For All The Right Reasons - Chapter 5
Apr. 4th, 2017 07:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
learashiPairing: Sakumoto
Rating: This chapter PG
Genre: m-preg, romance, au
Disclaimer: This is entirely fiction, and couldn’t exist anywhere else but in my head.
Summary: Sakurai Sho has always achieved everything he's ever wanted in his successful business life. Why is it so different in his personal life? Sho has no idea that anything is even wrong with his marriage until he comes home one night and finds his young husband gone. Will he be able to find Jun and make things right between them again?
Previously: CH 1, CH 2, CH 3, CH 4
"Would you like a beer?" Jun asked nervously as he held out a can towards Sho.
"Thanks, but just the one since I still need to drive home," Sho said as he accepted it and a glass. "Aren't you having one?"
"Um, no." Jun took a bottle of milk out of the fridge for himself; after constantly throwing up nearly everything he ate he figured that the baby needed as much nourishment as it could get at the moment and for some odd reason milk seemed to agree with his rebellious stomach. "The doctor told me that I shouldn't drink alcohol at this time," he said as he took one of his pills, washing it down with the cold milk. He had been relieved to calculate that he hadn't actually drunk any alcohol since falling pregnant, even before finding out officially. Perhaps it meant that on some level he'd already known the truth of why he was feeling so strange.
It wasn't that he didn't want to have Sho's baby and perhaps it was selfish of him but they had been married for such a short time when it had seemed to become the sole reason for them being together. In the first year of their marriage their lovemaking had been spontaneous and loving with occasional adventures like the time Sho took him on the desk in his office while Nino was sitting just outside the door. But once Sho had declared that he wanted Jun to cease taking his birth control injections their lovemaking had become more like perfunctory sex with the aim of reaching their goal and less about their connection with each other.
Since finding out about his pregnancy Jun had cried many tears and none of them had been ones of joy. The feelings of guilt about not being overjoyed at first hearing the news continued to haunt him. Even though he knew that it was silly, on some level he felt that the difficulties he was experiencing with his pregnancy were related to his baby knowing that his first reaction had not been a happy one.
Sho wanted to ask more questions about Jun's health but he was wise enough to let Jun lead the conversation. Instead he sat down at the counter and tried one of the mini pizzas. He couldn't control his moan of delight as he swallowed the first and reached for another.
Jun sat beside him and picked up one of the remaining pizzas and munched on it with equal enjoyment. Sho couldn't believe his eyes, because the pizza had anchovies and onions in a lattice pattern across the top. Jun had always loathed anchovies, making Sho carefully scrape them off anything they came into contact with.
"Jun?"
"Mmm?"
"You do know that you're eating anchovies?"
Jun, who had been enjoying the taste until now felt his stomach rebel at the abuse. With an anguished squeak he rushed to the bathroom to throw up for what felt the millionth time over the last few days.
Sho hovered nervously, unsure of how or even if he should help. He was wracked with guilt that Jun was so nervous at meeting with him that it had made him physically sick.
Eventually Jun emerged, ashen-faced and trembling slightly. Sho tentatively reached out to take Jun's hand and guide him to the sofa. Jun curled up into a ball of misery, hugging his stomach and squeezing his eyes tightly shut.
Sho had to strain his ears to hear when Jun mumbled, "Sorry...we're supposed to be discussing us and our future..."
"Does that mean that there still is an 'us'?" Sho asked with a surge of hope.
Jun nodded slightly as he felt himself drifting. He tried to fight it, but even though Sho was standing there looking at him expectantly he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore as deep exhaustion struck once again dragging him into sleep.
++++
Aiba began to open the apartment door as quietly as he could, then had second thoughts; it was probably better to give notice of his return just in case the couple were doing 'things' he didn't want to see. But there was no need for any of his tactics at all.
Sho was sitting in the armchair tapping on his phone while Jun lay on the sofa obviously asleep.
"I'm sorry to still be here, but I felt like I couldn't just leave him alone," Sho said, putting his phone back into his pocket before standing and stretching each limb in turn.
Aiba could sympathize, that armchair was the one he offered to guests that he didn't want to stay for too long.
"Did something happen?" Aiba wondered why Jun would fall asleep at such an important moment.
"He got physically ill while we were eating," Sho said, frowning at the memory.
"Oh." Was all Aiba said as he draped the blanket from the back of the sofa over Jun, who barely even stirred.
"You don't seem surprised." Sho pinned Aiba down with an intense stare.
"No, um, well, um he's been a bit under the weather lately." Not for the first time Aiba wished that he had the ability to lie; it was something he had never been able to do.
"So much so that he had to be hospitalized?"
"It was just for some tests," Aiba replied, squirming uncomfortably. "But once we got the results it all made sense."
"All of what made sense?" Sho asked.
"I was dizzy. The doctor gave me some vitamins and told me to eat beter and get some rest," Jun piped up muzzily from the sofa, waking just in time to rescue the situation before Aiba cracked. "I'm sorry about tonight; I guess I wasn't thinking when I ate those anchovies."
Aiba took the chance to bolt from the room, sure that he would have told Sho everything within the next thirty seconds.
Sho's phone buzzed in his pocket, alerting him to a missed call. His hand twitched in reflex as if it wanted to answer it, but he knew that if he did any chance he might have with Jun would almost certainly be gone.
"Jun, baby, I don't fully understand why this has happened, but I want to make things right between us. May I see you again? There’s so much to sort out between us.”
"I’m not going back, so don’t even try."
"I'm not here to force you into anything. I just want to see you and spend time with you." Sho looked at Jun with pleading eyes. "I miss you so much. Please?"
"Fine. When?" Jun didn't trust himself to speak more words than absolutely necessary as he fought down the urge to leap up and bury himself in Sho's arms.
"Tomorrow? Unless you have other plans?"
"He doesn't," Aiba yelled from the kitchen. "He has the day off."
"But you will have to drive home tonight and then drive all the way back here again..."
"I don't care. If I get to see you then it will be more than worth it." Sho could sense Jun wavering and wanted to press home the advantage.
"No. It's not safe. You could have an accident..."
"Then I’ll stay in a hotel tonight. I promise that I won't drive."
Aiba was standing behind Sho practically turning himself inside out making silent gestures of encouragement while Sho was looking at him with his dark round eyes, filled with hope.
Feeling completely outnumbered Jun finally agreed, but there was so way that he was going to allow himself to be rushed to a hasty solution. Perhaps tomorrow he would have more success in expressing his feelings to Sho about the issues in their marriage than he had today.
++++
Fortunately Sho didn't arrive to pick Jun up until just before lunch time. This meant that he'd already fought and lost his usual daily battle against morning sickness and was feeling hungry once again.
"I brought a picnic. You look like you could do with some fresh air," Sho said, not very tactfully.
"So you're basically saying that I look like crap?"
"No, no! I..." Sho stuttered.
"I'm kidding," Jun said. He was sitting with the window down, enjoying the rush of air against his cheeks and somehow it was putting him in a teasing mood. It seemed like an age since he had gone anywhere with Sho. The last time had been the horrible skiing holiday which had replaced his much longed for tropical honeymoon.
"Oh." Sho smiled his toothy smile at Jun before returning his attention to the road.
The journey took around half an hour and ended up at the sea.
Jun immediately tossed off his shoes and waded into the water, shuddering slightly as the cold water tickled his toes.
Sho followed at a slower pace carrying Jun's discarded shoes in one hand and the picnic basket in the other. As he watched Jun's animated face and sparkling eyes he remembered his abandoned promise of a tropical beach honeymoon. He knew that he hadn't been fair with Jun, treating him as someone who was there to entertain his business contacts and keep his house tidy rather than an equal and valued partner.
There was a picnic shelter just above the beach with a table and bench seats under a roof and Sho busied himself laying out the food while Jun dabbled in the water for a few minutes more before walking over to join him.
There were some delicious looking sandwiches of different varieties including egg, chicken and rare roast beef along with a tub of coleslaw. Sho had a selection of non-alcoholic cold drinks and some chocolate covered strawberries in a small cooling box as well.
Sho could only sit back in astonishment watching Jun devour a great deal of food; much more than his usual small appetite would allow. The change between the pale and ill version of Jun on the previous evening and this pink-cheeked Jun munching on an egg sandwich was astonishing.
After Jun finished the last strawberry he rubbed his stomach contentedly, hoping that his baby was finally getting some proper nourishment.
Sho reached one last time into the basket and pulled out a small cardboard box. He held it out towards Jun, gesturing for him to accept it.
"What's this?" Jun asked curiously.
"Open it and see," Sho prompted nervously.
Jun did as asked, laughing at the contents when he looked inside.
There was a single cupcake iced in flamingo pink icing. Written in red piping gel was the single wobbly looking word "SORRY".
"Don't worry, I didn't make the cake, I just decorated it," Sho said blushing slightly.
"You didn't go to one of those places where little girls ice cakes at birthday parties did you?" Jun asked, dabbing a fingertip into the raspberry piping.
"Um, well, yes actually," Sho admitted.
"I love you for this," Jun said with a laugh.
"Does that mean that I have a chance of winning you back?"
"You never lost me, not permanently, but things need to change if I'm going to come back," Jun replied firmly.
"Baby, I know that I've been obsessed with us getting pregnant..."
"It's not just that," Jun replied, pushing the cake away. "I need you to treat me as your husband, not one of your employees or one of your family servants. And I want to do something with my life outside of our home. I've enjoyed working for the first time. My job isn't important like yours but it makes me feel like I'm a part of society."
"Jun, I didn't know that you felt that way..."
"And that's exactly the problem. I need more; more from you and more from my life." Jun felt tears stinging the back of his eyelids but he refused to give in to them.
"If you come home with me I'll do anything you ask. Please give me a chance to show you that I've changed. I don't want to continue living like this either; working all the time and missing out on doing things with you, like this little picnic. I don't even remember the last time I saw the sun at lunchtime. Please, let me love you as you deserve to be loved," Sho begged, gripping Jun's hands across the table.
"I don't know..." Jun needed time to think, to put his muddled feelings in order. If he went back now, despite Sho's promises would they soon fall back into the same old routine?
"How about this? I have to go to Hong Kong for two weeks. You stay here and think it over. And when I come back I'll come to you again and ask for your answer." The last thing that Sho wanted was to place too much pressure on Jun, just when he felt that he was making some progress.
Jun took a deep breath and agreed. He knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Sho, and this was his best chance of ensuring that it would be a happy life for both of them.
++++
“Where do you want me to put this?” Aiba asked as he hefted the large tin of paint towards where Jun was working on the mural.
“Oh anywhere, I can always shift it again later,” Jun replied, distractedly sucking on the end of his paintbrush.
“No you most certainly will not. You know what the doctor said about lifting things or overexerting yourself,” Aiba said sternly.
“I feel fine. I wish you’d stop fussing.”
Aiba knew that he was probably nagging Jun too much, but the strain of being the only one apart from Jun himself who knew about the pregnancy was beginning to wear him down.
The doctor had done an eight week scan and everything appeared fine, but some of Jun’s blood levels were slightly abnormal so she had prescribed him further medication to assist in stabilising the pregnancy. Her recommendation had been for Jun to not travel long distances and to try and rest as much as possible.
Jus was being stubborn as usual, continuing to work on the mural and helping to serve customers when things became busy.
Aiba was sorely tempted to let Ohno know, since he was expecting Jun to be able to do the same things as everyone else, including carrying heavy trays of baked goods to refill the front cabinets. So far he’d been able to rush over and take care of things before anyone noticed, but covering for his friend was a constant struggle.
Jun was also aware of this and was constantly apologising to Aiba for the extra work he was causing him. Apart from paying towards the rent, Jun had been buying some small luxury items to brighten up the somewhat dingy apartment as a way of showing his appreciation. Aiba was delighted with the change in his surroundings; Jun seemed to have the knack of making a few little extra touches change the entire feel of a room.
Sho would return in a few days, when Jun would have to come to a decision about his future, but until then he just wanted to concentrate on getting the mural finished.
++++
“So how long are you planning on hiding the truth from Sho?”
Jun froze in place, before slowly turning around to face Nino, who was looking at him with a triumphant expression on his face.
“What are you doing here?” Jun had never seen Nino in casual clothes before and he noted that they made him look even younger that would seem possible. He hoped that by ignoring Nino’s question he could at least try to keep his secret intact for a while longer. “Are you stalking me in your spare time?”
“I happen to be taking a few vacation days while Sakurai-san is in Hong Kong and I came to visit someone. Figuring out your secret is just a bonus,” Nino said smugly, pushing his sunglasses up on top of his head.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jun replied, twisting the paintbrush nervously in his hands.
Nino moved close enough to whisper. He didn’t intend to give Jun’s secret away; he just wanted things to be fair on Sho. “The fact that you’re obviously pregnant.”
Jun’s face paled, causing Nino to grip his arm in case he fainted.
“Nino let go of me,” Jun said in a low voice.
“I’m just trying to stop you falling on your face,” Nino hissed back.
Ohno had obviously seen them as he bustled meaningfully over towards the pair.
Jun braced himself for an onslaught of questions, but Ohno apparently wasn’t interested in him at all.
“Kazu, you’re early,” Ono said excitedly.
“Traffic was lighter than I expected,” Nino replied with a faint blush.
“I’ll still be about another twenty minutes,” Ohno replied with a matching flush to his cheeks. “Maybe you could wait in my office and Jun could keep you company? He’s overdue for a break anyway.”
“That would be fine Satoshi. Do you mind if I help myself to some coffee?” Nino asked.
Jun couldn’t believe his ears at the excessively shy flirting that was happening around him and the fact that the other two were on a first name basis after apparently only one previous meeting. Chinen had taken great pleasure in gossiping about the long conversation between their boss and an unknown and extremely good looking young man with sharp eyes and thin lips who may have been in the bakery at the time of the accident but he was a little fuzzy on that point.
“Please, and take these to have with it,” Ohno said as he thrust a plate of chocolate croissants into Nino’s hands.
The plate almost fell when their fingertips brushed against each other and they both automatically flinched. Fortunately Jun’s reflexes were still working and he managed to snatch it up before disaster struck.
Jun was dying to know what was going on between Nino and the baker, but he knew that he was going to have to face Nino’s interrogation first.
++++
“I’m right aren’t I?” Nino asked as he sipped on his coffee. “I promise that I don’t want to make trouble for you if you are. In fact I just want to try and help you.”
Jun was about to deny it, but he knew that Nino would be a like a dog with a bone; there was no way that he would rest until he dug out the truth. If Nino meant what he said about helping, then it would possibly even an advantage to have him on his side.
“Yes, but what gave me away?” Jun reluctantly replied. He washed down one of his pills with a sip of water; even just the smell of coffee still made him want to throw up.
"Those pills for a start. My cousin is a Carrier and he took the same ones when he was pregnant," Nino said as he pushed a croissant over to Jun. "You can't take those without food or they will upset your stomach and I guess right now you're already throwing up too many times a day." He paused while Jun nodded and meekly broke off a corner of the pastry. "Of course there's also the fact that every time you go to lift anything lighter than a feather Aiba rushes in and does it for you. And I hate to state the obvious, but you were in the hospital after suffering a dizzy spell which I actually witnessed."
"Have you told my husband?" Jun asked softly.
"Of course not. It's not my place to interfere," Nino said, ignoring the fact he was interfering at that very moment. "Look, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. I just wanted to help Sakurai-san, and you of course."
"But why?"
Nino looked down at the table, crumbling a flake of pastry between his fingers, "I'm not the type of person who makes friends easily. I have a smart mouth and no patience, I always have. Your husband is the closest thing I have to a best friend. He's put up with me for longer than anyone else in my life, apart from my family and even they want to get rid of me sometimes."
"Nino, you don't have to..." Jun began to say.
"Yes," Nino cut him off. "Yes I do. Apart from you, I probably know him better than anyone else on this planet and I owe it to him to try and help him now, when he doesn't know how to help himself."
“I appreciate you trying to help, but this is between the two of us. We need to find the way back to each other without anyone else’s interference.” Jun was firm in his resolve. “But I promise that I will listen to whatever Sho has to say with an open heart.”
“He has been in pieces since you left,” Nino said, wanting Jun to understand just how much Sho was suffering.
“Nino, thank you for being such a loyal friend to my husband. I will make sure in future that he shows you a proper appreciation…”
“It’s not about me trying to gain favour. It’s about me wanting things to be right again,” Nino said with a stubborn tilt to his jaw. “I came here because I wanted to make sure you were fine after I saw you collapse the other day. I’m on your side of this argument you know. Sho-san works too hard and for too many hours and it isn’t fair on you. But now that I know that you’re pregnant I can’t support you staying away from him any longer. He needs to know. It’s his child too.”
Further discussion was cut off when Ohno bustled back into the office, pulling his apron over his head. “I’m sorry I took so long. I’ll be ready to go in one minute.”
“So do you two have big plans for the rest of the day?” Jun asked curiously.
“No,” said Nino at the same time that Ohno said, “I’m taking Kazu fishing with me.”
“Fishing? Really?” Jun asked with a cynical twitch of his eyebrows. “Nino, I never knew that you were interested in fishing? Is this a recent interest?” Jun had a strong feeling that Nino’s interest had only existed since his first meeting with the handsome baker.
“I am considering taking it up as a hobby and Satoshi kindly offered to take me with him for a small taste of what to expect,” Nino replied with great dignity.
Jun tried to hide his smile. He didn’t think that it was fishing that Nino wanted to taste and he hoped that Ohno-san was on his guard.
++++
After the other two left Jun still made no move to leave as he sat picking up the last of the croissant crumbs off the plate. Nino’s words had struck a chord in him. He was right; Sho was above all things the father of this baby and deserved to know the truth of its existence.
There was always the possibility of Sho becoming very angry at not being told the news as soon as Jun himself found out, so exactly how to tell his husband the news remained a mystery. He was afraid that if he went about it the wrong way it could end up in disaster for both of them.
Rating: This chapter PG
Genre: m-preg, romance, au
Disclaimer: This is entirely fiction, and couldn’t exist anywhere else but in my head.
Summary: Sakurai Sho has always achieved everything he's ever wanted in his successful business life. Why is it so different in his personal life? Sho has no idea that anything is even wrong with his marriage until he comes home one night and finds his young husband gone. Will he be able to find Jun and make things right between them again?
Previously: CH 1, CH 2, CH 3, CH 4
"Would you like a beer?" Jun asked nervously as he held out a can towards Sho.
"Thanks, but just the one since I still need to drive home," Sho said as he accepted it and a glass. "Aren't you having one?"
"Um, no." Jun took a bottle of milk out of the fridge for himself; after constantly throwing up nearly everything he ate he figured that the baby needed as much nourishment as it could get at the moment and for some odd reason milk seemed to agree with his rebellious stomach. "The doctor told me that I shouldn't drink alcohol at this time," he said as he took one of his pills, washing it down with the cold milk. He had been relieved to calculate that he hadn't actually drunk any alcohol since falling pregnant, even before finding out officially. Perhaps it meant that on some level he'd already known the truth of why he was feeling so strange.
It wasn't that he didn't want to have Sho's baby and perhaps it was selfish of him but they had been married for such a short time when it had seemed to become the sole reason for them being together. In the first year of their marriage their lovemaking had been spontaneous and loving with occasional adventures like the time Sho took him on the desk in his office while Nino was sitting just outside the door. But once Sho had declared that he wanted Jun to cease taking his birth control injections their lovemaking had become more like perfunctory sex with the aim of reaching their goal and less about their connection with each other.
Since finding out about his pregnancy Jun had cried many tears and none of them had been ones of joy. The feelings of guilt about not being overjoyed at first hearing the news continued to haunt him. Even though he knew that it was silly, on some level he felt that the difficulties he was experiencing with his pregnancy were related to his baby knowing that his first reaction had not been a happy one.
Sho wanted to ask more questions about Jun's health but he was wise enough to let Jun lead the conversation. Instead he sat down at the counter and tried one of the mini pizzas. He couldn't control his moan of delight as he swallowed the first and reached for another.
Jun sat beside him and picked up one of the remaining pizzas and munched on it with equal enjoyment. Sho couldn't believe his eyes, because the pizza had anchovies and onions in a lattice pattern across the top. Jun had always loathed anchovies, making Sho carefully scrape them off anything they came into contact with.
"Jun?"
"Mmm?"
"You do know that you're eating anchovies?"
Jun, who had been enjoying the taste until now felt his stomach rebel at the abuse. With an anguished squeak he rushed to the bathroom to throw up for what felt the millionth time over the last few days.
Sho hovered nervously, unsure of how or even if he should help. He was wracked with guilt that Jun was so nervous at meeting with him that it had made him physically sick.
Eventually Jun emerged, ashen-faced and trembling slightly. Sho tentatively reached out to take Jun's hand and guide him to the sofa. Jun curled up into a ball of misery, hugging his stomach and squeezing his eyes tightly shut.
Sho had to strain his ears to hear when Jun mumbled, "Sorry...we're supposed to be discussing us and our future..."
"Does that mean that there still is an 'us'?" Sho asked with a surge of hope.
Jun nodded slightly as he felt himself drifting. He tried to fight it, but even though Sho was standing there looking at him expectantly he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore as deep exhaustion struck once again dragging him into sleep.
++++
Aiba began to open the apartment door as quietly as he could, then had second thoughts; it was probably better to give notice of his return just in case the couple were doing 'things' he didn't want to see. But there was no need for any of his tactics at all.
Sho was sitting in the armchair tapping on his phone while Jun lay on the sofa obviously asleep.
"I'm sorry to still be here, but I felt like I couldn't just leave him alone," Sho said, putting his phone back into his pocket before standing and stretching each limb in turn.
Aiba could sympathize, that armchair was the one he offered to guests that he didn't want to stay for too long.
"Did something happen?" Aiba wondered why Jun would fall asleep at such an important moment.
"He got physically ill while we were eating," Sho said, frowning at the memory.
"Oh." Was all Aiba said as he draped the blanket from the back of the sofa over Jun, who barely even stirred.
"You don't seem surprised." Sho pinned Aiba down with an intense stare.
"No, um, well, um he's been a bit under the weather lately." Not for the first time Aiba wished that he had the ability to lie; it was something he had never been able to do.
"So much so that he had to be hospitalized?"
"It was just for some tests," Aiba replied, squirming uncomfortably. "But once we got the results it all made sense."
"All of what made sense?" Sho asked.
"I was dizzy. The doctor gave me some vitamins and told me to eat beter and get some rest," Jun piped up muzzily from the sofa, waking just in time to rescue the situation before Aiba cracked. "I'm sorry about tonight; I guess I wasn't thinking when I ate those anchovies."
Aiba took the chance to bolt from the room, sure that he would have told Sho everything within the next thirty seconds.
Sho's phone buzzed in his pocket, alerting him to a missed call. His hand twitched in reflex as if it wanted to answer it, but he knew that if he did any chance he might have with Jun would almost certainly be gone.
"Jun, baby, I don't fully understand why this has happened, but I want to make things right between us. May I see you again? There’s so much to sort out between us.”
"I’m not going back, so don’t even try."
"I'm not here to force you into anything. I just want to see you and spend time with you." Sho looked at Jun with pleading eyes. "I miss you so much. Please?"
"Fine. When?" Jun didn't trust himself to speak more words than absolutely necessary as he fought down the urge to leap up and bury himself in Sho's arms.
"Tomorrow? Unless you have other plans?"
"He doesn't," Aiba yelled from the kitchen. "He has the day off."
"But you will have to drive home tonight and then drive all the way back here again..."
"I don't care. If I get to see you then it will be more than worth it." Sho could sense Jun wavering and wanted to press home the advantage.
"No. It's not safe. You could have an accident..."
"Then I’ll stay in a hotel tonight. I promise that I won't drive."
Aiba was standing behind Sho practically turning himself inside out making silent gestures of encouragement while Sho was looking at him with his dark round eyes, filled with hope.
Feeling completely outnumbered Jun finally agreed, but there was so way that he was going to allow himself to be rushed to a hasty solution. Perhaps tomorrow he would have more success in expressing his feelings to Sho about the issues in their marriage than he had today.
++++
Fortunately Sho didn't arrive to pick Jun up until just before lunch time. This meant that he'd already fought and lost his usual daily battle against morning sickness and was feeling hungry once again.
"I brought a picnic. You look like you could do with some fresh air," Sho said, not very tactfully.
"So you're basically saying that I look like crap?"
"No, no! I..." Sho stuttered.
"I'm kidding," Jun said. He was sitting with the window down, enjoying the rush of air against his cheeks and somehow it was putting him in a teasing mood. It seemed like an age since he had gone anywhere with Sho. The last time had been the horrible skiing holiday which had replaced his much longed for tropical honeymoon.
"Oh." Sho smiled his toothy smile at Jun before returning his attention to the road.
The journey took around half an hour and ended up at the sea.
Jun immediately tossed off his shoes and waded into the water, shuddering slightly as the cold water tickled his toes.
Sho followed at a slower pace carrying Jun's discarded shoes in one hand and the picnic basket in the other. As he watched Jun's animated face and sparkling eyes he remembered his abandoned promise of a tropical beach honeymoon. He knew that he hadn't been fair with Jun, treating him as someone who was there to entertain his business contacts and keep his house tidy rather than an equal and valued partner.
There was a picnic shelter just above the beach with a table and bench seats under a roof and Sho busied himself laying out the food while Jun dabbled in the water for a few minutes more before walking over to join him.
There were some delicious looking sandwiches of different varieties including egg, chicken and rare roast beef along with a tub of coleslaw. Sho had a selection of non-alcoholic cold drinks and some chocolate covered strawberries in a small cooling box as well.
Sho could only sit back in astonishment watching Jun devour a great deal of food; much more than his usual small appetite would allow. The change between the pale and ill version of Jun on the previous evening and this pink-cheeked Jun munching on an egg sandwich was astonishing.
After Jun finished the last strawberry he rubbed his stomach contentedly, hoping that his baby was finally getting some proper nourishment.
Sho reached one last time into the basket and pulled out a small cardboard box. He held it out towards Jun, gesturing for him to accept it.
"What's this?" Jun asked curiously.
"Open it and see," Sho prompted nervously.
Jun did as asked, laughing at the contents when he looked inside.
There was a single cupcake iced in flamingo pink icing. Written in red piping gel was the single wobbly looking word "SORRY".
"Don't worry, I didn't make the cake, I just decorated it," Sho said blushing slightly.
"You didn't go to one of those places where little girls ice cakes at birthday parties did you?" Jun asked, dabbing a fingertip into the raspberry piping.
"Um, well, yes actually," Sho admitted.
"I love you for this," Jun said with a laugh.
"Does that mean that I have a chance of winning you back?"
"You never lost me, not permanently, but things need to change if I'm going to come back," Jun replied firmly.
"Baby, I know that I've been obsessed with us getting pregnant..."
"It's not just that," Jun replied, pushing the cake away. "I need you to treat me as your husband, not one of your employees or one of your family servants. And I want to do something with my life outside of our home. I've enjoyed working for the first time. My job isn't important like yours but it makes me feel like I'm a part of society."
"Jun, I didn't know that you felt that way..."
"And that's exactly the problem. I need more; more from you and more from my life." Jun felt tears stinging the back of his eyelids but he refused to give in to them.
"If you come home with me I'll do anything you ask. Please give me a chance to show you that I've changed. I don't want to continue living like this either; working all the time and missing out on doing things with you, like this little picnic. I don't even remember the last time I saw the sun at lunchtime. Please, let me love you as you deserve to be loved," Sho begged, gripping Jun's hands across the table.
"I don't know..." Jun needed time to think, to put his muddled feelings in order. If he went back now, despite Sho's promises would they soon fall back into the same old routine?
"How about this? I have to go to Hong Kong for two weeks. You stay here and think it over. And when I come back I'll come to you again and ask for your answer." The last thing that Sho wanted was to place too much pressure on Jun, just when he felt that he was making some progress.
Jun took a deep breath and agreed. He knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Sho, and this was his best chance of ensuring that it would be a happy life for both of them.
++++
“Where do you want me to put this?” Aiba asked as he hefted the large tin of paint towards where Jun was working on the mural.
“Oh anywhere, I can always shift it again later,” Jun replied, distractedly sucking on the end of his paintbrush.
“No you most certainly will not. You know what the doctor said about lifting things or overexerting yourself,” Aiba said sternly.
“I feel fine. I wish you’d stop fussing.”
Aiba knew that he was probably nagging Jun too much, but the strain of being the only one apart from Jun himself who knew about the pregnancy was beginning to wear him down.
The doctor had done an eight week scan and everything appeared fine, but some of Jun’s blood levels were slightly abnormal so she had prescribed him further medication to assist in stabilising the pregnancy. Her recommendation had been for Jun to not travel long distances and to try and rest as much as possible.
Jus was being stubborn as usual, continuing to work on the mural and helping to serve customers when things became busy.
Aiba was sorely tempted to let Ohno know, since he was expecting Jun to be able to do the same things as everyone else, including carrying heavy trays of baked goods to refill the front cabinets. So far he’d been able to rush over and take care of things before anyone noticed, but covering for his friend was a constant struggle.
Jun was also aware of this and was constantly apologising to Aiba for the extra work he was causing him. Apart from paying towards the rent, Jun had been buying some small luxury items to brighten up the somewhat dingy apartment as a way of showing his appreciation. Aiba was delighted with the change in his surroundings; Jun seemed to have the knack of making a few little extra touches change the entire feel of a room.
Sho would return in a few days, when Jun would have to come to a decision about his future, but until then he just wanted to concentrate on getting the mural finished.
++++
“So how long are you planning on hiding the truth from Sho?”
Jun froze in place, before slowly turning around to face Nino, who was looking at him with a triumphant expression on his face.
“What are you doing here?” Jun had never seen Nino in casual clothes before and he noted that they made him look even younger that would seem possible. He hoped that by ignoring Nino’s question he could at least try to keep his secret intact for a while longer. “Are you stalking me in your spare time?”
“I happen to be taking a few vacation days while Sakurai-san is in Hong Kong and I came to visit someone. Figuring out your secret is just a bonus,” Nino said smugly, pushing his sunglasses up on top of his head.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jun replied, twisting the paintbrush nervously in his hands.
Nino moved close enough to whisper. He didn’t intend to give Jun’s secret away; he just wanted things to be fair on Sho. “The fact that you’re obviously pregnant.”
Jun’s face paled, causing Nino to grip his arm in case he fainted.
“Nino let go of me,” Jun said in a low voice.
“I’m just trying to stop you falling on your face,” Nino hissed back.
Ohno had obviously seen them as he bustled meaningfully over towards the pair.
Jun braced himself for an onslaught of questions, but Ohno apparently wasn’t interested in him at all.
“Kazu, you’re early,” Ono said excitedly.
“Traffic was lighter than I expected,” Nino replied with a faint blush.
“I’ll still be about another twenty minutes,” Ohno replied with a matching flush to his cheeks. “Maybe you could wait in my office and Jun could keep you company? He’s overdue for a break anyway.”
“That would be fine Satoshi. Do you mind if I help myself to some coffee?” Nino asked.
Jun couldn’t believe his ears at the excessively shy flirting that was happening around him and the fact that the other two were on a first name basis after apparently only one previous meeting. Chinen had taken great pleasure in gossiping about the long conversation between their boss and an unknown and extremely good looking young man with sharp eyes and thin lips who may have been in the bakery at the time of the accident but he was a little fuzzy on that point.
“Please, and take these to have with it,” Ohno said as he thrust a plate of chocolate croissants into Nino’s hands.
The plate almost fell when their fingertips brushed against each other and they both automatically flinched. Fortunately Jun’s reflexes were still working and he managed to snatch it up before disaster struck.
Jun was dying to know what was going on between Nino and the baker, but he knew that he was going to have to face Nino’s interrogation first.
++++
“I’m right aren’t I?” Nino asked as he sipped on his coffee. “I promise that I don’t want to make trouble for you if you are. In fact I just want to try and help you.”
Jun was about to deny it, but he knew that Nino would be a like a dog with a bone; there was no way that he would rest until he dug out the truth. If Nino meant what he said about helping, then it would possibly even an advantage to have him on his side.
“Yes, but what gave me away?” Jun reluctantly replied. He washed down one of his pills with a sip of water; even just the smell of coffee still made him want to throw up.
"Those pills for a start. My cousin is a Carrier and he took the same ones when he was pregnant," Nino said as he pushed a croissant over to Jun. "You can't take those without food or they will upset your stomach and I guess right now you're already throwing up too many times a day." He paused while Jun nodded and meekly broke off a corner of the pastry. "Of course there's also the fact that every time you go to lift anything lighter than a feather Aiba rushes in and does it for you. And I hate to state the obvious, but you were in the hospital after suffering a dizzy spell which I actually witnessed."
"Have you told my husband?" Jun asked softly.
"Of course not. It's not my place to interfere," Nino said, ignoring the fact he was interfering at that very moment. "Look, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. I just wanted to help Sakurai-san, and you of course."
"But why?"
Nino looked down at the table, crumbling a flake of pastry between his fingers, "I'm not the type of person who makes friends easily. I have a smart mouth and no patience, I always have. Your husband is the closest thing I have to a best friend. He's put up with me for longer than anyone else in my life, apart from my family and even they want to get rid of me sometimes."
"Nino, you don't have to..." Jun began to say.
"Yes," Nino cut him off. "Yes I do. Apart from you, I probably know him better than anyone else on this planet and I owe it to him to try and help him now, when he doesn't know how to help himself."
“I appreciate you trying to help, but this is between the two of us. We need to find the way back to each other without anyone else’s interference.” Jun was firm in his resolve. “But I promise that I will listen to whatever Sho has to say with an open heart.”
“He has been in pieces since you left,” Nino said, wanting Jun to understand just how much Sho was suffering.
“Nino, thank you for being such a loyal friend to my husband. I will make sure in future that he shows you a proper appreciation…”
“It’s not about me trying to gain favour. It’s about me wanting things to be right again,” Nino said with a stubborn tilt to his jaw. “I came here because I wanted to make sure you were fine after I saw you collapse the other day. I’m on your side of this argument you know. Sho-san works too hard and for too many hours and it isn’t fair on you. But now that I know that you’re pregnant I can’t support you staying away from him any longer. He needs to know. It’s his child too.”
Further discussion was cut off when Ohno bustled back into the office, pulling his apron over his head. “I’m sorry I took so long. I’ll be ready to go in one minute.”
“So do you two have big plans for the rest of the day?” Jun asked curiously.
“No,” said Nino at the same time that Ohno said, “I’m taking Kazu fishing with me.”
“Fishing? Really?” Jun asked with a cynical twitch of his eyebrows. “Nino, I never knew that you were interested in fishing? Is this a recent interest?” Jun had a strong feeling that Nino’s interest had only existed since his first meeting with the handsome baker.
“I am considering taking it up as a hobby and Satoshi kindly offered to take me with him for a small taste of what to expect,” Nino replied with great dignity.
Jun tried to hide his smile. He didn’t think that it was fishing that Nino wanted to taste and he hoped that Ohno-san was on his guard.
++++
After the other two left Jun still made no move to leave as he sat picking up the last of the croissant crumbs off the plate. Nino’s words had struck a chord in him. He was right; Sho was above all things the father of this baby and deserved to know the truth of its existence.
There was always the possibility of Sho becoming very angry at not being told the news as soon as Jun himself found out, so exactly how to tell his husband the news remained a mystery. He was afraid that if he went about it the wrong way it could end up in disaster for both of them.
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Date: 2017-04-05 06:51 pm (UTC)Jun couldn't look a Sho because he was caught off guard. There are conditions attached to them getting back together and he thought that he wouldn't be able to stay strong enough to tell Sho what they are.
Nino really is a true friend of Sho and the only one who seems to be there to support him, since Shun is Jun's brother first before being Sho's friend.
This one will be about 13 or 14 chapters (thank goodness not the epic 20 of No Love Match)
Thank you for reading and also for commenting. It is really appreciated.
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Date: 2017-04-07 02:41 pm (UTC)Oh great! I hope for your good health^^ I'll be waiting for the next 8 chapters then *sit while sipping tea*