Aiba silently crept from Nino’s grip trying his best not to wake him up. He knows that he will get in a huge trouble from him, but he really likes his new friend, and wanted to meet him as soon as possible.

 

After he met Sakurai Sho, he and Aiba talked non-stop like they already knew each other. Everything just kept coming out of his mouth, talking on and on about whatever subject he can think of. Even if he was always changing the subject, Sho always had something to say. When he was ready to leave, Sho whispered him something and Aiba jumped up and down, glad that he will be seeing his friend everyday from now on.

 

When Aiba finally made it to the park, he cupped his mouth and yelled: “Sho-chan!!” He never cared about age difference. He’s been addressing Sho the same way ever since last night, and the latter didn’t seem to say anything about it, but smiles when Aiba calls him.

 

Somewhere near a trash, Aiba sees a lump stir. He ran to this lump and hugged him from behind, making the lump fall back down on the same position. 

 

Aiba could feel arms snaking their way around his waist. “Aiba!!” Sho’s deep voice scared him a little. “It’s early.”

 

“I know,” Aiba pouted, caressing Sho’s cheek. “But I wanna play with you!”

 

He sees Sho nod his head, but suddenly, another pair of hands grabs Aiba by the hand.

 

“Masaki,” this person scolds him. “What did I say about talking to strangers?”

 

Aiba gulped. “Nii-chan?” He turned around and saw Nino’s eyebrows together, and his lips pursed together. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Aiba bows his head and brings his tiny hands over his face. “I won’t do it again.”

 

Aiba was scared of getting hit. Whenever he disobeyed his parents, they would hurt him twice as worse than the wrongdoing he did. Even if he was under Nino’s safe arms, he was still afraid of getting hit, and defending himself was a habit. 

 

Before he could even feel Nino’s hand swipe across his face, Nino did no such thing and hugged the small boy. Aiba gasped. No one has ever forgave him this easily; especially since he’s been disobeying Nino recently. It took him a few seconds to hug back and he found himself crying, telling Nino about what happened last night, and his already disappearing bruises, and small cuts hidden underneath his messy clothes.

 

Aiba felt Nino’s hand weave through his dirty hair. “It’s ok,” his older brother whispers. “Just tell me anything bothering you, ok?”

 

Aiba nodded his head and wiped the tears off his face. He never felt so loved, and safe. 

 

“Ahem,” Sho’s deep voice interrupts their touching moment. “I’m still here.”

 

“Oh yeah,” Aiba wipes the last tear from his eyes. “Niichan, this is Sho-chan.”

 

He grabbed Nino’s hand and Sho’s hand, forcing them to shake each other’s hands. When he stepped back, he cocked his head to the side. Why is Nino’s cheeks bright red?

 

+++

When Ohno woke up, he found his young master in his arms and immediately pulled back. He didn’t remember coming back last night, and hugging Nino until he fell asleep. He shook his head in disappointment, upset at himself for doing something the young master didn’t like. At least his young master didn’t wake up and kick him to his death, twice.

 

Just as he was ready to wake up the young master and Aiba, he noticed the little boy missing. Finally aware, and fully awake, he woke his young master up telling him that Aiba disappeared.

 

“How could you?!” Nino shrieked, shoving Ohno hard against the brick wall. “Why did you let him disappear?!”

 

“I was still-” Nino cut him off, by hitting him hard on the stomach. His young master never did anything so harsh other than playfully punch him when he was young…

 

“Screw you!” Nino spat. “What’s the use of having you around when you can’t keep one of us to stay?!”

 

Ohno looked away, Nino’s words stung his already broken heart.

 

“I’m sorry,” Ohno mumbles. “I’ll look out next time…”

 

“Go away!” Nino struck him hard again. “Leave! I’ll look for Masaki myself.”

 

Ohno obeyed and did as he was told. He stood up and walked from Nino whose eyes were showing death in them. He looked back one last time, and prayed that Nino and Aiba will be safe when he wasn’t around anymore.

 

+

 

Ohno wondered aimlessly, lost and despondent. He waited for his young master and hoped that the younger would run after him, and beg him back. But it was the opposite. Ohno wanted to run after Nino, beg for him to leave the stranger, and ask if he could have his young master. That would never happen, Ohno’s mind tells him in a vicious voice, he hates you. Shut up, he tells his mind. And so it did and Ohno found himself back at the mansion he used to live in. Maybe, Ohno tells himself, maybe his little brother will love me more…

 

When Nino’s parents allowed him back in, he found Nino’s real little brother crawling on the floor. He told Nino’s parents that he promises to take care of Takuya and that he won’t leave anymore.

 

Ohno looks around his bedroom that was obviously left untouched. After checking it out a bit, and finding that everything was still in place, he went around the mansion. He asked a few maids and some guards in the house about Nino’s little brother. All of them looked back at him in disbelief, and told him the same answer he’s heard from them: “He’s worse that the late young master.”

 

How could the new heir be worse when the boy could barely get on his feet? This answer, Ohno had to find out for himself.

 

“Sit down,” His mistress invites him in the master bedroom late at night, while her husband was away. “I have something to tell you.”

 

Ohno shivers and does what he was told. His mistress never really invited him to their bedroom, and never really acknowledged him when they were home. When he sat down, his mistress stood up and went to the bathroom. Since she didn’t dismiss Ohno, he had to stay there and wait for his mistress to say whatever she wanted to say. 

 

“Ohno~” he hears his mistress call him from the bathroom. “I need you…”

 

Ohno stood up and made his way to the bathroom. When he entered, he had to avert his eyes from his mistress. Her milky white skin was exposing, she wasn’t clothes, and her whole body facing the door where Ohno stood, keeping his eyes anywhere but his mistress.

 

“What is.. it?” Ohno’s voice trembled.

 

“Come closer,” his mistress whispered. “And I’ll tell you~”

 

Ohno moved an inch and kept his eyes on the floor.

 

“Closer…”

 

Ohno gulped and moved two inches from his original spot. “What is it… mistress?” 

 

“Closer!” His mistress yelled, obviously getting impatient.

 

He did as she said and walked faster, missing the obvious soap laying on the floor, and slipped on it. His hands flailed around and he found himself on top of his mistress, his hands on something soft and hard. 

 

His mistress giggled. “My my,” she purrs. “I noticed how you seem to look so young~”

 

Ohno looked up and saw what was under his hand: his mistress’ . Ohno yelped and jump back up. Before he could even reach for the door and run for his life, his mistress yanked him back. He was forcefully twirled around, and his lips smashed with his mistress.

 

“Nnn…” Ohno struggled, trying to push his mistress away. “This-is-wrong!”

 

His mistress just laughed and continued nibbling his lips. He struggled to keep out until he remembered the young man he left alone. Using his hardest force, he pushed his mistress away and ran out of the mansion, gasping for air, and hitting himself for committing a sin.

 

“I’m sorry Kazu,” he cries into the night. “I’m so sorry…”

 

+++

 

Nino was glad that Aiba had accepted Sho as a friend. And the more Aiba was talking about Sho, the more Nino fell for him. 

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow again,” Nino bids him goodnight. “I’ll bring Aiba along.”

 

He sees Sho smile under the night light, and pulls him into an embrace once Aiba had left to go to their home. “Just bring yourself,” Sho whispers into his ear. “Tomorrow night.” Nino gulps and nods his head. He turned his red face from him, glad that Sho couldn’t see him blushing hard and chewed on his lips. This action was a dream come true. 

 

After a couple of minutes, Sho finally released him and Nino bids him goodnight. Just as he was about to leave, Sho pulls him by the wrist and says, “How about a goodnight kiss?”

 

Nino blushes hard again, and this time Sho laughed. He nodded his head and closed his eyes, tilting it so Sho could kiss his wet lips. He felt Sho’s plump lips press against his and Nino kisses back, his arms going around Sho’s neck. They continued kissing until Nino remembered about the messy little boy.

 

“Goodnight,” Nino breaks their kiss apart. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

 

Sho smiles and says one more thing before Nino couldn’t hear him anymore. “I notice how you always look at me.”

 

Nino hears this and smiles. He looks back one more time and heads home to Aiba.

 

+++

 

Just in time, Ohno sees Aiba heading towards him. He gives the boy a quick hug and asks him where Nino was. After receiving an answer, he ran to the park and spotted Nino.

 

What Ohno wanted to do at the moment was kill that man Nino was kissing back. He wanted the man’s life to end and take his Nino back from him. He’s the one that deserves Nino, not that stranger Nino barely knew. 

 

When he sees Nino ready to leave, he hides behind the dark, and he watches Nino leave, smiling. Why can he never make his young master smile like that when he did all the young man wanted? Why didn’t Nino love him instead of that stranger? 

 

Ohno smacks himself on the head. It was because Nino only saw him as a friend and nothing else. Besides, he knows he left the young master alone in the cold world, and never came back until Nino’s real brother was born.

 

He couldn’t take this anymore. 

 

Ohno ran to his young master and closed his eyes. He felt the young master stiffen, and relax a little bit after. His young master sighs and turns around, his eyes still covered.

 

“Sho,” Nino whispers. “Can’t this wait until tomorrow night?”

 

Ohno’s heart throbbed with pain from his young master mistaking him for someone else. “Wrong,” Ohno says. “It’s me, Ohno.”

 

He sees Nino’s hand go up and take his hands from his eyes. “How dare you?!” Nino pushes him on the floor. “Playing such a dumb trick on me?”

 

Ohno didn’t say anything as he stood up and hugged his young master. He ignored Nino trying his best to hit him and trying to take his arms off of him, and kept his arms around Nino so he wouldn’t lose him again. 

 

“I love you,” Ohno whispers. He looks up hoping his young master would finally understand and hug him back, but Nino didn’t hear him at all. 

 

“Get off me, you !” Nino screams. “I don’t even know why you’re here. I told you to ing leave!”

 

Finally, Ohno lets go and shuts Nino up by putting his hand over his mouth. “Just listen to me,” Ohno whispered, his voice shaking. “I love you, not him. I’m the one you deserve to be with, not him. I’ve always been by your side, not him.”

 

Nino shakes his head, screaming in Ohno’s hand. Ohno ignored this as he let go of his grip on Nino’s mouth, and brings his sinned lips on Nino’s mouth. “I love you,” he whispers again.

 

TBC