Arashi fic- A Touching Tale about Hopes and Dreams, with Comedic Elements
A touching tale about hopes and dreams, with comedic elements.
Starring:
Sho the eternal captain
And Aiba the first mate.
(And there were other guests, always, but they were just that- guests.)
Besides, for the very first trip, it was just him and Sho. That’s how it started. Wasn’t that how it always started.
It was originally supposedly his idea, but somewhere along the way Sho became the captain, faithfully sailing out on every voyage, and going down with every boat right to the end. A perfect symbol of fail, to signify the eternal fail of the experiment. How fitting, he thinks. Mr. Fail in charge of the one experiment that never failed to, well, fail. Though it was his idea, the prototype design. That landed in Sho’s lap subsequently.
It was always cold, never too far from winter. The water was always freezing, when it came to the inevitable tumbling overboard. He had been doing this for more than half of the voyages undertaken, and the cold shock of the sea never failed to shoot right to his brain. But he liked the sea, the ease in it, and the cold was just something that came with the sea. Like the salt water that turned his hair into hay and his fingers into prunes.
For the later shows they kept sending him, him and Sho. He suspects Jun must’ve bribed someone to be able to escape this for as long as he did, and Nino to threaten someone after getting enough of seasickness, or maybe he just threatened to be seasick on the staff. Perhaps it wasn’t a process by elimination, but by selection instead. That he and Sho happened to have schedules that worked, to squeeze in a day out at sea.
Or maybe, it was just that they made a good match at sea, enthusiastic energetic idiots rowing their arms off, bumbling about onboard, precariously almost tipping overboard, and enough lungpower for the accompanying yells and shrieks on every step. Because tiny boats out on rough seas against huge tanker-made-waves and winds blustering in the wrong direction need plenty of high spirits to propel them forward, not just the physical, mechanical motions. Although he thinks a good engine and better building materials would’ve made more of a difference, in terms of actual ground covered. But wide grins and gusty cheers and huffing and puffing make for better TV.
Everyone likes to see them dumb enough to try, idiots who don’t give up on optimism regardless of the futility, calling them stupid aloud but maybe privately rooting for them, hoping against hope anyway, and in the end it’s the journey that matters, the process that actually happened. Trying to look convinced that they’ll actually make it this time, if not today, then the next time, oh the power of hopes and dreams and wills. Never the mention of impossibility or giving up or being tired of it; it’s the privilege of the idiot.
He catches colds and gets debilitating muscle aches, the occasional sprains, bruises and cuts and skin rubbed raw and bloody, sunburns and what else he gets, after their maiden voyage, is a drunken Sho and an equally drunken self in his bed, and things that happened thereafter, starting with Sho pulling at his belt and him not resisting said attempt.
Considering it was Sho’s suggestion of dinner after work, and subsequently drinks after dinner, and then insisting on going to his apartment in an apparent drunken rant, he supposed Sho might not have been as inebriated as he wanted to appear. He didn’t really care though. It didn’t make a difference in that context. The crux of the matter, he reflected the next morning, watching Sho drool unglamorously on his new bed sheets, was that he didn’t kick Sho off the bed then. And things had unfurled, the way the waves had kept pushing their little boat backwards, if they didn’t keep rowing, if they even stopped to rest for a bit.
When he watched the broadcast of that episode, the only thing that stuck in his mind was the way Sho kept calling him Masaki baby, and the embarrassment apparent in his voice. Sho can but doesn’t call him Masaki often, usually on television, and for effect. When Sho calls him Masaki, there’s a point to be made, sometimes not even to him. It’s rare enough to warrant attention, and means something in the way that means nothing. When he started calling Sho-chan in return, he doesn’t remember how it started, it sounds like there’s more to it which may or may not be what he intended, but now he can’t get it to not sound like that, and he doesn’t know what he intends, anymore.
On the fifth attempt, (sixth if the one they did on D no Arashi is included) Sho had declared that would be their last attempt, and they were going to make it, damnit. But of course they didn’t, and as they were singled out and made to apologise profusely for something they had done, hadn’t done, he was starting to feel the familiarity of it all. Sho playing the fool with him, joining him in some crazy endeavor, living up to being Team Fail, and then being castigated for their efforts by their loving members. As familiar as it was to feel Sho’s arm around him nowadays, casually thrown, sneaky butt-touching and slaps on the head of love, because in the books of Sho-sensei, to hit is to care. A lesson learnt.
Then Sho had said, no matter what, please let us do it again the next time! And a flurry of chaotic activity, trying to high-five Sho and the other members outraged, and he wondered how long it was going to go on. How many more times they were going to attempt to set sail, but always sinking halfway and never reaching the ultimate goal. A process of frantic floundering and determined exertion, looking as though they were finally going to get somewhere, but realizing they never quite proceeded in any meaningful direction. Even if they were utterly exhausted in the end, from the efforts of it all. Rowing miles and miles, but as good as rowing on the spot.
Just like how he didn’t get to high-five Sho in the end, both of them jumping with arms stretched out, fingers reaching for but not quite touching.
For the post-special episode, Sho had offered him the role of captain. Almost like a promotion. That’s not the point, he shot back, indeed; no matter who was captain, the endeavor was futile. The little boat would never reach its destination if that’s all the propelling power it had. Also, was Sho dumping it on him so he could wash his hands off it. Dumping his futile experiment back into his lap.
To nobody’s surprise they were sent on another boat attempt. To his surprise Jun came along too. Did Jun forget to bribe somebody, he grinned inwardly. This time, the tale unfolded as expected. Promises of success, frantic rowing but not quite enough, the boat disintegrating, a huge wave capsizing them and knocking them into the sea. Failing, again. But Sho was especially full of energy this time. More so than any others. Because this might very well be the final time, he wanted to ask Sho, but didn’t.
He drifted lazily in the sea, waiting for the boat to come pick them, feeling the sun on his face, when Sho paddled awkwardly over.
“The boat fell apart again huh,” Sho grinned at him, he didn’t know for what.
He made some agreeing noise and shut his eyes. Sho continued, “Ah, too bad we couldn’t reach the end. And with my arsenal of secret weapons too! Maybe there’ll be a next time.”
He opened an eye. Sho was still beaming.
“Why are you so happy today,” he demanded, “the boat sank as usual, and we didn’t get anywhere.” Sho ignored his question and laughed happily. He rolled his eyes. Sun damaged his brain, he muttered.
When they were changing their clothes, finally back on land, Sho sidled up to him and mused, “It’s okay, isn’t it, that we didn’t reach the end? Because if we did, then it’ll be over. Just treat it as we’re still on the journey, and we’ve still a long way to go, but this is all part of the process. And there’ll always be the possibility of a next time!”
“But it’s like standing on the same spot and not moving forward. We’ve done so much, but we’re going nowhere.” he replied.
“Hmm, that is probably my fault. But,” Sho smiled and ruffed his hair, “I’ve learnt from previous mistakes, and we’ve made progress and improvements, haven’t we? We’ve gone much further today. I think the important thing is to be more proactive, since the boat needs a clearer push sometimes,” and Sho linked their hands together.
Aiba looked away and didn’t say anything, but Sho noted Aiba didn’t pull his hand away, only responding in kind.
“Ah, I got to spend the day with Aiba-kun anyway, that isn’t a day wasted. Now, how ‘bout some dinner? And maybe drinks after that?”
He groaned. “Not like the last time again, I’m not lugging you all the way, you’re heavy. All these useless muscles.”
Sho winked at him. “No, it’ll be fine. Tonight, I wouldn’t need to pretend to be drunk.”
He smacked him soundly on the head, because the look on Sho’s face was begging for it, really.
Experiment result: No experiment is futile, if everyone had fun in the process.
But it’s okay if the boat doesn’t reach its goal soon. There’s still a long way to sail, and seas to explore in the meanwhile. And it’s the company on the journey, after all.