[One-Shot] The Loving Hands
Jul. 30th, 2014 07:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pimanchi_doubleTitle: The Loving Hands
Author: mabopiman
Pairing: Aiba X OC (nameless), Aiba X Arashi friendship
Rating: PG
Genre: family, friendship, angst, general love, fluff
Word Count: 1,958
Summary: …and someday, when the time has come for me to finally protect someone, I will remember your hands…
---
December 24th, 1982. He was born, small and naked and crying loudly as the doctor lifted him high, showing his proud little self to his parents, who were crying in happiness as they held each other’s hands.
“Papa, Mama, I’m here! I see you! I see the world! Mama, otsukare! I’ll be in your embrace soon!”
That’s what his mother told him, that, that day, it was as if they heard him saying those words to them. Greeting them. Smiling at them. Impatiently longing for his mother’s touch, longing for his father’s kisses. Although all the people helping with the delivery only heard a loud, heart-warming cry, they heard him. His words. They held him gently as the doctor placed him in her embrace. Deciding on a name, “Masaki”…
His father kissed his forehead and held his small, oh very small, fingers, offering a silent prayer for this little gift from Heaven. And they joined hands, the three of them, crying in happiness.
*
He grew up into a healthy and lively boy, and met his fellow band mates called Arashi. Fourteen years passed as he grew up into a fine and lovable man, together with the other four, sharing precious memories, sleepless nights, tiring routines, strict rules, depressing rumors… and lots of love. Their existence had become so irreplaceable for him. Another hands, Heaven-sent hands, lifting him to higher place, supporting him so he was able to keep standing with his head up.
There were Ohno Satoshi’s hands, fine, beautiful, and gentle… Just one pat on his back, without a word, and his lost courage could be found again.
There were Sakurai Sho’s hands, manly, strong, and firm… Sending chill down his spine everytime they landed on his shoulder, giving both spirit and energy.
There were Ninomiya Kazunari’s hands, small, meaty, and cute… Reassuring him everytime they squeezed his, so even though he was in the verge of dying because of his illness, he was sure he was able to hold on and stay alive.
There were Matsumoto Jun’s hands, manly, soft, and well-treated… Giving him pain everytime he smacked his head for being stupid on TV shows, but yet he could feel his gentle, although hidden, love, every time he held his hands.
*
He knew love. He had finally found the woman he was destined to be with. After 2 years of dating, he held her hand tightly as he slipped a small red box between their entwined fingers, then kneeled in front of her, kissed her hand and looked at her eyes, offering her his life, his time, his everything.
“Will you marry me?”
As she nodded and cried in happiness, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed in his embrace, saying thank you for loving and choosing her. He hugged her tightly and couldn’t hide his tears as well. They stared at each other and shared a kiss. They walked together to his home, and he respectfully told his parents that she was the one he decided to spend the rest of his life with.
He would never forget that feeling, when he held her hands to slip the wedding ring to her left ring finger, and also when she did the same to him. He would never forget that feeling, when they held the flower bouquet together, and threw it backwards, and then found out that the bouquet landed on Sakurai Sho and Matsumoto Jun’s hands as they stared at each other awkwardly. He would never forget how she intertwined her fingers, firmly and willingly between his, as they teased Sho and Jun to kiss.
He would never forget how their hands fitted each other perfectly as they spent their first night as husband and wife, sharing the same bed, their heart beat as one, their breaths alternated as their grip tightened.
He would never forget the excitement he got, and how he couldn’t hold his tears back, when he came home one day to find his wife showing a fake pout, then showed him her test-pack—a new life was growing inside of her. Slowly, surely. He caressed and placed a kiss on her belly, welcoming it as his voice trembled with tears, and she rubbed his back, asking for his support for the following months.
*
He nervously held his wife’s hands, worrying as he heard his wife whimpered in pain, her grip tightened like never before.
“I will be here, don’t worry, let me hold your hand. If possible, let me be the one suffering…”
As the nurses’ voice became louder and his wife started to sweat like crazy, whimpering and groaning more often, he knew it was time. He put his free hand on her belly, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on it. He rubbed it lightly as tears started to flow.
“Papa is here, ne… Look, Papa is holding Mama’s hands. Mama is in pain, so be a good kid, ne! Papa and Mama will be waiting for you, sweetie…”
He repeated countless times, and soon the doctor came, and the delivery began. He felt her pain transferring through their joined hands. Together with her, he cried and prayed, squeezed her hands tightly, reassuring her she would be okay. He shouted her name and gave her endless support, and hours passed… and they heard it: the cry of life.
“A healthy baby girl!!”
He cried and quickly placed gentle kisses all over his wife’s face, never let go of each other’s hands. He repeatedly whispered his gratefulness to her lips, as his weak wife lifted her hands to cup his face, wiping his tears, and with a weak voice, telling him with a sweet, sweet smile.
“You’re crying more than I am, Masaki. Go wash your face, it’s embarrassing. Our daughter will be ashamed having such a messy father as you…”
He pouted but he did so anyway. He was still crying as he walked down the corridor leading to the washroom. Lots of people were watching him but he didn’t care. He had become a father.
When he finished washing his face, he received a call from Nino, telling him he was already on the way to the hospital with the other three. He smiled happily as he welcomed them, telling them he would be waiting for their blessings for his daughter.
He returned to the room his wife was in… and his heart sank at the scenery.
The doctor’s hands were pushing on his wife’s chest, as the nurse stormed around the room, bringing anything the doctor asked her to—cables, masks, whatever.
Tears immediately blurred his sight as soon as he heard the long unpleasant sound from the machine beside his wife’s bed. The doctor shook his head as he looked at his watch.
“Time of death… 00:24 p.m.”
He fell on his knees, tears streamed down his face. He buried his face in his palms, his silent scream pained his heart. He heard the sounds of feet stomping on the floor and a nurse outside warned: some people were running. The footsteps got closer and stopped behind his weak, kneeling form, and he didn’t even bother to look up.
Four pair of hands hugged his crying self, and he screamed and finally broke down.
He would never forget those hands…
*
Two months had passed, and he was still depressed for losing her wife.
And one day, the other four came to his apartment, with Sho holding Aiba’s daughter in his arms, offering her to him. He cried, shouting his rejection:
“I don’t want her! She died because of her!”
No matter how hard Sho, Nino, and Jun tried to convince him, he didn’t even look at his daughter. He rejected her. He said he didn’t want her. He said they could keep her if they wanted to. And when they were about to give up, Satoshi, who had been silent for the whole time, walked around and face him, staring at him fiercely yet softly, then slapped him hard and asked him.
“If you really don’t want her, so what’s the meaning of those tears, Masaki?”
He shivered at the stinging pain on his cheek. Ohno Satoshi had never failed to pierce through his heart, knowing what his heart really wanted. He gave up and nodded. And for the first time, he held his daughter and brought her close to him, embracing her in his loving hands. As the baby girl cried, he cried along with her, kissing her and comforting her, naturally. Well, he had become a father, after all…
*
He brought her to visit his wife’s grave.
“See, Yuki… This is where your Mama, Papa’s most precious person, is sleeping peacefully…”
He cried. Almost. He squeezed his eyes shut, and a drop of tears fell on Yuki’s soft skin. Yuki raised her small hand to touch his cheek at a random spot and murmured random words, which made him opened his eyes in surprise at the soft and endearing touch.
“Papa, don’t cry. Mama is here with us. Look at me, Papa…”
Her random words were not that random… He was somewhat able to hear it. And that moment, he asked Yuki to let him cry one last time. Yuki laughed.
And he swore to stand up once again, for Yuki’s sake. For Arashi’s sake. For his parents’ sake.
*
Years added more wrinkles to his face. As he watched Yuki grew up day by day, he felt so peaceful. His daughter took after her mom, beautiful, loving, and sweet.
“Dad, what should I do about his proposal? What did you say to mother back then?”
“Yuki… You’ve been asking the same question,” he chuckled.
“Huh? But, Dad, this is the first time I’m asking you about my marriage…”
“But the essence of it stays the same, Dear. Do you remember what did you often ask me?”
“How was mother like? Why did you love her? How do you propose to her? How do you stay strong after mother is gone? How—”
Yuki smiled and hugged her father tightly.
“I’m going, Dad.”
“Take care and good luck.”
He smiled as he watched her daughter’s back added distances between them. She was going to meet him and answer his proposal. Yuki was a bit hesitant like her mother, but he was sure she would be okay, as long as she remembered the secret he gave her. The secret he had found and felt ever since he was born.
Have the loving hands to hold others. The loving hands to support others. The loving hands to share joy and pain. The loving hands to teach a lesson. And never forget to put your deepest feelings to it. That way, your feelings will go through.
“And when we can become, and find, someone with such hands… We’re blessed.”
He closed his eyes and murmured, a drop of tear was formed at the corner of his eyes.
“Congratulations, my daughter.”
*
He smiled peacefully as the other four of Arashi, his daughter, his son-in-law, and his grandchildren surrounded his bed, calling his name. He looked down to see everyone, all of them, were holding his hands. He took one last deep breath, and as the machine beside his bed emitted the sign of departure, a drop of tears fell down his cheek.
“Now, though I’m gone, I’m sure that love will always be here, because these loving hands will always be here, through times and generations, always here…”
He saw the light. And he saw those familiar figures coming to pick him up—his late parents and his late wife. He smiled. Still they held hands, going to the light.
“And down there, love will continue to bloom…”
-end-
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A/N: hisashiburi desu and WHEEEEE!!! What did I write after my long hiatus~ sorry girls~\(;__;)/
Quick-beta-ed by the lovely pimanzero as always~
P.S.: yes, I put the bouquet-throwing scene from my previous Sakumoto fic here.
And! Virtual cake for you who can guess where the summary (i.e. idea) came from! (^o^)v
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2014-07-30 03:37 pm (UTC)Thanks for returning with this fic!
no subject
Date: 2014-07-30 03:51 pm (UTC)thank you for reading and commenting, i'm glad you love it!
i'm having very little confidence for this tbh, so thanks for the nice comment~ :'D
btw have you watched his LOVE solo perf yet? i think i saw his eyes were teary >.<
-mp-
no subject
Date: 2014-07-30 04:04 pm (UTC)This piece was good, so you shouldn't feel unconfident about it! I think you're a writer who exercises a lot of dramatic restraint in your stories, using subtle details and speech to bring out the deeper emotions, which makes slice-of-life narratives like this your absolute forte!
no subject
Date: 2014-07-31 08:36 am (UTC)it doesn't suit his cheerful image, but it's beautiful and his voice is surprisingly suitable for such songs but.... the mood... i bet sad!aiba is the last thing fans would want to see =_=;
nah... ;A;
woah thanks for the encouragement :'D
i hope i can write better in the future :'3
thank you <3<3<3
-mp-