nilielh | [Fic] I Love You, Stranger

Title : I Love You, Stranger 11
Rating : PG
Pairing : Ohno/Nino
Disclaimer : fiction, yo!
Word count : around 3000 words
Summary : Losing the love of his life to an accident 2 years prior, Nino decided it was high time he moved on; but things had its major turn around when at the same day he finally found the strength to let go, a man who looked exactly like Ohno appeared out of nowhere.

He didn’t want to go, didn’t want to leave that place just yet after everything he came to know straight from her lips. It’s late, even later than he thought the time was but he couldn’t force himself to go though he knew that it was exactly what he supposed he should have done hours before; but staying was one thing he knew he would never regret, because then he was able to get the answers he needed without having to wait for far longer than he already did.

The truth wasn’t as bad as he thought it might be, probably because he had anticipated the worst out of it, way before he got this chance. Rika had been patient enough to answer all of his questions the best way she could as he tried squeezing just the most important ones while they waited for Hiro to finish with his cooking. There were still a lot to be answered, but Nino saved them all because he wanted to be with his friends the next time he asked them; telling her exactly that and feeling like he’d wanted to hug her for her surprisingly immediate understanding.

At least, that’s what he felt; the anger was still there, somehow, but it wasn’t as fierce as it was the first hour he stepped into their home. He knew there were questions left unanswered, gaps that still needed to be filled but those could wait; if there was one thing losing Ohno had taught him, it was being extremely patient, to the point where he didn’t even know when to stop being one and when to start moving forward.

Seeing him again though was a different matter altogether because however he wanted to be patient, he couldn’t; he simply couldn’t.

He was only slightly worried over his friends’ reactions, specifically Jun’s. Maybe it was for the better, him being the only one who was stubborn enough to have appeared on Hiro’s doorstep and ending up spending most of his time with Hiro’s wife. Hating her was one thing, but blaming her for a lot of things even after learning the truth was an entirely different matter altogether and Nino knew better than to chastise her now; he knew himself and being an ungrateful jerk was never included in his ‘bad traits’ list.

When Hiro came back from the kitchen though, his face filled with sweat and grinning, it took all of his hidden strength not to stand up and throw himself against the other man and keep him in his arms.

The ate dinner mostly in silence besides Hiro’s numerous attempts at cracking stupid jokes and Nino found himself grinning while checking the other man fiercely from the corners of his eyes. Rika managed to throw in little stories about Hiro, those little things she knew wouldn’t hurt much for Nino to hear but despite all that, Nino couldn’t help but feel that prickle of jealousy somewhere from deep within his chest.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from watching them, from feeling entirely like an intruder for sitting there; Hiro’s movements were as natural as his smiles, he moved as if he always belonged here and all throughout the whole dinner, Nino was torn between leaving the place and crying. He wished there was some other way to make it easier and the thought of knocking the other man hard on the head to maybe make him remember appealed to him sometime in the middle of Hiro’s second serving of chahan and chuckling as he imagined Jun’s horrified face once he told him all about it.

Well, that’s just easier said than done because no matter how cruel he seemed to other people, he could never, ever do something like that to Ohno. He’d probably just wait for him to gain his memories back naturally, on his own time, than do something as silly as that.

But he’ll probably resolve into doing that once he’s run out of other options. It’s always a good thing to have a backup plan anyway.

#

“I’m really sorry guys,” Hiro grumbled in between yawns, barely able to keep his eyes open as the three of them took their chattering back to the family’s living room. Nino had politely excused himself for about five times since they finished dinner, but Rika always found something interesting to say that would force Nino to stay, at least for a few minutes more or so. Hiro’s surprisingly a good host, running back to the kitchen after around two hours of talking and serving them tea and snacks while he made sure to include himself in the conversation by humming in agreement while his gaze was glued in the coffee table in front of them. Another hour had passed and Hiro’s already on the verge of falling asleep (not that Nino found it strange since his Ohchan was usually asleep by this time if he’s home and not fishing and knowing that even with his memory gone, Hiro still do the things that makes him Ohno), stood up and mumbled his apologies. “I’m going to bed now and no, Nino-chan, please stay…” he said, quickly motioning his hand when Nino stood up at the same time. “you better sleep here since it’s already very late. I’ll bring out an extra futon and I’ll put in the guest room. Rika can show you where that room is…”

Rika chuckled. “Don’t just throw it down, okay? And please make sure you crawl back to your room because we aren’t that strong to carry you there. Am I right, Ninomiya-san?”

Nino made a vague noise from the back of his throat, completely missing the second layer meaning of what she just uttered and opened his mouth like he was about to argue but Hiro waved his hand and smiled sleepily back at him. “I really think I should go… my friends are probably ~”

“mail them and tell them you’re here,” Hiro said through another yawn, cutting him off. “they know this place, they can pick you up in the morning if they like… I’ll go now and you two,” he paused and waved his fingers, like he’s still thinking what he was about to say and when nothing came out, he shook his head. Nino wasn’t able to stop himself from grinning. Even when he really felt like poking Hiro’s cheek just to keep him awake, so he could be able to still talk to him.

“we’ll go to sleep in a bit. You go ahead, you big baby…” Rika managed with a smile and Nino looked down and bit his tongue. He really should stop feeling all wound up to every goddamn word that came out of her lips because he knew she couldn’t help it; there was no need for her to choose her words just to spare him of the pain he’d probably used to by now but she did, at least that’s what it felt like.

Hiro turned after making a face behind her and started shuffling towards the direction of their bedroom. Nino remained still for quite a long moment before he himself turned to face Hiro’s wife.

“I really don’t think I should… w-well, I’ll guide you to room first and then I’ll go… I bothered you enough for one night and I don’t think~”

“I’m sure he’d be asleep after about ten minutes,” she said then, entirely ignoring his words and completely missing his point. Nino grimaced quietly and sighed. “don’t you want to stay a bit longer to, you know,”

No, he didn’t know what the hell she’s up to and Nino stared unblinking back at her, his mouth gaping open as he watched her stood up and held her hands out, reaching for him. Nino felt vaguely stupid as he reached back and she clasped her fingers against his own cold ones, chuckling as she lead them both forward.

He wasn’t that surprised to find out that she knew where to go; this was their home after all, he thought as he followed her lead, only pausing when he was sure they were about to bump into something she probably didn’t have any idea was in their way and winced quietly when his hip collided against a sharp corner. She stopped in front door of the first room.

“This is our room,” she said, nudging at Nino and Nino immediately understood as he reached over and opened it for her. He stopped though when he realized, despite the darkness around the room, Hiro was nowhere in sight. Instead, it was Ryuta who was occupying the bed with his thumb shoved inside his mouth and snoring lightly.

“H-Hiro-san is not here,” Nino found himself whispering just as Rika let out a soft laugh and nodded. “I guess he did fell asleep in the guest room, ne?” the only response he got from her was another smile before she turned and (even he himself couldn’t believe it) dragged him towards the next door.

“the last door’s the door to the guest room,” she said, nudging him again; there was something in the way she smiled then that made him feel like she wanted to say something but opted on keeping her mouth shut; like she wanted to really say it but at the same time, she wanted it to find out for himself and that made him feel ridiculous because…

“and this one’s the door to Hiro’s room,”

Huh?
He probably gone deaf, he wasn’t sure, but then she was speaking again and nudging him to open the door at the same time; he did reach over and turned the knob as if he’s on autopilot and what he saw almost stopped his heart from beating, almost rendering him unconscious if not for the steady grip she had on his arms.

“he’s asleep, isn’t he? I bet you, his mouth is hanging open and he’s snoring…” she said, giggling and Nino didn’t know what the fuck he was supposed to respond to that. He let his eyes wander before him, the familiar and yet unbelievable feeling of seeing the other man’s sleeping form after all these time washed over him.

“I d-don’t understand,” he muttered, utterly confused; she patted her again and Nino was momentarily brought back to the time when he thought he could hurt her the same way she hurt him. But no one prepared him for this; for her surprisingly unexpected understanding and her seemingly endless ways of catching him off guard.

He didn’t know if there was anything after this that would surprise him more and if there was, Nino kind of prayed she wouldn’t chose on revealing it tonight because he’s not sure if his heart was still up for anything more shocking than this. He didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to bother her for something he knew would only hurt him further but she seemed to have fully understand him, smiling and patting him on the arms as she told him what he thought he didn’t want to hear.

“ – this has been his room ever since me and my son came home and I didn’t bother changing it because somehow, I knew this day will come. He didn’t try questioning it either and I knew for a fact that despite losing all of his memory, his subconscious is aware that he’s living a life that isn’t his. But despite all of that, he never once asked me or questioned me and just continued on living with us, taking the role of my husband and my son’s father without even a second thought. He’s a good man, Ninomiya-san, and I’m so glad to have given the privilege to live with him, to spend a lot of good times with him, even if that meant taking away the time you supposed to have spent with him in return and for that, I am sorry…”

There was a long beat before Nino was allowed to breathe properly, the two of them standing in the doorway as he was still in the middle of absorbing everything in. Rika was crying quietly beside him while he fought the urge to wrap her in his arms and cry with her, his barely-there-anger melting quickly without him noticing it.

“b-but…”

“he’s not mine,” she said in a small voice, “he never was and he never will be. He may have lost his memories, may have made new ones with us but even then, we both knew that everything was just temporary…”

“Rika-chan,” he started again, gripping her hand and wanting so badly to ask her now; he wanted to know, wanted to stop all of those nagging questions if only to stop the pain.

“I know,” she said with a sad smile, tugging his hand and pulling him along with her. “I’ll tell you everything that I know, and the rest you have to find out for yourself…” she said and if that didn’t confuse him more, he didn’t know what would anymore.

#

He stepped inside the room, reeling at the possibility of finally being able to stay close to the other man after so long. He wondered briefly how the man managed to change and still stayed the same in the span of two years he didn’t see him; how his skin turned golden under the moonlight that was filtered through his glass window, the way his eyes fluttered against his cheek and the way his mouth closed and parted as he breathed.

Some minutes ago, he never thought he’d be able to stand so close to him like this but after hearing most of the important bits straight from Rika’s lips, he knew this was the start.

After the ‘talk’ they had, Rika asked him to escort her back to her and her son’s room before she told him, in a seemingly teasing tone, will you please check Hiro – oh, Ohno-san for me, Ninomiya-san?

He didn’t know if he was still capable of saying something then, so he just reached over and hugged her so tight then moved to drop a lingering kiss on top of her head while he murmured his thank you’s against her hair.

She’s really one of a kind and he couldn’t help but be glad that she was the one to take care of Ohno when he couldn’t, because she’s one, amazing woman.

She was a kind-hearted woman, brave and Nino was grateful for her; it was all he could do not to forgive her, most especially after she told him the story behind all of these. He didn’t know if it was possible for something as bizarre as that to happen but it did and it somehow made him utter a grateful prayer to whomever god that saved Ohno that day.

She had managed to at least supplied him with enough information about how Hiro’s parents found Ohno two years ago in the port near their small boat, hands clinging for dear life against a piece of chopped wood he must have found before the waves washed him towards where they found him. Hiro’s parents were the ones who nursed Ohno back to life while Rika was still recovering in a hospital somewhere in Tokyo.

“ – w-what happened to you anyway?” Nino asked then, suddenly interested to her very own story, because he was sure something must have happened first before Ohno came into the picture. He probably hit the nail in the head because then she’d gone really silent, choking her sobs and he let her, reaching out to rub her shoulders affectionately for silent support.

Then, “ – my husband took me out that night for dinner,” she started, wiping her tears with the back of her palm. “ – to celebrate our third year anniversary. It was raining that night and Hiro was a little drunk… we were talking and laughing and the next thing I saw was that blinding light and Hiro was screaming my name, and then I felt his arms around me, hugging me tightly and telling me he loves me and my son before he pushed me out of the car. When I woke up, it was a week after and my eyes are bandaged. I asked about Hiro and they told me he’s just in the other room, also recovering. But they wouldn’t let me come visit him; they told me he hit his head pretty badly and because of that, he couldn’t remember some things. But they said he’s okay, that I could go home once I’ve recovered fully…”

Nino wasn’t able to stop himself from pulling her into a tight embrace, cradling her the minute he realized what really happened. “ – oh my god… they didn’t tell you that your husband was ~”

“ – dead. Yes, they made me believe that he was okay… that he’s alive… actually, they planned on telling me after my rehabilitation but they were afraid I wouldn’t be able to take it lightly s-since, since I’ve also lost our second child because of that accident…”

“ – oh god,”

“ – three months after that, they found him and after realizing that he doesn’t remember a thing about himself, they decided to keep him.”

He made her stop then, knowing that the rest was exactly how it was written on the report Gori-san provided them a few nights before. Probably the only thing that’s missing now was Hiro’s parents’ reasons as well as her own. But knowing that it was hard enough re-telling the story while she didn’t know what will happen after, Nino didn’t push through and just politely asked her that it was enough, for now.

He let out another sigh as he stood quietly there, just watching the older man. Nino’s fingers itched to touch him, to feel him; rest his head over the other man’s chest and stay there just so he could hear and feel his heart beat. It’s easier now, like this, as he quietly watched him because he knew he’s just there, just within his reach and he could at least do more than imagine how glorious and wonderful it’d be to feel the other man’s arms around him once again.

Clutching his hand against his chest, he felt a sudden twist deep inside him that didn’t have anything to do with pain, at least not anymore.

“ – Satoshi,”