Just This Once Let's Take The Stairs
Mar. 16th, 2019 01:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
learashiPairing: Sakumiya
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Sakurai Sho used to be a whole lot more fun, but gradually work has taken over his life. Ninomiya Kazunari, on the other hand, seems to coast though life exerting the barest minimum of effort. Despite appearing to be polar opposites, there is an underlying attraction between them, which both refuse to acknowledge. But when something unexpected happens, they turn out to have more in common than they ever imagined.
Notes: This story was originally written and posted at Shoex.
Sakurai Sho straightened his tie and checked his reflection in the mirror above the washbasin. His hair was a shade of brown just short of black and neatly cut in a conservative style. The dark circles under his eyes were a product of many hours of overtime, but his eyes were bright.
Earlier in the morning he’d been tasked with a massive assignment which meant certain promotion if successfully completed. The only fly in the ointment was the choice of partner for this project. He’d been teamed with a person whom Sho considered to be someone who lacked a sense of responsibility and appeared to drift through the working day doing the bare minimum required. To Sho’s annoyance, the very man walked into the restroom to wash his hands. Sho had decided to use the bathroom farthest away from his work cubicle in the hopes of avoiding Ninomiya Kazunari, but it seemed that it was impossible to escape.
When Nino saw that Sho was already in the room, he’d been tempted to turn around and walk out. Instead he paused briefly to admire the shape of Sho’s butt in his navy blue suit, before going to wash his hands. To Nino, Sho was an incredibly handsome looking man, but his workaholic tendencies proportionately lowered his level of appeal.
As their eyes met in the mirror, both men cringed internally.
***
“Hey, Aiba.” Nino put his feet up on the corner of his desk as he spoke to his friend on the phone. “He’s working late again, and this means that I have to be here too. Just my luck to get stuck on a project with Mr Perfect. Oh crap, here he comes.”
Sho deposited a tall stack of files on Nino’s desk, frowning at the scattering of manga which took up most of the remaining surface area. “Ninomiya-san, if you have a spare minute in your busy schedule, perhaps you could sort these out? The presentation is in two days’ time, or have you forgotten?”
“I'll get right on it, but only if you stop calling me Ninomiya and start calling me Nino, like everyone else,” Nino said, covering the mouthpiece of his phone. When Sho showed no signs of leaving, Nino stared at him without blinking, until he finally moved away.
When it was safe, Nino returned to his chat with Aiba. “It's a shame that those looks are wasted on someone who obviously doesn't know what to do with them. What? No, I don't like him. I was merely making an observation.”
***
Sho’s friends Ohno and Jun were already seated at their usual table when Sho arrived. He didn't really have time in his busy schedule to sit around chatting and drinking coffee, but their weekly meetings were a tradition which stretched back to university days.
“Hi Sho-kun, I ordered cheesecake for us all.” Ohno pointed to a plate in the middle of the table. A baked cheesecake topped with sour cherry sauce and a billowing cloud of whipped cream glistened temptingly. He picked up a metal cake server and began to hack off a slice.
Jun clicked his tongue in disapproval and snatched the utensil from Ohno’s hand. “Let me do it if you can't cut it properly.” Jun swiftly cut a perfect triangle for both Ohno and Sho, before shaving off a small sliver for himself.
“Sorry I'm late.” Sho was slightly breathless as he took his seat. “It’s that Ninomiya’s fault.”
Ohno and Jun exchanged a look, surprised by the way Sho spat out the name with venom. As he picked up his fork, Ohno wiggled an eyebrow at Jun, indicating that he wanted him to take the initiative. Jun nodded and poured Sho a cup of coffee from the large pot which he’d ordered earlier. “What’s he done this time?”
“If he actually did anything, I wouldn't have such a problem with him,” Sho sighed, stabbing at his cheesecake. “He never seems to do any work. I get there early, and stay late every night working on this project. While he just slouches in one minute before he’s due to start and then leaves right on five pm. It’s a miracle that he has deigned to work late with me for a couple of days to make sure we're ready on time.”
Jun nodded sympathetically, “The man has the wrong attitude to work. Just try and not let his sloppy ways drag you down with him.”
As much as Sho liked the sympathy, he knew he had to be honest. “Well, actually, I must admit that his work isn’t sloppy. He always hands everything in on time. It’s just his attitude which annoys me. We aren't at work to enjoy ourselves.”
“Maybe that's your problem right there.” Ohno put down his fork and relaxed back into his chair. Unlike the other two, who wore almost identical grey suits and white shirts, Ohno was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt bought on a vacation almost five years earlier. His work as a freelance graphic designer suited his artistic and non-conformist attitude to life. He loved both Jun and Sho like brothers, but had never understood how they could tie themselves down in such a strict corporate world. “You need more joy in your life, and you need to loosen up a bit.”
“I get plenty loose on the weekend,” Sho protested. “But work is work.”
“Sho’s right, up to a point,” Jun agreed, straightening his tie. “But you're right too, Satoshi,” he added, thinking of the clubbing clothes sitting in his wardrobe at home, just waiting to be worn on the weekend. “We haven't all been out together in ages because Sho keeps taking work home on the weekend.” He turned to Sho, who was busy shoveling cake into his mouth at high speed. “You need to have some fun occasionally or else you’ll be old before your time.”
“Well, you guys better get used to it because Ninomiya is making it even tougher for me. He just sits there and plays on his phone all day with these tiny little hamburger hands. And he wears his hair styled like he's some kind of idol, and he has an attitude to match. He doesn't even sit up straight when I talk to him, just slumps there with his shirt unbuttoned showing off his collarbones, and looking all tiny and fragile.” Sho realized that he’d been babbling and hastily stuffed another forkful of cheesecake into his mouth.
Ohno leaned forward eagerly, snapping out of his relaxed state. “So, you think he's cute then?”
“Do not,” Sho pouted, trying hard not to blush.
“Oh, but I think you do.” Jun’s eyes glittered with enjoyment at Sho’s discomfort.
“How could I possibly like someone like that?” Sho huffed, before hastily changing the subject.
***
“So, I think that's everything,” Nino said. He was bending over the desk, shuffling through the final draft of their presentation. His hips swayed as he reached for a binder.
Sho found himself spacing out as he observed Nino from the doorway to the conference room. He was beginning to feel like a creep after catching himself watching Nino several times when the other man wasn't looking. It was difficult to admit that he was attracted to someone who seemed to take great pleasure in being so irritating.
Nino turned to face Sho, waving his hand in front of Sho’s nose, “Hello? You really need to cut down on the overtime, if you're going to keep falling asleep on me.”
“You’re the one who fell asleep at their desk last night,” Sho retorted.
“Only because you were droning on about line spacing or something equally as riveting,” Nino snarked back. He hadn’t actually been asleep; it was just that Sho’s deep voice had lulled him into a trance and he’d been hypnotised by the sight of the veins in Sho’s hands as he pointed out Nino’s mistake.
“I just want to make sure that you’re ready to handle your part of this meeting,” Sho insisted.
“Don’t worry, everything is done. You should go home and grab some sleep.“ Nino grabbed his bag and prepared to leave. It was almost midnight and all he wanted right now was a cup of instant ramen and his bed, and it didn’t matter in which particular order. He couldn’t resist one final dig at Sho on his way out though, after putting up with his mother hen nagging all night. “All you have to do is not bore them to death when you make your presentation tomorrow.”
Unwilling to engage with Nino any further, Sho retreated to his own desk to go over his work one last time. Nino was proving to be an ever bigger distraction than usual, and Sho was worried that he was losing control of the situation.
***
Despite Sho’s fears, the meeting went well. To Sho’s great surprise, Nino stepped up at just the right moment, smoothing out their client’s concerns over a few technical issues which had recently cropped up. The smug look that Nino had directed at Sho afterwards had left him just as annoyed as usual though. At least it was Friday, and Sho wouldn't have to deal with Nino again until Monday.
They stepped into the elevator, pointedly moving to the opposite sides of the confined space.
“You’re closest; can't you at least push the button?” Sho glared at Nino, who was, as always, twiddling with his phone.
Nino shrugged and pressed the button at the same time as Sho, who stepped forwards and viciously stabbed at the button on his side of the door. The elevator jerked and made an almost confused sound as it moved downwards for a few seconds before grinding to a halt. The jerk propelled Nino into Sho, who instinctively grabbed hold of the smaller man to stop him from falling.
“Well, that's just great, Sho-san,” Nino griped, as Sho frantically pressed emergency button on the control panel. “You’ve even managed to stress out the elevator.”
“If you'd bothered to push the button properly in the first place, I wouldn't have had to press it!”
“If you weren't such a control freak you would've waited the two seconds it took me to push the button myself!”
They both paused for breath, glaring at each other across the small space. Sho opened his mouth to respond to Nino, but instead of a cutting remark, a high pitched shriek came out. The lights flickered and the elevator dropped further down the shaft, and Sho could feel hysteria floating close to the surface. He clutched at Nino, who instinctively moved away, but Sho dragged him back. “Don't move! You might make it fall.”
“Very funny.” Nino was about to shove Sho away, when he saw the genuine terror in his eyes. “You aren't joking, are you?”
Sho’s lips were pressed tightly together as he frantically shook his head. He was clutching Nino’s sleeves tight enough to make his knuckles white. A faint whimper escaped as the lights flickered again.
Nino’s face creased into a frown. “You’re actually frightened?”
“I hate heights,” Sho muttered through clenched teeth.
“But we're not up high.”
“You won't be saying that after we plummet three storeys to our death!”
A moment later, the lights went out and Sho screamed. When a dim emergency light came on, Nino could see that Sho was trembling. In an attempt to calm Sho’s nerves Nino jumped up and down. “Please don't panic. See, it’s perfectly safe.”
There was a clunking sound and the elevator dropped another few centimetres, propelling Sho even further into Nino’s arms.
***
The wall of the elevator that he was sitting propped against, was cool and somehow reassuring, enabling Sho to calm himself. It was only when he managed to take a full, if somewhat shuddering breath, that he felt a small hand rubbing his back in tiny circles. His first instinct was to pull away, but he doubted that he had the strength to move.
“At last.” Nino removed his hand and peered into Sho’s face. He was close enough for Sho to be able to see the different flecks of colour in his honey-caramel eyes. “I’ve never seen anyone freak out as badly as that before. I thought you were going to claw your way out of here, after using me as a step ladder.”
“I didn't...did I?” The last few minutes were kind of a blur to Sho. He vaguely remembered trying to get as high as possible, so that if the elevator did plummet to the ground, he might have a few seconds longer to live. It was a ridiculous idea, but one which had made sense at the time.
“You were to trying climb onto my shoulders,” Nino said with a laugh. “But I couldn't support your weight and we both hit the floor. Then I dragged you over here and propped you against the wall.”
As he spoke, Nino flexed his shoulders and arms, as if they hurt. Sho felt bad; he was quite heavy in comparison to Nino’s thin frame. “I'm sorry. I hope you didn't hurt yourself.”
Nino shook his head, as he picked his phone up off the floor. “Nah, I'm fine. It’s probably the most exercise I’ve had in years, and I had to make sure that you didn't damage that magnificent rear end of yours.”
“My what?” Sho figured that his fears were now leading him hallucinate.
“Your butt,” Nino said, reaching out and giving it a pinch. “The entire office has a daily rating system for it dependant on which trousers you are wearing. The navy suit, by the way, shows it to its best advantage.”
“Are you serious?” Sho’s face was so hot with embarrassment, it felt as if his entire blood supply had been drained from the rest of his body and redirected to his head.
Tossing back his head, Nino laughed hard enough to make his whole body shake. “Of course not. I'm just trying to take your mind off things. You really do need to loosen up a bit.”
“That's all right then,” Sho said, pressing the palms of his hands to his cheeks in a an attempt to cool them down.
A devilish grin appeared on Nino’s face as he added mischievously, “It’s just me who keeps score. I have a wall chart and everything.”
This time it was Sho who burst into uncontrollable laughter. His eyes squeezed into half-moons as he felt his body relax, for what felt like the first time in months.
***
The elevator repair company had told them that they were working on repairs and would have them free as soon as possible. But they were vague about the exact timing and Sho’s stomach was beginning to rumble hungrily. He offered Nino a square of chocolate from the bar he’d found in his jacket pocket, but Nino refused. Sho snapped of a piece anyway and pressed it into Nino’s hand. “You should eat more.”
Nino shrugged and reluctantly popped the square into his hand before it melted. “Food isn’t something which really interests me. I eat because I have to.”
Sho gasped at Nino’s sacrilegious words. To him, food was more than just a necessity; it was part of the joy of living. “Then you definitely haven't been eating the right things. You should come to dinner with me sometime, and I will show you just how good it can be.”
“Really? That's surprising.”
“Not so surprising. You’d be amazed at the difference between eating for pleasure and eating for necessity.”
Nino smirked and shook his head. “You misunderstood me. My actual surprise is that you find joy in something. You don't strike me as someone who can get so passionate about anything.” A moment later he added, “I hope I haven't offended you.”
Sho wondered if it was because of the semi-darkness, or because of his earlier terror, but he wasn't offended by Nino’s words. In fact he found himself in agreement. “I used to be passionate about everything. I guess over the last few years I’ve let work take over my life. At least that's what my friend Ohno says.”
“I'm not saying that you're a bad guy. It’s just that most of the time it seems like you have a stick up your ass.” Nino poked Sho in the ribs to show that he was mostly joking.
“My other friend Jun, says that it's because I need to get laid.” Sho blushed and clapped his hand over his mouth, mumbling through his fingers. “I can't believe I just said that.”
“He sounds just like my friend Aiba. He tells me that I spend too much time playing with my phone and not enough time playing with others.”
“Jun keeps trying to drag me out to clubs.”
“Same with Aiba,” Nino sighed. “Maybe they should go together.”
“Pardon me for saying so, but you’ve always struck me as someone who spends more time playing than working,” Sho said quietly, continuing the honest theme.
“Playing with this, maybe,” Nino said, waggling his phone before placing it in his pocket. “But I spend all of my free time at home.”
“So we aren't that different really.” Sho was genuinely surprised. Nino was completely different to how he’d always assumed. “I do believe that we could actually be friends.”
“I don't know about you, but I’d much prefer being more than just friends. I wasn't kidding about the butt part earlier.” Nino squeezed Sho’s thigh as he spoke, hoping to not receive a punch in the face in return.
Sho was speechless for a long moment. Nino’s hand was warm and reassuring, and Sho was content to sit there close to him while he thought things through. It was true that he was lonely, and he didn't want that loneliness to influence his decision. Nino had always been physically attractive to him, with his beautiful eyes and pale skin, but could he cope with his bratty attitude? But it appeared that Sho’s perception of Nino was skewed by his preconceived notions.
“You’re making me nervous over here,” Nino said with forced cheer as he tried to hide his disappointment. “Don't just leave me hanging.”
“I'm sorry, Nino,” Sho said.
Nino blinked hard and snatched his hand away from Sho’s thigh. “It’s fine. At least I can tell Aiba that I tried to put myself out there.”
“No!” Sho grabbed Nino’s hand, engulfing it in his long fingers and holding tight. “If you weren't so quick to jump to conclusions, I would've finished my sentence. I was trying to apologize for taking so long to tell you that I think that I would like to try and be more than friends too.”
“Is that a long winded way of saying that you like me, think I am incredibly handsome, and want to buy me anything that I ask for?”
“Yes...to some of the above,” Sho said with a laugh.
***
The chocolate was long gone and Sho’s stomach was grumbling hungrily, when they were finally freed. The moment the doors opened, they both rushed to the nearest bathroom, not speaking until they met back up at the basins to wash their hands.
Now that they were back in the real world and removed from the emergency situation, Sho was nervous that Nino might have changed his mind about having dinner with him. He caught Nino’s reflected gaze in the mirror, examining his facial expression for hints.
“What?” Nino twisted his head, looking at his reflection. “Is there something on my face?”
“Only your cute little moles,” Sho blurted, before blushing fiercely. “Oh crap. The lack of food is making me reckless.”
“As far as I'm concerned, the more reckless the better.” Nino reached over and unfastened Sho’s tie, winding it into a ball and stuffing it into Sho’s jacket pocket. “You said something about dinner? I'm all yours if you're buying.”
“Absolutely,” Sho replied eagerly.
Nino smiled up at him, happily following Sho out onto the corridor. Sho came to a sudden halt outside the door of the elevator, pausing nervously before reaching out to press the button. Sensing Sho’s hesitance, Nino took Sho’s hand, tugging him away towards the emergency exit. “Maybe just this once we should take the stairs, even though you might end up having to carry me down the last couple of flights.”
“I have no problem with that. The stick up my ass, gives my back extra strength.”
The sound of their laughter echoed back at them as they began the long trudge down to the street.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Sakurai Sho used to be a whole lot more fun, but gradually work has taken over his life. Ninomiya Kazunari, on the other hand, seems to coast though life exerting the barest minimum of effort. Despite appearing to be polar opposites, there is an underlying attraction between them, which both refuse to acknowledge. But when something unexpected happens, they turn out to have more in common than they ever imagined.
Notes: This story was originally written and posted at Shoex.
Sakurai Sho straightened his tie and checked his reflection in the mirror above the washbasin. His hair was a shade of brown just short of black and neatly cut in a conservative style. The dark circles under his eyes were a product of many hours of overtime, but his eyes were bright.
Earlier in the morning he’d been tasked with a massive assignment which meant certain promotion if successfully completed. The only fly in the ointment was the choice of partner for this project. He’d been teamed with a person whom Sho considered to be someone who lacked a sense of responsibility and appeared to drift through the working day doing the bare minimum required. To Sho’s annoyance, the very man walked into the restroom to wash his hands. Sho had decided to use the bathroom farthest away from his work cubicle in the hopes of avoiding Ninomiya Kazunari, but it seemed that it was impossible to escape.
When Nino saw that Sho was already in the room, he’d been tempted to turn around and walk out. Instead he paused briefly to admire the shape of Sho’s butt in his navy blue suit, before going to wash his hands. To Nino, Sho was an incredibly handsome looking man, but his workaholic tendencies proportionately lowered his level of appeal.
As their eyes met in the mirror, both men cringed internally.
***
“Hey, Aiba.” Nino put his feet up on the corner of his desk as he spoke to his friend on the phone. “He’s working late again, and this means that I have to be here too. Just my luck to get stuck on a project with Mr Perfect. Oh crap, here he comes.”
Sho deposited a tall stack of files on Nino’s desk, frowning at the scattering of manga which took up most of the remaining surface area. “Ninomiya-san, if you have a spare minute in your busy schedule, perhaps you could sort these out? The presentation is in two days’ time, or have you forgotten?”
“I'll get right on it, but only if you stop calling me Ninomiya and start calling me Nino, like everyone else,” Nino said, covering the mouthpiece of his phone. When Sho showed no signs of leaving, Nino stared at him without blinking, until he finally moved away.
When it was safe, Nino returned to his chat with Aiba. “It's a shame that those looks are wasted on someone who obviously doesn't know what to do with them. What? No, I don't like him. I was merely making an observation.”
***
Sho’s friends Ohno and Jun were already seated at their usual table when Sho arrived. He didn't really have time in his busy schedule to sit around chatting and drinking coffee, but their weekly meetings were a tradition which stretched back to university days.
“Hi Sho-kun, I ordered cheesecake for us all.” Ohno pointed to a plate in the middle of the table. A baked cheesecake topped with sour cherry sauce and a billowing cloud of whipped cream glistened temptingly. He picked up a metal cake server and began to hack off a slice.
Jun clicked his tongue in disapproval and snatched the utensil from Ohno’s hand. “Let me do it if you can't cut it properly.” Jun swiftly cut a perfect triangle for both Ohno and Sho, before shaving off a small sliver for himself.
“Sorry I'm late.” Sho was slightly breathless as he took his seat. “It’s that Ninomiya’s fault.”
Ohno and Jun exchanged a look, surprised by the way Sho spat out the name with venom. As he picked up his fork, Ohno wiggled an eyebrow at Jun, indicating that he wanted him to take the initiative. Jun nodded and poured Sho a cup of coffee from the large pot which he’d ordered earlier. “What’s he done this time?”
“If he actually did anything, I wouldn't have such a problem with him,” Sho sighed, stabbing at his cheesecake. “He never seems to do any work. I get there early, and stay late every night working on this project. While he just slouches in one minute before he’s due to start and then leaves right on five pm. It’s a miracle that he has deigned to work late with me for a couple of days to make sure we're ready on time.”
Jun nodded sympathetically, “The man has the wrong attitude to work. Just try and not let his sloppy ways drag you down with him.”
As much as Sho liked the sympathy, he knew he had to be honest. “Well, actually, I must admit that his work isn’t sloppy. He always hands everything in on time. It’s just his attitude which annoys me. We aren't at work to enjoy ourselves.”
“Maybe that's your problem right there.” Ohno put down his fork and relaxed back into his chair. Unlike the other two, who wore almost identical grey suits and white shirts, Ohno was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt bought on a vacation almost five years earlier. His work as a freelance graphic designer suited his artistic and non-conformist attitude to life. He loved both Jun and Sho like brothers, but had never understood how they could tie themselves down in such a strict corporate world. “You need more joy in your life, and you need to loosen up a bit.”
“I get plenty loose on the weekend,” Sho protested. “But work is work.”
“Sho’s right, up to a point,” Jun agreed, straightening his tie. “But you're right too, Satoshi,” he added, thinking of the clubbing clothes sitting in his wardrobe at home, just waiting to be worn on the weekend. “We haven't all been out together in ages because Sho keeps taking work home on the weekend.” He turned to Sho, who was busy shoveling cake into his mouth at high speed. “You need to have some fun occasionally or else you’ll be old before your time.”
“Well, you guys better get used to it because Ninomiya is making it even tougher for me. He just sits there and plays on his phone all day with these tiny little hamburger hands. And he wears his hair styled like he's some kind of idol, and he has an attitude to match. He doesn't even sit up straight when I talk to him, just slumps there with his shirt unbuttoned showing off his collarbones, and looking all tiny and fragile.” Sho realized that he’d been babbling and hastily stuffed another forkful of cheesecake into his mouth.
Ohno leaned forward eagerly, snapping out of his relaxed state. “So, you think he's cute then?”
“Do not,” Sho pouted, trying hard not to blush.
“Oh, but I think you do.” Jun’s eyes glittered with enjoyment at Sho’s discomfort.
“How could I possibly like someone like that?” Sho huffed, before hastily changing the subject.
***
“So, I think that's everything,” Nino said. He was bending over the desk, shuffling through the final draft of their presentation. His hips swayed as he reached for a binder.
Sho found himself spacing out as he observed Nino from the doorway to the conference room. He was beginning to feel like a creep after catching himself watching Nino several times when the other man wasn't looking. It was difficult to admit that he was attracted to someone who seemed to take great pleasure in being so irritating.
Nino turned to face Sho, waving his hand in front of Sho’s nose, “Hello? You really need to cut down on the overtime, if you're going to keep falling asleep on me.”
“You’re the one who fell asleep at their desk last night,” Sho retorted.
“Only because you were droning on about line spacing or something equally as riveting,” Nino snarked back. He hadn’t actually been asleep; it was just that Sho’s deep voice had lulled him into a trance and he’d been hypnotised by the sight of the veins in Sho’s hands as he pointed out Nino’s mistake.
“I just want to make sure that you’re ready to handle your part of this meeting,” Sho insisted.
“Don’t worry, everything is done. You should go home and grab some sleep.“ Nino grabbed his bag and prepared to leave. It was almost midnight and all he wanted right now was a cup of instant ramen and his bed, and it didn’t matter in which particular order. He couldn’t resist one final dig at Sho on his way out though, after putting up with his mother hen nagging all night. “All you have to do is not bore them to death when you make your presentation tomorrow.”
Unwilling to engage with Nino any further, Sho retreated to his own desk to go over his work one last time. Nino was proving to be an ever bigger distraction than usual, and Sho was worried that he was losing control of the situation.
***
Despite Sho’s fears, the meeting went well. To Sho’s great surprise, Nino stepped up at just the right moment, smoothing out their client’s concerns over a few technical issues which had recently cropped up. The smug look that Nino had directed at Sho afterwards had left him just as annoyed as usual though. At least it was Friday, and Sho wouldn't have to deal with Nino again until Monday.
They stepped into the elevator, pointedly moving to the opposite sides of the confined space.
“You’re closest; can't you at least push the button?” Sho glared at Nino, who was, as always, twiddling with his phone.
Nino shrugged and pressed the button at the same time as Sho, who stepped forwards and viciously stabbed at the button on his side of the door. The elevator jerked and made an almost confused sound as it moved downwards for a few seconds before grinding to a halt. The jerk propelled Nino into Sho, who instinctively grabbed hold of the smaller man to stop him from falling.
“Well, that's just great, Sho-san,” Nino griped, as Sho frantically pressed emergency button on the control panel. “You’ve even managed to stress out the elevator.”
“If you'd bothered to push the button properly in the first place, I wouldn't have had to press it!”
“If you weren't such a control freak you would've waited the two seconds it took me to push the button myself!”
They both paused for breath, glaring at each other across the small space. Sho opened his mouth to respond to Nino, but instead of a cutting remark, a high pitched shriek came out. The lights flickered and the elevator dropped further down the shaft, and Sho could feel hysteria floating close to the surface. He clutched at Nino, who instinctively moved away, but Sho dragged him back. “Don't move! You might make it fall.”
“Very funny.” Nino was about to shove Sho away, when he saw the genuine terror in his eyes. “You aren't joking, are you?”
Sho’s lips were pressed tightly together as he frantically shook his head. He was clutching Nino’s sleeves tight enough to make his knuckles white. A faint whimper escaped as the lights flickered again.
Nino’s face creased into a frown. “You’re actually frightened?”
“I hate heights,” Sho muttered through clenched teeth.
“But we're not up high.”
“You won't be saying that after we plummet three storeys to our death!”
A moment later, the lights went out and Sho screamed. When a dim emergency light came on, Nino could see that Sho was trembling. In an attempt to calm Sho’s nerves Nino jumped up and down. “Please don't panic. See, it’s perfectly safe.”
There was a clunking sound and the elevator dropped another few centimetres, propelling Sho even further into Nino’s arms.
***
The wall of the elevator that he was sitting propped against, was cool and somehow reassuring, enabling Sho to calm himself. It was only when he managed to take a full, if somewhat shuddering breath, that he felt a small hand rubbing his back in tiny circles. His first instinct was to pull away, but he doubted that he had the strength to move.
“At last.” Nino removed his hand and peered into Sho’s face. He was close enough for Sho to be able to see the different flecks of colour in his honey-caramel eyes. “I’ve never seen anyone freak out as badly as that before. I thought you were going to claw your way out of here, after using me as a step ladder.”
“I didn't...did I?” The last few minutes were kind of a blur to Sho. He vaguely remembered trying to get as high as possible, so that if the elevator did plummet to the ground, he might have a few seconds longer to live. It was a ridiculous idea, but one which had made sense at the time.
“You were to trying climb onto my shoulders,” Nino said with a laugh. “But I couldn't support your weight and we both hit the floor. Then I dragged you over here and propped you against the wall.”
As he spoke, Nino flexed his shoulders and arms, as if they hurt. Sho felt bad; he was quite heavy in comparison to Nino’s thin frame. “I'm sorry. I hope you didn't hurt yourself.”
Nino shook his head, as he picked his phone up off the floor. “Nah, I'm fine. It’s probably the most exercise I’ve had in years, and I had to make sure that you didn't damage that magnificent rear end of yours.”
“My what?” Sho figured that his fears were now leading him hallucinate.
“Your butt,” Nino said, reaching out and giving it a pinch. “The entire office has a daily rating system for it dependant on which trousers you are wearing. The navy suit, by the way, shows it to its best advantage.”
“Are you serious?” Sho’s face was so hot with embarrassment, it felt as if his entire blood supply had been drained from the rest of his body and redirected to his head.
Tossing back his head, Nino laughed hard enough to make his whole body shake. “Of course not. I'm just trying to take your mind off things. You really do need to loosen up a bit.”
“That's all right then,” Sho said, pressing the palms of his hands to his cheeks in a an attempt to cool them down.
A devilish grin appeared on Nino’s face as he added mischievously, “It’s just me who keeps score. I have a wall chart and everything.”
This time it was Sho who burst into uncontrollable laughter. His eyes squeezed into half-moons as he felt his body relax, for what felt like the first time in months.
***
The elevator repair company had told them that they were working on repairs and would have them free as soon as possible. But they were vague about the exact timing and Sho’s stomach was beginning to rumble hungrily. He offered Nino a square of chocolate from the bar he’d found in his jacket pocket, but Nino refused. Sho snapped of a piece anyway and pressed it into Nino’s hand. “You should eat more.”
Nino shrugged and reluctantly popped the square into his hand before it melted. “Food isn’t something which really interests me. I eat because I have to.”
Sho gasped at Nino’s sacrilegious words. To him, food was more than just a necessity; it was part of the joy of living. “Then you definitely haven't been eating the right things. You should come to dinner with me sometime, and I will show you just how good it can be.”
“Really? That's surprising.”
“Not so surprising. You’d be amazed at the difference between eating for pleasure and eating for necessity.”
Nino smirked and shook his head. “You misunderstood me. My actual surprise is that you find joy in something. You don't strike me as someone who can get so passionate about anything.” A moment later he added, “I hope I haven't offended you.”
Sho wondered if it was because of the semi-darkness, or because of his earlier terror, but he wasn't offended by Nino’s words. In fact he found himself in agreement. “I used to be passionate about everything. I guess over the last few years I’ve let work take over my life. At least that's what my friend Ohno says.”
“I'm not saying that you're a bad guy. It’s just that most of the time it seems like you have a stick up your ass.” Nino poked Sho in the ribs to show that he was mostly joking.
“My other friend Jun, says that it's because I need to get laid.” Sho blushed and clapped his hand over his mouth, mumbling through his fingers. “I can't believe I just said that.”
“He sounds just like my friend Aiba. He tells me that I spend too much time playing with my phone and not enough time playing with others.”
“Jun keeps trying to drag me out to clubs.”
“Same with Aiba,” Nino sighed. “Maybe they should go together.”
“Pardon me for saying so, but you’ve always struck me as someone who spends more time playing than working,” Sho said quietly, continuing the honest theme.
“Playing with this, maybe,” Nino said, waggling his phone before placing it in his pocket. “But I spend all of my free time at home.”
“So we aren't that different really.” Sho was genuinely surprised. Nino was completely different to how he’d always assumed. “I do believe that we could actually be friends.”
“I don't know about you, but I’d much prefer being more than just friends. I wasn't kidding about the butt part earlier.” Nino squeezed Sho’s thigh as he spoke, hoping to not receive a punch in the face in return.
Sho was speechless for a long moment. Nino’s hand was warm and reassuring, and Sho was content to sit there close to him while he thought things through. It was true that he was lonely, and he didn't want that loneliness to influence his decision. Nino had always been physically attractive to him, with his beautiful eyes and pale skin, but could he cope with his bratty attitude? But it appeared that Sho’s perception of Nino was skewed by his preconceived notions.
“You’re making me nervous over here,” Nino said with forced cheer as he tried to hide his disappointment. “Don't just leave me hanging.”
“I'm sorry, Nino,” Sho said.
Nino blinked hard and snatched his hand away from Sho’s thigh. “It’s fine. At least I can tell Aiba that I tried to put myself out there.”
“No!” Sho grabbed Nino’s hand, engulfing it in his long fingers and holding tight. “If you weren't so quick to jump to conclusions, I would've finished my sentence. I was trying to apologize for taking so long to tell you that I think that I would like to try and be more than friends too.”
“Is that a long winded way of saying that you like me, think I am incredibly handsome, and want to buy me anything that I ask for?”
“Yes...to some of the above,” Sho said with a laugh.
***
The chocolate was long gone and Sho’s stomach was grumbling hungrily, when they were finally freed. The moment the doors opened, they both rushed to the nearest bathroom, not speaking until they met back up at the basins to wash their hands.
Now that they were back in the real world and removed from the emergency situation, Sho was nervous that Nino might have changed his mind about having dinner with him. He caught Nino’s reflected gaze in the mirror, examining his facial expression for hints.
“What?” Nino twisted his head, looking at his reflection. “Is there something on my face?”
“Only your cute little moles,” Sho blurted, before blushing fiercely. “Oh crap. The lack of food is making me reckless.”
“As far as I'm concerned, the more reckless the better.” Nino reached over and unfastened Sho’s tie, winding it into a ball and stuffing it into Sho’s jacket pocket. “You said something about dinner? I'm all yours if you're buying.”
“Absolutely,” Sho replied eagerly.
Nino smiled up at him, happily following Sho out onto the corridor. Sho came to a sudden halt outside the door of the elevator, pausing nervously before reaching out to press the button. Sensing Sho’s hesitance, Nino took Sho’s hand, tugging him away towards the emergency exit. “Maybe just this once we should take the stairs, even though you might end up having to carry me down the last couple of flights.”
“I have no problem with that. The stick up my ass, gives my back extra strength.”
The sound of their laughter echoed back at them as they began the long trudge down to the street.
