Something was wrong. Not only did the situation point that way, but his intuition was kicking in too and he didn’t like it at all.
Koharu was still asleep when the time that Aiba usually woke up came around, and Ohno decided that she wasn’t going to go to school today. Later her father could tell the elementary the reason why, but right now she was too fragile and the artist didn’t want to let her out of his sight anyway.
Finally pushing himself out of the futon and trudging into the kitchen, Ohno set his useless cell phone down on the counter and opened the fridge. He didn’t have any motivation to cook or even make coffee, but maybe there was some pudding or something. If he was exhausted and starved, he wouldn’t be useful to anyone.
Just as he was about to move an old box of Chinese food out of the way, Ohno felt himself shiver and straightened immediately, the hairs on the back of his neck standing. Unable to pin point exactly why, the artist glanced over at his cell and jumped when the thing suddenly lit up in a phone call.
It was the melody he’d picked out for Aiba.
Instead of diving for it like he probably should have, he eyed the thing suspiciously and then cautiously retrieved it, reading his boyfriend’s name on the caller id, as if to insure that he wasn’t imagining things.
When he pressed the answer button he didn’t say anything for a few seconds, but quickly realized that doing that wouldn’t get him anywhere, so he tentatively asked, “…Aiba?”
It was silent, and then a different voice replied, “Satoshi. It’s been a while.”
“Damnit,” Ohno let out before he could stop himself. He didn’t exactly recall the voice, but there was only one person it could possibly be: the stalker that had basically forced him to rearrange his entire life three years ago.
“Ah. It seems like you’ve already realized what I have.”
A series of pleas rolled through Ohno’s mind, and in the end he decided to ask, “What do you want?” calmly, rather than to beg for Aiba’s safety.
“Haha. Very forward, aren’t we? That’s what I like about you.”
The artist really wanted to tell this man to shut up, but thought better of it, exercising his patience with gritted teeth.
“I think you know what I want,” the kidnapper said after a sizeable pause. “The same thing I’ve wanted since the beginning.”
Ohno waited for more instructions, closing his eyes tightly and trying to hold his emotions inside. At least now there was something he could do to help the man he loved instead of just sitting around waiting.
“I’ll send a car to pick you up, but you’ll have to tell me where you are. And of course, it’d be a shame if you chose to involve anyone else in this little rendezvous.”
Without hesitation, the artist spat out the address to his studio, where he was planning on being in just a few minutes, and the numeric password to get in; it would be easy to find a new place to work, assuming they got out of this in one piece, and that way the stalker wouldn’t know about Aiba’s home or Ohno’s either.
“Fantastic. I’ll be seeing you soon,” he said in a pleased voice. “Oh, and Satoshi? Bring your art supplies, would you? I might want that painting when we’re done.”
Ohno hung up venomously and was just about to drop his head to the counter when he saw Koharu staring at him with wide eyes.
Forcing a smile, the man said, “Oh good morning,” as neutrally as possible. “Guess what, Haru-chan? I found out where papa is.” He tried to make it sound exciting rather than reveal the sinking feeling that was eating at his stomach.
“Really?” the girl perked up a little, but her expression dropped immediately as if she could tell exactly what was happening. “Where is he?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll go pick him up soon.”
He glanced around the room, trying to quell his sudden panic, and really wanted to call Jun and tell him about the new situation… but he knew he couldn’t. Something bad could happen to Aiba, and so Ohno would wait to take any action until he knew where the photographer was.
“Sorry, Haru-chan. We’re going to my studio right away, okay? You don’t have time to change out of your pajamas, but you can grab a stuffed animal if you’re fast.”
The girl didn’t argue and bounded across the room while Ohno grabbed his wallet from where he had placed it by the door, and the two of them left together, Koharu holding the blue dolphin that they had give to Aiba to commemorate their first date together.
+++
A/N: Notorious cliff hanger!! O: What's going to happen?! Sorry, you'll have to wait until next week to find out. ^.^
I saw Bartender on TV Friday night. :) Aiba-chan did a good job and I think he's got a good grip on his character. And, of course, so sexy~ Plus yesterday I saw Gantz, which was also amazing! A little too gory at the beginning for my tastes, but I'm totally in love with Matsuken right now... I'm writing a Matsuken/Nino story, and I'd totally be willing to do a trade with someone for some more. :) You write me Matsuken/Nino and I'll write you whatever you want! :D How does that sound?
But, unfortunately, I'm in a funk otherwise. :\ It's a good thing most of this story was already written, because it would be sadistic of me to leave you hanging here. I usually get motivated to write by yarukizero, but right now she's not writing much and not motivated either... so I'm not! D: What to do... We're both stuck... Still haven't posted drabbles either... ): ): ):
As always, I welcome reviews and criticism. ^.^
Chapter ten