Jun Matsumoto woke up to a very tense Monday morning, his eyes bloodshot and puffy from the lack of sleep.

The days following his drunken misadventure were filled with confusing emotions and bouts of anxiety. Snippets of their painfully slow and sultry sex stole into his dreams, waking him up to bed covers drenched in sweat and an aching need that demanded release. It was almost enough to make him swear off alcohol for good and shackle himself to a perfectly boring life filling the void with nothing but the mundane 9-5 routine of his job and coming home to an empty, but lavishly decorated apartment filled with all its creature comforts and every imaginable trinket his money could buy...

***

Inside his office, Jun readjusted the blinds for the 10th time, unable to decide just how much sunlight he wanted inside the whitewashed walls of his spacious cubicle. His desk had been neatly arranged with his writing instruments placed in separate compartments: one for his ballpoint pens, another for his fountain pens and a different one for all his pencils, with its tips all freshly sharpened and arranged by height. A stack of folders, color coded and filed by date lay in neat, even rows inside his drawer. In the background, his computer whirred on monotonously, receiving emails and memos informing him about urgent meetings and other matters that needed to be addressed. The screen of his monitor had been wiped clean of any prints; his keyboard meticulously dusted and tapped free of any debris that might have been caught between the keys. Jun slumped down his computer chair, his third mug of coffee fast growing lukewarm on top of its coaster while he restlessly swiveled left and right, coming to a sudden stop as his gaze landed on the white paper bag lying innocently under his desk...

"Matsumoto?" Jun nearly jumped out of his skin as a breathy, high-pitched voice broke through his nervous haze.

"Oh, Aiba. It's just you." Jun breathed a sigh of relief, "Good Morning."

"What do you mean 'it's just me'?" Aiba tilted his head, his almond eyes curiously scanning the room, "You're nervous, aren't you?" Aiba nodded to himself.

"It's nothing... I'm not nervous." Jun replied, biting his lower lip, his gaze unconsciously returned to the white paper bag that seemed to mock him.

"Hmm...? Your office is spotless. Your pencils are all sharpened and arranged by height, and the whole room smells like lemons. You sprayed some sort of disinfectant. You are nervous." Aiba observed out loud.

Jun released a long drawn sigh, unable to say anything that would prove Aiba wrong

"Did something happen, Jun?" Aiba asked, concern written all over his kittenish face. "You look like hell."

"It's okay. I'm going to be okay; just missed some sleep, that's all." Jun forced a tiny smile to appease the taller man.

"Well... if you're sure..." Aiba replied, unconvinced, "Anyway, the meeting starts in 5 minutes."

As soon as he heard the word 'meeting' Jun's shoulders tensed visibly.

Aiba perked, happy to have solved the mystery of Jun's nervousness, "Ah, you're worried about meeting the big boss! Don't worry; he's a very charming guy!" Aiba smiled reassuringly. "You've got nothing to worry about; Sakurai is a very genial person. He hardly loses his temper and he's always very polite."

"A-ah." Jun nodded, heart thundering in his ribcage at the mention of Sho's name.

"Anyway, I'll see you there!" Aiba happily skipped out, closing the door behind him as he left.

Jun schooled his face to reflect a neutral and disinterested expression as he walked, in what he hoped, looked like long and confident strides. As soon as he had reached the entrance, Jun took a deep breath; his hand gripped the doorknob firmly and turned it in one smooth motion as he strolled inside the conference room. The moment he entered, Jun was met with faces he had worked with in the past. Seated to the far right was the executive producer whose proposal to produce a daytime soap had just been approved. With him, was the whole creative team;  there were scriptwriters, the director and his assistant director, the talent managers, production managers, set designers and various other sponsors who wanted their ads aired within the same time slot as the dorama.

The whole legal team, which Jun was part of, was present to wrap things up and to iron out any legal kinks that may arise. They were needed to ensure that deals were finalized, contracts were signed, and that all parties involved understood the terms they agreed to.

Jun scoured the room, his eyes roving the entire area carefully in case there was anyone he missed. Jun was beginning to get a little suspicious; everyone he knew was there save for that one familiar face he was dreading to see...

In place of Sakurai Sho was an old man in his mid-50s, wearing a crisp white, button down shirt neatly tucked in, with his tie firmly in place and a pair of perfectly pressed black dress pants that matched his leather shoes. Mr. Ogura's lips curved into an apologetic smile as he gave a slight bow and began to address the people in front of him.

"I regret to say that Mr. Sakurai won't be able to join us today. He has... rather urgent business to attend to; so in the meantime I will be facilitating this meeting in his place, as I usually do."

"Ah! Right, it's--." Aiba paused abruptly and allowed the thought to remain unaired, much to Jun's discomfort. His initial tension which had dissipated slightly, slowly crept back, edged with a slight hint of paranoia that Sho's absence might have had something to do with him.

"Mr. Matsumoto," Ogura turned to Jun, "I'm sorry that you won't be able to meet Mr. Sakurai today. He had been looking forward to meeting you too... Anyway, how have your three months been in this company?"

"It's been very good. Everyone has been treating me well, and I really do enjoy my work." Jun answered earnestly, managing to keep his voice steady as he pushed aside his nervous thoughts and forced himself to give his full attention to the meeting.

"That's good to know." Mr. Ogura smiled warmly at their new employee. "Now, shall we begin?..."


***

The meeting ended at three in the afternoon after long and tedious discussions about budget, equipment and contract signings. The legal team stayed behind for an extra hour after the creative team had left, and went on to meticulously double-check each document to make sure that nothing had been overlooked and that production of the new daytime soap would proceed without a hitch. They only needed one more meeting with the technical crew and things would be set.

Jun sat up and stretched his limbs, eager to take a short jog after clocking out from work. It was then that he remembered the white paper bag sitting underneath his desk, and all at once, the anxiety that he had tried so hard to push down came rushing back at him.

"Great work today, Matsumoto!" Aiba chirped, getting up from his seat. "Are you sure you don't want to moonlight as a talent? You'd make a fabulous idol!" he playfully teased.

"Nah. I won't be able to handle all the rabid fangirls" Jun smirked, gathering his things as he prepared to return to his cubicle.

"Well, if you change your mind, I'm offering to be your manager! Anyway, Sho-- I mean, Mr. Sakurai will probably return this Wednesday, he'll be with us when we meet with the technical crew."

At the mention of Sho's name, Jun's smile faltered slightly. "Oh, I see..."

"Why are you so worried?" Aiba raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued, "He's not going to bite, silly pup! I'm very sure he'll find you adorable! Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow!" Aiba waved goodbye and winked as he exited the room.

Silly pup?...

Out of the corner of his eye, Jun thought he saw a furry tail swishing behind Aiba as he walked out of the room. Jun rubbed his eyes, convinced that he'd had too much caffeine and too little sleep the past few days.

I really should be resting...

Jun wearily trudged back to his cubicle, where was alone once more, with the white paper bag. After neatly placing the folders inside his drawer and scanning his email for any urgent messages, Jun released an exasperated sigh and grabbed the paper bag from under his desk, peeking at its contents...

What am I doing?

He removed Sho's shirt from the bag, freshly laundered and neatly folded, and looked at it contemplatively.

I'm only going to return this... to break ties...so that he'd know...

Jun tried to convince himself...

Are you sure you're not just looking for an excuse to see him again? A second voice popped inside his head.

I have to return this so that he'll know we can't... Jun tried to suppress the mocking little voice that questioned his motives

What could he possibly want that shirt for? He could buy himself thousands of those if he wanted... the small voice persisted

Either way; I have to return this... Jun buried his head in his hands, trying hard to repress the truth that was struggling to get out of his clouded thoughts.

With a resigned sigh, Jun got up and prepared to leave; double checking each lock in every drawer and  looking through his suitcase to check for his keys, mobile phone, credit cards, and cash before switching the lights off and locking the door behind him.  He walked briskly towards the parking lot, looking quite distracted and paying only half a mind to his surroundings as he unlocked the door to his car. A debate raged on inside his head, logic and reason slowly losing out to instinct and curiosity. Jun took his wallet and fished out a small, white card with Sho's home address and phone number scribbled down in a neat script.

"In case you change your mind and decide to see me tomorrow..."

  Right.

Jun stared at the card, starting his engine and driving out of the parking lot.

I can't believe I'm doing this... Wait... Sho wasn't at the meeting today. Maybe he isn't at home...

So what am I driving there for? Jun asked himself, taking a right turn and deciding to take a detour. Though he didn't see much of Sho's house, Jun surmised it was quite big for one man to be living in alone. 

He probably has some helpers, or caretakers... Jun thought as the gate to Sho's mansion came into view

I could just leave the shirt with them... at least I won't have to deal with him personally...

Liar.  the mocking voice popped up once more

Okay, Jun sighed. Just this once, I'll admit...  I'm curious

You're smitten, more like...

Jun pulled over in front of Sho's gate, the full moon illuminating the dimly lit street with its ghostly white light. Jun got of his car, paper bag in hand and walked a few paces, stopping in front of the gate and preparing to press the intercom.

Why is it so dark here? Jun thought, his finger poised to press the button. The area surrounding the mansion was quite dark, and there seemed to be no guards in sight to patrol the area. The place looked eerily different from how he remembered it during the daytime. It seemed as though it had been abandoned, and reminded him of one of those urban legends having to do with haunted houses. All of a sudden, Jun heard something rustle from one of the bushes nearby. Jun held his breath, straining to hear more sounds as he stood frozen in front of Sho's gate. Something was making its way closer to him, and Jun was too panicked to do anything about it. As he slowly turned his head, he caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a fox's tail as it disappeared into the bushes.

... Aiba?

 Jun shook his head, heart thumping nervously inside his chest as he finally pressed the button.

"Um, please, I...c-can you o-open--"

"Jun! I never thought I'd see you here!" Jun jumped as he felt a firm grip on his shoulder.

"What happened, are you okay? You're shaking."

"Sho!" Jun turned, surprised to see Sho in front of him. "I came here to return this..." Jun whispered as his shaking hand held out the white paper bag in front of him.

"What's this?" Sho asked, taking the paper bag from Jun, his fingers brushing across Jun's hand.

"It's the shirt I borrowed." Jun replied catching his breath. "...I um, I guess I better go now."

"No, stay, please..." Sho spoke softly, gently grabbing hold of Jun's hand and pulling him closer.

Jun was about to voice his protests when a familiar high-pitched voice broke through the awkward silence.

"Sho, you're finally back! Hi Jun!" Aiba waved as he happily bounced towards the two.

"Oh, yes. I uh, just got back a few hours ago" Sho replied.

"I didn't know you two already knew each other" Aiba smiled playfully at Jun

"Um... I" Jun began awkwardly.

"It's okay, puppy. I won't tell" Aiba winked. "Anyway, I'm hungry. My friend's oden stall is still open and it's nearby. Want to have dinner?"

"Sure. That sounds good, I could use something warm" Sho replied "Jun, would you please come with us? My treat, I promise."

After a few moments of hesitation, Jun relented. Part of him reasoned, it was because it was his boss invited him and it would be rude to turn him down. His other half knew better, of course, and was also curious.

As Jun drove Sho and Aiba to the oden stand, Jun wondered what exactly he had gotten himself into...

***

TBC

Previous: The Morning After   Next: Complications

"It might not be silly at all, you'll be surprised..." Nino replied.

Sho sat a little uncomfortably on the cushy armchair of Yuki's lounge; his eyes looking at his hands as he twiddled his thumbs, uncertain of where to begin. There was a pronounced heaviness in the air that Sho couldn't quite name, and he felt as though the veil was slowly being lifted, only to reveal more ominous things that he could never be fully prepared for. All eyes were on Sho while the whole room waited patiently for him to speak; the silence punctuated by the monotonous drone of the air conditioner, and animated chattering coming from the television as the programming switched from mid-afternoon soaps to children's cartoons.

Sho's mother placed a hand on his son's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze, and encouraging him to continue. Taking a deep breath, Sho lifted his head and began to speak.

"It began with a dream that I've had, even before I met you..." Sho started hesitantly, his voice low and quiet. "My first dream wasn't as vivid as the ones that came next, I don't really remember much, just a series of images... but somehow, it always involved you... and now that I think about it, the dolls." Sho paused, trying to still his mind to find the right words, "I-I'm not sure if it's related, but when I was a child, I had nightmares about fires and I used to very afraid of it. The therapist told me I had pyrophobia...Even a lit candle would be enough to scare me. It did wane eventually, but I was never completely able to get over it. It's one of the reasons why I couldn't even cook for myself." Sho rambled on, random thoughts spilling out from his lips as he tried to untangle the confusion that clouded his mind.

From their seats, Nino and Yuki inched forward, ever so slightly, in tense anticipation as they waited for Sho to continue...

"My dreams would always start out nicely" Sho resumed, his eyes straying towards Aiba's still form and looking at the doll, as though it would give him the answers, "there would be vast meadows and castles and we'd be sitting under trees... It was happy, peaceful...almost like a fairy tale, then it would skip, and the next thing I remember is the screaming, and the smell of blood, and fire... and smoke. Sometimes I'd wake up in a cold sweat, trying to catch my breath. It felt like I was choking. I stopped having that dream for some time, but it reappeared the night before I got that notice from my boss, telling me to do a feature on your store." Sho paused, looking at Yuki, who seemed as though she were restraining herself from saying something.

"What do you remember about the dolls?" Nino interrupted from his corner of the room, nearly jumping out of his seat...”I-I'm sorry, please continue."

Sho paused thoughtfully, looking at Nino whose eyes reflected a deep sense of urgency. "Only that they were alive... “Sho sighed, running his fingers through his hair, "this is really going to sound crazy, but in my dreams, we had these... special abilities. I'm not really sure what they were, I just knew we did." Sho's voice sounded distant, as though he were thinking aloud. "You...You were some sort of illusionist, and Yuki was your sister... she always had this staff... I also remember Aiba and this little squirrel he always had, perched on his shoulders." Nervous, laughter escaped from Sho as he struggled to come to grips with what he thought was his insanity. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm having these dreams, I mean, I just met you... It just doesn't make sense..."

"It's not crazy, I promise." Yuki cut in, her voice gentle but firm, her perceptive gray eyes gazing deeply into Sho's, ”you're making more sense than you think you are and to tell you the truth, I'm actually relieved that you had those dreams."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It'll be clearer after we've told our part of the story..."

"I see..."

"I would just like to know though... what else do you remember about Aiba?" Yuki managed a soft, playful smile despite her weakened state. She tucked a strand of Aiba's hair behind his ear and held his hand while she waited for Sho to reply.

"I... he..." Sho looked closely at Aiba and tried to gauge his feelings towards the doll, "I... love him." Sho gasped, surprised at this sudden epiphany. Sho scratched his head, his brows furrowed as he drowned deeper into his confusion. "How could I--"

"Well, Aiba, what do you know..." Yuki cooed at the doe-eyed doll, lightly pinching his nose. "You're one lucky guy!"

"Um... are he and I--"
 
"Ooh!" Mari suddenly exclaimed; her bright eyes looking at Aiba's expressionless face as its brown eyes stared blankly ahead.

"M-Mari? Do you know something?" Sho asked, more than a little baffled by the whole situation. Yuki talked to the doll, as though it were human, while Mari looked as though she had just realized something that Sho hadn't previously known. His mother, on the other hand looked just about as clueless as he did, but sat composed in her quiet acceptance of the situation, as she waited patiently for things to progress. From where he sat, Nino's weary eyes twinkled from wearing a smile that mirrored Yuki's. He pulled Ohno closer to himself, and cuddled the doll, as he rested his small chin on its shoulder.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." Mari continued, scratching her head in embarrassment, "It's just that, when Sho was telling us about his dreams last night, he talked about Aiba a lot... I mean, the way he described him... and now he says that he loves him. It makes sense that he loves Aiba... I still don't get the whole thing, but I'm happy for him. It's so romantic!" Mari smiled sheepishly.

"Aiba is a pretty... He's not a doll, is he? And he is a boy, am I correct? “Sho’s mother spoke as though she were confirming something rather than asking a question.

"Yes, he is." Yuki answered.

"I'm surprised you're taking this rather calmly, Mrs. Sakurai." Nino spoke "If it had been anyone else, I'm sure you would have thought we were all insane."

"Well... Sho's nightmares, when he was younger, had always been a mystery to me. The therapist told us that it was some sort of trauma, but I couldn't really think of anything traumatic happening to him before he reached the age of 4. He was always with us, we never let him out of our sight, and there would always be someone looking after him when we were away.  When he told me about his recent dreams... among other things, I just had a hunch that it was connected to his childhood nightmares and his pyrophobia. Sho... didn't learn to speak normally until he was around 3 years old. For a time, it seemed like he had his own language. I guess I'm also here to get answers. I want to know what happened too, and these... people," Sho's mother looked at the dolls once more, focusing on Aiba's face " are connected to him somehow, aren't they?"

"Yes. They are."

"So, Nino, isn't it? Who are these, um, people?" Mrs. Sakurai asked.

"Well, this wasn't the way it was supposed to go, but I guess it can't be helped." Nino sighed, scratching his head and looked at Sho, who seemed like he was about to have a nervous breakdown. "Before that, I would like to ask Sho this question first: Do you remember when you first met us?"

"Yes.  It was only 2 days ago, we were at the cafe and we talked over dinner." Sho replied, trying to repress the panic rising from his gut.

"Do you remember hearing other voices inside the room?" Nino prodded on

Sho remained silent, his heart pounding as the blood drained from his face.

"Sho, please be strong. We need you for this." Yuki turned an imploring glance at Sho. "Everything will make sense after this, I promise."

Sho silently nodded, forcing himself to remain calm while his mother gently squeezed his hand.

"Yes. I think I did..." Sho whispered

Nino nodded from where he sat, "Sho, I don't really know how else to put this but Ohno, Aiba and Jun... they're not really mannequins, as your mother guessed. It was their voices you heard while we were having dinner. I only told them to keep quiet because you looked scared and I was afraid you'd run off and never return."

"Of course I was scared! Who wouldn't be? A bunch of voices were speaking, and I thought they were in my head, or worse, ghosts! And I never even believed in ghosts before this! Weren't you scared of them too?!" Sho exploded "I've heard of talking dolls before, but this... they know what we're saying!"

"Sho, I told you... they're not just dolls."

"But--"

We're not dolls, Sho believe it or not...

I'm sorry you have to go through this.  I'm sure this wasn't what you and Nino had in mind...

I missed you and I'm really glad that you're here. I know that you can help us... and thanks, I love you too.

Sho fell silent as the dolls spoke; his breathing becoming fast and shallow as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Mari wrapped her arms around Sho in a tight hug, holding Sho down as her brother shivered.

Sho, please don't run...

"Dear, what is it?"

"Didn't you hear them?"

"No, we didn't hear anything."

"We're the only ones who can hear them, Sho. Not even Yuki can hear them."

"Why's that?" Sho asked.

Nino sighed, "It's something that you and I did, a long time ago... back when we still had those, 'special abilities' as you put it."

"Special abilities, huh?" Sho gently shook his head in disbelief.

Nino raised an eyebrow and gave Sho an enquiring glance before he continued. "Anyway, you're not insane. Phony as it sounds, I know how you feel. I've been there too."

"Ah."

"Would you like to continue with your story, or would you rather hear our side this time?" Nino offered.

Sho contemplated this for a while, “I don't know... I have a lot of questions that I'd really like to ask and it would probably make more sense if you told me your side of the story. I really haven't been through this sort of thing before" Sho exhaled, turning to Aiba and looking deeply into his eyes "Aiba...hello... I feel really silly doing this..." Sho began awkwardly, aware that he probably looked foolish, knowing that only he and Nino could hear them. "Um... I'm sorry I don't remember you yet. You too, Jun, Ohno... I really thought you were just dolls at first--"

Um yeah, Nino said the same thing when he first talked to us. He was panicking because we have no... What’s that? Solar batteries?

Batteries.

Or remote controls...

Or those things you plug in holes on the wall! The thing that makes the TV work!

"Electricity?"

  Right...oh!

"Uh, yes Aiba?" Nino replied, almost forgetting how talkative Aiba could be once he got going.

Jun loves Yuki. They're together now!

  Aiba!   Sho turned a curious glance towards Jun and Yuki (who was busy trying to guess what the conversation was about.)

They hug a lot

 Jun goes really quiet when she does that.

  They're... it's just so... soft...  Jun squeaked in his defense

"What do you mean "they"? Oi, Jun you big pervert!" Nino exclaimed.

...sorry

"Why is Jun a big pervert?" Yuki asked, looking at Jun's blank face. "Hey, fill us in, we're feeling a little left out here"

"I uh... can't tell you." Nino replied

"Not even you, Sho?"

"Er, best not to...I think..."

His earlier nervousness gone, Sho was now finding the situation only slightly less bizarre, much to his bemusement. Apart from him and Nino, everyone around them seemed to be guessing what was going on. He was quite surprised to find his mother was taking the whole thing rather seriously, while Mari... well, he could only guess what Mari thought of the whole affair, and he was quite sure it had something to do with aliens, if not faeries...

Well, if we're going to the loony bin, at least I won't be alone... Sho consoled himself with that thought.

Maybe if you stopped fighting it, you will remember us. You seem to know far more than Nino did when he first came here.

"What do you mean?"

Nino had no clue at all. No dreams. Nothing.

Speaking of Mari...

"Ohno, Mari's curious about you, and I think I heard Aiba greeting her too when we came in. Do you know her? Why is it that she can't hear you?"

"Oh yeah, who is she?" Nino was also eager to know, his jealousy threatening to rear its ugly head.

Oh, she's... she was my sister. I never really expected to find her here, I was very surprised to find that she's your sister now, but I'm relieved because I know that you're a good brother, Sho.

"Ah. I see..." Nino nodded, relieved.

"Thank you. I'm glad you think so" Sho replied

"Who's Ohno? What did he say?" Mari asked

"He said that he was your brother."

"Oh. Hi brother... from a past life... I think." Mari beamed at the doll and gave Ohno an awkward sort of wave. "He can hear me, right?"

"Yep." Nino replied, amused at the similarities between Mari and Aiba.

Ah, that's right; Nino and Yuki weren't allowed outside of the castle, so they don't know her. We used to visit Mari a lot, whenever we'd go out. She can be just as spacey as Ohno.

"Well, now that makes sense..."

She can also be just as strange... but she's a lot like Aiba if you ask me

"I can see that too." Nino nodded. "...you have a great family, Sho."

"Yes. Crazy at times, but definitely great...If it were me, I would've checked myself with the psychiatrist by now, but I'm glad they didn't" Sho replied, watching Mari attempt to make conversation with Ohno. "Mari doesn't really question things a lot, she goes with the flow most of the time, and she trusts her intuition more than anything else...Amazingly, most of her hunches are right."

"Well, now I can see the family resemblance." Yuki replied, amused.

"Anyway..." Mari interrupted "What's your side of the story?" She asked Nino.

"Aaah well, where do I begin?" Nino sighed. "At least you're already used to the weirdness of it all, so what I'm about to tell you shouldn't sound so unbelievable."

"At this rate, I really am prepared to believe anything." Sho replied.

"Where to start, then... "

"Maybe you can begin by telling me who we're supposed to be."

"Your dreams were right about a lot of things. They're more like memories, come to think of it...." Nino began, "I was a... prince... of all things, and Yuki was my sister. My special abilities had a lot to do with creating illusions. I could do a lot of other things too, but it was my specialty. Yuki could tap into memories, and she holds the key that could open doors to different dimensions, and even times. Ohno is a seer, and so is Mari, I'm guessing, since they come from the same family. Aiba has a special ability that allows him to talk to animals... and maybe some inanimate objects...and Jun is an empath."

"What's an empath?"

"He's like a mind reader, but he reads hearts; motives, emotions... all that jazz"

"Ah... “

"You could heal people."

Sho nearly jumped out of his skin, while Mari and his mother looked visibly startled.

"About that..." Sho began

"Yes?"

"There's something else I need to tell you."

"Okay."

"I could, well, I don't know how or why, but I think I could still heal people... "

Nino was shocked, unable to remember what he was about to say, and almost dropping Ohno from his lap.  From where she sat, Yuki spat out her drink and dropped the cup of tea she was drinking from.

  TBC...

Previous: A Reunion   Next: A Reunion-3


\o/ Yay! a few more chapters to go. Sorry for the wait m(_ _)m life got in the way.

 

 

 

( The Sunflower )

The End =)


*** I don't really know how I came up with this, except that I think I wanted to write Aiba as a sunflower because of this funny pic of him wearing sunflower petals on his head and doing the hula... I'm not really sure how he ended up with Nino either, but there they are... Also, it's my first time to write this pair. Sorry if it sucked

Plenty of thanks to the person who uploaded this ^_^

They're such adorable boys. There's no hint of malice in any of their questions and it's so cute of Sho to be embarrassed on their behalf  XD


Makes me wonder tho, is there sex ed in Japan?

The preparations were nearly complete. The house was pristine and spotless, with nary a cobweb nor a dustbunny to be found. Inside the kitchen; the rich, buttery smell of chocolate chip cookies drifted through the air as it was being carefully moved from the baking pan onto a large porcelain plate.  A tea set lay daintily upon the kitchen counter; its white, hand painted porcelain cups waiting to be filled with good, bitter tea, currently being kept warm on the stove top.  

Furniture had been moved around the living room, converting it into a small entertainment center. A coffee table  was laid out in front of the television which had had been setup with an old VCR player; atop it were some old tapes, a few of which contained recordings of  what she thought were some of Satoshi's most memorable childhood moments. The minutes ticked by, and Mrs. Ohno was impatiently waiting for her son's arrival. After all, it was not everyday that your son introduced his fiancee. At 4:00 sharp, a knock was heard on the door, followed by a loud 'tadaima!' with which Satoshi announced his arrival.

***

A few minutes later,  Arashi found themselves cozily sprawled in the middle of the living room. Aiba and Sho were seated on the big, cream-colored couch while Jun made himself comfortable on one of the matching armchairs placed beside the coffee table. Nino sat cross-legged in front of the television, resting his head on Aiba's legs while he busily toyed with his DS. Ohno in the meantime, went to the kitchen to help his mom with some last minute preparations.  While her son was busy preparing the tea and cookies to be served, Mrs. Ohno stopped by for a short while to turn on the television, and popped in a random VCR tape from the pile resting on top of the coffee table. Ohno's mother turned and flashed a big smile at the boys and bid them a pleasant afternoon.

"It's not often I see all of you here." She said, "my son said he'll be introducing his fiancee today and I can't wait to find out which one it is!... Although, I think I may already know who," she added with a wink towards Nino, who promptly dropped his DS to the floor; face red as a tomato, his mouth agape.  Jun, Aiba, and Sho exchanged intrigued glances with each other; riida invited them to come over only for a "simple gathering"... perhaps he had just forgotten to mention this tiny, insignificant detail to the rest of the band. Three sets of matching smirks were directed at Nino, as Ohno's mother fled to the kitchen and left them with images of a seven year old Ohno attending a children's birthday party.

The party, as most children's parties were, was noisy and of course, filled with kids-- kids running high on sugar, zipping here and there with their dirty, icing-greased faces, leaving their poor mothers to chase after them as they happily squealed and jumped about.  After a while, the camera focused on a lone kid sitting contentedly by himself. Said child was curiously inspecting the balloon animal given to him by one of the clowns, tongue sticking out on one corner of his mouth as he turned it over and squeezed it experimentally with his small hands. All of a sudden a small, scrawny kid, wearing a red toy bucket on his head zipped past and grabbed the balloon dog from Satoshi's little hands...

"Ah! Nino!" Aiba exclaimed "That's Nino, isn't it?" Aiba pointed at the giggling kid who stole the balloon animal away from Ohno's hand while little Ohno leapt up from his chair and started to give chase...

Nino felt a sense of deja vu and an impending dread come over him as he watched the home video...

"There's no mistaking it, it is Nino!" Sho added as the four continued watching, with Nino strangely quiet in his own little corner.

"You haven't changed a bit!" Said Jun who watched, amused, as the clown started calling the kids to play some parlor games.

"Ne, I'll give you back the balloon if you play with me!" Little Nino quipped, holding the balloon animal behind his back, while the clown announced the rules for the new game. For this game, the clown did a twist on your regular "newspaper dance," for one, it involved no newspapers whatsoever. The rules were quite straightforward: Every time the music stops, you face your partner and do whatever the clown instructs; and so the game began with Ohno conceding to Nino because he wanted his balloon back.
The children danced gaily to the music, which came to an abrupt halt after a few seconds. Nino and Ohno faced each other, eagerly awaiting the clown's instructions...

"Okay! For this round I want you to stick your foreheads and your noses together...

 Which both kids did...

"Aaaand... stick your tongues out!" the clown happily announced.

A sudden silence took over the room as the crowd's eyes fell on a particular pair, who followed the clown's instructions a little too well...

Shock was clearly painted on everyone's faces as Ohno and Nino stood frozen-- foreheads, noses, and tongues all stuck together. Moments later, nervous laughter spread throughout the room, which then erupted into a full blown guffaw from the other attendees. Confused and panic stricken, both kids drew themselves apart, and ran bawling to their mothers. Nino climbed up to his mother's lap and buried his head on her chest while Ohno clung to his mother's leg. The clown then diverted the other's attention as he randomly made up a new parlor game for the kids to play.

Unknown to the four, Ohno and his mother were already standing behind the couch, watching the video with them.

"Aaah. So, it appears Nino was your first kiss! I never knew Nino was in that party!" Mrs. Ohno remarked, holding the tea set.

"A--ah." Ohno stuttered, nearly dropping the tray of cookies.

"Nino's a pervert!" Aiba joked, as Sho and Jun giggled along. 

"Ne, but isn't that romantic in a way?" Aiba added, "It's like they were meant for each other!"

There was a collective 'aaww' and more teasing directed at a blushing Nino, who for once, was speechless and smiling sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well now, Satoshi, if you tell me that Nino isn't your fiancee I'll be very disappointed!"

"He is, kaa-chan. He is." Ohno replied, placing the tray of cookies on the coffee table and grabbing hold of Nino's hand, helping him stand up as they both faced Ohno's mother.

"I've always known, deep inside, it was you." Ohno's mother smiled warmly at Nino. "Take good care of my son, okay?"

"Yes. Yes, I will" Nino replied with a genuine smile on his face as a teardrop slipped from the corner of his eye.

There was a round of applause from Jun, Sho, and Aiba, who raised their teacups and gave their congratulations to the couple. Ohno was happy that their partnership was met with much approval from his mom and was greatly relieved that he didn't have to keep it a secret anymore. After a few moments, the five settled down once more, onto the couch and were about to resume watching more of Ohno's childhood videos, when Ohno decided that they should watch his new DVDs instead. The small party ended early in the evening, with Sho, Jun, and Aiba bidding Ohno's family a good night as they each went their separate ways and headed home. After a few more minutes of 'heart-to-heart' talks with Ohno's mother, Nino was the last to leave, but not before one last kiss from Ohno before he saw him to the door and waited for a cab to pick him up...

"Ne, Oh-chan..." Nino began

"Yes?"

"I was thinking about what Aiba said earlier...about how we were meant for each other..."

"I believe him." Ohno replied.

"I believe him too." Nino smiled as the cab finally parked in front of Ohno's gate. "See you tomorrow!" Nino said as he got inside the cab.

*****

As soon as he got home, Nino rummaged through albums of his old childhood pictures. After a few hours, he finally found it: pictures of him in the party, one with the bucket on his head, another with a toy balloon, and another with his forehead stuck to Ohno's...


--The End--

^_^ Merry X'mas!!

Sunday morning saw Nino at the mall, lining up behind the cash register and paying for a  ridiculously overpriced bottle of perfume. The perfume that Nino bought, along with a set of aftershave and a small bottle of body wash, was wrapped in a fancy black paper bag that came with a complimentary pouch as a free gift for buying the whole set. Nino, with his frugal, penny-pinching ways would normally consider this a waste of good money--- money he could have spent on new games, a new  pouch for his DS, or maybe even a brand new PS3...  It was however, when Ohno slid his arms around him from behind, that convinced Nino the investment was worthy...

"You smell really nice." Ohno whispered softly, burrowing his nose at the crook of Nino's neck.

"Glad you like it" Nino replied, tilting his head to place a chaste kiss on Ohno's cheek.

"I like it better when you've worn it awhile"

"Why's that?"

"It smells better mixed in with your own scent..." Ohno replied with a small nip.



-End-

 

 ^^; so much for making this a "fics-only" journal. Oh well... I probably won't be posting anything non-arashi related (since I post that on another blog, and I kind of need to compartmentalize my thoughts like that... er...)

So anyhoo, since I love Arashi, and I have a thing for  pseudosciences (i.e., astrology, numerology, occultism, divination, etc...) I decided to put the two together and came up with....

The meaning behind arashi's names!
*ta daaaa*

^_^

Some of them are really interesting (like Aiba's and Sho's ) and some of them seem a bit off. It would also be helpful to note that numerology was originally used with the western alphabet. So, as it would appear in some cases, the analysis might be a little off or totally inaccurate, especially when you try to apply its principles to Asian names that are written using characters (like the Chinese and the Japanese.)

To those who'd like to try it out on their names, you can go to this website: http://www.paulsadowski.com/NameData.asp

Anyhoo... here we go...

* Italics are mine

You entered: Masaki Aiba

There are 10 letters in your name.
Those 10 letters total to 31
There are 6 vowels and 4 consonants in your name.

Your number is: 4

The characteristics of #4 are: A foundation, order, service, struggle against limits, steady growth.

The expression or destiny for #4:
*Order, service, and management are the cornerstones of the number 4 Expression. Your destiny is to express wonderful organization skills with your ever practical, down-to-earth approach. You are the kind of person who is always willing to work those long, hard hours to push a project through to completion. A patience with detail allows you to become expert in fields such as building, engineering, and all forms of craftsmanship. Your abilities to write and teach may lean toward the more technical and detailed. In the arts, music will likely be your choice. Artistic talents may also appear in such fields as horticulture and floral arrangement, as well. Many skilled physicians and especially surgeons have the 4 Expression.

(Traits that are typically capricorn- Aiba's zodiac sign)

The positive attitudes of the 4 Expression yield responsibility; you are one who no doubt, fulfills obligations, and is highly systematic and orderly. You are serious and sincere, honest and faithful. It is your role to help and you are required to do a good job at everything you undertake.

If there is too much 4 energies present in your makeup, you may express some of the negative attitudes of the number 4. The obligations that you face may tend to create frustration and feelings of limitation or restriction. You may sometimes find yourself nursing negative attitudes in this regard and these can keep you in a rather low mood. Avoid becoming too rigid, stubborn, dogmatic, and fixed in your opinions. You may have a tendency to develop and hold very strong likes and dislikes, and some of these may border on the classification of prejudice. The negative side of 4 often produces dominant and bossy individuals who use disciplinarian to an excess. These tendencies must be avoided. Finally, like nearly all with 4 Expression, you must keep your eye on the big picture and not get overly wrapped up in detail and routine.

Your Soul Urge number is: 22

A Soul Urge number of 22 means:
The Soul Urge of the master number 22 is very much that of the master builder. You would like to use your abilities in an important humanitarian undertaking, and have an innate desire is to express the significant power you feel in a concrete manner, as a builder, engineer, diplomat, etc. In some way you want to make a considerable contribution to the world.

( *Aiba and animals!)

The 22 gives a broad, universal outlook with a rather practical and common-sense approach. You have especially high intelligence, with an unusual perception and awareness. This number often denotes a high degree of diplomatic abilities and high ideals. You are a very capable person and you may possess special leadership abilities that you can and should develop. People respect you and recognize your superior foresight and vision.

The negative side of the 22 soul urge is a high degree of nervous energy and a tendency to be very dominating. It is unfortunate that all who possess the urge of 22 do not use its energies to the greatest advantage; but then it should be recognized that these energies are understandably the most difficult to focus and direct.

Your Inner Dream number is: 9

An Inner Dream number of 9 means:
You dream of being creative, intellectual, and universal; the selfless humanitarian. You understand the needy and want to help them. You would love to be a person people count on for support and advice.

**************************

Next post for Jun, Ohno and Nino's names :)