On the 7th Step
Jul. 3rd, 2016 08:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aranixTitle: On the 7th Step
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
nidesux a.k.a moi
Length: One-shot. Around 2,000 words
Pairing: Aiba x Jun a.k.a JunBa
Rating: PG
Genre: Fluff (some small angst)
Summary: Every 365 days. A year. On the 7th day of the 7th month, waiting on the 7th step.
Note: Fiction only. Unbeta'ed as always. I don't own any of them, sadly. And comments are very much appreciated! I keep writing JunBa these days >.> well at least I'm being productive(?)
"Here," he said with a grin, handing over the wallet. The man took it, bowing his head in thanks before turning around and walking away. Masaki pouted at the somewhat cold behavior, but shrugged it off when his friend, Kazunari, started dragging him to find a good place to watch the fireworks.
That was just the first year.
The second time Masaki spotted the man—despite the crowd of people that night—was a year after their first interaction. He immediately recognized him and decided to approach him since he was alone at the bridge they first met at, drinking some beer while staring up at the sky.
"I'll be back," Masaki said to Kazunari, who was pushing his way through the crowd; he went the other way, ignoring his friend's yells for him to come back. A relieved sigh left his lips when he finally managed to push through the large crowd just then.
"Yo," Masaki stood beside him, greeting him with a salute and grin. The man looked at him with slightly furrowed eyebrows, and he mentally slapped himself. Of course he won't remember you, he thought to himself.
But then the said man bowed his head, and Masaki took it as a greeting. He looked up at the sky as well, sighing at how clear the skies were that night. "Wonderful evening, isn't it?"
All he got was a grunt for a response, and he took it as a decent answer.
"What's your name?" Masaki had to look around before realizing that the question came from the man beside him. And when he looked at him, the said man was already staring at him, which made him fumble for his words.
"Uh- I'm Aiba," he replied. The man grunted again in response then looked at the sky again.
"Matsumoto," The man—Matsumoto—said moments after. And Aiba can't help but smile.
In the end, they spent the night walking around the festival. Matsumoto, as Masaki had thought in a not so bad way, attends the festival every year, alone.
"I come back here to Japan every year just for Tanabata," Matsumoto had told him. They both had fun, and Masaki felt proud of himself when he first heard the melodic laughter of the man because of a mistake he did while playing at one of the booths.
But in the end, they didn't exchange any contact information whatsoever. He merely knows Matsumoto as, well, Matsumoto: a guy who comes back to Japan every year for Tanabata.
And in the end, Masaki got a beating from Kazunari for leaving him. But he was glad that Ohno was also with them to keep the other company, making his beating less severe.
The year went by quickly, and it was the 7th day of the 7th month again. Masaki was waiting at the bridge he and Matsumoto were at a year ago.
He can't help but feel stupid for a second, though. They didn't arrange anything after all. Masaki can't help but think that he was just waiting for nothing.
But "nothing" just tapped on his shoulder, greeted him with a "Yo" and did the little salute he did when he approached him a year ago.
"Is this going to be a thing of ours?" Matsumoto asked suddenly. Masaki chewed on the takoyaki and swallowed it before answering.
"What?"
"Tanabata. This day. Is it going to be a thing of ours to meet every year, on this day?"
Masaki remained silent, his thumb brushing over the rim of the can of beer he was holding. They both flinched when the fireworks went off. Matsumoto stood up abruptly, dragging Masaki to watch the firework display better.
And as green and purple fireworks go off just above them, Masaki tugged on Matsumoto's sleeves.
"I guess." was his reply. And Matsumoto just smiled before focusing back on the fireworks.
Masaki never thought that he'd be so excited for the next year. He never thought that he'd be more excited over Tanabata than his own birthday or other important holidays of the year.
"Do you like him?" Sho, one of his friends, asked when he saw him staring at his calender, red marker in hand. Masaki told his friends about Matsumoto, and they started referring to him as "Tanabata Guy"
"Eh? No~ he's just fun to hang out with, that's all!"
"That you'd wait a whole to see him again for just one night?" Sho arched an eyebrow. "Masaki, you don't even know his first name or have any contact with him."
Masaki pursed his lips, fidgeting with the marker's cap between his fingers. "I know."
They were both quiet for a second. "Okay then." Sho said before leaving his room.
The thing is, Matsumoto never left his mind. He was always wondering where he was from, why he was always alone when attending the festival—
and why can't he just stay in Japan.
Masaki laughed at himself for thinking about the last part. Who am I to think of that? he thought. He wasn't even sure if he should consider the both of them as friends, judging by their situation.
"Where are you from?" Masaki asked the fourth time they meet up. It was, again, Tanabata season.
Matsumoto, who was busy cooling himself off by drinking some water and fanning himself, eyed him. Masaki patiently waited for his answer.
"California."
"A-America?" Masaki stuttered."That's... pretty far."
"I know."
"Why don't you just stay here in Japan? So you won't have to fly back and forth every year." He wished he hadn't sounded desperate, but who was he kidding—he was.
The other male stayed quiet for an awfully long time, and Masaki can't help but feel nervous. It's over, he thinks I'm weird now, he thought.
In the end, all he got as a response was a grunt. And he doesn't know whether he should take it as a decent answer or not, considering the fact that he does that all the time when it comes to Matsumoto.
He felt a pang in his chest when they bid their goodbyes for the year. He was grinning the whole time he waved at Matsumoto. It immediately faded when he was no longer in sight. His friends were expecting him to join them afterwards but he didn't feel like it anymore, so he just messaged them saying that he felt sick and went home.
"Do you like him?"
"Why do you guys keep asking that? I just find him nice to hang out with," Masaki groaned then made sure to emphasize his next words. "That's all!"
This made the three of his friends—Kazunari, Satoshi and Sho—laugh, making Masaki click his tongue in annoyance.
He wasn't so sure anymore.
It was already 11 PM and Matsumoto still hasn't showed up. Masaki was already expecting it ever since they parted ways last year, yet he kept waiting... and waiting... and waiting.
He wasn't sure what he did wrong or if it was because of his question last year that made things like this. And it frustrated him. He wanted to hate Matsumoto, but who was he to get upset?
"Do you know the story of Tanabata?" Masaki excitedly turned around, only to be disappointed when it was Ohno there, not Matsumoto. He made sure not to show it, but Ohno—as if he could see right through him—apologized for not being the person he was waiting for.
"Yeah," Masaki replied, nodding. They both stood there at the bridge; with him on the 7th step while Ohno was on the 6th. Not the 8th step, Masaki had marked that as Matsumoto's two years ago.
"The story says that there were two people; one of them was sad that they could never meet and fall in love with anyone because of their work, while the other worked on the other side of the Milky Way," Ohno began while looking up at the sky. "They met, fell in love, yet they were so in love that they couldn't work properly. So they were separated and was only allowed to meet each other once a year. Which was, well, this day. They always meet when the sky is clear."
Masaki stayed quiet throughout his story, that even though he knew that his friend wasn't referring to him and Matsumoto, he can't help but compare them to the characters of the story.
"Do you like him?"
"No," Masaki shook his head, looking down at his joined hands on the bridge's railing.
"The sky isn't very clear tonight," Ohno said. And Masaki can't help but think that maybe—just maybe—he can relate to the story of Tanabata.
Matsumoto never showed up in the end. And Masaki felt crushed, though he kept a positive aura.
He's never coming back, he told himself when he thought of the man. Sometimes he even blamed himself for asking about him staying in Japan. And sometimes he blamed Matsumoto for taking his question so seriously.
Even though he was sure that Matsumoto won't show up next year, he still found himself clutching that red marker of his and staring at his calendar.
Even though he was sure that Matsumoto won't show up, he still waited on the 7th day of the 7th month, at the 7th step of their bridge. He waited and waited, that Kazunari had to drag him away when it started raining.
Masaki felt stuck. It had been two years since he last seen Matsumoto, and the harder he tried to forget about him, the more he wanted to fly to California and search for him.
His friends thought this was stupid. Even he admits that it was, so he shrugged it off. Maybe it wasn't meant to last.
"I think..." Masaki shut his eyes. "I think I like him."
"No shit," Kazunari sighed, chugging down on a his bottle of beer.
It was the first time Masaki admitted that he had feelings for Matsumoto. And he frowned at the thought of him never having the chance to confess to the man.
We've only met a few times over the past few years, he thought to himself as he stared at the 7th month of the new year; he reached for the red marker and crossed out the 6th day. Stop this, Masaki.
He found himself waiting once again. On the 7th day of the 7th month, at the 7th step of their bridge. Masaki can't help but chuckle when he thought about the second time he saw Matsumoto. He was exactly how the man was like back then: alone and drinking some beer.
Alone.
It started raining, and Masaki sighed staying there for a few minutes as people run on the bridge to get to the other side and dry off. He ran his fingers through his now wet hair and turned to leave.
"Do you know the story of Tanabata?"
He stopped on his tracks when he heard that oh-so-familiar voice of his. Of Matsumoto's. And his heart beat so much faster.
Matsumoto slowly stepped closer to him, them held the umbrella so it was covering the both of them. They both stayed quiet, and Masaki can't help but assume that the other felt the same way towards him, judging by the look he had on. As if Matsumoto was making sure that Masaki felt the same.
And hell, he sure did.
"Matsumoto Jun," Jun blurted out then pulled a piece of paper out from his pocket, taking Masaki's hand and placing it on his palm; closing it afterwards.
"I crossed the Milky Way for you, how many times now. And I plan on staying at this side from now on," Jun bit down on his lower lip before continuing. "Sorry for the wait."
Author:
nidesux a.k.a moiLength: One-shot. Around 2,000 words
Pairing: Aiba x Jun a.k.a JunBa
Rating: PG
Genre: Fluff (some small angst)
Summary: Every 365 days. A year. On the 7th day of the 7th month, waiting on the 7th step.
Note: Fiction only. Unbeta'ed as always. I don't own any of them, sadly. And comments are very much appreciated! I keep writing JunBa these days >.> well at least I'm being productive(?)
"Excuse me!" Masaki called out for the man just a few steps ahead of him.The man stopped on his tracks as Masaki reached down for the wallet the man had dropped just a moment ago; he then walked down the steps of the bridge.
"Here," he said with a grin, handing over the wallet. The man took it, bowing his head in thanks before turning around and walking away. Masaki pouted at the somewhat cold behavior, but shrugged it off when his friend, Kazunari, started dragging him to find a good place to watch the fireworks.
That was just the first year.
The second time Masaki spotted the man—despite the crowd of people that night—was a year after their first interaction. He immediately recognized him and decided to approach him since he was alone at the bridge they first met at, drinking some beer while staring up at the sky.
"I'll be back," Masaki said to Kazunari, who was pushing his way through the crowd; he went the other way, ignoring his friend's yells for him to come back. A relieved sigh left his lips when he finally managed to push through the large crowd just then.
"Yo," Masaki stood beside him, greeting him with a salute and grin. The man looked at him with slightly furrowed eyebrows, and he mentally slapped himself. Of course he won't remember you, he thought to himself.
But then the said man bowed his head, and Masaki took it as a greeting. He looked up at the sky as well, sighing at how clear the skies were that night. "Wonderful evening, isn't it?"
All he got was a grunt for a response, and he took it as a decent answer.
"What's your name?" Masaki had to look around before realizing that the question came from the man beside him. And when he looked at him, the said man was already staring at him, which made him fumble for his words.
"Uh- I'm Aiba," he replied. The man grunted again in response then looked at the sky again.
"Matsumoto," The man—Matsumoto—said moments after. And Aiba can't help but smile.
In the end, they spent the night walking around the festival. Matsumoto, as Masaki had thought in a not so bad way, attends the festival every year, alone.
"I come back here to Japan every year just for Tanabata," Matsumoto had told him. They both had fun, and Masaki felt proud of himself when he first heard the melodic laughter of the man because of a mistake he did while playing at one of the booths.
But in the end, they didn't exchange any contact information whatsoever. He merely knows Matsumoto as, well, Matsumoto: a guy who comes back to Japan every year for Tanabata.
And in the end, Masaki got a beating from Kazunari for leaving him. But he was glad that Ohno was also with them to keep the other company, making his beating less severe.
The year went by quickly, and it was the 7th day of the 7th month again. Masaki was waiting at the bridge he and Matsumoto were at a year ago.
He can't help but feel stupid for a second, though. They didn't arrange anything after all. Masaki can't help but think that he was just waiting for nothing.
But "nothing" just tapped on his shoulder, greeted him with a "Yo" and did the little salute he did when he approached him a year ago.
Masaki grinned, and he found himself hugging the man. He immediately pulled away when he realized this then apologized. Matsumoto just smirked at him, making him feel more embarrassed.
"Is this going to be a thing of ours?" Matsumoto asked suddenly. Masaki chewed on the takoyaki and swallowed it before answering.
"What?"
"Tanabata. This day. Is it going to be a thing of ours to meet every year, on this day?"
Masaki remained silent, his thumb brushing over the rim of the can of beer he was holding. They both flinched when the fireworks went off. Matsumoto stood up abruptly, dragging Masaki to watch the firework display better.
And as green and purple fireworks go off just above them, Masaki tugged on Matsumoto's sleeves.
"I guess." was his reply. And Matsumoto just smiled before focusing back on the fireworks.
Masaki never thought that he'd be so excited for the next year. He never thought that he'd be more excited over Tanabata than his own birthday or other important holidays of the year.
"Do you like him?" Sho, one of his friends, asked when he saw him staring at his calender, red marker in hand. Masaki told his friends about Matsumoto, and they started referring to him as "Tanabata Guy"
"Eh? No~ he's just fun to hang out with, that's all!"
"That you'd wait a whole to see him again for just one night?" Sho arched an eyebrow. "Masaki, you don't even know his first name or have any contact with him."
Masaki pursed his lips, fidgeting with the marker's cap between his fingers. "I know."
They were both quiet for a second. "Okay then." Sho said before leaving his room.
The thing is, Matsumoto never left his mind. He was always wondering where he was from, why he was always alone when attending the festival—
and why can't he just stay in Japan.
Masaki laughed at himself for thinking about the last part. Who am I to think of that? he thought. He wasn't even sure if he should consider the both of them as friends, judging by their situation.
"Where are you from?" Masaki asked the fourth time they meet up. It was, again, Tanabata season.
Matsumoto, who was busy cooling himself off by drinking some water and fanning himself, eyed him. Masaki patiently waited for his answer.
"California."
"A-America?" Masaki stuttered."That's... pretty far."
"I know."
"Why don't you just stay here in Japan? So you won't have to fly back and forth every year." He wished he hadn't sounded desperate, but who was he kidding—he was.
The other male stayed quiet for an awfully long time, and Masaki can't help but feel nervous. It's over, he thinks I'm weird now, he thought.
In the end, all he got as a response was a grunt. And he doesn't know whether he should take it as a decent answer or not, considering the fact that he does that all the time when it comes to Matsumoto.
He felt a pang in his chest when they bid their goodbyes for the year. He was grinning the whole time he waved at Matsumoto. It immediately faded when he was no longer in sight. His friends were expecting him to join them afterwards but he didn't feel like it anymore, so he just messaged them saying that he felt sick and went home.
"Do you like him?"
"Why do you guys keep asking that? I just find him nice to hang out with," Masaki groaned then made sure to emphasize his next words. "That's all!"
This made the three of his friends—Kazunari, Satoshi and Sho—laugh, making Masaki click his tongue in annoyance.
He wasn't so sure anymore.
It was already 11 PM and Matsumoto still hasn't showed up. Masaki was already expecting it ever since they parted ways last year, yet he kept waiting... and waiting... and waiting.
He wasn't sure what he did wrong or if it was because of his question last year that made things like this. And it frustrated him. He wanted to hate Matsumoto, but who was he to get upset?
"Do you know the story of Tanabata?" Masaki excitedly turned around, only to be disappointed when it was Ohno there, not Matsumoto. He made sure not to show it, but Ohno—as if he could see right through him—apologized for not being the person he was waiting for.
"Yeah," Masaki replied, nodding. They both stood there at the bridge; with him on the 7th step while Ohno was on the 6th. Not the 8th step, Masaki had marked that as Matsumoto's two years ago.
"The story says that there were two people; one of them was sad that they could never meet and fall in love with anyone because of their work, while the other worked on the other side of the Milky Way," Ohno began while looking up at the sky. "They met, fell in love, yet they were so in love that they couldn't work properly. So they were separated and was only allowed to meet each other once a year. Which was, well, this day. They always meet when the sky is clear."
Masaki stayed quiet throughout his story, that even though he knew that his friend wasn't referring to him and Matsumoto, he can't help but compare them to the characters of the story.
"Do you like him?"
"No," Masaki shook his head, looking down at his joined hands on the bridge's railing.
"The sky isn't very clear tonight," Ohno said. And Masaki can't help but think that maybe—just maybe—he can relate to the story of Tanabata.
Matsumoto never showed up in the end. And Masaki felt crushed, though he kept a positive aura.
He's never coming back, he told himself when he thought of the man. Sometimes he even blamed himself for asking about him staying in Japan. And sometimes he blamed Matsumoto for taking his question so seriously.
Even though he was sure that Matsumoto won't show up next year, he still found himself clutching that red marker of his and staring at his calendar.
Even though he was sure that Matsumoto won't show up, he still waited on the 7th day of the 7th month, at the 7th step of their bridge. He waited and waited, that Kazunari had to drag him away when it started raining.
Masaki felt stuck. It had been two years since he last seen Matsumoto, and the harder he tried to forget about him, the more he wanted to fly to California and search for him.
His friends thought this was stupid. Even he admits that it was, so he shrugged it off. Maybe it wasn't meant to last.
"I think..." Masaki shut his eyes. "I think I like him."
"No shit," Kazunari sighed, chugging down on a his bottle of beer.
It was the first time Masaki admitted that he had feelings for Matsumoto. And he frowned at the thought of him never having the chance to confess to the man.
We've only met a few times over the past few years, he thought to himself as he stared at the 7th month of the new year; he reached for the red marker and crossed out the 6th day. Stop this, Masaki.
He found himself waiting once again. On the 7th day of the 7th month, at the 7th step of their bridge. Masaki can't help but chuckle when he thought about the second time he saw Matsumoto. He was exactly how the man was like back then: alone and drinking some beer.
Alone.
It started raining, and Masaki sighed staying there for a few minutes as people run on the bridge to get to the other side and dry off. He ran his fingers through his now wet hair and turned to leave.
"Do you know the story of Tanabata?"
He stopped on his tracks when he heard that oh-so-familiar voice of his. Of Matsumoto's. And his heart beat so much faster.
There he was, standing 7 steps away from him, the man he's been waiting for for 2 years now. Masaki's lips form a thin line before yelling out his answer. "I do!"
Matsumoto slowly stepped closer to him, them held the umbrella so it was covering the both of them. They both stayed quiet, and Masaki can't help but assume that the other felt the same way towards him, judging by the look he had on. As if Matsumoto was making sure that Masaki felt the same.
And hell, he sure did.
"Matsumoto Jun," Jun blurted out then pulled a piece of paper out from his pocket, taking Masaki's hand and placing it on his palm; closing it afterwards.
"I crossed the Milky Way for you, how many times now. And I plan on staying at this side from now on," Jun bit down on his lower lip before continuing. "Sorry for the wait."
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2016-07-03 01:25 pm (UTC)Aww, this is so sweet. Thanks!
no subject
Date: 2016-07-04 05:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-07-03 01:28 pm (UTC)I'm speechless.
no subject
Date: 2016-07-04 05:55 am (UTC)Thanks for reading!
no subject
Date: 2016-07-03 04:01 pm (UTC)Thanks so much for sharing this piece of JunBa love <3
no subject
Date: 2016-07-04 05:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-07-03 08:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-07-04 05:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-07-04 05:01 am (UTC)Thanks for sharing it with us!
no subject
Date: 2016-07-04 05:57 am (UTC)