stormyexchange | A raindrop for tomtoru001! (3/3)

Ohno concluded his speech with a shy smile, as the crowd clapped. Sho was standing behind him, watching all the people who came to the grand opening of the exhibition, and feeling proud. After all, even if they didn’t know that, behind all that work there was him too. And not only him, because all the gallery’s staff worked on it, and when he locked eyes with Aiba, who was next to him, shoulder against shoulder, he understood that they were thinking the same thing.

‘We did a great job.’

Unfortunately, Aiba had to go do his job and attend to the guests together with the gallery’s guides. So, with a promise to see each other on his lunch break, they parted, and Sho dragged Ohno around the gallery.

“So, I can’t go to the café yet?” his friend complained.

He looked at his watch, “In one hour from now.”

Ohno sighed and threw his head back. Sho slapped him playfully on his arm.

“Please, it’s your exhibition, you should seem happy.”

“I’m happy, Sho-kun, and I do like to wander around and look at my artworks, just—”

“Alone, right?”

“Yeah,” Ohno grinned, happy to see that he didn’t need to explain himself. “By the way, from now it’s as we usually do, right?”

“Yes, you just have to come here from time to time, or when I ask you to.”

“As usual, we have to wait for new offers to host the exhibition elsewhere. If there will be any.”

Sho patted his friend’s shoulder, “You always say that but you know there are going to be, don’t you?”

Ohno stopped in front of one of his drawings and contemplated it for a while. He replied to Sho's question while still having his eyes on it, “Sometimes it’s still surreal that people like my art.”

“Why?”

“People pay for my art, Sho-kun.” He turned towards his manager and chuckled, amused, “Isn’t it weird?”

“You have talent, so I don’t find it weird at all,” Sho answered sincerely. He didn’t know why Ohno felt weird about it, or if he felt unsure of his art, but to him, it was just normal that people paid to see his drawings. They were amazing because they could move something in others, and that was what made Ohno’s art special.”

“If you say so,” Ohno shrugged.

Sho laughed at his friend’s attitude but switched immediately back to his manager-self when he saw the director of one of Osaka’s galleries approaching them.

“Here we go, Ohno-kun. Business time,” Sho gave him the cue and they both composed themselves.

“Let’s go,” Ohno followed.

Sho stole a glance at his watch, and gladly noticed that it was lunchtime. With a grin on his face, he moved towards the staff reserved part of the gallery, where Aiba’s office was.

“I suppose things are going well with Aiba-chan?”

Sho turned to see Ohno giggling. “What makes you say so?”

“You look the happiest you’ve ever been, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re about to skip, even.”

“I’m just happy that it’s lunchtime, that’s all,” he said, trying to put on a serious face.

Ohno nudged him and kept his head close to his, “You know, it’s actually nice to finally see you like this.”

Sho’s brows furrowed, “What do you mean?”

“You always looked stressed with others somehow, but with Aiba you finally seem at peace.”

“Y-You noticed?” he stuttered, shocked.

“I don’t ask, but I see you, Sho-kun.”

Sho had never realized that his friend was looking at him that closely. Even if they were close, Ohno had never asked him too much about his love life, and had never made any comments about it. He thought that the reason was because Ohno was more focused on other things, like art, fishing, camping, or his own relationships. And instead, it was just out of respect.

Ohno was reserved, and as such he didn’t like to talk much about private stuff, and in exchange he didn’t pry into other people's. However, this didn’t mean that he couldn’t worry for Sho or notice that he was sad or upset over something. He could look like a lone wolf, but Ohno cared about his loved ones.

“Well—Mmh, yeah, it’s different with Aiba-kun.” Since Ohno didn’t know the true reason behind Sho’s breakups, he said something simple but that was true, “He understands me, and he also accepts me.”

“That’s great,” Ohno ruffled his hair affectionately, “You got yourself a good boyfriend.”

“Yeah,” Sho could only reply, a shy smile on his lips.

‘Finally, he won’t be alone anymore. I’m so happy for him.’ Ohno’s hand left Sho’s nape, as the man went ahead to talk to some staff person who was calling for him.

Sho stood in the middle of the hallway, looking at Ohno and smiling, moved, knowing how much Ohno wanted his happiness. Who knew how many times he had wanted to say something but stayed quiet, afraid to bother Sho or to meddle into his life. Who knew how many times he had to witness a shattered Sho after a breakup, and had tried to cheer him up?

“He’s such a great friend.”

🍒 🍒 🍒

“Jun-kun, you finally managed!” Sho exclaimed as soon as he saw his best friend coming into the gallery.

“Gotta be here for my two friends,” the man said happily. “So, where’s the artist?”

“He is not here today.”

Jun widened his eyes before rolling them in annoyance, “He’s already skipping the exhibition?”

“He had a sudden burst of inspiration, so he is currently in his studio,” he explained.

“I guess I can forgive him, then,” Jun said, “So, my guide will be you?”

“It could be Ninomiya-san if you want to,” he smirked, teasing his friend.

Jun took out his glasses and put them on, “So you and Aiba-kun can be the lovebirds you are in his office? No, thank you.”

Sho glared at him, but eventually chuckled, “Come on, let’s go.”

When they started to go around the exhibition, they caught a glimpse of Aiba who was talking to some guests, and Jun didn’t fail to point out Sho’s heart eyes. Then, as if remembering suddenly, he slapped his arm lightly.

“Hey, what happened with him in the end? Did you tell him?”

Sho hesitated a bit but then smiled broadly, “Yes, and it went well.”

“For real?!” Jun exclaimed, excitedly.

He nodded, not only once but many times, as he felt again the happiness that rushed through him that night.

“Bro,” Jun stretched a hand, and Sho took it, as they hugged briefly. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you.”

“So, is he really okay with it? Did he regret it as of now?”

“Everything’s fine. He was sincere when he told me that he didn’t mind. He’s acting as always.”

Jun took his shoulder and squeezed it, “God, you finally made it.”

“I still can’t believe it,” he whispered. Somehow, it was too good to be true. Sho’s demisexuality finally not interfering with his relationship? That looked like a dream, but it was true, because Aiba loved him earnestly. If he wasn’t able to read minds, then all this couldn’t have happened. “You know, I have to thank this power for this.”

“Being a magic user isn’t that bad, then?”

“Well, it is, but I can turn a blind eye on it for the moment.”

“About that,” Jun suddenly got serious, “What are you going to do about it?”

“What do you mean?” Sho said.

Jun looked around and got closer to him, as they turned a corner.

“Are you going to keep Aiba unaware of it?”

Sho had thought a lot about what to do with his other secret. If in a way he felt that Aiba could understand even this time, he also feared he’d used up all his luck and that next time wasn’t going to go as well as the last one. He didn’t lose Aiba when he told him his biggest secret, and he didn’t want to risk losing him over something that would go away with time anyway.

He would keep his secret, everything would return to normality anyway after they would have sex after all. Everything was going to be fine.

“There’s no need for him to know.”

“Are you sure about it?”

“Yeah, this is going to disappear anyway.”

Jun didn’t look that sure about his plan, and stated his worries, “What if he finds out? Wouldn’t it be worse that way?”

“Only the two of us know, so how could he?” he said, before narrowing his eyes at his friend, “Or are you planning to tell him?”

“I’m not,” the man sighed, “But I still think you should tell him.”

“It’s my relationship, not yours,” he blurted out, irritated. He knew that his friend only meant his best, but he really didn’t want to jinx it and have Aiba breaking up with him, when he had just accepted Sho for whom he was.

“Fair enough.”

Jun didn’t return to the topic again, and only stuck to asking about Ohno’s paintings or when he could come there with him.

Sho had just finished his coffee when he saw Ninomiya entering the break area for the staff. The gallery guide gave him a nod as a greeting, carrying in his pale and slim hands a paper glass with black coffee, like Sho, looking like he wasn’t up for a conversation.

“Are you alright?” Sho found himself asking.

“Yeah, why?” the other replied, gulping down the last sip of his drink and crushing the paper cup in his hands, throwing it in the bin in the process.

“You’re rather quiet, and upset. Want to talk about it?”

Nino snorted, putting his hands in his pockets, “You know what? Yeah, I do. Come with me.”

Without waiting for a reply, Ninomiya lead Sho to a storage room nearby. Even if he turned the light on, the other’s eyes were as dark as ever, and Sho started to wonder who could have caused his anger.

“You know one thing I hate, Sakurai-san?” Ninomiya abruptly asked.

“What?”

“When someone fucks with me.”

Not sure about what reply to give, he opted to sympathize with him, “Same here.”

“But you know what I hate the most?” the man took some steps forward and glared intensely at Sho, “When someone fucks with my friends.”

Judging by his death stare and the fact that there was only him there at the moment, it was easy for Sho to realize that Ninomiya’s words were for him. But what could have made Aiba’s best friend snap? What did he do? Did he make Aiba mad, therefore Ninomiya was now attacking him? Or, did Sho do something to him personally?

“Come again?”

“You’re playing dumb?”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about, Ninomiya-san,” he admitted, really lost about what the man was going on about. “Whatever I did that has upset you, I’m sorry.”

“You should say that to Aiba-kun.”

Sho stayed silent, recalling the past days in the meanwhile, searching for his mistake. He tried and tried, but nothing was popping up in his mind, so he ended up looking at Ninomiya confused and at a loss for words.

The shorter man rolled his eyes, “I heard you.”

“What?” as soon as he said that, though, his eyes widened, his mind recalling a memory of just some hours before.

“I happened to be behind Matsumoto-san and you, and I heard you talking about how you plan to keep Aiba in the dark while you cheat behind his back.”

“No, wait, I—What?”

“I don’t care if it’s just an affair and this sudden attraction is going to disappear eventually, it’s disgusting what you’re—”

“Ninomiya-san, stop!” he blocked the other by putting his hands in front of him, hurrying to clear the misunderstanding, “You got it wrong, I’m not cheating on Aiba-kun.”

“Seems quite obvious to me, actually.”

“I could never do that to him, I love him after all.”

Ninomiya crossed his arms and studied Sho with his gaze, piercing through him. Even if he was shorter, and his body surely wasn’t as strong as his, the man sure knew how to intimidate someone. “Then, what are you hiding?”

Great, Ninomiya was surely going to yell at him for covering up cheating with something as ridiculous as reading minds, but it was the truth and he couldn’t change it. He wouldn’t believe it, and would be angrier since to him Sho had tried to deceive him.

“What a situation,” he found himself saying with a sigh, tired of it all.

“That’s my line.”

“Listen, Ninomiya-san,” Sho started, with a severe but still sincere tone, “I’m not cheating on Aiba-kun, neither am I hiding something harmful to him.”

“What don’t you tell me, then?”

“Because it would be useless anyway.”

“Try me.”

Ninomiya’s provocative tone didn’t leave him with much choice, so he placed a hand on his shoulder. “Alright, fine. Think about something.”

“What?”

“Just say something in your mind, something that I could never know.”

Ninomiya squeezed his eyes, still analyzing every move of his, trying to understand where he was going with this.

“I had changed my mind about you, but I was wrong. I shouldn’t have let you get that close to Aiba-kun,” the man shook his head disappointed and shoved Sho’s hand away. “I’m not interested in your games.”

Pulling him by his arm, Sho stopped Ninomiya from leaving, “Please stay, and do as I say. You’ll understand, I promise.”

“Why should I listen to you?”

“Trust me, please,” he begged once again.

Ninomiya stared at his eyes, maybe searching for a trace of honesty in them. Several moments passed, and finally, the man sighed and went back to where he stood. “Alright.”

Sho put his hand on his shoulder again and repeated what he said before. Ninomiya nodded and started to look for something to say. Sho could see it all, all the tons of sentences the other one was thinking; he seemed lost on which one to use.

“It doesn’t have to be important, even something stupid,” he reassured him to make his task easier.

“Fine,” the man said, mumbling a very feeble, “I must be mad to really be doing this,” after.

‘I like Doraemon.’

“You like Doraemon.”

Ninomiya froze, shocked at what he had just heard. “Did Aiba-kun tell you?”

“No, you thought that just now.”

“What the hell?” Ninomiya whispered. ‘Nino, calm down, there must be a trick somewhere.’

“There’s no trick, Ninomiya-san.”

Once again, the other man was bewildered. Sho could only chuckle, as he removed his hand and took a few steps backward.

“If you’re still a virgin by the time you’re 30, then you’ll become a magic user,” he stated. It still sounded surreal when he said it, but this had become his reality by now.

“What do you mean by that?”

“That you can read people’s minds whenever you touch them.”

Ninomiya was silent for a bit, his gaze lowering as he tried to make sense of what Sho had just said. A big and confused question mark was on his face, and Sho couldn’t help but smile a bit at that. Surely because it was ‘just’ Ninomiya and not his boyfriend, it was actually funny to see his reaction to his revelation.

Since the other kept on being quiet, he spoke again, “I know that it’s only an urban legend, but apparently it’s true.”

“Are you for real?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

Stretching a hand, Ninomiya touched Sho’s arm. ‘Erwin’s death in Shingeki no Kyojin was the wrongest decision ever made.’

“I don’t really watch the anime, so I can’t say anything about it. If you say so, though, then I believe that Erwin should have lived as well.”

As if he had just got burnt, Ninomiya pulled his hand away and gasped. He looked from his hand to Sho’s face back and forth, panicked, “You’re telling me you read people’s thoughts?!”

“Basically.”

“That’s incredible!”

“I’m glad that you think that way, but it is not really.”

Ninomiya tilted his head, “Why so?”

“Because I can’t control this, I hear every single thought, and it’s horrible.” Sho sighed heavily, “That’s why I can’t tell Aiba-kun, because I’m afraid he would feel hurt.”

“Listen,” the man started, crossing his arms and giving him a gentle and comforting smile, “Aiba-kun loves you a lot, he’ll forgive you. That is, if you tell him now of course and not way later in the relationship.”

“But why do I have to tell him? Isn’t it better if this stays a secret? When we’ll have sex I won’t have this power any more anyway,” he complained.

“One question, Sakurai-san,” Ninomiya lifted a finger, “Did you use this power to your advantage at least once?”

“I—” He stopped himself when he thought about that day at the park, when Aiba was vulnerable. He cleared his throat, and stuttered slightly, “N-Not really.”

Ninomiya’s finger moved so that now it was pointed at him, as if Sho had just been caught red-handed. “See? You have to tell him.”

“I disagree.”

“Oh, really?” Ninomiya arched his brow. “Then, I’ll give you one week, otherwise I’ll tell him myself.”

“What?” He didn’t even have the time to blurt that out that Ninomiya was already going out of the room, leaving him behind. He caught up to him quickly, “Wait, you can’t do that.”

“He’s my best friend so I can.”

“Ninomiya-san—” just as he hissed that, they saw Aiba pop up from a corner.

“Aiba-kun!” Ninomiya exclaimed, excited, “Good timing, Sakurai-san has to tell you something.”

The shorter man waved at them and left them alone, but he turned one last time just to wink at Sho, which made him even angrier.

“What is it, Sho-chan?”

Aiba was looking at him with expectant eyes, and he had to improvise something, since he wasn’t planning to confess right there right now. “I… I think you would look very sexy with long hair.”

“Oh,” his boyfriend exclaimed, touching his hair and giggling, “Well, thank you. I don’t have any plans to let it grow but I’ll think about it.”

“Great, huh, right—I have to go now, see you later.”

Without waiting for a reply, Sho patted Aiba’s forearm and walked away from him, in panic, and outraged that Ninomiya had framed him, and now he had no choice but to tell his boyfriend. He knew that it was the right thing to do, but at the same time he was sure that this wasn’t going to be as simple as both Jun and Ninomiya believed it to be.

‘If we break up, I’ll blame it on them.’

🍒 🍒 🍒

‘What’s up?’

Sho jumped on his feet, startled at the sudden voice he heard. His head snapped to his side, and he saw Ninomiya next to him, his arm touching his.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, sorry, thought you were used to it by now.”

He glared at him but didn’t say anything, having given up on having the younger man leave him alone by now. For the past few days, after all, without fail, Ninomiya had been pestering him with a countdown to let him know how many days were left for confessing. And that day was the last.

“So, a week has passed. Did you tell him yet?”

Sho found himself taking the other by his arm and dragging him away from the crowd. “Listen, Ninomiya-san, I understand that you’re doing it for Aiba-kun, but you should make things easier for me.”

“You’ve been scoring points with my friend in such a low way, and I should go easy on you?” the shorter man said, coldly.

“I—” He started too loud, so he bit his lips and changed to a more low and calm tone, after receiving some weird stares from the people around them, “I didn’t score points like that.”

“Didn’t you say that you used your power with him?”

“Only because he was vulnerable, and if I told him that I didn’t remember, he would have been even more hurt,” he explained. He knew he had lied that time, but to him it was a white lie, so it couldn’t be as bad as Ninomiya was picturing.

“I don’t care, you still used it, so you have to tell him.”

“I promise to not do it anymore, alright?” Sho burst out.

He turned around to go away, but Ninomiya ran to put himself in front of him, stopping him from going any further, “Relationships should be based on honesty, shouldn’t they?”

Sho was just too tired for all that, and he ignored the man’s question and passed him, bumping his shoulder in the process. By luck, or not – he had yet to decide – Aiba called them before Ninomiya could add something else.

“Sho-chan!” Aiba reached them with his usual bright grin, “Oh-chan’s interview is starting. The TV reporter has arrived.”

“Thanks,” he said.

“I’ll come along,” Ninomiya informed them, “I want to see it.”

Surely, it didn’t go unnoticed by Aiba that Sho threw a glare at his friend, while Ninomiya put on an innocent smile as if nothing had happened between them. Nevertheless, no one pointed out anything and the three of them went to the entrance of the gallery, where Ohno was already having his interview.

Ninomiya slipped next to him and glued himself to his body. Sho tried to move away but on his other side there was Aiba, who – judging by his gaze – had taken his movement as an attempt to stay closer to him. Beaming, Aiba stuck himself to Sho’s side as well, unconsciously trapping him in hell.

‘It’s the first time Sho-chan yearns for skinship this much. Ah~ I’m going to have nice dreams tonight.’

‘The more you wait, the more your lies will hurt him.’

‘He’s been acting weird as of late, and he seems to be mad at Nino for something. I was afraid that he could be angry at me too, but it doesn’t seem to be the case... I wonder what happened between the two of them?’

‘Even if you promised, what assures me that you’re not going to use your power ever again?’

Sho’s head was gradually becoming heavier as his brain filled with the two friends’ thoughts.

‘If you really hated this power, you wouldn’t have used it. Not even once, instead you did. What, do you feel useless without it? You can’t make Aiba-kun happy on your own?’

‘Even if Nino told me he’s changed his mind over Sho-chan, he could still have something against him. I can’t understand him though, Sho-chan is the best that could have ever happened to me, so how can he doubt him?’

‘To be frank, I still don’t understand what Aiba-kun sees in you. He’s so whipped, I’ve never seen him this way before, not even when he talked about that ex of his. Even if he came here just a few months after breaking up, he still missed you more. And what does he get, lies?’

‘Sho-chan is smart, gentle, kind, sweet, funny; he does his work perfectly, he knows what’s best for the artist he represents, he always manages to get Oh-chan the best interviews and venues; he has strong values, which he defends; he doesn’t want to change for the people around him, and he stays true to himself; but above all, he remembers about me just as much I remember about him.’

‘It could be trivial to you, but it could be huge for him instead.’

‘I know that it’s stupid, but it really proved to me how much he cared about me, and that he had always did. I couldn’t have fallen in love with a better person.’

Sho couldn’t take it any longer and pushed the two men away violently, “Shut up, shut up, shut up!”

Ninomiya and Aiba had their eyes wide opened, shocked at his aggressive outburst. Sho was short of breath, as if he had run a marathon and was now at the goal celebrating with everyone. He didn’t though, but all eyes were sure on him.

Looking around, Sho realized he had even abruptly interrupted Ohno’s interview, who was now looking at him with worry, since he had never seen him acting this way. Sho, who had always been the 'perfect guy', had just messed up, in front of strangers, friends, and boyfriend – and national TV as well. Sho gulped, and, still under everyone's gaze, bowed deeply, before running away to hide somewhere, far away from everyone.

He knew that this day would have come, the day in which his mind would have just exploded due to this power, but he could never imagine that the reason would be... Himself. When Ninomiya was stating the truth, while Aiba was singing his praises, he realized how disgustingly he had acted. He had spied into Aiba's mind, he had known all along all his thoughts and had acted accordingly – be it to avoid him or comfort him. To Aiba, everything Sho did was true and earnest, but just how much of it was true? Wasn't everything just the result of his power? Did he really have a part in this love story?

Aiba believed him to be the best person for him, but who was he kidding? If it hadn't been for him, Aiba would now be with a wife who deserved him. Instead, he was now stuck with him, a virgin demisexual who was a magic user, and who had to rely on this power. Because, the more he thought about it, the more he did use it, without even realizing.

‘I wonder if Sho-chan notices that I made the egg salty just as he likes.’ “You made the egg salty for me?”

‘Ah~ I really want to eat fried chicken right now.’ “Hey, want to eat some fried chicken?”

‘Will Sho-chan realize I have a new jacket for this date?’ “This new jacket suits you, you know?”

‘Sho-chan is so used to Oh-chan’s art, he surely won’t care about mine. I’m not as good as him after all.’ “Aiba-kun, do you still draw? I of course don’t anymore, but I’m sure that you’re still good.”

Now that Sho was seeing the whole picture, and not only the single puzzle pieces, Ninomiya’s words were hurting him even more. It was all true. He had deceived Aiba, using his power to make him fall in love with him harder, to keep him by his side. And he had fooled himself, making himself believe that he wasn’t doing that at all. For doing it so unintentionally, then he really must have wanted their relationship to work. After all, Aiba was the only person that had ever loved him, so it went without saying that Sho wanted to protect that reality as much as possible. But that wasn’t an excuse, he couldn’t justify himself for what he did.

In the middle of his crisis, someone knocked on the door of the room where Sho had hid himself. By the gentleness of the knock, he could easily understand to whom that hand belonged.

“Aiba-kun, go away.”

“Sho-chan, what happened? Are you alright?” his boyfriend asked. Even behind a door, his agitation was very clear.

“Aiba-kun, go.”

“Please, I just want to talk.”

“Go away,” he repeated, hoping that his severe tone would convince the other to leave him alone.

However, it took more than that to make Aiba give up, “No, Sho-chan, I won’t. Talk to me, please.”

“Alright,” he said at last.

He opened the door, but before Aiba could hug him or do anything to calm him down, Sho moved him aside, “I’ll go, then.”

Aiba tried to stop him from leaving, but Sho had shut everything off and had only one goal: be alone. He caught Ohno with the corner of his eye watching as his boyfriend was going after him, and he felt sorry to have ruined that morning for him. He would surely have to apologize later on, and he began throwing an apologetic smile to him as he left the venue. Aiba followed him outside, and at last managed to hold his wrist firmly.

“Sho-chan, I want to help you—”

“Then, stop.”

“But—”

“Please!” he shouted, in despair. He looked him in the eyes, his voice weak, “Please, just let me go home.”

Aiba’s grip was tight, but he eventually released Sho’s wrist after probably seeing the awful state he was in. Sho only allowed himself to caress his boyfriend’s cheek and whisper an, “I’m sorry,” before taking the first taxi he saw and going away. He dared to look back for a brief second, and saw Aiba watching him from the sidewalk, visibly lost and sad. When Ninomiya reached him, he averted his gaze, and never looked back.

His doorbell let him know that Aiba had arrived at his to bring him everything he left behind at Chartreuse when he had run away, as per his text. Sho forced himself to get up from his bed, and dragged himself to the front door.

When he opened it, Aiba smiled weakly, and he let him in without waiting for him to ask. He knew that this was the moment of truth after all, he couldn’t avoid it any longer. The moment had arrived and he was so not ready to see Aiba walk out of his life. He would have liked to ask for just another handful of minutes with him before their world would collapse and break into a million pieces, but he had run out of time.

He crashed onto the couch, as Aiba sat next to him, keeping some distance between them. His boyfriend was surely acting cautiously, and he appreciated him for that. Like always, Aiba was considerate of him, and it was now Sho’s turn.

“I have something to tell you,” he exhaled, feeling all the anxiety inside himself building up. “It’s difficult to explain though—No, rather, it’s simple, but you won’t ever believe me, and if you do, then that would still create problems.”

“Sho-chan, take your time, you don’t even have to explain everything now—”

“No, I have to, Aiba-kun,” he cut the other off, and turned towards him so that he could make him understand how serious the situation was, “I… I’ve been lying to you.”

Aiba blinked his eyes a few times, as he tried to take in Sho’s words. He looked troubled, with a knot in his throat that he eventually swallowed, before forcing himself to curve his lips up. “What do you mean, Sho-chan?”

The fact that he was still smiling made Sho feel even worse, knowing that Aiba was struggling to keep that expression to reassure himself that this was actually not a big deal; that maybe Sho was only overthinking, making a mountain out of a molehill.

“What would you do if I told you that, up until now, I’ve been in your mind every time we touched?”

“What?”

Sho’s hand slowly went over Aiba’s, before intertwining their fingers and bringing it to his cheek. He left a kiss on it, and then leaned on it. “I can read minds.”

His boyfriend brought his other hand over his forehead, worried, “Do you have a fever or something?”

“I’m serious, Aiba-kun,” he grumbled, “I’m not joking around.”

‘Is this fatigue?’

“No, it’s not, I’m not overworked or anything.”

Aiba was bewildered, ‘Is he really…?’

“Yes, I’m really hearing your thoughts.”

‘This can’t be true.’

“It is true, Aiba-kun.”

The man’s eyes left his for a while, running on the floor, then they returned on him. ‘Alright, answer me then. Where is the carpet under the coffee table?’

“I spilled soup on it, so I’m having it cleaned at the moment.”

Aiba removed his trembling hand from Sho’s forehead, gaping at him. Judging by his reactions, he wasn’t going to act as Ninomiya, curious about this discovery. No, he was obviously shaken, not in a happy way.

“How’s that possible?” Aiba said in a small voice.

Sho gave a wry smile. “Do you remember when you told me about that legend that if you’re a virgin at the age of thirty, you get powers?”

“No way…” Aiba said, waiting for Sho to tell him that it was all a joke, or that maybe he was going crazy. But when the other man didn't say anything, his eyes widened even more in shock.

“You… You’ve been in my mind for all this time?”

He nodded, not finding any strength to utter any words.

“Are you reading my mind even now?”

“No, I can do that only when I’m touching someone.”

“So, at the gallery…” Aiba trailed off, getting what must have happened to him at Chartreuse.

“Your thoughts and Ninomiya-san’s overwhelmed me. He was pressuring me to tell you while—”

“He knows?”

Sho bit his lips guiltily, “Yeah, he found out.”

“Who else knows this?”

“Jun-kun.”

Aiba slowly shifted his body so that he was now facing forward, and not Sho anymore. He clasped his hands together, so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. That showed just how mad he was. He took a deep breath though, attempting to calm himself down somehow. “So, if it weren’t for Oh-chan who is unaware as well, I would be the last one to know?”

“Aiba-kun, you were the hardest person to tell, because I knew it would hurt you.”

“So, it’s better to hide it from me and fool me forever?”

“It wouldn’t be forever! This will surely go away when we have sex and I won’t be a virgin anymore,” he hurried to say. He wanted Aiba to know that he wasn’t planning on lying to him for eternity.

Aiba fell silent for a second before speaking again. “Are you sure about that?”

Nodding vigorously, Sho got closer, “It’s just a matter of time. That’s why I was stalling, because I knew that this power would go away.”

“But would you have used it while you still had it?”

Aiba’s question threw him off guard, not expecting it to come that way. However, it was fair. After today, would Sho still have used it, if Aiba hadn’t found out?

“I don’t know,” he admitted in the end.

“A-And did you use it already?”

By his broken voice, it was easy to understand that his boyfriend had struggled to say those words out loud. He could see Aiba’s fear in his gaze, even if he wasn’t looking at him. He could feel Aiba’s heart beating loudly, as cracks were breaching through it.

Sho closed his eyes, at the last moment, backing down. He didn’t want their relationship to end, he really didn’t want that.

Is this even in your scheme, world?

“I-I mean, define ‘use it’?”

“You’re beating around the bush, that’s not like you at all,” Aiba chuckled sadly. He looked up and closed his eyes, a painful expression on his face, “You used it, right?”

Surrendering, Sho hung his head low and mumbled, “Yes.”

“When?”

“Sometimes for minor things, and then… That day at the park. I didn’t remember about Atem, I heard your thoughts and asked about your grandmother.”

Aiba nodded, his lips thinned out, but not voicing out any comment. He stayed silent, which hurt even more because it meant that his disappointment was so huge and deep, that he couldn’t even talk. But he wasn’t going away, so, maybe, he could still save the situation. Maybe, if he explained to Aiba his point of view, he could make him be at least less hurt than he was?

“I did it with good intentions. I wanted to comfort you at that moment. Regarding all the other times, I guess I just wanted to make you happy.”

“Do you love me, Sho-chan?”

“What?”

Aiba forced himself to look at Sho, and that destroyed him; the man’s eyes were swollen, filled with sadness, and they were desperate. And all of that, due to that stupid magic power that he didn’t even ask for. It had given him Aiba, but it was now taking him away from him as well, so what had even been its purpose?

“You found out through my thoughts that I liked you, right? So, perhaps, your mind tricked you into thinking you returned my feelings?”

“No!” he shouted.

Sho stood up and stared down at his boyfriend solemnly, “I thought about that possibility as well at first, and that’s why it took me so long to realize that my feelings for you were genuine.” He kneeled before him to whisper gently, his eyes slowly but steadily filling with tears, “I swear that I love you for real.”

“Then, why did you lie?”

“Aiba-kun, does even matter if I don’t remember—”

“It’s not about that!” It was Aiba’s turn to yell this time. “Of course it doesn’t matter if you don’t remember, but you lied about such a trivial thing, so what’s to say that you’re not going to lie about something more serious in the future?”

“But—”

“Moreover, you’ve been reading my thoughts. They are personal, no one should be able to read them, I feel…” Aiba’s arms went to hug himself as he was searching for the right adjective to describe his feelings. Sho knew exactly what word he was looking for, though.

“Violated.”

Aiba’s gaze hovered over him for a while, before he spoke, “Yes, violated.”

“And there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Shaking his head, looking defeated just as much as him, Aiba stood up, “No, there’s not.

Seeing that the man was moving, and afraid that it was going to end that way, Sho followed him, “Where are you going?”

“I don’t know Sho-chan, I don’t know,” Aiba grabbed his hair and snorted angrily, “I’m confused, alright?!”

He reached for his arm, “Listen—”

“Don’t touch me!” He was shoved away as the other distanced himself from it, “Or you’re going to hear.”

He couldn’t retort anything at that, it was the truth. Especially at this moment, Sho shouldn’t really read Aiba’s thoughts. So, he kept some meters away from him and let him breathe.

“What were you going to say?” Aiba asked after a few seconds of silence.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” he stated. When his boyfriend furrowed his eyebrows in question, he explained, “The issue is this power of mine, right? So, let’s just get rid of it.”

“Sho-chan…?”

He took a deep breath, and declared, “Let’s have sex.”

“What? Now?”

“Yes, so this nightmare will end.”

He moved towards him but Aiba stepped back, “No, absolutely not.”

“Why? Didn’t you want to do it anyway?”

“Not this way, Sho-chan, not like this.” Aiba gulped down the knot in his throat, “You would force yourself to have sex with me just because of this?”

He rolled his eyes, slightly working himself up, since he couldn’t understand where the flaw in his suggestion was. “If it helps us, why not?”

Aiba shook his head, disappointed. “This isn’t the Sho-chan I know.”

“It’s just sex, Aiba-kun. Who cares?!”

“I care!” Aiba burst out in the end, with all the air he had in his lungs. “Because I know how important it is for you. And, guess what, if something is dear to you then it is to me!”

“But—”

“I need time to think, Sho-chan.”

Time stopped as Sho froze on his spot. “W-What?” he managed to stutter in a weak voice.

“This is too much to process all at once. I gave you some time before when you asked, now I need you to do that for me.”

“Aiba-kun—”

“Sorry.”

An upset Aiba walked away, leaving him in his living room, alone and in silence. He wanted to run after him, to stop him, and to apologize once again. But he knew that he didn’t have the right, and that he had to respect Aiba’s request.

His boyfriend was right after all. Aiba had given him time before, to understand his feelings, even if he was hurting more and more each day. He had endured it for him and now he had to give him that space as well, no matter how it made Sho suffer.

He didn’t know what was going to happen now, but as he fell down on his knees, he felt something he hadn’t experienced in a while. Loneliness. Because the truth was that, indeed, love wasn’t enough sometimes.

🍒 🍒 🍒

The past weekend had been awful for Sho, and the fact that he still had to show up to Chartreuse for the exhibition, after how everything ended with Aiba, really pissed him off. He knew that he couldn’t shrug his responsibilities off, since he was an adult and not a spoiled child, but he would have really liked to avoid that place that day.

As soon as he entered the gallery, his hand clenched around his briefcase’s handle, as he felt the tension of last Friday weighing on him. Even if his eyes hadn’t spotted Aiba yet, his heart was already hurting, and there was nothing that he could do about it since he had created that mess. The fault for his – and Aiba’s – suffering was only his.

If he had been sincere since day one, then this wouldn’t have happened. Things wouldn’t have broken this way, and Aiba would have probably still stayed by his side. Because he knew that the time his boyfriend asked him for wasn’t going to make him give him another chance.

Right after their argument, he had believed for a brief time that maybe he was going to be forgiven. But since their chat was staying silent, and no calls were coming, he’d lost hope. And he knew that it literally had been just two days, but he hadn’t been lucky with his relationships so far, so why would this situation have a different outcome?

Forcing a smile on his face, Sho went to Suzuki, to ask her to keep his briefcase while he was there. Usually, he would keep it in Aiba’s office, but today that was out of the question. He didn’t even know if Aiba wanted to see him after all.

After thanking Suzuki, Sho started to his usual round to oversee the exhibition and eavesdrop on people’s comments about their work and Ohno’s art. That morning, however, it was harder than usual since his mind was refusing to focus on his task, and preferred to replay over and over again the moment Aiba went out of his apartment.

Nothing had hurt more than watching Aiba’s back disappearing behind his door, and never coming back. To add to his distress, his eyes caught a glimpse of Matsumoto and Ninomiya talking to each other a few meters ahead of him. He wasn’t fast enough because they spotted him as well, and he had no choice but to go approach them.

“Hello,” he spat out coldly. He went immediately for his friend, “You’re here to witness my misery?”

“I’m here because Ohno-san promised to show me around since last time he wasn’t here. But I met Ninomiya-san first and we talked, and we found out that we both know about your… Well, that, and then he told me about your argument.”

Sho shifted his eyes to Aiba’s friend, “So, he told you? About our fight.”

Ninomiya crossed his arms and sighed, “As surprising as it may be, he doesn’t consider it a fight.”

“He doesn’t?” Now, that was indeed surprising. So, wasn’t Aiba mad at him?

“No, but he is disappointed, and hurt. He feels stupid for not having realized sooner – but how could he? You’re freaking reading minds after all, that’s out of the ordinary. He also feels embarrassed for everything you saw and heard, and he feels betrayed because you used this whole situation to your benefit.”

Sho nodded, smiling sarcastically, “Great news, I see.”

“Can you blame him, though?”

“No, I don’t,” he said, before pointing at the two men in front of him, “I blame you guys.”

“Us?” Jun asked in bewilderment.

“Yes, because I told you that it was better to keep him in the dark, but you both pressured me to tell him and now here we are.”

“Piece of—” Ninomiya was cut off by Jun, who put a hand on his chest, while keeping his eyes fixed on Sho; his expression was stern, no room for kindness.

“If blaming us makes you feel better, go ahead. But in the end, you too know that it was your fault for not having confessed earlier.”

Sho’s jaw was tense, as well as his fists. He was aware that his friend’s words were true, that the only one to blame was him. He didn’t have the strength for that though, he couldn’t bear to say out loud that, yes, he had screwed up.

Averting his gaze, Sho decided to end that conversation there and go away, “I’ll go fetch Ohno-kun.”

He left them and went in search of his friend, hoping this would distract him and keep him busy.

After checking some rows, he finally found him in front of an artwork, staring at it with his arms hidden behind his back. It was Love Situation, the one he had pushed to add at the last minute.

“You do like it, huh?” he commented once he was next to the artist.

Ohno acknowledged him with a nod before replying, “I’m very happy with the outcome, is that something bad?”

“No, it’s not. But it does feel noteworthy that you take such a liking to one of your artworks.”

With a visibly surprised face, Ohno turned in his direction and gaped at him. Sho couldn’t understand what that was for and even looked behind himself, checking if his friend wasn’t actually looking at someone else.

“Don't tell me… You haven’t realized it yet?”

“What do I have to realize?” Sho questioned, feeling lost since he had clearly missed something.

“The meaning behind this,” Ohno pointed to the painting.

Sho looked at it and squeezed his eyes, trying to find even just a hint of what the other man was referring to, but just as per usual with Ohno’s drawings, he couldn’t find it.

“I’m sorry Ohno-kun, but you know that I rarely get your art when it comes to your mysterious labyrinthic drawings.”

“But this is different, Sho-kun, you should really get this.”

He tried to analyze the artwork once more but he still couldn’t figure out what his friend was implying. Why should he really get it? Was it something related to him?

“I’m sorry, I don’t get it for now,” he could only apologize, feeling that he was disappointing his friend. He could have used his power to read his mind, but he had promised Aiba to never use it again, so he had to refrain himself and instead use his own abilities. He couldn’t rely on that forever after all.

Ohno looked dejected, but eventually grinned and shrugged it off, “It’s fine, I’m sure you’ll realize one day or another. Anyway, were you looking for me?”

“Ah, yes, Jun-kun is here. He’s close to the Kite section.”

“Thank you, I’m going then.”

Ohno passed by him to reach their friend, while Sho stayed back in front of Love Situation, wondering if the other had somewhat put something personal in there. Judging by the title, it should have been something related to love, but Ohno no longer had feelings for him, so there would be no reason for him to dedicate the drawing to him.

I’ll have to look at it closely once I have the time , he thought, as a group of people was approaching the painting, and he moved away so that they could admire Ohno’s work as well.

Sho thanked Suzuki while she gave his briefcase back to him. He bid her goodbye and began walking towards the exit. He halted abruptly though when he saw Aiba standing there and looking at him.

Here we are . He took a deep breath and went to him, every step more difficult than the previous one.

“Hello,” he let out weakly.

They didn’t even greet each other today after all; rather, they didn’t even see each other, and that had been painful for him. He was so used to having Aiba around, that, before he could realize it, his presence had become his oxygen. In these days without him, he had fully realized just how much he had come to love him. He may not have fallen first, but he sure fell hard for Aiba.

“You could have put that in my office. I wouldn’t have minded it,” the man said, pointing at his briefcase.

“I didn’t know if you wanted to have me around.”

“Right…” Aiba exhaled, looking around, “Shall we talk?”

“Yes! Absolutely! Let’s,” he said immediately.

They climbed down the stairs and stopped on the sidewalk, at the spot where they usually decided where to go after. Now, they were going to do the same thing, but they weren’t deciding where to head to, but where their relationship was heading to.

“So, right now, I’m still quite shaken from what happened. Your lies, spying into my mind – even if I know that you didn’t want to, I’m hurt that you chose to not talk to me about this at all. I feel like all the honesty I’ve given you wasn’t returned, and that hurts me.” Aiba paused and gulped, before continuing, “It makes me think that you wouldn’t trust me with any secret or burden that you might have, that you wouldn’t rely on me when you need it the most. And at that point, why would I even be here?”

“That’s not true, Aiba-kun. This is a totally different situation.”

“Why didn’t you tell me then?”

“I told you already, because it was going to disappear anyway—”

“I want the true reason,” Aiba declared, severely.

Sho looked down, and mumbled, “I didn’t want to lose you.”

He heard a chuckle and his gaze went back on the other man; his expression though was nowhere close to amused, since his lips were twitching and all his features appeared rigid.

“A-Aren’t you losing me anyway now? So, what the hell was the point of telling me. You’re an idiot.” Aiba didn’t look at him at all, he had his eyes fixed on a point to his right, which he refused to let go of. It dawned on Sho now that the reason for not having even spotted his boyfriend today was because the mere sight of him made Aiba suffer.

His heart clenched, and he desperately took some steps forward, “Aiba-kun, can you please look at me?”

Aiba bit his lips, but didn’t move an inch, still denying Sho eye contact.

“Please,” he pleaded, hoping that his wish to make it up to him could be conveyed through that word. Before, he thought that if Aiba decided to end it there, then there wasn’t anything he could do. But now, having the other in front of him, he understood that it wasn’t going to be like all the other times. He wasn’t going to let things end that way between them. He wanted to fight for them, he wanted to try.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Aiba granted his wish and locked his gaze with his.

“I was an idiot, yes, I should have told you sooner, and I shouldn’t have relied on this power in the first place. I feel horrible for this, and I would understand it if you thought that I don’t deserve you. But Aiba-kun, I love you, and it’s the first time that my heart beats so loudly for someone. You make me feel like nobody else, and everything I did – even if it was wrong – was because I wanted to protect what we had.”

His hands were going to rest on Aiba’s chest but he stopped them in mid-air, otherwise, he would have heard his inner voice. He fought back a tear that was threatening to come out of his eye, as he put on a strained smile, “Can you forgive me?”

Aiba closed his eyes but opened them right after; they seemed… mortified.

“Sho-chan, I don’t know who I’ve fallen in love with.”

“W-What?” he stuttered.

“Was it you, or was it the power?”

“Aiba-kun—”

“1st of May.”

He fell silent, waiting for the other to continue, since he had spoken suddenly and in a loud voice, almost startling him.

“I still need time to think about us, and I also have to take care of the exhibition. There’s just too much going on right now, so… Can you wait a bit more, until I give you my final answer?”

No, tell me now, and tell me that we’re not going to break up, that we’ll be together for many years to come. That was what he wanted to say, but it wasn’t as if he could say it. Although he hated the idea of spending two weeks in limbo, he couldn’t say no to him. Not when he was on the verge of crying, not when he was struggling to not burst into tears.

“I can.”

“Thank you.”

Aiba moved forward, but hesitated for a while; his hand fidgeting until it went behind Sho’s nape, bringing him closer so that he could leave a kiss on his lips.

“Goodnight,” was the last thing Aiba said, as he turned his back on Sho and walked away.

“Goodnight,” he said back, even if the other was now too far to hear him.

When Aiba was out of sight, Sho let the tear he was holding back flow on his face. That was a mistake though, because many others soon followed, and he found himself rushing to his car to hide. However, there was one thing he had forgotten and he remembered only when he saw Ohno standing next to his car, waiting for him.

His friend gaped at him alarmed, and ran to him.

“Sho-chan, are you alright? What’s the matter?”

He didn’t have any strength left and he threw himself at the shorter man, hugging him urgently. Ohno let him do it and returned the embrace without a second thought.

‘I’m here, Sho-kun. I’m here.’

🍒 🍒 🍒

“And this is all,” Sho concluded, sipping the last bit of his coffee.

Last night, upon seeing how crushed he was, Ohno insisted on going back to Sho’s place and staying the night. He didn’t ask him anything though, he only comforted him and remained by his side. Only that morning he dared to ask what had happened that had made him break down like that.

Ohno had of course guessed that it must have been related to Aiba, but he could never have imagined what the actual mess was. And indeed, he was still dumbfounded as he was taking in everything.

“So,” he started to count down on his fingers, “You’re a virgin and you’re now a magic user like the legend says; you used that magic with Aiba; you eventually had to tell him and then you had a fight and now you’re on a break?”

“Well, he asked for some time, so I guess.”

“I’m sure that he will forgive you.”

Sho shook his head, not really feeling optimistic yet, because Aiba’s kiss from the previous night was preventing him from doing so. If his boyfriend had kissed him on his forehead, or hair, or cheek, or anywhere else, it would have been easier for Sho to be positive. But not after that kiss which felt more like a goodbye than a ‘see you.’

Ohno nudged his arm, “Stop with this gloomy aura, everything’s going to be alright.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because you’re Aiba-chan and Sho-kun,” the man replied with a tone that had an ‘isn’t it obvious?’ kind of vibe.

“Can you elaborate?”

“Aiba-chan has moved on in the past, right? But then he fell in love with you once more, proving that you have always been the one for him. And think about you: even if now you describe your type as ‘patient’, in the past you used to say ‘someone bright, who can cheer me up no matter how sad or mad I am, and who can make me see the good things in life,’ and that, Sho-kun, is straight-up Aiba-chan.”

Sho had a vague memory of that, since he had changed his mind soon enough when he started to go on dates. “Is that so?”

“Yeah! That’s why when you guys told me that you were together, I was overjoyed. I thought that that was how it should be, how it should end after all.”

“I wish I could believe that too.”

“Sho-kun, if he wanted to break up he would have told you yesterday. He wouldn’t have let you wait for two weeks.”

“Or maybe,” he burst out, clutching his fingers around his empty mug, “He doesn’t want me to get distracted while the exhibition is still on, and he’s using his confusion as an excuse.”

Ohno’s expression changed, and from gentle it became tough. “He would never do that, and you know that.”

He bit his lips, but had to nod, because what Ohno said was true. Aiba was too sincere to do that.

“Why are you trying to convince yourself that he’s going to break up with you?”

“Perhaps, I just want to be prepared, so it won’t hit me as hard as it would otherwise.”

He didn’t want to fool himself and believe that Aiba was going back to him. He preferred to be prepared for the worst only, rather than also hoping for the best, and then have his heart broken once again. He didn’t know if he could survive it this time, because it wasn’t just a person coming and going in his life, it was Aiba. His Aiba.

If it didn’t work with him, then it wouldn’t work with anyone, and he could just give up on romance altogether.

“Sho-kun,” Ohno said, reaching out for his hand to reassure him and share some of his strength with him, “Have faith in Aiba-chan and the love between you.”

He covered his friend’s hand and smiled for him. “I’ll try.”

🍒 🍒 🍒

The exhibition was going very well, and they were now reaching the last days. Once again, Ohno’s merch had sold out and they had to restock some items a couple of times. They also had offers from some galleries and museums in both Asia and Europe, so Sho was already picturing all their overseas trips and Ohno’s excitement, as he couldn’t wait to explore new cities and all their surroundings.

The last people who had set to meet with them were some art curators from the US, all from different cities, and negotiations had gone over well with everyone. Only one person from New York was left, and Sho was waiting for them at Chartreuse’s entrance, with Ohno next to him. They had been told that it was a Japanese woman and not a foreigner, and Sho had rejoiced at that. Communication would surely be easier that way.

When a woman with an orange suit and a white shirt got out of a taxi, Sho understood that that must have been the person they were waiting for. She put her bag on her forearm and climbed the stairs already beaming at them, recognizing Ohno.

“Ohno-san, what a pleasure it is to finally meet you,” said the woman once she was in front of them. Then, he looked at Sho, “And you must be Sakurai-san, his manager.”

Sho took out his business card, “Yes, I’m Sakurai Sho. Nice to meet you.”

“Hikawa Asami, nice to meet you as well,” she exchanged her card with him as well.

“We hope you had a great flight. We’re very happy to have you here, and we can’t wait to show you Ohno-san’s latest work. We would be very glad if you decided to display it in your gallery.”

“And we would be honored to be able to display Ohno-san’s art.”

Ohno bowed, grateful, before Sho led the woman inside so that they could show her around. The woman was very polite, but above all, it was clear how much he liked art. Her eyes were sparkling while admiring the paintings, and even more when Ohno would explain details about them, or the inspiration that brought him a specific idea.

Overall, already before entering the last room, Sho knew that it would be a done deal, and he had the confirmation when Hikawa asked about their schedule.

“Are your next exhibitions already planned?”

“We have a rough schedule, we could talk about it over some coffee later?”

“I’d love that,” she replied happily.

Sho nodded and led her to another room.

“Over here are the last pieces of the exhibition,” he introduced them, and then called for his friend to talk about them. “Ohno-san?”

The artist stood to attention and moved closer to Hikawa. “This section is a more personal one. As you can see, indeed, there are quite a few portraits of my dog, Ariel.”

“She’s so cute!” she exclaimed, “Among all of your amazing works, Ohno-san, I must have to say that Ariel’s portraits have always had a soft spot in my heart.”

“Thank you! Now, this is a compliment I really like,” Ohno affirmed, his mood going up in a second. There were a handful of ways in which the man’s spirits could be lifted up: talking about art, fishing, traveling, or Ariel.

“He loves her a lot,” Sho commented, looking at his friend amused.

“I find it beautiful when artists portray their loved ones in their art. That kind of artwork has a different intensity than the other ones; those can really move you.”

“I think so as well. You can feel the artist’s heart in the canvas,” he added.

“What are you talking about? You still haven’t even got the meaning behind ‘Love Situation.’”

Sho was left speechless since he didn’t expect his friend to bring that up when a stranger was there with them. Ohno was unpredictable, true, but that was crossing the line.

He lowered his voice and hissed, “What are you doing? Shut up!”

Hikawa got their attention by raising her finger, “I apologize for intruding, but what is ‘Love Situation’?”

“Ah—It’s the last painting of the exhibition. It’s over there,” Ohno explained, pointing to the end of the room.

“Can we see it now? You two made me curious,” Hikawa begged, her voice full of excitement.

They accepted and walked to the painting. Just like the other time, Sho couldn’t really understand what he was supposed to see among all those lines, scribbles, shapes, and squiggles. He tried to tilt his head to the side, to see if it was better, but it just got worse and he had to blink after a while, his head becoming dizzy.

I don’t know how you do it, Ohno-kun. You’re really something, he thought in admiration.

“So, Hikawa-san? Can you tell what this is about?” Ohno asked, curious.

“I think I got it.”

Sho turned immediately towards her, shocked, “You did?!”

“Of course! It’s—” Hikawa’s voice dropped when he looked in Sho’s direction. Or rather, somewhere behind Sho’s shoulder.

He followed her gaze and found Aiba a few meters away from them, frozen in the middle of the room. He seemed surprised, or rather, shocked, but at what?

Aiba, clearly nervous, approached them, and Sho connected the dots only after he was in front of them, since he was staring at neither Sho nor Ohno, but at Hikawa.

“Masa?”

M-Masa? Sho’s head snapped in Hikawa’s direction.

“Asami-chan, it’s been a while,” Aiba said.

“It has indeed,” the woman replied.

Only when Sho looked at them, and understood their gazes, did he connect the dots.

Art curator from New York who is Japanese... Why didn’t I think of that sooner?

“How have you been?”

“Great, New York is wonderful and I love my job there. And how about you? Was Tokyo your place after all?”

Aiba’s eyes shifted to Sho for a short time before returning on Hikawa, “Yes, it was.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” She looked around the room then, “Was it you the one who did this?”

The man nodded, grinning proudly, “I was. But Sakurai-san has a part in this too.”

“Oh! I should give my compliments to you too, then.”

Sho thanked her humbly. Even if jealousy was rising in him as he saw the two talk, there was nothing between them that hinted at that usual sparkle happening between exes. Moreover, Hikawa had been very friendly even with Sho and Ohno, so she wasn’t reserving a special treatment to Aiba. Unless things would change once alone.

After all, the two broke up because Aiba couldn’t let go of him, so shouldn’t Hikawa have at least a bit of rage brewing inside her? All things considered, it was possible that she was just trying to hold herself back, or be polite.

Or maybe, who knows, she could have actually moved on in the end.

But what if she didn’t? What if Aiba invited her out, and realized that holding onto Sho had been a mistake after all? His boyfriend should have already come to a decision by now, since only a few days were left before the 1st of May. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if he was looking for any kind of signal that told him what to do, and Hikawa’s appearance did the trick?

‘Are you alright?’

Sho was startled to suddenly hear Ohno’s voice. Judging by proximity, his friend had come closer to speak to him through his mind.

“Yes,” he whispered under his breath.

‘Don’t overthink.’

“I’m not,” he continued in the same low tone.

‘You are, and it’s written all over your face.’

It was easy for him to talk. He couldn’t see all the possible scenarios that could happen like Sho was in his mind right now. Images upon images where Aiba wasn’t walking hand in hand with Sho but with her; where he wasn’t sleeping next to him but her; where he wasn’t kissing him but...

“Ah, I see, so you three are childhood friends. What a great coincidence that you all could make an exhibition together. I bet it has been very fun to work side by side.”

“It was, having your friends by your side is—”

“Boyfriend.”

Sho was in a trance when he said that. He wasn’t planning on outing them, still, when he came back on Earth and saw the others staring at him, he didn’t back down.

“Ohno is our friend, but we’re boyfriends,” he affirmed, “Thought I’d specify.”

Hikawa was surprised, and looked back and forth from Sho to Aiba a few times, before she smiled brightly. Giving a knowing glance to his ex, she then said, “Thank you for taking care of Aiba-kun, I’m glad to see that he’s with such a kind and proper person.”

“Thank you,” Sho replied.

He dared to steal a glance at Aiba, and noticed that he was looking surprised and maybe even a bit amused.

“Well, then, shall we head to have that coffee?” Hikawa exclaimed then.

“Sure! This way, please,” Sho said, eager to go away from there – and have Hikawa as far as possible from Aiba.

At the same time, Aiba excused himself to attend to some work. He followed him with his gaze until Ohno poked his arm, making him notice that Hikawa was waiting for them.

“Let’s go,” he said.

Hikawa gave one last look at the painting before nodding, “Let’s.”

In the end, the deal with Hikawa and her gallery went smoothly, but Sho wasn’t able to focus as he should have done. The idea that he, Aiba’s current boyfriend, was speaking with Aiba’s ex-girlfriend made him uncomfortable somehow. Nonetheless, he knew that he had to overcome his uneasiness since they would be working together in the future. What’s more, Hikawa had been nothing but polite with them, so he couldn’t give her the cold shoulder.

He grabbed his belongings – he ended up using Aiba’s office after all – and headed to the exit. There, just to crush his mood even more, he saw Hikawa and Aiba going out together. Sho followed them swiftly, and saw them getting in a taxi together.

The cab left as Sho watched, still in front of Chartreuse’s exit.

“They’re just catching up.”

Ninomiya was standing next to him, watching the taxi as well. He had his hands in his pockets and a confident smile on his face.

“Did Aiba-kun tell you?”

“No, but think about it. He left her because of you, so why would he return to her?”

“A change of mind?”

The other threw him a glance, baffled, “Aiba-kun? The one who couldn’t sit still when he told me that you two got together? The one who has rambled day and night on how to make your first date special?”

Sho was well aware of how Aiba doted on him, and Ninomiya had already told him once that he was ‘whipped’. However, hearing once more that Aiba had given his whole self to their relationship touched him – and saddened him, because it made him feel as if, instead, he hadn’t given enough.

“Look,” Ninomiya said to claim his attention, “I don’t know what’s going on inside that mind of yours, but Aiba loves you and that’s a fact.”

“Shouldn’t you be happy if he breaks up with me, though?”

Snorting, Aiba’s friend covered his mouth with his wrist, before looking up, “Well, I do find you annoying sometimes, but hey, you make my best friend happy and that’s enough for me.”

Sho spoke in a tiny voice, embarrassed but also smug, “I do?”

Ninomiya pushed on Sho’s shoulder, rolling his eyes in the process, “Yeah, you do, happy now?”

He burst into laughter, and smirked proudly, “I am.”

As they climbed down the stairs, Sho finally understood why Aiba chose Ninomiya as his best friend. He didn’t only care about him, but even about the people dear to Aiba.

“Thanks for cheering me up.”

“Wasn’t trying to, loser.”

Even if he would never admit it. He thought amusingly.

🍒 🍒 🍒

The exhibition had finally come to an end, and Sho was watching the last guests leave the venue. Even if his heart wasn’t at ease, at least his mind was, since everything had gone smoothly, and they already had a schedule ahead of them. In the worst case scenario, if Aiba did decide to break up with him, he could at least focus on work and keep his mind away from the pain.

However, everything about this exhibition would remind him of Aiba, so even if he was busy in another country, he didn’t trust his mind to not think about him. Just wandering around the gallery made him think about him after all. And since tomorrow was the 1st of May, Sho was ready to spend a restless night.

“I should call Ohno-kun to have some drinks,” he thought out loud. His friend was still at Chartreuse after all, and he could use the excuse of the end of the exhibition to have him celebrate. Not that Ohno needed an excuse to drink, but to go out, yes.

Sho was turning around to go fetch him when he saw Aiba with the corner of his eye, standing in front of none other than Love Situation, the mysterious painting Ohno had yet to explain to him.

He found himself walking up to Aiba, standing next to him.

“Good work,” he mumbled.

Aiba looked at him and smiled, “Good work.”

“You’re not going home?”

“In a bit. I wanted to take a last look at ‘Love Situation’ now that I know its meaning.”

“Wait,” Sho’s eyes grew wide by the surprise, “You also didn’t get it?”

Aiba was as shocked as Sho when he heard that, “Also? You didn’t get it as well?”

“No, and Ohno-kun wouldn’t tell me anything about it,” he pouted. When he saw Aiba laugh out loud, he narrowed his eyes at him, “What’s so funny?”

“It’s quite ironic that the two people who didn’t get it were the ones to whom the painting was dedicated.”

Sho gaped at Aiba, before moving his gaze to the artwork. Suddenly, looking at the whole picture, he could distinguish two people. They appeared to be looking into each other’s eyes while standing side by side, and that was when a memory kicked in.

“That photo he took back at the studio…” he whispered.

“That was why he wanted to add it no matter what,” Aiba commented. “And to think that he fought for the description of it being so vague, so ‘it wouldn’t be easy to understand’.”

“That dude, really,” he could only utter.

Now, he understood why Ohno was astonished that Sho was clueless at its meaning, and why he wanted him to understand it no matter what. Love Situation was like a dedication to them, his best friends. He felt bad for not getting it sooner, but in his defense, he would never have imagined that he could be the subject of Ohno’s art.

He wondered how Aiba arrived at that conclusion, so he asked, “How did you get it?”

“Would it be bad if I said that it was thanks to Asami-chan?”

Sho hid his hands in pockets, suddenly feeling the tension building up between them. “I-Is that so?” he couldn’t help but stutter.

“She told me yesterday. She said that everything became clear after you declared our relationship.”

A faint blush covered his cheeks as Aiba said that, remembering his sudden burst of jealousy. Sho was usually a person who wouldn’t let his emotions take over, so that kind of behavior had been odd of him, but still, he couldn’t blame himself. Aiba’s ex-girlfriend was a gorgeous, graceful woman, and he unconsciously felt in competition with her. Sho’s body acted on its own, because it wanted to let Hikawa know that Aiba was his now.

“She liked you.”

“What?” he said absent-mindedly, “Sorry, come again?”

“She said that she likes you.”

Sho’s eyebrows furrowed, “What do you mean?”

“She’s happy that you’re the one I had been in love with.”

“Had been? Wait, did she know about… me?”

Aiba raised his hand and offered it to Sho. He couldn’t understand though what the other wanted him to do, so he could only stare at it at a loss. His boyfriend chuckled at his confusion, before saying, “You can watch, if you want.”

When he understood, Sho gulped nervously. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Aiba nodded, his smile unwavering.

Sho’s hand moved slowly, trembling, but eventually found his way to Aiba’s, which was warm and firm as he remembered. And there, at that moment, he was in Aiba’s mind again.

‘Hikawa takes a spoonful of rice and eats it. She swallows before speaking, “You know, if it’s that guy then I don’t mind.”

“That guy?”

“Your boyfriend,” Hikawa specifies. “It has always been him, huh?”

Aiba looks down briefly, before admitting the truth. “Yeah, I have never been able to forget him.”

“Of course you couldn’t! I mean, he’s handsome and looks very clever. Also, if you chose him, then it means that he’s a really nice person. I give him my stamp of approval – and you know that my stamp is gold.”

He chuckles, thanking her, but the woman can feel that there’s something wrong with him as she stares at him.

“What, you guys are fighting or something?”

“Kind of?” he says, unsure.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s complicated,” Aiba starts, “Let’s say that he hid something from me recently – not something dangerous, or, you know, big, but it still bothered me and now I don’t know who I fell in love with.”

Hikawa gulps down her drink in one go and then puts it down, “Is it something related to his person? Like, appearance, personality, family, friends, any double life?”

He shakes his head negatively.

The woman continues, “Then, is it related to his feelings for you or how he treats you?”

“Not really, or rather yes, but,” Aiba is troubled and is struggling to come up with a way to say what he has to say, without having Hikawa know that Sho can read minds. “What if this something that he hid from me had made me fall in love again? Like, what if it wouldn’t have happened if he didn’t do that?”

“Didn’t you fall for him during your university days?”

“Yes.”

“And didn’t you say that you were never able to forget him?”

Aiba nods.

“Then, Masa, you didn’t fall in love with him once again. You have always loved him, constantly. So, I don’t think that this ‘thing’ has influenced you much.”

“Why?”

“Listen,” Hikawa looks at him seriously, “Recall everything that happened between you two, and see for yourself what the truth is. It lies within you.”’

“And it did,” Aiba concluded, “I thought about us, and all the moments spent with you. Every smile, every caress, every word, every look. And with that, every beat, every breath, every butterfly in my stomach… You did that Sho-chan, and not your magic power. I would rather see this as what made us closer.”

“But it tore everything apart now,” Sho stated, still hurt.

“It doesn’t mean that we can’t put it all back together, though.”

Hearing those words, Sho’s expression immediately lit up, and a wide smile spread on his face. “You want to put it all back together?”

Aiba left Sho’s hand to hide his own in his pocket. He looked to his side, sighing and pouting cutely, “I was supposed to tell you tomorrow, though.”

“Tell me now, I’m totally okay with it,” he exclaimed, way too eager to know Aiba’s answer and put an end to this exhausting wait.

“But I prepared a surprise,” Aiba whined.

“We’ll go anyway tomorrow, but tell me now,” Sho insisted. “What’s your answer?”

The man looked at him deeply for a few seconds. His lips were a thin line before they curled up in a smirk, as he approached Sho and placed his hand behind his nape. “This is my answer.”

At once, Aiba’s lips were on his and he didn’t waste any second to return the kiss, and embrace his boyfriend tightly, holding onto him for dear life. It was at that time that he promised himself to never let Aiba go ever again.

‘I love you. Magic power or not, I don’t care, Sho-chan will always be Sho-chan.’

He didn’t know if Aiba meant for him to hear it or not, but he was very grateful nonetheless. Because despite everything, knowing that Aiba still saw him as ‘his Sho-chan’ was the only thing that mattered.

🍒 🍒 🍒

In the end, they transformed what should have been the night of their reconciliation into a date. They had dinner at the Funky Hamlet, and then they went to the same bridge where they talked the night before the exhibition. After a while, fireworks began bursting into the sky, making it shine in many colors.

“Was this your surprise?” he asked, still mesmerized by the fireworks.

“Yeah. We promised to—”

“Watch the fireworks together once you came back.”

Aiba turned and stared at him, slightly shifting his eyes on their elbows on the railings, to see if they were touching. Sho laughed at that, and proudly said, “This, I remember.”

“I see,” the man replied, not managing to hold back a happy giggle. “Ah~ We probably won’t be able to watch fireworks this year.”

Sho and Ohno would be all over the world for at least the next six months, so catching a fireworks show with Aiba in Japan would surely be difficult. “We’ll watch them next summer, then.”

“Really?”

“After this year, Ohno-kun will take, like, another 2 or 3 years before doing another exhibition. He will make some paintings, sell them, show up at some important events, and have some interviews here and there, while looking for inspiration in the woods, sea, or other cities or countries,” Sho explained.

“And do you have to follow him?”

“Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. It depends.”

“On what?”

Sho poked Aiba’s cheek playfully, “On who’s waiting for me at home.”

“You’re saying that you’ll have a lot of time to spend with me, then?”

He nodded, “Yup, lots of fun is ahead of us.”

“I can’t wait to live our sweet life, then,” Aiba commented excitedly.

“Me too.”

🍒 🍒 🍒

3 months later…

Sho was woken up by the alarm on his phone. He stretched his arm to turn it off, and was going to go off to dreamland once again, if not for the fact that the name of that alarm, ‘Airport’, made him open his eyes in a blink.

“You really have to go?” a drowsy whine came from his left.

Aiba’s limbs were all around him,while his head rested peacefully on the pillow next to him. Sho brushed some locks of hair off his boyfriend’s forehead, so he could leave a kiss there.

“I do, Masaki.”

The other, still with his eyes closed, scooted over to Sho, burying his face into the crook of his neck. “I don’t want you to, I’ll miss you too much.”

Chuckling at his cute sulking, Sho rolled over to face him. He caressed his hair gently, “I’ll miss you too, but I’ll call you everyday.”

Only at that moment did Aiba open his eyes. “You will?”

“Of course. I won’t miss a day.” He promised. When he saw the doubtful face of his boyfriend, he rolled his eyes, “No, I won’t get distracted by any other art curator.”

Aiba blinked at him, surprised, “You shouldn’t be able to read my mind anymore as of last night?”

“I can tell just by looking at your face.”

“As expected from you, Sho-chan.” He left a kiss on his sloping shoulder, before adjusting his arms so that he was holding him firmly by his waist, “Even so, I won’t let you go.”

Sho bit his lips thoughtfully before getting an idea, “If you let me go now, next time I’ll let you tie me up with my tie.”

Aiba widened his eyes and gasped, “You saw even that?!”

“I did… Sorry.”

His boyfriend sat up abruptly, “Well, I guess there’s not much I can do.” He then pushed the sheets aside and stood up.

Sho grew nervous at once, afraid that he might have hurt the other when he only wanted to tease him. However, before he could apologize, Aiba produced a tie from his wardrobe. He rolled it in his hands and smirked.

“Why wait for the next time, Sho-chan?”

“Masaki, now is not the time,” he warned him.

“No time like the present,” Aiba replied, throwing himself at him and straddling his lap.

And just like that fantasy, Aiba put the tie around Sho’s neck just to pull him in a kiss. And no matter how much his mind was telling him to stop, since he had a plane to catch, his heart had him wrap his arms around Aiba to bring him closer.

From now on, he wouldn’t know what Aiba would be thinking, what he would be feeling, just by touching him. But Sho realized at that very moment that he didn’t really mind. He had been scared to lose his powers before, but now that it happened, he realized that he never needed them. All that he needed to do, when it came to Aiba, was to look him in the eyes and see all the love in them reflected back to him.

The future had never looked so bright.