neko_kirin3104 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
neko_kirin3104) wrote2014-07-03 11:00 pm
neko_kirin3104) wrote2014-07-03 11:00 pm
[Arashi] His & Hers
Title: His & Hers
Group/Pairing: Arashi/Yama Pair (Ohno/Sho)
Side Pairing: Satoshi Ohno/Ryoko Kobayashi + Sho Sakurai/Aoi Miyazaki
Prompt: 19 Umbrella +Imagine Persons A and B of your OTP are in arranged marriages with other people. Their legal partners are very nice people, but they have little to no romantic interest in each other. Then Person A and B meet, and rapidly fall in love; though they have to act loyal to their married partners in public, their partners help to cover for A and B so that they can have an extramarital relationship. -from imagine your otp
Word Count: 6192
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fluff/Humor
Summary: Satoshi and Sho love their wives. They also love each other. Theirs is no ordinary love affair.
Disclaimer: I own nobody. Purely fictional, of course. :3
Notes: Inspired by prompts from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
je_prompts, imagine your otp, and ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
xrachiebunniex. First scene came up because I saw this again, sorry. orz
Also, the attempt at fluffand eventual lack of sex is because this song exists. <3
Note II: Downloadable version here made by the lovelyrifnaoei ♥
It was the shutter sound that caught Sho’s attention first.
“You’re late,” he said without looking, without even a tiny hint of a smile. He kept his eyes on the book in his lap, held open there more for display than anything else.
“I didn’t know you were waiting.” Satoshi sat on his usual place at the opposite end of the bench. “Jun-chan threw a fit and Ryoko-chan had to literally kick me out of the house.”
“Again?” Sho frowned at the way the older man was cradling his Canon EOS-M close to his chest protectively, like it was more precious than life itself.
Satoshi snickered softly. “Again.”
“Huh.” Sho grinned, fondly remembering how it was also because Satoshi was kicked out for fussing too much over his son that they had met by chance four weeks ago. Here in this exact same place, at this exact same day, though about half an hour later than the first couple of times. “I think you’re spoiling that boy too much,” he mumbled, pretending to get back to the reading he had yet to even begin.
Satoshi leaned back with a sigh, rocking the bench softly. There had always been something oddly comforting about the soft creek the man’s weight produced on wood, though the distance between them had yet to dwindle. “He’s only four, after all. Well, almost. And it’s not like you’re any better, Sho-kun.”
That quip deserved a chuckle, which Sho generously gave. “I went out before Aoi-chan could scream at me to scat off!”
“I bet you grabbed a random book on your way out, too.”
“Yeah,” he started saying, then frowned at the title that met his gaze when he flipped the book close. “Fifty Shades of...” He flushed instantly when he remembered why exactly he had randomly pulled this book from his wife’s shelf.
Satoshi scooted over a little to see. “...Grey? What’s it about?”
Snippets from their conversation a week ago flashed through Sho’s mind, making his skin crawl and shiver with discomfort. “Uh...”
Satoshi grabbed the book and casually flipped through the pages. “Ryoko-chan would definitely think up more ways of teasing me about my grey briefs when she sees this.” He pouted, the same way he did before, forcing Sho to look away and take a deep calming breath that aligned his sloping shoulders for a brief moment. Aoi, his wife, never did tire teasing him about them, too. “Uhm... I didn’t know you were into this kind of stuff, Sho-kun.”
“What?” Sho turned and snorted at the sight of his companion doubling over something he had just read. “What is it?” He slid closer, much too close that their shoulders were already bumping.
Satoshi slapped Sho’s hand away when Sho tried to reach for the book. Then cleared his throat and started reading in a hilariously girly voice that was like a cross between a bird’s and a drowning mouse’s. “Pulling off his boxer briefs, his erection springs free. Holy cow—!”
“Are you serious?!” Sho leaned his full weight on Satoshi, both of them quickly losing themselves in a rather shameless fit of snorty laughter as they flipped through more pages and mumbled out passages that caught their eyes about spatulas and riding crops and a whole lot of other stuffs they would never be able to look at the same way ever again.
They looked like little boys newly discovering the wonders of porn. They had even attracted the attention of some park-goers, but they were already so deeply lost in their own little world, too tightly wrapped up in the comfort of each other’s company, that they could hardly really be bothered at this point.
“I wasn’t even reading it, I swear!” Sho found himself exclaiming after a while, suddenly feeling the need to defend himself. He couldn’t just let Satoshi have all the wrong impressions of him, especially not when they were just starting to get to know each other.
Satoshi wiggled his brows skeptically. “Uh-huh.”
“I swear!” Sho squeaked again, noting how Satoshi’s tanned cheeks had put on a faint blush and somehow feeling comforted by it. At least, the man didn’t seem offended, or in any way put off by his accidental choice of literature.
“Maybe we should start reading,” Satoshi mused, his eyes silently moving down a particular page, his lips curling and pursing out in amusement. “Take hints from it or something.”
“We haven’t really, um, you know... Aoi-chan and I... Since Kazu, our youngest, was born.” That was probably telling a little too much by normal standards, but they had, after all, already exchanged more than a passing secret. He peered at the page that had so caught Satoshi’s attention and involuntarily cringed at seeing ice cream and nipples in the same sentence. “I don’t get an impression of your wife going for this kind of thing.”
“Ryoko-chan likes ice cream. And all kinds of dessert. But yeah. I’m not really sure if she would like it...” Satoshi smoothly switched to his girly voice again, this time sounding breathy and sensual, “...down the center of my body, across my stomach, and into my navel...”
If a man could die suffocating on his own laughter, Sho was just a laugh and a breath away from doing so and Satoshi was not much far behind. They were already snorting like pigs, sounding and looking nothing like the respectable and well-pressed corporate professionals they usually were on weekdays, and none of them seemed to really care at all.
Sho forcibly grabbed the book before Satoshi ended up scaring the kids nearby with his guttural moans. “I told you to stop already! Mou!”
He tucked the book away to the side, front cover down. He would have to be more careful about choosing the books he was going to take to the park from now on, whether he meant to read them or not. Even though he would admit he did thoroughly enjoy hearing Satoshi’s overdone impressions of a woman in the throes of passion.
Maybe, if there were just the two of them, in a more private place... Perhaps one of these days, he could show Satoshi his own impressions of Sho Sakurai in the throes of passion.
But then again—
“We also haven’t, you know.... Since we had Jun-kun.”
Sho did not even know how much he needed to hear that until Satoshi willingly offered it, like the man had somehow caught a whiff of his thoughts and had wanted to reassure him that they weren’t going down this path with their eyes closed and their hands and feet tied down.
Aoi understood what he really needed, who he really was, the same way that Satoshi’s wife did. The women in their lives had always been more like their best friends than their lifelong partners, patiently supporting them, sometimes even teasing them, and more importantly covering up for them whenever they dared enough to step out and trust their hearts to fate.
It had always been clear how both parties felt about each arranged marriage—Sho’s happening about four years earlier than Satoshi’s—and they both felt like they had already kept their sides of the bargain and had thus earned the right to find their own happiness in return.
It did take a while for him to realize it, and it might still take a while longer to fully accept it, but Sho knew, just by looking at Satoshi, and in those brief moments when their eyes would meet before shyly looking away at the exact same time and in the exact same breaths, that this was where he had always wanted to be. Right beside this man—
“Do you like ice cream, Sho-kun?”
Sho almost choked on the sudden lump in his throat. It would have been just another casual question shared between friends, if it wasn’t for that scene that Satoshi had just been so vividly acting out for him a while back. It wasn’t like the man had made any effort to hide the suggestive connotation in his words, either.
Satoshi wasn’t looking at him, but if the fact that the man’s face had gone through fifty shades of red in the past couple of seconds were any indication, Sho could clearly tell that his sort-of special friend was already harboring wishful thoughts of a future encounter. In private with just the two of them. And perhaps a tub of ice cream or two.
It was a subtle, yet boldfaced invitation to try and take that one step forward. Venture further into what they had been hoping they would eventually share.
And Sho could not help but show the man his own brand of cheekiness to match. “Maybe we’ll see each other again and you’ll find out.” He curved his lips in a half grin, trying to look flirty and self-assured even though he could already feel the numbing flush reaching the tip of his toes.
Satoshi did not immediately respond, and for a moment Sho was afraid he might’ve gone and overdone it. Had read too much into what really was just a casual question. But then he saw the tender twitch of the man’s lips, forming into a secret smile, and knew then that they were still on the right path, moving at the right speed.
“I won’t be late next time,” Satoshi finally said, reaching over with his little finger to lightly brush the skin of Sho’s hand.
The soft, flitting touch sent a dozen jolting bolts rushing through Sho’s entire body, setting all of his nerve endings on fire and making him visibly flinch on his seat. He did not even realize until then that their hands had been pressed side by side on the bench all this time.
Satoshi chuckled at his reaction. “Aren’t you a little jumpy?”
“Shut up,” he mumbled into his cheek.
“May I?”
Satoshi’s fingers hovered over his hand, letting him feel a little of the warmth it was promising to give. Sho willingly turned his hand over and intertwined his fingers through Satoshi’s hand himself.
Their hands fit right into each other, like two pieces of the same puzzle that had finally found their way home.
Of course, Satoshi just had to take a snapshot of it.
And even joked about calling it, ‘To Fifty Shades of Ice Cream and Beyond’.
It was the pair of eyes that caught Satoshi’s attention first.
He had been walking circles around the small public park five blocks down from the house he shared with Ryoko and their son, halfheartedly snapping one random photo after the next, because he would really rather be at home playing with Jun, when his eyes locked on Sho Sakurai for the very first time.
The man who was going to be occupying his mind from then, and most probably for good, was sitting alone on the bench quite efficiently shaded by the trees from the glare of the afternoon sun. It was a beautiful scene. The lighting was just right to cast bright spots and shadows where they were needed to perfectly frame the man, seemingly lost in deep thought, in a portrait of calm introspection and subtle mystery.
He didn’t even need to tell himself what he wanted to do. He already had his camera trained on the scene, was already snapping photos while walking closer to get a better focus, the best possible angles, before he even fully realized what he was doing.
His subject noticed him halfway through his approach and instantly threw a burning glare into his lenses.
It was at that moment when Satoshi first decided that he did not want to ever see that kind of angry, suspicious look on this man’s face again, nor in any way be the reason for it.
It had been five weeks since, five rather fruitful encounters later. Satoshi did not even remember ever talking about turning this into a regular thing. It was just that he thought he’d come to the park again the following week, be at the exact same spot in the exact same time and hope to at least catch a glimpse of his new friend.
Fortunately, Sho had thought of doing the same. The following week, too. And the week after that. It was amazing how their minds, their thoughts, their wants could naturally synchronize just like that.
It was how Satoshi knew for sure that there was more to this than a mere casual encounter.
He was pretending to do some post-processing on his shots the evening following their fifth unplanned date—pretending because he was really just staring rather than doing anything at all—when Ryoko came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and brushing a light kiss to his cheek.
“He’s really pretty, isn’t he?” she remarked, resting her chin on top of Satoshi’s shoulder as they both gazed at the blown up image on his laptop monitor. It was the shot he took of Sho this afternoon while the man was busily feigning interest in the rather titillating book he had unknowingly taken to the park. Or so he said he did so unknowingly.
Not that Satoshi minded either way.
It was just Sho’s side profile. But even Ryoko agreed that it was the best side profile of a man she had ever seen. “And it doesn’t have anything to do with your photog skills, mind you,” she teased.
“I think I made him look a little better—”
“Uhm... No,” Ryoko hummed before sauntering off to the fridge.
“Not even a little?”
Leaning against the open fridge door, Ryoko looked over her shoulder and appeared to be mulling it over for a while. “Okay, maybe a little,” she gave in giggling.
Satoshi always did love the sound of his wife’s giggles. A well-rounded, yet very delicate chime, just a subtle playful, and never too hard to please. It had never failed to make him feel comfortable and somewhat at home.
He clicked over to the next photo and almost giggled himself as pixie butterflies began making a riot in his chest.
“So, what did you two talk about today?” Ryoko asked while still raiding the fridge.
Fixing his tender gaze on the image of his and Sho’s intertwined hands on the screen, he sighed and willingly surrendered himself to the flush that quickly overtook his body. “Ice cream.”
“Perfect!” The fridge’s door closed with a soft thud and Ryoko was soon flopping on the chair across the table from him, a tub of ice cream in hand.”What?”
Satoshi shook his head and turned his gaze back to his laptop, smiling secretly at the not-so-innocent images the mere sight of ice cream, plus his very vivid thoughts of Sho, had brought to his mind.
And Ryoko was narrowing her eyes at him and smirking as though she could see into his head. “Have you two even exchanged numbers yet?”
Satoshi frowned. Come to think of it... “Nope.”
“You’ve hang out five times and you still haven’t exchanged numbers? Satoshi-ku~n...!”
Satoshi shrugged, suddenly wanting some of that ice cream Ryoko was daintily shoveling into her mouth. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to ask. He just didn’t think it was appropriate. Although they did progress quite beautifully to holding each other’s hand this afternoon, he didn’t really feel like pushing his luck too far and asking for Sho’s number right away.
There was also that little fact that when they both realized Sho was still wearing his ring, and thus reminded Satoshi quite sharply that he was also still wearing his, they pulled away and did not say a word, nor dared a glance at each other for what seemed like an eternity.
He could easily forget about these things when he was with Sho. But then reality had always never been too far behind. Whenever he took a brave step forward with a cheeky remark, a flitting touch, he always felt like slipping three steps back.
He was in-love with Sho. He had never made any effort of hiding this. And Ryoko had been nothing but a supportive and often rather too enthusiastic best friend always cheering him on.
But he was also still a married man...
“Papa?”
He glanced over his shoulder and caught sight of his little boy at the kitchen doorway, looking all yellow, orange, and bright in his Yuppi onesie. His heart flip-flopping in bittersweet delight, he held out his hand and beckoned for Jun to come.
The sleepy looking boy wobbled towards him, rubbing a hand to one eye, then the other, and effortlessly giving both his parents the giggles.
Satoshi pulled his son up to his lap when the boy finally made it to the table. And wasting not a breath or a second at all, Jun tapped his Yuppi paw to the image on his laptop and asked, “Whose hands are these?”
“It’s Papa’s...”
“And?”
Satoshi had deliberately left his answer hanging, hoping his son wouldn’t notice. Then again, Jun had always really been too smart for his age.
“It’s someone Papa loves,” Ryoko said, sidling up beside him and giving his shoulder a supportive squeeze.
“Doesn’t Papa love Mama?”
“He does.”
“Then isn’t this Mama’s hand?” Jun tapped his paw to the screen again, sounding more annoyed than confused.
“It’s someone Papa loves differently from Mama.”
“How come Papa has to love someone else than Mama?”
Satoshi felt like melting in his seat. His heart had already sunk too many times in the past minute alone that he was afraid he might not be able to feel anything ever again. It was seriously like rubbing jalapeños on an already festering wound.
How was he supposed to explain these things to a child?
“Because Papa has a big heart and it’s enough to fit Mama and Jun-kun, and this other person, Uncle Sho, in it,” Ryoko said without missing a beat, like she had been expecting this and had all along been preparing for it.
“Oh. Uncle Sho, huh?”
“Come along now.” Ryoko gave Satoshi a warm smile before scooping Jun up from his lap. “I’ll tuck you back into bed, because it’s waaaay past your bedtime, young man!” Ryoko bent down to give Satoshi access to both hers and Jun’s cheeks for goodnight kisses before heading out of the kitchen.
“Jun-chan has a bigger heart than Papa!” Jun announced, his squeaky voice gradually fading, but not without leaving hints and trails of cute along the way.
“Really? What makes Jun-chan say so?” Even Ryoko’s voice had taken on a childish lilt.
“Because Jun-chan loves Papa and Mama and Yuppi and Funasshi and Gachapin and Domo-kun and what’s that oyster-like mascot called, Mama?”
“Bunkakki?”
“Yes! And Bunkakki and Kumamon and... Can I wear my Kumamon pajamas tomorrow night, Mama?”
“Of course, Honey...”
“Can I love Uncle Sho too, Mama?”
“Yes you can, Jun-chan.”
Satoshi’s smile had stretched out from ear to ear and he could hardly even feel the minute pinches of pain and guilt in his heart.
The next time he saw Sho, he finally decided to ask for the man’s number.
And even though Sho did show a hint of hesitation for a moment, he eventually gave in.
It was the same old reasons. Company mergers, spawning heirs, promises made between old friends. It was any one or a combination of these things that dictated Sho’s and Satoshi’s lives for a while, practically catapulting them down the aisle, on separate occasions and at separate times, to tie the knot with partners who would really have been better off as their best friends.
Sho had always shared a mutual lack of romantic interest with Aoi, but they respected each other as legal partners. They both knew what this marriage meant and why it had to happen. They understood what they needed to do and never asked nor gave anything more.
Aoi was a shy woman who would initially rather keep to herself, often staying in her own quiet corner by the window, knitting all sorts of things. She made a muffler for Sho for every winter that passed since they married eight years ago. She took care of the house chores in the morning and always made time at night to talk and bond with Sho.
More than anything, she was a good companion. She listened attentively, never once lost her patience, never once raised her voice no matter how much Sho’s temper was bouncing off the walls over some unforeseen problems in the company.
She never made it hard for Sho to trust her. And it did not even take half a year before Sho came out to her in tears.
Aoi was already two months into her first pregnancy by then.
And his confession only pulled them closer and closer together. More so when Masaki was born.
Aoi began opening up to him, too. About her personal fears and worries, like that trip she took to a brain doctor that Sho had never heard about until then.
“Why? What for? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Aoi said with an embarrassed chuckle. “It’s just that I tend to be a little too forgetful at times.”
“I forget things too. I’ve never gone to a brain doctor because of it.”
“I bet you’ve never stepped out of the house with the TV remote in your bag, though.”
Sho snorted. “Why would I do that?”
“Exactly.”
Sho took a moment to process this. His wife couldn’t be that much of an airhead, could she? “And what did the doctor say?”
“That I’m fine. I just need to start paying more attention to my environment, is all he said.” Aoi gently laid the sleeping Masaki in his crib. “And I’ve gotten a lot better since Masaki came.”
“Well, I’m glad,” Sho said softly, clasping hands with his wife while they watched their beloved son sleep. “It would really be bad if you ended up forgetting Masaki somewhere...”
“Well, I’m really just glad Masaki did not get your sloping shoulders.”
“He might turn out airheaded, you know.”
Aoi gave his arm a playful slap, and they ended up having to leave the room for fear of waking their little boy up with their combined fits of laughter.
They never really planned to get pregnant again, but when Masaki was two and could already talk and make demands, he had expressly made a rather convincing appeal for a younger brother.
“Masaki is going to be lonely all by himself. Do you want Masaki to be lonely all by himself?”
So nine months later (after a couple of intimate attempts that were really more awkward giggles than actual sex), Kazunari came into their lives.
And it had really been quite a beautiful life. Very relaxed, uncomplicated. Even without the romantic feelings, he and Aoi had somehow managed to build a home that he knew he would never get tired of going back to at the end of every working day.
He couldn’t really think of anything else he wanted more than this.
But then Satoshi Ohno just had to barge right in and remind him all at once what he had been missing.
It was the sixth time they met this afternoon. And Sho had never felt more sure about what he wanted in his life.
“I gave him my number,” he said with a pleasant little tremble in his heart.
Aoi shifted beside him and propped her head in her hand to give him a closer look. “I knew there was something different about you tonight.”
Sho turned to face Aoi, the smile in his heart blatantly reflected on his lips, his eyes, and the faint flush in his cheeks. How a man his age could still flush as much as a schoolgirl confessing to her closest friend about her first kiss, did feel a little silly. But Sho could really care less at this point. “He asked for it.”
“I’m surprised it took him six weeks.” Aoi dropped her head to her arms, stared straight into Sho’s eyes. “Isn’t he a little slow?”
“I think we’ve got a good pace going.” Sho couldn’t help sighing at the sudden lump of guilt that rose to his throat. “I mean...” He raised his left hand between their faces. “I’m still pretty much married, you know.”
“I really admire the respect you have for our marriage.” Aoi gave him one of her sweetest smiles. “But you’re also not getting any younger.”
Sho reached up to brush a random strand of hair from his wife’s cheek. “I do wonder sometimes, how you can be so accepting about this.”
“There’s more than one way to love a person, Sho-kun.” Aoi brushed a hand through his hair. “Ours may not be the kind that can keep this marriage going forever, but it’s not in any way less concerned about your happiness.”
“And yours.”
“And mine,” Aoi agreed with a soft giggle that struck a pleasant chord in Sho’s heart. “It just so happened that you found love first and it’s my turn to support you.”
He leaned closer, just enough to brush a light kiss to Aoi’s forehead, his hand gentle and warm on the woman’s cheek. “Thank you.”
“Why don’t you invite him over some time?” Sho flushed up again at the familiar teasing grin on his wife’s lips. Aoi grabbed his hand and wove their fingers together, like soul sisters who would always have each other’s back. “We can have dinner or something. Then maybe his wife and I can hang out, take the kids somewhere and, you know...”
His eyes grew so big that Aoi’s smirk exploded into a full-blown laughter. He cleared his throat and managed a breathy, “I’ll ask him.”
The next time he saw Satoshi again, he invited the man to dinner at his house.
And though a little hesitant at first, Satoshi eventually agreed to come.
Like their weekend park dates, dinner at the Sakurais became a regular thing, too. So quickly and effortlessly that they hardly even realized when four weeks, four dinners, and more than a handful of nerve-wrackingly awkward conversations with the kids had already passed since the Ohnos first came by.
It was never awkward between their wives, though. The women got along so well with each other that Satoshi and Sho were almost inclined to think the women had been planning all of these all along. Even Masaki and Kazu made things easier for all of them when they reached out and made all the efforts to help Jun, who always insisted on coming in a different brightly colored onesie each week, open up to them and feel at home.
As it was, the dinners naturally turned into a family affair of sorts. They would talk, and they would laugh, tease and share anecdotes from their younger years, give and take advice on child-rearing, housekeeping, cooking, and even discreet dating like they had been friends for years.
The men were actually more embarrassed about it all than the women. Flushing to the tips of their ears as their wives came up with all sorts of strategies and plans to give them some ‘alone-time’ so they could get to know each other better. All the while casting a wink and a teasing smile their way.
Sometimes they did wonder how different it would all be if Ryoko and Aoi had been more resistant to the idea of the two of them sort-of dating. They would’ve probably gone and done the things they had been keeping themselves from doing all this time, just to see how far they could go, how much they could do, before they were found out.
It was really all because their wives had both been so giving and forgiving with them that they had been able to keep their hands off of each other, no matter how much the rest of their bodies insisted otherwise. And they both felt like they would really rather have it this way. Keep to a relaxed pace, the calmest approach to their rather unconventional relationship, so as not to unnecessarily complicate things.
The problem that they didn’t really expect, and were thus unprepared for were the kids’ surprising perceptiveness—
“Are you sleeping with our Dad?”
Satoshi gagged and sent the Pepsi in his mouth bursting right back into the can. A dash of it had shot up to his nose and he was coughing and teary-eyed as he stared at the seven-year-old Masaki staring back at him, waiting for an honest answer.
“See, I told you!” Kazu exclaimed, his tiny little hands cupped protectively over Jun’s ears.
He did not even realize that the kids had been standing beside him as he idled in the verandah, gazing out into the starred sky, musing about his life over a can of soda. And he must’ve really blanched big time because the kids at once felt the need to reassure him, like they thought they were old enough to do so.
“You don’t have to worry, Uncle Satoshi. It’s okay,” Masaki said, walking up to him and giving him a pat on the back that only made him want to gag again. Or back into a corner. Or run away.
“You make our Daddy happy, so it’s okay,” Kazu seconded, his hands still clamped over Jun’s ears. “I mean, he’s happy with Mom, too. But, you know, he’s happy different with you.
Munching on a piece of cookie, Jun regarded him with a quiet gaze that seemed to say the same thing. Satoshi didn’t know why, but he felt like Jun really did understand how things were between him and Sho. Kids really did grow up too fast these days.
“I’m not sleeping with your Dad,” he said, wanting to set the record straight and trying not to sound too sore about it.
“But you’re planning to, right?” Masaki looked up at him, almost challenging, teasing. He turned to Kazu and knew that ‘double team’ really did come in all shapes and sizes. Jun just kept munching on his cookie.
Satoshi was almost tempted to say ‘Yes’. What was the point of hiding when the kids could obviously read him better than he could read himself? He turned his gaze to the dining area, where he could just faintly hear Sho’s soulful laughter bouncing off the walls. He knew he would never tire of hearing that every day. He would live off of it for the rest of his life if he could. He was that much in-love.
A sudden twitch in his nether region pulled Satoshi’s attention back to his immediate space, where the kids had kept their gazes at him all this time, still waiting for an already obvious answer. It was a good thing he was wearing loose pants. And Sho should probably up the parental filters on their internet or something.
Thankfully, the man of the house—this house, at least—chose that moment to come join them with a can of beverage in each hand. The cans were each wrapped in a paper towel, neatly covering its base all around. He handed one to Satoshi, and Satoshi couldn’t help sighing at the almost heavenly scent of beer drifting into his nose. Finally.
“Dad, when you and Uncle Satoshi finally go do the-birds-and-the-bees, is Jun-chan gonna be our brother then?” -
They both ended up with beer up their noses, Sho more than him.
“Satoshi!” the scandalized man yelped in between clearing his throat and gawking at his eldest.
“I swear I didn’t say anything!” Satoshi threw his hands up in the air.
Masaki, for his part, just kept talking, totally oblivious to their discomfort. “Because it would totally be fine with us.” Or really just perceptive enough to offer his support.
“Yup!” Nino piped up, his hands slipping off ofJun’s ears, arms wrapping up around the younger boy’s shoulders. “Baka-nii can hardly wait to wear matching onesies with Jun-chan!”
“I’m your Onii-chan! Mou! DAD!”
“Kazunari.” Sho warned.
It wasn’t the first time that Satoshi heard the man use his authoritative voice. With his precocious son around, there had been quite a number of opportunities for it. It had a very leveled tone, never rough, never angry, and always seemed to be packed with equal amounts of warning and affection. Like a spank and a hug all rolled into one.
Satoshi found himself suddenly wondering how that would translate in bed. Then again, he’d probably be taking on the authoritative role there—
“I was just teasing, Dad,” Kazu was saying, pursing his bottom lip in a look of remorse that could’ve melted the Devil himself into a puddle of goo. He turned and said sorry to his older brother before they, much to Satoshi and Sho’s relief, were called by their moms to the kitchen for more cookies and cake.
It was Sho himself who grabbed Satoshi’s hand as soon as the kids were gone. “Jun-chan looks cute tonight in that Gachapin outfit.”
“It’s one of his favorites,” Satoshi offered with a fond grin as they turned to the verandah together.
They stayed quiet for a while, just basking in each other’s company, taking long sips of beer. Sho’s hand in his felt especially warm tonight.
“Two years, huh?” the younger man mused, eyes fixed on a random star. “Two years doesn’t seem to be all that long, right?”
“It’ll be over before we know it.” What little comfort Satoshi found in those words was enough to make him smile. Hope. Believe.
Two years should be enough time for them to sort through the knots and gnarly patches- in their lives.
In two years, they would’ve already come out to their parents, to their wives’ parents, to everyone else who cared, even to those who didn’t. They would’ve already settled into their identities, in their chosen romantic path, enough to feel confident in themselves, in what they have together, and in what it could still become by then.
In two years, Jun would be six and should be old enough to understand that even though Papa and Mama couldn’t stay together anymore, it would never in anyway lessen their love for each other, and most especially the mutual love they would forever share for their little Jun.
In two years, Satoshi and Sho would totally be free to go all the way, without restrictions, without any cause for guilt. With nothing to think about but their own feelings for each other. Nothing more and nothing less.
It was especially reassuring to know that Ryoko and Aoi would be there with them along the way
But until then, they would have to be patient.
Until then, they would have to wait and take delight in every little moment, every flitting closeness they could get to share. And try not to give in to the sensual tension that always seemed to crackle between them, crawling under their skin like electric bolts, sharp, raw, and sinful.
“Can we make it?” Sho’s voice cracked with uncertainty, raspy with want.
“One day at a time,” Satoshi said, clasping Sho’s hand tighter. “We’ll take it one day at a time, Sho-kun.”
The silence this time felt more comfortable than the last. They weren’t even feeling tipsy enough to blame the beer for it.
“You know what they say about shooting stars and wishes?” Sho said after a while.
“It’s for kids.”
Sho chuckled. “Why do you have to be such a grouch about it? It wouldn’t hurt to try, right? This night is perfect for it. Look.”
Satoshi did look. He had been looking all this time. The evening sky was awash in sparkly dots of potential wish-granters, and not one them had fallen since Satoshi got here. He sighed and decided to wait it out with Sho anyway.
Nothing wrong with it.
Nothing to it.
Just... nothing. Still nothing.
Every single star in the sky seemed to be winking at them, teasing them. Every single one proudly keeping its place.
“Who needs it, anyway?” Satoshi mumbled with a hint of rebellion, tipping the beer can to his lips. Who needed it, indeed? When he already knew that even if Fate did not intend to let them be together, he would still be doing everything he could to keep Sho by his side. He most certainly didn’t need a freakin’ star to tell him that!
Sho sighed. “At least, we can have ice cream...?”
A delighted hum rolled in Satoshi’s throat, knowing and wishful. “We’ll always have ice cream.” He brought Sho’s hand to his lips, kissed it and pressed it to his chest, close to his heart.
The blush it instantly brought to Sho’s cheeks, the shy smile that tweaked the corner of the man’s lips, were worth more than all the shooting stars that this night could ever give them.
They finally decided to join their lovely little family for dessert.
And it was when they turned around and away from the verandah, fingers still intertwined, hearts forever connected, that a falling star finally streaked through the night sky.
***Some passages taken from E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey.
***They're so well-behaved, I could cry... T^T
Thanks very much for reading~! <333
Group/Pairing: Arashi/Yama Pair (Ohno/Sho)
Side Pairing: Satoshi Ohno/Ryoko Kobayashi + Sho Sakurai/Aoi Miyazaki
Prompt: 19 Umbrella +
Word Count: 6192
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fluff/Humor
Summary: Satoshi and Sho love their wives. They also love each other. Theirs is no ordinary love affair.
Disclaimer: I own nobody. Purely fictional, of course. :3
Notes: Inspired by prompts from
je_prompts, imagine your otp, and xrachiebunniex. First scene came up because I saw this again, sorry. orzAlso, the attempt at fluff
Note II: Downloadable version here made by the lovely
rifnaoei ♥It was the shutter sound that caught Sho’s attention first.
“You’re late,” he said without looking, without even a tiny hint of a smile. He kept his eyes on the book in his lap, held open there more for display than anything else.
“I didn’t know you were waiting.” Satoshi sat on his usual place at the opposite end of the bench. “Jun-chan threw a fit and Ryoko-chan had to literally kick me out of the house.”
“Again?” Sho frowned at the way the older man was cradling his Canon EOS-M close to his chest protectively, like it was more precious than life itself.
Satoshi snickered softly. “Again.”
“Huh.” Sho grinned, fondly remembering how it was also because Satoshi was kicked out for fussing too much over his son that they had met by chance four weeks ago. Here in this exact same place, at this exact same day, though about half an hour later than the first couple of times. “I think you’re spoiling that boy too much,” he mumbled, pretending to get back to the reading he had yet to even begin.
Satoshi leaned back with a sigh, rocking the bench softly. There had always been something oddly comforting about the soft creek the man’s weight produced on wood, though the distance between them had yet to dwindle. “He’s only four, after all. Well, almost. And it’s not like you’re any better, Sho-kun.”
That quip deserved a chuckle, which Sho generously gave. “I went out before Aoi-chan could scream at me to scat off!”
“I bet you grabbed a random book on your way out, too.”
“Yeah,” he started saying, then frowned at the title that met his gaze when he flipped the book close. “Fifty Shades of...” He flushed instantly when he remembered why exactly he had randomly pulled this book from his wife’s shelf.
Satoshi scooted over a little to see. “...Grey? What’s it about?”
Snippets from their conversation a week ago flashed through Sho’s mind, making his skin crawl and shiver with discomfort. “Uh...”
Satoshi grabbed the book and casually flipped through the pages. “Ryoko-chan would definitely think up more ways of teasing me about my grey briefs when she sees this.” He pouted, the same way he did before, forcing Sho to look away and take a deep calming breath that aligned his sloping shoulders for a brief moment. Aoi, his wife, never did tire teasing him about them, too. “Uhm... I didn’t know you were into this kind of stuff, Sho-kun.”
“What?” Sho turned and snorted at the sight of his companion doubling over something he had just read. “What is it?” He slid closer, much too close that their shoulders were already bumping.
Satoshi slapped Sho’s hand away when Sho tried to reach for the book. Then cleared his throat and started reading in a hilariously girly voice that was like a cross between a bird’s and a drowning mouse’s. “Pulling off his boxer briefs, his erection springs free. Holy cow—!”
“Are you serious?!” Sho leaned his full weight on Satoshi, both of them quickly losing themselves in a rather shameless fit of snorty laughter as they flipped through more pages and mumbled out passages that caught their eyes about spatulas and riding crops and a whole lot of other stuffs they would never be able to look at the same way ever again.
They looked like little boys newly discovering the wonders of porn. They had even attracted the attention of some park-goers, but they were already so deeply lost in their own little world, too tightly wrapped up in the comfort of each other’s company, that they could hardly really be bothered at this point.
“I wasn’t even reading it, I swear!” Sho found himself exclaiming after a while, suddenly feeling the need to defend himself. He couldn’t just let Satoshi have all the wrong impressions of him, especially not when they were just starting to get to know each other.
Satoshi wiggled his brows skeptically. “Uh-huh.”
“I swear!” Sho squeaked again, noting how Satoshi’s tanned cheeks had put on a faint blush and somehow feeling comforted by it. At least, the man didn’t seem offended, or in any way put off by his accidental choice of literature.
“Maybe we should start reading,” Satoshi mused, his eyes silently moving down a particular page, his lips curling and pursing out in amusement. “Take hints from it or something.”
“We haven’t really, um, you know... Aoi-chan and I... Since Kazu, our youngest, was born.” That was probably telling a little too much by normal standards, but they had, after all, already exchanged more than a passing secret. He peered at the page that had so caught Satoshi’s attention and involuntarily cringed at seeing ice cream and nipples in the same sentence. “I don’t get an impression of your wife going for this kind of thing.”
“Ryoko-chan likes ice cream. And all kinds of dessert. But yeah. I’m not really sure if she would like it...” Satoshi smoothly switched to his girly voice again, this time sounding breathy and sensual, “...down the center of my body, across my stomach, and into my navel...”
If a man could die suffocating on his own laughter, Sho was just a laugh and a breath away from doing so and Satoshi was not much far behind. They were already snorting like pigs, sounding and looking nothing like the respectable and well-pressed corporate professionals they usually were on weekdays, and none of them seemed to really care at all.
Sho forcibly grabbed the book before Satoshi ended up scaring the kids nearby with his guttural moans. “I told you to stop already! Mou!”
He tucked the book away to the side, front cover down. He would have to be more careful about choosing the books he was going to take to the park from now on, whether he meant to read them or not. Even though he would admit he did thoroughly enjoy hearing Satoshi’s overdone impressions of a woman in the throes of passion.
Maybe, if there were just the two of them, in a more private place... Perhaps one of these days, he could show Satoshi his own impressions of Sho Sakurai in the throes of passion.
But then again—
“We also haven’t, you know.... Since we had Jun-kun.”
Sho did not even know how much he needed to hear that until Satoshi willingly offered it, like the man had somehow caught a whiff of his thoughts and had wanted to reassure him that they weren’t going down this path with their eyes closed and their hands and feet tied down.
Aoi understood what he really needed, who he really was, the same way that Satoshi’s wife did. The women in their lives had always been more like their best friends than their lifelong partners, patiently supporting them, sometimes even teasing them, and more importantly covering up for them whenever they dared enough to step out and trust their hearts to fate.
It had always been clear how both parties felt about each arranged marriage—Sho’s happening about four years earlier than Satoshi’s—and they both felt like they had already kept their sides of the bargain and had thus earned the right to find their own happiness in return.
It did take a while for him to realize it, and it might still take a while longer to fully accept it, but Sho knew, just by looking at Satoshi, and in those brief moments when their eyes would meet before shyly looking away at the exact same time and in the exact same breaths, that this was where he had always wanted to be. Right beside this man—
“Do you like ice cream, Sho-kun?”
Sho almost choked on the sudden lump in his throat. It would have been just another casual question shared between friends, if it wasn’t for that scene that Satoshi had just been so vividly acting out for him a while back. It wasn’t like the man had made any effort to hide the suggestive connotation in his words, either.
Satoshi wasn’t looking at him, but if the fact that the man’s face had gone through fifty shades of red in the past couple of seconds were any indication, Sho could clearly tell that his sort-of special friend was already harboring wishful thoughts of a future encounter. In private with just the two of them. And perhaps a tub of ice cream or two.
It was a subtle, yet boldfaced invitation to try and take that one step forward. Venture further into what they had been hoping they would eventually share.
And Sho could not help but show the man his own brand of cheekiness to match. “Maybe we’ll see each other again and you’ll find out.” He curved his lips in a half grin, trying to look flirty and self-assured even though he could already feel the numbing flush reaching the tip of his toes.
Satoshi did not immediately respond, and for a moment Sho was afraid he might’ve gone and overdone it. Had read too much into what really was just a casual question. But then he saw the tender twitch of the man’s lips, forming into a secret smile, and knew then that they were still on the right path, moving at the right speed.
“I won’t be late next time,” Satoshi finally said, reaching over with his little finger to lightly brush the skin of Sho’s hand.
The soft, flitting touch sent a dozen jolting bolts rushing through Sho’s entire body, setting all of his nerve endings on fire and making him visibly flinch on his seat. He did not even realize until then that their hands had been pressed side by side on the bench all this time.
Satoshi chuckled at his reaction. “Aren’t you a little jumpy?”
“Shut up,” he mumbled into his cheek.
“May I?”
Satoshi’s fingers hovered over his hand, letting him feel a little of the warmth it was promising to give. Sho willingly turned his hand over and intertwined his fingers through Satoshi’s hand himself.
Their hands fit right into each other, like two pieces of the same puzzle that had finally found their way home.
Of course, Satoshi just had to take a snapshot of it.
And even joked about calling it, ‘To Fifty Shades of Ice Cream and Beyond’.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
It was the pair of eyes that caught Satoshi’s attention first.
He had been walking circles around the small public park five blocks down from the house he shared with Ryoko and their son, halfheartedly snapping one random photo after the next, because he would really rather be at home playing with Jun, when his eyes locked on Sho Sakurai for the very first time.
The man who was going to be occupying his mind from then, and most probably for good, was sitting alone on the bench quite efficiently shaded by the trees from the glare of the afternoon sun. It was a beautiful scene. The lighting was just right to cast bright spots and shadows where they were needed to perfectly frame the man, seemingly lost in deep thought, in a portrait of calm introspection and subtle mystery.
He didn’t even need to tell himself what he wanted to do. He already had his camera trained on the scene, was already snapping photos while walking closer to get a better focus, the best possible angles, before he even fully realized what he was doing.
His subject noticed him halfway through his approach and instantly threw a burning glare into his lenses.
It was at that moment when Satoshi first decided that he did not want to ever see that kind of angry, suspicious look on this man’s face again, nor in any way be the reason for it.
It had been five weeks since, five rather fruitful encounters later. Satoshi did not even remember ever talking about turning this into a regular thing. It was just that he thought he’d come to the park again the following week, be at the exact same spot in the exact same time and hope to at least catch a glimpse of his new friend.
Fortunately, Sho had thought of doing the same. The following week, too. And the week after that. It was amazing how their minds, their thoughts, their wants could naturally synchronize just like that.
It was how Satoshi knew for sure that there was more to this than a mere casual encounter.
He was pretending to do some post-processing on his shots the evening following their fifth unplanned date—pretending because he was really just staring rather than doing anything at all—when Ryoko came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and brushing a light kiss to his cheek.
“He’s really pretty, isn’t he?” she remarked, resting her chin on top of Satoshi’s shoulder as they both gazed at the blown up image on his laptop monitor. It was the shot he took of Sho this afternoon while the man was busily feigning interest in the rather titillating book he had unknowingly taken to the park. Or so he said he did so unknowingly.
Not that Satoshi minded either way.
It was just Sho’s side profile. But even Ryoko agreed that it was the best side profile of a man she had ever seen. “And it doesn’t have anything to do with your photog skills, mind you,” she teased.
“I think I made him look a little better—”
“Uhm... No,” Ryoko hummed before sauntering off to the fridge.
“Not even a little?”
Leaning against the open fridge door, Ryoko looked over her shoulder and appeared to be mulling it over for a while. “Okay, maybe a little,” she gave in giggling.
Satoshi always did love the sound of his wife’s giggles. A well-rounded, yet very delicate chime, just a subtle playful, and never too hard to please. It had never failed to make him feel comfortable and somewhat at home.
He clicked over to the next photo and almost giggled himself as pixie butterflies began making a riot in his chest.
“So, what did you two talk about today?” Ryoko asked while still raiding the fridge.
Fixing his tender gaze on the image of his and Sho’s intertwined hands on the screen, he sighed and willingly surrendered himself to the flush that quickly overtook his body. “Ice cream.”
“Perfect!” The fridge’s door closed with a soft thud and Ryoko was soon flopping on the chair across the table from him, a tub of ice cream in hand.”What?”
Satoshi shook his head and turned his gaze back to his laptop, smiling secretly at the not-so-innocent images the mere sight of ice cream, plus his very vivid thoughts of Sho, had brought to his mind.
And Ryoko was narrowing her eyes at him and smirking as though she could see into his head. “Have you two even exchanged numbers yet?”
Satoshi frowned. Come to think of it... “Nope.”
“You’ve hang out five times and you still haven’t exchanged numbers? Satoshi-ku~n...!”
Satoshi shrugged, suddenly wanting some of that ice cream Ryoko was daintily shoveling into her mouth. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to ask. He just didn’t think it was appropriate. Although they did progress quite beautifully to holding each other’s hand this afternoon, he didn’t really feel like pushing his luck too far and asking for Sho’s number right away.
There was also that little fact that when they both realized Sho was still wearing his ring, and thus reminded Satoshi quite sharply that he was also still wearing his, they pulled away and did not say a word, nor dared a glance at each other for what seemed like an eternity.
He could easily forget about these things when he was with Sho. But then reality had always never been too far behind. Whenever he took a brave step forward with a cheeky remark, a flitting touch, he always felt like slipping three steps back.
He was in-love with Sho. He had never made any effort of hiding this. And Ryoko had been nothing but a supportive and often rather too enthusiastic best friend always cheering him on.
But he was also still a married man...
“Papa?”
He glanced over his shoulder and caught sight of his little boy at the kitchen doorway, looking all yellow, orange, and bright in his Yuppi onesie. His heart flip-flopping in bittersweet delight, he held out his hand and beckoned for Jun to come.
The sleepy looking boy wobbled towards him, rubbing a hand to one eye, then the other, and effortlessly giving both his parents the giggles.
Satoshi pulled his son up to his lap when the boy finally made it to the table. And wasting not a breath or a second at all, Jun tapped his Yuppi paw to the image on his laptop and asked, “Whose hands are these?”
“It’s Papa’s...”
“And?”
Satoshi had deliberately left his answer hanging, hoping his son wouldn’t notice. Then again, Jun had always really been too smart for his age.
“It’s someone Papa loves,” Ryoko said, sidling up beside him and giving his shoulder a supportive squeeze.
“Doesn’t Papa love Mama?”
“He does.”
“Then isn’t this Mama’s hand?” Jun tapped his paw to the screen again, sounding more annoyed than confused.
“It’s someone Papa loves differently from Mama.”
“How come Papa has to love someone else than Mama?”
Satoshi felt like melting in his seat. His heart had already sunk too many times in the past minute alone that he was afraid he might not be able to feel anything ever again. It was seriously like rubbing jalapeños on an already festering wound.
How was he supposed to explain these things to a child?
“Because Papa has a big heart and it’s enough to fit Mama and Jun-kun, and this other person, Uncle Sho, in it,” Ryoko said without missing a beat, like she had been expecting this and had all along been preparing for it.
“Oh. Uncle Sho, huh?”
“Come along now.” Ryoko gave Satoshi a warm smile before scooping Jun up from his lap. “I’ll tuck you back into bed, because it’s waaaay past your bedtime, young man!” Ryoko bent down to give Satoshi access to both hers and Jun’s cheeks for goodnight kisses before heading out of the kitchen.
“Jun-chan has a bigger heart than Papa!” Jun announced, his squeaky voice gradually fading, but not without leaving hints and trails of cute along the way.
“Really? What makes Jun-chan say so?” Even Ryoko’s voice had taken on a childish lilt.
“Because Jun-chan loves Papa and Mama and Yuppi and Funasshi and Gachapin and Domo-kun and what’s that oyster-like mascot called, Mama?”
“Bunkakki?”
“Yes! And Bunkakki and Kumamon and... Can I wear my Kumamon pajamas tomorrow night, Mama?”
“Of course, Honey...”
“Can I love Uncle Sho too, Mama?”
“Yes you can, Jun-chan.”
Satoshi’s smile had stretched out from ear to ear and he could hardly even feel the minute pinches of pain and guilt in his heart.
The next time he saw Sho, he finally decided to ask for the man’s number.
And even though Sho did show a hint of hesitation for a moment, he eventually gave in.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
It was the same old reasons. Company mergers, spawning heirs, promises made between old friends. It was any one or a combination of these things that dictated Sho’s and Satoshi’s lives for a while, practically catapulting them down the aisle, on separate occasions and at separate times, to tie the knot with partners who would really have been better off as their best friends.
Sho had always shared a mutual lack of romantic interest with Aoi, but they respected each other as legal partners. They both knew what this marriage meant and why it had to happen. They understood what they needed to do and never asked nor gave anything more.
Aoi was a shy woman who would initially rather keep to herself, often staying in her own quiet corner by the window, knitting all sorts of things. She made a muffler for Sho for every winter that passed since they married eight years ago. She took care of the house chores in the morning and always made time at night to talk and bond with Sho.
More than anything, she was a good companion. She listened attentively, never once lost her patience, never once raised her voice no matter how much Sho’s temper was bouncing off the walls over some unforeseen problems in the company.
She never made it hard for Sho to trust her. And it did not even take half a year before Sho came out to her in tears.
Aoi was already two months into her first pregnancy by then.
And his confession only pulled them closer and closer together. More so when Masaki was born.
Aoi began opening up to him, too. About her personal fears and worries, like that trip she took to a brain doctor that Sho had never heard about until then.
“Why? What for? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Aoi said with an embarrassed chuckle. “It’s just that I tend to be a little too forgetful at times.”
“I forget things too. I’ve never gone to a brain doctor because of it.”
“I bet you’ve never stepped out of the house with the TV remote in your bag, though.”
Sho snorted. “Why would I do that?”
“Exactly.”
Sho took a moment to process this. His wife couldn’t be that much of an airhead, could she? “And what did the doctor say?”
“That I’m fine. I just need to start paying more attention to my environment, is all he said.” Aoi gently laid the sleeping Masaki in his crib. “And I’ve gotten a lot better since Masaki came.”
“Well, I’m glad,” Sho said softly, clasping hands with his wife while they watched their beloved son sleep. “It would really be bad if you ended up forgetting Masaki somewhere...”
“Well, I’m really just glad Masaki did not get your sloping shoulders.”
“He might turn out airheaded, you know.”
Aoi gave his arm a playful slap, and they ended up having to leave the room for fear of waking their little boy up with their combined fits of laughter.
They never really planned to get pregnant again, but when Masaki was two and could already talk and make demands, he had expressly made a rather convincing appeal for a younger brother.
“Masaki is going to be lonely all by himself. Do you want Masaki to be lonely all by himself?”
So nine months later (after a couple of intimate attempts that were really more awkward giggles than actual sex), Kazunari came into their lives.
And it had really been quite a beautiful life. Very relaxed, uncomplicated. Even without the romantic feelings, he and Aoi had somehow managed to build a home that he knew he would never get tired of going back to at the end of every working day.
He couldn’t really think of anything else he wanted more than this.
But then Satoshi Ohno just had to barge right in and remind him all at once what he had been missing.
It was the sixth time they met this afternoon. And Sho had never felt more sure about what he wanted in his life.
“I gave him my number,” he said with a pleasant little tremble in his heart.
Aoi shifted beside him and propped her head in her hand to give him a closer look. “I knew there was something different about you tonight.”
Sho turned to face Aoi, the smile in his heart blatantly reflected on his lips, his eyes, and the faint flush in his cheeks. How a man his age could still flush as much as a schoolgirl confessing to her closest friend about her first kiss, did feel a little silly. But Sho could really care less at this point. “He asked for it.”
“I’m surprised it took him six weeks.” Aoi dropped her head to her arms, stared straight into Sho’s eyes. “Isn’t he a little slow?”
“I think we’ve got a good pace going.” Sho couldn’t help sighing at the sudden lump of guilt that rose to his throat. “I mean...” He raised his left hand between their faces. “I’m still pretty much married, you know.”
“I really admire the respect you have for our marriage.” Aoi gave him one of her sweetest smiles. “But you’re also not getting any younger.”
Sho reached up to brush a random strand of hair from his wife’s cheek. “I do wonder sometimes, how you can be so accepting about this.”
“There’s more than one way to love a person, Sho-kun.” Aoi brushed a hand through his hair. “Ours may not be the kind that can keep this marriage going forever, but it’s not in any way less concerned about your happiness.”
“And yours.”
“And mine,” Aoi agreed with a soft giggle that struck a pleasant chord in Sho’s heart. “It just so happened that you found love first and it’s my turn to support you.”
He leaned closer, just enough to brush a light kiss to Aoi’s forehead, his hand gentle and warm on the woman’s cheek. “Thank you.”
“Why don’t you invite him over some time?” Sho flushed up again at the familiar teasing grin on his wife’s lips. Aoi grabbed his hand and wove their fingers together, like soul sisters who would always have each other’s back. “We can have dinner or something. Then maybe his wife and I can hang out, take the kids somewhere and, you know...”
His eyes grew so big that Aoi’s smirk exploded into a full-blown laughter. He cleared his throat and managed a breathy, “I’ll ask him.”
The next time he saw Satoshi again, he invited the man to dinner at his house.
And though a little hesitant at first, Satoshi eventually agreed to come.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Like their weekend park dates, dinner at the Sakurais became a regular thing, too. So quickly and effortlessly that they hardly even realized when four weeks, four dinners, and more than a handful of nerve-wrackingly awkward conversations with the kids had already passed since the Ohnos first came by.
It was never awkward between their wives, though. The women got along so well with each other that Satoshi and Sho were almost inclined to think the women had been planning all of these all along. Even Masaki and Kazu made things easier for all of them when they reached out and made all the efforts to help Jun, who always insisted on coming in a different brightly colored onesie each week, open up to them and feel at home.
As it was, the dinners naturally turned into a family affair of sorts. They would talk, and they would laugh, tease and share anecdotes from their younger years, give and take advice on child-rearing, housekeeping, cooking, and even discreet dating like they had been friends for years.
The men were actually more embarrassed about it all than the women. Flushing to the tips of their ears as their wives came up with all sorts of strategies and plans to give them some ‘alone-time’ so they could get to know each other better. All the while casting a wink and a teasing smile their way.
Sometimes they did wonder how different it would all be if Ryoko and Aoi had been more resistant to the idea of the two of them sort-of dating. They would’ve probably gone and done the things they had been keeping themselves from doing all this time, just to see how far they could go, how much they could do, before they were found out.
It was really all because their wives had both been so giving and forgiving with them that they had been able to keep their hands off of each other, no matter how much the rest of their bodies insisted otherwise. And they both felt like they would really rather have it this way. Keep to a relaxed pace, the calmest approach to their rather unconventional relationship, so as not to unnecessarily complicate things.
The problem that they didn’t really expect, and were thus unprepared for were the kids’ surprising perceptiveness—
“Are you sleeping with our Dad?”
Satoshi gagged and sent the Pepsi in his mouth bursting right back into the can. A dash of it had shot up to his nose and he was coughing and teary-eyed as he stared at the seven-year-old Masaki staring back at him, waiting for an honest answer.
“See, I told you!” Kazu exclaimed, his tiny little hands cupped protectively over Jun’s ears.
He did not even realize that the kids had been standing beside him as he idled in the verandah, gazing out into the starred sky, musing about his life over a can of soda. And he must’ve really blanched big time because the kids at once felt the need to reassure him, like they thought they were old enough to do so.
“You don’t have to worry, Uncle Satoshi. It’s okay,” Masaki said, walking up to him and giving him a pat on the back that only made him want to gag again. Or back into a corner. Or run away.
“You make our Daddy happy, so it’s okay,” Kazu seconded, his hands still clamped over Jun’s ears. “I mean, he’s happy with Mom, too. But, you know, he’s happy different with you.
Munching on a piece of cookie, Jun regarded him with a quiet gaze that seemed to say the same thing. Satoshi didn’t know why, but he felt like Jun really did understand how things were between him and Sho. Kids really did grow up too fast these days.
“I’m not sleeping with your Dad,” he said, wanting to set the record straight and trying not to sound too sore about it.
“But you’re planning to, right?” Masaki looked up at him, almost challenging, teasing. He turned to Kazu and knew that ‘double team’ really did come in all shapes and sizes. Jun just kept munching on his cookie.
Satoshi was almost tempted to say ‘Yes’. What was the point of hiding when the kids could obviously read him better than he could read himself? He turned his gaze to the dining area, where he could just faintly hear Sho’s soulful laughter bouncing off the walls. He knew he would never tire of hearing that every day. He would live off of it for the rest of his life if he could. He was that much in-love.
A sudden twitch in his nether region pulled Satoshi’s attention back to his immediate space, where the kids had kept their gazes at him all this time, still waiting for an already obvious answer. It was a good thing he was wearing loose pants. And Sho should probably up the parental filters on their internet or something.
Thankfully, the man of the house—this house, at least—chose that moment to come join them with a can of beverage in each hand. The cans were each wrapped in a paper towel, neatly covering its base all around. He handed one to Satoshi, and Satoshi couldn’t help sighing at the almost heavenly scent of beer drifting into his nose. Finally.
“Dad, when you and Uncle Satoshi finally go do the-birds-and-the-bees, is Jun-chan gonna be our brother then?” -
They both ended up with beer up their noses, Sho more than him.
“Satoshi!” the scandalized man yelped in between clearing his throat and gawking at his eldest.
“I swear I didn’t say anything!” Satoshi threw his hands up in the air.
Masaki, for his part, just kept talking, totally oblivious to their discomfort. “Because it would totally be fine with us.” Or really just perceptive enough to offer his support.
“Yup!” Nino piped up, his hands slipping off ofJun’s ears, arms wrapping up around the younger boy’s shoulders. “Baka-nii can hardly wait to wear matching onesies with Jun-chan!”
“I’m your Onii-chan! Mou! DAD!”
“Kazunari.” Sho warned.
It wasn’t the first time that Satoshi heard the man use his authoritative voice. With his precocious son around, there had been quite a number of opportunities for it. It had a very leveled tone, never rough, never angry, and always seemed to be packed with equal amounts of warning and affection. Like a spank and a hug all rolled into one.
Satoshi found himself suddenly wondering how that would translate in bed. Then again, he’d probably be taking on the authoritative role there—
“I was just teasing, Dad,” Kazu was saying, pursing his bottom lip in a look of remorse that could’ve melted the Devil himself into a puddle of goo. He turned and said sorry to his older brother before they, much to Satoshi and Sho’s relief, were called by their moms to the kitchen for more cookies and cake.
It was Sho himself who grabbed Satoshi’s hand as soon as the kids were gone. “Jun-chan looks cute tonight in that Gachapin outfit.”
“It’s one of his favorites,” Satoshi offered with a fond grin as they turned to the verandah together.
They stayed quiet for a while, just basking in each other’s company, taking long sips of beer. Sho’s hand in his felt especially warm tonight.
“Two years, huh?” the younger man mused, eyes fixed on a random star. “Two years doesn’t seem to be all that long, right?”
“It’ll be over before we know it.” What little comfort Satoshi found in those words was enough to make him smile. Hope. Believe.
Two years should be enough time for them to sort through the knots and gnarly patches- in their lives.
In two years, they would’ve already come out to their parents, to their wives’ parents, to everyone else who cared, even to those who didn’t. They would’ve already settled into their identities, in their chosen romantic path, enough to feel confident in themselves, in what they have together, and in what it could still become by then.
In two years, Jun would be six and should be old enough to understand that even though Papa and Mama couldn’t stay together anymore, it would never in anyway lessen their love for each other, and most especially the mutual love they would forever share for their little Jun.
In two years, Satoshi and Sho would totally be free to go all the way, without restrictions, without any cause for guilt. With nothing to think about but their own feelings for each other. Nothing more and nothing less.
It was especially reassuring to know that Ryoko and Aoi would be there with them along the way
But until then, they would have to be patient.
Until then, they would have to wait and take delight in every little moment, every flitting closeness they could get to share. And try not to give in to the sensual tension that always seemed to crackle between them, crawling under their skin like electric bolts, sharp, raw, and sinful.
“Can we make it?” Sho’s voice cracked with uncertainty, raspy with want.
“One day at a time,” Satoshi said, clasping Sho’s hand tighter. “We’ll take it one day at a time, Sho-kun.”
The silence this time felt more comfortable than the last. They weren’t even feeling tipsy enough to blame the beer for it.
“You know what they say about shooting stars and wishes?” Sho said after a while.
“It’s for kids.”
Sho chuckled. “Why do you have to be such a grouch about it? It wouldn’t hurt to try, right? This night is perfect for it. Look.”
Satoshi did look. He had been looking all this time. The evening sky was awash in sparkly dots of potential wish-granters, and not one them had fallen since Satoshi got here. He sighed and decided to wait it out with Sho anyway.
Nothing wrong with it.
Nothing to it.
Just... nothing. Still nothing.
Every single star in the sky seemed to be winking at them, teasing them. Every single one proudly keeping its place.
“Who needs it, anyway?” Satoshi mumbled with a hint of rebellion, tipping the beer can to his lips. Who needed it, indeed? When he already knew that even if Fate did not intend to let them be together, he would still be doing everything he could to keep Sho by his side. He most certainly didn’t need a freakin’ star to tell him that!
Sho sighed. “At least, we can have ice cream...?”
A delighted hum rolled in Satoshi’s throat, knowing and wishful. “We’ll always have ice cream.” He brought Sho’s hand to his lips, kissed it and pressed it to his chest, close to his heart.
The blush it instantly brought to Sho’s cheeks, the shy smile that tweaked the corner of the man’s lips, were worth more than all the shooting stars that this night could ever give them.
They finally decided to join their lovely little family for dessert.
And it was when they turned around and away from the verandah, fingers still intertwined, hearts forever connected, that a falling star finally streaked through the night sky.
#####
***Some passages taken from E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey.
***They're so well-behaved, I could cry... T^T
Thanks very much for reading~! <333
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