Forget Me Not (Chapter 8)

A/N

In my opinion Mao has a very interesting personality. He can be really feisty as seen on his Busaiku Kingdom videos but he can also change into shy and sweet when he's with Daichan.

For further reference, I based the Mao in this story on Heat Up Eve # 11 and Busaiku kingdom. The combination is strange, isn't it?

Disclaimer: I don't own Daichan and Mao as well as the other Japanese actors included. Although I own Aiko "the b**ch" LOL!

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Daisuke was too shaken by his own actions. He stumbled backwards and fell on his ass. He couldn't shake his sight away from Mao's sleeping form though.

Finally, he shook his head to clear his thoughts but his eyes kept on turning towards the sleeping man. He willed himself to stand and grab the doorknob. Quickly, he fled from his own room, his heart beating fast. Single-mindedly, he ran towards the foyer of his apartment and put his shoes on. He made sure the door is locked before dashing out, the coldness of the air hitting him and making him tremble.

What was that feeling? He thought as he sat on one of the swings in the community park near his apartment.

It was really strange. Why in the world did he steal a kiss from a sleeping person? Most especially a gay man!

He hugged himself tighter as a wave of cold air hit him.

He's had this strange feeling since he saw the younger man smile in the hospital park. The problem is, he can't quite place this feeling. It's too vague and unstable. Sometimes the feeling appears so strongly but then disappears just as fast.

"Ugh!"

He felt like banging his head on a table but unfortunately, there's no table around.

It took him more than an hour of mindless loitering around the neighborhood and in the community park before he remembered that Mao might wake up and freak out if he wakes up in a different place.

When he entered his apartment, he could hear Mao's moans coming from his room. Quickly, he entered his room, the sight of Mao turning and tossing on the bed alarming him.

The man seems to be having a nightmare. He shook his shoulder carefully. "Hamao-kun, wake up... You're just dreaming..."

Promptly, Mao opened his eyes.

Daisuke breathed out a sigh of relief. He touched the younger man's forehead.

"How do you feel?"

Mao blinked his eyes as if he couldn't believe what he's seeing.

"Where am I?" He asked with a hoarse voice.

"In my apartment."

Mao's eyes widened. He tried to sit up but Daisuke forced him back down.

"You should take more rest."

"Your girlfriend-"

"She isn't here. She's staying in a small hotel nearby."

That seemed to calm the younger man down. Curiously, he cocked his head, "Why doesn't she stay here?"

Daisuke cleared his throat. "To tell you honestly, I'm a conservative man."

Mao laughed at this which confused the older man.

"Why are you laughing?" Daisuke pouted.

"You really think like an old man."

"Only think! I still look young, don't I?"

Mao smiled as an answer.

"Anyway, what happened to you at the party? You were pretty much wasted."

"I didn't get drunk! It was... That guy spiked my drink." Mao clutched his head as if remembering something awful.

"That asshole!" Daisuke clenched his fists. He was right after all, that Italian couldn't be trusted. "I will make sure he pays for what he did."

Mao whimpered, "Daichan no! Please don't-"

Daisuke snapped at Mao. "What? Are you defending that bastard?"

"No! I just don't want you to do anything reckless."

"Reckless? I'm trying to defend you here."

"You don't have to." Mao avoided looking at the older man's face.

"I can't believe this!" Exasperated, Daisuke rubbed his face with his palm. "Do you like that guy? Is that why you're defending him?"

Mao's eyes widened dramatically. "No, of course not!"

Daisuke laughed dryly. "Come on now, Hamao-kun. That's why you kept on flirting with him, right? So your type is like that huh? Wow, didn't think you'd fall for guys like that!" Daisuke continued on and on, not noticing the tears forming in Mao's eyes.

"Are you done insulting me?" Mao's voice was small but Daisuke felt it cutting through him.

He halted, finally seeing the watery eyes of the younger man. He felt like his heart is being cut into pieces.

"I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean it like that."

He uttered regretfully.

"I don't want you to be hurt, only that." Mao stated, downcast.

"Hamao-kun..."

"You are a known personality. If you do something reckless, it might hurt your career too. I don't want that to happen because of my stupidity."

Daisuke shut his eyes tightly. Embarrassed for the things he said, he sat broodingly on the foot of the bed.

"I think I can manage to go home now. Thank you for getting out of your way and bringing me here." Mao spoke after a moment of silence.

Alarmed, Daisuke turned to look at him.

"No, you can stay until tomorrow." He offered.

Mao shook his head. "You don't have to be too hospital Watanabe-san."

Daisuke's mouth dropped open.

It stung. Being called like that...

He wanted to protest more but the coldness in Mao's eyes stopped him. Helplessly, he could only watch as Mao got out of the bed and gathered his coat from the back of a chair. Sparing him a fleeting glance, the young man went out of the door- the deafening silence overcoming Daisuke afterwards.

Watanabe-san...

Daisuke stared at the now closed door.

It sounded so detached.

What name was it that he usually calls him?

Ahhh... Daichan...

Daisuke's eyes widened as a familiar feeling washed over him.

Quickly, as if being possessed, he scrambled towards the door and ran after the other man.

When he exited the apartment building though, the man in question is already gone.

Breathing heavily, he stared up the cloudless night sky. It was dark but several stars are scattered around, making it seem luminous and comforting.

It was him. It was his voice. The one that woke me up from that deep sleep.

I remember how beautiful that voice had been...

Something is wrong, Aiko thought as she looked around Daisuke's apartment.

The place is as immaculate as usual but there's something that's bothering her. First, there's the Gucci scarf that is folded neatly on top of the sofa. She doesn't remember seeing that in Daisuke's closet before. Second, her boyfriend didn't kiss her on the cheek when he opened the door for her a while back which he normally does. Third, that boyfriend kept on spacing out even though they are now eating the lunch she brought over.

"Daichan, that scarf looks nice." She smiled sweetly, gesturing towards the folded scarf on the sofa. "I've always thought about bringing one of your hoodies with me so I won't miss you so much at night but I think now, a scarf might be nicer."

"Oh! But that's not mine..." Daisuke's voice wavered.

"Not yours? Whose is it then?"

"Hamao-kun's... He left it last night."

Aiko gritted her teeth secretly. "Why was Hamao-kun here last night?"

"H-he got drunk so I brought him home with me." Daisuke continued eating, feigning nonchalance but Aiko felt that he's not telling her the exact story.

She tried to hide her outrage though and continued smiling.

"That's so kind of you. He's so lucky to have you as a friend."

When Daisuke smiled back, she couldn't help noticing the sadness that is reflected on his eyes. She calmed herself down. With the engagement party coming soon, now is not the right time to call him out for it, she thought.

"Daichan, could you get us coffee from that cafe." Aiko motioned towards a small shop near the area where they parked their car. "I feel really thirsty now, I might die." She half-joked.

They just came from checking the venue for their engagement party which is bound to happen three days from now.

"Of course. You go first to the car since it's getting colder out here." Daisuke suggested.

Aiko smiled and nodded. When Daisuke entered the coffee shop, she started walking towards their parked car. She stopped on her tracks though after seeing a familiar silhouette get out of a black Lincoln Navigator.

That person also halted upon seeing her but he avoided her eyes immediately and started walking the other way.

Aiko felt the anger piled up inside of her explode. She marched towards that person, blocking his way entirely.

"I heard you went to Daichan's apartment last night Hamao Kyousuke." Her voice is full of rage.

Mao stared back at her cooly. "Wrong. HE brought me to his apartment."

"Don't fuck with me homo! You were seducing him, weren't you?! That's why you pretended to be drunk."

"Wow! Your imagination is astounding." Mao clapped sarcastically. "But aren't you the suspicious one here? If I remember correctly, I saw you with Takeru-san before. Aren't you the one who's seducing men?"

Aiko's face turned red.

"You're lucky I haven't told your boyfriend about it." Mao continued. "Because I'm not like you Aiko-san. I don't go around exposing and destroying other people's lives." With that, he turned on his heels to leave.

Enraged, Aiko tried to seize him by the arm but she miscalculated. Unable to hold onto Mao, she fell forward, straight to the asphalt. Surprised, Mao stood unmoving in front of her.

This is what Daisuke came upon when he exited the coffee shop. Dropping Aiko's coffee, he came bolting towards them.

"What's wrong with you!" Unable to control himself, he pushed Mao away from Aiko, so strongly that the younger man stumbled backwards.

Daisuke was paralyzed with shock at his own action. He stared at Mao who stood, staggering. Mao's bangs loosely covered his eyes as he stood with his head hung lowly.

"I-I'm..." Daisuke couldn't find the right words to say.

Mao silently turned his back on him and started walking away.

Daichan caught his arm to stop him but Mao shook his hand off.

"Don't touch me." His voice is so emotionless it scared Daisuke.

"I'm sorry! It was because you-"

"You're not him." Mao's voice broke. "Daichan would never hurt me."

Daisuke felt his own eyes watering at Mao's statement.

He didn't try again to stop the younger man from walking away.

On the other side, Aiko's heart was filled with dread as she watched Daisuke's tears cascade down his cheeks like a waterfall.