Band: D=OUT&Acme (ex. xTRiPx)
Pairing: Naoto&Shougo, with Chobi&Chisa in the background
Rating: 17+
Genre: romance
Warnings: -
Note: After five years of breaking up with Naoto and after another failed relationship, Shougo thought that maybe, just maybe his past decision was a mistake.
Shougo was laying on the bed and staring at the ceiling.
DIV didn't exist.
Chobi had enough of Satoshi's moods, so he wanted to depart. Satoshi didn't want to depart, if Chobi stayed. And finally they both left. And Shougo and Chisa decided that disband is the best option.
Besides, Shougo also had enough of Satoshi. Even if he loved him. In theory.
How long ago his feelings for Satoshi burned out? How long Shougo balanced on the border of endurance and finally left Satoshi?
He didn't know. But Satoshi still loved him maniacally. He was sending him thousands of messages everyday, trying to contact him. Asking for forgiveness. At first Shougo was picking up calls from Satoshi, but he stopped doing this a long time ago. And was thinking about changing his phone number. After all, how long could he endure such nagging?
He closed his eyes and remembered a little simillar situation, which happened five years ago. When he left, as he thought, the love of his life.
But for Shougo every romantic relationship was this ideal and final one.
But somehow… Naoto's sad eyes, when he told him that they were over, now, after a few years, suddenly made an impression on him and made him feel a sting in his heart.
He opened his eyes again and sat up on the bed. He picked up the phone from the cabinet and lit the screen up. As usual, nine missed calls and ten new messages from Satoshi.
Paranoia.
But Shougo didn't care about this now. He ignored all the messages and missed calls and opened his contact list.
And he chose the one he hadn't called in a very long time.
"Maminya Naoto, who's that?" he heard a voice on the other side. "I have new phone and some numbers got deleted, so... Can you introduce yourself?"
"Inoue Shougo, nice to hear you" replied Shougo.
There was a silence for a while on the other side.
"What happened? Why are you calling me?" asked Naoto finally. "Shougo?"
"Nothing..." replied Shougo, laying down on the bed again. "I'm just sad and... I wanted to talk to someone."
"You haven't called me for years" noticed Naoto. "At most you were sending me direct messages on Twitter. And when you and Chisa wanted me and Reika as your support musicians, he called me, not you."
"I know, I know" Shougo nodded. "But I wanted to talk."
"Yoshi's not there?"
"He left some time ago."
"So you're home alone?" Naoto wanted to be sure.
"Yes."
"Do you want to meet?" asked Naoto.
"What? No" Shougo waved his hands, even if he knew that Naoto won't see it. "It's pretty late, you don't have to..."
"I'll be there in half an hour" replied Naoto and hung up.
Shougo blinked. He got an impression that D=OUT's drummer was really worried about him? But why? He was just sad. Nobody has to run to him like crazy. He just wanted to talk and everything would be okay...
Maybe Naoto's reaction was caused by the fact that they were together for five years? And they were in the same band for eight years? And they've known each other since they were tweens, so Naoto knows him even better than Chobi and Chisa?
Even Satoshi doesn't know him so well...
In fact... Shougo had an impression that for those three years Satoshi just didn't want to learn anything about him.
And as he told him, Naoto appeared in front of his doors after half of an hour later.
"Hi" he said, walking into Shougo's house, when he opened the door for him. "I bought four beers by the way. Is it enough or I should go buy more?"
"It's enough" replied Shougo. "I just have to talk with someone with an objective point of view..."
"And do you think that I'm objective?" asked Naoto, taking off his shoes and walking towards Shougo's room.
"About Satoshi probably yes."
"I'm not objective about both of you" replied Naoto, sitting on the sofa and opening a beer for himself. "So, what happened?"
"Satoshi is messaging and calling me like crazy and he wants me to come back to him" announced Shougo, taking a can. "What should I do, Naoto?"
"And do you still love him?" asked the drummer, swinging his can.
"I don't love him" replied Shougo.
"Did you tell him?"
"Many times..."
"And he still didn't get it?" Naoto snorted. "My, my. And I understood that immediately, when you told me."
"Are you mad at me?" asked Shougo.
Naoto sighed.
"That you broke up with me? No. That you got together with this moron? A little. That you're playing with people's feelings. A lot."
"I'm not playing with people's feelings" denied Shougo.
"And that's why you're again a single as a thirty-two-years-old man?" asked Naoto.
Shougo looked at him, then he looked down.
"Maybe I shouldn't call you after all..."
"No, Shougo" Naoto embraced his arms and hugged him. "You should. Because someone had to tell you this. Besides, admit it. You lost the love of your life and now you're sad and upset, so you wanted to talk with someone, who was your previous love of your life, right?"
"Naoto..."
"I'm still important to you, because we spent five years together. And that's why you called me, not anyone else. Right?"
"Right" admitted Shougo.
"I have an advice for you" said Naoto. "Meet with Satoshi in a coffee shop. You know, a neutral field. Tell him once again that you don't want to be with him. And then change your number. If he'll continue to bother you, I'll tell him, what I think about him. And now we should just turn on the TV and talk about trivial thing. Okay?"
Shougo nodded. He had a feeling that he knows, why Naoto thinks that he's playing with people's feelings.
Is it possible that he never stopped loving him?
* * *
Shougo walked into the cafe and tried to find Satoshi. He was sitting by the table, on which Shougo noticed two cups with coffee. He sighed and walked to him.
"Hi" he said, sitting in front of his ex. "Do you remember, which coffee I like?"
"I remember" Satoshi nodded. "Thanks for coming here. You're always the light that shines through the darkness in my heart"
Shougo had to hold back very hard to not burst into hysterical laughter.
"Can we talk like adults, not like teenagers in love?" asked Shougo, pouring sugar into his coffee. "Do you want to win me back?"
"Yes" Satoshi grabbed his hands. "Please, Shogo. I’m overflowing with feelings, which I can’t put into words, but I really love you and I need you. Don't break my heart, don't reject me. I feel so lonely without you..."
"Firstly, get off me" Shougo broke free from Satoshi's grip and sipped his coffee. "And now start to talk like an adult man."
"So what should I say?" Satoshi whined like someone kicked him. "Shogo, come back to me. Please."
"Do you agree that you'll go to the therapist and you'll take you depression medication, before you cut your wrist again?"
"I don't have depression!"
"So you won't" Shougo finished his coffee and got up. "Forgive me, Satoshi. But this conversation is pointless to me."
"It isn’t!" Satoshi grabbed his hand and tried to sit him down again. "Wait a moment, we can order another coffee and then..."
Shougo freed himself, interrupting the drummer.
"People are staring at us. Sorry, Satoshi. Goodbye" Shougo turned on his heel and left the cafe.
Satoshi ran after him, but the waiter stopped him and told him to pay for coffee or he's going to call the security.
Shougo ran quickly towards the bus stop. He jumped into the bus and sat down by the window.
He closed his eyes. He felt weird. Sounds became indistinct, his vision began to blur and a sudden drowsiness came over him.
Only then did he notice that his phone was ringing.
"Hello?" he said.
He felt dizzy.
"Hi, Shougo. Have you met with Satoshi?" he heard Chobi's voice.
"Yes, I'm coming home right now" replied Shougo.
"But you were supposed to meet him two hours ago. What is talking you so long?" Chobi was surprised. "By the way, you sound rather weird, are you okay? Do you feel well?"
"No, I'm in the bus" replied Shougo. "I think..."
"You think? Shougo, what's going on?" Chobi got scared. "Shougo, are you there? Shougo!"
* * *
Chisa left the kitchen and walked to Chobi, who was staring at his phone with fear in his eyes.
"What happened, Hiroki?" asked vocalist.
Chobi looked at him, stood up and ran to the door.
"Hiroki!"
"Shougo is in trouble" explained Chobi, putting on his shoes. "He met Satoshi in this coffee shop, where they have these delicious cookies with cream."
"The one in the suburbs?"
"Yes" Chobi nodded. "I called him to ask, how he was doing, but he was kind of weird and then suddenly he stopped talking, but he didn't hang up. I have bad feelings about this. I'm afraid he fainted, you know him."
"And what now?"
"I'll go look for him, I know which bus line goes from this cafe to his apartment" explained Chobi.
"Bus line? Why didn't he go by car?" Chisa was surprised.
"He said he would get too stressed and cause an accident" explained Chobi and kissed Chisa's cheek. "Stay here. You already had an attack today anyway, you don't need another one."
"But get someone to help you, if Shougo really fainted, you might need it" replied Chisa, slightly offended by the fact that he was being taken off the case.
"Call Naoto" told him Chobi. "He'll know where it is and..."
"And?"
"And he never stopped loving him" replied Chobi and ran out of the apartment.
Chisa closed the door behind him. He didn't know that Naoto and Shougo were together in the past at all.
* * *
When Chisa called him, Naoto jumped from an armchair and left the apartment. He didn't even turn off the TV and lights in the room.
What happened that Shougo felt so sick suddenly? It was because of stress or maybe he caught a cold?
Or maybe he's just sitting in the bus, because he has to think about everything alone and they'll make him angry because of their panic?
He ran to the bus with 29 on it and looked around.
Shougo wasn't there.
He did the same thing five times, but it was all in vain. Besides the fact that he met Chobi.
"Are you sure 29 is the only bus line from the coffee shop to his apartment?" asked Naoto.
Chobi nodded.
"Yes. When Sachi and I weren't living together, we used to drive this road often. We gave up going there in the Winter when, while waiting at the bus stop, Sachi had an attack" explained Chobi. "Come on, he must be in some bus."
Naoto nodded. They circled eight more buses, but it wasn't until the ninth that they found him finally.
Shougo was sleeping with his head resting against the window, clutching his cell phone in his hand. Good luck no one robbed him.
Or at least they didn't take his phone.
"Shougo!" Naoto ran to him and shook his arm. "Shougo?"
"Naoto, tell me he's just asleep" Chobi leaned against barrier. "Naoto!"
"He's not asleep, he's uncouncious" Naoto took the phone from Shougo's hand and put it in his pocket. "And terribly cold."
"Maybe we should call an ambulance?" suggested Chobi, glaring at the curious passengers. "What are you looking at, don't you have anything better to do? Grab a book or a tablet and mind your own business."
Passengers looked away and started pretending they don't see them.
"You didn't have to react like this" said Naoto, covering Shougo with his coat.
"They realised that something is wrong only when we arrived here. And he's been sleeping there for an hour and nobody wanted to even check, if he's okay."
"Why do you yell so loud?" Shougo suddenly opened one eye. "Ouch, my head..."
"Do you want to go to the hospital?" asked Chobi.
Shougo shook his head.
"I just want to go home. It's probably a flu, because I feel a little dizzy..." he said and tried to get up, but he just stumbled and sat down again. "Whoops?"
"We're leaving on the next stop, sit down" said Chobi. "And then Naoto will carry you."
"What?" Naoto blinked. "Why me?"
"I'm clumsy and it wouldn't end well, besides you're taller and stronger" replied Chobi, leaving the bus.
Naoto, carrying Shougo like a princess, followed him.
* * *
Yoshi was a little surprised, when he opened the door and saw Chobi and Naoto with Shougo in his arms behind them.
"He doesn't feel well" explained Naoto quickly and went to Shougo's room, carrying him.
"Like old times" murmured Yoshi.
"Yeah" Chobi sighed. "Do you think they'll get back together?"
He was whispering, because he didn't want Naoto and Shougo to hear him.
"Shougo probably is planning this, but you know, what he’s like" Yoshi scratched his head. "Do you want some tea?"
"No, I left Sachi home alone, but I want to have an eye on him in the Winter" replied Chobi, wrapping a scarf around his neck. "See you later, Yoshi."
"Goodbye" Yoshi smiled and closed the door.
Naoto put Shougo on the bed and covered him with a quilt.
"Do you want something warm to drink?" asked Naoto.
"You can make me some mint tea, because I feel nauseaous" said Shougo.
"As you wish" Naoto ruffled Shougo's hair and went to the kitchen.
He returned after a while and put a cup on the night stand.
"Here you go" he said, smiling.
"Thanks" mumbled Shougo. "Naoto?"
"What?"
"I don't want to come back to Satoshi."
"Are you really sure about that?"
"I am sure" he replied, clenching his still cold fingers on Naoto's palm. "I want to come back to you."
Naoto blinked. He didn't expect that.
"Are you sure about that, Shogo?" he asked.
"I don't know" replied Inoue after a while. "I mean, I am, but... I don't know."
"When you’ll grow up and learn, what you want, just tell me" Naoto sighed, getting up, but Shougo stopped him. "What?"
"I'm cold. Can you hug me?" asked Shougo.
Naoto hesitated for a moment, then he slipped under the quilt and embraced Shougo with his arm.
"I'm too soft" he said, then Shougo laughed. "But you have to promise me that you're going to think about it. You shouldn't decide about such important thing, because of emotions."
"I promise that I'll think about it and tell you, what I want" said Shougo and closed his eyes. "And I'm sorry that I hurt you..."
Naoto blinked. Shougo was a very sensitive person, but because of that sometimes he kept forgetting that he can hurt others too. And...
It's not like he's been waiting for those words for long five years.
* * *
Several days have passed. Shougo didn't know, what happened that he felt so unwell. Did he panic so much or he got some food poisoning? Or maybe this coffee was intoxicated?
Shougo laughed. Right. Or course. And what else? He was probably slowly going insane. But he changed his number, he didn't want to risk.
He put leashes on all his dogs and went outside. At one point, Sadaharu broke into a run and when Shougo looked where that furball was pulling him, he saw Naoto.
"Hi, Shogo" Naoto patted Sadaharu's head and got up.
It was snowing.
"So, have you thought about us?"
"Yes" Shougo nodded, staring in Naoto's eyes. "Satoshi was a mistake. And when I remember moments with you, I feel... Nostalgic..."
He hit himself in the face.
"This sounds like we were in some rom-com, we should stop."
"But I like it" Naoto put hands on Shougo's cold cheeks. "We can continue this bland romance."
And he kissed him.
Shougo almost dropped the leash, but he managed to calm down. He embraced Naoto and kissed him back.
And he felt like he had never made the biggest mistake in his life, which was leaving Naoto. As if these five years never existed.
The end
