A Single Footprint in the Snow (07)
SIX
SEVEN: Ninomiya Kazunari, Age: 25 -- Aiba Masaki, Age: 26
“Ma-chan,” Nino says from the couch, his eyes and hands focused on his portable game console, “Ma-chan, I’m hungry.”
Aiba looks up from the stack of New Year’s cards he’s drawing on and tries to focus on what’s been said. He replies, “The meat’s not defrosted yet. Wait until I’m done with this and I’ll cook.”
Nino doesn’t answer and they return to their individual activities.
However, it is only five minutes later before Nino drops onto his side, still fully concentrated on his game as he says, “Masaki, I’m very, very hungry though.”
Aiba pauses and scrutinizes his boyfriend. Lazing about isn’t anything new for Nino, but the way he emphasized his words distracts Aiba. “Wait another ten minutes, okay? I’ll start as soon as I finish this next one,” he promises.
Nino groans and sets down his game console. He closes his eyes and deeply exhales. It gives Aiba reason to be concerned. He immediately forgoes his cards and stands from his chair. He watches Nino closely and notices the sheen of sweat on his boyfriend’s face for the first time.
“Kitten, what’s wrong?” he asks.
“Hungry,” Nino murmurs.
Aiba finally realizes what’s going on and moves to the couch. He kneels down and feels Nino’s soft stomach over his t-shirt. “When was the last time you ate?”
Nino groans again and curls into a tight ball, locking Aiba’s arm against him. “The day before yesterday.”
“What!?” Aiba explodes. His hand stops pressuring the empty stomach and breaks away. He jumps to his feet. “You idiot! Stupid idiot!”
“Stop it,” Nino grumbles.
Aiba does. He goes to his cabinets and digs out a dozen rice crackers. He throws them down in front of his boyfriend and rips open the wrapper of one. He stuffs the cracker into Nino’s mouth and does not care that his boyfriend does not appreciate it roughly being shoved in between his lips. “Eat this while I cook!” he says. He moves to the kitchen. “Kitten, you can’t die on me!”
Nino glares at him and bites down on the cracker. He’s still lying on his side with his knees drawn up to his chest, but makes an effort to chew and swallow.
From the kitchen as he’s hurriedly and clumsily moving about, Aiba states, “This is why I say we should move in together.”
Nino finished the cracker in his mouth before replying, “No way. You won’t let me have my own room.”
“You don’t need your own room,” Aiba declares.
Nino reluctantly grabs another rice cracker off the ground where Aiba threw them and opens the wrapper. “You refuse to let me put a television in the kitchen.”
“We don’t need an extra television and especially not one in a place like the kitchen where we’re supposed to be eating!” Aiba explains. "This is why you don't eat."
“I need it,” Nino retorts. “It’s the only way I can live.”
“It’s the way you live in your apartment alone with no one to speak to. There’s no need for that many televisions if you’re living with me,” Aiba says.
Nino frowns at Aiba, his cheek pressed against the couch distorting his half pout. “I don’t like it. I don’t want to compromise with such a sensible Masaki.”
Aiba throws the pork and ginger he’s cut into the frying pan and waits until the sizzling of the meat has died down before he replies, “That’s what you say every time, Kazu. And we get nowhere. It’s been a year. You don’t really want to live with me?”
“No,” Nino says right off the bat.
Aiba is startled and pauses for a second. “You really mean it?”
“No, I don’t mean it,” Nino groans and buries his face in the couch seat.
"Then why?" Aiba asks.
Nino, however, refuses to answer. He cannot tell Aiba his fear of his boyfriend becoming bored of his constant presence. They are childhood friends and have been dating for three years, but both of them have always had a place to run to away from each other when necessary. Nino is afraid to cut Aiba off from that. He is afraid to lose Aiba if he pushes too far.
As silence falls over them, Aiba turns down the heat of the frying pan and then moves over to the couch. He sits on the edge and leans over Nino, propping himself up with his hands on either side of his lover's head. "Kazu," he calls softly.
Nino reluctantly turns around until he's on his back and staring up into Aiba's face. The pout has left his face to be replaced by a quiet sadness.
Aiba understands a little of Nino's fear, even if he doesn't say it, and he leans down to kiss the tip of his nose. "Kazu, please move in with me?" he murmurs. "I promise it'll work. We'll be fine."
Nino's eyes move over Aiba's face, studying the honesty and kindness there, one of the reasons why he loves Aiba so much. He knows he has to try, at least for his boyfriend. Against his will, he gives a small nod.
Aiba smiles widely and drops down on top of him in a hug. "I love you!"
Nino pretends to fight him off. "I think the stove's burning!" he shouts.
Quickly, Aiba runs over to their dinner.
* *
EIGHT
SEVEN: Ninomiya Kazunari, Age: 25 -- Aiba Masaki, Age: 26
“Ma-chan,” Nino says from the couch, his eyes and hands focused on his portable game console, “Ma-chan, I’m hungry.”
Aiba looks up from the stack of New Year’s cards he’s drawing on and tries to focus on what’s been said. He replies, “The meat’s not defrosted yet. Wait until I’m done with this and I’ll cook.”
Nino doesn’t answer and they return to their individual activities.
However, it is only five minutes later before Nino drops onto his side, still fully concentrated on his game as he says, “Masaki, I’m very, very hungry though.”
Aiba pauses and scrutinizes his boyfriend. Lazing about isn’t anything new for Nino, but the way he emphasized his words distracts Aiba. “Wait another ten minutes, okay? I’ll start as soon as I finish this next one,” he promises.
Nino groans and sets down his game console. He closes his eyes and deeply exhales. It gives Aiba reason to be concerned. He immediately forgoes his cards and stands from his chair. He watches Nino closely and notices the sheen of sweat on his boyfriend’s face for the first time.
“Kitten, what’s wrong?” he asks.
“Hungry,” Nino murmurs.
Aiba finally realizes what’s going on and moves to the couch. He kneels down and feels Nino’s soft stomach over his t-shirt. “When was the last time you ate?”
Nino groans again and curls into a tight ball, locking Aiba’s arm against him. “The day before yesterday.”
“What!?” Aiba explodes. His hand stops pressuring the empty stomach and breaks away. He jumps to his feet. “You idiot! Stupid idiot!”
“Stop it,” Nino grumbles.
Aiba does. He goes to his cabinets and digs out a dozen rice crackers. He throws them down in front of his boyfriend and rips open the wrapper of one. He stuffs the cracker into Nino’s mouth and does not care that his boyfriend does not appreciate it roughly being shoved in between his lips. “Eat this while I cook!” he says. He moves to the kitchen. “Kitten, you can’t die on me!”
Nino glares at him and bites down on the cracker. He’s still lying on his side with his knees drawn up to his chest, but makes an effort to chew and swallow.
From the kitchen as he’s hurriedly and clumsily moving about, Aiba states, “This is why I say we should move in together.”
Nino finished the cracker in his mouth before replying, “No way. You won’t let me have my own room.”
“You don’t need your own room,” Aiba declares.
Nino reluctantly grabs another rice cracker off the ground where Aiba threw them and opens the wrapper. “You refuse to let me put a television in the kitchen.”
“We don’t need an extra television and especially not one in a place like the kitchen where we’re supposed to be eating!” Aiba explains. "This is why you don't eat."
“I need it,” Nino retorts. “It’s the only way I can live.”
“It’s the way you live in your apartment alone with no one to speak to. There’s no need for that many televisions if you’re living with me,” Aiba says.
Nino frowns at Aiba, his cheek pressed against the couch distorting his half pout. “I don’t like it. I don’t want to compromise with such a sensible Masaki.”
Aiba throws the pork and ginger he’s cut into the frying pan and waits until the sizzling of the meat has died down before he replies, “That’s what you say every time, Kazu. And we get nowhere. It’s been a year. You don’t really want to live with me?”
“No,” Nino says right off the bat.
Aiba is startled and pauses for a second. “You really mean it?”
“No, I don’t mean it,” Nino groans and buries his face in the couch seat.
"Then why?" Aiba asks.
Nino, however, refuses to answer. He cannot tell Aiba his fear of his boyfriend becoming bored of his constant presence. They are childhood friends and have been dating for three years, but both of them have always had a place to run to away from each other when necessary. Nino is afraid to cut Aiba off from that. He is afraid to lose Aiba if he pushes too far.
As silence falls over them, Aiba turns down the heat of the frying pan and then moves over to the couch. He sits on the edge and leans over Nino, propping himself up with his hands on either side of his lover's head. "Kazu," he calls softly.
Nino reluctantly turns around until he's on his back and staring up into Aiba's face. The pout has left his face to be replaced by a quiet sadness.
Aiba understands a little of Nino's fear, even if he doesn't say it, and he leans down to kiss the tip of his nose. "Kazu, please move in with me?" he murmurs. "I promise it'll work. We'll be fine."
Nino's eyes move over Aiba's face, studying the honesty and kindness there, one of the reasons why he loves Aiba so much. He knows he has to try, at least for his boyfriend. Against his will, he gives a small nod.
Aiba smiles widely and drops down on top of him in a hug. "I love you!"
Nino pretends to fight him off. "I think the stove's burning!" he shouts.
Quickly, Aiba runs over to their dinner.
* *
EIGHT