Rent-A-Friend [2/4]
Ohno felt his hand shake gently as he reached down to pick a flute of champagne off the table behind him. His tie felt a little too tight and his shoes a little too big. He heard an affectionate chuckle from his right.
"Calm down," he could hear the grin in Nino's voice. "Everything's going to be fine." And then a hand was on his shoulder, patting it a little roughly and everything did seem to be fine. He took a sip of the champagne, the liquid tickling his throat on the way down.
Sakurai--Sho, he had told him to call him Sho-- had done a wonderful job of setting up. Each piece looked great, even better than they had in his apartment. Even Ohno hadn't been aware that his paintings looked that good. Maybe it was the lighting.
The morning had been rather hectic. Ohno wasn't the type to normally get anxious but this was a different matter. There were so many things to do and Ohno was running from place to place, trying to make sure everything was going right for the opening that night. It wasn't until Nino pointed out that he had put his shoes on the wrong feet that he realized the nervous state he was in.
"You're being ridiculous," Nino had smiled, pushing him down to the couch and nudging Ohno's shoes before heading to the other end of the room. Ohno took the cue and began switching his shoes back.
Nino had returned with a straight tie, the kind that Ohno had always thought he was too plain to pull off. When he noticed that Nino meant to put it on him, he made a sound of protest but was quickly silenced by a look from the slighter man. Nino made a motion for him to stand up and he obeyed, feeling a little uncomfortable as Nino leaned close to tie the knot.
"There!" he declared, standing back to admire his work with a smile that Ohno found he liked very much. "You look like a million bucks."
Ohno had turned to look in the mirror by the door. Nino was right; he looked great. Somehow, the look he'd always found too flashy kind of suited him. As did the grinning man he saw reflected behind him.
Nino had been strangely calm all day, Ohno had noticed. Not that Nino wasn't normally calm but it was like he was trying to be overly so, probably to balance his nerves. Ohno appreciated it, even if it didn't seem to be working so well.
They'd reached the studio about an hour before the opening. Sho had opened the door, welcoming them both in. He took a quick liking to Nino and, at least it seemed, vice versa. Sho was a nice man, full of good advice and attempts at good advice. Nino had taken to making faces behind Sho while the other man talked overly seriously. Already Sho had had to ask Ohno what was so funny as he explained why they had chosen that particular placement; Ohno always said it was something his mother had said that popped into his head and the other man shrugged it off.
"What if no one comes?" Ohno asked quietly, watching the door in the front. Sho turned to look, confused, as Nino shifted closer.
"People are going to come, Ohno," Sho said, seriously. "I've sent out enough invitations; your work is impressive enough. At the very least, a few critics will come to write about it for the paper."
"I suppose," Ohno nodded, unsure where the anxiety was springing out of. He thought he had calmed himself earlier. He took another swig of champagne.
"I'll go check the entrance again," Sho tried to assure him. "We're not supposed to open the doors for another fifteen minutes, anyway. Maybe someone's come early."
Ohno nodded, grateful. As he watched Sho walk away, he felt a hand clasp onto his own. With a start, he glanced to his right, surprised to see small, rounded fingers wrapped around his own hand. He looked up; Nino was smiling, almost shyly. He squeezed their hands. Ohno let out a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding.
"Look alive!" Sho called as he walked back in the room. "We're opening the doors and don't you worry, there are plenty of people out there."
"Ready?" Nino asked quietly.
"Ready," Ohno nodded.
Nino squeezed his hand one more time before grabbing a flute of champagne and wondering off. Ohno steeled himself; this was it.
-------
It turned out that Ohno's nerves were completely unfounded. Not that he had much experience in how a gallery opening was supposed to go but this seemed like a good night. People would come over and talk to him, tell him how much they loved this piece or that piece and Ohno would nod shyly and thank them. When he got too tongue-tied, Nino would bound over from wherever he had been talking Ohno up and cover him, an affectionate glance over his shoulder as he told whoever was there an embarrassing story from their fake childhood.
Ohno was beyond grateful that Nino was there; he wasn't entirely sure if he would have been able to navigate the night without him. At the very least, the critics would have thought he had issues, instead of just being "naturally shy and humble," as one wrote in the paper later that week.
After a young couple had wandered off, having shaken Ohno's hand with a smile, Nino had turned to him, a stern expression on his face.
"You need to talk more," he said quietly, seriously. "You're doing okay with an interpreter but you need to be able to stand on your own two feet." Ohno nodded earnestly. Nino's face broke into a warm smile and he laughed slightly before wandering off again. Ohno didn't quite know what to make of it but he liked the feeling Nino's laughter inspired in himself. It was heady, like the champagne earlier, but decidedly more comfortable.
At one point during the night, Sho had pulled him aside to acquaint him with a tall man that was smiling wider than Ohno thought possible. He looked friendly, like an oversized puppy that didn't realize his true size.
"Ohno, this is Aiba," Sho introduced them. Aiba reached forward and shook Ohno's hand a little too vigorously, excitement shining in his eyes. "He works for a management company."
"Management company?" Ohno asked, directing the question to the taller man. He nodded, still smiling.
"You're stuff is amazing," Aiba began. "I don't know what you've been thinking of doing after this, but if you don't have anyone to represent you, I would love to offer my services." He handed Ohno a business card that read Aiba Masaki, Arts Management.
"Oh, I don't know," Ohno scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I hadn't really given it much thought. I guess I assumed I'd just kind of continue what I had been doing."
"But you're awesome!" Aiba cut in emphatically. "You have to move forward after this. I can't promise we'd make you a big name but we could at least make you a name."
Ohno laughed, a little uncomfortably. He wasn't used to this much attention on himself. Aiba seemed to notice and toned down his smile a little.
"You don't have to decide right now," he said, a little more understanding than enthusiastic. "Just give me a call when you've thought about it. I'll clear my schedule."
Ohno thanked him but didn't think much of it, slipping the business card into his pocket.
The night continued late into the morning, people seemingly not wanting to leave despite the event not being too entertaining, at least it seemed to Ohno. He was, however, enjoying watching Sho run around, trying to entertain everyone's needs without seeming inattentive to anyone else. Nino was also all over the place, regaling guest after guest with what could only be stories of some fake history that Ohno only had vague knowledge of. It made him a little sad; he wished that some of the memories Nino was saying were true.
Eventually it was time to wrap up and Ohno and Nino stayed to help Sho close the gallery. After forty five minutes of picking up trash, cleaning up tables and the like, Sho bid the two of them farewell and headed off into the night. An uneasy feeling settled in his chest as he turned to face Nino.
"My stuff's still at your place," Nino shrugged. "I can leave in the morning, if that's all right."
"It's fine," Ohno nodded, maybe a little too seriously. Nino's eyes took up a weird twinkle again and he reached forward to grab Ohno's hand as he pulled them in the direction of the apartment building. Butterflies fluttered in Ohno's chest and he never wanted them to go away.
-------
Ohno woke up to a telephone ringing much too early in the morning. Despite only going to bed probably four hours earlier, he felt himself moving closer to consciousness, hand crashing around on his nightstand, searching for the phone. He finally picked it up on the fifth ring or so, only managing a vague grumble in greeting.
"Ohno?" Sho's voice rang over the phone. "Did I wake you?"
"Mmm," was all Ohno could manage, his eyes wandering to the bedside clock and wondering how Sho could sound that awake on probably the same amount of sleep that he'd gotten.
"I'm sorry," Sho apologized, "but I have some rather exciting news. It seems the opening was a bit of a hit. One of the critics called me this morning and asked if he could interview you for an article he's writing."
"...really?" Ohno asked, waking up a bit more, not quite believing that this was happening. Things didn't usually work out so well for him; all of this was a bit much to handle.
"Really," Sho affirmed. "This is really exciting news, Ohno, for you as well as for the gallery. Could you come over on Tuesday afternoon for the interview?"
"Of course," Ohno nodded, not realizing Sho couldn't see him over the phone. "I'll be there whenever you need me."
"That's what I wanted to hear," Ohno could hear the relieved smile in Sho's voice. "I'll see you on Tuesday then."
"Tuesday," Ohno agreed.
"Oh, and Ohno?" Sho asked offhand; Ohno perked up slightly. "The critic said that he really took a liking to that friend of yours, Nino. Could you bring him along, too?"
Ohno's stomach sank a bit. Nino was supposed to leave this morning; he'd only paid him through this morning. What if he had another job? What if he never worked overtime? What if he didn't want to pretend to be Ohno's best friend anymore?
"I'll see if he can," Ohno replied hesitantly. "He might have work, I don't know."
"I understand," Sho replied easily. "If he can make it, that would be great but we can't control the universe. In any case, I'll see you on Tuesday."
"I'll see you on Tuesday," Ohno murmured, still feeling his heart a bit in his throat as he reached over and hung up the phone.
He was up now and it wasn't looking like he was going to fall back asleep so he reluctantly drug himself out of bed and into the shower, going over every idea he could think of to convince Nino to stay. He was so lost in thought, he washed his hair three times.
Ohno had anticipated having a little bit more time to think of a way to convince Nino to stay but when he came out of the shower, he heard movement in the other room. Quickly securing the towel around his waist and throwing a smaller one around his shoulders so as not to drip on the carpet, he dashed out towards the sound.
"I thought you would still be asleep," he told Nino's back, the younger man arranging something in his bag that Ohno couldn't see. Nino turned around to retort but stopped when he noticed Ohno's attire. A blush rose in Ohno's cheeks; in his rush to stop Nino, he'd forgotten the lack of clothing.
"And I didn't realize I'd be interrupting anything," Nino grinned slyly, that strange gleam in his eye again that Ohno could never quite place. He felt awkward, overexposed, and pulled the smaller towel closer around his shoulders.
"Are you leaving?" he asked, pointedly ignoring Nino's comment and the heat he felt from the slighter man's eyes on his chest.
"The gallery opening is over," Nino replied, shrugging and not meeting Ohno's eyes. "Job's over." The mischievous grin returned. "And we're not an escort service so you can't really convince me to take on that kind of job."
"What?" Ohno blinked, the implication taking a second to sink in. "I don't--oh!" He could feel all the blood rushing to his cheeks. "I don't--I'd never--"
"Calm down," Nino laughed. "It was a joke, Oh-chan. Don't hurt yourself." Ohno frowned, but couldn't deny the fluttering in his gut at the sound of the fake nickname in real life.
"The paper's interviewing me. On Tuesday."
"Congratulations," Nino smiled sincerely. "That's great."
"And they want you to be there."
Nino paused and Ohno couldn't look at him, eyes trained on Nino's shoes. There was something like hope darting around behind his thoughts but it all depended on the young man in front of him.
"You better give me a big tip."
Ohno grinned wider than he thought possible, taking in the somewhat shy smile that Nino was giving him before enveloping the younger man in a bear hug. Two seconds later, he remembered his clothing situation and jumped away, muttering something about getting changed and dashing into his bedroom.
He could hear Nino's laughter through the door and felt warm from his toes to his ears.
-------
Tuesday came and Tuesday went. Nino spent most of his extra time lounging on Ohno's couch, legs up on Ohno's lap playing his DS while Ohno went over notes on what he could say in interviews. Whenever he got tongue-tied, Nino would move his foot slightly and Ohno would take a breath while Nino smiled to himself.
The interview went smoother than Ohno thought it would. The man was kind, quiet and asked questions Ohno knew the answer to. They even took a few sound bites from Nino, quirky jokes that Ohno laughed at embarrassedly. Nino would smile brazenly at him when he was done, as if daring Ohno to say anything but there was nothing to say. Ohno would continue answering questions and Nino would duck his head to the side, squeezing Ohno's hand under the table.
After the interview was over, the two walked outside, a heavy air of finality hanging about them. Before Ohno could say anything, though, Nino turned to him with a glint in his eye and asked if Ohno had seen the new Tamaki Hiroshi movie. He hadn't. They went.
By the time the movie was over and Ohno bought them dinner (as it was "only right that he pay, being the up and coming artist, after all"), it was rather late and Nino complained that it would be much too much work to try and move out that night, retiring back to Ohno's. Ohno didn't complain, only nodded and grabbed Nino's hand. The younger man didn't shy away.
Ohno got up early the next morning, deciding to make breakfast for Nino's last morning. He found Nino already awake, though and playing DS on his couch. When the younger man looked up to meet Ohno's confused eyes, he shrugged, moving his gaze quickly back to the game, a pink tinge on his cheeks.
"I called the agency and I don't have any gigs for the week," he explained to Mario. "You have a nicer apartment than I do and nothing better to do." Despite his nonchalant tone, there was a twinge of something in his words. Ohno ignored it, grinning.
"I'll make us breakfast."
-------
"I'm going fishing next Sunday," Ohno announced as he sat in the living room, painting a turtle on top of a bowling ball. Nino had dared him to do it. Ohno was doing his best to make it as cute as possible; he gave it a mole under its smile.
"Mmm?" Nino hummed from his personal spot on the couch, completely absorbed in Dragon Quest.
"I'll be gone all day," Ohno tried again, dipping his brush into the paint to make the shell a brighter green.
"Makes sense," Nino agreed, still not really paying attention. His DS made a pinging sound.
"You could come if you want." His brush stilled on the canvas as he waited for a response.
"Oh-chan," Nino groaned, pausing his game. Ohno felt himself wince, not wanting to turn around. So absorbed was he in not wanting to hear what was coming next, he didn't even realize that Nino had come up behind him until he felt a torso drape itself around his shoulders.
"Don't laugh, okay?" Nino asked, almost directly into Ohno's ear. Ohno was finding it a little hard to concentrate, let alone breathe.
"I won't," he responded, eyes on the painting but complete concentration on the person behind him.
Nino took a breath, steeling himself. Ohno felt him shift his weight a little bit, sagging more onto the older man.
"I get seasick."
Ohno felt all of the nervous tension uncoil in an instant at the slighter man's words. He felt a chuckle growing in his gut and he gave in, laughing away all of the worries away, pushing his canvas back so as not to knock it over.
"It's not funny," Nino sniffed, voice a little gruff. That only made Ohno laugh harder, though, turning around in his seat to see the expression on Nino's face. He forgot to factor in the distance between them.
He was nose to nose with the younger man, the laughter stopping abruptly as the realization it him. Nino's arms were still around his shoulders, although now it was more around his neck and the motion of Ohno's turning had weakened his balance. When Ohno came to rest, Nino lost his footing and started wobbling. Ohno reached out an arm to steady him. Nino's leg slipped out from under him and Ohno pulled him nearer, upward until Nino was sitting on his lap.
Ohno didn't know what to do, where to look. His eyes made a journey of their own accord, from Nino's chest to his neck to his mouth to his eyes. Nino wasn't looking back at him, though, the younger man's concentration completely focused on Ohno's mouth. Ohno felt his face grow hot; he licked his lips unconsciously.
He hadn't been aware he was drawing closer to the other man until Nino jumped up, out of Ohno's lap and scurried back to the couch. Ohno blinked, already missing the warm presence of the other man. He could only watch Nino blindly fumble for his DS.
"I'm tired," Nino explained awkwardly. "Maybe I should get to bed." Ohno nodded, watching as Nino grabbed at his DS, a blanket, a pillow, shoving all the articles under his arm in a haphazard mess.
"Goodnight," he told Nino's retreating back. Nino nodded, a pink tinge to his ears.
-------
"Jun called this morning," Nino announced when Ohno walked out of his bedroom two days later. "I have a new job."
They were supposed to go grocery shopping that morning so Ohno had gotten up a little earlier than normal, intending to use up the last of the milk and eggs with a nice breakfast before they headed out. Things had been a little awkward ever since the other night but the two had been doing their best at ignoring it. Ohno had been training his eyes to look anywhere but Nino's mouth. It was hard practice.
"You do?" he asked, feeling as if he were on a downward elevator that had taken on a bit too much speed. "When do you have to leave?"
"Probably around now," Nino replied, not meeting Ohno's eyes. "I need to figure out how I could pass for the father of a six year old boy."
"That's impossible," Ohno frowned. "No one would believe you. How old are you, anyway?"
"No personal questions," Nino replied, his gaze like steel and Ohno felt that same uneasiness in his stomach, like the Nino he knew was somewhere in there but wasn't planning on coming out.
"You can't even tell me your age?" Ohno asked, exasperated and a little scared. "Don't you think that's a little ridiculous? I already know plenty about you; you can't even tell me the year you were born?"
"You don't know me, Ohno," Nino replied, emphasizing Ohno's family name, affectionate nickname gone. It felt a little like a slap to the face. "You only know the fake history we made up."
"You're wrong," Ohno disagreed. "I know that you can't wake up in the mornings. I know that you get seasick easily and that you don't like playing your DS on trains because you worry that you won't be able to find a place to save. I know that you don't like ketchup on your omelets and that you snore sometimes. I may not know any specific facts but I know you, Nino."
Nino's eyes narrowed.
"You know what I've told you," he retorted, his voice hard, "but how do you know that any of that is true? How do you know my name is even Ninomiya? That I haven't been playing a character this whole time?"
Ohno didn't respond; he didn't have an answer.
"I need to go, Ohno," Nino sighed, glimpses of his friend returning to the weary form. He reached down to pick up his bag. "I've been here too long."
Ohno walked over, opening the door for the man who was once his friend.
"Maybe you have," he agreed. Nino winced slightly at his words and Ohno felt a twinge of something, perhaps regret, but didn't let it linger.
"Have a nice life, Ohno," Nino said earnestly, walking out the door.
"You too," Ohno replied, "whoever you are."
~
Chapter two appears, almost magically because I was swamped with work this week. The Olympics is good for my writing; I work during commercial breaks. :) Also, a big thank you to everyone who voted for me over at the ohmiyaday contest! I'm flattered that I managed to get third; I honestly didn't expect to place. THANK YOU! ♥ See you for chapter three soon~