Nino's secret 35

[krystalkatz.livejournal.com]

Ohno was sitting nervously on her sofa when she entered. One of the TVs was on but he wasn’t watching it and Nino suspected that he’d put it on to combat the silence that was around him. The drone of the newscasters was doing little to sooth the pounding of her head though she felt a lot better than Ohno looked which she guessed was a good thing. She had never seen Arashi’s leader looking so bad. He honestly looked accent. Large bags were under each of his eyes and a surprisingly pale face under his tan, he was hunched over too, looking like he was suffering with stomach ache and Nino felt her heart clenching painfully. It didn’t seem like he had noticed her entrance at all and Nino resisted the urge to quietly leave the apartment and toed off her shoes kicking them into the corner near the shoe rack as she gave a smile calling out;

“Oh-chan…Hey…You could have had the coffee pot on…”

“I…I didn’t know you’d be back…” Ohno mumbled jumping his head whipping around to stare at her so much fear in his eyes that for a moment she was positive that she had threatened to kill him or something. “Um…”

“Sorry…I was going to call and tell you but J rang and…I was back before I knew it…” She gave a little shrug her words trailing out into nothing as nerves rippled through her body. She hovered by the doorway, feeling like an intruder in her own apartment, just staring at the man in front of her. Until yesterday things had been improving but now they felt worse than ever and although she wanted, and needed, to talk to him she had no idea what she was going to say. After a few more minutes of awkward staring she let out a loud groan and sigh shaking her head trying to push away her headache as she asked. “Honestly Oh-chan, what were you thinking?”

“I…Don’t know…” He admitted with a groan holding his head in his hands and slumping down further in the sofa and sounding like he was about to break out into sobs. Shaking her head she headed over to him and knelt down in front of him her hands resting on his knees. “My head is in such a mess right now I can’t even think straight…”

“Obviously if you think that you love me more than you love Aya-chan…” Nino grinned weakly, there was no real pain in her heart. Yes, it still stung, of course it would she had been in love with him for almost half as long as she’d been alive after all but that had never been a real love just an idea, Jun was a real love, it was strange how easily that had fallen into place but it was all she wanted now. “Seriously” She sigh cupping his hands in her own and bringing them up to her mouth kissing them gently “I ask for time to get over you and then you start getting all lonesome and forgetting that you’re the one that told me that I should be with Jun in the first place…”

“I know…And I’m sorry for the way I’m acting…” Ohno told her slowly his hands twitching against hers his fingers tickling at her palm “I didn’t even understand how it started…I was…Am…Happy for you and for Jun I promise and I don’t want to come between you...But when I started to notice you as…A woman and then when I saw you last night…I guess I lost control…And everything slipped out…”

“Because of last night?”

“You’re very pretty, Kazuna, though you don’t seem to have too much confidence…” Ohno explained twisting his hands a little so he was now holding hers and linking their fingers. They felt nice against hers but not in the same way that Jun’s did. Jun’s fingers slotted against hers so perfectly it was like she had threaded her own fingers together. Ohno’s felt nice but she was aware that they were there and they felt almost awkward. She didn’t say anything though or even pull them away but instead kept her focus on what Ohno was saying “I saw you and Jun looking really cute and happy together and I for some reason I got angry that you hadn’t told me…If you told me I think things would have been different…”

“Yeah…I think so too but…I think that we’re better suited as friends Oh-chan…I’m not right for you and…You’re not right for me…” She murmured thinking about what her mum had said. She would have taken advantage of him, it wouldn't have even been intentional but she would have, and in the end they would have began to hate each other. Jun kept her grounded even while he spoiled her he had it was just on another level now.

“I know that…” Ohno whispered back his hand tightening until they were almost painful around hers. He relaxed them quickly though and gave a tight, almost tearful, smile as he continued with “But I think…Sometimes…That I would have liked the opportunity to have tried…When you confessed to me I was so surprised, all I could think was that I was with Aya-chan and I knew that Jun was in love with you…I’ve known for a long time that the only reason he teased you so much and rubbed you up the wrong way was because he wanted your attention... So I didn’t think it through…”

“No you did…You were right then, Oh-chan, very right…It hurt me to hear it but you were right…” Nino told him confidently lapping at her dry lips her heart fluttering like a caged bird inside her chest. “Last night after we got back from Aiba’s I told J that I was in love with him…And I meant it...”

“I…I knew that it would only be a matter of time…” Ohno sighed his eyes closing as he squeezed her hands again “Aya-chan…I really do love her...But this morning…I…I’ve really made a complete mess of things haven’t I?”

“A little bit…But it’s my fault really, and honestly I don’t think you’ve broken anything that can’t be fixed…Aya-chan really loves you…And hates me…” She mused thoughtfully thinking about the girl’s attitude last night with an overly dramatic shudder that caused Ohno to give a dry laugh that didn’t have much feeling in it.

“She doesn’t hate you, not really…She was just…Jealous…She was jealous before she knew the truth but I don’t think it bothered her as much because you were a guy and I was straight…She’s not normally like that…” He mumbled and Nino gave a nod chewing on her tongue and pulling her hand away to run it through her hair ruffling up the faint ones at the back of her neck.

“I know but…After that and this…Well, let’s just say that I don’t think I’m going to be on her Christmas card list this year…” She muttered with a shrug and Ohno gave another light laugh a couple of faint tears moving down his cheek and Nino moved forward quickly wrapping her arms around his neck holding him tightly. Her fingers knotted into his hair as she pulled him down onto her shoulder letting him cry it out. He didn’t make as much noise as she had when he had refused her but it was still hard for her to listen to and she was glad when his cries became muffled sobs before finishing all together. She moved away from him and used the tips of her fingers to brush away what was left of the tears before giving him the best smile that she could in the circumstances telling him “You should call her when you get back in…Tell her that your head was a mess and that you’re sorry…She’ll forgive you…Though you’ll be in the dog house for a day or two…”

“…I guess that you’re right, Kazu” Ohno sighed his eyes closing as he flopped back against the sofa and closed his eyes again while Nino let out a laugh getting up and sitting down next to him her head resting on his shoulder and asking;

“Of course I am, it happens sometimes ne?”

“I guess…”

“Hey…You’ll always be my best friend, Satoshi…My only Taka…” She said her hand resting on his tight stomach and just for a moment picturing that this was the way it was, with them together. It didn’t last long though as she felt the chill and the press of the necklace against her chest and she knew that in spite of everything she was making the right choice. Things were more complicated with Jun and she knew that their honeymoon phase would fade but he was the one that she was meant to be with she was positive about that. “I love you, Oh-chan…”

“But just not as much as you love Jun?” Ohno asked and Nino thought about it for a few minutes before saying;

“…Yes…You’re my big brother…”

“And you’re my little sister...” He replied and Nino smiled her eyes closing thinking that Jun would be proud of her, she hadn't really given Ohno a chance to say he was in lover with her or anything thing like that but she thought that he had got the message. Letting out a sigh as headache returned her only wish right now was that Jun was with her
.
TBC
A/N: I originally meant this to be harder between them but…This is what came out…I hope it’s okay >.<