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No Love Match - Chapter 14
Pairing: Sakumoto (main), Aimiya
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Romance, m-preg, au
Disclaimer: I do not own Arashi, only these words.
Summary: Jun is given in an arranged marriage to Lord Sakurai Sho. Against the odds, love blossoms.
A/N: I never meant for this to happen but this has now turned into my first chaptered fic. I have no idea where this is going or where it will end but you are welcome to come along for the ride.
Previously: Chap 1, Chap 2, Chap 3, Chap 4, Chap 5, Chap 6, Chap 7, Chap 8, Chap 9, Chap 10, Chap 11, Chap 12, Chap 13
Jun was powerless to prevent his body from trembling as Ohno guided him to a nearby chair. He still could not quite believe how hard he had struck Toma and he worried what the consequences of his actions would be. He looked around nervously, frightened that the man might still be somewhere nearby.
"Do not worry. He will not reappear," Ohno said, seemingly able to read Jun's thoughts. "I have ordered him to make an immediate return to his own lands to await my further instructions under the close watch of my men. You need not fear punishment for your actions; if anything you deserve plaudits for your bravery."
Jun's teeth chattered together as he hunched in the chair, somehow unable to bring himself to speak.
Ohno looked at him carefully, before removing his own cloak and wrapping it firmly around Jun's shoulders. As the Monarch did so he noticed that Jun's knee must have been injured when he fell in the courtyard. The fabric of his trousers was wet and torn, revealing a deep cut that was bleeding freely. Jun, however, seemed to be unaware of his injury as he sat unspeaking, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
Ohno pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it to the wound, saying as he did so, "I will despatch one of my men to seek out Masaki. In the meantime I hope that this will staunch the blood somewhat."
Jun looked at him with terrified eyes, "Toma has been making eyes at me and subtly flirting since his arrival, but I thought at first that it was the product of my overtaxed mind. Since he is a married man I thought that perhaps he jested, but now I know that his desires were genuine. Sho will be angry with me. I should have told him of Toma's attentions earlier. He will think that I encouraged them."
Kneeling on the floor at Jun's feet, Ohno reached over and stroked Jun's cold cheek, "Little One, you have done nothing wrong. It is Toma who should feel ashamed. He has treated you most disrespectfully, and I will personally ensure that he pays most dearly for his ill treatment of you."
Judging that Jun was calm enough to leave alone momentarily, Ohno left the room, closing the door quietly behind him as he went in search of one of his men.
++++
As Jun's body warmed up, so did his wound, and his knee began to throb in a most painful fashion. He felt dizzy and exhausted and wished for nothing more than to lay down somewhere peaceful so that he might get his disordered thoughts in order before he told Sho of the happenings of the morning.
But he was not to have the opportunity, as a minute later the door was slammed back hard upon its hinges and Sho strode into the room, almost incandescent with rage.
Jun had never before seen such anger in his husband. He seemed to bristle with rage, his body seeming larger than it was as he loomed over Jun as he cowered in the chair.
"Who was it?" Sho snarled.
"I...I...do not.."
"Do not pretend that you do not know of whom I speak," Sho said, as he angrily grabbed Jun's wrist and pulled him closer. "Who were you embracing so amorously in the courtyard? I had a perfectly clear view of your treachery from the upstairs window."
"I would never betray you," Jun cried.
"Then who was it that I saw you with?"
"It was I!" came a voice from the doorway.
Not releasing his tight grip upon Jun, Sho turned and was bewildered to see King Ohno glaring at him with an angry expression. "Jun slipped upon the ice and injured his knee and I was assisting him to his feet."
The red mist of rage in Sho's eyes dimmed slightly as his brain tried to process this information. He was brought back to full consciousness as he heard a small voice nearby say, "It hurts."
Sho looked down at his hand which was still gripping Jun's delicate wrist tightly enough to almost grind the bones together. He immediately released his hold as if he was touching a hot ember. He could not fail to miss the bruises that were already forming on the tender skin before Jun clumsily hauled himself upright and rushed from the room.
Sho made to follow, but he was halted by a surprisingly strong grip upon his arm as the King held him in place. "You will go nowhere for the moment. You have caused enough harm to your husband for one day. I will speak with you, and you will listen; there are matters of which you must be apprised," Ohno said, looking more angry than Sho had ever seen him before.
++++
As Jun blindly fled the room he did not progress far before he ran into a solid obstacle. He looked up into Masaki's startled eyes, before his legs gave way. He would have collapsed to the ground if Ohno's man had not caught him by the arms. Between them, Masaki and the Sergeant lifted him and carried him up the stairs to his bedchamber.
A flustered Nino caught up with them when they were halfway up the stairs, panting from the exertion of moving so quickly, the twins weighing heavy in his belly.
Ohno's man withdrew after Jun was settled and Masaki commenced to examine him whilst asking him gentle questions to which he received no response. With Nino's able assistance, the wound upon Jun's knee was cleaned and dressed. They were concerned that Jun did not even flinch once whilst they completed the painful task. He seemed to have closed himself off behind a blank façade. When he espied the livid bruising upon Jun's wrist, Masaki asked more harshly than he had intended, "Toma is responsible for this? It is a miracle that the bones are not fractured."
Nino tensed as he awaited the answer, his fists balling at his sides.
"N-no, it was S-Sho," was Jun's faint answer.
Immediately Nino made to return downstairs and seek Sho out, but Masaki grabbed hold of him as said, "No, my tiger, this time I shall take matters into my own hands."
Nino wanted to argue that it was his duty to protect Jun, not Masaki's, but his husband looked so determined and angry he decided that he could be trusted to make Sho pay for his actions in his stead.
Jun, who was lying trembling upon the bed, looked so small and helpless that there was no way that Nino could leave his side even if he wished to. He was already sick to his stomach at the events of that day, and how perilously close Jun had come to being defiled by that creature. His own heart was pounding with guilt; he had meant to speak to Masaki so many times with regard to his suspicions of Toma’s motives, but he had been distracted by his marriage and pregnancy, focusing upon his own needs before those of Jun. He felt as if they had all sorely let Jun down by their obliviousness, leaving him alone and unguarded when he was at his most vulnerable.
++++
"Why did Jun not tell me this?" Sho asked as he paced angrily around the room like a caged lion. He could hardly believe what had occurred under his roof, without him having the slightest awareness. Toma had been a veritable brother to him and his staunchest ally upon the field of battle; to be betrayed like this was almost beyond his comprehension.
"He was concerned for your state of health. You were so very weakened by your wounds. He naively thought that if he ignored these attentions then Toma would soon give up. I think that he secretly hoped that it was but a trick of his overstressed imagination," Ohno replied.
"What occurred today? What did Toma dare to do to Jun?" Sho asked, his heart racing with sudden fear.
"I do not know precisely. When I happened upon them Jun's clothing was in disarray and he was struggling to free himself from Toma's grasp. I was about to intervene when Jun turned upon him and struck Toma in the face before fleeing into the courtyard," Ohno said. "I believe that Toma's nose is quite badly broken," he added with great satisfaction.
"Where is that vile creature? I shall not permit him to take such liberties with my husband in my own home," Sho growled, the rage building within him once again.
Ohno stepped over to him and took a firm hold of his arm, "I have already removed him from this place. Do not fear, he will find his punishment, but it will come from me in a proper fashion. I will not allow you to ruin your future by acting rashly."
Before Sho could respond, Masaki entered the room, calmly walked across the floor and punched him in the face hard enough to knock him to the ground.
Whilst Sho was still writhing on the floor clutching his face in pain Masaki turned to the King and bowed respectfully before silently striding from the room.
++++
Ohno did not assist Sho to rise from his position on the floor; instead he took a seat at Sho’s desk and merely sat, watching as he struggled to his feet.
"I would not normally condone such reprehensible behaviour, but on this occasion I am more than willing to overlook your friend's actions," Ohno said coldly.
Masaki's blow had shocked Sho back to his senses and he was only now realizing how poorly he had behaved and how badly he had dealt with his innocent husband. The room was fading in and out of focus as he struggled to his feet. He vaguely heard Ohno’s voice behind him, but he was determined to find his Kitten and make immediate amends for his unforgivable behaviour, knowing that to do so he would have to run the gauntlet of Masaki and Nino.
++++
Masaki was positioned firmly in front of the door to Jun's bedchamber with his arms crossed forbiddingly in front of his chest.
Sho staggered along the corridor bumping against the walls as he struggled to maintain his balance. The distance seemed to increase with every step that he made and there was an incessant buzzing in his ears. He was barely able to place one foot before the other but he was determined to repair the damage that had been done by his rash anger.
"Masaki, I..."
"I do not think that I am able to permit you to speak with Jun at this time. I fear that the confrontation may have an adverse effect upon your unborn child."
"I do not know what demon took possession of my soul...to have injured my precious love in such a way," Sho whispered hoarsely as his knees gave way and he collapsed to the floor.
Masaki's anger was replaced with confusion as he went to Sho's aid. As he pressed an enquiring hand to his forehead he came to the realization that Sho was burning with fever. His friend had obviously sorely overtaxed his weakened body over the previous weeks and was now paying the price for his stubbornness.
As he attempted to lift Sho, Masaki realized that it was impossible for him to accomplish the task alone. Sho had lost weight after his injury but his heavily muscled body was still a greater burden than he could manage without assistance
"Let me help."
Masaki turned in the direction that the voice had issued forth from.
"Y-your Majesty, I could not possibly ask you to..." Masaki stuttered.
"Am I too delicate for such a task?"
"Of course not, but your ranking should prevent you from lowering yourself..."
"Should my rank prevent me from showing compassion and aiding a fellow human being who is clearly suffering? Come, we shall lift him together."
After Sho was safety within his bed and had been dosed with one of Masaki's strongest remedies against fever the unlikely pair stood looking down upon him with a shared look of concern.
"I did not even think to allow Sho to offer me an explanation before striking him," Masaki said.
"I fear that we are both guilty of jumping to hasty conclusions, but we needed to consider Jun and his unborn child first before all," Ohno replied. "Sho himself will understand why we acted as we did, but I fear that he will never forgive himself for his actions which resulted in adding to Jun's trauma."
++++
Nino was absent from Jun's bedchamber when Ohno entered. Jun was lying upon his back, staring hopelessly at the ceiling.
Ohno took a seat on the edge of the bed and took Jun's right hand into his own as he softly asked, "Little One, how do you fare?"
Jun did not reply, but the tear that trickled down his pale cheek was answer enough.
As Ohno sat stroking the back of Jun's hand, Nino bustled into the room, carrying a basin of cool water that had been steeped with herbs and a bundle of cloths so that he might apply cold compresses to Jun's badly bruised forearm.
He jerked to a halt when he recognized Jun's visitor, "Your Majesty," he gulped as he bent into an awkward bow, his hands shaking badly enough to almost spill the contents of the basin to the floor.
Ohno rose and carefully removed the basin from Nino's grasp. The young man was looking far too pale for his liking.
"Perhaps you should also take some rest," Ohno suggested quietly not wishing to disturb Jun.
"I must care for Jun. These compresses must be regularly applied to reduce the swelling," Nino replied stubbornly in an equally low tone, looking for all the world as if he wished to snatch the medicinal supplies out of the King's grasp.
"Please trust me to accomplish this task for you. My children are forever falling from horses, or trees or some suchlike places and injuring themselves. I have much experience in treating similar injuries."
Nino glared at him suspiciously, but knew that he could never win against such a powerful opponent. "I shall instead seek out Lord Sakurai and demand and explanation for his outrageously uncivilized behaviour."
"He lays within the chamber next door with your husband in attendance. He has suffered a relapse of his fever and I believe it to be the root of his uncharacteristic behaviour."
"I shall be the judge of that," Nino replied with a scowl as he reluctantly took his leave.
++++
Ohno hummed quietly under his breath as he placed the compresses upon Jun's wrist. Jun turned his face away and screwed shut his eyes as a clear indicator that he did not wish to be engaged in conversation.
Ohno however, decided not to take notice of Jun’s reluctant demeanour and began to speak in a gentle tone, “I know that you were badly frighted by both the attack upon your person by Toma, and the rage that your husband displayed towards you. You have my personal assurance that Toma is far from here and he will not be able to cause you harm ever again. I know that you have suffered a terrible ordeal, and you will not wish to relive a moment of it, but eventually I hope that in time you will be able to recount to us exactly what occurred today so that I may make a fitting punishment for the perpetrator.”
“I do not wish for Sho to know…he will think of me differently,” Jun replied in a trembling voice.
“He is your husband and has vowed to love and protect you for life and he is the father of your unborn child. Do you think that such a bond is so easily severed by a happening that was none of your own doing?” Ohno asked gently as he used one of the cloths to wipe the tears from Jun’s cheeks.
“But he looked at me with such rage and hatred. Perhaps I should leave this place for a short while. Nino and Masaki would surely welcome me at their cottage…”
“Rest assured, he was not angry with you. He was filled with anger at a situation that he did not understand and even more so at himself because of his inability to protect you. Unbeknownst to us he was consumed with fever and was not in his right mind when he confronted you. Please do not think or act rashly until he is well enough to speak to you calmly and listen to your explanation.”
“If you promise to offer me your protection I shall recount my story to you both as soon as Sho is recovered,” Jun responded, his eyes drooping as the painkilling medicine that Masaki had dosed him with began to take effect.
“Jun, there is no possibility that you will need protecting, but rest assured I shall offer you my fullest support when you speak with Sho,” Ohno said, planting a kiss on Jun’s forehead before moving over to sit in the armchair next to Jun’s bed. No one would budge him from this spot until he was assured of Jun’s wellbeing and peace of mind.
++++
Nino stormed into Sho’s bedchamber fully prepared to confront Sho and set him in his place, but to his dismay Masaki caught him by the arms and steered him back into the corridor.
“Let me be. I must have this out with him immediately. I care not for the consequences. He laid his hands upon Jun and this is utterly unforgivable,” Nino cried desperately as he struggled to free himself.
“Sho sleeps a drugged sleep, he cannot answer to you,” Masaki said as he fought to keep Nino still. “He was burning with fever and insensible to his surroundings. I fear that we have all judged him too harshly.”
“Do not tell me that you regret striking him for the pain he inflicted upon Jun?”
“I confess that even though I understand the circumstances of his actions, I still do not regret my own.”
Nino finally ceased to struggle and allowed himself to sag into Masaki’s encircling arms. “It is my own fault. I sensed that something was amiss since Toma joined this household, but I did not press Jun enough upon the subject."
"We have all been remiss in our duty towards Jun. We should have taken more care of him whilst Sho was incapable of protecting him," Masaki said with a sorrowful look towards Nino. "We are all equally guilty of neglect. If His Majesty had not arrived at such a fortunate time and acted as Jun's saviour..."
Nino pulled himself upright with a determined expression. "We may have failed him upon this occasion but we shall not make the same mistake again. We must ensure that this does not impact upon his future or that of his unborn child."
Masaki nodded as he rocked Nino gently in a reassuring fashion, calming him with the repetitive motion of their bodies.
++++
Two evenings later Jun limped into the drawing room leaning heavily upon the King's arm. He was having difficulty bending his gashed and bruised knee and his back was excessively painful and marked where it had been harshly jammed against the edge of the desk during the assault upon his person.
Sho was already sitting stiffly in the armchair nearest the window, weak, but now free of fever, flanked by Nino and Masaki who were both wearing serious expressions. They were standing on either side of him as if acting as guards. When he saw Jun he made as if to stand but he was gently pushed back onto his seat by Masaki, with a warning look.
Ohno assisted Jun to sit before arraying himself beside him, taking Jun's trembling hand into his own. The contrast between their two hands was marked, Jun's pale and tender skin glowing against Ohno's calloused and tanned long fingers. The bruises on Jun's wrist showed clearly below the end of his sleeve as Ohno gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Jun my dear, are you able to now recount your ordeal to us? I do not by any means wish to compound your suffering, but in order to make a ruling upon the punishment I must dole out to Toma in the near future I must ask you to relive the attack," the Monarch said gently, but firmly.
Jun did not answer, merely nodding his agreement whilst focusing his eyes upon their clasped hands. He knew that it would be impossible to speak if he caught the eyes of anyone in the room, especially the deeply apologetic ones belonging to his suddenly slumped and defeated looking husband.
Masaki led Nino to the love seat, worried about the effect that Jun's revelations might have upon him. His young husband had barely slept the previous nights, tossing restlessly in their bed as he was plagued with concern regarding not just Jun's state of mind but the future of his friend's marriage also.
++++
A heavy silence descended upon the room as the assembled company waited for Jun to speak.
He took a deep breath and hesitantly commenced to recount his dealings with Toma over the past weeks. Although he had voiced his suspicious intuition regarding Toma to Nino on more than one occasion he had never spoken to anyone with regard to certain happenings.
There were many 'accidental' touches, whisper light and innocently delivered in such a way as to cause Jun to think it was only his mind playing tricks. Remarks jokingly delivered regarding Sho's age and his ability to sexually satisfy his much younger husband. Questions regarding their arranged match and their feelings for each other when first wed.
All of these things Jun had handled with a firm rebuff and a reiteration of his deep love for his husband, not speaking out for fear of causing Sho's health a setback. But in his heart he also kept his own council fearing that it would be thought that he must have offered Toma some form of encouragement or else why would he persist in his attentions after being refused each time.
As the words left his lips the others in the room struggled to rein in their own emotional response to his words. Masaki clenched Nino's hand tightly, anchoring him firmly in place, whilst Sho's face had become as white as parchment as his fist tightly gripped the armrests of his chair as is restraining himself from sweeping Jun into his arms and never letting him from his sight ever again.
When Jun reached the events of that fateful day, he faltered, swaying in in place and closing his eyes tightly as he remembered the harsh fumes of alcohol that Toma breathed over him as he rutted his hard length against his body obviously intent upon rape.
"Jun, do you need to rest?" Ohno asked gently, gesturing to Masaki to come forth and confirm that Jun was fit to continue.
Jun vehemently shook his head and blinked away his tears as Masaki felt his pulse. Masaki was not pleased with his findings, the beat in Jun's wrist was of a tempo and strength not to his liking, but Jun pulled his hand away saying, "I must finish my tale. I committed an act of violence and must be punished for my actions."
Ohno immediately protested, "You have committed no crime. By bravely defending your honour you meted out a swift and fitting punishment to your attacker and I will not permit you to think otherwise."
Closing his eyes to avoid the gaze of Sho, who was staring at him with a combination of shock and anger, Jun recounted the attack upon his person by the man his husband had considered to be one of his greatest friends.
When he reached the part where Toma had told him of his plans to separate him from his child immediately upon giving birth before impregnating him with his own seed Sho uttered a strangled cry pulling at his own hair with frustration at his inability to protect his beloved one from such harm whilst Nino buried his face into Masaki's chest, cradling his own swollen belly protectively, his anger replaced by fear.
Jun flinched at the commotion, but now that he was speaking, it was an impossibility for him to stop, the words flowing out as if of their own volition. "T-Toma cornered me so that I could not make my escape. He...he...pressed his member against me and...he grasped my manhood through my trousers. It...it.. was most painful and I cried out so he covered my mouth and nose, stopping the air from entering my lungs as he tried to remove the clothing from my lower half, so that he could access my... I feared for my honour...he said that once he had taken me then I would belong to him. There was a book resting upon the desk. I took it up in my hand and I struck him in the face to make him release me."
Jun suddenly stopped and began to sob, "My husband, I dirtied your favourite book with his blood. I am s-sorry."
Sho's response was immediate, flinging himself to kneel upon the floor at Jun's feet he hugged him to his chest and joined him in weeping distressed tears and caring not who saw him in this state. "My beloved one, you have nothing to be sorry for. It is I who let you down by my failure to protect you, to recognize what was happening to you right before my unseeing eyes. I have let you down twice now since we were wed. I am a disgrace and failure as a husband and it is I who must most wholeheartedly beg for your forgiveness."
Masaki assisted Nino to rise from his seat and wrapped his arm around his waist, gently leading him from the room. Sho and Jun deserved their privacy at such a time. Nino, who was sobbing soundlessly, also needed the comfort and privacy that their borrowed quarters within the Manor would provide.
Ohno silently relinquished his place to Sho, passing Jun's trembling hand into his before discretely taking his leave also. He hoped that the rift in Jun and Sho's marriage could now begin to heal, but by the stiffly upright manner Jun was maintaining whilst in Sho's arms it appeared that he had not yet recovered from the physical and mental anguish caused by his husband's violent accusations of infidelity.
++++
The next evening Sho was already abed when Jun slowly shuffled into his bedchamber after taking a seemingly excessive amount of time to bathe; almost as if he had delayed this moment for as long as was possible within the scope of his abilities.
"My kitten, please come to bed; you must be exhausted," Sho said. The dark circles beneath Jun's eyes seemed pronounced due to the excessive pallor of his skin, whilst his eyes were red rimmed from the tears he had shed over the course of the past few days.
"Please accept my heartfelt apologies," Jun replied, "But I would prefer to once again sleep alone tonight. Please allow me to rest in my own bedchamber whilst you remain in yours. My mind is a whirl of confusion and I need time to reflect upon my feelings."
Sho felt as if his heart was shattering into motes of dust as he mutely watched his most precious and beloved one turn away and retreat once again to his own domain. The sound of Jun closing the connecting door behind him and turning the key in the lock with finality was almost enough to cause him to collapse with grief and the fear that he had utterly destroyed their love with one ill-conceived act of unfounded jealousy.
A/N : Sorry for another sad chapter. Please don’t hate me. *runs to hide under rock*
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Romance, m-preg, au
Disclaimer: I do not own Arashi, only these words.
Summary: Jun is given in an arranged marriage to Lord Sakurai Sho. Against the odds, love blossoms.
A/N: I never meant for this to happen but this has now turned into my first chaptered fic. I have no idea where this is going or where it will end but you are welcome to come along for the ride.
Previously: Chap 1, Chap 2, Chap 3, Chap 4, Chap 5, Chap 6, Chap 7, Chap 8, Chap 9, Chap 10, Chap 11, Chap 12, Chap 13
Jun was powerless to prevent his body from trembling as Ohno guided him to a nearby chair. He still could not quite believe how hard he had struck Toma and he worried what the consequences of his actions would be. He looked around nervously, frightened that the man might still be somewhere nearby.
"Do not worry. He will not reappear," Ohno said, seemingly able to read Jun's thoughts. "I have ordered him to make an immediate return to his own lands to await my further instructions under the close watch of my men. You need not fear punishment for your actions; if anything you deserve plaudits for your bravery."
Jun's teeth chattered together as he hunched in the chair, somehow unable to bring himself to speak.
Ohno looked at him carefully, before removing his own cloak and wrapping it firmly around Jun's shoulders. As the Monarch did so he noticed that Jun's knee must have been injured when he fell in the courtyard. The fabric of his trousers was wet and torn, revealing a deep cut that was bleeding freely. Jun, however, seemed to be unaware of his injury as he sat unspeaking, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
Ohno pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it to the wound, saying as he did so, "I will despatch one of my men to seek out Masaki. In the meantime I hope that this will staunch the blood somewhat."
Jun looked at him with terrified eyes, "Toma has been making eyes at me and subtly flirting since his arrival, but I thought at first that it was the product of my overtaxed mind. Since he is a married man I thought that perhaps he jested, but now I know that his desires were genuine. Sho will be angry with me. I should have told him of Toma's attentions earlier. He will think that I encouraged them."
Kneeling on the floor at Jun's feet, Ohno reached over and stroked Jun's cold cheek, "Little One, you have done nothing wrong. It is Toma who should feel ashamed. He has treated you most disrespectfully, and I will personally ensure that he pays most dearly for his ill treatment of you."
Judging that Jun was calm enough to leave alone momentarily, Ohno left the room, closing the door quietly behind him as he went in search of one of his men.
++++
As Jun's body warmed up, so did his wound, and his knee began to throb in a most painful fashion. He felt dizzy and exhausted and wished for nothing more than to lay down somewhere peaceful so that he might get his disordered thoughts in order before he told Sho of the happenings of the morning.
But he was not to have the opportunity, as a minute later the door was slammed back hard upon its hinges and Sho strode into the room, almost incandescent with rage.
Jun had never before seen such anger in his husband. He seemed to bristle with rage, his body seeming larger than it was as he loomed over Jun as he cowered in the chair.
"Who was it?" Sho snarled.
"I...I...do not.."
"Do not pretend that you do not know of whom I speak," Sho said, as he angrily grabbed Jun's wrist and pulled him closer. "Who were you embracing so amorously in the courtyard? I had a perfectly clear view of your treachery from the upstairs window."
"I would never betray you," Jun cried.
"Then who was it that I saw you with?"
"It was I!" came a voice from the doorway.
Not releasing his tight grip upon Jun, Sho turned and was bewildered to see King Ohno glaring at him with an angry expression. "Jun slipped upon the ice and injured his knee and I was assisting him to his feet."
The red mist of rage in Sho's eyes dimmed slightly as his brain tried to process this information. He was brought back to full consciousness as he heard a small voice nearby say, "It hurts."
Sho looked down at his hand which was still gripping Jun's delicate wrist tightly enough to almost grind the bones together. He immediately released his hold as if he was touching a hot ember. He could not fail to miss the bruises that were already forming on the tender skin before Jun clumsily hauled himself upright and rushed from the room.
Sho made to follow, but he was halted by a surprisingly strong grip upon his arm as the King held him in place. "You will go nowhere for the moment. You have caused enough harm to your husband for one day. I will speak with you, and you will listen; there are matters of which you must be apprised," Ohno said, looking more angry than Sho had ever seen him before.
++++
As Jun blindly fled the room he did not progress far before he ran into a solid obstacle. He looked up into Masaki's startled eyes, before his legs gave way. He would have collapsed to the ground if Ohno's man had not caught him by the arms. Between them, Masaki and the Sergeant lifted him and carried him up the stairs to his bedchamber.
A flustered Nino caught up with them when they were halfway up the stairs, panting from the exertion of moving so quickly, the twins weighing heavy in his belly.
Ohno's man withdrew after Jun was settled and Masaki commenced to examine him whilst asking him gentle questions to which he received no response. With Nino's able assistance, the wound upon Jun's knee was cleaned and dressed. They were concerned that Jun did not even flinch once whilst they completed the painful task. He seemed to have closed himself off behind a blank façade. When he espied the livid bruising upon Jun's wrist, Masaki asked more harshly than he had intended, "Toma is responsible for this? It is a miracle that the bones are not fractured."
Nino tensed as he awaited the answer, his fists balling at his sides.
"N-no, it was S-Sho," was Jun's faint answer.
Immediately Nino made to return downstairs and seek Sho out, but Masaki grabbed hold of him as said, "No, my tiger, this time I shall take matters into my own hands."
Nino wanted to argue that it was his duty to protect Jun, not Masaki's, but his husband looked so determined and angry he decided that he could be trusted to make Sho pay for his actions in his stead.
Jun, who was lying trembling upon the bed, looked so small and helpless that there was no way that Nino could leave his side even if he wished to. He was already sick to his stomach at the events of that day, and how perilously close Jun had come to being defiled by that creature. His own heart was pounding with guilt; he had meant to speak to Masaki so many times with regard to his suspicions of Toma’s motives, but he had been distracted by his marriage and pregnancy, focusing upon his own needs before those of Jun. He felt as if they had all sorely let Jun down by their obliviousness, leaving him alone and unguarded when he was at his most vulnerable.
++++
"Why did Jun not tell me this?" Sho asked as he paced angrily around the room like a caged lion. He could hardly believe what had occurred under his roof, without him having the slightest awareness. Toma had been a veritable brother to him and his staunchest ally upon the field of battle; to be betrayed like this was almost beyond his comprehension.
"He was concerned for your state of health. You were so very weakened by your wounds. He naively thought that if he ignored these attentions then Toma would soon give up. I think that he secretly hoped that it was but a trick of his overstressed imagination," Ohno replied.
"What occurred today? What did Toma dare to do to Jun?" Sho asked, his heart racing with sudden fear.
"I do not know precisely. When I happened upon them Jun's clothing was in disarray and he was struggling to free himself from Toma's grasp. I was about to intervene when Jun turned upon him and struck Toma in the face before fleeing into the courtyard," Ohno said. "I believe that Toma's nose is quite badly broken," he added with great satisfaction.
"Where is that vile creature? I shall not permit him to take such liberties with my husband in my own home," Sho growled, the rage building within him once again.
Ohno stepped over to him and took a firm hold of his arm, "I have already removed him from this place. Do not fear, he will find his punishment, but it will come from me in a proper fashion. I will not allow you to ruin your future by acting rashly."
Before Sho could respond, Masaki entered the room, calmly walked across the floor and punched him in the face hard enough to knock him to the ground.
Whilst Sho was still writhing on the floor clutching his face in pain Masaki turned to the King and bowed respectfully before silently striding from the room.
++++
Ohno did not assist Sho to rise from his position on the floor; instead he took a seat at Sho’s desk and merely sat, watching as he struggled to his feet.
"I would not normally condone such reprehensible behaviour, but on this occasion I am more than willing to overlook your friend's actions," Ohno said coldly.
Masaki's blow had shocked Sho back to his senses and he was only now realizing how poorly he had behaved and how badly he had dealt with his innocent husband. The room was fading in and out of focus as he struggled to his feet. He vaguely heard Ohno’s voice behind him, but he was determined to find his Kitten and make immediate amends for his unforgivable behaviour, knowing that to do so he would have to run the gauntlet of Masaki and Nino.
++++
Masaki was positioned firmly in front of the door to Jun's bedchamber with his arms crossed forbiddingly in front of his chest.
Sho staggered along the corridor bumping against the walls as he struggled to maintain his balance. The distance seemed to increase with every step that he made and there was an incessant buzzing in his ears. He was barely able to place one foot before the other but he was determined to repair the damage that had been done by his rash anger.
"Masaki, I..."
"I do not think that I am able to permit you to speak with Jun at this time. I fear that the confrontation may have an adverse effect upon your unborn child."
"I do not know what demon took possession of my soul...to have injured my precious love in such a way," Sho whispered hoarsely as his knees gave way and he collapsed to the floor.
Masaki's anger was replaced with confusion as he went to Sho's aid. As he pressed an enquiring hand to his forehead he came to the realization that Sho was burning with fever. His friend had obviously sorely overtaxed his weakened body over the previous weeks and was now paying the price for his stubbornness.
As he attempted to lift Sho, Masaki realized that it was impossible for him to accomplish the task alone. Sho had lost weight after his injury but his heavily muscled body was still a greater burden than he could manage without assistance
"Let me help."
Masaki turned in the direction that the voice had issued forth from.
"Y-your Majesty, I could not possibly ask you to..." Masaki stuttered.
"Am I too delicate for such a task?"
"Of course not, but your ranking should prevent you from lowering yourself..."
"Should my rank prevent me from showing compassion and aiding a fellow human being who is clearly suffering? Come, we shall lift him together."
After Sho was safety within his bed and had been dosed with one of Masaki's strongest remedies against fever the unlikely pair stood looking down upon him with a shared look of concern.
"I did not even think to allow Sho to offer me an explanation before striking him," Masaki said.
"I fear that we are both guilty of jumping to hasty conclusions, but we needed to consider Jun and his unborn child first before all," Ohno replied. "Sho himself will understand why we acted as we did, but I fear that he will never forgive himself for his actions which resulted in adding to Jun's trauma."
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Nino was absent from Jun's bedchamber when Ohno entered. Jun was lying upon his back, staring hopelessly at the ceiling.
Ohno took a seat on the edge of the bed and took Jun's right hand into his own as he softly asked, "Little One, how do you fare?"
Jun did not reply, but the tear that trickled down his pale cheek was answer enough.
As Ohno sat stroking the back of Jun's hand, Nino bustled into the room, carrying a basin of cool water that had been steeped with herbs and a bundle of cloths so that he might apply cold compresses to Jun's badly bruised forearm.
He jerked to a halt when he recognized Jun's visitor, "Your Majesty," he gulped as he bent into an awkward bow, his hands shaking badly enough to almost spill the contents of the basin to the floor.
Ohno rose and carefully removed the basin from Nino's grasp. The young man was looking far too pale for his liking.
"Perhaps you should also take some rest," Ohno suggested quietly not wishing to disturb Jun.
"I must care for Jun. These compresses must be regularly applied to reduce the swelling," Nino replied stubbornly in an equally low tone, looking for all the world as if he wished to snatch the medicinal supplies out of the King's grasp.
"Please trust me to accomplish this task for you. My children are forever falling from horses, or trees or some suchlike places and injuring themselves. I have much experience in treating similar injuries."
Nino glared at him suspiciously, but knew that he could never win against such a powerful opponent. "I shall instead seek out Lord Sakurai and demand and explanation for his outrageously uncivilized behaviour."
"He lays within the chamber next door with your husband in attendance. He has suffered a relapse of his fever and I believe it to be the root of his uncharacteristic behaviour."
"I shall be the judge of that," Nino replied with a scowl as he reluctantly took his leave.
++++
Ohno hummed quietly under his breath as he placed the compresses upon Jun's wrist. Jun turned his face away and screwed shut his eyes as a clear indicator that he did not wish to be engaged in conversation.
Ohno however, decided not to take notice of Jun’s reluctant demeanour and began to speak in a gentle tone, “I know that you were badly frighted by both the attack upon your person by Toma, and the rage that your husband displayed towards you. You have my personal assurance that Toma is far from here and he will not be able to cause you harm ever again. I know that you have suffered a terrible ordeal, and you will not wish to relive a moment of it, but eventually I hope that in time you will be able to recount to us exactly what occurred today so that I may make a fitting punishment for the perpetrator.”
“I do not wish for Sho to know…he will think of me differently,” Jun replied in a trembling voice.
“He is your husband and has vowed to love and protect you for life and he is the father of your unborn child. Do you think that such a bond is so easily severed by a happening that was none of your own doing?” Ohno asked gently as he used one of the cloths to wipe the tears from Jun’s cheeks.
“But he looked at me with such rage and hatred. Perhaps I should leave this place for a short while. Nino and Masaki would surely welcome me at their cottage…”
“Rest assured, he was not angry with you. He was filled with anger at a situation that he did not understand and even more so at himself because of his inability to protect you. Unbeknownst to us he was consumed with fever and was not in his right mind when he confronted you. Please do not think or act rashly until he is well enough to speak to you calmly and listen to your explanation.”
“If you promise to offer me your protection I shall recount my story to you both as soon as Sho is recovered,” Jun responded, his eyes drooping as the painkilling medicine that Masaki had dosed him with began to take effect.
“Jun, there is no possibility that you will need protecting, but rest assured I shall offer you my fullest support when you speak with Sho,” Ohno said, planting a kiss on Jun’s forehead before moving over to sit in the armchair next to Jun’s bed. No one would budge him from this spot until he was assured of Jun’s wellbeing and peace of mind.
++++
Nino stormed into Sho’s bedchamber fully prepared to confront Sho and set him in his place, but to his dismay Masaki caught him by the arms and steered him back into the corridor.
“Let me be. I must have this out with him immediately. I care not for the consequences. He laid his hands upon Jun and this is utterly unforgivable,” Nino cried desperately as he struggled to free himself.
“Sho sleeps a drugged sleep, he cannot answer to you,” Masaki said as he fought to keep Nino still. “He was burning with fever and insensible to his surroundings. I fear that we have all judged him too harshly.”
“Do not tell me that you regret striking him for the pain he inflicted upon Jun?”
“I confess that even though I understand the circumstances of his actions, I still do not regret my own.”
Nino finally ceased to struggle and allowed himself to sag into Masaki’s encircling arms. “It is my own fault. I sensed that something was amiss since Toma joined this household, but I did not press Jun enough upon the subject."
"We have all been remiss in our duty towards Jun. We should have taken more care of him whilst Sho was incapable of protecting him," Masaki said with a sorrowful look towards Nino. "We are all equally guilty of neglect. If His Majesty had not arrived at such a fortunate time and acted as Jun's saviour..."
Nino pulled himself upright with a determined expression. "We may have failed him upon this occasion but we shall not make the same mistake again. We must ensure that this does not impact upon his future or that of his unborn child."
Masaki nodded as he rocked Nino gently in a reassuring fashion, calming him with the repetitive motion of their bodies.
++++
Two evenings later Jun limped into the drawing room leaning heavily upon the King's arm. He was having difficulty bending his gashed and bruised knee and his back was excessively painful and marked where it had been harshly jammed against the edge of the desk during the assault upon his person.
Sho was already sitting stiffly in the armchair nearest the window, weak, but now free of fever, flanked by Nino and Masaki who were both wearing serious expressions. They were standing on either side of him as if acting as guards. When he saw Jun he made as if to stand but he was gently pushed back onto his seat by Masaki, with a warning look.
Ohno assisted Jun to sit before arraying himself beside him, taking Jun's trembling hand into his own. The contrast between their two hands was marked, Jun's pale and tender skin glowing against Ohno's calloused and tanned long fingers. The bruises on Jun's wrist showed clearly below the end of his sleeve as Ohno gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Jun my dear, are you able to now recount your ordeal to us? I do not by any means wish to compound your suffering, but in order to make a ruling upon the punishment I must dole out to Toma in the near future I must ask you to relive the attack," the Monarch said gently, but firmly.
Jun did not answer, merely nodding his agreement whilst focusing his eyes upon their clasped hands. He knew that it would be impossible to speak if he caught the eyes of anyone in the room, especially the deeply apologetic ones belonging to his suddenly slumped and defeated looking husband.
Masaki led Nino to the love seat, worried about the effect that Jun's revelations might have upon him. His young husband had barely slept the previous nights, tossing restlessly in their bed as he was plagued with concern regarding not just Jun's state of mind but the future of his friend's marriage also.
++++
A heavy silence descended upon the room as the assembled company waited for Jun to speak.
He took a deep breath and hesitantly commenced to recount his dealings with Toma over the past weeks. Although he had voiced his suspicious intuition regarding Toma to Nino on more than one occasion he had never spoken to anyone with regard to certain happenings.
There were many 'accidental' touches, whisper light and innocently delivered in such a way as to cause Jun to think it was only his mind playing tricks. Remarks jokingly delivered regarding Sho's age and his ability to sexually satisfy his much younger husband. Questions regarding their arranged match and their feelings for each other when first wed.
All of these things Jun had handled with a firm rebuff and a reiteration of his deep love for his husband, not speaking out for fear of causing Sho's health a setback. But in his heart he also kept his own council fearing that it would be thought that he must have offered Toma some form of encouragement or else why would he persist in his attentions after being refused each time.
As the words left his lips the others in the room struggled to rein in their own emotional response to his words. Masaki clenched Nino's hand tightly, anchoring him firmly in place, whilst Sho's face had become as white as parchment as his fist tightly gripped the armrests of his chair as is restraining himself from sweeping Jun into his arms and never letting him from his sight ever again.
When Jun reached the events of that fateful day, he faltered, swaying in in place and closing his eyes tightly as he remembered the harsh fumes of alcohol that Toma breathed over him as he rutted his hard length against his body obviously intent upon rape.
"Jun, do you need to rest?" Ohno asked gently, gesturing to Masaki to come forth and confirm that Jun was fit to continue.
Jun vehemently shook his head and blinked away his tears as Masaki felt his pulse. Masaki was not pleased with his findings, the beat in Jun's wrist was of a tempo and strength not to his liking, but Jun pulled his hand away saying, "I must finish my tale. I committed an act of violence and must be punished for my actions."
Ohno immediately protested, "You have committed no crime. By bravely defending your honour you meted out a swift and fitting punishment to your attacker and I will not permit you to think otherwise."
Closing his eyes to avoid the gaze of Sho, who was staring at him with a combination of shock and anger, Jun recounted the attack upon his person by the man his husband had considered to be one of his greatest friends.
When he reached the part where Toma had told him of his plans to separate him from his child immediately upon giving birth before impregnating him with his own seed Sho uttered a strangled cry pulling at his own hair with frustration at his inability to protect his beloved one from such harm whilst Nino buried his face into Masaki's chest, cradling his own swollen belly protectively, his anger replaced by fear.
Jun flinched at the commotion, but now that he was speaking, it was an impossibility for him to stop, the words flowing out as if of their own volition. "T-Toma cornered me so that I could not make my escape. He...he...pressed his member against me and...he grasped my manhood through my trousers. It...it.. was most painful and I cried out so he covered my mouth and nose, stopping the air from entering my lungs as he tried to remove the clothing from my lower half, so that he could access my... I feared for my honour...he said that once he had taken me then I would belong to him. There was a book resting upon the desk. I took it up in my hand and I struck him in the face to make him release me."
Jun suddenly stopped and began to sob, "My husband, I dirtied your favourite book with his blood. I am s-sorry."
Sho's response was immediate, flinging himself to kneel upon the floor at Jun's feet he hugged him to his chest and joined him in weeping distressed tears and caring not who saw him in this state. "My beloved one, you have nothing to be sorry for. It is I who let you down by my failure to protect you, to recognize what was happening to you right before my unseeing eyes. I have let you down twice now since we were wed. I am a disgrace and failure as a husband and it is I who must most wholeheartedly beg for your forgiveness."
Masaki assisted Nino to rise from his seat and wrapped his arm around his waist, gently leading him from the room. Sho and Jun deserved their privacy at such a time. Nino, who was sobbing soundlessly, also needed the comfort and privacy that their borrowed quarters within the Manor would provide.
Ohno silently relinquished his place to Sho, passing Jun's trembling hand into his before discretely taking his leave also. He hoped that the rift in Jun and Sho's marriage could now begin to heal, but by the stiffly upright manner Jun was maintaining whilst in Sho's arms it appeared that he had not yet recovered from the physical and mental anguish caused by his husband's violent accusations of infidelity.
++++
The next evening Sho was already abed when Jun slowly shuffled into his bedchamber after taking a seemingly excessive amount of time to bathe; almost as if he had delayed this moment for as long as was possible within the scope of his abilities.
"My kitten, please come to bed; you must be exhausted," Sho said. The dark circles beneath Jun's eyes seemed pronounced due to the excessive pallor of his skin, whilst his eyes were red rimmed from the tears he had shed over the course of the past few days.
"Please accept my heartfelt apologies," Jun replied, "But I would prefer to once again sleep alone tonight. Please allow me to rest in my own bedchamber whilst you remain in yours. My mind is a whirl of confusion and I need time to reflect upon my feelings."
Sho felt as if his heart was shattering into motes of dust as he mutely watched his most precious and beloved one turn away and retreat once again to his own domain. The sound of Jun closing the connecting door behind him and turning the key in the lock with finality was almost enough to cause him to collapse with grief and the fear that he had utterly destroyed their love with one ill-conceived act of unfounded jealousy.
A/N : Sorry for another sad chapter. Please don’t hate me. *runs to hide under rock*
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Thank you for the chapter, it was lovely and oh-so-gripping and it's the only thing I look forward to nowadays.
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I told you before that i love Ohno, I'm going to say it again, I love Ohno here!! xp
and I cannot get enough of protective Nino :)
Thank you for writing! and I love you <3
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wow that was omg i hope it would get better soon i miss my kitten and sho being happy. Aa for Aiba ans neen they both need a break.
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Well, can't say I blame everyone :/ Sho... smh...
I laughed a lot when Aiba hit him though xDDD Dunno why, lol!
Will be waiting for the next one :D :D :D
Thanks for the update!
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I am so glad that Jun told the truth and what has really happened, now he should be able to look forward. ><
I am really glad that Ohno saved him and that everything between him and Sho is clear now - at least concerning the issues with
the 'affair'. I hope Jun can forgive Sho for his harsh bahaviour. ><
Oh Aiba-chan you are sooooo great <3 His reaction was brilliant!!!!
Thanks so much for the update dear, I really want to know how this will go on!!! <3 <3
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Ah, I want to read more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XD
Edit: Ohno and Masaki were great <3 And I love how Nino almost was about to be bratty towards the king :D
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And Lea-chan don't apologize for another sad chapter~ I kind of like the whole drama that's going on lol (as you can tell by my comments) i get too into the story sometimes hahas I can't wait for the next chapter <3
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this is the most heartbroken chapter so far (ノ_<、)
Poor Jun, but also feel bad for Sho when Masaki punched him.
But still leaving bruise on Jun wrist, it's just too much.
and just when Masaki and Nino were enjoying their married life something bad happened.
Glad Ohno was able to take control of the situation.
Aaa all the ups and down feeling.
Thank you for updating❤️
No matter what I love the story❤️❤️
Waiting for the next chapter❤️❤️❤️
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Masaki was so cool just calmly walking in and punching Sho. And King Ohno is also cool for just watching Sho. But of course, poor Lord Sakurai. I wanted to say it was his fault that he let Toma in the household. And he hurt Jun for all the wrong reasons. But still, he's delirious because of his illness so that's a little consolation for all the things he had done.
I thought the problem has ended with Toma out but it seems like Jun was really shaken. The feeling that his husband did not trust him and suddenly hurt him like that. T_T (the last part of this chapter is so painful to read).
Thanks for this!
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I'm kind of curious how they will actually rebuild their relationship again. I hope Nino and Aiba will help them or maybe... King Ohno~ I just love King Ohno's action because he really defend Jun. Jun is like his own son and I'm literally crying ;____;
Sorry for late comment, I already read this morning but I'm too lazy to take my laptop lol. I'll wait for the next chapter, Le-chan~ <3
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Ahhh my heart is in pain especially when it came to the last part T-T It's a really tough days for them and they need time but it still is making me sad when all these happen because of Toma.
Ohno has been like a hero for Jun. If Jun isn't marrying Sho, I really want them to get married, the age gap be damned (lols)
And I'm shocked that Masaki hit Sho! Haha he's really mad isn't he? I love that all of them are so protective of Jun. Jun is so loved in that household *squeeze him*
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Woah. I didn't see that coming. Maybe I did? Sho already showed jealousy towards Toma before and is still somewhat insecure because Jun is younger and their's was an arrange marriage. I don't know, this is the guy who would stop in the middle of sex if he sees Jun uncomfortable. Ahhh jealousy and fever really makes people do regrettable things. Thank you for to King Ohno for being there for Jun and being the voice of reason in this tense situation.
I reread all the chapters and that just makes me feel sad evenmore because of how Jun and Sho love each other and now this.
This chapter was totally heartbreaking but I know this needs to be written because this is such asn important part in their married life.
I really love the drama and I'm secretly hoping it will continue but a huge part of me also asks for this to get resolved so Jun can take a much needed rest.
He is giving birth soon and don't tell me you are throwing a post partum depression to either of them? Maybe I'll see it in the next one but don't break our hearts too much, okay?
I just need to thank you and your brain for this story. This is just too good. This chapter was in my head for days! I know you said you still don't know how this is going to end but don't make it too soon, please! Thank you very much!
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