a/n: procrastination fic (also procrastination uploading hahaha)
"Aaaah," Chiyo sighed, setting her heavy bags down on the ground. She really didn't mean to buy this much stuff, but all of the stores were having a big sale and she just couldn't resist. "Today's been such a long day." How meeting up to gather manga intel turned into another shopping day, she'd never know.
"Mnn," Nozaki agreed. There are also several bags sitting near his feet. "We made good progress, though. I have enough reference photos for the next few chapters now."
Mikorin said nothing but continued to silently fawn over the latest RPG game he just bought. Apparently it's a special limited edition re-release of an older game for a new console (plus character customization!). Chiyo was surprised when he didn't beeline for the bishoujo games, but even Mikorin must have more interests than pretty 2D girls.
"Is there anything else you want to do before we go back, Nozaki-kun?"
They'd already gone to the fountain, the park, and the trendy new cafe that was a popular spot for young couples. The park and fountain were pretty and would serve as good background references for Hori-senpai, but the cafe had been way too overpriced. Between the three of them, they barely had enough money to purchase a single dessert to share.
"Hmm, there might be one place. We passed by it earlier, but Mikoshiba dragged us towards the game shop before I could get a good look."
"Hey!" Mikorin protested, finally looking away from his game. "There's only 10,000 of these games you know! Thirty extra hours of gameplay, seven new worlds, AND character customization!" They ignored him.
"Let's go now, then!" she said enthusiastically, hefting her bags back into her arms. "You lead the way, Nozaki-kun."
"Here it is," Nozaki said.
It turned out to be a small photobooth, strikingly pink and covered with hearts and flowers. On top was a sign that declared in bubbly letters, "Supreme Love Couple's Photobooth~!"
He placed his bags carefully outside of the booth and ducked inside, leaving her and Mikoshiba awkwardly standing outside. The click of Nozaki's trusty camera could be heard rapidly going off from the inside of the booth.
"All you wanted was a reference for a photo booth?" Mikorin asked, peeking inside behind the white lace curtain that covered the entrance. The inside was pink as well. "We could've gone to the one by the station, you know. It's a lot closer."
Chiyo agreed with Mikorin. They had to travel all the way back into the maze of shops to get to this photo booth, but the one by the station would've only been a five minute walk.
Nozaki blinked and turned to look at the two of them watching him from outside the booth. "Of course not. I also want us to test it out and print some photos. Also, this one is a couples' booth, Mikoshiba; there's a completely different feeling.
"A c-couple photo?!" Chiyo asked, her mind spinning with possibilities. Her and Nozaki taking a couple photo together! With hearts and sparkles and "LOVE" written underneath! Would they put their faces together? Would she get to kiss his cheek?
"Yes," Nozaki said. "I want a photo of all three of us to commemorate the occasion."
"Ah," Chiyo said, deflating. She cast a derisive glance in Mikorin's direction and sighed. So much for a couple photo.
"Hey!" Mikorin complained. "I'm important too! I deserve love! Don't favor Nozaki so much!"
Before she could reply, Nozaki threw back the curtain and beckoned the two of them inside. "I'm done with the reference photos now. You can come in." He had already settled down on the squishy pink seat inside.
"Nozaki-kun," Chiyo said, "I don't think we're not all going to fit in there." Nozaki already took up the majority of the seat, and she could see on the far wall inside the booth a small sign proclaiming, "extra small size for added intimacy!"
"You guys are going to leave me out again, aren't you?!" Mikorin interrupted. His mouth was pursed into a moue and his arms were crossed in irritation. "Why even invite me along then!"
"Nonsense," Nozaki said. He grabbed Chiyo and Mikorin's wrists and pulled them both into the tiny booth. "Just sit on my lap."
"W-What?" Chiyo stuttered. "Nozaki-kun, I don't think that's a good idea!"
"It's fine," Nozaki said. "You don't weigh that much, Sakura, and neither does Mikoshiba." He settled her on his left thigh while she was still reeling from the shock.
"That's not the problem, Nozaki-kun!" she protested, trying to wriggle off his lap, It became more difficult as Mikorin was pulled in and rearranged so he was sitting on Nozaki's other side opposite her. The booth seemed even more confining than before and eventually Chiyo just gave up. There was no getting out of this position it seemed.
"Let's just get this over with," Mikorin muttered. His ears and cheeks were as red as his hair now, and the brightness of his blush only seemed to increase the longer he perched on Nozaki's thigh. Wrapping his arms around his stomach, he hunched over as much as he could in the small space.
Chiyo was blushing heavily now too and could barely even raise her head from her hands. Nozaki was so evil, she decided. How could he be so casual about things like this?
"Ahaha," she laughed nervously after she had composed herself. Mikorin still refused to look up from his lap. "Let's get this done, Nozaki-kun. Are there any specific poses that you want?"
"Hmm." Nozaki seemed to be completely unfazed by having two people perched on his lap in a tiny booth. "You guys are fine for now. Just relax and look towards the camera."
"Alright," Chiyo said, strangely determined. They were just taking some photos - it would be fine! Mikorin's head lifted a tiny amount and even though he was still curled up a bit, at least he was looking at camera now. A pink blush still dusted fainlyt across his cheeks. "Tell me when you're ready, Nozaki-kun, and I'll push the button to get started."
"Ready," Nozaki said. His arm curled loosely around her waist to keep her from falling, and she lost her ability to think for a few seconds, He also did the same to Mikorin, who squeaked but accepted with better grace than usual.
Quickly, Chiyo pressed the heart shaped button in the middle of the panel in front of them. Nozaki was pushing all of her buttons today and sending up red flags everywhere; if this continued, she didn't think that she was going to be able to make it home in one piece.
"How many photos, Nozaki-kun? Two, three, or four?"
"Let's do four for now," he decided after some deliberation. "It won't cover all of the combinations, but it'll be good enough."
Chiyo didn't know how they would do more than one pose without any instructions besides "relax," but it wasn't her call so she just nodded. "Got it!"
After she pressed the button for five photos, a voice counting down from five could be heard from the screen.
"FIVE." Chiyo smiled cheerfully towards the screen. Mikorin made a half-hearted attempt at not looking so sullen and red.
"FOUR." She could feel the shift of Nozaki's arm against her waist and his leg underneath her as he adjusted his position.
"THREE." Mikorin's shyness seemed to be overcome by his need to be photogenic, and a casual, but flirtatious glance fell over his features.
"TWO." Was it just her or was this countdown getting longer?
"ONE." Right as the flash of the camera went off, Chiyo could feel a soft and warm pressure against her cheek, lasting only a brief second before moving away.
"Nozaki-kun!" she shouted, dizzy and overcome. Her hand flew to her cheek in shock and a blush dark enough to rival even Mikorin's usual fare stained her cheeks. "What are you doing!"
"It's the pose I wanted," Nozaki explained as the countdown restarted itself for the next photo. "Kissing pose."
"I'm not kissing anyone in here!" Mikorin yelped, his voice pitching up an octave. "That's embarrassing! You need to get permission before you do stuff like this, Nozaki!" Squirming vigorously, he tried to break out of Nozaki's hold around his waist, but it had turned into a vice grip keeping him in place.
"...ONE." Chiyo watched in a daze as Nozaki planted a kiss on Mikorin's heavily blushing cheek. As soon as Nozaki's lips touched his skin, Mikorin flushed even harder, if that was possible, and the heat from his embarrassment could be felt across the tiny distance between them.
Mikorin seemed to be rendered silent by the kiss, and he threw an arm over his face to shield it from view. The countdown restarted again, and right as the screen announced, "FIVE" Chiyo could hear the soft mutter of, "I hate you, Nozaki" in Mikorin's typical tear-streaked voice.
"Okay," Nozaki said. "Sakura, please kiss Mikoshiba."
"Eh?" Chiyo said, abruptly snapping out of her daze. "Us too?"
Nozaki nodded. "Yes, you can kiss Mikoshiba or he can kiss you, but I need a photo with the both of you. It's quite important." Mikorin made a depressed noise from the other side of Nozaki's lap.
"THREE." Mind made up and blush returning once again, Chiyo gently pulled Mikorin's arm away from his face. If it was important to Nozaki, then it was important to her. Tears shimmered in his eyes, and he sniffed pitifully.
"You guys are so mean," Mikorin whined, even as he willingly leaned closer when she tugged him gently. "What if I wanted to save my first kiss, huh?"
"This isn't your first kiss," Chiyo reminded him. "That was Nozaki-kun." Just as the screen counted down to "ONE" and right before Mikorin's shout of realization, Chiyo planted a gentle kiss on his cheek, in the same spot where Nozaki had kissed him before.
The countdown restarted again, and Mikorin could only whimper quietly. So distraught, he had unconsciously begun seeking bodily comfort and hid his face in the crook of Nozaki's neck. Nozaki's hand rubbed consolingly at Mikorin's waist.
"What's the last photo, Nozaki-kun?" Chiyo asked. She could feel his arm around her waist pull her closer to him, and her cheeks quickly flared up with heat. Mikorin really was rubbing off on her.
"A kiss for me," Nozaki said calmly. "From you and Mikoshiba."
"At the same time?" Wasn't this some typical fantasy people had? A cute girl (guy) on either side giving them a kiss? Chiyo wondered if this was Nozaki's greedy plan from the start.
"Yes," Nozaki said, a bit regretfully. "Unfortunately the photo limit of this booth requires for the two of you to do it together."
"Noooo," Mikorin wailed into Nozaki's neck. "I won't do it! I'm protesting against your cruelty!"
"TWO" said the photo screen.
"Mikorin, it's only one more photo and we'll be done!" Chiyo tried, semi-cheerfully.
"I'll make you burgers when we get back," Nozaki promised.
Mikorin lifted his face from Nozaki's neck and sniffled sadly. "Fine, but I want lots." Chiyo sighed in relief. Mikorin really was too easy sometimes.
Right as the screen announced, "ONE," Chiyo closed her eyes and placed a careful (and very slightly trembling) kiss against Nozaki's cheek. On the other side, with the same or greater amount of trembling, Mikorin also placed a kiss on Nozaki's cheek, and a second later, the photo session was done.
"I hate both of you," Mikorin declared even as he settled back down on Nozaki's shoulder. Chiyo took this as a sign that she could relax too and was gratified when Nozaki adjusted his grip so that she would be more comfortable. "Are we done yet?"
"We still need to decorate," Nozaki said. "But after that we'll be done."
The four photos they took were lined up across the screen and Chiyo scrunitized them carefully. Her light surprise in the first, Mikorin's full body shock in the second and teary eyed blush in the third, and in the fourth, there was a soft, barely there, expression of contentment on Nozaki's face as he received a kiss on either cheek from the two of them. It definitely was his greedy plan from the start.
"We should add hearts," Chiyo decided, "and write 'LOVE' underneath as well." They may not have been the couple photos she was expecting, but they were still good - better even, in some ways - and deserved to be decorated with the same care.
"Ah Sakura, don't forget to add in sparkles too,"
"I want a gold heart." Mikorin declared, finally taking interest in the process. "And 'sexy' written above my picture." His blush popped up even before the sentence finished leaving his mouth.
"Alright, alright," Sakura said, laughing as she moved to get started on the first photo. It seemed they would be confined to this little booth for a while longer now - not that she minded too much.