One World with Seven Sins

[kanu_x]

Edited: 2013.02.10

Title: One World with Seven Sins
Feature/Pairing: only Yama, OCs
Rating: PG-13 (incest, sexual references)
Genre: au, solely romance based: no subplots
Summary: Stepbrothers Ohno and Sho gradually fall in love over the years.
Their troubles learning to accept and understand their feelings. Aka frustration.
Part: 1 & 2 / 8
A/N: This fic was actually inspired by Tensaibaka's lovely Juntoshi fic Prisoner of Love - Incestuous Love.

Ohno basically became a Sakurai, but unlike Sho and Jun I usually just call Ohno by surname. So here I use Sho's first name but Ohno's last name.

Vice ONE: Gluttony - excessive eating

* * *

For the first time, I realize that love is troublesome.

Ohno's father passed away when he was five.

He remembered clutching his mother's skirt while they were in the hospital, waiting for the doctor's word. He remembered the bright lights of the hall outside the ER room. The nurses telling his mother to take him away. Her refusal to remove her only son from her sight, afraid he would leave her too. He could almost recall his fear of losing his mother because she was crying too hard and having such a difficult time breathing. He almost hated the doctors who made her that way.

Ohno only had her while he was growing up and so she became everything to him. Twice his mother dated, searching for the right man to be his father. Both times he was constantly shoved into the corner, crying his eyes out while the man beat at his mother who covered him.

Because he knew how much she loved him, Ohno did all could do for her. The pressure built up. Only when he drew did he find escape. The feel of paper and pencil in his hands soothed him. He became addicted and wanted to create much more. To achieve the ultimate freedom.

But before he could even begin his dream of becoming an artist, his mother lost her job the year he entered highschool. Ohno watched in secret when she cried and apologized to his father's memo for her inability to take care of him. Even though he knew his mother would never forgive herself for his sacrifice, he dropped out of school and worked various part-time jobs to support them.

She became withdrawn and quiet. It only deepened his sorrow. As she could not protect him, he could not protect her.

After half a year, after feeling helpless and losing himself in work, Ohno gradually saw her change. She began to laugh more often and her steps became light. His heart eased. Whatever it was that was making her better, he was grateful. However, he was not prepared when she suddenly took his hands one day and asked him, "Satoshi, can I ask you to meet someone?" Ohno immediately distrusted this guy, this stranger whom his mother had met and put her trust in. When had they started dating and he didn't even know?

At the fancy restuarant and still in his grubby work uniform, he sat opposite his smiling mother and the man. Ohno quietly observed him and instantly knew that he would not be like the others. His mother had found the right person at last. When he left the restuarant to return to work, he was already enchanted.

One month later, they were married.

Only as Ohno stood in his suit, clapping at the newlyweds and smiling from ear to ear did he hear about the other.

"He'll be back in a week," Mr. Sakurai told his smiling wife, the former Mrs. Ohno.

"Who?" Ohno asked, confused.

His mother stared at him. "Your brother, of course!"

And that was the first time he heard about Sakurai Sho, his younger stepbrother who had left for soccer camp the day before his first meeting with his new father.

Love can bloom from the simplest things. Even situations no one can understand.

Because his parents were on their honeymoon, because his stepbrother was to come back the same day they did, Ohno was the only one at home.

He spent the first day drawing in his room, so happy to be holding a sketchbook and pencil again that he never ventured out to even eat or use the toilet. The second day he woke to gnawing hunger and Ohno spent the morning in the kitchen. By the time he realized it, the place was a mess with food littered around.

As he stuffed his mouth, already too sick to eat but not keen on wasting anything, Ohno dazed off. How he wished it was all over. Maybe if he ignored the now sickening flavor and texure of food, he could continue without feeling like he'd throw up. And then a noise at the backdoor disturbed him.

A shadow fell on the other side of the entrance. Ohno froze. No one was supposed to be here. No one knew he was home. His heart raced and with his mouth still full, unable to swallow, he grabbed the closest weapon which unfortunately had to be a spoon. Ohno did not have time to frown at his luck. The knob in the door was turning. How? How!?

Could have been only one reason. The housebreaker knew how to pick locks. He must be dangerous.

He edged to the door and stood with his back to the wall. As soon as the intruder step in, he would attack. It was Ohno's duty to protect his new home and he would do it. He gulped for breath through all the food in his mouth that caused his cheeks to bulge. Anyday now. He had to. Fear and anticipation gripped him.

The door creaked open and a young man stepped in carrying a heavy bag. Ohno lunged even before he had taken a good look.

"AHHH!" He raised the spoon into the air for an attack.

"AgjkfH!" Sho shrieked. He swung and smacked Ohno on the head with his bag, then stood in shock as the older boy fell at his feet and retched.

Sho took a look around the messy kitchen. What the...? He looked down at Ohno who had just finished puking. "Who are you?" A hungry intruder?

Exhausted and sick to his stomach, Ohno rolled away from his bile and gasped for breath. "Sakurai...Sho?" he asked instead, peering up at the other boy from the ground. His head where the boy had hit him hurt.

Sho blinked down at the person lying on the floor. "You're Satoshi?" The one his father had told him?

Ohno raised an arm and murmured, "Help me up, please."

His heart still pounding, Sho gripped his brother's arm and pulled with all his strength. Ohno got onto his feet but he immediately lost balance. Whoosh! His head whirled. He felt so light and heavy at the same time.

In one moment, Sho felt his brother slump against him, their bodies pressing closely. He was holding Ohno's full weight and the older boy's head fell on his shoulder limply. The weight was too much. Sho fell in one swoop and found himself on the tiled floor with the silent Ohno on top of him. What, what!? Sho's mind raced. The smell of blood filled his nostrils and he finally realized when he saw the red liquid on Ohno's head that he had knocked his stepbrother unconscious. On their very first meeting.

And it can happen when you least expect it. Even when you don't want to fall in love.

* * *

(^o^) __ ( -o- ) __ ( -.- ) __ ( -x- )

Vice TWO: Sloth - laziness

* * *

I wonder sometimes if there are people like me.
People who want something, but know it is forbidden.

Ohno woke and his whole body ached. The stiffness in his back and limbs were probably due to the fact that he was still lying on the hard kitchen floor, most likely because he had been too heavy for Sho to carry. He touched his head and found that it had been clumsily bandaged. Sho was pretty useless.

When Ohno went to search for him, he failed to find his brother anywhere in the house. Sakurai Sho had gone out so as to avoid meeting the brother he had knocked out.

Later that evening, he did return but only muttered a timid apology before disappearing into his room. Ohno, who did not feel like speaking and had no problem with being left alone, made no effort to close the sudden gap that was forming.

They barely spoke to each other those few days before their parents' return. And then school began and Sho left early every morning and returned late. There weren't much need to communicate. That was how their relationship as new brothers came to be.

At his father's persuasion, Ohno had quit his part time jobs and now he stayed at home doing nothing. He drew most of the times but during others he just sat back and dreamed. He knew he was getting lazy but he didn't care. Finally, Ohno had his freedom and peace. He would find a purpose soon, but not yet.

On Sundays, everyone stayed at home.

"Satoshi, what do you want to do with your life?" Mr. Sakurai asked him one day. His mother sat beside her husband and Sho rummaged through the fridge in the kitchen a few meters away.

Ohno had known this conversation was coming. He frowned slightly as he thought hard about his answer. Anything he wanted to do? Not particularly. He had initially wanted to be an artist, but decided to keep it as a hobby. So what did he want now? He shrugged his shoulders carelessly and replied, "A baker."

In the kitchen, Sho snorted through his nose and burst into laughter. His eccentric stepbrother never failed to crack him up.

Embarrassed and offended, Ohno gritted his teeth as he looked up and at the back of Sho who was making his way to his room upstairs.

"Don't mind him," Mr. Sakurai told his new son.

Ohno did not know why he was not getting along with Sho, and he did not remember that it was the fault of both of them at the start. Their unwillingness to properly communicate. He knew Sho was a reasonable boy, but somehow they could not reach each other. And so it was, he actually reached the truth; maybe it was just because he had never had a proper talk with his younger stepbrother.

That's what he decided.

A few nights later, Sho entered his room after his bath and was surprised to find Ohno sitting on his bed as if it were his own. His took a quick step back. This was his room, right? He regained his composure and greeted Ohno with a pretend to be calm, "Hey."

Sho stalked over to his drawer and rummaged around as if he was looking for something. He didn't want to initiate a staring contest with Ohno, because Ohno was actually doing just that; staring at him without saying a word. Such a troublesome character, Sho thought, though it was not as if he disliked his brother. Without turning to face Ohno, he asked, "Did you need something?"

Ohno came out of his daze. He hadn't really come up with a plan. He just wanted the result, which was Sho's recognition. Should he ask why his younger brother disliked him? Sho disliked him. No, no. Ohno shook his head. It was a sticky, icky, too personal a question. After a long self-debate that was done in utter silence, Ohno muttered, "Let's get along."

So his brother was still alive. Sho finally turned to face him and raised an eyebrow. "We aren't?"

Ohno grew confused. What did he mean? "Are we?" So they actually were?

"Are we what?" Sho asked though he knew. He had seen the signs of confusion on Ohno's frowning face.

And it worked. Ohno shrugged. "I don't know." As if he had already forgotten what he had come there to do.

So for the second time that day, Sho burst into laughter. His new brother was strangely cute and weird. "Sorry, sorry. It's my fault."

Ohno did not like that. He pursed his lower lip as was his habit because he did not know why his brother was laughing. At him? He felt offended. But then at least Sho seemed more friendly now. Once the observation was registered in his brain, Ohno smiled, if only slightly. Then, as long as Sho was laughing and at least not mocking him everything was okay. "Good. Then we're fine?"

Sho went over and clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll get along perfectly." He somehow felt like the older brother here.

Ohno gave a definite nod. "Sho."

Everything turned 180 that moment that Sho bridged the gap. The awkwardness between them diminished.

I sit back and watch. I make no effort.

It was as if they had really become blood brothers. Ohno's mother even noticed their closeness and commented to her husband. For once, she felt that Ohno was in a safe place. He had someone he connected to and could put his trust in. "I'm glad I married you," she told Mr. Sakurai with a smile and he returned it.

"And I'm grateful," he answered.

After a year, Sho had actually grown taller than Ohno and he was proud of it. No more teasing from his older immature brother. And so he always said with a grin whenever he introduced Ohno, "He's older." The person opposite them would smile politely but quirk an eyebrow and then Ohno would make weird expressions that caused Sho to cackle with laughter.

During one summer, Ohno spent all his days drawing and painting under the shade. He started early in the morning and would only stop when Sho came home from club practice. Sho knew he would find his brother under the tree and would look for him as soon as he neared his house. Sure enough, he always saw Ohno bent over his canvas.

"Satoshi!" he called out during one unusually hot day.

Ohno looked up from his drawing and saw Sho coming up the walkway. He smiled but did not set his work down.

"Satoshi," Sho repeated when he ducked under the tree. "Come on. Let's go inside. It's stifling out here." He unconsciously tugged at the neck of his undershirt which was already soaked with his sweat.

Ohno gathered his equipment under his arm. "All right." He followed behind Sho as they made their way towards the house.

And then just before he crossed the threshold into the building, Sho's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he slumped.

"Sho!" Instinctively, Ohno dropped everything and reached out to catch him. His brother fell backwards into his arms. "Sho! Sho!" he cried. His heart raced as he sat in the doorway holding onto his unconscious brother. He looked around him in panic and then suddenly remembered to call for help.

Ohno gently set Sho down and went for the phone.

When he opened his eyes, Sho found himself resting on the couch with Ohno hovering over him. The older boy was fanning him with a large piece of paper.

"Idiot!" Ohno scolded as soon as he saw that Sho was awake, but he did not stop fanning. "You fell from heat exhaustion! Did you stand under the sun all day?"

Sho did not answer. He pushed himself onto his elbows. "Satoshi, my head hurts. Did you hit it somewhere when you brought me here?"

Ohno shrugged. "You know you were too heavy for me to carry up the stairs." Then he narrowed his eyes. "Lay back down."

Sho complied, falling onto his back once more. He felt nauseous anyway and didn't need much persuasion. As he closed his eyes, something caught his vision. His eyes flew open again and he stared in shock at Ohno's artwork scattered across the open kitchen doorway. He saw that the large paper Ohno was holding was his own drawing with a long rip in the middle that obstructed the picture.

Again, Sho pushed up on his elbows. "Satoshi! I'm so sorry!"

Ohno frowned. "Get back down."

Immediately, Sho laid back, but his eyes did not leave his brother's face. "I'm sorry," he repeated. Guilt gnawed at him. How could he have done that to Ohno?

Ohno smiled triumphantly down at him, a smile of mischief and pride. "It's all right."

The grin struck at his heart. "What can I do for you?" Sho asked regretfully. He knew that Ohno had been working on that drawing for many weeks now. Because of him it was ruined. All that work wasted.

Ohno continued to fan him as he thought. "I want to draw you, Sho. Be my model, please."

The fact that he was not angry at all touched Sho's heart. He suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to touch Ohno.

Instead of answering, Sho beckoned the other boy to lean down. Ohno looked clueless. He lowered his fan and bent closer to the youth. Sho reached up and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. He pulled Ohno closer and touched their foreheads together.

"Okay. Anything you want for as long as you need."

Disbelief crossed Ohno's face as he pulled back. He stared at Sho wide-eyed. "Really?"

For one whole month, Sho spent his nights in Ohno's room. He would pose in one position and study at the same time. In silence, they worked on their own things. Every once in a while, the student moved and walked around to peer at Ohno's work from behind, but the older boy would be so engrossed in his drawing he wouldn't even notice. In silence once more, Sho returned to his position.

On the last day, Ohno got up and exclaimed, "I did it!"

Sho peered up from his book.

Ohno smiled at him from across the room. "I'm finished."

Sho scrambled to his feet and rushed to Ohno's side to view the finished piece.

One look and Sho burst into laughter of disbelief. "EhhH? Is that meee?"

Ohno frowned because, how could he not see it? "Yea."

Sho slung an arm around his brother's shoulder still chortling. "It looks good Satoshi, but who is this guy?" He pointed at the caricature of a tanned, muscular man wearing a red cap.

Ohno's frown deepened. "It's the way I see Sho."

Sho smiled and said, "All right. I'll try to be like that." He drew Ohno's face towards him and pecked the older man on the cheek. "Goodnight." Then he turned to leave.

Ohno continued to study his finished artwork. He thought it was brilliant so why was Sho so surprised? Sho stepped out of his bedroom and as soon as the door closed behind him, Ohno could hear his laughter from the other side.

Even after he entered university, Sho continued to be amused by Ohno. It was extremely close to adoration.

And like this, I hope this feeling would go away.

Then suddenly, Sho started to act differently. He shared less of his thoughts with Ohno. Ohno wondered if it was just because his brother was stressed and so he didn't dig into the reason.

Ohno walked in through the door after work one day and was taking his shoes off when Sho rushed passed him like the wind. "Sho!" he turned and called after the youth who was already running through the streets.

Curious, he finished taking off his shoes and went to the kitchen where his mother was preparing dinner. "Mom, where is Sho going? I thought he had midsemester exams." Lately, he had noticed that his brother was getting lazy. He wasn't sticking his nose into books as much. It was worrisome.

She continued to chop the vegetables and replied without glancing up, "He's been changing his clothes all day and checking himself in the mirror. My guess is he has a date."

Ohno drew in a deep breath. His lungs refused to work for a split second. "O-oh." He frowned and moved away, proceeding up the stairs without another word. Halfway through the steps, Ohno slowed down and clutched at his beating heart. Why did he feel so upset? It was especially frustrating because he didn't understand. Was a girl why his brother was not concentrating on his studies?

That night, darkness descended and still Sho had not come home. For the first time, Ohno grew anxious. But why did he suddenly care so much for what his brother did? He wanted to have Sho there with him. Why?

He went into his brother's room and laid on the bed. For some reason that put his heart at ease; the smell of Sho all around him. He hated feeling confused.

At midnight, Sho walked into his room and found someone on his bed. At a closer look, it was Ohno resting on top of the covers, as if he had just wanted to lay there and had accidentally fallen asleep. Sho went on his knees by the bedside and reached over to stroke his older brother's cheek gently.

That afternoon, Sho's date had asked him if she was pretty since he had spent most of the time looking away.

"You're pretty," he answered, but she glowered at him.

"You lie. Who do you like then? Who's cute?"

Satoshi.

Sho stared intently at the peaceful face of his older stepbrother. Ohno looked like a sweet child.

Because he couldn't control himself, Sho forcefully pulled away.

I don't understand it. This feeling, I keep wishing it would just disappear.

* * *

Next Vice THREE: Wrath - vengeance, anger