Gift fic for reveetoile

[aibamods]

Title: Just a Little Pinch
Rating: PG
Word Count: 13,000~
Pairing: Aiba/Nino
Warnings: A kid here would curse someone every now and then but it’s nothing serious
Summary: Nino applies as a research assistant of an eccentric but talented student named Aiba. What potion was he really making? Why does Nino hate cauldrons so much? And what is wrong with Aiba’s hands?
Notes: To my recipient, I hope you enjoy this story. I tried to incorporate a lot of your prompts in the plot, I hope it’s not underwhelming nor overwhelming. Enjoy your Christmas, Aiba-mas, and have a great time! To the mod and to the beta of this story, thank you so much for accommodating me. Have a great holiday! To everyone else, enjoy too!


***

“Huh, what is that smell?” Nino wondered. He was working in one of the university labs, taking notes on the progress of a potion their group was making. He looked around and before he knew it, he was following the irresistible scent. Without thinking, he opened the door of another lab just to find out where the smell came from.



He noticed three students laughing and bickering at each other but he did not care. Nino just walked towards the large cauldron where the smell came from. The contents of the pot seemed to glow a bright lilac. He didn’t know why but it was as if the potion beckoned him to go nearer and take a sip.



“Watch out!”



***



“Watch out!” Ohno shouted at Nino. He almost spilled the drink in front of him.



Nino yawned. “Sorry, sleepy.”



Ohno, the owner of the library café, just smiled warmly. “That’s okay. Be careful next time.”



“Yeah, yeah,” Nino replied. He flicked his fingers to conjure a rag so that he could take care of the mess. “I had to finish that new game I got so…”



“What? It’s the first day of school today and you played last night?” Ohno questioned with a raised eyebrow while he wiped some glasses. The door opened and the bell chime rang. “Welcome!” he greeted. “Oh, Aiba-chan, long time no see!”



Nino looked behind him and saw a man wearing black framed rectangular glasses and carrying a pile of books and folders. The man waved at Ohno and settled on the small, circular table beside the window, an area bathed with intense sunlight. For a moment, Nino stared at the new customer while he removed his glasses and tried to fix the pile of papers on the table. He failed terribly and the papers and books fell on the floor.



“You know, you can help him if you like,” Ohno said, leaning on his elbows near Nino’s place by the counter. “It might even be a good start for a conversation.”



Nino frowned at the café owner. “What makes you think I would like to have a conversation with that person?”



Ohno shrugged. “Too obvious,” he muttered, “you’ve been staring at him like he’s some unicorn or something.” He then mouthed, “Go.”



Nino sighed and stood up from his seat anyway. He went towards the sunny area of the café and crouched down to help the customer. He slipped on one of the loose papers and almost fell on his butt. However, Aiba, as Ohno had called him, grabbed his hand. The hold was weak and he let go of Nino, but it was enough to cushion the fall.



“Oh, I’m sorry!”



“It’s okay,” Nino replied, wincing while he stood up. He helped pick up some of the books and papers and put them on the table. Nino picked the last book, Origins and Properties of Rare Potion Ingredients, and handed it to Aiba. “Here.” Aiba was taller than him. Nino had to look up to see what he actually looked like. “Some kind of unicorn,” Ohno had said. His eyes momentarily met with Aiba’s and Nino noticed that his eyes were brown like those creamy chocolate bars that Ohno makes.



“Thank you for the help,” Aiba replied in a small voice, bringing Nino back to Earth. He averted his eyes and gingerly proceeded to his seat.



Aiba’s voice sounded like air, or maybe even like a gentle breeze. Nino looked at the table where Aiba sat. The sun shone through the windows, making the sight too bright for his eyes. He could only see Aiba’s silhouette, slouching a little while he read his books. But Nino could remember those chocolate-colored eyes. Aiba had smiled at him but there was melancholy in his eyes.



Nino realized that he was standing in the middle of the café, in front of a guy who wasn’t paying any attention to him. “Huh snob,” he muttered before he went back to the bar.



“You looked awestruck by Aiba,” Ohno said. “If that were a movie, I could have placed a spotlight with only the two of you.” He leaned on his elbows, smiling teasingly at Nino.



“Shut up, old man,” Nino said, furiously sucking on the straw of his drink.



The door chime rang again, signaling the arrival of more customers. “Welcome!” Ohno greeted from behind the counter.



“… I told you, banana blossoms will only work for a short period of time!”



“I think that’s perfect. No one wants a long-term potion!”



The other one frowned. “How about moon dust? At least that works until the next month’s full moon.”



“Jun-kun, Sho-chan!” Aiba called out enthusiastically. Nino just watched as Aiba waved happily at his friends. The two stopped bickering and went towards Aiba.



“Hi!” Jun and Sho chorused.



“Long time no see!”



“Are you alright now?”



“Was the food good?”



Nino looked their way and his eyes widened. He definitely knew them. Sho – Sakurai Sho – was a professor in the university. Matsumoto Jun, on the other hand, was a popular Masters student who gave lectures once in a while.



“Who is that guy, really?”



Nino heard Ohno click his tongue. “Oh, Aiba Masaki is a graduate student. He just returned from… hmm… I think from London?” He poked Nino. “Why that look? Are you being shy? That’s so unlike you, feisty Ninomiya.”



“Shut up, Grandpa!” he snapped before he drank up the rest of his orange juice. He left his payment on the table, grabbed his bag and the book he had borrowed, and quickly shuffled out of the café. He instinctively glanced at Aiba and their eyes met for a few seconds. Nino scampered away in embarrassment.



***



To Nino’s horror, Aiba came to the library café almost every day. According to Ohno, Aiba was actually friends and drinking buddies with him before Aiba went to another country to study. Nino couldn’t help but steal glances at Aiba every now and then and their eyes met several times. He had observed how Aiba drank his coffee; He would spill too much that Ohno would have to replace it with another drink. But the most memorable thing Nino had observed was the bright green pen writing on its own while Aiba did other things. Sometimes, he would glance at the pen or put his finger lightly on top of it before it went off on a writing frenzy.



After several days of awkward and creepy stolen glances, Aiba smiled at Nino for the first time. Jun and Sho saw their friend smile so they looked behind them and found Nino staring at their table. After that, Nino did not return to the library café for a week out of embarrassment.



***



“Psst! What are you doing?” Ohno whispered.



Nino had found Aiba sleeping while leaning on the bookshelves in the second floor of the café. He took this opportunity to stare at Aiba’s face, his eyes tracing the smile lines at the sides of his mouth and the moles decorating his eye and cheek. Nino also stared at the plump lips that seemed to be stung by bees.



Aiba jerked a little in his sleep because of Ohno’s voice. “Shut up! You’ll wake him up!” Nino hissed at Ohno. The bar owner grabbed his hand and they both teleported in front of the bar.



Ohno chuckled. “Don’t worry, Nino. Aiba-chan sleeps like a rock. It’s not really easy to wake him up.”



“I don’t need that information!” Nino said through gritted teeth. He was sitting in front of the bar as Ohno gave him that day’s special: coffee jelly.



“You like Aiba-kun, don’t you?” Ohno asked. Nino almost choked on the coffee jelly.



“Why are you saying nonsense?”



“You keep on looking at him when he’s here. Plus, I also noticed that you probably changed the times when you visit the café just to match with Aiba-kun’s schedule. Sneaky, huh?”



Nino frowned. Indeed, before, he always went to the café in the late afternoon. But recently, he always visited near lunchtime. Coincidentally, Aiba always had lunch in Ohno’s café. Nino had noticed that he would eat heartily but ask Ohno to take away the dessert because he couldn’t eat it. Nino shook his head. Why did he notice those silly things?



“I’m not sneaky,” Nino hissed. “And I don’t like him!”



“Yeah, right. I heard he’s trying to develop a truth serum of some kind,” Ohno said. “One wrong drop of his potion into your orange juice and you might be confessing your undying love for him.”



“No way!” Nino said. “Besides, isn’t he with Professor Sakurai?” he added in a mumble. “I don’t want to flunk my class because I’m flirting with a professor’s boyfriend.” He sighed and looked up to find Ohno with a calm, unreadable face.



“Sho-kun is a Potions professor so you’re not part of his classes.” Ohno pointed out. “Anyway, as far as I know, they’re just friends. You still have a chance.”



The door chime rang again. This was usually the time when Aiba and friends arrived at the library café. Nino clutched his chest, rearranged his collar, and turned around, trying to catch a glimpse of the door through the mirror on the counter.



“… Aiba-chan, you look like a zombie,” Sho said. “I think it’s best if you get a research assistant.”



“I can’t afford a research assistant, Sho-chan,” he replied. Nino could see the dark bags under Aiba’s eyes. “I’ve wasted a lot of ingredients and the research grant will run out if I add a research assistant.”



“Aiba-chan, if you continue working like that, you won’t finish your thesis on time. You’ll spill more ingredients if you force yourself. I think it’s more efficient to get an RA.” Sho leaned on the table. “Stop being stubborn and know your limitations.”



Aiba clumsily lifted his coffee cup and took a sip. He placed it back on the saucer with a loud clank. “Oh, hello,” Aiba greeted warmly when Nino passed by their area on the way to the bookshelves on the second floor.



Nino could only reply with a tight-lipped smile and a short bow; he had wanted to go up to the library area inconspicuously. He managed to catch a glimpse of Sho, who was looking at him from head to toe. He felt like a cat being dissected with that stare.



Aiba gave another wave as Nino went up. He leaned on the bookshelf and sighed. Did Aiba really have that kind of weird effect on him? Or maybe he has some sort of pheromone? Maybe he made pheromone-like potions! Nino tried to clear his thoughts as he explored some books from Ohno’s small collection.



***



Nino groaned. There was a long line of young students excitedly chattering in front of the café. He entered through the door like normal, earning some glares from the lined-up people from outside.



“Did you put up a happy hour of free coffee? Why are they all outside?” he asked Ohno angrily. “Some of them even cursed me for not waiting in line. What if they literally can curse?”



Ohno chuckled before tilting his chin towards the sunny area of the café. Aiba was there, his green pen self-writing furiously on the notebook.



“He’s getting a research assistant,” Ohno said. “Aiba-chan asked me if he can hold interviews here because he didn’t want to cause accidents in the lab.”



“Oh, finally,” Nino answered. “He looked like he’s going to die for the past few days.”



Ohno just smiled teasingly as he handed Nino his usual drink. “Do you want to stay upstairs for peace and quiet?”



“Yeah, it’s too noisy here.”



Nino made his way up to the narrow staircase, passing by Aiba’s table. He looked at Nino for a moment, looking as if he wanted to say something. However, the next interviewee came in and Aiba had to focus on that person.



Nino scanned some random books that Ohno still had not arranged properly while sneaking glimpses of Aiba interviewing some starry-eyed junior students. The pen on the side scribbled furiously on its own while the interview went on and on. Nino could make out large strikethroughs. He leaned on his chin while he observed the interviews from the second floor. He could see that Aiba was increasingly getting frustrated and that his smiles were becoming tired and plastic. His hands were shaking and even the bright green pen looked like it was going to give in. He probably could not find the best research assistant.



“Why don’t you try?” someone whispered in his ear, making Nino jump and shriek. Aiba looked up at them but fortunately, Nino fell down, landing on some antique books, and he was spared from humiliation.



“What the hell are you doing suddenly appearing behind me like that?” he angrily asked Ohno, who chuckled lightly.



“Uh, I can teleport? And I want to know if you’re still alive or if you’re now buried under my books,” he added, picking up one book and putting it back on the shelf.



“Well, you almost did the latter one to me, Oh-chan,” Nino said.



“Oh, anyway, like I said, I submitted an application to Aiba-kun in your name,” Ohno said. He teasingly massaged Nino’s shoulders.



“Sneaky old man,” Nino muttered. “I won’t go to that interview. You know that I despise doing potion-related things.”



Ohno scratched his head “Oh, did you say that?” Ohno tilted his head. “Never mind. Maybe spending time with a Potions master will, uh, help you,” Ohno said. “And… money?”



“You really know how to tempt me, Oh-chan,” Nino breathed out.



After waiting for the last applicant to leave the café, Nino slowly went down the stairs. He watched while Aiba scratched his head, ran his hand through his hair, and sighed a few times before he lay down on the table, clearly tired.



Nino took a deep breath before he stood in front of Aiba. “Is this a bad time?” he asked. Aiba looked up at him and gave a tired smile. Nino felt like something hit him on the chest. “Did you already find your research assistant?”



Aiba sighed as he threw one application form up in the air. It folded itself into a paper crane, flying out of the window. “No, not yet. They are all very good. But they are not what I’m looking for.”



Nino nodded. He felt a tiny jump in his chest, knowing that Aiba still hadn’t found an RA. He sat on the chair in front of Aiba. “Why don’t you interview me?”



Aiba chuckled. “I thought you wouldn’t show up,” he said, taking out the last application form from inside the small envelope. “You’re the top batter, actually, Ninomiya Kazunari,” he read the name from the piece of paper. “It’s very nice to meet you.” He offered a hand.



Nino froze a bit. Aiba raised his eyebrows and moved his hand a little. “Oh,” Nino replied, flustered. He took Aiba’s hand. The man’s grip wasn’t really strong.



Aiba nodded. He smiled once again, and this time, it was not a tired smile but a genuine one. “So, Ninomiya-san, tell me what is your ideal potion…”



***



After a quick tour around Aiba’s personal thesis lab and the surrounding rooms in the special research building, Nino wanted to mentally smack himself for agreeing to work with Aiba.



“Aiba-kun, Potions is not really my strongest subject,” he said in a small voice. He looked at the clean silvery cauldron with fear. “And I don’t like cauldrons.”



Aiba gave a surprised look that later became a kind smile. “Well, the cauldron won’t be set up until the end of the methodology, so there’s no need to worry. I understand and I am not requiring you to do so. The last thing I want is to have someone’s fingers’ get crushed by a large metal cauldron,” Aiba said with a low chuckle.



“Oh? Then I’ll be the guinea pig?”



“The what?”



“The experimental subject? I will try the potions you make?” Nino asked.



“No! That’s unethical. If the ethics committee discovers that, I will be kicked out before I can even say the word ‘graduate’,” Aiba said. He leaned down to Nino and whispered to his ear, “I try them myself though. Don’t tell anyone that.” He stood up straight and blinked at Nino a few times.



“Were you trying to wink?” Nino asked after he realized what his new boss was doing.



“Yeah!”



“It sucks. Stop it,” he replied with a smirk. Aiba pouted, making Nino laugh. To Nino’s surprise, Aiba started to chuckle along with him. The chuckle escalated into laughter and that was the first time Nino saw Aiba laugh. It wasn’t the prettiest laugh and certainly not music to his ears, but Nino felt relieved to see and hear genuine laughter of this guy with the melancholic eyes.



Aiba cleared his throat. “Okay, so for starters, I would like you to read Part 1 of my research paper so that you’ll have an idea of the methodology.” He scratched the back of his head. “I still haven’t thought of how we’re going to divide the tasks because I was so used to doing this alone.” He placed a hand on Nino’s shoulder and added, “I won’t let you near the cauldron, as you said.”



Nino froze. He looked at Aiba’s kind expression before he nodded and stepped back. He then scanned through the hard bound manuscript. “Roger that,” he answered.



Nino watched while Aiba walked to another part of the laboratory to observe a boiling flask. He turned the knob a few times until the red flame completely became blue. Aiba removed his lab coat and hung it on the wall. He walked towards the glass doors and lingered a bit. “Umm, do you want to – do you want to join me?” Aiba asked hesitantly.



“What? Where?” Nino replied. The small and shy smile on Aiba’s face made him feel as if someone had suddenly shot him with an arrow. Again. “Ah… uhh… yes?”



“Well, then, it will be my treat,” Aiba said, taking Nino’s arm as they both made their way to the cafeteria.



***



“You said you’re not really good in Potions, right?”



“Yeah,” Nino said. “That’s my weak point,” he replied with a sigh before he checked the thermometer. He fixed his glasses and looked up at Aiba, who was staring at a condenser. The green pen wrote on the clipboard on its own while the process continued. The two started to become comfortable with each other. Nino found out that Aiba wasn’t entirely a lonely person. He could be cheerful when he wanted to.



Aiba nodded in understanding. “Well, you’re good in everything else. Me, I’m only good at this.” He flicked the glass, creating a clinking sound. The liquid inside the receiving flask suddenly became pink. He grinned at Nino.



“So that’s the reason why you hired me, so that you can brag about your skills?”



“No, it’s not like that,” Aiba said. “I want someone with an open mind.” He turned around in his swivel chair until he was facing Nino.



“Oh,” Nino blushed a little. “That’s nothing much. Besides, what’s the point of having an RA who cannot go near the cauldron?”



“Well, I don’t need an RA who would say ‘it should be clockwise, not counter-clockwise’,” Aiba laughed. “I told you, you don’t have to worry about the cauldron!” Aiba then chuckled. “You already do a lot of things, actually.”



“Aiba-chan, what is it that you want to make, anyway?” he asked curiously. “The manuscript didn’t really specify anything. And I’ve also read that you tried changing the ingredients a few times.”



The laughing expression on Aiba’s face slowly disappeared. “Oh, that.” He shyly looked away. “Something that can be misinterpreted by other people. But once you see what it is, Nino-chan, you will realize that it’s something that everybody needs... somehow.”



“I think this is a scam,” Nino replied with narrowed eyes. “Or maybe you also don’t know what you’re trying to make.”



Aiba huffed. “I know what I’m trying to make. It’s just difficult to explain to people,” he replied.



***



Nino sat in the corner of the library inside Ohno’s café while reading Aiba’s manuscript. “Stop suddenly appearing like a creep!” he yelled when he realized that Ohno was beside him.



Ohno grinned before sitting in front of Nino. “So, have you been chummy with our Potion Master?”



“Potion Master my ass,” Nino mumbled as he immediately turned to another page. “I was just…” he sighed while he tried to look for a lie, “exploring some ingredients.” He caught a glimpse of an ingredient with lots of highlights and underlines. “Moon dust…”



“Oh, that is kinda rare,” Ohno commented. “More like it’s difficult to procure. Aiba-chan is looking for that?”



“Hmm… not sure,” Nino said, standing up and returning the book to the shelf. “It’s one of the ingredients, though. He’s really weird and secretive. He becomes clumsy and red when I ask something that he did not want to answer.”



“Like what?”



“What kind of potion he was making. Of course, I should have an idea or something.”



“That’s the point of Aiba taking someone who is not a know-it-all, Ninomiya-kun,” a voice interrupted. Nino turned around and saw Jun come out. He smiled kindly. “Sorry for the intrusion. I just heard you mention my friend’s top secret thesis.”



“Top secret, huh?” Nino echoed. “It’s more like he doesn’t know what he’s doing.”



Jun patted Nino’s head. He frowned a little. “No, I believe that Aiba knows what he wants to happen. He just needs to find out how he’ll do it.” He smiled at Nino. “I actually don’t like to say this but I think you really gave a lot of help to Aiba.”



“Help?” Nino wondered. “I just do the normal mundane stuff.”



“Even the most mundane stuff can be very important,” Jun answered. “And, Ohno-kun, you noticed how much Aiba has changed, right?”



“Well, he started eating sweets again…”



Jun glowered. “Not that!”



Ohno looked at Jun with a frown. “That’s actually a big deal! Ever since that happened, he stopped eating sweets.”



Nino ignored the two while he continued reading the book. He wasn’t good at the subject but maybe he could get an idea on what kind of potion Aiba wanted to make by looking at the ingredients.



***



For a potion expert, Nino thought that Aiba was really clumsy. Everytime he poured something in the flask, a few drops would go to waste. Nino eventually volunteered to do those tasks. Even the grinding and pounding of some ingredients became his responsibility.



“I can do it,” Aiba said. He tried again but failed. “Oh, I should have asked Sho-chan to give me levitation lessons.”



“Your grip is weak,” Nino commented while they ate lunch together. He had watched Aiba’s hands wobble while they held the chopsticks. In the end, he had wasted three pieces of karaage.



“I’m okay. Just hungry,” Aiba mumbled. That was obviously a lie because he wouldn’t be always hungry.



Nino clicked his tongue. “Here,” he said, taking a piece of the chicken and putting it near Aiba’s mouth. “Here, eat it before you waste four pieces of meat.”



Aiba hesitated but later on, he opened his mouth wide, letting Nino feed him. “Thank you,” he responded, his voice muffled with food.



“Don’t make me assume a new responsibility of feeding you,” Nino grumbled. He offered another piece to Aiba, who hungrily took it. “Maybe a fork is easier?” Nino conjured a plastic fork and handed it to Aiba.



“Maybe,” Aiba replied, blushing a bit. He received the fork and started using it to eat.



“And don’t give me that crap that you’re just hungry, Aiba-chan,” Nino added before he took another piece of meat. “You’re always like that, even in our first handshake, your grip was very weak. You couldn’t lift a teacup properly.”



“Did you really observe me that much?” Aiba teased.



Nino became silent. He had just revealed that from the very beginning, he had been observing Aiba. “I – I just noticed those things. Not everyone is as weak as you.”



“Yeah, maybe I am weak,” Aiba replied. He silently continued eating. Nino suddenly felt that the atmosphere already change. Aiba’s cheerful eyes became sad again. He definitely said something wrong and offensive.



***



“Aiba-chan, are you okay?” Jun asked. Aiba blinked a few times to clear his sight. “Thank goodness! You fainted while we were giving first aid.”



Aiba tried to touch his forehead but he couldn’t move his hands. He remembered getting hit on the back by the large cauldron and a very hot feeling on his hands. “What happened, Jun?”



“You rescued that student from the boiling cauldron but it hit you. The whole potion spilled…”



“Now, maybe I stink to you,” Aiba joked weakly. It made him sad because he had been preparing that potion for three months.



Jun shook his head. “Aiba, Sho said that the Finder Potion has an ingredient called Parhal powder.”



“Yeah, yeah,” Aiba winced a bit because of the pain. “A pinch amplifies the effect of the potion, making the radius of efficacy wider. What about it?”



“Sho said that the Parhal powder is also used as a poison to inflict permanent injuries,” Jun said slowly. “I’m sorry, Aiba-chan.”



***



Nino noticed how quiet Aiba was after he had pointed out his weakness. Maybe he wanted to prove to Nino that he wasn’t weak so he tried to do the things that he couldn’t: grinding ingredients, pouring liquids in measuring cups, and setting up the condenser.



Nino, on the other hand, was too proud to apologize so he just silently did his tasks in the lab. He tried his best to avoid Aiba’s eyes. But when he heard a crashing sound, he found himself running towards Aiba’s table.



“Oh no, this is 100,000 yen!” Aiba cried. The condenser was in pieces on the floor. He was about to kneel down to pick the pieces when Nino pulled him away.



“What are you doing, idiot? You’re going to injure yourself!” he scolded. He saw a tinge of red on Aiba’s white lab gown sleeve. “Well, you actually did. Come,” he led him out of the area and into the office. “You should have let me do that.”



“Well, I can perfectly manage,” Aiba said looking away with a pout.



Nino just shook his head in disbelief. He lifted Aiba’s sleeve, revealing a fresh cut. “Oh yeah? Then, what about this?” he emphasized the last word by swabbing a cotton with antiseptic on the wound.



Aiba howled. “That hurts!”



“Well, you’ll get hurt more if you stop being stubborn and admit that you need help,” Nino lectured. He quietly continued to clean Aiba’s wound. He wrapped a gauze around it before lowering the sleeves. “And you do need help, especially in setting up that equipment.”



Aiba sighed. “Thank you, Nino.” He looked at the sides of the room uneasily. “I actually don’t know what I’m going to do without you.” Nino’s mouth hung open. He didn’t expect those words coming from Aiba and he didn’t expect to be so affected with those words. “Wait,” Aiba said, touching Nino’s hand before standing up to search through his bag. “This is for you.”



“Chocolate?” Nino looked at the shiny wrapper. He didn’t really like sweets a lot but receiving one from Aiba made him feel inexplicably happy. “Uh, thanks?”



Aiba smiled. “It’s been a while since I bought chocolate. That’s my favorite so you won’t be disappointed. Here.” He took the chocolate and removed the wrapper. He took a piece and put it near Nino’s mouth. Nino stared at him with furrowed eyebrows. He just replied by putting the chocolate nearer to his assistant’s mouth.



“Really, huh,” Nino said. He took a bite and bit back a moan. The chocolate was exquisite! Aiba also looked happy that Nino liked it. “Come on, I know a spell to repair the condenser. We just need to collect every single piece.” He then pointed at Aiba and grinned mischievously. “Since you need me, you better increase my pay.”



Aiba smiled. “If you can repair that condenser, I’ll give you a bonus,” he said.



***



“Good morning. What’s that?” Nino asked, seeing Aiba assemble a large metal platform.



Aiba stood up from his position, wiping sweat from his brow. “Okay, so for today, we’re going to have to pour the ingredients you macerated into the cauldron,” Aiba started, reading off from his clipboard. He adjusted his glasses so that he could read the contents clearer. “Ah, okay, I mean, I’ll put the ingredients into the cauldron and you will just help me prepare.” He grunted as he did his best to screw the metal platform.



“Let me,” Nino offered. He made sure that he attached the screws properly. Nino tightened his hold to the screwdriver. He almost forgot that he couldn’t be a research assistant to Aiba forever. He bitterly looked at the large black cauldron resting by the stool. “I hate cauldrons,” he murmured under his breath. It traumatized him and now because the cauldron’s already set up, his part-time job with Aiba would end. Nino sighed inwardly. That meant he admitted that he liked being here in the lab with his “boss.”



“Why are you so scared of cauldrons?” Aiba asked worriedly, carrying the cauldron and putting it on top of the set-up. “Did someone throw you inside one?”



“N-no! I’m not scared, of course,” Nino denied. “I just… hey, that’s actually none of your business.”



Aiba pouted and shrugged. “If you say so. Can you help me with these beans?” he asked, holding to the mortar and pestle. He tried to crush the beans but his hands were too shaky. “Nino?”



“Let me do that for you,” he said, taking the pestle from Aiba’s hands and starting the work. He felt a shiver when his hands touched with Aiba’s.



***



Nino was busy playing with his console when his phone started to ring. He ignored it at first but it went on and on. He groaned when he saw Aiba’s number. “Aiba-chan, it’s not office hours!”



“Nino, I think I’m in a pinch!”



“In a what?”



“I thought I got the Honesty Serum right but something else happened!”



“Honesty… wait what? You were trying to make a truth serum?” Nino asked.



“Not truth serum, Nino,” Aiba corrected, “Honesty serum.”



Nino frowned. He wanted to explain that both meant the same. But before he could speak, he heard an ear-splitting cry from the background. “What is happening over there?”



“No, don’t eat that!” Aiba suddenly gasped. “Oh no! Nino, Nino, you better come here in my house! Quick!” Nino heard sounds of children wailing and crying before the call got cut off.



“Damn it,” he cursed, dropping the console on the bed and quickly wearing a jacket to make his way to the address Aiba sent him. He somehow felt happy when Aiba was excitedly telling him about the successful potion but the shrieking sounds made Nino anxious.



Nino stood in front of apartment number 24 and pressed the doorbell. He could hear frantic footsteps from the inside and an unmistakable cry of a baby. Was Aiba actually married with children? Well, that was the biggest surprise.



“Nino? Wait a moment, I’ll… stop that, Oh-chan! No! Don’t scratch me!” he heard Aiba yell. When the door finally opened, he saw Aiba holding a baby who was squishing his face.



“Aiba-chan, why did you call me here? And are these your kids? Babysitting isn’t part of my…” Before Nino could finish, Aiba dragged him inside and locked the door before letting the baby down on the floor.



“Nino, I called you earlier because I thought I got the formula right. My friends and I had a drinking party here in my home and… and…” He looked on the floor in desperation.



Another kid walked up to them. “Aiba-kun turned us into kids!” a boy with wide forehead and large front teeth said. He glared at Aiba. “Fix this!” he whined.



“I know! I know! Sorry, Sho-chan,” Aiba said, bowing in front of the boy repeatedly.



Sho-chan? This kid was Sakurai Sho? “Wait, I don’t get it,” Nino said. “How about this baby? Who is this?”



“This is Oh-chan!” Aiba held out the baby. Nino could see the similarities of the chubby baby with Ohno’s sleepy face. The baby tried to reach for Nino but Aiba pulled him back. “Oh, come on, Sho-chan, help me with this. You’re the only kid here who’s thinking!”



Sho took Ohno into his arms and left. “Who else turned into a kid?” Nino asked. Aiba pointed to the other corner of the room and saw an approximately three-year old boy sitting on the couch and doodling on paper, or more like stabbing the paper with Aiba’s magical green pen. “Wait, is that…?” Nino found the large eyes with long eyelashes familiar.



“Yes, it’s Jun-kun,” Aiba said. “I think the effect of the potion depends on how much you drink,” he explained.



Nino watched while Aiba looked the kids nervously. “So, what do you think happened?” he asked.



“Happened? Oh, Ohno probably drank everything, thinking it was just a random cocktail. That’s why he became a baby.”



“And Oh-chan made us taste the damn potion!” Sho interrupted angrily.



“You were making a truth serum…”



“Honesty Serum, Nino,” Aiba corrected. “They’re different. Seriously, I can’t believe you’re like the others!” he mumbled.



“Whatever it is, it seems like it had a different effect. They are all de-aged, Aiba-chan, and I don’t think you know what kind of potion you were making,” Nino pointed out bluntly. “Why did you even have the potion inside your house in the first place?”



Aiba sat on the couch and dejectedly looked at the ceiling. “I know what I’m doing but I think I overdid it.”



“Yes, you did,” little Sho interrupted, putting Ohno on Aiba’s lap. The baby started crawling all over him, pinching Aiba’s cheeks. “You have to figure out how to return us to normal, Aiba-chan! If the committee discovers what happened, they’ll kick you out!”



“Oh no, no, no, no, no!” Aiba whined, tearing at his hair. “What should I do?”



Sho sighed. “One thing’s for sure, the potion shouldn’t be permanent. First, you’ll have to know the wear off period of this potion. Second, you have to take care of the three of us because we cannot go back home as kids, especially Oh-chan.”



***



Nino had already spent a week with the children and he got them all figured out. Sho, even though he acts and talks like an adult, was a total wimp and a scaredy cat. Jun just loves to spite Nino by doing things he did not like. And Ohno was just a baby: always eating everything that he could reach.



“You haven’t learned, Aiba-chan,” Sho said, looking through the list of ingredients. “You’re messing again with Parhal powder.”



Aiba looked at Sho. “I have to put that. It’s the most effective way of amplifying the potion.” He glanced at Nino. “Besides, we’re properly handling that with care. I still haven’t added the ingredient so you three will be fine.”



Nino settled beside Jun while Ohno was on his lap. Jun started poking Ohno’s cheeks. “Oh-chan is so cute, I wish you were always a baby like that.”



Ohno gurgled angrily and started to poke Jun. He also pinched and poked Nino in the process. “Cut it out, you two!” Nino yelled, putting Ohno at his other side so that Jun wouldn’t reach him. Jun stuck his tongue out and Nino did the same as a response.



“You are all acting like children!” Sho scolded. “You’re actually adults but you’re acting like children!” Before he could say another word, a throw pillow slammed into his face. Sho landed on the floor. “W-what?” he asked, a little disoriented.



Nino and Jun high-fived. “Since you called us kids, we might as well act like one,” Jun said, sticking out his tongue. Nino, enjoying the scene, conjured some pillows that Jun grabbed them to throw at the other side.



“Quick, Sho-chan, we need defense!” Aiba said, pulling Sho and diving behind the couch.



“Not you too!” Sho cried. He had no choice but to duck when another pillow came pelting towards them.



Aiba giggled. “Come on, Sho. You’re better with the pillows than me.” He wriggled his eyebrows while giggling.



“Fight! Fight! Fight!” Jun yelled from the other side while he twirled a pillow around before throwing it. He was really enthusiastic about this.



Sho squealed when he Ohno suddenly appeared beside him. “Don’t scare me like that, Oh-chan!” Aiba gave a pout, making him sigh in defeat. “Fine, fine.” Sho clapped twice and all the pillows in front of them levitated. Another clap made all pillows fly towards the other side as if they were launched from cannons.



“Ha!” Sho then said with a wide smile when he heard Jun groan in pain. He definitely started to enjoy throwing the pillows to the other side of the room.



“Yes! Yes! Go get them, Sho-chan!” Aiba cheered. They peeked from behind the couch and saw Jun trying to throw more pillows towards them. However, Ohno touched him and they both ended up lying down on the other side of the pillow fight, beside a bewildered Nino. “Oh-chan, what did you do!”



Ohno clapped his hands happily. He then pulled at Jun’s leg and disappeared. He seemed to appear from the other side. They heard Sho shout, “Unfair!”



“It’s kids versus adults then,” Nino said with a chuckle, helping Aiba up. He clicked his tongue, “Sneaky little boys.”



“Are you ready, grandpas?” Jun shouted aggressively from the other side. “Sho-chan, let’s go!”



“Who are you calling grandpa?” Nino hissed angrily. He flicked his finger and a stack of pillows appeared beside them, apparently coming from Aiba’s bedroom.



“They’re just kids!” Aiba reasoned out.



“Oh, they won’t die with pillows,” Nino said with a mischievous grin. “Can you at least throw them?” he asked.



“Of course, I can!” Aiba replied, huffing. He then grabbed some of the pillows and threw them to the other side of the room.



“If we win this, you are all going to sleep at 6 PM!” he shouted to the boys, who collectively groaned.



“If we win, we’re going to stay awake until dawn!” Sho answered before using his power to throw a rather large and hard pillow. It hit Aiba squarely on the face, making him fall down.



“Are you okay?” Nino asked, helping him up.



Aiba nodded. “We just have to finish this game early or else we have to stay up all night to convince them to sleep.”



“What? I have a game to finish!” Nino angrily said. He couldn’t let these kids win.



“Then fight!” Aiba cheered, taking one of the pillows to throw to the other side.



Fortunately for the adults, the children lost. Sho and Jun were both grumbling as Aiba led him to the bedroom. Nino cleaned up the mess and rearranged the couches. He waited for Aiba to finish before leaving.



“It’s already past midnight, why don’t you stay over?” Aiba asked blocking Nino’s way to the genkan. “There are no trains and, uhm, taxis are expensive.”



Nino froze while he looked at Aiba’s face. He felt his heart racing. “Uhh, well, I can walk,” he reasoned out.



Aiba frowned. “Nino, you can’t walk in the middle of the night for one hour!” he said in disbelief. “Come on, you can sleep in my bedroom and I’ll just sleep in the kids’ room.”



“No! No,” Nino replied, not really wanting to spend more time than required in Aiba’s house. “It’s okay, Aiba-chan, I can manage.”



“I insist. I gave you the trouble of taking care of the three so I want you to feel comfortable.” Aiba steered Nino by the shoulders to go back to the living room. The touch made Nino shiver. He took away Nino’s backpack and led the man to the bedroom. “Okay, so I cleaned my bedroom…”



“Were you really actually expecting me to sleep over?” Nino asked suspiciously.



Aiba shook his head frantically. “Can you shut up for a moment? Thanks.” He scratched his head. “Uh, you can wear these.” He grabbed a folded shirt and lounge pants on top of the dresser. “And I already set up the bath.”



Nino actually appreciated Aiba’s efforts of preparing. It was as if it was his plan to let Nino stay over for the night. “Well, who am I to decline this?” he said with a shrug.



Aiba smiled widely and Nino did not regret staying over. “Okay. Just feel at home, okay?”



“Okay, thanks.”



“Once you’re finished with the bath, call me from the living room,” Aiba reminded. “And don’t fall asleep, okay?”



“I won’t.”



“Okay.” Aiba lingered by the bedroom door.



Nino frowned. Aiba looked like he swallowed a bag of jumping beans. “It’s okay, Aiba-chan. It’s like it’s your first time to host a visitor. You’re so fidgety!”



“Am I?” Aiba huffed. He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I’ll be in the living room if you need anything.”



“I’m an adult, Aiba-chan. I’m okay.”



“Okay. Okay,” Aiba responded. He nodded stupidly while he walked away in an odd fashion.



Nino smiled and shook his head before grabbing a towel and making his way to the bathroom. After taking a very relaxing hot water bath, Nino went to the living room to call Aiba. However, Nino found that he was sleeping on the couch, hugging one of the pillows. He shook the sleeping man a bit but he didn’t budge.



Nino once again looked at Aiba’s sleeping face, his eyes focusing on his cute moles and pinkish lips. “I’m not a creep,” he muttered to himself but then, he just couldn’t help it. Aiba was undeniably cute, and after breaking the walls, he was actually a cheerful person. He decided to conjured a blanket from the bedroom and put it on Aiba before taking some space in the couch beside him to go to sleep. Nino was too tired to even think of the game he wanted to finish and Aiba gave off comfortable warmth that made him want to curl up and sleep. “Good night,” he yawned.



Nino woke up a few hours later and found himself being embraced by Aiba like he was some teddy bear. He couldn’t move but at the same time, he enjoyed the warmth so he closed his eyes and fell into deep sleep again.



***



Nino was half-relieved that he did not have to work near Aiba’s large cauldron but he was not really that excited to babysit the kids. He really kept on whining that it was not part of his job to take care of children but unfortunately, Aiba’s puppy dog eyes always gets him.



“Stop it, Oh-chan! That’s not food!” Nino said, taking the toilet paper away from Ohno’s mouth. “Why did I even agree to this?” he muttered to himself. Well, looking back to that night, Aiba’s pleading eyes were too much to resist so Nino said yes.



“Aiba-chan, what’s taking so long? Oh-chan’s crying like mad!” Nino complained. The boy’s big eyes were welling with tears and his nose was red due to crying.



Aiba got out of the study room and carried Ohno up to his arms. The boy stopped crying and immediately leaned on Aiba’s shoulder to try to sleep. Nino looked at them and felt a little mesmerized by the way Aiba was swaying the kid until he closed his eyes to sleep. “I’ll just take Oh-chan to the bedroom, okay,” he whispered to Nino. Nino had no other response but a silly smile.



“Get a hold of yourself,” Nino whispered to himself before he picked up the tissue paper to throw it away. He stretched his arms. “Two more days!” he exclaimed. According to Sho’s calculations, the potion may wear off by the end of the week.



“I think you like Aiba-chan,” Sho said, pointing at Nino’s face.



“Shut up,” Nino replied, swatting the finger away.



“Hey, I’m still a professor and you are still a student!” Sho replied with a pout. “And I don’t tolerate bad talk like that.” Ironically, he childishly stuck out his tongue. Nino did the same. “You look at Aiba as if you want to kiss him.”



“NO, I don’t!” Nino retorted. “He’s just… weird and cool, that’s all,” he replied in a small voice.



“Don’t worry, Nino, all three of us are 100% sure that Aiba-chan likes you too!” he said with a big grin before he ran away.



Nino pondered for a moment. He cringed when he remembered those times when Jun and Sho stare at him when they visited the café and how Ohno sometimes forced him to deliver the desserts that Aiba had started to eat again.



“Nino has a crush! Nino has a crush!” Sho teased before he ran away to escape Nino’s clutches.



“Shut up, you…!” However before Nino could grab Sho’s collar, Aiba got out of the kids’ bedroom, causing Nino to go off balance and drag Aiba down on the floor. They rolled on the floor until they hit the wall. Nino opened his eyes and found himself lying on top of Aiba. A protective hand was on his head.



“Are you okay?” Aiba groaned. His eyes were still closed and he was breathing through gritted teeth.



Nino slowly sat up. “I’m fine,” he said. He tried to help Aiba up but Aiba howled in pain when Nino tried to pull Aiba’s right hand, the same hand that protected his head. “You look like you’re in pain.”



Aiba shook his head. “I’m good,” he answered, standing up to regain his balance. Nino did not miss the look of agony on Aiba’s face. He must have been in pain but he did his best not to show it. Worried, he followed Aiba’s footsteps and found him in the kitchen, breathing heavily.



“Are you alright?” Nino asked. He looked for the medicine kit and went towards Aiba as soon as he found it.



Aiba managed to smile at him. “Yeah, yeah. It’s nothing big,” he replied, shaking his hand a bit. Nino did not miss the wince so he grabbed the hand and looked at it. “Nino, it’s okay.”



“No, you’re not,” he replied with a frown. “You got your weak hands busted because you tried to break my fall.” He took an all-purpose healing cream from the pack and started applying it on Aiba’s hand.



“Well, if I didn’t, we would have been panicking over your broken bones,” Aiba joked.



“Aiba-chan, don’t change the topic!” Nino scolded, slapping Aiba’s hand and making him howl in pain. “Ooops, sorry about that,” he quickly apologized.



“Be careful!” Aiba said with a pout.



It was the first time Nino saw the scars on Aiba’s right hand. He thought Aiba was born with such condition but probably not. “What exactly happened to your hands?”



Aiba smiled at Nino. “Something a little silly. A boiling cauldron almost put a student’s life in danger so I had to save him.”



Nino digested Aiba’s words. He looked up at Aiba in disbelief. In realization, he let go of Aiba’s hand. “Well, why didn’t you have it fixed?”



Aiba placed his hands by his chest. “Unfortunately, it became permanent.”



“P-permanent?” Nino stuttered. That couldn’t be. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”



“What’s wrong, Nino?” Aiba started, confused. However, before he could say another word, Nino left the kitchen and took his belongings from the living room. “Nino, where are you going? I thought you’re staying over? It’s already late!”



“I’m… I’m going home,” Nino managed to say before he rushed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. His head was clouded in a mixture of flashbacks and negative thoughts. He ran away from the apartment without stopping until he reached a lone lamp post.



“No way,” he panted while he leaned on the post. Was Aiba that person he was running away from? That was the ugliest coincidence. Nino squealed when the lamp post’s light flickered and disappeared. He didn’t really like darkness. Well, he wasn’t scared, not at all. It’s just really uncomfortable.



“Boo!”



“Cut it out!” Nino jumped and screamed. Familiar laughter followed and with a flick, the light went back on.



“Yo,” little Sho greeted. He was carrying Ohno with him. Jun was holding Sho’s hand.



“What are you three doing here?” Nino asked, pointing a finger at them. “You should all be asleep!”



“Nino, I may have become 6 years old but I still can think,” Sho said. “I used Ohno’s natural ability to teleport so that we can all follow you.”



“Oh-chan can’t think like an adult at that state,” Nino pointed out. “And Jun?”



“Aiba-chan is worried about you,” Jun said, pointing his finger at Nino accusingly. “You can’t just walk out on him! It freaked him out.”



“As if you know,” Nino said.



“Well, we don’t. Did he assault you?” Sho asked.



“No! Of course not!’ Nino said. “I just feel guilty.”



“Did you assault him?” Sho then asked.



“Come on! Quit whining and tell us the story!” Jun replied. Ohno was startled with the sudden loud voice but then he squealed and laughed, clapping his hands.



“Come on, Oh-chan, let’s all go to a good place to talk about this,” Sho said. Ohno seemed to understand so he laughed aloud. Jun held Sho’s and Ohno’s hands and they all teleported.



“Where are we?” Nino asked when they all landed in a dark apartment.



Sho flicked his fingers and light went on. The room was a mess: books and clothes scattered on the couch. “Oh,” he exclaimed.



“Sho-san, your house is messy,” Jun pointed out, tossing the clothes on the couch to the floor. He stepped on a wrapper that made a crunching noise and he jumped away. “Gross!”



“Sorry,” Sho smiled sheepishly. He flicked his fingers and the mess flew toward shelves, trash bins and laundry baskets. “There, better?”



Ohno cheered happily. They all sat down on the couch, letting Ohno crawl on their laps. “Why did you bring me here?” Nino asked.



“Well, we just want to know what’s wrong. It was all obvious to us that Aiba really likes you and…”



“Obviously, you like Aiba too!” Jun chirped in. The three all made noises of agreement.



“Oh, shut up,” Nino replied, rolling his eyes. “I don’t!” He felt the heat creeping up his cheeks. He covered his face with his hands. “That’s silly and baseless.”



“Yes, you do,” Jun said again. “And don’t even try to deny it. You practically stalked him when he visited Ohno’s shop! Why did you leave Aiba-chan there? Did he say something wrong? Did he confess?”



“No, he didn’t,” Nino said. He looked at his own hands and sighed. “It’s my fault.”



“What is it?”



“The boiling cauldron,” Nino said before he bit his lip. “The reason why Aiba cannot write or do useful stuff with his fingers.”



“And?”



“I was that person he saved,” Nino admitted. He covered his face with a throw pillow. “I hate it. I feel too guilty. And now I feel a thousand times more guilty because it was my fault!”



Ohno pounded on the throw pillow over Nino’s face, making him whine. Sho pulled him away. “That student was you?”



“Yeah,” Nino replied. “I never returned to that class after that accident.” He sat up straight. “In fact, I dropped all Potions classes because I felt that I would just cause another accident.”



“You know, maybe I should kill you here and now,” Jun said, shooting a very dark glare at Nino.



“Jun, you really can’t do that, you know,” Sho interrupted.



Jun squished his face into the couch, releasing his frustrations by pounding on the cushions. “Damn, I hate it that the person who makes Aiba happy is the very person who caused the accident!”



“I can’t blame Jun for feeling that way, though,” Sho said. “Aiba is one of the best students in the field of potions. He was very devastated after the accident.”



“Stop making me feel worse,” Nino whined.



“You should feel bad. I don’t know why you went to that cauldron or why it fell down,” Sho said with a shrug. “As far as I know, it stunk too much that you wouldn’t want to approach it, let alone go into the room where Aiba had prepared it.”



“I was…” Nino started. He actually didn’t know how to answer that question. Why did he approach that boiling cauldron? It didn’t really smell bad. He felt the need to dip his hand and have a taste but he tripped on something and the rest was history.



“What potion was Aiba making, anyway?” Jun asked.



Sho shrugged. “A modified version of a Finder Potion. Aiba has always been a mystery in terms of making potions. He can make perfect basics, he can make stuff from the book, but he also likes inventing his own.”



“And that potion is something that he invented?” Nino asked curiously.



“Probably,” Sho said with a nod. “The injuries became permanent because he stupidly left Parhal powder exposed on that table.”



“Parhal powder?” Nino covered his head with his arms. He had a vague idea on what that material could do. “Oh, he must hate me a lot.”



Ohno crawled on Nino’s lap and pulled his hand away from his head. He then squealed and laughed, as if he was trying to say something. “He thinks that you’re wrong,” Jun grumbled.



“Are you a baby interpreter now?” Nino asked sarcastically.



Jun scowled. “I guess that’s the advantage of being in a body of a three year-old.” He then mumbled, “I’m still going to kill Aiba after this, though. And I won’t forget what you did to Aiba, either.”



“So what are your plans?” Sho asked Nino.



“I can’t tell him that I was the one he rescued from the cauldron,” Nino said. “I almost destroyed his life because of my stupidity. I don’t even think I can work with him anymore.”



“Hey, don’t say that!” Sho reassured, along with a cry from Ohno.



“You have to face the consequences,” Jun added. “At least apologize for making my friend suffer!”



With a flash of light, Nino found himself back on the street, below the flickering street lamp. “Those little goblins are really punishing me,” he mumbled while he made his way home.



***



Nino looked up from his study. Aiba had been calling him for hours already but he didn’t answer. He just couldn’t go back to the house or to the laboratory. He couldn’t even sleep because his mind kept on replaying the scene where the boiling cauldron fell and Aiba saved him. He could even hear Aiba yelling in pain.



He looked at his phone and scrolled through more than a dozen missed calls and almost a hundred messages. “I’m sorry, Aiba.” He heaved a sigh, threw his phone to the bed, and attempted tocontinue studying, even though he could not really concentrate. He was reading the book about different rare herbs that night.



Parhal powder.



“The injuries became permanent because he stupidly left Parhal powder exposed on that table.”



Parhal powder is used to amplify the effect and duration of various potions. (i.e. 1 drop has the effect of 5 drops, a normal potion of 3-day duration becomes 1 week). However, the utmost care should be given when handling this ingredient. The seed does not have any abilities but once the seed has been grinded to powder, it has the ability to render any injury permanent.



Nino slammed his forehead on the book. “Permanent injury, huh?” he repeated. That meant that because of the powder, Aiba’s finger injuries became permanent. “That’s a lifelong feeling of guilt then,” he added. He remember running away from the lab after the person who rescued him fainted out of pain. He even wanted to drop out of the university because of what he did. However, he somehow forgot about it because he was so assured that the hospital can cure that unfortunate person.



“What kind of fate is this?” he complained to no one in particular. He rubbed his eyes and continued his study.



Moon Dust.



***



“Aiba-chan, this is your fault! Why aren’t we back to normal?” Sho cried. Jun also started hitting any part of Aiba that he could reach. Ohno was crying at the corner, obviously upset that he was still a baby. It was already a week since they drank the potion and contrary to what Sho had computed, the potion still hasn’t worn off.



“I’m really going to kill you, Aiba! And I won’t wait until I become an adult again!” Jun said angrily, jumping on Aiba like some rabid animal. Sho joined in the chaos.



The kids wrestled Aiba who, of course, couldn’t fight back. “Please stop it,” he said, giggling uncontrollably because the weak jabs felt like tickles. “Please! Please!”



They all froze when the doorbell rang. “Hello?” It was Nino’s voice.



The other three looked at Aiba encouragingly. They slowly let the man go. Aiba arranged his sweater and went towards the door. “N-Nino!” he stuttered, still out of breath after the boys’ attack. He suddenly had the urge to hug Nino tight because Nino hadn’t shown up for the past two days after running away from the house.



“Full moon,” Nino just said, handing a book to Aiba.



Aiba looked at the contents of the page Nino gave to him. “What?” the shout made the other children go towards them. “Even a pinch of moon dust can do that?”



“I totally forgot about this detail!” Sho slapped his forehead.



Jun stepped on Aiba’s foot, making him howl in pain. “It’s your fault, clumsy Potions Master!” he said. “You put moon dust in the potion and because of that, it doesn’t follow the usual potions wear-off period!”



Aiba tapped his temple with closed eyes, trying to remember why he added it. “But the reason why I put moon dust is because it brings light-hearted feelings to the person who drinks the potion!”



“Do you actually think we’re all feeling light-hearted now?” Jun asked, crossing his arms.



“Well, I actually think that the potion is working well because you’re all honest and carefree. Not much of an effect to Oh-chan because he’s actually normally like that.” Ohno wailed in disagreement. “The de-aging is probably a side effect.”



“Aiba-chan, nobody needs this kind of side effect!” Jun cried.



“Well, you do look cute as a grumpy three year-old,” Aiba remarked. He then jumped away when Jun started jabbing his sides, making him laugh uncontrollably. “Fine, I’m really sorry. I like you all as adults but you three are also cute as kids.” Aiba dodged another attack and added, “Of course, I’m glad to know that you can all return to normal even though the computations were off.” He sighed.



“Well, I have to go,” Nino said in a small voice, trying to tiptoe his way out of the house.



Nino was about to leave when Aiba pulled on his hand. “Nino, please come inside,” he said. Aiba was really confused why Nino acted like that. He missed the guy and he wanted to know if he said something offensive.



“I just did my job helping you solve this problem,” Nino said, trying not to look at him. “I – I need to go. I have to study.”



Aiba looked at Nino’s expression. He couldn’t make Nino spill the problem so he slowly let go of his assistant’s hand. “Bye,” he said in a weak voice. Nino closed the door behind him.



“Did he dump you?” Sho asked. Jun sniggered at the side.



“No, I don’t know. He won’t even talk to me,” Aiba said with a pout.



“You must have been a very awful boss to him,” Jun teased.



Aiba sighed. Jun really pushed his buttons and now he felt worse. “Maybe I abused Nino’s kindness. It’s not really part of his job to babysit three boisterous boys who were supposed to act like adults.” He looked at the floor sadly. “And maybe he has enough of this craziness.”



“Well, I believe it’s still your potion’s fault, idiot,” Jun snapped.



Sho pulled on Aiba’s sleeve. “The nearest full moon will be on the 24th, your birthday!” He pointed at the calendar.



“Oh,” Aiba just answered. In normal days, he would prepare a little feast for his friends on his birthday. It would also be his first birthday back in Japan after studying abroad and succumbing to depression because of his nasty accident. Nino would have been a good addition because Nino was one of the reasons, or the very reason, why Aiba regained his cheerfulness.



“Aiba-chan,” Sho held his hand. Aiba tried to put on a smile when he looked at his friend. “Let’s have a party on your birthday.”



Jun agreed. “Yeah! Let’s make it a kiddie party! You better a bucket of fried chicken, okay?”



“And those large cakes!” Sho chirped in. Ohno squealed in agreement.



Aiba smiled at his friends. “Okay, let’s have a great party on Christmas Eve. The next morning, you three will surely be back to normal.” He patted them and the three hugged him. “Thanks, guys.”



“We know that you’re broken hearted because Nino dumped you so we’re just making you feel better,” Jun said. “Shall we order beer?”



“Shut up,” Aiba chuckled. “You three are minors so you can only drink orange juice!” Jun and Sho groaned and Ohno cried.



***



“W-What are you three doing here?” Nino exclaimed, seeing Jun, Sho and Ohno suddenly appear in a ‘pop’ inside his small apartment. They wore Santa hats and funny Christmas sweaters.



“We have a party in Aiba-chan’s house,” Sho said. “Come with us!”



“Yeah!” Jun added. “It’s the last day for us to be kids again so we’re going all out. It wouldn’t be fun without you.”



“But I don’t want to go,” Nino replied, going around his room to pick up some trash. “I can’t.”



“Idiot! If this is about Aiba and the accident, you should man up and talk to him about it!” Jun said, raising his small fist. “Besides, Aiba will never hold a grudge like that.”



“But…”



“No buts! I think you should tell Aiba the truth. If he’s mad, then run away. If he’s not, then you two can be okay and your guilt will disappear,” Sho said. “Please don’t spoil this night. Aiba-chan wants you to be with us on his birthday. Your presence will truly make him happy.”



“Birthday?” Nino asked.



“Yes! Christmas Eve is also Aiba’s birthday!” Jun explained.



Nino hesitated. He wanted to talk to Aiba. He wanted to see him so badly. But if he tells the truth, Aiba would surely be angry at him. “I think…”



However, Ohno had already held his sleeve and the three of them disappeared and ended up back inside Aiba’s apartment. The room was haphazardly decorated with wreaths, Christmas balls, and lights. Soft Christmas music played in the background.



“Thank goodness, I was wondering where all of you went!” Aiba said, running towards them, “Oh-chan, don’t go teleporting other people as you…” His voice disappeared when he saw the new guest. Sho giggled. The three children suddenly disappeared, leaving Nino and Aiba in the living room. They stared at each other silently. No one dared to move or speak.



Nino cleared his throat. “Hi.” However, he did not miss Aiba’s surprised expression slowly turning into a very bright smile.



“Nino! I thought you wouldn’t come! I’m so happy that you’re here!” Aiba cried. He grabbed Nino and pulled him into a hug, making him gasp out of surprise. Maybe he realized his rash actions so he quickly pulled away. “Sorry, I got carried away. Friendly – friendly hug, yeah?”



“Y-Yeah,” Nino answered.



Aiba looked around, trying to form his words. “Nino, did I do something wrong?” Aiba asked. “I was so worried when you suddenly ran way that night.” He pouted, making Nino hold his breath for a moment.



“No, it’s not that,” Nino shook his head. “It’s just, I thought I cannot work with you anymore.”



“What do you mean?” Aiba’s smile disappeared. He rubbed his nape while looking anywhere but Nino. “I – I know it’s too much for you and it’s not your job to handle them but…” He looked at Nino. “Please don’t leave.” He approached Nino and held his arms gently. “I’m sorry I’m relying on you too much. This isn’t even RA work.” He stumbled over his words. “Besides, this is the last day that they’ll be kids. Everything will be back to normal tomorrow.”



Nino felt sorry seeing Aiba’s helpless face like that. Furthermore, it hurt him to hear Aiba saying sorry when Nino had a bigger fault. “Aiba-chan, it’s not about that.” He pulled away from Aiba’s warm hold and sighed, not really sure how to put his thoughts into words. Gently. “I can’t work with you like this,” he started with closed eyes.



“Why not?”



Nino slipped away from Aiba’s grasp and held the scarred hands. “I feel too guilty.”



Now, Aiba looked confused. His eyebrows furrowed. “Uh, Nino, you weren’t there when I accidentally made them drink the potion. Unless you added something in the cauldron, I don’t think you’re at fault here.”



“No, Aiba-chan,” Nino shook his head. He bit his lip and gently grabbed Aiba’s hands, stroking the small scars. “This is my fault. Your injury was my fault.”



“What do you mean?” Aiba asked. Nino looked him in the eye and wondered what the man thought. Aiba’s eyes widened a little, realizing the things Nino was talking about. “Nino, you were that student?”



Nino slowly pulled away. “I’m sorry I did this to you, Aiba-chan. I was so careless.”



Aiba looked at the side, taking in the information. He sat on the couch and looked at Nino. Nino couldn’t look into his eyes. Was Aiba angry at him? “Why did you run away that day?” he asked in a shaky voice.



“You saved me but I saw the boiling cauldron fall on you!” Nino exclaimed, shuddering as he recalled the moment. “I know I was thankless. I should have thanked you for saving me but I was so scared when I saw you writhing on the floor.” He turned away. “I wasn’t supposed to be in that lab. I didn’t want to get kicked out so I ran away.”



Nino closed his eyes when he felt Aiba stand up from the couch. He could feel Aiba standing behind him. He wondered what the man would do. Aiba was kind and caring but maybe his actions towards Nino could change because of this fact. After all, because of him, Aiba could not use his fingers well anymore.



“Nino, you shouldn’t have done that,” he heard Aiba whisper. Warm arms went around his waist. “First of all, you should have thanked me,” he said with a chuckle. “And I didn’t regret saving you even though I became like this.”



“W-what?” Nino stuttered. The warmth coming from Aiba was making him weak. “You’re not mad at me?”



Aiba placed his chin on Nino’s shoulder. He chuckled, and Nino felt the vibrations in his body. “Why should I be? I would be very guilty if I let a student get hurt with a boiling cauldron in my lab. Furthermore,” he softly touched Nino’s cheek and then pinched it, “Your pretty face would have been ruined and I would feel a hundred times guilty if that had happened.”



“Stop joking about these kinds of things!” Nino groaned, escaping Aiba’s hug. He faced Aiba and saw him smiling. The smile was brighter and better than the ones Aiba flashed at him before. It was like honey and warm soup. “It’s weird that you aren’t mad even though you have become disabled…”



“I am not disabled. I can still hold my cup, you know?” Aiba retorted with a very cute pout.



“Not without spilling three-fourths of its contents.” Nino let out a smile. “Are you sure you don’t want to punish me? Or maybe put me in a reversing potion?”



“What is a reversing potion, anyway? There’s no such thing!” Aiba asked with a laugh. “I am not mad, Nino. I’m even glad that it turned out to be you!”



“Why?”



“Because I like you,” Aiba blurted out. After a moment of silence, he looked at the side, obviously blushing after his confession. “Oh, now I ruined it.”



Nino’s jaw dropped. He looked at Aiba, trying to see if he was joking but the guy looked really sincere and shy. “Why?” he asked. “I’m just your RA.”



“Well, you’re one hell of an RA,” Aiba replied, his pitch raising a little. “Apart from the fact that you cannot work with the cauldron, you’re very good. A little bit lazy but very efficient. Also,” Aiba paused and looked at Nino, who felt like melting. “Ever since you worked for me, I felt like I’m not a hopeless case, that I can still continue making more, well, weird potions. And I think you’re cute. Very cute,” he added quickly.



“Shut up,” Nino said but he knew that he was probably as red as a tomato. Now, he could not deny that he thought Aiba was gorgeous since the first time he saw him enter the café. Working with him opened up new doors, and now, because Aiba actually said that their feelings were mutual, there was no need to deny. “Damn it, I like you too!”



Aiba’s shy smile turned into a cheeky grin. “You do?” His breathy laughter filled the room.



“Yeah! Don’t laugh!” Nino said, turning around again out of embarrassment.



“Fine, fine, I won’t,” Aiba replied, trying to decrease his chuckles. Nino turned around once again and gasped when Aiba’s soft lips met his own. The taller one stood up and raised his fist in victory. “First kiss!”



“Stop it! You’re acting like a kid!” Nino scolded with a pout. Aiba took this as another kiss, this one still chaste but longer, allowing Aiba to snake his arm around Nino’s waist. “I hate you,” Nino whispered when they parted.



“And I love you,” Aiba replied before holding Nino’s hand.



Nino smirked. “Well, aren’t your hands useless for fun things?” he raised both eyebrows.



Aiba blinked for a few seconds and after he got it, he scoffed. He squeezed Nino’s hand and left a kiss. “It’s not just the hands and fingers that do the work, Nino-chan.” He smiled again. “Do you know what potion I was making that day?”



“No,” Nino replied. Indeed, he wanted to know. He slowly looked up and got caught by Aiba’s mesmerizing stare. “But it smelled wonderful. It seemed like it was calling for me.”



“It’s a Finder Potion, a modified one,” Aiba said. “I wanted to find the person who would make me happy, that’s why I made that.” He chuckled. “I guess, I was successful in a way.”



“How are you sure that you found what you’re looking for,” Nino asked with a pout.



Aiba leaned forward, his face invading Nino’s personal space. “Because you’re right here in front of me.”



Nino almost jumped away when there was a loud bang. Sho, Jun, and Ohno, all adults, emerged out of the bedroom, carrying an assortment of alcohol and some glasses. “You can give Aiba’s birthday present later,” Jun started. “We’re hungry.”



“Let’s start the party!” Sho said energetically. He clapped his hands and the bright lights dimmed. Little dancing lights filled the room, ready for them to celebrate Aiba’s birthday and the Christmas eve.



***



“What is that potion you’re making, Aiba-chan?” Jun asked, he leaned forward but then suddenly jumped back. “Oh, hell, it stinks! It stinks!”



Aiba laughed heartily. He stopped stirring the large cauldron and moved away when it started smoking. He removed his goggles and gloves and went towards Jun. “Does it?”



“Yeah, it smells like, I don’t know, rotten eggs with a mixture of bull manure?” Jun replied.



Aiba grinned. “Let’s try it on Sho-chan then!” He shook a small test tube. Sho walked towards them while carrying a large pile of papers. After Jun wore his mask, Aiba opened the stopper. The stench made Sho lose balance and drop the papers.



“Aiba-chan, what the hell?”



Jun and Aiba laughed for a good thirty seconds before Aiba placed the test tube on the safety of a holder. “Sorry,” Aiba said. “I feel so sad that not one of you smelled the true scent of the potion.”



“True sce… What? Are those chameleon orchids?” Sho asked angrily. “Aiba-chan, by any chance, were you making a Finder Potion?”



Aiba nodded. “Yeah, and I already put my hair in it,” he added proudly. “Unfortunately, you’re not who I’m looking for.”



“And what the hell are you looking for, idiot?” Sho asked, coughing. The stench still lingered under his nose.



The three looked around when they heard a crashing sound. A man was walking towards the boiling cauldron without any lab gear. “Watch out!” Aiba shouted since the man walked clumsily, tripping over the mess of paraphernalia on the floor.



***



“What makes this potion different from a normal truth serum?” a student asked.



Aiba straightened his glasses. “I have been asked that question by my friends, colleagues, and my beloved research assistant for about a thousand times.” The audience laughed. “As you may all know, a truth serum forces you to tell the truth. You would become some sort of a puppet who will answer any kind of question based on the truth that you know. No, not necessarily the truth, but what you believe in your heart.” He paused for a bit and paced around. “I think that’s the only similarity of the Honesty Serum and the truth serum that we have in the market.”



“The Honesty Serum that I was able to successfully make brings out hidden feelings. Look at it this way. When we were kids, we laugh when we were happy. We cry when we were sad. We tell people what we feel. If we hate that person, we can say, ‘I hate you.’ When we love that person, it’s very easy to come forward and shout how much you love that person.” Aiba inhaled when a familiar person entered the room. He smiled widely as he watched him find a seat. “That’s what my potion does. It makes a person more honest with his feelings.”



The presentation ended successfully. Aiba was thankful that he was able to answer all questions well. He turned around and found Nino standing at the end of the stage, making his way up.



“Did you have to drink your potion before you became honest with me?” Nino asked.



“Don’t be silly!” Aiba replied. “I’m just a naturally honest person.”



Nino chuckled. “Well, if you say so.”



Aiba grabbed his arm and gave a kiss. Nino pulled him closer, deepening the kiss while pulling on Aiba’s shirt. He looked at Nino’s lips, already swollen and pink due to the kiss. “See? I’m being honest. I wanted to kiss you here and more.”



“Shut up, naughty,” Nino replied, giving a playful slap. “Let’s go.”



Nino pulled Aiba out of the auditorium and into the school grounds. They walked through the school grounds, making their way to the familiar library café where they first met. It seemed like there were no customers inside. Nino nudged him to open the door.



“Congratulations!” Jun, Sho, and Ohno chorused when the couple entered the café. Streams of homemade confetti fell from the ceiling.



Aiba pulled Nino to his side. “Wow, this is such a surprise!” he cried out, removing confetti from his and Nino’s heads.



“Yeah, we have to celebrate your success after you turned us into unfortunate guinea pigs,” Jun remarked.



“I’m really sorry about that,” Aiba apologized with a bow. “But you three also helped me find the answer on how to make my Honesty Serum.”



“I guess you should treat all of us then, Aiba-chan!” Sho cheered.



Ohno moved towards them, pushing a cart full of sweets. “Oh-chan, you’re amazing! Did you make all of these?” Aiba asked. There were cakes and sweets of different shapes and colors.



“Nino helped me in the kitchen,” Ohno replied. “Oh, and he made this for you.”



“Oh-chan, don’t! I was about to deliver that to his house!” Nino tried to stop him but Ohno had already uncovered the cake. It was a heart-shaped cake with ‘congratulations, Masaki!’ on top.



“Oh my, this is so cheesy,” Jun commented, shaking his head.



Nino was red in the face. “It’s amazing, Nino!” Aiba took a bite to try to appease him. “And it tastes good!”



“You’re making me embarrassed,” Nino said, pouting and turning away. “And don’t fool me. It probably tasted like a rock.”



Aiba took his hands. “Okay, fine. It’s a bit hard but it’s still sweet. Like you, Nino.” He kissed Nino’s forehead and stroked his cheek. “I guess we don’t need to slip a drop of my potion in your drink.” He winked.



Nino’s eyes widened. “Don’t you ever try to do that!” he yelled, chasing after Aiba around the café. “I’ll kill you if you ever try to use your potions on me!”



“Don’t burn down the café, okay?” Ohno reminded. Sho and Jun laughed along while they watched the couple chase each other all around the place.



Aiba chased Nino to the second floor, finally catching up as they turned to the corner. He found Nino, his back pressed against one of the bookshelves and his face with an irresistible smile. He walked towards Nino and placed a hand over his head. The air smelled like old books and faint perfume coming from his beau. He stroked Nino’s cheek and pinched it, earning a whine. Nino placed his hands on Aiba’s shoulder to steady him. “Don’t lean too much, the books might fall.”



“Don’t worry,” Aiba just laughed before he dug in to kiss his beloved assistant.

Comments

[koi_choshi]

I'm glad to know that the progression of their relationship flowed smoothly. But then, Nino was already smitten when he first saw Aiba (not counting the accident)!

I also liked that first kiss part. I'm glad it made you smile. Thanks for reading!