[One-shot] Because apples are tastier here...

[tsuchi8562]

Title: Because apples are tastier here.
Author: tsuchi8562
Beta: syunikiss1990 << Arigatou~!
Pairing: Sakuraiba
Rating: PG
Summary A certain shinigami was watching that man real closely… And eventually fell for him.
Note: Based a tiny little bit on Death note movies… Written for sa_exchange

He was sitting on the edge and looked down on the human world. It was his daily routine since he saw him… A man with the most beautiful face he had ever seen, eyes shiny like stars and smile that could melt any heart. Of course if shinigamis have hearts that is. He liked watching him, so cheerful and happy with life, always smiling. That’s why one thing made him worried and sad… Eight digits flashing above that man’s head.

“Sho-chan what are you looking at, huh?” A hoarse voice sounded on his left, but he didn’t have to look to know who it belonged to.

“On humans…”

“Ah, yes… Interesting race, isn’t it? I would like to play with them one time… It’s so boring here.” Sho’s colleague laughed, what made him irritated in some way. He didn’t want to talk with any shinigami right this moment, so he just nodded and kept looking at the man he chose. He has to meet him someday. Soon. Now.

“I’m going for a walk.” Sho stood up and jumped to the human world.

___

“And cut! We’ve got it! I think we can wrap it up for today.” AD’s voice filled the studio and Masaki sighed with relief. He had a tough day and all he dreamed of was fresh squeezed apple juice and comfortable bed. After repeating for nth time Otsukaresama he left the building and decided for a walk, since it was a nice weather. No need to use the subway when it’s still warm, besides it was safer that way. After all he was a newborn star of national television… Aiba Masaki, a master when it comes to baking cookies, cakes and other sweets and because he was considered as handsome, he earned himself quite a lot of women fans. Who knows what would happen if an idol would appear in a train? Sighing he slowly walked down the street, thinking about everything and nothing, trying to think of new recipe for a blueberry pie when he stepped on something slippery and looked under his foot. The man noticed a small piece of paper with jagged edges and picked it up. There was a sentence written on it with shaky hand.

Look on your right.

Masaki frowned and did as the note told him and gasped, startled when he saw a man, dressed in black, pale and looking at him with sad, but beautiful brown eyes.

“Woah, you scared me!” Aiba calmed down his breath and smiled gently. The man probably was homeless, at least looked like one, with his dusty clothes and hair in a mess. “Do you need some money?” The idol started to look for his wallet in his pocket, but then he remembered that he spent all his cash for apples. “I’m sorry I don’t have any with me, but… I can give you an apple…” Masaki took one red fruit from the paper bag and handed it to the latter. He wanted to talk with the stranger for a while longer, about the interesting way of asking for help but the tiredness hit him again. That’s why just bowed gently and headed towards his home, slowly forgetting about the homeless guy and thinking about frosting and blueberries.

“Tadaima…” Aiba whispered, being sure nobody will answer him. He was living alone, not having time for his private life. That’s why he jumped back and hit the door when he heard a soft okaeri.

“W-who’s there?!” The owner of the apartment stammered, turning the light on. His eyes widened when he saw the familiar stranger with apple core in his hand.

“I just wanted to thank you for the apple. I didn’t eat such tasty as this one before.” The man whispered and smiled shyly.

“And this is the reason why you broke in to my apartment?! You could thank me on the street!” Masaki didn’t know why he felt so safe around that man. He didn’t know him at all; this guy could be a thief or even a murderer and Aiba felt as if it was his old friend who dropped by without notice. The famous baker could take a closer look at the man in front of him. He was shorter than Masaki and thinner, his age however wasn’t written on his face. He could be thirty or even fifty years old.

“I’m sorry, Aiba-san, I just wanted to talk with you and I thought that it could be quite dangerous outside… My name is S…” The guest looked around, a bit confused and his gaze fell on the calendar hanging on the wall in front of him with pretty cherry trees. “Sakurai Sho… And I always wanted to meet you.”

“Sakurai-san, right? So, you are my fan? I appreciate it, but as you probably know we have fans’ meetings once a month and the next one is in two weeks…”

“No, Aiba-san… I am not your fan. I am… a person only you can see, since you touched that piece of paper. I am a shinigami.”

“A what?!” Masaki opened his mouth wide and tried to understand this whole situation. Shinigami in his apartment? Telling him that he wanted to meet him? Does it mean that his time on earth will end soon? Will he die?! No, this can’t be true. Probably this is one of those insane fans, who will do anything to meet their idols. Many of them want to keep the object of his crazy love for themselves and that could end real bad. One way or another Aiba was in danger. “Listen, whoever or whatever you are I think it’ll be better if you just leave. We don’t want any troubles, right?”

“Aiba-san, you don’t believe me. I can prove it to you. Knock on your neighbor’s door and ask about anything. I’ll be standing right next to you. Let’s check whether he will be able to see me.”

“Why should I agree on that idiotic idea?” Masaki mumbled but his curiosity was much bigger than the fear, so he opened his door and pressed his neighbor’s doorbell’s button. An old lady opened aperture and blinked twice, surprised that she sees Aiba at this hour.

“Aiba-san, did something happen?” The woman asked and frowned, worried.

“No, not at all I just wanted to ask if you can lend me some milk. I forgot to buy it and I can’t sleep. I thought that hot cocoa will help me.”

“Of course, wait here I’ll be right back!” She smiled and went further inside her home. She surely didn’t notice a man that was standing few feet behind him. The light was bright, that Sakurai guy was dressed in black, only blind wouldn’t be able to see him! Did that mean that Sho was right? He was a shinigami? When he received a whole bottle of fresh milk he bowed and came back to the apartment, confused more than ever. Maybe it was a hallucination? Yes! He is overworked, tired and probably he is sleeping and all is happening inside his dream! Everything will be okay in the morning. After putting the milk in the fridge he went straight to his bedroom and without changing his clothes off he jumped in bed and fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

___

The morning welcomed Masaki with bright light hitting his closed eyes. Fortunately he had a day off, the one he dreamed about for so long, so he could sleep until noon. However he wasn’t allowed to do so, because somebody’s soft voice invaded his ears with soft melody.

“Just a bit more…” Aiba whined and turned on the other side, trying to hide his face from sunlight. Just then the thought hit him. If he hears the voice; the same voice he heard yesterday, does that mean it wasn’t a dream? The taller man opened his eyes and, as he expected, saw the man that appeared in his apartment out of nowhere.

“Good morning.” Sakurai said and smiled weirdly. So shinigami can smile? Masaki thought and sat up.

“Why did you come here? You want to take my soul?”

“I said it already, I wanted to meet you and talk to you. I won’t take anything from you. Well, maybe just few apples, since they are a lot better than up there…” Sho pointed somewhere above his head and laughed as if he told the funniest joke ever.

“Why me?” Aiba stood up and stretched a bit, wincing from pain and yawning. He surely could use a big cup of coffee. Strong one, with sugar and milk.

“I was watching you and… I don’t know, somehow I liked you. I know how it sounds…”

“With all do respect, but I am not into shinigami…” The man joked and went to the kitchen just to find steam coming from his favorite cup. That death god knew a lot about him and it was kinda scary and intriguing at the same time. Masaki started accepting the fact that this shinigami won’t harm him and relaxed, smiling at his guest as soon as he appeared in the small kitchen.

“I didn’t mean it in that way.” Sakurai mumbled and sat in front of his host and that movement made a black note fall out of his pocket. Aiba was quicker and picked it up, opening it, seeing some red paint on the inside of the cover and some names written inside. Sho quickly took the note away and hid it in the same place.

“What? Those are names of the people you visited, like me?”

“More or less…” The death god bit his lower lip, looking at the yellow, shining digits above Masaki’s head. A date of his death. Exactly a week from now. “Aiba-san…”

“Masaki is fine.”

“Masaki… Can I stay here for a week? I promise, I won’t disturb you…” The shinigami asked shyly, watching the latter’s reaction. He can’t do anything to save that man, because it will mean his own death and it won’t assure him that he prolonged Aiba’s life enough. If the famous baker has to die, Sho wants to be with him when his heart will beat for the last time.

“Don’t you have anything else to do? Something more fun that stalking a boring man who is famous only because he can bake delicious cookies?”

“Apparently I don’t… So?” Sakurai didn’t want to let it go. That week is the only thing he can give to the man he fell for. Walk him to the other side and make sure he will be smiling.

“I think you can, just don’t disturb me in my work, okay?”

“Deal. I will be invisible. Well, only to the rest of the world…” Sho smiled and reached another apple, taking a large bite. “Yumm~!”

Masaki giggled and drank his coffee that got cold already. Somehow a week with that mysterious guy, shinigami or whatever he was, was a pleasant perspective in his hectic schedule. He will have somebody to talk to and spend free time with. Because of his tight schedule he slowly started to neglect his friends, turning down all their offers and focusing only on work. With time his life limited to baking, thinking about new recipes, writing books about it and sleeping. The fact that he didn’t dream about cakes was like blessing. Just now, when Sakurai appeared in his life he realized how empty it was. Even if it was a shinigami, even if Aiba was the only one who saw him… Yes, this was a perfect deal. Of course he would have to be really careful and don’t talk with Sho in public, but that was doable.

“Will you follow me everywhere I go?” Masaki asked seriously and didn’t move his gaze from the latter’s face.

“I don’t know, do you want that?”

“Yes I do, stalker-san. Nobody except me sees you, right? And I am tired of looking on different faces each time. A familiar one in this crowd would be great.” Masaki sent the shinigami one of his beautiful smiles and started to clean up a bit. This was relaxing him and because this time he had a helper, he finished in no-time. Rest of the day both on them spent talking about random and a bit more important things and they didn’t notice when the night fell. Aiba wondered if shinigamis are sleeping, but soon he pushed that question away, smiling mysteriously, lying on the floor and placing his head on Sakurai’s lap. He did it so naturally that the death god gasped and smiled, stroking the sleeping man’s hair gently.

“I’ll try to give you more than that week, just… Have to think a bit.” A sudden loud laugh made Sho freeze on the spot, trying not to move too much. The last thing he wanted to do is to wake up Masaki.

“You know you can’t save this kid’s life. You will die as soon as you will write any name in your death note to save him.”

“I know, that’s why I am thinking about a way… What are you doing here anyway?”

“I dropped my death note and I’m waiting till somebody will find it. I am damn bored up there…” Another laugh attack filled the air and Sakurai thanked providence that Masaki doesn’t hear it. “So… Goodbye Sho-chan… I am going to have some fun!” Sho didn’t reply and leaned back on the couch, trying to find any solution from this difficult situation.

___

Days were passing by real fast when you were spending them with nice company. Masaki was working, mostly in the TV studio, baking new cakes and cookies that, according to his guests, were delicious. The shinigami was wandering around, using his privilege of being invisible and was watching the man he fell for with admiration and some affection. Last couple of days were extremely busy, because the staff was preparing everything for their first live show with magnificent guests: the editor in chief of the biggest Japanese daily and a politician that aspired to be the next prime minister. Everything had to be perfect and any mistake was threatened by losing a job. Aiba was really excited by that, as well as the producers, but there was somebody who was really worried and felt that something bad will happen during this broadcast. Something that will cause Masaki’s death. The shinigami spaced out too much recently, trying to think hard about the way to prevent this. It was harder than he thought, especially considering the fact that Sakurai didn’t know how Aiba will die. Will simple noting down somebody’s name in his death note help? Sho had so many questions without answers that he started to be more and more irritated and unintentionally he started to vent on poor Masaki.

“Stop it, okay?! You may be mad from some reason but please stop growl on me!” The man exploded one time when he was tired and just had enough of another request to withdraw from the show. “What’s wrong with you?! I let you be here for a week and now I am really glad that this week will be over tomorrow!” Aiba smacked the door so hard that Sho was afraid the thin walls of the apartment will collapse.

“I am just worried; I need to save you…” The shinigami mumbled and sat on the floor and didn’t even try to use his ability to walk through walls. He doesn’t have much time… “If I have to I will write that damn name… When the time will come.”

Sakurai didn’t notice when the night has passed and Masaki’s voice sobered him.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think like that. I am not happy that you will have to go today.” The man looked down on the floor, feeling guilty. “Will you stay with me until the show is over?” Sho watched the latter closely and felt something warm inside his stomach. He did the only thing he could right now; walked slowly to Aiba and pulled his chin up. Shinigami gently kissed Masaki’s lips, pulling him into a hug afterwards.

“I will stay with you till then.” The death god assured with certain voice. I’ll stay with you as long as I can. Sakurai thought and let the latter go, smiling happily.

“Thank you, Sho-chan.” Aiba pecked Sho’s lips back. “I have to get ready… We’ll see each other in the studio.” The famous baker changed his clothes quickly and left the apartment in a hurry. Of course the shinigami couldn’t leave him alone, so he followed him everywhere he went. With passing time few more digits appeared next to the date above Masaki’s head. It was an exact time of the man’s death and it pointed to somewhere in the middle of the broadcast. Sakurai felt a small relief, knowing that he still has some time to think, so he went inside the studio and checked everything that could be deadly dangerous for the idol. For the death god’s surprise everything was protected in the right way, so there was no possibility of spotlight falling down straight on his beloved man. That could mean only one thing - Aiba will be killed by a human and this created new way of handling the situation. Sho, as a shinigami sees not only a date of the death of every person in sight, but also his name. In the worst case he will write down the name himself. Crumbling to dust is better solution that living in the world without Masaki.

“CMs are almost over! Everybody on their places!” AD’s voice invaded Sakurai’s ears. “Start in five, four…” Rest of the countdown was shown on AD’s chubby fingers and Aiba, as a professional started the show. He introduced his guests and said what they will bake today. But the shinigami didn’t pay much attention on it, looking around carefully and trying to notice any sign of a danger. Everything seemed to be okay, however the time was merciless and the date above Masaki’s head didn’t change at all. Sakurai wandered around, nervous and ready to write the names of every single person in the studio when suddenly an explosion knocked down everybody and destroyed half of the set. The death god tried to see beloved face through the smoke and dust, hoping that the man he loved is still safe. So he was right? The studio was attacked by terrorists and probably one of them will kill Aiba. Accidentally, on purpose, no matter what the reason was Sho has to protect Masaki. Wading through the smoke the shinigami finally found the famous baker on the floor, hiding behind the table with the journalist. Editor was slightly wounded, but that didn’t stop him from writing down some information on a piece of paper he found in his pocket. How can he think about his work in a time like this?!

“Masaki, are you okay?” Sakurai whispered, even if he didn’t have to. He was invisible and inaudible for others. The man just nodded and moved closer to Sho.

“I don’t want to die…” Aiba shivered and bit his lips.

“You won’t, I promise.” The shinigami smiled to give the latter some courage. All he needed to do is to look carefully at the attackers and write down few names. “Masaki, I’ll go for a while, but I’ll be back. Please, stay here and don’t move.” Sho knew well that he is lying; once he writes those names down he will disappear from this world but he didn’t want to scare the taller man.

“No, stay… Don’t leave me here alone!” Desperate whisper and fear in Aiba’s eyes broke Sakurai’s heart. He can write the names here, sitting next to the person he loves. He won’t be able to protect him using his own body, but he will do his best to use his death note. Meanwhile a loud shout tore the air.

“You hear me, Nakamura?! Get out wherever you are! I need to talk to you!” Low voice probably belonged to the head of the gang that attacked the studio. It was drawing near with an accompaniment of a sound of glass, breaking under heavy combat boots. “Hey, Nakamura! I know you can hear me!!! Remember me? You fired me when I was a correspondent in the Middle East! You left me there without any money and I couldn’t come back home!”

The editor mumbled something incoherently and looked around, looking for something on the ground.

“Paper… Small piece of paper, damn it!” Nakamura hissed. Masaki looked at him and frowned, trying to understand difficult journalist’s nature just not to go insane from fear. Without thinking Aiba took out Sho’s note, tore a sheet and handed it to the publicist. Sakurai’s eyes widened and he gasped. That’s it! Write the man’s name! Nakamura, I am begging you, write this damn name!!! Shinigami’s plead repeated over and over again. If he had a heart it probably would beat real fast now. Suddenly a dark silhouette loomed from the falling dust. A man with a shotgun and balaclava covering his face was staring straight at the editor with smiling eyes.

“I finally found you! You will pay for everything you’ve done to me!” The terrorist aimed and was about to pull the trigger, when heroic (or stupid) Masaki jumped and covered Nakamura with his body.

“Masaki!!!” Sho yelled, terrified and moved his gaze from his beloved man to the terrorist and back.

“Listen, I don’t know you…” Aiba started with trembling voice. “But killing won’t solve your problems. You might have a tough life, but don’t make it even harder!”

“And who are you to tell me such crap? Psychiatrist!? You know nothing, so shut the fuck up and move if you don’t want to have a piece of metal in your pretty head!”

“Please, don’t…” Masaki tried again, but he was hushed by cold barrel of the gun touching his forehead. Sakurai wanted to do something, anything but naïve hope that this stupid journalist will write the terrorist’s name. He begged for it out loud, being aware that Nakamura doesn’t hear him. That didn’t matter at all and Sho’s screams were louder and louder.

“Yamamoto Kenji!” The journalist voice emerged from all the noises, dominating them. “I remember you, you scumbag! You were collaborating with the terrorists!” Nakamura stood up and without any fear printed on his face, he took the pencil and note the attacker’s name. “Now you can kill me, I fulfilled the civic duty!”

“Prepare to die!” Yamamoto moved few steps closer and placed the barrel on the journalist’s temple. “Goodbye, Nakamura-san…” He whispered and was about to pull the trigger when a groan left his lungs. The shotgun fell out of his hand which now was pressed tightly to his chest. The terrorist gasped for air and took the balaclava off his face which now was ornamented with grimace of huge pain. After a short while, that seemed to last for ages but lasted only forty seconds, Yamamoto collapsed and died. The rest of the gang, after loosing their leader, gave up and were taken by the policemen who apparently were alarmed by somebody from outside about the whole situation. Sakurai exhaled loudly and looked above Masaki’s head, smiling with relief when shiny yellow date changed for more a distant one now. Aiba was safe and that was the most important. Funny how some coincidences can change person’s fate…

“Sho-chan, what are you thinking about now?” The baker’s voice brought him back to earth.

“Nothing much, just how happy I am that you are okay.” Shinigami smiled and looked around. “I think I will leave you for a while, you will probably have to talk with the police. I’ll wait for you at home.”

“See you then.” Masaki whispered and took a deep breath to calm down even more.

The interrogation didn’t last that long, since he wasn’t directly involved with the case. After short “conversation” with the detectives Aiba came home, smiling to the thought that somebody is actually waiting for him.

___

“Tadaima~!” Masaki almost sang happily, looking around to find his beloved shinigami. When he checked all the rooms in the apartment he went to the kitchen where he found Sho, slowly eating an apple. “I knew I can find you here.” Aiba smiled and moved closer to the latter.

“Masaki…” Sakurai whispered, looking down and biting his lower lip. “Remember what I asked you for?”

“You are saying about the week you wanted to spend with me?”

“Yes… The show is over and I have to…”

“… go away, right?”

“Yes… I don’t want to though…” Sho sighed and put the half-eaten fruit on the table, pulling the taller man in tight embrace.

“B-but… You will come back, right? Please, tell me I will see you again!” Masaki said with trembling voice, almost crying.

“Of course I will visit you from time to time…”

“Because you love me?” Aiba blushed; he couldn’t believe he actually said this out loud.

“Yes. And because apples are tastier here…” Shinigami chuckled and disappeared after placing soft kiss on the latter’s lips.

“I’ll be waiting then…” Masaki whispered to the empty place in front of him and smiled gently.