The New Neighbor - A Late-night Date
"Ehem,"
Nino turned around to look at Jun who stood behind him and Ohno. He had never thought this day would come. The day he felt grateful to Jun for bothering him and Ohno. He was too speechless, too stunned to understand what had just happened. Ohno asked him out on a date. A date. Was that real? Or, was it just his imagination? And, if it was real, why did Ohno ask him out?
“Can you move?” urged Jun as both Nino and Ohno were blocking his way out from the kitchen. “It’s late so I’m going home now,”
“Eh… Ah… I should also get home, then,” said Nino without thinking. Both Jun and Ohno only looked at him with a frown.
“Hey, silly…” Jun rolled his eyes. “Where do you want to go? You’re already in your house,”
“Ah…” Nino only scratched his head, feeling embarrassed because of his stupidity. And, the little noise he made at the kitchen entrance had caught the attention of the two lovers in the living room. Both Aiba and Sho smiled and walked towards them.
“Thank you for the party, Nino!” said Aiba, reaching out for a hug but Nino pushed him away, earning a pout from the animal lover.
“Why do you want to hug me?” teased Nino, trying his best to act like his normal self. Truthfully, he couldn’t get the thing that Ohno had asked him earlier out of his mind. A part of him still thought it was just his imagination. “You have a boyfriend to hug now,"
His remark has made both Aiba and Sho turn scarlet red. And, Nino almost smiled until his eyes met Ohno’s. He quickly looked away. It was hard for him to look at Ohno right now.
“Fine!” said Aiba, pouting. “I will not hug you anymore after this. I know you only want a hug from Ohchan,”
Damn! Aiba! Nino narrowed his eyes at his best friend, feeling frustrated because he couldn’t think of anything to counter the teasing. If this happened before Ohno’s invitation for a date, for sure, he would know how to react. But, right now, his mind was a mess.
“Are you okay, Nino-chan?” Asked Aiba. “You look weird,”
Ah, this man! Should he smack his best friend’s head? Thanks to Aiba, everyone else had their attention on Nino, agreeing to what Aiba had said about him.
“Nino…” said Ohno, sounding concerned. His voice was so soft and soothing and frankly, trying to resist the urge to cuddle with the man was the hardest thing he had ever done. But, thinking about the date… he didn't think it was appropriate for him to hug his neighbour.
“Just a little tired,” said Nino, moving away from Ohno when the man reached out to touch him. He felt bad when he saw the sad look on Ohno’s face when he did so. But, Nino had his reason for avoiding Ohno.
Of course, his behaviour didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of them. It was the first time he didn’t let Ohno touch him. Sho and Aiba looked at him with raised eyebrows while Jun… well, the man did frown for a second. Then, he was back into his normal scowling face.
“Aiba-chan, do you want to go home now?” Asked Nino.
“Un…” Aiba nodded, glancing at his new boyfriend. “Sho-chan will send me home but if you want me to…”
“It’s okay,” Nino quickly said. Now was not the time to be selfish. Aiba and Sho had just gotten together. He shouldn't bother them.
"Nino-chan, I can stay. It's been a while since I slept here, right?"
"Hmm…" Nino was conflicted, not sure what to do. Of course, he would love it if Aiba stayed. He wanted to talk to Aiba about Ohno with the hope that his friend could help him understand why Ohno would ask him out. Was Ohno even serious about it? Perhaps, it was just a joke. Thinking about that, he felt silly to overreact earlier. It must be a joke, he concluded, refusing to believe that Ohno was asking him out because the man liked him. No… no, that would be impossible. Why would Ohno like him? They are just friends.
“How long are you going to space out?” said Jun, sounding annoyed. Ah, the man was always like that when it came to Nino so he was already immune to it. Ignoring the man, he went closer to Ohno and grabbed his neighbour’s arm tightly. And, as always, Ohno barely reacted to his touch even though Nino could see the surprise in his eyes. It was understandable. Just mere minutes ago, Nino had avoided the man.
“Just go home, Aiba-chan,” said Nino before he gave his attention to Ohno who was beside him. “Ohchan will sleep here tonight, right?”
“S-s-sure,” answered Ohno, stuttering. Gone already the sad expression that was on his face a few minutes ago. Now, the man was smiling happily as he flicked Nino’s nose. “Anything for you, Nino,”
“Urgh…” said Jun, pretending to be disgusted by their antics. “I need to go home now. So, please move,”
As usual, Nino stuck his tongue at Jun before moving away from the entrance, bringing Ohno with him to the living room. The two of them sat on the couch. And despite how big the couch was, they only occupied a small part of it by sitting so close together, allowing Sho and Aiba to sit at the other half of the couch.
“So…” Jun began as he sat on the armchair. “Will you two also…”
“I thought you want to go home?” Nino cut him off, feeling weird to see the man settled into the chair. Just a second ago, Jun looked eager to leave. So, one would assume he would leave quickly. But, what the man did now was the opposite of what he declared. “So, why are you still here?”
“Geez…” Jun clicked his tongue. “I will be home soon. I just want to confirm something with you first,”
“With me? What is it? Do you want to learn how to be fabulous like me?”
“I don’t want to learn anything from you, brat,” Jun rolled his eyes. “I just want to know… will you go on a date with Satoshi? He asked you out, right?”
It wasn't a surprise that Jun knew about the date. The man was behind them when it happened. But, he didn't expect Jun to be nosy.
“Why do you ask?” inquired Nino, turning on his bratty mode. Well, to be honest, he never exactly turned it off, especially when he was with Jun. “Are you jealous Ohchan asked me out and not you?"
And, as always, the man only glared at him. “Why would I be jealous?”
At the same time, Aiba and Sho shot him a surprised look.
“You’re going on a date too?” muttered Aiba.
“I thought you’re already in a relationship,” mused Sho.
As for Ohno, the man remained silent, looking dreamy as he always was. Whether he listened to the conversation or not, well, only Ohno had the answer for that, right?
“Ohchan is just…” Nino started, trying to explain to his friends that Ohno was just joking about the date. But, he was stopped when Aiba suddenly screamed in excitement. His friend’s eyes were sparkly, signifying that he must have an excellent idea. Well, excellent for him but a disaster for everyone else. Anyway, thanks to the scream, there was a change in Ohno’s expression as he frowned and tilted his head at Aiba.
“Why are you screaming, Aiba-chan?” Asked Ohno in confusion.
“Because he is stupid,” answered Nino on behalf of his friend, earning him a smack from Aiba.
“Ouch, that hurts, you know!” rebuked Nino.
“Then, stop calling me stupid, especially because I just have a brilliant idea,”
“Oh really?” Mocked Nino. “What is your brilliant idea, genius?”
Aiba stuck his tongue out at Nino and then shifted his attention to Ohno.
“Ohchan, you asked Nino out on a date, right?”
“Eh?” said Ohno, surprised. Based on his reaction, it was confirmed that he didn’t pay attention to their earlier conversation. Nino could only chuckle, thinking of how cute Ohno was when he noticed his cheeks turn red. “How did you know about it?”
“Let’s go on a double date!” said Aiba. His voice went an octave higher.
Upon hearing that, four sets of eyes widened in surprise to hear his ideas. As for Nino, he never thought Aiba would come out with that plan. But, it sounded like a good plan for him. If they went out together, he could make sure Aiba wouldn’t screw up during the date. Hmm, maybe that’s the reason Ohno asked him out on a date. He wanted them to go together with Sho and Aiba to make sure everything would go well. Yes, that’s the reason, Nino convinced himself with that reasoning, trying to push the idea that Ohno might like him away from his mind.
“Eh? Don’t you think it’s a good idea?” asked Aiba when no one responded to him.
It was hard to read Ohno’s expression as the man didn’t have any on his face right now. He just stared blankly at Nino, perhaps waiting for Nino to respond first. Sho, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be happy with the idea. And, Nino wasn't the only one who noticed that. Before Sho could reject the idea, Aiba quickly cut him off.
"Sho-chan, please!" Pleaded the man, using his puppy eyes as the weapon. "I know you don't like it but, please! I really want to experience this at least once in my life,"
Sho looked hesitant to agree. But, no one could resist Aiba's puppy eyes. So, reluctantly, the man nodded his head.
"Yeah! Thank you, Sho-chan!" Said Aiba, wrapping his arms around Sho's neck. The hug lasted for a second before Aiba turned to look at Nino and Ohno.
"How about you two?" The man inquired. "Do you want to go or not?"
"Sure," Nino easily agreed. Seeing his response, Ohno simply nodded.
"Yeah!" Exclaimed Aiba. He turned away from them and gave his attention to Jun this time. "Matsujun, do you want…"
"No!" Jun cut him off. "I'm not interested in going on a triple date with you lots,"
Aiba pouted when he heard the response. But, a second after that, he was back to his cheerful self as he planned their double date.
The ride home was silent. Neither Aiba nor Sho said anything. Aiba knew Sho was angry at him and he felt bad about it. Sho had insisted that he wanted to go out with Aiba alone. But, because Aiba had a hidden agenda by inviting Nino and Ohno to go with them, he had hurt Sho's feeling.
"Are you mad?" Asked Aiba, couldn't bear the silence between them. He had a crush on Sho since high school. And, right after he successfully has a chance to go out on a date with Sho, he screwed it up.
"Sort of," answered Sho without looking at him. But, his tone didn’t suggest that he was upset. So, that gave Aiba hope that he still had a chance to fix things between them. "But, I believe you have a reason for doing it. So, tell me. Why do you invite them to come along? Do you feel uncomfortable being alone with me?"
“No!” Aiba was quick to deny the thought. “We have been alone before, right? What makes you think I am uncomfortable with you? Besides, if I am uncomfortable, I will not agree to let you send me home tonight,”
Sho’s lips stretched into a grin. “Sorry for being stupid,”
“It’s okay. It’s my fault too. I know you want to be alone with me for the date. But, I invite them because of Nino,”
“Care to elaborate?”
Aiba shrugged. “Ohchan and Nino… They both look like a couple, ne? They are always together, touching each other in a way that a friend won’t do,”
Sho hummed in agreement as a response to what he said.
“I always wonder if they are in a serious relationship. But, Nino refuses to tell me anything and keeps claiming that they are just friends. When Nino didn’t let Ohchan touch him earlier, I know something had happened between them,”
“It was awkward because Satoshi asked him out, right?”
Aiba nodded, agreeing. “I have known Nino-chan for a long time. So, I know how his mind works. Well, as you can see, they are now back to their normal self. Nino-chan must be thinking that Ohchan was just joking. So, he will dismiss the invitation. As for Ohchan, he might think that Nino rejects him so he will never bring it up again,”
"You are right," agreed Sho. "Satoshi is actually timid when it comes to his feelings. He never tells anyone about how he truly feels and I blame his parents for that. They never let him decide what he wants to do. That's why I am surprised to know he went against them,"
Aiba, of course, knew about the strained relationship between Ohno and his parents, but not in detail. He knew they had a fight. As for the reason, he had no idea. Seemed like Ohno’s parents had been controlling him all this time. Couldn’t bear it anymore, Ohno finally snapped and left the house.
“You are a good friend, Aiba-chan,”
The remark from Sho caught him by surprise and he could his cheeks grow warm because of the compliment.
“Nino is lucky to have you as his friend,” continued Sho when Aiba didn’t say anything.
Aiba, however, shook his head.
“I just don’t want him to regret it later. This might be the only way to push them forward. And, he helped me first. Don’t you notice? He had been trying to set us up since the first time we met again. And, if we play Truth or Dare tonight, I’m sure he’s going to make me confess to you,”
Sho’s smile grew wider. “Hey, are you busy tomorrow?”
“No, why?”
Sho took a deep breath and then continued. “Well… since we will not be alone the day after tomorrow for the date, how about we have a late-night date?”
“Do you mean tonight?” Asked Aiba for confirmation. And, Sho only nodded.
Aiba thought about it. Frankly, he wasn’t ready to part with Sho yet. So, he timidly agreed with the plan. Pretty sure his cheeks were red right now.
“Thank you,” expressed Sho happily. “Do you want to watch a movie?”
“Sure! That sounds wonderful,”
“What do you want to watch?” Asked Aiba after he finished reading the name of the listed movies. There was one that caught his attention but he didn’t know if Sho would think of him as childish if he voiced out his desire.
“Hmm…” Sho didn’t answer him immediately, still mouthing the name of the movie as he read them. Aiba smiled, thinking of how cute Sho was right now. “Not a horror movie, if that’s okay with you,”
Aiba laughed in response to that. “Of course not. I’m a scaredy-cat,”
“Well, that makes two of us,” said Sho, taking his eyes off the listing. He stared at Aiba lovingly and Aiba’s cheeks grew warmer because of how intense the gaze was, causing him to lower his head. “How about you? What do you want to watch?”
Aiba tilted his head, wondering if he should tell Sho his preference. He was worried that Sho might not like it. But, as he thought about it carefully, they should use this opportunity to get to know each other better. So, taking a deep breath, he pointed at the poster of the Doraemon movie.
“Stand by Me?”
Aiba timidly nodded. “Is it too childish?”
Sho answered with a smile. “I’m thinking of watching it too,”
“Really?” Aiba’s eyes widened. This was too good to be true.
“Yes, I want to watch it too. And, before you think of something weird… no… I’m not choosing this movie because you want to watch it. I agree because I want to watch it,”
“Okay. Hmm, let’s buy a ticket,” Aiba said, pulling Sho to the counter. They bought the ticket and under Sho’s suggestion, they also bought popcorn and a drink to be shared during the movie. Yes, they were pretty much still full because of the party earlier. But, who knows. They might get hungry during the movie.
And, it was true. Aiba started to feel hungry 30 minutes after the movie started. The same goes for Sho. And, as there was only one popcorn, his hand kept on clashing with Sho’s whenever they grabbed for it at the same time. And, each time it happened, Sho had a silly smile on his face, making Aiba wonder if the man intentionally doing it to touch him. Thinking about that, his cheeks grew warmer.
After the movie, Sho sent him home. Aiba was too tired and even though he fought hard to keep his eyes open, he ended up sleeping in the car. And, Sho only woke him up when they arrived.
“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep,” said Aiba, hoping he wasn’t blushing. “Do you want to come inside and drink a cup of coffee?”
Sho shook his head. “I will be okay. But, there is something else that I need,”
“What is it?”
And, without warning, Sho leaned forward and put a kiss at the corner of his mouth. Aiba grew stiff, too surprised with the sudden action from Sho.
“Thank you for tonight, Aiba-chan,”
Aiba only nodded his head, not knowing what to say. He opened the door and then got out of the car.
“Good night,” He told Sho. That was the only thing that he could think of.
“Good night, Aiba-chan. I’ll see you the day after tomorrow for our date,”
Then, Sho left. And, Aiba headed inside his house, still thinking about the kiss.
A/N: Sorry for not updating It's Kazunari, not Kazuya. I've been working on this fic and have only started working on It's Kazunari today. Hope I can finish it this week.
So, what do you think about this part? I hope it isn't too weird. The next part will be on the double date and perhaps, it will focus on Ohmiya. As things going smoothly between Sakuraiba, I wonder if it will be the same for Ohmiya.
Let me know what you think of this, ne? It will be very much appreciated:)
Oh, and before I forget. Do you remember Cupid? As I think about the continuation, I want to link it to another fic that I've written before. Remember the chibi Ohmiya fic that I wrote before? The one where Ohmiya is watching Teletubbies together. Like maybe they had meet each other because their families are friends. But, because the accident happened, they were separated and neither could remember because they were still young. So, when Nino met Ohno's parents, they actually recognized him as a son of their friends. I don't know the detail yet. But, what do you think about it? Do you think it's okay to connect the two fics together?