[oneshot] Ten
Title: Ten
Rating: PG!
Summary: Birthdays six to ten. AU.
Warning(s): Please imagine that Ohno is only a year older than the rest or Arashi shall be the smartest, most well developed bunch of toddlers ever. /o/
Wordcount: 3632; my longest so far? I can't even read so many words at once, let alone write it? Hahaha, cool. XDb;;
Notes: ohno_daily’s contest; 2nd place! I will always be amazed by my luck. \o/ \o/ \o/ Original here.
I’m secretly really impressed by this fic, in that I’d never written during an episode before. Lol, won’t that be a story to tell; I CONQUERED MY BIPOLAR WITH HALF-ASSED FANFIC! /VICTORY! Thank you, deadline! I also secretly didn’t, in actuality, make the deadline so this has minor edits - ie grammar and uhh, numbering the birthdays wrong hahaha.
I’m talking too much, hahahaha.
*
1 9 8 6
At very newly six years old, Ohno's a mild-mannered boy, quiet and faraway so the other children tended to dismiss him by default. His cheeks are chubby but the rest of him is slight and delicate, frame starting to hunch slightly around himself like he isn't ready to face the world yet.
(In light of this, moving to another town where the people are new and unfamiliar is a pretty lousy 'birthday present'.)
It's probably because of his small stature that the boy - sneaking out of his front yard with the plate of birthday cookies Ohno-mama had left cooling by the window - barely pauses and tries to push roughly past him. Swings a fist up to hit him when Ohno catches his wrist and the cookies come dangerously close to dropping.
"Wait, you forgot something," Ohno tells him earnestly. The boy narrows his eyes but doesn't hit him yet because it's a weird thing to say to a thief.
"The peanut butter, you know, for icing," Ohno continues, "they're too plain without it." He turns from him in attempt to dig through the grocery bag hanging from the crook of his elbow with his free hand; with all the grace of six years, it's hard. Sort of like an impossible juggling act.
"Hold on," he starts to say but the wrist he's holding onto twists and when he looks up, the boy's wrapped his fingers around his own.
Before Ohno can fully comprehend, he's being tugged down the street. As he patters down the asphalt, he tilts his head to look at the boy, mischievous eyes and flushed cheek and a small mole on his chin.
"Ohno Satoshi," he tells the boy when they're sliding down this grass slope to duck beneath a bridge by the frozen river. 'Life is hard だけど happy' is spray-painted on the ceiling and there's an assortment of discarded furniture scrubbed down and arranged neatly in a corner. Cool. "You?"
The boy blinks at him, then laughs. "Ninomiya Kazunari," he replies cheerfully. "But you can call me Nino, Oh-chan."
He pokes the puffed out cheeks when Ohno starts to pout at his new nickname, and asks, "how old are you?"
"Fiv - oh. I'm Six. Today's my birthday."
Nino blinks at him for a while, then suddenly looks down again. From the plastic grocery bags he fishes out the peanut butter, off with the foil, dips a cookie in. Ohno opens his mouth to complain - okay, mildly hint that Mama doesn't like that - when the boy tentatively offers him the cookie. "Happy Birthday then, Oh-chan."
Just as hesitant, Ohno reaches out and their fingers brush when he accepts the cookie. He stuffs the cookie in his mouth- sticky and salty-sweet and really really good- and Nino laughs at his sudden, easy look of bliss.
Not the best of birthdays, but not bad either.
* * * *
He's made his first friend or at least, first private thief. Something occurs belatedly to him a week later, when they're hiding under the bridge again, squashed together on the same old armchair, sharing the sweets Nino's once again liberated from Ohno-mama's kitchen.
"Why do you keep stealing?"
Nino pauses with a tart hovering in front of his wide open mouth. Crinkles his face in a frown as one hand tugs at the old, threadbare t-shirt that's barely hanging onto his small frame. Belatedy, Ohno-mama's words echoes in his head about others not being as fortunate and how it was a delicate issue for some. It's why she makes sure there's always something near an open window for Nino to steal. She made Ohno promise to keep it a secret.
"I mean, you could just come in," Ohno continues hurriedly, "We're friends, right?"
Nino stands up abruptly, brushing the crumbs off his lap with an impatient air. For a moment Ohno starts to panic, what he'd offended Nino-chan and he'd stop playing him and and - but then Nino takes his hand and pulls him off the sofa too. So relieved that he doesn't question as Nino pulls him across unfamiliar streets, twists and turns that Ohno has yet to discover.
When they stop in front a Chinese family restaurant that Ohno hadn’t known existed, another young boy comes charging out and into Nino.
"Nino-chan!" Pressed into his collar as the boy yanks him into a hug. Nino mock-scowls, shoving him off lightly.
"This!" Nino jabs a finger dramatically at the boy's face. "Is the reason why I had to resort to stealing! Aiba Masaki!"
“Hello!” The boy beams happily, oblivious to the stern finger trying to jab his eye out.
"Chinese food everyday! And if that's not bad enough, Aibaka Style Chinese food." Nino grabs Ohno by the shoulders ad shakes hard, melodramatic. "You're lucky I hadn't died of poisoning before you came."
"L-lucky!" Ohno turns his wide-eyed stare to Aiba, suspicious.
"Don't say that!" Aiba pouts. "I made you your favourite noodles and everything!"
Nino makes a horrified face as Aiba drags him into the air-conditioned shop. Ohno stands outside, confused, for a second before he gets jerked in as well; Nino still hasn't let go of his hand.
Sure enough, there's a steaming bowl of brown something-or-other and noodles waiting for them in a small booth at the corner of the restaurant.
"That thing is no one's favourite, let alone mine," says Nino, inching away. He looks frightened and Ohno doesn't understand; sure he hasn't the slightest clue what it is and the soup's opaque but it can't be that bad, right?
He fishes some out before Nino can stop him and sticks the spoon into his mouth.
The two stare at him expectantly; Aiba to find out how it taste, Nino waiting for him to spit it back out.
Pause, a crunching sound that makes Nino wince.
"Umai!" Ohno declares, eyes shining. "Ne, if Nino-chan doesn't want it, can I have it?"
He looks so earnest and hopeful; Nino gapes.
Aiba slings an arm around his shoulders, grinning hard. "We're going to be the best of friends," he says.
Ohno nods his agreement enthusiastically, mouth full, and Nino lets out a bark of laughter.
1 9 8 7
The backseat of Aiba-mama's car normally means sleeping on each other’s shoulders before a hectically fun time at the zoo or aquarium but today, Ohno presses his cheek against the cool glass sullenly. Nino's next to him but he seems so far away, a nervous ball of energy bouncing in his seat, forever staring forward as they speed towards the airport.
Aiba, too, excited for something Ohno doesn't understand. It's a lot more obvious in the Arrival Hall without Nino between them. Ohno watches as the tall boy hops impatiently on one foot then the other, pressing his face against the glass every five seconds and craning his neck.
When he finds what he's looking for, Aiba lets out an excited yell and he and Nino rush off without Ohno.
Ohno can’t see the new arrival at first, buried beneath Aiba’s bawling and Nino’s hugs. “Sho-chan! I missed you so much! Things weren’t as fun without you Sho-chan!”
There is this unnerving discomfort in deep in Ohno's chest as he trails behind them. When Sho and his parents are introduced to him, he isn’t able to smile as he says hi.
I’m jealous, Ohno muses, back in the car as he stares out the window and lets the streetlights burn streaks into his vision, for the first time in my life, I’m jealous. Behind him the boys were at first noisy and excited, but now all of them are asleep, exhausted, and Nino and Aiba are leaning on Sho, hands grasped tightly in each of his.
Ohno leans back in the passenger seat and closes his eyes.
It’s a lousy birthday.
* * * *
Sho-chan's a really nice boy (he feeds Ohno really nice cookies at his house) and he's smart too (helps him with his homework too, when he gets distracted and draws all sorts of cartoons in his exercise book). And he even got his mother to buy him a large, expensive, extravagant cake when he finds out about Ohno's forsaken birthday so Ohno doesn't even start to dislike him.
The only conceivable problem with Sho-chan is that his parents force him to study entirely too hard. When he’s finally let out of the house to play with them, he’s completely exhausted, spouting random trivia instead of answers. Ohno doesn’t particularly care but Nino and Aiba look so worried that it spurs all three of them into action. So on weekends, they barge into his dump of a room to carry out Save Sho-chan from turning Old and Boring before he reaches ten.
The first time they flung open the door with dramatic flair, Sho-chan had screamed in surprise and they had screamed at the resulting avalanche. No amount of kicking and screaming could persuade Sho to sneak out, and his parents had made them help clean up the mess.
After that, they learn to be cautious, carefully arranging themselves on whatever free space there is on his floor and speaking in low voices until Sho’s done. Most of the time they find him sprawled out in the floor, assessment books and worksheets scattered around him, just so he can be nearer them. Ohno frowns and the quiet.
In the end, Ohno is the one who figure out a solution. He flops onto tiny Sho-chan one day, across his back with his chin digging into sloping shoulders until Sho can no longer hold himself up above his work. Ohno had intended to attempt at squishing Sho-chan flat so that he’d stop making Nino and Aiba worry, but it works out well in an unexpected way.
Nino likes sprawling across Sho’s legs, pressing kisses to the ticklish back of his knees until Sho-chan stops squeaking and wriggling and takes a well deserved break.
Aiba is in charge of stealing away his worksheets and papers, or flipping them over and doodling all over the back with crayons. Sometimes Ohno teaches them to draw. It's a lot more fun and boisterous than it sounds; Sho's pictures are always funny but they are absolutely hilarious put next to Ohno's masterpieces.
Ohno gets a kiss on the cheek from Nino for his genius problem-solving skills. And when they curl up on Sho-chan's floor for afternoon naps, Nino faces him, clinging on to his arm.
He's not jealous anymore.
1 9 8 8
Birthday Eight finds him trudging to their custom spot under the bridge at the canal. If Ohno were the type to judge birthdays by the food offerings (and he admittedly sort of is), this has got to be the best birthday yet; he's got enough cupcakes to spell 'お誕生日おめでとう!' and Sho and Nino's got another one of Sakurai-mama's expensive cakes between them, Aiba bringing up the rear with Chinese.. birthday.. noodle-ish something.
There is a delicious mix of scents in the air and Ohno’s mouth waters.
When they reach, however, he finds an unfamiliar boy sitting under the bridge.
“Eh? Matsuu-momoto? Mato?” Aiba squints, tongue-tied. “Matsu-kun?”
Sho thwaps him with the hand Nino's not suddenly gripping. "It's Matsumoto Jun, he moved in in summer while you were at dance camp."
"Oh." Ohno says, but the look on his face remains blank.
"What's he doing here?" Nino scowls and clings tighter to Sho-chan.
Ohno blinks. "Eh? Nino-chan doesn't like him?"
"Of course I don't." He sucks in a breath, then bellows "His eyebrows are too thick and he dresses like a girl!" just loud enough for the boy in question to hear. The boy ignores them but Ohno watches his shoulders tense with a frown.
"Nino's just mad because one day Matsu had a lolipop ring on and he forgot and he hit Sho-chan in his face by accident." Aiba nods solemnly. "There was blood and everything."
"Wasn't bleeding!" Sho gives them an exasperated look before turning to Ohno. "It was just cherry-flavoured. All he did was get me sticky!"
Ohno laughs, but Nino's got that stubborn look on his face. He pokes one cheek experimentally and Nino shoots him a glare. So much pride there; Ohno furrows his brows in an almost comical look of concentration. “Maybe we need a peace treaty.”
"A peace treaty?"
Ohno nods seriously. “I heard my mum talking about it.” And Ohno-mama’s always right so -
Determination squares his jaw and Ohno takes off for the bridge, slip-sliding down the snowy slope to stop in front of Matsu.
"I'm Ohno! Gimme the rest of your burger!" he holds out a pudgy hand; Matsu stares at it like it might bite him.
"For the peace treaty. They're not reeeeally mad at you, but they dunno how to say it so... if you gimme that treat it'll be all official and stuff and you can play with us." And then he grins proudly, bright like the sun.
Matsu stares at him for one long moment, crease between his brows. Ohno tries to stare back but he ends up eyeing the burger more instead.
"You're sort of stupid, aren't you?" but when Ohno looks up, Matsu's smirk is more amused and maybe even a bit grateful; he's even held out the patty delicately perched between his chopstic -
Ohno rushes forward and snags his precious meat out of the air. Nino's just tackled Matsu with a great flying leap - "Don't call him stupid!" - and tumbled them into the snow. Sho crashes on top of them to stop the fight, Aiba leaps into the pile to join in the fun.
Chaos erupts.
Ohno chews on his hamburger, enraptured.
* * * *
As it turns out Nino-chan really really like hamburgers and Matsumoto-papa is an excellent chef. Jun-chan lets Nino cheat him of hamburger bento offerings for the rest of the week. The rest immediately take to him, Aiba especially fascinated by Jun's many accessories.
Ohno gains a new friend and a week’s worth of Nino's leftovers (as good as free lunch the way Nino pecks at his food).
It’s a profitable birthday.
1 9 8 9
Today, Sho-chan shall be rescued (again). It's a Sunday, right smack in the middle of Winter Break. The sun's almost back to shining all-out and everywhere there is a thick layer of freshly fallen snow. Surely, not the time to be cooped up at home, studying of all things.
The only problem is that Sho-chan's parents are really strict and there's this big-ass white picket fence that always prevents them from sneaking him out. Ohno thinks of how ridiculously disappointed he'd be if Sho couldn't finish his studies in time for his birthday.
Fortunately, there is also Nino with his ingenious plans, Aiba with his terrifying inventions, and Jun with his sadistic encouragement.
"Don't worry, Oh-chan!" Nino calls from the bottom of the hill and it's amazing how far his voice can carry. "Just believe!"
And Ohno almost does because up here, in this make-shift cart that creaks worryingly under his weight, even though he's looking down and Nino's only a small vague shape against off-white snow -
Ohno imagines Nino bright against the stark blue sky, edges blurring into the sharp white of clouds, the hand raised to shield his eyes from the bright sun casting affectionate shadows onto his features. He want to paint it so desperately, but first -
Aiba's wild laughter behind him as he shoves Ohno off the platform. Believe, Ohno thinks with his eyes squeezed shut, except-
"In what?!" he yells, voice stuttering.
Suddenly there is no cart beneath him.
Ohno thinks idly, as he freefalls with the icy wind rushing against him, right about now his life should be flashing before him. Except, he can only see Nino's face, Nino Nino Nino getting bigger and sharper and clearer by the second. Panicking if his flailing arms are any indication and -
Ohno crash-lands into Nino, knocking him off his feet and tumbling them across the snow. Somewhere behind them, there is the loud crashing of the poor cart, Jun's shouting high and sharp.
Ohno can't open his eyes yet, the bruising shock still coursing through his body, but he feels Nino shake against him with unrestrained laughter.
* * * *
When Sho-chan bursts through his back door, eyes and mouth wide open, he is clutching his biggest, heaviest dictionary in front of his chest like a shield.
Nino bursts out laughing.
"Sho-chan! Look what Nino-chan got me!"
Sho's head turns very slowly and he stares at the cracked wooden contraption with wide eyes for a long moment. "I wha?"
Ohno looks back down at his cart and his eyes widen in realisation. "Nino, I broke your present!" He sticks his lower lip out and wibbles at him as much as possible. While Nino had probably planned this, he likes it when Ohno plays along. Ohno likes doing what Nino likes.
"That's okay," he pats Ohno, sweetly smiling. “Your real present is inside, anyway.”
“I found their fridge!” Jun’s voice, loud and gleeful from inside the house he’s just snuck into, followed closely by Aiba’s “WOAH!”
Nino laughs, taking Sho’s and Ohno’s hands and firmly leading them into the house just as Aiba declares himself in charge of the food.
It’s an adventurous birthday.
1 9 9 0
It's a cold day, today, and November winds sting against his skin. It sort of feels like, maybe, he's being blown apart, softly, sweetly. Ohno thinks it's somehow Nino's fault, just like everything in his life is now Nino's fault, but the boy is comfortingly warm against his side. The five of them huddle under the bridge, lazy conservation and the scent of Ohno-mama’s tarts light in the air.
Ohno's the oldest of them but it still comes as a surprise that he will hit double digits first.
"I can't believe it," Jun says, flicking a page of his book. "Ohno is so... Ohno."
The boy in question flops on his back for a month to stare at him, upside-down and cross-eyed, before rolling back onto his stomach and picking up his yellow crayon. Nino snorts beside him and pokes at his paper with a bright blue marker.
"Yup, can't believe it either,” says Sho. “Next thing y’know he’ll be getting married and moving out and leaving us behind.” He pulls the saddest face ever, dramatic, and Ohno laughs until he sees Nino doing the same thing behind his scowl.
“I could marry you, Nino-chan!” The words escape without him realising. He feels his cheeks warm but it's too late now. "Ne, Kazu, do you think you could love me?"
Even though Ohno's still not sure if he loves Nino, it's the way Nino's face scrunches up as he considers the question seriously that has him thinking that he does.
Still, he is only almost-ten and far too young for his first rejection, Ohno decides, and the wait for his answer is making him fidget.
"Kazu, would you consider loving me?"
Nino laughs, shy but cheerful with a light dusting of pink across his cheeks. "Silly," he tells him.
"Have you no shame?" Jun demands from his perch on Sho's lap. "We're sitting right here."
"Don’t worry, we won’t leave you out of the wedding!” Nino smirks, completely ruining the sweet consoling tone he was going for. “Jun-pon can be our bridesmaid!" Jun kicks his shin and scowls.
"Jun-pon will be the prettiest girl I know," Ohno says loyally. "Aside from my bride, of course."
Nino hollers indignantly and tackles him to the ground. The rest pointedly ignore the red tips of his ears. Aiba wonders excitedly which experiment would prove one of them the better girl; Sho and Jun are already arguing what sort of dress Nino would look better in.
* * * *
Not like the way Aiba and Sho have been disappearing to prepare his gift - Aiba sneaking away with a determined gleam in his eyes and Sho-chan worriedly following with his first aid kit or sometimes a fire extinguisher - Nino remains within sight, but not within touch. It’s sort of a nervous, shy hovering that Ohno wants to worry but Jun cuffs him and tells him with a knowing look in his eye not to, so he doesn’t.
“For once he’s getting you a real present,” says Jun, ruffling his hair, “so just let him.” He has that all-knowing smirk playing on his lips, Ohno decides to trust him.
It's a dazzlingly bright day.
Ohno wakes up with light in his eyes and Nino on top of him.
The sunlight glints of the red red bow around Nino's neck and makes it look as pink as Nino's cheek. It's Ohno's birthday but Nino is the one look hesitantly hopeful, expectant.
He thinks back to the very first day, exactly five years from now, when Nino, perfect strangers, led him to the happiest moments and the best friends of his life. He thinks of the stolen cookies that were actually his, and the presents he hadn’t wanted or expected but loved all the same. He thinks of Nino’s small hand constantly in his, holding on tight and pulling him forward.
Ohno knows exactly what Nino is waiting for.
"Kazu, I love you," Ohno mumbles earnestly to that spot above Nino's left shoulder. This is simultaneously the easiest and hardest thing he's ever had to say.
A sheepish chuckle, before there are warm hands cupping his cheeks. Nino tilts his head towards him and squishes his face until Ohno has no choice but to look at him.
"Took you long enough, Oh-chan," and kisses him simply because it's harder not to. "Happy birthday."
It's the best birthday ever.
E N D .
Rating: PG!
Summary: Birthdays six to ten. AU.
Warning(s): Please imagine that Ohno is only a year older than the rest or Arashi shall be the smartest, most well developed bunch of toddlers ever. /o/
Wordcount: 3632; my longest so far? I can't even read so many words at once, let alone write it? Hahaha, cool. XDb;;
Notes: ohno_daily’s contest; 2nd place! I will always be amazed by my luck. \o/ \o/ \o/ Original here.
I’m secretly really impressed by this fic, in that I’d never written during an episode before. Lol, won’t that be a story to tell; I CONQUERED MY BIPOLAR WITH HALF-ASSED FANFIC! /VICTORY! Thank you, deadline! I also secretly didn’t, in actuality, make the deadline so this has minor edits - ie grammar and uhh, numbering the birthdays wrong hahaha.
I’m talking too much, hahahaha.
*
1 9 8 6
At very newly six years old, Ohno's a mild-mannered boy, quiet and faraway so the other children tended to dismiss him by default. His cheeks are chubby but the rest of him is slight and delicate, frame starting to hunch slightly around himself like he isn't ready to face the world yet.
(In light of this, moving to another town where the people are new and unfamiliar is a pretty lousy 'birthday present'.)
It's probably because of his small stature that the boy - sneaking out of his front yard with the plate of birthday cookies Ohno-mama had left cooling by the window - barely pauses and tries to push roughly past him. Swings a fist up to hit him when Ohno catches his wrist and the cookies come dangerously close to dropping.
"Wait, you forgot something," Ohno tells him earnestly. The boy narrows his eyes but doesn't hit him yet because it's a weird thing to say to a thief.
"The peanut butter, you know, for icing," Ohno continues, "they're too plain without it." He turns from him in attempt to dig through the grocery bag hanging from the crook of his elbow with his free hand; with all the grace of six years, it's hard. Sort of like an impossible juggling act.
"Hold on," he starts to say but the wrist he's holding onto twists and when he looks up, the boy's wrapped his fingers around his own.
Before Ohno can fully comprehend, he's being tugged down the street. As he patters down the asphalt, he tilts his head to look at the boy, mischievous eyes and flushed cheek and a small mole on his chin.
"Ohno Satoshi," he tells the boy when they're sliding down this grass slope to duck beneath a bridge by the frozen river. 'Life is hard だけど happy' is spray-painted on the ceiling and there's an assortment of discarded furniture scrubbed down and arranged neatly in a corner. Cool. "You?"
The boy blinks at him, then laughs. "Ninomiya Kazunari," he replies cheerfully. "But you can call me Nino, Oh-chan."
He pokes the puffed out cheeks when Ohno starts to pout at his new nickname, and asks, "how old are you?"
"Fiv - oh. I'm Six. Today's my birthday."
Nino blinks at him for a while, then suddenly looks down again. From the plastic grocery bags he fishes out the peanut butter, off with the foil, dips a cookie in. Ohno opens his mouth to complain - okay, mildly hint that Mama doesn't like that - when the boy tentatively offers him the cookie. "Happy Birthday then, Oh-chan."
Just as hesitant, Ohno reaches out and their fingers brush when he accepts the cookie. He stuffs the cookie in his mouth- sticky and salty-sweet and really really good- and Nino laughs at his sudden, easy look of bliss.
Not the best of birthdays, but not bad either.
* * * *
He's made his first friend or at least, first private thief. Something occurs belatedly to him a week later, when they're hiding under the bridge again, squashed together on the same old armchair, sharing the sweets Nino's once again liberated from Ohno-mama's kitchen.
"Why do you keep stealing?"
Nino pauses with a tart hovering in front of his wide open mouth. Crinkles his face in a frown as one hand tugs at the old, threadbare t-shirt that's barely hanging onto his small frame. Belatedy, Ohno-mama's words echoes in his head about others not being as fortunate and how it was a delicate issue for some. It's why she makes sure there's always something near an open window for Nino to steal. She made Ohno promise to keep it a secret.
"I mean, you could just come in," Ohno continues hurriedly, "We're friends, right?"
Nino stands up abruptly, brushing the crumbs off his lap with an impatient air. For a moment Ohno starts to panic, what he'd offended Nino-chan and he'd stop playing him and and - but then Nino takes his hand and pulls him off the sofa too. So relieved that he doesn't question as Nino pulls him across unfamiliar streets, twists and turns that Ohno has yet to discover.
When they stop in front a Chinese family restaurant that Ohno hadn’t known existed, another young boy comes charging out and into Nino.
"Nino-chan!" Pressed into his collar as the boy yanks him into a hug. Nino mock-scowls, shoving him off lightly.
"This!" Nino jabs a finger dramatically at the boy's face. "Is the reason why I had to resort to stealing! Aiba Masaki!"
“Hello!” The boy beams happily, oblivious to the stern finger trying to jab his eye out.
"Chinese food everyday! And if that's not bad enough, Aibaka Style Chinese food." Nino grabs Ohno by the shoulders ad shakes hard, melodramatic. "You're lucky I hadn't died of poisoning before you came."
"L-lucky!" Ohno turns his wide-eyed stare to Aiba, suspicious.
"Don't say that!" Aiba pouts. "I made you your favourite noodles and everything!"
Nino makes a horrified face as Aiba drags him into the air-conditioned shop. Ohno stands outside, confused, for a second before he gets jerked in as well; Nino still hasn't let go of his hand.
Sure enough, there's a steaming bowl of brown something-or-other and noodles waiting for them in a small booth at the corner of the restaurant.
"That thing is no one's favourite, let alone mine," says Nino, inching away. He looks frightened and Ohno doesn't understand; sure he hasn't the slightest clue what it is and the soup's opaque but it can't be that bad, right?
He fishes some out before Nino can stop him and sticks the spoon into his mouth.
The two stare at him expectantly; Aiba to find out how it taste, Nino waiting for him to spit it back out.
Pause, a crunching sound that makes Nino wince.
"Umai!" Ohno declares, eyes shining. "Ne, if Nino-chan doesn't want it, can I have it?"
He looks so earnest and hopeful; Nino gapes.
Aiba slings an arm around his shoulders, grinning hard. "We're going to be the best of friends," he says.
Ohno nods his agreement enthusiastically, mouth full, and Nino lets out a bark of laughter.
1 9 8 7
The backseat of Aiba-mama's car normally means sleeping on each other’s shoulders before a hectically fun time at the zoo or aquarium but today, Ohno presses his cheek against the cool glass sullenly. Nino's next to him but he seems so far away, a nervous ball of energy bouncing in his seat, forever staring forward as they speed towards the airport.
Aiba, too, excited for something Ohno doesn't understand. It's a lot more obvious in the Arrival Hall without Nino between them. Ohno watches as the tall boy hops impatiently on one foot then the other, pressing his face against the glass every five seconds and craning his neck.
When he finds what he's looking for, Aiba lets out an excited yell and he and Nino rush off without Ohno.
Ohno can’t see the new arrival at first, buried beneath Aiba’s bawling and Nino’s hugs. “Sho-chan! I missed you so much! Things weren’t as fun without you Sho-chan!”
There is this unnerving discomfort in deep in Ohno's chest as he trails behind them. When Sho and his parents are introduced to him, he isn’t able to smile as he says hi.
I’m jealous, Ohno muses, back in the car as he stares out the window and lets the streetlights burn streaks into his vision, for the first time in my life, I’m jealous. Behind him the boys were at first noisy and excited, but now all of them are asleep, exhausted, and Nino and Aiba are leaning on Sho, hands grasped tightly in each of his.
Ohno leans back in the passenger seat and closes his eyes.
It’s a lousy birthday.
* * * *
Sho-chan's a really nice boy (he feeds Ohno really nice cookies at his house) and he's smart too (helps him with his homework too, when he gets distracted and draws all sorts of cartoons in his exercise book). And he even got his mother to buy him a large, expensive, extravagant cake when he finds out about Ohno's forsaken birthday so Ohno doesn't even start to dislike him.
The only conceivable problem with Sho-chan is that his parents force him to study entirely too hard. When he’s finally let out of the house to play with them, he’s completely exhausted, spouting random trivia instead of answers. Ohno doesn’t particularly care but Nino and Aiba look so worried that it spurs all three of them into action. So on weekends, they barge into his dump of a room to carry out Save Sho-chan from turning Old and Boring before he reaches ten.
The first time they flung open the door with dramatic flair, Sho-chan had screamed in surprise and they had screamed at the resulting avalanche. No amount of kicking and screaming could persuade Sho to sneak out, and his parents had made them help clean up the mess.
After that, they learn to be cautious, carefully arranging themselves on whatever free space there is on his floor and speaking in low voices until Sho’s done. Most of the time they find him sprawled out in the floor, assessment books and worksheets scattered around him, just so he can be nearer them. Ohno frowns and the quiet.
In the end, Ohno is the one who figure out a solution. He flops onto tiny Sho-chan one day, across his back with his chin digging into sloping shoulders until Sho can no longer hold himself up above his work. Ohno had intended to attempt at squishing Sho-chan flat so that he’d stop making Nino and Aiba worry, but it works out well in an unexpected way.
Nino likes sprawling across Sho’s legs, pressing kisses to the ticklish back of his knees until Sho-chan stops squeaking and wriggling and takes a well deserved break.
Aiba is in charge of stealing away his worksheets and papers, or flipping them over and doodling all over the back with crayons. Sometimes Ohno teaches them to draw. It's a lot more fun and boisterous than it sounds; Sho's pictures are always funny but they are absolutely hilarious put next to Ohno's masterpieces.
Ohno gets a kiss on the cheek from Nino for his genius problem-solving skills. And when they curl up on Sho-chan's floor for afternoon naps, Nino faces him, clinging on to his arm.
He's not jealous anymore.
1 9 8 8
Birthday Eight finds him trudging to their custom spot under the bridge at the canal. If Ohno were the type to judge birthdays by the food offerings (and he admittedly sort of is), this has got to be the best birthday yet; he's got enough cupcakes to spell 'お誕生日おめでとう!' and Sho and Nino's got another one of Sakurai-mama's expensive cakes between them, Aiba bringing up the rear with Chinese.. birthday.. noodle-ish something.
There is a delicious mix of scents in the air and Ohno’s mouth waters.
When they reach, however, he finds an unfamiliar boy sitting under the bridge.
“Eh? Matsuu-momoto? Mato?” Aiba squints, tongue-tied. “Matsu-kun?”
Sho thwaps him with the hand Nino's not suddenly gripping. "It's Matsumoto Jun, he moved in in summer while you were at dance camp."
"Oh." Ohno says, but the look on his face remains blank.
"What's he doing here?" Nino scowls and clings tighter to Sho-chan.
Ohno blinks. "Eh? Nino-chan doesn't like him?"
"Of course I don't." He sucks in a breath, then bellows "His eyebrows are too thick and he dresses like a girl!" just loud enough for the boy in question to hear. The boy ignores them but Ohno watches his shoulders tense with a frown.
"Nino's just mad because one day Matsu had a lolipop ring on and he forgot and he hit Sho-chan in his face by accident." Aiba nods solemnly. "There was blood and everything."
"Wasn't bleeding!" Sho gives them an exasperated look before turning to Ohno. "It was just cherry-flavoured. All he did was get me sticky!"
Ohno laughs, but Nino's got that stubborn look on his face. He pokes one cheek experimentally and Nino shoots him a glare. So much pride there; Ohno furrows his brows in an almost comical look of concentration. “Maybe we need a peace treaty.”
"A peace treaty?"
Ohno nods seriously. “I heard my mum talking about it.” And Ohno-mama’s always right so -
Determination squares his jaw and Ohno takes off for the bridge, slip-sliding down the snowy slope to stop in front of Matsu.
"I'm Ohno! Gimme the rest of your burger!" he holds out a pudgy hand; Matsu stares at it like it might bite him.
"For the peace treaty. They're not reeeeally mad at you, but they dunno how to say it so... if you gimme that treat it'll be all official and stuff and you can play with us." And then he grins proudly, bright like the sun.
Matsu stares at him for one long moment, crease between his brows. Ohno tries to stare back but he ends up eyeing the burger more instead.
"You're sort of stupid, aren't you?" but when Ohno looks up, Matsu's smirk is more amused and maybe even a bit grateful; he's even held out the patty delicately perched between his chopstic -
Ohno rushes forward and snags his precious meat out of the air. Nino's just tackled Matsu with a great flying leap - "Don't call him stupid!" - and tumbled them into the snow. Sho crashes on top of them to stop the fight, Aiba leaps into the pile to join in the fun.
Chaos erupts.
Ohno chews on his hamburger, enraptured.
* * * *
As it turns out Nino-chan really really like hamburgers and Matsumoto-papa is an excellent chef. Jun-chan lets Nino cheat him of hamburger bento offerings for the rest of the week. The rest immediately take to him, Aiba especially fascinated by Jun's many accessories.
Ohno gains a new friend and a week’s worth of Nino's leftovers (as good as free lunch the way Nino pecks at his food).
It’s a profitable birthday.
1 9 8 9
Today, Sho-chan shall be rescued (again). It's a Sunday, right smack in the middle of Winter Break. The sun's almost back to shining all-out and everywhere there is a thick layer of freshly fallen snow. Surely, not the time to be cooped up at home, studying of all things.
The only problem is that Sho-chan's parents are really strict and there's this big-ass white picket fence that always prevents them from sneaking him out. Ohno thinks of how ridiculously disappointed he'd be if Sho couldn't finish his studies in time for his birthday.
Fortunately, there is also Nino with his ingenious plans, Aiba with his terrifying inventions, and Jun with his sadistic encouragement.
"Don't worry, Oh-chan!" Nino calls from the bottom of the hill and it's amazing how far his voice can carry. "Just believe!"
And Ohno almost does because up here, in this make-shift cart that creaks worryingly under his weight, even though he's looking down and Nino's only a small vague shape against off-white snow -
Ohno imagines Nino bright against the stark blue sky, edges blurring into the sharp white of clouds, the hand raised to shield his eyes from the bright sun casting affectionate shadows onto his features. He want to paint it so desperately, but first -
Aiba's wild laughter behind him as he shoves Ohno off the platform. Believe, Ohno thinks with his eyes squeezed shut, except-
"In what?!" he yells, voice stuttering.
Suddenly there is no cart beneath him.
Ohno thinks idly, as he freefalls with the icy wind rushing against him, right about now his life should be flashing before him. Except, he can only see Nino's face, Nino Nino Nino getting bigger and sharper and clearer by the second. Panicking if his flailing arms are any indication and -
Ohno crash-lands into Nino, knocking him off his feet and tumbling them across the snow. Somewhere behind them, there is the loud crashing of the poor cart, Jun's shouting high and sharp.
Ohno can't open his eyes yet, the bruising shock still coursing through his body, but he feels Nino shake against him with unrestrained laughter.
* * * *
When Sho-chan bursts through his back door, eyes and mouth wide open, he is clutching his biggest, heaviest dictionary in front of his chest like a shield.
Nino bursts out laughing.
"Sho-chan! Look what Nino-chan got me!"
Sho's head turns very slowly and he stares at the cracked wooden contraption with wide eyes for a long moment. "I wha?"
Ohno looks back down at his cart and his eyes widen in realisation. "Nino, I broke your present!" He sticks his lower lip out and wibbles at him as much as possible. While Nino had probably planned this, he likes it when Ohno plays along. Ohno likes doing what Nino likes.
"That's okay," he pats Ohno, sweetly smiling. “Your real present is inside, anyway.”
“I found their fridge!” Jun’s voice, loud and gleeful from inside the house he’s just snuck into, followed closely by Aiba’s “WOAH!”
Nino laughs, taking Sho’s and Ohno’s hands and firmly leading them into the house just as Aiba declares himself in charge of the food.
It’s an adventurous birthday.
1 9 9 0
It's a cold day, today, and November winds sting against his skin. It sort of feels like, maybe, he's being blown apart, softly, sweetly. Ohno thinks it's somehow Nino's fault, just like everything in his life is now Nino's fault, but the boy is comfortingly warm against his side. The five of them huddle under the bridge, lazy conservation and the scent of Ohno-mama’s tarts light in the air.
Ohno's the oldest of them but it still comes as a surprise that he will hit double digits first.
"I can't believe it," Jun says, flicking a page of his book. "Ohno is so... Ohno."
The boy in question flops on his back for a month to stare at him, upside-down and cross-eyed, before rolling back onto his stomach and picking up his yellow crayon. Nino snorts beside him and pokes at his paper with a bright blue marker.
"Yup, can't believe it either,” says Sho. “Next thing y’know he’ll be getting married and moving out and leaving us behind.” He pulls the saddest face ever, dramatic, and Ohno laughs until he sees Nino doing the same thing behind his scowl.
“I could marry you, Nino-chan!” The words escape without him realising. He feels his cheeks warm but it's too late now. "Ne, Kazu, do you think you could love me?"
Even though Ohno's still not sure if he loves Nino, it's the way Nino's face scrunches up as he considers the question seriously that has him thinking that he does.
Still, he is only almost-ten and far too young for his first rejection, Ohno decides, and the wait for his answer is making him fidget.
"Kazu, would you consider loving me?"
Nino laughs, shy but cheerful with a light dusting of pink across his cheeks. "Silly," he tells him.
"Have you no shame?" Jun demands from his perch on Sho's lap. "We're sitting right here."
"Don’t worry, we won’t leave you out of the wedding!” Nino smirks, completely ruining the sweet consoling tone he was going for. “Jun-pon can be our bridesmaid!" Jun kicks his shin and scowls.
"Jun-pon will be the prettiest girl I know," Ohno says loyally. "Aside from my bride, of course."
Nino hollers indignantly and tackles him to the ground. The rest pointedly ignore the red tips of his ears. Aiba wonders excitedly which experiment would prove one of them the better girl; Sho and Jun are already arguing what sort of dress Nino would look better in.
* * * *
Not like the way Aiba and Sho have been disappearing to prepare his gift - Aiba sneaking away with a determined gleam in his eyes and Sho-chan worriedly following with his first aid kit or sometimes a fire extinguisher - Nino remains within sight, but not within touch. It’s sort of a nervous, shy hovering that Ohno wants to worry but Jun cuffs him and tells him with a knowing look in his eye not to, so he doesn’t.
“For once he’s getting you a real present,” says Jun, ruffling his hair, “so just let him.” He has that all-knowing smirk playing on his lips, Ohno decides to trust him.
It's a dazzlingly bright day.
Ohno wakes up with light in his eyes and Nino on top of him.
The sunlight glints of the red red bow around Nino's neck and makes it look as pink as Nino's cheek. It's Ohno's birthday but Nino is the one look hesitantly hopeful, expectant.
He thinks back to the very first day, exactly five years from now, when Nino, perfect strangers, led him to the happiest moments and the best friends of his life. He thinks of the stolen cookies that were actually his, and the presents he hadn’t wanted or expected but loved all the same. He thinks of Nino’s small hand constantly in his, holding on tight and pulling him forward.
Ohno knows exactly what Nino is waiting for.
"Kazu, I love you," Ohno mumbles earnestly to that spot above Nino's left shoulder. This is simultaneously the easiest and hardest thing he's ever had to say.
A sheepish chuckle, before there are warm hands cupping his cheeks. Nino tilts his head towards him and squishes his face until Ohno has no choice but to look at him.
"Took you long enough, Oh-chan," and kisses him simply because it's harder not to. "Happy birthday."
It's the best birthday ever.
E N D .