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amh1988Chapter Two is here~! This is where it all really kicks off people! But that’s all I’m saying about the plot. On a side note, for anyone who actually reads this filler text…
I joined this cool little community
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je100where each week they give you a challenge of writing a 100 word drabble to a certain theme. It’s really kind of fun and it was a nice way for me to exercise a different part of my brain between writing chapters of this story. [Not an Authors Note, But a Necessary Flail Nonetheless] Aiba’s Drama! I am ridiculously excited. You just have to read my Ai-Baby trilogy to know that this is a role I think he is perfect for. And coincidently, while writing chapter 3 I had written a line about Aiba’s manager talking to someone about a drama for Aiba less than 24 hours before I heard the news. Kismet!
Title: Spiral (Chapter 02 ~ Tempest)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance
Pairing: Sakurai/Aiba
Word Count: 2,800
Type: Multi-Chapter/Series
Summary: Sakurai has always been a good person and a devoted son. He really can’t say ‘no’ to the people he loves. But when two people he loves want two different and opposite things from him, who will he choose to obey?
Disclaimer: I don’t own Arashi. I’m just using them to entertain myself.
Spiral
Chapter 02 ~ Tempest
Aiba Masaki was rarely ever truly angry. Stalking into the dressing room of V.S. Arashi, however, his displeasure was palpable. The three men already on standby in the room regarded him in surprise. Aiba was not really given to prolonged sulking – usually because he always got things his own way the moment he started – which is why the genuine pout worn by the tall man caught their attention.
He flopped unceremoniously to the couch, falling against Ninomiya in the process. Aiba neither apologised nor bothered to remove himself from practically within his friends lap. Instead, the man sighed heavily and glanced briefly at the other occupants of the room. “Is Sho-kun here yet?” He asked in a low, dangerous voice.
“He’s in the toilet.” Matsumoto informed him at the same moment Ninomiya began forcefully shoving the lithe man away.
“Get off, you’re heavy!”
Sullenly, Masaki scrambled out of his friends space, turning his attention to glare at the door to the bathroom. Ohno Satoshi, following the younger mans gaze, could not stay his curiosity. “Did something happen?”
Before he could respond, Ninomiya cut in sarcastically. “Isn’t it obvious? Ma-kuns wife must have shrunk his briefs in the laundry. That’s why he’s walking around with a face like he’s in the middle of worlds’ tightest wedgie.”
Jun was the only person who understood the musicians jibe, Ohno simply seemed confused and Aiba had been too focused on the door to really hear. He had stopped listening entirely when Sakurai had emerged from the bathroom at the last few words.
As soon as his dark eyes lit upon the object of his ire, however, the tall Idol’s righteous anger evaporated. “Where were you Sho-chan?” He asked immediately, his words coming out in a whine. “We had plans, but you never showed and I couldn’t reach you at all…”
“What’s this?” The diminutive gamer smirked maliciously. “You stood him up for your date?” He sounded impressed.
Matsumoto shot him a quelling glare. “Nino…”
Sakurai could not quite meet Masaki’s eyes. “Aiba-chan, I’m sorry…”
“But look!” Ninomiya exclaimed, speaking to the youngest man and pointing at the scene excitedly. “It’s like one of those cheesy daytime dramas!” Folding his arms across his chest, the man settled happily back in his seat to watch. None of them quite believed that there could truly be any danger to their colleagues’ relationship.
After giving his childhood friend a dirty look for his remark, Aiba turned back to his boyfriend. Opening his mouth to speak, he was interrupted by a knock on the door. At Matsumoto’s assent, the staff member stopped by briefly to inform the group that they were ready to start filming.
The second the door closed on the back of the employee, Ninomiya Kazunari threw his head back and groaned dramatically. “Aw! It was just getting to the good part too.” He mocked. Nobody listened.
The well-built rapper sighed. “Aiba-chan, I’m really sorry. I should have called, but I didn’t want–”
“Picking himself up and approaching the couple, Matsumoto stood between them and cut their conversation short. “No, I’m sorry.” He apologised, placing a hand on a shoulder of both men. “But this will have to wait until after work.” Firmly, he gave the two older men a push towards the door. “You too, Nino.” He added swatting at the small mans legs in passing.
“Yeah, I’m coming.” The would-be magician rolled his eyes and allowed himself to be herded by the younger man.
Looking back as he shoved the three men out of the room, Jun paused. “Are you coming Leader?” He asked the quiet man.
“Hmm? Uh, yeah….” Ohno replied slowly. As the others went ahead of him, Satoshi rose with a worried frown. He had not said much but he had been watching his group carefully. Having paid close attention to Sakurai and studied his expressions in particular, Ohno knew that something was not right. He was not sure how, but he sensed something ominous was just on the horizon.
Yet, he could do nothing at this point, with only vague feelings and gut instincts to go on. Even as leader, all he could do was watch over his friends and pray that things did not get worse. With that prayer in mind, Ohno hurried to catch up with his group.
Filming proceeded smoothly, with the same easy banter and inside jokes shared between the group of men as always. They received the normal compliments on their friendship and teamwork as always. Neither the guests nor the audience noticed anything amiss, but the majority of the group did.
Not once did Sakurai speak directly to the tallest member of Arashi. Even when they were teamed together for Cliff Climb, Sakurai had passed the grips silently and directed his comments to the group at large.
Aiba did not understand his friends’ strange behaviour, but he did not dare mention it. He reasoned that the older man was simply being more careful than usual, and tried not to let it bother him. So, when shooting was over and the five men returned to the dressing room to collect their belongings, Aiba was in relatively high spirits.
Coming upon the older man unexpectedly, Masaki playfully swatted Sho’s arm. “What was that about, Sho-chan?” His smile slipped when he saw Sakurai flinch away from his touch, his expression shuttered. “What the– Are you mad or something? You know, I should be the one who’s mad.”
“I’m not mad Aiba.” Sakurai’s voice was flat; toneless. “I need to talk to you.”
“That’s exactly what we’re doing now, isn’t it?”
“No, I mean…. In private.” The three uninvolved witnesses exchanged speculative looks while Masaki stared speechlessly and confused at Sakurai.
Ninomiya, having decided that the atmosphere was a little too heavy for him, thought it would be wise to give his friends some space. “Ah, well, I think I’m going to head home first.” He announced loudly. None of the subtly or skill of his acting was evident in light of a real life drama. “I really want to beat the final boss on my game.”
As the magician hastily gathered his things, Matsumoto followed his lead. “Yeah, and I really need to talk to the Director.” He explained no more convincingly. “Leader?” He asked pointedly while he and Ninomiya swiftly made their retreat.
Ohno nodded once. The diminutive man made no excuses as he collected his bag and quietly left the room with the youngest pair.
“Well?” Folding his arms defensively across his chest, Masaki fought to keep his tone even. The unsteady bob of the rappers adams-apple and his reluctance to meet his gaze man the younger man uneasy. He had never seen Sakurai act in such a manner before and his mind reeled with the wrongness of it. “We’re alone now….” He added when the shorter man remained silent.
“I was wrong.” He spoke softly, but there was a hard edge to his voice; a tone of finality that Aiba did not like.
“About missing our date?” Hoping against hope to diffuse the tense mood, the usually vivacious young man attempted to laugh it off. “That doesn’t matter anymore. It’s not like we don’t see each other often enough. And I’m sure you would have called if you could have. I’m not your keeper; I understand that something important came up, right?” He was speaking in a rush, made nervous by the dull gleam of Sho’s eyes. Aiba did not wait for an answer to his question; he was too afraid that it would not be the one he wanted to hear.
“I don’t mind stuff like that really, Sho-chan. I was just feeling sorry for myself earlier. I know you wouldn’t do it on purpose, I’m sure–”
“Stop it Aiba.” Sakurai finally cut into his tirade. His brow was drawn in anger and he held his arms stiffly at his sides. “I did do it on purpose.” He stated sharply, his hands balling into fists as he spoke.
“What?”
“I did it because I realised that I was wrong; we never should have started dating in the first place.” He explained; his jaw set determinedly.
Masaki fought against the bile rising over the lump in his throat. “But… Sho-chan, please, this isn’t funny.”
“I’m not joking.” The man replied tightly. He forced his voice to a more normal timbre as he went on. “I’m sorry, I really am. I’ve never had a friend like you before, and I mistook those feeling for something else. I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”
With tears blurring his vision so that he could no longer make out Sakurai’s features, Masaki found no words to say to this. Not wanting his tears to fall where the other man could see, Aiba turned silently on his heel and left the room without argument or looking back. It took every ounce of his willpower to keep a steady pace and not run from the building at top speed.
His chest ached and his lungs did not seem to want to breathe. His eyes burned, his limbs felt heavy and laden and his head spun sickeningly. Yet, as much as he felt as though he had been physically assaulted, he felt completely numb inside. It seemed to him like he was walking through a dream, except none of his nightmares had ever been quite this bad. Blindly, he stumbled through the corridors, praying that no one would come upon him in his current condition.
Obviously, God did not listen to heartbroken Idols, Aiba decided. Just before he made it to the exit, he was spotted; by Matsumoto Jun, no less.
The sharp young man took one look at Aiba’s sorry state and took him by the elbow. Asking no questions he bundled the broken man outside and into his car. Masaki made no protest – no sound at all, in fact – for the length of that journey. He simply sat quietly in the passenger seat with his heels upon the seat and his arms around his knees. For once, Jun did not scold him for putting his feet on the upholstery.
Once inside the well appointed home of the younger man, Aiba allowed his friend to lead him to the table. Matsumoto sat the man down and disappeared into the adjoining kitchen. He returned swiftly with two glasses and a large bottle of wine.
Pouring a generous amount of the dark red liquid into Masaki’s glass, Jun took the chair next to him. “Drink.” Trembling, Aiba downed the beverage and presented the glass for a refill. Matsumoto obliged and reach over to stroke his friends head in concern. “Did you have a fight?” He asked gently.
Masaki shook his head. “No.” A broken sob escaped his throat, and with it, the tears that had been swimming in his eyes finally spilled down his cheeks. Burying his face in his arms resting on the table, his shouldered heaved.
Hurting for his friend, Jun rubbed his back comfortingly and waited for the man to explain.
It took a few minutes for the taller man to get enough control over his breathing to speak. “We didn’t fight. We never fight, not really.” Aiba lifted his head to take another drink. “But Sho-chan, he…”
“It’s alright, Aiba-chan.” Jun assured him kindly. “Take your time.”
“He said it was a mistake.” Masaki nearly choked on the last word. Swallowing around the lump in his throat and taking a shuddering breath, he continued. “He said we never should have been together.” And Aiba cried then, unable and unwilling to hold anything in.
Leaning over, Jun pulled the weeping man into a hug. Wordlessly, he simply held the man and let him sob into his shirt; there was nothing he could say.
For a long time, the pair stayed like that: With Aiba rocking in his embrace and Matsumoto offering what comfort he could. Until the older man finally ran out of tears and his cries became sniffles. At length, Masaki mumbled into Jun’s chest. “It doesn’t make sense…” He remarked bitterly. “He called me his friend and he dumped me.”
“I’m sorry, Aiba-chan.” Matsumoto told him sincerely. “I know that must have been painful.”
The older man pulled away roughly. “Please don’t apologise.” He snapped, his reddened, puffy eyes flashing dangerously. “Sho-chan already did that enough.”
“I understand.” Matsumoto sighed. “You probably don’t want to hear this right now but-”
“Then don’t say it.”
“As expected…. You’re really angry right now.”
Aiba gave a bitter laugh. “Of course I am! How could he do that? Just out of nowhere?”
Jun drank deeply of his wine to steel himself. He knew he would have to play the devils advocate in order to help the heartbroken man. “Would you rather he had waited until your relationship had gone sour and you could no longer stand the sight of each other anymore?”
“Huh?” The doe-eyed Idol was thrown by Jun’s sudden change in attitude. Just a few seconds ago the younger man had been sympathetic, now he seemed to be taking a different view. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean, maybe he did you both a favour.” Forestalling Aiba’s imminent objection with one raised hand, he continued reasonably. “If Sho-kun thought you guys weren’t working out together, isn’t it better to end it sooner rather than later?”
Masaki looked thoroughly betrayed. “You’re cruel.” He whispered hoarsely. “How can you say that?” His eyes shone with tears again, but stubbornly, he held them back.
“Just listen.” Matsumoto insisted, more gently this time. “Whether you guys are together or not, you still have to work together. The five of us were Arashi before you started dating and we will be Arashi after. At least, this way, there is a chance you two can still be friends.”
Aiba regarded him with a mixture of hope and fear. “You really think that?” He wondered; unsure whether the thought pleased or appalled him. “You really think he still want to be my friend?”
“I do.”
“But what about me!?” Masaki wailed desperately. “I love him. Am I supposed to go back to the way things were before, like nothing ever happened? Am I just supposed to forget all the things he said to me? All the stuff we did together? I can’t do it Jun-chan. I won’t!”
Patiently, the ebony haired Idol sat back in his chair and observed his friend coolly. “I see… Aiba-chan would put his own feelings before the rest of the group.”
“Eh!?”
“I guess Arashi isn’t as important to you as I thought. Matsumoto continued relentlessly. “And you obviously don’t care much about Sakurai if you’re willing to end a ten-year friendship over a four-month relationship that went bad.”
Aiba was stung. “Stop it!” He pleaded. “I never said that.” He whimpered. “It’s just that…. He is my friend, but I-”
“I know.” The younger man softened, taking Aiba’s hand and squeezing it supportively. “It’s not going to be easy, but eventually, it will stop hurting. Your friendship is too precious to be destroyed by this.”
Still shaken with the events of the day and trembling with a myriad of conflicting emotions, Masaki agreed. “We have a magazine interview tomorrow.” He informed Jun quietly. “Me and Sho-kun. The theme was picked by Captain last time…”
“Oh? What did he choose?”
“Friendship.” Somehow, the irony of it all forced the tears from his eyes, and he let them fall, silently this time. There was no real emotion behind them anyway, just a strange sort of emptiness.
Matsumoto seemed to understand this; standing, he moved behind his friend and rubbed his shoulders, kissing the crown of his head paternally. “You’re staying here tonight.” He told the taller man, speaking into his hair. “I’ll drop you off at the shoot myself.”
“O.K.”
“And no matter what happens, Aiba-chan.” Jun began, straightening up be keeping his hands at Masaki’s shoulders. “Just remember that you were friends first. Friendship came before anything else.”
Closing his eyes against the ache in his chest, Aiba nodded. “I remember.”
To be continued…
Chapter 03 HERE
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Amended Update Schedule: As of this chapter, I will be switching to a bi-weekly schedule of Tuesdays and Fridays. Next update is Tuesday 11th August. If you want to keep track of this story and its progress, check out my post [HERE] I’ll keep it updated with any new information.
Comments, criticisms, opinions and ideas are all welcome! ♥
