A much younger looking Nino, Sho-chan, Aibacchi, Riida, and MatsuJun
Once in LA, Nino discovered staying in touch was harder than he'd thought; his phone didn't accept calls and only sporadically sent or received emails. He attempted an international call, only to discover the automated instructions were in English, and he didn't understand enough to complete the call. He planned to accost the manager who came with him and insist on help, but each day he got back to his trailer and simply fell face down onto his bed. He barely had enough energy to eat and bathe, let alone figure out the surprisingly complex task of contacting Japan.
He finally managed one call on his manager's phone, but the only person he could reach was Sho.
"How is everyone?" he asked in a rush. "Did you get my emails? Is the promotion going okay? Did Oh-chan walk into traffic?"
"Ohno is fine," Sho laughed. "He's been moping a lot, but Aiba keeps taking him out drinking and Jun has been allowing him to cuddle. Oh, and Jun got an email, but nobody else."
"Sorry," Nino apologized. "I sent them to everyone, but they're not sending very well."
"We guessed, it's fine. Ohno was just happy you weren't dead," Sho reassured him. "Aiba told him Death Valley was the hottest place in America and now he's got this irrational fear that you'll be stranded out in the desert somewhere."
"I'm fine," Nino said. "I really miss him though."
"He misses you too," Sho said. "We all do, but especially him."
"I have to go," Nino said, his frustration clear in his tone. "Tell everyone I said hi? And tell Ohno—"
"That you dream of his butt night and day, I know," Sho laughed.
"And that I love him," Nino added quietly.
"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I am sure his response will be, 'I love you too.'"
"Thanks, Sho-chan."
"No problem," Sho said softly. "We'll see you in a few weeks, okay?"
"Okay."
The next few weeks were the longest of Nino's life, but he managed to survive until the day came that he was back on the plane, pulling into Narita airport. In the middle of the afternoon, he wasn't expecting to be met by anyone, but he stepped out of the gate to be greeted by every single one of his bandmates. Nino dropped his bag and started running; he met Aiba halfway across, the two of them colliding into a hug that almost knocked Nino off his feet.
"Jun was pawing your boyfriend," Aiba grinned.
"Jun better cough up all the details," Nino responded, his own smile bigger than it had been in months.
The two rejoined the rest of the group, and Sho pulled Nino into a firm hug.
"You lost weight," he commented. "Stop that."
"Sorry, mother," Nino said, dropping his head in mock shame.
"Please shave that off tonight," Jun said as he hugged Nino. "It looks ridiculous."
"I was kind of thinking I'd try growing it out," Nino said, stroking his barely-stubbled chin thoughtfully. "Try for something a bit more full and manly."
"Manly like a fifteen year old hitting puberty," Jun snorted, but his smile gave him away.
Ohno hung back, his hands jammed in his pockets. When Nino turned to him, he made a move as though to step forward, but then stopped. Biting his lip, he looked up.
"Hi," he said quietly. Nino didn't answer; he simply launched himself into Ohno's arms. He knew Ohno would catch him anyway. Sure enough, Ohno immediately pulled Nino close, burying his nose in Nino's neck.
"I'm home," Nino murmured softly in his ear. He could feel a hot wetness on Ohno's eyelashes where they blinked against his skin.
"Welcome home," Ohno answered just as softly. "I missed you. I forgot what you smell like."
"Silly," Nino said. "I smell like me."
"Good," Ohno said. "I love that smell."
"If you two are done being total saps," Sho drawled, grinning. "We are dropping your bags off at your house and then going to get roaringly drunk and eat as much ramen as humanly possible."
"You guys," Nino said sincerely, his arms still wrapped firmly around Ohno's waist, "are the best friends in the world."
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