Title:Crunch (Part 2)
Pairings:ShoxAiba
Genre:Fluff, Preschool AU
Rating:G
Disclaimer:I own nothing but the plot
Word Count:1815
Summary:Sho was really craving for cookies, but too bad his parents forbid him to eat those kinds of snacks; especially his mom.
 

Sho found it difficult to chew the fresh vegetable snacks he forcefully shoved into his mouth. He knew very well that he had to finish it since his mom sacrificed her beauty nap to make healthy snacks just for him. But he couldn't help it. Both his tongue and his mind told him cookies were a much, much better choice for snacks at this moment. Not these bitter mix of vegetables. They weren't sweet at all compared to the cookies. He looked down on the bowl in front of him, spat out the broccoli from his mouth, and grimaced as he pushed it away in disgust. His motivation to finish the whole thing for his mom had disappeared the more he looked at it.

Behind him, he heard the shuffle of feet on the wooden floor. It appears his mom hasn't left yet. "What's wrong?"

"I want something else," He told her as he pushed the bowl further away from him. "Something else other than these."

"I'll get you fr--"

"Don't want that either." Although fruits were sweet as well, they weren't as delicious as cookies. It wasn't greasy, round, flat-ish (unless you cut them up that way), and it barely stirred his taste buds to excitement. The only time he would love to have them was when he actually craved it. For now, though, cookies were the top priority. But of course, knowing his mom, she didn't allow him to have any of those; for her, healthy was the top priority.

"I want cookies," he declares out loud when she doesn't say anything. "Can I please have some?"

She sighed. "Sho, hon, you know it's bad for you. Haven't we already--"

"I know!" He stamped his foot childishly on the floor and turned around to glare at her startled face. When she regained the calm expression on her face, he pouted as he held a finger up. "Can I at least have one? Just this one time."

"Sho..."

"Please! I'll be a good boy! I'll got out and--"

The sound of someone deeply coughing interrupted him. Sho didn't have to peek over his mom to know who it was. As if it was an instinct, his lips immediately formed a huge grin and his feet began to ran by itself. "Papa!" He yelled excitedly, his arms widening as he ran towards a tall man leaning against the door frame.

It felt like he had never seen his father at all the whole day, when really, he had seen him last before he left for work. He wished he could follow his dad instead of going to preschool. The business he owned was such a great place to run around in; a place he'd rather be instead of that dirty preschool. Plus, there were many people who worked under his dad who always gave him something to read whenever he visited. When he grows up, he wishes to be just like his father: a smart, educated, and handsome man.

“Can I have cookies?” He asked him, hoping that he’ll say yes unlike his mom. “Please?!”

“Sho, your mom--”

“Ugh!” He groaned as he pulled himself away from his father’s leg. “Never mind!”

Of course he wouldn’t say yes -- though he will as long as it wasn’t a danger to his health. Since both of his parents were aware of his eating habits, they had control over it. From breakfast to dinner, the only dishes he ate were made by their nutrition chef.

Grumbling angrily, he pushed both his mom and dad until they were a feet away from his bedroom door, and closed it on them when they tried to reason with him. They stayed there for a couple of minutes after, and all he heard was his mom say something about being healthy, while his dad stressed that he should listen to her (because he really had no say in this). After what seemed like a long time, they finally left him in silence with the bowl of vegetables relaxing silently besides him.



It was yet another day in the boring preschool with a bunch of hyperactive kids running around chasing each other. The boys were teasing the girls who tried to play house, while others already had their own cliques. The kids who were cooly hanging out on the playground were the hoggers, who took over themselves despite the fact that they already owned the plastic building. Just a few feet from the playground was a group that huddled together and moved together as if they were one like penguins. The ones who made themselves busy with the mucky dirt in the sandbox, were individuals that no one cared about; all they did was talk to themselves. There were so much more, but Sho was too lazy to list them all out.

Sho lightly giggled as he watched with amusement. He wondered what group he would belong in if he wasn’t himself. The weirdos by the sandbox? The kids who were pushing others around? Or the artistic ones who stayed in the classroom and painted all day? Of course, he belonged to none -- it was so obvious.

Sighing, he settled himself on the bench wondering why he was even here in the first place. He can always phone his dad, lie that he was having an emergency so he can pick him up, and then go somewhere fun! Like the bookstore or a library! That would be a really exciting adventure. As much as he wanted to do it though, he couldn’t. The image of his mom’s hurt face popped up, and he didn’t want to see that on her beautiful face. He really didn’t want to worry her or make her sad.

There was nothing else better to do and watching the cliques do their own thing started to get boring every minute. Just as he was about to close his eyes, he heard something. It sounded like a twig being snapped.

Alerted, he sat up from his bench and immediately glanced over his shoulder. He saw nothing and no one since the back was off limits. However, he saw a rather quick movements, followed by what looked like brown hair. It’s him!

He quickly got to his feet, ignoring the fact that he had just broken school rules. By the time he reached the more secluded area, the parking lot, he heard it again. This time, it was the sound of something being crushed together. “I know you’re there!”

There was no reply, not even a small sound was being emitted.

“I know you’re there!” He repeats, hoping that it can get the intruder out in the open. It doesn’t work.

Maybe it was a squirrel?

It must be. No human can move that fast unless they were trained to. Just as he was about to retreat back to the bench, however, he heard the same sound again. Though this time, he knew right where it came from: behind a white sedan (bless his good hearing). He crouched and moved stealthily towards the car. As he took little steps he made sure he made no sounds to send whatever it is to scurry away. When he finally reached the back, he waited for a bit, then he peeked over the right.

What he saw was not a squirrel, or an animal that made those weird noises. What he saw was a boy crouching down on the floor, his back facing him, as he produced constant crunching sounds. Sho was afraid to approach him.

“H-hey...” He weakly called out, afraid that if he startled the boy, he might attack or run away. “You ok?”

The boy didn’t seem to hear him.

“Hey,” He called out again, this time making sure the boy heard him.

He did.

He stopped in tracks when the boy stopped making those weird crunching noises. Right when he thought that the boy was going to attack, instead, he stood up and ran.

Sho ran after him. “Wait! I didn’t mean to startle you!”

The boy continued to run from him as if was a monster. He kept running faster and faster from him that when he reached a dead end, he stopped. Sho finally caught up.

“Hey...” He panted as he bent down to catch up with his breath. “Are you... ok?”

The boy still continued to ignored him. Sho was surprised though that those huge eyes weren’t staring at him. It was as if the boy suddenly became shy.

Irritated, Sho grabbed for his shoulder. He couldn’t stand being ignored, especially since the boy might have thought he was some crazy person or something like that. “Are--” Sho stopped himself and blinked twice when the boy finally faced him.

He was right! It was him after all!

“Hey!” Sho grinned. “Thanks for the cookie the yesterday!”

“...”

“It really tasted good! Do you perhaps... have some more?”

“...”

Sho frowned. “Why don’t you say something? Is--”

The boy flinched when Sho attempted to lightly tap his shoulder. When he saw this, he immediately pulled back. “I won’t hurt you,” he told him. “I--”

“Coo...kie?”

Sho blinked in surprise. The boy finally spoke, but he had such a small voice of a baby’s. “You can speak?”

The boy nodded his head, and Sho was relieved to see that he can understand what he’s saying after all.

“Did you make it?”

The boy shook his head.

“Did your mom make it?”

The boy shook his head again. “Mo... no mom...”

“I-- Oh,” Sho stopped himself just in time, realizing that he must have hurt the boy’s feeling. “I’m sorry I--”

“It... Ok,” The boy shrugs. “Coo...kie?”

Like yesterday, it didn’t look like he had a box in his hands, but Sho was finally able to see it up close. It was a pale green box with no special decorations on it whatsoever. Not even a name. As the boy opened it, something delicious wafted in the air. It only took one sniff to make his mouth water.

“Here...” The boy says as he handed him another cookie. “Have...”

“Thank you!” Sho smiled, accepting the cookie from the boy. Without giving it a second thought, he stuffed it all into his mouth and he was finished within two minutes. Even though it tasted the same as yesterday, it still tingled his mouth. “Wanna be friends?” He blurted out without knowing he did it. When he realized what came out of his mouth, though, the boy was already nodding his head, his brown hair bouncing along with it.

Well, it really doesn’t hurt to have a friend, right? He does have cookies... “I’m Sho,” He introduces himself as he shot his hand out.

“Ma...sa...ki...” The boy mumbles as he slowly grabbed for his hand then shook it. “Nice... meet you...”

“Nice to meet you too!”

TBC