03 - waxrose
"What do you mean there are no rooms available?" Sho demanded, an undertone of desperation in his voice. "When we pulled in the sign said -"
The desk clerk shrugged, pointing out of the window at the parking lot. "Better check again, 'boys. Last one just went." Sure enough, the electric orange "NOT" sign glared brightly against the dark night sky.
Aiba patted Sho comfortingly on the back. "We can just sleep in the car, Sho-chan. It's okay."
"Argh." Sho stuffed his hands in his pockets. They'd been sleeping out of the car for the past five days - and doing a bit else besides sleeping, since Aiba had decided that when Sho said 'no', he really meant 'please' - and while it had been kind of fun for awhile, he felt sweat-soaked and dirty and was really tired of trying to fuck with the seatbelt digging into his back. He had really had his heart set on a real bed, long shower and a soft pillow - and maybe, maybe they could try - but no, he diudn't want to think about that.
Sho really didn't want to think about that. It was bad enough that he had broken down after a week of Aiba trying to force 'payment' on him for picking him up, but he could blame that on the lonliness of the road - or even just of the fact that Aiba didn't understand rejection. But it still made Sho uneasy - both what they were doing and how much he wanted it.
"Hey." A slightly-built guy stood up from where he had been leaning on the arm of one of the dilapidated couches in the lobby. He was shorter than Sho by a few inches, with short dark hair and sharp features. He smiled at them both. "You're looking for a place for the night, right? I think I can help you."
"Really?" Aiba bounded over to the stranger. "Hey, hey, Sho-chan, this guy -"
"Nino," The stranger interjected with a sharp smile.
"Nino says he knows where we can stay for the night. Isn't that great?"
"I heard him." Sho looked over Nino carefully. He had a sort of calm, closed-in expression, like he was hiding something. What the hell. Sho had trusted weirder people on the road. One of them had ended up in his car - and eventually in his pants. "Is it nearby? I didn't think there were any more motels for a few miles." Cheap ones, he added mentally.
Nino's eyes twinkled. "I'll point you in the right direction," he said.
*
"Grab your gear," Nino said, once they were out of the doors. "I'm in 105, around the back."
"What?" Sho asked, confused.
"We can stay with you?" Aiba asked. "Really?"
"No, we can't," Sho told him. He turned back to Nino. "Uh, thanks for the offer, but we'll be fine."
"You sure?" Nino asked. He hoisted his beaten-up old guitar case up from the ground. "Seriously, it's okay. You guys need a place to stay, and I happened to get the last room. That's all there is to it."
"Why can't we, Sho-chan?" Aiba asked, pouting slightly. "I'm tired and I stink and Nino-chan is so nice."
"Aiba," Sho sighed. He couldn't exactly say It's not a good idea to share rooms with random strangers you meet on the highway because they might knife you or get you involved in the drug trade or run off with all your stuff in the middle of the night because that would be kind of rude and awkward with Nino right there.
Nino stood quietly by as Aiba leaned on Sho's shoulder, and Sho automatically slid an arm around his waist to steady him. Aiba felt so thin, and he leaned heavily on Sho, like his legs were tired. Sho felt bad; neither of them had much money, but maybe this was a chance to actually spend a night in relative comfort. Hell, the floor of the motel room had to be softer than the backseat of Sho's car.
Sho was tired of being the sensible one. "How much do you want?" he asked.
Nino gave Sho a small smile, watching Aiba's head loll sleepily on Sho's shoulder. "It's all paid up. Just pull the car around."
Sho watched Nino walk off. "I don't know if I trust him," he said carefully.
Aiba wrapped his arms around Sho's waist, nuzzling at his neck. "You can't always have a reason for trusting people, Sho-chan," he said. "Sometimes you just have to believe them."
Sho stayed silent, let Aiba hang onto. That was part of the reason that Aiba had stayed with him until now, part of the reason that Sho's seemingly random trip suddenly had a destination, a route marked out on the map. Aiba hadn't left and Sho hadn't had the heart to ask him to.
"Cheer up," Aiba said, giving Sho's earlobe a nip. "We'll get to sleep in a real bed! It'll be a little crowded, but that could be kind of hot!"
Sho caught Aiba's hand as he tried to slide it up under his shirt. "You can't be serious. We are sharing a room with a complete stranger."
"I don't think he'll mind," Aiba said honestly.
The desk clerk shrugged, pointing out of the window at the parking lot. "Better check again, 'boys. Last one just went." Sure enough, the electric orange "NOT" sign glared brightly against the dark night sky.
Aiba patted Sho comfortingly on the back. "We can just sleep in the car, Sho-chan. It's okay."
"Argh." Sho stuffed his hands in his pockets. They'd been sleeping out of the car for the past five days - and doing a bit else besides sleeping, since Aiba had decided that when Sho said 'no', he really meant 'please' - and while it had been kind of fun for awhile, he felt sweat-soaked and dirty and was really tired of trying to fuck with the seatbelt digging into his back. He had really had his heart set on a real bed, long shower and a soft pillow - and maybe, maybe they could try - but no, he diudn't want to think about that.
Sho really didn't want to think about that. It was bad enough that he had broken down after a week of Aiba trying to force 'payment' on him for picking him up, but he could blame that on the lonliness of the road - or even just of the fact that Aiba didn't understand rejection. But it still made Sho uneasy - both what they were doing and how much he wanted it.
"Hey." A slightly-built guy stood up from where he had been leaning on the arm of one of the dilapidated couches in the lobby. He was shorter than Sho by a few inches, with short dark hair and sharp features. He smiled at them both. "You're looking for a place for the night, right? I think I can help you."
"Really?" Aiba bounded over to the stranger. "Hey, hey, Sho-chan, this guy -"
"Nino," The stranger interjected with a sharp smile.
"Nino says he knows where we can stay for the night. Isn't that great?"
"I heard him." Sho looked over Nino carefully. He had a sort of calm, closed-in expression, like he was hiding something. What the hell. Sho had trusted weirder people on the road. One of them had ended up in his car - and eventually in his pants. "Is it nearby? I didn't think there were any more motels for a few miles." Cheap ones, he added mentally.
Nino's eyes twinkled. "I'll point you in the right direction," he said.
*
"Grab your gear," Nino said, once they were out of the doors. "I'm in 105, around the back."
"What?" Sho asked, confused.
"We can stay with you?" Aiba asked. "Really?"
"No, we can't," Sho told him. He turned back to Nino. "Uh, thanks for the offer, but we'll be fine."
"You sure?" Nino asked. He hoisted his beaten-up old guitar case up from the ground. "Seriously, it's okay. You guys need a place to stay, and I happened to get the last room. That's all there is to it."
"Why can't we, Sho-chan?" Aiba asked, pouting slightly. "I'm tired and I stink and Nino-chan is so nice."
"Aiba," Sho sighed. He couldn't exactly say It's not a good idea to share rooms with random strangers you meet on the highway because they might knife you or get you involved in the drug trade or run off with all your stuff in the middle of the night because that would be kind of rude and awkward with Nino right there.
Nino stood quietly by as Aiba leaned on Sho's shoulder, and Sho automatically slid an arm around his waist to steady him. Aiba felt so thin, and he leaned heavily on Sho, like his legs were tired. Sho felt bad; neither of them had much money, but maybe this was a chance to actually spend a night in relative comfort. Hell, the floor of the motel room had to be softer than the backseat of Sho's car.
Sho was tired of being the sensible one. "How much do you want?" he asked.
Nino gave Sho a small smile, watching Aiba's head loll sleepily on Sho's shoulder. "It's all paid up. Just pull the car around."
Sho watched Nino walk off. "I don't know if I trust him," he said carefully.
Aiba wrapped his arms around Sho's waist, nuzzling at his neck. "You can't always have a reason for trusting people, Sho-chan," he said. "Sometimes you just have to believe them."
Sho stayed silent, let Aiba hang onto. That was part of the reason that Aiba had stayed with him until now, part of the reason that Sho's seemingly random trip suddenly had a destination, a route marked out on the map. Aiba hadn't left and Sho hadn't had the heart to ask him to.
"Cheer up," Aiba said, giving Sho's earlobe a nip. "We'll get to sleep in a real bed! It'll be a little crowded, but that could be kind of hot!"
Sho caught Aiba's hand as he tried to slide it up under his shirt. "You can't be serious. We are sharing a room with a complete stranger."
"I don't think he'll mind," Aiba said honestly.