Nino still refused to call the person who looked like Ohno as ‘Ohno’ and only addresses him as: “Hey!” He knows it’s rude, but it’s been a long time, and he still didn’t know if the older male was messing around with him.
 

“Hey,” Nino nudged the older male’s side. “What do you think of Masaki?” 

 

The older male didn’t seem to budge or whine about how he was addressed as he pondered for an answer. It was only his second day with the pair and he had no idea about Aiba, other than the kid’s hyperactive mood, and random silliness. How did the kid even know that he could draw?

 

“Well,” he started. “He’s cute I guess. What about young master?”

 

Nino twitched a little at how he was being addressed, still not used to being called a young master when he wasn’t even one anymore. He watched Aiba’s chest rise and fall, as he tossed, turned, and talked in his sleep. The little boy never failed to amuse Nino in many big or small ways. 

 

During the time when he first met Aiba, the boy’s smile brought him both warmth and comfort. When the little boy would address him as an older brother, Aiba was like a little brother he never had. If he never would have met Aiba, he wouldn’t have met the person who looked like Ohno, and Nino would venture the streets alone. Sure the hyperactive child had made him irritated or a little infuriated for doing unnecessary actions like: disappearing when he told him to stay put, talking to strangers, or almost getting caught in pick pocketing. He can just never stay mad at him.

“Masaki is like my long lost brother. Without him…” Nino paused as he turned his direction back to the short boy. “…I’m not complete.” He had long forgotten about the mention of his parents, and his new little brother back home from Ohno. Aiba was his real brother; not that new off spring of his cold parents.

 

Ohno’s heart pounded at his words. So that meant that he didn’t matter at all to Nino. “What about me?”

He had to clamp his hand over his mouth, shocked at his own self for blurting out such a weird question. But Nino didn’t seem to look at him strangely as he moved his eyes around as if looking for something lost.

 

“I-well-I would say that your…nice?” Nino answered, the last word sounding like a question. Throughout spending time with the person who looked like Ohno, he never really thought of latter as anything else for being nice to offer his protection on him and Aiba. 

The older besides him chuckled. “Ok. Well, I really like you young master. Just in case if you were going to ask me the same question,” he hummed.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re just messing around aren’t you?” 

“No,” the older answered. “I mean it.”

Nino raised his eyebrow. “You just want to make me laugh right?”

Once again the older answered: “No.”

 

Nino turned his attention away from the latter, asking himself if the older got knocked in the head badly from chasing after Aiba. If it was the Ohno he knew, his butler would never answer him like this and be impulsive about speaking out. So to make sure, Nino decides that the person next to him was a different person; not Ohno and never will be, he’s irreplaceable. 
 

+++
 

Aiba stood in front of the nursery his abusive parents forced him to attend. He knows the reason why he had to go since his parents were always away during the day, and coming around at midnight to pick him up, bring him back home, hit him a little, and the cycle would repeat all over. He even tried contacting his grandparents, but his grandparents turned their backs on him.

 

He was an unwanted child from the beginning. 

 

Aiba remembers that one night when he came downstairs, scared to go to sleep from having nightmares, and over hearing his parents fighting over him. The next morning, he refused to go to school, stayed home, and locked his door so his abusive dad wouldn’t him. 

 

He continued walking alone to the nursery seeing smiling and laughing children around him as they held tight onto their parents. He held his hand up high and left it there, starring at it and hoping that his parents would take both of his hands, swing him around, and watch him disappear behind the nursery entrance door. But no, his hopes were turned down as his favorite school teacher ushered him to school, and said everything will be ok. 

 

+

 

Aiba woke up that night from his memories playing in his dreams all over again. In fact, he never told Nino about his parents, and why he ran away. He never showed Nino the bruises under his clothing, and pretended that every step he took was fine. All he wanted was to make his older brother happy.

 

“Niichan,” Aiba trembled. “Can I sleep with you?”

 

Nino opened one eye and nodded when he saw the crying Aiba inching closer to him. 

 

He kissed Nino’s cheek. “Thank you.”

 

+++

 

“You don’t have enough time…” a voice whispered in his ear. 

 

Ohno opened his eyes and found himself laying on the clouds again. He looked around, still irritated at the weird dream he was having. He never really had the same dreams, but this was the first for him. 

 

“Whatever,” Ohno scoffed. “I’m sleeping.”

 

“Finish it…” the same voice whispered before Ohno’s world went dark.

 

+++

 

Nino looked around him, the two sleepyheads seemed to be in deep sleep. So he took this time to be finally alone in a long time and went back to the park; his and Aiba’s special place. 

 

As he was strolling down the paths in the park, he noticed that same lump resting behind the dumpster. Didn’t I get rid of him already? 

 

But today, there was no Aiba so he chose the bench near adjacent to the trash, just beside where the lump was resting. He stretched his arms as high as he can, and exhaled, bringing his back on the cold lumber support. Since the place was nearly empty, Nino started humming his song. When he was confident enough, forgetting the lump resting besides the trash and Nino sang.

 

Nino continued singing the same song he made when he was younger when someone tapped him on the shoulder. To his surprise, the lump besides the trash disappeared and a rather masculine person sat before him: the flawless muscles on his arms, the chocolate brown hair, and beautiful brown orbs that anyone would fall for. He was…

 

“Perfect,” Nino mumbled to himself, continuing his thoughts. He didn’t realize he had said it out loud when the person just starred back at him in confusion.

 

“Ah!” Nino scratched the back of his head. “I’m sorry. I was thinking of a perfect picture Masaki could draw,” he lied.

 

“It’s ok,” the person laughed, his deep voice making him adams apple vibrate a little.

 

“Yeah…” Nino replied, not noticing how hard he kept starring at the lump on the person’s throat.

 

“That song,” the latter didn’t seem to notice Nino starring. “It’s beautiful. What do you call it?”

 

Nino was held back at the comment. He’s never heard anyone comment other than Aiba. “I don’t know a name for it yet,” he answered as his eyes trailed on the latter’s face. “I made it when I was younger…”

 

Nino didn’t know why he was telling this stranger about his song, but there was this strange urge that made Nino want to bring himself closer to this man.

 

The latter coughed. “Sakurai Sho,” he held his hand out. “What’s yours?”

 

Nino also coughed, and this time, noticing how he was making the latter uncomfortable from starring too much. “I’m sorry,” he turned his face from Sho. “I’m Ninomiya Kazunari.”

 

“Ninomiya huh?” Sho questioned him. “I’ve heard of that name somewhere before…”

 

+++

 

Ohno woke up, finding Aiba in front of him instead of Nino. Where did his young master wonder off to? Then he remembered about Aiba talking on and on about his and Nino’s special place: the park.

 

With that place in mind, he covered Aiba under blankets, and ran to the park, hoping to find his young master near the playground. And to his luck, Nino was there talking to a stranger. By the looks of it, Ohno could tell Nino took amazement of the person sitting next to him. He could see Nino’s eyes glimmer just by looking at this person, and never has Nino looked at Ohno in that way. Ohno’s felt his heart burst into pieces as he watched Nino share laughter with the person sitting besides him.

 

TBC