saaurus | Innuendo- (Drabble)

Title: Innuendo
Pairing: Aiba Masaki/Sakurai Sho
Rating: PG13
Genre: Humor/Fluff
Word Count: 1.1k
Summary: Aiba's contagious laughter was all he needed to make him forget about the hardships of work, maybe even more than the alcohol.

A/N: Happy Sakuraiba Tanabata! Here is another little drabble before the new year comes. Hope you enjoy~ I don’t own them, sadly.

Innuendo

Sho wondered when he and Aiba had started making a habit of drinking each end of the week after work. It must have been since that time they found each other at the same bar Sakurai always frequented. Seeing his coworker Aiba there was certainly a surprise since the bar was nowhere near their workplace, but Aiba had told him that time he decided to go there from some other coworker’s recommendation. Sakurai could only suspect Ninomiya had something to do with it; he was the only other person who knew of Sakurai's favorite spot in the city. But what was the reason for Ninomiya to recommend him Sho's favorite bar, he couldn't really tell. Yet in no time, Sho was grateful to have found a buddy he could drink with every week.

It was quite strange to think he had to go so far to meet someone who worked in the same office as him, but meeting after-work Aiba was always an added highlight to his week. He could just immerse himself in Aiba's crazy stories and listen to him for hours. Sho had even started to prefer it than watching television all by himself at his apartment. Aiba's contagious laughter was all he needed to make him forget about the hardships of work, maybe even more than the alcohol. If only the weekends would come more frequently.

Perhaps the hardest part of their nights was walking back to the train station, always a little tipsy, and saying their farewells until the next working day came. It was always regretful for Sho that he didn't take the same train as Aiba and he worried if he'd managed to get home safely. It was always a good excuse to text him that same night, but their texting was never more than just that, nor was their drinking ever more than just chatter. But as long as he could have that part of his week, Sho didn't have to ask for more.

That particular night, when they were walking back to the station, they decided to take their time. Sho didn't feel like he wanted the night to end, while he couldn't figure out what Aiba's excuse was for not wanting to get to the station. Sho even noticed the other was especially quiet that night, although Sho couldn't say he'd been talking all evening either. But he didn't feel like he needed to fill the silence between them. It never felt awkward around Aiba. His presence was already enough. Yet Sakurai began to feel that wandering around must have been a bad idea since it was starting to feel especially cold that night. Sho even had to fetch his gloves from his messenger bag before they could even reach the station.

"Are you cold?" Aiba asked observing Sho.

"Yea-"

"Let me feel them," Aiba said, and Sho wasn't sure if he'd inquired but Aiba was already grabbing his hand and pressing it lightly, letting Sho feel the contrast of their temperatures. "Oh! They're really cold!" Aiba found it very amusing, although Sho wasn't sure how to react with the unexpected contact.

"Your hands are pretty small too," Aiba commented. "Let's compare!" Aiba presented his open palm for Sho. Other than being a little confused with Aiba's fascination, Sho didn't complain and put his hand against Aiba's and they both watched the slight difference in the length of their fingers, Aiba being the obvious winner.

Sho wasn't particularly disappointed, but more amused by Aiba's sudden interest in his hands. An inevitable smile drew in Sho's lips.

"You know what they say about people with big hands," Sho commented.

"No, what?" Aiba asked and it only made Sho realize that he'd spoken out loud.

He had no intention to say, especially not in front of Aiba, but it was already too late. Aiba's smiling and innocent eyes were waiting for Sho's punchline which Sho simply refused to deliver. What would Aiba think of him? Making such straight forward remarks to a coworker. And all from a stupid comment he heard Ninomiya make once before.

"N-Nothing."

"What do you mean nothing? Tell me! What do they say?" Aiba insisted, intrigued to know more.

"No, really, it's... really stupid. I shouldn't have said anything." Sho tried to appease him.

"Why? Is it something offensive?" Aiba curiously asked.

Sho could only purse his lips, unsure of what to say to that that wouldn't make it worse for him. "It's... nothing at all. I think I'm just drunk." Sho excused himself, but Aiba only seemed to pout at his relentlessness.

"Now I really want to know," Aiba said, but Sho refused to go back into the matter. They simply resumed walking in silence while Sho hoped that the matter wouldn’t be brought up again, or that, one way or another, Aiba was to force him to confess to his silly dirty-minded joke.

As they walked, Sho thought he could feel the faint brushes of Aiba’s hand against his as they walked side by side, yet it was hard to tell through the fabric of gloves. Sho could only think of himself silly, knowing there was simply no reason to think Aiba would want to hold his hand unless he was terribly drunk, and he was a good witness that Aiba could hold his alcohol pretty well. It must have been his mind playing tricks on him from all the contact he’d had with Aiba’s hand just a moment ago.

They arrived at the station just before Aiba’s train would depart, so the younger had to cut short his farewell to board the train. And even when he was making the line with the rest of the passengers, Sho could see the sadden look he carried in his eyes. He looked down while waiting to board the train when he quickly looked back to where Sakurai stood. In a short moment, Sho captured the look imprisoned in Aiba’s eyes, as if he were considering something, and eventually, proving all of Sakurai’s thoughts at once when Aiba left the line in a hurry.

In no time, he was standing in front of Sakurai once again. “Do you want to know?” Aiba asked unexpectedly to which Sho could only frown at.

“Do I want to know what?”

“If what they say about people with big hands is true? Do you?”

Sho felt himself turn all shades of red. It must have been the alcohol speaking, in seeing how seriously Aiba spoke. Evidently, Sho had nothing to respond, yet that same bashfulness didn’t stop Aiba from grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the train doors.

Once they closed behind them, Sho realized there was no way back and he let himself be guided by Aiba’s pull into a seat. Even during their ride, Aiba still refused to let go of his hand, but Sho wasn’t exactly against it. Even if such a stupid made-up myth weren’t true, somehow it felt like Aiba had something he wanted to prove.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I appreciate your comment~ Happy New Year!