[Fanfic] The Kiss Thief 2/4

[mikunicchi]

Nino groaned with pain as his senses started to return him even though he wished they didn’t. He could feel every bone in his body aching and he hated it. He wasn't a fan of pain, not even a bit. He remembered what had happened very well. Fortunately, his brain was in its right place and seemed to be working well despite the pain in his whole body. He tried to open his eyes, failing with one because of how swollen it was. Well, as expected. There was no way that he could be uninjured after everything.

He was really surprised when he saw the silent guy tied to a chair and trying to convince the yakuza that he had nothing to do with Nino. He felt even guiltier than before since he was telling the truth. Everything was Nino's fault and he shouldn't have involved him in the first place. However, it was already too late and Nino had no choice but to get beaten up in order to save him. So he pissed the yakuza off. Certainly, it wasn’t the smartest thing he’d ever done in his life, but he had to bet that if they were pissed enough they would forget about the silent guy. He was glad that it worked though.

He let them beat him until he heard the sirens. He wasn’t an idiot -it depends on where you are looking- so when the yakuza called him and demanded their money back, Nino called an old detective, Matsuoka Masahiro, who he had some kind of acquaintanceship with. Well, Matsuoka had been trying to catch him for a while already so it wasn’t like they were friends. But somehow, that old man listened to him when he told him about the situation. As much as Matsuoka hated Nino, he must hate the Oida family more, Nino concluded when the other agreed to help him. Nino still knew that Matsuoka was trying to catch both the Oida family and Nino. However, he really didn’t have any other choice, so he decided to give himself up. He was willing to get caught by Matsuoka if it meant saving an innocent person. And honestly, he didn’t regret that, at all; especially when that certain innocent person was the silent guy.

“Oh, you are awake!” someone cooed suddenly from the doorway. Tired but determined, Nino tried to get up from, but a pair of strong hands stopped him, pushing him down into the soft mattress. “You shouldn’t get up right now,” he said softly.

“Who are you?” Nino asked, his voice cracking a bit. He took a moment to make some observations about this new guy. He was tall, Nino thought first. He had black hair which was shaped nicely, and he was wearing dark brown trousers and a beige linen shirt, which had its first two buttons open.

“My name is Aiba Masaki,” the other one explained. “I am a friend of Ohno’s, and right now you are in my house.” His eyes looked warm behind his thin, silver framed glasses.

“Ohno?” Nino mumbled, confused.

“Yes, but I guess you don’t know his name? He is the person from last night,” Aiba told him, and Nino felt the panic rising again. What happened to the silent guy -No, Ohno, he corrected himself. “Don’t worry, he is alright. Actually he is sleeping downstairs,” Aiba said, offering him a reassuring smile. Nino sighed in relief. “He told me about everything. Thank you for saving my friend,” Aiba continued to talk with his soft voice. It was so soothing, Nino almost fell asleep once again.

“I didn’t do anything,” Nino said, disagreeing. “He got into trouble because of me,” he continued guiltily. Why did he even save me? Nino questioned, unable to voice that thought.

“Did you intend to make him get into trouble?” Aiba asked seriously.

“No, but…” Nino answered right away, not even hesitating for a moment.

“You went to save him, am I right?”

“I did, but…”

“Then it’s alright,” Aiba answered with that soft smile of his. Nino immediately realized that this Aiba Masaki must be a very good person. Too good for his own good, Nino thought.

“Do you even know who I am and what I did?” Nino asked painfully.

“If this is about you being a thief, yes, I do know about it,” Aiba answered him unwaveringly. Nino sighed irritatedly.

“Common sense says you usually throw a thief out. Or more likely you turn them in,” Nino tried to reason with Aiba.

“Common sense says so, sure. Fortunately, I am famous for my crazy ideas,” Aiba said while nodding seriously. “And anyway, you wouldn’t be able to find anything to steal. My bookshop doesn’t have that much of money even on its best days.” Aiba shrugged.

Nino wanted to facepalm; too bad his left hand was in such incredible pain. He couldn’t hold back his pained cry when he tried to move it. “It must have gotten broken,” Aiba explained as he grimaced when he heard Nino’s pained voice. “We should take you to the hospital.”

Nino wanted to laugh. “No, that won’t happen,” he said firmly. He didn’t have that much money to defray the cost of a hospital. Everyone would expect that a thief would have a lot of money, but not Nino. As much as he loved money, he had always refused to take more than he actually needed. But neither Aiba nor Ohno -calling the silent guy “Ohno” felt really strange, he added- had to know about that. He took a deep breath and once again tried to rise from the bed, this time successful. “I’ve already given you a lot of trouble. Thank you very much for your kindness, but it would be the best if I left right now,” Nino told him with a smile. Aiba was already up, trying to stop him, but Nino was faster than him even in his worst shape. He swiftly moved past him only to be stopped again. This time the person who stopped Nino was none other than Ohno.

“Where do you plan to go?” the silent guy asked. No, his name is Ohno, Nino reminded himself once again as Ohno talked to him for the first time. Certainly, it was strange, especially since he had already heard his voice when he was speaking with the yakuza (Nino decided to ignore the part where he’d heard his muffled moan when they were kissing).

“Well, to my home?” Nino answered.

“In that condition? And where is that house?” Ohno questioned calmly.

“I can take care of myself,” Nino said stubbornly, making an attempt to walk past him. However, the other one quickly grasped his injured left arm, making Nino cry out in pain.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Nino asked louder than he actually meant to.

“Now you see? I am not even mentioning the other injuries to your body.” Ohno’s calmness was making Nino angry.

“Why the hell are you even bothered by it?” Nino narrowed his eyes. Ohno simply shrugged which pissed Nino off more, but before he could bite back at Ohno, Aiba stepped between them.

“You need help,” Aiba said softly. “Please, just let us help you.”

“You guys are really idiots!” Nino exploded finally. “You know that I am a thief, don’t you?!” He turned his head to Ohno. His eyes were fierce, almost trying to cut Ohno into two. “You know it! God, I used you to run away from yakuza! And you got caught and it was my fucking fault and you’re still trying to help me!? What are you, a saint?!”

“Then call me St. Ohno,” Ohno answered with a sheepish grin. Nino’s chin dropped in disbelief. What the hell was that?! Aiba was also having a hard time suppressing his laughter. Giving up, Nino plopped down onto the bed once again.

“You guys are a bunch of idiots, and you,” he pointed at Ohno. “You are definitely insane,” he said finally.

“Call me whatever you like,” Ohno said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “And what is your name, Mr. Thief?”

Suddenly feeling exposed, Nino averted his gaze, focusing on anything but Ohno. “Nino,” he said finally. “Call me Nino.”

“Nino?” Aiba titled his head in confusion.

“Everyone calls me that since it’s Ninomiya Kazunari,” he said. “And please refrain from making that stupid Ninomiya Kinjiro joke!” Nino added with a pout.

Ohno chuckled. “I wouldn’t joke about it,” he said truthfully.

“You have someone to call?” Aiba asked. Nino looked at him with questioning eyes. “Family? Friends?” Nino shrugged, once again forgetting his injuries. However, this time he managed to contain it only to a grimace. Aiba and Ohno exchanged a look, and Aiba pushed Nino into the bed once again. “You should try to get some sleep,” he said softly. “I will wake you up when the doctor comes.”

When his head met the fluffy pillow, Nino felt overwhelmed by his tiredness once again and fell asleep immediately.



***


After sleeping in for a good time, Nino felt better. How long had it been since he last slept in a proper bed? And plus, this one was really fluffy and comfortable, which was very different from the bed he used to know.

Nino grew up in an orphanage and never knew who his real parents were. The orphanage that he grew up in was not even second rate, and he remembered that he was hungry more than not. The place was dirty, and the people who had to look after the kids never did their jobs so the kids eventually had to look after themselves. They never had a proper education and Nino had to drop out of school during his first year of high school. Of course, no one was willing to give a job to someone who didn’t even get to finish high school. Nino tried his best with part-time jobs like working in a convenience store or McDonald’s, but after getting bullied by his colleagues he had to leave them too. He did a lot of things after that. And most of them were even dirtier than he would have liked. But in order to stay alive in that world without having anything or anyone, he had to do those things. So being a thief was probably one of the less disgusting things in his life.

His first theft took place during that period. Nino hated what he did, he really hated it, but still, it was bringing him money and he really needed it. And after spending some time with lots of different things, he decided this at least could protect his body from other things, and so he decided only to steal the things that he needed. No more and no less. He wasn’t trying to justify his actions, but if he really had to be a bad person, he could at least try to minimize the damage.

But still, a thief was a thief, Nino thought. He knew that the public wouldn’t accept this fact that easily, so it was a mystery to Nino why this Aiba and Ohno was so determined to help him. Maybe they were really crazy, he tried to reason, but somehow it didn’t even make any sense to himself.

After a few hours of sleeping, Aiba woke him up, telling him a doctor had come to look at his injuries. Nino complied with him and tried his best to stay silent when the doctor was treating his injuries. Fortunately it turned out that Nino’s arm wasn’t broken, but it seemed like it would take him a little until it was completely healed. The doctor, who was a very kind old man, was working in a local clinic and knew Aiba and Ohno from back when he was attending high school. After the doctor left Aiba, who apparently thought that it was his own mission to enlighten Nino, started to tell him the story of how he and Ohno met.

“I know Oh-chan from high school,” he started with a smile. “I met him when I was a first year, and we were both in the literature club. You see, our school was very famous for its clubs, and honestly I wanted to join the basketball club since my parents already owned a bookshop and I had seen enough books to last a lifetime, but it already had a lot of members so I ended up in the literature club.”

“I am surprised,” Nino said blinking a few times after hearing that Ohno was in the literature club. “I mean, he looks too sleepy to read books,” he commented.

Aiba let out a hearty laugh. “I know, right? When I first went to the club, he was sleeping!” Nino had to laugh at that too. “He said he joined the literature club because it sounded like it was silent so he could sleep without getting disturbed.”

Nino cackled. “It somehow sounds like him.” He stopped for a moment and added, “Although I don’t really know him.”

Aiba smiled. “He seems like he is very hard to figure out but he isn’t that complicated, you’ll see,” he said finally with a soft chuckle.

“Speaking of Ohno…” Nino started, not really sure if he was allowed to ask about him.

“Oh, he went to work,” Aiba explained quickly, understanding what he was trying to ask. Then Aiba stood up. “Speaking of work, I should also go to work now, but I will come to check on you from time to time, so please rest!” he said, but before he could get out of the room, Nino stopped him.

“Aiba-san!” he started hesitantly. Aiba looked at him questioningly. “I know you are a very nice person and you want to help me, but… would you let me help you? Anything is fine! Cleaning, laundry, or even cooking!” He looked up at Aiba’s eyes, which were hidden behind his glasses. Nino bit his lower lip. No one wants help from a thief, he thought bitterly. “I know, I am a thief and all, but…” he started, but this time Aiba cut him off.

“Would you like to help with the shop?” he asked with a smile on his face.

“Shop?” Nino asked, surprised.

Aiba nodded. “I took over my parents’ bookshop a few years ago. You can help down there.”

“Down there?”

Aiba chuckled. “I live above my own shop, it’s very convenient!”

Nino blinked a few times. “You sure? With me, helping you down there?”

Aiba nodded. “Why not? We are not usually that busy, so you can just stand behind the counter and I can sort out the new books that were delivered this morning.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if you stood behind the counter?” Nino said, scratching behind his neck. He averted his eyes.

“Why?” Aiba asked innocently. Because I am a thief, Nino wanted to scream, but he bit back. “Your arm isn’t healed anyways, so it’s better if you stood behind the counter,” he reasoned. “If anyone comes in, you can just call out for me.”

Nino thought about it for a moment. He really had no idea why Aiba trusted him like this, but he wouldn’t betray that trust that easily so he agreed to help him. “But,” he had to state one question before he could help him. “Wouldn’t my appearance scare the customers?”

Aiba laughed. “Then you should call me instantly and hide behind the counter, although I can assure you that we probably won’t have any customers until the evening.”


***


That was how Nino started to work in Aiba’s bookshop, Paradise. True to his word, Paradise was mostly quiet and customers mostly visited the shop after five in the evening. For that reason, Aiba usually opened the shop at ten in the morning and closed it after eight in the evening.

It was an average-sized shop. It was neither too big nor too small. It had lots of not too tall shelves, filled with various books. Aiba stood behind the counter together with Nino mostly when he didn’t have any deliveries. There was a computer to keep track of the stock, a small TV behind the counter to watch when there weren’t any customers, a vintage music set which looked very high quality and an air conditioner which made Nino very happy since it was a really hot summer. The shop had two security cameras, one watching the front gate and one watching the counter, both of them linked to the computer. There was also a showcase in front of the shop which was arranged beautifully with both new books and best-selling ones. The empty sides of the bookshelves and behind the counter were decorated with posters of book announcements or posters for movies adapted from books. The shop was mostly silent and Aiba only had one digital clock behind the counter for himself, and when Nino asked about it, he smiled and told him that he preferred not to bother customers with time. He was so considerate towards everyone so it really didn’t surprise Nino.

Of course, Ohno continued to come and visit them regularly. Almost too regularly… He would come to Paradise with a box of sweets when the clock hit 12:30 pm. Apparently, Ohno and Aiba both had a very strange love of sweets. For Nino, sweets weren’t something really important so he never bothered with them. But seeing Ohno and Aiba’s -okay, mostly Ohno’s, he admitted- happy face when they were eating cheesecake together also made Nino happy. So he decided that he could accept this sweets time. However, apparently one person didn’t agree with Ohno’s sweets time as much as Nino did. Ohno’s regular absence seemed to piss his secretary off -Matsumoto Jun, Nino reminded himself. He’d had to drag Ohno back to his office a couple of times already.

Nino found that scene rather funny. Aiba told him that Ohno worked for an IT company which usually had lots of work. Apparently, Matsumoto Jun had been working as his secretary for a couple of years already, and Aiba also told him that if it weren’t for Jun, Ohno would probably sleep more than he actually worked. Nino chuckled at that. He hadn’t gotten to spend much time with Ohno after that day but he realized that he would really like to spend some time with him.



***


It had been more than two weeks and Nino was feeling very well. The injuries and swells had finally healed and the only problem was his left arm. He wasn’t feeling pain anymore, but when he tried to move it too much, he would still end up with a grimace on his face. And if he had to be honest with himself, he hoped that his left arm would take a bit more to heal.

Nino was aware that he should leave that place soon, but he really didn’t want to. Paradise felt like home, after all those years of not having a home. It was the closest to that feeling for him… Spending his time with Aiba and looking forward to Ohno’s visits… It was simply addictive. However he had to leave eventually, Nino reminded himself, smiling bitterly.

“Nino-chan!” Aiba called out from the counter. “Can you come here for a moment?”

Nino stopped cleaning the dust immediately and made his way towards the counter. With the improvement of his health, he started to do more to help in the shop, like cleaning the shelves when they got too dusty or cleaning small dirty spots. That was the least he could do to make himself useful since Aiba fussed over him like he was fragile. Though, Nino couldn’t say that he hated it. It felt like being with a big brother, which he never had in the first place. “Something wrong?” he asked casually as he saw Aiba gathering his things.

“The delivery man called and asked me to go to their office. It looks like their system is down and they need to make the contract again or something,” Aiba told him while scratching the back of his neck. “I know you’re not fully healed yet but I think it won’t take me too long, so is it okay if I leave you alone for a couple of hours?”

Nino snorted. “Go. It’s not like I am disabled. But are you sure about leaving me here alone?” He asked especially emphasizing the question.

Aiba looked confused. “Why not?”

Nino heaved a sigh. “Nothing,” he mumbled. “Whatever, don’t worry about me. I’ll look after the shop.”

Aiba beamed a smile and ruffled Nino’s hair lovingly. “Thanks, Nino! I will bring chocolate cake!” And stormed outside.

Nino rolled his eyes. “Don’t bother with it!” he said, knowing that Aiba was long gone.

After the sound of the small bell above the door died down, Nino was left alone in the silent shop. He sighed, not knowing what to do. It was still too early for customers to come and Nino was sure that there was nothing he could do until someone came in, so he decided to play some music.

Aiba had a good archive of music CDs. He usually kept his entire collection in his house but some of them were on the counter in case he wanted to listen when no one was around. Aiba showed him his collection and told him to bring anything that he wanted to the shop and listen to them whenever he wanted.

This passion of Aiba’s surprised Nino at first, but soon he discovered the reason when he saw the owner of the music shop which was located next to Paradise. Aiba Masaki had a very serious crush on the owner of Rhapsody, Sakurai Sho. It didn’t take Nino long to understand that. And if his instincts were telling him the truth, this Sakurai Sho was also interested in Aiba. He still remembered how he eyed Nino when he first saw him next to Aiba. He told them that he brought a new CD to Aiba since he knew that Aiba liked that song, but Nino was 99.9% sure that it was only to look into Nino. For a moment he thought about telling Aiba about Sakurai but soon he gave up. They were really adorable flirting like that so Nino decided to keep it himself.

Also, having Sakurai as their friend was a good thing for Nino because he really liked music. Although he didn’t have a lot of opportunities to listen to music, Nino did his best to keep up with everything. He was a loyal visitor of the listening booths in the music shops since it was both free and enjoyable. When he was younger, Nino also had a guitar, which he found in the garbage. He managed to hold onto it and learned to play some songs by himself, but as soon as the adults in the facility discovered the guitar, they threw it out. Nino had never been sadder than that in his life.

Nino looked over the CDs. Unable to decide what to play he looked at the CD covers for a while. Finally, an old song caught his attention. He reached for the CD with a nostalgic smile on his face. “First Love by Utada Hikaru, huh?” he mumbled and placed the CD in the player. This was the first song that Nino learned to play with his guitar. He practiced a lot to be able to play it after all.

He sat down in a chair behind the counter and closed his eyes as the soft harmony of the guitar and piano blended together, filling the empty bookshop. Utada Hikaru’s voice soon joined the melody and Nino shivered and smiled. His lips started moving on their own, accompanying the song. At first, his voice was low, simply humming the melody until the song reached the first chorus.
Nino smiled. How long has it been since he last sang a melody like this? How long has it been since he listened to this song? He didn’t remember well but he still knew the lyrics perfectly. His lips continued to move with the lyrics and he really didn’t care how clumsily he was singing. It felt strangely good and somehow lonely at the same time. Maybe it was because of the bittersweet lyrics of the song, but Nino couldn’t help but think what would have happened if he had a real family to look after him. Maybe he would be able to study music… Maybe he would be the one who was creating songs like this… But all of this was nothing but hypothetical. The world didn’t revolve on what-ifs, after all, and Nino was the one who knew it best, who experienced it first-hand.

When the song reached its conclusion, Ohno’s face suddenly popped in his mind as a lonely feeling invaded his heart. It wasn’t like he had fallen for him, Nino was sure about that. Love wasn’t his forte but he had always thought that love would take time. He was experienced with a lot of things in many ways, but he also lacked a lot of normal experiences. He was skilled in kissing because he also did that kind of job too, in order to survive. But he wasn’t really skilled in love, so there was simply no way he could understand why his heart was beating a little faster than usual or why he wanted to get closer to Ohno. I wish I knew more, he thought sulkily. But there was one thing that he knew; the urge to get closer to Ohno was stronger than him, as if there was a connection pulling him towards Ohno.

He sang the last phrases with the thought of Ohno in his mind and let his voice disappear in the silent shop. Utada Hikaru’s voice also disappeared, leaving its place to soft melody of instruments once again. Once the room fell silent again, Nino heard applause. Startled by the sudden sound, he jumped from his place to turn his head to his visitor, only to find Ohno in front of him.

“That was incredible!” Ohno said with a wide smile on his face. He seemed a little surprised but his eyes sparkled with appreciation. Nino’s chin dropped with surprise and he suddenly felt embarrassed by Ohno’s compliment. He scratched the back of his neck with his right hand and averted his gaze from Ohno.

“I didn’t hear you coming him,” he managed to say. Honestly, he wasn’t expecting Ohno. It had already been three days since his last visit -it wasn’t like he was counting at all- and he had thought that the other was too busy to visit.

“I guess I should be glad that you didn’t notice,” Ohno said seriously. “Otherwise you would have stopped singing right away.”

“Well…” Nino couldn’t deny it.

“You are good at it,” Ohno said earnestly.

“I am not,” Nino said with a sigh. “I am not educated or anything like that.”

“But I am not talking about education here,” Ohno said calmly. “I simply stated that you have talent.”

“Mostly having talent doesn’t help you, you know?”

Ohno simply shrugged.

Nino sighed. “If you are looking for Aiba, there was trouble with the delivery service and he needed to go there,” he explained.

Ohno hummed for a moment and chose to stay silent. “But I didn’t come for him,” he said, finally making his way behind the counter. He casually took off the jacket of his black suit and loosened his sky blue necktie, unbuttoning the first two buttons of his dress shirt and rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. Nino looked at him questioningly. Where have you been? He wanted to ask but he didn’t know why he wanted to ask that question. However, Ohno answered as if he had read Nino’s mind. “I have been doing my best to finish all of my work,” he said as he plopped down onto the chair next to Nino and leaned onto the counter, placing his head onto his slim but muscled arms. He turned his head towards Nino so he could look directly at him. His chubby cheek was squished by the weight of his head. “And now,” he continued, “I have a whole weekend to do anything I want.”

Nino averted his gaze once again in order to collect his thoughts so he busied himself with the CDs. He started to organize them even though they were already well organized. “Is that so? Then why are you here?” he asked trying to stay casual.

“I like it here,” Ohno said simply. Nino could still feel his eyes on him.

“Liar,” he said. “Aiba told me that you had no interest in books.”

“He is right,” Ohno mumbled his voice already sounding shallow. “But I have another thing that interests me here,” he said almost inaudibly.

“Really? And what is that?” Nino asked still trying to busy himself with the CDs. But when he didn’t get an answer, he turned to look at Ohno, only to see that he had already fallen asleep.

Nino chuckled at the sight of Ohno sleeping innocently next to him. “So you are interested in sleeping?” He assumed but couldn’t bring himself to get angry to him. He watched Ohno in silence for a while until he found the courage to touch him. He softly brushed away the tufts of hair that were falling into his eyes, with a smile he couldn’t stop on his face. “You guys are too good for your own good,” he whispered softly. “You shouldn’t trust me like this. You really shouldn’t…”


***


Ohno spent the Friday night with them. Or rather, with Nino because apparently seeing a bunch of unknown men loitering around Aiba way too much lately, Sakurai Sho had decided to ask him out.

Aiba's shocked face was so precious when Sakurai Sho came that Friday night and asked him if he would like to visit a jazz bar that Sho personally loved. Nino wanted to take a picture of him but his hands were full with suppressing his laughter. Ohno was completely lost about why Sakurai eyed him like that, and Nino had to explain it to him when a very happy Aiba left with his Prince Charming for the night.

“He thought you might be dangerous for him,” Nino explained with a chuckle when they were both sitting behind the counter.

Ohno tilted his head in confusion. “Why?”

“Well, you have been coming very regularly lately so he might have thought that you were trying to ask Aiba out,” Nino reasoned.

“But if I wanted to ask Aiba-chan out I would’ve done it immediately,” Ohno answered still confused. “Why bother beating around the bush?”

“You are very bold,” Nino laughed out loud.

“I don't want to hear that from you,” Ohno said with a cute pout on his face. “You are the one who is bold,” he grumbled while crossing his arms in front of his chest. Nino looked at him confused but then, seeing Ohno’s slightly pink cheeks, it dawned on him. He is talking about the kiss! he thought. “But you seemed pretty desperate,” Ohno continued with a shrug, averting his gaze from Nino. “So I will let it go. It didn’t mean that much after all.”

Nino’s lips curled upwards as he stood up from his chair in order to go and clean dust from the shelves. “But at least, I think we both enjoyed it,” he mumbled almost inaudibly.

“Huh? You said something?” Ohno asked, but Nino was already at the front of the store, cleaning the already clean shelves.


***


“And he can play the piano!!” Aiba continued telling them about his evening. “The owner of the bar was a close friend of Sho-chan’s from university and-”

“Wait a minute!” Nino cut him off. “Are you calling him Sho-chan? Already?”

Aiba blinked a few times before he could register what he’d said, his face suddenly turning crimson. “Well… um… that’s…”

Seeing that, Nino let out a hearty laugh. “Oh my god, Aiba,” he cackled. “You are adorable!”

Aiba blushed even more, as if it were possible. “Stop teasing me!”

“But he is right,” Ohno agreed while he lifted his head from the paper that he was painting. There was a warm smile on his face as he looked at Aiba.

“I am glad he is not a jerk,” Nino added. “Otherwise I would have to punch him.”

Aiba laughed. “You know I can punch him by myself if he does something.”

“No way,” Nino argued. “You are too soft for punching someone.”

“And are you tough enough for that?” Ohno asked.

“You would be surprised if you know how tough I really am,” Nino dared to him.

“Oh gosh! Stop flirting like that,” Aiba cut them off slyly.

“We are not flirting!” they both answered at the same time. However, Aiba could see Nino’s crimson ears and Ohno’s embarrassed look as he concentrated on the paper in front of him.

“By the way,” Nino asked suddenly, turning his head to Ohno. “What are you doing?” he asked curiously.

“Oh, nothing,” Ohno answered with a simple shrug. “Just some drawing.”

Nino took a peek at the drawing from over Ohno’s shoulder. “Oh, my,” Nino mumbled, genuinely surprised by the beauty of the drawing. “What is this?”

“A hummingbird,” Ohno answered casually. He set his black pen down, only to get a navy colored one.

“I know that,” Nino rolled his eyes. “I mean this is beautiful.”

And it was certainly beautiful. The bird looked like it came out of a fantasy book. The lines over the paper weren’t sharp, which gave a feeling of mystery to the picture. It didn’t contain many colors, mostly the white paper peeking out from under vague lines while Ohno continued to draw some lines with blue-toned pens. First, he took the navy blue one, and then colored the wing lines with turquoise.

“Wow,” Nino mumbled. “I thought you worked at an IT company.”

Ohno nodded. “I do,” he answered, carefully adding the last blue tone over the beak and smiling, satisfied.

“You are good at it!” Nino said enthusiastically.

Ohno shrugged. “I am not educated or anything like that.”

“I am not talking about education here!” Nino said sternly.

Ohno threw him a knowing glance, with an irritating smile on his face. “Now you get what I meant?”

Nino’s chin dropped. “You are unbelievable,” he grumbled. “I can’t believe you.”

“What? What?!” Aiba asked, confused by the weird conversation between them. “What happened here while I was away?”

“Nothing,” Ohno chuckled, and then he carefully ripped the paper from his sketchbook. “Here, I will give this one to you.” He handed the paper to Nino casually. Nino hesitantly took it as Ohno got up from his chair. “Well then, Aiba-chan, I should go now,” he said, leaving before Nino could even react. Dumbfounded, Nino looked at the hummingbird drawing.

“Oh-chan is very talented, isn’t he?” Aiba asked as he looked at the drawing from over Nino’s shoulder. “You remember the sea painting in the room you are staying in? He gave it to me on my 20th birthday~” Aiba mused just before his phone started to ring. “Oh! Sho-chan!!” he answered, leaving the room hurriedly. Nino knew he probably won’t return. He smiled and went to his room, but that night Nino couldn’t sleep for hours. He looked at the sea painting signed with OS initials, fascinated by the gentle and lovely touches of the brush.

“Education doesn’t matter, huh?” he mumbled. Maybe I can too, he thought lastly before finally falling asleep.


***


After that night, Ohno once again disappeared. Aiba told him that he must be very busy and Nino shrugged indifferently. It wasn’t like he was expecting to meet him every day. However, after a whole week, Nino had to admit that he started to miss the silent guy’s presence.

His left arm was also completely healed but Nino kept it a secret for now. He didn’t want to leave. He liked staying at Paradise, he liked Aiba’s bubbly personality, and Aiba’s warm smile made him feel like he was family.

Sakurai Sho started to visit more regularly, eventually getting very friendly with Nino. He decided that he also liked Sakurai immediately. The young man who had plump limps and sloping shoulders was born in the same year as Aiba, although he was born in January. Sakurai also seemed to take a liking to Nino too, which made Aiba very happy.

One of those evenings when Nino was helping Aiba close up the shop, Sakurai came to visit them with a warm smile on his face. “Good evening, Ninomiya-kun,” he greeted Nino first and went to greet Aiba. Nino smiled as Aiba flashed the brightest smile of the day when he saw Sakurai. They look so damn adorable, Nino thought as he averted his gaze in order to give them some privacy.

“Are you free tonight?” Sakurai asked Aiba. “I have found a very interesting karaoke place in Roppongi. Maybe we could go there and have fun.”

Aiba tilted his head. “Karaoke?”

Sakurai nodded, his eyes sparkling with hope. “It’s very interesting! There are real band members playing behind you while you sing!” Aiba was, of course, very excited about it. Pleased by his excitement, Sakurai smiled and turned his head towards Nino and asked: “Won’t you also come with us, Ninomiya-kun?”

“Why?” Nino asked surprised.

“The more the merrier!” Aiba explained with a huge smile on his face.

Nino rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to be the third wheel. Go and have fun, lovebirds.”

However, Aiba ignored him. “Let’s call Oh-chan too! He must be drowned in work and would be happy to get a break!” he said, immediately dialing Ohno’s number.

Sakurai nodded knowingly. “I agree,” he said to Aiba and turned his head towards Nino once again. “The more the merrier and I bet we will have a lot of fun!”

Nino sighed. “Two would be more romantic,” he protested.

Sakurai let out a hearty laugh. “I can always go on dates with Masaki but hanging out with friends is also important.”

Nino smiled slyly. “So you call him Masaki, already? Way to go, Sakurai!”

Sakurai blushed immediately, but he was lucky as Aiba quickly came to his rescue. “Oh-chan agreed to come!”

“Really!?” Nino exclaimed a bit more excitedly than he had actually wanted.

“Yes! He said he would come directly and take Jun-kun with him if he is lucky enough,” Aiba explained, not aware of Nino’s distress. Why would the secretary accompany him? And why if he is lucky enough? Nino frowned. And why don’t I like that?

“It would be better if I don’t come after all,” Nino said reservedly.

“Eeeh?! But why!?” Aiba asked.

Nino rolled his eyes. Because I am a thief and since I am not stealing anything I don’t have any money. And oh, I don’t want to spoil everything between you and your boyfriend with the fact that I am a thief! he wanted to say, but of course, there was no way he could say that. “It doesn’t fit into my budget,” he said simply.

“Oh my, is that why you are not coming?! That hurts me! I may be your boss but I am also your friend,” Aiba said determinedly. “So stop worrying about things like that! You are coming with us!”


***


With that, Nino ended up at karaoke together with Aiba and Sho. Aiba even threatened him with not going if Nino wouldn’t come so he eventually gave in…

The karaoke bar was called Ban x Kara Zone-R and it was just as Sho had said. The place looked expensive and Nino really didn’t like expensive places. But he had to admit that the place had a really good atmosphere. The bar wasn’t too big but also wasn’t too small. There was a real band behind the karaoke machine and Nino couldn’t help but observe the instruments that the band members were using. Sho and Aiba ordered beer as soon as they got into the bar. Both of them were really attentive and Nino knew it was in their nature, but Nino was still the third wheel. He prayed for Ohno to come here as soon as possible but he also wasn’t sure if he really wanted that. If he came with Matsumoto, Nino would be in a worse position than the third wheel.

Just at that moment, Ohno came into the bar. Together with Matsumoto. Nino wanted to cry.

“Nino~” Ohno greeted him with his usual soft smile. Matsumoto bowed and then held out his hand with a dazzling smile.

“Nice to see you again, Ninomiya-san.”

“Oh, um, yeah,” Nino mumbled awkwardly.

“See, MatsuJun? You scared him when you dragged me out of the shop,” Ohno elbowed his side.

Matsumoto frowned. “But that was totally your fault! Why do I have to be the bad guy here!?”

“You are scary when you are in your complete work mode!” Ohno insisted.

“It’s because you skip your work!”

“Um! Guys!” Aiba cut them off. “Stop quarreling already! You are scaring my boyfriend here!”

“Oh, my,” Matsumoto seemed surprised as his eyes found Sakurai. “So you two are dating?”

“Yes,” Sakurai answered, standing next to Aiba, wrapping his arm around Aiba’s waist as if trying to protect him. Aiba’s blush could be seen even in the dim lighting. Nino giggled. They were really adorable! “My name is Sakurai Sho, nice to meet you.”

“My name is Matsumoto Jun,” he answered earnestly. “I am glad Aiba-san has finally found someone.”

And with that, everyone settled at the table. It was a small, tall, round table and everyone was standing while leaning over it. Nino, who was not used to these kind of gatherings -actually, this was his first time participating in one- still felt a bit uneasy, but soon that feeling disappeared in the warm conversation between the five guys. Aiba was the first one who suggested singing and Sho immediately agreed. They choose Natsuiro by Yuzu and Nino couldn’t stop smiling as they sang the energetic song. By the time they were finished everyone in the bar was cheering for them. Nino joined the cheering too; to his surprise, he was having a lot of fun!

“You should sing too,” Nino jumped in surprise, suddenly hearing Ohno’s voice very close to his ear.

“No way,” he said, trying to move a bit farther away from Ohno. But Ohno caught his wrist and looked directly into his eyes. The touch made Nino’s heart beat a little faster than usual.

“Please,” he said with a smile on his face. “You should sing.” His long fingers around Nino’s skin were very warm and soft, encouraging Nino to sing.

“But I really…” Nino started, however, Ohno cut him off.

“Don’t think,” he said reassuringly. “Just sing.”

Nino averted his gaze from Ohno and looked at the stage once again. His eyes stopped when he finally saw the guitarist who played the acoustic guitar when Sakurai and Aiba were singing. The guitar had a beautiful hummingbird design on it. Just like the one Ohno had given him. Well, the hummingbird he drew was more elegant, but this one was also beautiful. He took a step closer to the stage but stopped to look at Ohno again.

Ohno smiled and nodded once as if saying him, you can do it. Nino took a deep breath and walked to the stage and stopped in front of the karaoke machine. He really had no idea what to choose so he simply searched through the list. He could feel everyone’s gaze on him but he didn’t give himself a chance to back out. His eyes stopped over a song: Yuushinron by Radwimps. He wanted to laugh and decided to play it. He remembered when the song was first released. He went to different music shops to listen to its preview… It really fit his situation well, how ironic.

As the acoustic guitar started to play that soft melody, Nino started to sing simultaneously with a smile on his face.

After some lines, other instruments started to play a rather colorful and beautiful melody. Nino felt strange for singing in front of an audience but he had already given in and was trying not to care about anyone around him. He listened to the music and followed the beat.

The song fitted his situation very well, Nino was sure about it. From the moment that Ohno brought him to Aiba and helped him, he was slowly becoming the person he always wanted to be. It was like Ohno was turning him into best of himself. However, no matter how complicated his feelings right now, he couldn’t help but smile widely because of singing in front of an audience felt really good.

When he finally dared to look at the table where the other four were sitting, he was surprised that Aiba, Sakurai, and Matsumoto were cheering loudly for Nino and Ohno was smiling warmly next to them. When his eyes met with Ohno’s, he showed him a double thumbs up, making Nino’s smile.

When the song finished, Nino gained a really loud cheering from everyone in the bar. He returned their small group with a crimson face.

“Nino!!!” Aiba jumped over to him and hugging him as if he was trying to squish him. “YOU WERE AWESOME!!!!”

“Don’t shout next to my ear!” Nino shouted, trying his best to sound petulant but failing to hide the big grin on his face.

“How come you hid this from me?! Am I not your best friend?! Oh well, whatever! Sing one more time!!!!”

They couldn’t stop Aiba’s excitement for a moment until Sakurai stepped in to save Nino. They ended up drinking a bit more until Matsumoto decided to leave first. He said his fiancée was waiting for him. Hearing that, Nino released a relieved sigh, not really knowing why he was happy that Matsumoto was already taken.

After Matsumoto left, Sakurai and Aiba decided to sing a couple of more songs and Ohno dozed off at the table. Seeing him, Nino told Aiba and Sakurai that he would send Ohno home first and return to the house. “So enjoy yourselves,” Nino winked subtly before dragging Ohno out of the bar.

Ohno’s half-closed eyes opened as soon as they stepped out. He yawned and stretched his body. “Sorry for being a mood killer,” he said sheepishly.

Nino shrugged. “I’m not a party person either.”

“You were awesome up there,” Ohno said with a soft smile on his face. Nino felt a hotness spreading across his face. He wanted to blame the alcohol that he had consumed.

“Thanks,” he murmured. “Will you be okay returning home by yourself?” Nino asked, trying to change the subject.

Ohno nodded. “I didn’t drink that much,” he answered. “But how will you get back?”

“Subway,” Nino answered. “It’s only five minutes by foot from here.”

“But the last train took off an hour ago?” Ohno stated.

Nino chuckled. “I know, but I also know that Aiba and Sakurai may need the house tonight so I will just go to the station and rest on one of the benches until the first train.” Ohno’s frown made Nino chuckle. “Don’t worry about me. I have been in much worse situations.”

“But you don’t have to stay out,” Ohno insisted.

“Well, it only depends on where you are looking. I don’t count the metro station as outside,” Nino tried to reason. He didn’t really have any trouble with staying out for the night.

“You can come to my house?” Ohno offered suddenly. Nino’s chin dropped in surprise. “My house is small, but it’s still a house.”

Nino groaned. “You realize that you are inviting a thief into your house, right?”

Ohno smirked cheekily. The alcohol that he consumed was making him braver. “I know, you stole a kiss from me after all. How could I ever forget?”

Nino blushed at that statement. “You will never forget about it, will you?”

Ohno laughed. “Never,” he said calmly holding out his hand towards Nino. Nino’s heart started to beat faster at the gesture. What a gentleman, Nino thought and eventually agreed. I will see his house, he thought while trying to ignore the excitement that he was feeling.

Neither of them noticed the suspicious man standing in the shadows of the building.


***


They took a taxi to Ohno’s house. After Ohno gave the address to the driver, he decided not to say anything anymore, or maybe he was too tired to say anything. So the ride was silent but strangely, it didn’t feel unpleasant for Nino at all. He tried to remember what his life was like back then, three weeks ago. Three weeks… He wanted to mock himself. Only three weeks and he had already forgotten how he lived his life.

Living with Aiba felt good. Spending his days in the silent bookshop, sometimes watching some really ridiculous variety shows together with Aiba, watching him flirt with Sakurai and also expecting Ohno’s visits. He had almost forgotten who he was and why he was still there. He secretly took a glance at his left arm, which was currently healed. The reason why he continued to hide it was nothing but the fear of getting kicked out as soon as they found out they didn’t have to help Nino.

He knew that those guys weren’t like that. They were genuine when they offered him help and he wanted to believe it when Aiba called him as his friend, but still… Nino couldn’t bring himself to relax.

Paradise wasn’t a big shop and he knew Aiba could manage it perfectly fine just by himself. He also had a feeling if his relationship with Sakurai continued like this -he also hoped from the bottom of his heart that it would- they would end up with living together. It was obvious that they were crazy about each other.

Suddenly he felt Ohno’s head on his shoulder. He turned his head to look at him, only to see the silent guy’s sleeping face.

Nino chuckled inwardly as Ohno’s body leaned on him heavily. “If you are that tired, why did you even come?” he asked softly, not really waiting for an answer.

“I wanted to see everyone,” Ohno murmured, surprising Nino.

Nino chuckled. “You are stupid,” he said jokingly. “But I am glad you came.”

Ohno hummed, not opening his eyes.

“Where have you been?” Nino asked suddenly before he could stop himself.

Ohno hummed once again. “MatsuJun made me work overtime…” he said drowsily. “I wanted to visit Paradise more than anything…”

Nino chuckled. “I really don’t get why you continue coming over to Paradise that regularly…”

“Maybe I will tell you one day,” Ohno mumbled before falling asleep completely. Nino laughed and decided to let him sleep until they reached their destination.

The drive continued as silently as that until they reached a very normal looking residential area. Soon, the taxi stopped in front of one apartment and Nino had to wake Ohno up. Ohno blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes drowsily and quickly paid for the drive. He led Nino into the apartment and Nino couldn’t help but feel surprised. He didn’t know what he was expecting but this was really, really normal. He wasn’t really sure what exactly Ohno was doing as his job but he knew he was working at an IT company and he also knew he had a secretary, which meant he should be at least some kind of manager in the company. He thought Ohno was kind of rich and he expected him to live in a good residence or something like that. But no, he was living in a normal area, in a normal apartment with no elevator so they had to climb four floors until they reached Ohno’s house.

The climb seemed to wake Ohno up and they were both out of breath when they finally reached his door. “I am surprised…” Nino said between his pants. “I didn’t know there were still apartments without elevators.”

Ohno chuckled while trying to catch his own breath. “Well, it’s close to my office,” he explained. “And I have been living here for a long time already.”

“Like how long?” Nino asked curiously.

“If we count university too, almost ten years,” Ohno answered.

“Oh my gosh,” Nino groaned. “You’ve been living this hell for ten years?! Are you sure that you are not a masochist?”

Ohno laughed but then closed his hands over his mouth. “We should get inside,” he said as he quickly took out his keys and welcomed Nino into his house.

“Excuse me for disturbing,” Nino mumbled as he stopped in front of the entrance. He couldn’t help but frown when he saw a mini Segway in front of the entrance but he decided not to say anything.

“Don’t stand like that,” Ohno said with a soft smile. “Come on in,” he encouraged Nino to come in, making his way towards the small living room.

Nino followed Ohno to his living room which increased his confusion even more. There was a huge purple couch in the middle of the room and there was also the biggest TV he had seen in his life. Also, what was that hammock-like chair? Wasn’t that for gardens? True to his word, Ohno’s house was small… Or more precisely, his furniture was too big for the space! He didn’t even want to mention the big coffee table and that huge lamp...

“I told you it's a small place,” Ohno shrugged, taking off his jacket and throwing it to the other side of purple sofa.

“It’s not small! Your furniture preferences are horrible!” Nino protested. Ohno shrugged once again. “And you have a mini Segway?”

“I use it inside,” Ohno answered with a nod.

“Inside? Why?” Nino questioned.

“I don’t really go outside besides fishing, and I certainly don’t need to ride it on the boat.”

“Wait, you fish?”

Ohno nodded.

“You are really mysterious,” Nino cackled. “I really don’t get what kind of person you are.” Finally! There, he said it!

“People often say the same thing,” Ohno answered, averting his gaze from Nino.

“Let me just summarize the things that I know about you,” Nino started, plopping down onto the purple sofa. “You are working at an IT company, right? And you must be at least in a high position because you have a secretary,” he said, and Ohno sat down next to him. There was an amused smile on his face.

“I am,” he answered. “More like, the company is mine.”

“Yours!?” Nino exclaimed in surprise. “So that means you are the CEO or what? What kind of title does owning a company give you?”

“I am not good with titles, either. Probably CEO?” Ohno answered with a chuckle.

“Then why are you living here?” Nino asked. “Couldn’t you afford much more than this? At least go somewhere with elevators!”

Ohno chuckled softly. “Old habits die hard, I guess.”

“And you fish… I thought only old men fish,” Nino stated.

“People often call me ‘old man’ too,” Ohno agreed calmly.

“And you also draw…”

Ohno hummed softly.

“I can’t figure you after all!” Nino ruffled his hair.

“Then don’t try to figure me out?” Ohno proposed. “I only do whatever I like. Why do you even need to figure out my actions?”

“I don’t know,” Nino answered truthfully. “But I feel like I must figure you out.”

Ohno let out a laugh. “No one has ever tried to figure me out.”

Nino giggled. “Then I will be the first?” he asked.

“You will,” Ohno answered. “You already hold some firsts of my life,” he said mischievously.

“You mean…”

“The kiss,” Ohno completed his sentence with a smirk.

“Oh god, you will never let me get away with it, will you?” Nino groaned, hiding his pink face behind his hands.

Ohno laughed out loud. “You are unexpectedly shy,” he said between laughs.

“I am not!” Nino protested.

“You are cute,” Ohno said softly.

“You are horrible,” Nino mumbled, averting his gaze from Ohno. “And I have no idea what connection this conversation has with me trying to figure you out,” he pouted slightly.

Ohno reached out to tuck Nino’s hair behind his ears, and his thumb brushed Nino’s cheek, slightly making Nino’s heart beat crazily. “You are a smart man,” Ohno started with a soft smile adorning his face. “You will eventually, like I did,” Ohno reassured him.

“Oh? Are you trying to say you already figured out me?” Nino challenged.

“I guess so,” Ohno smiled mischievously.

“Tell me,” Nino asked, amused. He wondered what Ohno thought about him.

Ohno hummed a little, and then he leaned back, letting his head rest on the sofa. “You are a clever man, and you are a thief, but you are not that bad. You also hate being a thief and you haven’t tried to do anything while you’ve been staying with us. You care about Aiba,” Ohno eyed him with a smile. “You are a bit lost, also hesitant but you have a soft heart and you are very considerate,” Ohno took a breath and turned to Nino. “But you are lying about one thing.”

Nino blinked with surprise and before he could react, Ohno grabbed his supposedly injured left arm. Nino bit his lower lip, knowing that he couldn’t fake it anymore. He lowered his head and whispered, “I am sorry.”

Ohno didn’t say anything for a moment but then asked, “Why did you keep it a secret?”

“I… I didn’t want you to kick me out...” he murmured hesitantly.

Ohno looked at him confused. “Why would we kick you out?”

“Well… I am a thief…”

Ohno groaned, surprising Nino. He ran his hands through his hair. “Are you still at that?!” he asked tiredly.

“But-!” Nino started, only to be cut off by Ohno.

“Answer me honestly! Why did you become a thief?” he asked seriously.

Nino averted his gaze. Did he really want to tell him about his past? Certainly not. He stood up swiftly before Ohno could react and made his way towards the door. However, Ohno stopped him just when he reached the door. He grabbed Nino’s wrist strongly in order to stop him. “Where are you going?” Ohno asked calmly.

“It doesn’t concern you,” Nino answered, pressing his lips together.

“It does,” Ohno insisted. “Nino-!”

“It doesn’t, okay?! You act like you know about everything but you don’t, okay?” Nino explained desperately. “I am not just a thief, I’ve done much more! Bad things!”

“I know!” Ohno said loudly, probably louder than he actually wanted. Nino looked at him with a shocked expression. “I did some research about you,” he continued. Nino’s shocked expression turned into a very hurtful look. Ohno hated to see that expression. “I am sorry,” he added.

Nino freed his arm from Ohno’s grip softly. He felt like crying but he managed to smile a little. “Of course you did,” he murmured softly. “After all, you have to keep your friends safe too.”

“Nino, it’s not like that-” Ohno tried to explain but Nino cut him off.

“Don’t worry, I am not blaming you. You were right to do that research. Does Aiba know about it too?” he asked, feeling his heart break into a million pieces. He didn’t want his past to be known. Besides theft, he did a lot of things he wasn’t proud of. Selling his body, even drug dealing… He hated that part of his life. He wondered how much of it Ohno knew… Did he also manage to learn about the orphanage?

“Aiba doesn’t know anything,” Ohno answered. “But Nino, none of those things were your fault,” Ohno tried to tell him, but Nino let out a hysterical laugh.

“Of course they were,” Nino said. “Selling my body for money, dealing drugs for money, stealing for money… All of it was my choice and I am not denying the harm that I caused.”

“You didn’t cause as much harm as you believe! Matsuoka-san-” Ohno tried to convince the other.

“Matsuoka?” Nino blinked with surprise. “So you know him?” He laughed. “Then you should already turn me in.”

“Nino, can you just listen-”

“I’ve heard enough and you already know everything,” Nino mumbled, having a hard time to keeping his tears from falling. “I am sorry, I will leave now and won’t bother you again,” he said hastily and he left before Ohno could stop him again.

Ohno stood there shocked. Were those… tears?



Part 3