[multi-chap] The Song of Storm - ch.9/?
Title: The Song of Storm - side story/sequel to You think You know Me
Pairing: OhMiya (main), Sakuraiba (side), Aimiya
Rating: PG-13 - R (not sure, might change as the story goes on)
Genre: AU, fluff, romance, angst (a lot!)
Summary: Nino's life was always full with ups and downs. But he deserves to be happy too, right? Who knew that'd be a stormy road to reach that...
A/N: starts before the other fic in timeline. no special need to read the other fic to understand this but feel free to do so XD yoroshiku, ne? m(-.-)m
A/N2: age-gap between Ohno and Nino is 10-years. Enough to be an excuse but not too much to make Oh-chan look like a total perv XD
Previous chapters:
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8
Chapter 9:
And Nino did manage to pick up the pieces, put them back together and also hit some sense into that hard, stone-head of one Aiba Masaki… Still that took some time; days actually, till Aiba agreed on talking with Sho asking him what was going on… And the fact that Sho asked for a few days-off right after his confession, just made Nino’s work a lot harder…
“Come on, Aiba-chan! At least hear him out!” Nino asked for the nth time - he gave up counting after twenty.
“No! Why would I? He’s just another liar, betrayer! Just like all them before!” Aiba shouted back at him stubbornly.
“Fine! Then just do whatever you want. I don’t care!” Nino shouted back and stormed out of Aiba’s dorm-apartment shutting the door closed loudly behind him.
For once he really wanted to punch Aiba in the face. Why does he have to be so goddamn stubborn? Just because he was let down in the past… But Sho seemed to be different! And he seemed to dare to take the risk loosing his job for Aiba… Okay, maybe that wasn’t that considerate or mature but… Nino couldn’t deny that he’d be touched the least if someone would be willing to act so… Not that he would actually want it cause he would never forgive himself for that but still… knowing that you’re more important than anything and everything… That must feel nice…
But he WILL fix it! There’s no way that Ninomiya Kazunari would ever give up something!
So when he got a text from Aiba a few days later asking for Sho’s address; Nino couldn’t - didn’t want to - hold back a satisfied smirk…
Ohno passed by the glass-walled meeting room on his way back from lunch-break when he spotted Nino inside with a huge pile of documents in front of him - though the boy just seemed to be busy with typing away on his mobile. Ohno had to smile. The younger boy was smiling but there was that cute, little frown between his brows as always when he concentrated on something.
“Hey, Nino! How are you? You look good recently!”
Before Ohno realized what he was about to do he was already in the room and the words that left his mouth sounded so stupid even to his own ears that he wanted to suck them back if that was possible - which obviously wasn’t. He felt like kicking himself and escape back to his office as soon as he can. But he couldn’t hurt Nino with that so he remained there, glued to his spot near the door and tried to smile as naturally as he could.
‘Oh, I just hooked up my best friend with his manager so I can hope that one day we’ll have a chance too… Anyway, how are you, Oh-chan?’
Well, as much as Nino wanted to tell this, he obviously couldn’t… Though that ‘Getting a Reaction from Ohno’-project wasn’t over yet either…
‘What are you thinking, Ninomiya?!’ he scolded himself mentally.
“You make it sound as if I’d not look good all the time!” Nino retorted mock-pouting.
“No, I didn’t mean it like that! You always look pretty!” Ohno said seriously trying to make up for his previous mistake desperately.
“Pretty?” Nino repeated keeping up with the pout. “Now it sounds as if I’m a girl…”
Ohno gaped panicked at the younger boy. He really did think that Nino was pretty. What should he say if that was wrong too?
Nino laughed out loud at Ohno’s expression which just confused the dance instructor more.
“I… You… What?...” Ohno stuttered.
“Sorry, sorry…” Nino said still snickering lightly. “I got what you mean. Sorry for teasing you” he added with an angelic smile.
“Mou! Don’t do that!” Ohno tried to pout as Nino did earlier but that was hard when he saw Nino smiling like that.
“Roger!” Nino’s smile grew wider.
Ohno couldn’t help but smile back.
“So, I heard the juniors’ got a radio show… You’re doing well with the managers it seems…” the dance instructor commented and sounded just as proud of Nino as he felt.
“Well, I had to do it to be done but now they have all their choices placed out in front of them…” Nino said, his smirk turning self-satisfied.
“Their choices?” Ohno asked back frowning, not getting what Nino meant.
“They either do as I tell them or they’ll be fired like Yamada…”
“You fired him?” Ohno asked, eyes widening incredulous.
“I had no choice!” Nino jumped from his seat shouting defensively. “He left no other option to me! Any of them! I had to do it to let them see I’m still their boss though I’m young and I don’t want it less than them either!”
“Okay, okay, I got it. Don’t work up yourself so much. You’ll be the boss here after all; you have to learn to handle these situations…” Ohno said on a provocatively realistic tone that just pissed Nino off more.
“You sound like uncle…”
The younger grabbed his bag from the floor and marched out the room passing next to Ohno.
“Hey, Nino, where are you going now?” Ohno asked once again confused.
“School. I have classes. I’m just a kid after all!” he said without turning back, just stomping away.
“Ganbatte! I know you can do it!” Ohno shouted after him not knowing what else should he say.
This time Nino turned back to smile back at the older man.
“Hey, Oh-chan! Thank you!” he shouted back.
“What?” Ohno asked blinking and stepped closer to the boy but Nino just waved him off smiling and stepped into the elevator…
Everything was fine and rosey and Nino just thought that his little cupid-mission made everything turn out good. Aiba spent most of his time with Sho now and when he remembered to call Nino, he sounded awfully cheery and happy.
“Guess what!... Sho’ll take me out to dinner after work. For my birthday!” Aiba announced to Nino on the phone. The shorter guy didn’t even have the chance to guess actually.
“Good for you, Aiba-chan” Nino said smiling. “Oh, and happy birthday, by the way…”
“Thanks” Aiba said, grinning obvious in his voice. “Anyway, don’t call me tonight. I’ll be busy. We’ll…”
“Stop! Stop!” Nino cut in quickly. “I think what you’re about to say is in the ‘too-much-information’ category…”
“Okay then” Aiba grinned some more. “I have to go now. Vocal practice… Bye-bye, Nino-chan!”
“Bye…” Nino mumbled though his friend already hung up on him. “God, I created a monster…” he said with a sigh but deep in his heart he was happy for his friend…
Nino stopped his game when his phone rang. He frowned confused when he saw Sho’s name flashing on the screen.
“What do you want?”
He really couldn’t understand why the manager was calling him now. He should be on his date with Aiba-chan…
“Anou… is Aiba-san there with you by any chance?” Sho asked.
“No. Why would he?” Nino shook his head surprised by the question. “I thought he’s with you tonight… Since it’s his birthday, you know… Something happened?” he asked suspiciously.
“Eh… it’s… I can’t find him anywhere. I thought he might have gone to see you…”
Okay, something was officially fishy with Sho’s answer, Nino decided.
“Well, he’s not here… If he’s…” Nino started when his phone beeped indicating another incoming call. “Wait! I’ve got another call…”
Nino pushed a few buttons to put Sho on hold and answer the other call.
“Ninomiya desu…” he said.
“Sir, I’m calling you from Bar Kaze. Your friend is here and I think he’s needed to be picked up… He’s a little wasted…” a polite male voice said on the other end.
“My friend…? Aiba-chan?!” Nino mumbled. “Thank you for calling me, I’m on my way there. Please, keep an eye on him. Onegaishimasu!”
Nino hung up on and took back Sho’s call.
“Well, it was a pleasure to chat with you, Sakurai manager-san but I have to go now” he said quickly.
“Wait but what about…” the manager started panicked.
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about Aiba-chan, I take care of that…” he added before hung up on Sho as well and rushed to the door…
Nino stumbled through the door at the given address panting and searched frenetically for his friend or at least the man he was talking to on the phone but didn’t find either of them, till the middle-aged bartender left the counter and stepped to him.
“You came to pick him up, right?” he asked on a low voice so none else just Nino could hear him.
“Hai!” Nino nodded quickly as he recognized the voice.
“This way, please…” the older man said politely and led Nino to the back. “I thought that’d be better if people don’t see him in this state. It could ruin his career, isn’t it?”
Nino hurried into the dressing room when he saw Aiba dozing off on a bench.
“How did you know…?” Nino looked up confused.
“I have a teenage daughter…”
‘That explains everything…’ Nino thought turning back to Aiba and tapped his face with his palm to wake him up.
“It’s time to wake up, babe… Kazu’s here to take you home… Come on!” he whispered to him on a soft tone and ran his short fingers through the other boy’s messy hair.
“Kazu…” Aiba mumbled and slowly opened his tear- and alcohol-fogged eyes.
“Come on, babe… We’re going home!” Nino said and pulled him up holding his waist with one arm and putting Aiba’s over his shoulder holding his hand. “Thanks for your help and discretion, sir. I really appreciate it” Nino said looking at the bartender.
“No problem, sir. You better use the backdoor…”
“Thank you” Nino repeated and dragged Aiba out.
Since he was much shorter than Aiba they stumbled and waddled funnily as they left the place. They sure looked like two drunken friends trying to support each other. In this state it took several minutes till Nino could hail a cab but after that they reached Nino’s apartment quite quickly. During the whole car ride Aiba was snuggled close to Nino, silently sobbing into his shoulder but said nothing till he was safely tucked into bed.
“What happened, darling?” he asked softly caressing Aiba’s messy locks.
For a while Aiba said nothing just lay their pressing his face into the pillow.
“Sho-chan… Lied to me… just like all the others… He got a new job… his dream job… He’ll leave me alone… He’ll leave too…” Aiba sobbed into the pillow again.
Nino gritted his teeth in anger. ‘That bastard! How could he?!’ But Nino’s anger wasn’t just against Sho. It was against himself too. He was always proud that he could read people well. He never failed bigger yet…
“It’s okay, Masa-chan, everything will be alright… Go to sleep now…” he said on a soothing tone caressing Aiba’s hair softly. The idol didn’t need to be told twice. He was drained of that much drinking and crying, soon he was sleeping like dead.
“Kazu now have to take care of something for you… But you just sleep…” the shorter guy murmured than kissed Aiba’s forehead and getting up from the bed he left the apartment…
“Oi! Open it, bastard! Don’t want me to break down this fucking door!”
Nino didn’t remember the taxi drive to Sho’s apartment but he was there now, ready to break down that door if that takes to be able to punch the manager’s face. But it didn’t seem to be necessary cause the older man opened the door quickly.
“You bastard!”
The moment the door was open Nino launched a punch in Sho’s face. The manager fell back from the force of it and cradling his aching cheek in his palm he looked up at the very furious Nino with confused eyes.
“How could you do this to him? Are you really this stupid or it makes you happy to see him suffer?” Nino grabbed Sho by his collar and shook him. “I told you where he came from then why? Do you have a heart at all?” Nino asked and tears of anger started to flow down on his cheeks. “Why did you do it?”
“I…” Sho started. “You won’t believe me if I say I didn’t want things happen as they did… will you?”
“No, I won’t. Neither want to listen to your excuses either. I gave you the chance to heal his heart cause I thought you can. I trusted him to you! But I guess I was just wrong…” Nino said letting go Sho’s collar pushing him back to the floor. “Do him one last favor: take that damned job and get the fuck out of his life” he said and turned to the door. “Oh, and till that I take him to work and pick him up after he’s finished. During the remaining time, keep your interactions with him as low as possible. Sayounara, Sakurai…”
With that he left Sho’s small apartment shutting the door closed. As soon as that happened he broke down crying as he stumbled out the building. He felt sorry for Aiba for being heart-broken. He felt guilty cause it was all his fault. Only if he’d not misjudge Sho’s personality…! He felt miserable and weak, and he knew he’ll have to stay strong for Aiba-chan but he felt he just couldn’t…
With shaking fingers he pulled out his phone and fumbled with key slightly to dial.
“Oh-chan…” he whimpered weakly when he heard the other party picking up.
“Nino? What happened? Are you okay?” he asked when he heard the boy’s weak voice.
“I…”
Suddenly Nino didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to drag Ohno into this crazy love situation. He wanted to kick himself being too weak to resist the need to hear his voice.
“Sorry, I should’ve not…” he started but…
“Where are you now?” the dace instructor’s voice cut through Nino’s words. The boy gave him the location. “Okay, don’t go anywhere. I’m going to pick you up, Kazu…”
Hearing this Nino’s stomach made funny flip-flops and he started sobbing harder but Ohno didn’t hear that cause he hang up on him already…
“Can you wait for me, please?” Ohno asked the taxi driver before getting out.
He wore black sweatpants with a grey hoodie and his messy hair screamed that he got out of bed just a little while ago. The dance instructor spotted Nino immediately. The boy was sitting on a near-by bench with his knees brought up to his chin rocking his body back-and-forth trying to comfort himself.
“Kazu…” he called for him softly and sat down next to him.
“Satoshi!”
Nino threw his arms around Nino’s neck. The older man circled his waist with pulling him closer and pated his back to sooth his sobbing.
“It’s okay, I’m here now… Tell me what happened?” he asked gently.
“I… did something really bad… I hurt Aiba-chan badly…” Nino hic-upped into Ohno’s neck.
“It’s okay, I’m sure it’s nothing serious… Aiba-chan won’t be mad at you…” Ohno said soothing, kissing the top of Nino’s head.
“I just wanted to help… I should’ve not do it… cause I know how it feels…” Nino kept mumbling in coherently as if he’d not even heard what Ohno said.
“How what feels?” Ohno asked back confused.
“Being heart-broken…” Nino breathed out barely audible while he pulled away from him and wiped off the tears from his face.
Ohno looked at him with sorry and pity in his eyes.
“Come on, you should go home. It’s late… or early, actually…” Ohno tried to joke to ease the tension.
Nino smiled at him softly appreciating the try then let Ohno to lead him to the awaiting taxi.
“You’re not coming?” Nino asked disappointed when the older man didn’t get into the car with him.
“No, you can take this one, I’ll wait for another…”
They both knew that could even take hours to find another taxi at such an hour but they also knew that it was the proper thing to do for them.
Ohno told the address to the driver and gave him a handful of notes.
“This should be enough. Take him home safely. Onegaishimasu!”
Nino watched as Ohno stepped back to the pavement and they sped away leaving him behind. He hated to part from Ohno but deep down in his heart he knew his place was now by Aiba’s side to put him back together after being the one who caused all this…
“I’m so sorry, Satoshi…” he mumbled under his breath staring out the window while the tears started to flow down his cheeks once more…
A/N: hey there! I know it took really long till this update. actually I made an update schedue but the last week was so crazy according RL that I had absolutely no time to follow the plans and I missed three updates... sorry for that I try to update sooner next time. till that I hope you enjoyed this chapter though it's super angsty once again.... >.<