PROMPT #24 by saaurus pt. 2

[aibamods]

LINK TO PART 1 

PART 2

ANOTHER DAY 1

The laboring day was nearly over when the office began to empty and the majority of the employees began to retreat home. Some were completely worn out, others were ready to head into the nearest bar to extend their day as much as possible. Of the latter group, several employees approached Aiba, asking him to join them, but he had no choice but to decline their invitation.

"I'm sorry. I'm working extra hours today for that special project, remember?"

"Still? I thought you were already done with that."

"Yeah... not quite." Aiba offered them an apologetic smile.

They realized they couldn't insist much more and they left Aiba to continue with his work. In fact, Aiba stayed in the office until the very last of his co-workers had left, and there was no one else other than him, and of course, Sakurai.

Just as they'd finished with their day-to-day work, Aiba switched all of his documents to the ones relevant to the special project, as it would be the only thing he would be working on for the next several hours. As he was about to begin with his work, Sakurai came into view, bringing his things over from his work space and sitting on the desk that was right in front of Aiba's in the opposite lane of cubicles. Aiba looked on as Sakurai did his moving, encouraging the other to explain.

"We should be looking over each other's work, right? It doesn't really help if we're sitting so far apart."

Aiba admitted he had a point. This way, they were both facing each other as they worked, so if they had any sort of complaints to express to one another, they wouldn’t have to waste time walking across the office to talk about it.

Aiba thought it would be much harder to focus on his work, but Sakurai's silence granted him a concentration he didn't know he could achieve himself. In fact, working so closely to Sakurai almost felt like he wasn't there at all. Being it just the two of them in the office, Aiba didn't feel the sudden impulse to leave his desk and look for Ohno or anyone else that might make him abandon his work, nor did he feel the need to do anything to annoy Sakurai. He didn't think it would be possible, but the amount of work seemed to go way almost in a flash and before he knew it, the view by the big windows of the office showed a night sky. It had almost been 3 hours since they had begun working and so much had already been done.

They decided to take the rest of the time to talk about their respective parts and evaluate where their ideas overlapped, discarding what didn't work and merging the things that did. With minimal interruption, they managed a good working pace, with Sakurai asking Aiba to fetch him the resources he needed and Aiba passing them over to him. Yet, Aiba had started to become tired whenever it came to finding the resources at the file room, meanwhile Sakurai didn't have to move a muscle as he took care of transcribing the information into their written reports. Eventually, this began to bother the younger who even had to take off his blazer from all the moving around.

"Hey... shouldn't we take turns with the work?" Aiba asked, placing yet another resource on Sakurai's work space, feeling somewhat exhausted.

"What do you mean?" Sakurai asked, and Aiba thought he must have been pretending to not see Aiba breaking a sweat.

"Well... I've been running up and down the office getting the resources and I think we should share the load of the work."

"Do you think you would do this any faster?" Sakurai paused briefly to check just how serious Aiba was right then.

"Well, I-"

"Wouldn't we lose time if we switched and you would have to read everything I've added so far? Then, you would have to catch up from where I left off. It wouldn't make sense."

"You know we should be doing this together, and me getting these files is no way of contributing to the work."

"There will be plenty of work for you to do with what's left. You can take over when we get to that." Sakurai resolved, and seeing as he'd returned to his typing, Aiba acknowledged he wouldn't be able to change his mind.

"Fine." Aiba replied. Although he didn't really feel at all satisfied, but he decided on letting the matter go for tonight. Now that he was really trying to work things out together with Sakurai, there was no use in getting annoyed right from the get go. Surely he could think of another way to make things fair between them without feeling like Sakurai was stepping all over him again.

After a long day of non-stop labor, their first night ended with no further inconvenience. Even when the work was all set and done, neither felt the impulse to engage in any talks that didn't regard their work. Leaving professional matters in the office, they rode the elevator in silence before they parted their own ways, finally able to take a breather from one another.

ANOTHER DAY 2

"I hope you don't mind, I went ahead and started." Aiba told Sakurai, who had taken his time to join him that afternoon. Just a remaining handful of their coworkers were left at the office when Sakurai got there from a meeting at another department.

"Aiba, I don't think this is viable," Sakurai said, clearly bothered. "I already started the work. It would make sense that I finish it myself. Our data could overlap again."

"Don't worry. I already read what you added yesterday so I'm pretty much caught up. You can check it out once I'm done. Oh! And I need these resources," Aiba handed him a sticky note with a list of them. "I wrote them out since you got here a little late. Would you mind getting those for me?"

"Actually, I should get started on reviewing the research material," Sakurai said, setting his things down on the desk across Aiba's and returning the sticky note on Aiba's desk. "You seem to have everything under control. If you need that information, you are perfectly capable of helping yourself, I presume."

"I thought we were tag-teaming it." Aiba argued, close to becoming upset once again with Sakurai's avoidance.

"It was you who volunteered to help me out yesterday."

"Didn't the manager said we needed to be involved with each other's work? Besides, I was being nice and trying to help you get the work done faster since you were so desperate to leave yesterday." Aiba disputed, but Sakurai's eyes wouldn't meet with his. Almost as if he were trying to run away from the fact that the other was right. "Sakurai, please?" Aiba begged and the manner in which he did so made Sakurai finally face him.

Aiba's words came softly, with no trace of angry feelings left in them. They were of genuine nature, trying to reason with someone who wouldn't comply. And the way Aiba's pleading eyes stared at his to make him change his mind, made Sakurai hesitate over his actions.

"We have to do this together. Even if that means we have to share the work from time to time, you need to be okay with that."

Sakurai was attacked by the conscious feeling the other provoked in him. Even he had missed to realize for a moment that he was falling into his old patterns again. And even when some part of him was relentless to follow any order other than his own, perhaps the others willingness to work didn't have to feel like such a disadvantage for him.

Sakurai sighed, wondering why it was so hard for him to take back the sticky note from Aiba or even to accept his thanks. Aiba suddenly assumed this authority didn’t settle well with him, due to the fact that following Aiba’s request meant acknowledging he’d been wrong. And regardless of what Aiba might have expected, this was something Sakurai was not yet comfortable to admit.

As the second night set, once again, they left all their matters to rest in the office and headed their own ways with as little as a farewell at their departure.

ANOTHER DAY 3

In various moments of their evening, Aiba would find himself looking aimlessly at Sakurai on the other side of his monitor. The soft light of the desktop screen hit Sakurai's eyes, which refused to lose focus. Even as Aiba contemplated him as he worked, Aiba's mind wandered elsewhere, filling his thoughts with meaningless rants that didn't seem to let him resume with work unless he dwelled on them for a while.

Regardless of everything still working out as they had planned and even managing to get ahead of their schedule, it was hard to grasp the sort of atmosphere they would find themselves in whenever they were alone in the office at late hours of the night. At least for Aiba it was alright as long as he busied himself with work and only had to interact with Sakurai to assemble their data, but the rest of the evening was spent in silence, fearing he might say something that would inconvenience Sakurai. After all, they had nothing to share other than work.

Aiba didn't think that being so different from Sakurai would have to be any inconvenience for them to at least try to interact, but it was complicated when they knew what a struggle it was to even get along. Aiba had begun to accept the fact that he simply couldn't expect everyone to like him and eventually he would have to stop trying so hard. Some relationships were purely professional and nothing else. Especially with someone like Sakurai, he had to understand it could never be anything more. But he was also aware that there were times where all it took was a push in the right direction.

When Sakurai caught Aiba's stare, he paused briefly, thinking Aiba had something to say to him. "What is it?"

Sakurai's words made Aiba react and realize what he was doing, blinking repetitively as he sat up straight in his chair, brought back from his trance. "N-Nothing."

Sakurai expected no further explanation, watching the other shaking off his tired look and returning to the work before him.

~

As they were gathering their things and turning off their monitors, Aiba began to feel something he hadn't realized he'd been missing. A satisfying feeling overcame him with just knowing he’d done a job he was proud of. He even felt bad for leaving the office knowing he still had some spare energy that would let him push through the rest of the work, but Sakurai insisted they called it a night. Strangely enough, Aiba really didn’t want the day to end, and out of sheer curiosity, he wondered if he could make today any different from every other day.

"You want to go for a drink?" Aiba asked suddenly. Sakurai looked up at him with clear surprise as they waited for the elevator, perhaps shaken by the thought of Aiba's words being directed at him. "We worked hard today. It would be good to reward ourselves."

"N-No, thank you... I'll pass." Sakurai responded, his words a little uncomfortable as they were spoken and Aiba got the feeling that he should not insist any further. Suddenly, he became aware of what he'd asked and to who.

‘Stupid,’ Aiba beat himself up in his head. He noticed how Sakurai was doing his best to not meet eyes with him, probably freaked out by Aiba's suggestion. Perhaps thinking he'd been too bold, too invasive. How could he ever think they could even get along? Their differences were just too many to even begin to think this day could be different.

When was it that he even started to consider trying to get Sakurai to like him? Of course Aiba could never fit to the standards of someone so fussy and uptight. Even he had to admit Sakurai was someone who belonged in management, not pushing through the daily work of the average Joes as he was. That thought only made Aiba think of how unfair their circumstances where. Sakurai was focused on impressing their manager while he was only trying to get by without a new warning on his record. They were simply too different to begin to imagine what their manager was thinking the moment he assigned them on the special project together. But shortly, he wouldn't have to think about it again, once everything was over.

Aiba beat himself up for managing to make a well spent day end on a bad note as they both rode the elevator in complete and uneasy silence.

ANOTHER DAY 4

Aiba was aware they had to use their time wisely, enough to not have any major set-backs as the deadline of their project approached. Yet, the countless nights at the office had already begun to have an effect on Aiba's sleeping hours, and he was starting to feel his energies leave him more and more each morning. Eventually this would become a problem, and he couldn't possibly let it affect his work.

"I'll probably skip lunch and take a nap instead." Aiba told Ohno as he visited him at the reception to fax something over to another department.

"You should definitely do lunch, especially because you're working late tonight."

"Yeah, but if I can't look at my computer how am I supposed to survive through the night with Sakurai?" Aiba complained, his words followed by a deep yawn.

But even when Aiba was resolved on this alternative, noon came with an invitation from his coworkers to join them for lunch. And he was about to decline the offer when one of them spoke up.

"Don't say you have to do any extra work. You've done enough, and you owe us one for skipping drinks the other night." Aiba would have gone on a tangent to explain his excuses, but none of his coworkers would have any word of it. They were already resolved on making Aiba join them.

After a good a hearty lunch (Aiba had to admit he hadn’t had one of those in a while) and several cups of coffee later, Aiba could fully focus on his work for the rest of the evening, not letting any sort of distraction interrupt the new drive of caffeine rushing through his body. He had even failed to notice the moment Sakurai had moved to the desk in front of his. When the older came around and noticed hos focused Aiba was, the last thing he thought he should do was interrupting his productivity, so he went on with his own work.

Aiba imagined Sakurai must have felt some sort of pride in that moment, thinking he had something to do with his motivation. That in just a few days, Aiba had stopped being the carefree and whiny employee he usually was and had assumed a much serious position under Sakurai's supervision. Aiba would have liked to clarify it was nothing of that nature, but there was no use in arguing when he was just speculating what the other was thinking. In any case, it was even more time wasting to be thinking about Sakurai's impression of him at all. Aiba tried to not let his mind bother him, and instead, powered through the rest of his work before he began to feel his body shut down gradually. The written words of his document became lines and the screen before him was nothing but a blur of light. His head decided to rest on his desk momentarily to regain his energy as his eyelids became heavier, but instead, his body relaxed into a complete slumber he was unable to shake himself awake from.

~

"You shouldn't be taking a break now," Sakurai said as he took notice of the other's head surrendered on top of his desk. And regardless of talking firmly, Sakurai saw no reaction from Aiba that he were actually listening. "Aiba... get up, we still have an hour to go." Sakurai repeated, and yet he observed how Aiba's body relaxed in deep breaths with no further sudden movements that seemed to indicate he was conscious at all.

"Are you serious...?" Sakurai sighed. He got up from his seat to go around Aiba's desk and prove his assumption true. Perhaps what startled him the most wasn't just the conduct of the other, who had shamelessly fallen asleep during work, but because he had assumed his desk was some sort of personal space where he could even be so careless as to present himself in such manner. His sleeping face was buried between his arms, pressing against his cheek and pushing up his parted lips, with just a faint sound of his deep breathing coming out of them. His gestures relaxing as if they had no other care in the world.

Confronted with Aiba’s peaceful state, Sakurai's initial intention to shake him awake was momentarily paused. And instead of simply jumping to conclusions, Sakurai pulled back before he could disturb him and decided to shake the computer mouse first, lighting up the monitor to see where the other's work had left off. All of his documents were opened thoughtlessly, with no indication that they had been saved. But as he was skimming through his work, and even after triple checking, he couldn't find anything that seemed out of place. The sheets were done accordingly, the analytics were finished and added onto the presentation and the data had been transferred to their conjoined files for him to evaluate. He couldn't really believe it himself, but the work was done.

Sakurai looked back to the man sleeping on his desk soundlessly, wondering if this was the reason why he hadn't even spoken a word in all their evening. Sakurai began to notice a warm feeling radiating from Aiba. Perhaps because he'd never observed him so up close like then, but getting a glimpse of his capabilities was something he never thought he would see. Regardless, Sakurai couldn't say he could take credit for any of it. Yet, it was enough that he was able to witness Aiba's will to work harder more and more each day. That, at least, meant enough.

~

Aiba was lightly shaken by the new unfamiliar warmth of a blazer that was laid on his shoulders, wrapped by a soothing scent that seemed distinguishable yet distant. And he decided not to move, nervous that the other might catch him waking up, and not wanting that warmth to simply go away.

ANOTHER DAY 5

"It'll be fun! Besides, it's about time you stopped staying late at the office."

"I know, but I really should stay to revise the project. It's our last day."

"So? Can't Sakurai do it himself? He'll probably prefer it that way, anyways."

"Well, I'm part of the project too and I also have to see it being finished."

"You've been working on it for 2 whole weeks, what more can you revise? If there's something you haven't done at this point, I doubt it'll even get done." His coworker commented. Aiba listened looking down on his cup of freshly poured coffee. It didn't take much for him to recognize those words were the exact same ones he would tell himself each and every day, almost like a motto. But lately, and ever since he had begun working on the project, things had been going differently in his work. Now, Aiba truly wondered if he could even go back to thinking such way. "Come on, Aiba! It's Sawabe's birthday. He would really like it if you were there." His coworker still insisted.

"Well... I can try going, but only after I finish up at the office." Aiba responded.

"Seriously, Aiba, it's the start of the weekend and you would rather spend it in the office with Sakurai? Since when do you even care that much about a silly project? What is it with you two anyways? You like him or something?"

"What? No! No way, why would you say that? It has nothing to do with something like... that!" Aiba snapped, and he even surprised himself with how his voice got so loud. "It just... wouldn't be fair."

"So? When did you even start to care about that guy? He hasn't been considerate to you at all. He just keeps stepping on you because he knows the manager wouldn't hold it against him. But you don't have to do absolutely everything he tells you to. If you've worked so hard so far, why not take a break for today? Let Sakurai take care of it. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to. You have a rest day tomorrow too, so why not finish up whatever you need to take care of then? Right now, your actual friends need you."

Aiba was faced with another one of his coworkers’ taunts, but some part of him wanted to agree. It wasn't like he had much work to do anyways, he might even be able to complete it before the end of the working hours, even if it meant he wouldn't be there to revise the final product over with Sakurai. But why would he even care? Sakurai had been nothing but ungrateful for all the work they'd done together and even when Aiba had approached him with the chance to make amends to him over a drink, he was completely rejected. Sakurai simply didn't know the definition of the word 'fun' and if Aiba kept neglecting all of his friend's invitations, he would surely never be rewarded for all the hard work he'd done so far.

~

Aiba observed Sakurai entering the office, passing just in front of his desk and directing him a small greeting in the form of a nod. Aiba returned the greeting by instinct when he was immediately reminded of what his coworker had implied before at the employee lounge. 'What is with you two anyways? You like him or something?' Aiba shivered at the echo of those words and wished he could erase the traumatic effect of ever hearing such a suggestion. It wasn't just ridiculous, but it was completely disrespectful to even begin to consider something so inappropriate. Just because two people had to spend so much time together, why would anyone need to assume it had any deeper meaning? It was his work, and their partnership was nothing but professional. As everything else, it was just business.

Aiba got to work right away, if only to drown his coworker's words with the amount of documents he needed to get through and the additional extra work for the special project he agreed to look through before the night. It would be the only way he could allow himself to take part in the late-night celebration his friends had insisted so much for him to join.

Besides, his coworkers were probably right. Sakurai would prefer to take care of whatever work was left on his own and might even appreciate taking the credit for it, if only for the sake of impressing the manager. Aiba wasn't even needed there today anyway. So why should he even worry about staying tonight? In no time, he had made up his mind to join his coworker's celebration, if only to help prove their assumptions about him wrong. After all, he was one of them. Part of the average group that was never meant to stand out, and if Aiba needed to demonstrate it by joining them for that one night, he would do it with no hesitation. There was no reason, not in a one in a million chance, to think this had anything to do with Sakurai.

~

Sakurai never really considered himself the type to break rules, but he certainly felt they could be bent once in a while. That morning, as he was on his way to the office, an idea struck him at the same time as he'd taken notice of a winery down his route. Since he had woken up in a surprisingly good mood just at the thought of today being their last day to work on the special project, he was prone to good ideas more than usual. He didn't have to convince himself much before he took his lunch break to visit the winery, and shortly enough, walked out with an added weight to his messenger bag.

Sakurai made sure to return from his lunch break a few minutes earlier than the rest, so his cubicle neighbors were occupied enough to not notice the wine bottle he slipped from his bag into his lower desk drawer. Gently, as to not let the tinted glass make any noise, he covered it with empty folders to drive away any suspicions. Although alcohol in the office was strictly forbidden, this was a necessary measure Sakurai was willing to risk, just for tonight.

~

As predicted, Aiba wasn't able to hand in the full work by the time his coworkers were leaving for their drinking evening, but even he admitted it was something he could take care of later. Besides, he still had a day to work on it before he had do the presentation with Sakurai, so he didn't need to worry. What perhaps troubled him the most was the fact that, before Aiba could even approach Sakurai to let him know he would do the work on his day off, his friends were already dragging him out of the office, assuring him he was better off not even telling Sakurai he would be leaving early that evening. Some of them even laughing at the thought of Sakurai's surprise when he would find out his work partner had left him on his own for that night. Before, an idea like this would gain no guilty feeling from Aiba, but his feelings this time around were not quite the usual.

Even then, Aiba felt incapable of saying anything about it. The thought of him defending Sakurai and expecting his friends to treat him with more respect would be scandalous for them. It felt nerve wrecking to leave the office, but he dreaded more what his friends would say about him kissing up to Sakurai if he even considered turning back.

~

The office had become empty as the sun had set. Sakurai had been working for a considerable amount of time before he finally had to admit to himself that Aiba would not be returning. He should have known. Their streak of work had lasted considerably, but Sakurai knew Aiba was bound to crack eventually. He should have known what to expect of someone so air-headed, who thought his procrastination alone could grant him a salary. But perhaps it was his own fault for believing that anything could change the younger's attitude in just a few days. There was no one to blame in this circumstances other than his poor judgment to even begin to consider Aiba as someone loyal. Then again, if there was any sort of lesson to learn from it, it would probably be of how much of a fool Sho felt like at that moment. What he regretted the most now was to even consider how much he was looking forward to this day.

With this in mind, Sakurai looked over at his desk, thinking of what the lower drawer concealed in it. How stupid to even consider making amends with Aiba for not accepting his invitation to go for a drink a few nights ago. He imagined Aiba must have been doing just that at that very moment in an attempt to spite him. There was no one but himself in the empty office that night, so it was safe to take out the wine bottle from his drawer and place it on his desk. As he tried to figure out how to get rid of it, now that he had no use for it, he resumed with his work. Gradually, he began to feel the bottle staring back at him, making him feel completely aware of its presence and not contributing to his concentration at all.

He didn't understand why he had to feel like he was being mocked at that moment, and for a good few seconds he thought of returning the bottle back into the drawer just to get it out of his sight. But then, he got a glimpse of the time on his wristwatch and the little amount of work that was left for him to do on his documents. He looked back at the bottle, which now seemed to be talking to him with Aiba’s voice, reminding him of his constant refusal to take part in any type of activity outside of work. And Sakurai must have had really lost his mind, because his next reasonable thought was to take the wine bottle with him to the employee lounge and figure out how to open it.

~

The chatter at the bar they had stopped in was roaring with good enjoyment. Their first round of drinks was an invitation by Sawabe out of his own courtesy for everyone joining him on his birthday night.

"I thought I was going to spend today alone, but I know I can always count on you all for having my back!" Sawabe pronounced his toast as everyone cheered, and even then Aiba couldn't seem to shake off the worry from his mind.

As their night had started to roll in, the local bar was filled by the salary men that drank their night away one round at a time, though in Aiba's case it had become difficult to finish even a single glass. Something didn't seem right about drinking when he knew very well his work wasn't completely finished. Perhaps his coworkers could feel good about themselves for finishing for the week, but even thinking that he would keep working on the special project on his free day didn't sit well with Aiba. And what even made it worse about being unable to enjoy his drink, or the fact that he had joined his coworkers that night, was that he didn't even feel as if he was having a good time.

His mind kept wandering back on all the work he could have done by now. Maybe he could have even managed to finish it if he'd stayed at the office and he'd been able to practice for the presentation along with Sakurai.

Sakurai. He really did stand him up at the office, without even an excuse or a message. And for what? A glass of beer he wasn't even drinking from that much. And Aiba couldn't help but think about how much he'd waited for that night, to get to finish the job together and even perhaps make amends in the end. Even when things were going so well with Sakurai, he still managed to make himself look bad in the end. Aiba couldn't even begin to imagine how angry Sakurai must be in that very moment and he wondered if he really should have treated someone like Sakurai, the next in line for the manager position, so poorly.

"Say... what is wrong with Aiba lately?" a couple of his coworkers had begun to chatter among themselves on the opposite side of the table.

"Who knows? He's been acting real strange in the office. He barely even talks to us anymore. I think working with Sakurai has really gotten to him."

"I can imagine. Having to deal with him on his own and all... It mustn't have been easy."

Sawabe, who had heard their small conversation and witness how Aiba simply drank on his own, decided to approach the matter. "Hey, Aiba! How has it been these past couple of weeks working on that project?" Sawabe asked. Upon realizing Sawabe was talking to him, Aiba noticed that the rest of his coworkers were listening too.

"It musn’t have been easy for you to handle Sakurai all on your own." Another of his coworkers added.

Aiba was a little unprepared for their questions, although he did his best to answer them honestly. "It was... alright. It was kind of hard to get used to it at first, but-"

"Right! I could tell you guys really didn't get along. He was being a real jerk to you too." Someone commented.

"He really did just dump all the work on you, didn't he?" Another one added.

"We'll... yeah, at first, but-"

"You see? He really does think he can just step all over anyone just like that. I can't stand that guy. Acting like he's the boss of everyone."

The majority at the table agreed, not even giving a chance to Aiba to finish explaining that perhaps it wasn't like they thought it was.

"Sometimes... but we were just really stressed about the work, and it wasn't like I was completely into it either. So in the end, we both had something to do with that." Aiba said, and even though his tone sounded defensive, he really wasn't trying to be.

"Well, on the bright side, I bet you're relieved you finally got rid of him." said the one who'd insisted for Aiba to join them that night. A few of the men at the table laughed and some even drank to his words, making Aiba quite tired of their attitude.

"No... I'm not," Aiba spoke lowly, beginning to realize it himself. Some thoughts in his mind started clicking as it began to make sense why, all night long, he had been unable to enjoy his time there. And even when his coworkers continued to chat and laugh among themselves, Aiba stood up from his chair almost abruptly. Their talk died down as they all stared at Aiba, who seemed as if he wanted to say something.

"Aiba? What is it?" Sawabe asked what was in everyone's minds.

"I'm so sorry Sawabe, I have to go." Aiba said.

"Why? Is something the matter?" Aiba had begun to pick up his messenger bag and blazer to leave.

"No, It’s just... I forgot something important and I really should get going. But thanks for your invitation." Aiba said, bowing to the rest of his coworkers before he rushed out of the bar, leaving the men at the table looking at each other confused.

~

Aiba arrived back at the company slightly out of breath, though he didn't realize himself when he'd began to run. As he rode the elevator, he thought of what he would do if it turned out Sakurai wasn't in the office at all. Certainly the other would have left mad which wouldn't be good news for when they would see each other again after the weekend. His foot tapped nervously on the floor, wondering how much slower the elevator could be. When the elevator doors finally opened, Aiba rushed down the hallway repeating under his breath. "Please be there. Please be there. Please be there-"

Aiba choked on a gasp the moment he took a turn to enter the office floor, encountering himself face to face with the person he wished to see the most. Although he was fast to react and not collide with the other, their sudden encounter was startling for the both of them.

"Sakurai!" Aiba exclaimed both surprised and greatly relieved. "You're here! Gosh I've never been happier to see you. I am so sorry!" Aiba bowed deeply, his words speeding and out of breath. "I didn't mean to bail on you, that was really not my intention and I shouldn't have done it! I was very irresponsible and I truly have no excuse. But I'm here now, and I am willing to work for as long as I need to finish. Please forgive me. You can be mad at me all you want, I deserve it just... please let me do things right and we can put this whole deal behin-"

Before Aiba could blink, the weight of the other's body was falling on his shoulders in a sudden embrace. Aiba was anything but prepared for the shortening of the gap between them, making him stumble back before he could even realize how the other's body had fallen in his arms.

"W-What are you doing!?" Aiba was startled by the other's sudden display of affection. Managing to hold Sakurai's numb body by chance, he tried to pull him back up and off his arms, but seemed unable to help the other regain his balance. The amount of contact Aiba suddenly had to exchange with Sakurai made him aware of all parts of him. Sakurai's head fell onto his shoulder, managing to make Aiba flush because of the tingling sensation on his neck of Sakurai's small breath, which seemed to be accompanied by a recognizable scent. "Are you drunk!?"

Sakurai mumbled what seemed like a response, but it was nothing more than grunts. The weight of his body fought against his tipsiness as he leaned on the younger for support. Once Aiba managed to get a hold of him and help him walk (more like drag him) he let Sakurai plop down on a sofa from their office reception. While he was helping Sakurai to sit down, Aiba's weight also went down with him, putting them in a compromising position which Aiba was quick to pull himself away from. After straightening himself up again, he stared at the other's intoxicated state in a daze.

Sakurai's image was disheveled to a degree Aiba had never witnessed before. He was missing his coat and the top buttons of his white shirt remained undone while his tie hanged loosely around his neck. His eyes were shut with a slight indication that he might have had fallen asleep already, but it was hard even for Aiba to take in that Sakurai would have done this to himself. It almost felt like Aiba was looking at someone completely different from the Mr. Neat-and-tight he'd always known.

"Sakurai... what did you do?" Aiba sighed, wondering how he was going to deal with this new mess all by himself.

Torn with the idea that he should be getting Sakurai out of there before someone saw his state but not knowing where to take him, Aiba hesitated with the thought of calling Ohno and asking him what to do. But shortly, he figured the more people knew about it, the worst it would be for them, so he decided to stop himself. It wasn't that he didn't trust Ohno to not ask any questions, but the more attention he brought upon Sakurai's state, the more obvious it would be for people that could see him.

In trying to come up with a solution, Aiba had failed to realize that the other had fallen so deeply asleep that the possibility of moving him from that sofa had to be ruled out immediately. But this didn't have to be such bad news if Sakurai just laid there peacefully. In fact, Aiba might even have a chance to do what he came to do and finish their project work once and for all. At any rate, he couldn't leave Sakurai alone in the office and this was the next best idea besides carrying him to Aiba's apartment, which he ruled out right away.

Aiba made sure Sakurai would stay put on the sofa, lending him his coat and laying it over him to make him comfortable while Aiba proceeded to work at his desk. But something else was waiting at his working space that perhaps explained the other's drunken state.

An empty wine bottle lay on top of the desk Sakurai had been using for that whole week. Some wine that was still dripping from the toppled bottle was staining the desk and Aiba had to move in quickly to clean it before it would stain any of his coworker's belongings. After that, he disposed appropriately of the wine bottle so there wouldn't be any evidence of it being in the office in the first place.

~

Aiba had sat down to work on his desk, taking his time to revise everything trice as he would probably be spending the rest of the night there. Correlating his work with Sakurai's, he spent as much time as he could perfecting each point and each layout of the information they would be presenting to their boss in just a couple of days. Occasionally, he would glance at Sakurai just to see he hadn't moved from his place on the sofa. And, in finding he was so silently still, he began to envy Sakurai's position at that moment. But Aiba was clearly aware this is what he deserved for bailing on him earlier that afternoon, though he wasn't sure what to think about Sakurai doing such a thing while he was supposed to be working. Although, right now it was hard for Aiba to determine why Sakurai would have done such a thing, he felt deep down Sakurai wouldn't have done it without good reason, so he decided not to judge him without knowing. Whatever it may have been, Aiba would surely understand.

~

"Aiba... Aiba wake up." the light shake on his shoulder brought Aiba back from his dreams, his head raising abruptly from his desk, only contributing to hurt his neck more.

Seeing the morning light coming through the office windows, Aiba scratched the sleepiness from his eyes before he turned to the one that had woken him up.

"Sakurai... you're awake," Aiba said, trying to sound as conscious as he possibly could.

"Yeah..." Sakurai said, a little ashamed to be admitting it himself. "I just woke up, but... I thought no one else was here. Where you... here last night?"

"No- I mean... Yeah. I sort of came back a little late. I... needed to finish my work. That's all."

"Right..." Sakurai made a small indication that he understood, although a part of him still didn't feel Aiba would truly come back to the office just to work, or perhaps he was giving him too little credit. "Umm... I'm sorry that you had to see me like that. I shouldn't have done something so stupid."

"D-Don't mind it!" Aiba shook his head. It was probably best if they pretended none of that happened anyways, but he still was inclined to ask. "Are you feeling better?"

"I think so," he scratched the back of his neck, probably from having spent the night in such an uncomfortable sofa, much like how Aiba was feeling from sleeping on his desk the whole night. "In any case... thank you." Sakurai said softly, and his words somehow managed to wake Aiba up if only just a bit. "I acted irresponsibly last night by my own mistake and I don't think it would have been ideal if anyone else would have found me first. So thank you... for staying here."

"I-It's no problem at all!" Aiba brushed off his words, if only to get rid of the heaviness that they carried with them, something that made Aiba a little nervous. Sakurai was quite relieved to know the other didn't ask any more questions about his misconduct the previous night, for he didn't think he could remember himself the reason he'd decided to act so foolishly. Though Sho did feel something odd from the lack of Aiba's willingness to be mad at him for what he did. Aiba would have been in the right to argue about Sakurai’s improper behavior that could have gotten both of them in trouble and the fact that he chose not to engage in a quarrel at that moment seemed much too strange for Sho. Or perhaps it was too early in the morning to try and start a fight.

ANOTHER FINAL DAY

It felt like that next Monday took its time to arrive. Sakurai and Aiba made sure to get to the office before anyone else and went into the conference room to start to prepare for the audience they would have that day. This time, their presentation would be held first thing in the morning and it would run with no further revision from their manager. Now it would be up to them to show that they had actually listened to his criticism and demonstrate their progress.

Sakurai didn't want to admit this was probably the first time in a long time that he genuinely felt nervous. Knowing that their project had failed once before didn't' help him to think they had done enough to determine that the presentation was perfect. But whenever he felt like it would most definitely fail, he remembered how he'd managed to witness Aiba and himself growing in their work. This was enough to let him know they had truly managed a change of some sort.

The clients, and the audience for their presentation, had arrived at their floor a few minutes past 9:00am. The manager was showing them around the office as he guided the handful of people into the conference room. Simultaneously, both Aiba and Sakurai got up from their desks, some notes and other relevant documents in hand, and followed right after them. They stopped just before the conference room door to take a last breath before stepping in to what would be the end of their endless project.

~

Aiba felt like he’d been holding his breath the entire presentation, while somehow still managing to seem collected in the room full of businessmen. Something in him had taken over his words and actions, so much so that he didn’t remember half of the things that had happened during his presentation or how he'd come to seem agreeable with the attendants. All he remembered was when it came for Sakurai's turn to speak to the room. Aiba contemplated his firm posture, his unwavering words and the confidence with which he presented himself to the rest of them. It was a sight that was still engraved in his memory as they were picking up their things after they were done and something that drew him to contemplate Sakurai at the other side of the room, while he spoke with their manager.

Their manager seemed pleased, shaking hands and sharing smiles with the clients once he showed them out of the conference room. Aiba could tell just by the amount of his grins that everything was in line with his expectations and the clients were utterly pleased with their research. Yet it took some time before Aiba could really take a breather from the project, because the thought hadn't really sunk in.

"Aiba," Sakurai called him when he exited the conference room after putting all their materials away. Aiba turned a little surprised, thinking he might have forgotten something, but it was just Sakurai, extending his hand at him in a gesture that took Aiba some time to interpret. "Good work in there." Sakurai said and his feeling of honesty made Aiba finally accept his hand in a handshake.

"Same to you." Aiba returned the favor, suddenly aware of the gentle grip of Sho's hand, as if he didn't want to seem too forceful. Aiba appreciated his manner and found it hard to break apart when he found the warmth of Sakurai's smile. For a moment neither said a thing and the silence settled with their hands still lingering on each other's touch.

"It was... a pleasure working with you." Aiba added just to fill in the silence. Sakurai accepted his compliment with a simple nod and a pursed smile, unsure of how to return it himself.

Aiba finally drew his hand away, thinking they had locked their handshake for quite enough and offered a flushed smile to Sakurai. After there were no further words from the other, Aiba bowed his head and turned away, going back into the office, trying to draw as much distance as possible between himself and the weird feeling of Sakurai’s eyes in his own.

~

Nearing the afternoon, word of the project's successful completion started to get around the office. The manager's own satisfaction with the results was the main source of the news spreading among the employees. The closing of the deal a little after their lunch break seemed to set the office in good spirits. But it didn't take too long for that same joy to be taken away from Aiba.

"Sakurai, thank you for your hard work! It must have been so hard to take care of such an extensive project." A few employees lingered around Sakurai with no other business but to suck up to him. A good amount of them surrounded his desk, showering him in endless congratulations. Meanwhile, Sakurai delighted himself in the attention.

Their words would oftentimes emphasize on how much work he had put into the project or the amount of his dedication. If Aiba didn't know better, it seemed like they were erasing his own contribution to the project on purpose. It was to be expected from the group of Sakurai's followers to shower him with praise, but perhaps what hurt Aiba the most was the fact that Sakurai would accept all of their compliments without a second thought.

After those two weeks of working beside each other, Aiba thought he'd changed. He thought he'd seen some part of Sakurai that not everyone in that office had the chance to see. And he believed that part of him was gradually becoming visible. But now he began to understand he'd thought wrong. With no impulse to correct their words, Sakurai simply accepted the praise that granted him all the credit for the work they'd put up with on their conjoined project. After all the time they spent bothering each other, he felt no need to remind anyone of his own partner for those past two weeks.

Aiba understood. Even during the presentation he'd noticed it. He could see how Sho truly seemed like he was one of them; someone who’s professional drive shaped their person and whose work was his main focus. His words were capable of convincing and flattering others and his actions were prepared to take on any obstacle. More and more, Aiba realized how the gap between them was so big, there was no mistaking either of them. They both belonged to different spectrums and they would be treated as such no matter how much their paths crossed. It was nothing personal, only business. Still, Aiba couldn't help but beat himself up for thinking they'd managed to get rid of that gap for just a short while.

~

When the end of the day approached, the manager had started to make suggestions to take everyone out for drinks in commemoration of the project's completion. Everyone had agreed cheerfully, though Aiba didn't understand why the whole office had to be involved in something they weren't even part of to begin with.

Everyone hurried to finish their work to take advantage of the opportunity, talking among themselves of where they should go. But all their planning only convinced Aiba to be more and more against it. After finishing the presentation that same morning, he couldn't think about anything more than getting home and sleeping in early. After all, he didn't have to deal with Sakurai for another night and he wouldn't be delaying his plans to drink with the same people that had been annoying him all day long.

As the laboring day finished, Aiba began to pick up his things and turn off his computer. A few of his comrades asked if he was joining them for drinks, but Aiba tiredly declined.

"You guys have fun, I really miss my bed." Aiba told them and the tone of his voice was enough to convince them to let him go home.

Aiba began to head towards the elevator, leaving the commotion of the office when he was shortly noticed by Sakurai. Several of his coworkers still flooded Sakurai with questions about the project and he would have kept responding if he hadn't become momentarily distracted by the one leaving early.

“Sho, don’t mind him," Ninomiya said. He could tell what Sho was thinking right away. "He is probably looking for atten-” Ninomiya stopped once he realized Sakurai wasn’t listening to him and had even left his side to follow after Aiba. His action made Nino so confused, that he frowned at what his friend was up to.

“Hey...” Sho announced himself behind Aiba and the younger turned a little startled. Aiba had hoped he would make his exit unnoticeable and he silently cursed at whatever had exposed him. “Are you leaving already?” Sakurai asked, the tone of his words somehow showing disappointment.

"Um..." Aiba stared at him, confused by his curiosity. For a split second, his words were able to make Aiba waver, reaching some level of guilt for wanting to leave without saying a thing. And yet, Aiba didn't let it get to him. He understood Sakurai's intentions before he could even fool him. “Yeah.... I need to go home early. I have to... feed my dog.” Aiba did his best to avoid Sakurai’s eyes, making up any excuse that would get him out of there as soon as possible.

“You know, just now, the manager was suggesting to take everyone out for drinks." Sakurai said.

"Really?" Aiba pretended to be interested. His finger pressed the button to call the elevator repetitively if only to cut their conversation short.

"Yeah, I think this whole thing with the project just got to his head." Sakurai went on, but Aiba didn't feel like talking to anyone right then and there, and even less to Sakurai. "But it might not be such a terrible idea. At any case... I sort of owe you one. A drink I mean," Sakurai said and his words were enough for Aiba to stop momentarily and listen. "I think you should be there. You were part of the project too, so... it's only fair.”

Aiba felt awful for doing so, but he couldn’t help but chuckle at that, looking down at his hands to not give himself away. “I didn’t think you remembered.” Aiba spoke under his breath.

"I know," Sakurai recalled the time he denied Aiba's invitation to drink. "It wasn't the right timing before, but-"

"Not the right timing?" Aiba repeated, looking at the other in disbelief. "You're saying you couldn't find the right time to mention you weren't the only one working on that project?"

"...W-Wait, what?" Sakurai blinked repetitively, confused by the clear anger in the younger's voice.

“They were showering you in praise so it didn't even cross your mind it wasn't just you who did all the work? I suppose it was much easier to take all the credit for yourself, right?" Aiba spat at him and Sho remained stunned. "Honestly, I'm used to see them look down on me, but you..." Aiba paused. His eyes carried a tiredness to them, and he could only sigh at the sight of Sakurai. "I thought you were different from them. But that's probably my fault though. I'm always in the wrong anyways."

Before Sakurai could even notice it, he was caught in the middle of a misunderstanding. "What are you talking about? I never said anythin-"

"That's exactly the problem!" Aiba didn't wait for Sakurai to explain, clearly tiered of always having to wait for his words. "You didn't say anything, so you agreed to with them, right? That I'm irresponsible and I'm complaining all the time. So what? I don't need to hear these things from someone else, and I surely I don't need the reminder from you."

"Aiba, I never said that about you."

"Being indifferent about it is just the same as agreeing with them." Aiba said and Sakurai could trace the hurt in his words.

"I never agreed with any of that! Why would you even pay attention to what anyone else thinks?"

"As if it were that easy. Because you never have to deal with people judging you and talking about you to your back. Of course, you've always been mister perfect."

"You don't know that," Sakurai said firmly this time, Aiba's words doing a good job on angering him. "Don't act like you know anything about me."

"Fine... whatever you say. As always..." Aiba looked away from him, his eyes looking up to fight the anger in his reddened eyes.

The much awaited elevator arrived, but even when Aiba was ready to walk out, Sakurai's words wouldn't let him get away.

"Listen... I don't understand what your problem is, but whatever it was that bothered you, it doesn't mean anything. They can think whatever they want, but you shouldn't let that get to you. Just... come drink with everyone and let's forget this whole thing."

Aiba sighed once more, wondering how many more times it would take to make the other understand. "You don't get it," Aiba shook his head. "It's not me who they want to drink with. It's you. It's always about you." Aiba said, ignoring the elevator that came and went. "You're the intelligent, most professional and frankly the only person whose opinion matters to anyone. You're what everyone wants. And clearly I don't even stand out nor do I want to, so I shouldn't even be mad right now, but I am!"

"Why?" Sakurai asked, trying to make sense of the other.

"I don't know why, I just am!" Aiba's nose sniffed, his sight beginning to turn blurry. He thought he could hold it back, but he couldn't fight it any longer. "You make me mad." Aiba said, his voice choked, trying to wipe away the first tears that stained his cheeks.

Sakurai stepped back, witnessing how Aiba state changed. That same heavy and vulnerable state that he'd seen before. No matter in what circumstance he stumbled upon it, it never failed to make Sho uneasy. "You're crying." Sakurai stated the obvious.

"No... I'm angry." Aiba's answer should have made Sakurai understand his state better, but they only managed to annoy Sakurai even more.

Now it was Sho's turn to scoff as he shook his head in disbelief. "What exactly is your problem?"

"Should I spell it out for you?" Aiba's choked up voice asked.

"Please." Sakurai invited him. All his patience was completely spent.

Aiba faced the other properly before he spoke, taking a deep breath to stop his choked voice from cutting him off. "I don't think you realize how everyone's just flattering you. They don't have to like you, they just know you're next in line for the manager seat. They'll tell you what you want to hear so you can keep them on your good side. It's all pretend! And you just eat it all up. But you know I'm... I'm done," Aiba sniffed. "Why should I even let it bother me? When you are just the same as them. You'll pretend everything is fine and turn your back on the people you don't need anymore. And all for the sake of business." Aiba chuckled ironically and yet the tears kept running down his face. "I don't even understand how you can be so arrogant. I thought I could understand you, but I can't. I can't even tell what you're thinking!"

"You want to know what I'm thinking?" Sakurai responded, giving in to the other's provocation. "I think you're victimizing yourself."

"What?" Aiba frowned at him through his damp eyes.

"You put on quite a show you know? Crying like that. How come you can pull it off just at the right moment to make me look bad, but when you're with anyone else suddenly all of that is gone?" Sakurai scoffed. “And you accuse others of pretending?"

"You're unbelievable." Aiba said, still crying because of his upset, unable to take seriously how the other one tried to turn their conversation against him. "You expect me to apologize for not letting you be as awful as you wish?"

"Well excuse me, but it is my job-"

"Right... right it's you job." Aiba cut him off. "It's what you should be doing all the time, penalizing me for every little slip-up. I guess it's my fault that not everyone can be as perfect as you."

"I never said you should be perfect, but it is also on me if you failed to meet the manager's expectations."

"Of course it's on you. The whole damn world revolves around you, but unlike you, I'm not a cynical masochist!"

"You might not be, but you still love the attention, don't you?"

"The reason I'm crying it's because I can't stand people like you! Not because I'm jealous of you!"

"I have done nothing to upset you and suddenly I'm the source of all your problems?"

"Weirdly enough, yes! Though I'm not surprised you can't even notice it yourself from the size of your ego. And yet you tell yourself you can be a leader when you don't even know how to treat others. Well if it makes you so happy, just go on and take the credit for yourself! Forget about me!"

Sakurai was about to make his next retort when he stopped his words, biting on his tongue to not let his anger come out at once. Instead, he recollected himself and breathed out words he could control. "I would never do such a thing."

"Why? It's not like anyone would notice the difference. You're the important one, not me. I don't even know how we ended up doing this thing together in the first place. It was stupid to think anything good would come out of this. We are nothing alike. I might even think this was a mistake. And I'm sick of it! I'm sick of you! Treating others as if they were below you, as if they weren't deserving of you. But then it's everyone else's fault for not being as perfect as you. I couldn't care less of what sort of promotion they give you! I know you're just as horrible, cynical and arrog-" Aiba went on, but Sakurai couldn't stand to hear another word. Hastily Sakurai broke the distance between them to push on the back of Aiba's neck into a kiss.

Wanting to silence the complaints directed at him he let his impulse overtake him. Finally he put a stop to the words that kept putting him down, exchanged with the eager tasting of Aiba's mouth. The younger's gasp that came with Sakurai's rashness had managed to part his lips and receive the other's gesture with inviting surprise. Yet, it took a solid second for Aiba to internalize the caresses of lips against his own.

Aiba rose a hand, ready to put a stop to it, but as it came down on Sakurai's chest softly, all his strengths were weakened by the enticing ministrations of Sakurai's full lips. Aiba's eyes rolled to the back of his head, his senses giving in to the new pleasure that ran through his body, the tasteful embracing of their lips relentless to break apart. And Aiba lost himself in the sudden affections of their touches, feeding on the burning anger that was still bottled up inside him now finding a new way out.

They caught their breath again once they broke apart from the kiss, staring at each other's red and swollen lips with confusion. It hadn't even happened for that long, but why did it feel like their gazes were still devouring one another? It was an impulse they couldn't control anymore, except Aiba was the first to step away. The realization began to sink in and Aiba quickly turned away without a word, calling for the elevator that came up almost immediately this time. Without taking his chances, Aiba didn't look back on the one who had made him swallow his words, disappearing behind the elevator doors without acknowledging what had transcended between them.

PART 3

"Aiba?"

"Huh? What?" Ohno finally managed to make Aiba snap out of his trance and gain his attention.

Ohno looked at him strangely from across the reception. The younger man had been spacing out all morning. It was almost impossible to make him focus on anything for too long. It was terribly unlike him.

"Are you going to the party tonight?" Ohno repeated what the other didn't hear him say before.

"Party? What party?"

"The office party the manager organized for completing the project." Ohno said as if it were a well-known fact.

"What? Didn't they just go out for drinks the other night? Why do they want to do it again?"

"That's because they didn't go through with it. Sakurai asked the manager to postpone it. He said it wouldn't be fair if the people that were involved wouldn't be able to go."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, I don't know..." Ohno glanced at him with a grin on his lips. "But I think he meant you."

"What?" Aiba scoffed, doing his best to seem the most doubtful to what Ohno suggested, but the best he could do was to hide it with a nervous chuckle. "That's... ridiculous!"

"Is it though? I mean, you did say you two were working things out by the end. Maybe he actually grew to like you after all."

"Ah... no, I don't think so."

"But you two finished the project without a problem?"

"I mean, yeah. It's just... we sort of... had a big fight after..."

"Ah... right. I thought I heard about that. Was it that bad?" Ohno seemed eager to know, more than what Aiba would expect the sleepy receptionist to be.

"Yeah... it was quite... rough." Aiba swallowed hard, trying not to let his nerves on the topic show through.

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Ohno said with some disappointment. "I really thought you two were getting along."

"No! Not really. I mean... I don't think so." Aiba shook his head, just to get his point across.

"Well... that's too bad. It would have been good if it worked out, though. Sakurai certainly seemed like he was in a good mood lately."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"I don't know, I just thought it was interesting." Ohno smiled to himself almost too mischievously.

"Well, whatever it may have been, I doubt it would ever help him fix his attitude." Aiba spoke, not noticing the approaching steps coming up behind him and stopping right at his side at the reception counter.

"Good morning," It wasn't until Aiba heard Sakurai's voice beside him that he realized the other must have heard him talking. No wonder Ohno was giving him a strange look for a while now.

Still, Aiba refused to turn and face him. Feeling himself become uneasy with just the other's presence, he decided to stay perfectly still in hopes that he would become invisible for the other. Thankfully, Sakurai's greeting was only directed at Ohno behind the counter.

"Did those faxes I sent yesterday go through?" Sakurai asked.

"Yes, it's all good." Ohno reassured him. It wasn't rare that he would check up on it, because of Ohno's previous slip ups, but even Aiba could tell it was being done at an odd timing.

Nevertheless, Sho nodded thankfully to Ohno, hesitating for a split second before walking away. Words were being held at his tongue, debating for a good second with himself as he stole glances at the one who refused to face him. And regardless of all the time he spent lingering there, Sakurai finally decided to move on and excuse himself.

Aiba left out a big sigh once he watched Sakurai's back walk away to the office cubicles. Thankfully nothing unnecessary took place.

"Are you okay? You seemed real tense." Ohno asked him once Sakurai was out of sight. "Was your fight really that bad?"

Aiba didn't feel like he wanted to go into detail. "I-It's fine. I should head to my desk."

"Aiba..." Ohno stopped him before he could take a step further from the reception counter. "I think you should go to the party." Ohno said. This time his voice was firm, getting rid of all possibility for Aiba to come up with excuses.

It was almost impossible for Aiba to ignore the seriousness in Ohno's tone and Ohno knew this for a fact. He hesitated, wishing Ohno didn't put so much pressure on him to make a choice, and yet knowing why he still did so.

"I'll only go if you go too." Aiba settled, despite how much he wished against it.

~

If Aiba didn't know better, the project completion just seemed like an excuse to throw an entire office party. Most of the employees seemed to have gathered there, taking up all the space of their rented room at the restaurant. Some attendants weren't even people Aiba recognized from their department and this didn't sit well with him. People were being invited with no regards whatsoever to something they had nothing to do about.

Their drinking had begun early in the evening. Thankfully for Aiba this could mean that he could slip out of the party unnoticed sooner. But when he thought he could make his exit, he saw that, after several drinks, even Ohno was participating to the chatter, and he didn't want to abandon him right then and there. So Aiba settled to stay and try and enjoy the food at their table at least.

A short while of doing nothing in particular made Aiba realize he was being watched. And it didn't take him much time to spot the eyes that were fixed on him from across the room. As soon as his line of sight crossed with Sakurai's, he could feel his spaced out gaze all over him, but as soon as he was caught by the younger man, Sakurai's eyes quickly turned away, as if they had never been there. Aiba shuddered at the feeling Sakurai's eyes left him with, his heart beginning to pound with nervous anger.

Aiba didn't think he had even given out the impression that he wanted Sakurai to be interacting with him and even less stealing glances from him. He didn't even want to know what the other was thinking when he stared at him or for what reason. Aiba had even resolved to forget entirely about their affair from the previous night. As far as Aiba was concerned, they had only discussed. Nothing else, nothing more. So why was Sakurai lingering around him so much?

"Is this seat taken?" a soothing voice behind Aiba broke the train of his thoughts almost immediately. As soon as Aiba saw it was no other than Matsumoto Jun who spoke to him, his previous thoughts disappeared in a blink of an eye.

"Jun!" Aiba exclaimed, feeling immensely pleased to finally be seeing a familiar face. Aiba was more than glad to offer him the seat next to him, and he invited Jun to sit down without hesitation.

Just a few seats over, Sakurai’s attention was draw curiously to Aiba and the new company who seem to be treating Aiba with such familiarity.

"What are you doing here?" Aiba asked Matsumoto eagerly.

"I got an invitation from someone in your department, but I didn't expect this many people to be here." Matsumoto said, looking around at the rowdiness the room was barely holding in.

"That makes two of us..." Aiba said under his breath. As expected, word must have gotten around about their party, but he didn't mind as much at that moment.

"What are they celebrating anyway?" Matsumoto asked, but Aiba just wanted to save himself the trouble of explaining everything to him.

"To be honest, I'm not even sure myself. I've been wanting to leave for a while now..."

"Oh, you're going?" Matsumoto asked, feeling a little guilty for approaching him at a bad time.

"N-No, no! It's fine! I was just... not doing much anyways, so I was thinking of leaving but, it's okay! I can stay a little longer." Aiba spoke perhaps a little too fast, hoping the other didn't misunderstand him.

"That's good. I haven't seen you in a while, so I thought we could catch up." Matsumoto said, the only way he knew how to make Aiba feel tingly inside. Matsumoto took the nearest bottle on their table and refilled Aiba's glass with a serving of beer. Aiba watched him closely with sad feeling, wondering how he hadn’t met anyone else like Matsumoto.

Even when he could perceive Jun’s kindness towards him, Aiba knew it was only platonic. Aiba had known Matsumoto since their internship at the company along with their mutual friend Toma. They gradually drew apart as they kept progressing in the company, which led Aiba into the research department while Matsumoto and Toma ended up in accounting. Being in the same department, it was only a matter of time before Matsumoto and Toma grew closer, and eventually started dating. Aiba was happy for both of them, and he had to stop thinking of Matsumoto as anything more than a friend. The time that had passed had only proved to him how Matsumoto and Toma were meant for each other. But right now, it was okay. He could look at Matsumoto even so up close and not feel like he wanted to do anything about it.

"So, talk to me," Matsumoto said after pouring his own drink. "What have you been up to?"

Aiba smiled, finally relaxing for the first time that evening. Suddenly, he didn't want to be anywhere else.

~

Aiba had just come out of the bathroom, excited to return to his conversation with Matsumoto at their table when, instead, he was surprised to find Sakurai waiting right outside in the hall. He was leaning with his back against the wall and his arms crossed, giving out the impression that he was waiting for something or someone. But as soon as Aiba noticed his presence, the younger man turned to the opposite direction to try and avoid such an unwanted encounter. Yet it seemed it was too late, because he couldn't walk away unnoticed by the other.

"Aiba," Sakurai's dreadful voice called him and the other was forced to stop in place, hesitating in acknowledging Sakurai at all. In any case, he couldn't run away now, so he took a deep breath before he turned around to face him.

"What?" Aiba said, trying to make his annoyance noticeable.

"I've been meaning to talk to you."

"So you followed me out here?"

"I thought it was more quiet." Sakurai said. Despite Aiba's attempt to make their circumstances seem like an eyesore, Sakurai remained calm, showing how determined he was to have a moment with the other. Aiba was not fully convinced that he wanted to hear whatever the he had to say to him, but if he went out of his way to approach him, the least he could do was listen to him.

"What do you want?" Aiba asked him.

Sakurai didn't think he would actually gain Aiba's attention, so his words hesitated for a good second before he could collect his thoughts. "I'm... glad you came." He said and Aiba thought he was stalling.

"I only came because Ohno invited me." Aiba avoided his gaze.

Sakurai seemed a little taken aback by his bluntness, but he still didn't let it get to him. "Right... he is your friend, isn’t he?"

"He is."

"What about Matsumoto?" He suddenly asked, taking Aiba by surprise. "Is he an acquaintance as well?"

"Why would you want to know?" Aiba asked. If he hadn't been hostile to Sakurai before, he certainly was now.

"I thought I saw something strange."

Aiba stared at the other slightly perplexed. "I'm sorry?"

"You seemed close with him... Matsumoto."

"Is that anything you should be concerned about?"

"It is," Sakurai said, to the other's surprise. "If you think this is any appropriate setting to be flirting with another employee."

"What are you talking about?"

"It is quite obvious what you are doing and I would advise you against it." Sakurai spoke in his usual arrogant tone. The same tone he would assume whenever something wasn't done accordingly to his own interest.

"I didn't think I had to ask permission from you to talk with my friends."

"That's not what I meant-"

"Is it not? Then what are you actually trying to say? Be honest."

"I'm just asking you to be a little bit more discreet."

"As if I owed you anything!"

"This is a professional setting-"

"Says the guy who kissed me out of nowhere the other night at the office! Do you care to explain what the hell that was?"

Sakurai opened his mouth to retort, but no word left him. Instead he was left looking lost, caught in his own lack of explanation.

"Why are you even telling me any of this? When our own boss is getting drunk inside with everyone else, I have to be the one to get an earful of your complaints?" Aiba continued to argue, letting the other one defenselessly speechless. "How come you're the only one who has a problem with me?"

The hallway got very quiet with the lack of words from Sakurai, who was already regretting confronting the other. There was no way to make him understand his intentions without setting off an angered rant from Aiba. Even in his body language, he could trace the hostility Aiba held against him, so he understood, it was meaningless to even try and correct him.

"If there is anything you need to say to me, just come out and say it. I don't see why I have to put up with your incompetence."

Sakurai grabbed Aiba by his arm before Aiba could have a chance to even walk past him, his motion bringing Aiba closer to himself and forcing him to look at him directly in his eyes. For a split second, Aiba's breath was taken away, feeling the other's burning gaze traveling from his eyes and tracing his lips. Once again, Sakurai trapped Aiba in the confusing silence of his actions. And Aiba could begin to feel Sakurai's breath against his own mouth, tracing the clear hesitation of his motions. But after a few enraging seconds where Aiba witnessed Sakurai's lack of courage, he finally let the younger man go.

Aiba fully understood now that he was only waiting for the impossible to happen. "You are so infuriating." He said under his breath. As Sakurai did nothing to stop him this time, Aiba walked away.

~

After Aiba let Matsumoto now he wanted to go home, Matsumoto offered to walk out with him. Aiba truly appreciated his company and couldn't think of a reason to not accept it. Although he could already feel someone watching him walk out.

The two of them stood out in the street waiting for Aiba's cab to arrive. Aiba could finally breathe out a sigh of relief now that he was away from the commotion of their drinking party. He felt bad for leaving Ohno behind, but he seemed to be having too much fun to go home and Aiba was just too desperate to get away.

"Hey, so..." Matsumoto spoke suddenly, as he paced nervously besides Aiba. Aiba welcomed his words with a smile. "What's the deal with you and Sakurai?"

Aiba’s face immediately fell at Matsumoto's words. "What?"

"I thought I saw you two fighting just a moment ago. It seemed pretty serious."

"Um... that, it's… really nothing. He um.... wouldn't leave me alone."

"Yeah?" Matsumoto didn't seem all that convinced. "Well, I heard from some people on your department that you two kind of... argue a lot. Someone even mentioned you guys hooked up. Do you... have a history or something?"

"What? No! Absolutely not! I would never... no! That's just crazy!" Aiba shivered with just the thought of it, getting a bad taste in his mouth as he did his best to convince Matsumoto otherwise. "He and I are nothing. We would never!"

"Aiba, it's alright," Matsumoto said with a soothing smile in his lips that decelerated Aiba's insistence to prove him wrong.

"He is not such a bad guy." Matsumoto said and although it hurt Aiba to hear these words, he had no reason to keep denying it.

That night, Matsumoto bid Aiba farewell as the latter rode off in his cab, driven by confusing thoughts that would make him restless.

~

"Aiba," The manager called him from across the room. "Can you come into my office for a minute?"

"Yes," Aiba stood up from his desk hurriedly to not make the manager wait. Unsure of what he was going to talk to him about, Aiba grabbed some remaining documents from the special project before heading towards the manager's office, where the latter waited for him at the frame of the door.

Even before the manager closed the door behind them, Aiba took notice of someone else being in the room before him. Sakurai stood right in front of the manager's desk as if they'd been waiting for Aiba to join them.

Aiba felt his stomach turn, not so much from the suddenness of the manager calling him into his office, but because of how Sakurai's gaze stuck to him as he acknowledged his presence in the room. Aiba did his best to avoid him, even when they had to stand right next to each other, facing the manager’s desk. Still, Aiba did his best to leave a clear gap between their bodies.

The manager sat down before he began. "First of all, I wish to congratulate both of you for your hard work on this project. I'm aware it must not have been an easy couple of weeks, but I think you both held on very well."

"Thank you, sir." Sakurai said, delighted by the manager's compliments, as always, Aiba thought.

"Now that all of that is over, I think we are ready for the last part of your evaluations," The manager said and it raised questions in both of his employees. "I know I usually have to ask for your reports on the work you've accomplished in the past week, but I want to do something different this time to help each of your performance reviews." The manager pulled out two printed copies of blank reports to fill out. "So instead of asking for your reports I want each of you to evaluate each other."

Both employees voiced their confusion at the new instructions, puzzled to know things were yet to be over.

"I want you to review your partner's performance during the development and completion of the project, describing your own experience with each other while reviewing on the expectations met." the manager explained, and yet it wasn't enough to convince them on this assessment.

"Sir, with all due respect, wouldn't it be more adequate for you to take over our evaluation through our own reports?" Sakurai inquired.

"Normally, I would do as you say, but I am looking to try something new."

"But we would have to rely on judging statements when referring to one another in our report." Aiba spoke up, advocating for the manager to change their mind.

"That might be true, but I want to hear what you have to say as team members. This way I can actually gain your perspectives on what your project developed into. Is that... alright with you two?"

Neither of them knew how else to fight it. Debating it wouldn't make much sense since the manager already seemed too decided to turn back on his plans. There was no other way out of it.

"Yes, sir." They replied at once with reluctant approval.

"Good." replied their manager. "You have until the end of the day to return them to me."

~

Aiba stared at the blank paper for long minutes of his day, trying to put it off as much as possible as he gathered his thoughts. He knew what he had to do, give Sakurai all good marks and pass it on to their manager. After all, nothing that he would say about the other was truly going to make a difference. The manager probably just wanted Sakurai to make an evaluation on Aiba to practice for his soon-to-be promotion, and the only reason he would make them both do it was to make it seem accidental.

Regardless of all he'd been saying about Sakurai for the past week, and what he had gathered about his character in all their time together, there was not much bad he could say about Sakurai's professionalism. His career was already made, his reputation was already founded. It was senseless to overthink about the smallest annoying details about him, which would probably come off as lazy complaints.

Aiba didn't know what to do. And there was nothing to be done other than writing the truth. There was no flaw in Sakurai other than being too responsible, too diligent and too invested in his job. He was trustworthy to many and easy to rely on. He was someone who was determined to progress in his professional life, as he very much well deserved it. Aiba couldn't think of better words that would convince the manager to give Sakurai the promotion right away.

He set aside the already filled out report, but now, new worries began to sprout about what Sakurai had to say about him. Aiba had probably chosen the wrong time to speak his mind about the other. The arguments that had come out between them in just that week were useful proof for Sakurai to call out on his incompetence to follow orders. Sakurai had material to judge him and probably enough reasons to sign his termination letter. Perhaps if Aiba knew his final evaluation would depend on the person he'd dedicated himself to put-down, he would have held back on a few comments. Still, this way of thinking didn't make a good case for himself either.

It was strange. Usually he would know how to put up with any other employee or whenever it came to a difficult client. So, why had it been so impossible to keep his mouth shut when it came to Sakurai? Why had he always judged him so harshly without a thought? Why was being around Sakurai bringing out that side of him? He'd felt so unlike himself for the past few weeks, each new thought felt exhausting. He just wanted to put an end to things, give the manager what he wanted and leave. Perhaps it would be better to get fired. Lately, it felt like he was always losing his temper for no reason at all. If only he could stop having all these mental struggles, he could feel like himself again.

~

The office had begun to become empty and Aiba was ready to go home himself. As he was about to go, he remembered he needed to leave his report with the manager when instead he found the latter walking in a hurry as he was talking to the phone.

"Um, sir?" Aiba stopped him before he could leave the office.

The manager excused himself briefly with the person on his phone. "Aiba, I can't talk right now. I'm late for a meeting."

"What about the reports?" Aiba showed him his filled out paper.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot... Um... do me a favor. Can you collect yours and Sakurai's and leave them in my office? I'll look through them tomorrow, alright? Can you take care of that?"

"Of course." Aiba reassured him. The manager thanked him before he quickly walked out of the office without further explanations, leaving Aiba with a new task.

And Aiba would have been able to go home if it wasn't for the fact that Sakurai wasn't at his desk. He'd waited for long minutes without a sign of the other, so he couldn't possibly be on a bathroom break. There was no sign of him in the lounge room and Aiba even remembered seeing Ninomiya walk out on his own. Aiba sighed as he saw their floor emptying out. He could have been at the station right now, on his way home, and yet he still needed to put up with whatever Sakurai was making him go through at that moment. But enough was enough, and Aiba took it upon himself to walk up to Sakurai's desk and look for that report, even if he had to do it himself.

He must have had written it by know. Aiba could recall he'd seen him working on it earlier during the day so it must have been buried under the mess of papers the other kept in his small cubicle, which Sakurai had somehow managed to make look like a war zone.

No one was coming into the office at the moment, so it gave him enough opportunity to scavenge Sakurai's desk and finally find the paper kept under a pile of fully loaded manila files. Aiba knew he shouldn't look, but he just needed to make sure it was his report. After all, he knew what would be written in it anyways so nothing of what Sakurai could have said about him should come as a surprise. Everything seemed in place before his eyes came across the words "...I must apologize...”

His attention stopped on those words, afraid to read what came before and after and yet wishing to see what provoked them. But Aiba shook his head, shaking the temptation from his mind. Looking would only damage the trust the manager had put in him to take care of their reports. He shouldn't have even seen it in the first place, but now, he couldn't ignore it.

Aiba looked around him. A few employees still remained at their desks, too distracted to even look up from their monitors. And after making sure there was no possible sign from Sakurai coming back at any moment, Aiba decided to look through the report, just to understand.

"... He has a tendency to miss deadlines, but even at the last minute, he is able to make miracles happen.

I myself have also fallen victim to misjudge him perhaps too quickly, but he has proven to be an efficient employee who would do anything for the sake of the company. He is a fast learner and an even stronger worker. He will defend his own beliefs to no end as it is difficult to change his mind once he's set himself towards a goal. I've allowed myself to be guided by his strong impulses and I've come to learn that even the most difficult of tasks have a solution when he thinks about them enough.

A strong minded individual such as Aiba would become beneficial at the most crucial times. Put under enough pressure would make him bloom most efficiently, but too much and you could break him. This is something I had to learn through my own mistakes and I must apologize for it. In fact, I've learned that making myself tough wouldn't benefit anyone around me. On the contrary, I was just hurting them more, and to carry that guilt of being the cause of that hurt has made me regretful countless of times. It did not make me a better leader, and it certainly didn't make me a better person than him. I only wish I could take back my words, but no matter how much I've tried, making myself vulnerable in front of him is something I dread. I wonder how he's found the ability to do it, regardless. How he's so quick to speak his honest mind when I can't even face him without becoming lost in his presence. How he’s made his words my deepest wounds, his sadness what I hate the most or his smile what makes me stronger.

Because of him, I've learned that my happiness won't come from the title under my business card, but from how I can accept the people around me and perhaps allow myself to be one and the same with them. I don't need anyone's approval to feel my worth, but somehow, being accepted by him is what I want the most right now. With that being said, I wish to withdraw my consideration for the promotion for the manager position. For the time being, I would like to stay where I am, to learn more about this person whose opinion I came to value, in hope that I can change his mind about me.”

Aiba immediately set the paper down, realizing he was being watched by the author of the report that had left him both confused and with tears in his eyes. Startled at how attentively the other's gaze fixed on him, Aiba hid his face from Sakurai, hoping he wouldn't notice how he wiped his eyes to conceal his reaction.

“I-I’m sorry,” Aiba said, looking away where his tears would be hidden from Sakurai’s detection. “I didn’t mean to...” His voice fought to not be caught breaking.

Sakurai looked at the paper Aiba had just set down over the desk. For long seconds, he said nothing and Aiba began to hate the silence he kept abandoning him in. If he tried to face Sakurai at all, he would notice there was no clear expression in him which didn't help to reassure Aiba in the least.

“Did you read it?” Sakurai asked, almost sounding unworried about the fact.

This time, there was no escaping for Aiba. “I-I... skimmed it.”

Aiba felt Sakurai walk closer to the desk before taking the report in his hand, perhaps trying to trace what Aiba had read, although it was already too late. Aiba had probably ended up reading a good majority of it.

Sakurai sighed at his own writings in the paper. “This isn't the one I'm handing in," He explained as if he needed to defend himself about it. "It didn’t come out right. I rambled for too long and sort of lost track of what I was trying to say.”

“You... did say many things...” Aiba agreed, although he wasn’t sure of what he was admitting to himself.

Sakurai set the paper down, taking it upon himself to search his own messy desk to claim another copy of the report, this one much more brief than the one Aiba had stumbled upon. He briefly glossed over to make sure it was the right one before handing it over to Aiba.

"The manager asked you to collect them, right?" Sakurai asked.

Aiba nodded, pursing his lips strongly to help his emotions to not overflow. He accepted the new piece of paper as he avoided Sakurai's gaze at all costs, knowing that whatever he would find in his eyes at that moment, he wouldn't be able to respond to.

Excusing himself, Aiba left Sakurai's side hurriedly and headed towards the manager's office. When he could finally put a wall between him and Sakurai, Aiba sighed. His back leaned against the door, trying to ease the drumming in his chest as he gripped the reports in his hands. His breath had been almost cut for no reason, making it hard to breathe out. Now he could wipe his eyes without being noticed, although he didn't even know when his nose had become so runny.

And yet he tried not to let it get to him. He would have to go back outside and it would be bad if his red eyes were noticeable. He didn't want to give Sakurai the wrong impression. So he left out a big sigh, trying to regain his composure as he put down the papers on the manager's desk. But still it was hard to go out that door right away. He knew that if he came out, Sakurai would be there, waiting. Following him with that same look in his eyes that tried to express all that he had conveyed in his letter.

Aiba felt impotent. Cornered by the words in Sakurai's letter, his mind was speechless and weakened. He could only doubt that he might have misread it, or that Sakurai was only fooling around, but he never imagined the other had a sense of humor. And yet, why did he do it? How could he even say such a thing and never even consider telling him? Why did he insist on being so impossible to read?

Aiba wasn't sure if he should wait until it was late enough to make sure he wouldn't find Sakurai on the other side, but as he began to consider this possibility, the door to the manager's office opened. As Sakurai closed the door behind him, Aiba realized he didn't expect to see anyone else at that moment. And before Sakurai could say anything as he approached him, Aiba began to gather his words.

"Sakurai, I need to-"

A hand slipped on Aiba's waist as Sakurai claimed his lips in a swift move, enough to make Aiba gasp and part his lips. The quick deepening of their affection made all remaining thoughts in Aiba's mind go away, immediately becoming lost with the ministrations of the full lips against his. Aiba was unable to come up with a reason to stop it, thinking there weren't enough words that could express all that Sakurai had already written. Aiba felt himself melt against the ardent sensations coursing through his body and he tilted his head to take it all in.

Their lips parted soundlessly, but the nervous feeling in their mouths still remained. Their gazes found each other, questioning their actions, and yet everything seemed so clear. Their looks entwined with one another knowingly, waiting for the right words to come, if only they weren't delayed by the blushing that overcame them.

 

 

"Do you... want to go out sometime?" It was Sakurai who dared to break their prolonged silence and, seeing the small smile he gained from Aiba, there were no more complaints to be made.

Comments

[ladyc2]

Oh, I really enjoyed this so much. I loved how it was formatted with the two weeks split up, so you really got a sense of how time passed. The first week, of course, where they clash and don't even try to understand each other, and then the presentation seems jumbled because it's two peoples work instead of one work by two people.

And then the second week, where they finally start to come together and see each other's good sides as well as the bad ones. And then they nearly blow it afterwards - thankfully Sho doesn't give up in spite of Aiba's stubbornness.

I love it

[hikki74]

I'm so happy for this nice sakuraiba! Is so well written, the story is cute and is one the many I would like to read more about those two!

Thanks!

[wjktl1999]

this is OMG! I Love this.I felt so sad for Aiba when he cried and suffering, sometimes i just wanna punch Sho... ( and Nino too!) for hurting him like that.

I really love this kind of story. damn I love it so much. Thank you!

[bearmiya]

It’s really good!! I love it so much!!