Chapter Text
The very first thing he'd do as a neighbor, would be asking for a favor and Semi had his reservations about that. But he was in dire need of a bucket, or something similar. His shower had suddenly given way, despite the landlord's persistent claims of having rectified it .
Semi Eita, budding musician ,24, had just moved into the apartment block and desperately needed to shower.But just as luck would have it, the one in his apartment didn't work.Semi hated asking for favors.He stood outside apartment 304, weighing his options.He precariously rang the doorbell.
Semi was greeted by a tall,impassive guy. He stood taller than Semi and quirked a brow at him,while holding onto what looked like skewered shrimp.
"Hi. I'm Semi" Semi warily extended a hand."just moved into the next apartment."
The taller male just nodded, taking Semi's hand and lazily shaking it, as he munched on whatever he was having.
"Um..was wondering if you have like a bucket or something?My shower's malfunctioning." Semi explained,looking a little mortified.
"Wait! Your name's "Semi" ?Seriously?"he asked instead.
"Semi Eita, actually! " Semi disclosed, unsure of how the conversation would pan out.
"Cool name man! Wait here.I'll get the bucket.The name's Taichi."he replied and hurried back in, leaving Semi waiting at the door.
Semi looked around the corridor and then inside.He caught sight of another figure sitting on the visible part of the couch.
Taichi returned, with a bucket in hand.
Semi thanked him."I'll return it ASAP..seems like you have company,so I'll not bother you!" He motioned to the couch from the door, which was now ajar .
Taichi shrugged." No worries dude, this company's eternally bothered ." He pointed back at the other figure on the couch,smirking with a knowing look.
"R-right!"Semi nodded, confused."See you later then,Taichi."He shot a smile and went back to his apartment with the bucket , thinking,"I can finally have a shower."
~.~.~
Two days later, Semi ,once again found himself standing before the next door apartment ,304. He rang the bell.Once, no answer.. twice,no answer.He resorted to knocking. He heard a groaning from the other side and fast ,quick steps ,which became louder as they approached the door.
The door opened, revealing a well dressed, small, grumpy boy, with an obvious pout.He seemed engrossed in his phone,barely even looking up at Semi.
For the most part,Semi could see copper bangs hanging and covering the boy's forehead ,eyes and what seemed to be round,gold-rimmed glasses.
"Er ...was wondering if Taichi is around? I wanted to return this." Semi said ,cutting to the chase and presenting the bucket.
The boy looked up finally, a very distinct scowl on his face."Taichi isn't here." he said and without another word or a second glance , slammed the door shut on Semi's face.
Semi,stood motionless outside the door for a hot minute or two, processing what had just happened. Wtaf??Did someone just slam a door on me? Semi felt humiliation and anger bubble and had the urge to knock,ring the bell... whatever again, but thought the better of it and decided on ignoring for the time being.
Frustrated bratty, freak! He mentally cursed at the other guy.He didn't realize he was still standing outside apt 304.
The door frantically opened,once again.The copper-haired boy did a double take at Semi, probably not expecting him to still be there.Semi moved away instinctively as he frowned at the boy who had a half-eaten sandwich ,hanging from his mouth ,a backpack and bright walnut-brown eyes, which shyly looked away.
He hurriedly locked the apartment,and sprinted off in the opposite direction ;again-without a word or a second glance.
So,he was in a hurry!but that doesn't warrant slamming doors on people's faces.. he didn't even take Taichi's bucket back.What a weirdo!
~.~.~
It was around 8:00PM.Semi returned from his music practice. He noticed Taichi ahead of him, as he climbed the steps .Taichi was on his phone, probably hanging up on a call as he removed the device from his ear.
" Hey!" Semi called out, as he saw Taichi pocketing his phone.
Taichi looked back and smiled,"Hi Semi.So how's the building treating you ? They fix your shower yet?"
Semi finally caught up with him."building's fine.. But they haven't fixed the shower..I filed the issue with the Grievances Section downstairs. I wanted to return your bucket in the morning ,but you weren't there..." Semi's voice dwindled and he looked uneasy." The other guy ....um."Semi hesitated.
Taichi snickered." I see you met Shirabu then? "
Shirabu? Semi thought.
" Seems like he's already made an impression."Taichi grinned.
"Oh! He effing did."Semi readily agreed, wondering how exactly Taichi figured that.
Taichi laughed ."...what'd he do?Flip you off,ask you to "Find" your own business, slam the door?"
Semi looked bowled over." Those..are very oddly specific."
Taichi laughed even louder.
"...Slammed the door."Semi said ,dejectedly, after much pondering, earning more laughs from the taller male.
He finally recalled what Taichi had said on the very first day"this company's eternally bothered." I see.
Semi and Taichi reached their respective apartments."Wanna actually meet Shirabu? I mean you guys are neighbors afterall. I don't live here, he does," Taichi suggested, earning a "huh" from Semi." I visit everyday or whenever I can and I know he would never speak to most people voluntarily ,so..." Taichi continued. Semi seemed unsure." Taichi doesn't live here ,but the other guy, Shirabu does? Somehow that made him a little wary.
Noticing it,Taichi assured "..it's ok, Shira doesn't bite.He's just"..he paused,"socially awkward."
Semi did want to berate the shorter male for slamming the door in his face and dignity. What was worse was that ,he was the actual neighbor, not Taichi . It seemed like a safer option meeting him with Taichi along,plus who knows,maybe next time he met Shirabu,he would be flipped off "...k very well.Now or never" he shrugged.
Taichi rang the bell thrice,in an almost code-like pattern.Shirabu instantly opened the door. Semi thought back to how his rings were ignored in the morning.
Shirabu didn't look back to see who was at the door, as if it was routine for him, and perhaps it was.
" Paper was easy" he said, plopping down on the couch." Got tekka maki sushi ."he pointed at two boxes of food.
Taichi looked at Semi and nodded.
"There's someone here ,Shira.He is Semi, um..your new neighbor."
Shirabu almost defensively sprung back up.
He looked wide-eyed from Taichi to Semi. The latter was utterly confused and only managed to give a small wave.
Shirabu looked away, swallowed and pointed at two neatly packed boxes on the table. "You guys can share the sushi."So saying,he ran off into the washroom and locked himself in.
Taichi smirked at Semi."What exactly happened in the morning?"
Semi was at a loss for words."Absolutely nothing.I just came to return the bucket....and well.. he shut the door."he said,in a curiously fearful tone.
Taichi patted him on the back, as if to ease his worry," It all seems good. Shira approves of you. I've never seen him share food, let alone with people he's just met.You must be special.It's very rare,trust me ,like finding a four-leaf clover."
Semi looked extremely dubious," Is that weird or like a good thing?"
Taichi smiled, "Both. Let's eat then! You can dine here today. It's tekka maki Sushi"
Semi had to admit,as bizzare as the situation was, he was being offered tekka maki sushi.It was his absolute favourite .Was it a total coincidence that his first meal here was his most favourite? As awkward as Shirabu was, Semi got the feeling that letting him share food was probably a form of subliminal apology for his impertinence in the morning.At least Taichi was good enough company. With this train of thought, Semi found himself relaxing a little.
Taichi began opening the boxes and taking out plates and chopsticks.
"Um...won't Shirabu eat?"Semi asked looking around the room .It was unusually neat and had a lingering bugglegum-esque aroma.
There was minimal furniture. Just the couch, two chairs and a table.There was a tablet and a laptop on the couch.There were a lot of books, neatly arranged and labelled.
"He'll come around.Give him some time. After five minutes or so, he'll unlock that door and walk in.. don't worry."Taichi said , placing a sushi on one of the plates.
Semi had residual doubts. It had already been fifteen minutes since Shirabu had locked himself in the washroom.He thought better than to comment.The sight of sushi made him temporarily forget that and on cue,his stomach rumbled.Semi felt embarrassed.
"You can start."Taichi handed out his plate, with a knowing smirk.
Shirabu quietly unlocked the door and peeped .Semi wanted to but decided not to look up,he was very much glued to his sushi.
He could sense the small boy walk carefully towards them ."Guess you like sushi,huh?"
It was Shirabu who'd asked the question ,as he cautiously observed the two of them.
Taichi merely smiled looking from Semi to Shirabu, as he continued eating.
Semi finally looked up.Shirabu had his hands hidden in the hoodie's pocket and his face had the pout,but there was no scowl.His copper bangs still covered most of his forehead and glasses.
"Yes.Thank you so much. Teka makki's my favourite." Semi replied, trying to sound as warm as possible.
"Ok.Scoot over Chi." Shirabu said and made himself comfortable next to Taichi. Semi found himself looking at the new boy.He wanted to but couldn't look away.He was easily forgetting about the door-slamming and Shirabu showed no signs that it had even happened.
Shirabu's grey hoodie had the" Levi's" brand logo on it. But somehow,below it in brackets was a custom-printed : "Yes,Levi Ackerman's".
Semi found it delightfully droll and smirked .
"What ?Don't you like Levi?"Shirabu asked, his tone suggesting that answering "no" would mean he'd kill you in your sleep .But honestly there couldn't be anyone in their right mind who wouldn't like Levi.
Shit! He noticed me noticing "Of course I do.. ."Semi replied,nodding.
"Hmm" Shirabu considered...."and here I assumed the new neighbour was an uncultured, 179-ish-cm, Takamine freak,who weirdly likes tekka maki and returns buckets he might still need." he spoke seamlessly, with a mellow voice.
Semi tried registering what Shirabu had just said.Taichi frown-smiled,(if that's even a thing). "Utterly baffled" would be an understatement to how Semi felt.He didn't know what to react to: the fact that Shirabu thought he was uncultured,the fact that he indeed owned Takamine instruments ,the fact that he actually was 179.5cm or the fact that he was still using a bucket,but he'd bought his own.He blinked multiple times ,just bluntly staring at Shirabu.
Semi's stare made Shirabu uncomfortable and he brought back the scowl Semi had seen earlier.
"What on earth? how did y....?"Semi said his voice waned as he was unsure of what he'd say.
Shirabu concentrated harder on his chopsticks, ignoring the others.Taichi had a mildly amused look. What an eventful evening,he thought.
"Shira often does this...it gets kinda annoying ."Taichi chimed in ,trying to make it sound as though it was one of Shirabu's impressive qualities and also wasn't.He was instead met with a glare from the smaller guy.
"That was damn cool .."Semi stated ,"..and I'm actually 179.5cm..how'd you know?"
Shirabu glare-blushed at him,"you're obviously taller than me and shorter than Chi..just a wild shot." He looked angrily at Semi ,as he chewed on the sushi. Shirabu wanted to look intimidating ; but Semi couldn't help but smile at the sight before him.Shirabu looked like the alpacas in those "alpaca chewing" videos.The boy put up an aura of hostility, but somehow Semi had a feeling that he was anything but. He didn't realize he was still looking at the boy with awe.
"What's wrong with you?" Shirabu asked, looking away and almost burying his scarlet face into the plate.
Semi tried to keep a straight face."nothing at all..I'm sorry."He didn't know what he was apologizing for.
"Ahem..I'm not not trying to be a good thirdwheel but ...um..anyone up for soda?"Taichi asked ,getting up .Semi almost choke-coughed and Shirabu hit Taichi hard on his shin.
"Oww..wtf Boo?"
Semi mentally laughed at the nickname.
"I'll take one , thanks."he said, trying to allay the awkwardness Taichi created. Semi tried not looking directly at Shirabu for the rest of the evening and kept his clipped conversations, limited to Tiachi, to both his and Shirabu's relief.
~.~.~