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learashiPairing: Sakuraiba, Matsumiya
Genre: fluff, romance, au
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Arashi - I only own these random scribblings.
Summary: Aiba had been mooning around gazing at Communications major Sakurai Sho as if he was the last cream cake in the bakery for weeks now. Apparently it had paid off and a date had been arranged. The only problem was that Sho's cousin who was apparently recovering from some romantic trauma was visiting and Sho didn't want to leave him at home by himself. Aiba had of course instantly volunteered Nino and a double date was set up.
Note: This is for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
antimiya88 whose chance comment planted the idea for this story in my mind a very, very, very long time ago. Sorry it took me so long to write.
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No!"
"Pleeeease?"
"Noooo."
"Plee-smmmf" Aiba's words were muffled as Nino shoved half of his sandwich into his mouth in an attempt to shut him up.
The best friends were enjoying the late spring sunshine by sitting on a bench in the small park on their campus to eat their lunch. At least Aiba was; Nino found the whole outdoors thing quite unnecessary, but the offer of a free lunch had been too tempting. He should have known that there was an ulterior motive behind the invitation.
Aiba had been mooning around gazing at Communications major Sakurai Sho as if he was the last cream cake in the bakery for weeks now. Apparently it had paid off and a date had been arranged. The only problem was that Sho's cousin who was apparently recovering from some romantic trauma was visiting and Sho didn't want to leave him at home by himself. Aiba had of course instantly volunteered Nino and a double date was set up.
Rumour had it that said cousin had been dumped in a most humiliating way. Nino couldn't even begin to imagine what a sad specimen of manhood he must be and he had absolutely no desire whatsoever to find out.
"If you ask me one more time I will shove the other half of this sandwich somewhere altogether more unpleasant than your mouth next time," Nino said in a threatening tone.
"But Nino," Aiba whined, obviously not in the least scared by his friend's threat "Sho said that his cousin is so depressed that he couldn't possibly leave him home all alone. What if he does something stupid?"
"You do something stupid all the time and seem to survive ok," Nino said, his words lacking any sting as he felt himself weakening in the face of Aiba's pleading puppy eyes.
They had met at their first day of kindergarten and before the day was through they had ended up as best friends for life. A bond cemented when Aiba somehow persuaded Nino to eat a worm as an experiment to see what they tasted like. Nino had been caving in to his friends crazy ideas ever since.
With a heavy sigh, Nino surrendered to the inevitable.
"Ok already. I'll do it but I don't expect to have to spend a cent throughout the whole day and you will become my maid for the next month. I have an absolute mountain of dirty socks in my laundry basket awaiting your personal attention."
"Thank you Nino, I’ll have your socks clean in a jiffy," Aiba said, planting a mustardy kiss on Nino's cheek, happy that soon he would be able to spend an entire day with his Sho-chan.
++++
Three days later the two of them were standing at the entrance to Funland amusement park; both of them wearing completely different expressions. Aiba was bouncing excitedly up and down looking around him eagerly while Nino was leaning on the wall and playing with his DS.
"Do I look ok?" Aiba asked, fluffing his hair nervously.
Aiba looked more than ok, Nino thought jealously. No matter how mismatched an outfit he wore he managed to make it look good. Sho wouldn't know what hit him when he saw Aiba in those jeans which were ripped in extremely strategic places.
Before he could think of a suitably snarky response Aiba suddenly stood to attention as two figures walked towards them. One was moving eagerly while the other reluctantly dragged his feet, trailing along a few paces behind.
Nino could see from where he leant, that the one with the soppy expression was Aiba's crush and the one that looked like he didn't want to be there was his date for the day.
"Aiba-chan," Sho called and waved with an exaggerated gesture, causing his companion to wince and pull his hat even further down over his eyebrows.
Aiba waved back and ran over to meet him, the pair seemingly frozen in place, cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink as they brushed fingertips in greeting. They seemed to forget that they weren't alone as they gazed into each other’s eyes, blocking the entranceway to the park.
It was hard to tell what Sho's cousin actually looked like, hidden as he was underneath his hat and a pair of glasses with thick rectangular black frames, but the look of despair that passed over his face as he looked at the cooing couple spoke directly to Nino’s cynical heart. Perhaps the day wasn't going to so bad after all.
++++
Sho had been under Aiba's spell since the first time their eyes had met as they both grabbed for the last chocolate milk in the cafeteria. They had spent the next five minutes holding up the line as they each tried to make the other take the milk. After the queue had turned into a complaining mob they had decided to share the prize and their relationship had blossomed from there.
Sho had finally plucked up the courage to ask the younger man out on a date after a few weeks of concentrated flirting. Apart from his beautiful features, Aiba's warm personality had immediately won him over; just being near him made his heart beat that bit faster.
Everything was perfect until the phone call from his mother telling him that his cousin Jun was coming to stay. She didn't give him many details, merely muttering something about him being in a fragile emotional state and under no circumstances to leave him alone for an extended period of time. Sho had laughed off her concern until she had hinted darkly that Jun may have tried to harm himself, which was why it had been decided to send him to Tokyo to escape whatever appeared to be troubling him. This conversation unfortunately took place all too late for Sho to say no because even as he was on his phone walking up to his apartment door he noticed a rumpled figure sitting on the floor leaning against his door.
“Jun? Are you ok?” Sho asked, worried by the pale face of his favourite and youngest cousin. “Are you sick? Why are you on the floor?”
Two big eyes stared back at him from the slumped heap of black clothing.
“Which of those questions would you like me to answer first? I’m on the floor because I’ve been here for over an hour waiting for you to come home.”
“Why didn’t you ring me to tell me you were here?”
“Because my phone got broken and I haven’t replaced it yet,” Jun replied in a depressed sounding voice.
Remembering his mother’s warning Sho decided to not press Jun any further, merely letting him into the apartment, where he flopped down on the sofa where he would be sleeping, refused Sho’s offer of dinner and didn’t say another word for the rest of the night.
Worried that it could ruin his proposed date with Aiba-chan he discussed it with him as soon as he was out of earshot of his unhappy guest. As much as it pained him he thought that maybe it was best to delay things, but Aiba had other ideas.
“I have the perfect solution Sho-chan. If you don’t mind going on a double date I can invite Nino along to keep your cousin company.”
“Will he be ok with that?”
“Of course, Nino loves meeting new people and making new friends.”
“Are you sure about this? I hate to say it but I kind of got the impression that he likes only you and barely tolerates anyone else.”
“Well, maybe I might be exaggerating slightly, but I’m sure I can persuade him.”
Sho had received confirmation from Aiba that Nino was willing to accompany Jun for the day and had managed to persuade his younger cousin to go along with the scheme, but only after he had purchased him a new mobile to replace his broken one.
++++
“Shall we go in?” asked Sho as he managed to drag himself away from Aiba’s hypnotic gaze.
“Yay!” said Aiba.
“If we must,” sighed Nino.
“Fine,” grumped Jun.
While Sho went and purchased tickets for all of them Aiba dragged Nino to one side. “Please make an effort.”
“I’m here aren’t I?”
“Yes, and I really appreciate it, but I really like Sho-chan and I want him to like me too,” Aiba said with pleading eyes.
“Idiot, how could he not like you?” Nino asked fondly. “Don’t worry I’ll make sure that you two have plenty of alone time so you can work your magic, although I think he already looks pretty smitten.”
Aiba’s smile made everything worthwhile for Nino, almost.
++++
They walked around the amusement park trying to decide what they should do first. Sho and Aiba were chatting happily as they went while Nino and Jun trailed along behind not speaking or even looking at each other.
When Sho suggested that the two couples should split up and meet back at the cafeteria for lunch Aiba greeted the idea with excitement. The reaction of the other two was more lukewarm; Jun shot a look of desperation in Sho’s direction which was pointedly ignored as the lovey-dovey pair shot off into the distance together.
“It’s ok; you don’t have to pretend to like me. We can just go our separate ways and meet the others for lunch and they will never know the difference,” Jun said bitterly “I know that I’m not fun to be around. I’ve heard it often enough lately.”
Nino was shocked by the despair in Jun’s voice and the hurt in his eyes that could barely be seen behind the heavy glasses. “No, I’d like to spend time with you. Maybe we can even find something in this park that isn’t completely lame.”
Nino was rewarded as his reluctant date smiled shyly and pulled his hat from his head, running his fingers through surprisingly glossy black hair before replacing it at a normal level, freeing a pair of spectacular eyebrows from their prison as he did so.
++++
Aiba was eagerly dragging Sho from one place to the next, seemingly unable to decide what he wanted to do first. Sho was more than happy to go along with him as Aiba kept clutching his arm excitedly whenever he wanted to make a point. The feeling of those slender fingers pressing into his flesh through the thin fabric of his shirt made it hard to think clearly and impossible to make a decision.
“Ooh look Sho-chan, you can win a teddy bear if you knock down all the cans,” Aiba said, covetously eyeing a small soft looking brown bear with a red ribbon tied around its furry neck.
Sho knew that it was stupid, but he wanted to impress Aiba with his skill. The first two throws knocked down most of the cans, leaving an awkward arrangement that seemed impossible to get with the last ball. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply he calmed himself before throwing the ball with all his strength.
Aiba shrieked with excitement, throwing himself into Sho’s arms as the cans crashed to the ground. The unhappy looking stall holder reluctantly handed the bear over to Sho who immediately passed it over to Aiba who rewarded him with a tight hug around his neck.
Normally Sho would have been uncomfortable with such displays of public affection but there was something about Aiba that made him forget to worry about what other people would think. He had spent his entire life so far doing what others expected of him and the idea of breaking the rules with Aiba was enticing. Apart from his breathtaking looks it was one of the first things that attracted him to him, in addition to his kind and generous good nature and his positive outlook on life.
It wasn’t that Aiba wasn’t intelligent, it was just that he lived life in the moment and in the process made things better for anyone who came into contact with him. Sho had noticed that even the surly Nino smiled whenever he was around his lifelong friend.
“Thank you Sho-chan,” Aiba said, looking at Sho with shining eyes. “I’ll always treasure him as a memento of our first date.”
Sho’s heart skipped merrily at Aiba’s implication that there would be many more dates to come.
++++
Nino was surprised when Jun stopped in front of the biggest rollercoaster in the park with a yearning look on his face. While they had been wandering around Nino had been making fun of the people who were lining up for the rides, laughing at girlfriends clinging to their boyfriends and squealing in mock terror and joking about adults lugging around cheap stuffed animals that had been won at the skilled games and until now Nino hadn’t realised that Jun might actually want to go on some of the attractions.
“Did you want to go on this?”
“No, it’s fine, don’t worry about it. I guess it’s pretty lame.”
Jun pulled off his glasses and polished them on the tail end of his shirt, revealing a pair of large brown eyes framed with long thick lashes, which were currently displaying more than a little sadness in their depths.
Nino realised for the first time that underneath all of the camouflage he was hiding behind, his companion was actually rather stunning looking.
Making a snap decision Nino grabbed Jun’s hand and pulled him over to entranceway for the ride, wanting to see what Jun looked like when he smiled properly.
++++
As the two couples reunited over lunch Sho and Aiba sat close to one another, their knees touching under the table, both sharing the same cheesy grin. Sitting across from them Nino and Jun kept their distance but they both had the same pink tinge to their cheeks which didn’t go unnoticed by Aiba.
When they had decided what they all wanted to eat, Sho went to order at the counter leaving the other three to catch up.
“So you two are enjoying yourselves then?” Aiba asked as he sat his bear on the table.
“Never mind what we’re doing. What on earth is that?” Nino asked as he pointed to the new fuzzy addition to the day.
“Sho-chan won him for me,” Aiba said proudly. “He was ever so strong,” he added with a sigh.
Nino and Jun’s eyes simultaneously rolled back into their heads as they made matching gagging noises.
Aiba wasn’t at all offended, instead taking their synchronized show of disgust as a very good sign that they were bonding.
“So, is everyone having a good time so far?” Sho asked as he returned to the table carrying a tray laden with burgers, cold drinks and a cup of strawberry ice-cream for Aiba.
“Well, I’m quite disappointed that you didn’t win us all a bear. I’m not sure how Nino feels about it either.” Jun said with the first spark of humour that Sho had seen since his arrival, even if it was heavily laced with sarcasm.
“Oh, I’m not worried about the bear,” said Nino as he unwrapped his burger “but I’m insanely jealous of the ice-cream.”
Aiba, who was taking a sneaky taste before eating his burger, blushed almost as pink as the sugary confection.
“I didn’t ask Sho-chan for it.”
“That’s true,” added Sho “I just thought Aiba-chan looked like a strawberry ice-cream sort of person, since he’s so sweet.”
This sparked of another round of gagging noises from the other couple, which both Sho and Aiba ignored as they shared a secret smile of understanding.
“So, what do we all want to do after lunch?” Sho asked, trying to restore some sort of order.
“Can we go home? I have this awesome game that I wanted Jun to try.” Nino said, earning another shy smile from his date.
“No.” said Aiba firmly. “This is a double date so we have to do fun stuff together as two couples otherwise it doesn’t count.”
This remark earned a synchronized sigh from across the table as Nino and Jun finished their burgers and a wistful look from Sho, who had been looking forward to spending some more time alone with Aiba getting to know more about him.
++++
“Are you trying to avoid being alone with me?” Sho asked Aiba softly as they walked around the grounds behind Nino and Jun.
“Of course not! It’s just that Nino doesn’t go out much. What am I saying? He doesn’t go out ever.” Aiba said quietly in return. “I worry about him sometimes. I’m the only friend he’s ever had, apart from this weird kid at school called Ohno; for a while I thought that they would get together, but then he moved away with his family and Nino was alone again.”
“Jun’s kind of the same. He’s really sensitive and doesn’t make friends easily. He did have a boyfriend, but he seems to have broken up with him quite recently under some shady circumstances. I don’t know the full details and he refuses to talk to me about it. This is the most I’ve heard him speak since he arrived.”
“I promise that next time you will have my undivided attention,” Aiba said with a megawatt smile.
“I’ll make sure of that.”
“Ooh!” Aiba exclaimed, coming to a sudden stop. “I want to go on that!” he said pointing to the giant wheel sitting in the very centre of the park.
Sho’s face suddenly lost all colour as he croaked “I’m sure the queue is far too long and as far as I know you have to book a time because the ride takes ages and I’m sure the others don’t want to go on it and isn’t there something else you’d rather be doing and maybe I could win you another bear...” he stopped babbling as he realized that Aiba was looking at him with eyes full of disappointment.
Taking a shaky breath Sho continued “Or we could just go over there and see if there is a chance of us getting on right away because I’d hate for us to miss out?”
This earned him another hug from Aiba whose expression had instantly changed from puppy eyed longing to one of glee.
++++
"Wow, my cousin must really like your friend a lot," Jun remarked as they settled into their seats as the wheel slowly turned allowing people to board each cabin.
"Oh really? Why?"
"Because he's always been terrified of heights. He can't even climb past the second rung on a ladder without hyperventilating, “Jun replied with a smile.
"Darn, if I'd known that I would have made sure that we went in the same cabin as them," Nino said with a tinge of regret.
"You mean that you wouldn't prefer to spend time with just me?" Jun said as he removed his hat and glasses and placed them on the seat opposite.
Nino gulped as Jun turned to look at him with wide brown eyes, and for the first time he noticed the three small moles that were dotted cutely around his lips. He found himself wanting to know more about his date and the reasons behind his sudden arrival at Sho's place.
"I don't want to pry, and you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but Aiba said that something happened back at home and your family was worried about you?"
Jun's gaze darkened and he seemed to withdraw back into himself as he contemplated his answer but Nino's clear and surprisingly gentle eyes gave him the courage to reply.
"I had a boyfriend, my first, and I thought he loved me. He was older and more experienced and he wanted me to have sex with him. I wasn't sure. I'm still at school you know, and I just didn't feel ready..."
Nino could see how hard it was for Jun to continue, so he said nothing, just taking the younger man's hand in his to show his support.
"He told me that I was boring and pathetic and a useless baby; and he might be right and maybe I am all of those things but I don't deserve to be talked to like that, so I told him that it was over and went to leave," Jun's eyes were welling with tears as he continued.
"You don't have to tell me..." Nino said, worried that this was all too upsetting for Jun.
"No. Talking like this is making me feel better. I haven't told anyone what happened, not even my parents, or Sho," Jun said as he took a shuddering breath before continuing. "He grabbed me when I turned to leave and he tried to force me to...I couldn't believe it...all the time we were together I thought he loved me....I was so stupid..."
"It wasn't your fault." Nino said fiercely.
"Oh, I know that. That's why I kicked him in the crotch - hard. I don't think he has to worry about having sex with anyone for quite a while," Jun said with a giggle as he brushed the tears from his cheeks. "That's the first time I think I've laughed since then. I've been pretty depressed and not really eating much which to my mother seems as if I'm trying to deliberately hurt myself. She's a bit of a drama queen, which I think I may have inherited from her, so be warned."
The story had made Nino want to run out and punch the guy who had treated Jun so terribly, but he settled for giving the younger man a fiercely protective hug instead, hardly even realizing what he was doing until he felt him stiffen slightly in his embrace.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that. You just told me about an older guy who tried to molest you and I just did the same."
"It's in no way the same. For a start, you were just trying to comfort me," Jun said with a shy smile as he took Nino's hand in his again "and secondly you don't strike me as the molesting type. From what I've seen of Aiba-chan so far there's no way he would be friends with someone who isn't just as nice as he is."
Nino theatrically clutched his chest and reeled back "Ow, that really hurts. Don't put me in the same basket with that idiot."
Jun's bark of laughter suddenly made Nino's whole day worthwhile.
++++
In the other cabin Aiba was moving from one side to the other, trying to see which way would give him the best view.
"P-please s-stop," stuttered Sho, who was gripping the edge of the seat hard enough to make his knuckles turn white as the cabin swayed back and forth with Aiba’s sudden movements.
"Sho-chan are you alright? Your face has gone a funny colour," Aiba remarked, leaning down to peer into Sho's face and once again making the cabin rock slightly as he did so.
Sho let out a squeak of fear and pulled Aiba down to sit next to him, not daring to let go of his hand.
"Sorry. I just don't like heights, “Sho rasped.
"But Sho, if you're scared of heights why did you agree to come on the ride?"
"Because I knew that it would give you pleasure."
Aiba didn't reply, instead he snuggled up against Sho's side and clutched his hand reassuringly.
Sho sighed with relief, almost forgetting his fears as he savoured the feeling of Aiba pressing against him.
"I've had a wonderful day so far Sho-chan, and I appreciate you coming on this ride with me. I hope that I can do something just as nice for you in return."
"Just agreeing to go out with me again would be more than enough."
"Of course I will. I really like you and want to get to know you better," Aiba said, looking at Sho with adoring eyes.
"Me too, but perhaps we could stay on the ground next time," Sho said, scrunching his eyes tightly shut as the ride began to move.
++++
A minute later as the cabins containing the couples reached the top of the wheel there was a strange grinding sound as the ride jerked to a halt.
An announcement came over the intercom system on the ride saying that there was a small fault and that it would be repaired in a few minutes.
From the cabin containing Nino and Jun there was the sound of laughter as Jun re-enacted what he imagined Sho's panic at the situation would look like. Nino couldn’t help wanting to learn more about Jun, while Jun in turn felt safe to be alone with another guy for the first time since his breakup; each feeling that spark that came when you were on the cusp of finding that connection with that special someone.
On the other hand from Sho and Aiba's cabin there came a panicked shriek that was quickly muffled, almost as if the person making the noise was having his mouth covered over by someone who was kissing him thoroughly in an effort to calm him down.
Even though it actually took almost thirty minutes to get the ride started again, none of the four complained at all when they were finally reunited, Nino and Jun choosing not to mention that it looked as if there had been more than talking taking place throughout that time in the other cabin as Sho’s ruffled hair was smoothed and Aiba’s rumpled clothes readjusted.
As they walked towards the exit; Jun still taunting his cousin for his legendary cowardice as Sho wobbled beside him on shaky legs, Aiba managed to snatch a second alone with his friend.
"That wasn't so bad now, was it?"
"I guess not. But you still have to wash my socks," Nino replied, attempting to still sound reluctant even as he was not quite able to stop the corners of his mouth turning up as he remembered the feeling of Jun's soft lips on his as he kissed him in answer to Nino's question of whether he could see him again.
Aiba smiled knowingly in return before running to catch up with the two cousins, slapping Sho's butt on the way. Sho, caught by surprise by Aiba's boldness felt a high pitched squeal accidentally escape from his mouth. The sight of his much loved cousin sharing a grin with Nino made his humiliation almost worthwhile. He knew that Jun was going to be alright, just as he knew that everything with Aiba was going to be fine. Actually after the way that the alluring man had kissed him earlier he knew that things were going to be more than fine.
Teasing laughter accompanied the couples on the way to the train station and since nobody wanted the day to end just yet, dinner for four was quickly arranged - at Sho's expense of course, much to Nino's great satisfaction.
Genre: fluff, romance, au
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Arashi - I only own these random scribblings.
Summary: Aiba had been mooning around gazing at Communications major Sakurai Sho as if he was the last cream cake in the bakery for weeks now. Apparently it had paid off and a date had been arranged. The only problem was that Sho's cousin who was apparently recovering from some romantic trauma was visiting and Sho didn't want to leave him at home by himself. Aiba had of course instantly volunteered Nino and a double date was set up.
Note: This is for
antimiya88 whose chance comment planted the idea for this story in my mind a very, very, very long time ago. Sorry it took me so long to write."Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No!"
"Pleeeease?"
"Noooo."
"Plee-smmmf" Aiba's words were muffled as Nino shoved half of his sandwich into his mouth in an attempt to shut him up.
The best friends were enjoying the late spring sunshine by sitting on a bench in the small park on their campus to eat their lunch. At least Aiba was; Nino found the whole outdoors thing quite unnecessary, but the offer of a free lunch had been too tempting. He should have known that there was an ulterior motive behind the invitation.
Aiba had been mooning around gazing at Communications major Sakurai Sho as if he was the last cream cake in the bakery for weeks now. Apparently it had paid off and a date had been arranged. The only problem was that Sho's cousin who was apparently recovering from some romantic trauma was visiting and Sho didn't want to leave him at home by himself. Aiba had of course instantly volunteered Nino and a double date was set up.
Rumour had it that said cousin had been dumped in a most humiliating way. Nino couldn't even begin to imagine what a sad specimen of manhood he must be and he had absolutely no desire whatsoever to find out.
"If you ask me one more time I will shove the other half of this sandwich somewhere altogether more unpleasant than your mouth next time," Nino said in a threatening tone.
"But Nino," Aiba whined, obviously not in the least scared by his friend's threat "Sho said that his cousin is so depressed that he couldn't possibly leave him home all alone. What if he does something stupid?"
"You do something stupid all the time and seem to survive ok," Nino said, his words lacking any sting as he felt himself weakening in the face of Aiba's pleading puppy eyes.
They had met at their first day of kindergarten and before the day was through they had ended up as best friends for life. A bond cemented when Aiba somehow persuaded Nino to eat a worm as an experiment to see what they tasted like. Nino had been caving in to his friends crazy ideas ever since.
With a heavy sigh, Nino surrendered to the inevitable.
"Ok already. I'll do it but I don't expect to have to spend a cent throughout the whole day and you will become my maid for the next month. I have an absolute mountain of dirty socks in my laundry basket awaiting your personal attention."
"Thank you Nino, I’ll have your socks clean in a jiffy," Aiba said, planting a mustardy kiss on Nino's cheek, happy that soon he would be able to spend an entire day with his Sho-chan.
++++
Three days later the two of them were standing at the entrance to Funland amusement park; both of them wearing completely different expressions. Aiba was bouncing excitedly up and down looking around him eagerly while Nino was leaning on the wall and playing with his DS.
"Do I look ok?" Aiba asked, fluffing his hair nervously.
Aiba looked more than ok, Nino thought jealously. No matter how mismatched an outfit he wore he managed to make it look good. Sho wouldn't know what hit him when he saw Aiba in those jeans which were ripped in extremely strategic places.
Before he could think of a suitably snarky response Aiba suddenly stood to attention as two figures walked towards them. One was moving eagerly while the other reluctantly dragged his feet, trailing along a few paces behind.
Nino could see from where he leant, that the one with the soppy expression was Aiba's crush and the one that looked like he didn't want to be there was his date for the day.
"Aiba-chan," Sho called and waved with an exaggerated gesture, causing his companion to wince and pull his hat even further down over his eyebrows.
Aiba waved back and ran over to meet him, the pair seemingly frozen in place, cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink as they brushed fingertips in greeting. They seemed to forget that they weren't alone as they gazed into each other’s eyes, blocking the entranceway to the park.
It was hard to tell what Sho's cousin actually looked like, hidden as he was underneath his hat and a pair of glasses with thick rectangular black frames, but the look of despair that passed over his face as he looked at the cooing couple spoke directly to Nino’s cynical heart. Perhaps the day wasn't going to so bad after all.
++++
Sho had been under Aiba's spell since the first time their eyes had met as they both grabbed for the last chocolate milk in the cafeteria. They had spent the next five minutes holding up the line as they each tried to make the other take the milk. After the queue had turned into a complaining mob they had decided to share the prize and their relationship had blossomed from there.
Sho had finally plucked up the courage to ask the younger man out on a date after a few weeks of concentrated flirting. Apart from his beautiful features, Aiba's warm personality had immediately won him over; just being near him made his heart beat that bit faster.
Everything was perfect until the phone call from his mother telling him that his cousin Jun was coming to stay. She didn't give him many details, merely muttering something about him being in a fragile emotional state and under no circumstances to leave him alone for an extended period of time. Sho had laughed off her concern until she had hinted darkly that Jun may have tried to harm himself, which was why it had been decided to send him to Tokyo to escape whatever appeared to be troubling him. This conversation unfortunately took place all too late for Sho to say no because even as he was on his phone walking up to his apartment door he noticed a rumpled figure sitting on the floor leaning against his door.
“Jun? Are you ok?” Sho asked, worried by the pale face of his favourite and youngest cousin. “Are you sick? Why are you on the floor?”
Two big eyes stared back at him from the slumped heap of black clothing.
“Which of those questions would you like me to answer first? I’m on the floor because I’ve been here for over an hour waiting for you to come home.”
“Why didn’t you ring me to tell me you were here?”
“Because my phone got broken and I haven’t replaced it yet,” Jun replied in a depressed sounding voice.
Remembering his mother’s warning Sho decided to not press Jun any further, merely letting him into the apartment, where he flopped down on the sofa where he would be sleeping, refused Sho’s offer of dinner and didn’t say another word for the rest of the night.
Worried that it could ruin his proposed date with Aiba-chan he discussed it with him as soon as he was out of earshot of his unhappy guest. As much as it pained him he thought that maybe it was best to delay things, but Aiba had other ideas.
“I have the perfect solution Sho-chan. If you don’t mind going on a double date I can invite Nino along to keep your cousin company.”
“Will he be ok with that?”
“Of course, Nino loves meeting new people and making new friends.”
“Are you sure about this? I hate to say it but I kind of got the impression that he likes only you and barely tolerates anyone else.”
“Well, maybe I might be exaggerating slightly, but I’m sure I can persuade him.”
Sho had received confirmation from Aiba that Nino was willing to accompany Jun for the day and had managed to persuade his younger cousin to go along with the scheme, but only after he had purchased him a new mobile to replace his broken one.
++++
“Shall we go in?” asked Sho as he managed to drag himself away from Aiba’s hypnotic gaze.
“Yay!” said Aiba.
“If we must,” sighed Nino.
“Fine,” grumped Jun.
While Sho went and purchased tickets for all of them Aiba dragged Nino to one side. “Please make an effort.”
“I’m here aren’t I?”
“Yes, and I really appreciate it, but I really like Sho-chan and I want him to like me too,” Aiba said with pleading eyes.
“Idiot, how could he not like you?” Nino asked fondly. “Don’t worry I’ll make sure that you two have plenty of alone time so you can work your magic, although I think he already looks pretty smitten.”
Aiba’s smile made everything worthwhile for Nino, almost.
++++
They walked around the amusement park trying to decide what they should do first. Sho and Aiba were chatting happily as they went while Nino and Jun trailed along behind not speaking or even looking at each other.
When Sho suggested that the two couples should split up and meet back at the cafeteria for lunch Aiba greeted the idea with excitement. The reaction of the other two was more lukewarm; Jun shot a look of desperation in Sho’s direction which was pointedly ignored as the lovey-dovey pair shot off into the distance together.
“It’s ok; you don’t have to pretend to like me. We can just go our separate ways and meet the others for lunch and they will never know the difference,” Jun said bitterly “I know that I’m not fun to be around. I’ve heard it often enough lately.”
Nino was shocked by the despair in Jun’s voice and the hurt in his eyes that could barely be seen behind the heavy glasses. “No, I’d like to spend time with you. Maybe we can even find something in this park that isn’t completely lame.”
Nino was rewarded as his reluctant date smiled shyly and pulled his hat from his head, running his fingers through surprisingly glossy black hair before replacing it at a normal level, freeing a pair of spectacular eyebrows from their prison as he did so.
++++
Aiba was eagerly dragging Sho from one place to the next, seemingly unable to decide what he wanted to do first. Sho was more than happy to go along with him as Aiba kept clutching his arm excitedly whenever he wanted to make a point. The feeling of those slender fingers pressing into his flesh through the thin fabric of his shirt made it hard to think clearly and impossible to make a decision.
“Ooh look Sho-chan, you can win a teddy bear if you knock down all the cans,” Aiba said, covetously eyeing a small soft looking brown bear with a red ribbon tied around its furry neck.
Sho knew that it was stupid, but he wanted to impress Aiba with his skill. The first two throws knocked down most of the cans, leaving an awkward arrangement that seemed impossible to get with the last ball. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply he calmed himself before throwing the ball with all his strength.
Aiba shrieked with excitement, throwing himself into Sho’s arms as the cans crashed to the ground. The unhappy looking stall holder reluctantly handed the bear over to Sho who immediately passed it over to Aiba who rewarded him with a tight hug around his neck.
Normally Sho would have been uncomfortable with such displays of public affection but there was something about Aiba that made him forget to worry about what other people would think. He had spent his entire life so far doing what others expected of him and the idea of breaking the rules with Aiba was enticing. Apart from his breathtaking looks it was one of the first things that attracted him to him, in addition to his kind and generous good nature and his positive outlook on life.
It wasn’t that Aiba wasn’t intelligent, it was just that he lived life in the moment and in the process made things better for anyone who came into contact with him. Sho had noticed that even the surly Nino smiled whenever he was around his lifelong friend.
“Thank you Sho-chan,” Aiba said, looking at Sho with shining eyes. “I’ll always treasure him as a memento of our first date.”
Sho’s heart skipped merrily at Aiba’s implication that there would be many more dates to come.
++++
Nino was surprised when Jun stopped in front of the biggest rollercoaster in the park with a yearning look on his face. While they had been wandering around Nino had been making fun of the people who were lining up for the rides, laughing at girlfriends clinging to their boyfriends and squealing in mock terror and joking about adults lugging around cheap stuffed animals that had been won at the skilled games and until now Nino hadn’t realised that Jun might actually want to go on some of the attractions.
“Did you want to go on this?”
“No, it’s fine, don’t worry about it. I guess it’s pretty lame.”
Jun pulled off his glasses and polished them on the tail end of his shirt, revealing a pair of large brown eyes framed with long thick lashes, which were currently displaying more than a little sadness in their depths.
Nino realised for the first time that underneath all of the camouflage he was hiding behind, his companion was actually rather stunning looking.
Making a snap decision Nino grabbed Jun’s hand and pulled him over to entranceway for the ride, wanting to see what Jun looked like when he smiled properly.
++++
As the two couples reunited over lunch Sho and Aiba sat close to one another, their knees touching under the table, both sharing the same cheesy grin. Sitting across from them Nino and Jun kept their distance but they both had the same pink tinge to their cheeks which didn’t go unnoticed by Aiba.
When they had decided what they all wanted to eat, Sho went to order at the counter leaving the other three to catch up.
“So you two are enjoying yourselves then?” Aiba asked as he sat his bear on the table.
“Never mind what we’re doing. What on earth is that?” Nino asked as he pointed to the new fuzzy addition to the day.
“Sho-chan won him for me,” Aiba said proudly. “He was ever so strong,” he added with a sigh.
Nino and Jun’s eyes simultaneously rolled back into their heads as they made matching gagging noises.
Aiba wasn’t at all offended, instead taking their synchronized show of disgust as a very good sign that they were bonding.
“So, is everyone having a good time so far?” Sho asked as he returned to the table carrying a tray laden with burgers, cold drinks and a cup of strawberry ice-cream for Aiba.
“Well, I’m quite disappointed that you didn’t win us all a bear. I’m not sure how Nino feels about it either.” Jun said with the first spark of humour that Sho had seen since his arrival, even if it was heavily laced with sarcasm.
“Oh, I’m not worried about the bear,” said Nino as he unwrapped his burger “but I’m insanely jealous of the ice-cream.”
Aiba, who was taking a sneaky taste before eating his burger, blushed almost as pink as the sugary confection.
“I didn’t ask Sho-chan for it.”
“That’s true,” added Sho “I just thought Aiba-chan looked like a strawberry ice-cream sort of person, since he’s so sweet.”
This sparked of another round of gagging noises from the other couple, which both Sho and Aiba ignored as they shared a secret smile of understanding.
“So, what do we all want to do after lunch?” Sho asked, trying to restore some sort of order.
“Can we go home? I have this awesome game that I wanted Jun to try.” Nino said, earning another shy smile from his date.
“No.” said Aiba firmly. “This is a double date so we have to do fun stuff together as two couples otherwise it doesn’t count.”
This remark earned a synchronized sigh from across the table as Nino and Jun finished their burgers and a wistful look from Sho, who had been looking forward to spending some more time alone with Aiba getting to know more about him.
++++
“Are you trying to avoid being alone with me?” Sho asked Aiba softly as they walked around the grounds behind Nino and Jun.
“Of course not! It’s just that Nino doesn’t go out much. What am I saying? He doesn’t go out ever.” Aiba said quietly in return. “I worry about him sometimes. I’m the only friend he’s ever had, apart from this weird kid at school called Ohno; for a while I thought that they would get together, but then he moved away with his family and Nino was alone again.”
“Jun’s kind of the same. He’s really sensitive and doesn’t make friends easily. He did have a boyfriend, but he seems to have broken up with him quite recently under some shady circumstances. I don’t know the full details and he refuses to talk to me about it. This is the most I’ve heard him speak since he arrived.”
“I promise that next time you will have my undivided attention,” Aiba said with a megawatt smile.
“I’ll make sure of that.”
“Ooh!” Aiba exclaimed, coming to a sudden stop. “I want to go on that!” he said pointing to the giant wheel sitting in the very centre of the park.
Sho’s face suddenly lost all colour as he croaked “I’m sure the queue is far too long and as far as I know you have to book a time because the ride takes ages and I’m sure the others don’t want to go on it and isn’t there something else you’d rather be doing and maybe I could win you another bear...” he stopped babbling as he realized that Aiba was looking at him with eyes full of disappointment.
Taking a shaky breath Sho continued “Or we could just go over there and see if there is a chance of us getting on right away because I’d hate for us to miss out?”
This earned him another hug from Aiba whose expression had instantly changed from puppy eyed longing to one of glee.
++++
"Wow, my cousin must really like your friend a lot," Jun remarked as they settled into their seats as the wheel slowly turned allowing people to board each cabin.
"Oh really? Why?"
"Because he's always been terrified of heights. He can't even climb past the second rung on a ladder without hyperventilating, “Jun replied with a smile.
"Darn, if I'd known that I would have made sure that we went in the same cabin as them," Nino said with a tinge of regret.
"You mean that you wouldn't prefer to spend time with just me?" Jun said as he removed his hat and glasses and placed them on the seat opposite.
Nino gulped as Jun turned to look at him with wide brown eyes, and for the first time he noticed the three small moles that were dotted cutely around his lips. He found himself wanting to know more about his date and the reasons behind his sudden arrival at Sho's place.
"I don't want to pry, and you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but Aiba said that something happened back at home and your family was worried about you?"
Jun's gaze darkened and he seemed to withdraw back into himself as he contemplated his answer but Nino's clear and surprisingly gentle eyes gave him the courage to reply.
"I had a boyfriend, my first, and I thought he loved me. He was older and more experienced and he wanted me to have sex with him. I wasn't sure. I'm still at school you know, and I just didn't feel ready..."
Nino could see how hard it was for Jun to continue, so he said nothing, just taking the younger man's hand in his to show his support.
"He told me that I was boring and pathetic and a useless baby; and he might be right and maybe I am all of those things but I don't deserve to be talked to like that, so I told him that it was over and went to leave," Jun's eyes were welling with tears as he continued.
"You don't have to tell me..." Nino said, worried that this was all too upsetting for Jun.
"No. Talking like this is making me feel better. I haven't told anyone what happened, not even my parents, or Sho," Jun said as he took a shuddering breath before continuing. "He grabbed me when I turned to leave and he tried to force me to...I couldn't believe it...all the time we were together I thought he loved me....I was so stupid..."
"It wasn't your fault." Nino said fiercely.
"Oh, I know that. That's why I kicked him in the crotch - hard. I don't think he has to worry about having sex with anyone for quite a while," Jun said with a giggle as he brushed the tears from his cheeks. "That's the first time I think I've laughed since then. I've been pretty depressed and not really eating much which to my mother seems as if I'm trying to deliberately hurt myself. She's a bit of a drama queen, which I think I may have inherited from her, so be warned."
The story had made Nino want to run out and punch the guy who had treated Jun so terribly, but he settled for giving the younger man a fiercely protective hug instead, hardly even realizing what he was doing until he felt him stiffen slightly in his embrace.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do that. You just told me about an older guy who tried to molest you and I just did the same."
"It's in no way the same. For a start, you were just trying to comfort me," Jun said with a shy smile as he took Nino's hand in his again "and secondly you don't strike me as the molesting type. From what I've seen of Aiba-chan so far there's no way he would be friends with someone who isn't just as nice as he is."
Nino theatrically clutched his chest and reeled back "Ow, that really hurts. Don't put me in the same basket with that idiot."
Jun's bark of laughter suddenly made Nino's whole day worthwhile.
++++
In the other cabin Aiba was moving from one side to the other, trying to see which way would give him the best view.
"P-please s-stop," stuttered Sho, who was gripping the edge of the seat hard enough to make his knuckles turn white as the cabin swayed back and forth with Aiba’s sudden movements.
"Sho-chan are you alright? Your face has gone a funny colour," Aiba remarked, leaning down to peer into Sho's face and once again making the cabin rock slightly as he did so.
Sho let out a squeak of fear and pulled Aiba down to sit next to him, not daring to let go of his hand.
"Sorry. I just don't like heights, “Sho rasped.
"But Sho, if you're scared of heights why did you agree to come on the ride?"
"Because I knew that it would give you pleasure."
Aiba didn't reply, instead he snuggled up against Sho's side and clutched his hand reassuringly.
Sho sighed with relief, almost forgetting his fears as he savoured the feeling of Aiba pressing against him.
"I've had a wonderful day so far Sho-chan, and I appreciate you coming on this ride with me. I hope that I can do something just as nice for you in return."
"Just agreeing to go out with me again would be more than enough."
"Of course I will. I really like you and want to get to know you better," Aiba said, looking at Sho with adoring eyes.
"Me too, but perhaps we could stay on the ground next time," Sho said, scrunching his eyes tightly shut as the ride began to move.
++++
A minute later as the cabins containing the couples reached the top of the wheel there was a strange grinding sound as the ride jerked to a halt.
An announcement came over the intercom system on the ride saying that there was a small fault and that it would be repaired in a few minutes.
From the cabin containing Nino and Jun there was the sound of laughter as Jun re-enacted what he imagined Sho's panic at the situation would look like. Nino couldn’t help wanting to learn more about Jun, while Jun in turn felt safe to be alone with another guy for the first time since his breakup; each feeling that spark that came when you were on the cusp of finding that connection with that special someone.
On the other hand from Sho and Aiba's cabin there came a panicked shriek that was quickly muffled, almost as if the person making the noise was having his mouth covered over by someone who was kissing him thoroughly in an effort to calm him down.
Even though it actually took almost thirty minutes to get the ride started again, none of the four complained at all when they were finally reunited, Nino and Jun choosing not to mention that it looked as if there had been more than talking taking place throughout that time in the other cabin as Sho’s ruffled hair was smoothed and Aiba’s rumpled clothes readjusted.
As they walked towards the exit; Jun still taunting his cousin for his legendary cowardice as Sho wobbled beside him on shaky legs, Aiba managed to snatch a second alone with his friend.
"That wasn't so bad now, was it?"
"I guess not. But you still have to wash my socks," Nino replied, attempting to still sound reluctant even as he was not quite able to stop the corners of his mouth turning up as he remembered the feeling of Jun's soft lips on his as he kissed him in answer to Nino's question of whether he could see him again.
Aiba smiled knowingly in return before running to catch up with the two cousins, slapping Sho's butt on the way. Sho, caught by surprise by Aiba's boldness felt a high pitched squeal accidentally escape from his mouth. The sight of his much loved cousin sharing a grin with Nino made his humiliation almost worthwhile. He knew that Jun was going to be alright, just as he knew that everything with Aiba was going to be fine. Actually after the way that the alluring man had kissed him earlier he knew that things were going to be more than fine.
Teasing laughter accompanied the couples on the way to the train station and since nobody wanted the day to end just yet, dinner for four was quickly arranged - at Sho's expense of course, much to Nino's great satisfaction.
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Date: 2017-01-31 09:22 am (UTC)I was grinning sheepishly the whole time! Thta was sooo cute! ^_^ I love the combination of hyperactive Aiba and a completely smitten yet shy Sho! :D As for Aimiya, I love this balance between them! True bffs! ^^
Matsumiya. I liked how you made them being all cute together with their pink cheeks (while one of them has spectacular eyebrows)! ;) I loved the scene in the wheel! It was really touching! Loved the shy kiss!
But concerning SA, why didn't we have a better analysis of the events having taken place in the cabin that led to ruffled hair and messy clothes?! xDDD They were adorable! :)
Loved it, my dear! ^^ Thank you so much for this!! <3
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Date: 2017-01-31 10:36 am (UTC)Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ (https://www.dreamwidth.org/support/faqbrowse?faqid=303).
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Date: 2017-01-31 10:46 am (UTC)This is to say, I loved this so much, lecchan (I hope you don't mind me calling you like this today, but I need to. It expresses my feels perfectly, you see.)
The things I loved the most:
-Nino being forced to go to a double date WITH JUN (gimme moar matsumiya any time)
-Jun warming up to Nino
-This sentence: (...) but the look of despair that passed over his face as he looked at the cooing couple spoke directly to Nino’s cynical heart.
-Matsumiya bonding over their disgust for the cheesy Sakuraiba pair
-Sho taking care of Jun is UGH PLEASE COULD YOU NOT *feels overload*
-The "please have the last milk chocolate" story (it was seriously heartwarming, and all the time I was thinking, "wow Sho would do that? that's love." - and cue the wheel scene lol poor Sho)
Ahhh thank you ;__;
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Date: 2017-01-31 08:11 pm (UTC)I just couldn't resist having both Jun and Nino being disgusted by the sugary sweetness of Sakuraiba.
And even though they were with other people Sakumoto feels always creep in somewhere.
I glad that you liked it.
I'm still working on your Juntoshi by the way (it just keeps getting longer).
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Date: 2017-01-31 08:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-31 12:37 pm (UTC)Really enjoyed this, thanks! ♥
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Date: 2017-01-31 08:13 pm (UTC)Getting stuck certainly was a win for Sho even though he was completely terrified.
Thanks for reading 💕
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Date: 2017-01-31 02:53 pm (UTC)But what this one >>Aiba somehow persuaded Nino to eat a worm as an experiment>> I screamed OMG what?! Lols poor Nino. I wonder how Nino still be friend with Aiba then haha
Of course Sho's frighten with height, but for sure after this his cure will only be Aiba's kisses.
I love the way you described how Jun's feature was revealed little by little to Nino, and aww to the Matsumiya small kiss <3
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Date: 2017-01-31 08:28 pm (UTC)I think that Jun is on the way back to being happy again.
Thanks for reading.
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Date: 2017-01-31 03:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-02-01 09:39 am (UTC)I'm with you, we all need to find Jun's ex and give him a kicking. (Although Jun already did that.)
Thanks for reading dear 💕💕
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Date: 2017-01-31 04:05 pm (UTC)And Matsumiya as a contrast <3 I love how from the first moment on Jun kind of touched something in Nino and awakened his protective side. To image he tugged Jun to the rollercoaster and how attentive Nino was. Love the little snark towards Sho and Aiba from both of them. And then the wheel <3
Jun's story is sad - he had to feel really crushed. But now he has Nino, and I bet Nino makes all his doubts and fears go away <3
Love this! Thanks for sharing <3
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Date: 2017-02-01 09:45 am (UTC)Does that make me mean?
I think that Nino and Jun each found a kindred spirit, since both of them are quite closed off with their feelings.
I feel sorry for poor Sho, stuck up there, but it was quite beneficial for him too.
As always thanks for always reading my scribble.
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Date: 2017-01-31 04:41 pm (UTC)cuteeee 😁
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Date: 2017-02-01 09:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-31 05:02 pm (UTC)“Of course, Nino loves meeting new people and making new friends.”<< I died right here. Nice try Aibachan, nice try. LOL.
But awwwwwww Sho taking care of Jun. (Must be really distant cousins. Dem eyebrows are different HAHA JK). And Nino falling for Jun. And fragile (but still fabulous) Jun. And such lovey dovey cheesey corny puppy love from Sakuraiba. AHHHH too cute <3.
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Date: 2017-02-01 09:50 am (UTC)The whole thing turned into quite the fluff fest.
I have to write something totally angsty and tortured soon just to offset the sweetness.
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Date: 2017-01-31 10:50 pm (UTC)I'm on team "making gagging noises at Sho and Aiba" here hahahahahahahaha! Just because it's fun :P
Sho is so cheesy. I died at the teddy bear part <3 That was so adorable! Also him agreeing to get into that high thing? Damn! He's in love! LOL! (although he got a nice reward, it seems ;))
And this line→"Ow, that really hurts. Don't put me in the same basket with that idiot." xD Nino <3
Thanks for sharing this with us! ^^
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Date: 2017-02-01 09:53 am (UTC)Even Nino surrendered his cold and cynical side when faced with fragile Jun.
You can tell that I wrote most of this when I was in Christmas fluff mode.
❤
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Date: 2017-02-01 03:27 pm (UTC)Nino and Jun here are so sweet. I love that Nino kinda act indifferent and annoyed when he was in fact so nice and kind inside. Seeing Nino gradually revealed his interest in Jun was also really cute. And when Jun said he's sure Nino was nice because he is Aiba's best friend (and kind of implies that Aiba could only be best friend with a kindest, nicest soul) I was like, yes! Jun, best observation ever! Bless him (or you, really) for saying that. 😘
Btw, I felt really bad about what happened to Jun and that he couldn't tell anyone until he met Nino. Poor guy. Anyhow, it kidda makes their encounter even more special. I am so glad it worked out the way it did.
Thank you so much for this. I usually don't read college/HS AU but you make this one sooo cute and adorable I couldn't resist. Now, I am glad I have read this. Thank you!
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Date: 2017-02-02 09:27 am (UTC)Somehow they even managed to infect Nino with some of their fluffyness.
Jun was right. As much as Nino tries to hide it he is is just as sweet as Aiba, you just have to dig a bit deeper.
It was good for Jun to finally be able to unburden himself to Nino.
I think they will all be just fine.
Thanks for taking the chance and reading something you usually wouldn't.
I'm glad you liked it. 💕
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Date: 2017-02-04 01:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-02-04 02:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-02-07 08:35 am (UTC)Nino and Jun will hopefully be happy together, thanks for sharing dear ❤❤
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Date: 2017-02-07 09:11 am (UTC)I agree that Jun and Nino will be just fine.
Thanks for reading 💕