Love Confusion Chapter 6

[lilly0]

Title: Love Confusion Chapter 6
Pairing: Aimiya, Juntoshi, Sho/Masami
Rating: PG-13 (for now?)
Genre: romance, AU (college/work/coffeeshop), love-hexagon you could say^^
Plot: Nino, Masaki’s best friend and co-student, has a crush on Masaki’s older brother Satoshi since forever. Satoshi however, a young barista, loves Masaki’s university lecturer Matsumoto, who is a regular in his coffeeshop. But Jun has a friends with benefits thing with his former senpai Sho. Sho however, a young lawyer, has never believed in love, until he falls in love with Masami, a young pet shop owner. Masami however laid her eyes on the cute guy Masaki, who helps in her shop sometimes. And Masaki? He can’t see Nino the same anymore ever since that night two years ago…
Note: Happy birthday to my dear yukitsubute !!!!!!!!!! I hope you will like this story! (I tried to go for a different main pair this time - I have never written Aimiya for you after all!

 

Masaki cooks soup all the while complaining and throwing twenty panic attacks about using Sho’s fancy kitchen.

 

“Don’t worry,” Kazu mumbles from the sofa. The painkillers and meds from the hospital are slowly kicking in and his sore throat and everything else is getting better. Instead he feels drowsy though. “Sho never uses the kitchen anyways. You can’t do anything wrong. Even if you burn it down, it doesn’t matter.”

 

Masaki peeks into the room. “He never cooks?”

 

“Never. It’s a disaster if he does, believe me.”

 

“So when I ask you where he has his spices…”

 

“Have fun searching for your Easter eggs,” Nino mumbles tiredly.

 

Masaki giggles. “You,” he grins. “Even when you are sick, you manage to make me laugh.”

 

Nino’s heart warms at this comment, soon followed by his body as Masaki spreads a blanket over him.

 

“Just try to sleep a bit, Kazu. I’ll cook you soup and make you tea meanwhile.”

 

Nino nods obediently, relieved that Sho left them alone. The doctor in hospital set his nerves at ease again, telling him it’s just a heavy cold with fever, and he doesn’t need to worry. Once Sho was sure that he was safe and sound at home, Nino and Masaki managed to make him go back to his party and Masami.

 

Meanwhile Masaki also managed to reach his brother. Satoshi wrote him a message, telling him that he still has something to do, and Masaki shouldn’t worry.

 

Feeling surprisingly calm and content with everything despite being sick Nino drifts to sleep only to be woken up by Masaki one hour later. Masaki shakes his shoulder softly. “Sorry for waking you up,” he smiles, helping Nino to sit up. “But you need to eat something. I made you chicken soup. Hopefully successful.”

 

Nino looks at the bowl of soup in awe. “You made that?” he says. He feels a bit drowsy, the fever having sucked out quite some of his strength.

 

“Yes, looks bad?”

 

“Not at all, looks great.” Nino takes a tentative sip. Tentative because it’s hot, not because he fears Masaki’s cooking abilities. “And it tastes great. Thank you.”

 

“Do you rather want me to, you know, go to the guest room now or stay with you?”

 

“Stay with me,” Nino says promptly, the tip of his ears feeling warm by his blunt comment. Gladly he is sick, so blushing is not particularly suspicious.

 

“Then I’ll stay,” Masaki says, and to Nino’s relief he sounds happy too.

 

While Nino snuggles against Sho’s sofa again, Masaki gets up, brushes through Nino’s hair and then sits down at the sofa chair. Nino blinks at that gesture. “This almost felt like the summer two years ago,” he mumbles more to himself than to Masaki.

 

Masaki’s eyes widen. “What do you mean?” he stutters.

 

“You know, I never told anyone, not even you…” Nino rubs over his forehead. “It’s pretty embarrassing…”

 

“What is embarrassing?”Masaki urges softly.

 

“When we had our birthday party, you know, the infamous 21^st birthday escalation?”

 

“How could I ever forget,” Masaki snickers.

 

“I kind of got drunk.”

 

“Like all of us,” Masaki adds.

 

“And then I kiss-attacked Satoshi,” Nino admits. Finally. Wow, it feels so good to finally get it off his chest. Masaki blinks in confusion, of course he does. “I can’t remember properly. But I remember the scent of his pastries. And I kissed him, like wow, and if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, I felt sick immediately afterwards, and threw up plenty of times.” Nino pauses. “I know it happened,” he says with emphasis. “I know it. Yet Satoshi told me recently that it wasn’t him, that he wasn’t even at the party.”

 

“Yeah,” Masaki adds quietly. “He had gastritis.”

 

“He told me that too,” Nino turns on his back, eyeing the ceiling miserably. “Which means I made out and vomited on a complete stranger. It’s not like it isn’t already embarrassing enough, now I also realise that I’m completely pathetic for basically harassing a stranger.”

 

“You are not pathetic,” Masaki says soothingly. “Everyone at the party was drunk.”

 

“I know,” Nino turns to the side to eye Masaki. “The weird thing is… this incident was really important for me. Like really important. And now I realize I don’t even remember it correctly.”

 

“Is this… you know, what happened, the reason…” Masaki pauses.

 

“The reason for what?”

 

“For you liking Sa-chan?”

 

Nino looks at Masaki in surprise. So he realized his crush on Satoshi. Of course he did… Nino swallows. “I had a crush on him since forever I think. Since I know him. But you know what’s weird?”

 

“What?” Masaki asks curiously.

 

“Recently I realized that I’m not bothered by him probably liking someone else or, you know, finding someone else.” Nino coughs, taking a sip from his tea. “That’s not normal if you have a crush on someone. It’s all so confusing. I don’t even know what I’m feeling anymore.” Nino turns his head. Since they are already at it, he can as well ask. “Do you like Matsumoto-sensei?”

 

Masaki’s eyes widen. “WHAT?” he squeals. “WHAT? WHO? WHY?” He waves with his hands violently, making Nino blink and then grin. “How did you get that idea!? Do I look like I like him? Oh my god, do others think that to!?”

 

Nino giggles. “So I assume it’s a no?”

 

Masaki nods violently. “Of course that’s a no! Oh my god. Yes, he is good-looking and nice and all, but no”

 

To his surprise Nino feels a bit relieved. Masaki’s distressed expression makes him laugh, and after a few seconds Masaki joins his laughter. Until Nino starts coughing again. Masaki rubs his back soothingly and hands him his cup with tea.

 

“We are pretty much idiots in the feeling department,” Nino states after a while.

 

Masaki nods. But to Nino’s surprise he almost looks a bit happy.

 

 

~~~

 

 

Jun wakes up to the scent of coffee. He is lying on the floor, but a pillow is under his head, and a warm blanket beneath him and another one covering his body. His eyes meet the wall he splattered colour on last night.

 

Jun sighs, rubbing over his eyes. They feel dry and swollen. How embarrassing. He has cried on Satoshi half of the night, that’s a new stage of pathetic.

 

Before he can think further Satoshi opens the door, smiling at him. “Here,” he says, handing Jun a cup with mocha coffee. “Coffee and chocolate,” he says with a warm smile.

 

“I’m so sorry,” Jun mumbles, looking at the beverage miserably. “So sorry. First I was so unfriendly towards you, then I dragged you from the party and then even cried on you.”

 

Satoshi blinks. “First of all, you weren’t unfriendly but simply bothered by the whole situation. You didn’t drag me from the party, I did! And I don’t like parties anyway, I just joined because you asked me to and I didn’t want to let you down. And everyone has breakdowns sometimes.” He smiles sitting down next to Jun. “How long did you bottle this up inside you?”

 

“Too long,” Jun admits quietly.

 

“You know,” Satoshi says after a while. “There are things you need to let out occasionally.”

 

Jun rubs over his eyes. “I had no one to talk,” he states after a while. “Normally I would talk to Masami, we share everything, but…”

 

“Yeah, I can see how this would be difficult in this case,” Satoshi agrees. “But you need a to let these things out sometimes, Jun-san, you need someone or something who helps you to let your sad feelings out.”

 

“Like your paintings?”

 

Satoshi nods with a smile.

 

Jun snuggles into the blanket which is still draped over his shoulders. He feels warm. The sweet chocolatey coffee made him feel warm, Satoshi’s calmness next to him does the same. “Do you have someone to talk to?”

 

“Not really,” Satoshi admits with a chuckle. “See, that’s how horrible I am. I’m giving you advice, yet I don’t even talk about things myself.”

 

“We could talk to each other?” Jun offers, only realizing what he suggested when he said it. How embarrassing! For Satoshi he is probably just a weird stranger who had an embarrassing breakdown. He is probably glad when he finally leaves.

 

To his surprise Satoshi smiles though, and chuckles. “You are really something,” he says with a bright smile. “But I would be happy to be your friend.”

 

 

 

 

~~~

 

 

Sho knows he is making a bit thing out of nothing, but he needs to tell Masami. He wants her to know everything. His whole past and all. He doesn’t want to hide it or anything. He knows that Jun probably wouldn’t mind, but still, he wants her to know.

 

They meet for lunch in a cosy little restaurant with traditional Japanese soba dishes. “Masami-san, I want to be honest to you.”

 

Masami looks at him with a frown. “Now you are going to tell me that I’m not your type, right?” She sighs deeply. “It’s always like that. Always. I mean, I don’t seem to be attractive or charming enough for-“

 

“That’s not it,” Sho interrupts her before she can talk herself into a panic attack. “I want to date you. Officially.” Masami looks at him through her huge eyes. And for a moment she reminds him of Jun. Which, again, reminds him of… “Which is why I want to be honest to you.”

 

“You are not sick, are you?” Her eyes widen. “Don’t tell me you are going to die!” She has tears in her eyes all of a sudden. “Oh my god. I won’t leave you for that, I promise.”

 

Where does she get these ideas from? Sho has to fight hard not to laugh. “No,” he says.

 

“Then you are a criminal,” she mumbles. “I mean, you are a lawyer, so I knew you would be up to shady stuff too. But now you are a secret assassin and-“

 

“I’ve had affairs with other persons before I met you,” Sho interrupts her one and for all. If this continues he will be so amused about her ideas that he will never tell her. “I’ve dated and had casual flings with others.”

 

She blinks. “That’s all?”

 

Sho takes a deep breath. “I’ve not dated anyone seriously up to now.”

 

“I know,” she tells him to his surprise. “Which is why I wasn’t sure if I should go out with you, but then everyone –including your cousin – told me that you are sincere and never lie to someone. I’ve heard about you having affairs from a friend.”

 

“From Jun?” Sho asks curiously.

 

She blinks. “Jun? Why?”

 

Sho stares at her. “He didn't tell you?”

 

“Tell me what?”

 

“You know we know each other from school, right?” Sho starts carefully, surprised that Jun apparently didn’t tell her. “Jun is one year younger than I am. We hung out with each other. I found him cute back then. But at that time I was dating someone – the only person I ever seriously dated… well,” he blushes. “Apart from you.”

 

She smiles happily. “What happened?”

 

“That person used me and threw me away then. He told me he only dated me for my money, and once he had everything he needed – namely some of my financial support and a network – he dropped me.”

 

“How horrible!” she exclaims.

 

“I was in college then. And then I suddenly met Jun again. We became friends, and eventually, we sometimes…” he blushes. “You know… we were friends with benefits.”

 

“You and Jun had an affair?” she blinks.

 

Sho nods. “We agreed that we would only keep this until someone we like comes along. I promise you from the moment on that I met you, I haven’t met any other person!”

 

Masami stares at him for a while, eyes wide. “Oh my god,” she breaths out. “What have I done!?”

 

She surprises him again. He thought she would be mad at him for having a relationship before, but… “What do you mean?” he asks. “Masami-san?”

 

“Damn it, that’s why.” Masami stuffs a huge amount of soba noodles into her mouth, eyes wide in panic.

 

“That’s why what?” Sho wants to know.

 

“Sho-san, I know you are a guy, and hence slow, but-“ she tugs at her ponytail. “Jun does not do random affairs.”

 

“But I’m not lying to you,” Sho says, confused. Why would he make up something like that? “I know this is all totally fucked up because you are siblings, I didn’t even know you are when we met. And Jun once told me he talks to his sister aobut everything, even sex and relationships, which is why…”

 

“Sho-san.” She takes his hand, looking deep into his eyes. “My brother does not have casual flings. Ever.”

 

Sho stares at her, trying to understand what she wants to tell him. So… Jun doesn’t have casual affairs, but he did with him. He… Sho’s mouth basically drops open. He stands up, brushing through his hair, while pacing in front of the table in panic. “This is impossible!”

 

Masami grabs his arm to pull him down on his seat again.

 

“You mean to say, that he likes me?”

 

“Anything else would surprise me a lot,” she admits quietly.

 

Sho’s chest feels tight all of a sudden. Jun is probably his oldest friend. “He never said anything,” he mumbles. “Never even once. He sometimes even said he would be dating others too…”

 

“I know.”

 

“I never wanted to hurt him. Oh my god.” He rubs over his forehead. “What does this mean now?”

 

“This is so weird,” Masami mumbles. “Not only am I dating the guy who had an affair with my brother. But my brother apparently also likes him.”

 

“It’s going to sound selfish now,” Sho says after a while. “I never meant to hurt your brother. But at the same time I can’t give you up anymore.”

 

Masami rubs over her head. “I know. But Sho-san,” she looks up at him through her deep eyes. “Jun needs to approve of this. I cannot date you or get serious with you without his approval. I just… can’t.”

 

“I know,” Sho says quietly. He can’t either. “I need to talk to him.”

 

 

A/N: I tried to write the whole Masami-Sho-Jun thing as drama-less as possible. It didn't turn out as convincing I was hoping for, but this was the best I was able to come up with ^^