Play By Heart
Title: Play By Heart
By: arashiforyou
Genre: Romance/ Drama/ Angst/ AU/ Music
Rating: R
Pairings: Sakumiya (main)/ Jun x Kiko Mizuhara/ Aiba x Yuka/ Ohno x Minami Hinase (broken)
Summary: Nino is an autistic savant and a brilliant violinist. The only hard part for him and his sister, who takes care of him, is finding a consistent and patient piano accompanist for Nino's solo performances. One day, Nino's sister finds Sakurai Sho, a man with a mysterious past but gifted in music. Together, the two musicians must learn to communicate with other, live with each other, and possible love each other.
Warnings: It's rated R for: sensual scenes (softporn), parenting struggles, sexual assault, divorce, character deaths, and mental disorders/illnesses.
Author Notes: a sooner update than before! so you know how i said last chapter is finally entering pg13. well, i guess you can say the rated R mark is going to kick it here. so please take note of the warnings. very important!
Music reference: Devil's Trill Sonata
Chapter 6 - Verismo
Ohno sighed for the tenth time as he stirred his morning miso soup. Kenta played quietly in the living room with his new paints after-messily-finishing his breakfast. Ohno made sure he bought the non-toxic brand in case Kenta eats it, but the boy behaved himself. Kenta was more interested in getting the colors on the page than on his face. Ohno enjoyed watching his son become glued to the canvas until it was completely covered with colors. Ohno himself would prop up his larger canvas and paint alongside with his son. They finally have something in common, but that's not what's bothering him.
Ohno inhaled deeply and sighed for the eleventh time. Then, the phone rang.
"Ring ring!" Kenta echoed the noise.
Ohno set his spoon down and answered the call. "Hello?"
"It's me again," Minami said. "Don't hang up on me this time!"
Ohno glanced back at his son who was still oblivious to his surroundings except for his painting. Ohno leaned against the wall and tugged his other arm close to his body. "I can hang up any time I want to. And I don't care how many times we've had this conversation, I'm not giving Kenta back."
"You didn't even bother to listen to me the first time I called you."
"I've been trying to reach you ever since you first brought him to me!" Ohno whispered angrily so he wouldn't scare Kenta. "Where were you then, huh?" Ohno's frown deepened. "It's already been half a year since then, and now you decided to call?"
"I have a right to see my son!" Minami argued back.
"I will not let you," Ohno said, his voice raising a bit. "You abandoned him inside a shopping bag and only one toy for him. What kind of mother would do that to him?!"
"You will give me back my son or I will call my lawyer!"
Ohno clicked his tongue. "You can't afford one."
"My new husband can," Minami said rather proudly. "He has helped me through so much, and when I told him I have a son, he was more than willing to care for the child despite his disability."
"You don't want anything to do with Kenta!" Ohno fumed. "Why now do you suddenly care about him?"
"You think I don't care about him?!" Minami screamed into the phone. "I love him! He is my son, you asshole! I had lost my job last year, and I was struggling just to get food on the table. My parents never helped me because they thought it's my-y fault that I got pregnant with Kenta! We never filed for child support, and no was there to help me-e! I had no other choice but to leave him with you!"
Ohno's throat felt tight as he heard Minami's cracked voice turn into sobs through the other end. "You...you could have told me. You could have called me that Kenta needed help."
Minami took a moment to calm her voice down. "I didn't think of asking for your help until the last moment. Even if I did called, you wouldn't help me either-Don't! Don't start that with me! I know you. You were always so focused on yourself even when we were married. You were never home. It was always about finding your muse. How many artist trips did you went this time? I hope you didn't left Kenta on his own-"
"I'm not like that anymore," Ohno growled. "I would never leave Kenta alone. Just so you know, I have a decent job that is getting us by. I've settled down."
"So no more of your stupid 'finding yourself' getaways?" Minami mocked.
"Kenta has become a part of my life now," Ohno said. "And nothing you do can stop it. I'm hanging up now-"
"I lied to you."
Ohno's heart paused for a painful millisecond, and he brought the phone back to his ear. "What?"
"I lied...on the note," Minami said monotonously. "You're not Kenta's father. I only wrote it so that you would take better care of Kenta as if he was your son."
"Quit trying to fool me. It's not going to-"
"He doesn't look a thing like you!" Minami emphasized. "You have no right to care for him since he is not your son!"
Ohno felt as if his heart turned to stone and sank deep into his stomach. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Kenta was still busy with his painting. There was a time when Ohno suspected if Kenta really was his real son. The boy looked more like his mother. Ohno had thought he pushed the pending thought away, but still...
"I'll be coming over this weekend to pick him up," Minami continued. "Kenta will live a better life with me. He'll have a stable financial support for his needs. And he'll be with his real family." Ohno felt the inner corner of his eyes stinging. "If you don't hand him back, I will have my husband find a lawyer."
She hung up and the dial tone rang deep inside Ohno's ear drum. His eyes wouldn't leave Kenta. He feared if he blinked, Kenta will disappear right then and there.
The small child lifted up his newly finished piece and held it up for Ohno to see. "Papa!"
Ohno felt the familiar tightness in his throat again.
*****
Sho sat in the chair beside his mother's hospital bed. He was busy peeling apples while bickering to his mother. "You're perfectly fine. Why do you want me to peel your apples?"
"Quit moping and take care of your sickly poor mother," she teased at him and took a bite on one of the apple slices.
"Honestly, I don't know why I had to have such a panic attack when the doctor called me," Sho pouted. "Do you know how far it is from Nino's house to the hospital? He was so stubborn when we're traveling on the bus when I realized I didn't had enough gas in my car. Nino keeps growling and saying he wants to play music when I was having an emergency."
"That Nino boy is so sweet," she said admiringly, completely ignoring her son's rant. "I heard he's holding a concert for this hospital to bring awareness for the children of disabilities."
Sho sighed heavily and decided to drop his rant. "Yeah, it's true. And I'll be the piano accompanist."
"And you never bothered to tell me this?!"
"You had a bad asthma attack!" Sho argued back. "I was more concerned about you then telling you I was living with Nino."
His mother chuckled at him. "I am feeling better now, so you don't have to worry about me. Now tell me all about what you think of Nino."
Sho pouted and set down more apple slices on her tray. "What's there to say? He's a great musician and practically world famous." The corner of Sho's lip turned up. "He's also stubborn, annoying, childish, and repetitive. But that's because of his autism. Aside from his musical gift, he's a real pain in the butt. I can hardly think straight around him."
"So you like him."
Sho rolled his eyes. "Mom!"
"You don't realize that when you talk about someone you like, you smirk just like that," she said, pointing at his face. "A good mother knows her children. And I can tell you're already fond of him before you even come to notice it yourself."
"Give me a break," Sho moaned as his mother laughed at him.
"Where is Nino anyway?" She asked. "He was here an hour ago."
"He probably got sick of hearing your nagging voice like me," Sho teased back and stood up. "I'll go look for him."
It was a large hospital. Nino could be anywhere, but Sho suspected he'll go to some place familiar. Sho headed back to the front desk and took a look at the list of departments. Sachi had left him a reminder that this was the same hospital where Nino visits his doctor. It was a guess, but Sho decided to search for this Aiba Masaki.
Following the signs, Sho headed for the neurology department. He found the room to Aiba's office and knocked on the door.
"Excuse me?" Sho poked his head inside, but the office was empty.
"Can I help you?" Someone spoke behind him.
Sho whirled around and saw a man wearing light-tan trousers and a green and white checkered sweater. "Ah, I'm sorry. Are you Doctor Aiba?"
"Yes," Aiba nodded and pushed his glasses closer to the bridge of his nose. "How may I help you?"
"I'm looking for Ninomiya Kazunari," Sho explained. "I'm watching him while Sachi is away on a business trip, but my mother is in the hospital so I took Nino with me. And now I can't find him anywhere."
Aiba smiled. "Ah, so you're the piano man."
"Huh?"
"Sachi informed me about you before she left," Aiba nodded, slipping his hands into the pockets of his white coat. "I'll help you find Nino. In fact...I think I know where he might be. Come."
They walked together down the hallways until they reached the children's ward. Sho's eyebrows rose at the sight of the kids running around and playing in the colorful lobby. There were building blocks and large cushions for them to play. The children wore their hospital pajamas in different colors and kiddie designs. Some wore beanie hats while others sat peaceful with white bandages over their heads.
"This is..."
"The children that Nino's concert is fund-raising," Aiba said with a soft grin that reached his eyes. "Our children's department receives the lowest financial support. We need a large donation drive, and Nino's concert will help them." Sho turned to glance at the smiling man next to him. "I wasn't a doctor here for long, but they told me Nino used to play here when he was a child. His sister thought it would be a great place for Nino to develop his social skills. In the end, Nino would always go for the toy ukulele. He always liked string instruments."
Sho followed Aiba through the giggling children, but they didn't find an adult male. It's been almost two months since Sho started practicing with Nino. Majority of the time was frustrating for Sho, but he forgot what they were practicing for. Nino's concert was for these kids. He forgot the concert was for them...
"Do you hear that?" Aiba frowned.
Sho strained his ears to block out the shouting children. In the distance, he heard a piano playing. He followed the source of the noise with Aiba close behind him. The hallway opened up to another lobby center where a wooden console piano was placed at the center of the room. Nino was in the front and playing the piano, and a few kids surrounded him at the bench. Sho recognized the melody immediately.
It was the piece they practiced together, Beethoven's Sonata Pathétique. Nino's ability to memorize the piano piece in its entirety after one practice still boggled Sho's mind. Although he was slightly slower than the original piece, Nino still played the notes perfectly and performed with such grace and emotion. The children were in complete awe at him.
"Ah, that's right," Aiba smirked, rubbing the back of his head. "We got that piano a couple of months ago. It also counts as a string instrument, right?" Aiba turned to grin at Sho. "No wonder Nino had such a fascination for you."
Sho could only blink with his lips slightly parted; he didn't even noticed a man with tattered jeans walking past him to pick up his son. When the song was over, Nino glanced up and smiled at Sho. Nino turned his attention back to the children around him. They begged him to play another song while the only father in the room carried his son. Aiba went to talk to the man with tattered jeans while Sho walked towards Nino.
"May I sit here?" Sho asked, and the kids kindly moved so he could sit next to Nino.
"Sho, play a song," Nino requested.
*****
Aiba approached Ohno. "Looks like your son became a fan of Nino too."
"I never thought I would meet him here," Ohno said and glanced back at the autistic man at the piano. "I thought celebrities were always out of reach."
"Only if you don't know them," Aiba shrugged. "Nino happens to be my patient as well."
"Small world," Ohno nodded. "Anyway, I'm sorry to bother you, but there's something I need to ask."
"Sure. What is it?"
Ohno sucked in his bottom lip and began avoiding eye contact. "There's something I've been doubting for some time. About Kenta's autism...is it true that it can be passed down through genetics?"
"There is a possibility, but we can't be too sure," Aiba said, his smile waning. "Autism is still a mystery to us in some sense. Especially the cause of it. Why do you ask?"
"I just...I need to know if I'm the cause of it," Ohno said with a sadden frown. "My ex-wife...she thinks she can take Kenta away because...well, I need to know that I'm-"
"I think I understand," Aiba nodded slowly. "I can request for a blood test, but it'll take-"
"Mama!" Kenta suddenly blurted out and pointed with his finger.
Ohno and Aiba snapped their heads in the direction. Minami came walking down the hall in tall high heels, a sharp blue and black dress, and large sunglasses. A stern-looking foreign man in a business suit and briefcase followed behind her. He towered over everyone in the room, and his neck was as thick as his head. Ohno's heart sank as Kenta made squeals while opening and closing his hands at her. Ohno pulled Kenta closer to his chest.
"So this is the hospital you brought Kenta to," Minami greeted them and took off her glasses. Her eyes were just as piercing as Ohno remembered them. The shadow under her eyes were still there, but Ohno could sense she carried herself with a new aura. It had been years since Ohno last saw her.
"How did you know?" Ohno frowned at her.
"My husband has powerful sources," she answered in a smug tone.
"Mama!" Kenta reached his arms out to her again.
Minami pouted her lips to her son. "Oooh, Kenta! My baby! I missed you so much." She held her arms out to hold him.
But Ohno turned to give her a cold shoulder. He glared at her fiercely. "You stay away from him."
Minami dropped her arms and called over her shoulder. "Akira."
The man behind her stepped forth and spoke in a thick American accent. "I'm Bages' lawyer. You have no legal or physical custody of this child. According to her testimony, you are not Kenta's biological father-"
"Y-you can't know that!" Ohno shouted. "How would you know?! Why don't we prove it?!"
"The time we spent together does not equate to when I became pregnant with Kenta," Minami cut in. "That was the whole reason why we got a divorce in the first place, right? Because you knew I was seeing someone!"
The atmosphere became heavy. Some of the children began watching them instead of listening to the piano players. Even Kenta covered his ears over their raised voices.
Aiba tried to come between them. "Please. This is a hospital. If you must settle this matter, take it outside-"
But Minami ignored him. "Admit it! You know he's not really your son! You suspected, didn't you?!"
Ohno fumbled for words. "At least...at least I didn't gave up on him! Even if I was dirt poor, I wouldn't abandoned him like you did!"
"Enough! I will be taking my son back," Minami said, her hands on her hips. "Akira."
The stern man looked strong even in a suit. Ohno backed away. "No! I-I won't let you."
The piano stopped playing, and Kenta started crying. Ohno tried shoving away the big American man, but he was strong and took a quick step foward. Suddenly, Ohno lost his footing and fumbled backwards. Luckily, someone caught him from behind.
"Are you alright?" The man said.
"Y-yes," Ohno steady himself while still holding Kenta in his arms. He glanced up and smiled at the handsome man. "Thanks."
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Minami screeched.
Ohno quickly gazed back at her and saw her face warped and completely horrified. He looked back at the man who helped him and saw the man's face turn pale like a ghost.
"HOW DARE YOU BRING KENTA CLOSE TO THAT MAN!" Minami shouted and reached for Kenta. She practically ripped Kenta away from Ohno's arms and held him close to her chest. Kenta began crying louder as Minami pointed accusingly at the man. "He's the one who sexually assaulted me!"
Ohno stared at the man with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. Aiba also looked shocked, but the man in question looked frightened and slowly backed away. Ohno couldn't believe it himself. This...this was the guy...
"He shouldn't even be in a place like this!" Minami continued to shout at him. "This should be the last place he should ever be! Someone grab him! Arrest him!"
But the man already turned on his heels and bolted down the hall. No one chased after him, but Nino called out to him.
"Sho! Where are you going? Sho!"
Ohno turned his attention back to Minami. She glared at him with disapproval and distrust. A few nurses and staff members came to the scene when they heard the commotion. Kenta was the only one crying and making noises.
"Let's go, Akira," she uttered and walked back the way she came.
Ohno was about to follow her, but Akira pushed him away with a thick hand. The man might as well be a bodyguard rather than a lawyer; there was no way Ohno could take him down. Aiba placed a hand on his shoulder as they watched Kenta being carried away. He couldn't do anything. He didn't put up a good enough fight. He wasn't strong enough to protect Kenta. And the utter shame brought up a bitter taste in his mouth.
There was a hard lump stuck in Ohno's throat as he heard Kenta cried out down the hall.
"Papa! Papa! PAAAPAAA!"
*****
He ran as fast as he could until he was out the door, and the cold air bit his cheeks. Sho slowed down when he reached a quiet garden outside the hospital and stopped to catch his breath. He sank into his knees and brought his hands to his face.
Why was she there? Why did she had to be there?! Everyone was watching him. Even Nino. Did he understood what she said? Did Nino knew what being sexually assaulted meant?
Sho remembered hearing Nino calling out to him, but he couldn't turn back. He was scared. Especially that big man who was with her. She was right. He shouldn't be around small kids, but it wasn't like he would approach children. Even still, the fear shocked through him. Her angry face, Nino's confused gaze, everyone's eyes. This could be it. What if Nino fires him? What if Nino no longer needed him anymore? What if he's no longer wanted?
Sho's breathing became labored. Not from the running, but something deep inside him. His chest felt tight, and he felt hot flashes coming on. His heart beat pounded at irregular beats, and the memories started flooding back at full force...
*****
"That was beautiful," she said. "What's it called?"
"It's Mozart's piano sonata," Sho replied back. "Did you like it?"
She sat down next to him and brushed up against him. "I loved it."
Minami had always been flirting with him. Ever since he came to the office, she would purposely try to partner up with him for a project. Sho didn't mind. She was easy on the eyes, and her flirtatious manner seemed only pointed at him. An inner beast growled inside Sho whenever Minami give a sneak peek of skin under her skirt or a tight press of her bosom. After a week, Sho got the hint.
"I'm also a part-time piano tutor. I could give you private lessons," Sho flirted back.
"Wait until my husband is gone," she answered with a wink. "And then you can show me."
After that, it became their secret affair. Her husband, she called, was a no-good, dirt poor, missing-in-action type of man. She invited Sho inside her home once, and they'd spent the night together. Whenever her husband left for his art trip, Sho would stay over. He never felt sorry for the husband. Sho slowly began to fall for Minami. She was a lonely creature with a lustful body.
One night after a quick hit, Sho reached for his cell phone. She was still sleeping, so he carefully removed the covers to expose her naked body. He held up the camera up and took a picture of her, but he forgot to set the camera noise off.
The sound effect stirred Minami in her sleep until she woke up. "Whatcha doing in?"
"Taking pictures," Sho grinned smugly. "You look beautiful after all."
"You're so nasty, Sho," she giggled but didn't proceed to cover herself.
He began to grow a new fetish. After sex, Sho would take pictures of her. She never stopped him, and he found it arousing. He kept her face in the photos and took the best angles of her body. Soon, Sho would order her to get into peculiar positions. She would stick her tongue out with her legs spread open. Sho would ask her to get on her knees with her mouth open to him. Sometimes she'd bend over with her heels on. It became Sho's coping mechanism whenever Minami's husband returned.
But one day, her husband seemed to stay for good. A week dragged on, and Sho's craving for new pictures itched badly in his head. So he cornered her in the office.
"I need to see you," Sho moaned, his lips brushing against her neck.
"He's not leaving," she groaned, sounding annoyed. "We can't do this. Someone will see us."
"Why are you still with him?" Sho muttered. "Just leave him and be with me."
"I...I can't."
Sho frowned slightly. "Why the hell not? You don't even like him anymore."
"I just can't okay," Minami gasped when Sho lightly bit down under her jaw. "Stop it."
"Are we breaking it off then?" Sho asked, placing his hands on her hips and curving around to her rear. "I don't think I can live with that."
"Sho, you're a sweet guy. But stop this now. I'm married, and I only wanted to play with you."
He pulled back his head to glare at her. "Play? I was just some fling to you?! What the hell! You know damn well you're thinking of me at night instead of your lousy husband. You must be bone dry now without me."
"I was with my husband last night," Minami hissed as if it was her best combat.
But it only made Sho angrier. "I'm better than him, aren't I? Huh?" He suddenly grabbed her wrist.
"Knock it off, Sho!" She glared, no longer using her indoor voice. "You better let me go or-"
Sho pressed his lips onto hers and pushed her against the wall. With a daft hand, Sho reached for the doorknob and pulled her inside the broom closet before closing the door behind him. Minami started resisting, but Sho's irritation was at his peak. He wanted to see her. He wanted to touch her again. He wanted to take pictures again. But she was being fussy and started shouting. Sho slapped her hard across the face to silence her before he reached for her shirt.
The buttons flew out, and Sho forcefully pulled her bra down until a strap snapped off. Her breast plopped out, but she tried to cover them and her fist met Sho's chest. He caught her wrist before she could strike again.
"Stop it!" She shouted. "Let go of me!"
He shoved her down to the floor in the small cramped closet. In his haste to constrain her, a few cleaning bottles fell of the shelves. Sho straddled over her with her arms pinned with his legs. Minami cried out for help, thrashing underneath him, as Sho's adrenaline rushed through his blood. With his hand groping at her breast, he slapped her over and over to stop her from screaming. He reached for his cell phone and tried to take another picture.
Suddenly, the door swung open and someone pulled Sho to his feet. The co-workers slammed him to the ground and wretched his cell phone out of his hands.
"Someone call the police!"
And just like that, he realized what he had become. A low-life, fetish dependent, scum. He sat there in his prison garb at the court trial with his employees, Minami, and his family to witness his sentence. Hearing his final sentence already loomed dread over Sho's head, but it was their eyes that really drilled fear into him. Their accusing, hateful, scornful glares that made Sho shrink back. All throughout his time in prison, Sho knew he deserved it. No one visited him except for his mother, none of his friends contacted him, and his co-workers despised him.
No one will ever trust him. No one will ever need him...no one wanted him...
*****
Sho shut his eyes as the memories slowly faded away. But his heart still felt heavy. He reached up and touched his jaw; he could almost feel the pain where she fought back. But those eyes from the children ward, the fear that he was going to get caught again quadrupled just with those fierce and fearful gaze.
Why didn't he walked away when he realized it was Minami? He saw her arguing with that man with a boy in his arms. Sho could tell it was Minami from her voice. And from their conversation, he knew she was talking to her ex-husband. Why did he had to help the man out? Of all the people, her ex-husband was the last person Sho should meet.
Their affair was the reason why Minami divorced her husband. The last time Sho saw Minami was at the court trial. He never met her husband until now.
And that boy in his arms. That must be Minami and the man's son.
"Wait a minute," Sho frowned. "What did she say back then?"
That the boy wasn't really her ex-husband's son? So then the real father must be...
Sho's head began throbbing again. "No...no that can't be..."
He didn't really get a good look at the boy's face, but he looked no older than three years old. Sho counted back and estimated when he was seeing Minami. There was a possibility, but there was no way...there was no way...
Sho's world began spinning. Something came up from his stomach. He braced himself with a nearby tree trunk and hurled over the side. The mucus lingered against his chin, and he wiped himself against his sleeve. Sho tried to pull himself up with the tree as support.
"I can't be..." Sho panted. "I can't be...I'm not..."
He heard something in the distance. Someone was calling out to him. Sho didn't dare turn around. Whomever it was will probably convict him and send him to jail again. No, he can't let that happen again! He lost so much the time first around. All his friends' trust, his love for playing the piano, his comfortable job, even his own families' trust. Only his mother visited him during his imprisonment, but even then she looked disheartened with Sho's decisions. He can't go back there! He was just getting to know a brilliant violinist...
"Sho!"
"N-nino?"
He was still crouching down close to the tree trunk and gazed up. Nino was panting slightly, and there was a worried look in his eyes. Sensing Nino's concern, Sho took a deep breath to relax his churning stomach and stood up. He closed his eyes for a few seconds to clear his head. No one was after him. He's not going to be arrested again. Sho was a little jumpy back then. But it'll be best not to go back after a while.
"I'm sorry about that, Nino," Sho moaned low. "I was...I just needed to get away..."
"...your hands are shaking."
Sho glanced down. Nino was right; Sho's hands were lightly trembling, particularly the hand Sho used to attack Minami. He clasped his hands together to stop them from quivering and took another deep breath. He still felt his arm twitching.
"Your hands are shaking," Nino repeated. "You won't be able to play."
"Don't worry," Sho muttered. "I'll be fine...don't worry..."
Nino swung his arms a bit and shuffled his feet as if he was an impatient child. "Let's go home. You're obvious not yourself, so let's go home."
"Yeah...yeah, sure."
Sho turned to lead the way, but his pace was slower than when they first came. Nino walked beside him and never objected Sho's slowed pace. They walked side by side together to the nearest bus stop, and on the ride home, Nino sat unusually close to Sho. Throughout the ride, Nino hummed a tune.
It was one of Nino's original melodies, and it helped calmed Sho.
-------------------
end of chapter
To Chapter 7 >> http://arashiforyou.livejournal.com/64970.html
i'm sorry i made sho a really horrible guy in the past OTL
though his actions were unforgivable, he paid for his crimes (we know that already). but he is still affected by the past when he thinks too deeply about it. sho is a better man than who he was before, so don't worry about him attacking nino. i can reassure you that won't happen. the sexual assault warning was only for this chapter as a flashback. but i'll keep the tag for future chapters simply for talking about it (never the act, does that count?)
sorry i haven't been putting much of aiba's story. he will have more involvement later in the story! promise!
By: arashiforyou
Genre: Romance/ Drama/ Angst/ AU/ Music
Rating: R
Pairings: Sakumiya (main)/ Jun x Kiko Mizuhara/ Aiba x Yuka/ Ohno x Minami Hinase (broken)
Summary: Nino is an autistic savant and a brilliant violinist. The only hard part for him and his sister, who takes care of him, is finding a consistent and patient piano accompanist for Nino's solo performances. One day, Nino's sister finds Sakurai Sho, a man with a mysterious past but gifted in music. Together, the two musicians must learn to communicate with other, live with each other, and possible love each other.
Warnings: It's rated R for: sensual scenes (softporn), parenting struggles, sexual assault, divorce, character deaths, and mental disorders/illnesses.
Author Notes: a sooner update than before! so you know how i said last chapter is finally entering pg13. well, i guess you can say the rated R mark is going to kick it here. so please take note of the warnings. very important!
Music reference: Devil's Trill Sonata
Chapter 6 - Verismo
Ohno sighed for the tenth time as he stirred his morning miso soup. Kenta played quietly in the living room with his new paints after-messily-finishing his breakfast. Ohno made sure he bought the non-toxic brand in case Kenta eats it, but the boy behaved himself. Kenta was more interested in getting the colors on the page than on his face. Ohno enjoyed watching his son become glued to the canvas until it was completely covered with colors. Ohno himself would prop up his larger canvas and paint alongside with his son. They finally have something in common, but that's not what's bothering him.
Ohno inhaled deeply and sighed for the eleventh time. Then, the phone rang.
"Ring ring!" Kenta echoed the noise.
Ohno set his spoon down and answered the call. "Hello?"
"It's me again," Minami said. "Don't hang up on me this time!"
Ohno glanced back at his son who was still oblivious to his surroundings except for his painting. Ohno leaned against the wall and tugged his other arm close to his body. "I can hang up any time I want to. And I don't care how many times we've had this conversation, I'm not giving Kenta back."
"You didn't even bother to listen to me the first time I called you."
"I've been trying to reach you ever since you first brought him to me!" Ohno whispered angrily so he wouldn't scare Kenta. "Where were you then, huh?" Ohno's frown deepened. "It's already been half a year since then, and now you decided to call?"
"I have a right to see my son!" Minami argued back.
"I will not let you," Ohno said, his voice raising a bit. "You abandoned him inside a shopping bag and only one toy for him. What kind of mother would do that to him?!"
"You will give me back my son or I will call my lawyer!"
Ohno clicked his tongue. "You can't afford one."
"My new husband can," Minami said rather proudly. "He has helped me through so much, and when I told him I have a son, he was more than willing to care for the child despite his disability."
"You don't want anything to do with Kenta!" Ohno fumed. "Why now do you suddenly care about him?"
"You think I don't care about him?!" Minami screamed into the phone. "I love him! He is my son, you asshole! I had lost my job last year, and I was struggling just to get food on the table. My parents never helped me because they thought it's my-y fault that I got pregnant with Kenta! We never filed for child support, and no was there to help me-e! I had no other choice but to leave him with you!"
Ohno's throat felt tight as he heard Minami's cracked voice turn into sobs through the other end. "You...you could have told me. You could have called me that Kenta needed help."
Minami took a moment to calm her voice down. "I didn't think of asking for your help until the last moment. Even if I did called, you wouldn't help me either-Don't! Don't start that with me! I know you. You were always so focused on yourself even when we were married. You were never home. It was always about finding your muse. How many artist trips did you went this time? I hope you didn't left Kenta on his own-"
"I'm not like that anymore," Ohno growled. "I would never leave Kenta alone. Just so you know, I have a decent job that is getting us by. I've settled down."
"So no more of your stupid 'finding yourself' getaways?" Minami mocked.
"Kenta has become a part of my life now," Ohno said. "And nothing you do can stop it. I'm hanging up now-"
"I lied to you."
Ohno's heart paused for a painful millisecond, and he brought the phone back to his ear. "What?"
"I lied...on the note," Minami said monotonously. "You're not Kenta's father. I only wrote it so that you would take better care of Kenta as if he was your son."
"Quit trying to fool me. It's not going to-"
"He doesn't look a thing like you!" Minami emphasized. "You have no right to care for him since he is not your son!"
Ohno felt as if his heart turned to stone and sank deep into his stomach. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Kenta was still busy with his painting. There was a time when Ohno suspected if Kenta really was his real son. The boy looked more like his mother. Ohno had thought he pushed the pending thought away, but still...
"I'll be coming over this weekend to pick him up," Minami continued. "Kenta will live a better life with me. He'll have a stable financial support for his needs. And he'll be with his real family." Ohno felt the inner corner of his eyes stinging. "If you don't hand him back, I will have my husband find a lawyer."
She hung up and the dial tone rang deep inside Ohno's ear drum. His eyes wouldn't leave Kenta. He feared if he blinked, Kenta will disappear right then and there.
The small child lifted up his newly finished piece and held it up for Ohno to see. "Papa!"
Ohno felt the familiar tightness in his throat again.
*****
Sho sat in the chair beside his mother's hospital bed. He was busy peeling apples while bickering to his mother. "You're perfectly fine. Why do you want me to peel your apples?"
"Quit moping and take care of your sickly poor mother," she teased at him and took a bite on one of the apple slices.
"Honestly, I don't know why I had to have such a panic attack when the doctor called me," Sho pouted. "Do you know how far it is from Nino's house to the hospital? He was so stubborn when we're traveling on the bus when I realized I didn't had enough gas in my car. Nino keeps growling and saying he wants to play music when I was having an emergency."
"That Nino boy is so sweet," she said admiringly, completely ignoring her son's rant. "I heard he's holding a concert for this hospital to bring awareness for the children of disabilities."
Sho sighed heavily and decided to drop his rant. "Yeah, it's true. And I'll be the piano accompanist."
"And you never bothered to tell me this?!"
"You had a bad asthma attack!" Sho argued back. "I was more concerned about you then telling you I was living with Nino."
His mother chuckled at him. "I am feeling better now, so you don't have to worry about me. Now tell me all about what you think of Nino."
Sho pouted and set down more apple slices on her tray. "What's there to say? He's a great musician and practically world famous." The corner of Sho's lip turned up. "He's also stubborn, annoying, childish, and repetitive. But that's because of his autism. Aside from his musical gift, he's a real pain in the butt. I can hardly think straight around him."
"So you like him."
Sho rolled his eyes. "Mom!"
"You don't realize that when you talk about someone you like, you smirk just like that," she said, pointing at his face. "A good mother knows her children. And I can tell you're already fond of him before you even come to notice it yourself."
"Give me a break," Sho moaned as his mother laughed at him.
"Where is Nino anyway?" She asked. "He was here an hour ago."
"He probably got sick of hearing your nagging voice like me," Sho teased back and stood up. "I'll go look for him."
It was a large hospital. Nino could be anywhere, but Sho suspected he'll go to some place familiar. Sho headed back to the front desk and took a look at the list of departments. Sachi had left him a reminder that this was the same hospital where Nino visits his doctor. It was a guess, but Sho decided to search for this Aiba Masaki.
Following the signs, Sho headed for the neurology department. He found the room to Aiba's office and knocked on the door.
"Excuse me?" Sho poked his head inside, but the office was empty.
"Can I help you?" Someone spoke behind him.
Sho whirled around and saw a man wearing light-tan trousers and a green and white checkered sweater. "Ah, I'm sorry. Are you Doctor Aiba?"
"Yes," Aiba nodded and pushed his glasses closer to the bridge of his nose. "How may I help you?"
"I'm looking for Ninomiya Kazunari," Sho explained. "I'm watching him while Sachi is away on a business trip, but my mother is in the hospital so I took Nino with me. And now I can't find him anywhere."
Aiba smiled. "Ah, so you're the piano man."
"Huh?"
"Sachi informed me about you before she left," Aiba nodded, slipping his hands into the pockets of his white coat. "I'll help you find Nino. In fact...I think I know where he might be. Come."
They walked together down the hallways until they reached the children's ward. Sho's eyebrows rose at the sight of the kids running around and playing in the colorful lobby. There were building blocks and large cushions for them to play. The children wore their hospital pajamas in different colors and kiddie designs. Some wore beanie hats while others sat peaceful with white bandages over their heads.
"This is..."
"The children that Nino's concert is fund-raising," Aiba said with a soft grin that reached his eyes. "Our children's department receives the lowest financial support. We need a large donation drive, and Nino's concert will help them." Sho turned to glance at the smiling man next to him. "I wasn't a doctor here for long, but they told me Nino used to play here when he was a child. His sister thought it would be a great place for Nino to develop his social skills. In the end, Nino would always go for the toy ukulele. He always liked string instruments."
Sho followed Aiba through the giggling children, but they didn't find an adult male. It's been almost two months since Sho started practicing with Nino. Majority of the time was frustrating for Sho, but he forgot what they were practicing for. Nino's concert was for these kids. He forgot the concert was for them...
"Do you hear that?" Aiba frowned.
Sho strained his ears to block out the shouting children. In the distance, he heard a piano playing. He followed the source of the noise with Aiba close behind him. The hallway opened up to another lobby center where a wooden console piano was placed at the center of the room. Nino was in the front and playing the piano, and a few kids surrounded him at the bench. Sho recognized the melody immediately.
It was the piece they practiced together, Beethoven's Sonata Pathétique. Nino's ability to memorize the piano piece in its entirety after one practice still boggled Sho's mind. Although he was slightly slower than the original piece, Nino still played the notes perfectly and performed with such grace and emotion. The children were in complete awe at him.
"Ah, that's right," Aiba smirked, rubbing the back of his head. "We got that piano a couple of months ago. It also counts as a string instrument, right?" Aiba turned to grin at Sho. "No wonder Nino had such a fascination for you."
Sho could only blink with his lips slightly parted; he didn't even noticed a man with tattered jeans walking past him to pick up his son. When the song was over, Nino glanced up and smiled at Sho. Nino turned his attention back to the children around him. They begged him to play another song while the only father in the room carried his son. Aiba went to talk to the man with tattered jeans while Sho walked towards Nino.
"May I sit here?" Sho asked, and the kids kindly moved so he could sit next to Nino.
"Sho, play a song," Nino requested.
*****
Aiba approached Ohno. "Looks like your son became a fan of Nino too."
"I never thought I would meet him here," Ohno said and glanced back at the autistic man at the piano. "I thought celebrities were always out of reach."
"Only if you don't know them," Aiba shrugged. "Nino happens to be my patient as well."
"Small world," Ohno nodded. "Anyway, I'm sorry to bother you, but there's something I need to ask."
"Sure. What is it?"
Ohno sucked in his bottom lip and began avoiding eye contact. "There's something I've been doubting for some time. About Kenta's autism...is it true that it can be passed down through genetics?"
"There is a possibility, but we can't be too sure," Aiba said, his smile waning. "Autism is still a mystery to us in some sense. Especially the cause of it. Why do you ask?"
"I just...I need to know if I'm the cause of it," Ohno said with a sadden frown. "My ex-wife...she thinks she can take Kenta away because...well, I need to know that I'm-"
"I think I understand," Aiba nodded slowly. "I can request for a blood test, but it'll take-"
"Mama!" Kenta suddenly blurted out and pointed with his finger.
Ohno and Aiba snapped their heads in the direction. Minami came walking down the hall in tall high heels, a sharp blue and black dress, and large sunglasses. A stern-looking foreign man in a business suit and briefcase followed behind her. He towered over everyone in the room, and his neck was as thick as his head. Ohno's heart sank as Kenta made squeals while opening and closing his hands at her. Ohno pulled Kenta closer to his chest.
"So this is the hospital you brought Kenta to," Minami greeted them and took off her glasses. Her eyes were just as piercing as Ohno remembered them. The shadow under her eyes were still there, but Ohno could sense she carried herself with a new aura. It had been years since Ohno last saw her.
"How did you know?" Ohno frowned at her.
"My husband has powerful sources," she answered in a smug tone.
"Mama!" Kenta reached his arms out to her again.
Minami pouted her lips to her son. "Oooh, Kenta! My baby! I missed you so much." She held her arms out to hold him.
But Ohno turned to give her a cold shoulder. He glared at her fiercely. "You stay away from him."
Minami dropped her arms and called over her shoulder. "Akira."
The man behind her stepped forth and spoke in a thick American accent. "I'm Bages' lawyer. You have no legal or physical custody of this child. According to her testimony, you are not Kenta's biological father-"
"Y-you can't know that!" Ohno shouted. "How would you know?! Why don't we prove it?!"
"The time we spent together does not equate to when I became pregnant with Kenta," Minami cut in. "That was the whole reason why we got a divorce in the first place, right? Because you knew I was seeing someone!"
The atmosphere became heavy. Some of the children began watching them instead of listening to the piano players. Even Kenta covered his ears over their raised voices.
Aiba tried to come between them. "Please. This is a hospital. If you must settle this matter, take it outside-"
But Minami ignored him. "Admit it! You know he's not really your son! You suspected, didn't you?!"
Ohno fumbled for words. "At least...at least I didn't gave up on him! Even if I was dirt poor, I wouldn't abandoned him like you did!"
"Enough! I will be taking my son back," Minami said, her hands on her hips. "Akira."
The stern man looked strong even in a suit. Ohno backed away. "No! I-I won't let you."
The piano stopped playing, and Kenta started crying. Ohno tried shoving away the big American man, but he was strong and took a quick step foward. Suddenly, Ohno lost his footing and fumbled backwards. Luckily, someone caught him from behind.
"Are you alright?" The man said.
"Y-yes," Ohno steady himself while still holding Kenta in his arms. He glanced up and smiled at the handsome man. "Thanks."
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Minami screeched.
Ohno quickly gazed back at her and saw her face warped and completely horrified. He looked back at the man who helped him and saw the man's face turn pale like a ghost.
"HOW DARE YOU BRING KENTA CLOSE TO THAT MAN!" Minami shouted and reached for Kenta. She practically ripped Kenta away from Ohno's arms and held him close to her chest. Kenta began crying louder as Minami pointed accusingly at the man. "He's the one who sexually assaulted me!"
Ohno stared at the man with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. Aiba also looked shocked, but the man in question looked frightened and slowly backed away. Ohno couldn't believe it himself. This...this was the guy...
"He shouldn't even be in a place like this!" Minami continued to shout at him. "This should be the last place he should ever be! Someone grab him! Arrest him!"
But the man already turned on his heels and bolted down the hall. No one chased after him, but Nino called out to him.
"Sho! Where are you going? Sho!"
Ohno turned his attention back to Minami. She glared at him with disapproval and distrust. A few nurses and staff members came to the scene when they heard the commotion. Kenta was the only one crying and making noises.
"Let's go, Akira," she uttered and walked back the way she came.
Ohno was about to follow her, but Akira pushed him away with a thick hand. The man might as well be a bodyguard rather than a lawyer; there was no way Ohno could take him down. Aiba placed a hand on his shoulder as they watched Kenta being carried away. He couldn't do anything. He didn't put up a good enough fight. He wasn't strong enough to protect Kenta. And the utter shame brought up a bitter taste in his mouth.
There was a hard lump stuck in Ohno's throat as he heard Kenta cried out down the hall.
"Papa! Papa! PAAAPAAA!"
*****
He ran as fast as he could until he was out the door, and the cold air bit his cheeks. Sho slowed down when he reached a quiet garden outside the hospital and stopped to catch his breath. He sank into his knees and brought his hands to his face.
Why was she there? Why did she had to be there?! Everyone was watching him. Even Nino. Did he understood what she said? Did Nino knew what being sexually assaulted meant?
Sho remembered hearing Nino calling out to him, but he couldn't turn back. He was scared. Especially that big man who was with her. She was right. He shouldn't be around small kids, but it wasn't like he would approach children. Even still, the fear shocked through him. Her angry face, Nino's confused gaze, everyone's eyes. This could be it. What if Nino fires him? What if Nino no longer needed him anymore? What if he's no longer wanted?
Sho's breathing became labored. Not from the running, but something deep inside him. His chest felt tight, and he felt hot flashes coming on. His heart beat pounded at irregular beats, and the memories started flooding back at full force...
*****
"That was beautiful," she said. "What's it called?"
"It's Mozart's piano sonata," Sho replied back. "Did you like it?"
She sat down next to him and brushed up against him. "I loved it."
Minami had always been flirting with him. Ever since he came to the office, she would purposely try to partner up with him for a project. Sho didn't mind. She was easy on the eyes, and her flirtatious manner seemed only pointed at him. An inner beast growled inside Sho whenever Minami give a sneak peek of skin under her skirt or a tight press of her bosom. After a week, Sho got the hint.
"I'm also a part-time piano tutor. I could give you private lessons," Sho flirted back.
"Wait until my husband is gone," she answered with a wink. "And then you can show me."
After that, it became their secret affair. Her husband, she called, was a no-good, dirt poor, missing-in-action type of man. She invited Sho inside her home once, and they'd spent the night together. Whenever her husband left for his art trip, Sho would stay over. He never felt sorry for the husband. Sho slowly began to fall for Minami. She was a lonely creature with a lustful body.
One night after a quick hit, Sho reached for his cell phone. She was still sleeping, so he carefully removed the covers to expose her naked body. He held up the camera up and took a picture of her, but he forgot to set the camera noise off.
The sound effect stirred Minami in her sleep until she woke up. "Whatcha doing in?"
"Taking pictures," Sho grinned smugly. "You look beautiful after all."
"You're so nasty, Sho," she giggled but didn't proceed to cover herself.
He began to grow a new fetish. After sex, Sho would take pictures of her. She never stopped him, and he found it arousing. He kept her face in the photos and took the best angles of her body. Soon, Sho would order her to get into peculiar positions. She would stick her tongue out with her legs spread open. Sho would ask her to get on her knees with her mouth open to him. Sometimes she'd bend over with her heels on. It became Sho's coping mechanism whenever Minami's husband returned.
But one day, her husband seemed to stay for good. A week dragged on, and Sho's craving for new pictures itched badly in his head. So he cornered her in the office.
"I need to see you," Sho moaned, his lips brushing against her neck.
"He's not leaving," she groaned, sounding annoyed. "We can't do this. Someone will see us."
"Why are you still with him?" Sho muttered. "Just leave him and be with me."
"I...I can't."
Sho frowned slightly. "Why the hell not? You don't even like him anymore."
"I just can't okay," Minami gasped when Sho lightly bit down under her jaw. "Stop it."
"Are we breaking it off then?" Sho asked, placing his hands on her hips and curving around to her rear. "I don't think I can live with that."
"Sho, you're a sweet guy. But stop this now. I'm married, and I only wanted to play with you."
He pulled back his head to glare at her. "Play? I was just some fling to you?! What the hell! You know damn well you're thinking of me at night instead of your lousy husband. You must be bone dry now without me."
"I was with my husband last night," Minami hissed as if it was her best combat.
But it only made Sho angrier. "I'm better than him, aren't I? Huh?" He suddenly grabbed her wrist.
"Knock it off, Sho!" She glared, no longer using her indoor voice. "You better let me go or-"
Sho pressed his lips onto hers and pushed her against the wall. With a daft hand, Sho reached for the doorknob and pulled her inside the broom closet before closing the door behind him. Minami started resisting, but Sho's irritation was at his peak. He wanted to see her. He wanted to touch her again. He wanted to take pictures again. But she was being fussy and started shouting. Sho slapped her hard across the face to silence her before he reached for her shirt.
The buttons flew out, and Sho forcefully pulled her bra down until a strap snapped off. Her breast plopped out, but she tried to cover them and her fist met Sho's chest. He caught her wrist before she could strike again.
"Stop it!" She shouted. "Let go of me!"
He shoved her down to the floor in the small cramped closet. In his haste to constrain her, a few cleaning bottles fell of the shelves. Sho straddled over her with her arms pinned with his legs. Minami cried out for help, thrashing underneath him, as Sho's adrenaline rushed through his blood. With his hand groping at her breast, he slapped her over and over to stop her from screaming. He reached for his cell phone and tried to take another picture.
Suddenly, the door swung open and someone pulled Sho to his feet. The co-workers slammed him to the ground and wretched his cell phone out of his hands.
"Someone call the police!"
And just like that, he realized what he had become. A low-life, fetish dependent, scum. He sat there in his prison garb at the court trial with his employees, Minami, and his family to witness his sentence. Hearing his final sentence already loomed dread over Sho's head, but it was their eyes that really drilled fear into him. Their accusing, hateful, scornful glares that made Sho shrink back. All throughout his time in prison, Sho knew he deserved it. No one visited him except for his mother, none of his friends contacted him, and his co-workers despised him.
No one will ever trust him. No one will ever need him...no one wanted him...
*****
Sho shut his eyes as the memories slowly faded away. But his heart still felt heavy. He reached up and touched his jaw; he could almost feel the pain where she fought back. But those eyes from the children ward, the fear that he was going to get caught again quadrupled just with those fierce and fearful gaze.
Why didn't he walked away when he realized it was Minami? He saw her arguing with that man with a boy in his arms. Sho could tell it was Minami from her voice. And from their conversation, he knew she was talking to her ex-husband. Why did he had to help the man out? Of all the people, her ex-husband was the last person Sho should meet.
Their affair was the reason why Minami divorced her husband. The last time Sho saw Minami was at the court trial. He never met her husband until now.
And that boy in his arms. That must be Minami and the man's son.
"Wait a minute," Sho frowned. "What did she say back then?"
That the boy wasn't really her ex-husband's son? So then the real father must be...
Sho's head began throbbing again. "No...no that can't be..."
He didn't really get a good look at the boy's face, but he looked no older than three years old. Sho counted back and estimated when he was seeing Minami. There was a possibility, but there was no way...there was no way...
Sho's world began spinning. Something came up from his stomach. He braced himself with a nearby tree trunk and hurled over the side. The mucus lingered against his chin, and he wiped himself against his sleeve. Sho tried to pull himself up with the tree as support.
"I can't be..." Sho panted. "I can't be...I'm not..."
He heard something in the distance. Someone was calling out to him. Sho didn't dare turn around. Whomever it was will probably convict him and send him to jail again. No, he can't let that happen again! He lost so much the time first around. All his friends' trust, his love for playing the piano, his comfortable job, even his own families' trust. Only his mother visited him during his imprisonment, but even then she looked disheartened with Sho's decisions. He can't go back there! He was just getting to know a brilliant violinist...
"Sho!"
"N-nino?"
He was still crouching down close to the tree trunk and gazed up. Nino was panting slightly, and there was a worried look in his eyes. Sensing Nino's concern, Sho took a deep breath to relax his churning stomach and stood up. He closed his eyes for a few seconds to clear his head. No one was after him. He's not going to be arrested again. Sho was a little jumpy back then. But it'll be best not to go back after a while.
"I'm sorry about that, Nino," Sho moaned low. "I was...I just needed to get away..."
"...your hands are shaking."
Sho glanced down. Nino was right; Sho's hands were lightly trembling, particularly the hand Sho used to attack Minami. He clasped his hands together to stop them from quivering and took another deep breath. He still felt his arm twitching.
"Your hands are shaking," Nino repeated. "You won't be able to play."
"Don't worry," Sho muttered. "I'll be fine...don't worry..."
Nino swung his arms a bit and shuffled his feet as if he was an impatient child. "Let's go home. You're obvious not yourself, so let's go home."
"Yeah...yeah, sure."
Sho turned to lead the way, but his pace was slower than when they first came. Nino walked beside him and never objected Sho's slowed pace. They walked side by side together to the nearest bus stop, and on the ride home, Nino sat unusually close to Sho. Throughout the ride, Nino hummed a tune.
It was one of Nino's original melodies, and it helped calmed Sho.
-------------------
end of chapter
To Chapter 7 >> http://arashiforyou.livejournal.com/64970.html
i'm sorry i made sho a really horrible guy in the past OTL
though his actions were unforgivable, he paid for his crimes (we know that already). but he is still affected by the past when he thinks too deeply about it. sho is a better man than who he was before, so don't worry about him attacking nino. i can reassure you that won't happen. the sexual assault warning was only for this chapter as a flashback. but i'll keep the tag for future chapters simply for talking about it (never the act, does that count?)
sorry i haven't been putting much of aiba's story. he will have more involvement later in the story! promise!