{013} Misdirection [Nino/Aiba]
Title: Misdirection
Group: Arashi, Nino/Aiba
Genre: AU, humor, fluff
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1200
Summary: Conman Nino meets his match when he knocks on Aiba’s door.
Notes: Written for aridseas for ninoexchange. Thanks to my trusty beta, bubbly, for her support and guidance.
Nino straightened his shirt in an attempt to look at least a little bit respectable before he rang the doorbell of his next target. Hands linked behind his back, he rocked back and forth slightly on his heels as he waited for someone to come to the door. He was ready to turn around and head back down the sidewalk when the door flew open to reveal a bright-eyed man.
“Good afternoon…” Nino paused to sneak a peek at the name next to the door. “Aiba-san. My name is Ninomiya Kazunari and I work for the Touzai Animal Shelter-“ Nino took a step back as Aiba suddenly leapt out of the doorway.
“You work for an animal shelter?!” Aiba asked, eyes wide.
“Y-yes,” Nino stuttered. If he could’ve done it without Aiba noticing, he would’ve been crossing his fingers behind his back. As it was, he was taken aback by Aiba’s enthusiastic response. At this point, people usually shut the door in his face or listened to his story before politely declining.
“We’re trying to buy a bunch of new toys for the poor animals so it’ll be less like a prison and more like a home, but this year’s budget was cut.” Nino crossed his toes inside his shoes. He wasn’t lying, not exactly. The money wouldn’t go toward keeping homeless animals off the street, but would keep Nino in his home… playing the newest video game. Humans were considered animals, after all; it was just that people tend to be more sympathetic towards the four-legged variety. Nino never understood why.
“You need toys for the shelter? I have some extra ones stashed away. I’ll go get them right now,” Aiba announced and disappeared into the house.
“Money for toys,” Nino shouted into the doorway. The last thing he needed was an armful of rubber bones and stuffed mice.
Apparently, Aiba didn’t hear him, or didn’t care, and reappeared with a plastic bag filled with what appeared to be half a pet store. He locked the front door behind him and turned to Nino. “Okay, let’s go deliver these toys to the shelter.”
“Right now?” Nino’s eyes went wide. He scrambled for a diversion, anything. He didn’t work for Touzai Animal Shelter, it wasn’t even a real animal shelter. “It- it’s kind of far from here. I wouldn’t want to make you go all the way there.”
“That’s okay. I don’t have work today, so I have all day free,” Aiba replied with a bright grin. He grabbed Nino’s hand and led him down the sidewalk.
“Um, actually…” Nino was beginning to think that he should’ve left when nobody answered the door right away. “The shelter is closed to visitors today. It’s check-up day. And we don’t want the vet to be disturbed while he works.”
Aiba’s face fell but brightened almost immediately. “Then we can bring these toys to the shelter in my neighborhood!” He tugged on Nino’s hand again, leading him down the street. Nino’s mind told him to pull away, to get away while he had the chance and maybe find someone else to donate to his fund, but somehow he couldn’t. “I have more toys that we can donate to your shelter another day.”
Nino nodded silently. He couldn’t find it in himself to dash the other man’s hopes. As they walked, Aiba chattered about his volunteer work at the shelter and the various cats and dogs that Nino would meet there. Nino quickly formulated a new plan. He would go along with Aiba, drop off the toys then ooh and aah at the cute animals before escaping at the earliest possible chance. He made a mental note to avoid the neighborhood in his future donation drives.
The animal shelter was only a short walk away. It seemed that Aiba was a regular. He held up the bag of toys with a wide grin, and one of the employees led them to the kennels.
Nino froze as Aiba suddenly dropped a squirming puppy into his arms. His family had a dog when he was a kid, but that didn’t mean he knew what he was supposed to do with a puppy.
“What’s wrong, Nino-chan? Don’t you hold puppies at your work all the time?” Aiba’s face creased with worry.
“I-I do,” Nino replied as he juggled the squirmy puppy. “They’re just not this friendly.” The puppy chose that moment to lick him squarely on the mouth. Nino wiped away the puppy slobber with a grimace.
“Oh, I get it. You’re a cat person,” Aiba announced triumphantly. He reclaimed Nino’s puppy and put it back with its siblings before leading Nino towards the cats. In reality, Nino knew less about cats than dogs. He hung back as he watched Aiba distribute the stuffed mice and balls. Seeing the look of pure delight on Aiba’s face as he played with the cats, Nino almost felt bad for trying to take money from someone like Aiba. Almost.
Nino quickly made his escape after all the toys had been distributed, but not before Aiba made him exchange numbers. Aiba made Nino promise to tell him when he could drop off the toys and meet the cats and dogs of Touzai Animal Shelter.
For the next two weeks, Nino carefully avoided Aiba’s neighborhood. He didn’t want to take the chance of running into him again, but he quickly realized that it was useless. Aiba mailed and called almost daily, inviting Nino over or asking when he could visit Nino’s shelter.
Nino was one his way to his real job, overnight clerk at the convenience store, when another mail came from Aiba. He could evade Aiba for only so long before he ran out of distractions and excuses. He knew that he’d have to come up with a reason why he no longer worked at Touzai Animal Shelter if he wanted to remain friends with Aiba. Nino stopped in his tracks, wondering when Aiba transformed from overly friendly stranger to friend. He shrugged and kept walking as he replied to Aiba, asking him to meet at the convenience store.
Aiba arrived only five minutes into Nino’s shift. “Why did you ask to meet here?” He stopped as he saw Nino standing behind the counter, reading a volume of manga he had borrowed from the shelf. “You work here?!”
Nino closed the book and nodded. “I don’t… work at the shelter. Anymore.” He shuffled his foot against the floor. “The commute was too long and now my pay can go towards improvements at the shelter, or something,” Nino continued, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
“So you live close to me? And work close, too?” Aiba asked, his eyes wide. Nino nodded.
“Oh, Nino-chan we’re going to have so much fun.” Aiba jumped over the counter and tackled Nino in a bear hug.
“It’s… going to be interesting,” Nino laughed awkwardly and returned Aiba’s hug before telling him to act like a proper customer and get out from behind the counter. Aiba just laughed and declared the he found his new favorite convenience store.
Group: Arashi, Nino/Aiba
Genre: AU, humor, fluff
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1200
Summary: Conman Nino meets his match when he knocks on Aiba’s door.
Notes: Written for aridseas for ninoexchange. Thanks to my trusty beta, bubbly, for her support and guidance.
Nino straightened his shirt in an attempt to look at least a little bit respectable before he rang the doorbell of his next target. Hands linked behind his back, he rocked back and forth slightly on his heels as he waited for someone to come to the door. He was ready to turn around and head back down the sidewalk when the door flew open to reveal a bright-eyed man.
“Good afternoon…” Nino paused to sneak a peek at the name next to the door. “Aiba-san. My name is Ninomiya Kazunari and I work for the Touzai Animal Shelter-“ Nino took a step back as Aiba suddenly leapt out of the doorway.
“You work for an animal shelter?!” Aiba asked, eyes wide.
“Y-yes,” Nino stuttered. If he could’ve done it without Aiba noticing, he would’ve been crossing his fingers behind his back. As it was, he was taken aback by Aiba’s enthusiastic response. At this point, people usually shut the door in his face or listened to his story before politely declining.
“We’re trying to buy a bunch of new toys for the poor animals so it’ll be less like a prison and more like a home, but this year’s budget was cut.” Nino crossed his toes inside his shoes. He wasn’t lying, not exactly. The money wouldn’t go toward keeping homeless animals off the street, but would keep Nino in his home… playing the newest video game. Humans were considered animals, after all; it was just that people tend to be more sympathetic towards the four-legged variety. Nino never understood why.
“You need toys for the shelter? I have some extra ones stashed away. I’ll go get them right now,” Aiba announced and disappeared into the house.
“Money for toys,” Nino shouted into the doorway. The last thing he needed was an armful of rubber bones and stuffed mice.
Apparently, Aiba didn’t hear him, or didn’t care, and reappeared with a plastic bag filled with what appeared to be half a pet store. He locked the front door behind him and turned to Nino. “Okay, let’s go deliver these toys to the shelter.”
“Right now?” Nino’s eyes went wide. He scrambled for a diversion, anything. He didn’t work for Touzai Animal Shelter, it wasn’t even a real animal shelter. “It- it’s kind of far from here. I wouldn’t want to make you go all the way there.”
“That’s okay. I don’t have work today, so I have all day free,” Aiba replied with a bright grin. He grabbed Nino’s hand and led him down the sidewalk.
“Um, actually…” Nino was beginning to think that he should’ve left when nobody answered the door right away. “The shelter is closed to visitors today. It’s check-up day. And we don’t want the vet to be disturbed while he works.”
Aiba’s face fell but brightened almost immediately. “Then we can bring these toys to the shelter in my neighborhood!” He tugged on Nino’s hand again, leading him down the street. Nino’s mind told him to pull away, to get away while he had the chance and maybe find someone else to donate to his fund, but somehow he couldn’t. “I have more toys that we can donate to your shelter another day.”
Nino nodded silently. He couldn’t find it in himself to dash the other man’s hopes. As they walked, Aiba chattered about his volunteer work at the shelter and the various cats and dogs that Nino would meet there. Nino quickly formulated a new plan. He would go along with Aiba, drop off the toys then ooh and aah at the cute animals before escaping at the earliest possible chance. He made a mental note to avoid the neighborhood in his future donation drives.
The animal shelter was only a short walk away. It seemed that Aiba was a regular. He held up the bag of toys with a wide grin, and one of the employees led them to the kennels.
Nino froze as Aiba suddenly dropped a squirming puppy into his arms. His family had a dog when he was a kid, but that didn’t mean he knew what he was supposed to do with a puppy.
“What’s wrong, Nino-chan? Don’t you hold puppies at your work all the time?” Aiba’s face creased with worry.
“I-I do,” Nino replied as he juggled the squirmy puppy. “They’re just not this friendly.” The puppy chose that moment to lick him squarely on the mouth. Nino wiped away the puppy slobber with a grimace.
“Oh, I get it. You’re a cat person,” Aiba announced triumphantly. He reclaimed Nino’s puppy and put it back with its siblings before leading Nino towards the cats. In reality, Nino knew less about cats than dogs. He hung back as he watched Aiba distribute the stuffed mice and balls. Seeing the look of pure delight on Aiba’s face as he played with the cats, Nino almost felt bad for trying to take money from someone like Aiba. Almost.
Nino quickly made his escape after all the toys had been distributed, but not before Aiba made him exchange numbers. Aiba made Nino promise to tell him when he could drop off the toys and meet the cats and dogs of Touzai Animal Shelter.
For the next two weeks, Nino carefully avoided Aiba’s neighborhood. He didn’t want to take the chance of running into him again, but he quickly realized that it was useless. Aiba mailed and called almost daily, inviting Nino over or asking when he could visit Nino’s shelter.
Nino was one his way to his real job, overnight clerk at the convenience store, when another mail came from Aiba. He could evade Aiba for only so long before he ran out of distractions and excuses. He knew that he’d have to come up with a reason why he no longer worked at Touzai Animal Shelter if he wanted to remain friends with Aiba. Nino stopped in his tracks, wondering when Aiba transformed from overly friendly stranger to friend. He shrugged and kept walking as he replied to Aiba, asking him to meet at the convenience store.
Aiba arrived only five minutes into Nino’s shift. “Why did you ask to meet here?” He stopped as he saw Nino standing behind the counter, reading a volume of manga he had borrowed from the shelf. “You work here?!”
Nino closed the book and nodded. “I don’t… work at the shelter. Anymore.” He shuffled his foot against the floor. “The commute was too long and now my pay can go towards improvements at the shelter, or something,” Nino continued, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
“So you live close to me? And work close, too?” Aiba asked, his eyes wide. Nino nodded.
“Oh, Nino-chan we’re going to have so much fun.” Aiba jumped over the counter and tackled Nino in a bear hug.
“It’s… going to be interesting,” Nino laughed awkwardly and returned Aiba’s hug before telling him to act like a proper customer and get out from behind the counter. Aiba just laughed and declared the he found his new favorite convenience store.