The Perfect Gift
Aug. 30th, 2018 09:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matsu1ninoTitle: The Perfect Gift
Pairing: Matsumiya
Genre: AU, Fluff
Disclaimer: Plot is mine, Arashi is not. Unfortunately.
Summary: As the start of their fourth year at Hogwarts commences, Nino scrambles to find a way to make Jun's birthday unforgetable.
Author's Note: Happy Birthday Jun-kun! I was beginning to think I would never finish this one-shot.
The start of a new school year was about to commence. The shops of Diagon Alley were crowded by students of all ages in the mad rush to purchase the necessary supplies for the busy year ahead. It was both an exciting and stressful time for all. Tiny first years were dragging their parents to a variety of stores, eager to get their beginners spell books and cauldrons. There was a cluster of older students gathered around the window of the Quidditch supply shop gawking at the latest broomstick models on display. The occasional flash of light or loud crash came from inside of Ollivanders as new wands were tested with unsuccessful results. An air of confusion was emanating from the muggle-borns, both student and parent alike, who had yet to witness a chaotic albeit magical experience the likes of Diagon Alley. It was hectic and noisy and bustling with people, same as any year.
Nino was at his wits ends. Unlike the other students looking to purchase new books or robes or supplies that would actually serve a purpose for their upcoming school year, what he was after was something he believed to be far more crucial. Jun’s birthday was two days ago and the date had completely slipped his mind. Having taken place in the holidays right before the start of term, Nino thought it was understandable. It wasn’t the first time he or any of their friends had needed to throw an impromptu belated celebration for Jun within the first week of school after realizing they missed the actual date. Jun never made an issue out of it and his friends had admittedly become better at remembering over the four years they’d known him, usually remembering to send a letter to him on the day at least. They’d developed a clever system where they would remind each other a day or two prior to Jun’s birthday so that none of them would forget.
This year was different. It was the first birthday Jun had had since the two of them got together and Nino wanted to make it special, especially after all the effort Jun went through to make his most recent birthday memorable despite how close it was to the end of the schooling year. A party of sorts had been organized and thrown in the Recreation Hall on Nino’s birthday weekend. Most of the gifts he received from his friends had been in the form of gold galleons, a known love of his, but the twofold gift Jun gave him was by far his favourite. One was a night of pleasure that Nino knew neither of them would ever forget, giving the entirety of themselves to one another the evening their time as third years drew to a close. They’d taken each other’s virginity that night. The second gift was a handheld muggle gaming console complete with an assortment of games. Nino had played one once before during a holiday he’d spent at Aiba’s home, and instantly became infatuated with the strange muggle technology. Being from a pureblood family austere about anything muggle-related, his only chance to get his hands on his new favourite form of entertainment was in the holidays when Aiba invited him over. Jun had changed that for him. The device he’d given Nino was small and compact, easily hidden from his family as well as portable, so he could bring it with him to Hogwarts if he wanted to, which he did.
Nino wanted to show his boyfriend just how much he loved his gift by proving the considerable use he’d gotten out of it already. Unfortunately for Nino, the gift had also been his downfall, distracting him throughout the entire holiday and making him completely forget about Jun’s birthday. The letters he received from his friends reminding him about the important date went unread until the day before school resumed. Only then, after reading Sho’s reminder of what yesterday was, did Nino realize his huge mistake.
It was this reason that had him in a complete state of panic now. For close to an hour he had been going from store to store trying to find something that might make a decent enough gift for his boyfriend. His search was an immense failure. Nothing he could find seemed anywhere near good enough to give to Jun and the only things he thought might make semi-decent presents were well outside Nino’s price range. He was beginning to lose hope.
“Nino-chan!”
A familiar voice reignited hope in his heart and allowed him to breathe a quick sigh of relief. He heard the sound of thundering footsteps running towards him before an arm was thrown around his neck and he was dragged into a crushing hug. Nino squirmed in the other person’s gangly grip, freeing himself and spinning around to give his new company a slap across the arm.
“Idiot!” he shouted, ignoring the shock on Aiba’s face. “Where have you been?” Nino didn’t wait for Aiba to question him and took the taller boy firmly by the wrist to drag him out of the middle of the alley before they were trampled by the influx of people swarming around them.
“We have a crisis here!”
“Eh, what’s wrong?”
Aiba tipped his head in confusion at his friend’s frenetic behaviour. He looked like he’d already had several panic attacks that morning. His skin was even paler than usual and his eyes glistened with something on the brink of insanity. Strands of his hair were sticking up at odd angles and looked to be scrunched up or dully flat in other sections. Aiba guessed Nino had probably come close to tearing handfuls out earlier.
Nino bit down hard on his bottom lip, threatening to bite clean through the already broken skin. “I forgot Jun’s birthday,” he hissed. From the corner of his eye, he saw Aiba cringe. Nino assumed that meant he too remembered the lengths Jun went to for his birthday before the break. “You’ve got to help me, Masaki.”
Aiba nodded frantically in understanding, taking him by the arm and pulling him down the alley even as he continued to nod. After ducking in and out of a couple of shops, Aiba dragged him to a small store tucked away somewhere near the north side. The rooftop looked almost caved in and it was somewhat of a tight squeeze through the narrow doorway that was mostly blocked by cages on the other side. Inside was cramped and dark and filled with a deep musty stench. Nino wrinkled his nose in repulsion at the overbearing aroma and raised his arm to his nose to keep himself from breathing in too much of it after almost gagging when the rank air hit the back of his throat. He watched as Aiba moved further into the room with confidence as though completely unaffected by the foul odour. Nino followed him warily, his gaze scanning the wall that was lined entirely by cages. A different creature was contained within each.
“Why are we in here?” he whispered to Aiba, hating the way a hundred pairs of eyes seemed to be staring him down from every which direction.
“To get Matsujun a present,” Aiba replied cheerily while he inspected the cage of a silverback rat. He pointed his finger close to the cage, moving it around and giving a breathy laugh as the rat’s head mimicked the movement. There was a slight delay between his words and when Nino’s brain caught on to what he meant.
“Jun isn’t you,” Nino retorted.
Aiba looked away from the rodent to face his friend. “But he likes animals—ouch!”
With his attention focused otherwise and his finger still tantalizingly close to the cage, the rat had decided to give his digit a nibble to determine if it was edible. Aiba drew his finger back and sucked the small amount of blood from the wound. Nino tried not to laugh or roll his eyes at his lanky friend’s carelessness.
“Even so,” he mumbled. His sentence trailed off, his gaze tracking Aiba as he continued to move around the store.
Nino followed him to examine just about every cage and had to point out the idiocy behind some of his suggestions as to what type of creature they should pick. He really thought some of the proposals Aiba put forth should have been obviously daft, even to his friend. There was no way Jun would adore a gift that was a fire crab or streeler, and he would most definitely not appreciate receiving a natterjack toad. Nino was fairly certain Jun would break up with him on the spot should he decide to give him one of those ugly things as a birthday present. He’d given Aiba a good whack on the head for even suggesting it, convincing his friend was looking to condemn his relationship. It didn’t stop Aiba from optimistically continuing his search to find the right pet. Even after so many years Nino wondered why he wasn’t used to how exhausting Aiba was by now.
“Look at this!”
It was hard not to sigh. Pulling his attention away from the scraggly looking owlet he’d been looking at, Nino reluctantly dragged himself over to where the taller boy was now crouched by a cage near the counter. Only now did he realize the shop owner was standing there and had been since they entered. Draped in animal fur and with eyes shining almost as clearly as some of the creatures in the cages, she blended in with the surroundings of the store interior perfectly.
Nino awkwardly acknowledged her presence with a slight dip of his head when their eyes met before scurrying over to Aiba’s side. His expression was one of utter fascination, his gaze fixed on the creature even as Nino came to crouch beside him to see just what had caught his fancy. He stared at the large black feline pacing back and forth inside its cage.
“I don’t know,” said Nino warily. “Jun’s more of a dog person.”
Nino recalled a conversation he’d overheard between Toma and Jun back when they were first years. Toma had been reciting stories about things that had happened with his family during fortnightly break over Easter, but it was when his family’s dog was mentioned that Nino saw something spark in Jun’s eyes. With an eager smile on his face, he quizzed Toma on what his dog was like and for how long he’d had it. At some point, he’d made a remark about having always wanted one. The look on his face then was quite unforgettable. Charmed and somewhat sad, with the slightest hint of envy glistening in his gaze. Nino had never personally brought it up with him, but every now and then he would hear his boyfriend ask Toma how his dog was or see the unconcealable grin on his face when the latter suggested he come visit.
“It’ll be perfect for Jun-kun, it’s just like him!” Aiba exclaimed, drawing him back from his reminiscing. “Dignified, elegant, pretty…” Nino shoved him hard for his last remark and gave his friend a hard glare, disinclined to the idea of anyone else seeing his boyfriend like that. Aiba winced and rubbed the spot on his arm that was likely forming a bruise, but his smile did not waver. He turned his gaze from the cat to Nino. “What do you think?”
“Aren’t you worried it will remind him of when you accidentally transfigured him into a panther?”
Nino couldn’t help but smirk when a look of panic flashed across Aiba’s face at the memory. The thin, pale scars on his upper arm were a constant reminder: assistant Jun and a sixth grade transfigurations textbook were a bad combination. Really it had been a miracle in itself that he’d walked away at all after last year’s little mishap. The worried look quickly vanished from his face and he gave a confident smile.
“Not if it comes from you.” He nudged his friend encouragingly, ignoring the sceptical look the Slytherin sent him.
Nino’s gaze flickered back and forth between the dark feline seemingly glaring at him and Aiba’s hopeful expression. He huffed and folded his arms. “Fine,” he agreed, to which his tall friend gave an excited cry. “But you’re paying for it.”
Aiba’s excitement died in an instant. “How come? It’s your present to him.”
“Yeah, but you owe Jun more than nine galleons from when he helped you buy Pan.” Nino’s lips quirked in a smirk, gesturing to the price stamped on the top of the cat’s cage. “Time to pay him back.”
“No fair!” Aiba whined dramatically. It was true. Last year during a visit to Hogsmeade village, he’d borrowed a rather considerable amount of money to pay for the rare domesticated bat he found in one of the stores they visited. Aiba could help buying it even at the costly price it was selling for, and had owed Jun ever since.
“This is extortion,” he complained even as he stood at the counter paying for the animal Nino would be giving to Jun as a present.
Nino chuckled, making some remark about this having been his idea in the first place and that he had no one else to blame but himself. Aiba opened his mouth to try and argue before realizing he really couldn’t. He hated when his crafty friend used his own actions against him.
Nino knew Aiba was pouting behind him as he carried Jun’s new pet out of the store and they made their way through Diagon Alley to get to the train station. His friend didn’t concern him right now though. Nino’s only thoughts were of Jun and whether or not he would like the present. It was a question that stayed with him throughout the entire trip to Hogwarts. Before boarding the train he met up with Shun and gave the cat to him to hold for the journey, giving his fellow Slytherin only a brief explanation of what it was and why he was the one who needed to take it for the time being. Nino didn’t want to give his present to Jun just yet. Considering he’d forgotten to even send him a birthday letter this year, he knew he would need to deliver his present in a far more spectacular fashion than simply handing it to him on the train. He knew he could trust Shun to keep the animal safe and out of Jun’s sight for now. They’d gotten fairly close since Jun befriended him back in second year, and was sure to do as Nino asked.
His plan was simple really and would be staged in three easy phases. The first began before boarding the train, in which he would seduce Jun with a pre-term make out session that would speak his apology for his forgetfulness and sample their intended activities in the third phase. The second would be the present. Nino would enlist Ohno’s help to transport the cat into the Gryffindor common room and onto Jun’s bed where it would lay in wait for his return. Jun would be left mystified as to how Nino succeeded in leaving his present in another house’s dormitory. Jun would then seek him out, following the note provided with his new pet to the dark forest where they would engage in the final phase. It would be another perfect night to remember. Best of all, Nino thought, Jun never needed to learn his boyfriend forgot his birthday as he would be fully convinced this was his original intention and too awed by the three surprises to believe otherwise.
---
Nino drummed his fingers impatiently on the stone railing of the moving staircase that led to the Gryffindor common room. He’d been there for over fifteen minutes waiting for Jun to come out. He was nearing the point of giving up entirely. Whenever he considered doing just that however, a pang of guilt struck him as he remembered everything Jun did for the sake of celebrating his birthday and prevented him from leaving.
He couldn’t figure out where things went wrong. The first phase had been a complete success. Their session at the station was heated and passionate, their touches needy as they reacquainted themselves with each other after what felt like so long. The holiday break had left them craving one another. Unresolved sexual tension built up from far too long apart, coming together in an excited release of emotion and carnal desire. The two of them had snuck behind the farthest stone pillar to execute the first stage of Nino’s plan. The possibility of missing the train only added to the exhilaration that came from the risk of getting caught. It made for a thrilling sensation that raised their heartrates and drove them to a state of ecstasy much faster.
Nino was certain stage two was a success as well. He’d had no trouble whatsoever talking Ohno into doing his part, not that he thought he would. The sleepy-faced Gryffindor was always agreeable it seemed. He returned shortly after Nino gave him the cage containing Jun’s gift and confirmed it was in place. From there it was a matter of waiting for Jun to find his present and head down to the dark forest where Nino was.
Things had unquestionably fallen apart at some point between these two phases. After waiting out in the cold by the edge of the forest for who knows how long, his eyes peeled for any sign of his boyfriend coming down from the castle, Nino gave up. He didn’t even bother to check exactly how long he’d been standing there like an idiot waiting for something that obviously wasn’t coming. He was cold, it was starting to get dark and he was still alone—that was enough incentive for him to abandon phase three. Storming back up through the school grounds, he grumbled incoherent curses under his breath. He wasn’t sure where Jun was or what had gone wrong but if he didn’t get answers soon, someone would certainly suffer his wrath.
With every minute he spent staring at the Gryffindor common room entrance in wait for it to open and for Jun to come outside, Nino’s irritation only amplified. His patience was certainly wearing thin. A few minutes longer and he was considering going off to track down any random Gryffindor student and threatening them until they went into their common room and dragged Jun out for him. Just as Nino was contemplating the consequences he might face if he should do just that, the portrait at the top of the stairs swung open. Nino held his breath, watching the opening with much anticipation. He wasn’t sure if it was relief or anger he felt when Jun climbed out. Spotting him, the Gryffindor hurried down the staircase to meet his boyfriend.
“Where have you been?” Nino asked, only half trying to conceal his annoyance. Jun gave him a puzzled look before realization seemed to light up in his eyes and he glanced down at his hands. Confused, Nino followed his gaze. His eyes widened a little when he saw they were covered in scratches.
“Wrestling with a demon cat,” Jun laughed sarcastically. He rolled up the sleeves of his robes to reveal more scratches along his arms. “I don’t know what Aiba-chan was thinking getting me one. I mean, I like animals but they don’t tend to feel the same about me. That one in particular is completely psychotic.”
Nino had stepped forward, pulling his boyfriend down to his height to examine the small scratch just right of his eyebrow. It didn’t look deep and there was hardly any blood, but still Nino felt a prickle of anxiety seeing how close it had come to his eye. He frowned at Jun’s words.
“Aiba-chan,” Nino repeated, even more confused. “But the note—I mean, how do you know Aiba got it for you?”
“I don’t really, but come on. Who else would buy me a pet?” There was something mocking about Jun’s question, though Nino didn’t feel it was necessarily aimed at him personally. It seemed more like he was just worn out from his battle with the cat and wanting to find something else to focus on.
Nino glanced fleetingly at the scratches decorating his boyfriend’s arms, swallowing hard before he let out a nervous laugh. “Right, who else but Aiba.”
“I’m kind of surprised he chose that one of all things,” Jun went on, a hand running through his dishevelled hair. “Brought back some pretty unpleasant memories.”
“I told him it would,” Nino said through gritted teeth. Jun cocked his head, confused for a moment before dismissing his boyfriend’s mutter.
“That thing completely destroyed my side of the dorm. I swear it’s evil.” Jun looked at him. Concern suddenly filled his eyes. “Did we have plans to meet up?”
“Uh, no not really.” Nino avoided his gaze. He tried his hardest to keep from pouting, knowing Jun would know straightaway that something was wrong, which it was, but Nino didn’t need him knowing that.
His three phase plan had completely screwed up. The present intended to bring Jun delight ended up making him ache and bleed, and had destroyed probably half his belongings in the process. He was convinced it was Aiba who gave him the cat; Nino wasn’t sure if that worked in his favour or not. It meant the blame for this disaster was immediately placed on their lanky Hufflepuff friend, something Nino was more than happy to pass over to him, but it also put him right back to square one with his gift giving dilemma. He had no idea what he was going to do. Now that they were back in school and the new term had started, finding something would be even more difficult. There was limited time for him to think of and track down another present and the longer he waited, the better it would need to be. Nino’s mind was vacant of ideas for what Jun might like, and only one thing was certain right now. Aiba would be the one to suffer Nino’s wrath.
---
Nino lazily rested his head against his palm. He stared blankly ahead of him, watching as the odd person wandered into his line of vision when they crossed the library in search for early term reading material. Closing his eyes, he sighed.
The pet thing had been a terrible idea, something he knew from the start and yet had somehow let Aiba talk him past. After their short-lived rendezvous outside the Gryffindor common room, Nino walked Jun down to the hospital wing, despite his protests, to tend to the copious scratches marring his arms and legs. Jun had mentioned something about returning the cat during the school break, but planned to leave it under Aiba’s care until then.
In spite of the stinging wounds littering his body and the fact that his room had been completely trashed while trying to catch the demonic creature, Nino thought Jun was taking things surprisingly well. The smile on his face never once faltered. His gaze was still full of warmth and adoration; it made Nino sick to his stomach. Whether Jun remained ignorant to the fact that his boyfriend had forgotten his birthday or was deliberately choosing not to dwell on it, the guilt tugging at Nino’s conscience continued to grow.
Pouting, Nino realized he was back to where he started. He had not seen Jun since leaving the hospital wing. He’d slipped away with some backhand excuse of needing to study before dinner started, arguing that Jun needed to rest after his pet tussle when he offered to join him. Jun hadn’t seemed convinced but gave him some space just the same. With a shrug, he claimed Nino knew where to find him if he changed his mind and wanted the company. Nino didn’t want to face him again until he could make this burrowing feeling disappear but he knew he could not avoid his boyfriend for long.
He tapped his fingers against the wood of the table. Though the rhythmic echo did little to inspire his current lack of ideas, it was more than effective in interrupting Sho’s attempt at studying. The Ravenclaw looked up from his texts, the creases on his forehead deepening into a frown when the drumming continued. Too caught up in his own thoughts, Nino failed to notice his friend staring at him.
“Okay, enough.” Sho slammed his book shut, causing Nino to jolt a little as the noise snapped him back to reality. He turned to Sho. “What is going on with you?”
Nino shrugged. “Nothing.”
“It’s not nothing,” Sho snapped. “Clearly something is on your mind, or else you’re choosing to annoy me for the sake of it, so hurry up and spit it out before I hex your fingers together.”
“As if you would,” Nino scoffed, an amused smile playing on his lips. He would be lying to say annoying Sho wasn’t an appealing motive, albeit not his main reason for sulking. “It’s Jun.”
Understanding washed over Sho’s expression and his irritation lifted slightly. “I take it things didn’t go to plan?”
“More like they crashed and burned.”
“I told Aiba-kun it was a bad idea,” Sho sighed, more to himself than Nino. He glanced at his friend. “Is there any chance you’re overthinking this?”
Nino snorted. “He deserves something amazing.” Challenge filled his eyes as he stared at Sho before adding, “Certainly more than a textbook.”
“Excuse me, Secrets of Duelling is far more than a textbook,” Sho scowled at him. “As well as offering detailed instructions of how to use defensive and offensive spells, it also includes a thorough collection of historical accounts of notable accomplished duellists and their feats, all of which Jun happens to find fascinating. If you were an attentive boyfriend, or friend for that matter, you would know that.”
“Thank you for that, Professor Sakurai,” Nino mocked with a deliberate roll of his eyes.
Sho huffed. “At least I remembered to get him something.”
“Maybe I would have remembered if you sent your letter earlier.”
“You didn’t read it in time!” Sho exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief. “You can’t possibly blame me for that.”
Nino raised his hands. “Now, now. This is no time to point fingers. We need to come up with a new plan.”
“You mean you need to come up with a new plan. I don’t want anything to do with this.”
“It should be even better than the last,” Nino went on, pretending as if Sho hadn’t even spoken. A wicked grin made its way onto his face. “But of course phase three has to stay the same. That’s a given.”
The colour drained from Sho’s face and he averted his eyes, trying hard to block out the sound of Nino’s voice and the insinuating mental image he’d just provided him with. Of course Nino had already gone into detail about the three phases of his previous plan, and Sho had no desire to listen to the lewd portrayal again. He picked up his quill and scribbled down notes as hastily as he could.
“I just don’t know what to give him.” Nino sounded like he was frowning.
“I sincerely hope you’re referring to material goods,” Sho whispered, keeping his attention fixed firmly on his books. He heard Nino snigger.
“That too.” He let out a whine and slumped forward. The table rocked under his sudden weight and the bottle of ink tipped, spilling the dark liquid all over the notes Sho had been making. Nino paid no mind to the mess he made. “What do you get someone who already seems to have everything?”
With a sigh, Sho pulled out his wand and pointed it at the now completely black parchment. “Tergeo,” he uttered and the ink was siphoned from the page. Sho shook the slightly smoking paper out before turning back to Nino. “You do realize Jun probably doesn’t care what you get him. Heck, if you just told him you forgot it was his birthday and apologized for it, I can almost guarantee you he’ll forgive you straightaway.”
“Almost isn’t good enough,” Nino snapped. He held his head in his hands, thinking hard about what he could do.
Realizing having a sensible conversation with the Slytherin was not something he was going to be able to achieve any time soon, Sho decided to leave. If Nino couldn’t be reasoned with, then it was all he could do not to get himself dragged into the chaos that was sure to come.
“Okay, I give up,” he said, collecting his books and other belongings and turning to leave. “Try talking to someone else then. Jun has plenty of friends, maybe one of them has a better idea to offer you.”
Nino watched the Ravenclaw walk over to another table where he could work in peace. His words were left to linger in Nino’s mind. His face lit up after a moment and he scrambled up, racing out of the library to track down the list of people forming inside his brain. Sho saw him leave in a haste and shook his head hopelessly.
“This is not going to end well.”
Pairing: Matsumiya
Genre: AU, Fluff
Disclaimer: Plot is mine, Arashi is not. Unfortunately.
Summary: As the start of their fourth year at Hogwarts commences, Nino scrambles to find a way to make Jun's birthday unforgetable.
Author's Note: Happy Birthday Jun-kun! I was beginning to think I would never finish this one-shot.
The start of a new school year was about to commence. The shops of Diagon Alley were crowded by students of all ages in the mad rush to purchase the necessary supplies for the busy year ahead. It was both an exciting and stressful time for all. Tiny first years were dragging their parents to a variety of stores, eager to get their beginners spell books and cauldrons. There was a cluster of older students gathered around the window of the Quidditch supply shop gawking at the latest broomstick models on display. The occasional flash of light or loud crash came from inside of Ollivanders as new wands were tested with unsuccessful results. An air of confusion was emanating from the muggle-borns, both student and parent alike, who had yet to witness a chaotic albeit magical experience the likes of Diagon Alley. It was hectic and noisy and bustling with people, same as any year.
Nino was at his wits ends. Unlike the other students looking to purchase new books or robes or supplies that would actually serve a purpose for their upcoming school year, what he was after was something he believed to be far more crucial. Jun’s birthday was two days ago and the date had completely slipped his mind. Having taken place in the holidays right before the start of term, Nino thought it was understandable. It wasn’t the first time he or any of their friends had needed to throw an impromptu belated celebration for Jun within the first week of school after realizing they missed the actual date. Jun never made an issue out of it and his friends had admittedly become better at remembering over the four years they’d known him, usually remembering to send a letter to him on the day at least. They’d developed a clever system where they would remind each other a day or two prior to Jun’s birthday so that none of them would forget.
This year was different. It was the first birthday Jun had had since the two of them got together and Nino wanted to make it special, especially after all the effort Jun went through to make his most recent birthday memorable despite how close it was to the end of the schooling year. A party of sorts had been organized and thrown in the Recreation Hall on Nino’s birthday weekend. Most of the gifts he received from his friends had been in the form of gold galleons, a known love of his, but the twofold gift Jun gave him was by far his favourite. One was a night of pleasure that Nino knew neither of them would ever forget, giving the entirety of themselves to one another the evening their time as third years drew to a close. They’d taken each other’s virginity that night. The second gift was a handheld muggle gaming console complete with an assortment of games. Nino had played one once before during a holiday he’d spent at Aiba’s home, and instantly became infatuated with the strange muggle technology. Being from a pureblood family austere about anything muggle-related, his only chance to get his hands on his new favourite form of entertainment was in the holidays when Aiba invited him over. Jun had changed that for him. The device he’d given Nino was small and compact, easily hidden from his family as well as portable, so he could bring it with him to Hogwarts if he wanted to, which he did.
Nino wanted to show his boyfriend just how much he loved his gift by proving the considerable use he’d gotten out of it already. Unfortunately for Nino, the gift had also been his downfall, distracting him throughout the entire holiday and making him completely forget about Jun’s birthday. The letters he received from his friends reminding him about the important date went unread until the day before school resumed. Only then, after reading Sho’s reminder of what yesterday was, did Nino realize his huge mistake.
It was this reason that had him in a complete state of panic now. For close to an hour he had been going from store to store trying to find something that might make a decent enough gift for his boyfriend. His search was an immense failure. Nothing he could find seemed anywhere near good enough to give to Jun and the only things he thought might make semi-decent presents were well outside Nino’s price range. He was beginning to lose hope.
“Nino-chan!”
A familiar voice reignited hope in his heart and allowed him to breathe a quick sigh of relief. He heard the sound of thundering footsteps running towards him before an arm was thrown around his neck and he was dragged into a crushing hug. Nino squirmed in the other person’s gangly grip, freeing himself and spinning around to give his new company a slap across the arm.
“Idiot!” he shouted, ignoring the shock on Aiba’s face. “Where have you been?” Nino didn’t wait for Aiba to question him and took the taller boy firmly by the wrist to drag him out of the middle of the alley before they were trampled by the influx of people swarming around them.
“We have a crisis here!”
“Eh, what’s wrong?”
Aiba tipped his head in confusion at his friend’s frenetic behaviour. He looked like he’d already had several panic attacks that morning. His skin was even paler than usual and his eyes glistened with something on the brink of insanity. Strands of his hair were sticking up at odd angles and looked to be scrunched up or dully flat in other sections. Aiba guessed Nino had probably come close to tearing handfuls out earlier.
Nino bit down hard on his bottom lip, threatening to bite clean through the already broken skin. “I forgot Jun’s birthday,” he hissed. From the corner of his eye, he saw Aiba cringe. Nino assumed that meant he too remembered the lengths Jun went to for his birthday before the break. “You’ve got to help me, Masaki.”
Aiba nodded frantically in understanding, taking him by the arm and pulling him down the alley even as he continued to nod. After ducking in and out of a couple of shops, Aiba dragged him to a small store tucked away somewhere near the north side. The rooftop looked almost caved in and it was somewhat of a tight squeeze through the narrow doorway that was mostly blocked by cages on the other side. Inside was cramped and dark and filled with a deep musty stench. Nino wrinkled his nose in repulsion at the overbearing aroma and raised his arm to his nose to keep himself from breathing in too much of it after almost gagging when the rank air hit the back of his throat. He watched as Aiba moved further into the room with confidence as though completely unaffected by the foul odour. Nino followed him warily, his gaze scanning the wall that was lined entirely by cages. A different creature was contained within each.
“Why are we in here?” he whispered to Aiba, hating the way a hundred pairs of eyes seemed to be staring him down from every which direction.
“To get Matsujun a present,” Aiba replied cheerily while he inspected the cage of a silverback rat. He pointed his finger close to the cage, moving it around and giving a breathy laugh as the rat’s head mimicked the movement. There was a slight delay between his words and when Nino’s brain caught on to what he meant.
“Jun isn’t you,” Nino retorted.
Aiba looked away from the rodent to face his friend. “But he likes animals—ouch!”
With his attention focused otherwise and his finger still tantalizingly close to the cage, the rat had decided to give his digit a nibble to determine if it was edible. Aiba drew his finger back and sucked the small amount of blood from the wound. Nino tried not to laugh or roll his eyes at his lanky friend’s carelessness.
“Even so,” he mumbled. His sentence trailed off, his gaze tracking Aiba as he continued to move around the store.
Nino followed him to examine just about every cage and had to point out the idiocy behind some of his suggestions as to what type of creature they should pick. He really thought some of the proposals Aiba put forth should have been obviously daft, even to his friend. There was no way Jun would adore a gift that was a fire crab or streeler, and he would most definitely not appreciate receiving a natterjack toad. Nino was fairly certain Jun would break up with him on the spot should he decide to give him one of those ugly things as a birthday present. He’d given Aiba a good whack on the head for even suggesting it, convincing his friend was looking to condemn his relationship. It didn’t stop Aiba from optimistically continuing his search to find the right pet. Even after so many years Nino wondered why he wasn’t used to how exhausting Aiba was by now.
“Look at this!”
It was hard not to sigh. Pulling his attention away from the scraggly looking owlet he’d been looking at, Nino reluctantly dragged himself over to where the taller boy was now crouched by a cage near the counter. Only now did he realize the shop owner was standing there and had been since they entered. Draped in animal fur and with eyes shining almost as clearly as some of the creatures in the cages, she blended in with the surroundings of the store interior perfectly.
Nino awkwardly acknowledged her presence with a slight dip of his head when their eyes met before scurrying over to Aiba’s side. His expression was one of utter fascination, his gaze fixed on the creature even as Nino came to crouch beside him to see just what had caught his fancy. He stared at the large black feline pacing back and forth inside its cage.
“I don’t know,” said Nino warily. “Jun’s more of a dog person.”
Nino recalled a conversation he’d overheard between Toma and Jun back when they were first years. Toma had been reciting stories about things that had happened with his family during fortnightly break over Easter, but it was when his family’s dog was mentioned that Nino saw something spark in Jun’s eyes. With an eager smile on his face, he quizzed Toma on what his dog was like and for how long he’d had it. At some point, he’d made a remark about having always wanted one. The look on his face then was quite unforgettable. Charmed and somewhat sad, with the slightest hint of envy glistening in his gaze. Nino had never personally brought it up with him, but every now and then he would hear his boyfriend ask Toma how his dog was or see the unconcealable grin on his face when the latter suggested he come visit.
“It’ll be perfect for Jun-kun, it’s just like him!” Aiba exclaimed, drawing him back from his reminiscing. “Dignified, elegant, pretty…” Nino shoved him hard for his last remark and gave his friend a hard glare, disinclined to the idea of anyone else seeing his boyfriend like that. Aiba winced and rubbed the spot on his arm that was likely forming a bruise, but his smile did not waver. He turned his gaze from the cat to Nino. “What do you think?”
“Aren’t you worried it will remind him of when you accidentally transfigured him into a panther?”
Nino couldn’t help but smirk when a look of panic flashed across Aiba’s face at the memory. The thin, pale scars on his upper arm were a constant reminder: assistant Jun and a sixth grade transfigurations textbook were a bad combination. Really it had been a miracle in itself that he’d walked away at all after last year’s little mishap. The worried look quickly vanished from his face and he gave a confident smile.
“Not if it comes from you.” He nudged his friend encouragingly, ignoring the sceptical look the Slytherin sent him.
Nino’s gaze flickered back and forth between the dark feline seemingly glaring at him and Aiba’s hopeful expression. He huffed and folded his arms. “Fine,” he agreed, to which his tall friend gave an excited cry. “But you’re paying for it.”
Aiba’s excitement died in an instant. “How come? It’s your present to him.”
“Yeah, but you owe Jun more than nine galleons from when he helped you buy Pan.” Nino’s lips quirked in a smirk, gesturing to the price stamped on the top of the cat’s cage. “Time to pay him back.”
“No fair!” Aiba whined dramatically. It was true. Last year during a visit to Hogsmeade village, he’d borrowed a rather considerable amount of money to pay for the rare domesticated bat he found in one of the stores they visited. Aiba could help buying it even at the costly price it was selling for, and had owed Jun ever since.
“This is extortion,” he complained even as he stood at the counter paying for the animal Nino would be giving to Jun as a present.
Nino chuckled, making some remark about this having been his idea in the first place and that he had no one else to blame but himself. Aiba opened his mouth to try and argue before realizing he really couldn’t. He hated when his crafty friend used his own actions against him.
Nino knew Aiba was pouting behind him as he carried Jun’s new pet out of the store and they made their way through Diagon Alley to get to the train station. His friend didn’t concern him right now though. Nino’s only thoughts were of Jun and whether or not he would like the present. It was a question that stayed with him throughout the entire trip to Hogwarts. Before boarding the train he met up with Shun and gave the cat to him to hold for the journey, giving his fellow Slytherin only a brief explanation of what it was and why he was the one who needed to take it for the time being. Nino didn’t want to give his present to Jun just yet. Considering he’d forgotten to even send him a birthday letter this year, he knew he would need to deliver his present in a far more spectacular fashion than simply handing it to him on the train. He knew he could trust Shun to keep the animal safe and out of Jun’s sight for now. They’d gotten fairly close since Jun befriended him back in second year, and was sure to do as Nino asked.
His plan was simple really and would be staged in three easy phases. The first began before boarding the train, in which he would seduce Jun with a pre-term make out session that would speak his apology for his forgetfulness and sample their intended activities in the third phase. The second would be the present. Nino would enlist Ohno’s help to transport the cat into the Gryffindor common room and onto Jun’s bed where it would lay in wait for his return. Jun would be left mystified as to how Nino succeeded in leaving his present in another house’s dormitory. Jun would then seek him out, following the note provided with his new pet to the dark forest where they would engage in the final phase. It would be another perfect night to remember. Best of all, Nino thought, Jun never needed to learn his boyfriend forgot his birthday as he would be fully convinced this was his original intention and too awed by the three surprises to believe otherwise.
---
Nino drummed his fingers impatiently on the stone railing of the moving staircase that led to the Gryffindor common room. He’d been there for over fifteen minutes waiting for Jun to come out. He was nearing the point of giving up entirely. Whenever he considered doing just that however, a pang of guilt struck him as he remembered everything Jun did for the sake of celebrating his birthday and prevented him from leaving.
He couldn’t figure out where things went wrong. The first phase had been a complete success. Their session at the station was heated and passionate, their touches needy as they reacquainted themselves with each other after what felt like so long. The holiday break had left them craving one another. Unresolved sexual tension built up from far too long apart, coming together in an excited release of emotion and carnal desire. The two of them had snuck behind the farthest stone pillar to execute the first stage of Nino’s plan. The possibility of missing the train only added to the exhilaration that came from the risk of getting caught. It made for a thrilling sensation that raised their heartrates and drove them to a state of ecstasy much faster.
Nino was certain stage two was a success as well. He’d had no trouble whatsoever talking Ohno into doing his part, not that he thought he would. The sleepy-faced Gryffindor was always agreeable it seemed. He returned shortly after Nino gave him the cage containing Jun’s gift and confirmed it was in place. From there it was a matter of waiting for Jun to find his present and head down to the dark forest where Nino was.
Things had unquestionably fallen apart at some point between these two phases. After waiting out in the cold by the edge of the forest for who knows how long, his eyes peeled for any sign of his boyfriend coming down from the castle, Nino gave up. He didn’t even bother to check exactly how long he’d been standing there like an idiot waiting for something that obviously wasn’t coming. He was cold, it was starting to get dark and he was still alone—that was enough incentive for him to abandon phase three. Storming back up through the school grounds, he grumbled incoherent curses under his breath. He wasn’t sure where Jun was or what had gone wrong but if he didn’t get answers soon, someone would certainly suffer his wrath.
With every minute he spent staring at the Gryffindor common room entrance in wait for it to open and for Jun to come outside, Nino’s irritation only amplified. His patience was certainly wearing thin. A few minutes longer and he was considering going off to track down any random Gryffindor student and threatening them until they went into their common room and dragged Jun out for him. Just as Nino was contemplating the consequences he might face if he should do just that, the portrait at the top of the stairs swung open. Nino held his breath, watching the opening with much anticipation. He wasn’t sure if it was relief or anger he felt when Jun climbed out. Spotting him, the Gryffindor hurried down the staircase to meet his boyfriend.
“Where have you been?” Nino asked, only half trying to conceal his annoyance. Jun gave him a puzzled look before realization seemed to light up in his eyes and he glanced down at his hands. Confused, Nino followed his gaze. His eyes widened a little when he saw they were covered in scratches.
“Wrestling with a demon cat,” Jun laughed sarcastically. He rolled up the sleeves of his robes to reveal more scratches along his arms. “I don’t know what Aiba-chan was thinking getting me one. I mean, I like animals but they don’t tend to feel the same about me. That one in particular is completely psychotic.”
Nino had stepped forward, pulling his boyfriend down to his height to examine the small scratch just right of his eyebrow. It didn’t look deep and there was hardly any blood, but still Nino felt a prickle of anxiety seeing how close it had come to his eye. He frowned at Jun’s words.
“Aiba-chan,” Nino repeated, even more confused. “But the note—I mean, how do you know Aiba got it for you?”
“I don’t really, but come on. Who else would buy me a pet?” There was something mocking about Jun’s question, though Nino didn’t feel it was necessarily aimed at him personally. It seemed more like he was just worn out from his battle with the cat and wanting to find something else to focus on.
Nino glanced fleetingly at the scratches decorating his boyfriend’s arms, swallowing hard before he let out a nervous laugh. “Right, who else but Aiba.”
“I’m kind of surprised he chose that one of all things,” Jun went on, a hand running through his dishevelled hair. “Brought back some pretty unpleasant memories.”
“I told him it would,” Nino said through gritted teeth. Jun cocked his head, confused for a moment before dismissing his boyfriend’s mutter.
“That thing completely destroyed my side of the dorm. I swear it’s evil.” Jun looked at him. Concern suddenly filled his eyes. “Did we have plans to meet up?”
“Uh, no not really.” Nino avoided his gaze. He tried his hardest to keep from pouting, knowing Jun would know straightaway that something was wrong, which it was, but Nino didn’t need him knowing that.
His three phase plan had completely screwed up. The present intended to bring Jun delight ended up making him ache and bleed, and had destroyed probably half his belongings in the process. He was convinced it was Aiba who gave him the cat; Nino wasn’t sure if that worked in his favour or not. It meant the blame for this disaster was immediately placed on their lanky Hufflepuff friend, something Nino was more than happy to pass over to him, but it also put him right back to square one with his gift giving dilemma. He had no idea what he was going to do. Now that they were back in school and the new term had started, finding something would be even more difficult. There was limited time for him to think of and track down another present and the longer he waited, the better it would need to be. Nino’s mind was vacant of ideas for what Jun might like, and only one thing was certain right now. Aiba would be the one to suffer Nino’s wrath.
---
Nino lazily rested his head against his palm. He stared blankly ahead of him, watching as the odd person wandered into his line of vision when they crossed the library in search for early term reading material. Closing his eyes, he sighed.
The pet thing had been a terrible idea, something he knew from the start and yet had somehow let Aiba talk him past. After their short-lived rendezvous outside the Gryffindor common room, Nino walked Jun down to the hospital wing, despite his protests, to tend to the copious scratches marring his arms and legs. Jun had mentioned something about returning the cat during the school break, but planned to leave it under Aiba’s care until then.
In spite of the stinging wounds littering his body and the fact that his room had been completely trashed while trying to catch the demonic creature, Nino thought Jun was taking things surprisingly well. The smile on his face never once faltered. His gaze was still full of warmth and adoration; it made Nino sick to his stomach. Whether Jun remained ignorant to the fact that his boyfriend had forgotten his birthday or was deliberately choosing not to dwell on it, the guilt tugging at Nino’s conscience continued to grow.
Pouting, Nino realized he was back to where he started. He had not seen Jun since leaving the hospital wing. He’d slipped away with some backhand excuse of needing to study before dinner started, arguing that Jun needed to rest after his pet tussle when he offered to join him. Jun hadn’t seemed convinced but gave him some space just the same. With a shrug, he claimed Nino knew where to find him if he changed his mind and wanted the company. Nino didn’t want to face him again until he could make this burrowing feeling disappear but he knew he could not avoid his boyfriend for long.
He tapped his fingers against the wood of the table. Though the rhythmic echo did little to inspire his current lack of ideas, it was more than effective in interrupting Sho’s attempt at studying. The Ravenclaw looked up from his texts, the creases on his forehead deepening into a frown when the drumming continued. Too caught up in his own thoughts, Nino failed to notice his friend staring at him.
“Okay, enough.” Sho slammed his book shut, causing Nino to jolt a little as the noise snapped him back to reality. He turned to Sho. “What is going on with you?”
Nino shrugged. “Nothing.”
“It’s not nothing,” Sho snapped. “Clearly something is on your mind, or else you’re choosing to annoy me for the sake of it, so hurry up and spit it out before I hex your fingers together.”
“As if you would,” Nino scoffed, an amused smile playing on his lips. He would be lying to say annoying Sho wasn’t an appealing motive, albeit not his main reason for sulking. “It’s Jun.”
Understanding washed over Sho’s expression and his irritation lifted slightly. “I take it things didn’t go to plan?”
“More like they crashed and burned.”
“I told Aiba-kun it was a bad idea,” Sho sighed, more to himself than Nino. He glanced at his friend. “Is there any chance you’re overthinking this?”
Nino snorted. “He deserves something amazing.” Challenge filled his eyes as he stared at Sho before adding, “Certainly more than a textbook.”
“Excuse me, Secrets of Duelling is far more than a textbook,” Sho scowled at him. “As well as offering detailed instructions of how to use defensive and offensive spells, it also includes a thorough collection of historical accounts of notable accomplished duellists and their feats, all of which Jun happens to find fascinating. If you were an attentive boyfriend, or friend for that matter, you would know that.”
“Thank you for that, Professor Sakurai,” Nino mocked with a deliberate roll of his eyes.
Sho huffed. “At least I remembered to get him something.”
“Maybe I would have remembered if you sent your letter earlier.”
“You didn’t read it in time!” Sho exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief. “You can’t possibly blame me for that.”
Nino raised his hands. “Now, now. This is no time to point fingers. We need to come up with a new plan.”
“You mean you need to come up with a new plan. I don’t want anything to do with this.”
“It should be even better than the last,” Nino went on, pretending as if Sho hadn’t even spoken. A wicked grin made its way onto his face. “But of course phase three has to stay the same. That’s a given.”
The colour drained from Sho’s face and he averted his eyes, trying hard to block out the sound of Nino’s voice and the insinuating mental image he’d just provided him with. Of course Nino had already gone into detail about the three phases of his previous plan, and Sho had no desire to listen to the lewd portrayal again. He picked up his quill and scribbled down notes as hastily as he could.
“I just don’t know what to give him.” Nino sounded like he was frowning.
“I sincerely hope you’re referring to material goods,” Sho whispered, keeping his attention fixed firmly on his books. He heard Nino snigger.
“That too.” He let out a whine and slumped forward. The table rocked under his sudden weight and the bottle of ink tipped, spilling the dark liquid all over the notes Sho had been making. Nino paid no mind to the mess he made. “What do you get someone who already seems to have everything?”
With a sigh, Sho pulled out his wand and pointed it at the now completely black parchment. “Tergeo,” he uttered and the ink was siphoned from the page. Sho shook the slightly smoking paper out before turning back to Nino. “You do realize Jun probably doesn’t care what you get him. Heck, if you just told him you forgot it was his birthday and apologized for it, I can almost guarantee you he’ll forgive you straightaway.”
“Almost isn’t good enough,” Nino snapped. He held his head in his hands, thinking hard about what he could do.
Realizing having a sensible conversation with the Slytherin was not something he was going to be able to achieve any time soon, Sho decided to leave. If Nino couldn’t be reasoned with, then it was all he could do not to get himself dragged into the chaos that was sure to come.
“Okay, I give up,” he said, collecting his books and other belongings and turning to leave. “Try talking to someone else then. Jun has plenty of friends, maybe one of them has a better idea to offer you.”
Nino watched the Ravenclaw walk over to another table where he could work in peace. His words were left to linger in Nino’s mind. His face lit up after a moment and he scrambled up, racing out of the library to track down the list of people forming inside his brain. Sho saw him leave in a haste and shook his head hopelessly.
“This is not going to end well.”
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Date: 2018-08-30 03:46 pm (UTC)And then chaos ensues... of course nino would forget Jun’s bday 🤭 but the reason why he forgot is even worse!! Nino-chan, jun gave you that to make you happy and you end up forgetting him because of it =_=
Love reading about their passionate sessions thoo 😍
And of course Aiba-chan’s idea backfired XDDD poor jun, he just have no luck with animals but he’s still soo nice to nino >< i really hope nino will make up for this somehow.. he has to give him the best present ever!!!