[Multi-chapter] Oretachi no chikara (12/??)
Title: Oretachi no chikara (Our power)
Authors: syunikiss1990
Beta & Plot Bunny: yuuki_saya Thanks!
Pairing: SakurAiba, Mori, Ohno
Genre: Fantasy, AU, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Boys are not ours, the plot is.
*MASTERPOST*
After Aiba had left the room Sakurai slowly made his way back to his bed. The happiness he felt right after the moment his lover had been in front of him out of nowhere slowly started to fade. Sure, he still was extremely happy he saw the man, so much he just couldn't stop his own desire, but now he started to worry. What if the man was caught on his way out or the next time he would come? If he would come… The days he had spent without the man had been like hell and he had even tried to sneak out, but every time he left his room he felt like he was being watched. And as much as he wanted to see Masaki, he couldn't risk that he was followed (if his feeling would be right) and he would drive both of them in the arms of the guards. He had never stopped hoping the leader of the poor district would find a way to get here and his hope had finally come true this night. The thought that he might be able to see his lover again in two weeks gave him a double feeling. At one hand he couldn’t wait until the day arrived but at the same time he was anxious that if he would come he wouldn’t get caught. He sighed and decided it would be better to try and get some sleep now. When he lie down in his bed he could still smell the scent of Masaki that made sure it hadn’t been a dream. Just before he drifted away he thought about Ninomiya and how worried his best friend had been. Maybe he should talk to the younger man, telling him everything. After all he was sure he could trust him with it.
***
“I’m in love”
“I already figured that out” the ice-cold reply Ninomiya gave him surprised Sakurai. He thought his best friend would have been happy for him, finally falling in love.
“That’s not really the reply I hoped for”
“Ow come on. You have been down ever since you returned, you barely eat and you don’t come out of your room. I figured you were either lovesick or you would have killed somebody, which I highly doubt. I have a bad feeling about this, but please tell me, who is the lucky person”
“Aiba Masaki”
“My feelings were right. As in the leader of the poor district right?” Sho could only nod to the question. He should have know the other man wouldn’t be happy with hearing this, but he had hoped he had slowly forgotten the past and had moved on. Apparently some scars were too deep and too painful to be healed completely.
“Why Sho. Please tell me, I don’t think I understand”
“Why? Since when does love need a why? He is the greatest man I have ever met, I love him with whole my heart and just the thought of not being able to see him anymore kills me. I have never felt something that goes so deep for anyone before.”
“You are delusional. That man is probably only using you to get supplies from here. He kidnapped you for Gods sake!”
“He is not using me and he did not kidnap me! He saved my life that day! If he wasn’t there the guards would have shot me without thinking twice” Sho raised his voice without really thinking about being overheard. But usually no one came close to his room, so he didn’t really have to worry about it. Probably Ninomiya was thinking the same as he started to yell too.
“They wouldn’t have had any reason to even try and shoot you if he wasn’t there in the first place! Everything was probably planned by him and those poor followers of him. Right now they are celebrating how they finally found their chance to get supplies from here again, laughing at you for being so stupid and naive”
“They won’t, Masaki would never do that. I really love him and he loves me too”
“WAKE UP SHO! That selfish bastard will kill you when he has enough from here, from you!” neither of them really expected the fist landing on Ninomiya’s cheek. Ninomiya’s words had pierced through Sakurai’s soul, making him furious. No one could talk about Aiba like that in front of him, not without any harm. The cold glare the shorter man gave him didn’t do anything to him. His best friend, or at least the man he thought he had been his best friend, had crossed a line neither of them were previously aware existed.
“Get out” Sho’s words were no more than a whisper but Ninomiya immediately turned around. Without saying a word the younger man left the room, leaving a still mad Sakurai behind. He could have know Ninomiya wouldn’t be happy with it but still. It was years ago since that incident had happened. Why couldn’t he just be happy for him. It wasn’t like he really needed the blessings from the younger man, but it would have been nice to talk about his problem with someone. He had been certain Ninomiya would have been a great help in coming up with some way how Sho and Masaki could meet without being caught. But his hopes were in vain as he realized he had ripped open the wounds in the younger man without thinking.
***
For a few days Sakurai didn’t see Ninomiya. His anger had cooled down and in the end he wanted to apologize for his behaviour to his friend, but he couldn’t find him. He knew a place were he could find the younger man, but he still didn’t want to go there, to the City Council. Three days after their fight he finally ran in to the vice-president when he was wandering around the palace. When Ninomiya saw him he wanted to turn around but Sho was faster and dragged him into an empty room.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to hit you the other day but…”
“It’s OK, I deserved it. I shouldn’t have said those things. It’s just…It brought back those memories I tried to forget. I really don’t want you to make those mistakes”
“This is completely different but I promise I won’t make a mistake”
“Don’t make promised you might not be able to keep.” Ninomiya sighed. “Speaking of promises, when are you finally going to keep your promise to come to the City Council. I have tolerated it so far, seeing everything you have been through, but you need to come someday. Your father is starting to lose his patience with you” Sho sighed. He knew Ninomiya was right. Since he had returned he was asked to come a couple of times already but he didn’t feel like going. He had avoided his father as much as possible but it started to get more difficult with each passing day.
“And that guy you are so madly in love with, is there any chance I can meet him? I want to know who my best friend is risking his life for.” The question surprised Sakurai and when he didn’t say anything Ninomiya smiled.
“What is it? Are you afraid he will fall for me? I do look much better than you after all.” Sho couldn’t say anything. He wondered why the other man had suddenly changed his mind about the whole situation. And not just a little but a 180 degree change. He wanted to ask about it but the younger man was faster.
“I thought about it. You are not me and like you said it is completely different from that time. I hate to see you like those days after you returned and I saw the beaming face you had when you talked about him. He makes you happy and I don’t want to keep that from you.” Happily Sho threw his arms around the vice-president.
“Thank you Ninomiya, I knew I could count on you.” He released the smaller man and looked at him . “Do you really want to meet him?”
“Absolutely positive. You made me curious about this man.” Sho looked around a bit nervously, checking if the room was really empty.
“If you come to my room in eleven days around midnight he will be there. Or at least I hope he will, I’m not completely sure” he softly whispered. Nino smiled and nodded.
“Then I’ll be there too. Oh, and just one thing about that promise to come to the City Council. There is one the day after that night. I think you should come that day, seeing you will probably be in high spirits. It would make going there easier for you and your father will be very happy if you come with so much energy. Well, maybe not with much energy, but I’m sure you will beam just like three days ago.”
“I’ll think about it”
“No, you will come. Or else I’ll just drag you there, whether you want it or not.” they both laughed. Sho was happy the air between the two of them was cleared again and that he had Ninomiya’s support on this. The least thing he could do was going with him to that City Council meeting.
“I don’t think that would be a pretty sight. I’ll just come without you dragging me there” they both smiled as they left the room. When Sho was walking away he turned around. “You are not going to tell anyone about his right? And about our last conversation”
“Of course not.” Ninomiya looked at Sho’s back until he was out of sight. He sighed and turned around and muttered to himself “I already did”
***
Two weeks had finally passed since the last time Aiba had sneaked into the place. In the first week after the man had left Sakurai already regretted he said two weeks. The time slowly passed and even though he had said he would manage being apart for two weeks he could barely think of anything else. Luckily he could talk to Ninomiya about it, even though it didn’t really help. The whole day he had been nervous. Masaki had never said he would come, but Sho was sure he would. As it grew darker outside the time seemed to slow down even more, as if Father Time wanted to torture him a bit longer. Once in a while he opened the door slightly to check if either Aiba or Ninomiya was coming yet. Suddenly he heard something that sounded like a struggle outside his room and a muffled scream right after. He rushed over to the door and threw it open, just in time to see Aiba being dragged around the corner by two guards. He wanted to run after them but out of nowhere Ninomiya appeared in front of him, blocking his way.
“NO! Nino why?”
“It’s for your own good” Angry Sakurai pushed Ninomiya out of his way and dashed through the hallway, but the younger mans voice stopped him.
“It is no use to try and stop them, your father gave the orders. They won’t listen to you on this one.” Sho completely froze. If his father had given the orders that would only mean one thing.
“You told him?!”
“Yes I did. I told you, it’s for your own good. This is the only way to end this, I had no choice. Don’t worry, they won’t kill him, he will only be put into jail for the rest of his miserable life.” Ninomiya stepped closer with pleading eyes “Please Sho, forget him. This thing you call love has no future, it will only cause pain.”
“I don’t want to hear that from you”
“That was different and you know it. Stop being so stubborn!”
“I’m not sure if it is me who is being stubborn, but suit yourself. I don’t think I want to see your face for a while” with this last words Sakurai walked back to his room, slamming the door closed. Once he had shut himself inside his room the tears he had been holding started to fall. He couldn’t stop blaming himself for what had happened. If he wouldn’t have been so selfish to beg the other man to return this wouldn’t have happened. He knew he had to find a way to get the other man free, even if this meant losing everything he had.
On the other side of the door Ninomiya was still looking at the closed door. He knew exactly how the president’s son felt and he knew that this time he was the one who was causing the pain. But he still felt this was the only way to prevent his friend from making a big mistake. He just hoped that one day the president’s son would see it this way too.