[Fic] Forever

[nilielh]

Title : [Fic] Forever –  7
Rating : PG
Pairing : Ohno/Nino
Disclaimer :  fiction yo!
Note : Needs revising.

They rushed inside the dimly lighted gallery with Nino practically dragging Aiba along. Aiba had this urge to ask a million and one questions but he knows that it’s not the perfect time to be asking, seeing Nino’s face crumpled in so many different expressions he couldn’t quite fathom. Aiba maybe stupid at times but he knows fairly well when to zip his mouth so as to not be the receiving end of Nino’s verbal abuse.

“Are you sure he’s still here?” Nino asks after a while, gingerly stepping forward and following the way towards Sho’s office. Aiba shrugs his shoulder because he knows that Nino really doesn’t need him to answer anyway. Especially when the door of Sho’s office opened and the older man welcomed them with a tired smile.

“Sho-chan!” exclaims Aiba, momentarily forgetting about Nino gripping his hand tightly. He cursed quietly when he felt Nino’s fingers digging painfully against his skin, trying to innocently tell him to shut up. And so he did, smiling sheepishly as he and Nino both walk towards Sho.

Nino pulled Aiba aside and promptly bowed, smiling apologetically as he did. Sho bowed back and immediately guided them towards his office. “I did what you asked me..” he said in a low voice. Nino felt his insides churn in anticipation. “.. and I found another painting with his name on it..”

“What?!” exclaims Nino. “.. a-are you sure? T-There’s another one?” he added. Sho nods his head as he opened the door to his office and let them in. “.. where did you find it?” Nino followed up with another question.

Sho fixed Nino a stare after smiling sheepishly back at Aiba who was then staring at him dreamily. Nino glared at his friend, vaguely reminding him about subtlety and that the only thing they need to focus their heads right now is finding out about the instructions they read in the letter.

“.. it was found by one of our crews here..” Sho mutters. “I’m pretty sure he’s still in there as of this moment..”

“.. take me there!” Nino breaths, excitement washing all over him. “.. take me there now!”

Sho stares at him for a long moment before he nodded. “.. okay. Please follow me.”

*

This is insane.. he thought helplessly but he still couldn’t stop himself from taking the cab that will take him to Tokyo. It’ll take him more than an hour if he opt to take the train, plus the fact that it’s almost midnight. Satoshi cursed under his breath, thinking what in hell he’s doing out there, when it’s clearly a stupid idea to follow Nino and his pursuit of meeting his long-time-dead grandfather.

“.. go and do what you have to do, Satoshi.. you’ve been waiting years for that and now that the time has come, don’t let it slip away. You knew he was waiting for you too. Don’t make him wait too long for you again this time around..”

His grandmother’s words doesn’t make any sense at all and he’s positive that the older woman was probably on the verge of losing her sanity but what’s worst is that he thinks he’s probably losing it too for following her. He groaned, suddenly feeling a bit more defeated and lost, added the fact that the cab driver keeps throwing him a conscious stare from the mirror.

Few more minutes and he could already see the entrance to the famous Tokyo Gallery. His hands started sweating, though it was cold and he’s positively shivering to his bones but he knew he have to go through with this. “God, I need a cigarette..” he muttered to himself when the cab finally halt to a stop in front of the gallery’s building. After handing the payment to the driver, Satoshi tiptoed outside feeling his heartbeat drumming painfully loud against his chest. “.. here we go, gramps..” he muttered. “.. just don’t show up wearing your old clothes or I might die right then and there..” he whispers, trying to humor himself. He chuckles despite himself.

*

“Jun.. are you here?” Sho calls out. Taking cautious steps towards the room, Nino felt the cold wind hitting him the same time the door opens. He shivered visibly and curls his stubby fingers around Aiba’s arms, leaning closer to borrow some of the taller man’s warmth. Aiba tucked him under his arms, chuckling through his hair as he guided them both forward.

Few more steps while the three of them looks around, finding their way inside the half-dark room which serves as the gallery’s storage place. Nino’s heart keeps pounding hard against his ribcage as he tightened his grip against Aiba’s arms. “.. Jun?” Sho called out one more time.

“How did you find the other painting?” Nino asks bravely, trying to rub his anxiety away. “.. and how come you didn’t find it that one time we went here?”

“Because timing is everything, Kazu-chan..”

All three of them stopped dead on their tracks, slowly turns their heads around to where the voice came from. Aiba whimpered beside him as the taller man tried hiding his taller self behind Nino. Nino doesn’t know what to make of it as he tried widening his eyes towards the man who’s half of his face was hidden in darkness. Sho was the first to break the silence.

“Ah, Jun.. you’re here.. I thought you already left. By the way, they are the people I told you about earlier? They want to see that other painting you told me you found..” Sho said, taking a few step forward and ignoring the creepy look on both Aiba and Nino’s faces. Little did he know that at that very moment, there’s something vaguely wrong about the man he thought was Jun.

The man let out a little smile, the edges of his mouth crinkles in what seemed like an unusual expression. “You came..” he said under his breath, smiling back at them especially to Nino. “.. it’s good to finally meet you, Kazu-chan..” he said. “.. it’s been years. But I never once thought of giving up, because I knew you’d come. I knew you will..”

“.. J-Jun? w-what the hell are you talking about? A-and how the hell did you know Ninomiya-san’s name?”

Nino took a few steps, breathing raggedly. “H-He’s not w-who you think he is, Sho-kun..” he mutters nervously. The man smiles a little bit more and Nino doesn’t know where his sudden boldness came from as he took another step forward, feeling his knees wobble. He stops right in front of the man and swallowed hard. “.. O-Ohno-san? O-Ohchan?”

Then the man grins.. that lopsided grin Nino imagined. The man bowed and Nino’s heart almost stopped beating. “.. nice to finally meet you, Kazu-chan..”

And then blackness.

*

If not for the fact that he could still feel the stinging pain caused by his own hand slapping his own face, he might’ve actually think that he’s just imagining things he’s seeing right in front of him. But as it was, there’s no denying that his dead grandfather had chose to possess a fine looking man and clearly spooked Ninomiya out of his wits by probably telling him about it because a few minutes after he spoke, Ninomiya just passed out.

Then without a word, the man turns his head around as if he somehow realizes that there’s another human being, him, out here watching him. Satoshi doesn’t know whether to stay there and wait for whatever that’ll happen when the next thing he knew, the man was already standing in front of him, while Aiba and Sho quickly went to check on Nino.

“You..” the man said. Satoshi remained still, not really knowing what to do. The man smiled and held out a finger. “.. you don’t need to believe if you don’t want to. But let me tell you this..” he said, pausing. “.. our time had already passed and there’s no way I could ever bring it back. It’s your time now..” he said smiling as he presses his finger against his cheek. “.. this time is your turn.. your chance to make things right.. don’t make him suffer twice, Satoshi..”