[multi-chap] Too Close Love - Chap. 15/?
Title: Too Close Love
Author: Saana
Pairing: broken Sakuraiba (main), Ohmiya, Yama (friendship)
Rating: PG and up
Genre: AU, angst (a lot), fluff,
Warning: incest-ish - don’t like, don’t read!
Disc.: this is a fanfiction, which means I’m a fan and this is a fiction
Summary: It’s never easy when your parent suddenly decide to remarry but if you get an unexpected brother with he package that just makes things worse… Or at least that was what Sho thought when the news hit in…
Previous chapters:
Prologue: Breaking the news Chapter 1: Moving to a new life Chapter 2: Longest summer Chapter 3: New school, new troubles Chapter 4: Blooming Love Chapter 5: Annoyed with Love Chapter 6: Closing Love Chapter 7: Starting this beautiful Love Chapter 8: It’s hard loving you… Chapter 9: First date Chapter 10: Troubles, troubles on the way… Chapter 11: When we become one Chapter 12: Love is hard but happy? Chapter 13: Love or duty? Chapter 14: Drifting apart
Chapter 15: The price of stupidity
“Mom! Where’s Masaki?” Sho asked frowning. Was it just his imagination or the younger boy was avoiding him or something? Cause he’d swear he didn’t see Masaki for days already.
The woman looked at him with wide eyes for a second.
“He’s gone, of course” she said slowly finally.
“Gone? Where? It’s Saturday…” Sho said frowning confused.
“What do you mean where? Didn’t he tell you…?” she asked back by now confused just as well.
“He didn’t tell me what?” Sho asked but wasn’t sure he really wanted to know the answer…
“Mom, can you do me a favor?” Masaki asked when he mother followed him to his room after Shuntaro-san signed his papers.
“What is it? It’s about the exchange program, isn’t it?” she asked.
Masaki nodded.
“Don’t tell aniki…”
“Why?” his mom asked surprised.
“I want to tell him when… when the time is fine” he said without looking at the woman, pretending to shuffle through some papers.
“Did you two have a fight or something?” she asked suspiciously.
“No, not really. He’s just busy and I don’t want to bother him with unnecessary things like my stuff…” the boy shrugged.
“Okay. If you sure you want it that way…” the woman let him doing it on his own way, seeing he wanted to keep things to himself for now…
“So? He should’ve had to tell me what exactly?” Sho asked impatiently.
Ayako-san sighed and sat down at the dining table, motioning Sho to do the same.
“He’s in Hokkaido. He was chosen for an exchange program and he said he wanted to take it. He left last week…”
“Last week?” Sho asked back shocked. How could he not even notice he was gone for a week already?... But deep down in his heart he knew the answer. After he was seen with Miki during the festival… he couldn’t find the courage in himself to face the younger boy. Despite knowing he must’ve hurt his beloved baby-boy deeply - and that was the last thing he wanted to do. He felt like shit and couldn’t look at Masaki in the eye so he decided to avoid him for a while till things smooth out a little… And during this, he missed the important things, as always…
“Sho-kun? Are you okay?” Ayako-san asked gently.
“Yeah, of course, everything’s cool…” the boy said on a monotone voice and got up from his seat. “I just… remembered that I… have something to do today… I don’t know when I’ll be back. Probably late, no need to wait for me…” he said before left the house…
“What? What do you mean Ma-chan is gone? Sho!”
Ohno stared at his friend torn between shock, anger and disbelief. The older Sakurai boy called him an hour or so ago saying they have to talk so here they were, sitting in a café and Sho said ‘Masaki’s gone’ without any prior warning or such. Who would blame Ohno for getting angry…
Sho slumped on the table, staring into nothing though his guilty feelings were obviously written in his eyes.
“He went to Hokkaido… He disappeared without telling me a thing…” he mumbled into his arm.
Ohno stared at his friend hard. Right at this moment he couldn’t feel sorry or pity for him.
“You can’t really blame him… After what you did… How could you, Sho? I thought you loved him!” Ohno scolded him. “But even if you don’t anymore…”
“No! Don’t you dare to even hint it!” Sho suddenly jolted up sitting and glared back at his friend equally hard. “Don’t you dare to say it!” he repeated. “I love him! He means me more than life itself!”
“You have strange ways to show it…” Ohno said sarcastically. “Sho! You cheated on him!”
“No, I didn’t!”
“Don’t lie to me!” Ohno shouted slamming his hands on the table, earning disapproving glances from the café’s staff but he ignored them. “I saw you. We all saw you… On the festival’s night… We all see you with that girl…” Ohno finished silently and the disappointment in his voice just doubled Sho’s guilty feelings. “Despite Ma-chan dressed up all just for you!… He waited for you so excitedly!... He was looking forward to watch the fireworks with you so much and you…” the art student couldn’t finish his sentence so just shook his head.
“You misunderstand it!” Sho protested. “I wasn’t with Miki-chan cause I wanted to but… I have no choice!...”
Ohno snorted at this, interrupting Sho.
“Yeah, sure… You sound awfully familiar with her despite suffering a lot…” his friend practically snarled. “There’s always a choice, Sho! Always!”
“Could you please listen to me for a second or you’re too busy judging me without knowing the details?” Sho snapped at Ohno, starting to loose his patience as well. “I wanted to protect him! He should’ve never known about it…”
“So cheating behind his back would protect him… From what exactly?” Ohno interjected sarcastically again. “Sorry, sorry, go on…” he added when he saw Sho’s face.
The Keio-student sighed tiredly.
“This whole mess is my father’s fault… He wanted to prevent him being laid off so he wanted to get on his boss’ good side by setting me up with his daughter, Miki who seemed to… have a crush on me or something stupid like that…”
“And what does it have to do with Ma-chan?” Ohno asked raising an eyebrow. “I don’t really see the connection here…”
Sho stared back as if his friend was stupid.
“Do you have any idea what it’d cause to my family if my father would be fired? We’d loose everything! Neither me, nor Masaki could continue with the university! I don’t really care about myself but Masaki… he’s dreaming about becoming a vet for such a long time and I can’t take that from him…”
“Are you really that stupid for an honor student or you’re just playing dumb now?” Ohno asked staring at Sho with wide, disbelieving eyes. “Do you really think he would want that from him? That boy was devoted to you! He would go through fire and flood just for you!”
“He was?”
“You hurt him. Deeply… You shouldn’t expect his heart to stay unchanged after this…” Ohno said getting up. “I told you once already but I tell it to you once more. You should start thinking about him instead of taking him granted. Taking granted that he’ll always be there, waiting till you honor him with you attention… And if you really feel the way you claim you do… then grab that stupid ass of yours and go after him!”
With that said, Ohno walked away. Sho couldn’t even blame him if he never wants to talk to him ever again. If it would be possible, he wouldn’t talk to himself again either…
“Okay, I decided! I have to go after him! I should’ve done it long ago!” he shouted to his empty room. During the past weeks he tortured his mind and tried to dig up his courage to be able to face Masaki. He knew he has to go after him if he doesn’t want to loose him forever - he already wasted way too much time - he has to find a way to apologize and be forgiven. He needs to grow balls; Satoshi would say it like that… Sho winced at the thought of his best friend. Ever since their fight, Ohno refused to answer his calls. The Keio-boy stopped throwing clothes in a bag and looked at his phone and decided to give it another try…
“Moshi-moshi! Sho-kun?”
“Nino?... Ehm, is Satoshi there?” he asked and felt grateful that the younger boy picked up the phone cause it gave him the chance to actually talk to his friend.
“Sure, I give it to him. Wait a minute!... Toshi! It’s for you!” the younger student’s voice came slightly fainter along with some rustling noises till Ohno’s voice sounded in the receiver.
“What is it?” the art student asked.
“Satoshi… It’s me, Sho…”
For the longest time he got no answer and just started to fear that the older boy will simply hang up on him when finally Ohno sighed heavily.
“What do you want? Right at the moment I’m not really in the mood to listen to your egoistic whining so…”
“I’m sorry!” Sho interrupted him quickly. “I wanted to tell you I’m sorry. For being a stupid bastard with you, with Masaki, with everyone…” he said. “And I wanted to tell you that I’m going after him. Like right now. I just finish packing and take the next train to Sapporo…” he said seriously.
Another long silence came as an answer first.
“Took you long enough, baka!” Ohno said finally on a softer voice. “I knew you’ll realize that this is the right thing to do…”
“Thank you, Satoshi. For being my friend; for trusting me despite… everything…” Sho said. “I have to finish packing now. I’ll talk to you later…” he said and hung up.
He closed his phone with a slightly lighter heart, knowing the things were fine between him and Satoshi. Now he has to fix things with Masaki too!
With a determined expression he zipped his bag and left the room…
“Sho-kun? Are you going somewhere?” Ayako-san asked when he saw the boy passing by the kitchen’s door with his bag on his shoulder.
“Yeah, I have to do something. I should’ve done it long ago though…” the boy mumbled as he took his shoes.
The woman nodded her head slowly as Sho stood up.
“I’m going now, mom…” he said looking into his step-mother’s eyes seriously.
“Alr…” the woman wanted to say when the front door opened.
“Oh, here you are! Great!” Shuntaro-san said strangely cheerful. “Sho, look whom I found on our doorstep!” his father said.
Sho already knew he won’t like it without turning around, but he did eventually and he didn’t even felt surprised when he spotted Miki on the doorstep next to his father.
“Hey, Sho-senpai!” the girl greeted him waving cutely. “You seemed to be busy recently and we couldn’t meet so I thought I come over to… cheer you up!” she said on that high-pitcher voice of her.
“Oi, don’t just stand there, come in, come in, Miki-chan!” Shuntaro-san ushered the girl in.
“Hai, thank you for having me!” Miki chirped skipping in.
“I’ll make some tea…” Ayako-san said silently as she watched her husband pushing Sho and their guest toward the living room, looking livelier than ever; especially in the past half a year. The woman couldn’t help but feel worried by this…
In the end Sho didn’t leave that day or any other day for the following weeks. He found himself in a crazy whirlwind or rather he felt as the victim of some evil plotting. His father, Miki or a few times even Miki’s father showed up out of a blue, forcing him to do as it was expected from him rather than what his heart wished for…
Ayako-san watched the boy from the side-line. Somewhere deep down in her heart she felt she knows the truth. She started to think something was going on behind the scenes when Sho became more than obviously depressed after Masaki’s departure. She also saw how her step-son forced himself to seem happy when he was with Miki - which became more and more frequent as the weeks passed by. Comparing to how beamingly happy he was anytime he was with Masaki, his forced smiles were just screaming louder. She was a bi ashamed of herself as a mother that she couldn’t put two and two together sooner. She wasn’t sure that she just tried to fool herself that only brotherly love was going on between the two boys since Masaki wanted a sibling so much… Or rather she just accepted the truth from the beginning and that’s why she didn’t spare too much thought to the close bond between Sho and Masaki. After all love and happiness shouldn’t be limited by other people or society…
“Sho-kun! Sho-kun, wake up!”
“Huh?” the boy opened his eyes groggily and blinked a few times till he could focus on Ayako-san’s face. “Mom? What is it? Something happened? What time is it anyway?” he asked, his voice husky with sleepiness.
“Nothing, everything will be good soon…” she whispered to him. “Come on, get up! Hurry!” she added, helping him sit up before she left the room…
He was still confused but Sho obeyed to the woman’s instructions. He got out of bed getting dressed and ready.
“Mom? Mom, where are you? What’s going on?” Sho asked as he stumbled down the stairs, rubbing his eyes.
“I’m here! Put your shoes on!” she told to him at the entrance hall as she helped the coat on his shoulder.
“Mom!” Sho did as he was told but it didn’t mean he wasn’t confused as Hell.
“Here!” Ayako-san took Sho’s bag from the coat-wardrobe - where it was put since his failed attempt to leave - and handed it to the boy. “The next train to Sapporo leaves in 40. Here’s your ticket…”
“What?” Sho asked surprised but took the bad and the train ticket from his step-mother.
“You wanted to go after Masaki, didn’t you?” she asked with a soft smile. “Bring him back!”
Sho nodded dumbly.
“How do you know?” he asked. “Aren’t you… mad? Disgusted?”
“No” she shook her head. “I see you as my own son; just as Masaki is. I want to see my boys happy. If you happened to find your happiness with each other then I’m going to support you in that as well” she explained seriously. “Now go and bring him home!”
“But… What about father?” Sho asked nervously. “He’ll be furious for sure if he knows…”
“Don’t worry about him. I’ll tell him what he needs to know. Just leave it to me…”
Sho felt sudden rush of love for this woman burst in his heart. He hugged her quickly, tightly.
“Thank you, mom! I love you…” he whispered into her ear then threw his bag over his shoulder and rushed out of the house into the chilly, early morning darkness…
Masaki as he finished with his tasks for the day already, sat in the grass with his back to a post of the fence, gently caressing the baby goat in his lap Just a few weeks ago he assisted its born personally. Shimura-san, the farm’s owner let him take care of the baby ever since that day. Feeling the small body’s shivering, he tightened his arms around it a little to give it more warmth. The weather started to get colder with every day. It was just matter of days to start snowing up here…
The baby goat in his arms let out small, bleating noises that awakened Masaki from his thoughts - which were about Sho… again…
“It’s okay, it’s okay… You get something yummy soon…” the boy mumbled to it and caressed its head gently. As if his voice would’ve calmed down the baby goat, it snuggled against his stomach comfortably. Masaki chuckled at this a little but the serious expression soon returned to his eyes.
In the past months he couldn’t erase the picture of Sho walking away from him with that girl - ‘Miki. Her name’s Kobayashi Miki… Remember it properly, you were classmates after all and will be in-laws soon probably!...’ he reminded himself - on the night of the festival…
“Just forget about him already!” he shouted loudly as if that would engrave this order into his mind, his heart deeper yet all he achieved that he scared the baby in his lap. “Gomen…” he mumbled and ruffled its soft fur to calm it down as he slipped back into his silent mourning state…
Sho walked down the dirt road toward the farm where Masaki stayed and worked during his exchange, according to Ayako-san’s information. The trip to Sapporo was long and tiring but still all he could feel was the anxiety to see Masaki again. To talk to him again. To win him back…
“Masaki…” Sho breathed out and stopped as if he’d have bumped into a brick-wall.
The younger boy in dark blue overall and with a white towel around his head sat by the fence with a… what, was that a goat in his lap?!... But it wasn’t what shocked the older boy the most. That was the more mature, sadder look in his eyes that was clearly visible even from this distance. Sho knew he was the reason that the younger boy turned out like this and he hated himself for it. But if he has a word in it, he’ll never be like this ever again! He wanted to see him happy and sparkly bright just like the sun on the sky… Cause he was the sun on Sho’s sky…
He started running toward him.
“Masaki!” he yelled with all his might…
Masaki froze hearing that voice. His mind might’ve played tricks on him cause… cause that voice sounded just like… The boy slowly got up and turned toward the source of that voice, seeing a running figure getting closer till he stopped a few step away from him. Masaki’s eyes were wide with surprise as he watched the heavily panting young man. He opened and closed his mouth several times but no sound came out.
“Wha… what are you doing here,… Sho?...” he asked finally when he managed to find his voice again.
By this time Sho managed to regain his breath more or less but still stared at the younger boy with heaving chest, eyes burning with determination.
“I came to take you home!”
A/N: it's the DoS writer (by no3lr3i ^.^) is here with another angsty chapter... XD how was it? don't kill me for it cause I won't be able to make it up to them that way :P see you soon with the next chap ;)
Author: Saana
Pairing: broken Sakuraiba (main), Ohmiya, Yama (friendship)
Rating: PG and up
Genre: AU, angst (a lot), fluff,
Warning: incest-ish - don’t like, don’t read!
Disc.: this is a fanfiction, which means I’m a fan and this is a fiction
Summary: It’s never easy when your parent suddenly decide to remarry but if you get an unexpected brother with he package that just makes things worse… Or at least that was what Sho thought when the news hit in…
Previous chapters:
Prologue: Breaking the news Chapter 1: Moving to a new life Chapter 2: Longest summer Chapter 3: New school, new troubles Chapter 4: Blooming Love Chapter 5: Annoyed with Love Chapter 6: Closing Love Chapter 7: Starting this beautiful Love Chapter 8: It’s hard loving you… Chapter 9: First date Chapter 10: Troubles, troubles on the way… Chapter 11: When we become one Chapter 12: Love is hard but happy? Chapter 13: Love or duty? Chapter 14: Drifting apart
Chapter 15: The price of stupidity
“Mom! Where’s Masaki?” Sho asked frowning. Was it just his imagination or the younger boy was avoiding him or something? Cause he’d swear he didn’t see Masaki for days already.
The woman looked at him with wide eyes for a second.
“He’s gone, of course” she said slowly finally.
“Gone? Where? It’s Saturday…” Sho said frowning confused.
“What do you mean where? Didn’t he tell you…?” she asked back by now confused just as well.
“He didn’t tell me what?” Sho asked but wasn’t sure he really wanted to know the answer…
“Mom, can you do me a favor?” Masaki asked when he mother followed him to his room after Shuntaro-san signed his papers.
“What is it? It’s about the exchange program, isn’t it?” she asked.
Masaki nodded.
“Don’t tell aniki…”
“Why?” his mom asked surprised.
“I want to tell him when… when the time is fine” he said without looking at the woman, pretending to shuffle through some papers.
“Did you two have a fight or something?” she asked suspiciously.
“No, not really. He’s just busy and I don’t want to bother him with unnecessary things like my stuff…” the boy shrugged.
“Okay. If you sure you want it that way…” the woman let him doing it on his own way, seeing he wanted to keep things to himself for now…
“So? He should’ve had to tell me what exactly?” Sho asked impatiently.
Ayako-san sighed and sat down at the dining table, motioning Sho to do the same.
“He’s in Hokkaido. He was chosen for an exchange program and he said he wanted to take it. He left last week…”
“Last week?” Sho asked back shocked. How could he not even notice he was gone for a week already?... But deep down in his heart he knew the answer. After he was seen with Miki during the festival… he couldn’t find the courage in himself to face the younger boy. Despite knowing he must’ve hurt his beloved baby-boy deeply - and that was the last thing he wanted to do. He felt like shit and couldn’t look at Masaki in the eye so he decided to avoid him for a while till things smooth out a little… And during this, he missed the important things, as always…
“Sho-kun? Are you okay?” Ayako-san asked gently.
“Yeah, of course, everything’s cool…” the boy said on a monotone voice and got up from his seat. “I just… remembered that I… have something to do today… I don’t know when I’ll be back. Probably late, no need to wait for me…” he said before left the house…
“What? What do you mean Ma-chan is gone? Sho!”
Ohno stared at his friend torn between shock, anger and disbelief. The older Sakurai boy called him an hour or so ago saying they have to talk so here they were, sitting in a café and Sho said ‘Masaki’s gone’ without any prior warning or such. Who would blame Ohno for getting angry…
Sho slumped on the table, staring into nothing though his guilty feelings were obviously written in his eyes.
“He went to Hokkaido… He disappeared without telling me a thing…” he mumbled into his arm.
Ohno stared at his friend hard. Right at this moment he couldn’t feel sorry or pity for him.
“You can’t really blame him… After what you did… How could you, Sho? I thought you loved him!” Ohno scolded him. “But even if you don’t anymore…”
“No! Don’t you dare to even hint it!” Sho suddenly jolted up sitting and glared back at his friend equally hard. “Don’t you dare to say it!” he repeated. “I love him! He means me more than life itself!”
“You have strange ways to show it…” Ohno said sarcastically. “Sho! You cheated on him!”
“No, I didn’t!”
“Don’t lie to me!” Ohno shouted slamming his hands on the table, earning disapproving glances from the café’s staff but he ignored them. “I saw you. We all saw you… On the festival’s night… We all see you with that girl…” Ohno finished silently and the disappointment in his voice just doubled Sho’s guilty feelings. “Despite Ma-chan dressed up all just for you!… He waited for you so excitedly!... He was looking forward to watch the fireworks with you so much and you…” the art student couldn’t finish his sentence so just shook his head.
“You misunderstand it!” Sho protested. “I wasn’t with Miki-chan cause I wanted to but… I have no choice!...”
Ohno snorted at this, interrupting Sho.
“Yeah, sure… You sound awfully familiar with her despite suffering a lot…” his friend practically snarled. “There’s always a choice, Sho! Always!”
“Could you please listen to me for a second or you’re too busy judging me without knowing the details?” Sho snapped at Ohno, starting to loose his patience as well. “I wanted to protect him! He should’ve never known about it…”
“So cheating behind his back would protect him… From what exactly?” Ohno interjected sarcastically again. “Sorry, sorry, go on…” he added when he saw Sho’s face.
The Keio-student sighed tiredly.
“This whole mess is my father’s fault… He wanted to prevent him being laid off so he wanted to get on his boss’ good side by setting me up with his daughter, Miki who seemed to… have a crush on me or something stupid like that…”
“And what does it have to do with Ma-chan?” Ohno asked raising an eyebrow. “I don’t really see the connection here…”
Sho stared back as if his friend was stupid.
“Do you have any idea what it’d cause to my family if my father would be fired? We’d loose everything! Neither me, nor Masaki could continue with the university! I don’t really care about myself but Masaki… he’s dreaming about becoming a vet for such a long time and I can’t take that from him…”
“Are you really that stupid for an honor student or you’re just playing dumb now?” Ohno asked staring at Sho with wide, disbelieving eyes. “Do you really think he would want that from him? That boy was devoted to you! He would go through fire and flood just for you!”
“He was?”
“You hurt him. Deeply… You shouldn’t expect his heart to stay unchanged after this…” Ohno said getting up. “I told you once already but I tell it to you once more. You should start thinking about him instead of taking him granted. Taking granted that he’ll always be there, waiting till you honor him with you attention… And if you really feel the way you claim you do… then grab that stupid ass of yours and go after him!”
With that said, Ohno walked away. Sho couldn’t even blame him if he never wants to talk to him ever again. If it would be possible, he wouldn’t talk to himself again either…
“Okay, I decided! I have to go after him! I should’ve done it long ago!” he shouted to his empty room. During the past weeks he tortured his mind and tried to dig up his courage to be able to face Masaki. He knew he has to go after him if he doesn’t want to loose him forever - he already wasted way too much time - he has to find a way to apologize and be forgiven. He needs to grow balls; Satoshi would say it like that… Sho winced at the thought of his best friend. Ever since their fight, Ohno refused to answer his calls. The Keio-boy stopped throwing clothes in a bag and looked at his phone and decided to give it another try…
“Moshi-moshi! Sho-kun?”
“Nino?... Ehm, is Satoshi there?” he asked and felt grateful that the younger boy picked up the phone cause it gave him the chance to actually talk to his friend.
“Sure, I give it to him. Wait a minute!... Toshi! It’s for you!” the younger student’s voice came slightly fainter along with some rustling noises till Ohno’s voice sounded in the receiver.
“What is it?” the art student asked.
“Satoshi… It’s me, Sho…”
For the longest time he got no answer and just started to fear that the older boy will simply hang up on him when finally Ohno sighed heavily.
“What do you want? Right at the moment I’m not really in the mood to listen to your egoistic whining so…”
“I’m sorry!” Sho interrupted him quickly. “I wanted to tell you I’m sorry. For being a stupid bastard with you, with Masaki, with everyone…” he said. “And I wanted to tell you that I’m going after him. Like right now. I just finish packing and take the next train to Sapporo…” he said seriously.
Another long silence came as an answer first.
“Took you long enough, baka!” Ohno said finally on a softer voice. “I knew you’ll realize that this is the right thing to do…”
“Thank you, Satoshi. For being my friend; for trusting me despite… everything…” Sho said. “I have to finish packing now. I’ll talk to you later…” he said and hung up.
He closed his phone with a slightly lighter heart, knowing the things were fine between him and Satoshi. Now he has to fix things with Masaki too!
With a determined expression he zipped his bag and left the room…
“Sho-kun? Are you going somewhere?” Ayako-san asked when he saw the boy passing by the kitchen’s door with his bag on his shoulder.
“Yeah, I have to do something. I should’ve done it long ago though…” the boy mumbled as he took his shoes.
The woman nodded her head slowly as Sho stood up.
“I’m going now, mom…” he said looking into his step-mother’s eyes seriously.
“Alr…” the woman wanted to say when the front door opened.
“Oh, here you are! Great!” Shuntaro-san said strangely cheerful. “Sho, look whom I found on our doorstep!” his father said.
Sho already knew he won’t like it without turning around, but he did eventually and he didn’t even felt surprised when he spotted Miki on the doorstep next to his father.
“Hey, Sho-senpai!” the girl greeted him waving cutely. “You seemed to be busy recently and we couldn’t meet so I thought I come over to… cheer you up!” she said on that high-pitcher voice of her.
“Oi, don’t just stand there, come in, come in, Miki-chan!” Shuntaro-san ushered the girl in.
“Hai, thank you for having me!” Miki chirped skipping in.
“I’ll make some tea…” Ayako-san said silently as she watched her husband pushing Sho and their guest toward the living room, looking livelier than ever; especially in the past half a year. The woman couldn’t help but feel worried by this…
In the end Sho didn’t leave that day or any other day for the following weeks. He found himself in a crazy whirlwind or rather he felt as the victim of some evil plotting. His father, Miki or a few times even Miki’s father showed up out of a blue, forcing him to do as it was expected from him rather than what his heart wished for…
Ayako-san watched the boy from the side-line. Somewhere deep down in her heart she felt she knows the truth. She started to think something was going on behind the scenes when Sho became more than obviously depressed after Masaki’s departure. She also saw how her step-son forced himself to seem happy when he was with Miki - which became more and more frequent as the weeks passed by. Comparing to how beamingly happy he was anytime he was with Masaki, his forced smiles were just screaming louder. She was a bi ashamed of herself as a mother that she couldn’t put two and two together sooner. She wasn’t sure that she just tried to fool herself that only brotherly love was going on between the two boys since Masaki wanted a sibling so much… Or rather she just accepted the truth from the beginning and that’s why she didn’t spare too much thought to the close bond between Sho and Masaki. After all love and happiness shouldn’t be limited by other people or society…
“Sho-kun! Sho-kun, wake up!”
“Huh?” the boy opened his eyes groggily and blinked a few times till he could focus on Ayako-san’s face. “Mom? What is it? Something happened? What time is it anyway?” he asked, his voice husky with sleepiness.
“Nothing, everything will be good soon…” she whispered to him. “Come on, get up! Hurry!” she added, helping him sit up before she left the room…
He was still confused but Sho obeyed to the woman’s instructions. He got out of bed getting dressed and ready.
“Mom? Mom, where are you? What’s going on?” Sho asked as he stumbled down the stairs, rubbing his eyes.
“I’m here! Put your shoes on!” she told to him at the entrance hall as she helped the coat on his shoulder.
“Mom!” Sho did as he was told but it didn’t mean he wasn’t confused as Hell.
“Here!” Ayako-san took Sho’s bag from the coat-wardrobe - where it was put since his failed attempt to leave - and handed it to the boy. “The next train to Sapporo leaves in 40. Here’s your ticket…”
“What?” Sho asked surprised but took the bad and the train ticket from his step-mother.
“You wanted to go after Masaki, didn’t you?” she asked with a soft smile. “Bring him back!”
Sho nodded dumbly.
“How do you know?” he asked. “Aren’t you… mad? Disgusted?”
“No” she shook her head. “I see you as my own son; just as Masaki is. I want to see my boys happy. If you happened to find your happiness with each other then I’m going to support you in that as well” she explained seriously. “Now go and bring him home!”
“But… What about father?” Sho asked nervously. “He’ll be furious for sure if he knows…”
“Don’t worry about him. I’ll tell him what he needs to know. Just leave it to me…”
Sho felt sudden rush of love for this woman burst in his heart. He hugged her quickly, tightly.
“Thank you, mom! I love you…” he whispered into her ear then threw his bag over his shoulder and rushed out of the house into the chilly, early morning darkness…
Masaki as he finished with his tasks for the day already, sat in the grass with his back to a post of the fence, gently caressing the baby goat in his lap Just a few weeks ago he assisted its born personally. Shimura-san, the farm’s owner let him take care of the baby ever since that day. Feeling the small body’s shivering, he tightened his arms around it a little to give it more warmth. The weather started to get colder with every day. It was just matter of days to start snowing up here…
The baby goat in his arms let out small, bleating noises that awakened Masaki from his thoughts - which were about Sho… again…
“It’s okay, it’s okay… You get something yummy soon…” the boy mumbled to it and caressed its head gently. As if his voice would’ve calmed down the baby goat, it snuggled against his stomach comfortably. Masaki chuckled at this a little but the serious expression soon returned to his eyes.
In the past months he couldn’t erase the picture of Sho walking away from him with that girl - ‘Miki. Her name’s Kobayashi Miki… Remember it properly, you were classmates after all and will be in-laws soon probably!...’ he reminded himself - on the night of the festival…
“Just forget about him already!” he shouted loudly as if that would engrave this order into his mind, his heart deeper yet all he achieved that he scared the baby in his lap. “Gomen…” he mumbled and ruffled its soft fur to calm it down as he slipped back into his silent mourning state…
Sho walked down the dirt road toward the farm where Masaki stayed and worked during his exchange, according to Ayako-san’s information. The trip to Sapporo was long and tiring but still all he could feel was the anxiety to see Masaki again. To talk to him again. To win him back…
“Masaki…” Sho breathed out and stopped as if he’d have bumped into a brick-wall.
The younger boy in dark blue overall and with a white towel around his head sat by the fence with a… what, was that a goat in his lap?!... But it wasn’t what shocked the older boy the most. That was the more mature, sadder look in his eyes that was clearly visible even from this distance. Sho knew he was the reason that the younger boy turned out like this and he hated himself for it. But if he has a word in it, he’ll never be like this ever again! He wanted to see him happy and sparkly bright just like the sun on the sky… Cause he was the sun on Sho’s sky…
He started running toward him.
“Masaki!” he yelled with all his might…
Masaki froze hearing that voice. His mind might’ve played tricks on him cause… cause that voice sounded just like… The boy slowly got up and turned toward the source of that voice, seeing a running figure getting closer till he stopped a few step away from him. Masaki’s eyes were wide with surprise as he watched the heavily panting young man. He opened and closed his mouth several times but no sound came out.
“Wha… what are you doing here,… Sho?...” he asked finally when he managed to find his voice again.
By this time Sho managed to regain his breath more or less but still stared at the younger boy with heaving chest, eyes burning with determination.
“I came to take you home!”
A/N: it's the DoS writer (by no3lr3i ^.^) is here with another angsty chapter... XD how was it? don't kill me for it cause I won't be able to make it up to them that way :P see you soon with the next chap ;)