The Silent Prince (Part 7)

[krystalkatzfics]

Title: The Silent Prince
Author: KrystalKatz
Genre: AU, Action, Romance
Rating: R.
Length: Chaptered.
Pairings: Ohno Satoshi/Ninomiya Kazunari,
Guests: Matsumoto Jun, Yamashita Tomohisa. Ikuta Toma
Disclaimer: I only own the plot
 
 
Ohno carefully reached over and grabbed the book, trying not to wake Nino, different versions of the same question had been crossed out a few times, he must have been nervous, judging from the hesitant messy handwriting. He knew all of Nino’s styles of writing and this was the type he loved most. He hadn’t lied when said he heard Nino’s voice in his head and when he saw this type of writing he could almost hear the nervous tremble in his voice. He wondered when Nino had done it; it must have been after he’d fallen to sleep. He looked at Nino’s face, wondering if the prince knew what he was asking, he wanted to say ‘yes’ but he couldn’t, they couldn’t last forever it was impossible, there was also Kana, he couldn’t leave her alone, after she had taken him in his parents had disowned her too, he was all she had left he couldn’t just leave her “I want to come with you, I really want to... But I can’t...” He whispered kissing Nino’s cheek lightly, Nino shifted but his eyes stayed closed he just snuggled closer to him. “I really do love you my little Nino” Ohno mumbled and then settled back down hugging him tightly as he tried to fall back to sleep, even if they convinced Kana to go with him to the castle, there were too many problems the biggest one being Nino’s father. From everything he had heard about him he didn’t sound a reasonable man. He had driven he own wife to kill herself or worse, there was no way he would allow him to live with Nino, his brain was kept spinning for what seemed ages as he thought of all the reasons he had to refuse. He loved Nino, he was sure of it just like he was sure the sun would raise in the morning, and he wanted to be with him forever, but he couldn’t, it was impossible. Nino moved on his arm and he was aware that he could feel his heart beating, he breathed in the smell of his hair letting its gentle warmth wash over him and send him into a peaceful sleep again.
Nino let out a sigh as he opened his eyes, pale sunlight was coming in from the small window, he sat up and as he did so Ohno rolled over turning his back to him and Nino saw the scars on his back for the first time. They ran out like silky spider web over his skin, Nino noticed some of the symbols from the temple that must have been burnt into him. Nino kissed them lightly, no wonder he had been so afraid when he realised Yamashita had overheard their confession. He knew what they were feeling for each other wasn’t accepted and so far they had been lucky that no-one had turned them in, if they were caught, as the prince, there was a chance that he would be spared from most the temple had the power to do but Ohno would be subjected to the worst of it. Nino refused to let that happen, but he knew he couldn’t give him up now. Even after so few months he needed Ohno in his life just like he needed to breathe. He couldn’t explain it not even to himself, but he knew he had come here to meet Ohno, it was like all of this was meant to happen, Yori was right, he had become stronger he could feel it in his chest. Nino knew that there was only one reason for it, Ohno. The farmer had accepted his useless self and turned him into something better, stronger. He was afraid though that when he left, the change would just be an illusion, which would vanish like one of the cards in his tricks. But even when he wrote his question after Ohno had fallen asleep, he had the feeling that the farmer would refuse to go with him. He let out a sigh tracing the scars with his finger waking Ohno at the ticklish sensation on his back, “Ni-No?” He yawned turning back to face him, Nino gave a smile and kissed his nose lightly “Are you okay? Do you hurt?”
Nino picked up his notepad flipping the page from the question and started writing
>A little but I’ll be alright< He said with another smile,
“I’m sorry; I tried to be careful...” Ohno said rubbing his backside lightly; Nino gave a giggle throwing the book down, his cheeks flushing brightly. Ohno chuckled against his ear “I love you, Nino”
>Me too< Nino wrote on his skin, >I love you, Satoshi...< Ohno gave a happy grin and then kissed him deeply,
“Come on prince... We had better get ready” Ohno murmured as they broke apart “The others will be here soon”
>If they can get through the snow< Nino wrote as he sat up, wincing slightly and then quickly writing >I’m fine< when Ohno looked like he was about to apologise again >Sleeping on the floor wasn’t a good idea<
“You didn’t want to go bed” Ohno pointed out as he put a bowl of water down next him Nino glared and then started blushing as the farmer gently started washing his body. Ohno smiled at his reaction, “You really are beautiful, Nino” He murmured “I’m sorry about the marks...” The prince frowned and then looked down at his chest his eyes widening when he saw a few red marks doted here and there. Nino’s cheeks went redder and Ohno let out one of his amazing chuckles kissing him lightly before finishing washing him before they got dressed. They were sat eating when Ohno decided to bring up the question he’d been asked
“Nino... About what you wrote in your notebook...” Ohno told him, Nino looked at him waiting for him to carry on “I can’t go with you to the castle... I can’t leave my grandma alone here...”
>It’s okay, I knew you would refuse< Nino wrote quickly with a sad smile >I just wanted to ask<
“Nino...” Ohno murmured as Nino got up and started stacking the pots “Nino...” Hr repeated catching his hand to stop him, Nino underlined the ‘It’s okay’ part a few times and then kissed him, wrapping his arms around him tightly and sitting on his lap and nestling his head on his shoulder “I’m glad you asked...” the prince kissed his neck, Ohno wanted to stay like that all day, but there was work to be done the animals needed to be checked and fed but before any of that they’d have to clear a path through the snow. After the storm they’d be lucky to be able to open the door let alone get to the barn. Nino seemed to realise it as well and reluctantly got up. They managed to open the door and snow spilled out onto the tiled floor. There didn’t seem to be any signs of another storm approaching, but the lane was thick with crunchy white snow, Nino would have thought have thought it was beautiful except he knew that they would have to clear it. The pair worked in the snow for awhile digging a path to the barn and after checking the animals and giving them food they went back to the house for a hot drink to warm them up. Ohno let out a laugh when he saw how red Nino’s nose was and gave it a light kiss trying to warm it up, while Nino gave a bright grin.
“I see we weren’t missed” Toma said his eyes flashing teasingly as they pulled apart both their faces bright red. “The roads were too bad so only uncle and I came back, Kana stayed at the cottage...”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s fine; she spent most of the talking about how different the cottage was from when she worked there with the prince’s mother” Yori answered “Where you okay?” Nino grabbed the notebook from the table
>I’m fine< He grinned >I’m glad Toma, made it<
“In all honesty, I met them on the way to the cottage” Toma admitted “I guess Uncle Yori still remembers being a farmer and knows how to tell the weather properly”
“Being here for the past couple of months have reminded me” Yori grinned, knowing that they were both trying to avoid the obvious sweet atmosphere in the kitchen between his charge and the farmer. “So we have to clean off as much of the snow as possible...”
“We started, we managed to get to the barn, but alone it’s impossible” Ohno sighed “I don’t think it will be good to bring grandma back here...” Nino was already writing before the words left mouth
>She can stay at the cottage until we can clear the snow...<
“Thank you” Ohno smiled.
It took two days for enough of them to clear enough snow for it to be safe to bring Kana back, Matsu hadn’t been able to make it from the manor either but he came bright and early on the third day. A huge grin on his face Nino was happy to see him, he had grown to like the noble, and a teasing relationship had formed between them. Matsu had spent the last two days doing little than thinking about the prince; he had even had dreams where Nino had been looking at him the same way he looked at Ohno. In his dreams though Nino had been able to speak and Matsu had become interested in why he couldn’t make a sound. He had never heard of anyone having the same condition,
 “So he’s never been able to speak? Even as a baby?” Matsu asked Yori as they were shovelling snow in the yard.
“No, even as a baby there was never any sound... There would be tears, but there were never any cries. The queen became so worried that she would miss him needing to be fed or changed that she hired four nannies’ that worked morning and night...” Yori answered, looking at the prince that was down the lane with Toma and Ohno. “The healers were just as baffled, he can hear perfectly he just can’t speak, he tries too but nothing has ever come out”
“He must have been very lonely” The noble murmured, his lips curving into a smile as he watched Nino giving his silent laugh
“He was very unhappy until he came here and met Ohno”
“Ohno’s a pretty amazing guy”
“Nino thinks so” Yori said carefully he knew it was a delicate subject and there was something odd about Matsu’s tone of voice, he wanted Matsu to be on Nino’s side. The house of Matsumoto really did have a lot of sway in Etherin. Matsu nodded wishing he could hide his feelings better when he realised that Yori was looking at him strangely. His cheeks blushed faintly and he quickly went back to work, it didn’t take long for his smile to return though, more so when he was alone in the kitchen with Nino >Why so happy?< Nino asked with raised eyebrow, surprised at the look on the noble’s face he’d been grinning since he’d arrived and even washing the pots had dampened his spirits.
“I’m just happy to be back here... Two days with my father as company is bad enough” Matsu said and then blushed “Is something wrong?” Matsu asked when he caught Nino grinning, Nino shook his head writing quickly
>I was wondering why you never came to the castle. I saw your father there sometimes...<
“I was always away in different schools; I’m not everything my father wanted in a son” Matsu sighed
>I know how that feels< Nino wrote pulling a face, Matsu nodded, remembering what Yori had told him >When you have to write down everything you should be saying, you’re not your father’s idea of a prince...<
“I can speak and I’m a disappointment” Matsu sighed and the scratched his head as he looked around the farm “How did you find out about this place?”
>I got lost in the forest and Satoshi found me and brought me here... He’s was really nice he’s been the first friend I’ve had in a long time<
“He seems like a sweet guy” Matsu smiled, ignoring the feelings he felt when he’d read ‘Satoshi’, Nino gave a small smile
>He is...He reminds me of a friend I had once, a long time ago... He was the son of the castle cook Aiba Masaki. My father didn’t like me playing with him so they were sent away...< Nino wrote giving a sad smile >I think that’s why I like working here with Satoshi is because it’s so peaceful<
“Me too” the noble said with a bright smile “Plus I got to get to know you... A-and the others...”
Nino gave a laugh >I’m glad I got to know you to, Jun< he wrote >we should finish here and get back to work, or won’t finish before nightfall<  Matsu gave a nod, glad that over the last week he had gotten more used to the work, which he thought was a lot more taxing than some of his training. He was happy that he had come here; in a small way he had become closer to the prince. It was the first time he had feelings towards another guy, when he was at the academy there had been a lot of guys but he was sure he had never felt like it with them, he let out a sigh and decided ignore what he was he was feeling hoping that it would pass.
Toma was clearing out the barn when he saw Yamapi coming into the farm, looking around quickly
“Yamapi...” He called dropping the fork and chasing after him, almost slipping on the snow
“Excuse me I’m here to see Kana” The healer said trying his best to ignore him, Toma gave a sigh
“For as long as I’m in the area we will see each other Yamapi...”
“Yamashita Tomohisa” he said stiffly refusing to admit that he had missed being called Yamapi,
“Fine, Lord Yamashita, you have to believe me I didn’t know they had told you that” Toma said rolling his eyes and using his full title “But it had nothing to do with me, so why are you being so cold?”
“I saw the house...” Yamapi whispered and Toma saw the fear and sadness in his eyes, “When I heard about the fire I went straight there, it was still smoking, your parents told me in front of that smoking house that you were inside...”
“I was already in the academy when the fire happened, they sent me away...” he told him gently touching his shoulder, Yamapi let it rest there for a moment staring into his eyes before shaking him off again with a scoff
“So the whole time you were at the academy you couldn’t send one letter telling me you were alive?”
“I did, but I never got a reply, my lord” Toma told him truthfully, grabbing hold of his arm “Please, you have to believe me...”
“If I received a letter I would have known, Toma...” Yamapi said
“Well apparently you didn’t receive it then, because I did send one” He said feeling the knights resistance crumbling slightly “When I didn’t get a reply I thought that you didn’t want to hear from me any more so I just left it, after what happened I couldn’t blame you... I didn’t expect to come here and see you... Let alone as a temple healer, you know how they treat people like us...”
“Like you... I’m not like that...” Yamapi denied quickly
“No? So how come you haven’t told on the farmer? From what I’ve heard in the village he was already found out once before and just looking at him and the prince anyone would be able to tell they’re more than just friends...”
“Whatever their relationship is has nothing to do with me... Temple healer or not” Yamapi told him coldly before giving a nod of the head “Now if you’ll excuse me...”
Toma let him go his face crumbling slightly as he looked at his back, cursing the gods and the temples, darkly before going back to work and smiling as he saw Ohno and Nino, messing around in the snow, he wondered if they thought everybody else was blind, the first day he had been here he knew they were in love. He almost hoped that when Nino was king he would be able to change the temple laws but in reality, even a king would have difficulty in doing that it could even start a war which the already fragile kingdom couldn’t cope with. He ran a hand through his hair giving another sigh he picked up the fork going back into the barn. Yamapi was watching from the farmhouse, the truth was he didn’t need to come back to the farm; he just hadn’t been able to stay away, seeing him alive had been like seeing a ghost, he hadn’t known how to react and it seemed he still didn’t. He was confused if, Toma had sent a letter and it seemed like the knight was telling the truth why hadn’t he received it? It made no sense, his parents hadn’t known about Toma so there was no one that would have stopped a message getting to him. If he had received the Toma’s message would he have gone to the temple that day to take his vows?  He gave a small groan and went into the house, telling a quick lie to the surprised Kana about why he was there. The old lady seemed convinced but when he came back out Yori was resting against the wall
“You’re lying, why don’t you just admit you came to see Toma” He said with a smile
“I’m a member of the temple...” He said quickly “I was just making sure Kana were okay...” Yori gave a chuckle and decided to play along,
“And how is she?”
“She’s doing a lot better, thank-you” Yamapi answered and then decide to change the subject to what had been said in the temple “Have you told the prince yet?”
“Not yet” Yori said knowing what he was referring to. The healer ran his fingers through his hair before saying softly
“Don’t you think he has the right to know his father has been poisoned?”
 
A/N Yay for Arashi and 12 beautiful years! Anyway hope you enjoy!  ^.^