vikyfaxerfeit

Title: PLOTTING WITH THE DEVIL 14
Author: vikyfaxerfeit
Beta: andreja1989
Genre: angst, romance
Pairing: Sakuraiba, Ohmiya
Disclaimer: If I owned Arashi, Ohmiya would already be married! >.<

Previous chapters: chap#01 || chap#02 || chap#03 || chap#04 || chap#05 || chap#06 | | chap#07 | | chap#08 | | chap#09 | | chap#10 | | chap#11 | | chap#12 | | chap#13 ||

A/N: I want to let you know that this fanfiction will be on hold until the end of June because my b-reader has to focus on studying because of her exams.

^O^ Minna-san, wish her luck because she's doing a great job correcting my horrible mistakes! xD
GANBATTE andreja1989 !!!

That morning while Masaki was still sleeping, Sakurai received a phone call. When he looked at the name on the display, his face stiffened. He answered reluctantly.
"Ohayo! How are you?" A voice of an old man cheerfully asked.
"What...?!!" The lawyer raised his voice but immediately turned to Aiba, worried to wake him up. When he was sure that his lover was still sleeping, he got up and ran to talk in the kitchen.
"Don't be so stubborn, Sho." The old man continued. "I didn't call to quarrel with you but just to make an offer."
"Why? Because you are sorry for the mess you did last night in my apartment?"
"That was a play. A realistic one, don't you think?"
Sho's back shivered of fear and anger. "You killed a man! What do you expect from me?" The lawyer accused him almost screaming.
"I want you to be the next kumicho (=clan's head)." Sho was about to answer but his father cut him off and continued with a threatening tone. "If you don't accept, I'll make sure your whore will bid you farewell."
Sho's eyes widened, he didn't want Masaki to be involved with his family. "You can't." He said panicky.
"You know I can."
"I won't make it happen!" He anxiously cried out while the fear to lose Masaki made his heart ache.
"You have only one choice then." The old man hung up without waiting for Sho's answer. The lawyer looked blankly at the wall in front of him. How could he have been so stupid? He should have checked more into Matsuoka's background. He made a mistake and now there was no solution out from it.
He came back in the bed and looked longingly at Aiba who was still sleeping. He noticed there was a painful expression painted on his face. Maybe he was having a nightmare. Sho began to caress Masaki's hair, hoping it would calm him down but nothing could. The night before was too harsh for him and he was still shocked. Aiba started to tremble and sweat and the one thing Sho could do was to hug him tight, waiting for him to wake up. Actually he also feared that moment because Sho would have to answer all of Masaki's questions and it was sure it wouldn't be simple.

Some hours later they were both awake, sitting in the kitchen ready to have lunch. "Masaki, eat something." Sakurai said worried, looking at Aiba's empty plate.
"It's okay, I'm not hungry." The latter replied with a fake smile and suddenly a painful feeling grew in Sho's heart.
"Don't lie to me." He said with a sad look.
"I'm not lying. I really don't feel like eating now."
"I'm talking about that." Sakurai pointed at Masaki's lips still curved in a smile. "Be true, you're not okay."
The host looked down at his still empty plate, his effort to hide his pain was vain. His eyes became teary but he didn't want to worry Sho so he tried his best to hold back and smile again. "I say I'm okay. Believe me."
"HOW?!" Sho blurted out, raising his voice. "You're not eating, you didn't sleep at all because of your nightmares and don't give me that shit that you're okay just because you're smiling! Damn! You're almost crying!"
Aiba sniffed with his nose, still fixing the plate that now was unseen because of the tears that blurred his view. "Gomen..." He mumbled.
Sho went around the table, bent down and, taking one of Aiba's hands in his, said caringly:
"Masaki... don't pretend in front of me. Be yourself." Aiba looked at his lover with puppy eyes and jumped into Sho's hug, crying out all of his tears while the lawyer started to caress his hair and continued to talk with a sweet tone. "I just want to help you, Masaki. If you feel sad, you can cry on my shoulder. If you're angry, you can shout against me. If you're happy, I want to laugh with you. That's my only desire."
"Thank you, Sho-kun." Aiba murmured between the sobs, tightening the hug.
They stayed like that for a while until Aiba calmed down. None of them wanted to eat anymore, instead they decided to watch some television together on the couch to blow away the bad feelings and thoughts. "Ne~ Sho-kun... May I ask where you were yesterday night?" Masaki asked all of a sudden.
Sho stiffened. The feared time finally arrived. "You can." He replied still watching the television but then, he thought, it wasn't the time to hold back. He turned the screen off and, looking worried into Aiba's eyes, he continued, "Actually I've to explain something important to you. I just have a request so will you listen to me until the end, okay?" Masaki nodded a bit confused, wondering why Sho had that anxious expression on his face. "Actually ..." He couldn't keep on talking because his phone started ringing. The incoming call was from Toma so he tried to ignore it because he thought Toma only wanted to know if they were alright but Aiba invited him to answer first. Sho picked up the call and upon hearing what was going on, a shocked expression was shown on his face, worrying Aiba. Sakurai immediately ended the call and rushed to change his clothes. He wore the first one he took from the bag that he brought the night before from his apartment, a confused and scared Masaki following him.
"What happened?" He almost screamed unable to hide his panic.
"Toma is in danger." Sakurai said without even looking at his boyfriend who turned pale.
"It's about yesterday, isn't it? I'll come with you!"
The lawyer noticed Aiba's tense tone and put his hands on his lover's shoulders, facing him with one of the most serious expressions Aiba ever saw. "It's okay Masaki. I won't allow any more deaths. But I need you to stay here so that I'll be sure you are safe."
The host agreed but added as serious as his lover:
"Promise me, you will come back." Sakurai smiled and stroked Aiba's hair, he promised before running out of the apartment and leaving behind a more confused and anxious Masaki.

An hour already passed by and there was no sign of Sho. Aiba was really worried and tried to call him a few times but Sakurai never answered. Suddenly the bell rang and Masaki rushed to open the door without thinking twice, hoping deep in his heart that it was his boyfriend. "O-isashiburi, Aiba-san." A tall man that Masaki knew well, greeted him. He was with other two men dressed with fancy clothes and dark sunglasses.
"What are you doing here? The month has not ended yet." Masaki looked at the men with anger and fear because he knew they were able to kill him. They were yakuzas after all and he had debts with them.
"Cool down, Aiba-san. I don't need your money anymore." The man in front smirked. "I'm here to work." He added doing a sign with his right hand. The other two immediately moved towards Aiba that wasn't able to close the door in time and was pushed into his apartment while the first man came in without being invited and closed the door behind his back.
"I have the money, I'll pay you in a week! No, three days, just give me three days!" Aiba begged still blocked by the two fancy men.
"I've already said that I don't need your money anymore." The tall man grabbed Masaki's hair and looked at him straight in his eyes. "I bet you are scared as hell." He laughed, making fun of the trapped man before striking a punch right in his stomach. Aiba could stand up just because of the two men that were supporting him, closed his eyes from the pain and coughed. Some seconds later a knock on the door was heard. The three dangerous men stayed silent, waiting for the unexpected guest to go away.
"Masaki-chan? Are you okay? I heard some screams." The voice of the granny who lived in front of his apartment came from the other side of the door.
"Dare to say anything strange and I swear I'll kill you." The tall man whispered threatening, giving the other two men the sign to leave him. Aiba tried to stand up reaching for the entrance and deeply breathed upon slightly opening the door and saying peacefully:
"It's okay, Baa-chan. We were just joking. I'm sorry if I worried you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." He smiled reassuringly. "I'll come tomorrow morning to chat a little with you, is it okay?"
"I'd be glad." The granny smiled back happily. "Then see you tomorrow."
When Aiba closed the door, he felt a strong grip on his neck. "Good job." The tall man said contently. "And now do as I told." He added to the other men who grabbed Aiba's arms again and pushed him in the bathroom. They undressed him while Aiba tried to stop them, fighting and screaming but it didn't help. They tied his hands behind his back, then his feet and covered his mouth with a towel before pushing him in the shower. Masaki tried to get up and scream but in vain. Nobody would be able to hear him with his mouth closed. They laughed opening the cold water and after closing the shower's door, they left. The host tried to get up but he fell again on the floor. Reaching for the water's knob was impossible because of his tied feet and he couldn't either reach for the shower's door. He was trapped there with cold water pouring on his already trembling body. Everything was useless, he himself felt useless. He just stayed like that, sitting in a corner of the shower, leaning his head on the wall and hoping that Sho was safe and that he would come home soon.

Two hours later Sakurai was back to Nino's house and rang the bell, waiting for Masaki to open the door but it didn't happen. He tried again without hearing any reply from the apartment. Alarmed, he knocked on the door calling Aiba's name but instead of the door in front of him, he heard the one behind to open. "Ah konbawa." The lawyer greeted politely to the granny. "Do you know if Masaki went out?"
"He didn't. Some hours ago three men visited him but they already left."
"Three men?" Sakurai asked perplexed.
"Yes, I heard Masaki-chan screaming but when I went to ask, he said he was okay."
"And he didn't leave, right?" He asked worriedly, sure that the granny knew it.
"Yes, I'm sure he's home."
"Masaki!" Sho screamed again, knocking powerful on the door.
From the bathroom, Masaki heard the noise and tried to say something but he was already too tired and just a little whisper left his mouth. "Sho-kun... I'm here." He thought, his tears falling on his cheeks and disappearing into the pouring water.
"I will call Kawashima-san. He's the landlord and has the spare key of every apartment in this building." The granny said and went to the first floor while a more and more desperate Sakurai kept on knocking on the door. Some minutes later the granny was back with a little middle-aged man wearing a jumpsuit and big glasses.
"Calm down." He said to Sho. "You will knock the door down." The lawyer moved away while the man opened the door. Sakurai went into the apartment like a storm and called again his boyfriend's name. Then he heard the shower's noise from the bathroom and knocked, thinking Masaki was having a shower and didn't hear him because of the water. But again he didn't receive any reply, entered the bathroom and then the shower.
"Masaki!" He cried out upon seeing Masaki's condition. He immediately turned the water off and took a big towel to cover and dry his lover. He helped him up but Aiba was too tired and weak, he would fall again if Sho didn't take him in his arms. "Masaki, what happened?" He asked panicky, looking at Aiba's absent expression.
The latter didn't answer, he just smiled back at Sho and murmured a weak, "Thank you."
Sakurai hugged him tight, saying that it would better to go to the hospital but Masaki opposed and whispered that he just needs to rest. He asked to be accompanied to the bed and lied there closing his eyes. "Wait a bit, I will thank the granny and the landlord and will come back. You can't sleep like this. I will help you to dry at least your hair."
Aiba nodded with his eyes still closed and Sho went to the two helpers lying that Masaki was safe and that because he was taking a shower, he didn't hear the bell.
"Yokatta." The granny said smiling. "Then greet him for me and say that I will wait for him tomorrow."
"I will." Sakurai smiled back, thanking the granny and the landlord again who went away mumbling something about being young and carefree. He then immediately went to the bathroom and took the hair drier before coming back to his lover's side and waking him up gently. "You need to wear something warm, Masaki. I don't want you to catch a cold."
He took some clothes from the wardrobe and when Aiba was wearing them, he turned the drier on and started to dry Aiba's hair.
"It feels good." Masaki whispered with a hoarse voice, looking at him with his still red and tired eyes, a weak smile appeared on his trembling lips.
Sho sadly smiled back and when Aiba's hair was perfectly dried, he invited him to lie down and rest, covering his body with two warm blankets. "Is it okay?" He asked sweetly, caressing Masaki's cheeks. The latter nodded but when Sakurai tried to go away, he grabbed one of his hands and looked at him fearful. "What is wrong?" The lawyer asked surprised.
"Don't leave me alone again." Aiba's puppy eyes were too cute to handle and Sakurai blushed a little upon saying. He quickly explained that he just needs to wear something comfortable and then he would jump in the bed with him. He did as said, wore pajamas, went in the kitchen to drink a glass of water and to prepare a hot cup of tea for Masaki. When everything was ready he went to Masaki's bedroom and closing the door behind his back he saw a white paper fixed with some tape on the door that he didn't notice before.
"Did you like the surprise, son?"

TBC

Hope you liked this chapter and stick with me until the next one ;D
I don't know how many chapters I'm going to write, but we are slowly going to the end ...sadly çOç
I think there will still be 4 or 5 chapters until the end.

thanks for reading ^O^
see you soon!!!