[Multi-chapter] Change (13/??)
Title: Change
Authors: syunikiss1990
Bet: andreja1989 ArigaPYON~!
Pairing: SakurAiba, Aimiya (friendship), Yama (friendship), Junba (friendship)
Genre: AU, Romance, Drama, School
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: They are not ours, they belong to themselves...
*MASTERPOST*
He couldn't sleep. Tossing around in his bed his mind kept wandering back to what happened only hours ago. He still couldn't grasp the situation completely. Sho was hurt in his past, in a way it was hard for Masaki to imagine because of the silence of the older boy on the subject and the way he had reacted today.
I can't be alone again...
Who left him? Who made him so afraid he would leave Sho as well? He had never planned on doing that, he loved the other boy. He still loves Sho, even after what he did. It hadn't been his boyfriend, something must have happened in those days he was away. Something that had scared him so much to end up like this...
The voice of his mother woke him up from his slumber. He didn't remember falling asleep but he did remember reliving every single second with Sho yesterday. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't push it away. Just when he was wondering if he should ask his mother to call school he was sick Ninomiya dashed in his bedroom.
"Get up sleepyhead, school trip remember? You can relax in the onsen today, now get up!" Masaki groaned as he sat down on him, feeling the bruises even more on his hips. Suddenly his eyes widened. The bruises!
"Yes that's right, so get up and come on. We are running late." His friend had seen his shock in a differently way and skipped out of his bedroom already to give him some privacy to change. Slowly Masaki got dressed, wondering how he would ever get through this day.
***
"I want to get in the onsen already." Nino wined, trying to drag his friend towards the warm water but Masaki tried his hardest to keep himself away from the water. If he would need to get undressed Kazunari would see his bruises and that was the last thing he wanted. He had already been a bit jumpy ever since he was forced to wear the yukata like everyone else but luckily it covered his wrists nicely as well.
"Come on Aiba-chan, you love the onsen right? Why don't you want to get in? It's not like I haven't seen you naked before." He knew his friend was joking but it still made him blush. The younger man used his slight distraction and pushed him towards the water, making him lose his balance and fall in.
"Nino!" He screamed but started to laugh immediately after. Nino was laughing even harder, almost rolling over the floor. Even though they caused quite a scene nobody came to check, everyone probably in another bath or somewhere inside the big building. Crawling out completely soaked Aiba quickly grabbed his friend and embraced him tightly, making his yukata wet as well.
"Get off me!" Nino squealed, pushing his friend away and accidentally pulling off half of Aiba's yukata as well. They both froze as Aiba's bruises were exposed.
"Masaki, what the hell is going on?!" Ninomiya yelled, not caring if anyone heard them. Quickly Aiba pulled the yukata tightly around him again.
"Nothing. Nothing happened."
"Look at yourself. You are covered with bruises on your hips and those marks on your wrists... What did he do to you?" The question was whispered as Nino looked at him with worry written all over his face. Swallowing hard Aiba lowered his head, trying to hide even deeper in the wet cloth.
"Aiba-chan, don't lie to me. Or do you want to lose your friend?"
"No, of course not."
"Then tell me what happened." Aiba looked up again in his friends eyes. He wanted to lie, to make up some story but in the end he told everything that had happened yesterday. With every word Nino's eyes grew larger until fire was bursting out of them.
"That bastard! I'll kill him!"
"No! Nino, don't do this. It wasn't Sho's fault. Something must have happened to make him react like this." Kazunari stared at him with his mouth wide open.
"It wasn't his fault?! Look what he did to you! How can you still defend him after this?" Aiba had to fight his tears. He knew Nino was right, he shouldn't defend Sho after what he had done but it didn't make him stop loving the older boy. Why did it have to be like this? Who had hurt his boyfriend so bad in the past which made him like this? He had seen the carefree and loving Sho so many times now. It was hard to believe anyone had destroyed that in the first place. Losing the fight against his tears he lost control of his legs and sat down on the wet floor.
"Aiba-chan..." His friend pulled him in a tight hug, awkwardly trying to comfort him.
"I love him Nino, I really do. You don't know him the way I do. But last night... It wasn't the Sho I know. It wasn't him; something inside him took over control. You should have seen him just before I left..." He looked in his friends eyes. "He has been hurt so bad and I don't know what it is. He doesn't want to tell me and that hurts the most."
"Aiba-chan, I understand it hurts and I see you really love him but think about your own safety. If you stay with him..."
"Not if Nino, I didn't leave him and I won't." Suddenly his eyes opened wide in shock. He did leave Sho alone last night. What if his sempai thought he left him?
"Sho..." He muttered, quickly crawling up and dashing towards the locker room to find his phone. Not long after he opened his locker he heard footsteps behind him.
"Aiba-chan, what are you doing?"
"I have to call Sho. I need to know if he is okay." He felt a hand on his shoulder stop him.
"We had to turn in our phones remember? It will be okay or otherwise it would be even better. If he ever lays his hands on you again like that I swear..."
"Nino! Not helping!"
"I wasn't trying to help. Aiba open your eyes already! That guy is bad news, just like I have been telling you all along. Stop this insane relationship you have with him."
"No! I'm not letting this ruin him." Nino rolled his eyes and grabbed his friend on his shoulders, trying to shake some sense in him.
"But you are letting him ruin you? Aiba-chan, look at yourself."
"I have to talk to him, give him a chance to explain."
"You don't have to do anything."
"Nino..." Aiba tried but his friend interrupted him with furious eyes.
"No Aiba. I'm not letting this go anymore. You should have listened to me in the first place! This guy is ruining you! You can't expect me to watch in silence."
"He is not ruining me! And it's none of your business who I go out with!" Nino let go of his grip on Aiba's shoulders, watching him in defeat.
"You are really willing to risk our friendship on this guy?"
"Nino..."
"No, never mind. You know what Aiba-chan, do it your way. I won't get involved in your relationship with that psycho but don't expect me to give you advise or anything on this anymore." A long silence followed, Aiba staring at his friends in front of him.
"We are still friends?" He asked a bit shakily.
"Do you want to be?"
"Of course. Nino-chan, I don't want to lose you as a friend." Nino nodded slowly.
"Then we are still friends. But I don't want to hear anything about that guy anymore."
"Aiba-kun, Ninomiya-kun what are you two doing here? And why are your yukata's so wet?" Their teacher appeared in the doorway and looked at them with questioning eyes. They apologized softly but luckily their teacher didn't look mad.
"Just go and change. We have to get to the bus in half an hour." He wanted to walk away but Aiba quickly stopped him.
"Sensei! Can I please have my phone back already? I have to call someone, it's kind of an emergency." Ignoring Nino's furious look he looked at their teacher with pleading eyes.
"It's a bit unusual but if you say it's an emergency." Their teacher opened the big locker with all the cell phones and Masaki searched for his own quickly. After he found it he excused himself and tried to find a quiet place to make his call.
"Masaki?" He could hear the surprise in Sho's voice as he finally picked up and relieve flowed through his body. With shaking legs he sat down.
"Sho-chan..."
"Masaki I'm so sorry for what happened. I didn't want to hurt you, I really didn't. I'm sorry..." Masaki could hear the voice of the older boy break.
"I'm fine Sho-chan. I..." He didn't know what to say. On the other end he could hear soft sobs which made tears flow down his own face as well.
"Sho-chan it will be okay. Just promise me you won't do anything stupid okay? We can work this out, but please..."
"I won't. I won't hurt you anymore. Masaki, please don't leave me."
"I love you Sho-chan." Masaki whispered softly, hoping those words were enough to convince the other boy.
"Mine Masaki, don't leave me."
"Yours Sho-chan, I won't leave you. Just... Don't scare me like that anymore okay?"
"I love you Masaki. Can I see you?"
"I'm still at the onsen, I'll get home late. Tomorrow? You can come and stay over at my house." Masaki could hear a deep sigh.
"I would love that." Finally a true smile slipped through Masaki's face since last night. After some more whispered words of love and making a promise for the upcoming weekend Aiba got changed and searched for the rest of the group. He ignored Nino's questioning looks and avoided any subject that had even the slightest connection to Sho, trying to think of the good things only.
***
The weekend passed by much quicker than he had wanted. He and Sho made up again but it still didn't feel like it used to feel. Sho seemed scared to get too close and at the same time he sometimes pulled him in a tight embrace which made Masaki shiver. Even though they had tried to distract themselves with games and movies Masaki could feel the tension between them and he hated it. But it didn't feel like something they couldn't overcome with time. He could only hope that with passing time Sho would finally trust him enough to tell him everything.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by a sudden painful sting in his ankle. Wincing he stopped running and slowly started to walk towards the benches where their trainer was seated. Halfway he suddenly got supported from behind and when he looked next to him he saw the popular high jumper supporting him.
"MatsuJun, thanks but I can manage." The handsome boy smiled widely and shook his head.
"I'm happy to help out our favorite and best runner. What happened?"
"Nothing much. A bone splinter is causing some trouble sometimes but it's something I can't do much about." He sat down on one of the benches, their trainer looking at him but nodded when Aiba gave him a sign he was okay and done for the day. Knowing about his situation with his ankle their trainer knew what the consequences were and that there wasn't much to do except rest for a while.
"Are you okay?" Matsumoto asked. Aiba nodded and winced when he pulled his shoe off.
"I just need to tape it and go home for some rest, that's all."
"Let me do it. I know what to do." The other boy took the tape out of Aiba's hands and lay it down beside him.
"But have some water first. You must be thirsty after that hard training. Competition is coming close right?" Aiba nodded as he took the bottle of water out of Matsumoto's hand.
"Just a few more weeks."
"I'm looking forward to it. I like to watch you run." The comment made Aiba blush slightly. Was Matsumoto hitting on him? It happened to him many times before, getting confessions or people flirting with him but he always felt uncomfortable with it.
"You know, some people say I can do magic with my hands." The boy gave a suggestive wink which made Aiba's cheeks heat up.
"I uhm..."
"I like the way you are thinking but I was talking about your ankle. Want me to show you?" Before Aiba could try to answer the other boy already pulled his sock off and started his work. Even though Aiba didn't really want it he couldn't deny those hands were indeed doing magic. The pain in his ankle slowly faded and after Matsumoto was done and had taped his ankle as well he felt much better.
"Thanks Matsumoto-kun."
"Jun is fine." The other boy helped him up but pulled slightly too hard which made Aiba fall against the slightly shorter boy's body. Over his loud heartbeat he was sure he heard an angry yelling voice which sounded exactly like Sho's.
"Get your hands off him!"