{fic} A Look to Last a Lifetime - (2/2)
Title: A Look to Last a Lifetime
Author: charcoaldonkey
Pairing: OhnoxNino
Genre: Horror, Angst
Rating: R -Viewer discretion is advised-
Warning: Contains sexual content and situations some may find disturbing. If gore and smut aren't your flavour of cupcake then this may not be the right fic for you. Read at your own risk!
(A Look to Last a Lifetime - Part 1)
*A/N: Okay! Here's the second, or final part to this fic :3
If you haven't read the first, I strongly suggest you do. It will not make sense otherwise xD
The link is above ^
Well. I really liked writing this fic, although there were many nights i stayed up till the wee hours of the morning, waiting for zombies to come eat me xD
It was fun to try out horror though, please tell me your thoughts and constructive criticism is definitely welcome! ^.^
Comments are inspiration~~ <3
Read on~
~
“Let’s go…” Nino hummed softly against Ohno’s hair. They were back in his apartment and they both knew it was dangerous. They could have easily been followed, but somehow neither one of them had had the strength to search for anywhere else to stay. Not after Jun.
Ohno shifted beside him and Nino blinked back pointless tears. It wouldn’t do him any good getting worked up over the dead man. They hadn’t known him, and there was nothing they could have done. Even if they had have killed the infected, he still would have fallen to the disease in the end. He repeated that silently to himself for a moment.
“Oh-chan?”
The man blinked slowly, squinting up at Nino before smiling slightly and ruffling his bed-ridden hair. “What time is it?”
He glanced at the old wristwatch-the only thing his father had left for him. “Eight in the morning.” He ran his fingers through Ohno’s soft hair, gently working out the tangles. “Want breakfast?”
“Mm.”
“…Lets go, okay?” Nino said quietly, sitting up and crossing his legs. “To the country.”
Ohno blinked and cracked his knuckles, rolling onto his side and propping himself up on an elbow. “Really…? Are you sure?”
“Mm.” Nino nodded. “I agree. It’s getting too dangerous here.” He frowned. “Besides, it’d be nice… not having to run anymore.” A pause and he smiled; slow and in wonder.
“Okay.” Ohno smiled and kissed him softly on the cheek. “Lets go after breakfast then.”
It had rained that night, and Nino gingerly avoided the deep puddles in the pavement as they slowly made their way away from Ohno’s apartment building.
His shoes were wearing thin, he’d bought them a year before the infection hit, and now he could feel the pavement under his feet almost as if he were standing on it barefooted. He frowned and Ohno took him by the arm, leading him down a side street.
“You know it would be faster to go straight…” Nino laughed and peaked sideways at Ohno who just shrugged.
“This way’s good too.”
But Nino saw through the smile, noticed the tightness around the edges of his eyes and remembered Jun, and that what was left of him wouldn’t have moved.
“Okay.”
The air felt wet with spring and Nino’s hands were clammy where he gripped the metal crowbar.
Ohno was walking a little ways ahead of him and Nino smiled fondly at his back as he thought back to the night they’d first met.
* It had snowed that day, and the thin layer of white covered the abandoned dead like a blanket. It was less than a week since the power grids had failed, and his DS was close to dying; the ominous red light making him jumpy and irritated.
Two weeks prior he’d been bashing his only family’s head in, and he knew he was going a little crazy. Crazy was a given, he guessed. You kind of had to be a little insane if you wanted to survive, otherwise the things you see would slowly eat you out until there was nothing left.
But Nino didn’t want to survive, not anymore. His whole world had fallen apart in the run of three weeks and it was still falling. Things he’d seen happen only in the safety of a video game were coming to life all around him and there was no escape.
He was freezing, and despite his screaming morals he’d pulled the parka from a boy no older than fifteen. Things like missing legs or faces didn’t really affect him in the same way anymore.
He sat down on a step to a small house in what used to be a nice neighborhood and pulled out the DS, his only companion.
It was Super Mario Bros. Not his favorite, but just happened to be what was in it as he grabbed it and ran. He’d beaten it several days before but still he played it, moving his fingers without conscious thought and losing himself in a safer, better, digital world.
It was dark, and he hadn’t noticed just how loud the happy theme song was playing through the little machine. Though as he moved his stiff limbs to turn it down the screen went black, leaving him utterly alone and frightened.
The next thing he knew, he was waking up on carpeted floor with a stiff neck and pounding headache. He sat up warily and looked around in confusion, freezing as an auburn haired man appeared in a doorway just to his right.
“Who are you?!” Nino’s voice felt hoarse and awkward after not using it for so long, but he ignored that and scrambled to his feet as the stranger took a step forward.
Then Nino noticed two things at once; one being the clothing he was wearing wasn’t his, and the other that Subaru was gone.
“Where is he?!” The scream was raw and hurt like hell but he felt abandoned, scared and alone. He could barely see straight as he took several menacing steps toward the man who was now shakily pointing a gun at him.
“I-I don’t know! You were alone, weren’t you?” His eyes were wide and his features twisted in a look of distress. “I mean, I’ve been following you for days, I never saw anyone else-you passed out, but there were a ton of them coming down the street and I couldn’t just leave you there…”
He was genuinely upset and Nino could tell he was telling the truth. “Subaru… it’s my Nintendo.” He whispered and to his horror his voice shook. Everything he held dear to him was slowly disappearing.
“…Is that a rectangle… thingy with a red top and black bottom?”
Nino’s head snapped up in shock and the man pulled the game from the pocket of his coat, lowering the revolver and tucking it in his belt. “I didn’t throw away your stuff, I just changed your clothes, they were filthy…” An oddly knowing smile flickered across his lips and for a second Nino wanted to snarl at him, but he held back the primal instinct. This was called being nice, right?
“Here,” He tossed the Nintendo carefully across the carpet and Nino picked it up, hugging the cold plastic to his chest.
“Are you… sick?” Nino’s question seemed to amuse the other man and a flash of anger shot through him again.
“No,” He said it as if he were trying not to laugh but his dark brown eyes remained calmly focused on Nino’s. “Do I look like a zombie?”
“No…” Nino chewed on his lip and frowned, glancing out the nearest window and into the dark.
“Why don’t you stay… for tonight.”
“Why?” His sharp tone cut through the air like a knife but seemed to have no effect on the man, who just yawned sleepily.
“It’s late, and cold. I have food and this house has a deadbolt and locks on all the windows. Sounds pretty good, huh?” He laughed softly and raised his eyebrows in an almost inviting way. “C’mon, I won’t bite.”
Nino blinked slowly at the strange humor and sat gingerly on the expensive leather couch.
“I’m Ohno, Ohno Satoshi.” He grinned and reached behind him into what must have been a kitchen to produce a tin of canned peaches. “You’re thin as a rail. Here,” He tossed the can over and dropped down onto the carpet with an accidental grace. “Dig in, I already ate.”
He spent the next twenty minutes ignoring an assortment of personal and random questions aimed at him as he ate. The man didn’t seem to mind his silence, and didn’t appear to notice his lack of response. Nino set the can down with a sigh; it had been a long time since his stomach was full.
“Do you have any pets?”
“No.”
He lay down on the couch and stared up at the water-stained ceiling.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty seven-”
“Wow~ younger huh… What’s your sexual preference?”
“Does it matter?”
“Maybe.” There was a smile in his tone and Nino grit his teeth. What was the point of privacy anymore anyway?
“Men.”
Silence.
“What’s your name?”
“Ninomiya Kazunari.” He snapped and closed his eyes, ignoring the images burning against his eyelids. Somewhere in the distance a scream echoed, and Nino’s hands clenched into shaking fists as Ohno fell silent. “They aren’t zombies you know…”
“Hm?”
“The… the sick people. You called them zombies, but they’re not.” He said slowly, and his words hung thickly in the air above them for a moment; and after a while Nino began to think he’d fallen asleep.
“Okay.” He said it simply, acceptingly, and not five minutes later his soft snoring filled the silence. *
Up ahead Ohno was checking the old and red stained map they had and Nino hurried to catch up, not wanting to be alone. But something under his shoe wasn’t hard like the pavement, and pavement didn’t crunch like that.
Slowly he took a step back and looked down, his stomach doing flips as his eyes landed on the severed hand with freshly broken fingers.
He couldn’t stop himself as his eyes followed the trail of blood to where the man’s head lay. His hair was familiar and as he stumbled back several more steps Sho’s face came into view, his skin ghostly white and eyes dull and unseeing. He hadn’t survived either.
He was falling; having tripped on something behind him, the world slipped into slow motion. He twisted in mid-air, an attempt to catch himself, but his arms wouldn’t move fast enough and the ground rushed up to meet him with a whoosh.
“Nino!” Ohno was at his side in less than a second and Nino was hissing in pain and trying not to cry. Though the only thing he managed to do when he was helped to his knees was retch the contents of his stomach across the pavement.
“C’mon, shh…” Ohno murmured gently, rubbing his back as he helped him into a sitting position. “Let me see… Damn…” He chewed anxiously on his lip. “Nino you fell on glass… It’s all in your cheek… Damn, just ah… it’ll get infected like this…” He lowered his hands to Nino’s shoulders and glanced around them, they were sitting ducks here. “C’mon, I think there’s a liquor store up ahead, we’ll clean it in there.”
Nino nodded shakily, trying to move his face and feeling the fresh cuts scream in agony. Ohno’s eyes trailed to where Sho’s head lay and he winced, looking down and putting a hand against Nino’s neck, his thumb brushing along the edge of his jaw. “C’mon,”
His legs appeared to have lost their strength and he had to lean heavily on Ohno’s side as they made their way down to the street to the small liquor store. Ohno smashed a window with his bat and they crawled in.
It was eerily dark inside and Nino stood anxiously by the window as Ohno did a quick check. “Seems clear…” He muttered and appeared from behind a shelf, a bottle of vodka in one hand. “Now… this is really going to hurt.” Nino nodded, tight lipped as Ohno opened the bottle and put his thumb over the top.
It was the equivalent of lighting his face on fire and he cried out in both pain and shock, slamming a fist against the wall behind him and breathing jaggedly through clenched teeth.
“Sorry,” Ohno whispered and poured a bit more on, his face screwed up as if experiencing the same pain. He splashed some over his hands and put the bottle down, rubbing his hands together before fixing Nino with a stern look. “There’s glass in the cuts… So I’m going to pull it out, okay? Hold onto me, this is going to be painful,”
Alright,” He bit down hard on his lip and gripped a fistful of Ohno’s jacket as he tried to blink back tears. “Alright go.”
Ohno winced and leaned in to kiss him quickly, pulling back and focusing on the many cuts. The biggest was deep, and full of the little shards of green glass; he tried not to panic. “You have to be more careful, okay? We’re lucky it was only dirt on the glass…” He pulled a few small pieces out, dropping them to the floor beside them.
Nino made a small noise of agreement and clamped his eyes shut, his fists tightening as Ohno pulled out one of the larger shards.
“Sorry… Okay I think that’s it…” Ohno’s lips were soft and comforting on his forehead and he let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.
Ohno rinsed the blood from his hands in the alcohol, pulling a battered box of tissues from the bag and ripping one in half. “Hold this,” He handed it to Nino and pulled out the drywall tape, rolling out a decent strip and biting it off with his teeth.
It served well enough, and kept the tissue covering the wound but made it difficult to move his mouth, and the slightest twitch sent a shot of pain through him. Ohno laughed. “Good as new,” Another kiss and he was trying to hide his smile. “You look like a mummy.” He dodged a lazy punch and grinned, packing the tape, tissues and vodka back into the bag. “I’m going to use the bathroom okay? Wait here.”
Nino nodded and forced a smile on his face as Ohno turned and made his way toward the restrooms at the back of the shop. The water lines had stopped working long ago, but a toilet was still a toilet, and it was better than nothing. Nino sighed, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes; ghostly memories drifting through his mind as he tried to distract himself from the pain. Sho hadn’t made it either… He sniffed and vaguely heard Ohno bump into something on the other side of the store but he ignored it.
How long would they last here? The list of survivors was growing thin along with their luck. Was Ohno’s guesswork right or would there be just as many of them in the country as the city?
“Oh-chan, I thought you were using the bathroom…”
His eyes were closed but he heard the footsteps approaching, coming a little too fast for Ohno’s usual daze. He opened his eyes and there was a split second of silence as he stared at her and she stared back. Nino’s breath caught in his throat and she grinned, her white eyes gleaming in the dark.
“You too!” She whispered and there was an odd hissing noise. Nino realized with disgust, there were large gashes through her throat and down her arms; she couldn’t have been more than ten.
His stomach dropped and he tried to cry out for Ohno but no sound would aid him and he lunged for his abandoned crowbar. She made it there first and kicked it away, grabbing him by the shirt and throwing him against the wall with a bang. Stars spotted his vision and he gasped in several mouthfuls of air, trying to re-fill his lungs.
“You too! You too!” She was giggling and he was defenseless and dizzy, his head spinning. He swung wildly at her but she easily avoided it, gripping his arm and twisting it sharply above his head.
“Ohno!” Finally the scream erupted from his lips and the girl smiled, reaching forward to peal the bandage from his face. “-Ohno!"
“Aw, let me kiss it better.” And her smile grew, revealing blackened teeth and blacker gums.
“No-please!” Nino whimpered, struggling uselessly against her iron grip as she leaned in and pressed her chapped lips against the bleeding wound.
“Nino!” There was a faint whistling noise followed by a dull thud and the girl was gone.
“Oh god-” Nino sank to the floor, an overwhelming panic rising in his throat. “Oh god!” His eyes were clamped shut, his fingers shaking as he wiped the blood dripping from his cheek. His stomach reeled and he covered his mouth with one hand.
Over the rushing in his ears he heard Ohno’s low grunt and the sound of nails against tile stopped. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t have happened. He fell to his side and a sob wracked his frame. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Ohno’s hurried footsteps made him cringe and hands were on his arms, smoothing back his hair as he murmured things like ‘Everything’s okay’ and ‘You’re alright’. He didn’t know.
Would he be left alone like Jun? How long did he have before his eyes turned white and flesh started rotting?
Ohno was sitting him up and tears were coating his cheeks, stinging in the cuts there. “What’s wrong…?” Ohno said slowly, his eyes raking over Nino’s distress. “Nino did she-” He broke off and his fingers hovered uncertainly over his cheek; Nino turned his face away and nodded. Ohno’s breath hitched and Nino saw the color rush from the man’s cheeks. “Are you-are you sure?”
A sob choked from between his teeth as he nodded again and suddenly he felt alone, isolated, diseased. He stood slowly, shakily, and it was all he could do not to turn and run as fast and as hard away from Ohno as he could. Would it be minutes, days, or weeks before he was trying to kill the man in front of him? Before the only think he wanted was to eat the flesh from his bones?
“I’m sorry-” He cried and stumbled away from where Ohno sat crouched, frozen. He caught himself on the wall to keep his footing as the world began spinning out of his control. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“It’s-it’s okay. It’s going to be alright.” Ohno was muttering to himself and Nino’s heart ached. “We’ll-We’ll fix this Nino… I promise, I can fix this-”
“-You can’t,” Nino breathed, his eyes blurring with tears as he slid down to his knees. “Oh-chan, you can’t.”
“Yes! I can!” Tears were welling in his eyes as he scrambled to where Nino was bent over, cupping his jaw. “We can-”
“H-how? I’m infected…”
“We don’t know that. Not yet.” His lip was trembling and tears streaked down his cheeks, creating paths in the grime there. He pulled the vodka from the bag, fumbling desperately with the cap. “She-she may not have…” He trailed off and stared solemnly at Nino’s cheek, rolling his bottom lip between his teeth. “Here, I’m going to… to disinfect it.” He waited until Nino nodded before he splashed the liquor on the cuts, a deep frown pulling at his lips. “C’mon there’s… an apartment upstairs.” Ohno said quietly, his eyes tight shut but his hand even tighter around Nino’s hand. He stood and picked up the stained bat and crowbar, pulling Nino to his feet and fixing him with an almost challenging stare. “Come on.”
And Nino couldn’t quite bring himself to refuse. Not yet. His whole world -or what was left of it- was crashing down around him, making it hard to hear, hard to feel. Everything was just numb. “Okay…” Hardly any sound came out but Ohno seemed to understand and he nodded, not quite smiling but his frown easing.
He tugged him toward the back of the store and up a flight of stairs, ducking warily into each room as they passed. He looked blank. Emotionlessly lost in the darkness of his thoughts, and a shiver went up Nino’s spine.
The last room on the left had a bed and a couch. There were no sheets left, for reasons Nino wasn’t sure of but still, a mattress was a mattress, and suddenly he felt exhausted.
Nothing felt real, save for the suffocating numbness and he lowered himself onto the worn cushions. The sun was still high in the sky and it cast a dusty light into the room, setting the floating particles into golden life. Nino dropped his gaze, and Ohno was in front of him, kneeling between his knees and pulling the tissues out of the bag.
“You’re bleeding,” He said softly and made to dab at the wound but Nino’s hand shot out, catching him by the wrist and turning his head sharply away.
“Don’t touch me.” He whispered and tears sprung to his eyes, blurring his vision as a soft noise of despair caught in his throat. “You can’t… touch me…”
“Nino…”
Nino let go of his wrist to clamp a hand over his mouth, muffling an almost shocked sob at the truth of his words.
Ohno’s hands dropped limply into Nino’s lap and they shook around Nino’s other hand. After a moment he lifted his bowed head and pressed his lips firmly to Nino’s bruised knuckles. “Yes I can, like this.” He breathed in deeply against the back of his hand and threaded their fingers together, cradling them against his cheek. “We’ll beat this…”
Nino didn’t have the heart to point out the obvious, and something told him Ohno already knew. If all of Japan hadn’t been able to beat the disease, how could a painter and an employee at a video game store ever stand a chance?
They spent the rest of the day in their own thoughts, having the occasional casually fake conversation before slipping back into silence. But Nino could feel Ohno watching him, not in fear, but in worry, as if he’d drop dead any minute. And for once the mellow man seemed unable to sit still, fidgeting with his hands, the bag, and the gun.
It wasn’t until his battered watch read one o’clock that it happened. Everything started with a flash of white in front of his eyes, followed by splotches of black and green. Ohno was pulling him to his feet and muffling his screaming with one hand in barely more than a second, his eyes wide. “Nino! Nino, what’s going on?!”
But everything was on fire and sweat coated his skin, he couldn’t speak through his clenched teeth so he writhed in agonizing silence until finally the pain disappeared and he went limp in Ohno’s arms.
“N-Nino?!” His voice wavered and he gripped him tighter, pulling his hand from his mouth and brushing the hair from his eyes. “Nino what the hell just happened?”
“I don’t-” He cut off as a wave of nausea hit him and instinct pushed his legs in the direction of the bathroom. He’d barely made it to the porcelain toilet bowl before he retched what little food he had in his stomach.
“Nino…” Ohno dropped to his knees beside him and pulled his hair out of his face as his body heaved again.
“Oh God…” Nino coughed weakly and pressed the back of his hand to his lips, staring wide-eyed down at the red staining the toilet. “Ohno-” Nino’s voice was strangled and his body gave another violent heave, forcing what little fluid was left out of his stomach. “Ohno -look!” He gasped, gripping the toilet bowl and trying to regain his breath.
Ohno’s eyes widened as he spotted the crimson, and Nino could feel his hands shaking against his spine despite the calmness of his voice. “It’s okay, c’mon lets-uh, lets get you back in bed.” And he helped Nino’s trembling limbs off the floor, supporting most of his weight as they made their way back to the bedroom. “Here,” Ohno sat him down gently on the mattress and pealed off his own jacket, wrapping it up in a ball and putting it where normally a pillow would sit.
“But, Oh-chan it’s cold-”
“-I’ll be fine.” He cut in, flashing him a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Lie down, you look exhausted.” He pushed him down gently by the shoulders and helped swing his legs onto the bed. “I’ll keep watch, so don’t worry… just sleep.”
Days passed and they stayed in the small apartment, Nino growing thinner and paler by day, and unable to hold down any of the food or water Ohno fed him. He could barely stand on his own anymore, and Ohno had found a bucket to keep by the bed for whenever his stomach decided to empty itself.
“Nino?”
He turned his head with an effort to look at the red haired man, and for a second he examined his eyes. The fine lines around them from past smiles, the dark purplish circles framing them from lack of sleep, and the bloodshot red from the nights he waited until he thought Nino was asleep to cry.
The older man worried his lip and sat on the edge of the mattress, smoothing back his hair and taking a damp cloth to wipe the sweat from his brow. “How do you feel?” He murmured, pulling the old curtain they were using as a blanket up to his chin and trailing the back of his finger gently across his jaw. “Does your head hurt…?”
Nino nodded slightly, the small action an effort and Ohno’s brow creased anxiously. He pressed his palm against his forehead. “You’re burning up. I’m-I’m going to get the Tylenol, okay?” He left his side, and Nino closed his eyes tightly; their time was running out. “There isn’t much left, but don’t worry about it. I can find more-”
“-Ohno…” Nino winced and pushed himself into a sitting position, leaning his head heavily against the bed board. “Go.” There was silence and Nino didn’t dare open his eyes, lest Ohno’s expression change his mind. “There… isn’t much time, I don’t want you-” The pain in his head turned white hot and he hissed through his teeth. “-I don’t want you here when I die.”
“Nino you’re not going to die!” His voice was wavering and Nino opened his eyes slowly, meeting the man’s watery stare. “Don’t say that, you’re going to be fine-”
“I’m not,” He said softly, and his hand found Ohno’s. “Oh-chan, I’m not… I can feel it.” Ohno was shaking his head, his hand tightening around Nino’s as he lay his head in Nino’s lap. His shoulders shook and Nino’s free hand petted his hair soothingly, despite the lump in his throat. “I’m sorry.” He breathed and raised his eyes to the ceiling, blinking back his own tears.
Nino woke up, and it was dark. He heard movement on the other side of the room but it was impossible to see through the blackness, with not even the moonlight to aid him. And a chill went down his spine. “Ohno?” The noise stopped and utter silence surrounded him as the pounding of his heart kicked up speed. “Ohno?!” His voice was several octaves higher than normal and he looked around wildly, searching for something, anything to see.
“Nino I’m right here…” Ohno’s voice was uncertain but coming from across the room.
“Oh…” Nino relaxed against the bed board and looked in the direction of the window. “What time is it? There aren’t even any stars in the sky…”
Silence.
“Nino it’s… It’s almost noon.” There was movement, and the mattress beside him creaked as his stomach dropped. “Nino your-” Ohno cut himself off and Nino ducked his head away, closing his eyes tightly and trying to keep his breath even.
“No…” He whispered and tears escaped his lashes, running down his cheeks and stinging in the barely healed cuts. “Please no-”
And Ohno was pulling him to his chest, the warm fabric of his sweater absorbing the younger man’s sobs. His arms wrapped around Nino’s thin shoulders, holding him closer as they shared the horrified embrace. “Are you-are you sure you can’t see a thing?” Ohno pulled him back gently and cradled his jaw between his palms.
“I-I can’t!” Nino cried and through the dark his fingers rested over Ohno’s, he bit his lip. “Are they…?”
“No, not yet…” Ohno said slowly and his fingers shook slightly as they twined with Nino’s. “They’re… cloudy.”
Another sob hissed through Nino’s teeth and he closed his eyes, thinking back to Aiba. He’d followed them… would he follow Ohno too? “Ohno,” He paused and reached forward, his fingertips finding Ohno’s jaw, his lips, and the tears clinging to his cheeks. “I need you to do something… for me.”
Ohno sniffed softly and nodded under Nino’s hands, his warm breath hitting the skin of his wrist; Nino shivered.
“I need you to kill me… No listen to me Oh-chan.” He said quickly as Ohno tried to speak. “I know where you’re going… just like Aiba did, and I’ll follow you.” He drew in a shaky breath and closed his eyes, although there was no point. “I can’t let myself kill you… I love you.”
As the words left his lips he knew that they were true; fully aware that he’d only met the man three months ago, but knowing his feelings were being given life by much more than merely fear or horror. He loved the man sitting next to him more than himself and if that meant a bullet in his brain then so be it. “Ohno I’m dying.” And the truth to his words sent a dull pang of shock up his spine. “I can feel it, it’s close… please, kill me first.”
“Kazu-” Ohno choked through a sob and his tears hit the tips of Nino’s fingers. “I don’t want you to leave me, I-I don’t want to be alone! You can’t ask me to kill you, I can’t… I love you too…”
A day later his eyes were completely white, and his body had begun to shake; it was getting hard to breathe, almost like someone was sitting on his chest, and Nino was nervous. Ohno had firmly dismissed the subject of his death, and sat at the edge of the bed, hardly leaving his side for a moment, as if fearful he’d disappear. But the ever-present knowledge that his death was approaching made him sit up, the effort sending him wheezing.
“Hey! Let me help you,” Ohno said quickly, and his hands were under Nino’s arms, helping him up. “What’s wrong?”
“Ohno…” His voice was strained, and he cleared his throat. “Please.” And Ohno stilled, his hands trailing softly along his waist. Nino could tell by his silence that Ohno knew what he meant, and that he knew it made sense. “I don’t have…” He paused to regain his breath. “…Much longer. I don’t think I’ll last the night…” Ohno’s breath hitched and Nino’s heart ached. “Oh-chan,” He said gently and reached out into the dark, finding Ohno’s jaw and trailing his fingers softly over the smooth lines of his face.
“Nino-” A sob choked his words and Nino felt his lip quiver. “Please, you can’t leave me… Not like this!”
And despite his aching skin Nino leaned their foreheads together. “I’ll never leave you… Never… But you have to do this, so at least I know you’ll be a little safer… Shh…” He rested his chin on Ohno’s shoulder as his head swam and wrapped his arms tightly around the other man. “It’ll be okay,”
He knew he was just putting on a brave act, and that in reality the words were said as more of a pep talk to himself, but all the same Ohno hugged him back. His arms tightened and his nails dug painfully into his shoulders. “I love you Kazu…” Ohno breathed against Nino’s hair and pulled away, cupping his cheek with one hand and Nino heard the gentle clink of metal. “I’ll see you again… right?”
Nino’s heart skipped and his eyes closed tightly as he leaned into Ohno’s touch. “Yes,” He was breathless and he heard Ohno’s gentle hiccup as tears made their way down his full cheeks. “We’ll live on the hill by our lake-” His voice trembled and the cool metal was against his temple. “And we won’t have to worry about anything ever again, because we’ll be together.”
“Okay,” Ohno sniffed and he brushed his thumb across Nino’s cheek, wiping away the tears there. “Okay…”
And suddenly Nino’s bravado was gone and he was terrified as a sob escaped his lips. The chance of death had always been there but was never so close, or certain. And now it was frighteningly real.
Nino was shaking as he bit down on his lip, his fingers tangling with Ohno’s in the dark.
“Ohno, I’m scared…” He whispered.
“Everything’s going to be okay.” Ohno breathed against the damp skin of his forehead, kissing it gently as a breath trembled from between Nino’s clenched teeth. “I promise...”
Author: charcoaldonkey
Pairing: OhnoxNino
Genre: Horror, Angst
Rating: R -Viewer discretion is advised-
Warning: Contains sexual content and situations some may find disturbing. If gore and smut aren't your flavour of cupcake then this may not be the right fic for you. Read at your own risk!
(A Look to Last a Lifetime - Part 1)
*A/N: Okay! Here's the second, or final part to this fic :3
If you haven't read the first, I strongly suggest you do. It will not make sense otherwise xD
The link is above ^
Well. I really liked writing this fic, although there were many nights i stayed up till the wee hours of the morning, waiting for zombies to come eat me xD
It was fun to try out horror though, please tell me your thoughts and constructive criticism is definitely welcome! ^.^
Comments are inspiration~~ <3
Read on~
~
“Let’s go…” Nino hummed softly against Ohno’s hair. They were back in his apartment and they both knew it was dangerous. They could have easily been followed, but somehow neither one of them had had the strength to search for anywhere else to stay. Not after Jun.
Ohno shifted beside him and Nino blinked back pointless tears. It wouldn’t do him any good getting worked up over the dead man. They hadn’t known him, and there was nothing they could have done. Even if they had have killed the infected, he still would have fallen to the disease in the end. He repeated that silently to himself for a moment.
“Oh-chan?”
The man blinked slowly, squinting up at Nino before smiling slightly and ruffling his bed-ridden hair. “What time is it?”
He glanced at the old wristwatch-the only thing his father had left for him. “Eight in the morning.” He ran his fingers through Ohno’s soft hair, gently working out the tangles. “Want breakfast?”
“Mm.”
“…Lets go, okay?” Nino said quietly, sitting up and crossing his legs. “To the country.”
Ohno blinked and cracked his knuckles, rolling onto his side and propping himself up on an elbow. “Really…? Are you sure?”
“Mm.” Nino nodded. “I agree. It’s getting too dangerous here.” He frowned. “Besides, it’d be nice… not having to run anymore.” A pause and he smiled; slow and in wonder.
“Okay.” Ohno smiled and kissed him softly on the cheek. “Lets go after breakfast then.”
It had rained that night, and Nino gingerly avoided the deep puddles in the pavement as they slowly made their way away from Ohno’s apartment building.
His shoes were wearing thin, he’d bought them a year before the infection hit, and now he could feel the pavement under his feet almost as if he were standing on it barefooted. He frowned and Ohno took him by the arm, leading him down a side street.
“You know it would be faster to go straight…” Nino laughed and peaked sideways at Ohno who just shrugged.
“This way’s good too.”
But Nino saw through the smile, noticed the tightness around the edges of his eyes and remembered Jun, and that what was left of him wouldn’t have moved.
“Okay.”
The air felt wet with spring and Nino’s hands were clammy where he gripped the metal crowbar.
Ohno was walking a little ways ahead of him and Nino smiled fondly at his back as he thought back to the night they’d first met.
* It had snowed that day, and the thin layer of white covered the abandoned dead like a blanket. It was less than a week since the power grids had failed, and his DS was close to dying; the ominous red light making him jumpy and irritated.
Two weeks prior he’d been bashing his only family’s head in, and he knew he was going a little crazy. Crazy was a given, he guessed. You kind of had to be a little insane if you wanted to survive, otherwise the things you see would slowly eat you out until there was nothing left.
But Nino didn’t want to survive, not anymore. His whole world had fallen apart in the run of three weeks and it was still falling. Things he’d seen happen only in the safety of a video game were coming to life all around him and there was no escape.
He was freezing, and despite his screaming morals he’d pulled the parka from a boy no older than fifteen. Things like missing legs or faces didn’t really affect him in the same way anymore.
He sat down on a step to a small house in what used to be a nice neighborhood and pulled out the DS, his only companion.
It was Super Mario Bros. Not his favorite, but just happened to be what was in it as he grabbed it and ran. He’d beaten it several days before but still he played it, moving his fingers without conscious thought and losing himself in a safer, better, digital world.
It was dark, and he hadn’t noticed just how loud the happy theme song was playing through the little machine. Though as he moved his stiff limbs to turn it down the screen went black, leaving him utterly alone and frightened.
The next thing he knew, he was waking up on carpeted floor with a stiff neck and pounding headache. He sat up warily and looked around in confusion, freezing as an auburn haired man appeared in a doorway just to his right.
“Who are you?!” Nino’s voice felt hoarse and awkward after not using it for so long, but he ignored that and scrambled to his feet as the stranger took a step forward.
Then Nino noticed two things at once; one being the clothing he was wearing wasn’t his, and the other that Subaru was gone.
“Where is he?!” The scream was raw and hurt like hell but he felt abandoned, scared and alone. He could barely see straight as he took several menacing steps toward the man who was now shakily pointing a gun at him.
“I-I don’t know! You were alone, weren’t you?” His eyes were wide and his features twisted in a look of distress. “I mean, I’ve been following you for days, I never saw anyone else-you passed out, but there were a ton of them coming down the street and I couldn’t just leave you there…”
He was genuinely upset and Nino could tell he was telling the truth. “Subaru… it’s my Nintendo.” He whispered and to his horror his voice shook. Everything he held dear to him was slowly disappearing.
“…Is that a rectangle… thingy with a red top and black bottom?”
Nino’s head snapped up in shock and the man pulled the game from the pocket of his coat, lowering the revolver and tucking it in his belt. “I didn’t throw away your stuff, I just changed your clothes, they were filthy…” An oddly knowing smile flickered across his lips and for a second Nino wanted to snarl at him, but he held back the primal instinct. This was called being nice, right?
“Here,” He tossed the Nintendo carefully across the carpet and Nino picked it up, hugging the cold plastic to his chest.
“Are you… sick?” Nino’s question seemed to amuse the other man and a flash of anger shot through him again.
“No,” He said it as if he were trying not to laugh but his dark brown eyes remained calmly focused on Nino’s. “Do I look like a zombie?”
“No…” Nino chewed on his lip and frowned, glancing out the nearest window and into the dark.
“Why don’t you stay… for tonight.”
“Why?” His sharp tone cut through the air like a knife but seemed to have no effect on the man, who just yawned sleepily.
“It’s late, and cold. I have food and this house has a deadbolt and locks on all the windows. Sounds pretty good, huh?” He laughed softly and raised his eyebrows in an almost inviting way. “C’mon, I won’t bite.”
Nino blinked slowly at the strange humor and sat gingerly on the expensive leather couch.
“I’m Ohno, Ohno Satoshi.” He grinned and reached behind him into what must have been a kitchen to produce a tin of canned peaches. “You’re thin as a rail. Here,” He tossed the can over and dropped down onto the carpet with an accidental grace. “Dig in, I already ate.”
He spent the next twenty minutes ignoring an assortment of personal and random questions aimed at him as he ate. The man didn’t seem to mind his silence, and didn’t appear to notice his lack of response. Nino set the can down with a sigh; it had been a long time since his stomach was full.
“Do you have any pets?”
“No.”
He lay down on the couch and stared up at the water-stained ceiling.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty seven-”
“Wow~ younger huh… What’s your sexual preference?”
“Does it matter?”
“Maybe.” There was a smile in his tone and Nino grit his teeth. What was the point of privacy anymore anyway?
“Men.”
Silence.
“What’s your name?”
“Ninomiya Kazunari.” He snapped and closed his eyes, ignoring the images burning against his eyelids. Somewhere in the distance a scream echoed, and Nino’s hands clenched into shaking fists as Ohno fell silent. “They aren’t zombies you know…”
“Hm?”
“The… the sick people. You called them zombies, but they’re not.” He said slowly, and his words hung thickly in the air above them for a moment; and after a while Nino began to think he’d fallen asleep.
“Okay.” He said it simply, acceptingly, and not five minutes later his soft snoring filled the silence. *
Up ahead Ohno was checking the old and red stained map they had and Nino hurried to catch up, not wanting to be alone. But something under his shoe wasn’t hard like the pavement, and pavement didn’t crunch like that.
Slowly he took a step back and looked down, his stomach doing flips as his eyes landed on the severed hand with freshly broken fingers.
He couldn’t stop himself as his eyes followed the trail of blood to where the man’s head lay. His hair was familiar and as he stumbled back several more steps Sho’s face came into view, his skin ghostly white and eyes dull and unseeing. He hadn’t survived either.
He was falling; having tripped on something behind him, the world slipped into slow motion. He twisted in mid-air, an attempt to catch himself, but his arms wouldn’t move fast enough and the ground rushed up to meet him with a whoosh.
“Nino!” Ohno was at his side in less than a second and Nino was hissing in pain and trying not to cry. Though the only thing he managed to do when he was helped to his knees was retch the contents of his stomach across the pavement.
“C’mon, shh…” Ohno murmured gently, rubbing his back as he helped him into a sitting position. “Let me see… Damn…” He chewed anxiously on his lip. “Nino you fell on glass… It’s all in your cheek… Damn, just ah… it’ll get infected like this…” He lowered his hands to Nino’s shoulders and glanced around them, they were sitting ducks here. “C’mon, I think there’s a liquor store up ahead, we’ll clean it in there.”
Nino nodded shakily, trying to move his face and feeling the fresh cuts scream in agony. Ohno’s eyes trailed to where Sho’s head lay and he winced, looking down and putting a hand against Nino’s neck, his thumb brushing along the edge of his jaw. “C’mon,”
His legs appeared to have lost their strength and he had to lean heavily on Ohno’s side as they made their way down to the street to the small liquor store. Ohno smashed a window with his bat and they crawled in.
It was eerily dark inside and Nino stood anxiously by the window as Ohno did a quick check. “Seems clear…” He muttered and appeared from behind a shelf, a bottle of vodka in one hand. “Now… this is really going to hurt.” Nino nodded, tight lipped as Ohno opened the bottle and put his thumb over the top.
It was the equivalent of lighting his face on fire and he cried out in both pain and shock, slamming a fist against the wall behind him and breathing jaggedly through clenched teeth.
“Sorry,” Ohno whispered and poured a bit more on, his face screwed up as if experiencing the same pain. He splashed some over his hands and put the bottle down, rubbing his hands together before fixing Nino with a stern look. “There’s glass in the cuts… So I’m going to pull it out, okay? Hold onto me, this is going to be painful,”
Alright,” He bit down hard on his lip and gripped a fistful of Ohno’s jacket as he tried to blink back tears. “Alright go.”
Ohno winced and leaned in to kiss him quickly, pulling back and focusing on the many cuts. The biggest was deep, and full of the little shards of green glass; he tried not to panic. “You have to be more careful, okay? We’re lucky it was only dirt on the glass…” He pulled a few small pieces out, dropping them to the floor beside them.
Nino made a small noise of agreement and clamped his eyes shut, his fists tightening as Ohno pulled out one of the larger shards.
“Sorry… Okay I think that’s it…” Ohno’s lips were soft and comforting on his forehead and he let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.
Ohno rinsed the blood from his hands in the alcohol, pulling a battered box of tissues from the bag and ripping one in half. “Hold this,” He handed it to Nino and pulled out the drywall tape, rolling out a decent strip and biting it off with his teeth.
It served well enough, and kept the tissue covering the wound but made it difficult to move his mouth, and the slightest twitch sent a shot of pain through him. Ohno laughed. “Good as new,” Another kiss and he was trying to hide his smile. “You look like a mummy.” He dodged a lazy punch and grinned, packing the tape, tissues and vodka back into the bag. “I’m going to use the bathroom okay? Wait here.”
Nino nodded and forced a smile on his face as Ohno turned and made his way toward the restrooms at the back of the shop. The water lines had stopped working long ago, but a toilet was still a toilet, and it was better than nothing. Nino sighed, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes; ghostly memories drifting through his mind as he tried to distract himself from the pain. Sho hadn’t made it either… He sniffed and vaguely heard Ohno bump into something on the other side of the store but he ignored it.
How long would they last here? The list of survivors was growing thin along with their luck. Was Ohno’s guesswork right or would there be just as many of them in the country as the city?
“Oh-chan, I thought you were using the bathroom…”
His eyes were closed but he heard the footsteps approaching, coming a little too fast for Ohno’s usual daze. He opened his eyes and there was a split second of silence as he stared at her and she stared back. Nino’s breath caught in his throat and she grinned, her white eyes gleaming in the dark.
“You too!” She whispered and there was an odd hissing noise. Nino realized with disgust, there were large gashes through her throat and down her arms; she couldn’t have been more than ten.
His stomach dropped and he tried to cry out for Ohno but no sound would aid him and he lunged for his abandoned crowbar. She made it there first and kicked it away, grabbing him by the shirt and throwing him against the wall with a bang. Stars spotted his vision and he gasped in several mouthfuls of air, trying to re-fill his lungs.
“You too! You too!” She was giggling and he was defenseless and dizzy, his head spinning. He swung wildly at her but she easily avoided it, gripping his arm and twisting it sharply above his head.
“Ohno!” Finally the scream erupted from his lips and the girl smiled, reaching forward to peal the bandage from his face. “-Ohno!"
“Aw, let me kiss it better.” And her smile grew, revealing blackened teeth and blacker gums.
“No-please!” Nino whimpered, struggling uselessly against her iron grip as she leaned in and pressed her chapped lips against the bleeding wound.
“Nino!” There was a faint whistling noise followed by a dull thud and the girl was gone.
“Oh god-” Nino sank to the floor, an overwhelming panic rising in his throat. “Oh god!” His eyes were clamped shut, his fingers shaking as he wiped the blood dripping from his cheek. His stomach reeled and he covered his mouth with one hand.
Over the rushing in his ears he heard Ohno’s low grunt and the sound of nails against tile stopped. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t have happened. He fell to his side and a sob wracked his frame. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Ohno’s hurried footsteps made him cringe and hands were on his arms, smoothing back his hair as he murmured things like ‘Everything’s okay’ and ‘You’re alright’. He didn’t know.
Would he be left alone like Jun? How long did he have before his eyes turned white and flesh started rotting?
Ohno was sitting him up and tears were coating his cheeks, stinging in the cuts there. “What’s wrong…?” Ohno said slowly, his eyes raking over Nino’s distress. “Nino did she-” He broke off and his fingers hovered uncertainly over his cheek; Nino turned his face away and nodded. Ohno’s breath hitched and Nino saw the color rush from the man’s cheeks. “Are you-are you sure?”
A sob choked from between his teeth as he nodded again and suddenly he felt alone, isolated, diseased. He stood slowly, shakily, and it was all he could do not to turn and run as fast and as hard away from Ohno as he could. Would it be minutes, days, or weeks before he was trying to kill the man in front of him? Before the only think he wanted was to eat the flesh from his bones?
“I’m sorry-” He cried and stumbled away from where Ohno sat crouched, frozen. He caught himself on the wall to keep his footing as the world began spinning out of his control. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
“It’s-it’s okay. It’s going to be alright.” Ohno was muttering to himself and Nino’s heart ached. “We’ll-We’ll fix this Nino… I promise, I can fix this-”
“-You can’t,” Nino breathed, his eyes blurring with tears as he slid down to his knees. “Oh-chan, you can’t.”
“Yes! I can!” Tears were welling in his eyes as he scrambled to where Nino was bent over, cupping his jaw. “We can-”
“H-how? I’m infected…”
“We don’t know that. Not yet.” His lip was trembling and tears streaked down his cheeks, creating paths in the grime there. He pulled the vodka from the bag, fumbling desperately with the cap. “She-she may not have…” He trailed off and stared solemnly at Nino’s cheek, rolling his bottom lip between his teeth. “Here, I’m going to… to disinfect it.” He waited until Nino nodded before he splashed the liquor on the cuts, a deep frown pulling at his lips. “C’mon there’s… an apartment upstairs.” Ohno said quietly, his eyes tight shut but his hand even tighter around Nino’s hand. He stood and picked up the stained bat and crowbar, pulling Nino to his feet and fixing him with an almost challenging stare. “Come on.”
And Nino couldn’t quite bring himself to refuse. Not yet. His whole world -or what was left of it- was crashing down around him, making it hard to hear, hard to feel. Everything was just numb. “Okay…” Hardly any sound came out but Ohno seemed to understand and he nodded, not quite smiling but his frown easing.
He tugged him toward the back of the store and up a flight of stairs, ducking warily into each room as they passed. He looked blank. Emotionlessly lost in the darkness of his thoughts, and a shiver went up Nino’s spine.
The last room on the left had a bed and a couch. There were no sheets left, for reasons Nino wasn’t sure of but still, a mattress was a mattress, and suddenly he felt exhausted.
Nothing felt real, save for the suffocating numbness and he lowered himself onto the worn cushions. The sun was still high in the sky and it cast a dusty light into the room, setting the floating particles into golden life. Nino dropped his gaze, and Ohno was in front of him, kneeling between his knees and pulling the tissues out of the bag.
“You’re bleeding,” He said softly and made to dab at the wound but Nino’s hand shot out, catching him by the wrist and turning his head sharply away.
“Don’t touch me.” He whispered and tears sprung to his eyes, blurring his vision as a soft noise of despair caught in his throat. “You can’t… touch me…”
“Nino…”
Nino let go of his wrist to clamp a hand over his mouth, muffling an almost shocked sob at the truth of his words.
Ohno’s hands dropped limply into Nino’s lap and they shook around Nino’s other hand. After a moment he lifted his bowed head and pressed his lips firmly to Nino’s bruised knuckles. “Yes I can, like this.” He breathed in deeply against the back of his hand and threaded their fingers together, cradling them against his cheek. “We’ll beat this…”
Nino didn’t have the heart to point out the obvious, and something told him Ohno already knew. If all of Japan hadn’t been able to beat the disease, how could a painter and an employee at a video game store ever stand a chance?
They spent the rest of the day in their own thoughts, having the occasional casually fake conversation before slipping back into silence. But Nino could feel Ohno watching him, not in fear, but in worry, as if he’d drop dead any minute. And for once the mellow man seemed unable to sit still, fidgeting with his hands, the bag, and the gun.
It wasn’t until his battered watch read one o’clock that it happened. Everything started with a flash of white in front of his eyes, followed by splotches of black and green. Ohno was pulling him to his feet and muffling his screaming with one hand in barely more than a second, his eyes wide. “Nino! Nino, what’s going on?!”
But everything was on fire and sweat coated his skin, he couldn’t speak through his clenched teeth so he writhed in agonizing silence until finally the pain disappeared and he went limp in Ohno’s arms.
“N-Nino?!” His voice wavered and he gripped him tighter, pulling his hand from his mouth and brushing the hair from his eyes. “Nino what the hell just happened?”
“I don’t-” He cut off as a wave of nausea hit him and instinct pushed his legs in the direction of the bathroom. He’d barely made it to the porcelain toilet bowl before he retched what little food he had in his stomach.
“Nino…” Ohno dropped to his knees beside him and pulled his hair out of his face as his body heaved again.
“Oh God…” Nino coughed weakly and pressed the back of his hand to his lips, staring wide-eyed down at the red staining the toilet. “Ohno-” Nino’s voice was strangled and his body gave another violent heave, forcing what little fluid was left out of his stomach. “Ohno -look!” He gasped, gripping the toilet bowl and trying to regain his breath.
Ohno’s eyes widened as he spotted the crimson, and Nino could feel his hands shaking against his spine despite the calmness of his voice. “It’s okay, c’mon lets-uh, lets get you back in bed.” And he helped Nino’s trembling limbs off the floor, supporting most of his weight as they made their way back to the bedroom. “Here,” Ohno sat him down gently on the mattress and pealed off his own jacket, wrapping it up in a ball and putting it where normally a pillow would sit.
“But, Oh-chan it’s cold-”
“-I’ll be fine.” He cut in, flashing him a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Lie down, you look exhausted.” He pushed him down gently by the shoulders and helped swing his legs onto the bed. “I’ll keep watch, so don’t worry… just sleep.”
Days passed and they stayed in the small apartment, Nino growing thinner and paler by day, and unable to hold down any of the food or water Ohno fed him. He could barely stand on his own anymore, and Ohno had found a bucket to keep by the bed for whenever his stomach decided to empty itself.
“Nino?”
He turned his head with an effort to look at the red haired man, and for a second he examined his eyes. The fine lines around them from past smiles, the dark purplish circles framing them from lack of sleep, and the bloodshot red from the nights he waited until he thought Nino was asleep to cry.
The older man worried his lip and sat on the edge of the mattress, smoothing back his hair and taking a damp cloth to wipe the sweat from his brow. “How do you feel?” He murmured, pulling the old curtain they were using as a blanket up to his chin and trailing the back of his finger gently across his jaw. “Does your head hurt…?”
Nino nodded slightly, the small action an effort and Ohno’s brow creased anxiously. He pressed his palm against his forehead. “You’re burning up. I’m-I’m going to get the Tylenol, okay?” He left his side, and Nino closed his eyes tightly; their time was running out. “There isn’t much left, but don’t worry about it. I can find more-”
“-Ohno…” Nino winced and pushed himself into a sitting position, leaning his head heavily against the bed board. “Go.” There was silence and Nino didn’t dare open his eyes, lest Ohno’s expression change his mind. “There… isn’t much time, I don’t want you-” The pain in his head turned white hot and he hissed through his teeth. “-I don’t want you here when I die.”
“Nino you’re not going to die!” His voice was wavering and Nino opened his eyes slowly, meeting the man’s watery stare. “Don’t say that, you’re going to be fine-”
“I’m not,” He said softly, and his hand found Ohno’s. “Oh-chan, I’m not… I can feel it.” Ohno was shaking his head, his hand tightening around Nino’s as he lay his head in Nino’s lap. His shoulders shook and Nino’s free hand petted his hair soothingly, despite the lump in his throat. “I’m sorry.” He breathed and raised his eyes to the ceiling, blinking back his own tears.
Nino woke up, and it was dark. He heard movement on the other side of the room but it was impossible to see through the blackness, with not even the moonlight to aid him. And a chill went down his spine. “Ohno?” The noise stopped and utter silence surrounded him as the pounding of his heart kicked up speed. “Ohno?!” His voice was several octaves higher than normal and he looked around wildly, searching for something, anything to see.
“Nino I’m right here…” Ohno’s voice was uncertain but coming from across the room.
“Oh…” Nino relaxed against the bed board and looked in the direction of the window. “What time is it? There aren’t even any stars in the sky…”
Silence.
“Nino it’s… It’s almost noon.” There was movement, and the mattress beside him creaked as his stomach dropped. “Nino your-” Ohno cut himself off and Nino ducked his head away, closing his eyes tightly and trying to keep his breath even.
“No…” He whispered and tears escaped his lashes, running down his cheeks and stinging in the barely healed cuts. “Please no-”
And Ohno was pulling him to his chest, the warm fabric of his sweater absorbing the younger man’s sobs. His arms wrapped around Nino’s thin shoulders, holding him closer as they shared the horrified embrace. “Are you-are you sure you can’t see a thing?” Ohno pulled him back gently and cradled his jaw between his palms.
“I-I can’t!” Nino cried and through the dark his fingers rested over Ohno’s, he bit his lip. “Are they…?”
“No, not yet…” Ohno said slowly and his fingers shook slightly as they twined with Nino’s. “They’re… cloudy.”
Another sob hissed through Nino’s teeth and he closed his eyes, thinking back to Aiba. He’d followed them… would he follow Ohno too? “Ohno,” He paused and reached forward, his fingertips finding Ohno’s jaw, his lips, and the tears clinging to his cheeks. “I need you to do something… for me.”
Ohno sniffed softly and nodded under Nino’s hands, his warm breath hitting the skin of his wrist; Nino shivered.
“I need you to kill me… No listen to me Oh-chan.” He said quickly as Ohno tried to speak. “I know where you’re going… just like Aiba did, and I’ll follow you.” He drew in a shaky breath and closed his eyes, although there was no point. “I can’t let myself kill you… I love you.”
As the words left his lips he knew that they were true; fully aware that he’d only met the man three months ago, but knowing his feelings were being given life by much more than merely fear or horror. He loved the man sitting next to him more than himself and if that meant a bullet in his brain then so be it. “Ohno I’m dying.” And the truth to his words sent a dull pang of shock up his spine. “I can feel it, it’s close… please, kill me first.”
“Kazu-” Ohno choked through a sob and his tears hit the tips of Nino’s fingers. “I don’t want you to leave me, I-I don’t want to be alone! You can’t ask me to kill you, I can’t… I love you too…”
A day later his eyes were completely white, and his body had begun to shake; it was getting hard to breathe, almost like someone was sitting on his chest, and Nino was nervous. Ohno had firmly dismissed the subject of his death, and sat at the edge of the bed, hardly leaving his side for a moment, as if fearful he’d disappear. But the ever-present knowledge that his death was approaching made him sit up, the effort sending him wheezing.
“Hey! Let me help you,” Ohno said quickly, and his hands were under Nino’s arms, helping him up. “What’s wrong?”
“Ohno…” His voice was strained, and he cleared his throat. “Please.” And Ohno stilled, his hands trailing softly along his waist. Nino could tell by his silence that Ohno knew what he meant, and that he knew it made sense. “I don’t have…” He paused to regain his breath. “…Much longer. I don’t think I’ll last the night…” Ohno’s breath hitched and Nino’s heart ached. “Oh-chan,” He said gently and reached out into the dark, finding Ohno’s jaw and trailing his fingers softly over the smooth lines of his face.
“Nino-” A sob choked his words and Nino felt his lip quiver. “Please, you can’t leave me… Not like this!”
And despite his aching skin Nino leaned their foreheads together. “I’ll never leave you… Never… But you have to do this, so at least I know you’ll be a little safer… Shh…” He rested his chin on Ohno’s shoulder as his head swam and wrapped his arms tightly around the other man. “It’ll be okay,”
He knew he was just putting on a brave act, and that in reality the words were said as more of a pep talk to himself, but all the same Ohno hugged him back. His arms tightened and his nails dug painfully into his shoulders. “I love you Kazu…” Ohno breathed against Nino’s hair and pulled away, cupping his cheek with one hand and Nino heard the gentle clink of metal. “I’ll see you again… right?”
Nino’s heart skipped and his eyes closed tightly as he leaned into Ohno’s touch. “Yes,” He was breathless and he heard Ohno’s gentle hiccup as tears made their way down his full cheeks. “We’ll live on the hill by our lake-” His voice trembled and the cool metal was against his temple. “And we won’t have to worry about anything ever again, because we’ll be together.”
“Okay,” Ohno sniffed and he brushed his thumb across Nino’s cheek, wiping away the tears there. “Okay…”
And suddenly Nino’s bravado was gone and he was terrified as a sob escaped his lips. The chance of death had always been there but was never so close, or certain. And now it was frighteningly real.
Nino was shaking as he bit down on his lip, his fingers tangling with Ohno’s in the dark.
“Ohno, I’m scared…” He whispered.
“Everything’s going to be okay.” Ohno breathed against the damp skin of his forehead, kissing it gently as a breath trembled from between Nino’s clenched teeth. “I promise...”