Defeating the Boss: Game Over
Title: Defeating the Boss: Game Over (part four)
Rating: R
Pairing: Aiba/Nino, Sho/Jun (Aiba/Jun friendship, OT5 friendship)
Disclaimer: I guess Johnny’s technically owns Arashi, huh? Not me.
Summary: Aiba is finally able to land a job...and along with it, a boss that ignores his existence. What's he going to do about it?
Notes: Office AU for astrangerenters, who donated to the Fund-Raising Project for the Habagat Victims last year oh geez. Thanks to r_tenou for looking over it for me.
Part one: Game Start
Part two: Pause
Part three: Continue?
“You’re going to work on your birthday?”
Aiba turned away from his mother because he knew that her lost puppy face rivaled his own, and he didn’t want to feel guilty about this. He hadn’t told anyone at the office that it was his birthday because he already felt like they had done more than enough for him. On the off chance it would happen, he didn’t want them to plan anything, so he would just casually mention it after New Years and have Jun buy him a piece of cake or something next time they went out.
“I’ll still be home in time for dinner! And Christmas Eve isn’t a national holiday, mom. In Japan, regular people work on the twenty-fourth.”
“Well, I know, honey, but…” she trailed off, her shoulder slumping as she wiped off the final dishes she’d been washing while Aiba cleaned the stove in the kitchen. “It’s just, we always have a big party for you!”
“We can still have one,” Aiba grinned, hoping it would make her feel better. It was true that owning their own business meant that his parents could close it at their whim, which they often did on Aiba’s or his brother’s birthday. They would still be open until mid afternoon, but Aiba’s mother always insisted on taking time to make a cake and a nice dinner, and she couldn’t do that while the restaurant was running. Besides, it wasn’t completely uncommon for retail businesses to close early on Christmas Eve, which was excuse enough. “Touma can come over, and I’ll invite the guys from work too!”
At the mention of company, his mother perked up a little. Although he hadn’t meant to tell them, if his mother was going to make a fuss over it, he might as well make sure the outcome was in his favor; if he invited the others over, at least they wouldn’t insist on doing anything themselves. (Not that Aiba thought they would, he was just planning for “in case”.)
Their days were still busy working on the game release, but they were ahead of schedule, and Nino had said they wouldn’t have to do overtime during the winter break. They all had four days off around the start of January; of course Aiba was planning on helping his parents and cleaning out his room, and it was perfect timing to get in their double date. The time limit was almost up, and nothing had improved with Nino, other than getting messages from him every few days. Aiba had resisted giving in to him as much as possible, along with Jun’s help, but Nino hadn’t gotten mad again, although it was obvious he was irritated. Aiba could understand, since something should have been resolved between them by now otherwise.
Christmas itself was a whole other problem. No one was sure whether they were supposed to come in to work that day or not; a month ago it was scheduled as overtime, but there was no need for it anymore. When Jun had asked Nino about it, Nino had blatantly ignored him as some plot of revenge, making it impossible for any of them to schedule plans for Christmas Eve.
So Aiba hadn’t said anything until after he’d gotten a message from Nino that night. Don’t forget to come into work tomorrow. He knew it wouldn’t be easy to break the news to his mother (and it wasn’t), but he had a duty and a role to fulfill now. And, as he had told her, it wasn’t like he was going to be gone all day, and it wasn’t a holiday that normal businesses took.
He showed up to work in his regular clothes-a sweater today because Nino refused to turn on the heater until it was below five degrees Celsius-and was puzzled to find the closed sign hung on the front door.
He left the sign in place, and stepped inside. The lights in the kitchen and front of the office were off, but the ones in the back were on. Sho wasn’t in his cubicle, and neither was Jun.
“Oh, Aiba-san, you’re here.”
Aiba was not entirely sure what to make of the situation.
There was Nino sitting in his chair as usual, with the TV running and a controller in his lap. He looked over as Aiba stood in the doorway with his dumbfounded expression, and had the audacity to smirk.
“Where is everyone?” Aiba asked, unsurely fingering the bag slung across his shoulder.
“Oh. Well,” Nino said slowly, shifting in his chair but not looking any less full of himself, “If things went to plan, Sho took Jun to a ski resort in Nagano with the pass I gave him for Christmas.”
Aiba was even more confused than before.
“It was a free pass, anyway, and I don’t like skiing,” Nino added, his grin getting even more distinct. He was obviously enjoying himself right now.
“…Why?” Aiba asked helplessly in return.
“Because they needed a break. They’re hard workers you know!”
Nino returned to the TV, as if that was all that needed to be said. Aiba watched him for another second, but he couldn’t think of anything else to do, so he just started his daily routine, dropping his bag off in Sho’s office and heading to the kitchen to turn on the coffee pot.
“Oh, Aiba-kun,” Nino called, and Aiba turned his head. He’d been putting so much effort into avoiding Nino’s requests the last week that it was becoming second nature to hesitate every time. But Jun wasn’t here today and that was going to make avoiding Nino a bit more difficult…
“Yes?” Aiba replied after Nino didn’t continue.
Nino stood up so that Aiba could see him, and stepped towards to the partition to lean his elbows on it as he watched Aiba in return.
“You’ll be helping me today, so how about some coffee to start with?”
Although Aiba had already been preparing the coffee, he froze in realization. So that’s what this was all about? Nino had taken Jun and Sho out of the picture for a day so that he could use Aiba as well as he pleased.
Aiba inwardly cringed, wondering how in the world he was going to resist Nino’s demands in a situation like this.
It was impossible.
The time limit was basically up anyway, so Aiba caved in.
“Yes, sir.”
+++
It took a lot for Aiba to get fed up with something, but he was just about there by eleven o’clock. The things Nino was having him do were pointless and mundane, as if was only asking in order to flex his control over Aiba.
Revenge for Aiba ignoring him the past few weeks.
They were indeed ahead of schedule, obviously enough to lose Jun and Sho for a day or two, but Aiba was sure there were more productive things to do than shred three year old bank statement with a pair of scissors while Nino watched.
Aiba had been working in The Lair today, at Nino insistence since Ohno wouldn’t come in either and Nino was lonely. It wasn’t terrible, and under other circumstances he would have considered it a perfect time to get closer to Nino and put some sort of love plan into action.
But this… this was just irritating.
“How about dusting behind the TV? I don’t think it’s ever been cleaned.”
Somehow, somehow, Aiba kept control of himself and went to get the cleaning supplies from the kitchen. While Nino continued to play, Aiba awkwardly began reaching behind the TV with a cleaning cloth--there was a heavy layer of dust, which made Aiba’s nose itch and only fueled his frustration.
Five minutes later (he’d dragged it out as long as he could) Aiba put the cleaning supplies back in their place and thoroughly washed his hands before heading back to The Lair, wondering what Nino would come up with next.
The second Aiba walked in Nino casually asked, “Could you bring that pillow over here and put it behind my back?” not taking his eyes off of the TV screen.
Aiba clenched his jaw and took a deep breath through his nose. He walked over to the pile of bedding that he’d been using as a seat for the better part of the morning and picked up the indicated pillow, holding it out to Nino.
Nino didn’t take it, only shifted as if to say, you put it there.
That was the last straw.
Aiba dropped the pillow onto the floor and stood in front of Nino, towering over him, crouching down just enough that he could read Nino’s face properly.
“You know what I think you need, Nino-san? A massage,” was all he said before he pounced, firming gripping Nino’s shoulders and squeezing.
“Hey, that hurts-“ Nino complained, suddenly getting antsy and quite nervous from the look on his face. Served him right.
“Massages are my specialty, right? Don’t worry, it won’t hurt for long,” Aiba said ominously, digging his long fingers into that spot on Nino’s back that had been tender last time, and he hit the mark on the head. Nino cried out in pain, his whole body twitching, and he tried to push Aiba away even if his arms were too weak.
“Stop it!”
“You’re obviously under a lot of pressure right now, Nino-san,” Aiba emphasized the title sarcastically. “Let me loosen you up…”
That was enough to get Aiba’s initial frustration out, and sent his message across to Nino loud and clear. Aiba was willing to be polite up to a point, but he wasn’t going to let Nino walk all over him anymore. Not today and not anytime in the near future. If Nino wanted attention Aiba would give it to him, but on his own terms.
So his hands relaxed a little and he started massaging seriously, his thumbs rubbing Nino’s neck and slowly traveling upwards. Nino seemed to have calmed down too, and looked up at him with glassy eyes, watery because of the suddenly jolt of pain a moment ago. Aiba felt a pang of regret, but he wouldn’t back down. If he did, Nino would take full advantage of the weakness.
“Besides,” Aiba said slowly, pointedly. “I’ve been doing all of these nice things for you and still haven’t gotten another reward yet.”
Nino’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, his lips parted in confusion. “What?”
“Like last month, after the business meeting,” Aiba clarified, his hands gently massaging Nino’s ears on both sides. He was taking a chance with this, but Jun’s encouragement and the current situation had given Aiba a burst of rare courage. “A reward.”
Realization dawned on Nino’s face, which turned bright red. He shifted a little as if to get away, but Aiba had a precise hold on him.
“I think I deserve one,” he insisted, moving his face closer to Nino’s and he saw Nino resolve himself.
Aiba certainly wasn’t going to take a kiss when it was Nino’s responsibility to give it to him, so he waited right there while Nino swallowed and slowly inched forward.
Their lips met, but unlike last time when it had been a quick peck, Nino’s hesitation meant that all of his actions were slow. Now Aiba could actually make out what Nino’s mouth felt like.
It was soft, and Aiba wanted more of it.
Nino made an undignified sound when Aiba deepened the kiss and pushed him back in the arm chair, but willingly opened his mouth when Aiba’s tongue swept across his lips. Aiba didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation, pushing inside and tasting him. There was a bitter flavor from the two cups of coffee he’d had that morning, but Aiba didn’t imagine he was much better.
Aiba didn’t mind. Nino was kissing him back with fever, as if he’d been penting it up for a long time, and Aiba knew for sure now that Jun had been completely right about everything.
Suddenly it was far too hot in here for the sweater he was wearing.
Aiba was overly excited and worked up at the realization of Nino’s reciprocation, and plowed ahead without thinking about it. His hands went from Nino’s neck straight down to the zipper on the hoodie Nino was wearing to keep warm, undoing it and pulling it open to get his hands inside. When his fingers slid against it, Nino’s chest heaved, radiating heat.
Although there were a few things he wanted to say, Aiba didn’t want to pull his mouth away quite yet, enjoying Nino’s tongue against his too much. Besides, Nino was making a small sound in the back of his throat like more, more, and the way it traveled into Aiba’s own mouth and through the rest of his body was only fueling the fire burning inside of him. He had to do something about it or he thought he might burst.
His hands skimmed over Nino’s torso, but quickly found their way down his soft stomach and under the hem of his casual t-shirt. Nino was wiggling around, and shivered at the light touch, but grabbed the front of Aiba’s sweater to pull him closer. This time it was Nino was took the initiative, biting Aiba’s bottom lip softly, and pressing his hips up and against Aiba’s hands.
The desire of wanting to see Nino was too strong, and Aiba had to pull back, his eyes immediately traveling from Nino’s face down his body to get his fill. As expected, he was dazed, but looking up at Aiba, both insecure and aroused in the same expression.
Slowly, and watching for any signs of hesitation, Aiba slid his fingers down and pulled slightly at the waist of the jeans Nino was wearing.
Nino nodded slowly, his fingers tightening around the fabric of Aiba’s sweater.
Without waiting for anything more, Aiba undid the button and fly of his jeans, almost laughing when he was met with a pair of blue leopard print briefs. A smile came out anyway, and Nino smacked him lightly on the head with a shy, disgruntled look.
“Hey,” Aiba said, letting out a tiny chuckle and reveling in the way Nino flushed all the way to his ears. He was pouting and that was counter-productive to the sexiness going on here, so Aiba softened his expression and suggested in a lowered voice, “How about moving to the ‘bed’?”
Nino didn’t reply, but Aiba tugged him out of the chair and pinned him on top of the pile of blankets, promptly kissing him again. His hands moved of their own accord, pushing Nino’s pants down his hips enough for room to maneuver, then ran over the shape of his erection through the loud briefs.
“Ah,” Nino moaned softly, his mouth open wide enough for the sound to escape, despite Aiba sucking on his tongue. Aiba’s fingers teased for a moment, but they increased pressure gradually, until he was jerking him off rather lewdly, making Nino writhe underneath him.
“Take it out,” Nino begged in a gasp against his lips, and Aiba shivered. He was just as hard, pressed uncomfortably against the front of his jeans.
“Touch me too, then,” he countered, shifting up so that Nino had better access to his belt.
Aiba stayed like that while Nino shifted his eyes down to Aiba’s waist hesitantly, both of them waiting for a tense moment. Eventually Nino reached down, though, his fingers fumbling with the lever buckle and top button of his pants, going slowly at first but speeding up with each second that ticketed by.
When Nino touched him without warning through his briefs as well, Aiba’s breath caught. He had an automatic pang of worry, which happened whenever he didn’t breathe correctly, but pushed the thought away quickly to focus again on Nino.
Aiba went back to touching him, one hand holding himself up while the other pulled back the elastic band of Nino’s briefs to let his cock slide out.
“Shit,” Nino swore under his breath, but quickly did the same for Aiba, and Aiba looked down between their bodies to enjoy the view. They were both still fully clothed, except for their erections standing out and Nino’s shirt riding up to expose his lower stomach.
It only took a fraction of an inch to touch Nino’s cock with his own, and when Aiba shifted, Nino’s body jerked underneath him.
He sort of wanted to coax Nino into touching him again, but Aiba was becoming impatient so he just grabbed both of them together and began squeezing, enjoying not only the feel, but also the sight, of their cocks together.
Nino moaned again, this time with less reservation, and Aiba looked at his face once to get his fill before kissing Nino’s neck softly. After searching a little, he found a spot that he liked and began sucking on it, grazing the skin with his teeth and becoming amused at the curse that Nino let out because of it.
It didn’t take long. Both of them had been keeping their desire inside and repressed, and for Aiba at least, now that he had Nino in his arms, his body was out of his control.
Nino came first, with a panting, scrunched up face and whimper of Aiba. He’d given up trying to return the touches a while ago, and just clung to Aiba’s broad shoulders, even after he’d ejaculated.
Aiba used the bit of come that had stuck to his fingers to make things go smoother, but with Nino panting against his cheek, trembling, it didn’t make much stimulation until he came too, hard enough that he had to shut his eyes for a moment.
He was out of breath as well, but it felt good, felt like he’d been out running, and Aiba reveled in the emotion for a moment before opening his eyes and realizing what they’d-what he’d just done.
But he didn’t apologize. That would be taking a step backwards.
“Nino?” he asked instead, pulling away just enough to take in the other man’s features and try to figure out if he was in deep shit or not.
Nino had closed his eyes too, but they fluttered open at Aiba’s voice, his pupils dilated and comfortable.
“Hmm?” He made a questioning nose in the back of his throat that wasn’t very worried, but he seemed to be waking back up to reality and suddenly looked down between their bodies.
Aiba did too and noticed right away. There was come all over Nino’s shirt and not anywhere else.
“Ah, sorry about that,” Aiba commented, pushing himself up on his knees to find tissues or something… On the inside, he was freaking out, and he imagined Nino was going to make a bigger deal out of this than he needed to.
Instead, Nino did something very different.
“Hmph. Turn the heat on,” he told him casually, sitting up and pulling his hoodie the rest of the way off, which was quickly followed by his t-shirt. Nino stood up and adjusted his jeans while Aiba blatantly stared at his bare chest, which was smooth and very white. It air was a little cool, though, so Nino shivered, and promptly bent down to collect his hoodie and put it back on.
Aiba scrambled to stand up, not sure what to do with this kind of Nino who wasn’t yelling at him. He tucked his dick back into his briefs and did up his pants with a painfully loud sound from the zipper, then darted into the corner to do as he had been directed and switch on the heater.
For a second, he just stood there and stared at the wall. Nino hadn’t pushed him away, he reminded himself. Nino wanted this just like he did.
When he turned back to him, Aiba was surprised to find his boss with his wallet in hand, pulling out three bills of money. He dropped the wallet onto the floor and stepped over to Aiba, holding out the cash-which was a pitiful amount if Nino was trying to pay him for what he had just done.
Aiba looked at the money in confusion, but took it when Nino gestured for him to.
“Go to the convenience store and buy some condoms and lube,” he directed. “And tissues,” was added as an afterthought before Nino retreated towards the pile of blankets.
“What?” Aiba asked in surprise before he could stop himself, and Nino sent him a pointed look over his shoulder.
“I’m not going out like this.” He indicated his hoodie, which dipped far enough down in front that Aiba could see the top part of his bare chest. Aiba continued to stare at him, his mind processing obvious implications of the directions and his libido coming back to life instantly.
“And lock the door on your way back in,” Nino said in a tone of finality before flopping down in the pile of blankets and staring at Aiba expectantly.
Aiba left without delay, not noticing that his belt was still undone until he was already outside and halfway down the block in the direction of the nearest convenience store.
+++
“I think,” Aiba said in an off-hand manner, “that was the best birthday present ever.”
“It’s your birthday?” Nino replied in surprise, his eyes wide. The bottle of water Aiba had brought back with the condoms was posed halfway in front of his mouth. He’d been sipping at it for the last five minutes, despite reprimanding Aiba for wasting ‘his money’ on it.
“Hmm,” he hummed a positive response. Aiba’s head was in the clouds, his body satisfied and a little tired from the bout of sex they’d just had in Nino’s makeshift bed. In the office.
Well, he didn’t care right now. Let him think of propriety later.
“My mom’s having a party, you should come,” he explained, his eyes dropping with mellowness.
He wasn’t sure what the two of them were right now, but Aiba’s mind was gone far enough that he didn’t mind wrapping his arms around Nino’s waist and snuggling him. One of the blankets was in the way; Nino had pulled it over him as soon as they were finished, a bit tentative about letting Aiba examine his body so easily.
Aiba, on the other hand, didn’t care. The temperature was up so high now that he was sweating despite being completely naked, sprawled out on the pile of blankets and more than halfway on top of Nino.
“Tonight?” Nino asked unsurely, looking away from Aiba’s face, which was really close to his. Aiba thought it was cute and kissed his cheek happily.
“Nino, will you go out with me?”
“Properly follow the conversation, idiot!” Nino chided lightly and bopped him on the head.
He didn’t add anything else, so Aiba waited for his answer with an unconscious smile on his face. Jun had said Nino was tentative about relationships, but they should at least give it a go after jumping each other like that in the middle of the day. He should at least come to the restaurant like Aiba would have invited him to even if they hadn’t had sex.
“I… guess,” Nino sighed, as if there was no avoiding that answer.
“Yay,” Aiba said happily, and hugged Nino tighter. Right now he was acting even worse than when he was drunk. Not only was he high off of sex, but just the fact that it was Nino-Nino who had avoided him, Nino who had pushed him away. Nino was his now, even if there was a lot of work to do to make their relationship a proper one.
“Come to my party?” Aiba added with a smile, kissing Nino again. This time it was on the neck and his lips lingered while Nino hesitated, probably trying to find a way to turn him down that wasn’t contrary to their new relationship status.
“Free food,” Aiba tried to tantalize him, “Touma’s coming.”
“Stupid Touma,” Nino mumbled--for no particular reason Aiba could come up with and that made him giggle. “Fine.”
“Yay.” Aiba’s voice came out deeper this time, and he slowly ran his tongue up the shell of Nino’s ear, making his shiver with the unexpected action.
“Stop that! Idiot!” Nino whined, but didn’t pull away.
“There’s still more condoms,” Aiba replied, then chuckled as he fought Nino for the blanket covering him.
+++
Touma was already there when Aiba arrived at the otherwise empty restaurant that night, and he looked delighted that Nino was with him.
“Well, well. Would you look at you two!” he said with a big grin that Aiba sent back right away. He was proud of his new thing with Nino, and grabbed Nino’s hand to show it. Of course Nino tugged his hand away in embarrassment, but Touma got the message and let out an impressed whistle.
“Congratulations,” he commented, and reached out to shake Aiba’s hand in victory. Of course Aiba accepted, and enthusiastically gripped Touma’s hand in return.
“It’s all thanks to you, Touma!” Aiba replied dramatically, pretending to wipe his eyes. But Nino finally got fed up with them, and hit them both on the head simultaneously-harder than normal.
“Ow,” Touma whined at the same time as Aiba, but they still couldn’t help but share a look of amusement while Nino stomped off to escape them, forcefully looking at a few posters on the wall of the restaurant.
“Masaki, is that you?” His mother’s voice came from the back and a second later she appeared through the kitchen door. “Welcome home! And Happy Birthday, honey.”
“Thanks mom!” Aiba replied promptly, giving her his biggest smile, then walked over to grab Nino’s arm and pull him to the back to give a proper introduction. “This is Nino! He’s my bo-“
Before he could finish, Nino whipped around and covered Aiba’s mouth with his hand. His face was flushed and posed in a look of horror. Aiba could tell what he was thinking. We only decided to date a few hours ago, and you’re already telling your mother?!
Aiba gently grasped Nino’s hand by the wrist and pulled his arm away, giving him an assured look.
“Boss, Nino,” he said in amusement, then returned his attention to his mother. “This is my boss.”
“Oh my goodness,” his mother cooed, wringing her hands on the front of her apron. “You have no idea how grateful we are for giving our little Masaki a job.”
“Mom,” Aiba whined, “Don’t start, please!” Even if he was really grateful to Nino himself, the last thing he needed was his mom embarrassing him in front of his new love interest.
“I don’t mind taking care of your ‘little Masaki.’” At least Nino was smiling now, ready to return the teasing, and he even patted Aiba on the head for effect.
Suddenly Touma broke out laughing behind them, breaking the intimate atmosphere, and Aiba’s mother chuckled too, looking at them with warm eyes. “Well, I’m just getting started on dinner now. Masaki, why don’t you boys stay out here until we’re ready? You can talk to your hearts’ content.”
“I’d appreciate that, Mrs. Aiba!” Touma was the one to answer, giving Nino a pointed look.
“Make yourselves at home,” she replied easily, and retreated into the back before anyone else could add something.
As if it had been timed on purpose, the second Aiba’s mother had left, the front door opened with a quiet dinging sound from the bell on the frame, and the three men turned to see who it was.
“Oh-chan!” Aiba grinned, unable to believe it was Ohno standing in the doorway. He’d try to call him twice, but Ohno hadn’t answered either time so he’d figured it was a lost cause.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you I invited him,” Touma explained enthusiastically, striding over to meet Ohno as he walked in the door.
“Touma,” Ohno sighed happily, wrapping his arms around Touma’s chest and taking a long hug from him. Touma, of course, returned the action with an amused chuckle. “I missed you!”
“I saw you this morning!”
“But that was so long ago,” Ohno replied without a hint of sarcasm.
“No it wasn’t,” Touma assured him, twisting around so that he could pull Ohno towards Nino and Aiba with an arm around his shoulder.
Ohno pouted a little, but as soon as noticed Nino and made eye contact, he suddenly smirked.
Without a word, he glanced at Aiba next, his smile growing bigger, and commented, “I see.”
Aiba was surprised he realized things that quickly, but Nino was the one to pout this time. “Oh-chan!!”
“What?” Ohno teased him, snuggling into Touma’s side.
The whole situation was funny, and Aiba couldn’t help but find it that way. He felt like he’d been out of the loop since he’d met these guys, and now suddenly he was let in and everything had become clearer.
“I’ll grab some beer,” he told them, trying his best not to laugh. “Why don’t you guys sit down and we’ll have a nice, long talk.”
+++
It was afternoon the next day when Aiba’s phone started ringing, but he was still sleeping and it woke him up.
Somehow he pulled himself out of his futon enough to reach where he’d left it on the floor last night, and barely answered it before it went to his voice mail.
“Hello,” he got out in cottony voice, and took a big yawn. They had drunk a lot last night, as expected, and although he had woken up to use the bathroom a few hours ago, it had been easy to go back to bed. Especially with Nino right there next to him. (Fully clothed of course-there had been a lot of kissing once they’d gotten to Aiba’s room, but they were both too tired and drunk for anything else.)
“Aiba-kun?” It was Jun’s voice on the other line. “Are you at the office?”
“Nah,” he grumbled back, squinting his eyes shut against the light coming in from his window. “Ninosaidno,” what was he managed to get out in a slur. He wasn’t drunk anymore, but he was sure he sounded like it.
“Well, that’s good. I’d feel guilty if we were the only ones to get yesterday and today off,” Jun replied quickly. “I hope Nino actually told you we were going to Nagano.”
Aiba unconsciously smiled. As Nino was brought up in the conversation, he realized all of the new details he had to tell Jun, mostly about the fact that Nino had agreed to date him, despite whatever precarious circumstances that promise had been made under. And, well, the fact that Nino was right next to him, slowly stirring awake. He raised his hand to cover his eyes as well and burrowed further into Aiba’s side.
Before he could get his slow brain working enough to get the words out, Jun was already continuing, either not noticing his fatigue or choosing to ignore it.
“I have to tell you about last night. Can I talk to you now?” he asked excitedly, and Aiba nodded before he realized his mistake.
“Yes. Yes, please. Last night, yes.” The words came tumbling out, and he rubbed his eyes in hopes that that would help him wake up. Did something happen with Jun and Sho?
“Well, uhm… first off all, Sho invited me to go skiing. He got a ticket from Nino-“
“Yes, I know,” Aiba urged impatiently. “A room at the lodge, right?”
“Yeah… It was… I mean, it’s a great place,” Jun stumbled over his words, as if he was dying to tell Aiba everything and didn’t know where to start.
“And?”
“Sho is a failure at skiing,” Jun laughed, but Aiba was growing impatient. Nino had woken up a bit more and had pasted himself against Aiba’s side, craning his neck to listen to the phone conversation better.
“Last night, Jun,” Aiba reminded him, his head clearing a bit.
“We…” Jun lowered his voice, “did it.”
“Had sex?” Aiba asked blatantly, then abruptly smiled. “Really?!”
“Ye-yes…” Jun’s voice turned shy, as if he didn’t want anyone on his end to overhear their conversation.
Nino nudged him, and Aiba turned to look at his boss, who mouthed, how was it?
“How was it?” Aiba asked, and switched the position of his phone so that Nino could hear as well.
“Amazing,” Jun sighed happily, giving up his cautious attitude. “I don’t know if you or Nino said something, but he was just like, ‘What do you want, Jun?’ Ahh, it was so sexy Aiba-chan, I can’t believe it, it’s like a dream come true!”
“That’s great!” Aiba was grinning from ear to ear, glad that the fruits of his (and Nino’s?) hard work had paid off. Finally.
“I don’t know how, but he’s totally ripped. He has a six-pack, it’s that incredible? And his mouth, ah,” Jun let out a sound like he’d just eaten something heavenly. “I’ve always thought about kissing that mouth, but oh my God, what it did to me last night-“
“Okay, this is too much!” Nino finally broke in with a smirk. “You sound like a virgin school girl!”
“NINO?!” Jun yelled into the speaker, and Aiba had to pull it farther away from his ear, trying not to laugh. “Nino, why are you there?!” he demanded.
“I have a lot to tell you too,” was all Aiba said.
+++
Aiba’s grandma was released from the hospital in January, five days after the successful launch of Hatenai Sora Inc.’s game. There were still bills to be paid, but her being at home generally lessened the stress on the whole family, and Aiba was sure that his life was perfect.
“Cheers!”
The five of them clinked their beers together with big smiles, and Aiba took a long swig of his. This seemed to be the physical manifestation of everything that needed right now, so very different from where he’d been a year ago.
It was their celebration party for the release and all the work that had been put into it to finishing it in accordance with their new schedule. Nino sat in the middle of Ohno and Aiba, as usual, with Jun and Sho sitting across from them. (They had been so lovey-dovey in the office that Aiba would have been grossed out had he not been so happy for them instead. Nino preferred a more subtle relationship, and Aiba didn’t mind.)
“The first order of business,” Nino declared, banging the napkin holder against the table like a gavel to their attention, “is to thank you all for your hard work on our latest project!”
“I second that!” Jun shot in, raising his glass again, and they made another toast with a round of cheering. When they had finally calmed down, Nino raised his voice, and Aiba was amused that he was actually conducting their congratulatory drinking party like a meeting.
“The next order of business! We’re splitting the bill tonight,” Nino said dramatically, and everyone but Ohno groaned.
“Put it on the budget!” Jun argued, and Sho managed a yeah! right before taking another gulp of his beer. Ever since the two of them had come back from the ski resort, Sho had been much more casual in the office, although not any less productive.
“No and no,” Nino told them with a mock-serious expression, and didn’t allow the subject to linger any longer. Aiba just chuckled because he didn’t care either way. It was all teasing in the end, wasn’t it? Nino was so cute.
Nino must have caught the way Aiba was looking at him, because he smacked him lightly on the head and added, “No to you too.”
“Hey!” Aiba shot back, trying to act upset even though he was anything but. He wrapped one arm around Nino’s back, and when Nino pretended to push him away, it wasn’t with any strength at all.
His arm stayed just like that while Nino started talking again, shifting closer to Aiba to get more comfortable.
“The third order of business. I’m re-structuring the company,” he said as plainly as the other statements, but this time the table went quiet in shock, since none of them had heard anything about this. “You can type it up better later,” Nino told Jun, pulling out a wrinkled piece of paper from his pocket.
He smoothed it out against the table, and started reading it out loud.
“Ninomiya Kazunari: CEO and director. All powerful ruler of Hatenai Sora Inc.”
Sho snickered and Jun repressed an amused expression, trying to pay attention despite the fact that they were all half-drunk already. No one made any comments, waiting until Nino was finished because they were all too curious about what changes he had planned.
“Ohno Satoshi: art designer and freeloader,” Nino read, then turned to Ohno and added in a normal voice, “You can continue to come and go as you please.”
“Thank you, Nino,” Ohno replied with a delighted grin, his eyes creasing shut a little to accommodate the width of it. Nino nodded and turned back to his paper.
“Sakurai Sho: software formatter, accountant, consultant, administrative executive, and you’re new title, Jun’s secretary.”
Sho’s mouth opened in a hearty laugh, and Jun choked in surprise on the beer he’d just drank.
“What?” Jun got out between coughs, but Nino ignored him in order to continue.
“Matsumoto Jun: game tester, business negotiator, and ‘person who puts up with Nino.’ A.k.a. Hatenai’s new vice-director.”
“What?!” Jun almost shouted his time, his mouth half open in shock. “Vice-director?!”
“You’ll find the paperwork on your desk when you come in on Monday,” Nino replied calmly, glancing over his paper to make sure he didn’t forget anything. Aiba arched his neck to see what was written by his name, but before he could make it out, Nino folded it in half and handed it to Jun before turning to Aiba with a slightly more intimate expression.
“Aiba Masaki,” he started, then paused for dramatic effect. He obviously knew how impatient Aiba was about the topic. “Public relations manager, human resources, and Mr. Budget. Oh, and part-time gopher slash masseuse,” Nino smirked, and Aiba would have kissed him right there to wipe the self-satisfied look off his face, except they were in public.
Well, Aiba didn’t care that much so he kissed him anyway, receiving a cat-call from Jun and another yeah! from Sho.
It was a quick kiss, and once Aiba let him go, Nino hit him on the head, although he was still smiling widely, obviously please with his ‘re-structuring.’
“I signed you up for a seminar,” Nino assured Aiba with a gentle pat on the head. “Go study up so you can win us some new contracts! Jun’s going with you, by the way.”
“What? Why?” Jun demanded, still not recovered from the slew of changes Nino had decided to make without any hints at all.
“Because you need to learn how to be a vice-director.”
“I think you learning how to be a director is more important!” Jun replied incredulously, but a smile was threatening to break out on his face.
“No, all directors have to do is boss people around.”
“You’re good at that,” Ohno commented before any of the rest of them could, and after a moment of them all checking that Ohno had just said something, they all burst out laughing together.
Excitement flooded Aiba’s veins, and he felt like yelling out, but managed to contain himself.
Finally, a real position! (Well, several!)
Now that they were starting a new project he was going to throw himself into it whole-heartedly. It had already been enough for him to be welcomed into the company, but now that he was dating Nino, Aiba couldn’t see a future any place else. He would do anything that was required of him for Nino and Hatenai Sora Inc.
“Stop getting worked up,” Sho teased him, and Aiba hadn’t noticed until now, but they were all staring at him and his eyes were watering.
“I can’t help it,” Aiba grinned and roughly wiped his face. “You guys are all so great.” The combination of alcohol and Nino’s announcement was leaving him completely susceptible to the whims of his heart.
“Stop that Aiba-chan,” Ohno whined, and when Aiba met his eyes, he saw that Ohno was getting worked up too. They both laughed, but continued sniffling and scrubbing at their faces.
Aiba had almost composed himself until he noticed Nino watching him with obvious affection, and he broke out again.
“Nino, I love you!” he exclaimed, and pulled Nino against him tightly in a hug, burying his nose in Nino’s neck.
“Hey, get a room,” Jun teased them, avoiding the sappy look Sho was sending his way.
“Well, if you all are finished being dramatic,” Nino commented with a smirk, pushing Aiba back a little so he could properly breathe. “I’d like to brainstorm about our next project.”
+++
Epilogue:
The first time Nino fell in love was at the ripe age of fourteen.
He’d never loved anything before, other than video games and money, so he didn’t understand the feeling in the beginning, particularly due to the unusual circumstances.
“I can’t believe it!” Touma suddenly perked up next to him, his goofy smile as wide as ever. They had been waiting in the dugout for the second match of the regional semi-finals, and needless to say, Nino was nervous. It was only his second official game, and he didn’t feel that he was particularly good at baseball. He didn’t love it, but he had some affection for the sport, and had only joined the club at Jun’s prompting.
Jun, seated on Nino’s other side, followed Touma’s line of sight to the field, where a boy was waving as he walked across home plate towards them.
“That’s him! Aiba, the friend I was telling you guys about! I knew he’d be here today,” Touma explained enthusiastically. With a grin he stood up and darted out of the dugout to meet the other boy, whose name Nino could barely recall.
But Jun obviously knew, because he stood up too, wringing his hands together and shifting his feet nervously. “Aiba Masaki…The ultimate hitter from Chiba…” he said solemnly, with a far too open expression on his face. Nino scoffed at Jun’s reaction, but he couldn’t quite pull his eyes away from where Touma and Aiba had just met to shake hands happily.
Aiba? He looked like an idiot with that over exaggerated smile and joyful glow, like there was nowhere else he’d rather be than here.
When Touma turned to point to the dugout, Nino blushed and looked away, feeling completely embarrassed, wondering why his heart was pouting so hard.
“Nino, come on! I want to meet him!”
“Hell no! Go by yourself!” he shot back without thinking, folding his arms across his chest and pouting.
Jun gave him an unsure look, but it was obvious he wasn’t about to give up his chance, and took off towards Touma in the middle of the field, already used to Nino’s occasionally moody behavior.
After a moment, Nino’s curiosity got the better of him and he looked back, seeing Jun with his bright stupid smile, shaking the hand of the boy that looked just as bright and just as stupid.
Nino’s mood only declined after that, part of him regretting not going with Jun and part of him chiding himself for even having that thought in the first place. No matter what, he wouldn’t go back on his decision, but the regret only deepened once the baseball match got started and he actually saw Aiba in action.
His swing was perfect, but the thing that really stuck in Nino’s memory, even more than ten years later, was the smile on Aiba’s face as he made a homerun in the seventh inning. It was quite possibly the most moving expression he’d ever seen, and he was ashamed to be so affected by something so simple and stupid.
After the game, he left quickly to avoid Aiba, as well as Touma and Jun. They interpreted that as depression for losing the match, but in reality Nino could have cared less about that part. He just wanted to be alone and think about things that had transpired.
Touma offered to bring Aiba to one of their get-togethers a week later, but Nino flat out refused. Maybe if he forgot about Aiba this “thing” would go away.
But, unfortunately, he was never able to forget.
+++
A/N: That's the end, then. How was it? I was sort of surprised by the response to this fic, but thank you to anyone who finished reading it! Next one could take a while since I've been busy and have a few things coming up. (Waku Waku yay!)
Rating: R
Pairing: Aiba/Nino, Sho/Jun (Aiba/Jun friendship, OT5 friendship)
Disclaimer: I guess Johnny’s technically owns Arashi, huh? Not me.
Summary: Aiba is finally able to land a job...and along with it, a boss that ignores his existence. What's he going to do about it?
Notes: Office AU for astrangerenters, who donated to the Fund-Raising Project for the Habagat Victims last year oh geez. Thanks to r_tenou for looking over it for me.
Part one: Game Start
Part two: Pause
Part three: Continue?
“You’re going to work on your birthday?”
Aiba turned away from his mother because he knew that her lost puppy face rivaled his own, and he didn’t want to feel guilty about this. He hadn’t told anyone at the office that it was his birthday because he already felt like they had done more than enough for him. On the off chance it would happen, he didn’t want them to plan anything, so he would just casually mention it after New Years and have Jun buy him a piece of cake or something next time they went out.
“I’ll still be home in time for dinner! And Christmas Eve isn’t a national holiday, mom. In Japan, regular people work on the twenty-fourth.”
“Well, I know, honey, but…” she trailed off, her shoulder slumping as she wiped off the final dishes she’d been washing while Aiba cleaned the stove in the kitchen. “It’s just, we always have a big party for you!”
“We can still have one,” Aiba grinned, hoping it would make her feel better. It was true that owning their own business meant that his parents could close it at their whim, which they often did on Aiba’s or his brother’s birthday. They would still be open until mid afternoon, but Aiba’s mother always insisted on taking time to make a cake and a nice dinner, and she couldn’t do that while the restaurant was running. Besides, it wasn’t completely uncommon for retail businesses to close early on Christmas Eve, which was excuse enough. “Touma can come over, and I’ll invite the guys from work too!”
At the mention of company, his mother perked up a little. Although he hadn’t meant to tell them, if his mother was going to make a fuss over it, he might as well make sure the outcome was in his favor; if he invited the others over, at least they wouldn’t insist on doing anything themselves. (Not that Aiba thought they would, he was just planning for “in case”.)
Their days were still busy working on the game release, but they were ahead of schedule, and Nino had said they wouldn’t have to do overtime during the winter break. They all had four days off around the start of January; of course Aiba was planning on helping his parents and cleaning out his room, and it was perfect timing to get in their double date. The time limit was almost up, and nothing had improved with Nino, other than getting messages from him every few days. Aiba had resisted giving in to him as much as possible, along with Jun’s help, but Nino hadn’t gotten mad again, although it was obvious he was irritated. Aiba could understand, since something should have been resolved between them by now otherwise.
Christmas itself was a whole other problem. No one was sure whether they were supposed to come in to work that day or not; a month ago it was scheduled as overtime, but there was no need for it anymore. When Jun had asked Nino about it, Nino had blatantly ignored him as some plot of revenge, making it impossible for any of them to schedule plans for Christmas Eve.
So Aiba hadn’t said anything until after he’d gotten a message from Nino that night. Don’t forget to come into work tomorrow. He knew it wouldn’t be easy to break the news to his mother (and it wasn’t), but he had a duty and a role to fulfill now. And, as he had told her, it wasn’t like he was going to be gone all day, and it wasn’t a holiday that normal businesses took.
He showed up to work in his regular clothes-a sweater today because Nino refused to turn on the heater until it was below five degrees Celsius-and was puzzled to find the closed sign hung on the front door.
He left the sign in place, and stepped inside. The lights in the kitchen and front of the office were off, but the ones in the back were on. Sho wasn’t in his cubicle, and neither was Jun.
“Oh, Aiba-san, you’re here.”
Aiba was not entirely sure what to make of the situation.
There was Nino sitting in his chair as usual, with the TV running and a controller in his lap. He looked over as Aiba stood in the doorway with his dumbfounded expression, and had the audacity to smirk.
“Where is everyone?” Aiba asked, unsurely fingering the bag slung across his shoulder.
“Oh. Well,” Nino said slowly, shifting in his chair but not looking any less full of himself, “If things went to plan, Sho took Jun to a ski resort in Nagano with the pass I gave him for Christmas.”
Aiba was even more confused than before.
“It was a free pass, anyway, and I don’t like skiing,” Nino added, his grin getting even more distinct. He was obviously enjoying himself right now.
“…Why?” Aiba asked helplessly in return.
“Because they needed a break. They’re hard workers you know!”
Nino returned to the TV, as if that was all that needed to be said. Aiba watched him for another second, but he couldn’t think of anything else to do, so he just started his daily routine, dropping his bag off in Sho’s office and heading to the kitchen to turn on the coffee pot.
“Oh, Aiba-kun,” Nino called, and Aiba turned his head. He’d been putting so much effort into avoiding Nino’s requests the last week that it was becoming second nature to hesitate every time. But Jun wasn’t here today and that was going to make avoiding Nino a bit more difficult…
“Yes?” Aiba replied after Nino didn’t continue.
Nino stood up so that Aiba could see him, and stepped towards to the partition to lean his elbows on it as he watched Aiba in return.
“You’ll be helping me today, so how about some coffee to start with?”
Although Aiba had already been preparing the coffee, he froze in realization. So that’s what this was all about? Nino had taken Jun and Sho out of the picture for a day so that he could use Aiba as well as he pleased.
Aiba inwardly cringed, wondering how in the world he was going to resist Nino’s demands in a situation like this.
It was impossible.
The time limit was basically up anyway, so Aiba caved in.
“Yes, sir.”
+++
It took a lot for Aiba to get fed up with something, but he was just about there by eleven o’clock. The things Nino was having him do were pointless and mundane, as if was only asking in order to flex his control over Aiba.
Revenge for Aiba ignoring him the past few weeks.
They were indeed ahead of schedule, obviously enough to lose Jun and Sho for a day or two, but Aiba was sure there were more productive things to do than shred three year old bank statement with a pair of scissors while Nino watched.
Aiba had been working in The Lair today, at Nino insistence since Ohno wouldn’t come in either and Nino was lonely. It wasn’t terrible, and under other circumstances he would have considered it a perfect time to get closer to Nino and put some sort of love plan into action.
But this… this was just irritating.
“How about dusting behind the TV? I don’t think it’s ever been cleaned.”
Somehow, somehow, Aiba kept control of himself and went to get the cleaning supplies from the kitchen. While Nino continued to play, Aiba awkwardly began reaching behind the TV with a cleaning cloth--there was a heavy layer of dust, which made Aiba’s nose itch and only fueled his frustration.
Five minutes later (he’d dragged it out as long as he could) Aiba put the cleaning supplies back in their place and thoroughly washed his hands before heading back to The Lair, wondering what Nino would come up with next.
The second Aiba walked in Nino casually asked, “Could you bring that pillow over here and put it behind my back?” not taking his eyes off of the TV screen.
Aiba clenched his jaw and took a deep breath through his nose. He walked over to the pile of bedding that he’d been using as a seat for the better part of the morning and picked up the indicated pillow, holding it out to Nino.
Nino didn’t take it, only shifted as if to say, you put it there.
That was the last straw.
Aiba dropped the pillow onto the floor and stood in front of Nino, towering over him, crouching down just enough that he could read Nino’s face properly.
“You know what I think you need, Nino-san? A massage,” was all he said before he pounced, firming gripping Nino’s shoulders and squeezing.
“Hey, that hurts-“ Nino complained, suddenly getting antsy and quite nervous from the look on his face. Served him right.
“Massages are my specialty, right? Don’t worry, it won’t hurt for long,” Aiba said ominously, digging his long fingers into that spot on Nino’s back that had been tender last time, and he hit the mark on the head. Nino cried out in pain, his whole body twitching, and he tried to push Aiba away even if his arms were too weak.
“Stop it!”
“You’re obviously under a lot of pressure right now, Nino-san,” Aiba emphasized the title sarcastically. “Let me loosen you up…”
That was enough to get Aiba’s initial frustration out, and sent his message across to Nino loud and clear. Aiba was willing to be polite up to a point, but he wasn’t going to let Nino walk all over him anymore. Not today and not anytime in the near future. If Nino wanted attention Aiba would give it to him, but on his own terms.
So his hands relaxed a little and he started massaging seriously, his thumbs rubbing Nino’s neck and slowly traveling upwards. Nino seemed to have calmed down too, and looked up at him with glassy eyes, watery because of the suddenly jolt of pain a moment ago. Aiba felt a pang of regret, but he wouldn’t back down. If he did, Nino would take full advantage of the weakness.
“Besides,” Aiba said slowly, pointedly. “I’ve been doing all of these nice things for you and still haven’t gotten another reward yet.”
Nino’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, his lips parted in confusion. “What?”
“Like last month, after the business meeting,” Aiba clarified, his hands gently massaging Nino’s ears on both sides. He was taking a chance with this, but Jun’s encouragement and the current situation had given Aiba a burst of rare courage. “A reward.”
Realization dawned on Nino’s face, which turned bright red. He shifted a little as if to get away, but Aiba had a precise hold on him.
“I think I deserve one,” he insisted, moving his face closer to Nino’s and he saw Nino resolve himself.
Aiba certainly wasn’t going to take a kiss when it was Nino’s responsibility to give it to him, so he waited right there while Nino swallowed and slowly inched forward.
Their lips met, but unlike last time when it had been a quick peck, Nino’s hesitation meant that all of his actions were slow. Now Aiba could actually make out what Nino’s mouth felt like.
It was soft, and Aiba wanted more of it.
Nino made an undignified sound when Aiba deepened the kiss and pushed him back in the arm chair, but willingly opened his mouth when Aiba’s tongue swept across his lips. Aiba didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation, pushing inside and tasting him. There was a bitter flavor from the two cups of coffee he’d had that morning, but Aiba didn’t imagine he was much better.
Aiba didn’t mind. Nino was kissing him back with fever, as if he’d been penting it up for a long time, and Aiba knew for sure now that Jun had been completely right about everything.
Suddenly it was far too hot in here for the sweater he was wearing.
Aiba was overly excited and worked up at the realization of Nino’s reciprocation, and plowed ahead without thinking about it. His hands went from Nino’s neck straight down to the zipper on the hoodie Nino was wearing to keep warm, undoing it and pulling it open to get his hands inside. When his fingers slid against it, Nino’s chest heaved, radiating heat.
Although there were a few things he wanted to say, Aiba didn’t want to pull his mouth away quite yet, enjoying Nino’s tongue against his too much. Besides, Nino was making a small sound in the back of his throat like more, more, and the way it traveled into Aiba’s own mouth and through the rest of his body was only fueling the fire burning inside of him. He had to do something about it or he thought he might burst.
His hands skimmed over Nino’s torso, but quickly found their way down his soft stomach and under the hem of his casual t-shirt. Nino was wiggling around, and shivered at the light touch, but grabbed the front of Aiba’s sweater to pull him closer. This time it was Nino was took the initiative, biting Aiba’s bottom lip softly, and pressing his hips up and against Aiba’s hands.
The desire of wanting to see Nino was too strong, and Aiba had to pull back, his eyes immediately traveling from Nino’s face down his body to get his fill. As expected, he was dazed, but looking up at Aiba, both insecure and aroused in the same expression.
Slowly, and watching for any signs of hesitation, Aiba slid his fingers down and pulled slightly at the waist of the jeans Nino was wearing.
Nino nodded slowly, his fingers tightening around the fabric of Aiba’s sweater.
Without waiting for anything more, Aiba undid the button and fly of his jeans, almost laughing when he was met with a pair of blue leopard print briefs. A smile came out anyway, and Nino smacked him lightly on the head with a shy, disgruntled look.
“Hey,” Aiba said, letting out a tiny chuckle and reveling in the way Nino flushed all the way to his ears. He was pouting and that was counter-productive to the sexiness going on here, so Aiba softened his expression and suggested in a lowered voice, “How about moving to the ‘bed’?”
Nino didn’t reply, but Aiba tugged him out of the chair and pinned him on top of the pile of blankets, promptly kissing him again. His hands moved of their own accord, pushing Nino’s pants down his hips enough for room to maneuver, then ran over the shape of his erection through the loud briefs.
“Ah,” Nino moaned softly, his mouth open wide enough for the sound to escape, despite Aiba sucking on his tongue. Aiba’s fingers teased for a moment, but they increased pressure gradually, until he was jerking him off rather lewdly, making Nino writhe underneath him.
“Take it out,” Nino begged in a gasp against his lips, and Aiba shivered. He was just as hard, pressed uncomfortably against the front of his jeans.
“Touch me too, then,” he countered, shifting up so that Nino had better access to his belt.
Aiba stayed like that while Nino shifted his eyes down to Aiba’s waist hesitantly, both of them waiting for a tense moment. Eventually Nino reached down, though, his fingers fumbling with the lever buckle and top button of his pants, going slowly at first but speeding up with each second that ticketed by.
When Nino touched him without warning through his briefs as well, Aiba’s breath caught. He had an automatic pang of worry, which happened whenever he didn’t breathe correctly, but pushed the thought away quickly to focus again on Nino.
Aiba went back to touching him, one hand holding himself up while the other pulled back the elastic band of Nino’s briefs to let his cock slide out.
“Shit,” Nino swore under his breath, but quickly did the same for Aiba, and Aiba looked down between their bodies to enjoy the view. They were both still fully clothed, except for their erections standing out and Nino’s shirt riding up to expose his lower stomach.
It only took a fraction of an inch to touch Nino’s cock with his own, and when Aiba shifted, Nino’s body jerked underneath him.
He sort of wanted to coax Nino into touching him again, but Aiba was becoming impatient so he just grabbed both of them together and began squeezing, enjoying not only the feel, but also the sight, of their cocks together.
Nino moaned again, this time with less reservation, and Aiba looked at his face once to get his fill before kissing Nino’s neck softly. After searching a little, he found a spot that he liked and began sucking on it, grazing the skin with his teeth and becoming amused at the curse that Nino let out because of it.
It didn’t take long. Both of them had been keeping their desire inside and repressed, and for Aiba at least, now that he had Nino in his arms, his body was out of his control.
Nino came first, with a panting, scrunched up face and whimper of Aiba. He’d given up trying to return the touches a while ago, and just clung to Aiba’s broad shoulders, even after he’d ejaculated.
Aiba used the bit of come that had stuck to his fingers to make things go smoother, but with Nino panting against his cheek, trembling, it didn’t make much stimulation until he came too, hard enough that he had to shut his eyes for a moment.
He was out of breath as well, but it felt good, felt like he’d been out running, and Aiba reveled in the emotion for a moment before opening his eyes and realizing what they’d-what he’d just done.
But he didn’t apologize. That would be taking a step backwards.
“Nino?” he asked instead, pulling away just enough to take in the other man’s features and try to figure out if he was in deep shit or not.
Nino had closed his eyes too, but they fluttered open at Aiba’s voice, his pupils dilated and comfortable.
“Hmm?” He made a questioning nose in the back of his throat that wasn’t very worried, but he seemed to be waking back up to reality and suddenly looked down between their bodies.
Aiba did too and noticed right away. There was come all over Nino’s shirt and not anywhere else.
“Ah, sorry about that,” Aiba commented, pushing himself up on his knees to find tissues or something… On the inside, he was freaking out, and he imagined Nino was going to make a bigger deal out of this than he needed to.
Instead, Nino did something very different.
“Hmph. Turn the heat on,” he told him casually, sitting up and pulling his hoodie the rest of the way off, which was quickly followed by his t-shirt. Nino stood up and adjusted his jeans while Aiba blatantly stared at his bare chest, which was smooth and very white. It air was a little cool, though, so Nino shivered, and promptly bent down to collect his hoodie and put it back on.
Aiba scrambled to stand up, not sure what to do with this kind of Nino who wasn’t yelling at him. He tucked his dick back into his briefs and did up his pants with a painfully loud sound from the zipper, then darted into the corner to do as he had been directed and switch on the heater.
For a second, he just stood there and stared at the wall. Nino hadn’t pushed him away, he reminded himself. Nino wanted this just like he did.
When he turned back to him, Aiba was surprised to find his boss with his wallet in hand, pulling out three bills of money. He dropped the wallet onto the floor and stepped over to Aiba, holding out the cash-which was a pitiful amount if Nino was trying to pay him for what he had just done.
Aiba looked at the money in confusion, but took it when Nino gestured for him to.
“Go to the convenience store and buy some condoms and lube,” he directed. “And tissues,” was added as an afterthought before Nino retreated towards the pile of blankets.
“What?” Aiba asked in surprise before he could stop himself, and Nino sent him a pointed look over his shoulder.
“I’m not going out like this.” He indicated his hoodie, which dipped far enough down in front that Aiba could see the top part of his bare chest. Aiba continued to stare at him, his mind processing obvious implications of the directions and his libido coming back to life instantly.
“And lock the door on your way back in,” Nino said in a tone of finality before flopping down in the pile of blankets and staring at Aiba expectantly.
Aiba left without delay, not noticing that his belt was still undone until he was already outside and halfway down the block in the direction of the nearest convenience store.
+++
“I think,” Aiba said in an off-hand manner, “that was the best birthday present ever.”
“It’s your birthday?” Nino replied in surprise, his eyes wide. The bottle of water Aiba had brought back with the condoms was posed halfway in front of his mouth. He’d been sipping at it for the last five minutes, despite reprimanding Aiba for wasting ‘his money’ on it.
“Hmm,” he hummed a positive response. Aiba’s head was in the clouds, his body satisfied and a little tired from the bout of sex they’d just had in Nino’s makeshift bed. In the office.
Well, he didn’t care right now. Let him think of propriety later.
“My mom’s having a party, you should come,” he explained, his eyes dropping with mellowness.
He wasn’t sure what the two of them were right now, but Aiba’s mind was gone far enough that he didn’t mind wrapping his arms around Nino’s waist and snuggling him. One of the blankets was in the way; Nino had pulled it over him as soon as they were finished, a bit tentative about letting Aiba examine his body so easily.
Aiba, on the other hand, didn’t care. The temperature was up so high now that he was sweating despite being completely naked, sprawled out on the pile of blankets and more than halfway on top of Nino.
“Tonight?” Nino asked unsurely, looking away from Aiba’s face, which was really close to his. Aiba thought it was cute and kissed his cheek happily.
“Nino, will you go out with me?”
“Properly follow the conversation, idiot!” Nino chided lightly and bopped him on the head.
He didn’t add anything else, so Aiba waited for his answer with an unconscious smile on his face. Jun had said Nino was tentative about relationships, but they should at least give it a go after jumping each other like that in the middle of the day. He should at least come to the restaurant like Aiba would have invited him to even if they hadn’t had sex.
“I… guess,” Nino sighed, as if there was no avoiding that answer.
“Yay,” Aiba said happily, and hugged Nino tighter. Right now he was acting even worse than when he was drunk. Not only was he high off of sex, but just the fact that it was Nino-Nino who had avoided him, Nino who had pushed him away. Nino was his now, even if there was a lot of work to do to make their relationship a proper one.
“Come to my party?” Aiba added with a smile, kissing Nino again. This time it was on the neck and his lips lingered while Nino hesitated, probably trying to find a way to turn him down that wasn’t contrary to their new relationship status.
“Free food,” Aiba tried to tantalize him, “Touma’s coming.”
“Stupid Touma,” Nino mumbled--for no particular reason Aiba could come up with and that made him giggle. “Fine.”
“Yay.” Aiba’s voice came out deeper this time, and he slowly ran his tongue up the shell of Nino’s ear, making his shiver with the unexpected action.
“Stop that! Idiot!” Nino whined, but didn’t pull away.
“There’s still more condoms,” Aiba replied, then chuckled as he fought Nino for the blanket covering him.
+++
Touma was already there when Aiba arrived at the otherwise empty restaurant that night, and he looked delighted that Nino was with him.
“Well, well. Would you look at you two!” he said with a big grin that Aiba sent back right away. He was proud of his new thing with Nino, and grabbed Nino’s hand to show it. Of course Nino tugged his hand away in embarrassment, but Touma got the message and let out an impressed whistle.
“Congratulations,” he commented, and reached out to shake Aiba’s hand in victory. Of course Aiba accepted, and enthusiastically gripped Touma’s hand in return.
“It’s all thanks to you, Touma!” Aiba replied dramatically, pretending to wipe his eyes. But Nino finally got fed up with them, and hit them both on the head simultaneously-harder than normal.
“Ow,” Touma whined at the same time as Aiba, but they still couldn’t help but share a look of amusement while Nino stomped off to escape them, forcefully looking at a few posters on the wall of the restaurant.
“Masaki, is that you?” His mother’s voice came from the back and a second later she appeared through the kitchen door. “Welcome home! And Happy Birthday, honey.”
“Thanks mom!” Aiba replied promptly, giving her his biggest smile, then walked over to grab Nino’s arm and pull him to the back to give a proper introduction. “This is Nino! He’s my bo-“
Before he could finish, Nino whipped around and covered Aiba’s mouth with his hand. His face was flushed and posed in a look of horror. Aiba could tell what he was thinking. We only decided to date a few hours ago, and you’re already telling your mother?!
Aiba gently grasped Nino’s hand by the wrist and pulled his arm away, giving him an assured look.
“Boss, Nino,” he said in amusement, then returned his attention to his mother. “This is my boss.”
“Oh my goodness,” his mother cooed, wringing her hands on the front of her apron. “You have no idea how grateful we are for giving our little Masaki a job.”
“Mom,” Aiba whined, “Don’t start, please!” Even if he was really grateful to Nino himself, the last thing he needed was his mom embarrassing him in front of his new love interest.
“I don’t mind taking care of your ‘little Masaki.’” At least Nino was smiling now, ready to return the teasing, and he even patted Aiba on the head for effect.
Suddenly Touma broke out laughing behind them, breaking the intimate atmosphere, and Aiba’s mother chuckled too, looking at them with warm eyes. “Well, I’m just getting started on dinner now. Masaki, why don’t you boys stay out here until we’re ready? You can talk to your hearts’ content.”
“I’d appreciate that, Mrs. Aiba!” Touma was the one to answer, giving Nino a pointed look.
“Make yourselves at home,” she replied easily, and retreated into the back before anyone else could add something.
As if it had been timed on purpose, the second Aiba’s mother had left, the front door opened with a quiet dinging sound from the bell on the frame, and the three men turned to see who it was.
“Oh-chan!” Aiba grinned, unable to believe it was Ohno standing in the doorway. He’d try to call him twice, but Ohno hadn’t answered either time so he’d figured it was a lost cause.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you I invited him,” Touma explained enthusiastically, striding over to meet Ohno as he walked in the door.
“Touma,” Ohno sighed happily, wrapping his arms around Touma’s chest and taking a long hug from him. Touma, of course, returned the action with an amused chuckle. “I missed you!”
“I saw you this morning!”
“But that was so long ago,” Ohno replied without a hint of sarcasm.
“No it wasn’t,” Touma assured him, twisting around so that he could pull Ohno towards Nino and Aiba with an arm around his shoulder.
Ohno pouted a little, but as soon as noticed Nino and made eye contact, he suddenly smirked.
Without a word, he glanced at Aiba next, his smile growing bigger, and commented, “I see.”
Aiba was surprised he realized things that quickly, but Nino was the one to pout this time. “Oh-chan!!”
“What?” Ohno teased him, snuggling into Touma’s side.
The whole situation was funny, and Aiba couldn’t help but find it that way. He felt like he’d been out of the loop since he’d met these guys, and now suddenly he was let in and everything had become clearer.
“I’ll grab some beer,” he told them, trying his best not to laugh. “Why don’t you guys sit down and we’ll have a nice, long talk.”
+++
It was afternoon the next day when Aiba’s phone started ringing, but he was still sleeping and it woke him up.
Somehow he pulled himself out of his futon enough to reach where he’d left it on the floor last night, and barely answered it before it went to his voice mail.
“Hello,” he got out in cottony voice, and took a big yawn. They had drunk a lot last night, as expected, and although he had woken up to use the bathroom a few hours ago, it had been easy to go back to bed. Especially with Nino right there next to him. (Fully clothed of course-there had been a lot of kissing once they’d gotten to Aiba’s room, but they were both too tired and drunk for anything else.)
“Aiba-kun?” It was Jun’s voice on the other line. “Are you at the office?”
“Nah,” he grumbled back, squinting his eyes shut against the light coming in from his window. “Ninosaidno,” what was he managed to get out in a slur. He wasn’t drunk anymore, but he was sure he sounded like it.
“Well, that’s good. I’d feel guilty if we were the only ones to get yesterday and today off,” Jun replied quickly. “I hope Nino actually told you we were going to Nagano.”
Aiba unconsciously smiled. As Nino was brought up in the conversation, he realized all of the new details he had to tell Jun, mostly about the fact that Nino had agreed to date him, despite whatever precarious circumstances that promise had been made under. And, well, the fact that Nino was right next to him, slowly stirring awake. He raised his hand to cover his eyes as well and burrowed further into Aiba’s side.
Before he could get his slow brain working enough to get the words out, Jun was already continuing, either not noticing his fatigue or choosing to ignore it.
“I have to tell you about last night. Can I talk to you now?” he asked excitedly, and Aiba nodded before he realized his mistake.
“Yes. Yes, please. Last night, yes.” The words came tumbling out, and he rubbed his eyes in hopes that that would help him wake up. Did something happen with Jun and Sho?
“Well, uhm… first off all, Sho invited me to go skiing. He got a ticket from Nino-“
“Yes, I know,” Aiba urged impatiently. “A room at the lodge, right?”
“Yeah… It was… I mean, it’s a great place,” Jun stumbled over his words, as if he was dying to tell Aiba everything and didn’t know where to start.
“And?”
“Sho is a failure at skiing,” Jun laughed, but Aiba was growing impatient. Nino had woken up a bit more and had pasted himself against Aiba’s side, craning his neck to listen to the phone conversation better.
“Last night, Jun,” Aiba reminded him, his head clearing a bit.
“We…” Jun lowered his voice, “did it.”
“Had sex?” Aiba asked blatantly, then abruptly smiled. “Really?!”
“Ye-yes…” Jun’s voice turned shy, as if he didn’t want anyone on his end to overhear their conversation.
Nino nudged him, and Aiba turned to look at his boss, who mouthed, how was it?
“How was it?” Aiba asked, and switched the position of his phone so that Nino could hear as well.
“Amazing,” Jun sighed happily, giving up his cautious attitude. “I don’t know if you or Nino said something, but he was just like, ‘What do you want, Jun?’ Ahh, it was so sexy Aiba-chan, I can’t believe it, it’s like a dream come true!”
“That’s great!” Aiba was grinning from ear to ear, glad that the fruits of his (and Nino’s?) hard work had paid off. Finally.
“I don’t know how, but he’s totally ripped. He has a six-pack, it’s that incredible? And his mouth, ah,” Jun let out a sound like he’d just eaten something heavenly. “I’ve always thought about kissing that mouth, but oh my God, what it did to me last night-“
“Okay, this is too much!” Nino finally broke in with a smirk. “You sound like a virgin school girl!”
“NINO?!” Jun yelled into the speaker, and Aiba had to pull it farther away from his ear, trying not to laugh. “Nino, why are you there?!” he demanded.
“I have a lot to tell you too,” was all Aiba said.
+++
Aiba’s grandma was released from the hospital in January, five days after the successful launch of Hatenai Sora Inc.’s game. There were still bills to be paid, but her being at home generally lessened the stress on the whole family, and Aiba was sure that his life was perfect.
“Cheers!”
The five of them clinked their beers together with big smiles, and Aiba took a long swig of his. This seemed to be the physical manifestation of everything that needed right now, so very different from where he’d been a year ago.
It was their celebration party for the release and all the work that had been put into it to finishing it in accordance with their new schedule. Nino sat in the middle of Ohno and Aiba, as usual, with Jun and Sho sitting across from them. (They had been so lovey-dovey in the office that Aiba would have been grossed out had he not been so happy for them instead. Nino preferred a more subtle relationship, and Aiba didn’t mind.)
“The first order of business,” Nino declared, banging the napkin holder against the table like a gavel to their attention, “is to thank you all for your hard work on our latest project!”
“I second that!” Jun shot in, raising his glass again, and they made another toast with a round of cheering. When they had finally calmed down, Nino raised his voice, and Aiba was amused that he was actually conducting their congratulatory drinking party like a meeting.
“The next order of business! We’re splitting the bill tonight,” Nino said dramatically, and everyone but Ohno groaned.
“Put it on the budget!” Jun argued, and Sho managed a yeah! right before taking another gulp of his beer. Ever since the two of them had come back from the ski resort, Sho had been much more casual in the office, although not any less productive.
“No and no,” Nino told them with a mock-serious expression, and didn’t allow the subject to linger any longer. Aiba just chuckled because he didn’t care either way. It was all teasing in the end, wasn’t it? Nino was so cute.
Nino must have caught the way Aiba was looking at him, because he smacked him lightly on the head and added, “No to you too.”
“Hey!” Aiba shot back, trying to act upset even though he was anything but. He wrapped one arm around Nino’s back, and when Nino pretended to push him away, it wasn’t with any strength at all.
His arm stayed just like that while Nino started talking again, shifting closer to Aiba to get more comfortable.
“The third order of business. I’m re-structuring the company,” he said as plainly as the other statements, but this time the table went quiet in shock, since none of them had heard anything about this. “You can type it up better later,” Nino told Jun, pulling out a wrinkled piece of paper from his pocket.
He smoothed it out against the table, and started reading it out loud.
“Ninomiya Kazunari: CEO and director. All powerful ruler of Hatenai Sora Inc.”
Sho snickered and Jun repressed an amused expression, trying to pay attention despite the fact that they were all half-drunk already. No one made any comments, waiting until Nino was finished because they were all too curious about what changes he had planned.
“Ohno Satoshi: art designer and freeloader,” Nino read, then turned to Ohno and added in a normal voice, “You can continue to come and go as you please.”
“Thank you, Nino,” Ohno replied with a delighted grin, his eyes creasing shut a little to accommodate the width of it. Nino nodded and turned back to his paper.
“Sakurai Sho: software formatter, accountant, consultant, administrative executive, and you’re new title, Jun’s secretary.”
Sho’s mouth opened in a hearty laugh, and Jun choked in surprise on the beer he’d just drank.
“What?” Jun got out between coughs, but Nino ignored him in order to continue.
“Matsumoto Jun: game tester, business negotiator, and ‘person who puts up with Nino.’ A.k.a. Hatenai’s new vice-director.”
“What?!” Jun almost shouted his time, his mouth half open in shock. “Vice-director?!”
“You’ll find the paperwork on your desk when you come in on Monday,” Nino replied calmly, glancing over his paper to make sure he didn’t forget anything. Aiba arched his neck to see what was written by his name, but before he could make it out, Nino folded it in half and handed it to Jun before turning to Aiba with a slightly more intimate expression.
“Aiba Masaki,” he started, then paused for dramatic effect. He obviously knew how impatient Aiba was about the topic. “Public relations manager, human resources, and Mr. Budget. Oh, and part-time gopher slash masseuse,” Nino smirked, and Aiba would have kissed him right there to wipe the self-satisfied look off his face, except they were in public.
Well, Aiba didn’t care that much so he kissed him anyway, receiving a cat-call from Jun and another yeah! from Sho.
It was a quick kiss, and once Aiba let him go, Nino hit him on the head, although he was still smiling widely, obviously please with his ‘re-structuring.’
“I signed you up for a seminar,” Nino assured Aiba with a gentle pat on the head. “Go study up so you can win us some new contracts! Jun’s going with you, by the way.”
“What? Why?” Jun demanded, still not recovered from the slew of changes Nino had decided to make without any hints at all.
“Because you need to learn how to be a vice-director.”
“I think you learning how to be a director is more important!” Jun replied incredulously, but a smile was threatening to break out on his face.
“No, all directors have to do is boss people around.”
“You’re good at that,” Ohno commented before any of the rest of them could, and after a moment of them all checking that Ohno had just said something, they all burst out laughing together.
Excitement flooded Aiba’s veins, and he felt like yelling out, but managed to contain himself.
Finally, a real position! (Well, several!)
Now that they were starting a new project he was going to throw himself into it whole-heartedly. It had already been enough for him to be welcomed into the company, but now that he was dating Nino, Aiba couldn’t see a future any place else. He would do anything that was required of him for Nino and Hatenai Sora Inc.
“Stop getting worked up,” Sho teased him, and Aiba hadn’t noticed until now, but they were all staring at him and his eyes were watering.
“I can’t help it,” Aiba grinned and roughly wiped his face. “You guys are all so great.” The combination of alcohol and Nino’s announcement was leaving him completely susceptible to the whims of his heart.
“Stop that Aiba-chan,” Ohno whined, and when Aiba met his eyes, he saw that Ohno was getting worked up too. They both laughed, but continued sniffling and scrubbing at their faces.
Aiba had almost composed himself until he noticed Nino watching him with obvious affection, and he broke out again.
“Nino, I love you!” he exclaimed, and pulled Nino against him tightly in a hug, burying his nose in Nino’s neck.
“Hey, get a room,” Jun teased them, avoiding the sappy look Sho was sending his way.
“Well, if you all are finished being dramatic,” Nino commented with a smirk, pushing Aiba back a little so he could properly breathe. “I’d like to brainstorm about our next project.”
+++
Epilogue:
The first time Nino fell in love was at the ripe age of fourteen.
He’d never loved anything before, other than video games and money, so he didn’t understand the feeling in the beginning, particularly due to the unusual circumstances.
“I can’t believe it!” Touma suddenly perked up next to him, his goofy smile as wide as ever. They had been waiting in the dugout for the second match of the regional semi-finals, and needless to say, Nino was nervous. It was only his second official game, and he didn’t feel that he was particularly good at baseball. He didn’t love it, but he had some affection for the sport, and had only joined the club at Jun’s prompting.
Jun, seated on Nino’s other side, followed Touma’s line of sight to the field, where a boy was waving as he walked across home plate towards them.
“That’s him! Aiba, the friend I was telling you guys about! I knew he’d be here today,” Touma explained enthusiastically. With a grin he stood up and darted out of the dugout to meet the other boy, whose name Nino could barely recall.
But Jun obviously knew, because he stood up too, wringing his hands together and shifting his feet nervously. “Aiba Masaki…The ultimate hitter from Chiba…” he said solemnly, with a far too open expression on his face. Nino scoffed at Jun’s reaction, but he couldn’t quite pull his eyes away from where Touma and Aiba had just met to shake hands happily.
Aiba? He looked like an idiot with that over exaggerated smile and joyful glow, like there was nowhere else he’d rather be than here.
When Touma turned to point to the dugout, Nino blushed and looked away, feeling completely embarrassed, wondering why his heart was pouting so hard.
“Nino, come on! I want to meet him!”
“Hell no! Go by yourself!” he shot back without thinking, folding his arms across his chest and pouting.
Jun gave him an unsure look, but it was obvious he wasn’t about to give up his chance, and took off towards Touma in the middle of the field, already used to Nino’s occasionally moody behavior.
After a moment, Nino’s curiosity got the better of him and he looked back, seeing Jun with his bright stupid smile, shaking the hand of the boy that looked just as bright and just as stupid.
Nino’s mood only declined after that, part of him regretting not going with Jun and part of him chiding himself for even having that thought in the first place. No matter what, he wouldn’t go back on his decision, but the regret only deepened once the baseball match got started and he actually saw Aiba in action.
His swing was perfect, but the thing that really stuck in Nino’s memory, even more than ten years later, was the smile on Aiba’s face as he made a homerun in the seventh inning. It was quite possibly the most moving expression he’d ever seen, and he was ashamed to be so affected by something so simple and stupid.
After the game, he left quickly to avoid Aiba, as well as Touma and Jun. They interpreted that as depression for losing the match, but in reality Nino could have cared less about that part. He just wanted to be alone and think about things that had transpired.
Touma offered to bring Aiba to one of their get-togethers a week later, but Nino flat out refused. Maybe if he forgot about Aiba this “thing” would go away.
But, unfortunately, he was never able to forget.
+++
A/N: That's the end, then. How was it? I was sort of surprised by the response to this fic, but thank you to anyone who finished reading it! Next one could take a while since I've been busy and have a few things coming up. (Waku Waku yay!)