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ninoexchange2016-06-17 10:19 pm
nino-mod.livejournal.com) wrote in ninoexchange2016-06-17 10:19 pm
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fic for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lotus (3/3)
For: lotus
From:auburn_witch
Part 2
It had taken all of Nino’s willpower to convince himself that he actually needed to go to the grocery store.
He hadn’t had breakfast, that day. Or lunch. His refrigerator, a considerate yet slightly over-protective sort, had become so distressed over Nino’s recent heartache that it had shut itself off, making all the perishables perish overnight. And since Nino hadn’t gotten out of bed all day, he hadn’t actually noticed before it was late afternoon.
Now, as he was dragging his feet back home carrying a bag of fresh onigiri, he was trying to distract himself from any and all his depressing thoughts by coming up with different ways of convincing his refrigerator to come back to life again. Which was a good idea, in theory. The problem was that it was distracting him just a bit too well.
Because unfortunately, Nino didn’t notice Jun approaching him before they were standing right in front of each other.
“What are you doing here?” Nino asked sharply, immediately taking a step backwards.
“Hey,” Jun said, and there was something gentle in his tone. “Are you okay? Ohno said you got sick.”
“I’m better, now,” Nino said shortly, actually considering making a run for it. “You should go.”
“Ohno also said there’s been a major power outage, since yesterday,” Jun continued, watching Nino with an infuriatingly knowing look in his eyes. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m great,” Nino snapped, actually glaring at Jun. “I’m fucking fantastic, okay? Just go away.”
“Can I kiss you?”
Nino stared at Jun, startled. And uncertain.
“I really liked kissing you, last time,” Jun continued, actually taking a small step closer. “I really like you, Nino. A lot.”
“That’s…” Nino swallowed, his mind spinning. “You don’t mean that.”
“Let me prove it, then,” Jun said, his tone as determined as ever. “Let me show you just how much I want you. Please, Nino.”
Jun was mere inches away, now. Nino took a deep breath, trying desperately to steady himself. Because if he didn’t, he’d never be able to allow himself to just let go.
When Nino finally managed a nod, Jun didn’t waste any time. Suddenly, Jun’s lips were on his, kissing him deeply, eagerly. It was a very different kiss from their first one, Nino thought dazedly. This time, Jun was the one pushing himself flush against Nino, his hands quickly finding their way to the small of Nino’s back. Yet there was also something very caring in Jun’s movements that Nino wasn’t familiar with, something like fondness or maybe even affection. It was there in how steadily Jun held Nino in his arms, and in the soft look in Jun’s eyes when they finally broke apart.
If Jun would always look at him like that, Nino thought, maybe his refrigerator wouldn’t have quite as many nervous breakdowns.
A moment later, when Nino glanced behind Jun, he froze. Because Nino definitely hadn’t expected to find Sho there, standing a few meters behind Jun. Looking right at them.
“It’s okay,” Jun said calmly, his eyes still on Nino. “Sho said he wanted to watch you, with me.”
“Right,” Nino managed, his voice shaking as he dared to continue. “Just watch?”
Jun smiled, shaking his head.
“Not for long, I don’t think,” he said. “Sho likes you, you know.”
“No,” Nino exclaimed, glancing at Sho in bewilderment. “I mean, I didn’t know. I don’t know.”
“He’s been trying to figure out a way to ask you out since he first met you,” Jun continued, looking rather amused. “Sho’s really sweet. And fortunately for me, he’s generous, too. It appears he won’t mind sharing.”
“He’s also really hot,” Nino couldn’t help but add, hating how breathless he sounded.
Jun grinned.
“Very true. Aren’t we lucky?”
“I can hear you both extremely well from over here.”
“Then maybe we should also mention Sho’s seriously great ass,” Jun replied, his eyes still on Nino’s. “Don’t you agree?”
“Hey! Other people might hear you, too.”
“You’re right. We should get out of here,” Jun said, glancing over at Sho to offer him an (almost) apologetic smile.
“My place is close,” Nino said, and thankfully he was able to keep his tone steadier, now. “We should… You’re welcome to come up. Both of you.”
Nino closed the door behind them, trying to keep his expression neutral as Sho and Jun curiously peered into his apartment. There were still several piles of boxes cluttering the hallway, although Nino had at least gotten around to unpacking some of them.
“Just moved in?” Jun wondered, his tone light.
“Five months ago,” Nino said, clearing his throat. “There’s been… I’ve been busy.”
“So you moved here almost exactly when the bakery first opened,” Sho noted curiously. “You came to live here because of it? Because of your new job?”
“You could say that.”
“Do you like it, here?”
“I guess? I don’t think anywhere else would be better. Not anymore.”
“How about we talk, later,” Jun interrupted, something almost protective in his eyes as he glanced towards Nino. “I think there’s a lot of conversations to be had, just maybe not at this exact moment?”
“It’s okay,” Nino said, offering them both a small, reassuring smile. “I’m all right.”
“I also think there’s a lot of other things we could be doing, right now,” Jun continued, grinning slightly. “Don’t you?”
“Definitely,” Sho was quick to agree, and Nino was startled to find Sho looking him up and down with a decidedly appreciative look in his eyes. “So, bedroom…?”
“Right,” Nino managed. “This way.”
As soon as they had all made it across the threshold, Jun didn’t waste any more time.
“Come here,” he told Nino firmly, already stepping into his space and pulling at his belt loops. “Sho wanted to watch first, remember? I say we give him a show.”
“That’s… Okay. Yeah.” Nino shot a quick glance at Sho, who definitely didn’t look displeased with the way things were going. “What are you-“
Yet Nino never got to finish his question, because Jun chose that moment to kiss him again.
This time, Nino wasn’t startled by the intense, almost impatient way Jun was kissing him. Instead, Jun’s eagerness only seemed to make Nino bolder. So when Jun’s fingers took hold of Nino’s t-shirt, tugging him closer, Nino reached up to entangle his hands in Jun’s hair. And when Jun pulled back just a bit, perhaps to get some air, Nino took the opportunity to leave a trail of kisses along Jun’s jaw.
“You’re wearing too many things,” Jun told him, his breath coming out ragged.
Nino grinned.
“We can fix that.”
Immediately, Jun’s hands grabbed the hem of Nino’s t-shirt, pulling it up over Nino’s head. His hands then moved towards Nino’s belt, yet Nino was quicker, going for the buttons on Jun’s shirt. A slightly awkward pause followed when Nino couldn’t quite get the buttons open and Jun had to help him, but soon enough Jun was shrugging out of the garment, carelessly dropping it on the floor.
Then Jun stepped forwards, reaching for Nino’s belt with new determination.
Jun quickly pulled Nino’s pants down, sinking to his knees as he did so. He then took a rather firm hold of Nino’s hips, guiding him two steps backwards so that he could sit down on the bed. Which Nino was incredibly grateful for a moment later, when Jun leaned forwards to place a kiss just above the base of Nino’s cock, through his briefs. Nino wasn’t sure if he could have kept his knees from wobbling, if he’d still been standing up.
As Jun kept kissing and mouthing Nino’s cock through his underwear, Nino couldn’t quite hold back his gasps and moans. He was getting hard so fast, almost embarrassingly fast considering that Jun was definitely feeling it, too. And to think they’d barely even gotten started – Jun was still half-dressed, and Sho hadn’t even joined them, yet. Nino almost wanted to ask Jun to go slower, much slower. Because he definitely wasn’t ready for this to be over anytime soon.
Yet when Jun pulled back slightly, only to lick a stripe all along Nino’s still covered cock, Nino couldn’t help his rather impatient groan.
“It’s been a while, for you?” Jun guessed, something rather curious in his eyes as he glanced up at Nino.
“You could say that,” Nino admitted shakily, not even wanting to think about how long it had actually been. “Don’t stop, please.”
“I was just thinking that we should get rid of these,” Jun suggested, tugging lightly on the hem of Nino’s briefs. “What do you say, Sho?”
“I’m with Nino,” Sho said, his voice tighter than Nino had heard it before. “Just keep going.”
Nino glanced up towards Sho, finding him leaning against the closed bedroom door, his pants unzipped and one hand pushed inside his own boxers. Nino’s eyes widened slightly, his gaze fixed on the steadfast movements of Sho’s hand. Yet before he had the chance to properly take in the decidedly pleasant view before him, Jun effectively got his attention back by finally pulling his underwear out of the way.
“I’m not going to last long,” Nino stammered as Jun took hold of his cock and pressed a soft kiss to the head. “Not long at all.”
“That’s all right, we can go again later.” Jun flashed him a brief smile. “Just relax. I’ve got you.”
And then, finally, Jun let his lips close around Nino’s cock. Nino let his eyes close as he moaned, the sensation almost too much, yet somehow still not enough.
“You both look so good, like that,” Sho said, and Nino opened his eyes again meet Sho’s intense, almost dark gaze. “So fucking good.”
“You should be over here,” Nino rasped out, his eyes drawn back to Sho’s hands, to the slow, almost lazy way he was touching himself, now. “You’re too far away, Sho.”
Sho just grinned.
“Later,” he said, his tone surprisingly firm, certain. Assertive, even. “Why don’t you tell Jun exactly what you want him to do to you, in the meantime?”
“That’s…” Nino’s breath hitched as Jun hollowed his cheeks around his cock. “If Jun just keeps doing exactly that, it’s… It’s perfect. Oh, God.”
“Do you want to know what I want you to do to me, later? What I’ve wanted you to do to me since I first saw you?”
Nino would have replied, if Jun’s hand hadn’t found his balls at that exact moment. As Jun begun to fondle them, still sucking hard on Nino’s cock, his tongue swirling around the head, Nino could barely even think straight, let alone find coherent responses to questions.
“I’m close,” he gasped out instead, his hands gripping the sheets tightly. “Really close, Jun, fuck-“
Sho still continued.
“I want you to fuck me, Nino,” he said, and Nino had never heard his tone quite so determined, so demanding, before. “I want you to give it to me hard, and fast. Would you like that? Would you like to just take me, Nino? To bury yourself deep inside, and-“
Nino didn’t even hear the rest of Sho’s sentence, because that’s when he came, Jun’s lips still wrapped firmly around his cock.
It took a few moments before Nino even realized that he had closed his eyes. When he opened them again he was still breathing heavily, but his heartbeats weren’t quite as fast anymore. Jun was wiping his chin, smiling up towards Nino.
“That was good,” he said, something rather cheeky in his tone. “Right?”
“Good is an understatement.” Nino managed a weak smile. “You’re fucking brilliant at this.”
“I’m a perfectionist,” Jun said, his tone a bit smug. “And I do love sucking cock. A lot. It’s proven a good combination.”
“You two are a good combination.”
Sho was grinning, and actually, finally making his way towards them.
Jun got up.
“Need a hand?” he wondered, gesturing almost casually towards Sho’s crotch. “Or however else you want it. I’m flexible.”
Yet Sho shook his head.
“You’re not the only one who’s good with your mouth,” he said, and Nino was surprised at how Sho for once didn’t look even a little bit embarrassed as he spoke, at the unfamiliar glint in Sho’s eyes. “Get on the bed. And for God’s sake, take off your pants already.”
Nino quickly moved out of the way to give Jun space on the bed, with Sho following as soon as he’d finally pulled off his pants and boxers, as well as his shirt. Once they got into position, Nino was quickly beginning to realize exactly why Sho had been content to just watch for so long. The sight of Jun and Sho before him – Sho’s mouth already closing over Jun’s half-hard cock, Jun leaning his head back and grunting deeply, his hand tangling in Sho’s hair, both of them bare naked and practically on display for Nino – it was nothing short of breathtaking. They truly did look so good together, Nino thought. So right. They belonged together, just like this.
Still, Nino couldn’t say he wasn’t anything but pleased when Sho pulled back for a moment to look behind him, his eyes finding Nino’s.
“Do you have lube?” he wondered, something meaningful in his tone. “And condoms.”
“Sure,” Nino said, already moving over to his bedside table, feeling only slightly confused. “You need it?”
“Actually,” Sho said, watching Nino quite carefully as he continued. “I was thinking you might need it. I meant what I said before, you know.”
“Oh,” Nino breathed out. “You mean, right now? At the same time as…?”
“Yes,” Jun said, before Sho even had the chance to answer. “God yes. That sounds so perfect.”
Sho was grinning.
“I’d love that, if you want to,” he told Nino, raising a curious eyebrow. “So?”
“Yeah, yes.” Nino cleared his throat, a bit flustered yet already tingling from anticipation. “Of course.”
“Come here, then,” Sho said, sitting up for a moment. “I want to kiss you, first.”
Kissing Sho was nothing like kissing Jun. Where Jun was firm, and fierce, and eager, Sho was relaxed, and gentle, and curious. It felt as if they were exploring one another, Nino thought, as if Sho was trying to learn him, to commit the touch of Nino’s lips to memory.
When they broke apart, Sho was smiling softly. Jun, meanwhile, was watching them closely, his expression equal parts pleased and impatient.
“Don’t hold back,” Sho told Nino quietly, tracing his finger across Nino’s lower lip before finally letting go. “I want to take everything you can give me.”
Nino nodded, taking a deep, steadying breath.
“Good,” he said, and he was almost surprised at how calm he managed to sound. “Just the way I like it.”
Sho glanced at him one last time, something decidedly appreciative in his eyes, before he turned towards Jun again. Quickly, he sunk back down on all fours, lowering his head. Jun was moaning almost as soon as Sho’s lips were back on him, his hands immediately finding their way back into Sho’s hair. Nino allowed himself to watch the two of them for just another moment, before he carefully picked up the tiny bottle.
He settled behind Sho, squeezing a generous amount of lube onto his finger before carefully working it inside. It took him a few seconds to get the angle just right, but he didn’t need to doubt the moment when he found Sho’s prostate – Sho groaned deeply around Jun’s cock, his grip on the sheets tightening.
Nino grinned.
Slowly, he worked another finger inside Sho, making slow, scissoring movements and taking care to brush against Sho’s prostate every single time. After a while, Sho kept shifting back and forth on the bed, his cock fully erect, now. His mouth was still on Jun’s cock, licking his length up and down dutifully, yet he seemed to pause every now and then, clearly distracted. Not that Nino could blame him. After all, he knew exactly what he was doing to Sho. What he had been doing to Sho for quite a while, now.
“Wait just a bit,” Nino finally said, pulling out his fingers and reaching for a condom packet. “I’ll be ready in a second.”
“Not sure if I can last that long,” Jun breathed out, his grip in Sho’s hair much tighter, now. “You should hurry.”
“Don’t worry,” Nino told him, already lining himself up behind Sho, the condom securely in place. “Sho likes it fast.”
Nino still went slow on his first thrust, carefully letting himself slide all the way inside Sho. Yet on his second one, Nino didn’t hold back even a little bit, just like he’d promised. Instead he simply pushed himself forwards, thrusting all the way in one go. It made Sho moan loudly around Jun’s cock, his entire body shaking.
“You need to do that again,” Jun gasped out, his eyes locked on Nino’s. “Fuck, you two look so hot like this.”
Nino didn’t need to be asked twice. He set a quick pace, thrusting relentlessly into Sho again and again, his grip on Sho’s hips firm. Sho kept up a stream of low moans in response, his mouth still secure around Jun’s cock, still sucking on the head. Jun was actually shaking beneath him, his coherency almost entirely gone. He did manage a breathless “Fuck, I’m so close,” before he came, giving Sho the chance to pull back, should he want to. Yet Sho took Jun deeper into his mouth, instead, swallowing Jun’s come with almost stubborn eagerness. Nino quickened his pace even more, after that, bringing both himself and Sho over the edge only moments later.
Nino awkwardly pulled himself out of Sho, before he all but collapsed on top of him. Sho, meanwhile, was resting his head on Jun’s thigh. He panting heavily.
“I knew this was a good idea,” was the first thing Jun said, his tone rather smug.
“I really need a shower,” Sho muttered, yet his smile was very satisfied as he turned towards Nino. “Would you mind terribly if I actually did shower, right now?”
“Not at all,” Nino quickly agreed, trying not to feel too disappointed that Sho seemed to be leaving, already. “There’s towels and everything in the bathroom.”
“Great,” Sho said, already starting to get up. “Which way?”
“First door on your right.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, wait.”
Sho paused, looking expectantly at Jun, who for once seemed slightly hesitant.
“It’s just, we’ve never kissed,” he told Sho, speaking very quickly. “And I think that’s a shame.”
Nino quickly glanced from Jun to Sho, actually gaping. Sho, meanwhile, was smiling softly.
“All right,” he agreed easily, leaning back towards Jun. “Come here.”
Jun met him halfway, taking a careful hold of Sho’s chin as their lips met. Their kiss was brief, just a fleeting yet gentle brush of lips, almost an afterthought to what they had shared earlier. When they broke apart, Jun was smiling, too.
“How come you never actually kissed, before tonight?” Nino couldn’t help but ask, only just managing to keep his tone steady. “You’ve been really close, for a while.”
“We weren’t quite… I’ve been too busy trying to chase after you, I think,” Sho said, glancing a bit unsurely at Nino. “Why? What did you think?”
“You thought we were already together,” Jun said, before Nino had the chance to answer. “Didn’t you?”
“What, you’re not even… Really?” Nino was starting to sound rather doubtful, now. “But you’ve been spending so much time with each other. And I know you went out for dinner last night, just the two of you. I saw you.”
“We did that, yeah,” Sho admitted, and now he was looking almost embarrassed, again. “But that was… We were actually there to talk about you.”
“You… Really?”
“Yeah,” Jun said, grinning towards Nino. “We’ve spent quite a lot of time, talking about you.”
“But that’s…” Nino took a deep breath, struggling to process that decidedly unlikely piece of information. “Why?”
“Well,” Sho said, raising both eyebrows. “Shouldn’t that be quite obvious, by now?”
Nino just looked at the two of them for a moment. Reminding himself of the fact that they were actually there, in his own bed. Decidedly undressed. And while Nino still couldn’t quite understand why in the world Sho and Jun would want him with them this way, when they had the option to just be with each other without complicating things, he might at least be able to start believing that it wasn’t just his own wishful thinking, anymore.
“I suppose, yeah,” Nino finally replied, and this time he couldn’t find any reason to hold back his soft smile as he looked at them. “This is all very… I never thought this could actually happen.”
“Me neither, at first,” Sho told him, returning his smile. “But I’m glad we got here.”
Jun, meanwhile, was watching Nino with an almost thoughtful expression.
“So, did you cause the power outage?” he wanted to know.
Nino paused for a moment, glancing towards Sho. Sho’s expression had turned slightly confused at Jun’s question. He was watching Nino quite carefully, evidently waiting for his answer.
Nino took a deep breath, turning back towards Jun. And then he nodded.
“I didn’t even realize it had happened, until this morning,” he told Jun. “Yesterday I was too upset to notice, I think. And I’ve never actually done anything like that, before.”
“Hold on,” Sho interjected, his tone tentatively doubtful. “How did you cause a power outage? That’s absurd.”
Nino hesitated again, not quite looking at Sho. Because Sho was right, in a way. It was a bit absurd.
“It’s okay,” Jun told him gently. “I actually believe you, you know.”
“Thanks,” Nino mumbled, taking a deep breath and finally looking up to face Sho. “So. This is going to sound a bit weird.”
“Okay,” Sho said, and now he was starting to actually look worried. “Weird, as in…?”
Nino exchanged one final look with Jun, before he begun to speak.
“There’s a pager, in the left pocket of your jacket. A Motorola Advisor II, to be precise. You’ve been carrying it around for about three years, even though you haven’t actually used it for the past two. Which isn’t strange, I mean, who even owns a pager anymore? But the thing is, it’s starting to feel pretty lonely. It’s a very social piece of electronics, very communicative. Do you think you could just try turning it on and off, from time to time? I bet it’d like that.”
The next morning, Nino was both really happy, and really annoyed, that Jun and Sho picked a table right by the counter.
“I’ve actually got work to do,” he sighed, practically shoving the cups of coffee into their hands. “Are you guys going to hang around here all the time, now?”
“Like we didn’t do that, before,” Sho pointed out, his smile as charming as ever. “When’s your lunch break?”
“Quarter past twelve.”
“There’s a back room, right?” Jun filled in, his tone suggestive. “Think you can sneak us in?”
“Absolutely not. Ohno would never forgive me.”
“I would never forgive you for what?”
Nino turned around, coming face to face with Ohno who had chosen that precise moment to wander out from the back room.
“For dropping the lemon meringue pies,” Nino told him, not missing a beat.
“That would be bad,” Ohno agreed, before glancing over at Jun and Sho, his expressions curious. “So. You two found Nino.”
“We did. Thanks for your help.”
“No problem,” Ohno said, his tone rather smug. “I thought it’d be the fastest way to get the power back on.”
“Hey!”
“Well, it worked,” Ohno said, grinning sheepishly towards Nino. “Right?”
“That’s none of your business, you-“
Suddenly, Nino fell silent.
He was staring out the shop window, completely frozen. He had clenched his hands tightly, desperately, and it almost seemed like he wasn’t even breathing anymore. Ohno just watched him for a moment, confused, before he turned to follow Nino’s gaze out the window.
“Oh,” Ohno then said, his tone very surprised. “That’s Yuriko, isn’t it?”
The door opened.
“Nino!”
“It’s really Nino!”
Ohno quickly backed away, smiling as two little girls ran into the bakery. They bolted around the counter, not even glancing at the huge display of cakes and cookies as they went and throwing themselves right into Nino’s arms, instead.
“We’ve missed you!”
“I’ve grown, Nino! I’m almost as tall as Minori now!”
“I’ve missed you, too,” Nino said, his voice unusually thick. “So much.”
“Don’t you think I’m tall, Nino?”
“Definitely,” Nino was quick to reassure the girl, pulling back slightly to look at her, his smile more affectionate than Ohno had seen it in a long time. “As tall as a giraffe, I’d say.”
Sayumi giggled.
“I’m not that tall.”
Yuriko, who had made her way over to the counter a bit slower, was smiling brightly.
“I’d tell them to calm down,” she said, her tone fond. “But I have a feeling they wouldn’t listen to me even a little bit, right now.”
“It’s nice to see you again,” Ohno told her, offering her a smile. “How have you been?”
“Better, recently.” Yuriko grinned. “I filed for divorce.”
“What?” Nino exclaimed, actually looking away from the girls to face her for a moment. “Did something happen, with Shuji?”
“Shuji has moved to Australia,” Yuriko said, sounding absolutely delighted. “Permanently. Apparently, he was offered a promotion he couldn’t refuse.”
“Oh,” Nino said, sounding almost hopeful, “But he still has custody, right? He’ll still be their legal guardian, along with you?”
“No, that’s the best part. Shuji doesn’t actually want custody.”
“No,” Nino said, his tone sharp. “That’s just… That’s heartless. What’s he thinking?”
“Well, I think we all knew he never going to be father of the year,” Yuriko said, rolling her eyes. “Seems like the realization has caught up with him, too.”
“Mom,” Minori said, frowning. “What does custody mean?”
“It’s a word you learn when you’re older, sweetie,” Yuriko told her firmly, before facing Nino again. “That’s actually only half the reason I came here, today.”
“Oh?”
“I need a baby sitter, tonight,” Yuriko said, smiling. “Got time?”
“Yes,” Nino said immediately, his tone eager. “Of course.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Yuriko said, looking very pleased. “I’ll be working a bit more, now, so I could definitely use your help from time to time. I know I can trust you completely, with the girls.”
“That’s…” Nino took a deep, steadying breath. “That really means so much, it’s… Thank you. Truly.”
“Nino,” Sayumi interrupted, tugging at his sleeve, because apparently she was tired of being ignored, now. “Are they your friends?”
She was pointing towards Sho and Jun, who had been watching the whole exchange quite curiously from their table.
“This is Jun, and Sho,” Nino said, lifting Sayumi up so that she could see them better. “They’re very important to me.”
“I’m Sayumi,” Sayumi said, her tone almost formal. “This is Minori, she’s taller. Nino is very important, to me.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Sho said, smiling kindly towards her. “Nino is very important to us, too.”
“Nino,” Minori interrupted, pulling at his hand. “I want hot chocolate. Mom said you could make hot chocolate here? Since it’s a coffee shop.”
“Bakery,” Ohno muttered.
“Your mom’s right,” Nino said, carefully setting Sayumi down. “Come on, let’s get cups for you two. We’ll need the microwave. And milk.”
As Nino and the girls went over to the fridge, Yuriko turned curiously towards Sho and Jun.
“Very important,” she echoed, looking rather amused. “Is that what the kids call it, these days?”
“That’s… I guess we haven’t really put a label on this,” Sho told her, looking just a bit embarrassed. “Not yet, anyway.”
“Were you and Nino ever together, Yuriko-san?” Jun asked bluntly, glancing over towards Nino and the girls. “You seem really close.”
“Goodness, no,” Yuriko exclaimed, grinning. “Nino is extremely, exclusively gay. You didn’t know that?”
“I don’t think we’ve actually asked,” Sho realized, his expression a bit surprised. “Good to know, though.”
“Nino was actually dating my husband, before,” Yuriko continued. “We all lived together up until about half a year ago.”
“Really,” Jun said, watching Yuriko with curious interest. “So you knew, about the two of them?”
“Shuji asked me if it was okay,” Yuriko said, grimacing. “I only agreed because Nino seemed really nice. At least I was right about that part.”
“Your husband is bi?”
“Unfortunately, no. And if I’d known that earlier, he never would have been my husband.”
“How long were they together?”
“Three years,” Yuriko said, looking over towards Nino and the girls, who were making their way back towards them, now. “That’s half of Sayumi’s life, you know.”
“Mom, Nino’s hot chocolate is the best!” Minori told them excitedly, holding her paper cup carefully. “Why is it never as good when you make it?”
“Well,” Yuriko said, looking up to catch Nino’s eye. “Guess our microwave just doesn’t like me as much.”
Nino grinned.
“I’m sure it’ll warm up to you, eventually.”
“That is a terrible pun,” Yuriko stated decisively. “Come on girls, we need to get going.”
“But I want to stay with Nino!”
Nino crouched down before the girls again, taking both of their hands.
“I’ll come see you tonight,” his tone firm, dependable. Trustworthy, hopefully. “And actually, I still have presents for you two. Since Christmas.”
“You do?” Sayumi said immediately, yet her tone was very serious as she continued. “Just remember that you can’t tell us what the present is before, Nino. That’s not how Christmas works.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Nino reassured her, squeezing both of their hands. “I promise.”
Sayumi nodded, looking very satisfied. Minori sighed, rolling her eyes at her sister. Yet she was smiling, too.
“All right, you two,” Yuriko said. “We need to get going.”
“What time should I come by, tonight?” Nino wondered, getting to his feet again.
“Around six, if that’s possible?”
“Sure. What are you doing tonight, by the way? Anything special?”
“Yes, actually,” Yuriko said, her tone very excited. “I’m meeting someone.”
“Really?” Nino wondered curiously. “What’s he like?”
“Heterosexual,” Yuriko replied immediately, grinning. “I can’t wait.”
“I see,” Nino said, returning her smile. “That’s great. I’m so happy for you.”
“And I for you,” Yuriko said, nodding not-so-subtly towards Jun and Sho’s table. “You’ve done quite well for yourself, I’d say.”
“Okay, I think that’s your cue,” Nino said, looking just a little bit flustered. “See you all tonight.”
“All right, then. See you soon. Say bye to Nino, girls.”
“Bye Nino!”
“Don’t forget our presents!”
Nino waved after the three of them, watching with a small smile as they stepped out of the bakery and disappeared along the street. Then he took a deep breath, actually feeling rather nervous as he slowly turned back towards Jun and Sho.
“I think that’s my cue, too,” Ohno said quickly, already turning around. “I’ve got a cake to bake. See you all later.”
And so Ohno left, too, disappearing into the back room.
“I…” Nino then begun, feeling very hesitant. “I didn’t know they were coming, today.”
“It’s fine,” Sho said, smiling gently towards Nino. “They seemed really sweet. You must have missed them a lot, these past months.”
“You could say that,” Nino admitted, his tone shaky. “Did Yuriko tell you, about me and Shuji…?”
“Yeah. He doesn’t sound like a particularly great guy.”
“I was in love with him, once,” Nino admitted, yet he was grimacing as he spoke. “But right now, I’m mostly feeling sorry for all of Australia.”
Sho chuckled at that, shaking his head in amusement. Jun, meanwhile, was looking rather thoughtful.
“Minori really liked your hot chocolate,” he said, speaking slowly. “Isn’t that quite interesting?”
“Is it?” Nino wondered, confused. “She’s eight. Kids like sweet stuff.”
“Maybe,” Jun allowed, yet he still didn’t look convinced. “I have another theory, though. A theory about you. Care to hear it?”
“Sure,” Nino said, even though he was beginning to feel a bit weary.
“I think electrical appliances are just as in-tune with your feelings, as you are with theirs,” Jun said, watching Nino closely as he spoke. “It makes the most sense that the bond would go both ways. And I think that when you really like something, or someone, that feeling can become materialized into something you make if you’re using an appliance. Like a cup of hot chocolate. Or coffee.” Jun paused, thinking for a moment. “Although that might actually be more of a hypothesis, than a theory. Since we don’t have enough evidence. But still.”
“You really are such a wannabe scientist,” Nino muttered. Yet he seemed to actually be considering it. “I already know that I can influence the flavor of the coffee a bit, just by thinking about it. I do that a lot.”
“Supporting evidence,” Jun said, grinning. “Interesting.”
“Do you do anything special with our coffee?” Sho wanted to know.
“Maybe,” Nino said, quickly continuing. “I can also make the coffee taste really bad, though. If I want to.”
“But you don’t do that to our coffee,” Jun filled in, something knowing in his tone. “Right?”
“No, I…” Nino cleared his throat, trying yet failing to come up with a smooth way of changing the subject. “No. Of course not.”
Suddenly, the coffee machine made a series of distinct, clanking sounds.
“What was that?” Sho immediately wanted to know, looking quizzically at the machine. “Does it talk? What did it say?”
“That’s a bit hard to explain.”
“Why? I guess it doesn’t speak in words?”
“Oh, it does, actually. It’s words. The problem is, this coffee machine is unusually hard to follow, when it gets excited. And actually, it’s usually excited.”
“Does it have a name…?”
“It’s called Aiba. Or so I’m told.”
“Really,” Sho said, fascinated. “Hello, Aiba.”
The coffee machine flashed it’s green power light twice. Sho stared at it, actually gaping. Jun, on the other hand, sighed deeply.
“Should have gone for electrical engineering instead,” he muttered, shaking his head. “That would have been so much more useful, now.”
“This is actually really interesting,” Sho said, yet he was checking his watch. “But I unfortunately have to go now. I have a meeting at ten.”
“And I’m holding a seminar, after lunch,” Jun added, finishing his coffee.
“You’ll be back tomorrow?” Nino wondered hopefully.
“Of course,” Sho said, and there was something rather meaningful in his undertone as he continued. “Are you free, tomorrow night?”
“Yes,” Nino said, just a little more breathless than before. “I am.”
“Me too,” Jun filled in, offering them both one of his most charming smiles. “My place?”
“Sounds perfect.”
Finally, both Jun and Sho got up, gathering their things.
“See you tomorrow,” Sho told Nino pleasantly.
“I want extra love in my morning coffee,” Jun added cheekily.
“That’ll be an extra thousand yen, then,” Nino countered, grinning. “Looking forward to doing business with you.”
After Jun and Sho had left, Nino finally got back to work. He needed to restock the display, and wipe down a few tables, and make sure they had fresh coffee ready. Preferably before the lunchtime rush. Yet even though the bakery was empty at the moment, Nino found himself getting distracted again, and again.
Because the coffee machine just wouldn’t stop whirring.
“Look,” Nino finally said, turning towards the machine with a frown. “It doesn’t even matter. Because there’s absolutely no way I could tell them that, so soon. I mean, we haven’t even been on an official date, yet.”
The machine buzzed loudly.
“No, having really amazing sex definitely doesn’t count as a date.”
The machine rattled it’s coffee bean compartment stubbornly. Nino sighed.
“What do you know about love, anyway?” he wondered, actually glaring at the appliance. “You’re a coffee machine.”
The machine was quiet for a long moment. And then it clinked. Twice.
Nino couldn’t help his grin, at that.
“Touche.”
lotusFrom:
auburn_witchPart 2
It had taken all of Nino’s willpower to convince himself that he actually needed to go to the grocery store.
He hadn’t had breakfast, that day. Or lunch. His refrigerator, a considerate yet slightly over-protective sort, had become so distressed over Nino’s recent heartache that it had shut itself off, making all the perishables perish overnight. And since Nino hadn’t gotten out of bed all day, he hadn’t actually noticed before it was late afternoon.
Now, as he was dragging his feet back home carrying a bag of fresh onigiri, he was trying to distract himself from any and all his depressing thoughts by coming up with different ways of convincing his refrigerator to come back to life again. Which was a good idea, in theory. The problem was that it was distracting him just a bit too well.
Because unfortunately, Nino didn’t notice Jun approaching him before they were standing right in front of each other.
“What are you doing here?” Nino asked sharply, immediately taking a step backwards.
“Hey,” Jun said, and there was something gentle in his tone. “Are you okay? Ohno said you got sick.”
“I’m better, now,” Nino said shortly, actually considering making a run for it. “You should go.”
“Ohno also said there’s been a major power outage, since yesterday,” Jun continued, watching Nino with an infuriatingly knowing look in his eyes. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m great,” Nino snapped, actually glaring at Jun. “I’m fucking fantastic, okay? Just go away.”
“Can I kiss you?”
Nino stared at Jun, startled. And uncertain.
“I really liked kissing you, last time,” Jun continued, actually taking a small step closer. “I really like you, Nino. A lot.”
“That’s…” Nino swallowed, his mind spinning. “You don’t mean that.”
“Let me prove it, then,” Jun said, his tone as determined as ever. “Let me show you just how much I want you. Please, Nino.”
Jun was mere inches away, now. Nino took a deep breath, trying desperately to steady himself. Because if he didn’t, he’d never be able to allow himself to just let go.
When Nino finally managed a nod, Jun didn’t waste any time. Suddenly, Jun’s lips were on his, kissing him deeply, eagerly. It was a very different kiss from their first one, Nino thought dazedly. This time, Jun was the one pushing himself flush against Nino, his hands quickly finding their way to the small of Nino’s back. Yet there was also something very caring in Jun’s movements that Nino wasn’t familiar with, something like fondness or maybe even affection. It was there in how steadily Jun held Nino in his arms, and in the soft look in Jun’s eyes when they finally broke apart.
If Jun would always look at him like that, Nino thought, maybe his refrigerator wouldn’t have quite as many nervous breakdowns.
A moment later, when Nino glanced behind Jun, he froze. Because Nino definitely hadn’t expected to find Sho there, standing a few meters behind Jun. Looking right at them.
“It’s okay,” Jun said calmly, his eyes still on Nino. “Sho said he wanted to watch you, with me.”
“Right,” Nino managed, his voice shaking as he dared to continue. “Just watch?”
Jun smiled, shaking his head.
“Not for long, I don’t think,” he said. “Sho likes you, you know.”
“No,” Nino exclaimed, glancing at Sho in bewilderment. “I mean, I didn’t know. I don’t know.”
“He’s been trying to figure out a way to ask you out since he first met you,” Jun continued, looking rather amused. “Sho’s really sweet. And fortunately for me, he’s generous, too. It appears he won’t mind sharing.”
“He’s also really hot,” Nino couldn’t help but add, hating how breathless he sounded.
Jun grinned.
“Very true. Aren’t we lucky?”
“I can hear you both extremely well from over here.”
“Then maybe we should also mention Sho’s seriously great ass,” Jun replied, his eyes still on Nino’s. “Don’t you agree?”
“Hey! Other people might hear you, too.”
“You’re right. We should get out of here,” Jun said, glancing over at Sho to offer him an (almost) apologetic smile.
“My place is close,” Nino said, and thankfully he was able to keep his tone steadier, now. “We should… You’re welcome to come up. Both of you.”
~*~*~
Nino closed the door behind them, trying to keep his expression neutral as Sho and Jun curiously peered into his apartment. There were still several piles of boxes cluttering the hallway, although Nino had at least gotten around to unpacking some of them.
“Just moved in?” Jun wondered, his tone light.
“Five months ago,” Nino said, clearing his throat. “There’s been… I’ve been busy.”
“So you moved here almost exactly when the bakery first opened,” Sho noted curiously. “You came to live here because of it? Because of your new job?”
“You could say that.”
“Do you like it, here?”
“I guess? I don’t think anywhere else would be better. Not anymore.”
“How about we talk, later,” Jun interrupted, something almost protective in his eyes as he glanced towards Nino. “I think there’s a lot of conversations to be had, just maybe not at this exact moment?”
“It’s okay,” Nino said, offering them both a small, reassuring smile. “I’m all right.”
“I also think there’s a lot of other things we could be doing, right now,” Jun continued, grinning slightly. “Don’t you?”
“Definitely,” Sho was quick to agree, and Nino was startled to find Sho looking him up and down with a decidedly appreciative look in his eyes. “So, bedroom…?”
“Right,” Nino managed. “This way.”
As soon as they had all made it across the threshold, Jun didn’t waste any more time.
“Come here,” he told Nino firmly, already stepping into his space and pulling at his belt loops. “Sho wanted to watch first, remember? I say we give him a show.”
“That’s… Okay. Yeah.” Nino shot a quick glance at Sho, who definitely didn’t look displeased with the way things were going. “What are you-“
Yet Nino never got to finish his question, because Jun chose that moment to kiss him again.
This time, Nino wasn’t startled by the intense, almost impatient way Jun was kissing him. Instead, Jun’s eagerness only seemed to make Nino bolder. So when Jun’s fingers took hold of Nino’s t-shirt, tugging him closer, Nino reached up to entangle his hands in Jun’s hair. And when Jun pulled back just a bit, perhaps to get some air, Nino took the opportunity to leave a trail of kisses along Jun’s jaw.
“You’re wearing too many things,” Jun told him, his breath coming out ragged.
Nino grinned.
“We can fix that.”
Immediately, Jun’s hands grabbed the hem of Nino’s t-shirt, pulling it up over Nino’s head. His hands then moved towards Nino’s belt, yet Nino was quicker, going for the buttons on Jun’s shirt. A slightly awkward pause followed when Nino couldn’t quite get the buttons open and Jun had to help him, but soon enough Jun was shrugging out of the garment, carelessly dropping it on the floor.
Then Jun stepped forwards, reaching for Nino’s belt with new determination.
Jun quickly pulled Nino’s pants down, sinking to his knees as he did so. He then took a rather firm hold of Nino’s hips, guiding him two steps backwards so that he could sit down on the bed. Which Nino was incredibly grateful for a moment later, when Jun leaned forwards to place a kiss just above the base of Nino’s cock, through his briefs. Nino wasn’t sure if he could have kept his knees from wobbling, if he’d still been standing up.
As Jun kept kissing and mouthing Nino’s cock through his underwear, Nino couldn’t quite hold back his gasps and moans. He was getting hard so fast, almost embarrassingly fast considering that Jun was definitely feeling it, too. And to think they’d barely even gotten started – Jun was still half-dressed, and Sho hadn’t even joined them, yet. Nino almost wanted to ask Jun to go slower, much slower. Because he definitely wasn’t ready for this to be over anytime soon.
Yet when Jun pulled back slightly, only to lick a stripe all along Nino’s still covered cock, Nino couldn’t help his rather impatient groan.
“It’s been a while, for you?” Jun guessed, something rather curious in his eyes as he glanced up at Nino.
“You could say that,” Nino admitted shakily, not even wanting to think about how long it had actually been. “Don’t stop, please.”
“I was just thinking that we should get rid of these,” Jun suggested, tugging lightly on the hem of Nino’s briefs. “What do you say, Sho?”
“I’m with Nino,” Sho said, his voice tighter than Nino had heard it before. “Just keep going.”
Nino glanced up towards Sho, finding him leaning against the closed bedroom door, his pants unzipped and one hand pushed inside his own boxers. Nino’s eyes widened slightly, his gaze fixed on the steadfast movements of Sho’s hand. Yet before he had the chance to properly take in the decidedly pleasant view before him, Jun effectively got his attention back by finally pulling his underwear out of the way.
“I’m not going to last long,” Nino stammered as Jun took hold of his cock and pressed a soft kiss to the head. “Not long at all.”
“That’s all right, we can go again later.” Jun flashed him a brief smile. “Just relax. I’ve got you.”
And then, finally, Jun let his lips close around Nino’s cock. Nino let his eyes close as he moaned, the sensation almost too much, yet somehow still not enough.
“You both look so good, like that,” Sho said, and Nino opened his eyes again meet Sho’s intense, almost dark gaze. “So fucking good.”
“You should be over here,” Nino rasped out, his eyes drawn back to Sho’s hands, to the slow, almost lazy way he was touching himself, now. “You’re too far away, Sho.”
Sho just grinned.
“Later,” he said, his tone surprisingly firm, certain. Assertive, even. “Why don’t you tell Jun exactly what you want him to do to you, in the meantime?”
“That’s…” Nino’s breath hitched as Jun hollowed his cheeks around his cock. “If Jun just keeps doing exactly that, it’s… It’s perfect. Oh, God.”
“Do you want to know what I want you to do to me, later? What I’ve wanted you to do to me since I first saw you?”
Nino would have replied, if Jun’s hand hadn’t found his balls at that exact moment. As Jun begun to fondle them, still sucking hard on Nino’s cock, his tongue swirling around the head, Nino could barely even think straight, let alone find coherent responses to questions.
“I’m close,” he gasped out instead, his hands gripping the sheets tightly. “Really close, Jun, fuck-“
Sho still continued.
“I want you to fuck me, Nino,” he said, and Nino had never heard his tone quite so determined, so demanding, before. “I want you to give it to me hard, and fast. Would you like that? Would you like to just take me, Nino? To bury yourself deep inside, and-“
Nino didn’t even hear the rest of Sho’s sentence, because that’s when he came, Jun’s lips still wrapped firmly around his cock.
It took a few moments before Nino even realized that he had closed his eyes. When he opened them again he was still breathing heavily, but his heartbeats weren’t quite as fast anymore. Jun was wiping his chin, smiling up towards Nino.
“That was good,” he said, something rather cheeky in his tone. “Right?”
“Good is an understatement.” Nino managed a weak smile. “You’re fucking brilliant at this.”
“I’m a perfectionist,” Jun said, his tone a bit smug. “And I do love sucking cock. A lot. It’s proven a good combination.”
“You two are a good combination.”
Sho was grinning, and actually, finally making his way towards them.
Jun got up.
“Need a hand?” he wondered, gesturing almost casually towards Sho’s crotch. “Or however else you want it. I’m flexible.”
Yet Sho shook his head.
“You’re not the only one who’s good with your mouth,” he said, and Nino was surprised at how Sho for once didn’t look even a little bit embarrassed as he spoke, at the unfamiliar glint in Sho’s eyes. “Get on the bed. And for God’s sake, take off your pants already.”
Nino quickly moved out of the way to give Jun space on the bed, with Sho following as soon as he’d finally pulled off his pants and boxers, as well as his shirt. Once they got into position, Nino was quickly beginning to realize exactly why Sho had been content to just watch for so long. The sight of Jun and Sho before him – Sho’s mouth already closing over Jun’s half-hard cock, Jun leaning his head back and grunting deeply, his hand tangling in Sho’s hair, both of them bare naked and practically on display for Nino – it was nothing short of breathtaking. They truly did look so good together, Nino thought. So right. They belonged together, just like this.
Still, Nino couldn’t say he wasn’t anything but pleased when Sho pulled back for a moment to look behind him, his eyes finding Nino’s.
“Do you have lube?” he wondered, something meaningful in his tone. “And condoms.”
“Sure,” Nino said, already moving over to his bedside table, feeling only slightly confused. “You need it?”
“Actually,” Sho said, watching Nino quite carefully as he continued. “I was thinking you might need it. I meant what I said before, you know.”
“Oh,” Nino breathed out. “You mean, right now? At the same time as…?”
“Yes,” Jun said, before Sho even had the chance to answer. “God yes. That sounds so perfect.”
Sho was grinning.
“I’d love that, if you want to,” he told Nino, raising a curious eyebrow. “So?”
“Yeah, yes.” Nino cleared his throat, a bit flustered yet already tingling from anticipation. “Of course.”
“Come here, then,” Sho said, sitting up for a moment. “I want to kiss you, first.”
Kissing Sho was nothing like kissing Jun. Where Jun was firm, and fierce, and eager, Sho was relaxed, and gentle, and curious. It felt as if they were exploring one another, Nino thought, as if Sho was trying to learn him, to commit the touch of Nino’s lips to memory.
When they broke apart, Sho was smiling softly. Jun, meanwhile, was watching them closely, his expression equal parts pleased and impatient.
“Don’t hold back,” Sho told Nino quietly, tracing his finger across Nino’s lower lip before finally letting go. “I want to take everything you can give me.”
Nino nodded, taking a deep, steadying breath.
“Good,” he said, and he was almost surprised at how calm he managed to sound. “Just the way I like it.”
Sho glanced at him one last time, something decidedly appreciative in his eyes, before he turned towards Jun again. Quickly, he sunk back down on all fours, lowering his head. Jun was moaning almost as soon as Sho’s lips were back on him, his hands immediately finding their way back into Sho’s hair. Nino allowed himself to watch the two of them for just another moment, before he carefully picked up the tiny bottle.
He settled behind Sho, squeezing a generous amount of lube onto his finger before carefully working it inside. It took him a few seconds to get the angle just right, but he didn’t need to doubt the moment when he found Sho’s prostate – Sho groaned deeply around Jun’s cock, his grip on the sheets tightening.
Nino grinned.
Slowly, he worked another finger inside Sho, making slow, scissoring movements and taking care to brush against Sho’s prostate every single time. After a while, Sho kept shifting back and forth on the bed, his cock fully erect, now. His mouth was still on Jun’s cock, licking his length up and down dutifully, yet he seemed to pause every now and then, clearly distracted. Not that Nino could blame him. After all, he knew exactly what he was doing to Sho. What he had been doing to Sho for quite a while, now.
“Wait just a bit,” Nino finally said, pulling out his fingers and reaching for a condom packet. “I’ll be ready in a second.”
“Not sure if I can last that long,” Jun breathed out, his grip in Sho’s hair much tighter, now. “You should hurry.”
“Don’t worry,” Nino told him, already lining himself up behind Sho, the condom securely in place. “Sho likes it fast.”
Nino still went slow on his first thrust, carefully letting himself slide all the way inside Sho. Yet on his second one, Nino didn’t hold back even a little bit, just like he’d promised. Instead he simply pushed himself forwards, thrusting all the way in one go. It made Sho moan loudly around Jun’s cock, his entire body shaking.
“You need to do that again,” Jun gasped out, his eyes locked on Nino’s. “Fuck, you two look so hot like this.”
Nino didn’t need to be asked twice. He set a quick pace, thrusting relentlessly into Sho again and again, his grip on Sho’s hips firm. Sho kept up a stream of low moans in response, his mouth still secure around Jun’s cock, still sucking on the head. Jun was actually shaking beneath him, his coherency almost entirely gone. He did manage a breathless “Fuck, I’m so close,” before he came, giving Sho the chance to pull back, should he want to. Yet Sho took Jun deeper into his mouth, instead, swallowing Jun’s come with almost stubborn eagerness. Nino quickened his pace even more, after that, bringing both himself and Sho over the edge only moments later.
Nino awkwardly pulled himself out of Sho, before he all but collapsed on top of him. Sho, meanwhile, was resting his head on Jun’s thigh. He panting heavily.
“I knew this was a good idea,” was the first thing Jun said, his tone rather smug.
“I really need a shower,” Sho muttered, yet his smile was very satisfied as he turned towards Nino. “Would you mind terribly if I actually did shower, right now?”
“Not at all,” Nino quickly agreed, trying not to feel too disappointed that Sho seemed to be leaving, already. “There’s towels and everything in the bathroom.”
“Great,” Sho said, already starting to get up. “Which way?”
“First door on your right.”
“Thanks.”
“Hey, wait.”
Sho paused, looking expectantly at Jun, who for once seemed slightly hesitant.
“It’s just, we’ve never kissed,” he told Sho, speaking very quickly. “And I think that’s a shame.”
Nino quickly glanced from Jun to Sho, actually gaping. Sho, meanwhile, was smiling softly.
“All right,” he agreed easily, leaning back towards Jun. “Come here.”
Jun met him halfway, taking a careful hold of Sho’s chin as their lips met. Their kiss was brief, just a fleeting yet gentle brush of lips, almost an afterthought to what they had shared earlier. When they broke apart, Jun was smiling, too.
“How come you never actually kissed, before tonight?” Nino couldn’t help but ask, only just managing to keep his tone steady. “You’ve been really close, for a while.”
“We weren’t quite… I’ve been too busy trying to chase after you, I think,” Sho said, glancing a bit unsurely at Nino. “Why? What did you think?”
“You thought we were already together,” Jun said, before Nino had the chance to answer. “Didn’t you?”
“What, you’re not even… Really?” Nino was starting to sound rather doubtful, now. “But you’ve been spending so much time with each other. And I know you went out for dinner last night, just the two of you. I saw you.”
“We did that, yeah,” Sho admitted, and now he was looking almost embarrassed, again. “But that was… We were actually there to talk about you.”
“You… Really?”
“Yeah,” Jun said, grinning towards Nino. “We’ve spent quite a lot of time, talking about you.”
“But that’s…” Nino took a deep breath, struggling to process that decidedly unlikely piece of information. “Why?”
“Well,” Sho said, raising both eyebrows. “Shouldn’t that be quite obvious, by now?”
Nino just looked at the two of them for a moment. Reminding himself of the fact that they were actually there, in his own bed. Decidedly undressed. And while Nino still couldn’t quite understand why in the world Sho and Jun would want him with them this way, when they had the option to just be with each other without complicating things, he might at least be able to start believing that it wasn’t just his own wishful thinking, anymore.
“I suppose, yeah,” Nino finally replied, and this time he couldn’t find any reason to hold back his soft smile as he looked at them. “This is all very… I never thought this could actually happen.”
“Me neither, at first,” Sho told him, returning his smile. “But I’m glad we got here.”
Jun, meanwhile, was watching Nino with an almost thoughtful expression.
“So, did you cause the power outage?” he wanted to know.
Nino paused for a moment, glancing towards Sho. Sho’s expression had turned slightly confused at Jun’s question. He was watching Nino quite carefully, evidently waiting for his answer.
Nino took a deep breath, turning back towards Jun. And then he nodded.
“I didn’t even realize it had happened, until this morning,” he told Jun. “Yesterday I was too upset to notice, I think. And I’ve never actually done anything like that, before.”
“Hold on,” Sho interjected, his tone tentatively doubtful. “How did you cause a power outage? That’s absurd.”
Nino hesitated again, not quite looking at Sho. Because Sho was right, in a way. It was a bit absurd.
“It’s okay,” Jun told him gently. “I actually believe you, you know.”
“Thanks,” Nino mumbled, taking a deep breath and finally looking up to face Sho. “So. This is going to sound a bit weird.”
“Okay,” Sho said, and now he was starting to actually look worried. “Weird, as in…?”
Nino exchanged one final look with Jun, before he begun to speak.
“There’s a pager, in the left pocket of your jacket. A Motorola Advisor II, to be precise. You’ve been carrying it around for about three years, even though you haven’t actually used it for the past two. Which isn’t strange, I mean, who even owns a pager anymore? But the thing is, it’s starting to feel pretty lonely. It’s a very social piece of electronics, very communicative. Do you think you could just try turning it on and off, from time to time? I bet it’d like that.”
~*~*~
The next morning, Nino was both really happy, and really annoyed, that Jun and Sho picked a table right by the counter.
“I’ve actually got work to do,” he sighed, practically shoving the cups of coffee into their hands. “Are you guys going to hang around here all the time, now?”
“Like we didn’t do that, before,” Sho pointed out, his smile as charming as ever. “When’s your lunch break?”
“Quarter past twelve.”
“There’s a back room, right?” Jun filled in, his tone suggestive. “Think you can sneak us in?”
“Absolutely not. Ohno would never forgive me.”
“I would never forgive you for what?”
Nino turned around, coming face to face with Ohno who had chosen that precise moment to wander out from the back room.
“For dropping the lemon meringue pies,” Nino told him, not missing a beat.
“That would be bad,” Ohno agreed, before glancing over at Jun and Sho, his expressions curious. “So. You two found Nino.”
“We did. Thanks for your help.”
“No problem,” Ohno said, his tone rather smug. “I thought it’d be the fastest way to get the power back on.”
“Hey!”
“Well, it worked,” Ohno said, grinning sheepishly towards Nino. “Right?”
“That’s none of your business, you-“
Suddenly, Nino fell silent.
He was staring out the shop window, completely frozen. He had clenched his hands tightly, desperately, and it almost seemed like he wasn’t even breathing anymore. Ohno just watched him for a moment, confused, before he turned to follow Nino’s gaze out the window.
“Oh,” Ohno then said, his tone very surprised. “That’s Yuriko, isn’t it?”
The door opened.
“Nino!”
“It’s really Nino!”
Ohno quickly backed away, smiling as two little girls ran into the bakery. They bolted around the counter, not even glancing at the huge display of cakes and cookies as they went and throwing themselves right into Nino’s arms, instead.
“We’ve missed you!”
“I’ve grown, Nino! I’m almost as tall as Minori now!”
“I’ve missed you, too,” Nino said, his voice unusually thick. “So much.”
“Don’t you think I’m tall, Nino?”
“Definitely,” Nino was quick to reassure the girl, pulling back slightly to look at her, his smile more affectionate than Ohno had seen it in a long time. “As tall as a giraffe, I’d say.”
Sayumi giggled.
“I’m not that tall.”
Yuriko, who had made her way over to the counter a bit slower, was smiling brightly.
“I’d tell them to calm down,” she said, her tone fond. “But I have a feeling they wouldn’t listen to me even a little bit, right now.”
“It’s nice to see you again,” Ohno told her, offering her a smile. “How have you been?”
“Better, recently.” Yuriko grinned. “I filed for divorce.”
“What?” Nino exclaimed, actually looking away from the girls to face her for a moment. “Did something happen, with Shuji?”
“Shuji has moved to Australia,” Yuriko said, sounding absolutely delighted. “Permanently. Apparently, he was offered a promotion he couldn’t refuse.”
“Oh,” Nino said, sounding almost hopeful, “But he still has custody, right? He’ll still be their legal guardian, along with you?”
“No, that’s the best part. Shuji doesn’t actually want custody.”
“No,” Nino said, his tone sharp. “That’s just… That’s heartless. What’s he thinking?”
“Well, I think we all knew he never going to be father of the year,” Yuriko said, rolling her eyes. “Seems like the realization has caught up with him, too.”
“Mom,” Minori said, frowning. “What does custody mean?”
“It’s a word you learn when you’re older, sweetie,” Yuriko told her firmly, before facing Nino again. “That’s actually only half the reason I came here, today.”
“Oh?”
“I need a baby sitter, tonight,” Yuriko said, smiling. “Got time?”
“Yes,” Nino said immediately, his tone eager. “Of course.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Yuriko said, looking very pleased. “I’ll be working a bit more, now, so I could definitely use your help from time to time. I know I can trust you completely, with the girls.”
“That’s…” Nino took a deep, steadying breath. “That really means so much, it’s… Thank you. Truly.”
“Nino,” Sayumi interrupted, tugging at his sleeve, because apparently she was tired of being ignored, now. “Are they your friends?”
She was pointing towards Sho and Jun, who had been watching the whole exchange quite curiously from their table.
“This is Jun, and Sho,” Nino said, lifting Sayumi up so that she could see them better. “They’re very important to me.”
“I’m Sayumi,” Sayumi said, her tone almost formal. “This is Minori, she’s taller. Nino is very important, to me.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Sho said, smiling kindly towards her. “Nino is very important to us, too.”
“Nino,” Minori interrupted, pulling at his hand. “I want hot chocolate. Mom said you could make hot chocolate here? Since it’s a coffee shop.”
“Bakery,” Ohno muttered.
“Your mom’s right,” Nino said, carefully setting Sayumi down. “Come on, let’s get cups for you two. We’ll need the microwave. And milk.”
As Nino and the girls went over to the fridge, Yuriko turned curiously towards Sho and Jun.
“Very important,” she echoed, looking rather amused. “Is that what the kids call it, these days?”
“That’s… I guess we haven’t really put a label on this,” Sho told her, looking just a bit embarrassed. “Not yet, anyway.”
“Were you and Nino ever together, Yuriko-san?” Jun asked bluntly, glancing over towards Nino and the girls. “You seem really close.”
“Goodness, no,” Yuriko exclaimed, grinning. “Nino is extremely, exclusively gay. You didn’t know that?”
“I don’t think we’ve actually asked,” Sho realized, his expression a bit surprised. “Good to know, though.”
“Nino was actually dating my husband, before,” Yuriko continued. “We all lived together up until about half a year ago.”
“Really,” Jun said, watching Yuriko with curious interest. “So you knew, about the two of them?”
“Shuji asked me if it was okay,” Yuriko said, grimacing. “I only agreed because Nino seemed really nice. At least I was right about that part.”
“Your husband is bi?”
“Unfortunately, no. And if I’d known that earlier, he never would have been my husband.”
“How long were they together?”
“Three years,” Yuriko said, looking over towards Nino and the girls, who were making their way back towards them, now. “That’s half of Sayumi’s life, you know.”
“Mom, Nino’s hot chocolate is the best!” Minori told them excitedly, holding her paper cup carefully. “Why is it never as good when you make it?”
“Well,” Yuriko said, looking up to catch Nino’s eye. “Guess our microwave just doesn’t like me as much.”
Nino grinned.
“I’m sure it’ll warm up to you, eventually.”
“That is a terrible pun,” Yuriko stated decisively. “Come on girls, we need to get going.”
“But I want to stay with Nino!”
Nino crouched down before the girls again, taking both of their hands.
“I’ll come see you tonight,” his tone firm, dependable. Trustworthy, hopefully. “And actually, I still have presents for you two. Since Christmas.”
“You do?” Sayumi said immediately, yet her tone was very serious as she continued. “Just remember that you can’t tell us what the present is before, Nino. That’s not how Christmas works.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Nino reassured her, squeezing both of their hands. “I promise.”
Sayumi nodded, looking very satisfied. Minori sighed, rolling her eyes at her sister. Yet she was smiling, too.
“All right, you two,” Yuriko said. “We need to get going.”
“What time should I come by, tonight?” Nino wondered, getting to his feet again.
“Around six, if that’s possible?”
“Sure. What are you doing tonight, by the way? Anything special?”
“Yes, actually,” Yuriko said, her tone very excited. “I’m meeting someone.”
“Really?” Nino wondered curiously. “What’s he like?”
“Heterosexual,” Yuriko replied immediately, grinning. “I can’t wait.”
“I see,” Nino said, returning her smile. “That’s great. I’m so happy for you.”
“And I for you,” Yuriko said, nodding not-so-subtly towards Jun and Sho’s table. “You’ve done quite well for yourself, I’d say.”
“Okay, I think that’s your cue,” Nino said, looking just a little bit flustered. “See you all tonight.”
“All right, then. See you soon. Say bye to Nino, girls.”
“Bye Nino!”
“Don’t forget our presents!”
Nino waved after the three of them, watching with a small smile as they stepped out of the bakery and disappeared along the street. Then he took a deep breath, actually feeling rather nervous as he slowly turned back towards Jun and Sho.
“I think that’s my cue, too,” Ohno said quickly, already turning around. “I’ve got a cake to bake. See you all later.”
And so Ohno left, too, disappearing into the back room.
“I…” Nino then begun, feeling very hesitant. “I didn’t know they were coming, today.”
“It’s fine,” Sho said, smiling gently towards Nino. “They seemed really sweet. You must have missed them a lot, these past months.”
“You could say that,” Nino admitted, his tone shaky. “Did Yuriko tell you, about me and Shuji…?”
“Yeah. He doesn’t sound like a particularly great guy.”
“I was in love with him, once,” Nino admitted, yet he was grimacing as he spoke. “But right now, I’m mostly feeling sorry for all of Australia.”
Sho chuckled at that, shaking his head in amusement. Jun, meanwhile, was looking rather thoughtful.
“Minori really liked your hot chocolate,” he said, speaking slowly. “Isn’t that quite interesting?”
“Is it?” Nino wondered, confused. “She’s eight. Kids like sweet stuff.”
“Maybe,” Jun allowed, yet he still didn’t look convinced. “I have another theory, though. A theory about you. Care to hear it?”
“Sure,” Nino said, even though he was beginning to feel a bit weary.
“I think electrical appliances are just as in-tune with your feelings, as you are with theirs,” Jun said, watching Nino closely as he spoke. “It makes the most sense that the bond would go both ways. And I think that when you really like something, or someone, that feeling can become materialized into something you make if you’re using an appliance. Like a cup of hot chocolate. Or coffee.” Jun paused, thinking for a moment. “Although that might actually be more of a hypothesis, than a theory. Since we don’t have enough evidence. But still.”
“You really are such a wannabe scientist,” Nino muttered. Yet he seemed to actually be considering it. “I already know that I can influence the flavor of the coffee a bit, just by thinking about it. I do that a lot.”
“Supporting evidence,” Jun said, grinning. “Interesting.”
“Do you do anything special with our coffee?” Sho wanted to know.
“Maybe,” Nino said, quickly continuing. “I can also make the coffee taste really bad, though. If I want to.”
“But you don’t do that to our coffee,” Jun filled in, something knowing in his tone. “Right?”
“No, I…” Nino cleared his throat, trying yet failing to come up with a smooth way of changing the subject. “No. Of course not.”
Suddenly, the coffee machine made a series of distinct, clanking sounds.
“What was that?” Sho immediately wanted to know, looking quizzically at the machine. “Does it talk? What did it say?”
“That’s a bit hard to explain.”
“Why? I guess it doesn’t speak in words?”
“Oh, it does, actually. It’s words. The problem is, this coffee machine is unusually hard to follow, when it gets excited. And actually, it’s usually excited.”
“Does it have a name…?”
“It’s called Aiba. Or so I’m told.”
“Really,” Sho said, fascinated. “Hello, Aiba.”
The coffee machine flashed it’s green power light twice. Sho stared at it, actually gaping. Jun, on the other hand, sighed deeply.
“Should have gone for electrical engineering instead,” he muttered, shaking his head. “That would have been so much more useful, now.”
“This is actually really interesting,” Sho said, yet he was checking his watch. “But I unfortunately have to go now. I have a meeting at ten.”
“And I’m holding a seminar, after lunch,” Jun added, finishing his coffee.
“You’ll be back tomorrow?” Nino wondered hopefully.
“Of course,” Sho said, and there was something rather meaningful in his undertone as he continued. “Are you free, tomorrow night?”
“Yes,” Nino said, just a little more breathless than before. “I am.”
“Me too,” Jun filled in, offering them both one of his most charming smiles. “My place?”
“Sounds perfect.”
Finally, both Jun and Sho got up, gathering their things.
“See you tomorrow,” Sho told Nino pleasantly.
“I want extra love in my morning coffee,” Jun added cheekily.
“That’ll be an extra thousand yen, then,” Nino countered, grinning. “Looking forward to doing business with you.”
~*~*~
After Jun and Sho had left, Nino finally got back to work. He needed to restock the display, and wipe down a few tables, and make sure they had fresh coffee ready. Preferably before the lunchtime rush. Yet even though the bakery was empty at the moment, Nino found himself getting distracted again, and again.
Because the coffee machine just wouldn’t stop whirring.
“Look,” Nino finally said, turning towards the machine with a frown. “It doesn’t even matter. Because there’s absolutely no way I could tell them that, so soon. I mean, we haven’t even been on an official date, yet.”
The machine buzzed loudly.
“No, having really amazing sex definitely doesn’t count as a date.”
The machine rattled it’s coffee bean compartment stubbornly. Nino sighed.
“What do you know about love, anyway?” he wondered, actually glaring at the appliance. “You’re a coffee machine.”
The machine was quiet for a long moment. And then it clinked. Twice.
Nino couldn’t help his grin, at that.
“Touche.”
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But this was so lovely! Sakumoto really shined here <3 and Aiba!!! You always have to love Aiba <3
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The way I see it, Shuji was not cheating on Yuriko since he had asked her if he could be with Nino and she had agreed - at that point, she was pretty angry about the fact that he was gay and hadn't told her until they'd ended up starting a family, but the relationship with Nino was never behind her back. In fact I think Yuriko thought having Nino come stay with them was the biggest perk of her marriage with Shuji... =)
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Well, no wonder I enjoyed this fic so much... it was written by you!!! XD Im glad Yuriko and Nino have a good relationship in this fic :D
<3
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THANK YOU AND BLESS YOUR HEART for getting both yuriko AND nino+kids in here AH and NINO WITH YURIKO'S KIDS, NO LESS. YURIKO! KIDS! i have a great many weaknesses and for some reason those things are all right up there.
and lastly, nino was amazing. his snark and his snippy teasing, when he's actually a big mushball. i love his interactions and insisting on telling sho to go away or that jun isn't a scientist, his cheeky comments. he's perfect. thank you so much for this, i'm so ridiculously and unfathomably pleased and honored that you've written this for me<33333
ps the warning for led displays is a++++++ oh my lord
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I was really uncertain about some things while writing this, because I wasn't sure if I was trying to do too many things at once with this fic. There's a whole bunch of plotlines in here and I didn't quite think they worked together as I wrote them. I considered completely cutting the part with Shuji and Yuriko and the kids, at one point, but my beta told me not to and reassured me that it all worked together. And I'm really glad I followed her advice, because for one I think everything fits together in the final version and for another I'm so pleased that you liked the different things I put in here! =)
Thank you for your lovely comments and for a very inspiring prompt!
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Excuse my language. This is so clever and extraordinary and it made me feel so many things. And I didn't get that the coffee machine was... but then the end... AH. AHHHH.
The magic involved in this was really SO well done. And you made me fall in love with Jun and Sho all over again. Not to mention Nino, who is really too precious and loving in this in his own way and it made me adore him as I should. ♥
I'm so impressed I honestly don't know what to say. I love this, anon!
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I'm so glad you liked this, and that I made you feel things, and that you liked the magic in this. I really enjoyed writing Jun and Sho here because I really like going the iressistible crush route - glad you enjoyed reading that, and the whole story!
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This is delightful!! I had a great time reading this on the train, I smiled the whole time and looked like a crazy person.
It's so whimsical even though Nino has some heavy stuff going on in his past and i love everyone's interactions! I LOVE that Aiba is an enthusiastic coffee machine. Even in machine form he understands Nino best.
So good!!!!
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I loved the whole love story etc but man, Aiba being THE coffee maker made it even better!!!
I really liked the dynamics between jun sho and Nino. And I also loved how nino's power was special but not the whole point of the story!
Aiba though AIBAAAAA
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OKAY SO. This was an awesome idea, I love the mash-up of the traditional coffee shop AU (Ohno voice: BAKERY AU!) with Nino's odd and unique little magical power. I like how drama free the OT3 came about, aside from a few minor misunderstandings. Since Nino's past relationship was so frustrating and sad, I'm glad that the developing relationship with Jun and Sho wasn't that way aside from some cute jealous moments on Nino's end. And when they all got together....woooo!!!! Hot stuff :D :D
I am also glad that Shuji aka world's worst dad has fucked off to another continent, what a loathsome individual! I'm happy Nino was able to reconnect with the two little girls...they deserve a father figure in their life who isn't a complete tool!!!
Great job, fun idea!!!
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Also I'm really happy you enjoyed their relationship between them, I know you've written them before (last year for Lotus, as I recall, and in this exchange - we could theoretically form a really small, completely pointless club) and I'm so very pleased that you liked the way I brought them together in this story. =)
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AND OF COURSE THE COFFEE MACHINE IS AIBA OMG xDDD
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So happy that Nino gets his happy ending after being tugged along by Shinji. Props to Sakumoto in getting Nino!! Yay to Yuriko cameo too!!
I love the flow of the story and how Nino slowly allows people back in his life.
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The way your OT3 came together was really sweet. Relatively drama-free and HOT AS HELL.
Oh Aiba.
<3
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This is a really awesome fic. I love the way the three of them ended up together <3 Also Nino's special ability! I think I had never read anything like that before :D
And I'm kinda curious about what Aiba said in that last part xDDDDD
Thanks for sharing this with us :)
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Anyhow, I'm really glad you enjoyed this, thank you!
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When Nino opened his eyes, there was a green light shining through the dust next to the power button, small yet constant, never-ceasing. Dependable.
I read green and my mind goes "AIBA!" right away haha. That and the machine acted a lot like Aiba xD
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well spotted, gold star, have a cookie, 10 points to Gryffindor!!!!!!!!!
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*grabs gold start, cookie and 10 points* *happy dance* xD
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This fic was so so fun to read, thank you for sharing! ♥
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I loved this from start to finish, the world was lovely and fully-realised, really adored Yuriko + kids, EFF U SHUJI yr the worst omg.
basically this FANTASTIC, thank you so much for sharing.
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i just felt absorbed into your story and how you wove your world. It's whimsical (oh my gosh I love NIno's talent) and so extraordinary. Shout out to your Sho and Jun, because OH MY GOSH, the way you write them!!! They're so attractive and wonderful. I just love how all three of them came together.
I enjoyed this so much, anon. Thank you!!! ♥
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I love Nino's problems with different applications and that he loves others for what they are. It was so so sweet. I had a smile on my face all throughout reading it.
And I loved the ending XD Aiba being the coffee machine. I missed him till the end and was curious how you would include him and then he was there all the time XD
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Thanks for sharing=)