Title:Smile
Pairings:ShoxAiba
Genre:Angst, Romanc
Rating:PG
Disclaimer:I own nothing but the plot
Word Count:1753
Summary:He would smile even if it hurt.
 

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If it was one thing Aiba Masaki liked to do, it was to smile. He liked it when he saw others smile when he smiled at them; it only made him smile even bigger. His mom told him that he came out of her, smiling. He couldn’t believe it at first, but he’s seen photos of him as a baby slightly smiling like there was never had a bad day. She’s told him this many times and he found that he can never get tired of it. After all, he was born to do it, his mom would say.
 

Sakurai Sho, a friend he recently met in junior high was always in the dumps. Whenever he saw him frown after a bad day, or a bad situation, Aiba would smile. As if it was magic, Sho would smile too. Aiba would continue it, even if it meant it hurt.

Sho became his best friend in high school and they were practically inseparable. They did everything together -- but in different ways -- and shared secrets with each other. He’s aware that Sho had told him all of his secret, and Aiba did too since he felt that it was fair. However, there was one secret he dared not to share. Whenever he thought about it when he was with Sho, he simply smiled.

His best friend had recently gotten out of this tenth relationship and he was bawling like there was no tomorrow. Of course, as a friend, Aiba stayed besides him trying to comfort him. When Sho spoke ill of himself, Aiba would counter attack saying how great of a guy he was. When Sho would look at him with his depressing eyes, Aiba would smile. Even if it hurt, Aiba would smile.

They had just gotten out of high school and were fledgling adults. Both he and Sho already had their life plans displayed ahead of them since they couldn’t stop talking about it since high school began. The plan was: they would live together, host parties, do college stuff, and remain as the friends they still are the past few years. Sho seemed ecstatic about it since he was mostly the one who waited for this day to come. Aiba, however, wasn’t looking towards it despite just how “excited” he was along with Sho. College and adulthood only meant that they had to choose different paths despite how close they were. When in deep thought, Sho would ask him what’s wrong. Aiba only answered with a smile.

He almost broke into tears when he heard Sho was, yet again, in a relationship. That man, Aiba thought, cannot put his head into one person. Why couldn’t it be just me? He’s stayed with me all the time... Yes, it was selfish of him to think of it. But whenever Sho would come home to their apartment with his arm around his girlfriend, all Aiba could do was smile.

Sho told him, one night when his girlfriend wasn’t sleeping over, that he was going to be serious about it. Aiba didn’t want to listen to him, but he had to. Sho was his friend and being his friend meant that he had to listen. After their conversation, they both went to their rooms. He lied on his bed that night, wondering if he can last under all of this mess. Sighing deeply, all he could do was smile bitterly. I can’t control who Sho loves.

Aiba had left, unannounced. He didn’t even tell Sho, his best friend, that he was going to quit college because his family’s restaurant was in need of him. They suddenly called him day, saying how his father collapsed from a heart attack and had to be sent to the hospital. So there was no else to work around the kitchen since his little brother was still in high school. It’s not that bad of a job, Aiba thought. Sho was in class that day he left, so before he headed to the train station, he looked around once more, smiling bitterly to himself.

He’s received countless of missed calls and unanswered text messages from Sho the past few months he had gone back to his home. He knows the latter was completely worried about him since he never really received a proper goodbye, not even a note. Aiba saw all of it, and he felt the need to answer him. But he thought of Sho’s girlfriend and how he can never be that person. At the end of the third month he left, he took the batteries from his cellphone, hid it away, and made sure he put it somewhere he can never find it. After he put it away, he made sure he forgot where he put it before heading downstairs with a forced smile -- he didn’t want to let the customers down just because of him.

The restaurant was closed for the day, and Aiba didn’t feel like hanging out at home. Since he had a good amount of saved money in his bank, he decided to shop for himself since he was in dire need of new jeans. His old one from high school (surprised it still fit him) was getting ragged and torn that it can come undone anytime now. He could have taken the taxi to the city, but a nice walk was just fine.

It was definitely hard to choose. He couldn’t pick in between gray jeans or a dark blue one that went well with the rest of his fashion sense. He really couldn’t pick one so he eventually bought the two of them. Once he got the bags, he smiled at the cashier and headed back home.

The next few days were harsh since it was their restaurants 15th anniversary. There were many customers rushing in and out, some waiting patiently outside their restaurant since they must have heard about the special they were offering, and it was limited as well. It was one of Aiba’s fine dishes, one he had worked on for a long time. He finally mastered it, coincidentally, a day before their restaurant’s anniversary. With the permission of his mom, he used his dish for the special offer. Everyone, who had tasted it, loved it and Aiba couldn’t be happier, so he smiled. It was later in the night, 30 minutes before their restaurant’s anniversary was about to come to an end when his satisfied smile disappeared.

“Hey,” a familiar voice he hadn’t heard in three months, greeted him, “Your dish tastes good.”

Aiba just wanted to disappear. He thought the nightmare was over.

Sho stayed longer even after the restaurant ended because Aiba’s mom let him. He wished she didn’t approve it, but now he was stuck with him.

“You disappeared,” Sho finally spoke, “I couldn’t find you, Aiba.”

It hurt. Sho always called him Masaki, but never Aiba.

“I was busy,” He answered coldly, “School wasn’t for me.”

“Aiba... If it was anything troubling you, you should have told me. You didn’t have to disappear like that...”

“But I had to go. My dad was admitted to the hospital and he’s still there. Of course, I have something troubling me.”

“Aiba--”

“Please, Sho. Not now.”

“...”

“Please, Sho, le--”

He was cut off when he was suddenly turned around. In front of him, was Sho, his best friend and his one-sided love. He really was standing before him because he can feel his breathing on his arms. However, he looked different. He looked tired and he never looked that way before when Aiba was around him. School must be getting to him. I’m glad I left. He was about to turn around to resume cleaning the already clean spot when Sho’s arms wrapped around him. Sho felt so warm, so... right, but yet so wrong. He was with someone else.

“Get off,” Aiba demanded as he tried to struggle free from him. “I need to get back to work.”

“I missed you,” Sho said, ignoring him. “I had no one to talk to.”

“What about your girlfriend?” Aiba spat. “Isn’t she there for you?”

“No... I left her on the day you disappeared, Masaki...”

For some reason, he felt a sense of relief, but it was still wrong to feel it. Sho would never go to him. “Oh,” was all he could say.

“And when I realized you weren’t coming home, I realized something.”

“What is it?” He asked, trying to sound uninterested.

“Masaki... I missed you. I realized that you’re the only person I can ever had a real relationship with -- and I’m not just talking about our friendship -- but I feel right with you. I regret sharing my first kiss to those girls I never even had real feelings for...”

“What are you trying to say?” He asked, but this time he let his voice expose him, his real feelings of relief.

“I...” Sho paused. “I love you, Aiba Masaki. I’ve always had, and I couldn’t bring myself to admit since I first met you.”

Aiba felt his hands -- his whole body -- tremble. Was it from the sudden burst of happiness, or was the gloomy episodes coming back again? What if Sho decides to throw him away like those other girls and decide he didn’t have feelings for him? What if Sho was lying just to get him back to school? Or what if he was just playing a joke on him?

However, he felt something else different. He felt Sho take his arms from his body then he felt warm hands grab his cheeks. It was gentle, as expected of Sho, but it jolted every fiber in Aiba’s body. And then he felt it, Sho’s lips touch his trembling ones. He didn’t move, or his body refused to move, as he was very confused and lost at the moment. Is this... is it really happening? Aiba felt like fainting from the rush of warmth that made it’s way up to his face.

Then Aiba began to think about junior high, high school, and living with Sho for a short while... isn’t Sho the reason why he never wanted to leave despite how unhappy he was with him? He let the cloth in his hand slip the floor as he brought his arms around Sho’s neck.

“I love you, too,” Aiba whispered, kissing his Sho’s bare chest. Then he smiled because it felt just right.

END