Something Real -- Chapter 9
Chapter: 9
Pairing: Sakumoto, Ohmiya
Genre: AU, Fantasy
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Plot = mine. Arashi = not mine.
Summary: Sho gets introduced into the dangerous world of the fey -- where not everything is what it seems.
----------------------------
Memories flooded Sho’s mind - of his friends, of his childhood, and most of all, of Jun. There was Jun running toward him. Jun playing with him. Jun teaching him magic. Sho curled around Jun’s body as they slept. Jun’s smile, Jun’s touch, Jun’s laugh. It was all back.
Sho even remembered the day Jun took his memories. They must’ve been about 13 or 14 years old, and it was Sho’s birthday. Jun promised Sho a day of everything he wanted - and he fulfilled it. After a full day of fun activities, the pair sat languidly under a tree in Sho’s yard. The sun was setting, coloring the sky in red and yellow and orange.
After several moments of companionable silence, Jun said sadly, “I better be going home.” He stood, but before he could go any farther Sho grabbed Jun’s hand.
“Wait.”
Jun looked down at his hand in Sho’s, and then at Sho. The sun was setting right behind Jun, so it was impossible to see Jun’s face.
“I…There’s one last thing I want for my birthday.” Sho said, blushing, still holding tightly to Jun’s hand. “I want you to kiss me.”
Sho swallowed thickly, stunned at his own bravery for asking his for his deepest wish. He knew it was selfish - he didn’t even know how Jun felt - but it was his birthday, and if Jun was willing…
Jun didn’t move, his face still hidden by the sun. Sensing Jun’s reluctance, Sho looked at the ground in embarrassment, pulling his hand out of Jun’s. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have…”
Jun grabbed Sho’s hand back, kneeling in front of Sho and using his other hand to push Sho’s head up. Sho stared into Jun’s eyes, and since the sun no longer shadowed his face, Sho could clearly read the love in Jun’s eyes.
Jun leaned down, still holding Sho’s hand and using his other hand to cusp Sho’s face, and gently kissed him. Sho returned the kiss, lacing his fingers with Jun’s and gripping tightly, causing Jun to deepen the kiss. Sho was too happy to feel Jun’s tears falling, and all too soon he was in a dreamless sleep, his memories gone, Jun’s heart breaking.
------------------
Jun pulled away from Sho, desperately hoping for him to wake, concerned that he had gone so limp against him. It took only a few seconds before Sho’s eyes opened, wide and confused.
“Sho!” Jun said in delight, pulling him into a hug as the others smiled happily, Aiba cheering.
“Jun?” Sho said as Jun pulled him up so they were both standing. “I remember. I remember everything!”
All eyes were on Jun as Sho stared at him. “Everything?” Jun asked, curious.
“Everything.” Sho said with a smile, as he reached for Jun’s hand, entwining their fingers just as he had done when they first kissed. Jun smiled wide in response, his heart soaring.
“I’m so sorry Sho. It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“It’s not your fault, Jun. Thank you for trying to protect me.”
“We need to celebrate! All the misunderstandings are gone, and we’re all reunited!” Aiba yelled excitedly, his tail swishing happily.
“Will you be okay to stay here, Jun? Will the Queen suspect you?” Ohno asked, reminding everyone of their situation.
“No. I often leave without notice. The suspicion of what happened to Sho won’t be directed to me.”
“Great! Let the party begin!” Nino shouted, adding, “I’m helping Oh-chan make the cake!” He tackled Ohno in a possessive hug with a smile.
The five worked together to make a delicious meal, complete with celebratory cake, and spent the rest of the evening talking and catching up. Although it was Sho who initiated the hand holding, Jun rarely ever let go, and Sho didn’t mind a bit. The longest he let go was when Nino attached himself to Sho to nuzzle him a little too fondly, intending to make Jun jealous (and it worked), so Jun chased Nino around the house until Jun decided to retaliate by being overly affectionate to Ohno. Nino stopped his little games, and Jun returned his hand to Sho’s with a squeeze.
That night, as Jun was heading to sneak into Sho’s room, he found Nino in the hallway. Both of them stared at each other, surprised by the other’s appearance, blushes coloring their faces.
“I-I was just going to ask Sho a question.” Jun muttered quickly, as Nino said, “Ohno needed my help with something.” Both dashed off to the rooms mentioned, Jun thinking to himself with a smile, I’m glad some things don’t change.
Jun knocked on Sho’s door quietly, and heard Sho say, “Come in.” Jun entered, giving Sho a sheepish smile.
“Couldn’t sleep?” Sho asked sleepily from his bed.
“Couldn’t sleep without you.” Jun replied, climbing into bed with him, his arms immediately going around Sho’s waist. Sho just chuckled.
“I actually had the same thought.”
“It seemed weird to sleep in a different bed.”
Sho hummed in reply as he wrapped his own arms around Jun’s.
“Let me see your hands.”
“What?”
“Your hands. I want to see how they are healing.”
Sho lifted his hands for Jun to inspect, and Jun gasped.
“Your hands are completely healed!”
“Huh?” Sure enough, Sho’s hands were perfectly normal - not a scratch to be seen from his earlier struggle with the others.
“Your magic - you can heal!”
“That’s crazy!”
“No, it isn’t. Remember when I had that fever? Junichi said he poisoned me. At first, I thought maybe he just didn’t poison me enough, but when I checked to see what he had poisoned me with, it was strong. I should’ve been sick for quite a while. But do you remember what you did?”
Sho thought for a moment. “I tried to get rid of your fever.”
“Right. Not only that, but you wrapped yourself around me, trying to break the fever. I think you unknowingly healed me, which is why I wasn’t sick for so long. And now your hands are healed too.”
“Wow.”
Jun kissed Sho on the back of his neck. “Not many people can do that, Sho.”
“I want to try to heal others. Tomorrow. Healing isn’t much use to me unless I can heal you, or the others, when I need to.”
Jun was so touched he didn’t know what to say.
Sho turned around so that he was now facing Jun before asking, “If I kiss you again, will I lose my memories again?”
Jun laughed. “No. Not unless I want you to.”
“Good.” He kissed Jun sweetly before pulling away, but Jun grabbed Sho’s face to hold him in place, kissing him back with fervor. They became lost in each other, kissing passionately, firm holds on each other’s bodies. Jun pulled away at last, breathing hard, saying, “We really should sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”
“You started it.” Sho sulked.
“Technically, you started it, but I’ll let it go.” Jun said teasingly.
“Whatever.” Sho wrapped his arms around Jun, holding him close, as the pair drifted into a contented sleep.
---------------------
Sho awoke the next morning, reaching for Jun but finding the bed empty. Sho got up groggily, and as he approached the main room he could hear distressed whispers.
“What’s going on?” He asked, finding the other three already awake, clearly upset, no Jun in sight.
They all looked at each other before Ohno stepped forward, a sad look in his eyes.
“The Queen is dead.”
Sho’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
Nino fidgeted uneasily behind Ohno. “I went out today to see what I could find out - how big a deal your escape was - when I found out she was murdered last night. Jun left immediately. It would look weird if he didn’t go back right away after finding out his mother was killed.”
“Is he okay? Is he upset?” Sho asked, worried.
“Jun isn’t upset. He never loved his mother. But there’s a different problem, Sho-chan.” Aiba walked over to him, his bottom lip in his mouth, a nervous gesture.
“What’s that?” Sho asked cautiously. Why were they acting so weird?
“They’re saying that you killed her.”
“What? That’s ridiculous!” Sho said, aghast.
“We know that, Sho-chan! But the Dark Fey don’t. They’re all on a hunt for you, with Junichi leading the way.” Aiba looked at Sho with concern.
“It’s going to make finding your father much more difficult if all the Dark Fey in the Realm are out to murder you, Sho.” Ohno said, not unkindly.
“This is Junichi’s doing. I just know it! He found her dead, and now he’s blaming you because you escaped!” Nino fumed.
“I didn’t even think it was possible to kill her, she’s so deadly.” Sho said, still stunned.
“Of course it’s possible! Not easy…but very possible. Someone kidnapped, or possibly killed, your father, after all.”
“Do you think we have an ally somewhere?” Aiba asked Ohno.
“It’s hard to say.”
“So Junichi is now the Winter King…” Sho mused.
“Unfortunately, yes. And his first act as King is to use all his resources to hunt you down.” Nino said.
“What exactly does this all mean?” Sho asked, feeling as though there was something they weren’t telling him.
“It means you can’t leave this house, Sho.” Ohno said quietly. “It will be hard for us as well.”
“Junichi was suspicious of us, of Jun. Are you sure he’s safe at the castle?” Sho asked.
“Jun can defend himself.” Ohno answered simply.
“What will we do, then?” Sho questioned quietly, sadness leaking into his voice. Everything was always going wrong - because of him.
“I filled Jun in on what we were trying to do, why we brought you here. He’s going to look around the castle for your father. If the Queen took him and he’s still alive, Jun should be able to find him.”
“If only Jun had been truthful in the beginning, we could’ve saved ourselves all this trouble of trying to sneak in the castle.” Nino mumbled.
“Except Jun was trying to keep the person he loved safe, Nino.” Ohno chided.
“I know, I know. Does that mean my vision won’t come true?” Nino wondered aloud, looking at Ohno with confusion. “I mean, it’s great that Jun is looking, but I saw Sho save the King. Not Jun.”
“It’s quite possible that Jun will find him, but it will be Sho that will have to save him from wherever he is. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Sho noticed that Aiba had been quite for a while, and turned to find him looking at the ground worriedly, biting his lip.
“What is it, Aiba?” Sho asked low so the others couldn’t hear.
“I have a bad feeling about this, Sho-chan. I feel like we’re in a big puzzle, and we’re missing a very important piece. I don’t like it.”
“I know what you mean. It seems weird, doesn’t it? That the Queen was killed, bam! Just like that? Who did it? What was their motive? How did they do it? I know Ohno said it was possible to kill her, but it just seems like it was so easy. It doesn’t make sense.”
Aiba nodded his head in agreement. “Something’s not right.”
“And staying hidden in this house isn’t going to fix it.”
“Oh-chan and Nino aren’t going to be happy about this…”
“It’s not up to them. This needs to end, Aiba. For everyone’s sake.”
Sho’s eyes were lit with a fierce sort of glow, and Aiba couldn’t help grin a little in return.
“What exactly did you have in mind?”
-----------------------
A/N: We're close to the end!!
Pairing: Sakumoto, Ohmiya
Genre: AU, Fantasy
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Plot = mine. Arashi = not mine.
Summary: Sho gets introduced into the dangerous world of the fey -- where not everything is what it seems.
----------------------------
Memories flooded Sho’s mind - of his friends, of his childhood, and most of all, of Jun. There was Jun running toward him. Jun playing with him. Jun teaching him magic. Sho curled around Jun’s body as they slept. Jun’s smile, Jun’s touch, Jun’s laugh. It was all back.
Sho even remembered the day Jun took his memories. They must’ve been about 13 or 14 years old, and it was Sho’s birthday. Jun promised Sho a day of everything he wanted - and he fulfilled it. After a full day of fun activities, the pair sat languidly under a tree in Sho’s yard. The sun was setting, coloring the sky in red and yellow and orange.
After several moments of companionable silence, Jun said sadly, “I better be going home.” He stood, but before he could go any farther Sho grabbed Jun’s hand.
“Wait.”
Jun looked down at his hand in Sho’s, and then at Sho. The sun was setting right behind Jun, so it was impossible to see Jun’s face.
“I…There’s one last thing I want for my birthday.” Sho said, blushing, still holding tightly to Jun’s hand. “I want you to kiss me.”
Sho swallowed thickly, stunned at his own bravery for asking his for his deepest wish. He knew it was selfish - he didn’t even know how Jun felt - but it was his birthday, and if Jun was willing…
Jun didn’t move, his face still hidden by the sun. Sensing Jun’s reluctance, Sho looked at the ground in embarrassment, pulling his hand out of Jun’s. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have…”
Jun grabbed Sho’s hand back, kneeling in front of Sho and using his other hand to push Sho’s head up. Sho stared into Jun’s eyes, and since the sun no longer shadowed his face, Sho could clearly read the love in Jun’s eyes.
Jun leaned down, still holding Sho’s hand and using his other hand to cusp Sho’s face, and gently kissed him. Sho returned the kiss, lacing his fingers with Jun’s and gripping tightly, causing Jun to deepen the kiss. Sho was too happy to feel Jun’s tears falling, and all too soon he was in a dreamless sleep, his memories gone, Jun’s heart breaking.
------------------
Jun pulled away from Sho, desperately hoping for him to wake, concerned that he had gone so limp against him. It took only a few seconds before Sho’s eyes opened, wide and confused.
“Sho!” Jun said in delight, pulling him into a hug as the others smiled happily, Aiba cheering.
“Jun?” Sho said as Jun pulled him up so they were both standing. “I remember. I remember everything!”
All eyes were on Jun as Sho stared at him. “Everything?” Jun asked, curious.
“Everything.” Sho said with a smile, as he reached for Jun’s hand, entwining their fingers just as he had done when they first kissed. Jun smiled wide in response, his heart soaring.
“I’m so sorry Sho. It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“It’s not your fault, Jun. Thank you for trying to protect me.”
“We need to celebrate! All the misunderstandings are gone, and we’re all reunited!” Aiba yelled excitedly, his tail swishing happily.
“Will you be okay to stay here, Jun? Will the Queen suspect you?” Ohno asked, reminding everyone of their situation.
“No. I often leave without notice. The suspicion of what happened to Sho won’t be directed to me.”
“Great! Let the party begin!” Nino shouted, adding, “I’m helping Oh-chan make the cake!” He tackled Ohno in a possessive hug with a smile.
The five worked together to make a delicious meal, complete with celebratory cake, and spent the rest of the evening talking and catching up. Although it was Sho who initiated the hand holding, Jun rarely ever let go, and Sho didn’t mind a bit. The longest he let go was when Nino attached himself to Sho to nuzzle him a little too fondly, intending to make Jun jealous (and it worked), so Jun chased Nino around the house until Jun decided to retaliate by being overly affectionate to Ohno. Nino stopped his little games, and Jun returned his hand to Sho’s with a squeeze.
That night, as Jun was heading to sneak into Sho’s room, he found Nino in the hallway. Both of them stared at each other, surprised by the other’s appearance, blushes coloring their faces.
“I-I was just going to ask Sho a question.” Jun muttered quickly, as Nino said, “Ohno needed my help with something.” Both dashed off to the rooms mentioned, Jun thinking to himself with a smile, I’m glad some things don’t change.
Jun knocked on Sho’s door quietly, and heard Sho say, “Come in.” Jun entered, giving Sho a sheepish smile.
“Couldn’t sleep?” Sho asked sleepily from his bed.
“Couldn’t sleep without you.” Jun replied, climbing into bed with him, his arms immediately going around Sho’s waist. Sho just chuckled.
“I actually had the same thought.”
“It seemed weird to sleep in a different bed.”
Sho hummed in reply as he wrapped his own arms around Jun’s.
“Let me see your hands.”
“What?”
“Your hands. I want to see how they are healing.”
Sho lifted his hands for Jun to inspect, and Jun gasped.
“Your hands are completely healed!”
“Huh?” Sure enough, Sho’s hands were perfectly normal - not a scratch to be seen from his earlier struggle with the others.
“Your magic - you can heal!”
“That’s crazy!”
“No, it isn’t. Remember when I had that fever? Junichi said he poisoned me. At first, I thought maybe he just didn’t poison me enough, but when I checked to see what he had poisoned me with, it was strong. I should’ve been sick for quite a while. But do you remember what you did?”
Sho thought for a moment. “I tried to get rid of your fever.”
“Right. Not only that, but you wrapped yourself around me, trying to break the fever. I think you unknowingly healed me, which is why I wasn’t sick for so long. And now your hands are healed too.”
“Wow.”
Jun kissed Sho on the back of his neck. “Not many people can do that, Sho.”
“I want to try to heal others. Tomorrow. Healing isn’t much use to me unless I can heal you, or the others, when I need to.”
Jun was so touched he didn’t know what to say.
Sho turned around so that he was now facing Jun before asking, “If I kiss you again, will I lose my memories again?”
Jun laughed. “No. Not unless I want you to.”
“Good.” He kissed Jun sweetly before pulling away, but Jun grabbed Sho’s face to hold him in place, kissing him back with fervor. They became lost in each other, kissing passionately, firm holds on each other’s bodies. Jun pulled away at last, breathing hard, saying, “We really should sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”
“You started it.” Sho sulked.
“Technically, you started it, but I’ll let it go.” Jun said teasingly.
“Whatever.” Sho wrapped his arms around Jun, holding him close, as the pair drifted into a contented sleep.
---------------------
Sho awoke the next morning, reaching for Jun but finding the bed empty. Sho got up groggily, and as he approached the main room he could hear distressed whispers.
“What’s going on?” He asked, finding the other three already awake, clearly upset, no Jun in sight.
They all looked at each other before Ohno stepped forward, a sad look in his eyes.
“The Queen is dead.”
Sho’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
Nino fidgeted uneasily behind Ohno. “I went out today to see what I could find out - how big a deal your escape was - when I found out she was murdered last night. Jun left immediately. It would look weird if he didn’t go back right away after finding out his mother was killed.”
“Is he okay? Is he upset?” Sho asked, worried.
“Jun isn’t upset. He never loved his mother. But there’s a different problem, Sho-chan.” Aiba walked over to him, his bottom lip in his mouth, a nervous gesture.
“What’s that?” Sho asked cautiously. Why were they acting so weird?
“They’re saying that you killed her.”
“What? That’s ridiculous!” Sho said, aghast.
“We know that, Sho-chan! But the Dark Fey don’t. They’re all on a hunt for you, with Junichi leading the way.” Aiba looked at Sho with concern.
“It’s going to make finding your father much more difficult if all the Dark Fey in the Realm are out to murder you, Sho.” Ohno said, not unkindly.
“This is Junichi’s doing. I just know it! He found her dead, and now he’s blaming you because you escaped!” Nino fumed.
“I didn’t even think it was possible to kill her, she’s so deadly.” Sho said, still stunned.
“Of course it’s possible! Not easy…but very possible. Someone kidnapped, or possibly killed, your father, after all.”
“Do you think we have an ally somewhere?” Aiba asked Ohno.
“It’s hard to say.”
“So Junichi is now the Winter King…” Sho mused.
“Unfortunately, yes. And his first act as King is to use all his resources to hunt you down.” Nino said.
“What exactly does this all mean?” Sho asked, feeling as though there was something they weren’t telling him.
“It means you can’t leave this house, Sho.” Ohno said quietly. “It will be hard for us as well.”
“Junichi was suspicious of us, of Jun. Are you sure he’s safe at the castle?” Sho asked.
“Jun can defend himself.” Ohno answered simply.
“What will we do, then?” Sho questioned quietly, sadness leaking into his voice. Everything was always going wrong - because of him.
“I filled Jun in on what we were trying to do, why we brought you here. He’s going to look around the castle for your father. If the Queen took him and he’s still alive, Jun should be able to find him.”
“If only Jun had been truthful in the beginning, we could’ve saved ourselves all this trouble of trying to sneak in the castle.” Nino mumbled.
“Except Jun was trying to keep the person he loved safe, Nino.” Ohno chided.
“I know, I know. Does that mean my vision won’t come true?” Nino wondered aloud, looking at Ohno with confusion. “I mean, it’s great that Jun is looking, but I saw Sho save the King. Not Jun.”
“It’s quite possible that Jun will find him, but it will be Sho that will have to save him from wherever he is. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Sho noticed that Aiba had been quite for a while, and turned to find him looking at the ground worriedly, biting his lip.
“What is it, Aiba?” Sho asked low so the others couldn’t hear.
“I have a bad feeling about this, Sho-chan. I feel like we’re in a big puzzle, and we’re missing a very important piece. I don’t like it.”
“I know what you mean. It seems weird, doesn’t it? That the Queen was killed, bam! Just like that? Who did it? What was their motive? How did they do it? I know Ohno said it was possible to kill her, but it just seems like it was so easy. It doesn’t make sense.”
Aiba nodded his head in agreement. “Something’s not right.”
“And staying hidden in this house isn’t going to fix it.”
“Oh-chan and Nino aren’t going to be happy about this…”
“It’s not up to them. This needs to end, Aiba. For everyone’s sake.”
Sho’s eyes were lit with a fierce sort of glow, and Aiba couldn’t help grin a little in return.
“What exactly did you have in mind?”
-----------------------
A/N: We're close to the end!!