A Midsummer Night's Dream (二十五)
Title: Love So Sweet
Pairing: Juntoshi (Side pairings: Sakuraiba, Akame)
Rating: PG 13 overall
Summary: Just how much could a dream change your life?
A Midsummer Night's Dream (二十五)
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Jun was stirring.
Something was wrong. Something that was pulling him out of his sleeping state.
What is that?
A burning smell made him twitch, trying to cover his nose. It was terrible enough he wanted to gag. But there was another odor mixed in with the smell of smoke. Something with a metallic tinge.
Blood?
Jun’s eyes snapped open in alarm. The sight of smoke drifted past, changing the beautiful blue color of the sky above him into a dull gray. He became aware of the cold ground he was lying on and how something was uncomfortably shoved against his side. Shifting away from the discomfort, he sat up on an elbow.
The field spread out before his gaze took his breath away.
It was soaking in the red of dried blood, but also blackened by the uniforms of a sea of unmoving bodies. Corpses. Thousands of soldiers who would never stand again. Several fires were blazing unrestrained through the battlefield, offering an unceremonial cremation for the remains of those ill-fated souls.
Matsumoto’s wide eyes jerked to the left to see a trembling, huddled figure. The slight frame was also dressed in a uniform of an ancient kimono. Jun realized they were the only two individuals that were still breathing in this horrific place.
This has got to be a dream.
Jun scrutinized the eerily familiar red kimono his companion was wearing, along with the bowed head, before inhaling sharply.
It is a dream. The same one I had a year ago. The one set in the past with Satos-
He whispered shakily, “Satoshi?”
The trembling man lifted his head and Jun’s eyes met the tear-stained, vacant face of his lover. Lifeless eyes stared at him until the smaller man blinked several times, awareness sparking back into the brown orbs. “Jun?” The word was spoken so quietly, it could have been carried away by the wind.
Matsumoto leaned over to touch the older man’s dirt-smeared cheek. Satoshi’s eyes flickered to his hand, noticing a ring, and breathed out, “Matsujun?” The shaking man held up a hand, displaying a matching ring on his finger. “Arashi’s DoS? My Jun?”
But last time-
Jun gasped, “Leader? Oh-chan? My Satoshi?” Ohno let out a relieved sob. Jun wrapped his arms around the smaller man while Ohno sniffed and whispered into his ear, “I thought you were dead. I woke up here and the hospital was gone and there were all these dead people and I saw you and you were covered in blood and you wouldn’t open your eyes, no matter wha-” Jun pressed his lips tightly over Ohno’s, trying to convey that he was alive and breathing.
With a great amount of effort, they separated from their desperate kiss and Jun set his forehead on Ohno’s. “It’s okay. This is just a dream.”
“But…it doesn’t feel like one.”
“It’ll be alright.” Jun was trying to convince himself of this too. He understood what his boyfriend meant. This place felt very real, almost terrifyingly so. Averting his eyes from the unmoving bodies, he attempted to stand, pulling Ohno up with him. Looking the shorter man up and down, his heart beat skipped when he saw the cuts in Ohno’s kimono, but inspecting closer, he only saw smooth tan skin under the clothes. “Are you okay?”
Ohno glanced at the slashed fabric. “I-I’m fine. The kimono was just like this when I woke up.”
Jun nodded, reassured. “I don’t know where we are, but if this is anything like that dream I had, there should be a camp near here.”
But before the dazed couple could take a single step, they heard the sound of running footsteps from the forest edge. They ducked down, glancing at each other worriedly. Ohno fumbled with the katana at his side, even though Jun thought using it would probably cause the artist himself more damage than to any opponent. After a few tense seconds, a man burst from the tree line and skidded to a halt, gasping at the scene before him.
The figure raised his hands to the sides of his head in dread. “Oh God. Satoshi. Oh-chan!? Satoshi, are you there!?” he cried.
Ohno rose a bit from their crouched position, looking closely at the panicked man. He turned to Matsujun suddenly, eyes wide. “It’s Nino.” The couple stood up tentatively.
The man, who was in fact Ninomiya, saw the movement and immediately began to jog carefully through the deceased towards them. “Oh-chan!”
Nino pulled Ohno into a tight hug, a little hysterical. “You made it in time! I didn’t know if it would be too late.” Then he released the shorter man and punched Jun on the shoulder. “Goddamn mole. Don’t make me so worried!”
Jun and Satoshi shared a look. They both knew this wasn’t 'their Nino'.
“Akanishi came back to camp with the survivors and announced you had died in battle. And then he said-” Nino froze suddenly, his whole body becoming stiff. He looked as if he’d become a life-sized mannequin. Puzzled, Jun reached out a hand to shake Nino’s shoulder, but the shorter man didn’t react.
Then Nino’s eyelashes fluttered, blinking as if coming out a trance. Finally focusing on them, his brow scrunched in confusion. “Oh-chan? Matsujun?” He made the mistake of looking around at the field and immediately clamped a hand on his mouth. His breathing sped up as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. With his wide eyes, he asked the silent question Where is this?.
An astonished Jun asked, “Nino? Arashi’s gamer, Nino?”
Looking ill, he nodded. Ohno stepped in front of his friend and blocked the awful sight from view. “Kazu, this’s a dream. I don’t know why or how, but we all ended up in the same one.” Nino’s gaze focused on the older man, taking a minute to comprehend what Ohno had just asked. “Are you okay?”
Nino nodded again slowly and replied, “I-I was playing Dragon Quest, then I thought I fell asleep, and the next thing I know, I’m here. What the hell is this?”
The couple shrugged in unison. Jun suggested they set out from the bloody battlefield, having decided getting away from there and going back in the direction Ninomiya had come from was the only idea that sounded reasonable. The trio entered the forest, thankful to spot something that vaguely looked like a trail. They spent the next half an hour walking and trying to get the shell-shocked Nino caught up on what had probably happened in this dream world before they'd popped up there. To Jun’s surprise, Ohno threw in a few facts he’d forgotten. “You had this dream too?”
The sleepy man nodded. “I couldn’t remember it clearly until now.”
A twig snapped behind the idols, making them jump. There was only a second before four uniform-clad Shinano men burst from the trees. Jun felt his heart leap in his chest and cursed himself for forgetting to pick up a weapon in the field.
The supposed leader of the enemy group lunged toward Matsumoto, yelling wildly. The katana that was pointed at him never reached its target, because Ohno had jumped in the way.
A loud clang reverberated around the forest. Their sleepy Leader had drawn his katana and expertly swung it to block the attack.
Jun and Nino watched in amazement while Satoshi shoved the first man away and blocked another sword from the right. His face was a mask of concentration as the shorter man continued to protect his friend from strike after strike. Panting, Ohno knocked the katana from a surprised man’s hands with a slash, then another with a sideways swing, until Ohno had single-handedly disarmed the four men with precision and speed. The men retreated with several terrified looks on their faces.
A shocked Nino and Jun ran to their friend, both checking for any wounds. The gamer glanced at the katana still in Ohno’s hands. “How did you do that?”
The older man shrugged tiredly, putting the sword back in its sheathe, “I don’t know. My body just did it.”
Jun hugged his protector, muttering, “So long as you’re not hurt.”
Ohno smiled into his shoulder.
Waiting until the couple separated, but looking around nervously, Nino prodded the group back into action. They walked swiftly, Nino and Jun dragging a tired Satoshi behind them. After another hour, the idols were starting to wonder if the direction they’d chosen was still correct when they jumped back as another uniformed figure stumbled out of the trees ahead of them. Ohno advanced in front of his friends, hand grasping his katana’s handle.
Everyone froze.
“Leader?” Ohno blinked at the man standing before him. A bewildered Sho called out to them, “Nino? Jun-kun? What the hell is this? Some kind of movie set? Why are you wearing kimonos?”
Arashi’s gamer sighed in relief. “Sho-chan, you’re not gonna believe this.”
“We’re stuck in a dream together.” Jun said tiredly, rubbing his forehead. Sho looked at Ohno and Nino, who nodded, confirming it was the truth. His expression still told them he thought they were crazy.
The idols sat down in exhaustion in the middle of the forest and began to throw stories around about what had happened so far. Sakurai shuddered at their description of the battlefield. He told them he had fallen asleep next to Aiba ("I was just crashing at his apartment. Really.") only to open his eyes again to see a chaotic camp of soldiers rushing around declaring that a battle had finished and several important figures had fallen. Assuming someone (bowing in apology to Nino) had pulled a huge prank on him, the rapper had left the grounds hoping to find civilization and run into them instead. Sho agreed to lead them back to the small fort, all of them hoping to find answers there.
Trudging along the rough path Sakurai had used earlier, the shouts of men barking orders reached their ear before they arrived at the meadow occupied with an old-fashioned wooden fortress belonging to the Takeda Clan. The four friends stared at the building in apprehension. Nino tugged Sho and Jun into a quick conference about whether they should really go through with this, all of them knowing Ohno didn't seem to have the energy to care one way or another.
Ignoring the trio's debate, Ohno spotted a young man next to the outer wall who was hugging himself and looking around fearfully, near tears. “Aiba-chan!”
The man jumped at the shout, whirling around to face the group. “Leader! Matsujun! You’re alive!” Aiba ran to them and grabbed Ohno in a hug, grimacing as he tried not to cry. Then he noticed a certain newscaster and moved to wrap his arms around Sho’s waist instead, burying his head in the crook of Sakurai’s neck. Sho returned the embrace, rubbing Aiba’s back and kissing the side of his head. “It’s okay.”
While they waited for Aiba to calm down, a guard circling the perimeter startled them, but quickly recognized Ohno and Matsumoto, letting out a shout of disbelief. “Captain!” The excited man called out to his fellow guards, announcing the advent of their once-thought-lost heroes. A crowd quickly formed and the idols were reluctantly whisked away by a sea of cheering soldiers, escorted to meet the Daimyo without delay.
Jun panicked when Ohno was suddenly led away from them for a private meeting with the young Daimyo. Satoshi looked back over his shoulder worriedly, but shook his head at Jun, silently telling him to stay put. Nino tried to reassure him that Ohno would try to take care of this mess the best he could, but all Matsujun could think about was how this dream had ended last time.
The idols were treated to a small feast as they waited for the debriefing to finish. Jun ignored the food and kept staring at the door he’d last seen his boyfriend walk through. None of the members knew how to act around the soldiers, so they sat talking amongst themselves and smiling uncomfortably when someone offered them a new dish. Jun shuddered when Johnny, in the form of Director Kitagawa, sat down at his side and patted his shoulder, saying he was thankful Matsumoto made it back safely.
It seemed like an eternity before Ohno stumbled through the doors, heading straight for Jun with a pale face. The room erupted in cheers at his arrival, startling the short man.
“Satoshi? Are you alright?”
Aiba, Sho, and Nino scooted closer to hear. Ohno looked agitated as he said, “Never mind that. Jun, he’s here.”
“Who?”
The older man flinched. “Taro Kobayashi.”
Arashi’s members watched the doors open again as Takeda and his attendants filed out. At the young Daimyo’s right side was a gaunt figure with a familiar face that made Ohno instinctively reach for Jun’s hand and whisper, “He’s the Daimyo’s second assistant. And I’m pretty sure he hates me now too.”
Nino glared across the room at the man. “Well, I hate him back, even if it is a dream.”
“What were you talking about for so long?” asked Sho, getting them back on track.
A flustered Ohno explained, “I made up a story for the battle and the rest of the time, they were reporting about other fights. I didn’t understand any of it, but then Kobayashi said there was a new weapon he wanted to get from some foreigners, and when he showed everyone what it was, it was a rifle.”
“Oh-chan, I think that’s the most I’ve heard you say in a long time,” Aiba laughed nervously.
Leader rubbed his face, obviously stressing out. “Kobayashi kept pushing the Daimyo to get a shipment of the new rifles, so he agreed. They’ll be coming really soon.”
“And we don’t know how long this dream is gonna last.” Jun filled in the rest of the unsaid worry. This just kept getting better and better. The dream had them all freaked out. Everything felt, looked, and smelled as authentic as reality. And Jun really didn’t want to experience getting shot. He looked around at his friends, feeling just as lost as they seemed.
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Aiba was yawning.
The next morning found all five Arashi members piled onto one bed, no one willing to sleep by themselves in this strange place. Simply because Jun’s quarters looked the biggest, they crowded on his bed last night, shifting around until they all became comfortable.
“I still don’t get how we can sleep inside of a dream,” muttered Nino from his warm spot in the middle of the bed between Ohno and Aiba. Sho, on Aiba’s other side, replied wearily, “Well it’s not like this is a normal dream anyway.”
Ohno cracked an eye open, grimacing at the sunlight. “Still not back?”
“No,” grumbled Jun darkly. He hated waking up with a sore back and their thin mattress had done nothing to prevent that.
Nino yelped when Aiba flopped over on him, then shoved the sleeping man off him with a hard push. Aiba yelled in surprise, but smiled widely after he opened his eyes to see a dazed Sho lying under him, pouting at the sudden weight thrown on his chest. “Good morning, Sho-chan,” he purred while nuzzling the rapper’s neck, making the pout curve into a smile.
“It’s too early to start that,” Nino complained, poking Aiba in the side.
“I have to disagree with you, Nino.” Sho murmured as he wrapped his arms around the affectionate man’s waist.
“Me too.” Ohno cuddled up to Jun, who smirked as well. “Me three.”
Nino gagged and climbed out of bed, mainly to escape any chances of himself getting targeted with unwanted sappy affection.
The members untangled themselves from each other, following the gamer in getting up. Jun began to curiously inspect the room that belonged to his dream-self as Sho and Aiba volunteered to go out and find food. Ohno remained flopped on the bed, watching as Jun would pause and pick an object up before continuing his investigation.
Nino was also hunting, but probably for something more along the lines of "twenty first century". He muttered under his breath, "If this is a dream, why can't I make my games appear? Hell, why can't I just make food appear?"
Ohno snorted as he curled up in the sunlight streaming through the window near his head.
Several quiet minutes passed until the familiar voices of their friends announced their arrival. Aiba bounded into the room, "Hey guys! Guess what? I'm a cook here!"
Sho poked his head through the open door. "I think the party yesterday was a really special occasion, because what they were serving this morning looked like the end result of one of Masaki's experiments. I assumed no one else would want to eat it, so I didn't bring any back."
Aiba's protested, "My experiments looked nothing like that weird brown stuff! I'm sure I could make something better than them." He'd only taken a few steps to head back to the kitchen before Sakurai balked at his proclamation. "Masaki, get back here." He grabbed the back of the exuberant man's kimono and pulled him away from the door.
"Well now what are we gonna do? Wait for the dream to end?" scoffed Nino. Sho and Aiba plopped down next to their sleepy Leader, wondering where they were going to get something edible from.
Jun fingered one of the fishing poles he'd found propped up in a corner, glancing around at the dejected looking group. He smirked. "How 'bout we go fishing?"
Satoshi perked up immediately, rising from his prone position on the bed. He bit his lip as if he didn't want to force anyone into going. No objections came. Instead they all grinned at the excited look on Leader's face.
Aiba jumped up and punched a fist into the air, shouting, "Let's go!" The idols each collected a pole, Nino eyeing his with trepidation. An unusually energetic Ohno selected what other supplies he could see on hand and led his little troop out the door. He seemed to know where he was headed, so his friend let him guide the way to whatever fishing spot was located in his dream memory.
Along the path selected by Ohno, Sho and Aiba tried practicing their casting throws as they walked, but only really succeeded in getting the hooks stuck in various bushes. Nino jokingly criticized their techniques, but everyone knew the only person's advice any one of them would listen to was Leader's.
Jun threw an arm over his boyfriend's shoulder, finally finding something to enjoy about the dream world. "This is kinda like a vacation, isn't it?"
Ohno smiled at him and nodded his head cheerfully.
As soon as the sound of rushing water could be heard, Aiba took off to find its source with Sho right behind him. The path slowly widened out to display a broad, but calm river flowing passed. Nino glanced at Leader, a little confused. "I thought you only went fishing on the ocean."
"We're too far from the coast," Ohno explained and shrugged his shoulders. Nino grinned. At least he wouldn't have to deal with feeling crappy on a boat today.
To Ohno's surprise, his friends waited for him to set up his rudimentary fishing gear. He raised his eyebrow as if asking "What're you waiting for?".
Jun put a hand on his hip. "We want a demonstration."
Arashi's short Leader blinked, then gazed at the ground in pleased embarrassment. They watched as he picked a spot so he was standing a little into the river and pulled the ends of his long kimono up into his belt. He arranged the grip he had on his pole until he was comfortable, paused for a second, and then expertly snapped his line into the water.
His friends exchanged amused glances, clearly sure they wouldn't be able to make their attempts look as nice as Ohno's. Laughing at each other, they spread out along the riverbank. As expected, everyone's first try fell short, or just plain backwards in Sho's case.
They kept it up for an hour before Jun got frustrated and went off to find firewood, not that he knew how they were going to start a fire anyway. By then, Nino and Aiba's casting greatly improved while trying to copy Ohno. Sho either got lucky or he didn't.
Ohno's first catch was a large one. He had trouble pulling it in because he realized right then he had no reel and would have to use his hands to literally wrap the string around. He winced as the fishing line cut into his skin. After putting the fish safely aside in a separate pool of water he'd found by the river, the sleepy man jumped when Aiba yelped in surprise. "Leader! I think I got one! Help!"
Satoshi was about to use his hands again, but was stopped by Sho, who grabbed Ohno's right hand and began winding it with a strip of torn fabric from his kimono. "Ohno-kun, you should be more careful."
Leader smiled and said, "Yes, Mother." He got a light smack on the head as he went to attend to a panicked Aiba.
The afternoon flew by as the idols chatted and fished with differing levels of success. Nino snickered at Jun's first failures to get a fire started. Arashi's DoS muttered darkly, "It's like that Hana Yori Dango fire all over again." Then more loudly to the gamer, "Nino, get your butt over here and help!"
"No way! Just cuz you gave up on catching anything doesn't mean I'm gonna."
Matsujun was glaring so strongly at the sticks he wanted to burst into flame that he didn't spot his boyfriend approach from behind. The shorter man leaned on his back and wrapped his arms around Jun, whispering, "Want some help?"
Matsumoto let out a heavy sigh, saying stubbornly, "No, I'll do it." He felt soft lips on his cheek before Satoshi rose and padded off again. He turned and watched the older man move around at his relaxed pace for a few moments, noticing his own tense muscles loosen in return.
Maybe because his frustration had bled away or maybe because Satoshi's kiss had a bit of magic in it, his next attempt to get a fire going finally succeeded. His face brightened in a triumphant smile at the sparks that crackled to life. "Guys! We have a fire!"
Everyone cheered at the prospect of being able to eat. Nino came over to inspect the growing flame. "Nice. When can we cook with it?"
"How should I know? You'll be lucky if I don't accidentally burn down the forest." Nino and Jun noticed Satoshi pulling out a sharp knife from his small pack and heading over to their pool of fish.
Nino shrugged. "Guess it must be soon." The gamer wandered off to help Ohno, but caused everyone to jump at his shout of disbelief a second later. "Geezus! Just how many fish did you catch Oh-chan?!"
His friend looked up at Ninomiya blankly. "I didn't keep count."
Nino shut his open jaw and stuck out a hand. "Give me a knife. I'll help." He squatted down and set to work copying Ohno. Sho and Aiba poked by later, also offering to help, but Ohno wouldn't give them anything sharp. Instead he mumbled out a suggestion that they start frying the already gutted fish. Jun commented that he wished he had a camera to document this adventure and call it 'Arashi's Survival Cooking'.
In the end, all their hard work paid off. Aiba groaned in pleasure at the first bite. They were all able to eat their fill and more, because Ohno really had caught a ridiculous amount of fish.
The sky was beginning to shift from blue to orange by the time they had finished their first group fishing trip; all of them saying it counted, even if this was just a dream.
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The group's enthusiastic conversations were overlapping each other as they arrived back at camp. Sho was still bragging about the one fish he caught, which he proclaimed was bigger than the two of Nino's, which Aiba said couldn't top his double digit total, which Jun said didn't matter because he'd started the fire, and all of which made Ohno laugh.
A content Satoshi trailed behind his friends, watching as Aiba leapt on Sho's back, whipped the fishing poles he was holding to point at the others and challenged Jun and Nino to a piggyback race to settle the manner. They agreed of course. As soon as Ninomiya had hopped on Matsumoto's back, they were off. Ohno shook his head and continued his unhurried stride through camp.
Several men sprang to attention and saluted when they noticed their Captain shuffle past. Uncomfortable with the special treatment, he started eyeing the side paths, wondering if he shouldn't duck down one. It was there he spotted a familiar face staring back at him.
Jin-kun?
Ohno couldn't read the look on the handsome man's face, so he wasn't sure if this was the dream Akanishi who betrayed them or perhaps his friend from the real world. Taking an unconfident step toward Jin, the man didn't move an inch in response.
Jin continued staring at him until Satoshi was within arm's reach. Leader stopped and opened his mouth to ask a question, but Jin suddenly turned to leave. A confused Ohno followed, grabbing the other man's shoulder. "Wait."
Jin slowly looked back at him, fear emerging on his face. "Why?" His whisper almost didn't reach Ohno's ears. "Why are you alive?" Akanishi spun around and yanked a startled Ohno closer by pulling on his kimono. "I saw you die. I even checked."
Satoshi shook his head in alarm, trying to get Akanishi to release his death grip on his clothes.
"That's what I'd like to know."
Leader froze, filling with dread at the familiar voice that came from behind him. He flinched when the next time Kobayashi spoke was into the air right next to his ear. "Just how did you and Matsumoto escape hell?"
Ohno's heartbeat sped up as he continued struggling to escape from Akanishi's grasp. He stifled a whimper when he felt Kobayashi pressed up against his back and snake an arm around his neck. The bitter man tilted his head to whisper directly into Ohno's ear, "And how much is it going to take to make you stay there?"
Ohno couldn't think past the voice screaming in his head to get away, shaking as he felt Kobayashi's other hand slide across his chest and under his kimono. He felt his breath hitch when the hand stopped over his heart. "How many times will I need to stab this until you'll stop breathing?"
Satoshi wanted to yell for Jun, but Akanishi's empty eyes were fixed on his and the disturbing lifelessness in them kept him from doing anything but shiver.
"It'll be a shame when I do." Kobayashi tightened one arm around his waist, then brought his free hand to Ohno's neck, where he fiercely dug in with his fingernails. "You have such pretty skin."
Leader winced in pain as he felt drops of blood flow down from the cuts. He gave up trying to get Akanishi to let go and focused his frantic efforts on removing the steel grip from around his waist. Ohno felt his body freeze up again when the demented man behind him gave a sadistic laugh and licked the blood from the side of his neck.
"Oh-chan?" A soft whisper came from the young man standing in front of him. Satoshi jerked his head up to meet soft brown eyes that were confused, but full of awareness. Jin released Leader's kimono, taking a step back. Akanishi paused for as long as it took him to recognize the fear in Ohno's eyes and that it was caused by Kobayashi, then sprung into action. Taking careful aim, the singer delivered a hard punch that flew a few inches from Ohno's ear. Satoshi stumbled forward when the restraining arms finally slipped away.
Jin caught the shorter man, supporting him because Ohno's legs couldn't. They looked at each other in astonishment until a groan caught their attention. Jin shoved his friend along the path behind them. "Go!"
"But-" Ohno stopped in his tracks, watching as Akanishi went rigid, blinked, and the vacant expression returned to his face. Knowing his friend wasn't in the dream any longer, he forced his legs to work, darting away from the pair. His fear-clouded brain prevented him from caring where he ended up, so long as it was not there.
It took colliding straight into a solid body for him to finally come to a standstill. A pair of arms pulled him into a hug.
"Leader!" Ohno melted into Aiba's embrace, setting his head on his friend's chest and panting with difficulty. "Where did you go? We've all been looking for you!"
Satoshi couldn't answer, but Aiba already knew something was wrong by the way the shorter man was shaking. Worried for his friend, the animal expert bit his lip, unsure what to do to help. The pair continued to hold on to each other even after Nino spotted them. The gamer looked back and forth between his friends, and then took off to find the others.
Ninomiya returned with Jun and Sho a moment later, who both frowned at the state Leader seemed to be in. Jun gently pulled Ohno's shoulder away from Aiba and bent down to inspect his boyfriend's face, even though Ohno wouldn't look up at him. His eyes widened when he spotted the jagged lines across the shorter man's neck. "Satoshi?" Aiba gasped, as it was the first time he'd really gotten a good look at Leader. A strangled questioning noise came from Sho while Nino stared in dismay. But in a flash of understanding, Jun's gaze narrowed into a glare. "It was him, wasn't it?" Ohno only closed his eyes and bowed his head.
Matsumoto set his hand on Satoshi's cheek, bringing the older man's chin up and kissing him on the forehead. Ohno's eyes fluttered back open at the soft touch. Jun brushed a few loose bangs from his boyfriend's face and said, "Come on. Let's go back."
Ohno nodded, closing his eyes again as Jun intertwined their fingers.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note:
Sorry for bringing Kobayashi back again, but I needed a crazy man for this part... and the next...
So who's seen the fantastic 2 hours VS Arashi special from yesterday, followed by the 2 hours Himitsu special? OMG, I was really going through withdrawal at not being able to watch them for the past three weeks, except for Shukudai. VS was amazing. More specifically, Aiba and Ohno's rock climb was amazing! It was a great show! Himitsu had another Mannequin Five competition that was great! I thought Ohno's vest and jacket was adorable.
My Girl's on tonight! Oh-chan's mini drama's on tonight! *waves Arashi flag happily* Please let them play more of "Tokei Jikake"!
Ahem. Back to business. Next, will be the continuation of " A Midsummer Night's Dream (二十六) その二".
Pairing: Juntoshi (Side pairings: Sakuraiba, Akame)
Rating: PG 13 overall
Summary: Just how much could a dream change your life?
A Midsummer Night's Dream (二十五)
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Jun was stirring.
Something was wrong. Something that was pulling him out of his sleeping state.
What is that?
A burning smell made him twitch, trying to cover his nose. It was terrible enough he wanted to gag. But there was another odor mixed in with the smell of smoke. Something with a metallic tinge.
Blood?
Jun’s eyes snapped open in alarm. The sight of smoke drifted past, changing the beautiful blue color of the sky above him into a dull gray. He became aware of the cold ground he was lying on and how something was uncomfortably shoved against his side. Shifting away from the discomfort, he sat up on an elbow.
The field spread out before his gaze took his breath away.
It was soaking in the red of dried blood, but also blackened by the uniforms of a sea of unmoving bodies. Corpses. Thousands of soldiers who would never stand again. Several fires were blazing unrestrained through the battlefield, offering an unceremonial cremation for the remains of those ill-fated souls.
Matsumoto’s wide eyes jerked to the left to see a trembling, huddled figure. The slight frame was also dressed in a uniform of an ancient kimono. Jun realized they were the only two individuals that were still breathing in this horrific place.
This has got to be a dream.
Jun scrutinized the eerily familiar red kimono his companion was wearing, along with the bowed head, before inhaling sharply.
It is a dream. The same one I had a year ago. The one set in the past with Satos-
He whispered shakily, “Satoshi?”
The trembling man lifted his head and Jun’s eyes met the tear-stained, vacant face of his lover. Lifeless eyes stared at him until the smaller man blinked several times, awareness sparking back into the brown orbs. “Jun?” The word was spoken so quietly, it could have been carried away by the wind.
Matsumoto leaned over to touch the older man’s dirt-smeared cheek. Satoshi’s eyes flickered to his hand, noticing a ring, and breathed out, “Matsujun?” The shaking man held up a hand, displaying a matching ring on his finger. “Arashi’s DoS? My Jun?”
But last time-
Jun gasped, “Leader? Oh-chan? My Satoshi?” Ohno let out a relieved sob. Jun wrapped his arms around the smaller man while Ohno sniffed and whispered into his ear, “I thought you were dead. I woke up here and the hospital was gone and there were all these dead people and I saw you and you were covered in blood and you wouldn’t open your eyes, no matter wha-” Jun pressed his lips tightly over Ohno’s, trying to convey that he was alive and breathing.
With a great amount of effort, they separated from their desperate kiss and Jun set his forehead on Ohno’s. “It’s okay. This is just a dream.”
“But…it doesn’t feel like one.”
“It’ll be alright.” Jun was trying to convince himself of this too. He understood what his boyfriend meant. This place felt very real, almost terrifyingly so. Averting his eyes from the unmoving bodies, he attempted to stand, pulling Ohno up with him. Looking the shorter man up and down, his heart beat skipped when he saw the cuts in Ohno’s kimono, but inspecting closer, he only saw smooth tan skin under the clothes. “Are you okay?”
Ohno glanced at the slashed fabric. “I-I’m fine. The kimono was just like this when I woke up.”
Jun nodded, reassured. “I don’t know where we are, but if this is anything like that dream I had, there should be a camp near here.”
But before the dazed couple could take a single step, they heard the sound of running footsteps from the forest edge. They ducked down, glancing at each other worriedly. Ohno fumbled with the katana at his side, even though Jun thought using it would probably cause the artist himself more damage than to any opponent. After a few tense seconds, a man burst from the tree line and skidded to a halt, gasping at the scene before him.
The figure raised his hands to the sides of his head in dread. “Oh God. Satoshi. Oh-chan!? Satoshi, are you there!?” he cried.
Ohno rose a bit from their crouched position, looking closely at the panicked man. He turned to Matsujun suddenly, eyes wide. “It’s Nino.” The couple stood up tentatively.
The man, who was in fact Ninomiya, saw the movement and immediately began to jog carefully through the deceased towards them. “Oh-chan!”
Nino pulled Ohno into a tight hug, a little hysterical. “You made it in time! I didn’t know if it would be too late.” Then he released the shorter man and punched Jun on the shoulder. “Goddamn mole. Don’t make me so worried!”
Jun and Satoshi shared a look. They both knew this wasn’t 'their Nino'.
“Akanishi came back to camp with the survivors and announced you had died in battle. And then he said-” Nino froze suddenly, his whole body becoming stiff. He looked as if he’d become a life-sized mannequin. Puzzled, Jun reached out a hand to shake Nino’s shoulder, but the shorter man didn’t react.
Then Nino’s eyelashes fluttered, blinking as if coming out a trance. Finally focusing on them, his brow scrunched in confusion. “Oh-chan? Matsujun?” He made the mistake of looking around at the field and immediately clamped a hand on his mouth. His breathing sped up as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. With his wide eyes, he asked the silent question Where is this?.
An astonished Jun asked, “Nino? Arashi’s gamer, Nino?”
Looking ill, he nodded. Ohno stepped in front of his friend and blocked the awful sight from view. “Kazu, this’s a dream. I don’t know why or how, but we all ended up in the same one.” Nino’s gaze focused on the older man, taking a minute to comprehend what Ohno had just asked. “Are you okay?”
Nino nodded again slowly and replied, “I-I was playing Dragon Quest, then I thought I fell asleep, and the next thing I know, I’m here. What the hell is this?”
The couple shrugged in unison. Jun suggested they set out from the bloody battlefield, having decided getting away from there and going back in the direction Ninomiya had come from was the only idea that sounded reasonable. The trio entered the forest, thankful to spot something that vaguely looked like a trail. They spent the next half an hour walking and trying to get the shell-shocked Nino caught up on what had probably happened in this dream world before they'd popped up there. To Jun’s surprise, Ohno threw in a few facts he’d forgotten. “You had this dream too?”
The sleepy man nodded. “I couldn’t remember it clearly until now.”
A twig snapped behind the idols, making them jump. There was only a second before four uniform-clad Shinano men burst from the trees. Jun felt his heart leap in his chest and cursed himself for forgetting to pick up a weapon in the field.
The supposed leader of the enemy group lunged toward Matsumoto, yelling wildly. The katana that was pointed at him never reached its target, because Ohno had jumped in the way.
A loud clang reverberated around the forest. Their sleepy Leader had drawn his katana and expertly swung it to block the attack.
Jun and Nino watched in amazement while Satoshi shoved the first man away and blocked another sword from the right. His face was a mask of concentration as the shorter man continued to protect his friend from strike after strike. Panting, Ohno knocked the katana from a surprised man’s hands with a slash, then another with a sideways swing, until Ohno had single-handedly disarmed the four men with precision and speed. The men retreated with several terrified looks on their faces.
A shocked Nino and Jun ran to their friend, both checking for any wounds. The gamer glanced at the katana still in Ohno’s hands. “How did you do that?”
The older man shrugged tiredly, putting the sword back in its sheathe, “I don’t know. My body just did it.”
Jun hugged his protector, muttering, “So long as you’re not hurt.”
Ohno smiled into his shoulder.
Waiting until the couple separated, but looking around nervously, Nino prodded the group back into action. They walked swiftly, Nino and Jun dragging a tired Satoshi behind them. After another hour, the idols were starting to wonder if the direction they’d chosen was still correct when they jumped back as another uniformed figure stumbled out of the trees ahead of them. Ohno advanced in front of his friends, hand grasping his katana’s handle.
Everyone froze.
“Leader?” Ohno blinked at the man standing before him. A bewildered Sho called out to them, “Nino? Jun-kun? What the hell is this? Some kind of movie set? Why are you wearing kimonos?”
Arashi’s gamer sighed in relief. “Sho-chan, you’re not gonna believe this.”
“We’re stuck in a dream together.” Jun said tiredly, rubbing his forehead. Sho looked at Ohno and Nino, who nodded, confirming it was the truth. His expression still told them he thought they were crazy.
The idols sat down in exhaustion in the middle of the forest and began to throw stories around about what had happened so far. Sakurai shuddered at their description of the battlefield. He told them he had fallen asleep next to Aiba ("I was just crashing at his apartment. Really.") only to open his eyes again to see a chaotic camp of soldiers rushing around declaring that a battle had finished and several important figures had fallen. Assuming someone (bowing in apology to Nino) had pulled a huge prank on him, the rapper had left the grounds hoping to find civilization and run into them instead. Sho agreed to lead them back to the small fort, all of them hoping to find answers there.
Trudging along the rough path Sakurai had used earlier, the shouts of men barking orders reached their ear before they arrived at the meadow occupied with an old-fashioned wooden fortress belonging to the Takeda Clan. The four friends stared at the building in apprehension. Nino tugged Sho and Jun into a quick conference about whether they should really go through with this, all of them knowing Ohno didn't seem to have the energy to care one way or another.
Ignoring the trio's debate, Ohno spotted a young man next to the outer wall who was hugging himself and looking around fearfully, near tears. “Aiba-chan!”
The man jumped at the shout, whirling around to face the group. “Leader! Matsujun! You’re alive!” Aiba ran to them and grabbed Ohno in a hug, grimacing as he tried not to cry. Then he noticed a certain newscaster and moved to wrap his arms around Sho’s waist instead, burying his head in the crook of Sakurai’s neck. Sho returned the embrace, rubbing Aiba’s back and kissing the side of his head. “It’s okay.”
While they waited for Aiba to calm down, a guard circling the perimeter startled them, but quickly recognized Ohno and Matsumoto, letting out a shout of disbelief. “Captain!” The excited man called out to his fellow guards, announcing the advent of their once-thought-lost heroes. A crowd quickly formed and the idols were reluctantly whisked away by a sea of cheering soldiers, escorted to meet the Daimyo without delay.
Jun panicked when Ohno was suddenly led away from them for a private meeting with the young Daimyo. Satoshi looked back over his shoulder worriedly, but shook his head at Jun, silently telling him to stay put. Nino tried to reassure him that Ohno would try to take care of this mess the best he could, but all Matsujun could think about was how this dream had ended last time.
The idols were treated to a small feast as they waited for the debriefing to finish. Jun ignored the food and kept staring at the door he’d last seen his boyfriend walk through. None of the members knew how to act around the soldiers, so they sat talking amongst themselves and smiling uncomfortably when someone offered them a new dish. Jun shuddered when Johnny, in the form of Director Kitagawa, sat down at his side and patted his shoulder, saying he was thankful Matsumoto made it back safely.
It seemed like an eternity before Ohno stumbled through the doors, heading straight for Jun with a pale face. The room erupted in cheers at his arrival, startling the short man.
“Satoshi? Are you alright?”
Aiba, Sho, and Nino scooted closer to hear. Ohno looked agitated as he said, “Never mind that. Jun, he’s here.”
“Who?”
The older man flinched. “Taro Kobayashi.”
Arashi’s members watched the doors open again as Takeda and his attendants filed out. At the young Daimyo’s right side was a gaunt figure with a familiar face that made Ohno instinctively reach for Jun’s hand and whisper, “He’s the Daimyo’s second assistant. And I’m pretty sure he hates me now too.”
Nino glared across the room at the man. “Well, I hate him back, even if it is a dream.”
“What were you talking about for so long?” asked Sho, getting them back on track.
A flustered Ohno explained, “I made up a story for the battle and the rest of the time, they were reporting about other fights. I didn’t understand any of it, but then Kobayashi said there was a new weapon he wanted to get from some foreigners, and when he showed everyone what it was, it was a rifle.”
“Oh-chan, I think that’s the most I’ve heard you say in a long time,” Aiba laughed nervously.
Leader rubbed his face, obviously stressing out. “Kobayashi kept pushing the Daimyo to get a shipment of the new rifles, so he agreed. They’ll be coming really soon.”
“And we don’t know how long this dream is gonna last.” Jun filled in the rest of the unsaid worry. This just kept getting better and better. The dream had them all freaked out. Everything felt, looked, and smelled as authentic as reality. And Jun really didn’t want to experience getting shot. He looked around at his friends, feeling just as lost as they seemed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aiba was yawning.
The next morning found all five Arashi members piled onto one bed, no one willing to sleep by themselves in this strange place. Simply because Jun’s quarters looked the biggest, they crowded on his bed last night, shifting around until they all became comfortable.
“I still don’t get how we can sleep inside of a dream,” muttered Nino from his warm spot in the middle of the bed between Ohno and Aiba. Sho, on Aiba’s other side, replied wearily, “Well it’s not like this is a normal dream anyway.”
Ohno cracked an eye open, grimacing at the sunlight. “Still not back?”
“No,” grumbled Jun darkly. He hated waking up with a sore back and their thin mattress had done nothing to prevent that.
Nino yelped when Aiba flopped over on him, then shoved the sleeping man off him with a hard push. Aiba yelled in surprise, but smiled widely after he opened his eyes to see a dazed Sho lying under him, pouting at the sudden weight thrown on his chest. “Good morning, Sho-chan,” he purred while nuzzling the rapper’s neck, making the pout curve into a smile.
“It’s too early to start that,” Nino complained, poking Aiba in the side.
“I have to disagree with you, Nino.” Sho murmured as he wrapped his arms around the affectionate man’s waist.
“Me too.” Ohno cuddled up to Jun, who smirked as well. “Me three.”
Nino gagged and climbed out of bed, mainly to escape any chances of himself getting targeted with unwanted sappy affection.
The members untangled themselves from each other, following the gamer in getting up. Jun began to curiously inspect the room that belonged to his dream-self as Sho and Aiba volunteered to go out and find food. Ohno remained flopped on the bed, watching as Jun would pause and pick an object up before continuing his investigation.
Nino was also hunting, but probably for something more along the lines of "twenty first century". He muttered under his breath, "If this is a dream, why can't I make my games appear? Hell, why can't I just make food appear?"
Ohno snorted as he curled up in the sunlight streaming through the window near his head.
Several quiet minutes passed until the familiar voices of their friends announced their arrival. Aiba bounded into the room, "Hey guys! Guess what? I'm a cook here!"
Sho poked his head through the open door. "I think the party yesterday was a really special occasion, because what they were serving this morning looked like the end result of one of Masaki's experiments. I assumed no one else would want to eat it, so I didn't bring any back."
Aiba's protested, "My experiments looked nothing like that weird brown stuff! I'm sure I could make something better than them." He'd only taken a few steps to head back to the kitchen before Sakurai balked at his proclamation. "Masaki, get back here." He grabbed the back of the exuberant man's kimono and pulled him away from the door.
"Well now what are we gonna do? Wait for the dream to end?" scoffed Nino. Sho and Aiba plopped down next to their sleepy Leader, wondering where they were going to get something edible from.
Jun fingered one of the fishing poles he'd found propped up in a corner, glancing around at the dejected looking group. He smirked. "How 'bout we go fishing?"
Satoshi perked up immediately, rising from his prone position on the bed. He bit his lip as if he didn't want to force anyone into going. No objections came. Instead they all grinned at the excited look on Leader's face.
Aiba jumped up and punched a fist into the air, shouting, "Let's go!" The idols each collected a pole, Nino eyeing his with trepidation. An unusually energetic Ohno selected what other supplies he could see on hand and led his little troop out the door. He seemed to know where he was headed, so his friend let him guide the way to whatever fishing spot was located in his dream memory.
Along the path selected by Ohno, Sho and Aiba tried practicing their casting throws as they walked, but only really succeeded in getting the hooks stuck in various bushes. Nino jokingly criticized their techniques, but everyone knew the only person's advice any one of them would listen to was Leader's.
Jun threw an arm over his boyfriend's shoulder, finally finding something to enjoy about the dream world. "This is kinda like a vacation, isn't it?"
Ohno smiled at him and nodded his head cheerfully.
As soon as the sound of rushing water could be heard, Aiba took off to find its source with Sho right behind him. The path slowly widened out to display a broad, but calm river flowing passed. Nino glanced at Leader, a little confused. "I thought you only went fishing on the ocean."
"We're too far from the coast," Ohno explained and shrugged his shoulders. Nino grinned. At least he wouldn't have to deal with feeling crappy on a boat today.
To Ohno's surprise, his friends waited for him to set up his rudimentary fishing gear. He raised his eyebrow as if asking "What're you waiting for?".
Jun put a hand on his hip. "We want a demonstration."
Arashi's short Leader blinked, then gazed at the ground in pleased embarrassment. They watched as he picked a spot so he was standing a little into the river and pulled the ends of his long kimono up into his belt. He arranged the grip he had on his pole until he was comfortable, paused for a second, and then expertly snapped his line into the water.
His friends exchanged amused glances, clearly sure they wouldn't be able to make their attempts look as nice as Ohno's. Laughing at each other, they spread out along the riverbank. As expected, everyone's first try fell short, or just plain backwards in Sho's case.
They kept it up for an hour before Jun got frustrated and went off to find firewood, not that he knew how they were going to start a fire anyway. By then, Nino and Aiba's casting greatly improved while trying to copy Ohno. Sho either got lucky or he didn't.
Ohno's first catch was a large one. He had trouble pulling it in because he realized right then he had no reel and would have to use his hands to literally wrap the string around. He winced as the fishing line cut into his skin. After putting the fish safely aside in a separate pool of water he'd found by the river, the sleepy man jumped when Aiba yelped in surprise. "Leader! I think I got one! Help!"
Satoshi was about to use his hands again, but was stopped by Sho, who grabbed Ohno's right hand and began winding it with a strip of torn fabric from his kimono. "Ohno-kun, you should be more careful."
Leader smiled and said, "Yes, Mother." He got a light smack on the head as he went to attend to a panicked Aiba.
The afternoon flew by as the idols chatted and fished with differing levels of success. Nino snickered at Jun's first failures to get a fire started. Arashi's DoS muttered darkly, "It's like that Hana Yori Dango fire all over again." Then more loudly to the gamer, "Nino, get your butt over here and help!"
"No way! Just cuz you gave up on catching anything doesn't mean I'm gonna."
Matsujun was glaring so strongly at the sticks he wanted to burst into flame that he didn't spot his boyfriend approach from behind. The shorter man leaned on his back and wrapped his arms around Jun, whispering, "Want some help?"
Matsumoto let out a heavy sigh, saying stubbornly, "No, I'll do it." He felt soft lips on his cheek before Satoshi rose and padded off again. He turned and watched the older man move around at his relaxed pace for a few moments, noticing his own tense muscles loosen in return.
Maybe because his frustration had bled away or maybe because Satoshi's kiss had a bit of magic in it, his next attempt to get a fire going finally succeeded. His face brightened in a triumphant smile at the sparks that crackled to life. "Guys! We have a fire!"
Everyone cheered at the prospect of being able to eat. Nino came over to inspect the growing flame. "Nice. When can we cook with it?"
"How should I know? You'll be lucky if I don't accidentally burn down the forest." Nino and Jun noticed Satoshi pulling out a sharp knife from his small pack and heading over to their pool of fish.
Nino shrugged. "Guess it must be soon." The gamer wandered off to help Ohno, but caused everyone to jump at his shout of disbelief a second later. "Geezus! Just how many fish did you catch Oh-chan?!"
His friend looked up at Ninomiya blankly. "I didn't keep count."
Nino shut his open jaw and stuck out a hand. "Give me a knife. I'll help." He squatted down and set to work copying Ohno. Sho and Aiba poked by later, also offering to help, but Ohno wouldn't give them anything sharp. Instead he mumbled out a suggestion that they start frying the already gutted fish. Jun commented that he wished he had a camera to document this adventure and call it 'Arashi's Survival Cooking'.
In the end, all their hard work paid off. Aiba groaned in pleasure at the first bite. They were all able to eat their fill and more, because Ohno really had caught a ridiculous amount of fish.
The sky was beginning to shift from blue to orange by the time they had finished their first group fishing trip; all of them saying it counted, even if this was just a dream.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The group's enthusiastic conversations were overlapping each other as they arrived back at camp. Sho was still bragging about the one fish he caught, which he proclaimed was bigger than the two of Nino's, which Aiba said couldn't top his double digit total, which Jun said didn't matter because he'd started the fire, and all of which made Ohno laugh.
A content Satoshi trailed behind his friends, watching as Aiba leapt on Sho's back, whipped the fishing poles he was holding to point at the others and challenged Jun and Nino to a piggyback race to settle the manner. They agreed of course. As soon as Ninomiya had hopped on Matsumoto's back, they were off. Ohno shook his head and continued his unhurried stride through camp.
Several men sprang to attention and saluted when they noticed their Captain shuffle past. Uncomfortable with the special treatment, he started eyeing the side paths, wondering if he shouldn't duck down one. It was there he spotted a familiar face staring back at him.
Jin-kun?
Ohno couldn't read the look on the handsome man's face, so he wasn't sure if this was the dream Akanishi who betrayed them or perhaps his friend from the real world. Taking an unconfident step toward Jin, the man didn't move an inch in response.
Jin continued staring at him until Satoshi was within arm's reach. Leader stopped and opened his mouth to ask a question, but Jin suddenly turned to leave. A confused Ohno followed, grabbing the other man's shoulder. "Wait."
Jin slowly looked back at him, fear emerging on his face. "Why?" His whisper almost didn't reach Ohno's ears. "Why are you alive?" Akanishi spun around and yanked a startled Ohno closer by pulling on his kimono. "I saw you die. I even checked."
Satoshi shook his head in alarm, trying to get Akanishi to release his death grip on his clothes.
"That's what I'd like to know."
Leader froze, filling with dread at the familiar voice that came from behind him. He flinched when the next time Kobayashi spoke was into the air right next to his ear. "Just how did you and Matsumoto escape hell?"
Ohno's heartbeat sped up as he continued struggling to escape from Akanishi's grasp. He stifled a whimper when he felt Kobayashi pressed up against his back and snake an arm around his neck. The bitter man tilted his head to whisper directly into Ohno's ear, "And how much is it going to take to make you stay there?"
Ohno couldn't think past the voice screaming in his head to get away, shaking as he felt Kobayashi's other hand slide across his chest and under his kimono. He felt his breath hitch when the hand stopped over his heart. "How many times will I need to stab this until you'll stop breathing?"
Satoshi wanted to yell for Jun, but Akanishi's empty eyes were fixed on his and the disturbing lifelessness in them kept him from doing anything but shiver.
"It'll be a shame when I do." Kobayashi tightened one arm around his waist, then brought his free hand to Ohno's neck, where he fiercely dug in with his fingernails. "You have such pretty skin."
Leader winced in pain as he felt drops of blood flow down from the cuts. He gave up trying to get Akanishi to let go and focused his frantic efforts on removing the steel grip from around his waist. Ohno felt his body freeze up again when the demented man behind him gave a sadistic laugh and licked the blood from the side of his neck.
"Oh-chan?" A soft whisper came from the young man standing in front of him. Satoshi jerked his head up to meet soft brown eyes that were confused, but full of awareness. Jin released Leader's kimono, taking a step back. Akanishi paused for as long as it took him to recognize the fear in Ohno's eyes and that it was caused by Kobayashi, then sprung into action. Taking careful aim, the singer delivered a hard punch that flew a few inches from Ohno's ear. Satoshi stumbled forward when the restraining arms finally slipped away.
Jin caught the shorter man, supporting him because Ohno's legs couldn't. They looked at each other in astonishment until a groan caught their attention. Jin shoved his friend along the path behind them. "Go!"
"But-" Ohno stopped in his tracks, watching as Akanishi went rigid, blinked, and the vacant expression returned to his face. Knowing his friend wasn't in the dream any longer, he forced his legs to work, darting away from the pair. His fear-clouded brain prevented him from caring where he ended up, so long as it was not there.
It took colliding straight into a solid body for him to finally come to a standstill. A pair of arms pulled him into a hug.
"Leader!" Ohno melted into Aiba's embrace, setting his head on his friend's chest and panting with difficulty. "Where did you go? We've all been looking for you!"
Satoshi couldn't answer, but Aiba already knew something was wrong by the way the shorter man was shaking. Worried for his friend, the animal expert bit his lip, unsure what to do to help. The pair continued to hold on to each other even after Nino spotted them. The gamer looked back and forth between his friends, and then took off to find the others.
Ninomiya returned with Jun and Sho a moment later, who both frowned at the state Leader seemed to be in. Jun gently pulled Ohno's shoulder away from Aiba and bent down to inspect his boyfriend's face, even though Ohno wouldn't look up at him. His eyes widened when he spotted the jagged lines across the shorter man's neck. "Satoshi?" Aiba gasped, as it was the first time he'd really gotten a good look at Leader. A strangled questioning noise came from Sho while Nino stared in dismay. But in a flash of understanding, Jun's gaze narrowed into a glare. "It was him, wasn't it?" Ohno only closed his eyes and bowed his head.
Matsumoto set his hand on Satoshi's cheek, bringing the older man's chin up and kissing him on the forehead. Ohno's eyes fluttered back open at the soft touch. Jun brushed a few loose bangs from his boyfriend's face and said, "Come on. Let's go back."
Ohno nodded, closing his eyes again as Jun intertwined their fingers.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note:
Sorry for bringing Kobayashi back again, but I needed a crazy man for this part... and the next...
So who's seen the fantastic 2 hours VS Arashi special from yesterday, followed by the 2 hours Himitsu special? OMG, I was really going through withdrawal at not being able to watch them for the past three weeks, except for Shukudai. VS was amazing. More specifically, Aiba and Ohno's rock climb was amazing! It was a great show! Himitsu had another Mannequin Five competition that was great! I thought Ohno's vest and jacket was adorable.
My Girl's on tonight! Oh-chan's mini drama's on tonight! *waves Arashi flag happily* Please let them play more of "Tokei Jikake"!
Ahem. Back to business. Next, will be the continuation of " A Midsummer Night's Dream (二十六) その二".