Work Text:
Double Asteroid: two asteroids that revolve around each other and are held together by the gravity between them.
According to his mother, Aiba had become friends with Nino from the first day they met. Aiba knew that this wasn’t true, because on that day Nino had called Aiba stupid, and Aiba pushed Nino off a swing in the playground.
They were five.
He didn’t know if there was a defining moment where they became friends, but looking back, Aiba couldn’t remember a time in his life that didn’t have Nino in it. By the time they were in junior high, the pair had become inseparable. Even though they were in different classes, they would have lunch together. Occasionally one or two of Aiba’s classmates would join them, but for the most part it was just the two of them.
Nino was the smarter one - at least, he was in the “smarter” class - but he was also the one who always got them both into trouble. Aiba didn’t mind, because he found that life was more interesting when Nino was around. When Nino decided to pull a prank on Kusano-san, the class bully, Aiba helped out. (It resulted in their class teachers calling in their mothers for a conference) When Nino decided on a whim that he wanted to join their school Go club, Aiba joined with him. (Both of them dropped out of the club before two weeks was over, on account of Nino losing interest.) When Nino tried out for the baseball team, so did Aiba. (Nino broke the music room window, and decided that he hated baseball after all.) When Nino had started to sneak out to go to live shows, Aiba went with him. (Yuu-chan told Aiba’s mother, who told Nino’s mother, and both of them were punished, but Aiba was grateful because he ended up sharing Nino’s love for rock music.) So when Nino insisted that they both buy guitars and learn to play, Aiba supported his idea wholeheartedly.
Well, sort of. He wondered how long Nino would be interested in being in a band, and if it would be before or after they saved enough to actually buy guitars.
“My mom’s already saying that I don’t study enough,” Aiba complained. “She’ll never let me start playing a guitar, or any instrument. She’ll probably throw my guitar away if I had one.”
“You could keep it at my place,” Nino suggested. “Then it’s easier to practice together anyway.”
“But -”
“Masaki, do you want to do this or not?”
For some reason, Nino had taken to calling Aiba by his first name only when irritated. When Aiba asked why, Nino said (with much annoyance, Aiba noted) that it was because Aiba was too friendly. Everyone at school knew him as Masaki, so Nino had to call him by something else to show that their friendship is “more special” (in Nino’s words). When Aiba asserted that friends are friends, Nino just shot him a glare and he’d shut up on the subject. (Nino’s nickname was first used by Aiba, who couldn’t say “Kazunari” when they first met.)
Aiba sighed. “Of course I do, Nino. I said I wanted to, didn’t I? I’m just stating that it would be a problem.”
Nino was oblivious to the fact, but he was pretty popular in school as well. He always received more chocolates than anyone else in his class on Valentines’, and Aiba had noticed that whenever Nino did something new, soon all the other boys would start getting into it, too. But by that time Nino would have found a new obsession for him and Aiba to pursue, and Nino wouldn’t notice the others at all.
“It won’t be a problem at all,” Nino insisted.
Aiba knew that Nino would get his way in the end, so he gave in, and hoped that this time Nino’s interest would last longer.
})i({
Two weeks after they started practicing on their new guitars, Nino got into astronomy. He had yet to say anything to Aiba about it, but when Aiba went over to Nino’s he noticed that it was the subject of several library books stacked on Nino’s desk. He decided not to ask about it.
“I think I can play this song completely,” Aiba announced proudly.
“‘Course you can; it only has three chords,” Nino retorted scornfully, his eyes not leaving his video game.
Aiba just smiled and went back to his guitar. “If you spend our practise time on games, I’m going to get much better than you soon, you know.”
Nino didn’t answer, as he was concentrating on leveling up in his game. Aiba frowned a little, wondering if Nino was already losing interest in guitars. He had enjoyed trying new things with Nino, as they always had fun, but this time, it’s different. This time, he didn’t want to stop.
“Nino, I was wondering,” he said, the thought that had been at the back of his head for the last few weeks resurfacing.
“What?”
“What if we start a band?”
Nino let out a loud curse, startling Aiba. He didn’t think his idea was that bad. “Stupid, you made me lose concentration and now I have to go through this part again!” Nino said, causing Aiba to smile in relief. It wasn’t his idea that made Nino so angry, after all. Nino paused his game and turned to him. “A band isn’t really a bad idea,” Nino said. “But what can we do with just two people?”
“Well, you know Suzuki-kun from my class?” Aiba asked. “He ate lunch with us last week. Actually, he’s a pretty good bass player, and I thought he could join us.”
“Suzuki... you mean Suzuki Jun?” Nino asked slowly, trying to remember. “The pretentious idiot who kept quoting from books he’s read?”
Aiba glared at Nino. “He didn’t do that to show off or anything. He really loves those books and want others to know about them!”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Nino replied. “We’d need a drummer too. And a place to play.”
“Well...” Aiba said, as if he was thinking out loud. “Suzuki-kun told me that Sugimoto plays the drums. He’s in the class next to yours? And the best part is, Suzuki-kun’s brother has a small studio so he could probably let us practice there for a discount.”
“You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?” Nino asked, narrowing his eyes. When did Aiba have these conversations with Suzuki, he wondered. The idiot did lunch with them not one, but two days out of the whole last week. He grated on Nino’s nerves, especially when he read his favourite passages from whatever he’s reading out loud. Nino had wanted to tell Aiba about his astronomy books, but Aiba kept shushing him.
“I don’t know about that Suzuki,” he groused. “And that Sugimoto? I don’t like him.”
“You never like any of my friends,” Aiba complained. He gave Nino a hurt look, which made the other boy feel a twinge of guilt.
“All right,” Nino conceded. “If you think they’re okay, we could ask them.”
“Promise you won’t be mean to them just to make them quit?”
“Promise,” Nino said reluctantly. He was rewarded with a bright smile from Aiba, and the sight immediately washed away the irritation he was feeling previously. “I get to name the band, though,” he insisted. Aiba agreed cheerfully, glad that Nino said yes.
Sometimes, Aiba gets Nino to do things his way, too.