Forever Young (Unreleased Sakuraiba Oneshot)
Oneshot: 2268wc
Rating: Pg-13, with strong sexual themes
Pairs: Sakuraiba and suggested Ohmiya
Genre: Angst, psychological(?)
Summary: "Don't it always seem to go..... that you don't know what you've got, till it's gone...."
DC: Arashi, I own not. The events and portrayals of the characters in this fic are entirely fictional.
Note: The italics denote Sho's hallucinations/confusion with the past. Sorry if that’s confusing, and for the general suckage of this fic, because it’s not my normal fare.
It had been two months. The room was dark and empty, the only light filtering in through the dusty window blinds. The bed covers remained bundled and messy. Clothes of two different sizes, dirty and clean lay in several abandoned piles about the floor. Smiling softly to himself, Sakurai Sho sat against the bedroom door in a silence blacker then death.
“Sho-chan.”
“……..Mn?”
“Sho-chan.”
“Hmm…What is it?” Groaned Sho, groggily.
“Heh heh heh….” Aiba giggled, tracing his fingertip along Sho’s cheek.
“What?” Sho kept his eyes closed, trying not to smile.
“Hehehe….I love you.” He removed his hand, and snuggled into the older man’s chest beneath the cozy covers.
“Go to sleep.” Sho sighed.
Aiba paused, craning his neck to see Sho’s face. “That’s it? That’s all I get?”
“What were you expecting?” Sho withdrew his arm from around a baffled Aiba, and rolled over to his side, having a hard time continuing the tease. “Geez, first you wake me up, and then-ouch! What the hell was that for?”
“Say it, or I'll pinch you again. Lower.” Aiba narrowed his eyes in an attempt to look vicious.
“Crazy.” Sho rubbed his side where Aiba had pinched him, rolling onto his back again. “You know I love you, so don’t wake me up in the middle of the night just to hear it.”
Aiba scooted in to give Sho a wet kiss on the cheek. “I know. I just like to hear it. ….But….”
“But what?”
“….I didn’t wake you up to hear that….”
“Then why did you-ouch!” Aiba pinched him again. Lower. “…Oh…now?”
“Mmm hmmm“ Aiba murmured breathlessly into Sho’s ear, tickling him with the airy warmth, while swinging a leg over Sho‘s waist. “…yes please.”
The alarm clock on the night stand sounded, and Sho stood up slowly, using the door as a crutch, before crossing the empty room to silence the device.
Jun knocked on the dressing room door. “They’re ready for you in makeup now, Sho.”
The door opened to reveal a half dressed idol. “But Masaki always goes before I do. I’m not ready, send him first.” Hurriedly, the door closed.
Jun gave Sho a full minute before knocking on the door again. “Sho, go to makeup.”
“Is Masaki not ready either?” Inquired the voice behind the door. “I told him to hurry…”
Jun pounded on the door, furious. “Is that supposed to be a joke?! How the hell could Aiba possibly be ready?!”
There was a long silence before the door opened slowly. Sho avoided Jun‘s gaze. “………….I’ll go.”
Sho ghosted past Jun, slipping on his shirt without another word or a backward glance.
“I’m home.” Sho sighed, as he kicked off his shoes, flicking on the living room lights with a free hand. He slipped into mismatched slippers, one red, the other green, and strode to the living room. After a moment, the tv hummed on.
“A no Arashi! Yaaaay!! So this time…”
Sho reclined on the couch, rubbing his tired eyes. “Work was hard today, ne, Masaki?”
“A -50 degree C environment, Part 2! Yay!”
“You’re right…it wasn’t that bad.” Sho smiled softly, and closed his eyes.
Sho opened his eyes to the sound of the front door banging shut. He sat up from his nap on the couch, as Aiba bounded into the living room, with an arm full of plastic sacks.
“I’m home Sho!”
“Oh, welcome-”
“I‘ve got to show you this…it’s the greatest thing ever….” He said, giggling as he crossed the living area to the hall way, and disappeared into the bedroom.
“-back?” Sho finished, belatedly, before raising his voice so Aiba could hear him in the bedroom. “Did you have fun shopping with Nino?”
“Yeah it was really fun!” Came the excited voice.
Sho heard the bedroom door open, and seconds later Aiba ran into the room in bright yellow and black striped boxers. “Ta Da!”
“…..I don’t get it.”
Laughing, Aiba turned around to reveal the text on the back side, which he read aloud for extra emphasis. “ ‘See front side for stinger’” They’re bumble bee boxers!”
“Oh…that’s very….clever.” Sho said, tactfully. “Is it safe for me to ask where you and Nino went shopping if you came home with this kind of…..thing?”
“Probably not.” Laughed Aiba, jumping onto the couch, and landing on his knees, with a glint in his eye that could only be described as one thing. Horny. “Sho-chan…” He murmured in a low whisper, leaning close to Sho’s ear. “I think my stinger might need to be inspected….to make sure its up to bumble bee standards…
Sho got the hint. “No, not now…I’m want to catch up on my slee--mm”
Aiba sealed their mouths together, and transitioned into Sho’s lap.
“Hee……feel like sleeping now?” Aiba asked against Sho’s lips.
“………………Not at all.”
“Haha, no, I told you its not like that.” Sho laughed gently into the phone.
Nino and Ohno entered the break room and found their usual couch. Both stared at the strangely jovial Sho, who hadn’t seen the duo enter. Sho was talking with more enthusiasm then they had seen from the man in two months. Shrugging, Nino pulled out his DS, and Ohno retrieved his fishing magazine from the coffee table.
“Yeah, yeah. Oh, I remember that! And you said I was pissed!”
An assistant popped his head into the room. “Sakurai-san, the director wants a word with you.”
Sho looked up from his phone. “Alright, I’ll be there in a sec.” The assistant disappeared. “Yeah…well, I have to go.” Blushing he murmured, “I love you too.” before closing the phone, tossing it on the coffee table, where he finally nodded to Ohno and Nino, and headed out to find the director.
Once the door closed behind Sho, Nino closed his DS, and picked up the discarded cell.
“Is Sho going out with someone right now?” Nino asked, confused. He flipped open the phone.
“Not that I know of….”Ohno peeked over the top of his magazine to find Nino checking Sho’s outgoing calls. “Nino…I don’t think you should do that…”
“Oh god….” Nino stared at the list in disbelief, which consisted primarily of one number. He raised a shaking hand over his eyes, handing the phone to Ohno. “This isn’t healthy.”
Ohno’s eyebrows furrowed as he recognized the number. “It must be his way of coping.”
Nino snatched the phone back, and thumbed down through hundreds of entries by the same number. “This isn’t coping, Oh-chan. It’s denial at its worst. What if….what if he’s…”
Nino, Ohno and Jun, stood outside of Sho’s apartment. Nino had informed the youngest of Sho’s call list, and Jun decided to take action.
They rang the bell several times, and when there was no response, Jun became frantic.
“Do you think he’s been drinking himself senile these past couple months…or taking drugs? What if he’s passed out in there from-”
“Calm down, MatsuJun…he hasn’t been that out of it.” Nino said, though he harbored similar thoughts.
“Should we just come back another time?” Ohno interrupted with a sad calmness.
“I think that might be a good idea, Oh-cha-Sho!” Nino waved, as Sho rounded the corner and was walking with a puzzled expression to the crowd.
“What are you all doing here?”
“Can’t we visit an old friend once in a while?” Said Nino, seemingly affronted, to hide their surprise at Sho’s sudden arrival.
“Yeah, we just want to see what you‘ve been up to lately…” Jun defended.
“You see me several times a week as it is.” Sho sighed, pushing them aside to unlock the front door.
“It smells like fried chicken.” Ohno stated simply, and to no one in particular.
Jun and Nino froze, each taking a closer look at the sack Sho was carrying. After sharing a glance, they silently agreed to remain true to the original course of action. Investigation.
“Yeah I was in the mood for some for dinner…” Sho’s tucked the keys back into his pocket, as the door opened.
Thunderous footsteps, preceded the tall idol, emerging hurriedly from the depths of the apartment. “Welcome ho--YOU BROUGHT ME KFC?!”
“Yeah…Merry Christmas…” Sho blushed.
“But Christmas isn’t for another week, silly!” Aiba grinned, taking the sack of food from Sho, and shoving an entire drumstick in his mouth, as they continued to stand at the front door.
“I know…but I thought we could celebrate a little early…is there anything you want?”
“Ohhh…” Aiba swallowed his bite. “How about-”
“You can’t say ’Sho-chan.’” Sho warned sternly.
“….Darn.” Aiba puzzled over his chicken before brightening again. “Hehehe…then I want you to follow me.” And Aiba bounded back into the apartment, to the kitchen.
“Sho, can we go in?” Jun asked, irritated.
Sho grinned, looking into the kitchen. “Sorry guys, we’d rather be alone right now.”
“ ‘We?’” Nino repeated, shocked, following Sho‘s gaze into the . “Is there someone else in there?”
“Wait Sho!” Ohno caught his arm, right before the door closed.
“What is it?” Sho looked back over to the kitchen, obviously anxious to be inside.
Nino lied on the fly. “Just let us look around for a sec…Ohno thinks he lost his lucky pencil here a while back.”
“I did?-ow-I did.. it’s an important pencil too…” Ohno winced, after Jun stomped on his foot.
“Oh, okay, just make it quick.” Sho sighed, letting his friends into the apartment, as he shucked off his shoes.
“Are you coming or what?” Aiba called, through a very full mouth from the kitchen.
“Yes, just give me a sec to take my shoes off. Geez.”
Shoeless, Sho slipped into the kitchen as the others spread out through the apartment, given the warrant to scour for ‘Ohno’s pencil.’
Jun headed for the bathroom, and searched the medicine cabinet, counter cabinet, and trash cans for signs of drug abuse, such as discarded wrappers or syringes.
Slightly relieved, Jun sighed, his drug bust reassuringly result-less.
Nino went straight for the bedroom, noting the several heaps of clothes, and a messy bed as normal, before also checking the trash bin for any strange items.
Nino too, found nothing.
Ohno went to the living room, where he took everything in panoramically. Frowning, he walked to the tv, where something had caught his eye. Ohno picked up a few DVDs stacked on top, but before he could examine them closer, he heard a voice from the kitchen.
“Okay, then what I want is to go ice skating at that frozen pond in the park!!” Aiba giggled excitedly, through a piece of chicken.
“…Ice skating? We could do that tomorrow…but I thought you wanted to watch the Tree Lighting event…”
“I want to do that too…”
Ohno looked to Sho, who had set out two plates of chicken, but was only eating from one.
“Ah, but if we stay outside for too long you’ll get sick before New Years!” Sho warned in a playful tone.
“I won’t get sick! You always think that I'm so fragile….” Aiba pouted, and poked Sho’s side with a chicken bone.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ohno saw Jun and Nino return from the hallway, their relieved faces creasing to worry instantly as they watched Sho in the kitchen.
“Okay, okay….just for a few hours then….all long as you don’t laugh when I fall on the ice.”
“Sho.” Jun’s voice broke a little. “Sho, who are you talking to?”
“Hmm?” Sho glanced at Jun, as if confused to why the younger man was suddenly in his home. “What are you guys doing here at this hour?”
“This is serious after all.” Nino uttered, to himself. He shared a look with Jun who was now crying, but resolute. When Nino continued, he couldn’t help the slight waiver that had entered his voice either. “Listen Sho…why don’t you come with us for a while? We think you might be a bit sick…”
Sho laughed. “I’m not sick. I was just telling Masaki-”
“You weren’t!” Jun snapped, wiping snot and tears from his face. “Masaki has been dead for months! Quit acting like he’s still alive! We know you’re suffering, but we are too!”
Sho looked absolutely shell shocked, hurt and confused.
“It’s not healthy.” Nino added quietly, a single tear crossing his nose. “Sho, you need some help…”
The apartment was silent for a very long time before Ohno spoke up. His voice was low, and solemn, as if speaking at a wake. “We’ll come back tomorrow. Get some rest. We‘re just worried about you.”
And they left.
“Ma….Masaki…” Shaken, Sho leaned on the counter with both hands for a long moment before reaching for an unopened bottle of strong anti-depressants a psychiatrist had prescribed for him a little over two months ago.
Then he grabbed a clean cup from the dishwasher, and with a steady hand, filled it with water, before taking a pill.
“What’s wrong Sho? Do you have another headache?” Aiba set his chicken down and rubbed Sho’s back.
“…No…I’m fine…” Sho popped a second pill, with a sip of water.
“Oh, that’s good then. ……neeee, Sho?”
“Hmm?” Sho swallowed another four pills.
“I’ve go to go now…”
“Eh? Why?” Ten pills. Sho felt a few tears run down his cheeks, though he didn’t know why he was crying.
“Oh, I just have to be somewhere…” Aiba smiled, mysteriously, heading to the bedroom, rather then the front door
.“Really, do you have to go?” Fifteen pills.
“Yeah, I’m sorry…but you know…” Aiba’s smile was now mischievous.
“Know what?” Twenty.
“If you want….you can follow me again…”
Sho threw the empty medicine bottle in the trash. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
So, I started this fic a while ago...(like, beginning of July....), and finished it today,..... only to realize that a similar fic is ongoing at arashirabu. In respect for that author, I won't be posting this fic over there for a while. I think they're different...but then I haven't read her fic to know the difference. Sorry ahead of time if this is overly familiar to you.