A Twosome Place (2/2)
Jun. 16th, 2014 08:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wendyjolyTitle : Twosome Place
Autor : WendyJoly
Pairing : Ninomiya Kazunari/ Sakurai Sho~
Rating : PG15
Lenght : OS in two parts Agepoyo!
Beta : The incredible![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
chibipinkpetals
Genre : Pet, cuddle and love♥
Disclaimer : I owe nothing but Arashi owns surely my soul
Summary : Renting a pet to figure out what kind of master you’d be and give the animal back to the pet shop if it doesn’t work sounds to be cruel, isn’t it? So why won’t you call our agency and experiment for one month the life of a pet owner with a human pet?
▐▐
“Nino, come here. Good. Yeah, you’re a good boy.”
“Sho, please, I beg you. Would you stop bringing this stinky dog into my office?”
“Nino doesn’t stink and...I refuse to leave him alone at home.”
“Hello?! He’s a dog. A mere dog, and a stinky dog to boot.”
Sho tsked and crouched to caress the big dog. When he found him at the shelter; awfully aware of how big the pet was - 6 months after everything happened, one couldn’t see the master without the pet. He was one of those big white hairy dogs with a goofy look and now that Sho can be a little more honest with himself, he was his happiness. It was the only happiness he's acquire ever since Nino's disappearance.
He never really got over that sad episode of their life together and he had been hesitant for several months before finally accepting to follow a friend to a shelter where he fell for this strange atypical animal. Around him, pets were small, neat and quiet, his was totally free and looked like no other.
“Just stay with him during the meeting.”
“Why don’t you hire a dog sitter rather than me?”
“Because Nino hates women.”
“It’s not a job for women only.”
“But he loves to be with you.”
The dog approached Jun and licked his hand, leaving a wet trace on his skin.
“Charming…”
Sho winked to his friend and made his way to the meeting room, taking off some dog hair from his suit. He sat and greeted his clients, the owners of an outfit brand he knew well.
“Sho, I need you, now.”
“Excuse me Jun-kun, it’s not precisely a good~”
“Now!!”
“Excuse me.”
He stood up, puzzled. If Jun dared to disturb an important meeting, it was surely a big deal. A fire in the building? He headed to his friend’s office and this latter sat him on the available armchair, then pointed the TV. A woman faced a guy in grey suit wearing little frame glasses. Sho’s heart stopped suddenly.
“So we’re back in the studio, with our special guest, Ninomiya-sensei. You’re a famous sociologist, well-known for your unorthodox methods of investigation.”
“Unorthodox methods?”
Sho felt a brick falling into his stomach. Nino. Ninomiya? A sociologist. What the…?!
“This time you were employed by a very special agency, weren't you?”
“Indeed. I spent almost two years in a human pet’s skin. One month each time with a little pause, of course, between two contracts.”
“A human pet?!”
“Hm…people with money to spare paid a ridiculous amount of money to this agency to have a human pet during a specific period of time. I played the cat, the dog…”
“What for?”
“You see…when you want a pet, you can’t really ‘try’ to be a master. You can’t buy an animal, adopt him and after a cooling off period, decide to change your mind because you’re not fit to be a master. Thus they experimented it with a human who played the pet.”
“Why a human?”
“They thought it was less cruel than using a real animal.” He chuckled at the irony.
“But it is, isn’t it?”
“Wait, wait…are you telling me it’s normal to pay a man to play the pet? Because everyone nowadays sound to be allowed to change their mind. You love someone, you marry him, you don’t love him anymore, you divorce him. You buy an espresso machine, you change your mind you can send it back to the shop. It’s the same process. You know, we’re living in a country where people are paying other people to play the friends and have company during events or simply an outing. Don’t you find this pathetic? So pitiful somehow? They have money but not time or want to invest in human beings. It’s very sad one way or another and very symptomatic of the society we’re living~”
Jun turned off the TV and stayed quiet for a few minutes.
“Little bastard. Sociologist, my foot…”
“I think I…”Sho stood up and Jun sincerely panicked. His eyes were red and he sounded to be on verge of a nervous breakdown. Even after Nino’s departure he didn’t seem to be so desperate. No wonder thought Jun, after what he heard.
“I'll handle the meeting, go back home. I actually already called for a cab.”
“I don’t need to go anywhere. I can – ”
“Sho, it’s an order. Go.”
Sho stared at his friend momentarily before he nodded and did what he was told.
- * -
Once he paid the cab, he trudged his way up the building, his whole body feeling numb at the truth he was forced to know. He stayed in a spatio temporal breach, caressing his pet as the latter laid over his lap for hours. If Jun hadn't followed him a couple of hours later with a case of beer and a knowing stare, he would have stayed in that state all night long. However, he was grateful to his friend, that they drank until the night wore on and they lost consciousness in the end.
Once he woke up, with a disgusting taste in his mouth, a throbbing head and a decision in mind.
- * -
He found him at a signing book session at the big book shop down town. He grabbed a book on a pile and began to queue. People talked around him. Some intellectuals, a few salary men, some women like fans, endlessly chatting about the way he dressed, so strictly, his glasses, so sexy and his harsh way of looking at people around him, so thrilling. This man was nothing alike with the sweet guy he lived with. They were different as day and night. Perhaps there was someone who was his twin? Was it possible to hide such a personality during so many times? He was probably writing this fucking books when he was at work, thinking about him, smiling, thrilled about the evening to come…such a moron.
When his turn came, he slid the book on the table and Nino gripped it without a look.
“What name should I write it to?”
“Sakurai.”
Ninomiya raised his gaze and their eyes met for a second.
“Are you here to take your revenge?”He mumbled as he was signing.
“Don't pretend to know me so well?”
“I…may I talk to you later? I surely owe you an explanation.”
“When?”
“The other side of the street, there’s a café. I’ll be there in less than one hour.”
“I’ll wait for you.
“Your book!”Nino handed him the book and Sho grabbed it before he exited the shop.
He sat in the quiet corner of the café and ordered a tea. Then he opened the book. Ten. He had ten masters, him included. The old lady, the sadistic, the grumpy man, the teacher, the house wife…the lonely man. Not the single man, but the lonely one.
He skimmed through it, unable to resist, yet knowing it could only hurt him. He closed it before his own chapter, unable to face the truth about the emotional desert his life sounded to be for the sociologist. Pathetic he said? Surely, since he fell in love with the first guy who showed him fake interest.
Ninomiya arrived, a black coat enhancing his slim silhouette. His hair once so messy was neatly comb, his look was nothing alike the candid one of the man he knew once. He ordered a black coffee to the waitress that stood by his side in a split second before pulling the chair across from Sho.
“I assume that you are surprised.”
“Oh, no, not at all.” Sho said sarcastically, an annoyed look crossed his features.
“I guess, I expected to see you, with this promotional tour and the rest…”
He sounds so distant, so cold and complacent. Sho didn’t answer and intertwined his fingers in front of his mouth to hide his pout.
“I…well listen…I’m sorry. Not for what I did, I was just doing what needed to be done for my research, but I should have called you after. When I went back to my life.”
“Yeah. You should have.”
“Sakurai-san.”
“Sakurai-san?!”
“Sho. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“I think you failed. Quite miserably too.”
“It was an experiment, just an experiment. And you were…”
“A subject of experiment…It’s cruel.”
“Says the man who rented a human pet.”
“I wasn’t ill-intentioned. I’ve always been totally sincere with you.”
“I know. Somehow I was too.”
“Not enough to tell me the truth. You were all my life.”
“Yet you said to your friend that it was nothing more than a game, didn't you?”
“I never forced you. You did it willingly. You even…”
“What? Made love to you?”
“Yes. And since that night, doubts plagued my mind. Why?”
“I put the human being back to his place.”
Sho leaned his chin against his palm, smiled sadly, strangely moved to be with him once again. Despite the way he hurt him, he simply wanted to hug him, caress him, and whispers silly things to his ears like he did before. So long ago.
However, the man he faced now was a perfect stranger.
He slid the book to the sociologist and stood up to leave the place.
“Sho!”His voice wasn’t so confident now – “Did you actually ended up adopting a pet?”
“Yeah. I did. After all, the experiment was a success.”
“A dog or a cat?”
“Who cares?”
“Sho…I thought about you. A lot. I wanted to come back home, I was just…I didn’t know how to explain things without hurting you.”
Sho smirked, a sigh escaping his lips before he turned around, and reached out to tousle Nino’s hair as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“You're wrong, Nino, after a week with you I realized that you meant a lot to me. You made my world seem brighter, happier, and now that I know why you escaped, I can finally forget about all this.” he said, looking out the stained glass window and walking out.
►
Ever since Sho adopted his pet, he began the routine of running during the mornings around the park that was across his apartment's building. When he was in search of purchasing his apartment, he was hearing the pitch sale of nature surrounding him, close to shops, but he was more assured at the fact that his job was closer to him. Before Nino, he'd only been with the notion of having his work close, and never took advantage of the area surrounding him until Nino’s arrival. Nino was the name of his dog; the one that pulled him out of his misery back then. Now Sho knew who 'Nino' actually Ninomiya Kazunari, who he really was, everything made sense. With this, he realized, he realized that he had been cautious. He'd been afraid of being discovered by an acquaintance. However, when he only took Nino to go buy some video games, he was sure that there was zero chance to ever meet anyone that knew him.
He hated doing sports but he figured out that running emptied his mind and was an excellent way to exhaust his dog. As usual, after each run, he purchased a cappuccino from his favourite coffee shop before heading home and climbing the stairs, only thinking about the shower he needed to take before going at work.
He was a little surprised when he turned to the hallway of his level and almost ran into a couple of man from a moving company. He knew that the couple from the apartment facing his moved out the week before, however, he didn’t expect to have a new neighbour so quickly. After all, this building was one of the most expensive in town. In the end, he just walked past them and made his way inside, telling himself to mind his own business.
Once inside, he took a quick shower and readied food and water for his pet, making sure that his toys were visible. After hurriedly patting his dog over the head, he left the building. Throughout the day, he only worked and sometimes wondered what he would be having for dinner that night. He had lunch with Jun, only talking about the minimal things; things like Jun and his current affairs and really, Sho was not that interested, but seeing Jun acting that way somehow amused him more than annoyed him.
By the end of the day, he grabbed his suitcase and finally bid Jun a good evening as he made his way out of the office. Jun had been disgustingly grinning and nodding, however, his eyes were only focused on his phone. By the time he got home, he was tired. He was thinking about forgetting his dinner and just finishing some paper work before taking a bath and going to bed. At least, that was his plan, until he got home and found a note on his door – he raised a brow once he read it, his dog's barking? No one's ever complained about his dog. The only reasonable thought of someone complaining was his new neighbour, because the others he's known.
“Hi?”
“Excuse me, I’m your neighbour and I found your note on the door…if you~”
The door opened and Sho remained speechless when he faced Ninomiya.
“Yes?”
“I…found your note on my door. What are you doing here?” Sho said slightly annoyed now.
“Excuse me? Do I know you? I don't think I've introduced myself, yet. I’m Ninomiya Kazunari, your new neighbour. And you are?”
Sho could have laughed at the pitiful joke if it hadn’t been so ironically cruel. He turned tail and got back to his flat, but soon there was a knock on his door.
“Sho, please, open the door.”
He went to the kitchen and began to cook dinner in a strange state of mind. Trying to ignore the knocking now turned into banging, on his door. It was a nightmare and he will wake up very soon. He could only chuckle with incredulity when Ninomiya barged into the kitchen.
“I kept a spare key.”Said the man showing the little key between his finger – “Look, it’s not to torture you, this apartment was free and I needed one. I already know the building, the area and~”
Sho reached out and Nino placed his hand on top of his, but the taller pulled it back as if he was burned. As if he wanted holding his hand! Was he a total lunatic?!
“The key. Please.”
“No way. I'll keep it.”
“I can beat you for it.”
“You wouldn't dare.”
“Go ahead, make my day. Resist.”
“Look, let me apologize properly, I beg you.”
Sho sat on a chair with a roll of his eyes before staring at him pointedly.
“Why are you doing this, Ninomiya? Do you want to know how much it hurt? How you were able to break the confidence I had on myself before you stripped me of that? Is that it? Fine! Thanks to your experiment I figured out how I was easy to break, when I thought I was someone strong. Ironically, you helped me discover a side of my personality I was unaware of. Amusing, isn't? Now can you understand that I don't want to see you anymore.”
“I…think so.”
“You know my schedule, more or less, it's not changed. I simply run each morning with my dog, it will be easy to avoid each other. And Ni…my dog doesn’t bark.”
“I know, it was just a…pitiful trick to meet you.”
“Good bye Ninomiya. You can leave the keys by the door.”
He stood up and went into the kitchen, not even giving Ninomiya another chance to say anything. Once he heard the click of the door, he gripped the edge of the sink, gripping it when he finally realized that Ninomiya was gone. His shoulders sagged and he hung his head when the realizations of what had happened hit him.
He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, before deciding to turn off the stove and go into his room. It had been exhausting, holding himself back, Ninomiya still wore those glasses but he wore casual clothes, similar clothes to the one that Sho bought for him when he was his pet – a checker plaid shirt, with a white shirt underneath along with a vintage pair of jeans.
THIS! This was something he needed to do, he told himself. He quickly moved to the closet, astonishing his dog at the sudden movements. He gripped the travel bag he'd bought along with Nino's clothes and shoved everything from Ninomiya in there.
- * -
He didn’t see him after that. As expected, they had different schedules and not once has he ran across the object of his affection. He often felt the need to knock at his door and pretend like he did. Pretend to be a stranger and start something anew. He surely has played that game before, he loved games, but he knew it was and awful idea. So he pushed that thought away and kept on living like he did before Ninomiya appeared in his life again.
Until the day Jun invited him to drink in a pub. After a couple of hours, he was high as a kite and drooled about a woman he met during a gokon. Sho knew that, one way or another, he would try to drag him into such a trap.
“I dislike gokon, it’s not my stuff.”He said to prevent any tentative.
“Sho…I wanted to ask you something. Don’t laugh, please. It’s just because I’m pretty drunk and by tomorrow I will most likely have forgotten this conversation. Are you gay?”
“I’m not.”
“Oh. Okay. I wondered. Because I just read his book.”
“His book?”
“Your cat’s book.”
“Cats don’t write books.”
“Don’t play dumb, I’m not that drunk. Your cat Nino.”
“And?”
“He did such a love confession to you. I really thought you wouldn’t resist.”
“What are you talking about? I was the ‘lonely man’. What declaration?!”
“You were not the lonely man! What did he say? Er…the heart-warming man it seems to me. Who deserves to be loved, victim of his own success, I don’t precisely remember.”
“Yet, it’s rather accurate. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought you read it, baka! You said you were at a dedication session.”
“He offered me the book but I gave it back to him. And now…he’s my neighbour.”
“What?!”
“He moved in in my corridor a few weeks ago.”
“It’s seems to be pretty clear, isn’t it?”
“Yeah…probably.”
He bought the book on his way back and spent the night reading it. The next day he knocked at Nino’s door.
“Yeah?” Asked Ninomiya, puzzled, awkwardly moving back and forth after he opened the door.
“I was wondering if you’d accept a dinner with me. I cooked your favourite meal. Hamburger.”
Ninomiya stepped forward and walked across the corridor to enter Sho’s place without a word.
They ate on the living room’s low table, sat on the floor like before and Sho observed him, fascinated by his grace. He wasn’t so different after all, he was still cute, even if now he talked a lot more than what Sho was used to.
“I’m not a liable man, you know.”Said the smaller as they were drinking a tea.
“Really? With me you were.”
“I discovered a lot about myself too when I was with you. That sometimes it was wonderful to be supported, for example. I’m a very lonely man, usually.”
“Sorry.”
“Why?”
“You found me pathetic at that time, didn't you? I was pathetic.”
“You were adorable. And loveable. I felt so guilty but…I couldn’t find the courage to leave you. It was so comfortable to be yours. Sorry. Lately, I can't seem to hold back things whenever I'm with you.”
Sho blushed and sipped the tea to hide his embarrassment. Nino chuckled and reached out to caress his cheek.
“I can’t believe we slept in the same bed, that we took our shower together…holly God!”whispered Sho as if he suddenly realized the intimacy they shared.
“It was torture. Now I can say the truth to you. It was real torture. And I must confess something. I had already kissed you before…the famous night. Several times. A lot. When you slept, and once or two you even answered to my kiss. But you never imagined I could desire you, right?”
Sho nodded negatively and stood up to go to the bedroom. Nino followed him and smiled when he recognized the travel bag.
“This are your belongings, if you want them, you can have them. Everything’s here.”
“You can keep it.”
“Why? I won't use them.”
“I’ll do when I’ll sleep over.”
He was still so self-confident. Sho sagged on the bed, his hands ruffling his hair.
“Nino, I don’t know…”
“Why did you change your mind? Why did you invite me?”
“I read your book and figured out I was not the lonely man.”
“The lonely man?”
“Chapter three.”
“You know.” Said Nino sitting on the bed next to him – “I really hesitated in writing that chapter about you. I’m a scientist and I have to give an objective point of view and with you, I was everything but objective. You were so cute and…you still have this bathing trunk?”
“Don’t mock me.”
“I don’t. I’m deadly serious, Sho. I know I hurt you, I know I’ve been a cold-blooded moron but I was sincere when I told you that I was happy with you.”
Sho stiffened with Ninomiya intertwined his fingers together and blushed once again, aware that they were at a turning point. Was he ready for this kind of relationship? A year ago he would have laughed but today he knew he couldn’t miss his chance. Ninomiya slipped his hands between Sho’s and reached with his other hand to make Sho face him. Sho stared at him, wide eye and still slightly hesitant, but Ninomiya merely brushed a strand of hair away and leaned in to kiss him. Sho's hand gripped his and opened his mouth. With ease, Ninomiya took in everything, tilting his head to kiss him better. He pushed him on the bed gently and Sho laid down without breaking the contact.
They kissed for a couple of hours, when Sho tried to talk, Nino only captured his lips into endless kisses, sighing and moaning when Sho bit at his lip gently, sucking on it and nipping. Soon Sho trailed his lips over the plane of his cheek, nuzzling against it. Ninomiya sighed and allowed him to wrap his arms around his waist and hold him close.
As soon as Ninomiya fell asleep, Sho sat up on the bed, careful not to wake him up. He was about to turn off the light when he noticed the dents left behind by Ninomiya's nails. Curiously, he raised his hands and smiled lightly as he noticed that Nino hadn't really taken care of them. Carefully, he grabbed the nail clippers and began to work on them. He shook his head at his actions and murmured quietly about what he wanted to do together. talked freely about their life, about perhaps this famous week-end Sho planned when they lived together.
When the morning came, Sho ran with his dog and after a shower entered the bedroom where Nino was still occupying his bed. The dog climbed on the blanket and began to wake him up, like he's used to do with his master.
“Nino! Stop it!”
“Nino?”Moaned the scientist suddenly sitting.“Don’t tell me...you gave my name to a dog?”
“I felt lonely, okay? It was the only way to hear your name all day long.”
“Hm. I don't like it, but it’s the best excuse I would ever hear.”
Sho pushed the dog outside of the room, closed the door and took place by Nino’s side.
“You simply have to call me Kazunari now.”
Sho nodded and kissed him, nudging his chin to place chaste kisses over his jaw and cheek. Nino sighed and grinned at the affectionate gestures.
Autor : WendyJoly
Pairing : Ninomiya Kazunari/ Sakurai Sho~
Rating : PG15
Lenght : OS in two parts Agepoyo!
Beta : The incredible
chibipinkpetals Genre : Pet, cuddle and love♥
Disclaimer : I owe nothing but Arashi owns surely my soul
Summary : Renting a pet to figure out what kind of master you’d be and give the animal back to the pet shop if it doesn’t work sounds to be cruel, isn’t it? So why won’t you call our agency and experiment for one month the life of a pet owner with a human pet?
“Nino, come here. Good. Yeah, you’re a good boy.”
“Sho, please, I beg you. Would you stop bringing this stinky dog into my office?”
“Nino doesn’t stink and...I refuse to leave him alone at home.”
“Hello?! He’s a dog. A mere dog, and a stinky dog to boot.”
Sho tsked and crouched to caress the big dog. When he found him at the shelter; awfully aware of how big the pet was - 6 months after everything happened, one couldn’t see the master without the pet. He was one of those big white hairy dogs with a goofy look and now that Sho can be a little more honest with himself, he was his happiness. It was the only happiness he's acquire ever since Nino's disappearance.
He never really got over that sad episode of their life together and he had been hesitant for several months before finally accepting to follow a friend to a shelter where he fell for this strange atypical animal. Around him, pets were small, neat and quiet, his was totally free and looked like no other.
“Just stay with him during the meeting.”
“Why don’t you hire a dog sitter rather than me?”
“Because Nino hates women.”
“It’s not a job for women only.”
“But he loves to be with you.”
The dog approached Jun and licked his hand, leaving a wet trace on his skin.
“Charming…”
Sho winked to his friend and made his way to the meeting room, taking off some dog hair from his suit. He sat and greeted his clients, the owners of an outfit brand he knew well.
“Sho, I need you, now.”
“Excuse me Jun-kun, it’s not precisely a good~”
“Now!!”
“Excuse me.”
He stood up, puzzled. If Jun dared to disturb an important meeting, it was surely a big deal. A fire in the building? He headed to his friend’s office and this latter sat him on the available armchair, then pointed the TV. A woman faced a guy in grey suit wearing little frame glasses. Sho’s heart stopped suddenly.
“So we’re back in the studio, with our special guest, Ninomiya-sensei. You’re a famous sociologist, well-known for your unorthodox methods of investigation.”
“Unorthodox methods?”
Sho felt a brick falling into his stomach. Nino. Ninomiya? A sociologist. What the…?!
“This time you were employed by a very special agency, weren't you?”
“Indeed. I spent almost two years in a human pet’s skin. One month each time with a little pause, of course, between two contracts.”
“A human pet?!”
“Hm…people with money to spare paid a ridiculous amount of money to this agency to have a human pet during a specific period of time. I played the cat, the dog…”
“What for?”
“You see…when you want a pet, you can’t really ‘try’ to be a master. You can’t buy an animal, adopt him and after a cooling off period, decide to change your mind because you’re not fit to be a master. Thus they experimented it with a human who played the pet.”
“Why a human?”
“They thought it was less cruel than using a real animal.” He chuckled at the irony.
“But it is, isn’t it?”
“Wait, wait…are you telling me it’s normal to pay a man to play the pet? Because everyone nowadays sound to be allowed to change their mind. You love someone, you marry him, you don’t love him anymore, you divorce him. You buy an espresso machine, you change your mind you can send it back to the shop. It’s the same process. You know, we’re living in a country where people are paying other people to play the friends and have company during events or simply an outing. Don’t you find this pathetic? So pitiful somehow? They have money but not time or want to invest in human beings. It’s very sad one way or another and very symptomatic of the society we’re living~”
Jun turned off the TV and stayed quiet for a few minutes.
“Little bastard. Sociologist, my foot…”
“I think I…”Sho stood up and Jun sincerely panicked. His eyes were red and he sounded to be on verge of a nervous breakdown. Even after Nino’s departure he didn’t seem to be so desperate. No wonder thought Jun, after what he heard.
“I'll handle the meeting, go back home. I actually already called for a cab.”
“I don’t need to go anywhere. I can – ”
“Sho, it’s an order. Go.”
Sho stared at his friend momentarily before he nodded and did what he was told.
Once he paid the cab, he trudged his way up the building, his whole body feeling numb at the truth he was forced to know. He stayed in a spatio temporal breach, caressing his pet as the latter laid over his lap for hours. If Jun hadn't followed him a couple of hours later with a case of beer and a knowing stare, he would have stayed in that state all night long. However, he was grateful to his friend, that they drank until the night wore on and they lost consciousness in the end.
Once he woke up, with a disgusting taste in his mouth, a throbbing head and a decision in mind.
He found him at a signing book session at the big book shop down town. He grabbed a book on a pile and began to queue. People talked around him. Some intellectuals, a few salary men, some women like fans, endlessly chatting about the way he dressed, so strictly, his glasses, so sexy and his harsh way of looking at people around him, so thrilling. This man was nothing alike with the sweet guy he lived with. They were different as day and night. Perhaps there was someone who was his twin? Was it possible to hide such a personality during so many times? He was probably writing this fucking books when he was at work, thinking about him, smiling, thrilled about the evening to come…such a moron.
When his turn came, he slid the book on the table and Nino gripped it without a look.
“What name should I write it to?”
“Sakurai.”
Ninomiya raised his gaze and their eyes met for a second.
“Are you here to take your revenge?”He mumbled as he was signing.
“Don't pretend to know me so well?”
“I…may I talk to you later? I surely owe you an explanation.”
“When?”
“The other side of the street, there’s a café. I’ll be there in less than one hour.”
“I’ll wait for you.
“Your book!”Nino handed him the book and Sho grabbed it before he exited the shop.
He sat in the quiet corner of the café and ordered a tea. Then he opened the book. Ten. He had ten masters, him included. The old lady, the sadistic, the grumpy man, the teacher, the house wife…the lonely man. Not the single man, but the lonely one.
He skimmed through it, unable to resist, yet knowing it could only hurt him. He closed it before his own chapter, unable to face the truth about the emotional desert his life sounded to be for the sociologist. Pathetic he said? Surely, since he fell in love with the first guy who showed him fake interest.
Ninomiya arrived, a black coat enhancing his slim silhouette. His hair once so messy was neatly comb, his look was nothing alike the candid one of the man he knew once. He ordered a black coffee to the waitress that stood by his side in a split second before pulling the chair across from Sho.
“I assume that you are surprised.”
“Oh, no, not at all.” Sho said sarcastically, an annoyed look crossed his features.
“I guess, I expected to see you, with this promotional tour and the rest…”
He sounds so distant, so cold and complacent. Sho didn’t answer and intertwined his fingers in front of his mouth to hide his pout.
“I…well listen…I’m sorry. Not for what I did, I was just doing what needed to be done for my research, but I should have called you after. When I went back to my life.”
“Yeah. You should have.”
“Sakurai-san.”
“Sakurai-san?!”
“Sho. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“I think you failed. Quite miserably too.”
“It was an experiment, just an experiment. And you were…”
“A subject of experiment…It’s cruel.”
“Says the man who rented a human pet.”
“I wasn’t ill-intentioned. I’ve always been totally sincere with you.”
“I know. Somehow I was too.”
“Not enough to tell me the truth. You were all my life.”
“Yet you said to your friend that it was nothing more than a game, didn't you?”
“I never forced you. You did it willingly. You even…”
“What? Made love to you?”
“Yes. And since that night, doubts plagued my mind. Why?”
“I put the human being back to his place.”
Sho leaned his chin against his palm, smiled sadly, strangely moved to be with him once again. Despite the way he hurt him, he simply wanted to hug him, caress him, and whispers silly things to his ears like he did before. So long ago.
However, the man he faced now was a perfect stranger.
He slid the book to the sociologist and stood up to leave the place.
“Sho!”His voice wasn’t so confident now – “Did you actually ended up adopting a pet?”
“Yeah. I did. After all, the experiment was a success.”
“A dog or a cat?”
“Who cares?”
“Sho…I thought about you. A lot. I wanted to come back home, I was just…I didn’t know how to explain things without hurting you.”
Sho smirked, a sigh escaping his lips before he turned around, and reached out to tousle Nino’s hair as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“You're wrong, Nino, after a week with you I realized that you meant a lot to me. You made my world seem brighter, happier, and now that I know why you escaped, I can finally forget about all this.” he said, looking out the stained glass window and walking out.
Ever since Sho adopted his pet, he began the routine of running during the mornings around the park that was across his apartment's building. When he was in search of purchasing his apartment, he was hearing the pitch sale of nature surrounding him, close to shops, but he was more assured at the fact that his job was closer to him. Before Nino, he'd only been with the notion of having his work close, and never took advantage of the area surrounding him until Nino’s arrival. Nino was the name of his dog; the one that pulled him out of his misery back then. Now Sho knew who 'Nino' actually Ninomiya Kazunari, who he really was, everything made sense. With this, he realized, he realized that he had been cautious. He'd been afraid of being discovered by an acquaintance. However, when he only took Nino to go buy some video games, he was sure that there was zero chance to ever meet anyone that knew him.
He hated doing sports but he figured out that running emptied his mind and was an excellent way to exhaust his dog. As usual, after each run, he purchased a cappuccino from his favourite coffee shop before heading home and climbing the stairs, only thinking about the shower he needed to take before going at work.
He was a little surprised when he turned to the hallway of his level and almost ran into a couple of man from a moving company. He knew that the couple from the apartment facing his moved out the week before, however, he didn’t expect to have a new neighbour so quickly. After all, this building was one of the most expensive in town. In the end, he just walked past them and made his way inside, telling himself to mind his own business.
Once inside, he took a quick shower and readied food and water for his pet, making sure that his toys were visible. After hurriedly patting his dog over the head, he left the building. Throughout the day, he only worked and sometimes wondered what he would be having for dinner that night. He had lunch with Jun, only talking about the minimal things; things like Jun and his current affairs and really, Sho was not that interested, but seeing Jun acting that way somehow amused him more than annoyed him.
By the end of the day, he grabbed his suitcase and finally bid Jun a good evening as he made his way out of the office. Jun had been disgustingly grinning and nodding, however, his eyes were only focused on his phone. By the time he got home, he was tired. He was thinking about forgetting his dinner and just finishing some paper work before taking a bath and going to bed. At least, that was his plan, until he got home and found a note on his door – he raised a brow once he read it, his dog's barking? No one's ever complained about his dog. The only reasonable thought of someone complaining was his new neighbour, because the others he's known.
“Hi?”
“Excuse me, I’m your neighbour and I found your note on the door…if you~”
The door opened and Sho remained speechless when he faced Ninomiya.
“Yes?”
“I…found your note on my door. What are you doing here?” Sho said slightly annoyed now.
“Excuse me? Do I know you? I don't think I've introduced myself, yet. I’m Ninomiya Kazunari, your new neighbour. And you are?”
Sho could have laughed at the pitiful joke if it hadn’t been so ironically cruel. He turned tail and got back to his flat, but soon there was a knock on his door.
“Sho, please, open the door.”
He went to the kitchen and began to cook dinner in a strange state of mind. Trying to ignore the knocking now turned into banging, on his door. It was a nightmare and he will wake up very soon. He could only chuckle with incredulity when Ninomiya barged into the kitchen.
“I kept a spare key.”Said the man showing the little key between his finger – “Look, it’s not to torture you, this apartment was free and I needed one. I already know the building, the area and~”
Sho reached out and Nino placed his hand on top of his, but the taller pulled it back as if he was burned. As if he wanted holding his hand! Was he a total lunatic?!
“The key. Please.”
“No way. I'll keep it.”
“I can beat you for it.”
“You wouldn't dare.”
“Go ahead, make my day. Resist.”
“Look, let me apologize properly, I beg you.”
Sho sat on a chair with a roll of his eyes before staring at him pointedly.
“Why are you doing this, Ninomiya? Do you want to know how much it hurt? How you were able to break the confidence I had on myself before you stripped me of that? Is that it? Fine! Thanks to your experiment I figured out how I was easy to break, when I thought I was someone strong. Ironically, you helped me discover a side of my personality I was unaware of. Amusing, isn't? Now can you understand that I don't want to see you anymore.”
“I…think so.”
“You know my schedule, more or less, it's not changed. I simply run each morning with my dog, it will be easy to avoid each other. And Ni…my dog doesn’t bark.”
“I know, it was just a…pitiful trick to meet you.”
“Good bye Ninomiya. You can leave the keys by the door.”
He stood up and went into the kitchen, not even giving Ninomiya another chance to say anything. Once he heard the click of the door, he gripped the edge of the sink, gripping it when he finally realized that Ninomiya was gone. His shoulders sagged and he hung his head when the realizations of what had happened hit him.
He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, before deciding to turn off the stove and go into his room. It had been exhausting, holding himself back, Ninomiya still wore those glasses but he wore casual clothes, similar clothes to the one that Sho bought for him when he was his pet – a checker plaid shirt, with a white shirt underneath along with a vintage pair of jeans.
THIS! This was something he needed to do, he told himself. He quickly moved to the closet, astonishing his dog at the sudden movements. He gripped the travel bag he'd bought along with Nino's clothes and shoved everything from Ninomiya in there.
He didn’t see him after that. As expected, they had different schedules and not once has he ran across the object of his affection. He often felt the need to knock at his door and pretend like he did. Pretend to be a stranger and start something anew. He surely has played that game before, he loved games, but he knew it was and awful idea. So he pushed that thought away and kept on living like he did before Ninomiya appeared in his life again.
Until the day Jun invited him to drink in a pub. After a couple of hours, he was high as a kite and drooled about a woman he met during a gokon. Sho knew that, one way or another, he would try to drag him into such a trap.
“I dislike gokon, it’s not my stuff.”He said to prevent any tentative.
“Sho…I wanted to ask you something. Don’t laugh, please. It’s just because I’m pretty drunk and by tomorrow I will most likely have forgotten this conversation. Are you gay?”
“I’m not.”
“Oh. Okay. I wondered. Because I just read his book.”
“His book?”
“Your cat’s book.”
“Cats don’t write books.”
“Don’t play dumb, I’m not that drunk. Your cat Nino.”
“And?”
“He did such a love confession to you. I really thought you wouldn’t resist.”
“What are you talking about? I was the ‘lonely man’. What declaration?!”
“You were not the lonely man! What did he say? Er…the heart-warming man it seems to me. Who deserves to be loved, victim of his own success, I don’t precisely remember.”
“Yet, it’s rather accurate. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought you read it, baka! You said you were at a dedication session.”
“He offered me the book but I gave it back to him. And now…he’s my neighbour.”
“What?!”
“He moved in in my corridor a few weeks ago.”
“It’s seems to be pretty clear, isn’t it?”
“Yeah…probably.”
He bought the book on his way back and spent the night reading it. The next day he knocked at Nino’s door.
“Yeah?” Asked Ninomiya, puzzled, awkwardly moving back and forth after he opened the door.
“I was wondering if you’d accept a dinner with me. I cooked your favourite meal. Hamburger.”
Ninomiya stepped forward and walked across the corridor to enter Sho’s place without a word.
They ate on the living room’s low table, sat on the floor like before and Sho observed him, fascinated by his grace. He wasn’t so different after all, he was still cute, even if now he talked a lot more than what Sho was used to.
“I’m not a liable man, you know.”Said the smaller as they were drinking a tea.
“Really? With me you were.”
“I discovered a lot about myself too when I was with you. That sometimes it was wonderful to be supported, for example. I’m a very lonely man, usually.”
“Sorry.”
“Why?”
“You found me pathetic at that time, didn't you? I was pathetic.”
“You were adorable. And loveable. I felt so guilty but…I couldn’t find the courage to leave you. It was so comfortable to be yours. Sorry. Lately, I can't seem to hold back things whenever I'm with you.”
Sho blushed and sipped the tea to hide his embarrassment. Nino chuckled and reached out to caress his cheek.
“I can’t believe we slept in the same bed, that we took our shower together…holly God!”whispered Sho as if he suddenly realized the intimacy they shared.
“It was torture. Now I can say the truth to you. It was real torture. And I must confess something. I had already kissed you before…the famous night. Several times. A lot. When you slept, and once or two you even answered to my kiss. But you never imagined I could desire you, right?”
Sho nodded negatively and stood up to go to the bedroom. Nino followed him and smiled when he recognized the travel bag.
“This are your belongings, if you want them, you can have them. Everything’s here.”
“You can keep it.”
“Why? I won't use them.”
“I’ll do when I’ll sleep over.”
He was still so self-confident. Sho sagged on the bed, his hands ruffling his hair.
“Nino, I don’t know…”
“Why did you change your mind? Why did you invite me?”
“I read your book and figured out I was not the lonely man.”
“The lonely man?”
“Chapter three.”
“You know.” Said Nino sitting on the bed next to him – “I really hesitated in writing that chapter about you. I’m a scientist and I have to give an objective point of view and with you, I was everything but objective. You were so cute and…you still have this bathing trunk?”
“Don’t mock me.”
“I don’t. I’m deadly serious, Sho. I know I hurt you, I know I’ve been a cold-blooded moron but I was sincere when I told you that I was happy with you.”
Sho stiffened with Ninomiya intertwined his fingers together and blushed once again, aware that they were at a turning point. Was he ready for this kind of relationship? A year ago he would have laughed but today he knew he couldn’t miss his chance. Ninomiya slipped his hands between Sho’s and reached with his other hand to make Sho face him. Sho stared at him, wide eye and still slightly hesitant, but Ninomiya merely brushed a strand of hair away and leaned in to kiss him. Sho's hand gripped his and opened his mouth. With ease, Ninomiya took in everything, tilting his head to kiss him better. He pushed him on the bed gently and Sho laid down without breaking the contact.
They kissed for a couple of hours, when Sho tried to talk, Nino only captured his lips into endless kisses, sighing and moaning when Sho bit at his lip gently, sucking on it and nipping. Soon Sho trailed his lips over the plane of his cheek, nuzzling against it. Ninomiya sighed and allowed him to wrap his arms around his waist and hold him close.
As soon as Ninomiya fell asleep, Sho sat up on the bed, careful not to wake him up. He was about to turn off the light when he noticed the dents left behind by Ninomiya's nails. Curiously, he raised his hands and smiled lightly as he noticed that Nino hadn't really taken care of them. Carefully, he grabbed the nail clippers and began to work on them. He shook his head at his actions and murmured quietly about what he wanted to do together. talked freely about their life, about perhaps this famous week-end Sho planned when they lived together.
When the morning came, Sho ran with his dog and after a shower entered the bedroom where Nino was still occupying his bed. The dog climbed on the blanket and began to wake him up, like he's used to do with his master.
“Nino! Stop it!”
“Nino?”Moaned the scientist suddenly sitting.“Don’t tell me...you gave my name to a dog?”
“I felt lonely, okay? It was the only way to hear your name all day long.”
“Hm. I don't like it, but it’s the best excuse I would ever hear.”
Sho pushed the dog outside of the room, closed the door and took place by Nino’s side.
“You simply have to call me Kazunari now.”
Sho nodded and kissed him, nudging his chin to place chaste kisses over his jaw and cheek. Nino sighed and grinned at the affectionate gestures.
