Title:Home Sweet Home: Melt
Pairing/Character:AibaxNino, JunxNino, Kaze, ShoxOC / Ohno
Genre/Rating:Angst, Fluff, Friendship, Romance / G
Word Count:763
Disclaimer:I own nothing but the plot
Summary:"Kazu... am I in heaven?"
Warning:Character death
Note:Set three years later so not to confuse the sudden time change.
 

I hummed an old song in the silent library as I waited for Masa’s dismissal from detention. I did warn him, so many times, not to sneak off in the middle of class, and in front of the teacher, just to tend to his garden out in the courtyard, no matter how important they are, or if they were “calling his name” so he says. Not even Father Ohno can convince him to take a break from his garden when it was the most convenient.

“Ne, Jun,” I nudged the three year old sitting beside me in a high chair. He was playing with his food, but I think it’s only because he got bored of waiting with me. “Shall we go without Masa?”

Jun shook his head as he lifted his hand and smashed the tiny soft innocent cookie onto another innocent cookie. “No no no no no.”

Hearing Jun trying to speak and the fact that he could understand me helped ease the impatience away by a little bit. Putting Masa aside, I turned the high chair so Jun and I were face to face.

“What’s my name?”

“Ka-zu,” Jun mumbled and smiled, revealing his small set of teeth. “Ka-zu!”

“And what’s the idiot’s name?”

“Ma-sa! Ma-sa!” Jun exclaimed happily as he clapped his hands and crushed more of the cookies in his hands. I couldn’t resist taking a snap of Jun.

“Good job,” I grinned and awarded him with three more cookies, and took another photo.

“Hey, that’s no way to teach a toddler.”

I turned around as soon as I heard the reprimanding voice and saw Masa standing two feet away from me. His eyebrow was arched accusingly as he crossed his arms against his chest, and he tapped his foot against the carpeted floor.

“Fine,” I sighed in defeat, knowing what Masa wanted from me. “What’s his name?” I asked Jun, to which he replied in Masa’s nickname again.

“Happy?”

A grin easily replaced his frown and he skipped towards me with much energy. “Very,” he replied.
 

“Where was it again you wanted to take me?” Masa asked for the tenth time as I guided him throughout the hallways.

“Now if I said it, wouldn’t it ruin the surprise?”

“Uh… at least a hint?”

“No. Just keep holding onto Jun’s hand, OK? We’re almost there.”

“’K.” Masa kept asking anyways, so there was no point in me asking him to stop anymore. Instead, I chose to ignore him.

It took me all of last month to set it up, but thanks to Sakurai-sensei’s, Father Ohno’s, and the nun’s contributions, I was able to finish it in time before it was time for the snow to leave. It was a major project that I had to nearly fail all my classes, but I knew just how happy it would make Masa once he saw it.

“Kazu~ Where-"

“We’re here,” I gritted my teeth and finally released my hands from his eyes. “If I knew you were going to be this annoying, I never would have done it.” Masa completely ignored me, though, as he gasped and awed and sighed loudly.

"Kazu... am I in heaven?"

"No, Masa you're-" I stopped myself when I saw Masa smiling upwards with his eyes closed. His cheeks were slightly wet, but I couldn't tell if he cried or if it was the melted snow coming from the skylight above. I didn't know which was beautiful to see: Masa's smile or his garden shining and glistening under the greenhouse. I felt my finger push on the button, capturing Masa’s attention.

He turned to face me and I quickly looked away when I realized that I was staring. "Kazu, it's absolutely wonderful. I love it."

I scratched the back of my head as I kicked tiny pebbles to nowhere. "W-well I didn't give you anything for your 13th birthday so I figured I'd use this old greenhouse..."

"Silly Kazu," Masa giggled and ran towards me with a goofy grin, "I already have what I want."

"And what's that sup-"

I almost fell back when Masa suddenly wrapped his arms around me. I felt him tremble slightly against me as he tightened his grip and buried his head deeper into the hollow of my neck. It surprised me that Masa remained quiet when usually he talked endlessly, even when we were at our closest moments. I decided not to say anything, or scold him even for suffocating me. Instead, I returned his embrace as I watched the melted snow pool onto the cement.

TBC