Title:Chance(s)
Pairings:ShoxOhno, ShoxAiba(friendship), AibaxNino
Genre:Fluff, Romance, Friendship, AU
Rating:PG
Disclaimer:I own nothing but the plot
Word Count:4179
Summary:Sho was given so many chances, but he fails to use it right.
 

Chance 1.

Sakurai Sho nervously eyed the love letter in his hand, wondering if listening to his best friend's, Aiba Masaki, advice was the right thing to do. As he neared the art room, however, he began to doubt both himself and Masaki's advice.

What if it goes wrong? What if he laughs at me? What if... What if I get rejected?

Those questions ran through his head and he wished it could go away. But it didn't. And it stayed there until he came out. The shorter guy gave him a questioning look, a face that Sho admired from far away. Though he was facing him already, he did not say anything or bother to give him the letter.

I'm a chicken, Sho admitted as he turned around and ran back to class...



"Why don't you give it after school when everyone is gone?" Masaki asked him as they grabbed their trays and picked their usual spot in the cafeteria.

Sho shrugged. "Can you give it to him, for me, instead?"

"No!" Masaki snapped. "I'm not the one who likes him."

"I know... it's just I can't."

"Try," Masaki said. "It's actually not that hard."

Of course it wasn't, for Masaki, though. He was able to get the cutest guy in school, Ninomiya Kazunari with only two words: "Let's date."

Sho sighed. He will never have to courage to say what he feels.

Chance 2.

Masaki said he was going home with Nino today and gave Sho a wink before they left and disappeared. Sho didn't even want to begin thinking of what Masaki meant with the wink, neither did he want to spend the whole afternoon having images stuck in his head. But it was far too late because his friend described him once in full deets of how his first time went. Sho shuddered, not from the weather (it was very much sunny at the moment), but from the images. Curse himself for having a friend who didn't know how to shut his mouth even if he begged him a million times to shut up. But he loved Masaki, in a brotherly and friendship way, so he really couldn't hate him for being Masaki.

The walk home was usually spent with Masaki, walking around aimlessly, going from shop to shop before actually heading home later that night (Nino followed later in the middle of they first year in high school). Sho decided to go home for today, finding it boring, to do his usual activities with Masaki, by himself. He actually needed Masaki to talk to about other topics and not about his and Nino's relationship.

Along the way home, the shortcut he found one day when Masaki wasn't walking with him, was awfully quiet. He did not have his IPod with him, or Aiba's MP3 player that he meant to give back years ago (it has all of their favorite songs growing up). Instead, he hummed to himself. After all, no one was around to hear him. The shortcut was not well not.

It wasn't until someone bumped into him. Sho almost fell if it weren't for the person grabbing hurriedly onto his arm.

"Wa--" Sho was about to curse, but he stopped himself. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"I like your voice," The person says with a sleepy smile. "Do you sing?"

As usual, Sho was lost for words. As soon as the latter released his arm, Sho ran away.

I'm a chicken, the told himself the second time that day. And I could have had the chance...

Chance 3.

Earlier, during class, he whispered to Masaki that he encountered his one-sided crush yesterday. Masaki almost squealed and he would have gotten into trouble if Sho didn't clamp his hands over his friend's mouth.

'Later,' He mouthed, giving his full attention back to the movie they were watching in class. It was supposed to be educational, stuff about chemistry, but it was just boring as hell. And he had no choice but to sit throughout it...

"So?!" Masaki, with Nino behind him, nudged him playfully as he gave him curious looks during lunch. "What happened?!"

"Yeah, what happened?" Nino echoed, but showed little interest. Sho knew he wasn't particularly interested in his affairs anyways, just Masaki.

"I ran," He simply replied. "He just complimented me... and I ran."

"That's it?" Masaki asked, sounding very disappointed and angry with him. "Sho, you could've had your chance."

"I know! I told you... I can't..."

"But if you really really like him, you should do something about it!"

"But--"

"Stop being a , Sho. How do you think Masaki and I are together?"

"Nino!" Masaki hissed. "Sho's sensitive right now. Don't use bad words."

"But I'm just telling him the truth," Nino said bluntly. "He's already grown, not a preschooler, for god's sake."

"Ni--"

"No, he's right," Sho sighed as he ran his hands through his hair. "I... Why don't I do this? As soon as I see him, I'll give it to him."

"Yeah!" Masaki beamed. "That's a great idea!"

But as soon as Masaki hushed down, Sho knew right away why he did so. Masaki always did that when his one-sided crush was near. Slowly and nervously, Sho turned around, almost scrambling out of his seat when he saw his crush a feet away.

"May I sit here?" He asked softly that Sho almost didn't hear it if he weren't near him.

"Sure!" Masaki, who ignored him desperately shaking his head, replied gleefully.

As soon as his crush sat down, Masaki shot him a glare. 'Do it now!' His eyes said.

'But...'

'Sho, I'm begging you, just--'

"I forgot I had something to do," Sho lied, hoping that this time Masaki can forgive him. He just wasn't ready, and he wasn't expecting to see him so soon. Just as Masaki was about to say something, Sho was already gone.

Chance 4.

"Sho, will you please stop running away?!" Masaki practically yelled at him after school, causing a few passing by to turn their heads in interest. As it turns out, Masaki didn't forgive him at all, judging by the icy looks his friend was giving him. "I'm serious Sho. You're going to be a vi--"

Sho quickly clamped his hands over Masaki's mouth, silently begging that his friend would keep his voice down. "I'm sorry, ok! It's just... it was so soon."

"I know that," Masaki snapped after Sho released him. "I cannot stand seeing my friend this way, Sho. Remember? You're the one who helped me gain confidence to ask Nino out."

Sho remembered it well. In fact, Masaki was in the same situation as him, but it was only for a week. He didn't even know Masaki and Nino were dating a week later until his friend proudly announced it (to the whole world). He nodded his head in reply.

"Now it's my turn, Sho. I -- Oh my God, turn around."

Sho did as he was told and immediately regretted listening to Masaki. Sometimes, his friend was ignorant of his feelings. Before he had the chance to run away again, however, he felt large and clammy hands grab his arms. How could Nino hold hands with him? Sho wondered as Masaki forced him around.

"What was it you wanted to ask, Aiba-kun?" The sleepy student asked once they were all facing each other.

When the sleepy student looked away, Sho shot Masaki a glare. So this was why he stalled him from going home...

"It's nothing! Sho actually wanted to ask you something."

"I--"

Masaki cut him off. "Well, bye! I have to go see Nino now." Before Sho could protest, Masaki was already far away.

"Hi," The latter awkwardly greeted him. "I've seen you a lot lately."

Damn. I actually have to talk to him now. "Yeah..." He chuckled nervously, moving his eyes at anywhere but the latter's face.

"Uh...er... I'm Ohno Satoshi, by the way," The student introduced himself in a high tone, almost as if he was as nervous as he was.

"I know-- I-I-I mean, I'm... Sa-Saku-rai Sho..." Who knew it was this hard to introduce himself?

"I remember seeing you yesterday, Sakurai-kun, at the path... Do you, perhaps, sing?"

Sho quickly shook his head. Though he did dabble a little in singing, that is, if the shower counted.

"Really? But you're voice is like--"

"I actually h-have to go home," Sho stuttered, hating himself at the moment. He knew how much Masaki went through getting Ohno away from the art studio (since he learned that Ohno doesn't leave unless it was necessary to). Masaki will hate him tomorrow.

"Oh... Can I home walk with you?"

Damn. It would be completely rude to bluntly say no, or lie, since he did walk the same path as him yesterday. If only he can make himself disappear...

"Y-yeah..." He eventually agreed since he really had no other choice but to.

As the two began to walk in awkward silence, Sho fiddled with the love letter in his pocket.

Not now...

Chance 5.

Ohno began to hang out with them, and Sho wondered if it was because of Masaki or himself. It must be Masaki because he talked a lot when he was around him, and would sometimes stick to Masaki; Nino, on the other hand, just gave the Ohno angry glares when no one was looking. He shook those thoughts out of his head, fearing that he might think a little too much about the artist's reason.

But every time he saw Ohno clinging onto Masaki instead of him, he felt something odd in his chest. Is this what people call jealousy? He wondered.

"Oi, Sho!" Masaki's voice brought him back from his thoughts.

"What?"

"Were you even listening? You just kept nodding you head even though I was talking about Nino and me having se--"

"I wasn't listening," He interrupted abruptly before Masaki finished. He wondered if Masaki was really talking about it, or if his friend was just messing around with him in front of Ohno.

"Well, me, Satoshi, and Nino are going karaoke tonight. Wanna come?"

"On a school night?"

"Yeah," Masaki simply nodded as if his words didn't bother him at all -- because it really didn't. "You should come? Satoshi will be there, too, right, Satoshi?"

Sho did not miss his friend raising his eyebrows towards the artist who was sitting besides him. Maybe, when Sho wasn't listening, Masaki pressured Ohno to come.

"Uh... yeah, sure. Why not?" Came Ohno's calm voice.

"Great!" Masaki clapped his hands together. "Now we just need Sho's answer... Sho?"

He shrugged. "I don't know..."

"Oh, come on! It will be fun, I promise you that."

"Masaki..."

"Awesome!" Masaki beamed a second later. "We will all go tonight."

Before Sho could protest, however, Masaki was already talking about the songs he was going to pick to sing with Nino. He couldn't tell if Ohno was listening because he was afraid to look in his eyes. Actually, he never looked at Ohno's face at all, but only when the latter was away and he was out of his sight. So he couldn't tell if Ohno was interested at all in Masaki's rapid conversation.

In the end, he was forced to go. Masaki never really gave him a chance to say 'no' in all this...



It was Masaki, along with Nino who was forced by his boyfriend, who sang their his out the whole night. Nino looked like he wanted to leave elsewhere with Masaki, but he slowly showed interest in singing after a few songs. On other hand, Sho just watched. He didn't want to go up there, sing, and embarrass himself in front of Ohno; Ohno, too, hasn't sang a single song. Through it all, he couldn't help but give Masaki guilty looks since his friend did all of this just for him. He wondered if others were jealous of him having a friend like Masaki.

"Hi."

He almost jumped out of the leather seat if it weren't for the table that stopped him from doing so. He refused to turn to meet his eyes. "Hi," he replied back nervously.

"Do you want to sing with me?"

Was it him, or was the room hot? "I-I can't. Sing, I-I mean..."

"I can't either," Ohno confessed. "I can't stand being the party pooper, is all."

But it looked like Masaki and Nino were having a party of their own. "I don't--"

"Aiba-kun, may Sakurai-kun and I sing, too?"

As if his words were magic, both Masaki, Nino, and the music died down. Sho didn't miss the glee in Masaki's eyes.

"Of course! Come Nino, gimme your microphone." It looked like Nino didn't want to let it go, but he put it on his boyfriend's hand anyways. "And what song do you request, Satoshi?"

"Hmmm... Waiting For You by Arashi."

"Oh my God! I love that song. Great choice!" Masaki beamed as he handed both of them the microphones he and Nino just used. "Have fun!"

Once again, he was unable to say 'no.' What was it with everybody not giving him a voice?

Ohno got up first, looking somewhat shy and determined to sing. He wondered if Masaki blackmailed Ohno to sing with him. It might be possible, since Masaki was capable of being sly, thanks to NIno. Ohno was standing in the middle with a microphone in his hand, giving Masaki nervous glances. A-ha! So Masaki must have--

His conclusion was interrupted when he felt a tug on his arm. He thought it was Ohno, but it was Masaki who had a very visible smirk on his lips.

"Wha--"

"Go Satoshi and Sho!" Masaki whooped excitedly as Sho was pushed besides Ohno.

Sho almost bumped into Ohno, thanks to Masaki, but he was able to stop himself halfway, though the stage was small and he stood awkwardly besides Ohno -- he could sense that the latter was shaking nervously. Or was it him? He awkwardly stood with Ohno in the spotlight, suddenly feeling afraid and embarrassed in front of Masaki. He knew he shouldn't have went, and should have ran away when he saw Masaki after school.

Next thing he knew, the song began. It began with a soft electro tune, then a continuous beat. He's listened to this song with Masaki before, but it sounded so different now. Maybe it was because he was with Ohno? Masaki was better off singing this song with Nino since it was Masaki's favorite song, not his.

I wonder where we'll go from here?
If we follow the light, we'll be shown the way to tomorrow

It was the singing that broke his train of thoughts, and he could feel his lips curving into a smile. He wondered where it came from and he had to look at Masaki for an answer. As Masaki rolled his eyes, he pointed and Sho followed it. Of course, he and Ohno were the only ones on stage so it couldn't be anyone else. Though, he had no time do admire since his lines were up next.

There's nothing I'm afraid of now
Not letting the dream I saw with you disappear, I hold in my heart

He felt a shiver when he finished his lines and realized that Ohno was looking at him. It wasn't until then did he realize why he fell for him in the first place: Ohno's sleepy, yet sincere smile. Sho first saw it when he was a freshman and their class was touring the art room, and that was when he first saw Ohno... He hadn't realized a second later that he was finally looking Ohno's face.

Even somewhere very far away, I feel it inside, deep inside　Going anywhere with you

Let's go, fly away　Our dreams are faraway　But someday we'll reach them
If I'm with you, we can overcome anything　We can go
Run through the night　Reach to the sky
We'll carve out never-ending memories　My heart is waiting for you...

Soon, Sho found himself singing along with Ohno. The shaking had disappeared, and he hadn't noticed it until Ohno sang the 6th verse. He hadn't notice, as well, that Masaki and Nino disappeared.The last time he checked, they were sitting and watching them with interest. Once the song had ended, he checked and they were gone.

"Sakurai-kun," Ohno murmured as they both took their seats again once the song ended. "I thought you said you didn't sing?

"I-I don't..." He denied it as he kept glancing at the door for Masaki and Nino to return.

"But your voice..."

Out of impulse, Sho stood up. He didn't mean to, but he was starting to feel hot.

"I've gotta--"

"What's this?" Ohno interrupted. "A letter?"

Sho felt his eyes crawl out of his head and a burst of hot flames inside his body. He swore he put that away at home that morning, somewhere safe and away from his mother's reach. But no! He must have forgotten to put it away. When he turned to face, Ohno, however, it was far too late. He knew he shouldn't have written the latter's name on the front.

"It's for me? I wonder who's it from..."

Please don't open it, Sho begged silently. But of course, he wouldn't open an envelope with your name in the front? It's not like he can just snatch the letter away that easily either.

As soon as Ohno opened the letter, Sho picked up his feet. He cannot bear to be in the same room as him anymore...



"You idiot!" Masaki yelled, obviously angry at him from yesterday's events. "Satoshi called and said he couldn't pay everything last! I thought that--"

"But I wasn't the one who wanted it. You and Nino were supposed to pay, not me and him," Sho countered. "I'm not the one who wanted to be there in the first place."

"Who cares!" Masaki growled. "And Satoshi... poor Satoshi... You just left him and he sounded awful last night... What did you do?!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"It sounded like you did," Nino barged in.

"Stay out of it babe," Masaki hissed, pushing Nino away from them before glaring at him again. "I will never forgive you for this, Sho. I'm not going to talk to you anymore."

"But--"

"Let's go, Nino. We have somewhere else to be other than around this idiot," He hmphed, threw Sho another angry glare before picking Nino up his feet and dragging him away. Now his friend really hates him.

Wasn't it, though, that love shouldn't be forced? He thought once Masaki and Nino disappeared (and Sho hoped it wasn't for good). But it's been 2 years since he first saw Ohno and he only had this year to confess. The school year was almost done, so it must be understandable why Masaki would do this. But he wished his friend wasn't so impulsive all the time.

"Argh!" Sho growled, pulling at his hair. He didn't care if anyone was looking at him, or giving him the wow-he's-crazy look. He deserved it after all, and he didn't deserve Ohno, too. Ohno was better off with someone who wasn't such a coward.

"Sakurai-kun."

Sho almost jumped out of his seat, along with his tray of untouched lunch, but the nerves in his body suddenly froze. He was too afraid to turn his head.

"I-I want to talk."

Sho refused to acknowledge him.

"It's ok if you don't answer me, but I do have one. I'll... I'll see you at the roof after school, I guess."

He almost felt like falling dead on the floor the longer the student stayed, but the he already left before the functions in his body failed him. When he felt it was the right time to look at where the student disappeared, though, he swore he saw Masaki and Nino in the background somewhere.

Chance 6.

Sho felt lonely that words can't even express it. He admits that he missed Masaki talking about his relationship with Nino, but he doesn't want to really admit it. He just misses Masaki, Nino too (kind of), and Ohno who began walking with them after school before all this happened. At the moment, though, he wished that Masaki was besides him, prepping him before he headed to the roof. But Masaki was nowhere to be found, and he had no choice but to go up there himself.

Once he reached the top most floor, he took a deep breath in front of the rooftop exit. After finally releasing it, he pushed through. The nerves and the shaking came back when he saw a student standing near the edge of the rooftop.

"Aiba-kun lied."

He jumped, startled, wondering how the latter knew he was there. What could he possibly mean?

"He told me to tell you that he was just playing around," Ohno said, "that he really doesn't hate you, but he kind of does."

Is that what he called me up here for?

"But he told me that I should tell you how I really feel."

What?

"I read your letter yesterday a lot of times when you left. So I called Aiba-kun and asked what I should do, and he told me something. But after reading the letter, I kind of understood why you ran away all the time. Sakurai-kun, I'm sorry, I didn't know that I'm the reason why you act so different. Aiba-kun told me you're normally not fidgety until I started being around you guys. I always thought that you hated me or something."

When did Masaki tell him all this?!

"But I... um... I don't know how to say it, so I made you one too."

Ohno finally turned around to face him, but Sho quickly looked away. He heard the latter's footsteps inch closer and closer until it finally stopped. From the corner of his eyes, he saw that the latter was smiling.

"Here," Ohno handed him a white envelope, and Sho took it hesitantly. Actually, he didn't want to talk it. What if the latter wrote him a long letter about why he had the right to reject him, and whatnot.

He thought that the latter was going to leave, but he stayed. Does he want me to read it? It did seem like he wanted him to... As he opened the envelope with shaky hands and took the contents out of it, a string fell out. But it wasn't a string, Sho realized, as he moved it around his hand. It was a bracelet that intertwined in the colors of red and blue, and there were the two letter beads dangling on the strings. But where was the letter?

"I made it last night," Ohno said, "I made one for me, too."

Sho looked up and saw that Ohno lifted his hand up. On his wrist was the exact same bracelet that was in his hand.

"I rarely write letters, so I just made this for us. Does it count if I added both of our first letters, in our names, in it? It's not close to your kind of letter that you wrote last night, but..."

Sho felt his heart beat a thousand times in under one second. Did this mean he--

"I'll you help put it on," Ohno said as he took the bracelet from his hand and then wrapped it around his wrist. Once he was finished, he pulled back with a sigh. "I knew it would look good on you..."

Sho looked at the bracelet, confused of the whole situation. Ohno was being considerate by giving him a bracelet that me made, and he was wearing the exact same one. What could this possibly--

"Come," Ohno's voice broke in his thoughts, "Masaki and Nino are waiting."

Just then, a hand was offered. Sho looked at it, confused, before looking up at Ohno (for the second time, he realized). There was a smile on Ohno's face, and Sho couldn't tell if he was amused or was just smiling. And he felt stupid for staring at him.

"Masaki also told me you're shy," Ohno said, "And that I should take the initiative."

Wha--

Just then, he felt a hand grab his. It was so soft and warm...



"Congrats!" Masaki yelled as he threw a handful of confetti on his and Ohno's face. "I knew I--"

"Leave them be," Nino hissed, pulling Masaki away to another corner in the same karaoke room they were in last night. "They can handle being on their own."

As the two of them merged with the background, however, a familiar tune came on.

Final Chance.

It was the song from last night that he sang with Ohno. Masaki must have put it on for them.

"Here," Ohno smiled, offering him the microphone. "Let's sing."

"Ok..."

For the first time since then, he felt the nerves in his body was never going to come back. As Ohno offered his hand, once again, Sho took it. This is finally my chance, he thought.

END