![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Fic ~ Because Matsujun Cares....
Uwah…. It’s done! The final part of my Aiba-centric, Sakuraiba fluff infested trilogy! *Pats self on the back*. I honestly, don’t know what I’m going to do after this…. Anyone have any requests? I think I had better stick to One-Shots for the time being though. I had such a hard time getting this story to actually end. ^_^
Actually, I have a question for my readers at the end of this story….
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
It had been arranged in secret. It was spoken of in whispers in the stolen moments outside of the tallest members’ hearing. At the suggestion of the youngest member, the plan had quickly taken shape. In anticipation of the end of Aiba Masaki’s tenure as a temporary caretaker, his four closest friends and colleagues had assembled. In a quiet restaurant the four men gathered around the table at lunchtime and discussed the surprise they had put together.
“…the last time all of us did something together in our free time?” The well educated caster was saying as Ninomiya Kazunari returned from a bathroom break.
“Yeah, but why now?” He asked, taking his seat. He was not really against the plan; he simply argued for the sake of argument. Truthfully, after Aiba had brought his cousin to their first night of concert rehearsals the previous night, Ninomiya had warmed to the boy. The toddler and done more dancing then the Idols while the five men had formed an enraptured audience. Watching the toddler attempt to mimic the signature dance of Arashi’s debut single had charmed even the most indifferent of them.
As the unlikely initiator, Matsumoto answered his question. “It’s been four days, right?” He began. “And this is Aiba-chan we’re talking about; he’s probably gotten really attached to the kid.”
“Meaning…?” Ninomiya regarded the younger man skeptically.
“So when Jay-kun goes back to his parents, Aiba-chan will be upset. It wouldn’t surprise me if he cries.”
“Hah! So? Aiba-chan cries at everything.”
Sakurai cut in then. “Yeah, but imagine how much worse it would be if Masaki was genuinely depressed.” He warned the younger man. “He’s usually the one who keeps the atmosphere light; if he’s upset it could affect all of us. But more importantly, he’s our friend; why shouldn’t we do this?”
The young magician relented and relaxed further into his chair. “Fine.” The smallest man, sat directly opposite threw him a lazy smile. “What are you smirking about?” He demanded with a smile of his own. “At least say something. I can’t believe you agreed to this; wouldn’t you rather be fishing?”
Ohno Satoshi shrugged. “I’ll go afterwards.” He stated quietly and made no further comment.
Ninomiya turned back to the instigator of the whole plan. “I’m not against it.” He told the younger man. “I’m more surprised that you, of all people, would suggest it. I thought you would be furious that Aiba interrupted a concert rehearsal.”
Matsumoto took a sip of his water before replying. “No, to be honest, at first I was kind of pissed.” He confessed. “But it was only that once, right? I guess it’s not so bad to relax once in a while.”
“Whoa…. I think our prince is mellowing in his old age.” The sharp tongued musician gasped teasingly. “Or you’re in love.” He added with a smirk.
The table erupted into good natured laughter as the young man tried to cut through the din to deny the baseless accusations. Finally, Matsumoto gave up and joined his friends in laughing. When they had finished, he addressed the group. “Alright.” He got gracefully to his feet. “Somehow, I think it’s time to get started.”
The three older men agreed and together they left the restaurant.
* * *
“He learned some Japanese.” Aiba explained quietly as he handed the sleeping child back to his mother.
Beside the foreign woman, his uncle picked up Jacobs bag and hefted it over one shoulder. “Thanks Ma-kun.” The man grinned. “I know it couldn’t have been easy with your work and everything.”
Aiba inclined his head in acknowledgement. Speaking softly, her accent forcing Aiba to listen carefully, his new aunt seemed worried. “Are you sure Jacob didn’t cause any trouble?” She asked as she settled the toddler more comfortably in her arms. “I told your uncle we should hire a professional, but he insisted.”
The young man shook his head in denial of that option. “Jay-kun was no trouble.” He reassured the woman. He was not going to mention the Elevator Incident. “And everyone liked him.”
“Really? You’re sure? He didn’t throw any tantrums or anything? He does, you know, when he can’t have his own way. And he gets so cranky when he’s tired.” She sounded so guilty about foisting her child on the young man and Aiba could only feel sorry for her.
She must have spent her whole honeymoon worrying about him. He thought to himself. He had suspected his uncle had been behind the whole arrangement; the man in his late forties had a mischievous streak a mile wide, but Aiba had not known that the woman had serious reservations about it. Moreover, she seemed more concerned with what her son had put the Idol through rather than the other way around. “In that case,” Masaki reassured her. “I might have spoiled him a little. He didn’t have any tantrums and I just put him to bed when he fell asleep.”
“Ah, that’s good.” She sighed, relieved.
His uncle patted his new young wife on the shoulder. “It’s about time to go.” He told her. “And give my nephew some peace before Jacob-kun wakes up.”
Silently, Aiba saw his guests to the door. Thanking him again, the family of three left and the young man found himself completely alone. With a breathy sigh, he stretched out on his sofa and closed his eyes. He began to regret not making any plans for that day; he definitely felt like he needed a drink.
An hour later, the usually carefree man was in the middle of straightening up the spare bedroom where Jacob had slept when his doorbell rang. Opening the door, the tall man was surprised by what he found. Every member of Arashi had visited his home at some point in the past, but never all four of them at once. “Guys…? Wha-”
Without waiting for an invitation, his four longtime colleagues invaded his home. Matsumoto and Sakurai each carried a case of beer, Ohno held enough Chinese takeout to feed a small army. Ninomiya had a carrier bag full of what looked like comics and DVD’s. “Eh… what’s going on here?” Aiba asked as his unexpected guest made themselves at home.
Sakurai took a beer for himself and passed one to the taller man as he answered. “We just felt like coming over.” He replied lightly. His tone implied that such an action was not unusual in the least.
Judging from the innocent expressions on the groups faces, Masaki knew he could not expect a straight answer. “Whatever…” He grinned, opening the can and taking a long pull on the alcohol. If his friends wanted to spend some time with him and have some fun, Aiba Masaki was not going to complain. Instead he crossed the room and bounded onto his couch, half landing on Ninomiya in the process. “It’s a little early to be drinking though.” He added in a murmur.
“Hey, watch it!” His childhood friend scolded him when Aiba’s action threatened to spill beer on the younger man. Tolerantly, Ninomiya manhandled his lanky friend into a more suitable position for them both. He was joined on his other side by Ohno, who passed him a beer of his own in the process.
Matsumoto was busy checking out Aiba’s CD collection across the room. Having made his choice, he turned on the stereo and sat on the arm of the sofa on Aiba’s right. “I guess you would call it a house party.” He informed the taller man. “We had to have it early because this is the only time we’re all free. Nino and I have a magazine interview at five.”
“And I’m going fishing.” Ohno chimed in needlessly.
Sakurai, half sprawled on the carpet, reached over and smacked their leaders’ legs. “Oi!” He exclaimed. “You don’t have to tell him that.”
In high spirits, Aiba laughed, taking no offence at Ohno’s words. “So what are we celebrating?” He questioned.
“Well…” Sho looked around to the others for support. “…us, I guess.” He stated at last when his friends remained silent.
Missing the byplay, Aiba accepted the explanation easily enough. “Arashi?” Sakurai nodded. “Then to Arashi!” He raised his can in a toast and his friends copied his gesture. “Cheers!”
“Cheers!” Four voices echoed him.
* * *
A few hours later, the youngest pair was getting ready to leave for their appointment. They alone had only consumed one can of beer each while the others had not held back at all. The scene they left behind was a lively one: Satoshi, stripped to the waist, was entertaining his friends with a particularly drunken dance. Sho and Masaki looked on from the sofa, laughing and shouting encouragement.
Sakurai sat on one side of the couch while the taller man simply lay across its length, using the older mans lap as a footrest. Every now and then Aiba would roll in mirth a little too energetically and the rapper would have to keep him from falling from his seat by throwing an arm over his legs.
Stumbling over one of the many empty food cartons scattered around the room, Ohno fell to the floor. His graceless descent earned a loud cheer from his audience. Not bothering to stand, he crawled over to the sofa and slouched against its frame. “Ah! I’m tired….” He complained, slurring his words only slightly.
Aiba flipped onto his stomach and leaved over the edge of the cushions to bring his face into view of his leader. “What are you saying!?” He teased the man. “It’s still early!”
“Then you dance!” Ohno pouted indignantly.
Finding this funny beyond all reason, the tall Idol laughed himself right off the sofa and fell headfirst into Ohno’s lap. “Ouch….” He gasped between breathy chuckles. Awkwardly the two men untangled themselves. “That hurt.”
Sakurai laughed. “You’re hurt!?” He scoffed. “You just kicked me in the chin when you fell.” The caster rubbed the affected area for emphasis, but could not keep the smile from his face.
“Sorry.” His apology, while perfectly sincere, was coloured with amusement. “I have to pee.” Aiba announced, getting to his feet. He ignored the protests of his friends telling him that they did not need such information and stumbled down the hall to his bathroom.
As soon as the lanky man was out of earshot, Sakurai took a sobering breath and whispered to the older man. “Ohno-san, do you think Aiba-chan is alright?”
The bare-chested man shrugged. “Don’t know. We’ve been distracting him properly like Matsujun told us.” He replied.
“Yeah…” Sho leaned back into the cushions. His smile faded to a look of concern. “I guess we don’t know if it’s working or not until we’re not distracting him anymore.” Casting a hasty glance into the direction of the toilet he continued. “Maybe one of us better stay here tonight and keep an eye on him.” He suggested.
“Eh? But… I wanted to go fishing.” Ohno pointed out.
“Like that?” Sakurai raised a sceptical eyebrow and regarded the small mans semi-naked, half-cut condition. “You’ve been drinking.”
“The captain drives the boat though.” Satoshi defended himself. “Why don’t you stay?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you’re better at stuff like this anyway.” Neither man could argue any further because they heard their friend returning down the hall.
Bounding back into the room, the young man picked up the bag Ninomiya had left behind. “Hey, why don’t we watch a movie?” He asked, riffling through the DVD’s. The others agreed and the three men settled in to watch the latest Hollywood action-thriller.
As the credits rolled, Ohno Satoshi stretched laboriously and gave a jaw-cracking yawn. Picking up his discarded shirt he turned to his friends. “I have to go.” He informed them.
“Already?” Aiba asked, disappointed.
“Yeah.” Ohno insisted. “The captain gets mad if I wake him up.”
Masaki’s long frame nearly doubled over in laughter. “Then you don’t have to go at all; you just want to!” He clarified, but he was not insulted; Ohno had already sacrificed half a day worth of fishing, after all. Happily, he saw his leader safely into a cab and rejoined Sakurai in the living room. The conscientious caster was tiding up the empty cans and cartons. “Ah, you don’t have to do that.” Aiba rushed over to help, taking the rubbish out of his friends’ hands.
“It’s fine.” Sho waved him away. “We made all this mess anyway. Your place was surprisingly tidy before we dropped in.”
“Surprisingly?” Aiba repeated. “What do you mean by that?” He grinned. “Sho-chan's room is always messy.”
The well built man nodded guiltily. “That’s true.” He confessed. “I just meant it was really clean for someone who just had a toddler as a guest.” As soon as the sentence was out of his mouth, he regretted it. He was supposed to be keeping the tall man from thinking about Jacob, and all he had done was remind him of the child. He was so busy with mental recriminations; he nearly missed Masaki’s reply.
“I do know how clean up after people, you know.” He informed his friend loftily. He did not seem upset at the mention of Jacob, and Sakurai breath a sigh of relief.
“Sorry. I know that.” Unconsciously, his eyes travelled to the scribble of green crayon visible on the wall of the hallway.
“Well, except that.” The tall man conceded, following his gaze. “Because I have no idea how to get crayon off walls.”
“WD-40” Sakurai replied absently.
“Huh?”
The rapper gave a self deprecating grin. “To get crayon of walls.” He explained. “It’s what my mother used with my kid brother.”
“Oh, I see….” The tall Idol shook his head. “No, I think I’m going to leave it there. Like a feature.”
“A design feature?” Sakurai could only laugh at his friends’ whimsy.
“Exactly!” Aiba proclaimed triumphantly. He returned to the task of cleaning the rubbish while the older man stood in place and pondered those words. He was afraid that Aiba was clinging to the ‘artwork’ as a reminder of the toddler, and he did not think such an approach was healthy. He helped Masaki tidy while his mind churned with worries for his cheerful friend.
Between the two of them, the room was quickly brought to some order. As they sat in comfortable silence, Sakurai could take it no longer. He needed to talk to the younger man and make sure Aiba was truly himself. “Masaki…?” He began gently in a tone that suggested he wanted a serious conversation.
“Hmm?” The lean man looked up from the magazine he had been flipping through. “What is it?” He asked, sitting up and curling his feet under himself and he leaned on the arm of the sofa.
Sho took a deep breath and wondered where to start. He had had people come to him for advice before, and indeed he had gone to others with his worries, Aiba included. However, he had never tried to make someone talk about their troubles before. He had been raised not to interfere in the lives of others, but Masaki was different.
After nearly a decade, surely their relationship went beyond that of colleagues, or indeed, simple friendship? In a sense, they were family, and was it not normal to meddle within your own family from time to time? Choosing his words carefully he spoke of his concerns. “Are you really alright with Jacob going home like that?”
With a sigh Aiba replied immediately. “It is a bit regrettable, isn’t it?”
Seeing an opening, Sakurai pressed for further details. “Tell me about it.”
“I didn’t get to say goodbye properly.” The younger man continued flatly.
Sakurai injected his voice with as much sympathy as he could muster. “That must have been upsetting.” He agreed. “But you can’t let it get to you.”
“Well I had only just put him down for his nap.” Aiba grinned. “I wasn’t going to wake him up just to say goodbye.”
The caster nodded. “That was very mature of you.” He acknowledged. Whether he was aware of it or not, his tone had become condescending and Aiba picked up on it straight away.
“Wait, what is this?” He asked at last. “Why are you talking like that Sho-kun?”
“We’re all worried about you Aiba-chan.” He admitted. “Everyone could see how close you are to Jay-kun, and we know how sad it must be to say goodbye.”
“Aw, Sho-chan~” Smiling, Aiba launched himself at the surprised man and threw his arm about Sakurai’s shoulder. “So that’s what today was about? You were all worried about me?”
“Well, of course.” The older man replied, turning to look his friend in the eye, their faces only inches apart. “Everyone cares about you a lot, you know.” He continued softly.
“But why would I be upset?” Aiba pulled back slightly, confusion written over his fair features. “Jay-kun is my cousin, Sho-chan.” He reminded the man patiently. “I can go and visit him anytime, and I don’t have to change any more diapers!”
“Eh!?”
Aiba threw his head back and laughed, simultaneously pulling his friend in for a proper hug. “You guys were really worried, huh?”
Sakurai struggled indignantly out of the rough embrace. “Yes, we were!” He shot back, irrationally offended by Masaki’s apparent lack of sensitivity. “I thought you would be grief stricken.”
Sensing that his reaction had affronted his kind-hearted friend, Masaki bit his lip. “Sorry, Sho-chan.” He apologised. Wriggling closer to the man he laid his head on Sakurai’s comfortable shoulders. “I’m really lucky, huh? I have the best friends in the world.”
“No, I should be the one to apologise.” The caster sighed. “I’m glad you’re OK.” He continued, putting his arm around his friend and resting his cheek against the younger mans head. “Honestly, I think I’ll probably miss Jay-kun more than you.”
“If you ever miss him too much, just let me know.” Aiba suggested peacefully. “And we’ll go visit him together.”
Smiling to himself and taking Masaki’s hand, he nodded. “It’s a promise.”
And neither man moved for a very long time after that.
End.
_______________
Actually, I have a question for my readers at the end of this story….
Title: Ai – Baby *Complete*
Rating: G
Genre: General, Fluff
Pairing: Sakuraiba
Word Count: 3,000
Type: Mini-Series (Chapter 3/3)
Summary: It’s Child-Minder Aiba! Juggling the work of an Idol with an 18 month-old toddler is hard work, (even if it is only temporary). Lucky, the rest Arashi knows when to stick together and lend a helping hand.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Disclaimer: I don’t own Arashi, but I do own Jacob. Hands off! His cute little chubby cheeks are mine!
Chapter Three
It had been arranged in secret. It was spoken of in whispers in the stolen moments outside of the tallest members’ hearing. At the suggestion of the youngest member, the plan had quickly taken shape. In anticipation of the end of Aiba Masaki’s tenure as a temporary caretaker, his four closest friends and colleagues had assembled. In a quiet restaurant the four men gathered around the table at lunchtime and discussed the surprise they had put together.
“…the last time all of us did something together in our free time?” The well educated caster was saying as Ninomiya Kazunari returned from a bathroom break.
“Yeah, but why now?” He asked, taking his seat. He was not really against the plan; he simply argued for the sake of argument. Truthfully, after Aiba had brought his cousin to their first night of concert rehearsals the previous night, Ninomiya had warmed to the boy. The toddler and done more dancing then the Idols while the five men had formed an enraptured audience. Watching the toddler attempt to mimic the signature dance of Arashi’s debut single had charmed even the most indifferent of them.
As the unlikely initiator, Matsumoto answered his question. “It’s been four days, right?” He began. “And this is Aiba-chan we’re talking about; he’s probably gotten really attached to the kid.”
“Meaning…?” Ninomiya regarded the younger man skeptically.
“So when Jay-kun goes back to his parents, Aiba-chan will be upset. It wouldn’t surprise me if he cries.”
“Hah! So? Aiba-chan cries at everything.”
Sakurai cut in then. “Yeah, but imagine how much worse it would be if Masaki was genuinely depressed.” He warned the younger man. “He’s usually the one who keeps the atmosphere light; if he’s upset it could affect all of us. But more importantly, he’s our friend; why shouldn’t we do this?”
The young magician relented and relaxed further into his chair. “Fine.” The smallest man, sat directly opposite threw him a lazy smile. “What are you smirking about?” He demanded with a smile of his own. “At least say something. I can’t believe you agreed to this; wouldn’t you rather be fishing?”
Ohno Satoshi shrugged. “I’ll go afterwards.” He stated quietly and made no further comment.
Ninomiya turned back to the instigator of the whole plan. “I’m not against it.” He told the younger man. “I’m more surprised that you, of all people, would suggest it. I thought you would be furious that Aiba interrupted a concert rehearsal.”
Matsumoto took a sip of his water before replying. “No, to be honest, at first I was kind of pissed.” He confessed. “But it was only that once, right? I guess it’s not so bad to relax once in a while.”
“Whoa…. I think our prince is mellowing in his old age.” The sharp tongued musician gasped teasingly. “Or you’re in love.” He added with a smirk.
The table erupted into good natured laughter as the young man tried to cut through the din to deny the baseless accusations. Finally, Matsumoto gave up and joined his friends in laughing. When they had finished, he addressed the group. “Alright.” He got gracefully to his feet. “Somehow, I think it’s time to get started.”
The three older men agreed and together they left the restaurant.
* * *
“He learned some Japanese.” Aiba explained quietly as he handed the sleeping child back to his mother.
Beside the foreign woman, his uncle picked up Jacobs bag and hefted it over one shoulder. “Thanks Ma-kun.” The man grinned. “I know it couldn’t have been easy with your work and everything.”
Aiba inclined his head in acknowledgement. Speaking softly, her accent forcing Aiba to listen carefully, his new aunt seemed worried. “Are you sure Jacob didn’t cause any trouble?” She asked as she settled the toddler more comfortably in her arms. “I told your uncle we should hire a professional, but he insisted.”
The young man shook his head in denial of that option. “Jay-kun was no trouble.” He reassured the woman. He was not going to mention the Elevator Incident. “And everyone liked him.”
“Really? You’re sure? He didn’t throw any tantrums or anything? He does, you know, when he can’t have his own way. And he gets so cranky when he’s tired.” She sounded so guilty about foisting her child on the young man and Aiba could only feel sorry for her.
She must have spent her whole honeymoon worrying about him. He thought to himself. He had suspected his uncle had been behind the whole arrangement; the man in his late forties had a mischievous streak a mile wide, but Aiba had not known that the woman had serious reservations about it. Moreover, she seemed more concerned with what her son had put the Idol through rather than the other way around. “In that case,” Masaki reassured her. “I might have spoiled him a little. He didn’t have any tantrums and I just put him to bed when he fell asleep.”
“Ah, that’s good.” She sighed, relieved.
His uncle patted his new young wife on the shoulder. “It’s about time to go.” He told her. “And give my nephew some peace before Jacob-kun wakes up.”
Silently, Aiba saw his guests to the door. Thanking him again, the family of three left and the young man found himself completely alone. With a breathy sigh, he stretched out on his sofa and closed his eyes. He began to regret not making any plans for that day; he definitely felt like he needed a drink.
An hour later, the usually carefree man was in the middle of straightening up the spare bedroom where Jacob had slept when his doorbell rang. Opening the door, the tall man was surprised by what he found. Every member of Arashi had visited his home at some point in the past, but never all four of them at once. “Guys…? Wha-”
Without waiting for an invitation, his four longtime colleagues invaded his home. Matsumoto and Sakurai each carried a case of beer, Ohno held enough Chinese takeout to feed a small army. Ninomiya had a carrier bag full of what looked like comics and DVD’s. “Eh… what’s going on here?” Aiba asked as his unexpected guest made themselves at home.
Sakurai took a beer for himself and passed one to the taller man as he answered. “We just felt like coming over.” He replied lightly. His tone implied that such an action was not unusual in the least.
Judging from the innocent expressions on the groups faces, Masaki knew he could not expect a straight answer. “Whatever…” He grinned, opening the can and taking a long pull on the alcohol. If his friends wanted to spend some time with him and have some fun, Aiba Masaki was not going to complain. Instead he crossed the room and bounded onto his couch, half landing on Ninomiya in the process. “It’s a little early to be drinking though.” He added in a murmur.
“Hey, watch it!” His childhood friend scolded him when Aiba’s action threatened to spill beer on the younger man. Tolerantly, Ninomiya manhandled his lanky friend into a more suitable position for them both. He was joined on his other side by Ohno, who passed him a beer of his own in the process.
Matsumoto was busy checking out Aiba’s CD collection across the room. Having made his choice, he turned on the stereo and sat on the arm of the sofa on Aiba’s right. “I guess you would call it a house party.” He informed the taller man. “We had to have it early because this is the only time we’re all free. Nino and I have a magazine interview at five.”
“And I’m going fishing.” Ohno chimed in needlessly.
Sakurai, half sprawled on the carpet, reached over and smacked their leaders’ legs. “Oi!” He exclaimed. “You don’t have to tell him that.”
In high spirits, Aiba laughed, taking no offence at Ohno’s words. “So what are we celebrating?” He questioned.
“Well…” Sho looked around to the others for support. “…us, I guess.” He stated at last when his friends remained silent.
Missing the byplay, Aiba accepted the explanation easily enough. “Arashi?” Sakurai nodded. “Then to Arashi!” He raised his can in a toast and his friends copied his gesture. “Cheers!”
“Cheers!” Four voices echoed him.
* * *
A few hours later, the youngest pair was getting ready to leave for their appointment. They alone had only consumed one can of beer each while the others had not held back at all. The scene they left behind was a lively one: Satoshi, stripped to the waist, was entertaining his friends with a particularly drunken dance. Sho and Masaki looked on from the sofa, laughing and shouting encouragement.
Sakurai sat on one side of the couch while the taller man simply lay across its length, using the older mans lap as a footrest. Every now and then Aiba would roll in mirth a little too energetically and the rapper would have to keep him from falling from his seat by throwing an arm over his legs.
Stumbling over one of the many empty food cartons scattered around the room, Ohno fell to the floor. His graceless descent earned a loud cheer from his audience. Not bothering to stand, he crawled over to the sofa and slouched against its frame. “Ah! I’m tired….” He complained, slurring his words only slightly.
Aiba flipped onto his stomach and leaved over the edge of the cushions to bring his face into view of his leader. “What are you saying!?” He teased the man. “It’s still early!”
“Then you dance!” Ohno pouted indignantly.
Finding this funny beyond all reason, the tall Idol laughed himself right off the sofa and fell headfirst into Ohno’s lap. “Ouch….” He gasped between breathy chuckles. Awkwardly the two men untangled themselves. “That hurt.”
Sakurai laughed. “You’re hurt!?” He scoffed. “You just kicked me in the chin when you fell.” The caster rubbed the affected area for emphasis, but could not keep the smile from his face.
“Sorry.” His apology, while perfectly sincere, was coloured with amusement. “I have to pee.” Aiba announced, getting to his feet. He ignored the protests of his friends telling him that they did not need such information and stumbled down the hall to his bathroom.
As soon as the lanky man was out of earshot, Sakurai took a sobering breath and whispered to the older man. “Ohno-san, do you think Aiba-chan is alright?”
The bare-chested man shrugged. “Don’t know. We’ve been distracting him properly like Matsujun told us.” He replied.
“Yeah…” Sho leaned back into the cushions. His smile faded to a look of concern. “I guess we don’t know if it’s working or not until we’re not distracting him anymore.” Casting a hasty glance into the direction of the toilet he continued. “Maybe one of us better stay here tonight and keep an eye on him.” He suggested.
“Eh? But… I wanted to go fishing.” Ohno pointed out.
“Like that?” Sakurai raised a sceptical eyebrow and regarded the small mans semi-naked, half-cut condition. “You’ve been drinking.”
“The captain drives the boat though.” Satoshi defended himself. “Why don’t you stay?”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you’re better at stuff like this anyway.” Neither man could argue any further because they heard their friend returning down the hall.
Bounding back into the room, the young man picked up the bag Ninomiya had left behind. “Hey, why don’t we watch a movie?” He asked, riffling through the DVD’s. The others agreed and the three men settled in to watch the latest Hollywood action-thriller.
As the credits rolled, Ohno Satoshi stretched laboriously and gave a jaw-cracking yawn. Picking up his discarded shirt he turned to his friends. “I have to go.” He informed them.
“Already?” Aiba asked, disappointed.
“Yeah.” Ohno insisted. “The captain gets mad if I wake him up.”
Masaki’s long frame nearly doubled over in laughter. “Then you don’t have to go at all; you just want to!” He clarified, but he was not insulted; Ohno had already sacrificed half a day worth of fishing, after all. Happily, he saw his leader safely into a cab and rejoined Sakurai in the living room. The conscientious caster was tiding up the empty cans and cartons. “Ah, you don’t have to do that.” Aiba rushed over to help, taking the rubbish out of his friends’ hands.
“It’s fine.” Sho waved him away. “We made all this mess anyway. Your place was surprisingly tidy before we dropped in.”
“Surprisingly?” Aiba repeated. “What do you mean by that?” He grinned. “Sho-chan's room is always messy.”
The well built man nodded guiltily. “That’s true.” He confessed. “I just meant it was really clean for someone who just had a toddler as a guest.” As soon as the sentence was out of his mouth, he regretted it. He was supposed to be keeping the tall man from thinking about Jacob, and all he had done was remind him of the child. He was so busy with mental recriminations; he nearly missed Masaki’s reply.
“I do know how clean up after people, you know.” He informed his friend loftily. He did not seem upset at the mention of Jacob, and Sakurai breath a sigh of relief.
“Sorry. I know that.” Unconsciously, his eyes travelled to the scribble of green crayon visible on the wall of the hallway.
“Well, except that.” The tall man conceded, following his gaze. “Because I have no idea how to get crayon off walls.”
“WD-40” Sakurai replied absently.
“Huh?”
The rapper gave a self deprecating grin. “To get crayon of walls.” He explained. “It’s what my mother used with my kid brother.”
“Oh, I see….” The tall Idol shook his head. “No, I think I’m going to leave it there. Like a feature.”
“A design feature?” Sakurai could only laugh at his friends’ whimsy.
“Exactly!” Aiba proclaimed triumphantly. He returned to the task of cleaning the rubbish while the older man stood in place and pondered those words. He was afraid that Aiba was clinging to the ‘artwork’ as a reminder of the toddler, and he did not think such an approach was healthy. He helped Masaki tidy while his mind churned with worries for his cheerful friend.
Between the two of them, the room was quickly brought to some order. As they sat in comfortable silence, Sakurai could take it no longer. He needed to talk to the younger man and make sure Aiba was truly himself. “Masaki…?” He began gently in a tone that suggested he wanted a serious conversation.
“Hmm?” The lean man looked up from the magazine he had been flipping through. “What is it?” He asked, sitting up and curling his feet under himself and he leaned on the arm of the sofa.
Sho took a deep breath and wondered where to start. He had had people come to him for advice before, and indeed he had gone to others with his worries, Aiba included. However, he had never tried to make someone talk about their troubles before. He had been raised not to interfere in the lives of others, but Masaki was different.
After nearly a decade, surely their relationship went beyond that of colleagues, or indeed, simple friendship? In a sense, they were family, and was it not normal to meddle within your own family from time to time? Choosing his words carefully he spoke of his concerns. “Are you really alright with Jacob going home like that?”
With a sigh Aiba replied immediately. “It is a bit regrettable, isn’t it?”
Seeing an opening, Sakurai pressed for further details. “Tell me about it.”
“I didn’t get to say goodbye properly.” The younger man continued flatly.
Sakurai injected his voice with as much sympathy as he could muster. “That must have been upsetting.” He agreed. “But you can’t let it get to you.”
“Well I had only just put him down for his nap.” Aiba grinned. “I wasn’t going to wake him up just to say goodbye.”
The caster nodded. “That was very mature of you.” He acknowledged. Whether he was aware of it or not, his tone had become condescending and Aiba picked up on it straight away.
“Wait, what is this?” He asked at last. “Why are you talking like that Sho-kun?”
“We’re all worried about you Aiba-chan.” He admitted. “Everyone could see how close you are to Jay-kun, and we know how sad it must be to say goodbye.”
“Aw, Sho-chan~” Smiling, Aiba launched himself at the surprised man and threw his arm about Sakurai’s shoulder. “So that’s what today was about? You were all worried about me?”
“Well, of course.” The older man replied, turning to look his friend in the eye, their faces only inches apart. “Everyone cares about you a lot, you know.” He continued softly.
“But why would I be upset?” Aiba pulled back slightly, confusion written over his fair features. “Jay-kun is my cousin, Sho-chan.” He reminded the man patiently. “I can go and visit him anytime, and I don’t have to change any more diapers!”
“Eh!?”
Aiba threw his head back and laughed, simultaneously pulling his friend in for a proper hug. “You guys were really worried, huh?”
Sakurai struggled indignantly out of the rough embrace. “Yes, we were!” He shot back, irrationally offended by Masaki’s apparent lack of sensitivity. “I thought you would be grief stricken.”
Sensing that his reaction had affronted his kind-hearted friend, Masaki bit his lip. “Sorry, Sho-chan.” He apologised. Wriggling closer to the man he laid his head on Sakurai’s comfortable shoulders. “I’m really lucky, huh? I have the best friends in the world.”
“No, I should be the one to apologise.” The caster sighed. “I’m glad you’re OK.” He continued, putting his arm around his friend and resting his cheek against the younger mans head. “Honestly, I think I’ll probably miss Jay-kun more than you.”
“If you ever miss him too much, just let me know.” Aiba suggested peacefully. “And we’ll go visit him together.”
Smiling to himself and taking Masaki’s hand, he nodded. “It’s a promise.”
And neither man moved for a very long time after that.
End.
_______________
Well, there it is. I realise that the ‘ending’ is very vague, but because this started as a story with a cute little toddler and Aiba playing daddy, I couldn’t really make too umm... well, you know: I started with a ‘G’ rating and I like to keep the same rating throughout the story.
And now….
A Question to my readers:
I have one other project in the works, at the moment. It’s a fic I’m writing more for my own benefit (as practice). The thing is, it’s a Juntoshi and by the time I finish it, it will definitely be NC-17. So here’s my question: What do you guys think of me posting such a story? I’m not necessarily asking if you would read it. But if posting something like that would offend you and if I should just keep it to myself.
Please let me know in the comments, along with your thought on this story and any criticisms you might have. ^.^
PS: Don’t worry (you know who you are), you’ll still get to read it the moment it is finished.
And now….
A Question to my readers:
I have one other project in the works, at the moment. It’s a fic I’m writing more for my own benefit (as practice). The thing is, it’s a Juntoshi and by the time I finish it, it will definitely be NC-17. So here’s my question: What do you guys think of me posting such a story? I’m not necessarily asking if you would read it. But if posting something like that would offend you and if I should just keep it to myself.
Please let me know in the comments, along with your thought on this story and any criticisms you might have. ^.^
PS: Don’t worry (you know who you are), you’ll still get to read it the moment it is finished.
no subject
I'm glad I was able to help in some way. I had the same problem not too long ago, and it was by reading someone elses work that I managed to get over it too.
May I ask though, how you came across my journal? Or, more specifically, the Ai-Baby trilogy? It's not an old story, by any means, but it has been a while since it was posted to the fanfiction community. 8D I'm just curious, is all.
no subject
And I'd written a oneshot slightly similar to yours, except that the toddler was... not as nice and the victims were MatsuJun and Sho XDD
So I thought, 'Ooh, this time it's Aiba with a kid... why not?' XD
no subject
You realise I would love to read your take on the Childminder Arashi theme, right? Is it posted somewhere? Wanna share?
....And it's always good when Arashi is victimised.This is where I ask some questions because I am a nosey person. ;)
Do you have a favourite genre or pairing? Or anything you won't read/write? (Although those can be two seperate things, I guess.)
no subject
Oh, I'd love it if you'd read it
*bashes self for advertising XD*I've posted it up in Aibakaland forums, under the name chibikitty_14, titled Babysitting DoS.As you may already know, I'm a Sakuraiba fangirl at heart <3 Yama pair and MasaToshi comes quite close to Sakuraiba though. But in actuality, I like any pairings from Arashi. They're such good friends, any pairing seems cute XD
Hmm... I guess oneshot smuts XD If they're in a multi-chaptered fic, I'll just skip 'em and continue reading.
I sound like a prude loooolFor Arashi, I won't write anything higher than just a kiss. Feels like I'm stripping Arashi off from their veneer innocence XDD
Just a (pretty much common) question that I like to ask people, who's your ichiban?
Gah, such a long msg XD
no subject
Yup, they're posted here.
http://amh1988.livejournal.com/3098.html
^This is my fic navi post. The super-fluff are the first two under the 'completed' section. Actually, Dare to Dream, Model Behaviour (part one) and Ai-Baby are the only fics I've written that weren't requested....
Don't worry, we all have to whore our works out sometimes, right? ;) And I agree with you; I'm partial to Sakuraiba when I'm writing, bit when I'm reading, anything goes! ^_^
I get what you mean. I've written (and read) some smut, but then I'm veeery good at compartmentalising the characters on the page and the real people. ¬_¬ And I couldn't write it at all if it was Sakuraiba. Steamy kisses is about as far as I can take that pair before I feel guilty.
See... if I'm really honest, then my favourite is Aiba. But then I remember that I was Sho-baited and I feel disloyal. Therefore, yet another Sakuraiba fangirl was born. XD
What about you?
no subject
Mm... Sho-kun's been my ichiban for quite a while (that is after my obsession over Doumyouji-sama had faded :P) but yeah, Aiba's sheer kawaii-ness has been catching my eye lately...
So both of them has been on the borderline of my first XD