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Fulgur had never been a person to put much value on looks. Sure, he was capable of finding people attractive physically, but he always cared more about the personality. Besides, what was a person if they couldn't laugh at his jokes or understand his many, many references. Not one Fulgur wanted to hang out with, that’s for sure.
And, at first, that’s exactly what Fulgur thought of his new roommate. A pretty face with no substance; someone that was just beauty. It was a rude thought, sure, but Uki Violeta hasn’t given him much to work with so far.
The purple haired man was elusive, rarely home at the same time as Fulgur. Fulgur, being the homebody that he was, tended to spend most of his time in his room, typing away on his computer. He didn’t know what Uki got up to, and most of the time, he didn’t really care.
He was pretty though. Incredibly so. Anyone you asked would probably call it a crush, but Fulgur wouldn’t. He’d still flush if you asked, but how could he crush on someone he doesn’t know anything about?
Despite that, the urge to get to know Uki starts to get harder to ignore.
A month passes, and Fulgur thinks he’s making progress. It’s slow, slow progress but still progress. Each day, through too short encounters, he learns more about this mysterious, and very handsome man.
He learns that Uki is simply quiet. Not something he expected from someone who appeared to be a social butterfly, but Fulgur wasn’t the most personable guy either. There were a few times that Fulgur caught Uki watching him from the island while he made himself lunch, not starting a conversation, but following his every move with his eyes. At first, Fulgur found it odd. Was Uki judging him? Was he just people watching? Fulgur wasn’t entirely new to that concept; he had a predilection to do the same.
He eventually just chalked it up to personality, and let the other man do as he pleased, occasionally offering Uki part of his meal — the day he started actively asking for a plate before Fulgur started cooking made him very happy.
He even learns that Uki can also cook, and his cooking is amazing. He always takes the extra effort to compliment each dish, even if it’s nothing special. The soft smile on his lips makes it worth the quick research of the dishes he does on his phone while Uki makes them.
Getting people to come out of their shell was not something Fulgur was good at — Uki didn’t seem to mind, thankfully. It was much easier for Fulgur to let people show themselves naturally, even if it took a while.
For Uki though, it didn’t take nearly as long as he expected.
Fulgur steps into the dark kitchen with a sturdy, cloth tote full of new books, graphic novels and manga. He had decided to treat himself after a particularly rough week, splurging on some new titles, as well as filling some gaps in his collection. He was a nerd at heart, and was unashamed of that.
He sets his bag on their kitchen island, rummaging and then picking out a novel that he was eager to start as soon as he saw it on the shelf, then heads out to the living.
He was expecting to have a nice, quiet night reading. Expecting Uki to be out having fun with a group of his friends: doing karaoke, going out to dinner, anything really. It is Friday night after all.
But Fulgur sees the light of the TV illuminating the otherwise dark room, and he sighs. The sigh isn’t necessarily one of annoyance, but he would be lying if he wasn’t hoping to have the apartment to himself. He knows he could read in his room, but it just isn’t the same.
Though, that feeling does wear off when he actually steps into the living room and sees the other man.
Uki’s curled up on the arm of the couch, with a bag of chips tucked against his side and a soda on the end table. His eyes are trained on the TV which, for once, isn’t playing one of Uki’s usual shows. It’s an anime. And a fairly old and obscure one at that. Not something he would’ve just happened to pick up in the mainstream.
He genuinely didn’t know that Uki liked anime. He didn’t know many of Uki’s likes or hobbies, to be fair, aside from what he’s been able to pick up through habits or sneak off his roommate application. He knows that Uki enjoys plants — something that they both shared, green leaves and flowers filling many of the empty spaces around the apartment without discussion — as well as his drama shows, and cooking. Other than that, he was still a mystery.
Until now, at least. Fulgur has another, possibly critical, piece of the Uki Violeta puzzle.
“Whatcha watching, Uki?” Fulgur’s words, even though they are soft, make Uki jolt up and almost off the couch in shock. His hand scrambles across the cushions to search for the remote. Thin fingers curl around the black plastic and he holds the volume button down until it’s virtually silent.
“Oh Fuu Fuu-chan.” The nickname, picked up as a derivative from Yugo’s simple ‘Fuu-chan’ when the DJ came down to help Fulgur move in, makes Fulgur's heart beat faster. “I thought you’d be out ‘til later?” His voice is shaken with surprise, it sounds so unlike him.
When Uki finally meets his gaze, Fulgur blanks on words. The other’s cheeks are tinged pink, like he was caught doing something more embarrassing than watching an anime. His hair is still shower damp, and the shirt he’s wearing is wrinkled and very well-worn.
“The bookstore had to close early…”
“Ah.”
There’s a few minutes of silence, only abated by the quiet Japanese playing from the TV speaker. Uki adverts his eyes, grazing his thumb over the power button. He looks like a scared rabbit, ready to leap away if Fulgur missteps.
He has an opportunity here, and he takes it.
“The second season is better, you know?” He prompts, attempting to cut the tension that’s thick enough to choke on. It earns him a hearty laugh of relief from Uki and Fulgur smiles. He thinks that’s the first time he’s gotten the purple haired man to laugh. More progress.
Uki’s shoulders sink as he relaxes into the soft fabric. “Yeah, for real. This is one of my favorites. I’ve watched it like 8 or 9 times, and it really doesn’t get any better. But, I like that.”
Fulgur sets his novel on the coffee table and takes a seat beside Uki on the couch without need for permission. Uki doesn’t shy away from him. “Sometimes, that’s all you really need, though. Something familiar that’s kinda bad.”
Uki hums in agreement before turning his eyes back to the screen. Fulgur does the same, and the two of them spend the rest of their night chatting about the long fight scenes, and dated dialogue. Even after they finish the season, they continue their conversation, talking about anything and everything. It’s the longest conversation they’ve had since he’d moved in.
It’s nice.
It’s really, really nice.