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shoexchangeTitle: Ice-Cream Kisses
Pairing: Sakuraiba
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "I saw you sitting here and you looked like someone who desperately needed an ice-cream, so here I am." Or "How Sho started dating the ice-cream guy."
Warnings: This might be rather silly...
Notes: Hello there,gomushroom! Not sure if this will be 100% of your liking... but I do hope you enjoy it! It's probably super cheesy and... don't want to spoil the theme, haha, but I really, reeeeally hope you like it! Thanks to the very kind person who put up with me while writing this thing, and to dearest beta who always fixes my mess (any mistake you see here is mine, k?)
Sho let his body relax back onto the bench as he felt the first rays of sun on his face. He was far too hot sitting out here in his suit, but just at this moment, he didn't really care. He loosened the restricting tie and, undoing the top button on his shirt, he took what felt like the first full breath he'd been able to take all day.
It wasn't that he didn't enjoy his job; in fact, he had worked very hard to get to where he was today at the age of twenty six. A large portion of his subordinates were at least ten years older than he was, and some of them greatly resented being told what to do by someone so much younger. He found it challenging and rewarding, and most of the time he was perfectly happy.
However, the project he was currently working on had gone wrong from the start, and he didn't know how to come up with a solution. The atmosphere in the office had made him want to go for lunch and never come back. As an alternative, he had decided to go and sit in the park that was a ten-minute walk away from his office.
Sighing heavily, he dropped his head into his hands and rubbed his hands across his tired eyes; listening for a few minutes to the sounds of bird songs and children playing on the swings at the other end of the park.
"Here, you look like you need this," said a breathy voice seemingly out of nowhere.
Sho jumped, startled out of his thoughts. He found himself looking up into a pair of warm, almond shaped brown eyes that belonged to one of the most attractive men he had ever seen. The man was smiling down at him and holding out a slightly melting ice-cream cone.
"I, um, no I can't possibly…" Sho stuttered.
"Don't worry, it's not poisoned or anything," the man said with a reassuring smile. "See, I just work over there…"
The man waved enthusiastically towards the small kiosk across the lawn on the other side of the park. His wave was not at all happily returned by the short dark haired man who was presently manning the counter.
"And I saw you sitting here and you looked like someone who desperately needed an ice-cream, so here I am."
There was something about the man that made Sho go against his better instincts and trust that he wasn't a crazed serial killer who was planning on dragging him into the bushes before chopping him into tiny pieces. Taking the sticky napkin wrapped cone he replied "Thank you, um, Aiba-san," as he noticed the name badge his rescuer—if he could be called so—was wearing.
"You're welcome. I always think that ice-cream makes anyone's day better, and you looked like you needed cheering up," Aiba replied.
"Yo, Aiba, get your ass back over here, there's a queue forming!" Aiba's workmate yelled over to them as he was engulfed by a horde of small shrieking children, all demanding ice-cream at the top of their lungs.
"I'll be right there, Nino!" Aiba called back.
"Have a great day! Enjoy your ice-cream," Aiba said to Sho with a tiny bow before he turned and jogged over to help his beleaguered workmate.
As Sho slowly walked back to his office licking the raspberry flavored cone, he didn't even realize that he was smiling for the first time all day.
The next day Sho decided to once again visit the park on his lunch break. He told himself it wasn't because he was interested in seeing Aiba again, it was just because he needed to clear his head and stretch his legs.
After he'd returned to his office the day before, he'd plunged into his work with a newfound enthusiasm and his project was back on track. It had almost seemed as if he had imagined the incident. After all, who goes around handing complete strangers ice-cream to cheer them up? But the tiny spot of pink on his tie that he'd seen in the mirror when he'd arrived home exhausted after working late into the night told him that his mind wasn't just playing tricks. It was true.
As he walked through the sunshine, he spotted a flower stall. There was a bucket of large sunflowers that caught Sho's eye immediately. Just the sight of it made Sho's heart lighter, and he impulsively purchased the largest one and carried it with him as he headed towards the kiosk.
Aiba was behind the counter, dealing cheerfully with a cranky mother and her two loud and obnoxious children. By the end of the transaction, all three of them were laughing and sitting at one of the tables, happily preparing to dig into an enormous ice-cream sundae together.
There just seemed to be something magic about the tall brown-haired man that made everyone around him just that bit happier. Just looking at him from a distance started a small warm buzz low down in Sho's stomach. Without thinking about what he was doing and giving himself the chance to back out he strode over and proffered the flower to Aiba, feeling his face settling into a nervous smile.
"Thank you for the ice-cream yesterday. It really made my day."
"It was nothing. You just looked so sad and lonely," Aiba said as he took the flower from Sho's hand. His eyes widened in horror as he realized what he had just said. "Not that I think that you're a loser or anything..." Aiba stopped talking when he saw Sho's expression. "I just made it worse, didn't I?"
Sho couldn't help laughing at Aiba's wide-eyed expression of concern.
"It's fine. You're right, I was feeling sorry for myself but I am much happier today, and it's all because of you," Sho said, enjoying the soft blush that spread across Aiba's cheeks in response.
"What are you saying?" Aiba laughed, turning around to leave the sunflower elsewhere. "I just gave you ice-cream, that's all."
"It's not—"
Aiba gave Sho a look that seemed to say "do not try to disagree with me." It was enough to silence Sho for some reason, and Aiba seemed pleased when Sho just sighed and shut his mouth. Then, Aiba dipped his scoop into a container.
"I think you'll like this one," Aiba mumbled, putting a perfectly round scoop of rainbow-colored ice-cream on a cone. He handed it to Sho with a wide smile. "It's on the house."
"Again!?" Sho shook his head. "No, I can't accept that, Aiba-san."
Aiba frowned. "Why not?"
"Because I haven't paid for it!"
"You brought me a sunflower, t-that's enough payment," Aiba replied, once again blushing.
"That's not—"
"Just take the damn ice-cream and leave!" Someone suddenly said, making both Sho and Aiba turn around. It was the guy who was yelling at Aiba the other day—Nino, was it?
"Nino-chan," Aiba shook his head, giving Nino a look of disapproval, "there's no need to be so rude."
"Time's money, and he's taking too much of it!" Nino huffed. Then he took the cone from Aiba's hand and shoved it into Sho's. "There you go. Now leave, please," he added with a sweet, obviously fake, smile.
Sho glared at him but still left them alone, not wanting to cause Aiba any trouble. He was cursing under his breath as he licked his ice-cream, wondering how Aiba could put up with such a rude coworker. At some point on his way back to the office, however, he simply stopped caring.
All he could think about when he was back, sitting in his chair and reading through a pile of documents, is the heartwarming smile Aiba gave him and the sweetness of the rainbow-colored ice-cream. And that was enough to keep him in a great mood for the rest of the day.
Sho was disappointed when Aiba wasn't at the kiosk the next time he went to that park. There was only a short, sleepy-eyed guy who wasn't even looking out for customers as he sat sketching in a small notebook.
That day, Sho bought an ice-cream. It didn't feel at all like the ones Aiba had given him, even though it had come from the same kiosk. He shook his head, telling himself he shouldn't overthink it.
Work kept Sho chained to this desk for the next few days and when he was finally free, Aiba was once again absent. To his dismay, the only one there was the dark-haired guy called Nino.
"He only works on random days," Nino said as he gave Sho a knowing look.
"Pardon?"
Nino rolled his eyes. "Aiba-shi, of course. You came to see him, didn't you?"
"W-What!? Of course not!" Sho replied, his voice going an octave higher—and probably giving away his lie. "I was just, um, passing by and felt like having a coffee."
"Not an ice-cream?" Nino arched an eyebrow at him, looking him up and down. "Or do you only like them when they come from Aiba?"
The smirk spreading across Nino's lips was enough for Sho to know that Nino had seen right through him.
"Don't worry, you're not the only guy who comes looking for him." Nino took out a scoop and dipped it right into the nearest ice-cream container. "They always say there's something 'special' about him; that ice-cream has never tasted the same after Aiba-shi served it for them, and that they simply can't stay away anymore…"
"Bunch of liars," he added under his breath, tossing the scoop into a glass full of water. Sho pretended not to hear it.
"But you see… after a while, when their lives start getting better and they don't need to come around here looking for some ice-cream to cheer themselves up, they disappear. Just like that."
After putting a second scoop of ice-cream on the cone, Nino handed it to Sho. "Here," he said. "It probably won't taste as good as the one Aiba-shi gave you, but it should be good enough for today. Better than coffee anyway."
"Thank you…" Sho mumbled, handing Nino some coins.
"A little advice for you," Nino motioned him to come closer. Then he whispered as if telling a secret. "Don't come back here if you're going to be like one of those dudes. You look like a decent enough guy. Wouldn't want you to end up like them…"
Nino winked next, a little smirk playing on his lips. Sho had no idea of how to interpret that.
The ice-cream was good. Sho found himself thinking way too much about Nino's words for the rest of the day though.
Perhaps it was what he needed for that day indeed.
Sho was beginning to feel like a stalker as he attempted to look casual when he strolled by the kiosk the next time he visited the park. He could still remember what Nino had said the last time and, honestly, it only made him more curious about Aiba.
"He gives ice-cream to other people too," Sho mumbled to himself, "but they stop coming back after a while for some reason. Why is it?"
Not that Sho was a glutton, but he couldn't think of any good reason for him to pass up free dessert, especially if the one giving it away was that handsome Aiba-san. Besides, he did feel a lot better after having that ice-cream.
"Why do they do it then?"
He had to know. He had to investigate more about it. And if that meant talking to Aiba-san very often, well, he'd just have to do it then!
With that resolution, he approached the kiosk with a confident stride. Aiba was there that day, chattering and fluttering about his customers like a happy butterfly. It was an adorable image. From behind the counter, Nino was glaring at Sho. "Don't you dare," he mouthed as Sho finally was a couple of steps away from Aiba.
And Sho ignored the warning.
"Aiba-san! Hadn't seen you in a while!" Sho greeted. He had to laugh a bit at the wide-eyed look Aiba gave him in response. "Don't you remember me? We met the other time, and you called me a loser after I gave you a sunflower."
The two teenage girls standing nearby erupted in giggles, causing Aiba to stutter his reply that yes, he did remember. His face had gone red, and a sheepish grin spread across his lips.
"Did you come for more ice-cream?" Aiba asked. "We have a couple new flavors—"
"No."
Aiba gave Sho a confused look. "No? Then why are you here?"
"To see you, of course!" Sho replied. "Want to have a cup of coffee with me?"
For a second, Aiba looked lost. He didn't seem to be expecting that from Sho. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the kiosk, where both Nino and the sleepy-looking guy Sho had seen the other time were gesticulating wildly at him.
"So?"
And then, Aiba beamed at him. "Sure. Why not?"
"Okay, okay… let me get this straight…" Sho's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to organize the information he had just learned about Aiba inside his mind. He still couldn't help feeling a bit confused. In his defense, Aiba's life story had been longer than he expected.
Aiba burst out laughing. "It's not that complicated, Sho-chan!"
Sho-chan. They had been talking for a little over two hours—Sho's meeting was cancelled, thank goodness, so he was off the hook until the next one in about an hour or so—and Aiba was already talking to him like that. It made Sho feel as though they were close already, and that wasn't a bad feeling at all.
The least he could do was reciprocate… although he wasn't bold enough to call Aiba by his first name. Perhaps in the future, he thought to himself with a grin.
"But Aiba-chan, your family is so… strange!" Sho pouted. "How am I supposed to remember the ways you are or are not related in such a short time!"
Aiba rolled his eyes at that. "Fine, I'll explain it again. But pay attention this time, okay!?"
And so, Aiba started his lengthy explanation about his family again.
The kiosk where Aiba worked was a family business. He actually wasn't a permanent employee, as Nino had once told Sho, but he liked to help there. When asked about his actual job, Aiba went surprisingly quiet. Then he just said it had something to do with counseling, but that it was not counseling in the "conventional" sense of the word. It sounded too complicated, so Sho refrained from making more questions.
Regarding Nino, Aiba said that they were cousins. "Nino's mom's mom was my dad's mom's cousin on their dad's side, and his dad's grandpa was my mom's dad's uncle… or was he my mom's dad's aunt's second husband? I don't remember it well, but anyway, we're related."
Sho didn't get much from that, so he just nodded along when Aiba simplified it to "he's my cousin." It was much easier to remember anyway.
The sleepy-looking guy who worked with them was called Satoshi, and he was Nino's older brother. "Well, not exactly his real brother, but when Nino's parents got divorced, they both remarried to other people around one year later. And Nino's dad's new husband had an adoptive son, so now they're brothers!"
"And does he have more siblings on his mom's side now?" Sho asked, half-jokingly.
"Oh, yes!" Aiba chirped. "There's Jun-kun, the little one! He's not that little anymore since now he's an adult and can drink alcohol. We threw a great party for his birthday last year! I gave him a couple g-strings, and they looked very good on him!"
Sho blinked. He didn't even know what to make of that information. The idea of Aiba giving someone g-strings as a birthday present seemed so Aiba that he didn't doubt something like that could happen, or that Aiba would demand to see how the g-strings fit his poor younger cousin.
"He's the one who makes the ice-cream, you see! He was also the one who forced poor Oh-chan and Nino to manage the kiosk. Such a bossy little brother!" Aiba smiled fondly. "I think he said that's only while he learns how to control his pow—I mean, while he finishes college! Then he will take over the business."
Sho hummed. "And the four of you live together?"
"We do, yes. At least since I got here two years ago."
"Oh? You aren't from Tokyo? You hadn't mentioned that," Sho commented.
"Hadn't I?" Aiba laughed nervously. "Ah, you see… I'm actually, uh, from… the East?"
"You mean Chiba?" Sho smirked, amused at the way Aiba blushed and sputtered that it was complicated because he didn't know if his hometown was actually before or after the border between Tokyo and Chiba.
"Anyway, that's beside the point!" Aiba huffed. "I do love Chiba by the way. It's a very nice prefecture, and much better than Tokyo! It even has Disneyland, you know!"
The passion Aiba had for Chiba only seemed to be rivaled by his love for his cousins. Sho could listen to him talk for hours without getting bored. Sometimes he got lost when Aiba started telling anecdotes of this or that thing his cousin did the other day, but Aiba's enthusiasm was contagious enough for him to enjoy the conversation regardless.
Sadly, their time was almost over.
After walking Aiba back to the kiosk, Sho said his goodbyes to him, promising to come back the next day for lunch. Aiba kept insisting that he should have an ice-cream before leaving, but Sho turned down the offer.
"Are you sure?"
"For the third time, yes, Aiba-chan." Sho laughed.
"Well, if you say so…" Aiba pouted, eyebrows still furrowed in a frown.
"See you tomorrow!" Sho said, waving at Aiba as he walked away.
For the rest of the day, Sho was in a very good mood. His subordinates seemed a bit surprised when he invited everyone to have some soba after work. They chatted away the entire night and even discussed some of the communication issues they had been having lately.
And that was just the first of many good days in Sho's life.
Dating Aiba Masaki was strange.
First of all, he didn't like talking about himself. The only times he mentioned his personal life it was to tell Sho yet another anecdote about his cousins. Sometimes Sho felt that he knew more about apparently-game-addicted Nino, artsy Satoshi, and work-obsessed Jun than he did about Masaki.
Sho had talked to two of them, Nino and Satoshi, a few times. They didn't trust him at first, but they warmed up to him little by little. Sho still caught Nino glaring at him whenever Masaki wasn't looking, and he decided that he'd have to get used to it.
As for the third mysterious cousin, Masaki always told Sho that he was probably around. "He's a master at hiding in plain sight. It's like his superpower!" Masaki had explained when Sho questioned that. "I don't even know how he learned to do it with those thick eyebrows of his. Seriously, you should see them!"
(The next time they met, Masaki told Sho that Jun had heard him talk about his eyebrows and had gotten mad at him. Sho was starting to wonder whether this 'Jun' was real or not. The way Masaki, Nino, and Satoshi talked about him made it sound like he was a supernatural, omnipresent entity instead of a man—Sho's suggestion of that amused Jun, according to those three).
By the way, Sho had finally gotten comfortable enough to call Masaki by his first name around a month after they started dating. According to Masaki himself, Sho was "slow, but forgiven since he was cute."
Second of all, Masaki had rather interesting acquaintances. None of them seemed to work in the same field, and they were even quirkier than Masaki and all his cousins combined. One of them, a guy called Yokoyama, claimed to be the Prince of Japan's Fairy Kingdom and said that he wanted to take Masaki—who was the "most precious fairy in the entire world" according to him—as his consort.
"Kimi-chan is too much into Fairy-kei fashion," Masaki had said as an excuse. "I had my phase of that too, some years ago. Want to see?"
After seeing the pictures, Sho decided not to bring up that topic again. Masaki did look cute in pastel colors though.
(Masaki's fashion choices were… risky. And here Sho thought his double parka outfit from a couple years before was the weirdest thing ever. How wrong he was).
And third… Masaki always offered Sho ice-cream at the kiosk.
That shouldn't have been strange, but it was. The question popped up at least twice every time they met. And Sho always replied the same way:
"Will you let me pay?"
Masaki was very quick to exclaim a loud "no!" right away. And so, Sho turned down his offer. He only accepted the ice-cream coming from Nino or Satoshi, who always accepted his money in exchange.
"This is unfair!" Masaki complained. "I'm your boyfriend, aren't I? I should be serving your ice-cream!"
He looked so cute while he attempted to lecture Sho about his choices. Sho could never resist the urge to pull him by his waist and give him a big, noisy kiss to shut him up. It worked like magic. The moment their lips met, Masaki's complaints disappeared. His lanky arms wrapped around Sho as the kiss deepened, soft hums and giggles escaping his lips from time to time.
"You taste like ice-cream, Sho-chan," he whispered on Sho's lips.
Sho grinned. "So do you."
The kisses continued between licks of ice-cream—they usually ended up sharing it. It was probably cheesy, but Sho loved it.
"Get a room! There are children around!" Nino yelled at them.
And they laughed, kissing some more just to piss him off.
"You know… I really, really like you, Sho-chan," Masaki said, looking at Sho with his beautiful brown eyes. "I think I had never felt this way about anybody else."
The look Masaki gave Sho reminded him of their first meeting. Things had changed so much since then. Or, actually… no, things were still the same. Sho's job was just as stressful and demanding, a couple of his subordinates still believed he was way too young for the job, and their newest project was even more challenging than the previous one. However, Sho didn't feel as trapped and hopeless as he did back then.
It had to be Masaki's doing. What else could it be? He had become the little ray of sunshine in Sho's complicated, boring life. Just by being around Masaki, Sho could feel all his problems vanish into thin air.
So what if dating him was strange? He was wonderful, in ways that Sho probably couldn't explain to anybody else.
"You know…" Sho bit his lip. "I feel just the same."
Masaki started laughing and crying at Sho's words. "Thank you," he said.
Sho had no idea of what he had done to warrant such a reaction. He laughed and wrapped his arms around Masaki, whispering a soft "you're welcome."
***END***
***WELL, KIND OF***
It was a sunny afternoon, just the perfect weather to go outside and do some shopping. But, sadly, Jun couldn't do that, lest his two older brothers would skin him alive.
Instead, he had to follow his cousin around town, using the camouflaging spell he had mastered—and currently regretted ever learning—in the past couple of years. He, a stoic master of the Fairy Arts, future member of the Fairy Council, the only living fairy who found romantic relationships disgusting and a waste of time… trailing a pair of lovebirds.
It seemed like a bad joke.
"Why do I have to keep watching on them, Nino?" Jun clicked his tongue, almost shouting on his phone. "I told you, they're doing fine!"
The incoherent sounds that followed were too shrill for Jun's sensitive ears, so he put the phone away from him until his brothers calmed down. He rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his coffee as he sneaked a glance at a table nearby.
Aiba's table.
From this distance, Jun could hear everything Aiba and the chipmunk-faced guy he was dating—Nino's words, not his—were saying. Sometimes he had to block his ability to listen at long distances, just because it was too damn cheesy.
Seriously, why did Nino think this Sakurai guy was a threat?
"Trust me, he's okay. He won't take advantage of Aiba-chan's powers," Jun said when his brothers finally came back to their senses. "You both have to stop babying Aiba-chan so much."
"But Jun…"
"He hasn't even asked for more ice-cream, has he?" Jun smirked when the line went silent. "Then he passed the test, didn't he?"
The ice-cream they served at the kiosk wasn't anything special. Or, well, not until it was served at least. Jun made it himself, so he knew it wasn't any different from any other ice-cream. He thought it was unethical to use his powers to manipulate people through it. His brothers held the same views most of the time unless someone pissed them off. Jun had high suspicions that the reasons behind the car accident Aiba's last boyfriend suffered had something to do with his elder brother Satoshi's special chocolate parfait. The guy was an asshole anyway, Jun couldn't blame Satoshi.
Aiba, on the other hand, was quite generous with using his powers for other people's good. He always served the ice-cream with an extra dose of happiness, hoping that it would brighten their day. Unfortunately, the nature of his powers made the ice-cream quite addictive, at least for a while. Eventually, the recipients would be so happy that they'd never return anymore.
Out of all the guys Aiba had dated, his current boyfriend was the only one who never asked for more.
"It's their, what, tenth date already?" Jun chuckled. "You know Aiba-chan's powers can't keep a guy around for so long. Heck, he doesn't even have the training to use a love spell! He is a normal fairy like you guys!"
And while Jun argued on the phone with his brothers (about who was more powerful… which should have been obvious in Jun's opinion), Aiba and his boyfriend were holding hands. Jun scrunched up his nose in distaste.
"Fine, I'll keep an eye on them for today, but this is the last time!" Jun warned. "I don't know for how much longer I can bear watching… this."
Jun shook his head, absolutely horrified, as he saw Aiba and the guy playing footsie under the table.
"Just why, why do I have to do this…" Jun grumbled to himself, trying not to die of secondhand embarrassment. "This is a waste of training time!"
He had to admit to himself that they were cute though. Sickeningly so.
They freaking made out on that date. And Aiba was touching the guy's—rather round and perky if Jun had to say so—butt.
Nino owed him so much.
***NOW'S THE END, OK***
Pairing: Sakuraiba
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "I saw you sitting here and you looked like someone who desperately needed an ice-cream, so here I am." Or "How Sho started dating the ice-cream guy."
Warnings: This might be rather silly...
Notes: Hello there,
gomushroom! Not sure if this will be 100% of your liking... but I do hope you enjoy it! It's probably super cheesy and... don't want to spoil the theme, haha, but I really, reeeeally hope you like it! Thanks to the very kind person who put up with me while writing this thing, and to dearest beta who always fixes my mess (any mistake you see here is mine, k?)Sho let his body relax back onto the bench as he felt the first rays of sun on his face. He was far too hot sitting out here in his suit, but just at this moment, he didn't really care. He loosened the restricting tie and, undoing the top button on his shirt, he took what felt like the first full breath he'd been able to take all day.
It wasn't that he didn't enjoy his job; in fact, he had worked very hard to get to where he was today at the age of twenty six. A large portion of his subordinates were at least ten years older than he was, and some of them greatly resented being told what to do by someone so much younger. He found it challenging and rewarding, and most of the time he was perfectly happy.
However, the project he was currently working on had gone wrong from the start, and he didn't know how to come up with a solution. The atmosphere in the office had made him want to go for lunch and never come back. As an alternative, he had decided to go and sit in the park that was a ten-minute walk away from his office.
Sighing heavily, he dropped his head into his hands and rubbed his hands across his tired eyes; listening for a few minutes to the sounds of bird songs and children playing on the swings at the other end of the park.
"Here, you look like you need this," said a breathy voice seemingly out of nowhere.
Sho jumped, startled out of his thoughts. He found himself looking up into a pair of warm, almond shaped brown eyes that belonged to one of the most attractive men he had ever seen. The man was smiling down at him and holding out a slightly melting ice-cream cone.
"I, um, no I can't possibly…" Sho stuttered.
"Don't worry, it's not poisoned or anything," the man said with a reassuring smile. "See, I just work over there…"
The man waved enthusiastically towards the small kiosk across the lawn on the other side of the park. His wave was not at all happily returned by the short dark haired man who was presently manning the counter.
"And I saw you sitting here and you looked like someone who desperately needed an ice-cream, so here I am."
There was something about the man that made Sho go against his better instincts and trust that he wasn't a crazed serial killer who was planning on dragging him into the bushes before chopping him into tiny pieces. Taking the sticky napkin wrapped cone he replied "Thank you, um, Aiba-san," as he noticed the name badge his rescuer—if he could be called so—was wearing.
"You're welcome. I always think that ice-cream makes anyone's day better, and you looked like you needed cheering up," Aiba replied.
"Yo, Aiba, get your ass back over here, there's a queue forming!" Aiba's workmate yelled over to them as he was engulfed by a horde of small shrieking children, all demanding ice-cream at the top of their lungs.
"I'll be right there, Nino!" Aiba called back.
"Have a great day! Enjoy your ice-cream," Aiba said to Sho with a tiny bow before he turned and jogged over to help his beleaguered workmate.
As Sho slowly walked back to his office licking the raspberry flavored cone, he didn't even realize that he was smiling for the first time all day.
The next day Sho decided to once again visit the park on his lunch break. He told himself it wasn't because he was interested in seeing Aiba again, it was just because he needed to clear his head and stretch his legs.
After he'd returned to his office the day before, he'd plunged into his work with a newfound enthusiasm and his project was back on track. It had almost seemed as if he had imagined the incident. After all, who goes around handing complete strangers ice-cream to cheer them up? But the tiny spot of pink on his tie that he'd seen in the mirror when he'd arrived home exhausted after working late into the night told him that his mind wasn't just playing tricks. It was true.
As he walked through the sunshine, he spotted a flower stall. There was a bucket of large sunflowers that caught Sho's eye immediately. Just the sight of it made Sho's heart lighter, and he impulsively purchased the largest one and carried it with him as he headed towards the kiosk.
Aiba was behind the counter, dealing cheerfully with a cranky mother and her two loud and obnoxious children. By the end of the transaction, all three of them were laughing and sitting at one of the tables, happily preparing to dig into an enormous ice-cream sundae together.
There just seemed to be something magic about the tall brown-haired man that made everyone around him just that bit happier. Just looking at him from a distance started a small warm buzz low down in Sho's stomach. Without thinking about what he was doing and giving himself the chance to back out he strode over and proffered the flower to Aiba, feeling his face settling into a nervous smile.
"Thank you for the ice-cream yesterday. It really made my day."
"It was nothing. You just looked so sad and lonely," Aiba said as he took the flower from Sho's hand. His eyes widened in horror as he realized what he had just said. "Not that I think that you're a loser or anything..." Aiba stopped talking when he saw Sho's expression. "I just made it worse, didn't I?"
Sho couldn't help laughing at Aiba's wide-eyed expression of concern.
"It's fine. You're right, I was feeling sorry for myself but I am much happier today, and it's all because of you," Sho said, enjoying the soft blush that spread across Aiba's cheeks in response.
"What are you saying?" Aiba laughed, turning around to leave the sunflower elsewhere. "I just gave you ice-cream, that's all."
"It's not—"
Aiba gave Sho a look that seemed to say "do not try to disagree with me." It was enough to silence Sho for some reason, and Aiba seemed pleased when Sho just sighed and shut his mouth. Then, Aiba dipped his scoop into a container.
"I think you'll like this one," Aiba mumbled, putting a perfectly round scoop of rainbow-colored ice-cream on a cone. He handed it to Sho with a wide smile. "It's on the house."
"Again!?" Sho shook his head. "No, I can't accept that, Aiba-san."
Aiba frowned. "Why not?"
"Because I haven't paid for it!"
"You brought me a sunflower, t-that's enough payment," Aiba replied, once again blushing.
"That's not—"
"Just take the damn ice-cream and leave!" Someone suddenly said, making both Sho and Aiba turn around. It was the guy who was yelling at Aiba the other day—Nino, was it?
"Nino-chan," Aiba shook his head, giving Nino a look of disapproval, "there's no need to be so rude."
"Time's money, and he's taking too much of it!" Nino huffed. Then he took the cone from Aiba's hand and shoved it into Sho's. "There you go. Now leave, please," he added with a sweet, obviously fake, smile.
Sho glared at him but still left them alone, not wanting to cause Aiba any trouble. He was cursing under his breath as he licked his ice-cream, wondering how Aiba could put up with such a rude coworker. At some point on his way back to the office, however, he simply stopped caring.
All he could think about when he was back, sitting in his chair and reading through a pile of documents, is the heartwarming smile Aiba gave him and the sweetness of the rainbow-colored ice-cream. And that was enough to keep him in a great mood for the rest of the day.
Sho was disappointed when Aiba wasn't at the kiosk the next time he went to that park. There was only a short, sleepy-eyed guy who wasn't even looking out for customers as he sat sketching in a small notebook.
That day, Sho bought an ice-cream. It didn't feel at all like the ones Aiba had given him, even though it had come from the same kiosk. He shook his head, telling himself he shouldn't overthink it.
Work kept Sho chained to this desk for the next few days and when he was finally free, Aiba was once again absent. To his dismay, the only one there was the dark-haired guy called Nino.
"He only works on random days," Nino said as he gave Sho a knowing look.
"Pardon?"
Nino rolled his eyes. "Aiba-shi, of course. You came to see him, didn't you?"
"W-What!? Of course not!" Sho replied, his voice going an octave higher—and probably giving away his lie. "I was just, um, passing by and felt like having a coffee."
"Not an ice-cream?" Nino arched an eyebrow at him, looking him up and down. "Or do you only like them when they come from Aiba?"
The smirk spreading across Nino's lips was enough for Sho to know that Nino had seen right through him.
"Don't worry, you're not the only guy who comes looking for him." Nino took out a scoop and dipped it right into the nearest ice-cream container. "They always say there's something 'special' about him; that ice-cream has never tasted the same after Aiba-shi served it for them, and that they simply can't stay away anymore…"
"Bunch of liars," he added under his breath, tossing the scoop into a glass full of water. Sho pretended not to hear it.
"But you see… after a while, when their lives start getting better and they don't need to come around here looking for some ice-cream to cheer themselves up, they disappear. Just like that."
After putting a second scoop of ice-cream on the cone, Nino handed it to Sho. "Here," he said. "It probably won't taste as good as the one Aiba-shi gave you, but it should be good enough for today. Better than coffee anyway."
"Thank you…" Sho mumbled, handing Nino some coins.
"A little advice for you," Nino motioned him to come closer. Then he whispered as if telling a secret. "Don't come back here if you're going to be like one of those dudes. You look like a decent enough guy. Wouldn't want you to end up like them…"
Nino winked next, a little smirk playing on his lips. Sho had no idea of how to interpret that.
The ice-cream was good. Sho found himself thinking way too much about Nino's words for the rest of the day though.
Perhaps it was what he needed for that day indeed.
Sho was beginning to feel like a stalker as he attempted to look casual when he strolled by the kiosk the next time he visited the park. He could still remember what Nino had said the last time and, honestly, it only made him more curious about Aiba.
"He gives ice-cream to other people too," Sho mumbled to himself, "but they stop coming back after a while for some reason. Why is it?"
Not that Sho was a glutton, but he couldn't think of any good reason for him to pass up free dessert, especially if the one giving it away was that handsome Aiba-san. Besides, he did feel a lot better after having that ice-cream.
"Why do they do it then?"
He had to know. He had to investigate more about it. And if that meant talking to Aiba-san very often, well, he'd just have to do it then!
With that resolution, he approached the kiosk with a confident stride. Aiba was there that day, chattering and fluttering about his customers like a happy butterfly. It was an adorable image. From behind the counter, Nino was glaring at Sho. "Don't you dare," he mouthed as Sho finally was a couple of steps away from Aiba.
And Sho ignored the warning.
"Aiba-san! Hadn't seen you in a while!" Sho greeted. He had to laugh a bit at the wide-eyed look Aiba gave him in response. "Don't you remember me? We met the other time, and you called me a loser after I gave you a sunflower."
The two teenage girls standing nearby erupted in giggles, causing Aiba to stutter his reply that yes, he did remember. His face had gone red, and a sheepish grin spread across his lips.
"Did you come for more ice-cream?" Aiba asked. "We have a couple new flavors—"
"No."
Aiba gave Sho a confused look. "No? Then why are you here?"
"To see you, of course!" Sho replied. "Want to have a cup of coffee with me?"
For a second, Aiba looked lost. He didn't seem to be expecting that from Sho. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the kiosk, where both Nino and the sleepy-looking guy Sho had seen the other time were gesticulating wildly at him.
"So?"
And then, Aiba beamed at him. "Sure. Why not?"
"Okay, okay… let me get this straight…" Sho's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to organize the information he had just learned about Aiba inside his mind. He still couldn't help feeling a bit confused. In his defense, Aiba's life story had been longer than he expected.
Aiba burst out laughing. "It's not that complicated, Sho-chan!"
Sho-chan. They had been talking for a little over two hours—Sho's meeting was cancelled, thank goodness, so he was off the hook until the next one in about an hour or so—and Aiba was already talking to him like that. It made Sho feel as though they were close already, and that wasn't a bad feeling at all.
The least he could do was reciprocate… although he wasn't bold enough to call Aiba by his first name. Perhaps in the future, he thought to himself with a grin.
"But Aiba-chan, your family is so… strange!" Sho pouted. "How am I supposed to remember the ways you are or are not related in such a short time!"
Aiba rolled his eyes at that. "Fine, I'll explain it again. But pay attention this time, okay!?"
And so, Aiba started his lengthy explanation about his family again.
The kiosk where Aiba worked was a family business. He actually wasn't a permanent employee, as Nino had once told Sho, but he liked to help there. When asked about his actual job, Aiba went surprisingly quiet. Then he just said it had something to do with counseling, but that it was not counseling in the "conventional" sense of the word. It sounded too complicated, so Sho refrained from making more questions.
Regarding Nino, Aiba said that they were cousins. "Nino's mom's mom was my dad's mom's cousin on their dad's side, and his dad's grandpa was my mom's dad's uncle… or was he my mom's dad's aunt's second husband? I don't remember it well, but anyway, we're related."
Sho didn't get much from that, so he just nodded along when Aiba simplified it to "he's my cousin." It was much easier to remember anyway.
The sleepy-looking guy who worked with them was called Satoshi, and he was Nino's older brother. "Well, not exactly his real brother, but when Nino's parents got divorced, they both remarried to other people around one year later. And Nino's dad's new husband had an adoptive son, so now they're brothers!"
"And does he have more siblings on his mom's side now?" Sho asked, half-jokingly.
"Oh, yes!" Aiba chirped. "There's Jun-kun, the little one! He's not that little anymore since now he's an adult and can drink alcohol. We threw a great party for his birthday last year! I gave him a couple g-strings, and they looked very good on him!"
Sho blinked. He didn't even know what to make of that information. The idea of Aiba giving someone g-strings as a birthday present seemed so Aiba that he didn't doubt something like that could happen, or that Aiba would demand to see how the g-strings fit his poor younger cousin.
"He's the one who makes the ice-cream, you see! He was also the one who forced poor Oh-chan and Nino to manage the kiosk. Such a bossy little brother!" Aiba smiled fondly. "I think he said that's only while he learns how to control his pow—I mean, while he finishes college! Then he will take over the business."
Sho hummed. "And the four of you live together?"
"We do, yes. At least since I got here two years ago."
"Oh? You aren't from Tokyo? You hadn't mentioned that," Sho commented.
"Hadn't I?" Aiba laughed nervously. "Ah, you see… I'm actually, uh, from… the East?"
"You mean Chiba?" Sho smirked, amused at the way Aiba blushed and sputtered that it was complicated because he didn't know if his hometown was actually before or after the border between Tokyo and Chiba.
"Anyway, that's beside the point!" Aiba huffed. "I do love Chiba by the way. It's a very nice prefecture, and much better than Tokyo! It even has Disneyland, you know!"
The passion Aiba had for Chiba only seemed to be rivaled by his love for his cousins. Sho could listen to him talk for hours without getting bored. Sometimes he got lost when Aiba started telling anecdotes of this or that thing his cousin did the other day, but Aiba's enthusiasm was contagious enough for him to enjoy the conversation regardless.
Sadly, their time was almost over.
After walking Aiba back to the kiosk, Sho said his goodbyes to him, promising to come back the next day for lunch. Aiba kept insisting that he should have an ice-cream before leaving, but Sho turned down the offer.
"Are you sure?"
"For the third time, yes, Aiba-chan." Sho laughed.
"Well, if you say so…" Aiba pouted, eyebrows still furrowed in a frown.
"See you tomorrow!" Sho said, waving at Aiba as he walked away.
For the rest of the day, Sho was in a very good mood. His subordinates seemed a bit surprised when he invited everyone to have some soba after work. They chatted away the entire night and even discussed some of the communication issues they had been having lately.
And that was just the first of many good days in Sho's life.
Dating Aiba Masaki was strange.
First of all, he didn't like talking about himself. The only times he mentioned his personal life it was to tell Sho yet another anecdote about his cousins. Sometimes Sho felt that he knew more about apparently-game-addicted Nino, artsy Satoshi, and work-obsessed Jun than he did about Masaki.
Sho had talked to two of them, Nino and Satoshi, a few times. They didn't trust him at first, but they warmed up to him little by little. Sho still caught Nino glaring at him whenever Masaki wasn't looking, and he decided that he'd have to get used to it.
As for the third mysterious cousin, Masaki always told Sho that he was probably around. "He's a master at hiding in plain sight. It's like his superpower!" Masaki had explained when Sho questioned that. "I don't even know how he learned to do it with those thick eyebrows of his. Seriously, you should see them!"
(The next time they met, Masaki told Sho that Jun had heard him talk about his eyebrows and had gotten mad at him. Sho was starting to wonder whether this 'Jun' was real or not. The way Masaki, Nino, and Satoshi talked about him made it sound like he was a supernatural, omnipresent entity instead of a man—Sho's suggestion of that amused Jun, according to those three).
By the way, Sho had finally gotten comfortable enough to call Masaki by his first name around a month after they started dating. According to Masaki himself, Sho was "slow, but forgiven since he was cute."
Second of all, Masaki had rather interesting acquaintances. None of them seemed to work in the same field, and they were even quirkier than Masaki and all his cousins combined. One of them, a guy called Yokoyama, claimed to be the Prince of Japan's Fairy Kingdom and said that he wanted to take Masaki—who was the "most precious fairy in the entire world" according to him—as his consort.
"Kimi-chan is too much into Fairy-kei fashion," Masaki had said as an excuse. "I had my phase of that too, some years ago. Want to see?"
After seeing the pictures, Sho decided not to bring up that topic again. Masaki did look cute in pastel colors though.
(Masaki's fashion choices were… risky. And here Sho thought his double parka outfit from a couple years before was the weirdest thing ever. How wrong he was).
And third… Masaki always offered Sho ice-cream at the kiosk.
That shouldn't have been strange, but it was. The question popped up at least twice every time they met. And Sho always replied the same way:
"Will you let me pay?"
Masaki was very quick to exclaim a loud "no!" right away. And so, Sho turned down his offer. He only accepted the ice-cream coming from Nino or Satoshi, who always accepted his money in exchange.
"This is unfair!" Masaki complained. "I'm your boyfriend, aren't I? I should be serving your ice-cream!"
He looked so cute while he attempted to lecture Sho about his choices. Sho could never resist the urge to pull him by his waist and give him a big, noisy kiss to shut him up. It worked like magic. The moment their lips met, Masaki's complaints disappeared. His lanky arms wrapped around Sho as the kiss deepened, soft hums and giggles escaping his lips from time to time.
"You taste like ice-cream, Sho-chan," he whispered on Sho's lips.
Sho grinned. "So do you."
The kisses continued between licks of ice-cream—they usually ended up sharing it. It was probably cheesy, but Sho loved it.
"Get a room! There are children around!" Nino yelled at them.
And they laughed, kissing some more just to piss him off.
"You know… I really, really like you, Sho-chan," Masaki said, looking at Sho with his beautiful brown eyes. "I think I had never felt this way about anybody else."
The look Masaki gave Sho reminded him of their first meeting. Things had changed so much since then. Or, actually… no, things were still the same. Sho's job was just as stressful and demanding, a couple of his subordinates still believed he was way too young for the job, and their newest project was even more challenging than the previous one. However, Sho didn't feel as trapped and hopeless as he did back then.
It had to be Masaki's doing. What else could it be? He had become the little ray of sunshine in Sho's complicated, boring life. Just by being around Masaki, Sho could feel all his problems vanish into thin air.
So what if dating him was strange? He was wonderful, in ways that Sho probably couldn't explain to anybody else.
"You know…" Sho bit his lip. "I feel just the same."
Masaki started laughing and crying at Sho's words. "Thank you," he said.
Sho had no idea of what he had done to warrant such a reaction. He laughed and wrapped his arms around Masaki, whispering a soft "you're welcome."
***END***
***WELL, KIND OF***
It was a sunny afternoon, just the perfect weather to go outside and do some shopping. But, sadly, Jun couldn't do that, lest his two older brothers would skin him alive.
Instead, he had to follow his cousin around town, using the camouflaging spell he had mastered—and currently regretted ever learning—in the past couple of years. He, a stoic master of the Fairy Arts, future member of the Fairy Council, the only living fairy who found romantic relationships disgusting and a waste of time… trailing a pair of lovebirds.
It seemed like a bad joke.
"Why do I have to keep watching on them, Nino?" Jun clicked his tongue, almost shouting on his phone. "I told you, they're doing fine!"
The incoherent sounds that followed were too shrill for Jun's sensitive ears, so he put the phone away from him until his brothers calmed down. He rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his coffee as he sneaked a glance at a table nearby.
Aiba's table.
From this distance, Jun could hear everything Aiba and the chipmunk-faced guy he was dating—Nino's words, not his—were saying. Sometimes he had to block his ability to listen at long distances, just because it was too damn cheesy.
Seriously, why did Nino think this Sakurai guy was a threat?
"Trust me, he's okay. He won't take advantage of Aiba-chan's powers," Jun said when his brothers finally came back to their senses. "You both have to stop babying Aiba-chan so much."
"But Jun…"
"He hasn't even asked for more ice-cream, has he?" Jun smirked when the line went silent. "Then he passed the test, didn't he?"
The ice-cream they served at the kiosk wasn't anything special. Or, well, not until it was served at least. Jun made it himself, so he knew it wasn't any different from any other ice-cream. He thought it was unethical to use his powers to manipulate people through it. His brothers held the same views most of the time unless someone pissed them off. Jun had high suspicions that the reasons behind the car accident Aiba's last boyfriend suffered had something to do with his elder brother Satoshi's special chocolate parfait. The guy was an asshole anyway, Jun couldn't blame Satoshi.
Aiba, on the other hand, was quite generous with using his powers for other people's good. He always served the ice-cream with an extra dose of happiness, hoping that it would brighten their day. Unfortunately, the nature of his powers made the ice-cream quite addictive, at least for a while. Eventually, the recipients would be so happy that they'd never return anymore.
Out of all the guys Aiba had dated, his current boyfriend was the only one who never asked for more.
"It's their, what, tenth date already?" Jun chuckled. "You know Aiba-chan's powers can't keep a guy around for so long. Heck, he doesn't even have the training to use a love spell! He is a normal fairy like you guys!"
And while Jun argued on the phone with his brothers (about who was more powerful… which should have been obvious in Jun's opinion), Aiba and his boyfriend were holding hands. Jun scrunched up his nose in distaste.
"Fine, I'll keep an eye on them for today, but this is the last time!" Jun warned. "I don't know for how much longer I can bear watching… this."
Jun shook his head, absolutely horrified, as he saw Aiba and the guy playing footsie under the table.
"Just why, why do I have to do this…" Jun grumbled to himself, trying not to die of secondhand embarrassment. "This is a waste of training time!"
He had to admit to himself that they were cute though. Sickeningly so.
They freaking made out on that date. And Aiba was touching the guy's—rather round and perky if Jun had to say so—butt.
Nino owed him so much.
***NOW'S THE END, OK***
Tags:
(no subject)
21/2/18 12:08 (UTC)I really love the dawning knowledge that this is actually a subtle-magic in everyday life fic! I totally didn't see that coming. :D I love how Aiba attracts Sho with his kindness, and Sho is no better in being kind in return. I love the overprotective Nino, and then Ohno, and then JUN, all of them only want the best for Aiba! I love how this begins as something simple with ice cream and turns at the end to be a love story. I also love that Sho is still the sometimes overworked and stressed Sho, how Aiba can't stop talking about Chiba. I love how NIno--the champion here, throws all those suspicious glares at Sho first, questioning his intention. And Sho has slowly win them over, and finally gaining their approval the hard way. The additional ending was just perfect to wrap this cute story, and a nice way to bring Jun--oh, Jun, such a sweetheart.
Thank you again for this cute fic! I truly enjoyed this <3!
(no subject)
21/2/18 13:34 (UTC)I love the hints of magic in the story. And Aiba's power is so fitting to his personality. I want to know how Ohno made someone sick with his sundae, though. Hahaha! And rude, overprotective Nino.
And Sho, overworked Sho, was lovely in this story. He saw Aiba beyond the magic.
And Jun. Poor Jun-pon had to endure all that cheese and tooth-rotting sweetness of Sho and Aiba. But he probably secretly likes it.
Thank you author-san for such a nice fic.
(no subject)
21/2/18 14:35 (UTC)glad it doesn't end up at the first end. the 2nd one explained all what happen around. no wonder jun getting angry about his eyebrows xD.
will be great if this story continue. sho doesn't know everything right? well. thank you for writing and the person who request. also the invite? :b
now i really want to eat ice cream >\\\<
(no subject)
22/2/18 15:41 (UTC)(no subject)
23/2/18 02:04 (UTC)Thank You SOOOO much for sharing this cute story!