krystalkatzficz | black magic part 35 (Reply)

Masaki let out a soft swear as he struggled to hold his bag and the stone pot, he had brought home from school. He couldn’t believe that today had been his last day of school. He hadn’t been doing too badly at it, but he was more than happy to leave to go on tour with Black Magic. His teacher hadn’t been too happy that he had given up a glittering life in catering to go join a band, but his classmates had been astonished and kept begging him for tickets.

“Need some help?”

“Ah! Damn!” Masaki jumped at the sudden voice at his left arm. The cooking pot dropping from his arms. It would have hit the floor if Sho didn’t reach out and grab it. The older man flashed him a sheepish, guilty smile.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you…I’m here to make sure everything is ready for tomorrow. How are you? Excited? Nervous?” Sho asked as Masaki used his now free hands to open the door. Masaki sent him a nervous look and a smile before humming

“Both, I’ve never even left the country before, now I’m going on a world tour with my favourite band…I still can’t believe I’m not going to wake up and it all be a lie”

“You’re going to be fine. Masaki…Um…Well…I’m a little…A lot older than you, but…I was…I have…I’m not normally so bad with words” Sho frowned pausing in the hallway of Arashi and Masaki tried not to let out an excited squeak as he realised that Sho was sort of confessing. He opened his mouth to speak, maybe get him off the hook but they were disturbed by a tall man in light grey suit trousers and a white shirt. He was a beautiful man but had large sculpted eyebrows. Eyebrows that rose with surprise as he saw them.

“Jun…”

“Sho…And…Masa…Right? Nice to meet you” Jun gave him a small lopsided smile and Masaki returned it before remembering what this man had done to Nino. His smile faded and he shifted his bag and gave a bow muttering

“Um…Yeah, and you…”

“Have you seen the brat?” Sho asked defusing the tense situation with a smile. Jun looked over his shoulder at the closed door that led to the club. His expression was complex, his eyes were completely unreadable while there was a flicker of a smile on his lips.

“Yeah, we…Had a good talk…He’s…different to what I remember” He said eventually and Sho gave a nod. His tone was much firmer than it had been with the rest of Black Magic when he spoke saying

“Yeah, his old man is good for him, plus he has finally stopped believing that everything is his fault”

“I’m glad…” Jun said with the faintest of smiles before turning his attention back to Masaki. He studied him in silence for the longest time and for a wild moment Masaki was sure he was going to threaten him for taking his place. Instead he nodded and said “You were good last night, better than I ever was…I have to go, my daughter’s teacher gets prissy when I’m late. Have a great tour”

“Than-Thank you”

“You’re welcome, I hope to see you again” Jun gave a wave and then headed out of the club once again leaving Sho and Masaki alone. Masaki flushed as Sho gave him a little chuckle motioning to the door to the club.

“So, that was Jun” Masaki whistled loudly as they continued their journey down the corridor. It was a lot better than it had been when he had first arrived. A lot brighter and less intimidating. The walls were painted with swirling images almost like graffiti but in a very stylised way.

“Yup”

“Do you think, Nino’s okay?”

“Yeah, Satoshi will be with him and he has gotten a hell of a lot better. Ahem, before we were interrupted, I was doing a bad job of asking if you would perhaps want to go on a date with me?” Sho asked and Masaki felt his mouth twist into a happy smile as he gave a nod. His heart was fluttering with excitement, but he sounded amazingly calm when he answered

“Yes! I would love to!”

“I know that I’m older than you…”

“I don’t mind that…” Masaki assured him his cheeks pink and Sho gave a nod clearing his throat before they slipped inside the club. Music was playing softly, rock music through the speakers, while Rina and Erika were cleaning down the bar and giggling around with each other. Neither Nino nor Satoshi were in the club and Masaki moved to the bar and put down his bag while Sho set the pot down beside it.

“Where’s Nino…” Masaki asked looking around surprised he wasn’t on the stage. He had barely left if since last night and he had expected him to be there until they had to leave tomorrow. Rina and Erika laughed, sharing a joke that Sho and Masaki didn’t get. The two men looked at each other and then Erika let her expression clear saying

“Upstairs…With Satoshi, you might not want to go up there…The divorce came through. Satoshi is legally a free man and Nino has finally let Jun go…They need some time to…”

“Have sex…Years of pent-up sexual tension…Nobody wants to hear that…” Erika finished for her girlfriend throwing a tea towel over her shoulder and brushing a lock of escaped hair away from her face before pouring out three drinks of alcohol and one diet-Pepsi. “Here you go, let’s have a toast…”

“What too?” Masaki asked taking the Pepsi without much fuss. They had made it clear that he would not be allowed to drink in either of their bars until he was legally allowed. He did however flush at the look Sho gave him.

“To freedom?”

“To OhMiya!”

“OhMiya? What’s that?”

“All the kids are doing it, now, they take the names of people they like to ship and splice them together. Ohno…Ninomiya…OhMiya” Erika explained with a wink “You have to watch out for these things now, Kid, you’re gonna be famous, your pretty little face with Nino’s cute one, hell any of the guys, you are gonna have to deal with fans who ship you…”

“Actually, there is already some fans that do” Sho told them with a soft smile and Masaki went beat red telling himself over and over that he would never ever google himself. “There are photos from last nights show and they are mostly of you and Nino…Tada and Ryo are being pretty open with their relationship after having to spend so long hiding it”

“Um…what are they saying?”

“That you’re cute together…” Sho shrugged and Masaki gulped his ears completely burning now. He drained the Pepsi wishing that there was some alcohol in it. “Don’t worry, Nino won’t let them do it for long. He’s with his Old Man and he will proudly show that off, besides…You have promised to go on a date with me…”

“What?! This is news! Seriously?” Erika and Rina said together bubbling with happiness and Masaki was positive that if he looked at them, they would both have love hearts in their eyes. “So! That would make you…SakurAiba!”

“…I like the sound of that…” Sho chuckled his fingers brushing over the back of Masaki’s hand. Masaki let out a laugh feeling giddy. He had only known Sho for three months, but he was positive that the man was the one for him. He loved everything about him, from the way he cared about everyone and the slightly chaotic way he worked. When he had first gone to his home he had been almost overwhelmed by the mess but it was a…Working mess. There were piles everywhere in a strange twist to the normally well groomed man. He was the smartest person Masaki had ever spoken to always giving out the most random of facts and he had been firm but calm when his parents had demanded he send money from the music he was making. The contract he had signed with Sakura studios meant that not a single yen could go to his parents. It was harsh but they had never cared about him and he had already started to think of Black Magic and the people of Arashi as his family. Tomorrow he would be going on tour with his favourite band. People who teased him but loved him.

“Me too…” Masaki whispered with a grin, his eyes flickering upwards hoping that Nino was finally happy.

TBC

A/N: So…Next part is the last…Plus Epilogue…Can you believe I’ve almost actually finished one? I can’t….