Out of Convenience - Chapter 3.1
Title: Out of Convenience
Author: dictionarysays
Genre: AU, Romance, and Humour
Length: Multi-chaptered
Chapter: 3.1
Pairing(s): Ohmiya, Sakuraiba, and (mentioned) Matsumiya
Rating: PG-13 generally, sometimes R
Disclaimer: I don't own Arashi at this point in time, I merely fawn over them from afar. 10, 482.26 kilometres to be exact.
Summary: It's not every day that your stupid roommate (see: Aiba Masaki) forgets to pay the rent.
A/N: Yet again I've had to split this chapter into two parts, but for legitimitate reasons this time around. The word count is actually really large, as opposed to chapter 1, hahah.
Previous Chapters: 1.1, 1.2, 2
By the end of the day, Aiba and I both make it home and I've already gotten over it. Not only do I never get mad in the first place, but holding a grudge is the last thing on my list. I don’t have time for those kinda things, that, and no good ever comes out of it anyway.
I still don’t know what came over me earlier; all I can come up with is that he caught me completely off guard.
I could tell Aiba was scared when he first came in-he probably forgot I wasn’t scheduled for the evening shift tonight at the store, like I usually am. I knew he was scared or at least nervous because ordinarily he’ll call out a greeting, whether or not I’m actually home.
He tends to find out that way.
But this time around, he was completely silent, I barely noticed the sound of the door opening and closing; I wouldn’t have known if it weren’t for the fact I was in the living room at the time and caught sight of his form through my peripherals.
Of course he found me picking up the clothes I had left strewn around the room throughout the week that I kept holding off the cleaning of, and there I was, putting them aside in half-made piles in some sort of organization for the move-out.
All I did was wave and smile a little and it looked as if he was going to cry.
Aiba-chan’s so silly.
From what I could gather, out of the hesitant flurry of words shot my way as Aiba inched his way across the living room, around my piles and I and into his room, he had just come back from being with Sakurai and it looks as if he’ll have somewhere to go too. Hmm. Too, huh? It’s weird to think that right now. It doesn’t feel real just yet, and admittedly, I’m a little uncertain. Don’t get me wrong, I’m entirely grateful to Ninomiya and his offer-which I was all but forced by Aiba to accept.
It’s just strange, is all. To think I’d be lucky enough to have something appear so fast.
Aah, I’m not going to over think it, just thank god. And Kazu, of course.
I do feel a little bad, though, I mean, when I think about it, he’s been a customer for so long. It’s only now that I finally know his name and only because he offered me a place to live. I mean, sure, yeah, we talked enough, usually about the things he bought when he came-because I have his order memorized by now.
It’s like clockwork and I've stopped being surprised by all the instant ramen he buys Friday nights.
What’s always struck me odd about him actually is the spark in his eyes.
I know, I know, that sounds incredibly lame, but it’s true. You’ll only realize how lame it isn’t once you’ve experienced it yourself. It’s like, it’s kinda like love at first sight, a lot of people don’t necessarily believe in it, but I pretty much do. I mean, there have been times where I've come across someone on the sidewalk and they looked so kind, and I would just think, ‘I could fall in love with them’ and that’d be that. It’s weird, I know, but that’s not where I was trying to go with this.
Anyway.
Every time he came around and I was working, as long as he was in at least a metre’s range of me, I could always see the curious glint that was there just beneath everything. It’s not like a perverted glint or anything like that. At least, that is, from what I could tell. I don’t think I've seen many perverted glints in my time. Or maybe I just haven’t noticed.
Either way, the glimmer was more like... like there was always a joke he wasn’t sharing.
I don’t know, makes you think though, doesn’t it?
I guess I might be able to figure it out once I move in with him, though, ne? I’ll start taking mental notes, maybe it’s only there when he’s in the store-y’know, it could even just be the lighting too. It does that sometimes, makes you think you’re seeing something that isn’t actually there.
“Oh-chan! I need your heeelp, it’s an emergency.” Aiba’s sudden call draws me away from my needless thoughts and emitting a short chuckle, I stand up, heading for his room. He’s obviously not that worried anymore, if he’s asking for my help and everything.
“What’s wrong, Aiba-chan?”
“I don’t know what to dooooooo... ” I peek around the corner that turns into his small room and I’m met with a distressed-looking Aiba who’s possibly surrounded by every single stuffed toy in existence. All I can do is laugh out as Aiba-chan pouts childishly, hugging a pink panda to his chest from the looks of it. “How am I supposed to choose only one! Is Sho-kun crazy?”
“He’s clearly out to get you.” I murmur this playfully, quietly, as I pass through his door and kneel down in front of him, sidestepping several toys as I do so. I grab onto the first toy I see, which just so happens to be a multicoloured turtle with eyes the size of my ears and somehow sporting denim overalls, even though it has a shell.
“Yah! He obviously is. I mean, like, what kind of human being forces someone to choose between Mr. Wiggles and Doreen?” At this, Aiba lifts a stuffed puppy that’s browned, obviously having gone through a lot, and even missing an ear. In his other hand is a polka-dotted dolphin.
Where does he get these things? I don’t think I’ll ever know, and knowing Aiba anyway, he can do whatever he puts his mind to, which probably also includes finding quirky stuffed animals.
“You and I both know that if he was really out to get you, he wouldn’t have agreed to you moving in with him.” Aiba can’t help but nod silently at my factual comment, as I begin to dig through the pile of colour and fur that is Aiba’s toys.
A whole hour and a half passes this way, Aiba-chan whining as I patiently calm him, helping him narrow down his selection to six. I even somehow manage to convince him to donate the rest to the nearby orphanage, but in return, he swindles me into promising to take two with me for so-called safekeeping when we move out.
From there, tuckered out from today’s goings on, I leave Aiba to the rest of his farewells; gently reminding him that he could probably take three in reality, but not to push his luck for more than that before heading back to my own room.
Sighing quietly, I chuckle to myself; I can perfectly imagine the agonized features of Aiba-chan’s face as he continues to choose between his beloved stuffed animals.
He’ll be fine, I doubt Sho’s that serious about the whole thing anyway. He was probably teasing, which means he must know a few of Aiba’s weak spots. Figures they’re close. I bet it makes Aiba-chan happy in some twisted little way, I mean, it means Sho’s aware of him doesn’t it? That’s good. He needs to live with someone who knows him well.
I just hope Sho knows what he’s getting himself into. It’s not that Aiba-chan’s a bad roommate or anything, far from it actually. The one thing I really liked about living-strange, I’m already thinking in the past tense and we’re not even moved out yet. But yeah, the one thing I really like about Aiba, in general actually, is his cheerfulness.
Believe it or not, it’s actually nice to come home to a roommate who isn’t afraid to talk your ear off about the new puppies brought in that day at the pet store and how much fun they were to help settle in and play with. The upside to that, is that Aiba-chan knows when you want to be left alone too, he’s the exact same way-he likes his alone time too, which most people wouldn’t actually believe, but it’s true. He’s not the chipper bright-smiling pet store employee all the time; he gets quiet and thoughtful just like the rest of us.
I let loose an amused breath, shimmying out of my pants and then easing my shirt off, as I toss them aside, and crawl tiredly into my futon.
I guess I will miss living with Aiba-chan. I’m not surprised. I just didn’t think I’d start having these thoughts so soon.
Smiling a little bit, I let my eyes fall closed, curling up comfortably and falling asleep just as easily.
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