Tightrope (Part 1)

[krystalkatzfics]

Title: Tightrope

Author: krystalkatz
Rating: G(for this part)
Length: chaptered
Genre: Au,

Pairings: Ohno Satoshi/Aiba Masaki,   Matsumoto Jun/Ninomiya Kazunari

Disclaimer: I only own the plot

Aiba Masaki looked around at the circle of caravans and trailers trying to tell himself that he didn’t regret his choice in coming here. The Amazing Arashi circus was painted on all the caravans and boxes. A few months ago he would never have dreamt he would have dropped out of school to run away to the circus not that it didn’t sound completely unlike something he would do.

He pulled out the letter he had received making sure that he had read it properly. It was the millionth time he’d read it so he could quote every word in his sleep if he wanted to, but he still couldn’t believe it. After making sure that this was the place he was meant to meet the owner he decided to sit on one of the crates to wait

“Shut the fuck up you pretentious princess! I hope you break your neck tonight” a voice snapped causing Aiba to jump around and he saw a short thin guy coming out of one of the trailers slamming the door as loudly as he could, his chest was bare and a grey shirt swinging in his hand, his black jeans unfastened Aiba noticed blushing slightly. He would have been cute if he wasn’t so angry, Aiba thought taking a deep breath of air

“Um… Excuse me…” He said stepping forwards as the other guy pulled on his shirt and ran his fingers through his hair trying to smooth out his bed head

“You the new guy?” the guy asked the anger quickly leaving his face,

“A-Aiba Masaki…” Aiba nodded nervously

“Ninomiya Kazunari… Just call me Nino…” The small guy smirked, his hand darting against head and Aiba closed his eyes afraid that he was about to be hit. When nothing happened he opened one eye and was surprised to find ‘Nino’ laughing his head off while holding up a paper flower. “You keep your eyes closed and you miss the best parts of life… I’m the resident magician of the Amazing Arashi circus… Come on I’ll show you around…”

“Um I’m meant to meet the manager…”

“It’s okay, we won’t go far but if you’re going to be the animal trainer shouldn’t you look at the animals…”

“Erm… Sure” Aiba nodded standing up and grabbing his bag,

“Just leave it there nobody will steal your stuff, you’re part of the family now…” Nino told him and Aiba chewed his lip looking a little nervous, there wasn’t anything of great value in the back pack, just as many clothes as he could stick in but ‘you know what they say about traveling folk’ he thought. Nino’s eyes narrowed sharply as if he was reading his mind and quickly Aiba dropped the bag back down. “Good boy… come on…” Nino said his smile returning as he grabbed Aiba’s arm and pulling him through the camp.

People were just waking up and coming out of their trailers, and Aiba realised they were all eyeing him suspiciously. Nino didn’t seem to care though and was pointing at people giving him a long list of names so quickly that Aiba knew he wasn’t going to be able to remember them, “They’re the Matsumoto’s, and they do knife throwing…”

“Do all your families have traditions?”

“Mostly, my dad was magician so was his dad and so on… My mum is a fortune teller… So from both sides I like to handle cards…”

“So can you read fortunes?” Aiba asked excitedly looking at him and the little guy laughed pulling a card out of nowhere and then making it vanish again

“A little bit but if you want your palm read go to my mum…” Nino shrugged “They’re the Yamoto’s they’re gymnasts…”

“There are so many people” Aiba mumbled suddenly feeling alone and scared

“Yep, you’ll get used to them all soon and they’ll get used to you…” Nino told him with a smile. Aiba was about to say something when a flash caught his eye and he turned to see someone spinning on a gymnastics bar. Aiba tried to follow his movements with his eyes but it was impossible, like trying to capture the ripples of light on water. “Ah, Ohno, he’s our resident psychopath!” Nino shouted angrily in the direction of the spinning man who had stopped spinning and was now doing twist work with his hands.

“Wh-what?”

“He’s the main trapeze artist for the Arashi circus and he’s fucking insane!” Nino snapped again angrily, the trapeze artist turned to look at them, from the distance they were Aiba wasn’t sure what expression the little man had but he felt less welcomed than ever. “Oh well… Hopefully one day he’ll fall and break his neck...” Nino muttered as if it was a wish that he had had in his heart for a very long time. “The animals are over this way, you’ll be in charge of all of them except Niji”

“Niji?”

“Niji” Nino said again louder this time and a fully grown male tiger came towards them causing Aiba to panic and scream

“Very danger!” at the top of his lungs while trying to climb up what seemed to be a lamppost. The tiger and the magician turned to stare at him with matching looks of bewilderment on their faces.

“Um… What was that?” Nino asked as the tiger flopped onto his back exposing his belly so Nino could stroke him. Aiba went red sliding down the lamppost and staring at what was very obviously almost toothless tiger. His fear was soon replaced by anger

“You removed his teeth? That’s cruel…” He snapped at Nino

“I didn’t remove them… None of the people here did… I found Niji on a black market stall… And he was nearly dead…” The magician growl stroking the tiger, “I nursed him back to health but bar giving him dentures there’s nothing we can do about his teeth… All our animals are looked after properly that’s why you’re here… Come on Niji… Let’s go see if the princess is up…”

Aiba felt guilty for saying that, it was obvious that despite his lack of teeth the tiger looked perfectly healthy and was if anything slightly overweight rather than under. That meant who ever looked after the tiger must have been doing an amazing job.

“Wait I’m sorry… I just… Don’t like animals being hurt…”

“It’s okay” Nino said stroking the tigers head. “Neither do we… Anyway I’m sure Sakurai will be waiting for you now so we should head back…You can see the rest later”

As the headed back towards the main centre of the camp and Aiba was surprised and relieved that his bag was still where he left it.

“So why are you running away to the circus?” Nino asked sitting on the crate with Niji resting his head in his lap

“I’m not running away” Aiba replied quickly maybe a little too quickly from the way Nino flashed a grin

“You might as well tell me… I’ll find out eventually…”

“You flirting again brat?” a new voice asked and Aiba’s mouth dropped open as he saw a beautiful looking guy walking towards them a nasty glint in his eyes.

“I was just being friendly…”

“Yeah I know you and ‘friendly’…” He said giving the magician a swift kick in the ribs and Nino gave a low grunt and then a hiss as he hit out “You’re the new guy… Aiba Ma-something right?” The pretty/nasty guy said ignoring the hit on his arm crouching down beside the muttering Nino and draping his arm around Nino while glaring at Aiba. Aiba was honestly terrified of this new guy.  “I’m Matsumoto Jun and Nino’s mine, got it?”

“Y-yes…” Aiba nodded, wondering what the hell he meant by that until he saw the Matsumoto press his lips to Nino’s still complaining ones and giving him a deep biting kiss.

“You should just ignore the resident odd couple” A voice said and Aiba turned hoping that this one would at least be friendly and not flirty. He was almost regretting coming here “I’m Sakurai Sho, the owner… I meant to meet you earlier but Jun-kun was saying something about murdering Nino and feeding him to the lions”

“And if he cheats on me, I meant it…”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that when you’re fucking me senseless later…” Nino said happily now his apparent boyfriend was showing jealously.

“Well since Nino’s showed you around why don’t we go and sort out the little details…”

“Sakurai you’re really letting this outsider in?” Another sleepy voice said and when Aiba turned he saw the little trapeze artist looking at him with half closed eyes. Aiba tried to imagine him flying around on wires and things but no matter how hard he tried the image refused to enter his head, even though he had seen him on the bar earlier.

“Ohno… We need an animal trainer and Aiba-san has the best potential, you should be happy someone wants to join our troupe…”

“Whatever…” Ohno grumbled walking off to the makeshift shower block “I’m not sharing my trailer…”

“Fine he can share mine… Ouch…” Nino hissed as Aiba saw Matsu smack him sharply “Ours… Ouch…Okay, he can sleep with the giraffes…” 

“That’s better” The taller guy said almost smugly his arm going around him again.

“He can stay in mine until we sort something else out…” Sakurai told them nudging Aiba’s arm, “Come on…”

Aiba followed Sakurai aware that Matsumoto and Nino were having another rather loud argument.

“Don’t worry about those two, Jun’s our second trapeze artist and I’m guessing that he and Ohno have come up with a display our little magic clown Nino isn’t happy with…”

“So they are… Um…”

“Together?” Sakurai finished for him and Aiba nodded feeling stupid for asking such a personal question when it was none of his business. “Yep though I’m still trying to work out why they haven’t killed each other yet…” Sakurai lead him into a trailer that said ‘Owner’ in red lettering and pushed open the door ushering him inside.

They spent the next two hours going over every little detail Aiba could think of and when Sakurai gave him the pen and the contract he signed straight away. There really wasn’t any other option than to be here with this strange group of people anyway and Nino and Sakurai seemed nice at least. He would just have to stay as far away from Matsu and Ohno as possible. Aiba flinched remembering the look Ohno had given him he really would have to stay away from him, he thought, hoping that it would be that easy.

TBC

A/N: Okay, I know I have to finish so many others but I was listening to the song ‘Tightrope’ by Justin Hayward… I promise I will do the others… Hope you enjoy ^.^