Arashi fiction 11 - Holiday Season Ficlets
Titles: Arrows Optional, Monkey Business, Balance, All Work, With Benefits
Genres: Comedy, Fluff, Crack Light, Romance
Ratings: PG through PG-13 (barely)
Who: Arashi
Summary: Matchmaking, jealousy, rage infected monkeys, marshmallow fluff, and friendly competition.
Arrows Optional (PG)
Ohmiya - Arashi Cupid (rinalin)
Aiba's self-esteem might have improved over the years, but he couldn't forget the awkward young man he had once been - unsure of his abilities, and searching for a way to better his own life without unintentionally ruining the lives of others. That's why the proposition had been so intriguing at the time. Why he was currently reaching the end of his patience. Ah, and why the present found him anxiously awaiting the arrival of a plane from America.
"I'm sure there are things you've all been dying to tell him, right Ohno-kun?" Aiba heavily hinted, hoping that he sounded more like a badgering friend than someone with something invested in all of this.
But really, any friend would find themselves feeling invested in all this even if they weren't told by some mysterious other-worldly type person that it was for the best possible happiness of two. People like Sho, who knew about the economy and rise and fall and had maybe, possibly, once upon a time walked in on Aiba stuffing condoms into Nino's bag - people like that knew. Or at least tried to understand, eventually slipping into the category of "humoring Aiba" and hoping it led somewhere satisfactory.
It had taken a long time for Aiba to understand the concept of falling in love as opposed to falling into a drunken stupor and taking advantage of bandmates. It had seemed foolproof, the condom thing, but after years of failure? Aiba could say for certain that even the best laid plans were completely useless when meddling in the affairs of Ohno Satoshi, who probably wouldn't notice you were following him around with mistletoe and not-so-gently shoving him toward that supposed-to-be-special someone.
"He was talking to you, Riida," Matsujun nudged Ohno lightly with his shoulder, hoping to alert the man to the conversation around him.
Ohno gave a simple nod and continued to stare blankly at the arrivals board. His common reaction to the happenings of the world around him presented a serious problem for Aiba, who had always complained that he ought to be able to read minds at least if he were going to make this work. He'd been reminded that he was being paid (eventually, and not in cash) to take on the challenge, not to play messenger - that was someone else's territory, and he wasn't keen on interference.
And if he were going to play fair, he had to admit that Ohno wasn't the only one providing trouble. The best friend he'd wanted to help out in the first place, the one of the five that probably needed this the most, had thrown plenty of metaphorical curve balls over the years (and a few literal ones as well, but Aiba had since learned not to play baseball with someone who had so much pent up aggression).
"I don't know, I'm just saying I thought he looked kind of innocent for being older than all of us. Cute, right?" Aiba had tried desperately to have Nino listen, or even pretend to care that they'd both just been picked to be in a band. With other people! And one person who was really kind of... going to be important.
"You know who's really cute," Nino had started with a grin his face could barely contain, "Fujiwara Norika!"
At this point, staring at the arrivals board himself, Aiba couldn't remember if any of them had ever even met or worked with her, but it was a good thing it didn't stand out. Handling that kind of tense situation on top of everything else he'd messed up? Honestly, the majority of obstacles thus far were of his own making. He, unlike some, was human, and therefore had several opportunities to make mistakes. Like becoming a little jealous that his best friend was being pulled away from him by a guy that barely said two words in a day. Though, seeing Nino half-asleep with his DS in hand, weight rested entirely on an Ohno who didn't look the least bit alarmed, had been a convincing enough picture to push Aiba forward. Clearly, clearly, there were things in the universe that simply were and it would be even more a waste of time to try and figure it all out.
Probably.
Ah, but the worst. Surely the worst had come and gone.
"Nino has such cute thighs," Sho had said, starting it all... putting all the wrong things into motion. Aiba was very aware of the fact that he couldn't control who drank what cup of tea, but he'd been so careful... so careful to put them in the right spots!
Filming a television show in the midst of chaos was nothing unusual for Arashi, but the fact that Aiba's mishap had been documented was still a bit difficult to swallow. Sho's marriage proposals, Ohno's cellphone practically attached to his hand as he begged for Matsujun to join them. How could he have gotten one strand of Nino's hair and one strand of Jun's? That wasn't... he wasn't Ohno. They didn't even look anything alike! But if Ohno had gotten the Ohno cup, what would have happened then?
"This is not that kind of play," he'd been informed, divine intervention taking care of the rest. "And really," Aiba had wanted to argue, "this isn't a play at all!"
It was, surprisingly, when things had started to run smoothly that Aiba wanted to give everything up. Surely it wasn't fair for him to think himself fit to experiment with emotions. He could microwave something cold, and he could drop dry ice in anything you asked him to, but potentially hurt some of the people closest to him? Even for the sake of an age-old saying, it didn't feel right. Cupids, fate, his manager's sixth toe - all of these were real and possible. Tearing Ohmiya SK apart?
"It's Clint Eastwood, so Nino will definitely audition," he'd known, he'd let it happen, later watching as Nino struggled to say all that had been on his mind. His lips moved, and words tumbled out, but not the ones he'd meant. Not here, not now - perhaps wondering if it would all be worth it when separation, even for a short while, was inevitable.
It didn't seem fair, knowing how the two had struggled to even come close to displaying what they were thinking about the other, to see them pulled away from their progress. And though Aiba knew it would bring Nino happiness in terms of his career, it wasn't exactly... well, it was hard to be optimistic when he'd known this was real, significant, lasting affection before they'd even met.
Now, standing in the airport, waiting for one half's return, he couldn't help but wonder -
"NOT IN THE AIRPORT!" Sho's voice sounded in a high pitched shriek, interrupting both Aiba's train of thought and Nino's sudden attachment to Ohno's lips.
"OH THANK GOD," Aiba announced as he fell to the floor, closing his eyes and raising his arms in triumph. Thank Eros, distance, and quite possibly words of encouragement from Ohno's mother, for the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. They'd passed the test. Aiba's task was finished.
Now, eyes opening in the airport, being offered a hand up by Matsujun?
He just couldn't help but wonder.
---
Monkey Business (PG-13)
Sho/Aiba - Sho comforts sick Aiba (iloveqqmcmug)
He probably couldn't let him go out in public like this.
Not that there was any threat of rampaging monkeys escaped from the zoo, or even really anyone to see him save for an audience, an entire television staff, and the other members, but... Sho hesitated to place him in front of a camera at the moment, sick or no (and it was definitely no).
But Sho's hesitation and obligation to the company were very different things, and one held a great deal more importance than the other. That being the case, the only option he had left was to... nurse him back into health.
"I understand how you feel, Masaki, but... being nervous and being sick are not exactly the same thing," Sho tried to reason with him, placing a hand to Aiba's forehead for the fourth time in fifteen minutes, the results no different than the previous three checks for fever.
Aiba was paranoid, maybe, but he certainly wasn't a fool. At least not all of the time, and this moment was one of those not-a-fool times. As much as it pained him to make the rest of Arashi suffer a missed program, or a program missing his character, it would be more painful to risk infecting them all and lose their friendship forever.
"I'm not going tonight. You shouldn't even be here," Aiba muttered as he buried his face into a pillow. He couldn't look at Sho or his resolve would start to go. He'd learned that ages ago, when Sho had used the 'smile wide, use a pet name' style of persuasion. Aiba loved being affectionate, but he loved when other people were affectionate even more. Especially Sho, because Sho was secretly the best at it.
"What, you going to turn into a zombie and then attack me?" Sho tried to tease, realizing immediately that Aiba had never seen the film he'd been trying to reference (because if he had seen it, he'd have said something about nightmares or cracked a joke about it, but instead he pulled the covers up to his ears).
This was bad. This was very, very bad. Because Aiba, apparently, really thought that being kissed by a monkey meant that he was diseased. Possibly terminally so, judging by the way he was refusing to show any signs of optimism or enjoyment of Sho's company, which he constantly complained he didn't get enough of - despite their working together and the several dates up to now (sure they were only vaguely mentioned as such and neither of them had attempted to make it undeniably clear, but it was a delicate situation and Aiba wasn't always as straightforward as he seemed).
Sho blamed stress. It was always the stress.
"You don't have a fever, but maybe it's not that kind of illness. Tell me your symptoms and I'll see if there's a cure," Sho moved on, choosing to go with the 'maybe I've misunderstood' tactic. It was fairly effective on Aiba, who really just wanted to be taken seriously when depressed, but it was never a guarantee.
"My stomach is bothering me. And my head..."
"Which head?"
"Not funny."
"Sorry."
"A little funny."
"I know."
"It hurts," Aiba explained, daring to remove the pillow from his face and glance Sho's way as he held his jaw in his hand, "and my jaw. And my ears, but not so much."
Sho would have given him the benefit of the doubt, believed it to be a common cold and therefore an excuse to feel unwilling to go to work, but he'd been there to witness Aiba watch the television on much too high a volume. Had been there to see the look in his eyes as the news reported yet another monkey related illness. Had been the one rolling his eyes when Aiba had decided that suddenly he wasn't doing so well, perhaps he needed a nap, maybe he just shouldn't be around people for awhile. Sho knew exactly what Aiba's problem was - and it had less to do with germs and more to do with his dislike of inconveniencing others.
Which he was ironically doing at this very moment, because obviously he wouldn't be fooled by a brand name medicine as a placebo, and Sho really didn't have the time or resources to produce something special.
"All right, I know how to cure you," Sho informed him, also aware that he was being very cliche. But Aiba liked cliches in his romances, and definitely liked Sho climbing into bed with him, at least if his eyes were any indication - showing far too much excitement for someone who was supposedly sick.
Monkey kisses could potentially be a problem, but Sho's kisses were undoubtedly the solution.
---
Balance (PG)
Nino/Jun - understanding (kanesu)
Matsumoto Jun was on cloud nine. Happy enough to think of himself as being on cloud nine though he'd never really understood what it meant and had only heard it once in a romantic movie that had almost laughable Japanese subtitles. It suited the situation, after all, to use a possibly, maybe American term - because Jun was in Hawaii and Jun was in a band.
"I don't understand," was all Ohno had said, despite being the oldest and probably the one who had waited the longest to debut, a look upon his face as if he'd been betrayed. But Jun, of course, assumed that he'd betrayed himself by ever doubting that he'd make it this far. Because Ohno was probably the best singer of the juniors, but not anymore... because now he was the best singer in Arashi!
"I should call my parents," Sho had stated simply, nodding at his new bandmates before disappearing from the room. Of course Sakurai had reacted in such a way, it made perfect sense to Jun, because he was the rapper and also a sempai, and quite possibly the coolest person in the band. He'd not get excited in front of everyone. It wouldn't suit his image.
It was Aiba with whom Jun had celebrated, and he wouldn't have had it any other way. They'd spent plenty of time together before debuting anyway, and Aiba's enthusiasm for anything went unrivaled. Though, he'd been feeling a little homesick, and had excused himself from Jun's room to get an early night's rest, hugging his stuffed animal close to his chest and apologizing profusely.
Nino was... Nino was... well, Nino he'd not really gotten a chance to talk to yet, but that was exactly why Jun had been prepared to knock on his door. That is, before he heard his new bandmate's voice raise up in complaint, clearly in the middle of a conversation that Jun really shouldn't have been hearing.
Because he had been on cloud nine, he had been prepared to work harder than ever, until he realized that not everyone was on the same page. But how anyone who'd signed themselves up for this would actually be upset about getting what they'd been heading toward anyway, Jun didn't know. Not everyone was fortunate enough to be placed in a band, and if Nino didn't want it, he shouldn't have pretended to. He and Aiba, at least, would have much preferred Ikuta Toma if this was the way it was going to be.
Jun knocked. And Jun thought of exactly what he'd say when Nino opened the door. Something along the lines of, "You better not ruin this for us" or "Quit now before you get in over your head" or... or...
"When I was in kindergarten I got valentines from every girl in the class, but then... then suddenly eyebrows were important and I lost all that attention and I'd really kind of like to get it back, even just a little bit, so being in this band is really sort of important to me."
He hadn't realized he'd shut his eyes so tightly until he opened them to find Nino staring at him in complete bafflement, and more importantly, eyes stained red from tears. But at least, at least now he was smiling, even if it was for a different reason than Jun would have liked.
Maybe there were things that Jun still didn't understand about... people.
"You... want to talk about it?" Jun asked nervously, thinking that it might be time to reach a balance.
Nino waved him inside.
---
All Work (PG-13)
Jun/Sho - mutual respect (katzichan)
He hadn't meant to get so competitive, but it wasn't all that surprising when he thought about the characteristics of those in the group. Aiba was enthusiastic, but more likely to whisper with the staff and plan things in secret. Ohno was dedicated, but too often in his own world to be aware of what people were planning around him. Nino didn't care.
Which only left one person to name as a rival.
"Matsujun! How are those concert plans?" Sho asked with as neutral a face as possible. He was only asking because he'd just completed another set of rap lyrics for their next single and yes, he was prepared to start boasting.
"Fine, I assume. I was a bit distracted this morning. Apparently we're short a few guests for VS Arashi and they thought I might be able to help," Jun answered with an exaggerated shrug of his shoulders, laughing as Sho playfully narrowed his eyes.
"Is that so? Well if you feel you have extra time, maybe you could treat yourself to another haircut."
Daring to speak on anything related to fashion was close to hitting below the belt, but Jun seemed to take it in stride, running a hand through his hair only for a second before reaching into his bag and pulling out a newspaper.
"Don't fall too far behind the headlines, Sho-chan. Can't have you make the rest of us look bad."
Nino smacked Jun's shin in an effort to shut him up, failing to catch a few precious minutes of sleep before their next interview. Ohno's eye twitched. Aiba hummed something unrecognizable.
The room fell silent until Jun remembered he had more to say, and when it came to Sho, he never could resist. He inched closer to the man on their shared sofa, close enough to speak low into his ear.
"Way to turn off my alarm last night, cheating bastard."
"You going to stop inviting me over?" Sho asked, offering him a coffee and a kiss.
"No," Jun had long been decided, sipping his coffee and smiling. Nothing better than a productive relationship.
---
With Benefits (PG-13)
Nino/Sho - possessive!Nino and fluff (wildlotus2006)
Nino could admit that he got jealous every now and again, but rarely did he ever act on impulse and throw a fit. Somehow it felt as if whining about something like that would make him a hypocrite, if by 'somehow' he meant 'because he had a habit of hanging all over Ohno', and that was basically it.
But when the jealousy bubbled up for more than one reason, it became nearly impossible to ignore. Sho was spending the majority of his free time with Aiba. Aiba, who was supposed to be Nino's close friend, the one he'd always, always, always been around. And Sho, who was supposed to want to spend the majority of his free time with him for very obvious reasons. Together. A lot.
It didn't matter that Nino's schedule conflicted with Sho's anyway, making it impossible for Sho to spend said free time the way Nino wanted him too. It was just... not okay for him to be constantly eating out one on one all cozy-like. Receiving more souvenirs from Aiba's trips than any of the other members. Calling him up just to tell him about a funny program his mother had been watching on television the other night and... what it meant in terms of viewer demand, or something.
The important thing was that Nino was feeling neglected, and though he often solved this problem by surrounding himself with activities that didn't require anyone else's presence, he couldn't hide his emotions forever. So, when they had their first dinner together in weeks and Sho mentioned how 'that reminds me of this thing Masaki said' instead of simply laughing at Nino's joke, it was as if he'd thrown out an insult - and Nino had no trouble defending himself from imaginary jabs.
"Shut up."
Sho was used to hearing this from Nino, but not in the middle of pleasant conversation, and definitely not with that serious a tone. It was an obvious sign of trouble, though he could hardly think of what he might have done wrong.
"Long day?" Sho questioned carefully, returning his cup to the table with a bit more force than necessary.
"Me? You're the one going on and on about what Aiba had to say at lunch today. Sounds like you were the one kept busy," Nino answered with a look of disapproval, excusing himself from the table to immediately tend to the dishes.
He grabbed Sho's plate though plenty of food remained, dropping the leftovers into the trash and ignoring Sho's cries of protest. Starving children, recession, and so on and so forth... in one ear and out the other because Nino didn't like to listen when he was avoiding talking about his feelings.
"Remember what we promised each other? Not to let the stress of work interfere with this?" Sho more reminded Nino than asked him, eyebrows furrowing in concern. He couldn't be sure he was heard over the sound of the kitchen sink, but he waited for a response anyway, standing up from the table, but hesitating to move. It was probably best to stay where he was for now.
"Work was fine," came the mumbled reply, Nino scrubbing furiously to remove a hardened bit of sauce from a pan.
"You made dinner, so why don't you just... play a game or something? I can take care of the dishes," Sho offered, thinking it might help Nino relax.
Instead he'd touched on a nerve, Nino's body shaking slightly as he turned off the tap and brushed the hair away from his face.
"That's what you think I want to be doing right now? Playing a game? I want to play games more than I want to spend time with you," Nino accused without really understanding why he was dabbling in reverse psychology. Bottle something up and there was no telling what it would be when released.
"No. Nino," was all Sho could manage to say, his eyes searching Nino's for some kind of hint as to what was happening. He couldn't be like Ohno. One look enough to tell him everything he needed to know. Sho had always hoped it was because what he shared with Nino was deeper than that, but sometimes....
"No? Well then maybe you could send me hourly updates. Tell me all the fun things you and Aiba get up to and then you'd not even have to bother coming over here anymore," he stated bitterly, returning to the dishes and focusing intently on his hands.
Of course he regretted it the moment it had left him, but he was in too far now to try and clarify himself. How could you pretty up a statement like that anyway? He'd effectively told the person he cared most about to stay away from him.
He was expecting to be scolded, and if he thought about it carefully, he'd realize that it was what he actually wanted out of Sho. Because if Sho scolded him, it meant Sho still cared about what happened between them. If he was angry it was because he was hurt, because Nino still had influence. It was childish, and it was dangerous, but it was one way to reassure himself that he wasn't being replaced.
When nothing was said, Nino began to worry that Sho had somehow managed to leave quietly, his heart beating faster as his anxiety grew. He wasn't sure when he processed the fact that a pair of lips had attached themselves to his neck, but it was probably around the time that he dropped the bowl he'd been rinsing.
"What are you doing?" he whispered, managing to reach forward enough to turn off the water once more.
"I'm still hungry," Sho grumbled, wrapping his arms tightly around Nino's middle as he continued to plant kisses at Nino's collarbone.
"What's wrong with you?" Nino asked, chuckling against his will and twisting in Sho's arms to push him away gently. Sho could feel the two wet splotches that appeared on his t-shirt, shivering at the sudden chill before laughing himself.
"What's wrong with you? Aside from the obvious," Sho asked as he reached for one of Nino's hands to hold in his own.
It felt strange to Nino, who was still waiting for raised voices and misunderstandings, things said that neither of them meant. Strange and comforting all at once, only adding to the guilt he'd initially felt at being jealous over something like Sho loving the members of Arashi as much as everyone else. Though he didn't say a word, he could see Sho reading his expression, 'what's wrong with me?'
"I've been spending time with my good friend," Sho said calmly as he pulled Nino close, "And you're feeling a bit jealous. Because."
"Because," Nino agreed against Sho's lips, laughing nervously out of embarrassment. He knew Sho meant for him to continue. "Because you're my boyfriend."
"Right you are, Kazu-chan," Sho announced with a grin, nibbling at Nino's lower lip and sighing along with Nino as he felt Nino's muscles relax, their bodies fitting comfortably against one another.
Sho was happy to remind Nino that for him, and him only, quality time came with benefits.
Genres: Comedy, Fluff, Crack Light, Romance
Ratings: PG through PG-13 (barely)
Who: Arashi
Summary: Matchmaking, jealousy, rage infected monkeys, marshmallow fluff, and friendly competition.
Arrows Optional (PG)
Ohmiya - Arashi Cupid (rinalin)
Aiba's self-esteem might have improved over the years, but he couldn't forget the awkward young man he had once been - unsure of his abilities, and searching for a way to better his own life without unintentionally ruining the lives of others. That's why the proposition had been so intriguing at the time. Why he was currently reaching the end of his patience. Ah, and why the present found him anxiously awaiting the arrival of a plane from America.
"I'm sure there are things you've all been dying to tell him, right Ohno-kun?" Aiba heavily hinted, hoping that he sounded more like a badgering friend than someone with something invested in all of this.
But really, any friend would find themselves feeling invested in all this even if they weren't told by some mysterious other-worldly type person that it was for the best possible happiness of two. People like Sho, who knew about the economy and rise and fall and had maybe, possibly, once upon a time walked in on Aiba stuffing condoms into Nino's bag - people like that knew. Or at least tried to understand, eventually slipping into the category of "humoring Aiba" and hoping it led somewhere satisfactory.
It had taken a long time for Aiba to understand the concept of falling in love as opposed to falling into a drunken stupor and taking advantage of bandmates. It had seemed foolproof, the condom thing, but after years of failure? Aiba could say for certain that even the best laid plans were completely useless when meddling in the affairs of Ohno Satoshi, who probably wouldn't notice you were following him around with mistletoe and not-so-gently shoving him toward that supposed-to-be-special someone.
"He was talking to you, Riida," Matsujun nudged Ohno lightly with his shoulder, hoping to alert the man to the conversation around him.
Ohno gave a simple nod and continued to stare blankly at the arrivals board. His common reaction to the happenings of the world around him presented a serious problem for Aiba, who had always complained that he ought to be able to read minds at least if he were going to make this work. He'd been reminded that he was being paid (eventually, and not in cash) to take on the challenge, not to play messenger - that was someone else's territory, and he wasn't keen on interference.
And if he were going to play fair, he had to admit that Ohno wasn't the only one providing trouble. The best friend he'd wanted to help out in the first place, the one of the five that probably needed this the most, had thrown plenty of metaphorical curve balls over the years (and a few literal ones as well, but Aiba had since learned not to play baseball with someone who had so much pent up aggression).
"I don't know, I'm just saying I thought he looked kind of innocent for being older than all of us. Cute, right?" Aiba had tried desperately to have Nino listen, or even pretend to care that they'd both just been picked to be in a band. With other people! And one person who was really kind of... going to be important.
"You know who's really cute," Nino had started with a grin his face could barely contain, "Fujiwara Norika!"
At this point, staring at the arrivals board himself, Aiba couldn't remember if any of them had ever even met or worked with her, but it was a good thing it didn't stand out. Handling that kind of tense situation on top of everything else he'd messed up? Honestly, the majority of obstacles thus far were of his own making. He, unlike some, was human, and therefore had several opportunities to make mistakes. Like becoming a little jealous that his best friend was being pulled away from him by a guy that barely said two words in a day. Though, seeing Nino half-asleep with his DS in hand, weight rested entirely on an Ohno who didn't look the least bit alarmed, had been a convincing enough picture to push Aiba forward. Clearly, clearly, there were things in the universe that simply were and it would be even more a waste of time to try and figure it all out.
Probably.
Ah, but the worst. Surely the worst had come and gone.
"Nino has such cute thighs," Sho had said, starting it all... putting all the wrong things into motion. Aiba was very aware of the fact that he couldn't control who drank what cup of tea, but he'd been so careful... so careful to put them in the right spots!
Filming a television show in the midst of chaos was nothing unusual for Arashi, but the fact that Aiba's mishap had been documented was still a bit difficult to swallow. Sho's marriage proposals, Ohno's cellphone practically attached to his hand as he begged for Matsujun to join them. How could he have gotten one strand of Nino's hair and one strand of Jun's? That wasn't... he wasn't Ohno. They didn't even look anything alike! But if Ohno had gotten the Ohno cup, what would have happened then?
"This is not that kind of play," he'd been informed, divine intervention taking care of the rest. "And really," Aiba had wanted to argue, "this isn't a play at all!"
It was, surprisingly, when things had started to run smoothly that Aiba wanted to give everything up. Surely it wasn't fair for him to think himself fit to experiment with emotions. He could microwave something cold, and he could drop dry ice in anything you asked him to, but potentially hurt some of the people closest to him? Even for the sake of an age-old saying, it didn't feel right. Cupids, fate, his manager's sixth toe - all of these were real and possible. Tearing Ohmiya SK apart?
"It's Clint Eastwood, so Nino will definitely audition," he'd known, he'd let it happen, later watching as Nino struggled to say all that had been on his mind. His lips moved, and words tumbled out, but not the ones he'd meant. Not here, not now - perhaps wondering if it would all be worth it when separation, even for a short while, was inevitable.
It didn't seem fair, knowing how the two had struggled to even come close to displaying what they were thinking about the other, to see them pulled away from their progress. And though Aiba knew it would bring Nino happiness in terms of his career, it wasn't exactly... well, it was hard to be optimistic when he'd known this was real, significant, lasting affection before they'd even met.
Now, standing in the airport, waiting for one half's return, he couldn't help but wonder -
"NOT IN THE AIRPORT!" Sho's voice sounded in a high pitched shriek, interrupting both Aiba's train of thought and Nino's sudden attachment to Ohno's lips.
"OH THANK GOD," Aiba announced as he fell to the floor, closing his eyes and raising his arms in triumph. Thank Eros, distance, and quite possibly words of encouragement from Ohno's mother, for the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. They'd passed the test. Aiba's task was finished.
Now, eyes opening in the airport, being offered a hand up by Matsujun?
He just couldn't help but wonder.
---
Monkey Business (PG-13)
Sho/Aiba - Sho comforts sick Aiba (iloveqqmcmug)
He probably couldn't let him go out in public like this.
Not that there was any threat of rampaging monkeys escaped from the zoo, or even really anyone to see him save for an audience, an entire television staff, and the other members, but... Sho hesitated to place him in front of a camera at the moment, sick or no (and it was definitely no).
But Sho's hesitation and obligation to the company were very different things, and one held a great deal more importance than the other. That being the case, the only option he had left was to... nurse him back into health.
"I understand how you feel, Masaki, but... being nervous and being sick are not exactly the same thing," Sho tried to reason with him, placing a hand to Aiba's forehead for the fourth time in fifteen minutes, the results no different than the previous three checks for fever.
Aiba was paranoid, maybe, but he certainly wasn't a fool. At least not all of the time, and this moment was one of those not-a-fool times. As much as it pained him to make the rest of Arashi suffer a missed program, or a program missing his character, it would be more painful to risk infecting them all and lose their friendship forever.
"I'm not going tonight. You shouldn't even be here," Aiba muttered as he buried his face into a pillow. He couldn't look at Sho or his resolve would start to go. He'd learned that ages ago, when Sho had used the 'smile wide, use a pet name' style of persuasion. Aiba loved being affectionate, but he loved when other people were affectionate even more. Especially Sho, because Sho was secretly the best at it.
"What, you going to turn into a zombie and then attack me?" Sho tried to tease, realizing immediately that Aiba had never seen the film he'd been trying to reference (because if he had seen it, he'd have said something about nightmares or cracked a joke about it, but instead he pulled the covers up to his ears).
This was bad. This was very, very bad. Because Aiba, apparently, really thought that being kissed by a monkey meant that he was diseased. Possibly terminally so, judging by the way he was refusing to show any signs of optimism or enjoyment of Sho's company, which he constantly complained he didn't get enough of - despite their working together and the several dates up to now (sure they were only vaguely mentioned as such and neither of them had attempted to make it undeniably clear, but it was a delicate situation and Aiba wasn't always as straightforward as he seemed).
Sho blamed stress. It was always the stress.
"You don't have a fever, but maybe it's not that kind of illness. Tell me your symptoms and I'll see if there's a cure," Sho moved on, choosing to go with the 'maybe I've misunderstood' tactic. It was fairly effective on Aiba, who really just wanted to be taken seriously when depressed, but it was never a guarantee.
"My stomach is bothering me. And my head..."
"Which head?"
"Not funny."
"Sorry."
"A little funny."
"I know."
"It hurts," Aiba explained, daring to remove the pillow from his face and glance Sho's way as he held his jaw in his hand, "and my jaw. And my ears, but not so much."
Sho would have given him the benefit of the doubt, believed it to be a common cold and therefore an excuse to feel unwilling to go to work, but he'd been there to witness Aiba watch the television on much too high a volume. Had been there to see the look in his eyes as the news reported yet another monkey related illness. Had been the one rolling his eyes when Aiba had decided that suddenly he wasn't doing so well, perhaps he needed a nap, maybe he just shouldn't be around people for awhile. Sho knew exactly what Aiba's problem was - and it had less to do with germs and more to do with his dislike of inconveniencing others.
Which he was ironically doing at this very moment, because obviously he wouldn't be fooled by a brand name medicine as a placebo, and Sho really didn't have the time or resources to produce something special.
"All right, I know how to cure you," Sho informed him, also aware that he was being very cliche. But Aiba liked cliches in his romances, and definitely liked Sho climbing into bed with him, at least if his eyes were any indication - showing far too much excitement for someone who was supposedly sick.
Monkey kisses could potentially be a problem, but Sho's kisses were undoubtedly the solution.
---
Balance (PG)
Nino/Jun - understanding (kanesu)
Matsumoto Jun was on cloud nine. Happy enough to think of himself as being on cloud nine though he'd never really understood what it meant and had only heard it once in a romantic movie that had almost laughable Japanese subtitles. It suited the situation, after all, to use a possibly, maybe American term - because Jun was in Hawaii and Jun was in a band.
"I don't understand," was all Ohno had said, despite being the oldest and probably the one who had waited the longest to debut, a look upon his face as if he'd been betrayed. But Jun, of course, assumed that he'd betrayed himself by ever doubting that he'd make it this far. Because Ohno was probably the best singer of the juniors, but not anymore... because now he was the best singer in Arashi!
"I should call my parents," Sho had stated simply, nodding at his new bandmates before disappearing from the room. Of course Sakurai had reacted in such a way, it made perfect sense to Jun, because he was the rapper and also a sempai, and quite possibly the coolest person in the band. He'd not get excited in front of everyone. It wouldn't suit his image.
It was Aiba with whom Jun had celebrated, and he wouldn't have had it any other way. They'd spent plenty of time together before debuting anyway, and Aiba's enthusiasm for anything went unrivaled. Though, he'd been feeling a little homesick, and had excused himself from Jun's room to get an early night's rest, hugging his stuffed animal close to his chest and apologizing profusely.
Nino was... Nino was... well, Nino he'd not really gotten a chance to talk to yet, but that was exactly why Jun had been prepared to knock on his door. That is, before he heard his new bandmate's voice raise up in complaint, clearly in the middle of a conversation that Jun really shouldn't have been hearing.
Because he had been on cloud nine, he had been prepared to work harder than ever, until he realized that not everyone was on the same page. But how anyone who'd signed themselves up for this would actually be upset about getting what they'd been heading toward anyway, Jun didn't know. Not everyone was fortunate enough to be placed in a band, and if Nino didn't want it, he shouldn't have pretended to. He and Aiba, at least, would have much preferred Ikuta Toma if this was the way it was going to be.
Jun knocked. And Jun thought of exactly what he'd say when Nino opened the door. Something along the lines of, "You better not ruin this for us" or "Quit now before you get in over your head" or... or...
"When I was in kindergarten I got valentines from every girl in the class, but then... then suddenly eyebrows were important and I lost all that attention and I'd really kind of like to get it back, even just a little bit, so being in this band is really sort of important to me."
He hadn't realized he'd shut his eyes so tightly until he opened them to find Nino staring at him in complete bafflement, and more importantly, eyes stained red from tears. But at least, at least now he was smiling, even if it was for a different reason than Jun would have liked.
Maybe there were things that Jun still didn't understand about... people.
"You... want to talk about it?" Jun asked nervously, thinking that it might be time to reach a balance.
Nino waved him inside.
---
All Work (PG-13)
Jun/Sho - mutual respect (katzichan)
He hadn't meant to get so competitive, but it wasn't all that surprising when he thought about the characteristics of those in the group. Aiba was enthusiastic, but more likely to whisper with the staff and plan things in secret. Ohno was dedicated, but too often in his own world to be aware of what people were planning around him. Nino didn't care.
Which only left one person to name as a rival.
"Matsujun! How are those concert plans?" Sho asked with as neutral a face as possible. He was only asking because he'd just completed another set of rap lyrics for their next single and yes, he was prepared to start boasting.
"Fine, I assume. I was a bit distracted this morning. Apparently we're short a few guests for VS Arashi and they thought I might be able to help," Jun answered with an exaggerated shrug of his shoulders, laughing as Sho playfully narrowed his eyes.
"Is that so? Well if you feel you have extra time, maybe you could treat yourself to another haircut."
Daring to speak on anything related to fashion was close to hitting below the belt, but Jun seemed to take it in stride, running a hand through his hair only for a second before reaching into his bag and pulling out a newspaper.
"Don't fall too far behind the headlines, Sho-chan. Can't have you make the rest of us look bad."
Nino smacked Jun's shin in an effort to shut him up, failing to catch a few precious minutes of sleep before their next interview. Ohno's eye twitched. Aiba hummed something unrecognizable.
The room fell silent until Jun remembered he had more to say, and when it came to Sho, he never could resist. He inched closer to the man on their shared sofa, close enough to speak low into his ear.
"Way to turn off my alarm last night, cheating bastard."
"You going to stop inviting me over?" Sho asked, offering him a coffee and a kiss.
"No," Jun had long been decided, sipping his coffee and smiling. Nothing better than a productive relationship.
---
With Benefits (PG-13)
Nino/Sho - possessive!Nino and fluff (wildlotus2006)
Nino could admit that he got jealous every now and again, but rarely did he ever act on impulse and throw a fit. Somehow it felt as if whining about something like that would make him a hypocrite, if by 'somehow' he meant 'because he had a habit of hanging all over Ohno', and that was basically it.
But when the jealousy bubbled up for more than one reason, it became nearly impossible to ignore. Sho was spending the majority of his free time with Aiba. Aiba, who was supposed to be Nino's close friend, the one he'd always, always, always been around. And Sho, who was supposed to want to spend the majority of his free time with him for very obvious reasons. Together. A lot.
It didn't matter that Nino's schedule conflicted with Sho's anyway, making it impossible for Sho to spend said free time the way Nino wanted him too. It was just... not okay for him to be constantly eating out one on one all cozy-like. Receiving more souvenirs from Aiba's trips than any of the other members. Calling him up just to tell him about a funny program his mother had been watching on television the other night and... what it meant in terms of viewer demand, or something.
The important thing was that Nino was feeling neglected, and though he often solved this problem by surrounding himself with activities that didn't require anyone else's presence, he couldn't hide his emotions forever. So, when they had their first dinner together in weeks and Sho mentioned how 'that reminds me of this thing Masaki said' instead of simply laughing at Nino's joke, it was as if he'd thrown out an insult - and Nino had no trouble defending himself from imaginary jabs.
"Shut up."
Sho was used to hearing this from Nino, but not in the middle of pleasant conversation, and definitely not with that serious a tone. It was an obvious sign of trouble, though he could hardly think of what he might have done wrong.
"Long day?" Sho questioned carefully, returning his cup to the table with a bit more force than necessary.
"Me? You're the one going on and on about what Aiba had to say at lunch today. Sounds like you were the one kept busy," Nino answered with a look of disapproval, excusing himself from the table to immediately tend to the dishes.
He grabbed Sho's plate though plenty of food remained, dropping the leftovers into the trash and ignoring Sho's cries of protest. Starving children, recession, and so on and so forth... in one ear and out the other because Nino didn't like to listen when he was avoiding talking about his feelings.
"Remember what we promised each other? Not to let the stress of work interfere with this?" Sho more reminded Nino than asked him, eyebrows furrowing in concern. He couldn't be sure he was heard over the sound of the kitchen sink, but he waited for a response anyway, standing up from the table, but hesitating to move. It was probably best to stay where he was for now.
"Work was fine," came the mumbled reply, Nino scrubbing furiously to remove a hardened bit of sauce from a pan.
"You made dinner, so why don't you just... play a game or something? I can take care of the dishes," Sho offered, thinking it might help Nino relax.
Instead he'd touched on a nerve, Nino's body shaking slightly as he turned off the tap and brushed the hair away from his face.
"That's what you think I want to be doing right now? Playing a game? I want to play games more than I want to spend time with you," Nino accused without really understanding why he was dabbling in reverse psychology. Bottle something up and there was no telling what it would be when released.
"No. Nino," was all Sho could manage to say, his eyes searching Nino's for some kind of hint as to what was happening. He couldn't be like Ohno. One look enough to tell him everything he needed to know. Sho had always hoped it was because what he shared with Nino was deeper than that, but sometimes....
"No? Well then maybe you could send me hourly updates. Tell me all the fun things you and Aiba get up to and then you'd not even have to bother coming over here anymore," he stated bitterly, returning to the dishes and focusing intently on his hands.
Of course he regretted it the moment it had left him, but he was in too far now to try and clarify himself. How could you pretty up a statement like that anyway? He'd effectively told the person he cared most about to stay away from him.
He was expecting to be scolded, and if he thought about it carefully, he'd realize that it was what he actually wanted out of Sho. Because if Sho scolded him, it meant Sho still cared about what happened between them. If he was angry it was because he was hurt, because Nino still had influence. It was childish, and it was dangerous, but it was one way to reassure himself that he wasn't being replaced.
When nothing was said, Nino began to worry that Sho had somehow managed to leave quietly, his heart beating faster as his anxiety grew. He wasn't sure when he processed the fact that a pair of lips had attached themselves to his neck, but it was probably around the time that he dropped the bowl he'd been rinsing.
"What are you doing?" he whispered, managing to reach forward enough to turn off the water once more.
"I'm still hungry," Sho grumbled, wrapping his arms tightly around Nino's middle as he continued to plant kisses at Nino's collarbone.
"What's wrong with you?" Nino asked, chuckling against his will and twisting in Sho's arms to push him away gently. Sho could feel the two wet splotches that appeared on his t-shirt, shivering at the sudden chill before laughing himself.
"What's wrong with you? Aside from the obvious," Sho asked as he reached for one of Nino's hands to hold in his own.
It felt strange to Nino, who was still waiting for raised voices and misunderstandings, things said that neither of them meant. Strange and comforting all at once, only adding to the guilt he'd initially felt at being jealous over something like Sho loving the members of Arashi as much as everyone else. Though he didn't say a word, he could see Sho reading his expression, 'what's wrong with me?'
"I've been spending time with my good friend," Sho said calmly as he pulled Nino close, "And you're feeling a bit jealous. Because."
"Because," Nino agreed against Sho's lips, laughing nervously out of embarrassment. He knew Sho meant for him to continue. "Because you're my boyfriend."
"Right you are, Kazu-chan," Sho announced with a grin, nibbling at Nino's lower lip and sighing along with Nino as he felt Nino's muscles relax, their bodies fitting comfortably against one another.
Sho was happy to remind Nino that for him, and him only, quality time came with benefits.