Chapter Text
Tyrell sighed, dropping his bag onto his bed. It had been one hell of a day, and for once, he was thankful that he had the apartment to himself.
Matthew would be gone all weekend, as he'd flown to Belinsk with his girlfriend Sveta to visit with her brother, King Volechek. And Amiti would be gone for at least the evening; taking advantage of the fact that it was empty, Karis had invited him to sleep over at her and Sveta's place.
And after the week he'd had, he really didn't want to be around anyone. First his dad had nagged him about wanting to become "just" a mechanic after college, and then his teacher, Professor Patcher, had basically told him that his essay project was all wrong, and he'd have to write it over. The essay he'd been working on all semester, that was fifty percent of his grade. Of course, Patcher could have been just trying to make his life hell. Make one little joke about the guy's bald spot...
If that wasn't enough, his girlfriend Nowell had flipped on him for helping his friend Hou Ju with some homework. Never mind the fact that the only reason he'd agreed was because she was the sister of his friend, she also had the biggest crush on Matthew he'd ever seen. Nowell had accused him of trying to get with the sophomore girl, and had refused to listen to his explanations.
Honestly, he was getting real sick of her unwarranted jealousy and accusations. He wasn't a perfect boyfriend by any means, but he was loyal, god damn it, and he didn't really even speak to any other girls outside of Sveta and Karis. And with the mood he had been in all week, he was about ready to say fuck it and be done with her.
And, to top it all off, he'd fucked up replacing the timing belt on an expensive, old-school Impala at work today. Something he should have been able to do in his sleep. Both his boss, Eoleo, and the car owner had been pissed. Personally, he thought the car owner had overreacted; it wasn't like he had scratched the paint, and his boss had paid for the replacement, and ended up eating the cost of the original problem too. So Eoleo had a right to be upset; the McCoys did not, but that hadn't stopped Mrs. McCoy from screaming at him for twenty minutes.
Tyrell momentarily considered going to the complex's gym, work out some of his frustration, but honestly, he just wanted to hole up with his CoD, a beer, and maybe some pizza. He'd go tomorrow once he felt more like himself. He stretched, rolling his neck as he made a mental to-do list for the evening.
Shower, order pizza, veg out and kick some twelve year old's ass at Modern Warfare. He glanced at the blank screen as he plugged his phone in, and added one more thing. Try to avoid Nowell. That would just piss her off of course, but he really didn't want to hear her bitching at him again.
He grabbed his towel and made his way to the bathroom he shared with Matthew. Since Amiti, being a prince, was the only reason they had been able to get a place as nice as this, Tyrell and Matthew had agreed to give up the master to their friend. He hung his towel up and turned on the hot water before he stripped and stepped inside the shower. He closed his eyes as the hot water pelted his shoulders, easing the tension of the last week, and sighed.
After scrubbing the grease, dirt, and sweat from his body, he got out, dried off, and dressed in his most comfortable pair of gray sweats, socks, and a red tank top. He grabbed his phone off the charger and made his way to the living room. He set his phone down, and then turned on his Xbox before going to grab a beer.
He'd just popped the top and took a sip when he heard a knock at the door. Sighing, he set it on the counter before going to open it.
In the hallway stood their new neighbor. He'd seen her when she moved in last week, and then again a few days ago. He'd given her a friendly smile, which she'd shyly returned before she'd scurried into her apartment.
She was short--really short. She barely reached the middle of his chest, and couldn't have been more than sixteen. Her midnight black hair was pulled back into a messy bun, but that was all that was messy about her. Her red pleated skirt was neat, and her white short-sleeved button up looked like it had been ironed. But it was her bright red eyes and the bright red tattoo on her forehead that got his attention.
Red was his favorite color.
"Hello."
Her voice was soft, but she seemed out of breath. Her eyes were wide, and cheeks flushed. She looked like she'd either just come from the gym--which was unlikely, given her clothes-- or she was close to panicking.
"Uh, hi?"
She bit her lip. "Ah, my name is Himi. I just moved in next door." She looked at him expectantly.
"Uh--Tyrell," he said lamely. Himi nodded.
"Hi. Um, are you busy?"
Tyrell shook his head. And then added, "No."
"Ok. Um, so this is kind of awkward, but there's a spider in my kitchen, and it's--like, it's really big. I don't like spiders. And, uh, I'm trying to make dinner, and I was wondering--would you be able to kill it for me? Please?" She said it all very fast. Tyrell watched her with an amused smile.
"Yeah, sure. Hold on."
Leaving the door open, he went to his room and slid his boots on without lacing them up. When he came back, Himi was still outside the door, gazing around the apartment.
"You could have come in."
She gave him a startled look. "Uh, no thank you. I was just curious. Don't you have roommates?" She stepped aside so Tyrell could join her in the hall and shut the door.
"Yeah. Amiti is at his girlfriend's, and Matthew is out of town with his."
She nodded and led him to her own door. "You'll have to remove your boots. I think you should be able to fit in my dad's slippers."
"Uh-what?"
Himi let him into her apartment. On the carpet next to the small tiled area by the door was a line of slippers. Himi took off her flats and lined them up next to a pair of sneakers on the tile before stepping into the smallest pair of slippers. Standing on the carpet, she looked up at him expectantly.
"For real?" He was just going to kill a spider. Himi nodded, and Tyrell kicked off his boots. After he'd slid into her father's slippers, he followed her to her kitchen.
Her apartment was laid out the same as his, except flipped, and decorated much nicer. Instead of his plain, mismatched furniture, Himi's apartment was tastefully decorated in blacks, whites, and rich reds. All of her appliances were upgraded from the generic black ones in his own apartment, to stainless steel. Everything was very beautiful--but also felt very sterile. It was spotless, but there was nothing to denote that people lived there. No bags or jackets on the floor, no papers strewn across the coffee table, nothing but generic flower pictures on the walls.
Only the kitchen showed signs of life--a textbook, notebook, and a pen and a couple of highlighters laid out on the bar top, and ingredients and utensils for dinner arranged neatly on the lower counter. Himi stopped just before the tile and pointed at the counter.
"It was over there."
Tyrell nodded and stepped into the kitchen. "By the food?"
"The sink."
Tyrell turned to the sink and examined it. Upon seeing nothing, he moved the sponge, and a small black spider scurried out. Really, it was much too tiny for anyone to be scared of. Without thinking to ask for anything, Tyrell slammed his hand down and squished it. He gestured to the faucet.
"Do you mind...?" Himi shook her head and Tyrell quickly washed his hands before wiping down where the poor spider had been. Turning to Himi, he wiped his hands in his sweats.
"Was that all you needed?" Himi was wrinkling her small nose. "What?"
"I have hand towels."
"Huh? Oh--" He looked down at his hands. "Eh, its no big deal."
Himi stared at his hands for a moment, as if she were debating asking him to wash them again just so he could use a towel. Finally she looked up. "Thank you for your help."
"No problem." Tyrell made his way back over to the door and traded the slippers for his boots. "Couldn't you have just asked your parents to kill the spider?"
Himi looked at him in confusion. "Why would I ask my parents?"
"Because it'd be easier than asking a total stranger? And safer?"
"But my parents live in Yamata..." she said slowly. Tyrell looked around.
"They don't live here?" Himi shook her head, and Tyrell narrowed his eyes. He really couldn't stand parents who didn't want to take care of their children! "Do you at least have a guardian that comes and checks on you? What's your parents' number?"
Himi stared at him in disbelief. "How old do you think I am?"
"Like fifteen, right? What kind of people let their kid live on--"
"Eighteen."
"--their own, and don't even bother checking on--wait, what?"
Himi lifted her chin. "I said, I am eighteen."
It was Tyrell's turn to stare in disbelief before he snorted. "Yeah, nice try. I saw your school books."
"Yes. For college. I'm taking my pre-reqs for environmental science and botany." When he still looked skeptical, Himi retrieved her book from the counter and handed it to him. He recognized the book from when he'd taken second year biology.
"You're a sophomore?"
"Freshman. I took a lot of AP science classes in high school."
"Huh." Tyrell scratched his ear and handed the book back. "I'll be damned." He looked her in the eyes. "Sorry. You're just really short and you look really young."
"I know. It's okay." Tyrell exited the apartment before turning to face Himi.
"You live here alone?" When Himi hesitated, he rushed to clarify. "No, sorry, I just--you said your parents are in Yamato, and if you don't have any roommates or anyone to look out for you... Look, if you need help or anything, just let me know. If I'm not home, one of my roommates usually are, and they'll be more than happy to help, too. Okay?"
Himi watched him a moment more, and then nodded. "Thank you." When Tyrell turned to go, she reached out and touched his arm. "Wait!"
Stopping, he looked down at her. Himi blinked in surprise, like she hadn't planned to stop him. "Ah. Oh. Um, have you eaten dinner yet?" She rushed on before he could answer. "Ah, I just meant--I should thank you. I mean, I did. But like. I'm making dinner. For myself. If your roommates aren't home, I could make something for you as well. To thank you for killing the spider."
"Oh. Uh." He should say no. If he said yes and Nowell found out about it, she'd have his balls as earrings, no matter how innocent the meal might have been. On the other hand, he still needed to eat dinner, and he suddenly found that he didn't want to be alone. And Himi seemed nice.
But... was it really worth it if it meant Nowell would kill him? Himi was cute. And if Nowell found out that Tyrell lived next to her, let alone went into her apartment? He'd never hear the end of it. Torn, he stared at Himi, wondering what to do.
"What the hell is this?!"
Well that answered that. Tyrell flinched and swore; he knew how Nowell would perceive this, and there was nothing he could do to stop the storm. Himi looked past him, a puzzled look on her face. Footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Maybe if he didn't turn around... but no, then he'd just get an earful for ignoring her. Sighing resignedly, he turned and tried for a nonchalant smile.
"Hey, Ellie. Have you met Himi? She just asked me to--"
Nowell stopped in front of him, hands on her hips. Her blue eyes flashed. "Jump into her bed?" Tyrell winced and avoided looking at Himi. He made a note to apologize profusely to her later. "You have got to be kidding me! I came here to make-up, even though you refused to apologize, and I find you with yet another girl?!"
"Ellie, I told you, nothing happened between me and Hou Ju. And really, Himi just wanted me to kill a spider for her."
Nowell sneered. "Oh, are we using euphemisms now?"
"What? No! You need to calm down. I'm not cheating on you, Nowell."
The blue-haired beauty ignored him. "And now I see why you keep screwing other girls! It's not that I'm not enough of a woman--it's that I'm too much woman!"
Tyrell stared at her incredulously. "What the fuck are you talking about?" Nowell gestured to Himi.
"Her! That other one! They both look like they're about twelve! Apparently you like them young!" Turning to Himi, she gave an exaggerated pout. "How old are you, sweetheart? Does it make you feel like a big grown-up, fucking another woman's man?"
Himi stiffened. "Excuse me?" Tyrell could feel his temper start bubbling.
"Nowell..."
"Don't you dare 'Nowell' me! Always with the excuses! You're constantly talking to other girls, and leaving me sitting at home waiting! It's not fair!"
"Are you kidding me?!" Tyrell had tried to holdback his temper. He really had. But this... "I have caught you talking to Piers not once, not twice, but three separate times! Piers, Nowell! He's friends with our parents! He's twice your goddamn age! And you have the nerve to say that I keep you waiting?!"
"He's a good listener! He gives me advice on how to deal with a lying, no-good boyfriend! He says I deserve better than how you treat me, and he's right!"
Tyrell exploded. "Are you fucking serious?! 'He's a good listener...' Damn it Nowell, he's a womanizer and he's just telling you want you want to hear to get into your pants!"
Nowell gave him a scathing glare. "I know he is. And he's better in bed than you'll ever hope to be."
Silence rang in the hallway. Tyrell just stared at Nowell, and Himi watched the two of them, trying to make herself as small and unobtrusive as possible.
"...What did you say?"
Nowell scoffed. "I said--" She blanched as she replayed her words. She took a step forward, horror on her face. "Baby, I--"
"Leave." His voice was tight and quiet.
"What?"
"Leave, Nowell. I'm done with you."
Nowell stared at him in shock. "You're breaking up with me?"
Tyrell gave her a flat glare. "Yes. Now leave."
A haughty look crossed her face. "You can't just break up with--"
"Damn it, Nowell, just go!" He yelled.
Himi and Nowell both jumped. The latter stared at Tyrell with wide blue eyes swimming with tears before she turned and bolted down the hallway.
Tyrell and Himi stood in silence for several long minutes before Tyrell let out a shuddering breath. When he turned back to Himi, his friendly smile was back in place, but it was tinged with sadness.
"Hey, sorry you got dragged into that. Does that dinner offer still stand?"