“Thanks, though,” says Aiba, before turning back to Sakurai.

Ohno wants to crawl into a hole and die a slow, punishing death from the flames that are burning his face off. It’s official; he is dumb as fuck. Why did he have to shoot his mouth off like that? He basically just called Aiba a whore.

“Sakurai-san! This way.” Aiba beckons to Sakurai enthusiastically, taking a step towards the van.

Sakurai writhes on the ground, kicking, struggling to get up.

“Sorry, this suit—” he whimpers, and Ohno sighs before heading over to pull him up, knowing the night can’t get any weirder.

***

Ohno wants to fucking kill Nino.

Nino and his big mouth. God. Why couldn’t he just reserve it for the blowjobs he had such a formidable talent for? Why did he have to use it to fucking talk?

Ohno looks towards the driver’s seat, but he can’t see Aiba’s expression from his spot at the back.

Then again, Aiba has no cause to be bothered by what Nino has just said. The person Ohno should be more concerned about is Sakurai—he is (also) Nino’s ex.

Sakurai is just sitting there, mouth agape at Ohno and Nino. For some reason, his eyes flick to Matsumoto.

Ohno tries to sound casual as he starts explaining: “It was a long time ago. High school.”

Nino is looking uncomfortable now, but it’s not because of Sakurai—it’s because Ohno is glaring daggers at him.

“Secret teenaged gay love, no big deal,” says Nino, solitary in his laughter.

Nobody says a word.

“Well, I’m sorry I asked!” says Aiba, suddenly breaking the silence with his cheer. “Didn’t mean to pry! Oh look—a Starbucks! Let’s stop here. Matsujun, wake up! Starbucks, ta daaaah.”

Aiba pulls into the parking lot.

“Great, a space right in front of the shops! We’re lucky we don’t have to keep circling, these service areas can get really crowded sometimes,” Aiba lapses into incessant chatter, “but seeing that it’s almost four in the morning I guess it’s just natural we find a good space immediately, huh? You guys go ahead, I’ll be right here, I need a nap, come back in twenty minutes, go go go—”

At Aiba’s urging everyone obediently files out of the camper van (with the exception of Sakurai, who hops), though Ohno remembers to tell Aiba he’ll switch with him after the break.

Aiba just returns his statement with a thumbs up and a huge grin.

Once they’ve alighted, Ohno pulls Nino away from the van. He stops when he thinks they’re far enough, right in front of some vending machines.

“I didn’t appreciate your blabbing about our past like that,” Ohno says unhappily, letting go of Nino’s arm.

Nino immediately rubs the spot Ohno had clung on to. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles, bravely meeting Ohno’s eyes. “I looked at you and had all these weird feelings—you can’t blame me for losing my cool; you’re the guy I first loved. Sho’s the guy I last loved. And you guys were right there in front of me. Together. In the same space.”

Ohno and Nino stare at each other.

Then they explode into laughter.

“Whoa, awkward!”

“So awkward!”

“True, though!”

“True but AWKWARD!”

They double over, thwacking the other’s arm every few seconds, and when the laughter finally stops they find themselves a foot apart, staring at each other again.

Nino is looking very solemn.

“If this were a movie, this is the moment where we kiss feverishly,” he says.

A beat.

They crack up again.

“Kissing you!” Nino howls, cradling his belly.

“I don’t want to kiss you!” Ohno wipes tears from his eyes as he lets out laugh after stuttering laugh.

“Thank god, me neither!”

“So what if we lost our virginities to each other?!”

“I know, right? We were seventeen, we hardly knew what we were doing, it probably didn’t even count!” cackles Nino.

At this, Ohno stops. Nino’s laughter dies.

“It totally does,” says Ohno, feeling hurt. “What are you saying?”

Nino looks mortified.

“…You sure you don’t want to kiss?” Nino tries.

Ohno stares, then turns to leave. Nino’s nonsense is one of a kind. He should’ve known better.

“Oh-chan, wait. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It counts. It was really bad, but it counts.” Nino hurriedly steps in front of Ohno, stopping him.

Ohno takes in Nino’s harried expression and sighs. Nino can be such a shit. But if there’s anything Ohno knows about Nino, it’s that he never hurts people on purpose. He retaliates in fucking epic ways, sure, but he’s never the source of injury.

Ohno relaxes. “I think ‘really bad’ is a gross understatement, but thanks for apologising.”

“No problem.” Nino looks relieved. Then his face turns sly, and he elbows Ohno, saying:

“So, you in love with Aiba-san?”

Ohno just gapes. How. The. Fuck.

Nino waves a hand in front of Ohno’s face. “Anyone home?”

Ohno breaks into a sweat. Has he been that obvious? Who else knows? God, did Matsumoto know? DID AIBA KNOW? How the hell did Nino find out?

“Who told you?” whispers Ohno, face ashen.

“You kept looking at him for a reaction, Oh-chan. I figured it out on my own. And you didn’t pick your nose tonight, not even once. You only do that when you’re trying to impress.”

“Dammit, Nino.” Ohno massages his temples, exhausted. “This is why we broke up. I could never really be myself because you were a fucking mind-reader.”

The next moment Ohno is enveloped in a crushing hug.

“Finally, someone who understands!” sobs Sakurai, burying his face into Ohno’s neck. Where the fuck did he come from?

Nino looks scandalised. “Stop making me out to be the bad guy.”

Sakurai looks at Nino, slit-eyed.

“That’s debatable. Right, Ohno-san? Right???” Sakurai practically squishes their faces together.

“Sakurai-san…” Ohno squirms, slapping at Sakurai’s penguin belly to get him to ease up on his death grip.

Sakurai only holds him tighter.

“Call me Sho! We’re friends now! No, comrades!” proclaims Sakurai, beaming at Ohno with a watery smile.

Nino rolls his eyes.

***

“…That’s mine,” hisses Nino, pointing to Sakurai, glowering.

It takes a second for Ohno to figure out they’re talking about the penguin costume Sakurai is wearing.

“I’m pretty sure you gave it to me.” Sakurai cradles the head of the penguin in his flippers and looks back at Nino stonily.

“Yes, I gave it to you.”

“That’s why it’s mine.”

“I’m not going to take any of your shit, Sho. You stole it. Just went into the closet and fucking took it!” Nino flings an accusatory finger Sakurai’s way; it’s juvenile, really; but everyone can see it’s not all about the penguin costume.

“Why is he here?” Nino demands, turning to face Ohno.

“We found him stranded on the side of a motorway in Nara.”

“What?”

“Trust me, it’s been quite a night.”

“We couldn’t just leave him there with no money or proper clothes,” Aiba speaks up.

Nino curses, spins on his heel, seethes as he stares up at the night sky.

Ohno almost claps. It’s very dramatic, very Nino-the-actor. (Nino had been the star of their drama club. It’d made sex very interesting.)

Aiba massages his temples with his fingers. “What’s going on, you two?”

“Fuck-awful breakup that involved money,” Matsumoto is lounging on the steps of the entrance of the van, and he gestures to Nino and Sakurai with his lit cigarette, “can’t you tell?”

Ohno raises his eyebrows at Nino, who’s fixed his gaze on Matsumoto now, avoiding Ohno’s stare.

Matsumoto smirks. “Evening. I’m Matsumoto.” He raises his cigarette like he’s making a toast to Nino.

“We shared an office and a life until last month,” says Sakurai in a low voice, though still loud enough for everyone to hear.

The corners of Matsumoto’s lips lift; he’s obviously pleased at hitting the nail on the head. He then catches Ohno’s eye, taps his wrist.

Right, the schedule.

“Nino,” Ohno clears his throat, “we have to go.” He motions for Nino to get into the RV.

Sakurai squares his jaw. “Thanks for the help, guys, but I think I’ll find another way to Yokohama,” he says, turning around.

Except he doesn’t go very far because he’s in a penguin suit that’s not designed for mobility; each step he takes is like, two inches.

Ohno tries not to laugh.

“No, wait,” calls Aiba, walking over to Sakurai and hooking his fingers on the edge of his collar, stopping him.

Sakurai screams.

Aiba releases him like he’s a hot poker.

“My balls, Aiba-san,” Sakurai says hoarsely, eyes watering, and Ohno covers his face, trying to mask his laugh as a cough. Through his fingers he spies Nino; Nino’s looking thoroughly mortified, very likely on Sakurai’s behalf.

Aiba apologises to Sakurai, then says:

“Look. You literally only have that penguin suit. We can’t leave you here in the middle of the highway. Come on. Get inside.”

Sakurai hesitates, knees bent, one flipper massaging his painful crotch.

Ohno really, really wants to make a quip about masturbating flightless birds.

“It’s okay, right?” Aiba is directing his question to Nino. “If he rides with us?”

Nino has a murderous look on, but he says: “I guess.”

“Good.” Aiba nudges Sakurai towards the van, then claps a hand on Ohno’s shoulder. “I’ll drive until the next rest stop, okay?”

Ohno nods. “Thanks. Sorry about all this.”

Matsumoto backs out of the entrance to make way for everyone, calling shotgun.

Sakurai looks at Nino as he minces toward the door. “For the sake of everyone’s sanity, be civil.”

“Try giving me advice when you’re not in a penguin suit.” Nino rolls his eyes and squeezes past Sakurai’s cumbersome form, boarding the van first. Sakurai teeters, and Ohno hurriedly puts out his hands to steady him.

“Sorry,” Sakurai says, and he looks so wretched, Ohno actually feels bad for him. It’s excruciating to be embarrassed in front of an ex, Ohno understands.

Especially if that ex is Nino.

“Hang on.” Ohno takes the penguin head out of Sakurai’s hands and puts it on the table in front of Nino, who’s already seated, a scowl on his face.

Ohno then stands in the entrance, putting out his arms to Sakurai, who’s still standing on the pavement.

“Here. I’ll catch you and pull you up the steps.”

“Ohno-san…” Sakurai looks at him with so much gratitude, Ohno has to smile.

Finally they all board the van, and as it begins its journey once more, Ohno automatically walks up to the cab—when he realises Matsumoto has called shotgun.

Ohno isn’t a child; he isn’t going to fight Matsumoto for something as trivial as a seat, but seriously—

Matsumoto is a thieving fuck.

Ohno closes his eyes, gripping the side of the kitchen counter to stabilise himself in the moving vehicle, trying to deal with the dislike he has of the situation.

It was supposed to be just him and Aiba. Just him and Aiba on a nine-hour drive.

And here they are, stuck with three goons—two of whom are at each others’ throats, one of whom Ohno has started hating with a passion.

Ohno really doesn’t want to sit with Nino and Sakurai. There’s too much bad blood. Five hours of marinating in said blood. He’d rather eat a spoon.

A jab in his ribs makes him jump. It’s Nino.

“Sit between us,” whispers Nino, jerking a thumb in Sakurai’s direction.

“Hell no. I don’t want to get caught in the crossfire.”

“There won’t be any if you’re our buffer.”

“See that penguin head on the table? Now that’s a great buff—”

Nino jabs Ohno in the ribs again. “Who wrecked my car? Who almost killed me? Who asked me not to call the cops? You owe me, Oh-chan.”

Ohno glares at Nino. Back then, Nino could be a manipulative son of a bitch when he wanted to. That certainly hasn’t changed.

“Fine.” Ohno pushes past Nino and heaves himself onto the seat, Nino sliding in after him. Sakurai crosses his flippers, face sullen.

The three of them stare at the penguin head in complete silence.

***

“Right. Sho. Sho-kun.” Ohno pries at Sho’s flippers. “Okay, this is getting weird. Stop hugging me.”

Sho releases him. “We should exchange contacts. I’d like to keep in touch with you.”

Ohno has a great idea. “I’ll give you my phone number if you make up with Nino.”

“Hey, don’t include me in your love-fest,” snaps Nino. “I’m not ready to have this guy in my life again.”

Ohno can see the hurt in Sho’s eyes. He heaves a sigh.

“Honestly—what do you guys not like about each other? Individually you’re pretty decent people. Can’t you at least be friends?”

Nino is suddenly very interested in the drinks offered by the vending machines. Sho, on the other hand, studies Ohno’s face for a long moment.

“I don’t like how detached he was,” Sho finally says. “It was like he was always waiting for something bad to happen. There was no emotional investment.”

“I was not—” Nino starts, but he’s shushed by Ohno.

“He doesn’t trust easily,” Ohno explains to Sho. “You have to earn his trust.”

Sho’s eyebrows shoot up. “For your information, I was really serious about him.”

Ohno shakes his head. “That’s not how Nino interprets trust. Right, Nino?”

Nino just sulks. “Two exes, one me. I can’t win this.”

Sho seems to be seriously considering Ohno’s words. “Nino, was I trying too hard?”

Nino scuffs his sneaker on the ground, not meeting Sho’s eyes. “Sometimes I felt like I was suffocating. You were trying to make everything work all the damn time. Like, everything had to sync. Sometimes I just wanted to just lie back and let the world pass me by, you know?”

Something in Sho’s expression shifts, and he’s looking at Nino almost tenderly.

“I never knew,” says Sho, and at this the hardness in Nino’s mouth seems to fade.

Ohno smiles to himself.

He’s a fucking love guru.

“Don’t get complacent,” comes a voice beside his ear, making him jump.

Ohno grimaces when he realises it’s Matsumoto.

Matsumoto takes a swig of his coffee, sighing in satisfaction after he swallows. “You still haven’t said what you’re going to do about Aiba-kun,” he says, a superior smile on his face.

“Have you been eavesdropping?” asks Ohno incredulously. “I’ve had it with you, you sneaky fu—”

Nino snaps his fingers. “That’s right, we should come up with a plan for Oh-chan!” He looks to Sho for approval, but it’s quite apparent Sho is trying to sneak away. Nino frowns at this.

“Sho, you know I didn’t design the suit for walking, right?”

“Yes, yes, but I, uh, need the loo, be right back—”

“Give him a break,” says Matsumoto slyly, nudging Nino’s arm with a finger, “he’s finding the situation awkward.”

“Oh-chan trying to get into Aiba-san’s pants isn’t awkward for Sho, what are you talking about?” scoffs Nino. “It’s not like you know Sho—”

Nino stops, realisation stark on his face.

Ohno recalls the way Sho had reacted to Matsumoto when the lights came on in the camper van.

You’re the guy from last night, Sho had said.

Wow. Sho has really been around.

Nino’s arm shoots out and he grabs the collar of Sho’s penguin suit, making Sho yelp, flippers flying to his dick for the second time that night.

“You slept with this?” Nino’s voice is low and threatening as he sweeps a hand up and down in Matsumoto’s direction.

Sho splutters:

“Look, Nino, we’re not together anymore so you can’t—”

“Was he any good?” interrupts Nino, and Ohno suddenly realises Nino is sounding dangerous because he’s a fucking predator, and Matsumoto is the meat, oh god.

Ohno takes several steps back. Call him a prude, but he’s not getting involved in this.

“We’ll talk about that later,” Ohno hears Matsumoto say to Nino, before coming up to Ohno and hooking an elbow on his arm.

“Hey, hey, we aren’t that close—” Ohno starts swatting at Matsumoto’s sleeve.

“Listen,” Matsumoto says, parking Ohno back into place beside him, “you’re the key. You’re going to complete the ring of magic.”

The three of them look at Matsumoto like he’s out of his mind.

Matsumoto waves a finger between Ohno and Nino. “You guys fucked, right?”

“That was a really long time ago—” Ohno protests, but Matsumoto cuts him off by pointing at Nino and Sho and saying:

“And these guys fucked, obviously; Sho-san and I count, I guess, though it was just one time; and no hard feelings, but me and Aiba-kun did it until January,” Matsumoto goes on, moving his finger in a loop, “so if you get it on with Aiba-kun we’ll come full circle.”

Matsumoto pauses, mostly for effect.

“Full circle,” the rest of them intone in varying degrees of interest.

“You know, after we ended things Aiba-kun wanted to quit Venus,” says Matsumoto, looking at Ohno. “He initially joined to make some quick cash because his family needed it, but something happened that made him stay.”

Ohno heart races.

“I think you happened. He couldn’t shut up about the ‘new guy at work’, honestly I think it might actually be the reason why he couldn’t put up with me anymore. His heart was someplace else.”

Ohno lets himself hope for a moment longer before trampling right down on it. He puts on a scowl. Matsumoto is just saying all this to ride the fucking magic ring or whatever it is he’s tripping on.

This guy is a pretentious fuckwit, Ohno reminds himself. Spending the past five hours with him has taught Ohno that.

“I wasn’t the only new addition to Venus,” says Ohno impassively. “There’s Kazama and Inoo as well. You don’t know for sure. Quit playing with me.”

“I don’t have that kind of time to waste.” Matsumoto rolls his eyes. “Aiba-kun can be quite a dolt about his feelings. Doesn’t know what’s happening until it happens, that sorta thing. You gotta take the initiative.”

“What’s in it for you?” Ohno asks suspiciously.

“I just want a friend to be happy.” Matsumoto shrugs. “Aiba-kun’s one of the best people I know, and you’re not too bad yourself.”

At this, Sho and Nino hum and nod.

All right, maybe Matsumoto isn’t that pretentious a fuckwit.

Ohno exhales heavily.

“Fine,” Ohno concedes, “do you guys have a plan?”

***

The umeboshi and how they’re hidden shock Nino and Sho, and as it turns out, they don’t even need to lift a finger because Matsumoto has it all covered—there are workmen at the Atami container yard, just like at the warehouse.

“It’s called organised crime for a reason,” Matsumoto says with a lazy grin.

Ohno almost dies laughing when some of the men tease Sho with how much with the kinky costume, nii-chan?, and Sho tells them 10000 yen an hour, along with the rash.

Their faces are priceless. Ohno rewards Sho by giving him his number.

When all the plums are unloaded, they stand outside the entrance of the RV to say goodbye; Ohno and Aiba with their backs to the door and Nino and Sho facing them.

“We’re gonna fuel up at a petrol station nearby before heading to our head office in Tokyo,” says Aiba. “You guys sure you don’t want to continue on with us?”

“Nah,” Sho and Nino say together. They look at Ohno, grinning.

Ohno gives them an exasperated look. Teenagers.

Matsumoto jogs over after conferencing with the workmen. “Everything seems to be in order. Thank you for your hard work.”

Ohno considers giving Matsumoto a smile, decides against it.

“Same to you,” says Ohno with a stiff nod.

“It’s been fun!” says Aiba brightly. “We should hang out again!”

“Ohno-kun has my number,” says Sho proudly, pointing to the phone in Ohno’s hand. “And I saved his in Nino’s phone, so now we’re all connected.”

“Great! Keep in touch!” says Aiba, climbing up the steps of the RV and waving. “Bye, you guys.”

“Bye,” parrots Ohno as he follows Aiba into the van, all the while keeping a wary eye on his new acquaintances.

“Bye,” the other three chorus, sickeningly sweet smiles plastered on their faces; and once Aiba’s back is turned, they wiggle their eyebrows and make rude gestures with their hands and flippers while pointing to Aiba, mouthing last minute instructions that Ohno can’t decipher but bets are fucking obscene.

Ohno gives them the finger before he shuts the door.

Now it’s just him and Aiba.

Aiba yawns. “You must be tired too, Oh-chan.”

“I’m all right.” Ohno stretches his arms over his head before putting his phone on the table. He sees Aiba pushing back a curtain to peer out of the van.

Aiba taps the glass. “Look at Nino and Sakurai-kun.”

Ohno joins Aiba by the window. Nino has his hand on Sho’s shoulder; Sho’s flipper is on Nino’s ass.

“They’re totally gonna fuck in a hotel after this,” murmurs Ohno.

“Totally.”

Nino looks to Matsumoto and snakes an arm around him. Aiba gasps.

“Oh my god, they’re totally asking Matsujun to swing with them.”

Aiba spins around, not looking tired anymore.

“Oh-chan, we should go.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“They’re gonna have sex together. We should join them. It’ll be fun.”

What is this shitty turn of events?

Ohno tries to entertain the idea, but he can’t stand the thought of sharing a naked Aiba with anyone else, though he’s acutely aware of how Aiba has just included him in plans to fuck.

Ohno steels himself.

“No.”

“Why not?” whines Aiba.

Ohno grapples for the answer, heart pounding. “I really don’t want to.”

“Then I’ll go. We’re not scheduled to be back in Tokyo until twelve.” Aiba pats his pockets to check for his phone and wallet, stops to look at Ohno. “Are you going to stay here or go outside?”

Oh, fuck it.

Ohno grabs Aiba’s wrist. “You’re not going.”

Their eyes meet, and Ohno impulsively tugs Aiba towards him.

Aiba’s face is now very close, and Ohno’s intentions have become very plain.

“You’re not going,” repeats Ohno. “You’re staying here with me.”

What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck did he just say—

Lips curving, Aiba slips his arms around Ohno’s waist; at this range Ohno can see Aiba’s pupils dilating and it’s the sexiest thing Ohno has ever seen the human eye do, oh god.

“And?” challenges Aiba.

Ohno doesn’t waste any more time; he shoves his hands past the waistband of Aiba’s pants, cursing in delight against Aiba’s lips as he discovers Aiba’s ass is as perfect as he imagined it, and they don’t even bother to check if the curtains are closed, they’re just removing random articles of clothing, off themselves, off each other, and Aiba’s mouth is everywhere on his skin, oh god, Ohno’s brain can’t really keep up, this is actually happening.

They get themselves onto the bed and Aiba fucking climbs on top of him; Ohno is trembling as he splays his fingers on the back of Aiba’s thighs, he’s not even trying to hide his hunger; he’s wanted this for how many weeks now?

Ohno positions a couple of pillows under his head, drags Aiba’s hips down toward his face and starts getting busy when the door to the RV swings open.

“Hey guys, we forgot the—oh, fuck, you guys just couldn’t wait, could you—”

Nino enters the van anyway.

“For fuck’s sake, Nino!” Aiba yells, evacuating Ohno’s mouth and tugging the covers over them. “Get out!”

Ohno realises Aiba is genuinely pissed off. It’s the first time he’s seeing Aiba angry, and it actually gets him rock hard—when did he become so easy?

“Won’t be long, won’t be long, just need the controls—”

Their brazen intruder joins the sides of his hands to make a shield for his eyes, takes a long stride and reaches under the kitchen table, grabs the stupid penguin head (how the fuck did they miss that hideous thing?) and dashes out with a muttered apology.

The door slams shut.

Ohno looks at Aiba worriedly, then back at the door.

Aiba’s agreement is tacit; he slides off the bed, reaches out toward the lock—

The door flies open.

“What the—” Aiba starts when he sees Matsumoto, but all Matsumoto does is grab Aiba’s hand, slap two condoms and a tube of Astroglide into his palm, wink at Ohno, then he’s gone.

Aiba hurriedly locks the door and shuts the lone open curtain. He looks down at the condoms and lube, then up at Ohno.

Aiba licks his lips nervously and offers Ohno a weak smile.

Ohno gets Aiba’s apprehension. The interruptions have broken their pace; they’re actually thinking this through now. It doesn’t make Ohno less enthusiastic, though—now that he knows Aiba wants him, he doesn’t feel so scared.

For confirmation, Ohno shifts his eyes down Aiba’s torso.

Fuck yeah, Aiba still wants him.

Ohno crawls to the edge of the mattress, reaches out to take Aiba’s hand, pulling him back towards the bed. He takes the condoms and lube from Aiba, puts them carefully beside the pillows. Those can wait.

Aiba seats himself on the bed and crosses his legs. “It doesn’t have to be serious, you know. We can just have fun. Then, if it’s weird, we can pretend it never happened. You know, like with Matsujun.”

Aiba laughs, and Ohno knows that in normal circumstances, he’d be offended by his feelings being thought of as ‘fun’, and being classed with Matsumoto; but he doesn’t, because this is Aiba. Ohno knows Aiba’s just trying to be brave, trying to prepare a way out for himself so he doesn’t get too hurt.

Ohno gets it, because he is the same.

Ohno is about to reply when a loud clacking coming from the kitchen makes both of them swivel their heads towards the noise; it’s his phone vibrating against the table.

Was the whole world bent on cockblocking them?

“Listen,” says Ohno, placing his palms on Aiba’s knees, deciding to ignore his phone. It stops buzzing, thank god.

Aiba turns back to look at him.

“I like you,” says Ohno, amazed at how easily the words come. “I’ve liked you for a while now.”

There’s a flush that’s spreading on Aiba’s chest, and Ohno instinctively places his hand on it, feels Aiba’s ribcage swell as he takes a deep breath to say:

“I like you too.”

Ohno recalls the touches, ‘Oh-chan’, the too-cheerful way Aiba had reacted when Nino told everyone in the van they used to have a thing, what Matsumoto said about Aiba not being able to shut up about him.

Whoa.

Aiba does like him back.

“Is it weird that I’ve just realised this?” asks Aiba breathlessly.

Ohno shakes his head. “Is it weird that I want to promise you everything?”

Fuck. Oh, glorious fuck. Who the fuck says things like that—

“Oh-chan,” says Aiba, voice quavering, and then Ohno realises Aiba is smiling, and god, the feelings, the hope; Ohno can’t stomach it all.

“So right now, this is… This is…” Aiba sounds excited, but in his voice there’s also a trace of fear, Ohno thinks, fear of vocalising the truth because Aiba’s probably realised where they can go with this and how far they can take it.

Ohno holds Aiba’s hand.

“This is only the beginning,” whispers Ohno, before taking Aiba’s shoulders and kissing him against the pillows.

***

Epilogue:

Ohno loves to stroke his thumb on the underside of Aiba’s wrist.

Aiba wonders if Ohno notices he’s doing it. It happens when they’re partnered up on a job and alone for hours, no matter if Ohno’s driving or not. It happens when they’re sitting side by side on a boat waiting for fish to bite, when they’re at the movies, when they’re waiting in line at Disney Sea. It happens in bed, mostly before they fall asleep, whether or not they have sex.

Right now they’re in an Airport Limousine Bus on the way to Narita. It was Ohno’s idea to spend their year-end bonus on a trip to the Maldives, celebrate Aiba’s Christmas Eve birthday twice. He’s looking out the window, absentmindedly moving the pad of his thumb back and forth on Aiba’s pulse point.

Aiba removes his earphones and wriggles in his seat to face Ohno.

“Question,” says Aiba, jiggling his hand to make his point, “why do you like fingering my wrist so much?”

“Hm?”

“You do this a lot.” Aiba takes Ohno’s wrist and copies the action. “It’s like the second favourite thing you like to do with your hands. The first is picking your nose. That, I wish you’d stop.”

Ohno laughs. “I don’t do it with the same hand.”

“I know, I’ve noticed.”

Ohno strokes Aiba’s wrist, thoughtfully this time. “So you don’t like this?”

“It’s not that. I’m just wondering why.”

There’s a quirk in Ohno’s lips as he looks down at Aiba’s hand in his.

“It’s the only part of your body that extends your heartbeat out to me; it’s like your heart is reaching for me. I like that.”

Aiba is taken aback by the simplicity of Ohno’s explanation. He thinks he might cry.

“I love you,” blurts Aiba, tearing up for real now.

Ohno takes one look at him and starts blinking rapidly. His eyes turn wet.

“Aw, fuck. We’re not even drunk.” Ohno lightly thumps Aiba’s head and gives a soft chuckle. “I love you too.”

Aiba responds by burrowing into his seat so he can snuggle under Ohno’s chin and touch his nose to his jaw.

“Oh, get a fucking room,” Nino says from the row across theirs. He nudges Sho with his elbow and points at Aiba and Ohno. “Were we ever like that?”

“I don’t think we could’ve been like them even if we tried,” Sho ruffles the newspaper he’s reading, gives Nino a wry smile, “They’re beautiful and cute on the inside, and we’re… us. Or rather, you’re you.”

“Eat shit, Sakurai.”

“Nino. You fought me bitterly over the custody of a sex toy.”

“That penguin suit cost a bajillion yen to make, Sho. I’d like to think that was worth fighting for.”

“So you do get it when I say ‘you’re you’, right?”

“Stop it, you two,” says Jun from behind. He’s stretched out on the last row. “If you upset these guys they might change their minds about having sex with us. Think about it—sex in a fucking Maldives resort. Is this argument worth dashing that dream?”

They all stop to think.

“Man, I really pity whoever’s listening in to our conversation,” says Aiba. “Must be traumatic.”

The rest of the passengers on the bus fidget, clear their throats, cough and push the ear plugs further into their children’s ears.

“I’m a very bad boy,” sings Ohno out of the blue, and all five of them crack up.