When Love Dies - Difficult Choices Pt. 1 by Yahiko
When Love Dies - Difficult Choices Part 1
“Shigeru...”
Ookido Shigeru looked up from his plate of sushi and smiled weakly at his smiling boyfriend, Toraeru Satoshi, who sat across the table from him. “N~nani, Sato-chan?”
Satoshi smiled, though beneath his smile an ember of annoyance glowed deep in his stomach. “You haven’t been paying attention to anything I’ve said tonight, Shigeru.” he scolded. “What’s with you?”
Shigeru smiled weakly. “Gomen ne, Satoshi. I’m just kind of spacey tonight.” He reached across the table and clasped Satoshi’s hands in his own. “I’ve got some news for you, Satoshi.” Shigeru said, fidgeting nervously in his chair.
Satoshi’s heart leapt into his throat. He opened his mouth to ask Shigeru a question, but was cut off as the waiter placed two dessert plates in front of them; chocolate cake for Shigeru, cannoli for Satoshi.
Shigeru shrugged. “I guess it can wait. Meanwhile let’s eat our dessert. Shall we, Sato-chan?” he said, flashing Satoshi a tentative smile.
Satoshi said nothing, focusing on a forkful of cannoli as if he expected to be quizzed on it. Shigeru stabbed nervously at his cake. Then, clearing his throat, he said “Well, maybe I’m getting nervous over nothing.”
Satoshi put down his fork. “Spill, Shigeru-kun. What’s wrong?”
Shigeru sighed and put down his fork. After wiping his mouth with his napkin, he continued. “It’s just that a friend of mine is coming over to Masara for a visit. I was hoping you two could get to know each other.”
Satoshi’s face brightened; he’d been so sure Shigeru had something terrible to say. “That’s great, Shigeru!” he exclaimed. “I don’t know why you were so worked up if that was the only thing that was bugging you.”
Shigeru looked away from Satoshi. “Well, Satoshi, we’ll have to change our plans for Monday.”
Monday? Our anniversary? Satoshi thought. Aloud he said. “That’s okay…”
“Unless you wouldn’t mind having a third person along,” he grinned.
Satoshi smiled. “That’s great! Let’s ask Kasumi too. I haven’t been on a double date yet. It should be fun.”
Shigeru cracked his knuckles nervously. “Uh, Satoshi, I don’t think that’s going to work. My friend’s name is…”
Satoshi tensed.
“…Makoto Suzuhara.”
Satoshi’s face fell. “Not the same Makoto Suzuhara we almost broke up over?”
A sheepish expression slowly made its way across Shigeru’s face. “Y-yes...” he stammered.
Satoshi gripped the sides of the table so hard his knuckles turned white. When he spoke, his low, slightly scratchy voice was slow and steady. “I can’t believe you had the nerve to invite that- that- that girl over to Masara to see you.”
Shigeru held up his hands. “I didn’t invite her. Makoto’s been invited to some sort of convention in Tokiwa City and she decided to stop by for a little visit.”
Satoshi looked away. Makoto Suzuhara? Here? He thought angrily, glaring at Shigeru.
“If you’re worried, Satoshi, we’re just-“
“What, friends?” Satoshi exclaimed. “Don’t give me that crap, Shigeru!” he yelled. A few heads in the restaurant turned to stare.
Shigeru kept his voice low. “We’re just friends! We met during the league tournaments and she helped me build up my pokemon’s levels, that’s all. She doesn’t mean anything more to me than Tetsuya or Hiroki!”
“Really?” Satoshi demanded. “When was the last time Tetsuya or Hiroki wrote you a letter - on perfumed stationery, no less! - and called you ‘cute-buns?’”
Shigeru gritted his teeth. Satoshi folded his arms over his chest. Ooh, just the though of that harpy with Shigeru makes me so mad…
He was so mad, he wanted to run his hands through Shigeru’s reddish-brown hair - and yank it out by the roots.
“Satoshi.” Shigeru pleaded. “Be reasonable about this!”
“Reasonable? Your league girlfriend is traveling from Yamabuki City to Masara just to see you and you want me to be reasonable?” Satoshi exploded. “Tell me the truth, Shigeru! Have you two been writing to each other all along?”
“Calm down, Satoshi-kun.” Shigeru’s voice was low and silky, the way it was when he was mildly annoyed. “Once you see Makoto and me together, you’ll know we’re just friends.”
“For your information, I have no plans of seeing you and that slut together.” Satoshi informed him. “In fact, I don’t want to talk to you - not until Makoto is on her way back to Yamabuki City!”
Shigeru reeled back as if Satoshi had slapped him. “That’s ridiculous!”
“What’s so ridiculous about that?” Satoshi stood up from his seat.
“You don’t have to -“ Shigeru began.
“Don’t bother getting up,” Satoshi cut him off. “I’m going home.”
He walked out of the restaurant, Shigeru’s eyes following him the whole way.
Once home, Satoshi collapsed on the sofa in his living room. Flicking on the TV, Satoshi flipped through the channels rapidly, and then turned off the TV in a fit of disgust.
Perking up, he lifted the phone receiver and dialed a number he knew by heart. Settling himself on the sofa, he waited for Hiroki to pick up.
“Hello?”
“Hiroki-kun?” Satoshi asked.
“Oh, konbanwa, Satoshi!” Hiroki said cheerfully.
“Konbanwa, Hiro-chan. Listen, you want to come over?” Satoshi said, the words tumbling out of his mouth in a rush.
Hiroki detected a trace of anger in his friend’s voice. “Uh, sure, Sato-kun.” He paused. “Is something wrong?”
Satoshi let out a sigh. “Long story. Just come over here and bring some snacks.”
“Trouble in paradise with lover boy?” Hiroki teased.
Satoshi blew his bangs away from his face. “You have no idea.”
“Okay. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Okay. See you!” Satoshi said, and hung up.
Later, Hiroki arrived on Satoshi's doorstep, his arms loaded down with about a dozen different snack foods.
"Whoa!" he said and deposited the load of junk food on Satoshi's sofa. "You look down, Satoshi."
Satoshi merely sighed as he focused on opening the many different bags of junk food, and sorting them into bowls.
"O-kay," Hiroki said, taking Satoshi's hand and steering him over to the couch. "You won't talk to me, and you're resorting to comfort food. You never do that. So what the hell is wrong?"
"It's Shigeru."
Hiroki sweatdropped. "That's real clear, Satoshi. Care to elaborate?"
Satoshi faced Hiroki and stared into his eyes. "Shigeru. He-he's bringing that-that boyfriend-stealing slut over here for a visit."
"Who?" Hiroki said, moving closer to his friend.
"Do you remember Makoto Suzuhara?" Satoshi asked quietly, not wanting to meet Hiroki's eyes.
"Makoto..." Hiroki scratched his head, confused.
"You know, Makoto Suzuhara, that girl who wrote Shigeru that letter we almost broke up over."
A flash of recognition lit up Hiroki's memories. "Oh, that Makoto Suzuhara."
"Yeah, that boyfriend stealing bitch is going over here to Masara to visit Shigeru and his family. Isn't that going to be wonderful." Satoshi said sarcastically.
"Fantastic. So why are you so worked up about it?" Hiroki asked Satoshi, winding his arm around Satoshi's shoulders.
"Worked up?! I'm not worked up!? I'm downright mad!" Satoshi yelled., tears brimming in his eyes. "He knows how I feel about Makoto! Why would he bring her here?"
"Satoshi~i, have some trust in Shigeru. You know he loves you. So why the sudden shift in the winds?"
"You don't understand, Hiroki." Satoshi whispered, an errant tear falling swiftly down his cheek. "Shigeru and I went through some pretty hairy times after I read that letter."
Hiroki moved closer to Satoshi and hugged him. "W-we almost never got back together," Satoshi choked out. "I thought I would lose him forever. And now, when we're happy, that bitch has to come and ruin everything!" Satoshi collapsed into his friend's embrace, sobbing into Hiroki's shoulder.
Hiroki patted Satoshi's shoulder gently. "Satoshi, trust is like a crystal vase. Once broken, can never be repaired. But with work, it can be put back together. All you two need is work."
Satoshi looked into Hiroki's eyes. "Here's what I make of this whole situation. You're jealous of Shigeru because a friend of his is visiting him."
Satoshi sniffed. "It's not only that, it's-"
"Do you love Shigeru?" Hiroki asked gently.
"Y-yeah," Satoshi said wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
"If you really do love him, then you wouldn't be choosing his friends for him." Hiroki finished.
Satoshi pulled away from Hiroki and stood up. Crossing over to the mantel over his fireplace, he picked up a picture of him and Shigeru, with Shigeru's arms around his waist, and his nose buried in Satoshi's hair. Pikachuu sat on top of Shigeru's head, wearing Satoshi's cap. He grinned and set the pic down.
"I-I gues you're right, Hiroki-kun," Satoshi said softly.
Hiroki raised his eyebrows. "Are you going to join them for Monday?"
Satoshi shook his head. "No, but I will stop by his house tomorrow morning with a bunch of cookies."
"A peace offering?"
"Exactly."
"Then we better go and make lots of cookies!" Hiroki exclaimed, jumping up and leading Satoshi to the kitchen. "We wouldn't want to deprive ourselves!"
The sun was floating high in the sky, casting a bright, cheerful glow over the town below. Birds sang and chirped about in the trees while Satoshi walked through the winding streets of Pallet to Shigeru's house, clutching a plate piled high with cookies.
Stepping up to the front porch of the Ookido household, Satoshi rang the doorbell and was greeted by Shigeru's sister Nanami.
"Ohayo, Sato-chan!" she said cheerfully. "If you're looking for Shigeru, he's out back."
"Thanks, Nana-chan!" Satoshi replied, pushing his way past Nanami into the spacious home of the Ookido family.
Crossing the living room, Satoshi stopped by the sliding glass door that led to the backyard. Smoothing his hair, he stepped out into the sunny backyard and was greeted by a sight that shattered his heart into a thousand tiny glittering pieces.
Shigeru and Makoto were kissing.
And not just a quick, casual, let's-be-friends kiss, but a long, slow kiss that had both of them so enraptured that they didn't notice Satoshi approaching.
Satoshi let the plate of cookies fall from his hands and shatter on the cobblestone path that wound its way through the backyard. Glass flew everywhere.
Shigeru leapt away from Makoto as if she was on fire. "Satoshi-"
"How could you do this to me?" Satoshi screamed. "I loved you!"
Shigeru made a move toward Satoshi. "Satoshi, it didn't mean what you thought it did-"
"I'm no idiot!" Satoshi yelled once more. "I know what I saw!"
Shigeru opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly cut off by Satoshi's harsh words. "And don't you say anything, you lying, cheating, filthy bastard!"
With another banshee wail, Satoshi pushed Shigeru to the floor, and ran away sobbing - out of the backyard, out of the front door, and Shigeru thought, out of his life forever.
~ owari Difficult Choices Part I ~
Notes: So, did you like it? Hate it? Comments, please! This part was based on a chapter in the Sweet Valley book Elizabeth's Secret Diary. Once again, thanks to all who helped me! Standard disclaimers apply to this fic! Ja ne!
- the author (Yahiko-chan! ^_~)
