Idioms, Chapter 3 - A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words
Title: Idioms, Chapter 3 - A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words
Author: Ann, dangerdangerne
Pairings: Ohno/Nino and Sho/Aiba
Rating: This chapter - PG, Overall - eventual R/NC-17
Genre: AU, School!fic :P
Word Count: Approx. 2,650
Disclaimer: I don't know the boys, and I certainly don't own them. Nore am I insinuating that they have done or will do the awful things I write them doing. *ufufu* >:3
Summary: Nino is a highschool student hopelessly in love with Ohno, the president of the art club. Not that he's ever talked to him before or anything...
Meanwhile, his best friends, Aiba and Sho, are beginning to discover that there may be more to their friendship than either of them realized.
Idioms, Chapter 3 - A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words
Convincing Nino's mother that he really, honest to God, wanted to take art lessons wasn't easy. She was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for their curry that night and watching her favorite drama on the tiny television she kept on the counter when Nino made his appeal.
"...Do you know what I was thinking?" Nino asked, tracing a swirl in the wood grain of their table. His mom had her back to him, eyes flicking between the TV and the carrots she was dicing.
"Hm?" She said, sparing him a quick glance, "Probably not much..." She said and Nino rolled his eyes. Mom: 1, Nino: 0.
"No," Nino continued, "I was thinking... wouldn't it be good if I took private art lessons?"
The sound of her chopping slowly ceased and she turned, eyes wary as if waiting for it to be a trap.
"Art lessons," She said incredulously.
"Yes," Nino replied, trying to look confident.
"Like... graphic art lessons? So you can hole up in your room and make your own video games to relinquish the need for any human contact?" She asked. Nino sighed.
"I like your thinking, but no. Painting lessons," Nino clarified.
"Since when do you like art?" His mother asked, folding her arms over her chest.
"Since...always," Nino said, and she gave him that mom look. That look that said, 'kid, I know you way better than you know yourself, so don't even try,' and Nino decided to switch tactics.
"Okay, so it's a new interest," He said, "but wouldn't it look good on a resume?"
She couldn't argue with that.
"Fair enough," She said, "So, who's going to teach you these lessons?" Nino grinned, knowing he was in.
"Ohno-senpai, the art club president," Nino said.
"Hn," His mother said, turning back to her vegetables. "...and when you flake out on these lessons in a week, you'll pay me back every cent?" She asked. Nino laughed, not able to be offended with his current track record.
"I won't be quitting," He said honestly. She flapped her hand at him.
"Sounds good. I hope you learn from it how to express yourself in a way other than vulgar language," She said dryly, eyes glued to the TV.
"Now, go do your homework or something. I'm missing my show." She added, effectively ending the conversation.
Nino could barely contain his excitement as he left the kitchen. He needed to clean his room...
x x x
Their first lesson took place the following Tuesday after school and Nino had never had so many butterflies in his stomach. He fought the urge to dress nicely as it seemed unrealistic for a painting lesson. Instead, he decided on an older white t-shirt that he still thought looked good in a casual sort of way and paired it with his favorite jeans. After all, if he got paint on the jeans, it would just look like a fashion statement. Nino was glaring at his hair in the bathroom mirror when Ohno arrived.
"This is a nice house," Ohno said with a friendly smile as they made their way to Nino's room. Under one arm he carried a small wooden easel and under the other was a small canvas and a tackle box that Nino figured wasn't being used for fishing supplies. In Nino's room, Ohno glanced around and nodded. He set up the easel in front of the window, putting the canvas on it, and then turned to Nino.
"Are you ready?" He asked. Nino was mesmerized by the sight of Ohno in regular clothes; he'd only seen him in his school uniform. If he was cool in a uniform, was unbelievable in a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and jeans.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Nino said with a grin and Ohno laughed. He pulled Nino's desk chair over to the easel and gestured for Nino to sit.
"Well then, what do you know about art?" Ohno asked and Nino made a face.
"Eh, well... I took a drawing class once," Nino said, "...but I wasn't very good."
Ohno shrugged, unbothered.
"Luckily, drawing has nothing to do with painting," He said, matter-of-fact, as he snapped open the tackle box and removed the top tray. Nino was right about it not containing bait and lures. Instead, it was full of brushes and paints and the inside was stained various colors from a long time of use.
"You'll need a completely different set of skills for both," Ohno added and Nino nodded, though he didn't necessarily follow.
"Today, since you already have a small base of artistic knowledge to start with, I'm going to forget about rules and see how you paint naturally. Then I'll know where you need help." Ohno said, taking a small wooden paint palette and a plastic cup out of the tackle box.
"So, find something you want to paint," he said jovially. Nino wasn't certain this was for the best.
"Ah, but I'm going to ruin your canvas..." He said doubtfully. Ohno shook his head.
"That's the good thing about canvas. You can just re-gesso it afterward and paint over it if you're unsatisfied. Now," Ohno said, "the first step is to find a subject and study it. You need to identify the shapes and picture the painting you want to create. Please do so while I get some water." Ohno held up the plastic cup he intended to use to rinse the brushes.
"Which way is your bathroom?" He asked and Nino pointed him down the hall.
Ohno seemed eternally cheerful when it came to painting, and his confidence slowly seeped its way into Nino until he began to forget that he hadn't actually wanted painting lessons. It was infectious, Ohno's passion for a form of art that Nino was most likely going to end up butchering, and Nino found himself getting excited to begin. He decided on the tree outside his window as a subject and tried to study it while Ohno was gone. The long, spindly branches covered in leaves that were slowly starting to turn brown with the approach of autumn, dominated the landscape. When Ohno returned, he set up the palette by squirting paint from a few of the different tubes on it and handed it to Nino.
"Work your magic," He said with a grin and stepped back to observe. 'Here goes nothing', Nino thought as he took a small brush and dipped it into the paint.
After a few minutes, Ohno spoke up.
"Do you mind if I come see?" He asked and Nino blinked at him.
"No, ah, of course not," He said. To be honest, Nino did care, but he couldn't rightly get an art lesson if Ohno never looked at his paintings. Nino felt his cheeks grow hot as Ohno stood behind him quietly.
"Go ahead," He said, "Keep painting."
After another excruciating five minutes, wherein Nino struggled mentally over every brush-stroke, Ohno spoke again.
"Can I make a suggestion?" He asked.
"Sure," Nino said, and he nearly yelped when Ohno's hand covered his own around the paintbrush.
"It seems to me that you're thinking too much," Ohno said, and he was so close that Nino could feel his breath ghosting over his cheek as he spoke.
"Painting isn't such an intellectual thing," He clarified, "It's a doing, feeling thing."
His hand was warm and sure over Nino's as he boldly swiped the brush across the canvas, and Nino's heart was thundering so hard he nearly feared for it.
"Taking a few risks with your painting will reveal the greatest rewards," Ohno said, still guiding Nino's hand daringly as if impressing upon him the feeling of such a brazen stroke. Nino swallowed heavily, as if trying to force his heart back into his chest.
"I'm not sure I have the talent that you have," Nino said, laughing nervously. Ohno's hand left his, leaving Nino to paint on his own.
"That's the thing," Ohno said, a smile in his voice, "if you have the desire and persistence, with a teacher to show you techniques, lack of natural talent doesn't boil down to much."
Nino decided then that Ohno was perhaps the coolest person he'd ever met.
x x x
The next afternoon, Nino ate his lunch with vigor. Being around Ohno for a full hour the day before had left him emotionally drained, which somehow translated into hunger. He wasn't worried about the mechanics of it, he was just extremely ready for lunch by the time it rolled around. Sho, who'd just arrived from his classroom upstairs, plopped down into an empty desk with his lunch and Aiba was already talking at him excitedly.
"Are you coming over tonight to study? Nino is coming, ne Nino-kun?" Aiba said. Nino nodded, too busy stuffing his face to respond verbally.
"Oh, well if Nino's coming..." Sho said as if that sealed the deal. He rolled his eyes and Aiba, "Of course I'm coming. I always do... In fact, I'm rarely at my own house," Sho added, thoughtfully. Aiba grinned.
"Good!" He said, starting on his own lunch. A familiar hush washed over the class and Nino looked up hesitantly. Sure enough, Ohno was in the doorway, scanning the room calmly. His eyes lit on Nino and he smiled, giving him a small wave as he made his way through the room.
"Ninomiya-kun," Ohno said cheerfully, "I'm glad I found you here." Nino wondered where else he would have been as Ohno reached into his school bag and pulled out a relatively new-looking book. He offered it to Nino with a proud smile.
"For my apprentice," He joked, and Nino accepted the book, glancing down at its shiny cover.
"Its an art book for beginning painters," Ohno said, "There are color blending charts, tips on composition, that sort of thing in there. I think it would be a useful thing for you to read."
Nino smiled, utterly charmed. He couldn't believe Ohno would go out of his way to buy such a thing for him.
"Thank you! This is awesome. I'll be sure to read it so I can do better in our next lesson," Nino said with a small bow. Ohno looked embarrassed at the praise and extremely pleased with himself simultaneously as he watched Nino flip through the glossy pages.
"Well, I'll see you next Tuesday, if not before," Ohno said, getting ready to take his leave. He paused momentarily.
"...by the way, you have a bit of rice," Ohno pointed out quietly and Nino quickly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Sure enough, a single grain of rice fell away from his face and he felt himself begin to burn up. Ohno didn't seem to care and he left with another little wave.
When Nino turned back to his friends, Sho and Aiba both looked at him as though he had just grown a second head, or even a third. Aiba broke the silence first, as was his way.
"I didn't know you wanted to be an artist, Nino!" He said, eyes wide. Sho snorted and stared at Aiba dubiously.
"He doesn't!" Sho said and Nino dropped the chopsticks he had just picked back up.
"How do you know what I do and don't want to be?" Nino asked, eyebrows raised. Sho laughed.
"Come on! Such a coincidence!" he said and Nino sniffed derisively.
"I've been thinking of it for a while now," Nino lied.
"Well, I don't care either way, I just can't believe it," Sho said, shrugging.
"I fink is gool," Aiba said around a mouthful of rice. The other two looked at him reproachfully and he swallowed before continuing.
"It is cool...Sho-chan wants to be a newscaster, ne?" Aiba asked and Sho flushed.
"How would you know?" He asked. Aiba, who'd just taken another bite, paused and swallowed again before speaking.
"You told me once," Aiba said, "and I remembered it."
Sho picked absently at this food, suddenly embarrassed. He didn't remember telling Aiba such a thing. It was a secret goal he aspired to, and the fact that someone else knew would make it even harder for him if he never made it.
"Be sure to write me an autograph now before you get famous," Aiba added thoughtfully, "I want proof that we knew each other before you get too big to hang out with us normal people."
Nino scoffed at that and Sho rolled his eyes dismissively. The three of them finished their lunch in relative silence, Nino looking though his new art book curiously.
x x x
"Is anyone else hungry?" Aiba asked. It was late evening and the three of them were sprawled out on the floor of Aiba's room, books all around. Sho looked at him, aghast.
"We just had dinner!" Sho said and Aiba grinned sheepishly.
"That's right..." He said, "but I'm still hungry."
Nino laughed a little manically and snapped his English book shut. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands and groaned.
"I'm sick of studying!" He announced and stood with finality, stretching his arms over his head.
"Aiba-chan, do you have any fruit?" Nino asked and Aiba nodded.
"Yeah, mom bought apples yesterday. Should I go grab us a few?" He asked.
"Please," Nino said, offering him a hand up off the floor. Sho stood as well, watching Aiba bound out of the room in search of apples.
"The guy's a bottomless pit..." Sho remarked wonderingly. Nino laughed and plopped down into Aiba's desk chair.
It was a strange thing to think, but as Sho slumped down onto Aiba's bed, he realized how comfortable he was in this house. Maybe even more so than in his own. Aiba and Sho had lived three blocks away from each other for as long as he could remember, and something about this house just felt like security to him. He laid back and stared up at the ceiling, tracing the shape of a slightly-browned water spot with his eyes. Whichever house he actually lived in, this house was home.
He was shaken from his thoughts as Nino suddenly laughed.
"This guy!" He said, shaking his head.
"What?" Sho wondered, sitting up in the bed.
"I've never seen someone with so many pictures of himself!" Nino explained, pointing to the collage on the wall above Aiba's desk. Sho had never noticed before, at least, he'd never taken a close look. Aiba chose that moment to return, tossing an apple to Nino and one to Sho.
"You!" Nino exclaimed. "Why do you have so many pictures of yourself?" Aiba raised his eyebrows.
"Eh?" He asked, looking to where Nino was pointing.
"And Sho!" Nino realized, jabbing at a picture. "There are four, five, six! Six of Sho-kun, but none of me! What's with that?" Nino asked, teasingly indignant. Aiba, who had just taken a big bite out of his apple, covered his mouth. His eyes had gone wide again like they tended to do.
"There are pictures of you!" Aiba finally choked out. Nino shook his head.
"There's a picture of me, and I had to have been eight at the oldest. I don't accept that," Nino said, folding his arms over his chest. Sho finally had come over to look, peering curiously at the collection of photos. Sure enough, there were plenty of Aiba...and plenty of Sho himself.
There was Sho at the zoo last year, making a V in front of the hippos. Sho in class, peeking up over the top of his newspaper. Sho, removing his swim goggles while he hung onto the side of the school pool, listening to his coach. Sho and Aiba making stupid faces at the camera at a baseball game. Sho and his ex-girlfriend, Maki-chan, who was kissing him on the cheek while he grinned stupidly. Even Sho, asleep at his desk a few years ago.
Aiba opened and closed his mouth like a fish while Nino looked satisfied with himself. Finally, Sho pulled himself away from the photos and turned to Nino.
"I think the problem here is that Aiba-chan only collects photos of cool people," He said knowledgeably. Nino rolled his eyes and laughed, taking a bite out of his own apple.
Yet, the rest of the evening, Sho couldn't help but to let his mind wander to the collage.
A/N: Hey~! Once again, I was thrilled to come home to all the comments! :D They made me laugh XD Thank you all for reading and liking the story!
So, what do you think of this installment? We'll be getting into a little drama soon, I think... *cues the ominous music* But, what's a love story without a little drama?! Boring! haha
I'm seriously considering slowing down the rate at which I update. I just don't want to be spamming the communities with my story. x_x So, please tell me if it's overkill, updating so quickly. Maybe a few days suspense would be better...?
Author: Ann, dangerdangerne
Pairings: Ohno/Nino and Sho/Aiba
Rating: This chapter - PG, Overall - eventual R/NC-17
Genre: AU, School!fic :P
Word Count: Approx. 2,650
Disclaimer: I don't know the boys, and I certainly don't own them. Nore am I insinuating that they have done or will do the awful things I write them doing. *ufufu* >:3
Summary: Nino is a highschool student hopelessly in love with Ohno, the president of the art club. Not that he's ever talked to him before or anything...
Meanwhile, his best friends, Aiba and Sho, are beginning to discover that there may be more to their friendship than either of them realized.
Idioms, Chapter 3 - A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words
Convincing Nino's mother that he really, honest to God, wanted to take art lessons wasn't easy. She was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for their curry that night and watching her favorite drama on the tiny television she kept on the counter when Nino made his appeal.
"...Do you know what I was thinking?" Nino asked, tracing a swirl in the wood grain of their table. His mom had her back to him, eyes flicking between the TV and the carrots she was dicing.
"Hm?" She said, sparing him a quick glance, "Probably not much..." She said and Nino rolled his eyes. Mom: 1, Nino: 0.
"No," Nino continued, "I was thinking... wouldn't it be good if I took private art lessons?"
The sound of her chopping slowly ceased and she turned, eyes wary as if waiting for it to be a trap.
"Art lessons," She said incredulously.
"Yes," Nino replied, trying to look confident.
"Like... graphic art lessons? So you can hole up in your room and make your own video games to relinquish the need for any human contact?" She asked. Nino sighed.
"I like your thinking, but no. Painting lessons," Nino clarified.
"Since when do you like art?" His mother asked, folding her arms over her chest.
"Since...always," Nino said, and she gave him that mom look. That look that said, 'kid, I know you way better than you know yourself, so don't even try,' and Nino decided to switch tactics.
"Okay, so it's a new interest," He said, "but wouldn't it look good on a resume?"
She couldn't argue with that.
"Fair enough," She said, "So, who's going to teach you these lessons?" Nino grinned, knowing he was in.
"Ohno-senpai, the art club president," Nino said.
"Hn," His mother said, turning back to her vegetables. "...and when you flake out on these lessons in a week, you'll pay me back every cent?" She asked. Nino laughed, not able to be offended with his current track record.
"I won't be quitting," He said honestly. She flapped her hand at him.
"Sounds good. I hope you learn from it how to express yourself in a way other than vulgar language," She said dryly, eyes glued to the TV.
"Now, go do your homework or something. I'm missing my show." She added, effectively ending the conversation.
Nino could barely contain his excitement as he left the kitchen. He needed to clean his room...
x x x
Their first lesson took place the following Tuesday after school and Nino had never had so many butterflies in his stomach. He fought the urge to dress nicely as it seemed unrealistic for a painting lesson. Instead, he decided on an older white t-shirt that he still thought looked good in a casual sort of way and paired it with his favorite jeans. After all, if he got paint on the jeans, it would just look like a fashion statement. Nino was glaring at his hair in the bathroom mirror when Ohno arrived.
"This is a nice house," Ohno said with a friendly smile as they made their way to Nino's room. Under one arm he carried a small wooden easel and under the other was a small canvas and a tackle box that Nino figured wasn't being used for fishing supplies. In Nino's room, Ohno glanced around and nodded. He set up the easel in front of the window, putting the canvas on it, and then turned to Nino.
"Are you ready?" He asked. Nino was mesmerized by the sight of Ohno in regular clothes; he'd only seen him in his school uniform. If he was cool in a uniform, was unbelievable in a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and jeans.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Nino said with a grin and Ohno laughed. He pulled Nino's desk chair over to the easel and gestured for Nino to sit.
"Well then, what do you know about art?" Ohno asked and Nino made a face.
"Eh, well... I took a drawing class once," Nino said, "...but I wasn't very good."
Ohno shrugged, unbothered.
"Luckily, drawing has nothing to do with painting," He said, matter-of-fact, as he snapped open the tackle box and removed the top tray. Nino was right about it not containing bait and lures. Instead, it was full of brushes and paints and the inside was stained various colors from a long time of use.
"You'll need a completely different set of skills for both," Ohno added and Nino nodded, though he didn't necessarily follow.
"Today, since you already have a small base of artistic knowledge to start with, I'm going to forget about rules and see how you paint naturally. Then I'll know where you need help." Ohno said, taking a small wooden paint palette and a plastic cup out of the tackle box.
"So, find something you want to paint," he said jovially. Nino wasn't certain this was for the best.
"Ah, but I'm going to ruin your canvas..." He said doubtfully. Ohno shook his head.
"That's the good thing about canvas. You can just re-gesso it afterward and paint over it if you're unsatisfied. Now," Ohno said, "the first step is to find a subject and study it. You need to identify the shapes and picture the painting you want to create. Please do so while I get some water." Ohno held up the plastic cup he intended to use to rinse the brushes.
"Which way is your bathroom?" He asked and Nino pointed him down the hall.
Ohno seemed eternally cheerful when it came to painting, and his confidence slowly seeped its way into Nino until he began to forget that he hadn't actually wanted painting lessons. It was infectious, Ohno's passion for a form of art that Nino was most likely going to end up butchering, and Nino found himself getting excited to begin. He decided on the tree outside his window as a subject and tried to study it while Ohno was gone. The long, spindly branches covered in leaves that were slowly starting to turn brown with the approach of autumn, dominated the landscape. When Ohno returned, he set up the palette by squirting paint from a few of the different tubes on it and handed it to Nino.
"Work your magic," He said with a grin and stepped back to observe. 'Here goes nothing', Nino thought as he took a small brush and dipped it into the paint.
After a few minutes, Ohno spoke up.
"Do you mind if I come see?" He asked and Nino blinked at him.
"No, ah, of course not," He said. To be honest, Nino did care, but he couldn't rightly get an art lesson if Ohno never looked at his paintings. Nino felt his cheeks grow hot as Ohno stood behind him quietly.
"Go ahead," He said, "Keep painting."
After another excruciating five minutes, wherein Nino struggled mentally over every brush-stroke, Ohno spoke again.
"Can I make a suggestion?" He asked.
"Sure," Nino said, and he nearly yelped when Ohno's hand covered his own around the paintbrush.
"It seems to me that you're thinking too much," Ohno said, and he was so close that Nino could feel his breath ghosting over his cheek as he spoke.
"Painting isn't such an intellectual thing," He clarified, "It's a doing, feeling thing."
His hand was warm and sure over Nino's as he boldly swiped the brush across the canvas, and Nino's heart was thundering so hard he nearly feared for it.
"Taking a few risks with your painting will reveal the greatest rewards," Ohno said, still guiding Nino's hand daringly as if impressing upon him the feeling of such a brazen stroke. Nino swallowed heavily, as if trying to force his heart back into his chest.
"I'm not sure I have the talent that you have," Nino said, laughing nervously. Ohno's hand left his, leaving Nino to paint on his own.
"That's the thing," Ohno said, a smile in his voice, "if you have the desire and persistence, with a teacher to show you techniques, lack of natural talent doesn't boil down to much."
Nino decided then that Ohno was perhaps the coolest person he'd ever met.
x x x
The next afternoon, Nino ate his lunch with vigor. Being around Ohno for a full hour the day before had left him emotionally drained, which somehow translated into hunger. He wasn't worried about the mechanics of it, he was just extremely ready for lunch by the time it rolled around. Sho, who'd just arrived from his classroom upstairs, plopped down into an empty desk with his lunch and Aiba was already talking at him excitedly.
"Are you coming over tonight to study? Nino is coming, ne Nino-kun?" Aiba said. Nino nodded, too busy stuffing his face to respond verbally.
"Oh, well if Nino's coming..." Sho said as if that sealed the deal. He rolled his eyes and Aiba, "Of course I'm coming. I always do... In fact, I'm rarely at my own house," Sho added, thoughtfully. Aiba grinned.
"Good!" He said, starting on his own lunch. A familiar hush washed over the class and Nino looked up hesitantly. Sure enough, Ohno was in the doorway, scanning the room calmly. His eyes lit on Nino and he smiled, giving him a small wave as he made his way through the room.
"Ninomiya-kun," Ohno said cheerfully, "I'm glad I found you here." Nino wondered where else he would have been as Ohno reached into his school bag and pulled out a relatively new-looking book. He offered it to Nino with a proud smile.
"For my apprentice," He joked, and Nino accepted the book, glancing down at its shiny cover.
"Its an art book for beginning painters," Ohno said, "There are color blending charts, tips on composition, that sort of thing in there. I think it would be a useful thing for you to read."
Nino smiled, utterly charmed. He couldn't believe Ohno would go out of his way to buy such a thing for him.
"Thank you! This is awesome. I'll be sure to read it so I can do better in our next lesson," Nino said with a small bow. Ohno looked embarrassed at the praise and extremely pleased with himself simultaneously as he watched Nino flip through the glossy pages.
"Well, I'll see you next Tuesday, if not before," Ohno said, getting ready to take his leave. He paused momentarily.
"...by the way, you have a bit of rice," Ohno pointed out quietly and Nino quickly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Sure enough, a single grain of rice fell away from his face and he felt himself begin to burn up. Ohno didn't seem to care and he left with another little wave.
When Nino turned back to his friends, Sho and Aiba both looked at him as though he had just grown a second head, or even a third. Aiba broke the silence first, as was his way.
"I didn't know you wanted to be an artist, Nino!" He said, eyes wide. Sho snorted and stared at Aiba dubiously.
"He doesn't!" Sho said and Nino dropped the chopsticks he had just picked back up.
"How do you know what I do and don't want to be?" Nino asked, eyebrows raised. Sho laughed.
"Come on! Such a coincidence!" he said and Nino sniffed derisively.
"I've been thinking of it for a while now," Nino lied.
"Well, I don't care either way, I just can't believe it," Sho said, shrugging.
"I fink is gool," Aiba said around a mouthful of rice. The other two looked at him reproachfully and he swallowed before continuing.
"It is cool...Sho-chan wants to be a newscaster, ne?" Aiba asked and Sho flushed.
"How would you know?" He asked. Aiba, who'd just taken another bite, paused and swallowed again before speaking.
"You told me once," Aiba said, "and I remembered it."
Sho picked absently at this food, suddenly embarrassed. He didn't remember telling Aiba such a thing. It was a secret goal he aspired to, and the fact that someone else knew would make it even harder for him if he never made it.
"Be sure to write me an autograph now before you get famous," Aiba added thoughtfully, "I want proof that we knew each other before you get too big to hang out with us normal people."
Nino scoffed at that and Sho rolled his eyes dismissively. The three of them finished their lunch in relative silence, Nino looking though his new art book curiously.
x x x
"Is anyone else hungry?" Aiba asked. It was late evening and the three of them were sprawled out on the floor of Aiba's room, books all around. Sho looked at him, aghast.
"We just had dinner!" Sho said and Aiba grinned sheepishly.
"That's right..." He said, "but I'm still hungry."
Nino laughed a little manically and snapped his English book shut. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands and groaned.
"I'm sick of studying!" He announced and stood with finality, stretching his arms over his head.
"Aiba-chan, do you have any fruit?" Nino asked and Aiba nodded.
"Yeah, mom bought apples yesterday. Should I go grab us a few?" He asked.
"Please," Nino said, offering him a hand up off the floor. Sho stood as well, watching Aiba bound out of the room in search of apples.
"The guy's a bottomless pit..." Sho remarked wonderingly. Nino laughed and plopped down into Aiba's desk chair.
It was a strange thing to think, but as Sho slumped down onto Aiba's bed, he realized how comfortable he was in this house. Maybe even more so than in his own. Aiba and Sho had lived three blocks away from each other for as long as he could remember, and something about this house just felt like security to him. He laid back and stared up at the ceiling, tracing the shape of a slightly-browned water spot with his eyes. Whichever house he actually lived in, this house was home.
He was shaken from his thoughts as Nino suddenly laughed.
"This guy!" He said, shaking his head.
"What?" Sho wondered, sitting up in the bed.
"I've never seen someone with so many pictures of himself!" Nino explained, pointing to the collage on the wall above Aiba's desk. Sho had never noticed before, at least, he'd never taken a close look. Aiba chose that moment to return, tossing an apple to Nino and one to Sho.
"You!" Nino exclaimed. "Why do you have so many pictures of yourself?" Aiba raised his eyebrows.
"Eh?" He asked, looking to where Nino was pointing.
"And Sho!" Nino realized, jabbing at a picture. "There are four, five, six! Six of Sho-kun, but none of me! What's with that?" Nino asked, teasingly indignant. Aiba, who had just taken a big bite out of his apple, covered his mouth. His eyes had gone wide again like they tended to do.
"There are pictures of you!" Aiba finally choked out. Nino shook his head.
"There's a picture of me, and I had to have been eight at the oldest. I don't accept that," Nino said, folding his arms over his chest. Sho finally had come over to look, peering curiously at the collection of photos. Sure enough, there were plenty of Aiba...and plenty of Sho himself.
There was Sho at the zoo last year, making a V in front of the hippos. Sho in class, peeking up over the top of his newspaper. Sho, removing his swim goggles while he hung onto the side of the school pool, listening to his coach. Sho and Aiba making stupid faces at the camera at a baseball game. Sho and his ex-girlfriend, Maki-chan, who was kissing him on the cheek while he grinned stupidly. Even Sho, asleep at his desk a few years ago.
Aiba opened and closed his mouth like a fish while Nino looked satisfied with himself. Finally, Sho pulled himself away from the photos and turned to Nino.
"I think the problem here is that Aiba-chan only collects photos of cool people," He said knowledgeably. Nino rolled his eyes and laughed, taking a bite out of his own apple.
Yet, the rest of the evening, Sho couldn't help but to let his mind wander to the collage.
A/N: Hey~! Once again, I was thrilled to come home to all the comments! :D They made me laugh XD Thank you all for reading and liking the story!
So, what do you think of this installment? We'll be getting into a little drama soon, I think... *cues the ominous music* But, what's a love story without a little drama?! Boring! haha
I'm seriously considering slowing down the rate at which I update. I just don't want to be spamming the communities with my story. x_x So, please tell me if it's overkill, updating so quickly. Maybe a few days suspense would be better...?