A Rainbow of Light and Hope
Dec. 31st, 2020 01:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
learashiTitle: A Rainbow of Light and Hope
Pairing: Jun/Nino
Rating: PG
Genre: romance, angst, au
Summary: Nino feels as if he is the only person in the world who has to go to bed early on New Year’s Eve, especially when his much needed sleep is disturbed by someone setting off fireworks on the roof terrace above his head. He angrily races upstairs, determined to make them cease and desist. But as soon as he sees the distressed face of his new neighbour, Nino decides that sleep can wait.
Warning: This story contains mentions of the death of an unnamed character in the past.
Notes: This story started out with a fluffy beginning, veered off course and took a darker path through the middle, but ended with the possibility of a brighter future. Kind of an analogy for 2020 when you think about it. Anyway, Happy New Year everyone. Let’s hope that 2021 is kinder to us all.
One of the advantages of living in a top floor apartment was access to the roof terrace.
One of the disadvantages of living in a top floor apartment was the fact that the person in the apartment opposite also had access to the roof terrace.
Nino glared at the digital clock beside his bed as if it was its fault that the minutes kept creeping inexorably forward.
His job at the radio station also had its advantages, including discounts at every local business which advertised during his program and more free music than he could listen to in a lifetime.
The main disadvantage to this choice of occupation was the fact that he had somehow ended up being stuck with working the shift which began at 4 am, which meant going to bed at 9 pm five nights a week. By skipping breakfast and not respecting the speed limits he was able to sleep until 3.03 am and still manage to arrive with enough time to grab a cup of coffee before flinging himself into his chair in the broadcast booth. At this time of year it wasn't so bad, but in summer it was difficult to sleep while tossing in a lather of sweat as he resented having to shoulder the extra expense of running the air conditioning except on the hottest of nights.
This was actually the sixth night in a row for an early start and he was already regretting the loss of his weekend. Even the lure of extra income for working on New Year's Day had been insufficient inducement, but as the junior presenter, he was obliged to hold the fort as his seniors flocked to an all-inclusive weekend at a luxury onsen, paid for by one of their major sponsors.
As the mocking red numbers on his clock changed to 10.07 pm another loud bang issued from the roof terrace, seemingly directly over Nino’s head. He half expected pieces of plaster to rain down on him. There were no large displays of New Year's Eve fireworks scheduled nearby so the culprit was obviously someone much closer to home.
“I don't know who you are, but I already hate you,” he cursed loudly as he threw on a coat over the oversized sweatshirt and tracksuit pants covered with his station’s logo which served as his pyjamas and stomped upstairs to tell his noisy idiot new neighbour to knock it off.
++
In the frigid air of the outdoor terrace Nino could see his breath in a cloud in front of his face, but his anger kept him warm enough to hardly notice.
A lone figure bent over and lit the fuse of a firework propped up in a glass bottle, standing back as it fizzed and flared before launching itself into the cloudy winter sky and exploding with a loud bang and a shower of silver sparks.
“What do you think you’re doing? You're not some high school student in a coming of age drama series,” Nino said angrily as he stepped closer to the man who was facing away from him and showed no sign of having heard him. There was still an entire row of fireworks waiting to be launched and Nino’s anger ratcheted up a notch. “Fireworks are banned after 10 pm and so are rockets. And even if they weren't, some of us are trying to get some sleep, so knock it off already before I call the cops.”
There was no response from the perpetrator, apart from a shaking motion of his hunched shoulders. The man was half in shadow, but even so when he slowly turned to Nino it was impossible to miss the tears which streamed from his eyes.
Nino knew that he had a sharp tongue. It was one of the main reasons why his radio program was so popular, but this was ridiculous. Surely he couldn't be responsible for this distressed display? “I didn't mean to be so harsh, but I really do need to sleep right now. I have to be at work at 4am.”
“Sorry. I didn't realize that I was disturbing anyone. My name is Matsumoto Jun and I only moved in a few days ago. I couldn't really see or hear any signs of life in your apartment, so I mistakenly assumed that I had the floor to myself.” As he spoke Matsumoto wiped his face with the sleeve of his sweater and stepped into the full light.
For the first time in his life Nino was rendered speechless. Matsumoto had swollen red eyes and traces of snot on his face and he was still the most beautiful man Nino had ever met. He tried to quell the excited fluttering of his heart; he wasn't a hopeless romantic like his best friend Aiba. He was supposed to be annoyed but his anger had evaporated at the first sight of Matsumoto. “I’m Ninomiya Kazunari, but everyone calls me Nino. I don't make much noise as I live alone and go to bed early, so I usually don't have any lights on. You can tell me to mind my own business if you like, but you seem quite upset. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Matsumoto didn't look fine, but his tears had stopped. “And sorry once again for disturbing you. I would've found somewhere else to do this if I’d known. The fireworks are for my boyfriend. I made him a promise which I couldn't break,” Matsumoto said with a wistful smile.
“Oh. You have a boyfriend?” Nino plastered on the fake smile he used for publicity shots as his heart shrivelled back to its usual frigid state, adding with a forced laugh, “So he’s the one I should be blaming for keeping me awake?”
“That might be a bit tricky. He died almost two years ago.”
“I’m sorry. I’m a terrible person.” Feeling as if punched in the gut, Nino took a step back, unsure of what to say next.
“How could you have known?” Nino’s distress was apparently obvious and Matsumoto reached out as if to touch him as he spoke, but withdrew his hand at the last moment as if he'd remembered that he was speaking with someone he’d only just met. “I apologise for being so blunt about it. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I’ve never been able to figure out how to tell people who don't know about my past. I miss him a lot but I’ve learned to live with the loss.” Matsumoto rubbed his hand over his face. “Sorry, I’m sure that you don’t want to know the details of something like this from a complete stranger.”
“If it helps you to talk then I’m more than happy to listen.” Nino kept a couple of old folding chairs stacked against the wall next to the door leading onto the terrace and he grabbed them now and placed them in the spot where he and Aiba usually sat which provided the best view of the city.
“But you need your sleep.” Matsumoto’s substantial eyebrows creased with concern.
“Don't worry about it. I have a radio show; I'll just play really long longs and grab some cat naps.” Nino took a seat and gestured for Matsumoto to do the same.
“I have a flask of coffee with me. Would you like some?” Matsumoto rummaged in a duffel bag sitting next to the row of unlit fireworks. He pulled out a thermos flask and two mugs. He put down the purple one next to the thermos and stroked the red plastic mug and looked sad for a moment. “It’s silly really, but I still somehow always pack for two so I have more than enough to spare.”
“Yes please.” Nino blew on his hands and nodded eagerly. “That would be great.”
Matsumoto handed Nino the purple mug and offered him a cookie from a zip lock bag. “I also made too many Christmas cookies. It’s hard to adjust to cooking for one.”
Nino accepted a cookie and hummed with pleasure as the shortbread melted on his tongue with a sweet buttery burst.
Matsumoto sat beside Nino and watched as he nibbled around the edges of the star-shaped cookie. Tears welled in his eyes and eventually spilled down his cheeks as he began to speak. “My boyfriend was so eager to taste each variety that he used to stuff the whole cookie in his mouth at once. He loved to eat and to travel. He used to drive me crazy with his guide books and his planning, but he was so enthusiastic about it that I couldn't help being excited too. That's the way he lived; always grabbing at life with both hands. That's why when he first got sick we both believed that everything would be okay; but it wasn't.”
Nino felt tears pricking in his own eyes as he offered Matsumoto a wad of tissues which he’d found in the depths of his coat pocket.
Matsumoto accepted them with a trembling hand and offered Nino a shaky smile, “Thank you. Sorry for being such a cry-baby. I haven't cried like this since I lost him.”
“My friend Aiba always says better out than in, but now that I think about it he probably wasn't talking about tears,” Nino said in an attempt to lighten the moment.
He was rewarded by a choked snicker from Matsumoto who wiped his eyes and continued his story. “He was in and out of hospital and when he was well we travelled as much as we could and visited local restaurants in those places which served all of the different food he hadn’t tried yet. But eventually the times when he was well became less and less, and we had to face the inevitable. By the time of his last hospitalisation he had been very ill for such a long time and he was ready to go.”
As sobs shook his body, Matsumoto stood up abruptly and walked to the edge of the rooftop where it was dark.
Nino followed, instinctively wanting to offer comfort, but unsure how. He touched Matsumoto's elbow and was stunned when the other man spun around and placed his head on his shoulder as his tears flowed. Nino awkwardly patted him on the back as he felt moisture seeping into his coat. Their loose embrace lasted only briefly, but Matsumoto’s sobs subsided and his breathing slowed noticeably. Nino steered the distraught man back to his chair and picked up the red mug. He handed it to Matsumoto and made sure that his hands were wrapped firmly around it before letting go. He topped it up from the thermos and held out the bag of brightly decorated cookies.
“Drink your coffee Matsumoto-san, and eat a cookie. You’ll feel much better with some sugar in your system, and I can assure you that the cookies are delicious.”
“After I cried all over you, the least I can do is to ask you to call me Jun,” Jun replied sheepishly as he selected a gingerbread man.
Nino took one for himself and admired the intricate icing. “You can stop any time if this is too difficult for you.”
“Contrary to outward appearances, I actually feel better with the telling. If you can spare me the time, I have a strong feeling that it’s important for me to tell you the rest.”
Putting down his mug, Nino turned to Jun and gave him his full attention as he waited for him to speak.
Jun looked up into the inky sky and smiled as he spotted the silvery sliver of the waning moon shining down. “We celebrated one last Christmas together, with mostly just the two of us as he was too weak to socialise much. His oldest friend Satoshi joined us for Christmas dinner and although he didn’t have much of an appetite left he rallied and still managed to eat most of the fresh clams Satoshi brought with him. The amount of times I scolded him for stuffing too much food into his mouth…” Jun laughed fondly.
Nino was spellbound by the expression on Jun’s face. When he smiled it softened his strong features and Nino wondered how it would feel if Jun to look at him like that; he suspected that his heart might not be strong enough to withstand such an assault.
“By New Year’s Eve he was back in the hospital and we both knew that this time he wouldn’t be coming home. Satoshi got together with our other friends and they bought every firework they could get their hands on. They set them up in the hospital garden where my boyfriend could see them through the window beside his bed. He was so happy and so touched by their gesture. His eyes sparkled almost as bright as the fireworks themselves and I will never forget his smile. Ever since he’d known that he wouldn’t make it, his greatest fear was that that I would mourn him for too long and miss out on life after he was gone. And that evening was when he made me promise to set fireworks off when I was ready to face the world again. He said that he would watch over me until then.”
Nino gestured to the row of unlit fireworks. “And tonight was the night?”
Jun nodded. “I didn’t even realise it until this morning. When I woke up the sky was that rare shade of blue which makes it seem endless and my breakfast fried egg was perfectly cooked and I felt completely happy and content with my new apartment and my life. That’s when I knew that it was time.”
“I envy you. Not because of your loss, of course, but because you got to experience a great love. I’ve had plenty of casual relationships, but I’ve never truly been in love,” Nino admitted sadly.
“It’s never too late. Sometimes it can sneak up on you when you least expect it,” Jun said as he turned to Nino with a thoughtful expression.
Nino looked down at his coffee, suddenly finding the swirls of froth on top endlessly fascinating as they sat in silence and contemplated what next year might bring.
++
In the street below car horns blew and cheering could be heard. Jun walked over to see what was happening and checked his watch. He graced Nino with a luminous smile “It’s midnight. Happy new year Nino.”
“Happy new year Jun.” Drawn in by the way Jun’s eyes turned into crescent moons which imitated the real moon when he smiled, Nino joined him at the edge of the roof terrace. Before he thought about it too much he raised himself up on his toes and planted a kiss on Jun’s cheek which felt cool and smooth against his lips.
Jun’s eyes transformed from crescent moons to saucers wide with surprise. He pressed the palm of his hand to the spot where Nino’s lips had been as colour crept up his neck.
Nino felt hot all over as he realized what he’d just done. He’d just kissed a man he’d only met less than two hours ago. Not that this hadn't happened before in certain clubs he used to frequent with Aiba, but not with someone who had just finished telling him about the death of his life-partner. He clapped his hand over his mouth in horror, speaking through his slightly parted fingers. “I don't know what on earth possessed me. I can’t apologize enough for molesting you like that.”
Jun pried Nino’s hand off his face and returned the kiss. He brushed his lips against Nino’s cheek and squeezed Nino’s hand for a moment before releasing it. “Please don't apologize. That's the first time I’ve been kissed since…” Jun paused and blinked back the moisture welling in his eyes before a slow smile crept across his face. “And you made me realize that I'm ready to find someone new. Someone who is cute, kind, caring, and makes me laugh.”
Nino’s shoulders slumped; he felt underqualified for all of those requirements. “Oh. Well. I hope you find that person.”
“Nino,” Jun laughed. “I’m talking about you. I had a wonderful time with you tonight and I would like to get to know you better, if you feel the same way.”
“I knew that,” Nino bluffed as the tips of his ears turned red.
“When you get home from work we could have lunch together to celebrate the New Year and our new friendship. I was planning on making hamburger and I have more than enough ingredients for two, if you like.” Jun looked slightly nervous as he waited for Nino’s response.
“I like!” Nino’s heart gave another excited flip at the thought of his favourite food being made by this vision of beauty. “I mean, thank you for the invitation, I’d love to.”
As the skies around them exploded into colour, Nino gestured to the waiting row of fireworks. “You should light the rest of these.”
“Yes. We should,” Jun replied, placing emphasis on the ‘we’. “I want him to know that even though I will never forget him, I can get along fine without him now and if he's been staying around to watch over me, that it's okay for him to go, because I'm not alone anymore.”
“Neither of us are.” Nino took Jun’s hand and led him to the first of the bottles. Jun’s hand was cold but his grip was firm as they lit the fuse together.
The rocket exploded into a heart-shaped burst of shimmering red sparks, which reflected in their eyes as they gazed up joyfully, hands still clasped tightly together before they moved on down the row, lighting them in turn and filling the space above their heads with a rainbow of light and hope.
++
At 3.45 am, Nino hummed as he wove his car through streets filled with people staggering home from New Year's celebrations, ignoring frenzied calls from Aiba, who also produced his radio show. Despite the fact that he was running late, for once he wasn't filled with jealous rage at the sight of smooching couples. He had just remembered another advantage of his job; he could spend his entire show playing soppy love songs in an endless loop if he wanted.
Pairing: Jun/Nino
Rating: PG
Genre: romance, angst, au
Summary: Nino feels as if he is the only person in the world who has to go to bed early on New Year’s Eve, especially when his much needed sleep is disturbed by someone setting off fireworks on the roof terrace above his head. He angrily races upstairs, determined to make them cease and desist. But as soon as he sees the distressed face of his new neighbour, Nino decides that sleep can wait.
Warning: This story contains mentions of the death of an unnamed character in the past.
Notes: This story started out with a fluffy beginning, veered off course and took a darker path through the middle, but ended with the possibility of a brighter future. Kind of an analogy for 2020 when you think about it. Anyway, Happy New Year everyone. Let’s hope that 2021 is kinder to us all.
One of the advantages of living in a top floor apartment was access to the roof terrace.
One of the disadvantages of living in a top floor apartment was the fact that the person in the apartment opposite also had access to the roof terrace.
Nino glared at the digital clock beside his bed as if it was its fault that the minutes kept creeping inexorably forward.
His job at the radio station also had its advantages, including discounts at every local business which advertised during his program and more free music than he could listen to in a lifetime.
The main disadvantage to this choice of occupation was the fact that he had somehow ended up being stuck with working the shift which began at 4 am, which meant going to bed at 9 pm five nights a week. By skipping breakfast and not respecting the speed limits he was able to sleep until 3.03 am and still manage to arrive with enough time to grab a cup of coffee before flinging himself into his chair in the broadcast booth. At this time of year it wasn't so bad, but in summer it was difficult to sleep while tossing in a lather of sweat as he resented having to shoulder the extra expense of running the air conditioning except on the hottest of nights.
This was actually the sixth night in a row for an early start and he was already regretting the loss of his weekend. Even the lure of extra income for working on New Year's Day had been insufficient inducement, but as the junior presenter, he was obliged to hold the fort as his seniors flocked to an all-inclusive weekend at a luxury onsen, paid for by one of their major sponsors.
As the mocking red numbers on his clock changed to 10.07 pm another loud bang issued from the roof terrace, seemingly directly over Nino’s head. He half expected pieces of plaster to rain down on him. There were no large displays of New Year's Eve fireworks scheduled nearby so the culprit was obviously someone much closer to home.
“I don't know who you are, but I already hate you,” he cursed loudly as he threw on a coat over the oversized sweatshirt and tracksuit pants covered with his station’s logo which served as his pyjamas and stomped upstairs to tell his noisy idiot new neighbour to knock it off.
++
In the frigid air of the outdoor terrace Nino could see his breath in a cloud in front of his face, but his anger kept him warm enough to hardly notice.
A lone figure bent over and lit the fuse of a firework propped up in a glass bottle, standing back as it fizzed and flared before launching itself into the cloudy winter sky and exploding with a loud bang and a shower of silver sparks.
“What do you think you’re doing? You're not some high school student in a coming of age drama series,” Nino said angrily as he stepped closer to the man who was facing away from him and showed no sign of having heard him. There was still an entire row of fireworks waiting to be launched and Nino’s anger ratcheted up a notch. “Fireworks are banned after 10 pm and so are rockets. And even if they weren't, some of us are trying to get some sleep, so knock it off already before I call the cops.”
There was no response from the perpetrator, apart from a shaking motion of his hunched shoulders. The man was half in shadow, but even so when he slowly turned to Nino it was impossible to miss the tears which streamed from his eyes.
Nino knew that he had a sharp tongue. It was one of the main reasons why his radio program was so popular, but this was ridiculous. Surely he couldn't be responsible for this distressed display? “I didn't mean to be so harsh, but I really do need to sleep right now. I have to be at work at 4am.”
“Sorry. I didn't realize that I was disturbing anyone. My name is Matsumoto Jun and I only moved in a few days ago. I couldn't really see or hear any signs of life in your apartment, so I mistakenly assumed that I had the floor to myself.” As he spoke Matsumoto wiped his face with the sleeve of his sweater and stepped into the full light.
For the first time in his life Nino was rendered speechless. Matsumoto had swollen red eyes and traces of snot on his face and he was still the most beautiful man Nino had ever met. He tried to quell the excited fluttering of his heart; he wasn't a hopeless romantic like his best friend Aiba. He was supposed to be annoyed but his anger had evaporated at the first sight of Matsumoto. “I’m Ninomiya Kazunari, but everyone calls me Nino. I don't make much noise as I live alone and go to bed early, so I usually don't have any lights on. You can tell me to mind my own business if you like, but you seem quite upset. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Matsumoto didn't look fine, but his tears had stopped. “And sorry once again for disturbing you. I would've found somewhere else to do this if I’d known. The fireworks are for my boyfriend. I made him a promise which I couldn't break,” Matsumoto said with a wistful smile.
“Oh. You have a boyfriend?” Nino plastered on the fake smile he used for publicity shots as his heart shrivelled back to its usual frigid state, adding with a forced laugh, “So he’s the one I should be blaming for keeping me awake?”
“That might be a bit tricky. He died almost two years ago.”
“I’m sorry. I’m a terrible person.” Feeling as if punched in the gut, Nino took a step back, unsure of what to say next.
“How could you have known?” Nino’s distress was apparently obvious and Matsumoto reached out as if to touch him as he spoke, but withdrew his hand at the last moment as if he'd remembered that he was speaking with someone he’d only just met. “I apologise for being so blunt about it. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I’ve never been able to figure out how to tell people who don't know about my past. I miss him a lot but I’ve learned to live with the loss.” Matsumoto rubbed his hand over his face. “Sorry, I’m sure that you don’t want to know the details of something like this from a complete stranger.”
“If it helps you to talk then I’m more than happy to listen.” Nino kept a couple of old folding chairs stacked against the wall next to the door leading onto the terrace and he grabbed them now and placed them in the spot where he and Aiba usually sat which provided the best view of the city.
“But you need your sleep.” Matsumoto’s substantial eyebrows creased with concern.
“Don't worry about it. I have a radio show; I'll just play really long longs and grab some cat naps.” Nino took a seat and gestured for Matsumoto to do the same.
“I have a flask of coffee with me. Would you like some?” Matsumoto rummaged in a duffel bag sitting next to the row of unlit fireworks. He pulled out a thermos flask and two mugs. He put down the purple one next to the thermos and stroked the red plastic mug and looked sad for a moment. “It’s silly really, but I still somehow always pack for two so I have more than enough to spare.”
“Yes please.” Nino blew on his hands and nodded eagerly. “That would be great.”
Matsumoto handed Nino the purple mug and offered him a cookie from a zip lock bag. “I also made too many Christmas cookies. It’s hard to adjust to cooking for one.”
Nino accepted a cookie and hummed with pleasure as the shortbread melted on his tongue with a sweet buttery burst.
Matsumoto sat beside Nino and watched as he nibbled around the edges of the star-shaped cookie. Tears welled in his eyes and eventually spilled down his cheeks as he began to speak. “My boyfriend was so eager to taste each variety that he used to stuff the whole cookie in his mouth at once. He loved to eat and to travel. He used to drive me crazy with his guide books and his planning, but he was so enthusiastic about it that I couldn't help being excited too. That's the way he lived; always grabbing at life with both hands. That's why when he first got sick we both believed that everything would be okay; but it wasn't.”
Nino felt tears pricking in his own eyes as he offered Matsumoto a wad of tissues which he’d found in the depths of his coat pocket.
Matsumoto accepted them with a trembling hand and offered Nino a shaky smile, “Thank you. Sorry for being such a cry-baby. I haven't cried like this since I lost him.”
“My friend Aiba always says better out than in, but now that I think about it he probably wasn't talking about tears,” Nino said in an attempt to lighten the moment.
He was rewarded by a choked snicker from Matsumoto who wiped his eyes and continued his story. “He was in and out of hospital and when he was well we travelled as much as we could and visited local restaurants in those places which served all of the different food he hadn’t tried yet. But eventually the times when he was well became less and less, and we had to face the inevitable. By the time of his last hospitalisation he had been very ill for such a long time and he was ready to go.”
As sobs shook his body, Matsumoto stood up abruptly and walked to the edge of the rooftop where it was dark.
Nino followed, instinctively wanting to offer comfort, but unsure how. He touched Matsumoto's elbow and was stunned when the other man spun around and placed his head on his shoulder as his tears flowed. Nino awkwardly patted him on the back as he felt moisture seeping into his coat. Their loose embrace lasted only briefly, but Matsumoto’s sobs subsided and his breathing slowed noticeably. Nino steered the distraught man back to his chair and picked up the red mug. He handed it to Matsumoto and made sure that his hands were wrapped firmly around it before letting go. He topped it up from the thermos and held out the bag of brightly decorated cookies.
“Drink your coffee Matsumoto-san, and eat a cookie. You’ll feel much better with some sugar in your system, and I can assure you that the cookies are delicious.”
“After I cried all over you, the least I can do is to ask you to call me Jun,” Jun replied sheepishly as he selected a gingerbread man.
Nino took one for himself and admired the intricate icing. “You can stop any time if this is too difficult for you.”
“Contrary to outward appearances, I actually feel better with the telling. If you can spare me the time, I have a strong feeling that it’s important for me to tell you the rest.”
Putting down his mug, Nino turned to Jun and gave him his full attention as he waited for him to speak.
Jun looked up into the inky sky and smiled as he spotted the silvery sliver of the waning moon shining down. “We celebrated one last Christmas together, with mostly just the two of us as he was too weak to socialise much. His oldest friend Satoshi joined us for Christmas dinner and although he didn’t have much of an appetite left he rallied and still managed to eat most of the fresh clams Satoshi brought with him. The amount of times I scolded him for stuffing too much food into his mouth…” Jun laughed fondly.
Nino was spellbound by the expression on Jun’s face. When he smiled it softened his strong features and Nino wondered how it would feel if Jun to look at him like that; he suspected that his heart might not be strong enough to withstand such an assault.
“By New Year’s Eve he was back in the hospital and we both knew that this time he wouldn’t be coming home. Satoshi got together with our other friends and they bought every firework they could get their hands on. They set them up in the hospital garden where my boyfriend could see them through the window beside his bed. He was so happy and so touched by their gesture. His eyes sparkled almost as bright as the fireworks themselves and I will never forget his smile. Ever since he’d known that he wouldn’t make it, his greatest fear was that that I would mourn him for too long and miss out on life after he was gone. And that evening was when he made me promise to set fireworks off when I was ready to face the world again. He said that he would watch over me until then.”
Nino gestured to the row of unlit fireworks. “And tonight was the night?”
Jun nodded. “I didn’t even realise it until this morning. When I woke up the sky was that rare shade of blue which makes it seem endless and my breakfast fried egg was perfectly cooked and I felt completely happy and content with my new apartment and my life. That’s when I knew that it was time.”
“I envy you. Not because of your loss, of course, but because you got to experience a great love. I’ve had plenty of casual relationships, but I’ve never truly been in love,” Nino admitted sadly.
“It’s never too late. Sometimes it can sneak up on you when you least expect it,” Jun said as he turned to Nino with a thoughtful expression.
Nino looked down at his coffee, suddenly finding the swirls of froth on top endlessly fascinating as they sat in silence and contemplated what next year might bring.
++
In the street below car horns blew and cheering could be heard. Jun walked over to see what was happening and checked his watch. He graced Nino with a luminous smile “It’s midnight. Happy new year Nino.”
“Happy new year Jun.” Drawn in by the way Jun’s eyes turned into crescent moons which imitated the real moon when he smiled, Nino joined him at the edge of the roof terrace. Before he thought about it too much he raised himself up on his toes and planted a kiss on Jun’s cheek which felt cool and smooth against his lips.
Jun’s eyes transformed from crescent moons to saucers wide with surprise. He pressed the palm of his hand to the spot where Nino’s lips had been as colour crept up his neck.
Nino felt hot all over as he realized what he’d just done. He’d just kissed a man he’d only met less than two hours ago. Not that this hadn't happened before in certain clubs he used to frequent with Aiba, but not with someone who had just finished telling him about the death of his life-partner. He clapped his hand over his mouth in horror, speaking through his slightly parted fingers. “I don't know what on earth possessed me. I can’t apologize enough for molesting you like that.”
Jun pried Nino’s hand off his face and returned the kiss. He brushed his lips against Nino’s cheek and squeezed Nino’s hand for a moment before releasing it. “Please don't apologize. That's the first time I’ve been kissed since…” Jun paused and blinked back the moisture welling in his eyes before a slow smile crept across his face. “And you made me realize that I'm ready to find someone new. Someone who is cute, kind, caring, and makes me laugh.”
Nino’s shoulders slumped; he felt underqualified for all of those requirements. “Oh. Well. I hope you find that person.”
“Nino,” Jun laughed. “I’m talking about you. I had a wonderful time with you tonight and I would like to get to know you better, if you feel the same way.”
“I knew that,” Nino bluffed as the tips of his ears turned red.
“When you get home from work we could have lunch together to celebrate the New Year and our new friendship. I was planning on making hamburger and I have more than enough ingredients for two, if you like.” Jun looked slightly nervous as he waited for Nino’s response.
“I like!” Nino’s heart gave another excited flip at the thought of his favourite food being made by this vision of beauty. “I mean, thank you for the invitation, I’d love to.”
As the skies around them exploded into colour, Nino gestured to the waiting row of fireworks. “You should light the rest of these.”
“Yes. We should,” Jun replied, placing emphasis on the ‘we’. “I want him to know that even though I will never forget him, I can get along fine without him now and if he's been staying around to watch over me, that it's okay for him to go, because I'm not alone anymore.”
“Neither of us are.” Nino took Jun’s hand and led him to the first of the bottles. Jun’s hand was cold but his grip was firm as they lit the fuse together.
The rocket exploded into a heart-shaped burst of shimmering red sparks, which reflected in their eyes as they gazed up joyfully, hands still clasped tightly together before they moved on down the row, lighting them in turn and filling the space above their heads with a rainbow of light and hope.
++
At 3.45 am, Nino hummed as he wove his car through streets filled with people staggering home from New Year's celebrations, ignoring frenzied calls from Aiba, who also produced his radio show. Despite the fact that he was running late, for once he wasn't filled with jealous rage at the sight of smooching couples. He had just remembered another advantage of his job; he could spend his entire show playing soppy love songs in an endless loop if he wanted.
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Date: 2020-12-31 07:16 am (UTC)They will be lovey-dovey I'm sure and very cuddly in future