Title: The cherry tree (2/?)
Pairing: Ohmiya
Summary: Nino doesn’t believe in spirits, but his opinion changes when he meets a very special person.
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 1230
Disclaimer: The plot is mine, and the wrapping is thanks to zazasukie. This chapter has been betaed by beastlover . Thanks a lot!!   ^___^

Previous chapter

During the next few days, Nino couldn’t stop thinking about the mysterious stranger, to the point of being unable to concentrate on anything else. His curiosity getting the best of him. After that first encounter, they had returned to the park a few more times, trying to find that odd man again, but without any success.

“Maybe it was a figment of our imagination?” Nino wondered that night laying on his bed. The whole scene had felt like a dream. The morning fog rising from the lake at dawn, the soft breeze rippling the quiet waters, the young man’s calm face and the peace that seemed to surround him. . .almost like an ancient painting of breathtaking beauty. He sighed remembering it. Then he realized what he was doing and almost slapped himself. “For God’s sake! Where did all this poetic nonsense come from? In any case, this is stupid. I’m getting obsessed with a stranger I’ve seen just once. It’s true he disappeared in a very mysterious way, but to think that he is a spirit is just idiotic. I’ve had enough! Tomorrow is the last day I’m going to try to find him!” Nino decided turning off the lights.

That Saturday morning, he got up early and prepared some food, planning to enjoy a small picnic in the park. “If this time is going to be the last one, I’m going to try my best,” he thought firmly. He packed the food and some drinks in a basket, and after thinking about it for a few minutes, he included his DS too. Aiba had basketball practice that morning so it would be better if he brought something to amuse himself with while waiting for him.

It was so early in the morning that the park was almost deserted. Nino reached the old sakura tree and sat down facing the lake with his back resting against its trunk, like the strange man had done when they saw him. The weather was exceptionally warm that morning and Nino, who hadn’t slept well that night and had gotten up really early in the morning to prepare the food, began to feel sleepier with each passing second. The tree’s trunk was surprisingly comfortable and the splash of the small waves against the shore of the lake sounded like a lullaby. For a few minutes Nino tried his best to resist, but he finally fell asleep under the leafless branches of the tree.

He was awakened by the soft murmur of clothes ruffling beside him. He slowly opened his eyes, searching for the source of the sound… and found a pair of brown, almond-shaped eyes looking at him with interest.

“Wha-what!” he exclaimed opening his eyes wide, quickly trying to move backwards, but the trunk of the sakura tree stopped him.

“Hello.”

The mysterious young man he had been searching for like a crazy fool during the last two weeks was beside him! Nino almost couldn’t believe it.

“Forgive me, I didn’t want to wake you up,” the stranger apologized politely.

“Please, don’t worry about it,” Nino answered with his heart pounding strongly in his chest. He took the chance to look at him more closely, trying to find something that could tell him if the man in front of him was a spirit or not. He was short, even shorter than him, and even in the kimono, Nino could see that his figure was slim and his body well-toned. His black hair stood up in small spikes, giving him the appearance of a child that had just got out of bed, and he had the most gorgeous Japanese features Nino had ever seen. He didn’t seem to have a bag or a backpack with him, only his kimono and his traditional sandals... as if he had just appeared from nowhere.

“Do you mind if I sit down here?” the stranger asked tilting his head and pointing at the place beside Nino, apparently oblivious to the boy's intense inspection.

“Of-of course not!” Nino stuttered moving his basket out of the way.

The young man sat down beside him and fixed his eyes in the lake without another word. A minute later, he averted his eyes from the water and looked at the bewildered student expectantly.

“What’s your name?” he asked in a soft voice.

“Ni-Ninomiya Kazunari! And yours?”

“Ohno Satoshi. Pleased to meet you,” Ohno smiled and held out his hand to Nino.

Nino eyed warily the other man’s hand and held out his own hesitantly, almost expecting to pass through it. “His skin feels rather normal to the touch... ”. The other man’s hand was small and elegant, almost feminine, and his skin was warm and incredibly soft. Nino was so mesmerized by the contrast between Ohno’s long, slender fingers and his own short ones that he didn’t realize he had been holding the other’s hand longer than could be considered polite.

“I don't think I have seen you before. Do you come here often?” Ohno asked cutting through Nino’s thoughts, without any attempt to remove his hand from Nino’s.

“N-no… and you?” Nino blushed with embarrassment and released the other’s hand.

“Oh, I’m usually around here,” the man answered vaguely with a small smile.

Nino smiled back at him. They spent the next minutes in companionable silence, the mysterious man watching the quiet waters and Nino observing him discreetly.

The student was going to ask something when he was interrupted by the loud grumblings of his stomach. Ohno averted his eyes from the lake and smiled at him with a slightly interrogative expression. Nino felt his cheeks redden and hurriedly turned around to grab his lunch.

He was taking his bento out of the basket when he noticed the curious gaze of the other man.

“Do you want to try one of these?” He asked shyly, offering him a rice ball.

“Of course,” Ohno answered softly and reached his hand towards Nino’s. He looked interestedly at the rice ball and then bit it carefully.

“Umai!” he exclaimed delighted and bit the rice ball again.

Nino laughed and offered the happy man a croquette from his own bento. If Ohno was a spirit, he sure was a hungry one.

They ate the food together enjoying their own company. It was strange, but Nino felt completely at ease with Ohno, as if he had known him for years. The student chatted animatedly about his studies, his school, and his crazy friend Aiba. Ohno talked about the hidden techniques behind the ancient art of calligraphy – a theme that seemed to entrance him.

Enjoying the warmth of the sunrays on his skin and the soft voice of his newly found friend, Nino felt so relaxed that he fell asleep once more without even noticing it. He woke up a few minutes later when he heard the voice of his friend Aiba calling for him.

“Sorry Nino, my basketball practice lasted longer than I expected! Ah! Were you sleeping? How strange of you to fall asleep alone in the middle of the park!”

Alone? What was Aiba saying? He wasn’t alone, he was with Ohno, the strange man they’d been searching for during the past two weeks, wasn’t he? He quickly turned around and discovered to his surprise that Ohno had disappeared again without trace. In his place, a small sakura blossom lay on the grass.

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