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Since they had started working on their project together, more times than not, Aiba and Sakurai’s nights would end with them eating at the office. Usually, Ueda was there too, and some other people from both departments, but this time they had found an excuse to send everyone home earlier, and it was just the two of them left.
They got take-out delivered to their building and Sakurai suggested they ate on the floor with the lights off, in front of the big window glass, so they could watch the night sky and the big, beautiful full moon. So there they were, sitting on the floor, way too close than they should have been, Sakurai taking care not to get too close to the window lest he realized how high up they really were, while eating food out of each other’s boxes and laughing together.
Despite being nervous at first, it took Aiba a very short time to feel comfortable with the other man. Whenever they were together, he felt that time passed by too quickly for his tastes, and that night was no exception.
Aiba played with what was left of his food, moving it around lazily, fooling himself into thinking that if he never finished eating, this night would never end either. On his left, Sakurai seemed to have had the same thought, because he was silently looking down at his take-out box, aimlessly moving his chopsticks, but never taking a bite out of the last dumpling Aiba knew was left in it.
He felt happiness bubble in his chest; just being with the other man like this, in the empty office, eating out of take-out boxes on the floor, felt like something special. He thought back to the previous months, when he wasn’t even able to stand in the same room as Sakurai without embarrassing himself, and a small chuckle escaped his lips.
“What?” Sakurai had turned to look at him after hearing that sound.
Aiba shook his head.
“Nothing.”
The other man gave a nod and went back to stare at his food in silence.
“Actually…” Aiba started. There was something he wanted to know and that he’d never asked, and he figured that the timing was right. “You know, when we got stuck in the elevator last week…” Aiba noticed Sakurai shiver at the thought. “What did you mean? When I said I was good at providing distractions.”
Sakurai’s eyes wandered around the room nervously. He then glanced sideways at Aiba and scratched his neck shyly.
“If I told you the truth, you would regret asking.”
Aiba bumped into his shoulder playfully. “Try me.”
Sakurai bumped his shoulder back and they both giggled.
“I thought you would have noticed by now,” Sakurai started saying. “Or at least I think your friend Ninomiya did.”
“Noticed what?” Aiba asked, curious. He had no idea what Sakurai was talking about. He and Nino had known each other for years, and when his friend knew something he didn’t, he would tease him about it until Aiba begged him to share his secrets with him.
Sakurai picked up the last dumpling and let it fall in the box again. “Didn’t you find it weird that I would find any excuse to come by your department? I mean, even if I didn’t want Ninomiya-kun to bring the documents I needed himself, I could send Ueda-kun to get them, you know?”
Aiba blinked. “Yeah, but you said you liked to get some exercise in, but you didn’t have time. That’s why you wanted to come to the gym with me.”
Sakurai scratched his neck again. “That’s not entirely true,” he said. “I already go to the gym three times a week. I have a membership and everything.”
“You do?” That explained why Sakurai’s muscles seemed so toned, he guessed. “Then did you ask me to introduce you to one?”
Sakurai put his take-out box down.
“I don’t know how to say it, so I’ll just say it, okay?”
Aiba raised his eyebrows, waiting.
“Every time you’re around, I find it very hard to concentrate on anything, and that’s because…” Sakurai cleared his voice to buy some time. “That’s because I have a crush on you.”
Aiba wasn’t sure he heard that right. “You have a crush on me?” he asked. At Sakurai’s flustered nod, he repeated: “You have a crush on me?”
Aiba had never seen the other man look so embarrassed and so nervous at the same time. “Yeah,” he said in a small voice. “Does that make you want to run away?”
In the shock Aiba felt at that revelation, he felt more confused by those words. “Why would it?”
Sakurai turned to look out the window at the moon. “No, I guess you’re too nice for that,” he said with a smile. “Even though I know you don’t have feelings for me.”
“Who told you that?” This conversation was becoming more and more absurd by the second.
“You did.”
“What?”
Sakurai laughed softly at the shock on his face. “I mean, I overheard you talking in the gym with Ohno-san about it. I didn’t hear the whole thing, but I did hear you say that you didn’t have a crush on me. But it’s fine," he added quickly. "I’m used to having crushes on straight guys.”
“I’m not straight,” Aiba said quickly. “I’m bi.”
“Oh.” Sakurai looked surprised at that. “Well, that’s fine too. You just don’t like me.”
“No, no, no,” Aiba grabbed his arm instinctively. “You don’t understand. I have a huge crush on you. It’s been that way since the first day I started working here.”
It was Sakurai’s turn to look shocked. “You do?”
Aiba nodded, feeling suddenly shy.
After a moment of silence, Sakurai’s lips curved up in an embarrassed smile that quickly turned into a laugh. Aiba followed, feeling the tension between them dissipate.
“I guess we’re both idiots,” Sakurai said.
“Yeah,” Aiba agreed.
In the silence that followed, the other man sent him a languid look. Under the pale moonlight, Aiba thought he looked like a beautiful and ethereal painting.
“Do you think I could kiss you, Aiba Masaki?” he asked, a bit sheepish.
Aiba smiled and grabbed his tie to pull him closer, till their lips almost touched.
“I thought you’d never ask.”