Title:Gone Somewhere
Pairings:AibaxNino, ShoxNino (broken), ShoxJun
Genre/Rating:Fluff, slight Angst, slight Slice of Life, Romance, AU, Friendship / PG-13
Word Count:2336
Disclaimer:I own nothing but the plot
Summary:I just had to get away from everything, even if that meant going away from my best friend.
Fanfic Masterpost After my last break up, I couldn’t take it anymore. So I left without telling anyone of my intentions of leaving, or saying goodbye to the closest person that I only have left existing in this world: Aiba Masaki. To me, he’s someone I cannot live without like air. He’s amazing and I don’t understand why other people dismiss him because of his cheerful, airhead personality. But he’s more than a simple airhead.
He understands me in a way I couldn’t, and had the ability to make me feel better about myself. During the hardships I experienced when we were in college, I’ve wanted to give up so much from repeatedly failing a psychology class. But Aiba was always there for me, saying how failures will only build up my strengths. And when I lost both my parents from a car accident, Aiba had hugged me for a whole hour when I refused to let my feelings out while he kept saying that I’m never going to be alone. Afterwards, I finally let it out and Aiba cried along with me.
At this very moment, though, I didn’t seek Aiba’s company. I know I’m going to miss him so badly when I leave, but it’s not like I can always depend on him. As an adult, I had a responsibility to become a better person for myself. After a month of breaking it off from a complicated relationship, I booked a plane ticket to Okinawa. I just wanted to relax, to run away from the memories I had built with my ex in order not to break down.
For ten years, I seriously thought that I was madly in love with Sakurai Sho. He was perfect. In fact, he’s my ideal type: strong-willed, loyal, and honest. For those ten years, I was blind. Blind from the love I thought we had. But one day, when I was returning home from work, I found him in bed with another man, none other than Matsumoto Jun, a friend we made during uni. I knew it. I suspected something going in between them, but I kept denying it… until I saw them together, betraying me shamelessly in my own house and the bed that Sakurai and I had picked together. At that moment, I hated them both. I despised them and refused to forgive them for their affair… but then I realized that I was wrong. The relationship I had with Sakurai was too perfect to be true and looking back at it now, we lacked communication. Sure, we understood each other and our own needs, but we lacked real communication that whenever we had disagreements, we would go off on our own for a few days until we came back to each other to apologize and have makeup sex. So I understood, now, why the both of them would betray me: they had more communication compared to the pathetic ten years I had with Sakurai.
And for those ten years, I wasted my life devoting myself to Sakurai. A vacation -- I don’t for how long -- is necessary.
I had just landed in Okinawa… but I seriously don’t know what to do next. So I just sat in front of the airport, waiting for nothing in particular. As I sat there, watching everything pass by me, I realized that I hadn’t planned this out at all. Sure, I had money, enough to make a living here, but that wasn’t what I intended. If Aiba were here, he would know what to do…
Damn it. This is why I had to get away from there.
Sighing, I stood up and stretched. For now, renting a hotel room is the best decision.
\\\♥///
It wasn’t a very flashy hotel, but it was good enough for me: the price was affordable; breakfast, lunch, and dinner came along with my payment; and it was near the airport so I don’t have to travel far. It was also located near the beach, so I could just escape there when I really had nothing else better to do than play video games, cooped up inside my hotel room. Besides, the point of this whole trip was to escape. So I did just that on my very first day at Okinawa.
The beach was packed, and why wouldn’t it be? It’s summer vacation and it was really hot at this time of the year. Although, I was kind of hoping that it wouldn’t be packed… Whatever. I decided to make my way to a bar right alongside the boardwalk. It was packed as well and there just so happened to be the last empty seat at the bar.
“Give me something strong,” I told the bartender as I claimed the last seat. He gave me an “are you sure?” look, but he went ahead with my order anyway. After the bartender had passed me my drink, I took a sip and I couldn’t help but hiss. It was really strong, and I shouldn’t be drinking this in the middle of the damn day.
“Oh, well,” I mumbled as I took another sip…
\\\♥///
By night fall, I was drunk as hell. I couldn’t walk straight and I didn’t even know what the hell was going on. I remember betting with someone that had something to do with whoever can drink the most gets a whole week’s worth of buffalo wings, paid by the loser. I think I won because I remembered eating something very spicy. And because of last night’s drunken adventure… I woke up somewhere else. Not in my hotel room, or the bar, but I woke up on someone else’s bed. Stark naked.
Holy shit. What happened last night?
I groaned as I sat up, trying to search for my clothes and other personal belongings. I hope that this person didn’t just leave and take my wallet.
“Oh, man! That was bad!” A voice exclaimed from behind a door within the room. It sounded awfully familiar, but there was no way that this person would be here right now. Besides, he hasn’t even told him that he’s here! Just then, he heard a toilet flushing and then the door swung open. Standing under the doorframe was none other than Aiba Masaki, my best friend, naked and standing proud as if he had just taken the world’s best shit ever.
“Nino, you’re awake!” Aiba grinned as he skipped towards me. I had to peel my eyes away from him.
“Masaki, what the hell happened?” I asked seriously and ignored his giggling.
“You don’t remember?
I froze. “Remember what?”
“Well…”
*Last night*
I was on my fifth pint of whatever drink I was drinking at the moment. It was really strong, but I couldn’t care less because I felt so damn good. After my fifth pint, however, I ran to the bathroom because I seriously had to go to the bathroom. While I was peeing, however, I took out my phone and dialed my best friend’s number for the first time since I landed in Okinawa.
“Masaki~” I grinned when I heard the dial on the other end pick up. “Guess where I am~”
“Nino, I’ve been looking all over for you! Where the hell are you?!”
“Guess~” I giggled as I watched the yellow liquid run down the urinal.
“Nino-- Are you in a restroom? And is that loud music I hear?” Aiba asked at the same time the door to the restroom open and close. Indeed, there was loud music and the bass was pumping. “... You’re at a club, or a bar.”
My grin widened. “Yeah!”
“Nino, where are you?”
“Okinawa,” I answered simply.
“Where in Okinawa?”
“Somewhere~”
“Nino. Please, tell me.”
“Nope!”
“Nino, you’re seriously drunk. I’m going to come and get you back. Just let me know where you’re staying.”
“Nope!”
“Damn it, Nino.”
I giggled. “You sound stressed.”
“That’s because I am stressed!” Aiba shouted. “You suddenly went missing and… And I thought you were gone for good.”
I frowned. I didn’t like it when Aiba always assumed that I was going to go all suicidal every time I went missing after something horrible happened. “You know I’m not like that.”
“Then let me come and get you back.”
“No. I wanted to escape for a reason, Masaki. I don’t want to keep on depending on you.”
“It was never like that,” Aiba said and I could imagine him frowning. “You and I need each other. Why do you think I’m always there for you?”
“Isn’t it ‘cause you pity me?”
“...No.”
“ ‘Cause you want me to feel better?”
“Well, yes, but it’s not also because of that.”
“Then, what? What is it?”
“It’s cause…” Aiba paused for a while and I was starting to get antsy.
“What is it?” I snapped.
“Because…” Aiba sighed. Somehow, I could imagine him running his hand through his soft brown locks as he walked back and forth, looking all stressed and serious, which is so unlike him. “... I love you.”
I blinked. “I love you, too.”
“No, it’s not like that,” Aiba sighed. “I know you love me.”
“So…”
“So what I’m trying to say is, please, let me come and get you. I’ve been worried sick about my best friend who I know is doing something utterly stupid right now. Like getting drunk… Nino, tell me where you are.”
I hummed. Aiba was still being vague and I didn’t know what he meant by saying he loved me in another way. I don’t understand.
“No,” I said, before pressing the end call button and placing my phone back in my pocket. As much as I wanted to be saved by him, I wanted to live independently and do reckless things… for the time being.
After I was finally finished with pissing and washing my hands, I went back outside to the bar where I apparently made a bet with someone, ate half a tub of buffalo wings… and in came rushing my best friend at 1AM. By then, there were barely people at the bar and I was with the bartender who was trying to get rid of me as he closed the bar.
“What are you doing here?!” I yelled as I waved my hand around in attempt to point at him. “I said I didn’t want to be saved.”
“I know,” Aiba said and approached me cautiously. “But that’s why I’m here. I don’t want you to throw your life away… I heard what happened from Sakurai-san.”
I growled. “That asshole. Don’t ever bring him up.”
“I promise, I won’t,” Aiba swore. “I even punched him for you.”
I laughed. “Really? You did? You’re an awesome best friend.”
“I know,” Aiba agreed. “Now, let’s go.”
“No!” I whined and stumbled back into a few chairs. “Masaki, I want to-- Oh, God!” I exclaimed as I covered my mouth and curled uncomfortably. My stomach wasn’t feeling so well… The last thing that happened was Aiba escorting me to the bathroom, then leading me back into the same hotel I was staying at, but it was in a different room… And then we were getting naked, and things were starting to get all hot, and steamy…
*Present*
I blushed. Hearing Aiba explain the whole story helped me recall the things that happened last night. Oh, God, I was so stupid. I couldn’t believe that in the end, I relied on Aiba and we even… I shook my head. No, I couldn’t be in love with Aiba… Or was I? No. Wait… I remember now. Last night, before we became all naked, I was sitting on the edge of his bed. I was staring at Aiba so intently as he fished out some aspirin from his duffle bag. A lot of thoughts ran through my head that only concerned Aiba, and I realized then just how much he had been in my life and that he’s always been by my side. Back then, for instance, when I would have those stupid arguments with Sakurai, he was the person I always turned to. The person who always took me in on sleepless nights and comforted me so selflessly… Aiba had been there all along, during my tough times… And I realized that I selfishly turned to him without thinking of his own feelings. So that phone call… had he confessed to me then? Then I remembered telling him that I love him, not just as a best friend, but as my significant other. I realized that I was so stupid. The person that I’ve been needing in my life had been with me the whole time.
“Uh, Masaki… I’m sorry.”
My best friend giggled. “About what? There’s nothing to be sorry about.”
“There is,” I sighed and finally turned to face him. Despite being with Aiba practically my whole entire life, I finally noticed how beautiful brown his eyes were and how it twinkled with joy and love as he stared at me. “I didn’t even think about how you felt this whole time. I must have hurt you when I dated the wrong person. All that time, I thought Sakurai was perfect… but you… You’re perfect. It’s because of you that I’m not in the dumpster begging for food right now.”
Aiba’s wide grinned turned into a soft smile. “It did hurt, Nino, but I wanted to support you no matter what and make sure that I’ll still be in your life when you needed me most… because I needed you, too. You make me happy, Nino.”
I smiled back as our hands met. “You’re the best. And Masaki… I love you.”
“I love you, too, Nino.”
And with that, I leaned in to give him the best sober kiss I had ever experienced: soft, sweet, and amazing. It was just like Aiba to make me feel this way, and I was really glad that I have him in my life. Now, I won’t ever have to go anywhere anymore.
~~~~
A/N: I know this is very cliche, but I couldn't resist writing an Aimiya. It's also the best I could manage during in between headaches and fatigue.
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