He cursed in his head. Why was he angry? He shouldn’t be angry; at least, not because of this. He should be before… He had caught the way the businessman had been watching him… He knew the other was checking him out but still couldn’t come to speak to him and tell him to go to hell, like he would under any other circumstances. But then, he realized the other was avoiding him… probably because he wanted to distance himself and not act in a way Nino wouldn’t approve of. Nino knew he should feel relieved but he was angry… getting angrier with every day going by, and Sakurai Sho not spending time with him, not talking to him but the basic, not looking at him.

He turned on his side squeezing his eyes closed in an attempt to sleep. He couldn’t… again… He landed a fist on the mattress when he thought he heard something. He frowned. He heard it again, this time clearer. It was the door being opened. He stopped breathing, his heart accelerating fast in his chest. What was Sakurai Sho doing in his room? Had he been coming every night? Or was this the first time? And if it was the first time, why was the other there? And why wasn’t he coming closer? Nino’s ears were focused to catch the tiniest sound of footsteps but there wasn’t any. He frowned confused. It wasn’t but a few minutes later that the door was once again heard. Sakurai Sho had left his room. Nino sat up, his eyes looking at the, now, closed door. He looked at the small clock on his left bedside table. It was almost half-past two in the morning.

He let out a trembling sigh, his heartbeat still being faster than normal. He felt confused and rather… disappointed, if he wanted to be completely honest with himself. The thought alone made him gasp. Had he wanted the other to come closer? He got out of the bed, heading to the window. Outside it was pitch dark except for the street light that could be seen at the corner. Could it be that he was starting to fall in love? It scared him… mostly because he knew it could be real. He couldn’t allow that to himself. He wasn’t worth it… He couldn’t feel… not again… He closed his eyes tightly as memories filled up his mind.  He had allowed it once just to be broken in the worst possible way… He was tricked… fallen into the trap.

He bit his lower lip. Why was there this tiny voice telling him that this man wasn’t like that bastard? Why did the other make him believe he wasn’t a jerk? So far, he had behaved perfectly… and even if he looked at him the way he did, he didn’t act on it. He behaved like a true gentleman, making Nino fall probably even more. He had never felt more confused than he did at this very moment. He went back to the bed to check what time it was.

“3:40? Already?” he mumbled to himself.

Without being able to control himself, he opened the door and tiptoed to the bedroom next to his. He turned the doorknob, trying to be as discreet as possible. When the door opened, the businessman’s sleeping figure was revealed. Nino walked closer, his eyes locked on the other’s face. The black hair was covering some of his face, accentuating even more his lips… these pouty, full lips that made Nino’s mouth dry. It was almost as if they were doing it on purpose. Nino found himself kneeling carefully not to hurt his foot, on the side, his right hand moving to the tuft of hair. It felt so soft under his touch… He placed it behind the ear so that he could take a look of the other’s face without anything in between. Unconsciously, his tongue came to brush over his lips to moisturize them as his eyes fell on Sakurai Sho’s lips once again. This time, he let his hand slip towards them. They were hot… they felt amazing… more than he could ever imagine.

He swallowed hard as he felt the need to feel them against his. He leaned closer, his lips were almost touching them when the other moved a bit in his sleep causing him to move back in fear. The other showed no trace of waking up though allowing Nino to relax once again. He crawled closer, his eyes locked on the beautiful sleeping face in front of him. He leaned closer, the need to feel the businessman’s warmth growing bigger in him. Avoiding any further touch, he pressed his mouth firmly to the half-opened, due to sleep, one, locking them together. His eyes closed to savor this moment fully. A hotness sprung in his body as he felt how soft those lips were feeling against his. Unconsciously, he brought his hands to cup the other’s cheeks when he heard a soft groan. Terrified not to be discovered, he moved away, panting.

It was then that he realized what he was doing. Not only had he entered in the older man’s room but also had acted the way he had accused him of in the beginning. He had stolen a kiss… A kiss he was not given… Since when did he behave like this? He hurried to leave the room, closing the door behind him with as less sound as possible, and entered in his, leaning his back against the wooden surface of the door.

His heart was pounding like a drum against his ribs. It was almost painful. He closed his eyes and tried to regulate his breathing. He had to calm down… inevitably. How could he when the moment he closed them, all he could think of was how hot those lips had felt against his, how perfectly that mouth fit against his… In an attempt to taste the other as much as possible, his tongue, wet, came to trace his lips again. He felt hotter… an exciting sensation filling up his body, adrenaline running through his veins. All he wished for, was to feel those arms against his skin embracing him, holding him, marking him… He opened his eyes, his gaze falling across the room and on the dim light coming from outside the large window. He couldn’t fool himself anymore. What he was feeling for the other wasn’t emotions of gratitude… but those of passion… of need… There was no doubt… He had fallen for the other… and he had fallen hard.

That night, he slept with his lips curved up into a smile. Perhaps, he had a chance… If the other liked him back… At least, so did it look like… Maybe he could open up a bit… maybe he could give it a try…

---

Nino opened his eyes panting heavily. Why had he dreamt of him? He looked around just to realize he had fallen asleep in the clothes Ohno had left him the previous evening. He shook his head. Obviously, he had been wrong… It may have seemed to him as if Sakurai Sho had come to show some interest but now, he could clearly see that it was a misunderstanding from his part. Most probably, the other only wanted to help him… which was the most logical. It made sense… How could someone like Sakurai Sho like a useless person like him? He had come to know pretty early that he was unwelcomed; the harsher way possible, which wasn’t a claim; it was a fact.

Sighing, he stood up and stretched his legs to help them get rid of the stiffness earned due to the weird position, he had fallen asleep in. He went to the small bathroom and checked himself in the dirty, cracked mirror. His pale skin was more evident than before, or more correctly, it was more evident to him at that moment since it was the first time he was looking at himself closely. His bleached hair with the now dark roots wasn’t also helping his image much. A bitter laugh came out of his lips.

“How could you even think that he may like you? Pity you… maybe…” He threw some water on his face, trying not to cry. “Idiot… what an idiot you are, Kazunari…”

It seemed that the other had someone who cared about him… someone who belonged to his world… He had stolen a glimpse of them in the kitchen. He knew they were talking about him but couldn’t catch everything. He had only seen them hugging each other. They looked perfect… It was as if seeing them together made him realize how different he was. Living with that man had made him forget about it, at least, pretend to forget about it, wanting selfishly to see his life from a different perspective… how it would be to have someone enjoy his company, laugh while watching a silly comedian on TV… how it would be if he led a life that could be described as… simply normal.

But he wasn’t normal… and he had managed to influence the businessman’s life as well in the only way he could; negatively. It wasn’t a real surprise for him. Since he was born, it seemed that he brought problems to the others… everyone. This time, though, it was different. It felt right… good… but maybe it was too good to be true… like a dream. He knew it was time to face reality; that empty reality he so much hated, but had no other choice. Sakurai Sho wanted to help him. So, the only thing he could do was to help him back, and the way to do that was to walk away from his life.

Later, he tried to make his room look a bit more decent in order to keep his mind occupied with something different from Sakurai Sho. When he finished and checked his watch, he realized it was almost 4 pm, meaning that he had to hurry, if he didn’t want to be late for his shift. He wasn’t really in the mood to go for work but he knew he wasn’t in position to screw it more than he already had. He acknowledged the fact that he was lucky to have a job when in every other case, his boss would have thrown him out from the first month. Maybe it was Sakurai Sho’s influence, maybe Ohno’s unexpected visit the previous day or just his conscience… One thing was sure though; something, this time, told him to give a small try; at least, not being a total ass to someone who seemed to accept him.

Having worn his black denim trousers along with a black T-shirt on top, he stepped out of his room. The stairs were creaking as he climbed them down. His neighborhood was one of the poorest in Tokyo but at least, it was quite safe; not that he could escape easily from trouble but it wasn’t the worst…

It felt so strange to be there… How did I allow myself to fall so deep into a life that I usurped as mine…? he thought as he headed to the bus stop. This wasn’t the usual him. He never allowed people to approach him, let alone to get under his skin. Yet, this man, had managed it almost effortlessly. His care, his no judging gaze, had made Nino lower his defense walls…, lower than he could have ever dared to imagine he would be possible of. And there he was, missing his everyday life with that man, how they would have breakfast together, how he knew the other would check to see if he had eaten properly, how he would smile at him before leaving for work.

He missed the excitement he felt when he was about to prepare dinner. It had started as a mechanism to defend himself from having to use other kinds of ‘payment’ and it had turned into his way of showing his gratefulness…, his affection. He enjoyed seeing the other smiling fondly at the first bite, moaning how delicious it was; whatever Nino had prepared for him. It was such moments that made his adaptation to his own everyday life so difficult, almost unbearable.

“It was only a few days… just a few days…” he whispered under his breath to convince himself that soon, he’d be ok… as ok as he could be, of course.

Finally, he saw the bus approaching the stop. As he climbed on it, he let his eyes follow the view that changed as the bus was taking him to his work. He had to stop thinking.

***

Nino sighed as he pushed the door of the small konbini open. It wasn’t Seven Eleven or Family Mart but it was pretty decent for a small neighborhood shop. He ignored the questioning gaze of Ikuta Toma, his coworker, who was behind the cashier at the moment. He knew he would raise questions when he was absent for so long.

“You decided to come. I’m glad.” Nino turned on his side to find Ohno Satoshi approaching with a carton box of potato chips in hand. “Put on your shirt and come to help me with these.”

Nino sighed once again. “Yes, boss.”

He noticed how Ohno shook his head but didn’t comment. Nino went to the small storage room at the back of the konbini to get changed.

“Nino-kun, are you feeling alright, now?” his coworker asked him the moment he came closer to put on his name tag. “Do you still take antibiotics?”

Nino frowned. Antibiotics? His eyes fell on Ohno. What has he said again? Ohno always did that; covering up for him when he wasn’t asked to. He knew the other was doing it because he cared for him but couldn’t understand why. Why Ohno would insist on covering up his mistakes when he wasn’t a child anymore… when he wasn’t responsible the way he used to be when he had first met him in his life, twelve years ago.

“No,” he managed to whisper. “I’m ok.”

“Ah… I’m glad. “Ohno-san told me that you had a serious infection that required your stay at the hospital.”

Nino’s eyes bulged but tried not to show his surprise too much. “It’s fine. I’m ok, now. I guess I was lucky… to have hurried to go to the hospital, I mean.”

“Nino. The chips?” Ohno’s voice reached his ears again.

“Yes, boss. I’m coming!”

Two hours later, he was left alone with Ohno as Ikuta Toma’s shift had ended.

“Ι will be out for a while.” Ohno announced as he put on his jacket.

Nino sighed but managed to make a slight nod. He got behind the cashier to be ready just in case. Around twenty minutes later, he heard the small bell of the entrance indicating that someone had entered.

He cursed inside but nevertheless, he cleared his throat to welcome the customer properly. “Welcome to Fresh-” He couldn’t finish. His whole body froze. He blinked trying to figure out if the sight in front of him was real or just a tease of his brain. No matter how many times he opened and closed his eyes, the sight didn’t change. His eyes weren’t fooling him. He was there… For real… Sakurai Sho was standing a few meters away from him. How… how had the other find him? What was he doing there? Why?

---

Six hours ago…

Ohno checked the time on his watch for the fifth time since he had arrived at the small soba restaurant. He hoped he’d done the right thing. It wasn’t like him to take such initiatives but this time, he felt he needed to act.

~.~.~

He had just got out of Nino’s room and was inside his small car when he called Sakurai Sho.

“Yes? Sakurai-san? This is Ohno Satoshi. I was wondering, could you come tomorrow by noon at the address I will send you? It’s a small soba restaurant. It’s better if we speak in person. I’m sending it immediately. Ok? Thank you. Good night.”

A minute later, the SMS was sent.

Whoever this man was, had an impact on Nino… The first clue was the fact that he had revealed his name, even in that form. Then, he had seen how Nino had reacted at the mention of the man he was staying at, all these days. Ohno had seen the awkwardness… the anger… the tears…

“I have to make sure he’s not a scumbag and that he’s worth it.” Ohno whispered as he revved the engine up. “If he is, there’s no way you’re escaping from this, Nino. I’ll personally make sure that you won’t.”

~.~.~

“Where is he?” he muttered under his breath.

“Excuse me,” Ohno heard a deep voice from behind. “I’m meeting with… Ohno-san?”

Ohno instinctively turned around just to be left surprised. The man he was seeing was certainly not like he expected him to be; not that he actually had any certain expectations… but still… it was rather weird. How could such a man win Nino’s interest? And what is more… how could such a man be interested in someone like Nino? At least, not in the usual way. He frowned. He knew several cases of rich businessmen who had been eyeing for the younger one… but Nino was firm. This man was different. He could recognize it himself when he had spoken on the phone. The hesitance and the concern…

“Ohno! Here’s the man you were expecting!” The owner, and good friend of his, said.

“Thanks, Masahiro-kun. Oh! Bring one of your best-selling for Sakurai-san, too.” Ohno replied as he stood up and made a small nod to the businessman to come and sit at his table. “I hope calling you here didn’t intervene with your work,” he said in a polite tone once the other was sitting in front of him. 

“No, don’t worry.”

“Sakurai-san?”

“Yes. Sakurai Sho.”

Ohno looked at the other carefully, scanning him from head to toe. Objectively, he was handsome but there was something more to it. He was approachable… not sharing the usual brazen attitude others of his class and status had.

“So, it was you the one who kept Nino in his apartment.” Ohno didn’t mean to go this bold but had to see the other’s reaction… to figure out what he wanted from Nino.

“I… didn’t keep him in the sense of prisoner, Ohno-san. It’s just that… he was hurt… badly and couldn’t walk… He asked me not to take him to the hospital and I didn’t. I respected it. I just wanted him to leave when he would be really ok… That’s all, I swear.”

“Are you used to keeping strangers into your apartment, Sakurai-san? Because if you are, you sound either naïve or too brave to me. And believe me either way, it’s not wise.”

“I’m not used, as you say, Ohno-san, and it’s not that I didn’t think of what you imply. Obviously, when you find a man beaten from a gang, I suppose, and left the way he was could be alarming and it was in the beginning, but even if I’m not naïve, I couldn’t leave him there.”

“Why? I want to understand.”

“Because he needed help. He didn’t say anything but I could see it in his eyes, Ohno-san.”

“How can you be so sure? I mean apart from the obvious reason of being hit.”

“Because… let’s say I once was in a similar situation… needing help but refusing to get it out of defense. And to answer any probable question of yours, I know that Nino isn’t a bad guy.”

“But-” Ohno tried to stop the other just to be cut off.

“Like you aren’t either. The moment I entered this small restaurant I knew it. I won’t deny that I had my doubts but then, I knew I couldn’t not come; not because I’m brave, like you mentioned earlier, but because for once in my life, I don’t want to have regrets for not trying.”

Ohno looked at the other for a few seconds before he sighed defeated. It was obvious that the other was determined to get his answers. “Do you care about him?”

“I-”

“I mean, do you really care about him?” Ohno continued, his eyes locked on the businessman’s face. “Because in all honesty, Sakurai-san, many would have doubts… like I do. I don’t say that Nino isn’t worth it. Damn, he’s worth to be treasured and loved, but society etiquettes, if you want, simply reality? It’s not common. You see, even if you have experienced something similar, yours and his… are two completely different worlds. So, I wish you answer to me honestly, Sakurai-san, because he is someone dear to me.”

“I do. I really do, Ohno-san. I know it may sound weird but having him there, seeing him laugh while watching TV, it made me smile, too. For once, I was looking forward to going back to my place after work. I… it’s weird but I felt that we somehow… connected. As if we could understand each other… And as for society etiquettes? Under our clothes, expensive or cheap, we’re nothing more than flesh and bones. Because I have money, it doesn’t mean that I’m happy. Happiness isn’t something that can be bought. I’d dare to say that despite my wealth, I’m poor… because I’m lonely.”

“And in just a few days, a little more than a week…? You found happiness in Nino’s face? Are you sure this isn’t just… physical?” Ohno spoke the last word in a lower tone.

“Emotions aren’t radical, Ohno-san. I may know him for only a few days, as you say, but I want to help him. Not because I want to have my way with him… I wouldn’t be here if that was the reason, I could easily find someone, whoever, to fill this… gap. I’m here, because I want to be the one who will give the help he so stubbornly refuses. He caught my hand in his sleep, you know. He was afraid… just like I used to.”

“So, you’re pitying him?” Ohno asked with narrowed eyes. He was pushing the other a bit too much; he knew it but couldn’t help it. He wanted to be sure that he was making the right decision with opening up to this man in front of him.

“I don’t pity him, Ohno-san. I care about him. He made me feel human… and I guess, I want to show him, to make him believe that he’s worth of being human, too. I care about him. I really do. Simple as that.”

Ohno sighed. He could hear it; the honesty in Sakurai Sho’s voice. “He’s been through a lot, Sakurai-san.”

“What are you to him, if I’m not too discreet?”

Ohno smiled for the first time. “I’m his boss and very good friend but I prefer to call myself his older brother.”

“You’re… not?”

“No, I’m not related by blood but to me he’s family.” He replied firmly.

He could see how attentively the other was listening to every single word. He knew he was breaking the promise he had made to Nino years ago but had to give it a try. He wanted to speak the truth to this man in front of him because it was him who made Nino show emotions for the first time in his life, had shaken him, had woken him up in a way… because he had told him his name… because he had defended him. But above all, because he could see that this man did mean his words. Maybe he could be the one who’d achieve what Ohno had been trying all these years in vain.

“I know him for twelve whole years, since he was only fifteen years old. I was twenty-two at the time.”

“Oh…” Ohno heard the other whispering, probably not knowing what else to say.

“He was the last child put under my guard/protection, if I can call it like that.”

“Wh… where… what was…?”

“I’m speaking of an orphanage. I used to be one of the children, too. Some of us were allowed to stay, even after we turned adults, under the condition we took care of a small group of children. I still had no money to live on my own, so I chose that option.”

“So, Nino…”

“Has no family.” Ohno finished the businessman’s phrase.

“I didn’t know that he was an orphan…”

“I’d dare to say that could be the best for him.”

“But-”

Ohno sighed before he drank some of his beer. “Do you have time? Because it’s a long story.” The nod he received as an answer was the approval Ohno waited. “Then listen,” he said with a smile. It was all or nothing.

---

Nino couldn’t believe that he was actually seeing Sakurai Sho in the konbini. What was the other doing there? It was far from the other’s house… His heartbeat accelerated dangerously seeing him standing near the entrance with his eyes locked on him. After what looked like an eternity, he saw him going to one of the back corridors before approaching with a cup of instant ramen in hands. Nino’s heart clenched. All he could think of was that he wasn’t eating properly. Couldn’t this Matsumoto Jun take proper care of him?

He tried to stay calm and show no emotion when the cup was placed in front of him, and ignore the shudder he felt the moment their hands brushed against one another. The other insisted on being silent, and Nino didn’t know whether he liked that or not. The same way he didn’t know whether he liked the fact that he saw him in the konbini or not. There, it was a part of his shitty life… where Sakurai Sho had no place.

“That would be 450 yen,” he mumbled with a trembling voice.

He saw a note of 1000 yen be given to him. The other had once again said nothing. “Here’s your change.”

“Won’t you look at me?” The question was spoken hesitantly, almost in a whisper.

Nino felt his throat getting dry. How much had he missed this voice? He took a deep breath before looking at the man. Now, that he threw him a closer look, he looked… tired, the dark cycles under his eyes accentuating his state. “Is there anything else you want?” he tried in vain to keep on his professional mask to hide the stress.

“As a matter of fact, yes.”

“I’m… listening…”

“Why did you leave without saying goodbye?”

Nino’s mouth fell open and closed several times while his mind was trying desperately to find a proper answer. He didn’t know if he expected such a bold question… At the state he was in, that moment, he didn’t know what to expect.

“Be… cause it was time for me to… And now excuse me.” He turned to go to the small storage room, not being able to confront Sakurai Sho, when he flinched in pain, letting out a short painful moan. He had put more weight on his foot than he could.

His hand, instinctively, went to find the cashier to hold on to something just to find an obstacle. It was Sho’s arm that had come to catch him. Suddenly, the other was too close. His body, hot, emitting the usual scent of discreet cologne.

“Please…”

“You’re still limping. Why did you leave, Nino?” The question was repeated. Nino tried to avoid looking at the other when a hand came under his chin, making him to look up and meet those eyes he found so beautiful. “Why?”

TO BE CONTINUED…





 

A.N. Sooo minna here’s chapter 7!!! ^_^ It’s quite long and hope it answered many of your questions! :) First of all, we finally have Nino’s POV! I wanted to show a bit of it while his stay at Sho’s house, and explore more his feelings. He can’t really stop thinking about him, can he? And we also got to see Ohno’s POV! Ohno explained everything to Sho – after having tested him xP – because he cares about him. This time, we have some information about Nino’s past and what Ohno is to him, as well as some hints concerning the root of his problems and why he seems to not believe in himself. I promise you’ll understand more in the upcoming chapters!! ;)
I know it finishes with a cliffhanger but couldn’t help it… *hides* More Sakumiya in the next one! :)

I really hope you enjoyed it and as always, your comments, even the small ones, are <333!!! 

See you soon,
Andy ^_^