[OS] The World Is Yours [Sho/Nino]
Title: The World Is Yours
Pairing: Sho/Nino
Rating: PG-13
Genre: supernatural, romance
Words: 8,186
Summary: Nino is a complete mystery. Sho knows there's something about him that's out of this world, so he tries his best to understand.
A/N: My contribution for this years' shoneenclub "Powers" contest, in which I won second place :) Original post here. Wouldn't have finished it in time without the big help of jennysimonekate and kos_mos26 ♥
I bring the world to a stop.
And then it’s only you and me.
Sho is an attentive person. He has always had that ability to see what people themselves could not see. Even in class, he could follow the lesson half-heartedly, registering just enough of what was going on (which is fortunate because his parents would certainly not be amused if his grades suffered) while his focus remained on the person to his right. He doesn’t know why, as he barely knows Ninomiya Kazunari.
They’ve been classmates for a couple of years now, but their circles of friends never mingled. But Sho felt his extraordinary intuition acting up; an inner urge - like an itch he couldn’t quite reach - that drove him to look at Ninomiya repeatedly.
He watches, watches intently as if he expects something might happen any minute. Nothing happens, of course, and Sho just wants to laugh out loud. What could happen during the lesson? What outrageous act should Nino display? Sho shakes his head, exasperated at himself, and averts his gaze. Even if this feeling has always had its reason, he cannot spend the whole time staring at this guy.
“Ninomiya-kun,” the teacher says suddenly. Sho is still so lost in thoughts that he needs a few seconds to understand the reason. Ninomiya, a confident smile on his face, starts answering the teacher's question. It sounds as if he’s reading directly from the text book, every word thoughtfully considered and right on spot. Unlike Sho he must have followed the lesson carefully.
Sho wonders how he does it. He himself has to sit over his books every night until his neck hurts so much he can barely move. And he knows from Ninomiya's friends' friends that the guy actually prefers to spend his time with video games and baseball rather than with books. Maybe that's what is bugging Sho, because it just doesn't fit.
Or maybe the teacher has simply chosen a topic that Ninomiya is coincidentally good at.
*
But now that he's consciously paying attention, he notices that it's happening more often. It's about completely different topics, but each time Ninomiya sounds as if he's studied and memorized the answer beforehand - even though he hasn't so much as glanced into his book. It keeps irking Sho. A week goes by, then another, but it doesn’t get any better. Sho has to force himself to follow the lessons, but he frequently finds his eyes wandering over to Ninomiya.
*
“You look bothered,” Jun greets him and Sho immediately feels caught. He wanted to spend the break not thinking about Ninomiya, but Jun's raised eyebrow makes it all too clear that this is going to be their topic right now - and that Jun won’t let him get away with it.
“My concentration is dwindling a bit,” Sho answers, tentatively starting on his current issue. He doesn't have to explain to Jun that there's more to it.
“Doesn't seem like you.”
They sit down and Jun peels his Melonpan from the crackling plastic wrapper. Sho has already lost his appetite some days ago, but he doesn't want to show it. He takes a brief sip from his bottle of greentea to at least occupy himself.
“There's this guy in my class,” he starts after a while. He can hear Jun swallowing a laugh and letting only a small chuckle escape. Sho would love to just leave it like this, maybe give Jun the impression he's in love and that this is the reason for his waning concentration and appetite. It'd be a lot easier to explain at least.
Instead he takes another sip and pulls himself together.
“Something is different about him. Weird. But I can’t tell what it is. And I have no idea why it's bugging me so much.”
Jun says nothing for a long while, simply chewing on his Melonpan. He then puts the rest of it away and shoots Sho a short grin.
“Well, find it out then.”
*
But Sho finds out nothing, which makes things far worse. He can't ignore it, can't ignore him. But no matter how hard he concentrates on Ninomiya, no matter how long he's watching him, there is nothing striking, nothing to prove the existence of anything extraordinary. Sho wonders how long it will take for him to go crazy.
As he's walking down the hallway to the classroom, mulling over ways to get rid of his obsession with Ninomiya, he hears people shouting. He stops automatically and a few other students around him do the same. Some of the older students sprint around a corner and Sho realizes immediately that they are the troublemakers the whole school is talking about. They toss a basketball around between them, cheering loudly.
It all happens way too fast. They run towards him and Sho only sees the ball flying straight at him, he has no chance to react, and-
A touch on his shoulder.
Everything stops.
The basketball is floating in the air, maybe half a meter from his face. It's completely silent. Nobody is moving, as if they are all suddenly frozen in spot.
As if somebody has stopped time.
“You should take a step aside,” a voice advises from behind him and Sho feels a shiver running down his spine when he recognizes it. Ninomiya.
“What?” Sho asks, surprised that he's able to say anything at all and not frozen to the spot as well.
“A step. To the side. Or the ball will hit you right in the face.”
Sho still has his gaze fixed on the basketball in front of him and doesn't get what's going on, he can't grasp it; something like this is entirely not possible. Only now he can feel the hand still holding onto his shoulder. It has to be Ninomiya's hand, because the grip tightens a little and he gets pushed to the side. Then the hand lets go and the ball crashes into the wall next to him. Suddenly everything is so loud, much too loud, and the students are running past him after their basketball. He can hear a teacher yelling from somewhere, but he can't focus enough to get what he says. It doesn't matter anyway, because Ninomiya steps beside him and winks meaningful.
“What-? You-,“ Sho stammers, but stops immediately because what can he say? He doesn’t even understand what just happened.
Ninomiya starts to answer, but the shrill sound of the school bell interrupts him. So he simply smiles (it could almost be a smirk, Sho thinks) and tilts his head a little.
“We should head back to the classroom.”
*
Back in class Sho now more than ever can't take his eyes off Ninomiya. He doesn't even know which lesson it is. He's too focused on Ninomiya's profile, staring at the other with knitted brows. Slowly he begins to understand.
Ninomiya has stopped the time.
And no matter how crazy this may sound, Sho knows it is the only possible explanation.
Ninomiya can stop time.
“... course of the Dollar, Sakurai-kun?” the voice of his teacher catches him unprepared and Sho's face flies forward immediately. Shit. The teacher is looking at him expectantly, but Sho has absolutely no idea what he might want to hear from him.
“Well...,” he utters intelligently. He feels hot and cold as the teacher raises his eyebrows questioningly and seems to understand that Sho obviously wasn’t listening. He takes a deep breath bracing himself for the scolding words he never wanted to hear-
Ninomiya is standing right before him.
And the rest is standing still.
“The Dollar to Yen exchange rate had its first drastic crash in 1972 and since 1990 it has never again topped the 150-mark. Got it? First crash in 1972 and never over 150 since 1990,” Ninomiya tells him urgently and Sho feels the hand on his shoulder again. Then the feeling is gone, Ninomiya is back in his seat and the lesson continues.
Sho stands up just as the teacher starts to say something. He needs a moment to collect himself but then his mind catches on and he repeats Nino's words as precisely as possible. If he is wrong and everyone has seen Ninomiya telling him the answer, he'll be the laughing stock. If he is talking complete rubbish, he'll get scolded by the teacher. But what does he have to lose?
The teacher just looks at him wordlessly for a moment, a bit surprised maybe, then nods. He's nodding as if accepting Sho's answer. As if Sho has answered correctly.
So it was-
Sho tries to stomach the realization. He swallows hard, swallows again. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Ninomiya staring at him, grinning.
Suddenly Sho's palms feel sweaty.
*
Sho tries to catch up to Ninomiya after school even though he is sure the other could easily slip away if he wanted to. That much at least Sho is sure of. He tries nevertheless, hurrying across the school yard and reaching out to grasp Ninomiya's arm. When he gets a grip on the fabric of his school uniform, the world suddenly starts racing. It looks like a fast-forwarded video, the sounds are distorted and strangely high-pitched and his eyes can barely follow the super-fast movements around him.
“Whoa, watch what you're doing!” Ninomiya suddenly snaps at him, breaking away from his grip.
Time flows normally again.
Sho tears his eyes away from the people walking at a steady pace again and stares at his hand that had been touching Ninomiya's arm just a few seconds ago. Then he looks up at Ninomiya, face pale and eyes wide open.
“What the hell was that?” he suddenly shouts at Ninomiya, closing in on the other. “What-who in the world are you?”
Ninomiya keeps quiet for a long moment, as though he has to ponder Sho's question very thoroughly. But then his eyes twinkle with mischief.
“I'm Nino. Your classmate, for a little more than three years now.”
Sho needs a second to realize that Ninomiya - Nino - is pulling his leg. When he gets it, he furrows his brows angrily.
“I know that much,” he hisses between clenched teeth. Then, “You stopped... you stopped time, didn't you? In the hallway earlier?”
Nino quickly scans their surroundings, but there is no one in the school yard anymore. No wonder, Sho realizes, as a quick look on the watch reveals that already half an hour has passed since the end of classes (although he knows perfectly well that it’s only been about ten minutes), and most of the students are on their way home.
Seriousness enters Nino's eyes, making Sho tense up at once. Then Nino nods curtly, confirming what Sho can't believe, or rather doesn't want to.
“And this just now? What was that?” he asks when Nino shows no inclination to talk.
The other just shrugs. “That wasn't me. It was you.”
Sho can only stare at him.
“That was me? But I didn't do anything. Tha-that's impossible,” he stammers confused.
“You touched me,” Nino states matter-of-factly.
Sho glances at his hand that still hangs in the air. Then he touches Nino again.
Nothing happens.
“I'd be pretty jealous if you could control it that quickly,” Nino says with a laugh. He puts his hand over Sho's, folding his fingers around and slowly pushing it away. A gentle, untypical smile forms on his lips and Sho instantly likes it.
“It took me years to be able stop time just because I wanted to.”
Only now Sho realizes that the hands of the school's big clock aren't moving and the leaves have stopped rustling.
“Just like now?”
Nino nods again. “Yes, just like now.”
There's something magical about these words. Not only because time is literally standing still; there is something else. The quietness surrounding the two feels as if everything is solely focused on them. Because it is exactly like that - the world stands still just for both of them and this moment is intended for Nino and Sho alone.
A moment that only belongs to them.
Sho doesn't know why, but this thought does strange things to him. His pulse speeds up; he feels his heart racing in his chest.
But then he remembers how many questions he still has for Ninomiya and the feeling is gone.
“Why didn't I notice anything before, then? If you have this ability that long already why do I only find out about it today?” he utters the questions which are rushing in on him again.
“But you did notice. You realized that there's something not quite right about me or you wouldn't have watched me all this time, right?” Nino says nonchalantly. He lifts his hand, still holding onto Sho's. “Even though time stops for you, too. Unless I'm touching you.”
Nino strokes the back of Sho's hand with his thumb and a strange tingling feeling runs through his body. He can't tell if it's the magic or something else entirely.
“So time stops for anyone if you want it to? Except for those you're touching?” Sho has to repeat it for himself to somehow get his head around it. He doesn't know if he can ever truly believe it, even though the facts are unmistakeable, even though the deathly silence surrounding them makes it all too clear.
“Yup. That's correct,” Nino answers with a huge grin, but Sho doesn't feel like laughing at all.
“And you... you use this power to cheat in class? Because that's what you're doing, isn't it? If you don't know the answer you simply stop time and look it up.”
A short giggle escapes Nino and Sho does his best to not find it adorable.
“Busted.”
“But you could-” Sho starts, upset, but he doesn't know how to continue. The words are too hard to find. There is so much that Nino could do with his power, so much he can't even think of it all at once. His mind starts wandering; he imagines Nino catching criminals, saving people, preventing accidents. He doesn't know how to express it, so he just adds, “you could do so much more.”
Nino's expression changes and for a second Sho believes that he might also be able to read his mind. Can you do it, he quickly asks in his head, but Nino doesn’t show any signs of having heard him and Sho pushes the thought aside quickly. As if it wasn’t enough that the guy was able to stop time.
“I could do a lot more, yes,” Nino says and Sho doesn't miss the bitterness in his voice, “but I don't want to. It's just... not right. Me having this power isn't right. And I'm not planning to pull off any heroics or rob a bank. If that's what you're implying.”
That's when Sho realizes how much more is involved. Nino isn’t just a boy who can play around with time. Even though he gives the impression as if all that is the most normal thing in the world, as if he's never known anything else, Nino must have once learned how much his ability encompasses. What hardships did he have to endure to make up his mind to never use this power for something greater?
And yet, he uses it so very carelessly.
“Why then? Why stop time at all? When you're saying it's not right?” Sho asks. He doesn't understand Nino at all and it bothers him more than he wants to admit.
Nino lets go of his hand and the world comes alive again. After such a long time of standstill it’s quite a shock and Sho realizes how loud everything really is. How loud the wind blows, the leaves rustle.
“This is where you come in, Sho-kun,” Nino whispers, or maybe he hasn't really lowered his voice; Sho has no idea, because everything else is just so loud. He can hear every single car which passes them by even though the street is so far away.
“I wanted you to find me. That's why I've stopped time again and again, during class, outside in the school yard, at baseball practice. I was waiting for you to notice me.”
Sho doesn't know how he is supposed to grasp all this information, how to understand it.
“Why me?” He can't say more. It's too much, all of this.
Nino seems to recognize his state, because his gaze softens considerably and he places both hands on Sho's shoulders, holding him steadily. It feels good.
“Because I think you own a similar power. No, actually you just proved it. With my help you can fast-forward time.”
*
Ironically, time just doesn't want to pass. And after all he'd been through today, Sho has to check the clock regularly to convince himself that time hasn't stopped again. He constantly found himself simply staring at the hand of the small clock on his desk, watching it ticking off each second. He’s supposed to be studying for tomorrow's test but there's no way he can concentrate now.
Ninomiya had left him standing, telling him he had to go to baseball practice and promised him that he would come by his house afterwards.
“Why didn’t he stop the fucking time once more if he was in such a hurry?!” Sho curses angrily. This guy couldn't just step into his life talking about time and stopping and fast-forwarding, and then disappear again this quickly. Sho still has so many questions, so many things he doesn’t get.
If only he knew how to fast-forward time right now. It would save him a lot of brooding.
A knock jolts him from his thoughts.
“Sho, there's a friend of yours waiting downstairs,” his mother informs him and Sho jumps, almost knocking over his chair. He hurries down the stairs, along the hallway to the front door, stopping himself just in time, taking a deep breath to not let it seem so obvious how fast he's been running.
“Hi,” Nino greets smoothly. Sho immediately notices the colorful cap sitting lopsided on his head. And the dark blue t-shirt sporting Time Traveler.
“Seriously?” Sho mumbles more to himself, which makes Nino laugh.
“Nope, I'm not that far yet,” he answers with a grin, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Sho has to fight against the thought how cute he looks.
There's silence and Sho scratches the back of his head awkwardly. “You wanna come in?” he finally offers, stepping aside already, but Nino shakes his head.
“We'd better go somewhere no one can catch us.”
Sho tries to swallow the lump forming in his throat.
*
It had to be the clichéd deserted park, Sho thinks while he takes in his surrounding. And really, here they are, all alone with nothing than the meadow and some trees around them. He glances over to Nino expectantly, who has sat down in the meadow and is playing with a blade of grass.
“What now?” Sho asks impatient.
“You're the one with the questions,” Nino retorts, shrugging.
And suddenly Sho feels the urge to hit him, even though he knows perfectly well that Nino is right. But nevertheless, he can’t just let it go. “That I only have because of you.”
Nino only smirks, leaning back on his arms in the grass. “Are you here to argue?”
Sho tries to control the anger welling up inside him. Just the fact that Nino is able to stay so calm, after all that happened today, lets him almost lose it. Damn, for Sho, all of this is anything but normal and he's already doing his best to somehow understand, but it's just a bit too much at once.
But he can't exactly demand sympathy from Nino. So he pulls himself together as best as he can and takes a deep breath.
“You said that with your help I can fast-forward time?”
Nino perks up immediately, sits upright and nods. “That’s right. Through contact I can not only prevent my power from affecting you but I can also shift it over to you. Share it with you. You can't stop, but you can adapt your own kind of time manipulation. In your case fast-forwarding. Make time flow faster.”
Sho stops short immediately. “Kind of time manipulation? This sounds like you read it in a book.”
Nino hides a chuckle behind his hand. “It's more like an internet forum for time shifters.”
“And you believe in that sort of stuff?” Sho asks quite astonished. He didn't take Nino for such a gullible person.
“There's a lot of nonsense in these forums, but once you've sifted through all the crap you can find some useful information. And it's been proven right. Or we wouldn't have this conversation right now.”
“Doesn’t that mean there are more people out there who can do such things?” Sho concludes; it seems the only logical explanation to him. These facts on the internet have to come from somewhere after all.
“No idea. Maybe. But I don't intend to contact any of these people. You never know who or what is really behind such posts,” Nino says seriously and Sho feels instantly reminded of all those supernatural movies.There's always someone chasing after the heroes, someone who wants to control or steal their powers. Nino probably thinks along those lines, too.
Sho is still mulling over all the things one could achieve with such powers when Nino gets up and easily covers the two steps between them. He's looking at Sho expectantly.
“Now, I didn't bring you here for chitchat, you know that, right?” he says with raised eyebrows. Sho swallows audible.
“Yes,” he mutters, all tensed up. His gaze drops to Nino's hands even before they touch him. The touch triggers nothing at first, time neither stops nor speeds up.
“You have to imagine this power as a kind of muscle,” Nino starts explaining. He sounds very serious all of a sudden and Sho tenses up even more. “A muscle that you cannot control yet. And you have to learn how to move it. You have to find out what to do in order to activate the power. It's a bit like those people who can wiggle their ears. Or, I don't know, like raising just one eyebrow instead of both. Or wink with only one eye. These are all things you have to learn first, some are done quickly but others take longer. This power is no different. Once you get it, control is easy. But it takes a while to discover.”
Sho thinks he understands what Nino is trying to tell him. He just has no idea how it's supposed to help.
“Did you feel anything in particular when you fast-forwarded this afternoon?” Nino wants to know then, but Sho can only shake his head.
“I... dunno. It was much too much at this instant. I can't really remember what I felt,” he says, biting his lower lip unconsciously. Nino nods understandingly.
“So we just have to wait for it to happen again.”
*
Waiting for it involved meeting up every night and sitting next to each other in the park. Just like now, one week after the fateful event. They've taken to bringing blankets and snacks to pass the time. Sometimes they hold hands, because it's the easiest way of keeping contact. But nowadays Nino always brings along his DS, and in order for him to be able to play (for which he needs both hands of course), they just sit very close to each other, brushing shoulders. Sho is not entirely sure if that makes any sense and what they hope to accomplish in the end, but strangely he has nothing against it. They've used the time well and talked a lot. Sho wonders why, in all the years they've been classmates, they never talked to each other before.
He likes Nino.
True, he is a little odd - not just because of the whole time shifter business - but he always has a witty comment in store and is great to talk to. And he is clever as well, much more than Sho had given him credit for; one night they talked about current political issues - something Sho loves to do - and Nino had a lot to contribute. Maybe the rumors about him only caring about baseball and video games were wrong.
“Argh, shit. Die already!” Nino shouts, furiously pressing the buttons on his DS. Sho grins; maybe the rumors are true after all.
In a lousy attempt to pass the time, Sho watches the leaves floating to the ground. But then one of them sinks faster, much too fast, and Sho, completely surprised, looks at Nino, who in turn is staring back at him. Because they are still sitting so close to each other, their faces are only inches apart. Sho instantly rears back, breaking contact and the leaves are falling at their normal speed again.
“That... I... it worked,” he stutters, trying hard to ignore his racing heart.
“Yeah, it did. Look what you've done,” Nino pouts and presents his DS with the screen showing Game Over in big letters. “I may be an excellent gamer, but five times the normal speed is a little too much, even for my reflexes.”
“It really... that was me?” Sho goes on, ignoring Nino's complaints. The latter grumbles in response and shuts his DS.
“Yup, that was your work entirely. And? Felt anything this time?”
Sho is about to answer how his heart had been beating faster, but then he realizes it might have nothing to do with his time-manipulating. So he just sighs, turning his eyes away from Nino. “No, nothing.”
Nino's answer is an incomprehensible grunt.
*
Sometimes Sho asks himself if he really wants to learn how to fast-forward time. But ending it would mean losing his reason to spend the evenings with Nino. To sit close to him and talk about everything and nothing. To watch him playing his games.
He has gotten too used to it over the time (and has come to enjoy it too much, but he doesn't want to think about that) to be able to stop.
So he continues.
*
“You can be grateful that your power can only be activated through me,” Nino says one night out of the blue. It sounds as if there's more to come, so Sho keeps quiet and waits.
After a short pause Nino goes on:
“When it started for me, it was-I often stopped time by mistake. In the beginning, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't go on like this. Everything was standing still and it felt as if I was the only one alive. I couldn't do anything but wait for time to go on. Sometimes I thought it was stretching on for days, but maybe it were only a couple hours. I wouldn't know because I always lost all sense of time.”
Sho can't look at Nino. He doesn't want to imagine how it must haven been for him - with this power he couldn't control.
He doesn't want to imagine how it would be if he fast-forwarded time for days on end without being able to do anything about it. Suddenly he feels fear bubbling up, fear of this power and its consequences. Because what would he do if he gained control over it? Nino's power is different. When he freezes time, he doesn't risk anything, doesn't change anything. But what about Sho? When he forwards time and doesn't pay attention- he can't rewind. Everything he might miss he can't recover.
He does have Nino as back up, simply has to break contact fast enough - but what if they both don't pay attention? Can he even shoulder this responsibility?
He realizes he can't. But by now he is in too deep, and it already worked twice. And he can practically feel how much Nino wants this.
Sho doesn't want to disappoint him.
*
So he keeps on, a week, two weeks. More and more often he succeeds in fast-forwarding even though it's unpleasant every time. The world is not made to be fast-forwarded; every movement is much too hectic, barely registrable for human eyes. Noises are too high-pitched, too shrill. One time birds were singing when Sho forwarded time and he almost couldn't take the shrill tweets.
Whenever he has forwarded, Nino stops the time afterwards. On the one hand he does it because he knows that Sho needs the break and doesn't want to listen to anything after all the unnatural noise. Sho enjoys the quietness when Nino freezes time more than anything else.
On the other hand he does it to prolong their time together. So they can relive some of the time they've missed due to Sho's power.
“Why are we doing this?” Sho one night finally dares to ask. Nino has stopped time again and there's a blessed silence around them. “I mean, where does this all lead to? I fast-forward, you stop, then time flows normally again...” His voice falters at the end and he can't look Nino in the eyes.
“Does it have to make sense? Isn't it just thrilling to find out what we can do?” Nino counters with questions of his own. He lets the time flow, then stops it only to let it go again, as if he wants to demonstrate his power to Sho yet again. Meanwhile, Sho watches a squirrel running across the lawn to a tree. It's like watching a scratched DVD, running, stopping, then running again. In the end, he has enough and fast-forwards till the furry little critter has climbed up the tree and vanished from his sight.
“That was pretty good,” Nino says surprised, and only now Sho realizes what he has accomplished. He used his power in a completely controlled fashion. He tries again, but this time there's no reaction.
“Felt like happiness,” he sighs, downhearted. Nino squeezes his shoulder encouragingly.
“It will come to you. You have to be patient.”
*
But then something changes.
It starts when Nino pulls him up on the school's roof. Usually they don't spend school breaks together, so Sho is pretty surprised when he finds himself on the roof with Nino. Alone.
“Here, for you,” Nino grins and offers him a cigarette. Sho's good breeding immediately comes through and he shakes his head defensively.
“Are you nuts? What if anybody sees us? We'll be in deep trouble!” he says angrily, but Nino is unimpressed. Sho knows what he is up to even before Nino's hand touches his, but he doesn't want it. It's not right.
Time stops and Nino puts the cigarette between his lips, inhaling deeply and blowing smoke in Sho's direction. “Keep cool, it's just a smoke. And nobody can see us.”
Sho feels uneasy, but he can't prevent his gaze from flickering to the cigarette repeatedly. Even more so as it's dangling from between Nino's thin lips. He practically has to force himself to look away.
“We're old enough (No, Sho thinks, we're seventeen). Here, just try it. Nobody will catch you.” Nino offers him the cigarette again, a little more forcefully this time, and Sho takes it nervously. Of course Sho is not always the picture-perfect, well-behaving son, but a cigarette is something else entirely, because he knows the consequences he might have to face if any of this becomes public. Nevertheless, he puts it between his lips. The filter is warm. A pleasant shiver runs through his body when he remembers that it has been between Nino's lips a few seconds ago. He inhales once and immediately has to cough. Nino's hand that has been resting on his shoulder the entire time starts rubbing his back softly. Despite all or maybe just because of it, Sho inhales again more deeply, this time suppressing the urge to cough. Nino only laughs.
After finishing the cigarette they erase all evidence and eat a strong mint each.
It's the first and only break Nino spends with him.
*
Sho succeeds more and more often in willingly fast-forwarding time. Nino seems more pleased than ever.
*
One morning Sho wakes up and all his fears are forgotten. He knows why he's learning to control his power. Not to use it - because no matter how often he thinks about it, he can't seem to imagine any situation where he would want to fast-forward time, not when he's with Nino. He wants to learn it in order to avoid activating it accidentally. He wants to be able to stay with Nino, to touch him without fearing that time might fly past too quick.
He's shocked by this insight, because it shows what an important role Nino is already playing in his life. But he also feels quite satisfied. Happy even.
However, his new-found knowledge makes it hard to meet Nino. Because now, his heart starts beating faster whenever they touch, whenever Nino's steady, expectant gaze is focused on him. When he can see the happiness and pride in the other's eyes every time he manages to fast-forward consciously. It's always a bit embarrassing when Sho looks away too quickly then and feels the tips of his ears growing hot. He only hopes that Nino can't interpret his behavior - because Sho himself isn't really able to fully understand it yet.
“Where are you with your thoughts today?” Nino asks casually, but Sho knows him well enough by now to identify the interested undertone. Even though they are currently taking a break, Sho can clearly feel Nino's fingers softly brushing the skin on his arm. He instantly feels warmer.
“I'm right here - I think,” he answers with a lopsided smile.
Nino scoots closer and now it's not just his hand touching Sho. He leans his shoulder on Sho's, sighing quietly. Sho doesn't really know what to make of it, but he keeps still, letting Nino lean on him. Du-dum, du-dum thumps his heart. It's so loud that he fears Nino might hear it.
Where do all these feelings come from all of a sudden?
“Do you ever have these moments where you wish for time just to stop forever?” Nino asks suddenly. Sho wants to answer yes, right now, but even in his ears that sounds a bit too much on the cheesy side. Instead he chuckles.
“If there's anybody who doesn't have to wish for something like that, it's you. I mean, you can freeze time forever, can't you?” While saying these words, Sho realizes that he has no idea whether that is really true. He has no idea for how long Nino actually can stop time. They've never talked about it.
“Hm,” Nino grunts. Sho can't tell whether it's a yes or no. But he doesn't want to pry.
*
Instead of going to the park, Nino takes him to a shopping mall the next night.
“The two of us deserve a holiday from all this hard work, right?” he says grinning and pulls Sho along to one of the big video game stores. Sho feels lost at first, but then he simply follows behind Nino. The other is completely focused on scanning the rows and rows of video games. Sho likes the serious, concentrated Nino. What he doesn't like, however, is the fact that all of sudden Nino is holding a game in his hands without Sho having seen him take it from the shelf. He's also standing a little more to the right than before.
“Did you just-? But you can't, not here!” He's staring daggers at Nino, who returns his gaze utterly confused.
“What? Ah... but that was just a short moment. I didn't want to keep you waiting.” Nino scratches his head, laughing, and Sho knows that he is trying to downplay the whole thing. He doesn't like it one bit.
“You can't do that in public. What if anybody-do you want anyone to notice?”
Nino seems annoyed. “You never minded before.”
“But then nobody was-“ But Sho interrupts himself as it dawns on him. All the other times Nino involved him, had stopped time with him. This time he excluded him and even though it had only been to find his game, maybe even completely unconsciously, Sho doesn't like it.
He doesn't want to allow the thought, but he can't prevent this one question from popping up: How often did Nino stop time when they were together? How often without Sho being aware of it?
Nino seems to notice his inner conflict.
“Hey, sorry if that was out of line in any way. I didn't to it on purpose, okay?” He tries hard to convince him, but it sounds fake in Sho's ears. He doesn't know why, but all he wants is to get out of the store and away from Nino for a moment. Maybe it's not very nice, but he leaves Nino standing and bolts out.
Outside he leans against a wall, brushing his fingers through his hair. He doesn't understand why he made such a big deal out of such a small incident, but-
But he can't get rid of this queasy feeling in his stomach. It's deep inside him, keeping him from analyzing the situation rationally. Nino sometimes freezes time without him, so what? Just because they're often together, just because they are together every freaking night, it doesn't mean that Nino has to share everything with him. Sho quickly has to abandon this assumption, he knows that.
“Cooled down?” Nino steps up beside him, leaning on the wall, too. They don’t look at each other.
Sho has to take a deep breath before answering: “Yes. Sorry.”
“Well, then lets go to a shop that you like, now”, Nino proposes with a pleasant smile, making the knot in Sho's stomach loosen slightly.
They end up in a music store and it becomes apparent that Sho isn't the only one liking it there. Nino immediately disappears into the guitar section and is gone from Sho's sight for quite a while. But Sho doesn't mind, he's already standing in front of the shelf displaying the newest headphones. He practically swoons over one after the other, comparing the most recent models and quickly has found his dream piece.
Then he takes a look at the price tag and hurriedly puts it back.
“One day...” he whispers to himself. A bit disappointed, he turns away from the headphones and finds himself eye to eye with Nino. He didn't hear him approaching.
Nino has this look reminding Sho of the scene up on the school's roof. He scans their surroundings and then grabs Sho's hand. Everything turns quiet.
“That one?” Nino asks, dangling the headphones Sho has just put back before his eyes. Sho nods, perplexed, before realizing Nino's plan. The grip on his hand tightens and Nino runs from the shop with Sho in tow.
“Wait! Let-“ Sho protests, but Nino is pulling him outside into the dark street. Once there, he still doesn't let him go and everybody around them is frozen to the spot.
“What was that all about?” Sho yells at him as soon as they have stopped. He cannot believe what Nino has done - what he has actually used his power for.
“Calm down, nobody will ever know. No one saw us and there were no cameras in that shop.” Nino definitely sounds much too calm, seeing that he has just committed a crime; and that riles up Sho even more. He wants to rage but Nino is still holding onto his hand. The second he lets go, Sho won't be able to hurl all the things at him that are going through his mind right now.
“But you can't do something like this! It's wrong, damn it.”
Nino's eyes darken.
“Don't you tell me about wrong. What is it we are doing every night? You might as well call that wrong,” he spits and his words hit home harder than Sho is prepared for. Suddenly he gets very calm.
“Maybe. Yes, maybe it's just as wrong. Maybe we should quit. It can't be right what we're doing.” As if Nino's actions have finally opened his eyes, he sees it all so clearly now. All that he has done during the last weeks. The meetings with Nino, the training, them playing around with the flow of time. Nino, who has always encouraged him to continue. Nino, who awakened this power in him in the first place.
It had been wrong from the beginning.
“That's not fair, Sho. Just because I-the headphones-I wanted to make you happy, don't you get it? Don't even start with... You can't seriously be like this now!” Nino sounds furious and bitter. Maybe he isn't even aware of how tight he's holding Sho's hand by now.
“Yes, Nino, I can and I will. All of this, it has to stop. Don't you get it? First the cigarette on the roof. Now this. Where is this going? It's not right that you-that we have such an ability.”
“Then this thing between us isn't right either?” Nino asks, taking Sho by surprise. Did he really just say that? And does it imply what Sho thinks it does? Could it be that Nino-
“This thing between us...,” Sho repeats, but Nino interrupts him. “You know what I mean. It has long ago stopped being only about our powers. You can feel it too, don’t you?”
A flicker of hope shows in Nino's eyes and Sho can't resist. He pulls him in for a kiss.
Anger is still churning in his stomach and he is still furious about all that's happened, so at first he is pressing his lips a bit too hard against Nino's, but the touch itself calms him slowly. When Nino starts returning the kiss, he is long prepared to melt into it. He can feel Nino's arms encircling him but can't concentrate on them, because Nino's lips are still occupying his own - so warm, so Nino, and the butterflies in Sho's stomach turn wild.
They part and Sho is beaming.
*
He barely remembers how they got to his house. But he doesn't care anyway, because all that counts is Nino bending over him here and now, so close he can feel him everywhere.
Sho lifts his head to melt into another kiss, again and again. He can't seem to get enough of kissing Nino. Not now that he finally realizes what these feelings were about this whole time. Not now that he has him.
The fact that Nino doesn't seem inclined to stop it either makes it even better.
Nino utters a satisfied sound, making Sho's heart swell even more. He can't part from him, doesn't want to part. All he wants is to keep kissing him.
He wishes for time to stand still forever.
The thought gives him pause.
And then he sees it.
He breaks away from Nino at once, pushing him off and away, far away. Far enough that they aren't touching anymore.
“It's light outside,” he says outraged, seeing from Nino's puzzled expression that the other doesn't understand at all. “It's light outside, damn it! It was night, it was dark. And now it's already morning. Meaning I have... I have... damn it!”
“Oh shit,” Nino curses quietly when he finally gets it too. Then, “But hey, hey, such accidents happen. It's no big deal, Sho. It's just that... that...” It's the first time ever for Nino to be lost for words; the first time since Sho knows him that he doesn't know what to say. And this only makes it worse.
“I fast-forwarded the whole night. This is bad. It's a real disaster!” Sho hisses between clenched teeth. None of them wants to bridge the gap between them. And for the first time Sho feels grateful for it. He couldn't touch Nino right now.
“I've lost control,” he goes on, “and it will happen again. I didn't notice anything, anything at all. It just happened. And when I'm with you, when we-it won't be the last time.” All of the thoughts crashing in on him are hard to accept and quite painful, but he has to say them out loud. He has to, in order to clarify the situation for himself.
“It might-it could happen again. But that isn't so bad. I mean, it's... as long as we're together it's...” Nino's voice sounds so very insecure and something inside Sho breaks.
“It is bad. I've stolen a night from us. One whole night. We can't undo that. How much more should I take from us? How much more are we supposed to miss? No, Nino, this isn't working. I... I can't take this responsibility.” His words sound so final it's frightening. At the same time he painfully realizes that it's the right thing to do.
“We should-“
But before Sho can say it, Nino jumps to his feet.
“So that's it already? Just because you've lost control once, you immediately abandon everything?”
Sho swallows hard. But for him the matter is clear.
“I can't do this, Nino,” he whispers, feeling utterly devastated.
Nino just looks at him for a long moment and it's not only disappointment Sho detects in his eyes. There's also a deep sadness. And anger.
Then Nino bolts out of the room and Sho can hear the door banging closed.
He has never felt so alone before.
*
Nino doesn't come to school anymore.
*
He sees it a few days later on the news. One of the most mysterious bank robberies in history. At first Sho shakes his head in denial, because he doesn't believe Nino would actually pull off something like that, but then again, he can't lie to himself much longer. Not when he sees the video footage on TV showing that nobody was there while the money vanished from one second to the other. It wasn't a very large sum that has been stolen, they say.
The bank is located not too far away.
Sho buries his face in his hands.
Was it because he had disappointed Nino? Did he have to vent his anger somewhere? Did he want to test out his boundaries?
He doesn't know where this urge is suddenly coming from, but he hurries over to his computer and goes online. It feels strange typing in the word time shifter, but he quickly finds what he's looking for. He scrolls down the page and browses the different entries in the forum. He clicks on various threads, but most of them turn out to be bullshit, just as Nino said.
Sho doesn't know how long he's been studying the site when finally a post catches his eye.
Answer from user: BrunoA posted on March 21st 2001, 08:05 am
» Everything you're saying is bullshit. It's not always about only one time shifter. The whole topic is much more complex than you imagine. It involves five people. A basis, i.e. the person who's able to freeze time; they're the power source and also have the strongest power. And then there are four other people, who together with the basis form a connection. As soon as all five of them are connected, they are able to control everything. They can freeze time, turn it back or fast-forward it, and jump back and forth however they please. And the basis, the time stopper, becomes stronger with every other time shifter he connects with. He can broaden the limit within which he is able to willingly stop time. The more of his missing shifters he finds the longer his power works. «
Sho has to read the passage a few times to really understand it.
Was that the reason Nino wanted to get him interested? Did he just want to become stronger?
Sho leans back in his chair and stares at the ceiling.
Maybe Nino didn't tell him the truth that time in the schoolyard. Maybe he always planned to use his ability for greater actions.
Sho doesn't know. But that much is clear, he won't let Nino get away so easily.
Because no matter how much Nino pretended, their kisses were real. And the disappointment in his eyes was real too, Sho is sure of it.
And if there truly are three others out there, time shifters belonging to them, with whom they can become stronger, Sho knows he has to find them. Because maybe more strength entails more control over their powers. It might provide the possibility for Sho and Nino to be together after all.
Sho feels a previously unknown determination welling up inside him.
He knows it's not over yet.
Pairing: Sho/Nino
Rating: PG-13
Genre: supernatural, romance
Words: 8,186
Summary: Nino is a complete mystery. Sho knows there's something about him that's out of this world, so he tries his best to understand.
A/N: My contribution for this years' shoneenclub "Powers" contest, in which I won second place :) Original post here. Wouldn't have finished it in time without the big help of jennysimonekate and kos_mos26 ♥
I bring the world to a stop.
And then it’s only you and me.
Sho is an attentive person. He has always had that ability to see what people themselves could not see. Even in class, he could follow the lesson half-heartedly, registering just enough of what was going on (which is fortunate because his parents would certainly not be amused if his grades suffered) while his focus remained on the person to his right. He doesn’t know why, as he barely knows Ninomiya Kazunari.
They’ve been classmates for a couple of years now, but their circles of friends never mingled. But Sho felt his extraordinary intuition acting up; an inner urge - like an itch he couldn’t quite reach - that drove him to look at Ninomiya repeatedly.
He watches, watches intently as if he expects something might happen any minute. Nothing happens, of course, and Sho just wants to laugh out loud. What could happen during the lesson? What outrageous act should Nino display? Sho shakes his head, exasperated at himself, and averts his gaze. Even if this feeling has always had its reason, he cannot spend the whole time staring at this guy.
“Ninomiya-kun,” the teacher says suddenly. Sho is still so lost in thoughts that he needs a few seconds to understand the reason. Ninomiya, a confident smile on his face, starts answering the teacher's question. It sounds as if he’s reading directly from the text book, every word thoughtfully considered and right on spot. Unlike Sho he must have followed the lesson carefully.
Sho wonders how he does it. He himself has to sit over his books every night until his neck hurts so much he can barely move. And he knows from Ninomiya's friends' friends that the guy actually prefers to spend his time with video games and baseball rather than with books. Maybe that's what is bugging Sho, because it just doesn't fit.
Or maybe the teacher has simply chosen a topic that Ninomiya is coincidentally good at.
*
But now that he's consciously paying attention, he notices that it's happening more often. It's about completely different topics, but each time Ninomiya sounds as if he's studied and memorized the answer beforehand - even though he hasn't so much as glanced into his book. It keeps irking Sho. A week goes by, then another, but it doesn’t get any better. Sho has to force himself to follow the lessons, but he frequently finds his eyes wandering over to Ninomiya.
*
“You look bothered,” Jun greets him and Sho immediately feels caught. He wanted to spend the break not thinking about Ninomiya, but Jun's raised eyebrow makes it all too clear that this is going to be their topic right now - and that Jun won’t let him get away with it.
“My concentration is dwindling a bit,” Sho answers, tentatively starting on his current issue. He doesn't have to explain to Jun that there's more to it.
“Doesn't seem like you.”
They sit down and Jun peels his Melonpan from the crackling plastic wrapper. Sho has already lost his appetite some days ago, but he doesn't want to show it. He takes a brief sip from his bottle of greentea to at least occupy himself.
“There's this guy in my class,” he starts after a while. He can hear Jun swallowing a laugh and letting only a small chuckle escape. Sho would love to just leave it like this, maybe give Jun the impression he's in love and that this is the reason for his waning concentration and appetite. It'd be a lot easier to explain at least.
Instead he takes another sip and pulls himself together.
“Something is different about him. Weird. But I can’t tell what it is. And I have no idea why it's bugging me so much.”
Jun says nothing for a long while, simply chewing on his Melonpan. He then puts the rest of it away and shoots Sho a short grin.
“Well, find it out then.”
*
But Sho finds out nothing, which makes things far worse. He can't ignore it, can't ignore him. But no matter how hard he concentrates on Ninomiya, no matter how long he's watching him, there is nothing striking, nothing to prove the existence of anything extraordinary. Sho wonders how long it will take for him to go crazy.
As he's walking down the hallway to the classroom, mulling over ways to get rid of his obsession with Ninomiya, he hears people shouting. He stops automatically and a few other students around him do the same. Some of the older students sprint around a corner and Sho realizes immediately that they are the troublemakers the whole school is talking about. They toss a basketball around between them, cheering loudly.
It all happens way too fast. They run towards him and Sho only sees the ball flying straight at him, he has no chance to react, and-
A touch on his shoulder.
Everything stops.
The basketball is floating in the air, maybe half a meter from his face. It's completely silent. Nobody is moving, as if they are all suddenly frozen in spot.
As if somebody has stopped time.
“You should take a step aside,” a voice advises from behind him and Sho feels a shiver running down his spine when he recognizes it. Ninomiya.
“What?” Sho asks, surprised that he's able to say anything at all and not frozen to the spot as well.
“A step. To the side. Or the ball will hit you right in the face.”
Sho still has his gaze fixed on the basketball in front of him and doesn't get what's going on, he can't grasp it; something like this is entirely not possible. Only now he can feel the hand still holding onto his shoulder. It has to be Ninomiya's hand, because the grip tightens a little and he gets pushed to the side. Then the hand lets go and the ball crashes into the wall next to him. Suddenly everything is so loud, much too loud, and the students are running past him after their basketball. He can hear a teacher yelling from somewhere, but he can't focus enough to get what he says. It doesn't matter anyway, because Ninomiya steps beside him and winks meaningful.
“What-? You-,“ Sho stammers, but stops immediately because what can he say? He doesn’t even understand what just happened.
Ninomiya starts to answer, but the shrill sound of the school bell interrupts him. So he simply smiles (it could almost be a smirk, Sho thinks) and tilts his head a little.
“We should head back to the classroom.”
*
Back in class Sho now more than ever can't take his eyes off Ninomiya. He doesn't even know which lesson it is. He's too focused on Ninomiya's profile, staring at the other with knitted brows. Slowly he begins to understand.
Ninomiya has stopped the time.
And no matter how crazy this may sound, Sho knows it is the only possible explanation.
Ninomiya can stop time.
“... course of the Dollar, Sakurai-kun?” the voice of his teacher catches him unprepared and Sho's face flies forward immediately. Shit. The teacher is looking at him expectantly, but Sho has absolutely no idea what he might want to hear from him.
“Well...,” he utters intelligently. He feels hot and cold as the teacher raises his eyebrows questioningly and seems to understand that Sho obviously wasn’t listening. He takes a deep breath bracing himself for the scolding words he never wanted to hear-
Ninomiya is standing right before him.
And the rest is standing still.
“The Dollar to Yen exchange rate had its first drastic crash in 1972 and since 1990 it has never again topped the 150-mark. Got it? First crash in 1972 and never over 150 since 1990,” Ninomiya tells him urgently and Sho feels the hand on his shoulder again. Then the feeling is gone, Ninomiya is back in his seat and the lesson continues.
Sho stands up just as the teacher starts to say something. He needs a moment to collect himself but then his mind catches on and he repeats Nino's words as precisely as possible. If he is wrong and everyone has seen Ninomiya telling him the answer, he'll be the laughing stock. If he is talking complete rubbish, he'll get scolded by the teacher. But what does he have to lose?
The teacher just looks at him wordlessly for a moment, a bit surprised maybe, then nods. He's nodding as if accepting Sho's answer. As if Sho has answered correctly.
So it was-
Sho tries to stomach the realization. He swallows hard, swallows again. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Ninomiya staring at him, grinning.
Suddenly Sho's palms feel sweaty.
*
Sho tries to catch up to Ninomiya after school even though he is sure the other could easily slip away if he wanted to. That much at least Sho is sure of. He tries nevertheless, hurrying across the school yard and reaching out to grasp Ninomiya's arm. When he gets a grip on the fabric of his school uniform, the world suddenly starts racing. It looks like a fast-forwarded video, the sounds are distorted and strangely high-pitched and his eyes can barely follow the super-fast movements around him.
“Whoa, watch what you're doing!” Ninomiya suddenly snaps at him, breaking away from his grip.
Time flows normally again.
Sho tears his eyes away from the people walking at a steady pace again and stares at his hand that had been touching Ninomiya's arm just a few seconds ago. Then he looks up at Ninomiya, face pale and eyes wide open.
“What the hell was that?” he suddenly shouts at Ninomiya, closing in on the other. “What-who in the world are you?”
Ninomiya keeps quiet for a long moment, as though he has to ponder Sho's question very thoroughly. But then his eyes twinkle with mischief.
“I'm Nino. Your classmate, for a little more than three years now.”
Sho needs a second to realize that Ninomiya - Nino - is pulling his leg. When he gets it, he furrows his brows angrily.
“I know that much,” he hisses between clenched teeth. Then, “You stopped... you stopped time, didn't you? In the hallway earlier?”
Nino quickly scans their surroundings, but there is no one in the school yard anymore. No wonder, Sho realizes, as a quick look on the watch reveals that already half an hour has passed since the end of classes (although he knows perfectly well that it’s only been about ten minutes), and most of the students are on their way home.
Seriousness enters Nino's eyes, making Sho tense up at once. Then Nino nods curtly, confirming what Sho can't believe, or rather doesn't want to.
“And this just now? What was that?” he asks when Nino shows no inclination to talk.
The other just shrugs. “That wasn't me. It was you.”
Sho can only stare at him.
“That was me? But I didn't do anything. Tha-that's impossible,” he stammers confused.
“You touched me,” Nino states matter-of-factly.
Sho glances at his hand that still hangs in the air. Then he touches Nino again.
Nothing happens.
“I'd be pretty jealous if you could control it that quickly,” Nino says with a laugh. He puts his hand over Sho's, folding his fingers around and slowly pushing it away. A gentle, untypical smile forms on his lips and Sho instantly likes it.
“It took me years to be able stop time just because I wanted to.”
Only now Sho realizes that the hands of the school's big clock aren't moving and the leaves have stopped rustling.
“Just like now?”
Nino nods again. “Yes, just like now.”
There's something magical about these words. Not only because time is literally standing still; there is something else. The quietness surrounding the two feels as if everything is solely focused on them. Because it is exactly like that - the world stands still just for both of them and this moment is intended for Nino and Sho alone.
A moment that only belongs to them.
Sho doesn't know why, but this thought does strange things to him. His pulse speeds up; he feels his heart racing in his chest.
But then he remembers how many questions he still has for Ninomiya and the feeling is gone.
“Why didn't I notice anything before, then? If you have this ability that long already why do I only find out about it today?” he utters the questions which are rushing in on him again.
“But you did notice. You realized that there's something not quite right about me or you wouldn't have watched me all this time, right?” Nino says nonchalantly. He lifts his hand, still holding onto Sho's. “Even though time stops for you, too. Unless I'm touching you.”
Nino strokes the back of Sho's hand with his thumb and a strange tingling feeling runs through his body. He can't tell if it's the magic or something else entirely.
“So time stops for anyone if you want it to? Except for those you're touching?” Sho has to repeat it for himself to somehow get his head around it. He doesn't know if he can ever truly believe it, even though the facts are unmistakeable, even though the deathly silence surrounding them makes it all too clear.
“Yup. That's correct,” Nino answers with a huge grin, but Sho doesn't feel like laughing at all.
“And you... you use this power to cheat in class? Because that's what you're doing, isn't it? If you don't know the answer you simply stop time and look it up.”
A short giggle escapes Nino and Sho does his best to not find it adorable.
“Busted.”
“But you could-” Sho starts, upset, but he doesn't know how to continue. The words are too hard to find. There is so much that Nino could do with his power, so much he can't even think of it all at once. His mind starts wandering; he imagines Nino catching criminals, saving people, preventing accidents. He doesn't know how to express it, so he just adds, “you could do so much more.”
Nino's expression changes and for a second Sho believes that he might also be able to read his mind. Can you do it, he quickly asks in his head, but Nino doesn’t show any signs of having heard him and Sho pushes the thought aside quickly. As if it wasn’t enough that the guy was able to stop time.
“I could do a lot more, yes,” Nino says and Sho doesn't miss the bitterness in his voice, “but I don't want to. It's just... not right. Me having this power isn't right. And I'm not planning to pull off any heroics or rob a bank. If that's what you're implying.”
That's when Sho realizes how much more is involved. Nino isn’t just a boy who can play around with time. Even though he gives the impression as if all that is the most normal thing in the world, as if he's never known anything else, Nino must have once learned how much his ability encompasses. What hardships did he have to endure to make up his mind to never use this power for something greater?
And yet, he uses it so very carelessly.
“Why then? Why stop time at all? When you're saying it's not right?” Sho asks. He doesn't understand Nino at all and it bothers him more than he wants to admit.
Nino lets go of his hand and the world comes alive again. After such a long time of standstill it’s quite a shock and Sho realizes how loud everything really is. How loud the wind blows, the leaves rustle.
“This is where you come in, Sho-kun,” Nino whispers, or maybe he hasn't really lowered his voice; Sho has no idea, because everything else is just so loud. He can hear every single car which passes them by even though the street is so far away.
“I wanted you to find me. That's why I've stopped time again and again, during class, outside in the school yard, at baseball practice. I was waiting for you to notice me.”
Sho doesn't know how he is supposed to grasp all this information, how to understand it.
“Why me?” He can't say more. It's too much, all of this.
Nino seems to recognize his state, because his gaze softens considerably and he places both hands on Sho's shoulders, holding him steadily. It feels good.
“Because I think you own a similar power. No, actually you just proved it. With my help you can fast-forward time.”
*
Ironically, time just doesn't want to pass. And after all he'd been through today, Sho has to check the clock regularly to convince himself that time hasn't stopped again. He constantly found himself simply staring at the hand of the small clock on his desk, watching it ticking off each second. He’s supposed to be studying for tomorrow's test but there's no way he can concentrate now.
Ninomiya had left him standing, telling him he had to go to baseball practice and promised him that he would come by his house afterwards.
“Why didn’t he stop the fucking time once more if he was in such a hurry?!” Sho curses angrily. This guy couldn't just step into his life talking about time and stopping and fast-forwarding, and then disappear again this quickly. Sho still has so many questions, so many things he doesn’t get.
If only he knew how to fast-forward time right now. It would save him a lot of brooding.
A knock jolts him from his thoughts.
“Sho, there's a friend of yours waiting downstairs,” his mother informs him and Sho jumps, almost knocking over his chair. He hurries down the stairs, along the hallway to the front door, stopping himself just in time, taking a deep breath to not let it seem so obvious how fast he's been running.
“Hi,” Nino greets smoothly. Sho immediately notices the colorful cap sitting lopsided on his head. And the dark blue t-shirt sporting Time Traveler.
“Seriously?” Sho mumbles more to himself, which makes Nino laugh.
“Nope, I'm not that far yet,” he answers with a grin, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Sho has to fight against the thought how cute he looks.
There's silence and Sho scratches the back of his head awkwardly. “You wanna come in?” he finally offers, stepping aside already, but Nino shakes his head.
“We'd better go somewhere no one can catch us.”
Sho tries to swallow the lump forming in his throat.
*
It had to be the clichéd deserted park, Sho thinks while he takes in his surrounding. And really, here they are, all alone with nothing than the meadow and some trees around them. He glances over to Nino expectantly, who has sat down in the meadow and is playing with a blade of grass.
“What now?” Sho asks impatient.
“You're the one with the questions,” Nino retorts, shrugging.
And suddenly Sho feels the urge to hit him, even though he knows perfectly well that Nino is right. But nevertheless, he can’t just let it go. “That I only have because of you.”
Nino only smirks, leaning back on his arms in the grass. “Are you here to argue?”
Sho tries to control the anger welling up inside him. Just the fact that Nino is able to stay so calm, after all that happened today, lets him almost lose it. Damn, for Sho, all of this is anything but normal and he's already doing his best to somehow understand, but it's just a bit too much at once.
But he can't exactly demand sympathy from Nino. So he pulls himself together as best as he can and takes a deep breath.
“You said that with your help I can fast-forward time?”
Nino perks up immediately, sits upright and nods. “That’s right. Through contact I can not only prevent my power from affecting you but I can also shift it over to you. Share it with you. You can't stop, but you can adapt your own kind of time manipulation. In your case fast-forwarding. Make time flow faster.”
Sho stops short immediately. “Kind of time manipulation? This sounds like you read it in a book.”
Nino hides a chuckle behind his hand. “It's more like an internet forum for time shifters.”
“And you believe in that sort of stuff?” Sho asks quite astonished. He didn't take Nino for such a gullible person.
“There's a lot of nonsense in these forums, but once you've sifted through all the crap you can find some useful information. And it's been proven right. Or we wouldn't have this conversation right now.”
“Doesn’t that mean there are more people out there who can do such things?” Sho concludes; it seems the only logical explanation to him. These facts on the internet have to come from somewhere after all.
“No idea. Maybe. But I don't intend to contact any of these people. You never know who or what is really behind such posts,” Nino says seriously and Sho feels instantly reminded of all those supernatural movies.There's always someone chasing after the heroes, someone who wants to control or steal their powers. Nino probably thinks along those lines, too.
Sho is still mulling over all the things one could achieve with such powers when Nino gets up and easily covers the two steps between them. He's looking at Sho expectantly.
“Now, I didn't bring you here for chitchat, you know that, right?” he says with raised eyebrows. Sho swallows audible.
“Yes,” he mutters, all tensed up. His gaze drops to Nino's hands even before they touch him. The touch triggers nothing at first, time neither stops nor speeds up.
“You have to imagine this power as a kind of muscle,” Nino starts explaining. He sounds very serious all of a sudden and Sho tenses up even more. “A muscle that you cannot control yet. And you have to learn how to move it. You have to find out what to do in order to activate the power. It's a bit like those people who can wiggle their ears. Or, I don't know, like raising just one eyebrow instead of both. Or wink with only one eye. These are all things you have to learn first, some are done quickly but others take longer. This power is no different. Once you get it, control is easy. But it takes a while to discover.”
Sho thinks he understands what Nino is trying to tell him. He just has no idea how it's supposed to help.
“Did you feel anything in particular when you fast-forwarded this afternoon?” Nino wants to know then, but Sho can only shake his head.
“I... dunno. It was much too much at this instant. I can't really remember what I felt,” he says, biting his lower lip unconsciously. Nino nods understandingly.
“So we just have to wait for it to happen again.”
*
Waiting for it involved meeting up every night and sitting next to each other in the park. Just like now, one week after the fateful event. They've taken to bringing blankets and snacks to pass the time. Sometimes they hold hands, because it's the easiest way of keeping contact. But nowadays Nino always brings along his DS, and in order for him to be able to play (for which he needs both hands of course), they just sit very close to each other, brushing shoulders. Sho is not entirely sure if that makes any sense and what they hope to accomplish in the end, but strangely he has nothing against it. They've used the time well and talked a lot. Sho wonders why, in all the years they've been classmates, they never talked to each other before.
He likes Nino.
True, he is a little odd - not just because of the whole time shifter business - but he always has a witty comment in store and is great to talk to. And he is clever as well, much more than Sho had given him credit for; one night they talked about current political issues - something Sho loves to do - and Nino had a lot to contribute. Maybe the rumors about him only caring about baseball and video games were wrong.
“Argh, shit. Die already!” Nino shouts, furiously pressing the buttons on his DS. Sho grins; maybe the rumors are true after all.
In a lousy attempt to pass the time, Sho watches the leaves floating to the ground. But then one of them sinks faster, much too fast, and Sho, completely surprised, looks at Nino, who in turn is staring back at him. Because they are still sitting so close to each other, their faces are only inches apart. Sho instantly rears back, breaking contact and the leaves are falling at their normal speed again.
“That... I... it worked,” he stutters, trying hard to ignore his racing heart.
“Yeah, it did. Look what you've done,” Nino pouts and presents his DS with the screen showing Game Over in big letters. “I may be an excellent gamer, but five times the normal speed is a little too much, even for my reflexes.”
“It really... that was me?” Sho goes on, ignoring Nino's complaints. The latter grumbles in response and shuts his DS.
“Yup, that was your work entirely. And? Felt anything this time?”
Sho is about to answer how his heart had been beating faster, but then he realizes it might have nothing to do with his time-manipulating. So he just sighs, turning his eyes away from Nino. “No, nothing.”
Nino's answer is an incomprehensible grunt.
*
Sometimes Sho asks himself if he really wants to learn how to fast-forward time. But ending it would mean losing his reason to spend the evenings with Nino. To sit close to him and talk about everything and nothing. To watch him playing his games.
He has gotten too used to it over the time (and has come to enjoy it too much, but he doesn't want to think about that) to be able to stop.
So he continues.
*
“You can be grateful that your power can only be activated through me,” Nino says one night out of the blue. It sounds as if there's more to come, so Sho keeps quiet and waits.
After a short pause Nino goes on:
“When it started for me, it was-I often stopped time by mistake. In the beginning, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't go on like this. Everything was standing still and it felt as if I was the only one alive. I couldn't do anything but wait for time to go on. Sometimes I thought it was stretching on for days, but maybe it were only a couple hours. I wouldn't know because I always lost all sense of time.”
Sho can't look at Nino. He doesn't want to imagine how it must haven been for him - with this power he couldn't control.
He doesn't want to imagine how it would be if he fast-forwarded time for days on end without being able to do anything about it. Suddenly he feels fear bubbling up, fear of this power and its consequences. Because what would he do if he gained control over it? Nino's power is different. When he freezes time, he doesn't risk anything, doesn't change anything. But what about Sho? When he forwards time and doesn't pay attention- he can't rewind. Everything he might miss he can't recover.
He does have Nino as back up, simply has to break contact fast enough - but what if they both don't pay attention? Can he even shoulder this responsibility?
He realizes he can't. But by now he is in too deep, and it already worked twice. And he can practically feel how much Nino wants this.
Sho doesn't want to disappoint him.
*
So he keeps on, a week, two weeks. More and more often he succeeds in fast-forwarding even though it's unpleasant every time. The world is not made to be fast-forwarded; every movement is much too hectic, barely registrable for human eyes. Noises are too high-pitched, too shrill. One time birds were singing when Sho forwarded time and he almost couldn't take the shrill tweets.
Whenever he has forwarded, Nino stops the time afterwards. On the one hand he does it because he knows that Sho needs the break and doesn't want to listen to anything after all the unnatural noise. Sho enjoys the quietness when Nino freezes time more than anything else.
On the other hand he does it to prolong their time together. So they can relive some of the time they've missed due to Sho's power.
“Why are we doing this?” Sho one night finally dares to ask. Nino has stopped time again and there's a blessed silence around them. “I mean, where does this all lead to? I fast-forward, you stop, then time flows normally again...” His voice falters at the end and he can't look Nino in the eyes.
“Does it have to make sense? Isn't it just thrilling to find out what we can do?” Nino counters with questions of his own. He lets the time flow, then stops it only to let it go again, as if he wants to demonstrate his power to Sho yet again. Meanwhile, Sho watches a squirrel running across the lawn to a tree. It's like watching a scratched DVD, running, stopping, then running again. In the end, he has enough and fast-forwards till the furry little critter has climbed up the tree and vanished from his sight.
“That was pretty good,” Nino says surprised, and only now Sho realizes what he has accomplished. He used his power in a completely controlled fashion. He tries again, but this time there's no reaction.
“Felt like happiness,” he sighs, downhearted. Nino squeezes his shoulder encouragingly.
“It will come to you. You have to be patient.”
*
But then something changes.
It starts when Nino pulls him up on the school's roof. Usually they don't spend school breaks together, so Sho is pretty surprised when he finds himself on the roof with Nino. Alone.
“Here, for you,” Nino grins and offers him a cigarette. Sho's good breeding immediately comes through and he shakes his head defensively.
“Are you nuts? What if anybody sees us? We'll be in deep trouble!” he says angrily, but Nino is unimpressed. Sho knows what he is up to even before Nino's hand touches his, but he doesn't want it. It's not right.
Time stops and Nino puts the cigarette between his lips, inhaling deeply and blowing smoke in Sho's direction. “Keep cool, it's just a smoke. And nobody can see us.”
Sho feels uneasy, but he can't prevent his gaze from flickering to the cigarette repeatedly. Even more so as it's dangling from between Nino's thin lips. He practically has to force himself to look away.
“We're old enough (No, Sho thinks, we're seventeen). Here, just try it. Nobody will catch you.” Nino offers him the cigarette again, a little more forcefully this time, and Sho takes it nervously. Of course Sho is not always the picture-perfect, well-behaving son, but a cigarette is something else entirely, because he knows the consequences he might have to face if any of this becomes public. Nevertheless, he puts it between his lips. The filter is warm. A pleasant shiver runs through his body when he remembers that it has been between Nino's lips a few seconds ago. He inhales once and immediately has to cough. Nino's hand that has been resting on his shoulder the entire time starts rubbing his back softly. Despite all or maybe just because of it, Sho inhales again more deeply, this time suppressing the urge to cough. Nino only laughs.
After finishing the cigarette they erase all evidence and eat a strong mint each.
It's the first and only break Nino spends with him.
*
Sho succeeds more and more often in willingly fast-forwarding time. Nino seems more pleased than ever.
*
One morning Sho wakes up and all his fears are forgotten. He knows why he's learning to control his power. Not to use it - because no matter how often he thinks about it, he can't seem to imagine any situation where he would want to fast-forward time, not when he's with Nino. He wants to learn it in order to avoid activating it accidentally. He wants to be able to stay with Nino, to touch him without fearing that time might fly past too quick.
He's shocked by this insight, because it shows what an important role Nino is already playing in his life. But he also feels quite satisfied. Happy even.
However, his new-found knowledge makes it hard to meet Nino. Because now, his heart starts beating faster whenever they touch, whenever Nino's steady, expectant gaze is focused on him. When he can see the happiness and pride in the other's eyes every time he manages to fast-forward consciously. It's always a bit embarrassing when Sho looks away too quickly then and feels the tips of his ears growing hot. He only hopes that Nino can't interpret his behavior - because Sho himself isn't really able to fully understand it yet.
“Where are you with your thoughts today?” Nino asks casually, but Sho knows him well enough by now to identify the interested undertone. Even though they are currently taking a break, Sho can clearly feel Nino's fingers softly brushing the skin on his arm. He instantly feels warmer.
“I'm right here - I think,” he answers with a lopsided smile.
Nino scoots closer and now it's not just his hand touching Sho. He leans his shoulder on Sho's, sighing quietly. Sho doesn't really know what to make of it, but he keeps still, letting Nino lean on him. Du-dum, du-dum thumps his heart. It's so loud that he fears Nino might hear it.
Where do all these feelings come from all of a sudden?
“Do you ever have these moments where you wish for time just to stop forever?” Nino asks suddenly. Sho wants to answer yes, right now, but even in his ears that sounds a bit too much on the cheesy side. Instead he chuckles.
“If there's anybody who doesn't have to wish for something like that, it's you. I mean, you can freeze time forever, can't you?” While saying these words, Sho realizes that he has no idea whether that is really true. He has no idea for how long Nino actually can stop time. They've never talked about it.
“Hm,” Nino grunts. Sho can't tell whether it's a yes or no. But he doesn't want to pry.
*
Instead of going to the park, Nino takes him to a shopping mall the next night.
“The two of us deserve a holiday from all this hard work, right?” he says grinning and pulls Sho along to one of the big video game stores. Sho feels lost at first, but then he simply follows behind Nino. The other is completely focused on scanning the rows and rows of video games. Sho likes the serious, concentrated Nino. What he doesn't like, however, is the fact that all of sudden Nino is holding a game in his hands without Sho having seen him take it from the shelf. He's also standing a little more to the right than before.
“Did you just-? But you can't, not here!” He's staring daggers at Nino, who returns his gaze utterly confused.
“What? Ah... but that was just a short moment. I didn't want to keep you waiting.” Nino scratches his head, laughing, and Sho knows that he is trying to downplay the whole thing. He doesn't like it one bit.
“You can't do that in public. What if anybody-do you want anyone to notice?”
Nino seems annoyed. “You never minded before.”
“But then nobody was-“ But Sho interrupts himself as it dawns on him. All the other times Nino involved him, had stopped time with him. This time he excluded him and even though it had only been to find his game, maybe even completely unconsciously, Sho doesn't like it.
He doesn't want to allow the thought, but he can't prevent this one question from popping up: How often did Nino stop time when they were together? How often without Sho being aware of it?
Nino seems to notice his inner conflict.
“Hey, sorry if that was out of line in any way. I didn't to it on purpose, okay?” He tries hard to convince him, but it sounds fake in Sho's ears. He doesn't know why, but all he wants is to get out of the store and away from Nino for a moment. Maybe it's not very nice, but he leaves Nino standing and bolts out.
Outside he leans against a wall, brushing his fingers through his hair. He doesn't understand why he made such a big deal out of such a small incident, but-
But he can't get rid of this queasy feeling in his stomach. It's deep inside him, keeping him from analyzing the situation rationally. Nino sometimes freezes time without him, so what? Just because they're often together, just because they are together every freaking night, it doesn't mean that Nino has to share everything with him. Sho quickly has to abandon this assumption, he knows that.
“Cooled down?” Nino steps up beside him, leaning on the wall, too. They don’t look at each other.
Sho has to take a deep breath before answering: “Yes. Sorry.”
“Well, then lets go to a shop that you like, now”, Nino proposes with a pleasant smile, making the knot in Sho's stomach loosen slightly.
They end up in a music store and it becomes apparent that Sho isn't the only one liking it there. Nino immediately disappears into the guitar section and is gone from Sho's sight for quite a while. But Sho doesn't mind, he's already standing in front of the shelf displaying the newest headphones. He practically swoons over one after the other, comparing the most recent models and quickly has found his dream piece.
Then he takes a look at the price tag and hurriedly puts it back.
“One day...” he whispers to himself. A bit disappointed, he turns away from the headphones and finds himself eye to eye with Nino. He didn't hear him approaching.
Nino has this look reminding Sho of the scene up on the school's roof. He scans their surroundings and then grabs Sho's hand. Everything turns quiet.
“That one?” Nino asks, dangling the headphones Sho has just put back before his eyes. Sho nods, perplexed, before realizing Nino's plan. The grip on his hand tightens and Nino runs from the shop with Sho in tow.
“Wait! Let-“ Sho protests, but Nino is pulling him outside into the dark street. Once there, he still doesn't let him go and everybody around them is frozen to the spot.
“What was that all about?” Sho yells at him as soon as they have stopped. He cannot believe what Nino has done - what he has actually used his power for.
“Calm down, nobody will ever know. No one saw us and there were no cameras in that shop.” Nino definitely sounds much too calm, seeing that he has just committed a crime; and that riles up Sho even more. He wants to rage but Nino is still holding onto his hand. The second he lets go, Sho won't be able to hurl all the things at him that are going through his mind right now.
“But you can't do something like this! It's wrong, damn it.”
Nino's eyes darken.
“Don't you tell me about wrong. What is it we are doing every night? You might as well call that wrong,” he spits and his words hit home harder than Sho is prepared for. Suddenly he gets very calm.
“Maybe. Yes, maybe it's just as wrong. Maybe we should quit. It can't be right what we're doing.” As if Nino's actions have finally opened his eyes, he sees it all so clearly now. All that he has done during the last weeks. The meetings with Nino, the training, them playing around with the flow of time. Nino, who has always encouraged him to continue. Nino, who awakened this power in him in the first place.
It had been wrong from the beginning.
“That's not fair, Sho. Just because I-the headphones-I wanted to make you happy, don't you get it? Don't even start with... You can't seriously be like this now!” Nino sounds furious and bitter. Maybe he isn't even aware of how tight he's holding Sho's hand by now.
“Yes, Nino, I can and I will. All of this, it has to stop. Don't you get it? First the cigarette on the roof. Now this. Where is this going? It's not right that you-that we have such an ability.”
“Then this thing between us isn't right either?” Nino asks, taking Sho by surprise. Did he really just say that? And does it imply what Sho thinks it does? Could it be that Nino-
“This thing between us...,” Sho repeats, but Nino interrupts him. “You know what I mean. It has long ago stopped being only about our powers. You can feel it too, don’t you?”
A flicker of hope shows in Nino's eyes and Sho can't resist. He pulls him in for a kiss.
Anger is still churning in his stomach and he is still furious about all that's happened, so at first he is pressing his lips a bit too hard against Nino's, but the touch itself calms him slowly. When Nino starts returning the kiss, he is long prepared to melt into it. He can feel Nino's arms encircling him but can't concentrate on them, because Nino's lips are still occupying his own - so warm, so Nino, and the butterflies in Sho's stomach turn wild.
They part and Sho is beaming.
*
He barely remembers how they got to his house. But he doesn't care anyway, because all that counts is Nino bending over him here and now, so close he can feel him everywhere.
Sho lifts his head to melt into another kiss, again and again. He can't seem to get enough of kissing Nino. Not now that he finally realizes what these feelings were about this whole time. Not now that he has him.
The fact that Nino doesn't seem inclined to stop it either makes it even better.
Nino utters a satisfied sound, making Sho's heart swell even more. He can't part from him, doesn't want to part. All he wants is to keep kissing him.
He wishes for time to stand still forever.
The thought gives him pause.
And then he sees it.
He breaks away from Nino at once, pushing him off and away, far away. Far enough that they aren't touching anymore.
“It's light outside,” he says outraged, seeing from Nino's puzzled expression that the other doesn't understand at all. “It's light outside, damn it! It was night, it was dark. And now it's already morning. Meaning I have... I have... damn it!”
“Oh shit,” Nino curses quietly when he finally gets it too. Then, “But hey, hey, such accidents happen. It's no big deal, Sho. It's just that... that...” It's the first time ever for Nino to be lost for words; the first time since Sho knows him that he doesn't know what to say. And this only makes it worse.
“I fast-forwarded the whole night. This is bad. It's a real disaster!” Sho hisses between clenched teeth. None of them wants to bridge the gap between them. And for the first time Sho feels grateful for it. He couldn't touch Nino right now.
“I've lost control,” he goes on, “and it will happen again. I didn't notice anything, anything at all. It just happened. And when I'm with you, when we-it won't be the last time.” All of the thoughts crashing in on him are hard to accept and quite painful, but he has to say them out loud. He has to, in order to clarify the situation for himself.
“It might-it could happen again. But that isn't so bad. I mean, it's... as long as we're together it's...” Nino's voice sounds so very insecure and something inside Sho breaks.
“It is bad. I've stolen a night from us. One whole night. We can't undo that. How much more should I take from us? How much more are we supposed to miss? No, Nino, this isn't working. I... I can't take this responsibility.” His words sound so final it's frightening. At the same time he painfully realizes that it's the right thing to do.
“We should-“
But before Sho can say it, Nino jumps to his feet.
“So that's it already? Just because you've lost control once, you immediately abandon everything?”
Sho swallows hard. But for him the matter is clear.
“I can't do this, Nino,” he whispers, feeling utterly devastated.
Nino just looks at him for a long moment and it's not only disappointment Sho detects in his eyes. There's also a deep sadness. And anger.
Then Nino bolts out of the room and Sho can hear the door banging closed.
He has never felt so alone before.
*
Nino doesn't come to school anymore.
*
He sees it a few days later on the news. One of the most mysterious bank robberies in history. At first Sho shakes his head in denial, because he doesn't believe Nino would actually pull off something like that, but then again, he can't lie to himself much longer. Not when he sees the video footage on TV showing that nobody was there while the money vanished from one second to the other. It wasn't a very large sum that has been stolen, they say.
The bank is located not too far away.
Sho buries his face in his hands.
Was it because he had disappointed Nino? Did he have to vent his anger somewhere? Did he want to test out his boundaries?
He doesn't know where this urge is suddenly coming from, but he hurries over to his computer and goes online. It feels strange typing in the word time shifter, but he quickly finds what he's looking for. He scrolls down the page and browses the different entries in the forum. He clicks on various threads, but most of them turn out to be bullshit, just as Nino said.
Sho doesn't know how long he's been studying the site when finally a post catches his eye.
Answer from user: BrunoA posted on March 21st 2001, 08:05 am
» Everything you're saying is bullshit. It's not always about only one time shifter. The whole topic is much more complex than you imagine. It involves five people. A basis, i.e. the person who's able to freeze time; they're the power source and also have the strongest power. And then there are four other people, who together with the basis form a connection. As soon as all five of them are connected, they are able to control everything. They can freeze time, turn it back or fast-forward it, and jump back and forth however they please. And the basis, the time stopper, becomes stronger with every other time shifter he connects with. He can broaden the limit within which he is able to willingly stop time. The more of his missing shifters he finds the longer his power works. «
Sho has to read the passage a few times to really understand it.
Was that the reason Nino wanted to get him interested? Did he just want to become stronger?
Sho leans back in his chair and stares at the ceiling.
Maybe Nino didn't tell him the truth that time in the schoolyard. Maybe he always planned to use his ability for greater actions.
Sho doesn't know. But that much is clear, he won't let Nino get away so easily.
Because no matter how much Nino pretended, their kisses were real. And the disappointment in his eyes was real too, Sho is sure of it.
And if there truly are three others out there, time shifters belonging to them, with whom they can become stronger, Sho knows he has to find them. Because maybe more strength entails more control over their powers. It might provide the possibility for Sho and Nino to be together after all.
Sho feels a previously unknown determination welling up inside him.
He knows it's not over yet.