A Change Is As Good As A Holiday
Apr. 2nd, 2018 07:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
learashiPairing: Sho / Jun / Nino
Genre: Fluff
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I make no claim over Arashi - this is a work of fiction
Summary: Jun pushed the blanket aside and made his way outside. The floor looked much whiter than usual, and kind of fluffy, leading Jun to think his eyes were failing him, until he stepped into something which was wet and smelled like citrus.
Jun looked around him in horror, “SHO! WHAT DID YOU DO?”
Notes: HAPPY BIRTHDAYlilly0! *throws confetti and hands out cake and ice cream*
"More mail for you," Nino said as he dropped a pile of A4 envelopes onto Jun's lap.
"Ow!" Jun yelped as a corner stabbed him in an unfortunate area.
"Nino, can you please be a bit more careful?" Sho chided as he dropped his dirty coffee cup into the sink.
"Would you like me to kiss it better?" Nino could be quite sarcastic first thing in the morning.
"Tempting prospect, but you need to be at work in twenty minutes," Jun snarked.
"What on earth have you been buying now anyway?" Nino asked, gesturing to the bundle of mail. He was still slightly traumatized from the endless boxes of online purchases that had bombarded them before Christmas.
"Nothing. They're holiday brochures," Jun replied, ripping open the first envelope and pulling out a glossy booklet with a photograph of a pristine beach on the cover.
"You're crazy if you think that you will ever get me onto a beach," Nino said as he picked up his bag and headed out the door after pressing a kiss to the top of Jun's head and squeezing Sho's butt on his way past.
Sho sighed - sometimes Nino and Jun's sparring in the morning was all too much for him.
He kissed Jun on the cheek as he gathered up his briefcase, "Bye baby. What time will your photo shoot be done today?"
"I won't be home until late. I’m shooting with Aiba-san and he wants some romantic night time images," Jun replied with a grimace. He loved modelling because it gave him plenty of free time to look after both the house and his two boyfriends but sometimes it seemed like a very shallow way to make a living. "Can we talk about booking a holiday later tonight? I don't want all of the best options to be booked out."
"I don't know, work has been crazy lately and you know that Nino hates going to new places," Sho replied, running his work schedule through his head and trying to think of the next time he would be able to take a few days off.
Jun tried to hide his disappointment as he gathered up his brochures and stacked them on the coffee table before heading into the kitchen to clean up the breakfast dishes.
++++
“I’ve got the takeaway.” Sho tossed his keys down, along with his briefcase. “Should we eat now, or wait for Jun?”
“I haven't heard from him since lunch time. He sent me the usual reminder to not forget to eat the bento he packed for me,” Nino said as he took the bags from Sho and carried them to the kitchen. “I sent him the usual rude response and I haven't had any other messages, so I assume he is busy.”
Nino was already dressed in the sweatpants he wore as pyjamas, alerting Sho to the fact that he had spent way too long in the office once again.
“He said he was going to be late, so I guess we should go ahead and eat and put his share aside for later.” Sho’s stomach rumbled in agreement as he proceeded to shovel a mound of fried rice onto a plate.
Nino took a much more modest helping of the Chinese food and passed Sho a bottle of beer before sitting down at the breakfast bar beside him. They ate in companionable silence, Sho flicking through the mail, which mostly seemed to be yet more holiday brochures for Jun, while Nino played with his phone.
In the middle of taking a photo of the food with the intention of teasing Jun, who only ever got fed ‘model food’ (which seemed to involve the use of rather a lot of lettuce), on shoots, Nino jumped as his phone rang. The name of the caller made Nino decide to answer it rather than let it go to message bank. Sho glared at Nino who was breaking their house rule of not answering the phone while they were eating, but Nino glared back, his brows furrowing as he realized what the caller was saying.
Nino’s eyes widened and he flung down his chopsticks, knocking his chair over as he jumped to his feet. Sho paused with a pork rib halfway to his mouth as Nino hung up and spoke urgently, “Put the food down, we have to go.”
“What? What's wrong?” Sho dropped his food back down onto his plate as adrenaline surged through his body.
Nino was already on his way to the front door, tugging his coat on over his pyjamas. He looked back over his shoulder, jiggling impatiently as he waited for Sho to catch up. “That was Jun’s manager. There was an accident at the photo shoot and Jun is in the hospital. We have to go. Now.”
Sho helped Nino into his coat and tugged him close, holding him tightly for just a moment, feeling the pounding of his heart, “I'm sure he will be fine. We would know if it was bad, wouldn't we? We’d be able to feel it in our bones.”
Clinging tightly to Sho, Nino’s voice was muffled, “I know that, but I need to see him for myself.”
“So do I, Nino. Let's go.” Sho grabbed his keys and steered Nino out the door.
++++
“Where is he? What happened? Can we see him?” Nino clutched the neck of Ikuta Toma’s shirt in his fist.
“And how did you let him get hurt in the first place?” Sho asked, pinning Jun’s manager down with a steely glare. Toma was making gurgling noises, but Sho didn't make a move to stop Nino from choking him.
Toma managed to wriggle out of Nino’s grip, “He’s in x-ray right now…”
“X-RAY?!” Nino grabbed for Toma, who dodged away and raised his hands in front of his face to protect himself.
“He had a bit of a fall when they were shooting, but he's mostly okay,” Toma said, backing away.
“A bit of a fall? Mostly okay?” Sho asked, in a deep voice, which foretold trouble for Toma.
Fortunately for Toma, a nurse approached them and asked if Sho and Nino were Jun’s next of kin. “Matsumoto-san will be brought back to his room soon, and in the meantime you can wait for him here,” she said as she ushered them to a room containing a vending machine and some uncomfortable looking chairs.
Sho and Nino spoke at the same time. “He’s been admitted?” “What's wrong with him?”
The nurse smiled soothingly, “The doctor will be along in a minute to advise you on Matsumoto-san’s condition. Please take a seat.”
Toma shuffled in a few minutes later, running his fingers through his hair nervously as he took a seat a safe distance away from Jun’s boyfriends.
“So?” Nino growled.
“Jun-kun fell down some stairs while Aiba-san was shooting. We called the ambulance immediately and they brought him here. I don’t really know any more than you do,” Toma replied, looking distraught. Sho and Nino knew that Toma was a good friend to Jun and probably just as worried as they were, but right at that moment they were unwilling to forgive him for allowing something to happen to their lover.
A short, tanned man in a white coat entered the room just then, “My name is Ohno, and I’m looking after Matsumoto-san. You must be the Sho and Nino he was muttering about before he fully regained consciousness.”
Distressed by the casual way in which Ohno-sensei mentioned that Jun had lost consciousness, Nino half rose from his seat as if he was about to grab the doctor in the same way that he’d grabbed Toma earlier. Sho restrained him gently as Ohno continued.
“He has broken his right arm and has a slight concussion and a lot of bruising as a result of the fall. We will be keeping Matsumoto-san under observation, but all being well, you should be able to take him home within a day or so.”
Toma sighed with relief, and immediately picked up his phone; Jun’s schedule for the next couple of month’s was going to have to be rearranged.
“No mobile phones in the hospital,” Ohno said, with a glare.
Making a gesture of apology, Toma said, “I’ll be going then. Give Jun my regards and tell him that I will talk to him tomorrow.”
“You will not,” Sho said firmly. “You’ll talk to him when he is well enough to talk to you, and not before.”
The doctor nodded his approval, making shooing gestures with his hands, to make sure that Toma and his phone were on their way out.
“I’ll take you to him. Just make sure that you don’t tire him. The concussion has left him with nausea and an aversion to bright light, but that should gradually improve over the next 24 hours. We will, of course, be observing him hourly to make sure that there are no complications,” Ohno said, talking as he walked through a maze of corridors.
Eventually they ended up in an area that was much more luxurious than the others they passed through as they followed the doctor. By the size of the rooms, it was obviously reserved for wealthy patients. “The magazine that Matsumoto-san was working for will be taking care of the bill, and they insisted on making sure that he is completely comfortable,” Ohno said by way of explanation, correctly reading the puzzled glances the other two were exchanging as they walked.
“I’ll leave you to it. Please ring the call button if Matsumoto-san needs anything, or if there is any sudden change in his condition,” Ohno said with a slight bow as he slid the door open.
++++
Jun was sitting propped up in bed in the dimly lit room, with his arm resting on a pile of pillows. Underneath the remnants of makeup from the photoshoot which still clung stubbornly to his cheeks, his face was unnaturally pale.
Nino rushed towards him, remembered Ohno-sensei’s words just in time, and screeched to a halt a safe distance away from the bed. Sho followed more slowly, grabbing Nino’s hand on the way past and tugging him with him, until they were close enough to clearly see the bruise on the side of Jun’s forehead which continued down his cheek.
“Jun, love.” Sho approached Jun, stroking his hair with a gossamer touch, fearful of causing him further pain. “Are you okay?”
“Of course he’s not okay!” Nino snapped. “Aiba-san probably got him to do something stupid again, and Jun ended up in the hospital.”
Jun had worked for that particular magazine many times in his career and had a great working relationship with them. Their chief photographer Aiba Masaki had a unique way of doing things, which had resulted in Aiba winning prestigious photographic awards, but occasionally ended badly for all concerned.
Nino edged closer and perched gingerly on the bed next to Jun. Taking Jun’s uninjured hand into his own, Nino held it tightly, as if afraid that if he let go Jun would go and do some other dangerous thing.
“I’m fine, really. A bit battered and bruised, but it’s nothing that won’t heal,” Jun said shakily.
Sho stood beside Nino, reaching down to add his hand to the pile. “What happened?”
“Aiba-san was using the fog machine for a ‘romantic’ look and it kind of went crazy, obscuring everything in a giant white cloud. I couldn’t see a thing and apparently there was an electrical cable that wasn’t secured properly. I caught my foot on it, and the next thing I knew I was bouncing headfirst down the stairs. I don’t remember anything after that, until I woke up in the hospital with Ohno-sensei shining a light in my eyes.”
“You gave us a heart attack. Don't be so stupid and clumsy ever again,” Nino grumped, his eyes shiny with unshed tears.
“What Nino meant to say, was that we are relieved that you aren't too badly hurt, and that we love you,” Sho said, pressing the lightest of kisses to Jun’s lips. “How do you feel?”
“Kind of dizzy, and I ache all over.” Jun shifted position slightly in an attempt to make himself more comfortable, and reached for the sippy cup of water on the cabinet beside his bed.
“Try not to move too much,” Sho said, gently holding Jun still, as he picked up the cup himself and held it so Jun could drink. “Let us do it for you.”
“Before you know it you’ll be allowed to come home and Sho will be able to coddle you as much as he is obviously dying to do.” Nino jumped up and fussed with Jun’s pillows and straightened his bed covers, demonstrating that Jun was just as likely to be coddled by Nino.
“I’m not going to be much use when I get home,” Jun said, lifting his broken arm up from its nest of pillows, and wincing at the pain which jolted up from his wrist at the movement.
“You just concentrate on getting better and we'll take care of the rest,” Sho said, his voice brimming with confidence.
++++
“Jun, I don't want you moving around too much. I told you that I will carry you wherever you want to go.” Sho attempted to sweep Jun into his arms, earning himself a smack on the arm he was attempting to wrap around Jun’s waist. Jun glared at Sho and attempted to wriggle away, as Sho ignored his warning smack, and clung tightly to him.
“It’s his arm that's broken, not his legs. Take hold of this instead.” Nino pried Sho off Jun and shoved the hamper full of dirty clothes into Sho’s arms and pushed him in the direction of the washing machine.
“Thanks Nino.” Jun breathed a sigh of relief and recommended his slow shuffle towards the kitchen. In the week since the accident his body had turned a veritable rainbow of colours as the bruising he’d sustained in the fall came out. Jun’s right hip in particular was a deep and ugly shade of blackish-purple and it made walking quite an ordeal.
Nino grabbed Jun, halting his faltering movement. “And where do you think you’re going?”
“It’s almost lunch time and…”
“If you're hungry I'll make you something,” Nino said, steering Jun back to the couch.
“Well, actually I was going to make lunch for all of us…”
“With one hand?”
Jun looked down at his arm resting in a sling across his chest, “I could make sandwiches?”
“No! Absolutely not,” said Sho as he came back from loading the washer. “Nino and I can handle it. You just get some rest.”
Jun sank back gratefully onto the couch; it was true that he still felt far too sore and dizzy to be able to do much. He decided that perhaps after a nap he would feel better.
Nino covered Jun with a light blanket while Sho made sure that Jun was completely comfortable, then they both quietly backed away to the kitchen. It was fortunate that is was already the weekend, which meant that between the two of them, they would have all the chores done in record time.
++++
A high pitched beeping wormed its way into Jun’s brain, rousing him from his sleep. He had no idea how much time had elapsed while he napped, but his earlier dizziness had passed and his stomach was telling him that it wanted food.
The beeping seemed to be coming from the area of their balcony where the washer and dryer were located. Jun pushed the blanket aside and made his way outside. The floor looked much whiter than usual, and kind of fluffy, leading Jun to think his eyes were failing him, until he stepped into something which was wet and smelled like citrus.
Jun looked around him in horror, “SHO! WHAT DID YOU DO?”
Sho and Nino came running at Jun’s yell. “Jun? What's wrong?”
Jun despairingly gestured to the sea of suds which were crawling across the balcony like a white fluffy lava flow. “How much washing powder did you put in the machine?”
“Oh crap!” Nino pulled Jun out of the mess and waded through the soap, picking up a mop and using the end of the handle to switch off the machine, silencing the hysterical beeping.
Sho was frozen to the spot, mouth wide open in horror as he surveyed the mess. “Um, I just tipped in what was left in the box. Was that wrong?”
Nino and Jun exchanged incredulous glances, before laughter bubbled up in their chests; Sho looked so helplessly bewildered.
As Nino squelched his way back he picked up a handful of foam and flung it at Sho. It didn't quite reach him, but the handful that Jun picked up did. It splattered against Sho’s chest, turning his black shirt white. It was quickly followed by a blob which Nino mounded into a ball and plopped onto Sho’s head.
“Why you little brat!” Sho retaliated, squishing a lump of froth into Nino’s hair with his fingers.
Jun was helpless with laughter as Sho and Nino proceeded to coat each other with a thick layer of foam, slithering about on the floor in a messy heap. “You two look ridiculous. “
“Don't think you can escape being a part of this too,” Nino said as he approached Jun and put a tiny blob of white on the tip of his nose.
Jun growled and wiped it away, only to have Sho dollop an even bigger blob in its place.
“Quit it, you guys,” Jun complained with a frown.
“Aww, but we just want to include you in the fun,” Nino said, wrapping foamy hands gently around Jun’s neck and nibbling on the side of his neck, leaving a white trail in the wake of his lips.
Sho followed suit, rubbing his cheek against Jun’s, smearing soap everywhere as Jun giggled and squirmed. It was the first sign that Jun was on the mend from his injuries.
++++
Jun was once again propped up in bed amongst a pile of pillows, but this time he wasn't alone. Nino was draped over his left side, where fortunately was bruise free, and Sho was snuggled behind Nino, his arm stretched out across Nino and touching Jun’s stomach. Sho’s fingers twitched in his sleep, unconsciously tickling Jun’s belly and making him jerk, dislodging Nino from his comfortable position.
Nino grumbled and turned around to face Sho, poking him in the ribs to wake him. “I'm hungry. Since you woke us both up, you can fetch us the sandwiches we made earlier.”
“Mmmmmm sounds good,” Jun murmured, still dazed after the sex which had ensued after the foam fight on the balcony. It was the first time they had been intimate after the accident, and both Sho and Nino had been extra gentle and loving towards him. It had taken all of his powers of persuasion to convince then that he wanted them and that they wouldn't hurt him. But in the end they had managed to make love without causing him pain from any of his bruises, working their way carefully around his plaster cast with tender patience.
“Why do I have to go? I'm too worn out,” Sho whined, wrapping his arms tightly around Nino.
“Because I'm hurt,” Jun said, lifting his broken arm and pouting.
“And because I'm exhausted, after what you did to me a while ago,” Nino muttered, looking at Sho with pleading puppy-eyes.
“Fine,” Sho huffed, sliding out of bed. He attempted to take the blanket with him, but Nino tugged it back, making sure that Jun was covered.
Jun and Nino snuggled together in the middle of the bed, enjoying the view of Sho walking to the kitchen completely naked.
When Sho returned ten minutes later carrying a heavy tray laden with a jug of juice, glasses and plates, the other two were asleep. He awkwardly placed the tray down and nudged Nino. “Lunch is served. Can you please wake Jun up while I fetch the rest?”
“I kind of don't want to wake him,” Nino said, tenderly nuzzling Jun’s cheek. “He looks so relaxed.”
“I know, but he needs to eat, and so do you,” Sho said firmly, as aware as Jun was about Nino’s habit of skipping meals. “Especially since it's closer to dinner than lunch.”
While Sho was fetching the food, Nino woke Jun, who blinked and stretched lazily, wincing as he worked his bruised muscles.
Nino drew back, “Did we hurt you? It was too soon, wasn't it, just like I said?”
Jun smiled, “Don't worry. It was great, I'm just a bit stiff.”
“You were more than a bit stiff earlier,” Nino said, raising an eyebrow seductively.
“Oh, good grief, knock it off you two,” Sho rolled his eyes as he returned, carrying a huge plate of sandwiches. “We’ve had more than enough of that for one day.”
“Really? Getting old?” Nino said with a snicker.
Jun began to laugh, making the whole bed shake with his mirth.
“Come on Jun, Nino’s not that funny,” Sho pouted.
“Not...not what Nino said,” Jun wheezed. “What on earth are those things?” Jun pointed to the sandwiches with a trembling hand.
“What? What's wrong with them?” Sho looked at the teetering pile of doorstep sized sandwiches, which were spilling their contents out of their uneven edges.
“They look like they are mutating…” Jun snorted.
“Hey! I helped to make those!” Nino protested half-heartedly.
“You two are helpless without me.” Jun chuckled, taking a squashy ham and cheese sandwich, which oddly enough also seemed to contain peanut butter.
“Eww,” Nino put down his own sandwich with disgust.
“Nino, did you spread half the bread with peanut butter? I thought you were using normal butter.” Sho asked, munching on a sandwich, seemingly not hating the taste.
“Nooo. I was making peanut butter sandwiches. You used my bread?” Nino peered suspiciously at Sho.
“See what happens when I’m not doing everything for you two?” Jun said, taking a cautious bite of his cheesy-peanutty-ham sandwich.
“I take offence to that!”
“Me too!”
Sho and Nino folded their faces into hurt expressions, which made Jun begin giggling all over again. He put down his plate and gave his boyfriends a peanutty kiss each. “Doesn't mean that I don't appreciate your efforts.”
“Well, just you wait and see. This place is going to run like clockwork until you are back in charge,” Sho said confidently.
Nino looked less convinced, but agreed nonetheless.
Jun smiled to himself and settled himself down comfortably in his pillow nest, hoping that Sho and Nino would finally realize just how much work was involved in keeping things running smoothly.
++++
As soon as Jun heard a scuffling sound and muffled talking from the far side of the front door, he was already on his way to open it long before the doorbell chimed. Toma was due to collect him and drive him to the hospital to have his final check up from Ohno-sensei. It was time for the cast to come off and Jun couldn't wait. He’d been pacing the floor in front of the door for the last 15 minutes in anticipation of his manager’s arrival.
“Hi Jun,” Toma said, standing back to allow someone else to rush past him.
Jun found himself engulfed in a flurry of long limbs and profuse apologies as Aiba the photographer pounced.
“I'm so so so so sorry about what happened to you,” Aiba gushed. In one hand he held a bottle of red wine and in the other a bunch of sunflowers. “I wanted to come and see you before now, but I was shooting in Italy.”
“That's fine Aiba-san. I know you're a busy man,” Jun said, slightly breathless from being squeezed too tightly. “Thanks for the gifts. Could you please put them down on the coffee table for me?” Jun added, waggling his cast.
Aiba carefully balanced the wine on the stack of magazines piled on the table, as Toma offered to put the flowers in a vase.
Jun was embarrassed by the state of the apartment. Despite Sho and Nino’s best efforts over the past 6 weeks, the mess seemed to have taken on a life of its own, covering every available surface. It had been hard for Jun to restrain himself from disobeying Sho and Nino’s instructions to not touch anything around the house, but a small part of him wanted to see exactly how they would cope.
Sho’s relationship with the washing machine had blossomed, but unfortunately the same couldn't be said for the dryer. Jun had freaked out after Sho shrunk his favourite oversized sweater down to half its original size. Nino had pounced on it with glee, pulling it on over his head and admiring himself in the mirror. It was a little snug, but of far better quality than anything he would buy himself.
There had been a lot of takeaway eaten over the past weeks, even though Nino was a capable cook if he set his mind to it. Work for both Sho and Nino had been crazy busy and so cooking had only really occurred on weekends. The sight of the tip of Sho’s tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as he painstakingly peeled a carrot and the look of pride on Nino’s face as he dished out his ‘secret’ curry recipe, were indelibly printed on Jun’s mind.
“If it's any consolation, the pictures came out perfectly,” Toma said, as he returned from the kitchen. “You looked great. In fact they want you for their cover shoot in a month’s time.”
“I promise to make sure it's on solid ground this time,” Aiba said, smiling widely. “And to make sure you are in top form I have managed to persuade the magazine's owner Kitagawa-san to offer you a holiday at his private villa in Vanuatu.”
“It sounds wonderful,” Jun said dreamily, imagining himself walking along a pristine beach. “But Sho is busy with work, and Nino is allergic to holidays.”
“I’m sure you can use your recent health problems to your advantage,” Toma said shrewdly. “If it will make you completely well again, then Sho will surely find a way to join you.”
“And the trip will be all expenses paid, so you don't have to worry about money,” Aiba added eagerly.
A slow smile spread across Jun’s face; it seemed as if he would have his much longed for holiday after all. Nino would move heaven and earth to take advantage of a free anything.
++++
“No! Don't make me,” Nino shrieked as Sho picked him up and ran across the sand to the turquoise sea. He flailed in Sho’s arms before clinging so tightly that when Sho went to toss him into the water they both tumbled into the gently tossing waves. Nino took advantage of momentum and sat on Sho, trapping him under the water, until Sho managed to toss him off his stomach.
“Nino!” Sho spluttered and coughed, blinking to clear the salt water from his eyes.
“You started it.” Nino laughed at Sho’s soggy and disheveled appearance. “You know I only agreed to come on this holiday because it was free, and you and Jun promised that I didn't have to actually go outside for the whole week.”
“You need to go out in the sun sometimes, otherwise you won't just be pale, you’ll become transparent.” Sho ran his hand along Nino’s pale arm, raking it lightly with his fingernails and making Nino shiver.
From his position in his beach recliner under the shade of a grove of palm trees, Jun put down his cocktail and watched the antics of his boyfriends with fond amusement. It seemed that the holiday was doing them all the world of good; even Sho had left his phone switched off, and Nino had even invested in a new second-hand shirt from the thrift shop in the nearest village.
As things heated up between Sho and Nino in the gently lapping waves, Jun roused himself and decided to join them, stripping off his clothes as he walked. This looked too good to miss, even though they had already spent half the morning in bed together, enjoying the fact that Jun had both arms fully functioning again, and had regained his flexibility and acrobatic abilities.
In the past Jun had sometimes wished for change, but over those weeks of enforced inactivity, he’d come to realize that he loved his job and he loved caring for his two boyfriends.
People say that a change is as good as a holiday, but as far as Jun was concerned, nothing could ever possibly be better than this.
Genre: Fluff
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I make no claim over Arashi - this is a work of fiction
Summary: Jun pushed the blanket aside and made his way outside. The floor looked much whiter than usual, and kind of fluffy, leading Jun to think his eyes were failing him, until he stepped into something which was wet and smelled like citrus.
Jun looked around him in horror, “SHO! WHAT DID YOU DO?”
Notes: HAPPY BIRTHDAY
lilly0! *throws confetti and hands out cake and ice cream*"More mail for you," Nino said as he dropped a pile of A4 envelopes onto Jun's lap.
"Ow!" Jun yelped as a corner stabbed him in an unfortunate area.
"Nino, can you please be a bit more careful?" Sho chided as he dropped his dirty coffee cup into the sink.
"Would you like me to kiss it better?" Nino could be quite sarcastic first thing in the morning.
"Tempting prospect, but you need to be at work in twenty minutes," Jun snarked.
"What on earth have you been buying now anyway?" Nino asked, gesturing to the bundle of mail. He was still slightly traumatized from the endless boxes of online purchases that had bombarded them before Christmas.
"Nothing. They're holiday brochures," Jun replied, ripping open the first envelope and pulling out a glossy booklet with a photograph of a pristine beach on the cover.
"You're crazy if you think that you will ever get me onto a beach," Nino said as he picked up his bag and headed out the door after pressing a kiss to the top of Jun's head and squeezing Sho's butt on his way past.
Sho sighed - sometimes Nino and Jun's sparring in the morning was all too much for him.
He kissed Jun on the cheek as he gathered up his briefcase, "Bye baby. What time will your photo shoot be done today?"
"I won't be home until late. I’m shooting with Aiba-san and he wants some romantic night time images," Jun replied with a grimace. He loved modelling because it gave him plenty of free time to look after both the house and his two boyfriends but sometimes it seemed like a very shallow way to make a living. "Can we talk about booking a holiday later tonight? I don't want all of the best options to be booked out."
"I don't know, work has been crazy lately and you know that Nino hates going to new places," Sho replied, running his work schedule through his head and trying to think of the next time he would be able to take a few days off.
Jun tried to hide his disappointment as he gathered up his brochures and stacked them on the coffee table before heading into the kitchen to clean up the breakfast dishes.
++++
“I’ve got the takeaway.” Sho tossed his keys down, along with his briefcase. “Should we eat now, or wait for Jun?”
“I haven't heard from him since lunch time. He sent me the usual reminder to not forget to eat the bento he packed for me,” Nino said as he took the bags from Sho and carried them to the kitchen. “I sent him the usual rude response and I haven't had any other messages, so I assume he is busy.”
Nino was already dressed in the sweatpants he wore as pyjamas, alerting Sho to the fact that he had spent way too long in the office once again.
“He said he was going to be late, so I guess we should go ahead and eat and put his share aside for later.” Sho’s stomach rumbled in agreement as he proceeded to shovel a mound of fried rice onto a plate.
Nino took a much more modest helping of the Chinese food and passed Sho a bottle of beer before sitting down at the breakfast bar beside him. They ate in companionable silence, Sho flicking through the mail, which mostly seemed to be yet more holiday brochures for Jun, while Nino played with his phone.
In the middle of taking a photo of the food with the intention of teasing Jun, who only ever got fed ‘model food’ (which seemed to involve the use of rather a lot of lettuce), on shoots, Nino jumped as his phone rang. The name of the caller made Nino decide to answer it rather than let it go to message bank. Sho glared at Nino who was breaking their house rule of not answering the phone while they were eating, but Nino glared back, his brows furrowing as he realized what the caller was saying.
Nino’s eyes widened and he flung down his chopsticks, knocking his chair over as he jumped to his feet. Sho paused with a pork rib halfway to his mouth as Nino hung up and spoke urgently, “Put the food down, we have to go.”
“What? What's wrong?” Sho dropped his food back down onto his plate as adrenaline surged through his body.
Nino was already on his way to the front door, tugging his coat on over his pyjamas. He looked back over his shoulder, jiggling impatiently as he waited for Sho to catch up. “That was Jun’s manager. There was an accident at the photo shoot and Jun is in the hospital. We have to go. Now.”
Sho helped Nino into his coat and tugged him close, holding him tightly for just a moment, feeling the pounding of his heart, “I'm sure he will be fine. We would know if it was bad, wouldn't we? We’d be able to feel it in our bones.”
Clinging tightly to Sho, Nino’s voice was muffled, “I know that, but I need to see him for myself.”
“So do I, Nino. Let's go.” Sho grabbed his keys and steered Nino out the door.
++++
“Where is he? What happened? Can we see him?” Nino clutched the neck of Ikuta Toma’s shirt in his fist.
“And how did you let him get hurt in the first place?” Sho asked, pinning Jun’s manager down with a steely glare. Toma was making gurgling noises, but Sho didn't make a move to stop Nino from choking him.
Toma managed to wriggle out of Nino’s grip, “He’s in x-ray right now…”
“X-RAY?!” Nino grabbed for Toma, who dodged away and raised his hands in front of his face to protect himself.
“He had a bit of a fall when they were shooting, but he's mostly okay,” Toma said, backing away.
“A bit of a fall? Mostly okay?” Sho asked, in a deep voice, which foretold trouble for Toma.
Fortunately for Toma, a nurse approached them and asked if Sho and Nino were Jun’s next of kin. “Matsumoto-san will be brought back to his room soon, and in the meantime you can wait for him here,” she said as she ushered them to a room containing a vending machine and some uncomfortable looking chairs.
Sho and Nino spoke at the same time. “He’s been admitted?” “What's wrong with him?”
The nurse smiled soothingly, “The doctor will be along in a minute to advise you on Matsumoto-san’s condition. Please take a seat.”
Toma shuffled in a few minutes later, running his fingers through his hair nervously as he took a seat a safe distance away from Jun’s boyfriends.
“So?” Nino growled.
“Jun-kun fell down some stairs while Aiba-san was shooting. We called the ambulance immediately and they brought him here. I don’t really know any more than you do,” Toma replied, looking distraught. Sho and Nino knew that Toma was a good friend to Jun and probably just as worried as they were, but right at that moment they were unwilling to forgive him for allowing something to happen to their lover.
A short, tanned man in a white coat entered the room just then, “My name is Ohno, and I’m looking after Matsumoto-san. You must be the Sho and Nino he was muttering about before he fully regained consciousness.”
Distressed by the casual way in which Ohno-sensei mentioned that Jun had lost consciousness, Nino half rose from his seat as if he was about to grab the doctor in the same way that he’d grabbed Toma earlier. Sho restrained him gently as Ohno continued.
“He has broken his right arm and has a slight concussion and a lot of bruising as a result of the fall. We will be keeping Matsumoto-san under observation, but all being well, you should be able to take him home within a day or so.”
Toma sighed with relief, and immediately picked up his phone; Jun’s schedule for the next couple of month’s was going to have to be rearranged.
“No mobile phones in the hospital,” Ohno said, with a glare.
Making a gesture of apology, Toma said, “I’ll be going then. Give Jun my regards and tell him that I will talk to him tomorrow.”
“You will not,” Sho said firmly. “You’ll talk to him when he is well enough to talk to you, and not before.”
The doctor nodded his approval, making shooing gestures with his hands, to make sure that Toma and his phone were on their way out.
“I’ll take you to him. Just make sure that you don’t tire him. The concussion has left him with nausea and an aversion to bright light, but that should gradually improve over the next 24 hours. We will, of course, be observing him hourly to make sure that there are no complications,” Ohno said, talking as he walked through a maze of corridors.
Eventually they ended up in an area that was much more luxurious than the others they passed through as they followed the doctor. By the size of the rooms, it was obviously reserved for wealthy patients. “The magazine that Matsumoto-san was working for will be taking care of the bill, and they insisted on making sure that he is completely comfortable,” Ohno said by way of explanation, correctly reading the puzzled glances the other two were exchanging as they walked.
“I’ll leave you to it. Please ring the call button if Matsumoto-san needs anything, or if there is any sudden change in his condition,” Ohno said with a slight bow as he slid the door open.
++++
Jun was sitting propped up in bed in the dimly lit room, with his arm resting on a pile of pillows. Underneath the remnants of makeup from the photoshoot which still clung stubbornly to his cheeks, his face was unnaturally pale.
Nino rushed towards him, remembered Ohno-sensei’s words just in time, and screeched to a halt a safe distance away from the bed. Sho followed more slowly, grabbing Nino’s hand on the way past and tugging him with him, until they were close enough to clearly see the bruise on the side of Jun’s forehead which continued down his cheek.
“Jun, love.” Sho approached Jun, stroking his hair with a gossamer touch, fearful of causing him further pain. “Are you okay?”
“Of course he’s not okay!” Nino snapped. “Aiba-san probably got him to do something stupid again, and Jun ended up in the hospital.”
Jun had worked for that particular magazine many times in his career and had a great working relationship with them. Their chief photographer Aiba Masaki had a unique way of doing things, which had resulted in Aiba winning prestigious photographic awards, but occasionally ended badly for all concerned.
Nino edged closer and perched gingerly on the bed next to Jun. Taking Jun’s uninjured hand into his own, Nino held it tightly, as if afraid that if he let go Jun would go and do some other dangerous thing.
“I’m fine, really. A bit battered and bruised, but it’s nothing that won’t heal,” Jun said shakily.
Sho stood beside Nino, reaching down to add his hand to the pile. “What happened?”
“Aiba-san was using the fog machine for a ‘romantic’ look and it kind of went crazy, obscuring everything in a giant white cloud. I couldn’t see a thing and apparently there was an electrical cable that wasn’t secured properly. I caught my foot on it, and the next thing I knew I was bouncing headfirst down the stairs. I don’t remember anything after that, until I woke up in the hospital with Ohno-sensei shining a light in my eyes.”
“You gave us a heart attack. Don't be so stupid and clumsy ever again,” Nino grumped, his eyes shiny with unshed tears.
“What Nino meant to say, was that we are relieved that you aren't too badly hurt, and that we love you,” Sho said, pressing the lightest of kisses to Jun’s lips. “How do you feel?”
“Kind of dizzy, and I ache all over.” Jun shifted position slightly in an attempt to make himself more comfortable, and reached for the sippy cup of water on the cabinet beside his bed.
“Try not to move too much,” Sho said, gently holding Jun still, as he picked up the cup himself and held it so Jun could drink. “Let us do it for you.”
“Before you know it you’ll be allowed to come home and Sho will be able to coddle you as much as he is obviously dying to do.” Nino jumped up and fussed with Jun’s pillows and straightened his bed covers, demonstrating that Jun was just as likely to be coddled by Nino.
“I’m not going to be much use when I get home,” Jun said, lifting his broken arm up from its nest of pillows, and wincing at the pain which jolted up from his wrist at the movement.
“You just concentrate on getting better and we'll take care of the rest,” Sho said, his voice brimming with confidence.
++++
“Jun, I don't want you moving around too much. I told you that I will carry you wherever you want to go.” Sho attempted to sweep Jun into his arms, earning himself a smack on the arm he was attempting to wrap around Jun’s waist. Jun glared at Sho and attempted to wriggle away, as Sho ignored his warning smack, and clung tightly to him.
“It’s his arm that's broken, not his legs. Take hold of this instead.” Nino pried Sho off Jun and shoved the hamper full of dirty clothes into Sho’s arms and pushed him in the direction of the washing machine.
“Thanks Nino.” Jun breathed a sigh of relief and recommended his slow shuffle towards the kitchen. In the week since the accident his body had turned a veritable rainbow of colours as the bruising he’d sustained in the fall came out. Jun’s right hip in particular was a deep and ugly shade of blackish-purple and it made walking quite an ordeal.
Nino grabbed Jun, halting his faltering movement. “And where do you think you’re going?”
“It’s almost lunch time and…”
“If you're hungry I'll make you something,” Nino said, steering Jun back to the couch.
“Well, actually I was going to make lunch for all of us…”
“With one hand?”
Jun looked down at his arm resting in a sling across his chest, “I could make sandwiches?”
“No! Absolutely not,” said Sho as he came back from loading the washer. “Nino and I can handle it. You just get some rest.”
Jun sank back gratefully onto the couch; it was true that he still felt far too sore and dizzy to be able to do much. He decided that perhaps after a nap he would feel better.
Nino covered Jun with a light blanket while Sho made sure that Jun was completely comfortable, then they both quietly backed away to the kitchen. It was fortunate that is was already the weekend, which meant that between the two of them, they would have all the chores done in record time.
++++
A high pitched beeping wormed its way into Jun’s brain, rousing him from his sleep. He had no idea how much time had elapsed while he napped, but his earlier dizziness had passed and his stomach was telling him that it wanted food.
The beeping seemed to be coming from the area of their balcony where the washer and dryer were located. Jun pushed the blanket aside and made his way outside. The floor looked much whiter than usual, and kind of fluffy, leading Jun to think his eyes were failing him, until he stepped into something which was wet and smelled like citrus.
Jun looked around him in horror, “SHO! WHAT DID YOU DO?”
Sho and Nino came running at Jun’s yell. “Jun? What's wrong?”
Jun despairingly gestured to the sea of suds which were crawling across the balcony like a white fluffy lava flow. “How much washing powder did you put in the machine?”
“Oh crap!” Nino pulled Jun out of the mess and waded through the soap, picking up a mop and using the end of the handle to switch off the machine, silencing the hysterical beeping.
Sho was frozen to the spot, mouth wide open in horror as he surveyed the mess. “Um, I just tipped in what was left in the box. Was that wrong?”
Nino and Jun exchanged incredulous glances, before laughter bubbled up in their chests; Sho looked so helplessly bewildered.
As Nino squelched his way back he picked up a handful of foam and flung it at Sho. It didn't quite reach him, but the handful that Jun picked up did. It splattered against Sho’s chest, turning his black shirt white. It was quickly followed by a blob which Nino mounded into a ball and plopped onto Sho’s head.
“Why you little brat!” Sho retaliated, squishing a lump of froth into Nino’s hair with his fingers.
Jun was helpless with laughter as Sho and Nino proceeded to coat each other with a thick layer of foam, slithering about on the floor in a messy heap. “You two look ridiculous. “
“Don't think you can escape being a part of this too,” Nino said as he approached Jun and put a tiny blob of white on the tip of his nose.
Jun growled and wiped it away, only to have Sho dollop an even bigger blob in its place.
“Quit it, you guys,” Jun complained with a frown.
“Aww, but we just want to include you in the fun,” Nino said, wrapping foamy hands gently around Jun’s neck and nibbling on the side of his neck, leaving a white trail in the wake of his lips.
Sho followed suit, rubbing his cheek against Jun’s, smearing soap everywhere as Jun giggled and squirmed. It was the first sign that Jun was on the mend from his injuries.
++++
Jun was once again propped up in bed amongst a pile of pillows, but this time he wasn't alone. Nino was draped over his left side, where fortunately was bruise free, and Sho was snuggled behind Nino, his arm stretched out across Nino and touching Jun’s stomach. Sho’s fingers twitched in his sleep, unconsciously tickling Jun’s belly and making him jerk, dislodging Nino from his comfortable position.
Nino grumbled and turned around to face Sho, poking him in the ribs to wake him. “I'm hungry. Since you woke us both up, you can fetch us the sandwiches we made earlier.”
“Mmmmmm sounds good,” Jun murmured, still dazed after the sex which had ensued after the foam fight on the balcony. It was the first time they had been intimate after the accident, and both Sho and Nino had been extra gentle and loving towards him. It had taken all of his powers of persuasion to convince then that he wanted them and that they wouldn't hurt him. But in the end they had managed to make love without causing him pain from any of his bruises, working their way carefully around his plaster cast with tender patience.
“Why do I have to go? I'm too worn out,” Sho whined, wrapping his arms tightly around Nino.
“Because I'm hurt,” Jun said, lifting his broken arm and pouting.
“And because I'm exhausted, after what you did to me a while ago,” Nino muttered, looking at Sho with pleading puppy-eyes.
“Fine,” Sho huffed, sliding out of bed. He attempted to take the blanket with him, but Nino tugged it back, making sure that Jun was covered.
Jun and Nino snuggled together in the middle of the bed, enjoying the view of Sho walking to the kitchen completely naked.
When Sho returned ten minutes later carrying a heavy tray laden with a jug of juice, glasses and plates, the other two were asleep. He awkwardly placed the tray down and nudged Nino. “Lunch is served. Can you please wake Jun up while I fetch the rest?”
“I kind of don't want to wake him,” Nino said, tenderly nuzzling Jun’s cheek. “He looks so relaxed.”
“I know, but he needs to eat, and so do you,” Sho said firmly, as aware as Jun was about Nino’s habit of skipping meals. “Especially since it's closer to dinner than lunch.”
While Sho was fetching the food, Nino woke Jun, who blinked and stretched lazily, wincing as he worked his bruised muscles.
Nino drew back, “Did we hurt you? It was too soon, wasn't it, just like I said?”
Jun smiled, “Don't worry. It was great, I'm just a bit stiff.”
“You were more than a bit stiff earlier,” Nino said, raising an eyebrow seductively.
“Oh, good grief, knock it off you two,” Sho rolled his eyes as he returned, carrying a huge plate of sandwiches. “We’ve had more than enough of that for one day.”
“Really? Getting old?” Nino said with a snicker.
Jun began to laugh, making the whole bed shake with his mirth.
“Come on Jun, Nino’s not that funny,” Sho pouted.
“Not...not what Nino said,” Jun wheezed. “What on earth are those things?” Jun pointed to the sandwiches with a trembling hand.
“What? What's wrong with them?” Sho looked at the teetering pile of doorstep sized sandwiches, which were spilling their contents out of their uneven edges.
“They look like they are mutating…” Jun snorted.
“Hey! I helped to make those!” Nino protested half-heartedly.
“You two are helpless without me.” Jun chuckled, taking a squashy ham and cheese sandwich, which oddly enough also seemed to contain peanut butter.
“Eww,” Nino put down his own sandwich with disgust.
“Nino, did you spread half the bread with peanut butter? I thought you were using normal butter.” Sho asked, munching on a sandwich, seemingly not hating the taste.
“Nooo. I was making peanut butter sandwiches. You used my bread?” Nino peered suspiciously at Sho.
“See what happens when I’m not doing everything for you two?” Jun said, taking a cautious bite of his cheesy-peanutty-ham sandwich.
“I take offence to that!”
“Me too!”
Sho and Nino folded their faces into hurt expressions, which made Jun begin giggling all over again. He put down his plate and gave his boyfriends a peanutty kiss each. “Doesn't mean that I don't appreciate your efforts.”
“Well, just you wait and see. This place is going to run like clockwork until you are back in charge,” Sho said confidently.
Nino looked less convinced, but agreed nonetheless.
Jun smiled to himself and settled himself down comfortably in his pillow nest, hoping that Sho and Nino would finally realize just how much work was involved in keeping things running smoothly.
++++
As soon as Jun heard a scuffling sound and muffled talking from the far side of the front door, he was already on his way to open it long before the doorbell chimed. Toma was due to collect him and drive him to the hospital to have his final check up from Ohno-sensei. It was time for the cast to come off and Jun couldn't wait. He’d been pacing the floor in front of the door for the last 15 minutes in anticipation of his manager’s arrival.
“Hi Jun,” Toma said, standing back to allow someone else to rush past him.
Jun found himself engulfed in a flurry of long limbs and profuse apologies as Aiba the photographer pounced.
“I'm so so so so sorry about what happened to you,” Aiba gushed. In one hand he held a bottle of red wine and in the other a bunch of sunflowers. “I wanted to come and see you before now, but I was shooting in Italy.”
“That's fine Aiba-san. I know you're a busy man,” Jun said, slightly breathless from being squeezed too tightly. “Thanks for the gifts. Could you please put them down on the coffee table for me?” Jun added, waggling his cast.
Aiba carefully balanced the wine on the stack of magazines piled on the table, as Toma offered to put the flowers in a vase.
Jun was embarrassed by the state of the apartment. Despite Sho and Nino’s best efforts over the past 6 weeks, the mess seemed to have taken on a life of its own, covering every available surface. It had been hard for Jun to restrain himself from disobeying Sho and Nino’s instructions to not touch anything around the house, but a small part of him wanted to see exactly how they would cope.
Sho’s relationship with the washing machine had blossomed, but unfortunately the same couldn't be said for the dryer. Jun had freaked out after Sho shrunk his favourite oversized sweater down to half its original size. Nino had pounced on it with glee, pulling it on over his head and admiring himself in the mirror. It was a little snug, but of far better quality than anything he would buy himself.
There had been a lot of takeaway eaten over the past weeks, even though Nino was a capable cook if he set his mind to it. Work for both Sho and Nino had been crazy busy and so cooking had only really occurred on weekends. The sight of the tip of Sho’s tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as he painstakingly peeled a carrot and the look of pride on Nino’s face as he dished out his ‘secret’ curry recipe, were indelibly printed on Jun’s mind.
“If it's any consolation, the pictures came out perfectly,” Toma said, as he returned from the kitchen. “You looked great. In fact they want you for their cover shoot in a month’s time.”
“I promise to make sure it's on solid ground this time,” Aiba said, smiling widely. “And to make sure you are in top form I have managed to persuade the magazine's owner Kitagawa-san to offer you a holiday at his private villa in Vanuatu.”
“It sounds wonderful,” Jun said dreamily, imagining himself walking along a pristine beach. “But Sho is busy with work, and Nino is allergic to holidays.”
“I’m sure you can use your recent health problems to your advantage,” Toma said shrewdly. “If it will make you completely well again, then Sho will surely find a way to join you.”
“And the trip will be all expenses paid, so you don't have to worry about money,” Aiba added eagerly.
A slow smile spread across Jun’s face; it seemed as if he would have his much longed for holiday after all. Nino would move heaven and earth to take advantage of a free anything.
++++
“No! Don't make me,” Nino shrieked as Sho picked him up and ran across the sand to the turquoise sea. He flailed in Sho’s arms before clinging so tightly that when Sho went to toss him into the water they both tumbled into the gently tossing waves. Nino took advantage of momentum and sat on Sho, trapping him under the water, until Sho managed to toss him off his stomach.
“Nino!” Sho spluttered and coughed, blinking to clear the salt water from his eyes.
“You started it.” Nino laughed at Sho’s soggy and disheveled appearance. “You know I only agreed to come on this holiday because it was free, and you and Jun promised that I didn't have to actually go outside for the whole week.”
“You need to go out in the sun sometimes, otherwise you won't just be pale, you’ll become transparent.” Sho ran his hand along Nino’s pale arm, raking it lightly with his fingernails and making Nino shiver.
From his position in his beach recliner under the shade of a grove of palm trees, Jun put down his cocktail and watched the antics of his boyfriends with fond amusement. It seemed that the holiday was doing them all the world of good; even Sho had left his phone switched off, and Nino had even invested in a new second-hand shirt from the thrift shop in the nearest village.
As things heated up between Sho and Nino in the gently lapping waves, Jun roused himself and decided to join them, stripping off his clothes as he walked. This looked too good to miss, even though they had already spent half the morning in bed together, enjoying the fact that Jun had both arms fully functioning again, and had regained his flexibility and acrobatic abilities.
In the past Jun had sometimes wished for change, but over those weeks of enforced inactivity, he’d come to realize that he loved his job and he loved caring for his two boyfriends.
People say that a change is as good as a holiday, but as far as Jun was concerned, nothing could ever possibly be better than this.
