Bits and Pieces 01
PROLOGUE
Bits and Pieces 01
01.
"Misako's pregnant," Ohno muttered from the sitting room couch.
Nino had just returned from work and stood behind the kitchen counter sipping his coffee. When Ohno had come out of his studio to greet him, he'd been surprised, but he hadn't expected his boyfriend to suddenly spill the news. He rubbed at his sleepy eyes and sighed at the piece of abrupt information.
"I'm not surprised. Mii-chan is a handful. Did she tell the father?"
Ohno took a deep breath and leaned into his hands. They covered his face. Nino set down his coffee and squinted at him. "What's wrong?"
"Nino," Ohno began in a murmur, "I'm going to marry her."
For a split second the entire world froze; time stopped and the air in the room suspended. Then Nino fell back into reality. He almost had to laugh to keep his nerves from skyrocketing. After all, it couldn't be right.
"She's your freaking childhood friend," he said to his boyfriend. "You don't owe her that much. I mean, fuck it, I love Masaki but there's a distinct line between being lovers and just friends."
Ohno gave him a hopeless look through his fingers before he looked at his feet. He repeated monotonously, "I'm marrying her." It was all he could say.
Nino couldn't believe it. He stared at his impossible boyfriend. Was Ohno breaking up with him? All because a stupid childhood friend was pregnant? Frustration built in his chest and he started to fume until a sudden realization hit him. Ohno was still half hidden behind his hands and he refused to speak, almost as if he couldn't. Nino moved around the kitchen counter until he stood at the end of the sitting room and stared directly at Ohno with no barrier between them. He took a deep breath into his lungs, but when he spoke he almost could not say it.
"Who's the father?" he asked.
Ohno slumped even lower, wanting to disappear.
Nino did not want to believe it. "Who's the father of her baby?" he repeated, his voice stronger the second time, his tone surprisingly level.
Ohno began to rock back and forth on the couch, but his hands remained over his eyes and on his face.
"I'm sorry, Nino," he whispered. "I'm sorry."
Nino grabbed his cup of unfinished coffee and flung it across the room. It flew a meter wide of Ohno's head and smashed against the wall. A brown stain marked the previously white plaster.
"YOU'RE LYING!" he screamed.
Ohno continued to rock back and forth and to murmur under his breath, "I'm sorry."
02.
It was one of Aiba's off day from the bar and he'd gone to the club with Matsumoto, an underclassman from high school and long time friend he hadn't had the pleasure of drinking with for a while. Their conversation was easy and relaxed. Matsumoto spoke of his next modeling gig that would be set in the beautiful countryside. Matsumoto's enthusiasm to travel, even within Japan, reminded Aiba of Sakurai and he wished he would have introduced them. He knew it would have made Sakurai happy.
Music drowned out the other voices around them. They'd only started on their second drink before Aiba received the mysterious call from Ohno to go to Nino. Ohno gave no further details. Nervous about what it meant, Aiba woefully told Matsumoto he had to leave for an urgent matter. Matsumoto quirked an eyebrow at him, but Aiba knew as little as he had told and could not explain.
"Sorry," he apologized.
"It's all right," Matsumoto assured him, always the gentleman and courteous as he bid goodbye to the taller man from their booth.
Near the exit Aiba glanced back and saw that Matsumoto was no longer at their table. He'd already wandered onto the dance floor and disappeared into the crowd. His heart a little less heavy knowing that at least Matsumoto would enjoy his night, Aiba left the club.
Outside, he was relieved of everything else but concern for his best friend and pulled out his phone to call Nino. He hailed a taxi in the meantime and waited for Nino to pick up, but that didn't happen. He called Ohno instead and was exasperated when the other man did not pick up his call also.
03.
Aiba reached Ohno and Nino's shared apartment in record time. Nino had given him a key, but he didn't use it, instead choosing to knock. Neither inhabitants answered.
"Kazu? Ohno-san? It's Masaki. Open, please," he near shouted.
Finally, Aiba fished out his key, but the door unlocked suddenly. Aiba pushed it open and stared wide-eyed at the sight that greeted him.
The apartment beyond was a mess. Among broken household items were strewn broken canvases of artwork, clay models and utensils. Colorful paint marked the walls and floor. On the genkan, Nino was curled up with his head in his arms. Paint stained his clothes and hands. Aiba trembled and knelt by his best friend. He dared not touch Nino first.
"Kazu," he whispered. "What happened?"
Nino dropped his arms and looked up into his face with lifeless, dead eyes. He reached out as if searching for a lifeline and Aiba grasped his outstretched hand.
"I destroyed everything, Masaki," he murmured under his breath. "Ohno-san left. He's not coming back."
04.
Outside a different apartment complex, Ohno with dry tear stains on his face walked into the open arms of a crying young woman.
"I'm sorry," he whispered against her shoulder as he buried himself into the comforting warmth of her embrace. "I won't leave you again. I promise."
Watanabe Misako sniffed and nodded.
TWO
Bits and Pieces 01
01.
"Misako's pregnant," Ohno muttered from the sitting room couch.
Nino had just returned from work and stood behind the kitchen counter sipping his coffee. When Ohno had come out of his studio to greet him, he'd been surprised, but he hadn't expected his boyfriend to suddenly spill the news. He rubbed at his sleepy eyes and sighed at the piece of abrupt information.
"I'm not surprised. Mii-chan is a handful. Did she tell the father?"
Ohno took a deep breath and leaned into his hands. They covered his face. Nino set down his coffee and squinted at him. "What's wrong?"
"Nino," Ohno began in a murmur, "I'm going to marry her."
For a split second the entire world froze; time stopped and the air in the room suspended. Then Nino fell back into reality. He almost had to laugh to keep his nerves from skyrocketing. After all, it couldn't be right.
"She's your freaking childhood friend," he said to his boyfriend. "You don't owe her that much. I mean, fuck it, I love Masaki but there's a distinct line between being lovers and just friends."
Ohno gave him a hopeless look through his fingers before he looked at his feet. He repeated monotonously, "I'm marrying her." It was all he could say.
Nino couldn't believe it. He stared at his impossible boyfriend. Was Ohno breaking up with him? All because a stupid childhood friend was pregnant? Frustration built in his chest and he started to fume until a sudden realization hit him. Ohno was still half hidden behind his hands and he refused to speak, almost as if he couldn't. Nino moved around the kitchen counter until he stood at the end of the sitting room and stared directly at Ohno with no barrier between them. He took a deep breath into his lungs, but when he spoke he almost could not say it.
"Who's the father?" he asked.
Ohno slumped even lower, wanting to disappear.
Nino did not want to believe it. "Who's the father of her baby?" he repeated, his voice stronger the second time, his tone surprisingly level.
Ohno began to rock back and forth on the couch, but his hands remained over his eyes and on his face.
"I'm sorry, Nino," he whispered. "I'm sorry."
Nino grabbed his cup of unfinished coffee and flung it across the room. It flew a meter wide of Ohno's head and smashed against the wall. A brown stain marked the previously white plaster.
"YOU'RE LYING!" he screamed.
Ohno continued to rock back and forth and to murmur under his breath, "I'm sorry."
02.
It was one of Aiba's off day from the bar and he'd gone to the club with Matsumoto, an underclassman from high school and long time friend he hadn't had the pleasure of drinking with for a while. Their conversation was easy and relaxed. Matsumoto spoke of his next modeling gig that would be set in the beautiful countryside. Matsumoto's enthusiasm to travel, even within Japan, reminded Aiba of Sakurai and he wished he would have introduced them. He knew it would have made Sakurai happy.
Music drowned out the other voices around them. They'd only started on their second drink before Aiba received the mysterious call from Ohno to go to Nino. Ohno gave no further details. Nervous about what it meant, Aiba woefully told Matsumoto he had to leave for an urgent matter. Matsumoto quirked an eyebrow at him, but Aiba knew as little as he had told and could not explain.
"Sorry," he apologized.
"It's all right," Matsumoto assured him, always the gentleman and courteous as he bid goodbye to the taller man from their booth.
Near the exit Aiba glanced back and saw that Matsumoto was no longer at their table. He'd already wandered onto the dance floor and disappeared into the crowd. His heart a little less heavy knowing that at least Matsumoto would enjoy his night, Aiba left the club.
Outside, he was relieved of everything else but concern for his best friend and pulled out his phone to call Nino. He hailed a taxi in the meantime and waited for Nino to pick up, but that didn't happen. He called Ohno instead and was exasperated when the other man did not pick up his call also.
03.
Aiba reached Ohno and Nino's shared apartment in record time. Nino had given him a key, but he didn't use it, instead choosing to knock. Neither inhabitants answered.
"Kazu? Ohno-san? It's Masaki. Open, please," he near shouted.
Finally, Aiba fished out his key, but the door unlocked suddenly. Aiba pushed it open and stared wide-eyed at the sight that greeted him.
The apartment beyond was a mess. Among broken household items were strewn broken canvases of artwork, clay models and utensils. Colorful paint marked the walls and floor. On the genkan, Nino was curled up with his head in his arms. Paint stained his clothes and hands. Aiba trembled and knelt by his best friend. He dared not touch Nino first.
"Kazu," he whispered. "What happened?"
Nino dropped his arms and looked up into his face with lifeless, dead eyes. He reached out as if searching for a lifeline and Aiba grasped his outstretched hand.
"I destroyed everything, Masaki," he murmured under his breath. "Ohno-san left. He's not coming back."
04.
Outside a different apartment complex, Ohno with dry tear stains on his face walked into the open arms of a crying young woman.
"I'm sorry," he whispered against her shoulder as he buried himself into the comforting warmth of her embrace. "I won't leave you again. I promise."
Watanabe Misako sniffed and nodded.
TWO