What Are You up To?
Matsumiya. G. Fluff. Unbetaed. Inspired by today's and yesterday's PON!
Jun: What are you guys up to tonight?
Jun: What are you guys up to tonight?
Nino was playing a game with his phone, so when the message came in, he read it right away. His lips formed a small smile as he imagined how giddy Jun was right then, waiting for the reply. Jun must be lonely, he thought. Jun’s friends had been busy lately, so messages like this appeared more frequently in Arashi’s group chat. Nino’s thumb hovered on the screen, thinking that he should be replying, but decided that ‘nothing’ would be a pathetic answer and ‘want to go somewhere?’ would be a needy answer so he waited for the others to answer first.
Sho: Work. What’s up?
Nino chuckled. Sho had work. Of course.
Nino resumed his game but he couldn’t concentrate. Around five minutes later, a few other messages came in and he immediately checked it.
Ohno: Fishing.
Ohno: (or tanning salon, you wouldn’t know)
Jun: Aiba-san?
This time, Nino replied.
Nino: Been away since yesterday.
Nino: This one, you wouldn’t know either.
Nino: (your dedication, Oh-chan, is impressing me)
A few emojis from Ohno later, Nino stares at the screen without knowing exactly what he’s waiting for. When it finally came, though, he realized he’s not prepared.
Jun: And you, Nino?
Nino let his phone fell flat on his chest. He stared at the ceiling, wondering what he would be doing that night. The answer was nothing. He didn’t have any plan for that night. He frowned.
When Nino picked up his phone again, there were already new messages.
Sho: Game?
Ohno: Game.
Jun: Nino?
Nino smiled a bit, grateful that his band mates were providing him answer.
Nino: Exactly.
The reply came so fast that Nino didn’t have the time to close the chat screen.
Jun: With? Yamada?
Nino: No.
Ohno: My kid?
Nino: No. And stop referring Chinen-kun as ‘your kid’, Oh-chan.
Nino: Creepy.
Jun: So, alone?
Nino sighed.
Nino: Yes. I have to focus on this game, you know.
Nothing came up after that. Nino continued his game on his phone and internally laughed at himself for his lame excuse. What to focus on, really? He didn’t even want to game right then. It felt uncomfortably depressing when he shouted for his victory and he only got silence as a reply. Smartphone games were good to spend his time, but it got boring after awhile. He had nothing else to do. Even eating seemed unnecessary because he had done very little movements since morning anyway.
Nino hated to be alone, and he hated himself for being needy like that.
Around three hours later, when the sun was starting to set and Nino was thinking to just sleep until he rots, his doorbell rang. He didn’t order for delivery, so it’s actually a bit odd, but he was not surprised at all. Instead, there was a certain excitement that bubbled inside his chest. He jumped to his feet and padded his way to the door. He stood there for a few seconds, schooling his expression so he wouldn’t look like he’s expecting this, and opened the door.
“You lonely toddler,” Nino said the moment he saw Jun’s face.
“You lonely old man,” Jun retorted with a grin. He was holding a couple of shopping bags in his arms and he stepped in before Nino invited him to. “You have a very odd way to cope with your hatred of being alone, old man. You should be reaching out to people when you feel alone, not shutting yourself in.”
“You are bothering people, little kid,” Nino laughed while closing the door behind him.
Jun turned around in a snap, making Nino who was walking behind him to stop right in front of his face. He grinned. “It’s not bothering if the other party is not bothered.”
Nino rolled his eyes and laughed. “I’m still going to play my game. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Jun said and turned around again, continuing his walk to Nino’s sofa, looking around like he was thinking where to put the groceries on. “I’ll read or clean or cook or anything.”
“I might not be answering you when you talk to me.”
“Okay.”
“I might not be talking at all the whole night.”
“Okay.”
“I might act like you’re not here.”
Jun turned to look at Nino and laughed. “Oh, you will not.”
Nino looked at Jun’s eyes like he was serious, but then broke into laughter too, knowing that Jun was right. He might really be not talking all day and ignore Jun, but he wouldn’t act like Jun’s not there, because Jun’s presence was what he needed.
Jun’s presence was what made him not alone.
Jun roamed inside Nino’s house like it was his. He took the shopping bags to the kitchen and started to take out its content on the table. Meanwhile, Nino settled back on his sofa, picking up his controller and turning his console on. They drowned themselves on their own activities, not interacting with each other but definitely savoring each other’s company.
A few minutes past and Jun slapped his own forehead dramatically, snatching Nino’s attention.
“I forgot to bring my toothbrush,” Jun said, not even bothering to ask Nino if he could stay the night.
Nino smiled and returned to his game. “The one you left the last time is still in the bathroom,” he said. Then, with a much lower voice, he added, “If you keep forgetting it like that, it might become a permanent resident in this household.”
Jun kept rummaging through the groceries as if he didn’t hear it, but the next morning, Nino found that the toothbrush was still there, in his bathroom, placed neatly beside his.
With a smile, Nino picked up his phone and typed a private chat to Jun.
Nino: What are you up to tonight?
Jun: What are you guys up to tonight?
Jun: What are you guys up to tonight?
Nino was playing a game with his phone, so when the message came in, he read it right away. His lips formed a small smile as he imagined how giddy Jun was right then, waiting for the reply. Jun must be lonely, he thought. Jun’s friends had been busy lately, so messages like this appeared more frequently in Arashi’s group chat. Nino’s thumb hovered on the screen, thinking that he should be replying, but decided that ‘nothing’ would be a pathetic answer and ‘want to go somewhere?’ would be a needy answer so he waited for the others to answer first.
Sho: Work. What’s up?
Nino chuckled. Sho had work. Of course.
Nino resumed his game but he couldn’t concentrate. Around five minutes later, a few other messages came in and he immediately checked it.
Ohno: Fishing.
Ohno: (or tanning salon, you wouldn’t know)
Jun: Aiba-san?
This time, Nino replied.
Nino: Been away since yesterday.
Nino: This one, you wouldn’t know either.
Nino: (your dedication, Oh-chan, is impressing me)
A few emojis from Ohno later, Nino stares at the screen without knowing exactly what he’s waiting for. When it finally came, though, he realized he’s not prepared.
Jun: And you, Nino?
Nino let his phone fell flat on his chest. He stared at the ceiling, wondering what he would be doing that night. The answer was nothing. He didn’t have any plan for that night. He frowned.
When Nino picked up his phone again, there were already new messages.
Sho: Game?
Ohno: Game.
Jun: Nino?
Nino smiled a bit, grateful that his band mates were providing him answer.
Nino: Exactly.
The reply came so fast that Nino didn’t have the time to close the chat screen.
Jun: With? Yamada?
Nino: No.
Ohno: My kid?
Nino: No. And stop referring Chinen-kun as ‘your kid’, Oh-chan.
Nino: Creepy.
Jun: So, alone?
Nino sighed.
Nino: Yes. I have to focus on this game, you know.
Nothing came up after that. Nino continued his game on his phone and internally laughed at himself for his lame excuse. What to focus on, really? He didn’t even want to game right then. It felt uncomfortably depressing when he shouted for his victory and he only got silence as a reply. Smartphone games were good to spend his time, but it got boring after awhile. He had nothing else to do. Even eating seemed unnecessary because he had done very little movements since morning anyway.
Nino hated to be alone, and he hated himself for being needy like that.
Around three hours later, when the sun was starting to set and Nino was thinking to just sleep until he rots, his doorbell rang. He didn’t order for delivery, so it’s actually a bit odd, but he was not surprised at all. Instead, there was a certain excitement that bubbled inside his chest. He jumped to his feet and padded his way to the door. He stood there for a few seconds, schooling his expression so he wouldn’t look like he’s expecting this, and opened the door.
“You lonely toddler,” Nino said the moment he saw Jun’s face.
“You lonely old man,” Jun retorted with a grin. He was holding a couple of shopping bags in his arms and he stepped in before Nino invited him to. “You have a very odd way to cope with your hatred of being alone, old man. You should be reaching out to people when you feel alone, not shutting yourself in.”
“You are bothering people, little kid,” Nino laughed while closing the door behind him.
Jun turned around in a snap, making Nino who was walking behind him to stop right in front of his face. He grinned. “It’s not bothering if the other party is not bothered.”
Nino rolled his eyes and laughed. “I’m still going to play my game. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Jun said and turned around again, continuing his walk to Nino’s sofa, looking around like he was thinking where to put the groceries on. “I’ll read or clean or cook or anything.”
“I might not be answering you when you talk to me.”
“Okay.”
“I might not be talking at all the whole night.”
“Okay.”
“I might act like you’re not here.”
Jun turned to look at Nino and laughed. “Oh, you will not.”
Nino looked at Jun’s eyes like he was serious, but then broke into laughter too, knowing that Jun was right. He might really be not talking all day and ignore Jun, but he wouldn’t act like Jun’s not there, because Jun’s presence was what he needed.
Jun’s presence was what made him not alone.
Jun roamed inside Nino’s house like it was his. He took the shopping bags to the kitchen and started to take out its content on the table. Meanwhile, Nino settled back on his sofa, picking up his controller and turning his console on. They drowned themselves on their own activities, not interacting with each other but definitely savoring each other’s company.
A few minutes past and Jun slapped his own forehead dramatically, snatching Nino’s attention.
“I forgot to bring my toothbrush,” Jun said, not even bothering to ask Nino if he could stay the night.
Nino smiled and returned to his game. “The one you left the last time is still in the bathroom,” he said. Then, with a much lower voice, he added, “If you keep forgetting it like that, it might become a permanent resident in this household.”
Jun kept rummaging through the groceries as if he didn’t hear it, but the next morning, Nino found that the toothbrush was still there, in his bathroom, placed neatly beside his.
With a smile, Nino picked up his phone and typed a private chat to Jun.
Nino: What are you up to tonight?