Title:Budding (Part 4/16)
Pairings:OhnoxNino
Genre:Fluff, High School AU, Friendship,
Rating:PG-13 (for language)
Disclaimer:I own nothing but the plot
Word Count:772
Summary:Nino doesn't remember the last time he went to school until the annoying student points it out.
 

The weekends had, unfortunately, passed by so fast without Nino noticing it. The strange student had been frequenting his “breaking” and entering, as well as abusing the house phone. Yet he still haven’t gotten the restraint order against the annoying student. He meant to get it on Sunday, but he was just too lazy to go out and actually get one. He intended to play more games in the afternoon, but instead the annoying student was wasting his time as usual.

“Nino -- I can call you that right?” He heard the student ask from behind him.

“No.”

“Well, Nino,” The student, although Nino had obviously said no, went on with it anyways. “You’ve missed a lot of things since you disappeared.”

“And when was that, exactly?” He asked him, wondering when he really had gotten out of school. It felt like he’s been out of that hell hole for a long time that he can’t even remember.

“Uh... June 17.”

“I did-- Oh, I did,” Nino nodded his head in agreement, remembering how no one, not even his classmates since preschool, greeted him on his birthday. But that seemed all too long ago, probably like 7 months since then.

“I’m sorry I didn’t greet you that day, Nino. I meant to.”

He was tempted to face the wall the whole time the latter was near, but he couldn’t help but twist around a little from the student’s apology. “You knew it was my birthday?”

“Yes,” the latter nodded his head as a small smile began to appear on his face. “I figured it was when you looked surprised at the sound of someone yelling happy birthday.”

“But it wasn’t for me...”

“I know. Which is why...” The latter turned around for a minute or two and looked as if he was getting something out of his bag. He turned back around, a huge and suspicious smile on his face. “...I got you something! Also because of Saturday, when my nose was bleeding without me knowing.”

Once the student has something from behind him, Nino stared hard at it. It was a rectangular box, wrapped with blue-yellowed striped paper, and a small blue bow on the top. He narrowed his eyes.

“Is that a bomb?”

“No!” The student laughed, “It’s a present!”

“I can see that. But are you sure it’s not a bomb?”

The student laughed for the last time before he rolled his eyes and handed him the suspicious present. Nino poked it a little afraid that it would go off if he naively touched it; it didn’t. Next, he moved closer to it, eyeing every single corners, sides, and the top before sniffing it make sure there wasn’t poison in it; he couldn’t tell because he wasn’t a dog anyways.

“Op--”

“I’ll open it,” Nino snapped, finally grabbing the suspicious present. “This better not be a bomb...”

As Nino opened it, slowly opened it, he closed his eyes. Since his hands were the only ones sensing for him, he wasn’t so sure anymore if he should or should not open the box, but it was too late. Instead of a bomb, and a timer timing his death, it felt (and smelled) like a new game. Nino could tell really well when he has gotten a game with or without eyes.

In the end, Nino gave in and decided to open them when he still felt alive. It was not a bomb, but it was instead something he never thought he would have until the day the prices for it lowers down.

“No way!” Nino gasped as he shook the case. “Dead Space 3?!”

“Yep,” the latter grinned. “The game has bombs in it, but as you can see, it’s not a bomb.”

“Oh my God, thank you! But how’d--”

“--I get it before it came out?” The student continued his words, his eyebrows going up and down repeatedly. “I have people.”

“Man, I cannot wait to play this.”

“Why don’t you play now?”

For once, the student’s words actually meant something. “Yeah. I should do that!” He agreed as he stood up and headed downstairs with the student following behind.

“Mind if I join?”

Nino paused in his tracks, thought for a second, and eventually said, “No.”

He heard the latter let out a soft whimper, but he didn’t care about him at the moment. All he wanted was to play his new game.

As they entered the living room, Nino paused again once more.

“You’re alright, Ohno Satoshi. You’re alright,” he commented before he walked on to play his very late birthday present.

TBC